Netherlands ended their Group A3 campaign in the Nations League with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Stadion Bilino Polje on Tuesday.
Ronald Koeman's side, who had already secured their place in the quarter-final heading into the final group fixture, finished with nine points - five fewer than group winners Germany.
Brian Brobbey gave a second-string Oranje the breakthrough in the 24th minute when he headed home a cross from Noa Lang following a short corner kick.
But Ermedin Demirovic scored on the rebound, after Edin Dzeko's initial effort was stopped by goalkeeper Mark Flekken, to help Bosnia salvage a point in the 67th minute, as the hosts finished bottom of the group with two points.
Earlier, Dzeko's shot was cleared off the line by Jorrel Hato in the first half and the Bosnia captain also had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up just past the hour mark, before Sergej Barbarez's side found the leveller.
Data Debrief: Bosnia's spirited comeback
The home side ended the first period without registering a single shot on target and only creating an expected goals (xG) of 0.54, compared to the Netherlands' xG of 1.29.
But they were a much-improved side after the break as they restricted the visitors to zero shots on target while recording three of their own to secure a point. They ended the second half with an xG of 0.46, which bettered the Netherlands' xG of 0.37 despite being lower than their first-half effort.
Prior to this fixture, Bosnia and Herzegovina had lost all four of their 2024-25 Nations League matches in which they were losing at half-time. But they fought back this time to end their League A stay with a draw.
Maro Itoje has reaffirmed his commitment to England amid talks of a proposed global breakaway league.
Steve Borthwick’s side are looking to end their five-match losing run when they face Japan in their final match of the autumn series on Sunday.
But there is fear that Borthwick could lose many of his players to the new league that reportedly are offering 40 £1m-a-season contracts for marquee players and more periods of rests for the players.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) only select players for the national team from English clubs, meaning any player joining the breakaway league would jeopardise their Test career.
But Itoje has insisted that playing for England is the pinnacle for him and his teammates.
"I don't really know any of the details of it as yet, but wearing this rose is extremely important to me and my teammates," said Itoje.
"Playing for England is the Mecca."
Kusini Yengi was the hero for Australia after scoring in the first minute and the 97th to help salvage a 2-2 draw away to Bahrain in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The result extended manager Tony Popovic's unbeaten start with the Socceroos to four matches, although three of those have been draws.
Things got off to a great start for the visitors, going a goal up inside 40 seconds after Portsmouth forward Kusini Yengi nipped in to intercept an underhit back pass from Sayid Mahdi Baqer and find the net.
Yengi had the next moment of note after hitting the post on 61 minutes from a Riley McGree cross, before a poor touch let him down when well-placed three minutes later.
Australia were made to pay for not killing the game, when Mahdi Abduljabbar lobbed Mat Ryan from 45 yards to get Bahrain level in the 75th minute. It went from bad to worse two minutes later, when Abduljabbar got his second following a defensive mix-up between Ryan and Hayden Matthews.
But Yengi rescued his side deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to bury a ricocheting ball in the six-yard box. The result was Australia's fourth draw in six matches and leaves them second in Group C on seven points, with teams from third to sixth – including fifth-placed Bahrain – all on six.
iPrint is the latest corporate entity to signal its support for 2024 Mouttet Mile by coming onboard as the official billboard advertising partner for the event.
The partnership will see iPrint amplifying the event’s visibility with a series of impactful promotional displays on its traditional and electronic billboards across Kingston and St. Catherine.
“We’re proud to welcome iPrint on board as our advertising partner for the Mouttet Mile. Their expertise in outdoor advertising brings significant visibility and will help to raise public awareness and excitement for the event. We know their placements will reach thousands of potential attendees and will increase the anticipation and excitement for Jamaica’s premier racing event across key areas in Kingston and St. Catherine,” Aswanda Stoddart, SVREL AVP Administration, said.
iPrint’s involvement demonstrates its commitment to supporting Jamaica’s vibrant sports and entertainment scene and aligns with the company’s dedication to innovative advertising solutions that engage the community and bring high-profile events to the forefront.
“The efforts of SVREL in organizing and delivering this exceptional event, which not only elevates the profile of sports in Jamaica but also garners global attention through live broadcasts, are truly commendable,” said Mark Haddad, Sales Director at iprint Group of Companies.
“Supporting the Mouttet Mile aligns perfectly with the vision of enhancing and showcasing Brand Jamaica on the world stage. By collaborating with this diverse and prestigious event, we have a unique opportunity to amplify Jamaica’s cultural and sporting legacy. It is only fitting that we pledge our continued support to ensure the sustained success of the Mouttet Mile for many years to come, further solidifying Jamaica’s reputation as a hub of excellence and innovation,” he added.
SVREL and iPrint look forward to a successful collaboration that brings even more excitement to this year’s Mouttet Mile set for December 7 at Caymanas Park.
Rafael Nadal suffered a straight sets defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening match of the Davis Cup Finals.
Nadal will call time on his illustrious playing career at the culmination of Spain's Davis Cup campaign.
It was not confirmed whether the 38-year-old would take to the court in Malaga on Tuesday until shortly before the scheduled start time.
And in his first competitive match since losing to old foe Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, Nadal went down 6-4 6-4, despite having the crowd's backing, as Van de Zandschulp put the Netherlands into a 1-0 lead in the quarter-final tie.
Speaking after his win, the Dutchman said: "At the beginning I think we were both nervous. The first games didn't go smoothly. The crowd was tough, understandably.
"That is what it is to play against Rafa in Spain. He is probably the biggest sportsman in Spain to have ever lived.
"I have to say it is tough to close out a match against him, knowing it could be his last. I felt I was hoping a bit more than going for it. I went for it and it helped in the end.
"If I was sat at the side of the court I would have been cheering for him too."
Nadal's defeat means the pressure was put on his heir apparent, Carlos Alcaraz, to overcome Tallon Griekspoor and force a deciding doubles match.
Data Debrief: History maker
If this was to prove his final match, Nadal bowed out with another slice of history to his name.
With this appearance, Nadal became the Spanish player with the most matches played in the Davis Cup in the last 30 years, with this his 43rd. He surpassed Feliciano Lopez.
Great Britain fell short in the Billie Jean King Cup, despite Emma Raducanu's win in their semi-final against Slovakia.
Raducanu beat Viktoria Hruncakova 6-4 6-4 in the opening singles match on Tuesday.
That made the 22-year-old the British player with the highest win percentage in the competition in singles matches (minimum five matches played), with her 85.7% equalling Annabel Croft's effort.
Yet Katie Boulter was unable to keep up the momentum for Great Britain, as she went down 2-6 6-4 6-4 to Rebecca Sramkova, who has now won 18 singles matches since September. When including the Billie Jean King Cup, that is more than any other player in this span.
Boulter's defeat meant Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls were called upon in the doubles, but they were beaten in straight sets by Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova.
Slovakia have now reached the final of this competition for the second time as an independent state, having won the title in 2002.
Neymar should have won the Ballon d'Or five times, so says Gianluigi Buffon.
Italy great Buffon played alongside Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain for a season in 2018-19.
Neymar joined PSG in a world-record transfer from Barcelona in 2017, but was unable to drive the French club to their maiden Champions League trophy.
He left in 2023 to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, but has hardly featured for the Asian giants. He is back on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue, having only just returned from a year-long lay-off after sustaining an anterior crucial ligament (ACL) injury.
Neymar was tipped for greatness when he moved to Europe from Santos, but despite a glittering career, especially at Barcelona, he never has managed to win the Ballon d'Or.
And that is something that upsets his former club-mate Buffon.
"It's hard to pick a rival," Buffon told Corriere della Sera
"I've played against three generations: Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta… Choose one? Neymar.
"For the player he is and the person he is, he should have won five Ballons d'Or."
Even at PSG, Neymar was often overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe.
When Messi joined that deadly duo in 2021, meanwhile, the trio could not have the impact on the European stage that PSG's Qatari owners would have wished for.
Son Heung-min scored but South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palestine in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Tottenham forward Son netted in the 16th minute at Amman International Stadium in Jordan.
That came four minutes after Palestine had taken the lead through Zeid Qunbar.
Yet South Korea could not build on that momentum. Despite finishing with 15 shots, they accumulated only 0.84 expected goals (xG).
South Korea, who are six points clear in qualification Group B, had five shots on target, with Son having four of them, as Palestine held on for a memorable result.
In Group C, Japan consolidated their lead with a 3-1 defeat of China in Xiamen.
Koki Ogawa scored twice, opening the scoring and netting Japan's third.
Ko Itakura put Japan 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time, with Lin Liangming pulling one back for China early in the second half.
The match was briefly disrupted as some spectators ran onto the pitch.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell was candid in his assessment of his team’s shortcomings following their 3-1 series loss to England in the recently concluded five-match T20 International series.
Powell acknowledged the challenges the team faced in adapting to conditions early in the series but remained optimistic about their upcoming clashes with Bangladesh. This, as he believes, the Caribbean side once again showed glimpses of its potential throughout the series but were unable to consistently produce a complete performance.
In fact, England’s decision to bowl first in the opening three matches—two at Kensington Oval in Barbados and one at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia—exposed the West Indies' struggles to navigate challenging conditions.
They lost key wickets in quick succession during the powerplay in all three games, where they posted scores of 182-9, 158-8, and 145-8 and lost by eight wickets, seven wickets, and three wickets in that order.
As such, Powell admitted the team’s inability to adapt cost them dearly.
“I think we always, as a batting group, have a template that we try to work with; unfortunately, the template didn’t work in our first few games. It took us about two or three games to really wonder what’s really happening to us as a batting group, and we also need to sharpen up on a few areas as a bowling group,” Powell said after the rain-affected final game at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
While he views their victory in the fourth T20I when they pulled off a historic chase of England’s 218-5, scoring 221-5 to secure a five-wicket win as light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, that win was merely to salvage some pride.
It is with that in mind that Powell highlighted the importance of quicker assessment and adaptability as key takeaways from the series.
“As a team, we need to assess a little bit faster. We didn’t play good cricket for long enough periods, and that made it a tough series. I think a lot of credit has to be given to Jos [Buttler] and his team; they really came in our conditions and dominated,” the Jamaican stated.
Despite the loss, Powell, who was among the standout performers, finishing as the series’ second-highest run scorer with 153 runs, is determined to build on the positives from the England series as they shift focus to the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh next month.
“The way we played the last (fourth game) showed that we can play really good cricket. If we had just assessed the conditions a little bit earlier in the series, it possibly would have been a different outcome. These are lessons to be learned,” Powell noted.
Sri Lanka wrapped up a 2-0 series win over New Zealand after the third ODI was rained off in Pallekele.
Will Young (56 not out) and Henry Nicholls (46 not out) had the Black Caps trundling along nicely at 112-1 after 21 overs on Tuesday, with Tim Robinson having been dismissed for nine by Mohamed Shiraz (1-23).
But the rain closed in at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, and did not let up.
Eventually, the umpires had to call off play completely, denying New Zealand the chance to restore some pride after their opening two defeats.
Data Debrief: Rain sees the good run roll on
Sri Lanka have lost only one of their last nine ODIs (W6 T1) – an eight-wicket loss against West Indies (26 October 2024).
New Zealand's Young at least was able to celebrate a ninth ODI half-century, while Nicholls fell just short of a 17th 50 in the format.
Stuart Clark believes Australia's "world-class" fast bowlers will be the key to beating India ahead of their upcoming Test series.
India are looking to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in their five-match series, having triumphed 2-1 in the teams' last meeting in 2022-23.
Meanwhile, Australia, playing their first Test match since March, have not tasted success in a series against India since 2014-15.
India are coming off the back of a heavy defeat to New Zealand in the longest format though, and Clark, who represented Australia between 2006 and 2009, thinks their bowlers have the ability to cause real problems.
"Well, I think the three fast bowlers, I think they need to play as much as possible," he told Stats Perform. "They're world-class.
"They're the best quartet of bowlers in the history of the game if you throw Lyon in there. So, you got three fast bowlers and [Nathan] Lyon. So, I think those three fast bowlers in particular need to stay fit, and they need to stay healthy.
"We've seen when they have been fit and healthy and in good form. [Josh] Hazlewood, [Mitchell] Starc and [Pat] Cummins, they have dominated other teams around the world. And then you come to Australia on the bouncy pitches that we have here, and they go straight to Perth, which is just a baptism of fire. I think that will be the big key.
"And then you got, I don't think Rohit Sharma's coming for the first two games, I think he's missing the first two games for family reasons. [Virat] Kohli hasn't been in the best of form. The spinners in [Ravindra] Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin aren't as effective in Australia as they are in the subcontinent.
"So, from that point of view, there's a few of those little byplays or little storylines that are going on. But coming back to my first point is that the three fast bowlers, they hold a big key to the success in this tour, in the series."
India's recent defeat to New Zealand was the first time they lost a Test series 3-0 on home soil in their history and the first time they have lost three red-ball matches in any singles home series since 1983.
In Australia, India will be without Rohit Sharma, who stayed at home for the birth of his second child, for the first Test, while Shubman Gill is also set to miss out with a fractured thumb.
Clark noted that their absences, along with the recent struggles of Kohli, who managed just 93 runs across his six innings in the New Zealand series, will come as a confidence boost as Australia aim to snap their losing run against India.
"They should take confidence from that [India loss]," he added. "India haven't been beaten by anyone in you know who knows how long.
"So, they are so good in their conditions, and they're so foreign to everyone else. But it probably shows the vulnerability of the Indian team - they're probably at the point where they're starting to go through a bit of a generational change with their batting.
"They've been around for a long period of time. They're not in the best form that they've ever been in. So that's starting to cause them some concerns.
"[Jasprit] Bumrah has been injured. He's back. He's world-class. There's no question about that. But can he get through five Test matches? [Mohammed] Siraj has been around.
"So, there's some questions again around the Indian cricket team. And how much has that form in India dented their confidence because like all things in sport, if you're confident about what you're doing, that makes a massive difference to the way you play.
Morgan Rogers has signed a new contract to keep him at Aston Villa until the end of the 2029-30 season.
Rogers, newly minted as a full England international after making his debut against Greece last week, joined Villa in February from Middlesbrough.
He swiftly established himself as a regular in Unai Emery's set-up, and has played 22 times in the Premier League, making 19 starts.
The 22-year-old has netted six goals and provided three assists in the top flight.
Rogers has also started each of Villa's four Champions League matches this season.
His tally of nine chances created in the Champions League is the most of any player in Villa's squad, five more than next-best Ollie Watkins.
Bayern Munich confirmed Joao Palhinha will be sidelined for several weeks after suffering an adductor injury while on international duty.
The midfielder sustained the issue while training with Portugal, and withdrew from the squad, missing both of their Nations League fixtures against Poland and Croatia.
Palhinha, who joined Bayern on a four-year contract in July from Fulham, has made 13 appearances in all competitions and boasts a 100% tackle completion rate in the Bundesliga (7/7).
"FC Bayern's medical department has confirmed that Joao Palhinha suffered a torn muscle fibre in his right adductor while training with the Portugal national team," the club said. "The midfielder will therefore be sidelined for the coming weeks."
Bayern have been boosted by Aleksandar Pavlovic's return to first-team training over the international break, though he has still not returned to full fitness.
The Bavarians, top of the Bundesliga with a five-point advantage over RB Leipzig, have a busy schedule ahead of them with four matches in 11 days.
Bayern take on Augsburg in the league on Friday before hosting Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next Tuesday. They then travel to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and face holders Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal on December 3.
Roger Federer says Rafael Nadal "made the whole tennis world proud" with his "epic career" as he paid tribute ahead of his retirement at the end of the Davis Cup Finals.
The 38-year-old, a 22-time grand slam champion, is hoping to help Spain win the tournament taking place in Malaga this week, after confirming his retirement back in October.
Nadal has not played a competitive match since losing to Novak Djokovic at the Olympics in August, and it is not yet clear how big of a role he will play when Spain take on the Netherlands in the opening match of the Finals against the Netherlands.
Federer, who retired in 2022 having won 20 grand slams, was one of Nadal's great rivals, winning 16 matches and losing 24 of the pair's meetings.
"Let's start with the obvious: you beat me - a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no-one else could," an "emotional" Federer wrote on Instagram.
"On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game - even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.
"You made me enjoy the game even more.
"Maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was - until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly.
"All that buzz I'd been hearing about you about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday - it wasn't just hype.
"We were both at the start of our journey, and it's one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you've had. Including 14 French Opens - historic!
"You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud."
Federer, who won his final meeting with Nadal before his retirement at Wimbledon in 2019, paired up with the Spaniard for the last match of his career in the doubles for Europe at the Laver Cup.
"It means everything to me that you were there by my side - not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career," he added.
"Rafa, I know you're focused on the last stretch of your epic career.
"We will talk when it's done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success.
"And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next."
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