Erling Haaland netted the 22nd hat-trick of his career for club and country as Norway eased to a 3-0 win over Kosovo in Wednesday's international friendly at Ullevaal Stadion.
The Manchester City striker, who was crowned the Premier League's top scorer in 2023-24 for the second season running, took just 15 minutes to get off the mark in Oslo.
Haaland headed home David Moller Wolfe's cross inside the six-yard box, before doubling his tally in the 70th minute with a clipped finish after being played through on goal.
The third and final goal arrived three minutes later as the prolific striker exchanged passes with Aron Donnum and fired home after Kosovo made a mess of cutting out the danger.
Haaland now has 30 goals in just 32 appearances for Norway, who face Denmark in their next friendly on Saturday.
Euro 2024-bound Denmark were themselves in friendly action on Wednesday as they earned a late 2-1 win over Sweden thanks to a late Christian Eriksen strike.
Eriksen netted via a dripping shot in the 86th minute at Parken Stadium after Alexander Isak had earlier cancelled out Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's opener.
Rohit Sharma was left a "little sore" after retiring hurt in India's convincing T20 World Cup triumph over Ireland, though found comfort in his side's disciplined performance.
India captain Rohit retired hurt after making 52 in the second innings in New York as Rahul Dravid's side chased a 97-run target with more than seven overs to spare.
The opening batter was struck on the upper arm by a vicious Josh Little delivery in the ninth over, subsequently leaving the field before Rishabh Pant's 36 not out eased India over the line.
Rohit conceded the pain remained in his post-match interview before focusing on the positives of his team's bowling showing, with Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh all impressing.
He said: "Just a little sore. New ground, new venue, wanted to see what it's like to play on; I don't think the pitch settled down, there was enough there for the bowlers.
"Stick to your basics, think about Test match bowling. Arshdeep can swing the ball into the right-handers and that set the tone.
"If the conditions are there for the seamers, we wanted them in the squad. The spinners will play their part later in the tournament. We are open to making changes to the team's needs."
Bumrah produced a blistering spell, taking two wickets for just six runs from his three overs as Ireland limped to 96 all out in New York.
"When you come here and the ball is seaming around with some bounce and pace, I would never complain," Bumrah added. "You have to be proactive, you can't preempt things.
"You realise how the wicket is and then go back to what works for you. Once the seam goes down the pitch does settle down.
"You have to be prepared to bowl in all conditions, so very happy today."
India meet fierce rivals Pakistan on Sunday after their opening World Cup victory, and Rohit expects his team to be flexible once again dependent on conditions.
"I don't know what to expect from the pitch but we will prepare as if conditions are going to be like that," Rohit continued.
"That will be a game where all 11 of us need to come together and contribute.
"It was scratchy but good to spend time in the middle, hopefully we can do the same [against Pakistan]."
India captain Rohit Sharma showed his class with a fine half-century to help his side successfully chase down a manageable target of 97, as they downed Ireland by eight wickets in their Group A contest at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, in New York, on Wednesday.
Sharma, who slammed a 37-ball 52, including four fours and three sixes, was unable to carry his bat through the innings as he retired hurt after being hit on the upper arm from a climbing Josh Little delivery. Prior to that, Sharma raised career milestones of 4000 T20I and 1000 T20 World Cup runs, but it wasn't without some fortune, as he was initially put down twice after edging Mark Adair and Josh Little in consecutive overs.
India lost Virat Kohli (one) early in their chase, but Rishabh Pant, promoted to number three, did well enough on a challenging batting track. Pant, who ended unbeaten on 36 off 26 balls, enjoyed a strong 54-run second wicket partnership with Sharma, which was the foundation for India to wrap up the win with 7.4 overs to spare.
Suryakumar Yadav (two) was the other Indian wicket to fall.
Earlier, India’s bowlers produced a sizzling display on a helpful surface to rip through Ireland, bowling them out for just 96.
Hardik Pandya took 3-27, with Jasprit Bumrah taking 2-6 from three overs, while Ashdeep Singh was also impactful with the new ball, but expensive late on as he finished with 2-35 from four overs.
Only four Ireland batters reached double figures, with Gareth Delany’s late cameo of 26 from 14 balls helping his side up to a total that at least gave the bowlers something to work with.
Lorcan Tucker (10), Curtis Campher (12), and Joshua Little (14) were the other batsmen to offer minimal resistance.
Having won the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007, India have been in unsuccessful in the following seven events, reaching the final just once more, a decade ago. However, they are currently the top-ranked team in the format and they will be hoping to carry that form through to break a 17-year title drought at the showpiece being hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
Data Debrief: Sharma makes history
India captain Sharma became the only player to participate in all nine editions of the World Cup after featuring here, though Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan will match that feat when he faces Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Sharma has scored 1,015 runs in the tournament, the second most of any active player – behind Virat Kohli, whose one against Ireland moved him to 1,142.
Mirra Andreeva upset ailing world number two Aryna Sabalenka in three sets on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of the French Open.
Sabalenka was bidding to reach the final four of a grand slam for a ninth time, but instead Andreeva recovered from behind 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 to reach her maiden major semi.
The 17-year-old Russian will now face Jasmine Paolini, who stunned Elena Rybakina 6-2 4-6 6-4 earlier in the day in Paris to also reach her first grand slam semi-final.
After a tense and tight opening set in which the serve was lost in four of the first five games, Sabalenka ultimately stood firm to prevail in the tie-break.
The second set followed a similar pattern as Andreeva and then Sabalenka lost serve in the opening two games, but it was the teenager who this time managed to find her footing.
Sabalenka, who was struggling with an injury throughout, did herself manage to instantly hit back after losing serve in the sixth game, only for Andreeva to break in the 10th.
That ensured the match went the distance, much to the delight of the crowd, and it was the underdog who showed nerves of steel to eliminate the much-fancied Sabalenka.
A deep backhand return from Sabalenka brought up three break points, which the Belarusian took at the first attempt to make it 3-2, but that proved a false dawn.
Andreeva broke back in the sixth, roaring with delight in doing so, and held until the 10th game when sending a backhand winner down the line for match point.
Data Debrief: Age just a number for amazing Andreeva
Andreeva, aged 17 years and 37 days, is the youngest women's singles grand slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis in 1997 at the US Open, and the youngest at the French Open since Hingis the same year.
The Russian is also the youngest to defeat a top-two opponent in a women's singles grand slam since Jelena Dokic against Hingis at Wimbledon in 1999, and the youngest in this tournament since Monica Seles against Steffi Graf in 1990.
The 2025 men's Africa Cup of Nations could be put back six months after a "scheduling nightmare", CAF general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba has confirmed.
The tournament, which was won by the Ivory Coast last February, was initially scheduled to take place in Morocco in June 2025.
However, this will clash with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, held in the United States between June 15 and July 13, with four African teams invited to participate.
"For the men, we need to make sure that the dates that we'll be choosing will be in the interests of the players,” Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa.
"For this, we need to balance different aspects and also discuss with our partners and then we complete [the dates]. Scheduling is a nightmare for everybody.”
"We can play after the Club World Cup, but is this good for the interests of the players who have played all the season, and then they travel to America [and then] to immediately come to play Afcon?"
The CAF general secretary also said there would soon be an update on when the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations would take place, with the forthcoming Olympic Games providing another potential clash.
"We are supposed to play this year, but we have teams engaged in the Olympics, so we have to find another date," he added.
"We are talking with UEFA, because most of the players are playing in Europe, the European Club Association, and also with FIFA in order to find [a] suitable date."
Ronald Koeman confirmed Bart Verbruggen will be the Netherlands' first-choice goalkeeper at Euro 2024.
There had been question marks over who would keep goal for the Oranje during the forthcoming European Championship, with Verbruggen facing competition from Mark Flekken and Justin Bijlow.
But the Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper, who made 27 appearances across all competitions during his debut season with the Seagulls, has been given the nod for the Netherlands' tournament opener against Poland on June 16.
The Dutch, who will also play France and Austria in Group D, continue their preparations with a friendly against Canada on Thursday, before playing Iceland in their final warm-up match four days later.
"It had been clear to me for several weeks that Bart would become the first-choice goalkeeper," Koeman told reporters ahead of the match against the Canucks. "Mark Flekken did well in March [the last international window], but the choice was clear to me."
Verbruggen, who won the first of his five caps to date against France last October, admitted he could not contain his excitement when told the good news.
"I didn't do a little dance, but I did have a grin from ear to ear," he said. "I don’t feel any pressure, but maybe it will come later because I have never been to a major tournament. But I feel I have the confidence of my team-mates."
Elena Rybakina suffered a stunning quarter-final exit from the French Open on Wednesday, an error-strewn performance being punished by Italy's Jasmine Paolini.
World number four Rybakina had been tipped to challenge Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka for the Roland Garros crown, but she only had herself to blame as her opponent reached her first career grand slam semi-final with a 6-2 4-6 6-4 victory.
The Kazakhstani did not look right from the get-go, committing a huge 16 unforced errors to Paolini's one in the opening set, during which the Italian only lost one point on her own serve.
It was more of the same at the start of the second set as a double fault allowed Paolini to clinch an early break with a ferocious cross-court backhand.
Rybakina did steady the ship by breaking straight back, and she seemed to be in the ascendency when she kicked on to take the second set with two further breaks.
However, errors crept back into her game in a decider that began with four straight breaks of serve. Paolini grew in confidence again, breaking again then getting through a nervy final service game, a long forehand from Rybakina on match point summing up her performance.
Data Debrief: Late bloomer Paolini savours greatest win
Paolini's victory made her just the fifth player this century to make her first grand slam quarter-final at Roland Garros while aged 28 or older, after Elena Likhovtseva (2005), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2021) and fellow Italians Francesca Schiavone (2010) and Martina Trevisan (2022).
She will face either Mirra Andreeva or Sabalenka in the last four. With Jannik Sinner also flying the flag, this year's French Open will be the first in the Open Era to feature Italian semi-finalists in both the men's and women's draws.
Bologna have confirmed the appointment of Vincenzo Italiano as the club's new head coach, with the former Fiorentina boss succeeding Thiago Motta.
Italiano has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Rossoblu, who will play in the Champions League next season following a fifth-place finish in Serie A.
The 46-year-old departed Fiorentina at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, after guiding La Viola to successive Europa League Conference finals during his three-year spell.
However, the Florence club suffered heartbreak on both occasions; losing to a last-minute winner from West Ham's Jarrod Bowen in 2023, while Ayoub El Kaabi struck in extra-time to clinch a dramatic victory for Olympiacos the following year.
Italiano also led Fiorentina to the 2022-23 Coppa Italia showpiece, where they were beaten by Inter.
A promotion winner with Trapani and Spezia earlier in his managerial career, he takes charge at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara and succeeds Motta, who is expected to replace Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus.
Paulo Fonseca has left Lille to be replaced by Bruno Genesio, ahead of his expected appointment as Milan head coach.
Fonseca joined Lille in 2022, having previously enjoyed spells with Porto, Braga, Shakhtar Donetsk and Roma.
He led them to a fifth-place Ligue 1 finish in 2022-23 then improved on that achievement by taking them into the top four last term, ensuring Champions League qualification.
However, he had been expected to leave the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and return to Serie A, with Milan reportedly hoping to appoint him as Stefano Pioli's successor.
That move appears closer after Lille announced the departure of their Portuguese coach on Wednesday, immediately naming former Lyon and Rennes boss Bruno Genesio as his replacement.
In a statement, Lille president Olivier Letang said: "It is a great pleasure to make the arrival of Bruno Genesio official.
"He has achieved positive results with all the teams he has coached. His vision, his working methodology and his management are totally in line with what we want.
"Bruno will allow us to continue the work we have started over the past two seasons, whether in terms of the game we have put in place, the ambition and our desire to always perform, the development of young talents, or more generally the evolution of LOSC."
Genesio was named Ligue 1 Manager of the Year in 2021-22, when his Rennes side finished fourth in Ligue 1 and scored 82 goals in 38 games.
Matheus Cunha insists he is "very happy" at Wolves amid speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United.
The 25-year-old, who is contracted at Molineux until 2027, is reportedly the subject of a £60 million bid by the Red Devils.
Cunha arrived from Atletico Madrid following an initial loan deal in January 2023 and, despite injury struggles, chipped in with 12 goals and seven assists for Wolves during the 2023-24 season.
The Brazilian, who was left out of the Selecao's Copa America squad, endeared himself to the Molineux faithful with a hat-trick against Chelsea, while he also netted in the FA Cup win against local rivals West Bromwich Albion.
Cunha has returned to his native Brazil for a post-season holiday, and was questioned about his future while attending a Botafogo match, but asserted his contentment with life at Wolves.
"We see this rush [Man United speculation]. But I'm very happy at Wolves," he told local media.
"My focus is on resting and making the most of it with my family. I'm very happy at Wolves. The focus now is to have better seasons and help the club. [Hopefully] I will continue on this path."
Manchester United are negotiating a new deal with Jonny Evans to extend his stay with the Red Devils, who have released their retained list to the Premier League.
Evans, who won three Premier League titles during his 11-year stint at United between 2004 and 2015, returned for a second spell at the start of the 2023-24 season, signing a one-year deal at Old Trafford.
The Northern Ireland defender initially trained with the club during pre-season, before putting pen to paper on a short-term deal in September and going on to make 30 appearances across all competitions.
And United confirmed they are in discussions with the 36-year-old over fresh terms to keep him at Old Trafford for the 2024-25 campaign.
The Red Devils are also in negotiations with Tom Heaton over a new deal, and have offered a contract extension to young striker Omari Forson.
The 19-year-old made his Premier League debut in February's 4-3 win over Wolves and played a further six times, but is reportedly seeking a move away from the club.
Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane will leave United when their contracts expire on June 30 after 317 and 95 appearances respectively, while academy graduate Brandon Williams will also depart.
David Warner will leave "a really big set of shoes to fill" when he retires from international cricket after the T20 World Cup, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting says.
The 37-year-old will complete his stage-by-stage international retirement at the conclusion of the tournament, where Australia begin their campaign against Oman on Thursday.
The reigning Cricket World Cup winners and World Test champions, who will also play England, Scotland and Namibia in Group B, are aiming to complete the sweep of global international honours in the United States and West Indies.
Warner would be one of four players to have appeared in all three finals, along with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Travis Head.
A steady and injury-hit Indian Premier League season with the Delhi Capitals - led by three-time World Cup winner Ponting - led to question marks over his selection for this competition.
But, to Ponting, Warner's inclusion was never in doubt, and he is backing Jake Fraser-McGurk - the winner of the IPL's 2024 Electric Striker of the Season award and a travelling reserve - to fill the void when he brings the curtain down on his international career.
"He's the sort of character you want to have around your team, especially in big tournaments like World Cups," Ponting told ESPNcricinfo.
"He's just one of those natural winners. Everything he does, he wants to win. You can see that with his attitude in the field and the way he goes about his cricket.
"There's more than just the runs that we'll be missing when Warner finally is gone. But hopefully, the depth of Australian cricket is good enough to find someone to come in and fill that void."
"It's going to be a really big set of shoes to fill, there's no doubt about that. They have got a lot of depth there.
"I'd be very surprised if he [Fraser-McGurk] doesn't go straight into the T20 team when David's finally done. I was lucky enough to coach him at the Delhi Capitals this year as well. He's got extreme talent."
The Premier League's financial regulations are threatening to harm the quality of the league, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has warned.
It was revealed on Tuesday were taking unprecedented legal action against the Premier League's Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, regarding commercial and sponsorship deals with companies owned or associated with the club's owners.
Initially introduced in December 2021 in the wake of Newcastle United's sale to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, the rules are designed to prevent clubs from inflating commercial deals with companies linked to their owners.
City reportedly said in a 165-page legal document they felt the rules are "unlawful" and they were victims of "discrimination", and would seek damages for revenue lost by preventions made by those rules.
Chairman Al Mubarak, speaking in an interview published on Wednesday, thinks the standard of play in the league will suffer as a consequence of the regulations.
"I think the Premier League got to where it is today by being the most competitive league. So, I hope there is a bit more sensibility in regulating," he said.
"Always, a balanced approach is good for all the leagues, be it in England or the rest of Europe. I think you won't see the same level as we've seen in the last years, because of the levels of regulations that have come into place over the last 12 months.
"There's also been a lot of restrictions now put in place on swaps and loans, so even that is now much more restricted.
"I think the level of manoeuvrability that was in place before that allowed teams to do what they were able to do in the past, I think, is much more restricted this year and that's going to be reflected, I believe, this summer.
The dispute will be settled during a two-week private arbitration hearing beginning on Monday.
The result of this legal battle could affect the outcome of City's hearing into their 115 charges of allegedly breaching rules related to financial fair play, which is due to take place in November.
Many of these relate to the club allegedly not providing accurate information about the revenue to the Premier League, who deducted points from Everton and Nottingham Forest last season for not complying with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Al Mubarak does not think it is fair that the charges of "constantly referenced" when talking about City's success in recent years.
"Of course, it's frustrating - having it being talked about the way it's being talked about," he added. "I can feel for our fanbase, and everyone associated with the club, to have these charges constantly referenced.
"I think we as a club have to respect that there is a process that we have to go through, and we're going through it.
"It's taking longer than what anyone hoped for, but it is what it is, and I've always repeated, let's be judged by the facts, and not by claims and counterclaims."
Leon "Rocky" Edwards is leaving no stone unturned as he prepares for his upcoming UFC welterweight title defence against Belal Muhammad. The reigning champion has enlisted the help of a sleep specialist to adjust his body clock to the unusual start time of his fight, set for approximately 5am UK time.
The highly anticipated bout will headline UFC 304 at Manchester’s new Co-op Live Arena on July 27. Despite being held in England, the event’s schedule has been adjusted to cater to American audiences, with the first prelim starting at 11pm UK time and the main card kicking off at 3am. This late-night timeline is a significant departure from the typical 11pm main event start time that British MMA fans are accustomed to.
In an interview with talkSPORT Drive’s Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, Edwards shared his initial reaction to the unconventional fight schedule. "At the start, I was bit like 'Oh, why is it that time?'" Edwards admitted. However, he quickly adapted by seeking professional help. "I've brought in a specialist in sleep and they've given me a plan of how it will work."
The sleep specialist's plan involves gradually shifting Edwards' daily routine to align with the fight's late start time. "I thought I'd have to train at 5am in the morning every day straight away but they said basically 'Six weeks out we'll start switching your body clock and training'," Edwards explained.
The process includes adjusting his training sessions incrementally. "So my evening session will now become my first session, so at 5pm I'll do my first session and then I'll train again at midnight. And then each week I'll move both sessions forward an hour to adjust to the time so I'll sleep later and train later," he elaborated.
This strategic approach aims to ensure that Edwards will be at peak performance when he steps into the octagon in the early hours of the morning.
The fight holds additional significance given the history between Edwards and Muhammad. Their last encounter in March 2021 at UFC Fight Night 187 in Las Vegas ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from Edwards that rendered Muhammad unable to continue. This rematch offers both fighters a chance to settle the score and for Edwards, an opportunity to solidify his reign as the welterweight champion.
As the fight approaches, all eyes will be on Edwards to see if his meticulous preparation, including his innovative approach to adjusting his sleep schedule, will give him the edge he needs to defend his title successfully against a formidable opponent in Belal Muhammad.
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