Christian Pulisic says he will do everything in his power to be fit for the United States' World Cup round-of-16 showdown with the Netherlands on Saturday.
Pulisic suffered a pelvic injury when scoring the winning goal in the USA's victory over Iran on Tuesday.
The Chelsea forward was substituted at half-time, but hopes to recover in time to take on the Oranje at Khalifa International Stadium this weekend.
A USA team spokesman said of Pulisic's pelvic contusion injury during a press conference on Thursday "it's what it sounds like," but the former captain stated: "No, but at the same time, it's not.
"Like, I didn't get, like, hit in the balls."
He added: "It was very painful. You know, that bone is there for a reason, to protect you, I think. And I hit it well. And it was sore, but like I said, I'm getting better."
Pulisic continued: "I took a knee ... to a nice pelvis area - it was not nice."
The former Borussia Dortmund man is determined to play his part when the USA go in search of a quarter-final place.
"I'm gonna go meet now with the team and the medical staff, and make a decision on [training] today," added Pulisic.
"Just kinda see how I'm feeling, taking it day by day right now. But doing everything in my power to be able to be out there on the field Saturday.
"I will do everything in my power to work with this medical team and make sure that I can play."
Roberto Martinez confirmed he has taken charge of Belgium for the final time following their World Cup exit, but he does not believe this is the end for the country's 'golden generation'.
Belgium finished third in Group F after toiling to a 0-0 draw with second-placed Croatia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Thursday, ensuring they failed to qualify from a World Cup group for the first time since 1998.
Martinez – who led Belgium to their best World Cup finish when they claimed bronze in Russia four years ago – was under contract until the end of the tournament, and has revealed he planned to walk away however the Red Devils fared.
"That was my last game for the national team and it was emotional. I can't carry on, sorry," a visibly moved Martinez said at his post-match press conference.
"This was the end, whether we won or went out in the group. It has nothing to do with being eliminated at this stage.
"I'm someone who likes to build things. For six years, I've been here with the objective to reach the World Cup and win it. We won the bronze medal in 2018 and gave it another go. It's been a real joy.
"We've built a legacy. I know people will see it a different way, but I'm so proud. Looking at the dressing room now, we have youngsters who can now be starters.
"It's been six amazing years that we've been able to do everything you want to do with a club at a national team.
"I've loved the way this team has played and given everyone incredible joy. The fans in Belgium have appreciated this. It's now time for me to accept this is the last game.
"I've always wanted to be loyal and finish the job. I'm not resigning, it's the end of my contract. This was always the plan."
Much of the discussion surrounding Belgium's underwhelming campaign in Qatar has focused on the ageing of a so-called 'golden generation' of players, with Kevin De Bruyne stating the Red Devils' squad was "too old" to win the World Cup before the tournament began.
However, Martinez does not believe Belgium's best days are behind them, highlighting the way his team's achievements could inspire the country's next generation.
"You see players like Youri Tielemans, players like Amadou Onana and Jeremy Doku," Martinez told BBC Sport. "The golden generation is doing something that is bringing the next generation on.
"It's not necessarily what names are on the pitch, the legacy can be left in many ways.
"Today, we are out of a big tournament, and now the standards need to carry on rising, the young players need to carry on this line.
"We wanted to get through, but I'm sure the other national teams wanted to get through too. That's a tournament, and you are in the best tournament in the world.
"In the previous one [in 2018], we won all three group games and it wasn't in enough go all the way. For me, it's the same feeling. Today, it was a way of losing that you can accept."
In a statement issued by the Belgian Football Association, CEO Peter Bossaert hailed Martinez for creating an "immense legacy" for future generations in the national side.
"With his team Roberto left an immense legacy for the next Belgian football generations," he said.
"Not only by introducing a modern structure on analysis, education and scouting but also by initiating the preparation for the next step in the careers of the players aiming to become a coach. But also his contribution to the expansion of the brand-new and state-of-the-art Football centre in Tubize was huge.
"Last but not least we thank him for the familiar atmosphere he brought into our house and for being a great ambassador for Belgian football. The full staff of the RBFA will miss him a lot. We wish Roberto Martínez the best of luck for the future.”
Alex Palou, the 2021 IndyCar champion, has been named as one of McLaren's reserve drivers for the 2023 Formula One season.
The 25-year-old, who ran in testing with the outfit across the 2022 season, is set to balance his time in the cockpit with his schedule in IndyCar.
Earlier this year, Palou was involved in a dispute over his future, with McLaren and then-current team Ganassi both suggesting he was under contract for next year with them.
After the latter initially filed a lawsuit against the racer, it was settled for him to test, though now the Spaniard makes the step up inside McLaren's team structure.
"I'm excited to be part of the McLaren team as one of their reserve drivers in 2023," Palou said in a statement.
"I can't wait for the involvement with next year's car.
"I look forward to continuing my development as a driver and I appreciate the trust McLaren have in me with this new role next year."
McLaren were involved in a dispute over new driver Oscar Piastri too, after the latter left Alpine amid a bitter fallout over his future.
The Australian will succeed Daniel Ricciardo for the team on a contract through 2024, and will partner Lando Norris, with McLaren yet to confirm the remainder of their reserve driver pool.
Juventus will be investigated by the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), UEFA has confirmed.
Earlier this week, Andrea Agnelli, vice-president Pavel Nedved and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene all quit their roles at the top of the club.
It comes amid an investigation into alleged tax fraud, which Juve have denied, and on the back of the club registering a record loss of €254.3million for 2021-22.
On Thursday, UEFA announced the CFCB had opened an investigation.
"The CFCB First Chamber has today opened a formal investigation into Juventus FC for potential breaches of the Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play regulations," a statement from UEFA read.
"The investigation will focus on the alleged financial violations that were recently made public as a result of the proceedings led by the Italian Companies and Exchange Commission (CONSOB) and the public prosecutor in Turin.
"On 23 August 2022, the CFCB First Chamber concluded a settlement agreement with Juventus FC. This settlement agreement was concluded on the basis of the financial information previously submitted by the club pertaining to the financial years closing in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022."
The statement added that if the CFCB's investigation finds Juve's financial situation was "significantly different" from what was assessed at the time the settlement was agreed, then the CFCB has reserved the right to terminate the agreement and take "any legal step it may deem appropriate, and impose disciplinary measures".
England's record-breaking start to the first Test against Pakistan was a prime example of the aggressive style implemented by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, says Ollie Pope.
Pope joined Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in making his century as England closed on 506-4 after an incredible display in Rawalpindi, becoming the first team to make 500 runs on day one of a Test and beating Australia's previous record of 494 runs against South Africa from 1910.
England have produced several fine batting displays since McCullum and Stokes took over as head coach and captain this year, leading Pope to hail the squad's willingness to buy into their ideas.
Speaking to Sky Sports after helping England make a historic start to their first Test in Pakistan since 2005, Pope said: "I think it's the ideal start to the tour!
"We really listened to what Baz and Stokesy have said. It was an amazing day.
"The best thing is everyone has lived by how the two guys up top want us to play.
"They want us to entertain people. It is not about milestones. It is about putting on a show and putting the team in a good position.
"The fact everyone is so happy to buy into that puts us in a really good place."
Meanwhile, Duckett's ton saw him make a dream return to England's red-ball side after a six-year hiatus, leaving the 28-year-old in disbelief.
"Very special, pretty crazy day and a crazy build-up to the Test match. For me personally, it's a special day, it's one I didn't think that'll come around," Duckett said.
"I don't think there will be a better environment to be involved in. I am sure there will be a lot of cricketers in England who will want to be part of it. It went well today.
"It helps being in these conditions, I knew it was going to be nice batting conditions. The T20 series [in Pakistan] was a big confidence thing for me."
Belgium were eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage after drawing 0-0 with Croatia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Thursday.
Morocco's 2-1 victory over Canada elsewhere in Group F meant Belgium had to win to advance to the last 16, while Croatia needed to avoid defeat.
A low-quality first half, in which the only talking point was an overturned Croatia penalty, made way for a far more gripping second period.
Romelu Lukaku was brought on at half-time and squandered a few big chances, though ultimately the match finished goalless as Belgium suffered a shock early exit.
Belgium were given an early reprieve when a penalty awarded for Yannick Carrasco's challenge on Andrej Kramaric was overturned for offside against Dejan Lovren in the build-up as Luka Modric was lining up to take it.
The arrival of Lukaku coincided with the game finally coming to life, the Inter striker forcing Dominik Livakovic into the first save of the contest a little over three minutes after coming on.
That in turn sparked Croatia into life and Thibaut Courtois – on his 100th cap – made three saves in the space of four minutes to deny midfield trio Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic and Luka Modric.
Lukaku then hit the post with plenty of the net to aim for after Carrasco's blocked shot fell nicely in his path, before heading over from close range with the goal again gaping – though VAR may have intervened even if he had scored.
The biggest miss was still to come as Lukaku failed to help the ball over the line from a couple of yards when Thorgan Hazard's cross was missed by Lovren, meaning elimination for Belgium and a second-place finish behind Morocco for Croatia.
Morocco became the first African team to top a World Cup group for 24 years after beating Canada 2-1 on Thursday.
First-half goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri proved enough with Nayef Aguerd's own goal - the first of the tournament - nothing more than a consolation for a Canada side who return home without a point.
Morocco must now wait for Thursday's Group E games to see who they will face in the last 16 at Education City Stadium on Tuesday.
Walid Regragui's side needed just a point to guarantee a place in the knockout stages for only the second time, and first since 1986, and they were gifted a dream start after four minutes.
Steven Vitoria’s backpass to Milan Borjan was a little short and the goalkeeper compounded the error with a heavy touch which fell nicely for Ziyech to chip the ball into an empty net from 25 yards.
Canada looked vulnerable every time Morocco came forward and more naïve defending contributed to the second goal midway through the first half.
Achraf Hakimi’s long ball from right-back exposed centre-half Kamal Miller and En-Nesyri ran on to it before firing under Borjan, who again should have done better.
Having posed no attacking threat whatsoever, Canada halved the deficit five minutes before the break. Sam Adekugbe skipped past Hakimi down the left and his low cross was diverted goalwards by the toe of Aguerd with Yassine Bounou unable to keep it out at his near post.
En-Nesyri thought he had restored Morocco’s two-goal advantage before the break, firing home after Canada had partially cleared Ziyech’s inswinging free-kick from the right but his effort was ruled out due to Aguerd blocking Borjan’s view from an offside position.
Perhaps sensing the size of their achievement, Morocco went into their shell as the second half progressed.
Alphonso Davies volleyed wide on the stretch before Canada came within inches of an equaliser after 71 minutes, 39-year-old substitute Atiba Hutchinson heading on to the underside of the bar with Alistair Johnston unable to bundle the rebound over the line.
Morocco held on, though, and a goalless draw in the other pool game between Croatia and Belgium sparked wild scenes of celebration at the final whistle.
Tyson Fury's co-promoter Bob Arum is confident an agreement for a fight with Oleksandr Usyk can be made "speedily" if the Gypsy King can see off Derek Chisora.
The WBC heavyweight championship will be on the line in Saturday's meeting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the two Brits locking horns in a trilogy bout.
Few had this fight top of their wishlist, with fans instead keen for a unification bout against Usyk or a 'Battle of Britain' clash with Anthony Joshua.
However, a meeting with Usyk remains in the pipeline, Arum has said, though he has warned Chisora has the credentials to cause Fury problems.
"I don't see any reason why the Usyk fight with Tyson Fury can't be made speedily," he said.
"That fight will happen next unless Mr Chisora lands his punch. Don't discount Chisora. Chisora's a hell of a fighter. He has a tremendous punch.
"He gave Usyk life and death. You can't in this business count your chickens before they're hatched. Chisora will answer back. It's a great, great fight. It really has a lot of interest.
"Two big heavyweights getting in the ring trying to knock each other's head off. Nothing is more exciting."
Underdog Chisora is looking to make a statement with a knockout win against Fury and made it clear he will come out of the blocks flying with an aggressive approach in the opening rounds.
"On Saturday I'm going to go to war. There's no two ways about it. I want to take what's his and make it mine. Physically and mentally," he declared.
"I can guarantee you, you are going to love the whole show we are going to put up. It's not going to be stinker, it's going to be a great fight.
"We want to give you the best first round in the heavyweight game forever. We need the first round to be electric, so the place will be buzzing. "I'm prepared to do it. We shook on it."
Usain Bolt says he is disappointed to see Cristiano Ronaldo exit Manchester United, crediting the forward for keeping the club in the Premier League last season.
The Portugal captain departed Old Trafford by mutual consent last month following an explosive interview that saw him roundly criticise the club, manager Erik ten Hag and owners, the Glazer family.
It came after a difficult first season back following his return to the club from Juventus, in which the veteran striker looked ill at ease under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
Now Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medal winner and United supporter, says he is disheartened by the star's exit, but stresses he understands his reasons.
"It's sad to see him go," said Bolt of Ronaldo. "He played such an important role for us last season. He kept us in the Premier League last season. Because many games he was the one he scored, kept giving us points.
"So it is sad to see him go, but I understand by listening to his interview there is a lot going on that a lot of us don't know.
"I wish him all the best on his journey because I am a massive Cristiano Ronaldo fan. So it is sad to see him gone."
The exit of Ronaldo has prefaced a potential sale by the Glazer family, who have long been the target of ire from the club's fanbase, and Bolt adds that it has been something supporters have been keen to see for a while.
"For me, it has been [a] long time [coming] for the fans," he added. "[They] have spoken about this for years. Since Alex Ferguson [left], the club has been up and down,
"It surprised me as a supporter to know that the club hasn't really moved on technology-wise to try to improve and to help the players to move forward.
"So, to get new owners, hopefully they'll come in and develop the club in a way that is necessary."
Declan Rice says performing on the biggest stage for England has only increased his desire to feature in the Champions League in the future, declaring: "you only get one career".
Rice has started all three of England's games at the World Cup in Qatar, helping the Three Lions top their group at the tournament for the first time since the 2006 edition in Germany.
The West Ham midfielder has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in recent years, and his solid international displays will have done little to reduce interest in his services.
Asked whether his desire to reach the top of the club game had increased as a result of his time with Gareth Southgate's side, Rice said: "Yeah, 100 per cent.
"For the last two or three years I have been saying that. I have been playing consistently well for [my] club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing.
"I see my friends here who are playing in the Champions League and for big trophies.
"You only get one career, and at the end of your career you want to look back at what you have won and the biggest games you have played in. I am really ambitious."
Rice has made seven interceptions at the World Cup so far – at least five more than any of his England team-mates, while only Jude Bellingham (18) and Luke Shaw (17) have recovered possession more often than he has for the Three Lions (14).
England take on Senegal for a place in the quarter-finals on Sunday, having progressed through five of their previous seven last-16 ties at the World Cup (failing to do so against Argentina in 1998 and Germany in 2010).
Chris Robshaw is convinced Eddie Jones remains the right person to lead England at next year's Rugby World Cup and drew comparisons to Gareth Southgate's success in football.
The Australian endured a difficult November campaign, with defeat to South Africa in their final game capping a worst calendar year performance for the team since 2008.
With the sport's showpiece tournament set to kick off in France next September, England have 10 months to try and play their way into form and go one better than their run to final in Japan in 2019 where they were downed by the Springboks.
Robshaw acknowledged it has been a bruising year for England but believes Jones is the right man for the job, likening him to Three Lions boss Southgate, who has defied critics twice in major tournaments.
"I have been in these situations and the autumn can be tough because you are playing against the best teams in the world," he said at the launch of the Robshaw Kerslake Foundation he has set up with wife Camilla.
"It is about taking your medicine and thinking, okay, in this competition and in this series we weren't quite good enough, but we can come back stronger.
"We also have to learn to move forward, you can't look down on it too much because there are still positives to come from it, and we need to think about how we can be better next time we meet.
"They were saying the same thing about Gareth Southgate and the England football team and now look at how they have played in this World Cup, they have been superb so far.
"In sport, things change very quickly, and I very much believe Eddie is the right man to lead the squad.
"From my experience, he is the best man-manager I have ever worked with and his ability to make players better and better.
"He is someone who will definitely go away and study what went right and very much importantly, what went wrong and why it didn't work.
"He will want to go back out there and prove people wrong, and I have no doubt he is the right man."
Brazil star Neymar will be "back to his best" in time for the World Cup final, according to his father.
The Selecao have already qualified for the last 16 and only need a point to win their group after beating Switzerland and Serbia across their first two matches in Qatar.
However, Neymar suffered an ankle injury during the matchday-one victory over Serbia, ruling him out until the knockouts.
Brazil remain among the favourites to win the tournament despite Neymar's absence, which has a loose timeline.
But the forward – who is only two away from matching Pele's record haul of 77 goals for Brazil – will seemingly be back in plenty of time for the World Cup final, assuming Brazil make it that far, his father believes.
Speaking to talkSPORT through an interpreter, Neymar Sr said: "The most important thing is he can come back to the field and be at his best.
"When he was injured before and he came back again he was at his best. He will do his best.
"Everyone knows Neymar is very important, a great influence on the field and [on] all his colleagues. When Neymar is on the field it's totally different because he's number one. We know Neymar's importance to the group.
"I believe Neymar will be in the field again in the final match and he'll do his best to win the World Cup together with his colleagues in the Brazilian team.
"He'll do his best to help them and together win the competition."
Brazil face Cameroon in their final group game. They will meet the still undecided Group H runners-up if they do finish top.
The Selecao are aiming to win the tournament for the first time since 2002.
Lionel Messi says he did not disrespect Mexico during post-match celebrations following Argentina's World Cup victory last week after incurring the wrath of Canelo Alvarez.
Messi helped Argentina bounce back from a shock opening defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia in Qatar with a 2-0 win at Lusail Stadium on Saturday.
Video footage appeared to show Messi catching a Mexico shirt with his foot in the dressing room after that win, prompting a furious response from Canelo, though the boxing superstar later apologised for his comments.
Messi does not believe he did anything wrong and has nothing to apologise for.
"It was a misunderstanding," he stated. "Those who know me know that I don't disrespect anyone. These are things that happen in the locker room after the game.
"I don't have to ask for forgiveness because I didn't disrespect the people of Mexico or the jersey."
Argentina wrapped up their Group C campaign with a 2-0 victory over Poland, with Mexico crashing out despite a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia.
Lionel Scaloni's side will face Australia in the round of 16 on Saturday.
Aymeric Laporte headed into Spain's Group E finale having not missed a beat at the heart of Luis Enrique's defence – but his overall World Cup focus has been sketchy at best and that is by his own admission.
The Manchester City defender, who has been joined by club-mate Rodri at the heart of the Spanish backline, has indicated he is not paying attention to the tournament far beyond caring about La Roja's next game.
Former Athletic Bilbao star Laporte said he had not "even looked" at who might await Spain in the last-16 stage and had "no idea" of the possibilities of who that might be.
It is perhaps an unusual attitude for a professional footballer, but Laporte appears to fall into the category of sportsmen who are stunningly proficient in what they do, but not naturally inclined to take their work home with them.
He told the Guardian: "I'm not a football addict. Honestly, I don't like watching matches."
The 28-year-old accepts he is not the sharpest at keeping tabs on his team's workload, even at City.
"Honestly, when I play for City, I don't even know what time kick-off is," he said. "My family call and say: hey, what time tomorrow? [I say] 'I don't know.'"
However, Laporte has done little wrong on the pitch in Spain's opening games, a 7-0 win over Costa Rica and a 1-1 draw with Germany.
Heading into Thursday's run of games, of all defenders to have played at least 90 minutes in this World Cup, Laporte had averaged the most passes per 90 minutes (125.5 – 11.31 more than anyone else) and the most passes in his own half (89 – 18 more than the next player on the list).
He had had the third-most touches per 90 minutes (132.5) among defenders, with only team-mate Jordi Alba (136.23) and Germany's Nico Schlotterbeck (132.58) having more.
It helps that Spain play in a similar vein to City, with their possession-based game one that suits Laporte, and it can only help to have Rodri with him, even if for their club the former Atletico Madrid man is typically deployed in midfield.
Laporte had no doubt Rodri would be an ideal fit for defensive duties, and he is coaching his friend through games.
They had another job to do against Japan on Thursday, with Spain knowing a draw would be enough to secure progress.
"Rodri's intelligent, he knows how to adapt," Laporte said. "It's different for him. He seeks advice, asks a lot of questions; it's all very natural.
"We've only let in one and we hope there aren't any more. Basically, I answer the questions he asks. Do I step out? When do we drop? Do I have to go with the striker when he runs into the space? Do I hold? Do I follow? Do I step out with the ball?
"He asks lots of questions: being firm, decision-making, with the ball, without it. And I try to help as best I can."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
