Rory McIlroy says he would pay to play in the Ryder Cup in response to reports that each member of Team USA will receive $400,000 for competing in next year's edition.

The 35-year-old was one of several European golfers who believe financial reward is unnecessary to play in the competition.

The news of a $4.8m purse split between Team USA comes after Patrick Cantlay refused to wear the team cap at last year's Ryder Cup in Rome, in an apparent protest about not being paid to represent his country.

"I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup," McIlroy told BBC Sport on Thursday.

"The two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it's partly because of that, the purity of no money being involved."

With record highs in prize money for professional golf now available in response to the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV tour, McIlroy does not think that the money is needed.

"I don't think any of the 24 players on either team needs that 400 grand," he said.

"Every two years, there are 104 weeks and 103 weeks you can play golf and get paid."

Cantlay was mocked for his decision not to wear his team's cap in Rome, with fans removing their headwear to mimic him.

While it led to McIlroy getting into a heated argument with Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava at the time, he does see the other side of things.

"It was a discussion that was happening in Rome. I can see the other side of the argument because the Ryder Cup does create a lot of revenue," he added.

"It is one of the probably top five biggest sporting events in the world. So I get the argument that the talent should be or could be getting paid.

"But the Ryder Cup is so much more than that, especially to the Europeans and to this tour."

Luka Doncic says the defensive mishap that led to the Utah Jazz's winning dunk was a "misunderstanding" and shouldered the blame for the Dallas Mavericks' loss on Thursday.

The Jazz recorded their first home win of the season with their 115-113 victory, but it looked like they might have thrown it away after blowing a third-quarter lead.

However, with just 6.4 seconds remaining, Doncic left John Collins wide open to give him an easy dunk that settled the game in Utah's favour.

The Slovenian had 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Dallas in an otherwise impressive showing, especially without Kyrie Irving, who missed the game with a shoulder injury.

"It was a misunderstanding," Doncic said.

"I thought I was going to go hit, and [Quentin] Grimes thought he was going to go hit. And it was a lob, so we misunderstood the bench. That's on me."

Collins scored 28 points for the Jazz in their win, also getting nine rebounds, while Jordan Clarkson added 20 points to end a five-game losing streak at home.

They rallied back after letting a 12-point lead slip, something which particularly impressed head coach Will Hardy.

"Tonight isn't about the Xs & Os piece, it was about the mental and physical toughness that the team showed," Hardy said.

"It felt really, really good to battle through a tough moment and pull out a win here at home."

Collins echoed his coach's praise: "Man, I wanted this one so bad. We knew it was going to be a battle in the second half, it's all about staying mentally strong."

Outgoing England interim manager Lee Carsley says his decision to start Ollie Watkins over Harry Kane against Greece was 'no slight' on his captain.

The Three Lions had suffered nine withdrawals from their initial squad announced last week, although Kane remained available for selection and came on for Watkins in the 66th minute.

But Carsley's decision paid off, with Watkins putting England ahead after just seven minutes, with his fifth international goal setting them on the way to a 3-0 win in Athens, with an own goal and Curtis Jones rounded off the scoring.

"It was brilliant for Ollie to get a goal," Carsley said. "It's important that I think if we are going to put these players in a position where we are going to go and win the World Cup, then these players need to have as many experiences as they can.

"So, it was no slight on Harry. He'll start the next game and I think there are a lot of positives to take from that performance."

When asked how the England captain reacted to not being named in the starting XI, Carsley explained that Kane had no issues with it.

"He was absolutely fine. It would be fair to say he wants to play every game, like all top players do," he said.

"I think he understands that it's important that other players experience that kind of experience that we had tonight.

"He's a great example to the rest of the players and I expect him to start on Sunday and play well."

The decision to start Watkins over Kane came alongside other selection decisions, as Rico Lewis, Noni Madueke, Jones, Lewis Hall and Morgan Rogers all featured for a youthful England side, with the latter three making their senior debuts.

Despite Carsley's roots as England Under-21 coach, he assured the post-match media that there was no nepotism on his part to include the more inexperienced players.

"No, none at all, to be fair," the interim boss said. "None at all.

"I see the quality that the players have got. You're now seeing it in terms of the younger ones, that they're more than capable with the mentality and quality they've got to play in stages like tonight.

"I thought a lot of the players, especially the younger ones - well, all of the players, to be fair - played with such quality tonight.

Didier Deschamps says Kylian Mbappe is "going through a period that is not the happiest of his career", which is why he is not included in France's Nations League squad.

Les Bleus were frustrated on Thursday as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Israel in front of a record-worst attendance at the Stade de France.

Despite the disjointed performance, France booked their place in the quarter-final of the Nations League with a game to spare.

However, post-match discussions came back around to Mbappe's absence and Deschamps' decision to leave him out of the squad.

Mbappe has scored eight goals in 15 appearances since joining Real Madrid, but he has hit the back of the net just once in his last six outings. Deschamps reiterated that he believed leaving his captain at home was the best decision for the player during this international break.

"He's not here, so I'll tell you what I already said. Leave him alone," Deschamps said. "I said what I had to say.

"Sometimes it's good not to say too much. There's no sanction. It's factual. He's in a complicated situation, I'm behind him.

"He's going through a period that's not the happiest of his career. Despite everything, he wanted to come. I think it's better for him at the moment. Everyone has the right to have a complicated period.

"There's the physical aspect, the psychological aspect too. There are constant interpretations, whether I speak or I don't speak. So, I'm careful to weigh my words. Either I say something, or I say nothing. I didn't say anything but I'm not going to get into debates."

France dominated against Israel, having 24 shots, eight of which were on target, as they created 2.22 expected goals.

They also had 72 touches in the opposition box, compared to the visitors' two, and 94 final third entries, though they struggled to find a way through a resolute Israel side.

Deschamps was frustrated by the lack of goals in particular and expects to make changes for their final Nations League group stage match against Italy on Sunday.

"I can't be satisfied with what we produced. We should have won. We're capable of doing better," Deschamps added.

"We could have done more against an opponent that was very compact and wasted a lot of time. We had the chances to win, but we weren't efficient enough. There was much more energy in the second half, but we still couldn't score.

"I need to take stock. There will definitely be some changes.

"I'll wait until the final training session on Saturday. Playing three days later is never easy, and there's fatigue, which is normal and not an excuse, but the players' bodies are under strain."

Lionel Scaloni says he is "not here to criticise his players" after they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Paraguay in World Cup qualifying.

Lautaro Martinez had given Argentina the lead in the 11th minute – his powerful shot past Roberto Fernandez was initially ruled out for offside before a VAR review overturned it.

However, Paraguay were soon back on level terms. Gustavo Gomez rattled the crossbar with a diving header from a corner, but they regathered possession and pulled level with a sublime overhead kick from Antonio Sanabria 19 minutes in.

Two minutes into the second half, the hosts completed the turnaround through Omar Alderete, who met Diego Gomez's precise free-kick to nod in from close range.

Rodrigo De Paul arguably should have equalised for Argentina with just over 20 minutes to go, but under pressure, sliced over from close range, with the visitors unable to salvage a point.

It was a third defeat in World Cup qualifying for the Albiceleste, who remain top of the standings with 22 points, and Scaloni chose to focus on the positives.

"I'm not here to criticise my players; I'm here to support them," Scaloni said. "We knew it was going to be a tough match. We're here to move forward.

"In the first half, we played a good game, but the first action at the start of the second half made everything more difficult. We have to congratulate the opponent, who defended very well.

"I don't know if they found the antidote [to beating Argentina]. We're hoping to get back on the positive path.

"The team always tries and stands tall. That's what's important: never giving up on the game and always having the desire to compete."

Paraguay are sixth in the table, having extended their unbeaten run to six matches, which also includes a win over Brazil.

They had to dig deep, having only 23.2% possession throughout the game, though they had eight shots to Argentina's nine and scored with both of their efforts on target.

Head coach Gustavo Alfaro is yet to lose a game since taking over Paraguay after the Copa America, and he hailed his team's resilience.

"With the rebelliousness of these players in the face of adversity, I have no doubt that we will get there. When the predisposition is so great, time is secondary," he said.

"They were fantastic points, very difficult. It is difficult to take a point from Argentina."

John Collins scored the last of his 28 points on a tiebreaking dunk with 6.4 seconds left to give the Utah Jazz their first home victory of the season, 115-113 over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

Collins also had nine rebounds and Jordan Clarkson added 20 points for the Jazz, who had lost their first five home games.

Luka Dončić had 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Dallas. Quentin Grimes added 15 points and five assists while filling in for Kyrie Irving, who missed the game because of a right shoulder sprain. Klay Thompson had 17 points.

The Mavericks erased a 16-point deficit and tied it on Thompson’s 3-pointer in the final minute before Collins answered with his winner.

Dallas led at halftime and got six third-quarter baskets from Doncic. It wasn’t enough to keep the Jazz from surging ahead as the quarter progressed. Utah ripped off a 9-0 run following back-to-back baskets from Doncic and went up 90-78 on Collins’ tip-in layup.

Utah scored baskets on six straight third-quarter possessions to take an 81-73 lead. Lauri Markkanen scored three baskets himself, culminating in a step-back 3-pointer.

Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Jalen Hurts ran for the go-ahead score after being evaluated for a concussion, and the Philadelphia Eagles stretched their lead in the NFC East with a 26-18 win on Thursday night over Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.

The Eagles (8-2) won their sixth straight since their bye, although this one came with a serious scare.

Hurts’ head was spiked into the turf by linebacker Frankie Luvu in the second quarter, and the $255 million quarterback’s head bounced off the ground. Hurts rolled over, face down, and grabbed his helmet. He was examined in the sideline medical tent but stayed in the game, finishing with 221 yards passing.

With the Eagles leading 12-10 in the fourth quarter, Washington was in range for a go-ahead field goal and coach Dan Quinn elected to go for it on fourth down. Daniels scrambled and was stopped for no gain, and less than three minutes later, Barkley scored on a 23-yard run.

Jake Elliott made the extra point after missing his previous try - along with two of his four field goals - to give the Eagles a two-score lead.

Daniels, who finished 22 of 32 for 191 yards and a late touchdown pass, was intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship on Washington's next play, and 12 seconds later, Barkley finished off the Commanders (7-4) with a 39-yard touchdown run.

Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Jalen Hurts ran for the go-ahead score after being evaluated for a concussion, and the Philadelphia Eagles stretched their lead in the NFC East with a 26-18 win on Thursday night over Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.

The Eagles (8-2) won their sixth straight since their bye, although this one came with a serious scare.

Hurts' head was spiked into the turf by linebacker Frankie Luvu in the second quarter, and the $255 million quarterback's head bounced off the ground. Hurts rolled over, face down, and grabbed his helmet. He was examined in the sideline medical tent but stayed in the game, finishing with 221 yards passing.

With the Eagles leading 12-10 in the fourth quarter, Washington was in range for a go-ahead field goal and coach Dan Quinn elected to go for it on fourth down. Daniels scrambled and was stopped for no gain, and less than three minutes later, Barkley scored on a 23-yard run.

Jake Elliott made the extra point after missing his previous try - along with two of his four field goals - to give the Eagles a two-score lead.

Daniels, who finished 22 of 32 for 191 yards and a late touchdown pass, was intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship on Washington's next play, and 12 seconds later, Barkley finished off the Commanders (7-4) with a 39-yard touchdown run.

Substitute Telasco Segovia delivered the pivotal goal that saw 10-man Venezuela hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.

The shock result leaves Brazil in third place, trailing second-placed Colombia by two points and far short of Argentina in first.

Brazil opened the scoring just before half-time as Raphinha curled a delightful free-kick over the Venezuela wall from 20 yards out to break the deadlock.

On the other side of the break, however, half-time substitute Segovia equalised just 41 seconds after the restart, striking from outside the box, having run onto Jefferson Savarino’s short lay-off.

The visitors were provided with a prime opportunity to restore their lead when Rafael Romo fouled Vinicius Junior in the box. But the Real Madrid forward was unable to capitalise on the resulting penalty, seeing his initial effort saved before firing the rebound wide.

As tensions rose, the game delivered further drama as Alexander Gonzalez received his marching orders in the 89th minute for lashing out at Vinicius after fouling Gabriel Martinelli.

In a farcical ending to the lively affair, sprinklers popped up in the pitch in added time to delay proceedings, but neither side could find a way through.

Data Debrief: Instant impact for super sub Segovia

Segovia's goal, 41 seconds after coming on, is the fastest for a player coming off the bench in the last three editions of the South American World Cup Qualifiers.

Venezuela have now scored two goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, only Brazil (four) and Colombia (four) have scored more in the 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers.

Republic of Ireland winger Mikey Johnston said the team had always trusted Caoimhin Kelleher after he made a crucial penalty save in their 1-0 Nations League win over Finland.

Johnston's corner set up Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson for the decisive goal on the stroke of half-time, after Finland had twice been denied by the woodwork.

The visitors had a golden chance to level in the second half, but Liverpool goalkeeper Kelleher made a stunning save to deny Joel Pohjanpalo from 12 yards following a handball from Ferguson.

The result means Finland are relegated from Group B2, while Ireland must come through a play-off to remain in the competition's second tier.

Speaking after the game, Johnston credited Kelleher's all-important penalty save, saying: "I always trust him to go and save a penalty. He has reacted really well and stepped up in a big moment.

"We were aiming for the win. They had moments but there were a few chances we could have taken as well. 

"We're happy that we've come away with the win. Sometimes in the last year we would have been on the other side of a bit of bad luck."

Ireland round off their campaign against England on Sunday, in Lee Carsley's final game in charge of the Three Lions before Thomas Tuchel takes the reins in January.