Former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata has confirmed he will not return to Melbourne Victory for the upcoming 2026-27 A-League Men season. The 38-year-old Spanish playmaker announced his departure from the Australian club, though he has notably stopped short of declaring his formal retirement from professional football.
Mata Confirms Melbourne Victory Exit
The decision brings an end to Mata’s stint in the A-League after joining the Victory ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. The World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain arrived in Melbourne with significant fanfare, bringing a decorated European pedigree that included UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and domestic league titles won during spells at Valencia, Chelsea, and Manchester United.
While the club and player have parted ways, Mata’s statement leaves the door open for a potential next chapter. By evaluating future opportunities from his European base, the veteran midfielder signals he may still have the appetite for competitive football, whether in a playing capacity or a transition toward coaching or ambassadorial roles.
Legacy at Melbourne Victory
During his time at AAMI Park, Mata provided moments of technical quality and leadership for a Victory side undergoing transition. His experience was viewed as crucial for developing younger talents within the squad, even as the team navigated a challenging league campaign. The Spaniard’s professionalism and profile undoubtedly raised the league’s visibility during his tenure.
What Comes Next for the Spanish Maestro?
Speculation will now turn to Mata’s next move. Options could include a return to Spanish football, a move to another emerging league, or an immediate step into a technical director or coaching pathway—perhaps at one of his former clubs like Valencia, Chelsea, or Manchester United. For now, the football world waits to see if the silky midfielder has truly played his last competitive match.
Kimi Antonelli Leads Friday Practice in Madrid as Red Flags Disrupt Running
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive form by topping the timesheets after Friday practice at the Madrid circuit. However, a red flag interruption limited track time for all drivers, and with minimal long-run data collected on the brand-new venue, the competitive picture remains wide open heading into the weekend.
Antonelli Looks Comfortable on Debut Madrid Layout
The Mercedes junior driver, who stormed from 19th to victory at the previous round in Italy, appeared the more settled of the two Mercedes-powered entries. Antonelli quickly found a strong rhythm on the soft compound during Free Practice 2, suggesting immediate adaptability to the unfamiliar layout.
Track Evolution Adds Uncertainty for Saturday
Whether Antonelli can maintain his advantage is far from guaranteed. The circuit is evolving rapidly, with grip levels expected to increase significantly as more rubber is laid down across the remaining sessions. This dynamic surface could shuffle the order considerably.
Mercedes Overnight Development Strength Bodes Well
Despite the unknowns, Antonelli holds the strongest starting position. Historically, both the driver and Mercedes have demonstrated an ability to make meaningful performance gains overnight. With top spot secured on Friday, the championship leader enters Saturday in excellent shape to extend his title advantage.
Keely Hodgkinson Advances to 800m Final at World Athletics Ultimate Championship
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson secured her place in the women’s 800 metres final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship after winning her semi-final heat comfortably. The Olympic silver medallist controlled the race from the front, crossing the line first to progress automatically to the medal-deciding round.
Vancardo Suffers Heavy Fall in Same Heat
The semi-final was marred by a nasty incident involving Switzerland’s Veronica Vancardo, who suffered a heavy fall during the race. The Swiss athlete went down hard on the track, bringing an abrupt end to her championship campaign. Medical staff attended to Vancardo immediately, though the severity of any injury has not yet been confirmed by event organizers.
Live Coverage Details
Fans in the United Kingdom can follow live coverage of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, including the upcoming 800m final featuring Hodgkinson, via BBC Sport. The broadcast is available to UK users only.
Formula 1 drivers and teams finally experienced the Madring circuit during Friday practice, and the new Madrid venue proved every bit as demanding as predicted. While simulations provided a baseline, the session revealed significant unknowns regarding car setup, power unit deployment, and, most critically, tyre management. Tyre graining emerged as the dominant talking point early in the first session.
Drivers Praise Layout but Highlight Precision Required
Overall driver feedback on the new circuit was positive, with many noting its unique blend of high-speed sections and tight, wall-lined corners.
Pierre Gasly, who finished the day 11th, described the track as exhilarating: “I actually really loved it. It was very exciting. It’s a track with a lot of adrenaline. At all the corners you kind of see the walls coming at you very quickly, and you’ve got to be extremely precise in your lines, how much you commit to the corner. It definitely has this type of like adrenaline element, which you don’t always find, but usually find on a street track. So, pretty cool. A lot of high-speed, which is unusual for a street track, and it’s kind of a mix between like Jeddah and Monaco all combined together. Always exciting to find a new track, and definitely very exciting driving-wise. Now, hopefully, in the race, we can still find opportunities to overtake.”
Oscar Piastri, seventh in FP2, emphasized the difficulty: “I would say honestly it’s more difficult than some tracks. There’s a lot of sections where you’re not really brushing up against the walls, you’re kind of turning or heading at them, and then you need to avoid them. So it makes things quite challenging. Definitely I think everyone is still getting up to speed. But when you get into a decent rhythm over one lap, it’s pretty enjoyable. In race running, it’s been a nightmare to try and manage the tyres with graining. So a lot of corners have been very difficult. It’s been an interesting day. I think we are struggling a little bit for pace. But yeah, hopefully we can find a bit more tomorrow.”
Tyre Graining Forces Strategy Rethink
Teams had anticipated graining on the fresh tarmac, but the severity in FP1 came as a shock, prompting immediate setup adjustments for the second session.
George Russell explained the scale of the issue: “We thought it was a possibility. It’s often a possibility on new tarmacs. The grip is very high, but you’re sliding quite aggressively. With the deg we had in FP1, a six-stop race would have been the fastest way! FP2 was slightly better, and I’m sure the race on Sunday will be better again. But that’s the biggest question mark.”
The tyre situation influenced run plans significantly. Most teams opted to save two sets of the C2 hard compound for the race, with only Audi utilizing them during Friday running, signalling that the hardest tyre will play a crucial strategic role on Sunday.
Setup Compromises Define Friday Workload
The circuit’s diverse corner profile — mixing high-speed sweeps with heavy braking zones and kerb-heavy chicanes — forced engineers to search for a delicate setup balance.
Ferrari Strong Out of the Box, Eyes on Qualifying
Ferrari appeared competitive from the outset of FP1, though Team Principal Fred Vasseur downplayed Friday pace in favour of qualifying readiness: “I think the good setup is the setup that will work in in quali, not in free practice. We know that we’ll have a huge track evolution even during the session. The most important is to anticipate the grip in Q3, and to be ready for Q3. It makes no sense to do the best in free practice, and not in quali. It’s a challenge that you have approximately all the types of corners of the season, and it’s a good exercise for the engineers. But at the end, it’s also difficult to estimate what will be the grip evolution between FP3 and quali, and even during quali. It means that energy deployment is complicated with the high-speed section, and I think what will be key is to estimate the pace in Q3.”
Charles Leclerc ended FP2 in second place, underscoring the SF-24’s early promise.
Red Bull and Audi Grapple with Ride and Energy Deployment
Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson were less satisfied with their Friday progress. Technical Director Pierre Wache echoed the sentiment that Friday dissatisfaction is preferable if it leads to qualifying solutions: “I think it’s better to not be happy during Friday! And there’s a lot of work to do on car setup, for sure. Mechanical grip, I think the ride is more challenging than what we thought. It’s not as smooth. On energy deployment, it’s clear that we have a lot of work to do there also. And the tyres grained maybe as expected – I think in FP2 we were a little bit better than FP1, and I think we have to continue in this route.”
Wache elaborated on the competing demands: “I think compromising between corner and deployment, some corners are full throttle, and putting some sliding on the tyres. That’s something we have to see. But yeah, it is a challenging one.”
The kerb-riding requirement adds another layer of complexity. Audi Sporting Director Inaki Rueda highlighted the fundamental aerodynamic trade-off: “It very difficult. So the main set-up trade that we have here is between running low and stiff for aero, because you have lots of high-speed corners. And usually these cars, the more stiff and low you get the aero platform, the better it is. But you have the trade-off of jumping the kerbs, like jumping the kerb in Turn 2. It’s a lot of lap time. We cannot not jump it, and of course for that you want a higher car, and more of a rolling car. And so that is where the trade-off is, and the answer is going to be difficult.”
Mbappe Addresses PSG’s Champions League Success Since His Departure
Since Kylian Mbappe left PSG for Madrid, the Parisians have recorded two Champions League titles, whereas Real Madrid have failed to win it. The French superstar was asked about that phenomenon during his latest interview with L’Equipe.
Unexpected Shift in European Fortunes
The narrative surrounding Kylian Mbappe’s high-profile move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid has taken an unforeseen turn. According to the timeline presented, the French capital club has claimed a pair of Champions League trophies in the wake of his exit, while the Spanish giants have come up short in Europe’s premier competition over the same period.
Superstar Confronts the Narrative
Mbappe faced direct questions about this striking reversal of fortunes in his most recent conversation with L’Equipe. The interview provided the forward an opportunity to respond to the statistical anomaly that has emerged since his transfer, a storyline that has captivated football observers across the continent.
The discussion arrives at a pivotal moment for both clubs, as PSG seeks to establish a new era of continental dominance and Real Madrid aims to reclaim the European crown they have made their own in recent decades.
FIA Formula 3 Madrid Qualifying: Kato Claims Maiden Pole in Q1, Taponen Dominates Q2
The opening day of FIA Formula 3 action at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya delivered a split qualifying result, with Taito Kato securing his maiden series pole position in Qualifying 1 and Tuukka Taponen topping the timesheets in Qualifying 2. The session also shuffled the championship picture, as title contenders Ugo Ugochukwu and Freddie Slater experienced contrasting fortunes across the two 20-minute segments.
Qualifying 1: Kato Edges Clerot by 0.012s for Historic Pole
Kato, driving for ART Grand Prix, produced a stunning lap of 1:50.535 to snatch the top spot from Rodin Motorsport’s Pedro Clerot by a mere 0.012 seconds. The Japanese rookie’s performance marks his first pole position in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
Taponen qualified third for ART Grand Prix, ahead of championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu in fourth for PREMA Racing. Enzo Deligny rounded out the top five for Rodin Motorsport.
Sprint Race Grid Set by Reverse-Order Q1 Results
Because the Saturday Sprint Race grid is determined by reversing the top twelve finishers from Qualifying 1, the front row will feature a dramatically different look. James Wharton (PREMA Racing) inherits reverse pole position, with Campos Racing’s Theophile Nael joining him on the front row. Wharton’s teammate Alex Powell will start from third place.
Qualifying 2: Taponen Denies Ugochukwu First Career Pole
The second qualifying session saw Ugochukwu appear destined for his maiden Formula 3 pole position before Taponen unleashed a blistering 1:49.750 on his final run. The Finn’s benchmark eclipsed Ugochukwu’s best effort by 0.021 seconds.
Clerot recovered from his narrow Q1 defeat to claim third, despite making contact with the barrier at the final corner on his closing lap. Kato followed in fourth, while Mattia Colnaghi completed the top five for MP Motorsport.
Championship Implications: Ugochukwu Gains Ground on Slater
The weekend is shaping up favorably for Ugochukwu in the drivers’ standings. The American driver secured a strong P2 in Qualifying 2 to go with his Q1 fourth place, positioning him well for both the Sprint and Feature Races. In contrast, title rival Freddie Slater (Rodin Motorsport) endured a difficult opening session, qualifying 17th in Q1 before recovering to eighth in Q2.
Saturday Schedule: Sprint Race at 11:05 Local Time
The first race of the Madrid round—the Sprint Race—is scheduled to begin at 11:05 local time on Saturday morning. The Feature Race will follow on Sunday.
Mercedes Leads Long-Run Pace in Spanish GP Friday Practice
George Russell set the benchmark during Friday’s practice sessions for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, posting the fastest long-run average with a heavy fuel load. Max Verstappen remained the closest challenger, trailing the Mercedes driver by just 0.13 seconds per lap after adjustments for tyre compounds and stint lengths. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli slotted in third, though he was 0.55 seconds per lap off Russell’s pace.
Ferrari and McLaren struggled across the board in race simulations. Both Ferraris were approximately nine-tenths of a second per lap slower than Mercedes, while Oscar Piastri’s long run was 1.51 seconds per lap adrift. Lando Norris was unable to complete any long runs due to technical issues.
Mercedes Sandbagging Pattern Raises Eyebrows
The competition may be particularly concerned by a look back at last weekend in Italy. There, Mercedes was level with Ferrari in long runs on Friday, while McLaren was two-tenths of a second off the pace. On race Sunday, however, the Silver Arrows were ultimately eight-tenths per lap faster than both teams. Mercedes therefore traditionally appears to show less on Fridays than the competition, which could be a bad omen for the rest of the weekend. However, caution is also required, as the track in Madrid is new. Larger setup changes can therefore be expected for Saturday.
The competition also appears closer over a single lap. If the fastest sector times of each driver are added together, Charles Leclerc could theoretically have set the fastest lap with a 1:33.478. Of the top six drivers, however, only Arvid Lindblad was able to combine all of his best sector times into a single lap.
The question remains where Mercedes’ advantage comes from, particularly in the long runs. The answer appears to be clear: the competition is losing too much time in the final sector. Mercedes was already able to set the fastest time in the third sector during qualifying simulations, but with a lot of fuel on board, the team can apparently extend that advantage even further.
Looking at the telemetry data, it is noticeable that Mercedes appears to use less battery power in the first sector, yet is still only marginally slower than the competition. In the final sector, however, Mercedes has a clear top-speed advantage, which appears to pay off particularly in the long-run mapping. While Mercedes excels in the final sector, Ferrari can score points in the first sector, while Max Verstappen and Red Bull are very strong in the fast second sector. McLaren is the only team that is consistently too slow across all three sectors.
Ferrari appear to be off the pace of Mercedes. Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Midfield Shake-Up: Haas Emerges as Surprise Package
Racing Bulls once again made headlines in the midfield on Friday – and for two reasons. Firstly, Arvid Lindblad finished fourth in the second practice session, just 0.228s off the pace. Shortly afterwards, however, he caused a heavy crash that resulted in a red flag. As a result, Racing Bulls was unable to complete any truly representative long runs. Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was also running a different programme and completed his qualifying and race simulations in a single stint, probably with a low fuel load.
That meant Haas actually recorded the best long-run pace in the midfield. Esteban Ocon was just 0.92s per lap behind Mercedes’ Russell during his stint, putting the Frenchman practically on Ferrari’s level. Alpine (+1.60), Audi (+2.20), Williams (+2.58), Cadillac (+4.00) and Aston Martin (+4.33) followed behind, with some considerable gaps.
Racing Bulls had a strong Friday. Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
However, caution is also required here given that this is the Madrid track’s debut. There is still plenty of potential for setup changes to alter the picture.
Tyre Degradation Debate: “Six Stops” vs. One-Stop Predictions
The performance of some teams was not the only surprise on Friday. The behaviour of the tyres was also unexpected. As a street circuit with what is essentially a smooth asphalt surface, high tyre degradation was not initially expected. However, that may now be changing.
“At the beginning it was tricky because the track has so much grip, even though it is completely new asphalt,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained to Sky. “And interestingly, we have the opposite problem to what we expected. We can’t quite get the tyre up to temperature. It takes a lap and then it gets a little better. But of course, the tyre degradation is incredible, because of the grip.”
When asked more specifically, Wolff spoke of “eight tenths of degradation per lap” in the first free practice session.
“We’ve never seen that before,” said Wolff. “Our strategy chief said six stops. But I think in the end it will be one stop.”
Toto Wolff warned about tyre degradation in Spain. Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Nevertheless, degradation in the second free practice session was also around three-tenths per lap during the long runs. At the moment, that points more towards a two-stop race than a one-stop strategy. However, more running should bring more grip to the track, which could reduce tyre degradation over the course of the weekend.
Just how unclear the tyre situation still is can also be seen in a contrasting statement from Pirelli’s motorsport chief Dario Marrafuschi, also speaking to Sky:
“The grip of the asphalt is really good, so we will most likely have less degradation than expected.”
The further course of the weekend in Madrid will show who ultimately gets their prediction right.
Pakistan staged a remarkable fightback on day three of the third Test at Edgbaston, posting 449 in their second innings to set England a target of 130 runs to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep.
Centurions Lead Pakistan Recovery
Captain Shan Masood, premier batter Babar Azam, and debutant Razaullah all recorded half-centuries as the tourists turned a precarious position into a commanding total. The trio’s contributions anchored an innings that shifted the match momentum decisively.
Debutant Razaullah Shines
The highlight of the day belonged to Razaullah, whose aggressive stroke play on debut provided the impetus Pakistan needed. His counter-attacking innings not only entertained the Edgbaston crowd but also ensured the home side would face a challenging fourth-innings chase.
England Target Series Whitewash
Needing just 130 runs for victory, England are heavy favorites to seal a 3-0 series triumph. The pitch at Edgbaston has offered assistance to bowlers throughout the match, meaning the target is by no means a formality, though the hosts’ batting depth suggests they will back themselves to finish the job.
Pakistan Set England 130 to Win Third Test After Razaullah Heroics at Edgbaston
Pakistan have set England a victory target of 130 runs in the third and final Test at Edgbaston following a remarkable all-round performance from 21-year-old Razaullah. The youngster first claimed four wickets in England’s first innings before producing a blistering knock of 81 runs from just 63 deliveries with the bat.
Razaullah Stars With Ball and Bat
Razaullah announced himself on the international stage with a match-defining contribution across both disciplines. His four-wicket haul helped restrict England’s first-innings total, before his explosive counter-attacking innings swung the momentum firmly in Pakistan’s favor. The left-handed batter struck boundaries at will, dominating the bowling attack and accelerating the run-rate to build a defendable lead.
England Face Tense Chase
Chasing 130 for a series-clinching victory, England will need to navigate a potentially tricky fourth-innings pitch against a Pakistan bowling attack buoyed by Razaullah’s earlier exploits. The target is achievable but far from guaranteed, setting up a compelling final chapter to the three-match series.
The match remains finely poised, with both sides having realistic pathways to victory in what has become a thrilling Test contest at Edgbaston.
Our expert betting writers have revealed their top selections for the Qualifying session at the Madring. The analysis identifies the key drivers and teams to watch as the grid order takes shape.
The preview covers a range of betting markets, offering insight into the strongest contenders and potential value plays for the upcoming session. For detailed reasoning behind each pick, explore the full expert breakdown.
