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Barcelona are holding high hopes for Hamza Abdelkarim, despite the young forward still waiting to make his first-team debut this season.
With a move for Julian Alvarez appearing unlikely, the club reportedly view the 19-year-old as a potential centre-forward option after working with him during pre-season.
Source: tribuna.com
After seven seasons of adapting to new quarterbacks, coaches, losing seasons, playoff football and roster battles, Darius Slayton may be nearing the end of his New York Giants career.
The 29-year-old wide receiver is reportedly among the players the Giants are seriously considering releasing as they reduce their roster to 53 players before Sunday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline.
Slayton’s status became more uncertain after Friday night’s preseason finale against the New York Jets. While head coach John Harbaugh rested most players whose roster positions appeared secure, Slayton started and remained on the field well into the game.
He played 33 offensive snaps, including time after Jameis Winston was replaced by third-string quarterback Brandon Allen. Slayton finished the game without a reception or a target.
That outcome would have been difficult to predict last year, when Slayton signed a three-year, $36 million contract to remain with the Giants. However, the financial commitment may not protect him from being released.
Slayton is due more than $12 million in salary this season, including $9.75 million that is fully guaranteed. Releasing him would leave New York with approximately $12.75 million in dead money for 2026 while creating only about $3.2 million in cap space.
The receiver underwent sports hernia surgery after recording 37 catches in 14 games last season and has not consistently displayed his previous form this summer. He showed signs of improvement against Miami, catching four passes for 58 yards in a performance Harbaugh said he “needed to see.”
One week later, however, Slayton played extensively against the Jets and did not appear on the stat sheet.
Odell Beckham Jr. also played 33 snaps against the Jets, but he caught three passes for 53 yards and strengthened his case to remain on the roster.
After the game, Harbaugh said Beckham had done enough to make “an NFL roster,” but he stopped short of guaranteeing that the roster would be New York’s.
The season-ending ACL injury suffered by Calvin Austin III created another opening in an increasingly complicated Giants wide receiver group. Even so, the roster change may not be enough to secure Slayton’s place.
The Giants selected Slayton in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has since played 106 games and made 78 starts for New York, more than any other player currently on the roster. Yet less than 18 months after receiving a new three-year, $36 million contract, Slayton is waiting to learn whether his time with the Giants is over.
New York must make its decision by Sunday evening.
Deion Sanders has spent decades building an image defined by confidence, success and an unmistakable larger-than-life personality. Behind the “Coach Prime” persona, however, is a childhood shaped by financial hardship and the sacrifices of his mother, Connie Knight.
During an August 26 appearance on The Basement With Tim Ross, Sanders discussed growing up in Fort Myers, Florida, and shared emotional memories of his mother. His recollections revealed a childhood vastly different from his current life as a Pro Football Hall of Famer and college football coach.
Sanders said Knight worked tirelessly while raising him and his sister. Their family home was eventually condemned, and he recalled growing up with rats and roaches.
One story from Sanders’ childhood involved a Florida State donor who invited him and his mother to dinner. Knight worked nights but made time to attend the occasion.
When a server asked what they wanted for their “entrée,” Sanders said he and his mother looked at each other because they did not understand the word.
“And we went, and I forget the name of the da-n restaurant. I know it was about water in Fort Myers sand; they came around, and they asked, ‘What would you be having for your entrée?’ And then my mama looked around at each other like, ‘What’s an entrée?’ We didn’t know what that was,” said Sanders.
“We haven’t been anywhere like this, where they put a napkin on your lap… So that’s where we came from, man. We didn’t know. We had rats and roaches at our old place.”
The memory highlights the difficult circumstances Sanders’ family endured and the sacrifices his mother made to give her children a better future.
Knight worked at Lee Memorial Hospital and took on demanding hours to support the household. Sanders has previously spoken about watching her work while he and his sister remained at home, an experience that left a lasting impression on him.
Those struggles shaped Sanders’ ambitions from a young age. As a child, he promised himself that he would become successful enough to ensure his mother never had to work again.
That goal became closely tied to his football career. When the Atlanta Falcons selected Sanders with the fifth overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, he finally had the opportunity to fulfill the promise he had made to his mother.
Sanders has said Knight stopped working after he entered the NFL, allowing him to provide the financial security he had always dreamed of giving her.
His success eventually enabled him to buy Knight a new home in Fort Myers. The seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom property included a swimming pool with “PRIME TIME” incorporated into its design, becoming a powerful symbol of how dramatically the family’s circumstances had changed.
The original family home was later demolished by the City of Fort Myers in 2018 after falling into severe disrepair.
Even so, Sanders has not forgotten what the house represented. It was where he witnessed his mother’s determination and where his own ambitions first began to take shape.
Simone Biles knows what it feels like when an arena pauses to recognize greatness. She has heard those roars after Olympic medals, extraordinary routines and moments that changed gymnastics forever. On Friday night in Indianapolis, however, Biles was not competing. She was sitting in the stands when thousands of fans made sure she knew how much she still means to them.
When Biles appeared on the giant screen at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun, the crowd erupted. The most decorated gymnast in history smiled and waved as the cheers continued. It was a powerful reception for an American sports icon, but the evening soon delivered another memorable moment.
While Biles watched from the stands, Caitlin Clark was making history on the court.
Clark scored 34 points and provided 12 assists as Indiana defeated Connecticut 111-91. Kelsey Mitchell also scored 34 points. Clark became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 800 points and 300 assists in a single season. She also became the first player to combine 300 assists with at least 100 made three-pointers in one season.
One of the night’s most memorable images, however, took place away from the thousands of screaming fans.
After the game, Biles walked into the hallway outside the Fever locker room, where she and Clark finally met face-to-face. They smiled and embraced, and Clark greeted her warmly with a simple, “Good to see you.”
Biles also spent time greeting other Fever players. She exchanged hugs and smiles with Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston and other Indiana stars. Sophie Cunningham gave the gymnastics legend an especially enthusiastic welcome, telling her, “You are a badass.” Biles was accompanied by her brother during the postgame visit.
The admiration clearly went both ways. Biles has seven Olympic gold medals and more World Championship medals than any gymnast in history, but she was not walking through the hallway expecting royal treatment. She was there as a sports fan, congratulating another group of women on what they had accomplished.
Biles attended her first WNBA game at the same arena exactly two years earlier, on August 28, 2024, when Indiana also played Connecticut. That night, Clark broke the WNBA rookie record for three-pointers in a season. Biles later met the Fever players and celebrated women’s sports, while Clark admitted she was having her own fangirl moment after meeting the Olympic superstar.
Two years later, Biles returned. Once again, Clark made history with the gymnastics icon watching from the stands.
This time, Clark was no longer a rookie finding her place in the league. She was the player who had just produced 34 points and 12 assists, helped Indiana win for the seventh time in nine games and achieved statistical combinations no player in WNBA history had previously reached.
For a few seconds in that hallway, however, none of those numbers seemed especially important.
It was simply Simone Biles and Caitlin Clark smiling and embracing—two of the biggest names in American sports sharing a moment of genuine mutual admiration.
Source: www.marca.com
As the NFL regular season approaches, recent history shows that second-year quarterbacks can exceed expectations and quickly emerge as league stars.
Dan Marino set the standard in 1984. At 23, he won the MVP award after throwing for a record 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns, helping lead the Dolphins to the Super Bowl.
Patrick Mahomes produced a similarly historic season at age 23. He threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns, becoming only the second player to reach those marks after Peyton Manning in 2013. Mahomes also won the MVP award.
Patrick Mahomes sends a strong message at Chiefs camp with one confident move
The following year, Lamar Jackson also enjoyed an MVP season at age 22. He became the first quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season, finishing with 3,127 passing yards and 1,206 rushing yards.
Last season, Drake Maye finished second in MVP voting after leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl against all odds.
Fourteen quarterbacks were selected in last season’s draft, but only three played more than 10 games. Those three quarterbacks have the strongest chances to produce a second-year breakout in 2026.
The first overall pick in 2025, Cam Ward was the only rookie quarterback to play all 17 games. He finished with a rookie-high 3,169 passing yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Titans’ 3-14 record led to the arrival of a new head coach, Robert Saleh, and offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, for the upcoming campaign. Ward will look to build on his experience while adapting to the new coaching staff.
Selected 25th overall, Jaxson Dart started 12 games and posted a 4-8 record with 2,272 passing yards and 24 total touchdowns, including 15 passing touchdowns.
Dart showed immense dual-threat ability, although difficulties avoiding heavy hits shortened parts of his debut season. With experienced winning head coach John Harbaugh and a reinforced roster around him, Dart enters 2026 with the tools needed for a standout campaign.
Tyler Shough was selected 40th overall and was not originally expected to start in New Orleans. After taking over the job in Week 8, however, he never looked back.
Shough finished with a 5-4 record, 2,384 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns and a rookie-best 67.6% completion rate. With a favorable schedule ahead, he has the momentum to guide the Saints toward the NFC South crown if the team stays healthy.
Source: www.marca.com
When Antoine Griezmann arrived in Major League Soccer, the idea of transforming Orlando City SC from a team outside the playoff picture into a legitimate MLS Cup contender seemed ambitious.
Six matches into his MLS career, that question no longer feels far-fetched. After another match-winning performance that earned him MLS Player of the Matchday honors, the focus has shifted to a bigger question: How far can Griezmann take Orlando?
Orlando City’s signing of Griezmann from Atlético Madrid immediately became one of the biggest stories in MLS. The French forward arrived with a résumé few players in league history could match, including a FIFA World Cup title with France, UEFA Champions League experience and a reputation as one of the most accomplished attackers of his generation.
Since joining Orlando, Griezmann has started all six regular-season matches and played every available minute. He has contributed three goals and two assists during that span, while Orlando has posted a 3-2-1 record against teams currently positioned in the MLS Cup Playoffs race.
Before Griezmann’s arrival, Orlando had collected just 14 points and sat 12th in the Eastern Conference, outside the playoff places. After the club’s recent victory over Real Salt Lake, the Lions moved up to ninth and currently hold a playoff spot.
Griezmann’s display against Real Salt Lake offered the clearest indication yet of what he could mean to Orlando’s MLS Cup ambitions. With the Lions trailing in the second half, he produced the kind of decisive moment expected from an elite player.
In the 53rd minute, Griezmann pounced on a loose ball inside the six-yard box and calmly finished to equalize. With nine minutes remaining, he collected the ball, weaved through several defenders and scored the winning goal, sending Inter&Co Stadium into celebration.
The brace was Griezmann’s first in MLS and earned him Player of the Matchday recognition. It was also the type of performance championship contenders need from their biggest stars. MLS history includes numerous examples of teams reaching another level after adding a proven international star.
What separates Griezmann from many high-profile imports is that he has not arrived simply as a recognizable name. He has immediately become one of Orlando’s most influential players. His movement creates opportunities for teammates, his vision unlocks defenses and his ability to score and create chances forces opponents to adjust their game plans.
Just as importantly, Griezmann brings experience from football’s biggest stages. His early impact has already helped move Orlando City into playoff contention, raising expectations for what the Lions can achieve during the remainder of the MLS season.
Source: www.marca.com
Dan Lawrence scored an unbeaten half-century as England reached 177-7 in their second innings on day three of the second Test at Lord’s.
The hosts lead by 357 runs and appear to be closing in on a series victory with one match still to play.
Lawrence’s composed innings has strengthened England’s position, despite weather delays interrupting the day’s play.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Caitlin Clark continues to deliver performances that would be career nights for most players, yet Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White believes the guard’s brilliance is becoming surprisingly easy to overlook.
Clark scored 34 points and dished out 12 assists on Friday as the Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun 111-91. She shot 12-of-19 from the field, grabbed five rebounds, made six 3-pointers and recorded three steals in just 34 minutes.
White believes Clark’s ability to make difficult plays look effortless is one reason her achievements can sometimes be taken for granted.
“You watch her, and I think it’s easy to take for granted some of the things that she does,” White said after the game. She added that great players make complicated aspects of basketball look simple, calling what Clark is doing “really special.”
The timing of Clark’s latest performance was notable because it came shortly after ESPN released its latest player ranking. The three-time All-Star was voted the second-best player in the WNBA, behind Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, who remains one of the leading MVP candidates this season.
Wilson’s No. 1 ranking is understandable, but Clark’s recent production continues to strengthen the argument that she belongs among the league’s elite players.
Against Connecticut, Clark recorded the sixth 30-point, 10-assist game of her WNBA career, giving her more such performances than any other player in league history. She also became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 800 points and 300 assists in a single season.
That achievement came after Clark became the first player to reach 300 assists and 100 made 3-pointers in one season.
Despite the historic numbers, Clark was not particularly interested in celebrating her individual statistics after the win.
“I mean, I don’t really care about the stats,” Clark said, explaining that when she plays freely and finds her rhythm, the numbers tend to follow naturally.
Clark also emphasized that her production matters most when it helps the Fever succeed as a team. Her shooting and playmaking can create momentum throughout Indiana’s lineup.
That impact was evident against Connecticut. Kelsey Mitchell matched Clark with 34 points, while Aliyah Boston added 14. Indiana’s starters combined for an outstanding offensive performance as the Fever secured another convincing victory.
The win improved Indiana’s record to 26-14 and moved the Fever into fourth place with four regular-season games remaining. The schedule ahead will be challenging, with three games against playoff teams and the final two contests against the Minnesota Lynx.
The bigger picture remains clear for Clark: even after rewriting several WNBA records, she believes there is still plenty of room to improve.
If a 34-point double-double can begin to feel almost routine, that may be the clearest indication yet of how special Clark has become.
Álvaro González was asked during the broadcast of Racing-Elche on Radio MARCA about his experience sharing a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Spanish footballer crossed paths with the Portuguese star in Saudi Arabia, where he saw firsthand what it is like to live alongside one of the greatest players in football history.
Álvaro’s response was emphatic. “Honestly, and after confirming it with other teammates we’ve had in common, he’s a true phenomenon in the dressing room”, explained the former centre-back.
According to Álvaro, Cristiano’s personality changes radically when he leaves the dressing room for the field. “As soon as he goes from the dressing room to the field, he completely changes”, he said. The former defender described Ronaldo as “a competitive beast” when it comes to competing.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s intense demands on the pitch, Álvaro described him as very different in everyday life. “Inside the dressing room he is a super normal, approachable person who helps you”, he said during the broadcast.
Álvaro also recalled the important role Ronaldo played when he first arrived. “He helped us enormously when he arrived because of some things that were happening during that year, and he helped us with everything”, he explained.
Inside the locker room Cristiano is a super normal, down-to-earth person who helps you
Álvaro González
For Álvaro, discovering this side of the Portuguese star up close was one of the most memorable experiences of his time in Saudi Arabia. “When you experience it firsthand yourself, it’s much more beautiful”, he admitted.
The former footballer also highlighted the privilege of sharing a dressing room with players of the stature of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. “They are people, both he and Messi, who will go down in the history of sport, which is football”, he stated.
The conversation also included jokes about training sessions. Asked whether he dared to “get under Cristiano’s skin,” Álvaro did not hesitate: “Always”.
Any tension was quickly forgotten, however. “The dirty looks… afterwards we would go to the jacuzzi, have a few laughs and some humor, and everything would pass”, he said with a laugh.
Álvaro believes Cristiano’s competitiveness during training was also important to the Portuguese forward after moving from European football to a different footballing environment. “He likes us to be competitive in training”, he explained.
Ronaldo wanted to maintain that high standard despite the change of setting. He made it clear that he had to “keep going here and keep at it because we have to carry on”, with one major objective in sight: “Him, to reach one thousand goals”.
Coventry City’s nervous start to life in the Premier League was evident in their defeat, with manager Frank Lampard acknowledging an anxiety in the Sky Blues’ play that must be removed quickly.
The Championship promotion winners appeared cautious in possession, choosing safer passes instead of pushing forward as they adjusted to the demands of the Premier League.
“This season was always going to be very different to last season but I sensed a bit of edge, that quality of pass and playing safe rather than play forward,” he said. “Maybe that is apprehension.”
Lampard rejected the idea that nerves could be used as an excuse, saying Coventry must respond quickly after losing their opening two matches.
“I don’t like the excuse of it. Last week that was valid because of the level of opposition, the occasion, 25 years out and a lot of debuts. We shouldn’t use it as an excuse today. “It’s a game against a team we played twice last year and we finished a lot of points above them. The Premier League gives that edge and we will have to get used to that and quickly. “The lesson is don’t expect anything in the Premier League. It depends how much you want it to be (a mental blow). There are 36 games left, we’re two games in. It depends how you want to react to defeats.”
Former Wales captain Ashley Williams believes the defeat could damage Coventry’s confidence. Williams won promotion to the Premier League with Swansea City in 2011 and understands the importance of avoiding early psychological setbacks.
“They blitzed the Championship last year and were full of confidence coming into the season. But after two defeats everything suddenly becomes that much harder,” he said on the BBC’s Final Score programme.
Williams said Coventry’s position near the bottom of the table would increase the pressure, particularly with Manchester City their next opponents.
“As players, you look at the table and it’s not nice when you are at the wrong end of it. Straight away they’ll see they are already six points behind Hull and that’s a real kick in the teeth.”
“All those little doubts start to kick in so they’ve got to get to work and figure it out fast and I’m sure Frank Lampard will do that. However, Manchester City away next up is far from ideal.”