Portugal and Morocco will host the 2027 Dakar Rally the organisers announced on Friday after it was moved from Saudi Arabia following repeated attacks on the kingdom by Yemen's Houthis.
The drivers, motorcyclists and truck drivers will tackle the prologue and first special stage in Portugal followed by 11 stages of the gruelling rally -- covering almost 8,000 kilometres with 4,341km of specials -- in Morocco.
It is the first time since 2007 that the gruelling multi-stage rally, created in 1978, returns to Africa.
"Although it has been moved, the 49th edition of the Dakar will still meet the sporting standards which has always made the event the most demanding of endurance rallies," said race director David Castera.
"Despite the short amount of time we have had we have put together a real Dakar.

#first #stage #gruelling #time

Frenchman Arthur Gea failed to convert a match point which would have seen him make history as the first lucky loser to ever reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.
Instead the 21-year-old fell in a gruelling five-set encounter with Botic van de Zandschulp, having also failed to serve out victory when he had the chance in the fourth set.
Three hours after holding match point the world No 87 was out, with van de Zandschulp battling back to win 3-6 6-7 (0-7) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 in five hours and 13 minutes - the fourth-longest match on record in New York.
Gea had to go through qualifying as his ranking was not high enough to automatically qualify for the main draw at the time entry lists were published. He lost to Nishesh Basavareddy in the final round of qualifying but was granted a reprieve when former runner-up Casper Ruud withdrew with injury before the tournament began, taking the Norwegian's place.
Gea seized his opportunity by making the fourth round but could not get past world No 70 van de Zandschulp, although he may take some comfort in his prize money of $480,000 - more than seven times the $66,000 he had expected to earn through qualifying.

#zandschulp #match

France's Arthur Gea was one point away from being the first lucky loser to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final - but three hours later he was out of the US Open.
Gea, 22, was unable to convert a match point in a third-set tie-break against Dutch opponent Botic van de Zandschulp, then could not serve out victory in the fourth set of a gruelling fourth-round contest.
Van de Zandschulp took full advantage to escape from the jaws of defeat, going on to secure a 3-6 6-7 (0-7) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 win after five hours and 13 minutes - the fourth longest match on record at Flushing Meadows.
World number 87 Gea was not ranked high enough for the main draw when the US Open entry list was finalised, meaning he had to go through qualifying instead.
Seeded first, he lost to American Nishesh Basavareddy in the third and final round but earned a reprieve when 2022 finalist Casper Ruud withdrew injured on the eve of the tournament.

#zandschulp #round

Top seed Alexander Zverev was put through the late-night ringer once more before booking his place in the third round of the US Open on Friday.
The German star, who had finished a five-set first round battle in the early hours of Wednesday morning, was again forced to go the distance before grinding out a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 victory over France's Quentin Halys.
The 4hr 33 min slugfest was another gruelling outing on the Arthur Ashe Stadium show court for Zverev, who clinched victory at just after 2.15am local time.
The 29-year-old, who has spent nearly 10 hours on court in his opening two matches, will face Chile's Alejandro Tabilo in the next round.
Zverev had looked in complete control against Halys early on, seizing the only break of the first set to go 5-4 before holding to claim the opening frame.

#opening

English club cricketer and endurance athlete Sam Bodoano has completed an extraordinary 62-mile (100km) run from Lord's Cricket Ground in London to Valley End Cricket Club in Woking, Surrey, in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the longest run-up before bowling a cricket ball.

Bodoano, 22, from Worplesdon near Guildford, Surrey, began his run at Lord's on Saturday and completed the gruelling journey around 14 hours later at Valley End Cricket Club on Sunday. His challenge culminated in him bowling the opening delivery of an 11-a-side match to his father.
To meet the requirements for the record attempt, Bodoano had to complete the entire 100km journey in full cricket whites while carrying a cricket ball. He then had to take part in a cricket match and deliver the opening ball. While Bodoano has completed the challenge and believes he has surpassed the existing mark, Guinness World Records has not yet officially recognised the achievement. The organisation's evidence review and verification process is still under way.

A Guinness World Records spokesperson said the application would need to go through the formal evidence review process before the record could be officially confirmed. The review can take around two weeks, depending on the evidence submitted.

If confirmed, Bodoano's run-up would comfortably surpass the previous men's record of 15 miles. The current holder of the record for the longest bowling run-up (male) is Tom Dunn, who ran 15 miles (24km) from Bethnal Green, in east London, to Wandsworth Common, in south London, in August 2024.
Despite the physical demands of the challenge, Bodoano completed the run for a charitable cause, raising almost £6,000 (Rs 7,64,513) for The Ruth Strauss Foundation, a cancer charity founded by former England captain Sir Andrew Strauss.

"I'm very tired, I lost a lot of sleep, but it was all for an amazing cause," Bodoano said.

An experienced endurance athlete, Bodoano has previously competed in the England Hockey Men's Premier League, completed the London Marathon and Ironman Wales, and finished third in a 112-mile backyard ultra-marathon. He also works as a running coach and content creator.

#london #completed #club #ball

This time last year we were facing a daunting, and gruelling trip to Kazakhstan with our Champions League aspirations very much on the line.
Having flopped at home against minnows Kairat Almaty, we made the long journey, and were ultimately made to pay as the Kazakh side beat us on spot kicks to kill off our Champions League aspirations, and confine us to the Europa League.
The only 'new' additions to Brendan Rodgers pool of players for those two games were the returning Kieran Tierney (who had signed a pre-contract months earlier) with Shin Yamada, loan signing Jahmai Simpson Pusey, and Callum Osmand the other new recruits, but were very much seen as bench players at the most.
Temirlan Anarbekov of Kairat clutches the ba during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
That failure to add any real quality to our side was the biggest factor for our failure not just in Europe, but the following few months to follow. Something that resulted in Brendan Rodgers deciding enough was enough, which culminated in the Irishman handing in his notice.

#league #almaty #brendan

The Tour de France Femmes begins on Saturday with possibly the most difficult route yet for women's cycling's flagship race.
This year the peloton will tackle the infamous Mont Ventoux on a gruelling stage seven, the queen stage of the nine-day race, but the battle for the general classification could go right down to the wire with four summits of the Col d'Eze, outside Nice, crammed into less than 100km in an explosive final stage.
Dutchwoman and 2023 champion Demi Vollering is arguably the favourite to regain her crown but will face fierce competition from reigning champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who has had a mixed season but with everything building towards her **** le defence, and 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, who has finished on the podium in every edition.
Elsewhere Britain's Zoe Backstedt is one of the favourites to take a maiden stage win on stage four's individual time trial, as the 21-year-old makes her Tour de France debut.
Here's everything you need to know to watch the race.

#race #france #femmes

Manchester City will travel to east Asia for Enzo Maresca's first games in charge as manager
Some players remain on holiday after a gruelling FIFA World Cup campaign in North America
City face Inter, K-League All Stars XI & Atletico Madrid before ***** nal in the Community Shield
Manchester City are set to travel to east Asia with a stronger-than-expected squad as Enzo Maresca takes charge of his first pre-season tour as manager.
The 46-year-old has been working with an initial group at the City Football Academy since pre-season training began on 20 July, with the extended rest periods required for World Cup participants from four nations shaping the composition of the squad available for the trip considerably.

#asia #travel #manager

Spain manager Luis de La Fuente made several bold decisions ahead of the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, which in hindsight all paid off.
Some of his biggest decisions, in fact, came before the tournament at the time when he announced the list of players he was calling up for the event.
As part of his selection process, the manager dropped some of Spain's biggest veteran stars, including two former captains, Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Morata, but many of the omitted stars did make their way to New York to witness the eventual final.
It was Barcelona's Ferran Torres who scored the winning goal for Spain against Argentina in the final, and given how the goal came after a gruelling 106 minutes, the celebrations in the Spanish camp were aggressive.
Following the hard-fought win against Lionel Messi & co. Lamine Yamal was seen sharing a special moment with former captain Morata during the same period.

#morata

Cycling governing body the UCI has defended overnight doping controls on riders at the Tour de France.
Tour leader Tadej Pogačar was tested at 5 am (0300 GMT) on Sunday before the gruelling 15th stage. Jonas Vingegaard - second at the time - received a visit from drugs testers even earlier at 2 am and later suffered a dramatic crash, meaning he had to quit the race.
There has been widespread criticism of the overnight controls, which according to French newspaper L'Equipe were possible due to a court ruling. It was the first application of provisions introduced into French law in 2015.
The independent International Testing Agency (ITA) carries out the controls on behalf of the UCI, but the governing body decided to issue a statement on Wednesday.
"The UCI of course acknowledges that night-time testing can disrupt riders' rest and recovery, and wishes to reiterate that carrying out such controls outside normal hours remains an exceptional measure, reserved for limited and justified circumstances," it read.

#governing #time

Another Wimbledon is in the books, with Jannik Sinner successfully defending his men’s ****** le and Linda Noskova becoming the 10th different women’s champion in the last 10 years.
For the second year in a row, men’s No 1 Sinner bounced back from disappointment in Paris to secure a cathartic Wimbledon crown, as the Italian defeated second seed Alexander Zverev in a gruelling four-set battle.
The 21-year-old Noskova became the youngest women’s champion since Petra Kvitova in 2011 and added to Czechia’s illustrious Wimbledon history as she defeated compatriot Karolina Muchova in a rollercoaster final.
There was not a single drop of rain across the Wimbledon fortnight while the wildcard run of Britain’s Arthur Fery, who reached the semi-finals, and the return of Serena Williams to singles at the age of 44 were also highlights during the tournament.
Here are some of the best moments from Wimbledon 2026, as well as an early look ahead to the US Open.

Jude Bellingham is rewriting the history books with his FIFA World Cup campaign, and he is even a strong contender for the Golden Ball at this point in time.
Taking to the field against Norway in England’s quarterfinal tie last night, the English midfielder produced his second consecutive brace to put his side through with little help from his teammates.
Both goals arrived as moments of perfect positioning and great finishing acumen, as his side eliminated Erling Haaland’s Norway after a gruelling clash.
Speaking to the media via Fabrizio Romano after his team’s heartbreaking elimination from the competition, Norway’s talisman Erling Haaland had nothing but praise and respect for Jude Bellingham who almost single-handedly decided the result.
Haaland had kind words for his former teammate. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Julian Alvarez said "you have to know how to suffer" after Argentina came through yet another gruelling World Cup test to beat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals following extra-time on Saturday.
The Atletico Madrid forward scored Argentina's decisive second goal in the 112th minute in Kansas City to finally end the resistance of the European team.
The Swiss mounted a robust rearguard action after Breel Embolo was dismissed in the second half -- shown a second yellow card for simulation.
But Alvarez eventually broke their hearts with a stunning curling effort into the top corner and Lautaro Martinez added a last-gasp third.
The win follows a gruelling 3-2 victory against Cape Verde in extra-time in the last 32 and an astonishing late comeback to beat Egypt for another 3-2 win.

There were more than five hours on the clock and yet Novak Djokovic was still not done. As Centre Court shook, Djokovic’s 11-year-old son, Stefan, watched on with his head in his hands, up way past his bedtime but gripped by what his 39-year-old father was producing. Felix Auger-Aliassime stood over a forehand and sensed his moment to strike but Djokovic, in a flash, sprung to his right deep behind the baseline, extending the point and the Canadian third seed’s torment. Auger-Aliassime netted and it broke him; the decisive point in the match tiebreak that settled the longest Wimbledon quarter-final ever, a victory that Djokovic ranked as one of his finest on Centre Court.
“These are the moments I still play for,” said Djokovic. If the scoreline - 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (10-4) - was scarcely believable in itself, the sight of Djokovic stretching his limbs and denying the 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime, in five hours and 15 minutes, was sheer madness. It equalled the longest match of Djokovic’s Wimbledon career, eight years on from the 2018 semi-final with Rafael Nadal that was held overnight. Djokovic managed this in one epic, gruelling sitting and just five minutes before the 11pm curfew. When the moment required it, he once again raised his level, booking a semi-final with defending champion Jannik Sinner on Friday.
The celebrations were memorable, the victory too - a battle Djokovic prevailed from in front of his children on Centre Court adding to the sweetness. And yet the message afterwards from Djokovic was that he is not done yet. The records - an eighth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final, the 15th of his career - did not matter. “Right now, it's all business,” Djokovic confirmed. The pursuit of the grand slam record and a 25th ****** le is what fuelled his extraordinary fight and refusal to submit, and yet it is still two rounds away. ”I wish it was finals so I don't need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow,” Djokovic said.
And there could lie the problem. At this stage of his career, and since the gold medal match against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Olympics, Djokovic’s finest victories have arrived before the final. Last season, the quarter-finals of grand slams fell in the the sweet spot where Djokovic was fresh enough to compete against younger opponents, but late enough in the tournament where he knew he needed to step it up. He did, in defeating Alcaraz at the Australian Open, Alexander Zverev at the French Open, Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon and Taylor Fritz at the US Open. Outlasting Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon is another added to the list.
Djokovic, though, arrived at those semi-finals and found that he was physically cooked, unable to recover for the next challenge. The exception came at the Australian Open in January, and was memorable in itself with Djokovic ending Sinner’s reign in Melbourne by beating the world No 1 in five sets. But that followed a different sort of tournament for Djokovic, after his fourth

There were more than five hours on the clock and yet Novak Djokovic was still not done. As Centre Court shook, Djokovic’s 11-year-old son, Stefan, watched on with his head in his hands, up way past his bedtime but gripped by what his father was producing. Felix Auger-Aliassime stood over a forehand and sensed his moment to strike but Djokovic, in a flash, sprung to his right deep behind the baseline, extending the point and the Canadian third seed’s torment. Auger-Aliassime netted and it broke him; the decisive point in the match tiebreak that settled the longest Wimbledon quarter-final ever, a victory that Djokovic ranked as one of his finest ever on Centre Court.
“These are the moments I still play for,” said Djokovic. If the scoreline - 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (10-4) - is scarcely believable in itself, the sight of Djokovic, at 39, stretching his limbs and denying the 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime in five hours and 15 minutes, was sheer madness. It equalled the longest match of Djokovic’s Wimbledon career, eight years on from the 2018 semi-final with Rafael Nadal that was held overnight. Djokovic managed this in one epic, gruelling sitting. When the moment required it, he once again raised his level, booking a semi-final with defending champion Jannik Sinner on Friday.
The celebrations were memorable, the victory too - a battle Djokovic prevailed from in front of his children on Centre Court adding to the sweetness. And yet the message afterwards from Djokovic was that he is not done yet. The records - an eighth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final, the 15th of his career - did not matter. “Right now, it's all business,” Djokovic confirmed. The pursuit of the grand slam record and a 25th ***** le is what fuelled his extraordinary fight and refusal to submit, and yet it is still two rounds away. ”I wish it was finals so I don't need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow,” Djokovic said.
And there could lie the problem. At this stage of his career, and since the gold medal match against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Olympics, Djokovic’s finest victories have arrived before the final. Last season, the quarter-finals of grand slams fell in the the sweet spot where Djokovic was fresh enough to compete against younger opponents, but late enough in the tournament where he knew he needed to step it up. He did, in defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open, Alexander Zverev at the French Open, Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon and Taylor Fritz at the US Open. Outlasting Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon is another added to the list.
Djokovic, though, arrived at those semi-finals and found that he was physically cooked, unable to recover for the next challenge. The exception came at the Australian Open in January, and was memorable in itself with Djokovic ending Sinner’s reign in Melbourne by beating the world No 1 in five sets. But that followed a different sort of tournament for Djokovic, after his fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew an

Former Manchester City midfield partners Rodri and Bernardo Silva squared off in a verbal altercation during the closing moments of Spain's dramatic 0-1 victory over Portugal.
Following Mikel Merino's 91st-minute winner, a frustrated Silva missed a header to equalise, prompting a post-miss celebration from the Spaniard.
Speaking to reporters following the Round of 16 battle, Rodri publicly expressed regret for his reaction, taking accountability and admitting, "It was my fault."
Former Manchester City teammates Bernardo Silva and Rodri became embroiled in a heated clash with one another during the closing exchanges of Portugal against Spain.
With a coveted spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals on the line, both squads played out a gruelling, tactical chess match that exploded in the final minutes on Monday night.

Argentina and Egypt meet for the first time in a World Cup match as they prepare for this crucial Round of 16 encounter on Tuesday at the Atlanta Stadium.
Date: Tuesday, 7th July.
Kick-off: 5pm BST.
Venue: Atlanta Stadium, Georgia, USA.
Argentina enters this high-stakes Round of 16 match battling physical exhaustion after a gruelling 120 minutes against Cape Verde.

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said sides should be given more rest in the final stages of the World Cup as the defending champions face a gruelling schedule in the knockout phases.
Should Argentina progress to the final, they face five games in 17 days, putting an extra demand on 39-year-old Lionel Messi to maintain his flying start to the World Cup.
Messi has scored seven times in La Albiceleste's four wins so far, but they were pushed by Cape Verde on Friday before prevailing 3-2 after extra-time.
The extra 30 minutes in searing Miami heat was not ideal for Scaloni with many of his players ending the game with cramp.
However, Argentina do appear to a have a kind route to at the semi-finals.

South Africa and England collide on the opening weekend of the inaugural Nations Championship in a mighty meeting at Ellis Park.
Steve Borthwick’s side face a gruelling itinerary over the next three weeks as they play in Johannesburg, Liverpool and Santiago del Estero bidding to put their worst-ever Six Nations behind them.
It is a daunting start to their summer campaign after four successive defeats, with the world champion Springboks fully loaded for their arrival.
Rassie Erasmus’s squad worked off some rust in a fixture against the Barbarians and may just be looking to make a statement in their first meeting with England since November 2024.
Here’s everything you need to know.

The timing of Jack Draper voicing his concerns about the amount of injuries players suffer was either extremely unfortunate or subtly calculated.
Less than 24 hours after saying he felt the volume of injuries was "pretty worrying", the Briton pulled out of Wimbledon with a long-standing arm problem.
Former world number four Draper believes the demands placed on the top stars - a gruelling season with a short break, longer matches and more physical battles - are responsible for their bodies breaking down.
Seven-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz is missing Wimbledon with a wrist injury, while several ATP players withdrew from grass-court events at Queen's and Eastbourne to protect themselves.
"When I look at the draws, everything is shoulder, arm, wrist [injuries]. They need to really take a close look at what we're doing on tour," Draper said.

Cameron Norrie suffered a rare Wimbledon first-round upset as he lost a gruelling five-setter to qualifier Michael Zheng in a disappointing opening day for British players.
Norrie was the only British seeded player left in either singles draw following Emma Raducanu's withdrawal on the eve of the Championships.
But the world number 29, so often the last Briton standing at the Grand Slams, was twice reeled back in by American Zheng after being a set up, eventually losing 6-7 (7-9) 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 7-6 (10-4) after four hours on court.
It is the first time Norrie - a semi-finalist in 2022 and quarter-finalist last year - has lost in the first round at Wimbledon since 2018.
The 30-year-old was among six Britons to lose on the opening day of the Championships, while there was further disappointment when Jack Draper announced his withdrawal 24 hours before his opening match because of injury.

There are dependable footballers, there are ever-presents — and then there is Virgil van Dijk. At a time when workload limits in modern professional football are being debated more fiercely than ever, the captain of the Dutch national team is putting up statistical numbers that seem to come from another planet.
According to 'Squawka', the Liverpool star is the only outfield player at this World Cup to have played every single minute for his national team AND, at the same time, not missed a single second in the domestic league during the recently concluded club season (only Europe’s top seven leagues were taken into account).
Whether in the gruelling Premier League wearing the Liverpool FC shirt or as the emotional and tactical anchor of the Oranje on the biggest stage in the world, the 34-year-old simply does not do breaks. Neither muscle issues, tactical substitutions, nor the threat of a second yellow could disrupt his rhythm.
Listen to OneFootball’s World Cup Morning Briefing now! Click here to go straight to the podcast
While other superstars are wrapped in cotton wool or need to be rested as a tournament goes on, Van Dijk remains the personification of consistency at centre-back.

England midfielder Declan Rice played a key role as England claimed a 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opening Group L game.
Rice bagged an ***** ist after delivering a stellar corner-kick that Harry Kane converted with precision.
The ***** nal star recorded 52 touches, played four key passes, won 2/4 duels, recovered the ball four times, and made two progressive carries.
However, England boss Thomas Tuchel brought off the 27-year-old in the 72nd minute as he looked a bit in discomfort.
Fans will be worried about Rice’s fitness as he has endured an extended/gruelling campaign with the Gunners.