Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
Rayan's 95th-Minute Header Denies Australia a Famous Win Over Brazil
Brazil were denied a first win over Australia in nearly three decades, with substitute Rayan heading a stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw in Townsville after Nestory Irankunda's stunning free-kick had the Socceroos on the brink of a famous victory. Both sides created chances in a goalless first half, with Brazil's Estevao seeing an early effort ruled out by VAR for a foul in the build-up. Australia broke the deadlock midway through the second half when Irankunda curled a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner, only the second goal Australia have ever scored against Brazil. The Socceroos held out deep into stoppage time before Rayan rose to head home a Raphinha corner in the 95th minute. The result marked the first match for either side since being eliminated from the 2026 World Cup, with Carlo Ancelotti beginning a new four-year cycle for Brazil and Tony Popovic continuing to build his Australia squad. The two sides meet again in Brisbane on September 29, with the Socceroos still chasing what would be just their second ever win over the five-time world champions.
Manush Shah and Diya Chitale Win Bronze in Table Tennis Mixed Doubles
Manush Shah and Diya Chitale won India's second-ever Asian Games medal in table tennis mixed doubles, claiming bronze at Sky Hall Toyota after a semi-final defeat to China. The Indian pair, ranked eighth in the world, went down 8-11, 5-11, 8-11, 2-11 to China's Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha . There is no bronze medal playoff in the event, so their semi-final finish guaranteed them the podium spot regardless of the result. Shah and Chitale had earlier pulled off the day's biggest upset, beating Hong Kong's world No. 4 pair Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem 3-1 in the quarter-finals to confirm the medal. It is only India's second Asian Games medal in the event, following Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra's bronze at Jakarta 2018.
Rohit Paudel and Sundeep Jora Guide Nepal to Five-Wicket Win Over Afghanistan at Asian Games
Nepal beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets in the 4th Match of Group A at the 2026 Asian Games, chasing down 103 with 16 balls to spare at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Put in to bat, Afghanistan lost both openers cheaply before Faisal Shinozada and Najibullah Zadran both made 30 to rebuild the innings. Nangeyalia Kharoti chipped in with an unbeaten 17 late on to push the total to 102 for 7. Kushal Bhurtel was the pick of the Nepal bowlers with figures of 4 for 21 , and Lalit Rajbanshi backed him up with 3 for 13 . Nepal's chase also stumbled early, losing two wickets inside the powerplay. Sundeep Jora steadied things with 34 off 35 balls before a run-out ended his innings, and a second run-out accounted for Kushal Malla . That brought captain Dipendra Singh Airee and Rohit Paudel together with 47 still needed. The pair added the bulk of the remaining runs before Airee fell in sight of victory, but Paudel saw Nepal home unbeaten on 33 . The result gives Nepal 2 points from their opening game and hands Afghanistan their first defeat of the tournament after beating Japan in the opener. Both sides return to action at Korogi Sports Park as the group stage continues.
China Top Women's Water Polo Standings for Asian Games Gold, Japan Take Silver
China topped the women's water polo standings at the Asian Games to win gold, with Japan taking silver and Thailand claiming bronze. The women's tournament was contested as a six-team round-robin among China, Japan, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Uzbekistan, with the final standings deciding the medals rather than a single knockout final. China extended a run of Asian Games women's water polo golds that stretches back over a decade, with Japan again finishing as the closest challengers.
Suruchi-Kamaljeet Smash Asian Record for India's First Shooting Gold at Asian Games 2026
India's Suruchi Inder Singh and Kamaljeet won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games, breaking the Asian record with a score of 484.6 to claim the country's first shooting gold and second gold overall at the Games. The Indian pair led throughout the final, holding off South Korea's Choo Gaeun and Hong Suhyeon, who took silver with 478.0. Iran's Haniyeh Rostamyan and Vahid Golkhandan won bronze with 415.8. The winning score bettered the previous Asian record of 481.3, set by Uzbekistan's pair in February. India added another medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team event on the same day, with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar , Rudrankksh Patil and Niraj Kumar taking silver behind China. Shooting has been India's strongest discipline at Aichi-Nagoya so far, with medals across rifle, pistol and shotgun events in the tournament's opening week.
Ayush Shukla's Three-Wicket Burst Sends Hong Kong Past Oman by 41 Runs at Asian Games
Hong Kong, China beat Oman by 41 runs in the 3rd Match of Group B at the 2026 Asian Games, bowling out a chase of 122 to 80 for 6 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Put in to bat, Hong Kong lost early wickets but Hafeez Khan steadied the innings with 33 off 37 balls. Babar Hayat chipped in with 23, and a late cameo of 16 off 10 balls from Ehsan Khan helped push the total to 121 for 8. Mohammed Al Balushi was the pick of the Oman bowlers with figures of 3 for 17 . Oman never got the chase going. Ayush Shukla struck twice inside the first four overs and finished with 3 for 23 , while Mohammad Ghazanfar chipped in with two wickets as Oman slid to 46 for 6. Captain Sufyan Mehmood fought on with an unbeaten 26, and Abdul Jalil stayed with him for an unbroken stand, but the required rate had already run away and Oman closed on 80 for 6. The win takes Hong Kong to two wins from two games in Group B, having also beaten Malaysia in their opener. Oman will look to regroup as the group stage continues at Korogi Sports Park.
Seema Kumari Ends India's 16-Year Wait for a 10,000m Medal With Asian Games Bronze
India's Seema Kumari won bronze in the women's 10,000m at the Asian Games, clocking 32:50.05 to end a 16-year wait for an Indian medal in the event. Winfred Yavi of Bahrain took gold in 32:39.18 after a sprint finish with Japan's Nozomi Tanaka, who claimed silver in 32:41.54. Seema stayed in contention through the closing stages before pulling clear of the chasing pack to secure the podium spot. India added another medal in the women's triple jump, where Sharifa Davronova of Uzbekistan won gold with a personal-best 14.35m. India's Asha Ilango narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth with a best effort of 13.83m that tied China's bronze medallist Li Yi, before losing out on countback. In the mixed 4x400m relay, India's quartet of Mohammed Ajmal, Vithya Ramaraj, Rajesh Ramesh and Subha Venkatesh claimed silver behind Bahrain, continuing a strong day for the country's athletics team at Aichi-Nagoya.
Indonesia Stage 0-2 Comeback to Stun China for First Badminton Team Gold Since 1998
Indonesia won their first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, rallying from 0-2 down to beat China 3-2 in the men's team badminton final and claim their first title in the event since 1998. The tie was settled by men's singles player Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah , who won the decisive fifth match 23-21, 21-13 against China's Weng Hongyang. "We were down 0-2 at first, but I tried not to let negative thoughts get to me," Ubaidillah said afterward. "I kept reassuring myself to stay calm on the court, and the coach also gave me confidence." The result denied China a clean sweep of the badminton team titles, after the country's women had beaten Japan 3-0 to win gold the same day. Indonesia's women had earlier settled for bronze, losing 0-3 to China in the semi-finals. The individual badminton events run from September 25 to 29.
Japan Stun China to End Nine-Title Streak, Win First Table Tennis Team Gold Since 1966
Japan's men's table tennis team pulled off a stunning upset at the Asian Games, beating China 3-2 to win gold in front of a home crowd at Sky Hall Toyota, ending China's bid for a ninth consecutive title in the event and claiming Japan's first gold in it since 1966. With the tie level at 2-2, 19-year-old Sora Matsushima won the decisive fifth match, beating Wen Ruibo 3-1. Earlier, Tomokazu Harimoto had levelled the score at 2-2 by sweeping Wang Chuqin 3-0, after Wang had earlier laboured to a 3-2 win over Matsushima in the opening tie. China had cause for celebration later in the day, however, as their women's team swept Japan 3-0 to claim the women's team title, with Sun Yingsha , Wang Manyu and Kuai Man all winning their matches.
Douvikas' Stoppage-Time Header Completes Greece Comeback Over Serbia
Greece came from behind to beat Serbia 2-1 in Belgrade, with substitute Tasos Douvikas heading in a stoppage-time winner in a dramatic finish to their Nations League opener. Serbia took a fourth-minute lead through Andrija Zivkovic , set up by returning veteran Dusan Tadic. Greece dominated for long spells and levelled through Christos Tzolis in the 74th minute, before Douvikas struck at the death, meeting a Kostas Tsimikas cross to complete the turnaround, not long after Sasa Lukic had hit the post for Serbia at the other end. The result gives Greece a perfect start to their Group A2 campaign, which also features the Netherlands and Germany. They travel to face Germany next on September 27.
Joao Felix's Deflected Strike Sinks Wales as Ronaldo Endures Frustrating Night
Joao Felix scored the only goal as Portugal beat Wales 1-0 in Lisbon to open their Nations League title defence, on a frustrating night in front of goal for Cristiano Ronaldo . Felix settled the contest in the 22nd minute, his low effort from 20 yards deflecting off Wales captain Ben Davies and past goalkeeper Danny Ward. Portugal dominated the game throughout, outshooting Wales 22 to 5, but could not add to their lead. Ronaldo endured a miserable evening, missing five of his seven attempts on target and having a second-half strike ruled out by VAR for offside, denying him what would have been his 147th international goal. The result marked a winning start for new head coach Jorge Jesus, who took charge for the first time, while Ronaldo won his 234th cap for his country. Portugal, who beat Spain in the final to win their second Nations League title back in June, travel to face Norway in their next Group A4 fixture on September 27.
Haaland Brace Ends Norway's 28-Year Wait for a Win Over Denmark
Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Denmark 3-2 in Oslo, ending a 28-year winless run against their Scandinavian rivals and pushing Haaland past a major international scoring landmark in the process. Oscar Bobb opened the scoring in the 14th minute, curling home a finish from a Martin Odegaard pass. Haaland doubled the lead four minutes later, squeezing a low finish through the goalkeeper's legs after a through ball from Antonio Nusa. Denmark hit back through Mikkel Damsgaard's free-kick in the 25th minute and Rasmus Hojlund's equaliser on the hour mark, before Haaland restored Norway's lead in the 74th minute from a worked corner routine. Norway held on despite finishing the match with ten men after David Moller Wolfe was sent off for a second yellow card in stoppage time. The brace took Haaland to 63 international goals in just 56 caps, moving him ahead of Ronaldo Nazario and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who both retired on 62. He also now has 21 goals in 17 Nations League appearances, making him the competition's all-time top scorer since its introduction in 2018. The win continues Haaland's red-hot form since a seven-goal showing at this summer's World Cup, and comes after Denmark had beaten Norway in their most recent meeting, a 2024 friendly.
Gakpo's Stoppage-Time Volley Denies Klopp a Winning Germany Debut
Cody Gakpo struck a stoppage-time volley to earn the Netherlands a 1-1 draw against Germany at the Johan Cruyff Arena, denying Jurgen Klopp victory on his debut as Germany head coach. Germany took the lead in bizarre circumstances in the 32nd minute. Play continued after Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey went down with what looked like a hamstring injury, and Felix Nmecha bundled the ball in from close range moments later. It came after Virgil van Dijk had a header ruled out by VAR earlier in the half for a Brobbey foul on the goalkeeper. Germany's Kai Havertz also went off injured before half-time, meaning both sides lost a key forward to fitness issues on the night. The Netherlands pushed for an equaliser throughout the second half, with substitute Mexx Meerdink twice going close, before Gakpo finally found the breakthrough deep into stoppage time, rifling home a Ruben van Bommel cross on the volley. The result means both new head coaches, Klopp and Xavi Hernandez, began their tenures unbeaten. Netherlands and Germany next play Malta and Slovakia respectively on matchday two.
Kusal Mendis Century Leads Sri Lanka to 16-Run Win, Levels Series With England
Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs at Headingley to level their three-match ODI series 1-1, with captain Kusal Mendis hitting a superb century and Dunith Wellalage starring with the ball. Mendis won the toss and made 121 off 100 balls , his seventh ODI century, striking 14 fours and three sixes to lift Sri Lanka to 321 for 6. Kamindu Mendis supported with 54 as the tourists posted their biggest total of a tour that had otherwise been dominated by England. England were cruising in the chase after Tom Banton (73) and Ben Duckett (67) put on 143 for the first wicket, before Wellalage struck twice in quick succession to remove both openers and captain Harry Brook, finishing with figures of 3 for 49 . Jos Buttler then threatened to win it single-handedly with 69, but had to leave the field with a hamstring injury while going well on 254 for 4, and although he returned to bat later, England fell short on 305 for 9. The result sets up a decider at The Oval on Sunday, with Buttler's fitness for the finale now in doubt.
Mumbai Indians Appoint Luke Williams as WPL Head Coach
Mumbai Indians have appointed Luke Williams as their new WPL head coach ahead of the 2027 season, replacing Lisa Keightley , who has moved on to become Cricket Australia's national development lead. Williams arrives with a strong pedigree in women's franchise cricket. He led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden WPL title in 2024 and stayed on for the following season, before stepping away to focus on his commitments with Adelaide Strikers, whom he guided to back-to-back WBBL titles in 2022 and 2023. He was also assistant coach when Southern Brave won the Hundred in 2023. "I'm really excited to be joining Mumbai Indians, a respected and successful organisation," Williams said in a statement. Keightley will continue as head coach of Sydney Thunder in the WBBL. Williams' immediate task is finalising Mumbai's retentions ahead of the September 28 deadline, with the WPL 2027 mini-auction set for October 28 in Kochi.
Chelsea's Mike Penders a Doubt for Belgium After Quadriceps Injury
Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders is a doubt for Belgium's Nations League fixtures after picking up a quadriceps injury in training, ruling him out of Friday's clash with Italy. The 21-year-old had been in contention for a first senior cap after Thibaut Courtois stepped away from the squad following talks with new head coach Mark van Bommel , opening up competition for the starting spot alongside Manchester United's Senne Lammens and RB Leipzig's Maarten Vandevoordt. Penders has instead stayed behind at Belgium's training base in Tubize alongside Leandro Trossard, who is nursing a heel injury. Belgium's federation has not confirmed the injury or given a timeline, leaving Penders' involvement in the following fixture against France also in doubt. He has made just two appearances for Chelsea this season, both in the Carabao Cup, and was an unused backup for Belgium at this summer's World Cup.
Ireland Call Up Killian Phillips After Losing McGrath and Vale to Injury
Republic of Ireland have called up St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips after losing Jamie McGrath and Harvey Vale to injuries picked up on club duty over the weekend. McGrath and Vale both pulled up during their warm-ups ahead of matches for Hibernian and Queens Park Rangers respectively, ruling them out of the upcoming Nations League window. Phillips, who recently returned from his own shin injury, links up with the squad in Dublin before the team travels to Pristina to face Kosovo on Thursday. Ireland then head to Debrecen in Hungary to face Israel on neutral ground, before a home clash with Austria at the Aviva Stadium. Dara O'Shea is set to captain the side in the absence of Nathan Collins and Seamus Coleman.
Zidane's France Era Begins as Nations League 2026/27 Kicks Off
The UEFA Nations League 2026/27 season kicks off this week, with Netherlands vs Germany, Portugal vs Wales, Norway vs Denmark and Kosovo vs Republic of Ireland played on Thursday, followed by Zinedine Zidane taking charge of France for the first time away to Turkey on Friday. Zidane takes over from Didier Deschamps, who spent 14 years in charge and led France to World Cup glory in 2018. His first assignment comes away in Turkey, before home and away fixtures with Belgium and a home game against Italy at the Stade de France on October 2 that will be his first match in charge on French soil. In League A, Germany travel to face the Netherlands , and reigning champions Portugal host Wales alongside Norway vs Denmark in Group A4. In League B, the Republic of Ireland open their campaign away to Kosovo in Pristina. The league phase runs through six matchdays into November, determining seeding for the playoffs and quarter-finals next spring, ahead of the finals in June 2027.
Real Madrid Confirm Ligament Injury for Ibrahima Konate
Real Madrid have confirmed Ibrahima Konate has been diagnosed with a collateral ligament injury in his right leg, picked up while on international duty with France, with no recovery timeframe given yet. The centre-back was forced to withdraw from France's squad ahead of their Nations League opener against Turkey, and has been replaced by Manchester United's Leny Yoro. Konate had made a strong start to life in Spain since his free transfer from Liverpool this summer, starting all seven matches he has featured in across all competitions. Spanish outlet Sport reports the injury may not be as severe as first feared, suggesting Konate could return in as little as two weeks in time for the La Liga clash with Villarreal on October 10. Mundo Deportivo have struck a more cautious tone, warning his return could be managed more conservatively. He is the second Real Madrid player sidelined during this international break, after Federico Valverde.
Siobhan Haughey Completes Sprint Freestyle Double at Asian Games
Siobhan Haughey completed a dominant sprint freestyle double at the Asian Games 2026, defending her women's 100m freestyle title in Nagoya a day after winning the 200m freestyle, taking her personal medal haul at the Games to three. Haughey led from start to finish in the 100m final, touching in 52.45 seconds , 0.76 seconds clear of China's Yu Yiting . It came a day after she won the 200m freestyle gold at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, the same pool where she won two Olympic silvers in 2021. She also has a silver from the women's 4x100m freestyle relay at these Games. The two individual titles are successful defences of the golds she won in both events at Hangzhou 2022. Haughey called competing in front of a full crowd particularly meaningful, since her parents could only watch her races on television during the pandemic-hit Tokyo Olympics at the same venue. Haughey was due to return to the pool on September 24 for the 50m freestyle, an event in which she won silver at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.
China Sweeps Inaugural Half Marathon Race Walk Golds at Asian Games
China swept both gold medals on offer in the inaugural half marathon race walk at the Asian Games 2026, with Shi Shengji and Yang Liujing winning the men's and women's titles as athletics competition got underway in Nagoya. Shi , still a teenager, delivered the biggest shock of the morning. He moved clear of Japan's Toshikazu Yamanishi , the reigning 20km world record holder, by the 10km mark and went on to win by more than four minutes in 1:23:32. Yamanishi settled for silver in 1:28:01, with South Korea's Choe Byeongkwang taking bronze in 1:28:35. In the women's race, China's Yang Liujing and teammate Jiang Yunyan led from the gun, working together to control the pace. Yang held her nerve after Jiang picked up a penalty late on, crossing the line first in 1:33:40 for her maiden Asian Games gold. Kazakhstan's Kristina Morozova passed Jiang in the closing stages to take silver in 1:35:25, with Jiang settling for bronze just one second further back. The half marathon, run over 21.0975km, replaced the 20km walk on the Asian Games program this year after World Athletics standardised senior road race-walking distances. The athletics program continues in Nagoya through September 29.
Breetzke Century and Maharaj Spell Power South Africa to 67-Run Win Over Australia
South Africa made a dominant start to their ODI series against Australia , winning the first match by 67 runs at Kingsmead in Durban, powered by a superb century from Matthew Breetzke and a career-best spell from Keshav Maharaj . South Africa recovered from early setbacks, losing Tony de Zorzi and Quinton de Kock cheaply inside the first eight overs, before Breetzke anchored the innings with a superb 112 off 106 balls, his second ODI century and first against Australia. The real acceleration came when Marco Jansen joined him at 168 for 5, the pair adding 107 runs in just 14 overs as Jansen blazed 75 off 59 balls. South Africa closed on 297 for 8, their second-highest total against Australia at Durban. Australia appeared to be cruising in reply, with Mitchell Marsh striking a rapid 54 to help the tourists reach 90 without loss inside the powerplay. But the chase fell apart dramatically once Marsh departed, with Maharaj (4 for 20) and Bjorn Fortuin (2 for 34) triggering a collapse of 9 wickets for 140 runs. Australia were bowled out for 230 in 41.2 overs, with Adam Zampa's dismissal off a top-edged slog sweep, caught superbly by Breetzke running in from the deep, sealing the win. Breetzke capped a memorable day by adding three catches in the field to his century, earning him the Player of the Match award, while Jansen also took four catches. The result gives South Africa a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second ODI to follow shortly.
Zhiwei Deng Wins Single Sculls Gold as Balraj Panwar Finishes Fourth
Zhiwei Deng of China won gold in the men's single sculls at the Asian Games 2026, while India's Balraj Panwar narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course. Deng clocked 6:38.98 to take gold, with Uzbekistan's Shakhboz Kholmurzaev claiming silver in 6:41.83 and Japan's Tatsuya Sakurama taking bronze in 6:46.78. Panwar was in the silver medal position at the halfway mark and held second place through the 1,500m checkpoint, but was overtaken by both Kholmurzaev and Sakurama in the final 500m, finishing in 6:54.80, just under 16 seconds behind the gold medallist. India's last Asian Games medal in the men's single sculls came at Incheon 2014, when Sawarn Singh won bronze; Bajrang Lal Thakkar remains the only Indian to win gold in the event, at Guangzhou 2010.
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan Win India's First Men's Double Sculls Medal
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won India's first-ever Asian Games medal in the men's double sculls, claiming bronze at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Gifu. The Indian duo clocked 6:13.25, finishing behind China's Xudi Yi and Yide Nie , who took gold in 6:09.77, and Uzbekistan's Pavel Sorin and Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov , who claimed silver in 6:10.49. India held second place with 500m to go before being overtaken in the closing stages and settling for bronze. It is Satnam's second Asian Games medal, having previously won bronze in the men's quadruple sculls at Hangzhou 2023, while it is Salman's first. The pair had initially been part of India's quadruple sculls crew before being moved into the double sculls combination ahead of the Games.