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Alexander Zverev at the microphone during the Wimbledon 2026 final ceremony, with Jannik Sinner holding the trophy on the left
Sports 30 October 2026

Alexander Zverev is the new world No. 1 (and only the second German ever to get there)

Zverev beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 in Vienna to lock up top spot when the ATP rankings update on Monday 2 November. At 29 he becomes the 30th No. 1 in history and only the second German, after Boris Becker in 1991.

Alexander Zverev will be world No. 1 on Monday. The German beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 in the second round in Vienna on Thursday, and reaching the quarter-finals was enough to guarantee that he replaces Jannik Sinner when the rankings update on 2 November, the ATP has confirmed.

It has been a long time coming. Zverev spent years among the very best in the men’s game without ever reaching the summit. At 29 years and six months, he is the second-oldest man to reach No. 1 for the first time. Only John Newcombe, who was 30 in 1974, got there later.

The year it finally clicked

The difference in 2026 is that he won the majors that had always slipped away. Zverev took Roland Garros and the US Open (the same US Open where Portugal was quickly down to Jaime Faria), reached the Wimbledon final, where Sinner beat him, and made the semi-finals in Melbourne.

The ATP’s own numbers show how relentless he has been. He is 64-16 for the season, and Thursday’s win was his 13th quarter-final of the year, more than anyone else on tour. Against Griekspoor he hit 11 aces and won 35 of 39 points behind his first serve.

Sinner, who had been No. 1 since 13 April, and Carlos Alcaraz both lost big chunks of the season to injury, which opened the door. Zverev had already wrapped up the year-end No. 1 spot as well.

Member number 30

He becomes the 30th member of the ATP’s No. 1 club and the first newcomer since Sinner himself in June 2024. Germany’s only previous No. 1 was Boris Becker, who got there on 28 January 1991.

“To have the feeling to be on the top of the world is amazing,” he said in Vienna. Next up is Britain’s Arthur Fery, who knocked out Lorenzo Musetti, in the quarter-finals.

By Vasco Almada

Image: Daniel Cooper / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Dodi Lukébakio in a red and white Benfica training top, smiling beside the team bus
Sports 30 October 2026

Benfica 4-1 Gil Vicente: Lukébakio double sets up a League Cup semi with Porto

In the Taça da Liga quarter-final at the Luz, Benfica scored through Lukébakio (36' and 54'), Sudakov (40') and Jhon Durán (81'), with Andreas Lausen replying for Gil Vicente. The final four is in Leiria in early January: Benfica v Porto and Sporting v Famalicão.

Benfica beat Gil Vicente 4-1 at the Estádio da Luz on Thursday night to complete the four-team line-up for the Taça da Liga, Portugal's League Cup. Their semi-final opponent is Porto. Dodi Lukébakio did most of the damage. He opened the scoring on 36 minutes and Sudakov made it 2-0 four minutes later. The Belgian struck again on 54, Andreas Lausen pulled one back for Gil Vicente almost straight away, and Jhon Durán wrapped it up on 81.

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Milwaukee Brewers captain Christian Yelich, number 22, at the plate during a 2024 game
Sports 29 October 2026

Milwaukee Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 to win their first World Series

Milwaukee won Game 5 4-1 at Tropicana Field to take the series 4-1. It is the first title in the franchise’s 57 seasons in Milwaukee and the city’s first since the 1957 Braves.

The Milwaukee Brewers are baseball champions for the first time. On Wednesday night they beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 of the World Series at Tropicana Field, closing out the series four games to one. It has been a long wait. The franchise began in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, moved to Milwaukee a year later and had reached exactly one World Series before this, losing it in 1982. The last time the city celebrated a baseball title was with the 1957…

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The home fans' entrance at Fleetwood Town, with the club's name and crest on the stand
Sports 28 October 2026

A fourth-tier side just knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup

Fleetwood Town, 18th in League Two, drew 1-1 with Arsenal at Highbury Stadium and won the shoot-out 5-3. Loupalo-Bi scored, Gyökeres equalised, Dowman was sent off and goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimarães's penalty.

Fleetwood Town, 18th in League Two, have knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup. The fourth-round tie at the little Highbury Stadium on the Lancashire coast finished 1-1 on Tuesday night, and Fleetwood won the shoot-out 5-3. It takes the Cods into the League Cup quarter-finals for the first time in the club's history. It started oddly. A drone hovering over the ground stopped play and both teams were taken off. Once they came back, Fleetwood grew into it,…

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Harry Kane in England's red shirt runs with the ball against Panama at the 2026 World Cup
Sports 27 October 2026

Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or after a 73-goal season

The Bayern Munich and England striker beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal at London's Palladium. He is the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. Vitinha, third last year, was the best Portuguese in 14th.

Harry Kane has won the Ballon d'Or. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker and England captain collected the award at the Palladium in London on Monday night, ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. The Bundesliga confirmed the win with a stat that puts it in context. He is the first player from a German club to take it since Matthias Sammer in 1996. He is also the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001.

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Chart of LaLiga points after matchday 10: Barcelona 27, Atlético Madrid 25, Real Madrid 24
Sports 26 October 2026

Mbappé scores twice, the second his 100th for Real Madrid. Barcelona's perfect start is over

Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid on LaLiga matchday 10: Mbappé on 41 and 88 minutes, Raphinha in between. Barcelona lost for the first time this league season and the top three now sit within three points.

Barcelona went into the Clásico with nine wins from nine. They came out of it with their first league defeat of the season. José Mourinho's Real Madrid won 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday night, and both goals were Kylian Mbappé's, the second two minutes from time. The opener had luck in it. On 41 minutes a Gerard Martín clearance struck Mbappé and went in off his thigh. Barcelona pushed after the break and Raphinha equalised just past the hour, at a point when…

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Chart of Liga Portugal points after matchday 9: FC Porto 27, Benfica 19, Sporting 18, Santa Clara 18, Arouca 17, Académico de Viseu 17
Sports 26 October 2026

Newly promoted Académico de Viseu win at Alvalade. Sporting are now nine points behind Porto

João Guilherme scored on 24 and 74 minutes, Luis Suárez equalised on 62. It was Sporting's first league defeat, days after losing at home to LASK in the Champions League, and Académico's fifth league win in a row.

Académico de Viseu only came back up to the top flight this season. On matchday nine they went to Alvalade and won. Sporting lost 2-1 on Sunday night, their first league defeat of the campaign, and now trail FC Porto by nine points. The night belonged to João Guilherme. He scored on 24 minutes and, after Luis Suárez levelled on 62, scored again on 74. Sporting had more than a quarter of an hour to answer and could not find one. At the final whistle there…

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Bruno Fernandes in Manchester United's number 18 shirt waiting for a corner in front of goal at Old Trafford, with teammates and Newcastle players around him
Sports 25 October 2026

Man United 0-3 Bournemouth on the day Carrick benched his captain

Four days after Bruno Fernandes questioned the tactics in a 4-1 loss at Como, Michael Carrick left him out of the XI and never brought him on. Rayan, Tavernier and Evanilson scored, and United sit 16th with one win in eight league games.

Manchester United lost 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, in the game Michael Carrick chose to start without his captain. Bruno Fernandes sat on the bench for the full 90 minutes. The call had been the talk of the morning. After Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como, Fernandes told TV that the decision not to press man-to-man had handed the hosts too much space, and that the blame sat with the manager and his staff rather than the…

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Real Madrid players in white and Barcelona players in claret and blue lined up side by side with mascots before the 2025 Copa del Rey final
Sports 25 October 2026

Courtois down with flu as Real Madrid head to Camp Nou six points behind Barcelona

Real Madrid confirmed on Sunday morning that Thibaut Courtois will miss El Clásico with flu symptoms, calling up Illia Voloshyn. Barcelona go into the 8pm (Lisbon time) kick-off on 27 points from nine straight wins, six clear of José Mourinho's side, who are also without the suspended Vinícius.

Thibaut Courtois will not be in Real Madrid's goal for tonight's Clásico. The club confirmed a last-minute absence on Sunday morning, saying the Belgian had woken up with flu symptoms, and called up Ukrainian keeper Illia Voloshyn to make up the numbers. Andriy Lunin is expected to start in Barcelona. Courtois was still on the official Real Madrid squad list for El Clásico published on Saturday, alongside Lunin and Mestre. Twelve hours later, it had…

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Borja Sainz seen from behind, his name and number 17 on FC Porto's white shirt, during a European match
Sports 25 October 2026

Porto make it nine from nine in Barcelos, their best league start since 1939/40

FC Porto beat Gil Vicente 1-0 in Barcelos on matchday 9 of the Primeira Liga, Borja Sainz scoring on 64 minutes after coming into the side when Oskar Pietuszewski was hurt in the warm-up. Porto lead Benfica by eight points, with Benfica a game in hand.

Borja Sainz was not in the side Francesco Farioli picked for Barcelos. Oskar Pietuszewski felt his left thigh in the warm-up, the Spaniard took his place, and on 64 minutes he scored the only goal of Gil Vicente v FC Porto. Porto won 1-0 and still have not dropped a league point this season. Porto had the better of a goalless first half. Sainz had the first real chance on the break, and Jan Bednarek forced Lucão into a save with a header on 44 minutes.…

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Gardner Straight at the Phillip Island circuit, with the control tower and the coastline behind
Sports 25 October 2026

No medical helicopter, no race, so Phillip Island's last MotoGP never started

Rain and poor visibility grounded the medical helicopter at Phillip Island on Sunday, and the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 races were all cancelled. Marc Márquez keeps a 10-point lead over Jorge Martín, who broke his wrist in Saturday's sprint. Portimão is the penultimate round.

The last MotoGP race at Phillip Island never got going. Organisers called off Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, along with the Moto2 and Moto3 races, because rain and low visibility meant the medical helicopter could not fly. At a circuit this remote, the helicopter is not a detail. The nearest hospital is more than 45 minutes away by road, and without air evacuation there is no racing. The start was set for 2pm local time and kept slipping while everyone…

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Vitória SC head coach Tiago Margarido in the club's press room in Guimarães
Sports 24 October 2026

Vitória SC thrash Marítimo 5-0 to end a five-game wait for a league win

Opening matchday 9 of the Primeira Liga in Guimarães, Vitória SC beat Marítimo 5-0 with two from Arnel Jakupovic (38' and 76'), a Paulo Henrique own goal (48'), Oumar Camara (60') and Yeimar Mosquera in stoppage time. Lucas Furtado kept a clean sheet on his league debut in goal.

Vitória SC beat Marítimo 5-0 in Guimarães on Friday night, in the game that opened matchday 9 of the Primeira Liga. Vitória had gone five league games without a win, and this one came with plenty to spare. The first half was hard going. The opener only arrived in the 38th minute, from an Arnel Jakupovic direct free kick. After the break it was a different evening: Paulo Henrique turned the ball into his own net on 48 minutes, Oumar Camara made it three on…

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Tugadaily chart: goals scored by the five teams on 9 points after three Europa League matchdays, with Benfica top on 10
Sports 23 October 2026

Omonia 1-4 Benfica sends the Eagles top of the Europa League, while Torreense lose by the same score in Budapest

On matchday three of the league phase, Benfica won in Nicosia through Pavlidis, Aursnes, Prestianni and a Négo own goal, and lead on 9 points with a 10-2 goal record, ahead of Leverkusen on goals scored. Torreense lost 4-1 at Ferencváros and sit 28th on 3 points.

Benfica beat Omonia 4-1 in Nicosia on Thursday night and moved to the top of the Europa League league phase, three wins from three. Their opener, on 14 minutes, came without a Benfica player getting the final touch. Aursnes crossed, Echeverri's header was deflected, and defender Loïc Négo turned it into his own net. Omonia levelled on 42 through Andronikos Kakoullis, and it was 1-1 at the break.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing the captain's armband and Portugal's white kit, walks across the pitch during a 2025 qualifier in Yerevan
Sports 29 September 2026

Ronaldo, Félix and Conceição miss Portugal training in Malmö two days before Denmark

The FPF says Ronaldo did specific gym work at the team hotel because the stadium lacked the equipment. Denmark v Portugal is Thursday at 19:45 Lisbon time at Parken, live on RTP1 and Sport TV 1.

Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix and Francisco Conceição did not train with the group on Tuesday in Malmö, Sweden, two days before the game against Denmark. Portugal play in Copenhagen on Thursday at 19:45 Lisbon time, and the match page is on UEFA's site. Ronaldo walked out onto the pitch and stood by the substitutes' bench before the session began, then went to the dressing room and back to the hotel. He did not appear in the 15 minutes open to the press.…

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João Félix, wearing number 11 in Portugal's white kit, shields the ball from an Armenian defender in red during a 2025 match in Yerevan
Sports 29 September 2026

Portugal beat Norway in Oslo with goals from Félix and Ramos

Félix opened the scoring, Haaland levelled from a loose ball after a free kick, and Gonçalo Ramos won it by chipping Nyland. Portugal lead Group A4 on six points and head to Copenhagen.

Portugal won 2-1 in Oslo and now sit alone at the top of Nations League Group A4 with six points from two games. The result is on UEFA's official match page; what the scoreline doesn't tell you is that Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, watched the whole thing from the bench. Jorge Jesus made four changes to the side that beat Wales. Gonçalo Ramos, João Neves, Francisco Conceição and João Palhinha started, and Ronaldo stayed on the bench for all 90 minutes.…

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