Sports

Paraguay star Diego Gómez says he feared the worst with World Cup injury scare

Published

3 months ago

May 11, 2026

Paraguay international and Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Diego Gómez revealed he feared the worst after he landed awkwardly on his left knee during a 2-2 draw against Tottenham on April 18. Speaking to DSports on Monday, Gómez said he is not quite fully fit but he is now focused on representing his country at the World Cup this summer.

“I thought the worst, but thankfully it was not a serious injury,” he said. “Now I’m recovering and thinking about being 100 percent fit for the World Cup. When the injury occurred my first thought was the World Cup. I thought that I was going to miss the World Cup.”

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler told reporters two days after the match against Tottenham that Gómez that a scan on the player’s knee showed that the injury “had not been that bad.”

“We have to go week to week,” Hurzeler said at the time. “It’s not an injury that will take him out for months. It is something with his knee.”

Gómez told DSports that if he’s fully fit, he’d like to play in Brighton’s final Premier League match against Manchester United on March 27; however, he added that there would be no point in featuring that day if he’s at risk of an injury.

“Honestly I feel really good right now,” Gómez said. “Hopefully I can play and I’m thinking about that last game if I’m fully fit, but I’m not going to risk anything at this point. But the goal is to play that game.”

Gómez, 23, is expected to be among Paraguay’s standout players this summer. As a box-to-box midfielder who also has a nose for goal, Gómez will be a player that Group D opponents will have to game plan around. His fitness scare comes at a time when all four nations in the group are sweating over some key names. The U.S. just lost Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso to an ankle injury, while Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Tanner Tessmann have all missed recent matches for their clubs. Turkey’s Arda Güler and Hakan Çalhanoğlu have been warding off muscle injuries, and Australia has concern over the availability of MLS-based midfielders Patrick Yazbek and Aiden O’Neill.

As for Gómez’s Paraguay, it will be the first opponent for the cohosts U.S., when they meet on June 12 at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles. Gómez believes that Paraguay is at the same level as South American World Cup participants Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Uruguay.

“We finished with the same points total as Colombia, Uruguay and Brazil,” Gómez said in reference to Conmebol 2026 World Cup qualifying. “We were always right there.” The former Inter Miami standout, though, had high praise for the U.S. side he’ll be facing.

“(The U.S.) is a great team and that will be a huge first match for us,” he said. “It’s against the tournament hosts. They’ll be at home. It’ll be a great game and it’s a great group, a difficult group that we’re in. We hope it works out for us in the best possible way. It’s an even group. All three teams could lose or win (against each other). All three games are going to be very difficult. We’re going to leave everything on the pitch. Our mentality is to go (to the World Cup) and make our country proud.”

In 2026, Gómez scored 10 goals for Brighton in all competitions. He became just the third Paraguayan player to score five or more goals in a single Premier League season. Roque Santa Cruz (19 goals in 2007-08 for Blackburn Rovers) and Miguel Almirón (11 goals in 2022-23 for Newcastle United) had previously set that standard.

Sports

Shergar Cup: Ryan Moore helps Great Britain and Ireland to Ascot crown | Racing News

Published

1 minute ago

August 9, 2026

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Ryan Moore bagged a Shergar Cup double on his return to the competition following a 20-year absence to help his Great Britain and Ireland team win the team event while he was also crowned leading rider over the six races.

Winner of the Silver Saddle on his last appearance at the team-based meeting in 2006, Moore has usually been required to ride on a Group One card in Ireland.

But with that meeting put back 24 hours he was free to attend and delighted the Ascot crowd.

Team Great Britain and Ireland topped the standings on 81 points from Team Hong Kong in second on 62, with Moore’s individual haul of 47 enough to take the Silver Saddle.

He first struck on Dylan Cunha’s Asgard’s Captain (13-2) who stuck to his task gamely to win the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge by a length and a quarter from Yutake Take on Sportingsilvermine for the Rest of the World.

Moore said: “Dylan did say he could be a little bit lazy, but he has an uncomplicated attitude and to just help him through it and it was straightforward, really.

“It’s great to get Dylan a winner here today and the owners will be delighted as they were all looking forward to it, so it’s a good job the horse has performed today.”

In the penultimate Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic, he gave Marco Botti’s Archers Bay (5-2) a textbook ride coming home three-and-a-quarter lengths clear of Christophe Lemaire on King Of Berkshire for Team Europe.

Having run in the Italian Derby earlier in the season, he looked the class act and so it proved.

In the closing Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile, Moore finished third on Ozat behind the Frida Valle Skar-ridden Crown Board (10-1), but her Team Europe were not in contention for top honours by then.

Saffie Osborne thrives in the team environment and got her name on the scoresheet when Tim Easterby’s Red Spells Danger justified 2-1 favouritism in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint.

Osborne was leading rider in the Racing League on three occasions and is captaining Moore and Dylan Browne McMonagle in Team Great Britain and Ireland.

She said: “I heard a few people knocking this horse today but I thought the track would really suit and it has. I’m just glad I pulled my finger out.

“Looking at the standard of jockeys here today, it’s amazing – look at our team with Ryan Moore and Ireland’s champion jockey.

“The win for me today is that I made Ryan laugh a couple of times, so I’m quite happy with that!”

Team Hong Kong had earlier set the pace winning the first two races.

Jerry Chau gave them the perfect start when partnering Tuco Salamanca to a clear-cut victory in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash.

Representing a team making its Shergar Cup debut, Chau, 26, gave Ollie Sangster’s four-year-old the perfect ride, taking a lead into the final furlong before a gap opened up seamlessly.

Tuco Salamanca (4-1) quickened impressively to beat Gold Star Hero, ridden by Chau’s team-mate Vincent Ho, by a length and a half.

Fandom and Suraj Narredu were third for the Rest of the World.

Chau told Sky Sports Racing: “It felt amazing when I hit the line.

“No words can describe riding a winner at Ascot. I grew up watching Ryan Moore on YouTube. I watched him as much as I could.”

Luke Ferraris did not have to wait long to play his part for Team Hong Kong as after an opening race one-two from his team-mates, he drove home Dancing In Paris to win the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers.

Riding the Ian Williams-trained 17-2 shot, Ferraris came with a late run to collar Moore on Andrew Balding’s Shrimp Shady to win by a length.

Mountain Road was third for Yutake Take and the Rest of the World.

Ferraris said: “That’s phenomenal, he’s a lot fitter than me! He was turned out in great order.

“He didn’t settle as good as he should have, but he still produced a great turn of foot.

“I think I’ve only ridden in one two-mile race in recent years, so it was a bit of a change.

“We’ve a good group of young riders representing Hong Kong, so let’s hope it continues.”

Sports

'There's no hiding'- IBF champ McKenna puts middleweight division on notice

Published

7 minutes ago

August 9, 2026

qasimgillani

'There's no hiding'- IBF champ McKenna puts middleweight division on notice

Sports

Carabao Cup: Burnley edge win on penalties, West Ham, Norwich & Watford through | Football News

Published

13 minutes ago

August 9, 2026

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Kyle Walker struck the winning penalty as Burnley edged out Notts County 4-3 in a shoot-out to reach the Carabao Cup second round after a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

Newly-promoted County, League Two play-off final winners over Salford in May, led through Callum Roberts at half-time before Zian Flemming equalised early in the second period for the Clarets.

Walker struck the winning penalty after Burnley goalkeeper Max Weiss had saved efforts from Notts pair Emile Acquah and Jacob Bedeau in the shoot-out.

West Ham came from behind to beat Portsmouth 3-1 at the London Stadium in their first match following relegation from the Premier League.

The Hammers fell behind to Adrian Segecic’s first-half opener, but turned it round before the break with Taty Castellanos and Jarrod Bowen on target, before the former notched his second in the second half.

Substitute Jamal Lowe struck the only goal as Sheffield Wednesday beat 10-man Bolton 1-0 at Hillsborough.

Lowe scored midway through the second half after Bolton’s Xavier Simons was sent off for punching Owls’ on-loan Leeds striker Harry Gray in retaliation having been pulled back.

Millwall goalkeeper Lukas Jensen saved all four of QPR’s penalties as the Lions won 2-0 in a shoot-out at Loftus Road after the game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.

Luke Cundle had given Millwall a second-half lead after a goalkeeper error before the Hoops hit back through a late own goal from Mark Sykes.

Norwich debutant Andre Brooks was on target as the Canaries cruised to a 4-1 win against MK Dons at Carrow Road.

Cardiff substitute Jack Moylan also scored on his debut, firing the winner as the Bluebirds won 3-2 against Swindon, for whom James Debayo was sent off for two yellow cards in the final six minutes.

August Priske’s first-half finish sealed Birmingham a 1-0 win at Swansea and Marc Bola’s stunning long-range strike deep in added time clinched Watford victory over Crawley by the same score.

Late goals from substitutes Andri Gudjohnsen and Jayden Fevrier secured Blackburn a 2-1 win at Burton.

Newly-promoted Lincoln picked up where they left off last season, winning 2-1 at Derby thanks to first-half goals from Ben House and Dom Jefferies before Sammie Szmodics pulled one back for the Rams.

Ollie Norburn’s own goal and Robert Bozenik’s late effort secured Stoke a 2-0 win against Oldham at the bet365 Stadium and Bradford pair Will Swan and Aden Baldwin earned their side a 2-0 home win against Rochdale.

Fleetwood captain Ched Evans’ first-half effort sealed his side a 1-0 home win against Chesterfield and Cambridge hit back to beat Barnet 2-1 through second-half goals from Ben Knight and Isaac Heath.

AFC Wimbledon, Barnsley and Reading progressed after winning on penalties against Newport, Wigan and Bromley respectively, while Preston, Shrewsbury and Doncaster came through respective shoot-outs against Huddersfield, Salford and Stockport.

Luca Moore’s late goal sealed Crewe a 2-1 victory against Accrington at Gresty Road and late goals from Demetri Mitchell and Idris El Mizouni secured Leyton Orient a 2-0 home win against Oxford.

Peterborough, Luton and Blackpool all won on the road, at Bristol Rovers, Gillingham and Grimsby respectively, and Caleb Okoli’s header secured Leicester a 1-0 home win against Northampton.

In the evening kick-offs, there was a 2-0 victory for Southampton as Cyle Larin and Romeo Akachukwu scored their goals at Colchester.

While West Brom won 4-1 at Rotherham and Charlton secured a 3-1 victory at Cheltenham.

When is the second round draw?

The draw for the second round of the 2026/27 Carabao Cup will be made live on Sky Sports Football on Monday August 10, during the build-up to the tie between Plymouth and Exeter.

The draw will feature all first-round winners, as well as the 11 Premier League clubs not participating in European competition.