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Lionel Messi not sure he will play football for ‘much longer’ after father’s death

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Lionel Messi said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football as he posted an emotional tribute after his father’s death.

Messi’s father Jorge was 68 when he died last week following a long illness.

Jorge had also been the Argentina great’s agent since he was 14.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” Messi, 39, wrote on social media.

“I don’t know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I’m really not sure if I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.”

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‘Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition’ ends after 18-year television run

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A "Hockey Night in Canada" logo.

“For 18 years, this show brought our community closer to the game we love,” statement from the program read. David Cooper / Toronto Star via Getty Images

“Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition” has been cancelled after an 18-year run, the program announced on its X account. A spinoff show of “Hockey Night in Canada,” the television program broadcast NHL games in Punjabi on Saturday nights. The broadcasts were available on OMNI Television, a multilingual, free, over-the-air channel based in Canada.

The show featured several South Asian broadcasters and presenters, including Harnarayan Singh, who went viral for his call of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino’s winning goal in Game 1 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks. The broadcast also featured host Randip Janda, who also worked with Sportsnet on Vancouver Canucks game broadcasts as the first full-time radio commentator of South Asian descent in NHL history.

“For 18 years, this show brought our community closer to the game we love,” the program’s statement read. “It shared the stories of South Asian players and families and created a space that was truly unique in Canadian sports. We are incredibly proud of what we built together.”

The news comes after it was announced in June that “Hockey Night in Canada” would be coming off the air after 74 years. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Rogers Communications did not renew their 12-year sublicensing agreement, which allowed “Hockey Night in Canada” to be broadcast on Rogers channels, including Sportsnet. Rogers is about to begin a new 12-year national broadcasting deal to air NHL games this fall, with Amazon Prime Video airing Wednesday night games and select Stanley Cup playoff games next spring.

The CBC still owns the rights to “Hockey Night in Canada” and plans to use the brand in “different ways going forward,” CBC head of public affairs Chuck Thompson told The Athletic in June.

This story will be updated. 

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Shakhtar Donetsk, Chelsea in advanced talks over Stamford Bridge use for Champions League

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General view outside the Stamford Bridge stadium

Discussions between Shakhtar and Chelsea are progressing well ahead of the 2026-27 campaign Jasper Wax/Getty Images

Shakhtar Donetsk’s negotiations with Chelsea over playing their Champions League games at Stamford Bridge this season are at an advanced stage.

The Athletic reported in July that talks between Shakhtar and Chelsea to use their ground for the 2026-27 Champions League campaign were under way, with fellow London clubs Fulham and Brentford also in the mix.

But sources close to the Ukrainian club, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that discussions with Chelsea are progressing well. Nothing has been agreed yet and there is still a lot of documentation to take care of.

Another stadium was still in contention this week too, however Stamford Bridge is considered to be the front runner. Shakhtar are expected to make an official announcement of who they have chosen early next week.

Shakhtar have not played at the Donbas Arena, in their home stadium in the east of Ukraine, since 2014, when Russian troops annexed Crimea and war broke out in the region. They have played their home European matches in Germany, Slovenia and Poland since the 2022-23 season.

They have qualified for the group phase of the 2026-27 Champions League and been sounding out venues to play in over the summer. The opportunity to have London as a venue has appealed from a very early stage.

Chelsea are not involved in any European competition this season after failing to qualify. It means there will be plenty of spare weeks for them to host games. The Premier League club are used to staging European matches having been regulars in UEFA tournaments since 1997-98.

There will be a fee involved for Shakhtar to use Stamford Bridge but Chelsea’s main priority is to help a club they enjoy a good relationship with. Chelsea signed Mykhailo Mudryk for an initial £62million from Shakhtar in January 2023.

When contacted by The Athletic over the increasing possibility of Shakhtar using Stamford Bridge, a spokesperson said: “Shakhtar have no comment on this matter at the moment. The club will announce their official decision next week.”

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Flag Football World Championships 2026: Great Britain women’s team wins group

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The Great Britain women’s team have progressed as group winners at the flag football World Championships as they aim to secure an Olympic spot.

The event in Germany is the first where teams can qualify for Los Angeles 2028, when the non-contact version of American football will make its Olympics debut.

GB women, who are ranked third in the world and are the two-time defending European champions, beat France (33-14) and China (26-25) in their opening two group games on Thursday.

GB then claimed a 47-26 win over Austria on Friday to ensure they went through to the knockout stage as group winners.

If they beat Panama in the quarter-finals on Saturday (09:30 BST) they could face defending champions the USA in the semis later that day.

The top two teams – apart from Olympic hosts America – will qualify for LA28 this weekend, so GB would still get another chance to book their spot in the bronze-medal game.

The GB men’s team, ranked 12th in the world, finished bottom of the group after losing to Italy (21-12), France (43-32) and Panama (33-27).

They will now play in ranking matches to decide ninth to 16th place, beginning with a game against Switzerland.

The gold and bronze-medal games will be played on Sunday in Dusseldorf.

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