The White House will host a UFC bout next year as part of events to mark 250 years of American independence, US President Donald Trump has announced.
The event will be a “championship fight” with an audience of 20,000-25,000, Trump told a crowd in Iowa on Thursday.
The president, who is a friend of UFC president Dana White, said: “We are going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events.”
Trump has attended several UFC events, including UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, last month, where he was pictured watching a fight with White.
Addressing the crowd during an appearance at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Trump said: “Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight – think of this – on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.”
Following Trump’s announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans on X, writing: “It’s going to be EPIC!”
Trump’s links to UFC date back more than 20 years. In 2001, he hosted a UFC fight at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when White was struggling to find a venue.
White has backed the president’s political career from the beginning, endorsing his presidential bid in 2016, calling Trump a “fighter”.
Following a failed assassination attempt on Trump last year, White described Trump as a “tough guy” and “the legitimate, ultimate, American badass of all time”.
Trump suggested the UFC event would be one of many to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence on 4 July next year.
He said: “Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honour of America250.” (Punch)
The captain of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong, has declared the team’s unwavering commitment to clinching the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and earning a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking during an interview with the Saudi Pro League in Ar Rass, the Nigerian defender shared his pride in leading the national side and highlighted their ambitious goals.
“It’s an incredible honour to captain Nigeria,” Troost-Ekong stated. “This role carries significant responsibility, as Nigeria is a football powerhouse with an abundance of talent. However, despite our potential, we’ve often fallen short of expectations over the years, given the calibre of players we produce.”
The former Watford centre-back praised the current generation of Super Eagles players and expressed confidence in the team’s future.
“I’m really enjoying the experience and trying to contribute the best I can. With the group of players we have now—who are extremely talented—our focus is clear: to win the next AFCON and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
“We came very close at the last AFCON, and that’s something we’ve all learned from. Now, as captain, the mission feels even more meaningful,” he said. (Punch)
Valentin Carboni struck the winning goal in stoppage time as Inter Milan came from behind to beat Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 on Saturday and knocked the Japanese team out of the Club World Cup.
Ryoma Watanabe got an early opening goal for Urawa Reds, who were backed by a noisy contingent of their supporters at Lumen Field in Seattle.
But captain Lautaro Martinez had scored Inter’s equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Monterrey of Mexico in their first match at the tournament, and he repeated the trick to level matters here with 12 minutes to go.
Carboni, the 20-year-old Argentine who had not made an appearance for Inter in more than two years, then appeared in the 92nd minute to give the Italians the victory.
The result leaves Cristian Chivu’s team in a good position to now go and qualify for the last 16, while a second defeat in as many matches means Urawa Reds are eliminated.
Winners of the Asian Champions League in 2023, Urawa Reds were aiming to bounce back from a 3-1 loss against River Plate in their opening game, and they went in front in the 11th minute.
Takuro Kaneko scored the goal with a good run down the right before his low cross was swept home first-time by Watanabe.
Martinez hit the crossbar from a header for Inter soon after, and it looked as if the UEFA Champions League runners-up might slip to a shock defeat when Henrikh Mkhitaryan missed the target from a good position in the second half.
But they got the leveller in the 78th minute when a Nicolo Barella corner from the left was deftly turned in by Martinez, who scored with an overhead kick as he fell back the way.
The stage was then set for Carboni, who had not played a competitive game since early October after suffering a serious knee injury while on loan at Marseille.
He was on hand to sidefoot into the net after a Petar Sucic shot hit teammate Francesco Esposito, and the ball broke to Carboni inside the area. (Punch)
Bayern Munich showed no mercy to amateurs Auckland City at the Club World Cup on Sunday, beating the minnows from New Zealand 10-0 in their opening game as Jamal Musiala came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick.
Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise and Thomas Mueller all netted twice, while Sacha Boey was on target too for the German champions in the game in Group C, which also features Boca Juniors and Benfica.
Harry Kane started but didn’t get on the scoresheet before being replaced just after the hour mark by Musiala, who netted his three goals in the space of 18 minutes towards the end.
“We have to remain modest but it was important to be able to say that we took the game seriously,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.
“It was a good first match at the tournament, but of course challenges are going to grow and it’s going to become more difficult.”
It was a stroll in the park in the midday sun in Cincinnati for Kompany’s side, with France winger Coman scoring twice in the opening 21 minutes either side of goals by compatriots Boey and Olise.
Coman’s sixth-minute breakthrough goal was the first of the tournament following the 0-0 draw between Inter Miami and Al Ahly in Saturday’s opening game.
Mueller got the fifth and Olise’s second of the afternoon made it 6-0 in first-half stoppage time for the Bundesliga heavyweights.
Olise’s strike for the sixth was the pick of the day’s goals, as he came in from the right before curling a shot on his left foot into the far corner.
Auckland City managed to stem the tide for much of the second half before Musiala came on and took centre stage, his three goals including one from the penalty spot after he had been fouled.
Mueller, who will leave Bayern after the tournament, made it 10-0 in the 89th minute with his 250th goal for the club.
The result confirmed the enormous gulf between one of Europe’s giants and an Auckland side who have won the Oceania Champions League 13 times but whose amateur players had to take unpaid leave to travel to the United States for the tournament.
“This is the reality of football against one of the world’s top teams,” admitted City’s interim coach, Ivan Vicelich.
“It is a dream for players coming from an amateur level to play in this environment.
“We knew it was going to be a very difficult game, playing against one of the top teams in the world, potentially one of the favourites for the Club World Cup, so we are just really proud of the players’ efforts.”
However the result made it an ideal start for Bayern, who won the Club World Cup twice in its former seven-team guise, in 2013 and 2020.
They have recorded bigger victories in the past in the German Cup, but the 10-goal winning margin equals their best ever in the Bundesliga, when they beat Borussia Dortmund 11-1 in 1971.
Bayern, who gave new signing Jonathan Tah a debut in central defence following his recent arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, play Boca in their next match in Miami on Friday.
Auckland City take on Benfica earlier the same day in Orlando. (Punch)
Newly crowned European Champions Paris Saint-Germain launched their bid for Club World Cup glory with a convincing 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
In searing heat at the Pasadena Rose Bowl east of Los Angeles, PSG proved too hot to handle for their Spanish opponents in an impressive opening Group B win.
Goals from Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In sealed the three points for PSG, who delighted a crowd of 80,619 with their adventurous attacking play.
The French giants picked up where they had left off in their 5-0 Champions League final mauling of Inter Milan a fortnight earlier, quickly settling into their smooth passing game to control the early exchanges.
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak was soon pressed into action, blocking a Goncalo Ramos shot from just outside the box on 17 minutes as PSG’s pressure mounted.
Oblak denied PSG again moments later, diving to stop a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia shot that was destined for the bottom left-hand corner.
Those early warning shots proved to be a precursor for the game’s opening goal in the 19th minute.
A lovely passing move down the right saw the ball swiftly transferred to Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia who deftly laid off into the path of Ruiz to sweep in a low finish for 1-0.
With Atletico struggling to gain any kind of a foothold in the contest, the Spanish side’s frustration began to show.
Clement Lenglet was booked for a rash challenge on Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi in the 21st minute, and Robin Le Normand picked up Atletico’s second yellow soon afterwards for bringing down Ruiz.
Ruiz himself was booked on 28 minutes for a shove on Giuliano Simeone before the Argentine midfielder collected Atletico’s third yellow soon afterwards.
With the Parisians in complete control, Atletico had to wait until the stroke of half-time before their first shot on goal, France’s Antoine Griezmann drawing a smart save from Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot.
From the ensuing counter-attack, however, Atletico found themselves 2-0 down.
The electric Kvaratskhelia again found space down the left and fed inside to Vitinha, who ghosted into the box before steering a crisp shot beyond Oblak for 2-0.
Atletico appeared to have hauled themselves back into the game early in the second half when Julian Alvarez rifled home a low finish to make it 2-1.
But the goal was chalked off after VAR spotted a bodycheck by Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on Desire Doue in the build-up.
That effort appeared to buoy Atletico for the remainder of the half, but despite playing with greater intensity they were unable to create a single shot on goal.
Lenglet was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card on 78 minutes. (Punch)
Chelsea kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a solid 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC on Monday in Group D, although there were nearly 50,000 empty seats in the stadium in Atlanta.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez’s goals got the Blues off to a good start in a competitive clash against one of the three qualified MLS teams.
New signing Liam Delap made his debut as a substitute and helped set up Fernandez’s strike, with Chelsea hoping to go far after their UEFA Conference League triumph and Champions League qualification, looking to re-establish themselves among the elite.
After a solid start to the tournament regarding attendance numbers over the opening weekend, a sparse crowd of just over 22,000 settled in at the stylish 71,000 capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Behind former Tottenham Hotspur stopper Hugo Lloris’ goal in the first half, a couple of hundred LAFC ‘ultras’ helped provide an atmosphere with a drum beat and constant song.
Although the closed stadium roof offered refuge from the Georgia humidity and mid-afternoon summer sun which Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid stars roasted under on Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the attendance suffered badly because of the 3:00 pm local time kick-off.
Despite regular strong crowds for MLS side Atlanta United, the best supported US team, few locals decided to take a Monday off work for the tournament’s first weekday afternoon game, seemingly chosen to suit a British television audience.
After beating Club America in a play-off to qualify for the competition as late as May, LAFC took the place of the banned Mexican side Club Leon, and play none of their three group games in California.
The top ring of the stadium was entirely shut and other levels were only partly filled, despite ticket prices dropping in the days ahead of the game.
Lloris rated his team’s chances against Chelsea as “really thin” on the eve of the game and was called into action several times as the Blues took control from the start.
The French stopper saved from Nicolas Jackson and then Noni Madueke after the Senegalese forward set him up, while Cole Palmer whistled a strike narrowly over.
With new signing Delap looking on from the bench, Jackson played like a man determined to keep his starting spot.
The striker was instrumental in Neto’s opener, releasing the Portuguese winger with an excellent through ball.
Neto chopped in the box to leave LA defender Ryan Hollingshead stumbling helplessly out of sight and then buried a powerful strike past Lloris low at the near post.
Former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud came on at half-time for the Americans, hoping to threaten Robert Sanchez’s goal more than Steve Cherundolo’s team managed in the first half.
Jackson came close with a header and LA almost levelled but Sanchez made a fine save with his outstretched leg to thwart 2023 MLS golden boot winner Denis Bouanga after he shook off Neto.
Maresca brought on 22-year-old striker Delap for his Chelsea debut after the hour mark, having begun the game with all of the club’s new faces on the bench.
The forward drove into space and tried to tee up Fernandez with a promising first move in a Chelsea shirt since his arrival from relegated Ipswich Town.
Chelsea star Palmer, who had shown occasional flashes of brilliance, hammered over.
LA threatened increasingly, with Marc Cucurella blocking well from David Martinez, before Fernandez grabbed Chelsea’s second.
Running into the six-yard box the Argentine midfielder controlled Delap’s cross from the right and beat Lloris to put the game to bed.
Elsewhere in Group D Esperance Tunis face Brazil’s Flamengo later on Monday. (Punch)
Thomas Tuchel criticised England’s “attitude” and felt they “played with fire” in a narrow 1-0 World Cup qualifyingwin away to Andorra.
The Three Lions laboured against the world’s 173rd-ranked side in Barcelona, squeezing out a third successive win through captain Harry Kane’s 50th-minute strike to top Group K.
Tuchel’s men were jeered off the pitch at half-time and again at the end, leaving the England manager “not happy” with the disappointing display.
“I was most worried in the last 20 minutes because I did not like the attitude that we ended the game with,” said the German.
“I didn’t like the lack of urgency and it did not match the occasion – it is still a World Cup qualifier. We will let them know [on Sunday] what we want from them.
“I think we lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier.
“I think we played with fire. I didn’t like the attitude in the end. I didn’t like the body language. It was not what the occasion needed.”
England dominated the ball with 83 per cent possession, but frustratingly could not break down Andorra’s well-organised defence and were mainly restricted to efforts from distance.
Kane slid home the winner from a Noni Madueke cross for his 72nd international goal, but the Three Lions had few clear-cut chances.
England next face Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Tuesday and Tuchel expects a better performance.
“I think we started well in the first 20 or 25 minutes,” he added. “We created a lot of chances and half chances, and we lost completely the momentum and couldn’t get it back in the first half.
“Got a little bit [back] in the second half, but then ended up in a place that was not good enough in terms of urgency.
“We can just admit that, it’s not what we expect from us. We need to look at it in detail and do better on Tuesday.”
There were some mitigating circumstances for England’s lethargic display.
The match came at the end of a long domestic campaign for many of the players and was also played in hot and humid conditions in Barcelona – this fixture played there because Andorra’s national stadium was unavailable after the recent Games of the Small States of Europe.
But those watching clearly expected England to put in a more convincing performance against a side they had beaten six times previously by an aggregate score of 25-0.
“It looked like some of the players were bored in the last half an hour,” former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane told ITV.
“Go and get some more goals and impress the manager who is still new to the job.”
Ex-England defender Lee Dixon added: “They will be getting pelters no doubt about that.
“When you are fourth [in the rankings] and they are 173rd you expect to beat them handsomely, but that wasn’t the case.”
Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown agreed the performance was poor, but the priority was to get the job done in the bid for qualification to next year’s finals.
“It was a big disappointment but they did the job and won the game,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It could have been a lot more convincing in attacking positions. There is going to be criticism because of the team we were up against, but it is job done, move on to the next one.” (BBC)
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy says he is “concerned” by his form heading into the US Open next week after struggling with driver issues at the Canadian Open.
The 36-year-old missed the cut at the Canadian Open on Friday, finishing nine over par and 149th in a 153-man field.
The Masters champion shot an eight-over-par 78 during his second round as he struggled to get to grips with a new driver.
McIlroy’s previous driver was ruled non-conforming on the eve of last month’s US PGA Championship, with the Northern Irishman going on to finish 47th in North Carolina.
With a new 44-inch driver in hand, McIlroy found just 13 of 28 fairways in Toronto and he made a quadruple-bogey eight on the par-four fifth hole after a disastrous tee-off.
“Of course it concerns me,” said McIlroy.
“You don’t want to shoot high scores like the one I did today. I felt like I came here, obviously with a new driver, thinking that sort of was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn’t.
“Obviously going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. I’m still sort of searching for the missing piece off the tee. Obviously for me, when I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me. Right now that isn’t. Yeah, that’s a concern going into next week.”
With play starting on 12 June, McIlroy has little time to iron out his issues from the tee.
But the five-time Major winner says he will test several drivers in the coming days to find the right one.
“I’m going to have to do a lot of practice and a lot of work over the weekend at home and try to at least have a better idea of where my game is going into next week,” said McIlroy.
“I went back to a 44-inch driver this week to try to get something that was a little more in control and could try to get something a bit more in play. But if I’m going to miss fairways, I’d rather have the ball speed and miss the fairway than not.
“I’d say I’ll be testing quite a few drivers over the weekend.” (BBC)
Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles has called former US swimmer and activist Riley Gaines “sick” over online comments about a transgender woman softball player.
Gaines, who has regularly spoken out about transgender women athletes competing in women’s sport, mocked Minnesota State High School League for removing comments on their post about the Chaplin Park girls’ team celebrating the State Championship.
Chaplin Park’s team includes a transgender woman player.
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles wrote on X.
Gaines tied for fifth place with transgender woman Lia Thomas in the 200m freestyle swimming at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
Later that year, World Aquatics voted to stop transgender women from competing in women’s elite races if they have gone through any part of the process of male puberty.
Thomas has since failed with a legal challenge to change the rules.
“You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports,” continued Biles.
“But instead… You bully them… One thing’s for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around.”
Biles, a seven-time gold medallist, has been an outspoken campaigner for mental health awareness throughout her career.
She withdrew from the women’s team final at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, as well as four subsequent individual finals, in order to prioritise her mental health.
Gaines responded to Biles in follow-up posts, saying the gymnast’s stance was “so disappointing” and saying she should not be advocating for transgender women in women’s sport with her platform.
Since tying with Thomas in 2022, Gaines has said she felt “cheated, betrayed and violated”.
She has become an advocate for banning transgender women athletes from competing against women and girls.
In February, Gaines was present at the White House when United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order excluding transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports.
In April, judges at the UK Supreme Court ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law.
Since that ruling, a number of UK sporting bodies, including the Football Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board, have banned transgender women from playing in women’s sport. (BBC)
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo says he will not play at this month’s Club World Cup after turning down offers from participating teams.
The 40-year-old is out of contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr at the end of June.
In May, Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised the prospect of Ronaldo joining a team involved at the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr’s failure to qualify.
“I will not be at the Club World Cup,” said Ronaldo.
“Some teams reached out to me. Some made sense and others did not, but you can’t try and do everything. You can’t catch every ball.”
Ronaldo posted on social media that “the chapter is over” following Al-Nassr’s final league game of the season in May, leading to speculation he was set for a move.
However, sources have told BBC Sport that the club are confident of extending Ronaldo’s deal.
Speaking before Portugal’s Nations League final against Spain on Sunday (20:00 BST), Ronaldo said a decision on his future was “almost final”.
The striker joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after the termination of his deal with Manchester United.
He has scored 99 goals in 111 appearances for the club, including 35 times in 41 matches last term.
Ronaldo scored the winner in a 2-1 victory against Germany on Wednesday to book Portugal’s spot in the Nations League final. (BBC)
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