THE SCOREBOARD
Chelsea FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Champions
Exclusive interview with Diogo Jota’s ex-teammate
Cole Palmer produced a scintillating first-half masterclass as Chelsea demolished Paris SaintGermain 3-0 to win the Club World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The English attacking midfielder scored twice and provided an assist for João Pedro in a devastating display in the revamped tournament’s decider that left the European and French champions, who finished with 10 men, stunned before the break.
Chelsea, who won the 2021 Club World Cup in its previous format, struck first in the 22nd minute when PSG fullback Nuno Mendes gifted possession to Malo Gusto. After his initial effort was blocked by Mendes, Gusto collected the rebound and found Palmer unmarked in the middle and the midfielder made no mistake, slotting a tidy finish just inside the left post .
Palmer doubled the lead after the 30th-minute cooling break with a goal of sublime quality. Latching onto a precise through ball from Levi Colwill, he cut inside before faking a pass to dummy a defender and firing into the bottom left corner.
Palmer then turned provider, running up the channel before finding Joao Pedro, who took the ball in his stride and beat the offside trap before chipping his finish beautifully over keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG’s misery was completed when João Neves was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in the 83rd minute, as PSG’s players grew in frustration as the match progressed. The encounter turned into an ill-tempered match at the end, with players going at each other after the final whistle, but the flare-ups quickly dissipated as Chelsea’s players went to celebrate with their fans.
“It’s a great feeling,” Palmer told DAZN. “Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it’s good. The gaffer put a great game plan out. He knew where the space was going to be. He tried to free me up as much as possible and I just had to repay him and score some goals.”
Palmer, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, added: “I like finals. It’s happened again.”
Chelsea arrived in the U.S. after winning Europe’s third-tier Conference League and on the back of a domestic campaign in which they managed just a top-four Premier League finish.
Prior to the match, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said he was expecting a “game of chess” against PSG coach Luis Enrique, but it was a quick checkmate for the Italian, who gave a tactical masterclass.
Maresca’s team employed a relentless high press and emulated the tactics used by Brazilian outfit Botafogo, who had beaten PSG 1-0 in the group stage and were the only team to score against Luis Enrique’s side in the previous eight games.
Their press caused PSG all sorts of trouble and when Maresca’s side couldn’t regain possession, they sat deep, frustrating the European champions, who were unable to play their usual game.
The direct and pacey soccer we had become used to seeing from PSG was Chelsea’s game Sunday, with Palmer, Gusto and Joao Pedro picking apart the PSG defense, especially on the left side.
Other than an early golden opportunity for PSG’s Desire Doue that was wasted, the first half was all Chelsea’s and, after they opened their three-goal lead, the French side could never recover.
“Chelsea were more effective than us, they worked well on our slight weakness,” PSG captain Marquinhos said.
“Tactically, they caused us problems in the first half and we took a while to react. These are things we’ll need to change going forward. I think all teams will now study us closely to see what we do well and what we do badly. It’s up to us now to always be at the top of our game.”
Derrick Lewis takes out Tallison Teixeira in 35 seconds at UFC Fight Night
It was a pretty classic Derrick Lewis kind of night. The 11-year UFC veteran scored a first-round knockout, took a call from the U.S. president and took his pants off mid-Octagon.
Lewis (29-12) knocked out Tallison Teixeira (8-1) just 35 seconds into their heavyweight main event at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee. He dropped Teixeira with a left hook in the opening minute and followed with right hands until referee Jason Herzog intervened. It extended Lewis’ UFC record of career knockouts to 16.
Teixeira, a 25-year-old prospect out of Brazil, appealed the stoppage, and might have had a point. He did work his way back to his feet after the initial left hand -- but ate so many unanswered shots in doing so.
“They been talking s--- all week,” Lewis said of Teixeira’s corner. “I can’t speak much Portuguese, but I knew they was talking s--- about me. I just knew he’d been fighting tomato cans his whole career.”
A longtime fan favorite, Lewis has quietly worked his way back into heavyweight title contention following a 0-3 skid from 2022 to 2023. Since losing three in a row, he is 3-1 in his past four appearances, with knockouts in all three wins. His only loss during this four-fight run was to fellow contender Jailton Almeida via decision in November 2023. Lewis was a significant betting underdog going into Saturday.
Raiders’ Brock Bowers slaps Travis Kelce’s ego and becomes the NFL’s next must-watch superstar
Experts know that with Tom Brady steering the decisions at the Las Vegas Raiders franchise, it could lead to a powerhouse team, well-constructed and capable of defining an era, though the building process may take a few years.
Without a doubt, Brock Bowers is a player who could change the course of the franchise as a tight end, despite his selection at No. 13 in the 2024 NFL Draft drawing criticism.
The former Georgia star, now with the Raiders, broke numerous franchise records as a rookie with 112 receptions for 1,194 yards last season, along with five touchdowns. Expectations are even higher now with the arrival of a more capable quarterback in Geno Smith.
The 2025 season looks highly promising for the young player, who appears destined to replace Travis Kelce as the league’s premier tight end. Bowers is considered among the top 10 tight ends in the NFL, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Not only that, he made history as the first player to be ranked No. 1 at his position after his rookie year in this top 10 poll. Beyond overshadowing Travis Kelce, he also surpassed George Kittle, relegating him to second place-players who have alternated between first and second All-Pro honors over the past eight years. The league’s perception is that Bowers has eclipsed them both.
USMNT’s Malik Tillman joins Bayer Leverkusen in record breaking transfer
Malik Tillman’s rise has been steady-but this summer, it hit turbo.
After a standout season with PSV Eindhoven that saw him rack up 16 goals, five assists, and a league title, the U.S. international has completed a 35 million ($40.9 million) move to Bayer Leverkusen, replacing Florian Wirtz, who departed for Liverpool in a blockbuster transfer. The fee sets a new club record for Leverkusen and places Tillman just behind Christian Pulisic in the all-time list of most expensive American players.
Leverkusen aren’t just making a splash-they’re building something serious. With Erik ten Hag now at the helm following Xabi Alonso’s exit to Real Madrid, the 23-year-old Tillman slots into a team still hungry after narrowly missing out on back-toback Bundesliga titles. It’s a full-circle moment of sorts. Tillman came through the ranks at Bayern Munich, but minutes were hard to come by. A loan to Rangers during the 2022-23 season reignited his spark. A switch to PSV followed, and the rest is history: 54 league appearances, 21 goals, and silverware to show for it.
He’s also become a reliable presence for the USMNT, logging 25 caps and scoring three times during the team’s run to the Gold Cup final earlier this summer. His versatility-able to play as a No. 8 or No. 10-makes him a key figure for Gregg Berhalter as the U.S. prepares for a home World Cup.
Edgar Berlanga reflects on Sheeraz defeat: “It was tough”
In an evening marked by Sheeraz’s absolute dominance, he sent Berlanga to the canvas three times, which ended in a technical knockout in the fifth round. The defeat, which left Berlanga out of direct contention for a possible fight against Canelo Alvarez, also left him with a lesson in humility that the boxer himself acknowledged in a reflective post shared on his social networks.
“Last night did not go as we trained, prepared or imagined. It was a tough defeat, which in many ways felt unreal.”
Berlanga also took the opportunity to congratulate Hamzah Sheeraz on his performance and made it clear that this defeat does not mark the end of his career: “Boxing is as much mental and spiritual as it is physical. Some nights test everything you have inside, and this was one of them,” he said. In that sense, he described this stage as a “turning point” in his journey.
Although the defeat to Sheeraz represents a serious setback in his aspirations, Berlanga could still have options in the super middleweight landscape.
One of the most mentioned alternatives is a possible clash with former champion Caleb Plant. Both are going through rebuilding moments in their respective careers, and a fight between them could offer them a new opportunity to return to the spotlight.
Max Verstappen is open to leaving Red Bull and join Mercedes for the 2026 F1 season
All good relationships come to an end, and it seem like Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s partnership may be coming to an end after this year. With the British Grand Prix closing in this weekend, multiple reports inform the 4-time Formula 1 world champions has expressed openness to leaving Red Bull racing at the end of 2025, with Mercedes emerging as the leading contender for his services in 2026.
The revelation came amid a season where more than one uncomfortbale situations have happened for the Dutch driver and the Austrian constructor. Add the unpleasant way that mexican driver Sergio Pérez left the team last year, plus a video of him saying he knows for a fact that ‘Red Bull regrets his departure’, and it’s difficult not to imagine what may happen with Verstappen. Discussions have been reportedly ‘intensifying” between the Dutch’s team and Mercedes towards this weekend.
The still Red Bull’s driver potential switch would be seismic in F1, effectively swapping one championship-winning powerhouse for another. For Mercedes, which has struggled to consistently challenge Red Bull over the past few seasons, landing Verstappen could reset the competitive balance. Teaming him up with up and coming, talented George Russell would create a fierce and competitive duo that could elevate the team to the top of the category.
The other side of it is the fact that there have been multiple conflicts between the Dutch and English dirvers, spanning from 2022 into this season. What could be more attractive for fans than watching Russell and Verstappen fighting on track with the same car? Pure cinema. As for Red Bull Racing, the team would be significantly weakened. Losing a talent of that caliber could leave them scramblign to redefine their strategy and retain a front-line position in the constructors’ championship for years to come.
Just as it happenes every year in F1, next season will come with new regulations. Engine and technical rules are undergoing a significant overhaul in 2026. Verstappen may be seeing this as an opportune moment to shif teams and capture a renewed competitive advantage. Balancing both the Honda motor and chassis responsibilites has put intense pressure on Red Bull in 2025. Mercedes-manufactured engines and it’s optimized setup could offer the 4-time world champion a more stable platform for the future.
Dana White shocked by Ben Askren’s health update after lung transplant
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren, known in MMA as ‘Funky’, has given fans a candid update on his health after a life-threatening battle that led to a double lung transplant. Hospitalized with acute pneumonia and a severe staph infection in late May, Askren spent over 45 days in critical care. In his recent social media video, he revealed “he only died four times”, referencing moments when his heart and lung stopped for around 20 seconds before being resuscitated.
Askren described flipping through his wife’s journal to piece together events from May 28 to July 2, a period he recalls as surreal, almost “like a movie”. Currently weighing just 147 lbs, down roughly 50 lbs, he is now focused on rehabilitation. A difficult time has passed where even his rivals helped him to go through this tough time.
UFC President Dan White responded emotionally to Askren’s update. Previously, White had publicly appealed for donation to cover the tranplant and even reached out to Askren’s wife during the crisis. In an interview on Full Send, he expressed admiration for Askren’s physical resilience admitted being floored by the extent of his ordeal, commenting, “that f*** guy just went through? It’s unbelievable”. White also confirmed he checked in on Askren’s family multiple times.
White’s support highlights the solidarity within the MMA world, even extending across past rivalries. A proven leader who has the supports of the people he works with and for, White has been recognized as one of the top heads in sports, catapulting UFC to what it is today, a global sport that has practically surpassed boxing in the fighting world.
Now on the mend, Askren is focused on slow but steady physiotherapy. He’s determined to regain his strength and get back to his coaching duties in Wisconsin, where he inspires the next generation of wrestlers. Probably we’ll never see him in the octagon again, but he will pass his ideals on to newcomers; leave a legacy through his teaching. His message resonates: gratitude over grief, action over apathy.
Why the Lakers are confident that LeBron James and Luka Doncic are on the same page
As the Lakers navigate another pivotal summer, their task is clear yet complicated-keep LeBron James satisfied, secure a long-term deal for Luka Doncic, and avoid jeopardizing the franchise’s future. But with $52 million on the books, this balancing act is anything but straightforward.
LeBron recently exercised his $52.6 million player option, signaling his intent to stay for the time being. Meanwhile, Luka is poised to sign a contract extension, ensuring his place on the team.
Yet, questions swirl about whether this creates tension within the locker room or the front office is favoring one star over the other. .
Statistically, the duo delivered last season: Luka averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, while LeBron, despite being 40, posted 24.4 points and 8.2 assists on 51.3% shooting. When both players shared the court, the Lakers went 15-8. Rich Paul, LeBron’s agent, also acknowledged the difficult task of balancing immediate success with future planning.
Ultimately, the Lakers are relying on financial flexibility that may not translate into meaningful roster improvements. With Luka secured and LeBron still eager, the team faces a pivotal season. Miss the mark, and they risk a future loaded with cap space but few stars to sign. It’s a high-stakes gamble rather than a guaranteed strategy.
Diogo Jota’s Liverpool teammates share grief as Van Dijk, Salah, Arnold &
Henderson pay tribute
Diogo Jota’s teammates at Liverpool have been expressing their grief following the forward’s death on Thursday, with Jordan Henderson visibly emotional while laying flowers in the Portugal international’s memory at Anfield and captain Virgil van Dijk saying he is in “total disbelief.”
Jota and his brother, André Silva, were killed in a car crash near Zamora, Spain, on Thursday. ESPN can confirm that the funeral will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. local time at the Matriz de Gondomar church, located 33 kilometers from Jota’s home city of Porto. A wake will take place from 4 p.m. local time Friday.
Police confirmed that Jota, who was 28, and his brother, who was 25, were the only people in the car. Jota’s death comes weeks after he married his partner, Rute Cardoso. They have three children, the youngest born last year.
“Man, I can’t believe it, I don’t wanna believe it,” Van Dijk said during the interview. “Absolutely devastated and in total disbelief. What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man.
“He meant so much to all of us and he always will! For a family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair. My heart is breaking for all of his beautiful family, for Rute and for yhis kids. I promise him that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family.
“A champion forever, No. 20 forever. It’s been a privilege to have stood by his side on the pitch, and to have been his friend off it.”
Tears were running down the face of Liverpool’s former captain Henderson, who now plays for Dutch club Ajax, as he laid a bouquet of flowers and Liverpool scarf alongside hundreds of others outside Anfield on Friday.
In an Instagram post expressing sympathy for the “unimaginable” pain the brothers’ family will be feeling, Henderson said: “Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly up and get him fined, which we never could. Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around.“I know how much Rute and your family meant to you and I know you will always be looking down on them. Thank you for everything you brought into this world; we will all miss you.”
Mohamed Salah said in a post on X: “I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break. Teammates come and go but not like this.“It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.
My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother André need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.” Liverpool for Real Madrid this summer, said in post on social media that Jota was a “true friend.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid this summer, said in post on social media that Jota was a “true friend.” “It’s so difficult to find the right words when your head and heart are struggling to accept that someone you care so much about has gone,” he said. “Diogo, your family was your world. They were everything. For Rute, his children, and his parents, all of our hearts are broken. And for André as well. Brothers and best friends.
“When it’s less painful, I want to remember Diogo with a big smile. So many laughs and happy moments. He was such a great teammate and a true friend. Forever No. 20. Rest in peace, Diogo.”
The Liverpool players’ tributes joined those of the club’s hierarchy and coach Arne Slot, who said the “sense of shock is absolute” in a statement on Thursday.
1996-2025
Diogo Jota
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