NFL conference championship game picks: do the No 1 seed Broncos have any chance of victory?

The Super Bowl match-up will be set this weekend as a weakened Denver take on New England and two NFC West rivals clash in Seattle

What New England need to do to win: Clean up their act. Last week against the Houston Texans, Drake Maye was blindsided too often by edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. The pair wreaked havoc, sacking Maye five times and forcing him into three of his four fumbles. The Los Angeles Chargers also forced two from him in the wildcard round. Denver led the league in sacks (68) in the regular season, and will be intent on causing similar damage on Sunday. But Maye can mitigate that threat if he sharpens his awareness in the pocket and takes the sack rather than rushing into impossible passes. New England’s left tackle Will Campbell is very likely to lose a couple of duels with edge defender Nik Bonitto, so Maye needs to be ready for a helmet sandwich while holding on to the ball for dear life. Simply punting and giving Denver’s second-string quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, tough field position may be all it takes to reach the Super Bowl.

Published: January 23, 2026, 10:00 am

Indiana quarterback and likely No 1 pick Fernando Mendoza declares for 2026 NFL draft

• Heisman winner led Hoosiers to perfect 16-0 season

• Mendoza sealed title with fourth-down TD v Miami

• Raiders hold top pick as draft buzz grows quickly

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza announced Friday morning that he is bypassing his senior season and entering the 2026 NFL draft.

The university’s first Heisman Trophy winner effectively put himself in position to be selected with the top overall pick of the draft after announcing his decision in a video on his Instagram account. The Las Vegas Raiders hold the top pick.

Published: January 23, 2026, 3:15 pm

‘You can’t just remove the cloud’: US sprinting’s reckoning before LA 2028

Once a nearly man of US sprinting, Marvin Bracy-Williams’ ban has exposed a sport gripped by doping, distrust and whispered betrayals

Marvin Bracy-Williams dreamed of ranking in the pantheon of elite male US sprinters alongside Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene. He’s quick – 9.85sec for 100m – but his problem was he could only ever finish second: silver at the world indoors in 2014, silver at the world championships in 2022.

When he didn’t even make the USA team for the 2023 world championships he realized that, at 29, he was losing the most important contest of all, the race against time.

Published: January 23, 2026, 10:15 am

Alex de Minaur sets up enticing last-16 clash with nemesis Bublik at Australian Open

• Australian beats Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4, 7-5

• Bublik defeats Etcheverry in straight sets

Alex de Minaur has a date with his own nemesis. The Australian defeated Frances Tiafoe in a spectacular three sets on Friday night, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, to again reach the last 16 at his home grand slam.

There he will meet Alexander Bublik, the dangerous 10th seed who came back to beat the Australian twice in high-profile matches last year. They were two of a series of agonising, frontrunning defeats that tainted De Minaur’s 2025 season, including one at the ATP Finals against Lorenzo Musetti that prompted him to admit he had become “quite dark”.

Published: January 23, 2026, 3:27 pm

Former Eagles lineman Kevin Johnson killed at LA homeless encampment

• Medical examiner rules Johnson’s death a homicide

• Former Eagles defender was 55 years old

• Friends say health issues preceded homelessness

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Kevin Johnson died from “blunt head trauma and stab wounds” at a homeless encampment, according to the Los Angeles county medical examiner.

The medical examiner said Johnson, 55, was pronounced dead Wednesday morning after being found unconscious. His death was ruled a homicide and is being investigated.

Published: January 23, 2026, 5:04 pm

Concacaf president revealed to make $3m a year for five hours’ work per week

Victor Montagliani’s compensation is thought to be among the highest in the world for a non-club soccer official

Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is paid over $3m per year for what the organization claims is just five hours per week of work, according to the latest tax filing made to the Internal Revenue Service.

Publicly available filings, first reported by ProPublica, show that the Canadian was paid $2.1m in base compensation and an additional $893,750 in unspecified bonus and incentive compensation for the 2024 tax year. An additional $15,780 was paid in deferred or retirement compensation.

Published: January 23, 2026, 10:30 am

Alex Honnold’s made-for-Netflix free solo of Taipei 101 draws awe – and unease

The Free Solo star will attempt to climb the 1,667ft skyscraper without ropes in a live Netflix broadcast, drawing awe, ethical concern and global attention

Alex Honnold has spent the past three months training for this moment: free soloing – climbing without ropes or a harness – one of Asia’s tallest skyscrapers, Taipei 101. It is an ambition that began more than a decade ago and is now close to being realized.

The climb will be broadcast globally on Skyscraper Live, Netflix’s latest foray into live sports programming. The star of the 2019 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo insists that climbing Taipei 101 will feel no different from any other of his ascents.

Published: January 23, 2026, 8:00 am

Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged cocaine kingpin in US custody

Ryan Wedding turned himself in at US consulate in Mexico City and is due to appear in court in California on Monday

Ryan Wedding, the Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin, has been arrested after turning himself in at the US embassy in Mexico, law enforcement officials announced on Friday.

Wedding, 44, had been sought by the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for his role in overseeing what the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, called the “one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations” in the world.

Published: January 23, 2026, 6:11 pm

Deadly deliveries and controlled chaos: how Arsenal became set-piece masters

Mikel Arteta’s side have scored 19 goals from corners this season. Why are their set pieces so effective and can they be stopped?

Set pieces are dominating the Premier League this season, with almost 30% of goals coming from corners, free-kicks, penalties or long throws. The leaders, Arsenal, are kings of the dead ball, scoring 17 of their 40 league goals from set pieces (including penalties). But what makes Mikel Arteta’s side so effective in these areas, and what can opponents do to stop them? The data provides some answers.

Published: January 23, 2026, 8:00 pm

Then and now: what has changed since the opening Premier League games?

This weekend’s fixtures are the reverse of a first round in which Nottingham Forest thrashed Brentford and there was optimism at Spurs

Start-of-season shape:

Published: January 23, 2026, 5:00 pm

Premier League news: Glasner clears air while West Ham turn down Paquetá bid

News from Friday’s press conferences, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa

Published: January 23, 2026, 8:33 pm

Tottenham in talks to sign Andrew Robertson from Liverpool

• Liverpool open to selling player with five months on deal

• Desire among all parties to get transfer over the line

Tottenham have made an approach to sign Andrew Robertson from Liverpool. The Premier League champions are open to allowing the long-serving left-back to leave, with only five months remaining on his contract.

Liverpool respect Robertson’s wish to sort his long-term future as soon as possible. There is a desire on all sides to get a deal done quickly as Thomas Frank wrestles with major availability issues at Spurs.

Published: January 23, 2026, 12:10 pm

Chelsea’s Alyssa Thompson: ‘I think of this as like going away for college like all my friends did’

Blues’ record signing on adapting to English football culture, the challenge of leaving family behind and being well taught by Sonia Bompastor

Alyssa Thompson is no stranger to the limelight. Despite being only 21, her undeniable natural talent and eye‑catching career have propelled her into the headlines ever since her hometown club, Angel City, made her the first pick in the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft.

The past few months, however, have provided the USA international with a different challenge altogether. A high-profile deadline day move to the English champions, Chelsea, in September meant leaving her family and the comforts of Los Angeles and testing herself overseas.

Published: January 23, 2026, 12:00 pm

Billionaire gambler Tony Bloom denies owing millions to former colleague

Brighton & Hove Albion football club owner confirms placing bets through accounts of Reform UK adviser George Cottrell, according to legal documents

The billionaire owner of Brighton & Hove Albion football club has confirmed his syndicate placed millions of pounds worth of bets through the gambling accounts of the Reform UK adviser George Cottrell.

The admission comes in a document filed to the high court by Tony Bloom, who also admits that he, Cottrell and a former employee, Ryan Dudfield, had an agreement under which winnings were due to be split between them.

Published: January 23, 2026, 4:41 pm

American soccer is odd, growing, and endlessly fascinating | Pablo Iglesias Maurer

I have joined the Guardian today as a soccer correspondent in the United States. This is why I cover the sport

There’s an old pennant hanging on the wall of my office here in Washington DC, tucked between a poster of indoor soccer legend Steve Zungul and a photo of Pelé riding a horse. “Soccer,” it reads, “the sport of the 80s.”

For a century or so, soccer was always the sport of the next decade. Clear-thinking businesspeople tried everything to sell it to Americans, but soccer was always considered too foreign and exotic, an activity best practiced and consumed by outsiders. Even in the mid-80s, when I started playing, it was still very much othered. It’s what drew me to the sport in the first place.

Pablo joins the Guardian as part of our ongoing expansion covering soccer in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He arrives alongside two other new hires: soccer correspondent Jeff Rueter and assistant sports editor Ella Brockway. He is based in Washington DC.

Published: January 23, 2026, 1:11 pm

Fans’ anger after Braga flop shows Forest honeymoon is over for Dyche

Initial optimism has faded after arrival of former Burnley manager, who needs to get more from a struggling squad

There was plenty for Sean Dyche to stew on as he marched off the pitch at the Estádio Municipal de Braga with the frustrations of the Nottingham Forest supporters ringing in his ears. The boos were not universal, but fans who follow the team over land and sea are usually a decent barometer of the prevailing feeling. By the end of a sodden, joyless night in northern Portugal, it felt like false advertising, possibly one for trading standards. It wasn’t supposed to be like this?

Dyche cannot be blamed for the dismal conditions but he and the players can be for a listless performance. Beyond a likely Europa League playoff, which will mean another away day to squeeze into the schedule, fans are seemingly concerned where this is all going. Forest were devoid of sharp edges and not only in attack, where the absence of a bona fide striker was painfully apparent. It was a miserable night encapsulated by second-half events: Morgan Gibbs-White’s penalty miss, a Ryan Yates own goal 54 seconds later, Dan Ndoye being booked for simulation and Elliot Anderson being sent off.

Published: January 23, 2026, 12:32 pm

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Mateus Fernandes steels West Ham, Dominic Calvert-Lewin faces a homecoming and Manchester City need Marc Guéhi

• Top scorers: check out the latest standings

The absence of the wantaway Lucas Paquetá has given Mateus Fernandes a chance to take on more responsibility for West Ham. Paquetá, who is said to be nursing a minor back problem, was unavailable again for last week’s win at Spurs but Nuno Espírito Santo’s struggling side coped without the Flamengo target. They called on Fernandes to dictate the flow in midfield and the diligent Portuguese did not disappoint. Fernandes moved the ball cleverly, picked up an assist and looked like that rarest of things: a smart signing from West Ham. They will need the 21-year-old, who joined from Southampton for £38m last summer, to shine again with Paquetá looking unlikely to return against high-flying Sunderland at the London Stadium. Jacob Steinberg

West Ham v Sunderland, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Burnley v Tottenham, Saturday 3pm

Fulham v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

Manchester City v Wolves, Saturday 3pm

Bournemouth v Liverpool, Saturday 5.30pm

Published: January 23, 2026, 12:00 am

Bullish Borthwick tells England to target Six Nations triumph in Paris

• Uncapped props called up to boost front-row options

• ‘We want England fans flooding across the Channel’

Steve Borthwick is plotting an ­English raid on Paris and has called on his side to set their sights on clinching a first Six Nations title in six years in the French capital on Super Saturday.

England have not won the title since the Covid-hit championship in 2020 and last managed the grand slam in 2016 when Eddie Jones’s side clinched a fifth straight victory at the Stade de France.

Published: January 23, 2026, 6:04 pm

Spurs in Robertson talks, Villa close on Abraham, Chelsea fined for Villa ruckus: football news – as it happened

The latest team news and transfer developments heading into the weekend football programme

This weekend’s Premier League games are the reverse fixtures of the season openers, back in sun-soaked August. Looking back, the most jarring result was Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford, with the teams taking very different trajectories since then.

“It was certainly a tough day for us all, but it is pretty obvious to see the development that we have made in the months since that, and I am delighted with the progress we have made,” Brentford manager Keith Andrews said yesterday.

Published: January 23, 2026, 5:15 pm

Lewis Hamilton warns new F1 season will present biggest challenge of his career

• Ferrari unveil 2026 car amid regulation reset

• Williams not ready and will miss next week’s first test

Lewis Hamilton has emphasised the scale of the challenge facing drivers and teams as Formula One enters a new season with a regulation reset that the British driver described as the biggest of his career, as his Ferrari team look to a new start after a disappointing 2025.

The Scuderia launched their new car, the SF-26, with Hamilton driving it at the team’s test track at Fiorano for the first time on Friday. He was optimistic, having been involved in the development of a Ferrari for the first time but acknowledged that a huge task lay ahead.

Published: January 23, 2026, 5:01 pm

Full-throttle Norrie overpowered again by Zverev to end British singles hopes

• Zverev wins 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach fourth round

• Grit, discipline and spirit not enough for Norrie

Cameron Norrie did what he could. Rather than easing into a long best-of-five-sets match, he played at full throttle from the beginning, pulverising forehands and forcing himself inside the baseline at all costs. He worked through every shot in his arsenal, frequently sweeping forward to the net. He punctuated each small victory with booming cries of “Allez”.

In tennis, however, matchups are king and past battles between Norrie and Alexander Zverev had already illustrated how the German’s game is built to outlast and overpower his British opponent. Their seventh meeting produced one of their most high-quality matches but the result was no different as Zverev, the third seed, secured a tough 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over the 26th seed to advance to the fourth round.

Published: January 23, 2026, 11:38 am

UFC fighter Cameron Smotherman collapses after weigh-in in harrowing scene

• Smotherman collapses after making bantam limit

• Fight with Ricky Turcios canceled from prelim card

• Incident reignites debate over UFC weight cutting

UFC bantamweight Cameron Smotherman was taken for medical evaluation after collapsing moments after making weight ahead of Saturday’s UFC 324 card in Las Vegas, prompting the cancellation of his scheduled bout.

Smotherman, 28, appeared visibly unstable as he completed his weigh-in Friday morning at T-Mobile Arena. After stepping on the scale and registering at 135.5lb, the American fighter walked off the platform before losing consciousness and falling forward onto the stage floor.

Published: January 23, 2026, 9:19 pm

Australian Open 2026: Norrie out, De Minaur and Andreeva advance – as it happened

British hopes in the singles ended with Cameron Norrie’s four-set defeat by Alexander Zverev, on a night when Alex De Minaur and Mirra Andreeva won in straight sets

Norrie and Zverev are going through the pre-match formalities. The umpire tells the players to smile big for the cameras. Not sure how easy that is for Norrie, given the British No 2, the last Brit standing in the singles, has lost to Zverev in all six of their previous meetings. The last time they played at the Australian Open was in 2024, when Norrie was denied 7-6 in the fifth set. But Norrie will at least take something from the fact he was able to push Zverev all the way then, and the fact that this is a night match, with slightly slower conditions, may help Norrie, because the rallies will be longer and more attritional and that’s what he loves.

Up next: we’ve got De Minaur v Tiafoe on Rod Laver and Norrie v Zverev on John Cain and Svitolina v Shnaider on Margaret Court.

Published: January 23, 2026, 1:34 pm

The thrill of covering sports lies in a constant hunt for details | Ella Brockway

I have joined the Guardian today as an assistant sports editor in the United States. This is why I do what I do

When I was a kid, I was drawn to stories that involved a good treasure hunt.

Favorite movie: National Treasure, the 2004 Nicolas Cage classic. Favorite book series: The 39 Clues. Favorite puzzle: a word search. Dream book project: a hunt for a treasure hidden across Olympic host cities – and naturally, a companion series involving World Cup stadiums. (There’s still time!)

Ella joins the Guardian as part of our ongoing expansion covering soccer in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup. She arrives alongside two other new hires: soccer correspondents Pablo Iglesias Maurer and Jeff Rueter. She is based in Washington DC.

Published: January 23, 2026, 1:11 pm

Above all else, it’s the stories that make soccer so intoxicating | Jeff Rueter

I have joined the Guardian today as a soccer correspondent in the United States. This is why I cover the sport

As the shootout loomed to close the 1999 Women’s World Cup, millions of US women’s national team fans fought their nerves. But at our family’s watch party in central Minnesota, nobody doubted the USWNT’s chances.

My relatives – all soccer fans – were fixated upon the action as each second passed, as is the nature of a soccer family like mine. As extra time progressed, they reassured me, aged five, that our team was in control. I wasn’t exactly locked in to the match – it was summer in Minnesota, and my brother and sister had our own ball to kick around – but I clearly remember my family’s confidence in that moment.

Jeff joins the Guardian as part of our ongoing expansion covering soccer in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He arrives alongside two other new hires: soccer correspondent Pablo Iglesias Maurer and assistant sports editor Ella Brockway. He is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Published: January 23, 2026, 1:11 pm