Dolphins to take $99m hit on Tagovailoa as Chiefs close in on Super Bowl MVP Walker

• QB agreed $212.4m extension with team in 2024

• Falcons reportedly interested in taking on QB

• Kansas City set to beef up running game

• Travis Kelce set to return for 14th season with Chiefs

The Miami Dolphins are moving on from Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback they drafted with the fifth overall pick in 2020 in hopes of turning the franchise’s fortunes around.

The move will cost the Dolphins an NFL record $99m in dead money against the salary cap. ESPN reported that the move will be designated after 1 June, meaning the Dolphins will spread the hit to their salary cap across two years ($67.4m in 2026, $31.8m in 2027). ESPN also reported that the Atlanta Falcons are interested in signing Tagovailoa. Atlanta are set to release Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr is recovering from injury.

Published: March 9, 2026, 4:46 pm

Verdict on the start of F1’s new era: five talking points from the Australian GP

Mercedes’ flying start lives up to promise, but new regulations receive scathing reviews

The pre-season favourites had done their level best to play down their expected advantage in the buildup to the Australian Grand Prix, but it was impossible to hide. A dominant one-two by the best part of a second for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in qualifying was followed by a similarly assured one-two finish in the race.

Published: March 9, 2026, 3:25 pm

Why do so many people want Arsenal to fail in the Premier League title race? | Jonathan Wilson

The leaders haven’t won the title in more than 20 years. Yet very few neutrals are excited about seeing them as new champions

• Sign up for Soccer with Jonathan Wilson here

What was striking after Arsenal’s grim 1-0 win at Brighton on Wednesday was less Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler’s attack on the Gunners’ style than the way his criticism seemed to resonate. In England, it feels as though almost nobody, other than Arsenal supporters or anyone-but-City fans, wants them to win the title.

“If I would ask everyone in the room: ‘Did you really enjoy this football game?’ I’m sure maybe one raises his arm because he’s a big Arsenal fan but, besides that, no chance,” Hürzeler said.

This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.

Published: March 9, 2026, 2:50 pm

‘He had to shoulder tragedy alone’: How Larry Bird’s rise almost ended before it began

A new book traces how the Hall of Famer overcame humble beginnings in Indiana to take his place among basketball’s greatest players

How otherworldly was Larry Bird during his memorable season for Indiana State in 1978-79? At one point he made an assist while sprawled on the floor: from his end of the court, he made a one-armed throw to a teammate, who streaked coast-to-coast for a quick bucket.

That season ended with an epic showdown in the NCAA championship game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Magic got the better of Bird in that game, but the contest had wider repercussions. Not only did it spark interest in the NCAA Tournament, but Bird and Magic would help revitalize the NBA, after Bird joined the Boston Celtics and Magic the Los Angeles Lakers. But none of this was preordained, especially Bird’s trajectory.

Published: March 9, 2026, 9:00 am

Five Iranian women footballers granted asylum by Australia, Donald Trump says

US president says Australian PM Anthony Albanese has given police proitection to the players amid fears they could be punished on their return home

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Five members of the Iranian women’s football team have been granted asylum in Australia after reportedly escaping their government minders following a tournament, according to US president Donald Trump who announced the news on social media on Monday.

The US president said he had spoken to Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese who had told him that five members of the team had been “taken care of” amid fears they could be punished if they returned home.

Published: March 9, 2026, 4:44 pm

MLS weekend wrap: Orlando City lost a game, a goalie, and A Griezmann?

Cristian Espinoza is fitting right in at Nashville, RSL’s kids are alright, and more from the MLS weekend

• Pablo Iglesias Maurer: 72,000 fans watched DC United, but only Messi’s Inter Miami dazzled

Before we begin our tour through the weekend that was in MLS, a trivia question to ponder: which team was the last Supporters’ Shield winner to start the subsequent season with three straight losses? Read to the end for the answer.

Published: March 9, 2026, 11:00 am

Mass brawl leads to 23 red cards for Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro players in Brazil

• Atlético keeper’s reaction to collision sparks melee

• Brawl starts by goal and continues well into other half

A mass brawl led to red cards for 23 players from Cruzeiro and their fierce local rivals Atlético Mineiro after clashes at the Campeonato Mineiro final in Brazil.

The confrontation on Sunday in Belo Horizonte was sparked deep in stoppage time of Cruzeiro’s 1-0 win when Atlético’s goalkeeper Everson rugby-tackled Christian to the ground after the midfielder collided with him when contesting a ball the keeper had spilled.

Published: March 9, 2026, 11:23 am

Liverpool and Manchester United complain to X over ‘sickening’ Grok AI posts

AI feature generated offensive posts about Diogo Jota and the Hillsborough and Munich disasters

Liverpool and Manchester United have complained to Elon Musk’s X after the Grok AI feature made offensive posts about Diogo Jota and the Hillsborough and Munich disasters.

The posts were generated when users asked the AI tool to make hateful posts about the two football teams.

Published: March 9, 2026, 11:08 am

Raducanu loses in 52 minutes to No 6 seed Anisimova in Indian Wells third round

• American wins 6-1, 6-1; Briton may have been injured

• Aryna Sabalenka sets up Naomi Osaka meeting

Emma Raducanu suffered a heavy defeat in just 52 minutes to Amanda Anisimova in the third round at Indian Wells. The British No 1 was well below par in a 6-1, 6-1 loss to the American world No 6.

Raducanu, seeded 25, may have been struggling with a fitness problem as she repeatedly refused to chase down drop shots. The 23-year-old’s first serve misfired badly and she hit just two winners to her opponent’s 21.

Published: March 9, 2026, 12:55 am

Rodri fined by FA but avoids ban over ‘referee has to be neutral’ comments

• Manchester City midfielder admitted FA charge

• Regulatory commission imposes £80,000 fine

Rodri has been fined £80,000 by a Football Association regulatory commission but escaped a sporting sanction for his comments criticising refereeing after Manchester City’s 2-2 draw at Tottenham in February.

The midfielder was unhappy that Dominic Solanke’s 70th-minute goal, after City had gone 2-0 up, was not disallowed. Solanke appeared to kick through the leg of Marc Guéhi, sending the ball off him and in.

Published: March 9, 2026, 3:17 pm

Hecking returns to try to halt Die Wölfe blowing their own house down | Andy Brassell

Bundesliga survival looks an uphill struggle for Wolfsburg as a lack of leadership off the pitch has led to drift on it

Edin Dzeko, understandably, erred on the side of caution. Dieter Hecking has not. Wolfsburg are indisputably in crisis and have gone back to the future to stop themselves teetering over the ledge into the abyss, with a coach who left – or was invited to leave – nearly 10 years ago returning to the club to prevent the worst coming to pass. It had felt for a while as if change was coming at the Volkswagen Arena. The question to which we will find out the answer in the coming weeks is have they already left it too late?

This was a weekend that was a very bad one for Die Wölfe; pivotally so, potentially. It was not just their own 2-1 tumble at home to Hamburg, who were also in serious need of points, which defined the moment. After all, Wolfsburg began the weekend second-bottom of the Bundesliga and ended it in the same place, but things are not the same. That is largely due to results elsewhere. Even outside Lower Saxony little went right for Wolfsburg, whether it was St Pauli and Mainz clawing points from superior opposition in Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart respectively, or Werder Bremen making the most of Union Berlin going down to 10 men seconds after they took the lead, paving the way to a second successive win of unexpectedly comfortable proportions (4-1, in the end, to Werder).

Published: March 9, 2026, 1:32 pm

Estupiñán delivers derby delight for Milan and gives fans reason to dream | Nicky Bandini

Full-back has struggled since his move but fierce strike took his side seven points off neighbours who could wobble

Pervis Estupiñán called it “the most important goal of my career”. He does, admittedly, have only 12 to choose from, but to score the winner in a Milan derby is something few players ever experience. It could only feel better for having done it towards the end of a difficult first season in Italian football.

The Ecuadorian was billed as a replacement for Theo Hernández when he joined Milan from Brighton last summer, lumbered with unreasonable comparison from the start. Hernández, at his best, was one of the most effective attacking full-backs in the world. Estupiñán, at 28, is yet to put himself in that conversation, but the hope was that he could offer some of the same directness and ability to get up and down the left flank.

Published: March 9, 2026, 2:23 pm

Liverpool’s Alisson to miss Champions League trip to face Galatasaray

• Goalkeeper has not travelled to Istanbul with teammates

• Alexis Mac Allister is available after fears over knee injury

Alisson has not travelled to Istanbul for Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Galatasaray on Tuesday after sustaining a problem in training.

The goalkeeper is understood to have felt minor discomfort after Monday’s session and a decision was taken not to risk taking him to Turkey.

Published: March 9, 2026, 2:24 pm

Old Firm fan violence branded ‘completely unacceptable’ by Scotland’s first minister

• John Swinney decries ‘severe danger’ after Sunday’s quarter-final

• Banning of away fans for Glasgow clashes is back up for debate

Violence after Sunday’s Old Firm game in Glasgow was “completely and utterly unacceptable”, Scotland’s first minister has said. Fans stormed the pitch in what police described as “shameful” scenes, with a number of arrests made, after Celtic beat Rangers on penalties at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

“The violence after the Old Firm game yesterday at Ibrox was completely and utterly unacceptable – there is no justification for it whatsoever,” John Swinney said. “There was severe danger applied to fans and to police officers and to stewards, it was completely unacceptable in every respect.”

Published: March 9, 2026, 1:32 pm

Football Daily | ‘It’s a pain in the bum’: Port Vale and the magic of the FA Cup

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Sunderland fans have suffered enough to know that no matter how well things might appear to be going, calamity is never too far away. Take, for example, a thirtysomething mackem of Football Daily’s acquaintance who travelled to see Régis Le Bris’s side get dumped out of the FA Cup by Port Vale. Having watched his side lose 1-0 to the worst team in League One – and the one we are still following through the tournament – he cheerfully noted that the result “isn’t even in the top 10 most embarrassing things to happen to Sunderland in my lifetime”. With his team safe from relegation, Le Bris treated Port Vale with maximum respect by picking his strongest side but they still lost to a team that clearly “wanted it more”.

Down here I was looking forward, courtesy of the FA Cup, to a brief break from getting up in the middle of the night to suffer through another disappointing Spurs game. So I sat down in front of the telly on a nice Sunday afternoon to cheer on fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri in the Australian Grand Prix, hoping for a win. Yep … crashed out on the formation lap. There is a pattern here and I am wondering if I have some special curse or power. If you have a particular team or sportsperson that you don’t like and want me to cheer for, my rates are reasonable” – Greg Wynn.

Could we send Sergio Ramos as head coach to Cruzeiro in Brazil. Their playing philosophy appears a perfect fit (see below)“ – Krishna Moorthy.

Published: March 9, 2026, 4:04 pm

Roman Abramovich ready to fight UK government over proceeds from £2.5bn Chelsea sale

Russian oligarch says money is his to allocate despite international sanctions imposed on his assets

The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has stepped up his row with the British government over the £2.5bn proceeds of his sale of Chelsea FC, insisting that the money is his to allocate despite the international sanctions imposed on his assets.

The UK and EU imposed sanctions on Abramovich in 2022, freezing his assets in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, citing his ties to Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Published: March 9, 2026, 3:23 pm

Iran could face possible Fifa tournament ban if they withdraw from World Cup

• Fifa can take disciplinary action against exiting nations

• ‘Sanctions include exclusion from future competition’

Iran could face disciplinary action from Fifa, including a possible ban from future tournaments, if they unilaterally withdraw from the World Cup.

Donald Trump told Politico last week that he “really doesn’t care” if Iran fail to take part in this summer’s tournament, but Fifa remains committed to the World Cup going ahead with all qualified teams participating.

Published: March 9, 2026, 4:42 pm

Russia flag raised and national anthem played after first gold at Winter Paralympics

• Varvara Voronchikhina wins women’s super-G standing

• Russian anthem has not been heard at Games since 2014

The Russian national anthem has been played at the Paralympics for the first time since 2014 as the skier Varvara Voronchikhina claimed gold in the women’s super-G standing.

A tearful Voronchikhina received her medal on Monday afternoon, and the Russian flag was raised, after a dominant performance on the slopes of the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. A watching crowd of international fans responded only with polite applause, but Voronchikhina’s success has already been celebrated by Russia’s sports minister.

Published: March 9, 2026, 12:38 pm

Sky Brown wins second skateboarding world title at rain-hit event in Brazil

• Briton, 17, wins her second park crown in São Paulo

• Event was cut at halfway due to recurrent rainfall

Britain’s Sky Brown celebrated International Women’s Day by becoming a skateboarding world champion for the second time at a rain-curtailed park competition in São Paulo.

The two-time Olympic bronze medallist was leading in Brazil after two runs, the halfway point, at which World Skate deemed “adverse weather conditions and recurrent rainfall” to have called time on proceedings.

Published: March 9, 2026, 12:34 pm

Masked fan unplugs referee’s VAR monitor in suspected ‘planned’ protest in Germany

• Fan came out of stands at Münster v Hertha Berlin

• Perpetrator wore white overalls and a ski mask

A masked fan unplugged the referee’s video review monitor at a German football game while the referee was deciding on a penalty, in an apparent protest against the video assistant referee system.

The unidentified fan came out of the stands and unplugged the monitor which Felix Bickel was trying to use to decide on a penalty in Sunday’s second-division game between Preußen Münster and Hertha Berlin, Münster said.

Published: March 9, 2026, 10:12 am

'Save our girls': support shown for Iran players after exit from Women's Asian Cup – video

Fans and activists chanted support for the Iranian women’s football team, shouting 'save our girls', as the players' bus drove past them after their final game at the Women's Asian Cup. Iran’s state television labelled them as 'traitors' for not singing the national anthem before their first game against South Korea.

• ‘Grave concerns’ for Iran’s return home after Women’s Asian Cup elimination

Published: March 9, 2026, 3:09 am

Akshay Bhatia denies Berger in playoff to win Arnold Palmer Invitational

• Bhatia wins on first playoff hole at Bay Hill

• Berger had led by four shots on the back nine

A straightforward conclusion to the Arnold Palmer Invitational is apparently impossible. Palmer himself would approve, even if events at the tournament still played in tribute to a golfing icon can feel grisly at times. This, the Florida swing, is the PGA Tour’s most testing spell. Glory came to Akshay Bhatia after one sudden death hole in competition with Daniel Berger. The 24-year-old Bhatia, a charismatic left-hander, will bounce towards Sawgrass and Thursday’s Players Championship.

A year after Collin Morikawa stumbled in painful fashion at Bay Hill, Berger was dragged into the most unlikely of scraps by Bhatia. Berger had led by four at the Sunday turn. Bhatia jabbed back, courtesy of four birdies in a row. Berger secured leeway again at the 15th, where Bhatia’s missed attempt at par came after officials had told the pair to pick up the pace. Game over? Not at all. Bhatia flew a wonderful approach to the par five 16th, setting up the eagle that reduced Berger’s advantage to one. Shot of the day? It was shot of the tournament. The duo were all square on the 18th tee after Berger three-putted the penultimate hole.

Published: March 8, 2026, 11:05 pm

USMNT’s Sergiño Dest comes off with apparent hamstring injury in PSV win

• Right back suffered injury in 57th minute

• Dest projected to start for US at World Cup

• Likely to miss US friendlies v Belgium and Portugal

United States defender Sergiño Dest limped off with an apparent hamstring injury during PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch league on Saturday, putting him in doubt for the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Portugal.

Dest grabbed his left hamstring and screamed in pain while covering his eyes after tumbling in his own penalty area chasing Alkmaar’s Wouter Goes in the second half. The full-back was substituted in the 57th minute, leaving the field with the assistance of two medical staff, unable to put weight on his left leg.

Published: March 8, 2026, 6:21 pm

72,000 fans turned up to watch DC United. But only Messi’s Inter Miami dazzled

DC United sought to use the occasion to woo Charm City, but another flat loss put Miami’s quality in sharp relief

The pregame scene outside Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday likely felt familiar to anybody who has followed Lionel Messi’s time in Major League Soccer. Fans milled about, forming a colorful patchwork of Inter Miami pink, the light blue and white of Argentina’s national team, and in this case, the purple of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. Others simply came in whatever soccer jersey they happened to own, all the way down to indoor soccer’s Baltimore Blast, the closest thing the city normally gets to top-flight soccer.

What there wasn’t a lot of was DC United black and red. Despite its proximity to the nation’s capital, Baltimore isn’t exactly DC United country, and as far as decision-makers at United are concerned, that was an opportunity. The club moved the Miami match away from their usual home, the 20,000-capacity Audi Field, to maximize ticket sales, but also to put themselves on display to potential fans in Charm City, a market they’ve badly wanted to engage for years. DC are in the process of starting an MLS Next Pro team in the city, and they’ve partnered with Baltimore’s local government to construct a stadium here for that club.

Published: March 8, 2026, 5:14 pm

Emperor Naruhito watches Ohtani and Japan survive scare against Australia at World Baseball Classic

• Masataka Yoshida’s late HR helps seal 4-3 win

• Naruhito first emperor in 60 years to attend baseball

Masataka Yoshida’s late home run triggered a comeback win for Japan over Australia at the World Baseball Classic on Sunday, with Emperor Naruhito making a rare appearance.

The underdog Aussies struck first in the sixth inning of the group stage game when outfielder Aaron Whitefield came home after a throwing error by Japan’s catcher, Kenya Wakatsuki. But in the seventh, Yoshida connected with a two-run shot over right centre field. Japan put on two more insurance runs in the eighth, and hung on for the 4-3 victory.

Published: March 8, 2026, 4:00 pm