George Russell stays at Mercedes next season but door not shut on pursuit of Verstappen

George Russell will remain with Mercedes for next season after the Formula One team confirmed they would be sticking with their drivers in 2026. However, the length of the contracts signed by the Briton and his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, have not been specified, potentially leaving the Formula One team open to once more pursue Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for 2027.The long-expected decision comes after a protracted period of negotiation with Russell, as Mercedes seek stability going into the new regulations of 2026. The 27-year-old British driver has five wins in eight seasons in F1, including victory in Singapore, helping propel Mercedes into a fight for second in the world championship with Ferrari and Red Bull.Russell, who came up through the Mercedes junior programme, is fourth in the world championship

George Ford turns down R360 riches for last shot at England World Cup glory

George Ford has turned down the riches on offer from R360 for one last shot at a Rugby World Cup with England. The 32-year-old revealed he was approached by the rebel circuit, fronted by the former England centre Mike Tindall, but rejected a deal believed to be worth £1m a season to chase his dream.Ford, who reached a century of caps last summer, has signed a three-year contract extension with Sale which will ensure his availability for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.“As players, we understand what’s going on with trying to set up this new league and they did contact my agent to have discussions,” Ford said.“My decision-making was purely based on the fact that I love playing for England and I’ve got an unbelievable desire to keep playing for England

British basketball chaos continues as Fiba suspends BBF and bans men’s team

The British Basketball Federation (BBF) has been suspended by the global body Fiba and the British men’s team banned from international competition in a dramatic move that has put the sport’s funding under threat.The Guardian has learned that Fiba has had talks with the UK government officials about the suspension, which is likely to have implications for its financial support for British basketball to the tune of £4.75m over the next four years.Fiba’s bold step is the latest development in the extraordinary civil war that has engulfed British basketball this year. The sports minister, Stephanie Peacock, had discussions with UK Sport in April outlining concerns about British basketball’s governance

The Spin | Beware the quiet man: Ashes folklore is littered with unlikely names stepping up

Have you heard about Big Pat’s back? You must have by now. The eyes and ears of the cricketing world are zeroed in on a locus of around 10 inches of Pat Cummins’ lumbar region. Hushed whispers about the Australia Test captain’s “stress injury” after his side’s tour of West Indies in July became a rumbling concern as the weeks passed and there was no reassuring statement from the Cummins camp. Ideally it would have been delivered by the man himself with a megawatt smile, just letting everyone know that he was locked in for full part in the Ashes series.By contrast, earlier this week a more circumspect Cummins put his chances of playing at Perth in the first Test on 21 November as “probably less likely than likely”

NFL bets big on Saudi Arabia with Tom Brady-led flag football showcase

The National Football League is making a significant move to raise its global profile after years of struggling to expand beyond its domestic roots.The league announced last week that the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, headlined by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, will take place on 21 March 2026, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The showcase event is expected to serve as a major lead-in to flag football’s debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where the NFL hopes the sport’s inclusion will accelerate its growth worldwide.Produced by OBB Media and Fanatics, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic will feature a round-robin tournament with three teams composed of former NFL greats and current stars, including Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys), Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers), Sauce Gardner (New York Jets), Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders), Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders), Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) and Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns).“I have always admired the power of flag football and how it connects fans of all ages, and it’s awesome to be able to showcase the sport on such a global stage while joining together so many incredibly skilled athletes,” Brady said in a press release

Toronto Wolfpack players finally paid salaries after five-year battle

Players from the former Super League club Toronto Wolfpack have finally been paid about £750,000 in unpaid salaries after a five-year legal battle, the Guardian can reveal.The Wolfpack folded in 2020 ­during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving their playing squad – which included players such as Sonny Bill Williams – unemployed and without contracts. Some of those players were able to source deals for 2021 and continue playing, but others retired from the sport altogether and had to take jobs outside rugby league to make ends meet.Since then the squad has been attempting to reclaim six months of unpaid wages from the end of 2020. David Argyle, the club’s ­former owner, promised monthly “­goodwill” payments of about £1,150 until he was able to pay in full, but those settlements were ultimately breached, leaving the players unpaid once again