Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesThe Philadelphia 76ers are expected to sign two-time NBA Champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a reunion with LeBron James.Caldwell-Pope had a tough 2025-26 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, but has been officially waived and expected to sign with the 76ers once the team opens up the room to complete his signing.Caldwell-Pope reunites with James, winning the 2020 NBA Championship together on the Lakers. Naturally, Pope is excited to be back playing for a contending team after a few rough seasons.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was dancing after teaming up with LeBron JamesPope was playing golf with his friends on a course when Shams Charania confirmed that the 33-year-old swingman will be joining the 76ers to join the superstar-led squad with James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid.Pope will hope to prove he still has a lot to offer, taking a veterans minimum to join the 76ers as a three-and-D specialist off the bench.The 76ers rotation will likely have Pope deputize behind V.J. Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown, with the potential of him starting if either of the two is sidelined.His simplified 3-and-D role on a team with title expectations should lead to strong production, and even if it doesnt, it was a low-risk signing for the 76ers, who have his championship pedigree in their locker room.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is hoping to bounce back after two tough seasonsPope averaged 8.4 points on 31.6% from three last season, struggling on a tanking Grizzlies squad.Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty ImagesHe joined the team after the Orlando Magic traded him as part of the Desmond Bane trade, with Pope averaging 8.7 points on 34.2% from three with the Magic in 2024-25.Pope has clearly had a few rough seasons, but he won a championship in 2023, the last time he had a high-level passer leading the offense.Pope averaged 10.8 points on 42.4% shooting from three with Nikola Jokics Denver Nuggets, enjoying the same success with the 2020 Lakers when James played point guard and led the league in assists.He averaged 9.3 points on 38.5% shooting from three in the Lakers 2020 championship-winning campaign.His familiarity with high-pressure situations with championship expectations might suit him better in Philadelphia than it did in the rebuilding/tanking spots hes spent the last few seasons in.Read more:Steph Curry seemingly accepts 2026-27 season being a gap year for Warriors after LeBron James snubLeBron James expected to create a $400+ million impact in Philadelphia after joining the 76ersMagic Johnson shares two major questions for the 76ers to answer after signing LeBron James

Manchester City actively exploring transfer for 500M Barcelona superstarMan City have sounded out Barcelona over the possibility of signing La Masia star Marc BernalBernal is on Citys three-player midfield shortlist alongside Bouaddi and Bayern Munichs PavlovicAny deal is considered very unlikely given Bernals 433M release clause and desire to stayManchester City have gone beyond admiring Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal from a distance and are now actively exploring whether a deal could be possible before the summer window closes, as per a new report from Spain.The 19-year-old is one of the most prized young midfielders in European football, having recovered from a serious knee injury to establish himself as an undisputed starter under Hansi Flick at the Camp Nou by the end of last season a recovery and a level of consistent performance that has placed him firmly on the radar of clubs seeking elite midfield talent ahead of the new campaign.Marc Bernal signed a contract with Barcelona until 2029 that carries a 500 million approximately 433 million release clause, giving the Catalan club an extraordinarily strong contractual position that makes any negotiated departure effectively impossible under normal market conditions.Manchester City plotting five summer signings with Elliot Anderson set to lead rebuildDespite that, Manchester City have chosen to sound out Barcelona to understand whether any pathway exists a decision that reflects the seriousness of director of football Hugo Vianas ambition to continue strengthening the midfield even after the 116 million arrival of Elliot Anderson.The broader context of Citys midfield rebuild drives the approach. With Bernardo Silva having already departed, Mateo Kovacic no longer in the plans and Nico Gonzlez also expected to leave, the club are preparing for significant further changes in the centre of the park before the window closes.Report: Bernal on Citys three-player shortlist as Barcelona face contract dilemmaAs reported by Sport and relayed by Sport Witness, City have identified three leading candidates for the young midfielder positions they are looking to fill with Bernal sitting alongside Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille and Aleksandar Pavlovi of Bayern Munich as the primary targets under assessment.The report confirms City have already checked with Barcelona whether the club could be persuaded to negotiate, though Sport makes clear that any deal is still considered very unlikely given the scale of the contractual protections surrounding the player.Bernal himself has no desire to leave. He wants to stay at Barcelona, has a contract until 2029, and still considers a new and improved deal the priority for this summer rather than a transfer to the Premier League.The complication for Barcelona is financial. Despite Bernals rapid rise to the first team, he remains on one of the lower salaries in the squad a situation the club had planned to address in the summer, but which Citys interest may now force them to accelerate into formal discussions sooner than anticipated.Enzo Maresca outlines Manchester Citys transfer ambitions after 116M Elliot Anderson signingWhat does Citys Bernal enquiry tell us about their midfield plans?The inclusion of Bernal on Citys shortlist alongside Bouaddi who is the subject of advanced ongoing negotiations between Viana and Lille and Pavlovi underlines the ambition of the rebuild Viana is overseeing in central midfield, with the club clearly unwilling to settle for second-tier targets even when pursuing players of this calibre.Pep Guardiola is noted in the Sport report to be an admirer of Bernal, having watched the midfielder closely during his final season at the Etihad Stadium a connection that will carry some weight with Bernals management even if Guardiola himself is no longer part of Citys structure.Enzo Maresca has spoken publicly about the club still having a few things to do in the market, and the trio of Bouaddi, Bernal and Pavlovi being studied simultaneously suggests that those things extend well beyond a single additional signing.Whether any of the three can be prised away from their respective clubs before the window closes and in Bernals case whether an enquiry can ever develop into something more concrete given Barcelonas contractual position will define one of the more compelling remaining threads of Manchester Citys most transformative summer in recent memory.

[Getty Images]Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov says he is "growing and learning a lot as a player" after signing a new five-year contract at Etihad Stadium.The 22-year-old, who became the first Uzbek player to sign for a Premier League club in January 2025, made 37 appearances under Pep Guardiola last season."This is a great day for me and my family," Khusanov said. "I am really happy to extend my stay at City. I've enjoyed every minute since I arrived in Manchester."I feel I am growing and learning a lot as a player. I have a new challenge now, which is to impress Enzo Maresca and his staff. I also want to ensure I am in his team regularly. I am determined to do that."Thank you to the City fans for all of your support - it has been really important as I have settled in England and the Premier League."Now I am only looking forward. I am ready to do everything I can to help this club be as successful as possible."Khusanov's helped City secure a domestic cup double in his first full season with the club, and he featured in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals at Wembley.Director of football Hugo Viana added: "We are seeing him grow into a brilliant young man and an outstanding defender, but we know this is only the beginning."His physical and technical abilities are top. He has all the assets needed to be a world-class centre-back."At just 22 years old, his best years are all in front of him and his potential to get even better is clear for all to see."

Slavko Vincic, the referee who officiated the recent World Cup final, has announced his retirement just a week after the tournaments conclusion. The Slovenian official faced widespread criticism for his handling of Argentinas physical approach during their 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain, a match in which he sent off Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez in stoppage time.Following Ferran Torres extra time winner, the aftermath of the match was marred by ugly scenes as Spain and Argentina players clashed on the pitch.Fifa is investigating the post-match scenes which included Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes throwing Gavi to the ground, although the Spanish star has revealed he does not Paredes to be handed a suspension.Vincic was criticised for his handling of Argentinas physical approach (Reuters)Confirming Vincics departure, the Slovenian Football Association released a statement saying: "A week after the World Cup final in the USA, Slavko Vincic officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the top of the world."Despite the recent controversy, Vincic, 46, has a distinguished career, having been named the World Cups best referee by both the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and the Association of Italian Referees (AIA), which bestows the biennial Giulio Campanati Award.A member of Uefas elite group of referees since 2019, Vincic officiated at Euro 2020 and took charge of the 2024 semi-final between Spain and France. At this summers World Cup, he oversaw four matches, including Brazils Group C opener against Morocco and Mexicos 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the last 16, where he controversially dismissed Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie for covering his mouth under a newly introduced rule.At club level, Vincic refereed the 2024 Champions League final, which saw Real Madrid secure their 15th title against Borussia Dortmund. He also presided over the 2022 Europa League final, where Rangers were beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt, and served as fourth official for the 2021 final when Manchester United lost on penalties to Villarreal. He was also notably appointed for the 2025 Turkish Super Lig fixture between Galatasaray and Jose Mourinhos Fenerbahce, a historic selection as he became the first foreign official to take charge of the fixture following requests from both clubs.

Gianni Infantino has been Fifa president since 2016 [Getty Images]Fifa president Gianni Infantino has told critics to "meditate, pray or watch a football match" instead of "spreading hate and false rumours" about his leadership, the governing body and the World Cup.In a 15-slide post on his personal Instagram account - reposted to Fifa's eight million followers - Infantino addressed "those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens" to affirm his belief that, while they were "busy planting seeds of hate", Fifa was delivering the "greatest event on earth".He said the World Cup "celebrated humanity at its best", adding that the 2026 tournament had "100% safety and security, only joy and happiness". Infantino downplayed several of the tournament's high-profile controversies and hailed the involvement of Iran, who featured at the World Cup despite their ongoing conflict with co-hosts the United States, as a success. He said Fifa "worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war", with Iran entering the country "without incident or conflict".His comments are in stark contradiction to those of Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei, who said his team were the "most oppressed" at the World Cup.Infantino's 'time is up' with Fifa - La Liga bossThe country that doesn't play football... yetIran faced visa delays, "integral" members of their backroom staff were denied entry to the US and fans had their allocation of tickets revoked, while Iran also had to move their training base from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico following a multitude of logistical issues in the build up to the tournament.They later also encountered restrictions on their movements as they travelled between their training base and group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.Such issues were not unique to Iran, with fans from Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast impacted by travel bans imposed by the Trump administration, while Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US - despite holding a diplomatic passport and a single entry US visa - because of his "association with suspected members of terror organisations".Infantino wrote: "You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world. Because football unites the world, and it was impressively demonstrated this summer."Doubling down on the tournament's safety, Infantino said there were "zero incidents, zero violence, just joy, emotions, happiness, unity, and togetherness". However, Fifa is investigating Argentina's actions after players and backroom staff were involved in altercations with Spain's players after losing the World Cup final. It is also investigating allegations of racist abuse towards American social media influencer IShowSpeed, while supporters were arrested at multiple matches - including following England's semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials were also controversially present at World Cup stadiums. President Trump (right) was awarded the Fifa Peace Prize in December [Getty Images]Infantino also addressed criticism surrounding the standard of officiating at the tournament, in particular concerns about political interference after USA forward Folarin Balogun was made available for their last-16 tie when his one-match ban was suspended by Fifa - following the intervention of US President Donald Trump.Of the 191 other red cards shown at a men's World Cup, only one other player has escaped a suspension.Uefa said the decision had "crossed a red line", labelling it "unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable", while the Norwegian Football Federation is considering filing a formal complaint to Fifa's ethics committee.Infantino, however, argued that such decisions are not out of the ordinary, claiming similar rulings are "routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide".He added: "It's curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising."The International Olympic Committee has said it will not investigate Infantino for any possible breaches of political neutrality, stating the complaint levelled by human rights campaign group FairSquare falls outside the jurisdiction of its ethics commission.Infantino's advice to his opponents was "to show some love" and "respect" to a tournament where "people came together as families, as fans, as one"."To everyone who missed our beautiful game, the emotions, the celebrations, the laughter, the crying, the deception and the joy. To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents and parents come together for the beautiful game... sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all," Infantino wrote."While they celebrated, you were busy planting seeds of hate. Our world needs love, not hate; tolerance, not division; celebration, not mourning."To those spending their time and energy hating us, please take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray or watch a football match and truly observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions."Because only our beautiful game can deliver such an extraordinary show, a show where everyone becomes one and reconnects as humans."I am incredibly proud, as Fifa President, to have contributed, even a little, to this show. It's a great feeling."When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportWorld Cup 2026 knockout pathHow to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV

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