FIFA has hit out at "a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine" the governing body and president Gianni Infantino over claims surrounding his conduct at UEFA.UEFA confirmed on Saturday a "departure payment" was made to a female employee alleged to have been in a relationship with Infantino when he was the European organization's general secretary.The Daily Telegraph reported the woman received a six-figure sum and UEFA confirmed a payment was made along with covering the fees for an MBA course, adding it was "in line" with regulations at the time.The allegations intensify the position of Infantino, who worked at UEFA for 16 years and was its general secretary between 2009 and 2016 before being elected FIFA president, following his aborted plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.While not directly referencing UEFA's statement, FIFA accused Infantino's critics of trying to weaken his authority and have him removed from his role without a due re-election process.A lengthy statement said: "It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president.""Those who do not have the support of FIFA's member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA's established democratic processes.""Recent reporting has included unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims concerning FIFA and its president. Speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact, and repetition does not make an allegation true.""The FIFA president has dedicated more than 30 years of his professional life to European and world football, contributing to significant change in the game and, in particular, to broadening access, resources and opportunity across world football.""Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA's president or the institution he was elected to lead.""FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny. But scrutiny is not a licence to distort facts, amplify unsubstantiated allegations or manufacture distractions designed to undermine progress. Where reporting is inaccurate or misleading, FIFA will challenge it directly and vigorously.""FIFA's responsibility is to its 211 member associations and to football around the world. We will not be distracted or diverted from strengthening the organisation, delivering for our member associations and continuing the work of making football truly global.""Through the FIFA president and the FIFA administration, our focus remains firmly on that mission, and we are more determined than ever to fulfil it."Infantino's controversial proposal was rejected by UEFA and two other continental confederations. On Wednesday, Infantino was backed by FIFA's management board following a meeting in Morocco and issued an apology over the process.UEFA's threat for its 55 member countries to boycott FIFA competitions until the plan was scrapped remains, with the European confederation saying on Thursday that Wednesday's announcement "changes nothing."Following the Daily Telegraph claims on Friday, a FIFA spokesperson was reported to have told the newspaper Infantino "strongly denies these categorically untrue allegations."A UEFA spokesperson said: "We are aware of the allegations and can confirm a departure payment was made to the individual in question, coupled with the payment of fees for a MBA course at a local business school.""The payment was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time.""Such regulations have been tightened since 2016 and the current staff regulations which apply to all UEFA employees at whatever level reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation."

Motorsport photoIt took Carson Kvapil 64 races to earn his first NASCAR OReilly Series victory, but he has now won back-to-back after triumphing at Iowa Speedway.JR Motorsports teammate Ross Chastain led most of the final run, but a caution with five laps to go completely changed the complexion of the race.Chastain spun the tires in the first overtime restart, allowing Kvapil to move ahead. Right behind them, Brent Crews slid up into Ryan Sieg and Justin Allgaier, wrecking all three cars and collecting several others. That led to a post-race confrontation between Allgaier and Crews.In double overtime, Kvapil once again got a better restart than Chastain, and Rajah Caruth actually moved up into second. They led a JR Motorsports 1-2 with William Sawalich third, Chastain sliding back to fourth, and Sheldon Creed fifth.Nicholas Sanchez, Taylor Gray, Dean Thompson, Harrison Burton, and Brennan Poole filled out the remainder of the top ten.Carson Kvapil, No. 1 JR Motorsports ChevroletCarson Kvapil, No. 1 JR Motorsports ChevroletStage 1Ryan Sieg started from pole for the first time in his lengthy career, and dominated the opening stage. Allgaier passed teammate Chastain for second just before the first caution of the race, which took place directly in front of them withNathan Byrd spinning.As the stage progressed, Jesse Love's car kept popping out of fourth gear, and it only got worse from there. He went for a half-spin and the race remained green, and then he sped on pit road. He eventually went behind the wall for repairs, falling completely out of contention.R. Sieg had to fend off a charging Allgaier as they navigated slower traffic, hanging on to win Stage 1. He was followed by Allgaier, Creed, Chastain, S.Smith, Mayer, Kvapil, B.Jones,Day, and Sawalich.Stage 2Creed took the lead off pit road as a lot of the top runners lost positions during the sequence. R. Sieg fell all the way back to eighth.The next caution was for Kyle Sieg, who went for a spin. What followed was a frantic restart. Allgaier and Creed made contact in the battle for the lead, and Allgaier eventually sent it under Creed, clearing him. However, he overdrove the corner and Creed quickly snatched it back.Allgaier kept the pressure on and Creed bobbled, allowing Allgaier to sneak by.Allgaier went on to win Stage 2 over Creed, S. Smith, R. Sieg, Mayer, Day, Crews, Sawalich, Hill, andCaruth.Stage 3Allgaier continued to lead, with the next caution flying with just over 100 laps to go as Alfredo went spinning.Most of the field stayed out, with Jones choosing to pit as they were on the edge of the fuel window.On the ensuing restart, Crews leaned heavily on Kvapil, and they almost triggered a wreck. Sawalich then went spinning soon after after contact from Staropoli.This was a definitive moment as Allgiaer stayed out with Mayer, Sanchez, J. Burton, Staropoli, Retzlaff, and Jones. The rest of the field pitted, led by Creed and Chastain.This was the beginning of a rash of yellows. Carson Ware crashed next after contact with Love, who was 60 laps down. Lavar Scott was the next caution, and then Mason Maggio after that.Just beforeMaggio spun after colliding with Staropoli, Chastain passed Creed as the 'leader' of those who had already pitted (but fourth on track).During that yellow, Allgaier and Mayer gave up the top two positions and pitted. Unfortunately, the cautions did not play out the way they had hoped.Jeb Burton now led with Chastain joining him on the front row. Chastain powered ahead after Kvapil made it three-wide at the front.Allgaier restarted outside the top 20, but made huge gains and was 13th by the time the next caution flew. That yellow -- the tenth of the day -- was for Corey Day crashing heavily into the outside wall.Chastain faced immense pressure from Sieg but he managed to hold him off as the run progressed. Kvapil eventually worked his way by Sieg and began his hunt of Chastain for the race lead.Behind them, Allgaier worked his way up to third in a remarkable charge, putting JRM 1-2-3.With five laps to go, Jeb Burton went for a spin, pushing the race into overtime. Chaos ensued as Chastain spun the tires and Allgaier tried to make it three-wide for the lead. Kvapil moved into the lead as Crews slid up into Sieg and Allgaier, wrecking all three cars. Mayer, S. Smith, Carson Brown, Staropoli, and K. Sieg were all collected in the melee.That was the 12th caution of the race, tying the record for the O'Reilly Series at Iowa.On what would be the final restart of the race, Kvapil again cleared Chastain, and brought Caruth with him. He held on for the final two laps, capturing the checkered flag. Sawalich undid the JRM 1-2-3 by passing Chastain in the final corner.To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Sources tell cleveland.com the Cavs continue to discuss various trade packages involving Schroder, seeing if there is an opportunity to slightly reconfigure the roster or gain financial flexibility, which would help their pursuit of free agents Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.Cleveland Plain DealerThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Cavs actively shopping Dennis Schroeder

Saturday was showtime in Canton, Ohio, as the Pro Football Hall of Fames five inductees saw their busts for the first time. In front of a packed house at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Luke Kuechly and Roger Craig all had a chance to say thank you to those who helped them achieve the ultimate goal of wearing a gold jacket, which they all received at the annual dinner on Friday night. Here are some highlights from the big day for the five players, who bring the total to 387 busts in Canton. Payton, the former New Orleans Saints and current Denver Broncos head coach, had to hold back tears while talking about what Brees meant to him during his introductory remarks. "We were better coaches when he was our starting quarterback," said Payton, who presented Brees. "We were a better team when he was our leader. Drew, it has been an honor to have a front-row seat watching you play quarterback for the Saints at such a high level. "You made my job easy, and all of us are better for having been a part of this with you." Brees closed out the five presentations with an entertaining, heartfelt and emotional speech. It paid tribute to an ultra-competitive family that pushed him to reach his potential, as well as the bumps along the road he had to hurdle to become better at his craft. "I dont take for granted that I got to play the most coveted position of all of sports," Brees said. "From as far back as I could remember, I wanted to play quarterback. I never saw the position as pressure, but rather one of great responsibility." "The quarterback is the distributor of hope and confidence, a master of probability," he added. "The ultimate problem solver. Ive always seen the game of football and quarterback as a true art form, as a song or a dance. The key to the art form was controlling the rhythm of the game." A former Minnesota Vikings ball boy back when receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter lit up the scoreboard in the 1990s for head coach Dennis Green, Fitzgerald followed in their footsteps by earning a gold jacket. He is one of the best receivers in NFL history, having been drafted by Green, ironically, when he took over as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Fitzgerald said he didnt glean anything from Moss as a player because he could do so many things that others couldnt do on the field. As a mentor, Fitzgerald said he took the out-of-this-world receivers generosity and willingness to help others. Presenting Fitzgerald was his son, Devin, who followed in his fathers footsteps and is playing receiver at Notre Dame. The younger Fitzgerald said his father's most memorable play, in his opinion, was the slant route he caught for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving the Cardinals a late lead. Ultimately, Pittsburgh overcame the deficit for a dramatic victory. Fitzgerald paid tribute to his parents, Larry Sr. and Carol Fitzgerald. His mother died from breast cancer while Fitzgerald was in college at Pittsburgh, while his father, a longtime sports reporter in Minnesota, passed away earlier this year. "Even though our parents, Carol and Larry, are no longer with us, I still try every day to make them proud," Fitzgerald said. Vinatieri was presented by Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon. The third pure place kicker enshrined in the Hall, Vinatieri helped Irsay-Gordons father, Jim, win a Super Bowl with the Colts after the 2006 season. Irsay-Gordon said that while her father, who passed away last year, couldnt be there, he was surely watching from above as Vinatieri received the ultimate honor of entering the Hall of Fame. "So, here I stand at the top of the mountain, the pinnacle of greatness and the highest achievement in my professional career," Vinatieri said. "And I can officially say my biggest dreams have come true." Vinatieri thanked his parents, Paul and Judy, who were both teary-eyed in the stands while watching their son praise them on the stage. "You gave me far more than opportunities; you gave me values," Vinatieri said. "You taught me that hard work, humility, accountability, perseverance and faith. You taught me that if something is worth doing, its worth doing it right." Vinatieri paid tribute to his New England Patriots days, which included three Super Bowls with head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft, neither of whom made the cut to enter the Hall. "Your time to join us on this stage and in the Hall are right around the corner," Vinatieri said. Vinatieri later joked: "Unfortunately, Bill couldn't make it here today. There's a lot going on at UNC right now. He may be on a recruiting trip looking for the next Lawrence Taylor. I thought it was because training camp had already started, but in truth, it was because he's judging his girlfriend's cheerleading competition." Kuechlys father, Tom, handled the introduction for the talented linebacker, who was a five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. "His driving influence is his desire to compete, perform to the highest that he can and win," Tom said. Kuechly did just that with the Panthers, who went to the playoffs four times and reached a Super Bowl during his eight seasons with the team. "This game teaches you a lot if youre willing to listen and willing to observe," Kuechly said. "Its taught me resilience, consistency and toughness. The value of communication and how to find common ground. And most importantly, it taught me to enjoy it along the way." And after a 28-year wait, the first player to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season (1985) finally earned his gold jacket as a senior candidate. The Nebraska product joined former San Francisco 49ers teammates Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Charles Haley and Ronnie Lott in Canton. "You spend your whole life trying to prove that you belong," Craig said in pre-recorded video remarks. "And then one day youre told youre one of the all-time greats. Man, its overwhelming."

The Denver Broncos made four roster moves on Saturday, including placing defensive lineman Matt Henningsen on season-ending injured reserve. Players who land on IR before the initial 53-man roster is set are not eligible to return from IR during the current season. Henningsen ruptured his Achilles during Friday's practice exactly one year after he tore the Achilles on his other foot during a joint training camp practice with the San Francisco 49ers in 2025. The 27-year-old defensive lineman will now face another year of rehab with the hopes of getting back on the field in 2027. Denver also signed defensive back Ricardo Hallman and wide receiver Kyrese Rowan on Saturday. To make room for them, the Broncos placed Henningsen on IR and released defensive back Sam Webb.Broncos roster movesSigned DB Ricardo Hallman Signed WR Kyrese RowanPlaced DL Matt Henningsen on IR Cut DB Sam WebbWith preseason set to begin next week, Denver's 91-man offseason roster is full. Social: FollowBroncos WireonFacebookandTwitter/X!Did you know:These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos DL lands on season-ending IR; team made 4 roster moves

Memphis football's season opener is only three weeks away.The Tigers held a "Fan Fest" event on Aug. 8 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. It was a rescheduled event that was supposed to take place in the spring but was postponed because of weather, and it was also the first time for a lot of Memphis fans to see the 2026 team in action.Coach Charles Huff had warned beforehand that the portion of practice open to the public wouldn't exactly be groundbreaking stuff. It was mostly special teams drills, and it took place a day after the Tigers held a scrimmage.Still, it was a reminder that the season is close. Here's what we saw.Air Noland, Marcus Stokes both take QB repsIt's not surprising in any way that the quarterback competition between Air Noland and Marcus Stokes is ongoing, but this was the first chance to see them in action. Fans got to see a few seven-on-seven drills in which each got chances with different sets of receivers.Noland connected with Brady Kluse for a score in a red zone drill, while Stokes found Stonka Burnside for a touchdown despite a defensive holding call."He's a good person, but also we push each other," Noland said. "Iron sharpens iron, at the end of the day. I wouldn't want it no other way. He brings the best out of me, and I bring the best out of him, regardless of who's on the field."Memphis spent most of the practice portion open to the public doing individual or special teams drills. Manny Covey, Jermane Hayes and Ellis Ellis were among those returning punts during that period of the practice.Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium renovations continueThe event took place exactly four weeks before Memphis' home opener against Arkansas State on Sept. 5. While Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium has been undergoing renovations for the past two years, those projects are still not totally complete.Memphis officials took the media on a tour of the renovated west tower in July, but plenty of progress has been made since. There are seats installed in most of the suites, and the Landers Plaza below them is starting to take shape. There are also ongoing renovations to the east tower and the seats throughout the stadium.The north tunnel remains a work in progress, and Memphis athletic director Ed Scott has said that's the last thing that will be finished. There were still piles of dirt behind the entrance to the tunnel during the event."I haven't looked up yet," Huff said. "I'm waiting for the first home game to look up. I'm not one of those people that when you build a house, you go by and check it every week. I trust our administration wholeheartedly. But to me, it's going to be a moment the first time I run out of that tunnel."What next three weeks look like for TigersMemphis will be off on Aug. 9, and Huff said the coaching staff will use the day as a "middle of the semester assessment." That will include an evaluation of who's going to play on special teams and which parts of the playbook they want to continue drilling the next few weeks."We're the professors," Huff said. "We have our curriculum. What do we need to make sure we get in? Everything that we want to do, we might not be able to do because of our personnel. What do we need to make sure we get in, and then what can we cut?"Memphis opens its season on Aug. 29 on the road against UNLV. Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.comor on X @thejonahdylan.This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What we saw, heard at Memphis football's fan fest ahead of 2026 season

Credit: 49ers49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was in a car accident this summer that left him hospitalized. The incident became a major news story not just because it happened, but because of how it was covered.While the initial accident took place on July 14, it wasnt reported on until more than a week later. Given the extent of the injuries Shanahan suffered Chris Simms said there was a chance the coach would lose his right eye in addition to the concussion, broken hand, broken nose, three broken ribs and the 40 stitches in his face the fact that the story was kept quiet for so long was shocking.The responsedrew criticism of ESPN, withDan Patrick arguing, This isnt journalism, regarding how ESPN was treating the story,and Dan Le Batard noting that the vagueness surrounding the situation only lent itself to more conspiratorial thinking. It was, simply, a mess.On Saturday, Shanahan spoke with reporters and offered more details and perspective on the accident, explaining that he was using the autopilot feature in his car and had been looking for his phone when the collision occurred.I think everyones done, to a degree, what Ive done dropping a phone, falling all the way to my back seat to where I fully have to take my eyes off the road, Shanahan said. Thats something that I normally wouldnt do. Ive had autopilot for nine years, so Im pretty comfortable with it. Who knows what happened when I turned around, whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off; thats something that I dont know yet. But regardless, its always your fault, whether youre on autopilot or not. You cant take your eyes off the road. Its a partnership driving; you dont just turn it over to a computer.Kyle Shanahan says hes mad at himself for causing the accident that could be avoided and his Tesla was on autopilot when he crashedKyles not sure what happed, whether he accidentally turned it off or it malfunctioned pic.twitter.com/zHba2bChHv Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) August 8, 2026While he spoke with a group of local reporters in late July to explain the accident, this was the first time Shanahan had taken the podium to publicly answer questions at 49ers camp.Shanahan also said that while he is not yet fully recovered from his injuries, he plans to coach the 49ers in their preseason opener this coming Thursday.There are still plenty of questions to be asked about both the accident and the way it was covered in the days that followed. Now that hes back at the podium, Shanahan can be asked them.The post Kyle Shanahan says autopilot was factor in car accident that left him hospitalized appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Luciano Darderi of Italy advanced to the quarter-finals of the ATP Montreal Masters by defeating Nuno Borges of Portugal (Minas Panagiotakis)Italian Luciano Darderi fuelled himself with an expresso shot during a mid-match changeover in a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Nuno Borges on Saturday to reach the Montreal Masters quarter-finals.It was not the first time Darderi had downed his national rocket fuel to fire up the afterburners in a tight situation on court.Darderi will bid for the semis against Brandon Nakashima, whose match with Arthur Rinderknech was interrupted for nearly two hours with the final set level at 4-4.Players were taken off court due to rain and the threat of lightning, returning to finish after almost two hours.Nakashima withstood a love game from his French opponent but broke serve a game later before finishing a 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 7-5 victory on his first match point thanks to 22 unforced errors from Rinderknech."Coming out after the break I knew I had to fire at the beginning," the American said after reaching his first Masters quarter-final."This happened pretty quickly. I needed to stay focused and go for it when I had opportunities. My level is growing with each match and I'm trying to make the most of it."ATP number 22 Darderi will be playing in an ATP-leading 10th quarter-final of the season after earning his 30th victory of 2026.Darderi will be playing in his second Masters last-eight of the season after achieving the quarters last May at home in Rome.The 24-year-old overcame more than 40 winners off the racquet of his Portuguese opponent, starting his comeback in the second set with a 5-2 lead and carrying momentum into the third.Darderi broke for 4-3 as Borges double-faulted but lost his own serve moments later for 4-all.The Italian got an insurance break for 6-5 as a net cord bounced out for Borges, then served out the triumph with an ace on match point a game later."This is my first Masters quarter-final on hardcourt so I'm very pleased," the winner said. "I like the conditions here and the crowd helped me in the third set."I deserved this win. I've improved my hardcourt game a lot. I try to play every match at full power. Paying well on hard is good for me after starting (my career) on clay."str/js

Mad Max rolled right past the Big Train on Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout list.Scherzer recorded his 3,516th career strikeout Saturday, Aug. 8, punching out former teammate and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber to move into 10th place all-time.Strikeout No. 3,516 for Max Scherzer!He passes Walter Johnson for 10th place on the all-time Ks leaderboard pic.twitter.com/BpBRP4U4c2 MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2026Scherzer, 42, was making just his ninth start this season thanks to a pair of stints on the injured list. He has recorded one 300-strikeout season, in 2018 with Washington, eight 200-strikeout seasons and twice has led the major leagues in strikeouts over his 19-year career.Johnson, who debuted as a 19-year-old in 1907, won 417 games over a 21-year career and still leads all major leaguers with 110 career shutouts.Max Scherzer is now TENTH all-time in strikeouts https://t.co/48syfVxxUMpic.twitter.com/jyuiAcy3VZ MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2026This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Max Scherzer passes Walter Johnson for 10th place on all-time strikeouts list

Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil sustained a torn triceps in practice today during 1-on-1 pass-rush drills. Hell likely require surgery and will miss at least a significant portion of the regular season, per Mike Garafolo. Tunsil's injury occurred while blocking defensive end Odafe Oweh. This is the second injury Tunsil, 32, has sustained in less than two seasons with the Commanders. He missed three games last year because of a hamstring injury. Washington acquired Tunsil before the 2025 season in a trade that sent the Houston Texans a fourth-round draft pick. Tunsil was a five-time Pro Bowler in Houston. The Texans also used a trade to acquire Tunsil before the 2019 season. They sent two first-round draft picks, a second-round pick, offensive tackle Julie'n Davenport, and cornerback Johnson Bademosi to Miami, who selected Tunsil with the 13th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Despite likely missing the majority of the 2026 season, Tunsil will profit $34.35 million, featuring a massive $32.5 million signing bonus alongside a $1.495 million base salary, after singing a two-year extension with Washington prior to last season. His total career earnings have eclipsed $142.2 million.