Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesGolden State Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini has attracted a lot of negative attention on social media after her flop during Italy vs. USA at the 2026 FIBA World Cup.Team USA picked up a narrow 55-52 win over Italy to keep their 20-year winning streak at the womens World Cup alive.What should be remembered as a gutsy national team performance against the USA has instead been marred by one play involving Zandalasini.Team USA fans slam Cecilia Zandalasini during win over ItalyZandalasini was on the perimeter while being guarded by Jackie Young when she recoiled backwards mid-shot and grabbed her eye, and later argued with the referees for a foul.With the clip not having context on the seconds before this play, fans went in on Zandalasini, blaming the Valkyries style of basketball for her flopping.This was actually the worst flop attempt ever, said one fan.Bluetooth foul and she was crashing out afterwards, said another fan in shock over the situation.Straight from Natalie Nakases school of flopping. Exhibit 1000, said a fan blaming Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase.The way she would get this call with the valks, said one fan, implying WNBA referees would have given her the foul here.WNBA refs woulda put all the wind on earth in that whistle, said another fan along the same lines.Some fans defending her said that she was poked in the eye by another players hair before the video started, but how her reaction changed from dribble to shot, and subsequent foul protests, implied that she definitely believed a call was due there.Cecilia Zandalasini was Italys best player in the loss to Team USAZandalasini led all scorers with 14 points (5-14 FG) in the game. As the national teams featured star, she was the No. 1 focus of the USAs defense as well.Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe 30-year-old forward is averaging 8.8 points and 2.2 rebounds this season as the Valkyries sit No. 2 in the WNBA standings with a 29-11 record.Her ability to stretch the floor, handle the ball, and be a lead defender was put to the test against the USA. While she was inefficient offensively, she did all she could to ensure the team was in a position to pull this historic upset off.While fans might blame Zandalasini for her actions in the game, theyll soon be watching her in the WNBA Playoffs on a team with a shot at the title.Read more:Fans think Team USA player would rather get a turnover than pass to Caitlin Clark amid World CupCaitlin Clark draws attention in Team USA locker room for on-camera action after 0 made field goalsShes trash Caitlin Clark catches flak as USA narrowly survive Italy scare at FIBA Womens World Cup

GREEN BAY, Wis. Notre Dame spent nine months this past offseason preaching Leave No Doubt.From the time the 2025 College Football Playoff committee snubbed the Irish on Dec. 7 until kickoff of Sunday nights game against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, it was the mantra. The No. 4 Irish repeated it as they embarked on an early offseason without a bowl game and as they fielded questions about how they were handling incredibly high expectations for the 2026 season.Then Sunday, in front of 75,939 fans about half in the Badgers red and the other half in Irish navy they left a little doubt. In the first half, at least.Notre Dame had some issues in all phases early in the game. A blocked punt. Just 29 rushing yards and 1.8 yards per carry in the first half. An easy touchdown given up on defense. They went into halftime with a three-point lead against a Wisconsin team that was coming off a 4-8 season in 2025.But coach Marcus Freeman went into the locker room and told his players that they needed to let go of their preconceptions about what the game was going to look like because this Wisconsin team was going to be a challenge.The Irish responded with a dominant second half in a 41-13 victory. The offense picked up. The defense scored a touchdown and held the Badgers to a field goal. The Irish celebrated at the end with a line of players doing Lambeau Leaps into the student section. And Notre Dame looked like a team capable of following its offseason mantra.Its human nature, when maybe you look at somebody elses record last year and everybody has expectations on what you should be this year to think, This is how this game should go, Freeman said. I dont know how they thought it would go, but I wanted to make sure at halftime they knew that it was going to be a battle, and it was going to be a struggle, and I told them that all week. And sometimes you dont believe it till youre in it.Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr completed 19 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and he said near the end of the first half he could tell, Were going to be just fine.To open the third quarter with the Irish leading 13-10, the offense marched 70 yards on nine plays and scored on Aneyas Williams 3-yard run. Running back Nolan James Jr. had a 7-yard run the longest to that point and a 28-yard catch on the drive.Then cornerback DJ McKinney, who transferred in from Colorado this offseason, made the biggest play of the defenses night. He picked off a Colton Joseph pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown and a 27-10 Irish lead.The Irish cruised from there, with Williams scoring on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter and James adding a 28-yard catch from Carr after the two-minute warning.We got a battle in the first half, and we were really excited coming around the second half, because (Freeman) talks about, Theres nothing great that comes from something thats easy, Carr said. And so we knew it was going to be a struggle, and thats what we wanted, and ended up finishing really strong.The second half didnt answer all of the questions about the Irish, however.The main curiosity entering the season was how the offense would fare without running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who were first-round NFL draft picks in the spring. Love was the type of transcendent player who made breathtaking plays nearly every week, and he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting. He and Price combined for more than 2,100 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground in 2025.Their absence was acutely felt in the first half, but the Irish got better. They finished with 111 rushing yards on 3.5 yards per carry. Williams had 20 carries for 90 yards, and James had seven carries for 19 yards and four catches for 67 yards.I thought the coaches made some really good adjustments for the run game, and then our backs, they were hitting holes, Freeman said. They were hitting the angles that we needed them to hit. And we challenged them a little bit at halftime. Youve got to run, man. Stop trying to look for certain things.Freeman said there were moments Sunday where the running backs showed what the Irish expected, and he has confidence in them because of what he saw in training camp.I dont expect to replace J. Love and J.D. with just one guy, or two guys, Freeman said. Its going to be by committee. Its going to be keeping guys fresh and continue to let them run and continue to let them try to wear down the defense.Lambeau Field was the ninth unique venue to host a Shamrock Series game, including AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas; Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas; FedEx Field in Landover, Md.; Fenway Park in Boston; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Yankee Stadium in New York and Soldier Field in Chicago.Freeman said he had shown his team the last time it played Wisconsin, in the 2021 game at Soldier Field. In that game, also a 41-13 Notre Dame win, the teams were tied at 10 heading into the fourth quarter before a furious Irish comeback.On Sunday, Notre Dame, which played the second half without injured safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye, needed a big second half again thanks to the rough start.Their first drive started with a false start and ended with Carr taking a sack and fumbling. The Irish recovered, but Wisconsins Liam Danitz blocked the ensuing punt. The Badgers capitalized with Gavin Lahms 27-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.Notre Dame responded with a 52-yard field goal by new kicker Spencer Porath, who transferred this offseason from Purdue.Wisconsin returner Harrison Bortolotti muffed the ensuing kickoff return, and Notre Dames Kahanu Kia recovered it at the Badgers 13-yard line. A Wisconsin unnecessary roughness penalty helped give Notre Dame first-and-goal at the 6.Two plays later, Carr hit James Flanigan for a 3-yard touchdown pass and a 10-3 Notre Dame lead. Flanigan is from Green Bay, and his father and grandfather both Jim Flanigan played for the Packers. His father also played defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears from 1994-2000.Wisconsin tied it up 10-10 on Josephs 28-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman, who beat cornerback Jayden Sanders to get wide open in the end zone. For Wisconsin, Joseph, the Old Dominion transfer, completed 19 of 30 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown and was sacked twice.Porath hit a 26-yard field goal to put Notre Dame back on top 13-10 with 8:53 to play in the first half, but the Irish didnt score again in the half.Their second half, however, was enough to set off a big celebration at Lambeau Field postgame, including the players jumping up to sit on the edge of the student section.Me and Drayk (Bowen), we talked about it beforehand, Notre Dame safety Adon Shuler said. We were like, Yeah, were jumping as soon as we can. It was great to see it and be with the student section and the people.

TonyFerguson will return to the boxing ring later this month.The former Ultimate Fighting Championship interim champ is scheduled toface former professional soccer player Kenzo Biyong in a five-roundboxing matchup at Misfits Boxing on Sept. 26 at James L. KnightCenter in Miami.Tony Ferguson will face Kenzo Biyong at Misfits Boxing on Sept.26Ferguson will take on former professional soccer player KenzoBiyong on the undercard of HenryCejudo vs. "Deen The Great" at Misfits Boxing.Ferguson is 2-0 under the Misfits banner, with one professionalvictory and one exhibition win. His most recent boxing appearancecame in December, when he defeated Warren Spencer by unanimousdecision. Ferguson has also competed in wrestling since then,losing to ArmanTsarukyan by technical fall at Real American Freestyle.Biyong, 28, will make his striking debut against Ferguson, thoughhe has previous combat-sports experience. He competed in UFC BJJ 7in April, where RaphaelFerreira submitted him.The event will be headlined by Cejudo vs. Nurideen Shabazz, alsoknown as Deen the Great. A heavyweight bout between Chase DeMoorand Plinio Cruz,one of AlexPereira's trainers, is also scheduled.El Cucuy returns MF Middleweight champion TonyFerguson returns to face Kenzo Biyong in Miami, Sep 26 Live on @daznboxing |Tickets on sale Now https://t.co/Qdy674s5vWpic.twitter.com/giO51jCuSu MisfitsBoxing (@MisfitsBoxing) September 5, 2026

Man Utd finally get indication over where their priority targets future lies after fresh contract decision this weekendLewis Hall is poised to sign a new deal with Newcastle United, which would see him extend his stay until June 2031.As per Newcastle journalist Joel Bland, the coveted full-back is set to commit to a bumper two-year deal, with his current terms running until 2029.Lewis Hall on verge of signing Newcastle extension(Photo via TUS)Bland adds that new Magpies manager Matthias Jaissle absolutely loves Hall and is keen on him staying and continuing to play an integral role in the new project at St. James Park.The odds were stacked against the Tyneside outfit heading into the season following the departure of Eddie Howe, as well as key men Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.However, they remain unbeaten in 2026/2027, having won once and drawn twice in their opening three fixtures against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth.Barring a late penalty mishap when hosting Liverpool, Hall has been outstanding for Newcastle thus far. Should he oversee an injury-free campaign, his value could have skyrocketed by the end of the term.Hall has admirers at Old Trafford(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)One side thats certain to be keeping a close eye on how the 21-year-old is faring is Manchester United.They were linked with Hall for the duration of the window, but never went as far as making a formal approach or offer due to Newcastle maintaining that he was off-limits.INEOS eventually opted against bolstering the left-hand side of defence much to fans dismay as they are preparing for a major overhaul to the backline next summer.Then, they will go all-out for Hall, whom they believe is keen on making the switch to Old Trafford.It remains to be seen if a release clause will be added to the England internationals contract.ShareTweetShareShareEmail

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesJimmy Butler has been out for eight months since tearing his ACL in January of this year. He recently sent a message to Golden State Warriors fans, one that they like quite a bit.Golden State Warriors fans have had little cause for optimism during this NBA offseason. Their reported pursuit of LeBron James did not bear fruit, and the roster has not improved in any significant manner.Stephen Curry continues to get older and its hard to see the Warriors competing for championships next season. However, one man could prove to be the wildcard to make all the difference.Jimmy Butler has settled in well with Curry and Draymond Green already during his tenure. His long injury absence has been an issue for the team, but Butler recently sent a strong message to the fans.Photo by Michael Owens/Getty ImagesJimmy Butler shares court-workout photos while telling Warriors fans he will see them soonButler has never played it coy when it comes to sharing his situation or his takes. His recent Instagram post saw him share videos of him working out on the court and shooting the ball.The 6-time All-Star captioned the set of photos, saying, The work always real. Home court. Home alo wellness. I will see you soon in a ten Warriors jersey. Naturally, fans loved it and a lot of them said as much, too.Counting down the days to see you cooking again, shared one fan. We will see Batman and Robin play together again soon, another wrote.Good to see u recovering fast Jimmy and putting work in, a third fan commented. I hope you come back stronger and better Jimmy, I hope to see you recover quickly, added a fourth.Jimmy got that dog in him, it was never in doubt, a fifth fan claimed. Whether the Warriors can achieve anything depends entirely on Jimmys health. Hope hes good now, a sixth fan wrote.The Warriors were on a 47-win pace before Butler went down last season, but obviously fell off after he became unavailable. They will be hoping Jimmy has one more miracle NBA Finals in him.Read more:Too high of a price to pay Insider reveals that Timberwolves discussed trade for a Finals MVP this offseasonStephen A. Smith feels disrespected and claims credit for landing Cari Champion ESPN jobJosh Hart accuses Premier League champions of having crazy dirt on the league as they beat Chelsea

Sunderlands next two Premier League games are against Arsenal and Manchester City but who should be starting up front? Is it finally time for Wilson Isidor to get the nod ahead of Brian Brobbey?Gav, Bomber, Brett & Ant answer your questions, discussing Sunderlands attacking options, the impact of injuries to Mundle and Diarra, whether Talbi could leave, Kevin Dansos impressive debut, the battle for set-piece duties and whether the media are still seriously underestimating the Lads.Plus, we look ahead to the Hull City cup clash and ask just how much rotation Rgis Le Bris should make. Isidor or Brobbey? Three at the back or four? And can Sunderland keep surprising everyone?All this and more!Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily Sunderland show.Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today Claude.ai/HAWAYEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal nordvpn.com/hawayTry it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee.Want to get in touch? Email us: HawayThePodcastSAFC@Gmail.com Social media: Were @RokerReport on almost every platform.For your daily SAFC fan-written content, head over to RokerReport.SBNation.com

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger MarlonMoraes now deals with real-world situations, as seen in arecent South Florida traffic stop.Viral footage circulating on social media shows Moraes, now workingas a police officer, dealing with a motorist who repeatedlyconfronted and verbally challenged him. After several warnings toback away, the man moved toward Moraes, who responded by taking himto the ground.Marlon Moraes hip tosses motorist while working as SouthFlorida police officerThe incident took place on March 27. Moraes joined the Davie PoliceDepartment in Florida in June 2024 before taking a position withthe Coral Springs P.D. later that year.In the viral footage, the situation escalates after the motoristrepeatedly insults Moraes and another officer. Moraes warns himagainst moving closer before eventually using a hip toss to bringhim to the ground, where other officers move in to handcuffhim.The incident adds another chapter to Moraes' unusual post-fightingcareer, which has seen him transition into law enforcement whilealso returning to mixed martial arts competition. The Brazilianexited the UFC in 2023 on a seven-fight losing streak. He defeatedMaximilianoPerez by unanimous decision on Aug. 28, returning tocompetition after three years to record his first victory since2019. Former UFC bantamweightMarlonMoraes is now a cop in South FloridaAfter a traffic stop, this man asked Moraes: What are you gonnado? You cant do sh*tHe stepped towards Moraes, and Moraes floored him with ease pic.twitter.com/xxbSesgzIfHome of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 5, 2026

Credit: Cameron Spencer/Matthew Stockman via Getty ImagesBen Shelton faces his toughest opponent yet in the returning Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open quarterfinals. He knows what it will take to beat the 7-time Grand Slam title winner. Ben Shelton dominated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the US Open fourth round. The young American didnt need so much as a tiebreaker to dispatch the former French Open finalist.While the 23-year-old is in fine form after the victory, his next challenge will not be so easy. Having missed a large chunk of the year through injury, Carlos Alcaraz is back and looking like himself.Shelton will face Alcaraz as he tries to make it back to the semifinals for the first time since 2023. After his big win, he spoke about what it will take to get the job done.Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesBen Shelton says special tennis will be needed to beat Carlos AlcarazShelton and Alcaraz have faced off three times in the past, with the Spaniard winning all three matches. In fact, the only time the American has won a set was during their fourth round clash in the French Open.Even with Alcaraz returning from injury, this will be an immense challenge for the young star. His answer about what it will take to win reveals his deep respect for the two-time US Open winner.Special tennis. I think the level hes been playing at is really really impressive, Shelton said. To not play for 5 months and come out and do what hes done so far this tournament has been superhuman.Were happy to have him back on tour. He lights up the stadium every time he plays. I think its gonna be fireworks on Tuesday night. I hope you guys come back, because Im ready to go.While not being disrespectful to his more accomplished peer, Shelton made it clear that he is also quite confident. The match promises to be one of the most explosive battles of the 2026 US Open.Read more:How a Trinity Rodman game led to Ben Sheltons Tough Like Taylor braceletAryna Sabalenka reaches US Open QF in style as jaw-dropping $330,000 ensemble piece steals the showTennis fans divided over insane Coco Gauff stat as straight-set win sends her into US Open Round of 16

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar has revealed how Virat Kohlis support helped him take on the captaincy of the IPL franchise. Patidar said Kohli, whom he has admired for years, backed him strongly when he was given the responsibility of leading RCB.According to Patidar, having the support of his idol gave him confidence to handle the pressure of the role.If your idol backs youPatidar spoke about Kohlis influence and the special feeling of getting support from a player he had looked up to for a long time.If your idol backs you, then you dont need anything more. You dont need anyone elses support. I used to notice everything about him when he batted. From what he did on the ground to what his routine was off the field. Later, I came to know he backed me a lot, including when it came to captaincy, Patidar told Sports Launchpad.Patidar said leading RCB is not an easy job because of the huge fan base and the expectations around the team.It is not easy to hand someone the RCB captaincy, considering the fans and the expectations. He must have seen something in me. I dont know what, but I have received a lot of support from him in the team, as a player and as a captain. He always backed me, Patidar said.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.Patidar delivers for RCBPatidar quickly showed why the franchise trusted him with the captaincy.Under his leadership, RCB won their first IPL title in 2025, ending an 18-year wait for the trophy.The team then defended the title in 2026. Patidar became only the third captain to win consecutive IPL titles, joining MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.For Patidar, Kohlis support has remained an important part of his leadership journey.

Inter Milan carry unwanted Real Madrid curse into Champions League clash at BernabuInter Milan will arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu for their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League opener carrying a record they will be desperate to change.The Nerazzurri have not beaten Real Madrid in Europe this century, with their last victory over the Spanish giants coming almost three decades ago.As such, their most recent victory came in 1998 at San Siro. Luigi Simonis Inter defeated Guus Hiddinks Madrid 3-1 in the group stage, with Roberto Baggio scoring twice and Ivan Zamorano completing the victory.Since then, the balance has been in Real Madrids favour. Inter have faced the Spanish side four times this century and failed to win any of those matches, whether in Milan or at the Bernabeu.Inters long wait began after 1998The scale of the drought is striking, as Inter have changed their crest twice since that last European victory over Madrid, yet another win against the 15-time European champions has remained elusive.Real Madrid have won each of their last four meetings with Inter Milan. (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)The meetings in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Champions League campaigns offered Inter further chances, but neither produced the breakthrough they wanted.This rivalry also has a much older chapter that gives Inter a very different memory of facing Real Madrid.In 1964, Helenio Herreras legendary Inter defeated Real Madrid 3-1 in the European Cup final in Vienna.That victory remains one of the defining moments of the Italian sides era.Real Madrid have their own answer from the 1960sInters European history against Madrid is not built entirely on disappointment.Inter Milan have not beaten Real Madrid since 1998. (Mandatory Credit: Ben Radford /Allsport)The two clubs produced some of their most important encounters during the 1960s, when both were among the continents leading forces.In fact, Inter are one of only three clubs, alongside Benfica and Liverpool, to have defeated Real Madrid in a European Cup final.Madrid responded two years after the Vienna final. They won the first leg of the 1966 European Cup semi-final 1-0 before securing qualification with a draw at San Siro.Real Madrid subsequently went on to win the competition by beating Partizan in the final.Overall, considering only UEFA Champions League matches, Real Madrid hold the edge with seven wins, while Inter have won five, with only one draw between the two sides.

Motorsport photoAdjectives are overrated. Facts and numbers usually speak louder. A victory from 19th on the grid. The first victory for an Italian at Monza since 1966. At just 20 years old. In his second Formula 1 season.Call it sensational. Fantastic. Impressive. Magic. Extraordinary. Remarkable. Incredible. Historic. These are just words. Simply the fact that Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix after overtaking almost the entire field tells you everything.Read Also:After Kimi Antonellis Italian GP win, is the F1 world title fight over? Our writers have their sayAnd... just two years after his first-ever FP1 at the same track. The one that ended in the barriers just 10 minutes after the session started.That crash contributed a lot to many forming the opinion that Mercedes had either overestimated Antonelli's potential or rushed him into F1 too quickly. Toto Wolff's flashbacks to losing Max Verstappen to Red Bull back in 2014 had fogged his mind, they said. Antonelli was nowhere near Verstappen's potential, they thought. He was just overhyped, they believed.Mercedes and Wolff never backed down. Promotion to F1 at the age of 18, after a single - and quite average, to be fair - season in F2. Straight into the seat vacated by the seven-time world champion.Andrea Kimi Antonelli, MercedesAndrea Kimi Antonelli, MercedesThey even released a documentary just two months into his first season, in cooperation with one of the sponsors, of course.The Seat.Have you watched it? It's actually decent if you make your peace with all the promotional content.The Monza crash was part of that movie and took up quite a decent chunk of the 40-minute video."That day, I let down all my family, my dad," Kimi said, sitting in front of the camera. "He was not happy."Wolff is surely someone who has played a major role in Antonelli's career, along with Gwen Lagrue, the outgoing Mercedes junior programme chief, but it was Kimi's father Marco who laid the foundations. He doesn't often speak to the media, and the details of his son's early career aren't as well known as, for example, those of Verstappen. Yes, Marco was a driver too - but he wasn't an F1 driver, after all.One of those rare occasions came just a few days ago, when Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport published an interview with Antonelli Sr after Kimi's 20th birthday."I also hope he remains who he is, sweet and generous, and continues to do what he loves for as long as possible," Marco told Italy's biggest sports newspaper.Marco Antonelli celebrates in parc ferme.Marco Antonelli celebrates in parc ferme.Kimi does indeed seem like a sweet and generous guy, which probably makes it even harder for someone like George Russell. You can't even hate the kid, however much he keeps beating you - so sweet off track, yet driving like a devil!Yet, despite him now making it all look like a game, it has surely been a tough journey - both for son and father. And perhaps for their relationship, too. Marco may never have left his son alone at a petrol station after a disappointing kart race, but dads of successful athletes are usually of a demanding kind.There's a moment in the documentary when they are shown together in a car during the winter leading up to Kimi's first F1 season, with Marco behind the wheel. His son says he didn't understand as a kid why his father was so tough on him."This is something we never talked about, but this moment is an opportunity to explain," Antonelli Sr responds. "I often think about all the times I yelled at you, all the times I got angry with you. You said, 'My father is an asshole. Why does he do that?' - [it's] because in my career, unfortunately I couldn't get ahead. I couldn't take advantage of the opportunities I had. That's why we were fighting, because I was probably asking you to do more than you could in that moment."That gives you at least a glimpse of what the journey might have been like.In one of his rare interviews later, Marco would admit that he himself - as a parent - probably didn't believe in Kimi's potential as much as Wolff did. Now, he admits his son is exceeding his expectations too.Andrea Kimi Antonelli, MercedesAndrea Kimi Antonelli, MercedesThe last real challenge for Antonelli now seems to be keeping his feet on the ground. Because there's every reason for them to start taking off. Winning at Monza from the penultimate row of the grid will bring no shortage of praise from all directions.Italy certainly won't hold back in imposing its love upon him.He'll surely be declared world champion by many after this race, given the gap to Russell in the championship. And very soon he'll surely start thinking about becoming one himself - if he hasn't already.For now, he keeps battling those thoughts away - at least when speaking to the press."I mean, definitely its been a very strong year so far, but still many races left and so still anything can happen," he muttered again on Sunday after his historic, sensational and remarkable win. "And weve seen how things can swing very quickly. So, on my side, as I said many times, just take it race by race, focus on things that I can control and just maximise every opportunity I get."His father will surely approve of that answer. And he'll certainly do his best to make sure Kimi doesn't get carried away by everything that's about to come his way. But that's something to think about a little later.For now, though, Marco Antonelli can simply be a proud dad.Read Also:Who slept worst last night: George RussellTo read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 6: Captain Alexis Vega #9 holds the trophy up with the Toluca FC team as they celebrate winning the Leagues Cup Final over Monterrey during the Leagues Cup Final match between Monterrey and Toluca FC at Shell Energy Stadium on September 6, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Jefferson/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesToluca has been crowned Leagues Cup champions after defeating Monterrey in the competitions first ever all-Liga MX final. This now makes six titles for the Diablos Rojos and head coach Antonio Mohamed. After this final, Toluca has made a strong case to be considered a grande in Liga MX.Just seconds into the game and there was controversy. A long ball was played into Tolucas defensive half where both Federico Pereira and Lucas Ocampos both jumped up for the ball when Pereira elbowed Ocampos in the back of the head. The referee did not hesitate and gave the defender a yellow card 10 seconds into the game. There was even a possibility that the play could have been sent to VAR as plays just like this have gone to VAR and the player has received a red card. This play was not looked at further and it seemed as though Toluca was saved. Then a few minutes later Toluca opened the score thanks to a goal by Alexis Vega. It all started thanks to Federico Vias who made his way into the box on the left side. He passed the ball to Helinho who gave it right back to him where Vias took a shot towards the net but it hit the far post. The rebound went to Orbelin Pineda who held onto the ball instead of getting rid of it. Thats when Vega also followed the rebound and kicked it out from under Pineda into the back of the net to go up 1-0 in the fourth minute. Gol de los Diablos! Alexis Vega abre la gran final de #LeaguesCup2026 El capitn rompe el cero y pone a @TolucaFC al frente ante @Rayados Live on @AppleTV https://t.co/rQWk93E9Zkpic.twitter.com/vxBoEG4SKj Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) September 7, 2026Monterrey attempted to respond immediately but they were unable to as Toluca was well-positioned in their box. The Rayados attempted to make their way back into the game but could not find the back of the net even with all of their chances. One big chance came in the 39th minute when Jesus Gallardo committed a foul from a dangerous distance. Monterrey had a fabricated play but once again Pineda lost the ball and turned it over. He was lucky the loss didnt end in a goal but once again the midfielder made a mistake. They had another dangerous chance in the last minutes of the half when a cross came into the box where Hugo Cuypers was waiting to strike the ball into the back of the net but Everardo Lopez was there to block the ball. With all the failed chances Monterrey was more than happy for halftime.The start of the second half began with a lot of intensity as the first half. The Rayados had multiple attempts to equalize the match but they were unable to convert any of them. Still, the hunger for a goal was visible and if they kept up their high intensity then the goal was bound to come. Unfortunately that did not happen as they became stagnant after 1o minutes. That was when the game changed as Toluca took control of the match. With how the game was progressing in Tolucas favor it seemed as if Monterrey was going to be making changes soon as they were in dire need of a spark. Instead, it was Mohamed who made the first substitutions of the game in the 61st minute. His changes were simply position for position but were needed as it was evident the team needed fresh legs in those positions. These subs paid off just minutes later as Toluca doubled their lead. The Rayados were up high looking for a way into their opponents box but as Oliver Torres attempted to break in he was dispossessed as Franco Romero took the ball away and made his way up the field towards the box. Romero then sent the ball into the box where Vias beat his defender and shot towards the net as Andrade hit the ball with his outstretched hand and Helinho was there to push it into the back of the net to double the lead. Monterrey had too many players up front so when Toluca went on the counter there was nothing they could do. Copy + paste de los Diablos! Helinho aparece en la gran final de #LeaguesCup2026 y ampla la ventaja de @TolucaFC en Houston Live on @AppleTV https://t.co/rQWk93E9Zkpic.twitter.com/pgVEkYf5AL Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) September 7, 2026It was after this goal that Matias Almeyda finally decided to make his first substitutions when he should have made them earlier. Then minutes later the Diablos Rojos were close to adding another goal after a defensive mistake from the Rayados. Again, Monterrey were all the way up high when Toluca hit them with a counter. Jorge Diaz found himself unmarked as he ran towards the net and got on the end of a long ball. Both Monterrey defenders were too busy looking elsewhere as Diaz out ran them and that forced Andrade to come out of his box and tackle Diaz to the ground but not before the player released the ball headed towards an empty net. Unfortunately for them the ball hit the post and was immediately kicked out of danger as Monterrey was saved. Even though they were down two goals the Rayados continued to make their way forward but they were unable to convert any of their chances. As the game headed into the 80th minute it was evident they were frustrated at not being able to get a goal as they struggled to break down Tolucas defense who switched to a five-back. While they did settle down defensively, Toluca continued to look for a third goal even though they were inching closer and closer to another trophy. No matter what they did it was not enough as the game drew to a close and Monterrey failed to win yet another championship title.With this win, Toluca have now won six trophies in two years with the help of Antonio Mohamed. The coach completely turned this team around in so little time and proved that the Diablo Rojos are a grande. Meanwhile Monterrey and Matias Almeyda will have a lot to work on as they continue to fall over themselves time after time. It has been years since Monterrey saw their last title and with how the team currently looks, it might be even longer before they can raise another trophy. So, Mexico fans, what did you think of the 2026 edition of the Leagues Cup?