Sports · Tuesday, 6 October 2026

01 Briefing what happened

Alex Ovechkin says his 22nd NHL season will be his last, on a one-year deal that puts more than half his pay in a bonus

The ice hockey league's all-time top goalscorer, 41, told his Washington Capitals teammates on Monday. His $4.25m wage plus a $4.75m bonus helped the club afford two new forwards.

929

NHL regular-season goals for Ovechkin, more than anyone has scored

Wayne Gretzky's old record was 894 [5][3]

$4.75m of $9m

of Ovechkin's pay this season is a bonus he gets once he plays 10 games

the part paid for certain is $4.25m [1][5]

$775

for the cheapest resale seat at his last regular-season home game, on 4 April

nearly double the price an hour before he spoke [5]

17:27

minutes and seconds he spent on the ice in an average game last season

the lowest of his career [1]

The lead story — what happened

Alex Ovechkin, the Russian who has scored more regular-season goals than anyone in the history of the NHL, North America's top ice hockey league, said on Monday this season will be his last. [1][2]
He is 41 and has played all 22 of his seasons for the Washington Capitals. [1][3] He told his teammates before practice, two days before the Capitals' first home game, against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. [2][4]
He has 929 goals in regular-season games, 35 more than Wayne Gretzky's 894, the record Ovechkin broke in April 2025. [5][3] Gordie Howe is third with 801, and Jaromir Jagr fourth with 766. [3]
Counting playoff goals as well, Gretzky's total of 1,016 is still ahead. Sporting News puts Ovechkin 10 goals short of it, and the BBC 11. [6][3]
He signed a one-year contract in July. It pays $4.25m for certain, plus a $4.75m bonus once he plays his 10th game. [1][5]
A salary cap limits what each NHL team may spend on players' pay. The Athletic reports that Ovechkin's bonus-heavy deal helped the Capitals fit two new forwards, Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, under it. [4]
Tuch is signed at $10.5m a season for eight more seasons, and Kyrou at $8.125m for five, so the club has also built a team for after Ovechkin. [7]
His game has slowed. He averaged 17 minutes 27 seconds on the ice a game last season, the lowest of his career, though he still scored 32 goals in all 82 games. [1] In this season's first game he played just under 13 minutes, his lowest in a game where he was not hurt or sent off. [8]
Within an hour of the news, the cheapest resale ticket for the Capitals' last regular-season home game, on 4 April, nearly doubled, to $775. [5]
The Capitals missed last season's playoffs by three points, and after the summer's signings they are picked to challenge the champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. [7][9]
In the summer he appeared in an advert for United Russia, the party that backs President Vladimir Putin, and he says he will live in Russia when he retires. [4][8]
Gretzky said the farewell season would be great for the NHL. Crosby, the Penguins' captain, who entered the league in the same year, said years of being compared had turned into a friendship. [10]

Ovechkin929 goals

Gretzky894 goals

Howe801 goals

Jagr766 goals

The most goals in NHL regular-season games. Ovechkin passed Gretzky in April 2025 and has added 34 since.

Who is involved

Alex Ovechkin

Russian forward, 41, and captain of the Washington Capitals; the NHL's all-time top goalscorer, retiring after this season
Chris Patrick

the Capitals' general manager, who runs the club's signings; added Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou in the summer
Spencer Carbery

the Capitals' coach; has cut Ovechkin's time on the ice as his all-round game slowed
Sidney Crosby

the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain, 39, who joined the NHL in the same season as Ovechkin; in the last year of his contract and not retiring
Wayne Gretzky

the Canadian whose goals record Ovechkin broke in 2025; called the farewell season great for the NHL

How it unfolded

2004 The Capitals pick him first in the NHL draft [9]
2018 He leads Washington to its first Stanley Cup [9]
Apr 2025 His 895th goal passes Gretzky's record [3]
2 Jul 2026 He signs on for one more season [2]
5 Oct He says this season is his last [1]
4 Apr 2027 His last regular-season home game, against Crosby's Penguins [5][1]

Where this points

Watch whether the Capitals, rebuilt to win this year, make the playoffs: until they are knocked out, nobody knows which game will be Ovechkin's last. [5]

What is pushing on the whole day

The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing today. The arrow is where it is heading. The evidence is in the stories below.

Referees under scrutiny Building↑

The NFL, American football's top league, suspended two game officials for how they spoke to players, its first suspension of an official since 2018. [11] The Big Ten, a group of US college teams, admitted one of its crews got a kicking rule wrong at the end of a game. [12]

Saudi money pulling back High↑

Saudi Arabia's wealth fund has stopped paying for LIV Golf, and an investment firm offered the league its first new money on Monday. [13] Two sources told Reuters that a $2.5bn World Cup stadium at NEOM, a planned Saudi city, is on hold. [14]

Clubs losing players to national teams Building↑

Bournemouth, an English club, may be without Alex Scott for two months after he played on through pain for England. [15] Erling Haaland, Manchester City's striker, limped off while playing for Norway. [16] This was English football's first three-week break for international games, brought in partly to protect players. [16]

Television companies merging Building↑

A merger puts the sports channels of CBS and TNT, two big US broadcasters, under one boss. [17] Cricket's world body expects its Indian TV deal to lose value after two Indian broadcasters merged into one. [18]

The rest of the day

33 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

02
NFL suspends two officials, the first since 2018

The NFL suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games and referee Adrian Hill for one on Monday, for 'unprofessional conduct toward a player'. [19][20] Cameras showed Seeman swearing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during Sunday's loss to the New York Giants. [21][22] Hill shouted at Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson, who had bumped into him by accident and tried to help him up. [22] The last NFL official suspended was Roy Ellison, in 2018. [11] These suspensions are without pay, The Athletic reports. [21]

Why it matters — The players' union said players are punished when they treat officials this way, and asked the league to punish officials the same way. [22] The officials can still challenge the suspensions under the seven-year contract their union signed with the league in May. [19]
03
Medvedev thrown out for hitting a fan

Daniil Medvedev, the Russian ranked fifth in the world, was disqualified from his China Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic in Beijing on Monday. [23] Losing 7-5, 5-3, he swatted a ball in frustration and it hit a man in the front row in the eye. [23][24] Medvedev said it was an accident and apologised. [25] A disqualified player loses his prize money and ranking points, here about $220,000 and 200 points. [26][27] Djokovic, thrown out of the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball, plays Alex de Minaur in Tuesday's final. [28]

Why it matters — The lost points may cost him more than the money. Medvedev holds the last of eight places at the ATP Finals, the season's closing event, only 330 points ahead of de Minaur. [26][27] Andrey Rublev won back his prize money on appeal after a disqualification in 2024. [26]
04
LIV Golf gets its first new money

BC Partners Credit, the lending arm of an investment firm, announced on Monday a first investment in LIV Golf, towards a target of $300m. [29][13] LIV, a breakaway men's golf tour, went bankrupt in September after Saudi Arabia's wealth fund stopped paying for it, having spent more than $5bn since 2022. [13][30] Under the plan the players would own most of the league. [29] LIV owes about $45m to current and former players, led by Jon Rahm at $7.5m. [29] A court hearing is due on Wednesday. [30]

Why it matters — The deal needs half of the golfers LIV owes money to, holding two-thirds of that debt, to sign by 25 October. [29] Without them there is no 2027 season, which LIV plans as ten events, half of them outside the US. [13]
05
One boss for CBS and TNT sport

David Berson, head of CBS Sports, will run sport for Skydance, the company formed by merging Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, Sportico reports. [17] The $110bn merger was due to close on 6 October. [17] It puts CBS's Sunday NFL games, men's March Madness college basketball, Europe's Champions League and the Masters golf under one roof. [17] Luis Silberwasser, who has run TNT Sports since 2022, told staff he is leaving. [17][27]

Why it matters — Sportico says the combined group also holds Major League Baseball, NHL and NASCAR rights, so one executive now oversees a large share of US sport on television. [17]
06
Cricket's big three block new events

The International Cricket Council, which runs world cricket, will add no new events, such as a world championship for club teams, until 2031 at the earliest, the Guardian reports. [18] England, Australia and India said the calendar has no room unless existing World Cups are cut. [18] Those three already have series against each other booked to 2031. [18] India alone brings in about 70% of cricket's money. [18] The ICC wanted new events because it expects its Indian TV rights, most of its $3.5bn in TV income, to fall in value. [18]
- India70%
- Rest of the world30%
Roughly where cricket's money comes from, by the Guardian's figure for India.
Why it matters — Smaller cricket countries were interested in the new events, and now face five more years of the same calendar. [18] The ICC's members meet in Bali next month to settle the schedule. [18]
07
A Saudi World Cup stadium put on hold

Saudi Arabia is quietly shelving a stadium it planned for the 2034 men's football World Cup, two sources told Reuters. [14] The 46,000-seat NEOM Stadium was to sit inside The Line, a 160km glass-walled city the country has scaled back. [14] MEED, a firm that tracks building projects, put its cost at $2.5bn and lists it as on hold. [14] Saudi Arabia's finance ministry expects a bigger budget gap this year after oil activity fell. [14]

Why it matters — Saudi Arabia is hosting the 2034 World Cup alone and is building or renovating 15 stadiums for it. [14] Its World Cup authority did not say what will replace the NEOM venue. [14]
08
Police move in on Djibouti's football body

Police occupied the headquarters of Djibouti's football federation on Monday as club presidents voted to remove its president, Souleiman Waberi. [31] Waberi sits on the council of FIFA, world football's governing body, and is a close ally of its president, Gianni Infantino. [31] The federation says the meeting broke its own rules and its decisions are void. [31] Waberi was arrested in 2024 in an inquiry into missing money, and denies wrongdoing. [31]

Why it matters — The federation has warned that police removing elected officials could get Djibouti's teams suspended from international football. [31] FIFA and Africa's football body give it more than $1m a year, and contractors say pitches and an academy it paid for were left unfinished. [31]
09
Big Ten admits its crew got a rule wrong

The Big Ten said on Monday that its officials wrongly handled a penalty at the end of Nebraska's 48-23 win over Maryland. [12] Nebraska's kicker missed an extra point after a 'roughing the snapper' foul, and by rule he should have kicked again. [12] Much of the same crew worked Michigan's disputed win over Western Michigan weeks earlier. [12] Nebraska's coach, Matt Rhule, said an official told him the kick had gone in. [12]

Why it matters — The mistake did not change the result, but it is the same crew's second public error in a few weeks. [12] The game had 28 penalties between the two teams. [12]
10
Gauff gets racist abuse after stopping play

Coco Gauff, the American ranked fourth in the world, beat 16-year-old Sun Xinran of China 7-5, 6-1 at the China Open in Beijing. [32] At 4-5 in the first set Gauff raised her hand to stop a point because a light beside the court was flickering. [32] Sun thought she had already won the point, and some people online called Gauff a cheat. [33] Gauff said she received a huge amount of racist abuse, and that Sun had accepted her apology. [32]

Why it matters — Gauff said the rules let a player finish the point before asking for it to be replayed. [33] A report in July counted more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages aimed at women players in 2025. [32]
11
Ronaldo tops football's pay list again

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, will earn about $300m this season, more than any other footballer, by Sportico's count. [34] About $250m comes from his Saudi club, Al Nassr, and $50m from sponsors. [34] Lionel Messi is second on $150m and Kylian Mbappe third on $105m. [34] Mohamed Salah moved from Liverpool, where he earned about $35m, to Trabzonspor in Turkey, which guarantees him $19.7m a season. [34] He also gets 20% of the club's sales of goods tied to him. [34]

Ronaldo$300m
Messi$150m
Mbappe$105m
Estimated earnings this season, pay and sponsors together, by Sportico's count.

Why it matters — The top ten will earn $935m between them, only 1% more than last year, in a year when few top players changed clubs. [34] Trabzonspor pays Salah less for certain and more only if his shirts sell. [34]
12
A second court backs college sport's limit

An Ohio appeals court on Friday cancelled a temporary order that had let Xavier basketball player Filip Borovicanin and nearly two dozen others play this season. [35] They had used up the four seasons the NCAA, which runs US college sport, allows. [35] Judge Candace Crouse wrote that they had received the four seasons they understood they were entitled to. [35] Each ruling covers only its own area, so a court elsewhere can still decide the other way. [35]

Why it matters — A bill in the US Congress would set one national five-year limit and end these cases. [35] It passed the US Senate last month but faces an uncertain vote in the House of Representatives. [35]
13
Rays and White Sox one win from the last four

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 5-2 on Monday to lead their best-of-five baseball series 2-0. [36] The Yankees made four errors, including three in one inning for the first time in a playoff game. [36] The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 and also lead 2-0, having won all four of their playoff games away from home. [37][38] A win at home on Wednesday would put the White Sox in the American League's final round for the first time since 2005. [37]

Why it matters — Since 1995, the team that won the first game of these series has gone on to win 73% of the time. [38] Sporting News calls the White Sox run one of baseball's most unlikely. [37]
14
Falcons spoil the Saints' anniversary night

The Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 45-24 on Monday night, 20 years after the Saints' first game back in their stadium after Hurricane Katrina. [39][40] Bijan Robinson ran for 145 yards. [39] It was Atlanta's highest score in a regular-season game since 2016. [39] The Falcons lost Za'Darius Smith, their leader in sacks, to a possible concussion in the first quarter. [41]

Why it matters — The night was planned to honour Steve Gleason, whose blocked punt in that 2006 game became a symbol of the city's recovery. [40] Gleason revealed in 2011 that he has ALS, a disease that destroys the nerves that move the muscles. [40]
15
The Super Bowl champions sign Joe Mixon

The Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions, are signing running back Joe Mixon after a workout on Monday, CBS Sports reports. [42] Their running backs Zach Charbonnet and first-round rookie Jadarian Price are both injured. [42] Mixon, 30, missed all of 2025 with a foot injury. [42] In 2024 he ran for 1,016 yards for the Houston Texans. [42]

Why it matters — Seattle have won three of four games, and Mixon has run for more than 1,000 yards in five of his eight seasons. [42]
16
England leave out Super League's player of 2025

England's rugby league coach, Brian McDermott, left Leeds Rhinos half-back Jake Connor out of his 23-man World Cup squad on Monday. [43] Connor was voted Super League's best player in 2025 and was also left out of England's series against Australia last autumn. [43][44] England lost that series 3-0. [44] McDermott picked Hull KR's Mikey Lewis, saying Connor missed out by a small margin. [43] The World Cup will be held mostly in Australia. [43]

Why it matters — McDermott says England must play differently to beat Australia and New Zealand, and picked players for that plan. [44] The squad has no player from Wakefield, the new Super League champions. [44]
17
Bournemouth angry at England over an injury

Alex Scott, a Bournemouth midfielder, could be out for two months after playing on with a thigh problem in England's 7-0 win over Croatia. [15] He felt discomfort before the match and said no when asked if he wanted to come off. [15] England's coach, Thomas Tuchel, said the team took 'zero risk' with him. [15] Bournemouth have not won a Premier League game this season and also play in the Europa League. [15]

Why it matters — This was English football's first three-week international break, brought in partly to protect players, and several are going back to their clubs hurt. [16] Erling Haaland, Manchester City's striker, also limped off playing for Norway. [16]
18
Mary Fowler out of Australia's games

Mary Fowler, one of Australia's best attacking players, has withdrawn from friendlies against Germany and Haiti for personal reasons, Football Australia said on Tuesday. [45] The decision came after talks between Fowler, her club Manchester City and the national team's staff. [45] Leah Davidson of Charlton replaces her. [45] Australia are already without midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross. [45]

Why it matters — The two games are part of Australia's preparation for next year's women's World Cup. [45] Germany are ranked third in the world. [45]
19
France score four in 14 minutes

France came from behind to beat Belgium 4-1 in the Nations League, a competition between Europe's national teams, scoring four goals in 14 minutes. [46] Michael Olise came off the bench, set up one goal and scored two. [46] It was Zinedine Zidane's first home win as France's coach. [46] Italy beat Turkey 3-1, leaving France three points clear at the top of their group. [46]

Why it matters — Belgium had led and were heading for their first competitive win over France in 45 years. [46] France moved closer to the quarter-finals. [46]
20
Scotland's top golfer may stop for the year

Robert MacIntyre, Scotland's best golfer, says he may have played his last event of the season because of the conflict in the Middle East. [47] He finished tied sixth at the Dunhill Links in St Andrews on Sunday. [47] The European men's tour ends its season with events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in November. [47] MacIntyre says he will wait and decide close to the deadline. [47]

Why it matters — Matt Fitzpatrick has also doubted travelling there, while the world number two, Rory McIlroy, says he will play both. [47]
21
England may pay for a West Indies Test

England's cricket board, the ECB, says it would 'look at' paying for a women's Test match in the West Indies next spring if that is needed. [48] Last week Cricket West Indies, the region's governing body, announced cuts, including to players' contracts. [48] Normally the home board pays the visitors' travel and hotels, and flying between Caribbean islands is expensive. [48] A women's Test the West Indies were due to host against Australia in March was cancelled. [48]

Why it matters — England want a long-format warm-up before the women's Ashes against Australia, which opens at Headingley. [48] The ECB paid Zimbabwe a touring fee to play a Test in England last year. [48]
22
Tottenham's ground as the NFL's model

Tottenham Hotspur's stadium in north London is the only one in Europe built to NFL standards, and the league helped pay for it, Sportico reports. [49] Tottenham's match-day income rose from $58.9m in 2016-17, before it opened, to $173.3m in 2024-25. [49] NFL games, concerts and attractions such as a go-kart track added $105.9m more last year. [49] Josh Harris, owner of the Washington Commanders, is studying it for their planned $3.8bn stadium. [49]

2016-17, old ground$58.90m
2024-25, new stadium$173.30m
Tottenham's yearly income from match days, before and after its new stadium.

Why it matters — American owners of English clubs want grounds that earn money every day of the year, not only on match days. [49] Sportico values Tottenham at $3.5bn, tenth among football clubs. [49]
23
Knicks sue sellers of fake shirts

The New York Knicks, the NBA basketball champions, have sued people and businesses, many in China, who they say sell fake Knicks goods to Americans online. [50] The case, filed in a federal court in Illinois, says the sellers hide who they are. [50] The Knicks say sales of their real goods broke records after the title. [50] The NBA and NASCAR have brought similar cases over goods sold on shopping sites such as Temu and AliExpress. [50]

Why it matters — A registered trademark gives the club the only right to sell its logo, and a court can act on that. [50]
24
Young Americans watch more English football

Premier League viewing in the US is up 20% this season among 18- to 34-year-olds, according to Nielsen data released on Monday. [51] The broadcasters NBC and USA Network average half a million viewers a game, up 3%. [51] Nielsen links the rise to the World Cup, which the US co-hosted this summer. [51] Tottenham's 2-0 home loss to Newcastle in August drew just over a million, the season's biggest US audience so far. [51]

Why it matters — Interest in Major League Soccer, the US league, rose 23% among 16- to 34-year-olds. [51]
25
LeBron James commutes by sponsor's helicopter

LeBron James plays for the Philadelphia 76ers and is reported to live in New York, and he travels in a helicopter owned by Fanatics, a sports merchandise company. [27] His spokesman said the trading-card deal James signed with Fanatics in 2024 includes use of its aircraft. [27] A one-way flight costs about $4,000 to $10,000, and the helicopter made a dozen round trips in a week. [27] James will earn $3.87m from the 76ers this season, the lowest pay of his career. [27]

Why it matters — James has earned nearly $600m in NBA pay over 24 seasons, and now makes much of his money from deals such as Fanatics. [27]
26
Fox drops Portnoy after Ohio State objects

Dave Portnoy, founder of the sports media company Barstool Sports, says Fox removed him from its college football show Big Noon Kickoff because Ohio State objected. [27] He says Ohio State told Fox it would not cooperate with the show if he was there. [27] He blames Ohio State's coach, Ryan Day, whom he has often attacked. [27] Fox executives were shown a 30- to 45-minute tape of him criticising the school, Portnoy said. [27]

Why it matters — If his account is right, a university decided who could appear on a national TV show. [27]
27
Red Wings fans chant for the owner to sell

Detroit Red Wings fans chanted 'sell the team' at their first two home games, both lost. [52] The owner, Chris Ilitch, wrote on Monday that he recognises their frustration. [52] Dylan Larkin, stripped of the captaincy in September, has asked to be traded and was booed at the opener. [52] He had five years left on an eight-year, $69.9m contract when he asked. [52]

Why it matters — Sportsnet reports that defenceman Simon Edvinsson would also prefer a trade. [52] The club is starting its 101st season. [52]
28
Arkansas donor jokes about a rival's oil money

John Tyson chairs the meat company Tyson Foods and gives big sums to Arkansas's football team. [53] He said he cannot fund the team the way Cody Campbell funded Texas Tech's. [53] 'He's got oil, and I've got chickens,' Tyson said. [53] Since US college players were allowed to earn money from their name, teams often rely on one very rich donor. [53] Arkansas spends just over $20m on its roster, while Texas Tech spends over $30m. [53]

Why it matters — Campbell, an oil executive, replied that coaching made the difference at Texas Tech. [53]
29
Haney and Stevenson argue over weight

Boxers Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson are in advanced talks to fight each other, the boxing site BoxingScene reports, according to Sports Illustrated. [54] They disagree over weight. [54] Haney wants the fight at 147 pounds, with no limit on how much weight he may put back on after the weigh-in. [54] Stevenson objected on social media. [54]

Why it matters — Haney is naturally the bigger man, so the rule on putting weight back on decides how big he is when the fight starts. [54] The winner would also control any rematch and how the money is split. [54]
30
Jason Kidd in talks with ESPN

Jason Kidd, fired as coach of the Dallas Mavericks in May, is in advanced talks to join ESPN's NBA studio coverage, reporter Marc Stein says. [55] He was passed over for every head coaching job this summer. [55] Kidd has coached four NBA teams and reached the playoffs in five of his ten seasons. [55] The new NBA season starts in two weeks. [55]

Why it matters — Kidd says he still wants to coach. After his last firing he returned as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers. [55]
31
England's goalkeeper admits careless driving

Jordan Pickford, England's goalkeeper, has pleaded guilty to driving without due care in his Lamborghini in Knutsford, Cheshire, in April. [56] A police officer said he ignored a give-way sign and made two cars brake hard. [56] Pickford, 32, has 92 England caps. [56] He is due back at Chester Magistrates' Court on 7 December. [56]

Why it matters — The court has not yet decided his penalty. [56]
32
Irwin cleared after a superbike crash

Glenn Irwin, a Northern Irish rider in the British Superbike Championship, has left hospital after a crash at Donington Park on Sunday. [57] He was taken to hospital in Nottingham over fears of a broken spine, and was given the all-clear. [57] It was his second hospital trip this season, after a crash in July. [57] He will be checked to see if he can ride at the final round, at Brands Hatch on 17-18 October. [57]

Why it matters — Kyle Ryde leads the championship, and Scott Redding won Sunday's third race, so the title goes to the last weekend. [57]
33
Bottas cycles to the next Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas, who drives for Cadillac in Formula One, is cycling 350km from Malaysia to Singapore for this weekend's race instead of flying. [58] He set off hours after spinning out of Sunday's race and rode nearly 162km on Monday. [58] Much of the route is on gravel. [58] He has to be in Singapore for media duties on Thursday. [58]

Why it matters — Bottas, 37, is 22nd in the standings and has not scored a point in 16 races for Cadillac, a team new this season. [58]
34
A former keeper brings his local club back

David Stockdale, a former Premier League goalkeeper, has rebuilt the football club in Farsley, Leeds, after the old club, Farsley Celtic, went into liquidation. [59] When he became manager 19 months ago it owed about 750,000 pounds. [59] He bought the ground and started a new club, FC Farsley. [59] 480 fans came to its first men's game there in more than two years. [59]

Why it matters — The bank had been about to take back the ground before he bought it. [59] He now plans a 1.5m-pound artificial pitch for the club and the community. [59]

02 Lesson why it matters

Why a team pays its star partly in bonuses

A team with a spending limit pays its star a smaller fixed wage and a bigger bonus, so it has room to sign other players now.

The twist

A smaller fixed wage leaves a team more room to sign other players now. The star gets the rest of his pay only if the condition is met, so he carries more of the risk.

The picture

Paid for certain$4.25m · 47%
Bonus after 10 games$4.75m · 53%

Ovechkin's pay this season, up to $9m in all. More than half of it arrives only once he has played 10 games.

How it works

A team has a limit on what it can spend on players
A fixed wage uses up that room from the first day
So it pays its star less for certain, plus a bonus that depends on something later
The room it saves buys other players now
The star gets the rest only if the bonus condition is met

The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

Ronaldo tops football's pay list again

Trabzonspor guarantees Salah $19.7m instead of the $35m he earned at Liverpool, and adds 20% of sales of goods tied to him, so it pays more only if those sell.

$35mAt Liverpool
$19.7mFixed pay now
Salah's new club pays him less for certain. His share of shirt sales can make up some of the gap.
LIV Golf gets its first new money

LIV is bankrupt and owes its golfers about $45m, and the rescue plan would make them majority owners, which is worth something only if the league survives.

Where you've seen this

Shop sales staff

a lower basic wage plus a cut of what they sell

Book writers

a smaller payment up front plus a share of every copy sold

Workers at new companies

lower pay plus shares that are worth something only if the company grows

Film actors

a lower fee plus a share of ticket sales if the film is a hit

The catch

It only works when the bonus depends on something both sides can count, such as games played or shirts sold. If the player is hurt or the league fails, he ends up with less than a plain wage would have paid.

And the whole of it

Ovechkin, his two new teammates and the fans paying $775 for a seat all depend on one club budget, and each of them sees only their own part of it. Anyone paid partly by bonus or commission takes less pay for certain, and the employer spends the difference on things that worker rarely sees.

03 Truth what's really going on

What is really going on

Saudi Arabia is putting less money into sport: its wealth fund has stopped paying for LIV Golf, and two sources told Reuters that a $2.5bn World Cup stadium is on hold. [13][14] LIV now depends on an investment firm, and on its own golfers agreeing to become the league's main owners. [29]

Why it works on us — Ovechkin's announcement turned each Capitals game this season into a last chance to see him, and people pay extra for a last chance. The cheapest resale seat for his final home game nearly doubled within an hour. [5]

Who gains

The Washington Capitals — Paying Ovechkin a smaller fixed wage and a bigger bonus helped them fit Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou under the salary cap. [4]
People reselling Capitals tickets — The cheapest seat for Ovechkin's last regular-season home game nearly doubled to $775 within an hour of the news. [5]
BC Partners Credit — If the court agrees, it becomes the main money behind LIV Golf's 2027 season, on terms set while LIV is bankrupt. [29][13]
The cricket boards of England, Australia and India — The world calendar stays as it is until 2031, and their own series against each other are already booked. [18]
David Berson — He goes from running CBS Sports to running the sport of both CBS and TNT under the merged company, Skydance. [17]

Who pays

Daniil Medvedev — Being thrown out costs him about $220,000 in prize money and 200 ranking points. [26]
LIV Golf's players — They are owed about $45m and must decide by 25 October whether to sign up to a league they would mostly own. [29]
Smaller cricket countries — They were interested in new world events, which will not come before 2031. [18]
Bournemouth — They may be without Alex Scott for two months, in a season they have started without a league win. [15]
Young footballers in Djibouti — Contractors say pitches and an academy paid for by FIFA were left unfinished, and the federation now risks suspension. [31]

What nobody knows yet

Open questions from across today’s stories — ours included.

01

Which game will be Ovechkin's last.

It depends on how far the Capitals go in the playoffs, which nobody can know until the spring. [5]
02

How Ovechkin's $4.75m bonus counts against the Capitals' spending limit.

The reports say the bonus-heavy deal helped the club fit two new forwards under the cap, but none of them sets out how the bonus is counted. [1][4]
03

Whether LIV Golf comes out of bankruptcy at all.

Its plan needs half of the golfers it owes money to, holding two-thirds of that debt, to sign by 25 October, and some bankruptcy experts doubt it gets out. [29][30]
04

Whether the two suspended NFL officials will challenge their suspensions.

Their union can file a complaint under its new contract with the league, and it had not said by Monday whether it would. [19]
05

What replaces the NEOM stadium for the 2034 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia's World Cup authority answered Reuters without mentioning the stadium, and the Saudi government's media office did not reply. [14]
06

Whether Medvedev keeps his place at the ATP Finals.

Losing 200 points leaves him in eighth place in the race, only 330 points ahead of Alex de Minaur, who plays Djokovic in Tuesday's final. [26][28]
07

How much India's cricket TV rights will be worth at the next sale.

The ICC sees its current Indian deal as too high to repeat, but the next sale, for 2028 to 2032, has not been held. [18]
08

Whether the vote to remove Djibouti's football president stands.

The federation calls the meeting illegal and has appealed to FIFA, which had not commented. [31]
09

Whether playing on for England made Alex Scott's injury worse.

Bournemouth are unhappy with how it was handled, and England's coach says the medics gave only green lights. [15]

04 Hope carry this

Glenn Irwin was taken to hospital after a superbike crash at Donington Park on Sunday, with a possible broken spine. He was given the all-clear and sent home.

Also true today

FC Farsley's old club went into liquidation owing about 750,000 pounds. A former Premier League goalkeeper bought the ground and started the club again, and 480 people came to its first men's game there in more than two years.
Steve Gleason revealed in 2011 that he has ALS, a disease most people live with for three to five years after diagnosis. Twenty years after his blocked punt in the Saints' first game back after Hurricane Katrina, he told Good Morning America on Monday that he is still here.