Day Lila

Sports · Wednesday, 14 October 2026

01 Briefing what happened

Formula One will race in Africa again for the first time since 1993, after Rwanda signs a 10-year deal for a Grand Prix from the early 2030s

Sports 81 sources

Rwanda's government will build a track beside a new airport south of Kigali and counts the race as part of a plan to bring in tourists and investors. South Africa had up to four rival plans and Morocco never found the money; rights groups call it sportswashing.

33 years

since Formula One last raced in Africa

Alain Prost won the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami [3][7]

10 years

of races Rwanda has signed for, from the early 2030s

the first date waits on a track that is not yet built [4]

$685m to $1.9bn

Rwanda's tourism income in 2025, and its target for 2026

the development board calls the race part of that push [7]

100 million

Formula One fans in Africa, by Rwanda's count

about 60% of them are under 35, its development board says [7]

The lead story — what happened

  • Formula One, the world's top motor-racing series, said on Tuesday that Rwanda will host an African Grand Prix under a 10-year deal, starting in the early 2030s. [1][2]
  • It will be F1's first race in Africa since 1993, when Alain Prost won at Kyalami in South Africa. [3][4]
  • There is no date yet. The track must first be built at Bugesera, about 40km south of Kigali, Rwanda's capital, and pass the top safety grade of the FIA, the body that runs motor sport. [4][5][2]
  • The firm of Alexander Wurz, a former F1 driver, is designing it at about 6km, with 17 corners and nearly 200m of climbs and drops. [6][2]
  • It sits beside Bugesera International Airport, still being built, which Rwanda says will lift passenger capacity from about one million to more than five million. [7][1]
  • The project is run by the Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda's state agency for attracting investors, as part of a wider tourism and business plan. [8][9]
  • Its chief, Jean-Guy Afrika, called the race a long-term investment, not spending on one event. He cited tourism income of $685m in 2025 and a $1.9bn target for 2026. [7]
  • Rwanda won with one plan and the money behind it. South Africa had up to four rival projects with different promoters in three places, and Morocco never found the money. [6][1]
  • South Africa's talks over Kyalami stalled on financial guarantees and the cost of bringing the track up to F1's standard. [10]
  • Rwanda says the money comes from a new development fund mixing public and private investment. It says this to critics who argue that a country receiving foreign aid should spend elsewhere. [6]
  • Visit Rwanda, the country's tourism brand, has sponsored Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, and Rwanda hosted cycling's road world championships in 2025. [7][11]
  • Amnesty International UK said Rwanda is buying into big sport to polish its image. The UN has accused Rwanda of backing rebels in Congo, its neighbour. [6][1]
F1's last race in Africa and its next one. The gap will be at least 37 years, because the new track still has to be built.

Who is involved

  • Paul Kagame

    Rwanda's president for 25 years; he announced the bid in 2024 and the deal in Kigali on Tuesday

  • Stefano Domenicali

    chief executive of Formula One; he called the deal a landmark

  • Rwanda Development Board

    Rwanda's state agency for attracting investors; it runs the track and airport-city project

  • Gayton McKenzie

    South Africa's sports minister; he says his country will still get a race

  • Amnesty International UK

    a human rights group; it says Rwanda is using sport to polish its image

How it unfolded

  1. 1993 Alain Prost wins at Kyalami, F1's last race in Africa [7][3]
  2. 2017 Liberty Media buys F1 and aims to race in Africa [6]
  3. Dec 2024 Kagame announces Rwanda's bid at the FIA's awards in Kigali [7][3]
  4. 2025 Rwanda hosts cycling's road world championships [11]
  5. 13 Oct 2026 F1 confirms a 10-year deal for an African Grand Prix [1]
  6. Early 2030s First race, once the Bugesera track is built and passed [4]

Where this points

Watch for a first race date and for building to start at Bugesera; until the track passes the FIA's top safety grade, the deal is a promise. [4][2]

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.

Governments stepping into sport Building↑

Rwanda's government is building the F1 track through its development board. [8] The Netherlands refused visas to Russia's three best women gymnasts before the world championships. [12] Ohio's governor ordered his state's colleges to let players who started in 2022 play a fifth year. [13]

Courts deciding who may play High→

Three US appeal judges looked ready to side with the NCAA, which runs college sport, against fifth-year players. [14] The NFL cleared Zxavian Harris to sign after checking he never practised at LSU. [15] LSU left RJ Luis Jr. off its basketball roster despite a court order letting him play. [16]

Missiles near the host cities Building↑

Missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels at Riyadh's airport killed at least 14 people, Saudi officials said. [17] Asia's footballers are worried about January's Asian Cup, which plays 31 matches in Riyadh. [18] WWE has announced no change to its wrestling show in Riyadh on 7 November. [19]

Betting money in sport Building↑

Australia's AFL told Sportsbet, its official betting partner, to delete AI videos that put words in players' mouths. [20] The NBA and WNBA will air warnings about betting, while DraftKings and FanDuel stay the NBA's official betting partners. [21]

The rest of the day

41 more stories on this beat.

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

  1. 02

    Appeal judges doubt fifth-year college players

    Three judges on a US federal appeals court heard the NCAA's appeal in the Wisne case on Tuesday, and Sportico reported they seemed likely to side with it. [14] The NCAA runs US college sport. Its new rule gives players five years to play five seasons, but not players who started in 2022. [13] A lower judge had let that class play another year, and the appeals court paused her order last month. [14] The same day, Ohio's governor, Mike DeWine, signed an order telling his state's colleges to let them play. [13]

    Why it matters — A win for the NCAA would bind courts in only six states, so players elsewhere can still sue near home. [14] The NCAA's president said Ohio's governor cannot write its rules, and asked the US Congress for a law shielding it from these lawsuits. [13][14]

  2. 03

    Regulator chair says he would quit over pressure

    David Kogan, who chairs England's new Independent Football Regulator, said on Tuesday he would resign if any politician leaned on him over Manchester City. [22] An independent panel found City guilty in September of breaking Premier League money rules from 2009 to 2018, using fake sponsorship deals, and City are appealing. [23][22] If the verdict stands, the regulator can test whether City's Abu Dhabi owners are fit to run a club, and can force a sale. [24] No UK sports regulator has had that power before. [24]

    Why it matters — The owner, Sheikh Mansour, is vice-president of the United Arab Emirates, and some feared the UK government might step in to protect its ties with that country. [24][22] The Labour government removed a clause that would have made the regulator weigh foreign and trade policy. [24]

  3. 04

    Missile strikes cloud Saudi Arabia's Asian Cup

    Houthi rebels from Yemen fired missiles at Riyadh's main airport over the weekend, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than 300, Saudi officials said. [17] Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, hosts 31 matches at January's Asian Cup, including the opening game on 7 January and the final. [18] Beau Busch, who leads the players' union for Asia and Oceania, said safety must come first. [18] Japan's football association has pulled out of an esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia. [18]

    Why it matters — The Asian Football Confederation, which runs the tournament, would not comment, and ESPN reports that a 12-month delay is more likely than a move. [18][17] The tournament's sponsors include Aramco, the Saudi oil company, and Saudi Arabia also hosts the 2034 World Cup. [18]

  4. 05

    Dutch refuse visas to Russia's top gymnasts

    The Netherlands refused visas to Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova, Russia's three best women gymnasts, days before the world championships in Rotterdam start on 17 October. [12][25] The Dutch said one or more countries in Europe's shared visa zone see them as a threat to their international relations. [12] Melnikova, the reigning world all-around champion, and Listunova have backed Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [12] Russia will appeal to the IOC and World Gymnastics. [25]

    Why it matters — The championships help decide places at the 2028 Olympics, so a host country's visa decision now shapes who can qualify. [12][25] On the same day, the world's tennis federations voted to keep Russia and Belarus out of the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. [25]

  5. 06

    BBC adds up what City's breaches cost rivals

    BBC Sport estimated that City's rule-breaking may have cost the other 35 clubs in England's top division up to 844 million pounds between 2009 and 2018. [26] It counted lost prize money, missed Champions League places and relegations, and says it is measuring chance, not proving any club would have done better. [26] Tottenham come out worst, at about 120 million pounds, because they finished one place outside the Champions League in four of those seasons. [26] Hull are next at 99 million and Everton third at 66.4 million. [26]

    BBC Sport's estimate of what three clubs may have lost to City's rule-breaking, in millions of pounds. It is an estimate of chance, not a proven loss.

    Why it matters — The figures give clubs a number to start from if City's appeal fails, though the BBC says it is not setting out what any club could claim. [26]

  6. 07

    MLS will not look at City's sister club

    Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer, the top US and Canadian league, said on Tuesday that MLS is unlikely to investigate the owners of New York City FC. [23] NYCFC is 80% owned by City Football Group, the company run by Sheikh Mansour that also owns Manchester City. [23] Garber said leagues do not look at what their owners do in other leagues. He praised the group for building NYCFC a 25,000-seat stadium in Queens, which opens next July. [23]

    Why it matters — The owners are implicated in City's guilty verdict in England, but each league judges only its own clubs, so nothing changes for NYCFC. [23]

  7. 08

    United lose in Madrid, and Martinez blames the board

    Atletico Madrid beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday. Pablo Barrios scored after 53 seconds and Ademola Lookman added a second, after United's Leny Yoro was sent off following a video review. [27] United have won none of their last five games and made their worst league start in 40 years. [28][29] Afterwards defender Lisandro Martinez said he expected more summer signings and more from the club's technical director, Jason Wilcox. [29][30]

    Why it matters — United spent about 140 million pounds on three midfielders this summer but signed no left-back or striker. [29] Martinez said sacking the coach, Michael Carrick, would not fix it, and pointed at other parts of the club. [29]

  8. 09

    Norway's Viking hold Bayern 3-3

    Viking, the champions of Norway, drew 3-3 with Bayern Munich on Tuesday in their first home Champions League match. [31][32] Viking led 2-0, Harry Kane scored twice and Luis Diaz put Bayern ahead, then Henrik Haugen equalised in the 90th minute after Bayern's Michael Olise was sent off. [31] Viking are coached by two friends, Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen, joint head coaches since 2020. Both once coached part-time while working in a bank and in oil and gas. [32]

    Why it matters — Viking had not won Norway's league since 1991 and were relegated in 2017, and nine years later they took a point from Bayern. [32]

  9. 10

    Club Brugge win 4-3 at Inter

    Club Brugge of Belgium won 4-3 at Inter Milan on Tuesday, and Nicolo Tresoldi scored three of their goals. [31][33] Inter have lost seven of their last eight European games, including both this season, and have let in 14 goals in eight matches. [33] Inter reached two Champions League finals between 2023 and 2025. [33] Brugge's goalkeeper is Yann Sommer, who used to play for Inter. [33]

    Why it matters — Inter are unbeaten in Italy's league, so their trouble is the level of Europe's opponents, not their form at home. [33]

  10. 11

    Arsenal and Barcelona keep winning

    Arsenal beat Lille 3-0 at home. Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka scored within seven minutes, after Saka came off the bench. [34][35] It was Arsenal's 14th league-stage Champions League win in a row, three short of Bayern Munich's record. [34] Their starting forwards struggled, and striker Viktor Gyokeres again had no shot. [36] Barcelona came from behind to win 4-1 at Galatasaray in Istanbul and have six points from two games. [31]

    Why it matters — Manager Mikel Arteta is rotating his team through six games in October, and the players he kept on the bench decided this one. [35]

  11. 12

    Allen wins in overtime at the eighth try

    The Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 in overtime on Monday night, the first overtime win of quarterback Josh Allen's career after seven defeats. [37][38] Allen ran for 121 yards and threw for 210. [39] The Rams had a chance to win, but Greg Rousseau blocked Harrison Mevis's 48-yard kick. Tyler Bass then kicked a 45-yard field goal for Buffalo. [38][39] Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns. [40]

    Why it matters — Buffalo are 4-1. The Rams are 2-3, under .500 after five games for the fourth time in five seasons. [39]

  12. 13

    Rams lineman banned, and their kicker cut

    The NFL banned Rams lineman Alaric Jackson for two games for punching Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb as players swapped shirts after the game. [41][42] The league said he broke its sportsmanship rule, and he was banned for two games in 2024 under its conduct policy too. [41] The Rams also cut kicker Harrison Mevis, who has made five of his last nine field goals, and signed Blake Grupe from the New York Jets' practice squad. [42]

    Why it matters — Coach Sean McVay said the kicking cost them the game. [42] Jackson misses games against Arizona and Las Vegas while the Rams try to climb back from 2-3. [42][39]

  13. 14

    NFL clears Zxavian Harris after all

    The NFL told its teams that Zxavian Harris, a defensive tackle the New Orleans Saints released in August, can now sign with any club. [15][43] Harris had tried to go back to college at LSU for a fifth year, and in September the league ruled him out of the NFL for this season. [15] After interviewing him, it agreed with the players' union that he never practised with LSU, so he never played college football again. [15] Tight end Da'Quan Wright, who tried the same move, is still not cleared. [43]

    Why it matters — The case turned on what 'plays college football' means, and the league now says it means at least one practice. [15] LSU dropped both players in September after the SEC, its conference, threatened to throw it out. [43]

  14. 15

    Court unseals hiring report on Brian Flores

    A court on Tuesday unsealed a one-page report on coach Brian Flores, written by the recruiting firm Korn Ferry for the Las Vegas Raiders' 2024 coaching search. [44][45] Flores, who is Black, sued the NFL and several teams in 2022, saying their hiring discriminates against Black coaches. [45] The report called him polished despite growing up in Brownsville, a mostly Black and Hispanic part of New York, and listed his lawsuit as a weakness. [44][45] His lawyers call it racial stereotyping and punishment for suing. [45]

    Why it matters — Korn Ferry fought to keep the report sealed and lost. [44] Flores is now the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator, and the judge has still to rule on motions to dismiss the case. [44]

  15. 16

    Netflix wins Spain's 2030 World Cup rights

    Netflix, the streaming service, bought the rights to show the 2030 men's World Cup in Spain and Andorra, and will stream all 104 matches. [46] The tournament will be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with three celebration matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. [46] At least one match each match day will be free to watch in Spain. [46] A free-to-air channel may also show all of Spain's games, both semi-finals and the final. [46]

    Why it matters — A streaming service now holds the World Cup in one of its host countries, while the biggest games stay free for everyone with a television. [46]

  16. 17

    WNBA moves Finals games to a bigger arena

    The WNBA moved two Finals games so the Atlanta Dream can play at the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena instead of their 3,500-seat home hall. [47][48] Game 3 moves forward a day, and Game 4 starts earlier. [48] The arena is run by the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, who had a concert and their own opening game booked there. [47][48] The Dream face the Golden State Valkyries from Saturday. Their top scorer, Allisha Gray, had a minor hand operation and is day-to-day. [48][49]

    The Dream's usual home and the arena they will use for the Finals. The bigger one holds about five times as many fans.

    Why it matters — Each home Finals game can now sell about five times as many seats. [47] The Dream will play all their home games at the bigger arena next season under a new deal. [48]

  17. 18

    Rays level the American League series

    The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 on Tuesday to level the American League Championship Series, the round before the World Series, at one game each. [50][51] Cleveland's star Jose Ramirez let a ground ball through his legs, and the Rays scored all three runs after it. [52] Freddy Peralta, a pitcher Tampa Bay traded for in August, threw six innings without allowing a run. [50][51]

    Why it matters — The Rays and Guardians have the two smallest payrolls in the American League and finished as its top two teams. [51] Game 3 is in Cleveland on 15 October. [50]

  18. 19

    England, Scotland and Wales move on

    England's women beat Greece 5-0 in Leicester, 8-1 over two legs, with two goals each from Lauren James and Alessia Russo. [53][54] They now play Ukraine over two legs for a place at next year's World Cup in Brazil. [54] Scotland beat Czechia 3-2 and play Sweden next, and Wales beat Albania 3-0 and play Norway. [54] Wales are unbeaten in ten games, a national record. [54]

    Why it matters — Wales have never reached a Women's World Cup, and Norway are ranked 18 places above them. [54]

  19. 20

    US women draw with world champions Spain

    The United States women came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Spain, the world champions, in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. [55][56] Ashley Sanchez scored just after half-time, and Mallory Swanson, a substitute, scored in the 86th minute. [55] Coach Emma Hayes changed her formation at half-time and made five changes around the hour. [55][57] The US had lost the first of the two games 2-0 on Saturday. [57]

    Why it matters — In both games the US gave away early goals through mistakes, and World Cup qualifying comes next. [57]

  20. 21

    Africa's football chief under pressure

    Patrice Motsepe, president of Caf, which runs African football, is losing the trust of officials across the continent, the Guardian reports. [58] Last week he announced that the Africa Cup of Nations will go back to being played every two years, ten months after Caf decided on every four. [58] Most national federation presidents were not told in advance, the Guardian's sources say. [58] Rivals including Samuel Eto'o, the former Barcelona striker who runs Cameroon's federation, are lining up to replace him. [58]

    Why it matters — Motsepe promised each country about $700,000 a year from Caf, $500,000 more than before, while Caf's TV deal ends after the 2027 tournament. [58] Whether that tournament happens on time in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is still in doubt. [58]

  21. 22

    AFL tells its betting partner to drop AI players

    The AFL, which runs Australian rules football, told Sportsbet, its official betting partner, to stop using AI-made videos of players without their permission. [20] One showed Collingwood's Lachie Neale reciting a speech by the rapper Snoop Dogg. [20] The players' union said the videos broke its agreement with the league on how partners may use players' images. That agreement does not mention AI. [20] Sportsbet took the videos down on Tuesday after Guardian Australia asked about them. [20]

    Why it matters — Australia's government has already legislated a ban on athletes appearing in betting adverts, which starts next year. [20] Senator David Pocock said the case shows how few rules cover fake videos made with AI. [20]

  22. 23

    NBA and WNBA to warn fans about betting

    The NBA and WNBA will air warnings about sports betting and prediction markets, apps that let people bet on outcomes, during the 2026-27 season. [21] The adverts, made with the National Council on Problem Gambling, will tell fans to set limits and that betting is not a reliable way to make money. [21] Former NBA player Damon Jones has admitted leaking injury news to bettors, and two other former players, Terry Rozier and Malik Beasley, have been charged with point shaving, holding down scores for gamblers. [21]

    Why it matters — DraftKings and FanDuel have been the NBA's official betting partners since 2021. [21] Commissioner Adam Silver argues that legal betting makes suspicious bets easier to spot than a ban would. [21]

  23. 24

    McIlroy would welcome LIV players back

    Rory McIlroy, the world number two golfer, said he would vote to let players from the LIV Golf tour back onto the PGA Tour. [59] LIV began in 2022, paid for by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the country's state investment fund, which withdrew its backing this year. [59] LIV is now in Chapter 11, a US process for a company to reorganise its debts, and has found up to $300m from the lender BC Partners Credit. [59] McIlroy said LIV wasted much of its money. [59]

    Why it matters — LIV once paid players with a state's money. Now it has to borrow from a lender, and players including Jon Rahm have said they will not rejoin. [59]

  24. 25

    World Cup lifts young US soccer audiences

    Nielsen, the company that measures TV audiences, said on Tuesday that US soccer viewing has risen since Spain won the men's World Cup in July. [60] Among viewers aged 18 to 34, audiences are up 29% for MLS matches on Fox and FS1 and 30% for England's Premier League on NBC. [60] For Spain's LaLiga on ESPN they are up 60%. [60] The number of Americans calling themselves soccer fans rose 13% in a year, to 75.2 million. [60]

    How much US audiences aged 18 to 34 grew after the World Cup, by league, in Nielsen's figures.

    Why it matters — Viewers aged 18 to 34 are among those advertisers want most, so the rise matters to the leagues and to the channels that pay for their games. [60]

  25. 26

    Hazlewood's six wickets win the Durban Test

    Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs in the first Test in Durban on Tuesday. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood took six wickets for 49 runs, the best of his career. [61][62] South Africa held out until the afternoon of the last day, and Aiden Markram faced 237 balls for his 75. [62][61] The defeat ended South Africa's 12-match unbeaten run, in their first Test for almost a year. [62]

    Why it matters — Australia lead the three-match series 1-0, and the second Test starts in Gqeberha in five days. [62]

  26. 27

    Bears' Sweat banned after a drug test

    The NFL suspended Chicago Bears pass rusher Montez Sweat for two games without pay on Tuesday, for breaking its rule on banned performance-enhancing drugs. [63] He misses games against Atlanta and New England and can return on 23 October. [63] Sweat led the Bears in sacks last season, a sack being a tackle on the quarterback before he can throw. [63] He has two sacks in five games this season. [63]

    Why it matters — The Bears lose a starter while another pass rusher, Dayo Odeyingbo, is unsure to play after leaving Sunday's game hurt. [63]

  27. 28

    Cyclist Richardson faces a misconduct inquiry

    Matt Richardson, one of Britain's best sprint cyclists, said he will cooperate with a British Cycling investigation into alleged misconduct, after he was withdrawn from this week's world championships in Shanghai. [64][65] The Times reported that the allegations concern his behaviour towards other riders. [64] Richardson, 27, switched from Australia to Britain after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he won two silvers and a bronze. [65] UK Sport, which funds Olympic sport, said he must get a fair process. [64]

    Why it matters — He had been expected to race for three medals, in the team sprint, the individual sprint and the keirin, a sprint that starts behind a pacing motorbike. [65]

  28. 29

    Racist abuse stops a match at Millwall

    Swansea's match at Millwall in England's second division was stopped for about seven minutes on Tuesday after a report of racist chanting. [66][67] Swansea's coach, Vitor Matos, said the target was Ji-sung Eom, a South Korea winger warming up as a substitute. [66] Police are using CCTV to find those responsible, and Millwall said it has zero tolerance for abuse. [66] Swansea won 1-0 with a late goal and stay top of the table. [67]

    Why it matters — The referee followed football's set steps for racist abuse, stopping play and having an announcement made in the stadium, and Matos said Millwall and the referee handled it correctly. [66]

  29. 30

    Celtics extend Pritchard for $44.2m

    Payton Pritchard agreed a two-year, $44.2m contract extension with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, ESPN reported. [68] He was the 26th pick of the 2020 draft. He won the NBA's award for the best player off the bench, and a title, before his four-year, $30m extension had even started. [68] Because his old salary was so low, NBA rules capped his raise, and the most he could get was about $67m over three years. [68]

    Why it matters — A player's first cheap contract limits the next one, so late picks who turn out well stay cheap for years. [68] Patrick Williams, the fourth pick in the same draft, is already guaranteed more than $130m. [68]

  30. 31

    Fan site in a coach's row is paid by Aggie fund

    Texas A&M's football coach, Mike Elko, called the fan site TexAgs a cesspool after Saturday's loss, then apologised. [69] Sportico found that the 12th Man Foundation, the school's main sports fundraising body, paid the site's company $6.28m in 2025 for marketing. That made it the foundation's biggest outside contractor, up from $1.12m the year before. [69] The foundation gave the school more than $72m that year. [69]

    Why it matters — The website Elko attacked earns millions from the school's own fundraisers, so its readers' anger and the athletic department's money are tied together. [69]

  31. 32

    New lawsuit deepens the tennis players' group split

    Wajid Mir, the fired lawyer of the Professional Tennis Players Association, a group Novak Djokovic helped found, sued its current and former bosses in Illinois on Tuesday. [70] He accuses its director, Romain Rosenberg, of harassment and sexist conduct. He also says former director Ahmad Nassar still runs the group while running its business partner, Winners Alliance. [70] Nassar said Mir has no right to bring the case, and that another court already rejected his arguments. [70]

    Why it matters — The association's biggest case, a lawsuit against both tennis tours and three Grand Slams, recently survived an attempt to have it thrown out. [70]

  32. 33

    NWSL weighs moving Racing Louisville

    Jessica Berman, commissioner of the NWSL, the top US women's league, said it is her job to fix Racing Louisville, a club with poor crowds that may move to Cincinnati. [71] Its owners paid an entry fee of roughly $1m to $2m five years ago. The league's newest owners, in Columbus, paid $205m. [71] ESPN reported last month that the owners of FC Cincinnati, a men's MLS club, held talks to move the team. [71]

    What two owners paid to join the same league, five years apart.

    Why it matters — The price of a place in the league has risen about a hundredfold in five years, and Berman said owners who joined early signed up for a very different league. [71]

  33. 34

    Bournemouth would sell Scott for 100 million pounds

    Bournemouth will consider selling England midfielder Alex Scott, 23, in January if an offer of about 100 million pounds arrives, senior club sources told BBC Sport. [72] The club had said all summer he was not for sale, after he turned down two new contracts. [72] Chelsea bid up to 64 million pounds in the summer and were turned down. [72] Scott joined from Bristol City for 25 million pounds in 2023 and is out injured for at least a month. [72]

    Why it matters — Spending on defensive midfielders rose 191% to 1.38 billion euros, a TransferRoom report released on Tuesday found. [72]

  34. 35

    Packers' injured players take a quarter of their cap

    Six of the Green Bay Packers' 12 players paid at least $10m a year are out of the lineup, including Micah Parsons and Josh Jacobs, Packers On SI reported. [73] Under the NFL's salary cap, a yearly limit on each team's wages, those six take up $72.08m, almost 24% of the cap. [73] Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave tore his Achilles tendon on Sunday against Chicago. [73]

    6 of 12

    players out of 12 paid $10m or more

    Half of the Packers' highest-paid players are out of the lineup.

    Why it matters — Money tied up in injured players still counts against the cap, so it cannot be spent on anyone who might replace them this season. [73]

  35. 36

    England call up an 18-year-old batter

    England picked Thomas Rew, an 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Somerset, for their Twenty20 squad to tour Australia next month. [74] He has two centuries in four first-class games and signed his first development contract the day before. [74] If he plays, he will be the third-youngest man to play for England, after Rehan Ahmed and Brian Close. [74] Four of England's main fast bowlers will leave the tour after the one-day games to prepare for a Test series in South Africa. [74]

    Why it matters — The Test team's needs come first this winter, so the Twenty20 side is filled with young and untried players. [74]

  36. 37

    Rees-Zammit wants artificial pitches gone

    Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit posted a picture of burns on his leg from Saracens' artificial pitch, and called for such pitches to be removed from the Prem, England's top rugby league. [75] His club, Bristol, had left out three players back from serious injuries for fear of the surface. [75] Saracens laid the first artificial Prem pitch in 2013, and Newcastle and Gloucester followed. [75]

    Why it matters — Clubs choose artificial pitches because they can be used in any weather. [75] Saracens' Jamie George said the pitch meets every rule, and that his team trains on artificial grass in the week before away games on one. [75]

  37. 38

    Panthers tackle back after blood clots

    Carolina Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton returned to practice on Tuesday, after doctors found many blood clots in his right lung in June. [76][77] He said he started coughing up blood after a youth football camp in June. [76] He spent three months on blood-thinning drugs, which made contact football unsafe, and has been off them for a couple of weeks. [76] Moton, 32, had missed only one of 146 games before this season. [76][77]

    Why it matters — The Panthers have 21 days to add him to their roster, and he said he is preparing as if he will play against the Eagles on Sunday. [76]

  38. 39

    Women's baseball league's biggest investor sues

    Mina Kim, the largest investor in the new Women's Professional Baseball League, is challenging her removal from its board, in filings made public on Tuesday. [78] She says chief executive Keith Stein fired her to stop her looking into the league's books, which she says show self-dealing. [78] The filings, in a Delaware business court, also say two other board members were never properly appointed. [78] The league's lawyer did not respond. [78]

    Why it matters — Kim first went to court in the summer to see the league's financial records, citing what she called mounting red flags. [78]

  39. 40

    Bankrupt Dallaglio sells his World Cup medal

    Former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio's 2003 World Cup winner's medal sold for 54,000 pounds at auction. [79] He put medals, caps and trophies up for sale after being declared bankrupt, which he has said followed his divorce. [79] The items that sold raised 100,500 pounds, against an estimate of 180,000 for the whole collection. His medals for four league titles with Wasps did not sell. [79]

    Why it matters — Dallaglio was one of the key members of the England team that won the World Cup against Australia 23 years ago. [79]

  40. 41

    US referee Ismail Elfath retires

    Ismail Elfath, the American referee who took charge of this summer's men's World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, has retired at 44 after a knee injury. [80] He was the first US head referee to work a men's World Cup semi-final, and refereed at two World Cups. [80] In 2016 he became the first referee anywhere to use a video review in a competitive league game, during tests in the second-tier USL Championship. [80]

    Why it matters — Referees cannot move up to a bigger foreign league the way players can, so Elfath spent his club career in MLS. [80]

  41. 42

    Mark Sanchez settles over a stabbing

    Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has agreed a settlement in principle with Perry Tole, the truck driver who stabbed him in Indianapolis a year ago, the Athletic reported. [81] Prosecutors said Tole used pepper spray and a knife to defend himself after Sanchez tried to get into his truck during a row over parking. [81] Tole was suing over his own injuries. [81] Fox Sports dropped Sanchez after his arrest. [81]

    Why it matters — Sanchez's lawyers have asked for him to plead guilty to at least one criminal charge, and that case has a hearing next month. [81]

02 Lesson why it matters

Why a government beats a track owner to a Formula One race

A government counts the hotels, flights and investment a race brings, not only its tickets, so it can promise more than a track owner.

The twist

A track owner needs the race itself to make money. A government can be paid back somewhere else, in hotel rooms, flights and the country's name, so it can promise F1 more.

The picture

South Africa had up to four rival projects with different promoters. Rwanda had one, backed by its government, and F1 chose it.

How it works

  1. F1 wants a host that can promise a race for ten years
  2. A private track has to earn that back from tickets and sponsors
  3. A government also counts hotels, flights and new investment
  4. So one state-backed plan beats several private ones
  5. The country's name in front of millions of fans is part of what it pays for

The same force, elsewhere today

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

  • The Asian Cup in Riyadh

    Saudi Arabia hosts it with sponsors such as Aramco, the Saudi oil company, so the return it counts is the country's name on the event, not ticket sales.

  • McIlroy and LIV Golf

    Saudi Arabia's state fund paid LIV's bills from 2022. When it pulled out this year, LIV had to borrow from a lender, which needs paying back.

Where you've seen this

Olympic bids

a host city counts visitors and new building, because ticket sales never pay for the stadiums and roads

Free museums

a government pays for them because visitors spend money in the shops and hotels nearby

Shopping centres

the owner rents cheaply to one big store, because it brings shoppers to all the others

The catch

The returns a government counts are hopes until visitors and investors actually arrive, and a state's reasons can change, as Saudi Arabia's fund showed when it left LIV Golf.

And the whole of it

Hotel workers, taxi drivers and builders in Rwanda are part of this bet, though none of them signed the deal. A fan watching the race on television in Lagos or London is part of what Rwanda's government is paying for.

03 Truth what's really going on

What is really going on

Rwanda's government is paying for a Formula One race as part of a plan to sell the country to tourists and investors, and it counts the new airport, hotels and visits as the return. Amnesty and other critics say the plan is also meant to change how the world sees Rwanda's human rights record. [7][6]

Why it works on us — A first race in Africa for 33 years is an exciting headline, and the excitement makes it easy to skip the question of who is paying for it.

Who gains

  • Rwanda's government and its tourism brand — It gets the country's name on a world sport for ten years, tied to its new airport and the hotels and businesses planned around it. [7]
  • Formula One and its owner, Liberty Media — It can say it races on every inhabited continent, and it reaches what Rwanda counts as 100 million African fans. [2][7]
  • The Atlanta Dream — Moving the Finals games to a 17,000-seat arena lets them sell about five times as many seats as their usual hall holds. [47]
  • Zxavian Harris — The NFL's change of mind lets him sign with any club this season instead of waiting a year. [15]
  • The NCAA — If the appeals court rules its way, it keeps control over who is eligible to play, at least in six states. [14]

Who pays

  • South Africa's would-be race promoters — Their Kyalami plan stalled on money guarantees and track costs, and the one African race went to Rwanda. [10]
  • Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova — A Dutch visa refusal keeps them out of a world championships that helps decide Olympic places. [12]
  • College players who started in 2022 — If the NCAA wins, they lose this case's route to a fifth season and the pay that could come with it, unless a court near them rules differently. [14]
  • Clubs relegated while City broke the rules — BBC Sport's estimate puts Hull's possible loss at 99 million pounds and Newcastle's at 60.4 million. [26]
  • AFL players shown in Sportsbet's AI videos — Their faces were used to sell betting without their permission, under an agreement that never mentions AI. [20]

What nobody knows yet

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

  • 01

    How much Rwanda is paying Formula One, and what the track will cost to build.

    The announcements gave no fee and no building budget. Rwanda says the money comes from a fund mixing public and private investment. [6][7]

  • 02

    When the first African Grand Prix will be held.

    F1 says only the early 2030s. The track has not been built, and it must pass the FIA's top safety grade first. [2][5]

  • 03

    Whether January's Asian Cup will be played in Saudi Arabia.

    The Asian Football Confederation declined to comment, and ESPN judges a 12-month delay more likely than a move. [18][17]

  • 04

    When the appeals court will rule on fifth-year college players, and how far its ruling will reach.

    A ruling may take weeks or months, and it would bind courts in only six states. [14]

  • 05

    Whether Ohio's order has any legal force.

    Lawyers quoted by Front Office Sports disagree, and the NCAA says it will keep enforcing its rules in Ohio. [13]

  • 06

    Whether the regulator would ever force Manchester City's owners to sell.

    City's appeal has not been heard, and a former official who helped write the law says the bar for a forced sale is very high. [24]

  • 07

    What Matt Richardson is accused of.

    British Cycling has not said. The only account is the Times' report that it concerns his behaviour towards other riders. [64][65]

  • 08

    Whether Allisha Gray will play in the WNBA Finals.

    She had a minor hand operation, and the Dream have not said when it happened or when she will be fit. [49]

04 Hope carry this

Taylor Moton, the Carolina Panthers tackle who coughed up blood from clots in his lung in June, practised with his team again on Tuesday.

Also true today

  • Viking, a Norwegian club that was relegated in 2017, drew 3-3 with Bayern Munich in its first home Champions League match.
  • Wales women beat Albania 3-0 to stretch their unbeaten run to ten games, a national record, and are one play-off tie from their first World Cup.

Across the beats