The Tampa Bay Rays beat Cleveland to reach a World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, two low-payroll teams, as baseball's owners push for a salary cap

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

   Colts fire their general manager

   The Indianapolis Colts fired Chris Ballard, the general manager who chose their players since 2017, on Monday. [13][25] It came a day after a home loss to the Tennessee Titans, who had not won all season, left the Colts 2-4. [26][27] Under Ballard the Colts went 72-82-1, made the playoffs twice and never won their division. [25][27] The owner, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, said waiting until the season ended would only delay the work. [13] Head coach Shane Steichen, still in his job, said he shares the blame. [28]

   Why it matters — It is the first big firing of the NFL season, three weeks before the 10 November trade deadline. [29] The Colts have no first-round pick in next year's draft, after trading it and their 2026 pick to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. [30]

2. 03

   Uefa sets Fifa a deadline

   Uefa, which runs European football, gave Fifa, world football's governing body, until 2 November to answer its questions and hand over documents. [18][31] The letter went out on Monday. [32] It asks about a plan, dropped in July, to sell a fifth of Fifa's commercial business for $4.2bn. [33][18] It also asks about the pay of Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, the peace prize Fifa gave Donald Trump, and a suspended ban for the US striker Folarin Balogun. [18][33] Infantino had asked for the questions in writing at last week's Fifa council. [31]

   Why it matters — Candidates who want to run against Infantino for Fifa president must declare by 18 November. [31] As things stand he would be re-elected unopposed next year. [32]

3. 04

   Seven young NBA stars get new deals

   Monday was the NBA's deadline to extend the first contracts of players drafted in 2023. [17][16] CBS Sports lists seven who signed, led by Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs at $252m over five years. [16] Brandon Miller of Charlotte signed for $209m just before the 6pm deadline. [17] Portland did not extend Scoot Henderson, the third pick that year, and Orlando did not extend Anthony Black, the sixth. [17][34] Both can become restricted free agents next summer, when their teams may match any rival offer. [34]

   Why it matters — A first-round pick's first contract follows the league's fixed rookie pay scale, and these deals replace it with what the market will pay. [34][16] Orlando is $2.5m below the league's strictest spending limit, which made a deal for Black hard to fit. [34]

4. 05

   Hurts out for the season with blood clots

   The Philadelphia Eagles said on Monday that quarterback Jalen Hurts has a deep vein clot and clots in both lungs. [21] He must take blood-thinning drugs, and he cannot play football while he takes them. [21] NFL Network and ESPN report the treatment will last at least three months. [21] The first diagnosis, made in London, was a clot in a surface vein of his calf. [35] Hurts signed a five-year, $255m contract in 2023. [21]

   Why it matters — The team and his agent expect a full recovery. [21] Questions now turn to how he was cleared to play and to fly home from London, which the head coach was left to answer. [35]

5. 06

   49ers stay unbeaten, and lose Evans

   The San Francisco 49ers beat the Washington Commanders 23-17 on Monday night, their sixth win in six games. [36] It is their best start since 2019. [36] Quarterback Brock Purdy became the highest-rated passer in NFL history, at 105.6, once he passed the 1,500 throws needed to qualify. [36] Receiver Mike Evans, 33, left with an Achilles injury. [22] Washington's Terry McLaurin was carted off with a knee injury in the first quarter. [37]

   Why it matters — Evans signed a three-year, $42.4m deal this year, and the 49ers were already missing two other receivers. [22] Washington fall to one win in six games. [36]

6. 07

   Rams lose Adams and their new kicker

   Davante Adams of the Los Angeles Rams ruptured a hamstring and will miss six to ten weeks, coach Sean McVay said on Monday. [23] Adams, 33, was averaging 80 receiving yards a game. [23] The Rams also put their new kicker, Blake Grupe, on the injured list with a torn knee ligament. [38] Grupe was hurt making a tackle in his first game, a week after the Rams cut their last kicker. [38]

   Why it matters — The Rams started the season as clear favourites for the Super Bowl and are now last in their division at 2-4. [23][39]

7. 08

   Dream win their first ever Finals game

   The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 in San Francisco on Monday to level the finals of the WNBA, the US women's basketball league, at one game each. [40] Angel Reese scored 30 points and took 16 rebounds. [40] At 24 she is the youngest player to reach 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA playoff game. [40] The Dream had lost all ten of their previous Finals games, going back to 2010. [41] Game 3 is in Atlanta on Wednesday. [41]

   Why it matters — NBC is showing its first WNBA Finals since 2002. [42] Its executive producer, Sam Flood, says the ratings are through the roof. [42]

8. 09

   NBC's big week of games

   NBC, the US network, is showing the WNBA Finals, three NBA games on Tuesday and a Sunday night NFL game this week. [42] It opens the NBA season with all three games on NBC and its Peacock streaming service, a first for the network. [42] Before Monday's game, E! and USA Network, channels owned by Versant, a company split off from NBC's owner Comcast, ran an hour-long red-carpet show on the players' clothes. [43][42] Comcast, NBC's owner, reports its earnings on Thursday. [42]

   Why it matters — Comcast plans to make NBCUniversal, which includes NBC Sports, a separate company, likely in mid-2027. [42] Peacock made its first-ever profit last quarter. [42]

9. 10

   Ronaldo's ban costs him no games

   Portugal's football federation banned Cristiano Ronaldo for 30 days and fined him 255 euros, about 215 pounds, for walking out of the national squad. [44][45] Ronaldo, 41, left after he was not picked to play against Norway and was told he would not start against Denmark. [44] The ban counts from the Denmark match on 1 October, so he has already served 19 days. [44] He will not miss any of Portugal's matches. [44]

   Why it matters — The federation said it took his apology and his career into account. [44] Its president wants him back in the team. [45]

10. 11

    Polymarket pulls a bet on a rape case

    Polymarket, an app where people bet on future events, removed a market on whether any of seven men accused of raping a Cornell University student will be charged with a felony. [20] It came down after Front Office Sports reported on it and critics turned on the athletes who advertise the app. [20] About $451,600 had been bet since 30 September. [20] The market ran only on Polymarket's international site, not its US app. [20]

    Why it matters — LeBron James is paid $15m a year to promote Polymarket, and Derek Jeter and Sue Bird appear in its adverts. [20] Kalshi, its main rival, said it would not have offered such a market. [20]

11. 12

    Saudi sports events go ahead despite US warnings

    The US embassy in Saudi Arabia warned Americans on Sunday about flight cancellations and closed airspace, and the US State Department repeated it on Monday. [46] The warnings follow a missile strike on Riyadh's airport by the Houthis, an armed group backed by Iran, that killed 12 people, Front Office Sports reports. [46] Riyadh Season, a ten-week festival of sport and shows, still opens on 21 October. [46] The Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez's fight on 31 October and Crown Jewel, a show by the wrestling company WWE on 7 November, are unchanged. [46]

    Why it matters — WWE has worked with Saudi Arabia since 2018, and Morgan Stanley estimates it will be paid $150m to hold WrestleMania there next April. [46] Front Office Sports says any cancellation would likely be costly. [46]

12. 13

    Nassar's judge says gymnastics still fails children

    Rosemarie Aquilina, the judge who jailed Larry Nassar in 2018, said there have been very few meaningful changes since his crimes came out. [19] Nassar, a former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, sexually abused more than 250 women and girls. [19] She spoke in Rotterdam, where the world championships are on this week, alongside survivors from Gymnasts for Change International, a campaign group. [19] She said the sport still puts money and medals before children's safety. [19]

    Why it matters — World Gymnastics, the sport's governing body, is choosing a new secretary general, as the current one leaves at the end of the year. [19] Campaigners say the rules exist but are not enforced. [19]

13. 14

    China lead women's qualifying at the gymnastics worlds

    China qualified first for Wednesday's women's team final at the world gymnastics championships in Rotterdam, with the United States second. [47] Russia, competing under a neutral flag, came third, though three of its best gymnasts were refused visas by the Netherlands. [47][48] Great Britain missed the final in ninth place. [47] The top three teams in the final win the first places at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. [47][48]

    Why it matters — The US have won every world team title since 2011, and China have not won one since 2006. [48][47] Algeria's Kaylia Nemour qualified first in the all-around. [47]

14. 15

    Wiegman stays with England until 2029

    Sarina Wiegman extended her contract as England women's head coach to the 2029 European Championship. [49] Her deal had been due to end after next summer's World Cup in Brazil. [49] Wiegman has led England since September 2021 and won two European titles with them. [50] England must still beat Ukraine in a two-leg playoff to reach the World Cup. [49]

    Why it matters — Seven of the team that started the 4-0 defeat by Spain in June had also played in the 2022 European final, so she must find their successors. [50]

15. 16

    Svitolina says the war ended her marriage

    Elina Svitolina, a Ukrainian tennis player ranked sixth in the world, announced her separation from her husband, the French player Gael Monfils. [51][52] She wrote that Russia's war on her country had taken a toll she had rarely spoken about, with sleepless nights and doubt. [52] The couple married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter. [51] Monfils, 40, had been expected to retire after the Paris Masters, which begins on 31 October. [51]

    Why it matters — Svitolina grew up in Odesa, the port city Russia has bombed throughout the war. [52] Monfils now seems to have brought his retirement forward. [51]

16. 17

    Spurs win at last

    Tottenham Hotspur beat Coventry City 3-1 for their first Premier League win of the season and climbed out of the bottom three. [53] James Maddison scored with his first start in 18 months, after a knee ligament injury and a broken shoulder. [54] Dejan Kulusevski came on for his first game in more than a season. [53] It was only Spurs' sixth home league win since November 2024. [53]

    Why it matters — Coach Roberto De Zerbi had tried team dinners and a trip to Marbella to lift the side. [54] Coventry, managed by Frank Lampard, were angry that a Spurs goal stood despite an elbow. [53]

17. 18

    Leicester drawn away at a sixth-tier club

    Leicester City, FA Cup winners in 2021, will play Oxford City in the first round of the FA Cup. [55] Oxford City play in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football. [55] It is Leicester's first time at this early stage since 2008, after they were relegated to League One, the third tier. [55] The draw named 91 teams, and the first round is played around 7 November. [55]

    Why it matters — Four sides reached the first round for the first time. [55] Eighth-tier AFC Rushden and Diamonds won five ties to get there and now visit Burton Albion. [55]

18. 19

    England's new Test coach wants an English successor

    Stephen Fleming, the New Zealander who now coaches England's Test cricket team, said a national team should mainly be coached by someone from that country. [56] Since 1999, only two Englishmen have led England's Test side. [56] Fleming's staff is mostly English coaches, and he said developing them is a priority. [56] His first series is in South Africa in December. [56]

    Why it matters — England's coach for the shorter one-day and 20-over games, Brendon McCullum, and its selector, Marcus North, are also from overseas. [56] Fleming said he will invite county coaches and former players into his set-up. [56]

19. 20

    Rain slows Australia, but Boland strikes

    Rain held up the second day of the second Test, cricket's five-day international match, between South Africa and Australia in Gqeberha until mid-afternoon. [57] When play began, South Africa lost three more wickets and closed on 97 for 5. [57][58] Scott Boland, 37, took four wickets for 31 runs. [58] Marques Ackerman, opening the batting for the first time in his first-class career, was out for 6. [57][58]

    Why it matters — South Africa lost the first Test and changed two of their batsmen for this one. [58] Australia left out Nathan Lyon, sixth on the list of all-time Test wicket-takers. [56]

20. 21

    England start a three-way series in Pakistan

    England's one-day cricket team play Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Tuesday in a series with Sri Lanka. [59] Captain Harry Brook says he has learned from being punched by a bouncer in New Zealand almost a year ago. [59] England have won their last three one-day series after losing seven of eight before that. [60] Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler is injured and fast bowler Jofra Archer is rested. [59]

    Why it matters — The 50-over World Cup is less than a year away, in southern Africa. [61] Brook averages 51.3 as captain in one-day games, against 25.2 before. [60]

21. 22

    Duncan Ferguson takes over at Glentoran

    Duncan Ferguson, the former Everton and Scotland striker, became manager of Glentoran, a Belfast club, on a contract of several years. [62] He was Everton's assistant manager and has managed Forest Green Rovers and Inverness. [62] Glentoran have not won the league since 2009 despite heavy spending by their owner, Ali Pour. [62] They are 11 points behind the leaders, Coleraine. [63]

    Why it matters — Ferguson said Glentoran should be challenging for the title and every cup. [62] His first game is at home to Ballymena United on Saturday. [62]

22. 23

    Wiggins' son turns professional

    Ben Wiggins, 21, son of the five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins, signed his first professional contract with Jayco-AlUla, an Australian team. [64] He won the national under-23 time trial this year and finished in the top 10 at the Tour of Britain in September. [64] He races at cycling's top level from next season. [64]

    Why it matters — His father became Britain's first Tour de France winner in 2012. [64] The son joins the team he has wanted to ride for since 2019. [64]

23. 24

    Berahino retires to coach Burundi

    Saido Berahino, the former West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City striker, retired at 33 to coach with Burundi's national team. [65] He scored 20 Premier League and cup goals for West Brom in 2014-15. [65] Stoke bought him for 12m pounds in 2017, but he struggled and the club was relegated in 2018. [65] He later played in Belgium, Cyprus, India and Slovenia. [65]

    Why it matters — Berahino was born in Burundi and played for England at youth level before choosing his home country. [65]

24. 25

    The Lions look for a new chair

    Ieuan Evans, the former Wales captain, will step down on Wednesday as chair of the British and Irish Lions, the touring rugby team, after almost four years. [66] Evans was tour manager when the men's team won the 2025 series in Australia. [66] He also brought independent directors onto the board. [66]

    Why it matters — The Lions are searching for a new chair, who will oversee the first Lions women's tour, to New Zealand next year. [66]

25. 26

    O'Sullivan and Trump knocked out early

    Ronnie O'Sullivan lost 4-3 to Ka Wai Cheung, ranked 110th, in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open snooker in Belfast. [67] Judd Trump also lost 4-3, to Martin O'Donnell. [67] O'Sullivan was the eighth of the first nine top-16 players at the Waterfront Hall to lose, and Trump went out later the same day. [67] It was Cheung's first main-draw knockout win at a ranking event. [67]

    Why it matters — Cheung, a qualifier from Hong Kong, now plays Stuart Bingham for a place in the last 16. [67]

26. 27

    Six players stay standing for the knee

    Premier League clubs took the knee, kneeling before kick-off as a protest against racism, before matches this weekend for October's No Room for Racism campaign. [68] Six players at five clubs stayed standing, among them Manchester City's Marc Guehi. [68] Guehi said he claps instead, and that the campaign should look at how to move forward. [68] Players began taking the knee in 2020, after the death of George Floyd. [68]

    Why it matters — The Premier League says each player chooses, and it supports either choice. [68]

27. 28

    Brentford call police over a rugby ball

    Brentford said they are working with police after a man on a nearby rooftop kicked a rugby ball towards the pitch during their match with Liverpool on Saturday. [69] A video shows others laughing and cheering as he kicked it. [69] The club called it dangerous and potentially very harmful. [69] It said the police inquiry could lead to a criminal prosecution. [69]

    Why it matters — Brentford lost the match 2-1 with two players sent off, and the ball was taken off while play went on. [69]

28. 29

    Cheltenham reopens after fixing a hole

    Cheltenham racecourse, the home of jump racing in Britain, opens its season on Friday after repairs to its drainage. [70] A large hole appeared in the track in late January. [70] The Jockey Club, which owns the course, cancelled two spring meetings to make time for the work. [70] More than a kilometre of drains was replaced or upgraded, and radar found no other problems. [70]

    Why it matters — The March festival went ahead, so the cost fell on the smaller spring meetings. [70] The clerk of the course, Jon Pullin, said cancelling them was the right decision. [70]

29. 30

    A swimmer finishes 900 miles down California

    Catherine Breed, a 33-year-old open-water swimmer, finished a 900-mile swim down the whole coast of California on Monday. [71] She set off from the northern border on 1 July, 111 days earlier. [71] She has already swum the English Channel and the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland, each about 21 miles. [71] She compared each day to a half Ironman, a long race of swimming, cycling and running. [71]

    Why it matters — She planned it for three years and used it to draw attention to the state of the coast. [71]

30. 31

    Penn State's coach may be too expensive to fire

    The football team of Penn State, a large US university, has lost four games in a row under Matt Campbell, hired last December on a fully guaranteed eight-year contract worth at least $70.5m. [14] Firing him this week would cost the university more than $62m, Sportico calculates. [14] Not one top-level college football coach has been fired in seven weeks of the season. [14] Schools are putting their money into paying players instead. [14]

    Why it matters — Penn State has $535m of athletics debt, the most of any public school. [14] Florida State would pay about $50m to fire its coach, about a quarter of its yearly sports budget. [14]

31. 32

    Tennessee fined $500,000 for a pitch invasion

    The Southeastern Conference, a group of US universities whose teams play each other, fined Tennessee $500,000 after its fans ran onto the field. [72] They stormed it after Tennessee beat Alabama 26-10 on Saturday. [72] The size of the fine reflects Tennessee's earlier field-storming offences, and the cheque goes to Alabama. [72] It is the second identical fine in two weeks. [72]

    Why it matters — Under the conference's rules the cheque goes to the visiting team, so Tennessee's fans have paid Alabama for the defeat they celebrated. [72]

32. 33

    The Cubs' accounts could be made public

    A rooftop business next to the Chicago Cubs' ballpark is asking a US federal judge to unseal the records of its lawsuit with the club. [10] The records include the Cubs' financial information and contracts. [10] The rooftop lost the case and was barred from selling tickets to watch games, and it is appealing. [10] Baseball's labour deal expires at 11.59pm on 1 December. [10]

    Why it matters — Players' unions often argue that teams are more profitable than they say. [10] Real numbers from one big club would arrive in the middle of the fight over a salary cap. [10]

33. 34

    Knicks fans pay $4,000 a seat

    Seats at the New York Knicks' first home game of the season, against Philadelphia on Tuesday, are averaging nearly $4,000 on SeatGeek, a resale site. [24] That is SeatGeek's highest average for a Knicks regular-season home game since 2009. [24] Resale prices for Knicks games are up 78% on last season, after the team won its first title in 53 years. [24]

    Why it matters — Winning a title lifts what fans will pay for the next season's tickets, before a game is played. [24]

34. 35

    Where NBA stars pay the most tax

    NBA players pay income tax in each place they play, a cost known as the jock tax. [73] Forbes estimates Stephen Curry owes the most, $6.38m, partly because his team is in California, which taxes most heavily. [73] Giannis Antetokounmpo's move to Florida, where the tax is lightest, makes him the best-paid player after tax at about $57.1m. [73] The season begins on 20 October. [73]

    Why it matters — Forbes says a team's home state is the biggest single factor in its players' tax bills. [73]

35. 36

    The NBA's app now answers questions

    The NBA is promoting an AI chatbot called Ask NBA as a main part of its app for the new season. [74] Fans can ask it questions about players and records. [74] The app's game pages also open with a paragraph written by software that sums up each game so far. [74] A sparkle icon marks material the software wrote. [74]

    Why it matters — The league says it wants fans to find games and watch them more easily. [74] Text written by machines is becoming a normal part of following sport. [74]

36. 37

    Yankees keep Boone for a tenth year

    Aaron Boone will return as manager of the New York Yankees in 2027, a source told ESPN on Monday. [15] It will be the last year of his contract. [15][75] The Yankees have reached the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons but have not won the World Series since 2009. [15] This year they were swept by the Rays in the playoffs. [75]

    Why it matters — The Yankees, worth $9.4bn, lost to a team spending a fraction as much. [9][75] They have not fired a manager under contract since 1991. [75]

37. 38

    Japan's best hitter heads for the US

    The Hanshin Tigers, a Japanese baseball team, have agreed to let Teruaki Sato, 27, try to join a US major league team through the posting system, which needs his Japanese club's consent. [76] Sato won the Triple Crown in Japan's Central League this year, leading in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. [76] He hit .306 with 39 home runs and 106 runs batted in. [76]

    Why it matters — The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have been linked with him. [76]

38. 39

    Golf's indoor league makes its first trade

    TGL, an indoor golf league, made the first trade in its history on Monday. [77] The Bay Golf Club sent the Irish golfer Shane Lowry to Boston Common Golf, Rory McIlroy's team. [77] In return the Bay got a draft pick and other considerations. [77] Teams grow to five players for the third season, which starts in December. [77]

    Why it matters — Lowry joins his long-time friend McIlroy, and the Bay can now fill its open roster place with the pick. [77]

39. 40

    Florida top the college basketball poll

    Florida are No. 1 in the Associated Press's preseason poll of men's college basketball, which media voters choose each week. [78][79] They took 47 of the 59 first-place votes, ahead of Duke and Illinois. [78] Florida kept four starters, unusual when most teams lose players to other colleges or the NBA. [78] Purdue's run of 79 weeks in the top 25 ended. [79]

    Why it matters — A preseason poll is a guess before any game is played, but it shapes which teams get attention early. [79]

40. 41

    Roster cuts drop two young draft picks

    NBA teams had to cut their rosters to 15 players before the season. [80] The Memphis Grizzlies released Walter Clayton Jr., picked 18th in the 2025 draft. [80] The Los Angeles Lakers waived Dalton Knecht, from the 2024 draft, on Monday, ESPN reported. [81] Clayton came to Memphis in February in the trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah. [80]

    Why it matters — Memphis looked for a trade for Clayton before releasing him. [80] Four of the 2024 class's top picks, including the first pick, have already been traded. [81]

41. 42

    McDaniels takes a one-year $40m extension

    Jaden McDaniels agreed a one-year, $40m extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, his agents told ESPN. [82] It keeps him in Minnesota until 2030. [82] The team now owes the 26-year-old $124m over the next four seasons. [82] He was picked 28th in the 2020 draft and is now one of the league's best defenders. [82]

    Why it matters — The short extension lets him become a free agent in 2030 as a 10-year veteran, or sign again in 2028. [82]