Sports, in brief

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]

Why it matters. 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]