Sports News Highlights – August 16, 2026

Ronaldo says current season is 'probably' his last

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his plans in a Vogue interview published with his partner Georgina Rodriguez on Sunday, hinting that the current season will be his last in professional football.

“This is probably my last year in football, and I want to leave a great legacy,” Ronaldo told Vogue, just weeks after Portugal was knocked out of the 2026 World Cup by eventual champions Spain in the round of 16 on July 6 in Arlington, Texas.

A career nearing 1,000 goals

A five-time Ballon d'Or winner, the 41-year-old has scored 976 goals for club and country in a career spanning over two decades. He remains contracted to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League until 2027, although his comments suggest he will not see out the full deal.

Ronaldo said he had made extensive plans for life after football. He said, "I have so many things to keep myself busy that it's hard to tell you just one thing. Because football can leave a big hole, you have to fill your time in different ways, not just one." "Enjoy more, travel more, watch and play paddle, which I really love, and continue to enjoy what I've earned - what we've earned. Because after all it's been 25 years with a lot of sacrifices."

world cup swan song

Ronaldo confirmed before the tournament that the 2026 World Cup would be his last World Cup, and he became the first player to score in six editions of the competition, scoring 11 goals in 27 World Cup matches. Portugal's defeat to Spain ended any chance of adding the sport's most prestigious trophy to a cabinet that includes five Champions League titles, league titles in England, Spain and Italy and the European Championship with Portugal.

His decision also means he will not represent Portugal at the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Spain and Morocco.

life off the pitch

The interview comes just days after Ronaldo married Rodriguez in a private ceremony at his home in Cascais, Portugal, on August 11, which was also attended by their five children. The timing of his retirement sees him end his career just 24 goals shy of the 1,000-goal milestone – a target he can still achieve if he maintains his scoring form during the Saudi Pro League season.

His long-time rival Lionel Messi, now 39, has also recently expressed uncertainty about how long he will continue playing.

Bangladesh close to historic Test win in Darwin

Bangladesh moved to the brink of a historic Test win on Australian soil after bowling out Australia for 198 in the first innings and building a commanding lead of 228 runs before dismantling the hosts' top order in the second innings on the third day of the first Test at Marara Stadium in Darwin on Saturday.

The tigers have strengthened their hold

Resuming on 351-6 on Saturday, Bangladesh added more runs in the morning before being bowled out for 426, with Mehidy Hasan Miraj contributing a half-century and Josh Hazlewood taking six wickets for Australia. Overall, Bangladesh had a first innings lead of 228 runs – building on the foundation laid by Hasan Mahmood's career-best 6-55 – having bowled out Australia on the first day.

Australia's second innings had a very bad start. Travis Head and Steven Smith both cut down Hasan Mahmood while attempting cut shots, leaving Australia 37–2. Australia were 4-161 at stumps and still trail by 67 runs with just six wickets in hand and two days left.

Gillespie predicts Bangladesh's victory

Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie said that he expected Bangladesh to probably win the match by innings. Speaking to reporters during the third day's play, Gillespie said that a first innings deficit of 228 runs is historically almost impossible, with Australia having overcome a deficit of more than 200 runs only three times in Test history. He praised Hasan Mahmood's bowling as the best performance by any Bangladeshi bowler against Australia and said that the conditions on the Darwin pitch would continue to help the fast bowlers.

Mark Waugh, commentating on the match, acknowledged that Australia's chances of victory were around 15 percent, adding that the forecast was not wrong given the state of the match.

historical moment beckons

This is Bangladesh's first Test tour of Australia since 2003 and the tourists have dominated from the first ball. The first match of the series marks the beginning of a tough 20-Test season for Australia. If Bangladesh were to win, it would be their first Test win on Australian soil – something few had predicted after the visitors were bowled out for just 54 in a practice match a few days before the series.

Padikkal scored his first test century, India dominated on the first day in Galle.

There was a heavy rain shadow on the first day of the India vs Sri Lanka Test series at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, August 15, but Devdutt Padikkal's unbeaten 131 ensured that India ended the day in a strong position at 288 for two after 73 overs.

Weather havoc at scheduled time

AccuWeather had forecast a 90% chance of rain early in the day, with 92% cloud cover and 5.6 mm of rain expected during the morning session. The predictions proved accurate as rain delayed the start of the post-lunch session, forcing the ground staff to lay cover on the pitch. Conditions improved slightly in the afternoon, with the chance of rain decreasing to between 24% and 33% after 1:00 pm local time. The game was eventually abandoned in the final session due to rain and diminishing light.

The weather forecast for the remainder of the Test remains worrying, with rain predicted on all five days – 74% on day two, 81% on day three, 55% on day four and 60% on day five.

Padikkal took advantage of his moment

Despite the setbacks, India made the most of the overs available. Captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat, and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (32) and vice-captain KL Rahul (77, retired hurt) provided a solid platform before Jaiswal was run out at 47 for one in the 11th over.

Padikkal was included in the eleven in place of injured B Sai Sudarshan, then he took charge. The 26-year-old left-hander from Kerala stitched a 150-run partnership with Rahul before the latter retired due to arm cramps in the third session. Padikkal brought up his maiden Test century – India's first from the No. 3 position in 20 Tests – off the bowling of debutant off-spinner Keshara Nuvantha. At the time of stumps, he was unbeaten on 131 off 178 balls, along with Rishabh Pant (27 not out).

WTC bets increase pressure

This match holds significance beyond the bilateral series. India, who are playing their 600th Test – the third country to reach the milestone after Australia and England – need to win at least six of their next nine Tests to secure a berth in the World Test Championship final. With much of the game likely to be lost due to rain, India's aggressive scoring rate on the first day could prove to be decisive for the result in Galle.

European clubs threaten Club World Cup boycott over FIFA sales plan

According to a report published by The Guardian on 15 August and cited by Anadolu Agency, European clubs threatened to withdraw from future editions of the FIFA Club World Cup unless President Gianni Infantino canceled his FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. The threat was issued just hours before Infantino withdrew the controversial plan in late July amid a widespread revolt in world football.

EFC ultimatum

In a letter to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström dated 31 July, the European Football Clubs (EFC) warned that its member clubs would not participate in any future Club World Cup – including the women's and men's 2028 and 2029 editions – unless FIFA agreed to establish a joint FIFA-EFC venture with "exclusive rights" on commercial and operational matters before selling the broadcast rights to the 2028 Women's Club World Cup. Given the central role of European clubs in the competition, a European boycott would effectively prevent the Club World Cup from taking place.

The FFE proposal, announced on July 28, envisioned a $20 billion commercial subsidiary managing broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing rights for FIFA competitions, with private investors acquiring about 20% of the entity.

Mass revolt against Infantino

The EFC's ultimatum further increased the pressure from the unions. UEFA's 55 member states voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA competitions over the plan, while CONCACAF rejected it outright and the Asian Football Confederation expressed "deep concern". Although Infantino withdrew the FFE proposal, UEFA said the conditions for lifting his boycott threat had not been met, with the body demanding assurances that "such attempts to distort the game in this way will never be made again".

Andrew Giuliani, acting director of the White House task force for the recently concluded World Cup, defended Infantino, calling his critics "jealous" and blaming politics for the reaction.

Concerns about political interference

Speaking at the European Athletics Championships on 14 August, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe warned sporting bodies to resist political interference – comments that came amid scrutiny of Infantino's ties to US President Donald Trump. Coe said the key is to "keep the leaders on the bus, but not let them get anywhere near the steering wheel". Among the proposed FFE investors was Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

FIH Hockey World Cup begins with India's 3-1 win over Wales

The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup began in the Netherlands and Belgium on Saturday, with India celebrating its Independence Day with a 3-1 win over Wales in the men's tournament and Australia beating Japan 2-0 in the women's competition.

India dominates Wales behind Harmanpreet's brace

Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice from penalty corners as India defeated a determined Welsh team at the Wagner Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen. Sanjay Rana scored in the seventh minute, while Harmanpreet extended the lead three minutes later, giving India a 2–0 lead after the first quarter.

Wales kept India goalless in the second quarter but struggled to create clear chances. Harmanpreet completed her brace in the third quarter, and although Sam Welsh pulled one back with a field goal in the fourth, India secured all three points.

The match was defined by penalty corners – India converted three out of five chances while Wales got their first and only penalty corner after 54 minutes. Wales co-captain Jacob Draper earned his 100th cap in the match, a milestone for the largely amateur team, whose players often balance full-time jobs and funding their international travel themselves.

Women's tournament starts with solid win

In the women's draw in Wavre, Belgium, Germany beat Scotland 3-0 with goals from Hachenberg, Jong and Krings. In Amstelveen, Hockeyroos co-captain Claire Colville scored two goals from penalty corners in the 27th and 51st minutes, giving Australia a 2–0 win over Japan and player of the match honors.

Tournament format and what's next

The tournament features 16 teams in each of the men's and women's competitions, divided into four groups of four each. The top two players from each pool will advance to the crossover round, with the semi-finals taking place on 28–29 August and the final on 30 August.

India's Pool D also includes England and Pakistan, with the much-awaited India-Pakistan match scheduled to take place on August 19 in Amstelveen. England will face Pakistan in the second opening match of the pool on Saturday. Indian fans gathered at the stadium hours before kick-off, many waving tricolor flags to celebrate Independence Day along with the World Cup opening ceremony.

India are chasing their second Men's World Cup title, 50 years after their first win in Kuala Lumpur in 1976.

Coe vows to defend World Athletics' Russia ban in court

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe promised to appear in person before the Court of Arbitration for Sport on August 14 to defend his organization's ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, which would bring a direct clash with Russia's athletics federation over one of the longest-running suspensions in international sport.

Koe performed brilliantly in the European Championship

Speaking on the sidelines of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, Coe made clear he would not soften World Athletics' position despite growing pressure from the wider Olympic movement to readmit Russian competitors.

Coe told reporters on August 13, "Well, I will defend that position in the arbitration court. That's how I feel about it." "This is not about politics or passports. This is about the integrity of competition, and that is the position we will defend."

The comments came after Russian Athletics filed a new claim with CAS on August 4, the federation's second legal challenge in less than a month. The latest appeal calls the sanctions imposed by the federation a "violation of the organization's rights" and preventing it from "fully representing the interests of Russian athletes at the international level."

World Athletics stands apart

World Athletics confirmed the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes at its council meeting on 3 July, citing the lack of peace talks. The sanctions, first imposed in March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have since been repeatedly reviewed and maintained.

The governing body's stance puts it in contradiction with the International Olympic Committee, which temporarily lifted Russia's suspension in July, opening the way for Russian athletes to compete in team events and qualifying competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The World Gymnastics and International Skating Unions also eased restrictions on Russian competitors.

“The primacy of an international federation to determine what eligibility looks like in your sport is the base of the pyramid,” Coe said. “When we have gone to court on previous occasions, that concept has been upheld.”

Legal battle takes shape

Russian Athletics had already filed a separate appeal on 9 July challenging the council's decision to extend the suspension. Reuters reported that the federation hired expert lawyers and described the ban as "discriminatory".

World Athletics said it would "vigorously" defend its position. Ukraine has slammed the IOC's decision to allow Russian participation in Los Angeles as "premature" and "baseless", as Russia's offensive continues into its fifth year.