Fifth time lucky for Marquez at Mandalika?

India, Qatar and South Africa are among seven countries pursuing the 2036 Olympics, with five contenders seeking to host the Summer Games for the first time. Germany, Hungary, South Korea and Türkiye complete the field confirmed by the International Olympic Committee, with the host expected to be selected in mid-2029. India’s proposal centres on Ahmedabad, which will stage the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is home to the world’s largest cricket stadium, the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium. The country previously explored hosting the 2032 Olympics before shifting its focus to 2036. It has never staged the Games, but New Delhi hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Qatar is making another attempt through Doha after unsuccessful bids for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, neither of which reached the final shortlist. The country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while Doha staged the 2006 Asian Games and will welcome the event again in 2030. A successful bid would bring the Summer Olympics to the Middle East for the first time, although the heat could require the Games to move beyond their usual July-August window. South Africa is proposing a bid involving Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, aiming to bring the Summer Games to Africa for the first time. Cape Town previously reached the final voting stages for the 2004 Olympics, which were awarded to Athens. Hungary is returning with Budapest, which withdrew its bid for the 2024 Olympics following a petition calling for a referendum on the proposal. The capital has pursued several previous editions without success, leaving Hungary among the countries still seeking their first Games. Türkiye is putting forward Istanbul, which has made five unsuccessful bids for the Summer Olympics. Its closest attempt came in the contest for 2020, when it reached the final round of voting before losing to Tokyo. Germany and South Korea are the only countries in the current field to have hosted the Summer Games. Germany has selected Munich, the venue for the 1972 Olympics, while South Korea’s proposal is anchored in Seoul, which hosted in 1988. The contenders will present their plans to the IOC in November, with a shortlist due in March 2027. Other interested countries have until October 31 to come forward. Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028, followed by Brisbane in 2032.

The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays will meet in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), with Cleveland advancing after overturning a 2-0 series deficit against the Chicago White Sox. The Guardians won the deciding fifth game 2-0 on Saturday, while the Rays secured their place with a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MLB ⚾ (@mlb)

Cleveland are chasing their first World Series appearance since 2016, while Tampa Bay are seeking their third after reaching the final in 2008 and 2020. The Rays dominated their regular-season meetings, winning five of six games and outscoring the Guardians 20-8. Notably, Cleveland failed to score in three of those defeats. Their first series at Progressive Field in April began with consecutive one-run victories for Tampa Bay. The Rays won the opener 3-2 on April 27 before Nick Martinez pitched seven-plus scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory the following day. Cleveland avoided a sweep with a 3-1 win in the finale, helped by Gavin Williams’ 7.2 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. However, the Guardians had no such response when the teams met again at Tropicana Field in July. Tampa Bay opened with an 11-3 victory on July 24, collecting 15 hits in the highest-scoring game between the teams this season. Martinez then held Cleveland scoreless over six innings in a 3-0 win, with Junior Caminero contributing a run-scoring double. Drew Rasmussen completed the sweep by allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory. The teams last met in the postseason in 2022, when Cleveland swept Tampa Bay in their Wild Card Series. This time, a World Series place will be at stake when the best-of-seven ALCS begins at Tropicana Field on Monday. Fans can watch the MLB postseason live on SPOTV NOW.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) for the second consecutive year, with Milwaukee seeking to avenge last season’s four-game sweep. Both teams advanced with 3-1 series victories, as the Brewers beat the San Diego Padres and the Dodgers eliminated the Atlanta Braves. Milwaukee are chasing their first World Series appearance since 1982, while Los Angeles are bidding to become the first team to win three consecutive titles since the New York Yankees in 1998-2000.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MLB ⚾ (@mlb)

The Brewers hold the edge from their regular-season meetings, winning four of seven games despite being outscored 27-25 overall. Their first series in Milwaukee began with a 5-1 Brewers victory on May 22, highlighted by William Contreras’ three-run homer, before the Dodgers responded with two convincing wins. Teoscar Hernandez drove in six runs in an 11-3 victory the following day. Yoshinobu Yamamoto then allowed one run over seven innings in a 5-1 win to secure the series. Milwaukee turned the tables at Dodger Stadium in August, taking three of four games. The Brewers rallied from two runs down in the ninth inning to win the opener 5-4, before Los Angeles drew level with a 3-1 victory. Milwaukee’s pitching then made the difference as Jacob Misiorowski helped secure a 4-1 win, striking out Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman to escape a bases-loaded threat. The Brewers followed with a 6-2 victory in the finale, holding the Dodgers to just three runs across the last two meetings to clinch the season series. That record may offer encouragement for Milwaukee, but last year provided a reminder that regular-season success does not guarantee a place in the World Series. Despite sweeping the Dodgers 6-0 in the regular season last season, Milwaukee were held to four runs across four games. Fans can watch the MLB postseason live on SPOTV NOW.

Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to longtime rival Lionel Messi after the Argentine ended his international career. The Al Nassr star posted a message in Spanish on Messi’s farewell post on Wednesday, a day after his final appearance for Argentina. “Leo, so many years representing your country and a legacy that will last forever,” Ronaldo wrote. "You have all my respect for what you have achieved with Argentina."

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

Messi signed off with a goal and two assists in a 3-0 friendly victory over Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. The Inter Miami forward finished his 21-year international career as Argentina’s most-capped player and leading scorer, with 126 goals in 208 appearances. Ronaldo’s message followed a rivalry that defined an era of club football, particularly during their years on opposite sides of Spain’s biggest fixture. Messi led Barcelona while Ronaldo starred for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018, with the pair competing for league titles, Champions League trophies and individual honours. Their success also extended to international football as Ronaldo helped Portugal win EURO 2016 and UEFA Nations League twice, while Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and the Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.