Category Sports News

Six-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz has split with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in a shock move.

Alcaraz, 22, has worked with his fellow Spaniard since he was a teenager, but announced on Wednesday that the pair have “decided to part ways” before the 2026 season.

Neither Alcaraz nor Ferrero has given a reason for the split.

World number one Alcaraz has not yet outlined if he plans to replace Ferrero.

“Thank you for turning childhood dreams into realities,” Alcaraz said in a statement.

“We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you’ve accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court.

Alcaraz started working with former world number one Ferrero when he was 15, training with the 2001 French Open champion at his academy about an hour’s drive from Alcaraz’s home.

Ferrero was persuaded by Alcaraz’s agent Albert Molina, who spotted the youngster aged 11 and convinced international sports agency IMG to manage him a year later, to commit to what he saw as a long-term project.

Ferrero, 45, nurtured Alcaraz’s talent and took him into the professional ranks before guiding him to all six of his Grand Slam titles.

Alcaraz claimed his first major at the 2022 US Open, won Wimbledon in 2023, added the French Open and another Wimbledon title in 2024, before again winning the French Open and US Open this year.

Alcaraz is aiming to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam at the season-opening Australian Open next month.

“I wish I could have continued,” Ferrero said.

“I am convinced that good memories and good people always find a way to cross paths again.”

No Harry Kane or Raphinha? Six Paris St-Germain players? A Scott McTominay-less midfield? Any team of the year selection always raises debate.

On Tuesday in Qatar, Fifa held The Best Awards and the Men’s XI was named based on achievements between 11 August 2024 and 2 August 2025.

Fifa’s team was voted for by international captains, coaches and members of the media from selected nations, but of course, only 11 players can make the cut.

Supporters often fight the case for their favourite players and there are always a disgruntled few who miss out.

So BBC Sport has created an alternative World XI of players not selected.

We have opted for the same 4-4-2 formation as Fifa’s Best XI and have not included any more PSG players because the European champions dominate the original team.

Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper proved his worth once again as the Reds claimed their 20th league title – and his second at the club.

Alisson, 33, remains one of the best shot stoppers in the world and registered 10 clean sheets in 28 Premier League matches last season.

Jules Kounde has the right-back spot at Barcelona locked down, making 53 appearances for the La Liga and Copa del Rey winners in all competitions last season.

The 27-year-old played a key role in Barca’s run to the Champions League semi-finals, where they were dramatically beaten in Inter Milan’s San Siro late on.

Since signing from Lille in 2020, Gabriel has gradually worked his way into the bracket of one of the Premier League’s best defenders.

It was once thought the Brazil international played second fiddle to the talent of William Saliba beside him but Gabriel’s importance to Mikel Arteta’s side grows game after game. He is even a goal threat now!

Alessandro Bastoni has become the key man at the back for an Inter Milan side which competed in the their first Champions League final since 2010.

He started in all but one of their 15 European matches, keeping eight clean sheets along the way.

Once booed by Chelsea fans, Marc Cucurella has become a fan-favourite at Stamford Bridge for his talent and tenacity at left-back.

After missing out on Champions League football, Cucurella was one of the reasons Chelsea were able to push into the top four last season.

He was part of the team that won the Uefa Conference League in May. That, of course, came before the Blues crossed the Atlantic and became world champions.

What more can be said about Mohamed Salah?

The Egyptian produced his best season as Liverpool won the Premier League by 10 points.

The 33-year-old registered a terrific 34 goals and 23 assists in 54 games across all competitions.

Declan Rice’s progress since moving to Arsenal from West Ham for a huge £100m in 2023 has been impressive.

The 26-year-old is a stalwart in the England midfield as they build towards the World Cup but is also one of the first names on the Gunners’ team sheet.

Rice played 52 times in all competitions for Arsenal last season, scoring nine and assisting 10 times.

You would have been forgiven if you didn’t think Scott McTominay would turn into the midfielder he has after leaving Manchester United for Napoli in 2024.

The 29-year-old featured 34 times for Napoli in Serie A last season. He netted 12 times and registered six assists as the Gli Azzurri won the Scudetto on a dramatic final day.

Barcelona’s Raphinha made his feelings known on social media after missing out on yet another World XI, posting his own stats.

It’s hard to deny the Brazilian should have been included – he is a key player in a Barca side that won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and were narrowly beaten in the Champions League semi-finals.

Perhaps the biggest omission from the Fifa Best XI.

Harry Kane, somehow, has gone up a level since leaving Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023, finally winning a first major trophy last term.

England’s captain appeared 51 times for Bayern last season and netted an outstanding 41 goals.

Kane isn’t just about goals, though. Regularly dropping deep means he is able to use his passing ability and register 14 assists.

It’s always difficult to leave Manchester City’s goal machine Erling Haaland out of a World XI but, as it’s based on last season, Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski gets the nod.

At 37, the Pole is still one of the most feared strikers in the world and he proved that as he led the line in Barcelona’s double-winning season.

As expected, PSG dominated the Fifa Best XI with six players. Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer were the only representatives from the Premier League.

Joe Burns has been stripped of the Italy captaincy and left out of their plans for their debut appearance at the T20 World Cup next year.

Former Australia opener Burns, 36, led Italy through qualifying to secure a spot at the 20-team tournament in India and Sri Lanka, which starts on 7 February.

However, the Italian Cricket Federation (FCRI) has announced Derbyshire batter Wayne Madsen, 41, has now replaced Burns.

The FCRI added Burns will not be selected as part of Italy’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The FCRI did not provide specific details as to why Burns had been stripped of the captaincy and will not be selected for the T20 World Cup.

However, it did state the decision had been taken to “ensure stability, harmony and continuity for the team” and was made “solely in the interest of the national team’s preparation and serenity ahead of this historic event”.

The statement added the FCRI “will not comment further on individual matters” though the organisation did also express its “sincere thanks” to Burns for his role in “an important chapter” in Italian cricket.

Burns, who played 23 Tests and six one-day internationals for Australia between 2014 and 2020, is eligible to represent Italy through his mother’s heritage.

He announced he would represent Italy as a tribute to his late brother in May 2024.

Burns played eight T20s for Italy, scoring an unbeaten century in the Europe Qualifier Group A final against Romania.

Italy then picked up two wins over Guernsey in the Europe Regional Final group, which proved enough to secure second place behind the Netherlands and a World Cup spot.

South Africa-born Madsen first played for Derbyshire in 2009 under an Italian passport, courtesy of his Italian grandmother.

Gerwyn Price declared that he will win this year’s World Darts Championship after impressing during his first-round victory over Adam Gawlas.

Price, winner of the 2021 tournament, averaged 96.44 against Czech opponent Gawlas, hitting six 180s en route to securing an emphatic 3-0 win at Alexandra Palace.

And the Welshman sent out a strong message to his title rivals in the aftermath of his triumph.

“I am winning. Honestly, I’m not losing,” he said.

Price could face reigning world champion and world number one Luke Littler in the quarter-finals of this year’s event.

Fans and pundits have suggested that the winner of that potential contest will be the favourite to lift the title, with Price stating he remains full of belief that he will be holding the Sid Waddell Trophy on 3 January.

“I delete my social media before big tournaments and just get in my own little bubble,” he said.

“I believe in my own talent and my own ability, if people are saying that (that the winner between Littler and Price would win the title) then fair play to them.

“I just believe I’m going to win this tournament. I don’t care what the obstacles are in front of me.

Price’s name was regularly chanted by fans during his triumph over Gawlas.

The 40-year-old has previously been the recipient of boos from the Alexandra Palace crowd, although the former rugby player stated the support from the supporters in attendance gave him a huge lift in the first round.

“What a crowd. I don’t get that all the time, but for the last 12 to 18 months, maybe a little bit longer, the crowd has been fantastic to me,” added Price.

“Just walking on, sometimes you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck standing up.

“I don’t normally get that at Ally Pally, but I was looking forward to it this year, and it showed why. They were right behind me.

“I felt confident in the game, but when the crowd’s behind you, you get that extra 10%.”

Wales head coach Craig Bellamy has warned against writing off potential World Cup play-off opponents Northern Ireland.

The teams could meet in a play-off final in Cardiff in March, but only if Wales win their semi-final at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland progress from theirs with an against-the-odds victory in Italy.

The prize on offer for the play-off final winners will be a place at next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, in Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.

Four-time World Cup champions Italy are the favourites but, having missed out on the previous two editions of the competition in Qatar and Russia, the Azzurri will be under severe pressure to qualify this time.

“Everyone thinks it’ll be Italy we’ll have to play if we beat Bosnia, but if there’s one team that’s happy not to have the ball it’s them [Northern Ireland],” said Bellamy.

“I think they’re ranked 48th of 54 teams in Europe for possession. They know where they’re going and… they were the one team I didn’t want to play.

Northern Ireland are 69th in the Fifa world rankings, 57 places below Italy and 27 adrift of Wales, but two spots above Bosnia.

Michael O’Neill’s side finished third behind Germany and Slovakia in the World Cup qualifying group but secured their play-off place thanks to their Nations League success.

Italy, Wales and Bosnia all finished second in their groups, behind Norway, Belgium and Austria respectively.

Northern Ireland are looking to qualify for their first major tournament since Euro 2016, when they were knocked out in the second round by a Wales side who went on to reach the semi-finals under Chris Coleman.

O’Neill was in the midst of his first, nine-year spell in charge of Northern Ireland at the time and is now three years into his second stint as his country’s manager.

“Down the years they’ve just had something and they know what they are. They’ve got a brilliant manager who I really like,” Bellamy added.

“I was lucky enough to spend a bit of time with him as well, and I loved him. No wonder his players do well. They won’t be playing at their home ground [against Italy], but I just feel they’ll be comfortable in any situation you throw them into.

“There will be pressure coming on Italy because they haven’t qualified for two World Cups. If I was Italy going into that game, with everyone expecting you to win, I’m telling you I’d be edgy. I wouldn’t be comfortable with it.