Category Sports News

Luke Littler will receive £1 million in prize money this year, which is double what Luke Littler did this year.

The runner-up will receive $ 400, 000 and $ 200, 000 will be given to each semi-finalist with all of the remaining $ 5 million, which has been doubled from $ 2025.

There will be more places for the competition, with 128 available, compared to 96 for the 2024-25 event.

The winner of the Premier League’s prize money will receive an increase from £275, 000 to £350, 000, which will also increase from £7 million to £25 million.

Along with the World Cup of Darts and World Series of Darts, prize money will be raised for the following competitions: the World Grand Prix, Players Championship Finals, European Championship, and UK Open.

The PDC has increased funding for the Challenge Tour, Development Tour, and Women’s Series events, with a $40,000 grant available for the Women’s World Matchplay.

Littler, 18, won the tournament’s youngest prize at Alexandra Palace in January, becoming the youngest ever world champion.

Isco, a midfielder, believes Real Betis should crowdfund to extend winger Antony’s loan from Manchester United.

Since joining Betis in January and contributing to the end of the season, Brazil winger Antony has four goals and four assists in all 12 games.

Betis, according to United sources, is paying at least 84% of Antony’s weekly pay, which is more than £100,000.

Isco told DAZN, “We have to crowdfund so he can stay at least another year.”

Since he arrived, we have noticed a change because he has brought us a lot.

Since Antony’s arrival, Betis have only lost two of their 12 games, and their sixth La Liga defeat came on Sunday against Sevilla.

The top four teams qualifying for the Champions League place Betis sixth in the table.

In 2022, Antony became United’s second-highest acquisition after Paul Pogba for £81 million from Ajax.

Since April 2023, he has scored 12 goals in 96 games for United, the lowest total in the Premier League.

Before joining Betis, he played in just 13 of their 33 games overall this year.

Former England captain Andrew Flintoff’s son, Corey Flintoff, has agreed to a two-year rookie contract with Kent.

The 19-year-old all-rounder who started out in Lancashire’s academy made the county’s second team last summer.

His younger brother Rocky recently made his Lancashire debut as a 16-year-old and has since played for the England Lions.

In his new team’s warm-up match against Essex last week, Corey bowled four overs while training with Kent this year.

“I’m excited for what comes next for me, and I know Kent is the place where I should play first-team cricket.”

Simon Cook, Kent’s cricket director, stated: “Corey is a very exciting young player with great all-around ability to score runs and take wickets.”

He consistently puts in a lot of effort, and I am aware of his unwavering desire to establish himself in the professional cricket ranks.

We’re delighted that he feels he can play cricket for Kent.

How much of a threat do the leading LIV Golf League players pose to Rory McIlroy’s quest for his first career Grand Slam?

Who else could possibly refuse the Northern Irishman the title he so desperately desires if Scottie Scheffler fails to win the upcoming Masters for the third time in four years?

If it isn’t another Scheffler success or Rory glory, then LIV might be celebrating at Augusta, in all likelihood. The breakaway tour will host 12 competitors for the first major of the year.

The world no. 1 shot a second-round 62 to finish second to Min Woo Lee in Houston last week, showing his best golf of the year.

McIlroy also completed what have proved to be very promising competitive preparations for the one major that he is yet to master.

He finished fifth overall after completing his two PGA Tour victories in 2025. He only managed two weekend 64s.

The 35-year-old is currently recovering from a sore elbow and fine tunings his preparations to be hidden from the public. LIV’s top stars this week compete on the circuit’s most challenging course.

Bryson DeChambeau is one of them, who won the US Open last June after beating a sluggish McIlroy.

Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, and Joaquin Niemann are LIV contenders who will be desperate to refute the widely accepted theory that the limited field, 54-hole shotgun start team format played on LIV is detrimental to major chances.

When Rahm won the 2023 Masters, he still played on the PGA Tour, and he hoped that his switch to LIV would help bring some sort of reunification of men’s professional golf.

The Spaniard must show that he can still reach the heights that earned him his second major crown two years ago as the wait gets longer.

Rahm, the LIV individual champion from the previous year, is now second only to Niemann in the standings overall. He has won four of their four matches so far in 2025. Since finishing second in the inaugural season opener in Riyadh in February, the 30-year-old has finished in the top six in every category.

However, he needs to improve his scoring accuracy because he is frustrated. He recently admitted, “I have not played my best.” In my wedge game, I haven’t felt as at ease as I would like, which is evidenced by my experience.

You need that component of your game if you want to compete and win, and especially win majors.

His 150-yard accuracy will be important when LIV play at Doral this week. The arduous and reliable Miami test from Donald Trump appears to be the kind of warm-up the breakaway circuit candidates need.

Cameron Smith, a potential LIV threat at Augusta, commented, “Basically all the things that make a golf course hard are right here.”

Twelve months prior, DeChambeau shot 65-73 to share the Masters’ halfway lead, seven under par at Doral to tie for seventh. His best Augusta performance to date tied for sixth place with him.

It provided the framework for McIlroy’s most agonizing defeat, winning the US PGA Championship the following month and then triumphing at Pinehurst to place him in the top spot.

The big-hitting American, however, only tops LIV once this year. DeChambeau will need to find form in this week.

Koepka has long enjoyed a reputation for reserving his best form for grand slam events, becoming the only golfer to do so while playing the LIV schedule, the 2023 US PGA.

In shoddy tournaments, the five-time major champion struggles to find motivation. Koepka is showing signs of improvement after placing second at LIV’s most recent tournament in Singapore.

Phil Mickelson, a three-time Augusta champion, claims Niemann is currently playing the best golf in the world. Following wins at Pebble Beach and Players last month, McIlroy should beg to differ with that ostensibly misguided assertion.

But the Chilean’s qualities are unquestionable. After winning the Saudi International at the end of last year, he won in Singapore by five shots and three in Adelaide.

The 26-year-old placed third in a separate Asian Tour event held in India in February. I think I’ve gained more experience playing against the best players in the world, Niemann said.

And I’ve gained a lot in the last year. Yes, I feel different.

It seems increasingly absurd for him to never post a major top 10 ranking, despite his best performance in the big four championships in 16th place at the 2023 Masters.

Hatton will be eager to recapture his impressive early-season form in Florida this week because the Englishman has been largely unproductive since winning the Dubai Desert Classic in January.

The form line for Europeans who have won that prestigious tournament is encouraging, with Danny Willett (2016) and Sergio Garcia (2016) both coming out on top before the Green Jacket was draped on their shoulders.

Hatton, however, has not attended any LIV events since 2025, and will need a boost as he tries to surpass his best Augusta result so far, which was a share of ninth last year.

The 33-year-old maintains his position in the top 20 on a circuit that does not receive any world ranking points. And if he can control his notorious temper, he undoubtedly has qualities to contend with at Augusta.

This week at Doral will be the next step in determining the best way to prepare for the year’s initial major.

And this seems to be LIV’s most significant tournament of the year in terms of the wider golfing landscape. Top athletes have a right to feel they can compete anywhere if they play well at Doral, even though the layout is much flatter than the Masters’.

When they arrive at Augusta National, a positive week would strengthen their credibility as legitimate threats.

When Arsenal and Tottenham square off in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong this summer, the two teams will square off against one another in the first north London derby to be played outside of the UK.

As part of their preparations for the 2025-26 season, the London rivals will play at the newly opened Kai Tak Stadium on July 31.

The two teams’ first ever cross-country match is scheduled for 7: 30pm local time (11: 30am BST).

Liverpool’s Premier League rivals will face AC Milan on July 26 at the Hong Kong Football Festival.

Spurs traveled to Japan and South Korea in 2024, while Arsenal did in 2012 for the last time.

Manchester United is one of a number of Premier League clubs that will travel to the United States as part of their pre-season preparations, with two post-season friendlies scheduled for Hong Kong and Malaysia.

For the chance to win the top spot in the Club World Cup this summer, Major League Soccer’s LAFC and Mexican side Club America might play a one-off play-off match.

The winner of the play-off match would take Club Leon’s place after being expelled from the competition for breaking Fifa’s multi-club ownership rules due to dual ownership issues with fellow qualifiers Pachuca and other competitors.

Club America is the team with the highest ranking in Confederation Ranking after Club Leon, who defeated LAFC in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League final.

A Fifa statement read, “Fifa can confirm it is considering one play-off match between LAFC and Club America for the right to play in the Fifa Club World Cup 2025.”

In Group D, Club Leon were drawn against Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance Sportive of Tunisie.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has heard from Club Leon.

An unfinished appeal is also being brought by Costa Rican side Alajuelense, who originally lodged a complaint against Leon. Cas will hear both on April 23.

Former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud and former France captain Hugo Lloris both play for LAFC, who are eighth in the MLS Western Conference.

Seattle Sounders, Botafogo, Atletico Madrid, Paris St-Germain, and Atletico Madrid.

Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica, and others in Group C.

Flamengo, Chelsea, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie, and Club Leon are all in Group D.

River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan, and others belong to Group E.

Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns, Fluminense, Group F.

Manchester City, Wydad, Al-Ain, Juventus, and Group G.

Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, and Salzburg are in Group H.