Category Sports News

Hannah Hampton won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, while Sarina Wiegman, England manager, was named the 2025 Ballon d’Or women’s coach of the year.

After the final was 1-1 after extra time, the Lionesses won Euro 2025 in Switzerland, where Chelsea goalkeeper Hampton, 24, saved two of Spain’s shots in the shootout.

After achieving European glory on her own soil in 2022, Wiegman, 55, did so for the second time.

Sonia Bompastor of Chelsea and Renee Slegers of Arsenal were also named, and she came out ahead of four other coaches.

One of the players Hampton won the Yashin Trophy was Gunners goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, as well as former Chelsea goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar.

Michelle Agyemang, England’s striker, had been nominated for the Kopa Trophy to honor the best young player, but that award went to Spain winger Vicky Lopez, 19, and Spain winger Vicky Lopez, who scored crucial goals in the Euro 2025 quarter-final against Sweden and in the semi-final against Italy.

The top 10 of the main women’s Ballon d’Or award for the best player of the year were awarded to five members of the England squad.

Hampton was in the 10th spot, followed by Chelsea full-back Lucy Bronze, fifth-ranked defender Leah Williamson, fifth-ranked defender Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze, and third-ranked Arsenal forward Alessia Russo.

After collecting her trophy, Wiegman said, “What an honor to receive this award after a very special summer, and even more of an insane tournament we had at the Euros in Switzerland.”

First, I want to thank the players, the staff, the FA, and my family for their hard work, trust, and unwavering support. Without you, I wouldn’t be here.

“We have broken records in the women’s game,” the women’s game says. Because Switzerland was absolutely insane, I want to thank them for organizing the Euros.

This is not just a personal honor; rather, it acknowledges the women’s game, our progress, and where we have been so far.

Wiegman, England manager since 2021, also spoke about the challenges that the women’s game is currently facing.

She continued, “We must assume responsibility and make an effort to maintain our identity with that recognition.” embracing diversity, being authentic, and creating a welcoming environment. I sincerely hope that racism and misogyny will be fought out collectively. “Sport should never divide, but always unite.”

The award, according to Wiegman, “is even more meaningful because it was named in honor of Dutch compatriot Johan Cruyff, who won the men’s Ballon d’Or prize three times in the 1970s for being the best player in the world.”

He firmly believed in the value of sport, and he firmly believed in that every child should have the opportunity to play, grow, and belong, which is why I feel so emotionally connected to him, Wiegman said.

In 2025, Mary Earps, a former England goalkeeper, gave Hampton the Yashin Trophy, the first time she had received it.

Matt Beard, the former manager of Bristol City, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham, and Bristol City, passed away on Saturday at the age of 47 in Hampton’s acceptance speech.

“The women’s game sadly lost a real trailblazer, Matt Beard,” Hampton said. When nobody else did, Matt was someone who gave a damn about the women’s game. Every time he entered the room, he lit it up.

“And this is just a message that not everyone should have to endure these agonizing experiences alone,” he added. The heaviest pain is sometimes hidden behind the room’s brightest smiles. He will be greatly missed.

Hampton was told by doctors that she shouldn’t play football because she had a serious eye condition. She had several operations to correct her vision, but she still struggles with depth perception.

Hampton thanked all the coaches and members of her family, saying, “First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to France Football for this award.” I don’t believe that the award is now being presented, but rather a recognition for women’s goalkeeping.

I resemble the shoulders of many accomplished goalkeepers. I’m proud to be a part of such a wonderful group and support the perseverance of the next generation of goalkeepers who are working so hard alongside my fellow nominees.

“I want to thank my family and my brother, who is also here tonight, for the sacrifices you made when I was younger, driving me around everywhere so I could fulfill my dream and be here tonight.

There are so many coaches, to be honest. To Sarina for believing in me despite our success over the summer. Fans, your support is important, and it goes a long way.

England manager Sarina Wiegman has been named women’s coach of the year at the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards, while Hannah Hampton collected the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.

The Lionesses beat Spain 3-1 on penalties after the final finished 1-1 after extra time to win Euro 2025 in Switzerland, with Chelsea goalkeeper Hampton, 24, saving two of Spain’s efforts in the shootout.

For Wiegman, 55, it was the second time she had guided England to European glory after doing so on home soil in 2022.

She won the award ahead of four coaches, with Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor and Arsenal’s Renee Slegers among those also named.

Gunners goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar was one of the players Hampton beat to the Yashin Trophy, along with former Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

England striker Michelle Agyemang, who scored vital goals in the Euro 2025 quarter-final against Sweden and in the semi-final against Italy, had been nominated for the Kopa Trophy to celebrate the best young player, but that went to 19-year-old Barcelona and Spain winger Vicky Lopez.

Five of the England squad were named in the top 10 of the main women’s Ballon d’Or prize for the best player of the year.

Arsenal forward Alessia Russo came third, with Arsenal winger Chloe Kelly fifth, Gunners defender Leah Williamson seventh, Chelsea full-back Lucy Bronze ninth and Hampton in 10th spot.

Wiegman, speaking on stage after collecting her trophy, said: “What an honour to get this award after a very special summer, and even more of an insane tournament we had at the Euros in Switzerland.

“First of all I would like to thank the players, the staff, the FA and my family for the hard work, the trust and the unconditional support. Without you I would not be standing here.

“The women’s game has grown so far we have broken records. I would also like to thank Switzerland for organising the Euros because it was absolutely insane.

“This is not just a personal honour – I see it as a recognition of the women’s game, of our journey and where we have come so far.”

Wiegman, who has been England manager since 2021, also talked about the rise of the women’s game and the challenges it still faces.

She added: “With that recognition we have to take responsibility and try to keep our identity. Being authentic, being inclusive, a place where everyone belongs. I hope we will keep fighting together against misogyny and racism. Sport should always unite and never divide.”

Wiegman said the award “means even more” as it was named after Dutch compatriot Johan Cruyff, who won the men’s Ballon d’Or prize for being the best player in the world three times in the 1970s.

“He believed in the power of sport and believed in every kid having the opportunity to play, to grow and to belong, and that is why I feel so connected with him,” said Wiegman.

The Yashin Trophy was presented to a women’s player for the first time in 2025, with Hampton collecting the award from former England goalkeeper Mary Earps.

In her acceptance speech, Hampton paid tribute to Matt Beard, the former Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham and Bristol City manager, who died on Saturday aged 47.

“The women’s game sadly on Saturday lost a real trailblazer, Matt Beard,” said Hampton. “Matt was someone who cared an awful lot for the women’s game when no-one else did. He lit up the room whenever he was in it.

“And this is just a message to show that not everyone should have to go through these dark moments alone. Sometimes the brightest smiles in the room hide the heaviest pain. He’ll be greatly missed.”

Born with a serious eye condition, Hampton was told by doctors she should not play football. She had multiple operations to try to correct her vision but it is not perfect and she still has depth perception issues.

“Firstly I would like to say a massive thank you to France Football for this award,” said Hampton, who thanked all the coaches and her family members. “I don’t think it’s an achievement for me but for women’s goalkeeping, that the award is finally now taking part.

“I stand on the shoulders of so many great goalkeepers of the past. Sitting alongside my fellow nominees, I’m proud to be a part of such an incredible group and inspiring future generations of goalkeepers coming through and training so hard.

“I’d like to thank my family, my brother – who is here tonight – for the sacrifices that you made when I was growing up, driving me around everywhere so that I could fulfil my dream and be here tonight.

“To all the coaches, there’s so many. To Sarina for having the faith in me over the summer, with the success we’ve had. To the fans – your support does not go unnoticed and it truly means a lot.

Christian Horner formally leaves Red Bull a very rich man with unsated ambitions in Formula 1.

The 51-year-old’s separation from the team that made him one of the most successful in the sport was made public on Monday.

Red Bull did not provide any information regarding the settlement terms, but a source close to the team has informed BBC Sport that Horner obtained a pay-off worth 60 million euros (£52 million).

The move frees Horner up to return to F1 in the future – if he can find a project that is willing to take him on board.

Different figures have been published for Horner’s settlement.

The source of the figure of 60 million euros is unknown to BBC Sport. The Daily Mail reports that it is worth 92 million euros ($80 million), whereas The Race, a motorsport website, claims that it is worth $100 million ($74 million).

Ultimately, no-one other than Red Bull and Horner and their respective lawyers can be absolutely sure without seeing the documentation, to which they will not be privy. Additionally, more details are frequently released as time goes on.

Horner’s contract, which allegedly extended to the end of 2030, is said to have been 12 million euros ($10 million). He was sacked as team principal on 9 July this year.

Therefore, a 60 million euro settlement essentially equates to the payment of his contract’s final five years.

Although it may seem strange to be fired and then given his full salary, it is not unusual in sports.

Football managers who are dismissed for poor results, for example, regularly receive large payouts, such as former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag last year.

In a negotiation, all of these scenarios end.

In this instance, Horner and his attorneys would likely argue that he should have received compensation in addition to his salary, starting with a sizable number.

Red Bull would argue the sacking was justified, and therefore that if there was to be a settlement figure, it should be considerably lower. Regardless of how the relationship ended, there may have been a desire to reward him for the success with which he led the team.

Finally, all parties are able to reach a deal that makes sense.

But the High Pay Centre, a UK think-tank that analyses issues relating to top incomes, corporate governance and business performance, says this level of payout “would be considered extraordinarily large by the standards of even the biggest companies in Europe”.

The amount “would raise questions in the corporate world,” it goes on to say.

The majority of CEO incentive payments are made in shares that they have held for a number of years, in case there is evidence of misconduct or when their decisions turn out to be less than expected, it says.

“Paying £50m cash to one individual in a lump sum is a very casual way to spend an enormous sum of money”.

If Horner had worked as the CEO of a FTSE 100 company, his salary would have been in the top ten in the UK.

However, Austrian-based Red Bull is a private company. Comparing with similar situations in the US, Horner’s payout would still be high, but by no means the highest.

Stephane Bancel, the CEO of US drug Moderna, received a $ 926 million exit pay in 2019.

Although there is a lot of money in the sport, outside of Formula One, the numbers may appear disproportionately high.

Max Verstappen, a Red Bull driver, is reportedly making 75 million euros (£65 million) as his base salary. With bonuses and endorsements, the four-time champion is said to earn well over 100m euros (£87m) a year.

And for a business the size and wealth of Red Bull, which had revenues of 11.2 billion euros (£9.8 billion) in 2024, this amount of money is largely unimportant.

It has been two and a half months since Red Bull first learned of Horner’s dismissal and they have now gotten rid of an executive in whom they no longer had confidence. This means that they can now move forward with the investigation.

Horner was already a rich man, and is now even richer. However, both positively and negatively, his reputation will always be a part of this tale.

At the age of 31, 2005, he was given the task of starting an F1 team by the late Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

When Red Bull entered F1, they were considered by rivals a bit of a joke – viewed as a party team that played loud music and not to be taken seriously.

But all of that soon changed, as soon as Horner hired Adrian Newey as technical director in 2006. Following his success with Williams and McLaren, Newey was already regarded with reverence. He is even more so now.

A monolith that won eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles, and 124 grands prix was created by Horner and the man who is regarded by many as the greatest F1 designer in history.

One of the most effective team managers in history will be remembered as Horner.

But he is also the man who was sacked by Red Bull after, essentially, getting too big for his boots in the eyes of his employers, and presiding over an extraordinary 18-month period of decline.

By manipulating to his own advantage even before their patriarch died of cancer in October 2022, Horner upset the Mateschitz family, who owns 49% of Red Bull.

After Mateschitz’s passing, Horner and Helmut Marko, the Austrian ex-racing driver who was Mateschitz’s right-hand man, began to battle internally at Red Bull.

The power struggle intensified after it became public knowledge in February 2024 that a female employee had accused Horner of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour.

Verstappen ultimately felt the need to step in to support Marko, who continues to play for the team.

The allegations have always been refuted by Horner, and they were fired in 2024 following two internal investigations.

Horner served as the team’s leader after Newey’s headhunt, but he also held the position of team manager after losing him.

Newey resigned in April 2024, and the allegations by the female employee were a central part of his reasoning, along with his feeling that his contribution was being undervalued by some in the team, including Horner.

Three months later, Jonathan Wheatley, a long-time sports director, passed away as well.

Red Bull’s competitiveness had dropped by that point.

Verstappen took dominant championship wins in 2022 and 2023 to add to the maiden title he won controversially at Abu Dhabi in 2021.

However, Red Bull’s form dropped following a successful 2024 campaign. A revitalized McLaren presented them with a new challenge. But this decline also coincided with Newey’s departure – and was directly linked to it, according to former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, who was sacked at the end of 2024.

Verstappen held on to retain the title until 2024, despite only claiming two of his final 14 starts. However, that slump persisted into the current season. Verstappen won just twice between the start of 2025 and Horner’s dismissal.

Verstappen’s future was uncertain until he confirmed he would stick to his contract, something he had already made clear after Horner’s departure.

Which raises a legitimate query: Given how Red Bull’s competitiveness decreased following Newey’s resignation, how should Newey and Horner be responsible for Red Bull’s success over the past 20 years?

In the past two races in Italy and Azerbaijan, Red Bull have returned to form with two dominant Verstappen victories.

Verstappen praised the direction that new team principal Laurent Mekies has taken with the introduction of a new floor design.

We’ve had a lot of races where we were just shooting left and right a little bit with the setup of the car, the Dutchman said in Monza. Quite extreme changes, which shows that we were not in control. We didn’t fully comprehend what to do.

I believe that Laurent’s approach works really well because he asks the engineers the right questions, which are common sense questions.

The underlying implication there is hard to miss, especially in the context of the difficult relationship Horner had with Verstappen’s father, former F1 driver Jos Verstappen.

Horner has made it clear to senior figures inside F1 that he wants to return to the sport.

He doesn’t want any jobs at all, though. They assert that being a team principal on its own is insufficient. He wants to be a shareholder, and he wants ultimate authority. In essence, he wants Toto Wolff, his nemesis at Mercedes, to be the same.

Horner is now very wealthy, but he is hardly likely not wealthy enough to start his own team or purchase a majority stake in an existing one as a result of the agreement with Red Bull.

Not when F1 team valuations start these days at £1bn and go up from there – world champions McLaren were recently valued at £3.5bn following a change in shareholding.

Therefore, Horner would likely need to find an investor who wants to invest in him if he wants to own a stake in a team. And he wouldn’t have any control if he were anything other than a majority shareholder.

Horner has the sort of record in terms of on-track performance that could make him very appealing to a wealthy investor who wants to make a success of their F1 team.

However, he now has a lot of baggage after about 18 months.

Women’s Rugby World Cup final: England v Canada

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday 27 September Kick-off: 16:00 BST

However they do as a team in Saturday’s final, England have been a hit as hosts of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

With Twickenham’s 82,000-capacity Allianz Stadium sold out for the finale of this year’s competition, a new record will be set for the biggest crowd in women’s rugby history.

It means the tournament will finish how it started.

On the opening day of the tournament back in August, another record was broken as England’s match against the United States drew 42,723 people, surpassing the 2022 final as the best-attended match in Women’s Rugby World Cup history.

With 470,000 tickets available for the 32 games, it means the tournament ran at nearly 94% capacity.

It has been achieved by competitive pricing, clever scheduling and promoting personalities beyond the Red Roses.

Tickets have started at £10 for adults and £5 for children, while games have been spread so that, by World Rugby’s calculations, 95% of the English population are within two hours travel of a tournament venue.

While the most recent men’s Rugby World Cup staged some pool matches on weekday evenings, every match, after this tournament’s Friday night opener, was played at the weekend making it easier for families and young fans to attend.

For instance, minnows Brazil, far from home and with a low profile, had all three of their pool-stage fixtures put on in the immediate build-up or aftermath of a bigger fixture at the same stage, with Ireland, New Zealand and France helping shine a spotlight their way.

Content creators were embedded with all the teams to produce off-pitch content that connected with fans with stories, teams and players they may not have known before.

A video of Australia’s 18-year-old full-back Caitlyn Halse being hauled up into the stands in York by her father was viewed more than 13m times on Rugby World Cup’s TikTok account.

There was a shift to rugby’s traditional hotbeds for the knockout stages, delivering the biggest crowds for the biggest matches.

The quarter-finals were a south-west affair, split between Exeter’s Sandy Park and Bristol’s Ashton Gate. The semi-finals – both staged in Bristol – attracted a combined total of 49,870 people.

According to current Reds women’s team manager Gareth Taylor, Matt Beard left a “legacy” at Liverpool and will leave “a big void.”

Beard, who won the 2013 and 2014 Women’s Super League (WSL) titles for Liverpool, passed away on Saturday at the age of 47.

Before Liverpool’s men’s side face Southampton in the third round of the Carabao Cup, Taylor and his squad gathered on Monday at their Melwood training facility to observe a minute’s silence. Further tributes are scheduled for Tuesday at Anfield.

Taylor remarked, “We have lost Matt far too young.” However, by reflecting on the incredible impact he managed to leave on so many people over the course of his 47 years, which he stuffed with people who are fortunate to live up until their old age, we can find some solace.

It’s just truly devastating news, Taylor remarked. For his family, friends, [especially]wife Debbie, and children Harry and Ellie, who are devasted. At this very moment, we are all, of course, thinking about them.

After serving two terms as manager of Liverpool, Beard helped them reclaim their position in the WSL and place seventh on their way back to the top flight.

Taylor, who used to play with his brother Mark at Sheffield United, said: “I had a little more insight into Matt because I became Reds manager in August.” They shared a lot of each other’s journeys and were very close.

“I was really supported well by Matt and I had big shoes to fill when I came in here.” He called me several times. You never had a relationship with that guy.

He’s the most enjoyable to work with, in the sense that I had to face him during my time playing women’s football. First and foremost, because of the impression he left on the people he worked for at all of his clubs, particularly here at Liverpool, is his legacy as a person. And of course, his gaffer behavior.

He “taken Liverpool to its true heights.” The most prestigious women’s manager at Liverpool, in my opinion, is only half the story. The person’s void is what he will leave.

Arne Slot, the head of the men’s team, said Beard “did great things for this football team.”

“I think the Melwood staff and everyone who worked with him liked him a lot more than the trophies you win,” he continued. “That’s probably even more important to leave behind than the trophies you win.”

“The person you are is always more significant than the victory you have.” However, in his situation, both things were at odds with one: a great manager and a great person.

He receives all the respect he deserves here at Liverpool, and I believe it applies to all other aspects of women’s football.

The Liverpool Football Club’s managing director, Andy O’Boyle, also paid tribute to Beard, saying, “On behalf of everyone at Liverpool Football Club, I’d just like to extend our greatest condolences to Matt’s family, his wife Debbie, his children Harry and Ellie, and his wider family and friends.

“Everyone has been through a very dark time,” she said. We extend our condolences to Matt’s family and friends at this time because you have seen how the club and football have interacted.

Matt has become a household name in the women’s game. Evidently, Liverpool won two WSL titles before being promoted from the Championship to the WSL. You can tell how successful he has been at the club over the years.