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Milan-Cortina 2026 has been one of the most eventful Winter Olympics in history – in sporting and political terms – so it is appropriate that the final medal event could be the most enticing of all.

Canada and United States have been the two best teams in the men’s ice hockey competition, and they will duke it out at Milano Santagiulia Arena on Sunday at 13.10 GMT.

For two of the most storied nations in the sport, however, they have very different Olympic histories.

Canada are aiming to be the first nation to earn 10 men’s ice hockey gold medals, most recently winning the title in 2014.

USA meanwhile have not claimed the men’s title since 1980 – the ‘Miracle on Ice’ triumph over Soviet Union in Lake Placid – and have not beaten Canada in a men’s final since 1960.

Canada have beaten the American men in their past two Olympic final meetings – Salt Lake City 2002 and Vancouver 2010. But the USA are looking for a double in Milan after their women’s side defeated the Canadians on Thursday.

The two teams did not have a totally smooth skate to this point. Both needed overtime to win their quarter-finals, while Canada had to come from 2-0 down to beat Finland 3-2 in Friday’s semi-final on Friday, scoring the winner with 35 seconds on the clock.

The Canadians also have fitness issues. They could be without captain Sidney Crosby, who was forced off in their last eight win over Czech Republic with a knee injury and missed the Finland semi. Canada are hopeful to have him for Sunday, but he certainly will not be 100% fit.

The squad has also been afflicted by a sickness bug, which dramatically revealed itself in the quarter-final when Nathan MacKinnon threw up while sat on the bench.

But even when impacted by injury and illness, Canada still have the strongest team.

“In Connor McDavid you have the best player on the planet by a million miles,” ice hockey commentator Seth Bennett told BBC Sport. “He was averaging three points a game going into semi-finals.

“McKinnon is another superstar offensive player. Defensively, Cale Makar is the best defenceman in the world and a gamechanger. All will be judged against him.

“You mix them up and it’s like if you have a computer game and you put all the best players on one team.”

USA meanwhile have stars of their own, but don’t have the attacking gifts of the Canadians.

“The Tkachuk brothers [Brady and Matthew], and Jack Eichel, that attacking line has worked well together,” Bennett said.

“What they have not had is much scoring from captain Auston Matthews, he has not yet taken any of the games by the horns. They are OK, but not more than that.”

However, the Americans have the best defenceman at the Games in Quinn Hughes, who scored the crucial winner against Sweden.

“He might be the best three-on-three player in the world,” said Bennett. “He loves to keep possession, and is always looking to make an exciting play.”

It sets up a mouth-watering finale of an Olympic ice hockey competition which has benefitted hugely from the return of National Hockey League (NHL) players for the first time since 2014.

The attendance of players from the top North American league was in doubt for a time over concerns about the ice quality at the unfinished Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, but they have been a major boon for the Games.

“This is the highest level of hockey we have ever seen at an Olympics,” said Bennett. “The NHL players have made it a different world.

“At the last two Olympics, games have been good but have missed the quality in the final third, the big moments. Players didn’t have the skillset to break a game, so saw a lot of tight, dull games

“Some of what the players have been doing here has been mind-blowing. One of the goals scored for Canada, McDavid saucered this pass from the back door [behind the goal], it lands as McKinnon is shooting, on the half-volley. That’s when you recognise it.

“I have been getting phone calls from people in the hockey world, all they have been saying is, this is so good. There have been periods where Kent [Simpson, BBC co-commentator] and I have just been sat watching, smiling, laughing.”

Canada have won gold in three of the five Olympics when NHL players have featured and will fancy their chances in a game on Sunday which could be as fascinating in the stands as it is on the ice.

It is highly likely that Canadian prime minister Mark Carney will be in Milan for the game.

Not only is Canada as a country hockey-mad, but so is Carney – when working as governor of the Bank of England, he would play for a recreational team in Haringey, north London.

The BBC understands that, as of Friday afternoon, Donald Trump is scheduled to remain in Washington DC – but that could now change.

It would be a logistical and security nightmare for the International Olympic Committee should he attend, and it would add a major frisson to an already charged game.

Trump’s vice president JD Vance attended a USA group stage game, and the Olympic opening ceremony at San Siro where he was loudly booed when he appeared on the stadium’s big screen.

And the presence of Trump – who previously said he will impose tariffs on imported goods from Canada, while also floating the idea of their northern neighbours becoming the US’s 51st state – would turn the Santagiulia Arena into a political cauldron.

His impact was seen in February 2025, when the Four Nations match between the United States and Canada descended into chaos with three fights breaking out between players in the first nine seconds.

The crowd at Montreal’s Bell Centre for that game loudly booed the US national anthem pre-game – an issue which will be avoided in Milan. What happens after the game depends on the victor.

And Bennett thinks the heightened stakes and occasion will mean a less pugilistic occasion.

“There won’t be a repeat of the fights with a gold medal on the line,” he said. “They will be at each other though; in every break in play, there will be a cross-check, a word, a push, a scrum.

“Then when they fly back, they will fly on the same private jets because the NHL will put on transport.

“For example, you have Matthew Tkachuk for USA and Brad Marchand for Canada, who are both rink rats, they will go head-to-head 100%. Then they will be on the same flight, they are Florida Panthers teammates and will try to win the Stanley Cup together.”

The crowd may also be less tense due to the likelihood of more neutrals buying tickets for an Olympic spectacle, rather than a potential grudge match.

So, if you are a neutral going to the game, who does Seth think you should support?

“Canada going for their 10th gold, so usually the neutral will go with the underdog,” he says. “But that is USA.

“Canada are a bit arrogant too, but they have all the favourite players. How do you not love a team with all those players?

Betfred Super League

St Helens (12) 20

Tries: Clark, Feldt, Shorrocks Goals: Hastings 4

Leigh (16) 18

St Helens gave new coach Paul Rowley his first Super League win in a hectic, breathless encounter with Leigh Leopards at the Brewdog Stadium.

New signing Jackson Hastings kicked the decisive penalty after he had created and then converted a try for Joe Shorrocks, his first in the club’s colours, to level the scores.

Leigh, after beating Leeds Rhinos in their opener last week, twice led through tries from Josh Charnley, Innes Senior and Bailey Hodgson, with Adam Cook adding two difficult conversions and a penalty.

Leigh have bossed this fixture in the past two seasons, winning the last four meetings and Saints, after losing full-back Jack Welsby to a dislocated shoulder in defeat by Warrington Wolves last week, looked vulnerable early on after a re-shuffle.

Charnley finished in the corner to put the Leopards ahead but after Clark had barrelled over and Hastings added the extras to put them ahead, Saints lost Lomax to force more changes to their set-up.

A Hastings penalty increased the lead but Leigh came on strong as Tesi Nu sent Innes Senior in for a try in the corner and more fine handling by the Leopards ended with Hodgson feinting and darting over to put daylight between them and the home side.

Saints hit back when a fortuitous bounce from the restart gave them good field position and Feldt pounced for a try, but the loss of Macdonald further disrupted their ranks before half time.

Cook’s early penalty opened a six-point lead but the second half belonged to Saints, who had clearly heeded Rowley’s insistence that they needed to sharpen up their defence after losing to Wolves.

Leigh coach Adrian Lam told BBC Radio Manchester:

“We had the game won in the first half. The Leigh team of last year would have taken advantage of that and gone on with the job in the second half, but it wasn’t to be.

“We were our own worst enemy, with so many mistakes and put ourselves under pressure against a St Helens team who were very enthusiastic.

“In the second half the wind was quite strong, we scored the try to go up eight points right at the end of the first half and they kicked off and got the ball back.

“That was a massive play in the game – if we go in at half-time up by eight it’s a completely different ball game, but they’re the little things we’ve just got to get through at this point.

St Helens: Sailor; Feldt, Macdonald, Cross, Murphy; Lomax, Hastings; Klemmer, Clark, Walmsley, Sironen, Wright, Shorrocks.

Interchanges: Robertson, Host, Delaney, Whitley

Leigh: Hodgson; Senior, Niu, Brand, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Trout, Ipape, Mulhern, Badrock, Alick-Wienke, Ofahengaue.

Interchanges: Hughes, Liu, Davis, Horne

Britain’s Conor Benn has left Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing organisation to join Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing promotional company.

The 29-year-old had been with Matchroom since turning professional and beat long-time rival Chris Eubank Jr in a blockbuster rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November, having lost their first bout in April.

In a statement on Instagram, Benn said he was “filled with excitement and hunger for what’s ahead with Zuffa Boxing” while paying tribute to his former promoters.

“First and foremost I want to thank Eddie and the entire team at Matchroom for everything they have done for me over the past decade,” wrote Benn, the son of former two-weight world champion Nigel.

“From guiding me when I first turned pro, to headlining stadium shows. They were not only with me for those highlight moments but stood shoulder to shoulder with me during the tough times.”

Benn and Eubank Jr were originally set to fight in 2022 but the bout was called off when Benn failed a voluntary drugs test – twice testing positive for the banned substance Clomifene.

Benn has won 24 of his 25 professional bouts, with his only loss coming against Eubank – whose father Chris Sr fought Nigel Benn twice in the early 1990s.

Victory over Eubank Jr in November has left Conor Benn on the verge of challenging for a world title.

Zuffa Boxing, backed by UFC chief White and Saudi Arabian money, staged its first event in January and has vowed to transform professional boxing.

White’s ultimate aim is to sideline the four traditional sanctioning bodies – WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA – and make Zuffa’s belt the premier world title alongside the Ring Magazine title, an organisation owned by Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh.

“Conor Benn is an absolute beast and a superstar,” said White. “He shows up every time and destroys people, and now some of the best fighters in the world are calling him out.

“He’s ready for a world title next and I can’t wait to see him compete in Zuffa Boxing. He’s going to be a huge addition to a growing stable of very talented boxers.”

Absolutely nobody in boxing had this on their bingo card. There were no whispers, rumours or cryptic social media hints.

Usually when a fighter jumps ship, the outgoing promoter gets ahead of it with a statement or some kind of warning shot – not this time.

White has made no secret of his desire to disrupt boxing’s power structure, and securing Benn – a fighter with genuine mainstream appeal, albeit still with doubters – is a statement signing.

Hearn had stood firmly behind Benn throughout the doping saga and was actively manoeuvring him towards a world-title shot. Benn is the mandatory challenger for the winner of Mario Barrios v Ryan Garcia, and has made no secret of his ambition to become a world champion.

So what does this mean for those plans? Zuffa recently signed reigning cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia, yet the long-term vision is one belt, a Zuffa title, and no reliance on the traditional sanctioning bodies.

If that is the direction, what does Benn do now? Will he target becoming the first Zuffa welterweight champion?

Over the past week, White dismissed Hearn’s credentials and quipped he works for his father Barry – prompting the younger Hearn to fire back that White’s boss is Alalshikh.

Men’s Under-20 Six Nations

England (14) 21

Tries: Pearson, Treacey, Lilley Cons: Keylock (2), Davies

Ireland (7) 31

Ireland leapfrogged England into second place in the Under-20 Six Nations table with a well-deserved win over their rivals in Bath.

It was Ireland’s first victory at the Under-20 Six Nations over England in three years and ended the hosts’ Grand Slam hopes, while also seriously boosting their own title chances.

Ireland took an early lead through Lee Fitzpatrick’s 11th-minute try but England levelled after 24 minutes when George Pearson went over.

England, who could have gone top with a win, took a 14-7 lead shortly before half-time through Connor Treacey’s try.

But Ireland responded through Josh Neill and Daniel Ryan’s scores to go up 21-14 before extending their advantage further when Noah Byrne crossed with 10 minutes to go.

Nick Lilley went over for England with nine minutes remaining only for replacement Charlie O’Shea to kick a 76th-minute penalty to put Ireland on the cusp of victory.

England pushed for a late consolation try which would have given them a losing bonus point and a try bonus point – and thought they had both when Will Knight crossed, but the television match official intervened and the score was chalked off for a forward pass.

England: Pater, Offiah, Lilley, Worsnip, Pearson, Keylock, Friday; Scola, Staples, Streeter, Williams, Hogg, Ainsworth-Cave, Kelly.

Replacements: Gorleku, Spencer, Tonga’uiha, Williams, Marsh, Newman, Davies, Knight.

Ireland: Byrne, Moloney, Carney, O’Leary, Ryan, Wood, Barrett; O’Connell, Hayes, Neill, McGuire, Finn, Bishti, Fitzpatrick, Doyle.