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World Cup 2026: England v Mexico – Five and a half hours that left tie in chaos
Dr. Barney Wainwright, senior research fellow at Leeds Beckett University, told BBC Sport earlier this week how altitude can affect athletes.
“Maximum aerobic capacity at this kind of altitude usually drops around 10%,” Wainwright said. “And that has a knock-on to performance.”
But would kicking off at 12:00 local time rather than 18:00 have made any difference?
“If it is warmer, the heat can have a double whammy effect with altitude,” Wainwright explained.
“When there’s less oxygen in the air, that means there’s less in the blood. That affects your ability to produce energy for the muscles and your exercise capacity.
“It also takes away from the brain. And the brain is important for us because we need oxygen in the brain for decision making, visual processing, those kind of things, which is important in football.”
Wainwright added that while the forecast might be for 21C, you can add a few degrees on to account for the supporters and the temperature at pitch level.
But this might not be significant enough to make any real difference to the players.
“That would make it a bit more difficult,” Wainwright said. “But overall, from an altitude perspective, it won’t make any real difference to them.”
The earlier kick-off could have affected the players’ rest patterns, though.
Altitude can affect sleep patterns, and an early kick-off would have meant no chance to catch up.
But, Wainwright added, the prospect of stoppages for thunderstorms in the evening could be advantageous for England, giving them chance to take a break from the effects of the altitude.
CK Updates
Fifa World Cup: Uefa to boycott tournament if Gianni Infantino’s investment plans go through
In a statement released after Thursday’s meeting, which was held virtually and chaired by president Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa said it and its 55 member associations “stand as one”.
“We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors,” it said.
On Wednesday, Uefa had accused Fifa of using football “to enrich themselves and their friends”.
Its statement on Thursday was even more damning, calling it “irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret” and “without any meaningful consultation” with those who steward the game.
It added: “This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football.
“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences.
“This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.”
While Uefa only accounts for a quarter of Fifa’s membership, it does include most of the world’s most successful teams.
Six of the eight quarter-finalists – including winners Spain – at this summer’s World Cup were European. In the 2022 and 2018 editions, the figures were five and six respectively.
Of the 23 World Cups to have taken place to date, 13 have been won by European countries.
CK Updates
Stephen Fleming: England appoint former New Zealand captain as Test coach, with Joe Root captain
Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been appointed as England Test coach, with Joe Root returning as captain.
Fleming, 53, has never previously worked as head coach of a national team but he led Chennai Super Kings to a record five Indian Premier League titles during his 17-year tenure as head coach.
Previous Test coach Brendon McCullum was fired earlier this month following a string of poor results and several off-field incidents, but remains in charge of England’s white-ball sides.
Root, 35, whose first spell as Test captain was between 2017 and 2022, captained England to a record 27 Test wins in 65 matches.
Fleming said he was “incredibly excited” to be taking on the role as Test coach.
“It’s one of the most prestigious coaching positions in world cricket and I am honoured to be appointed,” he added.
Fleming will not be in charge for the Test series against Pakistan, which begins on 19 August. Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick will be the interim head coach.
Fleming will spend time with his family in New Zealand before flying to the UK later this summer to begin preparations for the South Africa Test tour in December.
Root said taking on the captain’s role alongside Fleming was a “huge motivator”.
He added: “[Fleming] has proved over a long period of time that he is an exceptional leader with a great knowledge of the game, and I am looking forward to working with him and helping to build a winning environment.”
Fleming called Root a “generational talent who has achieved so much already”, adding: “I’m excited to support him so he can enjoy and thrive in the role in what is a different context to his first stint.”
Fleming, who retired as a player in 2009, has a wealth of experience in Test cricket as a player, making 111 appearances for New Zealand, scoring 7,172 runs at 40.06, and remains the Black Caps’ most successful captain with 28 wins from 80 matches.
He also spent time in England in the county game, playing for Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire – where he won the County Championship in 2005.
“Of course, the ambition is always to win now. But equally, it’s about ensuring the team is well placed for the medium and long-term future,” said Fleming.
“There is a lot of young talent in and around the team and our aim is to help them fulfil their potential as world-class cricketers.”
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Commonwealth Games 2026: Aziz Abdul, grandson of Idi Amin, disqualified for headbutt in Glasgow
Before the super-heavyweight bout Abdul told the BBC he wanted to become the new ‘King of Scotland’ – in reference to Amin declaring himself that name in 1976.
After taking power in a coup in 1971, Amin ran a brutal regime during which an estimated half a million people were killed. He was also known as the Butcher of Uganda.
Abdul, who never met his grandfather, was chasing Uganda’s first Commonwealth boxing medal since Auckland in 1990 – something which would have been guaranteed had he beaten Thomas.
Instead, he was given warnings in the previous two rounds and was trailing on all of the judges’ scorecards.
“All I can say about this is the decision is not right, I am not happy,” he said.
“He elbowed me. He caught me with the elbow.
“It [the head movement] was not intentional. I was trying to come back.
“How can I headbutt someone? I would not.
“He was the person they wanted to win. He was the winner before.
“I knew if I did not get knockout I could not win the fight.”
BBC Sport has contacted Commonwealth Games organisers and World Boxing for a response to Abdul’s comments.
Thomas, who is now guaranteed at least a bronze medal, said it was “not the way” he wanted to win.
“I can’t change what happened today but I can control how I box on Friday,” he said.
Amin, himself a boxer, harboured a fascination with Scotland after serving in the King’s African Rifles in his 20s.
At the height of the regime, he was fond of wearing a kilt and playing the bagpipes – and even declared himself “King of Scotland” in 1976.
Some years later, those predilections even spawned an Oscar-winning film, The Last King of Scotland, starring Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy.
In a previous interview, Abdul said he was “inspired” by Amin, although it was not entirely clear whether he was talking about his boxing feats or not.
Speaking to the BBC, he refused to answer when asked if he was proud to be the dictator’s grandson, but he did address the question of how he feels when he is linked to someone with such a sinister reputation.
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CK Updates20 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Scotland claim eight medals in five chaotic hours as Games hit halfway
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CK Updates14 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Aziz Abdul, grandson of Idi Amin, disqualified for headbutt in Glasgow
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CK Updates8 hours agoStephen Fleming: England appoint former New Zealand captain as Test coach, with Joe Root captain
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CK Updates2 hours agoFifa World Cup: Uefa to boycott tournament if Gianni Infantino’s investment plans go through

