Indian football is set for a landmark moment as the national team will face five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil in an international friendly at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium on October 3. The match marks Brazil's first-ever senior men's international fixture on Indian soil and is expected to attract massive fan interest in one of the country's biggest football hubs. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) described the occasion as a historic chapter for Indian football, offering the Blue Tigers a rare opportunity to compete against one of the world's greatest football nations and inspire the next generation of players.

UEFA and its 55 member associations have threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if FIFA moves ahead with plans to sell stakes in its tournaments to private investors. The proposal would create a new commercial company to manage competitions, including the FIFA World Cup. FIFA would keep a majority stake while selling up to 30% to investors. UEFA said the World Cup should never become an investment product and criticised the lack of consultation. The European body warned it would not take part in FIFA events unless the proposal is dropped and FIFA guarantees its competitions will remain under football's full control.

Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh qualified for the men's javelin final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. Chopra finished fifth with a best throw of 79.61 metres after improving from 76.28 metres. Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh also secured places in the 12-man final. Strong crosswinds made conditions difficult, and no athlete reached the automatic qualification mark of 84 metres. Chopra said the changing wind made it hard to control the javelin's flight. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage topped the qualification round with a throw of 82.84 metres. (PC: PTI)

India's 18-year-old weightlifter Martina Devi Maibam kept her medal hopes alive at the Commonwealth Games 2026 with a stunning 105kg snatch lift. Competing in the women's +86kg category, she failed both her first two attempts at 103kg. Facing elimination, Martina surprised everyone by increasing the weight to 105kg for her final attempt. She completed the lift successfully and broke down in tears after the effort. The emotional moment quickly went viral on social media. Martina will next compete in the clean and jerk event, where she is set to open with a lift of 140kg to stay in medal contention.

Brazil will play India in an international football friendly at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on October 3. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed the match on Wednesday. It will be the first time Brazil's senior men's team plays in India. Brazil will arrive after playing two friendly matches against Australia in September. The CBF said India has one of the biggest fan bases for the Brazilian team. Kolkata has a long history of supporting Brazil, especially during FIFA World Cups. The match will give the Indian team a rare chance to face one of the world's most successful football nations on home soil. (PC: Reuters)

Ajinkya Rahane has ended his cricket career with a unique captaincy record for India. He never lost a Test or ODI match while leading the national team. Rahane captained India in 6 Tests, winning 4 and drawing 2, including the famous 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory in Australia in 2020-21 after taking over from Virat Kohli. He also won all 3 ODIs he captained against Zimbabwe. Overall, Rahane led India in 11 international matches, losing only 1 T20I. His unbeaten record in Tests and ODIs remains unmatched among Indian captains with at least 5 Test matches. (PC: NDTV)

Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending a career that spanned more than a decade. The 38-year-old represented India in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is, scoring over 8,000 international runs. Rahane is best remembered for leading India to a memorable 2-1 Test series victory in Australia during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after Virat Kohli's departure. He also captained Kolkata Knight Riders in recent IPL seasons and remained a key player for Mumbai in domestic cricket. Rahane thanked fans for their support, saying, "Cap 278 signing off. Forever grateful."  

India enjoyed another strong day at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Murali Sreeshankar moving into medal contention in the men's long jump final. The biggest highlight came from boxing, where Indian pugilists guaranteed 10 medals, setting the country's best-ever boxing haul in a single Commonwealth Games. Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Narender Berwal and Jaismine Lamboria all secured victories to reach the medal rounds. India also saw progress in athletics, para swimming and shot put, taking its guaranteed medal tally to 22 while adding to its official medal count. (PC: NDTV)

The Centre has said Meta's explanation for briefly removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post is "not adequate" and that the matter remains unresolved. Meta said the content was removed "in error" and restored soon after, apologising for the incident. However, government officials said the explanation did not sufficiently clarify what caused the removal and sought further discussions. Meta has reportedly assured the IT Ministry that posts by the Prime Minister and other prominent public figures will receive additional oversight and senior-level reviews to prevent similar incidents in the future. The government continues to examine the issue. (PC: Deccan Herald)

FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Argentina following incidents during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Midfielder Leandro Paredes, defender Nahuel Molina and coach Roberto Ayala face charges over post-final clashes after Spain's 1-0 victory. FIFA also charged the Argentine Football Association after players displayed a political banner claiming the Falkland Islands, known as Las Malvinas in Argentina, following their semi-final win over England. Additional cases involve alleged discriminatory chants by fans, unsporting behaviour and objects thrown by spectators. FIFA said those charged can present their defence before the Disciplinary Committee issues its final decision. (PC: NDTV)