World Cup fever is officially upon us. What a performance from the Socceroos yesterday. To catch up on all the latest news from the world’s biggest sporting event, head to the dedicated 1-minute section, where we will cover what you need to know every day as the tournament unfolds.

Meanwhile, NSW Blues fans are breathing a sigh of relief after playmaker Mitch Moses confirmed today that he is fit and ready to go for State of Origin Game Two in Melbourne this Wednesday. 

It’s all happening!

18 months
The length of the suspension handed to NSW Waratahs centre Henry O'Donnell after accepting a doping ban over ADHD medication. The 23-year-old tested positive for two substances tied to the medication during an in-competition test in May 2025, when he did not hold an exemption to use it. Sports Integrity Australia found the violation was unintentional and unrelated to performance. O'Donnell now holds a therapeutic use exemption for medication prescribed to treat his ADHD. The backdated ban clears him to return on 1 January 2027.

"I'd rather not fight with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If he smells blood, he goes. I've seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to go, and it's very difficult to stop it."
Mercedes’ Formula One team principal Toto Wolff speaking about the prospect of a title battle with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton claimed his first win for Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday, ending a run of 40 races without a victory for the seven-time world champion. Wolff was in Hamilton's corner for six of those titles at Mercedes. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, currently with Mercedes, retired from the race due to an “electrical shutdown”, leaving Hamilton 41 points off the overall lead. Mercedes’ George Russell finished second with McLaren’s Lando Norris third to complete the first all-British podium since 1968. Aussie Oscar Piastri was fifth.

The Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race is the longest certified footrace on earth. The race requires participants to complete laps of an 883 metre loop around a school and playground in New York. Each runner must average almost 60 miles a day for 52 days to finish, and the quickest over the full distance wins. Australian Annabel Hepworth is among this year's field, with the race beginning on 30 August. 

From London finance to the frontline of Australian sport

James McKeag didn't take the direct path into sport. After starting his career in finance in London, he moved to Australia in 2018 and enrolled in Sport Management at Deakin – unlocking the next chapter in his career.

Now a strategy consultant at Metafan, James works at the intersection of marketing, technology and fan insights with clubs across the AFL, NRL, A-Leagues and Super Rugby.

In a full-circle moment, he's part of the team at Deakin – teaching Sport Management to the next generation of industry leaders, publishing research on sport governance, and proving the pivot was worth it.

Inspired by James's story? Your journey could start here - at the #1 provider for sport in Australia.

^{Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.}

🏏 Australia opening batter Cooper Connolly scored his maiden one-day international century to help the Aussies to a one-wicket win over Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday. The left-hander made 149 off 134 balls to get the visitors home with three balls to spare. Bangladesh paceman Shoriful Islam claimed career-best figures of six wickets for 48 runs in defeat. The result denied the hosts a clean sweep, but they had already sealed the series 2-0 for their first one-day series win over Australia.

🏀 The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973. The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 to seal the best-of-seven Finals series 4-1, with point guard Jalen Brunson scoring 45 points. Brunson was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game across the series. The title denied a young Spurs side led by France's Victor Wembanyama, who had guided San Antonio to its first  Finals appearance since 2014.

🏏 Australia opened its Women's T20 World Cup campaign with a comfortable 65-run win over South Africa at Old Trafford in England on Saturday. Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield set the tone with a 24-ball half-century, before leg-spinner Georgia Wareham's three wickets for 13 runs helped the Aussies bowl one of the pre-tournament favourites out for just 107 runs. Australia are seeking a record-extending seventh title at the tournament and next face Bangladesh on Wednesday 17 June (AEST).

🏒 The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes have won ice hockey’s Stanley Cup for the second time, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Las Vegas on Sunday to seal the best-of-seven series 4-2. Rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi was the unlikely hero in the final match with 22 saves, having only taken over in goal mid-series. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, 37, was named the playoff MVP. It is the Hurricanes' first title since 2006, when current coach Rod Brind'Amour captained the side.

Aussies are transforming safety for construction workers using AI.

Presien, a physical AI company built for heavy industry, used Claude to develop an agentic platform that analyses worksites around the clock—surfacing risks before they become issues, cutting critical safety events by over 70% in three months.

Australia beat Türkiye 2-0 in Vancouver on Saturday (local time) to win their opening match of a World Cup for the first time since 2006. Türkiye dominated possession throughout the match, but Australia capitalised on their opportunities, with Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe both scoring brilliant goals from outside the box. Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach is also being hailed for his performance, making eight saves after his surprise selection ahead of the more experienced Mat Ryan. 

The Socceroos will next play the U.S. on Saturday morning (AEST) in a match that could decide who tops Group D. The U.S. started their campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay a day earlier. 

There were four matches today across Group E and Group F. 

In Group E, four-time tournament winners Germany demonstrated their footballing prowess with a 7-1 victory over Curaçao, a tiny Caribbean nation playing in its first World Cup. Then, Côte d'Ivoire defeated Ecuador 1-0 courtesy of a goal in the 90th minute from Amad Diallo. 

In Group F, the Netherlands and Japan played out a 2-2 draw. The Dutch twice took the lead, but Japan fought back both times to equalise with all four goals scored in a dramatic second half. Then, Sweden won its opening match against Tunisia 5-1 to move to the top of the group’s table. 

Tuesday (AEST) will see another four matches, this time across Group G and Group H. In Group G, Egypt will take on world No.10 Belgium, and Iran will play New Zealand. In Group H, tournament favourites Spain will play Cabo Verde before Saudi Arabia face off against Uruguay.

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The UFC has held a mixed martial arts event on the lawn of the White House, a first for the official home of the U.S. president. 

Here is what to know.

The UFC staged an event called Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC on Sunday night (local time). An octagon was built on the grass for an invite-only crowd of around 4,000 spectators. A free fan festival with up to 85,000 spectators was held at the Ellipse, a large park adjacent to the White House. 

The main event of the night saw American Justin Gaethje defeat Georgian-Spanish fighter Ilia Topuria to claim the sport’s lightweight title. 

The White House is the official home and workplace of the U.S. president. It normally hosts state dinners and political ceremonies rather than sporting contests. Sunday night’s event was the first professional sporting contest ever held at the venue. 

Organisers built a custom open-air MMA octagon covered by a 28-metre-high ‘claw’ for the event.

President Donald Trump is a longtime fan of the UFC and a close friend of its boss, Dana White. Trump first raised the idea at a rally in 2025, and the UFC agreed to organise and fund it. 

The reported $US60 million ($AU85 million) cost is being covered by the UFC’s parent company, TKO Holding Group, rather than taxpayers, with White telling TIME that the company will lose $US30 million ($AU42 million) putting the event on. 

In May, Trump’s financial disclosures showed that he bought thousands of dollars worth of shares in TKO Holding Group in March, at the same time that he was promoting the event. 

The event marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, part of a year of celebrations branded America250. It was first floated for 4 July before shifting to 14 June, which is also Trump's 80th birthday and Flag Day, an annual celebration to mark the country’s adoption of its flag in 1777. Trump says the timing with his birthday is a coincidence.

There are other events planned for Washington D.C. to celebrate America250, including an IndyCar motorsports race around the National Mall.

The main event was a lightweight title fight between champion Topuria and interim champion Gaethje. Topuria’s team called the fight at the conclusion of the fourth round when he did not get up from his stool. 

It marked Topuria’s first loss in the UFC. The co-main event saw Brazil’s Alex Pereira meet France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title, with Pereira chasing a belt in a third weight class. Gane won the bout in the second round to claim the title. 

No women’s fights were included on the seven-fight card. 

Supporters, including White and the Trump administration, have billed the night as a historic patriotic showcase. Critics say it blurs the line between the presidency and a private business. A lawsuit brought by two Virginia residents called the event "deeply corrupt".

A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week found that only 16% of Americans believed it was appropriate to host the event at the White House.