Belgium’s football federation has unveiled its new away shirt ahead of the World Cup, and it is a tribute to the country's surrealist painter René Magritte.

In a nod to Magritte's most famous work, a painting of a pipe with the words "This is not a pipe" written beneath it, the collar of the shirt reads: "This is not a jersey."

This story is beginning to sound a little like ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’.

15
That’s the number of balls it took 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to reach 50 runs in the Indian Premier League overnight. Days after turning 15, he hit the rapid half century that helped the Rajasthan Royals beat the Chennai Super Kings in an eight-wicket win. Sooryavanshi made headlines last year as the youngest player to score a century in the competition, aged just 14 years and 32 days old.

“I was getting called a 'weak c-word. An effing, flopping c-word.’ It’s not right what I did. I’m sorry and sincerely apologise for that. I extracted the blood to show them (Essendon) I was bleeding. That was my intention. It was just a lapse in judgement. There’s no excuses. It’s a poor look. I was defending myself and in that moment I had a brain fade. I should have done better.”
North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri issued an apology after the AFL Tribunal handed him a three-match ban for smearing blood from his nose onto the face of Essendon captain Andrew McGrath during Saturday's Round 3 match. Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson KC described the act as "disgraceful behaviour," noting the blood made contact near McGrath's open mouth. Xerri pleaded guilty and said he had called McGrath the following morning to apologise.

Port Adelaide star Zak Butters has become the first player in AFL history to accumulate over $50,000 in career fines, edging past the Giants’ Toby Greene as the league’s most penalised player. His latest sanction was a $1,500 fine (reduced to $1,000 with an early plea) for engaging in a melee with Liam Baker during Port Adelaide’s loss to West Coast on Sunday. 

🏀 The Adelaide 36ers have lodged a formal complaint with the National Basketball League (NBL), accusing Sydney Kings co-owner and assistant coach Andrew Bogut of body-shaming Adelaide owner Grant Kelley. According to ESPN, Kelley claims Bogut called him a "fat f***g c**t" during a post-game tunnel confrontation after Game 2, which Adelaide won 91-89 on a Bryce Cotton buzzer-beater. Bogut has since posted images of the overweight cartoon character Peter Griffin on social media. The Kings lead the best-of-five Championship Series 2-1, with Game 4 in Adelaide on Wednesday night.

🏟️ The scientist who discovered the gene that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is now using to determine eligibility for women's events says it should not be used in that way. In an article published on The Conversation, Andrew Sinclair, deputy director of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, wrote that testing for the SRY gene was "overly simplistic" and did not reliably determine biological sex. The IOC announced last week that all athletes competing in women’s category events at future Olympics from LA 2028 will need to undergo SRY screening. Sinclair said the gene's presence alone does not indicate whether a person has developed male or female sex characteristics.

🏟️ New York Marathon winner Albert Korir has been banned for five years after he admitted to doping. The 32-year-old returned three positive samples collected across October 2025, all of which later tested positive for a banned stimulant. The substance is CERA, a modern form of EPO (Erythropoietin) that boosts red blood cell production. According to the Athletics Integrity Unit, Korir’s positive tests were “clear evidence of the athlete’s use of a prohibited substance on multiple occasions.” His ban runs until 7 January 2031 and was reduced by one year after he accepted the violations. Korir won the New York Marathon in 2021 and finished second in 2019, and he will now be ineligible to compete until the end of the sanction.

Mocha lovers, meet your new training partner

Dare Protein Mocha keeps the smooth choc-y taste you already love, but adds a solid 30–45g of protein with no added sugar. Perfect for pre-gym fuel, post-training recovery, or staying full and focused between work, sport, and everything else on your schedule.

It’s your usual iced mocha – just with serious protein power behind it. Available now in 500ml and 750ml at Coles and other retailers nationwide.

The Socceroos play their last home match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup tonight when they take on Curaçao in Melbourne. 

Coach Tony Popovic will be looking for his side to build off Friday’s 1-0 victory over Cameroon as players make their case to be included in Australia’s World Cup squad. Colorado Rapids midfielder Lucas Herrington, 18, is among the squad members pushing for more game time and a potential World Cup spot after a promising debut. 

Curaçao, a Caribbean island nation of roughly 155,000 people, is the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup. The 82nd-ranked side played China on Friday and lost 2-0. Tonight’s match will be the first meeting between Australia and Curaçao in men’s football. 

Australia already qualified for the World Cup with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in October, securing a record sixth consecutive appearance at the tournament and their first direct qualification since 2014. 

The Socceroos match will kick off at 8:10pm (AEDT). You can watch it on Channel 10 and Paramount+.

While tonight's match is a friendly, attention will also be on the last round of World Cup qualifying taking place across the globe tomorrow 4.45am (AEDT). Four UEFA playoff finals and two intercontinental playoffs will determine the final six teams to join the 48-nation field. 

The result that matters most for Australia is Türkiye vs Kosovo, with the winner joining the Socceroos in Group D alongside co-hosts the United States and Paraguay. If Türkiye (ranked 24th) qualifies, the group becomes significantly more difficult for the Aussies, who are ranked 27th. If Kosovo (ranked 78th) advances, Australia's path to the knockout rounds opens up.

Enjoying the newsletter?

If you are, why not share the love with your friends? We’d love your help in getting the word out there.

Send them this link to sign up.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on Victoria’s Surf Coast is one of the most storied events in professional surfing.

First held in 1962, it is the longest-running surf competition in the world and has been a regular fixture on the Championship Tour (CT) since the World Tour began 50 years ago.

Tomorrow, it will open the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) season for the first time in 25 years.

Australia has 13 surfers on the CT, the top tier of pro surfing, this season. On the men’s side, Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing headline the charge. Robinson is the defending Bells Beach champion, while Ewing won at Bells in 2023. Both are still chasing their first world title. They are joined by Morgan Cibilic, Liam O'Brien, Callum Robson, Oscar Berry, George Pittar, and Joel Vaughan.

The women's contingent is smaller but may be even stronger. Reigning world champion Molly Picklum leads the way after becoming the first Australian women's champion since 2022. She is joined by eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore, who has accepted a season wildcard after sitting out the past two seasons. Two-time world champion Tyler Wright, tour veteran Sally Fitzgibbons, and defending Bells champion Isabella Nichols round out a strong Australian group.

Reigning men's world champion Yago Dora of Brazil is the surfer to catch, but the wave at Bells may not suit his style. It is a right-hand point break, which favours 'regular' footed surfers (right foot back) like Robinson and Ewing who can ride facing the wave (forehand). Dora surfs 'goofy' foot (left foot back), meaning he spends much of his time at Bells with his back to it (backhand). The U.S.’ Griffin Colapinto and three-time world champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil also loom as top contenders.

On the women's side, Nichols will look to defend her title against 2024 world champion Caitlin Simmers, 2023 champion and Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks, and five-time champion Carissa Moore, who, like Gilmore, returns after two years away. Between them, Moore and Gilmore bring 13 world titles' worth of experience back to the draw.

The WSL has scrapped its Finals Day format, which saw the world title decided in a single day of surfing at the end of the season, and returned to a cumulative points system across nine events. The season finale will now be held at Pipeline Masters, which has been reinstated with 1.5 times the standard points. The women's field has also expanded from 18 surfers to 24.

Three consecutive Australian stops open the season, with Margaret River in Western Australia and Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast to follow.

The competition will be available to watch for free on worldsurfleague.com, the WSL app, and 7Plus. It will also be available on Fox Sports and Kayo from 7:00am (AEDT) on competition days.