Diogo Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, has shared a moving message on Instagram as the couple’s youngest child celebrated her first birthday. It was the family’s first without the former Liverpool forward, whose life was cut short in a devastating car crash last summer.

• A heartbreaking milestone for a family still in mourning

  Jota and Cardoso were childhood sweethearts and married in a stunning ceremony in Porto on June 22, 2025, but their life together as newlyweds lasted only days. Less than two weeks later, the 28-year-old forward and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a horrific accident. Their daughter, born on 26 November last year, turned one this week. Cardoso marked the moment by posting a collection of photographs featuring Jota cradling and smiling with his baby girl. The caption contained only three words: “A whole year.”

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  Portugal still reeling from the loss of a star

  The tragedy struck just weeks after Jota had helped Portugal defeat Spain in the Nations League final. Instead of becoming a platform for the next chapter of his flourishing international career, the victory became one of the final images of Jota in a Portugal shirt. Tributes poured in that day, with skipper Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way.

  Writing on X, he said: "It doesn’t make sense. We were only just in the national team together, you had only just got married… To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you’ll always be with them."

  According to Portuguese outlet Sic Noticias Ronaldo has collaborated with luxury watchmakers Jacob & Co to design customised timepieces commemorating Portugal’s Nations League triumph. Each watch features a skeleton dial and a Portuguese coat of arms. The report adds that Ronaldo arranged for these watches to be sent to his international teammates ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Armenia, but crucially, he also ensured one was sent directly to Jota’s family. 

  Portuguese journalist Nuno Luz highlighted the gesture, saying: "These are details that are done without advertising and that show the genuine way that Cristiano Ronaldo is. Often, people from outside have an image of him that does not correspond." 

  On social media, Jacob & Co wrote of the design: "A skeleton dial, custom design and the Portuguese coat of arms, a watch as exceptional as the champions themselves."

• Liverpool continue to honour Jota

  Jota’s death has left an irreplaceable void at Liverpool. Speaking ahead of the match against Nottingham Forest, manager Arne Slot reflected emotionally on the impact of the tragedy.

  Slot said: "We are always judged, sometimes fair, sometimes not fair. But I saw the interview (with Robertson) live and I know that it is an issue for us, which is completely normal. At this moment in time, I always think how must it feel for his wife and his children? Because it is so, so, so much harder for them than it is for us. But that we will miss the player and the person is completely clear. Now we play Nottingham Forest, last season there we were 1-0 down and it only took him (Jota) one minute to score the equaliser. So now I am talking about the player that we miss for sure. That we also miss him as a person is also clear."

  He added: "It is good for us to remember him at all times. It is possible because of the person and player he was. It is impossible to measure what it does to the players and to our results. The last thing I would do is use it as an excuse. I don't know. What I do know is that we miss the player, that is 100 per cent sure, and we miss the person, but I cannot measure the impact that has on our results. That is impossible for me to say, and we will never use it as an excuse."

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  Liverpool retire Jota’s No. 20 shirt

  Liverpool have confirmed that Jota’s No. 20 shirt has been permanently retired across the entire club, including Liverpool Women and all academy age groups.

  A statement from Liverpool read: "It was the number he wore with pride and distinction, leading us to countless victories in the process – and Diogo Jota will forever be Liverpool Football Club’s number 20. After consultation with his wife, Rute, and family, the club can announce the squad number will be retired in honour and memory of Diogo across all levels, including LFC Women and Academy.

  "The move is recognition of not only the immeasurable contribution our lad from Portugal made to the Reds’ on-pitch successes over the last five years, but also the profound personal impact he had on his teammates, colleagues and supporters and the everlasting connections he built with them."

  Jota’s number might have been retired, but his memory remains vividly alive in every corner of Anfield.

The development comes a day after he went unsold at the ILT20 auction

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Oct-2025

R Ashwin has agreed to play the entire season of BBL for Sydney Thunder, a day after he went unsold at the ILT20 auction in Dubai.Ashwin, who announced his IPL retirement in August, became the first capped Indian player to play in the BBL, agreeing to play at least three matches in the latter half of the season for Thunder. That arrangement was based on Ashwin committing to play in ILT20, where he had listed the highest base price of USD 120,000.However, Ashwin went unsold when his name, listed in Set 5 for allrounders, came up for bidding with none of the six franchises showing interest. It is understood that Ashwin had requested ILT20 to remove his name from the accelerated second round of bidding, meant for unsold players.Related

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Ashwin said he had “verbally” agreed with ILT20 to feature in the 2025-26 edition, which will be played between December 2 and January 4. With the window for direct signings closed in July, Ashwin decided to put himself at the maximum base price and was the only player to list a six-figure reserve price. Ashwin also mentioned to ILT20 that he was expecting a certain bid for him to play in ILT20. When it became clear he was not getting that at the auction, he pulled out.”I had agreed verbally with ILT20 but then the franchise offers were pretty low because the direct signings had been closed by all teams,” Ashwin told ESPNcricinfo. “Meanwhile, Thunder came with a good deal, but since I had verbally agreed with ILT20, I entered the auction saying this is the minimum price I want to play for, else I am happy going to the BBL.”Ashwin, who ended his IPL career as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the league with 187 strikes at an economy rate of 7.2, was a sought-after name in BBL with Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Strikers and Thunder showing interest to sign him up. He became the first capped India cricketer to earn a BBL deal.Thunder begin their BBL campaign against Hurricanes in Hobart on December 16. Their second game of the season is the local derby against Sixers at ENGIE Stadium.Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg, who was the first to have consultations with Ashwin, spoke on Thursday about the importance of having Ashwin in the BBL. “It’s a big moment for the BBL to welcome Ravi here, I have been talking to him personally on a number of occasions,” he said.”I have found him a breath of fresh air, I think our fans are going to really enjoy watching him play and engaging with him when he’s here for the BBL.”

Tottenham Hotspur fell to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat against bitter North London rivals Arsenal this afternoon, with the result heaping more pressure on Thomas Frank.

The Dane’s side came into the encounter unbeaten away from home in the Premier League, but such a record has been wiped out after the demolition job at the Emirates.

He switched to a 5-2-2-1 system against Mikel Arteta’s men, but it quickly backfired, with the Lilywhites already three goals down after just 47 minutes of the clash.

Former transfer target Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick in the humbling defeat, further rubbing salt into Spurs’ wounds after their failure to land his signature in the summer.

Numerous players also failed to rise to the occasion across the capital, with the manager desperately needing to drop numerous players from his first team squad in the weeks ahead.

The Spurs players who massively struggled against Arsenal

Despite not scoring since the middle of September, Frank decided to stick with Richarlison at the top end of the pitch against Arsenal, with the Brazilian finally ending his goal drought despite the loss.

His 50-yard strike wasn’t enough to gloss over his struggles in North London, as the 28-year-old registered the least amount of touches of any player with his total of just 24.

He was dominated aerially, losing 100% of his battles at the Emirates, with the former Everton man unable to offer the hold-up play needed to release some of the pressure placed on the Lilywhites.

Djed Spence was given the responsibility of starting at right wing-back, but the England international struggled to match the huge expectations he’s set for himself in recent months.

He featured for 78 minutes before being withdrawn, but his substitution was warranted after completing none of his attempted dribbles, whilst also failing to find a teammate with any of his crosses.

Neither of the aforementioned players managed to rise to the occasion this afternoon, which could put their starting positions at risk ahead of the Champions League clash with PSG.

The Spurs player who’s now looking “non-league” level

There is little denying that today’s performance from Spurs was one of the worst of the Frank era, with the manager needing to take huge responsibility for the defeat.

His decision to switch to a back five will no doubt have contributed to their inability to create opportunities in the final third, resulting in a total xG created of just 0.07.

The withdrawal of Kevin Danso at the break no doubt signalled that he made the wrong decision to start with such a negative system against their bitter rivals.

However, it wasn’t the only decision that proved to be the wrong one, with the Dane deciding to start the clash with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur as a double pivot at the heart of the side.

The pair have previously showcased that they can’t play progressively alongside one another, further highlighting the negative approach taken by the manager in North London.

Bentancur has constantly come under scrutiny for his lack of positive impact, something which has become apparent once again after the clash against Arsenal.

The Uruguayan international featured for 66 minutes but failed to prevent the onslaught from Arteta’s men – resulting in 100% duels lost and the player picking up a yellow card.

Rodrigo Bentancur – stats against Arsenal

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

66

Touches

26

Passes completed

16

Passes into final third

0

Duels lost

100%

Tackles won

0

Dribbled past

2

Fouls committed

1

Stats via FotMob

He also failed to win any of the tackles he entered, whilst being dribbled past twice and unable to provide the ball-winning presence Frank would have craved with the double pivot.

Other figures, such as 26 touches of the ball and zero passes into the final third, also demonstrate his lack of quality when in possession, resulting in some hugely vocal criticism of his display.

After his dismal showing at the Emirates, one content creator labelled Bentancur as a “non-league” footballer, further showcasing his dismal form for the Lilywhites.

As a result, the manager desperately needs to exclude the Uruguayan international from his first-team plans, with it being clearly evident he’s not at the level required for success.

His continued struggles make the decision to extend his contract in North London an even more baffling one, with other options desperately needing to be utilised after the embarrassing Derby Day loss.

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USAC says “aggressive” and “legal” move necessary to ensure future of American cricket

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Oct-2025The crisis in USA Cricket has deepened, with the USAC initiating bankruptcy proceedings on Wednesday as part of what it said was a structural reorganisation. Terming it as an “aggressive” and “legal” move, the USAC said it was necessary to “ensure the future of American cricket.”The development was made public in a media release where the USAC said it had “voluntarily” filed for the financial reorganisation under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy code. The USAC decision is concerning as it comes about a week since ICC suspended USAC on September 23 for serious breaches of membership criteria.Communicating the suspension in an email to USAC chairman Venu Pisike on September 23 (accessed by ESPNcricinfo), the ICC chairman Jay Shah had warned USAC to “not take any steps to undermine the ICC or its Normalisation Committee in all aspects of the ICC’s work related to the USA, including the LA28 Olympic Games.”However, USAC chief executive officer, Johnathan Atkeison, said in the media release that one of their motives behind the financial restructuring was to also address the ICC suspension. “The decision was not made lightly, but it is the best course of action to secure USA Cricket, and allow it the time and space it needs to successfully reorganize,” Atkeison said.

Who authorised the move?

The USAC release did not mention when the decision was taken and whether it was the USAC board that authorised the move. It is understood that the board met on September 30 when the nine directors were present to discuss the sole agenda of filing for bankruptcy. This was the second time the USAC board was meeting since the ICC suspension – the first being on September 28.Related

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On Tuesday, when four directors questioned why filing for bankruptcy was a priority over discussing the ICC suspension, it is understood Pisike said “there is nothing to discuss.”It is learned those four directors – Nadia Gruny, Atul Rai, Arjun Gona and Kuljeet Singh Nijjar – left the meeting in protest of the proceedings and conduct of the meeting, including what one said was being “muted” by Pisike, before they got the opportunity to complete what they wanted to say.Pisike could not be contacted for a comment. It could not also be confirmed if the remaining five directors – Pisike along with Anj Balusu, Srinivas Salver along with two independent directors Pintoo Shah and David Hauber – had decided they had the constitutional majority to authorise to financial restructuring move.

The ACE connection

The “need” for financial restructuring, the USAC said, was due to a long-term contract it had signed in 2019 with American Cricket Enterprise (ACE), its primary commercial partner and owner of the Major League Cricket (MLC). In 2019, USAC signed a 50-year contract with ACE, which the former says “heavily favours” the latter.”One factor to USA Cricket’s need for financial reorganization was the financial strain and operational interference caused by the ACE agreement,” USAC said in the release. ” The original 50-year agreement, which heavily favors ACE, does not appear to have been completed at arm’s length as understood by the USA Cricket Board. It was negotiated largely by one USA Cricket Board member who did not disclose certain conflicts of interest that both he and his employer had with ACE affiliates.”The US also hosted the T20 World Cup in 2024•Getty Images

This individual was former USAC president Paraag Marathe, president of San Francisco 49ers Enterprises. However, it is understood Pisike was part of the USAC Board in 2018 that approved the ACE contract. As part of the deal, ACE is contracted to funnel a minimum of USD 1.2 million annually to the USAC to cover the contracts of the national team including support staff.”The financial terms directly reflect this lack of arm’s-length dealing. Instead of fair market value, USAC receives only a small percentage of ACE’s gross cricket-related revenues. This arrangement purports to preclude USA Cricket from seeking team sponsors or broadcast partners, and effectively limits other events and competition from entering the market. USA Cricket’s national team commercial rights are valued at over $5 million annually, a figure ACE has never come close to achieving, to the detriment of USA Cricket.”On August 21, the USAC said it was terminating its contract with ACE, who responded by saying the decision was “unlawful” and in September decided to trigger legal proceedings. On Wednesday, the Boulder County District Court in Colorado – where USAC is registered – was scheduled to start proceedings. About 18 minutes prior to that hearing, however, the court was updated on the bankruptcy filing.Pisike had told ESPNcricinfo in September that the USAC was open to revoking the termination as long as ACE agreed to renegotiate the contract on fresh terms. In the media release on Wednesday, USAC said ACE attempted to “bully and coerce” it into “submission” using its “financial might”, eventually forcing its hand to file for bankruptcy. “We have been forced into the protections of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court because ACE is well aware of its stature as an 800lb gorilla and has weaponized its financial muscle to frustrate our ability to govern the sport” Corey MacDonald, USA Cricket General Counsel, said in the media release.ACE blamed USAC for “imperiling” cricket in the USA. “USAC could not bear for the preliminary injunction hearing to even begin, and knew the result was a forgone conclusion: it had no basis to terminate the parties’ agreement and was recklessly imperiling the success of cricket in the U.S,” an ACE representative said in a statement. “USAC has zero regard for the best interests of cricket and its players, and is only motivated by politics and its directors’ personal agendas.”The USAC also partly pointed the finger at the ICC suspension and its “unfortunate timing” but remained confident it would revive itself via the revamp. “This Chapter 11 filing is a decisive move to secure our ability to address the patently inequitable contracts of the past, correct our financial situation, achieve governance reforms and finally build the world-class NGB America deserves, with an eye toward LA2028,” Atkeison said.