Robert Lewandowski’s future is emerging as one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer storylines, with Fenerbahçe among the clubs attempting to lure the veteran striker as he approaches the end of his contract with Barcelona.

The Polish star, who turns 38 in August, is officially a free agent after a below-average 2025-26 season and Fenerbahçe have already opened discussions with his representatives as they explore the possibility of bringing one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers to Istanbul.

While no agreement has been reached, the Turkish giants are closely monitoring developments and are eager to move to the front of the queue after Lewandowski bid farewell to Barcelona, bringing his four-year chapter with the Catalan club to an end.

Barcelona chapter

Lewandowski arrived at Barcelona from Bayern Munich in 2022 in a deal worth around 50 million euros ($58.2 million) and quickly justified the investment.

Over four seasons in Catalonia, he remained one of the club’s most reliable attacking weapons, combining elite finishing with the experience and leadership expected from a player who has spent more than a decade among world football’s most feared forwards.

Despite his continued productivity, Barcelona ultimately decided against extending his stay under existing financial terms. Reports suggested the club were willing to offer only a short-term extension accompanied by a reduced salary and a diminished role in the squad.

Those conditions reportedly failed to convince Lewandowski’s camp, and the two sides ultimately decided to part ways once his contract expires on June 30.

Even in the twilight of his career, the striker continues to deliver goals at a high level, reinforcing the belief among potential suitors that he still has plenty to offer at the top of the game.

Fenerbahçe eye statement signing

For Fenerbahçe, the pursuit represents far more than a routine transfer.

The club view Lewandowski as a marquee acquisition capable of transforming their attack and elevating their profile both domestically and across Europe. Bringing a player of his stature to the Turkish Süper Lig would send a powerful message about the club’s ambitions ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Interest in the former Bayern Munich star is not new. Fenerbahçe were linked with Lewandowski in late 2025 and reportedly proposed an 18-month contract, an offer that failed to gain traction as the player sought greater long-term security.

Now, with Lewandowski officially available on a free transfer, the Istanbul club have revived their pursuit and are exploring whether circumstances have shifted in their favor.

Election politics

The race to sign Lewandowski has also become intertwined with Fenerbahçe’s presidential election.

Presidential candidate Hakan Safi has reportedly identified the Polish forward as one of the centerpiece targets of his football project, presenting him as part of an ambitious recruitment strategy designed to energize supporters ahead of the vote.

Safi has also been linked with interest in other high-profile forwards, including Serhou Guirassy, as he seeks to showcase a bold vision for the club’s future.

The political dimension has increased attention on the Lewandowski saga, adding pressure on decision-makers to deliver a headline-grabbing signing during a crucial period for the club.

Several options remain on the table

Fenerbahçe are unlikely to have a clear run at the striker.

Major League Soccer remains a realistic destination, with Chicago Fire among the clubs most frequently linked to Lewandowski. Head coach Gregg Berhalter has publicly expressed admiration for the veteran forward, fueling speculation that the American club could make a serious push.

Saudi Pro League sides are also expected to enter the conversation, armed with the financial muscle to offer lucrative contracts.

Meanwhile, several European clubs continue to monitor developments, although some earlier interest appears to have cooled as teams weigh the risks and rewards of signing a player approaching his 38th birthday.

Fenerbahçe’s pitch centers on three key factors: a leading role on the field, a competitive financial package and the opportunity to play in front of one of football’s most passionate fan bases at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

Whether that proves enough remains uncertain.

Career-defining final chapter

Lewandowski has consistently prioritized competing at the highest possible level, a stance that reportedly influenced previous decisions to reject interest from Türkiye.

His next move is expected to be shaped by a combination of sporting ambition, family considerations and long-term career planning.

Should he choose Fenerbahçe, the transfer would rank among the most significant signings in recent Turkish football history. The club would gain an elite finisher capable of delivering immediate results while also providing invaluable mentorship to younger attackers.

For Lewandowski, it would represent a fresh challenge in a fiercely competitive football environment where established stars have often extended their careers and continued scoring at an impressive rate.

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Real Madrid Turkish midfielder Arda Güler capped his breakthrough 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign by being named UEFA’s Revelation of the Season, while Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia claimed the competition’s top individual award after leading the French club to another European title.

UEFA announced its annual honors following the conclusion of the tournament, recognizing players who defined a campaign that featured the league-phase format, dramatic knockout ties and PSG’s successful title defense.

At just 21, Güler completed his transformation from promising talent to one of Europe’s most influential young midfielders.

The Turkish international was awarded UEFA’s inaugural Revelation of the Season honor, a newly introduced award recognizing young players who take a major step forward and make a significant impact on the competition.

After playing a limited role during the previous campaign, Güler became a key figure in Real Madrid’s midfield, logging 1,030 Champions League minutes across 14 appearances, including 13 starts.

His playing time increased more than sevenfold compared with the 2024-25 season, highlighting the scale of his development.

Güler finished the tournament with two goals and four assists while emerging as one of Madrid’s primary creative outlets.

His composure in possession, ability to dictate tempo and vision in the final third helped establish him as a regular starter in Europe’s biggest club competition.

One of his defining performances came in Real Madrid’s league-phase victory over Juventus in October, where he earned Player of the Match honors after controlling proceedings from midfield.

His biggest contributions arrived in the knockout rounds. Güler scored both of his Champions League goals in the quarterfinal against Bayern Munich, helping Madrid navigate one of the competition’s toughest ties. He also maintained a passing accuracy close to 88%, further underlining his growing influence as a deep-lying playmaker.

UEFA’s Technical Observer Group praised his maturity, consistency and ability to impact high-pressure matches, making him a clear choice for the breakthrough award.

The recognition marks another milestone in Güler’s rapid rise and further strengthens his status as one of Turkey’s brightest football talents.

Kvaratskhelia powers PSG to another European crown

While Güler claimed the breakthrough honor, Kvaratskhelia was recognized as the Champions League’s best player after spearheading PSG’s successful title defense.

The Georgian winger played a decisive role throughout the campaign, helping PSG secure back-to-back European titles following their penalty shootout victory over Arsenal in the final in Budapest.

Kvaratskhelia combined flair, creativity and efficiency, finishing the tournament with 10 goals and six assists. His 16 goal contributions made him one of the most productive players in the competition and a constant threat on PSG’s left flank.

Perhaps most impressively, he became the first player in Champions League history to register a goal contribution in seven consecutive knockout-stage matches, a record that highlighted his consistency on the biggest stage.

Across all competitions, the 25-year-old made 48 appearances and scored 19 goals, continuing his rise among the elite attackers in world football.

Kvaratskhelia succeeds teammate Ousmane Dembélé as UEFA’s Player of the Season and was widely regarded as the driving force behind PSG’s European success.

PSG dominate Team of the Season

UEFA’s Technical Observer Group also unveiled the Champions League Team of the Season, with PSG’s dominance reflected in five selections.

Finalists Arsenal contributed three players, while Bayern Munich had two representatives and Atlético Madrid one.

UEFA Champions League Team of the Season

Goalkeeper

David Raya (Arsenal)

Defenders

Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid)

Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)

Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)

Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)

Midfielders

Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)

Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards:

Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)

Harry Kane (English footballer)

PSG’s strong presence in the team reflected their sustained excellence throughout the competition and underscored the club’s continued success in the post-Kylian Mbappe era.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bagged the NBA Most Valuable Player again and is widely viewed as the league’s top player, with only three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets making a strong case otherwise.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder star called the 2025-26 season a failure on Sunday, a day after the Thunder fell to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, ending their bid for back-to-back NBA titles. The Spurs advanced to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, while Gilgeous-Alexander begins an offseason that arrived sooner than expected.

“I failed at my goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said during his exit interview. “I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. But I learn the most about myself and make the greatest improvements in my career when I fail and don’t get what I want. I look at this no different. I didn’t get where I wanted to go this season. There’s a reason for that. Now I have to look at that reason and try to make sure it never happens again.”

The Thunder had been considered strong favorites to reach the NBA Finals for much of the season.

Oklahoma City started 24-1 and also put together a late-season 19-1 run toward the end of its 64-18 campaign. The Thunder then won eight straight games to open the postseason before running into trouble against the Spurs.

Still, Oklahoma City held a 3-2 series lead before being routed 118-91 in San Antonio in Game 6. The Spurs also outplayed the host Thunder in Game 7, prevailing 111-103.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 25.9 points in the series, including three games of 30 or more, but shot just 40.9% from the field, well below his 55.3% mark in the regular season, when he averaged 31.1 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander shot less than 37% four times in a series in which Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was a constant obstacle.

“There’s a guy on their back line who is a little bit different,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Wembanyama. “They funnel everything to him. It’s a really good defense. But it’s not impossible to score. I just think it’s very different.”

The Thunder were hurt by not having fellow star Jalen Williams for Game 7 because of a left hamstring injury. He played in just three games in the series and five in the postseason due to the injury.

Williams believes the series would have gone differently if he had been healthy.

“Obviously I think I could have made an impact,” Williams said. “I think we could have won if I played. We went to seven with them without me playing. I don’t think I make us worse. That’s really my answer to that. But it’s also hats off to them. What do you want them to do about me being hurt?”

Ajay Mitchell, who filled in well for Williams, missed the final four games after sustaining a right calf strain. His absence also hurt.

One player drawing scrutiny over the Oklahoma City collapse is big man Chet Holmgren, who was outplayed by the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama. He averaged just 10.7 points in the series and was virtually non-existent in Game 7, finishing with four points on 1-of-2 shooting and four rebounds in 33 minutes.

“I feel like part of it was being closed out heavy,” Holmgren said. “Then also just being a little bit out of rhythm sometimes. I feel like there were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn’t in the moment. That’s an area to improve.”

Wembanyama averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the series for San Antonio.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, launching the largest edition in tournament history.

Yet the buildup has been anything but routine, with political tensions, ticket pricing backlash and concerns over player welfare shaping the global conversation ahead of the opening match.

How the tournament took shape

FIFA awarded the 2026 finals in 2018 to the United States, Canada and Mexico during Donald Trump’s first term as U.S. president, defeating Morocco’s bid.

The decision marked the first time three nations were selected to co-host the World Cup, alongside FIFA’s expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.

Since Trump’s return to office in 2025, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has maintained a visible presence at the White House, drawing scrutiny over FIFA’s stated commitment to political neutrality.

Infantino’s decision to award Trump a FIFA Peace Prize in late 2025 further intensified criticism, especially as global tensions escalated following U.S. military action in the Middle East.

Key concerns

Ticket pricing has become one of the most controversial issues.

FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing, resale fees and shifting ticket categories has drawn accusations of inflated costs and artificial scarcity. Legal scrutiny has followed in parts of the United States, while fans have voiced frustration over affordability and transparency.

Transport logistics have also come under pressure, particularly in major hubs such as New Jersey and Boston, where travel costs and infrastructure strain are expected to impact supporters.

Immigration policy concerns add another layer of uncertainty. Advocacy groups warn that visa restrictions and broader enforcement measures could complicate travel for fans from several nations. Iran’s participation has also been questioned at various points amid heightened geopolitical tensions, though FIFA maintains the team will compete.

Heat is another major factor, with summer conditions across many host cities expected to test both players and spectators.

Different World Cup

This edition is the largest ever staged, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches and a new knockout structure beginning with a round of 32. It is also the first World Cup co-hosted by three countries, with Mexico becoming the first nation to host the tournament three times.

FIFA has introduced mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in every match to address extreme temperatures, regardless of weather conditions.

Teams to watch and new arrivals

France, Spain, England and defending champions Argentina are widely viewed as leading contenders, though squad fitness and club-season fatigue could prove decisive.

Four nations will make their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Curaçao stands out as the smallest country ever to qualify for the tournament.

Major rule changes

FIFA has introduced several adjustments aimed at improving flow and tightening enforcement:

Referees can initiate a five-second countdown for delays on throw-ins and goal kicks, with sanctions including reversed decisions or corner kicks.

Substitutions must be completed within 10 seconds or the incoming player must wait an additional minute before entering, temporarily leaving the team short-handed.

Players forced off for injury must remain off the pitch for at least one minute.

VAR will now review corner decisions up until the ball is taken, but cannot intervene on goal kicks awarded on field. It may also step in when clear fouls by attacking teams influence goals or penalties.

Second yellow cards can be overturned by VAR if no foul occurred. Additional disciplinary measures allow red cards for players covering their mouths in confrontations or for teams that abandon the field in protest.

The 2026 World Cup arrives on a record scale, both in size and complexity.

While the expanded format promises more matches and wider global representation, the tournament is also defined by political scrutiny, logistical challenges and ongoing debate over FIFA’s governance.

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Reigning champion Coco Gauff’s French Open title defence came to an end in the third round on Saturday as top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka both won to set up a blockbuster last-16 clash.

Gauff went down 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 to Austrian 28th seed Anastasia Potapova as the top seeds continued to fall right up to the close of a scorching opening week at Roland Garros.

The 22-year-old fourth seed had been a break up in the deciding set before Potapova put together a run of five games for the loss of just one to condemn Gauff to her earliest Roland Garros exit since her debut in Paris six years ago.

The two-time major winner insisted being the reigning champion had not affected her play, unlike in 2024 when she was defending her title in New York.

“I think at the US Open it did a lot more but honestly this time it didn’t. I wasn’t really nervous,” Gauff said.

“That’s what’s more frustrating because I felt like I learned a lot from that US Open experience and I’m a better player since then and I just don’t think I portrayed that today.”

In a match defined by breaks of serve, Gauff conceded the crucial 10th game of the final set despite being 30-0 up behind her own delivery with a double fault sandwiched between two booming Potapova winners, before a powerful return on her second serve forced her to hit long and bid adieu to the French capital.

It was a third win for Potapova against Gauff – in their first meeting since 2023 – but she said it was a “top three (career victory) for sure”.

With it she equalled her best ever Grand Slam performance, when she also reached the fourth round at the French Open two years ago. She can better that on Monday when she faces 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya.

Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova also departed as the American fell in a third-set tie-break to France’s Diane Parry.

Former Australian Open winner Madison Keys edged ninth seed Victoria Mboko 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.

Earlier, Sabalenka beat Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5 in just 76 minutes to stamp her ticket to the fourth round.

After racing through the first set, Sabalenka went an early break down to her 53rd-ranked opponent before battling back.

The Belarusian world number one set up a meeting with her fellow quadruple major winner, Osaka.

Sabalenka and Osaka, both 28, have won two Australian Opens and two US Opens apiece.

Sabalenka has beaten Osaka twice this season, but Osaka won their only previous meeting at a major – at the same stage in the 2018 US Open, the first of her major titles.

“I’m just ready for the fight,” Sabalenka said of facing Osaka. “I’m ready to go out there to fight for that match, for that win. Ready to do anything it takes to get the win.”

The Japanese 16th seed battled past American 18-year-old Iva Jovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 to progress.

“I was a lot calmer than in my first matches… In a Slam the further I get the calmer I am. It’s such an honour to be here,” Osaka, who had never before gone past the last 32 at Roland Garros, said.

With the men’s side of the draw wide open following the shock early exits of top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime is now considered a prime contender to win his first Grand Slam.

The Canadian fourth seed battled past Brandon Nakashima 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1) in the night session.

“It was a complicated match for me,” he said. “The positive is the victory and moving into the next round.”

There he will meet Alejandro Tabilo for a spot in the quarter-finals, after the Chilean ended the fairytale run of French 17-year-old Moise Kouame.

Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli produced an emphatic straight-sets victory over world number 18 Learner Tien.

He will next face 85th-ranked Zachary Svajda, who downed 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo.

Cerundolo’s brother, Juan Manuel who beat Sinner in the last round in five sets, emerged victorious from an epic five-setter that clocked in at two minutes shy of six hours against Martin Landaluce.

He will face Matteo Berrettini, who will be marginally fresher than the 24-year-old after spending only five hours and 13 minutes on court for his 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (15/13) win over Francisco Comesana.

Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. and Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi also won long matches that went the distance to reach the second week at Roland Garros.

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Türkiye and North Macedonia will face each other for the ninth time in their history in a friendly match on Monday.

The match will be played at Chobani Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. local time.

The two national teams have met eight times previously, including four matches in North Macedonia, three in Türkiye and one at a neutral venue. Four of those encounters were official competitions and four were friendlies.

Türkiye has won five of the eight matches, while recording two draws and one loss.

The Turkish national team has scored 14 goals against North Macedonia but has conceded nine.

Türkiye has won three of its four away matches against North Macedonia, scoring six goals and conceding two. In the three matches played in Türkiye, the Crescent-Stars recorded two victories and one defeat.

The last meeting between the two sides took place nine years ago.

Türkiye, then coached by Fatih Terim, played North Macedonia to a scoreless draw in a friendly match in Skopje.

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