From bupkis to $100m blockbuster: has the World Baseball Classic fina… — and more

The tournament is celebrating its 20th anniversary and some of the best players on the planet are competing for a title that means something

For years, while football fans salivated over Fifa World Cups, and basketball and hockey enthusiasts enjoyed an endless parade of NBA and NHL stars at the Olympics, baseball fans had bupkis, with no legitimate international tournament to speak of. Instead, there was something called the Baseball World Cup. Played without a Yankee, Cub or Dodger in sight, but with representatives from teams including the Montgomery Biscuits, Mexico Red Devils and Winnipeg Goldeyes, few fans in North America knew it existed, or when it was played. The only team with legit talent, Cuba, with players who could play in Major League Baseball, but did not because of politics, dominated the tournament.

Then in 2006 came a breakthrough with the debut of the 16-nation World Baseball Classic, which featured legitimate professional stars. The platform was built, the mysterious Cubans finally got to play in the US and the fans came. The tournament averaged nearly 19,000 fans a game, and that included the empty seat, Australia-Italy type match-ups. The face paint was bright, the vibes were October-like and the games were compelling; Japan held off Cuba as they took the maiden crown. The WBC passed its first test with a flourish and moved boldly into the future.

The Iran women's football team sang and saluted their national anthem before their Women's Asian Cup match against Australia on Thursday, a marked shift from their silent protest ahead of their opening game.

This earlier silence, observed before Monday's loss to South Korea, had been widely interpreted as either an act of defiance against the regime or a gesture of mourning for those affected by ongoing conflicts.

The team, however, offered no official clarification for their initial stance.

In a poignant press conference preceding the Australia fixture, Iranian striker Sara Didar became visibly emotional.

She shared the profound concerns held by both players and management for the safety and well-being of their families and loved ones amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The 21-year-old Didar was a substitute for Thursday's game, which was played in pouring rain on the Gold Coast, where Iran is scheduled to compete in all three of its Group A matches.

The Iranian squad had arrived in Australia well before the recent strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran last Saturday, adding another layer of tension to their presence.

This fluctuating approach to the national anthem mirrors a similar situation involving the Iranian men’s team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The men's squad notably refrained from singing their anthem before their initial defeat against England, as significant domestic turmoil overshadowed the start of their campaign.

In a subsequent match against Wales, however, the men sang along to the anthem and celebrated their goals. Iran beat Wales 2-0 in that match, but failed to qualify from their group.

That World Cup appearance coincided with a brutal crackdown on a major women’s protest movement within Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the country’s morality police.

Barcelona have two priorities for the summer transfer window, and one of them is a central defender. Despite Director of Football Deco declaring that they had one too many at the position last summer, it seems they will look to make an addition at the position this summer to cover the loss of Inigo Martinez.

It seems Andreas Christensen will be offered a new deal to extend his contract for next season, despite having played just 23 matches in the last two seasons. Meanwhile Ronald Araujo has started just once since November following his mental health break, and Gerard Martin has been required to cover in central defence, leaving a very different picture to the one Barcelona started the season with.

Nathan Ake is preferred option for Deco

In the January transfer window, Barcelona were also linked with a move for a central defender, which was believed to be the priority before the arrival of Joao Cancelo. One the names that featured prominently in those links is Manchester City defender Nathan Ake. The Dutch international was in search of more game time, but after an injury crisis for Pep Guardiola, has started to feature more often. Catalunya Radio say that Deco is most keen on signing Ake in the summer though, as things stand.

Image via Fichajes

Motives behind Ake interest

With a centre-forward the other priority on the agenda, that is expected to absorb most of Barcelona’s resources in terms of what they can spend this summer. As such, preferred options such as Josko Gvardiol and Alessandro Bastoni are financially out of reach. Ake has one year remaining on his deal this summer, and could be available for a cheaper deal as a result.

The 31-year-old is experienced at the top level, and can also play at left-back, factors that make him Deco’s preferred option.

Am Wochenende startet die Formel 1 in die neue Saison. Zeit, einen Blick auf die Favoriten zu werfen.[mehr]