Pacquiao confirms his return for an exhibition fight

An old acquaintance returns to the Eredivisie

Dusan Tadic is now back in the Netherlands. The 37-year-old Serbian midfielder signed a two-year contract with NEC Nijmegen, a club that surprised by finishing third in the Dutch league last season. That position gave him access to European competitions for the first time since 2009.

NEC will face Olympiacos in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. The first leg will be played in Greece next week.

Elite career

Tadic was a key player in Ajax that reached the semifinals of the Champions League in 2019. In that campaign, those from Amsterdam eliminated Juventus and the current champion Real Madrid. In the emblematic 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, Tadic scored a goal and gave two assists.

Before his time in Amsterdam, the Serb played in Groningen and Twente. He then spent four years in the Premier League with Southampton. After a season at Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi, he became a free agent.

With the Serbian national team, Tadic retired after Euro 2024 with a record of 111 international matches, being the player with the most appearances in the country’s history.

His experience and leadership will be a powerful reinforcement for the NEC, which seeks to make its mark on its return to Europe.

Cape Verde’s historic goal

Striker Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a goal that will remain in football memory. His curling shot, which nestled into the top corner of Argentina’s goal, tied the score at 2-2 in extra time of the round of 16 match in Miami Gardens. Although Cape Verde lost 3-2, that goal was chosen by the public as the best of the World Cup, surpassing 307 other goals.

FIFA had narrowed the list to 12 options for the popular vote, which closed on Monday. Lopes Cabral’s goal beat the subtle lob of Eldor Shomurodov (Uzbekistan) and the powerful shot of Wilson Isidor (Haiti).

The celebration was also historic. Lopes Cabral broke away from his teammates, climbed onto the stands and hugged his girlfriend and his mother. The mother, overwhelmed, fainted when she saw the goal.

“Before the game, I had told my mom and my girlfriend that if I scored, I would run to them. When I arrived, I saw my mom crying. She didn’t even realize that I was right there. Everyone was busy taking care of her because she had fainted when I scored,” the player said.

Cape Verde, in its World Cup debut, left a notable impression. In the group stage they tied 0-0 with Spain, the eventual champion, and competed as equals against both finalists of the tournament. The African team showed solidity, especially with the performance of goalkeeper Vozinha, and put the favorites in trouble.

Judo and rowing consolidate Mexican dominance

Mexico extended its lead in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo 2026. At the close of the third day, the delegation has 27 gold medals, 23 silver and 20 bronze (70 in total), doubling the harvest of Colombia, its closest escort (12 gold, 38 in total).

Judoka Iker Casas, 26, was crowned in the -80 kilogram category by beating Colombian Miguel Trejos 2-0 in the final. “I did not feel pressure at any time. I had a promise that I had to keep. I was not going to return to Mexico without achieving this goal and I had to prove myself,” Casas declared. “I was focused the entire time.”

In rowing, Kenia Lechuga and Alexis López took gold in the individual short oar events. Lechuga, 32 years old and world medalist, recorded 7:54.49 minutes, beating the Cuban Loraidis Echavarría (8:10.61) and the Venezuelan Kimberlin Meneses (8:12.79). “I am always motivated to dedicate my skills to the people I love most, of course to my country, my family, friends and even my dogs,” he said. López García won with 7:23.11 minutes, ahead of the Dominican Ignacio Vásquez (7:25.69) and the Cuban Leduar Suárez (7:32.53).

Colombia responds in track cycling

Colombia closed the gap with two golds in the team pursuit. The female quartet (Lina Marcela Hernández, Elizabeth Castaño, Luciana Osorio and Camila Valbuena) stopped the clock at 3:56.353, relegating Mexico to silver and Venezuela to bronze. In the men’s division, Brayan Sánchez, Bryan Gómez, Juan Arango and Jordan Parra (4:13.655) also beat the Mexican team.

Cuba remains third (10 gold, 27 total), followed by Venezuela (7, 30) and the host Dominican Republic (6, 26).