Retirement
Player retiring from competition.
-
Ricciardo's first Indy 500 as a fan reignites 'childhood feelings' after F1 exit
Daniel Ricciardo has written an open letter describing his first Indianapolis 500 visit as an emotional experience, supporting long-time friend Conor Daly while embracing life away from the F1 cockpit.
Formula 1 -
Ronaldinho ends 11-year retirement at 46 to sign with third-tier Italian side Ravenna
Ronaldinho has signed with Serie C club Ravenna FC at the age of 46, ending an 11-year absence from professional football. His exact playing role remains unclear, though the Brazilian legend hinted he intends to feature on the pitch.
Football -
1966 World Cup winner Ray Wilson swapped football for life as an undertaker
Ray Wilson, England's left-back in the iconic 4-2 victory over West Germany at Wembley, retired from football in 1971 and built a second career as a mortician in Huddersfield, running his father-in-law's firm until 1997.
Football -
Retired Zabit Magomedsharipov returns to face UFC's Rosas Jr. in Moscow grappling main event
Zabit Magomedsharipov, who walked away from MMA in 2020 after six straight UFC wins, will compete again on July 5 at an ACBJJ event in Moscow — facing ranked bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. in a 155-pound no-gi match.
MMA -
George North delays retirement to face Wales for Barbarians at Twickenham
George North, who announced his retirement in April after 121 caps and 47 tries for Wales, will play one final game for the Barbarians against his home nation at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on 27 June.
Rugby -
Schmidt recalls retired Slipper and names three Super Rugby debutants in first Wallabies squad of 2026
Joe Schmidt has named three uncapped players — Lachie Shaw, Miles, and Declan Meredith — in Australia's first squad of 2026, while veteran prop James Slipper comes out of international retirement to add to his record 151 Test caps.
Rugby -
Cody Brundage steps back from UFC to train as firefighter after three fights in six months
UFC middleweight Cody Brundage will take an extended break from competition after completing three fights in the first half of 2026, revealing he has been accepted into a four-month fire academy while also expecting a new baby with wife and ex-UFC fighter Amanda Cooper.
MMA -
Chandler vows to bounce back after fourth UFC loss: 'I'm impossible to kill'
Michael Chandler has broken his silence following a dominant first-round knockout defeat to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC White House, his fourth loss in the promotion. Now 2-6 in the UFC, Chandler praised Ruffy, confirmed he is physically healthy, and ruled out retirement.
MMA -
Darren Bond among three Premier League referees to retire as PGMOL confirms end of careers
PGMOL has confirmed the retirement of Premier League referee Darren Bond and assistant referees Natalie Aspinall and Marc Perry following the conclusion of the 2025/26 season. Several Championship and WSL officials have also stepped down.
Football -
Ronaldo flops in Portugal's World Cup opener but vows to play on until 1,000th goal
Cristiano Ronaldo squandered two chances as Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo in their World Cup 2026 opener, drawing scathing criticism from Thierry Henry. The 41-year-old, on 973 career goals, has said he will not retire until he reaches the 1,000-goal milestone.
Football -
Southgate swaps dugout for Harvard and BBC docs after England exit
Nearly two years after stepping down following England's Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, Gareth Southgate has carved out a new life spanning UEFA analysis, academic lecturing, and a BBC documentary series on young men's mental health.
Football -
Retired England lock Joe Launchbury takes charge of Worcester Warriors academy
Just weeks after ending his playing career, former England lock Joe Launchbury has been appointed head of Worcester Warriors' newly established academy. The 70-cap international brings coaching experience from stints at Wasps and Harlequins.
Rugby -
Portugal honour Diogo Jota with wristbands at World Cup 2026 after star's fatal crash
Portugal's players are wearing commemorative wristbands bearing Diogo Jota's name at the 2026 World Cup, two years after the Liverpool forward died alongside his brother in a car crash in Spain on 3 July 2025 — just two days after his wife shared wedding photos online.
Football -
Slipper ends Wallabies retirement to cover injuries ahead of Nations Championship
James Slipper has reversed his international retirement to make himself available for Australia's first three Tests of the Nations Championship, with injuries to Black Schoupp and Tom Robertson opening the door for the record-capped prop's return.
Rugby -
Tsarukyan urges new champion Gaethje to shelve retirement and face him next
Arman Tsarukyan has called on newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje to delay any retirement plans, insisting the 37-year-old looked like a "new version" of himself after dethroning Ilia Topuria at UFC White House. Tsarukyan, the frontrunner for the next title shot, also outlined a wrestling-based game plan to beat Gaethje.
MMA -
World Cup winner Galligan departs Saracens after surpassing 50 appearances for the club
Rosie Galligan has confirmed she is leaving Saracens at the end of her second spell with the North London club. The England lock, currently expecting her first child with fiancée Marlie Packer, featured in every match of England's 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup triumph.
Rugby -
Gravel from Lawson's wheel triggers Hulkenberg's kill switch to end Barcelona race
Nico Hulkenberg was robbed of his first points finish of the 2026 season at the Spanish Grand Prix when gravel flung from Liam Lawson's car struck the emergency kill switch on his Audi, shutting it down completely on lap 28.
Formula 1 -
Mbappé admits he is "already hated enough" and does not rule out coaching career
In an interview with Le Parisien, Kylian Mbappé acknowledges that his image has deteriorated among French supporters and discusses his post-playing career prospects, including a possible coaching role.
Football -
Teixeira absorbs Pereira's fight IQ ahead of boxing debut against Shogun Rua
Glover Teixeira, 46, makes his boxing debut on Aug. 29 against Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua in São Paulo, drawing on lessons from coaching Alex Pereira as 'Poatan' prepares to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title.
MMA -
Jones insists he is 'still on the roster' despite retirement and UFC release demands
Jon Jones has walked back his push for a UFC release, claiming on Instagram that he remains on the roster and is still capable of competing at the highest level, weeks after publicly falling out with the promotion.
MMA
