World Sports Digest: 10 Defining Stories From The Last 24 Hours

The global sporting landscape today (July 29, 2026) is dominated by administrative battles, historic track achievements, and unexpected managerial shakeups in European football. From a brewing multi-billion-dollar war over the future of the FIFA World Cup to multi-sport action in Scotland, the headlines continue to evolve fast.

Cricket and tennis fans are simultaneously tracking a bizarre cheating investigation in local English leagues and sudden shakeups. With that, here are the 10 unmissable sports stories in the last 24 hours:

FIFA vs UEFA, World Cup Conflict

UEFA has strongly opposed FIFA's plans to sell a 20% stake in World Cup commercial operations to a private subsidiary. The European body has even hinted at a potential boycott. In some quarters, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino is being accused of selling the game's soul.

Read the full story here.

Mancini's Italy Return

Roberto Mancini has been appointed to lead the Italian national football team following their failure to qualify for the World Cup 2026, after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It marked an unprecedented third consecutive absence from the marquee tournament for the four-time champions, the Azzurri.

Earlier, Andrea Pirlo was linked to the job. But the legendary defender was rejected due to his connections with a Russian gambling company.

Zidane Takes France Reins

Zinedine Zidane has officially taken over as the new head coach of France after the conclusion of the World Cup, where they lost the third-place playoff to England under Didier Deschamps.

Deschamps, who was at the helm for 14 years, leaves the post as Le Bleus' longest-serving manager. Zidane, meanwhile, won three successive UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid.

 VAR Error Confirmed

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that manages the Laws of the Game, claimed that Switzerland's Breel Embolo was incorrectly shown a red card during their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final against defending champions Argentina.

In the 72nd minute, Embolo fell to the ground following a challenge from Leandro Paredes, who was shown a yellow card. After a VAR review, the caution was withdrawn and instead handed to Embolo, who was already booked and was sent off under the ‘mistaken identity’ rule. The score at the time of the decision was 1-1.

Historic Rain-Soaked Silver

India's Gulveer Singh achieved a historic milestone at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. In challenging Scotstoun Stadium track conditions, the 28-year-old from Sirsa in Uttar Pradesh clocked 27:49.78 to finish second behind Ky Robinson of Australia, who took the gold medal with a time of 27:48.93.

Gulveer thus became the first Indian man to win a medal in the event.

Weightlifting Medal Haul

Harjinder Kaur secured a silver medal for India in weightlifting, bringing the country's total in the sport to eight at Glasgow 2026. The 29-year-old from Nabha in Punjab lifted 101 kg in snatch and 126 kg in the clean & jerk for a personal-best total of 227 kg to claim the silver medal in women's 69 kg.

Earlier, Jhandu Kumar (bronze, men's para heavyweight), Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (gold, women's 48 kg), Rishikanta Chanambam (silver, men's 60 kg), Muthupandi Raja (silver, men's 65 kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, women's 53 kg), Ajaya Babu (silver, men's 79 kg), and Bindyarani Sorokhaibam (women's 58 kg) had produced podium finishes.

Langton Injury Update

English gymnast Gabriel Langton is recovering in the hospital after a serious fall during competition. The 19-year-old fell headfirst to the floor after missing his catch on the horizontal bar during the men's team event.

Later, during the men's individual all-around final, Singapore's Jovi Loh suffered a severe knee injury. The 18-year-old landed awkwardly on his parallel bars dismount during the third rotation, leaving him writhing in pain on the mat.

"Clicky Ponting" Scandal

An English amateur cricketer, Brian Devine, is being investigated for a unique cheating tactic of clicking his fingers to simulate a ball-on-bat edge. Dubbed "Clicky Ponting" by fans -- a tongue-in-cheek nod to Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting -- the 38-year-old Saltburn Cricket Club player became an overnight viral sensation after match footage emerged.

According to reports, across 13 matches Devine played this season, Saltburn's wicketkeepers claimed 39 catches, but that plummeted to just five catches in the seven games he missed. The club has suspended Devine.

Seales Sealed West Indies' Win

West Indies pacer Jayden Seales dismantled Pakistan's batting lineup to secure a thrilling 90-run victory in the opening Test at Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.

Defending a target of 211, the 24-year-old fast bowler claimed a spectacular fourth career five-wicket haul (5/20) on day four, skittling the visitors for 120 all out. The defeat marks a disastrous eighth consecutive away Test loss for Pakistan, leaving reinstated captain Babar Azam in the lurch again.

US Open Mixed Doubles Blockbuster

Tennis superstars Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic have entered the US Open mixed doubles draw as a high-profile pairing. The social media "BFFs" are headlining an incredibly star-studded 16-team entry list alongside pairings like Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, and Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori.

This massive influx of elite singles talent comes after the United States Tennis Association (USTA) radically overhauled the mixed doubles event -- shortening the match format, moving it a week earlier to "Fan Week", and introducing a massive USD 1 million prize pot -- last year. The two-day event starts on 25 August in New York.