Biggest Blowouts in World Series History

The 2025 World Series between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays is about to get underway. What type of show will fans be treated to this year? Will it be a quick domination from one team over the other? Or will the series be drawn out to seven games?

We saw the polar opposites happen in the two league championship series leading up to the World Series. On one hand, the Dodgers swept the Brewers 4-0 to advance, while the Blue Jays played Game 7 against the Mariners in order to earn their World Series bid.

In some of the games themselves there's been clear domination of one team over another. For instance, in Game 3 of the ALCS, the Blue Jays won 13-4 over the Mariners.

Keeping these possibilities in mind, let's take a look at the biggest blowouts in World Series history, whether from singular games or the series in general.

Biggest single game blowouts in World Series history

Year

Matchup

Game

Score

1936

Yankees vs. Giants

2

18-4

2001

Diamondbacks vs. Yankees

6

15-2

1960

Yankees vs. Pirates

2

16-3

2007

Red Sox vs. Rockies

1

13-1

2002

Giants vs. Angels

5

16-4

1982

Cardinals vs. Brewers

6

13-1

1968

Tigers vs. Cardinals

6

13-1

1960

Yankees vs. Pirates

6

12-0

The biggest single game blowout in World Series history happened nearly 100 years ago in the 1936 series between the Yankees and the Giants. Led by legends such as Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, the Yankees put up a dominant 18-4 win over the Giants, who were located in New York as well at the time. The Yankees did their greatest damage in the third inning, when they scored seven runs thanks to a grand slam by Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri. The Yankees went on to win the series in six games.

The most recent sizeable blowout in a World Series game occurred in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series between the Red Sox and the Rockies. Boston won 13-1, and dominated the entire series to win 4-0.

Biggest series blowouts in World Series history

The biggest blowouts in World Series history series-wise, of course, must be 4-0 sweeps. There's been 19 sweeps in World Series history, take a look at all of those occurrences.

Year

Winner

Opponent

1914

Boston Braves

Philadelphia Athletics

1927

Yankees

Pirates

1928

Yankees

Cardinals

1932

Yankees

Cubs

1938

Yankees

Cubs

1939

Yankees

Reds

1950

Yankees

Phillies

1954

New York Giants

Cleveland

1963

Dodgers

Yankees

1966

Orioles

Dodgers

1976

Reds

Yankees

1989

Oakland Athletics

San Francisco Giants

1990

Reds

Athletics

1998

Yankees

Padres

1999

Yankees

Atlanta Braves

2004

Red Sox

Cardinals

2005

White Sox

Astros

2007

Red Sox

Rockies

2012

Giants

Tigers

Nine different MLB franchises have completed sweeps in the World Series, with the Yankees leading the charge there, having done so eight times. The Yankees hold the MLB record with 27 World Series titles, and nearly a third of them were sweeps.

The Yankees have gotten a taste of their own medicine twice, first in 1963 when the Dodgers swept them and then in '76 when the Reds did the same.

There's only been four sweeps in the World Series this century, with the most recent occurrence happening in 2012 when the Giants swept the Tigers. The longest streak without a sweep in MLB history is 13 years, so does that mean this year could signal another one?

جوارديولا يلمح لموقفه من مشاركة مرموش أمام ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا

واصل بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي تصريحاته بعد الفوز أمام سندرلاند بثلاثية نظيفة على ملعب الاتحاد مساء السبت في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز.

وشارك النجم المصري عمر مرموش في الدقيقة 69 ليحل محل المهاجم النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند، وحاول المصري كثيراً التسجيل لكن لم يحالفه الحظ.

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها “سيتي إكسترا” عن مرموش: “كنا بحاجة لعمر مرموش ليدخل بديلاً ضد سندرلاند”.

وأضاف عن النجم المصري: “عمر بالنسبة لي من أفضل المهاجمين، أعرف أنني أراه مهاجماً، وهناك كذلك المهاجم الأساسي لدينا هالاند، أحياناً يحصل مرموش على دقائق لعب أقل مما يستحق لكنه قام بأربع أو خمس تحركات مذهلة بشكل لا يصدق، ولهذا السبب مرر نيكو هاتين الكرتين له، لكن سنرى إذا كان سيبدأ ضد ريال مدريد”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. جوارديولا يشيد بلاعب مانشستر سيتي بعد الفوز على سندرلاند: لم أر ميسي يفعل ذلك

وواصل بيب إذا كان سيحتاج لإجراء تغييرات ضد ريال مدريد: “لا، أنتم الصحفيون دمرتوني بعد مباراة ليفركوزن لذلك قلت أنني لا أريد أن تدمروني مرة أخرى بسبب التبديلات، أريد أن أكون لطيفاً معكم”.

وواصل عن اللعب في ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو: “البرنابيو ليس ملعب سهل أبداً، أضعنا فرصة الاقتراب من التأهل لدور ال16 من دوري الأبطال ضد باير ليفركوزن لكننا سنقدم أداءً جيداً، لدينا ثلاث فرص لتحقيق النقاط التي نحتاجها، نأمل أن نؤدي نفس الأداء”.

وواصل جوارديولا ثنائه على نجمه المتألق هذا الموسم فيل فودين: “لاعب مذهل، يسجل الكثير من الأهداف، اعترف لي بعد لقاء سندرلاند أنه لم يشعر بأنه في حالة جيدة وانظروا ما حدث، كيف يركض خلف المدافعين ويستعيد الكرة، عندما يكون في هذه الحالة المزاجية وهذا الزخم، يكون بمثابة هدية جوهرة ثمينة، إنه الأفضل”.

واختتم بيب جوارديولا مؤكداً إصابة جون ستونز مدافع مانشستر سيتي: “بصراحة، لا أعرف مدة غيابه”.

Dodgers' Alex Vesia Announces Infant Daughter's Death During World Series

Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia's infant daughter Sterling died during the World Series, he announced in a Friday afternoon Instagram post.

"Our beautiful daughter went to heaven Sunday, October 26th. There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her," Vesia wrote.

Vesia, 29, missed the World Series after pitching twice in the National League Championship Series due to what Los Angeles described at the time as a personal family matter. During the Series, both the Dodgers and Blue Jays expressed support for the pitcher.

In his post, Vesia went out of his way to thank both teams for their support—as well as baseball fans around the world.

"Thank you Dodger Nation, Blue Jays organization and all baseball fans for your love and support. We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort.”

Como erro do Santos pode beneficiar o Corinthians no mercado

MatériaMais Notícias

Diferentemente do que fez o Santos nos últimos três anos, a diretoria do Corinthians trabalha nos bastidores para se reaproximar de alguns empresários e não ter problemas nas próximas janelas de transferências.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansSite vaza suposta terceira camisa do Corinthians para 2024; vejaCorinthians26/05/2024Fora de Campo‘Nenhum clube fez nada. Cadê o Flamengo, Corinthians, Vasco, Palmeiras?’, Pilhado cobra atitude de times brasileiros durante paralisaçãoFora de Campo26/05/2024CorinthiansEm busca de novas lideranças, Corinthians pode perder último ‘medalhão’Corinthians26/05/2024

➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

O presidente Augusto Melo tem conduzido essas reaproximações, começando com uma reunião com Paulo Pitombeira, que aconteceu nos últimos dias.

Paulo é o responsável pela carreira de Erick Pulga, meia do Ceará que interessa ao Timão. O agente tinha entrado em rota de colisão com a diretoria corintiana no início do ano, que também marcou o começo da gestão atual, após a saída do zagueiro Lucas Veríssimo, que é seu cliente, para o Al-Duhail, do Qatar.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Na época, a diretoria corintiana não gostou da forma como a situação foi conduzida e até mesmo alegou má fé, o que irritou Pitombeira, fazendo com que ele decidisse acionar uma dívida que o clube do Parque São Jorge tem com ele. A decisão foi revogada após o recente papo com Augusto Melo.

Nos primeiros dias de 2024, alguns empresários cobraram dívidas do Corinthians que vinham desde gestões passadas, gerando um mal estar com a diretoria atual. Parte desses representantes eram próximos dos últimos dois presidentes corintianos Duílio Monteiro Alves e Andrés Sanchez.

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Mesmo assim, Augusto Melo pretende conversar e se alinhar com esses profissionais para não ter problemas na hora de buscar atletas no mercado.

COMO ERRO DO SANTOS PODE AJUDAR O TIMÃO?

Quando assumiu o Peixe, em 2021, o ex-presidente santista Andres Rueda optou por cortar pagamentos de comissões a empresários. Com o tempo, o clube foi tento problemas no mercado para buscar reforços.

Nos últimos meses da antiga gestão santista, a direção admitiu internamente que a postura inicial com os empresários afastou esses profissionais da Vila Belmiro.

Um exemplo que ficou forte no time praiano foi com o próprio Lucas Veríssimo. O Santos tentou repatriar o atleta, que é um Menino da Vila, mas sentiu que Paulo Pitombeira “jogou contra” a situação, apresentando valores mais altos do que o Peixe poderia arcar e demonstrando , mas mostrando “boa vontade” nas tratativas com o Corinthians, onde tinha melhor trânsito, tendo feito alguns negócios importantes antes, como a ida do atacante Róger Guedes.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

Sem conseguir montar um bom elenco, o Santos foi rebaixado para a segunda divisão do Campeonato Brasileiro no fim do ano passado, após “bater na trave” nas temporadas anteriores, até mesmo no Estadual.

Augusto Melo não quer repetir a “cartilha”. Por isso faz um movimento contrário ao do Peixe e deseja subir o nível do elenco corintiano a partir do segundo semestre.

Tudo sobre

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Newcastle join race to sign sensation who’s the same “talent level” as Haaland

Newcastle United have now joined several top clubs in the race to sign a teenage star who’s the same “talent level” as Erling Haaland, according to reports.

Alan Shearer praises "excellent" Guimaraes despite Tottenham draw

Although Newcastle have the chance to redeem themselves against Burnley this weekend, they’ll look back on their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur as a chance wasted. The Magpies largely dominated, but came unstuck by a shock Cristian Romero brace which included a late overhead kick.

Eddie Howe still has plenty of reason to be optimistic, though, and one of those reasons is the performance of Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazilian emerged from the bench before finding the back of the net and receiving high praise from Tyneside legend Alan Shearer.

It was a standout display from a Newcastle fan favourite, but that may not stop the Magpies from welcoming another midfield addition in the January transfer window.

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Two Newcastle players, in particular, are unlikely to be too happy right now.

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Those at St James’ Park have already been linked with the likes of Scott McTominay on that front and could welcome the Scotland international, before turning their focus towards the in-demand Yan Diomande.

Newcastle join Yan Diomande race

Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Diomande, according to TeamTalk, and are among the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool all competing to land the winger’s signature.

One RB Leipzig source even went as far as to tell TeamTalk that the winger is the same “talent level” as Manchester City star Haaland, who also came through the Red Bull ranks at Salzburg a number of years ago.

Newcastle have reportedly sent their scouts to watch the 19-year-old in action, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to position themselves to secure his arrival.

What’s more, Leipzig themselves are not ready to let their young star leave and his reported €100m (£87m) release clause should help fend off at least some of the interest.

Given how Anthony Elanga has struggled this season, Diomande is someone that the Magpies should be all in on if they want to complete their frontline alongside record signing Nick Woltemade.

Shades of Woltemade: Newcastle holding internal talks to sign £21m "magician"

Not just Yoro: Amorim must bin 5/10 Man Utd dud who was bullied by Wharton

After a dismal defeat against ten men last Monday, Manchester United bounced back with a 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils were behind at half-time after a Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty, but two goals from set pieces were enough to ensure they would take all three points back to Manchester.

Both goals were impressive finishes from United. First, the lesser-spotted Joshua Zirkzee got himself on the scoresheet with a fantastic finish.

He controlled a Bruno Fernandes free-kick on his chest before superbly volleying low and hard into the back of the net.

That was the strike which drew United level, and the goal which won them the game, from Mason Mount, was just as good. The Red Devils’ number 7 walked onto a Fernandes layoff from yet another free-kick, driving his effort through the Palace wall and into Dean Henderson’s goal.

Despite the result and an energetic second half showing, it was far from a perfect afternoon for United. Ruben Amorim’s side could only muster an expected goals tally of 1.25 xG, and just 0.26 xG in the second half. It was an important win, but there is still a lot to improve on.

Indeed, it was a tough day at the office for some United players, including young defender Leny Yoro.

Leny Yoro's day to forget vs Palace

Young French defender Yoro did not have the best outing at Selhurst Park on Sunday lunchtime. It was his foul on Mateta, a challenge late from behind his countryman, which led to Palace’s penalty and Oliver Glasner’s side taking the lead.

Indeed, there were bright moments against the South Londoners for the former Lille star, who has struggled to find his best form for the majority of this season. He made a crucial block in the first half to prevent Palace from scoring, an important moment in the game.

Yet, it was still not the day Yoro would have hoped for. His foul on Mateta, which was ultimately quite a clumsy challenge, and the fact that he won just three duels from the six he contested, meant Amorim took him off for Noussair Mazraoui after Zirkzee’s goal.

Despite what is a tough moment for Yoro, the United squad is rallying around him. Mount was one of the players quick to support his teammate at full-time, something that football presenter Dylan Penketh said he was “glad to see” after the final whistle.

It was a disappointing day for Yoro, but he was not the only United player who struggled.

Not just Yoro: Man Utd star struggles vs Palace

Coming up against Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada was always going to be tough for United’s pivot at Selhurst Park, and Casemiro was a player who felt the brunt of that.

The Brazilian was said to be “haunted by Adam Wharton” according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Indeed, it was not an easy day against the Eagles’ energetic midfield pivot, especially in the first half. The Brazilian had 65 touches in total across the game, losing the ball 11 times and creating one chance. He also won just seven of his 15 duels.

Touches

65

Pass accuracy

80%

Number of times ball lost

11

Ground duels won

5/9

Aerial duels won

2/6

Fouls

4

Chances created

0

The United number 18 received a 5/10 rating from the Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston. He said Casemiro did improve throughout the game, although he described his start to the game at Selhurst Park as “shaky.”

After a tougher game for Casemiro, and the fact that he is one yellow card away from suspension, it will be interesting to see if he keeps his place in the side ahead of United’s next game. Next up, they have a clash with West Ham United on Thursday at Old Trafford.

It is also a game where United are likely to have the lion’s share of possession. Perhaps Amoirm opts to bring Kobbie Mainoo into their midfield, a man who is better on the ball and more capable of retaining possession and sustaining attacks.

On top of that, the Brazilian played 90 minutes at Selhurst Park. With the game as soon as Thursday and a hectic December coming up, it would not be a surprise to see him rotated out of the side to help aid his recovery.

Haaland 2.0: Man Utd can sign "one of the best STs in Europe" for £44m

Manchester United could be about to sign a new talisman like Erling Haaland in January.

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Not Mainoo: Amorim’s use of Man Utd’s “best player” is a sackable offence

Manchester United’s squad at present is full of top-level talent in numerous areas of the pitch, but Ruben Amorim has so far struggled to make use of the players at his disposal.

The hierarchy have constantly splashed the cash in recent years, with over £200m being spent on new attacking talents during the recent summer transfer window.

The likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha all made the move to Old Trafford, but they have only posted a total of eight Premier League goals combined in 2025/26.

Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system has seen Mbeumo operate in a somewhat unnatural central attacking midfield role, no doubt taking away his best asset – cutting inside off the right-hand side – away from him.

As a result, one player has indirectly suffered this campaign, with the manager recently coming under fire for his lack of faith shown in the player over recent months.

The latest on Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd future

Just a couple of years ago, Kobbie Mainoo was a key member of the United first-team squad, with the midfielder often starting at the heart of Erik ten Hag’s side.

He emerged out of the club’s academy setup, often popping up with key moments, as seen by his incredible achievements during the 2023/24 campaign.

The 20-year-old scored a late winner in the clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst also netting in the FA Cup final against Manchester City – resulting in a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.

However, his career has taken a nosedive over the last 12 months, with Amorim evidently not seeing the academy graduate as part of his long-term plans at Old Trafford.

Mainoo has featured in nine league matches to date, none of which have come from a starting role, leading to one journalist questioning the manager over the midfielder after yesterday’s draw.

The 40-year-old simply laughed when asked about bringing the youngster on to try and win the game at the Theatre of Dreams, which sums up the faith he currently has in him at present.

However, an escape route could well be on the cards for Mainoo ahead of the January transfer window, with Napoli constantly tracking the Englishman over a potential transfer.

The Man Utd player that Amorim is misusing in 2025/26

The reluctance to utilise Mainoo in 2025/26 is just one of Amorim’s biggest failures to date, with the youngster massively deserving the chance to thrive under his guidance.

However, his recent spell on the substitutes bench highlights the lack of faith shown in him by the manager, with a solution desperately needed in the coming months.

The same could also be said about numerous other players, as seen by the struggles endured within the final third of the pitch over the last couple of matches in the Premier League.

Mbeumo has now failed to find the back of the net in each of his last three outings, but the forward is set to go to AFCON throughout January, which could leave a huge hole in the Red Devils’ attack.

His month-long spell away from Manchester could open up the door for Bruno Fernandes to once again feature in the number ten position – a role that is no doubt his best.

The Portuguese international operated in an attacking midfield role during 2024/25, resulting in the 31-year-old registering 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions.

However, the £200m spending spree in attacking areas has resulted in the United captain dropping into a deep-lying number eight position, which has taken away his creative nature in recent months.

He still currently has a total of five assists in his 14 appearances this campaign, but there’s little denying he’s endured a drop-off from his form last season.

Bruno, who’s been dubbed United’s “best player post Fergie” by writer Kaustubh Pandey, has now had to contribute more defensively, as seen by his increased tally of tackles won per 90 compared to last season.

However, whilst he’s still managed to play a part in winning the ball back for his side, it’s come with an adverse effect – subsequently resulting in a lack of creativity in attacking areas.

He’s only scored twice in the Premier League to date, one of which was a penalty, highlighting his lack of impact in terms of goal contributions in 2025/26.

Games played

14

Goals scored

2

Pass accuracy

83%

Shots on target

0.7

Chances created

1.8

Tackles won

1.8

Duels won

4.6

Interceptions made

0.6

It’s clear to everyone but Amorim that the Portuguese star is better in an attacking role, which means one of the £200m additions may need to be sacrificed.

Such a move could open up a free role at the heart of the Red Devils side, which could allow Mainoo to have the run of games he needs to save his United career

However, if Amorim is unable to make such changes in the near future, it could result in the 40-year-old losing his job at Old Trafford in the near future – with such a decision an easy one for him to make.

Fewer touches than Lammens & 100% duels lost: Man Utd flop must be dropped

Ruben Amorim has multiple changes to make after his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

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Sisters vs uncles: how India's women have struck a blow for their kind all over the country

By winning the World Cup, they have lived up to long-held expectations, taken their place in the mainstream, and made a statement for their sport

Sidharth Monga11-Nov-2025In the warm, fuzzy afterglow of India Women‘s World Cup win, I have found myself thinking of Vinesh Phogat.For two days last year, she made us learn all about the cruelty and finality of the weigh-in rules in Olympic wrestling. How athletes artificially lose weight through extreme dehydration before the weigh-in, then load up to regain strength for the bout, and then lose weight again before the weigh-in for the next round. If they miss their target weight at any point – even by 100 grams, as Phogat did after making the final, along the way ending Yui Susaki’s 82-match winning streak – they are disqualified. Over those two days we learnt all about the appeals process. We went from the ecstasy of anticipating a rare Olympic medal for India to denial to conspiracy theories to finally accepting the heartbreak.Less than a year later, Phogat is a forgotten sportsperson. She won a legislative assembly election in Haryana, but who remembers her outside her constituency? And it didn’t take long for the country to go from championing women’s sport to tainting Phogat’s participation in MeToo protests against the Indian wrestling federation boss of the time.Related

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A culmination for India Women, a beginning for India's women

The women’s cricket team seemed headed for a similar fate when they failed to close out their league match against England from a dominant position. Some influential reporters and popular social media influencers led what can only be called a nasty tweetstorm against these women, who were losing seemingly despite everything Jay Shah had done for them.This was the wrath of the proverbial uncles, a term not limited to a certain gender or age group. Uncles, as described by filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, who often portrays them as antagonists, can be identified by their apathy, love for dictator-style leaders, and veiled bigotry. These uncles will stand for so-called pay parity for women sportspersons only if the women win. They will post against female infanticide only when women win medals. They will support only the perfect victim, not one who overshoots by 100 grams despite nearly killing herself to make the desired weight.The night India lost to England and their qualification for the semi-final became reliant on beating New Zealand, these patriarchs began to warm up. They wanted the women cut to size.This abuse of the women’s cricket team roused a larger audience into supporting them, in addition to their already large, organically built support base. The Bucket Hat Cult, for example, follow the women’s team, are acknowledged by the players, and are not a commercial tour organiser of the sort that fan armies generally tend to turn into.The women respond with more than lip service to anyone who cares. They have gone to a hospital to check on a journalist who covered them and was fighting terminal illness. They have written a rap song for their captain’s 100th match. They make silly reels. Their social media is full of photos and videos of their pets. They go crazy over an opponent’s baby. They are more like you and me than arguably any other sportsperson we have followed. Just with the extra ability and drive to be high-performance athletes. Following them and cheering them on gave an outlet to fans who perhaps felt outnumbered in the saturated land of men’s cricket, where it is not possible for players to share any more than they do.A win for us all: fans celebrate the World Cup title in Mumbai•Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesAll of a sudden, though, the women were representing not just the diehard hipsters who have kept the flame burning, but everyone in the country who has been cut to size by patriarchy. Every woman whose father will spend millions on her wedding but not on her higher education. Every girl who has seen her brother get away with much more than she can. Every woman who is taunted for choosing to not marry. Even men whose dreams have been considered too big; patriarchy might be practised by men but it affects both sexes. Every father who, like Amanjot Kaur’s carpenter dad, faces ridicule for supporting his daughter’s dream. Everybody who has been told they are a failure “despite being given everything”.Imagine the outrage if India hadn’t beaten Australia in the semi-final. Or worse still, not made it to the semi-final. Imagine the price they would have to pay for everything “given” to them. A tournament organised as an apology, away from premier venues, announced so late it became near impossible for travelling fans to attend. A misleading term, “pay parity”, that extended only to match fees, which are a minuscule part of what players earn. A stable coaching and selecting unit.To be fair to the BCCI under Jay Shah (and Sourav Ganguly, who pushed for better retainers and the WPL as BCCI president), it has taken steps to help women’s cricket grow. The WPL has perhaps improved players’ temperament, but India was still the third country, behind Australia and England, to have a women’s league despite boasting the biggest consumer base. Retainers have given players some financial security, but administrators don’t pay out of their pocket. Shah and Ganguly possibly faced internal resistance from a board that is apathetic at best. Shah probably deserves credit for finally overriding this apathy, but this bare minimum is well short of what the richest board in the world should be investing in women’s cricket.The very sport they were fighting for tested India thoroughly. They won just one toss in the entire tournament. The pitches didn’t neutralise their opponents. They lost their second-highest run-getter to injury. One of their three must-win matches was against Australia, who had last lost in a World Cup eight years ago. A team that had beaten India despite scores of 281 and 330 leading up to this match. Australia then asked them to mount a world-record chase in order to play the final.Some magic took place that Thursday night at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, entering which had been a nightmare for fans when it rained earlier in the tournament. Jemimah Rodrigues, whose dismissal in the corresponding fixture in the 2023 T20 World Cup started a collapse that resulted in India falling just five short of Australia, muttered verses from the Bible under her breath as she overcame her anxiety to play an innings that, to repeat Zohran Mamdani’s quoting of Jawaharlal Nehru, comes but rarely in history. Her interview immediately after offered a rare window into the mind and heart of a human being who happened to be a high-performance athlete. Harmanpreet went from Kaur to Thor just as the asking rate started to get out of hand. Richa Ghosh provided the finishing touches as she would in the final.

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Little marketing, second-tier stadiums, no hyped storylines, no time for a build-up, and yet we had a nation glued to their screens on Sunday. Let alone Sunday, we even talked about their nets session on Saturday, where Rodrigues brought her dog Jade along. Nothing says home match than bringing your dog to training.Dormant WhatsApp and Signal groups came back to life. The viewership on JioHotstar matched the numbers for the men’s T20 World Cup final last year, telling administrators and businesses they can no longer look away. Groups of men in the stands dancing for and supporting these women was a powerful statement.Rohit Sharma, who won India that T20 final and watched this match at the stadium, did well to disappear towards the end and not become the focus of attention. R Ashwin, likely watching with his wife at home, spoke on his YouTube channel about how he learned how offensive it is to use men’s cricket as a reference when talking about the women’s game. (He can be excused, though, for comparing and missing in the men’s game the genuine bond we saw between these champions and former players from the side.)Jhulan Goswami, who looked out for Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana when they started out, was in tears when she finally got to touch the trophy. The players insisted Mithali Raj get a feel of it too. Away from the stadium, off camera, former players in TV studios shed tears of joy. The crowd had it in them to appreciate Laura Wolvaardt, who scored centuries in the semi and the final.Any change comes with conflict. Already, going mainstream has strained that organic bond between these players and their fans. Harmanpreet has locked her X account, ostensibly following gossip about her relationship status. As this win naturally asks for more for women’s sport, as it attracts those who want to bask in reflected glory, it might be impossible to recreate the magic of that final week. A week during which a part of the soul of this cricketing nation, long suppressed, found utterance.

Rashid three-for, Ibrahim fifty lead Afghanistan to series win

A rapid powerplay meant the Afghanistan batters were never troubled during their chase of 126

Alagappan Muthu31-Oct-2025Afghanistan cruised to a series victory over Zimbabwe, with Ibrahim Zadran backing up a disciplined bowling performance with a half-century of his own. Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Rashid Khan had limited the hosts to 125 all out in Harare, setting up a straight-forward chase.

Mujeeb stifles

Zimbabwe tried to do the right thing. Their batters realised the importance of getting set. They attempted to regroup when wickets fell. There was no collapse this time, but there was no redemption either.Opener Dion Myers looked to be doing well against Mujeeb, only to sweep him straight to short fine. He was aiming to clear the fielder because there was no one in the deep. Good plan. Bad execution.Brendan Taylor was less adventurous, perhaps wanting to make amends for a low-percentage shot that led to a first-ball dismissal on Wednesday. But Mujeeb kept building pressure. It was the last over of the powerplay. Zimbabwe were 34 for 2, having only hit three boundaries. Trying to exploit the field restrictions before they ran out, Taylor was caught at mid-off, trying to hit the bowler over his head.Zimbabwe had the best of intentions. It didn’t stop them backfiring.

Abdollah the enforcer

The pitch was slightly on the slower side – except whenever Abdollah came on to bowl. The 22-year-old fast bowler is all hustle and bustle, hitting the deck and troubling batters with bounce. Ryan Burl, who was in the middle of patching things up with his captain Sikandar Raza, fell trying to swat one of Abdollah’s well-directed short balls off his face. Zimbabwe slipped to 57 for 4. They couldn’t score more than a run a ball in seven of the first 10 overs.Sikander Raza held Zimbabwe’s innings together•Zimbabwe Cricket

Raza’s resistance

Raza tried to do his best to shepherd the innings forward. He came in during the fifth over and showed that run-scoring was still possible, hitting two fours off his first two balls – though both of them were overpitched and allowed him the freedom of his super fast hands. His best shot was an inside out, one-bounce four over extra cover, against a yorker gone wrong from Abdollah.All this happened while the Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan was tending to an injury to his right hand in the field. He had only bowled one over till then. When he picked the ball back up in the 17th, he knocked over Raza, which left the score at 104 for 6, and then ran through the tail. Zimbabwe’s highest partnership was just 24 runs.

Ibrahim anchors the chase

Afghanistan ransacked nine boundaries in the powerplay, three times as many as their opposition. Some of that was good strokeplay. The rest of it was just Zimbabwe offering what every batter wants on a sluggish pitch – width and the chance to get under the ball.Ibrahim Zadran helped himself to back-to-back T20I fifties, though this one was a little more hard work. Afghanistan went 43 balls without a boundary after the powerplay but they’d done enough damage while the field was up, scoring 54 of the required 126.Questions remain over Afghanistan’s middle order. Sediqullah Atal – who had turned his right ankle while fielding and required attention – and Darwish Rasooli combined to score just 25 runs in 32 balls through the middle overs.

‘In 2026, we will show the world how far we’ve come’ – Don Garber says MLS is ready to compete with the best leagues and won’t rule out promotion-relegation

In his annual State of the League address, Don Garber said MLS is ready to compete with the world’s biggest leagues and wouldn’t rule out promotion/relegation.

WASHINGTON – MLS Commissioner Don Garber delivered his annual State of the League address Thursday night at a glitzy event at Audi Field. It was familiar fare from the league’s top executive, who rattled through the past year’s achievements and offered a generous assessment of what comes next. To be fair, there’s plenty to shout about. MLS has unquestionably cashed in on Lionel Messi’s presence, and it now has a dream MLS Cup final: the league’s biggest and second-biggest stars facing off on Saturday.

But that wasn’t the only talking point. Thursday’s event was defined by the prospect of potential change, with Garber alluding to ideas that would have seemed unthinkable not long ago. Chief among them was promotion and relegation. For years, he flatly dismissed the concept as incompatible with American soccer. Now, though, he stopped short of ruling it out.

"Let's see how it plays out. Maybe as the development of the lower divisions continues to grow, as they've been doing so well over the years, there will be a proper ecosystem. Frankly, I don't believe that ecosystem exists today, but who knows? I've learned to never say never," he said, before adding, "that doesn't mean we're having promotional relegation."

And there were broader changes on the table. For a while now, he has touted "MLS 3.0" as his future vision for the league. In his eyes, that means further changes to a league that, after years of struggling to take big swing to grab a bigger foothold, has finally started to take calculated gambles. It started with a calendar switch, announced last month. It will continue with new stadiums and perhaps a new approach to the TV deal.

"It will elevate the overall quality of play on the field," Garber said. 

But other changes might come, too. Everything at this point is a bit speculative – and Garber is a true pro when it comes to navigating the peppering of questions from curious journalists. Still, his tone was one of optimism, and perhaps a little bit of a victory lap as the league nailed its 30th season. GOAL takes a look at the main takeaways from Garber's yearly summary of the league…

  • Opening the door to promotion and relegation

    It is the question that is always asked of American soccer. When will it align with the rest of the world? When will it embrace that crucial facet of the game that soccer fans know too well. Those who watch European football week in, week out will tell you that promotion-relegation is a core part of the sport. The United States has avoided it for years. And Garber has routinely batted the question away, too.

    But on Thursday evening, he was curiously noncomittal.

    "Back in the day, I would say 'never.' Today, I say there's no real point of saying never, because I don't know what the future would look like," he said. 

    His remark came on the back of another major change as part of MLS's so-called MLS 3.0 initiative: a switch to a fall-spring calendar. That, too, has been a point of contention that the league seemed eager to avoid. Garber admitted that making that change could leave an opportunity to others.

    "I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar. I remember getting those questions saying, how could we play in eight cities in cold weather? Now we have fans that are coming out from thick and thin, and I believe that with 92 percent of our schedule being exactly the same will have no impact at all," he added.

    It also comes in the context of other shifts in U.S. soccer. USL recently announced it is introducing promotion and relegation to its leagues, with a 2028 target start date. There is perhaps tangible pressure in a way there wasn't before. 

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    Eyes on competing with the world’s best

    This had been coming for a while, Garber admitted. MLS first started tinkering with the idea of a calendar switch a few years ago. But it took some time to come together. There were variables to consider here: retaining the authenticity of MLS, weather, clashing with other parts of the American sports calendar. Yet last month, MLS officially ratified what it perhaps should have done a long time ago, and moved their dates of play to something roughly similar to a European calendar. The season will start in the late summer and play until late Spring, with a break in the winter to account for harsh weather and give players a mid season break. 

    Perhaps more importantly, though, it will see MLS mix in with the usual cadence of the global market. It's been a no-brainer for years, and Garber lauded it getting over the line.

    "This decision aligns our transfer windows with the top leagues in the world, reduces conflicts with international windows, elevates our playoff schedule and will unlock new commercial opportunities," he said. 

    Of all the things to shout about, this was surely the one where Garber could take the most pride. 

    "We're not just aligning with the world's best. We're aiming to compete with them," Garber said. 

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    What the World Cup means

    In 1994, the United States had to do something with its domestic league. More accurately, it had to actually form one. The primary condition of the U.S. hosting a tournament, in fact, was that they start a professional setup to kick off either the year after or soon following the '94 tournament. Back then, it was a question of momentum. America had been shown soccer, now it had the chance to shape the sport in its own way.

    "The 1994 World Cup became the most attended World Cup in history, a record that still stands today. It captured the imagination of our entire country, and it ignited a soccer movement across North America, and importantly, the World Cup laid the foundation for the lead that we promised FIFA we would deliver," he said.

    This time, the U.S. doesn't to put on a World Cup. But Garber intends to use it as an inflection point. And after hinting at it for a while, he expanded. This is supposed to be a showcase.

    "In 2026, we will show the world how far we've come and how much bigger and better and more popular our sport will be in the future," Garber said.

    It's impossible to predict, of course. There is a chance that MLS doesn't take strides forward, and the league runs in place. But Garber insisted that the pieces and the initiative are there. 

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    The impact of Messi staying

    Of course, Garber had to talk about his main man. It is impossible to overstate just how significant Lionel Messi's impact in MLS has been. Suddenly, there are eyes when there weren't before. This league feels that little bit more relevant on the global stage. Some people now care who didn't before.

    He's been around for two years now, and just penned a three-year deal to stick around for Inter Miami. As a result, he will be in the mix to compete for further MLS Cups, represent Miami in their brand new stadium and, undoubtedly, draw another star or two to MLS – to play with him or otherwise. Garber has repeatedly insisted that this league is about more than just the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. But his influence was a topic: 

    "Global superstars, as we all know, are making MLS their league of choice on Saturday, the greatest player to ever play the game, Leo Messi, will go up against another World Cup champion and one of the world's most decorated players in Thomas Muller," he said.

    Critics remain skeptical of Messi's impact. His lack of media appearances has been questioned by some. But the eyeballs he has drawn cannot be ignored.

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