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Real Madrid said it “firmly rejects” having a regular-season Spanish league game played in the United States and warned of “a turning point in the world of football.”

Villarreal, in contrast, is promising free travel and tickets for season-ticket holders if its match against Barcelona in Miami is approved in what would be a first for the league. The 17th-round match in La Liga would be played at the Hard Rock Stadium, Associated Press reported.

Madrid said Tuesday it has taken action to keep the Dec. 20 match from happening in the U.S., claiming it would hurt the “integrity of the competition” and the “legitimacy of the results.”

“The measure, which was taken without prior information or consultation of the clubs participating in the competition, infringes the essential principle of territorial reciprocity, which applies in two-legged league competitions (one match at home and the other at the home of the opposing team), upsetting the competitive balance and giving an undue sporting advantage to the applicant clubs,” Madrid said, according to Associated Press.

Dipendra Dhakal, an international Taekwondo referee from the Nepali Army, has been selected to officiate at the World Taekwondo President’s Cup (Oceania) and the Australian Open, both recognized in the global Taekwondo ranking system. The events will take place from Aug 14 to 17, at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre in Queensland, Australia.

The President’s Cup is a G3 event, offering higher world ranking points, while the Australian Open maintains its G2 status. Both tournaments will feature Kyorugi (sparring), Para-Kyorugi, Poomsae (patterns), and Para-Poomsae categories, attracting top athletes, referees, and officials from more than 70 countries.

Dhakal, affiliated with Tribhuvan Army Club, has been serving as a Taekwondo referee since 2014. A fifth Dan black belt who began training at the Laligurans Taekwondo Dojang in Kushadevi, Kavre, he is the first from the Nepali Army to become a World Taekwondo-certified international referee. He has officiated at major events, including the 7th Military World Games (CISM) in Wuhan, China, in 2019, and has judged competitions in Canada, China, Pakistan, Belgium, France, Germany, Uzbekistan, and across South Asia.

In 2022, Dhakal was named Best Referee at the Royal Spanish International Open Taekwondo Championship, which featured over 1,000 athletes from 79 countries. He has also been honored with the National Sports Talent Award by Nepal’s Ministry of Youth and Sports for his contribution to raising Nepal’s profile through sports.

Italian orienteer Mattia Debertolis has died after collapsing during the World Games in Chengdu, China. The 29-year-old athlete was found unconscious last Friday during the men’s middle-distance event, held in temperatures above 30 degrees. Despite receiving immediate medical care at a leading Chinese hospital, he passed away four days later, according to BBC.

Debertolis, a member of the Italian national team and a civil engineer pursuing a PhD in Stockholm, was a respected competitor who finished fifth in the 2022 World Cup final. The International Orienteering Federation expressed deep sadness over the loss.

The World Games, a multi-sport event held every four years for non-Olympic sports, said it will continue to support Debertolis’ family and the orienteering community during this difficult time. The cause of his death remains unknown, BBC reported.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has called out Uefa over a tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid it posted on social media which failed to refer to the circumstances surrounding his death, BBC reported.

On Thursday, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said Obeid was killed in an Israeli attack while waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip the previous day.

The 41-year-old, who was known as the "Pele of Palestinian football" according to the PFA, scored more than 100 goals during his career, including two in 24 international matches, according to BBC.

In a post on X on Friday, Uefa said: "Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the 'Palestinian Pele'.