London
U.S. defender Naomi Girma is the most expensive player in women’s soccer history after transferring to Chelsea for $1.1 million.
Girma, who turned 24 in June, placed No. 2 in ESPN’s ranking of the best women’s soccer players in the world –– taking the No. 1 spot in the US — and was described as a “generational talent.” Born in San Jose, California to Ethiopian immigrants, she made history as the first player of Ethiopian descent to compete in the Women’s Super League, making her debut in Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Sunday.
“It means a lot,” Girma said in her first interview with the team. “My parents came to the U.S. and didn’t have anything when they arrived. For me to be born there, to have the opportunity to grow up there and now play soccer at this level, it’s something I know they never dreamed of. I also didn’t dream of it because I didn’t know it was even possible.”
After leading the Stanford Cardinal to the 2019 NCAA Division I title, Girma was selected first overall by the San Diego Wave in the 2022 NWSL Draft. She went on to claim the NWSL Shield in 2023 and the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2024 with the Wave, earning recognition as both NWSL Rookie of the Year in the 2022 club season and U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in 2023.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, Girma was the only non-goalkeeper who played every minute, helping the U.S. secure the gold medal. She will play her second game for Chelsea against Aston Villa on Sunday as the team remains undefeated at the top of the WSL table.
Washington, D.C.
The Washington Commanders fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 23-55 in the NFC Championship game, ending its season with 14 wins — the team’s most since 1991.
Surpassing pre-season expectations, the Commanders placed No. 2 behind the Eagles in the NFC East division with a home record of 7-2, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was recently named the Sporting News NFL Rookie of the Year. Terry McLaurin, the team’s top receiver, and defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. were other standout players throughout the season.
The Commanders started the game with a 3-0 lead over the Eagles but quickly fell behind 3-14 by the end of the first quarter. They never regained the lead, ultimately suffering a historic blowout by conceding the most points ever in an NFC or AFC title game.
“It ended one game short, but I told the players I really wanted them to savor this time in the locker room with their teammates,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “The locker room is never the same year to year. They’ve really created something very unique here and very special.”
On Thursday, Commanders owner Josh Harris — who acquired the franchise in 2023 for a record-breaking $6.05 billion — bought out a full-page ad in The Washington Post. In a letter to fans, Harris declared, “We won’t stop until we have a championship.”
Sydney
Sydney’s Accor Stadium will host the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup final, 24 years after the venue welcomed nearly 83,000 fans for the close-fought 2003 final.
The stadium will also host five pool games, two round-of-16 matches, two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the bronze final during the expanded 24-team Rugby World Cup which is expected to attract 250,000 international visitors across six weeks in October and November. Australia, which co-hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, previously won the tournament in 1991 and 1999.
Melbourne — Australia’s most populous city and home to the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere with a capacity of over 100,000 — and Perth were in contention to host the final but withdrew after being outbid by the New South Wales state government. Both cities, along with Brisbane, Adelaide, Townsville and Newcastle, will serve as host cities for other matches throughout the tournament.
“There was genuine competition for the biggest matches, and fair play to Sydney and New South Wales for the way they conducted themselves,” World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said. “It’s taken us a long time to nail all the pieces together but we’re really thrilled with the way it’s all come together.”
Half of the teams — Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales — have already qualified for the tournament, and the remaining 12 teams will be determined by the end of this year. Australia is also set to host the next Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029 and the 2032 Summer Olympic Games.
Contact Krish Dev at [email protected].
