CELEBRITY
Following frightening ill-health; what happens to sport if the Queen dies including Premier League plan
Queen Elizabeth II is under medical supervision at Balmoral after doctors raised concern about her health.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement on Her Majesty The Queen’s health status this afternoon after her doctors had raised concern.
The Queen is in currently comfortable at Balmoral and under medical supervision.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have travelled to Balmoral, while the Duke of Cambridge is also on his way.
A Palace spokesperson said: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen‘s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.
The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”
Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for over 70 years, outlasting 12 Prime Ministers and 14 Presidents.
The Queen, 96, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee this year but there have been longstanding concerns over her health and mobility. Her Majesty missed the Royal Ascot for the first time in 70 years this year.
What happens to sport in the UK if the Queen dies?
The planning around the Queen’s death is known as Operation London Bridge and it is a hugely detailed plan that is put in place from the moment she passes away.
And there are implications to UK sporting events.
The Premier League will be led by the DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) guidance if the Queen dies but footballing fixtures during the weekend of her tragic passing are almost certain to be scrapped.
This includes the English top-flight, EFL, SPL, and Irish and Welsh league games with fixtures postponed – this is expected to be replicated to semi-pro and amateur sporting events.
There also also confirmed protocols in place around horse racing and cricket. If the Queen during Royal Ascot, the meet will be scrapped.
The Marylebone Cricket Club is said to hold insurance for a similar outcome if she passes away during an England Test match at Lord’s.
After the death of George VI in 1952, rugby and hockey fixtures were called off, while football matches went ahead. Fans sang Abide With Me and the national anthem before kick off at matches.
The National Theatre will close if the news breaks before 4pm, and stay open if not. All games, including golf, will be banned in the Royal Parks.
Following Princess Diana’s death on Sunday August 31 in 1997, the Liverpool vs Newcastle United Premier League match scheduled to kick off later that day was postponed.
Football League fixtures the following weekend were moved to avoid clashing with Diana’s funeral. The Premier League was on an international break.
Prince Charles would become King in the event she passes and he will address the nation in a televised broadcast, usually on the day after a passing.
The Prime Minister, Liz Truss, will hold an audience with Charles, while the Ministry of Defence will organise gun salutes and a minute of silence will be held across the country.
Her death would trigger an official 12-day period of national mourning with all Union flags flown at half mast.
–MEN
Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
For the third year in a row, and the fifth time overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid athlete.
But at age 40, the Portuguese soccer superstar is reaching new highs.
Over the past 12 months, counting both his playing salary at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and his off-field business endeavors, Ronaldo collected an estimated $275 million before taxes and agent fees—the third-best year by an active athlete ever measured by Forbes.
On that all-time list, Ronaldo is surpassed only by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018.
And when it comes to the 2025 leaderboard, Ronaldo has a $119 million advantage over No. 2, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
The League of Wealthy Sportsmen
The gap is especially impressive considering that Curry’s $156 million total is also a record for his sport, beating the NBA mark of $128.2 million set last year by LeBron James.
And there are plenty of other eye-popping paydays among this year’s 10 highest-paid athletes, starting with James, who notched a personal-best $133.8 million to land at No. 6. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 4, $137million) and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (No. 7, $114 million) broke records for the NFL and MLB.
Combined, the 10 highest-paid athletes brought in $1.4 billion, up slightly from last year’s $1.38 billion and the largest total since Forbes began ranking athlete earnings in 1990.
This year is also only the second time, after 2024, that every member of the top 10 made at least $100 million.
In fact, heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk ($101 million) and golfer Jon Rahm ($100 million) reached the milestone, too, without managing to crack this list.
For the third year in a row, and the fifth time overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid athlete.
But at age 40, the Portuguese soccer superstar is reaching new highs.
Over the past 12 months, counting both his playing salary at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and his off-field business endeavors, Ronaldo collected an estimated $275 million before taxes and agent fees—the third-best year by an active athlete ever measured by Forbes.
On that all-time list, Ronaldo is surpassed only by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018.
And when it comes to the 2025 leaderboard, Ronaldo has a $119 million advantage over No. 2, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
The gap is especially impressive considering that Curry’s $156 million total is also a record for his sport, beating the NBA mark of $128.2 million set last year by LeBron James.
And there are plenty of other eye-popping paydays among this year’s 10 highest-paid athletes, starting with James, who notched a personal-best $133.8 million to land at No. 6. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 4, $137million) and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (No. 7, $114 million) broke records for the NFL and MLB.
Combined, the 10 highest-paid athletes brought in $1.4 billion, up slightly from last year’s $1.38 billion and the largest total since Forbes began ranking athlete earnings in 1990.
This year is also only the second time, after 2024, that every member of the top 10 made at least $100 million.
In fact, heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk ($101 million) and golfer Jon Rahm ($100 million) reached the milestone, too, without managing to crack this list.
World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2025
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- OBITUARY1 week ago
BREAKING: Nigerian Goalkeeping Legend Peter Rufai is dead
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Football Agent John Shittu Demands Retraction and ₦250 Million Damages from Samson Siasia Over Bribery Allegation
- WAFCON6 days ago
Nigeria, Tunisia Set for High-Stakes WAFCON 2024 Clash in Casablanca
- La Liga2 days ago
Former Real Madrid manager and Brazil Coach, Carlo Ancelotti sentenced to prison
- OBITUARY6 days ago
Peter Rufai and I, Ike Shorunmu, pays tribute to late mentor
- OBITUARY1 week ago
Peter Rufai looked lean when I last saw him, says mourning NFF President, Gusau
- WAFCON4 days ago
Banyana Banyana Begin WAFCON Title Defence with Commanding Win Over Ghana
- IMMEMORIAL1 week ago
Peter Rufai’s Death Adds to Long List of July Tragedies in Nigerian Football