G'day sports fans,

🗣 "Hopefully I can win a slam and just retire" - Nick Kyrgios teases tennis exit again

☕️ Coffee break stat: Rafael Nadal has become the first player in history to spend 900 consecutive weeks in the ATP Top 10.

The previous record was held by Jimmy Connors at 788, and it means Nadal has spent the last 17+ years of his life (from 18 to 36) in the ATP Top 10.

🇦🇺 Aussie Sport

🏏 The International Cricket Council has hit the Gabba with a grim pitch rating after the first Test between Australia and South Africa ended in less than two days, judging the wicket below average.

The Gabba has received one demerit point under the ICC's pitch and outfield monitoring system.

Demerit points remain active for five years and if a venue accumulates five demerit points it's suspended from hosting any international cricket for 12 months.

🇦🇺 Essendon has reached a settlement with former CEO Andrew Thorburn following his tumultuous 24-hour stay and subsequent exit from the helm in October.

The club confirmed the settlement in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, issuing an apology to Thorburn and donating an undisclosed figure to an ethics institute.

🏉 The South Sydney Rabbitohs have pulled off a major recruitment coup with stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker poised to re-sign with the club.

⚽️ Two men have been banned from “all related football activity” including attending A-League games after they were charged by police over a mass pitch invasion which ended with a goalkeeper requiring hospitalisation.

🇦🇺 Richmond star Shai Bolton has penned a five-year contract extension, shunning rival sides to remain at the club until at least the end of 2028. 

Bolton has established himself as one of the competition’s most damaging players, with his 2022 season resulting in 43 goals.

⚽️ Following the World Cup the Socceroos are set to jump 11 places, from 38th to 27th in the FIFA world rankings

🥇 Unfortunately the IOC has ruled out Australia’s native sport – Australian Rules Football from being in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics,

🌍 World Sport

⚽️ QATAR World Cup 2022 by the stats:

• Qatar was a tournament for the underdogs with 15 matches ending in an upset.

• There were 'only' 1,458 shots at this year's tournament, which was the lowest since Nielsen's Gracenote started recording data on the statistic in 2002, down from a high of 1661 in 2014.

• But that did not stop the goals raining in, with a record 172 goals scored - the highest since the tournament was expanded to 32 teams in 1998, with 171 scored at both France 1998 and Brazil 2014.

• The 2022 competition saw the most teenagers starting than at any other World Cup.

• It was not just a year for the young players as it also saw the most veteran players, competitors aged 35 and over, starting World Cup matches.

⚽️ Roll on 2026: Fifa is expanding the next men's World Cup finals from 32 to 48 teams.

It means more money will be generated through sponsorships, merchandising, ticket sales and broadcast revenues, with Fifa expecting to earn $11bn over the four-year cycle up to December 2026.

Bumper crowds are expected at the next World Cup as the popularity of football in North America continues to grow.

Fifa is projecting as many as 5.5 million fans will attend the next tournament, beating the record 3.6m supporters who attended games in 1994, when there was an average attendance of 68,000 at each game.

⛳️ Players who have signed up to the controversial LIV Golf circuit will be allowed to play at the 2023 Masters, Augusta officials have confirmed.

LIV players, which include previous Masters champions Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, have been suspended indefinitely from the PGA Tour.

But Masters chairman Fred Ridley said the event's focus was to bring together "a preeminent field of golfers".

He said: "We will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete."

The 87th Masters will take place at Augusta National in the United States from 6-9 April.

🏏 England completed a historic 3-0 clean sweep over Pakistan inside 40 minutes on the fourth day of the final Test in Karachi.

England leg spinner Rehan Ahmed has become the youngest man to take five wickets in an innings on Test debut, he's just a few months younger than Pat Cummins was when he took 6-79 on debut against South Africa in 2011.

📺 Watch on Twitter: 'Going by bicycle towards Buenos Aires main square while the last penalty is taken.' (twitter)

🥚 Messi, who emphatically settled the GOAT debate by leading his nation to victory in Qatar, has now upstaged the ‘world record egg’ with the most liked post in Instagram history.

Most liked Instagram posts in history 

1. 56 million - @leomessi - photos of Argentina celebrating World Cup

2. 55.9 million - @world_record_egg - photo of an egg

3. 42 million - @cristiano - photo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing chess

🐴 Bravemansgame heads nine horses still in contention for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on 26 December.

The Charlie Hall Chase winner is one of three hopefuls for trainer Paul Nicholls, who is seeking a 13th win in the race.

🏀 Mat Ishbia (CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage) is finalizing a deal to purchase the Phoenix Suns for ~US$4 billion, per @wojespn

🏃🏽‍♀️ Kenyan marathoners Diana Kipyokei and Purity Rionoripo have been banned from athletics for doping, meaning there are now at least 60 athletes from the country currently serving suspensions issued by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). 

⚽️ Man Utd have triggered contract extensions for Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford & Fred.

However, David De Gea's case is different.

If United triggered an extension, it would be on the £375,000-a-week salary the club committed to when they last extended De Gea's contract in 2019, when he became the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world.

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TODAY

⚽️ 06:45 - Carabao Cup R4 - Newcastle United v Bournemouth (beIN SPORTS 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen v Rangers (beIN SPORTS 3)

🏀 11:30 - NBA - New York Knicks v Golden State Warriors (ESPN)

🏀 14:00 - NBA - Denver Nuggets v Memphis Grizzlies (ESPN)

🏏 16:00 - Test Match - Pakistan v England (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 19:00 - A-League Men - Central Coast Mariners v Newcastle Jets (Paramount+)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

🏀 19:30 - NBL - Brisbane Bullets v South East Melbourne Phoenix (ESPN)

🏏 20:30 - Lanka Premier League - Lanka Premier League Qualifier (Fox Sports)

THURSDAY

⚽️ 06:45 - Carabao Cup R4 - Blackburn Rovers v Nottingham Forest (beIN SPORTS 3)

⚽️ 07:00 - Carabao Cup R4 - Manchester United v Burnley (beIN SPORTS 1)

🏀 11:00 - Men's NCAA - North Carolina Tar Heels v Michigan Wolverines (ESPN 2)

🏀 12:00 - NBA - Oklahoma City Thunder v Portland Trail Blazers (ESPN)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

🏀 19:30 - NBL - Tasmania JackJumpers v Illawarra Hawks (ESPN)