ALTON, Virginia — The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR produced another memorable weekend in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with Pfaff Motorsports and Winward Racing taking the spotlight.

Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell drove the No. 9 Pfaff Lamborghini Temerario GT3 to its second consecutive GTD PRO victory, continuing the momentum that began at Road America earlier this month.

The victory was particularly impressive because Caldarelli and Mitchell controlled virtually the entire 2-hour, 40-minute race. Caldarelli started from pole before handing the Lamborghini over to Mitchell, with the No. 9 car maintaining the lead through its pit stops.

Lamborghini continues its VIR success

The latest victory also brought another significant milestone for Lamborghini Squadra Corse.

Lamborghini had previously won GTD races at VIR in 2016 and 2017. The 2026 result, however, marked the manufacturer’s first WeatherTech Championship victory at the circuit since 2017.

The No. 9 Temerario GT3 has now become one of the most talked-about cars in the GTD PRO field. After working through development challenges earlier in the season, Pfaff Motorsports and Lamborghini have found a winning formula at precisely the right time.

Ford Racing completes the podium

Ford Racing enjoyed a strong weekend as well.

Ben Barker and Dennis Olsen finished second in the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3.

Their teammates Frederic Vervisch and Christopher Mies completed the GTD PRO podium in the No. 65 Ford.

The result has also tightened the championship battle, with Caldarelli and Mitchell moving firmly into title contention with only two races remaining.

Winward Racing steals the GTD spotlight

While Pfaff dominated GTD PRO, the GTD class produced its biggest drama during the closing stages.

Philip Ellis made a late-race move on Tom Gamble with just minutes remaining, putting the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 into the lead.

Gamble attempted to fight back at Turn 4, but contact followed and Race Control eventually handed the Heart of Racing driver a drive-through penalty for responsibility for the incident.

That opened the door for Ellis and teammate Russell Ward to claim their third consecutive GTD victory.

From 300 points behind to championship leaders

Winward Racing’s turnaround has been one of the biggest stories of the season.

The team had been 300 points behind following Watkins Glen International. After three straight wins, Ellis and Ward have now moved to the top of the GTD championship standings, holding a 36-point advantage.

That transformation has completely changed the championship picture heading into the final stages of the season.

Turner Motorsport and Inception Racing complete GTD podium

Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher finished second in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

Third place went to Frederik Schandorff and Brendan Iribe in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO.

Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello and Gamble finished fourth for Heart of Racing Team, while Danny Formal and Trent Hindman completed the top five for Wayne Taylor Racing.

Two championship battles, one crucial weekend

The VIR weekend has left both GT classes with plenty to fight for.

For Pfaff Motorsports, the consecutive victories of Caldarelli and Mitchell have transformed the No. 9 Lamborghini into a genuine GTD PRO title contender. Meanwhile, Winward Racing’s incredible three-race winning streak has put Ellis and Ward in control of the GTD championship.

With just two races left, the pressure is now firmly on the championship contenders.

Harry Kane has another trophy to celebrate — and this one underlines just how extraordinary his transformation at Bayern Munich has been.

The England captain has been named Germany’s Footballer of the Year for 2026 following a sensational campaign in which he scored 61 goals in 51 competitive appearances for Bayern.

Kane secured 272 votes in the annual poll organised by German football magazine Kicker, finishing comfortably ahead of Bayern teammate Michael Olise, who collected 203.

VfB Stuttgart and Germany striker Deniz Undav finished a distant third with 61 votes.

For Kane, it is another reward for a season he has already described as the best of his career.

61 goals, two major trophies — and another Golden Shoe

There was little mystery surrounding why German sports journalists placed Kane at the top of their ballots.

The 33-year-old scored an astonishing 61 goals across all competitions during the 2025/26 campaign as Bayern successfully defended their Bundesliga title and lifted the DFB-Pokal.

His Bundesliga numbers were equally remarkable.

Kane finished the league season with 36 goals, enough to make him Europe’s leading league scorer and secure the European Golden Shoe for the second time in his career.

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Reflecting on the campaign after receiving the Golden Shoe, Kane summed it up simply:

“It was the best season of my career so far.”

That assessment is difficult to argue with.

Alongside his extraordinary scoring record, Kane finally appears to have put the old narrative about his lack of major team trophies firmly behind him.

Kane also delivered for England at the World Cup

Kane’s remarkable year was not limited to club football.

The striker carried his goalscoring form onto the international stage as England reached the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kane scored six times during England’s run and became the country’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer, taking his career tally at the tournament to 14.

His performances for club and country have inevitably intensified another conversation — whether Kane should now be considered a serious contender for football’s biggest individual honour.

Luca Toni says Kane deserves the Ballon d’Or

Former Bayern striker Luca Toni believes Kane’s season deserves even greater recognition.

While paying tribute to Kane following his Golden Shoe triumph, the former Italy international argued that the English striker deserved to win the Ballon d’Or.

Given Kane’s numbers, the argument is understandable.

He has combined an extraordinary individual scoring record with major domestic silverware and another deep World Cup run with England.

Whether that will ultimately be enough to secure the Ballon d’Or remains to be seen, but Kane’s name is now firmly part of the discussion.

Bayern dominate Germany’s annual awards

Kane was not the only Bayern figure celebrating.

The German champions completed a remarkable sweep of the major awards as Vincent Kompany was named Coach of the Year, while Giulia Gwinn won Women’s Footballer of the Year.

Kompany’s victory was emphatic.

The Belgian received 314 votes after guiding Bayern to a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, finishing well ahead of Freiburg coach Julian Schuster, who collected 87 votes, and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeneß, who received 53.

Kompany’s success is particularly significant considering the doubts that surrounded his appointment when he initially arrived in Munich.

Those questions have largely disappeared after Bayern’s success under his leadership.

Giulia Gwinn completes historic Bayern sweep

There was another reason for celebration in Munich as Germany international Giulia Gwinn was voted the country’s Women’s Footballer of the Year.

Gwinn received 106 votes, narrowly beating Bayern teammate Klara Bühl, who finished with 94. Jule Brand was third with 82 votes.

Her victory even surprised Gwinn herself after injuries disrupted parts of her previous campaign.

The result nevertheless created a piece of Bayern history: the men’s and women’s Footballer of the Year awards went to players from the same club, alongside the Coach of the Year honour.

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer hailed the achievement, saying the club was proud to see its men’s and women’s teams recognised together.

From searching for trophies to collecting them

When Kane left Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern in 2023, much of the conversation surrounding the move centred on one question: could one of England’s greatest strikers finally add major club trophies to his remarkable personal record?

Three years later, the conversation looks very different.

Kane has now won two Bundesliga titles, the German Cup and the German Supercup during his time in Munich. He has also continued scoring at an extraordinary rate, registering 146 goals in 147 appearances for Bayern, including 98 goals in 94 Bundesliga games.

His latest honour arrives just after Bayern added another trophy, defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the 2026 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup.

Kane did not score that night, but after everything he achieved during the previous campaign, there was hardly any need for another reminder of his importance.

Germany’s sports journalists have now delivered their verdict.

Harry Kane is Germany’s Footballer of the Year — and after the most prolific season of his career, the Ballon d’Or question is only going to get louder.

Manchester United have revealed their squad numbers for the 2026/27 Premier League season, and there is plenty for supporters to talk about.

The biggest surprise is the return of Marcus Rashford wearing the iconic No.9 shirt, a significant change for the England forward after spending much of his Manchester United career associated with No.10.

But there is another detail attracting attention: Carlos Baleba is nowhere to be seen on the list.

That omission might look strange considering United have reached an agreement to sign the highly-rated Cameroon midfielder from Brighton & Hove Albion, but there is a straightforward explanation.

Why is Carlos Baleba missing from Manchester United’s squad?

United have reached an agreement with Brighton for Carlos Baleba, with the deal worth an initial £65 million plus up to £5 million in add-ons, according to Reuters.

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However, reaching an agreement between clubs is not the same as formally completing a transfer.

Baleba still has to complete the remaining formalities surrounding his move, including his medical and registration paperwork, before Manchester United can officially unveil him as their player.

The 22-year-old has also recently been dealing with an ankle ligament injury suffered during pre-season. The problem is not expected to keep him sidelined for an extended period, but it adds another element to the process before his United career can properly begin.

Once the transfer is officially completed, United are expected to confirm Baleba’s squad number separately.

Rashford gets a fresh start with No.9

While supporters wait for Baleba’s arrival to become official, Rashford’s new number has produced perhaps the biggest talking point from United’s announcement.

The 28-year-old will wear No.9 for the 2026/27 campaign.

It represents a remarkable change in circumstances for a player whose future at Old Trafford had appeared deeply uncertain.

Rashford fell out of favour under former manager Ruben Amorim and spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Aston Villa before joining Barcelona on loan last season. The Spanish club ultimately decided against making his move permanent.

Now back in Manchester under Michael Carrick, Rashford appears to have been handed another opportunity to establish himself at his boyhood club.

And the No.9 shirt sends a powerful message.

But what happened to Rashford’s No.10?

Rashford wore United’s prestigious No.10 shirt from 2018, but things changed while he was away from Old Trafford.

The number now belongs to Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha, leaving Rashford needing a new shirt upon his return.

Rather than reclaiming No.10, Rashford has taken the vacant No.9, previously worn by Rasmus Højlund, who departed United for Napoli.

The choice is particularly intriguing because No.9 has historically been associated with some of Manchester United’s most prominent attacking players.

More importantly, giving Rashford such a significant number appears to underline Carrick’s willingness to reintegrate him into the first-team picture.

Carrick has played down the importance of the number itself, focusing instead on what Rashford can contribute on the pitch.

New signings get their numbers

United’s summer rebuild can also be seen throughout the updated squad list.

Andrey Santos has received No.17, while Youri Tielemans will wear No.18. New goalkeeper Karl Darlow takes No.12, while Tynan Thompson has been assigned No.27.

Youngster Shea Lacey has moved to No.31, another indication that the highly rated academy prospect could have an increased first-team role this season.

Perhaps even more eye-catching is JJ Gabriel, who has been given the No.77 shirt. The teenager is regarded as one of United’s most exciting emerging talents and was involved with Carrick’s squad during pre-season.

Manchester United 2026/27 squad numbers

United’s confirmed numbers include:

1 — Senne Lammens
2 — Diogo Dalot
3 — Noussair Mazraoui
4 — Matthijs de Ligt
5 — Harry Maguire
6 — Lisandro Martinez
7 — Mason Mount
8 — Bruno Fernandes
9 — Marcus Rashford
10 — Matheus Cunha
11 — Joshua Zirkzee
12 — Karl Darlow
13 — Patrick Dorgu
15 — Leny Yoro
16 — Amad Diallo
17 — Andrey Santos
18 — Youri Tielemans
19 — Bryan Mbeumo
22 — Tom Heaton
23 — Luke Shaw
25 — Manuel Ugarte
26 — Ayden Heaven
27 — Tynan Thompson
30 — Benjamin Sesko
31 — Shea Lacey
37 — Kobbie Mainoo
38 — Jack Fletcher
39 — Tyler Fletcher
41 — Harry Amass
43 — Toby Collyer
45 — Dermot Mee
77 — JJ Gabriel

The list confirms Rashford as United’s new No.9 while leaving space for further additions before the transfer window closes.

Rashford returns, but United suffer nightmare start

The announcement came around United’s opening Premier League fixture against Hull City, where Rashford began on the bench before appearing as a second-half substitute.

His return could not prevent a miserable afternoon for Carrick’s team.

Newly promoted Hull stunned United with a 2-0 victory at the MKM Stadium, with Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scoring first-half goals.

Rashford and Benjamin Sesko were introduced after the break but could not inspire a comeback.

The defeat will inevitably increase scrutiny on United’s remaining transfer business — and that makes Baleba’s expected arrival even more significant.

Baleba could be the next piece of Carrick’s midfield

United have already strengthened their midfield with Tielemans and Santos, but Baleba offers a different profile.

The Cameroon international has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most highly regarded young midfielders since joining Brighton from Lille in 2023. He has made more than 100 appearances for the south-coast club and also represented Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Following United’s disappointing performance against Hull, his energy and physical presence could become particularly valuable for Carrick.

So, while Baleba’s absence from Manchester United’s newly released squad list may initially have raised eyebrows, supporters need not necessarily read too much into it.

His transfer simply has not crossed every administrative finish line yet.

For now, the headline belongs to Rashford. After 18 months away and considerable uncertainty surrounding his future, Manchester United’s new No.9 is a very familiar face.