Moldova’s U-15 national team have completed the group stage of the FIFA festival in Azerbaijan, finishing third in Group X. The team, led by Vlad Goian, played five matches, securing two wins, two draws and suffering one defeat. At the end of the group stage, the Moldovan players had scored nine goals and conceded five.
Moldovan judokas Constantin Brînze and Mukhtar Murtazaliev won gold medals at the European Veterans Judo Championships. The continental championships took place in the Portuguese city of Portimão and brought together over 1,400 athletes from 36 countries.
On the evening of 26 October, the 70th anniversary Ballon d’Or ceremony to honour the best footballer of the year took place in London. This season’s race was particularly thrilling, with as many as four or five players cited as the main contenders for the award.
Santos striker Neymar found himself at the centre of a scandal following the Brazilian league match against Bahia, which ended in a 1–1 draw. The forward received a yellow card and a straight red card and is now certain to miss the team’s next two matches. However, the length of his suspension may be extended.
Slavi Binev – vice-president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, head of the national taekwondo federation and a former Member of the European Parliament – has been killed in Sofia. According to available information, the 60-year-old businessman was shot in the head.
UPDATED. Seven figures from the fields of literature, the arts, medicine, scientific research and Paralympic sport have been nominated for the 2026 National Prize. The list of laureates has been included in a draft Government resolution, based on the decision of the Commission responsible for awarding the prize.
Eighteen countries have declined to take part in the FIFA U-15 football tournament in Azerbaijan, to which representatives of all 211 FIFA member associations – including Russia – were invited. Ukraine was also among those who declined.
Stefan Colța, a defender for the Moldova youth national team, has signed a three-year professional contract with Greek side Olympiacos.
Madelina Ulianovschi won the Cupa de Toamnă Politehnica tennis tournament for girls under 16 (U-16), which is taking place in Bucharest.
On Tuesday, 20 October, the first matches of the third round of the group stage of the 2026/27 Champions League took place. It was a high-scoring day: the teams scored 33 goals across the nine matches. The highlight was the clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, whilst two matches ended with a 4–3 scoreline.
