News
9255 stories
-
Messi eligible for Ballon d'Or at 39, organisers officially confirm
Author of a decisive performance in the World Cup semi-final against England (2-1), Lionel Messi remains a credible candidate for the Ballon d'Or. The organisers have confirmed that playing outside Europe poses no obstacle to winning the trophy.
Football -
Real Madrid open to selling Camavinga as Manchester United hunt defensive midfielder
Real Madrid could allow Eduardo Camavinga to leave this summer amid interest from Manchester United and Manchester City, according to reports. United, who have already spent around £83m on Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, are seeking more conservatively priced options to complete their midfield rebuild.
Football -
Adidas sweeps the World Cup final as Nike's 12 teams all fall short
Both World Cup finalists — Argentina and Spain — are outfitted by Adidas, leaving Nike without a single team on the tournament's biggest stage despite sponsoring 12 national sides and investing heavily in its 'Rip the Script' campaign.
Football -
Liverpool hand Jeremy Jacquet the No.5 shirt vacated by Konate after £60m arrival
Jeremy Jacquet has been assigned Liverpool's No.5 shirt, previously worn by Ibrahima Konate, as the £60m signing from Rennes begins pre-season training at Anfield. The 21-year-old French defender says he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a shoulder injury.
Football -
Petkovic blames his players in post-World Cup report after Algeria's elimination
Eliminated by Switzerland (2-0) in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, Algeria faces an internal crisis: in his report to the FAF, Vladimir Petkovic names his own players as the main culprits for the debacle.
Football -
Leclerc reveals how taming his aggressive style unlocked his Silverstone victory
Charles Leclerc says adapting his naturally aggressive driving style to the demands of the 2026 Formula 1 regulations has been his biggest challenge this season. A series of adjustments made ahead of the British Grand Prix ultimately delivered his first win of the year.
Formula 1 -
Messi bathed baby Yamal in 2007 — now they meet in the World Cup final
Nineteen years before Argentina face Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, a five-month-old Lamine Yamal was photographed being cradled and bathed by a 20-year-old Lionel Messi after his family won a raffle to visit Barcelona's Camp Nou dressing room.
Football -
Titterrell urges England U20 to make New Zealand fear them in rare Junior World Championship bronze final
England U20 head coach Andy Titterrell has made four changes for Saturday's Junior World Championship third-place play-off against New Zealand in Georgia, calling on his side to make the Baby Blacks 'fear' them in a fixture England have not played in nearly a decade.
Rugby -
Extended World Cup final half-time break raises injury risk for players, physiology expert warns
A 25-to-30-minute half-time interval at Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain will be driven by an 11-minute FIFA entertainment show — and a leading physiology expert says the prolonged break could reduce muscle temperature, elevate injury risk, and hurt second-half performance.
Football -
Glen Johnson says Spence 'was not smart' as VAR ignores Messi foul in England's World Cup exit
England were eliminated from the World Cup after a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Lautaro Martinez heading the winner in stoppage time. Former England defender Glen Johnson believes Djed Spence should have done more to draw a foul from Lionel Messi in the build-up to the decisive goal.
Football -
Howe and Guardiola lead England manager odds as Tuchel faces semi-final fallout
Thomas Tuchel is expected to remain England manager despite a last-gasp World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, but Newcastle's Eddie Howe and free-agent Pep Guardiola have emerged as the bookmakers' frontrunners should the FA move on.
Football -
Grealish, Foden and FA Youth Cup stars set to face Maresca in Man City's pre-season opener
Manchester City begin their 2026 pre-season on Monday, July 20, with Enzo Maresca taking his first training session. Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and several Under-18 FA Youth Cup winners are among those expected to report back early.
Football -
Bouaddi set to stay at Lille for another season despite Manchester City interest
After an impressive 2026 World Cup with Morocco, Ayyoub Bouaddi is highly sought after, notably by Manchester City. LOSC president Olivier Létang indicated on Thursday that the 18-year-old midfielder should honour an additional year of his contract.
Football -
Jake Paul targets Nate Diaz MMA debut and Mayweather rematch as broken jaw heals
Jake Paul says he is weeks away from being cleared to spar after suffering a broken jaw in his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, with Nate Diaz topping his MMA wish list and Floyd Mayweather among the boxing names in early discussions.
MMA -
Cannae Holdings CEO confirms 100% commitment to investing in Exeter Chiefs women's rugby
Cannae Holdings CEO Ryan Caswell has publicly committed to growing Exeter Chiefs' women's rugby programme, citing the group's track record at AFC Bournemouth and the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights as proof of their investment model.
Rugby -
Chelsea delete Fernandez celebration post after Argentina stun England in World Cup semi-final
Enzo Fernandez scored a late equaliser and Lautaro Martinez headed a stoppage-time winner as Argentina beat England 2-1 in Atlanta to reach the World Cup final. Chelsea briefly celebrated Fernandez's goal on social media before deleting the post amid a backlash from England fans.
Football -
Dembélé clashes with Mbappé, Olise and Barcola at half-time against Spain
After France's defeat to Spain (0-2) in the 2026 World Cup semi-final, Ousmane Dembélé confronted his attacking teammates at half-time over their lack of pressing — a move that frustrated several players in the dressing room.
Football -
Arsenal agree £34m deal to sign Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge as Trossard exits
Arsenal have reached a £34 million agreement with Club Brugge to sign Greek winger Christos Tzolis, one of Mikel Arteta's top targets, with the deal being finalised following Leandro Trossard's confirmed departure.
Football -
NYC Mayor Mamdani watches World Cup semifinal with inmates at Rikers Island
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined more than 100 incarcerated men at Rikers Island to watch England face Argentina, as part of a jail-run World Cup programme that has hosted roughly 90 screenings for around 4,500 inmates since the tournament began.
Football -
Rashford set to return for United pre-season as club shapes third midfield signing
Marcus Rashford is expected to report for Manchester United's pre-season after a post-World Cup break, with positive talks easing uncertainty over his future. United have already signed Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and a goalkeeper this window, and are targeting a third midfielder.
Football
