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Walker stands firm on England retirement despite Rooney's World Cup recall plea
Kyle Walker has reaffirmed his international retirement after Wayne Rooney urged Thomas Tuchel to call the 96-cap right-back back into England's World Cup 2026 squad following injuries to Reece James and Tino Livramento.
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Cherki's frustration with Deschamps explained by personal ordeal
A video showing Rayan Cherki appearing to push away Didier Deschamps after France's 3-0 victory over Sweden in the World Cup sparked speculation. The reason is not sporting.
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Carragher warns Kane's record 72-goal season may not be enough to win Ballon d'Or
Jamie Carragher argues Harry Kane is currently the most deserving Ballon d'Or candidate after 72 goals for Bayern Munich and England, but believes the award will ultimately go to the star player of whichever nation wins the 2026 World Cup.
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Mexico City's Losers Cafe offers free drinks and dry napkins to World Cup's heartbroken fans
A coffee shop in Mexico City's Condesa neighbourhood has reinvented itself as a refuge for fans of eliminated World Cup teams, offering complimentary drinks to anyone arriving in a losing side's jersey and flying the flags of knocked-out nations each morning.
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Atletico Madrid insist Alvarez is not for sale despite his transfer plea to Arsenal and Barcelona
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says the club were caught off guard by Julian Alvarez's public admission that he wants to leave, but insists the £81.5m Argentine striker remains unavailable despite interest from Arsenal and Barcelona.
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Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes set to leave Anfield for Al Hilal in 2027
Richard Hughes is expected to depart Liverpool when his contract expires in 2027, with the Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal understood to be his destination — reuniting him with former Bournemouth colleague Simon Francis.
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Bowen's West Ham kit appearance casts doubt on Manchester United transfer
Jarrod Bowen has featured prominently in West Ham's 2026/27 kit launch video, suggesting the club expects their relegated captain to stay — despite reported interest from Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Everton.
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Crawford calls out McGregor's $200m crossover claim as a lie ahead of UFC 329 return
Retired boxing great Terence Crawford has flatly denied Conor McGregor's claim that a $200 million crossover deal was on the table, saying no formal offer was ever made — though he admits he would have accepted one at the time.
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Baleba and Wharton 'barely feature' in Man United's midfield transfer talks despite Ferdinand and Keane backing
Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have not featured prominently in Manchester United's transfer discussions this summer, despite both being publicly endorsed by club legends Rio Ferdinand and Roy Keane. Brighton's £100m valuation of Baleba and concerns over Wharton's similarity to Kobbie Mainoo are said to be key factors.
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Latsha named permanent Springbok Women captain as South Africa host USA at Ellis Park
Babalwa Latsha has been confirmed as the permanent captain of the Springbok Women, succeeding the retired Nolusindiso Booi ahead of Saturday's Test against the USA at Ellis Park. The 41st cap for Latsha makes her South Africa's most-capped tighthead prop.
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England's comeback win over DR Congo draws 16.3m viewers, BBC's biggest audience of 2025
England's 2-1 victory over DR Congo at the World Cup 2026, sealed by a Harry Kane double in Atlanta, attracted a peak of 16.3 million BBC viewers — the broadcaster's largest audience of the year so far.
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Finn Russell ruled out injured as Tom Jordan starts Scotland's Nations Championship opener against Argentina
Bristol fly-half Tom Jordan steps in at number 10 after Finn Russell was omitted from Gregor Townsend's match-day squad with a calf injury. Scotland face Argentina in Cordoba on Saturday, with Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings both set to earn their 50th caps.
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Farrell backs Prendergast to start at fly-half for Ireland's Nations Championship opener against Australia
Andy Farrell has defended his decision to hand Sam Prendergast the fly-half jersey for Ireland's Nations Championship clash with Australia in Sydney, saying the 23-year-old has earned his place after a strong finish to the club season.
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Petkovic faces his former Switzerland side as Algeria target first World Cup knockout win
Vladimir Petkovic, who guided Switzerland for seven years and took them to a first European Championship quarterfinal, now faces his old players as Algeria's coach in the World Cup round of 32 in Vancouver on Thursday.
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Luca Zidane recalled to Algeria goal for knockout clash against Switzerland
Dropped after two poor group-stage performances, Luca Zidane is set to return to the Algeria goal for the Round of 16 match against Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup on Friday, according to manager Vladimir Petkovic.
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Laporta confirms Barcelona's firm offer for Julián Álvarez as Atlético deny receiving any bid
Joan Laporta used his presidential inauguration speech on 1 July 2026 to reveal that Barcelona have submitted a formal offer for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez, while Atlético president Enrique Cerezo insists the club has received no proposal from anyone.
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Everton sign Championship Player of the Season Hayden Hackney in £16.5m deal
Everton have completed the signing of Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney on a five-year contract for a reported £16.5 million. The 24-year-old, named Championship Player of the Season in 2025-26, becomes David Moyes' first summer acquisition.
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Portugal dedicate Croatia World Cup clash to Diogo Jota on first anniversary of his death
Portugal face Croatia in Toronto on the eve of the first anniversary of Diogo Jota's death, with coach Roberto Martinez naming the Liverpool striker an honorary squad member and vowing to win the World Cup in his honour.
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Gordon compares Kane to Messi after England captain rescues World Cup campaign against DR Congo
Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to overturn a 1-0 deficit against DR Congo and send England into the last 16, where they face Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Assist-maker Anthony Gordon said Kane's consistency puts him in company with Lionel Messi.
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Ex-Springboks coach Mallett warns Ellis Park suits England more than World Cup holders
Former South Africa head coach Nick Mallett says he is 'not secure at all' about the Springboks' opening Nations Championship match against England, arguing Ellis Park's conditions favour Steve Borthwick's physical, cohesive side.
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