Press conference
Manager / player media briefings.
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Ford backs England's leadership depth to cover Itoje absence on summer tour
George Ford says England's leadership is a collective effort and will not collapse without Maro Itoje, who could be rested until next season after a gruelling year with the British and Irish Lions. Ford also praised debutant Benhard Janse van Rensburg ahead of Friday's non-cap match against France XV.
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Klopp warns Tuchel faced 'immense pressure' as England edge Croatia 4-2 in World Cup opener
Jurgen Klopp said Thomas Tuchel was under 'immense pressure' heading into England's first World Cup match, a 4-2 victory over Croatia secured by goals from Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford.
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Ferdinand reverses stance on Rashford's Man Utd future after Croatia World Cup goal
Rio Ferdinand has reversed his January 2025 verdict that Marcus Rashford had no future at Manchester United, suggesting the 27-year-old's loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona — and a goal against Croatia at the World Cup — may have matured him enough to warrant a return to Old Trafford.
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Palestine FA vows to resist 'sportswashing' after Ireland agree to host Israel behind closed doors
The Palestine Football Association has rejected any interpretation of Ireland's closed-doors arrangement with Israel as political cover, vowing it will not participate in efforts that 'normalise' or 'sportswash' what it calls crimes against the Palestinian people.
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Bellingham silences doubters with goal as England edge Croatia 4-2 in World Cup opener
Jude Bellingham scored England's third goal in a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, answering public and private questions about his place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad. Harry Kane also netted twice to draw level with Gary Lineker's record of 10 World Cup goals.
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Saha urges Portugal to bench Ronaldo after toothless DR Congo draw
Louis Saha, Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United team-mate, says Portugal must be willing to drop the 41-year-old to give themselves the best chance at World Cup 2026, following a 1-1 draw with DR Congo in which Ronaldo failed to score for the 10th consecutive major-tournament game.
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Switzerland must beat Bosnia to stay alive after shock draw with Qatar at World Cup
Switzerland dropped two crucial points in their World Cup opener after Qatar equalised in stoppage time, and coach Murat Yakin admits his side cannot afford another slip when they face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Los Angeles on Thursday.
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Drone shot down over South Korea training ahead of Mexico clash
A drone flew over South Korea's training ground during their tactical session ahead of their World Cup 2026 match against Mexico before being shot down by the Mexican National Guard. Two suspects reportedly fled the scene.
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Tuchel hails Kane as 'absolute leader' after England open World Cup with 4-2 win over Croatia
Thomas Tuchel praised Harry Kane's 'complete performance' and called him an 'absolute leader' after the captain's first-half brace equalled Gary Lineker's England World Cup scoring record in a 4-2 Group L victory over Croatia in Dallas.
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Wolff admits Mercedes must reconsider free-racing policy as Hamilton closes in on Antonelli
Toto Wolff says Mercedes faces an "interesting discussion" over whether to keep letting George Russell and Kimi Antonelli race freely, after their Barcelona battle cost the team time and allowed Lewis Hamilton to close to within 41 points of the championship lead.
Formula 1 -
Matfield warns Leinster: Fail to extend Nienaber and he returns to Springboks for World Cup
Springbok legend Victor Matfield has cautioned Leinster that a failure to extend Jacques Nienaber's contract will see the World Cup-winning coach reunite with Rassie Erasmus ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Rugby -
Cullen bids farewell to Lowe and Ioane as Leinster brace for URC Grand Final exodus
Leo Cullen has spoken candidly about the wave of departures from Leinster, including James Lowe, Rieko Ioane and Luke McGrath, insisting the club's 'grow your own' model will sustain them beyond Friday's URC Grand Final against the Bulls.
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Martinez in talks with Al-Nassr: the conflict of interest embarrassing Portugal
After Portugal's disappointing 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the World Cup, reports reveal discussions between Roberto Martinez and Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo's club, raising serious questions about the manager's team selection decisions.
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Henry and Sutton slam Ronaldo for selfishness after Portugal's shock draw with DR Congo
Thierry Henry accused Cristiano Ronaldo of blocking Bruno Fernandes to chase personal glory in Portugal's 1-1 World Cup draw with DR Congo, while Chris Sutton labelled manager Roberto Martinez 'embarrassingly weak' for keeping the 41-year-old on for the full game.
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Tuchel delivers memorable dressing-down to players at half-time, England overturns Croatia 4-2
Trailing 2-2 at half-time, England reversed the result against Croatia 4-2 in their opening match of World Cup 2026 Group L. Behind the scenes, Thomas Tuchel launched a fierce attack on Jordan Pickford and his players during the interval.
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Tuchel rebukes Pickford during match despite England's 4-2 victory over Croatia
England made a convincing start to the World Cup with a 4-2 win over Croatia, with Harry Kane scoring twice and goals from Bellingham and Rashford. Behind the scenes, Thomas Tuchel had a visible public clash with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford over a distribution choice.
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Borthwick set to rest Itoje for summer Tests unless injury crisis forces rethink
England head coach Steve Borthwick is poised to stand down captain Maro Itoje for July Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, citing the lock's gruelling year — but the plan hinges on second-row cover emerging unscathed this weekend.
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Renard takes charge of Tunisia and calls out his players after Sweden rout
Appointed as an emergency replacement after Tunisia's heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden, Hervé Renard has four days to revive the team before facing Japan at the 2026 World Cup. In his first address to the squad, he appealed to his players' pride and acknowledged the anger of supporters.
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Lorenzo admits Colombian fans' passion 'emotionally weighed' on players in nervy 3-1 World Cup win over Uzbekistan
Colombia opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Azteca, but coach Nestor Lorenzo revealed the pressure of playing as favourites before a large home crowd unsettled his players after a strong first half.
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Bellingham silences critics with goal as England open World Cup campaign with 4-2 win over Croatia
Jude Bellingham scored England's third goal and said a 'chip on my shoulder' sharpened his focus as Thomas Tuchel's side beat Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup Group L opener in Dallas.
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