The Guardian

English top flight’s forwards are not well represented on the list, reflecting a season of set-piece grapple, but 2026-27 already looks brighter Premier League representation is low when it comes to the 16 attacking players on this year’s Ballon d’Or shortlist . Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland are there but Cole Palmer, one of the nominees in 2025, is out …

England reached World Cup semis yet midfielder did not play a minute. But he is key to Manchester United in derby It was a sight the England press pack became increasingly used to seeing after the team’s World Cup matches over the summer. Kobbie Mainoo was invariably the first to leave the dressing room, walk through the mixed zone – eyes dead ahead, features impassive – and board the bus. It was…

England to chase 130 after No 9 smashes 81 Masood, Babar and Azan hit half-centuries Much has been made of the four-pronged pace attack that England have switched to since the mid-summer retirement of Ben Stokes, even comparisons with the fabled line-up that won the 2005 Ashes. But there have been questions, too. How, for example, might they fare when conditions are not as juicy as those in which…

Scores level at 4-4 after day one Europe fail to make advantage pay in fourballs The rain poured and the United States roared. Hope had cascaded through the European contingent at this ­Solheim Cup during Friday afternoon until the sort of fightback that endorsed the sense that, come Sunday evening, the US will have won this trophy in a ­foreign land for the first time since 2015. This compelling…

Dan Lawrence eventually took a wicket but the lack of a specialist was keenly felt on a day when Pakistan dug in against an all-pace attack At half-past-two in the afternoon the fans struck up a conga in the Hollies Stand. Fifteen Fred Flintstones, 11 Oompa Loompas with one Willy Wonka, five cardinals with an inflatable doll, four centurions, three six-foot bottles of tequila, two Dave Bedfords, …

The morning kick-off provided ‘incredible’ vibes for a sell-out crowd clearly different to that which attends AFL and cricket games at the venue At 9am on a Friday, Melbourne’s tongues would usually be tinged with toothpaste. Beer, however, was the flavour craved by this throng of bros brought together by the visit of one of the United States’ great institutions. Dressed in San Francisco 49ers re…

Updates from first men’s semi-final at 8pm BST, 3pm EST Andrew Lawrence: in praise of five-set tennis | Mail Billy Before we get into the buildup for the men’s singles, Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend have just been crowned women’s doubles champions at Flushing Meadows after coming back to beat Robin Montgomery and Ashlyn Krueger 5-7 6-0 6-2 in the final on Arthur Ashe. The No 1 seeds have…

GST founder Michael Johnson said he ‘got the athletes paid’ Money stuck in escrow account after bankruptcy filing Grand Slam Track athletes have still only received 50% of their earnings nearly 15 months on from the collapse of Michael Johnson’s ill-fated venture. Many of the Grand Slam stars are at the Ultimate Championships here in Budapest , where they will compete for a $10m prize fund, the r…

Rybakina will top rankings after tournament as pair continue to meet one another in grand slam finals A typically understated Elena Rybakina stepped up to the microphone for her speech after her triumph at Indian Wells in 2023, her long-awaited first WTA 1000 title, and one of her first objectives was to recognise the efforts of her opponent. Rybakina congratulated Aryna Sabalenka on a strong for…

Pinarello Q36.5 rider Dunbar wins stage by 14 seconds Mas maintains his 1min 37sec cushion in red jersey race Irishman Eddie Dunbar secured a stunning last-ditch victory on stage 19 of the Vuelta a España as Spaniard Enric Mas maintained his overall lead with only one mountain stage remaining before Sunday’s finale. The 30-year-old caught and passed Colombian Santiago Buitrago with just 300 metre…

Midfielder on rising above the negativity after Everton’s struggles in the transfer window, becoming a leader in the dressing room and a possible England call-up Transfer deadline day may be “exciting for everyone,” as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall puts it, but his experience of that transfer deadline day at Everton hauled him through the same gamut of emotions as every Evertonian. Excitement turned to b…

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New hybrid street circuit has fast corners, virtually no margin for error – but limited overtaking opportunities In Madrid’s Puerta del Sol this week, Formula One fans were not shy in calling on the gods to look kindly on their favoured drivers on a newly built circuit that appears punishingly unforgiving. Legend has it that rubbing the paws or backside of the bear in the famous El Oso y el Madro…

Full-back missed out for England when he had appendix out but could be key for Steve Borthwick if his luck changes George Furbank must have cracked a few mirrors in his time. A second Prem winners’ medal was some way to bring the curtain down on his Northampton career but when it comes to England, he cannot catch a break. Indeed, it is staggering to consider the 29-year-old full-back has just 14 …

Fight offers revealing snapshot of boxers once facing uncertain futures after positive drug tests now vying for a welterweight world championship Four years ago Conor Benn’s career was thrown into limbo after two positive drug tests scuppered his blockbuster fight with Chris Eubank Jr. Two years ago Ryan Garcia was serving a one-year suspension after testing positive for ostarine at the time of h…