The Guardian

Research analysis to be delivered by 11 September Decision on expansion could be taken this year Fifa is pushing ahead with plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams from 2030 and has opened a tender to research companies to assess the economic benefits on a hugely accelerated timescale. In another twist during a week of astonishing revelations about the global governing body’s plans to reshape f…

Centre-back defined era of hard Italian defending and collection of honours are eternal proof of his class There are very few players who become bywords for their position, who enjoy universal acclaim. But for anybody who watched football in the late 80s or early 90s, Franco Baresi was the central defender. He was unsurpassed, obviously the best in his position in the world, the definition of the…

England captain retired from international game in June Key says Fleming will start as Test coach in September Rob Key has opened the door for Ben Stokes to return to England’s Test team a month after the former captain’s shock international retirement , saying he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the 35-year-old decides to come back into a new-look red-ball set-up for next summer’s Ashes. England’s man…

Hull: ‘I think people need to lighten up’ Thitikul leads on -7; double major winner Ryu on -5 Charley Hull has delivered an emphatic, unapologetic response towards those who criticised a prank on the eve of the Women’s Open. Hull used pre-tournament media duties to reveal she bought fake scratchcards in a Blackpool joke shop, before using one to trick her caddie, Adam Woodward, into believing he …

Harry Kane, Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are the frontrunners for the annual prize By WhoScored Seventy-three goals in 64 games for club and country – the second most prolific season by any player in history after Lionel Messi’s 82-goal campaign in 2011-12 – not bad for a man who once sat on the bench alongside Jamie Vardy in the Championship. Harry Kane was not a teenage p…

Emerging from this week with unity over Fifa’s World Cup sell off was quite an acheivement but Europe cannot rest on its laurels It was a phrase not always heard when Europe’s football associations discuss a pressing issue. “Touchingly unanimous,” was the assessment of a senior Uefa executive within moments of Thursday afternoon’s seismic decision to boycott Fifa tournaments unless Gianni Infanti…

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Updates from Friday’s live action around Glasgow Medal table | Campbell cooks up gold | Email Billy Athletics: It’ll be a tough one to take for England’s Ellis Kottas and Australia’s Mikaela Dingley who came away with silver and bronze after Wednesday’s original race but leave today empty-handed. Kottas finished 4th, 23sec out of the medals, and Dingley was over a minute slower in last. Woods get…

Dutch rider completed the set of Grand Tours by winning the Giro and is set on claiming a second title in France French pulses were set racing by Pauline-Ferrand Prévot’s win in the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, but the pragmatic choice of favourite for this year’s race, which begins in Lausanne on Saturday, is Demi Vollering. The 29-year old Dutch rider, leader of the FDJ United-Suez team and the …

Matt Ellis has transformed the club after spending £10m so far and they are now contenders to win Super League for the first time Matt Ellis is too young to remember the glory days of the club he has supported all his life and is now the proud custodian of, but he is reminded often enough to concede it serves as his greatest motivation to bankroll one of Super League’s sleeping giants. For suppor…

Harrow schoolgirl eclipses legend Judit Polgar as youngest girl ever to score international master result England’s 11-year-old talent Bodhana Sivanandan fought her way to another world age record last Saturday. Sivanandan ended the Dole Trophy in Aix-en-Provence, France, with a historic first international master result. Judit Polgar, the all-time No 1 woman, achieved her first IM norm in April …

Follow the latest standings for the Glasgow Games as 74 countries compete for the 645 medals on offer The 23rd Commonwealth Games are taking place in Glasgow between 23 July and 2 August. There are 74 Commonwealth Games Associations eligible to compete, all of whom are expected to send athletes to the championships. Medals will be available in 215 events, spread across 10 sports. Six of them incl…

England 58-54 South Africa Lois Pearson scores 17 goals from 17 shots England stormed back from a six-goal deficit at the end of the first quarter to book their place in the netball semi-finals with a 58-54 win over South Africa. Anna Stembridge’s side went into the game knowing defeat would mean them failing to reach the last four of the competition for the first time since the sport was introdu…

Big-spending club kick off season on Friday 4 September Champions Manchester City begin against Birmingham Those desperate to see what London City Lionesses will look like with two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas in their ranks do not have to wait long, with the big-spending club kicking off the new Women’s Super League season against Manchester United on Friday 4 September. The Michelle …

Everything was looking rosy for Howe at St James’ Park until Alexander Isak’s departure led to rushed signings and a messy season Last September, David Hopkinson, just installed as Newcastle’s chief executive, perched on a stool at a downstairs corner table in Shearer’s Bar at St James’ Park and between sips of zero alcohol lager, likened Eddie Howe to Bruce Springsteen. According to Hopkinson, N…