The Guardian

Who is football’s most legendary No 9? Has there ever been a legendary No 28? And why exactly does Mario Balotelli love wearing No 45 so much? Here’s our list and the stories behind it The relationship between players and numbers is a long-established one filled with memories and fascinating as well as fun stories behind them. With that in mind, the Guardian has had a go at deciding which male pl…

With the issues raised in Cape Town still to be resolved, Usman Khawaja’s book threatens to damage reputations and divide cricket’s tight community Australian cricket thought it had left its great shame behind, burying it in the days after Cameron Bancroft was shown on the big screen in Cape Town putting sandpaper down his pants. Cricket Australia acted swiftly at the time, suspending the young b…

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman and George Furbank can make an impact at the World Cup next year, providing they can stay fit Rugby, at its heart, is a simple game. Win the collisions and you’ll more than likely win the match. Rule the skies, own the floor and the chances are you’ll end up on the right side of the ledger. Put square pegs in square holes and you can achieve the sort of attacki…

Arsenal defender was jeered during draw with Uruguay ‘Everyone can do whatever they want,’ says White Ben White has said he has no complaints at being booed by England fans when he ended his international exile during the 1-1 draw with ­Uruguay this year. The Arsenal defender, who has returned to Thomas Tuchel’s squad after missing last month’s camp because of injury, became unpopular with some s…

Wing Feyi-Waboso sustained ankle injury on Sunday Tom Curry out for rest of November with hip injury England have been rocked by multiple injury blows after Immanuel Feyi‑Waboso and Tom Curry were ruled out of the rest of their autumn campaign. George Furbank, Ollie Chessum and Seb Atkinson are also expected to miss the clash with Japan on Saturday, with the two-try hero Henry Pollock in line for…

Former NFL quarterback invested in 2023 Club did not give a reason for Brady’s departure Tom Brady has ended his three-year involvement as a ⁠minority investor in Birmingham City, the English second-tier club said on Monday, ⁠thanking the seven-times ⁠Super ​Bowl champion for his support. “Birmingham City Football Club expresses its sincere gratitude ⁠to Tom Brady for his involvement with and unw…

Pierre Sage led Lens to second and glory in the Coupe de France last season. A lot has changed in the last six months The Lens striker, Florian Sotoca, was completely motionless as he looked into the middle space from the bench. The game, finely poised at 2-1 with a few minutes remaining, was not beyond his side, but that is not the story his troubled face told. Marseille had just restored their …

United and City dominate the news cycle with stories so strange and vast they threaten to consume the rest of the league In Manchester this weekend it was possible to bookend your Thursday‑to‑Sunday entertainment with two cultural events. First up, a debut screening of the re‑released and uncensored Ken Russell film The Devils at Trafford Odeon. And three days later, three miles down the road, Ma…

Show will stream on platforms of BetUS sportsbook Ex-Athletic NFL insider had resigned in April Patriots coach, Russini were pictured at resort Dianna Russini will return to sports media with a weekly one-hour show focused on the NFL backed by offshore sportsbook BetUS, she announced Monday. The Russini Report will stream on BetUS TV’s website and X account, accompanied by a weekly analysis colum…

The 18-year-old on being thrown in at the deep end with the first team, playing with her idols and replacing a legend The next move on the chess board could not have been clearer for Barcelona and their coach, Pere Romeu: a new queen has broken into the Blaugrana midfield. Clara Serrajordi has made substantial moves already: she made her first-team debut at the age of 17, started ahead of Aitana …

Power Four conference title games to be eliminated Five teams will auto-qualify with rest picked by panel The College Football Playoff will double in size to 24 teams beginning next year, bringing an end to a three-decade era of conference title games that used to be among the marquee events of the season. College leaders announced the new format Monday, after ESPN agreed to rework its contract t…

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Precisely 13,266 games have been played since the inception of the Premier League, and 19 of those matches have finished 4-4 (0.1%), a rarity in a division dominated by the mighty 1-0 (17.6%). It was about time we got one, though. The months of August and September, when teams are still fighting to define their top-flight seasons and fitness and…

After three straight defeats, City’s manager says he will use the international break to reassess. Their problems may go beyond tactics Sign up for our free newsletter here Enzo Maresca seemed, if not quite baffled by his side’s Saturday defeat to Nottingham Forest, then at least a little put out. After seven straight wins from the start of the season, that’s now three straight defeats, a pattern…

Across La Liga and beyond this weekend, footballers took to the field knowing it could have been them In the final few minutes before stepping into the arena once more, heading out for his 199th Osasuna match on Saturday evening, the man who has scored more first division goals than anyone in their history stopped his teammates for a moment and told them what it meant to wear the shirt. “This is …

Carrick given time after Como and Bournemouth defeats Recommendation will be made to Sir Jim Ratcliffe Manchester United are deciding whether Michael Carrick should be sacked, with Jason Wilcox, the director of football, leading the review after the head coach was given the Chelsea, Roma and Aston Villa games to turn results around . Wilcox is consulting with Omar Berrada, the chief executive, be…