The Guardian

Thomas Tuchel made it plain that when the stress came with the serious business of World Cup matches, he believed his England team would thrive. What had gone before, especially in the friendlies, was little more than a distraction. Here in the Lone Star state, which tallies with what England have on their shirts, it was time to make a statement about that second star. There was a fair helping of…

Goal against Croatia in his side’s World Cup opener was an angry one with a rising sense of inevitability And breathe again. For the opening 45 minutes under the giant Victorian train station roof at the Dallas Stadium, England produced a performance that was a bit like watching one of those YouTube videos where an awkward and frightening Chinese robot has learned how to dance like Michael Jackso…

Harry Kane was in fine form while Dominik Livakovic stopped the scoreline running away from Croatia Jordan Pickford Could have done better with Baturina’s goal. Made crucial late save to keep England ahead but looked shaky. 6 Continue reading...

A hat-trick against Algeria equalled Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record, but Messi and his teammates insist the mark doesn’t matter to him World Cup newsletter | Daily podcast | Download the app Long after the dust had settled on Argentina’s 3-0 group-stage victory over Algeria on Tuesday night, Algeria and Bayern Munich midfielder Ibrahim Maza emerged wearily from behind a curtain and ste…

Even as forwards shine, Dallas performance exposes shaky defence that may cost Thomas Tuchel and England dear come the tournament’s sharp end When Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 the success was built on unflinching defensive rigour and midfield discipline. Five years on, though, Tuchel’s England displayed neither of those qualities during a dreadful first half in Dall…

Previously unknown players have gained millions of social media followers thanks to attention of tournament Breakout talent emerges at every World Cup, but in 2026 these players’ actions are not confined to the pitch. Social media has become football’s parallel tournament, an arena where one viral clip can reshape an entire career. Here are some standout risers from the tournament so far. Continu…

All the best images as England took revenge on their World Cup 2022 semi-final opponents in Dallas Stadium with a 4-2 victory over Croatia Continue reading...

England Test captain has a lot of credit in the bank and if he comes back hopefully everyone has the compassion to move past his curfew breach The first Test against New Zealand seemed to be played in fast forward, and since England sealed victory on day four at Lord’s the cricket world has just carried on in the same vein. An often wild match ending with the MCC rushing out a statement reacting …

The bar may have been busy for the football but it was nothing compared with the crowd that surged in as team ended 53-year wait for the NBA title At John Doe’s bar on 28th and 5th in Manhattan, the crowd was already heaving energetically by early evening, as a multitude of TV screens beamed Vinícius Júnior ’s equaliser for Brazil, responding to Ismael Saibari’s opener for Morocco. With competing…

Less than a decade ago the British GP was on the brink of disappearing, but in July it will break the attendance record with 570,000 through the gates The scale of change at the British Grand Prix in recent years will be writ large come July when the meeting is poised to become the biggest in Formula One history. The race this year is expected to sell out its new capacity of 570,000 over four day…

A Liverpool fan and an influencer explain what it’s like to be hired for a Truman Show-style experiment When Kevin Akoto heard that he had been selected as one of Fox’s chief World Cup watchers he had no hesitation in accepting. What self-respecting football fan could turn down the opportunity to be paid $50,000 (£37,000) to take in all 104 games at this World Cup, after all? The only issues were…

I became a fan of this team to connect with my father. Their NBA championship does not erase the heartbreaks and hurt of the past – it completes the journey Do you know what you want your last thought to be? I have waited my whole life for mine. Most people, I imagine, don’t choose theirs. They arrive at the end and find loved ones’ faces gathered around their bed. Their subconscious gifts them t…

Rugby World Cup winner says he feels like he is picking up the fundraising baton from people such as Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow Sunshine streams into Lewis Moody’s conservatory near Bath as we share a sofa with his dog, Ziggy, who has swapped his usual cheerful bounciness for a peaceful snooze. Moody has already explained how Ziggy licked away the tears rolling down his face, and the face of his …

⚽️ World Cup kick-off: 7pm local/12am BST/9am AEST ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Beau While you wait … You may be interested to learn that there’s another match in progress at the moment, and it’s quite a sight. Continue reading...

Bowler takes two key wickets on first day at the Oval Backdrop in run-up has had ‘negligible’ effect on squad Brendon McCullum has said that he believed the second Test crowd at the Oval were about to fall in love with Sonny Baker, and England’s head coach was right. The 23-year-old ­debutant, who is playing only his 14th first-class game, lit up an intriguing first day’s play . New Zealand finis…