The Guardian

Unimpressive in qualification, fans will be hoping Carlo Ancelotti can get the best out of Vinícius Júnior, as he did at Real Madrid This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament…

Charles and Camilla to attend the Classic on 6 June Race attendance has suffered major recent decline The king and queen will attend the 247th running of the Derby on 6 June, reviving what was a traditional engagement in the calendar for Queen Elizabeth II for most of her 70-year reign. The late Queen missed just two renewals of the Classic at Epsom Downs between 1953 – when her colt Aureole fini…

Quiet architect of Saracens’ modern dynasty prepares for emotional farewell as his side battle for a playoff spot in penultimate match of the season The quietest man in the stadium will be the most brilliantly lit when the spotlight falls on him come the end of the match. Mark McCall will hope that his last home fixture in charge of Saracens will have ended with his team back in the top four, jus…

Wembley finalists looking to define status as modern greats but bubbling underneath is issue of player pay It is fast becoming a story we are well versed with. For the third consecutive season, Hull KR and Wigan Warriors square off in a major final, with an historic first meeting in the Challenge Cup decider on Saturday afternoon at Wembley the latest chapter in a generational rivalry. The record…

In the streets where he grew up the PSG winger’s success is an inspiration and a continual source of pride The cage where Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s love for football began is still buzzing with life today. Sandwiched between the vast Soviet apartment blocks of Dighmis Masivi, children scream, “Kvaraaaa!” as they strike the ball, replica shirts bearing his name stretched proudly across their backs. …

The Bananas started as baseball’s most eccentric attraction. Now they are building something that increasingly resembles a traveling entertainment universe of their own The Savannah Bananas brand has, arguably, become bigger than the Savannah Bananas themselves. What would seem to be a crucial component of the Bananas experience – the actual team – is increasingly absent from games featuring the …

The title could be coming to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1973. But fans won’t thank the man writing the checks The most stunning part about the Knicks snapping their 27-year NBA finals drought isn’t the 22½-point average margin of victory they posted over an 11-game playoff winning streak, or New Yorkers somehow resisting the urge to tear the city apart in celebration, or even …

How are the top three draft picks acclimating to life in the W? Pretty spectacularly. Plus: a title contender emerges in Atlanta and fierce tunnel fits Sign up to get WNBA 30 in your inbox every Tuesday We’re less than three weeks into the WNBA season, and we’ve already witnessed a little bit of everything. Thirteen games have been decided by five points or fewer, nine players have scored more th…

Ian Rush among those from Liverpool and Juventus at ceremony New Anfield Road monument replaces original plaque Liverpool have unveiled a new memorial on the 41st anniversary of the Heysel Stadium tragedy to the 39 fans who died. Representatives from Juventus, Liverpool’s opponents in the 1985 European Cup final, attended the unveiling ceremony at Anfield on Friday along with the Liverpool ambass…

Spurs rout Thunder 118-91 in Game 6 Wembanyama posts 28 points and 10 rebounds West finals to be decided Saturday in OKC Victor Wembanyama scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, lifting the San Antonio Spurs to a 118-91 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. The teams will play one last time in Game 7 on Saturday in Oklahoma City, with t…

Arsenal’s former head of coaching recalls the words from Freddie Ljungberg that shaped the young winger’s career Jan van Loon remembers the moment well. As Arsenal’s head of coaching he was guiding Freddie Ljungberg’s first steps in management with the under-15s when Bukayo Saka joined the squad. Saka was regarded as one of the academy’s standout talents but Ljungberg soon concluded the youngster…

Charlotte FC’s Tim Ream appears to be in pole position to lead the US on the field this summer, but there are many factors to consider Sign up for the World Behind The Cup newsletter If you want to get US men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino started, just use one word: leadership. The former Tottenham Hotspur manager is famously well-studied on the subject and there are no shortage …

Updates from the sixth day’s play at Roland Garros How players are feeling the heat | Mail Daniel On Lenglen, Borges and Rublev are level at 4-4; Golubic has just been broken back to love by Kostyuk for 3-3, this the first time she’s lost this many games in a set at this tournament; Tirante, the fastest server in the world, leads Carreno Busta 3-2 on serve; and Starodubtseva, conqueror of Rybakin…

FA Cup final victory against Brighton would make it a perfect month and the squad are hungry for more success Secure your first league title for a decade? Tick. Extend your Golden Boot-winning striker’s contract. Tick. Lift a first Women’s FA Cup since 2020? Pending. May 2026 has gone swimmingly for Manchester City and they are hoping it will get even better. Once you get that sweet taste of long…

⚽ News and previews before big weekend of football ⚽ Arsenal owners promise to strengthen | Mail John Pochettino setting the bar low for Pulisic? Just one goal? “I was disappointed with him [for missing the Gold Cup],” Pochettino reflected in a discussion with the Guardian and other reporters on Thursday. “I am transparent about that. He was disappointed with our decision not to include him in th…