The Guardian

As Ronaldo heads towards 1,000 career-goals, league plans to lift standard of Saudi Arabian football, not just the clubs There’s no Mohamed Salah in the new Saudi Pro League season that kicks off on Thursday and while the age of the ageing megastar is ending, there is still the strong chance that the next few months will be dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old is 24 shy of 1,000 career…

Plus: players whose names appear in their clubs, big leaps and the top tier short of title-winning managers Mail us with your all of your questions and answers “Which footballer has played for the most clubs?” asks Paul Gage. Surprisingly, throughout the more than two decades of the Knowledge, this question has not been answered before. But, fear not, it will be now. Arsenal: Alan Sunderland, Ton…

Russell Martin’s new-look Leicester look set to challenge for promotion, while it could be a tough campaign for Notts County and AFC Wimbledon How did it come to this, that a club crowned Premier League champions a decade ago are down in the third tier? Chronic mismanagement across the board has been Leicester ’s problem for too long and they need to reset under Russell Martin. Many of the top ea…

The success of Australian players in the NBA and WNBA comes as the NBL continues to enjoy growth and become an ever-more attractive proposition A wild confluence of basketball breakthroughs has sent the sport soaring in Australia, as national teams look towards a return to the Olympic dais, and the game’s cultural impact rekindles memories of its 1990s heyday. Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey are es…

Nonu on Sharks bench after signing for South African side last week ‘I thought it was the right thing to do,’ says 104-cap former All Black South African rugby teams love facing the haka. None have ever replied to New Zealand’s traditional pre-match challenge with another haka until Tuesday. Ma’a Nonu stepped in front of his new Sharks teammates and performed a solo haka in what will probably be …

Fabian Hürzeler has lost key players including Welbeck and Van Hecke with Brighton needing squad depth to cope with the demands of European football Guardian writers’ predicted position: 9th (NB: this is not necessarily John Brewin’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 8th Continue reading...

From Comets-Liberty and Lynx-Sparks to Wilson-Gray and the StudBudz, the feuds and friendships that have shaped 30 years of the WNBA Sign up to get WNBA 30 in your inbox every Tuesday It’s Rivals Week in the W, and it’s already given us so many spicy viral moments . But when I look at the matchups that headline the schedule, it made me think of all the different rivalries that have come and gone …

US president backs ‘fantastic’ Infantino in Truth Social post Infantino under pressure following doomed World Cup sell-off plan US president Donald Trump has warned Fifa would be making a “terrible mistake” if they get rid of Gianni Infantino as the head of world football’s governing body. Infantino has come under pressure following his doomed plan to sell off stakes in the men’s World Cup to pri…

Briton reached SW19 semi-finals as a wildcard World No 36 has first-round bye in Cincinnati Arthur Fery believes he is at the start of a new chapter in his career as he returns to competition for the first time since his surprise run to the Wimbledon semi-finals as a wildcard. Fery will compete for the first time in a month at the Cincinnati Open this week, after opting to take a short holiday an…

Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs pulls up injured Italy’s Nadia Battocletti wins gold in women’s 5,000m On Marcell Jacobs’s right arm there is a tattoo of the Roman colosseum and a gladiator: a reminder of his fighting spirit and what Italy’s capital means to him. But in the swirling bearpit of a European 100m final, his body broke down. That left Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu to take advantage as…

Ebullient manager takes his side to Salzburg to cross swords with the European champions in the Super Cup One thing was almost instantly detectable as Unai Emery walked into a stuffy room inside the Red Bull Arena on the eve of Wednesday’s Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain. After a summer of change, Aston Villa’s manager appeared uber-relaxed, confident his team will absorb a series of headli…

Dawn of the Hundred may have ‘devalued’ the competition, but events at New Road show there is still life in county cricket The Metro Bank One-Day Cup has been a bit of a sleeper hit this summer. Words such as “devalued” and “second tier” have followed the tournament since the dawn of the Hundred in 2021 but there has been a quiet resurgence of late. The prolonged dry spell has provided certainty …

The former Al-Ahli head coach, chosen by the club’s Saudi owners to replace Eddie Howe, admits ‘vacuum’ after sale of three key players Matthias Jaissle has been described as “fire” and a “rockstar”, but his formal “unveiling” as Newcastle’s manager revealed a rather more considered and conservative character than advertised. At the precise moment the clock struck 3pm on Tuesday the 38-year-old G…

One of the player’s WNBA rivals said the Fever guard is treated differently from her Black peers. There’s plenty of evidence to back that statement up White privilege. An accusation that triggers multitudes of white people in America as if you had insulted their mother. Mention racism, and people may debate you. Mention discrimination, and people may even listen. But say the words “white privileg…

Cornerback loses consciousness during joint practice Team indicate 24-year-old is recovering well New York Jets cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers was taken to a hospital by ambulance after he briefly lost consciousness during a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday. Jets coach Aaron Glenn said the 24-year-old Stiggers was conscious and talking on the field before being put on a stret…