The Guardian

News and buildup as World Cup countdown continues Player guide | Bracketology | Wallchart | Mail Tom Some reading for you all to catch up on: Jacob Steinberg on England’s need for attacking alternatives that aren’t built entirely around Harry Kane. Continue reading...

Artan was due to be first Somali referee at World Cup ‘I promise you that I will attend the next one’ The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States arrived on Wednesday in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, where he was received by a crowd of supporters and officials. Omar Artan was due to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making Fifa’s …

Football’s staying home for the belt-tightening Beeb, while ITV and Gary Lineker’s popular podcast present from glitzy studios in New York It is the biggest World Cup in history, and perhaps the most unpredictable. How will England and Scotland fare in the heat? Who drew Curaçao in the office sweepstake? And, crucially, will anyone notice that the BBC is broadcasting this giant sporting spectacle…

Fifa has found its tournament squarely caught up in the second Trump administration’s aggressive border restrictions For successive men’s World Cup tournaments Fifa has managed to bulldoze its way through costly immigration and entry requirements. In 2014 Brazil passed a law granting free temporary visas to ticket holders, and for Russia and Qatar, the respective autocracies bypassed traditional …

Sébastian Desabre’s group has a clear collective identity but star forward Yoane Wissa will shoulder huge expectations 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 kicking off o…

The rising Socceroos star isn’t interested in celebrity and heads into his first World Cup with a strong connection to his roots and feet firmly on the ground The 22-year-old was surprised but not unhappy when he saw the image on social media. “Mohamed Touré is … The Ter-Mo-Nator,” the poster mock-up read, crafted in Photoshop or an AI tool, with Touré’s left eye glowing red. “Target acquired.” T…

Evans becomes first men’s player to come out since Ian Roberts in 1995 Former Roosters and Eels player had struggled with suicidal thoughts Former prop forward Kane Evans says a weight has lifted from his shoulders after he became only the second male NRL player to come out as gay. In an emotional interview with Channel Nine’s 100% Footy, the 131-time NRL player said he had struggled with addicti…

England 3-0 Ukraine Carter 14, Stanway 37, Mead 67 England had to settle for a place in the World Cup playoffs despite cruising to a 3-0 victory against Ukraine, as Spain’s 6-1 win in Iceland forced England to finish in second spot. It is the first time that England have failed to top their World Cup qualifying group for nearly 25 years, since missing out on a place at the 2003 World Cup, back wh…

Arsenal forward still struggling with achilles injury ‘Bukayo is just not there yet. Some things are missing’ Bukayo Saka continues to play through the pain of an achilles injury, according to the England manager, Thomas Tuchel, and must be managed carefully as the start of the World Cup looms large. The Arsenal winger joined up with the England squad in West Palm Beach on Saturday after being gi…

Videos show Spurs fans having jerseys ripped off Players from both teams say incidents are unacceptable Players from both teams in the NBA finals have condemned apparent attacks on San Antonio Spurs fans by supporters of the New York Knicks. Videos circulating on social media showed Spurs fans having their jerseys ripped off on the streets of New York in the aftermath of the Knicks’ loss in Game …

44-year-old victorious alongside partner Victoria Mboko Pair win 7-6 (2), 6-2 over Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe 1,375 days later, Serena Williams resumed her life as a professional tennis player to an uncharacteristic roar from a usually reserved Queen’s Club crowd filled to the brim. As she warmed up on the grass, flanked by a formidable, precocious partner in Victoria Mboko, Williams could n…

Questioned in France but championed from afar, the departing head coach has forged a legacy that no one – bar, perhaps, himself – would dare dispute Follow the verdant path towards the Château de Clairefontaine and you are met by a three-metre replica of the World Cup trophy accompanied by two stars, representing France’s World Cup triumphs. Didier Deschamps had his hand in both of them, captaini…

Midnight bedtime was entirely a public relations exercise to reconnect with fans – the same fans the ECB invites to one long piss-up at Lord’s The laws of cricket run to more than 200 pages. The International Cricket Council’s Test playing regulations fill another 125, the anti-doping code packs another 66, the code of conduct is 44 more, illegal bowling actions 37, kit and equipment 36. You’d be…

Real Madrid reveal they have made offer for Argentinian Arbeloa departs club, paving way for Mourinho return Real Madrid have revealed they have had a €150m (£129.4m) bid for Julián Alvarez rejected by city rivals Atlético Madrid. The Argentina striker has scored 49 goals in 106 appearances for Atlético since joining from Manchester City in 2024. The 26-year-old, whose contract runs until 2030, r…