The Guardian

The World Cup did not save South Africa. But for one second, it showed us the country we wanted to be Before Siphiwe Tshabalala’s rocket from his left foot , before Peter Drury’s iconic commentary, before the wall of noise from thousands of vuvuzelas and before Shakira’s Waka Waka, there was Philip. From the moment Sepp Blatter pulled out an envelope with the words “South Africa” inside on 15 May…

A run-through of the teams, key players and talking points ahead of the biggest Women’s T20 World Cup to date – and perhaps the most open Continue reading...

Updates from the final day’s play at the Oval Day three report | Mail Tanya or comment BTL Bransgrove , the man behind Hampshire’s move to the Rosebowl and subsequent development, has stepped down as chairman, after GMR Global Pte Ltd completed the full acquisition of Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Limited. Kiran Kumar Grandhi, the chairman of GMR, who also own IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, t…

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Jonathan Liew and Philippe Auclair to preview Groups I-L Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email . On the podcast today; our third and final World Cup preview. Continue reading...

Olympic gold medallist diver reflects on the financial and emotional challenges since retiring from the sport and teaming up with his hero Tom Daley “It’s like I’ve already got an open wound and you’re stabbing me in it,” Matty Lee says as, deep into our second hour at a beautiful old Edwardian swimming pool in Leeds, we turn to Kirsty Coventry’s recent comments that athletes should not be paid a…

As a lifelong Knicks fan, the Public Enemy frontman knows how much New York craves an end to its 53-year NBA title drought I didn’t see the Knicks win their second championship in 1973 because I had to go to bed. That night, the Knicks beat the LA Lakers, but clinching game was on the west coast and it was a school night. I couldn’t watch it. I was 13 and in seventh grade. Back then things were d…

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 …

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 …

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…

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…