The Guardian

Opinions, the game loves them, and after Arsenal’s hugely divisive final, here’s my truth – feel free to yell back What the world needs now is one last hot take on Arsenal and the Champions League final before we are all brought together in beautiful symbiotic harmony by the World Cup. Key questions such as: was it a good game? Was this the perfect way to take on the best midfield and attack in w…

Updates from the first day of the series at Lord’s Sign up for The Spin | Follow us on TikTok | Mail Tim New Zealand have opted for the extra seamer, so the promising Nathan Smith squeezes out the venerable Mitch Santner. England have taken the opposite tack, preferring Shoaib Bashir’s mercurial off-breaks to Sonny Baker’s untried pace. The toss makes both decisions look better, as the team bowli…

Everything you need to know (and more) about every squad member. Click on the player pictures for more information Continue reading...

Enrique Riquelme held Madrid shirt with Haaland’s name City bid rejected for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson Manchester City are considering legal action against Enrique Riquelme after the Real Madrid presidential candidate held up a Madrid shirt with Erling Haaland’s name on the back during a TV appearance in which he claimed a clause in the striker’s contract would allow him to sign Haaland…

Drawing on his own family’s experience, the Real Madrid and Germany defender is advocating for refugees and challenging stereotypes As a child, Antonio Rüdiger would look out of his bedroom window to see whether anyone was playing on the field it overlooked. It was not a big pitch, but it had two goals, enough room for six-a-side and was where a young Rüdiger honed the skills that would take him …

While small pool of talent and elite clubs in women’s game makes switches between rivals inevitable, this move is contentious. But some reaction has gone too far The red neon lights flicker in the dark for a moment, then the room is blue, and there is Katie McCabe, a grin on her face and a Chelsea shirt on, her controversial switch across London complete after 11 years with Arsenal. The reaction …

A first win at a World Cup is the floor-level target for a team that still relies heavily on the ability of Mohamed Salah 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 of…

It was another season to remember for Lamine Yamal and Barcelona, along with Getafe, Rayo and one naughty fan Lamine Yamal wore the crown and flew the flag. With the last kick of the opening game of 2025-26, Barcelona’s new No 10 – the teenager handed the shirt Ladislao Kubala, Luis Suárez, Diego Maradona, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi once wore, the kid Spain coach, Luis de la Fuente, had…

New York Knicks 105–95 San Antonio Spurs Knicks guard leads way with 30 points The New York Knicks entered Game 1 of this year’s NBA finals on one of the hottest streaks in playoff history: 11 games won in a row with opponents humiliated, humbled and crushed along the way. On Wednseday night in San Antonio many believed that streak would end as they faced the Spurs, who had knocked out the defend…

Not much of the fabled golden generation remains, but the Red Devils have a winnable group and possess genuine quality in De Bruyne and Doku 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 to…

Rival Enrique Riquelme promises Rodri and Haaland Madrid without major silverware in last two seasons José Mourinho will return to manage Real Madrid if Florentino Pérez wins the club’s presidential election on Sunday, the sitting president confirmed on Wednesday as he campaigns for another term at the helm. Pérez, facing the renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme in the club’s first cont…

President likens South Lawn setup to Eiffel Tower Area will stage Freedom 250 fight card on 14 June Donald Trump has floated the idea of permanently keeping the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arena that is being constructed on the White House South Lawn for a series of fights later this month. In a video posted on his official TikTok account on Tuesday, the president likened the structure t…

We’ve looked at data from USA 1994 onwards to see how and when classic upsets take place – and what that could mean for this year’s competition This year, the biggest ever World Cup will feature 48 teams, an increase from 32, opening up the tournament to even more upsets, shocks and surprises. The vagaries of the World Cup draw have given rise to classic underdog victories over the years, from an…

Italian wins 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 against fourth seed Cobolli to face winner of Berrettini and Arnaldi Flavio Cobolli became a grand slam semi-finalist for the first time as the Italian 10th seed pulled off a stellar recovery from a set and a break down to defeat the fourth seed, Félix Auger-Aliassime, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the French Open quarter-finals. Cobolli’s victory also means there will be …