The Guardian

Mikel Arteta must find the balance between newfound freedom and tried-and-tested solidity against Luis Enrique’s attacking machine Welcome to Budapest: city of stew, city of pavement squares, city of men in cotton smocks offering brisk muscular relaxation in geothermally heated cubicles. Eleven days on from the profound emotional release of winning the Premier League title it seems fitting Arsena…

Tim Payne identified as least-known player by Argentinian influencer Campaign launched to make defender a ‘hero’ before tournament New Zealand defender Tim Payne has become an unlikely star after an influencer from Argentina called on his followers to unite and make the little-known 32-year-old a “hero” of the upcoming World Cup. El Scarso, a football influencer also known as Valen Scarsini, iden…

The England head coach has five key challenges to address in the buildup to next week’s first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s For all that the series was obviously a failure, England were competitive for periods of most of the Ashes Tests. But McCullum has repeatedly conceded that in the key moments when matches tend to be decided his side have a habit of stumbling. The question is why, and on…

Kuss completes grand tour stage win trilogy Vingegaard stays 4min 3sec clear of Gall in the GC Teammates Sepp Kuss and Jonas Vingegaard dominated the high mountains for Visma-Lease a Bike on Friday as the former claimed a historic solo victory on stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia, and the latter firmly defended his overall lead. By winning the brutal mountain stage atop Piani di Pezzè in the Dolomite…

Special report: Allegations of sexism, racism and expenses fiddling are flying in US courts, drawing in leading figures in motor racing and some famous names in music. But the precise role of Peter de Putron, a Jersey-based billionaire, is one of the most intriguing subjects On the track, the Williams Formula One team are attempting to revive former glories through their talented driving team of …

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Here we are in the dog days of May, with the European club football season playing out a slow, sultry finale as the Geopolitics World Cup bangs ever louder on the door. Legendary managers and beloved players have made tearful farewells , shiny pots handed out , spies spotted in slapstick circumstances. But wait! The big closing number is still t…

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Players colliding with hoardings and rain covers on courts ‘I hope they’re going to put them in a different place’ Iga Swiatek has called for the French Open to make changes to the layout of their courts after multiple players were forced to withdraw this week having been injured when tripping over obstacles at the back of the Roland Garros courts. On Friday, the Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez had …

Manager recalls Rangers tenure fondly before friendly Steve Clarke: Scotland should be qualifing regularly A smile flashed across the face of Dick Advocaat as he was reminded that, 27 years earlier to the day, he had watched his Rangers team complete a domestic treble at Hampden Park. “I was quite successful in this stadium, so you have to be careful tomorrow,” Advocaat said. Little could anyone …

In the runup to the Champions League final, the Arsenal manager’s first footballing steps in the Basque Country and Barcelona are recalled by those who shared them The way Santi Cazorla tells it, rolling about laughing, Mikel Arteta may just be the worst person you could ever wish to watch a match with. Which is why he knew his friend would be a coach and why he told him to go away and become one…

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. …