The Guardian

Our cartoonist looks at Australia’s involvement at the tournament with a place in the knockout phase tantalisingly close Continue reading...

All 48 teams have played their first matches. From xG to assists to transfer value, here’s some of the more revealing bits of data The first round of fixtures at the World Cup is in the bank so we’ve finally seen all 48 teams. But what have we learned? Who was good, bad, lucky or fired after just one game? A dig into the Opta data has revealed some facts that may not have been immediately apparen…

⚽ Kick-off time: 12pm local/2am AEST/5pm BST/12pm EDT ⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Daniel Mike Costello, the legendary boxing commentator, tells a story of when he was fresh in the game, an old pro heard him getting dead excited calling a fight that wasn’t Hagler-Hearns , so issued some advice: always leave yourself somewhere to go. For those of us involved in a similar kind…

Stunning Barcelona triumph has kickstarted veteran’s push to win a record eighth drivers’ championship but Kimi Antonelli still stands in way When the soaring emotions began to settle one question remained. After his life‑affirming maiden win for Ferrari in Barcelona, is Lewis Hamilton in contention for the Formula One drivers’ championship? Typically, in a sport where there are innumerable compe…

️ Updates from the opening round at Shinnecock Hills ️ Preview | Follow us on Instagram | Mail David Exactly an hour since play was suspended. Still looks pretty foggy. Official US Open weather update: “Round 1 remains suspended. Next update: 8:00am. ET.” That’s 1pm UK so we’ll know more in around five minutes. Players currently in the practice areas, working on some chipping and putting. Continu…

Striker will miss match against Germany in Toronto Was arrested over alleged ‘organised fraud’ in Ligue 1 The Côte d’Ivoire striker Elye Wahi, who is being investigated for alleged fixing, has not been authorised to travel to Canada for his team’s World Cup match against Germany, the Côte d’Ivoire football federation (FIF) said on Thursday. FIF said Wahi would not be able to travel with the squad…

England to play Ukraine or Slovakia if they beat Greece Scotland probably face Sweden if they win first game England will need to overcome Greece and either Slovakia or Ukraine to qualify for 2027’s Women’s World Cup, while Scotland were handed a significantly tougher-looking draw and will probably need to beat Sweden, one of women’s football’s most successful nations, if they first beat Czechia,…

All the latest from the royal meeting Thursday’s previews and tips | Mail Tony 3.05 KING GEORGE V STAKES HANDICAP preview Plenty of future Group-race winners have won this handicap for three-year-olds in the past, and plenty have been beaten in it too, as it is a race that generally throws up a hard luck story or three. All but a handful of the 19 runners have shown enough promise already to be c…

Midfielder is hopeful for trophy-laden spell after bidding farewell to Madrid and challenges Scotland to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil June 2026 is a month Caroline Weir is unlikely to forget. She scored seven goals in two Scotland games as the team clinched top spot in their World Cup qualifying group, watched on with joy at 2am as Scotland’s men secured their first World Cup …

Club triggered £34.5m release clause for Osasuna forward Head coach keen on player’s versatility and pace The Osasuna winger Víctor Muñoz will become the first signing of Andoni Iraola’s reign at Liverpool after the club triggered a £34.5m release clause, beating Newcastle to his signature. Muñoz will sign a six-year contract after undergoing a medical on Wednesday in Atlanta, where he is part of…

Updates from the second day’s play at the Oval Day one report | Sign up for the Spin | Mail Taha Well, that was nice: a semi-normal day of Test cricket, wickets in single figures, enough there for the quicks, New Zealand’s batters able to get in … with only Glenn Phillips still on course to go big. Of course, this isn’t a normal Test at all for England, with three debutants in the mix alongside a…

Former British No 1 is axed after 23 years at the mic ‘I am lucky to have the best gig in sports broadcasting’ Andrew Castle has confirmed that Wimbledon this year will be his last at the commentator’s mic, the former British No 1 leaving the “best gig in sports broadcasting” after more than two decades as the BBC makes changes to its coverage. The 62-year-old, who will remain in post as the All …

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Nick Ames , Lucy Ward and Jacob Steinberg as England start their World Cup in style Continue reading...

Covering a tournament, my smartwatch showed my heart rate was 10-20 beats above normal. How luxurious to half-watch I fell asleep at some point during the Netherlands v Japan game. It had been a hot and drowsy day by the shores of Lake Annecy, a square and heavy heat, where the sun and the driving and the food and the boxed wine gently squeeze all the life from your body, like air being pressed o…