The Guardian

The Samurai Blue’s toughest opponents are themselves. The Australian coach would help them kick down the door to football’s global elite As Japan’s players burst into tears after losing to Brazil in the 96th minute of their last-32 match to make it five losses in five World Cup knockout games, a pundit on British television neatly summed it up. “It’s heartbreaking for Japan,” he said. “As a natio…

As the mercury rises at this year’s World Cup, we asked former Republic of Ireland footballers Jason McAteer and John Aldridge about the infamous match in Orlando that was played in 43 degree heat “Some of the boys were melting,” says Jason McAteer as he recalls one of the most notorious matches in World Cup history. “Especially Steve Staunton and Tommy Coyne, they really struggled in the heat.” …

Rafael Leão dropped to his knees. His cross had just been flicked into the net by Gonçalo Ramos to take Portugal to the last 16 of the World Cup. Leão’s expression was not one of delight, but relief. Billed as the last dance for two footballing icons, it was Luka Modrić who, at the age of 40, had to leave what will surely be his final World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, plays on, and both sc…

⚽️ Kick-off time: 8pm local/1pm AEST/4am BST/11pm EDT ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Martin Johan Manzambi is no longer a secret weapon for Switzerland with the 20-year-old scoring three goals, and adding an assist, through the group stage. There are suggestions that the versatile midfielder could be on the move from Freiburg to Newcastle as a potential replacement for Sandro…

FA’s preferred acclimatisation option ruled out Tuchel reveals Declan Rice came off ‘in terrible pain’ Thomas Tuchel says England will be at a “huge” disadvantage in the high altitude of Mexico City on Sunday when they face Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup as he lamented a Fifa rule that has shut down one possible acclimatisation plan. The Football Association has looked into how the altitu…

England will arrive at the tournament’s pulsating heart to find expectations soaring and the streets and bars abuzz The shirt sellers are out en masse in the streets around Zócalo, the vast main square in Mexico City. The national team have never captured imaginations quite like this and there is almost unlimited demand for a jersey that, even before El Tri sealed a potentially epochal last-16 ti…

The group stage is something you have to do but the World Cup starts here, Lamine Yamal had insisted, and down on the Pacific that was how it played out. It wasn’t that Spain defeated Austria to reach the last 16 where they will face Portugal or Croatia, their first victory at the knockout stage since they were champions back in 2010; it was that on an enjoyable sunny afternoon they were Spain ag…

England beat South Africa by 40 runs Women’s T20 World Cup hosts through to Lord’s final England launched themselves into the T20 World Cup final after defeating South Africa by 40 runs at the Oval on Thursday evening. Emotions ran high, especially after England were left reeling at 23 for three having been put in to bat. But with a crowd of 21,000 roaring them on, the World Cup hosts finished up…

Sheffield Utd player ‘felt she couldn’t speak’ to hierarchy Coroner told of serious loss of club’s medical data The mother of Maddy Cusack told an inquest it is too difficult for women footballers to report grievances, for fear of being blacklisted, and said her daughter would still be alive if “her nemesis” Jonathan Morgan had not been appointed as Sheffield United’s manager. Deborah Cusack said…

Fery defeats Otto Virtanen 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-3 Madison Keys beats Swan 6-1, 6-4 in second round The Princess of Wales was on a roving mission to follow the fortunes of the British players on Thursday and, though she was not long detained on No 1 Court, where Katie Swan went down in straight sets to Madison Keys, there was more to cheer on court 18 as Arthur Fery – born in France but raised a s…

Italian wins 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 in second round Next faces the unseeded American Jenson Brooksby Jannik Sinner is not making it easy for himself this year. Matches he would have expected to sprint through here have become mini-marathons and there is the small matter of another ­heatwave arriving in London this weekend, which, as we saw in Paris , is his kryptonite. More worrying, as Sinner ­ad…

Teenager wins 3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in match held over Zverev and De Minaur reach round three in straight sets This is Rafael Jodar’s first Wimbledon and yet the way the 19-year-old plays and talks, you would think he is playing his 10th. Trailing two sets to one to another Spaniard, Pablo Carrenño Busta, in a match held over from the previous evening when the light ran out, he could easily hav…

Mexico have a formidable record in their iconic stadium but for many it will always be associated with one player As soon as the World Cup draw was completed in Washington DC last December, the date went into the diary, circled in bold by every England fan that hoped to travel, and millions more who knew they would not. Sunday 5 July, Mexico City. If everything went to plan and Thomas Tuchel’s te…

‘It’s very much on our mind’: Tour’s technical director Extreme weather could impact the peloton on Sunday The 2026 Tour de France , which starts in Barcelona on Saturday, is steeling itself for climate change disruption with another extreme heatwave predicted to return to Europe in the coming days which could see stages cancelled. “It’s something that’s very much on our mind,” said Thierry Gouve…

Regulations likely to cut Silverstone’s straight-line speeds ‘It’s just a completely different track,’ says Hamilton The Formula One world champion Lando Norris and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton have doubled down on fears voiced by Max Verstappen that this weekend’s British Grand Prix will be a fundamentally different experience, with their cars struggling for power on the high-speed circuit…