The Guardian

Thomas Tuchel wants to ‘put a second star on the shirt’ after making big selection calls, but what will be Jude Bellingham’s role? 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 k…

Australia, the US and Paraguay will have their work cut out to match the Crescent Stars’ young midfield but a shaky defence is a genuine concern Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella has been building one of the nation’s strongest teams in living memory . A youth-driven squad with two genuine stars – Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz – several players were not even born when the Crescent Stars last qualified …

Northampton scrum-half reflects on his lifelong international ambitions, playing with freedom and his club’s Prem semi-final against Leicester Plenty of aspiring young players will relate to how Archie McParland once felt. Northampton’s fast-emerging scrum-half, on the verge of a full England debut this summer, possessed the requisite talent but not always the freedom of expression to maximise it…

In theory the hosts have an easy route to the last four, but even a weakened Australia team are still, well, Australia Just after midday last Sunday the England captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, smashed the India captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, for six off Waterloo Bridge, straight into the Thames. The scratch-match, which involved all 12 competing captains, was part of a chaotic, eye-catching event to launc…

Sources say it would have breached regulations to tell WSL or team details of safeguarding investigation into Sullivan Neither the Women’s Super League nor West Ham United women’s team were aware of the restrictions placed on David Sullivan’s interaction with the team, the Guardian has learned. Sullivan, who is West Ham’s largest shareholder, has faced restrictions on his contact with the women’s…

20-year-old finished in blistering time of 12.75sec First world record at NCAA championships since 1976 American Ja’Kobe Tharp broke the 110m hurdles world record with a blistering time of 12.75sec at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on Wednesday. Tharp’s effort in the heats of the 110m hurdles improved upon the previous world record mark of 12.80…

Ted Lasso will deliver a message of hope before the USA’s first game, in an America that is not a fit or desirable host right now Shortly before 6pm local time on Friday night at the Los Angeles Stadium, the actor who plays Ted Lasso – the fictional manager of a fake team in a falsely heartwarming version of football – will tell hundreds of millions of TV viewers tuning in to watch the start of t…

Rob Key says ECB need time to consider future ECB chiefs were in ‘shock’ after nightclub incident The England and Wales Cricket Board is considering imposing a complete ban on alcohol while players are on international duty as they ponder the best response to the incident at a Chelsea nightclub that led to Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson being dropped for next week’s second Test against New Zealand, …

O’Neill signs one-year contract with one-year option 74-year-old aiming for ‘more days like those’ after double Martin O’Neill said his appetite was whetted by winning a double last month to deliver “more days like those” at Celtic, after he was confirmed as their manager on a one-year contract with a one-year option. O’Neill had two interim spells last season and finished it by securing the Scot…

New York’s 29-point comeback in Game 4 was the largest in NBA finals history. For a team forged by disappointment, it felt strangely inevitable What does a team of destiny look like? You know it when you see it. The evidence has been mounting for weeks – months, even – that this year, despite decades of precedent to the contrary, that team is the New York Knicks. On Wednesday night, the proof ove…

All England Club announce 20% rise from last year Increase unlikely to appease tennis player group Wimbledon has announced the biggest prize money increase in the history of the Championships, but the rise may not appease the top tennis players in dispute with the grand slam tournaments. The All England Club revealed a prize money purse of £64.2m, a 20% increase from last year and a £10.7m rise. …

If you had the chance to meet Diego Maradona, what would you do? Smell him? That’s what our chief sports writer, Barney Ronay, did at the 2018 World Cup during Argentina’s first group game of the competition. To keep up with more of Barney’s adventures in his World Cup video diary, follow @guardian_sport on TikTok. Continue reading...

National League sides write to FA as backlash intensifies Plans viewed as ‘a disaster waiting to happen’ An alliance of 52 Women’s National League clubs who oppose plans for Women’s Super League’s academy sides to be added to the third tier of the English pyramid have written to the Football Association to call for a vote on the matter. The clubs, which represent a more than two-thirds majority o…

Head coach failed to save club from relegation Wolves have signed Kieran Trippier and Raúl Jiménez Wolverhampton Wanderers have sacked Rob Edwards, the former Middlesbrough head coach they hired last November , after he was unable to guide the struggling Midlands club to Premier League safety. Edwards signed a three-and-a-half year deal when he was appointed and took over Wolves following the sac…

⚽️ Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ in response to Fifa’s critics ⚽️ Match centre | Player guide | Bracketology | Mail Tom WSL: City sign Charles . Manchester City have agreed a £500,000 deal to sign the England full-back Niamh Charles from Chelsea, the Guardian understands, with the transfer expected to be completed soon. The 26-year-old, who has 34 senior international caps for the Lionesses and…