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Centre-back forced off in World Cup semi-finalArsenal say problem does not require surgeryArsenal, the Premier League champions, have been dealt a big injury blow after the centre-back William Saliba was ruled out for “an extended period” with a back injury.Saliba played with a back problem during France’s run to the World Cup semi-final and, although he will not require an operation, the 25-year-old is set for a significant spell on the sidelines. He was forced off with the injury after just 30 minutes of France’s last-four defeat by Spain. Continue reading...

Fenway Sports Group looks to be locked in talks with a consortium led by the son-in-law of Lakshmi Mittal, while the Amazon founder has now been linked Continue reading...

Richard Boardman was criticised by the managing judgePlayers want ‘firm with resources and specialist expertise’ Hundreds of former rugby league and rugby union players taking legal action against the game’s governing bodies are now “staring into the precipice”, according to the barrister representing the claimants, Susan Rodway KC.Richard Boardman, the solicitor who has been the organising force behind the litigation, has requested formally to come off the record after his handling of the case was criticised by the managing judge, Senior Master Cook. The case may now be taken over by Leigh Day, who has been working on it as consultants since February. Continue reading...

Too engrossed with the World Cup drama to keep up with goings-on in the transfer market? We’ve got you coveredAnnounced just before England’s soul-sucking semi-final defeat by Argentina, it would have been easy to miss Trossard’s £15.3m move to Istanbul. While, after three and a half seasons and at the age of 31, it feels like his time at Arsenal has come to a natural conclusion, he will be remembered as a player who scored in clutch moments and, ultimately, played a crucial role in the club’s first league title in 22 years. Trossard departs after 174 appearances and 36 goals, a significant portion of which came from the bench in times of desperate need. He will be missed and deserves to be revered as one of the cult heroes of the Mikel Arteta era. Will Magee Continue reading...

With just over 1,400 days to go until 2030 kicks off, the co-hosts are facing a series of challenges familiar to their South African predecessorsMorocco’s World Cup adventure came to a halt with their quarter-final defeat by France. But taking a break, even for a brief post-season summer, is no option for officials of the FRMF, the country’s football federation.The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), in its newly expanded 16-team format, begins in Rabat on Sunday, a week after the World Cup final in New Jersey, and Morocco then hosts the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the autumn. Continue reading...

Home rider Seixas yet to be tested at night, unlike some rivalsAuthorities deny French doping agency plays role in who is testedAnti-doping authorities at the Tour de France have rejected accusations of preferential treatment towards Paul Seixas, the teenage French rider and home favourite who is placed fourth overall.Seixas and his Decathlon CMA CGM team were tested, with the rest of the peloton, on Monday evening as part of the biological passport testing programme, but the 19-year-old has not yet been subjected to the nocturnal test that both the race leader Tadej Pogacar and the now-withdrawn Jonas Vingegaard underwent. Continue reading...

Most valuable franchise in the competition begin their season with ‘renewed energy and perhaps a bit of pizzazz’ When Jamie Overton reported to Lord’s last Friday for the start of the new Hundred season, he experienced something that, even in the often head-spinning world of franchise cricket, was extraordinary, potentially unique. Returning to a team he played for in 2025, he would have looked around the dressing room and seen none of his former teammates. He is the only survivor of the men’s squad from last year, part of a team that will be led by a new head coach, assisted by new coaches for batting, fielding, spin and pace bowling.“It definitely does feel like a different competition this year, because every team is effectively different,” he says. “Oval Invincibles were the best side over the last three or four years, but that’s spread out a little bit now and every side you look at them and go: ‘Oh yeah, they’ve got a good team.’ Continue reading...

Opening ceremony and several events yet to sell outProgramme reduced from last time city hosted in 2014Commonwealth Games organisers will hope for a late surge in ticket sales as Glasgow prepares to stage the opening ceremony on Thursday night, with seats still available across a number of events at the four competition venues despite the significantly reduced scale.The opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro still had adult tickets available on Wednesday, with prices ranging from £45 to £95. The 13,000-capacity arena will host live music, the parade of nations and the arrival of all 74 Commonwealth batons. The six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, who revealed in 2024 that he has stage-four cancer, will also take part. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!After the eye-watering excess of the Geopolitics World Cup, we can return to the modest, measured land of the domestic game. While our attention has been elsewhere, Manchester City have splashed £116m on Elliot Anderson. Chelsea, not to be outshone, have splurged £117m on Morgan Rogers. Even Tottenham have parted with £230m to revamp their mildly traumatised squad. Manchester United, who went down to Wrexham in their first pre-season friendly in Helsinki, have kept things modest, buying Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans for the same £85m Spurs have thrown in the direction of relegation’s West Ham for Mateus Fernandes.I was pleased with a lot of things that I saw in the game. We could do better. We could have taken more responsibility to have the ball instead of just watching and reacting … efficiency is very important at this level. When you don’t kill, you get killed” – new Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken chooses to focus on the positives after the, erm, 4-0 tonking by Sturm Graz in the first leg of their Bigger Cup qualifier.How’s your World Cup hangover? I must have been bored because I couldn’t help but notice that Tuesday was a rough day for British, Irish and British Overseas Territory club teams in Bigger Cup. Not only were Hearts, Larne, Shamrock Rovers and Lincoln Red Imps all beaten in their second qualifying round first legs, they didn’t manage a single goal among them! Rovers’ Cape Verdean Pico Lopes went from taking Argentina to extra time in Miami just a few weeks ago, to getting blanked by Ararat in Armenia. Larne were were given no home comforts on the coast of Northern Ireland by Red Star Belgrade, who brought on Marko Arnautovic, the Austria veteran who retired from his national side after exiting the GWC at the hands of Spain. Football just rolls on and on” – Peter Oh.Here we go again, another new face in the top job, you know the drill by now. Smiles, handshakes and social media soundbites. Claims of ‘understanding why people have been frustrated’, promises of ‘change’ and ‘progress’. Speculation about who’s being brought in to play a key role, and who’s out of favour. Sooner or later, the realisation there is no time or trust to make the difficult long-term changes everyone knows are necessary. Media pressure, infighting, the ‘need to act before it’s too late’. Out the door to be replaced by the next great hope, mainly distinguishable by having a different accent. All of which to say, good luck to Alessio Dionisi at Watford this season. Now to see what’s going on in UK politics …” – David Craddock.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...

With no national funding, England’s successful men’s amputee side is struggling to raise the £50,000 needed for November’s tournament in MexicoEvery time Scott Rogers walks into St George’s Park there is a sign on the wall that catches his eye. It boasts that the 330-acre site is the proud home of all England’s football teams. “I look at it every time and go, ‘Well, not all of them’” Rogers says.As head coach, Rogers guided the England men’s amputee team to the Nations League trophy in 2023. But while the Football Association funds six para national teams, amputee football is not among them. Continue reading...