… BBC Sport has found tickets for matches involving the smaller nations are now available well below face value – across Fifa’s own resale site and secondary marketplaces. …
… n Alexander Zverev in Tuesday’s quarter-final, he will become the new favourite to be victorious on Sunday. “On one hand, it would have been unthinkable a few months ago that Jodar could even be competing in a Grand Slam,” Spanish tennis journalist Alejandro Ciriza told BBC Sport …
… He has been bailed while our enquiries continue.” A source close to Sterling confirmed the arrest but told BBC Sport there was “no proof” of drugs in his system. …
… eally make big threats like that unless we’re fully ready to do it. “But if it gets to a point where something does have to change if we are ignored, that’s a conversation to have.” French Open Sunday, 24 May – Sunday, 7 June Live text commentaries of key matches on the BBC Sport …
President Trump confirmed he asked FIFA to review US striker Folarin Balogun's one-match World Cup suspension, which was suspended for 12 months, allowing Balogun to play in the last-16 tie against Belgium. Trump said he spoke to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and that he didn't believe the red card was a foul, but stressed he only asked for a review and did not pressure FIFA to make the decision.
President Trump confirmed he asked FIFA to review US striker Folarin Balogun's one-match World Cup suspension, which was suspended for 12 months, allowing Balogun to play in the last-16 tie against Belgium. Trump said he spoke to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and that he didn't believe the red card was a foul, but stressed he only asked for a review and did not pressure FIFA to make the decision.
Nottingham Forest has parted ways with manager Vitor Pereira and is poised to appoint former Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner as his successor, with a deal virtually complete. Glasner, who led Palace to the Europa Conference League title last season, will become Forest's fifth manager in fewer than 12 months.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada generates "more than enough" income that could make the tournament affordable without high ticket and transport prices for supporters. Fifa stands to earn nearly $9bn from the tournament, more than the Paris 2024 Olympics, yet first-round game tickets range from $350 to $5,000 and transport costs to matches remain elevated despite some fare reductions.
Manchester City have agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest to sign England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, for £116m, described by City sources as a club record with no bonuses attached, though other sources claim the deal is worth up to £130m and would represent a British record transfer fee.
Morocco defeated Haiti 2-1 in a Group C match, with Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine scoring late goals after Haiti had twice taken the lead. Morocco advanced as runners-up in the group and will face either the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden in the last 32, while Haiti were eliminated from the tournament.
Leading tennis players will expand their protest over prize money at Wimbledon, restricting post-match media appearances to 15 minutes during the first week of the Championships starting Monday, despite a 20% increase in this year's prize money pot. The 15-minute limit is meant to symbolise the 15% of revenue that Grand Slams broadly allocate to prize money.
Senegal's World Cup campaign has been overshadowed by disputes over bonuses and payments, a late change of chef, and complaints over food, with concerns that off-pitch issues could affect team performance on the field.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino says World Cup hydration breaks are "purely a sporting matter" designed to help players cope with extreme heat and create equal conditions for all nations, and bring no additional revenue to FIFA since commercial agreements were signed in advance.
Manchester City are closing in on appointing former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as manager on a three-year deal after reaching an agreement on compensation well in excess of £10m with Chelsea, one month after Pep Guardiola announced he will leave the club.
Goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves to help World Cup debutants Curacao secure a 0-0 draw against Ecuador, equalling the record for most saves in 90 minutes of World Cup action since 1966. Room's performance was compared to Tim Howard, who matched the save count in 2014 but conceded twice in extra time.
The expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup will see the top two teams from each of 12 groups advance to the last 32, along with eight third-placed teams, with new tiebreaker rules and complex scheduling across three host countries making qualification patterns complex.
Thomas Tuchel threw the first pitch at Kansas City Royals' stadium as England's squad enjoyed downtime following their 4-2 victory over Croatia. Squad members not used in the match played a separate 5-1 friendly against Sporting KC, with Ivan Toney scoring a hat-trick.
Jude Bellingham said external pressure over his England selection may help him perform at his best during the World Cup. The 22-year-old started against Croatia and scored England's third goal in a 4-2 win, saying he felt "fresh and sharp" after a tougher season marked by injury and his club Real Madrid finishing eight points behind Barcelona.
Serena and Venus Williams have been awarded a wildcard to compete in the women's doubles at Wimbledon. Serena, 44, is making a comeback after four years away from competition, while Venus, 45, will join her at the All England Club.
Tunisia have terminated head coach Sabri Lamouchi's contract by mutual agreement following the side's 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening World Cup 2026 fixture. Former Morocco and Saudi Arabia manager Herve Renard has been appointed to lead Tunisia for the remainder of the tournament.
England defender John Stones, 32, has been selected for the World Cup squad after considering retirement last October due to injuries. Stones credits his mental strength for overcoming the difficult period and says he is proud of his ability to recover from setbacks and return to top form.
Defender Josko Gvardiol has agreed a new contract with Manchester City until summer 2031, extending his previous deal that was set to expire in 2028, and ending speculation about moves to Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
FIFA is seeking an explanation from VAR official Shaun Evans over a hand gesture he made before Germany's 7-1 win over Curacao, which could be interpreted as either harmless or connected to white supremacy, sparking social media speculation.
A US official said 34-year-old Somali referee Omar Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, was denied entry at Miami International Airport because of his "association with suspected members of terror organisations." Artan was set to be the first Somali to referee at a World Cup finals but was turned away despite holding a diplomatic passport and a valid US visa; he told the New York Times that border officials questioned him over links to Al Shabab and that he knows nothing about the group.
Omar Artan, a 34-year-old Somali referee and Africa's 2025 referee of the year, was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport on Monday because of alleged "association with suspected members of terror organisations," according to a Trump administration official. Artan, who held a diplomatic passport and single-entry US visa and was set to become the first Somali to referee at a World Cup finals, was questioned about links to Al Shabab and told border officials he knew nothing about the group.
Christian Eriksen collapsed during a Denmark match against Ukraine in Odense on Sunday but is now at home with his family and says he is "doing well." The 34-year-old midfielder, who was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator after a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020, says his ICD "did exactly what it was designed to do" and his recovery has begun.
Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, is returning to competitive tennis after nearly four years away to compete in doubles at Queen's, saying she has "nothing to prove" and is mainly motivated by the prospect of her daughters seeing her play again.
With one week until the 2026 World Cup, thousands of tickets remain available for sale well below face value across multiple platforms, contradicting FIFA's promise of a sold-out event. New York and New Jersey attorneys general have launched an investigation into FIFA's ticket practices, alleging artificially inflated prices and misleading fans.
Liverpool are pursuing ex-Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as their next head coach following Arne Slot's sacking, with Iraola keen to bring his assistant Tommy Elphick to Anfield. The 43-year-old Spaniard is the clear favourite for the role as Liverpool seek a manager who can deliver front-foot, aggressive football.
Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with Andoni Iraola to become head coach following the sacking of Arne Slot, with a two-year deal expected. A formal announcement confirming Iraola's appointment is expected this week.
Rafael Jodar, a 19-year-old Spanish player making his Grand Slam main-draw debut on the Paris clay, has emerged as a dark horse for the Coupe des Mousquetaires after rapid progress from being ranked 707th a year ago. Seeded 27th, Jodar will face German Alexander Zverev in Tuesday's quarter-final, with a victory putting him among the favourites for the title.
Raheem Sterling has been arrested on suspicion of drug-driving after allegedly crashing his Lamborghini into barriers on the M3 in Hampshire on Thursday morning. The 31-year-old has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka lost 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 to Jesper De Jong in his final French Open on Monday, though he will not officially retire until October's Swiss Indoors in Basel. Wawrinka, 41, called the venue witness to the best match of his life—his 2015 final victory over Novak Djokovic—and wore a memento of the iconic plaid shorts from that performance.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka and other leading players, including Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, cut their French Open media duties to 15 minutes in protest at prize money allocation, believing players deserve a greater share of Grand Slam tournament revenue than the current 15% offered.
Manchester City confirmed that manager Pep Guardiola will depart after Sunday's final match of the season, ending a 10-year tenure in which he led the club to 17 major trophies including six Premier League titles. Enzo Maresca, a former Chelsea manager who worked under Guardiola at City, is the frontrunner to replace him.