Football

The Football Association’s decision to back Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup was “not difficult” after organisers gave “a lot of commitments”, its chair Debbie Hewitt says. Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the men’s tournament on Wednesday by football’s world governing body Fifa. Organisers have insisted everyone will be welcome,…

Seth Wickersham, ESPN Senior WriterDec 12, 2024, 08:00 AM ET Close Senior Writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine Joined ESPN The Magazine after graduating from the University of Missouri. Although he primarily covers the NFL, his assignments also have taken him to the Athens Olympics, the World Series, the NCAA tournament and the NHL…

Jango Baie made a superb start to his chasing career with a slick victory in the SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham. Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old bay was a Grade One novice winner over hurdles, with a second-placed point-to-point run further back on his record. He returned to jumping larger obstacles under rules in the…

Tottenham Hotspur are apparently prepared to offload midfielder Yves Bissouma to make room for the potential signing of one club’s captain, with Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou in need of inspiration amid an underwhelming run of form. Tottenham rescue 1-1 draw with Rangers in Europa League clash at Ibrox It was another evening to forget for…

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon as they aim to extend their lead at the top of the table against Fulham. The Reds had a rare weekend off following the postponement of the Merseyside derby but have seen their seven-point lead slashed to four as a result. With Chelsea and Arsenal in…

Wolves have stripped midfielder Mario Lemina of the captaincy after his altercation on the pitch at the end of Monday night’s defeat at West Ham. Lemina, 31, clashed with Jarrod Bowen when the pair went to shake hands as tempers boiled over after West Ham’s 2-1 win at the London Stadium. Lemina apologised earlier in…

Central defender Gabriel is set to return for Arsenal in their home clash with Everton tomorrow. The Brazil international has missed the Gunners’ last three games after aggravating a hamstring injury in the victory at West Ham on November 30. He is a commanding presence in both boxes and, although Arsenal have won two of…

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says he never spoke to rivals Manchester City about becoming Pep Guardiola’s replacement ahead of his his first derby in charge. The 39-year-old left Sporting to replace Erik ten Hag in late October, when he had been linked to City amid uncertainty over Guardiola’s future. The fact Sporting director of…

By ISABEL BALDWIN Published: 22:08 GMT, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 14:24 GMT, 13 December 2024 The details of Bill Belichick‘s staggering $50million deal to become the University of North Carolina‘s new head coach have been revealed – and it could be a lot easier for the 72-year-old to return to the NFL than expected. …

Ruben Amorim was previously linked as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola But the former Sporting boss insisted that Man United were his ‘only option’ LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Mason Mount? Marcus Rashford? Joshua Zirkzee? Who should Manchester United sell to raise funds?  By CHRIS WHEELER Published: 13:44 GMT, 13 December 2024 |…

United still a work in progress under their new head coach down in 13th place  Cityzens are experiencing a dramatic slump after seven defeats in 10 games  SOCCER A-Z: Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube. New episodes every Wednesday  By CHRIS WHEELER Published: 13:42 GMT, 13 December 2024 | Updated:…

Lawrence Dallaglio has taken to task the critics who believe the Investec Champions Cup isn’t as good as it once was. The format of the 30-year-old tournament has changed in recent seasons, while teams from South Africa have also been permitted to take part. “This has led to claims that the competition doesn’t grab the…

Rwanda’s president has confirmed the country’s plans to bring a Formula 1 race back to Africa amid ongoing discussions with the sport’s bosses. F1 has not raced in Africa since the 1993 South African Grand Prix in Kyalami, with plans to bring the event back to the calendar in recent years ultimately not materialising. F1…

This season has been full of ups and downs for Arsenal thus far. Mikel Arteta’s side have dropped points in games they really shouldn’t have, like last weekend, but have then bounced back with an emphatic win like they did against AS Monaco. However, while much of the team have been unpredictable and some way…

Changes to the FIA statutes have been granted at the General Assembly in Rwanda, affecting the roles of the ethics and audit committees at motorsport’s governing body. Under new plans, the responsibilities of the compliance officer would mean that power would be handed over to the FIA president and the president of its senate. It…

Liverpool’s Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah were respectively voted as the Premier League’s Manager and Player of the Month for November. The duo were at the epicentre of a stellar few weeks as the Merseyside giants strengthened their position at the summit of the Premier League table. Despite the postponement of the Merseyside derby last…

The World Cup 2026 qualifying draw has taken place with Thomas Tuchel’s England up against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in their group. Tuchel, the former Chelsea manager, officially takes over as head coach on January 1 and will take heart from the fact England have never lost to any of the teams they will face…

Oleksandr Usyk came close to stopping Tyson Fury in ninth round of their clash But Lennox Lewis claimed that Fury had used the ring ropes to his advantage  By ADRIAN BISHOP Published: 13:08 GMT, 13 December 2024 | Updated: 13:08 GMT, 13 December 2024 Lennox Lewis has claimed Tyson Fury was ‘playing’ when Oleksandr Usyk…

Manchester United have been monitoring Southampton starlet Tyler Dibling  The Red Devils have been linked with a £21m move for the midfielder   LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Mason Mount? Marcus Rashford? Joshua Zirkzee? Who should Manchester United sell to raise funds? By SPENCER MORGAN Published: 12:22 GMT, 13 December 2024 | Updated: 12:33 GMT,…