Author: James Brooks

Africa’s referee of the year Omar Artan has touched down in Mogadishu after being denied entry to the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The 34-year-old was set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup finals before being turned away at Miami International Airport on Monday. Artan held a diplomatic passport and a valid single entry US visa but was still denied entry, with no official reason provided by US immigration authorities. Somalia is among the countries subject to a travel ban introduced by President Donald Trump, which placed a full entry ban under…

The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on Thursday, with the final scheduled for 19 July at the MetLife Stadium near New York City. Forty-eight nations will compete across 104 matches over 39 days, spread across co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States, with holders Argentina also among the contenders. BBC Sport’s pundits have shared their predictions, with France emerging as the most popular pick among the panel of experts asked to assess the tournament’s likely winner. Alan Shearer has backed France, but with a caveat: “France, but there’s a caveat that comes with it…

Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson believes her side have the quality to qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Her confidence follows a commanding 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic, which secured Wales top spot in Group B1. The result means Wales will take a more favourable route through the play-offs, with the draw scheduled for 18 June. Despite the positive outcome, Wales must still navigate two two-legged ties against European opponents before securing a place at the tournament. One of those ties is likely to be against a League A side, and Wales may also face an…

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon sat in a London consulting room in March 2026 and heard words that would chill any professional athlete to the bone. Spine specialist Usamah Jannoun told the 43-year-old Hearts stopper, in no uncertain terms, what the treatment for his neck injury could involve. “You’ve read the information leaflet,” Jannoun told Gordon. “You could get paralysis, you could die.” That stark warning makes Gordon’s presence at the World Cup in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the most remarkable stories in Scottish football history. Behind-the-scenes footage of the consultation features in Icons of Football, a BBC Scotland documentary…

England beat Ukraine 3-0 on Tuesday night, but the result was ultimately irrelevant as automatic World Cup qualification slipped beyond their grasp. The Lionesses required Iceland to do them a favour in the other Group A3 fixture, but Spain delivered a crushing 6-1 victory in Reykjavik to seal top spot. Sarina Wiegman’s side, who have won back-to-back European Championships, will now face a two-round play-off process to secure their place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Defending world champions Spain topped the group on head-to-head record, with both sides having beaten each other at home during the campaign.…

Fifa’s grip on its own World Cup is being seriously questioned after Africa’s leading referee was turned away at a US airport. Omar Artan, Somalia’s top referee and one of 52 officials selected for the 2026 World Cup, flew into Miami to begin his preparations for the tournament. After what he describes as an 11-hour interrogation by immigration officials, Artan was placed on a return flight without being permitted to enter the country. Artan had earned his place at the World Cup through a remarkable 2025, becoming the first Somali to take charge of a continental final. In June 2025,…

The Independent Football Regulator has confirmed it is “in contact” with West Ham and seeking “urgent information” from David Sullivan relating to his suitability as an owner. Sullivan stood down as co-chair on 7 June, saying he wanted to focus on fighting what he called “factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life.” BBC Panorama and the Times uncovered allegations from seven women that the billionaire abused his power and preyed on them for sex, in some cases when they were in their late teens. Sullivan says he categorically denies the claims, but the fallout has plunged…

In Los Angeles, Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup has ignited fierce debate long before the team has kicked a single ball. For Iranian-American activist Roozbeh Farahanipour, football and politics are entirely inseparable when it comes to this tournament. “The Iranian team is not playing. The Islamic Republic’s team is,” says Farahanipour, who fled Iran in 2000 after years of political activism. Farahanipour serves as chief executive of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and is a prominent voice within the city’s large Iranian community. Los Angeles, and specifically the Westwood neighbourhood long nicknamed “Tehrangeles”, is home to…

BBC Sport has introduced a brand new predictor game to cover this year’s World Cup, available across both the BBC Sport website and app. The game covers all 48 teams and 104 matches across the tournament, giving users the chance to predict the outcome of every single fixture. Players must choose a winner or a draw for each match, with no option to change a prediction once it has been submitted. The game also introduces a streak feature, rewarding players who check in every day to submit their predictions across each round of fixtures. If a player misses a round,…

Sunday league football does something to people. A disputed offside call or a last-minute winner does not stay on the pitch. It follows everyone to the pub, where the real argument starts. These exchanges rarely stay local. They drift toward Premier League fixtures, Champions League drama, upcoming internationals. What starts as banter about a mate’s missed penalty shifts into something more serious. Form. Tactics. Outcomes. The conversation has a life of its own. Someone mentions a top-four finish. Another weighs in on whether a struggling side can turn things around. Before long, the table is dissecting not just what happened,…