Author: James Brooks

Saudi Arabia’s pre-World Cup friendly against Puerto Rico in Austin, Texas was suspended for nearly two hours due to a severe thunderstorm. The match at Q2 Stadium was halted in the 21st minute after lightning and thunderstorms forced players from the pitch, with fans directed to seek shelter inside the ground. Multiple lightning strikes were recorded during the delay before the game eventually resumed, with Saudi Arabia running out 3-0 winners. The incident raises fresh concerns about weather conditions ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which begins across Canada, Mexico and the United States on 11 June. The tournament is…

Iran’s football team has been granted visas to enter the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, US officials have confirmed. The approval arrives just ten days before Iran’s opening group fixture against New Zealand, which is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on 15 June. “The visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued,” officials confirmed in a statement. US officials also warned they would not allow the Iranian team to “abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses,”…

Desmond Armstrong arrived at the 1990 World Cup in Italy not to applause, but to a question that said everything about the era he was entering. “Why aren’t you playing basketball?” a journalist asked Armstrong, then a 25-year-old defender, who was about to make history as the first US-born black player to represent his country at a World Cup. “The stereotype was ‘you’re an American and you’re black, so you should be playing basketball’,” Armstrong tells BBC Sport, recalling the moment with remarkable clarity decades later. The question itself reflected a wider scepticism surrounding the USA’s presence at the tournament,…

Thomas Tuchel faces a significant challenge keeping his England squad focused amid a summer transfer window running parallel to the World Cup tournament. Several players in Tuchel’s 26-man squad are carrying unresolved club futures into the competition, creating an unavoidable layer of distraction throughout the camp. Clubs are continuing to pursue deals during the five-week tournament, with agents maintaining constant contact with their clients regardless of international commitments. Tuchel has acknowledged the difficulty of shielding his players from outside noise, accepting that transfer activity during major tournaments is simply a reality of modern football. “If I said to the players…

Scotland secured a commanding 6-0 victory over Israel in Budapest, but the result was overshadowed by a serious injury concern involving Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert. The match, played at the Bozsik Arena — home of Honved — served as Scotland’s designated home fixture due to Uefa ruling that all Israel games must be held at neutral venues for security reasons. Only a handful of friends and family were permitted inside the 8,000-capacity stadium, making the silence that fell when Cuthbert went down even more unsettling than it might otherwise have been. Cuthbert was making a late driving run when she…

England’s heaviest defeat in 17 years leaves their automatic World Cup qualification hopes in serious doubt after a sobering night in Majorca. A win or draw would have secured the Lionesses a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup, but a comprehensive 4-0 drubbing changed everything. Manager Sarina Wiegman admitted the result “hurts” and acknowledged a clear gap between the two sides on the night. “I expected a very tight game. There was a difference tonight because we were disappointing – and it hurts,” said Wiegman after the match. England now return home knowing only a win against Ukraine on…

The timeline of the rivalry between Leeds United and Manchester United, known as the Roses rivalry, is one of the most storied and deeply rooted feuds in English football history. Its origins stretch back far beyond football itself, rooted in the historical conflict between the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire during the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. Although Leeds and Manchester sit over 40 miles apart, the fierce regional pride between the two cities has never faded and remains embedded in both clubs. Independent research by the Football Fans Census confirmed that both Leeds and Manchester United…

Martin O’Neill is set to continue as Celtic manager after agreeing a new one-year contract with the option of a further year at Parkhead. The 74-year-old held talks with club major shareholder Dermot Desmond earlier this week, with both parties reaching agreement on his continued involvement. Celtic have yet to officially confirm the appointment, though the deal is understood to be in place and finalised. O’Neill’s return to management at Celtic came in two separate interim spells throughout the 2025-26 season, first arriving in late October following Brendan Rodgers’ departure. He oversaw eight games on that initial temporary basis before…

Robertson has officially joined Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer after departing Liverpool when his contract expired this summer. The Scotland captain, aged 32, will formally become a Spurs player on 1 July following the end of his long and decorated spell at Anfield. Robertson’s move to north London was not straightforward, with Tottenham first targeting the left-back during the January transfer window under then-manager Thomas Frank. A deal was agreed between the clubs in January, but Liverpool pulled out after they were unable to recall Kostas Tsimikas from his loan spell at Roma. With Robertson now a free agent,…

Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Gabriel, and David Raya have been shortlisted for the PFA men’s player of the year award for the 2025-26 season. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City pair Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki complete a six-man shortlist for the prestigious annual prize. Fernandes enters the vote as a strong favourite after winning the Football Writers’ Association men’s footballer of the year award earlier this month. The FWA award has historically served as a reliable indicator of who will go on to claim the PFA equivalent. The Portuguese midfielder produced a record-breaking 21 Premier League assists this season,…