Author: Rowan Clarke

Real Madrid have seen a 150 million euro offer for Julian Alvarez firmly rejected by city rivals Atletico Madrid in emphatic and humorous fashion. Real president Florentino Perez had pledged last week to make a 150 million euro offer for a so-called “galactico” player if re-elected to his position. Having successfully retained control on Sunday, Perez followed through on his promise by submitting the bid for the 26-year-old Argentina forward. Atletico were having none of it, pointing to Alvarez’s release clause of 500 million euros, equivalent to approximately £430 million. In a formal statement, Real said: “Following the meeting of…

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has been banned from contact with the club’s women’s and youth teams for the past three years due to safeguarding concerns. The Football Association launched a safeguarding investigation in 2023 after receiving allegations about the conduct of Sullivan, who was then co-chair of West Ham United. A safeguarding group comprising the club, the FA, and the local authority collectively agreed to bar Sullivan from accessing the youth and women’s sections of his own club. The ban, which has remained in place to the present day, also prevented Sullivan from attending matches involving those teams. Despite…

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed that Bukayo Saka’s fitness is being closely monitored as preparations for the World Cup continue. The Arsenal forward suffered a muscle injury earlier in 2026 but returned to help his club win the Premier League title during their run-in. Tuchel confirmed that despite Saka’s return to action, the attacker still requires a careful approach as England build his fitness back up ahead of the tournament. “We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo [Saka] who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign,” Tuchel told…

Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha is set to leave the England training camp this week after leaving a significant impression on manager Thomas Tuchel and his teammates. The 17-year-old was named man-of-the-match on his debut as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s 1-0 World Cup warm-up victory over New Zealand, despite not being part of England’s official 26-man squad. England face their final pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday, and attention has turned to whether Tuchel will hand Ngumoha another opportunity before they part ways. Tuchel now has a full squad available following the arrivals of Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo…

Somali referee Omar Artan has spoken out after being denied entry to the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, insisting he carried the correct documentation. Artan was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup finals before being barred at Miami International Airport. He was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview before ultimately being refused entry and placed in a holding cell for several additional hours. He was then put on a flight back to Istanbul, Turkey, ending his hopes of participating in the tournament. “I had the right papers and everything.…

Iran’s football federation has confirmed that its allocation of fan tickets for the World Cup group stage has been revoked just days before the tournament begins. The World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, gets underway on Thursday, with Iran set to face New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, both in Los Angeles. Iran will then play their final group game against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June, rounding off what has been an extraordinarily turbulent build-up to the tournament. Under Fifa regulations, each participating federation is entitled to 8% of the available…

BBC Sport’s World Cup commentators have identified 20 players outside the Premier League worth watching as the tournament gets underway across the United States, Canada and Mexico. A record 1,248 players can feature at this summer’s competition, with 891 of them appearing at their first World Cup and plenty of unfamiliar faces ready to announce themselves on the global stage. Ivory Coast teenager Yan Diomande, 19, has been one of the most sought-after signatures in European football after registering 21 goal contributions for RB Leipzig in 33 Bundesliga appearances this season. Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, just 17, became his country’s youngest…

Former England winger Theo Walcott has declared Marcus Rashford a guaranteed starter for England at this summer’s World Cup, calling him the player he is “most psyched about.” Rashford’s international career had stalled badly after Gareth Southgate left him out of the Euro 2024 squad, with the forward going 12 months without an England cap between March 2024 and 2025. Thomas Tuchel handed Rashford a route back into the fold, and the 28-year-old has featured in every Three Lions squad under the German manager aside from a June 2025 absence through hamstring injury. A loan spell at Barcelona proved the…

Crystal Palace have held formal talks with Lens manager Pierre Sage as they continue their search for a new head coach this summer. The Premier League club are looking to fill the vacancy left by Oliver Glasner, who departed Selhurst Park at the end of last season. Sage, 47, has emerged as a serious target for the Eagles, with BBC Sport previously identifying him as one of the leading candidates for the position. Palace have now made direct contact with Lens to begin discussions over a financial package that would release the Frenchman from his contract with the Ligue 1…

Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed former England full-back Kieran Trippier on a free transfer, with negotiations also underway to re-sign striker Raul Jimenez. Trippier departed Newcastle at the end of the season when his contract expired, and has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at Molineux. The 35-year-old made 160 appearances for Newcastle following his arrival from Atletico Madrid in January 2022, establishing himself as one of the club’s key figures. Trippier also earned 54 caps for England between 2017 and 2024, cementing his reputation as one of the country’s most experienced full-backs of his generation. Head coach Rob…