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Japan continued their impressive form at the Women’s World Cup to advance to the quarter-finals as they knocked out Norway with a 3-1 win in Wellington. Hinata Miyazawa sealed a clinical victory on the counter-attack with her fifth strike of the World Cup after Norway had given Japan a helping hand with both of their first two goals, with Ingrid Syrstad Engen diverting a cross into her own net for the opener and Vilde Boe Risa’s back-pass setting up Risa Shimizu’s second. Guro Reiten had equalised in the first half, the first goal Japan had conceded at the tournament, but Norway’s star forwards Caroline Graham Hansen and Ada Hegerberg, who came on as a late substitute, were largely kept quiet. In the earlier game, Aitana Bonmati scored a stunning brace as Spain reached the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals for the first time with a commanding 5-1 win over Switzerland. Spain were under pressure after their 4-0 defeat to Japan in the group stages but responded in style and will now face either Netherlands or South Africa in the last eight. Follow live updates from Japan vs Norway in the Women’s World Cup last-16 Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings?

Manchester City have completed the signing of Josko Gvardiol, making the Croatia international the second most expensive centre-back ever. City have paid RB Leipzig £77 million for the 21-year-old, who passed a medical at the Etihad Stadium on Friday, and he has signed a five-year contract. The fee is just short of the world record for a defender, the £80 million Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019, and Gvardiol becomes City’s second summer signing, after his international teammate Mateo Kovacic. Gvardiol believes he can improve under Pep Guardiola, who he called the world’s outstanding manager, after agreeing to join the treble winners. He said: “I have always dreamed of one day playing in England and to be doing so now with Manchester City – after the season they have just had – is a real honour for me. “Anyone who saw Manchester City play last season knows they are the best team in the world. To win the treble says everything you need to know about the quality this team has. “To be joining City is something very special for me and my family. To have the chance to work with Pep Guardiola, too, will be amazing for me. I know I am not yet the finished article and I am sure my game will progress under the best coach in football. To be linking up with Mateo Kovacic will also be special. City director of football Txiki Begiristain added: “We are delighted. He is a player we have watched closely, and we feel he has a superb set of attributes. Top clubs all over Europe have been monitoring him, so to bring him here is great news for us. “Josko has so many qualities – everything you want in a centre-half. He is fast, competitive, combative, strong in the air, impressive in possession of the ball, with strong self-belief and a good character. He is left-footed, too, which offers us good options at the back. “He is still young but his progress in the game has been rapid. We feel confident his upward trajectory will continue here at City working with Pep and his staff.” Gvardiol is unlikely to make his City debut in Sunday’s Community Shield against Arsenal but could be in contention for their Premier League opener at Burnley on Friday. Read More Barcelona landed one Man City star for free - now Pep Guardiola won’t allow another Pep Guardiola keen to avoid ‘difficult’ transfer task after Man City lose ‘incredible players’ When is the Community Shield? How to watch Arsenal vs Man City online and on TV this weekend

With the Premier League season fast approaching, Manchester United take on RC Lens in the first of back-to-back friendlies on a busy weekend at Old Trafford. The meeting with the French club is followed by a visit from Athletic Bilbao, with Erik ten Hag hoping to find out plenty about his squad as he embarks on a second season in charge. Ten Hag’s side begin their league campaign against Wolves on Monday 14 August and are likely to soon have a new striker, with Rasmus Hojlund’s move from Atalanta close to completion. The Danish forward could be unveiled before the fixture against Lens, who finished second in Ligue 1 last season. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Manchester United vs Lens? Manchester United vs Lens is due to kick off at 12.45pm BST on Saturday 5 August at Old Trafford in Manchester. How can I watch it? The match will be shown live on MUTV, with coverage on the channel from 11.45am BST. Subscribers can stream the action via the MUTV app. Team news Summer signings Mason Mount and Andre Onana could feature for the first time at their new home. Left-back Tyrell Malacia is out, while there are doubts over Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho. Lens have lost Lois Openda and Seko Fofana, two standouts last season, in big money moves to RB Leipzig and Al-Nassr respectively this summer, though Andy Diouf is highly rated and looks a handy addition from Basel. The 20-year-old is a likely midfield starter. Predicted line-ups Manchester United XI: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro; Fernandez, Mount; Antony, Rashford, Sancho. RC Lens XI: Samba; Machado, Medina, Danso, Haidara; Diouf, Fulgini; Cortes, Thomasson, Frankowski; Said. Odds Manchester United win 31/50 Draw 16/5 Lens win 17/4 Prediction A narrow home win. Manchester United 2-1 RC Lens. Read More Man Utd look to unveil Rasmus Hojlund as latest signing this weekend Luke Shaw: Time for Man Utd to step up with Man City success ‘hard to take’ Erik ten Hag highlights Manchester United ‘challenge’ in push to ‘raise the bar’

Eva Mendes has revealed that she doesn’t let her and Ryan Gosling’s daughters use the internet. The actor, 49, took to Instagram on 3 August to share one of the rules that she has for her and Gosling’s daughters - Esmeralda, eight, and Amada, seven. Mendes shared a video of herself shaking her head no and wagging her finger, as she pointed out that’s how she responds to her children when they ask to use the internet. “When my kids ask me if they’re old enough to go on the internet, social media or anything requiring wifi,” she wrote in the caption. When a fan in the comments asked when she will allow her children use the internet, Mendes candidly confessed that she’s still figuring that out. She also specified that she’s been doing research on how social media can impact children as they continue to get older. “I honestly don’t know. I have to see where it goes,” the Hitch star responded. “For now, I’m observing them and keeping up with research about how social media can impact a child’s brain.” She responded to another fan who praised her parenting decision, with Mendes noting that while she’s “just sharing what [she] feels now”, she thinks it’ll be harder to keep her children away from the internet as they get older. Mendes clarified that her children are still given screentime, adding: “I let my kids use the iPad to make movies and watch films I’ve downloaded, but I don’t have internet access on the iPad.” The actress was also hit with some criticism for her parenting rule, with one Instagram user writing: “We are in the internet century so eventually everyone will need or want to access the internet sorry.” While it appears the comment has since been deleted, Mendes responded to the remark by explaining why she doesn’t feel like the internet is a safe space for her children. “In my house, children do not have access to the internet,” she responded to the remark, as reported by E! News. “It’s too dangerous. Just like drinking or voting or getting a driver’s license (etc..) isn’t allowed for children, the internet falls under that category for me. Especially social media.” While Mendes and Gosling - who’ve been together since 2011 - are notoriously private about their family life, the couple have shared a few details about raising children together. During an interview with Byrdie in July 2022, Mendes explained that she and her partner want to make sure that their children feel confident in themselves throughout everything they do in life. “Hopefully Ryan and I are doing the work by just loving them, completely loving them, and doing most of that work for them so that they grow up feeling like they’re enough,” she said. “That’s the one thing that’s really important to me. Because once they feel like they’re enough, no matter what they do, no matter what they end up doing, that will feed into every area of your life. Especially into how attractive you feel, or any of that stuff.” In a cover story interview with GQ in June, Gosling also shared some candid thoughts about fatherhood. He revealed that prior to his relationship with Mendes, he didn’t think much about becoming a father. However, that all changed when Mendes told him she was pregnant. “Eva said she was pregnant,” he recalled. “I would never want to go back, you know? I’m glad I didn’t have control over my destiny in that way, because it was so much better than I ever had dreamed for myself.” Elsewhere in the interview, the Barbie star clarified previous comments he made about the moment Mendes learned she was pregnant. While he maintained that he “wasn’t thinking about kids” before they met, Gosling said: “After I met Eva, I realised that I just didn’t want to have kids without her.” Read More Eva Mendes shows off dress made out of sponges as she jokes it’ll be her Oscars outfit Ryan Gosling’s daughters hilariously prove ‘nobody plays with Ken’ Ryan Gosling’s subtle tribute to Eva Mendes at the Barbie premiere Eva Mendes reveals she doesn’t let her daughters use the internet What is Stiff Person Syndrome? Nearly half of US adults are interested in taking weight loss prescription drugs

James McClean has completed a move to Wrexham after the movie star-owned club reached an agreement with Wigan Athletic on a £250,000 deal. The Welsh outfit offered the Irish international what are described as "Championship wages" as they make their own return to the English Football League for the first time in 15 years. That rise has come due to Wrexham's immense commercial potential under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and such a move is a sign of how they plan to quickly accelerate through League Two, as well. McClean had experienced very different issues at finance-stricken Wigan over the last season, but was still expected to stay there. The offer from Wrexham proved too good to turn down, though, and the Independent was been told the winger quickly became unlikely to feature in the opening League One fixture away to Derby County - with the move soon being confirmed within hours. Wrexham start their own campaign at home to MK Dons on Saturday, having spent part of pre-season Stateside playing against the likes of Chelsea, LA Galaxy’s second-string side and a team of Manchester United youngsters. Read More Gary Lineker worried about Tottenham’s campaign with or without Harry Kane Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news and updates as England prepare for last-16 Bayern awaiting Tottenham response on ‘final’ offer for Harry Kane

LONDON Influential England loose forward Tom Curry has twisted his ankle but is expected to recover in time

Transgender women will not be allowed to compete in the women's category of British Rowing events, the sport's UK governing body has announced ahead of a change in policy due to come in later this year.

The Bank of England’s longest series of interest rate increases in three decades is starting to hurt businesses,

Raise your hand if you thought Jake Paul’s boxing venture had come to an end with his loss to Tommy Fury in February. It’s okay, you don’t look silly; you weren’t the only one. So, go on: Raise that hand, nod your head, or let out a sigh. You don’t have to carry the burden anymore. Many believed that fight marked the endgame of this particular endeavour, even before it had played out. A win would have allowed the YouTube star, 26, to say he had beaten a professional boxer, after several wins against mixed martial artists; a loss would have signalled the dissipation of any momentum and intrigue that the American had built over the last few years. Except even in defeat by Fury – a points loss to the half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson – a degree of intrigue has remained, though Paul’s momentum did indeed take a hit. In the lead-up to that bout in Saudi Arabia, Paul had already hinted that his next challenge could be a boxing match with Nate Diaz, who left the UFC with the most unique of legacies in September. Paul’s plan, of course, was to defeat Fury, stay unbeaten, then move on to face Diaz, but the master promoter has managed to stay on track in spite of his loss. In Dallas this Saturday, Paul will take on Diaz in another fight that will be deemed a circus act but that will nonetheless attract a significant audience. This time, it could be argued, Diaz is doing the heavy lifting, which may sound ironic given the American’s trademark apathy in the run-up to the fight. That’s because the focus of this Jake Paul fight is different than the focus of the last Jake Paul fight. When Paul fought Fury, the narrative centred on whether the divisive social-media star could actually beat a ‘proper boxer’, even though Fury’s pedigree does not line up with his lineage. That question, which had existed for years, was finally answered in Diriyah, leaving Paul’s detractors delighted. Now, though, it is not about how Paul will fare; the intrigue surrounds Diaz, and it comes from the MMA community. This does actually provide a familiar feeling around a Paul fight, if not his bout with Fury. In previous outings, Paul knocked out ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley after outpointing him in their first fight; he knocked out Ben Askren, who was an MMA champion before joining the UFC, and he beat the consensus greatest MMA striker of all time – Anderson Silva – via decision. Each opponent was willed by MMA fans to stop this ‘pretender’, Paul, from making a mockery of their preferred sport, even though Paul’s success against these athletes said very little about MMA and how the YouTuber would fare in a cage fight. Even so, MMA fans feel similarly about Diaz’s contest with Paul, and perhaps even more strongly, such is the adoration that most have for the 38-year-old. Silva, too, is adored by the community, while Askren and Woodley are divisive in their own ways but command respect nonetheless. Yet they all failed against Paul. There were asterisks, admittedly: Silva was 47, while Askren and Woodley are ageing wrestlers. Askren had even retired from competition and Woodley was on a brutal losing streak. So, how does Diaz compare? The welterweight’s record has always been mixed, with the American becoming a fan favourite for his personality, soundbites and style, rather than for any significant winning streak or title triumph. The Californian’s jiu-jitsu is his greatest asset, though his cardio and volume striking have aided him significantly. In 2016, when he stepped in at late notice and submitted Conor McGregor, Diaz achieved mainstream popularity. When he narrowly lost the pair’s highly-anticipated rematch five months later, his star hardly fell. His octagon outings have been sporadic in the years since: an impressive points win against ex-lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in August 2019, a TKO loss to Jorge Masvidal three months later – when Diaz’s so-often-leaky blood betrayed him and forced a doctor stoppage – and a decision defeat by soon-to-be welterweight champion Leon Edwards in 2021. Then, of course, came his fitting UFC exit on the night he submitted Tony Ferguson. A key reason for Diaz’s decision to leave the UFC was a dispute over his pay – the same issue that many fighters have raised in recent years, but one that Diaz had additional ammo to combat, given his pulling power. Even so, he didn’t make much of a dent in the UFC’s armour, and the option of a clash with Paul made too much sense to ignore. That is, in a monetary sense at least. In other regards, this is a dangerous proposition. Diaz is 12 years Paul’s senior, and while his boxing fundamentals are solid, he is not known as an out-and-out striker. Furthermore, he is especially prone to suffering cuts, which cost him against Masvidal – although he was admittedly losing that fight anyway. It may yet cost him against Paul. Many MMA fans fear an unceremonious end for Diaz in this fight, much as the veteran is known for his perseverance. Maybe such an end will not come via the sort of one-punch KO that ruined Woodley, but maybe it will come courtesy of a doctor deeming Diaz unfit to continue. Then again, maybe it won’t come at all. “The thing about [Paul] is, he knows that MMA fighters can’t box and they’re in over their heads,” Diaz said on Wednesday, “because he went in there and worked a bunch over in training and in fights. MMA fighters don’t know this, but the thing about that is: I’m in on the same secret, and I’ve been in on that since I was 15. I’m not your average wrestler, MMA fighter. When these guys he fought were in the wrestling room at five, six, seven, 10, 15 years old, I was boxing the whole neighbourhood, boxing every pro I could find. I was boxing the highest level I could find, my whole career.” Diaz believes that will be the difference this weekend. The MMA community will hope it is. Read More Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Nate Diaz reveals ‘secret’ that he and Jake Paul share The hidden side of Jake Paul

In the eyes of one investor at least, the Bank of England’s interest-rate hike on Thursday was the

The upsets at the Women’s World Cup group stage started on the opening day and ended with the biggest of all. Germany, the two-time champions and among the tournament favourites, are out before the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, a result that ranks as both the most stunning shock the tournament has ever seen, while also simply continuing the theme of the greatest group stage ever played at the Women’s World Cup. After all, hadn’t we learned to expect the unexpected? A 1-1 draw against South Korea sealed Germany’s fate, following their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Colombia earlier in Group H. It meant Morocco, making their Women’s World Cup debut, progressed ahead of the side who thrashed them 6-0 in the opening round. The first-ever 32-team Women’s World Cup and the decision to expand from 24 teams has been a resounding triumph: rather than creating a more predictable group stage, it has done the opposite and led to wonderfully chaotic, thrilling tournament football. Germany, Canada and Brazil, all sides ranked in the top 10 in the world, are out, while Jamaica (43rd), South Africa (54th) and Morocco (72nd) are through to the last-16. It can no longer be said that the group stages of the Women’s World Cup are a foregone conclusion and that the tournament only starts when the knockouts begin. New Zealand’s opening victory against Norway set the tone, with Colombia’s last-second win against Germany standing out as the highlight of a tournament that has so far had it all. To add to that, Jamaica reaching the last-16 with their draw against Brazil, Nigeria’s stunning victory against Australia, and South Africa’s dramatic comeback against Italy were all brilliant moments from a group stage that delivered the unpredictability and drama of knockout football. The number of shocks and upsets throughout illustrated that the progress and development of women’s football since the last World Cup has been felt just as much throughout the world than its traditional powers. The gap to the top has closed: the professionalisation of top European leagues and beyond has improved standards at the biggest clubs, and is providing more opportunities to players from across the globe. Several countries that do not have a strong domestic league, such as Colombia and Jamaica, instead now feature a core of players who are based in Europe. It means that even if playing conditions are lacking within their national organisations, players such as Colombia and Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo, Nigeria and Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala, and Jamaica and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw are able to raise standards and expectations when they return to their national teams. The level of coaching has also improved, with teams who are not among the traditional powers now confident in setting up organised, defensive structures in order to restrict the attacking talents of their more favoured opponents. The goalkeeping at this World Cup has also taken another huge step forward, which has been proved by player-of-the-match displays from Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, Philippines’ Olivia McDaniel, Ireland’s Courtney Brosnan and Jamaica’s Rebecca Spencer. Strong defensive bases have made teams more resilient, and upsets possible. The World Cup needed this, too, and the decision to increase the field to 32 teams has paid off more than anyone expected. There were some fears that the expansion had come too soon, and that certainly would have been the assessment had the seeded teams all coasted through unopposed, as they did in 2019. But that was not the case and there were only a handful of one-sided contests, with the majority of groups going down to the final round, setting the stage for classic World Cup drama. Morocco led the eight teams making their debuts at the World Cup, but most of the others had moments to celebrate. Haiti deserved more from Group D but shone in their display against England. Ireland were also unlucky to only come away with a point, but their performances against Australia and Canada made an impact back home and there will be a homecoming parade in Dublin. Portugal were one of the most tactically and technically interesting sides at the tournament and were inches away from knocking out the USA. Philippines and Zambia, who were ultimately a disappointment, both had historic wins and sparked moments of national celebration. The question, and obvious hope before the World Cup, is how those moments inspire further progress and, crucially, investment. Many of the debuting countries did far more than that at their first World Cup, offering competitive performances, and they can look at how Jamaica and South Africa have battled against the odds to improve from four years ago. Both Jamaica and South Africa lost every game when they made their debuts in France, but have now advanced to the knockout stages four years later. But what also makes Jamaica and South Africa’s success even more remarkable is what they have had to overcome. Their success is owed to the players and the work of their immediate support staff, and that alone. Along with Nigeria, they have reached the knockout stages despite their federations, not because of them. Before the World Cup, Jamaica’s players said their preparations for the tournament had been disrupted by a lack of financial support, planning and communication from the Jamaica Football Federation. They went public with their grievances in an open letter to the JFF, where they expressed their “utmost disappointment” that training camps and warm-up fixtures had not been organised before the World Cup. At the same time, Jamaica have relied on two separate crowdfunding campaigns to help cover the costs of their travel to Australia and New Zealand. After their historic qualification to the 2019 World Cup, which was also supported by crowdfunding campaigns, led by Cedella Marley, the daughter of Bob Marley, it felt like Jamaica were back to square one as the progress they had fought for off the field had not been matched by meaningful change off it. Yet the response of the players has been to aim higher and further, despite the lack of support or respect they have been shown. After knocking out Brazil, Jamaica’s progress was hailed as “undoubtedly the proudest moment in Jamaica’s football history” by the country’s sports minister Olivia Grange. However, it should also come as a moment of huge embarrassment to the country’s federation, with Jamaica’s success actually creating a spotlight for the lack of support they have received. “We put the dispute to bed for the tournament but the better we do, the more pressure it creates,” said Jamaica’s goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer after keeping a famous clean sheet against Brazil. "We hope they’re looking at us and do what they should be doing." The federations of South Africa and Nigeria are under the same spotlight. South Africa’s first-ever World Cup win against Italy to seal their spot in the last-16 capped a stunning turnaround after their players went on strike before the tournament, boycotting their final warm-up game against Botswana over bonus payments and player contracts. The dispute centred around Fifa’s prize money for the World Cup and a guarantee that it would be distributed to the players. Before the World Cup, Fifa announced an increase in its total prize money to $152m (£126m), which included a payment of £30,000 (£24,000) for each player at the tournament. For the players representing South Africa and Nigeria, that is set to double after reaching the last-16, a life-changing sum, but the prize money will only be distributed to the players by the federations, it does not mean players are guaranteed to receive it. It created uncertainty for South Africa, who only reached an agreement with their federation that their money would be released days before the tournament. The picture looks less certain for Nigeria, who were locked in their own pay dispute with the federation before the World Cup. Nigeria’s head coach Randy Waldrum has said he hasn’t been paid in seven months, and that some players had not been paid in two years. After Nigeria stunned Australia in the group stages, former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright simply tweeted: “Pay them”. There may be people within some of the federations who point to the success stories of the Women’s World Cup as evidence that developments in the game are creating an equal playing field, and that further financial support is not merited. The reality and the lesson throughout this brilliant group stage is that if this is what can be achieved despite the lack of support, imagine what could be done if there was. With that in mind, there is no reason why any team inside the top-50 in the world shouldn’t be capable of the same if the right foundations are built. For now, those teams who have stunned the World Cup and remain at the tournament can continue to show why it was wrong not to support them before their unexpected success. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Brazil and Marta exit World Cup as Jamaica makes history When does USWNT play next? World Cup schedule and route to the final Germany suffer Women’s World Cup elimination after South Korea draw

Chris Eubank Jr has insisted that Conor Benn’s UK Anti-Doping ruling ‘doesn’t mean anything’, after the organisation cleared the welterweight to box in Britain again. A fight between Eubank Jr and Benn fell apart in October after the latter failed two drug tests. Benn, 26, was cleared by the WBC earlier this year, with UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) now following suit. However, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) has suggested that it may challenge Ukad’s ruling. Eubank Jr, 33, has challenged the ruling in his own way, telling the Daily Mirror on Wednesday (2 August): “Lawyers and court hearings and essays and [Benn’s promoter] Eddie Hearn saying all the things he’s saying... it doesn’t mean anything. “The fact is you got caught twice, and no one’s ever gonna forget it. It doesn’t mean that you didn’t do what you did, because you did do it. “You wanna say: ‘I’m absolved and it was all a big misunderstanding.’ Bulls***.” However, Eubank Jr is still keen to face his fellow Briton after a rematch with Liam Smith in September. Smith stopped Eubank Jr in the fourth round in January, and the pair will now return to the AO Arena in Manchester as the latter eyes revenge. “Boxing’s a business and I still wanna fight [Benn], so the fight will be made at some point,” Eubank Jr said. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Liam Smith: ‘Chris Eubank Jr is a nightmare – not for me, for other people’ Conor Benn may face extra hurdle to fight, Eddie Hearn and British Boxing Board reveal Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend