List of All Articles with Tag 'sports'

Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard may have time-trialed his way to a second straight Tour de France victory

Marcus Rashford has signed a new five-year contract to stay at Manchester United and carry on living his dream. United have rewarded their 30-goal top scorer with a pay rise and Rashford agreed to stay at Old Trafford until 2028 after a successful end to months of talks. Rashford has been rejuvenated under Erik ten Hag, after only scoring five times in 2021-22, and while his previous deal was due to expire next summer, the Dutchman was long confident about keeping him. Rashford, who had attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, scored in the final as United won the Carabao Cup, their first trophy for six years, and set his sights on securing more silverware. He said: “I joined Manchester United as a seven-year-old boy with a dream. That same passion, pride, and determination to succeed still drives me every time I have the honour of wearing the shirt. I’ve already had some amazing experiences at this incredible club, but there is still a lot more to achieve and I remain relentlessly determined to win more trophies in the years ahead. “As a United fan all my life, I know the responsibility that comes with representing this badge and feel the highs and lows as much as anyone. I can assure you that I will give everything to help the team reach the level we are capable of, and I can feel the same determination around the dressing room. I couldn’t be more excited for the future under this manager.” Rashford’s new deal is a third key part of United’s summer business, along with buying Mason Mount and the imminent signing of Andre Onana, after a fee with agreed with Internazionale and the goalkeeper accepted personal terms. He has scored 123 goals in 359 games since debuting in 2016 and director of football John Murtough believes Rashford can become one of the best forwards in the world. He said: “Ever since he joined our academy 18 years ago, Marcus has epitomised what it takes to succeed as a Manchester United player. He is a brilliant talent but also humble, dedicated and driven. As he enters his prime years, we know there is still so much more to come from him, and we can see the hunger that Marcus feels to achieve the highest levels of success here at Manchester United. “Working with Erik ten Hag and his coaches is the perfect environment for Marcus to continue to develop into one of the best attacking players in the world.” United have also temporarily re-signed Jonny Evans on short-term deal that only covers pre-season. The former Leicester captain, who made 199 appearances before leaving Old Trafford in 2015, is in the squad for Wednesday’s friendly against Lyon in Edinburgh. The 35-year-old is also set to feature in the academy team who will face Wrexham in San Diego. Read More Jonny Evans returns to Manchester United on short-term deal for pre-season tour Man Utd reach breakthrough in Marcus Rashford contract talks Fury announces next fight and Messi relaxes – Tuesday’s sporting social Brighton reject second Chelsea bid for midfielder Moises Caicedo

Rory McIlroy is laying low in his quest to end nine years without winning a major

Jon Rahm will take the PGA Tour money for staying loyal if they give it to him but doesn’t really think he deserves it

The 151st staging of the British Open is at Royal Liverpool

Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the Saudi Pro League “is better” than Major League Soccer, appearing to take a swipe at rival Lionel Messi following his transfer to Inter Miami. The Portuguese forward, 38, also confirmed he has no plans to play in the United States or return to Europe. “The Saudi league is better than MLS,” Ronaldo said, after playing the first half of Al Nassr’s 5-0 preseason friendly defeat to La Liga side Celta Vigo. “Now all the players are coming here. In one year, more top players will come to Saudi Arabia.”

Lionel Messi jogged a lap with his new teammates, took part in a warm-up drill of players making short passes in a tight circle, and before long tapped his left foot at a ball that wound up in the back of an open net

The England women’s team took the decision to pause controversial negotiations over World Cup bonuses in order to show it was “on their terms”, but also make clear their anger and disappointment with the Football Association over an issue that could have developed into a huge distraction on the eve of the tournament. There is similarly a determination the issue isn’t parked once the competition ends, and that the federation have got the message over how payment structures need to be clarified going forward. There has still been some debate over the merits of the strategy, particularly as the FA had already been insistent that all discussions be delayed until after the campaign. While that could be seen as bending to what the association want, there is also the risk now that the England squad lose their leverage in the event of going out of the competition unexpectedly early. The dispute most directly comes from the players’ feeling that the FA should top up the guaranteed Fifa prize money with performance-related bonuses, in the same way that similar elite sides like Australia and USA do. The wider context is nevertheless a frustration that the squad went through the same issues over Euro 2022, and that has only belatedly been resolved, rather than immediately after the competition in the way that had been promised then. That is why there has been scepticism throughout these negotiations. The players ultimately feel there has not been sufficient clarity or transparency through any of the process. That is the major point of contention for the players, and feeds into why the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has been pushing for a collective bargaining agreement, in the same way that American and Australian players have. For its part, the FA has argued that the full budget for an expensive trip will not be known until afterwards, while there has been some concern that this is being pushed by agents and the PFA, who are representing the players in this. A different position has also been that not all the discussions should become about prize money, since this is supposed to be about the “holistic” growth of the women’s game, too. That is also why the players took the unprecedented decision to release a statement on the eve of a World Cup, however, in order to show they have been pushing it and they are “disappointed” with the association and make a stand that women’s teams shouldn’t constantly have to battle for everything. “Last year we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial structures,” a statement read by the entire squad read. “The hope was that discussions would lead to a solution before the commencement of our World Cup. “We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved. We view the successful conclusions of these discussions, through player input and a transparent long term plan, as key for the growth of Women’s Football in England. With our opening game on the horizon, we Lionesses have decided to pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament. “We collectively feel a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game. And while our focus now switches fully to the tournament ahead, we believe every tackle, pass, and goal, will contribute to the work we are committed to doing off the pitch. We look forward to playing for our country this World Cup, with pride, passion, and perseverance. Thank you for your support, Your Lionesses.” That move has at least staved off the possibility of a damaging “civil war” that could negatively affect what can be a historic competition for the England team, although some in the game have questioned why they didn’t fully use their considerable leverage. This is also the matter of some debate, however. While the presumption would be that national heroes and European champions would enjoy public support against a bureaucratic federation, online discussion has so far been mixed, with a lot of discussion about the women’s game potentially going the same financially driven way as the men. The players have naturally been intent on completely ignoring this, of course, and the main concern is now ensuring they maximise an opportunity to make history in Australia and New Zealand. The feeling is that they have asserted themselves by parking this on their terms, and also making it publicly clear how aggravated they are by the FA’s stance. It is an issue that will now be put off until the World Cup campaign ends – although it could well be dictated by how the tournament pans out. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup start date, fixtures and full schedule World Cup 2023 fixtures from England vs Haiti to route to the final FIFA Women’s World Cup start date, fixtures and full schedule Can France handle injuries after overcoming Women’s World Cup crisis?

Aliyah Boston just wanted to fit in as a WNBA rookie

Swedish tennis player Mikael Ymer has been banned for 18 months for missing three out-of-competition doping tests in a 12-month period

Scotland is aiming to host the women’s Champions League final, Europa League final or Europa Conference League final in either 2026 or 2027. Hampden Park, which has staged six previous European finals, is the stadium at the centre of one of the declarations of interests Uefa has received from nine different countries for the showpiece events. Final bids will have to be received by February 2024 with the eventual decision being announced next May. The two venues bidding to host the men’s Champions League finals over the two years are Milan’s San Siro and Budapest’s Puskas Arena, which staged this year’s Europa League final. If successful, it would be the first Champions League or European Cup final held in Hungary while San Siro has hosted four, the last of them in 2016. Hampden Park’s capacity is now too small for Uefa’s requirements for a Champions League final, though a record crowd of 127,621 were at the 1960 match where Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. The Glasgow stadium also hosted the 1976 European Cup final, won by Bayern Munich, and the 2002 Champions League final, where Real Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1, as well as two Cup Winners’ Cup finals and one Uefa Cup final, but none since 2007. Hampden faces competition for the women’s Champions League final from Norway, with the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, and Germany, with Gelsenkirchen, Munich and Stuttgart lined up as potential venues. The other countries interested in hosting the Europa League final are Romania, at Bucharest’s National Arena, Germany and Turkey. There are five possible host cities in Germany – Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Leipzig and Stuttgart – and three Istanbul grounds in the reckoning, those of Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, but in each case, it will have to be narrowed down to one when the bid is submitted. The Conference League final could be played in either Glasgow, Istanbul, Oslo, Leipzig, Israel – at the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem – or Switzerland, at the Stade de Geneve. Uefa was criticised for using smaller venues for the first two Conference League finals, meaning fewer fans could attend, and each of the eight possible venues has a larger capacity, of at least 28,000. Read More Confident Rory McIlroy ‘could not ask for better preparation’ ahead of the Open Embracing the limelight all part of World Cup experience for Ruesha Littlejohn Trans athletes banned from women’s events by world cycling’s governing body

England enter the World Cup as one of the favourites as the Lionesses look to build on their victory at the European Championships last summer by winning the game’s biggest prize. England have reached the semi-finals on their last two World Cup appearances in 2015 and 2019 and will be dreaming of going one step further in Australia and New Zealand. The Lionesses are unbeaten under Sarina Wiegman and gained valuable experience of winning a major title after their historic victory on home soil at the Euros. The United States are looking to win their third consecutive World Cup but England arrive at this summer’s tournament as the main contenders to their crown. Here’s everything you need to know. Who are England playing at the World Cup? The Lionesses were among the top seeds ahead of the World Cup draw and were placed in Group D, along with China, Denmark, as well as one of the winners of the inter-confederation play-offs. That was where Haiti defeated Senegal and then Chile to qualify for the World Cup for the first time and complete the four-team group. China, ranked 15th in the world, were among the lowest ranked teams in Pot 2 while Denmark, ranked 18th, were the top team in Pot 3. Haiti are ranked 57th in the world, the second lowest at the tournament. When are England’s group matches? (All kick-off times BST) 22 July - England vs Haiti (10:30, Brisbane) 28 July - England vs Denmark (09:30, Sydney) 1 August - China vs England (12:00, Adelaide) What is England’s potential path to the final? If England win Group D 7 August: Winners Group D vs Runners-up Group B (08:30, Brisbane) 12 August: Winner Match 54 vs Winner Match 56 (11:30, Sydney) 16 August: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4 (11:00, Sydney) 20 August: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 (11:00, Sydney) If England are runner-up in Group D 7 August: Runners-up Group B vs Runners-up Group D (11:30, Sydney) 12 August: Winner Match 53 vs Winner Match 55 (08:00, Brisbane) 16 August: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4 (11:00, Sydney) 20 August: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 (11:00, Sydney) What about the rest of the groups? Group A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland Group B: Australia, Republic of Ireland, Nigeria, Canada Group C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan Group D: England, Haiti, Denmark, China Group E: United States, Vietnam, Netherlands, Portugal Group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama Group G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina Group H: Germany, Morocco, Colombia, South Korea Full World Cup match schedule (All kick-off times BST ) Group stage: Thursday 20 July Group A: New Zealand vs Norway (08:00, Auckland) Group B: Australia vs Republic of Ireland (11:00, Sydney) Friday 21 July Group B: Nigeria vs Canada (03:30, Melbourne) Group A: Philippines vs Switzerland (06:00, Dunedin) Group C: Spain vs Costa Rica (08:30, Wellington) Saturday 22 July Group E: USA vs Vietnam (02:00, Auckland) Group C: Zambia vs Japan (08:00 Hamilton) Group D: England vs Haiti (10:30, Brisbane) Group D: Denmark vs China (13:00, Perth) Sunday 23 July Group G: Sweden vs South Africa (06:00, Wellington) Group E: Netherlands vs Portugal (08:30, Dunedin) Group F: France vs Jamaica (11:00, Sydney) Monday 24 July Group G: Italy vs Argentina (07:00, Auckland) Group H: Germany vs Morocco (09:30, Melbourne) Group F: Brazil vs Panama (12:00, Adelaide) Tuesday 25 July Group H: Colombia vs Korea Republic (03:00, Sydney) Group A: New Zealand vs Philippines (06:30, Dunedin) Group A: Switzerland vs Norway (09:00, Hamilton) Wednesday 26 July Group C: Japan vs Costa Rica (06:00, Dunedin) Group C: Spain vs Zambia (08:30, Auckland) Group B: Canada vs Republic of Ireland (13:00, Perth) Thursday 27 July Group E: USA vs Netherlands (02:00, Wellington) Group E: Portugal vs Vietnam (08:30, Hamilton) Group B: Australia vs Nigeria (11:00, Brisbane) Friday 28 July Group G: Argentina vs South Africa (01:00, Dunedin) Group D: England vs Denmark (09:30, Sydney) Group D: China vs Haiti (12:00, Adelaide) Saturday 29 July Group G: Sweden vs Italy (08:30, Wellington) Group F: France vs Brazil (11:00, Brisbane) Group F: Panama vs Jamaica (13:30, Perth) Sunday 30 July Group H: Korea Republic vs Morocco (05:30, Adelaide) Group A: Norway vs Philippines (08:00, Auckland) Group A: Switzerland vs New Zealand (08:00, Dunedin) Group H: Germany vs Colombia (10:30, Sydney) Monday 31 July Group C: Costa Rica vs Zambia (08:00, Hamilton) Group C: Japan vs Spain (08:00, Wellington) Group B: Ireland vs Nigeria (11:00, Brisbane) Group B: Canada vs Australia (11:00, Melbourne) Tuesday 1 August Group E: Vietnam vs Netherlands (08:00, Dunedin) Group E: Portugal vs USA (08:00, Auckland) Group D: Haiti vs Denmark (12:00, Perth) Group D: China vs England (12:00, Adelaide) Wednesday 2 August Group G: South Africa vs Italy (08:00, Wellington) Group G: Argentina vs Sweden (08:00, Hamilton) Group F: Jamaica vs Brazil (11:00, Melbourne) Group F: Panama vs France (11:00, Sydney) Thursday 3 August Group H: Korea Republic vs Germany (11:00, Brisbane) Group H: Morocco vs Colombia (11:00, Perth) Knockout stages Saturday 5 August Match 49: Winners Group A vs Runners-up Group C (06:00, Auckland) Match 50: Winners Group C vs Runners-up A (09:00, Wellington) Sunday 6 August Match 51: Winners Group E vs Runners-up Group G (03:00, Sydney) Match 52: Winners Group G vs Runners-up Group E (10:00, Melbourne) Monday 7 August Match 54: Winners Group D vs Runners-up Group B (08:30, Brisbane) Match 53: Runners-up Group B vs Runners-up Group D (11:30, Sydney) Tuesday 8 August Match 56: Winners Group H vs Runners-up Group F (09:00, Melbourne) Match 55: Winners Group F vs Runners-up Group H (12:00, Adelaide) Friday 11 August QF1: Winner Match 49 vs Winner Match 51 (02:00, Wellington) QF2: Winner Match 50 vs Winner Match 52 (08:30, Auckland) Saturday 12 August QF3: Winner Match 53 vs Winner Match 55 (08:00, Brisbane) QF4: Winner Match 54 vs Winner Match 56 (11:30, Sydney) Tuesday 15 August SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF 2 (09:00, Auckland) Wednesday 16 August SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4 (11:00, Sydney) Saturday 19 August 3rd place play-off: Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2 (09:00, Brisbane) Sunday 20 August Final: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 (11:00, Sydney) Match venues Australia Sydney (Stadium Australia, 83,500) Sydney (Sydney Football Stadium, 42,512) Brisbane (Lang Park, 52,263) Melbourne (Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, 30,000) Perth (Perth Rectangular Stadium, 22,225) Adelaide (Hindmarsh Stadium, 16,500) New Zealand Auckland (Eden Park, 48,276) Wellington (Wellington Regional Stadium, 39,000) Dunedin (Forsyth Barr Stadium, 28,744) Hamilton (Waikato Stadium, 25,111) Read More England’s road to the World Cup begins with a ‘different test’ - and it’s not just Portugal Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match in UK When is the Women’s World Cup and what are the fixtures? England squad ‘disappointed’ at not reaching bonus deal with FA before World Cup World Cup 2023 fixtures from England vs Haiti to route to the final FIFA Women’s World Cup start date, fixtures and full schedule