Latest News
SPORTS
At least 10 countries have confirmed their places at the 2026 World Cup.
Jordan and Uzbekistan qualified for the first time on Thursday, while South Korea sealed their 11th successive appearance.
Uzbekistan were held to a goalless draw by the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhahi.
The result was enough for them to clinch the second automatic qualification spot in Group A behind Iran with a game to spare.
The trio join Japan, New Zealand, Iran and Argentina as the countries to have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
Co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico automatically qualified for the competition.
As well as the six automatic qualifiers from Asia, the UAE and Qatar will finish third and fourth and advance to the next stage.
In the next stage, six teams will slug it out for two more places at the 2026 World Cup.
Chelsea have offered the likes of Robert Sanchez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to West Ham United in a bid to sign their winger, Mohammed Kudus in a part-exchange deal.
But as reported by talkSPORT, West Ham turned down Chelsea’s approach for Kudus this summer transfer window.
While the transfer fee offered by the Premier League west London club is unclear, the Blues were ready to include Sanchez and Dewsbury-Hall in a bid to lure the Hammers to sell their top player.
The report added that Kudus has also attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, but the Ghanaian international wants to remain in England.
Kudus joined West Ham from Dutch giants Ajax in 2023.
Chelsea recently made a transfer move to bring the 24-year-old to Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca’s side have been a long admire of Kudus since when the player was at Ajax before he eventually moved to the London Stadium.
Al-Hilal has indicated interest to sign Super Eagles star, Victor Osimhen.
The club gave him Friday as deadline to give them a reply.
According to transfer expert, Ben Jacobs, Al-Hilal are optimistic of a positive answer from the striker.
There is optimism the Nigerian will agree to a €30m-per-season offer, and in time for the Club World Cup.
The Saudi Pro League side tried for Osimhen in 2023, while the Nigerian also agreed to Al-Ahli last summer, only for Napoli to ask for more money.
Hilal have retained signfiicant centrally-allocated budget, originally earmarked for Mo Salah’s wage, and are in a position to trigger Osimhen’s €75m clause.
They are now waiting for his answer, which is expected imminently.
Osimhen is also attracting from top European clubs like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Chelsea.
The 26-year-old spent last season on loan at Galatasaray
Christiano Ronaldo’s second-half strike was enough to sink Germany in the first UEFA Nations League semi-final at the Munich Football Arena on Wednesday.
But beyond that, the 40-year-old is definitely not showing any sign of dipping in his goal-scoring form, as his goal records both in Portugal and Al Nassr’s colours have continued to amaze football fans across the world.
The following are some of the records the five-time Ballon d’Or award winner has recorded so far at his present club, Al Nassr.
•Highest goals in a single Saudi Pro League season
By scoring 35 goals in the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League season, Cristiano Ronaldo set a new benchmark and surpassed Abderrazak Hamdallah’s previous record of 34 goals in 2018-19.
The record, which was achieved in 31 matches, is a testament to Ronaldo’s prolific scoring rate (averaging a goal every 75.6 minutes). This makes it a formidable record to beat.
•The first player to score against 200 different opponents
The Portuguese became the first footballer to find the back of the net against 200 different opponents (152 clubs and 48 national teams) in November 2024 after scoring against Al Qadisiyah.
In a career spanning over two decades, Ronaldo has shown his scoring prowess across different leagues and international competitions.
•Most hat-tricks for Al-Nassr
Since he joined Al-Nassr in 2023, Ronaldo has scored six hat-tricks in 111 appearances across all competitions, contributing to his career total of 66, the highest among active players.
Despite his age (40 in 2025), Ronaldo’s ability to deliver multiple goals in a single match sets a high standard for future Al-Nassr players.
•The first player to clinch top scorer honours in four different top-flight leagues
Ronaldo had a phenomenal 2023–24 Saudi Pro League season.
He won the Golden Boot that season, making him the first player to win top scorer awards in four different top-flight leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Saudi Pro League).
The feat is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.
•Highest-scoring European player in Al-Nassr history
As of May 2025, Ronaldo is the highest goalscoring European player in Al-Nassr history with 99 goals in 111 appearances.
The above also makes him the fifth-highest overall in the club’s history.
[Punch]
Portugal head coach, Roberto Martinez has tipped midfielder Vitinha to win the Ballon d’Or award.
Vitinha played a crucial part as Paris Saint-Germain claimed a historic Treble this season.
PSG clinched the Ligue 1 title again and added the Coupe de France, before hammering Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final.
In an interview with A Bola following their 2-1 win over Germany in the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday night, Martinez said Vitinha deserves to be crowned the best player in the world.
He said: “Vitinha is a player who has been essential for PSG to win everything they have won.
“He deserves to be awarded the Ballon d’Or.”
Vitinha’s PSG team-mate, Ousmane Dembele, is regarded as the leading candiate to win the Ballon d’Or award.
Frank Leboeuf, a former Chelsea player, has urged his old club to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan for their manager Enzo Maresca this summer.
According to Lebouef, the France international is so exceptional and would be very useful for Maresca’s side.
“Magic Mike is his nickname because he is so exceptional,” Leboeuf told ESPN FC when asked about Chelsea’s move for the 29-year-old shot-stopper.
“I think he’d fit perfectly to Chelsea… Chelsea and I know him.
“I appreciate him and I think he will be very useful to Chelsea,” he added.
AC Milan have already told Chelsea their price tag for Maignan.
Maignan joined the Rossoneri from French Ligue 1 side, Lille in 2021.
Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle is optimistic his side can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The three-time African champions face a daunting task in their bid to qualify for the global soccer fiesta following their poor run in the qualifiers.
The West Africans occupy fourth position in their group, six points adrift of leaders South Africa.
Chelle’s side now have four matches to turn around their fortunes.
Nigeria won the Unity Cup invitational tournament in London last week, which will boost the confidence of the players going into the next set of qualifiers in September and October.
The Malian, however, demanded that his players must put in more work to achieve their objective.
“We scored goals, created chances and showed good signs in our overall play,” he said while reviewing the performance of the Super Eagles at the Unity Cup.
“What matters most is playing together – in both attack and defence.
“We have to keep improving both physically and mentally. We must become true warriors on the pitch.”
The Super Eagles will hosts the Amavubi of Rwanda in Uyo, and travel to South Africa when the qualifiers resume in September.
New Super Eagles right-back, Felix Agu has called on his Werder Bremen teammate and fellow German-born star, Justin Njinmah to pledge his international allegiance to Nigeria.
The 25-year-old Felix Agu made the call after playing his very first game for the Super Eagles during the Unity Cup in London.
Agu played for Nigeria in their penalty shootout win over Jamaica, having switched his allegiance from Germany.
He was born in Germany to both parents from Nigeria and represented the European country’s U21 in two friendlies in 2019.
Reacting after playing his first game for Nigeria, Agu posted “Proud” on Instagram.
Njinmah was one of the people who reacted to his post, saying, “My brothaaa” with a white heart emoji.
Agu responded with a clear message: “u next!!”
The response was interpreted as a call for Njinmah to snub Germany and declare for Nigeria.
The 24-year-old Njinmah has yet to be capped by either Germany or Nigeria at any level.
Chelsea have officially completed the signing of 22-year-old striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in a deal worth around £30 million ($40.6m), both clubs confirmed on Wednesday. The England Under-21 international has committed to a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2030-31 season.
Delap attracted significant interest from several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Everton. However, the promise of UEFA Champions League football and the opportunity to reunite with former Manchester City teammate Cole Palmer played a pivotal role in the striker choosing Chelsea over other suitors.
Liam Delap joins Chelsea
Delap made headlines during the 2024/25 Premier League season, scoring 12 goals for newly-promoted Ipswich Town. His standout performances earned him a spot on the shortlist for the Young Player of the Year award and firmly placed him on the radar of top clubs across the country.
Having started his football journey at Derby County’s academy, Delap moved to Manchester City in 2019. Under the guidance of current Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca in City's Elite Development Squad, Delap flourished netting 24 goals in 20 Premier League 2 matches. He also scored on his senior debut for City in the EFL Cup and made his Premier League debut against Leicester City.
From Championship to Champions League
Following loan spells with Stoke City, Preston North End, and Hull City, Delap joined Ipswich Town for the 2023/24 season. He bagged eight goals during the campaign and played a key role in Ipswich's remarkable rise to the top flight.
With consistent performances and a growing reputation, Delap also became a regular at youth international level, most recently representing England Under-21s in March.
Chelsea fans can look forward to seeing Delap in blue for the 2025/26 campaign, as the club continues to invest in young, homegrown talent for the future.
Headlining the quartet is Fulham’s talisman and ever-reliable engine, Alex Iwobi, whose standout performances in the Premier League earned him a top-40 global ranking and the highest index score among Nigerian players.
The ranking, released by Swiss-based CIES Football Observatory, evaluates players in the world’s top 60 leagues based on their statistical impact in six critical areas: aerial play, ground defence, distribution, take-ons, chance creation, and finishing, combined with minutes played and team performance.
With an index score of 87.4, Iwobi sits 37th globally and 12th among wingers, underscoring his influence for Fulham this season.
The 29-year-old quietly scripted a remarkable season at Craven Cottage. In what is now a historic feat, the midfielder became the first Nigerian player to feature in all 38 Premier League games in two different seasons, having first achieved the milestone in the 2022/23 campaign. His adaptability across Fulham’s midfield and wide areas has made him indispensable.
Statistically, Iwobi posted 9 goals and 6 assists, contributing directly to 15 of Fulham’s goals. Beyond scoring, his creative instincts saw him create 12 big chances, average 1.6 key passes per game, and maintain an 80 per cent pass accuracy.
In a team often pressed back by top-six opponents, Iwobi’s composure and transitional play stood out, with 52.2 touches per game and a robust chance creation score of 76 by CIES.
The former Arsenal man also showed technical balance, with four goals via his left foot and five from his right, while his relentless off-ball work supported Fulham’s notable victories over Tottenham and Manchester United.
Coming behind Iwobi is the reigning African Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, whose 86.7 index score sees him ranked 48th globally and 10th among attacking midfielders.
The Atalanta star, who recently returned to Nigeria with his CAF African Footballer of the Year, delivered his most complete season yet for Atalanta, tallying 15 Serie A goals and 5 assists, and after a previous season he had cemented his reputation with a headline-grabbing Europa League final hat-trick that clinched the club’s first ever European trophy.
His flair and explosiveness on the flanks were evident in his 85 score for both chance creation and finishing, making him Nigeria’s most potent offensive player by data.
Beyond numbers, Lookman’s performances have reportedly attracted interest from Premier League heavyweights including Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool, with Atalanta slapping a €50m price tag on their Nigerian jewel.
His statistics suggest a player entering his peak, with 2.0 key passes, 2.6 shots per game, and a notable expected assist value of 7.89, which are all indicative of a complete modern attacker.
Third on the list for Nigerians is Victor Osimhen, who, despite facing an uncertain club future, also finds himself among the top 300 with an index score of 81, ranked 159th overall and 20th among centre-forwards globally.
Although the CIES data covers only domestic league performance, Osimhen’s wider contribution to Galatasaray’s season has been phenomenal.
The 26-year-old, on loan from Napoli, smashed records in Turkey with a career-best 37 goals in all competitions, becoming the highest-scoring foreigner in a single season in Turkish football history.
While his CIES data shows a standout finishing score of 86, the ninth highest in the world, his distribution (24) and ground defence (36) remain areas of lesser contribution which is reflective of his role as a high-octane goal poacher and why Galatasaray is offering him a club record €15m-a-year contract to withhold his service.
Completing Nigeria’s elite quartet is Calvin Bassey, the Fulham centre-back whose remarkable bounce-back season sees him ranked 257th globally and 49th among centre-backs, with a score of 78.2.
At 25, Bassey has matured into a defensive mainstay at Craven Cottage, coming forth from the shadows of an inconsistent spell at Ajax. This season, he featured in 35 league matches, completing over 3,000 minutes, and ranked as the fourth-best centre-back in England according to performance data platform Data MB.
Bassey’s index score of 78.2 echoes notable strength in distribution (74) and aerial duels (58), with additional contributions in tackles and ground duels.
He featured in 35 Premier League games, starting 34, and averaged nearly 89 minutes per match. His 90 per cent pass accuracy, including 86 per cent in the opposition half, and strong duel-winning rates of 62 per cent underscore a composed and confident defensive profile, in addition to 4.8 recoveries per match that contributed to Fulham’s notable defensive scalps that saw them record victories over Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham.
His progress has not gone unnoticed, with reports linking him to Barcelona, as they seek defensive reinforcements.
Notably, the CIES ranking was topped by Mohamed Salah, with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Pedri González completing the top three. Two other Liverpool footballers top the list for defensive positions: Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz heads the rankings for attacking midfielders, while Kylian Mbappé is ahead of Viktor Gyökeres for centre forwards.
[Punch]
More...
At least 11 people have been killed and many more injured in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in the southern Indian state of Karnataka to celebrate the home team’s victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s most popular Twenty20 cricket tournament.
“No one expected such a huge crowd,” India’s chief minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, said on Wednesday. “The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 200,000-300,000 people came.”
“Eleven people have died and 33 others are injured,” he said.
The incident took place earlier on Wednesday as thousands of fans gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the state capital, Bengaluru.
India’s NDTV broadcaster also reported that at least 11 people died. Local TV news channels showed footage of police shifting the injured and those who fell unconscious to ambulances.
DK Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka, told reporters that “the crowd was very uncontrollable”.
The event was being held to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first IPL title win on Tuesday.
Stampedes often happen in India when large crowds gather. In January, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindu devotees rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering.
The automated ball-strike system (ABS) could be officially headed to Major League games next season. Commissioner of MLB, Rob Manfred on Wednesday, said he plans to introduce a proposal to MLB’s competition committee that includes bringing the ABS system to MLB in 2026.
The ABS system was used at 13 spring training sites in 2025, which included 19 teams, and was employed in approximately 60 percent of spring training games this past spring. Teams started with two challenges each and lost a challenge every time they were not overturned. If the call they challenged was overturned, they retained their challenge.
The pitching teams saw a 54.4 percent overturn rate, while the club hitting was overturned on just 50 percent of calls, and catchers were the most successful at 56 percent of calls overturned. Pitchers’ challengers were overturned on just 41 percent of calls.
With a full spring training use of the ABS in the books and reviewed by players and officials within the MLB, commissioner Manfred will now propose to implement the system into games officially in 2026.
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Should the system be approved for use, Manfred said human umpires will still make the majority of ball-strike calls themselves as they did in spring training and that the ABS system would be used just as it was in spring, with teams starting each game with two challenges they could use to challenge calls.
“I do think we’re going to pursue the possibility of changing that process, and we’ll see what comes at the end of that,” said Manfred. He noted that teams appear to be overall positive about ABS and that implementing it could diffuse players, coaches, etc. sending him emails to complain about balls, strikes, and umpires’ calls.
Kevin Slowey, the MLBPA managing director, noted that as they always have in the past, “players will review any proposed rule changes and provide their feedback and on-field experiences through the competition committee.”
Manfred noted that his biggest concern is implementing the system in a way the players will accept. The biggest note on the ABS system is that it is not a human making the calls, thus tightening or widening the strike zone on certain pitch counts, which will likely be different from that of a human umpire’s strike zone.
In years past and throughout history, it has not been uncommon for the league and the players’ association to disagree on rules or policy changes, and we have also seen lockouts and delayed seasons as a result of disagreements between the committees. With that, Manfred is making sure this is a completely transparent process that everyone agrees upon the implementation of before proceeding forward.
“I want them [the players] to feel like we respected the committee process and that there was a full airing of concerns about the system, and an attempt to address those concerns before we go forward,” said Manfred.
Along with the implementation of the ABS system, MLB is also testing a check-swing review system in the minor leagues this season. It likely won’t make its way to spring training games next year, as Manfred wants the focus to be on the ABS system and getting used to that. However, the ABS system was first used in the minor leagues, so it is likely that should that continue to go well in the minor leagues, it could be coming to spring training in the years to come, as the ABS system did.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored again as Portugal came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in their Nations League semifinal on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old Ronaldo captained Portugal and scored his 137th international goal five minutes after substitute Francisco Conceição equalised with a blistering shot in the 63rd
Ronaldo became the oldest player to ever score against Germany while ending his “curse” against the country. The former Real Madrid star lost each of the previous five games he played against Germany.
Liverpool target Florian Wirtz had given the home team a 48th-minute lead with a perfectly placed header inside the right post, but Portugal coach Roberto Martínez made his changes count as he brought on Conceicao and Champions League winner Vitinha among the substitutes.
Vitinha excelled as Portugal finished the game in the ascendancy just four days after he helped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) win the Champions League final against Inter Milan in the same stadium on Saturday.
Germany needed goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen at his best to prevent the visitors from scoring any more.
PSG wing-backs Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes both started for Portugal, while Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade started for his Germany debut.
Conceicao only needed five minutes to make a mark with a brilliant long-range strike inside the far post after he surged past Robin Gosens like he was not there. Mendes gave Ronaldo a simple finish five minutes after that.
“It could have been more,” Mendes said.
The match was delayed by 10 minutes due to “adverse weather conditions” in Munich.
The Premier League has officially commenced the 2025/26 season following its Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday, June 4.
With the administrative transition now complete, all 20 clubs — including promoted sides Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland — have been formally recognised as members of the top flight.
“The change from 2024/25 to the 2025/26 campaign has been formalised,” the League confirmed in a statement posted on its website on Wednesday, marking the official start of the new season.
Promotions, relegations confirmed
Leeds, Burnley, and Sunderland have received their Premier League share certificates, the final legal step confirming their promotion.
Each club was entered into the Premier League’s share register and awarded a framed certificate, officially recognising their top-flight status.
“A new share certificate for each promoted club has been signed by the Premier League directors and company secretary. As required under company law, the three clubs have been entered into the share register.”
Meanwhile, relegated clubs Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton have returned their Premier League shares, concluding their membership.
“The three relegated clubs have transferred back the share certificates that conferred Premier League status, and the Premier League Board has confirmed the cancellation of these shares,” the statement added.
Fixture release date
With all 20 clubs confirmed, attention now turns to the release of the 2025/26 fixtures, scheduled for Wednesday, 18 June at 09:00 BST.
The full schedule for the upcoming season will be unveiled ahead of the opening matchweek on Saturday, 16 August.
“All 20 clubs can now look forward to 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June, when they will discover their fixtures for the 2025/26 season,” the League said.
In the meantime, the Premier League table has been reset, listing all 20 clubs in alphabetical order.
The League’s social media channels have also begun following the official accounts of Leeds, Burnley, and Sunderland, symbolising their full integration.
“The Premier League table has been reset, while the League’s social media accounts now follow those of the three promoted clubs,” it stated.
What’s next?
With the 2025/26 season officially underway, clubs will intensify their pre-season preparations. Several teams have already announced their summer schedules, including friendly matches and overseas tours expected in the coming weeks.
“Wednesday, June 4, marks the official changeover to the new season as Leeds, Burnley, and Sunderland become Premier League clubs,” the League added.
The countdown to a new campaign — promising fresh rivalries, renewed ambitions, and new narratives — has begun.
[Punch]