Egypt denied first World Cup win in Belgium draw as Lukaku makes instant impact

Egypt were denied a first-ever World Cup win after Romelu Lukaku forced an own-goal equaliser just seconds after coming on to rescue a 1-1 draw for Belgium in their Group G opener.

'Cartwheels at breakfast' & kicking about Boston - the culture shift in Scotland camp

Steve Clarke "doing cartwheels" is a sign of the shift among the Scotland squad and staff, writes Amy Canavan in Charlotte.

Leicester appoint Russell Martin as Wolves unveil César Peixoto as coach

Martin joins Leicester after relegation to League One Ex-Gil Vicente coach Peixoto replaces Rob Edwards Leicester City have confirmed Russell Martin’s appointment as their new manager, on the same day as Wolves unveiled César Peixoto as their head coach, replacing Rob Edwards. The two Midlands clubs were relegated from the Championship and the Premier League respectively last season and have moved quickly to restructure their setup, with Martin joining Leicester eight months after his nightmare 123-day stint in charge of Rangers came to an end. Continue reading...

Cape Verde’s Vozinha in tears as cost of visa stopped mother being at Spain draw

Keeper named player of the match against Euro winners ‘I have worked my whole life for this moment,’ he says Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who was named player of the match after making seven saves in his side’s 0-0 draw against Spain, was in tears at full time. The mother of Cape Verde’s World Cup hero was not there to see history made because she could not afford the visa to the US. The goalkeeper described the game as the moment he had been working towards his “entire life” and said he wished he could have shared the moment with his late grandparents and his mother. Continue reading

Real make Fernandes contact - Tuesday's gossip

Real Madrid make Mateus Fernandes contact, Manchester United not willing to meet West Ham's asking price and Bayern Munich to sign Ismael Saibari.

I'll keep gambling with fitness for England - Saka

Bukayo Saka says he will continue gambling with his fitness and is "ready to go" for England's World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday.

Lukaku makes instant impact to force own goal to rescue draw for Belgium against Egypt

Group G hotted up in earnest with presumptive frontrunners Belgium and Egypt opening their World Cup campaigns with a credible draw. A crowd of 66,775 watched on under the intense sun of the early North American summer, in a contest which warranted the contentious cooling breaks that have been universally adopted for this tournament. The group’s headline clash was slated as a noon affair under a heat advisory in Seattle, with on-field temperatures of 30C (86F) and high, hazy clouds at kick-off. There was scarcely an empty seat to be found, forming a sea of red and white owing to the teams’ sim

Saka says he is gambling on fitness but ‘ready to go’ for England World Cup tilt

Tuchel warns forward’s fitness being carefully monitored Saka keen to play but not to ‘go against the manager’ Bukayo Saka has admitted he is continuing to gamble on his fitness to play for England at the World Cup finals but said he “is ready to go” despite a nagging achilles injury. The Arsenal forward came off the bench in England’s last warm‑up game against Costa Rica but the England manager, Thomas Tuchel, warned that Saka’s fitness is being monitored carefully. The 24‑year‑old player is believed to have picked up the injury during the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in March

Clark eyes US Open 'redemption' after 'deep regret' over behaviour

Lukaku's instant impact for Belgium's equaliser

Romelu Lukaku has an instant impact for Belgium as he plays a key part in their equalising goal against Egypt in Seattle, just 22 seconds after coming off the bench.

Ex-Rangers boss Martin appointed as Leicester manager

Leicester City name former Rangers and Southampton boss Russell Martin as their manager on a three-year contract.

Cape Verde show beauty of football in one of game's biggest mismatches

The essence of football is anyone stands a chance against anyone. With all the financial muscle in the game, that essence becomes harder and harder to see. And yet, there are days like this at the World Cup that defy everything.