Rich countries do better in women’s football but understanding why matters, not just for the Matildas

‘Gender norms explain some of it, but not all of it’ says Tiya Banerjee, an economist at the e61 Institute Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast In about a week’s time, the Socceroos will step up against Turkey, their first opponents in this year’s World Cup. Winning their first match will be a big ask; progressing beyond the first round will be a bigger one. Continue reading...

Crystal Palace agree deal in principle for Lens boss Sage

Crystal Palace have agreed a deal in principle for Pierre Sage to become their new head coach.

Draw made for new league stage of Sky Sports Cup

The fixtures for the inaugural season of the Sky Sports Cup league stage have been revealed.

Colombia World Cup 2026 team guide

Luis Díaz is the leading light of an extremely well-supported team still built around the 2014 golden boot winner James Rodríguez This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. Continue reading...

England vs Ukraine team news LIVE!

Crystal Palace poised to appoint Pierre Sage as head coach on two-year deal

Sage guided Lens to second place in Ligue 1 this season Glasner likely to join Milan after rejecting Feyenoord offer Crystal Palace are poised to appoint Pierre Sage as Oliver Glasner’s successor after holding productive talks with the Frenchman. Sage, who guided Lens to the Coupe de France and second place in Ligue 1 this season, is understood to have agreed terms on a two-year deal with the option of a 12 month extension. Compensation for the 47-year-old must be resolved but that is not thought to be an obstacle. Continue reading...

From World Cup Willie to Tip and Tap: a nostalgic nod to the era of lovably quirky mascots

This year’s World Cup serves up yet more soulless, corporate animal slop to leave fans pining for the days of unique talismans World Cup Willie marched on to the scene in 1966 with a spiky mane, bovver boy stance, bulbous brogues and – intriguingly for a World Cup held entirely in England – a union jack shirt. The product of a five-minute sketch by children’s illustrator Reg Hoye, who went on to create a red devil mascot for Manchester United, Willie was a marketing sensation. The first World Cup mascot featured on everything from bedspreads to beermats, ceramics to cereal boxes. Fast forward

Raducanu makes blistering Queen's start in straight sets win

Emma Raducanu got her HSBC Championships off to a blistering start with an impressive 6-0 6-3 straight sets victory over Anna Blinkova in the first round.

Card games replace smartphones after school ban

A Coventry head teacher says pupils are having chats and playing games after they banned phones.

World Cup 2026 visa chaos: from referee Omar Artan to Iranian officials – who is affected?

Fifa has found its tournament squarely caught up in the second Trump administration’s aggressive border restrictions For successive men’s World Cup tournaments Fifa has managed to bulldoze its way through costly immigration and entry requirements. In 2014, Brazil passed a law granting free temporary visas to ticket holders, and for Russia and Qatar, the respective autocracies bypassed traditional border friction using Fan IDs and Hayya cards as makeshift visa entry documents that also provided free public transport. Not so in 2026, where Fifa has found its tournament squarely caught up in the

How mental health strategies have shaped Canada captain Fleming

Stepping into any new role is daunting, let alone one that is the captain of your national football team - but that is just what Jessie Fleming did in 2024 for Canada.

Follow World Cup 2026 with live lock screen updates on the BBC Sport app

BBC Sport has launched live match updates - bringing you your team's score directly to your phone lock screen.