Global Pulse

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  • US reaches World Cup knockout round and wins its group with 2nd straight victory, 2-0 over Australia

    US reaches World Cup knockout round and wins its group with 2nd straight victory, 2-0 over Australia

    SEATTLE — When star forward Christian Pulisic was ruled out of Friday’s must-win World Cup group stage match against Australia with a calf injury, many expected the United States men’s national team to stumble. But in a display of squad depth that signals how far the program has come, the Americans picked up a dominant 2-0 win, clinched their spot in the expanded 48-team tournament’s knockout round, and secured first place in Group D.

    The victory marked the Americans’ second consecutive win in group play, a first for the US program at a men’s World Cup since 1930. Later the same day in Santa Clara, California, Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Turkey locked in the US’s position atop the four-team group. Pulisic, the AC Milan forward who has notched 33 goals across 87 senior international caps, was sidelined by the soft tissue injury, a blow that would have derailed past US World Cup sides.

    But this year’s squad is built for depth, and rising stars stepped up to fill the gap left by Pulisic’s absence. Folarin Balogun, who bagged a brace in the team’s opening 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 12, highlighted the team’s collective strength after the final whistle.

    “C.P. is a fantastic player — the quality and the leadership that he gives us,” Balogun said. “We didn’t have him today, but I think you saw we’re still capable to go out there and get a result and put up a performance.”

    The US got off to a flying start in the 11th minute, when Balogun made a threatening run down the left flank and played a cross toward Ricardo Pepi, who got the starting nod in place of Pulisic. The ball never reached the striker, instead deflecting off Australia defender Cameron Burgess and sliding into the back of the net for an own goal that put the US ahead early.

    “I want to be dangerous, I want to create opportunities,” Balogun said of the play. “It might not always be myself that scores, but if I can force an error that gives us the lead, then for me it’s like a goal as well. It was a special start to the game to give us the momentum.”

    The Americans doubled their lead in the 43rd minute from a set piece, when 21-year-old Alex Freeman — the youngest player on the squad, and son of former NFL Super Bowl champion wide receiver Antonio Freeman — nodded home a deflected shot from Sergiño Dest to score his first career World Cup goal. The goal was confirmed after a lengthy video assistant referee review.

    Head coach Mauricio Pochettino praised the young winger’s rapid development and professional attitude after the match. “(He) is doing a fantastic job,” Pochettino said. “The evolution is massive. He’s so humble. He wants to learn. He always listens. He’s a player that you really enjoy being with him. Not only coaching, but being with him.”

    The US failed to add to their lead in the second half, but their dominant first-half performance left a lasting impression on Australia head coach Tony Popovic, who said the result was no surprise given the Americans’ clear quality.

    “It did not surprise us because their quality is clear,” Popovic said. “Their power is clear. Their athleticism is clear. They are not surprising in what they did.”

    Heading into the knockout round, the US will face a third-place group finisher in their round of 32 match on July 1 in Santa Clara. With six goals through two group games — just one goal short of the program’s all-time record for a single World Cup — the team’s momentum is building, and expectations for a deep run are growing. But Pochettino said the strong start has not changed his outlook on what his squad can achieve.

    “I think it’s much better when you show good performances and win the games,” Pochettino said. “I think that makes it easier, everything. But, at the same time, it’s (important) to keep believing.”

    For Freeman, the team’s ability to overcome Pulisic’s absence is proof that the roster has the talent and depth to compete with any side in the tournament. “We know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game,” Freeman said. “For us it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is.”

  • Five-try Leinster rout Bulls to retain URC title

    Five-try Leinster rout Bulls to retain URC title

    Dublin’s iconic Croke Park played host to a one-sided United Rugby Championship (URC) final on Saturday, where Irish side Leinster produced a masterclass of clinical rugby to claim back-to-back titles with a resounding 36-7 victory over South Africa’s Bulls.

    The dominant win marks a significant redemptive moment for Leinster, just one month after they fell to a heartbreaking defeat against Bordeaux-Begles in the European Champions Cup final, where they missed out on what would have been their fifth continental crown. For the Irish province, this title further cements their status as the most successful side in the history of the tournament, now holding 10 league titles across all iterations of the competition, and becoming the first team to defend the URC crown since the tournament’s 2021 rebrand. For the Bulls, the result extends a painful run of final heartbreak, marking their fourth URC final defeat in the last five editions of the championship.

    Leinster seized control of the match from the opening whistle, capitalizing on early disciplinary chaos from the South African side to build an unassailable 22-0 halftime lead. Within the first two minutes of kickoff, Bulls centre Canan Moodie was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on that stopped a promising Leinster line break, forcing his side to play with 14 men. Just four minutes later, Leinster turned the error into points: winger Tommy O’Brien pounced on a sloppy loose pass from Bulls fly-half Handre Pollard inside the opposition half, kicked the ball 30 meters upfield, collected it and sprinted clear to score under the posts, opening the scoring for the home side.

    A second try followed quickly. Jamison Gibson-Park’s quick hands set up a surging run from fullback Hugo Keenan, who shrugged off two would-be tackles before shifting the ball left to centre Rieko Ioane. Ioane stepped inside Bulls defender Kurt-Lee Arendse and dived over in the corner to extend Leinster’s lead.

    The Bulls produced some staunch goal-line defense to hold back further waves of Leinster attack, but indiscipline struck again when fullback Willie le Roux was also yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on as Leinster pressed hard on the South African side’s line. Leinster converted their sustained pressure into a third try just before halftime, when Jack Conan, an early substitution brought on to replace the injured starting captain Caelan Doris, picked up the ball from a close-range ruck and barged over the line. Fly-half Sam Prendergast knocked over a penalty shortly after, when the Bulls failed to release a tackled Leinster player, sending the sides into halftime with the home side holding a 22-point advantage.

    Leinster picked up exactly where they left off in the second half. Prendergast darted over from one meter out at the base of a ruck to score his own try, then converted the score to push Leinster’s lead out to 29-0. The Bulls thought they had their first try shortly after, when Harold Vorster appeared to ground the ball over the line, but referee Andrea Piardi disallowed the score following a Television Match Official (TMO) review, in a call that sparked controversy for the South African side.

    Leinster were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes shortly after, when winger James Lowe received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on in his final appearance for the Irish province. The Bulls finally broke through Leinster’s defense after the 60-minute mark: Moodie accepted a perfectly timed offload and stretched over the line to score, with Pollard adding the conversion to put the Bulls on the board at 29-7.

    Any hopes of a dramatic comeback were quickly snuffed out, however, when the Bulls had a second try disallowed for a forward pass from Moodie in the build-up, after another TMO review. Leinster replacement fly-half Harry Byrne put the final nail in the coffin in the closing minutes of the match, rumbling over between the posts and converting his own try to seal the 36-7 final score.

    Speaking after the match, the result was a testament to Leinster’s depth and consistency across the season, turning a near-miss in European competition into domestic glory, while the Bulls were left to reflect on a tournament that ended in familiar disappointment for the side.

  • Thumping win cements Canada’s place as a ‘soccer nation’

    Thumping win cements Canada’s place as a ‘soccer nation’

    On a red-and-white swept Thursday at Vancouver’s sold-out BC Place Stadium, the Canadian men’s national soccer team etched its name into the country’s sports history books, delivering a sensational 6-0 blowout victory over Qatar in their opening match of the tournament. What fans had only dared to hope for a narrow, solid win turned into a rout that has redefined Canada’s standing on the global soccer stage, even as the nationwide celebration was softened by a devastating injury to star midfielder Ismaël Koné that cut his tournament short.

    In the hours before kickoff, the energy building across Vancouver was palpable. Thousands of diehard Canadian supporters marched the so-called “last mile” to the stadium, their path thick with red smoke flares, turning the streets of the west coast city into a sea of the nation’s signature colors. Across the country, from downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street to tiny neighborhood bars in Toronto, thousands more gathered at public watch parties, crammed together to cheer on Les Rouges, as the squad is nicknamed. For long-time Canadian soccer fan Dave Di Cola, who joined dozens of fellow supporters at a Toronto watch party, the mood heading into kickoff was cautious: he described his outlook as “reserved optimism”, knowing how unpredictable international soccer can be.

    That uncertainty evaporated almost as soon as the first whistle blew. Canada dominated from the opening minutes, netting three goals before halftime to put the game out of reach. Qatar’s challenge was further complicated when two of their players were sent off, opening the door for Canada to extend their lead to a final 6-0 score. Star striker Jonathan David bagged a hat-trick, cementing his place as the hero of the historic night – a moment memorialized in one viral social media photo that perfectly captured Canada’s shifting soccer identity: a fan wore an ice hockey jersey for Canadian hockey legend Connor McDavid, with the “Mc” covered by a hand-drawn “J” to honor David, blending the country’s long-held hockey obsession with its new passion for soccer.

    But the elation of the win was immediately dimmed when Koné suffered a severe leg break that forced him out of the tournament. The Ottawa-native has been a core piece of Canada’s midfield, and coach Jesse Marsch called him “a big part of the heart of our team.” After Koné went down, his teammates rushed to his side to support him as medics treated him on the pitch. Just minutes after coming on as substitute for Koné, Nathan Saliba scored Canada’s fourth goal – and held up Koné’s jersey to the crowd in a moving tribute. After undergoing successful surgery overnight, Koné posted a message on Instagram Friday morning saying, “What you guys did yesterday will stay with me forever.”

    In a heartfelt post-match pep talk in the locker room, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney praised the entire squad for the extraordinary character they displayed in the face of adversity. “They showed a level of character that some people never achieve,” Carney told the team, speaking in front of a packed, cheering locker room. “You showed it when the entire country and a good part of the world is watching.”

    For long-time observers and fans of Canadian soccer, the lopsided win is far more than just three tournament points. For decades, Canadian soccer was sidelined, seen as a secondary sport behind hockey, basketball, and baseball. Di Cola, who has followed the team for years, noted that “Canada soccer has always been kind of a joke. It’s always always secondary.” But the outpouring of support across the country – from the sold-out stadium to packed watch parties from coast to coast – changed that narrative: Di Cola admitted the scene “nearly brought a tear to my eye.”

    Canada now joins a pantheon of iconic recent Canadian sports moments that includes Sidney Crosby’s 2010 Vancouver Olympic golden goal, the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 NBA Championship, and the Canadian women’s soccer team’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal. While Di Cola acknowledges that the team still has “a long way to go” to cement its status as a global soccer power, Thursday’s rout has already cemented the moment as one that transformed Canadian soccer. Fans across the country now look ahead with renewed momentum as Canada prepares to face Switzerland in their next group stage match.

  • Cape Verde’s star goalkeeper Vozinha gets a family boost before Uruguay clash

    Cape Verde’s star goalkeeper Vozinha gets a family boost before Uruguay clash

    TAMPA, Florida — For 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, the 2024 FIFA World Cup has already delivered far more than he ever could have dreamed. Fresh off a man-of-the-match performance in his nation’s historic goalless draw against Spain that turned the veteran shot-stopper into a global social media sensation, he will step onto the pitch Sunday against Uruguay with his entire immediate family in the stands, a happy resolution to early visa complications that once threatened to keep his mother away.

    Born Josimar José Évora Dias, Vozinha earned global acclaim for his tenacious defensive display against European powerhouse Spain, a result that made Cape Verde the only debuting nation at this year’s tournament to avoid an opening-match defeat. The unexpected point has sparked wild celebrations among Cape Verdean fans at home and across the diaspora in the United States, with Vozinha’s standout play turning him into the face of the underdog nation’s historic World Cup run.

    Speaking to reporters ahead of Thursday’s training session at Cape Verde’s Tampa training base, Vozinha called the presence of his family one of the most meaningful parts of his first World Cup experience. His father Jose Pedro Dias and brother Delmiro Évora Nascimento, a professional footballer himself, have already joined him in Florida, and his mother — who initially faced bureaucratic hurdles securing a U.S. travel visa — is confirmed to arrive before kickoff against Uruguay.

    “They always support me in everything I do, so having my mother here is something special,” Vozinha said. “My father is here too, and my brother as well, so I’m very happy.”

    Vozinha’s name carries its own World Cup legacy: his father told reporters he named his son after Josimar, the star Brazilian right-back who netted two goals and became a breakout star at the 1986 Mexico World Cup. “I watched the matches and fell in love with the Brazilian national team,” Dias explained. “There were a few players who stood out; one of them was Josimar, a right-back, who scored two goals and really made his mark at that World Cup.”

    Like thousands of Cape Verdean supporters who have traveled to the U.S. for the tournament, Dias said he is overcome with pride to see his son and his nation compete on soccer’s biggest stage. This marks Cape Verde’s first ever qualification for the World Cup, a milestone that once seemed unthinkable for the small archipelago nation of just 500,000 people off the west coast of Africa.

    “As a father, I feel immense pride. All Cape Verdeans right now feel proud to be Cape Verdean and of Cape Verde’s current performance; it’s something we could never have imagined would be possible,” he said.

    Vozinha’s brother echoed that sentiment, calling the moment a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the entire team. “I’ve no words to describe this moment,” he said. “We just have to live it because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a professional footballer – to be at the World Cup, to play against Spain, to put in the performance he did.”

    Outside the Tampa training ground on Thursday, caravans of supporters packed into RVs, all dressed in the royal blue of Cape Verde’s flag and decked out in team merchandise, gathered to cheer on the team. For many of the fans in attendance, like Benjamin Ferrera, a Cape Verde-born resident of Massachusetts — home to the largest Cape Verdean diaspora community in the U.S., often nicknamed the nation’s “11th island” — the draw against Spain already feels like a win.

    Ferrera, who works on the security team at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium, one of this tournament’s host venues, said growing up he constantly heard that Cape Verde would never reach a World Cup. Today, that narrative has been completely upended.

    “I don’t have words for it, because nobody expected it. We are just 500,000 people on small islands. To be on this type of stage with the world watching us is just magnificent,” he said. “When I grew up, I always heard that Cape Verde doesn’t have football, that we would never make a World Cup. Today I’m proud to say we’re here and we are going to make history.”

    Andreia Levy, an organizer for the Cape Verde supporters’ group 12 Sharks, said the historic opening result felt preordained. “Of course, I trusted the guys,” she said. “We knew that it was possible to do something here.”

  • Lamine Yamal says he’s not fully fit and is unlikely to start in Spain’s second World Cup game

    Lamine Yamal says he’s not fully fit and is unlikely to start in Spain’s second World Cup game

    As the FIFA World Cup group stage progresses, 18-year-old soccer prodigy Lamine Yamal will almost certainly not earn a starting spot for Spain in Sunday’s highly anticipated Group H matchup against Saudi Arabia, as the teen star continues working through rehabilitation for a lingering left hamstring injury that has limited his fitness heading into the tournament.

    Yamal, one of the most high-profile young talents in global soccer and a key contributor to both Spain’s 2024 European Championship triumph and Barcelona’s La Liga title last season, entered the 2026 World Cup already managing the hamstring issue. He only featured as a late substitute in Spain’s opening group fixture against Cape Verde this week, a contest that ended in a underwhelming 0-0 draw for the European side against the first-time World Cup qualifier.

    In an interview with Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, Yamal opened up about his recovery timeline, emphasizing that rushing his return would carry unnecessary risk for both the player and the national team. “I’m fine, I feel good, but it’s still too soon,” Yamal said. “It’s unnecessary to take risks. I’m going through an adaptation process, it’s not the time to play a full match yet. But I can play as many minutes as the coach wants.”

    The 18-year-old entered the game against Cape Verde in the 71st minute, replacing a starter to add attacking spark to a stagnant Spanish offense, but he could not break through the Cape Verdean defense to secure three points for La Roja. Following Sunday’s matchup in Atlanta against Saudi Arabia, Spain will move to Guadalajara for a pivotal Group H clash with Uruguay, a match that is widely expected to decide which team tops the group, and a full-fit Yamal is viewed as critical to Spain’s success in that decisive fixture.

    Yamal also noted that fellow Spanish winger Nico Williams, who also arrived at the tournament managing an injury, is further along in his recovery than he is. “Physically he’s even better than me,” Yamal said. “We’re not in a rush. We have a great team with top-level players and we have to go step by step.”

    Despite his young age, Yamal has already established himself as one of the biggest drawcards of this World Cup, with his global popularity particularly visible on the ground in the United States, where the tournament is being hosted. A massive promotional billboard featuring Yamal’s image dominates the skyline outside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the site of Spain’s opening match of the tournament. When asked about his outsized popularity at just 18, the teen star said he has acclimated to the attention and remains focused on performing for fans. “I’m taking it naturally, it’s something I’m used to,” Yamal said. “I know what I represent both outside of Spain and in Spain. I try to always give my best, that’s what the fans want. If you have your image on that building, it’s because you can do things on the field that people like, things that excite them when they see you play.”

  • Africa’s greatest World Cup kits – pick your favourite

    Africa’s greatest World Cup kits – pick your favourite

    The FIFA World Cup is globally celebrated for its breathtaking goals, last-minute drama, and raw emotional moments — but it is also a stage where memorable football fashion is born. When it comes to bold, culturally rooted, and instantly recognizable kit designs, African national teams have produced some of the most iconic looks in the tournament’s history. BBC Sport Africa has curated a list of 10 standout designs from the continent, spanning more than 50 years of World Cup participation, inviting fans to weigh in on which they rank as the all-time greatest.

    The oldest entry on the list hails from 1974, when Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) took to the World Cup stage in a striking yellow and green ensemble that perfectly embodied the fashion sensibilities of its era. Featuring a wide collar and a dramatic deep V-neck, the kit made its biggest statement by emblazoning both the country’s name and the national team’s Leopards nickname and logo directly across the chest. While Zaire’s 1974 tournament ended in disappointment — including a lopsided 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia — the kit itself has gone down in history as a bold classic. Even contemporary Congolese designers draw inspiration from it: Alvin Junior Mak, who went viral recently for creating the current DRC squad’s viral leopard-print arrival suits, says he looked back to 1974 to ground his work. “When you are in Africa, we say if you want to move forward, you have to see where you come from,” Mak explained to BBC Sport Africa.

    Next on the list is Algeria’s 1982 kit, created for the country’s first ever World Cup appearance. Mirroring Zaire’s 1974 design choice, the kit featured the country’s name printed across the chest, written in elegant Arabic script. Like the Zaire kit, it also boasts a deep neckline and oversized collar that marked it as a product of early 1980s fashion. Produced by Sonitex, Algeria’s defunct state-owned clothing manufacturer, the design is no longer bound by copyright protection — a detail that has made it widely reproduced by small local brands for both domestic fans and the Algerian diaspora. This accessibility has cemented its cult status among Algerian football fans, particularly self-described football hipsters, says Algerian sports journalist Maher Mazahi.

    Cameroon’s 1990 kit is forever tied to one of the most iconic runs in African World Cup history. That year, the Indomitable Lions became the first African nation to reach the tournament’s quarter-finals, stunning defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the opening match and capturing global attention with Roger Milla’s iconic corner flag dance celebration. The 38-year-old striker, who was called out of retirement by Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, scored four unforgettable goals during the run. The kit’s centerpiece was a roaring lion emblazoned across the chest, a symbol that still stands for national pride, courage, and determination for Cameroonians, explains Paul Njie, BBC World Service’s Yaounde correspondent. “Many people believe that was the best ever performance of the Cameroon national team and some of them attribute that to the luck which came with the kit,” Njie says.

    For Nigeria’s 1994 World Cup debut, the Super Eagles debuted an away white kit that would become legendary. In that tournament, Nigeria claimed 3-0 and 2-0 wins over Bulgaria and Greece respectively while wearing the white jersey, dropping only their matches against Argentina and Italy when wearing their traditional green home kit. That coincidence has only added to the kit’s mythos among Nigerian football fans. “We see the legends, the players that made the difference for Nigerian football, and if I close my eyes that’s the first shirt that comes to mind,” former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong told BBC Sport Africa. “Nigeria’s greatest set of Super Eagles have worn that shirt and all of us strive to be able to imitate that.”

    South Africa’s 1998 kit, worn during the country’s first ever World Cup appearance after the end of apartheid, is a geometric-designed classic from Italian sportswear brand Kappa. The design was an updated iteration of the kit Bafana Bafana wore when they won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, a moment that remains a touchstone of national pride. Though South Africa failed to win any of their three group stage matches in their 1998 debut, the kit has endured as a fan favorite. “These days South Africa tend to wear yellow, but back in the 1990s their shirts were much more fun,” said Josh Warwick, co-founder of the Cult Kits website. “In our opinion, Kappa were one of the great brands from that era.”

    One of the most controversial entries on the list is Cameroon’s 2002 sleeveless kit. Originally designed as a basketball-style vest, the Indomitable Lions wore the sleeveless version to win the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations title just months before the World Cup, and it instantly won over players and fans alike. “When we came to the dressing room we said, ‘Wow, this is a new generation of shirt’. When we went on to the pitch the world was watching and it became famous. Everybody in Africa wanted to wear that shirt,” former Cameroon midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba recalled in a 2023 interview. However, FIFA ruled the sleeveless design violated World Cup competition rules, forcing Cameroon to add awkward black sleeves for the tournament — a decision many fans still see as an unnecessary spoiler.

    Senegal’s 2002 kit is tied to one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history: the Teranga Lions’ 1-0 opening match win over defending champions France, courtesy of a winning goal from the large, imposing midfielder Papa Bouba Diop, nicknamed “The Wardrobe” for his massive frame. The kit’s signature baggy fit even became part of its iconic look, and it remains wildly popular among Senegalese fans decades later. “Of all our kits, 2002 is the best,” said Mamour Insa, a Senegal fan who followed his team at a recent World Cup watch event in New York. “All our generation, they wear just that kit. A lot of young people wear it more than new designs. It is very difficult to find.”

    Ghana’s 2010 red and gold kit is forever linked to one of the most gut-wrenching moments in African World Cup history: Asamoah Gyan’s late penalty miss against Uruguay that would have sent the Black Stars into the tournament semi-finals, the first for any African side. With the match tied 1-1 in the final moments of extra time, Luis Suarez was sent off for a deliberate handball that stopped a sure Ghana goal, but Gyan’s penalty clipped the crossbar and went over; Uruguay went on to win the match in a penalty shootout. Despite the heartbreaking outcome, the kit itself remains a fan favorite. “I think it was a great shirt, the players loved it,” former Ghana midfield legend Michael Essien told BBC Sport Africa, jokingly adding that its tight, figure-hugging cut required a well-built physique to pull off.

    Nigeria’s 2018 neon green kit became a global viral sensation before the tournament even kicked off, with fans queuing for hours outside retailers to get their hands on the popular design. The Nike design pays deliberate homage to Nigeria’s 1994 debut kit, creating a modern classic that circles back to the Super Eagles’ first World Cup moment. “The best football shirt ever,” Troost-Ekong said of the design. “Everyone was trying to get hold of it, I had so many calls and messages.” Despite its massive popularity, the Super Eagles only got to wear it once during the 2018 tournament, in a 2-0 group stage win over Iceland.

    The newest entry on the list is Ghana’s 2026 home kit, which features a striking spiderweb design inspired by Kwaku Ananse, the iconic trickster spider figure from Ghanaian folklore. The bold design has drawn comparisons to Spider-Man’s suit for its bright, web-patterned look, but it may never get its moment on the World Cup stage: FIFA has already ruled that Ghana will not be allowed to wear the home strip for any of its 2026 group stage matches, leaving fans to wonder if this will go down as a would-be classic that never got its spotlight.

  • Australia beats Bangladesh by 7 runs in high-scoring 2nd T20 to win series

    Australia beats Bangladesh by 7 runs in high-scoring 2nd T20 to win series

    CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh – Australia has locked in an unbeatable 2-0 lead in its three-match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh, clinching a nail-biting seven-run win in the second fixture on Friday thanks to a standout all-round performance from Matt Renshaw, who notched a personal best 89 not out.

    Renshaw’s masterclass with the bat propelled Australia to a commanding total of 196 runs for the loss of five wickets – the highest T20 score Australia has ever recorded against Bangladesh. The left-hander, who faced 52 deliveries and hammered four fours and five maximums, combined with Tim David for a 97-run fourth-wicket stand off just 50 balls to set up the visitors’ big total. David chipped in with a quickfire 45 off 26 balls, including two boundaries and four sixes, before he was cleanly deceived by Abdul Gaffar’s slower delivery.

    Australia’s innings got off to a steady start after captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to bat first, with Marsh and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis putting on early runs. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed broke the opening partnership when he trapped Inglis (11) leg before wicket. Debut-tier fast bowler Nahid Rana, playing just his second career T20, then removed Marsh for 20, leaving Australia reeling at 44 runs for three wickets in the sixth over. Renshaw’s steady batting then anchored the rest of the innings, guiding the lower order to push Australia close to the 200-run mark. The all-rounder also delivered when given the ball, finishing with impressive figures of one wicket for just 13 runs.

    In their chase, Bangladesh made a flying start, reaching 72 runs for the loss of one wicket in the mandatory six-over power play – their highest power play total against Australia in T20 history. Opener Tanzid Hasan led the early charge, but Renshaw claimed his key wicket with a sharp return catch, removing Hasan for 31 runs off 15 balls to grab the crucial breakthrough. Saif Hassan followed with a solid 42 off 33 deliveries, but Australia’s spin attack choked Bangladesh’s run rate through the middle overs, slowing the hosts’ momentum.

    Bangladesh finished their innings at 189 runs for six wickets, falling just seven runs short of the target. All-rounder Aaron Hardie was another standout for Australia, finishing with two wickets for 40 runs from his four overs. Bangladesh, which suffered a four-wicket defeat in the series opener, will look to avoid a whitewash in the third and final T20, scheduled to be played this Sunday at the same Chattogram venue.

  • The maths whizz turned teen star who chose Morocco over France

    The maths whizz turned teen star who chose Morocco over France

    Eighteen-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has become one of the most talked-about young talents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after his masterclass performance against Brazil, drawing transfer interest from top European sides including Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool. But for those who have watched the teenager grow from a youth prospect in northern France to a global stage standout, his dramatic rise is no surprise at all.

    World Cup-winning striker and Bouaddi’s current Lille teammate Olivier Giroud is among the talent’s biggest admirers, drawing a striking parallel between the teen and Kylian Mbappé. “I played with Kylian Mbappe when he was 18,” Giroud, now a BBC Sport pundit, shared. “He was so mature for his age and I have the same feeling with Ayyoub.” This is not a bandwagon take following Bouaddi’s breakout, either; Giroud has watched the midfielder’s relentless work ethic up close on a daily basis, and says his sudden fame is far from an overnight success.

    That consensus is echoed across every stage of Bouaddi’s early career. Growing up in the northern French town of Creil, Bouaddi stood out not just for his on-pitch ability, but for a discipline and focus rare for a young player. “No one is shocked here,” said his former youth coach Sofiane Khair. “For us, it’s logical.” Khair recalled that even as a child, Bouaddi rejected the typical hobbies of kids his age: no video games, no fast food. When he wasn’t training, he would stay home reading or studying. “He’s the same now as he was when he was 10,” Khair added.

    Off the pitch, that intellectual discipline translates to pursuits far beyond football: Bouaddi is currently completing a mathematics degree in his spare time, and previously won a national oratory competition after delivering a speech at the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French President. That reflective, self-critical mindset has shaped his football development too. When Bouaddi moved up to Lille’s under-17 side at 15, coach Mickael Delestrez said the teen’s first question was, “What do you expect from me?”

    “His reflective nature leads to him constantly questioning his game – what could he have done better or what should he have done differently?” Delestrez explained. “He possesses this analytical ability that allows him to continually challenge himself.” Former Creil coach Armand Doue echoed that assessment, noting Bouaddi remains a perfectionist who still works closely with his early coaches to refine his game. Even as his career has skyrocketed, Bouaddi has never stopped pushing to improve.

    A quick look at his senior career already confirms his extraordinary trajectory. Just days after his 16th birthday in 2023, he became the youngest player to ever make a senior debut for Lille. On his 17th birthday, he helped the club secure a landmark Champions League win over Real Madrid, earning a serenade from the home crowd at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Earlier this year, he broke a 20-year record previously held by club icon Eden Hazard, becoming the youngest player in Lille history to hit 50 Ligue 1 appearances at 18.

    One of the biggest talking points of Bouaddi’s young career came long before his World Cup breakout: his choice to represent Morocco at senior level, rather than France, the country of his birth where he featured for every French youth national side. The decision came despite gentle persistent encouragement from Giroud, who joked and “teased him the whole year regarding picking France.”

    For Bouaddi, the choice was always rooted in family and identity. To announce his decision, he shared a decade-old photo on Instagram: 10-year-old him, wearing a Morocco national team shirt, watching the 2018 World Cup from the stands. “I am aware of the privilege I have to defend these colours and I will give everything to best represent my country,” he wrote in the post. It is a commitment he backed up with his performance against Brazil at the New York New Jersey Stadium in Morocco’s recent 2026 World Cup group stage match.

    Against a star-studded Brazilian side, the 18-year-old was unflappable. He finished the 1-1 draw with more touches (87) and more completed passes (60) than any other Moroccan player on the pitch. As temperatures rose and older players faded late in the match, Bouaddi kept pushing forward, repeatedly dribbling past Brazil defenders to drive his team up the pitch. He was equally tenacious in the tackle, winning nine duels — a physicality that caught the attention of Brazil’s veteran midfield leader Casemiro, who was substituted at half time after being outplayed by the teen. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi summed up the performance as a “masterclass.”

    To those who know him best, however, this level of play is standard. “He does this kind of match every weekend on the pitches of Ligue 1,” Doue noted. Now, as Bouaddi prepares to face Scotland in Morocco’s next World Cup group fixture this Friday, all eyes will be on the teen prodigy who has drawn comparisons to Mbappé, attracted interest from Europe’s biggest clubs, and built his career on relentless self-improvement. While he has yet to score his first senior goal, all signs point to Bouaddi becoming one of the most exciting players to watch in this World Cup — and for decades to come.

  • Nicholls and Ravindra steady New Zealand and extend lead over England to 194 at The Oval

    Nicholls and Ravindra steady New Zealand and extend lead over England to 194 at The Oval

    On the third day of the second Test match between England and New Zealand at London’s iconic Oval ground, the Black Caps moved firmly into a commanding position against the host nation, thanks to a resilient, match-defining stand between batters Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra on Friday.

    England entered the day’s play with a glimmer of momentum, sparked by a gritty 53-run last-wicket partnership between tailenders Matthew Fisher and Sonny Baker that carried the hosts to their first innings total before the lunch break. Buoyed by that late-run lift to team morale, England quickly got off to a promising start with the ball, dismissing both of New Zealand’s opening batters within the first seven overs.

    New Zealand captain Tom Latham fell for just 4 runs, edging a 140 kph (87 mph) delivery from pace bowler Jofra Archer behind to the wicketkeeper. That same over brought close calls for Henry Nicholls: Archer’s 147 kph delivery popped up into the outfield but fell safely between fielders, before a 145 kph fast yorker beat Nicholls’ inside edge and just missed the stumps.

    Devon Conway, New Zealand’s second opening batter, survived six more overs before he drove at a delivery from Josh Tongue and nicked a thick edge to second slip, out for 11 runs that left the Black Caps at 28 for 2. A dropped chance soon after could have turned the tide further in England’s favor: when Ravindra was on just 7, Tongue produced a good edge that wicketkeeper James Rew failed to hold on to a tough low chance diving to his left.

    After that missed opportunity, England failed to convert any further chances before the tea interval. Nicholls and Ravindra dug in, deflating England’s bowling attack and quieting the sun-bathed home crowd as they built a steady unbroken partnership. While the Oval pitch still offered purchase for bowlers—one Tongue delivery skidded along the ground barely above Ravindra’s shoelaces and slipped under his bat—the two batters kept their discipline and picked off scoring opportunities when they arose.

    Ravindra, an aggressive batter by nature who often takes risks to score, showed controlled aggression, clipping Baker off his toes for a boundary, one of seven boundaries he hit on his way to an unbeaten 35. As tea approached, Nicholls—who had been carefully building his innings across 64 deliveries—struck consecutive driven fours off part-time spinner Joe Root, England’s current leading wicket-taker with 73 career Test wickets, in a rare attacking outburst.

    By the tea break on day three, New Zealand had reached 94 for 2 after 25 overs, a cumulative lead of 194 runs that extended the Black Caps’ already substantial first innings advantage of 100 runs over England. The steady partnership restored New Zealand’s momentum after England’s morning recovery, which saw the hosts bat through the entire final session of day two after being 9 wickets down for 238 to close their first innings at 222.

  • The US World Cup star who couldn’t be an American under Trump’s plan

    The US World Cup star who couldn’t be an American under Trump’s plan

    As the co-host United States men’s national soccer team kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a win over Paraguay, the name on every fan’s lips was Folarin Balogun. The 24-year-old striker announced his arrival on the world’s biggest football stage with two stunning opening-game goals, instantly cementing his status as the team’s most dangerous attacking weapon. But beyond the highlight-reel finishes, Balogun’s place on the roster shines a stark spotlight on one of America’s most divisive political fights: the battle over birthright citizenship, a clash that will soon be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court just weeks from now.

    Balogun’s path to representing the United States is one of unexpected chance. Born to Nigerian parents living in London, his birth came down to a random fateful twist: during a 2001 summer trip to New York, airline staff refused to let his heavily pregnant mother board the return flight to the U.K. On July 3, 2001, Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York. Under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, that automatic birth on U.S. soil granted him full U.S. citizenship at birth. It is a status he would not be guaranteed under former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration executive order, which seeks to strip automatic citizenship from children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country illegally or holding temporary visas such as tourist visas.

    The irony of Balogun’s situation is not lost on observers: the U.S. national team’s breakout World Cup star is exactly the type of person Trump’s policy would bar from citizenship. As the team prepares for their second group stage match against Australia in Seattle on Friday at 20:00 BST, the ongoing national debate over immigration and citizenship hangs over this World Cup co-host’s campaign.

    A product of Arsenal’s famed youth academy, Balogun had his pick of senior national teams: he could have committed to England, where he grew up and represented the nation at youth level, or Nigeria, his parents’ home country. Until three years ago, a move to the U.S. senior side was far from guaranteed. Balogun was a key part of England’s Under-21 setup, notching seven goals in 13 appearances ahead of the 2023 UEFA Under-21 European Championship. But a breakout 2022-23 season on loan at French side Reims, which earned him a £35 million permanent transfer to Ligue 1’s Monaco, caught the attention of U.S. Soccer officials. With a path to the England senior side unclear, and a groundswell of public support from U.S. fans pushing for him to switch allegiances, U.S. Soccer launched a full court press to recruit him: a reported secret meeting that leaked on social media, invitations to NBA games and New York Yankees training sessions, a trip to Florida, and outreach from senior U.S. internationals who wined and dined him to convince him to make the switch.

    Balogun has made clear that fan support was the deciding factor in his choice to represent the Stars and Stripes. “When I committed, and throughout the whole cycle, and the whole journey to me being at this point, I’ve always said the fans gave me so much motivation and showed me so much support,” he said ahead of the Australia match. “For me, the most important thing has always been to ability to repay that. I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision.”

    Teammates and former players have already been quick to praise Balogun’s impact. AC Milan star Christian Pulisic summed up the general sentiment after the Paraguay win, saying the U.S. was “really lucky” to have the striker. “The kid’s insane,” Pulisic said. “He’s lethal right now in front of goal. Let’s just hope it keeps going like this.” Former U.S. international Kenny Cooper, now a club ambassador at FC Dallas, believes Balogun can help lead the team on a historic deep run at this home World Cup. “He’s obviously a really special talent and he showed that with two exceptional goals,” Cooper told the BBC. “He has been so impressive. I think there’s just so much confidence that I’m sure the players have in him playing with them, and us, his fans, have in him.”

    Fans echo that excitement. Tommy Marcos, president of the New York chapter of the American Outlaws — the largest U.S. national team supporters group — who attended a 2,000-strong watch party for the Paraguay match in Frisco, Texas, said supporters have waited decades for a striker of Balogun’s caliber. “We haven’t had that type of player — a top-five league striker that you can just put in there and know he’s going to score,” he said. “That’s pretty hard to do in the current football environment and we’re lucky to have him.”

    To date, Balogun has scored 11 goals in 28 appearances for the U.S. national team, putting him on a rapid pace to become one of the program’s all-time top goalscorers. After just one World Cup game, he already has two goals — one-third of the total that won the Golden Boot in 10 of the last 12 World Cup tournaments. While he is still not a household name across much of the U.S., he is well on his way to becoming a new talisman for American soccer.

    While the U.S. team has sought to keep politics separate from on-pitch performance, the connection between Balogun’s citizenship and the ongoing Supreme Court case is unavoidable. If the court upholds Trump’s executive order, legal experts say it would throw the citizenship status of hundreds of thousands of people like Balogun into uncertainty, even if the administration has promised not to retroactively revoke citizenship. “Trump’s promises and guarantees often are not worth very much, but even if he were to stick to that resolution, a future administration might not,” explained Ilya Somin, a George Mason University law professor and constitutional studies chair at the Cato Institute. Somin noted that even without retroactive action, the legal argument behind the order would leave citizenship status for many people hanging over their heads indefinitely.

    Still, Somin predicts the Supreme Court — which holds a 6-3 conservative majority — will not rule in favor of the Trump administration, pointing to skeptical questioning from justices during oral arguments in April. When administration lawyers argued that modern international travel requires a reinterpretation of the Constitution’s citizenship clause, Chief Justice John Roberts famously quiped: “It’s a new world. It’s the same constitution.”

    The timing of the 2026 World Cup, the upcoming Supreme Court ruling, and the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration has created a unique confluence of events that holds a mirror up to modern American division on immigration. An April Reuters poll found that a majority of Americans support retaining automatic birthright citizenship for all children born in the U.S., but opinion is deeply split along party lines: just 9% of Democrats support ending birthright citizenship, compared to 62% of Republicans.

    Balogun is far from the only player on the current U.S. roster with a mixed transnational identity. Marcos notes that this diversity is nothing new for U.S. soccer, and the team’s varied backgrounds are exactly what make it a reflection of America’s identity as a melting pot. “I think that’s what makes the team really unique in terms of the football landscape,” he said. “But it’s also what makes it special and it makes it very American.”