Global Pulse

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  • Carapaz wins stage 18 of the Tour de France with a late breakaway, Pogacar keeps overall lead

    Carapaz wins stage 18 of the Tour de France with a late breakaway, Pogacar keeps overall lead

    The 111th edition of the Tour de France delivered another dramatic day of racing in the French Alps on Thursday, as Ecuadorian cycling veteran Richard Carapaz executed a perfectly timed late attack to secure victory on the 18th stage, while overall race leader Tadej Pogacar retained his comfortable advantage at the top of the general classification.

    The 185-kilometer route from the lower Alpine approaches to the finish at the Orcières-Merlette ski station marked the first of three consecutive days of high-mountain climbing, opening with an early Category 1 ascent up Côte d’Engins before capping the day with a second demanding Category 1 climb to the stage finish. After the opening climb, American rider Matteo Jorgenson broke away to the front of the race with a small lead group, and Carapaz later bridged the gap to the front as Pogacar’s yellow jersey group, containing all the overall classification contenders, held back strategically. The 33-year-old Ecuadorian, a former Giro d’Italia champion who already claimed one Tour de France stage win earlier this 2025 edition, launched his decisive attack roughly three kilometers from the summit of the final climb. Neither Jorgenson nor Swiss rider Mauro Schmid, his two breakaway companions, could match Carapaz’s power on the steep gradient, and he rode solo to the finish line to seal the win, crossing 45 seconds ahead of second-place Schmid and third-place Jorgenson.

    Carapaz narrowly avoided disaster mid-attack when a spectator standing in the road forced him to swerve sharply to avoid a collision, but he maintained his momentum and held his lead all the way to the line. Crossing the finish, he patted both sides of his head in a gesture of emotional disbelief before celebrating a career milestone. This victory marks Carapaz’s second Tour de France stage win of his career and his first at this year’s race, coming after a failed breakaway attempt earlier in the 2025 edition that left him empty-handed despite a strong effort.

    “This is a wonderful victory. I dedicate it to my family,” Carapaz told reporters after the finish. “It’s been a special day. It took a lot of hard work. This is the most rewarding thing for me, knowing that the work I put in has paid off. This final climb was tough and suited my strengths well. This was a hard-fought victory, but just as tough as the first one. It gets harder every year to win here.”

    Pogacar, the Slovenian cycling star gunning for his third consecutive Tour de France title and fifth overall Grand Tour victory, finished a few minutes behind Carapaz in a large chase group that included his closest general classification rival, Belgian time trial specialist Remco Evenepoel, and third-place overall rider Isaac Del Toro, Pogacar’s teammate from UAE Emirates XRG. Because Carapaz sits 10th in the overall standings and is not considered a threat to Pogacar’s yellow jersey, the overall contenders chose not to chase down his breakaway, letting the breakaway fight for the stage win while conserving energy for the coming days of even harder climbing. Pogacar, who has already won four stages at this year’s race, noted after the finish that no overall contender was willing to commit the energy needed to chase down the breakaway.

    There were no changes to the top of the overall standings after Thursday’s stage. Pogacar holds a commanding lead of 4 minutes and 32 seconds over Evenepoel, a two-time stage winner at this year’s Tour, while 22-year-old Mexican rider Del Toro remains in third place, 6 minutes and 51 seconds behind Pogacar.

    The race now faces two days of extraordinarily brutal Alpine climbing that will test the contenders’ endurance ahead of Sunday’s final parade stage into Paris. Friday’s 19th stage will finish atop L’Alpe d’Huez, one of the most iconic and legendary climbs in professional cycling, which is rated a Hors Categorie (HC) – the highest difficulty ranking for Tour climbs. Saturday’s penultimate 20th stage is one of the most challenging routes in recent Tour history, featuring three consecutive HC climbs: Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Galibier, and Col de Sarenne, plus an additional Category 1 climb up Col du Télégraphe, before a hilly finish back at L’Alpe d’Huez. The 2025 Tour de France will conclude on Sunday with the traditional finishing circuit along Paris’ Champs-Élysées.

  • Teenager Sooryavanshi blasts 50 off 18 as India cruises past Zimbabwe in T20

    Teenager Sooryavanshi blasts 50 off 18 as India cruises past Zimbabwe in T20

    In a decisive opening match of a three-game Twenty20 series held in Harare, Zimbabwe on Thursday, 15-year-old Indian cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a breakout performance, smashing his first international half-century to lead India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the host side.

    Sooryavanshi’s explosive 50 runs came off just 18 deliveries, bringing a swift end to India’s 126-run chase before he fell to Zimbabwe seamer Richard Ngarava the very next ball. Playing at the Harare Sports Club, the teenager top-edged an attempted cut shot, leaving India at 68 for 2 wickets at the time of his dismissal. His blistering early innings had already shifted the momentum irreversibly, however, turning what looked like a competitive run chase into a straightforward task for the rest of the Indian batting lineup. By the end of the match, stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer was unbeaten in the middle as India reached 126 for 3, securing Iyer his first win as India’s T20 captain after seven previous unsuccessful outings in charge.

    Zimbabwe’s batting side posted a moderate total of 125 for 7 after 20 overs, with Indian fast bowlers Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav each taking two wickets to restrict the host’s scoring. The match marked a key turning point for Sooryavanshi, who made history earlier this month when he replaced Sachin Tendulkar as the youngest player ever to earn a senior international cap for India. Ahead of the Zimbabwe series, the young batter had struggled to find his footing during India’s 4-0 whitewash defeat in England, where he scored just 14, 13 and 15 runs across three innings. While his strike rate of 168 over that series remained solid, his lack of big scores saw him dropped from the lineup for the final match.

    Indian selectors opted to give Sooryavanshi another start in Harare in large part due to his historic success at the same ground: during the 2025 Under-19 World Cup final against England in February, he blasted an incredible 175 runs off just 80 balls to lead India to the title. The teenager lived up to expectations on Thursday, hitting his first boundary just four balls into his innings when he launched a six over backward square leg. He went on to hit three more maximums, clearing the ropes at long-off, fine leg and long-on to keep the scoreboard ticking at a rapid pace.

    The three-match series will continue with its second fixture scheduled for this Saturday in Harare, with fans already anticipating more standout performances from the young Indian sensation.

  • Italy in crisis: federation sounds out Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti for coach

    Italy in crisis: federation sounds out Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti for coach

    ROME, Italy – Italian football is facing a period of intense uncertainty and restructuring, following a humiliating third consecutive failure to qualify for the men’s FIFA World Cup, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has set its sights on two of the biggest names in global coaching to turn the struggling national program around. Top FIGC officials have confirmed they have held formal talks with two legendary coaching figures: former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, and current Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti, as they move to fill the vacant Italy head coach position. Officials aim to confirm a permanent appointment within the next seven days, though they have stressed they will prioritize hiring the right candidate over rushing an announcement.

    The leadership shakeup comes after Italy’s 1-0 playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, which locked the four-time World Cup-winning Azzurri out of a third straight World Cup tournament. The devastating result triggered immediate resignations from both FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and national team head coach Gennaro Gattuso, who had only taken the job 10 months prior, after predecessor Luciano Spalletti was fired with Italy’s qualifying campaign already on the brink of collapse following an opening-match defeat in Norway.

    New FIGC president Giovanni Malagò, alongside recently appointed technical director Paolo Maldini – the former Italy and AC Milan iconic defender – and special advisor Leonardo, have taken the lead in the search process. Maldini addressed reporters following a meeting with Serie A club representatives Thursday, confirming that the federation has targeted the sport’s most high-profile coaches from the start of the search.

    “Honestly, we cannot share any new updates at this moment, but you are correct that Guardiola is one of our targets,” Maldini told reporters. “We can’t hide that we spoke with Carlo Ancelotti first before reaching out to Pep. It felt only right to start with the best coaches in the world, to gauge their general availability for the role.”

    The FIGC’s courting of Guardiola included a three-day, in-person meeting between Maldini, Leonardo, and the 55-year-old Spaniard in Barcelona recently. A product of the Barcelona youth system and one of the most decorated coaches in soccer history, Guardiola wrapped up a historic 10-year tenure at Manchester City at the end of the 2023-2024 season. During his time in England, he transformed City from a mid-table domestic side into a dominant European powerhouse, won 16 major trophies including the coveted continental treble, and redefined tactical attacking play across English soccer. Across his career at City, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, Guardiola has claimed 35 major senior titles.

    As for Ancelotti, the 67-year-old Italian coaching legend signed a contract extension with the Brazilian national team in May that was set to keep him in charge through the 2030 World Cup. But Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, suffered a shocking early exit in the 2024 tournament, knocked out in the round of 16 by Norway, leaving his future open to speculation. Ancelotti is the most decorated club coach of his generation: he has won top-flight league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany, and remains the only coach in history to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy five times.

    While Guardiola and Ancelotti are the federation’s top targets, other prominent candidates remain in contention for the role. Former Italy head coaches Roberto Mancini, who led the Azzurri to a surprise UEFA European Championship title in 2021, and former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte are widely cited as leading backup options, while 2006 World Cup-winning Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo has also been linked to the vacancy.

    Maldini emphasized that while the federation hopes to finalize the appointment this week, it is willing to wait for its preferred candidate. “The best outcome would be making an announcement this week, but our priority is getting the right person, not a quick announcement,” he said. “There is urgency to the role, but we are not panicking to fill it.”

  • Australia open to playing Test against England in India

    Australia open to playing Test against England in India

    The iconic Ashes cricket rivalry between England and Australia could one day take center stage on Indian soil, if Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg gets his way. In an interview with BBC Sport journalist Timothy Abraham, Greenberg has called for both cricketing governing bodies to keep the groundbreaking idea on the table as the sport works to reignite global interest in the traditional Test format.

    For more than a century, England and Australia have only contested Test matches against one another as part of the Ashes series, the bi-annual home-and-away competition that rotates between the two nations roughly every four years, with Australia currently holding the urn after a dominant 4-1 victory in the 2025-26 series. That tradition is already set to break next year, however: the two sides will clash in a standalone one-off Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in March 2027 to mark the 150th anniversary of their very first Test meeting.

    It is this spirit of evolution that Greenberg says should open the door to exploring a neutral-venue match in cricket’s largest and most high-impact market. “It’s not something that we are planning, but it’s open for consideration. We’d have to be open to considering all options,” Greenberg told BBC Sport. A fixture of this kind would require formal approval from both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but Greenberg pointed to strong existing relationships between all three governing bodies as a solid foundation for discussion.

    Cricket Australia is already laying the groundwork for expanding its footprint in India, with the country’s domestic Big Bash League set to play its first ever overseas match in Chennai this December, where the Melbourne Renegades will face off against the Perth Scorchers. The move is explicitly designed to tap into the world’s biggest cricket market and grow the competition’s global profile. While Test cricket has seen declining popularity in India in recent years, overshadowed by the explosion of T20 franchise cricket and the Indian Premier League, Greenberg argued that a historic England-Australia Test on Indian soil would draw massive fan interest. “There’s no doubt [it] would capture the imagination,” he said. “I think Test cricket between us, India and England is very strong and probably bucking the trend in some other parts of the world. We want to make sure we grow and strengthen it.”

    Greenberg also addressed ongoing controversy around the 150th anniversary Test scheduled for next year, which will be played under lights with a pink ball – a first for men’s Test cricket at the MCG. A number of high-profile former Australian players have publicly criticized the decision, departing from the format of the 1977 centenary Test, which was played as a traditional daytime match. But Greenberg defended the change, noting that a daytime match would struggle to draw large crowds given most fans work and attend school during weekday hours. He added that favorable broadcast time zones for UK audiences and larger overall viewership numbers make the pink-ball format a strategic choice to grow the sport’s reach.

    “It will anger some of the traditionalists but we’re in the business of getting more eyeballs on our game,” Greenberg said. “We wanted to get as many people for the game as possible. Playing that game in the day while people are at work and school would’ve made that difficult. Clearly there’s a commercial imperative with broadcast rights back in the UK and the time zone. Pink-ball Tests for us are hugely advantageous in terms of audience.”

    The CA chief also pushed back against criticism of the MCG’s recent Test pitch, which England infamously won in just two days during the 2025-26 Ashes series. He confirmed that preparations for the 2027 anniversary Test will target a flatter, less grassy pitch designed to produce a longer, more spectator-friendly contest. Greenberg emphasized that the governing body is working to strike a careful balance between honoring the 150-year history of Anglo-Australian Test cricket and adapting the format to meet the needs of modern audiences to ensure its long-term survival. “We’re trying to balance celebrating 150 years of Test cricket between our two countries but also have an eye on the future and how we can evolve the sport,” he added.

  • Norway consider complaint over Balogun ban decision

    Norway consider complaint over Balogun ban decision

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been thrown into fresh controversy over the unprecedented suspension of an automatic one-match ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun, with the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) now moving toward a formal ethics complaint to global football’s governing body. The dispute traces back to the US’ group stage match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Balogun — who would finish the tournament as Team USA’s top scorer with three goals — received a straight red card. By FIFA’s standard rules, this should have ruled him out of the US’ knockout round last-16 clash with Belgium.

    That automatic suspension was put on hold for 12 months shortly after the red card, however, following direct personal intervention from former US President Donald Trump. Trump acknowledged he made a personal phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card decision, with FIFA ultimately allowing Balogun to start against Belgium, a match Belgium went on to win 4-1. No detailed explanation for the suspension was provided, with FIFA only citing a vague existing rule that allows for punishment suspensions in certain cases.

    In a written statement provided exclusively to BBC Sport, NFF president Lise Klaveness said her organization views the decision with “strong concern”, and will vote on whether to file a formal ethics complaint during the federation’s upcoming board meeting. This would not be the NFF’s first complaint over FIFA’s ties to Trump: the federation previously raised objections to FIFA awarding its inaugural Peace Prize to the former US president ahead of the 2026 tournament. Klaveness noted that the Balogun case would be added to the existing ethics inquiry the NFF previously launched over that award.

    The controversy has also spilled over to the International Olympic Committee, where Infantino has held a membership since 2020. Existing IOC rules bar members from accepting outside instructions or mandates that could compromise their independent decision-making, spurring reports that the IOC is preparing to open its own investigation into Infantino’s conduct in the Balogun case. When contacted by the BBC for comment, the IOC declined to confirm or deny whether any complaint had been received, citing its policy that all ethics commission complaints remain confidential. The organization noted it would only issue a public statement if the commission ultimately votes to impose sanctions.

    Infantino has repeatedly defended the independence of FIFA’s judicial bodies, claiming they operate free from outside political influence. Trump echoed that framing during a July 6 Oval Office press briefing, saying “I didn’t tell him what to do, I can’t tell him what to do,” while adding that he believed the original red card was unwarranted and called the eventual suspension of the ban a “great decision.”

    Criticism of the decision has spread far beyond Norway. The Royal Belgian Football Federation, which benefited from the US’ elimination in the match, said it was “deeply concerned by the course of events” and committed to defending “the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.” FIFA rejected Belgium’s formal request for an official explanation of the ban suspension, ruling the appeal “inadmissible” on procedural grounds. Uefa, European football’s governing body, issued one of the strongest condemnations, saying FIFA’s actions “crossed a red line” and calling the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”

  • Reports: Moriyasu to continue as Japan coach and replaced after Asian Cup by Oiwa

    Reports: Moriyasu to continue as Japan coach and replaced after Asian Cup by Oiwa

    Fresh reports out of Tokyo confirm a major leadership shift for Japan’s men’s senior national soccer team is set to take place following next year’s continental championship. Multiple local Japanese media outlets confirmed Thursday that current head coach Hajime Moriyasu will retain his position through the 2024 Asian Cup hosted in Saudi Arabia, after which he will depart his post.

    The Japan Football Association held an official meeting Thursday to discuss the future of the senior team’s head coaching role, and according to those same reports, current Japan Under-23 national team manager Go Oiwa has been tapped to take over the top job once the Asian Cup concludes.

    Moriyasu, who took over the reins of the senior national side immediately following the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, leaves behind a consistent track record of international results. Under his guidance, Japan advanced to the knockout stage of both the 2022 Qatar World Cup — falling to Croatia in a tense penalty shootout — and the 2023 World Cup, where the team exited the round of 32 after a narrow 2-1 defeat to five-time tournament champion Brazil.

    The upcoming 2024 Asian Cup, running from January 7 to February 5 in Saudi Arabia, already has 24 qualified teams, and Japan enters the competition as one of the pre-tournament favorites. Japan has been drawn into Group F for the group stage, where they will face off against Indonesia, defending champion Qatar, and Thailand.

    For incoming head coach Oiwa, the path to the top job follows a long career in Japanese soccer. A former defender with a modest playing career, Oiwa earned three senior caps for Japan before retiring and transitioning to coaching in Japan’s domestic professional league. He has held the role of Japan Under-23 manager since 2021, building experience with the next generation of Japanese soccer talent ahead of this promotion.

    The coaching vacancy did attract public interest from another high-profile Japanese soccer figure earlier this month: former Japanese international star Keisuke Honda, who recently stated he would be open to taking the senior head coaching role. A attacking midfielder with an decorated international career, Honda earned 98 caps for Japan and represented the country at three consecutive World Cups, with his final appearance coming at the 2018 tournament in Russia.

  • Africa prepares for historic Olympic moment at Dakar 2026

    Africa prepares for historic Olympic moment at Dakar 2026

    With just 100 days remaining until the opening ceremony, the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games is on track to make history as the first Olympic-sanctioned event ever held on African soil. For decades, the continent has produced some of the world’s most iconic champions in athletics, football, boxing and a host of other global sports, but it has never hosted a competition bearing the Olympic rings — a milestone the International Olympic Committee says will resonate far beyond the two weeks of competition.

    Dakar was first selected as the host city for the Youth Games back in October 2018. Initially scheduled to take place in 2022, the event was postponed to 2026 at the request of local organizers, pushed back to accommodate more robust, sustainable planning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. When competition kicks off on 31 October, events will be spread across three locations: the Senegalese capital Dakar, the newly developed city of Diamniadio, and the coastal resort town of Saly.

    Local organizing committee leaders say preparations are proceeding firmly on schedule, and the entire nation is embracing the responsibility of acting as host for the entire continent. “We know we are going to be ambassadors for Africa during this period,” explained Thierno Cisse, deputy chief operating officer of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), in an interview with the BBC. “It’s really important for us as a country to proudly represent the whole continent and show that Africa meets global high standards.”

    The significance of hosting the Youth Games in Africa extends beyond symbolism: per United Nations data, Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with 70% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. “The symbolism of having Africa hosting the global sports community is very strong,” said IOC official Christophe Dubi. “This is a very important first step.”

    Beyond the celebration of sport, many local residents hope the landmark event will shine a much-needed spotlight on the critical challenges facing young Senegalese people. Recent data from Senegal’s national statistics and demographics agency puts youth unemployment for 15 to 34-year-olds at more than 27%, driven largely by a lack of stable formal opportunities in the domestic economy. In recent years, high joblessness has also fueled a crisis of irregular migration, with hundreds of young Senegalese risking their lives each year to seek better prospects in Europe. Local resident Issa Diao told the BBC he expects the Games to generate immediate employment opportunities for local young people: “We are in a country where the rate of joblessness is very high, so when we have this kind of event here, it will help people to get jobs.”

    To raise global awareness of the event, organizers have tapped a roster of high-profile African and global figures as official Games ambassadors, including Senegal men’s national football team captain Kalidou Koulibaly, TikTok superstar Khaby Lame, and acclaimed French-Senegalese actor Omar Sy. The IOC has also selected 31 veteran athlete role models to provide mentorship and support to the young athletes competing in Dakar. As part of its pre-Games outreach, the IOC launched a skills development program last year that has already trained more than 400 young Africans across critical event management roles, including operations, logistics, digital technology, athlete accreditation, and venue coordination. Per Cisse, the volunteer recruitment strategy was intentionally opened up to the entire continent: “We have more than 30 countries represented from all around the world, but mainly from Africa as youth volunteers.”

    One of the most distinctive innovations of Dakar 2026 will be the debut of a dedicated youth refugee team at the Youth Olympic Games, building on the full refugee athlete delegation first introduced at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro senior Olympics. Working in partnership with the Olympic Refuge Foundation and international sports federations, the IOC has held identification trials and development programs across East Africa to identify young refugee athletes. All athletes selected for the delegation will receive ongoing support for education and mental wellbeing beyond the Games. Dubi noted that the team sends a powerful message of inclusion: “Even for people who have lived through extremely difficult circumstances, there is still hope. There is a place where you are welcomed.”

    While the Youth Games are smaller in scale than the flagship summer and winter Olympic Games, Dakar 2026 will still welcome roughly 2,700 athletes competing across 25 official sports. Additionally, 10 non-competitive engagement sports will be held to encourage participation among local Senegalese youth, helping expand access to new recreational activities. In a break from the common practice of building new, single-use venues for major events, Dakar 2026 organizers have prioritized the rehabilitation and reuse of existing urban spaces. Dubi highlighted that two prominent underused parcels in central Dakar were saved from being redeveloped into private housing and instead restored for public sports use: “This is about thinking beyond the Games.”

    That focus on long-term legacy does not erase questions around the cost of hosting the large-scale event. Public reports indicate Senegal invested roughly $270 million to construct the new Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, which will host the Games’ opening ceremony, and the Senegalese sports ministry has estimated total Games organizing costs at around $60 million. The BBC’s requests to confirm these figures with the LOC and IOC went unanswered. Both organizations emphasized that the success of Dakar 2026 will not be measured by the 14 days of competition alone, but by the lasting infrastructure, opportunities and talent the event leaves behind. “The Games are opening a whole range of new sports that are not famous here,” Cisse said. “Maybe we’ll be able to say in 20 years from now that some champions were discovered.”

    The event also arrives at a moment of shifting representation within the IOC: last year, Zimbabwean swimming legend Kirsty Coventry made history as the first African, and first woman, to be elected president of the IOC. Before taking on the IOC’s top role, Coventry served as chair of the Dakar 2026 coordination commission, creating a personal and institutional tie to the landmark event. “We are very proud that an African woman is representing the continent on the biggest stage,” Cisse said. “I know she has a special bond with the Games and holds it in very high esteem.”

    For the IOC, Dakar 2026 is far more than a sporting competition: leaders frame it as a cultural and social movement to celebrate African youth, talent, and the continent’s growing influence on the global stage. “It’s going to have an effect that is wider than Senegal and Dakar,” Dubi said. “It’s not only about sport. People will be amazed by what they will see. It’s the energy.” As the 100-day countdown ticks on, people across the continent are hoping the Games will cement Africa’s place in the global Olympic movement, while opening new lasting opportunities for young people, sports administrators and athletes across the region.

  • Germany calls news conference as Klopp expected to be named coach

    Germany calls news conference as Klopp expected to be named coach

    FRANKFURT, Germany — One of the most high-profile vacancies in international men’s soccer is on the cusp of being officially filled, with the German Football Association (DFB) set to introduce Jürgen Klopp as the country’s next senior men’s national team manager during a Friday press conference, multiple insiders with knowledge of the process have confirmed.

    In a short, sparse statement released Thursday, the DFB did not disclose the explicit purpose of the Friday morning event planned at its Frankfurt headquarters, but multiple football industry sources have confirmed the gathering will be dedicated to presenting Klopp as Julian Nagelsmann’s permanent replacement.

    Klopp has been the DFB’s top target for the role ever since Nagelsmann stepped down from the position after Germany suffered a stunning elimination from this year’s FIFA World Cup. The defending champions were knocked out in the round of 32 in a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, a result that ended their tournament run far earlier than expected and triggered the opening of the top job.

    Talks between Klopp and DFB leadership first took shape in New York, where the former Liverpool boss was working as a broadcast pundit and television analyst for the World Cup. On July 11, the federation publicly confirmed that the two sides had reached a preliminary understanding on all core terms of a potential contract.

    For weeks after that announcement, the primary stumbling block to finalizing the deal was securing an exit agreement from Red Bull, the global beverage and sports conglomerate. Klopp has served as Red Bull’s head of global soccer for the past 18 months, a role that saw him oversee the operations and development of the company’s entire network of sponsored professional clubs across Europe and the Americas. Final negotiations between the DFB and Red Bull ultimately cleared that hurdle, opening the door for Friday’s official presentation.

    Klopp stepped away from his role as Liverpool’s first-team manager at the end of the 2023-2024 season, citing prolonged burnout and a need for an extended break from elite coaching. Earlier this month, however, the 57-year-old told reporters he has completed his period of rest and now feels fully recharged, ready to return to the sidelines for a new challenge at the international level.

  • Trent Bridge to kick off the 2027 men’s Ashes as England hosts Australia

    Trent Bridge to kick off the 2027 men’s Ashes as England hosts Australia

    LONDON – The England and Wales Cricket Board has officially locked in the full schedule and confirmed the opening venue for the highly anticipated 2027 men’s Ashes series against defending title holders Australia, a announcement that has already sparked debate over regional representation.

    Trent Bridge, the iconic Nottingham-based cricket ground, will play host to the first Test of the five-match series, scheduled to run from June 18 to 22, 2027. The venue has emerged as a lucky ground for England in recent Ashes history, with the home side claiming victory in three consecutive Ashes Tests at Trent Bridge, most notably a 2015 win where Australia was bowled out for just 60 runs in one innings.

    Following the opening clash, the series will move to London’s historic Lord’s ground for the second Test, held from June 30 to July 4. Just four days later, the third Test gets underway at Birmingham’s Edgbaston from July 8 to 12. The fourth Test will mark a historic milestone for the tournament: Southampton’s Rose Bowl will host its first ever men’s Ashes Test from July 21 to 25, becoming the 10th different English ground to host a men’s Ashes series match. The five-match series will wrap up at London’s The Oval from July 29 to August 2.

    All five venues were shortlisted in 2023, but the selection drew immediate criticism for the exclusion of two major northern English grounds: Old Trafford in Manchester and Headingley in Leeds. While both venues were already confirmed to host matches in the 2031 Ashes series, their absence from the 2027 lineup made Nottingham the northernmost host venue for the 2027 tournament. Following the 2023 selection announcement, the mayors of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire sent official letters of disappointment to the ECB. Even England men’s skipper Ben Stokes, who represents the northern county side Durham, called the lack of northern Test venues for the 2027 series “a shame” in comments made during England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia earlier this year.

    To soften the impact of the exclusion, Old Trafford has been assigned a high-profile preparatory fixture: it will host a warm-up match between Australia and the England Lions from June 7 to 10, 2027. The schedule for this warm-up will be adjusted if Australia qualifies for the World Test Championship final, which is set to take place at The Oval from June 9 to 13 that same year.

    Alongside the men’s fixture announcement, the ECB confirmed that the 2027 women’s Ashes series will run concurrently with the men’s tournament. The women’s series will open with a Test match at Headingley from June 24 to 27, marking the first women’s Ashes Test hosted at the ground since 2001, followed by three Twenty20 matches and three One Day Internationals concluding on July 20.

    The announcement also included details of other upcoming home Test and limited-overs series for England’s national sides. In May 2027, the men’s team will host Pakistan for five One Day Internationals, followed by England’s first home Test match against Bangladesh at Lord’s since 2010. That September, New Zealand will tour England for three Twenty20s and five One Day Internationals as both sides prepare for the 50-over Men’s World Cup hosted in southern Africa that October. The England women’s team will also host Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in September 2027.

  • Ruiz & Gavi’s reward for win… 150kg of tomatoes

    Ruiz & Gavi’s reward for win… 150kg of tomatoes

    When international football stars lift the FIFA World Cup trophy, the celebrations that follow come in all shapes and sizes. But few honors are as unique as the welcome two Spanish champions received when they returned to their small Andalusian hometown this week.

    Midfielders Fabian Ruiz of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona’s Gavi, both key members of Spain’s 2026 World Cup-winning squad that defeated Argentina in an extra-time final in North America, arrived back in Los Palacios y Villafranca on Wednesday to a hero’s welcome. The town, located just south of Seville, counts fewer than 40,000 residents, but thousands turned out to line the streets and greet the pair at an official civic reception held at the local town hall.

    Draped in Spanish flags and wearing their shiny gold World Cup winners’ medals, Ruiz and Gavi were met by local government officials, cheering fans, and a very special surprise tribute that is one of the town’s longest-standing athletic traditions. As part of the celebration, both players stepped onto public weighing scales to measure their body weight — a calculation that would determine exactly how many tomatoes they would take home as a reward for their historic victory.

    In the end, Ruiz, who started the World Cup final against Argentina, will receive 85 kilograms of locally grown tomatoes, while 20-year-old Gavi will take home 68.5 kilograms. Local council leaders note that this unusual tomato presentation has become a signature tradition of the municipality, reserved exclusively for honoring the town’s most exceptional sporting talents.

    The celebration also included a reunion with Los Palacios y Villafranca’s first World Cup champion, former Spanish winger Jesus Navas, who claimed the sport’s biggest prize as part of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning squad. Navas, who previously played for Manchester City, already received a similar tomato honor alongside Ruiz when Spain won the UEFA Euro 2024 title, and the town’s existing sports pavilion already bears his name.

    In recognition of Gavi and Ruiz’s new world championship titles, local officials announced that two public football fields in the town will be renamed to honor each player permanently. Going a step further, the town council confirmed plans to fund and construct a new shared monument dedicated to all three World Cup-winning athletes from the small Andalusian town.

    A formal statement from the town council explained the motivation behind the permanent tributes, saying: “In this way, the city council wants to pay permanent tribute to three athletes who represent the pride of an entire town and who, with their sporting and human trajectory, have become role models for several generations of children and young people.”

    The historic victory for Spain, which claimed its third World Cup title after a dominant extra-time win over Argentina, capped a standout tournament for both Gavi and Ruiz, who cemented their status as two of the best young midfielders in global football. For their hometown, the win is a source of communal pride that will be commemorated for decades to come.