Sports

FIFA has announced that all 48 qualified national teams must submit their final squads for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by May 30, 2026. The football governing body confirmed that the tournament will revert to the traditional 23-player squad format, moving away from the expanded 26-man lists that were temporarily used during the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to unusual scheduling challenges in the global football calendar. With the squad size reduced again, national team coaches and technical staff are expected to face difficult choices as they narrow their provisional player lists to meet the final requirement. After the May 30 deadline, only players included in the official 23-man squad will be eligible to participate in the tournament. The 2026 World Cup will be historic for several reaso...

VfL Wolfsburg have parted ways with head coach Daniel Bauer as the Bundesliga club struggles to escape the relegation zone. The club confirmed the decision on Sunday, a day after a 2–1 home loss to Hamburger SV left Wolfsburg sitting second from bottom in the Bundesliga standings. Wolfsburg also announced the departure of sporting managing director Peter Christiansen. Currently 17th on the table, Wolfsburg are two points behind Werder Bremen, who occupy the relegation play-off position and are scheduled to face Union Berlin later on Sunday. Sporting director Pirmin Schwegler described the decision as a difficult one. “This was not an easy choice for us,” Schwegler said. “We had hoped to improve our situation together, but after carefully reviewing everything, we felt the tea...

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, will serve a two-match ban following his yellow card against Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Saturday. It was the sixth time Guardiola has been booked this season. The incident happened after the Spaniard was involved in an argument with the fourth official, Lewis Smith after Kieran Trippier fouled City’s Jeremy Doku. Guardiola also appeared to applaud sarcastically after Omar Marmoush scored to make it 3-1 at St James Park. He will now be absent on the touchline when City travel to West Ham in the Premier League next Saturday and their FA Cup quarter-final in April. However, the rules don’t apply to the Champions League and Cup finals, so Guardiola will be allowed in the dugout against Real Madrid and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup fina...

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, has disclosed that Nigeria’s chances of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup are still alive. According to Dikko, the country has not given up hope of returning to the qualification race despite recent developments that appeared to favour the Democratic Republic of Congo. Earlier this week, it was reported that Super Eagles’ hopes were over after FIFA unveiled details of the upcoming intercontinental playoffs. In the announcement, DR Congo appeared among the six teams set to battle for the final two spots at the expanded tournament. In an official accreditation notice to media, FIFA also explained the format of the competition and confirmed the six countries that will take part in the playoff tournament in M...

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to leave Saudi Arabia after an injury amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The 41-year-old's whereabouts had been questioned after his £61million private jet left the country in the middle of the night on Monday. However, it was later confirmed that he was still in Saudi Arabia after being photographed with his teammates. The former Manchester United star has been battling a hamstring injury following Al-Nassr's 3-1 win over Al-Fayha on Saturday, and it has now been revealed that his injury is serious, with the World Cup fast approaching. 'After tests, we see the injury suffered by Cristiano Ronaldo was more serious than expected,' Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus said on Friday. 'Cristiano will now travel to Spain, like other players who went for tre...

Jesse Lingard Brazilian giants Corinthians Paulista have completed the signing of former Manchester United midfielder, Jesse Lingard on a free transfer following his departure from FC Seoul. Jesse Lingard has agreed a deal that runs until the end of the year, with an option to extend it until the end of 2027 if performance targets are met. Lingard’s arrival will be marked with a long-standing Corinthians tradition. Each time the club unveil a major signing, a siren rings out at their social club headquarters in Parque Sao Jorge. The custom dates back to the 1960s and has accompanied the unveiling of club icons including Sócrates, Rivaldo, Carlos Tevez, Ronaldo Nazário and, more recently, Memphis Depay. The siren is expected to sound again in eastern São Paulo as Jesse Lingard i...

UEFA have fined Real Madrid and ordered a suspended partial closure of the Bernabéu after a supporter inside the ground was filmed appearing to make a Nazi salute. The European governing body has announced that the club will have to pay €15,000 (£13,000/$17,400) for the "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters." In addition, the LaLiga side has been told to close 500 adjacent seats of the lower south stand in the Bernabéu for one match in UEFA competition. The partial stadium closure has been suspended for a probationary period lasting one year. The incident took place prior to Real Madrid's recent Champions League victory over Benfica. The club said they had identified the fan in question and removed them from the ground. "Real Madrid condemns ...

LeBron James broke the record for most field goals made in NBA history Thursday, though the latest milestone in his glittering career did not to stop the Los Angeles Lakers from crashing 120-113 to the Denver Nuggets. James, who already held the NBA all-time points record, sailed past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 15,837 field goals with a fadeaway jumper in the first quarter. The 41-year-old has played a record 23 NBA seasons, and has stoked rumors of possible retirement in recent weeks, telling reporters in January: “I don’t know what the future holds.” James, who scored 16 points in Thursday’s loss, appeared to injure his left elbow in the fourth quarter, after he was shunted off the court and landed on the legs of a cameraman. Play was halted as he was substituted out. James re...

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the postponement of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, shifting the tournament from its original March schedule to a new window between July and August. CAF confirmed the decision on Thursday, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty surrounding the competition. According to the revised schedule, the tournament will now be held from July 25 to August 16, 2026, following consultations between CAF, FIFA, and other stakeholders involved in organising the event. The competition had earlier been slated to take place from March 17 to April 3. CAF explained that the change was made to ensure the smooth organisation of Africa’s premier women’s football tournament. In a statement, the football governing bo...

Clubs in the English Football League (EFL) have approved plans to expand the promotion play-offs in the EFL Championship, with the new format set to take effect from the 2026–2027 season. Under the revised system, teams finishing between third and eighth position will compete for promotion to the Premier League. The structure is similar to the format currently used in the National League. Teams that finish third and fourth in the Championship standings will automatically qualify for the semi-finals. Meanwhile, clubs placed fifth to eighth will play one-legged quarter-final matches, with the fifth-placed team hosting the side in eighth position, while the sixth-placed team will face the seventh-placed side at home. The semi-finals will remain two-legged ties, while the play-off fin...