4 d. ago ‘It’s offensive’: voices from Iran as fans face 2026 World Cup travel ban

After Donald Trump banned Iranians from entering the US, one of the co-hosts, there are different views on what should be done“It’s offensive for any football fan to be prevented from participating in the World Cup, not just Iranians,” Ali Rezaei of Tehran’s Borna News Agency says. In March, the national team became the second to qualify for the 2026 World Cup that will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. In June, Donald Trump authorised the dropping of bombs on Iran and hit the country with a travel ban. As things stand, while the national team will be able to enter the US next summer, fans – and perhaps media – will not.Residents of Tehran and other cities may have had enough to deal with of late, but still, being barred from entry stings, even if Iranians have long found it difficult to get into the US. “If the US government has issues with the Iranian regime for any reason, it should not result in discrimination against Iranian citizens,” Behnam Jafarzadeh, a writ...

Politics

1 week ago Lionel Messi showed true colours with unseen act in the tunnel after storming off pitch

Lionel Messi was seen storming off the pitch of the Hard Rock Stadium following a 2-2 Club World Cup draw with Palmeiras, despite the result seeing Inter Miami qualify for the knockout stages

Events

2 w. ago Ryder Cup legend teeing up at Dundonald in Open Final Qualifying

Lee Westwood in stellar field at Ayrshire venue in battle for five coveted spots at Royal Portrush

Politics

2 w. ago Ryder Cup 2025: Team USA latest qualification standings after Keegan Bradley wins Travelers

Bradley could become first playing captain since 1963

Politics

2 w. ago What strange device was found in 1901 by sponge divers? The Saturday quiz

From Disney World, Oasis and the Magic Roundabout to Mini-Me and Oddjob, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz1 Which lines of latitude are defined by the midnight sun and polar night?2 Who was the first female head writer at Saturday Night Live?3 Which band have had a one-armed drummer since 1986?4 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductors come from which island?5 Which entertainment venue is at 82 Boulevard de Clichy, Paris?6 What is the heaviest naturally occurring element?7 What mysterious device was discovered in 1901 by Greek sponge divers?8 Which Shakespeare play is partly set in Lebanon?What links: 9 Disney World in 2010; GWR; Magic Roundabout; Oasis?10 Politician Leanne Wood, poet Simon Armitage; artist Cold War Steve; writer Mari Hannah?11 Dumbo; Gromit; Michael Myers; Mini-Me; Oddjob?12 Bay; general mines; holy spirit; St Paul; thick forest?13 First Nephi; Second Nephi; Book of Jacob; Book of Enos; Book of Jarom?14 Birmingham (trades); Cairo (minarets); Lon Chaney (...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘How did I get here?’: GB basketball captain Temi Fágbénlé’s journey from shy London teen to WNBA

Britain’s driving force on EuroBasket prospects, playing alongside Caitlin Clark and the importance of a team mentality at the highest level“It’s great to be back with Great Britain,” Temi Fágbénlé says, her voice carrying the quiet confidence of a seasoned international basketball player. “I come from the WNBA but I’m glad I was able to make both work.” For the captain of GB’s women’s basketball team, balancing the demands of the world’s premier league with national team duties is a familiar tightrope walk. “I’m thankful teams see European competition as a priority for some of us. They’ve accommodated where they could.”EuroBasket, a biennial competition, is one of the biggest international tournaments in the game. It is also a qualifying metric for the Women’s World Cup and the Olympics. With the 2025 edition under way, Fágbénlé’s presence is crucial as one of the leading WNBA players choosing to play in an international tournament during the season. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Ryder Cup 2025: Team Europe latest qualification standings as Rory McIlroy confirms place at Bethpage

Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland could have to rely on captain’s picks

Politics

3 w. ago UEFA explain Scotland fan ban for Belarus World Cup qualifier

There will be no travelling fans for the crucial second game of Steve Clarke's side's qualifying campaign for North America and Mexico next summer

Sport

3 w. ago Scotland learn Belarus World Cup qualifying venue but there’s a major sticking point

UEFA have confirmed the venue in the western Hungarian outpost of Zalaegerszeg - 135 miles from the capital, Budapest

Politics

3 w. ago Sergio Aguero aims brutal Cristiano Ronaldo dig at Lionel Messi's Club World Cup clash

Cristiano Ronaldo is not playing at the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr failed to qualify for the event and Sergio Aguero poked fun at him during an appearance on IShowSpeed's livestream

Politics

3 w. ago A penalty shattered Palestinian World Cup dreams for 2026. The squad has inspired hope

The Palestinian bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup may have been snatched away with a contentious late penalty but the fact the team got so close is some comfort to the players and their supporters

Politics

3 w. ago ‘A symbol of Italian football’: Azzurri appoint Gennaro Gattuso as head coach

Former midfielder replaces Luciano Spalletti‘The blue jersey is like a second skin for him,’ says FIGCThe former Milan and Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has been appointed Italy’s national-team coach, the Italian football federation (FIGC) confirmed on Sunday.Gattuso replaces Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked last week as a result of a 3-0 defeat by Norway in a World Cup qualifier. Gattuso will be formally introduced as head coach on Thursday at Rome’s Parco dei Principi hotel. Continue reading...

Sport

3 w. ago Inter Milan star Mehdi Taremi stuck in Iran amid Israel conflict and will miss Club World Cup

Mehdi Taremi played for Iran on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier but the Inter Milan forward is now grounded in Tehran with air space closed as conflict with Israel escalates

Politics

3 w. ago Inter Miami's Club World Cup controversy as David Beckham and Lionel Messi prepare for bow

David Beckham's Inter Miami are set to star at the FIFA Club World Cup with Lionel Messi in tow, but their qualification for the revamped tournament was somewhat controversial

Politics

3 w. ago Will Man City be in the 2029 Club World Cup? Details, confirmed teams and qualification process

Manchester City could be back at the Club World Cup in 2029.

Politics

3 w. ago Why aren't Liverpool playing in the Club World Cup? How all 32 teams qualified for competition

They may be Premier League kings and six-time champions of Europe, but Liverpool won't be at the FIFA Club World Cup, with Manchester City and Chelsea taking UEFA's two places

Society

3 w. ago Why are Liverpool not playing in the Club World Cup 2025 and how did Chelsea and Man City qualify?

The Premier League champions are not playing in the inaugural version of the Club World Cup in the United States with Chelsea and Man City representing the Premier League

Society

3 w. ago Football Daily | ‘Suited and booted’? Club World Cup lands in a furnace of political tension

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!After years of existing only as a fever dream inside the shiny, spacious cranium of Fifa’s greatest showman, Gianni Infantino, the first edition of an expanded, summertime Club World Cup that nobody asked for is finally here. Infantino’s most ambitious vanity project to date is about to collide with reality, and as students of the Swiss school of football farce, we’re excited. It’s not so much a question of what will go wrong over the next 30 sun-baked days in an increasingly dystopian USA USA USA, but what might actually go right. Saturday’s opener pitches Egyptian giants Al-Ahly (who qualified by winning the 2021 African Big Cup) against MLS middleweights Inter Miami (who qualified by having Lionel Messi in their team) at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium. Fifa has denied reports that fewer than 20,000 tickets have been sold for the game in Miami, but the tournament’s dynamic pricing model is trending in one direction: from $3...

Politics

3 w. ago Why Club World Cup could be transformative for a new Chelsea

Chelsea are a different team on every level to the one that lifted the Champions League in 2021 to qualify for the Club World Cup, which can now offer the Blues some signs of progress

Politics

3 w. ago Carabao Cup format change revealed due to NINE English sides qualifying for Europe

The Carabao Cup was thrown into chaos next season with nearly half of the Premier League having booked spots in Europe for 2025/26 and bosses have now confirmed a major change to the competition

Politics