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Former Spanish PM accused of racism in remarks about French football team
The former Spanish conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy has been accused of racism after writing in a World Cup column for the online newspaper El Debate that the French national football team “does not have any French players”. The remarks, published ahead of Spain’s semi-final against France, drew swift rebukes from political leaders in both…
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Goals prove decisive as Kerry overcome Dublin
Kerry moved to within one game of back-to-back All-Ireland Senior Football Championship titles by beating old rivals Dublin 2-18 to 0-20 in Sunday’s semi-final at a sweltering Croke Park. It was the sides’ first championship meeting since Dublin’s 2023 final win, and Jack O’Connor’s team edged a tight, high-quality contest in which their two goals…
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Ken Bates obituary
Former owner and chairman of Chelsea FC who bought the club for a pound and helped restore it to the top rank of English football For more than 20 years, Ken Bates, who has died aged 94, was synonymous with Chelsea Football Club, which he bought in 1982 from the Mears family, who had lost…
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Gianni Infantino hints at expansion to 64-team World Cup before 2030 event
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has indicated that officials will consider expanding the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams before the 2030 tournament, telling the Swiss outlet Bluewin that such a move “could make sense” and would be examined and discussed by the relevant committees after the current event. He framed the potential expansion…
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England reach World Cup semis as McGregor’s UFC comeback ends in seconds
Bellingham fires England past Norway to set up an Argentina clash, while Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return lasts just 69 seconds before injury; plus a study links ex-footballers to mid-life mental decline.
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‘Not happy with the performance’ – so why do England keep winning?
Football tactics correspondent Umir Irfan examines why England are still winning games despite Thomas Tuchel insisting performances are not good.
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England reach World Cup semis as Khosla buys Seahawks in record £7bn deal
Two killed at a Canadian salsa festival and an Indian judge faces death threats over a lynching case, while Bellingham fires England past Norway and Vinod Khosla agrees a record deal for the Seattle Seahawks.
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Cablegate: should Jude Bellingham’s first goal against Norway have been disallowed?
England midfielder Jude Bellingham scored the first of his two goals in a World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Norway in Miami, levelling the match just before half-time, but the goal became the subject of controversy dubbed “Cablegate”. Norway’s players and coaching staff protested that the ball had struck an overhead cable — used to suspend…
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Watch Pitbull cover Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ at record-breaking BST Hyde Park gig
Rapper Pitbull covered Oasis’ 1995 hit ‘Wonderwall’ during his BST Hyde Park concert in London on Friday 10 July 2026, paying tribute to the England football team, for whom the song has become an unofficial anthem during this year’s World Cup. The gig also set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people…