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England to play Ukraine or Slovakia if they beat GreeceScotland probably face Sweden if they win first gameEngland will need to overcome Greece and either Slovakia or Ukraine to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Scotland were handed a significantly tougher draw and will probably need to beat Sweden, if they first beat Czechia, to head to Brazil.Thursday’s playoff draw brought Wales a potential reunion with their former manager Gemma Grainger in a tricky tie against Norway. Northern Ireland’s path to a first World Cup could bring them a game against League A’s Iceland.The first round of the European playoffs will be held over two legs between 7 and 13 October, with the second round – also over two legs – taking place between 26 November and 5 December. England, who reached 2023 final, but have never won the World Cup, are heavy favourites to defeat Greece and either Ukraine – whom they beat 3-0 in June at Hill Dickinson Stadium during qualifying – or Slovakia. The Lionesses would be at home in the second leg of both rounds.The draw appeared to be relatively kind to England, who avoided many of the higher-ranked sides from the Fifa rankings such as Belgium, Switzerland or Scotland. In contrast, Scotland, unlike England were not one of the top seeds and would need one of their finest results to get past Sweden, semi-finalists in three of the past four World Cups. Sweden start against Lithuania. Scotland’s only World Cup appearance came in 2019.Wales, who have never qualified, will face Albania in round one, with the winners playing Romania or Norway.The Republic of Ireland, who defeated the Netherlands during an impressive qualifying campaign, were seeded and will meet Kazakhstan in round one, before a potential clash with Belgium or Poland. They are chasing a second consecutive World Cup appearance.England had to settle for place in the playoffs despite taking 15 points from 18 in their qualifying group. They finished second behind Spain by virtue of the defending world champions’ superior head-to-head record.England beat Spain 1-0 at Wembley in April, but lost June’s reverse fixture in Mallorca 4-0, with those matches being a repeat of last summer’s European Championship final and the last World Cup final.

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Celtic have voiced their disappointment after it was announced they will start their Scottish Premiership title defence on a Monday evening, due to a combination of the Commonwealth Games and two Calvin Harris concerts.The Scottish champions say they made "repeated representations" to the SPFL and Police Scotland to ensure a weekend fixture but were told there was "no choice" but to have their opener against Dundee on 3 August (19:30 BST).There will be Glasgow 2026 cycling events at the Sir Chris Hoy Arena - next to Celtic Park - over the weekend of 1 and 2 August, while Harris will stage two large concerts at Hampden on the same days."We feel strongly a weekend timing should have been facilitated in the interests of both teams, both sets of supporters and the status of the fixture," added Celtic, who said they had negotiated an earlier kick-off time to help fans travelling from Ireland.All six opening weekend fixtures will be show live on television, with the 2026-27 term starting on Friday 31 July, as Dundee United host Rangers (20:00).Hearts - last season's runners-up - visit Aberdeen on the Saturday (17:30), after Falkirk and St Mirren meet earlier in the day (15:00).The first Old Firm derby will be on Sunday 20 September at Celtic Park (12:00).There will be a Dundee derby at Dens Park during the third round of fixtures, while Edinburgh rivals Hibs and Hearts will go head-to-head at Easter Road on Wednesday 2 September.New Rangers manager Derek McInnes will return to Tynecastle on Wednesday 28 October after his departure from Hearts.Once again, there is no room in the schedule for a winter break.Fixture round 33 arrives on 10 April, with the five rounds of post-split games ending on the weekend of 15/16 May.Last season was one of the most dramatic in recent memory as Celtic clinched a fifth straight title by beating Hearts in the final few minutes of the last game.

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BBC Scotland's chief sports writerPublished1 hour agoWhen Derek McInnes was appointed head coach of Hearts last May, he let it be known that this was the job he felt he should have had years before. The role was "everything I wanted", he said at the time.And no doubt he meant it, but things move rapidly in football management. Thirteen months, and one season, later he's dropped Hearts for Rangers.As soon as Rangers indicated a desire to take him to Ibrox, there was a certainty about the deal being done. It was just a matter of when, not if.You could understand if Hearts folk are livid with him right now, but the sense is that not many of them are not overly fussed.McInnes always was and always will be a Rangers man. As brilliantly as he did in a remarkable tilt for the title last season, it's hard to envisage a majority of fans at Tynecastle shedding too many tears for him.He almost gave them the greatest day of their lives when coming within three minutes of winning the Scottish Premiership, but he was never really one of them, never likely to be a legacy manager, not with the Rangers gig coming up so often in recent times.Sooner or later, McInnes was going to Ibrox and pretty much everyone knew it.'Real honour' as McInnes succeeds Rohl at RangersMcInnes is the type of manager who values control, but in the new world of Hearts, where Jamestown Analytics are so powerful, he was never going to get the authority he was used to at Kilmarnock and, most especially, Aberdeen.He will get it at Rangers, or a strong version of it. And he'll get money to spend, more transfer cash than he's ever had in his managerial career.You could accuse McInnes of disloyalty to Hearts, but in the realpolitik of football this was an easy, and understandable, decision for him to make.The Rangers owners have spent relative fortunes in little over a year in charge, but they will go again this summer, very possibly in a significant way. That's a hell of a carrot to a manager who almost won last season's title on buttons.Arriving at the club in a position of significant strength, McInnes will run the football department the way he chooses.No interference from data experts questioning why he isn't giving game time to 'their' players; no rejection of players he is sweet on because they don't register highly on the analytics; no having to coach other players given to him because their numbers are high on the Jamestown system.Rangers are now McInnes' train set, but with power comes pressure and responsibility. Nothing but a Premiership title will do next season.Danny Rohl had a crack at it and failed and there are no laments for him among the supporters, not after Rangers finished third in the league last season. Philippe Clement got them to second and they couldn't wait to see the back of the Belgian.McInnes is a persuasive man but he, more than anybody, knows that talk is cheap at Ibrox these days.There's an angry desperation for titles, a weariness at being off the pace. The league has to be won and no amount of rationalisation, however valid, will protect McInnes if it's not.He was, in many ways, the obvious choice. He knows the club, understands the league and communicates excellently.He's a good tactician, as the Rangers owners found out to their cost when going up against his Hearts team last season. He's tough and has never been accused of lacking in self-confidence.Throughout Hearts' near-glory season, when club records tumbled like skittles in an alley, his messaging was outstanding.A big personality is needed at a club the size of Rangers and McInnes is, unquestionably, a big personality.There is a devil's advocate element to all of this, though.McInnes has won the Championship with St Johnstone in his early days and again with Kilmarnock in 2021-22, but he is not - as yet - a proven winner of trophies when going up against top-flight opposition.He did an amount of good things in his eight years at Aberdeen, his three full seasons at Kilmarnock, and in his one campaign at Hearts.But, outside of those victories in the second tier, he only has one big trophy to his name as a manager - a League Cup win with the Dons 12 years ago.That substantive spell at Pittodrie has many nuances and can be debated in different ways.He inherited a mess and tidied it up. He galvanised a troubled club that was bobbing about in eighth and ninth place in the league. His finishing positions in the league were third, second, second, second, second, fourth, fourth and fourth.On the face of it, being the best of the rest behind Celtic (and for one season, Rangers) is terrific, but there are caveats.In three of those seasons there was no Rangers or Hibs in the Premiership and in one of them there was no Hearts either. It was still impressive work, but in evaluating McInnes as a manager, it's relevant detail.Contact formContact formHe took Aberdeen to Hampden so many times that it was almost like a second home. League Cup finals in 2013-14, 2016-17, 2018-19 and a Scottish Cup final in 2016-17.Celtic were his nemesis, and nobody could blame him for losing to them, but McInnes also lost cup ties to Dundee United, Hibs, St Johnstone, Dundee, Hearts, Motherwell, Hearts again, St Mirren, Motherwell again and United again.Since he last won a trophy with a Premiership club, St Johnstone, Inverness, Hibs, St Johnstone again and Aberdeen have all won the Scottish Cup and Ross County, St Johnstone and St Mirren have won the League Cup.There's a long list of managers, outside of the Old Firm, who have done so - Tommy Wright, John Hughes, Alan Stubbs, Callum Davidson (twice), Jimmy Thelin, Jim McIntyre and Stephen Robinson.There's still a touch of the nearly man about McInnes. His battles with Martin O'Neill at Celtic and with whoever ends at Tynecastle will be compelling.Hearts turned out to be a stepping stone, the job he wanted at the time, not the job he has wanted for all-time. He has his chance now, the one he's been waiting for.Visit our Rangers page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views

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Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Ibrahima Konate on a four-year contract when the France centre-back leaves Liverpool. The 27-year-old is leaving the Reds on a free transfer at the end of June after the two parties failed to agree a new deal because of a gap between the defender and club over his value and wages.Real Madrid say, external they have reached an agreement with Konate "for him to become a Real Madrid player for the next four seasons, until 30 June, 2030".Konate, who is part of his country's squad at the 2026 World Cup, joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2021 for £35m on a five-year contract.He made 183 appearances for the Anfield club in all competitions and won the Premier League, FA Cup and two League Cups.Konate recently said he had been "deeply saddened that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye" to the Liverpool fans when the Reds played their final Premier League game of the season against Brentford on 24 May.He added: "At that moment, I didn't know it would be my final time wearing this shirt in front of you."Real Madrid sign Silva on free after Man City exitBernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella are also joining the Bernabeu side this summer.Portugal midfielder Silva, 31, is another free transfer for Real Madrid, who did not win a trophy last season, following his departure from Manchester City.Spain defender Cucurella has been signed from Chelsea in a deal worth £52m.Listen to the latest Football Daily podcastSoundsGet football news sent straight to your phone

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Midfielder is hopeful for trophy-laden spell after bidding farewell to Madrid and challenges Scotland to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in BrazilJune 2026 is a month Caroline Weir is unlikely to forget. She scored seven goals in two Scotland games as the team clinched top spot in their World Cup qualifying group, watched on with joy at 2am as Scotland’s men secured their first World Cup win for 36 years, and then her move to OL Lyonnes was announced by the eight-time European champions.The Scotland captain says the lure of playing for Europe’s most decorated women’s club made the transfer an easy decision after four happy years playing for Real Madrid.“At this stage in my career, I want to push on,” the 30-year-old says of joining this season’s beaten Champions League finalists. “I want to be competing to win things, I want to be playing with the best players. I would love to be up there competing for the Champions League. The way the competition now is so competitive, there are so many more eyes on it and I want to be in the final stages.“That’s never a given – it’s really tough to get to semi-finals and finals and then obviously to win it is so tough – but I want to be in the conversation or at least at a club [where] that’s what they prepare to be at, at the end of the season. They’re a massive club with a massive history as well, a successful history and lots of trophies. I want to challenge myself to play with those players and also the manager.”Weir says conversations with the Lyonnes head coach, Jonatan Giráldez, helped her know this move was the right choice. The Spanish former Barcelona coach outlined how he envisaged her thriving in his tactical plans. “It was interesting speaking to him,” says Weir, who signed a three-year contract. “We spoke about things he thought I was good at. We also spoke about things he thought I could improve, which I think was good for me to hear, and my style of play, [being] a No 10, being left-footed and just how he sees me playing alongside other players in that position, so we did speak quite in-depth about tactics. That gave me a good idea of what to expect.“He’s worked with the best players and won everything so there were a number of factors involved but it was an easy decision in the end.”Before pre-season training begins in July, Weir has three big things on her to-do list for settling into a new city: finding a good nail salon, finding somewhere to get her eyelashes done and acquainting herself with the best local parks to walk her dog – Parc de la Tête d’Or, near the Rhône, should be ideal. Weir, who had never been to Lyon before discussing her transfer, likens the city’s beauty to that of Scotland’s capital and says: “I know it’s like the food capital of France; I’ve been hearing the food is amazing. When I went there, it actually reminded me a little bit of Edinburgh, like a French version of Edinburgh.”Weir says, though, that she and her husband are “going to miss” the Madrid lifestyle. She leaves as Real’s all-time record scorer with 63 goals in her 125 appearances, won the club’s adoration and will look back fondly on her four years in Spain, where she finished as a league runner-up to Barcelona each season.“I reflect with very happy memories, on and off the pitch,” says Weir, who also holds the club assists record (40). “My only regret is we didn’t win that first title. But apart from that, how I impacted the team, I’m really proud of those statistics. Madrid, me and my husband, we were very happy there. It’s an amazing lifestyle, an amazing city. But I feel like that chapter came to a natural end and I was also ready to move on.”Bidding farewell to Weir, Real said the club wished to “express its gratitude and affection for everything she has contributed to our club, as well as for her professionalism, commitment, and dedication”, and she also received a personalised message on a signed shirt from Jude Bellingham. “Jude and I have spoken several times. We’ve always got on well and had nice conversations about the club and Madrid. For him to write that message – I would have been happy with the signed top – that message just shows how classy a person he is. He’s a great guy and that was a really nice touch.”The British duo could not meet to say goodbye because Bellingham was training with England before the World Cup, a tournament which is whetting Weir’s appetite for next summer’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. After Weir scored a hat-trick against Israel on 5 June, then backed it up with four goals against the same opponent four days later, Scotland have topped their League B group in European qualifying to reach the playoffs, and will find out their playoff opponents on Thursday.After watching the men beat Haiti as a fan from back home in Scotland, Weir, named as the women’s team’s captain in February, says: “I’ve never seen so many Scotland tops. It is amazing. Scotland flags on cars, outside houses. It’s really special. It’s amazing to see that. It’s so inspiring.“Going to Brazil for a World Cup, it’s just what dreams are all about. It’s No 1 on my list of dreams. Obviously Champions League and club level, but I think to take Scotland to a World Cup is up there. We were speaking about it a lot recently and because the guys are there and just the experiences they’re having and how much the country is supporting them and we would love a bit of that. We’ve kind of completed the first step, getting to the playoffs, and then we’ll look forward to the playoffs at the end of the year. We’ll take it step by step.”

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Believe it or not, the first round of group games at the 2026 World Cup is complete.All 48 teams at this summer's tournament have played at least once - and, having covered every single game, the Sky Sports journalists have picked out 10 players who have caught the eye so far...The Austrian Bundesliga, the Bundesliga, the Premier League, the Champions League. Everywhere Erling Haaland has gone, in every competition he has played in, he has settled immediately.So it was perhaps no surprise that one of the world's most fearsome strikers would take to the World Cup like a duck to water, too.Less than 30 minutes into his tournament debut - and Norway's first appearance since 1998 - he was off the mark against Iraq with a tap-in. Before the break, he had taken advantage of a calamitous error to score another. He played a part in the fourth goal, too.And all that with just 20 touches throughout the entirety of the game in Boston. That is nothing new, but it is a reminder of the devastating impact he can have without touching the ball.The 25-year-old is among the favourites for the Golden Boot and it is easy to see why. You would not bet against him making significant progress towards the all-time record of 16 World Cup goals, either...Dan LongMany of Europe's top clubs are keeping close tabs on exciting RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande at this summer's World Cup and judging by his eye-catching display in his country's 1-0 victory against Ecuador on Monday, you can see exactly why.5 - Last night for @equipenatciv vs Ecuador, Yan Diomande became the first player Opta has on record since 1966 to create 5+ chances (5), make 5+ tackles (5), win 10+ duels (11) and have 10+ touches in the opposition’s box (12) in a FIFA World Cup match. 🇨🇮 Star. pic.twitter.com/F98Hg8NvV1Diomande, who can play on both wings, was a livewire throughout at the Philadelphia Stadium, giving Ecuador left-back Piero Hincapie a torrid time and certainly making him look more ruffled than at any time for Arsenal last season.Of particular interest to Liverpool fans watching the contest in the US was Diomande's impact down the right flank, where his mesmeric dribbling was a joy to behold, given the Reds are reportedly trying hard to sign the forward as a replacement for the now-departed Mo Salah.The twinkle-toed forward produced a player-of-the-match display, becoming the first player Opta has on record since 1966 to create 5+ chances (5), make 5+ tackles (5), win 10+ duels (11) and have 10+ touches in the opposition's box (12) in a FIFA World Cup match.Many more performances like that and Leipzig's £86m asking price for the 19-year-old will be significantly higher.Rich MorganAyyoub Bouaddi was tipped as one to watch this summer - and he proved just why in Morocco's opener.The midfielder was born in France and a France international up to U21 level, but switched his allegiance in May. Though he does not turn 19 until October, he already has 96 first team appearances for Lille under his belt.60 - Ayyoub Bouaddi completed 60 passes for 🇲🇦 Morocco against 🇧🇷 Brazil.At 18 years and 254 days, he's the second youngest player to complete 50+ passes in a FIFA World Cup match in the last 60 years.Skilled. pic.twitter.com/M4DAn2wznOJust his fourth appearance for Les Dogues came against Brazil. Yet Bouaddi was far from overawed. In fact, he completed 60 passes. After Spain's Gavi in 2022 (67), he is the second-youngest player to complete 50+ passes in a World Cup match in the last 60 years.It is little wonder interest in Bouaddi is high. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are said to be interested, while The Times reported last week Arsenal had begun talks to sign him.He is under contract at Stade Pierre-Mauroy until 2029, but his time there may be cut-short if he continues in this vein.Dan LongWhen Cape Verde pulled off a miraculous 0-0 draw in their World Cup debut against favourites Spain, all the talk was about one man.Over the course of 90 minutes, 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha became a sensation. His seven saves secured an almighty point, his emotional reaction come the full-time whistle pulled at the heart strings. His comments on his grandparents and mother only added to that.Before the game, he had only 50,000 Instagram followers. At the time of writing, that figure has risen to well over 8m. Expect it to reach at least 10m come the end of the tournament.40 - Cabo Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha is the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his FIFA World Cup debut, making seven saves against Spain.Heroic. pic.twitter.com/Y5yFXfrKYtAt his age, is this going to springboard a career-altering move? No. But it was a life-changing performance nonetheless and nothing will change that.Vozinha was at the heart of the underdog stories that makes people fall in love with sport. The story of his display will be told for years to come and may well become an urban myth as time goes on. After all, how could a man no one knew about keep out arguably the best team on the planet? That sounds like fiction to me. Get the film scripts written.Callum BishopInternally, Folarin Balogun has been seen as the answer to the US's long-running No 9 problem. But now it has been announced to the world stage.The 24-year-old, who represented England across four youth age groups before switching allegiance in 2023, had already scored for the country of his birth in a CONCACAF Nations League final, plus twice in the 2024 Copa America, among nine goals in 27 games coming into the tournament.But in a sparkling performance from the hosts, living up to their internal billing of potential tournament winners - even if that prediction is not universally shared - Balogun's stock rose to new levels.Christian Pulisic was meant to be the main man for his country and did pull the strings before half-time but Balogun's smart runs and composure in front of goal earned him a first-half double which even the AC Milan winger could not usurp in their 45 minutes together.Balogun's intriguing background has become as much of an overnight worldwide sensation, with his mother giving birth in Brooklyn only because she had been ruled too heavily pregnant to travel home from her holiday to New York.Rarely has such a major inconvenience been so welcomed by so many - but if Balogun keeps up this form, with the likes of Weston McKennie and Pulisic also shining so far, there is no reason he cannot lead the US deep into the tournament.Ron WalkerIt was a joy to watch Ben Gannon-Doak make his World Cup debut for Scotland against Haiti - even if it meant waking up at 1.30am.He had all the confidence and joy a 20-year-old should have on the world's biggest stage. The Bournemouth winger was key in a lot of the Tartan Army's positive attacking play, of which there was a lot, as they secured their first World Cup win since 1990.20-214 - At 20 years, 214 days old, Ben Gannon-Doak is the youngest player to appear for Scotland at the FIFA World Cup.Arrival. pic.twitter.com/VwUaZuiGwfGannon-Doak made the most number of dribbles (6) of any player in the game, had the joint-highest number of shots and chances created in the Scotland team (both 2).He perhaps has a bit of a point to prove too. He was out of action for five months after he sustained a hamstring injury in November's thrilling 4-2 win over Denmark to secure Scotland's spot at the World Cup.Gannon-Doak assisted Scott McTominay's now-iconic goal in that game too, and it would have been touch-and-go for a while on whether he would be included for the tournament at all.But any potential lingering doubts were soon extinguished when he had a hand in another historic Scotland goal as John McGinn fired home in the 28th minute.He could be in contention for the Young Player of the Tournament award if he continues contributing as he did in Boston. A World Cup debut to be proud of.Charlotte MarshAny hardy souls who stayed up to watch South Korea's Group A clash against Czech Republic were rewarded with an extremely impressive performance from Kang-In Lee, who demonstrated outstanding technical quality to inspire his country's 2-1 win.The Czechs couldn't handle the playmaker's clever movement between the lines. He provided the assist for Hwang-In Beom's opener, one of three chances created, while also making the second-most dribbles of any player at the tournament so far, with five.The 25-year-old was fouled four times in the game, a statistic which reflects his elusiveness, and also completed every one of his 38 passes, underlining the ability on the ball that earned him a transfer from Mallorca to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.Lee, a squad player amid PSG's stars, could be on the move again this summer, with Atletico Madrid among his reported suitors. If he follows up his performance against Czech Republic with more of the same against Mexico and South Africa, the list of clubs making enquiries is likely to become longer.Nick WrightIt took Ibrahim Mbaye just 21 minutes to put himself in the record books in Senegal's defeat to France.The 18-year-old's explosive finish saw him become Africa's youngest ever goalscorer at a World Cup and the second youngest player to score on his debut in the competition.Having given his side momentary hope, Kylian Mbappe would go on to steal the spotlight, scoring arguably the goal of the tournament so far just one minute later.There is an irony in Mbappe being the one to claw back centre stage from Mbaye. The Senegalese teenager is a highly-regarded prospect at Mbappe's former side PSG and represented France at youth level.Senegal boss Pape Thiaw now faces the dilemma of whether he starts Mbaye in a big game against Norway. Having made such an instant impact against France the temptation will surely be there.Dom BallElliot Anderson is subject to transfer rumours this summer, and if he has a good World Cup, can add a few more million into Nottingham Forest's coffers.If his World Cup debut against Croatia is anything to go by, that is very much expected to happen.Anderson added an additional bite and reliability alongside Declan Rice in midfield. His press was outstanding, his tackles brilliant and passing great when his team-mates were still getting to grips with things.He ended the game having been involved in 11 duels - winning six - and won possession back eight times for his team with four interceptions - all numbers which were England's highest.78 - Possession won by England midfielders in the Thomas Tuchel era (since January 2025):78 - Elliot Anderson (735 mins)27 - Declan Rice (781 mins)24 - Morgan Rogers (711 mins)19 - Jude Bellingham (570 mins)Specialist. pic.twitter.com/g0EstKYppeThe Forest man also released Bellingham for England's third goal in an intense start to the second half.Credit too has to go to Noni Madueke for his right-wing runs, especially in a first half when England needed to be more forward thinking, but Anderson's overall play just pips him to an inclusion.But both players, based on Wednesday's showing, will be vital for England in this tournament.Charlotte MarshThe World Cup creates national heroes - and Eli Just has become just that for New Zealand.The forward is the first All White to score two goals in a World Cup game, with Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood providing both assists, as they drew 2-2 with the more experienced Iranians.Both goals were taken extremely well as New Zealand made a statement of intent on their return to the tournament after 16 years away.It continues a fine rise for the 26-year-old. He had a steady first season at Motherwell, scoring seven goals in 31 Scottish Premiership appearances as the club finished in fourth place.Just also offers hope to those players who are deemed too small to play football. He is 5'8 and slight, but more than held his own on the biggest international stage.Egypt and Belgium are to come and will arguably offer a sterner test, but Just will be confident he can continue to contribute as New Zealand eye a spot in the knockout rounds. Charlotte Marsh

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Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of defender Ibrahima Konate.The LaLiga side have agreed a four-year deal with the defender, who will join the club when his contract expires at Liverpool on June 30.Konate announced that he would be leaving Anfield when his contract expires this summer after failing to reach an agreement on a new deal.He joins Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella as Jose Mourinho's first signings since returning for a second spell in charge at the Bernabeu.Konate made 183 appearances for the Reds after signing from RB Leipzig in 2021, helping them lift the Premier League, FA Cup and two League Cups but now leaves for Spain after five-years at Anfield.Jose Mourinho has made a fast start in the transfer window at Real Madrid despite the World Cup being under way, with the free transfers of Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva following hot on the heels of Marc Cucurella's £51.8m signing from Chelsea.Real Madrid's newly re-elected president Florentino Perez has also lined up the £17m signing of right-back Denzel Dumfries from Inter.The signings of Silva, 31, Cucurella, 27, Dumfries, 30, and Konate, 27, show there has been a clear change of transfer strategy. The focus has shifted from young players with promise to experienced players who are ready to be thrown straight in.Cucurella, for instance, is the first signing over 25 to have arrived at Real Madrid for a transfer fee of more than £2m since the summer of 2019, when Eden Hazard was signed from Chelsea in a deal worth well in excess of £100m.

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In football, what a team does in attack impacts how they defend and vice versa so it is important to assess both the on-the-ball and off-the-ball tactics together.In this piece, we analyse the reasons why England looked less defensively secure in their World Cup opener compared with previous games under Thomas Tuchel.This was an England we haven't seen for years - and it was funThey did this by first looking to pass the ball back hoping to entice the opposition to press high.Declan Rice pulled into a wide position, vacating his central midfield position, leaving space into which Harry Kane would drop deep.With Croatia pressing high in numbers, Kane then looked to launch long passes into England's runners – Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham and Noni Madueke - who found themselves three against three at times.This resulted in England creating big chances but it also meant that if they were to lose the ball in earlier parts of their build-up play, Kane rather than Rice would be in central defensive areas.This partly explains some of their defensive instability and can be seen in the example below.In looking to pass the ball backwards to entice pressure from Croatia, before looking to play long into the space, England at times got the balance wrong.Anthony Barry, England's assistant coach, spoke at half-time about this issue."I think a lot of nervous energy early on," he said. "Then we made some decisions, playing long when we should play short, playing short when we should play long, not playing through the gaps to accelerate our game the way we wanted to."By playing too direct early and often, England turned the ball over perhaps more than they would have liked. This created a first half that was more end-to-end, leaving spaces for the opponents to attack.Another factor that contributed to England turning the ball over was Croatia's deliberate effort to press Jordan Pickford when he got on the ball.Using him as a pressing trigger forced the Everton goalkeeper to punt it long on occasion, giving control back to Croatia.Pressing over large distances left England openHaving explored reasons why England's on-the-ball tactics contributed to defensive frailties, it makes sense to look at how they set up off the ball.In the first half, Gordon, Kane and Madueke looked to press Croatia's back three.When the ball went out to Croatia's right wing-back, Nico O'Reilly had to cover large distances to get up the pitch and apply pressure. This gave their wing-backs time and space to progress the ball up the pitch.England's willingness to press led to a few issues when they defended closer to their own goal.When pressing high, players tend to lock on to a specific opposition player in a man-to-man fashion. When dropping into a lower defensive shape, the England players were caught in two minds, often choosing to track their man rather than defending in a more traditional zonal manner.In the build-up to Croatia's second goal, Kane tracks a run from Modric, finding himself in what looks like a holding midfield position.Madueke goes into central midfield and Bellingham compensates by defending out wide. These roles don't suit any of those players.Throughout the game, we saw England move from a back four into a back five when defending, with Elliot Anderson or Rice dropping in.In theory, this would have been to match up numerically with Croatia's front five. The extra defender minimised the space between England's back line.For Croatia's second goal, however, this situational back five was disrupted, likely because England's players were too reactive to the movement of individual opposition players.Both Anderson and Bellingham were dragged towards Martin Baturina who dropped deep, which opened up space in the back line between Reece James and Ezri Konsa.With no pressure on the ball, a dinked pass was able to find Ivan Perisic running into that space between England's defenders. His flick-on assisted Petar Musa's goal.In the second half, instead of looking to press the entire back line of Croatia, England appeared to angle their press, forcing them towards one side.This allowed England to step up in a more aggressive manner.High pressing teams have generally struggled in the World Cup so far but it is encouraging that Tuchel was able to tweak his defensive approach mid-game.When defending in a block, closer to their own goal, England still require work, to ensure they don't get pulled apart by off-the-ball movement. Rice or Anderson dropping in to form a back five also left space in the heart of midfield that, on another day, could have been punished.The biggest positive was their improvement on the ball. Ultimately, if England are able to control the tempo of the game, dominating the ball for large parts, they will be hoping that the time they spend close to their own goal will be lessened.'If we lose, we lose in our way' - how Tuchel inspired 'fearful' England'Chip on shoulder' may help Bellingham to best formWho was the biggest attacking threat? England player ratingsI knew stuttered run-up might get keeper off line - Kane

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Club triggered £34.5m release clause for Osasuna forwardHead coach keen on player’s versatility and paceThe Osasuna winger Víctor Muñoz will become the first signing of Andoni Iraola’s reign at Liverpool after the club triggered a £34.5m release clause, beating Newcastle to his signature. Muñoz will sign a six-year contract after undergoing a medical on Wednesday in Atlanta, where he is part of the Spain squad at the World Cup.Liverpool have been following Muñoz’s progress for an extensive period and sped up the deal after Iraola’s appointment because the head coach was eager to add his compatriot. Iraola spent most of his playing career at Athletic Bilbao, continues to closely monitor La Liga and Muñoz has impressed him.Manchester United and Bayer Leverkusen were also interested in the 22-year-old. Muñoz represented Barcelona and Real Madrid at youth level and those clubs also shortlisted him for a move this summer but elected to bid for other targets.Muñoz can play on either wing and as a central striker, versatility Liverpool are eager to have as they begin a new era under Iraola. One of Muñoz’s key attributes is his speed and a big part of the transfer strategy this summer will be attracting players with pace.The winger has two international caps, making his debut in March and scoring in that match against Serbia. He was an unused substitute in the draw against Cape Verde.Muñoz’s arrival will not affect the future of Federico Chiesa. The Italian was a bit-part player under Arne Slot but it is thought he could be a better fit for Iraola’s style. Chiesa, however, is eager to get more playing time and is open to leaving.Ibrahima Konaté’s move to Real Madrid has been confirmed, the defender joining on a four-year deal when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of this month. Madrid have also signed Marc Cucurella and Bernardo Silva since confirming José Mourinho as their head coach.