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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.

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Chief football news reporterPublished18 June 2026, 09:19 BSTUpdated 40 minutes agoSalford City's surprise decision to appoint Peter Cklamovski as their new manager on a long-term contract has its origins in Japan, eight years ago.Cklamovski might be relatively unknown to the English game, but he was very well known to Salford's chief executive.Gavin Fleig joined the League Two club in October 2025, after 17 years under the City Football Group umbrella, the last seven as director of talent management.It meant he came across scores of coaches and managers at CFG's 12 clubs. Among them was an Australian coach, who was impressing as understudy to Ange Postecoglou at the J-League title winners Yokohama F Marinos.Postecoglou's journey since - Celtic, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest - is well documented. Cklamovski's - Shimizu S-Pulse, Montedio Yamagata, FC Tokyo and the Malaysia national team - less so. But the 47-year-old Australian has impressed, both in terms of results and an expansive style of play.It was always in Fleig's mind to get in touch if ever he was in a position to appoint a head coach or manager.When Salford decided to remove Karl Robinson following their League Two play-off final defeat by Notts County last month, he put Cklamovski's name forward."You go through the normal processes," said Fleig. "What does the data say? What does our market network say? What do our contacts say? Who comes to the table when there's a vacancy and wants the job?"Through all those steps and everyone we've spoken to, Peter was the outstanding candidate on all the metrics that are important to us."Cklamovski was impressing with Malaysia and was about to begin preparations for an Asean (South East Asia) Championship campaign that starts with matches against Myanmar and Laos next month.But he had already experienced a 'bit of a reflection point', about his career and a growing desire to succeed in Europe.As luck would have it, Cklamovski was with his wife and two children right at the end of an extended holiday in the United Kingdom. They had spent the preceding weeks watching plenty of football, including Everton's 3-3 draw with Manchester City on 4 May, but were ready for home at the end of the month when Fleig got in touch."I said we'd love to meet face-to-face in a couple of days but he said he was due to fly back to Malaysia that evening," recalled Fleig."He rang me an hour later and said, 'I've cancelled my flight'."In addition to the data, the intent also impressed Salford's bosses.As Cklamovski and Fleig sit in a quiet executive area in the main stand at the Peninsula Stadium, now undergoing a repaint as the club prepares to return to its original orange colours next season, the rationale for appointing someone with no direct experience of English football is sound.In announcing his appointment, Salford said Cklamovski has a 'reputation for having an attack-minded style that captures the imagination of supporters'. "Peter," Salford say, "brings a fresh approach at an exciting juncture for the club."Yet as Cklamovski knows from the experiences of Postecoglou, success outside Europe, no matter how notable, tends not to impress too many football fans in England."For me it all comes down to a belief in what you do and a belief in how you do it," said Cklamovski."It's a process driven, evidence-based approach and you don't waste a second in any day. If you have the mentality to get better every day, you have a process to it and focus on how you can execute strong team performances, results will follow no matter what part of the world you're in."It would be interesting to know whether Postecoglou has spoken to co-owner Gary Neville about Salford during the World Cup given the pair are both working at the tournament for ITV Sport.Cklamovski has spoken to Postecoglou, who he describes as a mentor. A partnership that endured for 15 years began with the Australia Under-17s squad. The bond was so close, Cklamovski worked with his friend in the lower leagues in Greece as Postecoglou rebuilt his career after falling out with former Australia international and TV pundit Craig Foster live on air in 2007.They were side-by-side when Brisbane won the A-League in 2011 and Australia won the Asian Cup four years later."I'm always in contact with him," said Cklamovski. "He's given sound feedback on many things on my coaching journey, this being one of them."In addition to speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, after flying back from Malaysia as he tied up the loose ends of his national team exit, Cklamovski's first full day at Salford was spent dealing with administrative issues and getting to know people at the club.He did not speak to Neville or fellow co-owner David Beckham as part of the process.His family are due to join him in just over a month, by which time pre-season training will be in full swing.As Robinson was sacked despite finishing one place off automatic promotion and being beaten by Notts County at Wembley, the task is obvious."That's what I'm here for," he said. "I'm not here to have a holiday. I'm here to achieve success."I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's a great opportunity."The club's got lofty ambitions and big dreams. It's something I'm really hungry to chase."Pre-match, post-match and topical Ammies contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about Salford City

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Covering a tournament, my smartwatch showed my heart rate was 10-20 beats above normal. How luxurious to half-watchI fell asleep at some point during the Netherlands v Japan game. It had been a hot and drowsy day by the shores of Lake Annecy, a square and heavy heat, where the sun and the driving and the food and the boxed wine gently squeeze all the life from your body, like air being pressed out of a juice carton.I remember Virgil van Dijk angling a header into the far corner, and when I came to it was 2-1, and everyone was heading to bed, drunk on tiredness, drunk on life, drunk on drink.Not all of my friends care for football in any case, and so the World Cup had become a kind of mood music, something to fill the silences in conversation. Through the long and meandering chat about home renovations and Andy Burnham, an indistinct French voice occasionally cut through from a different universe. Maeda. Gravenberch. The Low Countries tempted to attain the final for the first time since 2010. My French isn’t great. Someone prised open a bottle of Heineken. Bodies draped themselves over the couch, fingers scrolled through phones, the immaculate decadence of boredom.I did manage to stay awake for Belgium v Egypt, albeit remembering very little beyond Romelu Lukaku forcing an own goal and the sight of Mohamed Salah sauntering regally around the place, like a PE teacher desperately willing himself not to get involved. But I do remember getting a couple of beers out of the fridge at the second hydration break and challenging Ed to a game of chess, which I lost. Lukaku, of Naples. The Belgians will take confidence from this and pursue the victory. An overwhelming knight‑and-queen attack down my a-file. Ssssake, Ed’s forgotten to tap his clock again. Not telling him next time.You will read a lot about the World Cup from people who are actually there. This is probably for the best. It is, on balance, preferable to attend something in order to understand it, be it a major football tournament or a sentencing hearing. But I wanted to convey the sensation of the World Cup as most people around the world experience it: as an ambient noise, voices ghosting in from the next dimension, flickering shapes on a distant screen, an odour and a flavour on the breeze, vivid dreams of Steph Houghton talking about “the front-footedness of the press”. The sensation of waking up and feeling like you watched the entirety of Iran v New Zealand, even though you didn’t. The fragile way in which World Cups measure out our lives, some fragrant cocktail of collective and personal memory all swirling into one.Everyone will have a story like this. I watched the 2006 final – Italy v France – at a seafood restaurant in Hvar, in the Croatian islands. It was one of those giant televisions on a stand, the kind they used to wheel into science lessons at school to show you videos about gametes. I missed Zinedine Zidane’s butt because the waiter was standing in front of the screen. And although I have watched the game in full many times since, if you ask me to pick out the overriding memory of that evening I am still more likely to recall the tenderness of the monkfish than anything that happened on the pitch.Then I started covering World Cups for work, an entirely different and more immersive experience. Very quickly you fuse into the tournament, to the point where you are basically an extension of it, a slave to its rhythms and moods. From the moment you wake to the moment you go to bed (far too late), your entire nervous system is built around the game schedule, the reliable drumbeat of regimented kick-off times, ideas and angles, content and deadlines. You spend the rest of the time thinking about transport or food. When I get home my smartwatch will typically show that my resting heart rate has been about 10-20 beats above normal for an entire month. People visibly age during these things. It’s like going to war.During the many breaks in play at this year’s tournament, the camera will inevitably pan across the crowd, and here the difference between World Cup football and regular football is perhaps at its most distinct. Everyone is dancing and putting their thumbs up. Nobody is having a bad time. Nobody is protesting or chanting about sacking the board or even hurling abuse at the referee except in the most performative way. Under most circumstances, to attend a football game – and what elevates this art form above, say, a gig or a blockbuster movie – is to submit willingly to the possibility of misery: your team can lose, the game can be terrible, your weekend can be ruined. But when you have paid £800 for a ticket, and probably many multiples of that on hotels and flights, is it remotely conceivable that you could allow yourself not to be entertained? How would you even admit it to yourself?By contrast, television grants us the freedom to detach. The freedom to allow football to swim in and out of our consciousness, to fill the gaps in life, rather than life the gaps in football. The freedom to be bored, pleasantly bored, decadently bored. To go for a smoke, to get a round in, to go to bed. In Talloires, a little resort in the Haute-Savoie, the bars and restaurants advertise “Coupe de Monde” on wooden chalkboards, the greatest sporting event in the world as an accompaniment to dinner, in between cheese and dessert. The G7 summit is taking place just up the road in Évian and as the sun sets helicopters fly low over the lake, a reminder of football’s basic transigence, its mutability, the extent to which – for all its airs and graces – the world continues to spin around it.How luxurious it is to drink boxed wine and half‑watch football as the world burns and blisters. To rail at refreshment breaks and the decision not to award a penalty to Kylian Mbappé, to see these 104 games spread out across the Americas like a lustrous map and not feel the need to watch all of them, or indeed any of them. To see this World Cup for what it truly is: utterly gripping at times, diverting at others, disposable for the most part. A kind of beautiful human-made slop, the flower arrangement at the gates of hell.

Football News

Liverpool have triggered the release clause for Osasuna winger Victor Munoz.The Reds have effectively hijacked Newcastle's attempts to sign the Spain winger after Sky Sports News reported the Magpies were in talks over a deal.The 22-year-old is part of Spain's squad at the World Cup. Reports say he will undergo a medical in the USA and join for a fee of £34.6m.The situation is reminiscent of last summer, when Liverpool not only gazumped Newcastle in the race for Hugo Ekitike but also signed Alexander Isak, their star striker.Munoz joined Barcelona's La Masia academy aged 11 before eventually making the switch to Real Madrid's youth team in 2023.Current Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso gave the winger his LaLiga debut for the first team in May 2025, introducing him as a substitute for Vinicius Junior against Barca.Munoz signed a five-year deal at Osasuna that summer and played 34 league games last season, scoring six goals and providing two assists.Liverpool are planning to sign two wingers to replace Mohamed Salah with Yan Diomande considered another top target. There is a lot of competition for the 19-year-old, who is valued at more than £86m by RB Leipzig and currently at the World Cup with Ivory Coast.Diomande, who can play on both wings, possesses the versatility Liverpool are prioritising this summer as they seek to rebuild their forward line with players that can be adaptable, providing Andoni Iraola with more options than his predecessor in case injuries arise.Right-back is another pressing area for Liverpool, who lost Conor Bradley to a knee injury in January, because last summer's signing Jeremie Frimpong failed to make the position his own, while there is also uncertainty around Joe Gomez's future.Despite the departure of Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool do not consider signing a new centre-back to be a priority with the £60m arrival of Jeremy Jacquet and the return of teenager Giovanni Leoni, who has been out with an ACL injury since September.However, that duo's lack of Premier League experience could see Liverpool revisit their stance later in the window. An option, like Gomez, who can play both right-back and centre-back, would solve a lot of Liverpool's problems at the back.Kostas Tsimikas' return from his loan at Roma could ease the urgency to bring in a left-back replacement for the departing Andy Robertson if he impresses. All players will have a clean slate under Iraola, which is potentially good news for Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.Ryan Gravenberch's emergence as a No 6 in Arne Slot's first year put plans to bring in a holding midfielder further down the priority list at Liverpool but the team's performances in the season just gone have highlighted a need for reinforcements in that position.

Football News

Unclear if drone was spying on training session or if arrests madeSouth Korea coach said drone would not have spotted tacticsMexican military forces intercepted and brought down a drone that flew near the South Korea team’s training camp ahead of its World Cup match against Mexico, a federal official told the Associated Press.Military forces used specialised equipment to detect an “unregistered drone” near the South Korean camp, prompting them to “neutralise” it, the Mexican federal agent said.The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the incident publicly.Co-hosts Mexico won their opening Group A match at the World Cup last week while South Korea beat the Czechia later that same day. It was not clear if the drone was trying to spy on the South Korean team ahead of Thursday’s match between the teams.The South Korea coach, Hong Myung-bo, called the incident “unfortunate”.“During our training, there was a drone in the sky that we came to know about the fact,” Hong said. “But fortunately, it was right before we practised our tactics, so it did not impact us. But while we were preparing for the match, that was the most important timing, so what happened was unfortunate.”The Mexican operation was part of a security plan involving military and local police forces for the 2026 World Cup, which kicked off on 11 June in Mexico City and is being co-hosted by the United States and Canada until 19 July.The official did not say when the incident occurred or whether any arrests were made. He said only that several drones had been neutralised in recent days after attempting to enter security zones around stadiums in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey – the tournament’s three host cities in Mexico – as well as team base camps and fan festivals.In March, Mexican authorities announced a World Cup security operation known as “Plan Kukulkán,” involving about 100,000 personnel from federal and local military and police forces. The plan includes early warning systems, security measures at stadiums, airports, roads and hotels, and protection protocols for teams, officials and fans.In Canada, authorities have banned unauthorised drones from flying over World Cup stadiums and several training sites in Vancouver and Toronto as a security measure. The restrictions remain in effect until 7 July – the date of the last game scheduled to be staged in the country.In 2024, the Canadian women’s national team was accused of using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session in the days leading up to their opening match at the Paris Olympics, triggering a spying scandal that led to sanctions against Canada.The scandal led to the suspension of two coaching staff members and the head coach Bev Priestman, who was subsequently dismissed by Canada Soccer. The Canadian women’s team – the reigning Olympic champions from the Tokyo Games – was deducted six points from its group standings in France.Canada Soccer later determined that the incident was not an isolated error but part of a pattern of insufficient oversight within the national teams.