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Rangers have appointed Derek McInnes as manager on a three-year-deal after his momentous season in charge of Hearts.The 54-year-old took last season's Scottish Premiership title race to the final day, with Hearts agonisingly finishing second after a late defeat at Celtic - eight points above third-placed Rangers.McInnes replaces Danny Röhl, who has taken over at RB Salzburg after less than eight months in charge at Ibrox.McInnes - who played for Rangers between 1995 and 2000 - turned down the chance to manage the club when he was at Aberdeen.He will be joined at Ibrox by assistants Alan Archibald, Paul Sheerin and Craig Clark.McInnes said: "It is a real honour to become the manager of Rangers."It is no secret that I grew up a Rangers supporter and I am convinced this is the right time to take on this prestigious role."The demands here are clear and our supporters rightfully have high expectations. It is up to me, my staff and my players to meet those expectations, and have this club performing as it should."There is a lot of hard work ahead but already the preparations have begun, and I am looking forward to meeting the current squad in the coming weeks and welcoming some new faces."Andrew Cavenagh, the Rangers chairman, said: "I am delighted to welcome Derek to Rangers. He is someone we have always rated highly and we believe he is exactly what this club needs at this moment in time."His deep Scottish and Rangers experience are important for us. He knows how to win in this league and he is coming off an extremely strong season with Hearts."Hearts have assured supporters they have already prepared for McInnes' departure and identified a number of potential replacements, with the aim of appointing a new boss "swiftly".A club statement read: "Derek made it clear he wished to pursue this opportunity and, following discussions between the clubs, Rangers met the requested compensation terms."Derek, Alan and Paul leave with our thanks for the contribution they made during their time at Tynecastle. Last season represented an important step forward for the club and they played a valued role in that progress."The club's ambitions, direction and commitment to success remain unchanged. Our progress has been driven by a clear strategy, significant investment and strong foundations that extend far beyond any one individual. Those foundations remain firmly in place and provide the platform for the next phase of our development."Succession planning is a continuous process and preparations for this eventuality have already been undertaken. A number of candidates have been identified and the process of appointing a new head coach has already begun, with the aim of making the right appointment as swiftly as possible."Rangers have only won the Scottish Premiership once since 2011, and managing just one Scottish Cup and one League Cup in the same period.There is no doubt McInnes will be under pressure to deliver silverware in his first season. But Kris Boyd believes McInnes can meet expectations."I'm absolutely delighted he's managed to get the job and he'll be looking forward to the upcoming season."He was very unlucky last year, he's shown that he is a good operator in Scottish football and Rangers are hoping he can continue to improve."He's got a big summer ahead of him because Rangers do need a squad overhaul. They do need to get a good five or six players into it."Derek has always made the best of the funds he's had available, he's been able to get and build a squad wherever he's been that has been able to challenge deep into the season."He has shown that he can recruit players that give him and his team the best opportunity to win games, and he'll be hoping to continue that theme at Rangers."Rangers are still a huge football club, they underperformed last season and we're hoping that McInnes is a man to take them back to winning trophies on a regular basis."Rangers do need to get back to winning trophies. It's been a long time."You would imagine that there will be a large chunk of transfer money available for Derek to go and sign players. They will be hoping he can deliver that title."You could argue for Derek to finish second the amount of times he did with Aberdeen and then Hearts, it's like winning the league because of the financial power that Rangers and Celtic have had over the clubs that he's been at."Rangers have already begun a summer rebuild, with Jim Gillespie, the new chief executive, executive director Fraser Thornton, technical director Dan Purdy and consultant Stig Inge Bjørnebye working with the coaching team to add to the squad.Scotland international Lawrence Shankland was the first confirmed signing, joining from Hearts on a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.The activation of a clause in his Hearts deal saw him move for free, having scored 20 goals in all competitions last season.

World Cup News

⚽️ Kick-off: 3pm local time/4pm EDT/9pm BST/6am AEST⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Email ScottIt’s day seven of the 2026 World Cup, and finally England are on their way. They are Tom’s 26. Hear the roar, of the red, white and … ah who remembers that cheesy old song anyway? Point is, after an interminable wait, England are at long last getting down to business.Whether they’d have hand-picked Croatia as their first opponents is a moot point. On the one hand, England are a young and vibrant team, the sap rising, while most of Croatia’s first choice are in their 30s and their captain and talisman Luka Modric is now into his fifth decade. But on the other, this is a team that reached the final in 2018 and the semis last time round, and all of that Croatian experience has got to count for something. Continue reading...

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Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are vying to become not just 2026 World Cup winners but also the greatest goalscorers in the history of the tournament. Here’s how they compare with others on the all-time listLionel Messi started his 2026 World Cup campaign with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria.The trio of strikes gave him a career total of 16 World Cup goals, equalling the existing record held by Miroslav Klose. It’s reasonable to expect the Inter Miami player to set a new mark this summer but he is being chased hard by Kylian Mbappé. He scored twice in France’s opening match victory against Senegal, giving him a total of 14 goals since his competition debut eight years ago.The list shows the top 20 World Cup goalscorers of all time, from data provided by Transfermarkt. If two players are tied, advantage is given to the man who made fewer appearances. England supporters will be hoping Harry Kane swiftly joins our list by adding to his eight goals.

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Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been reappointed Feyenoord head coach on a two-year contract, with a one-year option to extend. The 51-year-old takes over from former manager Robin van Persie, who was sacked by the Eredivisie club after just 16 months in charge.Van Bronckhorst was at Liverpool as one of Arne Slot's first-team assistants, but left the Premier League club earlier this month as part of the Dutchman's dismissal.The ex-Rangers boss previously managed Feyenoord from 2015 to 2019, winning back-to-back KNVB Cups and lifting the Eredivisie title in 2017.The former Netherlands international's last managerial role was at Besiktas in 2024. He led the club to Turkish Super Cup but was sacked after five months following a poor run of results.Van Bronckhorst came through the youth ranks at Feyenoord and spent five years as a player from 1993 to 1998, before returning for a second three-year spell at the end of his career from 2007 until 2010."When you've been part of the club since you were seven years old... yes, Feyenoord is a big part of my life," he said.Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Senior football correspondentPublished8 minutes ago19 CommentsJude Bellingham is set to start in England's coveted number 10 role for their World Cup opener against Croatia.There has been conjecture over who will play in the central attacking berth for England after the emergence of Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers as a viable option in the position.But it is understood England manager Thomas Tuchel is likely to select Bellingham, 22, for Wednesday's Group L encounter in Dallas (21:00 BST).The Real Madrid star is expected to have Arsenal's Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest alongside him in midfield.Can Bellingham become England's superstar once more at the World Cup?Everything you need to know about the World Cup

World Cup News

US House leader Jeffries says fees have been waived‘No mother should miss the chance to watch their child’Goalkeeper fueled shock goalless draw with SpainThe mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will be able to receive a visa to enter the United States and watch her son play at the World Cup after cost issues prevented her from attending their historic draw against Spain earlier this week, US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Wednesday.Cape Verde was named by the US government on a list of countries whose citizens must post a returnable bond of $15,000 (£11,200) to travel to the United States, in addition to a visa fee. The Trump administration last month dropped the requirement for World Cup ticket holders, but by that point the high costs had ruled out the trip for Ana Candida Evora, the mother of Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper.Jeffries said Wednesday that the visa fees have been waived and Evora will be able to attend Cape Verde’s next match against Uruguay on Sunday in Miami. He thanked Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, and the state department for their efforts.“Cape Verdeans in America and throughout the diaspora have been celebrating the underdog grit and resilience of the Blue Sharks, joined by soccer fans from nations throughout the globe,” Jeffries said in a statement. “That joy was tempered a bit when Vozinha tearfully revealed that his own mother was unable to watch her son’s iconic performance in person due to visa complications. No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history.“Upon learning of this development, I spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and asked the State Department to do everything in their power to ensure that his mother can attend Cabo Verde’s next match. It is a privilege to announce that Vozinha’s mom will be able to secure a visa in time to attend their game this Sunday against Uruguay. All fees have been waived consistent with official policy. Travel arrangements are now being made for mother and son to reunite in Miami. I thank Secretary Rubio, US State Department officials, the government of Cabo Verde and Fifa for working together to make this possible.”Vozinha, 40, is Cape Verde’s most beloved footballer and has been their starting goalkeeper for 13 years. He has been a breakout star of this World Cup, helping to earn his country’s first-ever point and accumulating millions of new followers on social media.“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” he said after Monday’s result. “They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy.“I have worked my whole life for this moment. I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25, in 2012. I thought about leaving but I continued because of this dream. This is for everyone. I was named man of the match but this is for all of my teammates because without them nothing would be possible. I will continue to work for Cape Verde and for the people.”Evora, a 59-year-old house cleaner, told Reuters that she watched the match from home in São Vicente, one of Cape Verde’s 10 main islands.“I said that no ball would enter his goal, and that is exactly what happened,” she said. “He is a great goalkeeper. I am very proud to be Vozinha’s mother, and I hope ​he continues to save every ball that comes his way.”

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Fulham have two candidates "in particular" to take over from former manager Marco Silva, says the club's vice-chairman and director of football operations Tony Khan. Portuguese Silva left Craven Cottage earlier this month after five years to join Benfica and replace Jose Mourinho, who has been reappointed as head coach at Real Madrid.Last week, BBC Sport reported Fulham were in advanced talks with 43-year-old Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa over the post, while Frank Lampard has also been linked. The former England midfielder, 47, led Coventry City back to the Premier League last season after lifting the Championship title.Speaking to FFCtv,, external Khan said Fulham had expected Silva, 48, to sign a new deal to stay.But in the search for his successor, the American businessman added: "There have been a lot of names mentioned and it is interesting because it is going very well and there has been a few great conversations in particular.Fulham in advanced talks to appoint Arbeloa as Silva's replacement"There have been people who we have been linked to, where it says they were the frontrunner or that there was conversations, that were people we have never talked to or never even had a conversation about."Fulham are also known to have held talks with Kieran McKenna, who has since departed as manager of Ipswich Town following their promotion to the Premier League, saying he wanted a break to spend time with his family.Khan said: "There have been some rumours, but at the same time, we have had lots of conversations and meetings. We have been actively talking."There are two in particular who have had multiple meetings with the board and who we really like, but we are open to more conversations and talking to more people. We are working on that process right now."Fulham finished 11th in the table last season, missing out on a place in Europe by two points.A former defender for both Liverpool and West Ham, Arbeloa was in charge of Real Madrid at the end of last season on an interim basis, having replaced Xabi Alonso - who has been appointed Chelsea's new boss - midway through the campaign.After a successful 13-year playing career at Stamford Bridge, Lampard started his managerial career at Derby before spells at Chelsea, Everton and then Coventry in 2024.Latest Fulham news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Fulham - what do you want to know?

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Australia lean into their underdog status while fans and media build hype around highly anticipated Group D matchThe poisoned words have added sizzle to the Socceroos’ clash against the USA, and underlined the Australians’ belief in their status as underdogs. Commentators have described the Socceroos as a “lay up” for the Americans. That they don’t have any good players. That they are nothing but an average team with a “smug” coach.USA midfielder Sebastian Berhalter – even as some teammates took a more conciliatory tone on Wednesday – chose to continue the war of words: “I think one [of this team’s core beliefs] is that we’re American. We don’t take shit.”It was a surprisingly aggressive contribution to the escalating hype around the match which has not often been respectful. Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati offered a simple reply to Berhalter later in the day. “I’ve got no response to that,” he said.“I mean, we don’t take it [shit] either. We’re just out there to play a game of football, to win, and to do our best.”The slandering began late last year when the USA were drawn against Australia. Former professional player and now TV pundit Mike Grella said the Socceroos represented a “lay-up” for the hosts.Grella addressed the backlash to his comments on Wednesday: “I’ve got tell you something, I don’t think they’ve ever been more united as a football side. If they do something in this tournament – which they won’t – if they do something in this tournament, they should make a statue of me there in Australia, because I’ve unified an entire country.”The barbs didn’t stop with him. Former USA player Landon Donovan also dismissed the Socceroos’ chances after the draw, and took aim at Australia’s “smug” coach. “You can get on the Qantas airplane and head back home,” he said.Circati, asked to offer his own adjective on Wednesday to describe Popovic, used the word “smart”. “He doesn’t let these things get to him,” the defender said. “People spoke probably about him before Turkey … and he sort of just shut them all up because we got a result.”The team have also been targeted by Alexi Lalas, another former USA player, who described the Socceroos as “average”. He doubled down, encouraging the Australians to use his words as motivation. “I hope that they print it out,” he said. “Make sure you spell my name correctly. I hope that it’s wallpaper all around the Australian dressing room, because they’re going to need all the help they can get.”Australian fans and media jumped on the comments, inflaming tensions ahead of an already a highly anticipated clash which is likely to decide the winner of Group D. Harry Kewell even weighed in, claiming he hadn’t heard of Grella even though the American had a brief stint at Kewell’s former club Leeds.Former Australian rugby league player Josh Mansour asked Socceroos goalkeeper Maty Ryan about the vitriol on his podcast two weeks ago. Ryan’s response was seen as controversial, even if it was offered half in jest. “I’ve heard there’s been some Americans saying comments and to be honest I have a chuckle to myself because actions speak louder than words and I try to let my football do the talking,” he said, adding he was confident Australia could beat the hosts. “Ain’t no C-word scoring against me.”Strictly speaking, the goalkeeper may have been right, given he lost his place to Patrick Beach. But the contributions from Ryan and Berhalter are the exception, as the players appear to be going out of their way to avoid giving their opponents any additional motivation.USA midfielder Tim Weah said the rhetoric from TV pundits was “nonsense” and the Australian team “has a lot of fight, a lot of grit, and a lot of hunger, just like us”. His teammate Tyler Adams addressed Grella’s comment specifically: “It’s not going to be a lay-up. If anything, it’s going to be one of the most difficult games we play.”Circati and USA winger Christian Pulisic are friends – both playing in Serie A. “I know him very well and I think he’s a great player,” the Australian said. “His season has been a little bit stop and start, but keeping that aside, I think he’s phenomenal.”The negativity towards the Socceroos has mostly been confected by broadcasters and commentators with incentives to inflame in the polarised age of social media. But there is no doubt the Socceroos go into the match as underdogs, despite their impressive victory over Turkey.The USA have three highly rated Premier League players in midfielder Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), defender Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) and fullback Antonee Robinson (Fulham) – while the Socceroos have none. Pulisic is at AC Milan, with teammates playing in Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1. By comparison, the only Australian at a top-division European club is Ryan, and he just lost his job as No 1 goalkeeper to Beach.After his heroics against Turkey, Beach said that whatever people say, the Socceroos know they are outsiders and that is motivation enough. “They are a great opposition, they’ve got great players, and we just don’t worry about that stuff,” he said. “We know we’re the underdogs in the minds of a lot of other people and a lot of teams, and we’re happy with that.”

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For the first time in World Cup history, Central Asia will have representation after Uzbekistan created history on 5 June 2025.A 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates triggered wild scenes in Tashkent and beyond as Uzbekistan's participation in the 2026 World Cup was confirmed.The White Wolves are not a traditional footballing powerhouse, but qualifying for the World Cup has been a long time coming, with numerous heartbreaks along the way making their 2026 journey all the more special.The nation had earned the tag of Asian football's "nearly men", having narrowly missed out on three World Cups this century, but the slate can be wiped clean as Uzbekistan embark on a new journey this summer.Before their Group K opener against Colombia, Uzbekistan football expert Conor Bowers told BBC Sport that, for the country, qualification is as "significant as winning it would be for nations like England".Bowers said: "Uzbekistan have historically always been the nearly men of Asian football, having missed out on previous tournaments due to poor refereeing decisions in 2006 World Cup qualifying and utter self-sabotage before the 2022 World Cup."The success of qualification has already begun to create noticeable results domestically, with new football clubs being created, previously defunct clubs re-emerging and the number of professional clubs in the country increasing by 36% from the years 2025 to 2026 alone."Drawn in a group alongside Portugal, Colombia and fellow debutants DR Congo, expectations around what Uzbekistan can produce in the World Cup have understandably risen.But Bowers said: "Qualification was the goal. Anything more than that will be seen as an additional bonus."Khusanov named in Uzbekistan's World Cup squadQualification 'not been overnight success story'In 2006, when they placed 45th in the Fifa rankings - five places lower than they are now - Uzbekistan controversially lost a two-legged intercontinental play-off against Bahrain.A 1-0 first-leg home win was ordered to be replayed in full because the referee incorrectly awarding a free-kick to the visitors when an Uzbekistan attacker encroached during a team-mate's penalty.They drew the replay 1-1, and it was 0-0 in the away leg, meaning an away-goals defeat - something Uzbekistan fans will never forget.In 2014 Uzbekistan missed out on goal difference to South Korea. Then in 2018 they were two points short of qualifying for the tournament in Russia, with South Korea edging them out again after the two sides drew 0-0 in Tashkent in the final group game.It is no wonder qualifying for 2026 drew such jubilation, but it was merely a reflection of the progress in Uzbekistani football in the past decade."The qualification to the World Cup has not been an overnight success story, with it being the goal of a long-term development plan to increase the standards of Uzbek football as a whole," said Bowers."New expectations when it comes to stadium standards, coaching, opening up of Uzbek football association academies in multiple regions of the country and further youth development, among others, has raised the level of professionalism occurring within the domestic game."This has had a trickle-down impact on success initially at both youth level - Under-17 and Under-20 Asian Cup winners, Olympic qualification, Under-17 World Cup qualification, among other youth finals and semi-finals on an continental level - and senior level."The Uzbekistan FA has recently opened up a national training centre outside Tashkent similar in concept to St Georges' Park to provide national teams of all levels high standards of facilities for training."Manchester City signed Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov in January 2025 from Lens for a fee worth £34m.A relatively unknown 20-year-old at the time, Khusanov's stature in the City side and in the Premier League means he is already the face of Uzbekistani football.But paving the way for Khusanov, now 21, was Server Djeparov - the only Uzbek to be crowned Asian footballer of the year. He did this not once, but twice.Recognised by his famous mullet, Djeparov had trials at Chelsea and was a part of the Uzbekistan side that missed out on the World Cup three times.But now, there is a new hero in Khusanov and Bowers compares the impact in his home nation to that of David Beckham in England in the early 2000s.He said: "Khusanov's rise from Minsk to Manchester has been incredible and his impact on Uzbek football relative to his age and experience is difficult to measure."Uzbekistan has had players play for big historical European clubs like Roma and Dynamo Kyiv, but Khusanov's move in the age of social media and the reach of English football globally has seen Khusanov become similar to how David Beckham was back in the early 2000s, being who kids want to be and the face of the national team."It's too early to measure his impact on kids playing football, but the longer he spends at a club like City, the bigger it will undoubtedly be."We have already seen players get trials or join prominent European sides, or be expected to join soon, in very good level leagues in Belgium and Portugal, so the impact is perhaps already being felt."Uzbekistan forward Jaloliddin Masharipov told BBC World Service about Khusanov's stardom in his home country: "He's the first guy in the Premier League in Uzbekistan."All the fans love him now but fans love all the players here who play national team. Every time you go outside, go to a restaurant, people come for a picture."You go to a restaurant, you don't pay. Respect, like this here."It has been all change for Uzbekistan since they realised their dream.Italy legend and 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro will guide them to the World Cup this summer after taking over from Timur Kapadze in October 2025.Cannavaro is expected to help meet the demands of a first World Cup and was recently hired to add the international experience, nous and gravitas that the nation lacks."I want warriors," Cannavaro said after overseeing a 3-1 friendly victory over Gabon at a packed Milliy Stadium during the March international break."I want high intensity, always. This is the key for me, to have fighters."We will go to the World Cup to face top teams and, if people think it's easy, they will make a mistake."It's Uzbekistan's first time at the World Cup and we go to face everyone without fear."Bowers said: "Despite initially being seen as a disappointing and underwhelming choice to replace interim manager Kapadze, who was very popular, Cannavaro has undoubtedly thrown himself into his role with consistent appearances at Uzbek Super League games, meeting Uzbeks playing abroad and holding a number of training camps already."I believe he will bring his experience from his time in the Italian national team, his flexible but pragmatic management style and his passion for the role will ideally allow Uzbekistan to play as well as they can in the matches."What information do we collect from this quiz?The World Cup and beyondReaching a 48-team World Cup was the goal for Uzbekistan.They might fancy their chances in a relatively weak group, but Bowers says the focus should be on consistent World Cup qualification.He said: "Uzbekistan should aim for this World Cup to be the first of many and ideally become a regular Asian nation at the tournament like Japan and South Korea."At youth level they are consistently among the strongest teams in any tournament despite often sending very young squads relative to their competition."With the positive domestic developments ongoing, the rise of players like Khusanov and getting the World Cup qualification hoodoo off their back, I don't think this will be the last the World Cup sees of Uzbekistan."Everything you need to know about the World Cup