Author: AFP

Iran’s squad will leave for Spain this weekend en route to their FIFA World Cup 2026 base in Mexico despite still awaiting visas, the head of the country’s football federation said.

The 2026 World Cup is being hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Neither the United States, where Iran will play their three group stage matches, nor Mexico, where the team will be based throughout the tournament, have yet issued visas for the players.

“We will leave for Spain on Saturday, and from there the team will go directly to Tijuana in Mexico,” football federation chief Mehdi Taj said on Monday on a sports programme broadcast on state television.

“We will obtain a Mexican visa tomorrow (Tuesday) or the day after, and then a US visa will be issued quickly,” Taj said.

Iran have been drawn in Group G and will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, followed by a game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

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Taj said that the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, “changed everything” for Team Melli.

“The situation in the country, and especially the war, has upended all our plans,” Taj said.

“We had arranged good warm-up matches, including one against Spain, which was cancelled” in February.

The Iranians relocated their World Cup base, which initially was planned to be in Tucson in the US state of Arizona, to the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana due to tensions over the Middle East war.

Iran are currently preparing for the tournament in Turkey.

On Friday they beat Gambia 3-1 in a friendly in Antalya, where they will play another warm-up match against Mali on Thursday.

Taj complained that the team’s World Cup preparations had been also dogged by “financial difficulties” because of the economic crisis in the country and the sharp depreciation of the rial against the dollar.

READ: Southampton boss takes blame for ‘spygate’ scandal

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has apologised for orchestrating the “spygate” scandal that led to the club’s expulsion from the Championship play-offs as owner Dragan Solak insisted that he would not sack the German.

Saints were kicked out of last month’s play-off final after admitting they had observed a training session held by semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, as well as two other similar incidents during the season.

They also received a four-point deduction that will be applied to the 2026/27 Championship table, while the Football Association has opened its own investigation and could yet charge Eckert.

An independent disciplinary commission of the English Football League (EFL) ruled that there had been a “contrived and determined plan from the top down to gain a competitive advantage” through spying missions.

It said that Eckert had authorised the tactics, highlighting the “particularly deplorable” use of junior members of staff to conduct clandestine operations.

Southampton beat Middlesbrough 2-1 over two legs in the play-off semi-finals, but Boro were reinstated, going on to lose in the final to Hull, who were promoted to the Premier League.

Eckert, who was appointed as head coach in December, on Tuesday put out an eight-minute video statement about the scandal on Southampton’s social media channels.

“For everything that’s happened I do want to apologise and I hold my hand up because as a head coach I am responsible for everything that has happened in this football club,” he said.

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The 33-year-old added: “I am devastated that after six months of building that relationship (with fans) back up, the season has come to an end, come to an end that couldn’t have left us in a worse place than we are in right now.”

He claimed that observing other teams was routine in other countries, though admitted that this was not an excuse for his actions in the English second tier.

“When I worked in Italy for over four years, every starting line-up that we’ve chosen for the games was always out in the media before games,” he said.

“And the reason is that our training sessions, especially the ones before games, have always been observed from the media and have always been observed from opponent teams that we came up against.

“(Pep) Guardiola has spoken about this in his time at Bayern Munich, that it has been common practice in Germany to observe training sessions, knowing that other teams would do the same.”

Eckert was widely expected to lose his job after Southampton’s expulsion from the play-offs, which cost the club a shot at an immediate return to the Premier League and a windfall of around £200 million ($269 million).

But Southampton chairman Solak gave robust backing to Eckert in his own post on the club’s channels on Tuesday.

“Tonda’s period as our head coach has been a success so far. Our form during 2026 has been remarkable and we believe he is the man to take us forward,” Solak said.

“As a board we are fully behind him and together we only have one objective — we want promotion back to Premier League.”

Solak told the BBC separately that Tonda had been subject to a witch hunt in the media, saying that he believed the club had been “over-sentenced”.

The Serbian, whose media company acquired a majority stake of the south-coast club in 2022, said: “I believe Tonda that he didn’t know that it was the rule that he was breaking.

“My personal opinion, and the opinion of the board, is that he is a manager who deserves to be backed by us and to be supported by us.”

READ: South Korea defender Cho Wi-je gets late World Cup 2026 call

Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of England cricket legend Andrew Flintoff as head coach, hailing it as their “most significant off-field acquisition in club history”.

The 48-year-old has signed a two-year deal for what will be his first overseas coaching role, following weeks of speculation.

Former England captain Flintoff starred for his country across all three formats and was last year linked with taking over from Brendon McCullum as England’s head coach.

The charismatic former all-rounder has cut his teeth in coaching with the second-string England Lions, as well as the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. He guided the Superchargers to fourth and third-place finishes during his two seasons in charge.

“I can’t wait to get over there and get started,” Flintoff said in a statement released by the team. “I’m looking at this with a lot of optimism. You look at the franchise, you look at the players, you look at the support, and I think there’s something really big to build on.”

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The Thunder squad is led by former Australia opener David Warner and also includes Sam Konstas, the 20-year-old once seen as Warner’s successor at the Test level.

They finished bottom of the table last time out, and Flintoff replaces Trevor Bayliss, who departed the role in February after six seasons at the helm.

“I want our players to connect with the people that come and see us. I want them to enjoy playing cricket,” said Flintoff, who had a stint in the BBL as a player over a decade ago.

“However, all that is underpinned by hard work… I want them to play with passion and leave everything out there on the field.

“I’m excited to come over, get involved and coach this team. I’m here to do the best job I possibly can for the team and everybody that comes out and supports us,” he said.

READ: RCB star Tim David suspended after IPL 2026 final incident

Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo and former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey were included in the Ghana squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as coach Carlos Queiroz left it to the last minute to finalise his 26-man selection.

Ghana face Wales in Cardiff on Tuesday in a friendly before flying to North America for their fifth World Cup appearance, where they are in a tough Group L with England, Croatia, and Panama.

The midfield includes Villarreal’s Partey, 32, who is due to stand trial in the UK at a later date on rape and sexual assault charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

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Veteran Leicester City attacker Jordan Ayew will captain the Black Stars, who will be without Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus because of injury.

The 26-year-old Semenyo scored 11 goals in 27 games for City after moving from Bournemouth in January for an initial £62.5 million (72 million euros).

The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico kicks off on June 11, with Ghana facing Panama in their opener six days later.

Ghana squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare (Hearts of Oak), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen), Joseph Anang (St. Patrick’s)

Defenders: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alidu Seidu (Rennes), Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano), Jerome Opoku (Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Kojo Oppong Peprah (Nice), Derrick Luckassen (Pafos)

Midfielders: Elisha Owusu (Auxerre), Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Augustine Boakye (Saint Etienne), Caleb Yirenkyi (Nordsjaelland), Abdul Fatawu (Leicester), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta)

Forwards: Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry), Prince Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester)

READ: South Korea defender Cho Wi-je gets late World Cup 2026 call

Cho Wi-je played in South Korea’s second division last year, but now he is heading to the FIFA World Cup 2026 after being called up as a late injury replacement.

The 24-year-old defender has been drafted into South Korea’s squad after Cho Yu-min was ruled out with a foot injury following the 5-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday.

Cho Wi-je was already with the squad as a training partner, and now he is in contention to play against South Korea’s Group A opponents South Africa, the Czech Republic and co-hosts Mexico.

After turning out for Busan IPark in K League 2 until January this year, he was still trying to make sense of his rapid rise when he spoke to reporters on Monday.

“If someone told me last year that I would be going to the World Cup in 2026, I would never have believed that,” he said at the team’s training camp in Utah. “This feels like a dream.”

Cho joined South Korean champions Jeonbuk at the start of the year and impressed in his first taste of top-flight football.

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He is now with the national team alongside Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae, the central defender who has played at Europe’s top level for years and has almost 80 caps for his country.

“He has so much experience battling top European players, and I want to pick his brain about that,” Cho said.

“Min-jae is so much quicker than most players, and I have to be quicker on my feet to get to that level.”

Cho got his chance after Cho Yu-min’s World Cup dream ended less than two weeks before their World Cup opener against the Czechs on June 11.

“Yu-min played such an important role in helping us qualify for the World Cup, and it was really tough to see him leave,” said Cho. “To fill his void, I just have to perform as well as I can.”

South Korea squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk)

Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Kim Tae-hyon (Kashima Antlers), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Jens Castrop (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), Cho Wi-je (Jeonbuk)

Midfielders: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Forwards: Son Heung-min (LAFC), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besitkas), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland)

READ: Aryna Sabalenka overpowers Naomi Osaka to reach French Open quarter-finals

World number one Aryna Sabalenka took down fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets in Monday’s night-session match to reach the French Open quarter-finals.

Sabalenka produced an impressive display, hitting 39 winners and 12 aces, against a battling Osaka to win 7-5, 6-3 and reach the last eight for a 14th consecutive major tournament.

The Belarusian is the only Grand Slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws at Roland Garros.

She made it three straight wins against Osaka this year, having lost their only previous meeting at the 2018 US Open.

Sabalenka will next take on Russian Diana Shnaider as she continues her bid for a maiden French Open crown and to banish the memories of her painful final defeat last year by Coco Gauff.

Japanese star Osaka, again sporting the sequined gold dress she likened to the Eiffel Tower at night, has to make do with her best-ever run in Paris, ending in the last 16.

It was the first women’s match to feature in the French Open night session since 2023, after a run of 32 consecutive men’s ties which drew repeated criticism of tournament organisers.

Aryna Sabalenka has previously criticised the lack of women’s matches under the lights, saying last year that the WTA stars “deserve equal treatment” to the men.

“I hope that this is the beginning, today’s match. It’s like we open up that door for woman night sessions,” she said Monday.

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The players traded early breaks in a power-packed opening, before Sabalenka levelled the first set at 2-2 with a service hold featuring three aces, the last with a second serve.

The set stayed on serve until the 11th game, when Sabalenka made her move with a blistering backhand winner to bring up two break points, with Osaka netting on the first.

The top seed closed it out in style with a ruthless hold to love.

Osaka gamely managed to hang onto her serve early in the second set, staving off a break point in a marathon game to lead 3-2.

Sabalenka had only dropped six points in her previous seven service games, but was pushed hard by Osaka in game six before eventually holding with a clever drop-shot.

That proved to be a crucial moment, as Osaka’s resistance was finally broken in the next game, a brilliant low volley at the net helping Sabalenka put one foot into the quarters.

An Osaka double-fault brought up match point two games later, and Sabalenka sealed victory with a brutal return.

READ: Paraguay name FIFA World Cup 2026 squad

Paraguay on Monday named a FIFA World Cup 2026 squad featuring Brighton midfielder Diego Gomez while his former club teammate Julio Enciso, now with Strasbourg, will lead the attack.

Argentinian coach Gustavo Alfaro called up 20-year-old left-back Alexandro Maidana, who only made his full international debut in March, to fill in for the injured Mathias Villasanti.

Paraguay face joint hosts the United States in their opening Group D game on June 12 in Los Angeles before taking on Turkey on June 19 and Australia on June 25, with both matches in Santa Clara.

They are returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals in South Africa.

Paraguay squad:

Goalkeepers: Roberto Fernandez (Cerro Porteno), Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo de Almagro/ARG), Gaston Olveira (Olimpia)

Defenders: Gustavo Velazquez (Cerro Porteno), Juan Jose Caceres (Dinamo Moscow/RUS), Gustavo Gomez (Palmeiras/BRA), Omar Alderete (Sunderland/ENG), Fabian Balbuena (Gremio/BRA), Jose Canale (Lanus/ARG), Junior Alonso (Atletico Mineiro/BRA), Alexandro Maidana (Talleres/ARG)

Midfielders: Diego Gomez (Brighton/ENG), Andres Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN), Damian Bobadilla (Sao Paulo/BRA), Matias Galarza (Atlanta United/USA), Braian Ojeda (Orlando City/USA), Mauricio Magalhaes (Palmeiras/BRA), Alejandro Romero Gamarra (Al-Ain/UAE)

Forwards: Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth/ENG), Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United/USA), Julio Enciso (Strasbourg/FRA), Ramon Sosa (Palmeiras/BRA), Antonio Sanabria (Cremonese/ITA), Alex Arce (Independiente Rivadavia/ARG), Gabriel Avalos (Independiente/ARG), Isidro Pitta (Bragantino/BRA)

READ: Ghazi Ghori responds to Mohammad Rizwan’s replacement talk

Serena Williams confirmed her return to tennis after an absence of nearly four years on Monday, with the American great set to play women’s doubles at Queen’s club later this month.

The 44-year-old has not played competitively since a third-round loss at the 2022 US Open left her one short of the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, jointly held by Margaret Court and Novak Djokovic.

Williams shared a video on social media of herself on a tennis court containing the caption: “Guess everybody heard the news”, with her phone buzzing rapidly in the background.

A post from the seven-time Wimbledon champion said: “Good news travels fast.”

“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in a statement from tournament organisers.

“Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”

The women’s event at the London tournament starts on June 8.

Williams’ imminent return has been touted since it was revealed in December she had re-entered the anti-doping programme — a prerequisite to play on the tour again.

The American denied she was planning a competitive return but rumours have swirled over the past few months that she was on her way back.

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She has now been given a wild card for the women’s doubles at Queen’s, reportedly alongside young Canadian Victoria Mboko.

Djokovic predicted a return for Williams in March and a number of players have spoken about the subject at the ongoing French Open.

“I think it’s good for me. I’ll be very entertained,” said Naomi Osaka, who famously beat Williams in the 2018 US Open final, when asked if she would watch a comeback match from Serena.

Coco Gauff, who lost in the third round of the French Open on Saturday, said she would love to face Williams for the first time.

“Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, and we’re delighted that she will be making her return to tennis at the LTA’s HSBC Championships,” said WTA tournament director Laura Robson.

“Women’s tennis made a historic return to the Queen’s Club last year and now we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court.”

The former world number one said in 2022 she did not want to use the word “retiring” but instead explained she was “evolving” away from tennis.

The American spent 319 weeks at the top of the world rankings and won 73 singles titles on the WTA Tour.

She also won 14 major Grand Slam doubles titles with older sister Venus Williams, who ended a 16-month hiatus from professional tennis last year.

Venus said the “only thing” that would have made her being.

READ: WATCH: Babar Azam reacts to AI-made song using his voice

Lille announced on Monday that Brazil assistant coach Davide Ancelotti, the son of Carlo, would be their new coach, a week after Bruno Genesio’s departure.

Ancelotti has signed a two-year deal with the French club, but they did not say if he would leave his role in his father’s Brazil coaching staff before the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.

“LOSC today announced the appointment of Davide Ancelotti as first-team coach. The 36-year-old ​Italian manager, who has worked ​with some of the world’s biggest clubs ‌and ⁠national teams, has signed a two-year contract,” read the club statement.

The 36-year-old is in line for his second spell as a head coach, having spent six months at Brazilian outfit Botafogo last year.

Notably, he began his coaching career ​in 2016 ​and has ⁠worked alongside his father Carlo at Napoli, Bayern ​Munich, Everton and Real ​Madrid.

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“I’m very proud and happy,” Ancelotti said. “It’s an honour to represent Lille.

“They are a serious, ambitious, competitive club who are regularly playing European football,” the AC Milan academy product said.

Lille will feature in the Champions League next season after finishing third in Ligue 1, 15 points behind winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The new Ligue 1 campaign begins on the weekend of August 22-23.

READ: Mike Hesson breaks silence on criticism over spin-friendly pitches

Mexico star Guillermo Ochoa is set to become the first goalkeeper to appear in six FIFA World Cup finals after being named in the co-hosts’ squad for the upcoming 2026 edition.

The 40-year-old, who plays for Cypriot outfit AEL Limassol, joins superstars Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Argentina’s Lionel Messi in performing for the sixth time at the quadrennial football festival.

However, while Ronaldo and Messi are automatic first choices, Ochoa is unlikely to have much game time as he has dropped down the pecking order in recent years.

Ochoa, whose first World Cup was in Germany in 2006, headlines the squad along with forwards Raul Jimenez and Santiago Gimenez, who play for Premier League side Fulham and Serie A giants AC Milan, respectively.

Two of the squad named on Sunday, Spain-born midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo and Colombia-born forward Julian Quinones, have become pivotal players for the Javier Aguirre-coached team since being naturalised.

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Gilberto Mora, the talented 17-year-old attacking midfielder, is set to become the youngest player to represent Mexico at a World Cup.

For Aguirre, 67, it will be his third World Cup in charge, having been in the dugout at the 2002 and 2010 renewals.

On both occasions, they have failed to progress beyond the group stage, but this time round will hope to follow the sides of 1970 and 1986 in reaching the last eight.

Mexico, who are co-hosting with Canada and the USA, play in the tournament’s opening game against South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City.

They go on to play South Korea on June 18 and round off the group stage against the Czech Republic on June 24.

Mexico squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel (Guadalajara), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna)

Defenders: Israel Reyes (Club America), Jorge Sanchez (PAOK), Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Jesus Gallardo (Toluca), Mateo Chavez (Alkmaar)

Midfielders: Edson Alvarez (West Ham), Luis Romo (Guadalajara), Obed Vargas (Atletico Madrid), Brian Gutierrez (Guadalajara), Orbelín Pineda (AEK Athens), Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Gilberto Mora (Tijuana), Cesar Huerta (Anderlecht), Alvaro Fidalgo (Real Betis), Luis Chavez (Dynamo Moscow).

Forwards: Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Alexis Vega (Toluca), Julian Quinones (Al-Qadisiyah), Santiago Gimenez (AC Milan), Guillermo Martínez (Pumas), Armando Gonzalez (Guadalajara), Raul Jimenez (Fulham/ENG)

READ: Brazil thrash Panama 6-2 in FIFA World Cup 2026 send-off