Category: Top News

Serena Williams will play at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022 after the American legend was given a wildcard to play the doubles event with her sister Venus on Tuesday.

Williams made a sensational return to tennis last week when she won her first-round doubles match at Queen’s Club with partner Victoria Mboko.

The 44-year-old had not played professional tennis for four years after saying she was “evolving away” from the sport following the 2022 US Open.

But the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was keen to play in front of her two young daughters and made the shock announcement of her return just prior to the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s.

Serena Williams was unable to play more than one match at Queen’s after Mboko pulled out with an injury, but she is due to continue her remarkable comeback in the Berlin Open doubles alongside Karolina Muchova this week.

The Williams sisters are six-time doubles champions at Wimbledon, winning their last title on their most recent appearance together a decade ago.

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Following speculation that Serena would be tempted to play in the singles at Wimbledon, which starts on June 29, the American was absent from the list of wildcard entries into that part of the tournament.

After so long away, she had no ranking to secure automatic entry into tournaments, leaving her to rely on wildcards.

Williams is a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, but she hasn’t won a Grand Slam crown since beating Venus to win the 2017 Australian Open.

Her most recent Wimbledon singles title came in 2016, with her last four Grand Slam finals ending in defeat.

There is still one singles wildcard place for Wimbledon to be announced.

Williams’ return at Queen’s for her first match in 1,375 days captured the imagination of the sporting world.

Her decision to pick up a racquet in a competitive setting for the first time since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open had sparked questions about the wisdom of the move.

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But it was like she had never been away as Williams produced her trademark thunderous serve and fearsome ground-strokes to the delight of a capacity crowd.

Five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus has been beaten in all seven of her singles matches this year.

The 45-year-old, who plays only occasionally in the twilight of her career, won a doubles match with Katie Boulter in Madrid in April.

Elsewhere in the Wimbledon wildcard list, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of the season, and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov were given entry into the men’s singles.

Maja Chwalinska, who reached the French Open final earlier in June, was handed a wildcard for the women’s singles.

READ: FIFA World Cup: Ghana head to Canada court over Thomas Partey visa row

Ghana’s government was headed to Canadian federal court Tuesday seeking to overturn Ottawa’s refusal to issue a World Cup visa to player Thomas Partey, who is facing trial in Britain on rape charges.

Canadian public broadcaster CBC reported the hearing was set for Tuesday morning, with Ghana pursuing an injunction application that could allow Partey to play against Panama on Wednesday in Toronto.

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa has called Canada’s decision “high-handed and extremely unfair”, calling Partey “a key member of Ghana’s senior national team”.

Accra has sent an official “note of protest” to Ottawa over the move and formally asked Canada to review the decision, Ablakwa said.

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Canada’s foreign ministry has not responded to a query regarding its response to Ghana’s protest.

Partey is a Villarreal midfielder who previously played for Arsenal. He made 167 appearances for Arsenal between 2020 and 2025 before his contract expired.

He has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022.

Ghana will commence their World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto on 17 June, before facing England and Croatia in Boston and Philadelphia, respectively.

READ: England suffer major setback ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 opener

LONDON: Ace batter Joe Root remained confident after speaking for the first time since returning as England captain ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, starting Wednesday at the Oval. 

Speaking on the eve of the second test, Root revealed what it was like captaining the side despite never expecting to return to the role.

“I never thought I’d be sat here talking to you guys as England captain again. Zero chance… 0.1 percent,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

Root returns as skipper for the first time since 2022 after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the squad following a nightclub controversy.

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Stokes and Atkinson were involved in an incident in a London nightclub after the first Test win against the BlackCaps. Following the incident, there were reports that the former would either be sacked or call time on his international cricket career.

Root remarked on bringing out the best in his side, noting that doing so would have a significant impact on his personal life.

“The only thinking that came to my mind is what is the best thing for this team, is it going to have a big effect on me and my personal life and which outweighed the other,” he said.

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He remained optimistic despite his poor record during his previous stint as England captain.

“The fact is it felt like it was the right thing to take this on, so I tried to make it as simple as that. I think I am in a very different place to when I finished.”

“To be captaining this group of players is a really exciting opportunity. It’s a game-by-game basis, I think. Let’s not look beyond this week,” he concluded.

It is worth mentioning that England managed to win only one out of 17 Tests before Root decided to step down as captain.

READ: England suffer major setback ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 opener

England have been dealt a massive blow as Tino Livramento has been ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 due to injury.

Full-back Livramento’s injury comes just one day before the Three Lions’ opening match against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday. Chelsea center-back Trevoh Chalobah has been called up as his replacement and is on his way to the United States.

Defender Livramento injured himself during training and was in doubt for the mega event. After assessment by a medical panel, he was ruled out of the tournament. His participation was already in doubt after he missed the final five weeks of the Premier League with a thigh problem.

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According to Fifa regulations, a player can be replaced in the 26-man squad up to 24 hours before that side’s first game of the tournament. However, the change could be only a name from the 55-man provisional player list submitted before the tournament.

Although Chalobah is not expected to play against Croatia, he is likely to play for the subsequent matches against Ghana and Panama.

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The 23-year-old Livramento was set to play as a back-up option for Reece James and Nico O’Reilly, who are set to be in the lineup for England’s opening fixture.

Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah has only played once for England since making his maiden appearance against Senegal last June.

Overall, the 26-year-old has played 34 Premier League matches for Chelsea this season, who finished 10th on the Premier League table.

On the contrary, Livramento has five caps to his name, and this was his first major tournament call-up. The defender was also part of the England side that won in a World Cup friendly against New Zealand 10 days ago.

READ: ICC penalizes Pakistan after India clash in Women’s World Cup 2026

DUBAI: ICC on Tuesday fined Pakistan 5% of their match fee for keeping a slow over rate against India in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Pakistan were reprimanded as they were one short of the target after taking time allowances into consideration. ICC match referee Trudy Anderson imposed the sanction with no need for a formal hearing after skipper Fatima Sana accepted the offense.

On-field umpires Claire Polosak and Jacquiline Williams, third umpire Eloise Sheridan, and fourth umpire Sue Redfern leveled the charge under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

Article 2.22 relates to minimum over-rate offenses under which players are fined five percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

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India defeated Pakistan by 64 runs to open their Women’s World Cup 2026 campaign. After opting to bat first, India racked up 170-6 in 20 overs, thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s brisk half-century. Wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh provided the innings’ late impetus with a quickfire 34-run cameo at the backend.

In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 106 in 17 overs despite a positive opening start. Muneeba Ali remained the top-scorer with 41 runs.

For India, Deepti Sharma tore through Pakistan’s batting lineup, scalping a five-wicket haul.

READ: PCB unveils new central contracts system for Pakistan cricketers

Brazil could be without star forward Neymar for the remainder of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage, with reports suggesting the veteran attacker is unlikely to return to action before the knockout rounds.

According to ESPN, Neymar is still recovering from the muscle tear he suffered in mid-May and has yet to resume full training with the Brazilian squad.

The 34-year-old was included in Brazil’s World Cup squad despite concerns over his fitness and missed the team’s two World Cup warm-up matches against Panama and Egypt.

He was also present on the bench during Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Morocco. However, he was not dressed in a playing kit and remained unavailable for selection.

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Brazil are scheduled to face Haiti on Friday before taking on Scotland in their final Group C fixture on June 24, but reports indicate Neymar could miss both matches as he continues his rehabilitation.

Sources told ESPN that Neymar repeated the same medical examination he underwent a week ago, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) yet to confirm the results.

The forward was absent from training again on Monday at the New York Red Bulls training centre, raising further doubts over his short-term availability.

Brazilian media reports suggest the national team’s medical staff are targeting a return during the knockout phase should Brazil progress beyond the group stage.

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Head coach Carlo Ancelotti had previously expressed optimism regarding Neymar’s recovery but stopped short of putting a definitive timeline on his return.

“Neymar is working very hard to recover as soon as possible,” Ancelotti said before Brazil’s opening match against Morocco. “Our expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.”

The Italian tactician also stressed that Neymar’s inclusion in the squad was about more than just his ability on the pitch.

“When we included him in the roster, we added him for his technical abilities, which are indisputable. But we also want him for his experience and the example he sets for the young players on the team,” Ancelotti added.

READ: The man who stopped Spain: Who is Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha?

Chess legend and avid football fan Magnus Carlsen predicted on Tuesday that Norway would “hammer” Iraq in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener, and could go on to reach the quarter-finals.

The highest-ranked chess player of all time is in Hong Kong this week to play in the World Rapid and Blitz Team Chess Championships beginning Wednesday.

But the Norwegian and devoted football fan will push his preparation for the tournament to one side to keep a close eye on the World Cup, despite the time difference from North America, meaning some matches will kick off in the early hours.

Norway, back in the World Cup for the first time since 1998, begin their group campaign against Iraq at 6:00 am Hong Kong time on Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday).

Despite the early hour, Carlsen will be tuning in to watch his countrymen, spearheaded by talismanic attacker Erling Haaland, who loves a game of chess when not banging in goals.

“I will be up early anyway, so I will 100 percent watch the game live,” Carlsen told AFP.

Football follower Carlsen did not think the World Cup would be too distracting when his WR Team defend their world blitz crown this week and look to add the world rapid title.

“At this point, I don’t really wake up or stay up for World Cup games. But, when it’s Norway (I do) 100 percent,” added the five-time world champion, who is a huge fan of Real Madrid.

Football and chess have become surprise bedfellows in recent months, with many players at the World Cup taking to the ancient board game in their spare time.

Norway’s goalscorer Haaland has recently invested in a ground-breaking new chess tour.

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Egypt forward Mo Salah said he was “addicted” to the game, while Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard and England striker Eberechi Eze are keen players, with the latter winning an amateur tournament in 2025.

The games are more similar than people might think, said Carlsen.

“Strategy, chess and football, it’s not that different really,” he said. “It’s about trying to control certain areas. Of course, football is a much more dynamic game, and there are certain random elements that may come in.”

“But the core principles are the same, like being able to switch from one side to another, like often overloading and then switching the play, probing certain areas and controlling the middle.

“Certain teams, like Arsenal, like to have as little left to chance as possible and to have their gameplay resemble a game of chess.

“As much as I don’t like watching that team, I can appreciate the thought behind it.”

Magnus Carlsen has high hopes for Norway after they dominated a World Cup qualifying group containing Italy by winning all eight games to reach the finals for the first time in 28 years.

Haaland bagged 16 of free-scoring Norway’s 37 goals in their qualifying campaign, with many created by the midfield driven by Odegaard.

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Carlsen expects the goals to keep flowing from the chess-loving Norwegians.

“First of all, we will hammer Iraq in the first game and then we’ll pretty much be through after that,” Carlsen predicted.

Norway then face potentially tougher Group I games against Senegal and France, but the chess grandmaster expects them to reach the knockout phase.

“My current prediction is that we will make it to the round of 16 and, from there on, it’s probably we’re going to be slight underdogs,” he said.

Carlsen said it would be fascinating to measure Norway’s form against the world’s best at the global showpiece.

“I think it’s very hard to say, to be honest,” said Carlsen of what to expect from manager Stale Solbakken’s squad.

“I think there’s a very clear first tier of a few teams,” said Carlsen.

“And then I’m not sure whether Norway is kind of towards the bottom side of that second tier or we’re in the third tier. But I think the quarter-finals are a somewhat realistic goal and, you know, once you get there, anything can happen.”

READ: Iran forced to leave USA after New Zealand clash: coach

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said that his side is the “most oppressed team in the World Cup” after his players were suddenly informed they must travel back to Mexico immediately after their opening game against New Zealand ended in Los Angeles late Monday.

It is the latest logistical nightmare for an Iran squad that arrived at the tournament being co-hosted by the United States of America (USA), Mexico and Canada under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row between Tehran and Washington.

The US, which was in military conflict with Iran for months, until a peace deal was announced on Sunday, refused to issue visas for some team support staff, and provided travel documents to players only at the last minute.

The team was originally intending to base its training camp in Tucson, Arizona, but moved it at the 11th hour to Tijuana, Mexico due to visa and logistical issues.

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“They delayed our arrivals, (now) they are forcing us to go back early without time for recovery,” Ghalenoei told journalists following a 2-2 draw with New Zealand.

“They are making the situation more and more difficult, facing us with more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.”

According to Ghalenoei, his team had previously been told they would be able to remain in the United States until Tuesday lunchtime “to recover.”

“But again, they haven’t permitted us,” he said. “To be honest, I have no idea why they haven’t told us.”

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The coach said technical staff had been forced to take on managerial duties due to the absence of key personnel.

“That’s why I think we are the most oppressed team in the World Cup,” he said.

Iran played their opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday, just a day after a peace deal between the US and Iran was announced, bringing an “immediate and permanent” end to military operations on all fronts.

Their star striker, Mehdi Taremi, also slammed his team’s treatment at the tournament as a “disaster” after the game.

“It’s a lot of stress for the players and staff and everyone, but we don’t have that support, and I think FIFA have to help us more than this,” he told reporters. “Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us.”

READ: PCB chairman breaks silence on Younis, Hafeez coaching reports

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has responded to widespread media reports regarding alleged coaching or mentoring roles for former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez, saying the claims were circulated without official confirmation and created unnecessary confusion.

Speaking during a media interaction, Naqvi clarified that he himself only learned about the reported appointments through news channels and that no formal briefing or internal approval had been communicated to him prior to the reports going public.

He stressed that while discussions within the board regarding team structure and support staff requirements were ongoing, no final decisions had been announced regarding specific appointments.

“A few days ago, a headline was circulating that Younis Khan, who has been appointed as head coach or mentor of the Test team, whatever the exact role is, I only came to know such things through the channel,” Naqvi said.

“We did not have any such agenda in advance. What can I say about it? If the news was not available on that day, and it was published in the morning, then I am not at fault for that,” he added.

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Mohsin Naqvi further explained that the PCB was still assessing where additional support was needed within the setup, but emphasised that premature reporting on appointments had complicated the narrative around team planning.

He also pointed out inconsistencies in media speculation, noting that multiple names were being linked with different roles without clarity, which risked misleading the public and stakeholders.

“As for Hafeez, we were definitely discussing where we had vacancies and in which areas we needed people,” he said.

“But it felt very strange when the news came out that he had been appointed head coach, while on the other hand Sarfaraz is working in one role, and such reports are circulating at the same time.”

Despite the uncertainty created by the reports, the PCB chairman reiterated that his approach is to involve all available expertise to strengthen Pakistan cricket moving forward.

“I cannot do much about it, but whoever can contribute to improving cricket at this time, I will go to each and every person, involve them, and take them along as well,” he stated.

READ: The man who stopped Spain: Who is Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha?

ATLANTA: Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has emerged as one of the early stars of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after producing a sensational performance to help his side secure a goalless draw against European champions Spain at Atlanta Stadium on Monday.

The 40-year-old shot-stopper was the standout performer in Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup game, making seven crucial saves to deny Spain and earn the Player of the Match award. His display quickly went viral across social media, leaving football fans around the world asking the same question: Who exactly is Vozinha?

Born Josimar José Evora Dias, Vozinha’s name is actually a nickname rather than his real surname.

The moniker, which means “little granny” in Portuguese, comes from the grandparents who raised him during his childhood while his father served in the military and his mother worked.

“The nickname is because of my grandparents,” Vozinha explained in an interview with FIFA earlier this year.

“I never lived with my parents. When I was born, my father was in military service, and my mother had to work, so I always grew up with my grandparents.”

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Speaking about why he uses Vozinha on the back of his shirt, the goalkeeper revealed the name has followed him throughout his career.

“When I arrived in Angola, there was another goalkeeper named Josimar, and I said, ‘I am not going to put Josimar II on the shirt’. If everyone knew me as Vozinha in Cape Verde, that’s what I would be,” he said.

The veteran goalkeeper repeatedly came to Cape Verde’s rescue as the Spanish side dominated possession and created numerous chances.

Vozinha denied several Spanish stars, including Ferran Torres, Pedri and Aymeric Laporte, with a series of outstanding saves, particularly in the closing stages of the first half. His efforts helped Cape Verde claim a valuable point against one of the tournament favourites.

The emotional significance of the result was evident at the final whistle as Vozinha broke down in tears while being embraced by teammates after the historic draw.

“Very proud. For me, it is an honour for me to represent my country,” Vozinha told reporters. “We are from a small country. Our qualification was very difficult in a group with Cameroon and Libya, but we knew if we followed the plan of the coach, we had a great chance to qualify.

“The dream came true. We competed against Spain, one of the best teams in the world. We are very happy and proud of all the players and people of Cape Verde.”

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The experienced goalkeeper currently plays for Chaves in Portugal’s second division and has enjoyed a lengthy career spanning multiple countries.

He began his club journey in Cape Verde with Batuque FC before representing CS Mindelense, Progresso in Angola, Zimbru Chisinau in Moldova, Gil Vicente in Portugal, AEL Limassol in Cyprus and AS Trencin in Slovakia.

His international career has been equally impressive. Vozinha made his debut for Cape Verde 14 years ago and has since earned more than 80 caps for the Blue Sharks.

He has represented his country in four Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments before making his World Cup debut against Spain.

Moreover, his heroics against Spain have transformed him into an overnight sensation. According to reports, his Instagram following skyrocketed from around 500,000 to more than five million within hours of the final whistle.

With Group H also featuring Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde still face a difficult road ahead. However, thanks to Vozinha’s unforgettable display against Spain, the Blue Sharks have already produced one of the standout stories of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

READ: Greed or player health? World Cup hydration breaks spark debate