Category: Top News

KINGSTON: Sherfane Rutherford produced a composed unbeaten half-century while Shamar Joseph’s five-wicket haul set up a dramatic West Indies victory over Sri Lanka in the third T20I at Sabina Park on Sunday, as the hosts clinched the three-match series 2-1.

Chasing a target of 170, the West Indies completed the job in 19.4 overs after a tense finish that swung repeatedly before the Caribbean side eventually held their nerve to seal a thrilling win.

The chase, however, began on the worst possible note as the West Indies lost their captain early in the innings, putting immediate pressure on the top order.

Shimron Hetmyer provided brief resistance with a brisk 32 off 19 balls, but Sri Lanka’s spinners quickly tightened their grip, reducing the hosts to 53-4 inside 8.2 overs.

At that stage, Sri Lanka appeared firmly in control of the contest.

The momentum shifted through a crucial 81-run partnership between Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford, who rebuilt the innings with calculated aggression.

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Powell, who contributed a vital 33, accelerated the scoring in the death overs, striking three sixes in a single over off Dushmantha Chameera in the 17th over before falling on the final delivery of the same over.

With the match finely poised, Rutherford found support from Jason Holder, who delivered a stunning late cameo. Holder smashed three sixes in the 19th over to completely swing the match in West Indies’ favour, reducing the equation to just six runs needed from the final over.

The hosts completed the chase on the fourth ball of the last over, sealing a memorable series victory in front of a jubilant home crowd.

Rutherford remained unbeaten on 54 off 40 deliveries, striking three fours and four sixes, while Holder finished with a blistering 21 not out from just five balls, including three towering sixes.

Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 169 all out in their 20 overs, with Dunith Wellalage top-scoring with 43 off 28 balls. Kamil Mishara added 28, while Pathum Nissanka contributed 26 in a steady but ultimately insufficient batting effort.

Shamar Joseph led the bowling attack for West Indies, taking five wickets for 33 runs, while Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder and Roston Chase chipped in with one wicket each..

READ: Reason behind Lamine Yamal not wearing Spain’s No. 10 jersey revealed

Spain’s rising superstar Lamine Yamal may be the headline name in their FIFA World Cup 2026 squad, but the Barcelona winger will not be wearing the iconic No. 10 jersey during the tournament, sparking curiosity among fans.

Instead, the 18-year-old will continue with the No. 19 jersey, the same number he wore during Spain’s successful Euro 2024 campaign in Germany, despite his growing status as one of the team’s most influential attacking players.

The No. 10 shirt, traditionally reserved for a side’s most creative force, has long carried special significance in world football, often worn by playmakers or leading attackers.

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For Spain in this tournament, however, Dani Olmo, Yamal’s Barcelona teammate, will wear No. 10 for La Roja in North America.

He usually wears No. 20 at Barcelona, and Yamal wears No. 10; however, Olmo’s higher seniority in the national setup gives him priority in Spain’s internal shirt-number selection system.

Spain allocate squad numbers based on seniority, meaning players with more international caps are given preference when choosing available numbers.

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Despite Yamal’s rapid rise since his debut in 2023, Olmo’s 50 appearances for Spain place him ahead in the hierarchy compared to Yamal’s 25 caps. That system explains why Olmo will be wearing No. 10 while Yamal will continue with No. 19.

Yamal, who has quickly become one of Spain’s most important attacking threats, remains central to their plans for the World Cup, even without the symbolic shirt number often associated with football’s greatest playmakers.

READ: Spain’s Lamine Yamal achieves fitness ahead of Cape Verde clash

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that Lamine Yamal is fit but will begin the European champions’ World Cup 2026 opener against Cape Verde on the bench.

Barcelona superstar Yamal has not played since suffering a hamstring injury on April 22.

There were fears the 18-year-old could miss Spain’s opening two games of the World Cup, but he has trained all week and is set to feature in Atlanta on Monday.

“He is available, but not to start the game. He is in perfect condition to play some minutes,” De la Fuente told a press conference on Sunday.

Wingers Nico Williams and Victor Munoz are also fit enough only for a place on the bench, limiting De La Fuente’s options in wide areas.

“They are fine to play tomorrow without setting them back. If it was not like that they would not even sit on the bench,” added De la Fuente.

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For the first time, Spain head into a World Cup without a single Real Madrid player in the squad. But that could change in the coming days after the Spanish giants reportedly reached an agreement with Chelsea for the signing of Marc Cucurella for 55 million euros ($63 million).

De La Fuente, though, said he was not concerned his players could be distracted by speculation over their future during the tournament.

“I know the commitment, the professionalism they all have. This happened at the Euros, too, with some of our group, and we lived with it. It has not generated any uncomfortable situation,” he added.

“I can guarantee you that no one in the team would jeopardise the good of the team. And if it is good news for Cucu, or anyone else during the tournament, we will celebrate it.”

Despite limited expectations pre-tournament, La Roja stormed to victory at Euro 2024, beating hosts Germany, France and England in the latter stages.

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This time, they are considered among the favourites to win a second World Cup.

De la Fuente did little to quell expectations as he talked his players up as the best squad in the tournament.

“For me, with all due respect to the rest, it is the best team in the world. The best players,” he said. “To see the level of footballers we have, you only have to see the ones I leave out.

“But the players understand their role and accept it. That is the luck this team has.”

After facing tournament debutants Cape Verde, Spain will also take on Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.

READ: Germany break Brazil’s World Cup record after 7-1 win over Curacao

HOUSTON: Germany delivered a statement start to the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a ruthless 7-1 demolition of debutants Curacao on Sunday, a result that also saw them surpass Brazil at the top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts.

The four-time world champions combined attacking flair with clinical finishing to not only open their tournament campaign in style but also move ahead of their long-time rivals in the historical goal standings.

Heading into the tournament, Brazil held the record with 237 World Cup goals, with Germany trailing closely on 232.

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But Julian Nagelsmann’s side tore into Curacao from the outset, taking their overall tally to 239 goals in World Cup history, moving them one clear at the summit.

Brazil now sit second with 238, while Argentina remain third on 152.

The margin of victory also underlined their renewed attacking authority after a disappointing Qatar 2022 and Russia 2018 campaign, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage.

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There was a sense of déjà vu about the scoreline as well. Germany’s 7-1 triumph echoed their infamous semi-final demolition of Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, one of the most iconic results in football history, which came en route to their fourth world title.

Statistically, the victory also reinforced Germany’s extraordinary consistency on the biggest stage. They remain the only nation to have scored seven or more goals in a World Cup match on four separate occasions.

READ: Yasin Ayari stars as Sweden make statement with 5-1 rout of Tunisia

GUADALUPE: Yasin Ayari struck the net twice as Sweden opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, dismantling Tunisia 5-1 at Monterrey Stadium on Sunday.

Ayari set the tone early, firing Sweden ahead inside seven minutes with a thunderous long-range effort that left the Tunisian defence stunned.

The midfielder, who capped a dominant individual display with a stoppage-time strike, finished with a brace to bookend a commanding team performance.

Sweden’s attacking momentum continued as Alexander Isak doubled the lead in the 30th minute, capitalising on sustained pressure.

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Tunisia, however, briefly clawed their way back into the contest when Omar Rekik reduced the deficit just before half-time, offering a flicker of hope heading into the break.

Any potential comeback was quickly extinguished after the interval as Viktor Gyökeres restored Sweden’s two-goal cushion with a composed finish, before Mattias Svanberg added a fourth to put the result beyond doubt.

Ayari then returned to the spotlight in stoppage time, capping the scoring with another strike to complete a convincing win.

The result puts Sweden in a strong early position in Group F, where they are joined by Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan.

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Earlier in the group, Japan and the Netherlands produced one of the standout matches of the opening round, sharing a thrilling 2–2 draw in front of 69,285 fans in Texas.

Virgil van Dijk had given the Dutch the lead with a well-taken header before Keito Nakamura quickly responded for Japan.

Crysencio Summerville restored the Netherlands’ advantage with a superb curled finish, only for Japan to fight back again late on, with Daichi Kamada credited with a deflected equaliser to salvage a dramatic point.

READ: Iran team arrives in USA for World Cup 2026 amid peace deal

LOS ANGELES: Iran national football team arrived in the United States of America (USA) for the first time at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday, landing at Los Angeles International Airport amid extraordinary political circumstances just before the announcement of a peace deal between Washington and Tehran.

The squad made their long-awaited entry into the country after travelling from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, where they had relocated due to diplomatic complications. Their arrival was met with a warm reception from supporters, even as off-field tensions continued to dominate headlines.

Iran’s build-up to the tournament has been anything but smooth, with visa restrictions forcing them to leave several members of their backroom staff behind in Mexico.

The team had initially based themselves in Arizona before shifting camp across the border in response to logistical and diplomatic issues.

The geopolitical backdrop added further significance to their arrival, coming just hours before a US-Iran peace deal was publicly announced to formally end recent hostilities. The agreement is expected to be signed later this week in Switzerland, with world leaders confirming progress on social media.

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Iran’s opening Group G fixture against New Zealand in Los Angeles is now set against an unprecedented international context, marking the first time in World Cup history that a host nation has received a team from a country with which it has recently been in conflict.

Despite the heightened attention, Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei insisted his squad remain fully focused on football.

“We are here to perform a good match, a high-quality match. We don’t pay attention to any of the hype,” he said. “Naturally, all teams have their own problems… football is separate from politics.”

Ghalenoei added that his players are determined to represent their country with pride, both for supporters at home and the global Iranian diaspora.

“We are not political people. We are here to represent the respectful people of Iran,” he said.

WATCH: Japan fans clean up World Cup stadium after Netherlands game

Japan fans left the stands spotless after their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Texas on Sunday, saying it was “Japanese culture” to tidy up after themselves.

Spectators stayed behind after the 2-2 draw to make sure they left the stadium as they found it, meticulously picking up litter and stuffing it into blue plastic bags.

It is a habit first learned at primary school, and Japan fan Eita Tanaka told AFP that “we have to think about everyone”.

“Japanese people think that when we use a certain place, we were told that you have to make that place look tidier when you leave than it was when you arrived,” said the 20-year-old, clasping a beer and a couple of cups, and wearing Japan’s blue shirt.

“For example, at school in our classrooms we tidy it up after ourselves without our teacher telling us.”

Japan are appearing at their eighth straight FIFA World Cup, and their fans’ cleanliness has become their international calling card.

NFL quarterback Jameis Winston could even be seen joining in the clean-up after Sunday’s game, wearing a blue Japan shirt with his name on the back.

Japan fan Futo Hagiwara said he was proud that the behaviour of his countrymen had been recognised in a positive light.

“This is our culture, that means everywhere we go we need to clean it after ourselves, it’s our spiritual way, our attitude,” he said.

Sociologist and philosopher Masachi Ohsawa believes a mix of social responsibility and peer pressure is behind the fans’ behaviour.

“While Japanese people tend not to take much interest in justice on a large scale, issues like global inequality, conflict or climate change, they are extremely sensitive to moral considerations on a smaller scale,” he said.

“When it comes to people who they share the same space with or have direct personal contact with, they feel a strong desire not to cause them any trouble or make them feel uncomfortable.”

In Japan, cleaning chores are integrated into the education system from a young age, with children seen daily scrubbing floors and tables at schools.

Public waste bins are rare in the country, so people are expected to take their garbage home with them. Disposing of household waste can be a complex process, as it involves sorting rubbish into various categories.

Scott North, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Osaka, said he and his neighbours get together twice a year to pull out weeds and rake up cuttings.

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He said such groups are organised into leaders and followers, and operate in a similar way to Japanese football supporters.

“Since everyone comes together, there’s an expectation that they’ll act as a group,” said North, an American who has lived in Japan for about 40 years. “And when the leaders break out the bags and say here you go, nobody is going to say no.”

Sociologist Ohsawa said such behaviour could be explained by what Japanese people refer to as “reading the air”.

“In Japan, even if one person starts picking up litter, those around them feel they simply cannot help but join in,” he said. “That’s because if they don’t, the people they are with will think they are a bad person.”

He said peer pressure was a powerful social force.

“In this case, the primary motivation isn’t so much a desire to keep the stadium clean or to avoid causing trouble for the people who have to clean the stadium afterwards,” he said. “It’s more a desire not to be seen as a nuisance in one’s own group.”

Whatever the reasons, Japan’s fans will continue to clean up as long as their team remains in the tournament. Their next match is against Tunisia in Mexico on Saturday, and once again, Japan fans are expected to clean up the stadium.

Fan Hagiwara is eager to continue leading by example.

“We usually don’t tell children they should do it,” he said. “We just show our actions and behaviour, and other people follow.”

READ: Somali referee Omar Artan to receive full World Cup fee

England have suffered another setback ahead of the second Test against New Zealand after pace bowler Ollie Robinson was ruled out with a knee injury.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that Robinson experienced soreness in his knee during a training session in Hove on Friday and will undergo further scans to assess the extent of the issue.

Despite being unavailable for the second Test, England remain hopeful that the right-arm pacer could return for the third and final match of the series at Trent Bridge, scheduled to begin on June 25.

Robinson will stay with the squad and continue to be monitored by the medical staff over the coming days.

The latest injury concern adds to England’s growing selection problems, with Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson already unavailable due to disciplinary reasons.

Ollie Robinson had made an impressive return to Test cricket in the series opener at Lord’s after spending two years out of the side.

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The Sussex seamer led England’s bowling attack and produced career-best match figures of 7-77, playing a key role in the hosts’ victory.

To cover for Robinson’s absence, England have called up his Sussex teammate Henry Crocombe.

The uncapped seamer has been one of the standout performers in county cricket this season, claiming 21 wickets in Division One at an average of 28.61.

Crocombe also impressed earlier this month while representing the England Lions, taking 4-65 in the first unofficial Test against South Africa A.

England have already bolstered their pace-bowling options by recalling Jofra Archer to the squad following the absence of Stokes and Atkinson.

Matthew Fisher and Sonny Baker are also available as seam-bowling options for the second Test.

READ: India sink Pakistan in Women’s World Cup 2026 clash

MADRID: Real Madrid have reportedly reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

According to multiple reports, the deal is worth £51.8 million, comprising an initial fee of £47.5 million plus a further £4.3 million in performance-related add-ons.

Cucurella is currently representing Spain at the World Cup in North America, but all parties are understood to have agreed terms for a permanent transfer once the tournament concludes.

The 27-year-old joined Chelsea from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022 and has since established himself as a regular figure in the Premier League side’s defence.

Before moving to England, Cucurella emerged through Barcelona’s famed academy system and later impressed during spells with Getafe and Brighton.

Several clubs were reportedly monitoring the defender’s situation, including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City. However, reports suggest Cucurella prioritised a move to Real Madrid, paving the way for the agreement.

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The transfer represents another major step in Real Madrid’s rebuilding plans following the appointment of Jose Mourinho earlier this month.

Mourinho returned to the Santiago Bernabeu after club president Florentino Perez opted to bring back the experienced Portuguese coach following two consecutive seasons without a major trophy.

Real Madrid have also been linked with several high-profile names as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign.

Reports have connected the Spanish giants with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva and Inter Milan wing-back Denzel Dumfries.

For Chelsea, Cucurella’s departure would mark the end of a three-year spell at Stamford Bridge.

Despite the club’s disappointing 10th-place finish in the Premier League last season, the defender enjoyed notable success in west London, helping Chelsea lift the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League in 2025.

READ: Diallo strikes late as Ivory Coast stun Ecuador at World Cup 2026

Manchester United’s Amad Diallo struck in the 90th minute as the Ivory Coast stunned Ecuador and their huge support to edge a tight affair 1-0 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on Sunday.

The Group E encounter had looked set to finish 0-0, hardly a surprise given Ecuador’s incredible defensive record during qualifying, and that result may well have suited both teams.

But the 23-year-old Diallo, who had been introduced in place of Bazoumana Toure shortly before the hour mark, had other ideas as he finished first-time from a right-wing cross right just as the game was heading for injury time.

It is the Ivory Coast’s first win at a World Cup in exactly 12 years, since they beat Japan in Brazil in 2014, and they can now be confident of making the knockout phase at the tournament for the first time.

It was a disappointing way to start for Ecuador, who had the majority of the 68,274 crowd at the packed Philadelphia stadium kitted out in yellow and backing them.

They hit the bar twice in the first half, through John Yeboah and Alan Minda, while Elye Wahi struck the same crossbar for the Ivorians after half-time.

Ivory Coast, African champions in 2024, will now hope to build on this when they play Germany in their next game in Group E in Toronto on Saturday.

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The Ecuadorians will look to bounce back when they head to Kansas City the same day to play Curacao, the debutant minnows who were hammered 7-1 by Germany earlier in Houston.

Ecuador, coached by Argentinian Sebastian Beccacece, had a remarkable record in South American qualifying as they finished second behind Argentina.

With a defence marshalled by Paris Saint-Germain’s Willian Pacho and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo patrolling the midfield, they conceded a miserly five goals in 18 qualifying games, but scored only 14.

Remarkably, eight of their 18 matches ended in 0-0 draws, and six featured a single goal.

Ivory Coast were nevertheless confident of causing their opponents problems with exciting young RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande a danger on the flanks and recent French-born recruit Wahi leading the line.

A match watched by US rap mogul Jay-Z was cagey at times but came to life midway through the first half as the frame of the goal was rattled for the first time.

Yeboah, the former German youth international who plays in Italy’s Serie B for Venezia, pounced on uncertain defending at the edge of the box and crashed a shot off Yahia Fofana’s bar.

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The Ivory Coast’s goal was living a charmed life as Ecuador struck the woodwork again on the half-hour mark, Pedro Vite slipping in Minda to be denied this time.

Emerse Fae’s Ivorians looked dangerous intermittently, notably when Nicolas Pepe was denied by a last-ditch challenge after Diomande had raced away from Piero Hincapie.

The Elephants had never reached the World Cup knockout phase in their three previous appearances but surely knew a win here would practically secure their passage to the next round.

Wahi, who finished the club season at Nice in France, turned a Diomande cross from the right onto the bar shortly after the restart.

Seko Fofana forced a save from Hernan Galindez in the Ecuador goal, but the match seemed to be petering out to a goalless conclusion until the late drama.

Wilfried Singo went on a rampaging run from defence down the Ivorian right, before delivering a low centre for Diallo to score with a sidefoot finish, and silence the Ecuador support.

READ: Japan stun Netherlands to salvage draw in FIFA World Cup 2026