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Tottenham Hotspur signed Netherlands defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for a reported fee of £52 million ($68 million) on Thursday.

Van Hecke will be reunited with Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi after they worked together during two seasons at Brighton.

De Zerbi made the Dutch centre-back a key part of his close-season rebuilding plan after saving Tottenham from relegation on the final day of last season.

After two Tottenham bids were rejected by Brighton, the 26-year-old was finally able to sign a long-term contract with the north London club.

“It’s a huge honour to become a Spurs player, and when you join such a big club, it’s a dream come true,” Van Hecke said.

“I already have a really strong connection with the head coach, who I’m looking forward to working with again. Micky (van de Ven) has also told me some great things about the club, so I can’t wait to get started.

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“I’ve been at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as an opposition player, and now I’m looking forward to walking out there in front of our fans wearing the Spurs shirt. That will be a special moment.”

De Zerbi’s focus has been on defence, with left-back Andy Robertson and centre-back Marcos Senesi joining on free transfers before Van Hecke’s arrival to bolster a team that has conceded 122 goals in the last two league campaigns.

“Jan Paul is someone I know very well from our time together at Brighton, and I’m delighted to be working with him again,” De Zerbi said.

“He is a strong, intelligent centre-back who is brave in possession and plays with personality. Those are important qualities for the way I want our team to set up.

“Off the pitch, he is mature, a leader and has a hunger to learn and improve every day.”

Jan Paul van Hecke will link up with his new team after the World Cup.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Mexico become first team to reach knockout phase

Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to reach the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 1-0 win over South Korea at a delirious Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.

Luis Romo’s goal just after half-time put Mexico through as Group A winners with a match to go, following a goalkeeping clanger.

In contrast, Mexico stopper Raul Rangel made a superb double save in the dying minutes to preserve their lead.

Finishing top keeps Mexico at home in the last 32 with a game against a third-placed team in Mexico City.

South Korea are second on three points, with the Czech Republic and South Africa also still alive on one.

Both teams went into the clash in front of a passionate home crowd knowing that victory would guarantee progress in double-quick time.

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Mexico coach Javier Aguirre made three changes from the side that beat South Africa 2-0 a week ago to open the tournament. His counterpart, Hong Myung-bo, made just one alteration, largely keeping faith with the team that fought back to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1.

South Korea skipper Son Heung-min had the first sniff at goal after 15 minutes, looping the ball over Rangel only for Edson Alvarez to prevent it from going in with a bicycle kick on the line.

Los Angeles FC attacker Son was belatedly flagged for offside, although replays suggested it was a close call.

Julian Quinones, who scored the opening goal of the tournament, then forced South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu into a good save from a header, raising the decibels.

The rest of an uneventful half belonged to South Korea as they stroked the ball around at will, without ever creating a clear chance, but they did succeed in silencing the home support.

Jeers rang out at half-time from the Mexico fans.

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The hosts started the second period with far more intent, and five minutes in, they went ahead when the goalkeeper Kim came for a high ball and clattered into his own player, spilling it straight to Romo.

He just needed to poke the ball first time into an unguarded net, triggering pandemonium.

Hong surprisingly hauled off the veteran talisman Son before the hour and threw on Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

But the Koreans were mostly toothless going forward until the final few minutes, when Guadalajara native Rangel came to Mexico’s rescue.

They will face the Czech Republic in their dead-rubber final group game while South Korea play South Africa.

READ: Will Ben Stokes return for England in final New Zealand Test?

England captain Ben Stokes could return to Test duty as soon as next week’s series finale against New Zealand, several British media outlets reported Thursday.

Stokes and England team-mate Gus Atkinson were both stood down from the ongoing second Test at the Oval after breaking a team curfew following the hosts’ win in the series opener at Lord’s.

That decision led to a flurry of speculation over his international future amid concerns the 35-year-old all-rounder might be stripped of the England captaincy, stand down by himself or even walk away from representing his country permanently.

But both the BBC and Britain’s Press Association news agency reported Thursday that Stokes could rejoin the England squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge as inquiries by both the England and Wales Cricket Board and the independent Cricket Regulator head towards a conclusion.

Stokes has been England’s captain for the past four years. His close friend and predecessor Joe Root has stepped back into the role at the Oval but made it clear he was doing so merely on a “game-by-game basis”.

Stokes is set to return to senior cricket action on Friday as a member of the Durham side playing Northamptonshire in a Second Division County Championship at Chester-le-Street.

His lone public comment since the ECB acknowledged the curfew breach has been to wish England and their three debutants at the Oval well in a brief Instagram message.

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England coach Brendon McCullum appeared to raise concerns over Stokes’s mental well-being in a pre-Test press conference, where he repeatedly voiced “worry” and “concern” for his absent captain.

England great Ian Botham earlier suggested Stokes might decide to quit cricket completely should he be removed from the role of Test captain.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if Ben did lose the captaincy; he probably might walk away from the game, but I just don’t know,” Botham told the Overlap podcast’s Stick to Cricket show.

England faced allegations of a drinking culture during a woeful 4-1 series loss in Australia during the 2025/26 Ashes.

Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington ahead of a one-day international against New Zealand.

As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff, with the 70-year-old Botham, one of the outstanding all-rounders of his generation, saying there was no defence for this latest incident.

“Some people just don’t learn, do they?”, he added. “I really can’t see how you can justify what happened after the game.”

READ: Glenn Phillips’ century puts New Zealand in command against England

Canada thrashed nine-man Qatar 6-0 to clinch their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory on Thursday in a Group B match marred by a horrific injury to midfielder Ismael Kone.

A Jonathan David hat-trick, one apiece from Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba, as well as a Qatar own goal, sealed a momentous victory for the Canadians, who now need only a draw against Switzerland in their final match to finish top of the group.

But the celebratory atmosphere at Vancouver’s BC Place stadium, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney cheering on ‘Les Rouges’, was soured by a serious injury to Kone in the 51st minute.

Qatar’s Assim Madibo upended Kone with a clumsy challenge from behind to leave the Italy-based midfielder writhing in agony and clutching his left leg.

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The seriousness of the injury was immediately apparent as teammates frantically called for help from the Canadian medical staff on the sidelines.

Kone was eventually stretchered off the pitch, waving to the crowd as he inhaled from an oxygen pipe.

Madibo, who had initially been given a yellow card for the tackle, was sent off after it was upgraded to red following a VAR review, the second Qatari dismissal after Homam el-Amin was given his marching orders in the first half.

With Qatar down to nine men, Canada took full advantage to score three more goals.

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Saliba, who had replaced the injured Kone, curled in a free-kick to make it 4-0 in the 64th minute.

The substitute celebrated his goal by racing to the sideline to hold up a replica of the stricken Kone’s Canadian jersey.

Another substitute, Jacob Shaffelburg, then helped make it 5-0, his fierce shot turned into the Qatar goal by defender Mohammad Manai.

David, who had scored twice in the first half after Cyle Larin’s 16th-minute opener, then completed his hat-trick in the second minute of stoppage time to complete the rout.

READ: West Indies edge Scotland in Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash

Aaliyah Alleyne’s late three-wicket burst helped West Indies survive a huge scare at Headingley on Thursday as they beat Scotland by just seven runs to secure a second win in the Women’s T20 World Cup.

The 31-year-old medium-pacer dismissed Darcey Carter, Ailsa Lister, and Kirstie Gordon in the penultimate over of the Group B encounter after Carter’s half-century had given the Scots real hope of chasing down a target of 154.

Tight bowling from West Indies spinners Hayley Matthews and Afy Fletcher, who between them took 5-35, slowed Scotland’s charge before Alleyne turned the screw.

Carter and Katherine Fraser smashed 51 from the first five overs, with the former making 59 off her own bat.

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But despite her fine innings, Scotland were bowled out for 146.

Earlier, the West Indies were indebted to Stefanie Taylor for the veteran’s unbeaten 19-ball 47, which included three sixes and four fours, as they made 153-6 after slumping to 85-5 in the 15th over.

This was 2016 champions West Indies’ second successive victory of the tournament after they launched their Group B campaign with a seven-wicket defeat of title-holders New Zealand.

READ: Glenn Phillips’ century puts New Zealand in command against England

Super subs Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas fired Switzerland to a 4-1 win over 10-man Bosnia-Herzegovina in a late rush of goals in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The result gave the Swiss a strong chance of reaching the knockout round as one of the top two teams in Group B.

They had been controlling a largely tepid stalemate at the SoFi Stadium until coach Murat Yakin rang the changes in the 72nd minute, bringing on the pair of forwards who immediately transformed the game.

Bosnia’s attempted clearance from a Vargas cross felt to Manzambi who volleyed home with his first touch of the game, before Manzambi turned creator for a Vargas finish.

In between those goals, Bosnia had Tarik Muharemovic sent off for a desperate sliding tackle on Breel Embolo, who was clear through on goal.

The afternoon got worse for Bosnia as Vargas then assisted another finish for 20-year-old Freiburg star Manzambi.

Ermin Mamhic pulled back a spectacular consolation from a corner, but a Granit Xhaka penalty in stoppage time sealed the rout.

Switzerland go top of Group B on four points, three clear of the other teams, with Canada and Qatar playing later Thursday.

With their country playing in only its second World Cup, Bosnian fans turned out in huge numbers.

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A sea of blue swept into the impressive stadium and drowned out the Swiss support, with the exception of one man dressed as a cow, who defiantly rattled his oversized cowbell.

The Swiss had the better of the early exchanges.

Veteran midfielders Xhaka and Remo Freuler orchestrated forays down the left flank to Dan Ndoye, which fizzled out with poor crosses and lackluster finishing.

Having started very deep, the Bosnians slowly grew into the half.

Forty-year-old star Edin Dzeko created their first big chance in the 32nd minute, cleverly switching play across the six-yard box to Benjamin Tahirovic, who failed to connect at the far post.

Ndoye nearly gave Switzerland a spectacular lead after the break, smashing a bicycle kick from Xhaka’s cross toward Nikola Vasilj, who did well to palm it over the bar.

An increasingly frustrated Dzeko earned a booking for bulldozing Manuel Akanji, and was substituted.

Yakin made three changes in the 72nd minute, and two minutes later, two of those subsitutes combined to finally put his side ahead.

Vargas ran up the left wing, his first cross bounced back to him, and on his second attempt, Amar Memic’s attempted headed clearance fell to Manzambi, who volleyed home.

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Muharemovic was dismissed in the 79th minute for a sliding tackle from behind on Embolo.

The floodgates then opened. In the 84th minute Manzambi, coming in from the right, found Embolo who played it to an open Vargas to slot home.

Six minutes later, Vargas cut back to Manzambi, who guided the ball across the ‘keeper.

Three minutes into stoppage time, Gregor Kobel slapped a corner out to Bosnian substitute Mamhic, who rifled his shot home.

But the Bosnian backline had lost their heads, and a desperate foul by Amar Memic gave Swiss captain Xhaka the chance to bury his penalty.

READ: FIFA World Cup: South Africa draw against Czechia keeps them alive

Matt Henry captured the prize wickets of England stand-in captain Joe Root and Harry Brook at the Oval on Thursday as New Zealand built on Glenn Phillips’s maiden Test century.

England slumped to 222-6 at stumps on the second day of the second Test in reply to New Zealand’s first-innings 391, a deficit of 169 runs.

Henry was troubled by back spasms during England’s 115-run win in the first Test of this three-match series at Lord’s a fortnight ago.

But the fast bowler had both Root (46) and Brook (24) lbw just when it seemed the pair were about to cut loose, with Henry having taken 2-57 in 16 overs at the close in south London.

Root was leading England for a record-extending 65th Test after Ben Stokes, his successor as captain, was dropped from the side for breaking curfew following victory at Lord’s.

White-ball skipper Brook has long been England’s designated Test vice-captain.

But he was not put in charge at the Oval after his late-night drinking exploits in Wellington in November, ahead of a woeful 4-1 Ashes series loss, prompted team chiefs to impose the curfew in the first place.

After Phillips was out for exactly 100 to end New Zealand’s innings, England’s Ben Duckett made a fluent 36 off just 25 balls, only to be run out by Nathan Smith’s direct hit from mid-off after opening partner Emilio Gay set off for a needless single.

Smith then had Jacob Bethell caught for nine by wicket-keeper Tom Blundell off a ball that nipped away.

Gay put the run-out mix-up behind him to compile a second fifty in as many Tests following a debut half-century at Lord’s.

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But Gay faced just two more balls, edging to Blundell while trying to evade a rising delivery from Will O’Rourke.

Brook stepped outside leg stump to carve O’Rourke over point for an outrageous six, with Root stroking boundaries in more orthodox fashion.

But Henry, with Blundell standing up to the stumps to keep the batsmen in their crease, had the home captain plumb lbw.

And 170-4 soon became 177-5 when Henry got another ball to nip back off the seam to remove Brook.

Wicket-keeper James Rew, one of three England debutants, gloved an intended pull off O’Rourke to slip.

Earlier, Phillips received fine support from Kyle Jamieson (41) in an eighth-wicket partnership of 87 as the pair capitalised on wayward England bowling and sloppy fielding.

Phillips, dubbed the “energiser bunny” by team-mate Daryl Mitchell, top-edged a pull to reach a 76-ball fifty.

Jamieson should have been out for 15 when his swipe off debutant fast bowler Sonny Baker sailed gently to deep midwicket, only for Duckett to drop a simple chance.

England, however, over-did the short-ball ploy, Root failing to call a halt to their naive tactics as New Zealand blasted 74 runs in 12 overs.

Phillips’s single off Jofra Archer saw the all-rounder to a century, his first in his 19-Test career, before he holed out off Matthew Fisher.

READ: Nida Dar available for Pakistan selection after mental health break

GEORGIA: South Africa capitalized on a late penalty corner against the Czech Republic to keep themselves alive in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Michal Sadilek sent one through the nets in the sixth minute to provide his team with an early lead, which remained until the second half of the game, when Teboho Mokoena converted a penalty corner in the final stages of the game.

The result means that the winner of the Mexico vs South Korea match will become the first team to advance through the round of 32.

Both sides started with disappointing performances and defeats on the World Cup’s opening day, but the Czechs quickly set about making amends.

Patrik Schick is the biggest name in a Czech side lacking the star quality of previous generations but the Bayer Leverkusen forward missed a glorious chance inside the first minute when he planted a header wide.

Miroslav Koubek’s men only had to wait another five minutes to take the lead.

Adam Hlozek’s cross was classily cushioned by Alexandr Sojka into the path of Sadilek, who calmly stroked the ball past Ronwen Williams.

Now in their fourth attempt, South Africa have never progressed beyond the group stage at the World Cup.

Hugo Broos has overseen an upturn in Bafana Bafana’s fortunes since taking charge five years ago.

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The 2010 hosts had not qualified for the World Cup since 2002 but finished third at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Their return to the global stage has exposed a lack of quality, though, particularly in forward areas.

The Czechs were left to rue not making more of their chances to kill the game off early in the second half.

Vladimir Darida took too long to get his shot off with a big chance before Lukas Cerv’s long-range effort was tipped over by Williams.

There were thousands of empty seats on show at the futuristic home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, but those that were in attendance loudly booed the mid-half hydration breaks in an enclosed and air-conditioned stadium.

The majority of the crowd were backing South Africa and finally had something to cheer seven minutes from time.

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Thapelo Maseko’s shot hit the arm of the unfortunate Pavel Sulc and referee Tori Penso, part of an all-female officiating team, pointed to the spot.

Mokoena confidently drilled home the spot-kick for his nation’s first World Cup goal in 16 years.

They came close to a second five minutes later when Matej Kovar saved from Relebohile Mofokeng.

But both sides had to settle for a point that could yet prove vital come the end of Wednesday’s final Group A games.

South Africa next face South Korea, while the Czech Republic take on the daunting task of playing Mexico in the Estadio Azteca.

READ: Will Neymar play in Brazil’s next FIFA World Cup 2026 match?

Neymar will not travel with the Brazil squad for Friday’s second World Cup group game against Haiti as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.

The 34-year-old has only returned to training with the national team this week and missed the five-time World Cup winners’ opening 1-1 draw with Morocco in Group C.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti said last week he was hopeful Neymar would be ready to play some part in the game against Haiti in Philadelphia.

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Neymar was diagnosed in late May with an injury to his right calf, and has featured in just half of the games for his club Santos this year due to various fitness issues.

Ancelotti and his coaching staff are reluctant to rush the return of Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer and compromise his availability for matches later in the tournament, according to Brazilian media.

Neymar, who has not played for his country since October 2023, “will remain in New Jersey to make the most of the final stage of his recovery process”, the Brazilian Football Confederation said in a message sent to journalists on Thursday.

Brazil’s final group stage game is against Scotland in Miami on June 24.

READ: Nida Dar available for Pakistan selection after mental health break

Pakistan off-spinner Nida Dar has confirmed her availability for the national side after taking an indefinite break from cricket for mental health reasons.

The former captain announced her return through a social media post, noting that she had regained her strength and was available for selection.

“After taking time to focus on myself and regain my strength, I am happy to share that I am back and available for the Pakistan Cricket Team once again,” Nida Dar wrote on X.

“Ready to give my best, work hard, and contribute whenever the team needs me. Thank you to everyone who supported me during this journey.”

The 39-year-old was left out of the national side’s squad for the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers held in Pakistan. Following her omission, Dar announced that she was taking a break from cricket to focus on her mental health.

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“I would like to inform that a lot of things have happened in the past with me personally and professionally and this has affected my mental health,” Dar had said. “For this reason I am taking a break from cricket for a while to focus on myself.”

Overall, Dar has played 112 ODIs and 160 T20Is for Pakistan since her maiden appearance in 2010. She last played for the Green Shirts at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 against New Zealand.

For those unaware, Pakistan is currently taking part in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, underway in England and Wales.

The Green Shirts had a dismal start to their campaign, losing both of their opening matches to South Africa and India.

Pakistan will play against Bangladesh on 20 June at Southampton.

READ: Veteran journalist and former cricketer Qamar Ahmed passes away