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With every squad for the Geopolitics World Cup now finalised – Turkey, Jordan, Ghana and Uzbekistan were the last teams to confirm their 26-man rosters on Tuesday – we now know exactly who is making the trip to the tournament. But as a leading expert in rejection, constantly trying and failing to convince your inbox to let us out of the spam folder, Football Daily is just as interested in those who have been snubbed than those that will be subbed. The reactions to the omissions was also fascinating: sure, being selected to represent your country at the GWC is cool, but have you ever had to trawl through the Social Media Disgraces of Harry Maguire’s mum as she reacts to her son’s omission from the England squad with all the rage and injustice of Germany reacting to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles? And with that image seared into our collective brains, we humbly present our Omitted XI (4-3-3), the best non-knacked players (of qualified nations) that didn’t or won’t make it on to planes bound for the USA USA USA, Canada and Mexico.Goalkeeper: Lucas Chevalier (France): Chevalier has had a brutal season after a €40m move from Lille last summer. He lost the gloves at PSG to a Russian who could potentially be mistaken for a Games Workshop employee and now is fourth or fifth choice in the French pecking order.Right-back: Jeremie Frimpong (Netherlands): as much end product as an asthmatic balloon entertainer but an electrifying player nonetheless, who suffered from being played out of position by Arne Slot at Liverpool. The man he was meant to replace at Anfield, Trent Alexander-Arnold, also missed out.Centre-back: António Silva (Portugal): much-hyped 22-year-old fell out of favour for club and country at the worst possible time. Roberto Martínez named Silva as the man who accidentally leaked Portugal’s XI against Georgia at Euro 2024 but the Portugal manager insisted that was not a factor here.Centre-back: Dean Huijsen (Spain): there are no Real Madrid players in a Spain World Cup squad for the first time ever. The Dutch-born defender’s decision to switch allegiance after a youth career with the Netherlands looks to be something of a gaffe.Left-back: Alejandro Balde (Spain): admittedly, Spain have excellent options in Marc Cucurella and Alejandro Grimaldo, but with 42 appearances in all competitions for La Liga champions Barcelona, Balde can feel unlucky to miss out.Central midfield: Adam Wharton (England): we can only hope those Jordan Henderson vibes are worth it, Thomas.Central midfield: Eduardo Camavinga (France): another Madrid casualty. Yes, France’s squad is stacked but central midfield is arguably their weakest position and the 23-year-old has heaps of elite experience, including the 2022 final.Central midfield: Diego Luna (USA USA USA): after featuring on Times Square billboards and pre-GWC Nike adverts, Luna was informed via email by Mauricio Pochettino that he was out, despite seven goal involvements in 16 internationals.Right wing: Mika Godts (Belgium): the wonderkid can play off both flanks but his versatility and more than 30 goal contributions for Ajax were still not enough to convince Rudi Garcia of a place in the squad. Oh, Rudi!Left wing: Morgan Gibbs-White (England): as Phil Foden struggled for form and Cole Palmer for fitness, Gibbs-White was arguably the best player in the Premier League in 2026, scoring 12 league goals since early January for a Nottingham Forest side at the wrong end of the table.Striker: João Pedro (Brazil): evidently, being player of the year for a mid-table Premier League side based in west London doesn’t mean much to Carlo Ancelotti and Brazil (unless, of course, you are Brentford’s Igor Thiago).The GWC player interactive has arrived! Thanks Fifa. Read up on all 1,248 players, from the Paraguay striker called “Viking” to the Irish-born Cape Verde defender who received his first call-up via LinkedSky. Once you’re clued up on all 48 teams’ strengths and weaknesses, you can have a go at Bracketology, our World Cup simulator game where you can click your way through the group stage and the knockouts to predict a champion. And for bookmarking, you can keep tabs on the sharpest shooters with our Golden Boot tracker.“There are low points, there’s depression. You can suffer from depression in football too; there’s no need to be ashamed to say so. It’s true that I’ve often heard players say they were suffering from depression and that fans or people on the outside didn’t understand because they were earning a lot of money. But no, that’s rubbish and you shouldn’t say that. Depression is personal; it’s deep inside you. When you’re depressed, it starts in the heart, goes up to the brain and takes over your whole body. For me, that’s what’s hard, and we need to talk about it” – the France and departing Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté opens up about the struggles he has faced during a year of personal tragedy in which the death of teammate Diogo Jota was followed by that of his father.double quotation markMaybe as an American I don’t have the necessary perspective, but if I’m Andoni Iraola, do I really want the Liverpool job? ‘Hey, we just pitched the last gaffer out the door marked Do One only 12 months removed from winning the title in the toughest league in the world because this year we only finished fifth and got bounced out of Bigger Cup in just the quarter-finals by the defending and eventual champs. What shoddy performance … So, you interested?’” – Ray Anselmo.double quotation markIf the current trend at the French Open is any indication, get ready for a Curaçao v Jordan GWC final” – Krishnamoorthy V.double quotation markRe: yesterday’s Football Daily letters. Right, Mike Wilner, we may have tolerated each other in the same virtual bar for nigh on two decades, but now you’ve got my goat. If you are telling me that Carly Simon isn’t a significant figure in 1970s Adult-Orientated Rock (album-oriented rock being an early-80s mangling of the term to justify the existence of Toto, Boston and bloody Journey) then I’ll give you Nobody Does it Better, which is probably slightly overdoing it when it comes to a Kiwi centre-half, and also ask to you to consider the clear evolutionary lines between early groundbreaking AOR classic ‘Tapestry’ by singer-songwriter Carole King and the work of Ms Simon. Yes, nothing in Tapestry can in any way be adapted to further the cause of Antipodean Journeymen, but seriously, I’d be asking someone to hold my pint at this stage, alas as you can probably tell I don’t actually have any friends” – Jon Millard.If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Krishnamoorthy V. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporter in MallorcaPublished4 minutes agoEngland defender Lucy Bronze says the Women's Super League has "the edge" of improving each year so is able to attract Europe's best players.Several high-profile players from Spain - England's opponents on Friday - have been linked with a move to the WSL this summer.BBC Sport reported on Monday that Mapi Leon, who left Barcelona last month after nine years there, has a verbal agreement in place to join London City Lionesses.Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas is also leaving Barcelona after 14 years, and it is understood that London City Lionesses are in pursuit.It follows moves by Mariona Caldentey to Arsenal and Lucia Corrales and Jana Fernandez to London City Lionesses in recent years."There has been a lot of players in Europe [moving] but I think it's been more recent with the Spanish players," said Bronze."The WSL is arguably one of the biggest leagues in the world and it's one of the most commercialised as well. The draw for playing for big clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal etc. is huge."The competition in the WSL is incredible to be a part of. The best players in the world want to be competing all the time for trophies."The English league has that edge now where we're going to another level every single season and the Lionesses' success has had a lot to do with that. It's just a really exciting league to be a part of, I think."England face Spain in Friday's Women's World Cup qualifying match in Mallorca (20:00 BST) knowing a win or a draw secures their spot in next year's tournament.They finish their qualifying campaign against Ukraine at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday (20:00 BST).Sarina Wiegman's side have won all four of their qualifying matches so far and have a three-point lead over Spain in the table."Spain, for us, is an amazing opponent. They bring out the best in us," added Bronze."It's one of those rivalries where we have made each other better. It's good for the game and it's good for each other."The way Spain have improved over the past four or five years has really pushed this England team on to improve as well. That filters through to the rest of Europe."It's just a really good, fun rivalry that both teams absolutely love."

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Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe said she had to "put myself first" as she opened up about her switch from Arsenal to Chelsea.The Blues confirmed the signing of the 30-year-old on Monday on a deal until June 2029 with the option of a further year.McCabe opted to move to west London after rejecting a late contract offer from the Gunners in April.The left-back spent 11 years with Arsenal, where she won a Women's Super League title in 2019 and the Women's Champions League in 2025, but feels ready to pursue a new opportunity, despite criticism of her move."I empathise a lot with the Arsenal fans at the minute because it's not an easy thing to see a player that's spent so long at a club going to a rival club," McCabe said."But at the same time, I need to put myself first. This was the best case for me. I know I'm 30 now, but I still feel I'm in a really good place in my career. I feel like I've still got a lot to give."Chelsea have had so much success over the last few years so I want to continue to compete at the top and win trophies and be part of something really special."The Irish skipper added that she was relieved her future was sorted before she came into camp as she could "focus on the games", which are both a must-win if her side want to achieve automatic qualification to next year's tournament in Brazil."It was no secret I was coming into the last year of my contract so from January onwards there were conversations naturally, and over the course of the last few weeks and months everything got sorted," added McCabe.The Dublin native reflected fondly on her time at Arsenal, who she joined from Raheny United in 2015, and also spoke of her excitement at moving to Chelsea, who are aiming to reclaim the WSL title from Manchester City next season."Having spent 10-11 years at a football club is really special and to do it at a football club like Arsenal was amazing."Growing up there, learning so much as a player and a person, I have a lot of respect for everyone there and my team-mates."It was difficult the last few months for me, but it's the right time now for a new chapter in my career."Having spoken with Sonia [Bompastor], I understood what she wanted and the project she is trying to create at Chelsea and I wanted to be part of that."

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You'd think both sets of players were getting sick of each other but it appears the battle between England and Spain remains as strong as ever."It's a rivalry that's made us both stronger," admits Lucy Bronze as her country prepares to take on the world champions yet again.It's the seventh time in less than four years the two nations have gone head-to-head and fourth time since last June.Spain beat the Lionesses to win the World Cup in 2023, back-to-back champions England bettered them in both of the last two Euros.England sit top of Group A3 after four matches, having won all four and conceded just one goal.Avoiding defeat in Mallorca would see the Lionesses establish an unassailable lead and head into the final game against Ukraine at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on June 9 having qualified for next summer's tournament in Brazil more than one year early.Sarina Wiegman insists she knows the Spanish players and what they do so well but containing them is another matter.England held their final training session in the middle of a hot day in Mallorca to remind the players how hard this game will be.They know they won't have much of the ball, they know the pitch will be fast and, even though the game kicks off at 9pm in Spain, they know the conditions could be energy sapping.James fit as Wiegman's England target World Cup spotWhen England played in Spain this time last year they were clearly the second best team on the pitch.Claudia Pina came off the bench in Barcelona to score twice but England really struggled to build any momentum despite going 1-0 up.A similar performance could ruin their chances of qualifying for the World Cup automatically.Winning against the world No 1 ranked team will clearly be a challenge, especially without Leah Williamson.But England prevailed without their captain at Wembley back in April and are confident of doing so again.That belief is emboldened by the inclusion of Bronze and Lauren James who are both fit to start after injury worries.They won't say it out loud but if the Lionesses can qualify for Brazil 2027 and put their greatest rivals into the play-offs then they send a huge message to anyone else hoping to be world champions next summer.Speaking in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Wiegman said: "We approach the game as we want to win the game. We will go out there tomorrow to win the game."We're in a good position. We just really want to qualify as quick as possible. We want to top the group."It's a hard group, it's a difficult game. It's the same for Spain, it's a difficult game for them, too. And it just helps [to qualify early] because you have time then to prepare."We know what the consequences are so, no matter what happens, we have another opportunity [in the play-offs if they finish second], but we go out there to play and win."Lauren James is fit to play in England's World Cup qualifier in Spain.Leah Williamson is out injured but Ella Toone is "ready to go" according to Wiegman.The England boss has no other injury worries ahead of the match.

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Chief football news reporterPublished6 minutes agoBrighton are expecting Tottenham to return with another bid for defender Jan Paul van Hecke after rejecting their initial £70m offer.Van Hecke, who is part of the Netherlands' World Cup squad, has a year left on his contract and new Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi is keen to be reunited with the 25-year-old after working with him at Brighton.Brighton signed Van Hecke from Eredivisie outfit NAC Breda in 2020 for a relatively modest sum.After loan spells at Heerenveen and Blackburn Rovers, the centre-back has gone on to make 131 appearances for Brighton, including 36 starts in the Premier League last term.Chief executive Paul Barber was placed in charge of outgoing transfers by Brighton in the wake of the unexpected exit of sporting director Jason Ayto, which was confirmed on Wednesday.Brighton are known for their hard-line bargaining stance having received fees in excess of £50m for Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro in recent years, and also their forward planning.Given Van Hecke's contract situation, it is likely Barber and owner Tony Bloom have a contingency in mind if a deal is eventually agreed.Latest Brighton news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Brighton - what do you want to know?

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There’s a notable absence from this summer’s FIFA men’s World Cup that you might have missed.England's official LGBTQ supporters' group, Three Lions Pride (3LP) announced in January that they would not have a visible presence at the tournament.3LP, which has around 350 members and regularly attends matches, said in a statement that the "dangerous rollback of human rights" in the United States has caused significant concern for fans who were planning to attend the tournament.The group said that they no longer believed the tournament would be a safe and inclusive environment."We very loudly raised our concerns about both Russia and Qatar as hosts, and it would be irresponsible of us to not raise our voices as loudly about the 2026 host," 3LP said."As ever, our primary concern is about the safety of our members and queer fans worldwide under the principle that fans should be able to follow their team wherever they play without fear of abuse, violence, or arrest just for their existence."Why are LBGTQ fan groups not attending games in the United States?What changes made by President Donald Trump's administration have affected LGBTQ inclusion in the United States?What has FIFA said about safety for LGBTQ fans, and will there be any improvements from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?Three Lions Pride said that they will continue to support LGBTQ England fans heading to the tournament but emphasised their concern, in particular for transgender fans who they say would be at a high risk of violence and discrimination.United States President Donald Trump's administration put executive orders into place in 2025 targeting transgender people, including federal restrictions on language, pronouns, healthcare, access to facilities such as bathrooms, military service, sports bans and identification requirements.Since 3LP's decision, other supporter groups have followed suit, and organisations such as Human Rights Watch have called on FIFA to do more to keep LGBTQ fans safe in the United States.Minky Worden, director of global initiatives for Human Rights Watch, explained in an interview with Sky Sports News that the political climate in the US and FIFA's organisation has made the event inaccessible to LGBTQ fans."It's important for fans to know, if they are coming to the World Cup, they are going to have to protect themselves and not rely on FIFA to uphold their basic rights," Worden said."This is the largest World Cup ever, the most lucrative for FIFA, and they certainly have the money to put in the protections if they want to."There are a lot of dangers, including that journalists, fans, players, and officials will have to travel across borders."We've already identified that the [US] border is where you can have trouble [entering the country], maybe based on your social media posts advancing LGBTQ rights."I think it's dangerous that this is the first World Cup to include human rights criteria and a human rights framework, and yet those protections aren't visible, and they aren't named for LGBTQ people."When the United States, Canada and Mexico were announced as hosts for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, it was initially seen as a refreshing break for the LGBTQ community.However, as the tournament draws closer, more concerns continue to be raised about the safety of LGBTQ fans wishing to travel to the United States.German group Queer Football Fanclub (QFF), which represents a network of LGBTQ fan groups primarily in Germany, supported 3LP's decision not to attend the tournament and said they would do the same.Sven Kistner, QFF spokesperson, told Sky Sports News: "We will not have an official QFF presence at the World Cup in the US."The Trump administration is putting more and more pressure on minorities and LGBTQI+ people […] and that makes it difficult to say 'yes, we are willing to go there and willing to attend the games.'"Kistner emphasised that it was policies and statements made by Trump's administration that caused QFF to pull out of attending, not the culture in the United States."I think that the American people are generally quite open to our concerns and to living as you want to live, however the Trump administration is doing quite the opposite at the moment."It's not about the American people, because all the people from the US I am talking to are really great people, nice people."I just hope that the situation changes for the people in the US, and especially for all the minorities in the US, not only LGBTQ, but other minorities as well."In the years that have followed since the 2026 host announcement, the US has seen a large number of rollbacks on inclusive laws and access to safe spaces for transgender people under Trump's administration.As of May 29, 2026, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was tracking 530 anti-LGBTQ bills in the US.In the host states for World Cup games, the ACLU is tracking 110 anti-LGBTQ bills in state government, with 39 in Missouri alone.Following an executive order from Trump in 2025, the US State Department finalised rules in March 2026 requiring visa applicants to list their sex assigned at birth on the application, meaning transgender fans wishing to travel to the US risk facing barrier to entry through denied applications.This means any person who has changed their gender marker on their passport as a part of their transition, risks being denied a visa if the sex they were assigned with at birth differs from the gender listed on their passport.If discrepancies are found between a person's passport and their application, it could be deemed fraudulent, possibly leading to entry refusal, detention and permanent bans from the United States."This is a clear violation of LGBTQ rights, and there are no options to get around this," Worden explained."Even if they somehow manage to get a visa to the United States at the border, they would have to say that they are their deadname in order to come in."This is an example of a new rule that is exclusive to the Trump administration."Deadname refers to the birth name (or former name) of a transgender or non-binary person who has chosen a new, affirmed name. The term can be used as a noun (the name itself) or a verb (the act of calling someone by that name).In Mexico, which will host 13 games across three cities, discrimination based on sexual orientation is prohibited under the federal constitution, however, violence against LGBTQ+ individuals remains a significant issue in some regions.In recent friendlies ahead of the tournament, a homophobic chant used by fans in Mexico resurfaced, drawing concern about its use at the 2026 World Cup.Canada, host of 13 games across two cities, has the most inclusive LGBTQ rights and cultural acceptance of the three countries, with federal legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.While this is a three-nation host tournament, the bulk of the games are in the USA, and Human Rights Watch released a reporters' guide ahead of the tournament, outlining what they referred to as a "climate of fear" in the United States.The report outlined that the LGBTQ community continues to be the target of abusive policies in the country.The report includes the current political administration's executive actions prohibiting government use of the term gender, restricting and withdrawing support for gender-affirming care for youth, and rollbacks on protections for transgender students.In addition, 19 states currently restrict classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity and less than half of US states prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.World Cup host states Florida and Texas are two of the most restrictive. In 2022, Florida signed into law the widely dubbed "Don't Say Gay" and "Don't Say They" bill.While this bill affects education on sexual identity, it also includes restrictions on using pronouns consistent with gender identity.The United States often has different legislation state by state, meaning some states like California, which will host eight matches in Los Angeles, remains one of the most inclusive for LGBTQ people.California has a number of laws that protect transgender, gender diverse, and intersex individuals in various settings, including at school, in employment, and in access to health care.New York and New Jersey, which will host several matches including the World Cup final, are also among the most protective states for LGBTQ rights with robust anti-discrimination laws.Following criticism from Russia and Qatar, and a rise of abuse from fans around the world, FIFA introduced a zero-tolerance anti-discrimination framework in 2024.This includes a procedure to halt matches during homophobic chants, monitor fan behaviour and social media, and work with partners to promote inclusivity. Critics however have questioned the inconsistent enforcement of the framework.The 2025 Club World Cup, also hosted in the United States, was widely seen as a trial run for the 2026 tournament.Prior to the Club World Cup, FIFA had announced a number of anti-discrimination and anti-racism activations for the event.In June 2025, The Athletic reported that FIFA would be shelving these activations, removing signs planned for stadiums and video and social media campaigns. FIFA eventually reintroduced some anti-racism messaging, following criticism."FIFA's position is clear, everyone is welcome and football must remain a space where all people feel safe, respected and included," a FIFA spokesperson explained to Sky Sports News when asked about what measures would be put in place to ensure the safety of LGBTQ fans at the World Cup."This commitment is underpinned by the FIFA Statutes, which expressly prohibit discrimination of any kind, and by FIFA's Human Rights Policy."FIFA's expectations for its tournaments are grounded in a core principle of inclusion for all and remains committed to working with all stakeholders to create an environment where every supporter can enjoy the tournament with confidence and dignity."This includes raising concerns and incidents through FIFA's independent grievance and reporting portal.However, Worden says that FIFA are not following the statutes they have laid out."FIFA adopted the UN guiding principles on business and human rights 10 years ago."It means FIFA has to commit to using leverage within your system to advance human rights and prevent discrimination."It's not consistent to pander to the Trump administration and at the same time tell LGBT fans, workers, players, officials and others that they're safe. It's an inconsistent policy, FIFA is not prepared to uphold its own rules."Kistner agreed, saying: "FIFA has it written that the host country must be open [to LGBTQ people], but they don't stick to it."That makes it really difficult for a football supporter to believe what they are saying, they are not credible anymore."There are ways in which the community is being celebrated in a more visible way than in Russia and Qatar.Pride House announced they would be running a location in all 16 host cities across the US, Canada and Mexico, a stark contrast to Qatar where no official Pride House was established, and Russia where the establishment was shut down before the tournament.The goal of the Pride House is to provide safe and welcoming environments for queer fans and allies during the World Cup, featuring watch parties, community events and providing resources.The local organising committee in Seattle, announced that the game on Friday 26 June would be celebrated as the "Pride Match.""With hundreds of thousands of visitors and millions of viewers tuning into Seattle during Pride Weekend, we are presented with a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact," the committee said in a post on the Seattle World Cup 2026 website.The decision to dub the group stage match as the "Seattle Pride Match", which falls on Seattle's annual pride weekend, was made prior to the World Cup draw in December.The match will now feature Egypt and Iran, two countries with some of strictest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world.Seattle's Pride Match Advisory Committee said the match will go ahead as planned, despite complaints from both countries."The Pride Match is a host city-led expression of Seattle and Washington State's commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone belongs: players, fans, residents and visitors alike," the committee said in a statement.One thing is clear, as with the last two tournaments in Russia and Qatar, LGBTQ rights are an ever-present story line for the 2026 World Cup.From North America, we head to another joint host in Spain, Portugal and Morocco for the 2030 edition before 2034 in Saudi Arabia.In Saudi, same-sex sexual activity and non-conformant gender expression is strictly prohibited under Sharia law."The entire [bid] process did not embrace LGBT rights as one of the areas of protection," Worden explained."That's deeply problematic, because Saudi Arabia has national policies and laws that prevent LGBT people from existing. They certainly exist in Saudi Arabia."FIFA glossing over this and pretending it's not a problem is a problem."It seems likely that FIFA will continue to host the World Cup in countries with laws and policies that Human Rights Watch says harms LGBTQ people and other minorities.It is unrealistic to expect change in hosts that have already been announced, and if you look deep enough, there are challenges that need to be addressed in nearly every country.However, stronger statements ahead of these tournaments would go a long way in pushing forward the inclusive game that FIFA says it wants."This is a tournament that had so much promise," 3LP said in their statement."That hope, that optimism, is well and truly shattered. As a group, we are no longer surprised by hollow platitudes from FIFA nor are we shocked at having a major tournament that disregards the safety, security or wellbeing of fans."

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Lauren James is fit to play in England's World Cup qualifier as the Lionesses reignite their rivalry with Spain in a bid to reach the tournament in 2027.England sit top of Group A3 after four matches, having won all four and conceded just one goal.Next up is their penultimate qualifier against Sonia Bermudez's Spain, who are second and three points behind the Lionesses.Avoiding defeat in Mallorca would see the Lionesses establish an unassailable lead and head into the final game against Ukraine at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on June 9 having qualified for next summer's tournament in Brazil more than one year early.Speaking in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Wiegman said: "We approach the game as we want to win the game. We will go out there tomorrow to win the game."We're in a good position. We just really want to qualify as quick as possible. We want to top the group."It's a hard group, it's a difficult game. It's the same for Spain, it's a difficult game for them, too. And it just helps [to qualify early] because you have time then to prepare.""We know what the consequences are so, no matter what happens, we have another opportunity [in the play-offs if they finish second], but we go out there to play and win."England beat Spain 1-0 at Wembley in April and have won three of the four meetings since the 2023 World Cup final defeat in Sydney."We know each other really well, so we know what type of players Spain have," Wiegman added."But they have more than 11 players that are really good and they have different options in different positions. We just try to prepare for everything that will come in front of us tomorrow."Challenging games always bring the best out of us. We have challenges in every single game. We want to be at our best all the time."We want to improve on the last game we played against Spain. We want to improve every single time we have played a game and take out those things we think we can improve on. That's no different to other games we play."Wiegman confirmed all the players in here squad are "fit and ready to play" and spoke briefly about Leah Williamson, Ella Toone and James."Of course it's disappointing that she [Williamson] is injured, first of all for her, but also for us."At the same time, we moved on quickly because we have to play with the team we have and I think we have a very good team. We've done this before, a squad without Leah, so I'm comfortable with that."She [Toone] has trained very hard to come back. We have a lot of good midfielders and she brings something different. It's really good to have that option in our team. She's ready to go and we'll see what tomorrow brings."She [James] has been good. Had a little bit of recovery after that moment at the weekend [in the World Sevens], but could go back in training very quickly. That's positive."The 10th edition of the Women's World Cup takes place in Brazil between June 24 and July 25 2027.

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English Football League clubs have voted to reduce the length of 'fee restriction' transfer windows for clubs failing to meet financial obligations.Those who do not keep up with payments for more than 30 days have previously been banned for three transfer windows from any incoming transfers or loans which involve a fee.Sheffield Wednesday were one of the clubs hit by a three-window restriction when they twice failed to pay player wages on time, in March and May 2025, for a total exceeding the 30-day ruling.Under the new regulations, clubs could still be subject to a fee restriction but only for one transfer window, with the EFL keen to assess any future breaches of their rules on a case-by-case basis."Moving forwards, this will be replaced by a more structured business plan approach, based on individual circumstances, which aims to make it clearer what information clubs need to report to the League and when," the EFL said in a statement."Under the revised regulation, clubs may still be subject to a fee restriction, but only for one window. Clubs will also maintain the right to appeal, while the League also maintains the right to charge clubs in serious cases of persistent defaulting."The new ruling was voted on during the EFL's Annual General Meeting on Thursday.Rick Parry has been re-elected as the league's chairman for a further three-year period, which will extend his time in the role to a decade.

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Manchester City reporterPublished13 minutes ago11 CommentsPep Guardiola threatened to quit Manchester City "100 times" during his decade-long reign as manager but chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said this time he knew the Spaniard "actually meant it".Guardiola, 55, stepped down at the end of this season after leading the club to 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League victory.He had one more year remaining on his contract but said in his last news conference that the club needed a "new manager" and "new energy".Speaking in his annual interview with in-house media, Khaldoon said he realised the exit was to become a reality, adding: "I knew it and that's why I didn't fight it."Throughout these years, I've always fought it and always brought him back because I knew that was always the answer."But in this particular one, I think he knew - and I knew that he knew - and that is why it was the right thing for him and it was the natural thing."Man City consider legal action after Haaland claimBut the playful way in which he delivered that line and his quick exit from the room raised a few eyebrows, adding to the mounting speculation.Guardiola was asked after the draw at Bournemouth on 19 May whether he would still be in charge next season and he replied by saying he had to talk to Khaldoon. His decision was confirmed three days later."He's more than just the manager of the club," said Khaldoon. "To me, he's a friend. Over these years we have become close friends and I don't know if he will admit it, but I consider myself his psychiatrist."Inevitably we have had a lot of ups and some downs and in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years."There is the story as you all know, The Boy that Cries Wolf. In the case of Pep, when he says I quit, it doesn't mean he's quitting. You don't take it that seriously - you have to manage him."Guardiola joined the club in 2016 and signed contract extensions in May 2018, November 2020, November 2022 and November 2024.Khaldoon said: "He never thought he would stay more than four years, then more than five years. So in his mind, even year four and five it was always 'OK, how much more time? How much more time?' And it always had to be done in the correct way."There was always going to be one moment where it was going to be real."Guardiola's former assistant Enzo Maresca has been identified as the leading contender to take over, with Manchester City understood to be in advanced talks with the ex-Chelesea manager.Asked about the search, Khaldoon said: "Just be patient with us. Very soon we will announce it and you will be comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible."