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CloseKing Charles III has hinted at England's World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina as he poured a pint in a pub."Maybe it's a good day to drown a few sorrows," he said to laughter, while Queen Camilla smiled as she stood next to him.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsUK Royal FamilyFollow UK Royal Familyclose panelYou are now following UK Royal FamilyUpdates from your News topics will appear in My News and in a collection on the News homepage.King Charles IIIFollow King Charles III

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The son of England's 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles is predicting an "epidemic" of brain injuries among players who head footballs, especially women.John Stiles spoke after an inquest on Wednesday into the death of his father, Nobby Stiles - the 78-year-old ex-Man Utd and England midfielder - heard thousands of headers during his career had caused his chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).Senior Coroner Alison Mulch is writing a prevention of future deaths report after recording Stiles' cause of death in 2020 as Alzheimer's disease, contributed to by CTE.The Football Association (FA), which has been asked to comment, is phasing out all football heading up to under-11s this year.Stiles died with severe dementia in 2020 aged 78 and had headed a football about 140,000 times in his career, Stockport Coroners' Court heard during the inquest into his death, held on Wednesday.Neuropathology expert Dr Daniel Du Plessis told the court: "I'm quite convinced his heading the football that many times has caused his CTE [chronic traumatic encephalopathy]."John, who founded campaign group Football Families for Justice, said afterwards that women's football was "a particular concern" that "really needs to be addressed".He added: "Tragically the brain injuries epidemic will grow as so many more girls play football: women's brains are even more susceptible to damage from heading."However, he also said: "Anybody who heads the ball is very likely to get this disease and, for God's sake, we must do something about it now."He said a "proper fund" was needed for when ex-players go into a care home, adding funding form the Premier Leaguer and players union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), was not "adequate".Six years ago, former Southampton and England player Sue Lopez, one of the pioneers of the women's game, revealed she had dementia and cited heading as the likely cause.Four other members of England's 1966 winning team died as a result of dementia-related illnesses - Sir Bobby Charlton and his brother Jack along with left back Ray Wilson and midfielder Martin Peters.Stiles, who was born in Collyhurst, Manchester in 1942, was capped 28 times by England and played nearly 400 times for Manchester United.He lived in Stretford, Greater Manchester, and died in a care home on 30 October 2020, having been left bed-bound by his dementia.His family has campaigned for football authorities to do more to help ex-players cope with injuries they claim were caused during their playing days.Wednesday's inquest into his death heard that Old Trafford used to have a ball that would hang down from the stand and the players were encouraged to head it.The coroner recorded the cause of Stiles' death as Alzheimer's disease with "high stage" CTE, and also said a condition known as "stage three limbic predominant age related TDP-43" had been a contributing factor, as well as cerebrovascular disease.The FA co-funded, with the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), a 2019 study that found footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease than age-matched members of the general population.The PFA, which has also been contacted, said previously it had set up several services to support players with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.Tell us which stories we should cover in Greater ManchesterContact formContact formListen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, external, X, external, and Instagram, external. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.Headers caused Nobby Stiles' brain disease, coroner findsCoroner rules inquest needed into Nobby Stiles' deathNobby Stiles' son calls dementia group 'transformative'Meet the 25-year-old who's trying to stop footballers getting dementia'I think my dementia has been caused by heading' Video, 00:01:56'I think my dementia has been caused by heading'

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Close00Watch all 11 winning goals scored in stoppage time at the 2026 Fifa World Cup.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.BelgiumFollow Belgiumclose panelYou are now following BelgiumUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.PortugalFollow Portugalclose panelYou are now following PortugalUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.SpainFollow Spainclose panelYou are now following SpainUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.Ivory CoastFollow Ivory Coastclose panelYou are now following Ivory CoastUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.BrazilFollow Brazilclose panelYou are now following BrazilUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.CanadaFollow Canadaclose panelYou are now following CanadaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.GhanaFollow Ghanaclose panelYou are now following GhanaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.GermanyFollow Germanyclose panelYou are now following GermanyUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.TurkeyFollow Turkey

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They say never go that far back. In the last half an hour of their end-of-days Geopolitics World Cup semi-final with Argentina, England committed to the bit in the Deep South. No wonder there were gaps. Thomas Tuchel stood and watched national trauma unfold in front of his eyes as towering aerial threats such as Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martínez beat his four centre-backs to cross after cross. Forget the ghosts of ‘66, the spectre of Southgate loomed over his successor as realism reared its ugly head at the business end of an England men’s major-tournament run once again.“I don’t believe so much in an English thing and a curse or whatever,” Tuchel sniffed after the 2-1 defeat. “It’s repeating itself in different moments. It’s different coaches, different players, different situations.” Which sounds quite like an English thing. But glorious failure comes naturally to the Three Lions. After averting disaster against DR Congo, storming the Azteca and taming Erling Haaland, there is only so far a narrative can take you. When Enzo Fernández (world champion, £100m-plus player) and Lautaro Martínez (world champion, three-time Serie A winner) stick a couple past Jordan Pickford (zero Bigger Cup appearances) and you chuck Big Dan Burn (former Asda employee) and Ivan Toney (six-time League One loanee) up front to try to rescue things, maybe it’s time to accept your limitations.Argentina started the game in full villain mode, like a deluxe Paraguay, producing more ‘housery in the opening half an hour than Diego Simeone’s Atlético had in a decade. Fifa’s TV directors no doubt knew what they were doing when cutting to David Beckham, always watching, after another niggly foul committed by Giuliano Simeone, whose life’s destiny seemed to be clipping the ankles of Djed Spence. Elliot Anderson spent those first 30 minutes being kicked from pillar to post, knowing that as soon as he bumped into Lionel Messi, like standing up to a rough older sibling, he’d be punished. Football Daily will put this Argentina display behind a special red cordon in our gallery of the dark arts.When Anthony Gordon touched in Morgan Rogers’ cross, his new club [checks notes] – Barcelona [checks notes again] – posted a video of the winger in the Camp Nou dressing room, saying: “Hi, I’m Anthony Gordon, and if you’re watching this, I’ve just scored at the World Cup.” A bit like he was recording a tape for his will. Maybe their social media disgrace team would have expected to use that video of their £70m, £300,000-a-week signing more than once. Then again, with a bronze-medal match to come, maybe they will. Either way, Gordon was hooked for Ezri Konsa on 72 minutes and England began their desperate descent into their own penalty area. “There was blood in the water and we went for it,” smirked Lionel Scaloni, whose side have three days to prepare for a final against a Spain team frantically ordering sturdier shinpads. As for England, they have the pleasure of now facing France, for whom Kylian Mbappé will no doubt have his eye on the Golden Boot. There’s a silver lining somewhere.Later on Thursday night, you can join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, John Brewin, Barney Ronay and Jonathan Wilson live from their sold-out show at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Book livestream tickets here.“I would just say, the World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders, and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver. More broadly, potential action is a matter for Fifa, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup, and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football” – Keir Starmer’s spokesperson says the PM supports the idea of Fifa investigating Argentina players who displayed a banner touting their nation’s claims to the Falklands. Asked who Starmer would be supporting in the final, the spokesperson added: “The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain.” As for Lisandro Martínez, one of those waving it, he explained: “I can picture a Malvinas veteran seeing that and weeping. I don’t know if there might be sanctions or not, but what they did was display that banner and assert that the islands belong to us.”double quotation markThomas Tuchel’s teenage years being filled with crepuscular ice cream sounds delightful (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). Right now, he might feel more at home in mine: paralytic drunk on cheap vodka, crying into rain-soaked bitumen about the injustice of the world. Good times” – Rowan Sweeney.double quotation markRe: naming the 2030 World Cup (Football Daily letters passim). Surely simplicity is best: N64WC. The controller of that console being as easy to wield as the competition itself” – Donald Larmour.If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day goes to … Rowan Sweeney. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.The latest World Cup Daily podcast is here, while you can watch it too.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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Close10England's World Cup dreams are dashed once more, the wait for a first men's major trophy since 1966 goes on - and to make matters worse, they can't even get on a plane and fly home just yet.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

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Close41Former England captain David Beckham and his wife Victoria were captured looking downcast after the World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina in Atlanta.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team

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1 CommentsWhen Bobby Moore climbed the steps at Wembley to lift the Jules Rimet trophy on 30 July 1966, few could have imagined England would still be waiting for another World Cup triumph 60 years later.That wait was extended once again on Wednesday as Thomas Tuchel's men squandered a late lead to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina, losing 2-1 in Atlanta to miss out on a place in the 2026 final.In the six decades since England's only World Cup win, football has changed, Britain has changed and the world has changed.Here are the numbers that tell the story.Since England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in the 1966 final, 454 players have made their England debut.The first was John Hollins, who became England's 847th men's international in a 2-0 friendly win over Spain at Wembley in May 1967. The most recent is Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha, the 1,300th player to represent England, making his debut in June's 1-0 friendly victory over New Zealand in Tampa.At World Cups, 161 different players have represented England since 1970, from members of Alf Ramsey's victorious squad to the latest generation to fall agonisingly short.No fewer than 15 permanent England managers have attempted to emulate Ramsey's achievement.Ron Greenwood, Bobby Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Fabio Capello, Gareth Southgate and Tuchel have led England into a World Cup, each hoping to end the wait.Only seven men have captained England at a World Cup since 1966 - Moore, who returned in 1970, Mick Mills, Bryan Robson, Alan Shearer, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Harry Kane.England have appeared at 12 of the 15 World Cups since 1966 and have repeatedly come close without returning to the final.Their exits have become part of football folklore.There was surrendering a 2-0 lead against West Germany in 1970, Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century" in 1986, Paul Gascoigne's tears in the 1990 semi-final, Beckham's red card against Argentina in 1998, Ronaldinho's famous free-kick in 2002, Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in 2010, Kane's missed penalty against France in 2022 and Argentina's dramatic comeback in Atalanta.Having won their first World Cup semi-final in 1966, England have lost the three since - in 1990, 2018 and 2026.There have been only two occasions this century when a team have scored first in a World Cup semi-final but lost. Both times it was England - against Croatia in 2018 and Argentina in 2026.Some opponents have become recurring villains.Germany (including West Germany) and Argentina have each eliminated England from the World Cup three times since 1966.England's penalty shootout record also became an unwanted storyline.Chris Waddle and Stuart Pearce missed from 12 yards as West Germany ended England's hopes in the 1990 semi-final.Beckham's dismissal preceded a shootout defeat by Argentina in 1998, although he converted the winning penalty against Argentina four years later to exorcise those demons.Since 1966 there have been 30 places available in the World Cup final, but they have been occupied by only eight different nations.Germany and Argentina have each appeared six times, Brazil, Italy and France four, the Netherlands three, Spain twice and Croatia once.England remain outside that exclusive club.The passing of time is perhaps best measured away from the pitch.Since 1966 Britain has had 14 prime ministers, from Harold Wilson to Sir Keir Starmer. The US has had 11 presidents, from Lyndon B Johnson to Donald Trump.Queen Elizabeth II has been succeeded by King Charles III. There have been seven James Bonds and 15 incarnations of Doctor Who.Humans have walked on the Moon, the Berlin Wall has fallen, the World Wide Web has been invented, the Channel Tunnel has connected Britain to mainland Europe and the smartphone era has transformed everyday life.When England won the World Cup, Chris Farlowe's Out of Time was the UK number one single and Batman: The Movie, starring Adam West, topped the British box office.An estimated 32.3 million people watched the 1966 final on television - still one of the largest audiences in British broadcasting history.Even football's unofficial anthem has grown old. When Three Lions was released before Euro 96, its famous refrain lamented "30 years of hurt".For all the disappointment, England have continued to produce players capable of lighting the World Cup.Gary Lineker scored six goals to win the Golden Boot in 1986. Kane matched that feat in 2018 and again struck six times in 2026, sharing the goalscoring burden this summer with Bellingham, who also scored six.Yet despite 454 debutants, 15 managers, 17 captains and 161 World Cup players, Moore remains the only England captain to lift football's greatest prize.With another World Cup cycle about to begin, the hope remains - as it always has - that the next generation will finally bring it home.Why England's loss to Argentina felt like most painful in 60 years of hurtKane unsure if he will play at next World CupWhy you should care about World Cup third-place play-off

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England's World Cup journey came to a rather dramatic end against Argentina and their exit has led to one very simple question: why?A lot of the blame has gone towards the decision to retreat after Anthony Gordon's goal just before the hour mark. The switch to the back five invited pressure, and Thomas Tuchel's side simply couldn't hold on.However, the one thing the England boss has maintained throughout the tournament is that there can be no doubting the players' mentality. The game in Atlanta seemed to bring that into question.England were already defending before the change in formation. Players were succumbing to the environment they were in. Not all, but some. Who managed to find another gear when their country needed them most? And who failed to deliver in a game of such magnitude?It may be hard to do this considering the overwhelming feeling of disappointment, but let's start with the positives.On the biggest night of their careers, there were some players who put on a display to be proud of. The obvious one that springs to mind is Djed Spence. A much-questioned selection in Tuchel's squad, he did almost everything that could've been asked of him.He was tasked with facing up to Lionel Messi when he drifted out wide, while also offering a threat in attack against the vulnerable Nahuel Molina.At both ends, he was a star man. No England player attempted more take-ons, and only Declan Rice completed more. He also completed 80 per cent of his final third passes, bettered only by Reece James.At the other end, no one made more tackles and interceptions. The image of him celebrating a last-ditch lunge to stop Giuliano Simeone would've gone down in folklore had England held on.He was the epitome of stepping up when his country needed him most. It was his best display from the start in the tournament and while Sky Sports' Power Ranking of 77/100 might seem low, it was England's third-best on the night.Anthony Gordon's rating of 83 was the best and it continued a streak of performances that saw him become arguably England's most consistent performer. Yes, there were other individual displays that were superior, but those players also had games with massive drop-offs.Elliot Anderson was the next best according to the rankings, but that also equated to his third-worst performance of the tournament. And ultimately, that's a trend we can see with a lot of players, even those who don't appear to have had a terrible game.Hamstring injury aside, James' ranking [72] was his lowest across his four appearances. The same applies to John Stones, who managed to score lower [68] than against Croatia in the opener where his inclusion looked to be a huge mistake.Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa had their worst and second-worst games respectively. As did Jordan Pickford. Some might argue that's obvious because England conceded twice. Yet, against Mexico where they also let in two, Guehi and Pickford put on statistically better performances.Pickford's distribution ultimately didn't help England. He was far more direct than throughout the rest of the tournament and it meant that his outfield team-mates had less chance to get hold of possession and create.In between the sticks, it was his second-worst underperformance in relation to his expected goals conceded. Only against Croatia was he weaker.Then we have Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. It goes without saying that they didn't reach the same heights as they did for the rest of the tournament. However, you can only reflect on their performances as underwhelming.In the three knockout games prior, Bellingham averaged more than four take-on attempts per game. He didn't even manage half of that against Argentina. His final third pass attempts were down by two-thirds of their average in the previous three games. That is somewhat inflated by the game against Congo, but take that away and it is still less than half of what he produced against Mexico and Norway.His heatmap in possession also shows he was nowhere near the areas he threatened so much in. Rather than being within the width of the penalty area, he found himself stranded closer to the left flank. He wasn't showing the proactivity which made him a threat.As for Kane, the first thing to note is he only managed one shot. Not good enough by anyone's standards. But the reason for that is where he was picking up possession.We know that Kane likes to drop deep and spread the play. He isn't just a poacher, but he is still the centre forward. He does need a presence around the goal. Yet, he received the ball within 20 yards of the Argentina goal just once. Even against Norway, a game he also failed to score in, he received the ball four times.That wasn't just because the team couldn't find him. It was because he was dropping deep to get involved and then not making up the ground to impact the attack himself. And with Bellingham also not in those areas, England were just left with nothing.Let's be clear, many of those players gave absolutely everything this summer. Knocks, exhaustion, illness, altitude. They faced it all and stood up in some tough situations. This is not a critical review of a tough summer.However, it offers somewhat of an insight into what happens to the players when they are up against it. Tactics aside, some players either don't do enough, or perhaps in the instances of Kane and Bellingham, do too much which takes them away from where they can create the most danger.

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6 CommentsThe greatest footballer of all-time and the heir to his crown on the right wing at Barcelona will face each other for the first time when Argentina play Spain in Sunday's World Cup final.Given Lionel Messi is now 39 and Lamine Yamal just 19, it is testament to the former's relentless perseverance and the latter's precocious talent that a match featuring both can take place at all, never mind in the sport's greatest fixture.But this is far from the first time the two have crossed paths.That happened in 2007, when a 20-year-old Messi had recently become a regular starter for Barcelona, and Yamal was only five months old.The meeting is documented in a series of photographs taken by Joan Monfort.They resurfaced two years ago, when Yamal helped Spain win Euro 2024, as his father posted one online with the caption "The beginning of two legends".In the photos, a smiling Messi is cradling and bathing a tiny baby boy who would inexplicably follow so closely in his footballing footsteps."It is a true miracle of destiny", Monfort tells BBC Sport."It is serendipity - when you find something extra special, so much bigger than you ever thought."If you wrote this in a film it would not seem possible."The photoshoot took place in the away dressing room at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium.Yamal's family had won a competition to be there.His parents, Moroccan-born Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana from Equatorial Guinea, met after moving to Barcelona as children with their own families.Yamal is their eldest child, and shortly after he was born, they entered a raffle run by Catalan newspaper Sport in conjunction with Barcelona shirt sponsor and international children's charity Unicef.Those selected at random would have professional photos taken of their baby with a Barcelona first-team player.Yamal was among the winners, and on the day the family arrived, they were paired with Messi by chance."I had no idea it was Yamal in the photo until one my friends called me in 2024 and told me his father had posted it to Instagram," Monfort explains."Messi is a really introverted guy, very timid and shy. He came into the dressing room and suddenly had to take these photos with a little baby - not even a kid, a proper baby and his face changed like he had no idea what to do!"It is difficult for a young man, but Lamine was a very happy, smiley little baby. His mum Sheila helped us, she was a young girl and they were a very poor family, but they were very nice to work with."Messi was always a professional in these kinds of things and he adapted to the situation very quickly."By his 19th birthday Messi had scored 11 career goals and won La Liga and the Uefa Champions League once each.Having turned 19 on Monday, Yamal has already scored a whopping 56 goals and won La Liga three times and the Copa del Rey once, as well as Euro 2024.Yamal is not actually the player's surname, but the second of his two first names.His full name is Lamine Yamal Naraoui Ebana, and he wears the former two on the back of his shirts for both Barcelona and Spain as an homage to two people who helped his family around the time of his birth.It has been widely reported in Spanish media that Yamal's father promised to name him after two friends who assisted the family financially, helping them to pay their bills at a time when money was tight.Lamine is a common male first name in Arabic, which can be translated to English as honest or trustworthy, while Yamal is a variant of Jamal, meaning elegance or beauty.He grew up in Rocafonda, a working-class neighbourhood in Mataro, 20 miles north of Barcelona.The area was built in the 1960s to house migrants from other regions of Spain, and when they began to move to more well-off areas, migrants from other countries arrived in the 1990s.Yamal has celebrated some of his goals by making a 3-0-4 gesture with his fingers, referring to Rocafonda's postcode."What my mother has done, what my father has done, I couldn't have done that for anyone who is not my child", Yamal told El Pais in earlier in the tournament."If you don't have money, it's very hard to help your child play football. And my parents managed to make all that happen. It's something I'll never be able to repay them for."For Monfort, a Catalan who supports Barcelona, an on-pitch meeting between the two is the perfect denouement to a story which began almost two decades ago."I think we are closing the cycle of their story", Monfort, now 58, adds. "It is a happy end."I am a fan of Barcelona, and I think for Messi it's perfect if he can finish his career winning the World Cup for the second time. I think he deserves it."And for Lamine he has a lot of time to win trophies like the World Cup. But Spain and Lamine are arriving in a good moment and if he wins it now, it would be worth more than his other titles."It is very difficult for me. My heart is breaking in two pieces."How coach-on-pitch Messi undid England's tactics on the fly'That's why he's the king' - Messi sets up third World Cup final

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Close20Ex-England striker Michael Owen has criticised Thomas Tuchel for his negative 'pub team' tactics following their World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsEngland Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

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4 CommentsSwansea Council have agreed to sell Swansea.com Stadium to Swansea City, with the football club saying it will safeguard their future.The Championship side have been in discussions with the council over the proposed purchase of the venue, their home since its opening in 2005.The local authority built the £27m stadium, with the Swans taking operational control of the ground in 2018.Council leader Rob Stewart said the sale price would be in excess of a "fair open-market value".A report put before cabinet said: "Following lengthy negotiations, terms and conditions have been tentatively agreed which generate a large purchase price, plus additional contingent fees in the event of promotion, as well as retained ticket and hospitality benefits."The Swans say the purchase of the stadium will create opportunities to increase income and attract investment.Labour councillor Stewart said the owners of Swansea City - whose investors in the American-owned club include Real Madrid and Croatia star Luka Modric and hip-hop musician and businessman Snoop Dogg - wanted to get the club back into the Premier League and invest in the stadium and create a better fan experience."It's very difficult for them (the football club) to do that if they're not in control of the asset," Stewart said.Originally known as the Liberty Stadium after construction, the venue initially provided a modern ground for both the city's football club and the Ospreys rugby union team.Its opening in 2005 and coincided with a hugely successful period for Swansea City, culminating in a seven-year stint in the Premier League between 2011 and 2018.Stewart said taxpayers did not receive any rent from the stadium until the lease arrangements were changed in 2018, when the Swans became the lead tenant and Ospreys the sub-tenant.He said the council did not normally like to give up its assets, but felt on balance it was the right thing to do on this occasion, adding the authority would retain planning control for things like new developments in the area around the stadium.Swans poised to buy Swansea.com Stadium homeListen to the latest Swansea City interviews, news and discussion on BBC SoundsEarlier in the meeting, opposition leader Chris Holley wanted to know how the proposed sale would actually benefit the Swans, particularly on the field of play, and wondered if the club might at some point use the stadium as an asset to borrow against."This is a substantial asset belonging to the council and the people of Swansea and I think we need an explanation," he said.Stewart said ownership could give investors more confidence to invest in the Swans but he said he was not an expert on how football clubs were run.Speaking in the days before the council agreed the stadium sale, Swansea City chief executive Tom Gorringe said: "This is a highly significant moment for Swansea City as, after over two decades playing at the Swansea.com Stadium, we move towards taking outright ownership of the ground."Owning the Swansea.com Stadium is of major strategic benefit to the football club, and we look forward to completing the purchase in due course."Swansea have been the sole occupants of the Swansea.com Stadium since Ospreys relocated in 2025, playing temporarily in Bridgend while development of the sports ground at St Helen's in the south of Swansea took place.The football club took over the running of the Swansea.com Stadium eight years ago, in a move they said put the club "firmly in control of its own destiny".But Swansea have said "it makes sense operationally and financially" to buy the stadium and "hold the asset in its own right"."This is a move that will safeguard the future of the club, and we want to thank the representatives of the council for their assistance and professionalism in helping us reach this point," the Swans said in a previous statement.The Local Democracy Reporting Service contributed to this story.

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I watched the curtains fall on England's World Cup chances in a pub near Trafalgar Square with my wife, brother and friends. After Anthony Gordon's opener, the tension rose and the chatter ground to a halt as England sat back and Argentina pushed for an equaliser.Once Enzo Fernandez broke us down in the 85th minute, it seemed inevitable that Argentina would win and our dreams of bellowing out Wonderwall to celebrate an historic victory wouldn't come to pass.It's not a new experience to me as an England fan - anticipation, joy, frustration and ultimately, dejection.But the chaotic pub scenes, WhatsApp chats and conversations with friends across the world have reminded me that supporting England in the World Cup connects me with people in ways few other events do.England in major tournaments have defined many summers in my lifetime. One of my earliest memories was making my four-year-old brother stand still in the back garden while I tried to flick the ball over his head and volley it into the net, just as Gazza had done against Scotland the day before in Euro 96.Excitement was low within my social circles ahead of this World Cup - partly because of anger over sky-high ticket prices that priced out so many fans.But all apathy disappeared as we beat Croatia 4-2 in the first game. Watching Harry Kane welling up as fans serenaded the team with a rendition of Wonderwall compounded the excitement."THIS IS OUR YEAR," I wrote on one WhatsApp chat with three friends who all live in different countries, only half joking."One foot in the final," one responded, almost certainly joking.Feeling gutted? Five ways to cope with England's World Cup defeatAttributionSportPublished2 hours agoWe got a sharp reality check after a 0-0 draw with Ghana. The WhatsApp group descended into a discussion about taps that dispense boiling water without having to boil the kettle."God this conversation is almost as boring as that first half," someone noted.We then got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Panama, topping the group and setting us up to face DR Congo in the first knock-out round.This was when things started to get stressful.The 5pm kick off meant I had to watch the first half at home on the sofa with my bewildered cat as I didn't clock off until 6pm. (Note to my bosses: I was keeping an eye on emails).DR Congo took the lead within seven minutes. England created plenty of chances but just couldn't stick the ball in the net, while DR Congo also hit the post.At half-time I hopped on the bus to West Norwood, where my friends Tomal and Char were watching it in a pub full of kids who had just finished school. Some were locked into the game, while others ran around necking soft drinks while their parents nervously nursed pints.As the half went on, WhatsApp groups went into meltdown. But Harry Kane stepped up, scoring two in quick succession to see us over the line. Cue Three Lions at the final whistle and my friend celebrating with his happy five-year-old daughter on his shoulders - the first tournament she will remember.Anyone who stayed up for Mexico at the Azteca will never forget it. Scheduled for 1am in the UK, it got pushed back an hour due to poor weather in Mexico City.I watched it in a packed Crystal Palace pub. After a cagey start, Jude Bellingham scored two in two minutes to send us into a frenzy.Mexico hit back almost immediately and half-time was spent outside, with my fellow frustrated fans bemoaning why we always have to do it the hard way.The tension was almost unbearable as Jarell Quansah got sent off and Mexico pulled it back to 3-2 after Harry Kane's penalty.It was 4am when the final whistle blew. As the sun started to rise over the London skyline, my friends and I acknowledged that we had witnessed one of the great England nights.For the Norway quarter-final I raced from work to a bar in Brixton for kick-off. After Norway's freak opening goal, the place erupted to the strains of Hey Jude after Bellingham equalised.England struggled in the second half and the relief was palpable when Bellingham grabbed his second in extra-time.After sticking around for a raucous rendition of Sweet Caroline, I headed back home, content that the dream was alive for another few days.I'm still so gutted about the Argentina semi-final. Scenes of joyous chaos on the streets of London replaced by grown men sitting on the kerb miserably eating fried chicken give me a distinct feeling of déjà-vu.My friends and I feel deflated today but the World Cup has also made me reflect on the people I watch football with.A memorial Whatsapp group for one of my best friends, Daniel "Beamer" Beames, who tragically passed away in 2021 aged just 32 has once again reignited with messages.He was a huge England fan and a group of us bought Euro 96 shirts with his name and the No 32 printed on the back.This competition, more than any other, has made me think of him and what it would have meant to him to see England win a major tournament.While we're still waiting 60 years on, I still dream of one day wearing my Beamer shirt while celebrating the night football finally came home.