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World Cup 2026 news as England, Scotland and USA gear up for friendlies – matchday live | World Cup 2026
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Christoph Baumgartner can add to his name to the deeply unfortunate club.
Peter Oh emails to say: “Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner will miss the World Cup due to a muscle injury he suffered in the warm-up for the friendly against Tunisia a few days ago.
“His feisty, creative, attacking qualities are going to very hard to replace. Here he is going on a solo slalom run to score 6.3 seconds from the kick-off.”
… great intel there from David Hytner on the ground, quite literally, in Tampa. Hopefully all the England and New Zealand players come through the friendly fine.
Kick-off will be at 9pm BST – or just over three hours from now.
David Hytner
I know there is a fair bit of angst about the state of the pitch at the Raymond James Stadium, which is the home of the NFL team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I had a walk around it on Thursday morning and it is certainly harder than a typical Premier League surface. It has been recently re-laid and it did not look to have completely knitted together. Most of the worry seems to stem from how Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain injured his knee in England’s friendly before the 2014 World Cup against Ecuador in Miami. But that problem looked to be more because of a collision with an opposing player.
New Zealand trained on the pitch on Friday and they seemed relaxed about it. “It seemed all right,” said the captain, Chris Wood. “We know it is freshly laid. It will be different at game speed. I’m sure it will hold up.”
On the subject of devastating pre-World Cup injuries, Stephen Gosling has emailed with a great example.
“Brazil’s original captain of the 2002 squad, Emerson (defensive midfielder), dislocated his shoulder playing in goal during training and missed the entire tournament.”
Playing in goal! Ouch. Emerson must’ve experienced the most mixed of emotions as he watched his teammates go on to win the tournament.
David Hytner
An interesting off-cut from Thomas Tuchel’s pre-New Zealand game press conference.
It concerned summer transfers, which may affect some of his England players – most obviously John Stones, Elliot Anderson and Marcus Rashford. The former is a free agent, the latter is in limbo after the end of his loan at Barcelona from Manchester United while Anderson is a target for Manchester City and others after an outstanding season at Nottingham Forest.
Tuchel said he had essentially banned transfer talk on the days before matches and on match days themselves but he is otherwise relaxed and realistic about them going on in the background. The message was to create an environment to help any player involved in a move rather than bottle things up.
News from the Guardian’s chief football correspondent, David Hytner, who’s on the ground in Florida and has this to share from the England camp before the friendly against New Zealand …
Two emails on one topic: no teenage wonder-kid Lennart Karl this summer. Gah!
“Germany suffered a major setback today, as young rising star Lennart Karl of Bayern Munich suffer a serious muscle injury in training and is ruled out of the World Cup,” says Oliver Lind.
“This was the German player I was looking forward to the most. Feel really sorry for the young man. A pity. Not a good omen for Germany’s chances reaching the semis.”
H Furbach concurs, emailing to say: “Regarding injury news, I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned Lennart Karl yet.
“It’s the big topic in Germany today. We were all very exited to see the young Bayern talent make his mark on the World Cup. He was expected to start alongside Wirtz and Musiala in our midfield, after all.
“Sadly he’s got himself a muscle fibre bundle tear in yesterday’s training session and has been ruled out for the tournament. As his replacement, Julian Nagelsmann has nominated not another winger, but RB Leipzigs upstart Assan Ouédraogo, who is more of a box-to-box-midfielder and who has, due to his dynamic style, already been compared to prime Paul Pogba by some. He’s had a breakout first Bundesliga season at Leipzig despite being out for several months with a knee injury. Many would have expected Said El Mala (of Köln) or Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi as more of a like-for-like replacement for Karl.
“Unhappy greetings from Munich …”
It wasn’t quite a late, late injury – but the great Romário, star of the 1994 World Cup, missed France 1998 as he couldn’t quite get fit in time to make the Brazil squad.
It was particularly devastating as it robbed us of Ronaldo and Romário – the so-called “Ro-Ro” attack – at a World Cup. They were absolutely deadly together in the years leading up to that World Cup.
Anyway, you can read today’s interview with Romário below. He gives himself an 11/10 rating as a player. I concur.
Your heart goes out to any player who picks up an injury on the eve of a World Cup, of course. They only come along once every four years (World Cups, that is, not injuries) – even assuming your country qualifies.
Scotland have already lost poor Billy Gilmour to knee knack during the friendly win against Curaçao and you hope that’s the worst of their luck done with.
I was trying to think earlier who the highest-profile player to miss a World Cup with a late, late injury is – and clearly my brain is shot, because I must be missing some obvious examples.
Rio Ferdinand in 2010 stands out – he was the England captain in 2010 and did his knee in the first training session in South Africa, forcing him out of the squad. Similarly, Roberto Ayala was Argentina’s skipper in 2002 when he injured his thigh. He made the squad – but could not play a minute as his side went out in the group stage.
Who am I missing?
Elsewhere co-hosts Canada drew 1-1 with the Republic of Ireland in their last friendly before they face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup on Friday of next week.
A Jake O’Brien own goal gave the hosts the lead in Montreal but Ireland’s Chiedozie Ogbene was quickest to react after Troy Parrott’s penalty was saved to equalise in the second half.
I see Alphonso Davies didn’t feature at all, as it’s touch and go whether he’ll be fit in time for that Bosnia game. What a blow to Canada if their star player, and one of the world’s best full-backs, isn’t ready in time for the tournament.
Thanks Tom, hello all – hope you’re all gearing up for some red-hot, pre-tournament friendly action!
Speaking of which: I notice Scotland’s opening opponents in Group C, Haiti, lost 2-1 to Peru in their final warm-up before the World Cup. Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor gave Haiti the lead but Peru struck twice late on.
Possibly a result to calm Scottish nerves after Haiti’s 4-0 thumping of New Zealand. But it’s hard to tell with these friendlies, isn’t it? How hard are the players trying on “the wanting to impress the manager”/“really mustn’t get injured” scale of effort?
It’s time for me catch a break, to steer you through the next hour is Alex Reid.
Here is your afternoon reminder to get on Bracketology, where you can plot a path to victory for England (or anyone else for that matter). It’s good, clean fun and we promise we won’t tell anyone that you failed to predict [insert shock group stage elimination here].
Have a go:
Romelu Lukaku continued his comeback for Belgium with 25 minutes off the bench as they enjoyed a 5-0 victory over 10-man Tunisia earlier today.
In Belgium’s final warmup fixture before they head to the United States for the World Cup, Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin scored the goals as Lukaku grabbed an assist.
Lukaku did not make a single start for Napoli in Serie A this season, but is in a race to get fit for the World Cup and netted against Croatia on his return on Tuesday.
More injury news, I’m afraid. This time it is former Brighton man Julio Enciso who has been left waiting nervously on his fitness for Paraguay’s World Cup campaign. The Strasbourg forward was taken off on a stretcher in tears in his national team’s 4-0 warmup victory over Nicaragua in Asuncion.
Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro confirmed Enciso will undergo tests and said he remained “hopeful” that the injury was not muscular.
“Julio suffered two simultaneous injuries; a tight hamstring from impact and then on his waist, which affected his quadriceps area,” Alfaro said. “He was concerned and that’s why he came off.
“When he took the first hit, he signaled to me and I told him to come off. He replied that it was loosening up, but then he took another blow to the waist and that’s when he felt the injury,.
“We hope Julio is all right and he can be ready to return for the opener against the US.”
Paraguay, who’ll play their group matches in California, face the hosts in their Group D opener next Friday in Inglewood before taking on Turkey on 19 June. Australia are the South American nation’s final group stage opponents, when they face off on 25 June at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Unfortunate injury news coming out of the Argentina camp, the AFA has confirmed that Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi will miss the World Cup after suffering a calf injury on his right leg during training.
In a post on X, the AFA said Balerdi has sustained a muscle injury in his right leg that has ruled him out of the tournament. There is no word yet who will replace the 27 year old.
The World Cup guides are coming thick and fast. France is the latest.
That’s all from me today. Tom Bassam is back now for the final stretch of this live blog.
Mexico is planning to increase the police and security presence around Zocalo plaza in Mexico City to ensure the World Cup Fan Fest can go ahead amid growing social unrest and public protests.
Much of the city’s historic centre, including the Catedral Metropolitana and Aztec ruin Templo Mayor, is locked down, but the president Claudia Sheinbaum’s government is adamant that Zocalo will remain open throughout the tournament.
Local reports have claimed that a crowd of up to 100,000 is expected at the official Fifa Fan Fest when Mexico kicks off the World Cup against South Africa at the Azteca Stadium next Thursday, raising security concerns in a city that is in the grip of a wide range of protests.
Be sure to check out The Guardian’s World Cup player guide. Every star set to appear at the tournament this summer has been covered – that is 1,248 in total!
Thomas Tuchel has indicated that Ollie Watkins will be Harry Kane’s understudy during the World Cup, with Ivan Toney seen as more of a wildcard to use in specific situations. All three players could feature at some point when England face New Zealand this evening.
Tuchel said: “I think Ollie is more the guy we need to start for Harry, if we think Harry should not start a match. He can keep the intensity up, to keep the press going.
“Ivan is kind of a finisher for us. Maybe it’s a special task to take the attention off Harry. Then we have a second striker who’s very, very good in the box. He’s a good penalty taker. He trains on a high level. I’m very happy with him. He just showed that it was right to take him. He has a brilliant attitude. We have some options but Harry is, of course, the main guy in front.”
Thiago Rabelo spoke to Brazil legend Romário this week – and the former striker made quite the statement about his playing career…
Some huge names will miss out on the World Cup this summer. Yara El-Shaboury has assembled a starting XI of those absent, including the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Fifa has cancelled World Cup tickets issued to about 60 fans who mistakenly got them for free because of a website error, and soccer’s governing body is now asking for them to be paid in full.
The tickets were “allocated at no charge [0 USD] due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process,” Fifa said in a statement Thursday.
“Fifa regrets the error and any inconvenience caused,” it said. “The tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.”
It is the latest glitch in an often controversial World Cup ticketing program that the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey are investigating for possible violations of consumer protection laws.
The mispriced tickets were sold through the official World Cup site on 21 May, Fifa said in an email message to buyers. That date was more than three months after Fifa president Gianni Infantino said all 104 World Cup games had sold out.
Have you got your World Cup wall chart yet? Well, if you haven’t, feel free to print this one out in time for kick-off next week!
There are plenty of international friendlies taking place today. Here are some of them…
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Portugal v Chile
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United States v Germany
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Switzerland v Australia
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Brazil v Egypt
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Bolivia v Scotland
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England v New Zealand
Steve Clarke believes Haiti’s routing of New Zealand could be useful as a means of dispelling Scottish arrogance towards their first World Cup opponents. The 4-0 win for Haiti in Florida turned heads in Scotland, when a victory for Clarke’s team over the 82nd-ranked team in the world seen as essential for progression from a Group C that also includes Morocco and Brazil. Scotland take on Haiti in Boston next Saturday.
Marlon is not the only one with a predicted England v France final. Richard says:
“I too have an England/France final.”
Marlon has messaged in after predicting the route to the World Cup final using our Bracketology…
“England beating France in the final. Yeah, right.”
Right, that’s it from me for now. Emillia is back to keep you updated on the latest goings on in football.
Jacob Steinberg
Tuchel confident ‘sharp’ Kane is in perfect form to lead England at World Cup
Thomas Tuchel has said that Harry Kane is in top shape and ready to lead England to glory at the World Cup. The Bayern Munich striker has been short of fitness at previous major tournaments but he has enjoyed a brilliant season in Germany and has looked in peak physical condition in training this week.
England have prepared for the intense heat expected at the World Cup by heading to Florida to acclimatise to the weather and have been working in testing conditions at their pre-tournament base in West Palm Beach.
Tuchel is focused on recovery and knows that the team’s hopes of glory will rest heavily on Kane staying injury-free. The country’s record goalscorer remains a talismanic figure, despite struggling for form and fitness at Euro 2024, and has the backing of his manager before England cross Florida to face New Zealand in Tampa in their first warm-up game on Saturday.
“He looks in top shape,” Tuchel said. “He looks lean, sharp and he trains at the highest level. We had a defensive training session today and he was leading the intensity. He is so used to the high press from Bayern Munich and the intensive game that they play in the opponents’ half. He is leading by example. I think he is in the best shape.
“He is ready to go. We don’t have to be worried about him at all, even if it is hot in June. He has showed me the whole week that he is ready. He is our key player.”
More from Jacob Steinberg in Florida here:
Barney Ronay
Power and glory: World Cup promises a spectacle impossible to ignore
This is the end, of our elaborate plans, the end. Of everything that stands, the end. It seems fitting that football’s latest stopping point on its voyage upriver into the blank parts of the map, a mission so choice that when it’s over you may never want another one, should be a World Cup overseen by a haunted-looking man with a messiah complex, out there operating beyond the pale of acceptable sporting governance, the warrior-poet Swiss lawyer football never knew it needed.
The 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada will finally kick off in earnest on 11 June at the Azteca Stadium. From there the tournament will unspool across 39 days, 16 host cities, 104 matches and a 6,000-mile span from Mexico City in the south to Vancouver in the north to Boston in the east. Ten years in the making, the end product of a century of powerplay and hyper-grift, this is by almost any metric not just the largest sporting event ever staged, but the largest event, as we say in America, period.
How football explains the world, part 95. It has been estimated the tournament will generate $80bn (£59.7bn) in global economic output across its full timeline, roughly equivalent to the GDP of Belarus. Basically, if the World Cup were a country someone would have stationed nuclear weapons on it by now. Here we have big sport in its final global form. But also, in the spirit of the times, a spectacle configured in the image of a single opportunist overlord.
This is Gianni Infantino’s world now, a man who carries with him at all times that oddly alluring sense of complete conviction in his own inauthenticity, whirling his arms like a Las Vegas illusionist, doling out favours on a round of applause, beaming piously around the walnut table of power, even as his own peace prize overlord initiates eight separate military actions inside a year, and all the while saying things like joy, love, unity, hope. Or as Shakira might put it, Dai, dai, ikou, dale, allez, let’s go.
Read Barney Ronay’s column in full here:
Here’s a little Süper Lig update for you, Vincenzo Italiano has been appointed coach of Besiktas.
The 48-year-old Italian has agreed a two-year deal to coach the Turkish giants, albeit one that has not won a league title since 2021.
The former coach of Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Bologna, becomes the 11th manager at Besiktas in the past five years, following Frenchman Valerien Ismael, Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Klopp’s agent shoots down ‘annoying’ talk of Real Madrid move
Jürgen Klopp’s agent has dismissed talk of the former Liverpool manager filling the vacant post at Real Madrid should Enrique Riquelme become the club’s next president.
Marc Kosicke rejected Riquelme’s statement that the German, who left Anfield for a job as Red Bull’s head of global football, would become head coach after releasing a statement confirming him as first choice if elected on Sunday.
In a post on social media, Kosicke was quoted as saying: “It’s annoying! Jürgen Klopp is happy in his role at Red Bull and has no ambitions to work as a coach at a club.”
A statement from Riquelme’s office, reported on Sky Sports, read: “We know that Jürgen Klopp has publicly stated that he has no intention of returning to the dugout in the short term, and that he has turned down numerous offers. That is precisely why we believe the challenge of Real Madrid is different. Because there are great clubs, but there is only one Real Madrid. There is only one institution capable of uniting tradition and future, values and ambition, passion and excellence.
“For that reason, if the members grant me their trust this Sunday, on Monday 8 June, Raúl González Blanco [Enrique’s proposed sporting director] will contact Jürgen Klopp to convey to him personally our sporting project and our wish for him to be the one to lead, from the bench, our new era at Real Madrid.”
Some women’s international football to update you on, Australia suffered a shock home defeat against Mexico. Here’s the AAP snap report from Newcastle, New South Wales:
Coach Joe Montemurro bemoaned the Matildas’ bad decision-making in a shock 1-0 added-time loss to Mexico on home soil.
A disjointed Matildas side fluffed their lines in front of goal at McDonald Jones Stadium, while Alice Soto threaded the ball beautifully to help Diana Ordonez nab the match-winner.
World rankings had the full-strength hosts as heavy favourites, with the Matildas welcoming Steph Catley, Emily van Egmond, Mary Fowler and Ellie Carpenter back to the starting lineup for the 15th-ranked side on Saturday night.
But none of Australia’s established stars could find the match-winner from 19 shots at goal to world No.28 Mexico’s 12 in front of 23,167 fans.
It was the Matildas’ first game on home soil since their 1-0 Asian Cup final loss to Japan in March, having pulled off a clean sweep of their FIFA Series matches against Malawi and Kenya in April.
Montemurro’s review of the defeat was simple: “We didn’t score goals.
“The attacking third – I’ve said it many, many times – it’s so difficult to work, to coach because it’s feeling, it’s the moment.
“There are many, many things that happen in those areas and the decisions were wrong. It’s as simple as that.”
And with that, it’s time for me to get some lunch. Tom Bassam will be with you for the next hour.
I have spoken to others who feel the same. Perhaps it may be something to do with the fact the Premier League season ended just two weeks ago, and the Champions League final was just last weekend. Too much football?
I usually love the WC and count down the days until it begins. This time around I genuinely forgot there was a WC looming.
You can also see what Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, picked in the video below.
I ended up with Spain win. Let me know what you got.
Before the news broke of David Sullivan’s departure from West Ham, I asked which nation you think will win the World Cup. Jack has messaged in to say:
“I can’t look past Spain for the WC. Quality in depth in every position, mixing pragmatism and skill, coming off the back of a Euros win and an even better Yamal.
“I don’t know whether they can be considered a dark horse but I’d give my underrated team pick to Brazil. Still a deeply flawed team full of trauma, but I think Ancelloti is the exact manager to lead Brazil to the hexa.”
Well, that was a bit of unpredicted news. Anyway, let’s get back to talking all things World Cup.
Of course, if there are any more developments we will bring them to you.
More on Sullivan’s resignation:
David Sullivan’s exit comes almost two weeks after West Ham were relegated from the Premier League. Here is what Jacob Steinberg had to say about that…
West Ham have also released a statement on Sullivan’s resignation.
It reads: “West Ham United can confirm that Joint-Chair David Sullivan has stepped down from his position with immediate effect.
“Mr Sullivan has also resigned as a director of both WH Holding Limited and West Ham United Football Club, having been made aware of the impending publication of serious historic allegations. It is understood none of the allegations relate to West Ham United or any of its operations.
“Through his own legal representatives Mr Sullivan denies any illegal conduct and has taken the decision to step down in order to avoid disruption to the Club while he addresses the matter privately.
“Interim Chief Executive Officer Karim Virani, reporting into the current Board of Directors, will continue to be responsible for leading the Club’s day-to-day operations. The Club will provide an update on the future structure of the Board of Directors in due course, but will make no further comment at this time.”
The full statement from David Sullivan:
“I have recently become aware that factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life are due to be broadcast and published.
“The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media. After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me. I categorically deny these claims.
“I am a private man, and those who personally and professionally know the real David Sullivan, not the caricature invented by the tabloids, know exactly who I am and what I stand for. I am absolutely not the person the media has decided to paint me as.
“I have not been provided with any proper explanation as to how these individuals or their claims were independently verified or assessed for credibility prior to publication. I believe that the entire process has been fundamentally unfair and completely lacking in any due impartiality. I will be suing the BBC for libel, along with any other media outlet that repeats any libelous allegations.
“None of these allegations relate to my more than 30 years in football; West Ham United has been one of the greatest passions and privileges of my life. I care deeply about the club, its supporters, its players, its staff, and its future. At what is already a challenging and important time for the club, I refuse to allow personal matters concerning me to become an unnecessary distraction or a source of instability.
“Therefore, after very careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign as Joint-Chair and Director of West Ham United FC with immediate effect.
“This has been an incredibly painful decision to make, but it is one made out of love, respect, and responsibility toward a football club and a fan base that deserve absolute unity and focus moving forward.
“I am stepping down to apply my full energy and attention on fighting these false allegations. I have officially engaged my legal team and we are preparing to issue legal proceedings in respect of each and every false complaint that has been made against me. I will be seeking full redress, legally and publicly, on every single front.
“As I depart, I want to thank everyone connected with West Ham United, past and present, for the loyalty, friendship, memories and European adventures and successes that I will carry with me forever. West Ham United will always remain close to my heart, and I have total confidence that the Board of Directors and interim Chief Executive Officer Karim Virani will do everything they can to take the club forward in the right direction. I wish everyone connected with the club every success in the future.
“I will not be making further public comment at this stage, but I reserve all legal rights available to me in relation to any false or defamatory allegations.”
David Sullivan steps down as West Ham chairman
David Sullivan has announced his resignation as joint-chair and director of West Ham with immediate effect in a statement.
He said: “I have recently become aware that factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life are due to be broadcast and published…”
Speaking of predictions, you can guess the pathways to the final with our special bracketology page. Be sure to save it for the tournament so that you can see how you got on.
As always, feel free to message in today with any thoughts, feelings and observations. You can also leave a comment below the line.
Today’s question is: Who will win the World Cup?
Iran has slammed World Cup co-hosts the United States over what it called “discriminatory treatment” by not granting visas for some members of the Iranian national team’s delegation to attend the tournament.
Fifa has again amended its water bottle policy for the World Cup in North America, allowing fans to bring in one sealed, disposable 20-ounce (590ml) bottle into stadiums.
Ticket holders had previously been permitted an empty, transparent and reusable bottle up to one litre but an update earlier this week confirmed reusable bottles were no longer permitted.
Thomas Tuchel admitted he was “a little bit worried” about the state of the pitch that his England stars will be playing on when they face New Zealand tonight. A photo of the patchy playing surface went viral on social media this week, sparking concern from fans.
Meanwhile, Tuchel said: “It will not affect my team selection because what I have heard until now is that it should be OK and we want it, of course, to be OK.
“I saw just a photo from a colleague that made me a little bit worried and concerned, but let’s decide when we are there. If there are any issues, we can always react to it. The plan is tomorrow to play 45, 45 minutes with two complete teams, to expose everyone to the same amount of minutes.
“Then we can continue the next three days with the same load of training. That is the plan, and at the moment we stick to the plan.”
Thomas Tuchel has claimed that Harry Kane is ready to lead England to glory at the World Cup. The Bayern Munich striker has been short of fitness at previous major tournaments but looks in peak physical condition in the build-up to this one.
Tuchel said: “He looks in top shape. He looks lean, sharp and he trains at the highest level. We had a defensive training session today and he was leading the intensity. He is so used to the high press from Bayern Munich and the intensive game that they play in the opponents’ half. He is leading by example. I think he is in the best shape.
“He is ready to go. We don’t have to be worried about him at all, even if it is hot in June. He has showed me the whole week that he is ready. He is our key player.”
Tom Garry
As the game ticked into second-half stoppage time, Spain were almost showboating, Aitana Bonmatí flicking the ball around the pitch with grace, style and a swagger that sent out an emphatic message: Spain are significantly better than England.
On a balmy evening in Palma, the world champions taught the European champions a painful lesson. The scoreline was one thing but, more alarmingly, the undeniable gulf in technical ability between the teams gave the Lionesses a brutal reality check, a year out from the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Sarina Wiegman admitted she “expected a different game” between the Lionesses and Spain last night. The England manager said: “Of course it hurts. I expected a totally different game. I expected a very tight game, a very competitive game, but it was different tonight, so that’s of course really disappointing and that hurts.”
She went on to add: “We were really struggling to keep the ball and find the passes further away or in behind. They played really well and we didn’t play so well. Out of possession, we were really struggling to stay compact, especially in our own half … our connections weren’t so good and they found the space we left straight away.”
Some stats/facts for you on last night’s game:
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It was England’s heaviest defeat in 17 years. They had not lost by a four-goal margin since the Euro 2009 final – a 6-2 loss to Germany.
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It was the first time the Lionesses had conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
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Prior to the match, England had not lost a qualifier since November 2002.
Let’s start by looking back at what happened last night. England suffered their worst defeat under Sarina Wiegman in a 4-0 thrashing by Spain. If you missed it, be sure to read the match report below…
Preamble
Hello, good morning and welcome to another Matchday live! England kick off their final World Cup preparations with a warm-up match against New Zealand tonight. The Three Lions arrived in Florida on Monday and have been acclimatising to the (very) warm weather. Some concerns have already been raised about the pitch they will play on, however. We will touch on that a bit more later on.
Meanwhile, the Lionesses suffered a dent in their World Cup qualification hopes last night with a 4-0 loss to Spain. England needed just a draw from the clash to punch their ticket to Brazil, but they will now likely have to go through additional qualifiers.
Scotland are also in action later today as they face Bolivia. We’ll be looking ahead to that as we get closer to kick-off.
All of that and more to come!
UK News
Trump announces 4 July rally in Washington after hosting UFC cage match at the White House – live | Donald Trump
Trump announces 4 July rally in Washington to mark US 250th anniversary
Donald Trump has announced plans to hold a rally in Washington on 4 July as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, saying the event will include a speech, performances, flyovers and fireworks.
“On July 4th, at The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, in beautiful and safe Washington D.C., we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ’TRIBUTE TO AMERICA.’ Starting at 7 P.M. EST, this HUGE Celebration will honor our Country’s People, Spirit, Strength, Resolve, and Triumphs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Key events
Trump wants to put a $75m coal terminal in this liberal California city. Residents aren’t having it
Cecilia Nowell
West Oakland, a California neighborhood known for its rich history of Black activism from the Pullman Porters’ union to the Black Panthers, might not seem like the site of the country’s next great coal project.
But that’s exactly what the Trump administration is pushing for – with the injection of $75m to build a sprawling coal export terminal in the nearby port of Oakland.
Last week, Donald Trump announced he was using wartime powers to hand $700m to coal projects around the US, including the one in Oakland. The news has breathed renewed energy into a decade-long battle against the coal terminal, which Trump hopes will break ground as soon as this summer.
Anti-coal activists were already planning a gathering about the project in Berkeley this month. But Trump’s 4 June announcement “accelerated everything”, said Veronica Eady, executive director of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, a grassroots organization focused on environmental justice in West Oakland, which has a high pollution burden from the nearby port, highways and other industry. “Now there is even more urgency, particularly since President Trump said he wants it to start this summer.”
Trump says he is going to focus on Ukraine now after signing Iran deal
Donald Trump spoke to the press alongside French president Emmanuel Macron, the host of this week’s G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains.
The US president repeated much of what his administration has already been saying about the memorandum of understanding that has been signed by US and Iran, saying that ships are starting to pass through the strait of Hormuz now and that by Friday, the strait “will be completely open”.
He said while the strait will be open and free of tolls, he said that “I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a ship or two up here from a few countries…because you never know what happens”. Trump said he also wants to “see if we can straighten out the Lebanon thing, because it just seems to just never end”.
“It should not be tough,” he said, adding that “we just have to have a little talk” with Hezbollah.
Trump mentioned that he “had a very good conversation yesterday” with Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, as well as with Vladimir Putin, president of Russia.
“I see maybe we can do something there, I really do. I think they’re both open to it. So now that this is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,” he said, referring to the conflict with Iran.
US and Iran have signed memorandum of understanding, US official says
The United States and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding to settle the nearly four-month war, Reuters reports that senior US officials have said, adding that a signing ceremony would take place on Friday and shipping traffic in the strait of Hormuz would gradually ramp up.
The memorandum of understanding has been signed by Donald Trump and vice-president JD Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one US official said.
Speaking at a briefing with reporters, the US official added that there will also be a signing ceremony on Friday.
“You will see significant increase in traffic in the strait of Hormuz, actually starting already, and that will ramp up slowly over time,” the US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said. “We probably won’t return to normal in two weeks, but we will see a significant increase in strait traffic.”
UFC boss Dana White says ‘never again’ to another White House fight night
UFC chief executive Dana White insisted that yesterday’s event at the White House exceeded his expectations “in every way you gauge success” – but stood by his claim that it is a one-and-done.
“It was an amazing, experience, this was a one of one,” he said. “It will never happen again.”
Merchandise, he said, had hit all-time metrics, and the numbers on Paramount were “monstrous”.
“Hopefully tonight created some unity,” White said. “Even for the people that thought this was going to be some big political statement or something, this wasn’t. This was Americans, all Americans celebrating the birthday. For people who tuned in for the first time, because it was at the White House, hopefully they liked the sport. They liked some of the guy’s stories.”
But despite all the pomp and pageantry, the eyerolls and angst, White stood by his claim that UFC is one-and-done in DC.
The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoors show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost – UFC said it was footing the $60m tab – made the Freedom 250 a one-off for a company once dubbed “human cockfighting”.
“I can’t afford it,” White said. “I’ll never do the Sphere [in Las Vegas] again and we’ll never do this again.”
White also said that he and Donald Trump had discussed doing a fight for troops in 2027 but coordinating with the military to have fights on military bases takes time.
“He wanted to do it this year,” White said. “And I said, sir, I need a year to recover financially.”
Donald Trump will be looking to build on the momentum of announcing his deal with Iran, and is expected to discuss with the G7 leaders the de-mining of the strait of Hormuz.
Britain and France have expressed interest in assisting with that effort once the conflict was paused. Fears over potential mines is among the reasons tanker traffic ground to a halt in the critical waterway during the war, and quickly clearing them will be crucial to regaining the confidence of commercial vessels to resume navigating the strait.
Macron today said France was ready to move “very quickly” to deploy assets, including mine-clearing vessels, to the region to help, the Associated Press reports.
The French president added that a French aircraft carrier and an accompanying strike group are already in the region and would be ready to assist within days of the US and Iran signing the agreement.
Here are some pictures of Donald Trump’s arrival for the G7 summit in Évian les-Bains.
Patrick Wintour
in Évian les-Bains
Emmanuel Macron, the host of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, has framed an agenda to make it as palatable as possible to his guest of honour, but the French president has no idea if Donald Trump, a haphazard summit attender, will last the full three days – or disrupt the proceedings every hour he stays.
The US president quit the last G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, early to work on the Iran conflict, and this year, plus ça change, Iran may also draw presidential attention. For good measure, he insulted this summit’s host before leaving Canada last year, describing Macron as “publicity seeking” and adding: “Purposefully or not, Emmanuel Macron always gets it wrong.”
Macron, who will be attending his 10th G7 summit, chose not to take umbrage, and has even postponed the start of the summit to allow Trump to celebrate his 80th birthday with a UFC event on the White House lawn. Macron is holding out a dinner in Versailles on Wednesday night as a reward if Trump stays the three days; French officials say Trump adores the palace’s gold, and insist the two men respect each other.
It will be touch and go if Trump completes the summit. Reports out of Washington suggest the US president has not been in celebratory mood, and the temptation for him will be to insult his six fellow leaders – representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK – for lacking the loyalty to join his earlier plan to reopen the strait of Hormuz through force. At best, he will be demanding the planned Franco-British naval taskforce to enforce the restoration of freedom of navigation, as outlined in the US-Iran joint memorandum of understanding, moves quickly. De-mining is also urgently needed if the hundreds of tankers backed up in the strait are to reach the arteries of the world economy in time.
The other G7 leaders – all opposed to the Iran war, with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, describing it as a US humiliation – will have to decide whether to look ahead, or pass verdict on a war that has upended the world economy.
Trump also faces being cornered by two other even more persistent wars – Ukraine and Gaza. Macron wants to see Europe given a greater role in solving both conflicts, pointing out it is Europe, not the US, that is saving Ukraine from bankruptcy.
France will also be pressing for the US to resolve the impasse in Gaza over Hamas disarmament. Trump will meet leaders from Qatar, UAE and Egypt to discuss the crisis and the fallout from Iran. But there will be no attempt to sign a joint communique on the conflicts and Macron will instead issue a summary.
If the worst comes to the worst, the Évian golf course – which dates back to 1904 – is closed for the three days, and if the earnest summitry gets too much, it represents an escape route for the world’s most famous 80-year-old golfer.
Trump arrives for G7 summit at tense moment for relations
Donald Trump has landed in Geneva ahead of this week’s G7 summit, shortly after announcing his tentative peace agreement with Iran to end a war that has upended the global economy and killed thousands of people in the region.
From Geneva, he will travel to Évian-les-Bains, France, where world leaders are gathered for the annual summit. Later today he’ll have a bilateral meeting with the host, French president Emmanuel Macron, ahead of a working dinner with the other G7 leaders.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also meet with G7 leaders, including Trump, tomorrow, as Russia’s invasion of his country rages on – though there’s no word yet on whether or not he’ll get a one-on-one with the US president.
This year’s summit comes as Trump’s relations with many of the other G7 leaders is at an all-time low. Indeed, he’s fallen out massively with several key allies who have criticized his war on Iran – British PM Keir Starmer, German chancellor Friederich Merz (who described the war as a humiliation of the United States), and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. He’s always had a turbulent relationship with Macron, but that’s also disintegrated after Trump’s “inelegant” comments about his private life. Trump’s relationship with Canadian PM Mark Carney also remains cordial yet tense. Indeed, the only G7 leader Trump has a warm relationship with at the moment is Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi.
A reminder that Trump left last year’s summit in the Canadian Rockies after only a day as the Israeli-Iran conflict intensified. Three days later he joined Israel in bombing key Iranian nuclear sites.
JD Vance also dodged the question when he was asked by CNBC who would be at the signing of the agreement on Friday.
Without addressing who would be present for the US side, he said they “expect the negotiating team from the Iranian side is going to be the Speaker of the House [Mohammad Bagher] Ghalibaf, and also the foreign minister [Abbas] Araghchi, along with a number of security officials and people who represent the different constituencies within their country.”
In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, JD Vance has admitted that a “lot” of details remain that need to be figured out between the US and Iran, but insisted that the US has “all the cards”.
Vance also said he hopes text of the agreement will be released this week.
He told CNBC that Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to be involved in those upcoming discussions, as well as its hardline parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The two major prongs of the deal are the reopening of the strait of Hormuz – which the US expects to be “toll-free” in the long term – and a commitment from Iran to “never develop or procure a nuclear weapon”, Vance said.
He also suggested that Iran would be rewarded with loosened economic sanctions or other barriers, allowing Tehran “to be re-invited into the world economy”, if it abides by the commitments of the deal.
The vice-president went on:
I think it’s a great day for the American people … our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term.
That’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations. There are a lot of very important details to figure out that we’re actually going to sit at the table and discuss together and figure out a path forward on these details.
He added that while Iran has “committed to destroy and dispose of their stockpile of highly enriched material”, the process for doing that has not been established.
And what we’ve said is, OK, let’s talk about how exactly we’re going to do that.
They want access to an unsanctioned economy. We’ve talked about, ‘OK, we’re open to that,’ but that would require a long-term commitment to the inspection and verification regime.
So, a lot of these details are going to be figured out during those 60-day talks.
“We feel quite confident that we’re in a strong position,” Vance added.
Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a leading Iran hawk, welcomed news of the US-Iran deal but remained deeply skeptical amid the lack of details about the content of the agreement.
“I am pleased to hear the memorandum of understanding with Iran to allow the Strait of Hormuz to open has been agreed to,” Graham wrote in a post on X, but added: “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming.
“Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote,” he went on. “I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President [JD] Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress.
“Congratulations to all in getting us to this point. Time will tell,” Graham added.
US and Iran reach framework peace deal to end war
Jason Burke
A framework peace deal between the US and Iran has been reached, Donald Trump and senior Iranian officials have said, bringing the 15-week conflict to a tentative end and offering hope of relief for the region and the world economy.
The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Israel’s war in Lebanon, would end permanently from tonight.
The precise terms of the deal remain unclear but in a statement posted to Truth Social yesterday evening, the US president announced the opening of the strait of Hormuz as well as the removal of the US naval blockade. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” he wrote.
Trump later clarified that reopening the strait would depend on the signing of an initial memorandum of understanding on Friday, which Pakistan, acting as mediator, said would take place in Geneva.
Leaked drafts suggest the memorandum will trigger an immediate 60-day period of intensive technical talks, during which the most contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme, will be discussed. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed that negotiators would seek to reach a broader agreement that would include sanctions relief for Iran.
Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, most of them in Iran and Lebanon, since US and Israeli forces first attacked Iran on 28 February. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases, targeting military and civilian infrastructure.
Here’s Jason’s full report:
Trump announces 4 July rally in Washington to mark US 250th anniversary
Donald Trump has announced plans to hold a rally in Washington on 4 July as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, saying the event will include a speech, performances, flyovers and fireworks.
“On July 4th, at The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, in beautiful and safe Washington D.C., we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ’TRIBUTE TO AMERICA.’ Starting at 7 P.M. EST, this HUGE Celebration will honor our Country’s People, Spirit, Strength, Resolve, and Triumphs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Moira Donegan
Hitler dreamed of a 1,000-year Reich; Putin is said to have baroque dreams of territorial conquest meant to restore a dubiously historical empire he calls “Greater Russia”.
Sure, there are people around Donald Trump who imagine using his rise to power to establish some sort of grand, civilizational project: there are the white nationalists who dream of a country purged of those they deem racially impure; there are the Christian nationalists who imagine a future theocracy in which women wear long braids and skirts, and don’t vote; there are the techno-reactionaries who imagine a future of interplanetary colonies, techno-assisted eugenics, and polygamous harems.
But Trump himself is conspicuously small in his dreams: his are comparatively little ambitions, not extending far beyond the reach of his ego and his senses.
He wants praise. He wants to see his name and his portrait everywhere. He wants to feel like a big man, to see those he feels have wronged him be penitent and upset. Maybe most of all, he wants to indulge in his own bad taste, repeatedly visiting the lowbrow staples of the 1980s, when he was young and at the height of his tabloid fame.
He loves the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber. He loves the music of Bon Jovi and the Village People. And he loves the gaudy, clownish tokens of masculinity that appeal to very small children: big trucks, big muscles, and demonstrations of physical strength.
And so it felt fitting that on Trump’s 80th birthday, at an event nominally meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding but really functioning as a celebration for a very special boy, the White House hosted a cage fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The UFC is a competitive league for mixed martial arts – a vaguely sports-like endeavor that combines elements of kickboxing, wrestling and traditional boxing, and seems designed to saturate a television audience’s appetite for maximum violence.
Donald Trump threatened to slap a 100% tariff on French wine and champagne unless Paris removes a digital services tax on tech firms, the New York Post reported on Monday.
France imposed in 2019 a three percent levy on the revenues earned by technology firms – including American giants such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google parent Alphabet – within the country’s borders.
French president Emmanuel Macron is due to host Trump on Monday before the G7 summit gets underway at the spa resort of Evian on Lake Geneva.
Trump said he asked Macron “not to charge American companies,” according to the New York Post.
“If they do, I have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France,” he was quoted as saying.
“All [Macron] has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn’t have that kind of pressure.”
Adam Gabbatt
It’s been quite the journey for Hunter Biden. In the space of a few weeks, the former first son has gone from a man seen as a political liability to an unlikely galvanizing force within the Democratic party, through his emergence on social media as a mental health advocate, razzer of Republicans, and working-class whisperer.
In the process Biden has switched from the GOP’s bete noire to, actually, someone that a fair number of Republican voters seem to like.
His self-deprecating posts, including one where he told Playboy magazine he would not pose nude for them, and another where he engaged in some campy wordplay over a phallic misspelling of the word “election”, are mixed in with serious messages about addiction recovery. And his populist posts about politics even have some calling for him to run for US president in 2028.
Frequently, his honest, human responses to trolling have seemed to win over critics.
Take his response to an X user called Ashley, whose username is @TeamTrump47. Ashley, whose bio says she loves Jesus, responded to a post from Biden by writing: “I’d rather live under a rock than smoke it.”
“Me too. It was awful,” responded Biden, prompting a mea culpa from Ashley.
“Well damn, Hunter, that makes me sad,” she wrote. “You live a better life than you were living. Good luck.”
Biden’s rise on X, where he has amassed more than 780,000 followers, has attracted the attention of Trump himself. Last week the president was asked for his thoughts on Biden’s chances in a hypothetical 2028 primary.
Vance says he will discuss 2028 presidential run after midterms
Gloria Oladipo
JD Vance said that he will discuss a 2028 US presidential run with his wife after the 2026 midterms.
The US vice-president gave insight into his ongoing decision on whether to run during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning where he spoke on his new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, which details his conversion to Catholicism.
“Usha and I will absolutely sit down and talk about what comes next for our family,” said Vance. “People sort of assume that I’m sitting around, figuring out, whether I’m gonna run for president … the way that I make decisions is that I try not to make them until I absolutely must.”
The vice-president added that he believes Trump will be “very supportive” on his decision. “I have no doubt that the president of the United States is going to be very supportive of anything that I ultimately decide to do,” said Vance.
Vance added that he never begins discussions with Trump about his future political plans. “I never bring it up. But sure, the president brings it up a lot, sometimes publicly, sometimes privately. You know, the president’s a political animal. He loves this stuff. He’s very fascinated by it.”
Trump’s UFC fights at White House marred by misogynistic smear aimed at Michelle Obama
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
Donald Trump’s UFC fights held on the White House lawn were marred by a misogynistic smear aimed at former first lady Michelle Obama last night.
Beneath a giant steel canopy known as the Claw, the president celebrated the forthcoming 250th anniversary of US independence – but, much more importantly, his own 80th birthday – by staging the first professional sporting event in White House history.
Several winning fighters greeted Trump after their bouts, while American fighter Bo Nickal followed his knockout victory by climbing over the cage fence to shake Trump’s hand.
Another fighter, heavyweight Josh Hokit, gave a rambling post-fight interview that veered from praise for the president to religion before concluding with the false conspiracy claim that “Michelle Obama is a man.” The remark, one of the oldest and most persistent smears directed at the former first lady, drew cheers from some sections of the crowd and bewilderment from others.
Hokit’s comments were not the evening’s only political barb. When former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley faced Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi, the bout took on a nationalistic fervor.
Trump donned a white “USA” hat cageside while chants of “U-S-A!” rang out from sections of the crowd. At various points spectators shouted “Canada is the 51st state!” – echoing Trump’s repeated taunts about annexing America’s northern neighbor – while others urged O’Malley to “eat” his opponent.
Meanwhile, dozens of people stood across the entrance gates to the Ellipse, the park south of the White House, holding protest signs and chanting.
“This reeks of corruption – way too much corruption,” said Susan Douglas, an organizer with Third Act Virginia, the progressive pro-democracy grassroots organization that organized the demonstration. “Let’s face it,” she added. “It’s for Trump’s birthday and has nothing to do with the founding of our country.”
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced last week that it will pay bonuses to fighters in a form of cryptocurrency issued by Trump family business World Liberty Financial.
Read the full story:
In other developments:
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Trump arrives in Evian-les-Bains on Monday afternoon for talks with G7 leaders, including some who have been sharply critical of his managing of the roughly 15-week conflict that has led to a surge in global energy prices. World leaders began gathering in a French spa town for the summit with a new impetus following the US president’s announcement of an agreement that he says will bring an end to the war against Iran.
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The Iranian deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed in the early hours of Monday an agreement for an “immediate end” to the US-Iranian war, and said Lebanon was included in a peace deal due to be signed on Friday. Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced the agreement on Sunday afternoon, saying both sides would be declaring “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts”.
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Trump told Vladimir Putin that ending Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine was critical and that he was prepared to help, reported Russia’s TASS news agency. During a phone call on Sunday, Trump also informed the Russian president that the US was nearing a peace deal with Iran as the US-Israel war against the country continues, according to Yuri Ushakov, a Putin adviser.
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JD Vance said he would discuss a 2028 US presidential run with his wife, Usha, after the 2026 midterms. “Usha and I will absolutely sit down and talk about what comes next for our family,” said Vance. The US vice-president gave insight into his ongoing decision on whether to run during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning where he spoke on his new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, which details his conversion to Catholicism.
Varley was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.
UK News
Nottinghamshire v Somerset, Leicestershire v Essex, and more: county cricket day four – live | Sport
Key events
Tea time scores
Division One
Grace Road: Leicestershire 187 and 428 v Essex 401 and 99-2 Essex need 116 to win
Trent Bridge: Somerset 310 and 355-7dec BEAT Nottinghamshire 193 and 166 by 306 runs.
Hove: Sussex 521 BEAT Glamorgan 155 and 268 by an innings and 98 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 469 and 246-6dec v Warwickshire 263 and 237-5 Warwicks need 216 to win
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 377 BEAT Derbyshire 118 and 237 by an innings and 22 runs
Blackpool: Kent 178 and 332 BEAT Lancashire 87 and 283 by 140 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire 465 v Gloucestershire 268 and 387 Northants need 191 to win
New Road: Worcestershire 265 and 191-7 v Middlesex 339 and 283-6dec Worcs need 167 to win
To Scarborough: where Sam Hain (63) and Ed Barnard (280 are keeping Warwickshire hopes alive, a flying George Hill not quite able to get hand on ball. Ah, they’re going in for tea now, needing 216 off 35 overs, five wickets left. Enthralling stuff for those sitting sunning themselves on the bleachers.
Rehan Ahmed, unwanted by England, lurches left to take a super catch to get rid of Tom Westley at Grace Road. Scriven the wicket taker. Essex 86-2.
Gloucestershire are really getting stuck into their task at Wantage Road – the lead is now 176. James Bracey now 137, Will Williams, whose obstinance Lancs would have liked at Blackpool, 7 in 40 minutes.
While at New Road, Cullen (15) and Taylor (6) continue to hold up Middlesex – Worcs seven down, needing another 179.
Looks lovely and sunny at Grace Road, as the clouds stitch a blanket over Manchester. Walter and Westley moving things along. Essex 73-1 need another 143.
England Test XI: Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker to make their debuts
There are four changes from England’s XI at Lord’s. Jordan Cox, fresh from a magnificent 204 against Leicestershire, and Sonny Baker will make their Test debuts. Jofra Archer returns, as does Matt Fisher, replacing his Surrey teammate Gus Atkinson who, along with Ben Stokes, wasn’t considered for selection after breaking the curfew. There is no space this time for Shoaib Bashir.
James Rew could also make his Test debut at The Oval, if Jamie Smith’s wife goes into labour.
England XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (capt), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Jordan Cox, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, Sonny Baker
Somerset (thank you Anthony Gibson) were without Toms Kohler-Cadmore, Abell, Banton and Lammonby and Will Smede, and then were raided by England for James Rew and lost Lewis Gregory to a hamstring mid-game.
Somerset BEAT Notts by 306 runs – five wickets for Coverton
Overton with the final wicket as Ali swats like a man about to be stung and Alfie Ogborne takes the catch, running over to Overton for a bear hug. Happy handshakes all round. O’Neill undefeated on 54, Notts all out for 166 and defeated for the first time in 15 matches.
Trent Bridge: Somerset 310 and 355-7dec BEAT Nottinghamshire 193 and 166 by 306 runs.
Somerset 21 points, Notts 3 points.
The wheels have fallen off and rolled into the gutter at New Road. Worcestershire, 123-7 at lunch, are now 156-7. Three for Zafar Gohar, one for Seb Morgan.
An early Essex wicket at Grace Road: “In a variation to his first innings dismissal, Elgar’s caught at slip off Davey to give Leicestershire some hope.” says Mike Daniels.
“I’m worried about Ben”
Some quite worrying quotes from Brendon McCullum about Ben Stokes.
Half a big Somerset boot is across the line as Dillon Pennington becomes wicket number four for Craig Overton, driving to backward point. O’Neill stands, thoughtful at the non-striker’s end on 45. Mohammad Ali gets a snorter first ball but survives. Notts 153-9.
Regulations, regulations. Over to you Mike Daniels: “Apparently the regs are that the 15 mins is taken if there’s a chance of a result and it’s the last innings of the game, whereas the 30 mins taken here was because that’s mandatory when there are 9 wkts down in any innings.
“That’s the combined wisdom of the scorers and the match referee at lunch. Apparently you can take the 15 mins and the 30 mins subsequently if it’s the last innings of the game.”
On a Monday in June?
100 for James Bracey
A second hundred of the season for James Bracey who has stitched Gloucestershire’s second innings together. Daz Ahmed was lbw just before lunch, so Matt Taylor joins the vigil. The lead over Northants 125.
Lewis Hill out at last for 127 – Essex need 215 to win
Could be interesting…. especially as Essex are without Jordan Cox in their second innings. All hail last man out Lewis Hill, bowled t’ween bat and pad heaving for the rope, for 127, walks off chastising himself. A second wicket for Critchley. Three each for Snater and Harmer.
Lunch at Trent Bridge, where a furious Craig Overton stalks off after missing a catch at slip in the last over before lunch, bowled by Jack Leach.
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 193 and 138-8 v Somerset 310 and 355-7dec Notts need 335 to win
While at Grace Road they will play on till 1.30 – thanks to Mike Daniels for the info.“Scorer tells me they’re playing on for half an hour or 8 overs, rather than 15 mins. Don’t know the regs myself.”
They’re playing on for 15 mins at Grace Road too, where Lewis Hill is still keeping vigil on 113, but has lost Josh Davey after 65 minutes of defence. Leics 414-9 lead by 200.
Lunchtime-ish scores
Division One
Grace Road: Leicestershire 187 and 414-9- v Essex 401
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 193 and 129-8 v Somerset 310 and 355-7
Hove: Sussex 521 BEAT Glamorgan 155 and 268 by an innings and 98 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 469 and 246-6dec v Warwickshire 263 and 139-4 Warwicks need 314 to win
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 377 BEAT Derbyshire 118 and 237 by an innings and 22 runs
Blackpool: Kent 178 and 332 BEAT Lancashire 87 and 283 by 140 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire 465 v Gloucestershire 268 and 306-8
New Road: Worcestershire 265 and127-3 v Middlesex 339 and 283-6 Worcs need 231 to win
A Thomas Rew stat that I missed yesterday – he is the third youngest Somerset centurion after Trevor Jones and Marcus Trescothick. He beats brother James by one precious day. They’re playing an extra 15 mins at Trent Bridge to try and get this game polished off.
Worcestershire had been enjoying a fruitful morning – but have just lost Roderick for 20, lbw to Eathan Bosch, a name he must always have to spell out over the telephone. (I feel his pain). Ben Allison 71 not out. Worcs 117-3 need another 241 to beat Middx.
They’re on at Wantage Road, but James Bracey (93) and Daz Ahmed are hanging on in there. Gloucs 398-7 lead Northants by 101. Ahmed, who came through SACA, is playing in his second f-c match.
Jack Haynes, Nottinghamshire’s last real hope, get a wobbler from Pretorius that shimmies past, and touches, the outside edge, Notts 104 for eight.
100 for Lewis Hill
Well played Lewis Hill! Back-to-the-wall innings of the year? Over six hours of concentration. Leicestershire 397-8 and Essex’s frustration grows.
To Scarborough, where George Hill is also polishing his all-round credentials – 65 not out yesterday, 3 for 23 with the ball today. Warwickshire are listing badly – three wickets down this morning – 97 for four, 355 more to win.
Patterson-White has a waft and is caught at second slip by Craig Overton scooping the ball off the turf with both hands – Pretorius with the wicket. Notts down and nearly out – 87-7.
Elsewhere, Simon Harmer has extracted Tom Scriven from the Grace Road pitch, but Lewis Hill’s nearly-six-hour opus continues. He’s now got Josh Davey (5 in 23 balls) for company. The lead over Essex is 148.
Rew highlights
Thanks to WashingtonIrvine BTL for the link to the Rew brother’s batting partnership yesterday and Tom’s first century. So young, so talented.
Thomas Rew! What catch, diving to his right in front of first slip with open mitt, and only wearing the gloves because brother James was called up by England yesterday. T Rew and James Coles are currently battling for allround performance of the round. A pair for Lyndon James, a second wicket for Overton this morning.
Notts 75 for six and looking lightly to slip to defeat at fortress Trent Bridge for the first time since May 2024 against Hampshire
And there’s the next big wicket for Somerset, HH, who turns Overton off his hip and into the gloves of Thomas Rew. Notts 69 for five and HH is another player, like Saif Zaib until this round, who hasn’t been able to match last year’s plenty.
Stories of women’s cricket in Scotland wanted!
Fiona Reid and Bunny Warren are trying to find hidden stories of women’s cricket in Scotland over the last 150 years. If you have any, do contact them at Fiona.Reid@bayfirth.co.uk . Find out more here
Weather watch – no play yet at Northampton
Mostly positive, with sunny spells, though there are some showers moving north and east. At Wantage Road, they’re starting to mop up.
A huge wicket! Joe Clarke is bowled by Jake Ball, who was substituted in half way through the game because of Gregory’s hamstring. Delight for Somerset, despair for Clarke who was done for pace. Notts 51-4,
Big Craig with the second over of the morning, after Joe Clarke tickles four off Jake Ball’s first ball of the day. Not many in the white tip-up seats. And that’s a maiden.
Eyes first to Trent Bridge, where Notts are trying to avoid their first defeat of the season, and their first since May 2025 when they lost to Durham at Chester le Street. Anthony Gibson thinks it is a bowling morning moving onto a batting afternoon.
Good morning Mike Daniels in the Grace Road scorebox. “Will it be a Headingly ‘81 day here or will Leicestershire subside to another tame loss?
“It’s frustrating for their supporters to see the optimism generated by last season’s promotion dissipated by the performances this year.
“Yes, there are mitigating factors with key players missing for either the whole or part of the season and a great overseas signing subsequently withdrawn by the SA Board, but the batting hasn’t generally been good enough from the established players. Days like yesterday, when grit was shown, are more frustrating as it shows what has been missing from the first innings, and too many innings so far this year.
“The workmanlike bowling attack was never going to be strong enough to win games in Div 1 so the onus was on the batting, and it hasn’t delivered.
“There’s still time to put strong performances in this season and supporters are hoping they’ll show the fight they showed yesterday in the coming games.”
Deepti Sharma popped Pakistan dreams.
Ollie Robinson ruled out of the second Test
Due to that knee soreness he felt after the first Test. He will stay with the squad and undergo rehab work ahead of the third Test. Which means England’s bowling attack will have at least three changes from Lord’s – minus Stokes, Atkinson and Robinson.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Grace Road: Leicestershire 187 and 326-7 v Essex 401
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 193 and 47-3v Somerset 310 and 355-7
Hove: Sussex 521 BEAT Glamorgan 155 and 268 by an innings and 98 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 469 and 246-6 v Warwickshire 263 and 44-1
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 377 BEAT Derbyshire 118 and 237 by an innings and 22 runs
Blackpool: Kent 178 and 332 BEAT Lancashire 87 and 283 by 140 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire 465 v Gloucestershire 268 and 264-7
New Road: Worcestershire 265 and 33-2 v Middlesex 339 and 283-6 Worcs need 325 to win
Sunday’s roundup: Mahmud’s six continues Kent’s revival
Hasan Mahmud poured cold water over the Blackpool sandcastles with a career-best six for 69, nine wickets in the match, bowling Kent to a 140-run victory over Lancashire. He lifted the match ball as he led Kent off, enveloped in a huge hug from head coach Adam Hollioake as he crossed the rope – not a bad debut performance.
Kent’s dismal start to the season has been transformed, with three wins in four games. Lancashire’s though, has slipped dangerously – this a third defeat in four. Marcus Harris was stranded on an immaculate 91, though for a time, as the crowd on the bleachers soaked in the afternoon sun, the unlikely seemed possible, as Keaton Jennings (61) and Liam Livingstone (47) stuck to the task.
Sussex leaped to the top of the Division One table with an innings victory over Glamorgan at Hove. Glamorgan batted with furrowed concentration second time around, with half centuries for Ben Kellaway (55) and Asa Tribe (64), but Sussex chipped away. Captain Tom Haines snaffled three wickets as did double-centurion James Coles, who put the full stop on a magical match by bowling Ryan Hadley.
Durham coach Ryan Campbell, buoyant after the innings defeat of Derbyshire, confirmed he expects Ben Stokes to play for his team next week. He also praised Matthew Potts, whose eight for 66 cannoned Durham to victory. “When you find out you’re not going to be selected [by England], you can go one of two ways,” said Campbell. “You can be down in the dumps, or you can be Matthew Potts and take eight wickets. It just shows the qualities of the man.”
Potts’ four wickets in 19 balls ended Derbyshire’s resistance, though Harry Came carried his bat for 105. Earlier Lewis Moody, on his fundraising cycle ride from Newcastle RUFC to Twickenham, had called in to Chester le Street.
Eighteen-year-old Tom Rew hit his maiden first-class century for Somerset, a delightfully racy knock, as they dominated Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
England pulled Jordan Cox, fresh from his 204, out of Essex’s match against Leicestershire early as cover for Jamie Smith, whose partner is due to give birth to their second child. On the pitch, a dogged Leicestershire second innings, following on, hauled the game into a fourth day.
Preamble
Hello! Monday morning and there’s three empty places at the breakfast table – Chester-le-Street, Blackpool and Hove have all left early.
But there’s still lots to chew over – can Somerset’s bowlers run through the rest of Notts? Will Leicester’s dogged Sunday be in vain?Will Yorkshire pickle out Warwicks, Middlesex, Worcester and Northants stride up the table? All this and more, from 11am. Do join us.
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