https://www.theguardian.com/us/sport Sports news, scores, blogs and opinion on US and world sports from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 Sat, 09 May 2026 09:38:41 GMT 2026-05-09T09:38:41Z en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.png https://www.theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2026/may/08/premier-league-title-race-seven-games-arsenal-manchester-city <p>Arsenal have the advantage in the Premier League title race but will they hold off Manchester City’s challenge?</p><p>By <a href="https://www.whoscored.com/">WhoScored</a></p><p>Seven games remain: three for Arsenal, four for Manchester City. Seven opportunities for more twists and turns in the title race. Just as City appeared to be building their trademark relentless charge at the end of the season, they self-destructed in the space of 13 minutes at Everton. Jérémy Doku’s extraordinary late equaliser has given them a lifeline, but <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/04/pep-guardiola-manchester-city-lost-control-title-race-everton-david-moyes">that 3-3 draw has handed the initiative back to Arsenal</a>. Five points separate the sides and the equation is now brutally simple: if Arsenal win their last three games they will be crowned champions for the first time in 22 years, whereas City must be flawless and hope their rivals stumble.</p><p>Premier League titles turn on moments: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/may/13/manchester-city-qpr-premier-league">Sergio Agüero’s 94th-minute winner in 2012</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/27/liverpool-chelsea-premier-league-match-report">Steven Gerrard’s slip in 2014</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/06/manchester-city-leicester-city-premier-league-match-report">Vincent Kompany’s thunderbolt in 2019</a>, or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/may/22/manchester-city-win-premier-league-title-aston-villa-match-report">City’s final-day comeback in 2022</a>. The question now is whether the 2025-26 season has already had its defining moment in that Everton game or whether, with seven games to play, this campaign is yet to deliver the scene for which it will be remembered.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2026/may/08/premier-league-title-race-seven-games-arsenal-manchester-city">Continue reading...</a> Premier League Arsenal Manchester City Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 09:24:26 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2026/may/08/premier-league-title-race-seven-games-arsenal-manchester-city Composite: Reuters, Getty, Shutterstock Composite: Reuters, Getty, Shutterstock Composite: Reuters, Getty, Shutterstock Harry Paterson 2026-05-08T09:24:26Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/09/into-the-ronaldo-verse-sludge-of-content-is-eating-up-sport-and-the-adults-are-to-blame <p>Footballer has 664 million followers but his boring presence is a reminder of how reel-life destroys what it touches</p><p>Buy the backpack airlines hate. Fawn strangely at a child athlete. This TV presenter drank olive oil for a month and absolutely nothing happened. The streets (no actual streets involved) won’t forget (robots can’t forget) Paul Pogba (or equivalent coding).</p><p>Nineties dance hits. Ruben Amorim loyalists. Argue with fake fans over a fake photo of fake empty seats. Buy a backpack that hates you because you once thought about buying a backpack, and like a Hungarian grandmother it will never, ever forget and you will be punished.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/09/into-the-ronaldo-verse-sludge-of-content-is-eating-up-sport-and-the-adults-are-to-blame">Continue reading...</a> Cristiano Ronaldo Instagram Social media Sport Sat, 09 May 2026 07:00:50 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/09/into-the-ronaldo-verse-sludge-of-content-is-eating-up-sport-and-the-adults-are-to-blame Illustration: Robin Hursthouse/The Guardian Illustration: Robin Hursthouse/The Guardian Illustration: Robin Hursthouse/The Guardian Barney Ronay 2026-05-09T07:00:50Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/wnba-2026-predictions-will-anyone-stop-the-aces-in-the-leagues-30th-season <p>The new campaign tips off on Friday. Our team of writers look at the rookies to watch, the surprise teams and who will rule the roost at the end of the year</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/12/sign-up-for-wnba-30-a-limited-run-womens-basketball-newsletter"><strong>Sign up to get WNBA 30</strong></a><strong> in your inbox every Tuesday</strong></p></li></ul><p><strong>A summer of basketball without the specter of CBA uncertainty</strong>. There’s no doubt last season had highs – the Aces’ <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/10/aces-win-third-wnba-title-sweep-phoenix-mercury">third title</a>, the Liberty’s star power, breakout rookies and the emergence of the Golden State Valkyries – but the possibility of a shortened, delayed or even cancelled 2026 season loomed over so much of 2025. After 17 months of negotiations and hard-earned, deserved wins by the players, here we are. My second answer: getting Jordan Robinson’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/12/sign-up-for-wnba-30-a-limited-run-womens-basketball-newsletter">WNBA 30 newsletter</a> in my inbox every Tuesday! <strong>EB</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/wnba-2026-predictions-will-anyone-stop-the-aces-in-the-leagues-30th-season">Continue reading...</a> WNBA Basketball US sports Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 09:00:42 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/wnba-2026-predictions-will-anyone-stop-the-aces-in-the-leagues-30th-season Composite: Getty Images Composite: Getty Images Composite: Getty Images Ella Brockway, Yara El-Shaboury, Stephanie Kaloi, Andrew Lawrence and Tiana Randall 2026-05-08T09:00:42Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/world-cup-final-ticket-prices-tripled-fifa <ul><li><p>Previous high for Category 1 had been $10,990</p></li><li><p>Resale tickets for final listed from $8,000 to $11.5m</p></li><li><p>New Jersey reps pen letter to Infantino about ticketing</p></li></ul><p>Fifa tripled the price of its best available tickets to the World Cup final, making $32,970 seats available on Thursday for the 19 July match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.</p><p>The governing body listed those seats as Front Category 1 on its sales site.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/world-cup-final-ticket-prices-tripled-fifa">Continue reading...</a> World Cup 2026 World Cup Sport US sports Fifa Gianni Infantino Football Fri, 08 May 2026 17:44:01 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/world-cup-final-ticket-prices-tripled-fifa Photograph: Angelina Katsanis/Reuters Photograph: Angelina Katsanis/Reuters Photograph: Angelina Katsanis/Reuters Associated Press 2026-05-08T17:44:01Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/novak-djokovic-italian-open-tennis-french-open <ul><li><p>Djokovic loses in three sets to Dino Prizmic in Rome</p></li><li><p>‘Not ideal preparation’ for French Open later this month</p></li></ul><p>Novak Djokovic believes he must accept the “new reality” of his continuous physical struggles in the latter part of his career as his return to competition after an injury-ravaged clay-court season ended in a second-round Italian Open loss to the young Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic, who recovered courageously from a set down to topple his idol 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.</p><p>Djokovic has not competed since the Indian Wells Masters event two months ago, his only other tournament since his spectacular <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/01/tennis-australian-open-final-carlos-alcaraz-novak-djokovic">run to the Australian Open final</a>. As the fourth seed in Rome, he received a first-round bye. Despite starting the match positively, the 38-year-old was outplayed by his 20-year-old opponent, who wore the Serb down physically and played bold tennis to escape with the greatest victory of his career.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/novak-djokovic-italian-open-tennis-french-open">Continue reading...</a> Novak Djokovic Tennis Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 19:48:48 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/novak-djokovic-italian-open-tennis-french-open Photograph: Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images Photograph: Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images Photograph: Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images Tumaini Carayol in Rome 2026-05-08T19:48:48Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/tennis-slams-refusal-discuss-money-slap-in-face-for-players-threaten-boycott <p>Wealthy players asking for more money may feel wrong but the big four tournaments are not sharing the revenue fairly</p><p>At some point in the quiet buildup to her opening match at the Italian Open, Aryna Sabalenka decided to attack one of the most contentious subjects in her sport with the same force as her forehand. In her press conference, the subject of the top players’ attempts to attain a greater revenue share from the grand slam tournaments prompted the world No 1 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/05/aryna-sabalenka-tennis-grand-slam-boycott-prize-money">to make a drastic prediction</a>: “I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah,” she said. “I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.”</p><p>It marked an escalation in a pay dispute that, until this point, had played out in a series of polite letters and public statements. Over a year ago, in March 2025, the players sent their first letter to the grand slam tournaments. Their requests focused on the grand slams offering a greater percentage of their revenues to the players, contributions to player welfare initiatives, such as pension funds, and closer consultation through a grand slam player council. To the frustration of the player group, the grand slams have still not issued substantial responses to the first two requests.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/tennis-slams-refusal-discuss-money-slap-in-face-for-players-threaten-boycott">Continue reading...</a> Tennis Aryna Sabalenka Sport US sports Sat, 09 May 2026 07:00:50 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/tennis-slams-refusal-discuss-money-slap-in-face-for-players-threaten-boycott Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock Tumaini Carayol in Rome 2026-05-09T07:00:50Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/bournemouth-alex-jimenez-investigation-into-social-media-posts <ul><li><p>Player stood down from Saturday’s game at Fulham</p></li><li><p>Club ‘aware of posts circulating on social media’</p></li></ul><p>Bournemouth have confirmed Álex Jiménez has been omitted from their squad for Saturday’s game at Fulham after they opened an investigation relating to social media posts.</p><p>It follows alleged exchanges on social media between Jiménez and an individual who appears to state that they are a 15-year-old girl.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/bournemouth-alex-jimenez-investigation-into-social-media-posts">Continue reading...</a> Bournemouth Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 11:56:27 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/bournemouth-alex-jimenez-investigation-into-social-media-posts Photograph: Steve Bardens/Getty Images Photograph: Steve Bardens/Getty Images Photograph: Steve Bardens/Getty Images Ben Fisher 2026-05-08T11:56:27Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/real-madrid-barcelona-knockout-blow-la-liga <p>Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa is facing the bitterest of ends as faint hopes are set to be extinguished by fiercest rivals</p><p>The vice-captain was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/real-madrid-fede-valverde-has-stitches-after-fight-with-aurelien-tchouameni">taken to hospital for stitches</a> having been laid out by his midfield partner. Another midfielder said he wouldn’t play any more; as if he was going to play anyway. The manager wasn’t asking for much, just that they didn’t swan out there as if wearing tuxedos, and that’s still asking too much. The centre-back hit the left-back. The winger fell out with the last coach. The captain fell out with this coach. And the superstar, already accused of not caring, swanning off to Sardinia, drives out of the training ground, past the cameras and away from the whole sorry mess, <a href="https://www.20minutos.es/deportes/futbol/mbappe-sale-entrenamiento-muerto-risa-pelea-companeros-medio-brutal-crisis-real-madrid_6967676_0.html">laughing his head off</a>. Now here’s Barcelona.</p><p>You think things can’t get any worse but things can always get worse. The most painful week anyone could remember, maybe the biggest, most public crisis they have ever had, concludes with Real Madrid travelling to the Camp Nou on Sunday for the <em>clásico</em>. If they don’t win, and few believe they can given the football they play and the faultlines that run through their dressing room, they will watch Barcelona become champions with three games left, going down as the flames go higher and history is made. It would be the first time in 94 years a meeting of sport’s great rivals decides the title – only this title has long been decided, both cause and consequence of the turmoil Madrid are in.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/real-madrid-barcelona-knockout-blow-la-liga">Continue reading...</a> Real Madrid Barcelona La Liga European club football Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 19:57:59 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/real-madrid-barcelona-knockout-blow-la-liga Photograph: Bagu Blanco/Pressinphoto/Shutterstock Photograph: Bagu Blanco/Pressinphoto/Shutterstock Photograph: Bagu Blanco/Pressinphoto/Shutterstock Sid Lowe 2026-05-08T19:57:59Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/lakers-vs-thunder-referees-lebron-nba-playoffs <ul><li><p>Players huddle around refs to voice frustration</p></li><li><p>Oklahoma City win 125-107 for 2-0 series lead</p></li><li><p>Cunningham lifts Pistons past Cavaliers</p></li></ul><p>Lakers coach JJ Redick criticized the way LeBron James is officiated and guard Austin Reaves complained about treatment from the referees after Los Angeles lost 125-107 to the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.</p><p>A number of Lakers players gathered around the referees at midcourt after the game and Reaves voiced his frustration to crew chief John Goble. He felt that while players were jockeying for position during a jump ball during the game, Goble crossed the line.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/lakers-vs-thunder-referees-lebron-nba-playoffs">Continue reading...</a> NBA Basketball Sport US sports Los Angeles Lakers Oklahoma City Thunder Detroit Pistons Cleveland Cavaliers Fri, 08 May 2026 11:56:49 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/08/lakers-vs-thunder-referees-lebron-nba-playoffs Photograph: Nate Billings/AP Photograph: Nate Billings/AP Photograph: Nate Billings/AP Associated Press 2026-05-08T11:56:49Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/may/09/manchester-city-look-to-stay-in-title-hunt-liverpool-host-chelsea-efl-playoffs-buildup-matchday-live <p>⚽ News, discussion and buildup before day’s action<br>⚽ Premier League things link | <a href="mailto:matchday.live@theguardian.com">Email us here</a></p><p>As always, feel free to <strong><a href="mailto:matchday.live@theguardian.com">email in</a></strong> with any thoughts, feelings, predictions, observations and all that jazz. What are your plans for the weekend? Where will you be watching the football? Let me know!</p><p><strong>How the Premier League table looks as things stand…</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/may/09/manchester-city-look-to-stay-in-title-hunt-liverpool-host-chelsea-efl-playoffs-buildup-matchday-live">Continue reading...</a> Football Sport Sat, 09 May 2026 09:28:54 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/may/09/manchester-city-look-to-stay-in-title-hunt-liverpool-host-chelsea-efl-playoffs-buildup-matchday-live Photograph: Steve Bardens/AMA/Getty Images Photograph: Steve Bardens/AMA/Getty Images Photograph: Steve Bardens/AMA/Getty Images Barry Glendenning (now) Emillia Hawkins (earlier) 2026-05-09T09:28:54Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/playoff-semi-final-efl-southampton-spying-middlesbrough <ul><li><p>League to convene disciplinary panel at ‘earliest opportunity’</p></li><li><p>Furious Boro want playoff opponents to be punished severely</p></li></ul><p>Southampton have been charged with misconduct by the English Football League and will face an independent disciplinary commission set to be convened “at the earliest opportunity”.</p><p>Middlesbrough remain furious after catching a man they maintain belongs to Tonda Eckert’s backroom staff allegedly spying on a vital training session before Saturday’s Championship playoff semi-final first leg against Southampton at the Riverside Stadium.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/playoff-semi-final-efl-southampton-spying-middlesbrough">Continue reading...</a> Middlesbrough Southampton Championship Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 22:21:44 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/playoff-semi-final-efl-southampton-spying-middlesbrough Photograph: MI News/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Photograph: MI News/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Photograph: MI News/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Louise Taylor 2026-05-08T22:21:44Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/west-ham-on-brink-a-decade-since-david-sullivan-big-club-feelings <p>The club chair said the move to the London Stadium showed they were not a ‘tinpot club’ but now relegation threat looms</p><p>When David Sullivan was pressed on why West Ham bothered to move to the London Stadium, the lack of substance to his argument offered a window into the club’s dysfunction. “I just think we feel like a big club,” Sullivan said in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/dec/08/david-sullivan-west-ham-worked-my-socks-off-not-good-enough">an interview with the Guardian</a> in December 2017. “Not a tinpot club. When players come to look at West Ham, they look at where you play.”</p><p>Look deeper, though. Analysing the club chair’s answer nine years on, the conclusion is that this is an owner whose desire to win is cancelled out by his listlessness. Feeling like a big club, after all, is not the same as being a big club. It is a decade since West Ham departed from Upton Park, their tinpot home, and told their fans that doing so would take them to the next level. “A world-class stadium with a world-class team,” was the infamous sell from Karren Brady, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/21/karren-brady-west-ham-exit">recently departed vice-chair</a>, to which the best retort may be that line in the club’s recent accounts “forecasting a liquidity shortfall in summer 2026”, as well as the “severe but plausible scenario” of relegation causing an even bigger financial crisis three years after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/07/fiorentina-west-ham-europa-conference-league-final-match-report">victory in the Conference League</a> was followed by the £105m sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/west-ham-on-brink-a-decade-since-david-sullivan-big-club-feelings">Continue reading...</a> West Ham United Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 18:00:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/west-ham-on-brink-a-decade-since-david-sullivan-big-club-feelings Illustration: Guardian Design; Vince Mignott/EPA Illustration: Guardian Design; Vince Mignott/EPA Illustration: Guardian Design; Vince Mignott/EPA Jacob Steinberg 2026-05-08T18:00:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/hull-millwall-championship-playoff-semi-final-match-report <p>It was the city of Hull where Millwall’s dreams of the top flight last came true all the way back in 1988. Kevin O’Callaghan’s penalty at the old Boothferry Park a mile across town was enough to ensure a 1-0 victory and promotion to the First Division. So with Hull the opponents again and the stakes at their highest, this felt like something of an omen.</p><p>But in the end, the events in East Yorkshire this time around nearly 40 years on from one of their greatest triumphs will ultimately be consigned to a footnote in this tie. All the drama and the headlines will instead unfold in south London on Monday evening after a first leg that was littered with tension, but shy of genuine moments that could decide the promotion fortunes of these teams.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/hull-millwall-championship-playoff-semi-final-match-report">Continue reading...</a> Championship Hull City Millwall Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 20:59:57 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/hull-millwall-championship-playoff-semi-final-match-report Photograph: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock Photograph: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock Photograph: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock Aaron Bower at MKM Stadium 2026-05-08T20:59:57Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/mikel-arteta-arsenal-premier-league-title-football <p>Manager dismisses criticism from the ‘celebration police’ and is focused on ensuring his players take the final steps starting at West Ham on Sunday</p><p>A long row of team photos line the corridor that leads from the players’ entrance at the Emirates Stadium to the media area, each taken at the beginning of a new season and featuring any trophies won in the previous campaign. Updated every year, it currently dates back to 2002 when Arsène Wenger masterminded the Premier League and FA Cup double that saw Arsenal come from behind to see off Manchester United in the title race, with the photo of the famous Invincibles proudly on display the next but one along.</p><p>That represents the last time they were crowned champions – 22&nbsp;years ago, the longest Arsenal have gone without winning a league title since they claimed their first of 13 in 1931, when Herbert Chapman was at the helm. Walk a bit further and you will see several more FA Cups, including the victory&nbsp;i<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/01/aubameyang-arsenal-chelsea-fa-cup-final-match-report">n Mikel Arteta’s first season</a>&nbsp;after he took over from Unai&nbsp;Emery in December 2019, before the silverware on show abruptly ends. But after three successive runners-up finishes, Arsenal suddenly find themselves within touching distance of winning back the trophy they covet&nbsp;more than any other.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/mikel-arteta-arsenal-premier-league-title-football">Continue reading...</a> Arsenal Football Sport Mikel Arteta Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:39 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/mikel-arteta-arsenal-premier-league-title-football Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images Ed Aarons 2026-05-08T21:30:39Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/brighton-fran-kirby-fa-cup-semi-final-liverpool <p>Former Chelsea forward is thriving on the south coast and targeting victory over Liverpool in the Women’s FA Cup</p><p>Fran Kirby knows what she brings. She always has. The Brighton forward is not young for a footballer but, at 32, she’s not old either and, injury free, is reminding people she still has it. “I know I am not the same player that I was when I was 25, I’m not naive,” she says. “That’s not who I am anymore, but I know what I can bring and that is creativity, the passes that other people won’t try. I’ve always said it: I will always try a pass, even if it doesn’t come off. That’s how I play. I play with risk. Sometimes it doesn’t work, sometimes it does.”</p><p>That eye for a pass is frequently on display. A recent standout was Kirby’s assist for Kiko Seike in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/25/brighton-manchester-city-wsl-match-report">Brighton’s thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester City</a>. The obvious move was to play a pass into Seike’s feet; instead Kirby squeezed the ball between two defenders, taking them out of the action, and into space for her Japanese teammate to collect and fire in. It was vintage Kirby and, after her Chelsea career was blighted by injuries and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart lining), it is wonderful to see a woman who earned 77 caps for England playing at such a level.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/brighton-fran-kirby-fa-cup-semi-final-liverpool">Continue reading...</a> Brighton & Hove Albion Women Women's Super League Women's football Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 18:02:28 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/brighton-fran-kirby-fa-cup-semi-final-liverpool Photograph: Jordan Peck/Getty Images for AELTC Photograph: Jordan Peck/Getty Images for AELTC Photograph: Jordan Peck/Getty Images for AELTC Suzanne Wrack 2026-05-08T18:02:28Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/may/09/nottinghamshire-v-surrey-worcs-v-durham-and-more-county-cricket-live <p> Updates from the latest round of Championship games<br> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/18/sign-up-to-the-spin">Sign up for The Spin newsletter</a> | <a href="mailto:tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com">Mail Tanya</a> or post BTL</p><p><strong>Raf runs her eye over</strong> England’s summer, and a first captaincy gig for Charlie Dean.</p><p><strong>Ali’s trip to Worcester to see Ben</strong> Stokes bowl.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/may/09/nottinghamshire-v-surrey-worcs-v-durham-and-more-county-cricket-live">Continue reading...</a> County Championship Cricket Sport County Championship Division One County Championship Division Two Sat, 09 May 2026 09:04:06 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/may/09/nottinghamshire-v-surrey-worcs-v-durham-and-more-county-cricket-live Photograph: Nigel French/PA Photograph: Nigel French/PA Photograph: Nigel French/PA Tanya Aldred 2026-05-09T09:04:06Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/melbourne-storm-coach-craig-bellamy-future-private-illness <ul><li><p>NRL coach undecided on plan for next season in light of medical condition</p></li><li><p>Rugby league veteran turns spotlight on return to form in Wests Tigers clash</p></li></ul><p>Craig Bellamy is staying private about his illness, the veteran Melbourne coach wanting the spotlight to remain on the Storm rather than his health.</p><p>Bellamy fronted the media at AAMI Park ahead of the Storm’s Sunday afternoon clash with Wests Tigers, with the side looking to stop a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2026/apr/27/storm-success-was-as-certain-as-death-and-taxes-so-how-has-it-all-gone-wrong">record-extending seven-match losing streak</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/melbourne-storm-coach-craig-bellamy-future-private-illness">Continue reading...</a> NRL Melbourne Storm Rugby league Australia sport Sport Sat, 09 May 2026 05:05:52 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/melbourne-storm-coach-craig-bellamy-future-private-illness Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP Australian Associated Press 2026-05-09T05:05:52Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/gold-coast-suns-gambling-mark-opie-okebet-afl <ul><li><p>Key member of Suns’ dressing room Mark Opie also part of Okebet</p></li><li><p>Okebet fined $100,000 in 2024 for encouraging players to gamble</p></li></ul><p>Gold Coast Suns have made an assurance they are acting within AFL rules, despite a key figure inside the club’s dressing room allegedly working with a bookmaking firm which has been subject to disciplinary action by the Victorian regulator for inducing gambling at local footy clubs.</p><p>Mark Opie, a longtime Richmond team manager and Tigers life member, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/damien-hardwick-pinches-tigers-stalwart-life-member-mark-opie-from-punt-rd-to-join-suns/news-story/ef82d2e3056d9d2d7a6c4860ec458cd4">moved to Gold Coast in 2024</a>, and is now subject to an investigation by the AFL integrity unit.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/gold-coast-suns-gambling-mark-opie-okebet-afl">Continue reading...</a> AFL Gold Coast Suns Australian rules football Australia sport Sport Gambling Sat, 09 May 2026 02:00:44 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/gold-coast-suns-gambling-mark-opie-okebet-afl Photograph: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/Getty Images Photograph: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/Getty Images Photograph: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/Getty Images Jack Snape 2026-05-09T02:00:44Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/alex-de-minaur-matteo-arnaldi-italian-open-second-round-report <ul><li><p>Australian defeated 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 by Matteo Arnaldi in second round</p></li><li><p>World No 8 has now lost four of his past five matches on clay</p></li></ul><p>Alex de Minaur has been reduced to racket-smashing frustration as his alarming slump in form continued with another early clay-court tournament exit at the Italian Open.</p><p>Australia’s world No 8 was downed 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 by home favourite Matteo Arnaldi, who was cheered to the rafters at the Foro Italico by the excited Rome crowd on Friday morning.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/alex-de-minaur-matteo-arnaldi-italian-open-second-round-report">Continue reading...</a> Tennis Alex de Minaur Australia sport Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 23:05:01 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/09/alex-de-minaur-matteo-arnaldi-italian-open-second-round-report Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters Australian Associated Press 2026-05-08T23:05:01Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/premier-league-news-theres-nothing-wrong-with-liverpools-standards-fumes-slot-guardiola-title-chase-not-over <p>Salah’s claims about a winning culture spark reaction as City manager rows back on his perfect-finish stance</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/premier-league-news-theres-nothing-wrong-with-liverpools-standards-fumes-slot-guardiola-title-chase-not-over">Continue reading...</a> Liverpool Arne Slot Manchester City Pep Guardiola Chelsea West Ham United Newcastle United Football Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:38 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/08/premier-league-news-theres-nothing-wrong-with-liverpools-standards-fumes-slot-guardiola-title-chase-not-over Photograph: Gary Oakley/EPA Photograph: Gary Oakley/EPA Photograph: Gary Oakley/EPA Guardian sport and agencies 2026-05-08T21:30:38Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/may/08/hull-city-v-millwall-championship-playoff-semi-final-first-leg-live <p>Hull City and Millwall played football for about 95 minutes, and then the referee blew his whistle and they stopped</p><p><strong>1 min:</strong> From kick-off a long ball leads to a long throw, which leads to a corner, which is headed away.</p><p><strong>1 min:</strong> Peeeep! Millwall get the game started “in their cream strip with navy and mint v-neck”, we’re told.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/may/08/hull-city-v-millwall-championship-playoff-semi-final-first-leg-live">Continue reading...</a> Championship Football Hull City Millwall Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 21:14:23 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/may/08/hull-city-v-millwall-championship-playoff-semi-final-first-leg-live Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images Simon Burnton 2026-05-08T21:14:23Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/may/08/nottinghamshire-v-surrey-glamorgan-v-somerset-and-more-county-cricket-live <p> Updates from the latest round of Championship games<br> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/18/sign-up-to-the-spin">Sign up for The Spin newsletter</a> | <a href="mailto:tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com">Mail Tanya</a> or post BTL</p><p><strong>Four Middlesex slips</strong> wait as TRJ slipstreams in.</p><p><strong>James Rew, making good</strong> on Ali's whispered tip to open the batting, is duly bowled for four at Sophia Gardens. That’s three failures in the last three innings…</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/may/08/nottinghamshire-v-surrey-glamorgan-v-somerset-and-more-county-cricket-live">Continue reading...</a> County Championship Warwickshire Yorkshire Nottinghamshire Surrey Glamorgan Somerset Essex Hampshire Leicestershire Sussex Derbyshire Northamptonshire Gloucestershire Kent Worcestershire Middlesex Lancashire Durham County Championship Division One County Championship Division Two Cricket Sport Fri, 08 May 2026 18:20:40 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/may/08/nottinghamshire-v-surrey-glamorgan-v-somerset-and-more-county-cricket-live Photograph: Nigel French/PA Photograph: Nigel French/PA Photograph: Nigel French/PA Tanya Aldred at Old Trafford 2026-05-08T18:20:40Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/07/march-madness-tournaments-to-expand-to-76-teams-from-next-season <ul><li><p>Both tournaments will have eight extra games</p></li><li><p>Tournaments will expand for first time in 15 years</p></li></ul><p>The NCAA announced on Thursday that it will expand its two March Madness tournaments by eight teams each next season, a long-expected move that will drop more games into the first week of the showcase without substantially changing its overall form.</p><p>The new, 76-team brackets will jam eight extra games – for a total of 12 involving 24 teams – into the front half of the first week of the men’s and the women’s tournaments. It will turn what’s now known as the First Four into a bigger affair that will now be called the “March Madness Opening Round”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/07/march-madness-tournaments-to-expand-to-76-teams-from-next-season">Continue reading...</a> NCAA Tournament NCAA College basketball College sports US sports Sport Thu, 07 May 2026 19:57:04 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/07/march-madness-tournaments-to-expand-to-76-teams-from-next-season Photograph: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Photograph: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Photograph: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Associated Press 2026-05-07T19:57:04Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/usmnt-johnny-cardoso-injury-world-cup <ul><li><p>Atlético Madrid confirms ‘high-grade’ ankle sprain</p></li><li><p>Injury typically takes at least a month to recover from</p></li></ul><p>United States midfielder Johnny Cardoso has suffered a “high grade” sprain in his right ankle, his club Atlético Madrid said on Thursday. The injury casts the midfielder’s participation in the 2026 World Cup in serious doubt, with just five weeks to go until the tournament starts and less than three weeks to go until US head coach Mauricio Pochettino names his squad.</p><p>High-grade ankle sprains typically take at least a month to recover from, and often more. The US open their World Cup campaign on 13 June against Paraguay in Inglewood, California. They will then also play Australia and Turkey in their remaining group games.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/usmnt-johnny-cardoso-injury-world-cup">Continue reading...</a> La Liga USA Football Sport US sports World Cup 2026 Thu, 07 May 2026 16:29:26 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/usmnt-johnny-cardoso-injury-world-cup Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images Alexander Abnos and Agencies 2026-05-07T16:29:26Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/donald-trump-world-cup-ticket-prices <ul><li><p>Tickets for US opener v Paraguay go for $1,000+</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/06/gianni-infantino-says-fifas-high-world-cup-ticket-prices-are-justified-in-us-market">Infantino recently defended World Cup prices</a></p></li></ul><p>Donald Trump has questioned the value of four-figure World Cup tickets for matches involving the United States, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/business/trump-rips-1000-world-cup-ticket-prices-in-exclusive-post-interview-i-wouldnt-pay-it-either-to-be-honest/">telling the New York Post</a> that “I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest.”</p><p>The remark came in a phone interview with the Post, with Trump claiming he “did not know that number” for the USMNT’s opening match against Paraguay. In December, Fifa established a base price for Category 3 tickets – the cheapest available to most fans, given the small swathe of Category 4 seats at the tournament – of $1,120, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/18/analysis-how-prices-for-the-cheapest-world-cup-tickets-have-rocketed">the Guardian’s reporting at the time</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/donald-trump-world-cup-ticket-prices">Continue reading...</a> World Cup 2026 Football Sport World Cup Donald Trump US politics Fifa US sports Thu, 07 May 2026 15:39:03 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/donald-trump-world-cup-ticket-prices Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Jeff Rueter 2026-05-07T15:39:03Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/champions-league-review-arsenal-psg-bayern-munich-atletico-madrid <p>The teams for the final in Budapest are set. We look at how they got there and the factors that could determine the champion</p><p>Destination Budapest, where Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to be the first club apart from Real Madrid to win two consecutive European Cups since Milan in 1990. Vincent Kompany’s promise of “more” from Bayern Munich after a nine-goal first leg <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/06/bayern-psg-champions-league-semi-final-second-leg-match-report">did not materialise</a>. PSG offered a different proposition in Wednesday’s second leg; they put on a performance of defensive discipline, with their attacking players committed to closing down their opponents. Luis Enrique’s team never allowed the tie to spin from their control even if there were 33 shots in Munich compared to 22 in Paris.</p><p>Khvicha Kvaratskhelia plays like an old-style winger, and set up Ousmane Dembélé’s goal, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/06/khvicha-kvaratskhelia-paris-saint-germain-psg-champions-league-bayern-munich-luis-enrique">but he is also thoroughly modern</a> in the way he presses hard and high. Bayern found space at a premium until Harry Kane’s late goal. Luis Enrique’s team is much the same as last season’s, sticking to the same formula. They are a year older but still flush with youth. The PSG project took many years and billions of euros to hit pay dirt but is now delivering the success that was dreamed of after the Qatari takeover in 2011.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/champions-league-review-arsenal-psg-bayern-munich-atletico-madrid">Continue reading...</a> Champions League Paris Saint-Germain Arsenal Bayern Munich Atlético Madrid Football US sports Sport Thu, 07 May 2026 14:12:36 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/07/champions-league-review-arsenal-psg-bayern-munich-atletico-madrid Composite: AFP/Getty Composite: AFP/Getty Composite: AFP/Getty John Brewin 2026-05-07T14:12:36Z