أجريت منذ قليل، مراسم قرعة كأس العالم 2026، نسخة 2026، والتي ستنطلق الصيف المقبل، في مركز “جون كينيدي”.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

طالع.. مباشر | قرعة كأس العالم 2026.. بدء المراسم

وتُعد تلك النسخة الأولى من نوعها التي تشهد فيها بطولة كأس العالم بمشاركة 48 منتخبًا، حيث سيتم تقسيمها على 12 مجموعة.

وأسفرت قرعة كأس العالم 2026، عن مجموعة منتخب العراق المحتملة في بطولة كأس العالم حال تأهله رسميًا إلى المونديال، وتحديدًا المجموعة التاسعة. 

وتحدد مواجهة منتخب العراق للفائز من بوليفيا أمام سورينام المقررة في نصف نهائي الملحق العالمي المؤهل إلى نهائيات بطولة كأس العالم 2026.

وكان قد تأهل منتخب العراق إلى نهائيات الملحق العالمي المؤهل إلى نهائيات بطولة كأس العالم 2026، على حساب الإمارات، بالفوز بنتيجة 3-2 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب، حيث انتهت مواجهة الذهاب في الإمارات 1-1، ولقاء الإياب 2-1 للعراق.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي العراق مع الفائز من بوليفيا وسورينام يوم 1 أبريل العام الجاري 2026 على ملعب “أومنيلايف” أو ملعب “بي بي في إيه” في تمام الخامسة صباحًا بتوقيت مصر، السادسة بتوقيت السعودية والعراق. حال التأهل.. مجموعة العراق في كأس العالم 2026 

وجاءت مجموعة العراق المحتملة في بطولة كأس العالم 2026، حال التأهل على النحو التالي 

1- فرنسا

2- السنغال 

3- النرويج

4- الفائز من العراق أمام كل من بوليفيا وسورينام.

Baseball is all about the atmosphere. The crack of the bat at the ballpark, the peanuts, the Cracker Jack, the hot dogs.

Sure, there are the diehard baseball purists who can rattle off anything about each player on their favorite team. But, there are plenty of fans that head to the ballpark solely to take in that atmosphere. The Marlins’ broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network aimed to challenge those fans Friday as the team took on the Tigers.

“Somebody, name a Marlin, get a hot dog. Name a Marlin, free hot dog for a Marlin,” team reporter Jeremy Taché exclaimed as he power walked through the concourse at LoanDepot park.

“Sammy Alcántara,” he first fan he stopped for responded. That's not quite right, as righthander Alcántara toed the rubber for the Marlins Friday, but the answer was still good enough for the prize.

Taché continued to quickly speed through the concourse and stopped for two other fans who correctly answered the question as they both named second baseman Xavier Edwards. Maybe the challenge wasn’t as difficult as he initially thought as no fan shown got stumped, but it was hilarious entertainment from the local broadcast for the 69–79 Marlins.

“We got two Xavier Edwards, one Sammy Alcántara,” he said as he ended the segment. "That’ll do.”

Close enough.

Outside of the funny bit, Friday was a good night for the Marlins as they defeated the Tigers 8–2, although Detroit’s starter and AL Cy Young Award frontrunner Tarik Skubal left the game in the fourth inning with an apparent injury.

He has taken his time to come up the ranks, but at 28, Patil might be hitting his peak as a white-ball allrounder

Deivarayan Muthu03-Sep-2025He has the potential to become the next big white-ball allrounder from Mumbai after Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge. Like his better-known team-mates, he can launch mighty sixes from the middle order and also bowl handy seam-ups. His all-round skills earned him three Player-of-the-Match awards in six games and eventually the Player-of-the-Tournament award from Rohit Sharma at the T20 Mumbai league earlier this year. Meet 28-year-old Sairaj Patil, who is now on the radar of IPL teams as well.In the 2025 T20 Mumbai league, Patil scored 233 runs in six innings at a strike rate of over 150 to go with seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.35 for Eagle Thane Strikers. Despite state-run leagues mushrooming across India, allrounders who can clear the boundary and also bowl are still rare, which is why Patil has piqued the interest of scouts ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.Patil has been bossing the local and corporate tournaments in Mumbai for a while, but the recent success in the relaunched state league was proof that he could do the job at a higher level.Related

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Suryansh Shedge, clear thinker and ace T20 finisher

“Yeah, I had a great Mumbai T20 league and I am grateful for everything,” Patil told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of the pre-season Buchi Babu Tournament in Chennai. “I had prepped very well before the start of the tournament and I was dominating Mumbai cricket for the last two years and I was part of the Mumbai white-ball squad for [the 50-over] Vijay Hazare [Trophy] and Syed Mushtaq Ali [T20 tournament], but I was not getting chances.”So the past two seasons I was sitting outside… but by sitting outside I got to learn a lot of things. I built up a lot of patience, perseverance, and the grit to do well in every game I get and while I was playing in Mumbai cricket, I had the hunger to score in each and every game and dominate in all groups.”The most striking aspect of Patil’s T20 game is his six-hitting prowess – he smashed a chart-topping 16 in six innings in the T20 Mumbai league. He can even hit sixes off yorkers and low full tosses, thanks to his ability to play the helicopter shot. He said that his six-hitting wasn’t natural and put it down to hours of training and range-hitting with his childhood coach Bharat Chambre.”I hit 500-1000 balls a day along with my coach and so it has helped me now,” Patil said. “I didn’t have much power and strength when I was a kid but I’ve built it up with good coaching, diet and training. Even now, when I go to my practice sessions, I try and hit around 50-200 sixes and I try to get better every day.”With the ball, Patil is capable of hitting hard lengths at 130kph and also has some slower cutters in his repertoire. He has been working closely with former Mumbai and India bowlers Dhawal Kulkarni and Sairaj Bahutule to add to his variations and skills.

“Yeah, when you play in a country like India, everyone aspires to play the IPL and eventually for the country. So, like everyone else, I would like to be part of any of the franchises and showcase my talent in the tournaments”Sairaj Patil

“I’ve been bowling at 130-132 [kph] and Dhawal Kulkarni and Sairaj Bahutule have been my bowling mentors,” Patil said. “I enjoy contributing with both ball and bat. In the Mumbai T20 League, we had a tight schedule. It was quite difficult to manage the [bowling] load, but thanks to my trainers and S&Cs [strength and conditioning coaches] for managing me well.”Patil cherishes his all-round effort – 61 off 37 from No. 4 followed by four wickets – against SoBo Mumbai Falcons – at the Wankhede Stadium in June. Having come in to bat at 10 for 2, Patil watched Strikers slip further to 10 for 3, but he counterattacked with a boundary-laden fifty. He then fired with the ball too, the highlight being his dismissal of Shreyas Iyer with a 98kph cutter in his team’s successful defence of 151.”The game against SoBo Mumbai Falcons was special because we were three down [early],” Patil recalled. “I did dominate with the bat and it was special to get Shreyas’ wicket. So to score and take wickets in the pressure situation, I felt it was a turning point.”Patil, who hails from Palghar, where his father Bipin runs a club called Palghar Dahanu Taluka Sports Association, which has provided the platform for the likes of Shardul Thakur, Hardik Tamore and Sylvester D’Souza, idolises Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes, and has been bouncing ideas off Mumbai team-mates that have enjoyed success at the top level.”I share a good camaraderie with Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] , Shardul and Shreyas. Sarfaraz [Khan] and Prithvi [Shaw] are also my good friends and I learn from them. So they share a lot of insights on how I should go about with the game and how I can develop more to do better in the coming matches.”Sairaj Patil was named Player of the Tournament in the latest edition of the T20 Mumbai league•T20 Mumbai LeagueIt may not be too long before Patil joins some of those big names in the IPL. He had a stint with Mumbai Indians during their tour of the UK in 2022 and has been part of camps of quite a few franchises since, including Delhi Capitals’ most recently.”Yeah, when you play in a country like India, everyone aspires to play the IPL and eventually for the country,” he said. “So, like everyone else, I would like to be part of any of the franchises and showcase my talent in the tournaments.”Patil had been impressive with his big-hitting in the second season of the T20 Mumbai league in 2019 and now, with more experience and exposure, he believes that he is better equipped to deal with pressure.”Yes, experience comes as you play more and more games,” Patil said. “In 2019, when we [North Mumbai Panthers] won the T20 Mumbai league, I was the top six-hitter, but this year I did exceptionally well. From the previous experiences I had the motivation to become the best with bat and ball. I did that this season, so I am glad. I want to do the same things in all formats – whether it be red ball, whether it be white ball, and replicate it wherever I play.”While Patil is a work in progress in red-ball cricket – he is yet to make his Ranji Trophy debut – he has turned himself into an attractive T20 package, and though not exactly young, could yet have a career at the higher levels.

Cole Campbell has formally requested to leave Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window, according to Sky Sports Deutschland journalist Florian Plettenberg. The 19-year-old American winger is seeking a move in order to find regular first-team playing time and continue his development. Campbell featured for the U.S's U20 side and has made five senior appearances for BVB.

Desire for more playing time.

Plettenberg reported that Campbell has officially submitted his transfer request to Borussia Dortmund's management, citing concerns about his pathway to meaningful minutes with the senior squad. The U.S. youth international has struggled to break into Niko Kovac's plans this season despite showing promise in limited appearances last campaign.

Campbell's representatives have communicated that a winter move would best serve his development.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMultiple European clubs express interest

According to Plettenberg’s report, several European clubs have expressed interest in Campbell. Belgian sides Club Brugge and Anderlecht are among the potential destinations. Danish club FC Midtjylland is also reported to be monitoring the situation, while German second-division team SV Elversberg has been identified as another option.

Transfer saga follows summer standoff

Campbell's transfer request comes just months after Borussia Dortmund rejected a $4.6 million (€4 million) offer from VfB Stuttgart for the American winger. Reports from German outlet Bild indicated that Dortmund was holding out for approximately $9.3 million (€8 million) for Campbell during the summer window, despite the player having already agreed to personal terms with Stuttgart. This standoff ultimately prevented Campbell from securing a move.

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Getty Images SportWhat's next for Dortmund?

Dortmund have a rematch with Leverkusen, the side they beat 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, in the German Cup on Dec. 2. 

Manchester United’s defeat against Everton on Monday night once again highlighted the issues of Ruben Amorim’s reluctance to move away from his 3-4-2-1 system.

The Red Devils spent 77 minutes playing against just 10 men, but he refused to budge from his philosophy, which no doubt cost the side a chance of claiming all three points.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half strike was enough to secure all three points for the Toffees, with the hosts’ impressive five-game unbeaten run coming to an abrupt end.

Since the final whistle, the manager has come under fire for his stubbornness in implementing a more attacking system, especially after the visitors’ early dismissal.

During the loss to David Moyes’ men, one first-team member massively failed to take advantage of the rare starting opportunity that was handed his way in the Premier League.

Joshua Zirkzee’s stats against Everton for United

After Benjamin Sesko’s knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur, Joshua Zirkzee was handed his first Premier League start of the campaign against Everton yesterday.

The Dutchman had previously had to settle for minutes off the substitutes bench, but the clash at Old Trafford was his maiden start of the 2025/26 league season.

However, he was unable to take advantage of the opportunity that was handed his way, with the 24-year-old struggling to match the demands of the manager’s system.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but was only able to post a measly tally of 35 touches, with only five of his total touches coming within the opposition’s penalty area.

Zirkzee also completed just 15 passes at a success rate of just 60%, which resulted in the forward gifting the ball back to the opposition on 12 separate occasions.

His lack of quality was further outlined in his tally of one big chance missed and just four duels won, with James Tarkowski often pocketing the stand in centre forward.

Not just Zirkzee: United star must not start again under Amorim

In the 12 months since Amorim’s arrival, many United players have often struggled to match the expectations placed upon them – ultimately leading to their lowly Premier League finish last season.

Their performances, as seen by Zirkzee yesterday, will have led to the £200m spending spree during the summer window, but it should only be the start of the overhaul.

The midfield department should be next on the hierarchy’s agenda, with the manager no doubt wanting added reinforcements in such an area of the pitch.

Casemiro is getting towards the end of his current deal at Old Trafford, with Kobbie Mainoo seemingly not fancied by the manager after failing to start a single league game in 2025/26.

However, the defensive unit should also be one that the board are targeting, especially given the failures in that area over the past couple of seasons at Old Trafford.

Luke Shaw is one player who remains in such an area, but like Zirkzee, he’s often failed to deliver when called upon by Amorim over the last 12 months.

The Englishman has now spent over a decade on the books of the Red Devils, but ultimately, he’s entering the latter stages of his career – something which is starting to show.

He’s started every league game to date in 2025/26, but that’s not without question, with his performance against Everton one that failed to catch the eye for the right reasons.

The 30-year-old featured for the entire contest, but was only able to win 50% of the aerial duels he entered and was even dribbled past on two separate occasions.

Luke Shaw – stats against Everton
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	90
Touches	110
Passes completed	83
Aerials lost	50%
Dribbled past	2x
Interceptions	1
Clearances	1
Crosses completed	0
Stats via FotMob

He also only made one interception and one clearance, subsequently being unable to keep the side’s second clean sheet of the Premier League campaign.

Shaw’s tally of zero completed crosses out of his attempted four showcases his inability to find a teammate in attacking areas, which led to criticism from Gary Neville.

The former United star, now turned pundit, stated that the player is becoming a “waste of time” at United and that his performances at Old Trafford aren’t fooling anyone.

His latest showing under Amorim is further evidence that he’s unable to match the levels he did during the early years of his career – with Amorim needing to exclude him from his starting eleven.

Shaw and Zirkzee are certainly nowhere near the levels the club need if they are to be successful in the Premier League, with the hierarchy needing to offload them to free up funds in January.

Not just Zirkzee: Man Utd man who was among the 'world's best' must be axed

Manchester United’s flaws were brutally exposed in Monday’s dismal defeat to Everton.

By
Robbie Walls

Nov 25, 2025

Currently, it feels like Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract last year and sign for Real Madrid has benefitted nobody.

The Spanish giants have yet to find a starring role for the right-back in Xabi Alonso’s system; Trent is out in the cold vis-à-vis Thomas Tuchel’s England; Liverpool keenly miss their starboy’s creativity and flair.

All of this is premature. Much can change, and it has only been three months since the 2025/26 campaign kicked off. But Arne Slot’s Liverpool are lacking ideas at the moment; and just as importantly, they cannot find the answers to their opponents’ tactics.

Slot sought to reorient Liverpool’s creative focus to a more typical area, working with Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for what stood as a record-breaking £116m fee for a few months.

Now, Liverpool are looking into new attacking midfielders to rival Wirtz for a place in the Reds’ starting line-up.

Why Liverpool are looking to sign Wirtz rival

Liverpool have landed a generational talent in Wirtz. The 22-year-old proved across years of age-defying quality in his homeland that he is destined for greatness.

However, we cannot deny it’s been a rocky road since the start of the season.

Wirtz is yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and he has not scored in any competition. However, his struggles stand against the backdrop of Liverpool’s wider issues this season. Slot’s side are worryingly imbalanced and sapped of confidence, having lost five of their past six top-flight fixtures.

But Wirtz has demonstrated his skill for Germany during the current international break, with analyst Raj Chohan saying his “creative passing has been insane”.

Minutes played

90′

77′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

2

Shots (on target)

4 (2)

2 (0)

Accurate passes

46/56 (82%)

72/77 (94%)

Chances created

1

6

Crosses

0/5

2/5

Dribbles

5/6

1/3

Recoveries

5

9

Ground duels

8/10

3/5

But, with Harvey Elliott struggling out on loan with Aston Villa and bound to depart for good in the near future, Liverpool have lined up 19-year-old midfielder Kees Smit as a potential rival for Wirtz in Slot’s system.

According to Soccer News, the AZ Alkmaar talent is emerging as a serious candidate for a transfer to Liverpool, and FSG are further drawn to the player after Slot’s personal advocacy, having worked with the young prospect during his stint with AZ back in 2019/20.

The teenager is valued at around £22.5m, and Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the circling sharks.

What Kees Smit would offer Liverpool

Smit is young and inexperienced, but the word on the Dutch streets is that he is one of the nation’s most exciting up-and-comers. Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson has acknowledged Smit for his “superstar potential”, not just naturally gifted but intelligent, industrious and strong in defensive phases.

The Netherlands U21 star has made 50 senior showings already, scoring four goals and supplying six assists. Increasingly important in the Eredivisie, he’s started all 11 matches this term, notching two goals and two assists apiece while completing 88% of his passes, creating two chances on average each game and recovering six balls a match.

He’s so energetic, mobile and athletic while bearing the shrewdness to apply himself in the correct phases, never over-exerting. This is a rare trait for one so young, and emphasises the midfielder’s potential for success in the Premier League.

As per FBref, Smit ranks among the top 14% of midfielders in the Dutch top flight this season for pass completion and successful take-ons, and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Should Wirtz be worried for his starting berth? While all of the above is true, stepping into the harsh English footballing climate is no easy task. Wirtz would testify for that argument.

But Smit is less of an out-and-out attacking midfielder than his older counterpart, and in this, he could be a glove-tight tactical fit under Slot’s management, instilling more creativity while adding to the steel and compactability of the engine room.

His more balanced approach differs from Wirtz’s own. The new Merseyside recruit has faced criticism for a perceived lack of physicality in the Premier League. Some pointed fingers regarding this matter have been unfair, but there’s no question that Wirtz needs to be more active in the duel, more combative when pitted against defenders.

The aforementioned Mattinson has singled Smit out as a “duel monster”, further underlining his potential in Slot’s Liverpool set-up.

The Reds have options in midfield, and they have creative players too. But it doesn’t take someone with Slot’s football-tuned mind to conclude that something isn’t working for the Premier League champions, who need to find a way out of this present rut, else a concerning start will devolve into a disastrous campaign with far-reaching ramifications.

If Liverpool succeed in sealing Smit’s signature this winter, there’s every chance that the perfect dimension would be added to ease the offensive issues at the club.

Who knows, perhaps the competition would help Wirtz grow into his Liverpool skin and begin to show that ability that was promised when Liverpool spent a staggering sum on bringing him over from Germany.

But if not, Smit has the potential to stand proud as one of the world’s best, and this could give Liverpool’s German maverick cause for concern.

Forget Ngumoha: 19-year-old star is Liverpool's new Luis Diaz in the making

Liverpool could now be brewing their next Luis Diaz in this rising 19-year-old star.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 18, 2025

Leeds United return to action in the Premier League this weekend after the international break with a clash against Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday.

The Whites have lost their last two matches in the top-flight, conceding six goals in the process, and their most recent outing was a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest before the break.

Whilst this shows that there needs to be improvement on the defensive side of the game, Daniel Farke also needs to find a way to get more out of his players at the top end of the pitch.

The Championship champions have only scored 11 goals in their 11 Premier League games so far this season, with several members of the squad underperforming in front of goal.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

2.89

1

-1.89

Jayden Bogle

0.88

0

-0.88

Brenden Aaronson

1.79

1

-0.79

Joel Piroe

0.73

0

-0.73

Pascal Struijk

0.65

0

-0.65

Dan James

0.47

0

-0.47

Jack Harrison

0.41

0

-0.41

As you can see in the table above, too many of the team’s top attackers have underperformed against their xG in the top-flight, which shows that Farke does not have many reliable finishers.

With the January transfer window around five weeks away from opening for business, the Whites may already be starting to think about what they could do to improve their attack.

Why Leeds need to sign a winger in January

The West Yorkshire-based outfit need to go out and sign another wide option in the January window to bolster their options on the flank, because they have not had enough productivity in those positions this season.

As aforementioned, the Whites have only scored 11 times in 11 Premier League games, which shows that goalscoring is a clear area for improvement, and their lack of goals from wide players has been one of the causes of that particular struggle.

Noah Okafor

8

2 + 0

Brenden Aaronson

11

1 + 1

Dan James

8

0 + 0

Jack Harrison

10

0 + 0

Wilfried Gnonto

4

0 + 0

As you can see in the table above, Noah Okafor is the only winger in the squad who has scored more than one league goal for the club this season, despite December being just over a week away.

The Switzerland international, who scored goals against Wolves and Spurs, has been the only wide attacker who has carried a fairly consistent threat at the top end of the pitch.

Farke will surely be frustrated with the lack of output from the majority of his wide options, which is why the club need to go out and splash the cash on a new option in those two positions at the turn of the year.

Leeds backed to sign Premier League forward

On that very topic, a former scout has backed the Premier League strugglers to sign one of their former players when the January transfer window opens for business.

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King has suggested that a move to Elland Road could be on the cards for Manor Solomon if Spurs decide to recall him from his loan spell with Villarreal.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Speaking to MOTLeedsNews, King said: “If he (Solomon) isn’t going to stay at Villarreal, then I could certainly see him being sold in January. He definitely won’t get a game for Tottenham, there’s three or four people in front of him in his position.

“He did well at Leeds; he was a key part of their team that got promoted. I would have thought he’d be a very good option for Leeds. They haven’t exactly set the Premier League alight, and it looks as though they need more options.”

If Solomon, who has only started one LaLiga match with Villarreal, does get recalled in January, Leeds should pursue a deal to bring the forward back to West Yorkshire.

Why Leeds should sign Manor Solomon

The Whites should push to land another deal for the Israel international because he could arrive at Elland Road in the winter window as a huge upgrade on Brenden Aaronson.

As aforementioned, the USA international has produced one goal and one assist in the Premier League so far this season, as the first-choice right wing option, due to the change in formation that took away his favoured number ten role.

Solomon, meanwhile, has one goal and one assist in LaLiga, despite playing just four matches, and delivered three assists in his one appearance in the Copa del Rey, per Sofascore.

On top of providing more quality for Villarreal than Aaronson has for Leeds in all competitions this season, the right-footed winger also outperformed the American in the Championship last season.

The former Fulham attacker, of course, spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Elland Road from Spurs and caught the eye with his consistent performances at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

46

39

xG

11.43

8.15

Goals

9

10

Minutes per goal

396

261

Big chances created

9

21

Key passes per game

1.6

1.7

xA

6.05

10.30

Assists

2

12

As you can see in the table above, the Spurs loanee offered significantly more to the team at the top end of the pitch than Aaronson did in the second tier last term, with more goals from less xG and more than twice as many ‘big chances’ created.

Solomon, who was hailed by former Leeds boss Neil Redfearn for being an “unplayable” star who is “like tackling smoke” for defenders, has proven that he can excel in front of goal in a Farke team, even more so than the USA international.

The Villarreal forward also has experience in the Premier League, with Fulham and Spurs, which means that it would not be a culture shock for him to be thrown into the division in the second half of the campaign.

Raphinha repeat: 49ers keen on signing "generational" £79m star for Leeds

Leeds United are lining up a January swoop for a star who could be as exciting a signing as Raphinha once was.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

Therefore, Leeds should explore the possibility of a reunion with Solomon because he could be an ideal signing to upgrade on Aaronson on the wing in the January window.

Chasing 113 in 31 overs, Pakistan were well in control before rain ended the game prematurely

Valkerie Baynes15-Oct-2025

Fatima Sana wrecked Pakistan’s top order•ICC/Getty Images

No result Pakistan will never know, and England won’t want to know after they escaped what had threatened to be the upset this World Cup craved, thanks to the start of the Colombo monsoon.Both teams took a point – Pakistan’s first from four matches and England’s moving them to the top of the table, leading Australia on net run rate – after what had shaped as a thriller ended in a washout, the second in as many days at the R Premadasa Stadium.But it is Pakistan who should hold their heads high after a devastating opening spell from their captain Fatima Sana, who put England on the canvas at 78 for 7 before a 47-run stand for the eighth wicket between Charlie Dean and Em Arlott dragged them to 133 for 9 in 31 overs.Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 113, Pakistan were well in control, reaching 34 without loss after 6.4 overs before heavy showers returned to end the match prematurely.Related

Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

England's lucky break masks deeper batting issues

England, unbeaten heading into the match, were without their spin and seam-bowling spearheads when Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell were ruled out through illness and replaced by legspinner Sarah Glenn and seamer Arlott.But it was their misfiring batting line-up that came unstuck. Of England’s recognised batters, only Nat Sciver-Brunt, with a century in the previous match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, and Heather Knight, with a gritty 79 not out that rescued England from the threat of another upset at the hands of Bangladesh, had been in the runs since England chased down a paltry target of 70 without loss in their opening game with South Africa.Arlott, who had impressed England head coach Charlotte Edwards with a century at the start of the domestic season and went on to make her international debut during the English summer, was run out for 18 off 23 balls in the penultimate over while Dean expertly picked gaps in the field to top-score with 33 before becoming Sana’s fourth wicket, scooping to Omaima Sohail at short fine leg.Tammy Beaumont was bowled for 4•Getty ImagesEarlier, openers Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones continued to struggle and both departed inside the first three overs of the match. Beaumont left a dazzling nip-backer from Diana Baig to her peril as the ball clipped the off bail, leaving her with scores of 21 not out against South Africa followed by 13, 32 and 4 so far.Jones, meanwhile, helped herself to two fours off Sana’s first over before the latter produced a superb nip-backer which clattered into the top of middle and off, Jones departing for a second single-figure score in three innings.Knight, who had three dismissals overturned against Bangladesh, challenged an lbw decision in Sana’s next over and replays showed the ball was missing down the leg side. She also survived a hopeful Pakistan review for lbw two balls later when the ball was tracking outside off.But Sana’s biggest and best wicket was arguably that of Sciver-Brunt, done by yet another one that nipped back off the seam. She shaped to cut only for the ball to slide under her glove and onto the top of middle stump.Knight tried her luck once more when she was rapped on the pad by Sana but, with the ball on target to hit the top of leg stump, England were left floundering at 38 for 4.Sadia Iqbal chimed in for the spinners when she bowled an out-of-sorts Emma Lamb, sitting back in her crease to an arm ball that dipped and slid through her defences. Lamb had entered the World Cup in great form with half-centuries in warm-up games against India and Australia but she is another England batter yet to reach 20 at this tournament.Omaima Sohail scored an unbeaten 19 off 18 balls•ICC/Getty ImagesLikewise, Sophia Dunkley, who was removed for 11 via a successful review when she was struck on the pad attempting to sweep with the ball homing in on leg stump as Iqbal celebrated her second wicket and England lurched to 57 for 6 in the 12th over.Alice Capsey, on 8, swept Rameen Shamim’s first delivery, a low full toss, straight to square leg where Muneeba Ali shelled a simple chance. But Shamim had Capsey lbw for 16 when she missed a sweep shortly before the rain arrived for the first time, with England 79 for 7 after 25 overs.After a stoppage of around three hours and 45 minutes, play resumed with England needing to bat out another six overs, during which time they added 54 runs, thanks largely to Arlott and Dean.Pakistan have never beaten England in ODIs and have just one win against them in T20Is in 2013, which only added to their sense of what might have been had the weather not intervened.Sohail hadn’t played since her first-ball duck in Pakistan’s defeat to Bangladesh in their opening game but, recalled to bolster a batting line-up which – apart from Sidra Amin – had proved fragile at this event, she marshalled Pakistan’s pursuit here, easing to 19 off 18. She was supported by Muneeba, who remained unbeaten on 9.Pakistan’s performance offered some encouragement for a side that also had Australia 76 for 7 before losing by 107 runs, although that may well be an empty consolation.For England, it is a sharp reality check for a side which perhaps hasn’t fully exorcised the demons of a year ago, where their shortcomings under pressure knocked them out of another global showcase.

St James’ Park proved to be a fortress once more for Newcastle United on Saturday evening when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City travelled to Tyneside.

This season so far in the Premier League, the Magpies are yet to win away from home, with three draws and defeats depressingly next to their name. At home, though, it’s a much different story, with four league wins collected with confidence, which now includes a 2-1 triumph over the Citizens.

Harvey Barnes was the difference maker on the day with two well-taken efforts under pressure, with this being the first time Newcastle have got the better of their opponents from Manchester since a slim 1-0 success in the EFL Cup back in 2023.

On that day, it was Alexander Isak who would break the deadlock, and while the sting of his departure to Liverpool was certainly felt in the immediate aftermath of his exit, Eddie Howe’s Toon aren’t dwelling too much on him no longer being around now, with the 47-year-old boss no doubt pleased with the attacking display on show from Barnes and many others.

How Newcastle downed Manchester City

Howe was beaming from ear to ear at the full-time whistle, as he finally got a career win over Guardiola in league action.

He would also be over the moon for the aforementioned Barnes, with the 27-year-old winger repaying his manager’s faith in him when being handed a fifth Premier League start of the season, as his first effort was stylishly placed home, before the vital second goal was somehow bundled into the back of the net.

Nick Woltemade would have felt aggrieved that he couldn’t get on the scoresheet, though, with four efforts passing him by. Still, with four Premier League efforts next to his name this season, away from drawing blanks up against Gianluigi Donnarumma, he has filled the void left behind by Isak expertly.

Both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes also stood out during the 2-1 victory, as Guimaraes assisted Barnes’ first breakaway strike, while his Italian teammate won six duels and three tackles as a combative counterpart.

Yet, there was one star who stood out throughout who could now be labelled boldly as Howe’s next Isak, even with Woltemade at his disposal, for how influential he’s become in such a short space of time.

Howe's new Isak-esque figure

Of course, while the £125m sale is now struggling to settle at Anfield, he was a consistent top performer on Tyneside when he was still donning the famous black and white stripes.

Indeed, a deadly 62 strikes were tallied up by the lethal Scandinavian during his 102-game stay at St James’ Park, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even hailing him as the “best striker in the Premier League” off the back of such potent form.

He immediately hit the ground running in England, too, with two goals from his first three league appearances for the Toon, with Malick Thiaw also making the transition from European football to English shores look easy, making him a strong candidate to be considered Howe’s next most influential player, much like Isak was.

With an 86% pass accuracy averaged across his eight Premier League games to date, and a commanding 4.6 duels won on average, some have even hailed the German as a “top five centre-back in the league this season”, with Isak also in the same esteemed conversations as a top five forward in the division.

Thiaw vs City

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

36

Accurate passes

20/25 (80%)

Tackles won

1/1

Last man tackles

1

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Blocked shots

1

Ball recoveries

6

Total duels won

2/4

Stats by Sofascore

Thiaw has only enhanced his reputation for being an influential member of Howe’s first team with his commanding showing against Guardiola’s visitors, with 14-goal hero Erling Haaland completely negated by the former AC Milan defender, who restricted him to just 23 touches of the ball and two shots on target.

NUFCBlog hailed the performance as “outstanding” against “the best striker on the planet” as Thiaw even impressively stood his ground one-on-one with the frightening Norwegian early in the second half, before a last-ditch intervention saw a chance go rarely astray for the number nine.

On top of that moment of ice-cold maturity, Thiaw would also bow out from the 2-1 win with seven clearances and six ball recoveries amassed, as City found it very difficult all night long to break down the Toon’s resilient back line.

The hope will just be that Thiaw gets better with more time in the Premier League, like Isak, who transformed into a £125m-calibre beast.

Although this time around, Howe will also pray he doesn’t have to give up the 6-foot-4 defender to the likes of Liverpool or any other suitor, as Thiaw becomes the manager’s most crucial player.

Last season, that was reserved for Isak. This season, it’s reserved for their new towering centre-half.

Related 9/10 Newcastle duo look even more important than Bruno G & Tonali

These two players stood out in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Man City

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 23, 2025

Only 3.4 overs possible on blustery, grey day at Eden Park

Andrew Miller23-Oct-2025New Zealand 38 for 1 (Seifert 23*) vs England – match abandoned England claimed the spoils in their T20I series against New Zealand, after the third and final match at Auckland went the same way as the series opener in Christchurch – lost to the weather as steady early-season rain swept in to curtail the contest after just 3.4 overs.In the limited time available, Tim Seifert made the running for New Zealand with an enterprising knock of 23 not out from 11 balls. He launched his innings with two fours off Luke Wood in the three balls that were possible prior to the evening’s first hour-and-a-half-long delay. Then – after the match resumed as 14 overs a side – he struck two sixes off the extra pace of Brydon Carse, including an outrageous reverse-scoop over fine leg that was well caught in the crowd.Carse did hit back at the other end, removing Tim Robinson for 2 as Jacob Bethell clung on well to a top-edged pull at deep midwicket. Wood then bowled an effective over to the left-handed Rachin Ravindra, finding sharp late movement in the seam-friendly conditions. Ravindra got going with a pulled six off Carse, but moments after Seifert had landed the second of his sixes off the same bowler, the rain returned once more.Despite a planned resumption at 10pm local time – with the match further reduced to eight overs a side – the grim weather returned just as the players were preparing to take the field, and the match was abandoned soon afterwards.It completed an unsatisfactory early-season foray for New Zealand, whose curtain-raising series against Australia at the start of the month had similarly been affected by the weather. They had made the running in the series opener, limiting England’s hard-hitting line-up to 153 for 6 on a seaming wicket at Hagley Oval, but were blown away in the return fixture two days later, losing by 65 runs after England had smashed the ground record with their total of 236 for 4.England chose to bowl first having named an unchanged XI for this decider. Despite the grey weather and unusually short boundaries at Eden Park, they decided to trust the balance that had impressed in Christchurch, with Liam Dawson retained as a second spinner ahead of an extra seam option.New Zealand, meanwhile, made one change – Zak Foulkes coming in for Kyle Jamieson. But in the end, it was all academic, as attention now turns to the ODIs which get underway in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.”It’s very frustrating,” Brook said at the post-match presentation. “The weather hasn’t been ideal. But great for the boys to get some time out there.”It’s a great place to tour, we’ve had an amazing time so far. We’ve got the ODIs coming up and we’re looking forward to it. We’ve got a few big names coming back and hopefully we can keep that momentum in the next few weeks.”Mitchell Santner, New Zealand’s captain, rued his team’s missed opportunities, both with the weather and their own performances: “I guess this time of the year it (rain) is always a potential. It’s always nice to play England, no matter what time of the year you play.”The way we bowled in that first game [was good], especially on a Hagley wicket that did give us a little bit. The second game, we were put under a lot of pressure on a good wicket, so when we come across that again, we’ll have learnings from that.”