Football news - Analysis

England top Group L and a new all-time scorer to face a DR Congo side chasing more World Cup history in the 2026 Round of 32 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Germany are out, Morocco dumped the Netherlands, and a fixed bracket means Brazil vs Norway and Paraguay vs France are locked into the road to the MetLife final on July 19.

ESPN's post-group-stage panel rank France No. 1 with 16 of 20 first-place votes after a perfect group and a 3-0 win over Sweden, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise driving the favourites.

LeBron James has reportedly told the Lakers he plans to play elsewhere in 2026-27, igniting trade and free agency talk around the Warriors, Cavaliers and a possible Curry partnership.

The dream Champions League semi-final never happened - Real Madrid dismantled Manchester City 5-1 in the last 16, then both fell short as Paris Saint-Germain retained the crown.

A league-low 27 goals conceded and 19 clean sheets: inside the system, the personnel and the numbers behind the meanest defence in Europe's top five leagues.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal turned three years of near-misses into a first league title since 2004, finishing seven points clear of Manchester City - here is how the 2025-26 race was decided.