Jesus reunites with Ronaldo as new Portugal coach

Jorge Jesus has been named Portugal's new head coach on a four-year contract to run through to the 2030 World Cup with the nation co-hosting the tournament.

Portugal were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the last 16 of this summer's tournament, and former boss Roberto Martinez had already announced he would be stepping down from the role he had held since January 2023.

Portuguese Jesus, 71, has worked with national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo during his one-year deal as Al Nassr head coach, and the pair lifted the Saudi Pro League title last season.

Following Portugal's exit on Monday, Ronaldo who finished the ongoing World Cup with three goals, confirmed that the 2026 Mundial would be his sixth and final, although he has made no official comment about retiring fully from international football.

Speaking on Friday, Jesus said the 41-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner, whose contract at Al Nassr runs until 2027, is a "symbol of Portuguese football".

He added: "As long as he's playing and is in a condition to be selected, I will pick him, within certain limits and under the conditions that I consider best for the national team.

"I haven't spoken with [Ronaldo] yet. [He] is never going to be a problem for the national team. Not for the national team, nor for me.

"I had great pleasure working with him this past year, [it's] easy to work with him."

Jesus' first game in charge will be Portugal's Nations League opening Group D game against against Wales on September 24.

Portugal are co-hosting the World Cup in four years with Spain and Morocco.

Jesus, who won a domestic treble with Saudi club Al Hilal in the 2023-24 season, lifted three league titles during his first spell as manager of Portuguese side Benfica in 2010, 2014 and 2015.

The Portuguese also enjoyed success in Brazil during his one year with Flamengo, winning five major trophies including the Brazilian title and the Copa Libertadores in 2019.

World Cup: Meet Iraq player, Iqbal, set to make history for Pakistan

 A former Manchester United prospect will make men's World Cup history if he steps on to the pitch for Iraq on Tuesday - but not for the country he is representing.

The moment will instead be monumental for fans in Pakistan, a nation of more than 240 million people – the fifth largest population in the world – whose football team have never reached a World Cup.

In fact, they have won just one qualifying game in their entire history.

Placed 198th in the FIFA world rankings, the South Asian country sits among the 15 worst-performing nations in the sport, and its people have never been able to cheer on anyone who represents them on the biggest stage.

Until now.

Utrecht's former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal, representing Iraq, is poised to become the first player of Pakistani heritage to play in a men's World Cup.

He says he was "surprised" when he found out about the honour - but his heritage is something he is proud of.

"To be honest, I didn't even know it myself," he told BBC Sport. "I followed the account that posted it [that he was the first player of Pakistani heritage to play at a men's World Cup] and sent it to my dad straight away. I think we were both surprised. When I tried to qualify for the World Cup with Iraq, I didn't think of anything like this.

"My dad is Pakistani. He's my father, the man I respect the most in my life, who helped me so much in my career.

"I play for Iraq, grew up in England, but my dad was born in Pakistan. My grandad was a first-generation there, so I have a lot of respect for that side of my family."

Iqbal was born and raised in Manchester. He is Pakistani through his father and Iraqi through his mother. The talented midfielder says he takes pride in representing both nations and shows this when he takes to the pitch by wearing both countries' flags on his boots.

Asked why he chose to play in boots that showcase his heritage, the 23-year-old reiterated his "respect" for both sides of his family's background.

"I wear the Iraqi flag on my left side and the Pakistani flag on my right side," he said. "I think that's because I respect both sides.

"When people ask me what I feel more connected to, I can't answer. For me, they're both equal. It's about respect and something I carry with a lot of pride."

Wimbledon 2026: Williams sisters bag doubles wildcard

 American superstars Serena Williams and Venus Williams will return to Wimbledon action together after they were handed a wildcard to compete in the women's doubles.

Neither sister is included on the list of singles wildcards, although there is one remaining spot still to be given.

Serena, 44, made her comeback at Queen's last week, four years after playing what many expected to be the final match of her career at the 2022 US Open.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, whose tally in that count includes seven Wimbledon titles, is playing doubles in Berlin this week with Karolina Muchova and will continue her comeback on the Grand Slam stage alongside Venus at the All England Club.

Five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus, 45, has lost all seven of her singles matches this season, but won a doubles match alongside Britain's Katie Boulter at the Madrid Open in April.

Former British number one, Dan Evans, has not been given a wildcard for the men's singles main draw in what will be the final tournament of the 36-year-old's career.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who is also retiring at the end of the season, has been handed a place, along with Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.

French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska has been rewarded for her Roland Garros run with a wildcard for the women's singles.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon 2026 begins on Monday, June 29.

French Open: Zverev set to break Grand Slam title jinx

 Title favourite Alexander Zverev is one win away from elusive maiden Grand Slam title after holding his nerve to beat Jakub Mensik in the 2026 French Open semi-finals.

The second seed is through to his fourth major final and his second at Roland Garros, having lost to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in 2024.

Taken to a fourth set for only the second time in the tournament, Zverev kept his composure to win 7-5 6-2 3-6 6-3 against first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist and 26th seed Mensik.

Zverev, who has been the front-runner to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires since world number one Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic suffered shock exits in the first week, will face either 10th seed Flavio Cobolli or Matteo Arnaldi in Sunday's final.

Should he win, the 29-year-old will be the seventh oldest first-time Grand Slam men's singles champion in the Open era and the first German man to win a major since Michael Stich won Wimbledon in 1991.

2025/26 EPL MATCHDAY 37 FIXTURES

FRIDAY, MAY 15:

Aston Villa vs Liverpool 8:00pm

SUN, May 17:

Man Utd    vs Nottm Forest 12:30pm

Brentford vs C'Palace 3:00pm

Wolves     vs Fulham   3:00pm

Leeds Utd  vs Brighton  3:00pm

Everton   vs Sunderland  3:00pm

Newcastle vs West Ham 5:30pm

MON:

Arsenal  vs Burnley  8:00pm

TUE:

Bournemouth vs Man City 7:30pm

Chelsea  vs Tottenham      8:15pm

Fury hits out at Joshua

Former WBC world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, used Daniel Dubois' emphatic stoppage of Fabio Wardley this past weekend to take aim at rival former WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

Dubois became a two-time heavyweight champion on Saturday night in Manchester by snatching the WBO belt from fellow Briton Wardley in an easy fight of the year contender.

The challenger was knocked down twice in the first three rounds, but rallied to punish Wardley on the feet, leaving his opponent's face a royal mess by the final bell.

Wardley, much to his incredible display of heart and grit, was never put down once by Dubois during the contest, despite visibly stumbling to and from his corner towards the end.

But the Ipswich man was nonetheless well beaten by Dubois, who hadn't tasted victory since one of the biggest upsets of 2024 when he dropped Joshua four times en route to a shock win.

Reacting to Dubois' win on Sunday, Fury, who is expected to fight Joshua at the back end of this year on Netflix, spotted an opportunity to throw some shade in the direction of 'AJ'.

"Well, I've just been sat here thinking, after Dubois' unbelievable fight last night," Fury was quoted as saying by www.talksport.com.

"Dubois fought big baby [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down.

"Then he fought [Filip] Hrgovic, stopped him, but never put him down.

"He fought Wardley last night in an unbelievable fight, stopped him, but never put him down.

"He hit [Oleksandr] Usyk with some big bombs, never put him over.

"But yet he fights Anthony Joshua and pummels him, puts him to the floor five times.

"I'm not saying Anthony Joshua's chinless, but they're the facts. Take it as you wish and as you will.

"Everybody else never went over, not a singular person, Big Baby Miller, Hrgovic, Usyk or Wardley.

"But Joshua goes down five times. Chinny, get up, slink!"

Fury is fresh off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov last month and has signed to fight Joshua this year.

Joshua will take a warm-up bout first and is booked to face Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before fighting Fury.

Meanwhile, promoter Frank Warren has suggested Fury vs AJ is likely to go down in October, but the former may wish to contest a second warm-up fight, which could delay proceedings.

2025/26 NPFL MATCHDAY 37 FIXTURES:

SUN, May 10:

Shooting Stars vs Barau FC

El-Kanemi Warriors vs Niger Tornadoes

Kwara Utd vs Enyimba FC

Remo Stars vs Bayelsa Utd

Enugu Rangers vs Bendel Insurance

Katsina Utd vs Ikorodu City

Wikki Tourists vs Rivers Utd

Abia Warriors vs Kun Khalifat FC

Kano Pillars vs Warri Wolves

Nasarawa United vs Plateau Utd