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

Mayweather, Pacquiao rematch date changes

The date for the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao rematch has reportedly been pushed back, reports www.talksport.com.

Mayweather-Pacquiao II was initially announced for September 19 at the Las Vegas Sphere.

However, according to BoxingScene, the bout will now fall on September 26 down the road at the MGM Grand Garden, where Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision the first time around in May 2015.

Organisers initially explored a mid-August date as well as the possibility of hosting the fight at the MGM-affiliated T-Mobile Arena, before choosing to return to the scene of the inaugural encounter.

The September 19 vacancy at The Sphere has since been filled by an Eagles rock concert.

Explaining the decision to ditch The Sphere, one anonymous official said: “It made no sense to put it at The Sphere – it’s not connected to a casino.

“It’s one million per cent not happening there.”

Netflix will be streaming the event, which is set to be a professional bout that will count towards both men's records.

Mayweather, 49, had previously suggested that the fight might be an exhibition, although Pacquiao, 47, appears to have got his way after insisting he wouldn't run it back with his rival unless it was aprofessionally sanctioned contest.

Everything seems to be moving in the right direction, with Mayweather affirming on Thursday that the fight will be 'done' within the next 48 hours.

“At this particular time, I truly believe that, you know, everybody is gonna want to ask questions about the Pacquiao fight,” said Mayweather at the launch press conference for his upcoming exhibition bout with kickboxing legend Mike Zambidis on June 27.

"Like I said, the sport of boxing has changed. We have a lot of new companies, a lot of new faces, and Netflix.

"I truly believe that we’ll get this done.

"I think we’re almost at the finish line to finish the Pacquiao fight.

"Eventually, I think within the next 48 hours, the Pacquiao fight should be done.”

Mayweather (50-0) retired from professional boxing in 2017 after halting dual-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor in the 10th round.

Over the last nine years, he has remained active in the exhibition boxing sphere, fighting YouTubers, reality TV stars and everything in between.

Pacquiao (62-8-3) returned to the ring for the first time in four years last July to hold then-WBC welterweight titlist Mario Barrios to a majority draw.

He had been in negotiations for another world title fight with WBA champion Rolly Romero, but the bout collapsed, resulting in Pacquiao pivoting to Mayweather.

Caption: 

Action captured during the first showdown between Mayweather and Pacquiao in May 2015.