Messi will score more but I want the trophy: Mbappe

The 27-year-old netted a double as Les Bleus crushed Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 on Tuesday to move one shy of Messi's record 19 goals at World Cups and join him on top of the scoring charts in this edition with six.
1 July 2026

Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 to reach last 16 and end knockout hoodoo

The match was delayed by one hour due to adverse weather conditions around the Azteca Stadium.
1 July 2026

Upending Euro-centric bias

The club geography of the Paraguayan roster offers clear evidence of the self-sustaining strength of football in the Americas
1 July 2026

Mbappe draws level with Messi in Golden Boot race

Kylian Mbappe joined Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after scoring twice in France's convincing 3-0 victory over Sweden in their Round of 32 clash at the New York-New Jersey Stadium today.
1 July 2026

Mbappe brace helps France ease into World Cup last 16

Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Michael Olise was in scintillating form as France beat Sweden 3-0 at the World Cup on Wednesday and set up a last-16 clash with Paraguay.
1 July 2026

Haaland hailed as the 'greatest goalscorer' after more World Cup heroics

Erling Haaland was described as "devastating" and "the greatest goalscorer in the world" after pouncing for a dramatic late winner on Tuesday for Norway at the World Cup.
1 July 2026

Koeman steps down as Netherlands coach after World Cup exit

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said on Tuesday he was stepping down after his team were knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco in the last 32.
1 July 2026

Valiant Serena beaten on Wimbledon return, Swiatek survives scare

Serena Williams suffered a dramatic first-round defeat on her return to singles tennis at Wimbledon on Tuesday as she succumbed to inspired Australian youngster Maya Joint, while Iga Swiatek started her title defence with a nervy win.
1 July 2026

Mourinho's Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in La Liga opener

Jose Mourinho will kick off his second spell in charge of Real Madrid at home against Real Sociedad in LaLiga.
1 July 2026

Football brings joy to Venezuelan kids displaced by quakes

"What do we want to play?" Juan Cordero asks a group of Venezuelan children left homeless following last week's harrowing earthquakes.
1 July 2026

France reshuffle left flank against Sweden, Digne and Barcola start

France coach Didier Deschamps reshuffled his left flank for France's World Cup last-32 clash with Sweden on Wednesday, handing full back Lucas Digne and forward Bradley Barcola spots in the starting lineup.
1 July 2026

Electric evolution of Atlas Lions

By sending the Netherlands packing, Morocco have notified the world that their dominance on the football map is no temporary flash in the pan
1 July 2026

Haaland scores winner to send Norway into last-16 Brazil clash

Erling Haaland scored a late winner as Norway set up a last-16 showdown with Brazil at the World Cup after taming the Ivory Coast 2-1 in Texas yesterday.
1 July 2026

Notun Kuri Sports rolls out bigger second edition as registration opens today

With the inaugural edition of Notun Kuri Sports set to conclude next month, registration for the programme's second edition officially opens online today, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque confirmed to The Daily Star.
1 July 2026

Welcome to football’s ultimate theatre

No supercomputer can account for the emotion, pressure and sheer unpredictability that unfold once the stakes reach this level. Nobody knows what tomorrow's headline will be.
1 July 2026

Zverev wins in four sets to reach Wimbledon round two

French Open champion Alexander Zverev came through a testing four-set battle with Belgian debutant Alexander Blockx to reach the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday.
1 July 2026

Brook ready for 'great honour' of succeeding Stokes as Test skipper

Harry Brook said Tuesday it would be a "great honour" to succeed Ben Stokes as England's Test captain even if that meant he was responsible for leading the side in all three international formats.
1 July 2026

Calmness that defies logic

When the entire Brazil dugout erupted in celebration, one man barely flinched. As Gabriel Martinelli buried the winner in the final minute of stoppage time to seal Brazil's 2-1 victory over Japan in the World Cup Round of 32 on Monday, Carlo Ancelotti remained almost expressionless, except for a familiar twitch of his eyebrows, as though the ending had been written long before the final whistle.
30 June 2026

'More to learn' after Zimbabwe drubbing

The defeat, Zimbabwe's biggest-ever victory in Test cricket, came as Bangladesh failed to recover from a batting collapse that saw them bundled out for 140 in the first innings before being dismissed for 185 in just 45 overs in the second, unable to make the hosts bat again.
30 June 2026

Germany questions footballing identity after fresh World Cup failure

Yet another World Cup failure has Germany questioning its footballing identity, with some calling for radical changes at all levels in the football-mad nation.
30 June 2026