Sport

France v Belgium, Italy v Turkey, Northern Ireland v Georgia: Nations League – live
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

⚽️ Nations League updates from 7.45pm BST kick-offs
⚽️ Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And mail Daniel

It really is ridiculous how many good players France have. But can Zidane find the balance Deschamps could not against Spain? The answer, perhaps, might lie with Eduardo Camavinga, left out of the World Cup squad but whose quality and athleticism could make the difference in future.

Tonight’s a big night for the aforementioned Yoro, who’s shown his quality since joining Man United from Lille, but not consistently. Moreover, he doesn’t seem to have improved his weaknesses all that much: he’s still prone to losing men at set-pieces and his passing should also be better, faults thrown into sharper clarity by how well Jacquet has settled at Liverpool. United have been conceding goals, and the way Michael Carrick wants to play suits him, in theory – pace is essential with a high line. But, so far, he’s not shown enough to force his way into the starting XI ahead of Harry Maguire or Lisandro Martinez.

Jude awakening: how a more fluid England are ‘unlocking’ Bellingham’s full potential
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Assistant coach Anthony Barry says new structure means their key attackers are not ‘caged in’ after 7-0 rout of Croatia

Anthony Barry knows the hunt is on. The England assistant coach has been through the debriefs. He has mulled over the minutiae with Thomas Tuchel to such an extent he is allowed to make a joke at the boss’s expense. “He’s doing my head in,” Barry says with a smile. What is the missing piece of the puzzle? After all the emotion of England’s semi-final finish at the World Cup, how can they take the decisive step to glory?

It is early days in the Nations League campaign, which everybody at the Football Association wants to use as a slingshot into Euro 2028 when England will co-host, but Barry can see the genesis of an answer. It comes down to liberation, enabling England’s top players to fully express themselves, and there is a reason why he finds himself talking about Jude Bellingham.

Daniil Medvedev disqualified from China Open semi after hitting fan with ball
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Player struck rebounding ball into Beijing crowd
Djokovic advances to final against De Minaur

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semi-final with Novak Djokovic on Monday after hitting a rebounding ball into the crowd that struck a spectator in the eye.

The Russian world ‌No 5 was ‌trailing 7-5, 5-3 and had lost a point ‌when, in frustration, he struck a ball that had come off the back wall. The spectator, sitting in the first row, clutched his left eye and appeared in pain as he left the gallery, assisted by the stadium’s ‌staff.

Jake Connor is shock omission from England squad for Rugby League World Cup
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

McDermott wants those who ‘can best stick to gameplan’
Hull KR’s Lewis in but no Wakefield players included

Brian McDermott, the England head coach, has justified his surprise decision to omit Jake Connor from England’s Rugby League World Cup squad by insisting the players selected are better suited to his plans to defeat the world’s best.

For the second consecutive year, Leeds Rhinos half-back Connor is the major talking point in a squad that has no players from the new Super League champions, Wakefield. He was left out by Shaun Wane for last autumn’s Ashes despite winning Super League’s Man of Steel award. England lost that series 3-0 after a string of limited attacking displays.

ICC delays plans for World Club Championship after ‘Big Three’ object
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

England, Australia and India say no space for extra events
No new international tournaments until 2031 at earliest

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will not introduce a World Club Championship or more international multilateral tournaments until 2031 at the earliest because of resistance from England, Australia and India.

After informal discussions between the ICC and member boards over several months, a cricket operations workshop in Dubai last week concluded without any additional events being proposed. This means the next Future Tours Programme (FTP), covering 2027 to 2031, will mirror that of the current cycle.

Next Generation 2026: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010, an age band known as first-year scholars. Check the progress of our classes of 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 … all the way to 2014

Daryz’s Arc reputation secure but retirement would rule out folk-hero status
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Back-to-back wins is a huge achievement, but owners have more to think about than unprecedented third title

It was, as the moderator of the post-Arc press conference put it, the “difficult question everyone wants to ask”, but Princess Zahra Aga Khan, the owner of the winner, Daryz, did not seem to find it difficult at all.

“Look, we’re breeders,” she said, “and you get to the point where you’re taking a risk every time you run the horse. Would we want him to train on for another year? I’m not sure. I think he has other things to do.”