Spain fans online were left disappointed with Pedro Porro’s performance in their 0-0 draw against 10-man Egypt in an international friendly on March 31. This marks their final friendly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.
After the first half, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente made multiple substitutions to shuffle the squad. However, La Roja failed to find the back of the net. Egypt was notably reduced to ten men in the final ten minutes of the game, as Hamdy Fathy was shown a second yellow, leading to a red (84′). Defender Pedro Porro was in the starting XI and made only one interception and one tackle in 90 minutes. He also fouled players twice and committed a last-man tackle.
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Fans took to X to react to Pedro Porro’s performance, with many criticizing the player for his showing. One X user wrote:
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“Porro is fucking dogshit, Thank God Llorente exists 🤣.”
Some other fans also shared similar thoughts:
Fans continued to share their thoughts on Porro’s gameplay:
Pedro Porro made his national team debut in 2021 and has 16 caps for Spain. The 26-year-old Tottenham Hotspur defender hasn’t been the first choice for Luis de la Fuente to cover the left-back position, with Marcos Llorente being ahead of him in the pecking order. Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde is also expected to get a call-up for the 2026 World Cup if he recovers from injury on time.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente explains stance on starting Lamine Yamal once again in international friendly vs Egypt
In the pre-match press conference, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente was questioned about starting Lamine Yamal in the friendly against Egypt. Yamal was the only player to have started both the March friendlies for La Roja, with De La Fuente having shuffled the rest of the 10 players in the starting XI. He said (via Barca Blaugranes):
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“He might be in contention to start because we want to win. We need to freshen up the team, but obviously to avoid tiring out the players, all of them. I understand that the Barça manager is interested, I understand that everyone has their own preferences, but I have to consider everyone’s feelings. I have to field a team that can win.”
Further, De La Fuente also called Spain contenders to win the World Cup this summer. La Roja remains one of the favorites to win the title, given their squad strength and their dominating performance in the 2024 Euros.
At just 21 years of age, Appleton native Esmir Bajraktarevic has already acquired a variety of national and international soccer experiences that many athletes in and on his same field could only only dream of.
But what about making the deciding kick that sends your family’s homeland to the World Cup? That’s the kind of sports fantasy that virtually never comes true.
Tied 1-1 after extra time, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy went to penalty kicks. After Italy missed the third of four attempts, Bajraktarevic’s deciding, no-look boot past Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to propel the country of his family into the World Cup later this summer in various stadiums throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Born and raised in Appleton, Bajraktarevic has enjoyed a meteoric professional soccer rise that began in 2021 with the New England Revolution reserve team. Bajraktarevic made his debut with the U.S. National Team in 2024 and currently plays for PSV Eindhoven in The Netherlands. He was dubbed “The Milwaukee Messi” by one of his former Revolution teammates. (Bajraktarevic played club soccer for a time with Milwaukee’s SC Wave.)
Though Bajraktarevic also played for the U-19 and U-23 U.S. teams before making his debut with the U.S. National Team in 2024, he ultimately decided to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team due to his family’s heritage. Esmir’s parents, Elmir and Emina, grew up in Bosnia, but left their then war-torn country and came to the United States in 2001 as part of a refugee program.
“The decision (to play for Bosnia) for me was very easy,” Esmir Bajraktarevic said in an article in the The Blazing Musket in October of 2024. “It was something I knew I wanted to do since I was little. It was just a process that took a while. I’m very happy I made it. There’s no feeling like representing your country.”
“I’m very proud of where I’m from,” Bajraktarevic said. “It means a lot to me. It’s how I was raised. I was raised in a Bosnian culture, so it’s everything.”
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Bosnia will join World Cup Group B with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland, and will face co-host Canada in the opener on June 12 in Toronto. It will be making a second World Cup appearance.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill admitted he could have introduced Prasidh Krishna earlier with the ball, after Punjab Kings chased down the target to win by three wickets in their first IPL match on Tuesday.“I could have got Prasidh on earlier, but we were in the game until the end, there will always be ifs and buts. But he came at the right time, took wickets and kept us in the game until the 17th and 18th over,” Gill said after the match.Punjab Kings were guided by Cooper Connolly, who scored 72 off 44 balls on debut, helping his side chase 163 with five balls remaining. Prabhsimran Singh made 37 off 24 balls, and the two added 76 runs for the second wicket.Earlier, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up 2/28 in four overs to control the middle phase, while Vijaykumar Vyshak took 3/34 as Gujarat Titans were held to 162/6.For Gujarat Titans, Gill scored 39 off 27 balls and Jos Buttler made 38 off 33.Punjab Kings had an early setback when Kagiso Rabada dismissed Priyansh Arya, with debutant Ashok Sharma taking the catch at midwicket.Connolly and Prabhsimran then put the innings back on track. Rashid Khan later dismissed Prabhsimran, who was caught at long-on.Shreyas Iyer hit two sixes off Ashok Kumar but was dismissed soon after, flicking a delivery from Prasidh Krishna to Washington Sundar at deep midwicket.Sundar also removed Nehal Wadhera, while Krishna took the wickets of Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis in quick succession to bring Gujarat Titans back into the match.Krishna was brought into the attack in the 13th over when Punjab needed 53 runs from 48 balls, and he dismissed Iyer off his first delivery.Despite the wickets, Connolly stayed till the end, hitting five sixes and five fours to take Punjab Kings home.“I think we bowled pretty well, we didn’t get going in the last five or six overs (with the bat), it wasn’t a 200 wicket, but if we had 175 it would have been different, but we kept losing wickets and we couldn’t get going in the last five overs,” Gill added.
David Bibby (centre) and Duncan Jefford (third from right) with Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions / Everyone Active
Duncan Jefford has been announced as the new managing director of Everyone Active.
Current MD, David Bibby, will retire in May after leading the organisation since 2006.
Under Bibby’s leadership, Everyone Active has grown its portfolio of facilities, invested in community health initiatives and championed the role of leisure services in supporting the nation’s physical and mental wellbeing.
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“After many rewarding years in the sector, the time feels right for me to step back and begin a new chapter,” says Bibby. “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved at Everyone Active and the positive impact our teams make in communities every day. It has been a privilege to work with such dedicated colleagues, partners and stakeholders, and I’m confident the business will continue to thrive in the years ahead.”
Jefford has been with the organisation since 2007. As Everyone Active’s regional director in the South-East, he has overseen growth in both turnover and profitability.
Jefford paid tribute to Bibby, saying he is honoured to take up the role. “We’ve built an outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality leisure services that make a real difference to communities across the country,” he explained.
“I’m excited for the years ahead as we continue this strong period of growth and I’m proud to be leading the way alongside our 14,000 colleagues to build on the solid foundations already in place.”
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Everyone Active currently manages 250 leisure and cultural facilities on behalf of local authorities and partners across the UK, welcoming millions of visitors each year. It has recently expanded its portfolio of theatres, spas and golf courses.
Everyone Active is the trading name of Sports and Leisure Management Ltd (SLM), whose ultimate owner is Castle View Ventures Ltd, a business headed by Martin Bell.
Castle View also owns catering software house, Inhouse Manager, UIN Foods, which makes pizzas for supermarkets and Everyone Health – formerly Weight Management Centre. It aquired SLM in 2000.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, at Wembley for BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “This is the exact situation no England fan wants. We’ve talked about it for over a season with this World Cup coming up. What do England do without Harry Kane?
“This is what England and Thomas Tuchel do not want. He doesn’t have an answer to this question. Hence why we’re seeing this new formation again, with the interchange and false nine.
“We’ve spoken about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins. Nobody stuck their arm up and said, ‘I’ll be his replacement’. that’s why we’re seeing this.”
Robinson added: “It was a very disappointing evening for Thomas Tuchel. The experiment that he tried in the first half with the front four clearly didn’t work.
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“It didn’t take him long in the second half to change it. You do give England credit because when those changes were made there was a lot more cohesion.
“The one area that Thomas Tuchel has got a problem is if there is a problem with Harry Kane. If that happens, then England have a real problem after watching that.”
Tuchel answered the question about an over-reliance on Kane, saying: “Well, why would Argentina not rely on Lionel Messi, or Portugal not rely on Cristiano Ronaldo? This is totally normal. Key figures left camp for us and we saw that a bit.
“We lacked a punch in the last 20 metres in both matches. We encouraged the players. It was difficult for us.”
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Kane’s potential absence is an immediate concern, leaving Tuchel short of viable alternatives when he needs them most, especially given these two toothless performances without him.
English strikers are suddenly a malaise.
Only 10 English strikers have appeared in the Premier League in the current campaign, with Chelsea’s 22-year-old Liam Delap the only one aged under 26.
Brighton’s Danny Welbeck, who turns 35 at the end of the month and might just have had a good international break by not being involved, and 33-year-old Callum Wilson from West Ham United, are the only English strikers who have scored more than one goal in a match in the Premier League this season.
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Welbeck and Calvert-Lewin are the only English strikers to have scored 10 or more Premier League goals this season – with 43 scored by English strikers.
The cupboard is bare, underscoring just how indispensable Kane is.
This was a sobering night for England and Tuchel. This performance demonstrated that they simple cannot live without Harry Kane.
Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard enters his first year in Corvallis looking to establish his team’s brand in the new Pac-12.
How will a change at Athletic Director help or hurt?
On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I am joined by ‘Locked On Sooners’ host Jay Smith to discuss Oklahoma’s biggest questions during Spring Practice.
Is QB John Mateer at the top of the list?
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Indiana comes off a 16-0 national championship season, looking to be right back in the mix in 2026.
How will Indiana follow up last year’s magical season?
00:00 Scott Barnes steps down as AD 05:11 Scott Barnes’ leadership scrutiny 07:14 Boise State’s competitiveness in football 10:41 NIL and college sports changes 15:12 Discussing Oklahoma’s challenges and win totals 21:37 Tough early-season schedule 33:59 Indiana’s defensive strategy recap
The Melbourne track’s moisture suited Sydney contender Satono Glow perfectly as she notched a strong success at Flemington.
The Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) on Saturday promised a head-to-head between punters’ pick Gin Twist ($2.10) and Jadzia ($3.10).
Both fillies carried experience racing down Flemington’s straight, an advantage that often translates to better results next time.
Rain overnight and on race day created a heavy track that was the big question mark.
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In the end, it favoured Satono Glow ($4.20), who scored by three lengths with Jamie Melham aboard from the $41 shot Salann, Gin Twist third by a nose.
Jadzia dropped back after leading briefly with Gin Twist, crossing the line fifth and eight lengths behind the victor.
Prior to Saturday’s event, Melham felt optimistic that Satono Glow could outrun her preferred stablemates owing to her fondness for give in the ground, confirmed by her winning debut at Warwick Farm March 11.
“I was confident but with fillies down the straight for the first time, you don’t want to leave it too late because they can promise the world and then get lost,” Melham said.
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“Credit to the team educating this little filly. She was a bombproof ride today and I feel that the Sydney horses normally go well in the wet as they are used to being trained on the softer tracks up there.
“She loved the wet today and the way she got through it, this horse was a very easy ride in the end.
“Her attitude really impressed me. She’s a small horse to the eye but the feel she gave me, she felt like she had a really big stride underneath her and she settled like she will get further in time.”
Jade Lys, on behalf of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, mentioned no set agenda for the filly, but expects her to head back to Sydney, scouting races during The Championships period.
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“We couldn’t have been happier with her since her last start,” Lys said.
“She won in the soft last start, so we were not worried about the rain today.”
Visit leading betting sites to check racing betting markets for the Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes.
This had been billed as Thomas Tuchel’s final tune-up of his top stars before World Cup selection. Instead, like against Uruguay, the test of Japan centred around an audition. Please welcome to the stage Phil Foden, playing the role of Harry Kane.
Going purely off his club form, struggling for minutes at Manchester City, there would usually be serious questions over whether Foden will get a seat on Tuchel’s Dallas-bound plane this summer. Tuchel, however, has repeatedly made the point that he sees him as an alternative to his free-scoring captain.
He stuck to those words by slipping Foden into a false-nine role upon Kane’s late withdrawal – who became England’s eighth injury casualty this international break. The FA has led us to believe that Kane’s problem is minor, but what if the next one isn’t? And what if the next one falls between the dates of 11 June and 19 July?
Phil Foden was replaced before the hour mark against Japan (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
It is the worst case scenario for Tuchel. Kane is probably the only one of England’s “world class” crop who, as of this moment, is playing at peak form and looks like a World Cup winner. And unlike pretty much every other position, there is not an obvious option in reserve.
So it wasn’t the worst thing in the world that against Japan, we got to see a glimpse of what Tuchel’s crisis-plan might be should he find himself without the country’s all-time record goalscorer on the biggest stage of them all.
We knew we were entering pretty fresh territory in this regard. At Euro 2024, the back-up roles were filled by Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney; neither of whom even made Tuchel’s 35-man bumper squad for the March internationals. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was one of three ultra-fringe players who were sent home after Uruguay, though he was unlikely to ever be considered a starter. In the end, Foden was chosen ahead of the only remaining out-and-out striker, Dominic Solanke, to lead the line.
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Kane was a late withdrawal against Japan due to a last-minute injury (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
This less felt like a golden opportunity and more Foden being thrown to the wolves. The 25-year-old, even when in top form, has always come under allegations of being a system player – he has never been exceptional for England in the 10 or on the left, only Pep Guardiola. To stick him in a position that he has barely ever operated in before only felt like it would only end one way.
To his credit, Foden was a willing runner and pressed the Japanese back four to an intensity that Kane rarely ever reaches. He darted into positions and drew a smart foul early on the left flank, giving England a free-kick in a dangerous position.
But in and around the box, Foden was a passenger. His movement and positional sense was, understandably, a shadow of his captain – when the ball would break loose and spell danger for Japan, Foden was not there to pounce.
He is not the marksman nor is he the physical presence England are conditioned to playing with. Nico O’Reilly dinked a delightful cross towards his City teammate on the edge of the six-yard box as the Three Lions searched for an equaliser following Kaoru Mitoma’s 23rd-minute opener – the goal that ended up proving the difference on this World Cup send-off. But Foden was soundly outmuscled by Crystal Palace’s slight midfielder Daichi Kamada to the header; problem solved, easily.
Foden is regularly faced with accusations of being a system player (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
After a toothless first-half, Foden was still on the pitch for the restart, though there was early confusion whether he had swapped positions with either Morgan Rogers or Anthony Gordon as he operated in a very false nine. By the hour mark, he’d been hooked for Solanke. Three minutes later, England had their first shot on target of the game.
Solanke, whose starting role among the third-stringers against Uruguay sounded more like a warning to his World Cup chances, did show more signs of promise. As a proper No 9, he was still able to drop into space – a la Kane – and produced a lovely flick to set Rogers running into the box. He later nodded back a deep Ben White cross into the path of Marcus Rashford – whose introduction off the bench got a huge cheer – whose effort was the closest England came to a leveller after the break.
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Dominic Solanke showed more promise during his cameo up top (Action Images via Reuters)
Maybe the Tottenham striker should be Tuchel’s answer to a Kane crisis – though of course, half an hour in a friendly is not exactly definitive evidence.
The real winners of Tuesday night might just be Watkins and Toney, who could now be in line for late recalls for the squad that matters most. With no clear striking alternative and no more chances for trial and error, Tuchel will be justified in covering his back and selecting more than one forward in reserve.
That should probably force him into the tough decision to leave one of his five stellar No 10s at home this summer. After this ill-fated audition, that may be Foden.
Marcus Rashford is on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United with the La Liga giants holding a £26million option to sign him permanently this summer
20:13, 31 Mar 2026Updated 20:16, 31 Mar 2026
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Manchester United are reportedly confident they can secure a permanent sale of Marcus Rashford this summer. The forward made clear his wish to leave Old Trafford last summer, eventually sealing a season-long loan move to Barcelona.
Rashford has thrived during his time at the Nou Camp, notching 10 goals and 13 assists for the La Liga giants. Throughout the campaign, speculation has been swirling over whether Rashford will make his move to Barcelona permanent or return to United once his loan spell concludes.
Barcelona hold an option to sign Rashford on a permanent basis for £26million, though recent reports indicate the Spanish giants are yet to reach a decision on the England international’s future.
A fresh report from Sky Sports has now claimed that United are targeting more than £100million in player sales this summer. Rashford is amongst those United are keen to sell permanently, with Barcelona still eyeing a move for the winger once his loan deal expires.
The La Liga giants can acquire Rashford for £26m this summer, though there are suggestions that Barcelona may look to renegotiate the terms, either pushing for a reduced fee or opting for a further loan arrangement instead.
However, the aforementioned report states that United have no plans to renegotiate with Barcelona over the £26m fee, and are “confident” they could agree a higher fee with another club if they need to.
It has also been claimed that United and Rashford are prepared to work in the summer to ensure the England international manages to secure a permanent move away from Old Trafford.
Rasmus Hojlund, Manuel Ugarte, Andre Onana and Joshua Zirkzee are among the players United are reportedly looking to sell in order to raise funds for their own new signings this summer. Rashford has previously made no secret of his desire to remain at Barcelona beyond the length of his loan deal.
“Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca,” Rashford previously told Sport. “It’s an end goal, but it’s not the reason why I’m training hard and giving it my best.
“The purpose is to win. Barca is a huge, fantastic club, built to win titles.”
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Indiana comes off a 16-0 national championship season, looking to be right back in the mix in 2026. 
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