Almost a week into the tournament, World Cup fever has very much taken hold in Germany, with the Nationalmannschaft‘s 7-1 thumping of minnows Curacao on Sunday looking all the more impressive in light of Spain’s goalless draw with Cape Verde on Monday.

You see, these group-stage games against smaller nations aren’t as easy as you might think!

Strikers Deniz Undav and Kai Havertz both scored against Curacao, but there’s been some bad news for any Germany fans wanting to have those names printed on the backs of their replica shirts after the official kit provider ran out of letter Vs – with midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic‘s name also affected.

“The DFB [German Football Federation] and its partner 11teamsports are responsible for shirt names,” kit manufacturer Adidas told the SID sports news agency.

“Due to high demand for the names of Undav, Havertz and Pavlovic, there were temporary shortages of the letter V. These shortages were quickly corrected and names with a letter V will be available online again soon.”

Germany’s most popular World Cup kits

German sportswear manufacturer Adidas is kitting out the German national team at a World Cup for the final time before the DFB controversially switches to US rivals Nike from 2027 onwards.

Germany’s kits at the 2026 World Cup are particularly popular, with the white shirt with the staggered black, red and gold colors a nostalgic throwback to Italia ’90 – but the turquoise second strip is selling best.

The revolutionary pink shirt from the 2024 European Championships two years ago remains the best-selling Germany away shirt of all time. Fortunately, Havertz was the only German player with a V in his name to score at that tournament, while Pavlovic wasn’t in the squad.

Germany’s next game is against Ivory Coast on Saturday night (22:00 CET).

Edited by: Rana Taha

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A Russian dissident artist has been killed in Poland. The Moscow Times reports that Semyon Skrepetsky – that’s his pseudonym – was shot dead in eastern Poland, in a city around 30 kilometres away from the border with Belarus. He was an artist and blogger known for his political caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin. For now, two Belarusian citizens have been detained, but no charges have been pressed and the investigation continues. An opinion piece in the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita says that the murder of the artist shows Russia is a real threat to Poland. The article criticises Polish politicians who don’t take external threats from Russia more seriously, but instead decide to trivialise them for the sake of domestic politics. The Sun shows us an example of Skrepetsky’s work: a painting of Hitler and Stalin with Putin in the centre, grinding what we can assume are dead Russian soldiers. 

Next, The New York Times has a deep dive into Jeffrey Epstein‘s final days entitled “The untold story of Jeffrey Epstein’s death”. The article describes his arrest in July 2019, when a jail employee described him as “sad”, “a little confused” and “withdrawn”. The paper examined newly released records and interviewed as many people as possible who interacted with Epstein in his final days. Many presented a picture of “a fraying mental state that sharply contrasted with the upbeat picture he presented to jail psychologists”. The paper says that Epstein’s arrest was the “beginning of a journey into darkness that would end 35 days later” when he was found dead in his jail cell. The paper doesn’t draw any clear conclusions, but suggests that the suicide theory is indeed plausible.

In World Cup news, the BBC examines why India, “a country of 1.4 billion is not in the football World Cup“. The article writes that India’s so-called “Blue Tigers” have never progressed beyond the preliminary rounds of Asian Zone qualifiers. But the irony is that there are some football-crazy Indian states like West Bengal, Kerala and Goa. A growing number of sports journalists are covering the event on the ground, although India is not even participating. India’s neighbour, China, has also yet again not qualified. 

So will India ever play in the FIFA competition? For many Indians, it’s not impossible, now that the Asian teams’ quota has gone up. But what is missing, the article says, is the right ecosystem and a serious programme with a long-term vision.

Speaking of the World Cup, Brooklyn Beckham’s new advert has polarised the internet. The Daily Mail says that “Brooklyn Beckham’s ‘exploitative’ World Cup advert mocking his parents could be the ‘beginning of the end’ for his brand and ends any hope of a family reunion”, according to PR experts. He is promoting a food delivery company, since he is not going to the World Cup. “It’s complicated” indeed, as Brooklyn’s beef with his family has gone viral all over social media since his wedding. British tabloids see him as the new Prince Harry when it comes to public family scandals.

You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India A sealed their place in the Tri-Nation A Series final with a commanding 101-run victory over Afghanistan A in Dambulla on Wednesday, producing a complete all-round performance led by half-centuries from Priyansh Arya, Tilak Varma and Kumar Kushagra, followed by a four-wicket haul from Nishant Sindhu.After posting a formidable 319/9 in 50 overs, India A bundled out Afghanistan A for 218 in 36.5 overs to enter the final, aided by a superior net run rate of +0.797. India A will now take on Sri Lanka A or Afghanistan A on June 21 in the final in Dambulla. Asked to bat first, India A got off to a flying start through openers Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who added 75 runs in just 48 balls for the opening wicket.Sooryavanshi survived an early scare when a stunning catch at point was ruled not out by the third umpire, and the youngster made the most of the reprieve by scoring 38 off 28 balls with four fours and two sixes before Faridoon Dawoodzai finally ended his stay.Arya continued the charge and brought up a fluent half-century. The left-hander struck nine fours and a six in his 42-ball 58, laying a strong platform for the middle order.Ruturaj Gaikwad chipped in with 30 before India A captain Tilak Varma and wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra took control of the innings.The duo stitched together a crucial 104-run stand for the fourth wicket. Varma anchored the innings with a composed 59 off 75 deliveries, while Kushagra impressed in his first appearance of the series, scoring a well-crafted 58 from 67 balls.After both set batters departed, Vipraj Nigam provided the late flourish with a brisk 30 off just 20 balls, while Nishant Sindhu remained unbeaten on 21 as India A crossed the 300-run mark.For Afghanistan A, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Farmanullah Safi picked up two wickets each.Chasing 320, Afghanistan A never truly recovered after losing wickets at regular intervals.Yash Thakur struck early by dismissing Hassan Eisakhil, while Anshul Kamboj produced a brilliant breakthrough when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi completed a stunning second-attempt catch to remove Khalid Taniwal.Captain Imran Mir fought back with 32, but Nishant Sindhu trapped him with the help of a well-judged catch from Suryansh Shedge.Afghanistan A’s only meaningful resistance came through Faisal Shinozada and Bahir Shah. The pair added 87 runs for the fourth wicket and briefly threatened to keep the chase alive.Bahir led the counterattack with an impressive 57 off 52 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six, while Faisal fell heartbreakingly short of a half-century after scoring 46.The turning point came when Anukul Roy dismissed Faisal and Vipraj Nigam removed Bahir shortly afterwards. Once the partnership was broken, Afghanistan A’s lower order offered little resistance.Sindhu then ran through the tail, dismissing Shams Ur Rahman, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Zahir Khan to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 31 from 6.5 overs.Yash Thakur claimed two wickets, while Kamboj, Roy, Nigam and Shedge chipped in with one apiece.Afghanistan A were eventually bowled out for 218, handing India A a comprehensive 101-run victory.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi against Sri Lanka A

NEW DELHI: Former India batter Manoj Tiwary believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi needs to learn how to handle provocation on the field after his recent altercation with Sri Lanka A players during the ongoing tri-series in Dambulla.The incident took place after India A lost a Super Over thriller to Sri Lanka A on Monday. Television footage showed the 15-year-old pushing Sri Lankan spinner Vishen Halambage before senior player Niroshan Dickwella intervened. Reports suggested Halambage had been sledging Sooryavanshi throughout the series. While the Sri Lankan player was sanctioned, the Indian youngster escaped punishment.Tiwary said the attention surrounding Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise means rival teams will try to unsettle him.“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has to understand a little. There will always be verbal battles against us on the pitch, because there are many countries that are jealous of us. So, they will provoke you. The way Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s IPL campaign went, and the way he is moving forward and getting everything, so they will poke him more. The way a 15-year-old is progressing, they are jealous of it. So, we have to prepare him for it,” the former batter said on Cricbuzz.

Different paths to success

Tiwary said Sooryavanshi now faces an important decision regarding the image he wants to create in world cricket.“It is upto him what kind of image he wants to create in the cricketing world. One path is like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who are generally calm people, they answer through performances. The other route is like Virat Kohli, people who are aggressive. Now he needs to decide how people want to perceive him. Anger is important, but it is important to point it in the right direction,” he continued.Tiwary also felt the controversy may have affected the youngster’s batting after he managed only 38 runs against Afghanistan A.“No one will take action against him for this, but he must realise what he has done. No one wants to see an emerging player be involved in pushing and shoving. The more he plays, the more he will understand about the conduct in the field. But under any circumstances, he should not go outside the laws of the game. People are watching him, and his behaviour will be noted. He scored only 30-40 runs today, so it is affecting him, as he did not score as much he should have,” Tiwary concluded.

Bahutule backs youngster to learn

India spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule, who has worked closely with Sooryavanshi at age-group level and with Rajasthan Royals, described the incident as unfortunate and backed the youngster to move on from it.“It was an unfortunate incident, but we don’t know how he was provoked because I know him, and Vaibhav is a very composed kid, but I’m sure there are experienced coaches there who will guide him,” Bahutule said in the press conference ahead of the second ODI between India and Afghanistan.“Sri Lankan players should also be educated on how to behave,” Bahutule added.The former Mumbai skipper expressed confidence that the teenager would mature with experience.“He will learn, he is a young kid with a lot of responsibility of representing India. I’m sure he will not repeat it and such incidents can be avoided,” Bahutule said.

Jacob Bethell takes a stunning diving catch to remove New Zealand captain Tom Latham for 27 off the bowling of Jofra Archer as the tourists fall to 58-2 on the opening morning of the second Test against England at The Oval.

FOLLOW LIVE: Second Test: England v New Zealand – Day One

Available to UK users only.

Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be remembered for Lionel Messi’s historic hat-trick, but I believe the Argentine captain was fortunate to remain on the pitch after a dangerous challenge on Algeria defender Aïssa Mandi.

Messi scored three goals to help Argentina begin their title defence in style and move level with Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s joint all-time leading scorer. However, the biggest talking point of the match came in the 32nd minute.

Replays appeared to show Messi planting his studs onto Mandi’s calf and Achilles area. The Algerian defender was left in pain and needed medical attention before continuing.

Referee Szymon Marciniak did not show a card, while VAR decided not to intervene. In my view, that was the wrong decision.

According to the IFAB Laws of the Game, a player is guilty of serious foul play if he challenges an opponent in a way that endangers the safety of that opponent or uses excessive force. Serious foul play is punishable by a red card.

The laws also state that a tackle or challenge which endangers the safety of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play. Studs-first contact above the ankle is often considered one of the key indicators when referees assess possible red-card offences.

While opinions may differ on whether Messi intended to hurt Mandi, intent is not the main issue. The most important question is whether the challenge endangered the opponent’s safety. Looking at the replays, I believe it did.

Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha shared a similar view, saying on ESPN that the incident was worthy of a red card and that VAR missed an opportunity to correct the referee’s decision.

The controversy has become even bigger because other players at the tournament have been sent off for dangerous tackles. Many fans believe the same standard should apply to every player, regardless of reputation or status.

Messi went on to complete his hat-trick and win the Player of the Match award, but for me, the challenge on Mandi remains a red-card offence under the Laws of the Game.

His brilliance with the ball should not stop people from discussing what happened without it.

FILE–The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala hits a volley against China’s Shuai Zhang during their round of 32, singles match at the HSBC WTA tennis Championships at Queen’s Club in west London on June 9, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Donna Vekic – Berlin Open Round of 32

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala cooled off red-hot Donna Vekic, 7-5, 6-4, to advance to the round of 16 of the Berlin Open on Wednesday (Manila time) at Steffi Graf Stadion in Germany.

Eala beat Vekic for the second time in just five months in a high-level match that felt like a continuation of their ASB Classic first-round duel won by the rising Filipino in three sets.

It only took Eala a pair of sets this time, but the victory didn’t come any easier against the confident Croatian, who’s coming off a crowning moment at Queen’s Club in London on Friday.

Putting on a SHOW! 🤩

Alex Eala defeats Vekic in straight sets and moves on in Berlin. #BTO26 pic.twitter.com/pemfZP7Ojd

— wta (@WTA) June 17, 2026

“I told myself that she’s fighting back, but I’m also a fighter, so I have to try and give her a hard time. Donna is an incredible player and she’s been showing us that,” said Eala, who received a wildcard entry into the WTA 500 tournament, after a brilliant Berlin debut.

“Every time I play her, it’s been very difficult,” she added.

READ: Alex Eala opens Berlin Open campaign vs Donna Vekic

Behind a big service game, Eala battled back from 0-40 down to close out Vekic, who turned back home bet Emma Raducanu in the Queen’s final. Eala served up eight aces and had 25 winners against 13 unforced errors.

It was a game of runs and momentum swings, especially in the opening set.

Vekic, who turns 30 years old on June 28, zoomed to a 2-0 lead in the first set before Eala responded by winning the next four games.

Vekic reclaimed the lead, 5-4, but Eala pulled ahead for good after earning a crucial break in the 11th game.

Eala won’t have much time to celebrate her big win over Vekic with a round of 16 duel against World No. 2 Elena Rybakina set on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Eala was beaten by Rybakina, 6-4, 6-3, in their Italian Open third round encounter last month.

Joseph Pride, a trainer celebrated for his ability to enhance the performances of seasoned horses, is currently overseeing the progress of the capable gelding Poison Chalice.

The six-year-old, sired by Savabeel, was previously under the guidance of trainer Paul Preusker in Horsham. His last appearance resulted in a tenth-place finish in the Listed Ballarat Cup over 2000 metres.

While Poison Chalice has yet to achieve a victory beyond benchmark grade, he has demonstrated considerable talent in Group races, with his closest effort being a second in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) back in the Spring of 2024.

Pride is keen to gain a better insight into the new stable acquisition when he competes in the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

“Poison Chalice raced down in Melbourne, he’s a nice Savabeel horse,” Pride stated. “He’s going well, he trialled up, there’s improvement to come but he should run well.”

“He’s raced up over a mile to 2000 metres, we’ll kick him off at seven furlongs and see how he goes. Lovely horse, hasn’t changed ownership, they’ve got a really nice horse.”

Poison Chalice has been prepared with two trials leading into this campaign. He showed significant improvement in his latest Warwick Farm hitout, racing on pace and finishing second over 791 metres, with Pride noting the horse has settled in well in Sydney.

“Getting them on the Sydney leg can be a bit overstated,” Pride commented. “When they come to you at the start of the preparation, he’s been in work for the last ten to twelve weeks and he’s done it all on the Sydney leg, and he seems to have adjusted well.”

Cool Jakey, a horse known for its front-running tactics and a recent strong win at benchmark 94 level, will also contest the race. Pride believes Cool Jakey is in excellent condition for another attempt at Listed company.

The Civic Stakes is shaping up to be an intriguing contest, and exploring online bookmakers could be a good move for interested punters.