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From the show

World Cup Debrief

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1 min

Didier Deschamps has reiterated his view that La Roja remain the favourites to win the World Cup. Spain face France on Tuesday for the chance to add a second star to their shirt, having lifted the trophy only once before, in 2010. Meanwhile, Senegal’s Football Federation held its first press conference since the sacking of head coach Pape Thiaw, shedding new light on the tensions behind his departure.

Manchester City star Phil Foden was not taken with England to the World Cup and has not really been missed

Thomas Tuchel knew what he was doing when he took the big calls of leaving both Phil Foden and Cole Palmer out of his England squad for the World Cup. The coach is experienced enough to know that such decisions would be thrown back in his face the second his plans did not work out.

Aside from some stickiness around the Ghana and Panama matches though, there has been very little mention of either the Manchester City or Chelsea playmakers. England have forgotten about them as Jude Bellingham has risen to the fore to help lead the Three Lions into the last four of the World Cup.

This could of course be more disappointment on top of not being picked to go. Everybody wants to feel like they’re missed when they are not there, and Premier League footballers are constantly rated and compared with each other as part of the sport.

In the case of Foden though, having a summer where he is forgotten could well be perfect for him. The 26-year-old has already had nearly a decade of his life where expectation and hype have followed him everywhere he has gone, and living up to that is gruelling and virtually impossible.

City thought they had got the player back to his best last season as he dazzled in the first half of the campaign. However, when his form disappeared around January there was nothing that anyone was able to do to reverse that and it cost him a place in the City team and his England spot for the World Cup.

Even if he had been included by Tuchel, Foden would barely have played given his current form. After months of that experience at the Etihad without seeing enough improvement, a new environment and a full break from football looks the better option.

A rare summer off has been used by Foden to watch tennis at Wimbledon, F1 at Silverstone, and get plenty of fishing in – as well as a holiday with his family. Turning up at his local to watch England has been the closest he has come to the World Cup experience.

It remains unclear whether that can spark Foden back into form, but space and time away from the spotlight is something that he has barely known for the last decade. Being kept out of the conversations around England this summer can only have helped the playmaker to keep his mind clear.

The midfield man has of course kept his fitness up and will be one of the first through the doors of the City Football Academy next week to start training with Enzo Maresca. The world may then be talking about an historic win for England in the final, but Foden knows exactly the challenge he has to pass in this season.

Away from the attention, from next week Foden can start showing what his rest has done for him as he looks to return to being one of City’s most important players.

MS Dhoni and Kriti Sanon at India vs England ODI (X)

The opening ODI between India and England at Edgbaston on Tuesday had plenty of star power off the field as former India captain MS Dhoni and Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon were spotted in the stands watching the match.

Kriti Sanon appearance at India vs England ODI

Kriti Sanon appearance at India vs England ODI

The celebrity duo caught the attention of fans and broadcasters during England’s innings, with visuals of Dhoni and Kriti quickly making the rounds on social media. Their appearance added to the buzz surrounding the series opener, which marked the return of several senior Indian players, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. While the cameras frequently panned towards the VIP stands, the action on the field also kept spectators entertained. England, who opted to bat first after winning the toss, looked set for a below-par total after collapsing from 61 without loss to 107 for six under relentless pressure from India’s bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah, returning after a six-week workload management break, produced a superb spell despite finishing with figures of 1 for 31. The pace spearhead bowled 36 dot balls and consistently troubled England’s top order with his movement and bounce. Young left-arm seamer Gurnoor Brar claimed two wickets in the space of three deliveries, dismissing Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett, while Prasidh Krishna removed Jos Buttler and Sam Curran to leave the hosts reeling. However, Joe Root and Liam Dawson mounted a spirited recovery with a 121-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Root struck a composed 76, while Dawson registered a career-best 68 to steer England towards a competitive total. India eventually broke the stand through Axar Patel, who ran through the lower order to finish with career-best ODI figures of 4 for 62. His late burst ensured England were bowled out for 258 after threatening to post a much bigger score. Even as the contest unfolded on the field, Dhoni and Kriti Sanon’s presence in the stands remained one of the biggest talking points among fans, adding a touch of glamour to the series opener at Edgbaston.

Jul 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) at bat during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

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Arsenal have agreed a transfer fee to sell Belgium forward Leandro Trossard to Beskitas.

The 31-year-old has been given permission to travel to Istanbul to undergo a medical.

Trossard, who is contracted until 2027 with the Gunners, joined the club from Brighton for £21m plus add-ons in January 2023.

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“Negotiations have commenced with professional football player Leandro Trossard and his club Arsenal regarding his permanent transfer,” the Turkish Super Lig side said in a statement.

He has scored 36 goals and registered 34 assists in 174 appearances at Arsenal, helping Mikel Arteta’s side win last season’s Premier League title.

Trossard was a key player last season for Arteta, starting in the Champions League final defeat by Paris St-Germain and 21 times in the league.

Belgium reached the quarter-finals of this summer’s World Cup, with Trossard starting all six games and scoring twice.

England are looking for a new Test coach. Brendon McCullum will stand down as England Men’s Test head coach but will continue to guide the white-ball teams, the ECB said in a statement on Sunday. The development comes close on the heels of Ben Stokes‘ retirement from international cricket following a nightclub brawl and a subsequent one-Test ban. Among the names doing the rounds is Andy Flower. Flower is a well-respected figure and is the coach of IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Flower’s colleague at RCB, Dinesh Karthik, believes Flower may not have the time to take up the England role.

“In all seriousness, I think he’ll be a great candidate,” Karthik said on Sky Sports.

“He definitely should be one of the names considered, but I would be very surprised if he took it, considering where England are and his packed schedule as well. He used to do a lot of leagues, and I’m sure that he didn’t have the time. I read an article which said that England would be happy to accommodate the IPL and then the rest of Test cricket, but with the schedule being the way it is, it’ll be very difficult. Like, when Jacob Bethell didn’t come in for the first Test, and Jofra Archer was not available, it kicked up a fuss, and there were plenty of people saying, ‘Why? How come one of the players is not there?’

“With Andy Flower, who already has a pre-signed contract with RCB, which would mean that he would miss parts of those Tests, will it be okay for England in the preparation for the Ashes if they don’t have a coach for a Test match or two? I heard there’s a Test match against Bangladesh in May next year, and if Andy Flower is with RCB, that could be a challenge as well. Is he good? Definitely. He is probably one of the best in the world, if not the best. Will he have time? That’s the question. I would be very surprised if the answer is yes,” he said.

England will have a new Test team head coach when they face Pakistan in a three-match series, which is a part of the World Test Championship.

England lost the recent Test series against New Zealand 1-2 but thrashed India 4-0 in the just-concluded T20I series.

McCullum’s tenure as head coach will come to an end after four years in charge, having led the England team through one of its most exciting and progressive periods in Test history.

ECB CEO Richard Gould said: “Brendon breathed new life into the England Men’s Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories, and we’re grateful for all he has given to the role.

“We now believe that the time is right to make a change for the Test team as we target victory in the Ashes next summer.

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India seamer Gurnoor Brar held on to a crucial catch despite colliding with skipper Shubman Gill as the Men in Blue removed England’s Jos Buttler in the first ODI of the three-match series. The match is being played on Tuesday, July 14, at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

The wicket came off the very first ball of the 17th over. Prasidh Krishna bowled a good-length delivery on off stump, and Buttler looked to whip it across the leg side but could only manage a leading edge.

Charging in from mid-on, Brar converged with Gill, who came in from mid-off, as the two collided shoulder-to-shoulder. Despite the impact, Brar held on to the catch to send Buttler back for five off 14 balls.

Watch the clip of the wicket below:

Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna struck again on the fourth ball of the same over, this time dismissing Sam Curran. The seamer bowled a length delivery slanting across the left-hander, who threw his hands at it and could only edge it through to Indian wicketkeeper KL Rahul. Curran departed for a duck off three balls, leaving England reeling at 80/5 after 16.4 overs.

India’s pace trio rocks England after a steady start

Opting to bat first, England made a steady start as openers Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell added 51 runs in the first 10 overs. The duo eventually stitched together a 61-run partnership off 74 balls before Gurnoor Brar broke the stand by dismissing Bethell for 14 off 31 balls in the 13th over. Brar struck again two deliveries later to remove Duckett, who scored 43 off 45 balls.

India continued to build the pressure in the following over as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed England skipper Harry Brook for one off three balls. Prasidh Krishna then joined the party in the 17th over, removing Jos Buttler for five off 14 balls and Sam Curran for a three-ball duck.

At the time of writing, England were 104/5 after 21 overs, with Joe Root unbeaten on nine off 13 balls and Will Jacks on 19 off 17 balls.