Harry Maguire has revealed he learned of his World Cup omission via an “awkward” call with England manager Thomas Tuchel.

The Manchester United defender has previously described feeling “shocked and gutted” after he was left out of the 26-man squad for the tournament in North America, in what was widely considered one of the surprise selection decisions.

The 33-year-old, who featured at both the 2018 and 2022 editions, told Gary Lineker’s The Rest is Football World Cup podcast on Netflix that he felt he should have been picked after impressing this season for United and in England’s international friendlies in March.

“He (Tuchel) FaceTimes everyone,” said Maguire. “It’s quite an awkward call.

“I received a text around nine, ten in the morning saying can I speak to you today at 4pm. It is quite a unique way to do it. It makes it harder for him to see our reactions.

“He said he can’t really give me an excuse but he said he had gone with the four lads who got him through the qualifying in the autumn camps.

“It was tough to take. I did think I was going to be in the squad after being selected for the March camp for the first time under him. I felt like I did really well in both of the games and then went back to Manchester United and finished the season really, really strongly.”

“I was shocked. We had a few words. It was an honest conversation between us both.”

Maguire fears that this may have been his last chance of going to a World Cup, having competed at the previous two editions under Gareth Southgate.

“I was really disappointed, I wanted to go to the Word Cup and play. I’m 33 now and 37 at the next World Cup, it looks far away.

“I told the manager I wasn’t demanding to go and start the games, I’d have been happy to play one minute as long as I was there with the lads.”

Maguire has played 66 times for England since making his debut in 2017 but only four of them have come since the end of 2023.

“I don’t think I would retire from England,” he added.

“I still feel I have something to offer. There will be a time and a place where I don’t deserve to get picked but I probably still wouldn’t come out and retire. If I got one more cap it would be worth it.”

PA

India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy (PTI Photo)

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s growing value to India’s ODI setup earned high praise from Sunil Gavaskar after the all-rounder’s impactful display in the opening ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala on Saturday.In the rain-shortened 25-over contest, India captain Shubman Gill opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Afghanistan made a strong start, largely thanks to a blistering century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who hammered 102 runs from just 51 deliveries. However, it was Reddy’s crucial breakthrough that shifted the momentum in India’s favour.The young all-rounder produced a pinpoint yorker to dismiss Gurbaz, finishing with figures of 2 for 31 from his four overs. The wicket proved decisive as India fought back impressively, bowling Afghanistan out for 194 before completing a comfortable seven-wicket victory.“Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up a huge wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a perfect yorker. If you can nail yorkers like that, you become a valuable asset,” Gavaskar told JioStar.The former India captain highlighted how Reddy’s yorker changed the course of the innings after Gurbaz attempted to create room for himself only to see his stumps shattered.“Every time he tried something fancy, it went for runs. But every time he went back to the yorker, it worked,” Gavaskar said.Gavaskar also stressed the tactical flexibility Reddy offers to the Indian team through his all-round abilities.“So, here’s the takeaway. India now have a player in Nitish Kumar Reddy who can fill the role of a fifth or sixth bowler. Depending on the pitch and match situation, he gives the captain and selectors flexibility. ‘Pick me as a batter, pick me as a bowler, I am ready.’ That is a huge plus for any team,” Gavaskar said.Reddy’s rise has gathered momentum over the past year. While he has long been regarded as a promising batter, his bowling has developed significantly and is becoming an increasingly valuable part of his game.The 2026 IPL season reflected that progress. Alongside scoring 302 runs, Reddy claimed eight wickets and regularly delivered key breakthroughs for his side. It also turned out to be his most productive IPL campaign across the four seasons he has featured in so far, further strengthening his case as a genuine all-round option for India.

American Olympic legend Simone Biles was asked on social media about her mysterious health crisis that landed her in the hospital during a trip to Belize.

Biles wrote on Instagram earlier this month she almost died but the details were very vague. She posted a photo of her hand with what appeared to be a hospital wristband around it. She shared a video her trip to the Central American nation, but when asked about the near-death experience, she kept the situation close to the vest.

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Simone Biles watches from the stands during the men’s ice hockey quarterfinal between the United States and Sweden at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 18, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)

“Not ready to talk about it just yet,” she wrote in a reply in the comments section.

The initial post on her Instagram Stories raised eyebrows.

“I’m not one to normally share things like this because I value privacy in today’s age. But almost dying wasn’t on my bingo card this week,” Biles wrote.

“This was one of, if not the scariest experience of my life, especially since Jonathan was in Indy for practices. I’ve been in bed resting this week. I’ll explain sooner or later, but [shoutout] to my close circle who reached out, checked in, visited & or sent flowers.”

Simone Biles reacts after competing on the beam on day three of the gymnastics event finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games on Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports)

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Biles is married to Jonathan Owens, who is a safety for the Indianapolis Colts. The couple has been married since 2023, though Owens’ NFL career has occasionally forced them to spend time apart. Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018, he has played for five different teams.

The two met while Owens was with the Houston Texans in 2019. Biles lives in Texas, where the couple has built a massive home together. Since his time in Houston, Owens has also played for the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and now the Colts.

Back in November, Biles revealed that she had recently undergone three plastic surgeries.

Simone Biles of the United States poses with her three gold and one silver medal after day three of the gymnastics event finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 5, 2024. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)

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“I’ve had three plastic surgeries and two of them you would never be able to tell,” she said in a TikTok video that month.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Bukayo Saka says he is ready to take a “gamble” with his fitness and play in England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, despite still managing an Achilles injury.

The Arsenal winger has been dealing with the problem since March and has had his playing time carefully controlled by both Arsenal and England. He missed several matches for the Gunners and also sat out the March international break because of the injury.

However, Saka returned later in the season to help Arsenal win the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has said he needs to protect the 24-year-old, adding it is “very unlikely” that Saka would play every minute of the tournament matches.

But Saka insisted he is ready if called upon.

“I don’t want to say anything that goes against the manager,” he said. “Between Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal medical team and Thomas Tuchel and the England medical team, they have managed me very well since March.

“I’m feeling better than I have felt in the last few months and I’m ready to go.”

Saka, who is set to make his 50th England appearance, played 27 minutes in a warm-up match against Costa Rica as his minutes were managed.

He also spoke about the pressure of playing while not fully fit, saying it is a “gamble” he is willing to take.

“As players, it’s the biggest gamble, especially if you’re not feeling your sharpest,” he said. “People expect you to perform no matter what.

“I’m happy to take that gamble and it paid off. I’m going to continue doing that.”

Saka is expected to compete with his Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke for a starting place on the right wing. Despite the rivalry, he said they remain close friends.

“Noni is like my brother on and off the pitch,” Saka said. “We push each other and speak every day. We want each other to do well.”

England now wait to see if Saka will be fit enough to start or whether his minutes will again be carefully managed in their opening World Cup match.

Oleksandr Usyk was made to work for his win over Rico Verhoeven last month, coming extremely close to a shocking upset defeat. Now, heavyweight rival Tyson Fury has shared his assessment of Usyk’s performance against the Dutch kickboxer.

When Usyk signed to defend his heavyweight world title against Verhoeven, much of the boxing world was frustrated at the news, believing it would be an easy night’s work for the Ukrainian.

However, come fight night, those who dismissed Verhoeven’s chances were left in shock, as the 1-0 recorded contender gave Usyk ‘his toughest fight to date’ until a controversial round 11 stoppage saved the champion’s blushes.

Speaking to iFL TV, Fury believes that Usyk ‘probably lost every round’ of the contest, whilst explaining why he believes that the Ukrainian’s reasons for avoiding a clash with Moses Itauma are false.

“Bulls**t. Oleksandr is coming up to around 40 years old, he has just been pushed all of the way and probably lost every round against a kickboxer. So, I don’t think that he wants to fight a 21-year-old kid who is mustard, for no gain.

“He is not going to gain big money because Moses doesn’t have that following at the moment or the popularity. He is coming up, he is a rising star but he is not on top at the moment, so he [Usyk] isn’t going to gain anything from it.

“It’s all to lose and nothing to gain. If he beats Moses, he has beat a young kid coming up and if he loses to Moses, he has lost to a 21-year-old, so it doesn’t make much sense [for Usyk to fight him].”

Usyk is expected to next take on Germany’s Agit Kabayel, where a similar performance could result in the end of his unbeaten run.

Moses Itauma is tipped for the very top and the 21-year-old could soon secure a shot at Daniel Dubois’ WBO heavyweight world title.

Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley last month to become a two-time world champion. Wardley has since activated his rematch clause to initiate a second fight, which is expected to take place before the end of the year.

Itauma is currently positioned as the WBO’s mandatory challenger, meaning he will likely get a shot at the victor of Dubois-Wardley II and therefore the world heavyweight title.

The youngster shares the same trainer as Wardley in Ben Davison, so he may still opt to seek alternative options if Wardley is able to avenge his first career defeat.

If Dubois retains the title and tees up a showdown with Itauma, Harvey Dykes, who has sparred both men, advised Itauma to not rush into such a dangerous scrap, in an interview with Seconds Out.

“I rate Moses very, very highly but I think, what is the point of rushing it? I’d probably give him [Itauma] another year. Daniel is only 28, people forget that, don’t they?

“Daniel is still improving all of the time and I think that last camp was the strongest camp that I have seen him in.

“So yeah, I would give Moses a bit more time, but I do rate Moses massively high.”

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While Itauma will be ordered to face the winner, he does not plan to wait around, with an August fight against Filip Hrgovic understood to be in advanced talks.

Serena Williams will make her return to Wimbledon in women’s doubles as she teams up with sister Venus for the first time in four years.

The pair have been given a wildcard into the Championships, beginning on 29 June, as Serena continues her comeback.

The 44-year-old played her first match since 2022 last week at Queen’s Club, winning one round alongside Victoria Mboko before the Canadian was forced to pull out through injury.

The Williams sisters are six-time doubles champions at Wimbledon, winning their last title on their most recent appearance together a decade ago.

More to follow.

Iran showed great determination as they came from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening Group G match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium.

The exciting contest was played in front of more than 70,000 fans and was surrounded by political tensions and protests outside the venue. Despite the distractions, both teams delivered an entertaining match.

Here are some key lessons from the game:

1. Iran Have Strong Fighting Spirit

Iran refused to give up despite trailing on two occasions. Ramin Rezaeian’s first-half equaliser and Mohammad Mohebbi’s second-half header showed the team’s determination.

The result proved that Team Melli can remain competitive even in difficult circumstances and could still challenge for a place in the knockout stage.

2. Chris Wood Remains New Zealand’s Main Man

The New Zealand captain was involved in both goals scored by Elijah Just. His experience, vision and leadership were clear throughout the game.

Wood may not have scored himself, but he showed why he remains the most important player in the All Whites squad.

3. Elijah Just Can Shine on the Big Stage

The 26-year-old forward was one of the standout performers of the match. He scored twice and constantly troubled the Iranian defence.

His performance will give New Zealand confidence as they prepare for their next group game against Egypt.

4. Rezaeian’s Experience Is Vital for Iran

At 36 years old, Rezaeian played a crucial role for Iran. He scored one goal and provided the assist for the other.

With some Iranian players lacking regular club football in recent months, his leadership and experience could be very important during the tournament.

5. Group G Is Wide Open

The draw means all four teams in Group G have one point after Egypt and Belgium also played out a 1-1 draw.

With no team able to secure a win in the opening round of matches, the race for qualification remains completely open.

6. Politics Could Remain Part of Iran’s Story

The match highlighted the divisions among Iranian supporters. Protests outside the stadium and mixed reactions inside the ground showed how politics continues to follow the national team.

However, once the game started, the players focused on football and produced a spirited performance that earned them a valuable point.

What Next?

Iran will face Belgium in their next match, while New Zealand will take on Egypt. Both teams will believe they still have a good chance of reaching the last 16 after their encouraging performances in Los Angeles.