Manchester’s reputation as a footballing hotbed would likely be central to any bid

Andy Burnham is looking into a bid to bring the men’s football World Cup to British soil for the first time since 1966, it has emerged.

During a meeting at Number 10 North in Manchester on Friday, the Prime Minister reportedly told colleagues he is looking into how the UK could host the prestigious tournament, with talks said to be underway with the country’s football associations.

It is said to form part of a growing push by former Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham, a big football fan and Everton season ticket holder, to use major sporting events to drive investment, tourism and regeneration beyond London.

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The World Cup plan is being considered alongside the previously reported ambition to bring the Olympics to the north, according to The i.

It would be the first time it has been hosted on these shores since the 1966 tournament, which is also the Three Lions’ only ever men’s World Cup triumph.

The next edition of the tournament, which concluded in the US, Mexico, and Canada this summer, is being held in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal in 2030, with Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay also hosting matches to mark the tournament’s centenary.

Whilst Saudi Arabia have been chosen as hosts for the 2034 tournament, meaning 2038 or 2042 are the next available editions which the UK and other countries could bid for.

Manchester’s reputation as a global football hotbed would likely make it central to any bid proposal.

Manchester United have said they hope their proposed new 100,000 seater stadium on land just 350 metres away from their current home, would be ready in time for the 2035 Women’s World Cup, which is being held in the UK for the first time.

The UK and Republic of Ireland are hosting the men’s European Championships in 2028 with the newly-expanded Etihad Stadium one of the stadiums, however the current trafford>Old Trafford was overlooked. Both United and City bosses would likely be extremely keen to part of any World Cup bid.

A funny moment unfolded during the England vs Pakistan first Test at Headingley, Leeds. A fan was spotted on camera carrying four glasses of beer. He was walking carefully down the stairs before losing his grip and spilling them. Within seconds, the alcoholic beverage was poured all over the stairs. Huge laughter erupted in the commentary box as soon as the fan made the mistake. Meanwhile, the crowd came up with some funny reactions after the replays were shown on the big screen.

Watch it here:

“Oh no, no”

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The reaction from the crowd after this fan spilt his drinks pic.twitter.com/djYNRPPJGr

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 20, 2026

England strengthened their grip on the first Test against Pakistan on Thursday, with Joe Root and Harry Brook among four batters to make half-centuries in a score of 366-8 that gave the hosts a first-innings lead of 195 runs after Day 2.

Brook, the world’s top-ranked Test batter, came closest to reaching a hundred on his home ground of Headingley but fell for 91, one of those dismissed by Ali Usman (5-92) in the left-arm spinner’s first five-wicket haul.

Root (66) and Jordan Cox (73) shared a 150-run partnership after England resumed on 112-2 four hours into the day, with rain causing a long delay to the start of play.

Dan Lawrence, playing his first Test in two years, hit 51 at No. 6 and was another England batter likely ruing a missed opportunity to go big against some substandard bowling and erratic fielding.

In general, it has been a poor showing by Pakistan, who were bowled out for 171 in barely two sessions on Wednesday.

England rattled along at 4.46 runs per over, a rate that wouldn’t look out of place in the Bazball era that ended with the retirement of captain Ben Stokes and the firing of Brendon McCullum as Test coach.

What was different was the way the batters went about scoring runs, with Brook in particular less flamboyant but still as punishing, with 13 fours. Aside from being dropped on 1 by stand-in captain Salman Agha at second slip, Brook hardly gave up a chance until Usman snuck one through onto the stumps via Brook’s back leg.

It would have been Brook’s first century since his 111 against India at The Oval in July last year.

Cox and Root picked up where they left off Wednesday, almost matching each other run for run after play finally resumed.

Cox reached his first half-century in just his second Test appearance minutes before Root got to the milestone for the 109th time in a Test career that has seen him score more than 14,000 runs, second only to India great Sachin Tendulkar.

Dropped on 57 by Khurram Shahzad off a presentable caught-and-bowled chance, Cox eventually departed when he edged behind Usman. The batter appealed the decision, perhaps thinking he had struck his own pad, but the nick was clear.

The very next over, Root also departed when he inexplicably missed a straight one from Khurram and was trapped lbw, then wasted a review that showed the ball was hitting middle stump. It was a great chance for England’s new captain to score his national record-extending 42nd century.

England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith was in the middle at stumps on 16 not out, playing with caution in gloomy light in the final few overs. Jofra Archer was alongside him, unbeaten on 0.

(With AP Inputs)

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For Root, the innings victory sealed inside three days against Pakistan was the ideal start to his second spell as captain.

It also extended England’s run of wins at Headingley, which began in 2018. Their longest winning streak at another ground is six at Chester-le-Street.

The decision for Headingley and Old Trafford to miss out on the 2027 Ashes roster was announced in 2023.

But the match allocation has once again come into focus after the schedule for next year’s series was confirmed in July.

Nottingham’s Trent Bridge will be the most northerly ground to host a men’s Ashes Test, with Southampton given an England-Australia Test for the first time. Headingley will instead play host to a women’s Ashes Test.

Headingley staged a men’s Ashes Test in 2019 and 2023, both matches England won. The 2019 win, inspired by Ben Stokes, was one of the most legendary contests in Ashes history, ranking alongside Ian Botham’s heroics of 1981 on the same ground.

Overall, England’s record of nine home Ashes wins in Leeds is bettered only by their 17 at The Oval, and The Oval has hosted 36 Ashes Tests compared to Headingley’s 26.

“I would love to play as many games as possible here,” said Root. “It’s a great Test-match venue, a surface that provides brilliant Test cricket, and one we’ve had quite a lot of success on recently.

“It’s a shame we don’t get to play here next year, but I’m sure we will see many, many more brilliant Test matches here.”

Headingley will next host a men’s Ashes Test in 2031, from when the England and Wales Cricket has said it will keep at least one Test in Leeds or Manchester in the allocation for every home Ashes series. Southampton will get a Test in alternate men’s home Ashes.

The Nigeria National League (NNL) has announced Saturday, October 31, 2026, as the kick-off date for the 2026/27 league season.

The new campaign will begin with a star match between Heartland FC and Crown FC, while all other Matchday 1 fixtures are scheduled for the weekend of November 7.

The NNL has also released the proposed groupings for the new season, with 34 clubs divided into four conferences.

Conferences A and B have nine teams each, while Conferences C and D have eight teams each.

Conference A:
Remo Stars FC, Edel FC, Godswill Akpabio United FC, Ikorodu City FA, Stormers SC, Heartland FC, Crown FC, Sunshine Stars FC and OYC FC.

Conference B:
Beyond Limits FA, Solution FC, Akwa United FC, Smart City FC, Abakaliki FC, Right2Win FC, Dokkall Khairu FC, Ekiti United FC and Bayelsa United FC.

Conference C:
El-Kanemi Warriors FC, DMD FC, FC Basira, NeuroSpark FC, Kebbi United FC, Adamawa United FC, Jigawa Golden Stars FC and Junior Danburam FC.

Conference D:
Yobe Desert Stars FC, Wikki Tourists FC, Lobi Stars FC, ABS FC, Sokoto United FC, Bichi First FC, Kada Warriors FC and Mighty Jets Feeder.

The proposed groupings are part of the league’s preparations for the new season.

Clubs are expected to step up their preparations ahead of the October 31 kick-off as the NNL gets ready for another competitive campaign.

Further details, including the full fixtures, are expected to be released by the league organisers.

Jamal Musiala collapses again during Bayern match, reveals diagnosis and reassures fans he remains optimistic/ Image: X

Bayern Munich will be without Jamal Musiala for Saturday’s German Supercup against Borussia Dortmund, with the club choosing not to rush the midfielder back after he collapsed during two successive pre-season matches.The decision comes after Musiala revealed earlier this week that he had been diagnosed with “temporary, brief, but easily treatable absence seizures” caused by a neurological dysfunction. Bayern have since explained that the episodes became visible following a change in his medication, and the club is now adjusting his treatment.

Musiala ruled out of Bayern’s first trophy match

According to The Athletic, Bayern have confirmed that Musiala will not be included in the squad for Saturday’s Supercup.Head coach Vincent Kompany said the 23-year-old has been training individually this week as the club works with medical experts and adjusts his treatment.“It’s the first time for the public, so obviously a lot of questions arise,” Kompany said. “We’ve been dealing with it for longer, though. That initial shock was a while ago, since then we’ve been given a lot more information and have made decisions with the help of the best experts.”Kompany added that Musiala has the full support of the club and that Bayern are optimistic about his situation.“Jamal has the support of everyone. Internally we’re at a point where we’re not speaking about it much anymore. We’ve been prepared for it for a long time, have our processes and are very optimistic,” he said.

Medication change linked to the two episodes

Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl explained that Musiala’s two recent collapses occurred after a change to his medication.“He changed something in the medication, which is why the episodes became visible,” Eberl said. “Now we want to get back to where it was before, when these episodes didn’t occur.”“He’s made a huge step forward in his football. He’s showing it in training too. We’re looking forward to when he can show that in matches again. He’s not in the squad for tomorrow. It’s about adapting to the treatment.”

What happened to Musiala?

Musiala collapsed during Bayern’s friendly against RB Leipzig on Saturday after appearing dazed and losing his balance. He was helped safely to the ground by teammates before being attended to by the medical staff.Four days later, he suffered another episode during the friendly against Heidenheim, collapsing just minutes after coming on as a substitute. On both occasions, Bayern’s medical staff immediately attended to him while players from both teams helped shield him from view.Musiala was able to leave the pitch on his own on both occasions, although he appeared disoriented.

Jamal Musiala collapsed mid-game shortly after scoring, with extreme heat reportedly linked to dizziness and circulatory problems/ Image:X

Following the Heidenheim incident, Musiala explained his diagnosis on Instagram.“I’ve been diagnosed with temporary, brief, but easily treatable absence seizures, which are due to a neurological dysfunction,” he wrote.“These can lead to the recent incidents, like the one against Leipzig or now in Heidenheim.”Musiala also sought to reassure supporters about his condition, writing: “I know these things might seem scary at first glance — but for me, they’re currently part of my everyday life. I’m receiving the best medical treatment and am very optimistic. Importantly, there is no further health risk. I have a very good feeling and am on the right track.”Eberl said Musiala himself wanted to explain the situation publicly.“It was Jamal’s wish to communicate it,” Eberl said. “Internally we’ve known about it for longer, including the players. For us it’s become everyday life.”

Bayern take no chances with their key player

Musiala remains one of Bayern’s most important players, with Transfermarkt valuing the 23-year-old at €100 million.His absence is therefore significant as Bayern prepare for their first opportunity to win silverware of the new season. The Supercup brings together last season’s Bundesliga champions Bayern and runners-up Dortmund.Bayern won the Bundesliga for a second consecutive season, while Dortmund finished second.For now, however, Musiala’s return to competitive action will wait. Bayern’s immediate priority is getting his treatment back to the point where the recent episodes no longer occur before considering his return to matches.

Bryson DeChambeau is in the hunt at LIV Golf’s final tournament of the season following a strong first round. But the leaderboard may not have been the first thing on the two-time major champion’s mind on Thursday, nor anyone else’s.

While this week’s event, LIV Golf Indianapolis, wasn’t even supposed to be the last tournament of the year, it could end up being the final LIV Golf tournament ever played.

The perilous situation LIV finds itself in was not lost on DeChambeau, the league’s biggest star, following his opening round in Indianapolis. Though he struck a few hopeful notes, DeChambeau also betrayed concerns about LIV’s uncertain future, and his own, in his comments.

Bryson DeChambeau on possible post-LIV future: ‘Time will move on… time heals things’

The news heading into LIV Golf Indianapolis was not good for supporters, players and employees of the league.

LIV Golf Michigan, the originally scheduled season finale and Team Championship, was officially cancelled, transforming the Indianapolis event into both the Individual and Team Championship.

As a result, prize money was sharply reduced, following earlier purse reductions announced before the season began.

This all comes as the league desperately tries to find new investors to finance its future. DeChambeau has been deeply involved in the league’s fight for survival. With all that going on, DeChambeau still had to play golf on Thursday.

And fresh off an opening-round 65 that has him in 12th early at LIV’s season finale, DeChambeau stood for a few one-on-one questions on camera.

When asked how he was able to compartmentalize his off-course efforts to keep LIV alive with his play on-course, Bryson admitted it wasn’t easy.

“Yeah, I think, look, it’s tough. It’s not easy,” DeChambeau began. “We definitely have a lot against us.”

He also acknowledged the many people working behind the scenes to keep LIV going, and touted the league’s economic impact on the cities its tournaments have visited.

“But I think behind the scenes we’ve got a lot of people that are working hard to make this possible for not only all the players that are out here but all the fans that have come out to these events and the economic impact that we’ve made in all these places, whether it’s South Africa, here in Indy or Australia, numerous places across the world, the U.K., all the different places we’ve been in the U.S. Even Nashville when we played a few years ago was unbelievable,” DeChambeau said on Thursday. “I think we just have a bit of a responsibility to continue to show this.”

Then DeChambeau got real, conceding that all that effort may not save LIV in the end. And if it doesn’t, he’s confident he and his team will “figure things out.”

“If it works, it works; awesome. If it doesn’t, we’ll figure things out,” DeChambeau said. “Time will move on, and I would say that time heals things.”

Whether or not his “time heals things” remark is a reference to the frayed relationships between LIV stars and their PGA Tour counterparts is another question.

Bryson then seemed to respond to Rory McIlroy’s comments on Wednesday questioning if LIV’s stars have brought value to the league.

“I hope people can see that we actually bring value to the game of golf,” DeChambeau concluded. “My wish is that people give us one more shot and be open-minded.”

That could be read as a plea for fans (and investors) to give LIV Golf “one more shot.” Or perhaps DeChambeau was referring to LIV players like himself, who will be looking for other tours to play on should LIV fold after this season.

Time will tell.

The Premier League has confirmed several new rules that will come into effect during the 2026/27 season, with the changes aimed at reducing time-wasting and keeping matches moving.

One of the major changes concerns injured players. Any player who receives treatment or assessment on the pitch and causes play to stop will generally have to remain off the field for at least one minute after play restarts.

Officials will also introduce a five-second countdown for teams that deliberately delay throw-ins and goal-kicks.

If a throw-in is not taken within five seconds, it will be awarded to the opposing team. For a delayed goal-kick, the opposition will receive a corner.

There will also be a 10-second limit for substituted players to leave the pitch. Players who take too long could see their replacements delayed for one minute after play restarts.

Another change affects VAR. Clearly wrong second yellow cards that result in a red card can now be reviewed. VAR will also be able to correct cases of mistaken identity.

The Premier League will also trial a new rule aimed at preventing goalkeepers from using injuries to slow the game down.

When play is stopped because of a goalkeeper injury, the manager must nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch. That player must remain off the field for at least one minute after the restart.

The trial is designed to stop teams from using goalkeeper injuries as an opportunity to waste time or receive tactical instructions.

The new rules are part of wider changes introduced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) for the 2026/27 season.

Meanwhile, some measures seen or discussed around the 2026 World Cup will not be introduced as Premier League rules, including hydration breaks and VAR reviews for incorrectly awarded corners.

The new rules are expected to have a clear impact on how players, managers and referees deal with stoppages during matches.

What do you think of the new rules?