India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, left, and Rohit Sharma (AP Photo)

Former India opener Virender Sehwag has backed Yashasvi Jaiswal to become a regular member of India’s ODI setup once Rohit Sharma steps away from the format after next year’s World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe. According to Sehwag, Jaiswal possesses the ability to succeed across all three formats, but the current composition of the Indian side leaves little room for him at present.Jaiswal has featured in four ODIs so far and has already made a strong impression. His standout performance came in his most recent ODI appearance against South Africa in Visakhapatnam last year, where he remained unbeaten on 116 from 121 deliveries to register his maiden century in the format.Despite rating him highly, Sehwag acknowledged that India’s current opening combination makes it difficult for Jaiswal to break into the side on a consistent basis.“But there is no space right now. Shubman Gill is the captain. Rohit Sharma is playing. As soon as Rohit Sharma retires, you will see Jaiswal playing white-ball and one-day cricket as well. Ruturaj Gaikwad might be a competitor of his, though. But if you take three openers, you will definitely see Jaiswal among them,” Sehwag said on a Cricbuzz show.The former opener pointed out that Jaiswal’s ODI opportunities have largely come when senior players were unavailable rather than due to a permanent opening in the squad. However, he stressed that the youngster has consistently delivered whenever given a chance.“See, he has come into the ODI team only because someone like Gill or Sharma wasn’t available. It was not like that he got the chance and then he didn’t perform. He performed very well when he got the chance. It was not like he was dropped after not performing. He was in the team because someone wasn’t playing.“Ishan Kishan is not part of one-day cricket either. He has made a double hundred in ODIs, the fastest. So he is also a player who is in the reckoning. But I would definitely like to see Jaiswal in one-day cricket and T20Is, I mean in all three formats. He is a player who can play all three formats,” Sehwag explained.Former India batter Manoj Tiwary, who was also part of the discussion, shared a similar view and placed Jaiswal at the top of his list of future ODI openers. Tiwary believes the left-hander should be India’s first-choice candidate once senior players move on after next year’s World Cup.“He is number one in my list. After the World Cup next year, two players will retire. He can be chosen before, though. But if that doesn’t happen, then definitely after the retirement of those players, the first name will be that of Jaiswal. After that, the names you [the host] have taken, Sai Sudharsan, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal. This should be the order,” Tiwary said.With competition from players such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal, the race for India’s future opening spots remains intense. However, both Sehwag and Tiwary believe Jaiswal has done enough to place himself firmly at the front of the queue whenever an opportunity finally opens up.

Ghana sports minister Kofi Adams has derided the “flimsy” grounds on which Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada for the 2026 World Cup and has urged a review of the decision.

The ex-Arsenal midfielder will, as it stands, miss Ghana’s World Cup opener on Wednesday against Panama in Toronto after being denied a Canadian visa.

The 33-year-old has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Fifa confirmed on Friday that Partey, who has been granted a US visa, will be unable to travel to Toronto and will remain at Ghana’s base camp in Boston – but Adams insists the government have requested a “review” of the decision.

“If any Ghanaian is touched anywhere, we will not keep quiet over it,” Adams told local station Channel One TV on Friday.

“Through the appropriate channels, we have communicated to the rightful authorities and are requesting for them to use all processes to review and give opportunity for a review of such a decision that we think frowns on international laws and conventions, which both Ghana and Canada are party to.”

Adams added that the grounds for Partey’s visa rejection are “fimsy” – insisting the decision is “absolutely wrong.”

“We think it’s appropriate to get the appropriate authorities to review this decision,” he said. “We’ve taken it to that level, and we hope and pray that they do what they must do.

“Thomas was one of the players who was asked to go to the [London] embassy for his biometrics, and then yesterday morning we got the decision that he has been denied entry to Canada on very flimsy grounds. I say flimsy because the person has already been charged, he has not been found guilty.

“Even in the country where they claim he committed the act, for which reason he is in court, which he has denied, he is still living there, as a free citizen, walking about freely and doing anything every free citizen should do.

“He’s plying his trade, so one is therefore surprised that Canada — which is so far away — will now apply rules to the extent where somebody has merely been charged.

“This is absolutely wrong. I don’t understand why today Canada is interpreting their rules to suggest that a charge means guilty.”

Canada’s government website suggests visitors may be denied entry to the country if they have “committed or been convicted of a crime”, although Partey has not been convicted of any crime.

In a statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said: “Canada is proud to be a host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is working to facilitate a successful event while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians. Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws.

“Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies.”

Fifa added in a statement: “FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”

Partey, who plays for Spanish club Villarreal, was granted a US visa before the tournament and will be eligible to play against England in Boston on 23 June, as well as Ghana’s final group game against Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June.

The allegations against Partey relate to four different women. The trial was set for November but Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster, warned Partey and lawyers in the case that the trial could now be delayed until January next year.

The Ghanaian midfielder, who previously lived in Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45m, before he left the club in June last year.

Partey is on bail during the legal proceedings, with a condition that he does not contact alleged victims and that he must tell the court if he plans on travelling abroad.

First Published: Jun 13 2026 | 5:06 AM IST

First Published: Jun 13 2026 | 3:16 PM IST

The United States could hardly have asked for a better start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. In front of a passionate home crowd, the Americans produced a commanding performance to defeat Paraguay 4-1 and send an early message to the rest of the tournament.

At the centre of the victory was Folarin Balogun, whose two goals highlighted the growing importance of the striker to the national team. While his finishing caught the headlines, the match offered several lessons about the strengths of Mauricio Pochettino’s side and why they could become one of the surprise packages of the competition.

Balogun’s display showed exactly why he is regarded as the focal point of the American attack. The striker constantly troubled Paraguay’s defence with his pace, movement and hunger for goals. Even after seeing an effort ruled out for offside, he remained confident and continued to attack the spaces behind the defence. His reward was a brilliant brace that effectively put the game beyond Paraguay before half-time.

The first lesson from the victory is that this United States team has developed a ruthless edge in front of goal. In previous tournaments, the Americans were often criticised for creating chances without converting them. Against Paraguay, they were clinical. Every mistake by the opposition was punished and the attacking players showed composure whenever opportunities appeared.

Another important lesson was the quality of the team’s movement. The players looked comfortable in possession and constantly rotated positions to create space. Midfielders joined attacks, full-backs pushed forward at the right moments and the front players combined effectively. The understanding between the players was clear to see and made life extremely difficult for Paraguay.

Christian Pulisic once again demonstrated why he remains one of the team’s most influential players. Although he did not score, his creativity was vital. He was involved in the build-up to key goals and repeatedly found ways to unlock the Paraguayan defence. His partnership with Balogun could become one of the most important attacking combinations of the tournament.

The midfield also deserves significant praise. Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman controlled large parts of the match, winning battles in central areas and ensuring that the Americans remained on the front foot. Their energy allowed the team to press aggressively while still maintaining discipline when defending.

Perhaps the biggest lesson from the victory was the team’s maturity. Rather than becoming careless after building a comfortable lead, the United States continued to manage the game intelligently. The players remained organised, protected possession and limited Paraguay’s opportunities. That balance between attack and control is often what separates good teams from genuine contenders.

Defensively, the Americans looked solid for most of the evening. The return of key defenders brought stability to the back line and allowed the team to build attacks from deep with confidence. While Paraguay managed a late consolation goal, they rarely threatened throughout the contest.

Balogun’s performance will understandably attract most of the attention, but the result was about much more than one player. It was a display of teamwork, tactical discipline and attacking quality. The United States looked like a side that believes it belongs among the strongest teams in the competition.

There are still tougher tests ahead, and one impressive victory does not guarantee a deep World Cup run. However, if the Americans can maintain the intensity, cohesion and confidence they showed against Paraguay, they will be a difficult opponent for anyone.

For now, Balogun’s goals and the team’s dominant display have given supporters every reason to dream. The road ahead remains long, but the United States have taken their first step in convincing fashion.

FIFA on Friday blamed the empty seats during the World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara on fans who watched from the concourses.

There were many visible empty spots at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium, with sections in the middle of the stands showing many unoccupied spaces and with other empty seats scattered around the venue. The announced attendance was 44,985 – including FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“Official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match,” FIFA said, adding that it works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data.

“Please note that, during last night’s match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match,” the governing body of world soccer said.

There was indeed a significant number of fans standing on the concourses and by the concession stands throughout Thursday’s match.

There were some empty seats in Toronto also  On Friday, the stadium in Toronto was close to full for Canada’s first World Cup match on home soil, but there were some empty spots, notably close to the field in the lower bowl, and in a high corner of temporary seating.

Toronto Stadium, with an official capacity of 43,036, is the smallest venue in the tournament and had to have the extra seats added to meet FIFA’s minimum standards. The announced attendance on Friday was 43,002.

It’s a busy sports weekend in Toronto, with the Blue Jays hosting the New York Yankees and the Canadian Open golf tournament about an hour away.

FIFA charged record high ticket prices for this year’s World Cup  FIFA has been charging record ticket prices at the 11 stadiums in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. The soccer body was using dynamic pricing and has repeatedly raised the prices since tickets first went on sale last fall.

Infantino defended those prices Wednesday as fitting in the North American market, but they have been criticized for list prices that have reached five figures.

Before the tournament started on Thursday, 29 games were sold out (with wheelchair seats available for some of those) and 75 had tickets remaining.

Wales pairing Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny continued their impressive start to the World Cup of Darts with a resounding victory over Group C opponents Thailand in Frankfurt, Germany.

Having had to go through group qualifying after Gerwyn Price withdrew, the new Wales pairing opened their campaign by thumping Lithuania 4-1, and then followed that up on Friday by beating Thailand by the same score.

The Welsh duo topped their group to book a Saturday afternoon tie at the Eissporthalle against USA.

Hosts Germany again impressed with a 4-2 win over New Zealand as Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko secured their place in the second round where they will play the Czech Republic.

Republic of Ireland’s William O’Connor and Mickey Mansell clinched top spot in Group D by beating Gibraltar’s Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt 4-2, earning a tie against Poland.

The top ranked nations – including England, Netherlands, Northern Ireland and Scotland – enter the tournament in the second round.

England pair Luke Littler and Luke Humphries – the top seeds – face Spain, while defending champions Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney begin their title defence against Belgium.

Scotland duo Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies face Norway, while Netherlands pairing Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen take on Sweden.

France against Latvia completes the round two fixtures.