Nocturne London dazzles as riders take in Square Mile June 15, 2026 The Square Mile was transformed into an Olympic-style time trial cycling circuit at the weekend as Nocturne returned to the City of London. The festival of cycling saw two days of racing around the capital, with XTX Markets winning the City Criterium – a pro-am team event – and Ned’s Club coming home first in [...]
Fifpro accused of leaving footballers ‘in the cold’ by doing deal with Fifa June 15, 2026 Global player union Fifpro has been accused of leaving thousands of footballers “in the cold” by accepting a deal with Fifa. Justice For Players, a class action claiming billions after Fifa’s transfer rules were deemed illegal, says it is “disappointed” that Fifpro agreed to ask its members to drop any legal action in exchange for [...]
Can football conquer the US? Why culture is key this World Cup June 14, 2026 Dame Heather Rabbatts DBE discusses why culture is key to football conquering the US after the World Cup Football has been a pivotal part of British culture for decades, but the last month alone has seen the drama of the Premier League climax, the success of Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in Europe and the [...]
Adidas, Burberry and so much Beckham: The six best 2026 World Cup ad campaigns June 13, 2026 An unnecessarily serious review of the best ads around the 2026 World Cup, including campaigns by Adidas, Nike and Burberry, as picked by amateur footballer and professional creative Harriet Russell-Vick. Football ads in 2026 finally remembered a crucial detail: football is supposed to be fun. After years of ultra-serious slow-motion shots of rain hitting crossbars [...]
Has Fifa quietly made mandatory release clauses the future of football transfers? June 12, 2026 It was easy to miss amid the hullabaloo surrounding the start of the 2026 World Cup, but earlier this week Fifa announced the biggest changes to football’s global transfer rules for 25 years. Fifa patted itself on the back for “a major step forward”, emphasising the new regulatory framework had been “developed through a collaborative [...]
2026 World Cup: Why YouTube and TikTok could re-write Fifa’s revenue playbook June 12, 2026 The 2026 World Cup could erode the price that Fifa can command for its media rights as YouTube and TikTok compete directly with traditional broadcasters, analysts have warned. This World Cup, which kicked off last night, is the first in which YouTube and TikTok will both stream the first 10 minutes of every game and [...]
Do the Prem Rugby semi-finals need a Welsh URC team? June 12, 2026 Ahead of this weekend’s Prem Rugby’s semi-finals, Ollie Phillips assesses whether they could do with a hint of Wales. Picture the scene: next year’s Prem Rugby semi-finals feature the top three teams from this year – Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby and Exeter Chiefs – plus one of the Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons or Cardiff. This would, [...]
World Cup: Third of fan visas from non-European countries are being rejected June 11, 2026 A third of World Cup fan visas from non-European countries are being rejected with Iran and Senegal hit the hardest, research has found. The United States, which is hosting 78 of the World Cup’s 104 matches, has refused 74 per cent of visas from Senegalese applicants and 61 per cent of Iranian submissions. These are [...]
Wimbledon hikes prize money but refuses to bow to tennis stars’ demands June 11, 2026 Wimbledon chiefs have announced a bumper increase in prize money for this year’s championships – but rejected calls from top tennis players for a percentage of revenue. The prize total pot for Wimbledon, which starts later this month, has been boosted by 20 per cent year-on-year to a record £64.2m. It follows pressure from the [...]
Kane and Rice sign wearable tech deals ahead of World Cup June 11, 2026 England football stars Harry Kane and Declan Rice will wear smart rings during the World Cup after signing long-term deals with Oura. The smart ring, which helps with sleep and recovery, will be worn by the Three Lions captain and the Arsenal stalwart. The pair join an Oura roster, headquartered in San Francisco, that includes [...]