Serie A won’t catch the Premier League by selling its rights better September 12, 2026 Serie A was the creme de la creme in the nineties and noughties. Maldini, Totti and Gattuso were household names everywhere from the hills of Naples to the streets of Salford. But that global prestige has waned and our own data shows that Italian football has nowhere near the same pull for overseas football fans [...]
Here’s to the quiet heroism of county cricket: Pride, jeopardy and extraordinary matches September 10, 2026 While the world’s white-ball franchise leagues flash past in a blur of sixes, jazzy uniforms and fireworks, England’s red-ball heartbeat, the County Championship, keeps thumping, writes Ed Warner. We painted the County Ground in Hove yellow on Tuesday to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of John Wisden just under a mile away in Crown [...]
Royal Antwerp case shows European sport ought to copy US interventionist approach September 10, 2026 Football fans digesting doom-laden commentary on the Royal Antwerp FC case on the legality of Uefa’s homegrown player regulations may be forgiven for recalling Brenda from Bristol’s reaction to the calling of general elections: “What, another one?” In recent years, legal challenges before European and national courts have sought to strike down various football regulations, [...]
Why Katie Taylor proves sport produces cultural moments September 8, 2026 Much has been written about Katie Taylor’s extraordinary farewell at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday. It was a fitting finale to a truly remarkable sporting career. From an all-conquering amateur career and Olympic gold medal to a record-breaking professional campaign featuring Madison Square Garden and Netflix, Taylor has cemented herself as an all-time great [...]
Beer, kits, hospitality and stadia can take Women’s Super League to greater heights September 5, 2026 Bigger crowds and greater matchday revenue are just some of the growth opportunities for the WSL as the new season begins, says Sarah Rock. This weekend marks the return of the Women’s Super League, with last night’s opening fixture between London City Lionesses and Manchester United featuring one of the league’s biggest name signings to [...]
Prem Rugby needs a draft, but not one for the very best players September 4, 2026 Top flight domestic rugby is back this weekend in the form of the Prem Rugby Cup – the former Anglo-Welsh, British and Irish, and inter-Prem/Champ competition that is now just a little bit of a nothing league. But that’s for another day. Because the return of rugby in England feels underhyped. We’ve had an entire [...]
Are financial rules fuelling the Premier League’s record transfer spending? September 3, 2026 Premier League football’s financial regulations may have been designed to control transfer spending but they actually incentivise it, argues Danny Hill. Premier League clubs spent a record £3.46bn this summer. Around 38 per cent of deals were between Premier League clubs, up from 30 per cent last year, according to Reuters. The obvious explanations are [...]
Why the smart money should be on rugby sevens September 3, 2026 Why should we be taking more notice of rugby sevens at the moment, asks former player Jim Hamilton. There are different versions of rugby, and while the 15-a-side game will always be my Everest, sevens offers something completely different. The sport is simple to follow, fast and incredibly athletic, and it allows individual personalities and [...]
Greater fool theory helps to explain Premier League’s record £3.5bn transfer window September 3, 2026 The transfer window has left Ed Warner’s head in a spin and even the most devoted football nut must have struggled to keep up, he writes. The football transfer window closed on Tuesday night, with over £3bn splashed out by Premier League clubs for the second summer running. In the end, Everton didn’t sell their [...]
Extraordinary athletes, ordinary content: why even Nike should make more of its talent August 30, 2026 Nike’s former global editor, Dan Rookwood, argues that brands are leaving value on the table by wasting their allocated time with star athletes. Since landing my first job on the sports desk of The Guardian’s website in 2000, I’ve spent a good chunk of my career interviewing athletes. Sometimes it has been a joy – [...]