England named most valuable squad at 2026 World Cup, ahead of France and Spain June 10, 2026 No pressure, lads – England have been named the most valuable squad of players at the 2026 World Cup, according to leading football academics. Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man group, featuring stars such as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, is valued at €1.454bn (£1.254bn) by the CIES Football Observatory, an independent research centre used by Fifa and [...]
West Ham sponsor Boyle Sports ‘extremely concerned’ by David Sullivan allegations June 10, 2026 West Ham United sponsor Boyle Sports has expressed its serious concern at the allegations made against the club’s majority owner David Sullivan. Reporting by the BBC and The Times this week focused on claims that Sullivan had exploited his position as a publisher to pressure young women into sexual activity. Sullivan, 77, has strongly denied [...]
Rod Bransgrove: Hampshire saviour hailed by new owners GMR as he steps down June 10, 2026 Hampshire Cricket’s new owners, Indian group GMR, have hailed Rod Bransgrove after the long-serving chairman stepped down in the wake of their full takeover. GMR, which also owns the Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals, this month acquired the final shares in the club as part of a staged £120m buyout agreed in September 2024. [...]
Game, Set, Match: How brands can serve up lasting value at Queen’s June 10, 2026 Queen’s is here and the tennis is back. Thom Newton looks at how brands get value out of the grass tennis tournament. Sports fans are relishing a summer that includes a World Cup, alongside the major fixtures of tennis, cricket and athletics. With sport comes the inevitable opportunities for brand sponsorships. However, visibility at events [...]
Real Madrid underline financial power by signing new €1bn kit deal with Adidas June 10, 2026 Real Madrid have received a financial boost after signing a new eight-year kit deal with Adidas that is believed to be the most lucrative in world football. The 15-time European champions and the German sportswear behemoth have opted for an early extension to their partnership, which will now run until at least 2034. Real Madrid’s [...]
Ascot CEO on Royal meet, pooling media rights and the best of Britain June 10, 2026 The chief executive of Ascot Racecourse has suggested major horse racing meets could pool their media rights to compete with rival sports. The 300-year-old Royal Ascot festival returns to Berkshire next week with record prize money and 300,000 fans expected over five days of racing. And chief executive Felicity Barnard has floated the idea of [...]
Everton chief calls for full review of England academy talent funding June 10, 2026 Everton technical director Nick Cox, one of the most respected figures in the academy world, has questioned the Premier League’s model for investing in youth development. Cox, who worked at Manchester United’s academy for nine years – six as its director – before joining Everton last year, believes big clubs receive too big a slice [...]
World Cup office sweepstakes could leave employers facing legal red cards June 10, 2026 With the World Cup set to kick off on Thursday, many offices across the City will be gearing up to offer employees the chance to participate in competitions – known as sweepstakes – to place informal bets on who might win. Sweepstakes involve participants paying a fee into a cash pot and being randomly assigned [...]
UK Government warns Joe Joyce against travelling to Russia for Moscow fight June 9, 2026 The UK Government has warned Joe Joyce against travelling to Russia after the British heavyweight boxer agreed to fight Artem Suslenkov in Moscow next month. The 2016 Olympic silver medallist will head to the 14,000-capacity VTB Arena next month to take on the unbeaten Suslenkov, from Volgograd, amid Russia’s continued military operation in Ukraine. Vladimir [...]
Justice For Players hopeful of Fifa deal in football class action after Diarra settlement June 9, 2026 Justice For Players insists its multi-billion-pound claim against Fifa has been strengthened by the governing body settling with the man who triggered the class action, Lassana Diarra. Diarra’s lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont confirmed on Tuesday that his client had reached agreement with Fifa and the Belgian football federation over an out-of-court settlement in relation to the [...]