South African football news

Morgan Rogers keen on a move to Arsenal, Marcus Rashford prepared to take pay cut to join Tottenham and Spurs also confident of signing Newcastle's Sandro Tonali, plus more.

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• NEW
• ARS

Lionel Messi becomes the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer as his double against Austria sends holders Argentina into the last 32.

• ARG
• AUS

It had to be Lionel Messi, it had to be on this day and perhaps it even needed to be in Dallas too. History was created in the way he knows best, a clinical left-footed flourish setting him out on his own as the World Cup’s highest goalscorer of all time. An occasion that already throbbed with an epic, cinematic qua…

• ARG
• AUS

⚽️ World Cup kick-off: 5pm ET/10pm BST/7am AEST ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Email Tim And here’s our reporter at the game, Paul MacInnes. “Ground already packed for a match that has been highly anticipated in Philly,” he writes. “The French are here is big numbers (I followed a load of them to the…

• FRA
• IRA

Fans have been told not to travel to the Philadelphia Stadium for Monday's World Cup game between France and Iraq because of "inclement weather in the region".

• FRA
• IRA

Manchester City are closing in on the appointment of Enzo Maresca to succeed Pep Guardiola as manager.

• MCI

Carlos Queiroz’s squad hope to repeat the form that almost made Ghana the first African team to reach the semi-finals Antoine Semenyo was only 10 years old when Ghana came within a Luis Suárez handball of becoming the first African team ever to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. The Manchester City forward can…

• MCI
• ENG
• GHA

As he becomes the top goalscorer in World Cup history, BBC Sport explores how Lionel Messi is still delivering on the biggest stage in his late 30s.

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• CEL
• DER

Pet in a replica shirt is unofficial mascot of the World Cup Merlin’s owner, Karla Gómez, says it was ‘an honour’ Merlin, the pet duck in a mini Mexico shirt who has ⁠become a viral sensation and an unofficial mascot of the World Cup, met Mexico’s president on Monday. The duck waddled on ⁠to the stage ⁠at the ​start…

• MEX

Watch all of Lionel Messi's World Cup goals as he breaks Miroslav Klose's individual scoring record with a 17th goal in Argentina's group stage match against Austria.

• ARG
• AUS

Lionel Messi makes history as the all-time leading World Cup scorer, netting his 17th tournament goal during Argentina's game against Austria.

• ARG
• AUS

Head coach wants players to use energy in the right spaces and is also getting the best out of an in-form Harry Kane It didn’t take long for one wag in the travelling England caravan to come up with a deeply inappropriate nickname for that jazzed-up high-energy start to the second-half performance in Dallas last Wed…

• ENG

BBC Scotland examines the impact of Bologna's Lewis Ferguson in the Scotland midfield going into the crunch game with Brazil.

• SCO
• BRA

Puma shirts have torn four times during the World Cup so far, so what exactly is going on?

• SCO
• BRA

⚽️ Kick-off: 12pm local/1pm ET/6pm BST/3am Mon AEST ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Dominic A Messi-related email has landed from David Wall: I’ve got to take issue with your description of Messi’s hat-trick in the opening game as brilliant. I’ll give you the third was high quality but the other…

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• JOR

Miguel Almirón’s dismissal was unusual but there’s nothing new about players losing their cool on the biggest stage After a fairly pedestrian first half of the opening match of the 2026 World Cup , the game burst into life in the second period. South Africa midfielder Sphephelo Sithole, who had been at fault for Mex…

• SOU

There are twice as many teams from Caf at this World Cup than in 2022, but their results so far have been hit and miss • Predict the winner | Daily podcast | Download our app On Monday evening local time at New York New Jersey Stadium, Senegal will face Norway in a game that is not only crucial in terms of who quali…

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• NOR

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Anyone brave enough to predict the Geopolitics World Cup knockout bracket before the tournament would have clocked that Argentina could meet Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay in the last 32 and thought: “Cor, that’ll be fun”. But nothing seems to be very fun for the two-tim…

• ARG
• URU

Analysing the similarities and differences between how Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel led England.

• ENG

Two years ago, Quiñones was the target of racist chants by fans. Now, hailed as a hero in that same country, he’s challenging expectations of race and identity On a March night in Guadalajara in 2024, Club América were winning El Clásico Nacional. Julián Quiñones, their star player, had scored and headed toward the…

• MEX

Leagues’ regulations altered after positive test period Clubs will not be obliged to offer option to supporters Women’s Super League and WSL2 clubs can permit supporters to drink alcohol in view of the pitch from next season, the Guardian can reveal, after a change to the leagues’ regulations on the back of a succes…