Quite predictably, Erling Haaland was Norway's hero as his late goal secured a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast to send the Scandinavians through to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, setting up a showdown with Brazil. The Manchester City striker had been peripheral for long stretches but popped up to bobble home the winner with just four minutes left on the clock in Dallas, after Manchester United's Amad Diallo had hauled Les Elephants level.

Newcastle United have received a significant boost in their ongoing search for a high-quality replacement for Anthony Gordon. German outfit RB Leipzig are expected to accept a reduced fee of around £43 million for their versatile 21-year-old winger Antonio Nusa, who has been heavily scouted by the Tyneside club during the summer window.

It's so close you can almost touch it. After years of build-up, the 2026 World Cup will kick-off on Thursday when co-hosts Mexico face off against South Africa in a repeat of the opening game from 2010. Over the next five-and-a-half weeks, records will be broken and legacies rewritten as a number of modern greats do battle to win the most recognisable trophy in all of sport.

In Milan, they are reportedly fed up with Rafael Leão’s behaviour and are now open to the idea of selling the Portuguese player.