Jurgen Klopp started his reign as Germany’s head coach by threatening to quit if the media invades his family’s privacy.
The former Liverpool manager was appointed on a four-year deal on Friday to replace Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned this month after Germany’s shock World Cup defeat by Paraguay in the last 32.
But the 59-year-old issued a warning to the media as he held his first news conference as Germany’s head coach.
“If you behave badly and don’t leave my family in peace then I’ll be gone, I’ll just turn away,” Klopp said.
“I know there are other countries where national team coaches are treated even worse.
“I’m not doing this job for myself, I’m doing it for you. I’m taking this job even though I’ve seen how you’ve treated Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel.
Both Nagelsmann and England boss Tuchel came under media scrutiny after their exits from the World Cup, with Tuchel criticised for his defensive tactics and substitutions as the Three Lions let slip a 1-0 lead in their semi-final defeat by Argentina.
Klopp’s appointment was widely expected for weeks and his contract will see him through to the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.”
Jurgen Klopp is not going to have any ‘career’ after the national team,” he added.
“This is the pinnacle, the absolutely high point of my footballing career as coach. I will give everything I have got.”
It is Klopp’s first coaching job since ending his nine-year tenure at Liverpool in the summer of 2024 after “running out of energy”.
He said he feels “the time is right” for his return to coaching and to take up his first role in international football.”
Over the last few days it was almost like a movie happening to myself,” he said.
“I have always surmised the job of Germany head coach is really big but now it is really dawning on me what being the national team head coach is all about.
“For many, many years it was unimaginable for me to assume this position. As the years went by, it became more or less evident that sooner or later I would be asked to do this job.
“Now I think the time is right.”
His first game in charge will be against the Netherlands in a Nations League group-stage match on 24 September. (BBC)
Bukayo Saka scored three goals to lead England to a 6-4 win over France for third place in the World Cup, while Kylian Mbappé surpassed Lionel Messi’s career tournament scoring record and took the lead in the Golden Boot race with a pair of second-half goals on Saturday.
It was the highest-scoring World Cup game since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982, and the 10 goals were the most in a third-place match.
Saka had goals in the 37th minute and in first-half stoppage time, then added his third on a penalty in the 87th for his second career hat trick with England. The Three Lions also got goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa to build a 4-0 halftime lead, and they hung on during a wild second half to secure their second-best finish in the World Cup. England won its only title in 1966.
England’s Jude Bellingham capped the scoring in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, his seventh goal of the tournament.
Mbappé reached 22 career goals, one more than Messi. The star striker finished this World Cup with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the tournament’s top scorer.
Messi will get one last shot at the scoring title when he and defending champion Argentina face Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also scored for France.
France’s Kylian Mbappe, right, controls the ball past England’s Marc Guehi (6) during the World Cup third-place playoff soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Both teams had said they’d rather be playing in Sunday’s final. France had enough offensive firepower to potentially win the tournament, but Les Bleus lost to Spain in the semifinals and squandered their chance at reaching a third straight World Cup final. England blew a 1-0 lead against Argentina and lost 2-1 when Messi assisted on two late goals.
Still, a sellout crowd of 64,478 showed up to watch the seventh and final match of this World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium.
Plenty of supporters were cheering for both teams, but many were there simply for the atmosphere of the low-stakes match.
“I love English football,” said Gaston Esquivel, a native of Mexico City who came to support England. “I’ve followed the Premier League since I was a kid. I am a Manchester United fan. I like their style, I like their game.”
Thomas Viel, who traveled from Paris to follow France throughout the tournament, was hoping to see a hat trick by Mbappé. He nearly got his wish.
France trailed 4-0 when Mbappé flicked a shot past goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute. Then he beat Henderson again with a left-footed strike from about 14 yards in the 66th.
“I think Messi will not score a hat trick tomorrow,” Viel said.
It was also the final match for France coach Didier Deschamps, who has said he will step down after 14 years. Deschamps embraced players and waved toward the crowd as he exited the pitch. (JapanToday)
Legendary former West Indies all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers, regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, has died aged 89.
Sobers played 93 Tests between 1954 and 1974, scored 8,032 runs and took 235 wickets.
An entertaining left-handed batter, Sobers scored 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 – an effort which stood as the record Test score for 36 years.
He was also a brilliantly versatile bowler, who bowled spin and seam.
Sobers, who also played county cricket for Nottinghamshire, was knighted for his services to cricket in 1975.
He was also named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the 20th century.
During his stint at Nottinghamshire in 1968, Sobers became the first player to hit a six off all six balls in an over in a first-class match.
A period of celebration will be held in memory of Sobers before Nottinghamshire’s T20 Blast semi-final against Hampshire at Edgbaston on Saturday.
The club described Sobers as “cricket’s greatest-ever all-rounder and an iconic figure in Nottinghamshire history”.
“We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers,” Notts added.
England also paid tribute on social media, calling Sobers “one of the greatest to ever play the game”.
“Forever in our hearts, Sir Garfield Sobers,” they added.
Sobers was also one of only two living National Heroes of Barbados alongside pop singer Rihanna.He made his first-class debut for Barbados aged 16 and was capped by West Indies aged 17.
He was initially more successful as a bowler than batter – he bowled left-arm finger-spin and occasional wrist-spin as well as pace – but went on to score 26 Test centuries and finished his career with a batting average of 57.78.
He scored 28,314 in his first-class career, including 7,041 for Nottinghamshire.
He took 1,043 first-class wickets and was also a superb fielder.
Though not as successful a skipper as player, he was West Indies captain between 1965 and 1972. He also captained Rest of the World XIs during tours of England and Australia.
“Not just because of the phenomenal numbers but the style, quality, substance and flair and circumstances in which he produced those performances, he is without doubt the greatest cricketer that ever lived,” said Test Match Special’s Fazeer Mohammed.
“He was the first superstar of the game, not just in the Caribbean but in the world. His career spanned the period where the game was just starting the change.
“The mere presence of a Garfield Sobers made such a huge difference to the image of what West Indies cricket was able to do.” (BBC)
Erling Haaland’s day ended earlier than many expected. About 15 minutes later, Norway’s run in the World Cup ended as well.
The Vikings’ biggest star didn’t shine Saturday.
Haaland was a nonfactor for much of his team’s quarterfinal against England and — at least in part because of the strain of dealing with hot and humid conditions in South Florida — was taken out with Norway’s hopes hanging in the balance going into the final 15 minutes of extra time.
The final score: England 2, Norway 1. Haaland was kept off the scoresheet for the first time in this World Cup; he had scored seven times in his four appearances going into Saturday, but barely had a chance to add to that total Saturday.
“This has been an insane journey,” Haaland said.
Haaland acknowledged afterward that his energy was gone as the game, which was played with a heat index topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), wore along.
“It was not a tough decision to take him out,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said. “He was finished. Maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before. … He also got a dead leg in the second half, so that combined with the fatigue. He did everything he could.”
The Manchester City striker was, without question, one of the stars of the tournament — but England silenced him. And his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, Jude Bellingham, wound up stealing the show by scoring both goals.
Haaland and Bellingham shared an embrace when the game ended, before the Norwegian striker made the long, slow walk from the field to the locker room for the final time in this World Cup.
He was already a star within the sport coming into the tournament — but his larger-than-most-in-soccer frame and larger-than-life personality, combined with his long blond hair and unique mannerisms, turned Haaland into a soccer folk hero.
“I think this has changed my life, to be honest,” Haaland said.
England’s plan — forged in part by his Manchester City teammates and others who have played with and against him at the club level — was clear: Do not let Haaland get the ball. It was largely successful.
Haaland had two shot attempts in the game, one on goal, and was virtually silenced after the first half. There was a 2-on-1 chance late in the first half where a pass didn’t go his way; if it had, that may have been his best scoring opportunity.
There wasn’t much for him to get excited about the rest of the way. He stayed on the field for a few minutes after the final whistle, saluting Norway’s fans after the team’s best World Cup run ever. When the 2030 tournament rolls around, it won’t be a surprise if Norway makes another deep run — and that’s clearly going to be the goal.
“I think we put Norway on the map,” he said. (JapanToday)
Harry Kane said England need to “calm down” after the emotionally draining win over Mexico that took them through to the World Cup quarterfinals.
Thomas Tuchel’s 10-man team won 3-2 on Sunday after a memorable backs-to-the-wall performance against the co-hosts in Estadio Azteca.
England, back at their training base in Kansas City, are enjoying some downtime ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal against Erling Haaland’s Norway in Miami.”
Into the next round. Incredible night, we appreciate the support. I know we had loads in the stadium and loads watching back home staying up late,” England captain Kane said in a video on social media.
“The connection with everyone is even stronger now and we feel that more than ever. We recover now, we calm down, we have a couple of days relaxing and then obviously get prepared for a massive quarterfinal.”
Kane, whose second-half penalty proved decisive, said the Azteca experience and the nature of the win made it one of his favorite games in an England shirt.
“Going into that game was so special, the atmosphere, the stadium… everyone was so excited to be there and play in this iconic game,” he said. “To come through the adversities in the game and battle through the way we did and put our bodies on the line and the boys covering every blade of grass was just incredible to be part of, to be honest.
“It’s one of my favorite games in an England shirt, without a doubt.”
The 32-year-old Bayern Munich forward will come up against Golden Boot rival Haaland on Saturday.
Kane has six goals so far at the World Cup — one behind top-scorers Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Haaland. (JapanToday)
Harry Kane rescued England from a seismic World Cup shock with two late goals to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in Atlanta and secure a place in the last 16.
Aiming to end a 60-year wait to win a major tournament, Thomas Tuchel’s men escaped humiliation and one of England’s worst ever World Cup exits thanks to their talismanic captain after Brian Cipenga’s early goal gave Congo an early lead.
But the Three Lions will need to improve for the daunting task of facing co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the last 16 on Sunday.
Already England’s all-time top goalscorer in the competition, Kane now has 13 World Cup goals and moves onto five for the tournament to remain in the the star-studded battle for the Golden Boot.
“What a crazy game, obviously,” said Kane. “I think you have to stay patient in these games. “Their keeper definitely made some unbelievable saves in that first half. And it was just about pounding the rock, keep pounding the rock, and our moments will come.”
Defeat ended Congo’s fairytale run on their return to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years.
The Leopards had never even won a point or scored a goal at the World Cup until a few weeks ago, but had one of the tournament favorites teetering on the brink of elimination.
Tuchel made two changes from victory over Panama as Declan Rice return in midfield, while Djed Spence came in at right-back with Reece James and Jarell Quansah both ruled out through injury.
The German coach’s decision not to select more specialist right-back cover in a 26-man squad will face more scrutiny after Congo took the lead down that flank.
Spence was caught under Chancel Mbemba’s cross as the ball fell for Cipenga. The Almeria winger’s shot was low and hard but Jordan Pickford should still have kept it out at his near post.
The vast majority of the nearly 70,000 crowd decked out in England red and white were silenced, while Tuchel’s players were visibly rattled.
Jude Bellingham was shown a yellow card for a lunge lunge and was then involved in a heated exchange with his coach during the mid-half hydration break.
The stoppage in play at least allowed Tuchel the chance to restore order.
Bellingham’s powerful header from Declan Rice’s cross finally forced DR Congo ‘keeper Lionel Mpasi into action.
Moments later Marcus Rashford’s powerful effort was blocked on the line by London-born Aaron Wan Bissaka after Noni Madueke’s jinking run opened up the Congo defence.
Yet it could have been even worse for England at the break.
Yoane Wissa’s three goals in the group stage fired his country to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time and the Newcastle striker had a golden chance to double the DR Congo lead but hit the outside of the post from point-blank range. (JapanToday)
Pep Guardiola announced on Friday that he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season after a trophy-laden decade that transformed English football.
Guardiola guided City to 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the club’s only Champions League, over the past 10 seasons.
Aston Villa’s visit to the Etihad on Sunday will be his final match in charge, although he is set to continue working for the City Football Group as a global ambassador.
“What a time we have had together!” Guardiola said in a club statement.
“Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time.
“Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.”
News of the Catalan’s impending departure was first reported on Monday.
At that point, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was tight-lipped on his future as City missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal 24 hours later.
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who previously worked on Guardiola’s staff at City, has been widely reported as the man set to take over at the Etihad.
The 55-year-old’s trophy haul also included three FA Cups, five League Cups, the Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and three Community Shields.
Guardiola arrived in England as already one of Europe’s most decorated coaches.
His four-year spell at boyhood club Barcelona between 2008 and 2012 captured admirers across the globe, winning two Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles.
He added three more league titles in three seasons at Bayern.
A similarly short spell was expected when City lured him to the Premier League.
But his influence has transformed the English game at all levels over the past 10 years.
Backed by the deep pockets of Abu Dhabi royalty, City have stepped out of the shadow of local rivals Manchester United to become the dominant force in the Premier League.
Guardiola’s brand of passing football has been copied from grassroots through to the elite level.
Even City’s competitors have turned to his disciples to catch up.
Arsenal’s 22-year wait to win the Premier League was ended by another of his former assistants Mikel Arteta.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has said his coaching philosophy was shaped by watching the City boss’ Barcelona team, while new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso moved to Bayern in the final years of his playing career to gain the experience of working under Guardiola.
The timing of Guardiola’s exit comes with the outcome of an investigation into more than 100 alleged breaches by City of financial regulations still to be released.
First charged by the Premier League in February 2023, an independent commission hearing concluded in December 2024 with the case hanging over City’s achievements on the pitch ever since. (JapanToday)
Rory McIlroy and Lando Norris have both been rewarded for their respective successes in 2025 at the Laureus awards in Madrid.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy won the Comeback of the Year award after winning his first Masters golf title last year.
England’s Formula 1 driver Norris, who won his maiden World Drivers’ Championship, took the Breakthrough of the Year award.
McIlroy, who won the Masters again earlier this month, beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off to earn the Green Jacket 12 months ago.
The 36-year-old – a former winner of the Breakthrough of the Year award – became just the sixth man in history to win all four Majors following his 2025 Augusta triumph.
“There are certain moments in your career that stay with you, and winning the Masters is one I’ll carry with me forever. To then have a year like that recognised by Laureus is very special,” McIlroy said.
“Completing the career Grand Slam was incredibly emotional. It’s something I’ve been chasing for a long time, and it probably means more because of everything that came before it – the near misses, the setbacks, and the questions along the way.”
Norris held his nerve in a tense battle with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and four-time champion Max Verstappen to win the 2025 championship.
The 26-year-old held off some strong competition to scoop the award, with fellow Britain Luke Littler, the darts world champion, among the nominees.
“Winning the world championship is something I dreamed about since I was young, so to win my first in 2025 is pretty special,” Norris said.
“It’s far from being an individual achievement. Without my team, who were also nominated for a Laureus Team of the Year award, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Carlos Alcaraz was named Sportsman of the Year, with fellow tennis player Aryna Sabalenka earning the sportswoman award.
Alcaraz, 22, won eight ATP Tour titles, including two Grand Slam events, and ended 2025 ranked as the world number one as he beat rival Jannik Sinner to the award.
Sabalenka, 27, added a second US Open crown to her collection as she collected four WTA titles last year.
England’s women were in the running for Team of the Year after winning Euro 2025 but the award went to men’s Champions League winners Paris St-Germain.
British cyclist Tom Pidcock missed out on the Action Sportsperson of the Year award, with American snowboarder Chloe Kim taking the honour.
Full list of Laureus award winners:
Sportsman of the Year award: Carlos Alcaraz
Sportswoman of the Year award: Aryna Sabalenka
Team of the Year award: Paris St-Germain
Breakthrough of the Year award: Lando Norris
Comeback of the Year award: Rory McIlroy
Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award: Gabriel Araujo
Action Sportsperson of the Year award: Chloe Kim
Young Sportsperson of the Year award: Lamine Yamal
Ghana have sacked manager Otto Addo, 72 days before the start of this summer’s World Cup.
Addo’s departure followed a 2-1 defeat by Germany in a friendly in Stuttgart on Monday, and a 5-1 thrashing by Austria in Vienna last Friday.
The Black Stars, who are in the same World Cup group as England, have lost their last four games and despite having Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo and Tottenham forward Mohammed Kudus among their ranks, failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations under Addo.
Following the Germany game, the Ghana Football Association said, external it had “parted ways” with Addo and his exit was “effective immediately”.
It added: “The Ghana Football Association will communicate the new technical direction of the Black Stars in due course.”
Addo, 50, was born in Germany and spent his entire playing career in the country, also winning 15 caps for Ghana, and began his second spell as national team manager in March 2024.
The World Cup, which is being held in Canada, Mexico and the USA, runs from 11 June to 19 July.
Ghana will open their campaign against Panama on 18 June (00:00 BST) before facing England on 23 June (21:00 BST) and Croatia on 27 June (22:00 BST). (BBC)
The former Prince Andrew was arrested and held for hours by British police Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein, an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment.
It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, and it underscored how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.
King Charles III, whose late mother lived by the motto “never complain, never explain,” took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the arrest of his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,’’ the king said. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.’’
The Thames Valley Police force said Mountbatten-Windsor was released Thursday evening, about 11 hours after he was detained at his home in eastern England. He was photographed in a car leaving the station near his home on the royal Sandringham Estate.
Police said he was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated. Police said they had finished searching Mountbatten-Windsor’s home, but officers were still searching his former residence near Windsor Castle.
The police force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, said Thursday that a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England, had been arrested and was in custody. Police did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain.
Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, moved to the king’s private estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near the castle earlier this month.
Police previously said they were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor and convicted sex offender, in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Correspondence between the two men was released by the U.S. Justice Department late last month along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement.
“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time,” he added.
Police also said they were searching two properties.
Earlier in the day, pictures circulated online that appeared to show unmarked police cars at Wood Farm, Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plainclothes officers gathering outside.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein.
The allegations being investigated Thursday are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with the prince in 2001, when she was just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year.
Still, Giuffre’s family praised the arrest, saying that their “broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”
The family added: “He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
“This is the most spectacular fall from grace for a member of the royal family in modern times,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, who compared it in severity to the crisis sparked by Edward VIII’s abdication to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
“And it may not be over yet,’’ Prescott added.
Thursday’s arrest came a day after the National Police Chiefs’ Council said it had created a coordination group to assist forces across the UK that are assessing whether Epstein and his associates committed crimes in Britain. In addition to the concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor ’s correspondence, documents released by the U.S. suggest Epstein may have used his private jet to traffic women to and from Britain.
The documents also rocked British politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to fight off questions about his judgment after the papers revealed that Peter Mandelson, the man he appointed ambassador to the U.S., had a longer and closer relationship with Epstein than was previously disclosed.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service has said it is investigating allegations of misconduct in public office related to Mandelson’s own correspondence with Epstein. Mandelson was fired as ambassador to the U.S. in September. (JapanToday)
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