Football

Non-paywalled link: https://archive.is/sfyf6

Premier League television viewing figures on Sky Sports were down 10% last season, with the lack of jeopardy in the title race and relegation believed to be behind the reduction.

Liverpool wrapped up the title on 27 April this season, while Ipswich Town followed Southampton and Leicester City in being relegated to the Championship the day before.

That has been blamed on the title race being settled early and no compelling relegation narrative at the other end of the table.

Milan are waiting for an Atletico Madrid bid for Theo Hernandez, while Chelsea did not offer the right conditions for the signing of Mike Maignan.

The Rossoneri have received an important Napoli offer for Yunus Musah, between €22m and €25m and have informed Bayern Munich that Rafael Leao won’t leave for at least €90m-€100m.

- Germany  (missed 1930, banned 1950)

- Italy (missed 1958, 2018, 2022)

- Argentina (missed 1938, 1950, 1954)

I am kind of debating myself. Nike or Adidas aren't really known to be very ethical companies, and the prices have gotten really high in the last few years.

The one-year countdown to the 2026 World Cup starts Wednesday, with clocks to be unveiled to mark the occasion in Toronto, Vancouver and Niagara Falls.

Toronto and Vancouver are World Cup host cities. Niagara Falls offers a world-class backdrop for a reminder that FIFA's expanded 48-team soccer showcase is just around the corner.

There are more milestones to come in Canada, with a call for some 7,000 volunteers to be issued in August, ticket sales starting in September and the tournament draw in December.