Six out of 20 teams have progressed so far to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, with India (A1), Australia (B2), and Afghanistan (C1) in Group 1, and USA (A2), West Indies (C2) and South Africa (D1) in Group 2. The teams are assigned A1, B1 and so on not on the basis of where they finished in their group but according to pre-tournament designations.After USA confirmed their Super Eight berth from Group A following the washout of their game against Ireland, England and Bangladesh are the frontrunners to take the two remaining spots, B1 and D2 respectively, though there are other teams still in the running. The first round ends on June 17, and the Super Eight stage begins on June 19.The first match of the Super Eight round will be between South Africa and the USA, in Antigua. West Indies take on the second team that qualifies from Group B in St Lucia on the evening of June 19, before India and Afghanistan begin their Super Eight fixtures against each other on June 20 in Barbados.Australia take on the second team to qualify from Group D in Antigua on the evening of June 20, while South Africa will play the second Group B qualifier on June 21 in St Lucia.The full Super Eight fixtures can be accessed here.There are no points or net run-rate advantage carried forward from the first round into the Super Eight stage, where all teams will start on a level footing. The top two teams from each Super Eight group will qualify for the semi-finals.The first semi-final is in Trinidad on June 26, and the second semi-final is in Guyana on June 27. If India make it to the semi-finals, they will play in Guyana. The final of the T20 World Cup is scheduled for June 29, in Barbados.
A Madrid journalist has now dropped a significant new update regarding Davide Ancelotti’s chances of becoming Rangers’ next manager this summer.
Rangers manager search rumbles on
A host of candidates have been mentioned as options to take charge at Ibrox at the end of the season, at which point Barry Ferguson’s spell as interim manager is expected to reach its conclusion. Steven Gerrard has long been a front-runner to come in and enjoy a second stint at Rangers, having won the Scottish Premiership title in 2020/21, but Ancelotti has also emerged as an intriguing option recently.
Davide Ancelotti
The 36-year-old is currently the assistant manager to his father Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, going through a disappointing season at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the European giants going trophyless.
He has been hailed by the Madrid boss though, who has said of his son: “Davide is a competent, disciplined, professional and very calm assistant coach. He works alongside Francesco Mauri, who is very young too. Luis works with the goalkeepers, Pintus with his experience on the physical side of things. I have a young and very competent coaching team. We combine their enthusiasm with my experience well.”
It was thought that that the Italian is contemplating moving into management on his own, taking on a head coach role and moving away from his father, but now a significant update has dropped regarding Rangers’ pursuit of him.
Ancelotti set to join Brazil instead of Rangers
Taking to X on Friday morning, Madrid journalist Alberto Pereiro revealed Ancelotti won’t become Rangers’ new manager, instead deciding to follow his father to be his assistant with Brazil’s national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
This is an update that will stun Rangers given all signs pointed towards the Italian moving out on his own, with the Madrid assistant standing out as one of the more exciting candidates to be their next manager.
Better than Ancelotti: Rangers to step up move for "amazing" manager
As the 49ers continue their search for the next Rangers manager, they should forget about Davide Ancelotti and hire an “impressive” boss instead.
ByBen Gray May 15, 2025
Granted, he hasn’t yet been a head coach in his career, which would make the Gers hiring him a risk, but he will have learned so much from his father and would bring a winning mentality with him, having helped both Bayern Munich and Madrid achieve so much success down the years.
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich
2017
German Cup
Bayern Munich
2017
German Cup
Bayern Munich
2018
Champions League
Real Madrid
2022
La Liga
Real Madrid
2022
Spanish Cup
Real Madrid
2022
Club World Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Spanish Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Spanish Super Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Champions League
Real Madrid
2024
La Liga
Real Madrid
2024
Spanish Super Cup
Real Madrid
2024
Now, the Scottish giants will have to look elsewhere at options, however, and it could be that Gerrard ends up being the man to come in, with the Liverpool legend feeling he has unfinished business at Ibrox.
Liverpool fans believe Harvey Elliott has increased his value ahead of a potential move to Brighton after scoring twice for England's Under-21s.
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England reach final with 2-1 win over NetherlandsElliott scores twice Fans delighted amid reports of move Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Elliott scored twice in the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championship, as England beat the Netherlands 2-1. The Liverpool ace's first goal was a fine drive but his second was superb, as he slalomed through the Dutch defence and lashed an effort beyond Robin Roefs, in a move akin to Lionel Messi. The Reds star has been linked with a summer exit amid interest from Brighton, and fans believe his value has increased after such a fine display.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
@AnythingLFC_ said: "Add another £10m-£20m onto Harvey Elliott's price tag after this Euros."
@GusWelshLFC added: "Harvey Elliott just added another £10m to his transfer fee."
@9_Hendo said: "Harvey Elliott adding millions to the fee Liverpool will command this summer! Get in."
@Alexgildeatrott said: "We shouldn't be selling Harvey Elliott. If we are, minimum £50m."
@LewisSteele_ concluded: "Absolutely superb goal from Harvey Elliott. At the double for England U21s to all but send them to the final. His price tag, if LFC are going to sell him this summer, is only going one way based on this tournament. Supremely talented and a top, top lad."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Elliott has now scored four goals at the U21 Euros, having also netted against Czechia in the group stages, and Spain in the quarter-finals. At the last stage of reporting, Brighton were said to be considering a move at around £40 million ($55m) this summer, after making the midfielder their top target. He has played 147 times for Liverpool in total but made just two Premier League starts last term.
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Elliott will aim to finish the job this weekend as England go in search of their second successive Under-21 European Championship. Then, he may well be on the move.
da spicy bet： Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim revealed after the extra-time win over Lyon in the Europa League that he would give young players a chance to shine in the Premier League for the rest of the season.
da 888： The Portuguese tactician was true to his word in the clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Tyler Fredericson and Harry Amass both started.
Whilst it was a disappointing 1-0 defeat for the Reds, Amass caught the eye with a bright showing in the left wing-back position for the Red Devils.
Why Harry Amass is an exciting talent
The 18-year-old starlet played the full 90 minutes against Wolves and showcased his defensive strength and tenacity, winning nine of his 13 duels. He also completed 89% of his attempted passes and created one chance down the flank.
It was his third Premier League appearance and second start this season, whilst he also played 20 minutes off the bench against Lyon, and reporter Sam Luckhurst claimed “all signs” suggest that he can “compete” with Patrick Dorgu for a starting berth next term.
This all suggests that Amass is an exciting talent who could be a future star at Old Trafford, given his emergence in the first-team at such a young age, and his strong display against Wolves.
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However, Manchester United may have already signed a player who could ruin the young left-back’s development next season and moving forward, in the form of Diego Leon.
Why Diego Leon could ruin Harry Amass' development
The Red Devils snapped up the teenage defender from Cerro Porteno in Paraguay during the January transfer window for a fee that could reportedly rise to £7m.
Manchester United manager RubenAmorimarrives before the match
Whilst it is not certain to go this way, Leon could be viewed as a better long-term option than Amass because the academy graduate is a more valuable asset to be sold for PSR.
Homegrown players represent pure profit for clubs because they were not signed for lavish transfer fees and this means that United could, in theory, cash in on players like Kobbie Mainoo and Amass to give themselves more room with PSR to make big signings in other positions.
Leon’s experience at first-team level at a similar age also suggests that the potential is there for him to arrive at Old Trafford in the summer as a danger to Amass’ place in the squad.
Stats
Leon (2024 Primera Division)
Amass (24/25 Premier League)
Appearances (starts)
19 (18)
3 (2)
Goals
2
0
Big chances created
1
0
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.4
1.6
Dribbled past per game
0.7x
0.7x
Error led to shot/goal
0
0
Duels won per game
4.4
4.7
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 18-year-old talent has already played 19 times and started 18 games at league level, despite only turning 18 this month, and outperformed the English defender in several statistics.
Leon, who was once described as an “explosive” and “marauding” left-back, has had more time to adjust to playing first-team football and that could give him an edge over Amass heading into pre-season.
Therefore, the Paraguay youth international could ruin the United academy graduate’s development by arriving as a potential upgrade on him, at the same age.
It could be an interesting sub-plot to keep an eye on during the club’s pre-season tour because there could be a big battle on between them to impress Amorim.
Big upgrade on Zirkzee: Man Utd agree personal terms to sign £30m "monster"
Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign a star who would send Joshua Zirkzee packing.
Mikel Arteta will no doubt plead caution surrounding the signing of any new centre-forward this summer, with it not a guarantee that such a move will instantly propel Arsenal to long-awaited Premier League glory.
Indeed, it is not only through the middle where reinforcements are required, with an upgrade on the left flank also seemingly needed with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard scoring just ten top-flight goals between them this term.
That said, fans and pundits alike are craving a statement acquisition of a new striker after what looks set to be another second-place finish in the league, with the Gunners having also come up short in the previous two campaigns.
Not since the summer of 2022 have the club forked out for a new number nine, albeit with even Gabriel Jesus not exactly an out-and-out centre-forward, particularly considering much of his work came on the right flank during his prior stint at Manchester City.
With the Brazilian having since been ravaged by injury – with Kai Havertz also currently sidelined – there is a real dearth of reliable options at the Emirates, a fact epitomised by Mikel Merino’s recent shift into a makeshaft target man.
Whether it is the difference between winning the league or not, the Gunners simply must sign a striker. If recent reports are anything to go by, the search has already started.
Latest on Arsenal's striker search
The leading target for the north London side remains that of Alexander Isak, although question marks remain over just how feasible a deal would be for the in-form Swede, considering Newcastle United’s £150m asking price.
Alexander Isak
With that in mind, the Gunners appear to be looking elsewhere in their extensive search, with Football Transfers naming Bologna’s Santiago Castro as a potential summer option.
As per the report, it is Arteta who is said to be ‘personally pushing’ to seal the signing of the young Argentine, with the Arsenal boss believed to be a ‘huge admirer’ of the promising forward.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
While the piece does mainly focus in on Arsenal’s parallel interest in Atletico Madrid starlet, Adrian Nino, the Spaniard appears more of a project signing, considering he only made his first-team debut for the LaLiga side in January.
Castro, meanwhile, may only be 20 himself, although amid a promising campaign in Serie A, he has seemingly caught the attention of Arteta as someone who could come in and make an instant impact at the Emirates.
Perhaps, he could well follow in the footsteps of a certain Alexis Sanchez in an Arsenal shirt…
Why Castro would be a good signing for Arsenal
While the Gunners did actually pluck Sanchez from Barcelona back in 2014, the Chilean did mirror his fellow South American by initially plying his trade in his homeland with Cobreloa, before then making his name in Italy at Udinese.
The now veteran forward – who has ended up back at the Italian outfit in the twilight of his career – notably scored 12 goals and provided a further ten assists in the 2010/11 Serie A season, before being poached by Barca, having typically operated as a centre-forward or second striker.
Castro, meanwhile, has followed a similar path after starting out in his native Argentina with Velez Sarsfield – for whom he scored nine goals in 64 games – prior to making the switch to Bologna last year, going on to score eight times and register four assists in Italy’s top flight in 2024/25.
Games (starts)
29 (25)
Goals
8
Assists
4
Goal frequency
266 mins
Big chances missed
6
Big chances created
3
Key passes*
0.9
Touches*
27.1
Now valued at around €30m (£26m), according to reports in January, Castro is well on course to emulating Sanchez’s final season at Udinese, with now perhaps the chance for Arsenal to pounce – rather than signing him later down the line, like they did with Sanchez.
Having been described as the “complete forward” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the 6 foot machine does mirror the ex-Arsenal man in also being able to feature on the flanks, ensuring he could also rival the likes of Martinelli and Trossard in that left-wing berth.
Bologna'sSantiagoCastrocelebrates after the match
Not just an “instinctive finisher”, in the words of Mattinson, the Buenos Aires native may also prove a valuable addition due to his innate link-up play, as shown by the fact that he ranks in the top 10% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion.
A composed presence both in possession and in front of goal, Castro could certainly be worth taking a punt on. With Arsenal having seen the success of signing Sanchez, amid his return of 124 goals and assists in just 166 games for the club, the capture of a potential successor will hopefully prove just as fruitful.
With 20 goals and assists in 46 games for Bologna since signing back in January 2024, the 20-year-old could well be a wildcard solution.
Arsenal hold early talks to sign £50m striker likened to Neymar and Mbappe
He’s compared to two of world football’s most iconic superstars of recent years.
U.S. Soccer has finalized the schedule for the quarterfinals of the 2025 US Open Cup, with a pair of doubleheaders in place
All four quarterfinal matches will stream on Paramount+
Eight MLS clubs remain in contention, competing in East and West brackets on July 8-9
Tournament format includes predetermined hosting priority order for upcoming semifinal round
Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images
WHAT HAPPENED
U.S. Soccer has announced dates, kickoff times, and broadcast information for the four contests comprising the Quarterfinal Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The matches will unfold with a pair of doubleheaders on July 8 and 9, featuring an all-MLS lineup of teams competing for a spot in the semifinals of America's oldest soccer competition.
CBS Sports' coverage of the competition continues into the Quarterfinal Round across its platforms. As with every remaining contest in the competition, all four Quarterfinal matches will stream live on Paramount+, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will both simulcast a pair of games during the round.
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THE FULL SCHEDULE
The quarterfinals begin Tuesday, July 8, with Minnesota United hosting Chicago Fire FC at Allianz Field (8 p.m. ET), followed by San Jose Earthquakes welcoming Austin FC at PayPal Park (10:30 p.m. ET). Action continues on Wednesday, July 9, when the Philadelphia Union host the New York Red Bulls at Subaru Park (7 p.m. ET), and Nashville SC hosts D.C. United at GEODIS Park (9 p.m. ET).
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The 2025 edition of the tournament has already featured dramatic moments, including penalty shootouts and late equalizers that have captivated fans across the nation.
To enhance this year's competition, U.S. Soccer and partners have increased their investment in the tournament, resulting in a record $1M purse for the 2025 competition. That is more than double last year’s total figure, and includes $600,000 for this year’s champion.
Getty Images Sport
WHAT’S NEXT?
Following the quarterfinals, the four advancing teams will move on to the semifinal round scheduled for September 16-17. The tournament will culminate with the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, where the champion will earn a trophy, $600k, and a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The tournament will be held in two cities with Bengaluru hosting the first half and Delhi the second including the knockouts
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2024Defending champions Mumbai Indians and 2023 runners-up Delhi Capitals are set to kick off the 2024 edition of Women’s Premier League (WPL) on February 23 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.The five-team competition will have a total of 22 matches, with the final set to be played on March 17. After the entire tournament was held only in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai in 2023, the WPL this season will be hosted across two venues: Bengaluru and Delhi. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the first half of the tournament – the first 11 matches – will be held in Bengaluru while Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium will host the final 11 games, which includes the knockouts.Royal Challengers Bangalore will start their campaign against UP Warriorz on February 24 while Gujarat Giants play their first game of the season against Mumbai on February 25. The Delhi leg of the tournament gets underway on March 5 again with Capitals taking on Mumbai in the return fixture.Related
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With no double-header days scheduled, there will be one league-stage game every day from February 23 to March 13. The Eliminator will be held on March 15, with the final on March 17 in Delhi. Each team will play eight games, before the league topper goes into the final, with teams finishing second and third on the points table facing off in the Eliminator for the other spot in the final.In the 2024 WPL auction held in December last year, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland (Capitals) and India uncapped Kaashvee Gautam (Giants) earned big bids of INR 2 crore each. Vrinda Dinesh, another uncapped Indian, was picked up for INR 1.3 crore by Warriorz while Mumbai splurged INR 1.2 crore on South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail. Pheobe Litchfield also got big money having been picked up by Giants for INR 1 crore.The Harmnapreet Kaur-led Mumbai were crowned champions of the inaugural WPL after they defeated Capitals by seven wickets in what was a one-sided final. It was Nat-Sciver Brunt who led the way scoring an unbeaten 55-ball 60 as Mumbai overhauled the 132-run target with ease.
ICC prevented him using the symbols during the Test series against Pakistan
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2024Usman Khawaja has displayed the dove and olive branch symbol, which the ICC banned, on his shoes and bat during the BBL match against Perth Scorchers in Brisbane.The image was approved by the Cricket Australia board prior to the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, but despite Khawaja’s submission to the ICC the governing body denied him permission to use it during the game. The ICC has no oversight on the BBL as it is a domestic tournament.The symbol was on the back of his bat that he started the innings with, but he broke it in the first over and the replacement did not show it.Khawaja had initially wanted to take the field in the Perth Test with humanitarian messages raising awareness of the Gaza conflict on his shoes but that was stopped by ICC.He then wore a black armband, which was understood to relate to his social media posts on the humanitarian crisis, but before the Melbourne Test Khawaja said it had been for a personal bereavement.The logo on Khawaja’s shoes and bat also references article one of the universal declaration of human rights which reads: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”Khawaja previously said he did not believe the ICC had been consistent in applying regulations.”They asked me on day two [in Perth] what it was for and told them it was for a personal bereavement,” he said of the armband. “I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I’m happy to say that. The armband makes no sense to me. I followed all the regulations, past precedents, guys that put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes, done all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded.”Khawaja has spoken openly about how affected he has been with images coming out of the conflict in Gaza.”When I’m looking at my Instagram and seeing innocent kids, videos of them dying, passing away, that’s what hit me the hardest,” he had said. “I just imagine my young daughter in my arms and the same thing. I get emotional talking about it again. I don’t have any hidden agendas.”If anything this brings up more negativity towards me…I don’t get anything out of this. I just feel like it’s my responsibility to speak up on this. We live in such a beautiful country. I’m blessed to live in Australia. I can walk outside, don’t have to worry about a thing. My kids can do the same. I just want that for the rest of the world.”In a subsequent interview on Fox Cricket, he said: “I don’t do these things on a whim – this is something that has affected me for a long time. I was playing Sheffield Shield cricket before the Test series and I was really lacking motivation. I talked to my wife Rachel, I talked to our sports psychologist Brent Membery and Cricket Australia and told them I really am struggling for motivation right now.”Khawaja had received support from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “I’d also like to congratulate [Usman Khawaja] for the courage he has shown standing up for human values. He has shown courage and the fact the team has backed him in is a great thing.”
The franchise also parts ways with spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed while bringing back Nathan Leamon as director of strategy
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2023Abdul Rehman, a stalwart of the Pakistani domestic coaching circuit, has been promoted to Multan Sultans’ head coach after serving as the team’s assistant coach for the last five years. He replaces former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Andy Flower at the helm.Rehman, currently the assistant coach of Pakistan men’s team, had joined Multan in 2018. Under Flower and him, the team reached the final of the last three PSL editions and won the tournament in 2021.”The past five years have been a great journey for the Multan Sultans and I am privileged to have been part of it,” Flower said. “When I agreed to join the Sultans, my first request was for Abdul Rehman to be my assistant coach. He is an exceptional coach and a consummate professional, and I am confident the team will benefit with him at the helm.”A month ago, Flower, who is one of the most decorated coaches in the game, was appointed head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL for a three-year term. Till the end of IPL 2023, he was head coach of Lucknow Super Giants and under him, the franchise made back-to-back playoffs in their first two years in the competition.”It is an honour to be carrying forward Andy Flower’s legacy at the Multan Sultans,” Rehman said. “Together with our leadership team, our coaching and support teams, we look forward to taking Multan Sultans forward with passion and innovation.”Multan have also parted ways with Mushtaq Ahmed, who was their spin-bowling coach for the last four years. They have also brought on board Nathan Leamon as Multan’s director of strategy. Leamon had worked closely with England across all three formats from 2009 for more than a decade. He has also worked exclusively with the white-ball teams since 2016, and had spent time with Multan in 2019 and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.Recently, Multan also became the first T20 franchise in Pakistan with a female general manager.
Teams likely to have a purse of INR 100 crore to build their squads for next season
Nagraj Gollapudi26-Oct-2023The IPL player auction ahead of the 2024 season will be held on December 19 in Dubai; it is the first time the auction will be held overseas.The event will coincide with the second ODI of India’s tour of South Africa, which is scheduled for December 19 in Gqeberha.The ten IPL teams have until November 15 to submit the lists of players they are retaining and releasing, after which the auction pool will be finalised by early December.Each team will have a purse of INR 100 crore (USD 12.02 million approximately) to build their squad for the 2024 season, a INR 5 crore increase from last season’s purse of INR 95 crore. How much each team has to spend on auction day depends on the value of players they release, in addition to their unspent purse from the 2023 auction.Punjab Kings have the largest purse at present – INR 12.20 crore (USD 1.47million) – while Mumbai Indians have the smallest at INR 0.05 crore (USD 0.006 million). Of the remaining teams Sunrisers Hyderabad have INR 6.55 crore (USD 0.79 million); Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals both have INR 4.45 crore (USD 0.54 million); Lucknow Super Giants have INR 3.55 crore (USD 0.43 million); Rajasthan Royals have USD 3.35 crore (USD 0.40 million); Royal Challengers Bangalore have INR 1.75 crore (USD 0.21 million); Kolkata Knight Riders have INR 1.65 crore (USD 0.2 million); and defending champions Chennai Super Kings have INR 1.5 crore (USD 0.18 million).Despite being only a day-long event – compared to the two-day mega auction once every four years – mini auctions have produced some of the most expensive buys, especially in the overseas players category. Ahead of the 2023 season, Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was bought by Punjab for INR 18.5 crore in December last year.Several prominent overseas players are likely to enter the upcoming auction, including Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc who recently said he was “definitely” heading back to the IPL after an eight-year hiatus. Pat Cummins is also likely to put his name up for bidding, having skipped the IPL last year. Some of the other key players franchises expect to see at the auction are Travis Head, Chris Woakes, Alex Hales, Sam Billings, and Gerald Coetzee.