On the spot: 50 of the most famous – and infamous – Panenka penalties of all time

The 50th anniversary is the perfect time to remember 50 of the most famous – and infamous – attempts at the Czech’s chip It is 50 years since Antonin Panenka won the European Championship for Czechoslovakia with the most audacious penalty ever taken. His signature chip wasn’t instantly eponymous. A search of the British newspaper archives shows that it was barely mentioned until Francesco Totti dusted it off for the internet generation at Euro 2000. It was at least another decade before Panenka was commonly used as a noun, and it did not have its own Wikipedia page until 2014, but in 2026 every football fan has an idea of what it means. The 50th anniversary is the perfect time to remember 50 of the most famous – and infamous – attempts. Continue reading...

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Manchester United target Andrey Santos but Chelsea value midfielder at £50m

Manchester United are targeting the Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who would cost in the region of £50m

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‘This is a hellhole’: Aramco makes its presence hurt in the shadow of the World Cup

The oil giant’s sponsorship deal with Fifa has featured prominently at matches in Houston. But 100 miles away in another Texas city, residents say the firm’s refinery is exposing them to poisonous gas...

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Enzo Maresca confirmed as Manchester City manager on three-year deal

Enzo Maresca has been confirmed as Manchester City’s new manager, replacing Pep Guardiola on a three-year contract

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The Hotspot | ‘This may be our last chance’: rising sea levels threaten Kiribati’s World Cup dream

In today’s newsletter: the Pacific islands hoping to enter World Cup qualifying before ocean level increase wipes them from the map “This is not just about football, it’s about building something from scratch,” Eriati Reebo, the Kiribati football president, explains. “A legacy, a story, that the world will always remember.” Kiribati, a group of Pacific islands south of Hawaii with 138,000 inhabitants, is seeking entry into World Cup qualifying for the 2030 tournament. Becoming a recognised international football team would help bring attention to the only nation on earth that sits within all four hemispheres, and one that is rapidly disappearing from the map. It could be the first, but certainly not the last, country to be engulfed by sea water, leaving it uninhabitable. And before that happens, it wants to professionalise the football setup and become a full member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). This would both create a route to competing with bigger nations and help keep the Kiribati spirit alive. Continue reading...

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Premier League 2025-26 review: players of the season

Two deadly strikers, two creative forces and an all-but unbeatable goalkeeper make up our picks for the season The adulation offers a fine indication of how good the Manchester United captain has been this season. At the start, he was dragging Ruben Amorim’s interpretation of a team through matches and spent the past five months leading Michael Carrick’s unified side. Awards and records keep coming his way; winning the Football Writers’ Association player of the season award was swiftly followed by picking up a record Premier League assist tally of 21 at Brighton on the final day of the season. Considering United were very open to selling Fernandes less than a year ago, one wonders what would have happened at Old Trafford without him. “At one point I was going to leave – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay not only for family reasons but because I genuinely like the club,” Fernandes told Canal 11. “But from the club’s side, I felt a bit of: ‘If you go, it’s not really that bad for us.’ That hurts me a little. More than hurting, it makes me sad, because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise me for. I’m always available for every match, I always play, whether well or badly. I give my maximum.” Fernandes brings incredible intelligence and work rate on the pitch, supported by stunning technique that has put him above his United teammates, who all feed off him. It is hard to argue that any other Premier League captain is more influential than Fernandes and United have reaped the awards. Continue reading...

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The Pep years: season by season, how Guardiola’s Manchester City evolved

Pep Guardiola took over from Manuel Pellegrini in 2016. Here we chart the trophy-laden decade that followed … It was confirmed on 1 February that Pep Guardiola would be heading to east Manchester to try his hand at English football. Behind the scenes, plenty went on to create a squad suited to him but, in truth, it was a season of transition as the new head coach investigated who could fit into his system and what needed to change. It was soon apparent how influential the era-defining Kevin De Bruyne would be for Guardiola, as his class in midfield shone. City showed promise but finished third in the Premier League and were knocked out by Monaco in the Champions League last 16 as the new head coach began without a trophy. Continue reading...

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Hull City owner Acun Ilicali: ‘People think I changed coaches because of ego. It was lack of ego’

The ‘Turkish Simon Cowell’ says sealing promotion to the Premier League via Saturday’s playoff final would ‘finish the miracle’ “I love the city – for me, it’s therapy,” the Hull owner, Acun Ilicali, says of his second home. Running a football club is not particularly therapeutic but after almost four-and-a-half-years at the helm, the Turkish media mogul will have his day at Wembley on Saturday when the Tigers face Middlesbrough for a place in the Premier League. Life is rarely quiet for the globetrotting Ilicali, regarded as Turkey’s answer to Simon Cowell. He produces some of the world’s most popular television shows in numerous countries, having started out as a sports reporter. The entertainment theme has continued at Hull, creating a tumultuous and gripping reality that has featured head coaches coming and going, and playoff and relegation battles. Everything aligned this season, the team securing sixth place on the final day before defeating third-placed Millwall over two legs. Hull have even been victims of Southampton’s removal from the playoff final amid “spygate”. It is never dull in Hull. Continue reading...

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Pep Guardiola: ‘I like to think my vibe and energy will be there for ever’

Manchester City manager turned on the charm as he met the media for his final pre-match press conference Pep Guardiola cracked a joke about fielding questions on facing Aston Villa as he entered the room. But after more than 1,100 press conferences in 10 years at Manchester City he knew this one was never going to be normal, requiring him to run through the past decade in half an hour. He has been building up to this for a while, the end nigh for weeks, the energy levels depleted and a break needed, especially from journalists. Guardiola recently revealed that John Stones experienced great relief after announcing he would be leaving City and the manager was embracing the same feelings. There was plenty of emotion initially, Guardiola admitting his leaving speech to the players earlier in the day was “a disaster”. Finding the right words in these situations was never going to be easy. It does feel at times as if City is the club Guardiola built. “I like to think my vibe and energy will be there for ever,” he said. Continue reading...

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Bruno Fernandes equals assist record as Manchester United hold off battling Forest

This is the new Manchester United era of happy accidents being overseen by Michael Carrick and helped by confusing officiating as they edged past Nottingham Forest. If it was not for a lack of obvious options five months ago, United and Carrick may not have been reunited, nor would they be third in the Premier League and heading back to the Champions League, on the day Bruno Fernandes equalled the all-time Premier League assist record. Carrick has a two-year contract on the table and cannot require too much mulling over. The improving Old Trafford atmosphere was further boosted after the final home game being won partly thanks to a bizarre decision by Michael Salisbury to allow a Matheus Cunha goal to stand, on account of Bryan Mbeumo’s clear handball in the buildup being “accidental”, much to the confusion of everyone without a whistle. Continue reading...

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Calvert-Lewin eases Leeds to verge of safety in dominant win over Burnley

It was the night all the nerves vanished into the ether, replaced by every track on the Leeds United soundtrack as Premier League survival was all but confirmed. It was all too easy to defeat rudderless and relegated Burnley, to put Leeds nine points clear of the relegation zone, with their rivals having four games remaining. Anton Stach’s smart shot started the festivities before Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin provided the headline act to move Leeds above Newcastle into 14th and extend the gap to 18th-placed Tottenham. The final half an hour at Elland Road was boisterous as the supporters celebrated a crucial victory in what will be a hard-fought journey to safety. Continue reading...

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Gibbs-White’s early strike decisive as Nottingham Forest edge past 10-man Porto

The final whistle brought a second of relief before the celebrations truly kicked in after Nottingham Forest secured a place in the Europa League semi-finals. It should have been easier but nothing is simple at the City Ground as they made hard work of overcoming Porto, who played almost the entire match with 10 men. Morgan Gibbs-White settled the match, to set up an all English clash with Aston Villa for a place in the final. His goal came in the aftermath of Jan Bednarek’s early sending off and should have laid the foundations for more but Forest’s finishing was poor, forcing them to grind out the victory. Continue reading...

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Mats Wieffer doubles up as Brighton push Burnley closer to the drop

Scott Parker has spent much of the season bemoaning the “fine margins” of the Premier League and after witnessing Burnley lose to Brighton and having two of their own disallowed for paper-thin offsides, he might be looking forward to the prospect of the Championship. The assistants called the offsides after Jaidon Anthony and Bashir Humphreys netted but lengthy video assistant referee delays offered hope and the technology had to work hard to spot the illegalities. Ultimately, it was Mats Wieffer’s two strikes that settled the match, tripling his tally for the club, to boost Brighton’s European hopes and leave Burnley 12 points from safety with six to play. Continue reading...

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