Danny Rohl has left his position as Rangers manager after just eight months to become the new head coach of Austrian side RB Salzburg.
The Ibrox club confirmed the 37-year-old’s departure on Wednesday, stating that news regarding his successor will follow in due course.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes is widely expected to take the vacant role as the Glasgow side prepare to appoint their third boss in a single year.
A swift exit after domestic struggles
The German tactician originally replaced Russell Martin in October and initially steered his squad into a tense three-way title fight.
However, a disastrous post-split collapse resulted in a third-place Scottish Premiership finish behind rivals Celtic and Hearts.
Being eliminated from both domestic cup competitions by Old Firm adversaries further compounded the misery of a trophyless campaign.
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh had previously offered public backing to the former Sheffield Wednesday boss at the end of the season.
“I’d like to thank Danny for his service and commitment to Rangers,” Cavenagh said.
“He and his staff put in a significant amount of hard work during his time in charge, which we are greatly appreciative of.”
“We wish them the best of luck moving forward.”
Returning to familiar surroundings
The departing manager now returns to the Red Bull football network where he began his coaching career alongside Ralph Hasenhuttl at RB Leipzig.
He takes over an Austrian outfit that recently recorded their lowest league finish in two decades by securing a disappointing third place.
Salzburg sacked their previous manager Daniel Beichler last month after a dismal 14-game spell in charge.
Both the Austrian club and the Light Blues will now enter the Europa League at the third qualifying round stage next season.
McInnes emerges as prime candidate
The focus in Govan immediately shifts to finding a permanent replacement who can successfully rebuild the shattered squad.
McInnes represents an obvious choice given his extensive managerial experience and deep understanding of the Scottish top flight.
The highly regarded Scottish manager is widely viewed as a seasoned professional who possesses the relentless work ethic required to succeed in Glasgow.
Meanwhile, the outgoing coach concludes his turbulent Scottish adventure with a record of 22 wins, 11 losses, and seven draws across 40 fixtures.
Cristiano Ronaldo will begin his sixth and final World Cup campaign when Portugal face DR Congo on Wednesday, as the legendary forward chases an elusive global trophy and several historic records.
The 41-year-old enters the global showpiece knowing this tournament represents a final opportunity to secure international football’s greatest prize.
Despite boasting five Champions League titles and five Ballon d’Or awards, the famous gold trophy remains absent from his extensive collection.
Chasing legendary milestones
The former Real Madrid superstar will join long-time rival Lionel Messi as the only players to feature at six World Cups.
Should the veteran forward find the net in North America, he will become the first male player to score in six different editions of the competition.
He currently sits on 22 tournament appearances, trailing the Argentine playmaker’s record tally of 26.
The Seleção captain could surpass that appearance record if his nation reaches the latter stages and he features in every fixture.
Age-defying records in sight
The prolific goalscorer is also pursuing milestones related to his remarkable longevity in the professional game.
The Al-Nassr striker could become the oldest player to feature in a World Cup final, potentially shattering Dino Zoff’s benchmark of 40 years and 133 days.
He also has the opportunity to eclipse Nils Liedholm as the oldest goalscorer in a final, an accolade that has stood since 1958.
Away from tournament-specific achievements, the legendary attacker remains firmly focused on reaching a staggering 1,000 career goals.
He requires just 27 more strikes to achieve that landmark, meaning retirement from club football may not immediately follow his international swansong.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says the memory of the late Diogo Jota will inspire Portugal during their World Cup campaign, nearly a year after the forward’s tragic death.
The former Liverpool attacker and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car accident last summer.
Roberto Martinez’s side begin their tournament against DR Congo in Houston.
Fernandes insists his close friend remains a constant presence in the thoughts of the national squad.
A lasting legacy within the squad
“It’s very important for us,” Fernandes said.
“He was in the group for so long and I played with him through the under-21s.”
The two players emerged through the international youth ranks together before regularly facing off in the Premier League.
“Everyone has spoken about him. It will always be good words about him,” Fernandes added.
“He was a great team-mate, very down to earth and a great person for the country.”
Dreaming of a maiden global title
“He’s still part of our group – and always will be. So will his brother be, too. He will also be in our memories.”
The Selecao have never won international football’s biggest prize.
However, they enter the 2026 tournament boasting a highly talented roster capable of challenging for the trophy.
“The best team is the one that wins the tournament, and I hope at the end we can claim to be that,” the playmaker stated.
Focusing on the immediate challenge
“I do believe we have a very talented squad with great individual quality and beyond that, we are a very cohesive team and united.”
Fernandes believes this deep sense of unity is what makes the current iteration of the national team so special.
“Our dream is to be there. I think dreaming is not forbidden,” he explained.
“But our main focus is to start well and focus on the first game in hand.”
The squad carries a heavy weight of expectation given their individual brilliance, a reality the captain readily acknowledges.
“If we really want to reach the top, we have to not look too far ahead,” Fernandes concluded.
“There is a responsibility, because this team has so many talents, we just have to be decisive to reach the top.”
Iraq striker Aymen Hussein has scored his nation’s first World Cup goal since 1986 against Norway, just days after enduring hours of interrogation by United States immigration officials.
The 30-year-old found the net in Foxborough to cancel out Erling Haaland’s opener during a tense Group I encounter.
His historic strike comes in the wake of a grueling seven-hour detainment at Chicago’s O’Hare airport two weeks prior.
According to an Iraqi sporting official, the frontman had his mobile phone inspected by border authorities upon arrival.
Team photographer denied entry
While the forward was eventually granted clearance to enter the host nation, others within the camp were less fortunate.
The national side’s official photographer, Talal Salah, was held for over 10 hours before being formally denied entry into the United States.
This off-field disruption sharply contrasted with the initial warm welcome the squad received from travelling supporters waving flags in the airport terminal.
Overcoming childhood tragedy
Representing his country on the global stage marks a monumental personal milestone for the former Al Khor attacker.
He endured severe trauma when his father was murdered while the future international was just 12 years old.
The talisman nearly abandoned the sport to support his relatives, but credits his mother for ensuring he stayed on the pitch.
I decided to quit playing football to take care of my family, but my mother refused.
She asked me to continue playing.
Record-breaking return to Iraq
Earning a reported $1m contract with Al Karma, the prolific goalscorer is currently his homeland’s most expensive domestic player.
He lines up alongside promising talents such as Ipswich Town’s Ali Al-Hamadi to form a potent attacking force.
Despite his current financial success, the veteran maintains that representing domestic giants Dohuk earlier in his career was his ultimate ambition.
Honestly, I was ready to play for free.
You may not imagine what it meant to me to play with players from the Iraqi national team at that time.
Everton are in advanced negotiations to re-sign England defender John Stones on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester City.
The Toffees are reportedly increasingly confident of securing a deal for the centre-back ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
David Moyes is eager to add elite quality to his squad after comfortably avoiding Premier League relegation last season.
A successful move would see the free agent return to his former employers nearly a decade after his initial departure.
A glittering spell in Manchester
Since departing Merseyside in 2016, the highly rated defender has amassed a remarkable 19 major trophies.
His extensive haul includes six Premier League titles during a dominant era at the Etihad Stadium.
The England international has been widely praised for his composure and was frequently described as world-class during his peak years.
However, persistent injury problems have heavily restricted his regular playing time over recent campaigns.
Balancing experience with financial risk
Despite concerns over his physical durability, the veteran brings invaluable leadership and tactical intelligence to any backline.
Interest from several Serie A clubs reportedly persists, meaning Everton still face stiff competition to finalise the agreement.
Significant wage demands could also make the transfer an expensive gamble for a club seeking long-term financial stability.
Officials at the Hill Dickinson Stadium will be hoping to conclude business quickly before his focus shifts entirely to the national team.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has equalled Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading goalscorer by netting his 57th international goal during a World Cup group match against Senegal.
The 27-year-old struck in his country’s tournament opener to cement his place among the elite pantheon of French attackers.
He now shares the prestigious milestone with Giroud, achieving the feat in just 99 appearances for the national team.
Giroud backs successor to shatter records
The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker, whose record has just been matched, was quick to praise the achievement.
“Congratulations Kylian. I’m happy for him. It’s a great finish and we are level now, you need to score another one Kylian.”
Giroud shared his thoughts while working as a pundit for BBC One.
The veteran forward believes it is only a matter of time before the Les Bleus captain claims the outright lead.
“It makes sense, it was expected. He will beat every single record – the number of caps and goals.”
He also tipped his former team-mate to surpass Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.
Closing in on World Cup history
The strike against Senegal takes the French captain’s total World Cup tally to 13 goals.
He currently sits just three goals behind former Germany international Klose.
French football expert Julien Laurens believes the prolific forward is destined to be remembered as the nation’s finest ever player.
“There is still a lot more to come from him but if we are to stop it right now, Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini certainly remain the top two French players of all time.”
Laurens predicts a gradual shift in the historical hierarchy as tournament play continues.
“After that it is Mbappe ahead of Thierry Henry, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and others. I predict him to be the number one by the end of his career.”
A remarkable international journey
The lightning-fast attacker made his senior international debut in March 2017.
He opened his account for the national side in a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands later that year.
This early milestone coincided with his monumental £165.7m transfer from Monaco to Paris St-Germain.
Since then, the superstar has spearheaded his nation to global glory in 2018 and famously scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final.
Tottenham have rejected a second bid worth £35m from Premier League rivals Brighton for 19-year-old central defender Luka Vuskovic.
The North London club turned down the substantial offer as they attempt to retain the highly-rated Croatian international.
Brighton’s latest approach comes as Spurs finalise a separate deal to bring Seagulls centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke in the opposite direction.
Defensive reshuffle under Roberto De Zerbi
Van Hecke’s anticipated arrival adds vital depth to the Tottenham backline ahead of the new campaign.
However, the impending transfer creates considerable uncertainty regarding the pathway to regular first-team football for Vuskovic.
The teenager recently enjoyed a breakthrough season on loan with Hamburg in the Bundesliga, earning rave reviews for his leadership performances.
Reports suggest the promising youngster has already agreed personal terms with Brighton as he seeks guaranteed playing time.
Fierce competition for starting spots
Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi boasts an abundance of defensive options following the recent captures of Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson.
Even if established figures like Cristian Romero or Radu Dragusin depart, the former Hamburg loanee remains far down the pecking order.
Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso currently sit firmly ahead of the teenager in the battle for starting roles.
Tottenham must now outline a clear development plan or sanction a loan move to convince the exceptional prospect to remain at the club.
Scotland will aim to secure their first-ever passage into the knockout stages of a major tournament when they face Morocco in Friday’s crucial World Cup Group C clash in Boston.
Steve Clarke’s side know that a single point will guarantee their progression following an opening victory over Haiti.
To achieve that historic milestone, the Tartan Army have been urged to draw inspiration from Cape Verde’s stunning defensive masterclass against European champions Spain.
The African nation, ranked 67th in the world, produced a heroic display to hold the star-studded Spanish squad to a shock draw on their tournament debut.
Emulating Cape Verde’s defensive lions
Scotland showed promise at the back during their opening encounter, with Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry making vital interventions.
That resolute defensive work proved essential in protecting the advantage given by John McGinn’s decisive strike against a surging Haitian side.
The national team manager must now decide whether to retain that centre-back pairing or reintroduce a fully fit Scott McKenna into the starting lineup.
Clarke could potentially switch to a back five, demanding the same ferocious desire to protect the goal that the Cape Verdeans displayed so impressively.
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin believes the key to replicating that defensive success lies in unity and unwavering concentration levels.
One of the big things Cape Verde work at, and the manager has talked about it, is the culture of the country itself and making sure that everybody buys into that. If you do that, everyone will work for each other.
Pat Nevin
The former Chelsea attacker praised the bravery of the tournament debutants, noting how they operated as a cohesive unit rather than a collection of individuals.
He highlighted how they spent the vast majority of the game on their own 18-yard line, remaining brave and breaking in numbers when opportunities arose.
Maintaining concentration against attacking threats
Fellow ex-Scotland international Willie Miller echoed those sentiments, highlighting the incredible defensive discipline required to shut down elite opposition.
The Aberdeen legend noted that a similar level of intense focus will be paramount against a technically gifted Moroccan outfit.
Cape Verde had the 4-5-1 formation, they defended deep, they closed the opposition down very quickly.
Willie Miller
A disciplined deep block combined with rapid pressing could be the perfect blueprint to frustrate their North African opponents at the Boston Stadium.
If the current crop of players can replicate that resolute strategy, they will cement their names in Scottish football history.