Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will return to the touchline at the 2026 Fifa World Cup after agreeing a deal to work as a television pundit for German broadcaster Magenta TV.
The 58-year-old had teased supporters on social media about a potential return to management before revealing his new broadcasting role.
He will be stationed pitchside throughout the expanded tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A return to the touchline
Klopp stepped down from his position at Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season following a transformative nine-year spell.
The German subsequently took on a strategic role as head of global football at Red Bull, alongside ambassadorial duties for Budweiser.
However, the lure of the stadium atmosphere has prompted the Champions League-winning coach to step in front of the television cameras.
He admitted that while he initially believed he would not miss the touchline experience, the anticipation of the tournament had changed his mind.
“Grass underneath my feet, the heated atmosphere in the stadium, and I want to be really close again.”
Focus on former players
The former Borussia Dortmund head coach will begin his punditry duties immediately when the tournament kicks off.
The opening fixture sees hosts Mexico face South Africa at the historic Estadio Azteca on 11 June.
His native Germany will begin their World Cup campaign against Curacao three days later.
Despite his new neutral role, the experienced tactician admitted he will be keeping a close eye on several familiar faces.
He singled out Germany international Florian Wirtz and Liverpool duo Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker for special praise.
“I hope my players will have a great World Cup.”
Klopp expressed his excitement at the prospect of Robertson and Alisson facing off on the international stage, highlighting the strong bond forged during their time together on Merseyside.
Arsenal are set to appoint former Olympic sprinter Arnaldo Abrantes as their new head doctor following his departure from Aston Villa.
The 39-year-old will officially begin his work at the Emirates Stadium in July.
He replaces Dr Zafar Iqbal, who recently departed north London after a two-year tenure.
Abrantes previously served as head of performance at Nottingham Forest before his spell in the West Midlands.
Addressing an injury-hit campaign
Mikel Arteta is determined to improve the physical resilience of his squad ahead of the new season.
The Gunners struggled with significant absentee issues throughout their previous campaign.
Captain Martin Odegaard was restricted to just 16 league starts due to persistent fitness problems.
Key additions such as Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber also spent substantial periods sidelined.
The club’s hierarchy views the medical department as a crucial area to gain marginal advantages over their title rivals.
Rogers addresses transfer speculation
In addition to backroom staff, Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers.
The English attacker is currently balancing his club future with upcoming international commitments.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the highly-rated prospect discussed the psychological impact of being associated with top clubs.
“I think the first time it ever happened it was.”
“You’re in an uncomfortable spot of not realising that people have so much interest in you and you’re not quite realising that.”
The Villa star explained that gaining experience has gradually helped him manage the pressure of intense media scrutiny.
Arsenal are actively pursuing Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, while Juventus have reportedly opened talks with Aston Villa to sign goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in a busy day of transfer speculation.
Gunners face stiff competition for Williams
Mikel Arteta’s side remain firmly in the hunt for the highly-rated attacker, though they face significant domestic competition to secure his signature.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are also monitoring the Spain international, who played a starring role in his nation’s European Championship triumph last summer.
Juventus target experienced shot-stopper
In Italy, Juventus have initiated discussions with Aston Villa regarding a move for 33-year-old Argentina international Emiliano Martinez.
The World Cup-winning goalkeeper has reportedly already agreed personal terms with the Turin giants ahead of a potential switch to Serie A.
Meanwhile, Paris St-Germain are preparing a summer approach for Bayern Munich’s dynamic French forward Michael Olise.
Premier League rivals plot attacking moves
Manchester United are closely monitoring Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye as the Old Trafford club look to bolster their squad for a return to Champions League football.
Elsewhere, Liverpool are willing to sanction the departure of Federico Chiesa for a fee in the region of £17m.
The Italian attacker is understood to be keen on securing a move back to his homeland after a challenging spell on Merseyside.
Barcelona name their price for Olmo
Chelsea and Arsenal have both registered an interest in Dani Olmo, but Barcelona will only authorise a sale if their £60m valuation is met.
The Catalan club are also intending to offload midfielder Marc Casado to generate funds for incoming transfers, alerting Bayer Leverkusen and several Premier League sides.
In other domestic news, Leeds United are plotting a club-record £43m total package for Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande.
There could also be a shock move on the south coast, with Bournemouth reportedly lining up a surprise swoop for Tottenham’s young French forward Mathys Tel.
Finally, Crystal Palace plan to rival Everton with a £20m offer for Middlesbrough’s promising English midfielder Hayden Hackney.
World governing body Fifa has struck a historic agreement with global players’ union Fifpro to give professional footballers formal representation and veto power in major governance decisions, provided all active legal disputes are withdrawn.
The groundbreaking memorandum of understanding represents a massive shift in how professional football is regulated, specifically regarding the transfer system and player welfare standards.
Under the new terms, union representatives will gain observer access and speaking rights at the powerful Fifa Council.
Crucially, the players’ organization will also wield a veto over key areas of the sport’s administration for the very first time.
Legal disputes resolved to clear path
The historic truce was reached on the strict condition that all active legal proceedings initiated by the union against football’s international organizers are immediately dropped.
This includes a prominent abuse of dominance claim filed in October 2024 concerning the increasingly overcrowded match calendar.
The agreement arrives just days after former France midfielder Lassana Diarra settled his £56.1m damages claim relating to a cancelled contract with Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014.
New protections against abusive club practices
A central pillar of the newly signed document focuses on shielding athletes from exploitative club behaviour, such as being forced to train alone or having their passports withheld.
Professionals facing such extreme circumstances will now possess the power to unilaterally terminate their agreements while still receiving their fully owed financial compensation.
In addition to guaranteed payments, affected individuals can potentially claim an extra six months’ salary in damages alongside justifiable expenses.
Teams found guilty of failing to respect these contractual obligations will face swifter and significantly more severe sporting and financial sanctions.
Infantino and Marchi hail important step
Fifpro president Sergio Marchi welcomed the resolution as a crucial development for the global game.
Ensuring that players and their representatives have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their careers is not only beneficial for footballers, but for the game as a whole.
Speaking at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City ahead of the upcoming World Cup, Fifa president Gianni Infantino echoed those positive sentiments.
It’s about unity, about bringing everyone together.
We’ve always been having dialogues. Now, sometimes you don’t agree, when you don’t agree, well, you can go and say it to everyone, or you can sit down and discuss and see what makes sense.
Despite the overall positivity surrounding the announcement, certain domestic organizations like the Professional Footballers’ Association remain concerned that broader issues surrounding fixture congestion are yet to be fully resolved.
Fifa has forced Haiti to change their kit design just four days before their World Cup opener against Scotland because the shirt depicted a historical war scene.
An illustration of the 1803 Battle of Vertieres had been embedded on the jerseys worn during recent pre-tournament friendlies.
The historic conflict ultimately secured independence for the Caribbean nation.
However, global football’s governing body strictly prohibits the use of political, religious, or personal messages on any match equipment.
Manufacturer defends original design
Colombian kit manufacturer Saeta defended the initial artwork as a tribute rather than a controversial statement.
“The original design was a tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti’s future and was not intended as a political statement.”
The company acknowledged that regulators could interpret the visual elements differently under strict competition guidelines.
“While this interpretation differed from our intention, Saeta respected the process and implemented the final requirements communicated by Fifa.”
Historic return to the global stage
The national side will begin their first tournament campaign in 52 years against the Scots at Boston Stadium in Foxborough at 02:00 BST on Sunday.
They will subsequently face five-time champions Brazil and Morocco in a challenging Group C.
Their only previous appearance at the finals came in 1974.
During that historic debut, the squad suffered three consecutive group-stage defeats and conceded 14 goals.
Former England winger John Barnes has warned that Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominating presence could hinder Portugal’s chances at the upcoming World Cup.
The 41-year-old forward is preparing to compete in his sixth global tournament under the guidance of manager Roberto Martinez.
Despite plying his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr since 2022, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains an integral part of his national team setup.
However, critics have raised concerns that his stature might prove counter-productive to the European nation’s aspirations.
Impact on talented team-mates
Portugal boast a squad flooded with elite talent, including Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes alongside several Champions League winners.
Barnes believes that relying too heavily on their veteran captain will prevent these younger stars from reaching their full potential on the international stage.
“I don’t think Ronaldo will have much of an impact, in terms of 90 minutes of being a player like he is the past.”
The former Liverpool midfielder told talkSPORT that the national side must move away from expecting the iconic forward to dictate matches single-handedly.
“Portugal have got lots of good players but the more you have one player dominating the whole team, you won’t see the best of Bruno Fernandes and other players because its all about Ronaldo.”
Past tournament decisions
During the previous World Cup in Qatar, former boss Fernando Santos notably dropped his talisman for a crucial last-16 clash against Switzerland.
That bold tactical decision paid immediate dividends when replacement striker Goncalo Ramos scored a memorable hat-trick in a resounding 6-1 victory.
Yet the former Real Madrid star has since fought his way back into favour, helping his country secure the 2025 Nations League title by defeating Spain on penalties.
Martinez defends his captain
Current head coach Martinez remains adamant that his seasoned forward continues to offer invaluable tactical benefits.
“The influence of Cristiano Ronaldo as a No 9, the movement, the timing of the movement, the finishing, the way he opens spaces, that’s a big, big strength.”
Portugal are still searching for their maiden World Cup triumph, having never progressed further than the semi-finals in their tournament history.
Essex Police are assessing new information regarding West Ham co-owner David Sullivan following a joint investigation by the BBC and The Times into historical allegations of sexual exploitation.
The force confirmed that enquiries are now under way after the investigative findings were published on Monday.
Multiple women have accused the 77-year-old of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour dating back to the 1980s.
The former joint chairman has categorically denied all the allegations levelled against him.
Government seeks urgent FA clarification
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has convened urgent fact-finding meetings with the Football Association and the Premier League club.
These discussions follow revelations that the West Ham majority shareholder was restricted from contacting women’s and youth teams over safeguarding concerns.
Those restrictions were quietly implemented after a historical complaint about his conduct was raised with the governing body, keeping him away from vulnerable groups for three years.
The former club chief maintains he never met any academy or women’s team players one-on-one during his tenure in east London.
Sponsors express deep concern
It has emerged that major club sponsors, including Boyle Sports, were entirely unaware of the safeguarding measures placed upon the businessman.
We are extremely concerned at the serious nature of the allegations levelled against David Sullivan.
The betting firm noted their understanding that the Independent Football Regulator is currently reviewing the matter urgently.
Eight women have previously approached the authorities with disclosures regarding his past conduct, though none of those cases have ever resulted in criminal charges.
Resignation and steadfast denial
The long-standing club executive resigned as joint chair on Saturday to focus on contesting the claims.
I saw it as a meaningless restriction, as it didn’t impact on my work in any way, therefore I accepted it for a quiet life.
Having made his fortune in the adult entertainment industry, the septuagenarian had held the joint chairman role for 16 years.
He became the club’s largest single shareholder following the death of his business partner David Gold in January 2023.
The expanded 48-team Fifa World Cup 2026 begins across North America on Thursday against a backdrop of logistical challenges, ticket pricing controversies and geopolitical tensions involving Iran.
Elite managers including Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti have prioritised the immense geographical scale of this summer’s competition in their tactical preparations.
Officially branded as “United 2026”, the spectacle spans three host nations and features an unprecedented 16 different venues.
Record-breaking logistics and financial strain
The distance between stadiums stretches up to 4,780km, creating astronomical travel costs for both federations and travelling supporters.
Avaricious ticket pricing has dominated the immediate build-up, leaving football’s global governing body facing criticism over a chaotic preparatory phase.
Despite these organisational issues, executives are projecting a record-breaking financial tournament worth an estimated $14bn (£11bn).
Geopolitical shadows over the spectacle
Initial hopes that this event would mark a return to familiar sporting territory after highly politicised tournaments in Russia and Qatar have quickly faded.
Escalating conflicts involving Iran and related visa scandals have cast a significant shadow over the opening group fixtures.
This marks the first time in modern history that a tournament host is engaged in direct geopolitical conflict with a participating nation.
Gianni Infantino’s regular claims regarding the sport’s power to unite the world face a severe reality check amid these complex international disputes.
Chasing the legacy of USA 1994
Top-level organisers harbour genuine concerns over whether this expanded format can match the legendary attendance records set during the 1994 edition in the United States.
Lifting the iconic trophy will ultimately require squads to perfectly align their form, fitness and team spirit for five gruelling weeks across a vast continent.