Mohamed Salah has been named captain of Egypt’s preliminary 27-man squad for this summer’s World Cup in North America.

The 33-year-old attacker will lead his nation after a remarkable nine-year tenure at Liverpool concludes at the end of the current season.

He approaches the prestigious tournament boasting an exceptional international record, having netted 67 goals in 115 appearances for the Pharaohs.

Youth and experience combined

Head coach Hossam Hassan has elected to include uncapped 18-year-old prodigy Hamza Abdelkarim, who currently features for Barcelona Under-19s.

Manchester City winger Omar Marmoush is also selected to bolster the attacking options for the African side.

However, Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed has been surprisingly omitted from the initial selection.

Hassan must trim his roster by one player to meet the strict Fifa-mandated 26-man limit.

Crucial preparation fixtures

The final squad cut will occur following a warm-up friendly against Russia in Cairo on 28 May.

The North African nation will then travel to the United States to face Brazil in a high-profile Cleveland exhibition on 6 June.

Egypt are drawn into Group G for the expanded 48-team competition hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Their group stage campaign begins against Belgium on 15 June, followed by pivotal clashes with New Zealand and Iran.

Full preliminary squad

Captain Harry Kane believes the current England squad is capable of ending a 60-year wait for World Cup glory when they travel to North America this summer.

The 32-year-old will lead his country into the tournament hoping to become the first Englishman to lift the famous trophy since Bobby Moore in 1966.

Following back-to-back European Championship final defeats under Sir Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions qualified comfortably for the global showpiece under new manager Thomas Tuchel.

With standout talents such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice thriving, the national team skipper feels they enter the competition as genuine contenders.

“I think our squad is as good as we’ve ever had,” Kane said.

“When you look at the starting XI and the players coming off the bench, we’re going into the tournament as one of the favourites.”

Evolving into a complete forward

The former Tottenham Hotspur marksman heads into his third World Cup on the back of a stellar season in Germany.

He has scored an astonishing 58 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich.

Despite winning his first Premier League Golden Boot a decade ago, the prolific forward insists his overall game has significantly evolved.

“I’m at a stage of my career where I’m definitely a different player from what I was 10 years ago,” he explained.

“I’ve developed my game by dropping into those deeper spaces and linking up play.”

“I feel like a much more complete footballer, and honestly, I think I am playing the best football of my career right now.”

Closing in on Lineker’s milestone

Beyond team success, another significant personal milestone remains firmly in the veteran striker’s sights.

He currently requires just three more goals to surpass Gary Lineker as England’s all-time record scorer at the World Cup.

Lineker holds the current benchmark with 10 goals on the sport’s biggest stage.

“Gary was an incredible striker for England, and to achieve 10 World Cup goals is impressive,” added Kane.

“Personal milestones are, of course, a motivator.”

Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff home run and pitched five scoreless innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday.

The result allowed the visitors to win the series against their bitter rivals.

It also extended their advantage in the National League West to one and a half games.

Historic dual-threat performance

Starting a game as both the leadoff batter and the starting pitcher is a rare feat in baseball history.

Hitting a home run to open the game while also taking the mound is something no other player had ever achieved before Ohtani.

The Japanese international has now accomplished this unique double twice in his career.

Pitching through five innings, the two-way superstar retired the first nine batters in order before facing difficulty.

“The results were good, as you saw, but the process wasn’t that great,” he admitted through an interpreter.

Overcoming mid-game challenges

His velocity dropped slightly in the fourth inning as San Diego loaded the bases with just one out.

However, an 88th-pitch sweeper to Fernando Tatis Jr forced an inning-ending double play to escape the jam.

Despite recording his shortest start of the season, his earned run average dropped to a remarkable 0.73.

Only legendary left-hander Fernando Valenzuela has posted a lower mark through his first eight starts of a Dodgers season, achieving the feat in 1981.

Workload management remains a priority

To preserve his fitness, Los Angeles management had previously kept their marquee player out of the batting lineup on days he pitched.

The rotation was adjusted this week to allow him to bat on Wednesday, knowing a scheduled rest day followed on Thursday.

“I think it’s just another case in point that it’s good for us to be mindful of the workload and just not take that for granted,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

“But he’s still pretty special and got through it.”

George Russell heads to the Canadian Grand Prix under mounting pressure to reignite his Formula 1 world championship challenge after Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s run of three successive victories.

The 28-year-old Briton returns to action in Montreal trailing the Italian teenager by 20 points at the top of the standings.

This weekend marks the start of a crucial phase in the 2026 season, with seven races scheduled over the next 10 weeks before the August summer break.

Shifting momentum at Mercedes

Russell began the new regulatory era as the overwhelming favourite to claim his maiden world title.

He immediately justified that status by taking pole position and the race victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The momentum remained with the experienced driver when he triumphed in the China Sprint race, again starting from the front of the grid.

However, the championship pendulum has swung dramatically towards his younger garage companion since that early success.

Can experience overcome youth?

A technical problem during main qualifying in China restricted Russell to a single run, opening the door for Antonelli to secure his first career pole position.

That misfortune was followed by a troubled weekend in Miami, allowing the 19-year-old to complete a hat-trick of wins and seize the championship initiative.

Despite the current deficit, Russell can draw confidence from his dominant performance against the same team-mate last year.

During his team-mate’s rookie campaign, Russell outqualified him 21-3 and comprehensively outscored him by 319 points to 150.

With Mercedes widely recognised as the dominant force under the new regulations, their intra-team battle is poised to dictate the destination of the world championship.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points on Wednesday as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 to level the Western Conference finals at 1-1.

The league MVP produced a commanding response following a subdued performance in the opening game of the series.

His crucial offensive display ensured the defending champions avoided falling into a perilous 2-0 deficit on home court.

Thunder bench makes the difference

While the 26-year-old guard spearheaded the attack, the hosts relied heavily on their supporting cast to secure the vital victory.

Oklahoma City’s second unit outscored their Texan counterparts by a staggering 57-25 margin.

Alex Caruso contributed 17 points off the bench, while rookies Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each added 12 points.

Isaiah Hartenstein also made a significant impact with 10 points and 13 rebounds after barely featuring in the series opener.

“The guys brought it tonight. Knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one, we brought the energy from the jump.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Wembanyama effort falls short

San Antonio trailed by 11 points at half-time but mounted a fierce comeback effort in the closing stages of the contest.

A corner three-pointer from Harrison Barnes reduced the deficit to just two points with nine minutes remaining.

However, the home side responded with a decisive 11-0 run to regain a comfortable double-digit advantage and effectively seal the game.

Victor Wembanyama produced a spectacular individual performance for the visitors, recording 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

The French superstar was supported by Stephon Castle, who registered a team-high 25 points, alongside Devin Vassell with 22.

The pivotal third game of the series will take place on Friday when the contest shifts to San Antonio.

Montreal Victoire have secured their first Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) championship following a comprehensive 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals.

Abby Roque scored twice as the Quebec-based franchise wrapped up the best-of-five series 3-1 on Wednesday night.

The victory followed two initial home overtime wins for Montreal and a narrow 2-1 defeat in the Canadian capital on Monday.

Goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves to record a crucial shutout in the series-clinching encounter.

Roque leads historic shutout victory

The visitors opened the scoring nearly four minutes into the second period following a fortuitous bounce.

Driving deep into the offensive zone with scoring star Marie-Philip Poulin, Roque swept the puck towards the middle where it deflected off Ottawa defender Rory Guilday and past goaltender Gwyneth Philips.

The American forward then doubled the advantage with a brilliant short-handed effort midway through the final frame.

With Poulin serving an interference penalty, the dynamic attacker cut across the crease and finished neatly with a backhand shot.

Special teams prove decisive

Montreal displayed exceptional defensive resilience by successfully killing all three of their penalties throughout the contest.

In contrast, the home side failed to capitalise on their numerical advantages whilst playing an entirely penalty-free game themselves.

Maggie Flaherty put the result beyond doubt with six minutes remaining, firing a powerful shot from the blue line through heavy traffic into the top right corner.

Lina Ljungblom subsequently capped off the scoring, taking advantage of a late turnover to seal the four-goal margin.

Ending the Minnesota dominance

The triumph marks a significant shift in the PWHL landscape after the Minnesota Frost claimed the first two titles in league history.

Montreal paved their path to glory by overcoming the two-time defending champions in this season’s semi-finals.

Their latest victory also snapped a peculiar league trend, as home teams had previously won the last five games in the Walter Cup Finals.

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel and Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe have been unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

The standout trio appeared on all 100 media ballots to secure their places among the league’s elite first-year players.

San Antonio Spurs prospect Dylan Harper and Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward complete the formidable five-man lineup.

Harper also featured on every single ballot, earning 93 first-team nods alongside seven second-team votes.

Flagg secures Rookie of the Year honours

These five first-team members were the only individuals to receive votes in the overall Rookie of the Year race.

The Mavericks sensation ultimately edged out the Charlotte sharpshooter to claim the prestigious individual award.

His victory underlines a remarkable debut campaign in Texas following his highly anticipated transition into the professional ranks.

Second team revealed ahead of further awards

The New Orleans Pelicans were heavily represented in the All-Rookie Second Team, with both Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen earning selections.

They are joined by Utah Jazz talent Ace Bailey, Sacramento Kings big man Maxime Reynaud and Toronto Raptors prospect Collin Murray-Boyles.

Further accolades will be distributed throughout the week as the NBA’s post-season recognition continues.

The league is scheduled to announce its All-Defensive team on Friday before revealing the prestigious All-NBA squads on Sunday.

Southampton’s appeal against their expulsion from the Championship play-offs for spying on opponents has been dismissed, confirming Middlesbrough will face Hull City in Saturday’s final.

A league arbitration panel upheld the independent disciplinary commission’s original decision following the south-coast club’s admission of multiple rule breaches.

The English Football League (EFL) stated that the ruling is final and cannot be subjected to further appeals.

It means the showpiece event at Wembley Stadium, often dubbed the most valuable match in world football, will proceed without the Saints.

EFL confirms strict sanctions

Alongside their removal from the current post-season schedule, the St Mary’s outfit face severe future penalties.

A four-point deduction will be applied to their total for the 2026-27 Championship campaign alongside a formal reprimand.

The determination means that the original sanction of expulsion from the Sky Bet Championship play-offs remains in place.

EFL Statement

The governing body confirmed that Saturday’s final between Hull and Middlesbrough will kick off at 15:30 BST.

Financial fallout and internal unrest

Victory in the play-off final guarantees promotion to the Premier League, unlocking an estimated £300m in television rights, hospitality, and advertising revenue.

Missing out on this lucrative windfall has plunged the Hampshire side into an unprecedented crisis.

Reports suggest members of the playing squad are exploring legal action against their employers for potential loss of future earnings.

Supporters are also demanding compensation for non-refundable hotel bookings and train tickets purchased for the Wembley trip.

Reputational damage and shock

The spying controversy has inflicted immense reputational damage on the former top-flight regulars.

Public relations consultant Mark Borkowski believes the ramifications of this scandal will be felt for years to come.

Those goal celebrations with the binoculars… it’s like the whole club knew. There’s a sense of shock and a real level of stupidity.

Mark Borkowski

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire echoed those sentiments, warning that failing to secure promotion represents a devastating economic blow.