Eden Hazard's career options after leaving Real Madrid in the summer, including potential suitors from the Bundesliga and Belgium

A person with knowledge of the deal says the New York Jets are trading seldom-used wide receiver Mecole Hardman back to the Kansas City Chiefs

England goalkeeper Mary Earps says Nike’s decision to not sell her kit during the Women’s World Cup is “hurtful” and “hugely disappointing”. England’s home and away kits are available for fans to buy, but the Lionesses goalkeeper kits have not been put up for sale by the team’s kit supplier. Earps was England’s goalkeeper when they won the Euros last summer and the Manchester United star was named Fifa’s Best Women’s Goalkeeper for 2022. Earps said England captain Millie Bright had told her she wanted to buy her kit for her niece, only to find it wasn’t available for purchase. "I can’t really sugar-coat this in any way, so I am not going to try," Earps told reporters ahead of England’s opening game against Haiti on Saturday. "It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful. "My shirt on the Manchester United website was sold out last season. It was the third-best-selling shirt, so who says it is not selling?" "It is the young kids I am most concerned about. They are going to say, Mum, Dad, can I have a Mary Earps shirt?’ and they say, ‘I can’t, but I can get you an Alessia Russo 23 or a Rachel Daly 9.’ “What you are saying is that goalkeeping isn’t important, but you can be a striker if you want." Meanwhile, the FA has confirmed England captain Millie Bright will wear armbands advocating for inclusion, Indigenous People and gender equality in the Lionesses’ respective first three World Cup matches. Players have the choice of wearing one or more of eight FIFA-sanctioned armbands at this tournament, but not the rainbow OneLove design that sparked the threat of sanctions being issued to countries – including England and Wales – during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar. Should the Lionesses progress past the group stage, which begins with Saturday’s opener against Haiti, the player-led decision is for their skipper to switch out her armband to a new cause for each match. Bright said: “As a group, we felt really strongly about all the causes, and we couldn’t separate one from the other. We feel that they are all important and deserve recognition and our support. “We have only just come to a decision recently as we wanted to take time to process it all and to make sure we spoke collectively. “Supporting Indigenous People is massively important to us as a team, both staff and players. We wanted to come to this country and respect the past, the present and the future. We are aware of the past, but we want to move forward collectively and make the world a better place. It is something that we always pride ourselves on.” Read More Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Spain open against Costa Rica after Canada held to Nigeria draw How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener England make decision on armbands for Women’s World Cup matches Netherlands made to train on cricket pitch at Women’s World Cup: ‘It’s amateurism’ England Women’s squad for World Cup 2023 England women World Cup fixtures and route to the final

Lauren James headed into this summer’s Women’s World Cup having emphasised her desire to make a name for herself – and she has certainly done so with the performances that have followed. There was already a considerable buzz around the 21-year-old forward – the younger sister of fellow England and Chelsea player Reece James – in the build-up to her first major tournament as a senior international. And during the Lionesses pre-tournament preparations she spoke about wanting to carve out her own name, saying: “I do feel like that, a lot. “Even just, ‘that’s Lauren James, that’s Reece’s sister’ – I want to carve that out and be known as, ‘this is Lauren James’.” James also said the advice she had received from Reece was to “just enjoy it, have fun, try and score goals”. And she looks to be having the time of her life so far at the global showpiece in Australia and New Zealand, having registered three superb goals in England’s group-stage matches, plus three assists, to truly announce herself. The early stages of James’ journey to this point saw her spend time in Chelsea’s academy before moving on to Arsenal and making her debut aged 16 in October 2017. After a handful of appearances for the Gunners, she left to join Manchester United in 2018 when they were relaunched as a professional outfit in the Championship. And she went on to play a major role as the Red Devils secured promotion to the Women’s Super League at the first attempt, scoring 14 goals in 18 league appearances in the 2018-19 season. She netted the club’s first ever WSL goal at the start of the following campaign, was nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association young player of the year award after it finished and a year later a reunion came about as she rejoined Chelsea. James had had injury troubles at United, and had limited game time in her first season back with Chelsea. She then impressed as a regular in the team last term as the west Londoners once again won a WSL and FA Cup double, and reached the Champions League semi-finals. And she has paid tribute to Blues boss Emma Hayes for helping her get “back to being myself again”, adding: “I had two years of just like constant injuries. She managed me well and it’s allowed me to find my feet again.” As well as scoring eight goals in all competitions for Chelsea in 2022-23, she also made an England breakthrough, having already represented her country at under-17 and under-19 level and been part of a senior training camp in 2020. Boss Sarina Wiegman handed James a debut off the bench in England’s first match after winning the Euros, the 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Austria last September. She then took the player of the tournament of award when Wiegman’s side retained the Arnold Clark Cup in February, scoring her maiden England goal in the 4-0 victory over South Korea that kicked the campaign off. Inclusion in the World Cup squad – and being named young player of the year at the inaugural Women’s Football Awards – followed in May, and it would be fair to say that James has since lived up her billing as one to watch at the tournament. After coming on as a substitute when England beat Haiti 1-0 in their Group D opener, James then came into the starting line-up for the second pool match against Denmark and scored a delightful winner, curling in what proved the only goal of the game with a shot from outside the box in the sixth minute. She then produced an even more eye-catching display as China were thrashed 6-1 on Tuesday, notching a brace with two more wonderful strikes, seeing another ruled out for offside, and setting three goals up. The youngster labelled “cheat code” by her team-mates became the first England player of either gender to be directly involved in five or more goals in a World Cup match – a rising star shining brighter than ever, who after the China game said that “for sure, there is more to come from me”. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jose Maria Olazabal named as Luke Donald’s fourth vice-captain for Ryder Cup Jac Morgan leads Wales against England as Warren Gatland ponders captain options England docked 19 WTC points and players fined for slow over-rates during Ashes

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says that one big turnout by Oakland Athletics fans doesn’t change “a decade worth of inaction,” as he defended earlier comments about the “reverse boycott” held in protest of the team’s proposed move to Las Vegas

Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had a goal and two assists and the Seattle Kraken won for the first time this season, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 on Thursday night

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 19, 2023--

Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez has announced that San Diego State will remain in the conference, at least for now

Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spain’s soccer federation, has arrived at a court in Madrid to give testimony on Friday to a Spanish judge investigating his kiss of a player at the Women’s World Cup. Judge Francisco de Jorge issued the order earlier this week for Rubiales to answer his questions at Spain’s National Court. Rubiales kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on 20 August in Sydney, Australia. He said she had consented to the kiss, but Hermoso has denied that repeatedly. Rubiales did not speak before entering the courthouse with his lawyer. Spanish state prosecutors formally accused Rubiales last week of alleged sexual assault and an act of coercion when, according to Hermoso, he pressured her to speak out in his defense immediately after the scandal erupted. Rubiales announced on Sunday that he was resigning from his post, from which he had already been provisionally suspended by Fifa. De Jorge is carrying out the preliminary investigation into the accusations against Rubiales, and will then decide whether the case should go to trial. According to a sexual consent law passed in Spain last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault. The new law eliminated the difference between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” sanctioning any non-consentual sexual act. AP

Manchester City will be without Kevin de Bruyne for a long time, so how is Pep Guardiola going to replace the Belgian?

A filing describing the merger of the PGA Tour with Saudi-backed LIV Golf shows the deal’s broad outlines,

Chelsea and Manchester City target Rafael Leao has agreed terms over a new long-term contract with AC Milan.