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England suffered another Nations League setback as a late penalty from Belgium captain Tessa Wullaert condemned them to a 3-2 defeat in Leuven. After falling behind to Laura De Neve’s ninth-minute free-kick and then seeing defender Alex Greenwood carried off on a stretcher having been involved in a clash of heads, the Lionesses turned things around to lead via goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby. But Wullaert subsequently put Belgium back on level terms in first-half stoppage time, then notched the winner from the spot with five minutes of normal time remaining at the end after Georgia Stanway handled. The result sees England – 1-0 victors over the Belgians in Leicester last Friday – leapfrogged by the Red Flames in Group A1 as Sarina Wiegman’s side slip to third place having been beaten for a second time in four matches in the pool. With six points, England, who lost 1-0 to the Netherlands in September, are three behind the table-topping Dutch and one behind second-placed Belgium – the former won 1-0 against Scotland on Tuesday. England’s next game is against the Netherlands at Wembley on December 1 as they look to bounce back in a competition that provides them with the opportunity to secure a Paris 2024 Olympics qualification spot for Great Britain – they need to finish top of the group to have a chance to do that. Belgium looked threatening early on, with Wullaert bringing a save out of Mary Earps, albeit with the flag going up for offside. And three minutes later the hosts were in front as De Neve curled a free-kick over the England wall and into the corner of Earps’ net. Soon after, there was a further setback for Wiegman’s side after Greenwood went down following an accidental clash of heads with Belgian forward Jassina Blom with around 20 minutes of the contest gone, leaving both players down on the turf. Greenwood received treatment on the field for about 10 minutes before being placed on a stretcher and taken off, with Jess Carter coming on as her replacement. Blom, donning a head bandage, was able to continue. While it was a worrying scene, a subsequent post from the Lionesses’ official X account said Greenwood was “conscious and talking, and…being monitored by our medical staff.” Following the resumption of play, England produced an impressive response with Bronze bringing things level in the 38th minute by heading Chloe Kelly’s free-kick in off the bar. As the visitors continued to pressurise, Kelly saw a shot deflect narrowly wide, Bronze’s header was saved by Nicky Evrard and Alessia Russo fired into the side-netting before Kirby – making her first England start in a year – put them in front in the 44th minute, slotting in from Lauren Hemp’s cut-back. There was still an understandably lengthy period of stoppage time to get through before the interval, and six minutes into it Belgium hit back as Wullaert was played in and slotted past Earps. England went close seven minutes after the break as Evrard parried Kirby’s shot and Tine De Caigny cleared the loose ball off the line, and Wullaert was then denied by Earps in similar circumstances to when she had beaten her. Russo again found the side-netting, Bronze saw a shot blocked and England substitute Rachel Daly’s header was turned around the post by Evrard before Yana Daniels, who had come on for the home side, unleashed a strike that hit Stanway’s arm. Referee Esther Staubli pointed to the spot and Wullaert sent her effort from 12 yards into the corner as Belgium emerged triumphant from a topsy-turvy game. Read More Alex Greenwood suffers head injury in England’s clash with Belgium We’re better than that – Dawid Malan deflects England heat from Matthew Mott Sir Bobby Charlton funeral announced for November 13 Inquiry into ice hockey player’s death will take some time, police say Colombian police continue search for Luis Diaz’s kidnapped father Leigh Halfpenny says final Wales appearance will be ‘pretty special’

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Alex Greenwood was carried off on a stretcher after being involved in a clash of heads during England’s Nations League match against Belgium in Leuven. Defender Greenwood collided with Belgian forward Jassina Blom with around 20 minutes of the contest gone, leaving both players down on the turf. Greenwood then received treatment on the field for about 10 minutes before being placed on a stretcher and taken off, with Jess Carter coming on as her replacement. Blom, donning a head bandage, was able to continue. Having been a goal down at the time of the incident via Laura De Neve’s free-kick, the Lionesses went on to turn things around, with goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby putting them 2-1 up heading into first-half stoppage time. Tessa Wullaert then brought things back level with an equaliser in the additional period. Read More Belgium vs England LIVE: Women’s Nations League latest updates Fifa’s battle to regulate football agents gains momentum Saudi Arabian World Cup in 2034 sparks ‘significant concern’ from major leagues

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Fifa have claimed a significant victory in their attempt to regulate the world’s top football agents, as the European Commission has backed the governing body’s move to bring in strict new rules including a cap on fees. Although it will be a hearing at the European Court of Justice that ultimately settles the issue, the Commission’s written submission to judges carry significant weight. It is seen by sources involved as a “huge development” and being hailed as a win for Fifa in what had been developing into a highly fractious conflict. Agents argue that the global body is attempting to unfairly affect their earning potential through a labour negotiation issue that actually has nothing to do with football, and goes against European Union antitrust laws. One strident position has been that setting a price cap would essentially represent a price-fixing cartel by the clubs, which top agents had been putting a lot of focus on. The European Commission have instead argued that a cap is entirely justified in order to protect players and contractual stability, as well as limiting conflicts of interest while protecting players who lack experience or information about the transfer system. An additional note was that agents’ fees are actually excessive and out of kilter with any normal fees for a service. The Commission’s observations also pointed to the “degree of discretion” which EU law generally affords sporting associations in order to fairly govern. Of the cap, it was stated “the defendant has plausibly pointed out that very high agency commissions, which are completely decoupled from the cost of the consideration, create a strong incentive to exert massive influence on players in particular in order to force an early transfer.” A further issue the new rules are set to tackle is on representing various parties on the same deal. The Commission has also backed restriction of this, arguing it “appears suitable” to mitigate against potential conflict of interest. A date for the hearing at the court in Luxembourg has not yet been set. Read More Fifa must secure Saudi promise over World Cup human rights, Amnesty warns Saudi Arabian World Cup in 2034 sparks ‘significant concern’ from major leagues Saudi Arabia set to host World Cup 2034 as Australia opts against bid

The Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has asked the struggling club’s fans to chip in with £2m to pay a tax bill and the wages of players and staff. The Thai businessman who said last month that he would stop putting more money into the Championship club while he was being “treated unfairly” by supporters, said he had cash-flow issues from his other companies. Wednesday, who were placed under a player registration embargo last week, owe money to HM Revenue and Customs and are at risk of being put under a transfer embargo. Chansiri urged fans to raise funds, telling the Sheffield Star: “If 20,000 people gave £100 then it’s £2m, and it’d be clear — so we can finish it. “That would cover everything, HMRC and the wages. That would need to be done before November 10 if they don’t want to pass the 30 days, but that means that there can be no next time — if we were to hit 30 days then we’ll get a ban for three windows. If you don’t want to save your club, then don’t call yourselves the owners and me the custodian.” If clubs go for 30 days between July 1 and June 30 either without paying players’ wages or a debt to HMRC, they incur a three-window transfer embargo. The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust said on X: “We are astounded by the request for fans to pay a £2m HMRC bill. A fit and proper owner would not ask fans to do this.” Wednesday, who recorded their first league win of the season by beating Rotherham on Sunday, are bottom of the Championship. They were promoted from League One last season but Chansiri then sacked manager Darren Moore before in turn sacking his replacement Xisco Munoz after a winless start to the campaign. Read More Newcastle boss Eddie Howe praises ‘ultimate professional’ Jacob Murphy Belgium vs England LIVE: Women’s Nations League latest updates Sir Bobby Charlton funeral announced for November 13

Sarina Wiegman’s England travel to Leuven for their second Women’s Nations League match against Belgium in just five days. At Leicester’s King Power Stadium on Friday night, the Lionesses secured all three points following an early strike from Lauren Hemp. The held on to their slender lead for the rest of the game to run out 1-0 winners but it was far from a convincing peformance from the World Cup runners-up. A 2-1 loss back in September to the Netherlands means England are second in Group A1 and they will be determined to back up last week’s win with another victory tonight. The group winners will move into the Nations League semi-finals and the Lionesses must remain in touch with their Dutch counterparts if they hope to reach the knockout stages. A place in the Olympics is also at stake as the four group winners in League A meet in the semi-finals before the two finalists join France as the 2024 Olympic Games’ European representatives. Follow all the action from Belgium vs England below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

David Moyes expects Declan Rice to be “welcomed with open arms” when he returns to West Ham with Arsenal on Wednesday. England midfielder Rice will face his old club for the first time since joining the Gunners for £105million in the summer when the teams meet in the Carabao Cup. The 24-year-old made 245 appearances for West Ham and captained them to victory in the Europa Conference League, the club’s first silverware in 43 years. The Hammers fans are not exactly renowned for giving former players a warm welcome upon their return with another club, but boss Moyes believes Rice will get the recognition he deserves when he runs out at the London Stadium. “You’ve got to remember this is the man who lifted this club’s first European trophy in more than 50 years,” said Moyes. “He should be welcomed back with open arms. We’re all looking forward to seeing him again. “He was a brilliant member of the team. He led the team brilliantly well. He conducted himself impeccably as a West Ham captain and as a player. “The most important thing was that he gave 100 per cent in every game, even though we sort of knew he probably wasn’t going to stay at West Ham. So all credit to him. He conducted himself brilliantly well and for that alone he deserves to be cheered. “I’m really looking forward to seeing Dec again. I’ve not seen him since he left. I don’t know if I want him to play, but I hope he’s there.” Moyes is likely to include Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez against Arsenal as both are suspended for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brentford after collecting five bookings. Former Arsenal players Lukasz Fabianski and Konstantinos Mavropanos will also be involved along with Emerson Palmieri, who is back from a ban. Read More Mauricio Pochettino wants Chelsea fans to ‘believe and show trust’ in his side Dawid Malan shifts blame away from England head coach Matthew Mott Captain Siya Kolisi says Springboks’ World Cup win was ‘for every South African’ Warren Gatland backs Andy Farrell to be next British and Irish Lions head coach England wing Jonny May announces his retirement from Test rugby Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joins in with criticism of WTA Finals

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Mauricio Pochettino called for Chelsea’s fans to believe and show trust in his side after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford left them in the bottom half of the Premier League table. The Stamford Bridge crowd booed Chelsea off at full-time against the Bees after a third home defeat piled pressure on Pochettino. The Chelsea boss understands the supporters’ frustration and suggested other reasons behind their inconsistent performances. Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup last-16 clash against Blackburn on Wednesday, Pochettino said: “I think they need to be with us and I know it’s difficult to keep your feelings and it’s normal. “The fans want to win and are frustrated and they show emotion but the message is to believe and to show trust in us and for sure it’s about the process of trusting and believing. “There are so many details, what has happened (which contributed to Chelsea’s form) and you always need some luck. “One of the situations that happened is the injury of Christopher Nkunku – he is a player we signed with an objective to provide the team and to help put us in a different position. “In some games we created chances and did not score, we did not get what we deserved. I think we deserve more if we talk about our performance. We need to be more aggressive. “In the last game we created chances and we were better than Brentford who blocked very low. “It’s not enough and we need to criticise ourselves at the moment.” The message is to believe and to show trust in us Mauricio Pochettino A Carabao Cup trophy would soften the blow of Chelsea’s poor start to the 2023-24 campaign. Pochettino highlighted the importance of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and insisted that he will field a strong team in a bid to advance to the quarter-finals. He added: “It’s really important. The FA Cup and the Carabao Cup are really important for us and tomorrow (against Blackburn) we will play with our best team, some players need a rest after Saturday’s game so we cannot take risks.” Reece James has come off the bench in recent weeks as part of his recovery from a hamstring injury he sustained in August. And Pochettino confirmed the Blues skipper will start at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. He said: “I can confirm he is going to start. The captain is ready, which is good for the team and good for him to start from the beginning of the game and we will check on him and see how he’ll perform.” Read More Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior signs new contract until 2027 Dawid Malan shifts blame away from England head coach Matthew Mott Captain Siya Kolisi says Springboks’ World Cup win was ‘for every South African’ Warren Gatland backs Andy Farrell to be next British and Irish Lions head coach England wing Jonny May announces his retirement from Test rugby Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joins in with criticism of WTA Finals

Brazil forward Vinicius Junior has agreed a new contract extension with Real Madrid until the summer of 2027. Vinicius’ previous contract was set to expire in 2024, and it has been reported an updated deal – said to include a 1billion euro (£873,500m) release clause – had been agreed for some time before being made public. In a video clip on Real’s social media, Vinicius said: “Hello Madrid fans, I am very happy to renew my contract. It is a dream for me. “I hope I can continue here for many years, scoring many goals and winning many titles. Thank you very much for the love. Hala Madrid!” A short statement on the club’s official website read: “Real Madrid and Vini Jr have agreed to extend the player’s contract, which remains linked to the club until June 30, 2027.” After starting his career with Flamengo, Vinicius, 23, joined Real as an 18-year-old and has gone on to make 235 first-team appearances, scoring 63 goals. Vinicius has won the LaLiga title twice as well as the Champions League in 2022, with his goal securing a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris. At Monday night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, Vinicius was presented with the Socrates Award for his work to fight social inequality in Brazil and the ongoing battle against racism. Following defeat in El Clasico, reports emerged some Barcelona supporters had directed racist abuse towards the Real forward. Speaking about the ongoing issues when accepting his award, Vinicius said: “It’s boring to have to talk about racism all the time, but it’s an important thing and I will talk about it as often as I have to. “To have people abuse me at different stadiums is sad. I hope things can change, they are getting better. “(But) LaLiga, UEFA and FIFA can do more to make sure these people are not here among us.” Read More Dawid Malan shifts blame away from England head coach Matthew Mott Captain Siya Kolisi says Springboks’ World Cup win was ‘for every South African’ Warren Gatland backs Andy Farrell to be next British and Irish Lions head coach England wing Jonny May announces his retirement from Test rugby Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joins in with criticism of WTA Finals On this day in 2011: Graham Henry steps down as New Zealand coach

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