SPORTS

Chinese football fans and pundits were left with a familiar sinking feeling Friday after a disappointing home draw with Thailand left their country's World Cup hopes on a knife edge.

It was always going to take something big to make Americans pay any attention to cricket and Thursday's stunning victory by the USA over established power Pakistan provided just that moment.

England are ready to make Euro 2024 "headlines" as the Group C favourites prepare to launch their bid for a first major trophy in 58 years.

Euro 2024 favourites France beat Luxembourg 3-0 in an international friendly on Wednesday with superstar striker Kylian Mbappe on the score sheet.

Tournament hosts Germany face Hungary, Switzerland and Scotland, a set of talented if unpredictable rivals, in Group A as they bid for a record-breaking fourth Euros crown.

Heavyweights Spain, defending champions Italy and Croatia will duke it out in the dreaded group of death as they battle to reach the latter stages of Euro 2024.

Kylian Mbappe signed a five-year deal to move to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain on Monday and hailed the move as a "dream come true".

Led by a former high-school coach and playing in a picturesque stadium surrounded by trees, Machida Zelvia are taking the J. League by storm in their debut season in Japan's first division.

Euro 2024, beginning in Germany on June 14, is a mouth-watering prospect, as France and England lead the heavyweight contenders for a tournament which will be played out in some of the continent's finest stadiums across a football-mad nation.

Novak Djokovic will aim to reach his 15th successive French Open quarter-final on Monday after setting an unwanted Roland Garros record.

Prince William and former teammate Kevin Sinfield led the tributes to rugby league great Rob Burrow, who died on Sunday from motor neurone disease, aged 41.

Cricket ventures into uncharted territory on Saturday as the first ever major tournament to be staged in the United States gets under way in Texas with the opening game of the T20 World Cup.

A bid for wholesale reform of New Zealand rugby's governing body was rejected by heartland unions on Thursday, threatening to throw the game into disarray in the rugby-mad nation.

Novak Djokovic believes he's moving in a "positive direction" as he targets a place in the last 32 of the French Open on Thursday.

Naomi Osaka says she is "really excited" to face red-hot tournament favourite Iga Swiatek in the French Open second round on Wednesday, when men's title contenders Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are also in action.

New Zealand Rugby will hold a crucial vote Thursday over who runs the game in the country that could see top players split from the governing body if they don't get their way.

Novak Djokovic begins the defence of his French Open title on Tuesday, confident his Grand Slam pedigree will help overcome his lacklustre season.

Cricket's ability to grow its global presence beyond its heartlands, while still maintaining the quality at the highest level, will be tested over the coming month in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States.

Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon echoed French President Emmanuel Macron by condemning Sunday the violence that broke out between rival football fans heading to Saturday's French Cup final that left 38 people hurt and a bus burnt to a crisp.

Naomi Osaka swept to her first victory at the French Open in three years on Sunday, setting up a potential showdown with Iga Swiatek, as Carlos Alcaraz maintained his record of never losing in the first round of a Grand Slam.

Kylian Mbappe will bring the curtain down on his Paris Saint-Germain career on Saturday and has the chance to sign off with another trophy in the French Cup final against Lyon.

When Barcelona take on Lyon in the women's Champions League final on Saturday, the Catalans will be out not only for revenge but also to cement their place as Europe's most dominant force.

A week after winning by less than a second at Imola, Max Verstappen will be keener than ever to extend his record-equalling run of eight pole positions at the Monaco Grand Prix.

At age 40, Japanese competitive breakdancer Ayumi Fukushima has been busting moves for longer than some of her rivals have been alive.

When a weary David Ferrer managed to win just five games in his French Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2012, he was in no doubt over the enormity of the challenge.

The women's tennis tour (WTA) on Monday announced "a multi-year partnership" with the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF), emulating a deal made by the men's tour (ATP) in February.

The 2024 French Open gets underway at Roland Garros on Sunday with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek defending their singles titles.

Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool's fans as the "superpower of world football" after his final match as manager ended in a 2-0 win at home to Wolves on an emotional day at Anfield on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola cast doubt over his long-term future at Manchester City on Sunday after winning a historic fourth straight Premier League title, admitting it is difficult to find motivation after so much sustained success.