Football dominates the day’s sports agenda, with Manchester United appearing close to a £35 million move for Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans after quickly pivoting from other targets, while at Liverpool, new head coach Andoni Iraola used his first press conference to promise an aggressive, front-foot team and made clear that more signings are needed. On the international stage, Argentina have won FIFA approval to switch from their traditional stripes to an all-blue kit for a politically charged World Cup semi-final against England in Atlanta. There was also sad news from the Netherlands, where referee Rob Dieperink has died at 38, weeks after being removed from FIFA’s 2026 World Cup officiating panel following an investigation in Britain that ended without charges. Away from football, the wider sports cycle was briefly overshadowed by global headlines after Houthi claims of a Saudi strike on Sanaa airport and vows of retaliation.