End of group stage: a round-up of the World Cup so far

The heads of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, signed on Thursday, together with the presidents of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, and Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, the first act of the 2030 World Cup, which will mark the celebration of the centenary of this competition.

France has asked its foreign allies to send several thousand members of their security forces to help guard the Paris Olympics, officials said Thursday, underlining the strains caused by the sporting extravaganza which begins in July.

ing Abdullah II of Jordan defends his country's actions in shooting down Iranian missiles on Saturday, saying that Jordan's security comes above all else. Also, MPs in the UK back a new bill to ban smoking in the country, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces rebellion from within the Conservative Party. Finally, Paris Saint-Germain mount a comeback to beat Barcelona and qualify for the Champions League semi-final, with one Spanish newspaper blaming the result on "suspect refereeing".

Barcelona riot police kept Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona fans apart to prevent potential clashes ahead of the second match in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola lashes out at the FA Cup schedule after his side beat Chelsea 1-0 to reach the final, three days after their treble bid was ended by defeat on penalties against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

World Athletics has broken ranks with other sports federations in opting to pay athletes bonuses for medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Some deem this a breach of the Olympic spirit, while others think it’s long overdue.