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More Than a Dozen Iran Staff Members Denied Entry Into the United States

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A World Cup nation has been dealt a huge blow just days before this summer’s tournament, with many of their staff members denied entry into the United States.

The 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will kick-off on June 11 when the latter take on South Africa.

There will be a total of 104 matches over the next month-and-a-half, with 48 teams vying to be crowned champions of the world on July 19.

Each World Cup team competing in the tournament have named their 26-man squad and will be finalising their preparations ahead of their opening match.

However, some nations have had difficulty getting into the United States. Switzerland star Breel Embolo was barred from travelling with his side after being denied entry into the United States. He has since had his Esta approved, and he has now linked up with his teammates.

Another nation has faced even more difficulty with ‘more than a dozen’ of their staff banned from travelling to the United States.

Many Iran Staff Members Denied Entry Into the United States

Iran flags

Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup has been in doubt following their conflict with the United States.

Donald Trump has previously advised Iran to withdraw, but said that they are welcome to play should they want to. Iran later confirmed their intention to compete in a statement in May.

All of their players, including star man Mehdi Taremi, have now been issued visas by the United States that will allow them to play at the World Cup.

However, The New York Times have now revealed that more than a dozen members of the team’s support staff, which could include coaches, analysts and medical staff, will be unable to travel to the US as they have had their applications rejected.

Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian federation and a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is among the individuals who have had their visa applications rejected.

Iran will play each of their group matches in the United States. They will face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, before heading to Seattle to face Egypt.

Should Iran and the US both finish second in their respective groups, they will go head-to-head in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas.

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Scotland and Morocco Fans Denied Entry Into the United States

Scotland fans with World Cup trophy

Many Scotland fans that intended to travel to the United States to follow their team have also been denied entry.

One fan told BBC Scotland: “Out of the blue on Tuesday, I got an email that said there’s been an update on your ESTA status. Since I’ve done that ESTA there’s been absolutely no changes to my circumstances. That’s the frustrating thing, not knowing why this has happened.”

While another affected fan, who admitted he was heartbroken, said: “It’s not given us very much time to do anything about it. I don’t think it’s fair, they shouldn’t authorise somebody to go then take it back. We didn’t book anything until we were authorised.”

40 members of a Moroccan supporters association have also been denied United States visas, leaving fans who spent thousands on match tickets and hotel bookings unable to travel to the tournament.

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Galatasaray Eyeing Rangers Star Youssef Chermiti in Club-Record Transfer

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Rangers could be on the brink of earning a major cash injection this summer, after Galatasaray entered the race to sign one Ibrox star.

The Glasgow side are expecting a major squad overhaul for Danny Rohl after a disappointing season in which they finished third in the Scottish Premiership, and have already strengthened their striker position by signing Lawrence Shankland from Hearts on a free transfer.

That could now see another Ibrox forward on the move during the upcoming transfer window, with the Turkish champions keeping a close eye on one star in particular.

Galatasaray Eyeing Rangers Star Chermiti

Youssef Chermiti

According to Turkish journalist Seren Dag, Galatasaray have added Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti to their shortlist of transfer targets.

Chermiti, who has been described as ‘seriously talented’ by Russell Martin, was the club’s top scorer in all competitions this season, netting 15 goals following his move from Everton. That included huge goals against league winners Celtic and title challengers Hearts, and clubs are now paying attention to his availability.

As a result, Rangers have now put a €25m (£21.5m) asking price on the Portuguese forward’s head. That fee would be a club-record fee for Rangers to receive for a player, gazumping the €23m (£19.8m) they received from Ajax for Calvin Bassey.

It’s currently unclear if the Istanbul club would be willing to pay that, or whether Chermiti would be open to the move, but with Galatasaray playing in the Champions League next season, it is likely to appeal to the 22-year-old.

Rangers signed Chermiti for just £10m last summer, so cashing in for more than double that just 12 months later would be a huge coup for the Light Blues.

World Cup History Quiz

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Rohl Can Make Do Without Chermiti

Rangers' Youssef Chermiti celebrates scoring their first goal vs Celtic

It’s evident that Chermiti has got some raw potential, and some attributes that could really suit Rangers in their pursuit of success next season.

But it’s also clear to see for anyone who watched him regularly this season that he isn’t a reliable source of goals yet, and will almost certainly find himself behind Shankland this summer. A transfer away shouldn’t be something that is actively being pursued, but should a big offer arrive, there’s no reason not to cash in.

Rangers have Bojan Miovski and Shankland already, both who have a proven goal record in Scotland, and £20m from one player would be absolutely huge for what they would be capable of doing in the market to strengthen other areas of the squad.


Rangers boss Danny Rohl during his team's defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership


Rangers Open Talks to Sign ‘Dynamic’ Star Who’s One of the Best in His League

Rangers have opened talks.

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F1 Driver Admits He ‘Should Not Be Racing’ in Brutal Rant Before Monaco GP

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Just hours before he takes part in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, a veteran F1 driver has admitted that he “should not be racing”.

One of the most iconic fixtures on the sport’s calendar, Sunday’s race will see the Principality shut down its streets to accommodate the Circuit de Monaco, allowing for some truly breathtaking visuals.

However, in an astonishing rant, one F1 driver has admitted that he has already given up on securing a decent finishing position.

F1 Driver Savages ‘Worst Car Ever’ Ahead of Monaco GP

F1 driver fighting to save his job ahead of Monaco GP with replacement 'knocking at the door'

Speaking to the media ahead of the race, two-time Drivers’ Championship winner Fernando Alonso labelled his Aston Martin car as the “worst he had ever driven around Monaco.”

Many drivers have taken aim at the new technical changes that were brought in at the start of the 2026 season, but none have been as scathing as Alonso’s claim that his car isn’t fit to race.

“This is probably the worst generation of cars I ever drove in Monaco. The way you charge the battery, with braking and lifting off and things like that, obviously creates a lot of inconsistency into the engine braking of the car.

“Sometimes you have less, sometimes you have push and sometimes not. If the battery is completely full, then you don’t recharge because the battery is full. So you don’t have engine breaking. It’s like pushing.

“It’s just the rules. Hybrid cars should not be racing. It’s as simple as that.”

The AMR26 car has proven to be a tricky piece of machinery for both Alonso and his teammate Lance Stroll. The 42-year-old Alonso has been complaining about “random downshifts” that almost caught him out in practice 1.

F1 Driver Narrowly Avoids Nasty Crash in Monaco

He needed all of his experience to avoid a nasty incident having made contact with the wall on approach to the chicane after he briefly lost control of his car.

He stated afterwards:

“Monaco is not the place to have a random downshift, and you have rear [brake] locking or [engine] pushing or something like that. Then you will crash into the wall, and the driver will look stupid.

“So, that’s the thing that we needed to make sure that we make a step in the right direction in Canada, and Monaco will tell the truth.”

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17 Most Followed Football Clubs in England Ranked in New Study

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While football has always been a global game, the rise of social media has seen teams grow their followings like never before. They’ve become more accessible than ever, with fans from all over the world able to interact with them online, no matter where they are. Premier League clubs in particular have become worldwide franchises.

Even the likes of West Ham United have nearly 20m followers across social media, highlighting how the emergence of sites such as Instagram and X (Twitter) have helped teams become bigger and more popular than ever. Now, a fascinating study from CIES Football Observatory has revealed the 17 English teams with the biggest followings across all social media platforms.

17-11

Including the likes of Crystal Palace and Leeds United

Crystal Palace celebrate with the Conference League trophy

Leeds United are the first team on the list, squeaking in at 17th with 7m followers across all social media platforms. They could see their following grow even more going forward should their upward trajectory continue.

Just ahead of them are Sunderland, whose followers have grown by 55.3% over the last year thanks to their success in the Premier League. The Black Cats finished in an impressive seventh in their first campaign back in England’s top tier as they secured Europa League qualification.

Just ahead of them are Southampton, who were sensationally kicked out of this year’s Championship playoff final, and Crystal Palace, who were recently crowned Europa Conference League champions.

Palace’s rivals Brighton & Hove Albion (9.7m), Wolverhampton Wanderers (12.3m) and Everton (17.7m) are the final three sides included in this section, with the Toffees’ followers growing by 21.8% over the last 12 months.

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Tottenham Hotspur feature here

Tottenham Hotspur's Mathys Tel and teammates line up during the penalty shootout vs PSG

Breaking into the top 10, Aston Villa are up first. The Midlands club have been transformed under Unai Emery and are now firmly entrenched among the Premier League’s top teams. They successfully qualified for the Champions League once again this season following a fourth-place finish, while they were also triumphant in the Europa League. It’s vastly different from the struggles in the Championship just a handful of seasons ago.

Despite their success, Emery’s side have fewer followers than West Ham. The Hammers’ followers have grown by 6.3% over the last 12 months despite enduring a tough campaign which ultimately ended in relegation to the Championship.

Newcastle United follow. The Magpies have gone from strength to strength following Mike Ashley’s sale of the club to the Saudi Public Investment Fund and they have 21.3m followers across all social media channels. They aren’t the only team who have seen a significant improvement in recent years and earned a sizeable following as a result, though.

The final two teams just outside the top five are Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Despite falling into League One, the Foxes have 24.3m followers across all social media, while Spurs (112.2m) miss out on the top five by just 6m.

5-1

Manchester United lead the way

Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo celebrates vs Nottingham Forest with Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes

The first team in the top five is Arsenal. The Gunners finally ended their Premier League trophy drought to become English champions for the first time since 2004. They were beaten in the Champions League final by PSG, though, meaning they remain the only team in the top five of this list to never win the competition. As a result, it’s hardly surprising to see the Gunners come fifth with 118.5m followers across all platforms.

There’s a sizeable jump next to fourth place and ahead of them is London rivals Chelsea, who have 156.5m social media followers in total. The Blues have won two Champions League trophies over the last 15 years and have seen their status in football grow exponentially during the 21st century. With five Premier League titles under their belt too, Chelsea have become one of the biggest clubs in not just England, but the world.

Over 23m ahead of them, though, is Liverpool. After a period of struggle, the Reds transformed into one of the best teams in England again under Jurgen Klopp. The Germany rejuvenated the side and led them back to the Champions League trophy and their first ever Premier League title. His exit threatened undoing all the work they’d done, but Arne Slot came in and took them straight to the peak of English football. They are one of the most decorated football teams in the country and have 179.2m followers across all social media platforms, making them the third-most-followed side in England.

Surprisingly, Manchester City are one place above Liverpool, with 187.8m social media followers. The Citizens became one of the most dominant teams in the history of English football following Pep Guardiola’s arrival and that form has seen them become one of the most followed teams in the country. They’ve got a long way to go before they catch up to their local rivals, though. Manchester United, despite their struggles in recent years, are by far the most followed team in England, with 238.6m social media followers.

The Red Devils are coming off one of their better campaigns in recent years, with Michael Carrick leading them to a third-place finish in the Premier League. They’re the third-most followed team in the world, only behind Real Madrid (487.6m) and Barcelona (441.8m), and there’s no shame in that.

17 most followed English football teams

Rank

Team

Number of followers across all social media

1

Manchester United

238.6m

2

Manchester City

187.8m

3

Liverpool

179.2m

4

Chelsea

156.5m

5

Arsenal

118.5m

6

Tottenham

112.2m

7

Leicester City

24.3m

8

Newcastle United

21.3m

9

West Ham United

20.3m

10

Aston Villa

19.6m

11

Everton

17.7m

12

Wolverhampton Wanderers

12.3m

13

Brighton & Hove Albion

9.7m

14

Crystal Palace

8.4m

15

Southampton

7.7m

16

Sunderland

7.2m

17

Leeds United

7.0m

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