Injuries

• The Sporting News is tracking critical injuries to star players, including Lamine Yamal, who may be at risk of missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup. • The tournament is scheduled to begin on June 11 and will conclude with the final on July 19. • These injuries are significant because they can jeopardize a national team's championship hopes by removing iconic superstars or essential role players.

• Japan's hopes for the 2026 World Cup have suffered a significant blow following an injury to star player Kaoru Mitoma. • Mitoma is considered one of Japan's most impactful players, having recently scored the winning goal in a victory against England in March. • The injury creates a critical gap in the squad as Japan prepares to compete in Group F against the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia.

• Scotland has qualified for the 2026 World Cup in North America, marking the nation's first appearance at the tournament in 28 years. • Manager Steve Clarke secured an automatic group stage spot after a dramatic 4-2 victory over Denmark last November, which allowed Scotland to leapfrog them in the standings. • While Scott McTominay is highlighted as a star of the roster, the squad is currently facing challenges due to poorly timed injuries.

Civilians left increasingly exposed as a dangerous new front opens up in the country’s decades-old conflictAs night fell over southern Colombia, and a group of children began their weekly Tuesday football match, a drone appeared overhead.The children looked up, and the drone dropped a grenade, its blast killing a 10-year-old boy and injuring 12 more civilians. The child’s death, in southern Cauca in 2024, marked the first known time a person in the country had been killed in a weaponised drone attack. Continue reading...

Lack of regulation for specialist classes leaves UK fitness enthusiasts at risk, say professional bodiesThe boom in reformer pilates has created a “wild west” of studios where poor regulation has resulted in inexperienced teachers and a rise in injuries, professional standards bodies have warned.Pilates is not formally or legally regulated, and as its popularity has surged, industry experts say, so too has the growth of packed reformer-based classes often led by instructors with limited training. Continue reading...