AP PHOTOS: David Beckham to be awarded a knighthood by King Charles
London, ENGLAND (AP) — David Beckham, the former England soccer captain who has been an ambassador for the U.N. children's fund for two decades, is to receive a knighthood in next week's honors list from King Charles III, according to U.K. media reports Friday.
Without citing sources, the BBC said Beckham is set to receive further recognition both for his soccer career, and his contributions to British society.
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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
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Associated Press
41 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Weber's goal seals 3-2 comeback win for Racing Louisville over Utah Royals
Rookie Sarah Weber scored the winning goal in the 85th minute and Racing Louisville came from behind to beat the 10-player Utah Royals 3-2 in the National Women's Soccer League on Friday night. In the only other game, the Seattle Reign beat the San Diego Wave 2-1. Lousiville (5-4-2) has won four of its last five games. The Royals (1-8-2) have no wins in their last seven. Utah took an early lead on the road at Lynn Family Stadium when Brecken Mozingo scored for a third consecutive game in the third minute. Louisville's Emma Sears equalized with a swerving shot from outside of the box in the ninth minute. Ellie Jean then put Louisville up 2-1 when she headed home a short-corner routine from the center of the box in the 26th. Bianca St-Georges brought the Royals level at 2-2 in the 31st minute when she latched on to a long pass over the top of the defense and curled the ball past goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer. The Royals were reduced to 10 players in the 73rd minute when defender Ana Tejada received her second yellow card for a clumsy sliding challenge on Taylor Flint. Louisville made the player advantage count when Weber scored her first NWSL goal with a looping header from Courtney Peterson's cross on the left wing. Adames scores late winner as Reign defeats Wave 2-1 Emeri Adames scored in the 87th minute to give the Seattle Reign a 2-1 win over the San Diego Wave. It was Laura Harvey's 250th regular-season game as the head coach of the Reign, an NWSL record. She is the only coach to ever surpass 200 games. The loss snapped a six-game undefeated streak for San Diego (6-3-2). The Reign (5-4-2) took a 1-0 lead via a long-range strike by rookie Sally Menti in the 67th minute. It was Menti's first goal in the NWSL coming on her first career start. San Diego did not trail for long. Maria Sanchez whipped in a corner kick on her left-foot and Delphine Cascarino nodded her third goal of the season in at the front post in the 75th minute. With the clock ticking down, Adames broke free on a counterattack, weaved in and out of pressure from Kennedy Wesley and then hit a left-foot shot from 17 yards out that whizzed past goalie Kailen Sheridan. ___ AP soccer:
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Jean-Clair Todibo is here to stay at West Ham – expect more front-foot defending
Jean-Clair Todibo stood forlornly, then gazed towards the technical area as he removed the white taping from his wrist. Moments earlier, he had grimaced in the direction of the West Ham United bench, having felt pain in his lower leg. The 25-year-old defender was consoled by team-mates but headed towards the tunnel knowing another spell on the sidelines awaited him. Advertisement It came during a chastening 4-1 away defeat against Manchester City on the first weekend in January. He had aggravated a previous calf problem and would be out this time for nearly six weeks. Todibo showed glimpses of his quality following his arrival on a season-long loan from French side Nice in August, a deal which carried an obligation to buy. But following the news that West Ham have now completed the signing of the centre-back on a five-year contract for £32.9million (€39m; $44.4m), doubts over his fitness linger. Todibo, who won two caps for France in 2023, made 27 Premier League appearances last season, 20 of them starts, but was substituted off on 11 occasions. Following Graham Potter's appointment as coach in January, the Frenchman was one of his preferred defensive options. Todibo, who had interest from Juventus and Newcastle United last summer before his move to the London Stadium, mostly featured alongside Maximilian Kilman in the middle of a back four but also played in a three-man defence. His ball-carrying ability is his strength but lapses in concentration and his aerial presence still require work. That said, his arrival at West Ham was considered a coup in a window that saw the departures of fellow central defenders Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma on season-long loans to Real Sociedad in Spain and Saudi Arabia's Al Orobah respectively. Todibo made his debut in August's opening-weekend home loss against Aston Villa as a late substitute but West Ham's then head coach Julen Lopetegui only introduced him to the starting XI gradually. A player once signed by Barcelona at age 19 came off the bench again at Crystal Palace the following weekend, started the Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth but got replaced at half-time and was then an unused sub in the next three league matches against City, Fulham and Chelsea. He did not make his first Premier League start until the 1-1 draw away to Brentford on September 28, six weeks after signing. Advertisement A mitigating factor behind his slow start was the fact he did not have a proper pre-season, featuring in Nice's friendlies against Lausanne (July 10) and Leganes (July 19) but not playing for them again as the move to West Ham gathered pace. 'I'm happy because the club gave me the time to get fit,' Todibo told the club's website after his first full 90 minutes that day in west London. 'It took me a bit of time to come back well. The game is more intense in the Premier League than in Ligue 1, more intense than all the leagues in the world, I think. Today I'm not 100 per cent, but I think I'm going to improve more with time, and have a good impact in the team.' However, the forthcoming months were laced with frustration. As a result of his calf injury, the centre-back missed games against Leicester City (December 3), Bournemouth (December 16), Villa (in the FA Cup, January 10), Fulham (January 14), Palace (January 18), Villa again (January 26) and Chelsea (February 2). Todibo did then offer encouragement as far his his fitness was concerned, starting 12 of the final 13 league fixtures from the middle of February. In an attempt to address the muscular difficulties that stunted his momentum, Todibo travelled home to France in January to get a second opinion from his private doctor of eight years. A scan revealed issues with his lower limb. His path to truly winning over the West Ham fans starts this summer. When fully fit, Todibo is capable of being a solid performer, someone whose skillset aligns with Potter's preferred style of play. He was admired by Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, and had trials with both before joining Toulouse from Les Lilas, an amateur club in the Paris area, at age 16 in summer 2016. Over the past nine years, Todibo has developed into an aggressive defender. The graphic below, which looks at his 'true' tackles — a combination of tackles won, tackles lost, and fouls conceded while attempting a tackle per 1,000 opposition touches — gives an indication of how often he likes to leave a mark when the opposition have the ball. Todibo ranked eighth among centre-backs with 900+ minutes of Premier League game time in this metric last season, while his true-tackle win rate of 73 per cent is also very high — which suggests he often backs that front-footedness up by escaping from a challenge with the ball more often than not. A weaker side of his game, however, is the ball in the air — though he is 6ft 3in (192cm), only nine Premier League centre-backs with 900-plus minutes last season won a lower proportion of their aerial duels. But, similar to his central-defensive colleague Kilman, there are no concerns with Todibo's passing ability. He is a strong ball-carrier and when in possession, rarely opts to go long. Having said that, there is scope to be more expansive with his varied passing range; around 8.5 per cent of Todibo's passes last season were progressive — just 11 top-flight centre-backs look forward with their passes less often. Dubai is Todibo's preferred destination when in search of rest and relaxation during the off-season. He is spending quality time with loved ones but is intent on avenging those debut-year setbacks and helping his new parent club return to previous heights. 'In France, we say 'Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour', which is like the saying 'Rome wasn't built in one day', because it takes time,' Todibo told West Ham's website in April. 'The manager (Potter) came and the situation was difficult, and we need to build something. We just need more time with this manager, because when you have the positives in the game, the result is going to come. 'There is no rush. You don't have to rush. I think if you want to be smart and productive, you should work for it. It's more like this and we prepare for the next season — because next season has to be big.'
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Leeds United Transfer DealSheet: Summer window latest, key positions and available players
Leeds United are heading into arguably the most important summer transfer window anyone can remember. After the crushing blow of last year's Wembley loss, Daniel Farke guided Leeds to the Championship title last month. Owner 49ers Enterprises finally has the golden ticket to the Premier League it has waited for. Chairman Paraag Marathe is anxious to ensure nobody connected with the club has to go through another relegation. Advertisement Recent history is against them as a newly-promoted outfit and they know they need to nail virtually every transfer during this window. Farke has to retain the heart and soul of his champions, but retool and upgrade where possible to keep the team in the league. The Athletic's Beren Cross has taken a look. As chairman, ultimate responsibility for everything at Leeds United rests with Marathe. However, the American has repeatedly talked up the collaboration between several key voices at the top of the club. Daniel Farke's appointment as manager, rather than head coach, in 2023 was a deliberate distinction. The German has had a lot of control over the past two years and, speaking after the Championship title was confirmed, Marathe said if there was a player Farke did not want, United did not recruit them. In the same interview on Farke's control this summer, the 49ers Enterprises chief said: 'We're going to work very collaboratively, probably with a little bit more focus on making sure we're making the right group decisions because, let's be honest, there's more at stake now — more money, more jeopardy.' Over the past 12 months, key voices have moved away from the Elland Road coalface. Technical director Gretar Steinsson stepped up to a 49ers Enterprises role, head of recruitment Jordan Miles left in November and chief executive Angus Kinnear has taken interim football advisor Nick Hammond with him to Everton. Robbie Evans, who first worked with Marathe at San Francisco 49ers in 2010, has been promoted to managing director at Leeds following Kinnear's departure. Adam Underwood has graduated through the ranks to become sporting director and, despite his inexperience, is already building a positive reputation in the game. Alex Davies, who has been with the club for more than a decade, has also worked his way up to become head of recruitment after impressing Marathe since the 2023 takeover. Marathe, Farke, Evans, Underwood and Davies are the key men this summer. It may be easier to rank each position in priority order because there is justification for looking at every position on the pitch after promotion. The most glaring hole in the team is between the posts. Goalkeepers Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow remain under contract, but the former has had the latest in a series of poor campaigns and the latter failed to win Farke over until the 89th of his 95 league matches at the helm. In a season where Leeds' goal is expected to be under extended pressure, they need a stellar stopper to keep them up. If survival is decided in both boxes, that also means a first-rate striker will be targeted this summer. Joel Piroe could not have done much more to prove himself after last season's Golden Boot and 32 goals in 88 league appearances for United. However, while Farke will give him the chance he has earned in the Premier League, survival cannot be staked on a striker with zero experience at that level. Neither can it be put on the shoulders of Patrick Bamford after nearly four years of inconsistent game time. With Junior Firpo and Sam Byram out of contract, left-back leaps out as another priority area for the recruitment team. First-choice starters at centre-back, left-wing and No 10 look important too. Farke will want the backing he felt he never had at Norwich City after his two promotions with them. Since United's ascent was confirmed, the manager has been asked about the lessons he learned from those ill-fated experiences in the top flight and he was not shy in spelling out how little money was spent at Carrow Road. Advertisement Since arriving in July 2023, the 48-year-old has maintained he wants to build a sustainable, long-term vision with Leeds and establish them in the Premier League. Marathe has also talked about future planning instead of the pay-as-you-go approach he felt Andrea Radrizzani took during the club's last top-flight visit. Farke has not discussed positions for this summer window, but did show a penchant for reunions with former players in the Championship. Byram played under Farke at Norwich City, while Max Aarons got as far as the training ground before pulling the plug on a transfer and Emi Buendia was pursued over several windows. That's no guarantee Aarons and Buendia will be chased again, but it's one trend we have seen from Farke up to this point. Very few accurate transfer links to Leeds have emerged as of June 6. Planning for a Premier League summer has been in the works for more than six months and targets are being sounded out, but with pre-season a month away and the new season another five weeks after that, it's early days. Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz, who has averaged a goal every 150 minutes in the Premier League over the past two seasons, is one striker Leeds have made enquiries about. Club sources, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have acknowledged the Muniz interest, but feel other strikers on their shortlist are more likely to be recruited at this stage. The 24-year-old has one year remaining on his Fulham contract, but the club does have the option to extend that by a further year. Marco Silva's side may look to extend the Brazilian's deal this summer, but he played second fiddle to Raul Jimenez last season with only eight league starts. If we start at the back and move forward, Meslier will be a candidate for sale. The French goalkeeper has another year to run on his contract, but it would be hugely surprising to see him start next season as number one or as a willing understudy. The 25-year-old will not fetch anything like the price Leeds could have got for him in 2021, but his negligible book value should mean they make a useful margin for their profit and sustainability (PSR) calculations. Injuries during last season robbed Max Wober of any chance to redeem himself after 2023's desertion, so he would make for an easy sale this summer. Any fee over £5million ($6.8m) would generate a PSR profit on the books. Darko Gyabi, Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt are virtually guaranteed to get little or no game time next season. They will be 22, 24 and 24 respectively when the 2026-27 season starts. Unless the club expects meteoric developments in 2025-26, all three should be candidates for sale this summer. Jack Harrison has been away on loan for two years and has done little to catch the eye at Everton. Farke's feelings on the winger are unknown, but we know he has been open to reintegrating loanees in the past. A book value below £3m does mean Leeds could bank PSR profit on Harrison, but will any club get near his wages? If the club is desperate to bolster its PSR position, the likes of Pascal Struijk and Wilfried Gnonto would generate the biggest profits after low-sum arrivals. James Debayo, if he signs the club's contract offer, Sam Chambers and Charlie Crew are the likeliest candidates for loans. Gyabi is feasible too, but Greenwood and Gelhardt make more sense as permanent exits. Loaning out Harrison again would get his wages off the books and kick the can down the road, but surely all parties would prefer a more permanent resolution. Josuha Guilavogui's contract will expire at the end of the month, while Firpo and Byram have been made offers to stay. Whether they accept is another matter. Rasmus Kristensen's pre-agreed transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt officially went through when the window opened on June 1. As we reported earlier this month, The Athletic believes Leeds have an estimated pre-tax loss limit of £42m for the 2024-25 campaign. Our report also indicates Leeds are not expecting to need to sell before July 1 in order to satisfy their PSR obligations. Beyond July 1, United's available budget is hard to predict. We know, after next year in the top flight, their permitted losses for 2023 to 2026 will be £61m. It is hard to predict how much they will raise from sales this summer, as well as how much capital they take from shareholders for transfers specifically. Ultimately, as with every promoted club, it's going to be tight and Leeds want to live on the limit with every available pound spent on staying up. (Top photos: Getty Images)
