EXPLAINER
Heavyweights England play away to Croatia, with captain Harry Kane going up against veteran Luka Modric.
Who: Croatia vs England
What: UEFA Nations League 2026-27, Group A3 match
Where: Rujevica Stadium, Rijeka, Croatia
When: Saturday, October 3, at 6pm local time (16:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 13:00 GMT
Action in the Nations League continues this weekend with a matchday three tie between Croatia and England.
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With a win and a defeat each, Croatia and England have both made a mixed start to this year’s competition.
Drawn in a group alongside the reigning world champions Spain and minnows Czechia, Croatia and England find themselves in an interesting yet challenging pool.
Captain Harry Kane has led from the front for the Three Lions, excelling in front of goal alongside winger Anthony Gordon, while Luka Modric continues to defy age, still playing a vital role in Croatia’s midfield even at 41.
Al Jazeera breaks down everything ahead of Croatia vs England:
The UEFA Nations League was founded in 2018 to reduce the number of meaningless friendlies and give nations competitive matches against top-ranked teams.
In this competition, countries from across Europe participate in a league structure which features promotion and relegation.
Both Croatia and England have won once and lost once.
Croatia started their Nations League campaign with a 2-1 win over Czechia in Prague before losing 4-1 to world champions Spain in Seville.
England, on the other hand, fell 3-2 to Spain in their campaign opener in London before beating a 10-man Czechia side 2-0 in Prague.
They last met at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
England beat Croatia 4-2 in a World Cup group game on June 17 in Arlington, Texas. Captain Harry Kane scored a brace, while Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham scored a goal apiece.
(Last five games, latest results first)
Croatia: L-W-L-W-W
England: W-L-W-L-W
Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic (Croatia): The evergreen Modric, very much the heartbeat of the Croatian midfield even at 41 years old, scored the opening goal in their away win in Czechia. Time and again, the captain has pulled the strings in the middle of the park, proving age is just a number. His fellow experienced teammate, Perisic, is also chipping in style, bagging back-to-back assists.
Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon (England): The script for England has looked the same in the last two games: Gordon opens the scoring, and Kane follows suit. While that wasn’t enough to beat the mighty Spain, it did the job against Czechia. Can this dynamic duo strike again? The numbers swing in their favour – Gordon has five assists already for Barcelona this season, while Kane has scored six times for Bayern Munich.
Croatia
Centre-back Martin Erlic is out injured until mid-October, and right-back Josip Juranovic is sidelined with illness.
Probable Croatia XI: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Stanisic, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Gvardiol, Ivan Perisic; Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic; Luka Sucic, Petar Sucic, Franjo Ivanovic; Dion Beljo
England
England are without left-back Nico O’Reilly, who withdrew from the squad with injury.
Probable England XI: James Trafford; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall; Elliot Anderson, Miles Lewis-Skelly; Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane
You can find your regional broadcaster on UEFA’s official broadcaster listing.
Who: France vs Italy
What: UEFA Nations League 2026-27, Group A1 match
Where: Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
When: Friday, October 2, at 8:45pm local time (18:45 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 15:45 GMT.
It’s time for Zinedine Zidane’s homecoming.
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Two-time world champions France face neighbours Italy in Friday’s Nations League match, with Zidane taking charge for the first time on home soil.
Appointed in late July as successor to Didier Deschamps, ex-captain Zidane has guided France to back-to-back away wins. Now he has the chance to complete a hat-trick of victories in front of Les Bleus faithful.
Despite losing captain Kylian Mbappe to injury, France have maintained their winning start, all thanks to their squad depth and talent across positions.
Like France, four-time World Cup winners Italy are also managed by a former player – Roberto Mancini – who is back in the job for the second time. Mancini’s first game back in charge ended in Roman jeers, but the Azzurri responded in style with an emphatic win in their second game.
Friday’s match is expected to be played in front of what will be a sell-out crowd of close to 80,000 fans at the national stadium north of Paris.
So, can Italy build on their dazzling display or will France give Zidane more reasons to rejoice?
Al Jazeera breaks down everything in this match preview:
The UEFA Nations League was founded in 2018 to reduce the number of meaningless friendlies and give nations competitive matches against top-ranked teams.
In this competition, countries from across Europe participate in a league structure which features promotion and relegation.
France are on top of this group with six points after identical 1-0 wins over Turkiye and Belgium.
Italy, on the other hand, are second-to-last with three points after losing 2-0 to Belgium and thrashing Turkiye 4-1.
They last met in a Nations League group match in November 2024.
France defeated Italy 3-1 in Milan then, with a double from Adrien Rabiot and a Guglielmo Vicario own goal. Andrea Cambiaso netted the consolation goal for the Italians.
(Last five games, latest results first)
France: W-W-L-L-W
Italy: W-L-W-W-D
Michael Olise and Desire Doue (France): Olise’s outrageous finish in Monday’s Belgium game had Zidane going berserk on the sideline. Such is his talent. He has been involved in both goals France scored in this year’s Nations League and is also enjoying a flying start at Bayern Munich this term with eight goals and four assists. Doue, 21, is equally impressive – he assisted Olise in the last game, earning player of the match.
Francesco Pio Esposito and Davide Frattesi (Italy): Pio Esposito not only scored a goal in the last game but also celebrated a sweet bit of history – he and his older brother Sebastiano played against Turkiye, marking the first time two brothers started for Italy in more than a century. Inter Milan striker Pio already has five goals in 10 Azzurri appearances. Italian fans should also watch out for Frattesi, another scorer from the last game who has also netted three times for Lazio in this year’s Serie A.
Zinedine Zidane (France): “It is going to be really emotional,” said Zidane, whose last appearance at the Stade de France came as a player in a friendly against Mexico in 2006.
Roberto Mancini (Italy): “Facing Zidane will be a pleasure, but this isn’t a duel between us,” assured Mancini in his press conference.
“It is going to be a great game between France and Italy, teams who are still trying to figure things out. Whatever happens, I feel that this match will be very useful for the process.”
Mbappe is the biggest name missing from the France squad. He picked up a knee injury after scoring the winning goal against Turkiye and has since been sidelined for two weeks.
Elsewhere, central midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery is out with a thigh injury, and Matteo Guendouzi remains suspended.
Probable France XI: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Jeremy Jacquet, Maxence Lacroix, Adrien Truffert; Rayan Cherki, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola
Italy have a fully fit squad.
Probable Italy XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Michael Kayode, Giorgio Scalvini, Alessandro Bastoni, Matteo Ruggeri; Sandro Tonali; Davide Frattesi, Nicolo Fagioli; Giacomo Raspadori, Francesco Pio Esposito, Sebastiano Esposito
You can find your regional broadcaster on UEFA’s official broadcaster listing.
Who: Norway vs Portugal
What: UEFA Nations League 2026-2027, Group A4 match
Where: Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway
When: Sunday at 7:45pm (18:45 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 15:45 GMT.
Record two-time UEFA Nations League champions Portugal continue their title defence on matchday two with a trip to Oslo against an exciting Norway side.
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After starting their campaign with a 1-0 home win over Wales, holders Portugal face their first big test of the competition on Sunday against the Norwegians, who defied expectations with a historic quarterfinal finish at this year’s FIFA World Cup.
Spearheaded by Erling Haaland, arguably one of Europe’s most dangerous strikers, and captained by midfield maestro Martin Odegaard, Norway made a winning start too, beating their Scandinavian rivals Denmark 3-2 in a thrilling opener.
Frustrated after a string of missed chances in the first game, Portugal’s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to rediscover his form as the team embraces a new chapter under coach Jorge Jesus, whose first game in charge was on Thursday against Wales.
The UEFA Nations League was founded in 2018 to reduce the number of meaningless friendlies and give nations competitive matches against equally ranked teams.
In this competition, countries from across Europe participate in a league structure that features promotion and relegation.
The teams last met in a 2016 international friendly in Porto when hosts Portugal defeated Norway 3-0.
(Last five games, latest results first)
Norway: W-L-W-W-L
Portugal: W-L-W-D-W
Haaland and Oscar Bobb (Norway): A double from Haaland and another goal from Bobb set Norway on course for a winning start, and the attacking pair should be in the limelight in front of their home crowd this weekend. Manchester City’s Haaland, especially, has been in top form this term with an incredible seven goals in as many games across all competitions.
Ronaldo and Joao Felix (Portugal): Portugal’s striking pair of Ronaldo and Felix ought to be careful in the final third this time out after Felix’s lone strike in the opening win in Lisbon. Ronaldo had a goal ruled out and was among the players who missed a flurry of chances as Portugal registered a whopping 23 total shots but with only five on target, of which just one hit the back of the net.
Both forwards are fit to play, but Portugal will miss the services of their talismanic midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who is injured.
Fernandes has played in all seven of Manchester United’s matches this season and featured from the start for Portugal against Wales before being withdrawn in the 90th minute.
Jesus said he doesn’t want to “risk” the player against Norway.
“Against Wales, we went in with practically everyone physically available and came out with a complicated problem with Bruno Fernandes,” the coach said.
“He’s coming off an injury at United, and he told me he’s been playing with that pain for the last three games, which is hindering him.
“It was one of the factors that prevented Bruno from playing at his best against Wales. I’ve already spoken to him, and I prefer not to risk it in this game, so he’s fully fit for the Denmark match.”
Haaland’s double against Denmark on Thursday marked another milestone in the 26-year-old striker’s enviable career. He is now the highest-scoring Nordic man in international football history, surpassing Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Haaland’s goal tally for Norway stands at 64 goals compared with Ibrahimovic’s 62. Incredibly, Haaland has shattered that record in 56 appearances – less than half of the 122 matches Ibrahimovic needed.
“It is not possible to explain nor is it possible to learn. He is born with it. It is instinct,” Norway manager Stale Solbakken said about Haaland.
Having made his senior debut in 2019, Haaland boasts a record of scoring more than one goal per game for Norway.
“It’s madness,” midfielder Sander Berge said about Haaland’s talent. “It’s everyday business that Haaland scores goals, so it’s reasonable that he is up there, but it’s powerful.”
Jesus: “Norway are one of the strongest teams in Europe. They have players we know like Haaland and Odegaard who play at a very high level in England. They will create more goalscoring opportunities against us than Wales, and I hope we have the defensive capacity.
“There’s not much to improve. We’ll evolve the game we’ve already played, but I trust that the team will respond defensively and will be more creative offensively.”
Solbakken: “They changed the coach, and if you look at what he did at his previous clubs and the football they played, the way they played against Wales was a little different to what it was with [Roberto] Martinez. There were players in other positions, and we took that into account in our game plan. Obviously, they have good players all over the field. We expect a close and balanced game. It’s our home game, so we’ll try to stop their biggest assets, but it’s also important for us to play our game and be loyal to the way we’ve been playing in recent years.”
No, the 26-year-old and 41-year-old greats have never crossed paths. Norway and Portugal have not played each other frequently either.
You can find your regional broadcaster on UEFA’s official broadcaster listing.
Norway will be without David Moller Wolfe, who is suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the last game.
Probable Norway XI: Orjan Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, Fredrik Aursnes; Odegaard, Sander Berge, Patrick Berg; Bobb, Haaland, Antonio Nusa
Portugal have a fully fit squad.
Probable Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Ruben Neves; Pedro Neto, Vitinha, Joao Neves; Felix, Ronaldo
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News
President Donald Trump on Saturday said he will form an “AI Force” and appoint an AI “czar” in a bid to control the harmful side of artificial intelligence, an industry he said will one day make up 25% of the U.S. GDP.
The “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” rally drew thousands after Trump-backed board votes to close the iconic arts venue.
Published On 19 Sep 202619 Sep 2026
Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC to contest its closure, amid fears that United States President Donald Trump could make good on his threat to demolish the venerated landmark.
The crowd filled streets in the Foggy Bottom neighbourhood of the capital on Friday evening, bringing traffic to a standstill as demonstrators made their way to the “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” protest. Many carried signs and some wore costumes, while boos rang out when Trump was mentioned during the programme.
At one point, some protesters linked hands around the building, whose marble facade remained partly concealed by scaffolding and tarpaulins.
Among the most iconic buildings on Washington’s Potomac waterfront, the Kennedy Center has become a battleground over Trump’s bid to assert control over the institution since he returned to office last year, replacing its board with his own appointees and installing himself as chairman.
Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, which organised the rally, said in an interview with The Associated Press news agency that he hoped the turnout would show that people were prepared to push back against Trump’s plans for the building.
The demonstration comes just days after the Trump-installed board voted to close the centre for repairs that are expected to last up to two years. That came hours after District Judge Christopher Cooper quashed the board’s latest attempt to restore Trump’s name to the building.
Last December, the new board added Trump’s name to the building’s facade after the Kennedy Center said its Board of Trustees had unanimously voted to rename the institution in his honour.
A federal judge blocked those efforts in May, ruling that the board had exceeded its statutory authority by unilaterally renaming the Kennedy Center and adding Trump’s name to its facade without congressional approval. Congress had designated the centre as a memorial to the late 35th US President John F Kennedy.
In August, the board tried again to inscribe Trump’s name on the building, this time with wording along the lines of “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump”.
The federal judge scotched the move in September, ruling that it violated his May injunction.
Trump has since declined to rule out demolishing the building, while a federal judge on Thursday ordered the Kennedy Center to give 30 days’ notice before undertaking any major structural changes, including demolition.
Speaking to reporters in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump argued that his administration deserved recognition for rescuing the Kennedy Center and that without the repairs, the building risked falling into disrepair and ultimately being forced to shut down.
Raleigh said he, like others, is concerned that Trump could move ahead without first notifying the court.
“Look at the East Wing,” he said. “We got up one morning and there was a giant hole there.”
Magdalena Andersson will likely face several challenges as she tries to get Sweden’s other left-wing parties to unite.
Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026
Sweden’s opposition leader has officially begun talks to form a coalition government after the country’s left-wing bloc won a slim majority in last week’s election.
Magdalena Andersson, leader of the centre-left Social Democrats, was asked by Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlen on Friday to begin efforts to form a new government.
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Norlen’s request follows the resignation of centre-right Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who stepped down on Thursday after the general election result was confirmed.
“I have now been tasked with exploring the possibility of forming a government. A task I undertake with great humility and will act constructively to put together a new government,” Andersson said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“My approach to the work that is now taking place is that all political forces now need to put party tactics aside and put Sweden and the Swedish people first.”
Andersson will likely face a series of challenges as she tries to persuade Sweden’s other left-wing parties to unite and form a new administration. The left-wing bloc won 176 of Parliament’s 349 seats in last week’s vote, securing a razor-thin majority of three seats.
Andersson is expected to seek the support of three other left-wing parties: the Greens, the Centre Party and the Left Party.
The socialist Left Party says Andersson will have to award some of its MPs cabinet posts to win their support. However, the liberal Centre Party insists it will not support such a government.
Andersson has until September 28 to form a government. If she fails, Kristersson, whose centre-right bloc won 173 seats, will try to form a coalition.
Coalition and minority governments are common in Sweden because the country has two major left- and right-wing blocs, both of which contain four parties.
The process of forming a government following the 2022 election took more than a month.
Who: India vs Sri Lanka
What: Women’s T20 Asia Cup final
Where: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When: Sunday, September 13, 6:30pm local time (14:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 3:30pm local time (13:30 GMT) before our live text commentary stream.
Record seven-time winners India face defending champions Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final on Sunday, as the 15-match competition in the United Arab Emirates readies itself for its closing act.
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In a tournament which has largely yielded low-scoring contests, both Indian and Sri Lankan spin units have tasted success – Deepti Sharma spearheading the heavyweights’ charge and captain Chamari Athapaththu leading by example for the title holders.
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s terrific top-order pairing has further strengthened India’s title bid at the tournament, where both teams boast a perfect record.
Having reached the final in every edition of the Women’s Asia Cup they have played, India are favourites to add another trophy to their glittering cabinet.
But Sri Lanka possess a threat of their own – they are one of only two sides who have beaten India in the title clash in past and will be eager to retain the trophy they proudly lifted two years ago.
Before Sunday’s showdown, Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the game:
India defeated Bangladesh in the first semifinal on Thursday by 40 runs before Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by four wickets in Friday’s low-scoring thriller.
The pair last met in a T20 international in Thiruvananthapuram on December 30, 2025, as hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 15 runs, sweeping that series 5-0.
Records swing heavily in India’s favour – they have won nine of their last 10 T20Is against Sri Lanka.
India are the most successful team in the Women’s Asia Cup, having won a record seven titles.
They won the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 editions, when the tournament was played in a one-day international format, as well as the 2012, 2016 and 2022 T20 editions.
Sri Lanka have won the Women’s Asia Cup once, winning the last edition in 2024 after beating India by eight wickets in the final.
India’s openers Shafali and Mandhana are the top two leading scorers in the ongoing edition, having scored 168 and 154 runs each in four matches.
Shafali has registered two half-centuries – scoring identical 64s against Thailand in the opener and Bangladesh in the semifinals – while Mandhana hit an incredible 124 against Hong Kong in the league phase.
With the ball, all-rounder Deepti has been most impactful with her spin bowling, bagging a joint-highest 11 wickets with an average of 3.63.
N Shree Charani has also played a key role with eight wickets and holds the record for the second-most economical bowler (3.27).
Captain Athapaththu, who bowls right arm off-break, has been Sri Lanka’s most impactful player, sharing the honours of the most wickets with Deepti at 11, with an average of 5.36. Left-arm orthodox bowler Sugandika Kumari has also contributed with six wickets.
With the bat, top-order left-hander Harsthitha Samarawickrama has chipped in 89 runs for the fourth-highest scorer in the competition.
Last five matches, most recent first:
India’s Deepti Sharma: “[This] team doesn’t take any team lightly … We always think as a team, ‘How we can do better in each and every game. As a collective team performance, how we can do better.’”
Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu: “If we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team.”
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma
Imesha Dulani, Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Sanjana Kavindi, Harsthitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wicketkeeper), Sugandika Kumari, Chamudi Praboda, Mithali Ayodhya