Lawrence Ostlere

Lawrence Ostlere is joined by Miguel Delaney for another impromptu episode of Copa Independent to react hours after an independent commission’s verdict on Manchester City was released, which finds the club guilty of almost all Premier League charges and arranging “sham” sponsorships to inflate revenue by more than £830m over nine years, misstating accounts, concealing finances from auditors and regulators, and repeatedly breaching cooperation duties. Will the Premier League ever be the same again? Tune in to Copa Independent every week to hear our top football writers debate the biggest stories, arguments and talking points in the game – cutting through the noise to make sense of what matters. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Tuchel accepts he can learn from England’s World Cup exit to Argentina, writes Lawrence Ostlere, as he bids to make England a little more like their next opponents, world champions Spain

In the first episode of the new series, Lawrence Ostler is joined by Miguel Delaney and Richard Jolly to preview the new Premier League season, asking if the league is entering a post-Guardiola, post-Salah era defined by managerial churn, fewer global superstars, and greater uncertainty. They discuss Manchester City’s transition under Enzo Maresca amid midfield concerns and Rodri’s possible Barcelona move, Liverpool’s unfinished rebuild under Andoni Iraola without a clear Salah replacement, and Manchester United’s issues under Michael Carrick with a thin midfield and a heavier schedule. Arsenal are framed as the main known quantity and title favourites, with debate over Arteta’s intensity, attacking evolution, and recruitment. They assess Chelsea under Xabi Alonso, Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi, the impact of no European football for some clubs, relegation candidates, and give top-five and relegation predictions. The World Cup series is over, and now Copa Independent is back for the new season.

Rozman was sent home from the 2025 Tour de France but is back working for Sir Dave Brailsford’s Netcompany-Ineos cycling team

Scotland have missed out on the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup

“Is there anyone alive who honestly believes not just that Ronaldo’s a better plater, but that there’s any sort of debate at all?” This is the question batted around by Lawrence Ostlere and Miguel Delaney for today’s episode of Copa Independent after Messi’s stunning hat-trick for Arentina as they took on Algeria at the World Cup. Listen to the full episode, ‘Messi v Ronaldo? The debate was always absurd’, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch on YouTube. For all the analysis, predictions, and news you need for the World Cup, tune in to Copa Independent.

On his travels around Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas, Lawrence Ostlere finds football fans, life-giving food and an odd marriage between the World Cup and the USA

Thomas Tuchel and his medical staff are keeping a close eye on several England players ahead of their second game in Group L

Balogun was born in New York when his parents were on holiday from London but the USA embracing the striker as its new star is a delicious irony to Donald Trump’s stance on immigration

Comment: Trump’s decision not to appear at USA’s first game of the tournament against Paraguay in Los Angeles comes after he was loudly booed at the NBA Finals in New York last week