India’s Asian Cup hopes are hanging by a thread . India’s football team has descended to 133, its lowest FIFA ranking in nearly a decade as the Tigers suffer a string of early cup exits and poor managerial changes. The last time India had a lower ranking was in 2016 when they were placed 135.  In 2025 so far, India has managed to win one of eight games. They spent the entire 2024 winless and crashed out of the World Cup qualifiers under Manolo Marquez, who mutually agreed to step down last month. The biggest talking point is India’s lack of goalscoring under Marquez. They did not score in five of the eight games. In the other three, they scored just five goals, three of which came against a lower-ranked Maldives. India’s loss against Hong Kong only made matters worse because the Tigers are now in doubt of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup. Only group winners advance to the knockouts, and India is at the bottom of Group C. See odds for International matches Indian Super League suspension and legal challenges  India football’s troubles are not just on the pitch. There is also ongoing concern about the ISL (Indian Super League), after event organizers announced the 2025-2026 season on hold.  Football Sports Development Limited, AIIF’s official partner, told clubs that an unresolved MRA (Master Rights Agreement) is the reason for the league’s suspension. Signed in 2010 for 15 years, the deal expires in December 2025, and AIFF’s failure to offer a new deal has put the league’s future in limbo. Sources close to the matter say the Supreme Court directed AIFF not to renew the MRA since its review of the Constitution, adding to the concern. The ISL suspension highlights many of the stumbling blocks faced by India’s football community over the recent years. Lovers of the game and club stakeholders remain optimistic that the AIFF and FSDL will reach an agreement in the coming weeks.  India Sunil Chhetri urges everyone to stay united. Amid the growing concern, India captain Sunil Chhetri has expressed his discomfort over the indefinite suspension of the Indian Super League.  “The current situation that India finds itself in is very concerning. I’ve received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs – not just from my club but other clubs as well,” India’s record goalscorer wrote on Instagram.  “Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, and scared about the uncertainty we are faced with. I may not have all the answers, but my message to all those involved… please stay calm. We will ride this storm together. Stick together and look out for each other. Keep training and getting better. Football has to resume soon. It will” India’s next match is against Singapore in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers in October. Singapore is top of Group C, followed by Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and India. For insights, see what our SportyTrader experts say will happen in the 2027 Asian ...

Victor Osimhen transfer saga: Galatasaray rejects Napoli’s demands Galatasaray appeared to be closing in on a deal to sign Victor Osimhen permanently. However, that transfer is now in limbo. Per Fabrizio Romano, Napoli insists on €40M upfront and €35M in add-ons by 2026. Club President De Laurentiis also wants to include a 20% sell-on clause. However, Galatasaray wants to pay the add-ons by 2027 and refuses to include the sell-on clause.  The ongoing conflict has frustrated Galatasaray, and sources say the club is considering withdrawing from the deal. Despite this tension, Osimhen has informed Napoli he will not report for pre-season, meaning transfer talks with Galatasaray will likely resume if Napoli can just adjust their demands. Osimhen to break the Turkish Super Lig Record Transfer If he moves to Galatasaray this summer, Victor Osimhen will break the record for the most expensive signing in Turkish Super Lig history. The current holder is Youssef En-Nesyri, who transferred from Sevilla to Fenerbahçe last year in a €19.5M deal, and only six of the top 10 record deals ever reached €15M. As mentioned before, Galatasaray is ready to pay the full €75M, which is Osimhen’s release clause. But they are negotiating payment terms so that they can spread the bid over 3 years. If the deal is completed soon, it would be worth around four times more than En-Nesyri’s transfer, setting a precedent for Turkish clubs who want to compete better on the European stage. See our upcoming Champions League predictions and get insights into what teams Galatasaray may face further into the competition. Clubs keeping tabs on Victor Osimhen As negotiations between Galatasaray and Napoli stall, Premier League   clubs will certainly be on high alert for Osimhen. The 26-year-old striker enjoyed a sensational debut season in the Turkish Super Lig, scoring 26 goals and assisting 5 more to help Galatasaray lift the league title.  Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United were heavily linked with Osimhen, but they all appeared to have moved in different directions, pursuing Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres, and Bryan Mbeumo, respectively.  There is also a belief that Al-Hilal is ready to match Napoli’s transfer requests. However, Osimhen’s camp made it clear that he is not interested in the Saudi league. Instead, he wants to play with Champions League contenders.  As it stands, Osimhen will most likely reunite with Galatasaray, but the biggest obstacle is Napoli. If the Serie A champions do not bring down their demands, then Osimhen to the Saudi Pro League is not completely off the table.  More football news Osimhen transfer saga: what’s next for the Nigerian international? Galatasaray fans will be hoping Osimhen can help the team compete better in the Champions League this season. The club has not made it past the group stages since 2012/13 when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. As it stands, Osimhen has already accepted personal terms with Galatasaray, and it now depends on them to get the deal done with Napoli. Unless the clubs find common ground soon, ...

Lord’s Test hangs in the balance heading into Day 5 After sharing the first two Tests, one win apiece, the third match at Lords this weekend was expected to be another close encounter, and that has certainly been the case, with both teams still in the running to secure the victory. India are marginal favourites according to the latest betting odds.  Batting first, England posted 387 in their first innings, with Joe Root starring for the hosts, recording his 37th Test century to move into the top five cricketers with the most Test tons in history, now above Indian and Aussie legends Rahul Dravid and David Warner.  However, KL Rahul spearheaded the visitors’ first innings with the bat, putting up 100 runs in 177 deliveries, while Rishabh Pant and Ravidndra Jadeja provided stability in the middle order, scoring 74 and 72 respectively. India matched England’s 387 before being dismissed.  In the second innings, though, the Three Lions were unable to find their rhythm and had lost three wickets by the time they reached 50 runs. They failed to pull it back later on and were eventually bundled out in the 63rd over, setting a 193-run target.  The pick of the Indian bowlers in the second innings was undoubtedly Washington Sundar, who racked up four wickets for just 22 runs in 12.1 overs. He was responsible for the scalps of Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith and Shoaib Bashir.  Check out our cricket predictions  India stumble out the gate in second innings chase With England only managing to set their opponents a target of 193 with a little over a day to play, most from a neutral perspective would likely have expected India to ease to victory, given how well they have batted in this series so far.  However, that has not been the case, with the Three Lions making the most of their time in the centre over the closing stages of Day 4, knocking over four of India’s batsmen to end the day with the Men in Blue at 58/4 and in a spot of bother. In contrast to his performances in the first two matches in this series, Yashasvi Jaiswal has only managed 13 runs in this match and was dismissed for a seven-ball duck on Day 4, while Karun Nair and Shubman Gill were dismissed for a combined tally of 20 runs.  Akash Deep was sent out as the night watchman for the visitors, but he only lasted 11 balls before Ben Stokes clean bowled him, which led to the umpires calling stumps on Day 4. Rahul remains unbeaten on 33 off 47 balls.  Pant will join Rahul on the final morning with India needing 135 runs from an expected 90.2 overs to take the lead in the series. While they are the favourites, that could quickly change if the home side can notch a couple of early wickets on the final day.  More cricket news