Ashley Cole’s life is very different after he shunned fame for a quieter life with his wife Sharon Canu and their two children, 15 years after his split from Cheryl Tweedy
Ashley Cole lives a quiet life with his wife Sharon Canu
Ashley Cole is now living a very different life than his partying days with Girls Aloud’s Cheryl Tweedy. He is, of course, still devoted to football but has turned his back on swanky nightclubs, flashy magazine deals and glitzy red carpets.
The former England and Chelsea ace, 44, is now a family man having settled down with wife Sharon Canu. Ashely appears to be enjoying a more laid-back life as a doting dad without the glare of the public eye.
Unlike his ex teammates such as David Beckham, Ashely only shares very rare glimpses into family life. He proudly celebrates his two children’s birthdays each year and shared snaps from his lavish wedding.
Ashley has settled down with wife Sharon and their two kids(Image: @sharoncanu/Instagram)
But, apart from that, he seems laser focused on his football career, joining the FA last year. Ashley’s romance with Cheryl catapulted him into the showbiz world.
They were married for four years but it all came crashing down with a very public fallout in 2010 amid various cheating allegations. He was hardly linked to any other women after their split and remained dedicated to his work.
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Ashley went on to win the Champions League, Europa League and his seventh FA Cup. He then headed to Italy for a stint with AC Roma before going State-side with LA Galaxy and rounding off his career with Derby County.
During his time in Italy, Ashely found love with Sharon, 31, who has been compared to Cheryl. It seems he learnt a few lessons from his split with Cheryl as he did things very differently with Sharon and kept out of the spotlight.
The family tend to keep out of the spotlight(Image: Instagram)
Ashely is said to have moved on from the lifestyle he led with Cheryl and believes he is a different person. “It quietly irks him when his old misdemeanours are brought up, as he’s a different person now and feels like that was a bygone era,” a source told the Sun.
“He’s got kids now and works with young players so it’s a noise he could do without. The book is closed in regards that part of his life and it’s all about the present and future.”
Ashley and his new wife went on to welcome two children together; son Jaxon, nine, and Grace, seven. His family was there to support him when he was inducted to the Premier League Hall of Fame last April.
Ashley is selective with who he brushes shoulders with from the showbiz world, having become friends with TOWIE’s Sam Faiers and her partner Paul Knitghley.
They attended Ashley and Sharon’s wedding in Italy back in 2023, alongside Frank Lampard and John Terry. As their children, Jaxon and Grace watched on, Sharon and Ashley beamed with delight in the palatial grounds of the Hotel La Vecchia Posta in Ladispoli in Rome.
Ashley and Cheryl were married for four years(Image: Getty Images)
Snubbing any magazine deals, Sharon shared photos on social media instead as she and Ashley held hands underneath a plume of rainbow smoke, with the caption: “Mr and Mrs Cole.”
The mum-of-two looked incredible wearing a bardot-style gown with a super long veil with her blonde hair tied back into a chic chignon bun.
Ashley had popped the question in March the year before. The news was shared on social media via a video of the happy couple sharing a kiss surrounded by flowers. A caption from Sharon read: “The easiest ‘Yes’ I’ve ever said.”
Speaking about how he had changed after meeting Sharon, the former left-back told The Telegraph: “These are the things I focus on now – my kids and my girlfriend.
“It’s a different me. I’m more of a family man now. You won’t see me in nightclubs anymore, you’ll see me at a park pushing my kids. I was a young, angry kid at the time, and now I’ve grown up and understand the things I did is life, it happens.
“Not just me, but with certain situations, loads of other people have done [the same]. I’ve learnt from it, it’s made me a better person. It’s made me a great dad.”
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A 23-year-old Mexican influencer, Valeria Marquez, was fatally shot on Tuesday while livestreaming on TikTok from her beauty salon in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Marquez, who had more than 113,000 followers on the platform, was broadcasting to her audience when the attack occurred.
According to a statement from the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office, the case is being investigated under femicide protocols, applied in instances where a woman is killed due to her gender.
As of Wednesday, Marquez’s TikTok account appeared to have been removed.
Here is what we know:
What happened to Valeria Marquez?
Marquez was working inside Blossom The Beauty Lounge when the attack happened.
She was livestreaming on TikTok at the time. In the video, she is seen sitting at a table, holding a stuffed pink pig toy, and is heard saying, “He is coming.”
A man’s voice in the background then asks, “Hi, are you Valeria?” to which she replies, “Yes.”
At that moment, she turns off the microphone, and seconds later, she is shot dead. The man whose voice was previously heard is not visible in the video.
According to reports, the man who shot her then hopped onto a motorbike and fled.
Meanwhile, on the video – still being streamed live – Valeria is seen grabbing her chest and stomach before she collapses in her chair. She appears to have been shot twice, with at least one bullet hitting her torso. The face of another woman briefly appears before the video ends.
Earlier suspicion
Earlier in the same video, Valeria revealed information that has set off speculation over a possible link to the events leading to her death.
“Hey, what do you think happened to me?” she says.
“I was doing some things today, and Erika called me and said, ‘Hey, babe, they’re bringing you something, and I don’t know what, but they want to give it to you.’” It’s unclear who Erika is.
I said, ‘Oh, I’ll be there in about an hour,’ and the delivery guy said, ‘I’d better wait for her because it’s really expensive.’
“Who’s going to give me something?” she asked on the video.
In the livestream, she said at another point, “Dude, they might’ve been about to kill me.” It’s unclear who she’s referring to or what prompted her to say this.
According to authorities, she was still in the chair, holding onto the stuffed pig, when they arrived.
The crime is now being investigated as the eighth femicide so far this month in Jalisco.
Who was Marquez?
According to local media, Valeria rose to fame on social media thanks to her content about beauty, lifestyle and entrepreneurship. She had more than 113,000 followers on TikTok and at least 70,000 followers on Instagram.
She owned the beauty salon located in Zapopan, where she shared aesthetic tips and personal moments with her audience. She opened it in 2024.
According to the publication El Financiero, in 2021, Marquez was crowned Miss Rostro, a local beauty contest, which solidified her presence in the world of modelling and beauty. In addition to her professional career, she maintained a close relationship with her followers, openly sharing details about her personal life.
What do we know about femicides in Mexico?
According to the latest data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico shares the fourth-highest femicide rate in the region, tied with Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia, at 1.3 deaths per 100,000 women in 2023.
The top three are Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Brazil.
Jalisco is ranked sixth out of Mexico’s 32 states, including Mexico City, for homicides, with 906 recorded there since the beginning of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term in October 2024, according to the data consultancy TResearch.
The United Nations says that about 10 women or girls are murdered every day in Mexico
According to AFP, Zapopan Mayor Juan Jose Frangie stated that his office had no record of Marquez seeking assistance from authorities regarding any threats. He added that “femicide is the worst thing”.
This killing took place just days before another woman, a mayoral candidate in the state of Veracruz, was also shot dead during a livestream alongside three other people.
Disgraced rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ three daughters left the courtroom as they heard the testimony of a witness and graphic claims about their dad
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ three daughters left the courtroom(Image: Getty Images)
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial is well underway in a New York City courthouse as he faces charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. The disgraced rapper, 55, was arrested in September and has denied the allegations made against him.
He has been in prison since his arrest, with a number of bail requests rejected. His family have been attending the court, which will enter its fourth day today.
Combs’ mother Janice, sons Quincy Brown, Justin and Christian as well as his daughters Chance, D’Lila Star, Jessie Combs have been in the public gallery.
The first days of the trial have seen testimonies from Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie Ventura and witness, male escort Daniel Phillip. During Phillip’s time on the stand, he shared graphic details of sexual encounters.
Combs’ mother Janice has been attending the trial(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Combs allegedly masturbated while watching him have sex, Phillip testified. He told the court Combs had paid him to have sex with Ventura while he watched from a corner.
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During the testimony, Combs’ daughters – recent high school graduate Chance and 18-year-old twins D’Lila and Jessie – walked out of the courtroom.
People report the three daughters left the room twice while Phillip testified as he gave graphic accounts of sexual encounters.
Elsewhere in the trial, prosecutors played the hotel CCTV footage from 2016 where Combs was seen kicking Ventura and pushing her to the ground. His daughters remained in the room while the clip was shown. Combs’ mother and sons also remained as they looked straight ahead.
On day three, a number of text conversations between Combs and Ventura were shown to the jury. She claimed Combs threatened to publicly share videos on a number of occasions of ‘Freak Offs’.
Combs’ trial has now entered day four(Image: AP)
She said if he had done so it could have ruined everything she had worked for as it would have made her “look like a slut”. After admitting she feared for her career, saying she wasn’t supposed to be on the videos, a jury saw a text Ventura sent Combs.
It read: “Please delete any video out of your iphone you have. Too many people have access to your stuff.” It’s said Combs replied: “I did yesterday an no icloud. All Good. Ambien kicking in. Goodnight.”
Despite his claims, Ventura said she kept seeing a video she had previously thought had been deleted.
According to allegations Combs texted Ventura in 2019 saying: “If I as you, I would get me my money.” It’s claimed he wanted to be reimbursed by his ex after she married Alex Fine. Combs had initially hired the personal trainer for Ventura.
The texts are said to have gone on: “YOU WILL NOT BE THREATENING ME,” before he added that Ventura had “too many iPads full of skeletons”. It’s said Ventura replied: “Do you want me to tell the truth? It’s way deeper than iPads.” The trial continues.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
Johannesburg, South Africa – On a chilly Sunday evening in Johannesburg, OR Tambo International Airport was filled with tourists and travellers entering and exiting South Africa’s busiest airport.
On one side of the international departures hall, a few dozen people queued – their trollies piled with luggage, travel pillows and children’s blankets – as they waited to board a charter flight to Washington Dulles International Airport in the United States.
Dressed casually and comfortably for the 13-hour journey that would follow, the group – most young, all white – talked among themselves while avoiding onlookers. Although they blended into the bustling terminal around them, these weren’t ordinary travellers. They were Afrikaners leaving South Africa to be refugees in Donald Trump’s America.
When Charl Kleinhaus first applied for refugee resettlement in the US earlier this year, he told officials he had been threatened and that people attempted to claim his property.
The 46-year-old, who claimed to own a farm in Limpopo, South Africa’s northernmost province, was not required to present proof of these threats or provide details regarding when the alleged incidents occurred.
On Sunday, he joined dozens of others accepted by the Trump administration as part of a pilot programme granting asylum to people from the Afrikaner community – descendants of mainly Dutch colonisers that led the brutal apartheid regime for nearly five decades.
The Trump administration claims white people face discrimination in South Africa – a country where they make up some 7 percent of the population but own more than 70 percent of the land and occupy the majority of top management positions.
“I want you all to know that you are really welcome here and that we respect what you have had to deal with these last few years,” US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told Kleinhaus and the others when they landed at the Dulles International in Virginia.
“We respect the long tradition of your people and what you have accomplished over the years,” he said on Monday.
Speaking to a journalist at the airport, Kleinhaus said he never expected “this land expropriation thing to go so far” in South Africa.
He was referring to the recently passed Expropriation Act, which allows the South African government to, in exceptional circumstances, take land for public use without compensation. Pretoria says the measure is aimed at redressing apartheid injustices, as Black South Africans who make up more than 80 percent of the population still own just 4 percent of the land.
South African officials say the law has not resulted in any land grabs. There is also no record of Kleinhaus’s property being expropriated.
Kleinhaus was unaffected by any threats and the government was unaware of anyone who might have threatened his property, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told Al Jazeera.
“The people of South Africa have not been affected by the expropriation of land. There’s no evidence. None of them are affected by any farm murders either,” the minister emphasised.
More than 30 years after the end of apartheid, white people still own the majority of farmland, while Black South Africans who make up 80 percent of the population own just 4 percent [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]
Discredited ‘genocide’ claims
In February, when Trump signed an executive order granting refugee status to Afrikaners, he cited widely discredited claims that their land was being seized and that they were being brutally killed in South Africa.
On Monday, Trump again claimed that Afrikaners were victims of a “genocide” – an accusation South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other experts maintain is based on lies.
“Farmers are being killed,” Trump told reporters. “White farmers are being brutally killed, and the land is being confiscated in South Africa.”
Ramaphosa has also debunked claims that the group who left this week faced any persecution at home.
“They are leaving because they do not wish to embrace the democratic transformation unfolding in South Africa,” he said.
For 60-year-old Sam Busa, watching Kleinhaus and the 48 other South Africans leave to be resettled in the US was a hopeful moment.
Busa, who has also applied for asylum, is waiting in anticipation for an interview that would qualify her for resettlement. She has begun selling excess household items in anticipation of her new life in the US.
The semi-retired businesswoman has been at the forefront of efforts – through a website called Amerikaners – encouraging Afrikaners to take an interest in the US offer to grant refugee status on the grounds that they face racial persecution in South Africa.
When asked how she has experienced persecution because of her race, Busa recounted an incident where she was held at gunpoint at her home in Johannesburg – the commercial capital of South Africa and one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
She later moved to KwaZulu-Natal on the country’s east coast, where she ran a business that provided services to the government.
When asked whether she believed she was targeted because of her race or if she was simply a victim of common crime, Busa asserted it did not matter.
She didn’t feel safe, she said. “I am not overly sensitive. When I watch Julius Malema singing about killing the Boer, it is extremely terrifying.”
Malema, the far-left leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party, often sings a famous anti-apartheid song, Kill the Boer (Boer meaning farmer in Afrikaans), which the courts have ruled is not hate speech or an incitement to violence.
Demonstrators hold placards in support of US President Donald Trump’s stance against what he calls racist laws, land expropriation, and farm attacks, outside the US Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, February 15, 2025 [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]
‘Persecution’
For Busa, much like Kleinhaus, new legislation passed to bolster racial transformation, which includes having specific hiring targets for employment equity, has been “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.
“Expropriation without compensation is a huge issue, along with the amendment to employment equity,” she said, restating her belief that white people don’t have a future in South Africa.
“It’s coming hard and fast, and it’s becoming clear to [white] South Africans that we struggle with fears of home invasion. I don’t live on a farm, but there are massive fears because of the constant threat of crime. It has become clear to white South Africans; it’s not disguised,” she claimed.
The narrative of fear is prevalent among those engaged in the refugee programme despite the fact that several experts have debunked the assertion that they were victims of racially motivated attacks and not common crime.
South Africa sees about 19,000 murders a year. According to data from the police, most victims of rural crime are Black, with evidence showing that white farmers are not disproportionately being killed.
Meanwhile, many participants in the US’s Afrikaner refugee resettlement programme do not even live on farms; many are urban dwellers, according to Minister Ntshavheni.
Katia Beedan, who lives in Cape Town, is also anticipating resettlement in the US. She told Al Jazeera that refugee hopefuls do not have to prove racial persecution but simply articulate it.
“For me, it’s racial persecution and political persecution,” she said about her reasons for wanting to leave South Africa.
The copywriter-turned-life coach pointed to racial transformation laws targeting employment equity and land expropriation, which she believes the government is “overwhelming us with”, as a key reason for her desire to flee.
However, many other South Africans see sections of the Afrikaner community – including their right-wing lobby groups like AfriForum that first pushed the false narrative of a “white genocide” – as struggling to exist equally in a country where they were once considered superior because of their race.
“I think AfriForum is struggling with the reality of being ordinary,” social justice activist and South Africa’s former public protector, Thuli Madonsela, told local TV channel, Newzroom Afrika, in March.
“The new South Africa requires all of us to be ordinary, whereas colonialism and apartheid made white people special people.
“I think some white people … [are] seeking to reverse the wheel and find reason to be special again. They seem to have found an ally in the American president,” she said.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, right, greets Afrikaner refugees from South Africa, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP]
‘Absurd and ridiculous’
In February, as Trump expedited efforts to resettle Afrikaners in the US, he was closing off his country’s refugee programme to other asylum seekers from war-torn and famine-stricken parts of the world.
For Loren Landau from the African Centre for Migration and Society at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, the Afrikaner refugee relocation is “absurd and ridiculous”.
“They have not been welcomed as tourists or work permit holders, but as refugees. The idea of a refugee system is to protect those who cannot be safeguarded by their own states and who fear persecution or violence because of who they are or their membership in a social group. Can Afrikaners make that case?” he asked.
Although “there are people in South Africa who discriminate against them,” and Afrikaners now “have less privilege and protection than during the apartheid era”, it cannot be said that this is indicative of state policy, he said, adding that many different people are robbed, killed, and face discrimination in South Africa.
“Are they [Afrikaners] specially victimised because of who they are? Absolutely not!” Landau added.
He said all statistics on land ownership, income, and education levels indicate that South Africa’s white population far outstrips others: “They are still by far in the top strata of South African society. No one is taking their land. No one is taking their cars.”
Even fringe groups that may have called for land grabs have done little to enact their threats, observers note.
However, for Busa, that doesn’t matter. “I fear for my children. You never know when the EFF decides they want you dead. It’s not a country I want to live in,” she said. The EFF has said those who decide to leave South Africa should have their citizenship revoked.
Confronted with the implications of this situation, the government is considering whether those who exit as refugees could easily return to the country. Ramaphosa is expected to discuss the ongoing matter with Trump at a meeting in the US next week.
Meanwhile, for the Afrikaners now in the US, most will settle in Texas, with others in New York, Idaho, Iowa and North Carolina, while the government helps them find work and accommodation.
They will hold refugee status for one year, after which they can apply for a US green card to make them permanent residents. At the same time, the Afrikaner resettlement programme remains open to others who want to apply.
When Kleinhaus and his group arrived in the US on Monday, they had smiles on their faces as they met officials and waved US flags.
Yet, for South Africa’s president, their resettlement in the US marks “a sad moment for them” – and something he believes may not last.
“As South Africans, we are resilient. We don’t run away from our problems,” he said at an agricultural exhibition in Free State province on Monday.
“If you look at all national groups in our country, Black and white, they’ve stayed in this country because it’s our country.
James Argent has been warned he must attend rehab – or risk being hauled to prison to start serving the six-month suspended jail sentence he was given after accepting the charges to ‘mistreating’ former Nicoline Artursson as part of a plea bargain deal
James Argent was arrested following an argument with his girlfriend in Spain(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Nimax)
James Argent will be made to listen to the testimonies of domestic violence survivors and helped to construct a “new masculinity” as part of his obligatory rehabilitation course. The 37-year-old former Towie star will also be taught about jealousy and warned about the dangers of prostitution as part of a guide on how to “enjoy a positive sexuality” following his Costa del Sol assault on girlfriend Nicoline Artursson.
Actor-turned-singer Argent has been warned he must attend – or risk being hauled to prison to start serving the six-month suspended jail sentence he was given after accepting the charges to ‘mistreating’ former Miss Sweden Nicoline as part of a plea bargain deal last Monday. A judge has yet to finalise the details of his “re-socialization programme” and the possibility he could be made to sign up to one lasting around 10 months has not been ruled out.
James was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend(Image: real_arg/Instagram)
But experts say they expect Argent to be obliged to attend ten once-a-week workshops where educators will try to make him see what he did was wrong and help him ensure he doesn’t reoffend in the future.
The initiative, called reGENER@r, is a benchmark project in Spain’s fight against domestic violence adapted to offenders whose prison sentences have been suspended.
Gregorio Gomez Mata, co-founder and director of an NGO called Alma which runs the workshops on behalf of Spain’s Prison Service, said: “Based on what I’m reading about Argent and the length of his suspended jail term, I’m certain he’ll be made to do the type of course we organise. It runs over ten weeks and it’s five hours a week so around 50 hours in total and people have to attend personally. It’s not something you can do online.
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Argent has been warned he must attend a rehab course – or risk being hauled to prison(Image: David Cummings)
“With a social worker and psychologist, we try to explain to them why they have made mistakes and analyse why they have felt the right to do what they did to their victims and behaved the way they have. We try to change their way of thinking and acting which is not easy when many of them don’t think what they’ve done is wrong and you’re trying to re-educate people with lots of baggage in ways that go against all the education they’re received.
“I don’t know the man we’re talking about personally but I can assure you when you get to physical violence, things have happened before and there will have been previous episodes of psychological violence. We don’t arrange meetings between offenders and domestic violence victims but the men who take part in our workshops do listen to the testimonies of women who have been assaulted by their partners.
“My understanding is that even if he lives in the UK, he’ll have to come and do the course in Spain. It’s one of the conditions he has to abide by if he’s going to stay out of jail because otherwise he will be made to do the prison sentence that has been suspended on the basis he honours the plea agreement he signed.”
Court officials say he would be made to serve his time if he breaches the restraining order or fails to attend the rehab course(Image: real_arg/Instagram)
Mr Gomez Mata added: “My message to Mr Argent would be to take advantage of this course and realise his attitude is wrong and he has to change the way he behaves with women as he’s still a young man at 37. His life will be better and he will be a happier man if he understands that and so will the lives of others he has relationships with in the future.
“What came out in this court case is almost certainly this incident only but I guarantee you this man’s victim will have experienced other things she could have told the judge about because there will be more. In my experience most of the men who attend our courses say they’re there because of a false complaint and the majority finish accepting that what they’ve done is wrong.
“But it’s very normal that if they don’t take advantage of this course they end up repeating the same behaviour that landed them in trouble in the first place in the future.”
The ten sessions that form part of reGENER@r include one titled: “Let’s understand jealousy and emotional dependence.” Another is called: “Let’s enjoy a positive sexuality” and analyses the negative effects of the consumption of pornography on mens’ sexual relationships with women.
Session three is titled: “Let’s Construct New Masculinities” where men are invited to question society stereotypes and free themselves of the need to demonstrate they’re always “the toughest” and “the best.”
Offenders are also invited to analyse popular fairy tales like Snow White, where a princess is told she can stay with the dwarfs in return for doing the housework.
Court officials confirmed overnight Brexit made it unlikely Argent would be allowed to do a similar course in the UK. One said: “It hasn’t been decided exactly how the course is going to be carried out. With citizens of other EU countries there is normally no problem because they usually have approved courses similar to those in Spain and a rogatory commission is sent so the course can be done there.
“But there have been problems with the UK since Brexit and is it no longer possible nor is there the necessary collaboration to be able to do it.”
As well as a six month suspended prison sentence, Argent was handed a two-year restraining order preventing him from contacting or approaching Nicoline after striking a plea agreement with prosecutors at Fuengirola’s Court of Violence Against Women on May 5.
Court officials say he would be made to serve his time if he breaches the restraining order, or fails to attend the resocialization course he must do.
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With the dust barely having settled on an enthralling weekend of provincial finals, the race for the Sam Maguire is set to get under way.
While the Ulster and Connacht finalists are given the week off following last weekend’s exertions, eight counties begin their All-Ireland campaigns across Saturday and Sunday.
It is the final year of the football championship in its current guise as 16 counties jostle for position in the race in four groups of four, a system which will be scrapped for next year’s competition.
This year, however, a total of 34 matches will be played over the next 10 weeks before the final at Croke Park on 27 July.
Who has qualified for the All-Ireland?
The four provincial champions – Louth (Leinster), Kerry (Munster), Galway (Connacht), Donegal (Ulster)
The four beaten provincial finalists – Meath (Leinster), Clare (Munster), Mayo (Connacht), Armagh (Ulster)
The 2024 Tailteann Cup winners – Down
Which counties have been drawn together?
Group One: Donegal, Mayo, Tyrone, Cavan
Group Two: Kerry, Meath, Roscommon, Cork
Group Three: Louth, Clare, Monaghan, Down
When will the games be played?
Getty Images
What are this weekend’s games?
Saturday
Kerry v Roscommon (Group Two, 14:30, Killarney)
Galway v Dublin (Group Four, 17:00, Salthill)
Sunday
Clare v Down (Group Three, 14:00, Ennis)
When will the knockout stages take place?
Preliminary quarter-finals – 21/22 June
All-Ireland quarter-finals – 28/29 June
All-Ireland semi-finals – 12/13 July
What is the format?
Sixteen teams are drawn into four groups of four teams with each team playing the other counties in its group once, earning two points for a win and one for a draw. Each team plays one home, one away and one neutral fixture.
The top three in each group advance to the knockout stages; the first place teams to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, and second and third-placed teams to the preliminary quarter-finals.
The four second-placed teams play against the third-placed teams in the preliminary quarter-finals.
What about this weekend then?
This weekend’s opening game features Sam Maguire contenders Kerry host Roscommon in Killarney.
The Kingdom are two weeks removed from their remarkably comfortable Munster final win over Clare, while Roscommon have had four weeks to stew on their Connacht semi-final loss to Galway.
The Rossies reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals last year – where they lost to Armagh – but Kerry are expected to comfortably pick up two points.
Later on Saturday is the first blockbuster fixture between Galway and Dublin. The Tribesmen, of course, edged out the Dubs 0-17 to 0-16 in a gripping quarter-final last year.
Dublin were hurting then and they are in considerable pain at the moment after being stunned by Meath in the Leinster semi-finals last month. It led to the first Leinster final without Dublin since 2010 as Louth beat Meath to end a 68-year wait for provincial glory.
Of course, Dessie Farrell’s side are without some of their stalwarts. Brian Fenton and James McCarthy have retired while Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion are not involved this year.
Inpho
Galway are fresh off winning their fourth Connacht title in a row, but while Dublin experienced pain in Leinster, they beat Padraic Joyce’s side 2-19 to 2-13 in a Division One encounter at Croke Park in March.
Galway have reigning Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy in their ranks while All-Star forward Shane Walsh is expected to return in the near future after a back injury.
On Sunday, Down play their first All-Ireland game since 2019. The Mournemen, who exited the Ulster Championship in the semi-finals, travel to Ennis to face Clare.
Down fought back impressively to snatch a dramatic Ulster last-eight win over Fermanagh in Enniskillen, and while Donegal unsurprisingly proved too strong, Conor Laverty’s side will feel they can leave Ennis with two points before games against Louth and Monaghan.
Also on Sunday, Mayo host Cavan in Castlebar. Mayo again came up short in the Connacht final against Galway, while Cavan were well beaten by Tyrone in the Ulster quarter-finals.
How can I follow on the BBC?
The BBC Sport website will provide live text commentaries on selected matches throughout the championship.
