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England will play two warm-up matches before their home World Cup begins later this summer.

The Red Roses will host Spain at Welford Road in Leicester on 3 August, before facing France in Mont-de-Marsan a week later.

John Mitchell’s side beat France by just a point in a final-game thriller last month to secure a fourth consecutive Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam.

If England and France top their World Cup pool and win their quarter-finals they will meet in the last four in Bristol.

Spain won the WXV 3 tournament last autumn to qualify for the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2017.

The two-time world champions have won 25 successive matches since losing 34-31 to New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup final.

Former Rangers chairman Dave King believes there’s a “a 90% probability” of the club’s proposed takeover by 49ers Enterprises going ahead.

The consortium have a controlling interest in Leeds United, who have won the Championship to return to the Premier League after a two-year absence.

Rangers confirmed last month that “productive conversations” had taken place with the group, who are also the investment wing of the 49ers NFL franchise.

“I would say that there’s probably a 90% probability it will happen,” Rangers’ largest shareholder King told TalkSport.

“These discussions have been going on for a long time, six months.

“In terms of legals being signed, in terms of the type of conditions present that still have to be fulfilled, I would certainly put it at above 90% right now.

And King, who says mid-June is a realistic timescale for completion of the deal, commented: “The situation regarding Leeds, as I understand it, is not going to be a distraction from Rangers.

“With Rangers you don’t have the yo-yo risk. No disrespect to Leeds. At least when they come into Rangers, they know if they make an investment that European football is pretty much assured.

“It’s difficult to envisage Rangers or Celtic not being first or second so European football in various stages will be there.

“And I think it’s easier to put the financial plan to support the football planning a club like Rangers than it is for someone like Leeds United, where I think it’s a lot more challenge.

“As exciting as it is for them to be going up to the Premier League, they’re going to have to make a lot of budgeting decisions to stay there.”

The Ibrox side will finish second in the this season’s Scottish Premiership, with Celtic having secured a fourth successive title and an course for a domestic treble.

Europa League quarter-finalists Rangers will enter the Champions League at the second qualifying round stage.

“I don’t think we’re two or three players away from challenging for the league title,” King added.

Rory McIlroy says he is approaching next week’s US PGA Championship with “nothing but positive vibes” after ending his long wait for a fifth major.

The world number two completed the career Grand Slam with a thrilling play-off victory over Justin Rose in last month’s Masters.

In addition to joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods as the men’s game’s only Grand Slam winners, McIlroy’s Augusta triumph marked his first major success since the 2014 US PGA Championship.

With the Slam achieved, McIlroy returns to major action at next week’s US PGA at Quail Hollow, where he has won four times on the PGA Tour.

“I’m obviously going to feel more comfortable and a lot less pressure]at the US PGA]”, McIlroy said on the eve of the Truist Championship in Philadelphia, a tournament he won last year when it was staged at Quail Hollow.

“I’m also going back to a venue that I love, so there’s nothing but positive vibes going in there next week with what happened a few weeks ago and with my history there and how well I’ve played at Quail”, he said.

“It probably will feel a little bit different. I probably won’t be quite as on edge as I have been for the past few years when I’ve been at major championships.

McIlroy, who turned 36 on Sunday, skipped the RBC Heritage tournament following the Masters while he returned home to Northern Ireland to visit his parents.

Since then, McIlroy has returned to action alongside Shane Lowry for the defence of their Zurich Classic of New Orleans title, where they finished tied 12th.

Having opted against playing the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas, where world number one Scottie Scheffler cantered to an eight-shot victory, McIlroy fulfilled more media obligations last week, appearing in the US on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Today Show.

” It’s not even the celebrating, it’s the obligations you have afterwards, “McIlroy said.

” I wanted to go home and see my folks after]the Masters] but having to play in New Orleans, it’s a different week and a fun week so I didn’t feel like I had to prepare all that much, I could lean on Shane when I needed to.

“But last week, I had Michael Bannon]his swing coach] in town, we practised for three days but then I was up in New York for three days doing a few bits and pieces.

Jordan Spieth will attempt to follow in McIlroy’s footsteps next week by completing the career Grand Slam at the US PGA.

It will be the 31-year-old American’s ninth attempt at completing the set after winning the 2015 Masters, 2016 US Open and 2017 Open Championship.

However, while McIlroy repeatedly attempted to complete the Slam at Augusta, where the Masters is held every year, the US PGA Championship changes venue annually.

” It’s a bit of a different proposition for him rather than me having to go back to the same venue every year and trying to do that as well, “said McIlroy.

” As much as you just try to put yourself in the right frame of mind to try and win the golf tournament and then let everything else happen, it’s in there. Consciously or subconsciously, you feel that.

“The worst I felt on Sunday at Augusta was when I made birdie on 10 to go four ahead because I was like ‘ I really can’t mess this up now’.

” There’s that pressure. You know you’re not just trying to win another tournament. You’re trying to become part of history and that has a certain weight to it. I’ve certainly felt that at Augusta over the years and I’m sure Jordan’s felt that going into PGAs when he’s had the chance to do the same thing. “

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim wants to keep captain Bruno Fernandes at the club amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Fernandes’ contract runs to 2027 but the Portugal playmaker has been the subject of interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, who are thought to be willing to offer a huge salary for the 30-year-old to move before next month’s Club World Cup.

Amorim knows he must sell players in order to fund an extensive summer squad rebuilding exercise and that situation will be even more acute if United fail to win the Europa League and secure qualification for next season’s Champions League.

“Our idea didn’t change,” he said. “We want to keep the best players – and Bruno is clearly one of the top players in the world. We want Bruno here.”

Fernandes has scored 19 goals and claimed 18 assists so far this season.

“It is easy to understand [his importance] – not just because of the numbers but the way he plays and the importance he has during his five years here,” Amorim added.

United will be expected to reach a Europa League final against either Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt after their 3-0 semi-final first-leg win over Athletic Bilbao.

On the 133 occasions a side has won an away leg in a European match by three goals or more, that team has made it through 133 times.

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to imagine United losing their advantage on Thursday (20:00 BST) against an Athletic side who travel to Old Trafford without three of their most effective attacking players – the injured Inaki and Nico Williams and top scorer Oihan Sancet.

However, last season they led Championship side Coventry by three goals 20 minutes from the end of their FA Cup semi-final and required the most slender of video assistant referee offside decisions to go their way to take the tie into a penalty shootout.

Three weeks ago, they led 2-0 against Lyon with 20 minutes left and found themselves 4-2 down in extra time against opponents reduced to 10 men before dragging themselves out of the mire.

“If you look at our season, anything is possible,” said Amorim. “We cannot say today what is going to happen.

“[With] some teams, the story is going to be like ‘this’ and [they] control the narrative. We cannot do that.

“Sometimes it is not which kind of team we will be tomorrow. Sometimes during the game we are one team, then something happens and we lose our mind a little bit.

“I feel we need to score to go to the next round. We will have to suffer a bit to go to the final.”

The uncertainty is part of the reason Amorim launched into his team following their 3-1 home defeat by Brighton in January, labelling them “maybe the worst” in the 137-year history of the club.

Amorim accepts he might have gone too far with his observation – but not by much.

“I think you have to see the quote in the moment and things can change but if you look to the Premier League, I think we are the worst team in terms of results,” he said.

“At the end of the season, we can be the worst team in Premier League history with a European title.

In light of the ongoing hostility following the militant attack in Kashmir, India and Pakistan should not play matches, according to Gautam Gambhir, the country’s men’s coach.

In the month of May, India claimed Pakistan supported militants responsible for the attack, an accusation Pakistan refuted.

Due to ongoing tensions, the countries are currently playing only one another in international competitions, and they will meet later this year for the Women’s World Cup.

Gambhir responded, “Absolutely not,” when asked if matches should continue.

He claimed that until the situation is resolved, nothing “should be happening between India and Pakistan.”

The International Cricket Council and the schedule of the competition dictate the fixations for world championships like the World Cups and the Champions Trophy.

The largest stadiums and India-Pakistan games generate significant revenue, are frequently the most watched, and are played in the most expensive stadiums.

The national boards set up matches outside of that, but since Pakistan and India have not spoken since they last visited India in 2013.

The T20 World Cup could be held in 2015 between their men’s teams.

Former member of Parliament for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gambhir said, “Ultimately, this is the government’s decision whether we play them or not.”

No cricket match, Bollywood, or any other interaction is more significant than the lives of Indian soldiers and citizens, as I’ve already said.

Nothing comes close to losing a loved one in your family, despite the saying, “Matches will keep happening, movies will be made, singers will continue to perform.”

India took a number of actions against Pakistan following the attack on April 22. These included a water-sharing agreement suspension and an airspace ban against Pakistani aircraft.

Pakistan took numerous tit-for-tat-measures in India, and Pakistani Instagram accounts of a number of Pakistani film actors and celebrities were blocked.

It is still unknown who carried out the attack in Pahalgam and who India has identified as the culprit.

Delhi accuses Pakistan of supporting militants, a charge Islamabad refutes. Two of the attackers are said to be from Pakistan, according to Indian police. It asserts that the 22 April attacks are unrelated to anything.

India launched a string of strikes in a move known as “Operation Sindoor” on Tuesday evening, escalating the situation.

According to Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, a spokesman for Pakistan’s military, at least 26 people have died and 46 have been injured.

At least 15 civilians were killed by Pakistani shelling along Kashmir’s de facto border, according to the Indian army.

Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals’ match is scheduled for Thursday in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which borders Kashmir, in Dharamsala.

Following aviation authorities’ orders, several flights into Dharamsala’s airport were canceled on Wednesday.