Keyword – Sport
Trefwoorden – Tennis, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sport
Title – Katie Boulter stuns Rybakina for biggest win after Raducanu starts Queen’s party | Tennis | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tumaini-carayol
Link – Katie Boulter stuns Rybakina for biggest win after Raducanu starts Queen’s party | Tennis | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-12T21:23:58.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jun/12/katie-boulter-stuns-rybakina-for-biggest-win-after-raducanu-starts-queens-party

Katie Boulter battled hard with Elena Rybakina and she emerged from the longest day of her career with her greatest victory, a special performance from the British No 3 yielding a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win over the world No 2 and Australian Open champion.

Emma Raducanu was also a winner on Friday, defeating Sorana Cirstea, the seventh seed and one of the most in-form players in the world this year 6-4, 6-2 to return to the quarter-finals on the grass courts of the Queen’s Club. However, the winner of her quarter-final match against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova will be forced to play two matches on Saturday after the congested, rain-delayed schedule ran out of time on Friday afternoon and their match was postponed at the end of the day.

Boulter has enjoyed a few big wins in her career, her previous best win by ranking being a win over the WTA No 5 Jessica Pegula, but this is the biggest of her career. This is also the highest-ranked opponent any British player has defeated since Johanna Konta upset Simona Halep in 2017 . It was also Boulter’s second win of the day, having defeated Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 6-1, 6-3 at the start of the day.

“Honestly, I’m not really sure what to say, but I really feel like this win definitely goes towards the crowd that got me through it tonight and stayed out here,” Boulter said. “The atmosphere was absolutely incredible. I just tried to tell myself to keep backing myself and go for it. If you don’t go for it, then you’re going to regret the things that you’ve worked so hard for.

“I’m standing here a winner, and it’s because I trusted my game, I trusted my coaching team, who were always with me and pushing me. So yeah, I’m so proud of today.”

After the first 10 games, Rybakina had conceded just four points on her serve in five games, facing no break points. Nearly every Boulter service game, meanwhile, played out as an epic struggle, with Rybakina failing to take any of the nine break points she generated.

The complexion of the match completely changed from nowhere. At 5-5, Rybakina fell apart in a stream of unforced errors, double-faulting on break point to hand over the break. Another service game followed, Boulter then stepped up and landed just enough first serves to see out. Early in set two, Boulter’s run of good fortune finally ran out on her serve as Rybakina rolled through the second set, but the Briton regrouped admirably at the beginning of set three, her improved serving allowing her to finally build rhythm in her service games.

In a match between two tall, big servers desperate to take the first strike on every point, Boulter was far bolder and cleaner down the stretch. She clinched the best win of her career with some of her very best tennis, emphatically serving out the match.

Earlier on Friday, Raducanu had put together her best performance of the season to defeat Cirstea. Rakhimova, meanwhile, defeated Britain’s Harriet Dart 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals. The winner on Saturday will face the 18-year-old sixth seed Iva Jovic, who secured her first top five win over Amanda Anisimova, the second seed and world No 5.

Rain throughout the day on Thursday meant all matches had been postponed, leading to a manic Friday with all second-round victors scheduled to play twice and five matches scheduled on Andy Murray Arena. By the time Rybakina and Boulter were walking on court at the very specific time of precisely 5.41pm, the chances of all matches being completed had completely dwindled.

Raducanu should have been scheduled to compete on Court 1, the second court, but broadcast contracts at Queen’s prohibit the second court from being shown on any live broadcast, meaning the tournament organisers held out hope that they would arrive on court in time.

Saturday will be challenging regardless, with either winner being at a competitive disadvantage against Jovic, one of the bright young stars in the game. Still, Raducanu cut a relaxed, happy figure as she watched the final set of Boulter’s match. This was still a good day as she registered an excellent win against one of the most in-form players on the tour. This is the first time in more than a year that Raducanu has defeated a top 20 opponent in Cirstea, the world No 18.

Keyword – Life and style
Trefwoorden – Quiz and trivia games, Life and style
Title – Which song features nine times in the film Groundhog Day? The Saturday quiz | Quiz and trivia games | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/thomas-eaton
Link – Which song features nine times in the film Groundhog Day? The Saturday quiz | Quiz and trivia games | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T06:00:08.000Z
Category – Lifestyle
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/13/which-song-features-nine-times-in-the-film-groundhog-day-the-saturday-quiz

The questions

1 Which African capital city and its river are anagrams of each other? 2 In the UK, which bird of prey has gone from near extinction to about 4,500 breeding pairs? 3 Which 1956 play was written on a deckchair on Morecambe Pier? 4 Which song features nine times in the film Groundhog Day? 5 Who was the only crowned heir apparent to the English throne? 6 Denville Hall and Brinsworth House are retirement homes for whom? 7 What is England’s largest forest? 8 What volcanic glass is named after a Roman traveller? What links: 9 CND chair; 9-57 v South Africa; Happy Valley star; RAF philanthropist? 10 Benfica, 2026 and 1978; Galatasaray, 1986; Perugia, 1979; Red Star, 2008? 11 Coal Miner’s Daughter; I Saw the Light; Sweet Dreams; Walk the Line? 12 Champagne; Fulton’s Strawberry Surprise; Goliath; Timperley Early; Valentine? 13 Isabella Bird; Nellie Bly; Ida Pfeiffer; Freya Stark? 14 Sunshine Desserts (Barron); LA beaches (Anderson); White House (Janney)? 15 Eddy; Falstaff; Junior; Lily; Lin; Lucy; Oscar?

The answers

1 Bangui and Ubangi (Central African Republic). 2 Red kite. 3 Look Back in Anger (John Osborne). 4 I Got You Babe. 5 Henry the Young King (1170). 6 Actors and other entertainment pros. 7 Kielder Forest. 8 Obsidian. 9 Counties in names: Bruce Kent; Devon Malcolm; Sarah Lancashire; Leonard Cheshire. 10 Unbeaten in the football league but didn’t win the title: Portugal; Turkey; Italy; Serbia. 11 Country music biopics: Loretta Lynn; Hank Williams; Patsy Cline; Johnny Cash and June Carter. 12 Rhubarb varieties. 13 Pioneering female travel writers/explorers. 14 Played a CJ on screen and location: The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; Baywatch; The West Wing. 15 Characters in Duolingo language courses.

Keyword – US news
Trefwoorden – Los Angeles, California, US news, West Coast
Title – Spencer Pratt concedes LA mayor race, but declares ‘war’ against advancing candidates | Los Angeles | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/cecilia-nowell
Link – Spencer Pratt concedes LA mayor race, but declares ‘war’ against advancing candidates | Los Angeles | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T00:35:49.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/12/spencer-pratt-concedes-la-mayor-race

Spencer Pratt appeared to concede the Los Angeles mayor’s race on Friday in a new video where he says “the campaign portion of my mission to save Los Angeles is coming to a close”, but declares “war” against the two candidates advancing to the city’s general election.

In the video posted on social media, Pratt notably did not contest the results of the election, despite Donald Trump’s repeated, but unfounded claims the race was “rigged”. Trump, who endorsed Pratt, called California’s elections “crooked”.

Although Pratt previously said he would leave LA if he did not win the election, the former reality TV star said in Friday’s video he is just starting his campaign to “save” LA.

On Monday, Nithya Raman, the progressive city councilmember, edged out Pratt to advance in the mayoral race. Raman will face the incumbent Karen Bass in November’s general election.

In his video, Pratt claimed to have information that could be damaging to either Raman’s or Bass’s campaign. “We have some recordings of one of your exalted candidates doing and saying something that would make her resign in shame. I was saving it for the general election,” Pratt said.

In a May interview with Adam Carolla, a podcast host, Pratt said: “If Karen Bass gets re-elected or Nithya gets elected, I will be done with trying to live in LA.”

But in Friday’s video, Pratt said: “I’m moving on to the next, more interesting phase,” adding: “I don’t have campaign laws hamstringing me now. It’s war.”

“I didn’t get in this for political power, I got in this to expose this corrupt machine. Nothing’s changed. You enjoy your worthless meetings at city hall,” he said. “You think your election is going to stop me. If you want to stop me, you’re going to have to fucking kill me.”

Pratt launched his campaign in January on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades fire, the largest wildfire in Los Angeles county history, which destroyed his Pacific Palisades home. He centered concerns about the wildfire and the future of Los Angeles in his campaign , framing the city as facing an apocalyptic moment.

As a registered Republican running in largely Democratic Los Angeles, which has not elected a Republican mayor in more than 20 years, Pratt faced an uphill battle, even when he secured Trump’s endorsement in May. Pratt, best known for his villainous turn on MTV’s mid-80s reality series The Hills, frequently faced questions about his lack of political experience.

Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – South Korea, Human rights, LGBTQ+ rights, Sexuality, Asia Pacific, Society
Title – ‘Stop pretending we don’t exist’: Seoul fills its streets with Pride colour | South Korea | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/raphael-rashid
Link – ‘Stop pretending we don’t exist’: Seoul fills its streets with Pride colour | South Korea | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T06:54:51.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/13/seoul-pride-festival

Tens of thousands of people have poured into central Seoul to celebrate the city’s annual queer culture festival, filling the streets with rainbow flags and drumming troupes in one of Asia’s largest Pride gatherings.

“I only tell friends who I think can accept it,” said Lee Seo-hee, a university student from Seoul who identifies as bisexual. “It doesn’t feel like a completely safe society.”

But little could dampen the mood on Saturday, despite LGBTQ+ people in South Korea remaining without basic legal protections, and a comprehensive anti-discrimination law blocked in parliament for nearly two decades.

On a blazing sunny day, the mood was jubilant and unguarded.

A group of parents of LGBTQ+ children offered free hugs to attendees, some of whom were in tears. Many cannot come out to their own families in a society where homosexuality, while not illegal, remains widely stigmatised.

Under Seoul’s mayor, Oh Se-hoon – who has publicly said he “cannot support homosexuality” and that holding Pride at the city’s main square is “not desirable” – Seoul Plaza has been off limits to the festival for the past four years. The square had been the festival’s home for nearly a decade. The conservative mayor was re-elected earlier this month.

Booths lined the festival grounds in another location instead, representing civil society groups, university clubs and diplomatic missions including the British embassy.

“This is the one time of year people feel they can truly show who they are,” said Jay Park, a film-maker and frequent attender. “Until a few years ago, many came covering themselves up, afraid of being seen.”

Days earlier a Seoul court had offered a rare step forward, ruling that a same-sex couple who had shared their lives and finances constituted a protected legal union, even as same-sex marriage is not legally recognised in South Korea.

South Korea’s conservative Protestants represent only a fifth of the population in a country where most people follow no religion. Yet they have wielded huge influence , in large part responsible for blocking a comprehensive anti-discrimination law – a political third rail that would protect LGBTQ+ people, women, people with disabilities and racial minorities.

Last month the government quietly committed to laying the groundwork for such a law, listing it among national policy tasks of President Lee Jae Myung’s administration.

“Even Korean companies that sponsor Pride abroad keep their mouths shut about LGBTQ+ rights in Korea,” said Heezy Yang, a Seoul-based queer artist and activist.

South Korean pop culture exported queerness to the world through films, music videos and dramas, he said, while the country silenced it at home.

Nearby, a crowd of counter-protesters held a rival rally, with trucks blasting hymns and banners declaring homosexuality a sin.

“Korean politicians have always treated minority issues as an afterthought, people not worth their votes,” Park said. “Stop pretending we don’t exist. Pass the anti-discrimination law.”

Keyword – None
Trefwoorden – None
Title – Cold War Steve on … Gianni Infantino staying cool as World Cup heats up | World Cup | The Guardian
Author – Cold War Steve
Link – Cold War Steve on … Gianni Infantino staying cool as World Cup heats up | World Cup | The Guardian
Publish date – Sat 13 Jun 2026 06.00 CEST
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/picture/2026/jun/13/cold-war-steve-on-gianni-infantino-staying-cool-as-world-cup-heats-up

Keyword – Culture
Trefwoorden – Culture, Lena Dunham, Television, Television & radio
Title – Lena Dunham’s romcom Too Much convinced me to propose on the spot | Culture | The Guardian
Author – Lydia Drake
Link – Lena Dunham’s romcom Too Much convinced me to propose on the spot | Culture | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T06:01:06.000Z
Category – Culture
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jun/13/cultural-awakening-lena-dunham-netflix-romcom-too-much

I have been with my partner Martin for 10 years, and he has always told me that he doesn’t want to get married. He thinks that the institution of marriage is a way for the state to control us. He also thinks that marriage is inherently patriarchal – and, honestly, I can’t argue with him about any of this.

But the truth is that I’ve had my whole wedding day mapped out in my head since I was seven. As a child I loved daydreaming about adulthood, and a huge wedding was the most adult thing I could possibly imagine. When other children were playing Pokémon, I was thinking about precisely how many tiki torches I wanted to light the way to the blessing ceremony. I didn’t really visualise the groom; he was a kind of blurry Ken-doll figure. My visions mainly centred around myself.

Despite all my childhood wedding planning, I’d given up on the idea of getting married – until I watched Too Much, Lena Dunham’s 2025 Netflix show about a loud, chaotic American woman, Jessica (Meg Stalter), who is overly intense and frequently displays poor judgment, such as getting wasted at a work party and stealing a soap dish.

Her love interest, Felix, played by Will Sharpe, is flawed and difficult himself – but he just adores Jessica in this dogged, unquestioning way. And that is my other big weakness. Time and time again – on screen and in real life – I just love a man who falls hard for a slightly mad woman.

I think this kind of story speaks to me because I see myself as the flappy, loud woman and Martin as the devoted partner who loves her anyway. Felix reminds me of Martin in other ways, too. Having read Dunham’s autobiography, Famesick, she seems to have a thing for a grungy indie boy. The kind of man who might be found wearing a leather jacket, and playing a small drum. Martin was wearing a skull-and-crossbones neckerchief the second time I met him, to cover the love bites I gave him from the night before.

In the final episode of the show, the couple get married, and what struck me most about this wedding scene was its casualness. It’s set on the steps of a town hall in London, and after the bride and groom have their first kiss, Felix turns to Jessica and says: “So how long do you want to stay married for?” I liked the way that joke collapsed the tension of the moment. It also felt more romantic to me because it was truthful. I like the idea of choosing to be with the person you’re with afresh, every day, rather than believing that the vows somehow lock you in and dictate that you are going to be together for ever.

I was watching the final episode alone at my parents’ house in London, and as the credits rolled I felt so swept up with love that I called Martin and proposed to him over the phone. My argument was essentially: I love you even more than these characters love each other in this TV show, so why can’t we get married too?

Martin hadn’t watched any of Too Much, so he was a bit confused, but I won him round by promising him that I didn’t want to have the huge wedding I’d been planning since I was seven any more. (Martin’s nightmare is to be the centre of attention, but I must admit I love the idea.)

We could do it in my parents’ house. Or anywhere, really. And we didn’t have to invite any guests. For all his talk of state-sponsored control and the patriarchy, Martin is quite romantic, really. He hates the concept of a Big Day, but he probably likes the idea of lifelong commitment more than I do. It took some persuading, but he said yes.

Martin and I will get married this September in my parents’ kitchen. There will be no cake, or white dress, and no tiki torches. I keep trying to sneak more people on to the guestlist and Martin keeps crossing them out. But there will be a wedding. I have Lena Dunham to thank for that.

Keyword – US news
Trefwoorden – US news, US politics, World news, Trump administration
Title – Judge orders restoration of national park plaques removed under Trump directive | US news | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/uwa-ede-osifo
Link – Judge orders restoration of national park plaques removed under Trump directive | US news | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T01:04:53.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/12/judge-national-park-trump-displays

A US district court judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate any history or science materials it removed from the nation’s public monuments, finding that the White House’s actions “set a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization”.

In March 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “restoring truth and sanity to American history”, calling upon the secretary of interior to examine monuments, memorials and statues to see if they had been altered after January 2020 to represent a “false construction of American history”.

2020 was a year marked by national protests for racial justice. The ensuing public reckoning about race and equity spurred the removal of statues commemorating Confederate leaders.

The Trump directive came as the White House waged war on so-called liberal “wokeism,” rolling back Biden-era diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices and policies (in the past, the president has described DEI as divisive and particularly discriminatory against white people).

The Trump administration also sought to purge “corrosive” or “ideological indoctrination” from exhibitions at the nation’s historical and cultural institutions.

The 2025 executive order resulted in the deinstallation of signage and material at these sites, which referenced topics such as slavery, civil rights, Indigenous history and climate change, according to a February lawsuit that a group of conservation organizations filed against the Trump administration.

At a Georgia monument, The Scourged Back, a famous photograph of an enslaved man with scars protruding from his back made headlines for being flagged for potential removal.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the Association of National Park Rangers, and the American Association for State and Local History were among the plaintiffs.

Massachusetts district judge Angel Kelley sided with their complaint.

“Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at national parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths,” Kelley wrote in her decision.

Alan Spears, senior director for cultural resources at the NPCA, said in a statement after the ruling: “Americans count on national parks to help us understand our full, rich history. Stories of triumph and tragedy alike deserve to be told out loud at parks.”

Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, a fellow plaintiff in the suit, echoed the sentiment. National parks “exist to preserve and interpret the full American story, not just the parts that make some politicians comfortable. This ruling will help ensure that remains the case,” she said in a statement .

The Trump administration has 21 days to comply with the order.

A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Keyword – Politics
Trefwoorden – Andy Burnham, Makerfield byelection, Politics, Greater Manchester, Labour, Labour party leadership, UK news, Utilities, Water industry, Energy industry, Business
Title – Public control of water and energy at heart of Burnham agenda, sources say | Andy Burnham | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/kiran-stacey
Link – Public control of water and energy at heart of Burnham agenda, sources say | Andy Burnham | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T06:00:28.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/13/andy-burnham-public-control-essentials-water-energy

A decade-long project to bring water and energy into public control will lie at the heart of Andy Burnham’s agenda should he become prime minister, according to sources close to the Greater Manchester mayor.

Several close allies of Burnham have said he wants to take over broad swathes of UK utilities in an effort to improve performance and potentially reduce bills for consumers.

The move would constitute one of the biggest transfers of ownership of British industry since the privatisations of the 1980s, but could also leave the public on the hook for billions of pounds’ worth of infrastructure upgrades and running costs.

One Burnham ally said: “When Andy says he wants the public to have control over ‘the essentials of life’, we should believe him. He is completely serious.”

Burnham himself has said he wants to see “the essentials of life being run primarily for the public interest, not for the private interests”, but has not spelled out exactly what that would mean on a national scale.

A spokesperson for Burnham would not comment further on his policy plans.

With Labour figures increasingly confident of victory in next week’s Makerfield byelection, senior Burnham allies are now beginning to turn their attention to how to turn his political vision into concrete policies.

While the Manchester mayor spends his time knocking on doors in the run-up to polling day, a small group of people close to him have been collating ideas for government.

Those feeding in ideas include Josh Simons, the outgoing Makerfield MP, and Miatta Fahnbulleh, the former energy minister. Neither of the two would comment, though friends of Fahnbulleh have said she is doing her own policy thinking which Burnham could use rather than doing it on his behalf.

Other contributors include John Wrathmell, Labour’s former head of economic policy who now works with Burnham at the mayoral authority, JP Spencer, the devolution expert at the ThinkLabour thinktank, and Tom Whitney, an adviser to the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander.

At the heart of the agenda, according to those briefed, is a proposal to bring utilities back under public control, starting with the stricken Thames Water.

Burnham told the Guardian last week: “Public ownership is absolutely an option. I would say for Thames Water, that is what should be done.”

His allies want the government to take the company into special administration rather than accepting a deal offered by creditors which would write off up to £1bn in environmental fines.

They said the government could then take over the company, though at a cost to taxpayers given administrators are likely to insist creditors get some compensation.

The government has argued such an action would cost £100bn, but some legal experts have said it could be done much more cheaply if administrators agreed that creditors should take little or no compensation.

After that, a Burnham government is likely to take over water companies as they either fail or their franchises come up for renewal, his supporters have said.

The model for this would be the government initiative with the railways, which are being taken under public ownership via a plan first launched by Louise Haigh, Burnham’s campaign manager, when she was transport secretary.

Over the course of about 10 years, they claim, the entire sector could be put in public control. They argue the British sector should be modelled on utility companies in Berlin or Paris, where water services are run by independent organisations but with the majority of the shares held by the municipal government, which give workers and residents board representation.

Such a structure could give political leaders the power to push for bill reductions – though doing so could compromise the repair and rebuilding programmes which many experts say are desperately needed.

Meanwhile, parts of the energy sector are also likely to be transferred into public ownership under plans being drawn up by those close to Burnham.

They would include grid operations as currently carried out by National Grid and distribution, which is done by smaller companies which operate on a regional level. However, it is unlikely to include taking over power generation or selling electricity to consumers, which would remain in private hands.

Critics say plans such as this would come at a heavy price to the taxpayer, something Burnham can ill afford given he has promised to stick to the government’s existing borrowing rules and not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance.

He has also said he would consider cutting some employers’ national insurance contributions, and proposed a cut to business rates for pubs and small businesses.

The Manchester mayor has already had to backtrack over one policy in recent days, having pledged to support the Waspi women, who say they have been unfairly hit by changes to the state pension age, before clarifying he would not back paying them compensation.

Should he become prime minister he would also face immediate calls to raise the defence budget after the row over the defence investment plan which led to John Healey’s resignation as defence secretary this week.

Some close to the mayor also want him to announce a package of measures to reduce the cost of living should he become prime minister.

In one plan he would announce three significant measures: a one-year freeze on private rents, a cap on bus fares, and the removal of green levies from electricity bill, which would instead be paid for by taxes.

Combining all three proposals would reduce inflation by 0.6 percentage points, according to its backers, and could be paid for in part by increasing capital gains tax as advocated by Wes Streeting, the former health secretary and one of Burnham’s most likely challengers for leadership.

Keyword – Society
Trefwoorden – Philanthropy, Melinda French Gates, Women’s rights and gender equality, Technology, Women’s health, Bill Gates, Microsoft, Jeffrey Epstein, Global development, Computing, Society
Title – ‘Have you ever been around someone you just know is evil?’ Melinda French Gates on meeting Jeffrey Epstein, giving away billions, and her post-divorce peace | Philanthropy | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/sophie-mcbain
Link – ‘Have you ever been around someone you just know is evil?’ Melinda French Gates on meeting Jeffrey Epstein, giving away billions, and her post-divorce peace | Philanthropy | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-13T05:00:07.000Z
Category – News
Hyperlink – ‘Have you ever been around someone you just know is evil?’ Melinda French Gates on meeting Jeffrey Epstein, giving away billions, and her post-divorce peace | Philanthropy | The Guardian

Melinda French Gates, photographed last month. Photograph: Genna Martin

French Gates with her then husband Bill Gates, 2017. Photograph: Frederic Stevens/Getty Images

French Gates visiting a girls’ secondary school in Malawi, 2023. Photograph: Courtesy Pivotal Ventures

Melinda French Gates photographed at Pivotal Ventures last month. Photograph: Genna Martin/The Guardian

Photograph: Genna Martin/The Guardian

Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – Brazil, World Cup 2026, World Cup, Football, Sport, Carlo Ancelotti
Title – ‘More pressure than the president’: Ancelotti sets out to end Brazil’s World Cup drought | Brazil | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/ed-aarons
Link – ‘More pressure than the president’: Ancelotti sets out to end Brazil’s World Cup drought | Brazil | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-12T16:06:28.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/12/more-pressure-than-the-president-ancelotti-sets-out-to-end-brazils-world-cup-drought

I t is Marcio Santos who best sums up the predicament Brazil’s players found themselves in before the 1994 World Cup . “We hadn’t won in 24 years. That’s way too long for the Brazilian people,” says the former defender in the new Netflix documentary USA 94: Brazil’s Return to Glory.

Having suffered the ignominy of a first defeat in qualifying that prompted the manager, Carlos Alberto Parreira, to offer to step down, the fabled Romário and Bebeto strike partnership inspired the Seleção to win a fourth World Cup the last time the tournament was held on American soil.

Thirty-two years on, Brazil supporters will be hoping history is about to repeat itself for Carlo Ancelotti’s side as they prepare for the most awkward of opening matches against Morocco on Saturday, who became the first African country to reach the last four, in 2022.

The World Cup’s most successful nation has made it past the quarter-final stage once since Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo sealed a fifth title in 2002. That this is now the joint-longest Brazil have gone without winning the World Cup is not the only parallel with 1994. A disastrous qualifying campaign meant they finished a lowly fifth after six defeats – more than any of the five other South American teams that made it to the World Cup – and many have written off their chances.

Ancelotti has had mixed success since leaving Real Madrid last year to take his first steps in international management . Yet despite criticism of his decision to omit Chelsea’s João Pedro and recall 34-year-old Neymar for the first time since 2023, the Italian still has the tools at his disposal to become the third manager to win the World Cup and Champions League, after Marcello Lippi and Vicente del Bosque.

Neymar is the only surviving squad member from the 7-1 semi-final thrashing against Germany in 2014 – aka the Mineiraço – albeit he was forced to watch the nightmare unfold from the sidelines after being injured against Colombia in the previous round.

“Since Ancelotti’s arrival, the environment has been transformed. He carries a strong presence and gives us the tranquility of an environment focused on work, without controversy,” said the Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson this week.

“He’s a multi-champion. He has won everything in football and is here with joy and enthusiasm. His position perhaps has more pressure than being the president of the country.”

If anyone can cope with that it is Ancelotti. But he must find the right balance in attack to build on a defence that should be one of the strongest in the tournament. The partnership between the captain, Marquinhos, and Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães – who was immediately consoled by his Brazil teammate after missing the crucial penalty in the Champions League final a fortnight ago – is the foundation of that, even if the full-back positions are more of a concern.

A traditional strength – think Carlos Alberto in 1970, Branca and Jorginho in 1994 and Cafu and Roberto Carlos in 2002 – now relies on thirtysomethings Douglas Santos, Danilo and Alex Sandro.

The calf injury Neymar sustained a couple of days after being called up means he will sit out the opening game, with the teenager Endrick vying with Brentford’s Igor Thiago to lead the line. Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha provide the spark in attack, while a rejuvenated Casemiro will anchor a strong midfield also featuring Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães.

“This is the most important time in my life and my career,” said Vinicius. “My physical and technical level is the best ever. Playing for Ancelotti makes me very confident because he allows me freedom to do what I did for Real Madrid with the national team.”

Brazil have won their group at every World Cup since 1978, when draws against Sweden and Austria meant they finished second after scoring two goals in three matches. They missed out on the final after a controversial 0-0 draw in the second group stage against the eventual winners, Argentina.

Ancelotti is not usually known for his pragmatism but even a draw against Mohamed Ouahbi’s side would not be a disaster with Haiti and Scotland to come. The Italian insisted it was an honour to “represent the most decorated national team in world” and seems determined to “enjoy this beautiful moment” having served as Arrigo Saachi’s assistant in when Italy lost on penalties to Brazil in the final.

“We are absolutely confident we can face up to any team,” Ancelotti said. “To win it’s really difficult to say. We can compete and we are ready to compete. We have a good feeling about this World Cup.”

The only match to feature two teams ranked inside Fifa’s top 10 certainly makes the first game at the New York New Jersey Stadium – the 82,500-capacity venue for the final on 19 July – one of the standout picks of the group stage and there are thousands of supporters from both countries in town.

The New York Knicks will be in action at the same time as they seek the NBA title for the first time since 1973 and a massive police operation that has been planned for 12 months will be in place to prevent any problems.

Brazil are not used to having to compete for attention at World Cups. But with the group winners on a potential collision course with England, should they top Group L, in the quarter-finals they have an opportunity to show they mean business against Morocco.