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• Marsch appointed Canada's new head coach

  Jesse Marsch has been named the new head coach of the Canada national team with immediate effect.

  The former Leeds United boss, who has been out of work since his departure from Elland Road 15 months ago, has signed a deal to take charge of the Maple Leafs until July 2026.

  Marsch fills the vacancy held by Mauro Biello on an interim basis following John Herdman's departure to MLS side Toronto FC last October.

  And the 50-year-old is excited to get down to work with the 2026 World Cup co-hosts.

  "The combination of the new leadership inside of Canada Soccer coupled with the potential of this dynamic player pool has inspired me," he said.

  "I am ready and eager to take on this massive responsibility. My excitement and anticipation to get started are immense.

  "It is an absolute honour to represent and lead the Canadian men's national team in our preparation for a home World Cup.

  "One of my main goals will be to help unite the soccer community in Canada to support our efforts to be successful on and off the pitch.

  Marsch will begin his tenure with friendlies against the Netherlands and France next month ahead of Canada's Copa America campaign, which launches against Argentina on June 21.

  Kevin Blue, Canada’s soccer’s chief executive officer and general secretary, added: "Jesse is a transformational leader who will drive progress for our men's national team – and for Canadian soccer more broadly – as we enter the most important time in the domestic history of our sport.

  "He's been a successful manager at the highest levels of global football, and is an experienced builder who will make a significant impact on the landscape of our sport."

• Julian Nagelsmann to stay on as Germany coach until after 2026 World Cup

  Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has signed a new contract to extend his role until after the 2026 World Cup.

  Former Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann was appointed in September last year as successor to Hansi Flick, who was sacked after a poor run of results.

  The German FA said: “The 36-year-old’s new contract runs until the conclusion of the next FIFA World Cup in 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico. In September last year, Nagelsmann initially signed a contract up to and including EURO 2024.”

  Germany, who are hosting the European Championships in June and July, have won their last two friendly internationals, beating France 2-0 in Lyon and the Netherlands 2-1 in Frankfurt last month.

  Nagelsmann said: “It’s a decision of the heart. It’s a great honour to be able to coach the national team and work with the best players in the country.

  “With successful, passionate performances, we have the chance to sweep an entire country along. The two victories against France and the Netherlands in March gave a foretaste of this.

  “I was very touched by the enthusiasm of the fans. Together we now want to play a successful home European Championship, we are all burning for it.

  “After that, I’m really looking forward to the challenge of a World Cup together with my coaching team.”

  Nagelsmann began his managerial career aged 28 at Hoffenheim before securing Champions League football with Leipzig, and succeeded Flick as boss at Bayern Munich in 2021.

• UK Sport deputy says ‘right decision’ to ditch World Cup bid and host Euro 2028

  UK Sport’s deputy chief insists abandoning a potential joint UK and Ireland bid for the 2030 World Cup in favour of focusing on Euro 2028 was the “right decision”.

  The 2030 tournament has now been awarded to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with three South American nations staging the opening matches to mark the tournament’s centenary, while England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will co-host the European Championships in four years’ time.

  A Women’s World Cup was added to UK Sport’s latest list of 70 hosting  targets for events up to 2040, unveiled on Tuesday, and while the funding body executive acknowledged that there “is no stated aspiration” to secure the men’s equivalent within a specific time frame, he did not rule out the possibility of the competition landing on a future list.

  UK Sport deputy CEO Simon Morton said: “I think when we think back to the bidding landscape over the last year or two in FIFA, one of the considerations that the FAs had to reflect on was whether the World Cup was winnable, and we had to think about every single event that we move forward with.

  “I think it was the right decision, because we were quickly able to move those plans that had been built around the World Cup to secure, although it’s the Euros, a genuinely global tournament, and I think securing that for the UK and the unique partnership that sits alongside it, the four UK home countries and the Republic of Ireland, I think that was the big prize here.

  “So I reflect on that and think it was a positive move.”

  UK Sport invests both National Lottery and government funding to enable the bidding and staging of what it deems to be “strategically important” international sporting events hosted in the United Kingdom.

  The most expensive and large-scale of their top event targets – like the Women’s World Cup – that exceed the organisation’s budget, also require additional financial support from the involved home nation governments. 

  Many of the target events are initially classed in the commitment-free “opportunity” category,  which, for those deemed suitable to advance to the next phase, is followed by a feasibility study exploring factors such as venue selection, budget and chances of competitive success. 

  Morton reiterated that a men’s World Cup is “not on our list at this (2024-2040) timeframe” and, when asked if the aspiration would be to host one in the 2040s, replied: “That’s not what we’re saying.

  “There isn’t a stated aspiration to host the men’s World Cup in a specific year from our perspective, but as this programme evolves, as it moves into the next three or four years, perhaps that comes onto our list.

  “I mean, that’s principally an issue for the football associations, who also need to decide on whether a bid goes ahead or not.”

  The latest UK Sport update accompanies a new strategic framework for major events, which places a heavy emphasis on social impact and access.

  The international hosting landscape has evolved and become more competitive, particularly in the case of Saudi Arabia, who look certain to host the 2034 World Cup after emerging as the sole bidder.

  Morton added: “With the rise of Saudi money and what they are doing, it certainly feels as though the role of Saudi and its presence on the global competition circuit is becoming normalised, certainly over the last 12 to 24 months.

  “This is why the UK needs to respond. This is part of the reason that we are setting out the plans that we are today.”