Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Miguel Azeez has signed for Carlisle United on a two-year deal, with the former Arsenal midfielder making another permanent move as he looks to rebuild his career after leaving Hale End.

Carlisle have paid Morecambe an undisclosed fee for the 23-year-old, who becomes the first playing addition under Rob Elliot at Brunton Park.

Azeez joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of five and was regarded as one of Hale End’s more technically gifted midfielders during his development. He was used across the centre of the pitch, as a 6, 8 and 10, with academy staff reportedly seeing elements of a deep-lying playmaker in the Sergio Busquets mould.

For all that promise, his senior Arsenal career amounted to one competitive appearance, which came on 10 December 2020 when he came off the bench in the Europa League win away to Dundalk.

A series of loans followed before he left Arsenal permanently in 2024, signing for Atletico Baleares on a free transfer and then PAS Giannina in Greece six months later before returning to England with Morecambe in 2025.

Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Azeez said Carlisle’s ambition and support were important factors in his decision to join the club.

“(I am) really happy, thank you for the welcome,” he said to the official Carlisle United website. I really can’t wait to get started, and I feel like it’s going to be a good season for all of us.

“When I first heard about the interest, I was really happy that a club with that magnitude could be interested in me.”

In that interview, Azeez said his years at Arsenal shaped him both on and off the pitch. “I was there from the age of five until around 20, 21,” he explained.

Photo by Martin Sidorjak/Getty Images

“So, it was my schooling of football, and I’d say I learned a lot from great players and also just certain things like discipline and being driven, and if you want to reach your goals, you need to sacrifice certain things.”

His time away from Arsenal on loan, and later abroad after leaving the club, also helped shape his development.

“I was playing in different countries at a young age,” he added about his time with UD Ibiza which came in between loans with Portsmouth and Wigan. “So, it made me adapt to my surroundings, and also being in a place which is not home could be quite difficult.

Photo by Dan Critchlow

“I feel like if you are mentally strong, which it did challenge me sometimes, but it eventually made me stronger, and I feel like now nothing can really shape me in a negative way because I’ve had lots of up and down experiences, but it was an interesting period of my life.”

Azeez made clear that he still sees himself as a midfielder who wants to take responsibility in possession.

“I love playing in the midfield and getting on the ball and making things happen,” he said.

“I’m a player with a lot of courage. I like to get the ball in difficult situations.”

He also acknowledged that the defensive side of his game has had to develop with experience.

“It’s one of the aspects of my game which I try to work on a lot because it’s always good to have both sides of the game.

“Coming up at Arsenal as well, it’s very technical and tactical possession-based, but they don’t really teach you a lot of the other side of the game, which I had to learn the more I got older, which I feel like now it’s getting better and better.”

What channel is the World Cup on in Canada? Complete TV schedule to watch 2026 matches on TSN originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The biggest World Cup to ever take place sees 48 nations battling to be crowned the best international team in world soccer.

They'll be 104 matches taking place across the USA, Canada and Mexico as the co-hosts aim to put on a true spectacle that'll culminate with the winner being crowned on July 19.

Soccer fans won't have to look too hard to find the matches on TV or their live streaming services, but with so many games across four time zones there's still plenty of room for error.

The Sporting News is on hand to bring you all the details about the tournament, including how to tune in, and an overview of the match schedule.

MORE:Complete FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule

• TV channels: TSN, CTV, RDS (French)
• Live streams: TSN GO, CTV Go, Amazon Prime

The broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada are owned by Bell Media, who will air all matches in English on TSN and CTV, and in French on RDS.

All 104 matches of the tournament will be televised in Canada, with streaming available on both CTV GO and TSN GO. Audio commentary will also be broadcast on TSN Radio.

TSN channels set to air games in English include TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5.

TSN can also be added as a separate subscription channel on Amazon Prime with fans able to access all of TSN's live and on demand content.

STADIUM GUIDES: Estadio Azteca | Estadio Akron | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Estadio BBVA

STADIUM GUIDES:BMO Field | Levi's Stadium | SoFi Stadium | BC Place | Lumen Field

STADIUM GUIDES: SoFi Stadium | BC Place | Levi's Stadium | Lumen Field

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

• Last time the World Cup was in United States
• Revisiting the first World Cup in 1930
• Most World Cup wins by country
• Future World Cup locations for 2030 and beyond
• Guide to host countries, cities for 2026 World Cup

World Cup 2026 free live stream: How to watch tournament matches without cable originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The biggest World Cup to ever take place sees 48 nations battle it out over 104 matches this summer for the biggest prize in international soccer.

Co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico will be hoping to go as far as they can at the tournament, that sees Lionel Messi's Argentina enter as the defending champions.

Five-time champions Brazil, the most successful World Cup team in history, can't be overlooked with Spain, France and England also among the favorites to lift the trophy.

The Sporting News is on hand to make sure you don't miss a minute of the action with this handy guide of the full schedule and how you can watch the games for free.

Every World Cup 2026 match is available to stream for FREE on fubo. 

Fubo offers a FREE trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

• ENGLISH:
  • TV channel: Fox, FS1
  • Streaming:fubo, Fox ONE, Fox Sports app
• SPANISH:
  • TV channel: Telemundo
  • Streaming:fubo, Peacock

FOX is the main English-language FIFA broadcast partner in the United States, and will have the rights to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

The broadcaster has announced that all 104 matches of the tournament will be televised throughout the competition. 69 matches from the competition will air on the main FOX network channel, while 35 others will be televised on FS1.

For Spanish-language coverage, all 104 matches will stream live on Peacock, with 92 matches airing on Telemundo and 12 on Universo.

All those channels, both English and Spanish, are available to stream in the United States on fubo, who are offering a FREE trial for new users.

Every match will also stream live on FOX One and the FOX Sports app.

STADIUM GUIDES:Estadio Azteca | Estadio Akron | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Estadio BBVA

STADIUM GUIDES:BMO Field | Levi's Stadium | SoFi Stadium | BC Place | Lumen Field

STADIUM GUIDES:SoFi Stadium | BC Place | Levi's Stadium | Lumen Field

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

• Last time the World Cup was in United States
• Revisiting the first World Cup in 1930
• Most World Cup wins by country
• Future World Cup locations for 2030 and beyond
• Guide to host countries, cities for 2026 World Cup

Second Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day five of five)

New Zealand 391 (Phillips 100) & 362 (Nicholls 121, Ravindra 76, Mitchell 68)

England 291 (Gay 53, Fisher 50*; Henry 5-80) & 209 (Root 76, Brook 58; Henry 6-29)

New Zealand won by 253 runs, three-match series level at 1-1

Scorecard

England's miserable fortnight ended with a crushing defeat in the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval - setting up a high-stakes decider at Trent Bridge.

Under the shadow of the controversy surrounding absent captain Ben Stokes, an inexperienced England team were exposed by an excellent performance from New Zealand, who won by 253 runs.

England began a baking final day with scant hope of an escape, resuming on 182-5, chasing a notional 463.

The home side lasted less than an hour thanks to the brilliance of New Zealand seamer Matt Henry, who claimed 6-29 for career-best match figures of 11-109.

Joe Root was out for 77 in the third over of the day, again lbw to Henry with the keeper standing up, and the tail was exposed.

Jofra Archer was bowled by a shooter, Matthew Fisher played on and Josh Tongue was caught at first slip for a golden duck, giving Henry his first Test 10-wicket haul.

And when Jordan Cox was bowled an attempting a sweep, England were beaten and Henry had the best match figures by a New Zealander in a Test in England.

It meant that exactly two weeks on from a confidence-boosting win in the first Test, England are trying to move on from a period of chaos while also facing the vital third Test.

In celebrating the win at Lord's, Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson broke the England team's midnight curfew and were present when a member of security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player.

The pair were stood down for this Test pending an investigation, the outcome of which is now due to be revealed as England need to name a squad for Trent Bridge.

While it was already thought likely the duo will return, with Stokes as captain, a clear indication was given on Sunday morning when both were withdrawn from their county fixtures.

• Stokes and Atkinson withdrawn from county games
• Sublime Henry bowls New Zealand to emphatic second-Test win - reaction

What a mess. Even when Stokes is cleared to resume his career and the captaincy, speculation will continue about the state of his relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum.

All of England's management - Stokes, McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key - were backed after the dismal Ashes tour and now find themselves facing a crucial series decider.

England have lost six of their past eight Tests, and the two wins were in extraordinary matches on substandard pitches in Melbourne and at Lord's. This is England's third successive defeat at The Oval.

Yes, England can point to the disruption around this Test, but it was a self-inflicted wound.

Allowances can be made for an XI with three debutants - Cox, James Rew and Sonny Baker - yet England have long identified these players as potential Test cricketers. New Zealand had their own disruption, with the retirement of Kane Williamson, whose replacement Henry Nicholls made a century.

Trent Bridge will leave England nowhere to hide. With their best players available, on what should hopefully be a true pitch and against a strong New Zealand team, it is a must-win situation.

Any suggestion England could drag the match deep into the final day sat with Root, who began on 75.

New Zealand are the latest opponents to pressure Root - and Harry Brook - with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps to seamers and the ploy worked again.

With his seventh delivery of the day, the relentless Henry thudded the ball into Root's pad. Unlike Saturday, a review could not save Root, and England have a real quandary over how to counter-act Henry and New Zealand gloveman Tom Blundell.

There was nothing Archer could do two balls later, when Henry got one to shoot low and into the stumps.

Fisher had to rush to pad up and, when he arrived, chopped Henry on to his stumps. Tongue edged his first ball to first slip, leaving Henry screaming into the air in delight.

Cox survived the hat-trick ball and entertained a healthy final-day crowd with some innovative strokes, until the sweep at Henry was one too many.

New Zealand were caught cold on the substandard pitch at Lord's, yet here they were much too disciplined, skilful and wily for the callow England team.

This is the first time New Zealand have played at The Oval since 1999, when a famous Kiwi series win led to England captain Nasser Hussain being booed by the home fans.

Now the Black Caps have repeated the dose and have the chance for another series win at Trent Bridge. In the past 12 years, New Zealand are the only visiting team to win a Test series in this country and the class of 2026 could do it again.

Henry was magnificent. One wonders what carnage he could have caused at Lord's had he not been hampered by a back spasm. He was backed up by the aggression of Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke.

Nicholls eased into the void left by Williamson, the left-hander's second-innings ton following on from the brave century made by Glenn Phillips in the first innings.

New Zealand are settled, no-frills and battle-hardened - everything England are not.

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