Sport

Wayne Rooney ‘agrees’ to bizarre bet ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals

Watch this space.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 6th July 2026

England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has seemingly roped himself into a bizarre bet of his own making after yet more teams booked their place in the quarter-final stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It’s not quite Gary Lineker doing Match of the Day in his underpants after Leicester won the league, level, but we’d still pay to see it.

However, after the bedlam following England booking their spot in the quarter-finals this morning (feels odd to say and we’re still not quite sure what day it is), you might be surprised to learn it has nothing to do with the Three Lions’ historic victory.

It does have to do with who they’ll be facing in their next game, though: Norway, as Rooney seemed confident enough in his prediction that the Scandinavian side wouldn’t make it into the final eight that he wagered he’d row down the River Mersey. Well, they did…

Yes, in case you missed it, the Norwegians did make it past Brazil with a 2-1 win – and, of course, more goals for Erling Haaland – before Thomas Tuchel’s side had barely even woken up for their very long day at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico.

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While no one was quite sure why ‘Wazza’ was quite so confident that the ‘Seleção’ were going to go through, especially since Norway had shown just as much star power in spells in the opening four rounds, he still decided to throw down the gauntlet on himself.

As you can see in the clip above, he says he’s a “man of [his] word” and looks to have even roped in the likes of fellow former pros turned punditry colleagues on the night, Micah Richards and Joe Hart.

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That being said, he did make the caveat that perhaps it would be better if the BBC could somehow sort them to sail down the Hudson River in New York instead, simply for the sake of ‘time’.

Now that would be quite some sight, wouldn’t it?

We’re not sure exactly how easy it is for the British broadcasters to simply secure permission to take a rowboat down one of the busiest and most famous waterways in the world, but you never know.

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Here’s hoping they at least try to make something happen, anyway.

There’s been plenty of curious and comedic moments already this tournament, but for anyone who hasn’t yet watched Harry Kane’s post-match following the tense 3-2 thriller against Mexico, you really need to.

He was given the chance to chat to the media once again after his voice recovered, but let’s just say the memes that have already come from THAT interview are almost as memorable as the match itself.

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Featured Images — BBC Sport (screenshots)

Sport

A Harry Styles-themed running event is coming to Manchester

Lydia Mastrolonardo Lydia Mastrolonardo A Harry Styles-themed running event is coming to Manchester

A Harry Styles-themed running event, ‘Styles-Athon,’ is coming to Manchester later this year.

Styles-Athon is set to be an action packed event, centring around all things Harry Styles – there’ll even be a live tribute performance and DJs blasting some of our favourite songs.

This event is brought to us by Run Fanatics, a group that focuses on creating memorable, themed running events, maintaining that ‘it’s not about how far or fast you run, it’s about how much fun you have.’

Styles-Athon is open to all abilities, with Run Fanatics priding themselves on inclusivity and their welcoming sense of community, offering both 5k and 10k routes to either walk, dance or run around. No matter what the running ability, this is a great day out for all Harry lovers.

Having successfully hosted other music-led events such as a Swift-Athon and an ABBA themed run in Manchester, we’re excited to have them back and keep the energy in Heaton Park ‘Watermelon Sugar’ high.

Why not try something new and contribute to a good cause while you’re at it – runners are welcome to run in support of a charity of their choosing.

Finally, some real motivation – run like you’re chasing Harry Styles.

What you can expect from Styles-Athon:

  • Live Harry Styles tribute performance and warm-up
  • DJ and professional sound team
  • Music guides running the course to keep the energy high
  • Exclusively Harry Styles music throughout the event
  • 5K and 10K routes
  • Free professional event photos
  • Chip-timed race with official results
  • Exclusive Harry Styles finisher’s medal

Timings:

  • 9am – 10am – Harry Styles tribute performance in the event village as runners arrive
  • 10am – 10.10am – Harry Styles tribute to lead the warm-up hosted at the start area
  • 10.15am – 10.25am – Getting race ready and walk to the start line
  • 10.30am – 12pm – Race begins, with most runners finished by midday

Styles-Athon will be set up for around 1,000 attendees and is taking place in Heaton Park, on Saturday 19 September 2026.

Sign up HERE for either 5k and 10k options, tickets available from £29.99.

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Featured image: Run Fanatics

Sport

A documentary about Manchester’s famous homeless charity run has just dropped on YouTube

Danny Jones Danny Jones free documentary film about homeless charity run in Manchester on YouTube

An award-winning, short, and completely free documentary about Manchester’s famous annual homeless charity run is now available to watch in its entirety on YouTube.

Following a number of short snippets and teasers shared on social media over the last few months, the mini-doc by local moviemaker Gigi Shum was finally released on the streaming platform this past June.

Documenting not only the backstory of the inspiring Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness – now a much-loved annual tradition that has since spread to multiple other locations – it also gives a peek behind the curtain at those who organise it and the thousands of inspirational participants.

You can watch one of the most recent trailers here.

Capturing the sixth edition of the consecutive relay run, which spans the length of an entire day (which was another record-breaking year before being smashed in November 2025), Shum didn’t shy away from getting some laps done herself, but she also managed to shoot a truly important public access film.

A trail runner herself with a number of other works to her name already, including a well-supported Kickstarter revolving around neurodiversity, Gigi prides herself on “exploring the neglected truth in the world” through touching tales like The 24 Hour Run.

The adopted Manc and MetFilm School graduate’s roots may hail from Hong Kong, but she’s well and truly immersed and embedded herself in the Greater Manchester community through spotlighting local initiatives like this.

More importantly, this is much more than a student project: the bitesize 21:22 picture has been nominated and won at numerous festivals across the globe, including shortlists like the Florence Film Awards, a finalist in both the Independent Shorts and LEEDSflix competitions, among several others.

Aside from the obvious humanitarian and charitable angle of The 24 Hour Run‘s narrative, the talking heads with members of the team and numerous inspiring runners taking on incredible challenges on behalf of the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme make you proud to be from this part of the world.

You can watch it in full down below.

About the same run-time as most sitcom episodes – we’d argue this is a well more worthwhile watch.

Deeply moving stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree.

Speaking after a limited number of exclusive screenings, Gigi told The Manc: “What began as a question about why people run through the night transformed into an exploratory journey of human resilience, community, and active compassion on the streets of Manchester.”

It’s also worth mentioning that the young director and producer is doing lots more to contribute to the region, helping out as part of the Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN), supporting asylum seekers who may otherwise end up sleeping rough themselves.

They’ve raised hundreds of thousands for the likes of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity since the event’s inception back in 2019. Mayor Andy Burnham himself may be looking toward no.10 Downing Street moving forward, but fundraising on behalf of this organisation will always be a part of his legacy.

Better still, this dedicated crew of volunteers have also generated vital funds for similar causes in the likes of Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Hereford, and soon to be even more.

Set to debut in Liverpool later this year, another city renowned for backing themselves and looking after their own, we can’t wait to see how much more impact they make on the North West.

The Manchester 24 Hour Run raises over £70,000 for the region’s homeless community
Always honoured to play our part in this yearly endurance challenge – and we’re proud of all you, too.

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Featured Images — The MCR 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness (supplied)

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