Stewart progressed up the ladder from the West of Scotland League with Ardeer Thistle and Kilwinning Rangers to Albion Rovers, St Mirren, Ross County and Sunderland before his switch to Southampton in 2023. Stewart earned his third Scotland cap as a substitute in their 4-0 victory over Bolivia at the weekend as Steve Clarke's side prepare to begin their World Cup campaign against Haiti on Saturday.
The record of oldest player at the 2026 World Cup goes to Craig Gordon, a goalkeeper that is representing Scotland. There is always one player who gets the honor of being the oldest in the competition, and at the 2026 World Cup that role belongs to Craig Gordon, who is set to put his name in the record books at the highest level of the sport with Scotland. The goalkeeper named in Scotland’s final 26-man squad is 43 years old, having been born on December 31, 1982, in Edinburgh. Gordon wears number 21 and is not expected to start, with Angus Gunn likely to get the nod between the posts. His career includes spells at Cowdenbeath, Sunderland, and Celtic, but Gordon started and currently plays for Heart of Midlothian, the club that has recently come close to breaking the “Old Firm” dominance in Scotland. Gordon was essential in the recent playoff matches for Scotland (Stu Forster/Getty Images) Gordon’s career For a player who made his professional debut in 2002, it is normal to see such a large number of matches. His club career totals 682 matches, with 84 more appearances for Scotland. Unlike older players who still play a major role on the pitch for their teams at the moment, Gordon has not been very active recently and has played only three matches, mostly as a backup. Gordon was called up for this competition by manager Steve Clarke because of the trust he has in him. He was chosen as the first option after an injury to Gunn for Scotland’s most important matches of the year, including the playoff games in which they beat Greece and Denmark. Record for oldest player ever Even if Gordon does not play this time, he would still not break the all-time record for the oldest player in World Cup history if he enters the field. That record belongs to Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who played at 45 years and 161 days old on June 25, 2018.
In a recent post on X, Voetbal International journalist Joost Blaauwhof mentioned that Sunderland are showing interest in signing Red Bull Leipzig defender Lutsharel Geertruida permanently this summer...
Sunderland have announced their retained list for the 2026-27 Premier League season, with first team players Dan Neil, Dennis Cirkin, Bertrand Traore and Niall Huggins all being released. The Black Cats "remain in discussions" with Lutsharel Geertruida, who has spent the 2025-26 season on loan at the Stadium of Light from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. After helping Sunderland gain promotion from League One, Neil captained the club back to the Premier League before joining Ipswich Town on loan in January.
"There is no doubt Trai Hume can make that step up to European football," believes BBC Sport Northern Ireland journalist Andy Gray. The full-back, who has played a crucial role in Sunderland's journey from League One to the Premier League since signing an initial deal in January 2022, will be competing in the Europa League next season.
Despite making his return in the Champions League final, Jurrien Timber has been ruled out of the Netherland's World Cup squad due to his persistent groin injury. The Netherlands has become the latest nation to suffer a massive roster blow ahead of the 2026 World Cup, losing one of its foundational stars in Jurrien Timber. Despite suiting up for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final, the defender has failed to fully recover from a lingering ailment and will miss the tournament entirely. On Monday, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) released a statement confirming that Timber will miss the 2026 World Cup. “The 24-year-old defender has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to take part in the World Cup in a medically responsible manner. In consultation with the medical staff, it has therefore been decided that Timber will leave the national team’s pre-camp in New York after the game against Uzbekistan,” the statement read. Timber has been battling a groin injury since March 14, when he was forced off in the 38th minute of a Premier League match against Everton. The injury sidelined the defender for 14 consecutive games across all competitions for Arsenal before he finally made his return to action in the Champions League final against PSG. In that final, which was ultimately decided via a penalty shootout, Timber logged 54 minutes off the bench, convincing head coach Ronald Koeman that he was fit enough for a World Cup call-up. However, after sitting out the June 3 friendly against Algeria and failing to gain medical clearance for the upcoming clash with Uzbekistan, the coaching staff ultimately opted to send him home. Jurriën Timber misses the 2026 World Cup.The 24-year-old defender has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to take part in the World Cup in a medically responsible manner. In consultation with the medical staff, it has therefore been decided that Timber will leave the… pic.twitter.com/r6Wu8FRCfP— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 8, 2026 Netherlands already has Timber’s replacement With 23 caps for the Oranje, Timber had blossomed into a vital piece for Koeman due to his versatility to slot in at both right-back and center-back. While this groin setback denies the Arsenal man a chance at his second consecutive World Cup appearance following Qatar 2022, the Dutch camp has already moved quickly to fill his spot. In a follow-up statement, the national team revealed that Koeman has called up Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida to replace Timber on the roster. Even with the change, Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries is still expected to start at right-back; Dumfries sat out the Algeria friendly to undergo a medical examination ahead of his high-profile transfer to Real Madrid. Players from the UCL final joining the World Cup With the Champions League final taking place on May 30, most of the players involved missed the first week of international training camp. Yet, of all the European stars who featured in the club finale, Timber appears to be the only one to suffer a tournament-ending setback. While multiple players are now integrating into camps or logging minutes in pre-World Cup tune-ups, France had its own scare regarding Arsenal defender William Saliba. Saliba missed Les Bleus‘ matchup against Ivory Coast due to back tightness, but he has already returned to the pitch for Monday’s friendly against Northern Ireland.
Passing has always been one Granit Xhaka’s best qualities, and here is the veteran Sunderland midfielder setting up Nottingham Forest forward Dan Ndoye for the opening goal of Switzerland’s 1-1 draw against Australia on Saturday. Pinpoint from Granit Xhaka to set up Switzerland’s opening goal 🎯 The Sunderland midfielder finds Dan Ndoye with a perfect […] The post Sublime Granit Xhaka pass sets up Dan Ndoye for Switzerland opener against Australia (Video) appeared first on SoccerNews.
