Celtic F.C. produced one of the most dramatic finales in Scottish football history as they fought back to defeat long-time Scottish Premiership leaders Heart of Midlothian F.C. and secure a remarkable fifth consecutive league title.

Hearts had spent much of the season chasing what would have been a historic triumph — their first league championship since 1960 and the first top-flight title won by a club outside the Old Firm in four decades. The Edinburgh side entered the final day knowing a draw would be enough to complete their fairytale campaign.

For long periods, it looked as though they would achieve it.

Lawrence Shankland gave Hearts the lead before half-time, putting the visitors within touching distance of glory as tension gripped Celtic Park. With only minutes remaining, Hearts still appeared destined to lift the trophy and complete one of the great modern Scottish football stories.

But Celtic showed the resilience and championship mentality that has defined their extraordinary season.

Arne Engels brought the hosts level from the penalty spot after Kieran Tierney’s cross struck the arm of Alexandros Kyziridis inside the box. Although Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow got a hand to the effort, the ball squeezed underneath him and into the net, setting up a thrilling finale.

The decisive moment arrived in the 87th minute when Daizen Maeda turned home Callum Osmand’s cross. The goal was initially ruled out, briefly silencing the stadium, but a VAR review correctly overturned the decision and sparked huge celebrations among the Celtic support.

As Hearts pushed desperately for the goal that would save their title hopes, Celtic struck again on the counterattack in stoppage time. Young substitute Callum Osmand raced clear and calmly added a third goal to seal the victory and ignite scenes of jubilation around Celtic Park.

The result not only secured another championship for Celtic but also moved them ahead of rivals Rangers F.C. in total league titles, with Celtic now claiming a record 56 championships.

The dramatic triumph completed an astonishing turnaround in the title race. Celtic had entered the final-day showdown buoyed by a controversial late penalty victory over Motherwell F.C. earlier in the week, while Hearts had seemed firmly in control after their own win over Falkirk F.C..

Hearts manager Derek McInnes, in his first season at Tynecastle, came agonisingly close to delivering a historic success after guiding the club through a memorable campaign. Despite the disappointment of finishing second, Hearts earned admiration throughout Scotland for pushing the title race to the final moments of the season.

For Celtic, the victory added another unforgettable chapter to their history. Interim manager Martin O’Neill guided the club to the title for a fourth time, 22 years after his previous league triumph with the Glasgow giants.

The match itself reflected the tension surrounding Scotland’s first final-day head-to-head title decider since 1991. Chances were limited early on as nerves affected both sides, with the opening goal arriving only moments before the interval.

Shankland rose highest at the back post to meet Stephen Kingsley’s corner and head beyond goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, sending the travelling Hearts support into celebration.

Yet Celtic refused to surrender. Kelechi Iheanacho struck the post after coming off the bench, while Schwolow made important saves to keep Hearts in front before Maeda and Osmand delivered the late goals that transformed the destiny of the championship.

Liverpool FC have unveiled images of a permanent memorial dedicated to late forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva following their deaths in a car crash last summer.

Jota, 28, and Silva, 25, who played for Portuguese second-division side FC Penafiel, died on 3 July in Spain’s Zamora province.

The memorial, titled Forever 20, will be installed at Anfield along 97 Avenue and is designed to honour the brothers’ lives, their close bond and the affection shown toward them by fans, teammates and family members around the world.

Liverpool said the sculpture incorporates a flowing heart design inspired by Jota’s trademark goal celebration. It also features the brothers’ shirt numbers — 20 and 30 — as well as lyrics from the chant sung by Liverpool supporters during the 20th minute of matches in tribute to Jota.

The club revealed that physical tributes, flowers and messages left outside Anfield by supporters after the brothers’ deaths have been recycled and incorporated into the stone plinth of the memorial.

Liverpool have not yet confirmed an official unveiling date but said details would be announced in the future.

Jota joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and became a key player during his time at Anfield.

The Portugal international scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club, helping Liverpool win the Premier League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cup titles during his spell on Merseyside.

Colombian pop superstar Shakira has revealed the official anthem for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking her latest return to football’s biggest global stage.

The 49-year-old singer announced on Thursday that her new song, Dai Dai, will serve as the official track for the tournament taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Shakira teased the song in a one-minute Instagram video filmed at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Brazil. The track, scheduled for release on 14 May, also features Nigerian Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy.

The announcement marks another major World Cup collaboration for Shakira, who previously delivered one of football’s most memorable tournament songs with Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) during the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

She also released La La La (Brazil 2014) as a theme song for the 2014 World Cup and performed it at the tournament’s closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

Shakira additionally performed her global hit Hips Don’t Lie during the closing ceremony of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The singer, who shares two sons with former FC Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique, has maintained a long association with football tournaments throughout her career.

The expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from 11 June to 19 July, with Colombia among the nations set to participate.