We recently saw leaked renders showing Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and now it's time for their full specs. These have been leaked today by a usually reliable source, so let's dive right in. As you may already know, the Galaxy Z Fold8 will be the wide-style foldable that's aiming to compete with the iPhone Ultra. This will have a 7.6-inch 2448x1848 main folding screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and a 5.5-inch cover display with 1248x1972 resolution. Both panels will have 120Hz refresh rate. The display substrate is titanium now, which should make the crease...
Running an app store is a profitable business – one that platform makers are keen to protect. That used to be the case with Google too, but the conclusion of a 6-year legal battle with Epic Games has come to a surprise ending that will make third-party app stores that much more accessible. The story started in 2020 when Epic sued Google, alleging that Google held a monopoly in the Android app distribution market and in-app billing services. A jury sided with Epic, but this then went through an appeal process until, eventually, the two companies reached a settlement agreement in...
Futbol üzrə Azərbaycan milli komandasının cinah hücumçusu Vüsal İsgəndərli Kosovo klubu “Malişeva”nın heyətində növbəti oyununa çıxıb.
Arena.az xəbər verir ki, 29 yaşlı futbolçunun yeni komandası Avropa Konfrans Liqasının 2026/2027-ci illər mövsümünün 1-ci təsnifat mərhələsi çərçivəsində bu gün Albaniyanın “Vlajniya” kollektivi ilə üz-üzə gəlib.
“Malişeva” bu rəqiblə səfər oyununda 1:2 hesabıyla məğlub olmuşdu. Vüsal həmin görüşün 64-cü dəqiqəsində meydana çıxmaqla yeni komandasının heyətində debüt etmişdi.
Bu gün baş tutmuş cavab görüşündə isə İsgəndərlinin komandası 5:0 hesabıyla qalib gələrək Konfrans Liqasının 2-ci təsnifat mərhələsinə vəsiqə qazanıb. Azərbaycanlı futbolçu bu dəfə start heyətdə meydana çıxıb və 68-ci dəqiqədə, hesab 4:0 olarkən əvəzlənib. O, 46-cı dəqiqədə sarı vərəqə alıb, 45+2-ci dəqiqədə isə komandasının vurduğu 2-ci qolda məhsuldar ötürmə müəllifi olub.
Qeyd edək ki, Vüsalın komandası növbəti raundda Şotlandiya təmsilçisi “Hibernian”la qarşılaşacaq. İlk oyun iyulun 23-də Kosovoda, cavab görüşü ayın 30-da Şotlandiyada keçiriləcək.
Xatırladaq ki, Vüsal İsgəndərli “Malişeva”ya bu yay qoşulub. O, Kosovo klubunun heyətində artıq 2 oyun keçirib, 1 məhsuldar ötürmə müəllifi olub.
Millimizin futbolçusu son olaraq Albaniyanın “Partizani” klubunda çıxış edib. O, Albaniya klubuna 2025-ci ilin yayında Türkiyənin “Boluspor” komandasından azad agent kimi keçmişdi. Hücumçu geridə qalmış mövsümdə bu komandanın heyətində 35 oyuna çıxıb, 6 qola imza atıb, 3 məhsuldar ötürmə verib.
Vüsal daha öncə “Şamaxı”, “Zirə”, “Sumqayıt”, “Ankara Keçiörengücü”, “Eqnatiya”, “Boluspor” və “Simurq”da da forma geyinib. 2019-cu ilin noyabrında Azərbaycan millisində debüt etmiş 29 yaşlı hücumçu meydana çıxdığı 7 oyunda 1 qola imza atıb, 1 məhsuldar ötürmə verib.
Phone call data breaks out AI referrals for the first time. Calls from ChatGPT become leads more often than any other channel, but convert average.
The post ChatGPT Calls Turn Into Leads More Often: Invoca Report appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
“Qarabağ”ın baş məşqçisi Qurban Qurbanov sabah Avropa Liqasında “Vestri”yə qarşı keçiriləcək oyunla bağlı fikirlərini bölüşüb.
Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis matçla bağlı bunları deyib:
– Komanda tam hazırdır. Rəqibi yaxından tanıyırıq. Uzun səfərə gəldik. Dünən demək olar ki, bütün günü yolda olduq. Bir az yorğunluq var. Buna baxmayaraq, inanıram ki, futbolçular sabahkı matça hazır olacaqlar. Hava şəraiti də yaxşıdır. Əsl futbol havasıdır. Heyətdə dəyişikliklər ola bilər. Sabaha kimi vaxtımız var”.
President Donald Trump’s pick for US Attorney General faced criticism from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on his approach to crypto enforcement and the pardon of former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.
There are mixed reports in Italy and Spain on the status of Bologna talks for Real Oviedo left-back Rahim Alhassane, with an asking price of €4m.
The 24-year-old is a Niger international who has been at Real Oviedo since the summer of 2024.
He made 28 appearances for the club last season between LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, without contributing any assists or goals.
The suggestions in Spain via La Voz de Asturias are that negotiations are at an advanced stage and a deal could be done imminently.
That is not the version of events given by Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio.
He notes that although Alhassane talks are certainly on, Bologna are hoping to get an agreement reached for less than the €4m asking price set by Real Oviedo.
His current contract runs to June 2028 and the player can also do a job in central defence as well as left-back.
Lazio have set their sights on Fluminense centre-forward John Kennedy, claim Sky Sport Italia, but negotiations are still at an early stage with interest also from Watford and Wolves.
The striker celebrated his 24th birthday in May and is a product of the Fluminense youth academy, returning to Brazil following a brief loan spell in Mexico with Pachuca.
He has scored 14 goals in 35 competitive games for the club in 2026, along with two assists.
There were also six appearances for Brazil at Under-23 level, finding the net on one occasion.
Sky Sport Italia report that the talks have just begun between Lazio and Fluminense, and they are still trying to work out the formula that could be used to sign him.
There is plenty of competition for Kennedy, because the centre-forward has also been linked with English clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Watford.
Cagliari had also been mentioned, but have since started looking to other targets.
Como President Mirwan Suwarso has confirmed the report he called Inter to offer a pact of non-aggression over Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah. ‘This is a win-win relationship.’
The two Serie A teams were reportedly about to spark a bidding war for the England international, with an asking price of €35m from Stamford Bridge.
Just as it looked as if they were going to go head-to-head, La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Suwarso had called Inter to propose a pact, where they would back out to ensure they weren’t both fleeced.
To the general astonishment of the Business of Sport podcast crew, the Como President confirmed all of that was entirely accurate.
“There was a story in the media that we were in competition with another Italian team for a British player, they were saying we might want to buy him,” Suwarso told Business of Sport.
“So you know what, why don’t I just call the President of the other club and say, do you want him? If you want him, you go for it, we’ll back out. But if you buy him, then give me one of yours.
“He said, thanks for calling, I appreciate this, I’ll let you know. So we said these are the other targets we’re going after, we’re happy to share with you.
“So for me this is a win-win relationship with other clubs, we are open, it helps all of us to grow. I have a lunch next week with another chairman of another club, who can start managing their clothing brand together.”
There are some Serie A sides who produce their own kits and lifestyle products, specifically Napoli and Venezia, so it is likely one of these is his lunch dates.
Como do things very differently to other clubs, and part of that is because they were so small before the Indonesian decided to take them from Serie C to the Champions League.
“We spent a quite significant amount, but we do believe that we can break even and start no longer requiring injections from the owners at the end of next season,” said Suwarso.
“I met with UEFA, there’s no precedent of where we are, because UEFA look at the last few years. In comparison with Juventus and Aston Villa, the start-up level and growth level is different. Even they say they would have to evaluate how they look at Financial Fair Play.
“We want to become good members of the Association, so if you have to fine us, then fine us, that can be an objective we need to overcome. We don’t want to be treated differently.”
Suwarso confirmed purchased Como for €850,000 plus €150,000 in debt, but then poured money into the club, including the construction of a training ground that previously didn’t exist.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, Juventus winger Nico Gonzalez and Como’s Nico Paz are on the bench for Lionel Messi’s Argentina against England in the World Cup semi-final.
It kicks off in Atlanta at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).
The winners go on to face Spain in the Final on Sunday evening, while the losers fight with France for the bronze medal on Saturday.
There is some Italian representation here, as Maurizio Mariani is the fourth official on the touchline dealing with Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni.
Argentina have scraped their way through to this stage in defending their title won in 2022, needing extra time against Cape Verde, a last-gasp turnaround from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 amid controversy, and again extra time to defeat 10-man Switzerland.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez scored twice in this World Cup, but he is benched once more in favour of Julian Alvarez.
There was expected to be a Serie A player in the starting XI, as for the first time Juventus man Nico Gonzalez was going to get the nod rather than ex-Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on the right.
Instead, it is Giuliano Simeone, younger brother of Torino forward Giovanni Simeone, who plays.
Curiously, Giuliano was born in Rome because his father Diego was playing for Lazio at the time.
Nico Gonzalez spent this season on loan with Atletico Madrid, but they did not agree to buy him outright yet, scoring five goals in 37 games.
Nahuel Molina, another former Udinese player, starts at right-back, while ex-Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes has shaken off a knock.
England were given their toughest test yet in the quarter-final, squeezing past Erling Haaland’s Norway in extra time thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace.
All but one of their goals in the competition have been scored by either Bellingham or Harry Kane.
Jordan Henderson is out after breaking his arm jumping over an advertising board, while Jarrell Quansah continues his two-match ban.
Declan Rice has recovered from a stomach bug, but the surprise is Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa given his second start of the World Cup on the right.
There is some reshuffling in defence, with Reece James and Inter-linked Djed Spence as full-backs.
England: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Simeone, Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Julian Alvarez
Eduardo Camavinga could reportedly be allowed to leave Real Madrid this summer amid transfer interest from Manchester United.
The Red Devils have been among the France international’s admirers in recent times, as we exclusively reported here recently.
There’s now confirmation in a report from the Daily Mail that Camavinga’s Madrid future is in some doubt under new manager Jose Mourinho.
It remains to be seen if Camavinga will definitely leave, as the Mail note that his personal preference would be to remain at the Bernabeu.
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Still, it’s suggested that there are some doubts about his long-term future with Real, and that could mean there’s an opportunity there for United to pounce.
United have already had a busy summer, with deals for midfield duo Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos both officially announced in the last few days.
It could be, however, that MUFC will now pursue a third signing in that area of the pitch, with Camavinga one of the options on their radar.
Another one to watch could be Roma’s Manu Kone, with Fabrizio Romano posting on his YouTube channel that United have been in touch with the France international’s representatives.
Camavinga and Kone are similar profiles, so could be good signings for United, though it’s debatable if they really need yet another arrival in that part of their squad.
Michael Carrick could do with more depth in attack and defence as well as in midfield, though in fairness he’s coping with the loss of both Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.
The latter of those is admittedly only out with an injury, though it looks like a serious and long-term one, but Casemiro left on a free transfer after his contract expired, and will be hard to replace.
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Over the course of a long season, United will need the option to rotate, and Camavinga would perhaps also be a good option for them due to his ability to fill in at left-back.
The post Manchester United transfer target could be allowed to leave current club appeared first on CaughtOffside.
David Ornstein says there could be a “great market opportunity” for Manchester United and other clubs to sign Roma midfielder Manu Kone this summer.
The France international has been in superb form in Serie A and also put in some “excellent” displays for Les Bleus at the 2026 World Cup.
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Kone has been linked with a number of top clubs in recent times, and it seems Ornstein is aware of Man Utd’s interest in him, with the Athletic journalist describing him as a good cheap option on the market this summer…
A lot of reports suggest that Manchester United are looking at him, and I think that would be excellent.
“It's, from what we hear, a great market opportunity, the value that you could get him from Roma.”
France’s Manu Kone was one of the World Cup’s breakout stars – and… pic.twitter.com/xi1fA5gZJE
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 15, 2026
“It’s, from what we hear, a great market opportunity, the value that you could get him from Roma,” Ornstein said of Kone.
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Kone previously made a name for himself at Borussia Monchengladbach before moving to Roma in 2024, in an initial loan move that later became permanent.
The 25-year-old now clearly seems to be on United’s radar, following updates from both Ornstein in the video above, as well as a recent YouTube post from Fabrizio Romano.
MUFC have already confirmed the signings of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos in midfield, but it seems they’re keen on a third new addition in that position.
Some fans might feel a third new midfielder is a bit excessive, but there could be a case for completely revamping that position.
Casemiro has just left Old Trafford after coming to the end of his contract, while Manuel Ugarte is out with a long-term injury and hadn’t particularly impressed enough to be a regular starter for the club anyway.
There’s also Kobbie Mainoo, but if Michael Carrick can rotate between him, Kone, Tielemans, and Santos, that should cover the team well for the season ahead, with the team now set to have more games due to being back in the Champions League.
The post “Great market opportunity” – Ornstein’s Man United transfer update on “excellent” World Cup star appeared first on CaughtOffside.
England and Argentina hadn't even taken the field yet for their World Cup semifinal clash in Atlanta, and we already had a chance to witness the first competitive moment between the two rivals.
It was on the bus ride to the stadium.
Though FIFA and the host cities coordinate everything about a team's hotel departure and arrival route down to the minute, the two team busses — police escort and all — awkwardly converged on the way to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Fox pregame broadcast was following the moment, and the Argentina team bus had to wait on the freeway for the England bus to overtake it.
England's team bus really had to overtake Argentina's team bus en route to Atlanta Stadium 😅 pic.twitter.com/yUt32FRq79
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 15, 2026
That had to be an interesting moment for the Argentina players as they watched England's bus zoom by them.
FIFA managed to create drama on the drive to the stadium. There's no beating the World Cup.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Argentina's team bus had to wait on Atlanta freeway for England's bus to pass it
We're down to the last few games of the 2026 men's World Cup. On Wednesday, we should be in for an instant classic semifinal between Argentina and England in Atlanta. However, legendary English play-by-play announcer Ian Darke unfortunately won't be calling the game. In fact, he's done announcing games altogether at this tournament.
The reason is simple.
Fox has elected to ride with its lead announcing team of John Strong and Stu Holden through the final stage of the tournament. Darke is not the lead World Cup announcer for the network. The 72-year-old actually called his last game of this World Cup between Argentina and Switzerland in Kansas City during the quarterfinals, where Argentina prevailed 3-1 in extra time. That's a huge bummer to hear about Darke, to say the least.
Barring an official retirement announcement, it sure seems like Darke, who will be in his mid-70s by then, will likely be back for the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Depending on who gets the broadcast rights for that tournament, he very well might be the lead announcer for it, too. Hearing more of Darke's voice throughout would surely be a very welcome gift for English-speaking soccer fans.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why isn't Ian Darke announcing England vs. Argentina at the World Cup?
UFC CEO, Dana White, made a special announcement for Mexican Independence Weekend — but it has nothing to do with Noche UFC 4.
Instead, White and his “sweet science” cronies recently booked the previously reported Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn boxing match for Sept. 12, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s expected to push Noche UFC 4 to Sept. 19, though an official date and location have yet to be revealed.
“Alright everybody, it is official,” White announced on his social media channels. “Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn is signed and is taking place September 12th, live from T-Mobile Arena here in Las Vegas. Garcia is the world welterweight champion, Ring Magazine’s 5th-ranked welterweight in the world. He has 25 wins and 20 of those came by knockout.”
Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Mario Barrios back in February. As for Benn (25-1, 14 KOs), he swept the scorecards against Regis Prograis last April. Garcia represents Golden Boy Promotions while Benn fights under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
“He is facing Conor Benn, who has 25-1 with14 knockouts,” White added. “His only loss is to Eubanks Jr, and he immediately avenged that loss. These guys have been going back and forth on social media and this fight is going to be awesome. Live on Mexican Independence Weekend September 12th, live globally on Paramount+, and on DAZN in the UK and Ireland.”
Expect White to have plenty to say about this longtime rival in the lead up to the fight.
Minnesota Lynx star rookie Olivia Miles went down in Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks in the fourth quarter.
She started to grab at her ankle and had to come out of the game. Miles was checked out on the court by trainers, but was able to walk into the tunnel to the locker room on her own.
Olivia Miles walked off under her own power after suffering an injury in today's Lynx game. pic.twitter.com/NrPI7uee9X
— Victory+ W (@victoryplustvw) July 15, 2026
The guard returned to the bench with about three minutes left in the game but was seen favoring her ankle and limping as she stood to cheer on her teammates.
Miles suffered the injury in the fourth quarter. At the time of her injury, the Minnesota guard had 18 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
She was the second overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft by Minnesota, but has been playing like a seasoned veteran.
Miles has played in 22 games so far this season and is averaging 19.4 points, 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Her performance led to her being voted as an All-Star Game starter on July 25, provided that this injury doesn’t prevent her from participating.
This story will be updated.
Expectations continue to rise for Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Rueben Bain Jr. before he's even played his first NFL snap.
In a recent article highlighting the projected roles for every first-round rookie, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox listed Bain's initial role as the Buccaneers' starting edge rusher. Knox noted that Bain entered the 2026 NFL Draft as the top-ranked edge defender and the fifth-ranked overall prospect on Bleacher Report's draft board before unexpectedly sliding to Tampa Bay with the 15th overall pick.
Knox pointed to Tampa Bay's current edge rotation, which includes Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Chris Braswell, but believes Bain has already separated himself enough to earn a starting job. He also cited the early praise Bain has received from head coach Todd Bowles during offseason workouts.
That projection aligns with how the Buccaneers' current depth chart is shaping up. Bain is listed as the starting left outside linebacker opposite Diaby, giving Tampa Bay a pair of young pass rushers to build around. Veteran Anthony Nelson provides experienced depth behind Bain, while Braswell and Al-Quadin Muhammad round out one of the deeper edge groups the Buccaneers have assembled in recent years.
Knox also noted that Bain recorded 9.5 sacks during his final collegiate season and believes he has the talent to quickly become the centerpiece of Tampa Bay's pass rush. If his strong offseason continues into training camp, the rookie appears well on his way to opening Week 1 exactly where many expected him to be when the Buccaneers drafted him in the first round.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: What role will Rueben Bain Jr. have with the Bucs in 2026?
NEW YORK (AP) — The anticipation. The chase. The powdery, sugar-coated board of gum! For generations of baseball card fans, there was nothing like scrounging up some change and sprinting to the store to buy a wax pack.
Some tore the slightly tacky paper wrapper open and flipped through the cards in an insatiable instant (hence the popular phrase “ripping wax” for opening card packs even today, about 35 years since use of actual wax wrappers ceased). Others did the slow reveal: one card at a time, peeking out of a corner of the pack, or maybe upside down and reversed. However you did it, it was the right way.
“There is something inherently magic about peeling away the paper of the wax pack. There’s something visceral about it, taking the pack to your face and smelling it,” says Brian Pirrip, owner of collectible business M1NT. “It’s something about the mix of all these scents — the wax, the gum, the cardboard — that transports you back to a different time.”
Collecting and trading cards has been part of the baseball ecosystem since the 1860s. But the wax pack emerged as the delivery method in 1951 by Topps.
Opening a pack was thrilling. Who were you going to pull? Whether it was Hall-of-Famer-to-be Brooks Robinson or Sixto Lezcano, a “common” card, the feeling was the same: “an innocent joy,” Pirrip says. You’d then scale them or flip ’em, turn that pack of 15 cards into 20 through some clever trades. The cards went with you everywhere.
Fueled by history, statistics and mythmaking, baseball card collecting rode the nostalgia craze of the 1980s into big business and overproduction of cards. While saturation of the market brought down prices, the abundance of fan favorites has driven a resurgence of interest in opening wax packs.
Sure, you can open modern foil wrappers and chase high-value autos, refractors or other gimmicky cards, But there's nothing like tearing open a wax pack and chomping on the thin pink rectangle.
Pirrip has taken his love of collecting to 47 states. He has seen countless faces light up when a favorite card surfaces.
On a recent night at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, Pirrip pulled out a box of 1987 Topps cards and had guests rip some wax. Nolan Ryan, Don Mattingly, Roger Clemens and Kirby Puckett drew gasps. But it was all smiles, even for names not uttered in years.
“It instantly transports people to a happier time,” he says. “You can’t get that with anything else.”
___
Part of a recurring series, “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more American objects, click here. For more stories on the anniversary, click here.
When Sherrone Moore was fired for conducting a relationship with executive assistant Paige Shiver, at Michigan, the university commissioned Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block to find out what athletic department officials knew about the affair before Shiver admitted to it—and when.
The university has not yet released any public findings. But certain details first reported by The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic and confirmed by Front Office Sports suggest there was widespread speculation within the department about the relationship for more than a year, and that athletic department leadership, including AD Warde Manuel, was aware of this speculation.
Ultimately, however, the university’s board has no plans to discuss the future of athletics personnel issues at its meeting Thursday, the source said. A university spokesperson echoed these comments.
The spokesperson also referred to a statement provided to FOS Tuesday saying: “Because this matter is the subject of pending litigation, the university will not comment further on issues related to that relationship.” As for the report itself, the spokesperson said the documents were private because they were “protected by attorney-client privilege.”
Shiver’s attorney, Andrew M. Stroth, told FOS that Michigan “should immediately release the findings and recommendations from the $12 million Jenner & Block investigative report. We have been unable to get information regarding this investigation, which is why we filed several FOIAs, and why last week, Ms. Shiver filed a FOIA lawsuit against the University of Michigan. We’re just demanding transparency and accountability.”
Jenner & Block did not immediately provide comment.
Jenner & Block conducted two separate, but related, investigations into Moore’s conduct and the athletic department’s handling of the situation. The findings raise questions about whether athletic department leadership failed to take proper action on the concerns reported to them.
The investigation found that multiple members of the athletic department, including players and staffers, voiced concerns to athletic department officials about the conduct of Moore and Shiver, the source told FOS. The details were first reported by The Athletic.
The investigation also turned up a letter that Manuel had written in a note in August 2024 that he had told Moore he could not travel with Shiver, the source confirmed. The detail was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
During an interview with Good Morning Americain April, Shiver suggested that the Michigan athletics leadership knew about the affair. “He controlled everything that was going on in my life and they didn’t do anything about it,” she said.
Another source told FOS in December that the school had received a tip about the relationship and opened an investigation in November., but that there was no actionable evidence until Shiver herself admitted to the affair in December.
Over the past week, multiple reports surfaced suggesting Michigan would consider whether to part ways with Manuel. The university’s board of regents will convene for a previously scheduled meeting Thursday; there are no plans to have conversations about athletics personnel, according to the source. The university spokesperson had previously said the same to FOS; public meeting minutes also don’t show any conversations scheduled regarding Manuel’s future with the Wolverines.
Manuel said Tuesday during a local radio show that he expects to continue to be Michigan’s athletic director—though he has had conversations about his future.
The post Michigan Leaders Received Reports of Moore’s Affair, Investigation Finds appeared first on Front Office Sports.
Conor Benn's fight with WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 12 September.
Britain's Benn, 29, was made the WBC's number one challenger in December despite not fighting at welterweight since February 2024.
It will be Benn's first shot at a world title as Garcia, who beat Mario Barrios to win the belt in February, makes his first defence.
Benn is now promoted by Zuffa Boxing, which is backed by UFC chief Dana White and Saudi Arabian capital.
"These guys have been going back and forth on social media and this fight is going to be awesome," said White.
Garcia is American with Mexican heritage and the fight will take place on the weekend before Mexican Independence Day.
The 27-year-old has won 25 of his 28 professional fights, losing two with one no-contest, and was suspended from boxing for a year between 2024 and 2025 after failing a drugs test.
Benn, who has lost just once in 26 fights, was also sidelined for a year amid a doping scandal.
In May, Garcia appeared on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show to announce he would be facing Benn, but Oscar de la Hoya, who promotes the American, said the following month that no talks had taken place.
Garcia and Benn were on stage last week when fighters weighed in before UFC 329.
Benn's last fight at welterweight was more than two years ago when he beat Peter Dobson by decision in Las Vegas.
He moved up two divisions in 2025 for two fights against Chris Eubank Jr at middleweight, before beating Regis Prograis in April at a catchweight - 3lb above the welterweight limit.
Benn left promoters Matchroom to sign a one-bout deal with Zuffa Boxing in February and has since penned a multi-fight deal with them.
In April, Benn told BBC Sport that Garcia was "good for boxing" but believes he is a "liability".
Here's what to know about left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon, a player the Milwaukee Brewers will reportedly receive in a trade with the Houston Astros that also includes veteran right-hander Lance McCullers:
The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is 27 years old and will turn 28 just before Christmas.
He's a Florida native who attended the University of Central Florida, and the Astros selected him in the eighth round of the 2021 draft.
Gordon has pitched 14 games at AAA this year (13 starts) with a 6-3 record, 3.69 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He last pitched July 10 in the minors, allowing no runs and four hits in six innings, with seven strikeouts. He's a former top-10 prospect in the Astros organization.
He's worked 9⅓ rough innings in the big leagues this year, all in April, allowing six home runs and three walks with an 11.57 ERA.
In 2025, when he made his big-league debut, he had a 5.34 ERA in 20 games (14 starts), with 72 strikeouts and 103 hits allowed in 86 innings.
He had a 3.38 ERA across 11 starts in 2025 and a 3.94 ERA over 24 starts in 2024. All of those appearances were with Class AAA Sugar Land. He also made six starts in 2023 for AAA, so he's a long-tenured Triple-A pitcher at this point.
It remains to be seen. At the time of the trade, he was in the minors, and Milwaukee's Class AAA Nashville squad has also been besieged by pitching injuries and call-ups, so he'll be a welcome addition wherever he winds up and will almost certainly see the mound in Milwaukee at some point this year, if not right away.
Gordon has one more option year remaining after this season and five years of team control.
He's been heavy on four-seam fastball and sweeper at the big-league level, with a dash of sinker and changeup. He gets elite extension on the mound and gets good chase but isn't going to wow you with his velocity.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is Colton Gordon? What to know about reported new Brewers pitcher
Here's what to know about left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon, a player the Milwaukee Brewers will reportedly receive in a trade with the Houston Astros that also includes veteran right-hander Lance McCullers:
The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is 27 years old and will turn 28 just before Christmas.
He's a Florida native who attended the University of Central Florida, and the Astros selected him in the eighth round of the 2021 draft.
Gordon has pitched 14 games at AAA this year (13 starts) with a 6-3 record, 3.69 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He last pitched July 10 in the minors, allowing no runs and four hits in six innings, with seven strikeouts. He's a former top-10 prospect in the Astros organization.
He's worked 9⅓ rough innings in the big leagues this year, all in April, allowing six home runs and three walks with an 11.57 ERA.
In 2025, when he made his big-league debut, he had a 5.34 ERA in 20 games (14 starts), with 72 strikeouts and 103 hits allowed in 86 innings.
He had a 3.38 ERA across 11 starts in 2025 and a 3.94 ERA over 24 starts in 2024. All of those appearances were with Class AAA Sugar Land. He also made six starts in 2023 for AAA, so he's a long-tenured Triple-A pitcher at this point.
It remains to be seen. At the time of the trade, he was in the minors, and Milwaukee's Class AAA Nashville squad has also been besieged by pitching injuries and call-ups, so he'll be a welcome addition wherever he winds up and will almost certainly see the mound in Milwaukee at some point this year, if not right away.
Gordon has one more option year remaining after this season and five years of team control.
He's been heavy on four-seam fastball and sweeper at the big-league level, with a dash of sinker and changeup. He gets elite extension on the mound and gets good chase but isn't going to wow you with his velocity.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is Colton Gordon? What to know about reported new Brewers pitcher
In part one, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes took spots four through seven in our ranking of the best front offices.
Each of those teams has made a few mistakes over the years, but big wins have far overshadowed the mistakes.
The Avs won big in the draft multiple times and have made adding depth through trades and free agency look easy. The Stars are the best drafting team of the past 15 years in the NHL, and have pulled off major trades for Tyler Seguin and Mikko Rantanen.
The Wild acquired their top defensive pair, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, by nailing multiple trades. They also drafted top-line forward Kirill Kaprizov with the 135th pick in 2015. Great moves over the years have put them at the top of the Central Division with the Avs and Stars, both powerhouses of the last five years.
The Hurricanes built their core through the draft and made one of the best coaching hires in recent memory, Rod Brind’Amour.
While those four franchises’ front offices have done a fantastic job, the top three stand out even more. These three front offices pull off the unthinkable time and time again. They consistently make moves to get the missing puzzle pieces and will find loopholes like the long-term injured reserve (LTIR).
Their choices seem questionable at times, but always turn out for the better in the long run. The success this produces, by no coincidence, also makes these three teams some of the most hated in the NHL.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the greatest franchise of the 21st century thus far. They’ve appeared in five Stanley Cup Finals, winning three of them. Other than the two seasons impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, they haven’t had a sub-94-point season since the 2012-13 season. Their 94-point season in 2016-17 was the only time they missed the playoffs since Jon Cooper first coached a full season there, and they were only off by one point.
The building blocks of the modern Lightning dynasty were assembled in the late 2000s, when the team draftedSteven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Stamkos was the first pick in 2008, and Hedman was the second pick in 2009.
Stamkos served as captain when the team won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, Hedman remains a key component of the roster to this day.
Nikita Kucherov, selected by the Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft, became one of the greatest second-round picks in NHL history. The electrifying (pun intended) right winger has been averaging a point per game for the last decade and still has juice left in the tank at 32 years old.
Later in that same draft, the Lightning selected Ondrej Palat all the way at pick 208.
In the next few years, Tampa also drafted legendary goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, along with forwards Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli. Both Point and Cirelli were third-round picks. The franchise has demonstrated skill in picking several great prospects in multiple rounds.
Perhaps most important was the man who could glue everything together, Jon Cooper. The Lightning hired Cooper as their head coach in 2013, and the franchise hasn’t looked back since. He now has a list of accolades that gives him an argument to be the greatest head coach ever.
On this day 13 years ago, Jon Cooper was hired as the TB Lightning head coach.
Among his many honors,
— Bolts Breakdown (@BoltsBreakdown) March 25, 2026
Tampa’s best trades of the decade have been crucial to their championship runs. In 2017, they tradedJonathan Drouin for Mikhail Sergachev. Drouin never blossomed into a star, while Sergachev greatly improved during his time in Tampa. The Lightning also made a deal with the Rangers in 2018 to acquire Ryan McDonagh, a quality, experienced defenseman.
Furthermore, the team got forward Pat Maroon at a massive bargain. Maroon not only brought a hyper-physical presence, but championship experience too.
The Lightning’s 2022 trade to acquire Brandon Hagel was another good deal that helped the team after their cup runs. And while trading Mikhail Sergachev and letting Steven Stamkos walk in 2024 was arguably ruthless, it is the nature of the sports business. In fact, other teams have been even worse in that department (more on that later). It ultimately turned out to be the right move, as it freed up cap space to sign top forward Jake Guentzel.
The Lightning front office also abused a loophole through the LTIR to spend more on their roster. Until it was patched, teams were able to exceed the salary cap by the LTIR player(s)’ contract amount and have those players return in the playoffs.
While it felt like cheating, it was within the rules, and the innovative idea set a precedent for another team (that will be mentioned later).
Remember how, in part one, I said the Hurricanes’ playstyle works 90% of the time? The majority of the remaining 10% is when they play this team. The Panthers and Hurricanes matched up in the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2023 and 2025, and the Panthers were close to completing both sweeps before the Canes took Game 4 in 2025.
The Panthers have been the more physical team and have nullified the Canes’ aggressive forecheck these past few years. The result? Domination of the Eastern Conference whenever healthy.
After an injury-riddled 2026 season where captain Aleksander Barkov never played, the Panthers are favorites to win the 2027 Stanley Cup. This would mark their fourth appearance in five seasons, and their third Cup.
The Panthers are already arguably the most physical team in the NHL. They added multiple new physical players this offseason. They acquired Brady Tkachuk, the younger brother of their second-line winger Matthew.
After failed negotiations with former star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, they then traded for Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid. It’s crazy to think Evan Rodrigues was going to be a fourth-liner on this team after scoring some key goals for Florida the past few years. The team got their value in return by dealing him for a positional need in Markstrom.
The Panthers also traded for Radko Gudas and Garnet Hathaway. Both of whom have a history of dirty plays, especially Gudas, who endedAuston Matthews’ season with a knee-on-knee hit last season.
Florida already had three of the dirtiest players in the NHL in Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Their new additions can guarantee that this squad will lead the league in controversial plays in the upcoming season.
This team is built on a formula that works and has two of the past three years’ rings to show for it. They aren’t going away anytime soon.
The Florida Panthers have been built over 13 years of great decisions. They drafted Selke Trophy-winning captain and first-line center Aleksander Barkov in 2013 and top defenseman Aaron Ekblad in 2014.
Then came the man who doesn’t miss: Bill Zito. The Panthers hired Zito as their GM in 2020. He signed now-first-line left winger Carter Verhaeghe to a great deal after Verhaeghe never broke through in Tampa. He claimed Gustav Forsling off waivers. Forsling developed into one of the best two-way defensemen in hockey.
Zito then proceeded to fleece multiple other teams in trades. Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk all came to South Florida for a great price. While criticized at the time, Bill Zito had the insight to trust his bet that the Matthew Tkachuk trade would pan out.
Four years later, he was right. The hockey world was wrong. The Panthers know how to keep their talent too. Tkachuk has praised the organization for their roster construction and the way they take care of the players.
Zito hired Paul Maurice, who is responsible for their aggressive style that makes other aggressive teams look weak. He rented Anthony Stolarz, who became one of the best backup goalies on Earth in his one season with Florida. Bill Zito knows what it takes to win and how to get there, whether it’s in Florida or winning gold at the Olympics.
The Vegas Golden Knights are hands down the most ruthless front office in hockey. The franchise started in 2017 as an expansion team and immediately got to work. Marc-Andre Fleury was the franchise’s first starting goalie and led the team to a Stanley Cup appearance in their first year. The expansion draft provided the Knights with numerous crucial pieces for years to come.
The team made plenty of fantastic trades. They made a massive trade with the Ottawa Senators to bring in Mark Stone, their now-captain. Brett Howden even became a key piece after the New York Rangers dealt him to Vegas.
The Knights gambled in a trade for Jack Eichel. Their reward? One of the best puck handlers and passers in the sport. Vegas also stoleIvan Barbashev, their top-line left wing, from the St. Louis Blues. Soon after, they brought in Jonathan Quick, a legendary goalie who still had more left in the tank.
In 2024, they pulled the LTIR trick à la Tampa with Mark Stone to gain more cap space to get top-tier two-way defenseman Noah Hanifin and big-time two-way center Tomas Hertl. And with heavy anticipation, Stone magically was ready to play to start the playoffs. The internet didn’t hold back with their reactions, jokingly making posts targeting the Knights captain.
Game 1 pic.twitter.com/8w4xpYIOKK
— Strombone (@strombone1) March 7, 2024
While they couldn’t get past the first round, where the Dallas Stars knocked them out in seven games, that year’s roster was one of the best ever assembled…on paper.
The next year, they pulled out a trick no one saw coming by poachingMitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs through a sign-and-trade, providing a boost to their top six.
The Knights don’t only succeed on the trade block, though. While they’re notorious for trading picks, Pavel Dorofyev turned out to be a brilliant selection with the 79th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Alex Pietrangelo was one of the team’s best free agent signings. He provided the team with size, championship experience and great defense.
Perhaps one of Vegas’ strongest points is always having the right coach. Gerard Gallant, their first coach, was able to bring the misfits together and make it all the way to the Stanley Cup in one season. When the team’s performance under him worsened, they brought in Pete DeBoer, who got the team back to the Western Conference Finals.
The team did the same when they later brought in Bruce Cassidy, who brought them a Cup. And when the team was buckling under Cassidy, they brought in John Tortorella. The Knights went from possibly missing the playoffs to winning two games in the Stanley Cup Finals. GM Kelly McCrimmon’s intuition in this regard is incredible. Now Ryan Craig is in. Don’t be surprised if he succeeds too.
Many have criticized the Knights for their lack of heart towards their players. Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe trophy en route to the Stanley Cup, notching 13 goals in the last 15 games. A year later, the Knights let him walk. They traded Alex Tuch to get Jack Eichel. These are emotionally tough moves, just like the coach firings, but in retrospect, they were the right calls.
The Golden Knights have made a few mistakes in their short history. Trading Nick Suzuki for Max Pacioretty didn’t age well. Their other mistakes have been in the net. Ever since they traded Marc-Andre Fleury, their goalie rotation has been disastrous.
They committed to Robin Lehner, who later stepped away from the NHL for off-ice reasons. Adin Hill took over in the 2023 playoffs and gave the Knights a fantastic run to the championship, but that was as good as he’d get. Logan Thompson requested a trade since the Knights wouldn’t make him the starting goalie over Hill, and he has put up better numbers than Hill in both of the past two seasons for the Capitals.
The Knights still suffer a goalie problem to this day, as their goalie tandem doesn’t reflect the caliber of the rest of the roster. However, the willingness of the organization to put feelings aside and prioritize what helps the team win has made them a perennial contender. According to Statmuse, they boast the best winning percentage of any franchise since 2000. At the end of the 2027 season, expect the Knights to be in the hunt for Lord Stanley once more.
The post Which NHL Franchises Have the Best Front Offices? Part 2 appeared first on The Lead.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a major change over the offseason, with veteran head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down after nearly two decades at the helm of the franchise and being replaced by former Super Bowl champion Mike McCarthy. And after a long stretch of the team's peak seemingly being narrowly advancing to the postseason followed by an early exit, fans are hoping things might get back on track.
One piece of last year's team who is returning is veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who will be back for his second season in Pittsburgh and the final of his NFL career. He will reunite with McCarthy for one final time after the pair won a Super Bowl earlier in their careers in Green Bay, and many are picturing a final grandiose run back to that stage for the duo. But one former Steelers star doesn't see it happening.
Ryan Clark, who played in Pittsburgh from 2006-2013, is now an NFL analyst with ESPN, and he recently was asked during an appearance on the network what the expectations should be for the Steelers this year. And for those fans who wanted to see Tomlin gone due to the recent string of early postseason exits, they will not be happy if the assessment comes to fruition.
"This team can be slightly above average. Aaron Rodgers can get this team to nine wins or 10 wins, and you maybe sneak into the playoffs."
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 14, 2026
—@Realrclark25 on the expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season 🏈 pic.twitter.com/5C5rc7TYZ8
"This team can be slightly above average," Clark said. "Aaron Rodgers can get this team to nine wins or 10 wins, and you maybe sneak into the playoffs."
After so many years of lackluster performances that saw the Steelers barely advance to the postseason and lose early, many fans felt a change in leadership was necessary this offseason, and they got it. So a return to the same level of play in the first year, particularly with a legendary quarterback already familiar with his head coach, would certainly be underwhelming and a disappointment for fans.
Whether they can do better than that or not will be one of the biggest storylines entering the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Former Steelers star predicts unsatisfactory 2026 season for the team
Jermaine Eluemunor has built an NFL career as one of the biggest men on the field, but his first sports dream belonged to a very different kind of football.
TMZ Sports reported that the New York Giants offensive lineman said he wanted to become a professional soccer player while growing up in England.
The London-born tackle joked that one major thing got in the way, he was simply too big.
Eluemunor told TMZ Sports that he has always been a huge fan of the game. He said that as a kid in Europe, he wanted to play professionally, but his size made that path unlikely.
The Giants list Eluemunor at 6-foot-4 and 338 pounds, which helps explain why American football eventually became the better fit.
He told TMZ that he believes he was put on earth to play American football, calling it his love and passion.
Eluemunor said soccer development looked very different once he came to the United States. As a kid, he said he had only played once or twice a week, but later realized that players aiming for the top level train every day.
His official Giants biography says he played soccer and rugby while growing up in London before playing American football for the first time in high school.
From there, his path led through Lackawanna College, Texas A&M and the 2017 NFL Draft, where the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fifth round.
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Even though the NFL became his career, Eluemunor has not lost his connection to the U.K. sports scene. TMZ reported that he spent part of the summer in England hosting his second annual American football camp.
He said spreading the game in England is something he cares deeply about.
The Giants’ biography also notes that Eluemunor previously met with students at an NFL Flag clinic in Germany, part of his broader connection to the league’s international growth.
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The interview landed as England prepared to face Messi and Argentina in the World Cup semifinal. Eluemunor made it clear where his loyalty was, predicting that England was going to “smack” Argentina.
He also praised Norway star Erling Haaland, calling him a rare physical player and comparing his athletic profile to someone who could fit American football.
England and Argentina were scheduled to meet Wednesday, July 15, with the winner set to face Spain in the World Cup final.
Daytona International Speedway just got faster.
Or at least that’s the hope.
On July 15, NASCAR announced updates to the Cup Series’ superspeedway package for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
The rear spoiler will be shortened from 7 inches to 4, making it the same height as intermediate tracks, in an effort to reduce drag. The horsepower will also drop from 510 to 465 to account for reduced downforce.
NASCAR hopes the changes will provide more opportunities for drivers to pass and less reliance on fuel-saving strategies to gain positions. It expects single-car runs to be 3 mph faster while speeds for cars in a pack won’t be affected much.
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The adjustments will take effect for the regular-season finale on Aug. 29. It remains undetermined whether the final superspeedway race of the season — at Talladega in October — will adopt the new practices.
Denny Hamlin, who served on a committee for the updates, broke down the reasoning.
“What we’re essentially trying to recreate is Atlanta at Daytona and Talladega,” he said on “Inside The Race.” “It happens organically at Atlanta, the space between the cars, because the cars themselves are grip-limited, and the fuel-mileage (racing) really doesn’t happen because you have to be on offense constantly. If you watch the pack, there is no saving. Guys are dicing it up the entire race.
“So this is what we’re aspiring to get to at some point. And it’s going to take chunks here and there. This is our first bite of the apple at this, so what I believe is that from the numbers that I’ve seen, it’s going to be roughly a 33% gain in the right direction.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR just changed a rule — and hopes it makes cars faster at Daytona
Isaac TeSlaa had a solid rookie season, reeling in 16 catches for 239 yards with six touchdown grabs. The Arkansas product came on late in the season and demonstrated the ability to come up with some tough, contested catches throughout the 2025 season.
But, the Lions are looking for more from TeSlaa in 2026 to pair with its two star receivers, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Lions associate head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery is excited about TeSlaa's added athleticism heading into the 2026 season.
"He's done a good job of going and getting the football since he's been here and then now at the top of his breaks, they're so much cleaner. He's so much stronger. What I like to do is I like to watch where we were, especially from an athleticism standpoint, to where he is now. It's not even close," Montgomery said.
A third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, TeSlaa finished last season by registering eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the season's final three weeks.
Montgomery and the Lions think that TeSlaa's added athleticism will help him get off the line more fluidly and help him become a more available target for quarterback Jared Goff.
"That gives him the ability in those one-on-one situations and not just win with length, but to win with quickness and length," Montgomery said. "That gives, of course, (Goff) just an even bigger window to throw the football."
Per Pro Football Focus, TeSlaa recorded 438 offensive snaps.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Josh on X, @JoshOnLions
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: 'It's not even close': Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa makes athleticism jump
Arsenal and Barcelona are competing for the signature of Julian Alvarez, with both clubs increasing their interest as the World Cup reaches its conclusion on Sunday.
Alvarez has been representing Argentina during the tournament, while his club Atletico Madrid continues to fight to keep hold of him. The Spanish side has already rejected approaches from Barcelona and Real Madrid for the forward’s signature.
Because Alvarez has been focused on performing for Argentina at the World Cup, there has been little movement regarding a potential transfer. However, once the competition ends, clubs with a genuine interest in signing him are expected to intensify their efforts.
Arsenal is determined to do everything possible to win the race for the attacker, but Barcelona has the same ambition. The Spanish club is also pushing to secure an agreement and believes it can compete for one of the most sought-after players available.
According to Sky Sports, Barcelona is prepared to return with an improved offer after seeing a 100 million euro bid rejected earlier in the summer. The rejection demonstrated Atletico Madrid’s determination to retain Alvarez unless a suitable proposal arrives.
The decision to reject Barcelona’s offer also provides a warning to Arsenal and any other interested clubs. It shows the level of investment required to convince Atletico Madrid to allow Alvarez to leave.
The Argentine forward has become one of the most highly regarded attackers in European football, and his performances have increased interest from some of the biggest clubs.
Arsenal will need to prepare a significant offer if they want to compete with Barcelona and overcome Atletico Madrid’s resistance. With the World Cup ending soon, the transfer situation surrounding Alvarez is expected to become one of the major stories of the window.
Both Arsenal and Barcelona are ready to push for his signature, but Atletico Madrid’s position means that any successful deal will likely require a substantial financial commitment.
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As reported by SPORT, FC Barcelona are keeping a close eye on developments surrounding former academy winger Estanis Pedrola, who is attracting significant interest after an impressive loan spell at UD Las Palmas during the second half of last season.
The Catalan club’s long-term strategy of including sell-on clauses when academy graduates leave has already generated substantial income in recent years.
Players such as Jean-Clair Todibo, Nico Gonzalez, Ilaix Moriba, Alex Collado, Ludovit Reis and Ferran Jutgla have all produced financial returns through future transfer percentages.
Barcelona still retain similar clauses on several former players across Europe.
They own 40% of any future transfer fee involving Jan Virgili, 20% of Sergi Dominguez’s next sale, a smaller percentage of Sergino Dest’s rights and, notably, 50% of any future transfer involving Estanis Pedrola.
Pedrola spent the second half of last season on loan at UD Las Palmas from Sampdoria, where he quickly became an important attacking option.
His pace, direct running and ability to play on either wing gave the team a new dimension, earning praise for his impact as a game-changer.
Comfortable with both feet and capable of creating and finishing chances, the former La Masia player showed the qualities of a modern, versatile winger. His performances have not gone unnoticed.
Although Pedrola remains under contract with Sampdoria, where he signed permanently in 2023 after triggering a purchase clause through appearances, a number of Segunda Division clubs are now exploring a move.
The Italian side paid Barcelona €3 million for the winger, while the Catalan club secured a 50% sell-on clause and a €7 million buy-back option, which expired in 2025.
Barcelona are therefore following the situation closely, knowing they could benefit financially from another transfer.
Estanis Pedrola could secure a return to Spain. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
RCD Mallorca were strongly linked with Pedrola earlier in the summer, but their interest cooled after prioritising other wide players.
Las Palmas also hoped to bring him back following his successful loan spell, but negotiations broke down after relations between the club and president Miguel Angel Ramírez deteriorated.
That has opened the door for Real Oviedo, who are currently the club best positioned to complete the signing. Discussions are progressing well, although no final agreement has yet been reached.
Should Pedrola complete a permanent move for a fee between €1 million and €1.5 million, Barcelona would receive half of the transfer income thanks to the sell-on agreement, with Sampdoria collecting the remaining 50%.
With the winger’s contract running until 2027, this could represent Barcelona’s final realistic opportunity to generate revenue from his transfer rights.
Christos Tzolis is waiting for Arsenal, and Club Brugge is now expecting a bid from the Gunners after they sold Leandro Trossard to Besiktas, according to the BBC.
Tzolis enjoyed an outstanding season last term, demonstrating in the Belgian top flight that he has developed significantly as a player. His performances have attracted attention, and Arsenal is interested in adding him to their squad.
The Gunners view Tzolis as one of the leading attacking talents in Europe who could improve their squad. The club is prepared to make efforts to secure his signature as they continue to strengthen their attacking options.
Tzolis has been monitoring Arsenal’s interest and has reportedly decided to wait for an approach from them, despite attracting attention from other sides, including Borussia Dortmund.
The Greek forward is keen on returning to the Premier League, where he previously played for Norwich City earlier in his career. A move to Arsenal would represent a major opportunity for him.
Arsenal believes Tzolis could be an ideal addition to the squad, and the departure of Trossard has created more space on the left wing. This could encourage the Gunners to accelerate their pursuit of the attacker during the current transfer window.
Arsenal remains interested in strengthening its attack and would like to sign Bradley Barcola. However, the Frenchman would be a more difficult target because of his expected transfer cost, while PSG has made it clear that they do not want to sell him this summer.
With Barcola proving difficult to secure, Tzolis could become a more realistic option for Arsenal as they look to improve their forward options.
The Greek attacker’s desire to join the club could also help the Gunners in negotiations. Club Brugge is now waiting to see whether Arsenal follows up its interest with a formal offer after making changes to its attacking department.
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In a recent segment on Youtube, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano stated that Manchester United are keeping a keen eye on Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga. Romano said,
“Another option, in this case only mentioned internally in the meetings, has been also Eduardo Camavinga. So Camavinga, Manu Koné, that kind of player, defensive midfielder who can run, who can help with intensity, also physical. So this is what Man United are looking for. On Camavinga, Eduardo Camavinga doesn’t want to leave Real Madrid this summer.
“Camavinga wants to stay. Camavinga wants to continue the club. Camavinga wants to be an important part of Real Madrid project next season. So the Camavinga story could only be possible if the player decides to go. But at the moment, Camavinga wants to stay at Real Madrid, so this is why the deal for Camavinga is complicated.”
Camavinga enjoyed a good run of form at the Madrid club in the previous campaign after he produced a series of impressive displays for them in La Liga. The 23-year-old scored two goals and earned one assist in 43 matches for Los Blancos last season in multiple competitions.
The French talent is currently among the most gifted central midfielders in La Liga. Hence, it is no surprise that the Red Devils are showing interest in signing Camavinga later this year.
PAMPLONA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 21: Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports match between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid CF at Estadio El Sadar on February 21, 2026 in Pamplona, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
His current contract at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will run out in the summer of 2029, which could make it difficult for Man United to sign him on the cheap this off-season.
Camavinga is a solid tackler of the ball and can sense the danger well to earn possession back for his team inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the front foot and is a tidy passer as well.
The French sensation is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also serve as a defensive midfielder or as a left-sided wide player if told to do so by his manager. Camavinga can also chip in by scoring and creating the odd goal for his team. However, there are some concerns over whether he can cope with the physicality and high intensity of the Premier League if the Red Devils manage to bring him on board later this year.
We can expect Camavinga to add more quality and depth to Man United boss Michael Carrick’s midfield department. He has what it takes to fight for a regular first-team spot at the Theatre of Dreams next season.
At 23, Camavinga has his peak years ahead of him, which makes him a worthy target for the Mancunian giants to pursue in this transfer window. With all things considered, Carrick would be wise to go for a player with his skill set later this year.
It’s the 32nd day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup! We’re down to the final four teams at the tournament, with the two semifinals to be played over the next 24 hours. You ready? You better be.
Here’s the schedule of Day 32 of the World Cup in North America.
Where: Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia.
Official kickoff time: 3 p.m. local time in Atlanta; 9 p.m. in Italy and across Europe; 8 p.m. in the United Kingdom; 3 p.m. Eastern time; 2 p.m. Central time; 12 p.m. Pacific time.
Television: FOX, Telemundo (United States); TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, CTV, RDS (Canada).
Online/Streaming: FOX One, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, fuboTV (United States); TSN+, CTV app, RDS app (Canada).
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — More than 300,000 fans will attend the British Open at Royal Birkdale this week, making it a record crowd for golf’s oldest major championship.
They’ll need to bring sun cream and some manners.
For the first time, the R&A has felt it necessary to publish a fan code of conduct, at a time when some of golf’s biggest events have been marred by unsavory and even abusive behavior by spectators.
Titled “The Open Commitment,” the code boils down to these five basic requirements of fans: respect the players, respect the links, respect each other, be aware, enjoy responsibly.
Essentially, just be a nice person. If not, the R&A says it can punish “serious or repeated breaches” by removing the guilty parties from the property “without refund.”
“I’m all for an atmosphere,” said Matt Fitzpatrick, one of the 21 English players in the field who are most likely to be cheered rather than heckled. “Obviously I don’t want it to cross a line.”
That’s what happened at last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, when Team Europe’s players — especially Rory McIlroy — endured a torrent of personal insults and shouting on their back swings and putts. McIlroy deemed the abuse from the New York crowd “unacceptable.”
Wyndham Clark didn’t get much love at last month’s U.S. Open, with spectators cheering his mistakes — conduct that Scottie Scheffler said was “a bit much to me.”
Even the most recent British Open held on English soil — just down the road at Hoylake — didn’t escape some crowd misbehavior as American player Brian Harman defied some jeers and insults on his way to lifting the claret jug.
Clark doesn’t appear too concerned about any repeat incidents at Birkdale this week, describing British golf fans as “the best.”
“They respect the game, they respect the players and they really understand golf,” he said. “If you hit it into a tough spot and make the correct play or the smart play, the prudent play, they clap; they understand sometimes 20 feet is a great shot.”
R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said marshals, volunteers and officials have been well-briefed on what constitutes poor fan conduct.
“We feel that it’s within our gift, if someone does step over the line, to ask them to leave the venue,” Darbon said, “and I think that’s a pretty powerful display. That’s the mechanism that we’ll use rather than fining a spectator.”
Tee times for the final round at Royal Birkdale are open to change.
And it's all because of a soccer match.
The World Cup final being staged in the United States on Sunday is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. in England — just 80 minutes after organizers estimate the final putt will drop in the Open Championship, unless there's a playoff.
The big issue is that England could be in it. Its team was playing Argentina in the semifinals on Wednesday night and the R&A is waiting on the result.
Mark Darbon, the R&A's chief executive, says it would be a “great problem to have” because he's an England fan and that his organization has been thinking a lot about the schedule.
“We think that, even if we go to a three-hole playoff, we’ve got time to complete the championship,” Darbon said. “So at this stage, no plans to alter anything, but we’ll maintain that under review and finalize our position after the semifinal.”
Royal Birkdale went through a number of changes, such as eliminating the par-3 14th hole and building a new par-3 15th. Darbon said “it would be wrong” to suggest changes are driven by spectator movement.
“The changes to the golf course have been driven by the members,” he said. “Given the strength of partnership that we have with our host venues, of course we’re part of some of those discussions, and where there are things that we can do together that also help us operationally, they often make sense to do to help with the staging of the championship.”
It’s hard to imagine Royal Birkdale members wanting a new hole, leading Darbon to be asked if the members’ decision was based on concerns the Open might not return.
“At no stage would we threaten a non-return to a venue on that basis,” he said.
Darbon also pushed back on the idea the British Open is moving toward bigness, particularly attendance. Martin Slumbers, his predecessor, had said before retiring, “Big-time sport needs big-time crowds.”
“If we’re able to facilitate spectator volumes onsite, we’ll always consider that, but it’s not the primary driver for us,” Darbon said.
He cited a return to Royal Lytham & St. Annes, which has a smaller footprint than Royal Birkdale.
“We’re not taking venues off the rotation because they’re smaller than others,” he said. “But there’s a balance to be struck, too, and we think we’re getting that right.”
As for Muirfield, which last hosted the Open in 2013, Darbon said the course requires some tweaks but the R&A looks forward to returning.
Aaron Rai might not have been aware of all the things that come with winning a major as the PGA Championship was his first one. He knew about the Wanamaker Trophy (maybe not how heavy it is) and the five-year exemption to the majors.
The surprise was in the mail.
Jack Nicklaus for years has been writing a note of congratulations to major champions.
“After the PGA I received a handwritten letter from Jack Nicklaus, which was kind of surreal when we opened the mail,” Rai said. “For someone like that to take the time to write to me after the PGA, it definitely shows the class of what Jack is about.”
The Royal & Ancient has come with a new honor, announcing Adam Scott as the first recipient of the “Spirit of Golf Award” for his contributions to golf around the world.
The award is to recognize an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the game on a global scale and displays the values, behaviors and traditions inherent to golf.
Scott is playing his 101th consecutive major at the British Open, the second-longest streak in golf behind Jack Nicklaus. Scott turns 46 on Thursday, the first round of the Open.
“As someone who has spent my entire life in the game of golf it is so meaningful to be recognized for my impact on golf across the world, not only from a playing point of view but for also upholding values which are so integral to the sport,” Scott said.
The R&A said the award would be annual, though it could also be given to a team or organization, and is not restricted to professionals.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
The Dallas Cowboys have no shortage of expectations entering the 2026 NFL season. After another offseason filled with optimism, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has made it clear that simply reaching the playoffs won’t be enough for his team. Appearing on the Twins Take Podcast, Schottenheimer made a bold prediction about what he believes lies ahead for the Cowboys.
MORE: Top 7 quarterbacks in the NFL entering 2026-2027 season
Schottenheimer didn’t shy away from setting lofty expectations. During the interview, the Cowboys head coach expressed confidence that Dallas will be playing in the Super Bowl this season, making it clear that’s the standard the organization is striving for.
It’s an ambitious statement, especially considering the Cowboys have spent years trying to get over the postseason hump. While regular-season success has often followed the franchise, deep playoff runs have been much harder to come by.
Schottenheimer is hoping to change that narrative in his second season leading America’s Team.
Making a prediction like that inevitably creates additional pressure. Cowboys fans already expect their team to contend every season, and now their head coach has publicly raised the bar even higher.
If Dallas gets off to a fast start, Schottenheimer’s comments will only add to the excitement surrounding the franchise.
However, if the team struggles early, those same remarks will quickly become a talking point for critics questioning whether the Cowboys were too confident heading into the season.
Regardless of whether Schottenheimer made the prediction publicly, competing for a Super Bowl has always been the expectation in Dallas.
The Cowboys possess one of the league’s most recognizable brands and consistently enter seasons believing they have a roster capable of making a championship run.
Now, their head coach has openly embraced those expectations instead of trying to temper them. Only time will tell whether Dallas can back up Schottenheimer’s confidence on the field.
For now, though, one thing is certain: the Cowboys aren’t aiming to simply make the playoffs. According to their head coach, the goal is to be playing on the NFL’s biggest stage when the 2026-27 season comes to an end.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
Third one-day international, Bready
Ireland 193 all out (43.1 overs): Lewis 50, Paul 32; Ramharack 3-33
West Indies 257 all out (50 overs): Taylor 105, Alleyne 33; Prendergast 2-37
West Indies won by 64 runs to claim a 3-0 series win
West Indies beat Ireland by 64-runs to complete a comfortable 3-0 one-day international series win in Bready.
Ireland won the toss and put the tourists, who eased to victory in the first two games of the series, into bat.
Stafanie Taylor contributed 105 off 113 deliveries for her second century of the series as West Indies ended their innings on 257 all out.
Orla Prendergast, Georgina Dempsey and Jane Maguire all claimed two wickets each for Ireland.
Captain Gaby Lewis led Ireland's chase as she hit 50 off 59 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.
Lloyd Tennant's side were eventually dismissed for 193 after 43.1 overs as Karishma Ramharack claimed her third wicket by trapping Aimee Maguire leg before wicket.
Livingstone College is mourning the loss of 19-year-old softball player Gabriella Muñoz.
The North Carolina school announced her death in a statement on Friday, July 10, with her coach calling the loss “completely heartbreaking.”
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that Livingstone College shares the passing of our beloved student-athlete, Gabriella Muñoz, a rising junior from Katy, Texas, and a cherished member of the Blue Bear softball family,” Livingstone College said in a statement.
“Gabriella represented the very best of Livingstone College. As No. 55 on the Blue Bear softball team, she embraced her role as a versatile utility player with determination, resilience, and an unwavering team-first mentality. While her athletic abilities made her a valuable competitor, it was her bubbly personality, gentle spirit, and genuine kindness that truly distinguished her” the school added.
Muñoz reportedly died while she was in Texas, the college said, while calling out “false” reports that claimed she died while at the school.
“Reports claiming that Livingstone College student-athlete Gabriella Muñoz passed away on campus are false. Gabriella passed away while in Texas, away from campus. Out of respect for her family and our campus community, we ask that inaccurate information and speculation cease,” the school said.
A cause of death has not been made known. An obituary for Muñoz said she “left this world on July 9, 2026, just shy of her 20th birthday.”
“Gabi was born on July 26, 2006, in Katy, Texas to loving parents Brandon and Jennifer Muñoz. Her bright spirit and infectious smile touched the lives of everyone she met,” the obituary said.
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Muñoz competed in 27 games and started one for the Blue Bears last season, according to Syracuse.com.
Livingstone College’s head softball coach Steve Wallace said in a statement: “I am completely heartbroken by the passing of Gabriella. She was a complete joy to have as a part of the program. A great athlete and an even better student. The program will miss her immensely and her absence will be felt.”
Livingstone will make “support resources” available to students, faculty and staff, the school said.
“Although Gabriella’s time with us was far too short, her impact will endure. She leaves behind a legacy of academic excellence, athletic determination, unwavering kindness, and Blue Bear pride that will continue to inspire our community for years to come,” the school’s statement continued, adding, “On behalf of Livingstone College and the entire Blue Bear family, we honor Gabriella’s life with gratitude and love. She will forever remain a cherished member of our Livingstone family.”
Read the original article on People
The first time Pedro Cueto climbed into a rental go-kart, he didn’t want to get out.
He was around 5 years old, and although he’d only driven rental karts a handful of times for fun, he had already decided exactly what he wanted to do with his life.
“He was always saying he wanted to be a Formula 1 driver,” his mom, Laetitia Cueto, 32, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “He was always begging to go go-karting.”
As the years passed, that childhood fascination became something much bigger. While other kids bounced from one hobby to the next, Pedro spent his childhood counting down the days until he could get back behind the wheel. He memorized Formula 1 drivers, studied racing lines and dreamed of climbing motorsport’s competitive ladder all the way to Formula 1 — a journey that, for nearly every professional driver, begins in karting.
“It wasn’t ever, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to be a race car driver,’ “ Laetitia says. “He was like, ‘Nope. I’m doing everything it takes right now.’”
Before long, Pedro’s dream had become the rhythm of the entire family’s life.
At the time, Laetitia, her husband, Alejandro, 37, and their three sons were living in Arvada, Colo. Weekends revolved around racetracks instead of birthday parties. Family vacations were planned around competitions. Nearly every decision centered on helping Pedro pursue the dream he already treated like a career.
Looking back, Laetitia says the signs had been there long before he ever climbed into a kart.
“In preschool, every child had to bring a comfort toy for nap time,” she recalls. “Pedro didn’t want a teddy bear. He wanted a little Hot Wheels car. I actually had to explain to the teachers that his comfort item wasn’t stuffed — it was a race car.”
“When he was about 2 years old, he came to me one day holding his stomach and said, ‘Mom, my engine hurts,’ “ she adds with a laugh. “Everything in his world related back to racing.”
As Pedro grew older, his natural talent behind the wheel quickly became apparent. He began competing against some of the country’s top young karting drivers, dedicating nearly every free moment to becoming faster.
Then, in September 2021, everything stopped.
Pedro was just 6 years old when he woke up complaining that his leg hurt a few days after spending hours bouncing in a bounce house during his younger brother’s birthday party.
At first, no one thought much of it.
“I told my mom my leg was really hurting,” Pedro recalls. “She thought I’d probably just jumped too much the day before.”
But when the pain refused to go away, Laetitia knew something wasn’t right. She immediately brought her son to Children’s Hospital Colorado.
“It was simply the obvious choice in my head when I took Pedro in for the pain,” she says. “I never went anywhere else.”
Doctors initially suspected an infection in Pedro’s knee and performed surgery to treat what they believed was the problem. Instead, further testing revealed something far more devastating: Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the disease most commonly develops in the long bones of the arms and legs, the pelvis or the chest wall.
“When your child gets diagnosed with cancer, your whole world changes,” Laetitia says. “You’re obviously terrified about whether they’re going to survive. But one of the things that broke my heart the most was wondering if he was ever going to get to live out the dreams he’d been working toward his entire life.”
Almost immediately, the family’s world shifted from race weekends to hospital stays.
In October 2021, Pedro began chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where he endured months of intensive treatment, surgery and lengthy hospitalizations. Many treatment cycles meant spending nearly a week in the hospital before returning home just long enough to recover ahead of the next round.
Dr. Jenna Demedis, Pedro’s pediatric oncologist, still remembers meeting the family during those overwhelming first days after his diagnosis.
“Pedro’s parents were incredible advocates for him from the very beginning,” Demedis tells PEOPLE. “They never stopped asking questions or looking for ways to help him continue doing the things he loved.”
The hospital staff also found meaningful ways to preserve Pedro’s childhood amid the endless appointments and procedures.
One of the family’s best investments was a Nintendo Switch. Between chemotherapy sessions, they spent countless hours racing one another in Mario Kart, transforming long hospital days into spirited family competitions.
“We played so much Mario Kart,” Laetitia says with a laugh. “Nobody can beat Pedro anymore.”
Pedro also had another companion by his side throughout treatment: a teddy bear that underwent every procedure alongside him.
Whenever Pedro needed an IV, surgery or another medical procedure, his doctors performed the same “treatment” on the stuffed bear first, helping him better understand what was happening.
“If he was getting an IV placed or having surgery, his bear would undergo all the same procedures,” Demedis says. “It went through everything with him.”
Even in the middle of chemotherapy, the hospital staff did everything they could to accommodate Pedro’s racing schedule, recognizing that getting back behind the wheel wasn’t simply something he enjoyed — it was the goal that kept him moving forward.
“The hospital was incredible,” Pedro says. “They believed in my dream.”
Seven months after beginning treatment, Pedro reached a milestone his family had desperately hoped for. At 7 years old, he completed treatment and was declared to have no evidence of disease. But while the cancer was gone, his journey was far from over.
Doctors had reconstructed Pedro’s leg using a limb-salvage procedure, replacing part of the diseased bone with a large metal implant in hopes of preserving both the limb and his mobility. At the time, it felt like the best possible outcome.
“He kept saying, ‘I need my foot because I have to push the gas pedal,’ “ Laetitia recalls. “In his mind, there wasn’t another way.”
For a while, it seemed like that dream might still be possible. But over the months that followed, complication after complication emerged.
The implant fractured. Hardware failed. Pain became a constant part of Pedro’s daily life. Surgery followed surgery as doctors worked to repair his leg and preserve the limb they had fought so hard to save.
Instead of returning to the active childhood he had imagined after finishing treatment, Pedro found himself trapped in another cycle of hospital visits, rehabilitation and recovery.
By then, he had already undergone more than 20 surgeries. Yet through every setback, one thing never changed.
“He never complained,” Laetitia says. “He wasn’t asking, ‘Why me?’ He just wanted to know what the next step was to get him back in a race car.”
Eventually, in 2024, doctors sat down with the family to discuss the option they had hoped they’d never have to consider: amputation.
The conversation wasn’t entirely new.
When Pedro was first diagnosed, doctors had explained that removing his leg would likely offer the best long-term outcome. At the time, however, Pedro and his family believed saving the limb would give him the best chance of continuing to race.
Years of complications changed that calculation.
Around the same time, Laetitia began connecting with other families whose children had undergone amputations. They spoke with adaptive athletes and learned about advances in prosthetic technology that were allowing amputees to compete at the highest levels of motorsports.
For the first time, Pedro realized something that changed everything. He didn’t need two legs to become a race car driver.
“He basically said, ‘Okay ... let’s chop it off,’ “ Laetitia recalls with a laugh.
Even the timing reflected Pedro’s determination. On a Sunday, he squeezed in one final karting race in Las Vegas. Three days later, he was in the operating room.
Just 48 hours after surgery, nurses rolled a wheelchair into his hospital room so he could leave comfortably.
“They handed him the wheelchair,” Laetitia recalls. “And he said, ‘Nope. I’m using my crutches.’”
His determination only intensified from there. While many children would have spent weeks simply adjusting to life after an amputation, Pedro was back in the gym just five days later. He approached rehabilitation the same way he approached racing — with relentless discipline and an unwavering goal.
Six weeks after losing his leg, he climbed back into a kart. The comeback exceeded even his own expectations. Within months, Pedro was once again competing against many of the country’s top young karting drivers. Then, in May 2025, another opportunity changed the trajectory of his career.
The family relocated overseas so Pedro could compete in his first Italian race. Since then, they’ve been based largely in Europe, traveling the international karting circuit as Pedro races against some of the world’s top young drivers.
Since returning to competition, he’s collected podium finishes around the world while adapting to an entirely new way of driving.
His kart has been specially modified with a custom throttle system that allows him to accelerate using his residual limb — a setup that has continued to evolve as he’s grown and advanced through the ranks.
“It’s been working great,” Pedro says.
Once his visor comes down, however, he rarely thinks about what’s different. Instead, he focuses on what has always been the same.
“One of the reasons I love motorsport so much is that anybody can race,” he says. “When I’m on the track, I don’t like to think I’m different. I just want to race everybody else.”
Then, in June 2026, came another milestone neither Pedro nor his family will ever forget.
Competing in the prestigious IAME Series Italy — one of Europe’s premier international karting championships and an important proving ground for young drivers hoping to climb the ladder toward Formula racing — Pedro crossed the finish line first.
“When the checkered flag came out and I was first,” he says, “I was just super happy.”
For a brief moment, every chemotherapy infusion, hospital room, surgery and painful step of recovery faded into the background.
“Everything,” Pedro says, “finally paid off.”
Today, Pedro’s recovery is measured less by doctor’s appointments than by lap times.
Most mornings begin long before he climbs into a kart. Between competitions across Europe, he balances online school with strength training, simulator sessions and workouts designed to build the endurance and explosiveness needed to compete at the highest levels of karting.
“I’m working with a mental trainer because instead of thinking, ‘What if I crash?’ I have to think, ‘What if I win?’ “ Pedro says. “On the days I’m not racing, I work out really hard. Then it’s back to full focus on racing.”
That relentless work ethic has already begun opening doors.
Last year, Mercedes invited Pedro and his family to the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he met several Formula 1 drivers, including seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton — someone he’d admired for years while watching races from home.
For Laetitia, watching her son walk through the Formula 1 paddock felt almost surreal.
“When he was diagnosed, I was so scared he’d never get to live out his dreams,” she says. “Now, I get to watch him chase them every single weekend.”
His story is also inspiring children far beyond the racetrack.
At a children’s hospital in South Africa, videos of Pedro are shown to young amputees recovering from surgery as a reminder that losing a limb doesn’t have to mean giving up on the future they imagined for themselves.
“That meant everything to us,” Laetitia says. “Because that’s exactly why we share his story.”
Now 11, Pedro hopes to offer that same sense of hope to other children.
One of his biggest goals away from racing is to place driving simulators in children’s hospitals around the world, giving young patients something to look forward to during long hospital stays — just as racing gave him something to fight for during his own treatment.
“Even if it only makes one kid excited to come to the hospital,” he says, “that would already be incredible.”
For Laetitia, watching her son inspire others has become just as meaningful as watching him stand on podiums.
“I’m proud of the driver he’s becoming,” she says. “But I’m even more proud of the person he’s becoming.”
There was a time when she feared cancer had stolen the future her son had dreamed about since he was a little boy clutching a Hot Wheels car instead of a teddy bear.
Now, every weekend, she watches him chase that dream all over the world. Pedro, meanwhile, hasn’t changed his answer when people ask what comes next. The dream that began in a rental go-kart when he was 5 years old remains exactly the same.
“I’m going to be the first Formula 1 amputee world champion,” he says matter-of-factly. “That’s my goal, and it’ll be my goal until I win a Formula 1 world championship.”
Read the original article on People
The WNBA is denying a report that Adam Silver influenced the suspension of Alyssa Thomas following an on-court incident with Caitlin Clark.
In a statement to Front Office Sports, a WNBA spokesperson said the report that NBA commissioner Adam Silver pushed WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Alyssa Thomas is “absolutely false.”
On Wednesday morning, Sports Business Journal reported that Silver “persuaded” Engelbert to suspend Thomas for an incident on June 24 in which the Mercury star struck Clark’s throat. Thomas was not thrown out of the game.
A day later, the league handed Thomas a Flagrant 2—which comes with a $1,000 fine—and one-game suspension for what it deemed to be a “non-basketball act.”
The level of influence the NBA has on the WNBA’s decision making is a longstanding question. The NBA holds a 42% equity stake in the WNBA, while multiple NBA owners have separate ownership stakes in the WNBA. The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Silver was asked about the future of Engelbert as WNBA commissioner on Tuesday night during a press conference at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He did not give a definitive answer, but was complimentary about Engelbert’s performance.
“I’m very pleased with where the WNBA is. We’ve made tremendous progress under her leadership over the last several years … Cathy continues doing a strong job building that league. And we’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.” Silver said.
In March, Silver said there have been “no discussions yet” about Engelbert’s future. A month later, Engelbert aggressively deflected when asked about her future ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.
“I do crack up how everybody’s focused on me, and you should be focused on the hundreds of amazing women, and thousands of women who run this league outside of myself,” Engelbert said.
The post WNBA Denies Report That Adam Silver Influenced Alyssa Thomas Suspension appeared first on Front Office Sports.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, following a good deal of fan demand, finally announced a bobblehead honoring Andy Pages’ iconic World Series Game 7 catch.
The Dodgers have one of the best, if not the best, bobblehead promotions every year, but this one holds special meaning for fans who took in the World Series.
Coined “The Catch” bobblehead, it will be given to fans on September 6th against the Washington National.
The bobblehead captures the moment where Andy Pages rises up for a catch on a fly ball in between left and center field, while Kike Hernandez ducks under and lets him make the catch.
Both players had a big collision, but Hernandez took the brunt of it. Hernandez got up happy after finding out Pages made the catch.
In the collectible, Hernandez looks quite funny as he seemingly accepts getting run over by Pages, and honestly, it is not too dissimilar from how the moment actually happened.
The play is already incredible from Pages in any context, but with the context of it being Game 7 of a World Series, with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, the moment takes on its own legend.
It was all the more special since Pages had been in an awful slump, failing to hit any pitch that came his way. He came in as a defensive substitute late in the game and pulled out a gutsy, iconic, and terrifying catch all in one go.
Based on recent bobbleheads, this collectible should end up going past $100. Kike Hernandez’s pitching bobblehead, which came out very recently, resells for around $75.
“The Catch,” considering everything about the moment and what it means in modern Dodgers history, should blow well past that.
It does not have the mainstream appeal of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Yoshi bobblehead, which goes for $170, but for any hardcore Dodgers fan, “The Catch” bobblehead is a must-have and will be in demand.
The get-in price is around $165 as of Wednesday, July 15th.
(This story is based on a recent Forbes exclusive interview with Superbowl Champion Seahawk Coach Aden Durde. All quotes are taken directly from a transcript of the interview.)
A digital display shows the game of Flag football for its feature as one of five new sports at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, during the second day of the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai on October 16, 2023. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP) (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty ImagesFew people understand that journey better than Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde. Long before he became one of the NFL's highest-ranking British-born coaches, Durde was simply a teenager traveling across London for the chance to play a sport that barely existed in Britain. Today, after stops in NFL Europe, the Dallas Cowboys organization, the NFL's International Player Pathway program, the Atlanta Falcons and now Seattle, Durde sees flag football's Olympic debut as a watershed moment that could reshape football's global future.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 8: Defensive coordinator Aden Durde of the Seattle Seahawks arrives to the stadium prior to the NFL Super Bowl LX football game against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesHis own story illustrates exactly why.
Durde's football journey began not in packed NFL stadiums but on London's fragmented amateur football scene, where simply finding a team required determination.
"I started playing when I was young," Durde told Forbes. "Back then a team would pop up, then you wouldn't have enough coaches, people couldn't do it, and the team would shut down. I was travelling probably two hours across London to go and play," he recalled. "Sometimes financially you couldn't get there. You had to rely on people to give you lifts."
His football life became a series of relocations. One club folded. Another lost funding. Practices required hours of travel across London, often depending on rides from teammates because public transportation costs were difficult to manage. Eventually, Durde landed with the London Olympians, then one of Britain's premier American football organizations. Everything changed. The Olympians provided elite competition, leading to opportunities in NFL Europe, NFL practice squads and eventually coaching—a path few British players had ever followed, or could even imagine. Today, Durde stands as one of the NFL's most successful international coaching stories.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 02: General view inside the stadium prior to the NFL match between Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 02, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesUnlike many former athletes who struggle after retirement, Durde discovered something unexpected. He missed being uncomfortable. After leaving professional football, he worked conventional jobs and even started his own business. Yet something was missing.
"I missed the relentless work," he said. "I missed the structure, the accountability, the honesty, always having to push to be your best. A lot of the work is done in the office; Out on the field coaching the guys," he said. "That's what I love."
Rather than viewing football's demands as exhausting, Durde realized they were what motivated him. That mindset eventually led him through coaching roles in Britain before an internship with the Dallas Cowboys opened the door to the NFL. His work helping establish the NFL's International Player Pathway program and the NFL Academy further cemented his reputation as one of football's leading international development voices before coaching positions with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks followed.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 25: Defensive coordinator Aden Durde talks with Derick Hall #58 of the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesDurde’s coaching philosophy extends well beyond professional football. His involvement with Coach the Future, a leadership initiative designed to mentor young people through sport, reflects lessons he learned growing up.
"It's important to me about creating leaders in the community," he said. "They breathed belief into me when I probably didn't have the belief in myself. If you can spark that in someone else," Durde said, "they can give that to someone else in the community. Those are the things that help communities thrive."
As a young athlete, coaches gave him something even more valuable than football instruction. Now he hopes to provide that same confidence for the next generation. The philosophy aligns closely with the NFL's expanding international grassroots strategy, particularly as flag football participation accelerates worldwide ahead of LA28.
UNSPECIFIED: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) In this image released on August 11, Snoop Dogg performs at the LA28 Olympic Games Handover Celebration. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LA28)
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LA28For Durde, flag football’s Olympic debut is about more than medals. He believes it may become one of the best developmental tools football has ever had. Modern athletes often specialize early, learning only one position. Flag football changes that.
"You defend, you attack, you're on offense, you're on defense, you catch, you throw," Durde explained. “When I was younger everyone used to do everything," he said. "The more you can do that at grassroots level... the more rounded players they become."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 21: Isaiah Calhoun #11 of the US Men's Flag Football Team defends DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Wildcats FFC during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images for OBB Media - FANATICS STUDIOS)
Getty Images for OBB Media - FANATICS STUDIOSThose all-around skills, he believes, create more complete football players. That philosophy mirrors growing support among NFL coaches who increasingly view flag football not as an alternative to tackle football but as an important developmental pathway. The sport emphasizes agility, spatial awareness, decision-making and ball skills while minimizing physical contact.
For countries where tackle football infrastructure remains limited, flag football also dramatically lowers barriers to participation.
Flag football's Olympic debut arrives as the NFL aggressively expands internationally through regular-season games in Europe, South America and Australia while also investing heavily in youth participation. Durde believes the Olympics could become the sport's biggest global showcase yet.
"It's exciting," he said. "Any platform that you can get football in front of different parts of the world—they get an ability to see how cool this game is."
Unlike tackle football, flag football offers a fast-paced, television-friendly version of the sport requiring minimal equipment while showcasing speed, athleticism and creativity. Those qualities make it particularly well suited for Olympic audiences unfamiliar with traditional American football.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 21: (L-R) Mike Daniels, Shawn Theard Jr, Jamie Kennedy, Aamir Brown and Isaiah Calhoun of the U.S. Men’s Flag Football Team huddle up during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images for OBB Media - FANATICS STUDIOS)
Getty Images for OBB Media - FANATICS STUDIOS"I can't wait to see it," Durde said.
Durde's own career demonstrates what access can create. Had the opportunities available today existed when he first began playing in North London, he believes the journey might have been easier. There are now more opportunities than ever before. The challenge, he says, is developing enough qualified coaches to meet growing demand.
"There is the accessibility," Durde noted. "But there's less people that can engage and coach the sport at a level to make the game as fun as it can be."
That may become one of the lasting legacies of LA28. While Olympic medals will capture headlines, the Games could inspire thousands of new coaches, volunteers and community leaders who introduce football to future generations. For Durde, that matters every bit as much as what happens on the Olympic medal podium. His own life changed because coaches invested in him before anyone else believed he belonged. Now, as flag football prepares for its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, he sees an opportunity to multiply that impact around the world.
RENTON, WASHINGTON - JUNE 03: Defensive coordinator Aden Durde of the Seattle Seahawks speaks to the media after practice at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on June 03, 2024 in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesFor a coach who once spent two hours crossing London just to find a place to play, the Olympic movement today may ensure the next generation of players and coaches won't have to travel so far to discover the game.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
The 2026 college football season is nearly here, and the ACC is holding its annual ACC Kickoff this week in Charlotte, North Carolina. The FSU Seminoles spoke on Wednesday, the first day of the event.
Head coach Mike Norvell was joined by wide receiver Duce Robinson, quarterback Ashton Daniels, and cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls to preview the season. All four of them took to the main stage on Wednesday to answer questions.
Norvell, who is on the hottest seat in the country, is looking to get the Seminoles back on track after consecutive losing seasons. They will be relying on a core of returning players that they have supplemented through the transfer portal. That has been a specialty of Norvell, but they have struggled with their additions over the past two seasons.
He talked about his excitement about this team, their mentality, why fans should be excited, what Daniels brings to the team, and more. Here is everything Norvell had to say on Wednesday.
Opening statement
Appreciate everybody being here. Definitely excited for the season that's ahead, the opportunity that's in front of our football team. Grateful for the work our players have been putting in this off-season.
Coming off disappointing results from a year ago, but excited about the core of this football team, the guys that have returned, some of the young players that have continued to emerge, decisions from guys to return that had other opportunities.
The choice that they made to come be difference makers and leaders within this program.
Definitely excited about the newcomers that have joined our football team, the way they've really come in and embraced the culture. Really having a mindset to leave their mark, to be able to pour everything they have in representing this incredible football program, institution, our wonderful fan base.
Honored to be here today with three great young men that will speak on behalf of our football team, guys that have truly been through the journey. Ja'Bril Rawls, a guy that I think is going to be one of the best corners in all of college football, a guy that has been at Florida State coming out of high school. Has had his ups and downs dealing with injuries, but truly has emerged as a great player, and just a wonderful representative of what it is to be a Seminole.
Duce Robinson, I think one of the best receivers in all of college football. His choice to forego going to the NFL, to come back and leave his mark here, truly just to go and help lead this football team, be the best player that he can be.
Ashton Daniels, coming in, joining the program in January, tremendous leader, somebody that is truly all about the work, great skill set, ability. Has done a wonderful job in his short time here in Tallahassee representing this football program.
We got an exciting team, a team that I think is a very talented roster. As I mentioned earlier, it's a great combination of guys that have been here, last year we had 19 true freshmen that played 4-0 or more games. Young team, guys that got throne into the fire and had to learn on their road as we went through the highs and the lows. A year ago you lose five games by one score, there's a lot of lessons to be learned. It's about taking the lessons, the application of that moving forward to go be the best that we can be.
We understand the expectation. There's no person or place that has higher expectations than we have being part of this program, making sure we're doing things the right way, the Florida State way, competing for championships, in all things that we do.
That is our expectation as we go into this season with a very talented roster and a great coaching staff that we've been able to assemble.
You've seen the continuity within the staff when you look at Coach White coming into his second year as the defensive coordinator. Really excited about the personnel; excited about the staff under his leadership on that side of the ball. Really taking another step in our performance to what we're going to do defensively.
Offensively Coach Harris going into his second year within the program, and as our offensive coordinator has done an outstanding job putting his mark within the program as well as continuing to help develop the young men we have.
Obviously, the addition of Adam Scheier as our special teams coordinator, somebody that is extremely innovative, somebody that is going to put our guys in great positions to win in that third of the game.
It's an exciting team, one that understands all that's in front of us. We have a great opportunity, a great platform. Obviously these guys are excited to get out on the field here in this next month and prepare for it here in fall camp; ready to kick off in week zero of this college football season.
You called this an exciting team. How do you capitalize on the conflation of talent in what feels like a strike-now season?
When you look at our roster, I think in all phases, starting in the trenches of the guys up front, four of our top six defensive linemen have returned. Some guys that have great talent and ability. Be able to bring in a couple of newcomers that I think are going to be very dynamic.
You know, great leadership at the linebacker position, you know, guys that have been through it. Whether it's the transfers that have come in that have joined very productive, talented players, as well as you look in the defensive backfield. I think we have got some great play-makers in that position, and guys with versatile skill sets that will allow us to do a lot of different things.
And then offensively starting up front, we were able to bring in a good group of transfers that have joined that bring experience, coupled with the guys that we have that have continued to grow and develop as well as just an outstanding group of skill players with the receiver position, led by Duce, guys like Micahi Danzy, Jayvan Boggs, and some really impressive newcomers that have joined the program. I really love our running back room, running back and tight end room and the versatility, what we're going to be able to do. That is surrounded with the quarterback that can truly make it happen.
We want to be versatile, attack. We understand with the talent that we have, I'm not going to put any limits to what this football team can accomplish and what we can do.
The time is now; the time is today. The willingness to show up, be the best that we can be. If that's what we'll continue to do, I got a lot of confidence in the results showing up.
FSU fans aren't just asking for wins, they're asking for consistency and championships. You've obviously won one. What makes this team different and why should FSU fans be excited about this upcoming season?
I love the mentality of this group. Obviously you see throughout the journey just the margin between victory and defeat, it's a very thin line. But it's about the mentality, about the response. It's about the work that you're willing to put in, not getting caught up in all the other things that can surround you on the journey that we find ourselves on.
But this football team, yes, they are talented. What I love is their work, their camaraderie, the sacrifices that they're willing to make, the way that they challenge themselves on a daily basis.
We have won, as you mentioned. We went through a stretch where we won 19 straight games. There were still a lot of close games, one-score games. The ebb and flow of what shows up. It's the way that that team came together, the mentality they brought, how they responded throughout that journey that really set them apart.
I've seen that within this team. This is a group from the players that returned to the guys that came in, we were looking for the right type of guys, guys that were going to represent our program and perform and execute at a level that is going to make our fan base proud in all things that we're doing.
This is a team that I do believe will rise to the occasion from the coaching staff to the players, everybody involved in the program, to go make sure we're doing things to the level of our expectation and that Florida State standard.
You often talk about you know the expectation, you know what it looks like, you've seen it done, but four out of the last six years at Florida State have been losing seasons. What can you say to this fan base to make them believe that you can bring Florida State back to its traditional winning ways?
In reality, the words don't matter, it's about the action. That's our focus. I could stand up here, you could say a lot of things, but it's still about what's going to show up. That's what I believe in.
As we came into the program six years ago, there were some challenges that we faced. Those first two years, for all the different circumstances that showed up, we stayed focused on our path and the growth, the improvement, making sure we were ready for the moment. We had players that bought into that.
As you get into '22, '23 season, a couple of the best stretches that Florida State has had, 19-straight wins, being able to put ourselves in that position was something that had to be worked for. It wasn't just because we talked about it; it was about what was done.
Yes, the last two years as college football has changed, continuing to evolve, we have to be better. This past season we showed glimpses of playing at a very high level. Big wins, some great moments, but also had some disappointing results in some close games and opportunities we did not capitalize on.
It's not about me giving a great speech, trying to say things. It's about showing up and being willing to do. That's the focus of this coaching, this football team, that's my focus, is pouring everything I have into them, into this staff, into the opportunity we have in the '26 season.
As I said, I know what it looks like because we've done it. I know the steps. I know what we need to do to get back to that level. I'm very confident what's it's going to be.
A couple days ago you made a pretty good hire in Tom Herman. How important was it to you to land a guy like him as you go out there and prepare for the season knowing he has head coaching experience, a proven winner?
Being able to have the opportunity for Tom to come and join the program is something I'm excited about. He came in the spring, was able to come out to practice, visit with staff. Obviously had to compete against him years ago when he was at Houston, I was at Memphis; we have a long relationship.
For how things all transpired, we were able to visit a little bit this summer. We found a role and opportunity that I think he can make a great impact in helping support this staff, being able to add a new perspective to things that he's done, to be able to help assist the guys within our football team just to go and achieve at a very high level.
Last year you stepped back into the CEO role by nature with Gus as the play-caller. Now you're back as the primary play-caller. What did you learn last year being able to observe from the high-level view that you can apply to this year?
Yeah, I mean, I've been fortunate, going into my 11th year I guess of being a head coach. For me, most those years were as a play-caller. As college football emerged, the different aspects of personnel, being able to step back, kind of focus and address needs that I felt within the team, having a guy I trusted, was great.
And to be able to see -- you know, it wasn't unfamiliar. I had a long-lasting relationship with Gus. Was grateful for the work he did. But for me, every year's a learning process. Every year you're continuing to grow and mold, develop things for the guys that you have, putting them in the best position.
I've been fortunate throughout my career to be able to do that as a high level, being a play-caller, coach, growing up on the offensive side of the ball.
I'm excited about the group of players I get to work with every single day, the play making ability they have and the positions we're going to be able to put them in.
Transfer portal, obviously you've gone there for the quarterback these last few seasons. What did you see in Ashton Daniels and why it's important to reach into the portal?
I think Ashton is a guy that can really do it all. As we talk about experiences, Ashton has a great deal of experience throughout his college career. He's been put in a lot of different situations that he's had to work through. You see somebody that's just continued to grow.
As I did my research getting to know him, the coaches I worked with, the people around him, so many incredible qualities of the young man, the talent, the ability.
When he joined the program in January, the words then become secondary because you see it in his actions, just the passion that he has for who he gets to work with. You know, he's not somebody that comes in having to wave the towel and give a speech, but when he talks, people listen just because of all the things they see from him.
As I even watched him through 15 practices in spring ball, his continued growth. He's progressed and I think has an incredible ceiling in front of him; a guy that's a natural play-maker, can extend plays, live in the pocket, make all the different throws; a guy that has a wonderful understanding of offensive football being in a bunch of different systems. Incredible smart and an incredible worker, as well.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Everything FSU head coach Mike Norvell said at ACC Media Days
You remember when the Cincinnati Reds hitt he rebuild button with a sledgehammer, right? Back when they shipped away Sonny Gay, Luis Castillo, Jesse Winker, & Co. in search of greener pastures and a ‘sustainable’ future?
Man, it often feels like just yesterday. It’s about to feel like tomorrow though, too.
As the last place Reds emerge from the All Star break, that rebuild is in dire need of being rebuilt again already. That 2022 season saw Cincinnati also deal away pitcher Tyler Mahle to the Minnesota Twins, a deal that commanded the since-DFA’d Christian Encarnacion-Strand as well as the infinitely versatile Spencer Steer – the latter of whom actually made his big league debut that very season.
There was initially hope that Steer would turn out to be something significant, what with his rock-solid 2023 performance. The reality, though, is that across over 2350 PA in his career, he’s the owner of an almost perfectly average 102 OPS+. Across the 2024-2026 seasons (nearly 1600 PA), that dips just a slightly below-average 98 OPS+ and 99 wRC+, numbers that are more or less in-line with what he’s doing this year (103 OPS+, 103 wRC+).
If that isn’t the definition of ‘settling into who you are as a hitter,’ I do know know what is.
He walks a bit over 9% of the time, which is good. He strikes out 21-22% of the time, which is just fine. He’s a solid baserunner, knows how to barrel a ball pretty well despite subpar bat speed, and his defense – hardly his calling card – is still somehow adaptable enough that he was a Gold Glove finalist at 1B in 2025 and found himself in CF most of last week.
Settling in as a super-utility guy is fine for a club. Most good clubs desperately need that, in fact. But the thing about ‘settling in’ when it comes to baseball is that it’s a finite experience by design – free agency inches closer, salaries jump higher, and all of a sudden teams are paying what they’d like to pay for star production for guys who are the malleable bits on the roster.
Because baseball’s arbitration process values arcane/concrete things like homers, RBI, and steals – three things that a mostly healthy Steer has compiled with aplomb despite middling rate stats over the years – he’s already making $4 million in his first arb year this year. He’ll get two raises on that in 2027 and 2028 years that he’s team-controlled, all that despite having accrued just a grand total of 3.4 fWAR/2.6 bWAR since the start of the 2024 season.
That’s hardly jumping off the page, even if it doesn’t value things like ‘you can hold your nose defensively with him at time because there’s value in him giving so many other guys a needed day-off.‘
Almost by design, the Reds have already painted over Steer. You’d almost think that if any one of the litany of hitters they acquired in the last rebuild had actually hit the ground running (i.e. CES, Noelvi Marte, Matt McLain, etc.) he might have already been traded away by now. But his work at 1B has been swallowed up by the need to play Sal Stewart there since Stewart’s ability to play 3B has been thwarted by the signing of Eugenio Suarez and the long-term acquisition of Ke’Bryan Hayes. If you can’t play a player at his best position because there’s someone better that needs to play there, well, your roster construction has hit a total snag.
TJ Friedl being horrendous, Noelvi Marte floundering again, and both Blake Dunn and Dane Myers getting hurt have opened time for Steer to be a mostly full-time OF for the time being. It’s a great showcase for ‘he’s doing it’ whether it’s actually a showcase of ‘he can do it,’ but perhaps that’s intriguing to other clubs out there. So much so that Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported earlier in the week that clubs were eyeing Steer as a potential trade target. His work against LHP this season (.333/.436/.603 in 95 PA) seems to be standing out as much as anything, as teams across the league are in desperate search for such a commodity.
Don’t believe me? Check this MLB.com preview of team needs at the deadline and search for ‘right-handed bat.’ Each of the Red Sox, Guardians, Mariners, Tigers, Marlins, and Phillies are listed with that very same need, and while each of them have openings in various places around the infield, that’s precisely what makes Steer so damn attractive right now – he can, in theory, play pretty much any of them.
Seemingly the only real case against trading him right now, barring an acceptable return, is that he’s too important to the team and he’s got two more years of team control, maybe they’ll be good by then! The latter is constantly debatable since this is the Cincinnati Reds with the same front office they’ve always had we’re talking about here. The former, though, is something of a tell – if a guy who’s the literal definition of average offensively and slightly sub-par defensively across the board is too valuable to the roster, the roster’s in a pretty damn awful state, right?
Right?
If, and only if, the Reds commit to cutting Hayes and eating that contract, if the Reds call time on Marte the way they did on CES and Rece Hinds, if the Reds non-tender TJ Friedl and concede McLain is a bench-glove, and then if they commit to spending actual good money this winter via free agency and trades to back a five-man rotation of Hunter Greene, Chase Burns, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Rhett Lowder heading into 2027, I will acknowledge that dealing Steer doesn’t need to happen. The only thing needy about even discussing this is that it’s the Reds we’re talking about, who won’t go spend or push in chips in trades this winter to actually try to win within the next two years – other teams with a guy like Steer at this point in his career would gladly start him 5 times a week (as many as they can against LHP) and bat him 7th or 8th and be happy about it.
That’s not the scenario in which this club operates, however. They have committed to flipping guys when they get expensive for younger ones, and Steer – who’ll turn 29 this December – has already become one of the older guys who has the league’s spotlight turned his particular way.
I don’t like advocating for it necessarily, as I do think he’s a perfectly fine complementary piece. On the Reds, though, he’s been tasked with being so much more, and that’s simply not working on a team 9 games under .500 and mired in last place. So, you move him, in my humble opinion, and begin the process of spending the ~$6 or so million you’d otherwise be spending on him next year in another way.
(For an interesting thought piece, now consider JJ Bleday, who also has two years of team control remaining after this year…)
Patrick Surtain II has built an impressive resume in just five seasons.
The Denver Broncos defensive back has made four Pro Bowls, been first-team All-Pro twice, second-team once and was only the seventh cornerback to win AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, earning the award after the 2024 season.
Surtain now has been voted the top NFL cornerback for the second straight year by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.
Surtain received seven first-place votes from a panel of eight AP pro football writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Derek Stingley Jr. got the other first-place vote and finished second. Quinyon Mitchell and Devon Witherspoon tied for third, and Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner tied for fifth.
Surtain has become an elite player at a premier position. He allowed 31 receptions and a 66.5 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks in 2025.
Surtain had one interception, mainly because teams don’t throw his direction. He missed three games with a pec strain but returned in the playoffs to help the Broncos reach the AFC championship game.
Stingley earned All-Pro for the second straight season, and has developed into one of the league’s best cover cornerbacks for Houston’s stingy defense.
He had four interceptions, allowed 34 receptions in coverage and broke up nine passes in coverage last season. Opposing quarterbacks had just a 67.4 passer rating against him.
Stingley was selected one spot ahead of Sauce Gardner at No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft.
He got five second-place votes and appeared on seven ballots.
Mitchell earned All-Pro honors in just his second season in the NFL.
He gave up 36 catches in coverage, broke up seven passes and QBs had just a 58.4 passer rating against him. Mitchell doesn’t have an interception in the regular season but he’s snagged four picks in five playoff games for the Eagles.
Mitchell appeared on six ballots.
Witherspoon made his third Pro Bowl in three seasons, earned second-team All-Pro honors and helped Seattle win the Super Bowl.
He surrendered 46 receptions in coverage and QBs had a 99.8 passer rating against him. Witherspoon appeared on four ballots.
McDuffie has been one of the league’s best slot cornerbacks in his first four seasons in Kansas City, helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls and play in another one.
McDuffie was a first-team All-Pro slot cornerback in 2023 and a second-team choice in 2024. The Rams acquired him for a package of draft picks, including No. 29 overall in this April's draft.
He allowed 37 passes in coverage, broke up four and had one pick. He allowed a 94.7 passer rating when targeted.
McDuffie appeared on three ballots.
The two-time All-Pro was traded from the Jets to the Colts in a blockbuster deal for two first-round picks midway through last season but played in only four games for his new team because of a calf injury.
Gardner received three votes.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
There are a number of compelling and fresh matchups available at the top of the UFC lightweight division, and it will likely all hinge on Justin Gaethje's retirement decision.
After upsetting Ilia Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) to claim 155-pound gold at UFC Freedom 250 in June, Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) has flip-flopped on the idea of walking away from the sport on a high. After initially stating retirement didn't feel right, Gaethje more recently stated his future is still in limbo.
Gaethje made it clear that he would be interested in facing Conor McGregor had he won at UFC 329, but with the Irishman suffering an early injury and TKO defeat to Max Holloway (28-9 MMA, 24-9 UFC), that option is now off the table.
Where does that leave things? Holloway, Charles Oliveira (37-11 MMA, 25-11 UFC) and Arman Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) are all in position to be granted a title shot if Gaethje stays. If he goes, though, then longtime UFC analyst Chael Sonnen believes that opens up the entire deck for UFC to play with and Paddy Pimblett in the mix.
And in his mind, there's a most desirable pairing.
"If Justin Gaethje retires and we get two guys to fight for a title, I do think Max is likely – and has a very strong case – to be one of those guys," Sonnen told MMA Junkie. "Max vs. Ilia would be great. Paddy vs. Ilia happens to work out right now. Max vs. Arman Tsarukyan would be great. Paddy vs. Tsarukyan would work out right now. But when you start to do the math, there is this outside idea nobody has brought up yet: Paddy vs. Max.
"What are they fighting for? Is that the one to do a for (a vacant) title? It's going to be very hard to carve out Arman Tsarukyan right now. But Arman will let you know he just wants to fight. He would like a belt, but there doesn't have to be. Just get him an opponent. There is actually a pretty realistic way to get Max vs. Paddy and to get it next."
Just prior to Holloway getting his hand raised in anticlimactic fashion, the co-main event of UFC 329 saw Pimblett (24-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC) steal the show with an incredible 52-second technical submission of Benoit Saint Denis. It was a huge bounce-back moment for "The Baddy," who fell short of interim gold in a thrilling bout vs. Gaethje in January.
The performance against Saint Denis was further validation that Pimblett is a legit contender at 155 pounds, and Sonnen would have no objection if he was a key part of the process in pushing the weight class to its next stage.
"Paddy is a very dangerous guy," Sonnen said. "I remember the days Paddy was just a young kid with good mic skills and a weird haircut. … Paddy really is special. There's nothing that says to me he can't be a world champion at the toughest weight class in the sport."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Max Holloway vs. Paddy Pimblett 'realistic' after UFC 329 wins, says analyst
The Carolina Panthers have improved on defense so much that they're starting to get some actual buzz from the national media.
This offseason, it's become a common refrain for some analysts—including The Athletic's Ted Nguyen and ESPN's Mina Kimes—to predict that the Panthers will even have a top-10 scoring defense in 2026. One person, though, is going even further.
In a recent episode of NFL Live, ESPN commentator and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky forecasted that the Panthers could even have a top-five defense. Take a listen . . .
Top five defense? 👀 pic.twitter.com/mErYxQ6iSR
— Michael Bell (@avl_mike) July 14, 2026
That would be quite an improvement from 2025, when they finished 16th en route to the franchise's first division title in a decade. And that'd be a near-miracle when looking back to 2024, when Carolina ranked 32nd and allowed the most points in league history.
As good as they look on paper—thanks to the free-agent additions of Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd and pass rusher Jaelan Phillips—the Panthers still have a few holes to fill on this side of the ball. If they could find upgrades over Trevin Wallace at linebacker and Nick Scott at safety, then we definitely wouldn't rule out a top-five finish.
But those are two big ifs—and for now, the organization doesn't seem to be in a hurry to replace either one.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Former NFL QB lays out a wild forecast for Panthers defense in 2026
US President Donald Trump has invoked the ire of leading radio host Chris Russo as the dust refuses to settle after the USMNT’s World Cup exit.
Though Mauricio Pochettino’s team were eliminated in relatively tame fashion against Belgium in Seattle during the last 16, the build-up to the game was shrouded in controversy.
Indeed, Trump claimed to have intervened before a FIFA disciplinary committee made the almost unprecedented decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card.
To say that proved controversial would be an understatement. In fact, Balogun even admitted that the drama had a negative impact on his teammates.
Now, Russo has criticised Trump.
Asked about the saga on First Take, Russo said he was of the belief that Trump had upset the “soccer gods” by getting involved.
He said: “Leave the politics out of it. If you’re the president of the United States, stay out of it.”
Before adding: “You upset the soccer gods. If you’re a sports fan, you know you leave well enough alone. The United States, as you just said, were a fun little team.
“People were completely into them, they had Belgium on the run a little bit. Then, all of a sudden, they gave Belgium a cause because FIFA listens to the president?
Russo then said: “That’s not the way the sports pantheon works. Leave it alone, the kid you put in there [as Balogun’s replacement] might score three goals and you win the freaking game.
“Instead, you butt in and you cause all sorts of problems.”
Belgium clearly rallied after FIFA’s decision. Though it’s impossible to say what would have happened had Balogun been suspended as initially expected, it obviously lit a fire under the Belgian players.
A lot of neutrals would also have turned against Pochettino’s team as a result, even if the players themselves did nothing wrong. Changing the very fabric of the sport will do that, no matter the level of involvement those actually competing on the field actually had.
So much so, in fact, that the Belgium players mocked Trump in their locker room after beating the USMNT 4-1.
It should be said, of course, that Belgium did beat the USMNT 5-2 in a friendly as recently as March.
As such, perhaps it was no surprise that they won relatively easily again. Still, there’s little doubt that the Balogun saga did not help anyone involved with the USMNT during their World Cup campaign.
Read more:
‘It hurts my heart’ – USMNT star Matt Freese reveals how fans have upset him after the World Cup
‘The only answer’ – Fans want U.S. Soccer to permanently change one rule
‘Set soccer back 100 years’ – Dave Portnoy delivers scathing verdict on USMNT’s World Cup exit
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick was promised a midfield revamp in the summer, and INEOS have completed two-thirds of the assignment.
Andrey Santos was signed from Chelsea in double-quick time, with the club’s co-owners delighted with the overall cost of the deal.
Youri Tielemans was an astute purchase as the Red Devils triggered his release clause, a move not too many people saw coming.
Both the Brazilian and the Belgian can occupy the No.6 role, but they remain fluid options capable of oscillating between the defensive midfield and central midfield positions.
What the 20-time English league champions need to complete the planned overhaul is an out-and-out physical destroyer who is capable of covering space and shielding the backline.
With Aurelien Tchouameni seemingly out of the equation and a deal for Elliot Anderson not materialising, United have been linked with moves for the likes of Roma’s Manu Koné, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga in recent days.
However, The Guardian has claimed that each of these deals will cost in the region of £60 million to £80 million, which means a move for any of the aforementioned players looks unlikely as of now.
“After signing Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans this week for a combined initial £82m, United remain intent on adding a third midfielder.
“Michael Carrick is an admirer of Roma’s Manu Koné, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga but each player’s asking price of £60m-£80m means a move for any of them is viewed as unlikely.”
This update directly corroborates what The Peoples Person had relayed recently about United being unlikely to spend big on a third midfielder, with the club set to focus on player sales next.
This might all be an elaborate ruse to allow the market to cool down before United attempt deals later on in the window to force the selling club’s hand.
Only time will tell if that is indeed the ploy. It must be remembered that the Old Trafford side have been slow when it comes to player sales so far, with Rasmus Hojlund the only significant departure (even that was an obligation).
Marcus Rashford’s sale might open up the chance to land Crysencio Summerville, while surprise sales are also not out of the question now that Manuel Ugarte is going nowhere. This explains why Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui have been linked with an exit in recent days.
Feature image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
There are mixed reports in Italy and Spain on the status of Bologna talks for Real Oviedo left-back Rahim Alhassane, with an asking price of €4m.
The 24-year-old is a Niger international who has been at Real Oviedo since the summer of 2024.
He made 28 appearances for the club last season between LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, without contributing any assists or goals.
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, SPAIN – JANUARY 04: Rahim Alhassane of Real Oviedo is challenged by Calebe of Deportivo Alaves during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Oviedo at Estadio de Mendizorroza on January 04, 2026 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
The suggestions in Spain via La Voz de Asturias are that negotiations are at an advanced stage and a deal could be done imminently.
That is not the version of events given by Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio.
He notes that although Alhassane talks are certainly on, Bologna are hoping to get an agreement reached for less than the €4m asking price set by Real Oviedo.
His current contract runs to June 2028 and the player can also do a job in central defence as well as left-back.
The Detroit Red Wings will have a new general manager for the 2026-27 season, with current GM Steve Yzerman transitioning to a new front office role.
Yzerman took charge in 2019, immediately beginning a rebuild that fans hoped would bring the Wings back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. And though the team steadily improved with Yzerman in charge, drafting franchise cornerstones in Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider and trading for forward Alex DeBrincat, the Red Wings stretched their postseason drought to 10 years under Yzerman's stewardship – worst in the NHL, a league where half the teams advance to the playoffs.
The Red Wings looked to break that drought in the 2025-26 season, finishing with 92 points, the most under Yzerman. But a brutal finish that included six losses in their final seven games doomed them to another playoff-less finish, leading to questions about Yzerman's leadership and a trade request from team captain Dylan Larkin.
But in reality, Yzerman's tenure with the Red Wings may have been doomed way before the end of the previous season.
Here are four moves Yzerman likely wishes he could have back, listed in chronological order.
Mantha, a 2013 first-round pick, had a solid if unspectacular first few seasons in Detroit, seeing his production dip as he missed time with various injuries from 2018-21. His trade in 2021 for Czech forward Jakub Vrána, Richard Pánik and two draft picks was initially seen as a great haul, but it did not turn out so great for the Red Wings.
For one, the first-round pick the Red Wings acquired in the trade turned into goalie Sebastian Cossa, who made one career appearance for the Wings before being traded to the Utah Mammoth at the 2026 draft. For another, Vrána and Pánik are both out of the league after disappointing runs in Detroit, while the journeyman Mantha scored a career-high 64 points for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season (albeit after stops in Washington, Vegas and Calgary before that).
This trade took a while to evolve, but several years later, it hasn't been nearly as successful as initially thought.
From 2005-22, the Red Wings stuck with two coaches: Mike Babcock (2005-15) and Jeff Blashill (2015-22). Yzerman made a change ahead of the 2022-23 season, hiring Lalonde, a Tampa Bay Lightning assistant, as his first coaching hire.
Lalonde's inexperience showed, however, as the Red Wings missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons from 2022-24. Yzerman didn't wait until the end of the next season to make a change, firing Lalonde in December 2024 and hiring Todd McLellan, which yielded better results despite the Red Wings falling short of the playoffs once again.
The Wings signed Compher to a five-year deal with a $5.1 million average annual value ahead of the 2023-24 season, giving him the third most-expensive contract on the team at the time.
And it initially worked out for the Wings, with Compher putting up 48 points in 77 games in his first season in Detroit. But his production dipped to 32 points in 2024-25 and 28 points in 2025-26 despite consistent playing time, making his contract look like an anchor for the next two seasons.
Compher's contract now falls below fellow forwards Raymond and DeBrincat, but so does his production, which makes this one of Yzerman's least productive free-agent signings.
It may be too soon to judge a trade from the 2026 deadline, but it certainly doesn't look good for the Wings.
Yzerman sent Justin Holl, prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, and two 2026 draft picks (a first and a third-rounder) to the St. Louis Blues for the veteran Faulk, who appeared in 17 games for Detroit down the stretch. The Wings were 35-21-7 before trading for Faulk and 6-10-3 after trading for him.
That's not entirely Faulk's fault – but trading out of the first round for the manifestation of a dud deadline looks really bad, even if Faulk can somehow find that All-Star form he showed with Carolina early in his career.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Steve Yzerman's 4 worst moves that doomed him as Red Wings GM
The Detroit Red Wings will have a new general manager for the 2026-27 season, with current GM Steve Yzerman transitioning to a new front office role.
Yzerman took charge in 2019, immediately beginning a rebuild that fans hoped would bring the Wings back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. And though the team steadily improved with Yzerman in charge, drafting franchise cornerstones in Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider and trading for forward Alex DeBrincat, the Red Wings stretched their postseason drought to 10 years under Yzerman's stewardship – worst in the NHL, a league where half the teams advance to the playoffs.
The Red Wings looked to break that drought in the 2025-26 season, finishing with 92 points, the most under Yzerman. But a brutal finish that included six losses in their final seven games doomed them to another playoff-less finish, leading to questions about Yzerman's leadership and a trade request from team captain Dylan Larkin.
But in reality, Yzerman's tenure with the Red Wings may have been doomed way before the end of the previous season.
Here are four moves Yzerman likely wishes he could have back, listed in chronological order.
Mantha, a 2013 first-round pick, had a solid if unspectacular first few seasons in Detroit, seeing his production dip as he missed time with various injuries from 2018-21. His trade in 2021 for Czech forward Jakub Vrána, Richard Pánik and two draft picks was initially seen as a great haul, but it did not turn out so great for the Red Wings.
For one, the first-round pick the Red Wings acquired in the trade turned into goalie Sebastian Cossa, who made one career appearance for the Wings before being traded to the Utah Mammoth at the 2026 draft. For another, Vrána and Pánik are both out of the league after disappointing runs in Detroit, while the journeyman Mantha scored a career-high 64 points for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season (albeit after stops in Washington, Vegas and Calgary before that).
This trade took a while to evolve, but several years later, it hasn't been nearly as successful as initially thought.
From 2005-22, the Red Wings stuck with two coaches: Mike Babcock (2005-15) and Jeff Blashill (2015-22). Yzerman made a change ahead of the 2022-23 season, hiring Lalonde, a Tampa Bay Lightning assistant, as his first coaching hire.
Lalonde's inexperience showed, however, as the Red Wings missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons from 2022-24. Yzerman didn't wait until the end of the next season to make a change, firing Lalonde in December 2024 and hiring Todd McLellan, which yielded better results despite the Red Wings falling short of the playoffs once again.
[ Why now? Who's next? Making sense of the Yzerman, Red Wings situation ]
The Wings signed Compher to a five-year deal with a $5.1 million average annual value ahead of the 2023-24 season, giving him the third most-expensive contract on the team at the time.
And it initially worked out for the Wings, with Compher putting up 48 points in 77 games in his first season in Detroit. But his production dipped to 32 points in 2024-25 and 28 points in 2025-26 despite consistent playing time, making his contract look like an anchor for the next two seasons.
Compher's contract now falls below fellow forwards Raymond and DeBrincat, but so does his production, which makes this one of Yzerman's least productive free-agent signings.
It may be too soon to judge a trade from the 2026 deadline, but it certainly doesn't look good for the Wings.
Yzerman sent Justin Holl, prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, and two 2026 draft picks (a first and a third-rounder) to the St. Louis Blues for the veteran Faulk, who appeared in 17 games for Detroit down the stretch. The Wings were 35-21-7 before trading for Faulk and 6-10-3 after trading for him.
That's not entirely Faulk's fault – but trading out of the first round for the manifestation of a dud deadline looks really bad, even if Faulk can somehow find that All-Star form he showed with Carolina early in his career.
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Steve Yzerman's 4 worst moves that doomed him as Red Wings GM
By Tommy Lund and Karolos Grohmann
July 15 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended its decision to provisionally lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) after nine European Union member states called on Brussels to stop funding sports bodies that have re-admitted Russian and Belarusian athletes.
In a letter to European sports commissioner Glenn Micallef, the countries urged the European Union to stop funding sporting bodies, including the IOC, World Aquatics and the International Fencing Federation, that had allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes back into competition.
The nine countries are Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
An IOC spokesperson told Reuters that the ROC's suspension, which had been in place since October 2023, was lifted earlier this month after the organisation removed regional sports bodies from occupied Ukrainian territories from its membership, the reason it was originally sanctioned.
The IOC said the decision was provisional and did not signal a broader change in its position towards Russia.
"The IOC has to navigate the complex realities and consequences of the current geopolitical context," the IOC spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"The IOC must uphold its mission to preserve a values-based and truly global sporting platform that provides hope to the world."
The spokesperson added that the IOC would continue not to hold events in Russia or invite Russian government officials to its events. No decision has been taken on the use of Russian flags, colours or the national anthem at future Olympics.
The IOC also noted that competitions outside the Olympics fall under the authority of the relevant international federations.
The Olympic body said it had also strengthened the Olympic Charter, requiring National Olympic Committees to ensure athletes selected for the Games are chosen not only on sporting merit but also on their ability to act as role models who promote a peaceful society through sport.
The nine EU countries said allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition overlooked the difficulties faced by Ukrainian athletes, many of whom have been displaced, lost access to training facilities or joined the military.
"Respect for human rights, the rule of law, and peaceful relations between nations are among the core principles underpinning international sport," the countries wrote.
They added that arguments that sport can be separated from politics were difficult to sustain given the human toll of the war in Ukraine.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk and Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Why Alexis Mac Allister plays for Argentina despite his name with Scottish, Irish roots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Alexis Mac Allister's last name can often confuse fans of international football.
He's playing for Argentina at the World Cup, yet Mac Allister has a last name with roots tracing to Scotland and Ireland.
It's a pivotal reality, because Mac Allister is as reliable as they come in the central midfield for Argentina.
He plays his club football for Liverpool, so he's familiar to fans of the English Premier League.
But on the international stage, Mac Allister has always represented Argentina.
MORE: Christian Pulisic gives a terrible answer after World Cup-ending loss
Mac Allister plays for Argentina because that's the country of his birth.
There's no confusing citizenship situation here. Mac Allister has always been Argentine.
His family had moved to the country much before the midfielder was born.
In a 2024 interview, Mac Allister explained the name's roots.
“It’s actually Irish,” Mac Allister explained on that podcast interview. “A couple of months ago I received a letter from my family in Ireland, asking me to go there one day. I would love to.”
The Athletic has also written about Mac Allister's origin, and one of his family members, Joseph McAllister (the spelling changed after the move) came to Argentina in 1865.
Two generations before that, The Athletic writes, the family had made the move from Scotland to Ireland.
So there are roots across the globe for Mac Allister.
Argentina faces England in a World Cup semifinal match that pits soccer great Lionel Messi against the young superstar Jude Bellingham.
The winner will meet Spain, whose defensive prowess and swagger allowed them to clinch a spot in the World Cup final with a 2-0 win against France on Tuesday.
Follow along for live updates, highlights and analysis as the second spot in the World Cup final is decided.
England coach Thomas Tuchel has selected Morgan Rogers to start in place of Noni Madueke on the right wing. Defenders Reece James and Djed Spence also will start, replacing Ezri Konsa and Nico O’Reilly.
For Argentina, coach Lionel Scaloni picked Gio Simeone in midfield over Rodrigo De Paul.
Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia posted a photo on Instagram of himself sitting next to Argentina stars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul.
Tapia is under investigation over his assets and the organization’s financial management. He received judicial authorization to travel to the World Cup despite the ongoing probes.
“Here we go again, with hope as our guiding principle, representing an entire nation. More united than ever,” Tapia wrote.
Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva has said fans won’t be able to carry some of their flags and banners that incorporate images of the Falkland Islands into the World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and England.
Monteoliva cited FIFA’s code of conduct, which bans politically divisive content. But her comments led to a social media backlash in Buenos Aires.
England reasserted control of the Falklands in a 1982 war with Argentina. Argentines claim the British protectorate as the Malvinas and consider the South Atlantic islands essential to their national identity.
FIFA’s code of conduct also says fans cannot “curse or chant in a political, offensive and/or discriminatory manner.”
But Britain’s top representative in Atlanta has said she expects Argentines to continue with their chants that reference the Malvinas along with soccer greats Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. Consul General Rachel Galloway told Atlanta First News that although fans might sing about those issues, “we find a way to work together.”
Wildfires in Canada forced officials to call off Wednesday’s planned FIFA Fan Festival in Toronto. Thousands of people were expected to be there to watch the England-Argentina match.
“The health and safety of attendees, staff, volunteers, and emergency personnel remains our top priority,” organizers said.
More than 100 wildfires were burning in Canada on Wednesday, with wind pushing smoke southeast. Warnings about unhealthy air extended from Minnesota through Toronto and into New York.
The World Cup final will be in East Rutherford, New Jersey — just outside of New York City — on Sunday.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has tried to play down his country’s clash with England as nothing more than a soccer game.
But some Argentine politicians have not been shy about bringing up longstanding tensions between the countries.
Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel described the match as a fight against “usurping pirates.” That’s a reference to England’s control of the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.
Villarruel shared a photo of an Argentine jersey draped over the grave of a soldier killed in the deadly 10-week Falklands War of 1982. She also made references to Argentine greats Diego Maradona, who led a World Cup quarterfinal victory over England in 1986, and Lionel Messi.
“This isn’t just another match. … It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders,” she said.
Kylian Mbappé, one of the biggest stars of this year’s World Cup and one of the game’s greatest scorers, just couldn’t generate many chances in France’s 2-0 loss to Spain in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Through Tuesday, Mbappé and Lionel Messi remain tied atop the leaderboard with eight goals each. Mbappé, who won the Golden Boot at the last World Cup four years ago in Qatar, holds the first tiebreaker with the edge in assists. Messi has a chance to pull ahead in the race on Wednesday as Argentina faces England.
Both players will then have one more match before the award is decided. France will play the loser of the other semifinal match in the third-place game on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spain will take on the winner in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the final.
It’s England vs. Argentina in the World Cup semifinals. It’s also Lionel Messi vs. Jude Bellingham.
The battle of the two No. 10s could be pivotal to deciding Wednesday’s match in Atlanta.
“We know how good Messi is,” England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said of the Argentina great, whose enduring brilliance has been on show again even at the age of 39.
Messi and Bellingham have been inspirational in their teams’ respective runs to the final four. And Wednesday’s match may well be determined by which one has the biggest say on the day.
He is already considered by many to be the greatest of all time — the GOAT — and his performances at what is likely his last World Cup, aged 39, have only strengthened that argument. This will be Lionel Messi’s first ever game against England.
If Messi can lead Argentina to the title, he would surpass the great Maradona by winning two World Cups for his country.
Argentina would also become the first back-to-back champion since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
Soccer great Pelé was part of those Brazil teams and also went on to win a third World Cup in 1970.
Spain’s Pedro Porro, right, and Spain’s Lamine Yamal celebrate after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Spain’s defensive prowess and swagger were just too much for an attacking trio led by France great Kylian Mbappé, and just enough to get the 2010 champions into another World Cup final.
The Spanish team managed a record sixth shutout in seven games so far, winning 2-0 in the semifinals Tuesday against one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history.
Spain will face the winner of Argentina-England on Sunday at New York New Jersey stadium.
Argentina and England have plenty of beef on and off the soccer field coming into today’s World Cup semifinal game in Atlanta.
The off-the-field tensions go back to the 1982 conflict over the Falkland Islands while the soccer rivalry also has been intense for decades.
Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, whose death was announced on Saturday, was sent off in a bad-tempered quarterfinal match against winner England in 1966. England manager Alf Ramsey tried to stop his players from swapping shirts with their opponents after a 1-0 victory.
Twenty years later in 1986 Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal helped Argentina to a 2-1 win against England in the quarterfinals on the way to lifting the trophy.
David Beckham was sent off in 1998 for kicking out at Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone, who was predictably criticized by the English media for his reaction to what appeared to be light contact. Argentina won the round of 16 match on penalties.
Beckham got his revenge four years later by scoring a penalty in a 1-0 win that contributed to Argentina being eliminated at the group stage.
Today’s Argentina-England matchup in Atlanta will be at 3 p.m. EDT and available in English on Fox or FS1.
For those who prefer the Spanish broadcast — Telemundo has been a very popular option.
The World Cup’s viewership in the U.S. has been strong throughout the tournament.
Fox reported more than 21.7 million tuned in to watch England’s 3-2 victory in Mexico City on July 5. That topped the previous record of the final between Argentina and France in 2022, which was seen by 16.7 million.
Every match of the tournament has been available for U.S. viewers in English on Fox or FS1, on Telemundo or Universo in Spanish. Streaming options include Fox One and Peacock.
Giuliano Simeone starts for Argentina in their World Cup semi-final against England tonight, offering a throwback to one of the fixture’s most contentious moments.
England and Argentina share a rivalry that is deeper than just the football and until this tournament have not met in a competitive match since the 2002 World Cup.
England and Argentina also played in a controversial last-16 tie at the 1998 World Cup, which saw David Beckham sent off for kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone.
Diego Simeone, the combustible coach of Spanish club Atletico Madrid, is the father of Giuliano Simeone, who is Argentina’s only change for tonight’s semi-final in Atalanta.
Beckham’s red card against Argentina in 1998 came after he fell into Simeone’s trap and was provoked by the midfielder, with the Englishman kicking out at him after a foul.
Beckham was sent off, in the lowest moment of his career, with 10-man England getting knocked out by Argentina on penalties.
Giuliano Simeone, 23, is a winger who plays under his father at Atletico Madrid. He will be making just his second appearance of the World Cup as a replacement for Rodrigo De Paul.
He was born in Rome while his father was playing for Italian club Lazio but grew up in Argentina before moving to Atletico Madrid to be with his father in 2019.
Diego Simeone, who made 108 appearances for his country, has been seen watching Argentina’s matches throughout this World Cup, and was even pictured smiling with Beckham in Miami.
Today, the second World Cup finalist will be decided. England and Argentina are battling for the last ticket.
It will come down to those famously notorious details. And in that regard, the Three Lions had already gained the first advantage before kickoff. Or rather, stumbled upon it. Because on the way from their accommodations to the stadium, a curious scene unfolded on the highway in the greater Atlanta area.
The English team bus overtook the Argentine one. Was it a little psychological game by the bus driver? In the end, of course, just a bit of fun. Because, as we all know, what matters is on the pitch!
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
The Pittsburgh Steelers reimagined the wide receiver room this offseason, making roster additions via trade and through the 2026 NFL Draft, but one holdover is drawing rave reviews from the coaching staff.
Former third-round pick Roman Wilson started just four games last season. His role could grow this year. “He’s been here from Day 1,” head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, including Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “He was one of the first men to reach out and clearly ask what the expectation was of him, how I view him, how I saw him fitting in as the roles X, F and Z. He’s doing the work.”
The Steelers added Michael Pittman in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. The team also drafted Germie Bernard in the second round, then spent a fourth-round pick on Kaden Wetjen. It’s a much-needed influx of talent for a position corps that lacked talent beyond DK Metcalf last season. Wilson is positioning himself to stand out among the group.
“He’s had a great offseason,” McCarthy said. “I just need him to keep showing up and keep working his tail off because he’s got a skill set, there’s a lot there to work with. Roman’s done a really nice job.”
After appearing in just one game as a rookie, Wilson was slightly more involved this past year. He finished the 2025-26 campaign with 12 catches on 20 targets for 166 yards. Wilson had the best game of his season in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, making four grabs for 74 yards and his first career touchdown. He came into the matchup with just four catches on the season. The big outing against the Packers didn’t foreshadow more involvement for Wilson. He did make another TD grab a few weeks later, but managed more than one catch just once the rest of the season.
Pittsburgh selected Wilson out of the University of Michigan with the 84th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. He put together a storied college career with the Wolverines, including a national championship victory in 2023. Injuries cratered Wilson’s first campaign with the Steelers. He missed most of training camp and all of the preseason with an ankle injury. The issue kept him out of action for the first month of the regular season. He finally suited up in Week 6, only to go down with a significant hamstring injury soon after.
Wilson was healthy last season, but often operated behind wideout Calvin Austin III. Pittsburgh also leaned on veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, and Scotty Miller. A passing offense that focused on tight ends Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington capped the opportunities for the wide receivers.
The incoming wideouts offer plenty of versatility. As Pryor points out, Bernard is one of just two wide receivers in the SEC over the past two seasons to score from all three spots and out of the backfield. Wetjen was a kick return weapon at Iowa. Pittman has played all over the field.
“We’re not shorthanded on pass catchers,” Pittman told reporters back in May.
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The Boston Celtics have signed a pair of prospects to Exhibit 10 contracts, according to recent reporting from Spotrac senior contributor Keith Smith. Per Smith, the "Celtics have signed Tucker DeVries and Milos Uzan to Exhibit 10 contracts". Smith also notes that such contracts are non-guaranteed training camp deals.
"After camp the vast majority of (Exhibit 10) signings will end up joining the franchise’s G League affiliate," adds Smith. In this case, that would be the Maine Celtics in Portland. And at least one of Uzan and DeVries has a shot at making a two way spot with Boston after their play with the Sin City Celtics in the NBA's 2026 Las Vegas Summer League.
And, at least for us, that would be Uzan, despite having considerably worse shooting numbers (32 percent from the field overall and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc) than DeVries (41.2 percent and 40 percent, respectively).
Even though his efficiency is a legitimate concern at the G League level, he was a good game settler and connector who rebounds well for his position, as evidenced by the 8.0 points, 4.3 boards, and 5.0 assists per game he logged with the Summer Celtics over three contests.
DeVries, for his part, might also merit a closer look with the 11.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game he put up, but likely needs to add some depth to his game to have a real shot at the NBA even as a two way player. Both will have a shot to fight for a two way roll with Boston under these deals, however, so keep your eyes peeled.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics reportedly sign two Las Vegas Summer League prospects to Exhibit 10 deals
The Green Bay Packers didn’t hesitate in March. Hours after the Minnesota Vikings released Javon Hargrave, Green Bay signed the veteran defensive lineman to a two-year, $23 million contract with a $10.5 million signing bonus.
The move reunited Hargrave with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, hired in February after Jeff Hafley left to become the Miami Dolphins‘ head coach. Gannon ran the Philadelphia Eagles defense during Hargrave’s best seasons, and he handed the 33-year-old a significant role on a unit that will open the season without its biggest star.
With training camp opening July 29, one national analyst has given a warning to Packers fans that they won’t love.
CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards examined Green Bay’s roster ahead of camp and framed the signing as one of the team’s biggest gambles, hoping Hargrave will be “tapping into the fountain of youth.”
The skepticism is rooted in recent production. Hargrave played 16 games with 15 starts for the Vikings in 2025 but finished with 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits on 53% of the defensive snaps. That came one year after a torn triceps ended his 2024 season three games in with San Francisco.
Lombardi Ave’s John Sbisa acknowledged those concerns, writing that Hargrave’s 2025 season was solid but “a far cry from his Eagles peak.”
He added: “A lackluster season in Green Bay would cast a grim light on the pre- and post-injury divide.”
That peak came under Gannon. From 2021-22, with Gannon coordinating the Eagles defense, Hargrave totaled 18.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and 34 quarterback hits — the best two-year stretch of his career. He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and set a career high with 11 sacks in 2022.
Gannon made his stance clear on Hargrave after his signing with the Packers.
“He works his butt off and he’s tough as nails,” the coordinator said of Hargrave, via Forbes. “When we had the ability to acquire him or the chance to acquire him, team-first guy, loves football, smart, and he works his butt off and he’s tough as nails. So, anybody that kind of checks those boxes, you want to acquire them if you can. He checked all those boxes. I’m excited to get back with him.”
Green Bay’s pass rush can’t afford a slow start from Hargrave.
Micah Parsons underwent ACL surgery with a meniscus cleanup on December 29, and the team’s nine-month recovery rule pushes his earliest return to mid-October. Parsons is expected to open the year on the physically unable to perform list, making the Week 6 matchup with Dallas on October 18 his realistic debut target.
The interior is thin, too. The Packers sent Kenny Clark to Dallas in the Parsons trade last August and dealt Colby Wooden in the deal that brought linebacker Zaire Franklin from Indianapolis. Devonte Wyatt, meanwhile, broke his fibula and tore an ankle ligament in the Thanksgiving win over Detroit. Wyatt says he will be ready for training camp, but Hargrave’s addition allows Green Bay to ease him back into a full workload rather than rush the recovery.
Hargrave does bring one dependable trait: durability. He has played 15-plus games in nine of his 10 NFL seasons, with the 2024 triceps tear the lone exception.
If he holds up and Gannon can recreate even part of the Philadelphia formula, the signing looks smart by November. If not, the Packers will spend the fall waiting on Parsons while a $23 million bet sits quiet in the middle of their defense.
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This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Packers Warned $23 Million Free Agent Signing Is a ‘Gamble’ appeared first on HEAVY.
Most golfers believe they should shoot their handicap — or better — every time they tee it up. Part of golf’s magic is the belief that today could be the day you shoot a personal best. Even when someone tells you to temper your expectations, it rarely quiets the desire to play your absolute best.
One of the most common frustrations golfers express is that they can’t take their range game to the course. They flush shots during practice, only to struggle once the scorecard comes out. But expecting your range game to translate directly to the course, or believing you should beat your handicap every round, is a flawed way of thinking. Looking at your game through a different lens can help you become a more consistent scorer.
One of the biggest misconceptions among golfers is the belief that better ball striking automatically leads to better scoring. There are few feelings in golf better than flushing a shot with the exact ball flight you envisioned. But while improved swing mechanics certainly help, they don’t guarantee lower scores. A more realistic mindset creates a better opportunity for consistent, peak performance.
In any endeavor where countless variables influence the outcome, it’s important to have realistic expectations. I often compare golf to baseball when explaining this to students who love the game. A starting pitcher carries an ERA, while a golfer carries a handicap. The lower the ERA, the better the pitcher. Likewise, the lower the handicap, the better the golfer.
Even if a pitcher has been throwing well recently or has an excellent warm-up, they don’t truly know what kind of “stuff” they have until the game begins. Golf is no different. You may be a low handicap, feel great on the range or be coming off several good rounds, but you won’t know what your game looks like that day until you’re on the course. That’s where competition begins.
Tiger Woods was famous for saying he didn’t have his “A game” on days when he still managed to post excellent scores. Great players don’t rely on having perfect swings; they learn to compete with whatever they have that day. Like a pitcher settling into a game, golfers often need a few holes before they discover what kind of game they brought to the course.
The mistake to avoid is believing you should play well simply because you’ve been playing well, or because the tournament is important. Golf doesn’t reward expectations. It rewards execution. The better approach is to honestly assess what you have that day and build your strategy around it. For example, if you aren’t swinging your best, that may mean taking fewer risks, aiming for larger targets, or focusing on building confidence early in the round instead of forcing great shots.
There are numerous systems that support this type of thinking. Scott Fawcett’s DECADE Golf emphasizes smart strategy and disciplined decision-making based on probabilities rather than emotion. Another effective approach is to earn the right to become more aggressive as the round unfolds, staying patient early in the round and only firing at flags later on once you’ve established you have your best stuff that day.
Golf is ultimately more about playing and competing than producing perfect golf swings. The players who score consistently aren’t always the ones striking it the best. They’re the ones who adapt, make good decisions and compete with the game they have that day.
Learn to compete with what you have, not with what you wish you had. That’s often the difference between chasing great golf and actually playing it.
The post How to shoot lower scores without swinging your best appeared first on Golf.
Sky's Sydney Taylor crashes an exclusive rookie party with Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 season has presented more challenges for a Chicago Sky franchise that is continually beating back bad PR.
In April, the Sky dealt All-Star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for a grand total of two first-round picks. Blossoming All-Star scorer Rickea Jackson has long bee ruled out for the season with an ACL tear. Skylar Diggins has not played for the team since she revealed that she was no longer in the starting lineup.
MORE: Chicago Sky players create buzz with bikini boat outing on Chicago River
In a season that is trending toward the lottery, the Sky's brightest spot has been the stellar play of undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor.
Taylor scored 17 points in Wednesday's 95-90 win over the Seattle Storm, as the Sky improved to 8-16 on the year.
In doing so, Taylor became the fourth rookie of the 2026 class to make at least 100 field goals. The wrinkle is that Taylor is the only one who wasn't drafted.
Rookies with 100+ FGM this season:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) July 15, 2026
Azzi Fudd (No. 1 pick)
Olivia Miles (No. 2 pick)
Flau’jae Johnson (No. 8 pick)
Sydney Taylor (undrafted) pic.twitter.com/GUqat1lYZd
The other rookies to make at least 100 shots this season all went inside the first 10 picks of the 2026 draft. They are Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles -- the top two picks -- as well as Flau'jae Johnson, the eighth selection.
Taylor has scored in double digits for four consecutive games, and she is averaging 13.0 points per game as a rookie. The scoring guard is proving to be a shrewd pickup from a Sky front office that has been bashed for its roster management, and she could well be a vital part of Chicago's latest retool.
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Former Ohio State football head coach Urban Meyer thinks a missed call is the reason for the Buckeyes' 2016 loss against Penn State.
In a clip from "The Triple Option" show July 15, Meyer said that an uncalled penalty during an Ohio State field goal attempt prevented the Buckeyes from tying the Nittany Lions.
With OSU up 21-17 with 4:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, Meyer sent out the field goal unit on fourth-and-7 for a 45-yard attempt, but linebacker Marcus Allen blocked Tyler Durbin's kick. Penn State cornerback Grant Haley scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the end zone, turning Ohio State's three-point lead into a Penn State four-point advantage.
Urban Meyer thinks the Block Six vs Penn State came from a missed penalty.@danWorthington@TheScriptOSUpic.twitter.com/LlzU9zt8Yv
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) July 14, 2026
"By rule, you can't physically pull the field goal protector out of the way of the guy jumping through," Meyer said.
Meyer was referencing Penn State defensive tackle Ryan Bates, who appears to pull Ohio State offensive lineman Brady Taylor out from the middle of the line. The open space gave Allen a lane to jump up and block the kick.
Now down 21-24, Meyer's team had one more offensive drive to try and tie the score, but Penn State's defense forced the Buckeyes to go for it on fourth-and-23 from their own 29-yard line, and OSU failed to convert.
"I turned it in, and I didn't [expletive] a lot about it," Meyer said. "My fault that we ran the field goal unit on late."
The loss against Penn State was the Buckeyes' only regular-season loss in 2016, costing the team the Big Ten Championship. Penn State beat Wisconsin 38-31 in the conference championship game and lost a month later as the No. 5 seed to No. 9 USC 52-49 in the Rose Bowl.
Despite the loss, Ohio State qualified for the College Football Playoff semifinal as the No. 3 seed. The Buckeyes lost to eventual champion Clemson, the No. 2 seed, in the Fiesta Bowl 31-0.
"They later came back and said it could have been and should have been a penalty, if I remember right," Meyer said. "If they would've thrown that flag, obviously, we win."
Whether or not a penalty should have been called for the reasons Meyer specified, the play definitely would have been illegal a year later. Big Ten Coordinator of Football Officials Bill Carollo spoke at Big Ten media days in 2017 and said that, according to a change in the NCAA's 2017 football rulebook, Allen would have been prohibited from jumping to block the kick after he had already reached the neutral zone.
“Last year, legal. This year, illegal,” Carollo said, in a report by SB Nation.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Urban Meyer says missed call cost Ohio State in 2016 Penn State loss
Who is Ismail Elfath? Meet Messi's 'favorite referee' stirring more Argentina favoritism outcry originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Before the opening whistle has even blown in England and Argentina's semifinal match, World Cup fans are already complaining that FIFA is rigging the match in Lionel Messi's favor.
The topic of Argentina being the beneficiary of fixed matches has been one of the most talked-about conspiracy theories throughout the soccer world. FIFA hasn't exactly helped quell those theorists after appointing Moroccan-American referee Ismail Elfath to serve as the semifinal match's lead official.
In the past, Messi has reportedly won every match he has played with Elfath serving as the referee in some capacity, including the 2022 World Cup final against France.
Here's the rundown on Elfath, and why many soccer fans believe he's helped Messi in the past.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
American referee Ismail Elfath will serve as the referee for the semifinal match between England and Argentina.
Elfath has been a FIFA referee since 2016 and served as the fourth referee during Argentina's 2022 World Cup final win over France. 2022 served as Elfath's first World Cup, debuting in a match between Portugal and Ghana and serving as the referee for a knockout stage match between Japan and Croatia.
At this year's World Cup, Elfath served as the referee for Japan vs. the Netherlands, Uruguay vs. Spain, and Brazil vs. Norway's clash in the Round of 16.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup match 102 have been appointed. 🤝
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 13, 2026
Elfath was born in Morocco and came over to the United States at age 18. He would eventually become a U.S citizen and has been an MLS referee since 2012.
Many World Cup fans complained about FIFA appointing Elfath to officiate the England vs. Argentina match because Messi has found vast success with Morocco native on the pitch. At the 2022 World Cup final, Elfath was the fourth official when Argentina won in a penalty shootout over France, thanks to two Messi goals.
Elfath was also the referee during Inter Miami's 2023 Leagues Cup win, a match that featured Messi scoring before a penalty shootout win over Nashville SC. Elfath has additionally refereed three other MLS wins for Messi.
Elfath is originally from Morocco. He moved to America as an 18-year-old after winning a U.S. government-backed diversity visa lottery, according to the BBC.
Elfath was born on March 3, 1982, in Casablanca, Morocco. The 44-year-old has officiated in the MLS since 2012, a tenure in which he has won Referee of the Year twice.
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According to various reports, such as Wales Online and NY Sports Day, Messi has never lost a game that has featured Elfath as an official. In five total matches that have featured Elfath as an official, Messi has accumulated a 5-0 record, with four of those matches coming from competition at Inter Miami.
At the 2022 World Cup final, Elfath was the fourth official when Argentina won in a penalty shootout over France, thanks to two Messi goals.
He was also the referee when Inter Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup, a match that also featured Messi scoring before his team won via a penalty shootout over Nashville SC. Additionally, Elfath has refereed three other MLS wins for Messi.
While the case for FIFA favoring Messi's Argentina seems to grow through everyday, there has been no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing.
Fans began pointing even more fingers toward La Albiceleste after news broke reporting that the national team was under investigation by the FBI for money laundering and fraud in the U.S. According to CBS Sports, at least $260 million has gone through America's financial system, along with an additional $57 million in transfers that do not have a clear purpose.
Argentina has also been getting carded at a lower frequency compared to other teams in the tournament. Here is a look at where they ranked among teams in the quarterfinals:
🚨 How often do teams playing in World Cup quarterfinals get booked:
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) July 7, 2026
🏴 England - Card per every 7 fouls
🇲🇦 Morocco - Card per every 9,8 fouls
🇧🇪 Belgium - Card per every 10 fouls
🇨🇭 Switzerland - Card per every 11,5 fouls
🇫🇷 France - Card per every 12,2 fouls
🇳🇴 Norway - Card… pic.twitter.com/UMhGpm9lcq
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The post MSI delivers high-speed CXMT DDR5 memory support on AMD and Intel platforms appeared first on OC3D.
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Argentina is one win away from another World Cup final, but one of Lionel Scaloni’s biggest selection calls has already become a major talking point. Rodrigo De Paul has been left out of the starting lineup for the semifinal against England, raising questions about one of Lionel Messi’s most trusted teammates.
Argentina enters the semifinal against England aiming to keep its World Cup title defense alive after overcoming Switzerland in the quarterfinals. While the attacking partnership of Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez remains intact, Lionel Scaloni has opted to make significant adjustments in midfield.
Rodrigo De Paul has lost his place in the starting XI, with Giuliano Simeone and Nicolas Gonzalez emerging as alternatives as the coaching staff searches for greater balance against England‘s dangerous attack.
The confirmed midfield features Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, and Giuliano Simeone, emphasizing mobility, defensive discipline, and energy ahead of one of Argentina’s biggest matches of the tournament.
| Date | Competition | H2H Result |
|---|---|---|
| November 12, 2005 | International Friendly | Argentina 2-3 England |
| June 7, 2002 | FIFA World Cup (Group Stage) | Argentina 0-1 England |
| February 23, 2000 | International Friendly | England 0-0 Argentina |
| June 30, 1998 | FIFA World Cup (Round of 16) | Argentina 2-2 England (Argentina won 4-3 on penalties) |
| May 24, 1991 | England Challenge Cup | England 2-2 Argentina |
The main reason behind De Paul’s absence is Scaloni’s tactical approach to facing England. Rather than relying on the usual midfield structure, the Argentina coach wants a system capable of limiting England’s pace on the wings while providing additional defensive protection.
Our XI for the 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬! 🇦🇷🏆🏴 pic.twitter.com/MRYdPnn8xk
— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) July 15, 2026
Reports also suggest that De Paul’s performance against Switzerland was viewed as one of his least convincing displays of the tournament, increasing competition for places in midfield as Argentina reaches the decisive stages of the World Cup.
Scaloni has reportedly considered several tactical options, including a more compact midfield or even a switch to a five-man defensive line, with each scenario reducing the need for De Paul’s traditional role alongside Messi.
One of the most intriguing tactical experiments came during Argentina’s training sessions ahead of the semifinal. Scaloni tested a back five featuring Nicolas Otamendi alongside Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, a move designed to strengthen the defense against England’s attacking threats. Such a formation naturally reduces the number of midfield positions available, making Rodrigo De Paul the player most likely to sacrifice his starting place.
The idea is far from unfamiliar for the Argentina manager. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Scaloni also switched to a five-man defense against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, a tactical adjustment that helped Argentina survive a dramatic encounter before advancing on penalties and ultimately winning the World Cup.
With just one spot left in the 2026 World Cup final to be decided, the match between England and Argentina could become a historic moment for both teams.
A powerful team like England has done what was expected of them by reaching the semifinals, although not without suffering in the knockout rounds. Winning this match would send them to their second final, 60 years after their first one.
More dramatic has been Argentina’s run so far, as they have been close to elimination several times during the competition before fighting back. This could become the sixth World Cup final in their history, with three previous titles already secured.
England is set for a huge 2026 World Cup semifinal against Argentina, but Marcus Rashford will begin the match on the bench, prompting plenty of questions ahead of kick-off. With a place in the final at stake, supporters are eager to learn why one of England’s most recognizable attacking players is not in line to start such an important fixture.
The Three Lions arrive in Atlanta after overcoming a demanding path through the knockout rounds. Thomas Tuchel’s side defeated DR Congo before edging Mexico 3-2 and then battling past Norway 3-2 after extra time, with Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane continuing to lead England’s charge toward its first World Cup final since 1966.
Argentina‘s journey has been equally dramatic. Lionel Scaloni’s squad recovered from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2, survived extra-time battles against both Cape Verde and Switzerland, and extended its impressive unbeaten World Cup run while chasing a fourth global title.
Wednesday’s meeting also revives one of soccer’s greatest rivalries. The two sides have not met since a 3-2 friendly victory for England in 2005, while this will be their first World Cup encounter since David Beckham’s winning penalty separated the teams in the 2002 Group Stage.
| Date | Competition | H2H Result |
|---|---|---|
| November 12, 2005 | International Friendly | Argentina 2-3 England |
| June 7, 2002 | FIFA World Cup (Group Stage) | Argentina 0-1 England |
| February 23, 2000 | International Friendly | England 0-0 Argentina |
| June 30, 1998 | FIFA World Cup (Round of 16) | Argentina 2-2 England (Argentina won 4-3 on penalties) |
| May 24, 1991 | England Challenge Cup | England 2-2 Argentina |
Rashford’s absence from England’s starting lineup is understood to be a tactical decision rather than the result of injury or suspension. According to the London Evening Standard and BBC Sport, Tuchel believes other attacking options currently offer a better balance for the way England plans to approach Argentina.
Ready for Argentina! 👊 pic.twitter.com/5fSh9K1tir
— England (@England) July 15, 2026
The biggest factor is the outstanding form of Anthony Gordon, who has impressed throughout the knockout rounds. Gordon’s work rate, defensive contribution, and ability to stretch opposing defenses have convinced Tuchel to continue trusting him on the left side of England’s attack.
Bukayo Saka’s expected return on the opposite wing further reduces opportunities in the starting eleven. With Saka and Gordon occupying the wide positions behind Harry Kane, Rashford finds himself competing with several in-form attackers for limited places.
While Rashford will not start, England still views him as an important weapon later in matches. His pace and ability to attack tiring defenders have made him a useful option from the bench throughout the tournament.
It is said that Tuchel believes Rashford can have a greater influence entering the game during the second half rather than beginning from the opening whistle. That approach also allows England to introduce fresh attacking speed if the semifinal becomes stretched during the closing stages.
The strategy is one that the coaching staff has already used successfully earlier in the tournament. Rashford previously made a positive contribution after coming off the bench, reinforcing the belief that he can still play a decisive role even without starting.
Nico O’Reilly entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of England’s most highly anticipated young talents, following a string of stellar, breakout performances under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. However, for Wednesday’s blockbuster semifinal clash against Argentina, the versatile defender has been surprisingly excluded from the starting eleven.
O’Reilly will begin the match on the bench due to a calculated tactical adjustments implemented by head coach Thomas Tuchel. Believing that the Argentine backline is particularly vulnerable to explosive speed out wide, the German manager has opted for a raw, pace-oriented approach on the left flank rather than relying on O’Reilly’s signature technical possession play.
Instead, Tuchel has made the bold decision to slot Djed Spence into the starting lineup at left back, anchoring the opposite flank with Reece James on the right. The Tottenham Hotspur defender clearly made a lasting impression during his recent shift against Norway, where his dynamic overlapping runs nearly won a penalty, and he is now being deployed as a highly aggressive, attacking fullback to exploit Argentina’s defensive spacing.
Prior to today, O’Reilly had featured in every single World Cup match for England, frequently giving way to Spence in the second half as a tactical substitution to inject an explosive X-factor down the flank. The only other game the Manchester City starlet did not start was the group-stage matchup against Ghana, where Tuchel similarly prioritized Spence’s raw speed to overwhelm the opposition while the Three Lions dominated possession.
*Developing story…
After a hard-fought match against Norway, England face Argentina in a clash filled with soccer and geopolitical history. Looking to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup final, both teams seemed destined to make very few changes to the starting lineup. However, head coach Thomas Tuchel has decided to make a change in attack: Noni Madueke will start on the bench, despite shining in the previous match.
Noni Madueke is fully fit, remaining free of injuries and suspensions. Despite this, head coach Thomas Tuchel has decided to leave him on the bench for purely tactical reasons vs Argentina. As a player who excels in dribbling and is decisive in tight spaces, he seemed like the perfect option to launch counterattacks. However, Tuchel has decided to pursue a very different creative approach from previous matches.
Looking to strengthen their control of midfield, head coach has decided to start Morgan Rogers on the right wing. Although he is naturally an attacking midfielder, he is very quick and could give the team greater control in possession. With him on the pitch, England enjoyed much more control against Norway, something they will hope to replicate against Argentina while providing greater support for Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
England have decided to make changes in attack, but they have recovered two stars: Reece James and Declan Rice, who will start. While the right back was absent, the midfielder played only 45 minutes in the previous match. Against Argentina, both will be able to shine, giving Thomas Tuchel more tools to secure the victory. However, Bellingham and Kane are the ones who need to be clinical in front of goal.
After failing to shine in the collective aspect of the game, England head coach Thomas Tuchel has decided to make major tactical adjustments. Without a dribble-oriented right winger, they will look to emphasize their play through the middle, giving greater importance to midfielders such as Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers. Along with this, Djed Spence and Anthony Gordon may have essential roles for the Three Lions.
Both Spence and Gordon will be responsible for stretching the pitch and taking advantage of Argentina’s spaces. As the team’s most dangerous players in terms of dribbling and pace, they will be essential in creating openings in the rival’s defense. While the goalscoring threat will not come from them, they will create the space for Kane and Bellingham to shine. In addition, Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze could also play important roles, but coming off the bench.
England is set to battle long-time rival Argentina on Wednesday, July 15th, at Atlanta Stadium in a high-stakes 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal. With a coveted spot in the championship match on the line, Bukayo Saka‘s absence from the starting lineup has quickly emerged as the biggest pre-match storyline.
Saka will begin the match on the bench due to a purely tactical adjustment made by head coach Thomas Tuchel. The German manager has frequently rotated his options on the right wing throughout this tournament in North America, and he has opted for another high-profile gamble by dropping the Arsenal star for today’s clash.
Instead, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers will earn the start on the right flank to match up against Argentina. This represents only the second start of the tournament for Rogers, who previously featured in the lineup against Panama and logged substitute appearances against Croatia, Ghana, Mexico, and Norway without recording a goal or an assist.
Even so, Tuchel is placing his trust in the rising Villa attacker over Saka, who has endured a relatively quiet tournament by his lofty standards. The Arsenal winger has recorded three assists during the campaign, distributing them evenly across group-stage matches against Croatia, Panama, and Mexico.
Saka originally entered the World Cup carrying a lingering muscular injury that kept him sidelined for a pre-tournament friendly against New Zealand. He went on to start against Panama, Mexico, and Norway, but while he has featured as a second-half substitute in England’s other matches, he has yet to play a full 90 minutes.
Operating primarily as a central attacking midfielder for Aston Villa, Rogers’ stellar domestic form earned him a consistent place in Tuchel’s international plans. While he has registered just one goal and two assists across his first 20 caps with the Three Lions, his dynamic, energetic performance off the bench against Norway clearly solidified his place in the manager’s tactical blueprint.
Remaining completely healthy throughout the grueling 2025-26 club season, Rogers racked up 14 goals and 12 assists in 55 appearances for Villa. Those impressive numbers helped propel his club forward while securing his individual selection to the UEFA Europa League Team of the Season.
Argentina continue their title defense and now face England in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup at Atlanta Stadium. For this crucial game, coach Lionel Scaloni once again opted to leave Lautaro Martinez on the bench.
For the third straight knockout match, Martinez will watch from the bench as Argentina kick off, with Julian Alvarez set to partner Lionel Messi up front once again.
There’s no injury concern behind the call. Martinez trained normally in the buildup and remains available to come on if Scaloni needs a different look in attack, but the coaching staff has simply found no reason to break up a partnership that keeps delivering results.
The forward spot next to Messi has been an open competition all tournament, and it’s one that’s tilted firmly in Alvarez’s favor since the knockout rounds began. After coming off the bench in the first two group-stage matches, the Atletico Madrid forward started against Jordan alongside a rotated lineup, with Messi among the substitutes that day.
However, his performance wasn’t enough to secure his spot as a starter for the next game. In the Round of 32 win over Cape Verde, Martinez returned to the starting lineup, but it was Alvarez’s performance off the bench that ultimately convinced Scaloni to hand him the start against Egypt in the Round of 16.
By the quarterfinals against Switzerland, Alvarez was back in the starting lineup and was named man of the match after scoring a stunning goal — one that could be in contention for goal of the tournament — at a crucial moment in extra time to put his side ahead.
With the forward in excellent form and riding a strong run over these last few matches, Scaloni has opted to keep him in the starting lineup alongside Messi up front, leaving Martinez as a solid option off the bench.
The unstoppable force of France’s star-studded attack has collided head-on with an immovable Spanish wall, and the immovable object prevailed in spectacular fashion. On the latest edition of Rabona TV, host Adrian Sousa breaks down a absolute tactical masterclass in Dallas as La Roja completely dismantled pre-tournament favorites France 2-0 to punch their ticket to the 2026 World Cup Final.
Listen to the full tactical deconstruction on Spotify to hear exactly how the match was won.
The matchday story was one of pure, unadulterated structural dominance. Spain grabbed the early initiative in the 22nd minute when teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was dragged down in the box by Lucas Digne. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up to the spot and calmly dispatched the penalty to give La Roja a thoroughly deserved lead. Spain then doubled their cushion just before the hour mark when right-back Pedro Porro surged forward, exchanging a slick give-and-go with Dani Olmo before clinically slipping a finish past Mike Maignan.
But the real marvel of the evening was Spain’s defensive suffocating machine. Facing arguably the most feared, high-octane attacking force in global football, the Spanish backline utterly strangled Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Désiré Doué. France was restricted to an almost non-existent 0.3 expected goals (xG), failing to construct a single fluid sequence of dangerous possession. Lamine Yamal completely outshone his opposite number Mbappé on the night, winning the decisive penalty and even having a third goal cruelly chalked off for offside.
While France slides down to Saturday’s third-place playoff and Mbappé’s pursuit of Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup goal scoring record stalls out on 20, Spain moves forward. La Roja reach their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010, setting up a historic shot at a world-and-European-champions double this Sunday in New Jersey against either England or Argentina.
You can stream the entire tactical post-match review right now. Check out the Rabona TV World Cup Recap on Spotify to get the complete breakdown of the player ratings, midfield pressing statistics, and ahead-of-the-curve final predictions.
Galatasaray, 22 yaşındaki orta saha oyuncusu Lesley Ugochukwu'yu renklerine bağladı.
Galatasaray, Burnley'den orta saha oyuncusu Lesley Ugochukwu'yu kadrosuna kattığını açıkladı.
Sarı-kırmızılı kulüpten yapılan açıklamada, "Profesyonel futbolcu Lesley Chimuanya Ugochukwu'nun, kendisi ve kulübü Burnley Football & Athletic Company Limited ile futbolcunun şarta bağlı satın alma opsiyonlu olarak 2026-2027 sezonu sonuna kadar geçici transferi konusunda anlaşmaya varılmış olup, geçici transfer bedeli 3.000.000 GBP olarak belirlenmiştir.
Şarta bağlı satın alma opsiyonu bedeli 22.500.000 GBP'dir.
Yapılan anlaşmaya göre futbolcuya 2026-2027 sezonu için net 2.650.000 EUR sabit ücret ödenecektir.
Kamuoyuna saygıyla duyurulur." ifadelerine yer verildi.
Türkiye’nin en büyüğüne hoş geldin Lesley Ugochukwu! ???? pic.twitter.com/zY7BSuyOg8
— Galatasaray SK (@GalatasaraySK) July 15, 2026
Trendyol 1. Lig ekiplerinden SMS Grup Sarıyer, Bosna Hersekli file bekçisi İbrahim Sehic'i transfer ettiğini duyurdu.
Lacivert-beyazlı kulübün sosyal medya platformundaki hesabından yapılan açıklamada, "Kulübümüz, kaleci İbrahim Sehic ile anlaşmaya varmıştır. Sehic'e hoş geldin diyor, lacivert-beyaz formamız altında başarılı bir sezon diliyoruz." ifadeleri kullanıldı.
İbrahim Sehic, geçen sezon Trendyol 1. Lig'de mücadele eden Çorum FK ile tüm kulvarlarda 34 maça çıktı.
Trendyol Süper Lig ekiplerinden Arca Çorum FK, kaleci İbrahim Sehic ile yollarını ayırdı.
Kulüpten yapılan açıklamada, Bosna-Hersekli oyuncu ile sözleşmenin karşılıklı anlaşmayla feshedildiği belirtildi.
Sehic'e, Çorum FK'ye sağladığı katkıdan dolayı teşekkür edilerek bundan sonraki kariyerinde başarı dilendi.
Beşiktaş, Arsenal'in dünyaca ünlü Belçikalı yıldızı Leandro Trossard transferini resmen KAP'a bildirdi. Siyah-beyazlılar, 18 milyon euro bonservis ve yıllık 6.5 milyon euro garanti ücretle el sıkıştığı yeni transferi için yarın saat 19.03'te Tüpraş Stadyumu'nda tarihi bir imza töreni düzenleyecek.
Beşiktaş, İngiltere Premier Lig ekiplerinden Arsenal'de forma giyen dünya yıldızı Leandro Trossard transferini resmen bitirdi ve Kamuyu Aydınlatma Platformu'na (KAP) bildirdi. Siyah-beyazlılar, yeni transferi için kulübün sembol saati olan 19.03'te görkemli bir imza töreni düzenleyecek.
Siyah-beyazlı kulüpten yapılan açıklamaya göre; Belçikalı yıldız Leandro Trossard için yarın saat 19.03'te Tüpraş Stadyumu'nda taraftara açık tarihi bir imza töreni gerçekleştirilecek.
Beşiktaş'ın KAP'a yaptığı resmi açıklamaya göre, anlaşmanın finansal ve sözleşme detayları şu şekildedir:
Sözleşme Süresi: 3 + 1 yıl (opsiyonlu)
Yıllık Garanti Ücret: Her bir sezon için 6.500.000 Avro
Bonservis Bedeli: The Arsenal Football Club PLC kulübüne toplam 18.000.000 Avro ödenecektir.
Ödeme Planı: Bonservis bedeli 6 eşit taksit halinde 3 yıllık bir süreçte ödenecektir.
Beşiktaş'tan KAP'a Yapılan Resmi Açıklama:
- Profesyonel futbolcu Leandro Trossard'ın transferi konusunda kulübü ve kendisi ile anlaşmaya varılmıştır. The Arsenal Football Club Public Limited Company kulübüne toplam transfer bedeli olarak 18.000.000 Avro 6 (altı) eşit taksit halinde üç yılda ödenecektir. Oyuncu ile üç yıl artı bir yıl opsiyonlu olacak şekilde anlaşmaya varılmıştır. Yapılan anlaşmaya göre oyuncuya; her bir futbol sezonu için 6.500.000 Avro garanti ücret ödenecektir.
Fenerbahçe'de Greenwood transferini bitirip İstanbul'a dönen yönetici Cihan Kamer'in havalimanındaki gizemli "Ollie Watkins" yanıtı camiayı heyecanlandırırken, transferde Suudi devi Al-Hilal'in de devreye girdiği ve oyuncunun Arabistan'a sıcak baktığı iddia edildi.
Fenerbahçe’de transfer hareketliliği tüm hızıyla sürüyor. Fransa'da Mason Greenwood transferini bitiren futboldan sorumlu yönetici Cihan Kamer, işlemlerin ardından İstanbul’a döndü. Havalimanında soruları yanıtlayan Kamer, sarı-lacivertli taraftarları heyecanlandıracak mesajlar verdi.
Havalimanında ayağının tozuyla gazetecilerle karşılaşan Cihan Kamer, Greenwood transferinin hayırlı olmasını dileyen muhabirlere önce her zamanki mesafeli tavrıyla yanıt verdi:
- Biliyorsunuz ben konuşmuyorum.
Ancak asıl hareketlilik, taraftarın sabırsızlıkla beklediği forvet transferi ve adı Fenerbahçe ile anılan dünya yıldızı Ollie Watkins sorulunca yaşandı.
Kamer, Watkins iddiaları karşısında açık kapı bırakarak şu sözlerle yetindi:
- Hayırlı olsun, Greenwood hayırlı olsun.
Yöneticinin bu gizemli ve tebessümlü yanıtı, camiada yeni bir transfer bombasının yolda olduğu şeklinde yorumlandı.
Fenerbahçe cephesinde bu hareketlilik yaşanırken, dış basından da transferin seyrini değiştirebilecek önemli bir iddia ortaya atıldı. Minber Al-Hilal'in paylaştığı bilgilere göre, Al-Hilal, forvet arayışları doğrultusunda Ollie Watkins'i listesine aldı. İngiliz golcünün, astronomik bütçelerle dikkat çeken Suudi Arabistan Ligi’ne gitmeye sıcak baktığı belirtiliyor.
LibreWolf browser removes Mozilla telemetry and enables stricter privacy and security settings by default. It remains compatible with most Firefox extensions and is typically updated shortly after new Firefox releases.
Korean chip giant Samsung is reportedly considering outsourcing orders to design a portion of Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) AI chips. Samsung is believed to be Google's manufacturing partner for the TPU chip's input/output (I/O) die. While the TPU's compute tile is expected to be manufactured by TSMC, the part on which the tile will be connected, called the I/O, is said to be Samsung's responsibility. For the I/O, Samsung is considering outsourcing the back-end design for the chip in order to ensure that Google's design is fit for its manufacturing facilities, says the Korean press. Several Korean Firms in […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/samsung-reportedly-outsources-googles-tpu-i-o-late-stage-design-says-report/
Polish developer Rebel Wolves has revealed today that their debut game, the action RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker, is officially gold. That means the physical disc is being printed, though of course, in this day and age, the studio will continue to work on day-one patches and the like up to the launch date of September 3. I suppose this saying will have to be updated if Sony's planned end of PlayStation disc sales from January 2028 goes ahead. Anyway, the gold status effectively confirms there will be no delays. The studio worked quite swiftly on its debut game; Rebel […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/rebel-wolves-hits-gold-the-blood-of-dawnwalker-september-3-launch/
You would have to be wholly fatuous to leak the details of an ongoing negotiation with a company as private as Apple, and from the mouth of the CEO no less, as PrismML appears to have done recently, indicating that the tidbit about its impending acquisition by Apple was nothing more than a glorified PR campaign. You don't leak details of an ongoing negotiation, especially when a company as sensitive as Apple is involved, if those talks have even a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding While speaking with CNBC earlier this week, PrismML's CEO casually lobbed a bombshell: Apple […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/if-apple-were-really-serious-about-acquiring-prismml-its-ceo-wouldnt-be-broadcasting-it-to-the-world/
Geopolitical tensions are mounting, and nation states are employing new types of strategies to gain intelligence. A recent Five Eyes warning, for example, accused Chinese military intelligence officers of using professional networking sites and online job platforms to target individuals of interest.
In this specific case, the agents pose as recruiters advertising seemingly legitimate work to build relationships and, ultimately, get their hands on non-public information. Popular sites like LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork have all seen this new type of attack take place.
At the same time, a parallel threat sees operatives applying for jobs within trusted organizations with access to intelligence, creating insider threats that experts warn AI might be mostly responsible for.
Generative AI, for example, can create documents, write applications and even supply live answers during real-time remote interviews, meaning that a small group of fake applicants can extend their reach much more quickly.
Once inside an organization and with access to company tools like PCs, emails and other internal systems, nation state spies can then move laterally to acquire the information they sought.
Security experts at Exabeam warn that, because this technique is still evolving, it might not always be so easy to spot. Additionally, motives can differ, with Chinese intelligence operations typically seeking military, political or economic information. North Korean agents, on the other hand, tend to be tied to stealing money, which could also come with the side effect of data and intelligence theft.
Exabeam even observed this type of attack first-hand, when a North Korean-affiliated applicant used a false identity to apply for a job at the company. After passing technical tests, a video interview and other standard checks, the suspect’s laptop was quickly flagged for unusual activity.
In the following Q&A with AI Strategy and Security Research VP Steve Povolny, I discuss these new types of attacks, who’s responsible for stamping them out and what we can do to prevent similar incidents from happening more commonly.
This is among the most serious access-driven threats facing cleared workers, and it keeps growing because the economics now favor the attacker.
Foreign intelligence services no longer need handlers and dead drops when they can post a job ad on LinkedIn or Upwork and let candidates self-select based on the access listed in their own resumes. Generative AI lets them run thousands of these conversations at once, drafting outreach and scoring which applicants sit closest to sensitive information without a trained officer.
The Five Eyes alert describes a scaled, automated funnel, and that scale is what makes it dangerous.
The infiltration model gives defenders less to work with, which makes it the harder problem. When an adversary recruits someone already on staff, most of the suspicious behavior happens outside the company on platforms the employer never sees, yet the insider remains a known person with a verified identity and a real history.
When the adversary becomes the employee, the company has onboarded a fabricated person and handed them a laptop and standing network access on day one. No behavioral baseline exists, since everything that account does counts as a first. The deception also clears the controls most organizations trust, so the failure lands before any security tool gets a vote.
He cleared it by performing well on the parts we test and forging the parts we verify. Applying under the alias Trevor Rothluebber, he aced the technical interview and take-home assessment, passed the video interview and cleared our standard pre-employment process including the background check and I-9 validation.
Our hiring team flagged a suspicion that he leaned on generative AI for live help during the video call, the first soft signal. The hard signal arrived the moment he logged into his corporate account. Our threat intelligence feed matched his username to activity previously associated with North Korean operatives and rated it high risk, and that single match reframed how the team read everything that followed.
Simultaneously, Exabeam’s platform detected a number of anomalies inconsistent with a brand new employee’s first day, and escalating in severity within hours. Incident response quietly isolated and reimaged his laptop before any real damage could be done.
The indicators existed, but they lived in places our screening was never built to read. The driver's license he submitted was either AI-generated or very badly manually modified, and the tell was physical. The image had unique aberrations, such as the ears in the photo which had an unnatural and pixelated modification an artifact that image generators still produce, and a reviewer skims past.
The live AI assistance during the interview was another, since his answers carried a fluency that did not match the natural hesitation you expect when someone reasons through an unfamiliar problem. Standard screening missed all of it because background checks and identity validation confirm whether documents are internally consistent and whether a record exists, and they never ask whether the human attached to those documents is real.
Further fabrication of documents such as I-9 were missed by a 3rd party identity verification company, and validation of (fake) job references was not properly identified.
AI showed up at nearly every stage. The fraudulent documentation centered on a forged driver's license we believe was generated rather than physically produced, paired with a stolen identity that gave the paperwork a real history to rest on.
During the interview the candidate appeared to have run an AI copilot feeding him answers in real time, and many of these tools now stay invisible to everyone else on the call even while the candidate shares a screen. What AI adds over traditional forgery is volume and believability together. A skilled forger could always produce one convincing passport, but the craft capped how many operations could run at once.
Generative tools remove that ceiling, so a single actor can fabricate convincing documents and coach themselves through a live technical interview across dozens of applications at once, and the forgery stopped being the bottleneck it used to be.
They overlap heavily on method while running on different motives, which defenders should sit with. The Chinese operation the Five Eyes described aims at intelligence collection, pulling government and military insight out of people who already hold access.
The North Korean program that hit us and so many others in this industry is funded differently, since much of its purpose is revenue for a sanctioned regime, with intrusion and theft riding alongside the paycheck. The objectives diverge, yet the tradecraft has converged on one toolkit of fabricated identities, AI-assisted documents, manufactured professional histories and the patient relationship-building that lets an operative stay quiet.
When two adversaries with separate goals reach the same playbook, that tells you the playbook works and other actors are already watching.
Our mindset must shift toward treating the moment of hire as the start of the highest-risk window rather than the end of vetting. Traditional insider programs watch for drift, the employee who gradually turns after a financial shock or a grievance, so they depend on a baseline built over months.
A candidate who was hostile from day one never produces that baseline, which forces you to scrutinize the earliest behavior most closely. In our case, the catch came from putting new accounts under enhanced monitoring and letting an AI agent correlate scattered signals that no single alert would have justified escalating.
The working principle is to give hiring workflows and new-hire activity the same suspicion you already apply to production access.
Accountability most often lives in the gap right now, and that gap is exactly why the threat works. Hiring sits with HR and talent acquisition, who are measured on filling roles quickly and are not equipped to run identity verification at an intelligence-grade level.
Detection sits with security, which usually gains no visibility into a candidate until that person already holds a badge and a laptop, and the adversary exploits the seam between the two.
The workable answer is shared ownership with a clean handoff, where security sets the identity and behavioral standards hiring must meet and stays involved through the first weeks of employment rather than inheriting the problem once onboarding closes.
Useful defense does not require a dedicated threat intelligence team. The interview itself is the cheapest control available, and small changes make it far more revealing.
Underspecifying a problem on purpose shows whether a candidate asks clarifying questions like a real engineer or simply produces a confident answer and switching the problem partway through tests whether they adapt or whether something is feeding them responses.
Asking for an external webcam that shows the workspace instead of a shared screen removes one of the easiest hiding spots for an interview copilot. Beyond hiring, the highest-leverage move is placing every new employee on a watchlist for closer monitoring through their first weeks, which costs configuration time rather than budget.
Even a basic, low-cost threat intelligence feed would have surfaced the username match that broke our case open.
My contested prediction is that within a couple of years the verified human interview, run live and in person for any role with meaningful access, returns as a security requirement. Many security leaders will fight that because it breaks the remote-first hiring model they spent years optimizing.
The objection I expect is that it does not scale and shrinks the talent pool, and those concerns are legitimate. My counter is that the economics have already flipped for high-access roles, since the cost of onboarding a single fabricated adversary now dwarfs the friction of one in-person verification step.
The deeper claim underneath it is that remote identity verification as we practice it today is no longer reliable for sensitive positions, and AI is what made it unreliable. Most security leaders are not ready to say that out loud yet.
In the past year I've spent tens of hours streaming with VPNs, and one thing is consistently problematic for even the best VPNs — live events.
So, if you're traveling and keen to catch BBC's coverage of England vs Argentina later this evening instead, you might think you're stuck. Thankfully, NordVPN proved to be the one streaming VPN I tested that consistently performed well in these scenarios.
Over the past year, I've used NordVPN with Peacock, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports, ITVX, and 7Plus. And compared to any other VPN, it's proved the most effective.
I experienced the least delayed streams, the least buffering, and, most importantly, the fewest complete connection dropouts when using NordVPN. So, while cheaper alternatives such as Norton VPN and Surfshark exist, if you want the most reliable performance, this is where I'd put my money.
If you don't want a long term commitment, you could always choose to pick a monthly plan. For $15, you can watch the rest of the tournament and gain all the additional security benefits that come with a VPN.
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It might not be the cheapest but NordVPN's price is more than worth it considering its performance. It's the most reliable VPN I've streamed with and it's packed with added security features to keep you secure once you've watched the big game. Unsure? Either pick up a monthly plan for only $15 or make use of NordVPN's 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal
You don't need NordVPN's most advanced features to watch England with a VPN. That's a good thing, as right now its premium plans are considerably more expensive than many other providers.
With long term plans, Surfshark plans start at $2.49/month, a full dollar cheaper per month; the same goes for Norton VPN. If you're really budget-focused, both PIA and Cyberghost are less than $1.60 per month right now, too.
But, should you choose a NordVPN Plus plan or above, you do get some great perks. NordPass, the best password manager we've tested, cloud storage, dark web monitoring, and more are on offer.
It's worth mentioning that buying the more premium plans monthly will set you back at least $20, so I'd recommend signing up for a longer duration if you prefer these extra features.
Celine Dion is back, and hackers are already trying to exploit the fact for their own financial gain, experts have warned.
A report from security researchers Group-IB has claimed there are numerous scam campaigns all across the internet and social media, looking to exploit gullible fans and steal their money.
Its aptly named “The Scam Will Go On” report said it saw scammers lurking in Facebook Groups, Facebook Marketplace, and other fan-centric spaces, offering concert tickets for sale. The tickets themselves, hosted on Ticketmaster, are valid. However, the scammers only have a few tickets which can be redeemed by the first person who reaches the venue. Everyone else will be denied entry, since their tickets will already have been used.
But that’s not the only scam. Some people don’t want to pay an unknown third person via wire, and would prefer to purchase the tickets directly from a service.
For those people, the scammers created entire websites, spoofing ticketing distributors such as AXS and Ticketmaster. Group-IB also saw fake websites spoofing Celine Dion and Paris La Défense Arena, the stadium where the concert will take place.
“We see that such an event generates excitement and provides scammers with another opportunity to make a fortune at the expense of unsuspecting fans,” Group-IB warned.
“Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques, such as embedding themselves into social networking fan groups and speaking directly to their victims via voice messages to make the interaction more personal and gain their victims’ trust more easily. Furthermore, official ticketing platforms are being misused to make scams seem legitimate.”
The researchers recommend fans only visit official websites and those of official distributors, and if they absolutely must buy from a reseller, to make sure they’re purchasing a physical ticket, in person. Those that fell for the scam should call their bank and lodge an objection on their credit card.
Panasonic made quite a splash when it announced the Lumix L10 at its Lumix 25th anniversary event in May this year. I called it 'Panasonic's prettiest Lumix in years', and many tech journalists, myself included, have compared it to the viral Fujifilm X100VI.
These are two premium compact cameras with retro design and high-end features, but both take a different swing at the format. For example, the Lumix L10 packs a 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 lens, while the X100VI shoots 40MP stills with an APS-C sensor and fixed 35mm f/2 lens.
I've already compared the two based on specs and my extensive experience with each camera separately in my Lumix L10 vs X100 VI article. But I was keen to see which one I personally prefer based on using the cameras side by side — it had been a while since I last used the X100 VI.
So, with my loan samples in hand, I headed out, taking the same photos with each camera in a variety of scenarios, including travelling, commuting and weekends exploring. Objectively, each camera has its practical advantages over the other, but there was one camera that truly gave me the feels...
If I'm to make a list of pros and cons based on features and specifications, then each model has distinct advantages over the other.
In favor of the X100VI: its 35mm f/2 prime lens quality, 40MP resolution (which is twice that of the Lumix L10), in-body image stabilization, quicker start-up time, fancier viewfinder, and its next-level retro aesthetics.
There's plenty going for the Lumix L10, mind you: its versatile 3.1x optical zoom lens, superior battery life, Real Time LUTs profiles (which for me outdo Fujifilm's film simulations), superior burst shooting speeds, snappier autofocus, vari-angle screen, plus its video performance has the edge. Oh, and it costs less — depending on which region you live in, the price difference can be pretty sizable.
Speaking objectively, I believe I'd get more use from the Lumix L10, especially the telephoto end of its 24-75mm f1.7 to f/2.8 lens. It is overall a more versatile camera. However, objectivity goes out the window when considering creative tools such as cameras for personal use.
We can talk features all day, but you really need to get a feel for a camera, and the only way to do that is to get properly hands-on, which is exactly what I did with the L10 and X100VI side by side. And in doing this direct comparison, a favorite quickly emerged.
Rather than getting bogged down in features and specifications, I'm going to articulate what it felt like to use each camera, because honestly that's more important in the long run, especially for this kind of premium compact camera designed for personal, daily use. (My workhorse mirrorless camera is another matter — it's there to do a job efficiently and reliably.)
I'm going to come right out and say it — I enjoyed the X100 VI more. Aesthetically, it has the edge: both cameras are retro, but the X100 VI is next-level with its manual exposure dials and hybrid viewfinder. With the two slung over my shoulder, it was the X100VI that I wanted to reach for first.
When I did, the X100 VI required more effort to master; there's more involvement in operating the exposure controls and such, which I actually preferred as a serious photographer. I liked how much more premium it felt in the hand too: the weightiness, the dampened shutter button...the X100VI just felt... better.
I also appreciated its quicker start-up time, and liked how much more compact its prime lens is. The hybrid viewfinder was more enjoyable too, especially since I'm in the small camp of photographers who genuinely enjoy the optical viewfinder.
Sure, I'd rather that autofocus was as good as the Lumix L10's. And for a variety of scenarios, wished that I could zoom the lens. And it's not like I didn't get any feeling with the Lumix L10 — how its lens handles in particular is a delight. But for feeling alone, and that sense of pursuing a craft, the X100VI captured my heart all over again.
A collection of Panasonic Lumix L10 pictures. I have matched the Fujifilm X100VI's 35mm focal length in most of these samples, but I have also included some at different focal lengths to show how versatile it can be.
And the comparisons with the Fujifilm X100VI. For both cameras, I set the color profile to the standard setting, but in reality I would be playing around with various looks and making selective exposure adjustments.
How a camera handles is a major part of the equation — but the resulting images need to be easy on the eye too.
With wildly different sensor sizes, number of pixels, and types of lens, it's tough to pick one camera over the other, plus some assumptions about image quality need to go out the window.
For one, despite having the smaller sensor, the Lumix L10 actually has bigger pixels and light-gathering potential, so don't assume that the X100VI is better in low light. Also, beyond sensor size and pixels, the Lumix L10's autofocus is overall more reliable, so you're more likely to get a sharp image in the first place, depending on the scenario and camera settings.
But for direct comparisons, as in matching the X100VI's 35mm f/2 lens with the Lumix L10 as close as possible (35mm f/2.3), I think what pleased me the most overall is the X100VI's superior control over depth of field.
When I took street portraits at 35mm, the X100VI's images were easier on the eye. I also liked having 40MP to play with and the greater level of detail in the pictures. The X100VI was also less susceptible to lens flare.
That said, the Lumix L10 has that zoom lens versatility, and when set to 75mm and f/2.8, it is very capable of shallow depth of field portraiture too, with a greater compression effect that I prefer.
As for color, I didn't have a strong enough feeling scouring my images to recommend one camera over the other, though the Lumix L10 Real Time LUTs profiles are more versatile.
If you're considering the Lumix L10 or the Fujifilm X100VI, then the choice is tough, and, in truth, you'll be happy with either model! They are two of the best premium compact cameras, with a string of unique advantages over the other.
For me, however, the decision goes beyond specifications and features, and to an underlying feeling that I would get more joy in using the X100VI regularly than I would with the Lumix L10, even though the L10 is more practical. My head says Panasonic Lumix L10, my heart says Fujifilm X100VI.
It's England vs Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham look to end Lionel Messi's dream of retaining the trophy.
Both sides have had to work hard to reach this stage, but it's winner takes all now, with a place in Sunday's final against Spain at stake.
Keep up to date with all the action from England vs Argentina here, with live updates, free streams, and information on how you can watch the semi-final from anywhere.
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It doesn't get much bigger than this!
Welcome to Atlanta! It’s here in Georgia that we’ll see England’s biggest challenge so far (no offence, Panama): Argentina...
There’s history, big names and even bigger stakes. The winner will play Spain, who showed up for their semi final in a way that France definitely didn’t, in what promises to be an epic final.
So, who will emerge victorious? Keep tuned here to find out as we cover the game in the build up and every minute of action…
One of the other stats emerging to fill England fans with hope is that on the five occasions that England and Argentina have met the Three Lions have waked away victorious three times.
Albeit a few 1-0 victories aren’t the most thrilling wins but in knockout tournaments - as England have discovered - it doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you’re victorious at the end.
So will Argentina manage to chalk up a win to equalise the overall tally or will England lead 4-2?
Leaving it a bit last minute when it comes to watching the game? No stress, we’ve got you sorted…
Free Stream: BBC One (UK) / SBS (AUS)
US Stream: Fox via Fubo / YouTube TV
UK Stream: BBC One
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So, get yourself a Norton VPN subscription to enjoy the game wherever you are!
We’re nearly there!
Get comfy, grab yourself some refreshments and stick with us here - to keep tuned for more updates as they come in - as it’s not too long to the game...
Morgan Rogers is starting in the big changeup to the normal Starting XI.
Quansah with his red card is missing his second game today and Henderson with his injury is also missing out on the action.
Otherwise everyone is able to come on, but who will?
Chinese lens manufacturer Viltrox is having a prolific year, and it's now followed up a recent pair of medium-telephoto primes for APS-C cameras with a completely new 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens.
The AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is part of the same mid-range series as my recently tested AF 90mm F2.2 EVO, and is available for Sony E and Nikon Z-mount cameras at launch. It costs $299 / £279.
Compact size and light weight are the aim here — the 26mm F2.8 is just 23.8mm thick and tips the scales at 4.6oz / 130g. I can see it pairing nicely with a Sony A7C / A7C II or Nikon Zf as a casual, everyday lens offering surprisingly sharp image quality.
It's not the smallest autofocus full-frame lens in Viltrox's range, mind you — that accolade goes to the AF 28mm F4.5. However, given the bright f/2.8 aperture and the features on board, the new 26mm lens seems impossibly small.
Those features include a dust- and splash-resistant machined metal construction, dedicated aperture and focus rings, a metal rear mount with a USB-C port for firmware updates, and a STM focus motor for snappy autofocus.
And there's more: the AF 26mm F2.8 EVO ships with a magnetic lens cap that snaps into place, eliminating the fiddling that comes with traditional pinch-release lens caps.
It's part of a lens cap system which includes a magnetic lens hood, which also works with magnetic lens filters. Alternatively, traditional screw-on filters work too, via the 43mm thread.
I hope other lens manufacturers follow Viltrox's lead — lens caps can be a real pain to remove and re-attach, but a magnetic type simplifies the process.
Optically, we have a simple construction of eight elements in six groups, with a minimum focus distance of 0.2m which results in a 0.2x maximum magnification, for reasonable close-up photography.
The Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is available immediately in Sony E and Nikon Z versions from Amazon US and Viltrox's official store. There's no word yet on whether L-mount or Fujifilm X-mount versions are on the way.
Yes, Fujifilm X is APS-C format, but I can see the full-frame Viltrox lens working well with these crop-sensor cameras, even for Sony and Nikon, on which it would offer an equivalent 39mm focal length.
It's yet another new Viltrox lens available for Nikon Z cameras, which suggests that the Nikon vs Viltrox lawsuit from earlier this year has quietly been resolved. I hope that's the case, because Viltrox has consistently produced excellent optics, and the AF 26mm F2.8 EVO looks like an impressive addition. Look out for my in-depth review, coming soon.
If you're looking for a reliable and cheap mini PC, the GMKtec G10 is our top choice. For general day-to-day work, with the scope to upgrade, there's plenty to like about the machine we called "a terrific little system" for the price.
Right now, the GMKtek G10 mini PC is $288 (was $400) at Amazon — a $112 saving on a genuinely capable budget mini PC. Meanwhile, in the UK, the G10 is now £260 (was £319) at Amazon.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (4-core/8-thread, up to 3.7GHz) with Radeon Vega 8 graphics, 16GB dual-channel DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD. Dual M.2 2280 slots support up to 16TB of total storage, and RAM is upgradeable to 64GB. Includes 2.5GbE Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and triple 4K display output via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and USB-C. Windows 11 Pro pre-installed.
In the UK: now £260 (was £319)View Deal
In our review, we found it well-balanced for light office tasks, web browsing, and streaming. If that's the goal for your setup, it's ideal. For more powerful machines designed for demanding graphical workloads, we've selected the top mini PC deals for video editing and gaming.
So, what's on offer here? The Ryzen 5 3500U isn't new silicon — it's a 2019-era Zen+ chip on a 12nm process that still holds up very well against the sluggish Intel N-series chips (N100, N150) that populate most budget mini PCs at this price. The four cores and eight threads, courtesy of AMD's multithreading implementation, give it a genuine edge in multitasking and anything that touches video decoding or light image processing.
Where the G10 stands out is memory and storage. 16GB of dual-channel DDR4 and a 512GB NVMe SSD is a generous starting configuration at this price, and GMKtec gives you real room to grow: two SO-DIMM slots support up to 64GB of RAM, and two M.2 2280 slots support up to 16TB of combined storage. Having two drive bays also makes cloning an existing installation onto a bigger drive simple if you outgrow the included SSD.
2.5GbE Ethernet is the other feature worth calling out, since most rivals in this price bracket still ship with a single Gigabit port. If you're setting this up as a home server, NAS front-end, or Proxmox node, that faster wired connection is a genuine practical upgrade over the competition, and the Ryzen 5 3500U's AMD-Vi support means virtualization software runs without issue.
The Radeon Vega 8 graphics are dated by 2026 standards and won't handle demanding modern games, but they're meaningfully more capable than Intel's UHD graphics for everyday tasks like 4K video playback, light photo editing, or older and indie titles at lower settings.
Good to know: this machine needs a bit of patience out of the box. We found the G10 performs noticeably better after a trip into the BIOS to switch from Balanced to Performance mode, and the fan does get audible under sustained load in that mode. It's not a plug-and-play polished experience — with around 30 minutes of setup, you'll get this chip at its best.
For a cheap mini PC with genuinely generous memory, storage headroom, and fast networking, the G10 is a solid budget pick that features in our guide to the best mini PCs.
Samsung is expanding its foldable portfolio by adding a new model to the Galaxy Z Fold lineup. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, featuring a wide-screen form factor, is coming this year, aimed at offering an incredible experience to users.
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Wide) – Rumored Specifications | |
| Processor | |
| CPU Speed | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (all regions) |
| CPU Type | Octa-core (TSMC’s 3nm process) |
| Display | |
| Size (Main Display) | 7.6-inch (4:3 / 9:7 aspect ratio, landscape-first) |
| Resolution (Main Display) | 2448 x 1848 | QHD+ (4:3) |
| Technology (Main Display) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, up to 2,600 nits peak brightness |
| Colour Depth (Main Display) | 16M |
| Max Refresh Rate (Main Display) | 120 Hz |
| Panel Structure (Main Display) | Samsung’s new Flex Titanium display technology for better durability and crease control |
| Size (Cover Display) | 5.4-inch (16:10 aspect ratio) |
| Resolution (Sub Display) | 1972 x 1248 | QHD+ (16:10) |
| Technology (Sub Display) | Dynamic AMOLED, up to 2,600 nits peak brightness |
| Colour Depth (Sub Display) | 16M |
| Max Refresh Rate (Sub Display) | 120 Hz |
| Camera | |
| Rear Camera – Resolution (Multiple) | 50 MP (wide) + 50 MP (ultrawide) |
| Rear Camera – F Number (Multiple) | F1.8 (wide), F1.9 (ultrawide) |
| Rear Camera – Auto Focus | Yes |
| Rear Camera – OIS | Yes |
| Rear Camera – Zoom | Digital Zoom only (no optical telephoto lens) |
| Rear Camera – AI Processing | Galaxy AI 3.0 – Enhanced Nightography, ProVisual Engine |
| Front Camera – Resolution | 10 MP |
| Front Camera – F Number | F2.2 |
| Front Camera – Auto Focus | No |
| Rear Camera – Flash | Yes |
| Video Recording Resolution | UHD 4K (3840 x 2160)@60fps |
| Slow Motion | 240fps @FHD, 120fps @FHD |
| Storage/Memory | |
| Memory (GB) | 12 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 / 512 / 1TB |
| Available Storage (GB) | 223.8 (256GB variant, estimated) |
| Network/Bearer | |
| Number of SIM | Dual-SIM |
| SIM size | Nano-SIM (4FF), Embedded-SIM |
| SIM Slot Type | SIM 1 + eSIM / Dual eSIM |
| Infra | 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, 4G LTE TDD, 5G Sub6 FDD, 5G Sub6 TDD |
| 2G GSM | GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900 |
| 3G UMTS | B1(2100), B2(1900), B4(AWS), B5(850), B8(900) |
| 4G FDD LTE | B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B12(700), B13(700), B17(700), B18(800), B19(800), B20(800), B25(1900), B26(850), B28(700), B66(AWS-3) |
| 4G TDD LTE | B38(2600), B39(1900), B40(2300), B41(2500) |
| 5G* FDD Sub6 | N1(2100), N2(1900), N3(1800), N5(850), N7(2600), N8(900), N12(700), N20(800), N25(1900), N26(850), N28(700), N66(AWS-3), N71(600) |
| 5G* TDD Sub6 | N38(2600), N40(2300), N41(2500), N77(3700), N78(3500) |
| Connectivity | |
| USB Interface | USB Type-C |
| USB Version | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Location Technology | GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS |
| Earjack | USB Type-C |
| MHL | No |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAM |
| Wi-Fi Direct | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth v6.0 |
| NFC | Yes |
| OS | |
| Android | Android 17, One UI 9 |
| General Information | |
| Form Factor | Fold (wide/landscape-first book-style) |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor |
| Physical specification | |
| Dimension (HxWxD, mm) | 161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5 mm |
| Dimension when folded (HxWxD, mm) | 123.9 x 82.2 x 9.8 mm |
| Weight (g) | ~201 |
| Frame Material | Armour Aluminium 2 |
| Inner Glass | UTG 3.0 (Ultra-Thin Glass) |
| Water Resistance | IPX8 |
| Hinge Rating | 500,000 folds |
| Battery | |
| Battery Capacity (mAh, Typical) | 4800 |
| Wired Charging | 45W |
| Wireless Charging | 25W Qi2-ready |
| Video Playback Time (Hours, Wireless) | Better than Fold 7 |
| Removable | No |
| Audio and Video | |
| Stereo Support | Yes |
| Video Playing Format | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM |
| Video Playing Resolution | UHD 8K (7680 x 4320)@60fps |
| Audio Playing Format | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, DSF, APE |
| Services and Applications | |
| Gear Support | Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Buds Core, Galaxy Buds3 Pro, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds3, Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds FE, Galaxy Fit3, Galaxy Fit2, Galaxy Fit e, Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Watch FE, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch9, Galaxy Watch8, Galaxy Watch7, Galaxy Watch6, Galaxy Watch5, Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active2, Galaxy Watch Active |
| Samsung DeX Support | Yes |
| Bluetooth Hearing Aid Support | Android Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid (ASHA) |
| SmartThings Support | Yes |
| Mobile TV | No |
| Software Support | |
| Security Update Period (Valid until) | July 2033 |
The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Wide): Complete phone specifications appeared first on Sammy Fans.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is launching as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra on July 22, 2026. The company’s upcoming foldable phone is bringing notable upgrades, including the fastest Snapdragon chipset, a larger battery, faster charging, and enhanced AI capabilities.
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra – Rumored Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Processor | |
| CPU Speed | 4.74GHz, 3.62GHz | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| CPU Type | Octa-Core (TSMC 3nm) |
| Display | |
| Size (Main Display) | 8-inch |
| Resolution (Main Display) | 2504 x 2256 (QXGA+) – expected similar to Z Fold 7 |
| Technology (Main Display) | LTPO Dynamic AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, up to 3,600 nits peak brightness |
| Colour Depth (Main Display) | 16M |
| Max Refresh Rate (Main Display) | 1-120 Hz (LTPO adaptive) |
| Panel Structure (Main Display) | Samsung’s innovative Flex Titanium display with improved durability and less visible crease |
| Size (Cover Display) | 6.5 inches |
| Resolution (Cover Display) | 2520 x 1080 (FHD+) – expected similar to Z Fold 7 |
| Technology (Cover Display) | LTPO Dynamic AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, up to 2,600 nits peak brightness |
| Colour Depth (Sub Display) | 16M |
| Cover Glass (Sub Display) | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Camera | |
| Rear Camera – Resolution (Triple) | 200 MP (main) + 50 MP (ultrawide) + 10 MP (3x telephoto) |
| Rear Camera – F Number (Multiple) | F1.7, F2.2, F2.4 (expected) |
| Rear Camera – Auto Focus | Yes (Ultrawide also with Autofocus) |
| Rear Camera – OIS | Yes |
| Rear Camera – Zoom | Optical Zoom 3x, Digital Zoom up to 30x |
| Front Camera – Resolution | 10.0 MP |
| Front Camera – F Number | F2.2 |
| Front Camera – Auto Focus | No |
| Front Camera – OIS | No |
| Rear Camera – Flash | Yes |
| Cover Camera – Resolution | 10 MP |
| Cover Camera – F Number | F2.2 |
| Cover Camera – Auto Focus | No |
| Video Recording Resolution | UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) @30fps; 4K @60fps with HDR10+ |
| Slow Motion | 240fps @FHD, 120fps @FHD, 120fps @UHD |
| Storage / Memory | |
| Memory (GB) | 12 / 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 / 512 / 1024 (1TB) |
| Network / Bearer | |
| Number of SIM | Dual-SIM |
| SIM Size | Nano-SIM (4FF), eSIM |
| SIM Slot Type | SIM 1 + SIM 2 / SIM 1 + eSIM / Dual eSIM |
| Infra | 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, 4G LTE TDD, 5G Sub6 FDD, 5G Sub6 TDD |
| 2G GSM | GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900 |
| 3G UMTS | B1(2100), B2(1900), B4(AWS), B5(850), B8(900) |
| 4G FDD LTE | B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B12(700), B13(700), B17(700), B18(800), B19(800), B20(800), B25(1900), B26(850), B28(700), B66(AWS-3) |
| 4G TDD LTE | B38(2600), B39(1900), B40(2300), B41(2500) |
| 5G FDD Sub6 | N1(2100), N2(1900), N3(1800), N5(850), N7(2600), N8(900), N12(700), N20(800), N25(1900), N26(850), N28(700), N66(AWS-3), N71(600) |
| 5G TDD Sub6 | N38(2600), N40(2300), N41(2500), N77(3700), N78(3500) |
| Connectivity | |
| USB Interface | USB Type-C |
| USB Version | USB 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 5Gbps) |
| Location Technology | GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS |
| Earjack | USB Type-C |
| MHL | No |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) 2.4GHz + 5GHz + 6GHz, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAM |
| Wi-Fi Direct | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth v6.0 |
| NFC | Yes |
| UWB (Ultra Wideband) | Yes |
| OS | |
| Android Version | Android 17 (One UI 9.0) |
| General Information | |
| Form Factor | Book-style foldable phone |
| Build / Frame | Aluminum frame |
| IP Rating | IP48 |
| Sensors | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor (Side-mounted), Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor |
| Physical Specification | |
| Dimension (HxWxD, mm) – Unfolded | 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 |
| Dimension when Folded (HxWxD, mm) | 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 |
| Weight (g) | 215 |
| Battery | |
| Battery Capacity (mAh, Typical) | 5,000mAh |
| Wired Charging | 45W |
| Wireless Charging | Up to 20W (Qi2.2) |
| Reverse Wireless Charging | Up to 4.5W |
| Removable | No |
| Audio and Video | |
| Stereo Support | Yes (Dolby Atmos) |
| Video Playing Format | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM |
| Video Playing Resolution | UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) @60fps |
| Audio Playing Format | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, DSF, APE |
| Services and Applications | |
| Gear Support | Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Buds Core, Galaxy Buds3 Pro, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds3, Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds FE, Galaxy Fit3, Galaxy Fit2, Galaxy Watch FE, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch9, Galaxy Watch8, Galaxy Watch7, Galaxy Watch6, Galaxy Watch5, Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Watch Active2, Galaxy Watch Active |
| Samsung DeX Support | Yes |
| Bluetooth Hearing Aid Support | Android Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid (ASHA) |
| SmartThings Support | Yes |
| Mobile TV | No |
| Software Support | |
| OS Update Period | Up to 7 years of OS and security updates (expected until August 2033) |
The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Complete phone specifications appeared first on Sammy Fans.
A fight between challenger Conor Benn and champion Ryan Garcia has finally been officially announced. The bout has been building for several months. Garcia captured the WBC belt with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Mario Barrios in February before immediately identifying Benn as his preferred first defence, while the Brit has repeatedly welcomed the […]
The post Ryan Garcia’s title defence against Conor Benn announced for one of the biggest dates in boxing appeared first on Boxing News.
The best part about pre-ordering a new Samsung smartphone has, for the past few years, been that you can get a 'free' storage upgrade. Pay for one storage tier, get the higher one for no additional cost. However, a new report from Korea today claims Samsung will not be offering this perk for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold8, Fold8 Ultra, and Flip8, which it will unveil on July 22. Instead, the company will only cover 50% of the price difference between the 256GB option and the 512GB model. So basically, you'll pay half of the difference to get the higher storage tier when you...
“Zirə”nin baş məşqçisi Rəşad Sadıqov Konfrans Liqasının 1-ci təsnifat mərhələsində “Torpedo” ilə cavab oyunundan öncə fikirlərini bölüşüb.
Arena.az xəbər verir ki, Azərbaycan və Gürcüstan təmsilçiləri arasındakı cavab qarşılaşması sabah Kutaisidə təşkil ediləcək.
Bir həftə öncə Bakıda keçirilmiş oyundan 3:0 hesablı qələbə ilə ayrılmış “qartallar”ın baş məşqçisi bu gün baş tutmuş mətbuat konfransında rəqibin güclü komanda olduğunu bildirib:
“Bizi təcrübəli və adlı-sanlı komanda ilə oyun gözləyir. İlk matçdan sonra üstünlüyümüz var. Rəqibin keyfiyyətli heyəti, təcrübəli baş məşqçisi və güclü azarkeş dəstəyi var. Onlar avrokuboklarda kifayət qədər təcrübəyə malikdirlər. Sabah qarşıdurmanın gedişatını dəyişmək üçün əllərindən gələni edəcəklər. Biz buna hazırıq. Maraqlı 90 dəqiqə olacaq. Ümid edirəm ki, növbəti mərhələyə əsas vaxtda yüksələcəyik”.
Rəşad Sadıqov komandasının ilk oyundan daha yaxşı çıxış etməli olduğunu vurğulayıb:
“İstərdim ki, fiziki baxımdan ilk oyundan daha yaxşı vəziyyətdə olaq. Mövsümün ilk rəsmi matçı həmişə çətin keçir. Bilirik ki, rəqib sabah daha yaxşı oynayacaq. Növbəti mərhələyə yüksəlmək istəyiriksə, həm fiziki, həm də taktiki baxımdan daha keyfiyyətli oyun göstərməliyik. Optimal fiziki formaya çatmaq üçün isə 3-4 rəsmi oyun keçirmək lazımdır”.
Rəşad Sadıqov Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasındakı hədəflərindən də danışıb:
“Transfer pəncərəsinin bağlanmasına hələ 45-50 gün var. Hamımız “Qarabağ”ın və “Sabah”ın hansı səviyyədə olduğunu bilirik. “Turan Tovuz” ötən mövsüm uğurlu çıxış etdi və transfer bazarında da fəaldır. “Neftçi”nin bu ilin əvvəlindən göstərdiyi inkişaf da göz qabağındadır. Bu dörd komandanın yeni mövsümdə iddialı olacağını anlayırıq. Biz isə medal uğrunda mübarizə aparacaq beşinci komanda olmaq istəyirik. Bunun üçün uğurlu transfer dövrü keçirməliyik. Eyni zamanda “Sumqayıt”, “Araz-Naxçıvan” və “Qəbələ”ni də hesabdan silmək olmaz”.
İspaniya millisinin futbolçusu Pedro Porro DÇ-2026-da yarımfinal mərhələsində Fransa ilə matçda (2:0) fərqlənib.
Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, bu, müdafiəçinin mundialdakı ikinci qolu olub. O, daha öncə pley-offda Avstriya ilə matçda da fərqlənmişdi.
Porro İspaniya millisi ilə bir dünya çempionatında iki qol vuran ikinci futbolçudur. Daha əvvəl DÇ-2002-də Fernando Yorro bunu bacarıb.
“Brügge”nin futbolçusu Kristos Tzolis karyerasını İngiltərədə davam etdirə bilər.
Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, “Arsenal” vingerin xidmətində maraqlıdır. Bu barədə İngiltərə mətbuatı məlumat yayıb. London klubu “Beşiktaş”a keçən Leandro Trossardın əvəzinə Tzolisi transfer etmək istəyir.
Kristos özü də “topçular”da oynamaq niyyətindədir.
Yunanıstanlı futbolçu ötən mövsüm 36 oyunda 17 qol vurub, 23 məhsuldar ötürmə edib.
Google is testing a new Partners (Alpha) setting in Performance Max that gives advertisers the ability to opt in or out of Search Partners and the Google Display Network—a level of control that hasn’t previously existed in the automated campaign type.
What’s happening. Some advertisers are seeing a new Partners (Alpha) setting within Performance Max campaigns that lets them choose whether to include:
Until now, both networks were automatically included in Performance Max with no option to exclude them.
Why we care. The update gives advertisers greater control over where Performance Max ads appear, making it easier to align inventory with campaign objectives. Those focused on efficiency metrics such as ROAS or CPA can now test whether excluding certain networks improves performance.
What we’re watching. The feature is currently labelled Alpha, indicating it is only available to a limited number of advertisers. Google has not announced when—or if—it plans to roll the setting out more broadly.
The bottom line. Google’s new Partners (Alpha) setting could give Performance Max advertisers one of their most requested controls: the ability to decide whether campaigns run across Search Partners and the Display Network, rather than relying entirely on Google’s automation.
Spotted. This update was spotted by PPC Growth Strategist Saquib Syed, who shared spotting it on LinkedIn.
Google’s AI Mode increased citations to google.com by 8.4x in about two months, making it the No. 2 cited domain in Profound’s tracking.
The increase came almost entirely from Google Business Profiles and Product Knowledge Panels, according to Profound. Those Google-hosted cards now appear within AI Mode answers for many local and product searches.
Google cards moved up. AI Mode now surfaces Google Business Profiles as inline panels for local-intent queries.
These panels can display a business’s hours, photos, location, and reviews before users reach the company’s website. Profound said the shift makes the Google-hosted profile the first page many users see.
Local categories led. The change was strongest in industries where local intent drives revenue, including:
Product panels gained ground. Product searches also shifted toward Google-hosted results. Queries about comparisons, compatibility, or specifications increasingly surfaced Product Knowledge Panels instead of direct links to ecommerce or brand websites, Profound said.
Why we care. Your Google-hosted profile may shape a user’s first impression before they ever reach your website. Missing hours, outdated photos, incomplete information, or poor reviews can cost you the click before users visit your site.
About the data. Profound tracked AI Mode citation share from April 15 through June 30, analyzing more than 32 million google.com/searchviewer instances.
The report. Google AI Mode’s shift to citing itself
The next mass frontier of AI is agentic:
To figure out how ready B2B sites are for agentic visitors, I teamed up with David Kaufman, founder of Siteline, and I analyzed how agents scan websites and where they get stuck. The answer: most sites are agent-ready, but there is one critical breaking point.
Agents don’t read websites like humans. They receive a task, search the web, fetch pages, extract facts, and cite the sources they used. A page can persuade a human and still fail an agent if the facts are hard to find (opacity), hard to fetch (machine-readability), or hard to cite (access friction).
AI agents turn websites from showrooms into barcodes.
How we looked at agent behavior:
The moment a prospect looks at pricing, they stop browsing and start comparing. High buyer intent, bottom of the funnel. That makes pricing the hardest and most important test of whether a vendor site can serve agents directly.
Pricing also sits in a triangle of 3 “wants” that good pricing pages need to satisfy:
When AI agents try to retrieve pricing, they get stuck much more than for security or integrations.
If you wonder whether that’s because some B2B companies don’t publicly show pricing, you’re only half right.
Hiding prices forces agents to look elsewhere, but published prices do not fully solve the problem. Among pricing prompt runs where the vendor did not disclose a real price, 45% cited at least one third-party source. The other 55% stayed on first-party citations, usually by saying the vendor required contact sales or did not publish a concrete price.
Even when the vendor showed a numeric public price, agents still cited at least one third-party source in 18% of runs, suggesting price can be on the page but still be hard for the agent to extract, trust, or cite cleanly.
You can try to hide your pricing, but you better make sure no one else knows and writes about it. Once it’s “out there”, it’s too late. If you have complex pricing methodology, the best way is to explain it clearly and make it accessible to agents.
Some pricing pages are visible to humans but not reliable enough for agents to parse and cite. You can’t always trust your eyes.
Agents fail to retrieve pricing from a brand for 3 reasons: opacity, machine-readability, and access friction.
Example of an agent struggling to retrieve Zendesk’s pricing and pivoting to third-party sources.
Access errors were not the main reason agents left first-party sources, but when they happened, they were severe. They appeared in only 7% of all runs. In pricing runs, access errors pushed third-party fallback to 77%, compared to 17% without access errors.
The impact of errors on agent run cost (tokens, web searches, fetches, retrieves, time) is significant when comparing the 90th with the 10th percentile in our study:
Brands don’t pay that bill directly, but it is a useful proxy for friction. The harder your site is to retrieve, the more work an agent has to do before it can answer from your page. If your pricing page is blocked, slow, hard to fetch, or hard to parse, the agent has two choices: spend more work on your site… or get the answer somewhere else.
Fallback occurs when agents have to rely on third-party sources rather than first-party sources as a result of the three failure modes. This is the biggest risk because third-party information is spotty and beyond your control.
Agents do not fall back to one clean source category. They reconstruct pricing from a mixed web of explainers, directories, app stores, partner pages, and low-trust aggregators.
Key stats from the 580 pricing third-party citations:
The examples show the risk of missing pricing transparency and agent stumbling blocks on your site.
Example journey:
Here, failure mode indicates the reason the agent failed to obtain on-site / first-party pricing information.
An agent-proof pricing page is how you keep the agent quoting you instead of a directory like Vendr. The fixes map to the three failure modes.
Disclose the fact (opacity)
Make the fact extractable (machine-readability)
Let the agent in (access friction)
Fix opacity and machine-readability first; they drive most of the fallback. Then run the query yourself, “Find all pricing and features for [product],” and measure it with the skill below.
This post first appeared on the author’s website and is republished here with permission.
Rising CPCs aren’t just the result of more competition inside search auctions. They’re increasingly the result of what happens before anyone places a bid.
AI Overviews, shrinking organic click volume, and stronger brands competing for a smaller pool of commercial traffic have changed the economics of paid search. Improving bids and ad copy still matter, but the biggest opportunities now sit outside the auction itself.
Paid search costs are climbing across almost every category. The cross-industry average CPC is $5.42, per the latest WordStream benchmarks, more than double what it was a decade ago.
Stackmatix has Google Search up 14-18% year over year. LinkedIn is up 18 to 22%. Some accounts are seeing 25% inflation in their primary commercial keywords.
For most of the last decade, organic search helped offset PPC costs. Today, AI Overviews absorb the clicks that used to keep your paid search efficient.
The latest zero-click study from Sparktoro shows an 8% reduction in clicks through from search engines vs. 2025, further impacting brands whose users now get information from AI summaries.
Digiday’s research with brand and agency professionals shows 37% of respondents have already seen informational search traffic decline, which mirrors what we’re seeing across our client base, putting more pressure on navigational and transactional traffic to hold steady.
The number of advertisers participating in search auctions has risen 35% year over year because AI creative tools have lowered the barrier to entry for new bidders. In its first year, AI Max for Search has expanded query space for advertisers willing to use it, but also concentrated competition into a narrower set of commercial queries.
Fewer organic clicks reaching your site means more pressure to make up the gap in paid auctions. More advertisers fighting for those auctions means higher CPCs. And the auctions that still resolve to a click are increasingly the only ones where a user has exited the AI summary and chosen to scroll past it.
Dig deeper: The authority era: How AI is reshaping what ranks in search
Uncover the keywords, ads, landing pages, and strategies driving your competitors’ paid search success—and find your next opportunity to outperform them.
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Paid search performance in 2026 is decided across three layers. The auction itself now offers the least opportunity to improve results.
This layer determines whether a click is generated or absorbed before any auction begins. It’s influenced by authority signals, brand mentions, AI Overview inclusion, LLM citations, and visibility in the publications and communities AI systems use to build their answers.
Most CPC inflation starts here. When AI Overviews answer more queries directly, the pool of clicks available to advertisers shrinks. The auction doesn’t get cheaper as a result. It gets more expensive because the same number of advertisers compete for fewer clicks.
As CPCs continue to rise, the brands protecting their margins are building visibility across multiple platforms. A stronger organic presence lets them rely less on paid search while remaining visible throughout the buying journey.
The auction itself is influenced by ID strategy, match types, ad copy, automation, Smart Bidding configurations, and Performance Max guardrails.
This is where most paid teams still focus their efforts. It’s also the layer with the least leverage left because the size and quality of the click pool are determined upstream. The work still matters, but the opportunity to improve performance here is smaller than it used to be.
Red ocean vs. blue ocean media
The paid channels where most performance teams compete are becoming red oceans: saturated auctions where advertisers bid against one another for the same shrinking pool of commercial clicks.
Blue oceans are channels where buyer intent already exists, but advertiser competition hasn’t yet caught up.
| Red ocean (where competition is fiercest) | Blue ocean (where intent exists but competition is lower) | Why the shift works |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search non-brand commercial keywords | Microsoft Advertising (Bing), including its growing share of AI Search ad surfaces | CPCs typically 20 to 40% lower, audience skews older and higher value, much less crowded |
| Standard LinkedIn Sponsored Content | LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads (peer-to-peer format from a real profile) | Around 1.7x higher CTR than company-page ads, lower effective CPC, better fit for considered purchases |
| Meta feed ads (broad demographic targeting) | Reddit Ads, community sponsorships, niche newsletter and Substack advertising | High-intent attention in environments LLMs cite, less saturated auction dynamics, more first-party engagement |
| Performance Max and Google display | Connected TV, BVOD, podcast advertising | Premium attention at the top of the funnel, fewer competing bidders, channel measurement is maturing fast |
| Branded search defense at any cost | AI Search and early ChatGPT ad inventory | First-movers are buying tomorrow’s primary discovery surface at today’s clearance prices |
This isn’t an argument for abandoning Google Search. It’s a reminder not to overinvest your paid budget in the most competitive auctions. Instead, start shifting some of your existing budget into testing emerging channels and compare their performance with traditional search.
The post-click experience is an essential part of media economics, but most paid teams still treat it as something to hand off to another function.
Every other lever in this article governs what you pay to enter the auction. Experience determines what each click is worth after you’ve paid for it, and it’s the only one of the three layers you fully control.
In an inflating market, post-click conversion stops being a quarterly optimization exercise and becomes your primary defense against rising acquisition costs.
Google’s Ad Rank is calculated using your bid, your Quality Score, and the expected impact of assets. Landing page experience is one of the three components of Quality Score.
A higher Quality Score directly offsets the need to bid more aggressively. A stronger landing page can help you outrank a better-funded competitor while paying less per click.
That said, most expensive clicks don’t convert on the first visit, especially in B2B, where buying cycles are longer and purchases are more considered. The job of the experience layer is to convert and capture. Think first-party data, a reason to return, and an entry point into nurture and CRM.
The advertisers protecting their margins through this transition will stop treating media and landing pages as separate disciplines. They’ll manage them as a single P&L shared across paid media, CRO, UX, content, and lead nurture.
Dig deeper: The new SEO imperative: Building your brand
See where competitors are investing, which keywords drive their results, and how to capture more of the market.
Every click they win is a customer you lose.
See who’s stealing your traffic
Paid search accounts for a smaller share of where performance is earned, and it’s becoming a more expensive channel to operate if you haven’t built brand strength around it. Much of the work that makes paid search efficient now sits in disciplines paid search teams have historically considered someone else’s job.
The teams that protect their margins through this transition won’t be the ones with better targeting or bidding strategies. They’ll be the ones who’ve built enough visibility and authority outside the auction to win it when it matters.
SEO vs. PPC? SEO vs. PPC vs. AI? SEO vs. PPC vs. AI vs. (everything else)? I’ve been covering this question and its ever-changing answer for nearly 20 years.
The answer? It’s the classic SEO and marketing response: it depends.
It depends on the situation, goals, marketplace, keywords, year, location, SERP features, and myriad other variables, all working together to create utterly unique little marketing snowflakes.
I’ve run into this question with several clients over the last few months, and each had a different answer.
The first, an architect, ranked first for several seemingly important keywords. Their SEO agency celebrated the rankings, but they weren’t generating leads.
A quick look at the data explained why. They often ranked first organically, but only after four ads (many with sitelinks), a Find Results on Page feature, and four local listings, one of them paid. By the time users reached the organic results, they were about 20 links down the page.
Search Console told the rest of the story. These keywords generated roughly 300 searches a month with a click-through rate of about 1%. Three hundred searches. Three clicks. No wonder they weren’t seeing results.
With the data in front of us, the lack of leads wasn’t surprising. We shifted some budget from SEO to paid search, and performance improved quickly.
See where your brand appears in AI search, where competitors are winning, and what it takes to become the answer AI recommends.
The second client couldn’t have been more different. She’s a clinical psychologist specializing in childhood bereavement and trauma. She left an NHS post to build a private practice.
She works a few days a week, her clients come weekly for months at a time, and she needs only two or three quality inquiries each week to stay busy. Quality matters more than volume here.
We rebuilt the website, dug into customer needs, refined the content, and finished with straightforward on-page and local SEO.
The budget left no room for ads. Instead, we focused on a well-optimized Google Business Profile, a website that clearly and warmly explained what she does and who she helps, a handful of local citations, and relevant vertical citations.
It worked. She gained visibility in Maps, localized organic search, and AI results. Leads now come from both prospective clients and private referrals, enough to keep the practice full.
What made this interesting wasn’t the lack of competition. It was the type of competition. The ads were dominated by large, impersonal therapy directories. Positioning her as a local, experienced psychologist who could genuinely help made her stand out. A relatively small amount of traffic generated more than enough business.
Two clients. Same year. Opposite answers.
Ask me, “SEO or PPC?” and those two examples show why the question doesn’t work.
I’ve revisited this debate several times over the years, and the answer always landed in the same place: a blended approach works best, with a big, fat “it depends” attached. It depends on your market, your margins, your competition, and your goals.
That answer is still technically correct. It’s just no longer sufficient.
In 2026, the question isn’t merely difficult to answer. It’s the wrong question, asked about a search results page that no longer exists, in a market where the click is no longer the thing you’re actually buying.
This debate has historically rested on a series of assumptions that I no longer think hold true.
It isn’t. It’s a synthesis engine that assembles a different answer depending on the query, the device, and the model driving it. AI Overviews now appear on a large and growing share of queries, and Google swapped Gemini 3 in as the default model behind them in January.
In the first four months of 2026, 68.01% of U.S. Google searches ended without a click anywhere. Not without a click to your site. Without a click anywhere.
That’s up from 60.45% in 2024 and around 45% a decade ago. Clicks are still one measure of success, but influence matters more.
That was the entire premise of the debate — one visitor, one click, two ways to win it. Pick your fighter.
The data now shows both channels being squeezed by the same force on the same page, while organic visibility measurably lifts paid performance. They’re not substitutes. They’re two parts of the same system.
SparkToro and Datos looked at 41 major platforms where search behavior actually occurs. Google accounted for 73.7% of desktop searches. Traditional search engines together made up around 80%. Commerce sites accounted for roughly 10%, social platforms 5.5%, and AI tools 3.2%. Amazon, Bing, and YouTube each handled more search activity than ChatGPT.
Search is a behavior, not a channel, and it’s happening everywhere (hence the increasingly popular shift toward “search everywhere optimization”).
Assumptions are another problem with the whole SEO vs. PPC debate.
Often, a client comes to us asking for SEO (and now AEO, or whatever you want to call it). They have a hunch it’s the right answer, that SEO can plug the holes Google Ads is punching in their marketing budget, and that the magic SEO/GEO wand can fix everything.
Those assumptions are dangerous. They send people down the wrong path, often for a long time, throwing good money after bad. Many agencies and consultants don’t help. Instead of embracing the shift, they cling to old approaches, massage the data, and eke every last drop of budget from the very people they’re supposed to help.
Remove those assumptions and any channel bias, and it becomes clear there is no better channel. The whole model has, to some extent, imploded.
Historically, if traffic went to SEO or PPC, we could at least see how it was split between the two.
AI is different. It’s not chasing clicks. It’s shaping attention and influence.
Fortunately, correlation studies give us some visibility into what’s happening. Seer Interactive found that, across queries with AI Overviews, the average organic click-through rate for organic listings fell from 1.76% to 0.61%, a 61% decline.
That’s a grim number. Fewer than one in 100 impressions resulted in an organic click.
PPC, the big dog of search traffic, took an even bigger hit, falling about 68%, from 19.7% to 6.34%. Ouch.
It’s worth pausing to let that sink in.
AI Overviews did more damage to ads than organic results. They reduced clicks overall rather than redistributing them in the long-running battle between SEO and PPC.
For decades, the SEO vs. PPC debate has been a slow war of attrition, with PPC taking an ever-larger share while organic CTR declined year after year. AI changes that. Both paid and organic are now being squeezed as AI rapidly accelerates the rise of zero-click searches.
AI goes further still. It’s fundamentally changing the customer journey. SERP features like featured snippets chipped away at CTR, but AI means people often don’t need websites at all to get answers.
A single prompt can produce a refined response without users piecing together information from multiple sources.
The point is that AI isn’t just a third player in the SEO vs. PPC debate. It’s fundamentally changing how we access and consume information, reshaping both channels in the process.
The Seer study also found that brands cited inside an AI Overview earned 35% more organic clicks than uncited brands and 91% more paid clicks.
That can be a little difficult to unpack, so it helps to think of it as a funnel.
The AI Overview dramatically reduces the total number of organic and paid clicks.
However, if you’re cited in the AI Overview and also have a paid or organic listing below it, you’re much more likely to earn the click. Typically, that click isn’t on the AI Overview itself, if it’s even linked. It goes to the paid or organic listing below.
The user reads, trusts, skims, and clicks.
The process looks something like this: The user reads the summary, sees your brand cited as a source, then scans the page. When they decide to click, they choose the name AI has already presented as credible. The AI citation isn’t functioning as a link. It’s functioning as an endorsement that primes the click elsewhere on the page, whether paid or organic.
The AI citation primes the click on your paid or organic listing and sends you a warm visitor, much like a personal referral arriving through a branded search.
In previous attempts to unpack the SEO vs. PPC debate, the best general answer I could give was that they worked well together. Some laser-targeted PPC paired with complementary SEO efforts, whether local, upper-funnel, or lower-funnel. In some cases, SEO alone worked.
In others, PPC alone was enough. But if search was important to the business, a blended approach usually delivered the best results.
That was always general advice and always needed to be tailored to the situation. Today, though, I think we can make a much stronger case that the SEO vs. PPC debate is over. The conversation now is SEO, PPC, and AI.
To understand why, we have to look at how these channels intersect. A good example is Google’s new AI Max ad format. Think of it as an AI-powered evolution of Dynamic Search Ads. AI Max reads your website content and landing pages, expands your final URLs, and matches queries.
The targeting inputs for your paid campaigns are now, quite literally, your SEO assets. Ads in AI Mode are already in testing in the U.S. AI-powered Shopping ads read your Merchant Center feed and use Gemini to generate a tailored explainer for each shopper.
Work that once belonged to SEO (and perhaps CRO) now directly supports AI and PPC. Clear pages, structured content, and a value proposition machines can understand now feed your organic rankings, Quality Score, AI Max query matching, AI Overview citations, and LLM visibility. One well-executed asset now supports multiple marketing surfaces.
Meanwhile, the paid search picture is more interesting than the doom-posting suggests. WordStream’s 2026 benchmarks put average search CPC at $5.42, more than double the 2016 figure.
At the same time, conversion rates improved across 87% of industries, and cost per lead fell for the first time in five years. Paid search is becoming more expensive per click but more effective per outcome. That’s exactly what you’d expect when the click pool shrinks, and the remaining clicks carry higher intent.
Finally, I’m no conspiracy theorist, but if the book Supremacy is to be believed, Google developed an AI chatbot before OpenAI and ChatGPT brought the technology into the mainstream. The company reportedly held it back because of internal concerns about the impact on ad revenue, and perhaps accuracy.
That also makes a business case for why Google must integrate AI into its ecosystem to protect its core revenue. I also think it’s more useful to align with where Google is headed than spend your time chasing algorithms.
While this may feel like a revolution, I think it’s really the next step in an evolution that’s been unfolding for years.
We were talking about zero-click searches long before AI. The trend has been remarkably consistent: roughly 45% in 2016, 49% in 2019, 60% in 2024, and 68% today. Google has spent a decade building features that keep people on Google, and AI Overviews simply accelerated a trend that was already underway.
AI Mode accounted for about one-third of 1% of searches from January through April. It’s growing fast, with more than a billion monthly users and queries reportedly more than doubling each quarter. But it isn’t what got us here.
Google got us here, one SERP feature at a time, gradually transforming search from a list of signposts into a platform that provides answers. AI didn’t start that trend. It accelerated it.
Simply put, if you’re not on that list, you’re probably no longer in the running.
The good news is that none of this makes SEO less important. It changes why it matters. SEO still matters because AI Overviews are grounded in Google’s index. Your search visibility still drives your AI visibility.
It’s not quite that simple, though. AI uses a process known as query fan-out to break a complex prompt into multiple smaller searches. It then combines those results, with the highest-ranking pages often receiving the most visibility in the AI summary. Rankings still matter across a broad range of topical subqueries in your space.
YouTube is a particularly strong opportunity because videos often rank for many of the subqueries that support those broader AI-generated answers. If your competitors haven’t invested there yet, they may be leaving visibility on the table.
Keywords aren’t what they once were. Topical visibility across search, both on your own site and across third-party platforms, remains highly important.
There is one caveat. This is still the Wild West. Studies from Ahrefs and BrightEdge reached slightly different conclusions, and measuring AI visibility remains challenging.
Just like the early days of SEO, success comes from thinking, tinkering, and experimenting to maximize your visibility across a topic, whether on your own site or on third-party platforms like YouTube and Reddit.
Dig deeper: Why AI still runs on search – and SEO still runs the show
The “SEO is dead” crowd is trying to sell you GEO. The GEO crowd says it sends no traffic and tries to steer you back to SEO. The anti-PPC crowd points out that click prices have doubled while total clicks have fallen.
The traffic data is fairly clear. Google still drives nearly 90% of referral traffic, according to Cloudflare Radar. All AI chatbots combined account for less than 1%.
But that’s only part of the story. Google still drives most referral traffic, but AI increasingly shapes the decisions behind those clicks. That means SEO, GEO, and PPC aren’t competing strategies. They’re different parts of the same decision journey.
By the time someone reaches your website or clicks your ad, they’re often a warm prospect, and the business is yours to lose. That’s why AI-referred traffic converts several times better than traditional organic traffic, even when it lands on the homepage, something PPC practitioners have historically avoided. There’s no magic here. People arrive already familiar with your brand and closer to making a decision than asking a question.
SEO and PPC are no longer just acquisition channels. They’re the mechanisms that help you become the answer.
That reframes what SEO and PPC are for. They stop being two ways to do the same job and become two parts of the same sequence. Your organic footprint, including content, coverage, videos, reviews, and what others say about you, helps you become the answer across search and AI. Your ads help you get chosen once you are. One earns the recommendation. The other converts it.
That’s why you can no longer trade them off against each other. You can’t choose between the thing that gets you onto the shortlist and the thing that converts you once you’re there.
This isn’t a budget decision or an either-or choice. These are two parts of a single system that work together in sequence to maximize results. Integrate them, or you’ll lose ground to competitors that do.
Track your visibility across AI search, uncover missed opportunities, and grow your presence where customers are asking questions.
Maybe this question had some merit in the past. Every time I tried to answer it, though, I ended up in the same place: for most businesses, an integrated approach worked best.
The real problem is that it was always the wrong question. It just happened to be a popular one because a simple question is easier to live with than a complicated one. “SEO or PPC?” is easy to answer in a meeting. “Where do my customers decide, and what would make them choose me?” takes real work.
Underneath it all, though, the fundamentals haven’t changed. Your customers still have problems to solve. They still build a shortlist. They still choose someone. The only thing that’s changed is who’s holding the pen when that shortlist gets written. Increasingly, it’s a machine reading everything the world has said about you.
I always come back to the restaurant example. Bob’s Burgers serves 100 customers a week. Ninety-nine leave happy. Every week, one customer, and there’s always one, leaves a bad review. Your job is to make sure the digital record reflects the experience of the other 99.
So get your own house in order first. Fix the offer. Fix the website. Fix the tracking. Then map the territory, choose your ground, and become genuinely, specifically, unsummarizably good at what you do. Then tell the world.
The SEO vs. PPC debate is dead. Long live integrated SEO, PPC, and AI.
Ostium halted trading and advised revoking contract approvals after blockchain security firms reported an apparent oracle-related exploit of its OLP liquidity vault, with estimated losses ranging from $18 million to $22 million.
The deployment marks Aave V4’s first expansion beyond Ethereum and introduces lending infrastructure designed to support future markets for tokenized real-world assets.
Securitize and Cantor Fitzgerald are developing infrastructure for tokenized IPOs and secondary equity offerings within the existing US securities framework.
After Paulo Dybala, Roma have reportedly agreed new contracts with Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante, with talks on for Lorenzo Pellegrini too.
The Giallorossi have been going down the list of priorities this summer, and much of that revolves around keeping the group intact that qualified for the Champions League.
Dybala was the most urgent, as his contract had already expired on June 30 and he had offers from Boca Juniors, but this week he signed a new deal to June 2027 at a reduced salary.
It is widely reported that Celik has also agreed a new contract after becoming a free agent.
Now SportMediaset claim that both defender Mancini and midfielder Cristante have shaken hands on agreements holding them to the Giallorossi.
Mancini will be to June 2029, and Cristante only to June 2028.
Transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano also confirms that talks are in progress with Pellegrini to extend his stay, as he too is a free agent as of July 1.
Venezia unveiled their home jersey for the 2026/27 season upon their return to Serie A, designed by club co-owner Drake’s NOCTA label, with promise of further streetwear options.
The Lagunari have been promoted back to the top flight after winning the 2025-26 Serie B title.
They are celebrating the comeback with a mainly black shirt that showcases the club’s unusual and iconic orange and green bands across the chest.
There are also orange and green accents along the collar, and on the sleeves.
This is designed by NOCTA, the clothing company run by rapper Drake, who is a minority shareholder of Venezia FC.
As part of this collaboration, the club and NOCTA will also release a series of training, travel, fanwear and streetwear items throughout the course of the campaign.
Kappa had been the kit designers for the Stadio Penzo side until the announcement in February that NOCTA were taking over.
Juventus flop Lois Openda has another club interested in him, as Olympique Lyonnais challenge RC Lens and Coventry City for the striker.
The Belgium international was a disastrous signing last summer from RB Leipzig, on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season for a total fee of €46m.
He does not fit into coach Luciano Spalletti’s vision and barely featured in the closing weeks of the campaign, making only one brief substitute cameo in the last 11 rounds.
The forward made 34 competitive appearances for the Bianconeri, scoring just two goals, but was in the starting XI for only nine of those matches.
An exit is inevitable, with Coventry City and his old club RC Lens interested in giving him a way out of Turin.
However, today Footmercato claim that Olympique Lyonnais have dived in with a proposal, which would allow them to cover his entire salary, unlike RC Lens.
Juventus know that a loan with option to buy is their best bet to rebuild Openda’s profile and market value.
Como have officially signed Italy Under-20 international Mattia Liberali from Catanzaro, activating the €6m release clause after he turned down a return to Milan.
“It’s a real thrill to be able to start my journey at Como,” Liberali told the club website.
“I’m really keen to develop and improve, and I’ve found we share a lot of common ground with the club in this regard. I’ve also spoken to the manager, and I think the playing philosophy is perfect for me. I can’t wait to take to the pitch at the Sinigaglia and meet the fans.”
The creative midfielder only turned 19 in April and has represented Italy at various youth levels throughout his career.
He was a product of the Milan youth academy, but left amid frustration last summer when he realised there would be no playing time or imminent promotion to the senior squad.
Liberali joined Catanzaro effectively for nothing, but with Milan still owed 50 per cent of the future sale fee.
It was widely reported that the Rossoneri had tried to talk him into returning to San Siro this season, where he would cost them just €3m rather than the full €6m release clause.
However, he was convinced that Como and working with Cesc Fabregas would be the correct next step in his career.
He has signed a contract with Como until June 2031.
“Mattia is a creative player with excellent technical ability and confidence in possession,” coach Fabregas told the club website.
“He can operate in tight spaces, create chances and contribute in the final third. We believe his qualities fit our style and look forward to helping him continue his development.”
Last season, Liberali scored four goals with four assists in 30 games for Serie B side Catanzaro.
More details are emerging from the decision to shelve the investigation into Gianluca Rocchi, with investigators noting Inter not wanting certain referees was not enough to prove ‘a structured system’ to alter outcomes.
The investigation erupted in April 2026 when refereeing designator Rocchi was placed under formal investigation with the accusation of sporting fraud.
After weeks of uncertainty and controversy, with many promising a second Calciopoli scandal after 2006, the entire investigation was shelved today due to lack of evidence.
The statement released by the prosecutor explains why there was insufficient cause to continue with the extremely serious charges.
“Within the limits of the available evidence, including wiretaps, tracking, and witness statements, we identified interference and pressure in only a few of the cases involving referee designations at the centre of this investigation.
“However, based on the conversations intercepted between Rocchi and others, the evidence does not demonstrate that this interference and pressure was objectively aimed at altering the outcome of matches.”
The most important missing element here was direct contact between Rocchi and the club, although it was revealed today for the first time that Inter had been under formal investigation too.
Instead, he is heard speaking to colleagues about common knowledge that Inter do not like or want certain referees assigned to their games.
“Therefore, no structured system emerged to influence the fairness of the matches, nor any director or intercepted contact between the refereeing designator and Inter officials,” continued the statement.
Whereas in Calciopoli there was direct pressure from various clubs to remove certain referees from games and assign others, this was purely a process of elimination.
If there was to be proof of an attempt to alter the outcome, it would be suggesting who to put in place of the ‘disliked’ referees.
The matches under the spotlight were Inter-Milan in the Coppa Italia on April 23, 2025, Inter-Verona in Serie A on May 3, 2025, and Torino-Inter on April 26, 2026.
The evidence has been passed on to the sporting justice system, who could still choose to look further into the matter and present other charges.
It seems that surprise talks could be about to begin for Fenerbahce to sign Manchester United misfit Marcus Rashford this summer.
The England international, currently at the World Cup 2026 and preparing for tonight’s semi-final clash against Argentina, has been left in limbo after his loan spell at Barcelona.
Rashford shone during his spell at the Nou Camp last season, but it seems that Barca will not be taking up the option to sign him permanently.
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According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, Fenerbahce are now targeting Rashford after already completing their deal to sign Mason Greenwood.
Rashford was once a star player for Man Utd and showed he’s still got what it takes to perform at the highest level with some fine performances for Barcelona in La Liga and the Champions League.
So, in many ways, it seems slightly surprising that Rashford might now be about to move to the Turkish league, which would represent a significant step down in terms of the competitiveness of the division.
Still, there are also a lot of good players at clubs like Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Besiktas, so perhaps Rashford can flourish there and make an impact in major competitions like the Champions League.
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It would also be interesting to see Rashford linking up with his former United teammate Greenwood again, with the pair often combining well together at Old Trafford.
MUFC will now have a decision to make, as some fans might even feel that Rashford’s fine form at Barcelona last season should mean he’s in contention for a first-team role again.
Perhaps that ship has now sailed and a fresh start would be the best for everyone, but much of that will now hinge on whether or not Rashford himself is open to joining Fenerbahce, or if he waits for other opportunities.
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England manager Thomas Tuchel is reportedly set to start Morgan Rogers on the right against Argentina in tonight’s World Cup semi-final.
The Aston Villa attacking midfielder usually plays on the left or centrally, so this is a slightly unfamiliar role for him, but he’s also someone who’s surely good enough to contribute in almost any attacking role.
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See below for David Ornstein’s update on England’s team selection for this evening’s big game, with the journalist posting on X that Tuchel is set to reward Rogers for his impact off the bench in the win over Norway in the last round…
? Morgan Rogers set to start on right for England in #FIFAWorldCup semi-final v #Argentina. Opportunity would see 23yo Aston Villa forward rewarded after impact off bench against Norway & form for #AVFC + #England across Thomas Tuchel reign @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/f3tAfwuZXu
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 15, 2026
“Morgan Rogers set to start on right for England in #FIFAWorldCup semi-final … Opportunity would see 23yo Aston Villa forward rewarded after impact off bench against Norway & form for #AVFC + across Thomas Tuchel reign,” Ornstein said.
In truth, something needed to change on that right-hand side as Noni Madueke hasn’t been particularly convincing at this tournament, though he’s started a lot of games because Bukayo Saka isn’t 100% fit.
Tuchel will need to get his team selection right tonight for this huge game, which some people are calling their biggest since the World Cup final victory in 1966.
England haven’t been in a World Cup final since their only victory 60 years ago, so it would be a huge achievement to do it.
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Argentina are the current holders, so will probably be the favourites tonight, especially with Lionel Messi in such exceptional form at this year’s tournament so far.
For England, the key men will surely be Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who have both been superb for the Three Lions, though a top young talent like Rogers could also cause Argentina some problems.
The post Ornstein reveals England star “rewarded” with start in unfamiliar role vs Argentina tonight appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli is reportedly attracting transfer interest from as many as five clubs as he could be on the move this summer.
The Brazil international has perhaps not developed quite as well as many at Arsenal will have expected, scoring only one league goal for the entire 2025/26 campaign.
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Martinelli fared better in Europe, scoring six goals in 14 Champions League games as the Gunners reached the final of the competition.
According to Ekrem Konur, it now seems Martinelli could leave Arsenal, and he has interest from big clubs such as Manchester United, Newcastle, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Roma…
?#Arsenal Gabriel Martinelli could leave Arsenal this summer.
? Man United, Newcastle and Bayern Munich are interested.
? Roma and Juventus have also contacted Arsenal for the Brazilian winger. https://t.co/IQREY7Thwc pic.twitter.com/IMcERmFXhq
— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) July 15, 2026
Konur posted: “Gabriel Martinelli could leave Arsenal this summer. Man United, Newcastle and Bayern Munich are interested. Roma and Juventus have also contacted Arsenal for the Brazilian winger.”
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It’s surely time for Arsenal to move on from Martinelli, who is just not consistent enough to start regularly for a club with the ambition to win major titles like the Premier League and the Champions League.
The 25-year-old has been at the Emirates Stadium since 2019 and perhaps he’d now benefit from a change of scene.
Arsenal could also do well to try something different on that side of their front three, and they’ve been strongly linked with Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis by Ben Jacobs and others.
Martinelli has still shown enough during his time at AFC that could make him tempting to other English clubs, so the links with Man Utd and Newcastle aren’t too surprising.
We’ve previously been informed of Newcastle asking about Martinelli, though this has not yet progressed as far as we’re aware.
The Magpies could do well to land Martinelli as a replacement for Anthony Gordon, who left for Barcelona earlier this summer.
United, meanwhile, might do well to bring in Martinelli to give them more depth behind their first choice front three of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, as he can fill in on the left, right, or as a central striker.
The post Update: Contacts held as clubs queue up to sign Arsenal star, including Man Utd & Newcastle appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise is reportedly keen on a transfer to Real Madrid this summer, while the Spanish giants are eyeing a record move.
This is not the first time we’ve heard speculation about Olise’s future in recent months, with the France international in absolutely stunning form in 2025/26 with 29 goals and 32 assists.
Those numbers, via WhoScored, are for club and country, including last summer’s Club World Cup with Bayern, and this summer’s 2026 World Cup with the French national team.
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According to Santi Aouna, Olise is now eyeing Real Madrid as his preferred next move, and ideally wants it to happen this year, with Bayern already keeping an eye out on potential replacements…
?EXCL: ???? #Liga |
?? Michael Olise veut rejoindre le Real Madrid CET ÉTÉ.
? L'international français estime que c'est le club parfait pour continuer sa progression.
? Le Real Madrid souhaite réaliser un transfert record.
??Posture officielle du Bayern : Olise est… pic.twitter.com/kvy4PvBZu9
— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) July 15, 2026
“Michael Olise wants to join Real Madrid THIS SUMMER,” the journalist posted on X. “The French international believes it’s the perfect club to continue his progression.
“Real Madrid wants to pull off a record transfer. Bayern’s official stance: Olise is not for sale but the truth is more nuanced. The Bavarian club would like to extend his contract, but has also been in contact in parallel with players who could come in to replace him.
“Olise will discuss with his leaders after the World Cup.”
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Olise looks like he has it in him to get even better, and it would be exciting to see the 24-year-old at the Bernabeu alongside other world class talents like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
| Michael Olise | TOTAL SCORE: 22/25 |
| Transfer fee | ** |
| Performance | ***** |
| Achievements | ***** |
| Career phase | ***** |
| Squad need | ***** |
The former Crystal Palace man was not at his best in France’s defeat to Spain yesterday, but in general he has been really consistent on the biggest stage, winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern and helping them to the Champions League semi-finals.
Olise’s best position is coming off that right flank so he can cut onto his left foot, and that’s undoubtedly somewhere Real Madrid could do with strengthening.
Bayern don’t tend to sell their star names, but it seems this can’t be ruled out, with Olise keen on the move to Spain, as has been previously reported by TEAMtalk.
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Venezia unveiled their home jersey for the 2026/27 season upon their return to Serie A, designed by club co-owner Drake’s NOCTA label, with promise of further streetwear options.
The Lagunari have been promoted back to the top flight after winning the 2025-26 Serie B title.
Venezia home jersey for the 2026/27 season
They are celebrating the comeback with a mainly black shirt that showcases the club’s unusual and iconic orange and green bands across the chest.
There are also orange and green accents along the collar, and on the sleeves.
This is designed by NOCTA, the clothing company run by rapper Drake, who is a minority shareholder of Venezia FC.
As part of this collaboration, the club and NOCTA will also release a series of training, travel, fanwear and streetwear items throughout the course of the campaign.
Kappa had been the kit designers for the Stadio Penzo side until the announcement in February that NOCTA were taking over.
Soren Waerenskjold caught the big guns by surprise with a long-range sprint to win the fastest-ever stage of the Tour de France.
Racing in his fourth Tour, the 26-year-old Norwegian claimed his first stage win and just the second for his team, Uno-X Mobility.
Overall race leader Tadej Pogacar remains three minutes and 36 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification standings.
The peloton completed stage 11 at an average speed of 50.9km per hour, beating the previous record of 50.3kph from 1999.
A sprint finish was expected on Wednesday, a flat 161.3km route from Vichy to Nevers, and Cees Bol made the first move as the peloton rolled into the final 500m after catching the day's breakaway.
But team-mate Olav Kooij did not follow and as the riders hesitated, Waerenskjold sneaked through a gap beside the barriers to launch a counter-attack with 400m remaining.
He charged past Bol, before Kooij and Jasper Philipsen set off in pursuit, but they had left themselves too much to do as Waerenskjold won by almost a bike's length from Kooij.
Philipsen crossed the line third but was relegated for moving in the sprint, with Milan Fretin promoted to the podium.
Waerenskjold, who was second to Tim Merlier on stage seven, said: "I thought I was too far back and then it opened up on the right side, like it usually doesn't do.
"I saw Cees Bol had a gap and I tried to sprint up to him and hold a little bit back to go from his wheel.
"Then I saw there were 250 to go. I was just waiting for the same thing to happen when Merlier passed me, but it didn't happen this time.
"It's surreal, it's unbelievable," he added. "It means everything, it's my biggest win so far.
"I just have to let it sink in and then I will probably be more happy than I look now, but it's a big surprise for myself."
Waerenskjold was the last rider to cross the line on Tuesday's mountain stage having suffered a nasty crash on Bastille Day.
But he managed to regroup on an almost pan-flat route through central France, with favourable winds making the record pace possible, to upset the likes of previous green jersey winners Philipsen and Biniam Girmay.
"There are two or three guys here who are faster, but if I'm lucky and have a good sprint, like today, then it's possible," Waerenskjold added.
"Sometimes I have really good confidence, and I believe in myself, but there is many, many times where I feel super tired and like it's impossible to win here.
"It's crazy that it happened today, also after the crash. I felt really [not good] in the start, but then my body got going, and I felt better in the final with the adrenaline and everything."
Waerenskjold's stage win adds to an impressive Tour so far for Uno-X, with team-mate Torstein Traeen having worn the yellow jersey for two days in the opening week.
But the sprint stars are yet to shine. Philipsen and Girmay have 13 Tour stage wins between them but have so far failed to add to that tally this year, with Merlier (two) and Kooij winning the other sprint-friendly finishes.
With Thursday's stage also flat and looking likely to be a sprint finish, the big guns have another chance to break their drought tomorrow.
Who was the Greater Fall River area's top high school female athlete in 2025-26? The Herald News is letting readers have a say in the winner in the Fan's Choice poll.
Area athletes put on a display all season and stood out from the rest. It's time to give them the recognition they deserve.
Supporters of the schools — Atlantis Charter, Joseph Case, Diman, Durfee, Somerset Berkley and Westport — and student-athletes can visit heraldnews.com to vote for the person of their choosing.
Voting will conclude July 22 with the winner announced here and X (formerly known as Twitter). Vote early and often.
Here's a look at the nominees for the Female Athlete of the Year:
POLL: Vote for the 2025-26 Herald News Girls Sports Team of the Year
Watch MA high school sports on NFHS
Herald News and Taunton Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @Chezsports and TikTok @ssanchezsports
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Vote for the Herald News Fan's Choice Female Athlete of the Year
The Major League Baseball draft hurt the Auburn Tigers as two of their infield stars and a high school signee were selected. Auburn baseball is working to rebuild its infield by adding a player from the transfer portal late in the cycle.
Former UNLV infielder Cooper Sheff announced his commitment to Auburn via Instagram this week. Sheff is Auburn's third fielder signee in a haul that is headlined by pitchers.
Sheff, a native of Las Vegas, hit .295 for the Rebels last season with nine home runs, 38 RBI, and five stolen bases. He recorded multiple hits in 14 games last season. He reached a season-high four hits against Washington State on April 19, one day after recording three hits against the Cougars. Sheff also smashed two of his nine home runs in a road game at Northwestern on March 8.
Auburn second baseman Chris Rembert and third baseman Eric Guevara were both selected during the 2026 MLB Draft that took place last weekend, as was high school signee Jace Matacynski. The Tigers return shortstop Brandon McCraine and first baseman Ethin Bingaman for 2027, and will look to fit Sheff and Iowa transfer Ben Swails into the mix.
Keep up with all of Auburn's offseason roster moves with Auburn Wire's Auburn baseball transfer portal tracker.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn baseball adds experienced infielder from transfer portal
There is no denying the Alabama Crimson Tide have a number of question marks surrounding the roster entering the 2026 season. Even in spite of that, the program could still be good enough to compete for a national title this fall.
Entering Year 3 of the Kalen DeBoer era, Alabama is in an interesting spot roster-wise as it approaches fall camp. The Crimson Tide boast a team that features a number of experienced veterans, as well as some newer faces who have yet to break out at the collegiate level.
Alabama is also tasked with replacing a number of prominent starters on both sides of the ball, including at quarterback, the offensive line, and others.
There are some unknowns regarding just how good Alabama can be in 2026, though. Yes, the Crimson Tide could struggle at times, particular early in the season, but they could also be one of college football's best this fall, finding themselves making a deep run toward a title in the College Football Playoff.
Taking a look at the Crimson Tide's roster in particular, here are three reasons why Alabama could make a deep CFP run toward a national title in 2026, as well as three reasons why they might not.
Alabama boasted one of college football's top secondaries a year ago, and with all five starters from the end of last season returning in 2026, there is certainly reason to believe the Crimson Tide's defensive back room could be the best in the country. Among that position group, Bray Hubbard, Zabien Brown, and Keon Sabb are all marquee names in college football, and the same will likely happen for both Dijon Lee Jr. and Red Morgan in 2026, if they aren't already there.
While there is no denying the amount of talent the unit has, the Crimson Tide's offensive line is still a huge unknown entering the fall due to lack of starting experience. Time will only tell the impact that could have in 2026. A group that returns only one starter in Michael Carroll, Alabama's offensive line will have to improve in 2026 if the Crimson Tide wish to contend for a title.
In today's college football, elite play at the quarterback position is required to win a national title more times than not, and there is potential for Alabama to receive just that this fall. There is a bit of an unknown surrounding both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell due to lack of starting experience, but both have ample talent and will have a deep wide receiver room to work with. That should put the Crimson Tide in a good spot no matter who wins the starting job.
Alabama's running game last season was one of the program's worst, ranking next to last in the SEC at an average of 104.1 yards per game. The Crimson Tide have made some additions to the group like top freshman EJ Crowell, and there is certainly reason to believe the unit could have a bounce-back 2026 campaign, but they will also be doing so behind a brand new offensive line. That makes it a huge unknown.
Similar to strong quarterback play, an impactful pass rush can go a long way in making a team a contender, as we've seen with past Alabama title-winning teams. The Crimson Tide's unit this fall should be elite. Leading the way will be one of college football's best pass rushers in Yhonzae Pierre, while Justin Hill and South Carolina transfer Desmond Umeozulu are also featured in a group that should be very impactful.
Lastly, there's another position where starting experience is a question mark for the Crimson Tide, and it comes at one of the most important on defense: inside linebacker. Caleb Woodson, a transfer from Virginia Tech, could be a key player in 2026, but the Crimson Tide will need someone to emerge like QB Reese, Cayden Jones or Luke Metz, among others.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: 3 reasons why Alabama could make deep CFP run in 2026, 3 why not
Even elite NFL players, starters and award-winners at their positions- and therefore among the premier athletes on the planet- get starstruck, just like the rest of us. Sometimes it's by guys who do the exact same job.
A perfect example played out this week at the OL Masterminds Summit held in Frisco and hosted by offensive line guru Duke Manyweather. The annual event, now in its ninth year, brings together the game's current top offensive linemen and adds some of the best to ever do it for an intensive, hands-on clinic meant to raise the level of play across the board for guards, tackles, and centers of every team.
And everyone in attendance, it seemed, had someone else they were hoping to meet. Cowboys right tackle Terence Steele, for example, explained that he was looking forward to spending some time with the Eagles' Lane Johnson.
For Quinn Meinerz, it was Cowboys legend Zack Martin.
Meinerz, of course, isn't just some random fanboy. The sixth-year Broncos guard is himself a two-time first-team All-Pro, one of the 10 highest-earning guards in the league, and was a finalist for the NFL Protector of the Year award last season.
But when he learned Martin, the nine-time Pro Bowler who retired after the 2024 season, would be leading some of the content at this year's summit, Meinerz came prepared. A video shared on social media shows Meinerz autographing one of his jerseys and presenting it to Martin in what was a very cool moment for both players.
"I wanted to give you one of my jerseys," he tells Martin. "We never got to do a proper jersey swap."
#QuinnMeinerz (@Broncos) never got to swap with Zack Martin @thegob70 before he retired from the @dallascowboys . So they made it happen at OL Masterminds. This is what it's all about!
— OL Masterminds (@OLMasterminds) July 14, 2026
9x All-Pro meets 2x First-Team All-Pro. One generation honoring another. Who would you swap… pic.twitter.com/ZZ7iMfx983
Martin was clearly touched by the gesture, commenting on Meinerz's selection of the Broncos' "Orange Crush" throwback jersey and promising to return the favor with a signed Cowboys No. 70 from his own closet.
That brotherhood and camaraderie shared by offensive linemen is unique in the NFL, and a big part of why events like the OL Masterminds Summit have become so successful.
Speaking with D Magazine's Mike Piellucci and Mike Marshall at this year's gathering, Martin explained how simply being around established, top-notch offensive linemen after he joined the Cowboys as a first-round draft pick in 2014 accelerated his own growth and raised the standard for the entire group.
"I tell people all the time: what we had in our room, we had a ton of competition. Inter-room competition," Martin said on the StrongSide podcast. "When you're in there and you're watching Tyron Smith and Travis [Frederick] and Ron Leary and Doug [Free], all these guys, it's like, 'Man, I've got to do my job. I've got to pick it up a little bit; these guys are killing people.' I think the inter-competition we had in our room really brought the best out of everyone."
That's what the Masterminds Summit is doing now for linemen from all 32 locker rooms.
Not to mention giving some of them, like Quinn Meinerz, a chance to meet their heroes.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys legend Zack Martin shares cool jersey swap moment with current Broncos OL star
Heading into the 2026 season, few players will face more attention than Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer. The Sooners' quarterback arrived in Norman with massive expectations after a breakout season for the Washington State Cougars.
Mateer threw for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while rushing for 431 yards and eight scores. However, those overall numbers don't tell the full story of Mateer's first season in Norman. The first four games, he threw for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 190 yards and five scores. In the eight games following that, he threw for 1,670 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, while rushing for 241 yards and three scores.
The big factor behind the split was the thumb injury he suffered on his throwing hand during the fourth game of the season. The biggest question entering 2026 is whether the injury was the primary reason for his struggles or if the increased level of competition also played a role. On3's J.D. PicKell believes a healthy Mateer will be the key to unlocking Oklahoma's offense this season.
"Y'all know how I feel about John Mateer," PIcKell said. "There are so many takes out there about what he wasn't when he had the thumb injury. Hey, if he's playing like he was in September a year ago, if the vibes from the Manning Passing Academy carry over to this year, Oklahoma is going to be good on offense."
The national narrative on Oklahoma is out to lunch pic.twitter.com/sanWc1ePgC
— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) July 14, 2026
Mateer's 2026 season will likely determine how high Oklahoma's ceiling can be. The Sooners have one of the best defenses in college football, but to compete for championships in the SEC, they will need consistent production from their quarterback. If the version of Mateer from the beginning of last season returns, Oklahoma could have the offensive weapon it needs to complement its elite defense.
The questions surrounding his injury and late-season struggles will remain until he proves otherwise, but a healthy Mateer has the talent to change the entire outlook of the Sooners' season.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Why John Mateer could transform Oklahoma's offense
ATLANTA (AP) — Lionel Messi faces England in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday with the chance to move clear of Kylian Mbappé in the race for the golden boot.
Messi and Mbappé are tied on eight goals for the tournament. Messi is also the all-time top scorer in World Cups with 21 goals.
Stopping him is the biggest challenge for England in Atlanta.
“It’s just incredible his campaign, this tournament, how he carries that team, it’s just absolutely incredible,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said of Messi. “There are no words ... left for this kind of achievement, the responsibility and the quality that he shows again in this tournament.”
At the age of 39 this could be Messi's last World Cup and he could surpass Argentina great Diego Maradona by winning the trophy for a second time after victory in Qatar in 2022. Maradona led his country to the title in 1986 and was runner-up four years later.
Argentina is aiming to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brazil in 1958 and 62.
England's star players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are also in contention for the golden boot with six goals each.
Despite France losing to Spain in the semifinals, Mbappé could still add to his goals tally if he plays in the third-place match against England or Argentina.
___
In a move rarely seen in the middle of a season, the Texas Rangers are changing streaming partners effective immediately.
According to a report by Dallas Morning News reporter Evan Grant, the Rangers will be dropping their streaming partnership with Victory+, which has offered a full-season streaming subscription for in-market Rangers fans since last season for a price of $100, and will switch to a startup platform called BZZR beginning with this Friday’s game against the Atlanta Braves. The move was reportedly made out of concern for Victory+’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations to the team.
The Rangers confirmed the decision on Wednesday morning.
Per Grant, all subscribers that had bought packages on Victory+ will have their accounts transferred over to BZZR. The move will not impact the linear distribution of Rangers Sports Network on cable and satellite services like DirecTV.
“It is unfortunate that this switch in direct-to-consumer distributors was necessary, but the decision was made in the best interest of both the Rangers and our fans,” Rangers Sports Media and Entertainment Company chairman Neil Leibman said in a statement.
The Rangers’ decision paints a grim picture for Victory+, a nascent streaming service that has staked its claim in an all-out effort to court MLB, NBA, and NHL teams to place local broadcasts on the platform. In most markets, Victory+ has introduced a free streaming model in which games are broadcast in front of a paywall and revenue is generated through advertising. The Rangers, with their $100 per season subscription, were an exception. The Dallas Stars, however, chose the free model. Per Grant, no changes have been made regarding the Stars’ local broadcast plans for next season.
Other teams on active deals with Victory+ include the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx, the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, and a league-wide deal with the NWSL.
Victory+ has reportedly been in the mix to secure local broadcast rights to some of the 13 NBA teams that were previously under contract with Main Street Sports Group, owner of the now-defunct FanDuel Sports Networks. So far, the streamer has not struck deals with any of those teams. Per Sports Business Journal, potential deals with the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, and Minnesota Timberwolves all fell through after Victory+ failed to secure new financing. The three former Main Street clubs that have already announced local broadcast arrangements for next season have all chosen to partner with over-the-air broadcast networks.
If Victory+’s finances are as dire as the Rangers seem to believe, it’s difficult to envision any of the 10 remaining NBA teams looking for local broadcast solutions to choose to partner with the platform.
The post Texas Rangers change streaming partner mid-season, drop Victory+ appeared first on Awful Announcing.
Aidan O’Neill (b. Nov. 18, 2007) is a freshman walk-on kicker from Michigan who plans on majoring in business administration. While I expect him to redshirt*, he is still likely to be the backup field goal kicker.
O’Neill prepped under head coach Justin Pintar at Clarkston (Mich.) High School, where he ranked No. 29 nationally among kickers in the Class of 2026 by Kohl’s Kicking. (Follow this link to view his camp highlights.)
Some positive comments I noted from the Kohl’s evaluators that should give us hope for the future:
O’Neill competed at the 2025 Midwest Showcase Camp in May. He scored 12/15 points on field goals and 106.25 points on kickoffs at the event. His drill work was again at the D1 level. … His “A” ball is elite! At the December 2024 Midwest Showcase Camp he won the field goal and kickoff competition at the event. He scored 110.95 points on kickoffs and 12/15 points on field goals and has made a big jump in his repeatability!
At the National Scholarship Camp he scored an impressive 27/36 points on field goals and 100.47 points on kickoffs. He has D1 tools and the next year will be an important time of development for O’Neill. He had another strong showing at the 2024 Kohl’s Midwest Spring Showcase. He showed improved command of his “A” ball on field goals and has increased his leg strength since this past winter. He scored 12/15 points in the field goal charting and produced a kickoff score of 99.70. His field goals are elite and if he can raise his kickoffs to the same level, he should continue to develop his overall ability as a college prospect.
Named to the Detroit Free Press Dream Team as a junior in addition to earning all-regional honors, O’Neill was a two-time all-state performer who finished his career going 13 of 20 on field goals and 85 of 89 on extra points, with each of his misses coming from blocked kicks, and also recorded 101 touchbacks during his prep career.
He walked on at K-State over interest from (and attending kicking camps at) Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State and Nebraska. (And he can squat 455 pounds!)
*Keep in mind that starting this season, redshirted players can play in up to nine total games and retain their year of eligibility. If the 5-for-5 rule survives its court challenges, that number goes from nine to “all of them.”
It’s that time of year, Mountain West enthusiasts. Your favorite column of predictions that will inevitably be brought up in a few months to show us how wrong we were.
The over/under guessing game is back once again for 2026. If you want to take a look at the 2025 version to see if we were right or wrong, you can check that out here. Below are the current over/underbetting lines for each Mountain West team via the good people at FanDuel. Look at each team’s over/under for wins, with some thoughts on each. Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments section.
The Case For: Head Coach Troy Calhoun has never had three consecutive losing seasons in his 20 years with the Falcons. That is likely why the program’s win total jumped from 5.5 to 6.5 from 2025 to this upcoming season, even though they finished last year with a record of 4-8.
Your typical Air Force-style offense of running opponents over will be back in full display once again, coming off a season where they were third in the nation in rushing.
This increase in win total may also come from the new look for the MWC, in which a lot of Air Force’s losses from 2025 came from teams no longer in town, potentially opening the door for better success in 2026.
The Case Against: Defense, Defense, Defense.
Air Force allowed more than 30 points in five of their eight losses last year, including a five-game losing skid in which four games included the Falcons giving up 44 points or more.
This is now a more experienced group heading into 2026, but that is about it in terms of positive signs for this defensive unit. Pairing this with a talented but hit-or-miss offense play style, I could see the Falcons getting to 6-6 at best, but not past the 6.5 mark.
Prediction: Under
Case For: The Rainbow Warriors are back after a 2025 season to remember.
Head Coach Timmy Chang found his first winning season at the helm, as Hawaii finished 9-4 with an exhilarating bowl victory against Cal.
Most of this success can be attributed to quarterback Micah Alejado, who became the first Hawaii player to earn Freshman of the Year honors.
Alejado is back on the island and ready for his sophomore campaign. It feels like the sky is the limit for Chang and Co., especially now in what is a less daunting Mountain West.
Case Against: Was 2025 just lightning in a bottle?
Few questions remain after transfer changes and a search for more stability in the trenches. It was a season to remember, but it remains just one winning season in the last five seasons.
Through it all, the Rainbow Warriors survived an offseason without taking major hits in the portal, adding and replacing as needed. Eight wins are definitely on the table.
Prediction: Over
Case For: The Wolfpack haven’t found their stride since the turn of the decade, including finishing 3-9 in 2025.
That being said, there are some spark notes to potentially get excited about heading into 2026.
Luke Duncan comes in from UCLA, looking to help at QB for an offense that was very much lackluster last season.
Adding new faces to a roster with the likes of Dylan LaBarbera and DJ Asiasi, it feels like Reno’s own is due to find their footing this year.
Case Against: As MWC’s own Dominic Gutierrez said in his Nevada tight end breakdown, there are plenty of “exciting question marks”.
That could be a good slogan for the entire program. There is talent here and there are intriguing new faces, but is there too much left up in the air to make a substantial change?
I think the Pack will benefit from the new look conference, but that still leaves the ceiling around 5-6 wins, leaving me to opt for the under.
Prediction: Under
Case For: It is hard not to buy into what Jason Eck is building with the Lobos. In just his first season as head coach, he led UNM to their first winning season since 2016. A nine win year is rarified air in Albuquerque.
An outstanding jump on the defensive side of the ball from 2024 to 2025 led to instant success, just short of a Mountain West title game appearance.
Jaxton Eck headlines a linebacker core and defense that looks to bring the same energy to 2026.
Questions remain if Jack Layne or Luke Moga will end up leading the Lobos throughout this year under center, but either option is solid in what the Lobos did so well last year: be serviceable and complementary to their defense.
In a lighter Mountain West, who says the Lobos can’t dominate once again?
Case Against: Four one score victories for UNM turned what could have been a 5-7 season to a 9-4 year.
Is this sustainable? Is this “Eck Magic” or just a one-year pot of gold?
Whatever you may think, first-season magic can leave doubts for any program heading into the sequel.
An achilles heel of needing to run the ball, a shoddy pass defense and the exit of tight end Dorian Thomas are all reasons to potentially be wary.
But don’t scream yet, Lobo fans. I think this is a conference championship contending squad, as a November visit from the Rebels and an October trip to the island to play the Rainbow Warriors will tell us a lot, but I just don’t think I can stamp nine wins on the cherry red just yet, hovering around eight wins.
Prediction: Under
Case For: Welcome to the Mountain West, Huskies!
That could be about as warm a welcome as NIU will get in their MW debut.
It’s a blank slate heading into 2026, coming off a 3-9 season and a new coach in Interim Rob Harley.
While it seems daunting, it could also be positive, looking to reinvent Husky football.
An offense that definitely needs reinventing will need Telly Johnson to lead the way. Johnson ran for 712 yards last season, averaging 5.7. All they need is Brady Danielson or Jalen Macon to be complementary to such a run game.
On defense, the pass defense looks to be strong again, with Harley formerly being the defensive coordinator and a reloaded depth chart after the portal.
Case Against:
An interim coach with a team that lacks identity and scoring, joining a new conference?
Rowing up stream with no paddle, and then falling out of the canoe with no life jacket.
This roster does sport talent, but they will likely be underdogs in just about every game. NIU is the one MW team that will be facing a tougher conference schedule, moving from the MAC.
A big part of this is the travel schedule. DeKalb and San Jose aren’t exactly neighboring…
I think we will see some competitive battles, but it will be nothing more than that.
Prediction: Under
Case For: North Dakota State has yet to play a Mountain West snap, but has already generated quite the buzz across the conference.
Well known as an FCS power, the Bison has finally made the move to FBS, with many talents in green and yellow making preseason lists and watch lists ahead of this fall.
Names like Donovan Woolen and Nathan Hayes highlight this bunch from the north, do they need to reinvent themselves at a new level?
If anything, it should be more of the same.
Battling in the trenches, running the ball and talent on defense has been the name of the game for the Bison through their FCS dominance. Why change now?
Case Against: You need your skill players in a move like this to the FBS, and for the Bison, that is a department that has recently been flushed.
A lot of exits on offense leave a lot of “maybes” for their scoring production, on top of handling their first ever 11 game FBS slate.
This schedule includes road games against UNLV, New Mexico and Hawaii, which is quite the gauntlet as the top three conference favorites. I see NDSU performing and being a good watch this season, hunting for a bowl, but I don’t think they cross 8.5 victories.
Prediction: Under
Case For: The state of California feels a bit empty after the MW/PAC split, but can the Spartans fill the void on the golden coast?
A 3-9 2025 record and a mass exodus of players from last year make it feel like the SJSU left the party along with their former in-state foes, but instead of heading to the PAC, they entered a fog.
Doom and gloom aside, senior quarterback Luke Weaver enters the fray as a potential light, looking to lead names like Sacramento State transfer receiver Jordan Anderson and Penn State transfer Anthony Ivey.
Weaver’s short, but successful glimpses at Hawaii last season leave the QB position better than the Spartans found it in 2025.
If this rag-tag bunch can piece it together behind him, they definitely could find themselves hunting for bowl eligibility in the new MW.
Case Against: Rag-tag roster, or island of misfit toys?
The talent is certainly on the table, but a lack of experience with basically a whole new group entering the program leaves me doubtful this fall.
Making plays when needed and holding onto leads is where SJSU struggled last season, and with not many veterans to try and rectify these wrongs, it may lead to another year of late game slips and victories turned losses.
This is a squad that is better than 3-9, but not by much, leaving them under the 5.5 mark.
Prediction: Under
Case For: If you ask most people, they will say it is UNLV’s conference to lose this season.
Rightfully so.
Headlined by the addition of Jackson Arnold to the QB position, the Rebels have acquired a lot of talent this past season.
There was a lot of turnover as well in the portal, but Dan Mullen’s additions have seemed to glare over that footnote.
Jai’Den Thomas does return, and he will be a pivotal piece, as the preseason all-conference first team running back rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.
Defense has always been a bit shaky since Mullen came to Sin City, but new faces like Cam Santee and Herb Gray could hopefully settle down those qualms.
Case Against:
I like the defensive additions and eye candy that UNLV has brought to the 2026 table.
But, reliability remains a question in the trenches.
Seven of the top nine tacklers from last season’s time are now gone, in a year where the Rebels allowed 28 points per game, including a 10th-ranked rush defense in conference.
The 2025 defensive page includes some crooked and ugly numbers for a team that was conference title game bound. I am not sure how sustainable that formula can be, as Mullen and Co. will look for the unit to take a major leap forward in 2026.
Still, in a weaker conference now, I think the Rebels talent and new faces will prevail.
Prediction: Over
Case For: It won’t be a warm welcome either for the newcoming Miners.
Coming off a 2-10 season before heading into the MW, on top of a total overhaul heading into 2026, people remain low on this El Paso crew.
However, one bright spot in Scotty Walden’s three seasons at the helm: recruiting. A very valuable asset in UTEP’s current situation.
UTEP owns the 4th best 2026 recruiting class in the Mountain West, according to 247 Sports.
Names like Kane White-Tinsley and Bodey Weaver highlight this class, adding potential to the outlook of this program. When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up, right?
Case Against: That climb from rock bottom may have to wait another season, as 2026 doesn’t look to be the coming out party for UTEP.
A team that lacks identity on offense will need new faces like EJ Colson to help lead the charge, on top of returns such as Kam Thomas.
Their defense features some standouts, but is it enough to get excited about when the non-conference slate features Michigan, Oklahoma and Oregon State, on top of tough conference battles versus Hawaii, at NDSU and New Mexico?
I’m not quite sure.
Prediction: Under
Case For:Wyoming finds itself kind of in no man’s land for this new era of the Mountain West. (Fitting for a team from Laramie).
Early success this decade was quickly followed by the exit of Craig Bohl and now two losing seasons under Jay Sawvel.
That being said, this could be the Cowboys time to pounce.
A new look on offense starts with William & Mary transfer Tyler Hughes and returning running back Samuel Harris, adding quickness that Wyoming lacked last season, along with former Buffalo Bill coordinator Christian Taylor now with the ‘Boys as OC.
A new style of offense could finally reward a defense that has been sturdy, with Sawvel being a defensive mind, as the unit was overlooked by the offense’s inability to score.
Diore Hubbard and Eric Richardson are names that should also help reinvent the offense, and hopefully invent a way to put points on the board (to the relief of all Wyoming fans).
Case Against: Everything starts at the line of scrimmage, and that is where question marks remain for Wyoming.
Lack of experience and new faces litter both the offensive and defensive lines, making the countability of these units yet to be seen.
Hughes and Co. are here to revamp the offense, but if they don’t have protection or time, then what is the point?
A favorable schedule, especially late in the season, should still help the boys from Laramie get back to the bowl conversation, likely finishing around 6-6.
Prediction: Over
Your turn: Are you taking the over or the under for each Mountain West team this season?
Every NFL fan loves a good roster-building exercise, but this one comes with a twist. Imagine you’re tasked with constructing the ultimate Los Angeles Rams offense using only $15. Sounds easy until you realize that some of the greatest players in franchise history come with premium price tags. If you didn’t participate in last week’s offensive edition, be sure to make your squad: Build a Rams offense on a $15 budget.
The rules are simple. You must build a complete defensive unit consisting of:
The challenge? You only have $15 to spend.
There may not be a single correct answer to building the ultimate Rams defense, but that’s exactly what made this $15 budget challenge so entertaining. Every selection forced a difficult decision, especially at the top of the board. Do you spend $5 on Aaron Donald, arguably the most dominant defensive player of his generation, or do you build around Deacon Jones, the legendary lineman who defined “the sack”? Choosing one means passing on another all-time great, and that’s before considering icons like Merlin Olsen, Jack Youngblood, and Dick “Night Train” Lane.
The challenge became even tougher once the budget started disappearing. Spending big on one superstar often meant searching for hidden value in the $2 and $1 tiers, where several players offered tremendous production for a fraction of the cost. That balancing act is what separated one roster from another, with fans taking completely different approaches depending on whether they valued pass rush, run defense, linebacker play, or the secondary.
One player who could be viewed as slightly overvalued is Jack Youngblood at $5. There’s no question he belongs among the greatest Rams defenders ever, but with so many elite defensive linemen available in the same price tier, some fans may prefer to allocate those dollars elsewhere and look for value at edge rusher.
On the other hand, Robert Quinn may be one of the biggest bargains on the board at just $1. A former All-Pro who recorded a 19-sack season and ranks among the franchise’s best pass rushers, Quinn gives budget-conscious players an opportunity to invest heavily at other positions without completely sacrificing production off the edge.
Ultimately, there wasn’t a wrong answer. Every roster reflected a different philosophy, and every fan likely walked away wishing they had just one more dollar to spend. That’s what made this Rams defense challenge so much fun: it celebrated decades of defensive greatness.
Who did you end up selecting for your Defense? List your five players in the chat below!
Charlotte Knights
Record 3-3 (last week), 7-11 (second half), 49-44 (overall)
Knights Players of the Week
Nolan Jones .364/.375/.818, 22 at-bats
Ryan Galanie .400/.400/.760, 25 at-bats
Andy Weber .381/.458/.619, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 21 at-bats
Edgar Quero .333/.391/.333, 21 at-bats
Dru Baker .375/.444/.375, 3-for-3 stolen bases, 16 at-bats
Korey Lee .545/.615/1.000, 0-for-1 stolen bases, 11 at-bats
Rikuu Nishida .300/.440/.350, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 20 at-bats
Jonathan Cannon 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K
David Sandlin 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 3 K
Mason Adams 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 5 K
Zach Franklin 4 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K
Shane Smith 4 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K
After back-to-back 2-4 series, the Knights took a step in the right direction with a series split against the Sounds (53-40).
Outfielder Nolan Jones, 28, was seeing the ball very well all week. Jones went 8-for-22 with three homers, a double, a walk, and 12 RBIs. The White Sox acquired Jones from Cleveland in exchange for cash considerations on June 11, and so far, Jones is slashing .230/.311/.494 in 25 games with the Knights. Jones has played 349 MLB games, and at the top level, he has slashed .247/.336/.396 (95 wRC+) and has accumulated 2.7 fWAR. Jones played for the Guardians at the top level for most of the 2025 season, but he has not appeared in the majors in 2026. If Jones has more weeks like this, he will have a strong case for a promotion.
2026 Charlotte Knights Players of the Week
Korey Lee (March 27-April 5)
Oliver Dunn (April 6-12)
Shane Smith (April 13-19)
Jarred Kelenic (April 20-26)
Oliver Dunn (April 27-May 3)
LaMonte Wade Jr.(May 4-10)
Jacob Gonzalez(May 11-17)
LaMonte Wade Jr.(May 18-24)
Jacob Gonzalez(May 25-31)
Braden Montgomery(June 1-7)
Ryan Galanie(June 8-14)
Kyle Teel(June 15-21)
Korey Lee(June 22-28)
Caden Connor(June 29-July 5)
Nolan Jones(July 6-12)
Birmingham Barons
Record 1-5 (last week), 6-12 (second half), 32-55 (overall)
Barons Player of the Week
Dylan Campbell .368/.400/.632, 3-for-3 stolen bases, 19 at-bats
Alec Briley .280/.333/.440, 0-for-1 stolen bases, 25 at-bats
Anthony DePino .227/.320/.455, 22 at-bats
Boston Smith .278/.381/.611, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 18 at-bats
Caleb Bonemer .235/.316/.412, 17 at-bats
T.J. McCants .333/.333/.417, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 12 at-bats
Colby Shelton .150/.150/.350, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 20 at-bats
Samuel Zavala .214/.353/.286, 0-for-1 stolen bases, 14 at-bats
Dylan Cumming 6 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Gabe Davis 6 2/3 IP, 8 ER, 10 H, 4 BB, 7 K
Lucas Gordon 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Jake Palisch 4 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 4 K
Jackson Kelley 3 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 7 K
The Barons failed to keep the good vibes rolling after their 4-2 week, as they went 1-5 against the Clingstones (40-42).
Outfielder Dylan Campbell, 24, was on fire, going 7-for-19 with a homer, two doubles, a walk, and three stolen bases without being caught. The White Sox acquired Campbell from the Phillies in the Derek Hill trade on June 11. Through 24 games in the organization, all with the Barons, Campbell is slashing .233/.347/.372. Campbell got off to a slow start to the season, but he has been gradually trending in the right direction lately, and he could not be stopped this week.
2026 Birmingham Barons Players of the Week
Samuel Zavala (April 6-12)
Braden Montgomery (April 13-19)
Alec Makarewicz (April 20-26)
Wilfred Veras (April 27-May 3)
Jake Palisch(May 4-10)
Wilfred Veras(May 11-17)
Alec Makarewicz(May 18-24)
Drake Logan(May 25-31)
Dylan Cumming(June 1-7)
Anthony DePino(June 8-14)
Grant Magill(June 15-21)
Alec Briley(June 22-28)
Colby Shelton(June 29-July 5)
Dylan Campbell (July 6-12)
Winston-Salem Dash
Record 3-3 (last week), 12-9 (second half), 50-37 (overall)
Dash Player of the Week
Ryan Burrowes .423/.516/.923, 5-for-6 stolen bases, 26 at-bats
Jeral Perez .480/.552/.760, 25 at-bats
George Wolkow .308/.357/.731, 3-for-4 stolen bases, 26 at-bats
James Taussig .304/.407/.609, 23 at-bats
Arxy Hernández .318/.375/.773, 22 at-bats
Jake Curtis 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Grant Umberger 5 2/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Max Banks 5 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Justin Sinibaldi 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 6 BB, 3 K
Drew McDaniel 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 6 K
The Dash picked up another series split, with this one taking place in Asheville against the Tourists (30-56).
Ryan Burrowes, 21, who plays many positions, was magnificent against the Tourists, finishing 11-for-26 with four homers, a double, five walks, five steals in six attempts, and six RBIs. Burrowes, who is flexible defensively but who has played at second more than any other position this year, is slashing .265/.387/.421. Burrowes has taken a major stride forward at the plate compared to 2025 (.255/.342/.355) and an even larger stride compared to 2024 (.220/.308/.260), when he had hardly any power to speak of. In 194 games across 2024 and 2025, Burrowes hit a total of seven homers, and he hit more than half of that total this week alone.
2026 Winston-Salem Dash Players of the Week
Caleb Bonemer (April 6-12)
Colby Shelton (April 13-19)
Colby Shelton (April 20-26)
Caleb Bonemer(April 27-May 3)
Colby Shelton(May 4-10)
Boston Smith(May 11-17)
George Wolkow (May 18-24)
Morris Austin(May 25-31)
Caleb Bonemer(June 1-7)
James Taussig(June 8-14)
Kyle Lodise(June 15-21)
George Wolkow(June 22-28)
Kaleb Freeman(June 29-July 5)
Ryan Burrowes (July 6-12)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
Record 4-2 (last week), 11-10 (second half), 44-43 (overall)
Cannon Ballers Player of the Week
Jaden Fauske .286/.500/.429, 3-for-3 stolen bases, 14 at-bats
Stiven Flores .438/.471/.438, 16 at-bats
Nick McLain .333/.364/.444, 18 at-bats
Alexander Albertus .227/.292/.455, 0-for-1 stolen bases, 22 at-bats
Efren Teran .250/.333/.250, 16 at-bats
Caedmon Parker 5 IP, 3 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Gabe Tanner 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Truman Pauley 7 1/3 IP, 6 R (1 ER), 6 H, 6 BB, 10 K
Alexander Martinez 4 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K
Gabriel Rodriguez 3 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Ryan Schiefer 3 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 5 K
The Cannon Ballers got off to a flaming hot start, winning their first four games of the week. They could not keep it rolling over the weekend, but they still won the series by taking four of six against Delmarva (31-56).
Outfielder Jaden Fauske, 19, was an on-base machine against the Shorebirds, as he could hardly be retired. Fauske went 4-for-14 with two doubles, six walks, three RBIs, and three steals in as many attempts. So, Fauske reached base 10 times in 20 plate appearances, and after reaching base, he was dangerous. The South Siders drafted Fauske in the second round of the 2025 draft. Like Landon Thome, who the White Sox drafted 34th overall on Saturday, Fauske went to Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park.
2026 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Players of the Week
Stiven Flores (April 6-12)
Abraham Núñez (April 13-19)
Javier Mogollón(April 20-26)
Arxy Hernández(April 27-May 3)
Javier Mogollón(May 4-10)
Max Banks(May 11-17)
Riley Eikhoff(May 18-24)
James Taussig(May 25-31)
James Taussig(June 1-7)
Derek Cerda(June 8-14)
Matthew Boughton(June 15-21)
Ryan Schiefer(June 22-28)
Christian Gonzalez(June 29-July 5)
Jaden Fauske (July 6-12)
ACL White Sox
Record 1-4 (last week), 14-37 (overall)
Complex Sox Player of the Week
Osniel Castillo .667/.667/1.111, 1-for-2 stolen bases, nine at-bats
Yordani Soto .278/.278/.556, 18 at-bats
Landon Hodge .400/.538/.900, 10 at-bats
José M. Mendoza .308/.357/.462, 13 at-bats
Eduardo Herrera .500/.571/.500, six at-bats
Fidel Montero 5 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Orlando Suarez 4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Justin Fuson 4 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 4 K
Fabian Ysalla 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Jefrank Silva 3 IP, 5 R (3 ER), 5 H, 2 BB, 0 K
Dylan Carmouche 2 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K
I feel like a broken record with this sentence, but the Complex Sox only won one out of five games this week. At least their overall win percentage (.275) still exceeds that of the 2024 White Sox (.253), but it is getting close.
Outfielder Osniel Castillo, 20, was cold in June, but he was fantastic this week. Castillo went 6-for-9 with a homer and a double, as he gave the Complex Sox an enormous spark. Castillo’s season has been topsy-turvy, as he has slashed .300/.391/.400 in May and .121/.147/.121 in June. Let’s hope Castillo is able to build on his momentum and sustain impressive numbers in July.
2026 Complex Sox Players of the Week
Alexander Albertus(May 4-10)
Eduardo Herrera(May 11-17)
Yordani Soto (May 18-24)
José M. Mendoza(May 25-31)
Yordani Soto(June 1-7)
Landon Hodge(June 8-14)
Tommy Vail(June 15-21)
Yordani Soto(June 22-28)
D’Angelo Tejada(June 29-July 5)
Osniel Castillo (July 6-12)
DSL White Sox
Record 2-3 (last week), 11-18 (overall)
DSL White Sox Player of the Week
Ronald Cardozo .462/.500/1.154, 13 at-bats
Orlando Patiño .571/.563/.786, 14 at-bats
Fernando Graterol .308/.412/.615, 13 at-bats
Hector Hernandez .286/.412/.571, 3-for-4 stolen bases, 14 at-bats
Felix Lebron .273/.500/.364, 11 at-bats
Roderic Ramírez 4 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Ronald Kelly 3 2/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K
David Colmenares 3 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Yordany Marte 3 IP, 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K
After the DSL White Sox’s improbable 4-1 week, they went 2-3, which is in the middle of the road for this squad.
Catcher and first baseman Ronald Cardozo, 17, was on a different level, going 6-for-13 with two homers, a triple, a double, two walks, and 12 RBIs. In Cardozo’s first 27 games of affiliated ball, he is slashing .329/.436/.598 (136 wRC+). The Dominican Summer League has an extremely high run-scoring environment, but even considering that, Cardozo has been terrific.
2026 DSL White Sox Players of the Week
Carlos Vielma(June 1-7)
Sebastian Romero(June 8-14)
Sebastian Romero(June 15-21)
Ronald Kelly(June 22-28)
Orlando Patiño(June 29-July 5)
Ronald Cardozo (July 6-12)
Unfortunately, our latest free poll embed software no longer functions. We will regather and decide what to use going forward, and we will likely still stick polls in this section in the near future.
After a long search, Syracuse has hired a new women’s ice hockey coach to replace Britni Smith who stepped down in the spring.
The Orange named Brian Isdalski the third Head Coach in program history.
A proven winner at all levels, Brian Idalski has been selected as the next head coach for Syracuse women's ice hockey.
— Syracuse Ice Hockey (@CuseIce) July 14, 2026
Idalski brings over 400 career wins to Tennity, across the PWHL, NCAA, and International. pic.twitter.com/NmhtZLXzwD
Idalski was the Head Coach for the PWHL expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes last season. He was relieved of his duties after one season, but Idalski brings extensive NCAA head coaching experience to Syracuse.
Prior to his year in Vancouver, Idalski was the HC at St. Cloud State for three seasons, the HC of the 2022 Chinese Women’s Olympic Team and had a 10-year stint leading the University of North Dakota.
Idalski takes over a program that went 15-18-4 last season, 10-11-3 in Atlantic Hockey America conference games. Syracuse players now have a window to enter the transfer portal so we’ll keep an eye out for roster moves now that a new HC is in place.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The MLB draft occurred over the weekend. It was at the same time as the Royals were losing to the Orioles, and Blake Mitchell and Kendry Chourio were having uninteresting (though at least not poor) performances in the MLB Futures Game. Only the first 10 picks were aired on TV, and, apparently, even MLB itself couldn’t be bothered to rent their space long enough or pay their workers enough to allow for their sets to be left up during the entire draft. So you can be forgiven if you aren’t particularly clear on what happened. That said, our own Matthew LaMar broke down the draft across a series of posts over the weekend, all of which can be found under the Kansas City Royals MLB Draft tag on the site.
Keith Law had an exciting breakdown of the Royals first day (the day I would argue is the only one anyone can truly know anything about this early):
The Kansas City Royals played it a little differently this year, but I also loved their draft. They took Louisville outfielder Zion Rose at No. 6, and he will probably come in under slot. He’s one of the best pure hitters in this draft class and a sneaky-good athlete for a former catcher. Then they took right-hander Taylor Rabe, a late-rising starter from Mississippi who could move pretty quickly through the minors. Their third-round pick was left-hander Maxx Yehl, who came back from Tommy John surgery to become the West Virginia Mountaineers’ best starter this year. At worst, he projects as a good reliever.
The money they might save on Rose and Yehl (a redshirt junior) will go to second-round pick Jack Slightom, one of the hottest names in my conversations with scouts the last few weeks. He’s a high school righty with a very fast arm, a big frame and good characteristics on his pitches. High school outfielder Dominic Battista, their fourth-round pick, is a sleeper among scouts who have the Chicago area, as he’s a little undersized, but some folks love the swing and potential for power.
I mentioned on the Royals Rundown podcast that I think a team should be drafting for upside instead of floor in the early rounds and that I hate underslot strategies. That said, the scout consensus I’ve seen is that there is very little difference between players taken in the first round after the first four or five, and that was especially true of college outfielders. And when the reason Zion Rose is considered a safe pick is his hitting ability rather than his fielding acumen, I think the calculus changes. I also really liked the addition of a pitcher who throws strikes but also hits 100 MPH with the supplemental pick, and Jack Slightom was a guy that several outlets think was undervalued for how much he had progressed over the previous season.
But those are just some brief thoughts on a handful of picks the Royals made. None of that tells me what I want to know today, which is: How do you feel about the Royals’ draft?
Every year, every single WNBA player wants to improve upon how she played the season before.
Accomplishing that, however, is easier said than done. But every sesaon, a handful of players reach a level of play no one saw coming.
This 2026 WNBA campaign is no exception, and at the midway point of the season, here are the three players who are at the forefront of the Most Improved Player (MIP) conversation.
In the comments, let us know who you think is the favorite, as well as how you see the race shaping up over the second half of the season.
This is Jessica Shepard’s first season not playing for the Minnesota Lynx, and she is blossoming with the Dallas Wings.
She is now a walking double-double, averaging 15 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Both are career-highs for a player who not only has gone from a reserve player with the Lynx to a starter for the Wings, but also was voted as a starter for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game.
And she is a big reason why the Wings are currently a top-four team in the WNBA.
Considering her role, importance on the team and her production nearly doubling, Shepard is the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award.
As a rookie, Carla Leite played well with the Golden State Valkyries. But they didn’t protect her in the expansion draft, and she was picked up by the Portland Fire. This ended up being the best thing for Leite.
There has been no sophomore slump; instead, Leite has taken a leap forward.
She is averaging 15.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, doubling her point and assist numbers from her rookie campaign. Leite is now a certified starter and has dramatically improved her 3-point shooting, going from 17.3 percent in her first year to 39.5 percent on her attempts from beyond the arc this season.
A player growing from year one to two isn’t a surprise.
How much Leite has improved, though, is impressive. Golden State did not go out of their way to ensure she remained on their roster, and she’s not only proving that decision unwise, but also showing off her untapped potential to any other skeptics.
People who are locked into women’s basketball always knew Marina Mabrey was a hooper.
Now, she’s playing so loudly that everyone has been put on notice. When her shot is going, she has no peer and is unrivaled.
The best example of this was her 53-point performance in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks. She tied for the most points in a WNBA game with that total, matching the record with A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage.
While that was a nuclear moment, she’s remained hot all year long.
Mabrey is averaging 21.6 points and shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range; these are career-best marks for her in both categories, helping her earn her first-ever All-Star selection.
There’s still plenty of time for things to change, but right now these three players have stood out due to their improvement.
Other players are also making a case, such as Seattle Storm star sophomore Dominque Malonga, but right now it’s Shepard at the top, and everyone else is competing for second place in MIP consideration.
Girona has reached an agreement with Sergi Puig for the goalkeeper to be part of the first team squad during the 2026-27 season. After two seasons defending the goal for Girona B, the player will make the definitive leap to the first team.
Born in Premià de Mar on November 19, 1998, Sergi Puig trained at UE Vilassar de Mar before joining the FC Barcelona academy, where he completed much of his formative stage until reaching Barça Atlètic. He later gained experience with various clubs in Spanish football, including UD Las Palmas Atlético, SD Ponferradina, CE Sabadell, and Sestao River.
In the summer of 2024, he joined Girona B, where he has competed for the past two seasons, establishing himself as an important part of the team.
Meleek Thomas has been one of the best stories of Summer League.
The Cleveland Cavaliers‘ recent second-round pick has been lighting up the scoreboard through three exhibition games. His 28.3 points per game lead all Summer League participants. The impressive part is how efficient it’s been. Thomas is doing this on .500/.458/1.000 shooting splits.
That scoring onslaught was seen on Monday when he dropped 35 points against the Miami Heat. Thomas was simply able to get wherever he wanted on the court, as he found ways to efficiently score at all three levels.
The excitement of Summer League can wear off after the first weekend and three games. The last two contests can be pretty lifeless. Thomas changes that. He’s been must-see TV through three games and should be for a fourth if the Cavs decide to let him play again.
While Thomas has been impressive, you’d like to see some of his teammates step up more. Two-way player Riley Minix has really struggled to make an impact. He registered no points on 0-5 shooting against Miami and is averaging just six points on .286/.000/.500 shooting splits through three games. We’ll see if he can bounce back tonight.
Wednesday’s outing will be Cleveland’s fourth of five games. The league announced that the Cavs will wrap up their trip to Vegas on Friday when they take on the Chicago Bulls at 7 PM.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Where: Cox Pavilion – Las Vegas, NV
When: Wed., July 15 at 5:30 PM
TV: Prime Video
Point spread: Cavs -3.5
Cavs notable players: Meleek Thomas, Ernest Udeh Jr., Riley Minix, Tristan Enaruna, Malaki Branham
Pelicans notable players: Jaron Pierre, Hunter Dickinson, Josh Oduro, MIcah Peavy
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The pads are about to come on.
On Saturday, July 25, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ rookie class will report to training camp, and the rest of the team is required to be there by Tuesday, July 28.
The team will open the gates at the Miller Electric Center for 10 public practices this year, including an in-stadium team scrimmage and joint practices against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
You can secure your tickets now at jaguars.com/trainingcamp.
Unless otherwise noted, parking lots open at 7 a.m., gates open at 7:45 a.m. and practice is expected to start at 8:30 a.m.
Which dates will you be heading to the MEC, Jags fans?
The Dallas Cowboys’ biggest advantage on their roster at the moment is tied to who they have at wide receiver. CeeDee Lamb has been one of the better wideouts in the NFL for a few years now, and this past season George Pickens announced himself as more than just a sidekick.
Together Lamb and Pickens comprise arguably the best wide receiver group in the entire league. According to ESPN’s rankings of wide receivers – these are based on their sourcing of league executives, coaches, and scouts – they literally do have the best wide receiver group in the entire league.
Here are the top 10 in total.
For Lamb specifically, this is a bit of a drop from where he placed in the rankings last year.
6. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 27 | Last year’s ranking: 4Lamb is coming off his worst statistical season since he was a rookie in 2020. He dealt with an early-season ankle issue and never quite took off, finishing with 1,077 yards and three touchdowns. Usually an after-the-catch standout, his 322 yards after the catch were down for his standards, too. And his eight drops tied for second in the NFL behind Travis Kelce.
Even so, the goodwill he has built over six seasons helped him in the voting. He’s still a game breaker and appeared on all but one ballot.
“With his ability to separate and make big plays, the attention he demands creates opportunities for others in the offense,” an NFC scout said. “He’s still on the short list of guys who give you problems consistently.”
Lamb’s 571 receptions are the fifth most in the NFL since 2020 and already the third most in Cowboys history, as he passed Dez Bryant last season.
“I expect him to have a bounce-back year,” an NFL coordinator said. “He was never quite the same [last year] off that ankle injury.”
This all feels very fair. 2025 was a bit low for Lamb’s standards, especially on the drops front. Remember the Week 1 game in Philadelphia?
On the other side of the coin, this is clearly the best that Pickens has done in this exercise.
7. George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 25 | Last year’s ranking: UnrankedOne NFL coordinator did not hesitate when asked which Cowboys receiver is No. 1 on opposing game plans.
“It’s Pickens,” the coordinator said. “He has emerged.”
While Lamb still attracts a lot of attention from defenses — and is ranked one spot higher on this list — Pickens broke out in 2025 with 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. His five games with at least 125 receiving yards tied for the most in a single season in franchise history.
“One of the best I’ve ever seen at the contested catch,” a veteran NFL offensive coach said. “There’s such untapped ability there. It’s just a consistency issue and where his head’s at week to week.”
His 10.4 yards per target ranked second in the NFL, and his 2.27 yards after first contact per possession topped all receivers with 100 or more targets. For his career, Pickens averages 16.0 yards per catch.
It is quite something to look at the entire list and think about the bargain, relatively speaking, that Pickens is for the Cowboys given how NFL minds speak about him. Maybe someday we’ll understand how the Cowboys pulled off getting him to sign the franchise tag so smoothly.
This is fantastic news for the Cowboys though as it speaks to their greatest strength. Given that the duo’s quarterback, Dak Prescott, ranked sixth in the quarterback’s rankings, this is clearly the significant strength of the team entering 2026.
Speaking to CBS Mornings after the United States' elimination from their home World Cup, Balogun acknowledged that while he felt initial relief when FIFA lifted his suspension, the political involvement created an uncomfortable atmosphere within the squad.
"The first feeling was relief and happiness," Balogun said. "But shortly after, I realized the decision would provoke great repercussion and increase pressure on the entire group. As the match approached, you could notice a certain discomfort among my teammates."
The controversy began during the United States' 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, when Brazilian referee Raphael Claus showed Balogun a red card after VAR review. The striker had caught defender Muharemovic's heel while challenging for the ball.
Balogun maintains the punishment was excessive, insisting the contact was unintentional and shouldn't have warranted a foul, let alone a red card. "Red cards should only be applied in plays with clear intention to hit the opponent," he argued.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 05: U.S. President Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, chat during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Trump's direct contact with FIFA President Gianni Infantino requesting a case review triggered international debate about the independence of football's governing body. The Belgian Federation attempted to block Balogun's participation in the round of 16 match, but FIFA rejected their request.
According to Balogun, the external attention made proper match preparation nearly impossible. "The team had to coexist with debates and questions instead of concentrating all their energy on the elimination match," he explained.
Despite Balogun's availability for the knockout game, the United States couldn't overcome Belgium, ending the host nation's World Cup campaign amid lingering questions about whether the off-field drama contributed to their disappointing exit.
The ‘V’ in Victor Wembanyama stands for villain in New York City after the Knicks’ NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
But on Saturday at Manhattan’s Javits Center, ‘Wemby’ will be back in the belly of the beast, face to face with thousands of fans at Fanatics Fest, participating in games against the general public and appearing on a live podcast.
This is the most unique element of the biggest sports convention in the world, hosted annually here in the Big Apple: Humanizing, interactive access between the biggest stars in sports and entertainment and the general public — regardless of what’s happening on the field or court.
“Wemby had a great time last year,” Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events, said in a phone interview Tuesday. “He got to play chess with 100 fans last year. Each fan did a chess move. We think carefully about engaging in a thoughtful way. And he is a thoughtful guy.”
“To some of these fans he’ll be a villain,” Fensterman acknowledged with a laugh, “but he recognizes everything he’s doing is about having a long impactful career. And investing in fans is never a bad idea.”
Fanatics founder Michael Rubin has built his mega-company by doing exactly that: Investing in the passion of fans. So access to this kind of event obviously comes at a price.
It’s $70 per adult ticket on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and $80 on Saturday. It’s $30 per child per day all weekend. And autographs or photos with star entertainers and athletes cost more inside.
But the access to fan activations, live shows and podcasts and exclusive experiences across a million square feet of space and 12 stages basically creates a mini city of unforgettable moments.
That’s why there was fan demand to add a fourth day this year to the convention, which ran for three days in 2025. And that’s why Fensterman, who oversaw Comic-Con for years, is proud that every daily ticket to Fanatics Fest is more than just a gateway to more vendors.
“There’s more to do,” Fensterman said, “than just to buy.”
The confluence of a Knicks NBA Championship and Sunday’s World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium across the river is creating a perfect storm.
“The World Cup is coming to a head, and the Final is happening here, so we’re bringing the final teams to the show for Friday,” Fensterman said. “That’s huge.”
So look for Spain’s Lamine Yamal. Fanatics Fest will even host a massive watch party for the Final on Sunday, with the Men in Blazers podcast and other guest analysts on hand.
“Four of the Knicks’ starting five will be in the building signing and parading through the show floor with the trophy,” Fensterman said.
Jalen Brunson will appear on a King of New York panel. His autograph signing is already sold out. And the Fanatics Games, which were a huge hit in last year’s maiden voyage, are back.
That pits 50 athletes and 50 fans against each other for more than $2 million in prizes in games like the NFL clutch kick, the NBA game-winning shot, the WWE superstar entrance and more.
First place gets $1 million cash. Second place receives a Ferrari. Third place receives a rare Lionel Messi trading card. John Cena, Cam Skattebo and Novak Djokovic are among those competing this year.
Before it all kicks off, Fanatics added an exclusive window for its business partners, investors and VIPs to experience all the show has to offer before it opens to the general public. There will be 250-plus hobby shops on site, offering a haven for the booming card and collectible industry.
Then when the doors open, LeBron James is scheduled to appear Thursday afternoon on a ‘Mind the Game Live’ panel on the center stage, smack in the middle of his free agent decision, with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Might James drop some hints on his eventual next NBA team? There just is no shortage of possibilities for the world’s biggest sports convention that keeps getting bigger.
“Fans love the different moments with athletes and influencers, and we wanted to give them more,” Fensterman said. “It nets out to more opportunities for more people fans and industry to interact with the athletes and celebrities.”
For the second straight season, Starkville will host the Mississippi high school football state championships.
Mississippi High School Activities Association executive director Rickey Neaves confirmed to the Clarion Ledger on July 15 that Mississippi State will host the 2026 MHSAA football championships.
The MHSAA board voted to hold the 2026 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Gridiron Classic Dec. 3-5 at Davis Wade Stadium. It will only be the third time in 10 years that Starkville has hosted.
Since 2016, the football championship games have been held at Mississippi State (2016, 2025), Ole Miss (2017, 2023), Southern Miss (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024) and Jackson State (2020).
Additional details, including information regarding tickets, parking, tailgating and other amenities, will be shared in the weeks leading up to the championships.
Thursday, Dec. 3: Class 4A - 4 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 3: Class 6A - 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 4: Class 2A - 4 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 4: Class 7A - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5: Class 1A - Noon
Saturday, Dec. 5: Class 3A - 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5: Class 5A - 7 p.m.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MHSAA football state championships staying in Starkville, at Mississippi State
Colby Covington has disclosed that conversations with Triple H and WWE have taken place to make him the latest combat sports figure to publicly acknowledge contact with the wrestling promotion.
“I’ve had some calls with Triple H and the WWE, so that’s a potential possibility in the future as well. But I’m all in on RAF. I invested the hard-earned money that I earned fighting in RAF. to get a little small equity percentage, and I care about the future.”
Speaking with Unique Mazique, Covington addressed his future across multiple platforms while making clear his current priority is Real American Freestyle and his upcoming match against Arman Tsarukyan.
“R.A.F. is definitely somewhere I see myself ending my competitive career at,” Covington said. “Whether I entertain other fight offers and go back to the UFC and get some big fights, those are still possibilities. You never know what the future holds or what tomorrow holds. All I can do is control what I can control today and that’s just my hard training and preparing for Arman Tsarukyan, and you just never know where life will take me.”
The disclosure is notable for several reasons. Covington has spent the past year publicly distancing himself from the UFC after claiming the promotion left him without a fight for over a year and that Hunter Campbell strung him along on promises that were never fulfilled. He has been competing in Real American Freestyle, defeating Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis in his first two appearances for the promotion, in which he also holds an equity stake.
Covington has built a public persona that translates naturally to professional wrestling — a character defined by nationalism, controversy, and an ability to generate strong reactions from a crowd. Triple H has shown a willingness to explore crossover talent in recent years, and Covington’s star power and promo ability would make him a credible addition to WWE programming in some capacity.
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The MLB All-Star break ends tomorrow, and teams will head into the final stretch of the season. The break gave some injured players a chance to rest and hopefully get back on the field for the back half of the season fully healthy. This is our MLB injury report for pitchers coming out of the All-Star break.
The Miz is dealing with arm fatigue, and it is not awesome. He was scratched from his final start before the All-Star break and will not pitch in the first series coming off of the break. It is not clear if he will be ready to pitch next week or not. Fantasy owners need to monitor this situation and prepare as if he could miss another start.
Ohtani was not able to make his final start before the MLB All-Star Game due to knee inflammation and was held out of the Summer Classic. It's not clear if he will be available as a pitcher coming out of the break. He's not on the IL, so it would be a surprise if he doesn't at least DH, but we will have to keep an eye on him.
Fried has been sidelined with an elbow injury, but head coach Aaron Boone has said that they expect him to begin his rehab assignment this week. Fantasy owners should be getting Fried back sooner rather than later.
Rodon is scheduled to throw every day this week as he works to recover from his elbow inflammation fully.
There is a chance that DeGrom lands on the IL due to a glute injury that caused him to miss his last start before the break. We should know more in the next couple of days. An IL stint would likely be retroactive to July 12, so he could be back before the end of the month if the injury isn't serious.
Gallen landed on the IL with elbow inflammation on July 12. Fantasy owners should prepare to be without him for the remainder of July.
Snell has begun throwing BP sessions and should be starting a rehab assignment soon as he works his way back from an elbow injury. It looks like the rich will get richer in Los Angeles.
Burns is dealing with right groin tightness, which held him out of the All-Star Game. It's not clear if this issue will impact him in the back half of the season, or if they just didn't want him pitching in an exhibition.
Scherzer has begun his rehab assignment from back spasms during the All-Star break, and could be back as soon as next week at some point if all goes well.
Taillon had a strong rehab outing on July 11 and should be set to return when the Cubs get back on the field. Fantasy owners will hope that he gets his season back on track.
Diaz has started his rehab assignment for his elbow injury and will hope to make it back as soon as possible. This is a situation for fantasy owners to monitor closely.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Fantasy Baseball Injury Updates: Prepare To Be Without Jacob Misiorowski After The MLB All-Star Game.
Although not excessive by their standards, Real Madrid have still spent a considerable sum on new signings this summer. The Spanish defender Marc Cucurella has been the main asset on whom they have spent €55 million, and promised another €5 million in variables, while another €20 million has been paid for Denzel Dumfries.
On the other hand, the Merengues have almost recouped this amount with sales of some of the academy trained players. Most of this income has come from the sale of Nico Paz to Como, while other players like Victor Munoz have also brought in a significant sum to Los Blancos’ coffers.
Another former player from whom Real Madrid were expecting to obtain some income is the forward Alvaro Rodriguez. An agreement for his transfer from Elche to the Premier League side Bournemouth had been reached some days ago, but was not yet officially announced. The player’s medical tests were keeping this operation from being finalized.
Now, as Diario AS has reported, the remaining issues have been resolved and an official announcement of this move has come today, on Wednesday. Both the involved clubs have announced the transfer of the Spanish striker, for whom the English side will be paying €25 million fixed and another €5 million in variables.
The Merengues had retained the right to get 50% of any future transfer fee paid for him when they sold Rodriguez to Elche for €2 million last year. The player had a very good year with the La Liga side, and has now completed his move to the Premier League, and this transfer will leave around €12.5 million for Real Madrid. This sum can increase further if the player meets the variables for the other €5 million promised.
Hopefully, Alvaro Rodriguez will continue to shine and grow in England, and give the world another indication of the quality that is coming out of the Real Madrid academy.
Football has a habit of making every ascent look inevitable. A gifted young player shines early, a major club arrives, and the move is framed as the natural next step, as though development were a straight line and talent a guarantee. Fabio Carvalho’s story serves as a reminder that the game remains far less obedient than that.
In reflecting on his 2022 move to Liverpool, Carvalho has offered a revealing glimpse into the counsel he received from Marco Silva, the coach who had guided him at Fulham. As reported by A Bola, the midfielder remembered a conversation marked by warmth, realism and a certain protective instinct. “When I was about to leave for Liverpool, he came to speak to me and I’ve never forgotten his words. He told me Liverpool was a great opportunity, but warned me that sometimes the grass isn’t as green as it seems.
“That really stayed with me. His honesty and the fact he continued to care about me, showing it wasn’t only about what happened on the pitch. That’s something I value a lot.”
Photo: IMAGO
There is something deeply telling in that advice. Silva did not urge caution in the language of fear, nor did he stand in the way of ambition. He acknowledged Liverpool as an enormous opportunity while also recognising a truth that clubs, agents and supporters often prefer to ignore. Progress depends on fit as much as prestige.
For Carvalho, Liverpool offered glamour, competition and possibility. It also offered a squad environment in which minutes had to be earned against established senior players and in which tactical demands were exacting. He arrived as a young attacker of considerable subtlety, capable of finding pockets of space and changing rhythm around the box. He also arrived at a club whose attacking structure required immediate intensity, physical resilience and trust from the coaching staff.
His start could hardly have been more cinematic. That late goal against Newcastle, struck in the 98th minute, gave his Anfield story an almost storybook opening. In those moments, football encourages certainty. A debut season appears to stretch open before a player. Yet careers are shaped in the less visible hours, in training sessions, in tactical compromises, in selection meetings, in the tension between patience and momentum.
Carvalho never fully established himself in Liverpool’s side. Loans followed, first to RB Leipzig, then to Hull, a sequence that suggested a player in search of continuity rather than one moving steadily upwards. By the time he left permanently for Brentford in 2024, the parting felt practical for all concerned. Liverpool recouped a healthy fee, £22.5m initially with £5m in add-ons, and the player secured the chance of a more regular role elsewhere.
Seen from a distance, it was the kind of transfer cycle modern clubs increasingly accept. Recruit young, test the ceiling, and if the pathway narrows, move decisively. Yet from the player’s perspective, the picture is always more fragile. Carvalho had already spoken openly when leaving Anfield about not wanting to remain on the bench. That sentiment carried the trace of a footballer aware that time, especially in the early years, can be wasted as easily as it can be invested.
His subsequent experience has only sharpened the poignancy of Silva’s words. Brentford has not provided the reset many imagined. There was disquiet around his place there, and then came the far harsher interruption of an ACL injury last November, cutting short his season and forcing him into the lonelier work of recovery.
What Silva appears to have offered, and what Carvalho still seems to value, was a form of adult honesty that football can lack. Young players are routinely told to dream, to back themselves, to embrace the grand stage. They are less often told that a bigger club may not mean a better environment, or that the right next step is not always the most glamorous one.
That does not make Carvalho’s decision a mistake. At that age, Liverpool was a move few would reject, and perhaps none should. It does, however, underline how delicate development can be. Talent can survive detours, but it is shaped by context, trust and timing.
Carvalho is still only 23. His Liverpool chapter did not unfold as many expected, but neither did it close the book. If anything, this recollection of Silva casts his journey in a clearer light. The warning was never a prophecy of failure. It was a reminder that football’s greenest fields are not always the ones that look brightest from afar.
From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this report lands with a familiar frustration. Carvalho always looked like one of those players who could bring a little invention to a side that sometimes became too mechanical. He had quick feet, sharp instincts and a willingness to try the difficult thing in crowded spaces. For a while, it felt as though Liverpool had found a talent who could grow into something special.
The disappointment is not really about one transfer fee or one exit. It is about the recurring sense that the club, during that period, did not always create the clearest pathway for young technical players on the fringes. Carvalho was good enough to excite, but never seemed trusted enough to settle. Loans then became a holding pattern rather than a plan.
Supporters can accept that not every prospect becomes a first-team regular. What stings is the feeling that this one was never truly given the conditions to show whether he could. Silva’s warning now sounds painfully accurate. Liverpool were a huge opportunity, of course, but opportunities still need care, structure and conviction. Watching Carvalho struggle elsewhere after leaving Anfield only adds to the sense of a talent who slipped through too easily.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said during the offseason program that his goal is to be ready for Week 1, despite suffering a torn ACL in December.
With training camp just around the corner, that goal is starting to seem more and more in reach.
Mahomes reiterated his stance during an interview with Yahoo Sports Daily on Wednesday.
"That’s my goal," Mahomes said. "I've said that since the beginning, is being ready to go Week 1. I can't predict the future, and I know that it's a long process. It's not just my decision, but at the same time I'm going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1.”
The Broncos being the season-opening opponent adds an extra layer of motivation for the three-time Super Bowl champion.
"I don't want to miss that game because that's the team that won the division while we were gone, and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates,” Mahomes said. “I'll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1, and hopefully the doctors and the coaches give me the green light, and I'm able to go out there with my guys and compete against one of the best teams in the league."
Mahomes acknowledged that his return has been “a long process,” but feels like he’s in a good spot with training camp set to begin at the end of the month.
“[A]ll I can do is be as great as I can be every single day,” Mahomes said. “You just have to maximize that day and slowly get better and better as the year goes on.
"I'm excited to get back to training camp. I'm excited to get the guys back around. I've kind of been in the building in Kansas City by myself. Just [to] have the guys back and getting to be on the football field will get me going and get me ready for the season.”
Chiefs rookies and veterans are set to report to training camp on July 28.
Jon Gruden has coached Hall of Famers, developed elite offenses, and spent decades around some of the NFL's biggest stars. Even so, one unrealized opportunity still stands out.
Speaking with Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Cameron Heyward on his "Not Just Football with Cam Heyward" podcast, Gruden admitted that his failed attempt to coach former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown remains "one of my biggest regrets."
The Raiders acquired Brown from Pittsburgh in 2019, believing the four-time All-Pro could transform Gruden's offense. Instead, Brown never appeared in a regular-season game for the then-Oakland Raiders after a turbulent offseason filled with off-field distractions.
Looking back, Gruden said he remains convinced the move could have paid off.
"The two or three OTAs that we had him on the field, Cam, and he was running our routes, running my stuff," Gruden said. "I went home one night, opened a bottle of Asti Spumante and drank it all. I thought we were going to complete every pass."
Gruden was blown away by Brown's precision as a route runner.
"Holy s**t, I mean, this guy's running my routes better than they've ever been run before," he said.
Despite the issues that ultimately derailed the partnership, Gruden said his belief in Brown never wavered.
"I just knew he could be spectacular in our offense," Gruden said. "But what a disappointment for me."
The veteran coach acknowledged there were warning signs, saying Brown "was I think distracted by other things," but that didn't diminish his desire to make the partnership work.
Reflecting on the experience, Gruden reiterated how much the missed opportunity still lingers.
"It's one of my biggest regrets, honestly, in my career that that didn't work out," he said before later adding, "It's one of my biggest regrets, of never getting to coach him."
For Steelers fans, Brown's career will always be remembered for both extraordinary production and an abrupt ending in Pittsburgh. Gruden's comments offer another perspective, revealing just how highly one veteran coach regarded Brown's talent, and how deeply he still regrets never getting the chance to see it on Sundays.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Jon Gruden names Antonio Brown among biggest coaching regrets
A new report about the 2026 MLB Draft suggests the New York Yankees got fantastic value when they landed Hunter Dietz with their selection late in Round 1.
Since the days when George Steinbrenner was running the club, the Yankees have established a reputation as an organization that will go out and bring in elite talent from rival teams. Their big spending is why they were once nicknamed “The Evil Empire.” However, that overlooks the many New York legends that were developed in-house.
Joe Dimaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and now Aaron Judge are just a few of the all-time greats who were produced inside the organization. While the team is always open to trading prospects to acquire stars, just like any other club, the Yankees always need to identify and develop new talent via the MLB Draft.
Well, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, the Yankees got lucky and landed a steal in this month’s event.
“The Yankees scored one of my favorite picks from Day 1 with Arkansas left-hander Hunter Dietz (1), landing my No. 12 prospect at pick 35… He’s up to 98 and sits 94-96 with three breaking pitches in his arsenal, and he goes right after hitters with power to everything, although he put away the curveball in his last outing of the season in the NCAA Regionals. I think he’s an above-average starter if he can handle the workload.”
– Keith Law
The prospect expert notes that the pitcher fell in the draft because he missed nearly all of the last two seasons while recovering from a stress fracture in his elbow. The injury is certainly a reason for concern. However, his potential is very high if he can fully recover and get further development from New York’s minor league coaches and instructors.
Sturbridge 11, Webster/Dudley 6; Sturbridge 7, Webster/Dudley 4: Natalie Carson belted two home runs and finished with five RBIs and three runs to help host Post 109 win the first game of a doubleheader sweep.
Sturbridge's Kingsley Gragen went 2 for 2 with three runs, Bella Coughlan had three hits and scored, and Kaelyn Pellicane notched one hit, two RBIs and two runs.
Sienna Stawiecki was 2 for 2 with two RBIs for Webster/Dudley and Meghan Baca notched two hits and a run.
Sturbridge completed the sweep by scoring four runs in the bottom of the second and three in the third.
Kingsley Gragen clubbed a grand slam in the second, while Sami Connor smacked a two-run double in the third and crossed when Mary Letendre singled to right.
Webster/Dudley attempted a late rally in the fifth when it scored four runs. Cadence Duval singled in Savannah Pratt, Brianna Landry scored on a fielder's choice and Stawiecki hit a two-run double.
Grafton 10, Cherry Valley 0: Haylan Oberg was 2 for 3 with a triple, RBI and two runs as host Post 92 (15-7) blanked Post 443 (11-11) in their season finale.
Grafton's C.J. Chagnon was also 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, while Zach Otis went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run.
American Legion
District 4 Playoffs
Framingham at Hudson, 7 p.m. (Riverside)
Northbridge at Shrewsbury, 7:30 p.m. (Fitton)
Main South at Cherry Valley, 8 p.m. (Rochdale)
Futures Collegiate League
Bravehearts at Nashua, 6 p.m.
Little League
Junior Division State Tournament
Round Robin
Jesse Burkett at Scituate, 6 p.m.
Schedule may change due to weather, field conditions, or postpon
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Summer Roundup, Schedule: Carson homers twice to key Sturbridge
Roberson baseball junior Holt Gaston is headed to play Division I baseball.
Gaston announced his commitment to North Carolina State in a post on X on July 15.
Gaston was an All-WNC second-team selection as a pitcher this past season after going 6-0 with a 3.53 ERA in eight starts and 11 appearances. He struck out 51 batters, walked 24 and held opponents to a .227 batting average. He was named the Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year.
At the plate, Gaston, who also played outfield for the Rams, batted .303 with four home runs and 26 RBIs.
Gaston will play alongside Polk County's Gunnar Alm, who affirmed his commitment to the Wolfpack after going undrafted in the MLB draft, and former West Henderson star Truitt Manuel, who just finished his redshirt freshman season with the program.
He also continues a trend of Roberson players going to the Division I level. Among players from the Rams' recent string of three state championships, pitcher Micah Simpson went to UNC-Wilmington, while first baseman Caden Davidson went the JUCO route before announcing his transfer to Florida this offseason. Several others have played at North Carolina programs like UNC Asheville and East Carolina.
Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @EvanGerike.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Roberson 2028 pitcher Holt Gaston commits to NC State baseball
The Miami Dolphins, after moving on from several experienced veterans, brought in a ton of new players this offseason, including a group of 13 rookies through the 2026 NFL draft.
Miami got offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor and cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round. On Day 2, they added linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, wide receiver Caleb Douglas, tight end Will Kacmarek and wide receiver Chris Bell. They then wrapped up the three-day process by taking defensive end Trey Moore, linebacker Kyle Louis, safety Michael Taaffe, wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr., tight end Seydou Traore, guard DJ Campbell and defensive end Max Llewellyn.
With training camp rapidly approaching, here's how we're ranking Miami's rookie draft picks by their potential impact during their first season with the team and first season under new head coach Jeff Hafley.
The 22-year-old spent the last four years at Texas, earning All-SEC honors once. He appeared in 49 games and started 42 for the Longhorns. In an ideal world, Campbell will serve as nothing more than a backup guard and maybe play some special teams during his rookie season.
The 23-year-old spent five years at Iowa, appearing in 43 games and recording 64 tackles (20.5 for a loss), 14.5 sacks, 10 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries with the Hawkeyes. While Chop Robinson is really the only player in the group of edge rushers to get guaranteed reps this year, Llewellyn would have to really prove himself to make the team and earn opportunities in 2026.
Traore comes from London, England, but he spent two years at Arkansas State, where he earned All-Sun Belt honors once, and three years at Mississippi State. In 46 games, he recorded 126 receptions for 1,404 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 23-year-old will likely be fighting for the third spot in the tight end room, but with other options ahead of him, he could be fourth this year.
Taaffe spent five seasons at Texas, recording 222 tackles (9.5 for a loss), 14 passes defensed, seven interceptions, three sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 53 career games. He earned All-SEC honors once and All-American honors twice. The Dolphins may need help at safety in 2026, but the 23-year-old has veterans that he'll need to beat out for playing time.
Moore, 23, played at UTSA for three seasons, earning All-AAC honors and winning AAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, before transferring to Texas for the final two years of his career. In 57 games between the two schools, he recorded 175 tackles (50 for a loss), 30.5 sacks, 13 passes defensed, five forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and one interception. The fourth-round pick has some positional versatility to play on the edge or off the ball, so he could see some depth opportunities or special teams reps.
Coleman was well traveled in college, spending one year each at Jackson State, Louisville, Mississippi State and Missouri. The 2022 SWAC Freshman of the Year recorded 199 receptions for 2,536 yards and 12 touchdowns in 51 games between the four schools. As the third wide receiver taken in the draft, he has a lot of work to do to move up the depth chart in training camp.
Bell spent the last four years at Louisville, earning All-ACC honors in 2025. In 47 games with the Cardinals, he caught 151 passes for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 22-year-old probably has the most potential of the drafted trio of wideouts, but it's unclear how much he'll play in 2026, as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Louis played at Pittsburgh from 2022-25, earning All-ACC honors twice and All-American honors once. In 37 games for the Panthers, he recorded 201 tackles (25.5 for a loss), 10 sacks, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. The 22-year-old will probably start off as the fourth off-ball linebacker on the depth chart, but his ability to play safety as well could make him more impactful earlier.
After spending three years at Ohio, Kacmarek transferred to Ohio State for the final two years of his collegiate career. In 53 games between the schools, he caught 59 passes for 713 yards and four touchdowns. Primarily a blocking tight end, he'll likely hold a similar role in the NFL. However, if he can catch the ball regularly, he could pass Ben Sims for the second spot on the depth chart.
Douglas, 22, played at Florida from 2022-23 and at Texas Tech from 2024-25. He earned All-Big 12 honors once and in 39 career games between the two schools, he caught 135 passes for 2,031 yards and 16 touchdowns. As the top drafted wide receiver for the Dolphins, he has the best shot of finding a role in a thin room right away.
Rodriguez began his collegiate career as a quarterback at Virginia before transferring to Texas Tech for the last four years and moving to linebacker. He earned All-Big 12 honors twice and All-American honors once, while also winning Big-12 Defensive Player of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award and Chuck Bednarik Award in 2025. In 56 games, he recorded 317 tackles (25.5 for a loss), 13 forced fumbles, 12 passes defensed, six sacks, six interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The 23-year-old will probably begin his camp behind Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, but it wouldn't surprise anyone to see him starting by Week 1.
Johnson, 21, played at San Diego State from 2022-25, where he earned All-Mountain West honors once and All-American honors once. He was also named Mountain West co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. In 47 games with the Aztecs, he recorded 152 tackles, 14 passes defensed, six interceptions, five forced fumbles and one sack. After the team picked him in the first round, he's expected to be their top cornerback as a rookie, meaning he'll be on the field for most of their defensive snaps.
Proctor, 21, spent the last three seasons at Alabama, earning All-SEC honors once and All-American honors once. The 21-year-old started 39 games at left tackle for the Crimson Tide, but with the Dolphins, he's moving to left guard, where he's expected to start in Week 1.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Ranking Miami Dolphins rookies by impact in 2026
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to receive recognition for one of the strengths of their roster heading into the 2026 season.
In his rankings of the NFL's best offensive tackle duos, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano placed Tampa Bay's pairing of Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke at No. 3 in the league. Much of that recognition starts with Wirfs, who has already built one of the most decorated résumés among active offensive linemen.
As Manzano pointed out, Wirfs is the only player in NFL history to earn Associated Press First-Team All-Pro honors at both right tackle and left tackle. After helping to protect Tom Brady during Tampa Bay's Super Bowl-winning 2020 season, Wirfs has seamlessly transitioned to protecting Baker Mayfield's blindside while continuing to perform at an elite level.
Manzano also noted that, according to Pro Football Focus, Wirfs earned top-five grades as both a pass blocker and run blocker last season, further cementing his status as one of the league's premier offensive linemen.
While Wirfs headlines the duo, Goedeke has quietly developed into a dependable starter on the right side. Since moving into the starting lineup, he has steadily improved his consistency and helped solidify one of the better tackle pairings in football. His continued development has allowed Tampa Bay to field quality protection on both edges of the offensive line rather than relying on one standout player.
With Mayfield entering a contract year and the Buccaneers looking to rebound in 2026, the offensive line will once again play a major role in the team's success. Having one of the NFL's highest-ranked tackle duos gives Tampa Bay a strong foundation as it looks to return to the postseason.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs considered to have one of the top tackle duos in 2026
Barcelona star Pau Cubarsí made use of the opportunity to send a message of defiance the way of his country’s critics, following Spain’s clash with France on Tuesday.
Luis de la Fuente’s troops are of course fresh off a historic outing yesterday evening.
After making the trip to Dallas to lock horns with European rivals France, La Roja utterly dominated en route to a deserved 2-0 triumph.
Spain, in turn, are facing up to a finale showdown against one of England or Argentina.
Playing a starring role in the eventual result on Tuesday was the aforementioned Pau Cubarsí, who kept alive what has been a stellar individual campaign at the World Cup with another flawless display.
And as alluded to above, speaking to the media in the game’s aftermath, the 19-year-old was quick to take aim at those to have called into question the solidity boasted by the Spanish on the defensive side of the ball:
“There was some talk about the defence and the goalkeeping on our side, but we have shut a lot of mouths. I think that one of the most important things in football now is to keep a clean sheet.”
Conor Laird – GSFN
Everton have moved again in their pursuit of Brooke Norton-Cuffy, with fresh contact made over a deal that now looks increasingly workable for all parties. According to TeamTalk, the Merseyside club have reignited discussions over the Genoa defender, who is now open to a Premier League return.
The 22-year-old has been on Everton’s radar since January and remains firmly in the frame as the club refine their plans in the full-back positions. The reporting states that Everton have held “fresh discussions with intermediaries”, with Genoa willing to sanction a sale for “around €20million (£17m, $23m)”. For a player described internally as one of their priority targets, that figure appears achievable.
Recruitment at right-back has become a clear focus. Everton are seeking a new starter in the role, a move that would free Jake O’Brien to return to centre-back, viewed as his natural position. That strategic element matters. Rather than simply adding depth, this is a signing that could have a knock-on effect across the back line.
Photo: IMAGO
Norton-Cuffy has “re-emerged as one of the leading candidates for Everton” after a strong first full season in Serie A. His development at Genoa has clearly elevated his standing, and there is now a sense that the timing aligns. The defender is “ready to return to England if the right Premier League opportunity presents itself”, and Everton seem intent on exploring whether they can be that destination.
There is also an age profile and pathway logic to this pursuit. Everton continue to look for players capable of improving immediately while retaining growth potential, and Norton-Cuffy fits that model well.
One of the more significant details in the report is the player’s own stance. Sources indicate that “the prospect of playing regularly in the Premier League is a major attraction” and that he “believes the time is right to test himself back in English football”. That level of openness can often be decisive at this stage of a negotiation.
Everton may also be encouraged by existing connections. Norton-Cuffy is said to know Tyrique George, Tyler Dibling and Hayden Hackney from England Under-21 duty, “adding another layer of intrigue”. While relationships do not complete transfers on their own, familiarity can help a player picture the move more clearly.
Everton are not operating alone. Sunderland are “also monitoring Norton-Cuffy’s situation” and Fulham “have likewise kept close tabs on the versatile defender”. Even so, the current picture places Everton in a promising position. TeamTalk reports that the Toffees “appear to be leading the pursuit after reigniting talks”, encouraged both by the asking price and the player’s willingness to come back.
Other right-back options have been considered, including Djed Spence, Ben White, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Guela Doue and Raoul Bellanova, but Norton-Cuffy now looks like one to watch closely. If Everton want value, potential and tactical fit in one move, this has the feel of a deal worth serious attention.
From an Everton supporter perspective, this report is genuinely intriguing. Norton-Cuffy feels like the sort of move that makes sense on several levels. He is young, he has already gone away and played proper senior football, and he would arrive with a point to prove. For a club that needs smart recruitment rather than headline-chasing, that is appealing.
The £17m level feels reasonable in the current market, especially for a 22-year-old coming off an “impressive first full campaign in Serie A”. If the coaching staff believe he can make the right-back spot his own, then the added bonus of moving Jake O’Brien back inside could improve two positions at once.
There is always some caution with players returning from abroad, particularly when adaptation is part of the equation, but the profile is hard to ignore. He is already familiar with top young English talent and seems keen for the challenge. Hearing that he is open to the move and sees now as the right time to come back is encouraging.
Everton fans will probably also like that this does not sound like a panicked search. The club have looked at several names and appear to be narrowing in on one that suits both budget and need. If this is the level of planning behind the summer, supporters will take confidence from it. Norton-Cuffy may not be the most glamorous target, but he could be exactly the right one.
Source: TeamTalk
Curt Cignetti doesn't smile or laugh a lot along the sideline, with his fists often attached to his hips. But not many college football fans can work up a great hatred for him.
The national champion Indiana football coach joined the "Up and Adams" podcast, and host Kay Adams jokingly scolded him for place eighth on a recent survey of hated college football coaches.
Cignetti offered a potential reason: "Maybe I'm so cuddly and likable."
The Rotowire poll of fans listed LSU's Lane Kiffin as the most hated coach. Also "more hated" are Colorado's Deion Sanders, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, USC's Lincoln Riley, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Georgia's Kirby Smart and Miami's Mario Cristobal.
Cignetti is apparently slightly more hated than North Carolina's Bill Belichick and Texas Tech's Joey McGuire.
Cignetti, of course, doesn't have much use for that kind of poll.
"The only thing that matters is, how did your team do at the end of the year?" he said. "Did you get the most out of your team?"
The coach came to the podcast immediately after shooting a commercial for State Farm. Is he ready for his close-up?
Cignetti graded his acting skills: "C-, and that's probably being generous."
Never forget the Hoosiers' championship run
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana's Cignetti on most hated college football coaches list: 'I'm so cuddly and likable'
Curt Cignetti doesn't smile or laugh a lot along the sideline, with his fists often attached to his hips. But not many college football fans can work up a great hatred for him.
The national champion Indiana football coach joined the "Up and Adams" podcast, and host Kay Adams jokingly scolded him for place eighth on a recent survey of hated college football coaches.
Cignetti offered a potential reason: "Maybe I'm so cuddly and likable."
The Rotowire poll of fans listed LSU's Lane Kiffin as the most hated coach. Also "more hated" are Colorado's Deion Sanders, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, USC's Lincoln Riley, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Georgia's Kirby Smart and Miami's Mario Cristobal.
Cignetti is apparently slightly more hated than North Carolina's Bill Belichick and Texas Tech's Joey McGuire.
Cignetti, of course, doesn't have much use for that kind of poll.
"The only thing that matters is, how did your team do at the end of the year?" he said. "Did you get the most out of your team?"
The coach came to the podcast immediately after shooting a commercial for State Farm. Is he ready for his close-up?
Cignetti graded his acting skills: "C-, and that's probably being generous."
Never forget the Hoosiers' championship run
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana's Cignetti on most hated college football coaches list: 'I'm so cuddly and likable'
Oxford United chairman Dusan Bogdanovic has "sincerely apologised" to supporters after the U's were put under a temporary transfer embargo by the English Football League (EFL).
The League One side will not be able to register new players in the summer transfer window because they are not compliant with the EFL's salary cost management protocol (SCMP) regulations.
In an open letter to fans, Bogdanovic said: "I am acutely aware of the trust that has been placed in the shareholders and the board, and that developments of this nature can lead to the relationship we have with you being called into question.
"Our shareholders remain fully committed to the club and will continue to provide the funding and support they have consistently given throughout their ownership."
The SCMP protocols are the financial fair play rules for all League One and League Two clubs, setting limits on the proportion of a club's turnover that can be spent on player-related costs.
Oxford are back in League One, having been relegated from the Championship in April, and last month appointed former Arsenal and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey as their new head coach.
"I want to sincerely apologise for the uncertainty and concern that recent news regarding our registration embargo has caused," Bogdanovic wrote.
"Over the last few seasons, we had to rapidly adjust to the realities of competing in a higher division and the increase in funding that required.
"Despite our best efforts, we were unable to retain our Championship status and are now working through the challenges that higher costs, reduced revenues and new financial rules present."
Bogdanovic also reassured fans that securing a new stadium for the club remains the "cornerstone of our long-term strategy" and insisted there was reason for optimism.
"We have an outstanding head coach, a strong and talented squad, an incredible supporter base that continues to back the club, and shareholders who have demonstrated time and again their commitment to Oxford United," he added.
"Together, we have overcome challenges before, and we will do so again. The future of Oxford United is bright and our ambitions remain unchanged. This is a short-term issue that requires a pragmatic approach. By doing so, we can build back stronger."
Jul. 15—JAMESTOWN — After 16 years of playing slowpitch softball, Darren Perleberg needed a change.
"We were all on different teams and some of us wanted to try something different," Perleberg said. "I got with Cory Genter and I said, 'Let's put together a team that is competitive and doesn't have any drama,' because there was a little bit too much of that on some of the teams we were playing for at the time.
"We just wanted to have a team where it was fun to show up every week, and we didn't get our butts kicked every week," he said. "That's what we created, and that is what is still going. How we approach the game is really fun."
The team Perleberg and Genter created in 2013 was Esto Dingus. Esto competes on Wednesday nights at Jamestown's Hillcrest Softball Complex during the slowpitch softball season.
"Our retention with guys who still want to show up and have fun is pretty high," Perleberg said. "From the guys we started with, we still have about 90% of the players who were on that first team."
Esto not only plays in Jamestown's league, the team also plays in tournaments across the state and the region. The team has competed in the national tournament three times. The first year Esto competed in the national tournament, the tourney was being held in Fargo.
"You don't have to qualify for the national tournament, but you don't want to just go and throw your money away," Perleberg said. "It's extremely expensive, and you usually have to travel a little bit. ... (The first year) they needed some teams so we raised our hand and agreed to play, but that was outside our division," Perleberg said. "It was a higher level — we didn't get our butts kicked, but we didn't win any games."
The next year, the tournament was played in Fargo again.
"We played in our division that year," Perleberg said. "In 2016, we played in the national tournament down in Sioux Falls (South Dakota). If you talk to our team — some of their best memories in the last 13 years was the trip down to Sioux Falls for that national tournament. We were together the whole time and the fun we had — it's still something we talk about today."
While most of the team was involved in the trip down to Sioux Falls, there have been some lineup changes in the last 14 years.
"If somebody does move away or we see a gap in the lineup, we'll put our heads together and see if we can find somebody," Perleberg said. "Sometimes we get a little bit lucky. Our current shortstop was a college baseball player, he happened to be moving back to Jamestown. Another guy's son was in gymnastics with my daughter, and we struck up conversation, and he played high school baseball. Now he's on our team."
There's not a list of requirements to join Esto's roster.
"For us, it's not all about talent," Perleberg said. "We want to make sure they are good people. That is the No. 1 thing. It's more about if the guys can fit in personality-wise with the team and hang out afterwards and laugh with us."
To join, you don't even need much experience.
"If you look at the (Spirits) team in town, they are just loaded with former college baseball players," Perleberg said. "Up until we got this new shortstop, we didn't have anybody who played college baseball, and the majority of our guys didn't play high school baseball.
"We're not bad athletes," he said. "We had guys who were really good at basketball or football, but I think what made us gel so well was the fact that we care about each other and we don't ride one another. You can make an error, and your teammates don't point fingers or get made. It's just, shake it off, get the next one if you can. If you miss that one, who cares? Get the next one. That changes how you approach the game and how you show up every week. Guys know they don't have to deal with any of that kind of stuff."
Esto's current record is 11-7. The team is set to face off against Agroline this week. Games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. After the team's doubleheader against Agroline, Esto will be hosting its annual "sponsor night."
"We supply everything, and it's a thank you to our sponsors and the people who show up to watch us," Perleberg said. "It's also open to our opponents and their fans, it's open to all of that. It's just a celebration of softball and the culture we have put together."
According to the club-affiliated publication DeichStube, Werder Bremen are considering a move for the SC Freiburg Eren Dinkçi.
The forward added fuel to the rumours recently by stating: “I still have a dream. I want to score a goal at the Weserstadion.”
This move becomes all the more possible if Justin Njinmah were to transfer to England, as they would need an attacking replacement.
Dinkçi originally moved from Bremen to Freiburg for €5millionin 2024 after an impressive loan spell at 1.FC Heidenheim.
However, he failed to establish himself in Breisgau and returned on loan to Heidenheim for six months of the 2025-26 campaign.
Dinkçi scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists in 14 appearances, while Bremen declined a loan move in the winter transfer window at the time.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is down to its final weekend, with the championship match set for Sunday. Ahead of that, one last game will be played in South Florida.
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, renamed the Miami Stadium for the World Cup, will host the tournament's bronze final on Saturday. France will play in the July 18 match for the bronze medal after losing to Spain in the semifinals.
World Cup tickets to final Miami game on StubHub
Here's what fans should know about the final World Cup game being played in Miami Gardens:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Bronze Final is scheduled to be played on Saturday, July 18, at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens. The kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET.
Here are the matches that were already played in Miami:
Florida's bronze medal match will be played between France and either Argentina or England. France's opponent will be determined by the World Cup semifinal scheduled to be played in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15 at 3 p.m.
The winner will advance to face Spain in the World Cup final, while the loser will compete against France.
Last-minute tickets are still available at FIFA.com/tickets for the final game in Miami, scheduled for July 18. As of July 15, tickets for the match start at $1,500.
FIFA's site also features a marketplace where residents of "most countries" can resell their tickets, and where Mexican residents can exchange them.
According to FIFA's website, there are risks to buying tickets from third-party sites, and the organization "strongly recommend[s]" making purchases only through FIFA.com/tickets.
The Hard Rock Stadium, renamed Miami Stadium for the World Cup, is located at 347 Don Shula Drive in Miami Gardens, Florida.
In the United States, Fox holds the broadcasting rights for all 2026 FIFA World Cup games. Of the 104 matches in the World Cup, 70 air on Fox's broadcast channel, and the other 34 air on FS1.
Since Fox holds the broadcasting rights for FIFA games in the U.S., streaming options are limited without live TV. But every match will be streamed live on Fox One and the Fox Sports App, and all matches will be broadcast in Spanish on Telemundo and streamed on Peacock.
The World Cup final kicks off Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. ET, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Contributing: Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect Team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: France heads to Miami for World Cup bronze. Opponent, ticket prices
Tommy Fleetwood is living the dream this week back home in Southport, the seaside town where one of the greatest English golfers of his generation grew up.
The exact nature of that dream remains open to interpretation, but Fleetwood has been soaking in the sunkissed links and the delightfully respectful applause with each swish of his club throughout his preparation. A record 300,000 spectators are expected at this week’s Open Championship, many of whom will flock to his star-studded group for rounds one and two, which includes Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth.
But it seems that his legion of fans have a slightly different dream for Fleetwood, one specifically attached to an outcome alone, with his hands holding the Claret Jug aloft on Sunday to tick off one final, meteoric box in a career packed with accolades: a major championship.
“It’s obviously very, very special,” Fleetwood remarked on the opportunity to play at Royal Birkdale in The Open. “I think for anybody that was lucky enough to grow up in the town of Southport, it’s such a golfing town.
“It’s a dream just to be competing in an Open here, so I feel very, very lucky. I’m just excited for the opportunity to play in front of everybody. It’s very rare to have an opportunity to play a tournament, let alone The Open, in the town where you grew up in front of fans that were all there to support you. So I’m very excited.”
Despite learning the game at Formby Hall, Fleetwood was eight years old when he started to dream of playing in The Open and the hallowed turf of Royal Birkdale. So much so that he joined his dad, sneaking onto the property “once or twice”. The access to the fifth hole provided a shot of adrenaline for as long as it lasted, like a fox carefully navigating its way up the lawn of a back garden it is not supposed to be in. Now he is the third favourite to win this week, behind only Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, with attention firmly fixed on his every step.
This Sunday, 19 July, could be Fleetwood’s time, too, with the symmetry of the World Cup final allowing many to yearn for the world No 9 to secure a maiden major merely an hour before England step onto the pitch in New Jersey.
In the only major championship outside of the United States, it is unusual for McIlroy not to be the most popular player, yet the feverish desire to see Fleetwood win may take over in the next few days. A splash of blue, an indelible mark on Fleetwood’s career from his formidable time with Europe in the Ryder Cup, covers the back of Southport and Birkdale Sports Club in a mural painted by Liverpool artist Paul Curtis.
Second in the 2018 US Open and again at The Open a year later at Portrush, behind an inspired Shane Lowry, mark Fleetwood’s best major championship finishes. Yet there is not a shade of yellow on his major record grid, the colour that famously depicts a top 10 major finish, since a tie for third at the Masters in 2024. The rollercoaster ride on the PGA Tour and, finally, a victory on American soil in last year’s Tour Championship provided a cathartic experience for himself and his fans.
But that home support can also be misleading. The familiarity is helpful, sure, bringing comfort and additional strategy not afforded to some from across the pond sampling the links for the first time, though two new holes this week at the 5th and the devilish par-three 15th provide a new wrinkle to even the most experienced players.
McIlroy’s missed cut at Royal Portrush in 2019 offers a cautionary tale; the seismic energy that transcends across the property can work in both ways, particularly when momentum gathers pace in the wrong direction.
“It’s a great environment but tough in a way that you just feel the extra expectation on your shoulders, and you feel like you’re trying to play well for everyone else and not for yourself,” McIlroy said of the advantage of playing a major championship at a home course.
”I think there’s already enough pressure on anyone in this field to play well for themselves, so to add that extra layer on top of that is always pretty difficult.
“Yeah, like Tommy coming back here, for example, he grew up five minutes away, but I feel like Tommy’s more level-headed than I am, and he won’t fall into that trap like I did in 2019. It always seems like it takes me one good round to get it right.”
This is also where Fleetwood’s maturity enters the conversation, even beyond major championship disappointment. There was the agony of that final putt at the Travelers Championship last year and, even further back, how he absorbed a haymaker from Nick Taylor’s eagle in a playoff and the bedlam that surrounded the green as a home favourite won the 2023 Canadian Open.
Fleetwood has dealt with heartbreak and maybe, upon reflection, the dream is merely the moments themselves, rather than the outcome. Undoubtedly, Fleetwood failing to win a major would be a disappointment, particularly for a player of his exceptional talent. But after the deep thoughts of Scheffler last year, sometimes the journey brings as much satisfaction as the result.
“Whatever happens in my career, I’ll be able to look back and say that I gave it everything and I had an amazing time doing it,” Fleetwood concluded ahead of this year’s Open. “I would definitely much prefer to have a major or two or three on my resumé by the time my career is over. Whether that happens or not is sometimes out of your control, but I think making sure you have a great time chasing it is the ultimate thing.
“Dreams do come true, we watch it all the time. But you’ll never find out if yours will unless you chase it. Mine might come true, it might not.”
LONDON (AP) — Helped by some mid-match drama, the Wimbledon final between Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova over the weekend was ESPN’s most-watched women’s championship match at the grass-court Grand Slam.
The all-Czech final, during which Noskova wasted five match points and a 5-2 lead in the second set before eventually winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 on Saturday, averaged 1.9 million viewers. That was an increase of 48% compared to last year’s women’s final: Iga Swiatek’s 6-0, 6-0 rout of Amanda Anisimova in 57 minutes.
ESPN began its coverage of Wimbledon in 2003 and has had exclusive rights since 2012.
Jannik Sinner’s four-set victory over Alexander Zverev in the men’s final on Sunday averaged 2.4 million viewers, down 16% from 2025, when Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.
Overall, it ranked as ESPN’s second most-viewed Wimbledon, with an 18% year-over-year increase, averaging 853,000 viewers per day, the network said. This year’s numbers trailed only the 2019 edition – when Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in a memorable five-set final and Simona Halep beat Serena Williams for the women’s trophy.
Also this year, William’s return to Grand Slam tennis after nearly four years away earned ESPN its biggest audience for a Day 2 at Wimbledon, with an average of 1.8 million viewers — despite being played on a Tuesday afternoon in the U.S.
In Italy, where Sinner has become the country’s most popular athlete, the final in which he earned his fifth Grand Slam title was watched by an average of 4.2 million viewers and earned a 33.8% share, Sky Italia said.
Sinner’s victory over Alcaraz last year had an average viewership in Italy of 5.7 million.
The finals started at 11 a.m. ET in the U.S. and 5 p.m. in Italy.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
The Packers’ offseason renovation of their wide receiver position could be seen as a repudiation of their previous approach. For years, they’ve gone with a version of the “no number one receivers” offense, and the results have been fair to middling, diminished by injuries at the position and an at times fractured offense overall.
But what if their move toward a more focused, traditional wide receiver room is simply the result of one truth? Because the reality is, the Packers may not need a bunch of wide receivers when they’ve got a couple of really good ones. In fact, if you expand the question to include all pass catchers, I think you can argue the Packers actually have one of the best groups in the NFL.
They certainly have one of the most efficiently productive. I’ve written before about how good Christian Watson is at the things he does, but he’s got company among the Packers’ pass catchers. Matthew Golden was great in small doses last year and should only improve with more reps this year, and Tucker Kraft was having an All-Pro caliber season before his knee gave out.
Between those three, the Packers are in very good shape, and we haven’t even added Jayden Reed to the mix yet.
Yes, there are limitations to looking at it this way, but it seems clear the Packers both believe in the receivers they’ve got and have the analytical backing to support that position. How it plays out on the field will be the ultimate test, but they’ve made a really solid bet.
A data-driven look at NFL quarterback-receiver partnerships | Pro Football Focus
The data points to a couple of the Packers’ passing connections being the very best in the league.
Packers training camp preview: Streamlined WR position still has question marks | Packers Wire
“Streamlined” is a great word to describe about the Packers’ wide receiver room.
Three Concerning Questions at Receiver for Packers Begin, End With Depth Chart | Sports Illustrated
Though the Packers’ wide receivers look solid now, they’re still facing some significant questions.
2026 NFL ‘Triplets’ rankings: Where every team’s QB, RB, pass catcher combo stands | CBS Sports
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Elderly Florida woman shocked by suggestive license plate | UPI
Not going to spoil it for you, but I’d hang onto this license plate for dear life.
Former Duke football quarterback Darian Mensah reflected on his college football journey on Wednesday, July 15 at ACC Football Kickoff.
Mensah, who spent time at Tulane and Duke before landing at Miami, took to the podium in Charlotte seven months after helping the Blue Devils win their eighth ACC championship and first since 1989.
"It's been a special journey to say the least," Mensah said. "Being at multiple stops, it's helped me within my own game. I've been through different OCs now, all different types of offenses. It only makes me a better player going through the transfer portal multiple times."
Mensah also said seeing Miami quarterbacks Carson Beck and Cam Ward succeed played a role in his decision to join the Hurricanes.
"That was a huge factor as far as deciding to transfer, seeing what those two guys did last year," he said. "Made an attractive decision for me. My OC, Coach Dawson, I think the way he will form the offense around the quarterback, around the stuff that he likes to do, also made it something that I wanted to be a part of."
Mensah entered the portal on the final day of its two-week window, announcing his transfer to Miami not long after. Duke originally sued Mensah, claiming a breach of his multi-year contract, but the parties ultimately reached a settlement on Jan. 27.
The Blue Devils in turn picked up San Jose State transfer Walker Eget from the transfer portal. Redshirt freshman Dan Mahan and freshman Terry Walker III are also in the quarterback room.
Manny Diaz, Nate Sheppard, Luke Mergott and Jeremiah Hasley will take the stage in Charlotte for the Blue Devils on Friday, July 17. Duke opens its season on Sept. 5 vs. Tulane.
DUKE FOOTBALL: How Duke football reunited brothers Nick and Jon Morris
THE SETTLEMENT: Duke reaches settlement with former QB Darian Mensah amid ongoing legal battle
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@usatodayco.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What former Duke football QB Darian Mensah said at ACC Football Kickoff
A French tennis player has seen his ban from the sport for match-fixing extended to three years following an appeal, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Wednesday.
Samuel Bensoussan, 34, had initially received a ban of one year and 11 months for his involvement in fixing singles and doubles matches in lower-tier tournaments.
These illicit activities were carried out on behalf of an organised crime syndicate based in Belgium.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) increased the ban, noting that investigations had "uncovered a criminal organization that corrupted at least 181 players worldwide and involved the manipulation of at least 375 tennis matches."
The leader of this syndicate was previously sentenced to five years in prison in a Belgian criminal case.
Bensoussan's career high ranking was World No 405 in June 2018.
Bensoussan had appealed to Cas to overturn his original sanction, while the ITIA had sought a longer ban of six-and-a-half years.
The three Cas judges, however, declined to order Bensoussan to repay the €1,000 (£850) that tennis investigators claimed he received for fixing a match in 2018.
AP
Argentina's vice president launched a scathing attack on England on the eve of the two nations' monumental FIFA World Cup semifinal, deploying the phrase 'usurping pirates' in a social media post referencing the history surrounding the Falklands War.
The turbulent history between the two countries and the Falklands War has featured prominently in the build-up to Wednesday's game in Georgia, with Victoria Villaruel, the country's VP and daughter of a Falklands veteran, firmly in the spotlight.
Her broadside on social media has sparked considerable controversy, particularly in light of comments from Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, who stated it would be 'quite wrong' to make the game about the war, via The Mirror.
Villaruel posted on her X account: "Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. This isn't just another match. I'm not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it's always something more. It's the Malvinas, it's Diego, it's Leo's [Messi] last one, go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we're going to claim what's ours!"
More than 900 lives were lost during the 1982 conflict, and Argentina supporters have sung about the Falklands throughout the tournament.
However, Scaloni has sought to defuse tensions by maintaining that mixing the conflict with the match would be disrespectful. He stated: "It's a football match; I can't mix things up, out of respect for what happened so many years ago.
"It was a very sad time in our history, and there isn't much we can do about it. Mixing the two would be madness. We criticize that there was war.
To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERE
"Of course, people remember history and what happened. It is a game of football, we need to keep things separate.
"Yes, we remember Argentinian people and people that were lost in the war, but let's not conflate things.
"What do the players of today have to do with many, many years ago?
"It was a sad time, we remember this, of course, but it would be quite wrong to put this into the game."
AI continues to wreak havoc on the tech industry, driving up the prices of processors, RAM, motherboards, and more PC hardware so companies can keep up with its hunger for more power (and RAM).
Fortunately, Newegg is offering a limited sale on several discounted bundles containing AMD processors we've tested and rated highly for their solid performance, alongside compatible motherboards and 16GB RAM modules to help these CPUs reach their full potential.
So, if you're looking to upgrade your PC with some of the best CPUs for gaming or productivity content creation, along with the best motherboards and precious RAM to maintain their stability, this round-up could be your next best solution.
"True to its word, AMD has specifically targeted gamers with this affordable powerhouse, and I expect my upcoming tests only to cement its place in your next rig." — Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½View Deal
"For gamers with a passion for livestreaming, it offers almost max specs for a reasonable price and power draw." — Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
"In a masterclass of performance-per-watt efficiency, AMD offers incredible single-core performance scores that beat its intended 14600K rival and even challenge the 14700K." — Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½View Deal
This bundle contains an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor along with a compatible MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI6E motherboard with fast WiFi 7 wireless connectivity and two 8GB RAM sticks.View Deal
This gaming-focused bundle contains an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, a GIGABYTE B650E EAGLE WF6E motherboard that offers PCIe 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6E, and two 8GB RAM sticksView Deal
This bundle contains an AMD Ryzen 9 9900X processor with an ASUS TUF GAMING X870E-PLUS WIFI7 motherboard that features two onboard PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots with fast Wi-Fi 7 and two 8GB DDR5 RAM sticks.View Deal
These discount deals will last from July 14, 2026 to July 31, 2026.
Indeed, they are. AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X, Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and Ryzen 5 9600X processors all offer good to exceptional performance for boosting frame rates and smoothness, particularly the -X3D chips.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D productivity performance is somewhat underwhelming, while the Ryzen 9600X fares much better with creative apps and solid single-core performance.
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An entry-level Alienware PC almost sounds like a contradiction; it's long been the all-out brand you could choose when money isn't a concern, and you'd rather have a guarantee your games will run. So, does the Alienware 15 need to exist, or is it just competing with the tantalizingly new category of high-end gaming handhelds?
Including NVIDIA's RTX 5050 graphics certainly piqued my interest, because until now, I've never seen what this low-end laptop GPU can actually do. Is it worth picking the 50 Series chip for the benefit of cutting-edge DLSS upscaling, or is it too weak to be worth your time? I had so many questions, and these are the conclusions I reached from my testing for this review.
The Alienware 15 starts at $1,399.99 on Dell.com, featuring the same AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor as my sample but with a previous-generation NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 discrete graphics card. Memory and storage remain at 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, but upgrading to an RTX 5050 GPU increases the price to $1,459.99.
A third and final variant of the AMD model increases storage to 1TB with an RTX 5060 GPU for $1,849.99, but the CPU remains the Ryzen 7 260. Alternatively, an Intel-based Alienware 15 starts at $1,499.99 on Dell.com with a Core 7-240H CPU, RTX 5050 GPU, and 16GB/512GB of memory and storage, though you can upgrade to RTX 5060 graphics and a 32GB/1TB RAM and SSD combo.
In the United Kingdom, the AMD-based Alienware 15 starts at £829.00 with a less powerful Ryzen 5 220 processor, RTX 3050 graphics, and 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. At the time of writing, an Intel-based Alienware 15 starts at £849.01 with a Core 5-210H CPU, RTX 3050 GPU, and the same 8GB/512GB RAM/SSD.
Component | Spec |
|---|---|
CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 260 |
RAM | 1x 16GB SO-DIMM DDR5-5600 MT/s |
GPU | AMD Radeon 780M (Integrated) |
Display | 15.3" 16:10 WUXGA (1920 x 1200) non-touch |
Storage | 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD |
Battery / Charger | 68WHrs / 180W barrel jack |
Weight | 4.89 lbs (2.22 kg) |
The Alienware 15 is a bit of a mixed bag, starting with a relatively plain exterior design featuring an iridescent alien head logo and thick air vent panels underneath, synonymous with the capable cooling you'll see in this category. And while its most striking first impression is how heavy it is — at 4.89 lbs (2.22 kg) — it still isn't much different from its rivals. Gaming laptops are just heavy.
Its 15.3-inch screen sits on a gapped hinge, which looks strange at first glance, but I can feel airflow around the gap while it's in use, so it makes sense. The backlit keyboard is unremarkable, sticking to a single color and including a number pad that I'm sure most gamers will never use, and, as usual, I wish the space had been saved for larger speakers.
The 180W AC adapter uses an outdated barrel jack, but you can charge up to 100W with USB-C.
Admittedly, despite my gripes with the lack of any significant bass response, the sheer volume of the fans during games likely nullifies the appeal of its speakers anyway. As with all gaming laptops, I'm recommending you use headphones here. A small 5.5-inch mechanical touchpad only clicks properly in the bottom half, but you'll probably use a dedicated mouse for most games.
A 3.5mm audio jack pairs with a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port on the right side, while a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 is available on the left side, along with two traditional USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports for dongles, HDMI-out 2.1 for external monitors, and gigabit Ethernet for wired networking. The 180W AC adapter uses an outdated barrel jack, but you can charge up to 100W with USB-C.
Starting with Counter-Strike 2, the game recommends 'High' settings with AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution and vsync disabled for native, uncapped rendering at 1920 x 1200. While spectating a few rounds on Dust II, I saw the frame rate remain around the 165 FPS target when I was connected to AC power and Alienware's 'Performance' mode was active.
However, the laptop's fans were extremely loud throughout, keeping the CPU and GPU temperatures at around 68 °C and 60 °C, respectively. Switching to 'Stealth' mode reduced the fan speed, but no amount of graphical tweaks brought them down to a comfortable, more inconspicuous level. This is a loud laptop, and you'll have to get used to wearing headphones when you're gaming.
In Cyberpunk 2077, I found that the 'High' preset with ray tracing and upscaling disabled most consistently achieved a native 60 FPS baseline in the game's built-in benchmark. Of course, the game supports DLSS 4.5, so setting Super Resolution to 'Balanced' and Multi Frame Generation (MFG) to 4X in the 'Ray Tracing: Low' preset has the Alienware 15 scaling to 171 FPS, up from ~42 FPS.
I have to assume you're considering a gaming laptop with NVIDIA's RTX 50 Series graphics to take advantage of realistic, ray-traced lighting. Luckily, that is quite possible with the RTX 5050 in the Alienware 15, depending on your feelings around MFG and "fake frames". If, on the other hand, you don't care so much about those visual luxuries, then it runs quite smoothly without ray tracing.
For other popular multiplayer titles, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS generally runs above 60 FPS with the 'High' preset at render scale 100, but you can push it to 165 FPS or higher by switching to the 'Medium' preset and further lowering some settings. Similarly, Apex Legends can reach 165 FPS and beyond with a little time spent in the settings, but the laptop's fans will be loud.
To put the specs of Alienware's cheapest laptop into perspective, the Ryzen 7 260 is a "Hawk Point" processor built on AMD's previous-generation Zen 4 architecture and ranks as the second-fastest CPU in the Ryzen 200 Series mobile range. That 8-core, 16-thread chip pairs with NVIDIA's entry-level RTX 50 Series mobile GPU, the GeForce RTX 5050.
However, benchmarking the Alienware 15's CPU in Geekbench 6 burst performance tests placed the Ryzen 7 260 even lower than I perhaps expected, even falling below the original ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld from 2024. Cinebench 2024 failed to run any extended CPU stress tests after complaints of insufficient memory, so there's sadly no reprieve for this processor.
(The RTX 5050 is) faster than the last-gen RTX 4050, but of course, it still falls behind the 4060.
Testing the RTX 5050 across 3DMark's full gamut of GPU-centric tests yields a reasonably consistent and unsurprising conclusion: it's faster than the last-gen RTX 4050, but of course, it still falls behind the 4060. If you were choosing between a gaming laptop with an older GPU, such as an RTX 3060, and the 5050 in this Alienware 15, you'd choose the Alienware.
Finally, the PCIe Gen 4 SSD hits around 7,023 MB/s read speeds in CrystalDiskMark, while write speeds drop closer to 5,962 MB/s. It's a fast drive, and one that sees the Alienware 15 running neck-and-neck with the high-end Alienware m18 R2 from 2024. The 512 GB SSD has limited storage capacity, but it performs as expected.
Above all, the most significant issue I had during my time with the Alienware 15 was its limited 512 GB SSD, reporting a usable 477 GB with only 332 GB of free space on its first boot into Windows 11. It simply isn't enough, and no amount of optimizations offered by the pre-installed 'SupportAssist' app can help that. After installing only four games, I was out of space.
Alienware advertises "user-upgradeable options" for "up to 1TB PCIe SSD (Gen4) storage", promoting "the flexibility to adapt for whatever comes next", but the ongoing memory crisis stunts that notion. It isn't Alienware's (or Dell's) fault, but I quickly learned that 512 GB isn't good enough in a gaming laptop, and upgrades are extremely expensive in 2026.
Otherwise, the loud fans (~58 dBA) are difficult to ignore and will likely annoy anyone around you. Booting into a game switches the Alienware 15 into 'Performance' mode via the Alienware Command Center companion app, which quickly ramps up the fan speed. Profiles like 'Stealth' mode advertise the laptop as "ideal for any environment", but it's only true if you aren't gaming.
Despite the fans working as hard as they can, the keyboard still gets quite warm during gaming, and it felt a little uncomfortable after a while. I could solve it by plugging in my Steam Controller or by using an external keyboard and mouse, but at that point it feels like I'm hardly using the laptop. Using a thermal camera, I detected a temperature of 46°C around the WASD keys — not abnormal for a gaming laptop, but not exactly ideal either.
✅ You want a modern, entry-level NVIDIA gaming laptop
✅ You don't have space for a full-sized desktop PC
❌ You're looking for quiet, portable AAA gaming
The biggest problem with entry-level gaming laptops is that they immediately compete with high-end gaming handhelds, like the Xbox Ally X, which will be more tempting for its versatility alone. However, if you're looking for a stay-at-home gaming machine that occasionally travels with you — with an 180W AC adapter included — the Alienware 15 keeps up with modern gaming by leaning heavily on NVIDIA's RTX 5050 GPU.
Its 512 GB of storage will fill up fast, so you'll either have to be happy with regularly switching between installed games from your library, or rely on an external hard drive to transfer backups. This laptop is loud, restrained, and heavy, but it will play your games, particularly so if they support NVIDIA's latest DLSS upscaling technology. If you're pondering the Alienware 15 on a budget because it's on sale, then I say go for it.
NVIDIA's GPU does all the heavy lifting, with DLSS upscaling helping this entry-level gaming laptop to keep up.
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Xbox and Activision have broken with tradition and partnered with Fanatics Fest to show off one of the most innovative new maps heading to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 when it launches this October.
Multiplayer map reveals are typically reserved for the annual Call of Duty NEXT event, but a date for the celebration of all things Call of Duty has yet to be confirmed for 2026. Rather than waiting until closer to launch, Infinity Ward will give the public their first look at the new map, "Kill Block", during Fanatics Fest in New York City from January 16-19.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be playable for those who have purchased tickets to Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center in NYC, and a panel featuring Kevin Durant, Inde Navarrette, Infinity Ward Studio Co-Head Mark Grigsby, and Tyler Bahl will take the stage for an exclusive panel on Call of Duty in Culture on Saturday, July 18.
Players have barely got a taste of what Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has to offer and the game is already breaking records. Preorder now to experience a brand-new thrilling campaign, reworked multiplayer, and a new DMZ experience this October. Digital preorders unlock early access to the MW4 Campaign starting on October 16.View Deal
Get your first shot at Kill Block, the adaptive Multiplayer battleground, live at @FanaticsFest July 16-19 in NYC.Stay tapped in as we'll share more gameplay and details from the field. pic.twitter.com/d9daYaEAJlJuly 3, 2026
The original concept behind Kill Block was dreamed up by Multiplayer Creative Director Geoff Smith, who was inspired by the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid. The stadium is designed to have multiple arena floorings set on a rotating slab, allowing it to shift from a football stadium to a concert venue and back again while maintaining the various fields.
From concept to production, Kill Block eventually evolved into an adaptive training facility with a modular battleground that pieces together different slabs to create hundreds of unique map combinations. Designed to resemble a live-fire training environment, Kill Block is assembled from two end slabs with a central slab that pieces together map sections, both new and from iconic locations seen throughout Modern Warfare's rich history.
Infinity Ward shared an overview of how the engineering behind Kill Block works in a new blog post.
While Call of Duty is a video game, the team at Infinity Ward takes great pride in the real-world inspiration beyond the pixels. It would be easy enough for the development team to shrug off the hows and whys of the mechanics powering Kill Block as "It's just a game" and hope that the players could suspend disbelief enough to enjoy themselves. But Infinity Ward doesn't work that way, and the team has taken the engineering behind Kill Block very seriously.
Kill Block, which is set within the West Bridge Advanced Military Training Facility, is flanked along the perimeter by eight concrete towers that house the electronics, motors, and pulley systems that make the dynamic arena function. The map is functionally the size of the popular Shoot House map from Modern Warfare past, though its continuously evolving layout keeps things fresh with each new round.
The map's three slabs sit upon a network of rail-mounted wheel assemblies, known as 'bogies', that travel along tracks embedded above and below the training area. The map changes at the end of each round of Gunfight. When the active slab decouples from the others, it is lowered to a storage chamber beneath the arena for safekeeping. The motor then selects the new Slab and winches it into position before raising it to the surface. How's that for combat evolved, Halo?
Each slab effectively takes up one third of Kill Block's play space, and each one is completely self-contained while maintaining all the necessary openings to flow seamlessly into each other. While each team spawns on their respective endpoint, movement across all three slabs in the combo is unrestrained (and encouraged.)
Some slabs add more than just new buildings, trees, or other obstacles. Some are also fitted with military-grade weather simulation systems — introducing snow flurries, fog, and other conditions that affect not just the look of the map but also weapons.
Call of Duty as a franchise struggles to walk a tight line between feeding into the nostalgia of its long-time player base while allowing the developers the creative freedom to create fresh and new experiences that might lure new players in. One way the development teams have sought to bridge that gap is with remastered variants of once-popular multiplayer maps.
But leaning into an influx of remasters leaves players looking for something new out in the cold. After 5 different variants of Shipment and Shoothouse, both the fans and the players can find themselves struggling with the threat of Call of Duty fatigue. Kill Block is an interesting solution to that problem, introducing both the chaotic gunplay of a small map without leaning exclusively into the tried-and-true favorites.
Infinity Ward's multiplayer team has claimed that there are enough assets readily available for Kill Block to support up to 900 combos total, though at launch, players can expect roughly 500 to be live. The following slabs can be expected in the Kill Block rotation at launch, though some names may be changed:
In addition to the confirmed Kill Block slabs, Infinity Ward also teased imagery showing off combos for the dynamic map featuring parts of Station, Shoot House, Woods, and Killhouse. Additional maps and supported modes for Kill Block are expected to be added to the game during Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's seasonal content drops post-launch.
Members of the press and content creators alike were invited to Infinity Ward's studio for an early hands-on preview of Kill Block in action. During the preview, we were able to play matches of 10v10 Gunfight on Kill Block. The match would begin with the player teams each infilling on their respective end slabs with a loadout that had been randomly assembled by the game.
Gunfight is a round-based, one-life per player core mode, and the first interactions with Kill Block were surprisingly intimidating. There's an urge to explore the undeniably creative design of Kill Block and to understand all the machinations behind it. But doing so certainly puts you at risk of other players who aren't so interested in the aesthetics willing to pick you off as an easy target.
When you do get over the desire to ooh-and-aww over what Infinity Ward has managed to create out of Kill Block and decide to focus on the game, you'll find yourself quickly flung into intense combat against enemy players. As a long-time fan of small map playlists that throw you immediately into the line of danger, I was excited to feel that rush of instant action from Kill Block.
Infinity Ward's willingness to give fans of small maps something to sink their teeth into had interesting effects on the player base in Modern Warfare 2 (2022). There were considerable complaints on social media by players who felt the time between matches was too long in standard map playlists as players flocked to small map rotations in order to complete grindy camo challenges.
And yet, at the same time, there was a subset of players who love small maps so much they were even requesting Treyarch to introduce IW's beloved tiny map, Shipment, to the Black Ops series. (They didn't, but they did take a risk and go even smaller with the chaotic GRWM limited map during April Fools.)
Kill Block feels fresh and exciting and new, but it's serving multiple purposes for the split fan base that pines for nostalgic gameplay and laments continuous remasters simultaneously. Personally, Kill Block is one of my most anticipated new additions for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launches on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation 5, and the Nintendo Switch 2 on October 23, 2026. Players who preorder the game will unlock early access to the Open Beta and up to one week of early access to the Modern Warfare 4 campaign starting on October 16. Modern Warfare 4 is the first Call of Duty title to skip last-gen consoles, and the game will also not be included in Xbox Game Pass subscriptions until Holiday 2027.
The Vault Edition for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 includes the base game — complete with the campaign, multiplayer, and access to DMZ — as well as additional content that includes the Hostile Alliance Operator Pack, Special Forces Operator Pack, Signature Weapon Collection, 1 Season of BlackCell, and a DMZ Deployment Bonus. Preordering also unlocks early access to the Open Beta ahead of the game's launch, and 1 week of early access to the Campaign.View Deal
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Homegrown DDR5 memory from China, manufactured by ChangXing Memory Technologies, has been making the rounds lately as more and more vendors start legitimizing it. However, new testing from overclocker Safedisk, shared by Uniko's Hardware, purportedly shows that it actually carries inferior performance compared to similar options from SK Hynix, alongside significant variance in the silicon between different batches.
kingbank 2x24 6000c36 1.25 kit (cxmt 3gb dies) on asus c10amanual oc to 8600c44 mt 100%key characteristics of cxmt dies- dont scale with voltage- cant tighten timings- silicon variance appears to be massive between batches- not as strong as hynix when it comes to manual… pic.twitter.com/WNPRiHj233July 15, 2026
CXMT began producing DDR5 in late 2025 despite lacking any cutting-edge EUV lithography tools. Fast forward to today, and reports of the company matching Micron's memory capacity by this year are now floating around. If true, China would become the second-largest memory maker in the world. At such scale, it's no wonder that many companies in China have already started sourcing CXMT-made RAM to fill the gap in the consumer market.
Throughout 2026, we've seen motherboard manufacturers verify CXMT's DDR5 with official BIOS optimizations that allow it to run beyond 8,000 MT/s at this point. OEMs such as Dell and HP are using CXMT RAM in their region-bound systems, and even proper PC hardware companies like Corsair are using CXMT modules. Lexar, Kingbank, Netac, Asgard, Gloaway and more are also producing retail DDR5 kits with CXMT chips.
As such, the testing features a Kingbank 48GB (2x24) DDR5-6000 kit running at CL36 and found several weaknesses despite successfully achieving an 8,600 MT/s overclock at CL44. The first revelation is that CXMT modules don't scale with voltage, meaning you can't just increase voltage in hopes of achieving higher clocks. CXMT's DDR5 apparently doesn't respond well to tuning sub-timings either, forcing you to remain stuck with baseline CAS latency (or higher, like in this case).
Different batches of CXMT-equipped memory perform differently, too, so silicon lottery plays a much bigger role than it would with other vendors. Speaking of which, SK Hynix-made DDR5 modules allegedly performed better at identical clock speeds, while CXMT's modules were less susceptible to overclocking in general. We didn't get any comparative benchmarks for any metric, so take these claims with a grain of salt.
Overall, if Asus' testing is to be believed, it serves as counterprogramming against the popular narrative forming around China as the savior of consumer interests. CXMT's strength lies in the fact that it doesn't have to cater to opulent AI clients as much as the Big Three, which reduces opportunity cost, allowing CXMT to produce more DDR5 memory. That doesn't mean it would be cheaper, though, or at least no evidence has suggested that so far.
CXMT has remained limited to the Chinese region for now, and breaking through to the Western market would mean impressing a lot of skeptics. Not only would pricing play a big factor, but the reliability of a new DRAM manufacturer would raise serious concerns. Stories like these certainly don't help, but with CXMT's IPO on the way, it's only a matter of time before it becomes a serious mainstream contender.
ASRock is well known among PC enthusiasts for its graphics cards, motherboards, power supplies, and gaming monitors. Now, it has entered the market for liquid cooling solutions.
We’re looking at two of the company’s first AIOs here, the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and Steel Legend 360 LCD. Both of these liquid coolers feature 3.4-inch 480 x 480 displays for showing off animations and monitoring performance metrics. Aside from aesthetics, the main differences between the two are the included fans and radiator size. The Steel Legend 360 incorporates a standard 27 mm thick radiator, whereas the Phantom Gaming 360 uses a thicker-than-normal 32 mm radiator.
Let's take a look at the specifications and features of the coolers, then we’ll go over thermal and noise benchmarks and decide whether ASRock’s Phantom Gaming and Steel Legend AIOs deserve to make our list of the best CPU coolers.
Cooler | ASRock Phantom Gaming 360 | LCD/Steel Legend 360 LCD |
Colors | Black | White |
MSRP | $189.99 | $159.99 |
Lighting | CPU block, radiator, and fans | CPU block |
Warranty | 6 years | 2 years |
Socket Compatibility | AMD AM5/AM4 | Intel 1700/1851 |
Radiator dimensions | 397mm (L) x 120mm (W) x 32mm (H) | 397mm (L) x 120mm (W) x 27mm (H) |
Maximum TDP (Our Testing) | >260W with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D | >260W with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D |
▶️ 60hz 3.4-inch LCD display
Both the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and the Steel Legend 360 LCD include a 3.4-inch square IPS screen with a 480 x 480 resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate, with brightness rated at 250 nits.
To control and customize the screen, you’ll need to download ASRock’s Polychrome Display software. You have the option of selecting six preset themes, or you can build your own theme, and/or customize the individual elements shown on the display.
While I certainly wish there were more presets available, my biggest complaint using this software is the extreme file compatibility limits. If you’d like to upload a custom background, the image or video file needs to be less than 20 megabytes and 1080p or lower in resolution.
▶️ RAM Clearance
As with most liquid coolers, the design of both the Steel Legend and Phantom Gaming 360 has the CPU block set so it doesn’t overhang or interfere with the DIMM slots – ensuring that all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible.
▶️ VRM fan
Included on top of the CPU block is a 70 mm, 3,000 RPM fan designed to help keep your RAM and motherboard’s VRM modules cool. As you’ll see in our Karhu benchmarks, it does an excellent job of cooling these parts of your computer.
▶️ Thick CPU cold plate
The copper contact plate is unusually thick, like you’d more typically see in an AIO supporting AMD Threadripper or Intel Xeon server CPUs.
▶️ Color schemes and aesthetic
While they are similar in many ways, each of these AIOs has a different aesthetic, similar to what you’d see in the company’s motherboard lines. The Steel Legend might appeal to those who prefer simpler designs, with a white body and gray fan blades.
If you want flashy lighting, the Phantom Gaming 360 might be your thing. In addition to ARGB lighting on the fan blades, it also includes a lighting strip across the side of the radiator.
▶️ Radiator sizes: 32 mm and 27 mm
There are two primary technical differences between the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and the Steel Legend 360 LCD; one of those is the radiator size. The Steel Legend 360 LCD has a standard 27 mm radiator, whereas the Phantom Gaming 360 features a thicker 32 mm radiator.
▶️ 120 mm fans
There’s more to a liquid cooler than just the radiator and liquid pump. The included fans directly impact noise levels and cooling performance. This constitutes the second primary technical difference between the AIOs we’re reviewing today.
Both units include fans that are 28 mm thick and pre-installed for user convenience. The Steel Legend 360 features three individual 120 mm fans, with a white shell and gray blades.
The Phantom Gaming includes a fancier fan block instead of individual fans, and features ARGB lighting on the fan blades and a strip across the radiator. These fans aren’t as powerful – or as noisy – as the fans included with the Steel Legend, but this is balanced by the thicker 32 mm radiator included on the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD.
Steel Legend | Phantom Gaming | |
|---|---|---|
Fan Speed | 0 - 2500 ± 10% RPM | 0 - 2400 ± 10% RPM |
Airflow | 76.7 CFM | 61.28 CFM |
Air Pressure | 4.16 mmH20 | 3.11mmH20 |
The outer packaging is a bit flashy – at least, in comparison to your normal AIO box. It features a rendering of the cooler against a black background with streaks of purple hues.
The inner packaging is just as fresh as the outside, with each component of the cooling system well protected from the chaos that shipping can bring by using a combination of soft covers and individual cardboard walls for each component.
Included with the package are:
This section assumes you’ve already mounted the 360 mm radiator. Installation of AIOs is typically much easier when you have already secured the radiator to your computer case.
To begin putting things together, you’ll first need to remove the default AM4/5 retention from the motherboard.
The next step is to place the mounting bars on top of the studs, securing them with the included screws. The middle of the mounting bars includes a helpful image indicating the direction the bars should be installed, with an arrow pointing towards where the CPU should be.
Now you’ll want to apply the included thermal paste. If you’re not sure how to do that, we have a handy thermal paste application guide that covers the different methods you can use.
Afterwards, place the pump block against the CPU and mounting bars, and use a screwdriver to secure it. You should have the liquid tubing in the south position for best thermal performance.
The next step is to slide the LCD display on top of the VRM fan. To complete the AIO’s installation, you’ll want to connect the USB, PWM, and ARGB headers as appropriate – then you can power on your system.
We’ve tested coolers with both the Ryzen 9950X3D and its non-V-Cache sibling, the 9950X. There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events. While the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D is relatively balanced, the 9950X I used has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other, with a difference of over 10 degrees Celsius in some scenarios, shown below.
We’ve since returned to using a 9950X3D for cooler testing, as it has a more balanced heat profile, and is almost certainly a more widely adopted CPU. The benchmark results shared in these reviews may differ from others because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use. This means I generally test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods.
Many reviewers test coolers on open test benches, which have a combination of lesser airflow needs and lowered ambient temperatures. This results in making weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some also use generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect real-world cooler conditions.
CPU | |
GPU | |
RAM | |
Motherboard | |
Case |
Our latest testing setup uses the Flova F50 computer case from Tryx.
This case features a unique “crossflow” fan that pulls air from the side, which the company claims is more effective than traditional intake fans. For air cooling tests, we’ve added a single Noctua NF-A12 G2 intake fan.
We’re going to start this review’s benchmark section by focusing on a traditional maximum performance test, with the CPU cooler’s fans allowed to reach their fastest speeds for the best cooling possible.
Turning on PBO allows AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D to stretch its legs to an extent, and all air coolers I have tested with PBO enabled using MSI’s X870E Carbon Wifi motherboard reach the maximum CPU temperature of 95 degrees C (203 F) and thermally throttle to some extent.
The thermals of both ASRock AIOs are excellent, able to keep AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D under its peak temperature (TJ Max) in Cinebench R23 with PBO enabled – allowing for the best possible benchmark performance. Of particular note is the performance of ASRock’s Steel Legend 360; it maintained an average of 61.5C over ambient (83.5C), the best result we’ve seen on this test bench.
Some coolers perform well in maximum strength tests, but require running loudly to maintain said performance. The ASRock AIOs we tested reach 46.9 and 47.8 dBA, which is about average for most liquid coolers on the market.
For the next thermal test, I leave the motherboard settings at their defaults, which results in a power limit of 200W when running Cinebench R23.
When a standard power limit is imposed, the thermal differences between the two ASRock coolers close, with both coolers performing about the same. I measured 47.3 and 47.9 degrees over ambient, giving them the third- and fourth-best performing results from this test bench.
Our next test runs Cinebench on the CPU with a 150W power limit, while also running Furmark on MSI’s RTX 4070 Ti Super Ventus 3x OC. This causes the GPU to consume ~295W of power. This test is designed to emulate the thermals of games, which primarily stress the CPU and GPU.
ASRock’s Steel Legend stood out in this test, outperforming all other competitors, with an average temperature of 57.4 C (35.4 C above ambient). The Phantom Gaming AIO also performed well, taking the fourth-place spot.
But thermals are only part of the story. Noise levels, especially when you’re gaming, are far more important here. When tied to my motherboard’s default fan curve, ASRock’s Steel Legend 360 had a noise level measured at 39.2 dBA. The Phantom Gaming 360 LCD was just a hair louder, measuring 39.6 dBA.
Most testing is performed with the cooler tied to the default fan curve of our MSI X870E Carbon motherboard, but some prefer to see tests when the noise levels of coolers are equalized. This is especially important to those of you who prefer silent computers. This next test has the CPU cooler noise-normalized to 38.9 dBA, with PBO enabled for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU.
With recordings of 258.8 and 258.2W average CPU power consumption, ASRock’s AIOs perform essentially on par with each other while noise-normalized.
Your CPU cooler does not operate in isolation. It has an impact on not just your CPU’s temperatures, but also the other components in your build, like your RAM and GPU. To that end, I’ve run the Karhu RAM stress test. This places a load of ~153W on the CPU and ensures system RAM (DDR5 in my case) is fully stable. In this type of scenario, most AIOs tend to produce worse results than air coolers.
DDR5 temperatures were excellent in this test, with averages of 20.9 C (Steel Legend) and 21.5 C (Phantom Gaming) recorded. Of the AIOs I’ve tested on this configuration, only Silverstone’s IceMyst Pro with its unique stackable fans performs better.
We’ve also included a chart showing the CPU temperatures in this test, and thermal performance was strong – outperforming air coolers by ~5 degrees C. But I haven’t recorded this data for other AIOs yet.
ASRock’s Steel Legend 360 LCD and Phantom Gaming 360 LCD are both strong coolers, well suited to heat-intensive CPUs like AMD’s Ryzen 9950X3D or Intel’s Core i9-14900K.
Of the two ASRock AIOs, I would recommend the Steel Legend 360 LCD for users who want the best thermal performance possible (and a lower price tag). It might lack the thicker 32 mm radiator included with the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD, but its included fans are stronger, and as a result provide lower CPU temperatures and quieter noise levels in common scenarios. Still, at around $160, the Steel Legend is far from the most affordable AIO with a display, and it’s only available in white.
Intel has entered high-volume manufacturing using ASML's High NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology for a subset of its Intel Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" processors, becoming the first company to ship high-volume logic products manufactured with the technology. ASML announced the milestone in an official press release on Wednesday, July 15, confirming that Intel Foundry is running the qualified High NA layers on its Intel 18A process node in Oregon.
According to ASML, Intel is using High NA EUV to pattern selected Intel 18A layers, with products already shipping to customers at yields matched to those achieved on ASML's existing NXE EUV platform. These layers are dual-qualified, meaning the same layer can be exposed on either an existing 0.33 NA NXE scanner or a 0.55 NA EXE scanner, with the resulting wafers being interchangeable.
High NA EUV has long been viewed as the successor to today's EUV lithography, promising to extend semiconductor scaling by enabling manufacturers to print smaller, denser circuit patterns that are becoming difficult to achieve with existing tools. Until now, the platform had been confined to R&D work. ASML’s announcement marks the first time High NA EUV has been used to produce and ship a high-volume commercial logic product.
Panther Lake, built on the Intel 18A manufacturing process, is spearheading this transition. Rather than replacing the company's entire lithography flow, Intel is applying High NA EUV to specific layers while the remainder of the chip continues to be manufactured using conventional lithography.
High NA EUV builds on the same 13.5-nanometer extreme ultraviolet light used by today's scanners but increases the optical system's numerical aperture (NA) — how much light a lens system can collect and focus onto a silicon wafer — from 0.33 to 0.55. The higher value resolves finer features in a single exposure, allowing chipmakers to print smaller patterns with greater precision and process control.
This increased resolution is expected to reduce reliance on complex multi-patterning techniques for some of the industry's most demanding layers, thereby simplifying manufacturing and improving feature fidelity. In the long term, these capabilities are expected to support higher transistor densities and improved performance in future processors, particularly as AI workloads continue driving demand for increasingly advanced semiconductor technologies.
"With increased resolution and better process control, the introduction of High NA EUV marks a substantial development in semiconductor lithography," said ASML President and CEO Christophe Fouquet. "We are proud to play a role in enabling the smaller, denser patterning that will accelerate advancements in AI and other emerging technologies."
Intel and ASML have been working towards this milestone for several years. In 2024, Intel completed installation of one of the industry's first commercial High NA EUV lithography systems, the TWINSCAN EXE:5000, at its Hillsboro, Oregon, research and development facility. The company later became the first to qualify ASML's second-generation TWINSCAN EXE:5200B, which increases wafer throughput and overlay accuracy while incorporating an improved EUV light source over its predecessor.
While the announcement represents High NA EUV's commercial debut, it does not mean Panther Lake is manufactured entirely using the new lithography platform. Instead, Intel has qualified High NA for selected layers, an approach that mirrors how new lithography generations are typically introduced into advanced semiconductor production before broader adoption across future nodes.
Intel Foundry Executive Vice President and General Manager Naga Chandrasekaran said that qualifying the High NA process option on selected Intel 18A product layers enables the company's existing tool fleet to deliver higher manufacturing output while providing flexibility for future process technologies.
Panther Lake itself is not a future product. Intel launched Core Ultra Series 3 at CES on January 5, 2026, opened preorders the following day, and put systems on shelves globally from January 27. The Core Ultra X9 378H followed in April alongside the value-tier Core Series 3, code-named Wildcat Lake, and the handheld-focused Arc G3 parts arrived on May 28.
The announcement’s statement that the product is shipping to customers refers to wafer flow from the fab into the supply chain, rather than to a product launch. ASML says the two companies will continue working on High NA readiness, with the flexibility to incorporate the technology into future nodes based on customer needs — most immediately, Intel 14A, which Intel has designed to use High NA on a set of its tightest-pitch layers.
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Kylian Mbappe‘s latest season has ended without a major trophy for either club or country, placing the Real Madrid and France superstar in unfamiliar territory. Compared with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, whose careers have become synonymous with winning, Mbappe now faces growing questions about whether this difficult spell is merely a temporary setback or the beginning of a larger challenge.
The France national team also finishes the campaign without silverware after the dissappointing 2026 World Cup exit, adding to the disappointment after Real Madrid fell short in every major competition. Individual brilliance has never been in doubt, but soccer’s biggest prizes have once again slipped away from one of the game’s brightest stars.
Mbappe arrived at Real Madrid in summer 2024 carrying enormous expectations after years of success with Paris Saint-Germain. Although he has continued to score at an elite level, his first two seasons in Spain have both ended without a major collective trophy, despite winning consecutive Pichichi awards and scoring 86 goals in his first 103 appearances for Los Blancos.
The French forward also misses out on this year’s Ballon d’Or race after Madrid failed to capture La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, the Copa del Rey, or the Spanish Super Cup, while France also ends the international campaign empty-handed.
However, Mbappe has now completed exactly two senior trophyless seasons, both coming consecutively during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns. Before joining Madrid, he had collected 18 major trophies, including the 2018 World Cup and multiple Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe’s current drought inevitably invites comparisons with the two players who have defined modern soccer for nearly two decades.
Even though Lionel Messi built one of the most decorated careers in soccer history, he also endured periods when Barcelona failed to lift silverware. The Argentine completed three trophyless seasons during his senior career: 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2019-20. His longest barren spell lasted two consecutive campaigns before everything changed under Pep Guardiola.
| Season | Club | Trophies Won |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | Barcelona | 0 |
| 2019-20 | Barcelona | 0 |
Following those difficult years, Messi spearheaded Barcelona’s historic 2008-09 sextuple, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. Years later, after the disappointment of 2019-20, he inspired Argentina to win the 2021 Copa America before finally lifting the 2022 World Cup.
| Category | Record |
|---|---|
| Senior Career Seasons | 20+ |
| Trophyless Seasons | 2 |
| Trophyless Rate | Only 2 seasons without silverware |
| Longest Trophy Drought | 2019-20 season |
| First Trophyless Season | 2007-08 (Barcelona) |
Cristiano Ronaldo also discovered that sustained success is never guaranteed, regardless of individual excellence. The Portuguese legend experienced multiple trophyless campaigns, beginning with his early Manchester United years before later enduring difficult seasons during his return to Old Trafford and the start of his Saudi Arabian adventure.
His setbacks, however, were followed by equally remarkable rebounds. After his first barren season, Ronaldo became the centerpiece of Manchester United’s dominant era, helping the club win three consecutive Premier League titles, the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League, and his first Ballon d’Or.
| Season | Club | Trophies Won |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | Manchester United | 0 |
| 2009-10 | Real Madrid | 0 |
| 2021-22 | Manchester United | 0 |
| 2022-23 | Al-Nassr | 0 |
Later, after Real Madrid’s disappointing 2014-15 season, Ronaldo responded by leading the Spanish giant to three consecutive Champions League titles, cementing his legacy as one of the competition’s greatest performers.
| Category | Record |
|---|---|
| Senior Career Seasons | 20+ |
| Trophyless Seasons | 4 |
| Clubs During Trophyless Seasons | Manchester United (2), Real Madrid (1), Al-Nassr (1) |
| Longest Trophy Drought | 2009-10 to 2010-11 period before winning Copa del Rey |
| First Trophyless Season | 2004-05 (Manchester United) |
Despite Madrid’s collective struggles, Mbappe has remained among soccer’s most productive attackers. He finished the latest campaign with 42 goals across all competitions, while continuing to rank among Europe’s leading scorers.
His consistency mirrors situations Messi and Ronaldo also experienced during their careers. Messi famously scored 51 goals during the 2018-19 season, while Ronaldo struck 55 goals in 2012-13 and 61 goals in 2014-15, yet both campaigns ended with disappointment because their clubs failed to secure the biggest prizes available.
Despite having been full of criticism, England have remained one of the hardest teams to beat at the 2026 World Cup. Being solid in defense, they managed to reach the semifinals, where they will face Argentina. In a match full of history, the Three Lions will look to reach the final for the first time in many years. However, head coach Thomas Tuchel faces the difficult absence of Jarell Quansah, for the second consecutive game.
Jarell Quansah is in full physical condition with England. However, he will be absent after receiving a straight red card in the match against Mexico, being suspended for two matches. Even though they tried to appeal, FIFA rejected it, upholding his suspension. If the Three Lions advance to the tournament final, he could return to the roster, having the chance to start or come off the bench.
While Reece James returns to the roster from his injury, he could be a starter despite that he is reportedly not at full fitness. However, he will look to make an impact and regain his playing continuity. Therefore, Thomas Tuchel could once again be forced to readjust his lineup during the game, giving Ezri Konsa or John Stones a chance to play in the at right back.
England lose a major attacking asset without Reece James in plein form or Jarell Quansah at right back. Therefore, Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke need to take on a bigger role out wide, as they will be on their own to create space. In addition, Elliot Anderson or Jude Bellingham will be key in providing support and creating a possession triangle that allows them to break down Argentina’s defense. Nevertheless, the key remains Harry Kane.
Argentina are one of the best national teams at the 2026 World Cup. Led by their midfield, they press high and dominate the attacking phase. With this in mind, England come into the match with a clear objective: To dominate the midfield in order to limit their opponent. If they manage to do so, they would shine with their play down the wings, taking advantage of the space in behind to look for goals.
To secure the victory, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson need to shine again, as they struggled quite a bit against Norway and were very limited. Not only do they need to return to their best form, but so does Harry Kane, who has a more creative role on the pitch. With them performing well, Jude Bellingham could shine again in front of goal, dominating possession and taking advantage of space or mistakes in the build-up play.
The second semifinal of the 2026 World Cup takes place at Atlanta Stadium, where England and Argentina meet for the tournament’s second and final spot in Sunday’s showpiece, where Spain await for their rival.
Argentina reached this stage by beating Switzerland in the overtime of the quarterfinals, a result that kept the defending champions’ title defense alive and extended their unbeaten run through the knockout rounds.
For this crucial match, Lionel Messi will start and once again captain Argentina, standing as the team’s key figure as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with eight goals, level with Kylian Mbappe.
On England‘s side, the Three Lions advanced to the semifinals after beating Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinals, with a brace from Jude Bellingham. For this match, star man Harry Kane will start and captain the Europeans in their bid to reach the final.
For this match, Thomas Tuchel’s biggest dilemma centers on the right side of defense, where Jarell Quansah won’t be available due to a suspension, with Reece James or Djed Spence in line to fill in for him.
England’s confirmed starting XI: Jordan Pickford; Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane.
Lionel Scaloni has kept his cards close to the chest, having trialed a back-five system in training that would bring Nicolas Otamendi into the defense at the expense of Rodrigo De Paul. Scaloni has suggested he could still spring a surprise, though the more heavily backed option keeps the same shape that got past Switzerland.
Argentina’s confirmed starting XI: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Giuliano Simeone, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez.
Galatasaray, Lesley Ugochukwu ile sözleşme imzaladı! Sarı-kırmızılılar, 3.5 milyon euro kiralama bedeli ödeyeceği Fransız orta sahanın 25.8 milyon euro'luk satın alma opsiyonunu ise 18 maçta oynama şartına bağladı.
Galatasaray, orta saha transferinde bombayı patlattı. Sarı-kırmızılılar, Burnley'nin genç yıldızı Lesley Ugochukwu ile sözleşme imzaladı. Transferin detayları belli olurken, resmi KAP açıklamasının her an gelmesi bekleniyor.
Fransız basınından Le Parisien'in aktardığı bilgilere göre, Galatasaray bu büyük transferi son derece stratejik şartlarla bitirdi.
Galatasaray, genç oyuncu için 3,5 milyon euro kiralama bedeli ödeyecek. Sözleşmede 25,8 milyon euro değerinde bir satın alma opsiyonu bulunuyor. Bu dev satın alma opsiyonu, Ugochukwu'nun bu sezon Galatasaray formasıyla en az 18 maçta süre alması durumunda zorunlu hale gelecek.
Kulüpler arasındaki resmi imzalar atıldı. Evrak işlerinin tamamlanmasıyla birlikte transferin kısa süre içinde resmen duyurulması ve oyuncunun İstanbul'a gelmesi bekleniyor.
Galatasaray ile yollarını ayıran Mauro Icardi için Güney Amerika'dan resmi adımlar atılıyor. Brezilya temsilcisi Sao Paulo, tecrübeli golcüyü kadrosuna katmak adına oyuncu cephesiyle görüşmelere başladı.
Galatasaray formasıyla gösterdiği performansla taraftarın sevgilisi haline gelen ve sözleşmesinin sona ermesinin ardından geleceği merak konusu olan Mauro Icardi için Brezilya basınından flaş bir iddia ortaya atıldı.
Nahuel Ferreira'nın aktardığı bilgilere göre, Brezilya'nın köklü kulüplerinden Sao Paulo, Arjantinli santrforu transfer listesinin ilk sırasına ekledi. Brezilya temsilcisinin, Icardi'nin temsilcileriyle ilk temasları gerçekleştirdiği ve oyuncuyu kadrosuna katma isteğini resmi kanallardan ilettiği belirtildi.
Icardi'nin kariyerine Brezilya'da devam etme fikrine sıcak baktığı ifade ediliyor. Tecrübeli futbolcunun, Güney Amerika'ya dönmesinin ailesine daha yakın bir yaşam imkanı sunacağını düşündüğü ve bu nedenle Sao Paulo'dan gelecek olası bir teklifi ciddiyetle değerlendirmeye hazır olduğu kaydedildi.
TRANSFERDEKİ RAKİPLER VE MALİ KRİTERLER
Mauro Icardi için transfer piyasası oldukça hareketli geçiyor. Arjantinli oyuncuyla Türkiye'den bir kulübün yanı sıra Avrupa'dan üç farklı ekibin de ilgilendiği öğrenildi. Ancak transfer sürecindeki en büyük engel, Icardi'nin talep ettiği maaş seviyesi olarak öne çıkıyor.
Haberde, söz konusu kulüplerin oyuncunun beklentilerini karşılamakta zorlandığı ve maaş konusunda henüz istenen seviyeye yaklaşamadıkları vurgulandı.
MHP Genel Başkanı Devlet Bahçeli'yi makamında ziyaret eden milli futbolcu Merih Demiral, Bahçeli'ye kendi formasını hediye etti.
A Milli Takım'ın futbolcusu Merih Demiral, Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi Genel Başkanı Devlet Bahçeli, İçişleri Bakanı Mustafa Çiftçi, eski Dışişleri Bakanı Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu ve Ülkü Ocakları Başkanı Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım'ı ziyaret etti.
Merih Demiral: "Bugün, Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi Genel Başkanı Sayın Devlet Bahçeli, İçişleri Bakanımız Sayın Mustafa Çiftçi, önceki dönem Dışişleri Bakanımız ve Antalya Milletvekili Sayın Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu ile Ülkü Ocakları Eğitim ve Kültür Vakfı Genel Başkanı Sayın Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım’ı ziyaret ederek bir araya gelme fırsatı buldum.
Nazik kabulleri, samimi misafirperverlikleri ve kıymetli sohbetleri için kendilerine teşekkür ediyor, çalışmalarında başarılar diliyorum."
Süper Lig'de 2026/2027 sezonunun ilk hafta maçlarının programları belli oldu. Konuyla ilgili olarak TFF'den paylaşım geldi.
Trendyol Süper Lig'de 1. hafta programı açıklandı. Geçtiğimiz sezonun şampiyonu Galatasaray, açılış maçında cuma günü Çorum FK'yı konuk edecek. Haftanın kapanış karşılaşması ise pazartesi günü Samsunspor-Göztepe maçıyla olacak.
Trendyol Süper Lig'in 1. haftasının programı şöyle:
14 Ağustos Cuma
21.30 Galatasaray - Çorum FK
15 Ağustos Cumartesi
19.00 Konyaspor - Çaykur Rizespor
19.00 Kasımpaşa - Trabzonspor
21.30 Gaziantep FK - Corendon Alanyaspor
21.30 Gençlerbirliği - Fenerbahçe
16 Ağustos Pazar
19.00 Başakşehir - Kocaelispor
21.30 Amed Sportif Faaliyetler - Erzurumspor FK
21.30 Beşiktaş - Eyüpspor
17 Ağustos Pazartesi
21.30 Samsunspor - Göztepe
Trendyol Süper Lig ekiplerinden Eyüpspor, Faslı stoper Jawad El Yamiq'i kadrosuna kattığını duyurdu.
Eflatun-sarılı kulüpten yapılan açıklamada, "Kulübümüz, Jawad El Yamiq ile sözleşme imzalamıştır. Jawad El Yamiq'e eflatun-sarılı formamız altında başarılarla dolu bir kariyer diliyor, camiamıza hoş geldin diyoruz." ifadeleri kullanıldı.
Jawad El Yamiq, son olarak İspanya 2. Futbol Ligi ekibi Real Zaragoza'da forma giydi.
Beşiktaş Erkek Basketbol Takımı, forvet Eugene Omoruyi'yi kadrosuna kattığını duyurdu.
Siyah-beyazlı kulüpten yapılan açıklamada, "Beşiktaş Basketbol Takımımız, yeni sezon transfer çalışmaları kapsamında Nijerya asıllı Kanadalı forvet Eugene Omoruyi ile sözleşme imzaladı. NCAA'de Oregon formasıyla tamamladığı kolej kariyerinin ardından 2021 yılında profesyonel kariyerine Dallas Mavericks formasıyla adım atan Omoruyi, NBA'de ayrıca Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards gibi kulüplerde forma giydi. Geride bıraktığımız sezonu İspanya'da Baskonia formasıyla tamamlayan 1,98 boyundaki Omoruyi'ye Beşiktaş ailesine 'hoş geldin' der, şanlı formamızla üstün başarılar dileriz." denildi.
Fenerbahçe'nin yeni dünya yıldızı Mason Greenwood yarın İstanbul'a ayak basıyor! Havalimanındaki tarihi buluşma sadece dev bir transfer şovuna değil; Aziz Yıldırım'ın birleştirme sözünün ardından GFB ile tribünlerde yeni bir barış döneminin başlayıp başlamayacağını gösterecek ilk büyük sınava sahne olacak.
Fenerbahçe’nin yeni dünya yıldızı Mason Greenwood, sarı-lacivertli formayı giymek üzere İstanbul’a geliyor. Kulüpten yapılan resmi açıklamaya göre İngiliz futbolcu, 16 Temmuz Perşembe günü saat 16.50’de İstanbul Havalimanı’na (IST) iniş yapacak.
Sarı-lacivertli kulüp, taraftarların yeni transferi coşkuyla ve düzen içinde karşılayabilmesi için tüm detayları paylaştı. Pasaport işlemlerinin ardından Genel Havacılık Terminali kapısından çıkış yapacak olan Greenwood için taraftarların doğrudan bu alana yönelmesi ve güvenlik güçlerinin talimatlarına uyması önemle rica edildi.
Fenerbahçe taraftarının havalimanına akın etmesi beklenirken, karşılamanın merkezinde hangi taraftar grubunun olacağı soru işareti. Aziz Yıldırım sonrası dönemde bu tarz organizasyonlarda başrolü üstlenen GFB, yarın Greenwood için de havalimanında olacak mı merakla bekleniyor.
Yarınki görkemli karşılama, sadece bir transfer buluşması olmanın ötesinde Fenerbahçe tribünlerinin geleceği açısından da tarihi bir viraj niteliği taşıyor.
Seçim döneminde camiayı ve taraftarları birleştirme sözü veren Aziz Yıldırım'ın bu vaadinin ardından, yeni sezonda tribünlerin nasıl şekilleneceği merak konusuydu. Kendisinden sonraki süreçte tribünlerin liderliğini üstlenen GFB ile kurulacak köprüler ve yarın havalimanında sergilenecek ortak duruş, 2026-2027 sezonundaki tribün bütünleşmesine doğrudan ışık tutabilir.
Trabzonspor'da Eren Mert depremi! Başarılı scout şefi, veda mesajındaki zehir zemberek ifadelerle istifa etti: Peki yeni adresi Galatasaray mı olacak?
Trabzonspor’un uzun süredir scout şefliğini yürüten Eren Mert, görevinden istifa ettiğini açıkladı. Nisan ayında Galatasaray’ın, Mert ve ekibine mevcut imkanlarının 10 katı bir teklif sunduğuna dair iddiaların ardından gelen bu ayrılık, bordo-mavili camiada büyük ses getirdi.
Eren Mert veda mesajında yer alan "Gelinen noktada uyumlu çalışma ortamının mümkün gözükmemesi nedeniyle görevime devam etmenin doğru olmayacağı kanaatine vardım" ifadesi, teknik heyetle yaşanan derin fikir ayrılıklarını gözler önüne serdi. Tecrübeli futbol aklının, veda yazısında teknik direktör Fatih Tekke ve ekibine değinmeyip sadece Başkan Ertuğrul Doğan ile taraftarlara teşekkür etmesi, kulüp içindeki krizin adresi olarak teknik kadroyu işaret ettiği şeklinde yorumlandı.
Bu kritik istifa, Galatasaray’ın Nisan ayından beri yürüttüğü transfer girişimlerinin başarıya ulaştığı yönündeki iddiaları güçlendirdi. Trabzonspor’un transferlerindeki "akıl küpü" olarak görülen Eren Mert’in, kısa süre içinde sarı-kırmızılı kulüple resmi sözleşme imzalayarak İstanbul’un yolunu tutması bekleniyor.
Xbox's planned 3,200 layoffs by July 2027 are already easily the biggest round of layoffs the industry has ever seen if taken at mere face value, but Bloomberg's Jason Schreier argues that's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. In a new YouTube video, the journalist highlights the "hidden cuts" of the many contractors that were linked to a canceled project. Nowadays, triple-A game development involves several studios working together, some of which are external. For example, he reveals that the Perfect Dark reboot wasn't developed solely by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics: sister studio Eidos Montréal was also involved, […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-3200-layoffs-hidden-cuts-contractors-schreier/
In a development that comes on the proverbial heels of China's formal approval of Apple Intelligence features for the country's consumers, Alibaba has notified that its Qwen family of AI models will be integrated into Apple Intelligence, bringing AI-powered experiences for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS users. Users in China will now be able to access Qwen’s entire range of AI capabilities, including text, image, and content generation, directly on Apple devices Alibaba has now officially confirmed that users in China will be able to access its Qwen AI models via Apple devices, going on to note in a statement: […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-intelligence-turns-to-alibabas-qwen-in-china-even-as-apple-is-likely-to-reserve-its-private-compute-secret-sauce-for-itself/
Although FromSoftware is known for keeping a very tight lid on its projects, the silence surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods is getting deafening. After resurfacing during last month's Nintendo Direct, we have learned that a closed network test is scheduled for this Summer, and today we have finally learned when the Japanese development studio, will lift the veil from the game it reportedly spent the most time on to date. "We will be hosting a network test for The Duskbloods on Nintendo Switch 2 from Aug. 21 (Fri.) - Aug. 24 (Mon.). Participant registration will begin on […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/fromsoftware-lifts-veil-the-duskbloods-august-21-network-test/
Physical copies of PlayStation games are coming to an end from January 2028, and as the backlash around that continues, a restoration of physical media on PC has been discovered — and it's novel to say the least.
A Steam user on Reddit has managed to store games on 'cheap 2.5-inch' SATA SSDs, effectively acting as old-school 'game cartridges' with key art, and a script that auto-navigates Steam to each game's page. The user also notes that automatically starting games from each drive is possible.
This comes amid a significant uproar from gamers following the revelation of Sony's plan to eradicate physical game discs, supposedly by the time its next PlayStation console arrives. It's a very controversial move that has united gamers across all platforms to fight to retain discs and to ensure game ownership remains intact.
With that said, physical media for PC has been dead for a long while, since a modern desktop PC doesn't come with a disc drive, and there are hardly any publishers selling physical copies for the platform.
With most games only accessible digitally on PC, in theory those titles can be taken away from buyers at any time. The trouble is that consumer-friendly figures like Gabe Newell, who leads Valve, the owner of Steam, won't be in charge forever.
So in the future, under new leadership, it's possible more anti-consumer measures might be introduced, or other aspects of PC gaming that consumers dislike, such as DRM (like Denuvo).
Steam Game Cartridges from r/pcmasterrace
Imagine if this 'game cartridge' system was adopted by PC game publishers? It's a smart idea, and a nice thought, but clearly not a realistic one. For starters, it'd be a prohibitively expensive method of reintroducing physical PC game copies.
Of course, platforms like Epic Games and Steam require users to be logged in and have their app installed to play games, so it's still a long way off true game copy ownership, anyway.
However, this concept would be paired perfectly with GOG, a platform that is DRM-free and doesn't require the launcher to play purchased games — in other words, you fully own purchased games on GOG.
Admittedly, publishers releasing PC game cartridges in the form of SSDs is a pipe dream, especially with the current state of the hardware market, and the RAM crisis, complete with skyrocketing SSD prices.
The idea comes at the wrong time, then, but if the RAM crisis ever settles down, then maybe this is something we'll see more PC hobbyists doing — and perhaps even the odd publisher.
It's going to be another 18 months before we finally get to see The Batman Part II.
The long in development comic book movie, whose release date had already been pushed back twice, is now not set to land in theaters until February 18, 2028. Anyone who had hoped to see The Batman Part II on its previously revised release date on October 1, 2027, then, is going to be seriously disappointed.
A post shared by Matt Reeves (@mattreevesla)
A photo posted by on
News of The Batman sequel's latest launch date came by way of a new video that director Matt Reeves shared on his social media channels. The footage, which gives us our first look at the returning Robert Pattinson as the titular vigilante in Reeves' next Batman film, ends with the revelation of the adjusted release date.
By the time this DC comic book project lands on the big screen, then, almost six years will have passed since its predecessor made its own theatrical debut. That's a long time to make fans wait for the hotly-anticipated follow-up.
It would be remiss of me not to say that movie delays happen all of the time, so word of The Batman Part II's latest launch setback is, especially for a film that's taken a long time to get off the ground for myriad reasons, to be expected.
Nevertheless, it's going to have a huge impact on James Gunn and Peter Safran's nascent DC Universe (DCU), which is already reeling from its first major dud in Supergirl.
Indeed, Gunn has said time and again that the DCU's Batman — and, by proxy, his DCU Chapter One solo film in The Brave and the Bold — won't see the light of day until The Batman Part II has premiered.
The reason? While Gunn says audiences are intelligent enough to understand that Reeves' Bat-Verse and the DCU are separate entities, he doesn't want two Batmans running amok in cinemas at the same time. Now that The Batman 2 won't come out until early 2028, though, we aren't likely to see the DCU's Dark Knight until 2029 at the very earliest.
That doesn't mean Gunn, Safran, and company won't be working on The Brave and The Bold in the meantime. What it does mean, though, is that the wait for one of DC Comics' so-called Holy Trinity will not only drag on for ever longer, but DC Studios' co-heads will have to continue fielding questions about the timeline for the Caped Crusader's unveiling in their cinematic franchise. In that regard, can't say I envy them.
Anyway, feel free to find out everything we know so far about The Batman Part II while you're here. Alternatively, vote in the poll above to let me know what you think of the movie's latest delay.
EA Sports Madden NFL 27, the next entry in the blockbuster football franchise, is just around the corner — but you won't need a pricey console to play it. That's because an exclusive version is coming to Apple Arcade that you'll be able to dive into right from your iPhone when it arrives on August 6.
Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is an exclusive version of the game designed specifically for Apple Arcade with zero ads or microtransactions. It features a range of teams and the latest NFL player rosters, with 11-on-11 gameplay on the field that's intended to be as authentic as possible while offering streamlined controls for mobile play. There's also plenty of franchise management, putting you in charge of trades, free agents, and more.
As you play through each season, a newly introduced 'Narrative Messaging System' will challenge you with new events with decisions that can impact player performance and force you to adapt to the consequences.
Aside from the flagship Franchise mode, you'll also be able to dive into Quick Play or try a selection of custom-themed franchises with their own handcrafted narratives that are changed on a monthly basis.
Regarding the announcement, EA vice president of franchise strategy and marketing Evan Dexter argued that "Apple Arcade is the perfect home for Madden" and "matches the complete, no-compromise experience we’ve built." He added: "the future of football is now in your hands.”
In addition to iPhone, the game will also be available on iPad, Mac, and Apple TV if you prefer to slump on your couch while you play. This is the first mobile Madden NFL game to offer full mobile controller support as well, giving you a truly console-quality experience if you have the compatible hardware.
The title joins a number of other sports games that are already available on the service, including NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition and Football Manager 26 Touch — a selection that senior director of Apple Arcade Alex Rofman said means "Apple Arcade delivers an unmatched lineup of sports games for every kind of fan".
The service is available for $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$9.99 or $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$9.99 a year or as part of all tiers of the pricier Apple One bundle.
If you want home backup power without a bulky, heavy unit taking up a corner of the garage, this is a genuinely good price for it. Right now, the Anker Solix S2000 is $600 (was $1199) at Amazon — a massive 50% off on a 2kWh power station built specifically for keeping essentials running through an outage.
The headline feature here is the size-to-capacity ratio. At 35.7lbs and roughly the footprint of a large kitchen bin, the S2000 packs in 2,010Wh of LiFePO4 capacity in a chassis around 30% smaller and 25% lighter than typical 2kWh power stations. That matters if you're planning to keep this somewhere specific in the house rather than store it in a garage.
2010Wh | 1500W
Anker's portable power station comes with a well-sized 2010Wh battery capacity rated for 10,000 charge cycles, 1,500W continuous AC output (3,000W peak), and a 10-millisecond UPS switchover. For me, the stand-out here is that the unit is rated for up to 35 hours of fridge backup. Recharges via wall outlet, solar (up to 400W), car outlet, generator, or alternator charger. Measures 8.2 x 11.1 x 12.7in and weighs 35.7lbs.View Deal
Anker's OptiSave system is the other notable piece of engineering. It drops the unit's active idle power draw down to around 6W with the AC outlets enabled, and roughly 2W with everything switched off — well below the 14-20W idle draw typical of competing 2kWh stations. Since a backup power station mostly sits idle waiting for an outage, or cycles a fridge compressor on and off, that lower standby drain translates into meaningfully more real-world runtime rather than just a better spec sheet number.
Port placement is a small but genuinely useful design choice: two AC outlets sit on the back for always-on gear like a fridge or router, while three more AC outlets plus USB-C and USB-A ports sit on the front for everyday devices. That split keeps cables from getting tangled if you're running multiple things at once, and the 10ms UPS switchover means a connected computer or router won't even blink when the grid drops.
The 10,000-cycle LiFePO4 battery is rated for roughly 15 years of typical use, which is close to double the cycle rating most mainstream power stations in this capacity class advertise — a genuine long-term value argument if you're planning to keep this around rather than replace it after a few years.
Important notes: the S2000 caps out at 1,500W continuous output, so it's not the right choice if you need to run power tools, space heaters, or other high-draw appliances — Anker's own larger Solix units handle that heavier lifting. Solar input is also capped at 400W, lower than some rivals that accept 600-1,000W, so it's better suited to topping up with a single panel than building out a larger solar array. And with only two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, it's clearly built around AC backup duty first, device charging second.
For anyone who wants dependable home backup without the bulk of a typical 2kWh unit, the SOLIX S2000 at $599.99 is a strong buy.
1070Wh | 1500W
We recommend this one for camping this summer - it's practically built for the job. In our review, it also earned top marks, making it one of the best of its class. View Deal
1024Wh | 1800W
Earning top marks in our tests, we awarded this portable power station an Editor's Choice badge thanks to its compact design, versatile charging options, and robust performance. View Deal
1024Wh | 2000W
A complete portable power setup in one purchase. The C1000X Gen 2 packs 1024Wh capacity with a 2000W continuous output (3000W peak with SurgePad). And it charges from flat to full in 49 minutes via wall outlet — the fastest recharge in its class, certified by Guinness World Records. The included 100W bifacial solar panel captures sunlight from both sides, giving you roughly 15–20% more power output than a standard single-sided panel. View Deal
If you're anything like me, one of the biggest frustrations with printing is the cost of ink. Over time, it can easily cost more than the printer itself, making refillable ink tank models an increasingly popular choice. They're built to keep running costs down while reducing the hassle of replacing ink cartridges on a regular basis.
So this deal immediately stood out to me. The HP Smart Tank 5101 all-in-one printer is down to $190 (was $260) at Amazon, saving you $70.10. In the UK, it's known as the HP Smart Tank 5107, and it's discounted to £150 (was £210) at Amazon.
Instead of relying on traditional cartridges, this model uses ink tanks that hold enough ink to print thousands of pages before needing a refill. Best of all, it comes with up to two years of ink in the box, so it will be ages before you need to spend out.
Refillable ink tanks and up to two years of included ink help keep printing costs low, while wireless printing, scanning, copying, AI-assisted page formatting, and mess-free refills make everyday printing simple and reliable at home.
In the UK: now £150 (was £210)View Deal
Refilling the ink is easy because the bottles slot directly into the tanks and empty automatically without needing a squeeze or creating a mess, removing one of the biggest frustrations people have with refillable printers.
Printing speeds reach up to 12ppm in black and 5ppm in color, while the built-in scanner and copier mean it can handle far more than simple printing tasks. Wireless connectivity over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi lets everyone in the house or small office send jobs without plugging into a computer.
HP also says the Smart Tank 5101 continues producing sharp text and rich colors without the complicated maintenance routines often associated with ink tank printers.
Auto Power On helps reduce waiting around by waking the printer the moment a job is received, while borderless printing adds extra flexibility for photos, invitations, and creative projects.
Another useful addition is HP AI formatting, which automatically cleans up web pages and emails before printing, removing unnecessary content and awkward page breaks, stopping you wasting paper on unwanted content.
For the price, the Smart Tank 5101 is not only much cheaper than normal, it also comes with enough ink to keep many households printing for a very long time.
If your current printer burns through ink far too quickly, or you're thinking of buying your first all-in-one model, this is a terrific choice to get you started.
For more options, check out our round up of the best ink tank printers you can buy, as well as the best home printers.
This all-in-one inkjet printer prints, scans and copies while offering Wi-Fi and USB connectivity for flexible setup. Its refillable ink tank system replaces traditional cartridges, and the compact design includes a 100-sheet rear paper tray, flatbed scanner and support for everyday home and small office printing.
In the UK: now £150 (was £240)View Deal
From game consoles to toilet roll, there are countless examples of how scarcity can make a product more desirable. Whether a smart marketing tactic or a simple issue with supply, limited availability drives FOMO. Now, Squarespace, one of the biggest website builders on the market, has launched new tools to help users with limited releases and product "drops."
So, whether you want to drive anticipation behind a one-off t-shirt design or want to cap spaces in an exclusive yoga class, Squarespace aims to equip sellers with everything they need to turn a limited availability product or service into the hottest buy on the internet.
Key features of Squarespace’s new tool include:
"We're seeing entrepreneurs shifting away from always-on discount models and toward highly curated, exclusive releases that celebrate the value of their work," said Kevin Doerr, President of Squarespace. "With our new limited release selling tools, we are putting entrepreneurs in control of when and how they sell – reducing the operational burden and giving them everything they need to build hype, handle surges in demand, and deliver a seamless checkout experience.
According to a press release shared with TechRadar earlier this week, limited release tools are available globally, although availability does vary depending on your subscription plan.
Criminals have been found impersonating popular password managers LastPass and Bitwarden online in an attempt to trick users into sharing their login credentials, and thus access to a treasure trove of passwords and other secrets.
LastPass recently issued a warning to its customers, raising awareness of the ongoing phishing campaign.
However the scam also now seems to have spread to other password managers, with Bitwarden customers also apparently being targeted.
In the campaign, LastPass users received emails from the address “hello@lastpassnewsletter.com”.
This address does not belong to LastPass, and is in no way affiliated with the password manager. In the message, the victims are told that the company’s security policies have been updated, and that they should navigate to a specific landing page and sign a DocuSign document.
The email comes with a ‘Review & Access Terms’ button which, if clicked, redirects the victims to lastpasscompliance[dot]com, yet another domain unaffiliated with the password management platform.
BleepingComputer claims this domain has already been flagged as malicious by both Microsoft Defender for Office 365, and Cloudflare and is currently offline.
Digging deeper, the journalists uncovered another campaign, almost identical, but now targeting Bitwarden users. In this case, the victims were being mailed from the “hello@bitwardennewsletter.com” addresses and were being redirected to bitwardencompliance[dot]com. Identical methodology, just slightly personalized.
It is important to note that neither LastPass nor Bitwarden were compromised as part of this attack.
The companies’ infrastructure is intact, and the passwords are safe. This is a typical domain spoofing attack in which the crooks purchase a domain similar to the legitimate one, in hopes that the victims won’t spot the difference.
As usual, the best course of action is to always be skeptical of incoming emails, and to double-check the domains and email addresses from which they are sent. It is also good to cross-reference these emails with any older messages that are proven to be authentic, to see if the domains and addresses match.
The latest update from PrivadoVPN hands the keys to your VPN over to your AI assistant.
The provider has built a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server into its Windows and macOS apps, letting compatible AI development tools connect to and control your connection directly from your coding environment.
MCP is the open standard Anthropic introduced in late 2024 to link AI systems with external tools and data. By adopting it, PrivadoVPN joins a growing list of providers wiring their apps into the agentic era, allowing the best VPN services to be driven by natural language rather than menus and toggles.
PrivadoVPN's server plugs into MCP-compatible tools including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, LM Studio, and Visual Studio Code.
Once it's running, an assistant can connect or disconnect the VPN, switch server locations, and check your current connection, IP address, and status. It can also list available locations, swap between WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN protocols, toggle the Kill Switch, and run basic network diagnostics.
Under the hood, the server is a local HTTP component embedded in the client. It listens on a fixed port (5801 by default) and is restricted to localhost, so it cannot be reached remotely. Commands run through the official PrivadoVPN app, and any change shows up instantly in the interface.
Security sits at the centre of the design. The server is off by default and has to be switched on by the user; it never leaves the device, and every action is executed by the PrivadoVPN client itself rather than handed to the AI.
The company pitches the feature to developers, QA teams, and power users who routinely run tests across different regions and VPN configurations.
You can see all the technical details on PrivadoVPN's support page.
To turn it on, users need to open the PrivadoVPN app, head to Settings, then Application, and turn on the MCP Server option. Once saved, it runs quietly in the background.
From there, you point your AI tool at the endpoint, http://127.0.0.1:5801/mcp.
In Claude Code, for example, a single terminal command registers it, while Codex, Cursor, LM Studio, and VS Code each take a short JSON snippet in their MCP configuration.
PrivadoVPN is only the first of a growing but still small list of VPN providers joining the AI agents race.
ExpressVPN, for example, claimed an industry first in March when it launched an MCP server in beta for its desktop apps. Siilarly to Privado, also ExpressVPN's tool is opt-in, local, and covered by its strict no-logs policy.
Norton VPN went further with its "VPN for Agents", an AI-native tool that spins up temporary, Docker-based tunnels so each agent and task gets its own separate connection.
Windscribe took a different route, releasing a skill that lets agents such as OpenClaw drive its command line interface (CLI) on a dedicated machine, while PureVPN turned ChatGPT into a conversational assistant that recommends servers and connects through deep links.
Festival season is well and truly upon us, and it's also turned into the summer of the heatwave. If you haven't got a tent sorted yet, or if you were planning on digging out that old, slightly musty bag of fabric that's been festering in your loft, might I suggest that now is a good time to invest in a blackout tent?
Over the years, I've camped in all kinds of conditions and in all kinds of tents — both for fun and in a previous role as an Outdoors editor — and the one thing I prioritize above all others is blackout fabric in the sleeping area. It makes such a difference, not just to the amount of light that gets in, but to the temperature inside too.
A few years ago some friends and I volunteered at Glastonbury, and part of the deal was that we'd work a night shift. Afterwards, those of us in blackout tents slept happily (okay, semi-happily) past midday; the one friend who came in a non-blackout teepee did not sleep at all. His tent was bright as the sun, and just as hot, from about 8am. Even if you're not required to stay up all night, good sleep is hard to come by at a festival, so don't make things even more difficult for yourself.
I've scouted around for the best blackout tents you can find right now, and you'll find my top picks below. I've focused on easy-to-pitch and not-too-pricey options, from brands I've personally tested and would happily buy from. Happy camping!
Mechanical hard drives (HDDs) still make the most sense when you need huge amounts of dependable storage, especially in a NAS that runs around the clock. If you're looking to expand your setup without overspending, I've found a terrific deal for you at Amazon.
The 8TB WD Red Plus NAS is currently down to $259 (was $355) at Amazon - a solid $96 off the usual asking price. Considering the 4TB version we tested is a little under $200 right now, that's a very welcome discount.
That's a great price, then, for a drive built specifically for always-on network storage, making it a great opportunity to add capacity to an existing NAS or form the basis of a brand new one.
Built for NAS systems, this 8TB hard drive uses CMR technology, a 256MB cache, and SATA 6Gb/s connectivity to deliver dependable storage, reliable performance, and smooth operation for always-on workloads.View Deal
Reviewing the 4TB WD Red Plus, our drive expert Mark even noted that the 8TB and 10TB models "offer the best value."
8TB of storage is plenty of room for family photos, videos, backups, documents, and media libraries.
Unlike desktop hard drives, this model is built for RAID-optimized NAS systems and uses NASware firmware to improve compatibility with supported enclosures.
It's intended for small and medium business environments, although it's just as useful for home users.
The drive spins at 5640RPM and combines SATA 6Gb/s connectivity with a generous 256MB cache to deliver dependable performance for file transfers, backups, and media streaming.
It also uses CMR recording technology, which many NAS owners prefer because it delivers more consistent write performance than SMR drives during heavier workloads.
Western Digital rates the drive for workloads of up to 180TB per year, making it suitable for systems that see regular activity not just occasional backups.
Support for NAS systems with up to eight drive bays also gives you flexibility if your storage needs is likely to grow over time.
Although SSDs dominate for operating systems and applications, traditional hard drives offer far better capacity for the money and saving almost $96 makes this one of the better prices I've seen recently.
For more picks, take a look at guides to the best NAS devices, best NAS hard drives (including the WD Red Pro) and best NAS and media server distros.
Lionel Messi takes on England for the first time in his career as Argentina face their old rivals in a FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final laced with history in Atlanta — and you can live stream the game around the world for free.
From a feisty encounter in 1966, to the 'Hand of God' 20 years later and David Beckham's kick out at Diego Simeone at France '98, this fixture has provided some unforgettable World Cup moments — but this is the first time England have faced Argentina in the semi-finals or later. In fact, they have not met at all since a friendly in November 2005, three months after Messi's international debut. The Albiceleste captain was not involved that day but he will look to produce another match-winning performance in Atlanta, having seen his team-mates make the difference in the 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the quarter-finals. With eight goals to his name, Messi has shown at this World Cup that he remains top-class, even aged 39. Manager Lionel Scaloni makes one change, as Giuliano Simeone replaces Rodrigo De Paul.
England have their own superstars capable of hauling their team to victory, which is exactly what Jude Bellingham did in the quarter-final against Norway. The Real Madrid midfielder scored twice in a 2-1 extra-time win, but manager Thomas Tuchel was far from happy with the Three Lions' performance. England are yet to play to their potential at this tournament but they find themselves in just their fourth World Cup semi-final as they look to reach the final for the first time since winning the trophy in 1966. Tuchel makes three changes as full-backs Reece James and Djed Spence replace Ezri Konsa and Nico O'Reilly, and Morgan Rogers comes in for Noni Madueke on the right wing. Jarell Quansah remains sidelined as he serves the second game of his two-match suspension.
So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch England vs Argentina for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
England XI: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Argentina XI: Emi Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Paredes; Simeone, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.
England vs Argentina is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.
Abroad? Can't access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN — more on that below.
It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual England vs Argentina stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.
Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.
We recommend Norton VPN. Here's why:
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US viewers can watch England vs Argentina on Fox (English commentary) or Telemundo (Spanish commentary).
Fox is available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.
We would recommend Sling TV:
Watch Fox's World Cup coverage on Sling
Get Sling's Blue Plan today and stream England vs Argentina. Your first month comes in at only $23 with prices rising to $45.99 thereafter.View Deal
Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch England vs Argentina on Fox One (3-day free trial). Telemundo is also available via Peacock ($10.99/month).
Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).
UK customers are in luck as they can stream England vs Argentina for free on BBC One. Live coverage is also available via BBC iPlayer.
You require a TV license and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).
Norton VPN can unlock your stream if you're abroad today.
England vs Argentina will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.
The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.
Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.
In Canada, TSN and free-to-air channel CTV will be broadcasting England vs Argentina.
You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.
CTV will require TV provider login details for you to watch for free online.
Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.
In New Zealand, England vs Argentina will be broadcast for free on TVNZ+.
While some games require the tournament pass (NZ$44.95) this isn't one of them and New Zealand residents can stream at no cost.
England vs Argentina kicks off at 8pm BST / 3pm ET on Wednesday, July 15. That's 5am AEST on Thursday, July 16 in Australia.
England
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City).
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa).
Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
Argentina
Goalkeepers: Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa).
Defenders: Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid).
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (River Plate), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani lo Celso (Real Betis), Ezequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea).
Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan).
Stage | England | Argentina |
Group stage | Group L: 1st, 7 points | Group J: 1st, 9 points |
Last 32 | Beat DR Congo (2-1) | Beat Cape Verde (3-2 AET) |
Last 16 | Beat Mexico (3-2) | Beat Egypt (3-2) |
Quarter-finals | Beat Norway (2-1 AET) | Beat Switzerland (3-1 AET) |
The temperature in Atlanta on Tuesday is forecast to be around 82F (28C) at kick-off.
The good news is that the stadium is fully air-conditioned and has a retractable roof, which will make the conditions much more comfortable for players and fans.
Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone's browser.
You can also stay up-to-date with all of the key World Cup moments on the official social media channels on X/Twitter (@FIFAWorldCup), Instagram (@FIFAWorldCup), TikTok (@FIFAWorldCup) and YouTube (@FIFA).
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
I'm quite happy with my current Sonos speaker. Still, I've just seen that the manufacturer has once again launched its double upgrade credit campaign, meaning it could be a good time for some new tech, as you can save 30% on your next speaker or soundbar when you buy direct from the manufacturer.
• Claim your 30% Sonos discount
The whole process is very straightforward. Start by logging in to the upgrade page and checking that you own a product that's eligible for the program. If you do, you should see a button to activate your upgrade credit. After that, simply add the new product you want to buy to your basket, and then activate the discount at the checkout.
There's a good selection of products in the promotion, including the excellent Sonos Arc soundbar for $629 / £629, which we awarded four and a half stars out of five in our Sonos Arc review. Or there's the latest Sonos Roam 2 for $125 / £125 that we said was even better than the original version in our Sonos Roam 2 review.
Just a heads up that time is running out on the double credit promotion, as it's scheduled to end on July 17. After that, it reverts to the original 15% off.
Sonos: 30% off when you upgrade at Sonos
If you already own an eligible Sonos speaker or soundbar, you can activate a discount in your account that lets you save 30% on a brand-new product. Options include the majority of top Sonos speakers, soundbars and subwoofers, such as the Arc, Beam, Five, Move, and Roam. This offer is only available until July 17, when the discount will drop to 15%.View Deal
The Sonos upgrade program is a no-brainer if you've got an eye on a new speaker or soundbar from the manufacturer.
The list of qualifying products nearly covers the entire catalogue, so chances are that, if you bought one in the last decade, you will have the discount available. Just make sure the product is registered in your account and then head to the upgrade program page to claim your discount.
You will also see that there's an option to print a shipping label to send your current item back. However, you don't actually need to do a trade-in to get the discount. That's only if you want to send it back so it's recycled or if you no longer need it.
Me? I would just hold onto any existing items, as they will continue working as normal, so you can use them in another room or give them away to someone else who will make use of them if you want.
Whether you're an office worker or a student, I always find now is a great time to pick up a laptop for work and study that's actually worth the money.
MacBooks might be expensive, Chromebooks can be underpowered, but there are plenty of big-brand Windows 11 machines under $600 right now that can handle productivity tasks, schoolwork, creative projects, and everyday use without issue, and will stay useful well beyond the next school year.
These are the three deals that stood out to me right now.
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processor, this Copilot+ PC combines 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi 6E, and up to 32.25 hours of battery life for students and everyday productivity.View Deal
My top pick overall here is HP's OmniBook 3, which is currently $599.99 (was $949.99) at Best Buy. It runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processor with up to 32.25 hours of battery life, making it an excellent choice for office professionals and students planning to spend many hours away from a power outlet.
It comes with 16GB of memory alongside a 512GB SSD, making it far better equipped for multitasking and running Microsoft's growing collection of AI features. The laptop also features a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 touchscreen, Wi-Fi 6E, and HDMI 2.1 for hooking up an external monitor.
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processor, this Copilot+ PC pairs 16GB of memory with a 512GB SSD, a 14-inch WUXGA display, USB4, Wi-Fi 6E, and up to 29 hours of battery life.View Deal
Another great choice is Asus' Vivobook 14. Also on sale at Best Buy, the model is priced at an even more affordable $548.
It combines the same Snapdragon X processor as the OmniBook 3 with 16GB of memory, a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display.
Although it skips the touchscreen, it does keep the Copilot+ PC AI features, 45 TOPS NPU, WiFi 6E, HDMI 2.1, USB4, and impressive 29-hour battery life.
At 3.28lb, it's also the lightest laptop here, making it a great fit for students carrying it between classes. If you don't need touch support, I'd say this is the best all-round buy of the three.
Powered by Intel's Core i7-1355U processor, this laptop combines a 15.6-inch 120Hz Full HD display, 512GB SSD, WiFi 6, and plenty of ports, making it a dependable choice for schoolwork and everyday computing. It only has 8GB of RAM though.View Deal
Finally, there's the Dell 15 Laptop for $550 (was $750) at Dell. Powered by a 13th Generation Intel Core i7-1355U processor, it comes with a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, and 15.6-inch Full HD 120Hz IPS display which will make it useful for recording notes, writing essays, multitasking, and so on.
The laptop includes Wi-Fi 6, USB-A, USB-C and HDMI ports, as well as an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. My biggest reservation is that it only comes with 8GB of DDR5 memory, which really isn't enough in 2026. You can upgrade the laptop to 16GB of RAM if you want, but that will cause the price to skyrocket to $949.99.
For more top choices, we've also tested the best student laptops, best business laptops and the best laptops for engineering students.
The UK government has officially scrapped the idea of restricting virtual private networks (VPNs) to enforce its impending social media bans, delivering a massive victory for digital privacy advocates.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast today, the government confirmed a major U-turn on the subject, with Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan stating: "We decided not to limit VPNs."
This was further cemented in a written parliamentary statement by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who clarified that the government will not age-gate or ban the best VPN software because "VPNs have legitimate privacy and security uses."
The announcement ends fears that sweeping age verification laws could inadvertently break online privacy for millions of adults.
Cybersecurity experts and privacy groups previously warned that restricting these tools would be a disaster waiting to happen, prompting an open letter from the industry urging lawmakers to leave everyday privacy tools alone.
'We have decided not to limit VPNs'Online Saftey minister Kanishka Narayan told #BBCBreakfast the Government has decided not to restrict access to Virtual Private Networks (VPN) as part of a social media ban for under 16s, despite initially suggesting it would take action… pic.twitter.com/pP94b81aeRJuly 15, 2026
While VPNs are safe from a blanket government ban, the social media ban loophole hasn't been completely ignored.
Kendall confirmed the onus will now fall on social media platforms "to take robust steps to detect and prevent attempts by underage users to circumvent age assurance measures."
To achieve this, the government has tasked Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to report by October on how platforms can better detect and prevent VPN use for age-check circumvention. The government also plans to engage directly with VPN providers regarding voluntary actions.
This shift in responsibility aligns with newly released government research.
A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) report revealed that while 26% of 11- to 17-year-olds use a VPN, findings show they do so primarily for privacy.
Only 7-10% use them to bypass age checks, whereas 45% simply enter a false date of birth.
While everyday privacy tools have been spared, the government is pressing forward with strict new rules to combat digital addiction — that online commentators already deemed "ineffective and useless" — with the first regulations coming into effect in early 2027.
Following the upcoming blanket ban on social media for under-16s, new measures will ensure 16- and 17-year-olds don't face a sudden "cliff edge" of addictive features. Government consultation revealed that nearly one in three children actively want help managing their screen time.
Under the new rules, older teens will face default social media curfews from midnight to 6 am. Additionally, persuasive features like autoplaying videos and personalized infinite feeds will be switched off by default to make logging off easier.
"This is about giving these older children more choice and control over the feeds and reducing that sense that they can never switch off being online," Kendall stated.
The protections also extend to artificial intelligence.
The government will require mandatory breaks for under-18s using AI chatbots to prevent emotional dependency. Furthermore, lawmakers are working with health regulators, including the MHRA and DHSC, to consider banning therapy chatbots entirely if they provide dangerous or unverified mental health advice to minors.
Russian actors have reportedly created hundreds of malicious GitHub repositories masquerading as legitimate software but acting as a dangerous infostealer.
Cybersecurity researchers ArcticWolf discovered the campaign after finding their own products spoofed as part of the attack.
In total, the researchers found 292 fake repositories, spoofing things like security products, developer tools, macOS utilities, games, and more. Each repository contained a README file with the download URL.
Victims who download the program get a variant of the BoryptGrab infostealer family that grabs data from 19 browsers (passwords, cookies, payment information), 32 cryptocurrency wallets, Telegram, Discord, and Steam sessions, credentials for Meta’s Max, data from Windows Credential Manager, and more. It can also exfiltrate files from Desktop and Documents, and grab screenshots.
While most of the features can be found in other BoryptGrab variants, this one is unique in a sense that it can bypass Chrome’s App-Bound Encryption through direct code injection into the browser process.
While it hasn’t been specifically said that the threat actors are Russian, the compressed data is later sent to a Russia-based command-and-control (C2) infrastructure.
What’s also worth mentioning is that the malware is not designed to last. It has no anti-analysis layer, and doesn’t even try to hide itself in any specific manner. It does not establish persistence and simply tries to grab as much sensitive data as it can on the first attempt.
The attack, which seems to have started in the final days of June, is almost thwarted now, since most of the malicious repositories have been removed from GitHub. Citing “researchers”, BleepingComputer reported that several dozen still remain active, though.
Because of its importance and popularity in the open-source community, GitHub is currently one of the most targeted platforms on the internet, which is why it’s important to double-check and vet every piece of code before it’s applied to a project.
Denshattack! is undoubtedly one of 2026's best indie games, providing endless amounts of fun. It takes clear inspiration from several fast-paced platformer classics, from its splashy and colorful art style, bombastic and intense OST, to its high-speed and intense levels.
Instead of the conventional control of a character, developer Undercoders has you taking control of a train. You focus on style mixing skills and speed across multiple theme park-like levels, and aim for the highest scores possible throughout to beat rival gangs, and fight to wreck a 'shady megacorp', known as Miraidō, in a 'Japanese dystopia'.
Frankly, the story wasn't my focus going in, but rather how the developers could keep the experience feeling exciting as you progress — and fortunately, it managed to do just that with each stage feeling like it was ripped straight out of an action-packed comic book.
This is a game that I can certainly see others coming back to over and over again for challenges to obtain higher scores, and most importantly, enjoy the intense atmosphere each level provides.
From the off, the inspiration behind Denshattack! was clear as day. The incredibly fast-paced and intense train adventure sequences reminded me very much of my experiences with Sonic games, notably Sonic Unleashed and its first Windmill Isle level.
In Denshattack!, you'll be overwhelmed with how many combinations you may have to remember at such high speeds, and you'll need fast hand-eye coordination to pull off tricks and dodge obstacles. You'll have several objectives to hit in each level, some being main objectives, but others standing as optional, with the latter contributing to the final score.
One example is what I call the brake-to-boost mechanic; Denshattack! allows players to break at any given moment during a level, but will give you a heads-up when turning a corner on a track for a drift. If you hold down the left trigger and let go at the right time (when the meter is centered in the middle and fully green), you'll get a big boost to speed, which is often one of the optional objectives in levels.
The intensity of Denshattack!'s gameplay is incredibly high; avoiding crashes into walls, jumping to change railway tracks, and even timing perfect landings to increase your score add to the game's difficulty. It even encourages you to avoid obstacles at the very last second, with one aspect of each level's final score labelled 'dares', effectively testing your daredevil skills.
Many of these mechanics play a significant role in boss battles, which require faster reaction speeds. That might sound straightforward, as most boss battles in games are more difficult and require better timing, but with how rapid Denshattack!'s gameplay flow is, leaving you very little time to settle, it's absolutely worth noting.
Sometimes, it can even feel like the game is moving just a tad bit too fast when you're attempting to keep track of objectives — arguably an issue with modern-day Sonic games too — but getting the hang of controls and timing doesn't take very long, and once you do, there's plenty of fun to be had.
Jet Set Radio is another Sega classic, and a simialrly big inspiration. The art style in Denshattack! is very similar, with its cartoonish and colorful nature, even down to the very font across the game's UI in-game and within menus.
The soundtrack is phenomenal, and also much like Jet Set Radio's, which shouldn't come as a huge surprise, since some of Jet Set Radio's composers, like Richard Jacques, have collaborated on Denshattack!'s funky, disco-like, bass-centric, and synthwave-infused OST.
Those inspirations are combined to make an intense adventure come to life, but what gives Denshattack! its own identity is the vast amount of unique maneuvers, tricks, and even attacks (during boss battles), giving players a push for higher scores.
Many of the tricks reminded me of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, like grinding across rails at high speeds and air spins, but not on a skateboard. Instead, you're quite literally using a train to provide a great spectacle, in what I originally thought was an odd move, but perfectly highlights the chaotic nature of riding in Denshattack!.
There's also a fair amount of customization available for the train car itself, and plenty of levels and collectable items to look out for throughout the game's runtime — and seeing a significant portion of what you can do in Denshattack!, I have no doubts this will be a 2026 sleeper hit.
had been expected to make his professional comeback against Manny Pacquiao later this year, but following the postponement of the event, ‘TBE’ may need to look elsewhere and his former protégé has thrown his name into the mix. Mayweather has been linked to a shocking rematch with Manny Pacquiao throughout 2026, with a date and […]
The post Floyd Mayweather offered professional comeback fight against former protégé: “Tell him to suit up” appeared first on Boxing News.
Having retired from the sport, looks unlikely to ever make a comeback, but ‘Bud’ has now been warned that he will lose his undefeated record if he does opt to make a return and take on one unified world champion. Crawford hung up the gloves after a legacy-defining victory over Canelo Alvarez, walking away from […]
The post Terence Crawford told he’ll lose undefeated record if he returns to face one man: “This is my era” appeared first on Boxing News.
It used to be that all iPhones bought directly from Apple in the US came unlocked, meaning that you could use them with any carrier – even if you bought the phone with financing from another carrier. Now that’s no longer the case. Apple has updated its FAQ and it now says that iPhones bought with carrier financing are locked to that carrier until the phone is paid off. Once you complete the final payment, the phone will be unlocked and you will be free to switch to a different carrier. The updated FAQ states that you no longer get an unlocked phone with carrier financing This...
While you may very well have been underwhelmed by Apple Intelligence, at least you had access to it. That hasn't been the case for those in China so far, even as we are now 21 months after the initial launch. However, that is finally about to change. Apple Intelligence has now received the green light from the Chinese government. The service has been registered with the Chinese cyberspace regulator for use on iPhones in the country. All AI products need to undergo this step before they can be offered in China. In China, Apple Intelligence will allegedly "incorporate capabilities...
Dünya çempionatının (DÇ-2026) yarımfinalında Fransa ilə oyun İspaniya millisinin futbolçuları Rodri və Emerik Laport üçün əlamətdar olub.
Arena.az xəbər verir ki, onlar 2:0 hesablı qələbəyə sevindikləri bu matçda dünya çempionatları tarixinə düşüblər.
Rodri mundialın yarımfinal görüşündə 67 dəqiq ötürmə yerinə yetirib. Bununla da “Mançester Siti”nin futbolçusunun DÇ-2026 ərzində etdiyi dəqiq ötürmələrin sayı 655-ə çatıb. Beləliklə, 30 yaşlı yarımmüdafiəçi 1966-cı ildən etibarən statistikanın aparıldığı dövrdə dünya çempionatlarında ən çox dəqiq ötürmə edən futbolçu rekordunu yeniləyib.
İspaniya millisinin müdafiəçisi Emerik Laport da tarixi göstəriciyə imza atıb. 31 yaşlı futbolçu dünya çempionatları tarixində doğulduğu ölkəni yarımfinal mərhələsində məğlub edən ilk oyunçu olub.
Fransada anadan olan Laport bu ölkənin aşağı yaş qrupları üzrə milli komandalarında 50-dən çox oyun keçirib. Lakin o, baş məşqçi Didye Deşamın rəhbərliyi altında Fransa millisində debüt etmək imkanı əldə etməyib.
Daha sonra İspaniyanın “Atletik” (Bilbao) klubuna transfer olunan müdafiəçi 2021-ci ildə İspaniya vətəndaşlığı alaraq bu ölkənin millisində çıxış etməyə başlayıb.
Qeyd edək ki, İspaniya millisi DÇ-2026-nın yarımfinalında Fransanı 2:0 hesabı ilə məğlub edərək finala vəsiqə qazanıb.
Futbol üzrə İspaniya milli komandasının 19 yaşlı cinah hücumçusu Lamin Yamalın Barselona yaxınlığındakı evi qarət olunmağa cəhd edilib.
Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə “La Vanguardia” nəşri məlumat yayıb.
Hadisənin DÇ-2026-nın yarımfinalında İspaniyanın Fransanı 2:0 hesabı ilə məğlub etməsindən sonra, yerli vaxtla saat 04:00 radələrində Espluqes-de-Llobreqat yaşayış məntəqəsində baş verdiyi bildirilir.
Məlumata görə, futbolçunun şəxsi mühafizə xidmətinin əməkdaşı müşahidə kameralarında iki nəfərin evin hasarına dırmaşdığını görüb. Şübhəlilər izlənildiklərini anlayan kimi hasardan enərək hadisə yerindən qaçıblar.
Hadisə ilə bağlı Kataloniya polisi araşdırmalara başlayıb. Hüquq-mühafizə orqanları qarət cəhdinin baş verdiyini təsdiqləsələr də, evin sahibinin kimliyini açıqlamayıblar.
“La Vanguardia” yazır ki, sözügedən ev əvvəllər İspaniya millisinin sabiq futbolçusu Jerar Pike ilə dünya şöhrətli müğənni Şakiranın birgə yaşadığı mülk olub və bu səbəbdən geniş ictimaiyyətə yaxşı tanınır. Bir neçə ay öncə həmin evi Lamin Yamalın aldığı barədə xəbərlər yayılmışdı.
Qeyd edək ki, 19 yaşlı Lamin Yamal “Barselona” akademiyasının yetirməsidir. O, əsas komandada 2023-cü ilin aprelindən çıxış edir. Hücumçu Kataloniya klubu ilə üç dəfə İspaniya çempionu (2023, 2025, 2026), iki dəfə İspaniya Superkubokunun (2025, 2026), bir dəfə isə ölkə kubokunun (2025) qalibi olub.
“Fənərbağça”nın futbolçusu Nqolo Kante klubu tərk edə bilər.
Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, “Paris” yarımmüdafiəçini transfer etmək istəyir. Bu barədə Fransa mətbuatı məlumat yayıb. Liqa 1 təmsilçisi İstanbul klubu ilə danışıqlara start verib.
35 yaşlı futbolçu bu ilin fevralından “Fənərbağça”da çıxış edir. O, Super Liqada 14 oyunda 2 qol vurub.
“Turan Tovuz” akademiyasın Uşaq Futbolunun İnkişafı üzrə direktor Eltay Aslanovun “Futbolpress.az”a müsahibəsi:
– Uşaq futbolunun mənzərəsini necə ifadə edərdiniz?
– Bölgələrdə kütləvilik var. Artıq demək olar, hər “zona”da uşaq komandaları üçün yarışlar təşkil olunur. Əvvəl uşaq futbolu müəyyən bölgələrlə məhdudlaşırdı, ancaq son illər kütləvilik baxımından müsbət dinamika var.
– Hər sahədə olduğu kimi, uşaq futbolunda da problemlər qaçılmazdır. Əsas çatışmazlıqlar nələrdir?
– Problemlər çoxdur. İlk növbədə meydançalarla bağlı çatışmazlıq var. Bu da uşaq futbolunda mənfi mənada sözünü deyir. Stadion problemləri tez həll edilsə daha yaxşı inkişafa nail olmaq olar.
– Akademiyada işlər necədir?
– Uşaqlar akademiyada futbolun sirrlərini, dərin ambisiyaları hiss edir, yaxından tanış olurlar. Məşqçilər də öz növbələrində çalışır ki, yetirmələri gələcəkdə Azərbaycan futbolunda sözlərini deyə bilsin. Bu, həm uşaqlar, həm də məşqçilər üçün həvəsləndirici məqamdır.
– Klubun bir müddət elitada olması bölgədə uşaq futboluna necə təsir etdi?
– “Turan Tovuz”un Premyer Liqaya gec qayıdışı və komandanın uzun müddət divizionda mübarizə aparması çətinlik yaşatdı. Çox uşaq başqa klubların akademiyasına getdilər. Bu səbəbdən durğunluq yaranmışdı. Amma son illərdə komandanın Premyer Liqada iddialılardan birinə çevrilməsi, akademiyanın qurulması yenidən inkişafa təkan verib.
– Qarşınıza hansı hədəfləri qoymusunuz?
– Məqsədimiz yaxşı futbolçular yetişdirmək, milli komandalara çox oyunçu göndərməkdir. Akademiya, klub olaraq bu istiqamətdə ciddi işlər görürük. Düşünürəm ki, bəhrəsini də görəcəyik.
– Son 10 ilə baxsaq, ümumilikdə ölkədə uşaq futbolu ilə bağlı hansı inkişaf nəzərə çarpır?
– Neçə illərdir, mütəxəssislər problemlərdən danışır, çatışmazlıqları deyirlər, amma təssüfflər olsun ki, həll yolu tapılmır. Öncə də qeyd etdim, əsas məsələ stadionlardır. Bölgələrdə seleksiya işləri artmalıdır, istedadlı uşaqlar daim diqqətdə saxlanılmalıdır. Liqalarda yeniliklər olur və düşünürəm ki, getdikcə daha yaxşı inkişafa nail ola biləcəyik. Kütləviliyin artması da müsbət məqamlardandır.
Şahin Cəfərov
Yazı Azərbaycan Respublikasının Medianın İnkişafı Agentliyinin maliyyə dəstəyi ilə hazırlanıb.
Sahə: Uşaq və gənclərin fiziki və mənəvi inkişafında idmanın rolu.
BYD expects to surpass Toyota as the bestselling automaker in five years without the US market, executive vice president Stella Li shared.
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Bitcoin moved up to its highest levels since June 22 as US PPI inflation numbers provided the week’s second surprise macro data drop.
There are reports Besiktas have set a deadline for Dusan Vlahovic to accept their offer, but the striker continues to wait for bigger European clubs, with Juventus in the background.
The forward is a free agent after letting his contract with Juve run down on June 30, and rejected the proposal to extend for €6m per season, approximately half the salary he was on before, plus performance-related bonuses.
He had expected numerous bids to flood in from sides like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, but so far the only genuine offer on the table is from Besiktas.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, that is a three-year contract worth around €8m per season, but without the big signing-on fee and commission that he is looking for.
Besiktas are losing patience, and it’s reported they have set a deadline of Thursday evening for Vlahovic to either accept, or they will turn towards other targets.
The Serbia international does not seem inclined to take the contract, as he still believes that better offers will come in during the summer.
Juventus are also increasingly confident that Vlahovic might come crawling back to Turin when he sees the lack of alternatives.
Former Arsenal, Ajax and Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could return to Serie A as a free agent, with Sassuolo and Venezia in talks.
The versatile Japan international is out of contract after his experience with Ajax, having joined them for free last summer when leaving Arsenal.
Able to play in central defence, as a right-back or a left-back, he is still only 27 years old.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, there have been negotiations with his entourage for a possible return to Italy with Sassuolo and newly-promoted Venezia.
Tomiyasu wore the Bologna jersey from 2019 to 2021, when he earned an €18.6m transfer to Arsenal.
He amassed 61 Serie A appearances, scoring three goals and providing three assists playing for the Rossoblu.
His career was most recently thrown off track by a serious knee injury, which kept him out from July 2024 to October 2025, but he did participate in the 2026 World Cup with Japan.
Venezia made the move for the Japanese player after discovering Marin Sverko requires surgery that could keep him out of action for several months.
Genoa have revealed their new home jersey for the 2026/27 season, which is inspired by the 35th anniversary of beating Liverpool at Anfield.
The Grifone launched their kit with a special video titled ‘you’ll never run alone,’ a play on the iconic Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Kombat designed the jersey and the advertising campaign reunited some of the stars who were part of that game, including Tomas Skuhravy, Mario Bortolazzi, Armando Ferroni, Vincenzo Torrente and Gennaro Ruotolo.
The 2-1 result in March 1992 allowed the Grifone to become the first ever Italian side to beat Liverpool on their home turf, and secure a 4-1 aggregate victory to reach the UEFA Cup semi-final.
Unfortunately, some of the legendary players from that season, captain Gianluca Signorini and defender Andrea Fortunato, are no longer with us, but are referenced in the video.
Carlos Aguilera scored both goals in the game, which is remembered in the clip with the original commentary from Bruno Pizzul.
Andrea Pirlo has emerged as the frontrunner to become Italy’s next head coach, but the prospect of appointing the former World Cup winner has already divided opinion across the country. Lorenzo Bettoni and Alasdair Mackenzie discuss in the latest episode of the Football Italia Summer Show.
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While Pirlo’s reputation as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation is beyond question, his relatively limited experience in management has prompted a lively debate over whether he is the right man to lead the Azzurri into a new era.
With the Italian Football Federation facing a crucial decision, several other candidates have also been linked with the role.
Each brings a different profile, from proven tactical expertise to international experience, making the search for Italy’s next coach one of the most intriguing storylines in Italian football.
In the latest episode of our Summer Show on YouTube, Lorenzo Bettoni and Alasdair Mackenzie examine Pirlo’s coaching career, weighing up both the strengths and the concerns surrounding his candidacy.
They also assess the leading alternatives, discussing which coach would be the best fit for the national team and who offers Italy the strongest chance of returning to the top of international football.
Danilho Doekhi has spoken for the first time as a Lazio player, with the Dutch defender completing the final stage of his medical before joining up with his new teammates.
Speaking to the club’s official channels, the former Union Berlin man made clear his satisfaction at the move.
“I’m very happy to be here. Lazio are a very important club, so I’m glad to have arrived,” he said. “I’ve spoken with coach Gattuso. We had a good chat. Now we just have to work. There are already two Dutch lads here and that helps me a lot, it’s nice that they’re here.”
Asked to describe himself, Doekhi offered a clear self-portrait.
“I’m a defender who tries to read the game, who likes defending, taking on strikers and stopping them from scoring,” he said. “But I also like to be dangerous in the opposition box from set-pieces and score with my head.”
Football runs in the family: his uncle is former Ajax, Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea defender Winston Bogarde.
“I speak with him often, about this transfer too. He told me Lazio are a great club and Italy is a beautiful country to live in, and that the league is very competitive,” Doekhi said.
His compass, though, points to a more recent great. “My idol has always been Varane. He’s stopped playing but I always liked him enormously, partly because we have a similar style. For me he’s a reference point.”
The 28-year-old has taken the number five shirt, which he wore in Berlin, and signed off with a message for his new supporters, and a choice of nickname.
“You can call me Dani, or Duki, whatever you prefer! To the fans I want to say I’m delighted to be here, I can’t wait to meet them and I hope to give them plenty of satisfaction.”
Doekhi’s arrival continues the reshaping of Gennaro Gattuso’s defence following Mario Gila’s sale to Milan, giving the Biancocelesti an experienced, physical presence at the back.
Roma are actively working to sell Manu Koné for at least €60m, with reports in Italy claiming Manchester United are ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal for the France midfielder.
His asking price had already been a minimum of €50m before the World Cup, but has since surged thanks to his impressive performances, as confirmed by how badly he was missed in the semi-final against Spain when making way for Aurelien Tchaouameni.
There are some suggestions in England, most notably from Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, that Manchester United have already agreed a deal worth €53m.
That is not the version given by the Corriere dello Sport, who insist that while Manchester United have been the most consistently interested and taken more steps, they are by no means the only club.
Others from the Premier League to have contacted Roma to ask for information are Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, along with Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.
Above all, the price is not going to drop below €60m (approximately £51m) after those performances in the 2026 World Cup.
The 25-year-old is going to provide a hefty profit regardless, as he was purchased from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2024 for just €18m plus €2m in add-ons.
His World Cup is not over yet, as Koné and France will play in Saturday’s third-place final, but after that he can begin to work in earnest on the next step of his career.
Aleksandar Stankovic will be part of Inter’s squad next season, and Cristian Chivu has made no secret of his enthusiasm for a player he first coached in the club’s youth ranks.
According to Calciomercato.com, the Serbian midfielder, youngest son of Nerazzurri great Dejan, has been bought back from Club Brugge for a total of €23 million after a breakout campaign in Belgium, a net outlay of €13 million once the €10 million Brugge paid a year earlier is factored in.
Asked at his season-opening press conference whether Stankovic could replicate Pio Esposito’s explosion into the first team, Chivu replied: “I hope so for him and for myself. He worked in our youth sector, he made a brave choice going abroad and had two important seasons. He has matured, I can’t wait to see him on the pitch.”
The 2005-born midfielder is a slightly atypical profile. He came through as a deep-lying organiser, screening the defence and dictating tempo with the vertical passing Chivu prizes, but at Brugge he evolved into something more advanced, arriving behind the strikers and into shooting range from one of the two deeper berths in a midfield triangle.
That versatility could reshape Inter’s engine room.
Stankovic offers a genuine alternative to Hakan Calhanoglu as the central pivot, sparing Petar Sucic from being dragged into the regista role and freeing the Croatian to fight Piotr Zielinski for the mezzala space vacated by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Alternatively, with Davide Frattesi’s departure long mooted, Stankovic could deputise for Nicolò Barella on the right of the three, where his shooting from range, a family trait, would be an asset.
His integration will be gradual, as it was for Sucic before him, with no rush to throw him in prematurely. But for a boy who has often said that wearing this shirt was his childhood dream, the season ahead is his chance to prove he belongs.
Sunderland have been linked with interest in another Ligue 1 player who has impressed in the French league.
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Sunderland did an exceptional job last summer in revolutionising their squad after promotion to the Premier League.
Things have been a lot quieter this year – as you’d expect. But they’ll still want to make some important additions.
One player we’ve seen linked to the Black Cats in recent days is Dayann Methalie. Football Insider are among the publications connecting the Toulouse left back to a move to the Premier League.
Methalie played 28 times in Ligue 1 last season for a Toulouse team who did well. He looks ready for the step up to the Premier League. According to the Football Insider piece, Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris and his staff consider the youngster as someone ready to make the move to England.
Sunderland did especially well raiding Ligue 1 last season, so we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them wrap up this deal. The fact that they will be playing in the Europa League means they need to add depth as well as quality, and at the right price this deal looks like an obvious one to go forward with.
Barcelona star Marc Casado is considering leaving the club this summer, and he has decided he wants one guarantee from his new team.
Diogo Costa remains a potential target for Chelsea, although we still have our doubts that they would actually spend the €60m required to sign him.
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The post Sunderland set to raid Ligue 1 for another impressive bargain appeared first on CaughtOffside.
England legend Wayne Rooney has backed Harry Kane to “destroy” Argentina’s centre-backs if he’s really on his game in tonight’s World Cup semi-final.
Spain beat France last night to book their place in the final, and now fans will be preparing to follow England vs Argentina in the second semi-final, with the Three Lions chasing a first appearance in a World Cup final since their famous victory of 1966.
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Speaking ahead of the big game, former England forward Rooney is backing Kane as the big difference-maker, as he could be too much for Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero if he plays at his best.
Watch below as Rooney explains how Kane could cause that duo a lot of trouble with his intelligent movement…
"If Harry Kane is on it, he'll destroy these two centre-backs" ??????? ?? pic.twitter.com/9vqdSouHMJ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 15, 2026
“If Harry Kane is on it, they won’t be able to deal with Harry Kane,” Rooney said. “Because Harry’s a nightmare for that type of defender.”
He added: “If Harry’s just dragging them into positions where they feel a bit exposed, which they will do … it’s just about the timing of the pass and the timing of the run in behind them.
“I think if Harry is on it he will absolutely destroy those two centre-backs.”
Football is complex and unpredictable, so to say any game is a battle between any two individuals is far too simplistic.
However, we also know that there are certain talents who are a level above the rest, and that entire game plans can revolve around.
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Kane and Lionel Messi fall into that category, as, arguably, does Jude Bellingham after the form he’s shown at this World Cup so far.
If Rooney is right and Kane can unsettle that Argentina defence, then that could be the game plan that brings England victory.
However, as Thomas Tuchel has alluded to, there also needs to be a plan for Messi, who has been in superb form at this tournament even at the age of 39.
Who do you see having the bigger influence tonight? Give us your thoughts and pre-match predictions in the comments!
The post Wayne Rooney singles out England star who can “destroy” key Argentina players tonight appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Marc Casado is picking his new destination very carefully after a lack of minutes in Barcelona, meaning some Premier League teams will miss out.
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Marc Casado has long been talked about as one of the most promising young players who will be on the market this summer, and there is no shortage of interest in him.
But the 22 year old Barcelona star is being very picky about where he goes next. He’s highly rated in Catalonia, but isn’t getting the minutes he wants. That’s why he’s reluctant to respond to the interest from the likes of Chelsea and Man City. Man U are also interested, but their signings of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos in the last couple of weeks have really closed off some avenues there.
Instead, according to a report from TeamTalk, Casado will consider teams slightly further down the Premier League, in order to guarantee playing time.
The likes of Newcastle, Everton, Fulham and Brighton are all named as destinations where he would be able ot play regularly and potentially shine.
He could also yet stay at Barcelona, with manager Hansi Flick trying to convince him of his importance to the squad, even when he’s not a regular starter.
Diogo Costa remains a potential target for Chelsea, although we still have our doubts that they would actually spend the €60m required to sign him.
Fabrizio Romano says that Bournemouth are close to completing their latest impressive deal – a move for Antonio Silva from Benfica.
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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team's roster currently has one open spot left. However, coach Mark Pope has stated that he's happy with the team as it is, so filling the final spot isn't a priority as of now. If a recently filed lawsuit succeeds, though, there could be some intriguing options available, including a former target.
The NCAA has changed the rules of eligibility this summer, going to the five-for-five model that gives each player five years of play and eliminates redshirts and injury waivers. That did not include players who just finished their fourth seasons, though, meaning that their college careers are over. This has been challenged by a group of players suing to give them a fifth year.
One of those players is Cade Tyson, and according to rumor, if he succeeds in gaining another season, Kentucky will be interested. It would make plenty of sense.
Tyson spent his first two seasons at Belmont, where he was an instant impact player. As a sophomore, he averaged 16 points per game and shot 46% from three point range. Then he entered the transfer portal. Mark Pope made contact with him, but he chose North Carolina, but that didn't work out. Tyson averaged just 8 minutes per game and less than 3 points per game. He then headed to Minnesota, where he got back on track, averaging 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 41% from behind the arc.
If Tyson is granted another year of eligibility, there could be plenty of suitors, but the fit at Kentucky is solid. While Pope's third squad has talent at guard, they don't have a proven sharpshooter. Another elite shooter could boost the Wildcats into the top ten, and give them a better chance at a deep NCAA Tournament run.
First, Tyson has to win the lawsuit. It's also important to note that Kentucky's interest is just a rumor as of now. We will follow this story and provide updates as they come.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: A lawsuit may allow Kentucky to fill their final roster spot
Jon Gruden is worried about football.
The former NFL head coach and commentator has gotten a front row seat to the next generation of quarterbacks for years, whether that was via scouting or his "Gruden's QB Camp" show ahead of the NFL draft. And he isn't a fan of what he's seeing come through the college ranks.
Gruden discussed the state of quarterback development from college to the pros during an appearance on the "Not Just Football" podcast with the Pittsburgh Steelers' Cameron Heyward.
"I'm worried about the game to be honest with you," Gruden said. "A lot of people think the game is evolving. I think the game is dissolving."
In Gruden's mind, the main culprit is a lack of communication.
"We're just not communicating," Gruden said. "I always use these three letters 'RCE.' You got to recognize the defense, recognize the coverage, and then you start to communicate. You can change the play, you can stay with the play, but you got to be a great communicator. And if you can recognize defenses, communicate what you want to do, you got a chance to execute."
The former coach has specifically taken issue with the absence of a cadence at the college level, pointing to the installation of a clap to snap the ball. It became the subject of a viral clip prior to the 2025 NFL Draft with now-New York Giants' quarterback, Jaxson Dart.
"When you just run up to the line of scrimmage, clap your hands, and hope for the best. I can't take all these RPO bubble screens and high turbo tempo offenses with six false starts a game and no communication.
"I'd rather slam my hand in a car door than watch some of this."
As for the root of the problem, Gruden pointed to player movement in college.
"A lot of these guys are on four or five different colleges," Gruden said. "I mean they transfer from one college to another. There's no continuity and you know repetition is the mother of learning. You had to get into the same stance, do the same drills and the same defense for a period of years. And that's how you master the techniques."
Given that perspective and Gruden's desire to coach, it would seemingly make sense for him to take a job in the college ranks. The former Raiders' coach is currently in the midst of a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that the league deliberately leaked disparaging emails he wrote.
Gruden eventually resigned from his post with the Raiders and now works for Barstool Sports.
When asked if he would consider making the transition to coaching college, Gruden left the door open and admitted he has thought about it a little bit.
"I'll be honest. I met with a couple colleges," Gruden said. "I don't know about college football, honestly, with the NIL if that's for me. I don't know if I want to spend a lot of time raising money, but who knows?
Perhaps that door to coaching on the sidelines eventually opens again. If it does, Gruden said he'll be ready for it.
"I would love to get into a locker room and start putting together some game plans again," Gruden said. "I miss it, man. But, we'll take one day at a time and and all you can do is prepare yourself for somebody to toss you the chalk and interview you.
"I'll be ready if somebody does."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jon Gruden sounds alarms on football: 'I think the game is dissolving'
MADISON – The date is set for one of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s key nonconference tests in 2026-27.
The Badgers will face Villanova on Dec. 12 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, UW announced July 15 via social media. It did not indicate a time for the game.
The game, operated by Intersport and billed as the “Philly Hoops Showdown,” officially is a neutral-site game. It is the second half of a two-game contract after the Wildcats defeated the Badgers in overtime at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee in 2025-26.
Villanova posted a 24-9 overall record and 15-5 Big East record in 2025-26, which was Kevin Willard’s first year at the helm. The Wildcats were a No. 8 seed in March Madness and lost to Utah State in the first round.
Other known nonconference dates include Dec. 5 at Marquette and Dec. 19 against Auburn at a neutral site in Nashville. UW-Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb has shared that the Badgers will travel to Green Bay for an Oct. 15 exhibition, and CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein has reported that UW will play in the Baha Mar Hoops Championship in the Bahamas.
UW denied an open-records request for other men’s basketball game contracts, and the university's public records officials have not yet responded to follow-up questions regarding the denial of records that UW and its peers have historically provided.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin basketball announces date for Villanova rematch in 2026-27
Spurs should make blockbuster trade, but it would cost four picks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
If the San Antonio Spurs want to make one more splash before the season starts, it feels like a move for Trey Murphy would make the most sense.
Murphy is a perfect player for the Spurs to bring in, depending on what the future looks like for some of the other young players on the roster. Aside from guys like Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, I still envision a scenario in which San Antonio can put together a really good package without those three.
However, the problem with trading for Murphy isn't the players the Spurs would have to give up, but the picks that would need to be attached. According to the latest report, the New Orleans Pelicans are still looking for a ridiculous package for the wing.
“Trey Murphy, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: three years, $88 million.) It does look increasingly like Murphy will stay put. He is a favorite in NBA trade rumors, there are questions on how serious New Orleans would be about trading him. One exec says it will take a Desmond Bane-style offer (four first-round picks) to pry him from New Orleans, though that price has dropped a bit. Still, there’s been no movement yet,” Sean Deveney wrote.
Four first-round picks for Murphy is just absolutely outrageous, and I'm a really big fan of what he is as a player. However, in this CBA and with how important picks are, I don't really think most players are worth four picks, especially a guy who's not a No. 1 on a championship team.
At the same time, I think he'd be a legitimately perfect fit for what the Spurs currently have, so I can see them putting together a decent package to land him.
When Robert Saleh left the San Francisco 49ers for the Tennessee Titans' head coaching job this past January, Kyle Shanahan drew a clear line around one member of his defensive staff. K.J. Wright, San Francisco's defensive quality control coach from 2024 and 2025, wasn't going with him.
"It was an understanding from the beginning," Saleh told ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "Off limits."
Shanahan wanted to keep Wright, who turns 37 this month, for two reasons: He wanted to promote him to linebackers coach in 2026 and had a good feeling he'd become a top assistant for San Francisco this season and, ideally, beyond.
"He's going to be a coordinator really quick," Saleh said. "I could see him easily progressing the way DeMeco [Ryans] did. He's got the same mindset. He's got the same respect from his players. K.J.'s going to be really good."
Wright's coaching arc has mirrored Ryans' in more than one way. Both spent lengthy playing careers at linebacker before transitioning to coaching almost immediately, and both moved from quality control to a linebackers coach role within a couple of seasons. Ryans eventually rode that path from the 49ers' defensive coordinator chair to a head coaching job for the Houston Texans.
Wright, for his part, isn't ready to lean into the comparison. Wright made clear his focus stays fixed on the job in front of him rather than any long-range projection tied to Ryans' rise.
"I do want to be a really good linebackers coach, and I do know I want to be a defensive coordinator," Wright said. "I for sure know that. And so I'm working toward that. And we'll see. We'll see once it gets past that point. Ask me again once I become defensive coordinator."
For now, Shanahan's plan keeps Wright developing inside the building. Whether Wright's path continues in San Francisco after this season remains to be seen, but the 49ers made sure Saleh couldn't take a shot at finding out first.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: One 49ers coach was off limits to Robert Saleh when he left for Titans
WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Eagles earlier today.
The 32-year-old joins Crystal Palace after leaving former club Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer. She has signed a two-year deal with the South Londoners with the option of a further year.
England spent three-and-a-half years with Spurs, establishing herself as the club’s all-time record WSL goalscorer with 32 goals. She has also turned out for Doncaster Rovers Belles, Sheffield Wednesday, Liverpool and Chelsea in the past.
On the international stage, the forward has been capped by England on 26 occasions in which she has scored 11 goals. She won UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 with the Lionesses.
After joining Crystal Palace, England said “It feels great to sign for Crystal Palace. I’m very excited to be here, and I’m looking forward to meeting all the girls and getting started.
“Palace are an ambitious club. They’ve been in the WSL before, they’ve had two amazing promotions now, and I think you can see their investment in the women’s game.
“They’re really pushing to be among the best, and they’ve got amazing facilities. It’s a place where I hope that I can make a lot of good memories, score a lot of goals, and make some history for the football club.”
England is Crystal Palace’s third signing of the summer transfer window.
Michael Olise endured one of his worst nights in quite a while when Spain completely outclassed France to enter the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
But that hasn’t stopped Real Madrid from trying to sign the Bayern Munich man, who has emerged as the club’s priority target this summer.
Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for Olise in the recent past, with Los Blancos unwilling to back down despite Bayern Munich being keen on keeping hold of the player.
Olise could become Real Madrid’s most expensive signing. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
According to Santi Aouna on Foot Mercato, Real Madrid wants to pull off a record move for Olise this summer and are prepared to meet Bayern Munich’s hefty price tag.
The Bavarians are demanding at least €200 million for the French international, who has set the Bundesliga alight with his performances.
Real Madrid are astonishingly prepared to meet that figure, which would make Olise the second most expensive transfer in football history, just behind Neymar.
It will also make him Real Madrid’s most expensive buy – a title currently held by Jude Bellingham when he joined the club for €127 million.
Olise had a torrid time against Spain. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
The report adds that Olise, for his part, wants to join Real Madrid this summer after a brief spell at Bayern Munich that has seen him rack up 42 goals and 54 assists in just over 100 matches.
This comes after recent reports which suggest Olise will hold crunch talks with Bayern Munich over his future after the World Cup.
Following the defeat to Spain, France’s World Cup campaign has already come to an end, which means the coming weeks could be crucial as far as the attacker’s future is concerned.
Bayern Munich are ideally looking to extend the contract of Olise, in order to seal his long-term future at the Allianz Arena.
But Real Madrid’s interest, coupled with the player’s desire to move to the Bernabeu complicate things.
Warriors youngster still viewed as positive trade asset despite tough injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Among the limited assets that the Golden State Warriors have player-wise, one player who could bring them a decent return is Moses Moody.
Unfortunately, Moody went down with a gruesome knee injury a season ago, which has raised questions about his future with the organization. The hope is that the Warriors can eventually get him back from his injury and that he'll be the same type of player he once was.
However, it's also possible that Golden State understands he's one of its few remaining assets and is trying to trade him.
According to the latest, because of his contract and upside, even with this injury, there's still a feeling he can be a decent asset.
“Moses Moody, Warriors. (Remaining contract: two years, $26 million.) Moody has developed into a valuable piece for Golden State, but a nasty knee injury could keep him out for most of next season. The Warriors are short on time, so could move Moody to make room for LeBron James, or for another potential move. Even with the injury, Moody’s upside and reasonable contract make him an asset,” Sean Deveney wrote.
There were times when Moody looked like a really good player for Golden State.
There were other times when he seemed about average. He's a typical young player who has had his ups and downs, though it's important to remember that while he's been in the league for five seasons, he recently turned 24 years old, so this is still a young kid who has gotten some important minutes in big moments for Golden State.
Nashville SC, which is perched atop the Major League Soccer standings coming out of the league's summer World Cup break, is adding players to strengthen itself for a title push.
The club is finalizing the additions of Tunisian winger Elias Saad (from the Bundesliga's FC Augsburg) and 21-year-old midfielder Famara Camara of Senegal, a source confirmed to The Tennessean.
The moves were previously reported by The Athletic and other outlets.
Saad played for Tunisia during the 2026 World Cup, while Camara is a highly promising young talent out of Ranheim in the Norwegian pro ranks.
The MLS' secondary transfer window for transactions opened July 13 and will run through Sept. 2.
Nashville SC (10-1-3) has taken points from 13 of 14 MLS games thus far this season, though it hasn't played since May 23 with the league on hiatus. It'll return by hosting Atlanta United on July 17 at GEODIS Park.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: MLS-leading Nashville SC making moves as World Cup break ends
Victor Wembanyama choosing to take a discount and leave roughly $50 million on the table in his latest contract to help the Spurs build and maintain a championship team is exactly what is wrong with the system in the eyes of David Kelly, the new executive director of the NBPA (the players' union).
"Our position would be that the system should not require a player to carry all that burden," Kelly said during his introductory press conference last week. "It should not put a player in a position where he has to carry the burden in order to keep a team together. A system that does that, we have a problem."
Kevin Love was more direct, saying the second apron has essentially become a hard cap. He referenced how Brad Stevens and Boston traded away Jaylen Brown because he felt he couldn't have two supermax players together and build out a championship roster, or how the tax is already impacting decisions for the Thunder and Spurs.
"I'll tell you, selfishly, what's really f****** stupid, these aprons are f****** with the game," Love said in an appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast. "That's on our side, [the owners] know exactly who they are that did it…
"You're telling me Oklahoma City can't keep those three guys together because of these aprons? That's bulls***. You're telling me Sam Presti, the greatest, all the things that he's done, is handcuffed because of these f****** aprons?"
To NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the system is working as designed.
"It's certainly not an unintended consequence," Adam Silver said when speaking to the media after the NBA Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas on Tuesday. "When you have a salary system in place as we do, every general manager is going to need to make mixed basketball and business decisions. Frankly, they make them regardless of whether you have a cap. You see that in other sports. People manage budgets. People recognize that you can't — at some point, you can't have unlimited resources, whether it's for a team or any business....
"The purpose of the system is ultimately to create competition throughout the league, and from that standpoint, I think the system is working incredibly well. The goal isn't necessarily to have a different champion every year, but we've had eight different champions over the last eight years. As I've said previously, one of the things we were hoping to accomplish in this latest collective bargaining agreement was to dispel this notion that only certain markets were in a position to truly compete. We just saw a Finals between, essentially, the largest market in the league in New York and one of the smallest markets in San Antonio."
What the owners and Silver wanted was parity — and they got it, or at least closer to it than the league saw before. Fans may hate that the Thunder and Spurs, at the start of potential dynastic runs and an elite rivalry, are already having to get players to take discounts — OKC's Chet Holmgren took the exact same discount Wembanyama did — and think about breaking up their star trios, but the owners love that. If Boston feels it has to trade Brown, he just goes to another team and makes them better in the 30,000-foot view of the league.
There is a push in some circles to allow teams that draft and develop a max player — a guy who stays with his team — to get a salary cap discount so they can build around their homegrown star. For example, in Wembanyama's case, he could put the Rose Rule escalator in his contract and get 30% of the salary cap in his next deal (about an extra $10 million a year), but on the official team books, it would only count as 25%. That could help a team like Boston keep Brown and build around him (because both Brown and Jayson Tatum would qualify). It's something Warriors owner Joe Lacob brought up when he had Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green together (it was a selfish proposition on Lacob's part, but that doesn't mean it was wrong).
All of that will be part of the next CBA negotiations, but the owners like this current system. They wanted a hard cap, instead the owners got a second apron that is essentially the same thing (only one team was over it last season, Cleveland, and only one is now, Oklahoma City, and it may make a move to get below that number). If the players want to change it, what are they willing to give up in the next CBA negotiations?
El Paso's Noah Lopez had the opportunity of a lifetime at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 9-year-old Lopez escorted Kylian Mbappé, the star player for France, before the semifinal match between Spain and France on Tuesday, July 14, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spain won 2-0 to advance to this weekend's championship match.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA has a Player Escort Program that helps young soccer fans escort players onto the pitch.
El Paso has had other connections to the World Cup. El Pasoans Ricardo Pepi and Alejandro Zendejas both played for the United States, which reached the round of 16. The Borderland also has celebrated Mexico's Gilbert Mora, a 17-year-old who plays in a league in Juárez
Several matches have been played in Arlington and Houston.
The championship match is slated for Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso 9-year-old walks onto pitch with Kylian Mbappé at World Cup
After a dominant run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defending champion France was denied a third consecutive trip to the final with a 2-0 loss to Spain in Tuesday’s semifinal match. It was a rather stunning end to the team’s run given the way it played throughout the tournament, but none of the players were particularly interested in talking about it.
France entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the betting favorite to lift the trophy, and it certainly looked the part through the group stage and the first three matches of the knockout round, winning every match it played by more than two goals per match on average.
The team was a perfect 6-0 in the tournament entering Tuesday’s match and had not so much as surrendered a goal through the first three matches of the knockout round, all while its high-powered offense, led by the tournament’s leading scorer Kylian Mbappé, made scoring feel inevitable.
But all that changed in Tuesday’s match. Not only did France surrender its first two goals of the knockout round, but Mbappé and company had no answers on the offensive side as they were held scoreless for the first time all tournament.
Needless to say, it was a surprising result, but France did not seem all that willing to answer for it after the match.
According to Michael J. Duarte of The California Post, no French player went through the media mix zone after the match. While not every player is required to speak to the media after matches, teams are required to designate some players to speak in the media mix zone. According to Duarte, that didn’t happen.
All of the French players refused to come through the media mix zone after the match.
FIFA will hopefully fine them.
None of the French players wanted to talk about the loss to Spain that ended their World Cup.
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) July 14, 2026
“All of the French players refused to come through the media mix zone after the match. FIFA will hopefully fine them. None of the French players wanted to talk about the loss to Spain that ended their World Cup,” he wrote in a post on X.
It is worth noting that Mbappé appears to have spoken to at least some members of the media in some capacity, as he is quoted in a Reuters article where he called the team’s performance “sloppy.” He also interviewed with Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft following the match. So it’s probably not fair to say that all of the French players were entirely unwilling to speak on the loss. Whether Duarte and others got the chance to talk to French players, however, is obviously a different story. But based on FIFA’s rules, players are supposed to be made available in the mixed zone, and teams can be fined if that doesn’t happen.
After the loss, France will now take on the loser of Wednesday’s match between England and Argentina in the third-place match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday afternoon.
The post France players skirt media obligations after World Cup loss to Spain appeared first on Awful Announcing.
Warriors given tough news on Jimmy Butler trade reality originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Golden State Warriors, unfortunately, really don't have many assets to make a trade that makes sense for them. The Warriors could move on from players they likely don't want to trade, or from assets they don't want to trade, to get better, but something has to give to improve.
The one guy who could be impacted by that is Jimmy Butler, though, given his age and coming off an ACL injury, it's tough to see a scenario in which teams are that interested in Butler. According to a recent report, not many teams are interested in Butler.
“Jimmy Butler, Warriors. (Remaining contract: one year, $57 million.) Butler continues to be the subject od trade rumors, but it does not appear that the Warriors will look to move him. He’s the team’s main path to adding another star, as he is probably out until Christmas or later as he recovers from January ACL surgery.
“There are not many teams looking to add a rehabbing 36-year-old to their mix, and the Warriors are not likely to find a player who is better than Butler when healthy,” Sean Deveney wrote.
Butler could be used as a salary-dump player who gets moved in a deal for a player the Warriors want, if the Warriors attach other assets.
However, as Deveney touched on here, there won't be a long line outside waiting for Butler to become available.
When Mark Darbon, the chief executive of the R&A, sat down with reporters Wednesday at Royal Birkdale ahead of the 154th Open Championship, he confirmed something we learned ahead of last month’s U.S. Open: Golf’s governing bodies are considering the idea of using Model Local Rules (MLR) to curb distance at the highest levels of the sport.
That idea should sound familiar, because we’ve heard it before.
The United States Golf Association and the R&A first proposed the idea as a solution to the governing bodies stated distance problem in March, 2023, before abandoning it in favor of the universal golf-ball rollback announced in December of that year.
Now, after conversations with the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and players themselves, the pendulum appears to be swinging back.
“There’s clearly been a bit of change in the position of the PGA Tour and its players, an openness to look at some model local rules,” Darbon said Wednesday.
For golfers who have spent the last three years trying to keep track of robot testing protocols, launch conditions and endless debates about virtues and shortcomings of bifurcation, this latest twist may feel like yet another plot twist in a movie that feels like it’s running too long already. But, it could ultimately reshape professional golf far more than the rollback plan currently scheduled to begin in 2030.
First, it helps to understand what a Model Local Rule actually is.
Model Local Rules have been around for generations, and tournament organizers use them to address everything from preferred lies to out-of-bounds stakes and temporary conditions. In 2022, the USGA and R&A introduced an MLR that allowed tournaments to cap driver length at 46 inches and it was quickly adopted by the PGA Tour and LPGA.
The concept the governing bodies explored and formally proposed in 2023 was much more ambitious. Instead of changing equipment rules for everyone, tournament organizers could require elite players to use equipment tested under different, distance-reducing standards.
At the time, the focus was primarily on golf balls. The governing bodies proposed testing balls at higher swing speeds at more optimized launch conditions, creating a “competition ball” that would fly shorter in the hands of the fastest players. The testing standards for other balls would not change, so equipment used by recreational golfers would be unchanged.
There were also discussions about club regulations. The USGA and R&A researched whether Model Local Rules could be used to reduce the spring-like effect of drivers by lowering Characteristic Time, or CT, and whether driver heads should have lower limits on moment of inertia (MOI), making off-center hits less forgiving.
Then something changed.
In December, 2023, the USGA and R&A abandoned the idea and announced a universal rollback that would alter the Overall Distance Standard (ODS) for golf balls beginning in 2028 for elite players and 2030 for recreational golfers. The governing bodies said they had heard overwhelming support for one set of equipment rules across the game.
But last month, Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA, revealed on the day before the start of the U.S. Open that the decision to abandon the Model Local Rule solution was driven by something else, too.
“Three years ago, we were told pretty point-blank that MLRs would not be implemented that are distance-related at the PGA Tour level,” Whan said. “Given that, we had a crossroads. Do we keep going down that path if they’re not going to be implemented? That’s a paper exercise then. So, we moved on from some of those.”
In other words, the governing bodies did not necessarily stop believing Model Local Rules could be a good solution to reducing distance at the elite level. They stopped believing anyone would use them.
Now, it appears the resistance to MLRs is changing.
Whan said recent meetings with PGA Tour leadership, DP World Tour officials and members of the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council revealed three things: everyone agrees distance continues to increase at the elite level; there are concerns that the current rollback plan will not do enough to slow that trend; and there is now a “collective willingness” to reconsider ideas that had been shelved.
On Wednesday, Darbon said, “There's been a lot of, I'd say, really transparent and collaborative dialogue with other stakeholders, the tours and more recently with a number of players themselves. It's of no surprise to anyone that not everyone is aligned behind the decision that was made in December 2023, and having heard the feedback from the industry, I think it would be remiss of us not to take some time to explore some of the other alternatives that may exist, particularly given that there's clearly been a bit of change in the position of the PGA Tour and its players, an openness to look at some model local rules.”
If the USGA and the R&A created Model Local Rules that, if adopted, would make players use distance-reducing equipment, what might that world look like?
PGA Tour and DP World Tour players would use a shorter-flying ball, while the rest of us continued teeing up Pro V1s, Chrome Softs, TP5s, Tour B's and Z-Stars and other balls that conform to today’s standards.
Equipment trucks would carry competition-ball inventories. Tour reps would spend weeks, probably months, helping players dial in launch windows, spin rates and yardages with the new gear.
The effects would ripple through the professional game. Distances would change and invariably some long hitters might lose more ground than others.
There would also be less need to create longer courses, championship venues would require less water and fewer chemicals to maintain and some layouts would regain some of their original strategic intent.
For recreational golfers, the biggest attraction is obvious: nothing would change.
Your driver would stay legal. Your golf balls would stay legal. The 18-handicapper who struggles to clear a pond wouldn’t suddenly be hitting the ball 5 or 7 yards shorter.
Of course, none of this would come without complications.
Manufacturers would almost certainly resist MLRs and the idea of building a second category of products that many consumers would never buy or use. Designing, testing and producing competition golf balls with different specifications would add cost and complexity to an industry that already spends tens of millions of dollars each year on research and development.
There is also the question of where the line would be drawn.
Would Model Local Rules apply only to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour? The Korn Ferry Tour would likely be included, but what about the PGA Tour Champions and college golfers? And then there is the LPGA.
Someone will have to decide where the cutoff lies.
The debate would inevitably return to the word golf has been arguing about for years: bifurcation.
Critics would argue that forcing professionals to use different equipment than recreational players amounts to bifurcation, regardless of semantics. Back in 2023, however, Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s chief governance officer, disagreed.
“Our view is a single set of playing rules and a single set of equipment rules is one of the great things about the game,” Pagel said at the time. “Model Local Rules have existed forever, and we have Model Local Rules around equipment. This would just be another example of that. We don’t view it as bifurcation.”
Golf’s governing bodies spent years insisting they had moved beyond Model Local Rules. This week at Royal Birkdale, and last month at Shinnecock Hills, they effectively admitted they may be headed right back toward them.
The irony is hard to miss. After years of studies, debates and announcements, the sport may find itself standing once again at the same fork in the road it faced in 2023.
Only now, the PGA Tour appears it might be willing to take a path alongside the game’s governing bodies.
David Dusek is a senior writer at Golfweek covering golf equipment.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: R&A echoes the USGA, says distance solutions are being re-examined
England win, Messi to score: Ravi Shastri, Michael Vaughan and ex-cricketers drop FIFA World Cup semi-final predictions originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Cricket and football rarely collide as neatly as they have this fortnight. As England's cricketers prepare to chase an ODI series against India, the nation's footballers stand on the brink of history, facing reigning champions Argentina in a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday.
The occasion was too good for the Stick to Cricket show to ignore. The popular cricket podcast messaged a string of well-known figures from the game to ask for their scoreline predictions ahead of the meeting between Harry Kane's England and Lionel Messi's Argentina.
The responses ranged from the confident to the comically confused, but they shared one overwhelming theme. Every single respondent backed England to reach only their second World Cup final and their first since lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966.
More: India vs England 2nd ODI 2026 lineups as Men in Blue look to seal the series
Ravi Shastri delivered the most memorable answer of the lot, correctly picking a winner while spectacularly merging two of England's biggest stars into a single player. "2-1 England. Kane Bellingham for England. Messi Argentina," the former India head coach replied.
We asked friends of the show for their England v Argentina predictions! 🏴 🇦🇷
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) July 15, 2026
Leave yours down below! ⚽ 👇 pic.twitter.com/wPqWmuKza3
Michael Vaughan kept his prediction simple and characteristically bullish about his country's chances. Asked for the score in the big game, the 2005 Ashes-winning captain replied "3-2 to England," backing a high-scoring victory in Atlanta.
Phil Tufnell could not resist a nod to England's tortured penalty history against Argentina, having lost the 1998 shootout in Saint-Etienne. "2-2 pens, England wins," the former spinner wrote, imagining a dramatic route to the final that few England fans would welcome.
Mark Wood offered the tightest scoreline and a cheeky assist for his fellow pundit. "1-0. Tuffers, penalty," the fast bowler replied, jokingly casting Tufnell as the man to convert a decisive spot kick for the Three Lions on the night.
More: 'Milk India vs Pakistan twice': ICC's decision to reformat ODI and T20 WCs faces fans' backlash
The optimism is not entirely without foundation. According to Opta, England advance in 52.3 percent of the supercomputer's simulations, with Kane and Jude Bellingham having scored six goals each, the first time two players from one nation have hit that mark in a single World Cup.
Argentina, however, arrives as the tournament's form side. Messi has scored eight goals in six matches, and La Albiceleste have won all six of their games while chasing the feat of becoming the first team to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.
The rivalry needs no embellishment, taking in Diego Maradona's Hand of God in 1986 and David Beckham's red card in 1998. For all the cricketing bravado, England's players know Thomas Tuchel's side must end a 60-year wait to make the panel's predictions come true.
For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.
Training camp for the Detroit Lions opens on July 25 for the rookies. That means it's time to start the training camp medical preview series.
Here is the excerpt on the projected starting CB's from Lions 2026 Training Camp Medical Preview: Cornerbacks.
Click on player name for full medical report if available. (Age at start of season in parentheses.)
Medical concern level: 4/10
Reed missed six games in the middle of the season due to a left hamstring strain. He returned for the final seven games.
Down the stretch, here were Reed’s snap counts.
OUTLOOK: Reed is healthy and enters as the clear #1 CB. A hamstring recurrence is possible, so the Lions will want to be careful during training camp.
Medical concern level: 2/10
Ya-Sin was truly a rock in 2025, having played in all 17 games. He suffered cramps on multiple occasions, but was otherwise healthy. The only concern medically is his age, which has crossed over 30.
These were Ya-Sin’s defensive snap counts the final four games of the season
These snap counts were the highest of any Lion CB, including Reed. Ya-Sin basically had become the Lions #1 CB by the end of the season.
OUTLOOK: With his proven performance from last season, Ya-Sin likely gets a starting CB job. This knowledge probably helps him get his cramping issues under control as he can get his body properly prepared.
Medical concern level: 0/10
This 5th-round rookie is very medically clean with only a possible minor hand injury in his college career.
OUTLOOK: Many considered Abney to be a steal in the draft. We’ll see about that, but hopes are certainly high that this extremely young player can be a long-term solution somewhere in the secondary.
Given his youth, health, and cheap 4-year contract, the Lions will give Abney every chance to earn a significant role - likely as the slot CB.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions Training Camp Medical Preview: Projected Starting CB's
Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw Justin Wrobleski pitched two innings in the All-Star game, raising some eyebrows with his performance.
Wrobleski had five strikeouts, but he made one mistake, leading to his only run allowed, which came on a home run to former Dodgers Miguel Vargas.
However, his five punch-outs were good for the most since 1999, when Pedro Martinez got six of his own.
The record, since there are so many pitchers that need a turn, is six, but Wrobleski fell just short. He also tied for the most among Dodgers pitchers at the ASG, alongside two legends, Fernando Valenzuela (1986) and Don Drysdale (1959).
Wrobleski was notably down since he gave up a home run, understandably so since he is a hyper-competitive pitcher, but he did not fail to take it all in, making an unlikely All-Star appearance on his birthday.
“I’m super blessed and lucky to have the chance to do this,” Wrobleski said. “There’s not many guys in history that have had that chance. So pretty cool to play on my birthday. My family’s here. Got to talk to them all day. And yeah, it was super fun.”
Wrobleski was a journeyman college pitcher, playing at three different schools and undergoing Tommy John surgery months before getting drafted, which dinged him in the pre-draft evaluation.
Additionally, in 2021, he went through a car accident so tragic that it nearly ended his baseball career.
Despite it all, Wrobleski never lost faith.
“For whatever reason, I’ve always believed I could do it,” Wrobleski said.
“Even when it doesn’t look like it’s been something that’s possible, or hasn’t looked like this dream is going to work out, I’ve always had the belief that God’s given me the talent, and I have the ability to be able to do all this stuff. And it’s great to –– not fulfill that –– but prove that I can be really good at the major league level.”
Now, Wrobleski is out to prove himself again and again, showing that a high command pitcher without blowout stuff can still be good in the modern MLB.
Leeds United have officially added AC Milan’s versatile midfielder Yunus Musah to their summer recruitment shortlist, with manager Daniel Farke eager to strengthen his midfield ahead of the new campaign. Daniel Farke is at Elland Road. The West Yorkshire club’s recruitment team have maintained long-term interest in the American international and are prepared to explore a formal deal.
Musah has endured a challenging spell since his €20 million move from Valencia to San Siro in 2023. He spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Atalanta but struggled to secure regular starts, leaving him back at Milan with an uncertain future.
For Leeds, signing a dynamic midfielder like Musah is an attractive proposition. While the club’s American owners, 49ers Enterprises, are interested in the commercial appeal of pairing Musah with USMNT teammate Brenden Aaronson at Elland Road, the pursuit is firmly rooted in Farke’s tactical vision. Farke wants a high-intensity squad and believes Musah’s top-flight pedigree would add valuable depth and experience to his midfield options.
However, Leeds will have to wait before making a serious move for Musah. New Milan manager Ruben Amorim wants to assess the ‘fantastic’ 23-year-old during pre-season before making a final decision on his future.
Furthermore, Musah must consider whether a move to Elland Road would guarantee the regular starts he needs for his development, especially as he looks to compete with established midfielders like Ethan Ampadu for a place in the starting XI.
Meanwhile, Leeds are also continuing their pursuit of Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, but now face added competition from Newcastle United.
Manchester City have opened to a loan for U21 striker Mahamadou Sangare, with the 19-year-old available for a fee below £4.2 million should an interested club wish to make the move permanent, as per a new report from Italy.
Sangare enjoyed a prolific campaign at U21 level for Manchester City last season, scoring 15 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions – a return that has attracted attention from clubs across France, Germany and beyond as director of football Hugo Viana assesses the most appropriate next step for one of the more productive young strikers in the club’s development setup.
The teenager’s goal record at U21 level placed him among the more clinical finishers operating in that age group across City’s City Football Group network last season, and the decision to make him available on a loan-with-option structure reflects a recognition from the club that his development is best served by regular senior football rather than another campaign in the academy environment.
Manchester City striker expected to leave this summer – Ligue 1 and Bundesliga ‘most likely’
Nantes, Nice and Freiburg are among the clubs understood to have expressed an interest in Sangare ahead of the window progressing further, with the relatively accessible valuation placed on a permanent option likely to broaden the pool of potential suitors considerably as awareness of the teenager’s availability grows.
The report also notes that Italian clubs could view Sangare as a particularly attractive opportunity, suggesting the striker’s profile has already generated interest beyond the clubs specifically named and that the field of potential destinations is wider than the initial shortlist implies.
According to journalist Mirko Di Natale, Manchester City are open to a loan with option to buy arrangement for Sangare, with the striker’s valuation set below £4.2 million for any club wishing to activate a permanent purchase at the end of a temporary spell.
The loan-with-option structure is one Manchester City have used consistently in managing the development of young players whose talent is established but whose readiness for regular first-team football at the highest level requires further testing in a senior competitive environment before a definitive decision is made.
At 19, Sangare sits at precisely the juncture in a young striker’s development where a well-chosen loan can prove transformative – old enough to cope with the physical demands of senior football but young enough to benefit enormously from the kind of consistent exposure to competitive environments that U21 football, however productive, cannot fully replicate.
The relatively low valuation attached to the permanent option is a pragmatic acknowledgment from City that Sangare’s market value, while reflecting genuine potential, has not yet been established through senior appearances – and that the structure of the deal is designed to incentivise clubs to move for him now rather than wait for that value to rise following a successful loan.
Manchester City 2026/27 squad audit: Transfer latest on every player
The decision to make Sangare available externally on loan rather than keeping him within the City Football Group’s network of clubs reflects a broader philosophy under Viana’s leadership of finding the most appropriate environment for each individual player rather than defaulting to an in-network solution regardless of whether it best serves the player’s development needs.
Freiburg’s interest is particularly noteworthy given the German club’s well-earned reputation for developing and integrating young players into senior football at a high level, with a loan there offering the kind of structured, progressive environment that a young striker with Sangare’s profile would benefit greatly from across a full season in the Bundesliga.
For new City manager Enzo Maresca, the question of how City’s development pipeline connects to the first-team is one he is addressing across multiple levels of the squad simultaneously, with the futures of development-age players like Sangare sitting alongside the far higher-profile decisions around established senior figures as the summer rebuild continues at the Etihad Stadium.
Whether Sangare’s next destination is Nantes, Nice, Freiburg or an as-yet unidentified Italian club, the 19-year-old’s availability at an accessible valuation ensures that the decision over where he spends the 2026-27 season is likely to be resolved relatively quickly once the right environment has been identified by City’s sporting structure and the player himself.
The Anaheim Ducks’ offseason took a dramatic turn when they matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ record-setting five-year, $90 million offer sheet for star center Leo Carlsson. While the move ensured the franchise kept one of its cornerstone players, it also sparked immediate speculation about what it could mean for fellow restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier.
After leading Anaheim with 41 goals last season, Gauthier suddenly became the center of contract rumors, with many wondering whether he would now demand a deal similar to Carlsson’s.
The speculation gained momentum after former NHL defenseman Keith Yandle claimed on Spittin’ Chiclets that he had heard Gauthier wasn’t willing to accept anything less than Carlsson’s $18 million average annual value.
However, NHL insider Jimmy Murphy quickly dismissed the rumor with a blunt four-word response: “Confirmed, this is not true!”
Murphy’s response poured cold water on the growing speculation, suggesting the reported contract demand isn’t based in reality.
While the rumor generated plenty of discussion, it doesn’t align with the NHL’s contract rules.
Unlike Carlsson, Gauthier is not eligible to receive an offer sheet because he has not yet qualified for Group 2 restricted free agent status. He also does not have arbitration rights, making the rumored $18 million-per-year scenario impossible under the current collective bargaining agreement.
That said, Anaheim still faces an important negotiation.
Following his 41-goal breakout season, Gauthier is expected to receive a significant raise.
Before Carlsson’s record-setting contract, projections had Gauthier landing a long-term deal worth roughly $9.6 million annually. With the market now shifting upward, he could reasonably seek a contract in the $11-12 million range or opt for a shorter-term agreement that allows him to capitalize on another increase in the salary cap later.
Even if Gauthier signs for around $11-12 million annually, Anaheim will need to create cap space before the regular season.
That has already fueled speculation that veterans such as Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano could become trade candidates as general manager Pat Verbeek looks to balance the books.
Negotiations may not be straightforward either. Verbeek is notoriously rigid in contract negotiations (as seen previously with Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale). However, Gauthier famously forced his way out of Philadelphia by refusing to sign his ELC, proving he is entirely comfortable digging his heels in when he feels slighted by front-office management.
The Ducks can’t afford a prolonged holdout from their top goalscorer, meaning Verbeek will likely have to swallow his pride, move a veteran asset for pennies on the dollar, and pay Gauthier his well-earned premium.
Warriors likely won’t land Anthony Davis because of strange Wizards reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Golden State Warriors obviously want to improve on both sides of the basketball this offseason, though they really haven't.
In fact, the Warriors are one of the only teams in the league that really hasn't done anything. Unfortunately for the Warriors, it's uncertain whether that's going to change anytime in the near future, as there's no guarantee that LeBron James will end up with the Warriors, and a trade for Anthony Davis is seeming increasingly unlikely day by day.
According to the latest report on Davis, much of that is due to the Washington Wizards being under pressure to finally turn things around. The Wizards, who have been one of the worst teams in the NBA in recent years, believe Davis will at least help them turn things around a bit.
“Speaking of Davis, one NBA executive has a pretty good reason for why he’s staying put in Washington–the Wizards are under a strict mandate to get things turned around after just 50 wins in their last three seasons. Both coach Brian Keefe and president Michael Winger have their jobs on the line this year,” Sean Deveney wrote.
On paper, the Wizards shouldn't be a terrible team with Davis, Trae Young, AJ Dybantsa, and some other really interesting young pieces. Davis obviously makes more sense on an older team like the Warriors, but if the Wizards are actually trying to win, it's unlikely he gets moved.
The Cleveland Browns remade offensive line group has seen an impressive amount of overhaul. At this point, the current starting lineup is expected to include five new starters:
Quite a lot of change from the last few years when Jedrick Wills/Cam Robinson, Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin were the starting group. Bitonio has retired, Wills took a year off from the NFL last year and is still a free agent, Teller signed with the Houston Texans, and Robinson, Pocic, and Conklin remain free agents.
According to a report, Pocic is now healthy and will be ready to participate in training camp if he signs with a team:
Browns starting center Ethan Pocic, who tore his Achilles last December, recently was cleared by Dr. Norman Waldrop to participate in training camp. Pocic is a free agent, and is said by a source to be “full go.” pic.twitter.com/yfmZ1W4SH1
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 15, 2026
Like the rest of Cleveland’s offensive line, Pocic’s 2025 season saw a decent decline in play. According to Pro Football Focus, the Browns center was the 20th-graded center among 40 that qualified.
A return to Cleveland could still be in the cards if HC Todd Monken and GM Andrew Berry believe E. Jenkins best fit is at right guard and Brailsford isn’t ready to start right away. Given Pocic’s quality play prior to last year, he could have a number of suitors around the league but could have to wait for an injury if he wants to be assured of a starting position.
Do you think the Browns should have interest in bringing Pocic back, or should they turn the page and focus on the players on the roster currently?
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The 2026 MLB trade deadline is a few weeks away, but we have our first notable move of trade season.
The Houston Astros are reportedly trading veteran starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers, per The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.
McCullers had a no-trade clause in his contract, but has waived it for this move. This ends the pitcher’s 12-year tenure in Houston.
The veteran arm joins a Brewers pitching staff that posted a 3.48 ERA as a team in the season’s first half, the second-best mark in MLB behind only the New York Yankees.
Milwaukee's acquisition of McCullers comes as Brandon Woodruff was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL due to a lingering shoulder injury just before the All-Star break. Kyle Harrison was also added to the IL this week with elbow soreness.
McCullers has struggled this season and will hope that the change of scenery helps him get back on track. He heads to Milwaukee with a 2-3 record and a 6.86 ERA.
The veteran arm has had an injury-riddled career. He missed the entirety of the 2019, 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injuries. McCullers missed 2019 due to Tommy John surgery and then the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his pitching arm, as well as having a bone spur removed.
Left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon is also heading to Milwaukee as part of the deal, per Jon Heyman. Gordon has made four MLB appearances this season and has an 11.57 ERA, allowing 12 earned runs over 9.1 innings.
Less than a day after going undrafted, former Longhorn Cal Higgins found a new home. The Nebraska native signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday and can now focus on starting his professional career. While his career with Texas was full of ups and downs, Higgins did enough to catch the attention of the Phillies front office and scouts. During the 2026 campaign, Higgins posted a 5.56 ERA in 11.1 innings of work. While the Kearney High alum struggled to limit hard contact, he did strikeout 16 batters and added one win to his resume. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but Higgins had a solid track record before transferring to Texas.
Cal Higgins ➡️ #RingTheBell
— MLB Draft League (@mlbdraftleague) July 14, 2026
Cal Higgins (@WVBlackBears) is signing a UDFA deal with the @Phillies! 🐻 ✍️
4/1 G/S, 5.1 IP, 8 K pic.twitter.com/25C28spDdh
The newest member of the Phillies organization began his college career at Western Kentucky. Higgins posted a 3.18 ERA during his sophomore season before taking his game to another level. As a junior, he recorded a 1.87 ERA in 22 games while striking out 52 batters. The talented lefty also pitched in some high-leverage situations, adding six saves to his resume.
As Higgins begins the next chapter of his baseball career, he will be around a familiar face. The Phillies used the 100th overall pick on former Longhorns ace Ruger Riojas. Having a former teammate also making the transition to the next level should make life easier for Higgins as he continues to improve his game.
Cal Higgins (@WVBlackBears) impressed with a quality three-pitch mix last night, picking up all three outs via the strikeout.🐻
— MLB Draft League Data (@draftleaguedata) June 24, 2026
IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 3 K
𝗦𝗡𝗞: 94.3mph, 2111rpm, 13.3" IVB, -18.1" HB
𝗖𝗧: 86.7mph, 2076rpm, 2.4" IVB, -1.6" HB
𝗦𝗟: 79.8mph, 2359rpm, 5.6" IVB,… pic.twitter.com/ajCMhz9dNV
Over the last few days, Longhorns baseball has had plenty to celebrate. Higgins joined Carson Tinney, Aiden Robbins, Thomas Burns, Luke Harrison, and Cody Howard as alumni who were either drafted or signed by an MLB team this year. That is not bad company to be in.
Now, for Higgins, the focus will be to show that he can be a piece of the Phillies' future as he moves closer to the majors.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Former Longhorn Cal Higgins signs with Philadelphia Phillies
The biggest game of the 2026 Fifa men's World Cup so far takes center stage Wednesday as England and Argentina meet in a semifinal packed with star power, history and championship stakes.
With Spain already through to the final after defeating France, the winner of today's match will earn a place in Sunday's World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium.
For many fans, the biggest question today isn't who will win the World Cup. It's much simpler: What time is Argentina vs. England today and how do I watch it?
The answer is 3 p.m. ET, but the matchup carries far more significance than a spot on the schedule. Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina are trying to move one step closer to another World Cup title, while England hopes to reach its first World Cup final since its championship run in 1966.
The semifinal is one of the tournament's most anticipated matches and features two of soccer's most recognizable national teams. By day's end, the World Cup final matchup will be set, as Spain already clinched their spot after yesterday's 2-0 win over France.
Only one match remains before the World Cup final is set:
England vs. Argentina
Spain became the first finalist after defeating France 2-0 in the other semifinal.
England and Argentina kick off at 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, July 15 in Atlanta
The match will be broadcast nationally on FOX and streamed through available FOX platforms.
Fans searching for today's World Cup game will be looking for television and streaming information as two of soccer's biggest nations battle for a spot in the final. The matchup is expected to draw one of the largest global audiences of the tournament so far.
Watching the World Cup in the U.S. remains straightforward:
Spain secured a place in Sunday's championship match by eliminating France in the first semifinal. Now England and Argentina will battle for the other spot.
A Spain-Argentina final would feature Messi attempting to defend Argentina's World Cup crown. A Spain-England final would give England a chance to end a decades-long title drought.
Messi remains one of the biggest storylines of the tournament.
Argentina has survived several tense knockout matches to reach the final four, and every appearance adds another chapter to Messi's legendary international career. Argentina defeated Switzerland in the quarterfinals and now stands one victory away from a return trip to the World Cup final.
For many casual fans, today's match is as much about Messi's pursuit of another title as it is about the semifinal itself.
England advanced after a dramatic extra-time victory over Norway in the quarterfinals, helped by another standout performance from Jude Bellingham. The Three Lions have continued to find ways to win in pressure-packed moments throughout the knockout stage.
Argentina reached the semifinals with a 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland. The defending champions have repeatedly survived close tests and remain alive in their pursuit of back-to-back World Cup titles.
The betting markets have viewed England as a slight favorite entering the semifinal, though the margins are narrow given Argentina's experience and championship pedigree.
England enters with one of the tournament's most balanced squads, while Argentina brings experience, confidence and the presence of Messi in what could be another defining World Cup moment.
With France eliminated, the tournament is down to three contenders: Spain, England and Argentina. Spain has already booked its spot in the final, while England and Argentina will decide the remaining berth Wednesday.
The outcome of today's semifinal will dramatically reshape the championship conversation and determine who gets a chance to lift soccer's biggest trophy on Sunday.
Streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream carry the same channels that will be airing the World Cup games, letting you follow the FIFA tournament in real time. FOX’s own platforms, including its app and direct-to-consumer options, also provide access to live matches.
The winner of today's semifinal advances to face Spain in Sunday's World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. With three former champions remaining, the tournament is guaranteed to crown a finalist with a rich World Cup history.
After Argentina and England meet today, attention will shift to the third-place match on Saturday and the World Cup final on Sunday, By the end of the week, the field of 48 teams will be down to just two nations competing for soccer's biggest prize.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features a 48-team field across the United States, Canada and Mexico, running from June 11 through July 19 with 104 matches scheduled over several rounds as follows:
Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist covering trending and breaking topics across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions for USA Today Network. Reach her at mfrancis@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What time is the World Cup game today? England vs. Argentina semifinal
The 2026 football season for the Auburn Tigers is on the horizon. As we anticipate the start of the season, let's introduce you to a key member of the 2026 roster.
A defensive piece that has the capability to be the next man up for the loaded Auburn linebacking room is sophomore Bryce Deas. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker saw the field 11 times this past year for the Tigers. Deas is projected to be a second-team linebacker, obviously with the two studs in junior Xavier Atkins and sophomore Elijah Melendez ahead in the depth chart.
Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin's defense has been very productive in the linebacking corps. Deas has that chance to be the next one of those guys that Durkin has gotten the best out of at the position. As a true freshman, he debuted against Baylor and recorded his first tackle-for-loss against Ball State. Throughout the season, Deas would be used in a rotational piece-type role on defense for the Tigers.
Coming out of high school, he was rated a four-star (composite industry score) and was seen as the No. 50 player at his position by 247Sports. He played at St. Francis Academy in Maryland. He led the team as a team captain and played both sides as a running back and linebacker. He excelled in track and field, where he lettered.
Learn more about Auburn linebacker Bryce Deas by checking out his 2026 Auburn football player profile below.
| YEAR | GAMES PLAYED | STARTS | TACKLES | TFL | INT | PBU |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Auburn Wire is preparing for the 2026 season by profiling several notable players. Check out the 2026 player profile of your favorite player below.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jac on Twitter@Jac_Myrick
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Player profile: Bryce Deas ready for his sophomore campaign
Spanish star Lamine Yamal did not spare the French national team after Spain’s 2-0 victory in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A phenomenon on social media (with more than 52 million followers on TikTok), the player used the platform to take a jab at the eliminated rivals.
In the caption, he joked in French: "Spain in the final. Pardon" ("Spain in the final! Sorry").
The post instantly went viral, reaching 70 million views, 13 million likes, and 200,000 comments in just 10 hours.
On Instagram, the tone was more celebratory with his family and focused on the final: "New York, we’re coming for you," the athlete wrote, referring to the stage of Sunday’s big final.
It is worth noting that Yamal was a key player in the match, playing the full 90 minutes and winning the penalty that led to Spain’s first goal.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
The Chicago Bears are gearing up for training camp later this month, with everyone reporting to Halas Hall by July 28 for the second summer with head coach Ben Johnson.
The Bears previously announced 10 open practices to the public, with the first scheduled for July 31, and joint practices with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans, both on the road ahead of their respective preseason contests. Now, they're adding another event to the calendar for fans.
Chicago announced their "Varsity Bears" initiative, where the team will hold a workout at Stevenson High School in nearby Lincolnshire, Ill., which will consist of a walkthrough practice and an array of attractions. The practice will take place Monday, Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. CT. Tickets go on sale Thursday, July 16.
The Bears will have two joint practices this summer with a pair of preseason opponents, starting with the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 20, and concluding with the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 27. Both joint practices will be on the road before their respective preseason contests.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears announce training camp practice at local high school
Lakers two young players named as potential trade pieces on Jonathan Kuminga talks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sign-and-trade deals are a bit more confusing and uncommon than we typically see in the NBA. For that reason and more, it's tough to get a feel for what certain packages might be for a guy like Jonathan Kuminga.
The Los Angeles Lakers are certainly interested in Kuminga, though the perfect trade offer from the Atlanta Hawks isn't out there yet.
A lot of this would just be sending some assets back to Atlanta, and according to the latest, that could be a variation of Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, and some picks.
“With the cap-space option off the table, Kuminga’s options are pretty well in focus, and they depend on LeBron James. That’s because the Hawks would have to sign-and-trade Kuminga to get a deal done, and there really isn’t anything on the Lakers’ roster that they value–the Lakers could offer a pick swap in 2032 or two second round picks along with some combination of Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia and maybe a deep-bench player,” Sean Deveney wrote.
This isn't exactly the best trade offer out there, and one could probably argue that Atlanta could even get more than what Los Angeles would be willing to offer.
However, it's not the worst ever, so it wouldn't be surprising if something like this happened.
👋 Welcome to Wednesday! From team sales to salary cap dynamics to labor battles, there’s never been a more important time to make sense of the money in sports. Tell your friends and colleagues to subscribe!
In today’s edition: The NBA’s second apron noise, dollars from the Derby, multi-million-dollar sports cards, the Lakers’ new glue guy, MLB’s labor battle lines, and more.
Time to show you the money...
🏀 TAX PLANNING
(Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Remarkable as it may seem, a five-year deal worth $252 million can be considered a hometown discount in today’s NBA. For a player of Victor Wembanyama’s stature, however, any penny saved relative to his maximum earning power is worthy of that description.
Money on the table: Wembanyama’s extension represents the 25% maximum of the salary cap currently available to the player under the CBA. However, were Wembanyama to be named MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA next season (likely, if he remains healthy), he would become eligible for a higher 30% “super max” contract.
Apron evasion: Wembanyama’s decision reflects the realities of the NBA’s current luxury tax system, where exceeding certain payroll levels is treated so punitively that star-laden teams are forced to disband within a few seasons. The system, designed to increase parity, has made long-term roster construction more complicated than ever. Most threatening are the penalties for surpassing the second luxury tax apron, set this season at $221.7 million, which decimates roster-building flexibility.
Unaffordable luxury: Under this system, the penalties — both financial and sporting — are too harsh to endure for an extended period. A roster of stars will operate on borrowed time, attempting to maximize the results of their window before the inevitable breakup. That demolition ensures an escape from the repeater tax before the team can spend heavily again.
It’s not you, it’s the second apron: These dynamics will force teams into unpopular decisions. The Celtics are the first team to incur the apron’s wrath, having begun the teardown last offseason. By shedding $46 million in payroll relative to what their 2024-25 roster would’ve cost, escaping the luxury tax in the process, the Celtics saved over $325 million, per an analysis from Third Apron.
What they’re saying: Wembanyama’s concession is the latest episode to raise the ire of the NBAPA toward the current system, with star players shouldering the burden of sacrifice to ensure competitiveness.
Quick fix? In explaining the Brown trade, Brad Stevens offered a potential solution to the NBA’s new reality, where even teams that successfully draft and develop stars are forced to jettison those homegrown players to avoid penalty: “We may not be sitting here if there was a rule in the CBA that said guys you drafted and signed to 35% supermaxes count 25% against the cap, because that would allow you to build out toward the aprons with a lot more flexibility.”
Bottom line: In today’s NBA, basketball decisions and financial decisions are one and the same. Even at H&R Block, they don’t talk about taxes this much. Roster breakups are inevitable, and in most cases, they will not be the result of ownership frugality, but instead an effort to reset the clock in the renewed pursuit of on-court success. Tick tock, San Antonio.
💲 DOLLARS FOR DINGERS
(Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
$1,000,000
For Monday’s Home Run Derby triumph, Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker won the $1 million prize, which is more money than Walker will make via salary this season. Playing in his last year before arbitration, Walker is making $799,400, though a multi-year extension will likely amount to a nine-figure total. He currently leads the league in RBIs with 74 and sits 10th with 22 home runs.
(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
$500,000
Hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber earned $500,000 for his runner-up performance. With an average annual contract value of $30 million in his newly signed contract with the Phillies, the Derby bonus is equivalent to about $1,070 for the median American. Not nothin’ for a few rounds of glorified batting practice! The rest of the Derby participants made $150,000 apiece.
(Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
$100,000
For hitting the night’s longest blast, a gargantuan 491-foot shot to left-center field, Rays slugger Junior Caminero took home a $100,000 bonus. The blast, however, fell short of both the Derby record (520 feet) and the non-Coors-Field Derby record (513 feet).
📆 CARD CURRENCY
(Chris Hondros/Newsmakers via Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Fanatics Collect announced that it brokered a $3,365,000 private sale of Shohei Ohtani’s 2018 Bowman Chrome Superfractor. The sale is the most expensive in history for an Ohtani card, and it’s the second multi-million-dollar Ohtani sale in the last month. The record price came just one day before a very fitting anniversary.
On this day in 2000, the first million-dollar sports card was sold, as a T206 Honus Wagner card reached a $1.265 million sale price in an eBay auction. That card, previously owned by Wayne Gretzky, had sold in 1996 for $640,500, a record at the time. It was also believed to be the first card ever graded by industry giant PSA, bearing the serial number "00000001."
Scandal ensues: In October 2013, Bill Mastro, another of the card’s prior owners and CEO of Mastro Auctions, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, admitting that he had trimmed the card to improve its appearance. The card was last purchased by supercollector Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick, who bought it for a reported $2.8 million in 2007.
Fast forward: While seven-figure territory used to be familiar grounds for only T206 Wagners and 1952 Topps Mantles, million-dollar sports card sales are now commonplace.
Cultural currency: The prevalence of high-priced sports cards reflects the growing status of sports collectibles as assets of cultural resonance, with their physical scarcity increasing their appeal in an era of digital abundance.
Proceed with caution: While the card market is once again soaring, driven by the headline sale prices of its most celebrated assets, the lessons from just a few years prior bear heeding. A downturn in the card market coincided closely with inflation-driven consumer malaise and the ensuing Fed rate-hiking cycle.
Rings true: For those still incredulous at pieces of cardboard selling for seven-figure prices, the words of Brian Siegel in 2000, after buying that first million-dollar Honus, are just as relevant today as they were then: “The fact is, this is the value of the card. It just sold at auction; everybody knew about it. The value of something is how much people are willing to pay for it.”
Bottom line: People’s willingness to pay for the market’s most coveted sports cards appears to be rising daily.
⚡ ICYMI
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
🏀 Leonard, Clippers investigation expanded: The scope of the NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard’s Aspiration endorsement and the associated cap circumvention allegations has expanded, according to The Athletic. Wachtell Lipton, conducting the inquiry, has reportedly examined whether Leonard had expenses improperly covered by the team and whether he engaged in a previously unreported endorsement deal. Adam Silver is hopeful the investigation will be concluded this summer.
⛳ Open Championship reveals lowest purse among majors: The Open Championship announced Tuesday that this year’s tournament will feature a $17.75 million prize purse. While that’s up from last year’s $17 million, it trails the Masters and US Open by $4.75 million and the PGA Championship by $2.75 million. The shortfall is unlikely to dampen players’ desire to raise the Claret Jug.
⚽ Charlotte FC drops PSLs: In a rare about-face, Charlotte FC is eliminating its personal seat licenses for season tickets and will credit previously made PSL payments toward future season-ticket renewals. The decision comes amid declining attendance in recent seasons and represents part of an effort to reinvigorate interest after the World Cup. Sports Business Journal reports the credits could cost the team $8.5 million in season ticket revenue.
📺 Bundesliga agrees new U.S. media rights deal: The Bundesliga has inked a new U.S. media rights deal with USA Network and Fandango (yes, Fandango*), as first reported by The Athletic. The deal will pay a reported $100 million over five years, with the annual value dipping from $30 million with ESPN to $20 million with the Versant-owned properties. At least 30 games will appear on USA Network, which already airs Premier League matches.
*It’s not hard to imagine a world where a satirical version of Y! Sports Biz wrote this headline. But, no. It’s real. It’s spectacular. It’s Fandango. If you need to buy movie tickets to The Odyssey — which, by the way, sponsored Erling Haaland’s YouTube World Cup diaries — you know where to go: the U.S. home of the Bundesliga! If you connect enough dots, you inevitably arrive at a sports business story.
See what else is trending on the Yahoo Sports Business Hub.
🧙 CBA WIZ
(Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
The NBA CBA is a complex beast, and conquering it — or at least avoiding being conquered — requires an army of minds well-versed in the legal, financial, and strategic ramifications of the sport’s bible.
Just posted: The Lakers are seeking one such mind, their Executive Director of Strategic Capabilities. While that’s among the vaguest titles in showbiz, a look under the purple-and-gold hood reveals that this individual is tasked with being the best organizational glue guy since Mark Madsen roamed the end of the bench at the Staples Center.
Many hats: Not only must the ED of Strategic Capabilities be strategically capable. They also need to equip the front office with the necessary tools, information, and data to build a winning roster. Among the most interesting job responsibilities:
Why is this necessary? When teams lack a firm handle on the complexities of league rules, things can go wrong to costly effect. Heck, it might have happened a few days ago.
Polish those resumes: The required qualifications for this role are stringent, demanding a minimum of seven years of experience with the NBA’s CBA, salary cap rules, player contracts, and roster construction strategies. We must ask: Does extensive practice with the NBA Trade Machine count as experience in those fields? How about NBA 2K MyGM mode? No? Got it.
Secure the bag: The lucky, qualified candidate will secure compensation between $300,000 and $330,000 annually. That’s a little less than half of what the Mad Dog made for taking the early 2000s Lakers to the promised land. Or 0.63% of Luka Doncic’s 2026-27 salary. We prefer the Madsen comparison, too.
⚾️ WAR OF WORDS
(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)
The MLB All-Star Game is meant to be a celebration of baseball, uniting the league to rejoice in the successes of America’s pastime. Instead, separate Tuesday media sessions with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer more closely resembled promos for the heavyweight labor fight that hangs over the season.
Meyer, on the contradiction between MLB’s healthy momentum and its insistence that the league’s competitive balance is askew:"The league, these supposed stewards of the game, have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince those same fans that they don't have hope, or they shouldn't have hope, or that the product that they're paying to consume in record numbers is somehow broken.”
Manfred, on salary cap support from disillusioned fans: "I think that we need a system where fans, particularly in smaller markets, can have some hope that the players that are signed and developed by the organizations can actually stay there through free agency.”
Tale of the tape: Both sides laud the unbelievable momentum in the business. Unfortunately, that’s where the common ground begins, and that’s where it ends. One side believes the sport doesn’t need radical fixes. The other insists on improving competitive balance, positioning itself as the voice of the fans. Though it all, both extol the undying unity of their ranks against and for a salary cap, respectively.
Payoff pitch: The distance between the sides is chasmic, but perhaps they can find unity in one troublesome truth: The surest way to halt the league’s momentum is with a lockout.
Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports: MLB, MLBPA draw battle lines in CBA fight.
📺 LET'S PLAY
(Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Netflix)
Netflix aired its first Home Run Derby on Monday night, as part of a deal inked with MLB in November granting them exclusive rights to that event, Opening Night, and an annual special event game (this year, it’s the Field of Dreams game).
Question: Is the reported annual cost of that deal over or under $70 million?
Answer at the bottom…
🎽 COUNTERFEIT KITS
(City of Edinburgh Council)
Authorities in Edinburgh seized more than 58,000 counterfeit football kits yesterday, amounting to £5.5 million (almost $7.4 million) in goods. In total, the seized shirts weighed over nine tonnes, or nearly 20,000 pounds. Fan gear’s counterfeiting problem is serious, and it appears to be growing…
They’re not comin’ home: English and Scottish kits represented the lion’s share of the shirts, and the available supply of Harry Kane jerseys just got a whole lot lighter (figuratively and literally) the day before the Three Lions could claim their spot in the World Cup Final.
Over/Under Answer: Under!
The three-year deal is worth a reported $150 million, or an annual average of $50 million. It demonstrates Netflix’s continued exploration of the live sports landscape primarily through big events, rather than full-season rights purchases.
Thanks for reading! Wanna talk shop? Follow me on X and Linkedin, or drop me a line: dylan.dittrich@yahooinc.com.
Yesterday we broke down how much the Atlanta Falcons are spending at each position on offense. The short version is that they're splurging on their offensive line, where they rank fifth in spending. At quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end they're not spending any more than average, though.
Let's see how Atlanta is investing its resources on the other side of the ball. Here's what the Falcons are spending at each defensive position in 2026 and where it ranks compared to the rest of the NFL.
Both Jalon Walker and James Pearce are on their rookie contracts, making this arguably the best bargain combo at the position right now. Walker's cap hit is just north of $4.67 million, while Pearce's is around $3.81 million. Samson Ebukam's one-year deal has a $2.63 million cap hit, Bralen Trice is around $1.34 million, while Azeez Ojulari signed for the veteran minimum ($1.2 million).
The biggest cap hit here belongs to Da'Shawn Hand, whose cap hit is just $3 million. However, the top performner for this group is Brandon Dorlus, who's giving the Falcons a sweetheart deal on his rookie contract - coming in with a cap hit of just $1.16 million in 2026. Veteran Zach Harrison is only costing them slightly more ($1,265,556) and incoming trade acquisition Maason Smith is at just $1,523,964.
In the absence of Kaden Elliss, Atlanta's top off-ball linebacker is now Divine Deablo, who carries a cap hit of $8.92 million this year- roughly half of the team's total at the position. Their other projected starter is Christian Harris, who will be costing the Falcons $2.66 million on his one-year deal. Rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. are a little over and a little under $1 million, respectively.
The Falcons are actually paying out at cornerback, where A.J. Terrell has a team-high cap number of $13.5 million in 2026. For now, veteran Mike Hughes is at the other boundary spot, where he'll cost Atlanta $5.46 million. Terrell's younger brother Avieon will only cost $1.87 million in his rookie season. Starting nickelback Billy Bowman Jr. comes in at just $1.25 million.
Finally we come to safety, where Atlanta is paying for - and getting one of the NFL's best units. Most of that amount is going to paying Jessie Bates III, who comes in with a 2026 cap number of $24.77 million. According to Over the Cap, the Falcons could save over $10 million in cap space this year by extending him. By comparison, Xavier Watts will only cost the Falcons $1.4 million in the second year of his rookie deal.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: How much are the Falcons spending at each position on defense?
Bayern Munich star Michael Olise wants to sign for Real Madrid this summer and will talk to Bayern’s board after his vacation, according to a report from French journalist Santi Aouna. The German club do not want to sell the player and would demand at least €200 million to let him go, with Real Madrid willing to offer that sum to acquire the player.
While this report should be taken with a grain of salt, it’s true that if Olise could be moved if he manages to force Bayern’s hand. Real Madrid have the money to make this deal work, so it would all come down to Bayern’s decision.
With six weeks to go until the deadline, it looks like the Olise saga has just started.
We've been getting used to the car temperature hitting 35C and more over the past few weeks in Lincolnshire - so it wasn't too much of a shock to step into the car outside Alicante airport and see it at 37C.
For Lincoln City, Murcia in Spain is their base for this week as they continue preparation for their first crack at the second tier of English football in 65 years.
A warm weather training camp has become part of the pre-season routine for the Imps over the past few years and this year is no different. A week of training before ending with a match against Leyton Orient on Friday afternoon.
Usually, these camps are also about integrating new faces into the group but for City, that part isn't really needed this time around.
There is just one new name in the playing squad in the form of Callum Elder and no one was released when the retained list came out in May.
Yes, there's been a change in the dugout, but even that has come in the form of Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw stepping up to the top job.
The session I watched last year, they led, so that won't be too much of a difference for the players, although they do now have an added face in the form of Paul McShane, who has recently joined as first team coach.
While some Lincoln fans might worry about the lack of movement in the transfer market so far, the club have never been one to rush into bringing players in.
Two of City's most impressive performers in last season's League One title win - Ivan Varfolomeyev and Adam Reach - did not join until the end of August and start of September respectively.
Already, the club have been public in the fact they will most likely break their transfer record a couple of times this summer and with what is expected to be one of the lowest budgets in the Championship, City cannot afford to get those signings wrong.
For the players this week, it's all about getting themselves into shape ready for 8 August - for those involved in recruitment, they can wait a little longer.
Why Declan Rice has seemingly random number 1241 tattooed on his leg for England originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Declan Rice is one of England's most important players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As a newly minted champion of the English Premier League with Arsenal, Rice does a bit of everything in the midfield for the Three Lions.
He's a set-piece expert in addition to making plays box-to-box, and for England to hoist the trophy for the first time since 1966, Rice will have to be brilliant.
But as Rice plays, there's one thing that's a bit quirky. He has a tattoo on the front of his left leg, which isn't unusual by itself.
This tattoo, though, is just a four-digit number: 1241.
MORE: Christian Pulisic gives a terrible answer after World Cup-ending loss
Rice's tattoo represents his standing in the English national team.
He's the 1,241st player to represent England at the senior level:
Declan Rice has '1241' tattooed on his leg, as he is the 1,241st player to represent England senior men's team 🏴 pic.twitter.com/tZpg8Z4txe
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) July 15, 2026
It would be fascinating to hear Rice talk a little more in depth about this. Is he paying tribute to the 1,240 that made the English squad before him by putting that number on his leg?
It likely is a reminder that he's a part of something bigger than himself.
There would certainly be an immense swath of humans filled with joy if Rice can help lead England to the World Cup. Maybe that would require a tattoo, too: 2026, with a trophy.
Voters expect Florida A&M football to be in the bottom half of the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s East division during the 2026 season, as released on Wednesday, July 15, during Media Day in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Rattlers were picked fourth out of six teams in the SWAC East in the league’s 2026 predicted order of finish. They received 70 points in the voting panel of head coaches and sports information directors.
The East, in order, is led by Alabama State (131 points, 16 first-place votes), and followed by Jackson State (122 points, seven first-place votes), Bethune-Cookman (71 points), FAMU (70 points), Alabama A&M (66 points), and Mississippi Valley State (29 points).
In contrast, the SWAC West’s six teams in order of prediction are Prairie View A&M (130 points, 19 first-place votes), Grambling State (93 points, two first-place votes), Alcorn State (90 points, one first-place vote), Texas Southern (79 points, one first-place vote), Southern (65 points, one first-place vote), and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (32 points).
That means FAMU received the eighth-most points out of the SWAC’s 12 teams.
After their first losing season in nearly a decade last year, going 5-7, the Rattlers haven’t gotten much preseason love as they turn to newly hired head coach and former FAMU record-setting quarterback Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.
The Rattlers had no players included on the All-SWAC preseason team and also picked 10th in the inaugural Black College Football top-10 poll.
Despite being on an NCAA-imposed Level Two sanctions and a postseason ban due to Academic Progress Rate, FAMU will still have opportunities to prove the doubters wrong.
The Rattlers will have 12 regular games and eight SWAC football matchups in the 2026 season.
Their season starts in Tallahassee for a non-conference matchup against NCAA Division II’s Albany State on Aug. 29 at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. SWAC games begin with FAMU hosting Alabama A&M on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The Rattlers’ season concludes on Nov. 21 against longtime rivals Bethune-Cookman in Orlando’s Florida Classic at Camping World Stadium at 3 p.m.
All FAMU games will be televised in 2026.
All times are Eastern
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football picked in bottom half of SWAC preseason poll
SOUTHPORT, England — The fan village sits right of the 13th hole at the 154th Open Championship, all retail tents and corporate fortresses and vendor buggies. Rising from the open field it's an impressive sight, so long as you don't think too hard about what it replaced.
This is usually Royal Birkdale's practice range, arguably the best in the United Kingdom, unarguably one of the coolest parts of the property. It's the spot where Jordan Spieth spiritually fused with the ghost of Seve for 22 beautiful minutes, an episode that explains why the Spieth Experience™ still has gravitational pull long after his star stopped emitting light. Now, where Spieth's shot cleared the dunes and vanished into the unknown, you can buy a claret jug hat for £20.
It's one change in a wave of them at Birkdale. Each is defensible on its own. Together, they leave things unsettled. The Open, at its core, is an exercise in preserving art from a distant time. Lately it feels like the art is being altered just to get more people through the door, compromising the very reason they came.
This isn't a rant against commercialism for its own sake. The R&A is transparent that Open week funds nearly everything the organization does the rest of the year. Grassroots grants, course-access programs, sustainability research, the amateur game, women's and girls' initiatives. It’s money that reaches well past St. Andrews, into municipal courses with no connection to major championships. The R&A is not a private equity fund extracting value. It's a good steward putting the money to good use. The more this week makes, the more work it can do the other 51.
More From Golf Digest Decisions, Decisions British Open 2026: The decision tour pros face as they stand on the tee at Royal Birkdale British Open British Open 2026: The winner who'd produce the best story at Royal Birkdale is hiding in plain sight British Open Preview British Open 2026: Your vibes-only guide to the top 41 contenders at Birkdale That's all well and good. It's just that the Open guards a purity that much of the rest of the professional game waved goodbye to long ago. Players historically used the same modest clubhouse lockers. You see them walking into town for dinner, unbothered, sometimes unrecognized. Get a tee time at a neighboring course at dusk and you'll find a caddie or two playing nine with a local, chasing the last of the light. Fans camp in fields a mile out and walk in at dawn. The merchandise tent, until recently, looked more like a pro shop than a flagship store. No tier system for how close to the game you were allowed to get. The competition and the people who showed up for it was the product.
For years, that was the reality. It's still the promise. It's just not entirely the experience anymore.
Players now get driven to holes in Mercedes courtesy cars. The merchandise area has grown to the size of a department store. The R&A, it seems, has done the math on what the Masters makes off sales like these. The grounds overflow with branded "experiences," from whiskey to tourism, to credit cards and insurance and watch-making. Hospitality has expanded, too, tiered now into "Signature," "Platinum," "Premium" and "Select," in descending order of how close your money gets you to the game. Signature is the top of the ladder. It buys access to "Clarets," the venue overlooking the 17th green, plus three others around the course. A reserved grandstand seat at 18. A Q&A with a past or current player. A photo with the claret jug. A fast track through the Open Shop. All-inclusive food and beverage. Early-bird pricing runs $1,344 for Wednesday, $3,286 for Sunday.
It's not that these changes are being made—this is happening at all of golf’s biggest events—but how. Only the Old Course has hosted the Open more than Royal Birkdale over the last 70 years. That legacy didn't stop the club from remaking its setup wholesale since 2017: a full redesign of the short par-4 fifth; a shortened and rebuilt par-3 seventh; the old par-3 14th erased entirely; the old par-5 15th rebuilt to become the the new 14th; a new par-3 15th that shares almost nothing with the hole it replaced. Erasing the old 14th also opened ground to carve out a short-game area that wasn't there before.
An aerial view of Royal Birkdale for this week's Open, with the spectator village located in what's the club's practice facility.
Oisin Keniry/R&A
The changes collectively feel like a betrayal of what a links is supposed to be. A proper links isn't a sequence of holes so much as a single organism. One that breathes with the land, exhales with its weather and remembers, hole to hole, what it asked of you a few holes back, the way a good novel plants a line in the opening pages and cashes it in Chapter 20. That rhythm isn't decorative, as old Scottish and English architects walked the ground until it told them where the holes already were, and then they got out of the way. It's the entire architectural philosophy separating links golf from the parkland style America perfected, where nothing is imposed and everything is discovered.
Bolt three or four new holes onto that organism, built to modern spec, with modern equipment and modern crowd-flow math in mind, and you don't get a stronger version of the same course. You get a graft that never quite takes.
Scottie Scheffler, perhaps accidentally, delivered a dagger on Tuesday, stating "I think it's pretty obvious … the one thing I found interesting is it's so obvious as to which holes had been redone. They look like they're not even on the same golf course. You look at 14, 15, 16, those green complexes and the amount of slope that they have off of them are pretty severe and quite challenging. The fifth hole is kind of like that, seventh hole as well. It was pretty obvious like, oh, these are the holes that got redone because they look like they're on a different golf course."
Christian Petersen
If you're wondering why a links tracing its roots to the 19th century made changes this drastic, it wasn't entirely for shot-making. It wasn't for tournament toughness, either. It was for crowds, crowd flow and the bottom line. In 2017, the Open drew a then-record 230,000 here. This week, that number is expected to jump 30 percent to 300,000 on the grounds. The math is simple: more tickets, more merchandise, more money.
In his annual address to the media, R&A chief Mark Darbon pushed back against the idea that Birkdale had bent to spectator demand. "Given the strength of partnership that we have with our host venues, of course we're part of some of those discussions, and where there are things that we can do together that also help us operationally, they often make sense to do to help with the staging of the championship," Darbon said of course changes he insists the members were behind. "I think it would be wrong to say that all of the changes are driven by a need to accommodate spectators."
But is there a potential price for refusing to change? Darbon says there's no threat to those that don't, but Royal Portrush had to carve out two new holes to build a fan village in 2019. Royal Liverpool did the same in 2023.
And there are the current predicaments of rota courses Muirfield and Turnberry. Both spent years on a kind of shadow probation over political entanglements—Turnberry for its ties to the Trump family, Muirfield for its no-women membership—the sort of principled stand the R&A could make and still look virtuous doing it. Now each is sidelined for other reasons. Turnberry is deemed too remote; the R&A wants new roads built to handle the traffic. Muirfield's sin is refusing to remodel itself for bigger crowds; a smaller, more intimate footprint that once read as a virtue is now treated as a disqualifier. The 2013 Open at Muirfield drew roughly 140,000 fans, less than half of what's expected this week. The same logic applies to Portmarnock, waiting in the wings for its own Open bid, already being told the local infrastructure isn't ready with not enough beds, not enough roads, fans possibly ferried in by boat.
The real test of how far this goes arrives next July, at St. Andrews, when it hosts the 2027 Open Championship. The Home of Golf is supposed to shatter this week's attendance record, drawing as many as 30,000 to 40,000 more fans than it did in 2022. Somewhere near 330,000 people funneled into a town of 17,000. That's a town problem, a roads problem, a can-this-place-physically-hold-this-many-people problem. St Andrews is the source code. If the Old Course starts getting redrawn to answer to a gate number, there's no longer a version of the Open immune from this thinking. Everything becomes negotiable once the birthplace of the game is on the table.
To be fair, the Open isn't the only one making this trade. The Masters has spent the last decade turning its hospitality operation into an arms race, expanding merchandise revenue and premium patron packages well beyond what Augusta once tolerated. The USGA has followed a similar path at the U.S. Open, layering in more corporate hospitality tiers each cycle. The Ryder Cup, run by the PGA of America, now functions as much as a hospitality event as a competition, with ticket packages becoming controversial.
Still, is there a cost to what the Open is doing? This championship has a version of the game closest to how it was actually invented. Played over land no one built, on ground fast and cruel enough that luck and skill blur into the same thing, in weather nobody controls and nobody thinks to complain about. Every other major sells controlled perfection; the Open, historically, has sold the opposite. Not pure, exactly. But the closest thing left. The Open's value was never tradition for tradition's own sake but a reminder of what this game once was and, if only for a week, can still be again.
This week, there sure feels like a lot of proverbial scaffolding.
And the thing about that is, put it up, keep it up long enough, and eventually people forget there's a building underneath at all. They start to think the scaffolding is the attraction.
If the Open gets sanded down into something more legible for a bigger gate, it won't have necessarily failed. Attendance up. Revenue up. Grants written, courses funded, good work done. But it will be another step away from why any of this matters in the first place. Nobody votes to kill an identity. They just keep trading slivers of it for next year's numbers, until one day the identity is simply gone, and no one knows why it vanished. But at least you can buy a hat at the spot where the identity once lived.
Spurs trade idea brings in Bronny James in worst possible move to make originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There are certain players who don't ever really make much sense to trade unless it's for an absolute steal of a package.
Not to say the San Antonio Spurs shouldn't look to make moves if it makes sense for the organization, but to me, moving on from a player like Devin Vassell right now doesn't make much sense.
Unless the Spurs truly believe they can get a better player in return, Vassell is one of those role guys who really play a big part in what San Antonio is looking to do. Perhaps his five-year, $135 million deal is playing an impact on that, but the latest trade proposal, even if San Antonio wants to move him, just wouldn't make sense.
The trade would involve Bronny James and more, with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The Los Angeles Lakers continue to monitor all angles in trade and the open market to further complete their post-LeBron James transition. One proposed trade has them landing versatile wing Devin Vassell from the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers would be engaging in a direct trade for this to work.
“In the trade framework, the Lakers would acquire Vassell while sending out Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaden Hardy and Bronny James to San Antonio,” Adel Ahmad wrote.
No offense to what the Lakers would be offering here, but I think this would be one of the worst possible trades San Antonio could make.
James has a lot of questions about whether he's even an NBA player, Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the worst offensive players in the league, and Jaden Hardy really hasn't done enough to suggest he's anything more than a ninth or 10th-guy off the bench.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg stayed hot, registering a near double-double performance with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field with nine boards, three assists and two steals in 29 minutes on Tuesday. Yet, it wasn't enough for the Golden State Warriors on their way to their first loss of the Las Vegas Summer League.
The Warriors dropped their first loss in Las Vegas in blowout fashion to the Memphis Grizzlies, 106-85. Javon Small notched 26 points while Brendan Hausen added 20 points off the bench to snap the Warriors' win streak in the desert. In a matchup with Lendeborg, Grizzlies top pick Cameron Boozer recorded 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds and three assists.
Tuesday marked the first game of the Las Vegas Summer League and California Classic in which Lendeborg failed to knock down a 3-pointer. He finished the evening shooting 0-of-2 from beyond the arc.
Malevy Leons, Chance McMillian and Lajae Jones all recorded double-figures in scoring. The second-round pick, Jones, tallied 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field with five boards. Jones has now tallied 10 or more points with five or more rebounds in three straight Summer League games for the Warriors.
The Warriors will have the chance to get back in the win column on Thursday when they meet the newly crowned champion New York Knicks in Las Vegas.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors drop first Summer League loss to Grizzlies, 106-85
England vs Argentina prediction for World Cup semifinal: Trade on prediction markets for World Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
England and Argentina collide in a must-win FIFA World Cup showdown in Atlanta Stadium, with a place in the final hanging in the balance. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET, as this pivotal playoff clash adds another chapter to one of international soccer's most storied rivalries. Before the action gets underway, follow along with this detailed England vs Argentina prediction to trade on the World Cup semifinals.
By using the latest Kalshi promo code TSN15 here, new users can secure a $15 sign-up bonus that unlocks immediately after making $10 in trades on games like England-Argentina today.
With a spot in Sunday's World Cup final on the line, these two heavyweights collide in what promises to be fireworks. Expect a fierce tactical battle on American soil as England looks to halt Argentina's formidable run and edge one step closer to World Cup glory.
These narrow margins illustrate what a daunting task traders face when taking a position on this fixture. Prediction markets anticipate a tightly contested battle that could go the distance.
The market prices reflect two dominant, possession-heavy squads with similar statistical profiles. Argentina enters the match averaging 58.67% ball possession. They have been ruthless in the final third, netting 17 goals across six matches on 95 total shots. Lionel Messi serves as their undisputed offensive engine, leading the tournament with an astonishing eight goals and two assists.
England counters with a 57.83% average possession and their own lethal finishing. Harry Kane (six goals, one assist) and Jude Bellingham (six goals) anchor an English side that has scored 13 times from 92 total shots, including an impressive 45 shots on target. With both nations having conceded exactly six goals so far, traders evaluating the market must weigh two elite attacks against identical defensive records.
When analyzing squad availability, key absences could shift the implied probability as kickoff approaches. England will be without midfielder Jordan Henderson due to injury and defender Jarell Quansah, who is serving a suspension. These missing pieces may force tactical adjustments in how England sets up against a relentless opponent. Meanwhile, Argentina boasts a clean bill of health with no critical absences reported, giving them a full arsenal to deploy.
The combination of Argentina's prolific scoring, supported by Lautaro Martinez's two goals, and England's potent attack fueled by Bukayo Saka's playmaking (three assists) creates a complex market requiring thorough analysis before taking a position.
Traders evaluating the prediction markets for this monumental World Cup semifinal face a highly challenging decision. The market consensus implies an incredibly tight contest with England holding a slim 53% implied probability to advance compared to Argentina's 47%. Diving deeply into the underlying team form and statistical profiles suggests taking a position on England to advance offers the most compelling angle for participants on prediction platforms.
Argentina arrives in Atlanta riding an intimidating 13-match winning streak that highlights their supreme tournament form. They have proven remarkably consistent by scoring at least one goal in 13 consecutive matches. Their offensive machine has dominated opponents across the pitch. England brings exceptional resilience of their own, boasting an eight-match unbeaten run and a current four-match winning streak. The dual threat of Kane and Bellingham ensures the designated home side can match that intensity and generate consistent scoring opportunities.
The core rationale for predicting England to advance lies in their home-side designation combined with England's tournament resilience. Both squads prefer to dictate play and control the tempo, and both nations have identical goals-against metrics in this tournament. However, England's ability to thrive in high-pressure knockout scenarios, bolstered by their historical ability to win 50% of matches when trailing 0-1 at home, gives them a crucial mental edge. The absences of Henderson and Quansah are concerning but manageable given the squad depth at Gareth Southgate's disposal.
Naturally, taking this position carries inherent risks. Argentina's elite final-third efficiency, evidenced by 38 shots on target, could prove decisive if Messi produces a moment of individual brilliance. Their 13-match winning streak demonstrates a relentless mentality that cannot be discounted. Nevertheless, considering England's slight market edge, home designation, and the depth of attacking talent available, backing the Three Lions to advance represents the most logical position in this market.
Pick/Prediction: England to Advance
The Open Championship returns this week to Royal Birkdale, scene of some of the finest moments in Welsh golfing history.
But there will be no Welsh representation in the field as Britain's men's major gets under way on Thursday.
It has been a familiar tale in recent years, with no Welsh player featuring at the Open since Oliver Farr came through qualifying in 2023.
Wales' recent Open record is miserable, while golf's men's world rankings do not make pretty reading from a Welsh perspective either.
As it stands, Wales' highest-placed player is 29-year-old Jack Davidson, who is ranked 953rd in the world.
But at Wales Golf, the sport's governing body, there is belief that better days are ahead.
Farr, 38, is the only Welsh player to feature in the Open – having done so in 2022 and 2023 - since Rhys Enoch qualified in 2018.
Enoch is the most recent Welshman to make the cut, having finished 67th at Carnoustie.
Wales has never produced an Open winner, though Dai Rees – with three – Dave Thomas – two – and Brian Huggett have six runner-up finishes between them and Ian Woosnam twice finished third, in 1986 and 2001.
Birkdale was the scene of two of Rees' near misses, in 1954 and 1961, while Huggett also finished second at the Southport course, in 1965.
Yet this week, Wales' golfers are left watching from afar, with Owen Edwards – the world number 1,474 – coming closest to making it through final qualifying last month only to miss out thanks to an ugly finish at Burnham & Berrow.
For Gareth Jenkins, performance director at Wales Golf, the ultimate goal is to ensure Wales is much better represented at the top end of the sport.
"My role is to look at the pathway, look at the players who are coming through, seeing where we can improve at each stage of that pathway and then trying to develop players for the future," Jenkins said.
"We would absolutely love to see more Welsh representation both on the DP World Tour all the way through to the PGA Tour and major championships moving forwards."
Jenkins, who spent a decade working for England Golf before moving across the border in 2024, oversees the development of junior players right through to those representing Wales at senior amateur level.
He says the target for every golfer he works with is to prove through amateur success that they can progress to the professional game.
In an attempt to ensure more make it, Jenkins says much of Wales Golf's focus and investment has gone towards younger players, with new regional development programmes put in place over the last two years.
"We're seeing the fruits of that development coming through, [but] unfortunately, it does take time," he added.
"It is going to be another five or six years before we start to see some of those players moving forward into the pro ranks.
"But saying that, we've had Darcey Harry who has made it on to the LET (Ladies European Tour) and got a win on the LET last year, and Luca Thompson, Ffion Tynan [have made the tour this year]. We also have some of the great players in the States coming through the pathway.
"So it's possible - absolutely we can punch above our weight."
Harry is Wales Golf's most recent success story.
Having played for her country at amateur level since her mid-teens, the 23-year-old flourished in the professional ranks last year after securing a first LET card.
Harry, who is 190th in the women's world rankings, believes her progress has come thanks in part to her mental approach.
"I think over-complicating it is probably the worst thing to do, thinking 'oh wow, I've stepped up the league now, I'm in professional golf'," she said.
"Because really it's the same game. You're going out there trying to do the same job."
Harry's boyfriend is Jacob Skov Olesen, a rising Danish golf star who is in his second year on the DP World Tour.
"I've been around the men's golf quite a lot now and I've noticed that they are just absolutely phenomenal at what they do," she added.
"How can we [in Wales] get people on [the men's tour]? They've got to be working on that from a young age, really working on their processes and trying to aim for it."
Jenkins hopes that is where Wales Golf's pathways come in.
He rejects the idea that, as a smaller nation, Wales should accept that it is unlikely to produce many high-class players.
"Small can be beautiful if we're all aligned, all working together from clubs all the way through, and we're starting to get there," Jenkins said.
"The talent is there, absolutely. Our under-16 group is one of the best I've seen, even when I had 10 years at England Golf.
"Our job now is to keep on making them better and better through the system."
After 22 years playing on Europe's top two tours, Stuart Manley joined Wales Golf earlier this year and will be part of their performance team from October.
Natalie Powell, a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist and two-time Olympian in judo, is also part of the staff working with Wales' young golfers.
Jenkins says Wales Golf want Welsh players who have made it to the top echelons of the game to assist in the process of bringing promising youngsters through.
One man he has in mind is Bradley Dredge. The 53-year-old, a former world top-50 player, says he offered his services to Wales Golf "a few years ago" but that they have not been in touch.
Speaking to the Golf Pod Cymru podcast earlier this month, Dredge said: "I live 25 minutes from Celtic Manor (where Wales Golf is based). I said any time you want me to come down, play with the guys, have a chat, whatever, free of charge, just give me a ring.
"Not once have I ever been asked. I just think that's crazy."
It is a situation Jenkins plans to address.
"We are really keen for older players who have vast experience and high quality to come back in and share what they do so players can actually see how good they need to be to make it on tour," he said.
"I know for example from recent podcasts that Bradley Dredge has asked to be involved.
"With Stuart's help, we are going to try to bring in past pros and current pros to support us and hopefully we can work together."
Jenkins points to 25-year-old James Ashfield, who became Wales' first Walker Cup player in six years when selected in 2023, as a player with high hopes in the professional game.
Tomi Bowen, who remains an amateur for the moment, is another who is highly regarded.
Then come a batch of younger golfers who Jenkins views as having a big chance.
"I think we've got a few players who can break into the professional ranks in the next year or two," he said.
"But the big crop of players I see now coming through… I think around five years will be a really good time."
Editor's note:Follow for live updates from Argentina-England World Cup showdown!
No matter what happens at the World Cup, Harry Kane could have a new title.
In an appearance earlier this month on Jason and Travis Kelce's "New Heights" podcast, Prince William included the striker on his Mount Rushmore of English soccer players.
"Harry Kane could end up being one of the greatest English strikers we've ever seen," William said.
William, who is president of England's Football Association, also named David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Bobby Charlton.
"Did you just knight everybody you just said?" Travis Kelce asked.
"I tried to, yeah," William responded.
No, the England captain is not a knight. Kane was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018, after leading England to the semifinals of the World Cup in Russia.
That title, part of the British honors system, does not make Kane a knight. That would require him to be made either a Knight Grand Cross or Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Still, being made an MBE was a great honor, Kane said at the time. He received the award during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in March 2019.
"It's quite surreal really," Kane said after learning he'd be made an MBE.
"I'm very passionate about our country, very patriotic. It shows how good the summer was for the whole nation, not just from my point of view but what it did bringing everyone together," Kane said. "I'm extremely proud to be a part of that."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harry Kane isn't a knight but did receive honor from the late Queen
Nobby Stiles, the revered 1966 England World Cup winner, died from a brain condition directly caused by repeatedly heading a football, a coroner has concluded.
The ruling follows an inquest into the death of the former Manchester United midfielder, who passed away almost six years ago aged 78, suffering from severe dementia.
Stockport Coroner’s Court heard that Stiles had headed a football an estimated 140,000 times throughout his illustrious career. Expert analysis of his brain revealed that his severe dementia was a result of both Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition strongly linked to head trauma from heading a ball.
Neuro-pathology expert Dr Daniel Du Plessis told the court, “I’m quite convinced his heading the football that many times has caused his CTE.”
When senior coroner for South Manchester, Alison Mutch, asked for clarification, “You are saying repeated heading of the ball is the cause of his CTE?”, Dr Du Plessis unequivocally replied, “Yes.”
Norbert “Nobby” Stiles, born in Collyhurst, Manchester, in 1942, was renowned as a tough-tackling defensive midfielder. He earned 28 caps for England and made nearly 400 appearances for Manchester United. Stiles, who resided in Stretford, south Manchester, died in a care home on 30 October 2020, having been left bed-bound by his advanced dementia.
In January 2024, his family raised the possibility of CTE contributing to his death, prompting Dr Du Plessis to examine brain tissue samples to reach his medical conclusions. Stiles’ family has been actively campaigning for football authorities to provide greater support to former players suffering from injuries they attribute to their playing days.
Stiles’ son, John, has previously stated that football had “killed” his father. During the hearing, Mr Stiles reflected on his father’s character: “My dad was very humble, he just happened to have achieved quite a lot. It never really changed him. If you went into his house, you would never know he was a footballer. He was very much a family man, football was left at the door. The family was always the first priority.”
Coroner Ms Mutch noted the poignancy of the conversation, but Mr Stiles emphasised that his father “never talked, he never bragged” about being a World Cup winner. He added: “He was proud of it but we were always much more proud of the father he was than the footballer.”
Mr Stiles told the court that his father, who joined Manchester United as an apprentice aged 15 in 1957, adored the club and the Busby Babes. He estimated that his father headed the ball around 40 times a day, five days a week, over a 17-year career, calculating a “conservative” estimate of 136,000 headers in total.
He also highlighted that footballs during his father’s era weighed approximately 16 ounces (28g) and became significantly heavier when wet. While modern balls no longer absorb water, studies indicate that heading even a contemporary ball is equivalent to about 80 per cent of the impact of a boxer’s punch.
Mr Stiles recounted how, in his late fifties and early sixties, his father began forgetting things and repeating himself. By 2010, he sold his winning medals to fund his care as his mental struggles intensified, leading to increasing anxiety and a profound sense of dread. “To be honest with you, he was frightened,” Mr Stiles said of his father.
John Stiles now leads the Football Families for Justice (FFJ) group, advocating for greater action from football authorities for ex-players. He is among dozens of former footballers and their families currently suing the Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the English Football League, alleging negligence and a breach of their duty of care towards former players. Lawyers representing the claimants argue that football bodies knew, or should have known, for decades that repeatedly heading a ball in training and matches was likely to cause brain injuries.
However, in March this year, lawyers for the FA told the High Court that it has “not been established by science” that heading a ball or “occasional” concussion can lead to permanent brain damage.
The inquest into the death of former Scotland, Manchester United, and Leeds defender Gordon McQueen, who died aged 70, similarly concluded in January that heading the ball was “likely” to have contributed to a brain injury that factored in his death. McQueen was also diagnosed with CTE.
His daughter, TV presenter Hayley McQueen, remarked that England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team had been “pretty much wiped out” by neurodegenerative disease.
A 2019 study, co-funded by the FA and the Professional Footballers’ Association, found that footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease than age-matched members of the general population. The FA is currently phasing out all heading in youth football up to under-11s by 2026.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is revamping the tiebreaker format for its football championship game following a controversial finish last season that allowed a five-loss Duke team to get in over then-No. 10-ranked Miami — a situation that put the Hurricanes at risk of missing the expanded College Football Playoff.
Miami, which had been the ACC’s most dominant team during the regular season, wound up being selected for the playoff and went on to reach the national title game, where it fell short to No. 1 Indiana 27-21.
Duke beat No. 20 Virginia in the ACC championship game last year for its first outright ACC title since 1962 but was not selected for the CFP, much to the dismay of Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz.
The new football championship tiebreaker policy will take effect beginning with the 2026 season, reflecting the league’s transition to a nine-game conference schedule and ensuring a fair and equitable process for determining participants in the ACC championship game, the league said.
The updated tiebreaking procedure is built on three guiding principles:
— Head-to-head results always will matter most.
— No team will be overly rewarded or penalized based on the number of conference games it played.
— When head-to-head competition cannot separate tied teams, the team with the strongest overall body of work will earn the opportunity to compete for the ACC championship and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the College Football Playoff.
“Our game will feature the two most deserving teams,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said at ACC Kickoff on Wednesday in Charlotte.
Phillips said the third tier of that tiebreaker will be based on a SportSource Analytics metric used by the CFP.
The updated policy was developed to reward head-to-head results and account for the league’s teams playing an alternate number of conference games while also identifying the two most deserving teams to compete for the ACC championship and the conference’s automatic berth into the CFP.
The conference said the evaluation included more than 10,000 simulated season outcomes to ensure the model fairly addressed a wide range of championship scenarios.
The revised policy was approved following a comprehensive review by the ACC’s athletics directors.
In December, the ACC announced that 12 of its 17 football-playing members would be playing a nine-game football schedule beginning in 2026 while five teams would play eight games. That made the head-to-head tiebreakers even more complicated than in the past.
The policy will operate as a bridge to accommodate conference games already on the books, with the plan to have 16 of 17 teams playing nine football games regularly by 2027.
Any discussion about Francisco Lindor’s future with the Mets beyond this summer must start with the shortstop’s no-trade clause.
Lindor has 10-and-5 rights. Since he has more than 10 years of service time and has spent the last five-plus years with his current team, he can veto any trade.
This past winter, Brandon Nimmo agreed to waive his no-trade clause when the Mets dealt him to Texas for Marcus Semien, a deal that hasn’t worked out so far for the Mets. Would Lindor be willing to do the same? He declined to comment when asked by both The Athletic and New York Post about it on Sunday.
Suppose Lindor, 32, were open to a trade. Would that be the best decision for the Mets?
Here’s an argument for both sides.
The Mets don’t have a shortstop replacement within the organization. The next-best option internally is Ronny Mauricio. The Mets have prospects that play the position — Elian Peña, Wandy Asigen and Mitch Voit — but they’re all years away in the lower levels of the Mets’ system. It’s possible they could acquire a shortstop back in a trade, but it’s unlikely he would be as good as Lindor has been with the Mets in his career.
Lindor isn’t having a great season so far this year by any means, but let’s not forget who we’re talking about here.
Lindor finished in the top-10 in the MVP race in the National League in each of the last four seasons. In that span, the switch-hitting shortstop has the fourth-highest FanGraphs WAR (25.8) in baseball. In fact, since 2015, the year Lindor debuted with Cleveland, only Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge have a higher fWAR than Lindor (60.4).
The Mets need to be in the business of stocking up on good players as they try to contend next year. When he’s at his best, Lindor is an elite shortstop. Decline is certainly a part of this conversation, but up until this season, Lindor has been durable throughout his career. It’s not like he’s 40 and has been regressing for years. Just last season, Lindor had a 129 wRC+ and .811 OPS over 160 games.
Do the Mets really want to get rid of another fan favorite? Maybe he doesn’t have a perfect relationship with Juan Soto, but winning cures all. That isn’t as big of a story going forward if president of baseball operations David Stearns builds a better team around those two superstars as the organization strives to get back into the playoff picture next year and beyond.
The Mets are +2500 to reach the postseason over on BetMGM. Our complete BetMGM Sportsbook review provides an in-depth guide on how to use their app.
Even if the Mets wanted to trade Lindor, his value is likely diminished. What would the Mets realistically get back if they traded Lindor and his contract with the way he’s been hurt and underperformed to this point? After this year, Lindor is still owed the final five years of his 10-year, $341 million deal.
And then there’s the looming collective bargaining situation and likely lockout. Is another team really going to want to add that kind of salary when it’s unclear what kind of financial restrictions or penalties are looming next season? That could be reflected in the Mets’ theoretical return.
The Mets’ top priority moving forward needs to be building a roster that maximizes Soto’s prime and contends for championships. Barring a historic turnaround, the Mets will miss the playoffs in both of Soto’s first two seasons in New York. That is an unqualified disaster. To use the word Lindor used multiple times after Sunday’s dreadful loss to end the first half: it’s “unacceptable.”
As New York evaluates its veterans, it could determine that Lindor isn’t part of the best version of this club, both on the field and in the clubhouse. If that’s the case and the Mets want to make a drastic change as part of their reset, then they should move him, get as much back as possible and start fresh.
Clearly, the Mets aren’t handcuffed by sentimentality. Stearns showed this past offseason that he’s willing to dismantle a core and get rid of fan favorites like Pete Alonso and Nimmo.
Lindor is on track to be an all-time Met, but owner Steve Cohen made it clear this spring that the shortstop won’t be named captain. As the Mets build around Soto, maybe Lindor wants a change himself.
The Mets can either flip Lindor for another aging star and absorb a similar heavy contract — a change of scenery candidate — or they can eat money to acquire more top-tier prospect capital in return. Either way, change might be exactly what this organization needs after the way these last few years have gone.
Lindor turns 33 in November. In fairness, with his lengthy stint on the injured list earlier this season, it’s too early to determine that Lindor’s decline is underway. Lindor has been banged up more than ever this year, so that’s why his sample size is much smaller than his teammates’. But Father Time is undefeated, and no matter how consistently productive he’s been previously, this could go down as the beginning of that process.
MORE BY MAX GOODMAN
It’s clear that Lindor isn’t the same player on defense. Recency bias with his costly error on what should’ve been a game-ending double play on Sunday makes that narrative even stronger. He’s batting .216 with a .671 OPS over 40 games so far this season. Lindor has also made a handful of strange mental mistakes this year.
The Mets don’t trade Lindor, but they don’t hang up the phone at the trade deadline, either. They should be open to listening to offers on any player not named Soto, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Christian Scott. Maybe Zach Thornton is pitching his way into that distinction as well.
Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As MLB takes a break from the regular season with its annual All-Star Game, the discussion around the Mets has shifted toward the trade deadline after a disastrous first half.
The Mets are 40-57, which FanGraphs calls 0.8% odds to make the playoffs. After an offseason that reconstructed their core, the question now is how much should they be willing to move by Aug. 3?
Steve Phillips, their former general manager, is in favor of selling … a lot.
“I don’t think the Mets are in a rebuild, they’ll be in a retool,” Phillips said on an episode of the New York Post’s “The Show” with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. “I’d be selling, [Freddy] Peralta would be dealt… Luke Weaver…could have even more value because he has some controllability. I’d personally talk about Devin Williams in a trade, if somebody had interest, I’d move him. I’d be open to just about everything.”
Phillips was the Mets’ general manager from 1997-2003 and played a large part in building the 2000 team that reached the World Series. He is also responsible for trading for and then signing Hall of Famer Mike Piazza in 1998 to a seven-year $91 million contract — the largest in MLB history at the time.
The Mets are currently sitting at +1120 to win over 79.5 regular season games on FanDuel. Our FanDuel Sportsbook review provides a comprehensive guide on how to use their platform.
Now, in 2026, Phillips believes the Mets should explore trading a few of their biggest stars and high-leverage relievers.
“If somebody asked me about Lindor, I’d listen … just to see what’s out there,” Phillips said. “Clay Holmes, if he’s healthy by then, gone. I’ll trade them all.”
MORE BY JAMES MERTZ
Despite a $365 million payroll, the Mets hold the fourth-worst record in MLB and are 12 games out of a wild-card spot in the National League. President of baseball operations David Stearns hasn’t publicly committed to a sell-off, but the subject has been raised with players.
Phillips sees a way for the Mets to simultaneously trade valuable players while improving the major-league roster.
“I’d buy right now, too, if I’m David Stearns,” Phillips said. “[He] can’t wait for the perfect timing. [He] might have to get out in front and get a guy a year early instead of waiting for the offseason. So I think he’s gotta be open to selling for sure, but also targeting some buying if it’s available to him.”
Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Warriors’ Draymond Green could actually leave Golden State for LeBron James reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There seems to be an expectation that, sometime over the next few weeks to months, Draymond Green will return to the Golden State Warriors on a new deal. It doesn't even feel like there are any questions about that, as Green being on any other team just seems very strange to even think about.
However, according to the latest report, it seems others believe Green could leave the Warriors if they don't land LeBron James.
“Draymond Green. Green opted out of his $28 million deal for next season, but will be back with the Warriors. He is part of the team’s push to sign LeBron James, and will adjust his salary accordingly. There has been chatter that Green would leave the Warriors if they don’t land James but … that’s a longshot,” Sean Deveney wrote.
While Deveney admitted that it's a long shot, hearing any chatter about it makes things at least somewhat interesting here.
I don't think there is much chance of Green leaving, no matter what happens, but if he wants to win and Golden State no longer offers him that opportunity, perhaps it's possible.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner on Sept. 29 before hosting the Florida Panthers to kick off the NHL season.
The opener pits the most recent champions against the winners the previous two years. The Panthers look primed to contend for another title until injuries derailed them and caused them to miss the playoffs. Carolina lost only one game to get through the Eastern Conference, then defeated Vegas in the final to win it all for the first time since 2006.
The league announced home openers for all 32 clubs Wednesday. The full schedule is set to be released on Thursday.
The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins will also face off as part of a five-game curtain raiser. The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Vegas Golden Knights in the nightcap.
Play begins before October as the league moves to an 84-game schedule for the first time since 1993-94. The 1,344 games will be the most in NHL history.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Mario Bautista wants the UFC belt, even if it means he has to go through a friend and former teammate.
Bautista (17-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), a top contender at 135 pounds, has been knocking on the door of a title shot, and he got one step closer to his ultimate goal last Saturday with his decision win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 329. The victory at UFC 329 not only got Bautista close to the belt, but also close to a potential fight with Sean O'Malley – whom he trained with for many years at The MMA Lab in Arizona.
Bautista is willing to fight O'Malley if that means a title opportunity.
"I haven't talked to him, but I think we both have an understanding that if it's for the No. 1 spot to be next for the title or for the title, what else could we possibly do?" Bautista told MMA Junkie Radio. "So, we just have to be ready for that scenario, I guess."
O'Malley, who expressed his happiness for Bautista in his latest win, said the situation is "tricky" and "weird" but also showed openness to the idea of the two fighting each other.
Bautista gave some further context to their current level of relationship and their past.
"We're not super close or anything, but coming up, we were both amateurs at The Lab," Bautista explained. "We were both young guys. There were three of us that were kind of stuck together – Me, Kyler (Phillips), and Sean. Just the young guys on the team that were getting beat up by the guys already in the UFC. So kind of growing up together like that, you get a close bond, and then you rise up the ranks with each other. Kyler, then Sean, and we're following each other, and that's when he made his move out of The Lab.
"I think Sean is a good friend. I think he's a good guy, and I have nothing against him. It's just, now that we're not in the same gym, we don't interact with each other as much, but I'll see him from time to time, and it's always good vibes, nothing weird."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Mario Bautista open to fighting friend for UFC title shot
On July 23, the Rams are scheduled to unveil two brand-new alternate uniforms during a special event exclusively for Season Ticket Members. The organization has promoted the evening as part of its annual Rams Revealed Live event, where fans will hear from players and team executives while getting the first look at the club’s newest additions to the uniform lineup.
While the Rams have kept the designs under wraps, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating. The most popular theory is that one of the alternates will feature a white jersey with royal blue accents, paying homage to the team’s iconic uniforms from the late 1960s. Those classic looks remain among the most beloved in franchise history, representing the Fearsome Foursome era and one of the most recognizable uniforms in NFL history. A modern interpretation of that combination would likely be an instant favorite among longtime Rams supporters while also appealing to younger fans who appreciate throwback aesthetics.
The second rumored alternate has generated just as much conversation. Many believe the Rams are preparing to introduce a predominantly yellow uniform, something the franchise has never fully embraced in the modern era. Yellow has always been a defining part of the Rams’ identity, but it has traditionally been used as an accent color rather than the primary jersey color. If the speculation proves accurate, it would represent one of the boldest uniform choices the organization has ever made.
Mark your calendars. 👀 pic.twitter.com/9fvbuSSHHn
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 14, 2026
The excitement surrounding these new alternates is heightened because of last season’s debut of the NFL’s “Rivalries” uniform series. The Rams introduced their “Midnight Mode” design, featuring a dark midnight blue helmet and jersey with bright yellow horns and royal blue accents. Inspired by Los Angeles nightlife and SoFi Stadium, the uniform offered a dramatic departure from the club’s traditional color palette. While fan opinions were mixed, many appreciated that the organization was willing to experiment with something unique while still incorporating elements of Rams history.
The upcoming reveal also continues what has been an active offseason for the Rams’ visual identity. Earlier this year, the franchise unveiled a subtle but meaningful rebrand. The primary uniforms were cleaned up with simplified numbering, updated sleeve horns inspired by the Rivalries uniforms, and the removal of several gradient design elements. The team also refreshed both its primary and secondary logos, opting for a cleaner, more timeless appearance while reintroducing white pants into the regular uniform rotation. The overall objective appeared to be balancing the modern look introduced in 2020 with stronger connections to the Rams’ historic identity.
Now, all eyes turn to July 23. Whether the rumors prove accurate or the Rams have another surprise in store, the franchise has successfully built anticipation for one of the most anticipated uniform reveals in recent memory. A throwback-inspired white-and-blue set would satisfy fans longing for a classic look, while an all-yellow alternate would showcase the team’s willingness to push creative boundaries.
By this time next week, Rams fans will finally know whether the speculation was on target—or whether the organization has something entirely unexpected waiting in the wings.
Also, the last time the Rams introduced a new alternate…they won the Super Bowl. Let’s hope it becomes a trend.
Xbox recently revealed a pretty impressive lineup of games coming to Xbox Game Pass, with Palworld 1.0 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 among the biggest announcements. However, while Palworld 1.0 is still on the way, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 has since been removed, with Xbox updating its original announcement to include the following note:
"We've removed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 from the list of titles coming soon to Game Pass."
As for why it was removed, your guess is as good as mine, but Tony Hawks is actually an IP Xbox owns, making its removal even more head-scratching, though some have speculated it could be due to music licensing. Rumors surrounding the long-term viability of Xbox Game Pass have been circulating online for a while now, with some reports claiming Xbox leadership views the service as unsustainable. Xbox is also in the middle of a major restructuring, with studios becoming independent and around 1,600 layoffs taking place so far.
It's impossible to say whether pulling a single game from the lineup means anything on its own, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence either. At the very least, it leaves me feeling a little more cautious about what the future of Game Pass might look like.
I'm actually a big fan of Game Pass. It's given me the opportunity to play games I probably never would've tried otherwise, and I'm much more willing to take a chance on something new if it launches on the service.
That said, I feel like I'm in the minority. I think the average gamer is more likely to stick with the games they already know, whether that's Fortnite, Call of Duty, Roblox, Minecraft, or the latest sports title, and that’s all without mentioning the attention war with the likes of short-form content. Now, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the games you know, but with Game Pass growth slowing, it doesn't exactly paint the most encouraging picture for the service's future. For context, reports suggest the subscriber count has fallen from around 34 million to 30 million active users.
Let me know how you feel about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 being removed from the upcoming Game Pass lineup. Do you care, are you worried, or do you think it was simply a mistake?
As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Dozens of games were just made available to stream through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Those titles are now supported by the "Stream Your Own Games" part of Xbox Game Pass that lets you stream supported titles through the cloud.
As popular as playing titles that come with Xbox Game Pass is, many of the best Xbox games do not come with the subscription. Stream Your Own Games allows you to play many of your favorite titles to your phone, tablet, PC, or other supported devices.
This month's collection of newly supported games includes several popular titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.
The folks over at True Achievements gathered together the complete list:
Game Title |
#Blud |
A Hat in Time |
Absolver |
Ascend to Zero |
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced |
Beat Cop |
Blightbound |
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus |
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster |
Buckshot Roulette |
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 |
Carto |
Disc Room |
D-topia |
Exit the Gungeon |
Fade to Silence |
Forager |
Gato Roboto |
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number |
I Hate Running Backwards |
Ikenfell |
Lock's Quest |
Metal Wolf Chaos XD |
Minit |
Monaco 2 |
Monaco: What's Yours is Mine |
Monster Jam Steel Titans |
My Friend Pedro |
Olija |
Pepper Grinder |
Phantom Abyss |
Pikuniku |
Protodroid DeLTA |
Shadow Warrior |
Shadow Warrior 2 |
Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition |
South of the Circle |
Stories Untold |
Supraland |
Tamashika |
Temtem |
The Messenger |
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu |
The Occupation |
The Talos Principle: Reawakened |
Void Bastards |
Wandersong |
Wildfire |
Winds of Arcana: Ruination |
Wizard with a Gun |
World of Tanks Modern Armor |
Wuthering Waves |
To use the Stream Your Own Games feature, you need to purchase a copy of the game and be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. You can be subscribed to Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate to stream your games.
Originally, the Stream Your Own Games library only had 50 games. It's steadily grown since then and supported games now number in the hundreds. Over 70 new titles were added this May.
You can check out the complete gallery of supported games on Xbox's website.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and play day one Xbox games whichever way you'd like, on Xbox consoles, PC, or even through the Cloud on a wide range of devices. Going with this tier means you never miss out on anything coming to the service.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
If you've been using Windows as long as I have, you probably remember when a serious problem often meant backing up your files and reinstalling the operating system from scratch. Whether it was a bad driver, a failed update, or corrupted system files, a clean install was frequently the fastest way to rescue your computer.
I don't think that's the case anymore. Over the past several years, Microsoft has quietly transformed Windows 11 into a much more resilient operating system. Instead of relying on a single recovery option, the operating system now bundles a collection of tools designed to solve different types of problems. Some can repair Windows 11 while minimizing changes to your data. Others can roll back a problematic update, recover a computer that won't boot, or completely rebuild the system from the cloud.
The downside is that all these options can be confusing. Microsoft doesn't always make it clear which recovery feature you should use first, and many of them sound similar even though they solve different problems.
A lot of the recovery features discussed in this guide are available through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This separate recovery workspace runs outside the normal installation and provides access to tools that can repair, reset, or troubleshoot the operating system when the computer cannot start normally.
In this guide, I'll outline the recovery features available on Windows 11 and when I would actually use them.
Important: The right recovery option depends mostly on what went wrong. A broken update, a damaged driver, and a corrupted installation all require different approaches.
If the computer still starts normally but something doesn't feel right, I'd try the "Fix problems using Windows Update" recovery option first.
This feature repairs the operating system by downloading the same version of Windows 11 installed on your computer through Windows Update and reinstalling it over your existing installation. Unlike resetting your computer, it preserves your personal files, installed apps, user accounts, and settings.
If system files have become corrupted, built-in features have stopped working, or you're seeing unusual behavior after an update, this repair process can often restore the operating system without forcing you to reinstall your apps afterward.
I like this approach because it's the least disruptive recovery option Microsoft offers. If it solves the problem, you save yourself the time of reinstalling software and reconfiguring the system.
Best for:
When repairing Windows 11 isn't enough, "Reset This PC" is usually the next step.
This feature reinstalls the operating system and lets you choose between two options.
Keep my files reinstalls Windows 11 while preserving your personal files, pictures, and videos, but it removes installed applications and resets system settings.
Remove everything wipes the computer completely before installing a fresh copy of Windows 11, making it a good choice if you're selling the device or want to start over.
You'll also choose between "Local reinstall," which uses recovery files already stored on the computer, or "Cloud download," which downloads a fresh copy of Windows directly from Microsoft's servers.
Personally, I almost always recommend Cloud Download. It takes longer because it downloads several gigabytes of data, but it also avoids problems caused by damaged local recovery files.
Best for:
Cloud rebuild is one of Microsoft's newest recovery tools, and I think it fills an important gap in Windows recovery.
Available through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), Cloud rebuild reformats the operating system partition, downloads a fresh Windows 11 image and compatible drivers from Windows Update, and restores the computer to the out-of-box setup experience.
Unlike Reset This PC, it doesn't depend on the recovery image already stored on your computer, and more importantly, it also includes the device drivers.
To me, this feature sits somewhere between Reset This PC and creating a bootable USB installer. It gives you a completely fresh installation without requiring installation media or another computer to download the setup files.
Best for:
The upgrade process to a new version doesn't always go smoothly, and that's exactly why "Go Back" exists.
After upgrading to a new version of the operating system on top of an existing setup, Windows 11 temporarily stores your previous installation in the "Windows.old" folder. If the new version introduces compatibility problems, driver issues, or poor performance, you can roll back to the earlier version with just a few clicks.
The only catch is that this option is temporary. The system typically removes the previous installation files after about 10 days to free up storage.
If you notice problems immediately after installing a feature update, don't wait too long before deciding whether to roll back.
Best for:
Not every system update improves the experience. Sometimes a cumulative update can introduce startup problems, driver conflicts, or unexpected bugs.
When that happens, Windows 11 includes an option in the Windows Recovery Environment that lets you remove the latest update without resetting the entire computer.
Using this experience, you can uninstall the latest quality updates (monthly cumulative updates) and feature updates (major version upgrades).
The first option is usually the one you'll use after Patch Tuesday problems.
Best for:
Some people think System Restore is outdated, but I still think it's one of the most underrated recovery features in the operating system.
System Restore creates restore points that save system files, drivers, registry settings, and installed applications. If something goes wrong after installing a driver or application, you can return Windows to an earlier working state without affecting your personal files.
It's often much faster than resetting the computer and can solve problems in just a few minutes.
Best for:
If Windows 11 won't boot, Startup Repair remains one of the built-in recovery tools designed to fix common startup problems.
Available through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), the tool scans the system for damaged startup files, corrupted Boot Configuration Data (BCD), missing system files, and other issues preventing the operating system from loading correctly. If it finds a problem it knows how to fix, it attempts the repair automatically.
Depending on your recovery configuration, Windows 11 may first attempt newer recovery mechanisms, such as Quick Machine Recovery, before Startup Repair becomes available.
It won't solve every startup issue, but when it works, it can save you from more drastic recovery options like resetting or reinstalling the operating system.
Best for:
Sometimes Windows 11 itself isn't the problem. Safe Mode starts the system with only the essential drivers and services needed for the operating system to run. That makes it much easier to remove a problematic graphics driver, uninstall recently installed apps, or troubleshoot malware that's preventing Windows 11 from working normally.
If Windows 11 works as expected in Safe Mode but crashes at startup, it's usually a sign that a third-party app or driver is causing conflicts.
Best for:
Quick Machine Recovery is one of the newest additions to Windows 11, and I think it's a direct response to lessons Microsoft learned from major outages like the CrowdStrike incident.
If a bad update or driver prevents Windows 11 from starting, the feature can automatically enter the Windows Recovery Environment, connect to Microsoft's recovery service, download a remediation package, and attempt to repair the problem before you ever reach the desktop.
Ideally, you'll never have to think about this feature because it works automatically behind the scenes. If the automated recovery isn't successful, you can continue troubleshooting using the other recovery options available through the Windows Recovery Environment.
Best for:
Point-in-time Restore is another piece of Microsoft's evolving recovery strategy.
Rather than asking users to troubleshoot a failed Windows Update manually, Point-in-time Restore is part of Microsoft's effort to make Windows Update failures easier to recover from automatically.
A lot of people may never notice it working, but that's exactly the goal. The more the system can recover automatically, the less often users need to search for recovery guides or perform clean installations.
Best for:
This guide focuses on Windows 11 features that can restore the operating system to a known working state or help troubleshoot problems preventing the system from working correctly. However, the operating system also includes other recovery-related tools that serve a different purpose.
The Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is the workspace where many of these options are available, including Startup Repair, Reset This PC, System Restore, Cloud rebuild, and other troubleshooting tools. It does not repair Windows 11 by itself. Instead, it provides access to the features that can recover the operating system.
The Recovery Drive works in a similar way. It does not fix the setup directly. Instead, it creates a bootable USB drive that lets you access WinRE if the built-in recovery options are unavailable.
Other tools, such as Command Prompt, Startup Settings, and UEFI settings, are designed for advanced troubleshooting. They can help diagnose and manually repair problems, but they do not automatically restore the operating system.
Also, the Windows Backup app is part of the recovery experience, but it serves a different purpose. Instead of repairing a broken installation, it helps restore settings, credentials, Microsoft Store apps, and files stored in OneDrive after reinstalling Windows 11 or moving to a new computer.
The legacy Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool is still available on Windows 11 and can create file backups and full system images. Unlike newer recovery features such as Reset This PC or Cloud rebuild, it relies on a backup created ahead of time. If you have a system image available, you can use it to restore the computer to a previous state, including the operating system, apps, settings, and drivers.
However, Microsoft has shifted toward newer recovery experiences that rely more on Windows Update, cloud services, and automatic repairs.
After covering the operating system for more than two decades, I think Microsoft has finally addressed one of the biggest weaknesses: recovery.
The company has built a much more complete safety net into Windows 11. However, these tools only matter if they work when users need them most. A failed update, broken driver, or corrupted system file can still leave people searching for answers because the recovery experience isn't always predictable.
What I find interesting is that Microsoft didn't replace older tools like System Restore or Safe Mode. Instead, it kept building on top of them with newer experiences such as Cloud rebuild and automatic recovery features. The result is a layered recovery system that makes Windows 11 far more resilient than previous versions.
The next challenge isn't creating another recovery feature. It's making the existing ones easier to understand. If the operating system can better recognize what's wrong and automatically recommend the right recovery path, most people may never have to wonder whether to use System Restore, Reset This PC, or Cloud rebuild.
That's the direction recovery should continue moving toward, with less troubleshooting, fewer reinstalls, and more automatic repairs that keep people productive.
Have you ever had to use one of these Windows recovery features? Which one helped you get your device back up and running? Let me know in the comments.
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If you are an aspiring vlogger or simply just enjoy capturing your adventures, DJI’s Osmo Pocket series are among the most popular options on the market right now. And for a limited time, you can elevate your vlogs with some of the best Osmo Pocket handheld cameras that are available at special prices on AliExpress.
AliExpress already sells DJI’s Osmo 360, Pocket 3, Pocket 4, Pocket 4P, and their respective Creator Combos at very competitive prices compared to other U.S. retailers. However, the retailer's July A+ event brings even more attractive deals on the Osmo Pocket series. You can now save up to an additional 14% on top of the already low prices. The discounts range from $2 up to $70.
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The July A+ event started on July 13 and will last through July 19, so there is still ample time to look over the Osmo Pocket series products that are on sale. If you have been eyeing something, now is your opportunity to secure one at a bargain price. At these unbeatable prices, the Osmo Pocket series will likely sell out quickly, so don't wait too long.
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If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
Google plans to use Intel's EMIB-T packaging for its next-generation TPU codenamed Humufish, according to SemiAnalysis. TSMC's portfolio of chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) technologies has become the de facto standard advanced packaging option for nearly all AI and HPC processors made in the industry. Competing offerings are usually considered as secondary solutions if CoWoS is in tight supply, but things are beginning to change.
Google is a long-standing CoWoS customer for TPUs, starting from the Third-Generation TPU, all the way to Google's latest Eighth-Generation TPUs. Assuming that SemiAnalysis's report about Google's decision to move to EMIB-T with its Ninth-Generation TPUs is accurate, it's a big decision for Google, as switching from one advanced packaging technology to another is a complicated endeavor, which involves plenty of changes and unknowns. Understanding Google's reasons for the switch could shed some light on the prospects of Intel's and TSMC's advanced packaging technologies, which will be used by leading chip designers and hyperscalers in the coming years.
For years, Google used TSMC's CoWoS-S, and later, CoWoS-L packaging. Initially, the company used CoWoS-S packaging, which relies on a silicon interposer up to 3.3X the reticle size, but with its 7th- and 8th-Generation TPUs, the company moved to CoWoS-L. CoWoS-L relies on a redistribution layer (RDL) interposer with embedded local silicon interconnect (LSI) bridges that enable high-performance die-to-die links, which can scale packages to 5.5X the reticle size today. TSMC promises to improve CoWoS-L's capabilities to scale over 14X the reticle size by the end of the decade.
Unlike CoWoS, Intel's embedded multi-die interconnect bridge (EMIB) technology does not use any interposers. The technology instead relies on tiny embedded silicon bridges within the substrate to enable high-density die-to-die interconnections, whereas everything else is routed through an inexpensive organic substrate.
EMIB-T adds through-silicon vias (TSVs) to the bridge, which enables power to flow vertically instead of going through the organic substrate. In addition, Intel's EMIB-T also integrates sophisticated metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors and a dedicated ground plane into the bridge to improve power integrity. The latter is a particularly important feature of complex next-generation AI accelerators, which demand more, cleaner power, and for which power delivery is becoming as challenging as signal routing.
The main selling point of EMIB (and EMIB-T) is that it is not constrained by interposer reticle limits as it places small silicon bridges only where high-density die-to-die links are needed. Strictly speaking, CoWoS-L is not either, as it uses LSIs locally as well. The difference is that those bridges are embedded into a package-wide RDL interposer that connects everything and enables dense interconnections across the package.
Since both CoWoS-L and EMIB-T are designed to address the same applications and have many similarities in the way they do this, the choice between them is likely driven by a combination of factors rather than one single advantage or disadvantage. On the technology side of matters, these factors include interconnect performance and density, power delivery, scaling beyond very large package sizes, and mechanical rigidity. On the business side of things, costs, capacity availability, and supply chain diversification are also a significant factor.
SemiAnalysis claims that the main advantage of EMIB/EMIB-T over CoWoS is the lack of reticle limit, but this argument does not fully hold against CoWoS-L, as it was invented specifically to escape the reticle limitation by replacing the monolithic silicon interposer with localized LSI bridges.
When it comes to dense, package-wide routing, CoWoS-L's RDL interposer is fundamentally superior to an ordinary organic substrate offered by EMIB-T. Organic substrate wiring has coarser line/space dimensions and larger vias, so it cannot provide the same routing density as CoWoS-L's fine-pitch RDL. Where an EMIB bridge connects adjacent dies, Intel can achieve very high interconnect density. But anything that needs to travel beyond those bridges must use the package substrate or cross a topology involving additional bridges.
By contrast, CoWoS-L gives the designer two levels of connectivity: LSIs provide extremely dense local die-to-die connections, while the global RDL interposer provides relatively dense and flexible routing across the entire package. This means the RDL can carry longer, lower-density connections without consuming valuable LSI resources, while still offering much finer routing than the underlying package substrate.
One scenario for Google's choice is that it potentially wanted better power delivery than what CoWoS-L could offer. EMIB-T integrates TSVs for vertical power delivery, sophisticated MIM capacitors for local decoupling, and a dedicated ground plane into its silicon bridges. The combination of these features substantially reduces power-delivery impedance and improves transient response and power integrity, which gives EMIB-T a major advantage over conventional EMIB for power-hungry AI accelerators. However, we have no idea how EMIB-T stacks up against CoWoS-L in the case of Google’s Humufish.
Of course, the larger the RDL interposer becomes, the greater its parasitics can become, potentially limiting scaling unless TSMC finds ways to mitigate them. However, EMIB does not eliminate long-distance wiring: If two distant dies must communicate, those signals still have to travel somewhere, and routing them through an organic substrate is not inherently electrically superior to routing them through a purpose-built RDL interposer. Therefore, it is difficult to claim that Google chose EMIB-T over CoWoS-L, simply because EMIB-T offers superior package-wide electrical characteristics.
After Nvidia suffered yield loss with its Blackwell data center GPUs due to an alleged mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) among the GPU chiplets, LSI bridges, RDL interposer, and motherboard substrate, which led to warping and system failure, it is reasonable to question the mechanical rigidity of CoWoS-L packages. Nvidia has found a solution for its dual compute chiplet Blackwell packages, and so have other developers of AI accelerators. However, as package dimensions increase, they may behave differently, therefore causing yield losses.
By contrast, EMIB/EMIB-T eliminates the large RDL interposer and embeds small silicon bridges in the organic substrate, so most of the package consists of the substrate itself. This does not make EMIB/EMIB-T packages immune to mechanical failures, as large packages can warp and bend, causing various problems. However, as such packages lack the very source of global thermomechanical stress, they can potentially be more robust mechanically. However, EMIB-T can potentially complicate things because TSVs, additional metal structures, MIM capacitors, and their ground plane make the bridge more complex. Thus, Intel must manage both global package warpage and local stresses around each embedded bridge to ensure the mechanical rigidity of these packages.
Ironically, while CoWoS-L can offer denser package-wide routing, which is better for ultra-large processors, EMIB-T may potentially provide better mechanical rigidity required for such devices. Nonetheless, EMIB-T and its organic substrate do not eliminate package bending or cracking risks entirely.
If Google's Humufish TPU really moves to EMIB-T, the decision could well be both technical and strategic. Google has the engineering resources to opt for an all-new packaging technology in an effort to lower costs and eliminate dependence on TSMC's constrained CoWoS capacity. Nvidia tends to procure advanced packaging allocations years in advance, so it is possible that Google could simply not get enough CoWoS-L wafers for its 9th-generation TPU.
As a bonus, Google can also build relationships with Intel Foundry without using the company's fabrication technologies. In fact, keeping in mind that Intel and Google already have a strategic agreement covering Intel Xeon CPUs, it wouldn't be too surprising to learn that the cloud giant is courting Intel Foundry as well.
Both Intel's EMIB-T and TSMC's CoWoS-L have their own technological and economic advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the biggest advantage of CoWoS-L is its predictability, as the company has experience with that tech. However, if Google has decided to drop that predictability in favor of an all-new packaging method, it may well have a combination of technological and strategic reasons to do so.
Nowadays, storage devices for consumer and data center applications differ rather dramatically, as do approaches to product design as well as go-to-market strategies. Therefore, to get a more or less comprehensive overview of the storage market in general, you must observe both ends of the spectrum. To complement our interview with Nelson Duann at Computex, we also sat down with his colleague Alex Chou, who is in charge of Silicon Motion’s enterprise storage business.
Alex Chou is an interesting person to talk to. Before joining Silicon Motion, he spent some 18 years at Broadcom, where he led the wireless connectivity business, also initiating the Enterprise Switch, PoE, and 10-G Base-T PHY business with a product marketing focus. Before that, he worked at UMC Capital, ARK Logic, and Western Digital, where he developed graphics accelerators. He deeply understands the industry and uses his knowledge to expand SMI's business into the data center segment. As he is the first general manager of Silicon Motion's enterprise business unit, it is safe to say that all the success that the company has faced in the new segment so far can be attributed to Alex Chou.
Anton Shilov: Can you introduce yourself to our readers, please?
Alex Chou: My name is Alex Chou. As you know, Silicon Motion has two business units: the client business and the enterprise business. I am responsible for the enterprise business unit. My responsibilities include defining new products, leading development teams, bringing products to market, and working with OEMs, cloud service providers, and other customers to promote our technology and differentiation.
Historically, Silicon Motion was focused on NAND controllers for client applications as well as embedded graphics processors and USB display controllers. Following the restructuring in the early 2020s, SMI formed a separate business unit to offer enterprise-grade SSD controllers, though it took the company some time to land its first tangible orders. By now, the company has yet to grab a 10% market share, yet it has clients among cloud service providers (CSPs), hyperscalers, and OEMs, significant achievements given Silicon Motion is a relatively new market entrant.
Anton Shilov: It has been a challenging year for much of the industry, particularly for memory-related segments. Yet Silicon Motion reported first-quarter revenue of $342.1 million, up 23% sequentially and 105% year-over-year, while SSD controller sales increased by roughly 40% to 45%. Can you explain what drove those results, particularly on the enterprise side?
Alex Chou: It depends on how you define a difficult year. If you look at the results, I would argue that this has actually been one of the best years the storage industry has seen.
Silicon Motion is fundamentally a controller company. We build controllers that work with NAND from all major memory suppliers. On the enterprise side, we are still relatively new compared to some established competitors, but we have secured a number of new projects and have started delivering products to customers.
We have invested heavily in PCIe Gen5, Gen6, and Gen7 enterprise SSD controllers. Today, our Gen5 products are beginning to ramp into volume production with multiple OEM customers. That ramp is contributing to our growth.
Anton Shilov: Do you have an estimate of your market share in the enterprise SSD controller market?
Alex Chou: That depends on how you define the market. Some people measure market share by unit shipments, while others look at exabytes shipped because SSD capacities continue to increase.
We have only recently begun shipping enterprise products in volume. If you listened to our CEO's comments during the earnings call, we expect enterprise shipments to increase significantly in the second half of the year. We are still in the early stages of our ramp, but we are making good progress with several key customers.
If you look beyond the initial ramp and think about the full-year run rate, I believe we can build from there and target a much stronger position next year. Longer term, our goal is to exceed 10% market share in the $4B enterprise SSD controller market, but this year is really about getting through qualification, customer testing, and the early production ramp in 2 half of this year.
Our goal is to continue expanding our share. We are only beginning the ramp [of our data center-grade SSD controllers] today, but we expect our share to increase meaningfully as deployments grow.
Anton Shilov: Who are your primary customers? SSD manufacturers, OEMs, or hyperscalers?
Alex Chou: We primarily work with OEMs. We sell controllers and firmware solutions to SSD manufacturers and OEMs. Some customers use our complete controller-and-firmware solution, while others develop their own firmware.
At the same time, we work directly with hyperscalers and cloud service providers to explain the advantages of our products and ensure they understand our technology roadmap.
Enterprise SSDs are used in several different segments. Traditional compute servers represent one market. High-density storage systems used for AI and large-scale data storage are another. We also see growing interest in storage systems located near GPUs, where latency becomes particularly important.
One area where we differentiate ourselves is quality of service. We have developed a patented traffic-shaping engine that helps maintain latency consistency under heavy workloads and multi-tenant environments. That capability is particularly attractive to hyperscalers and cloud service providers.
Anton Shilov: Do you see the enterprise SSD market splitting into different categories depending on workload?
Alex Chou: Yes. We see at least three major categories emerging.
The first is traditional compute-attached enterprise SSDs, which are used in conventional servers and storage systems. The second is very high-density storage for AI and hyperscale environments, where capacity, throughput, and cost efficiency are critical. The third is storage located closer to GPUs, where the requirements are very different because latency and quality of service become much more important.
That third category is particularly interesting. In AI systems, the storage subsystem is no longer just feeding CPUs. It increasingly has to support GPUs directly, especially for workloads involving very large datasets or KV-cache offload. In those environments, low latency and predictable performance matter much more than they did in traditional storage deployments.
Anton Shilov: Is that where Nvidia's Storage Next vision comes in?
Alex Chou: Yes. Storage Next is one of the major industry developments we are watching very closely.
The idea is that storage will move closer to the GPU and become part of a much more tightly integrated data path. In some cases, the goal is not just to maximize bandwidth, but to ensure that latency remains low and deterministic enough for AI workloads that continuously move data between accelerators, system memory, and storage.
This is one of the reasons we have invested heavily in QoS and latency control. Through our traffic-shaping technology, we can manage access patterns and reduce latency spikes when multiple tenants or applications share the same SSD. In a cloud environment or an AI storage environment, that becomes very important.
Anton Shilov: So, the challenge is no longer just raw throughput, but how predictably the SSD behaves under load?
Alex Chou: Exactly. Bandwidth still matters, but in many enterprise and AI environments, consistency matters just as much.
When multiple applications, multiple VMs, or multiple users share the same storage device, you need to control latency and quality of service carefully. If performance becomes unpredictable, it can affect the entire system.
That is why we have focused on a traffic-shaping mechanism that can prioritize and isolate workloads more effectively. We believe that kind of latency management will become a key differentiator for enterprise SSD controllers going forward.
Anton Shilov: How does that affect your roadmap for future controllers?
Alex Chou: It affects it quite a bit. Our upcoming controllers are not designed only for higher sequential bandwidth. They are also being designed for newer enterprise requirements such as OCP 2.7 compliance, stronger security, better QoS, and support for more advanced deployment models.
Anton Shilov: Are you already sampling your PCIe 6.x controllers?
Alex Chou: On the Gen6 side, our controller design is essentially complete; we have an FPGA [emulating algorithms], and we expect tape-out very soon. If everything goes according to plan, we expect first silicon back in the second half of 2026.
That controller not only supports a faster host interface, but also supports new features and requirements we see from AI infrastructure and hyperscale customers.
Anton Shilov: So, the PCIe Gen6 SSD platform is not just a speed upgrade for Silicon Motion?
Alex Chou: Correct. PCIe Gen6 obviously provides more bandwidth, but for us the more important part is that the surrounding system requirements are changing as well. Security, QoS, cloud deployment models, and AI storage architectures are all evolving at the same time, so the controller has to evolve with them.
Anton Shilov: Let us talk about the roadmap in more detail. You said the PCIe Gen6 enterprise controller is close to tape-out. What comes after that?
Alex Chou: PCIe Gen6 is the next major step for us, and the design is essentially complete. We expect to tape out very soon and, assuming [everything works correctly], receive first silicon in the second half of 2026.
But internally, we are already working beyond PCIe Gen6. PCIe Gen7 development has already started. In fact, the overall architecture for our Gen7 enterprise controller platform has already been defined. That means we are not just planning the interface speed increase; we are also defining the surrounding architecture, feature set, and deployment model that will be needed in the next generation of enterprise and AI systems.
Anton Shilov: So, SMI's PCIe Gen7 controller is no longer just a concept?
Alex Chou: Correct. PCIe Gen7 is already in active development. The current plan is to have internal samples in 2H, 2027 and to move toward production in that same general timeframe.
As controller development becomes more complex, you cannot wait until the market is ready before starting work. By the time a new interface reaches the market, the controller has to be nearly finished already. So, we are always working at least one generation ahead, and in practice often two.
Anton Shilov: As NAND becomes denser and more complex, error correction also becomes a bigger issue?
Alex Chou: That is a major part of controller development now. As NAND moves to higher layer counts and denser cell structures, the controller has to do more work to maintain reliability, endurance, and data integrity.
One of the areas we are working on is stronger LDPC. On the enterprise side, LDPC with a 16KB collaborative codeword is already used with SM8466, SMI’s first Enterprise PCIe Gen6 controller, and it is part of the roadmap because future NAND will require more robust error correction. That is one of the reasons enterprise controller architecture keeps becoming more complex generation after generation. You are no longer designing only for interface speed. You are also designing for signal integrity, power, security, QoS, error correction, and support for future NAND generations that may behave very differently from today's devices.
Anton Shilov: Will LDPC with 16KB collaborative codeword be enough for next generations of 3D NAND with hundreds of active layers?
Alex Chou: A 16KB LDPC engine already consumes a significant amount of silicon area and is quite sophisticated. For PCIe Gen7 controllers, our goal is to optimize and improve that engine from multiple angles rather than simply keep expanding it. We still need our architects to make the final call on exactly which improvements we will implement, but at this point we are more likely to refine and enhance the current design than to move beyond 16KB LDPC.
Anton Shilov: Speaking more generally, SSD controllers are increasingly becoming full platforms rather than just controllers, because integration matters so much. Do you expect close collaboration between controller vendors, NAND makers, and SSD manufacturers to become even more important as the industry moves to next-generation storage devices?
Alex Chou: I may not fully understand your question, but let me explain how we approach it.
At Silicon Motion, we design the controller architecture and build the firmware stack with a rich feature set. For example, we have developed our own [PerformaShape] traffic-shaping engine to improve QoS. That is the foundation of the platform.
From there, we have to look at how NAND evolves from one generation to the next. As we move from PCIe Gen5 to Gen6 to Gen7, controller performance has to scale accordingly. If you want to saturate the PCIe interface and deliver, say, 7 million IOPS today and much higher performance in future generations, you have to understand exactly where NAND is going.
That is why my team meets regularly with Samsung, SK hynix, SanDisk, Kioxia, and all other NAND vendors to review their roadmaps. Silicon Motion is part of that ecosystem, and because of those relationships, we usually get early visibility into future NAND generations and often receive early samples so we can bring up our controllers and make sure they take advantage of new NAND as quickly as possible.
That matters even more in the current supply environment. Because we work with all NAND suppliers, hyperscalers and cloud service providers can come to us and ask for a solution that is not tied to a single memory vendor. A company like Samsung naturally builds around its own NAND, but we have the advantage of being able to support multiple suppliers. That gives customers much more flexibility when supply is tight.
So yes, we have a core controller architecture and a common firmware base, but one of our strengths is that we work very closely with NAND vendors on future generations and make sure our platform can take advantage of faster interfaces, higher die counts, and new NAND capabilities as they arrive.
Anton Shilov: What about storage-class memory? Are there any developments there? As far as I can tell, adoption of Kioxia’s XL-Flash has been limited.
Alex Chou: That’s a very good question. I am actually going to visit Kioxia, so I should have a better sense of their plans after that. At the moment, Kioxia is essentially the only company still pushing XL-Flash, so they are trying to build something around it.
The challenge is that it is not just about the technology itself. You need a broader ecosystem to support it, and that is what makes the situation more complicated. We are watching it closely and trying to understand whether it is something we really need to support, but at this point I do not have a definitive answer. We are still evaluating it.
Anton Shilov: Have you heard anything similar from other suppliers? Quite a few memory makers used to talk about storage-class memory or similar technologies in their roadmaps.
Alex Chou: Based on what we know, not really. If you look back at last year’s Flash Memory Summit, several NAND makers were talking about higher-performance flash and storage-class-memory-like concepts. That created a lot of buzz at the time, and we looked into it, just as we have looked into XL-Flash, to understand whether there was a real ecosystem forming around it.
But there is much less discussion around those ideas now. One reason is simple: memory vendors do not really need those products at the moment because they can sell conventional NAND at very high prices and still generate strong returns.
Anton Shilov: In other words, they can just sell QLC 3D NAND and be perfectly happy.
Alex Chou: Exactly.
Anton Shilov: On the other hand, Nvidia wants storage devices capable of 100 million IOPS.
Alex Chou: Yes, that is where Storage Next comes in.
Anton Shilov: Has anyone actually come close to 100 million IOPS yet?
Alex Chou: I would say Storage Next gains many attentions. XL-Flash could be one possible approach to address that kind of requirement. But these are other options aiming to address high-performance and low latency needs.
What matters more is that Storage Next has a much stronger ecosystem behind it because Nvidia is actively driving it. There are regular meetings around it, and our architect has been involved from the very beginning. We have been tracking it closely and trying to make sure our future controller architecture can support it if and when the market materializes.
At the same time, Nvidia itself appears to recognize that 100 million or 200 million IOPS may not be realistic in the near term. The target seems to be moving closer to something like 50 million IOPS, which is more achievable. So yes, we are watching it very closely, and we are building in the flexibility to support it if needed.
In storage, having a technically interesting idea is not enough. The industry has to agree on how to use it, how to deploy it, and how to integrate it into systems. Storage Next currently has more momentum because the ecosystem behind it is much stronger.
Anton Shilov: So, you see Storage Next as more commercially relevant than storage-class memory, at least for now?
Alex Chou: Yes. At least today, Storage Next looks more immediate and more actionable.
We are already participating in those discussions and thinking about what future controller requirements will look like in that environment. That includes not only bandwidth, but also latency behavior, QoS, and the role storage plays in systems where GPUs are increasingly central to the data path.
That does not mean other technologies disappear. It just means that if you ask where the market is actively moving right now, the answer is much more on the Storage Next side than on the storage-class-memory side.
Anton Shilov: So, in practice, you make sure your controller works with all relevant NAND types, while the memory vendor mainly has to make sure the media itself complies with the interface requirements?
Alex Chou: When we design a controller, we already cooperate closely with NAND suppliers. Our architects look at all of the major vendors to understand whether there are any special requirements we need to account for. Then we handle another layer of optimization in firmware to make sure we can support all of those devices properly.
If you look deeper into enterprise NAND, most products also use interface chips internally to connect large numbers of dies. Those interface chips can differ from vendor to vendor, so we need to understand their configurations as well, including die counts, planes, and other architectural details. The goal is to make sure the controller and firmware together can support all of those different combinations.
So far, our architecture has been able to support NAND from SanDisk, Kioxia, SK hynix, and the other major vendors. Even if the interface chips differ, we try to keep the overall hardware design as flexible as possible.
There are really three elements involved: the controller itself, the hardware board, and the firmware. Ideally, you do not want a completely different board design for every NAND supplier. Fortunately, the industry has standardized a lot of the pinouts and module interfaces, which makes it possible to use a common hardware design and swap in NAND from different suppliers with the right firmware support.
We spend a lot of time making sure we can support all of those different combinations.
Anton Shilov: So you are effectively building controllers with a fairly clear view of what future NAND generations will look like.
Alex Chou: Exactly. We want to make sure that when the next generation of NAND arrives, we are ready to support it as broadly as possible.
© Travel + Leisure/
| WHO | England vs Argentina |
| WHAT | 2026 World Cup |
| WHEN | 3:00pm ET / 12:00pm PT • Wednesday, July 15, 2026 |
| WHERE | Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling, Peacock Premium, FOX, Telemundo and Hulu + Live TV |
| STREAM | WATCH NOW |
England enters this colossal semi-final with manager Thomas Tuchel unbeaten in his first six tournament games, a feat that echoes the legendary Sir Alf Ramsey‘s 1966 run. The Three Lions have demonstrated remarkable consistency, reaching the semi-finals in four of the last five major tournaments. However, their journey has been grueling, covering over 14,000 miles in travel, and they required a draining extra-time period to overcome a stubborn Norway side in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Argentina are looking to secure a place in their second consecutive final. La Albiceleste have reached the semi-finals in three of the last four tournaments and are currently on a 12-match unbeaten streak in the competition. While the individual brilliance of Lionel Messi has often been the deciding factor, the team has shown defensive frailties and also needed extra time to dispatch Switzerland, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle of attrition and skill.
England‘s path to the semi-final has been defined by resilience. Under Thomas Tuchel, they have won 16 of 20 matches, often grinding out results even when not performing at their peak, as seen in their victory against Mexico despite a red card. Their defensive organization was superb in shutting down Norway‘s Erling Haaland, a quality they will desperately need in this clash.
Argentina, in contrast, has had a more chaotic tournament, frequently relying on Messi‘s magic to cover defensive gaps. Coach Lionel Scaloni has employed a 4-4-2 diamond formation that congests the middle of the park to facilitate quick combinations with his star player, but this often leaves them vulnerable on the flanks. The key tactical battle will be in central midfield, where England must try to nullify Messi‘s influence.
The motivation for both sides is immense. For Argentina, it is the chance to defend their crown and further solidify Messi‘s legacy as the greatest of all time. For England, it represents a golden opportunity to end decades of hurt and capitalize on their recent tournament consistency. With both teams coming off exhausting extra-time victories, managing player fatigue will be just as crucial as any tactical adjustment.
This fixture is steeped in history, with all five previous official meetings taking place at the global tournament. England holds a narrow historical advantage with three wins to Argentina‘s one, with the other match being a draw that Argentina subsequently won on penalties in 1998. This deep-rooted rivalry guarantees an intense and passionate encounter.
The most recent clash was a 1-0 victory for England at the 2002 tournament, but the most iconic remains the 1986 quarter-final in Mexico. That match was decided by two unforgettable Diego Maradona moments: the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal and a spectacular solo run that is widely considered one of the greatest goals in history. These past encounters add layers of narrative and pressure to the upcoming game.
Historically, this matchup has produced goals, with an average of 2.6 goals per game across their five meetings. While the stakes of a semi-final might suggest a cagey affair, both teams have displayed defensive vulnerabilities throughout this tournament. Argentina remains unbeaten in their last ten games against European opposition under Scaloni, while England has a balanced record against South American teams, making this a finely poised contest.
Both managers face critical selection decisions as they navigate key absences and tactical considerations for this monumental semi-final clash.
England will be without defender Jarell Quansah, who is serving a suspension following his red card in the Round of 16. The squad is also missing midfielder Jordan Henderson, who was ruled out of the tournament with an injury. These absences will test Thomas Tuchel‘s squad depth, particularly in defense and midfield.
Argentina, on the other hand, comes into the match with a clean bill of health. Coach Lionel Scaloni has no new injury or suspension worries and is expected to name an unchanged lineup from the side that defeated Switzerland. This consistency could provide a crucial advantage in a match of such fine margins.
England Projected XI (4-2-3-1):
Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Thomas Tuchel is likely to deploy his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, focusing on controlling the midfield. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will provide a defensive shield, freeing up the electric Jude Bellingham to create and support Harry Kane in attack. With Quansah suspended, Marc Guehi is expected to partner John Stones at the heart of the defense.
Argentina Projected XI (4-1-3-2):
E. Martinez; Molina, L. Martinez, Romero, Tagliafico; Paredes; Fernandez, Mac Allister, De Paul; Alvarez, Messi.
Lionel Scaloni’s diamond formation is built to maximize Lionel Messi’s impact by overloading the central areas. The hard-working Julian Alvarez will act as his strike partner, while the midfield trio of Fernandez, Mac Allister, and De Paul will be tasked with dominating possession and feeding their legendary number 10.
The England vs Argentina match is on Fubo. You can watch on your computer, smart TV, phone, tablet, and other streaming devices, ensuring you don’t miss a moment of the action.
In addition to the 2026 tournament, Fubo offers access to other top soccer competitions, including Liga MX, LaLiga, and extensive coverage of international soccer.
A subscription to Fubo costs $14.99/month. This plan gives you access to every live match from the tournament, plus a library of on-demand content and expert analysis.
SEE MORE: Schedule of World Cup games on US TV
If you’re abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as Nord VPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming.
Amid their defensive problems, Argentina managed to defeat Switzerland 3–1, securing their place in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Lionel Scaloni has proven to be an expert at adjusting his lineup during matches, relying on different ways to pursue victory. Far from having an easy opponent, they will face England after dropping positions in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking.
According to the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, Argentina are ranked in the 3rd spot, with 1943.47 points. They have lost two positions, despite their consecutive victories in the tournament. While some criticisms were towards their consistent defensive gaps, they have been shinning in the offense, with Lionel Messi leading again the way. Nonetheless, they have not reached their best position yet, as they ranked 1st in June of 2026.
While Lionel Scaloni’s team have dropped positions in the rankings, they have remained above England. Thomas Tuchel’s team are ranked 4th in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, with 1,889.42 points. They have not excelled in build-up play, but they remain one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacking sides, with multiple offensive options. With their talented wingers, they may look to exploit Argentina’s defensive vulnerabilities on the counterattack.
Unlike England, Argentina have shown to have one of the most solid midfields of the 2026 World Cup. Having an ideal combination of solid defending and creativity, they usually press their opponents high and control the tempo of the game. In addition, Lionel Messi is key to creating space, allowing Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez to shine up front, with both needing to be very effective in front of goal.
Argentina are one of the most historic national teams in World Cup history. Not only are they coming off winning the 2022 edition, but they also won the 1978 and 1986 editions. Far from relaxing their winning ambition, they arrived at the 2026 edition in top form with a run of consecutive victories. Now, Lionel Messi’s team are chasing their first-ever back-to-back World Cups.
Not only because of the historical importance of this match, but they can also make history at the World Cup. Lionel Messi could lead Argentina to their first back-to-back titles, something that would make his legacy as the most important in his country’s history grow even more. In addition, Scaloni’s team have shown that they know how to adapt to their opponent, dominating or sitting back depending on the match, something that can give them an edge.
Despite the numerous criticisms before the 2026 World Cup, England managed to become one of the best teams, defeating Norway to reach the semifinals. Hand in hand with their attacking prowess, they have shone game after game. However, they do not have an easy match, as they face Argentina. Reflecting their high level of play, they have managed to maintain a strong position in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking.
According to the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, England are ranked in the 4th spot, with 1889.42 points. While some criticisms were towards their playing style, they have been solid in the results, keeping the same spot in the last stages of the tournament. Nonetheless, they have not reached their best position yet, as they ranked 3rd in November of 2023.
While Thomas Tuchel’s team are among the highest-ranked national teams, they are still behind Argentina. The 2022 World Cup winners are ranked 3rd, with 1,943.47 points. Although they are coming off a major victory over Switzerland, they have dropped two places and need a win today to challenge Spain, the current leaders, for the top spot. With Lionel Messi in peak form, Argentina once again emerge as one of the top contenders.
England have proven to be one of the most efficient teams in attack. Led by Harry Kane, they create space against tough midfields, using the wings as the central focus of their play. In addition, Jude Bellingham has taken advantage of the space up front, arriving from the second line to finish chances. However, they still have not been dominant in midfield, and their main challenge will be to remain consistent.
England are one of the most historic national teams in World Cup history. Led by legends such as Bobby Moore and Sir Geoff Hurst, they won the 1966 title. After that historic triumph, they remained relevant, producing legends such as Gary Lineker, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and many others. However, they have gone 60 years without winning the title, with today representing their best chance.
Since their victory in 1966, they have reached the semifinals in 1990 and 2018, where they were eliminated. Therefore, they face another golden opportunity to pursue a place in the final by defeating Argentina in a match full of history. Afterwards, they would face Spain, one of the best collective teams in the world. If they manage to do so, Thomas Tuchel’s team would write their name into history.
Galatasaray ile sözleşme yenilemeyen ve Wanda Nara ile yaşadığı nafaka krizleriyle gündemden düşmeyen Mauro Icardi, yeni sevgilisi China Suárez ile Miami'de dünyaca ünlü ucuz giyim zincirinde alışveriş yaparken görüntülendi. Lüks yaşantısıyla bilinen yıldız golcünün bu mütevazı tercihleri, sosyal medyada "Icardi ucuza kaçtı, bütçe küçüldü" yorumlarına neden oldu.
Wanda Nara ile yaşadığı nafaka, velayet ve çocuk kaçırma krizleriyle gündemden düşmeyen Mauro Icardi, yeni sevgilisi China Suárez ile Miami’de bir mağazada gizlice görüntülendi. Galatasaray ile yeni sözleşme imzalamayan yıldız futbolcunun lüks markalar yerine dünyaca ünlü ucuz giyim zinciri H&M'de alışveriş yapması, "Icardi ucuza kaçtı, bütçe küçüldü" yorumlarına neden oldu.
Magazin dünyasını sarsan görüntüler, ünlü sosyal medya hesabı @Gossipeame tarafından paylaşıldı. Miami’nin gözde alışveriş merkezlerinden Aventura Mall'da sıradan bir gün geçiren Mauro Icardi ve China Suárez, bir takipçinin gizli kamerasına yakalandı.
İkilinin, lüks mağazalar yerine bütçe dostu bir markanın reyonlarında kıyafet seçerken oldukça samimi ve rahat tavırlar sergilemesi dikkat çekti. Galatasaray ile sözleşme yenilemeyen ve geleceği belirsizliğini koruyan Icardi'nin bu görüntüleri, sosyal medyada "Icardi'nin bütçesi daraldı, eski lüks harcamalarından eser kalmadı" şeklinde yorumlandı.
Süper Lig'in yeni ekiplerinden Çorum FK ile adı anılan Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang transfer kararını verdi.
Trendyol Süper Lig'in yeni takımı Çorum FK'ye transfer olacağı iddia edilen ünlü santrfor Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang kararını verdi.
Çorum FK'nın Gabonlu yıldıza yıllık 3.5 milyon Euro''dan 2 yıllık sözleşme teklif ettiği iddia edilmişti.L'Equipe'te yer alan habere göre, tecrübeli oyuncu bu teklifi reddetti.
Fransız basınından Foot Mercato'nun haberine göre; Aubameyang, LaLiga'nın yeni takımı Deportivo la Coruna'ya imza atmaya çok yakın. 37 yaşındaki golcünün, İspanyol takımıyla 2 yıllık bir sözleşme imzalamaya hazır olduğu belirtildi.
Voleybolda CEV Kupası ve CEV Challenge Kupası'nda Türk takımlarının rakipleri belli oldu.
Voleybolda Türkiye'yi 2027 CEV Kupası ve CEV Challenge Kupası'nda temsil edecek Türk takımlarının rakipleri belli oldu.
Lüksemburg'da gerçekleştirilen kura çekimine milli libero Simge Aköz de katıldı.
Kura çekimi sonucunda CEV Kupası'nda Modena Volley (İtalya), CEV Şampiyonlar Ligi 1. Eleme Turu'nda Fino Kaposvar (Macaristan) ile OK Napredak Odzak'ın (Bosna Hersek) eşleşmesinin kaybedeniyle karşılaşacak. Bu eşleşmenin galibi, son 16 turunda Halkbank'ın rakibi olacak. Spor Toto ise Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice (Çek Cumhuriyeti) ile oynayacak.
Kadınlarda Zerenspor, son 16 turunda CEV Şampiyonlar Ligi 2. Eleme Turu'nda karşı karşıya gelecek OK Herceg Novi (Karadağ) ile Maritza Plovdiv (Bulgaristan) eşleşmesinin kaybedeniyle mücadele edecek.
CEV Challenge Kupası'nda ise kadınlarda 17 yıl sonra Avrupa kupalarındaki ilk İzmir takımı olarak katılacak Aras Kargo, son 16 turunda ZAON Kifissia (Yunanistan) ile Rabotnicki Skopje (Makedonya) eşleşmesinin galibiyle karşılaşacak.
Erkeklerde Fenerbahçe Medicana, 2. turda Prima Donna Kaas Huizen (Hollanda)-Lindemans Aalst (Almanya) eşleşmesinin kazananı ile karşı karşıya gelecek.
Many people are put off trying out film photography because they perceive it to be too complicated. Lomography tries to take some of that mystique out with its disposable-style ‘Simple Use’ cameras — and today, the analog specialists have announced the new Half-frame Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera, which doubles your shot count from a standard roll of 35mm film.
The name ‘half-frame’ refers to the fact that the camera only exposes half a frame of 35mm film at a time, cutting the standard horizontal 36mm x 24mm frame into two shots with rough dimensions of 18 x 24mm. This means that while your shots are smaller, you get a heck of lot more of them — a standard 36-shot roll of film could produce around 72 discrete images when run through the Half-frame Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera.
Half-frame cameras aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been around since the 1960s, with Japanese manufacturers first offering them as a cost-saving alternative to standard 35mm film cameras. We’ve also seen more recent entries in the genre, such as the Kodak Ektar H35N. They tend to be small, cheap and straightforward.
However, the Lomography Half-frame Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera sets itself apart by taking all steps possible to be incredibly, mind-bogglingly easy to use. This is the definition of an idiot-proof camera, one that basically anyone could pick up and use, and for this reason it might just be the ideal gateway drug for anyone who’s been tempted to try film photography.
The Simple Use cameras are often described as ‘disposable-style’. This means they operate just like the kinds of disposable cameras that everybody used to bring on trips and then drop off to get developed. There’s no means of setting shutter speed or aperture — both are fixed — and the lens is completely fixed focus. The only control other than the shutter release is the flash, which is activated via the unmistakable lightning-bolt button on the front.
The Half-frame Simple Use camera also comes pre-loaded, meaning it’s completely ready to go out of the box. You have a choice of two options — getting one pre-loaded with LomoChrome Classicolor, or with Lomography Lady Grey monochrome film. Both of these stocks have an ISO rating of 400, meaning they’re good all-rounders for most lighting situations. They do only come in rolls of 20 however, which is quite small for a roll of 35mm. But remember, on half-frame, that works out to about 40 shots.
Once you’ve rattled through your shots, you can rewind using the dial on top to extract your film. In another quite sweet bit of idiot-proofing, the camera body is covered in stickers and labels to remind you to rewind before opening the rear door — indeed, you have to physically remove two of these stickers before opening the door is even possible.
With a plastic lens and fixed settings, this isn’t a camera that’s going to create images of stunning quality — even before you factor in that your shots will be half the size of normal 35mm frames. However, I think its simplicity means it could be a fantastic choice for anyone who has always wanted to shoot film but has found the process intimidating. And with a low asking price of $29.90 / £21.90 for the B&W version, or $34.90 / £24.90 for the color, you don’t have a lot to lose by giving it a try.
As Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey arrives in theaters worldwide on July 17, the demand for screenings in IMAX 70mm has never been higher.
According to Variety, demand is so high that "fans are taking cross-country trips, buying tickets in bulk and more to see the film, with one fan even delaying her pregnancy."
The new movie is the first feature film ever shot entirely on 1570 IMAX cameras, and you only have to look at the TikTok below to see how much of each shot standard cinemagoers will be missing out on.
Globally, there are only 30-40 theaters that can play Nolan's original 70mm film, with around 26 in the US and just three in the UK.
We know what cultural and economic impact The Odyssey is set to have in the industry this summer, with estimates predicting that the movie will gross $200 million at the international box office in its opening weekend alone.
So does this mean that we could see an increase in new IMAX theaters being built? IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond confirms that it's a definite company goal... but the reality isn't quite so straightforward.
"There's certainly more demand; the problem is they haven't made new IMAX film projectors in about 50 years," Gelfond told Variety.
"So we retrofit them, rebuild them, and part of our strategy is to see how far we can take it. But certainly, demand-driven, I'd like to see more."
Obviously, this would be a huge investment for the company. Commercial IMAX projectors range from $300,000 to over $1.2 million USD, depending on whether it is digital, laser, or traditional 70mm film. The latter is going to be at the top end of this range, given its complexity.
Then there's the risk involved with investing. Just because The Odyssey has such high demand doesn't mean that other movies that opt to film in the same format in the future will have the same retention level.
Cinemas are struggling enough as it is, which isn't helped by the fact that streaming services like Netflix are frequently pushing back on giving original movies a theatrical release.
“There is a group of filmmakers who still want theatrical,” Dan Lin, chairman of Netflix Film, told The Hollywood Reporter. “Those are filmmakers that we’ve accepted; we just won’t work with.”
In short, it's a leap of faith back to a new cinema, despite how much fans are desperate for them. However, if any film can set a new precedent — and bring back the forgotten ways of making projectors — it's The Odyssey.
I'm quietly keeping my fingers crossed that such passionate interest in returning to cinema in its biggest and best form will mark a turning point. Perhaps just because I can't get tickets for Nolan's latest at the BFI IMAX... but while I'm jealous, the fact that screenings are sold out until mid-August is nothing short of astonishing.
New Gartner data has claimed now could actually be a good time to buy AI PCs, as cloud computing faces numerous challenges in a rapidly-changing business world.
Data center construction is slipping behind demand as supple chains strain and local communities oppose new projects, meaning that metered compute could end up costing some companies more than they'd bargained for.
By shifting some of their AI processing locally, companies could be able to avoid some of those extra monthly costs with a one-time purchase of a more powerful PC as part of their regular refresh cycles.
While AI PC adoption started pretty slow with companies struggling to understand the benefits, they're now being seen as a cloud fallback option rather than a primary benefit in their own right.
With AI usage increasingly sharply and unpredictable token consumption hitting companies hard, forecasting monthly costs is a new major challenge that many face.
Small language and reasoning models, including specially trained models for individual business use cases, ultimately need fewer resources than leading frontier models, allowing them to be run locally as part of a broader hybrid approach.
Gartner predicts that speech and chat, text generation, image and audio generation and more could soon shift to workers' PCs, with only the most intensive tasks routed via hyperscaler data centers.
By as soon as 2029, the company's researchers anticipate that around one-third (30%) of enterprises could use AI PCs to reduce cloud AI token costs. By 2030, 70% of corporate PCs could be able to run some GenAI tasks locally.
Omdia researchers also noticed a shift in AI model usage, with smaller and medium models proving popular, with domain-specific tasks not needing the full breadth of compute.
"Older GPUs are retaining value and remaining in service, as they continue to offer a cost-effective option for small and midsized model inference and disaggregation," Senior Principal Analyst for Advanced Computing Alexander Harrowell said.
Via The Register
One of the biggest talking points around this year's World Cup has been the heat. Players from countries with very temperate, cool climates, like Norway and England, have had to play back-to-back games in hot and humid conditions, placing enormous stress on their bodies as they struggle to keep their core temperature down.
When core temperatures rise, fatigue isn't far behind. Research has shown that elevated internal body temperatures cause fatigue during prolonged exercise in hot environments, even for trained athletes. Staving off exhaustion by staying cool is therefore crucial.
Enter Therabody, maker of some of the best massage guns, which has supplied Thomas Tuchel's England squad with a novel new device: the Therabody CryoTherm Palm. It looks a little like a dumbbell, but it's not for lifting; instead, you simply place your hands on the nodes, and the CryoTherm Palm, Therabody says, uses these contact points to cool down your whole body using the company's 'Cryothermal technology'.
It sounds too good to be true — but the England players are reportedly making the most of it. We asked Therabody's Chief Science Officer, Tim Roberts, exactly how the technology works.
"Your palms are natural radiators — hairless skin packed with special vessels that bring a lot of blood right to the surface," says Roberts. "It’s why gloves keep your whole body warm in winter.
"CryoTherm Palm cools that surface, pulls heat out of the blood passing through, and that cooled blood circulates back to lower your core temperature faster than cooling almost anywhere else."
So, in theory, the cold blood passing through your hands works to regulate the rest of your body's internal temperature. Clever. According to Roberts, there's a psychological effect too, as "it also dampens the thermal signals your brain uses to judge effort", so exercising feels easier.
Roberts points to a study conducted at the IMG Academy in Florida, in which footballers using the device between sprints saw positive results.
"In our IMG Academy soccer study, players using CryoTherm Palm between sprints felt 60% cooler, held 2.45% higher top speed and preserved sprint velocity 4.7% better across repeated efforts," says Roberts. While he does concede that "none of this replaces basic heat sense — hydrate, respect genuinely dangerous conditions, and back off when you need to," those numbers suggest it can make a difference.
I wouldn't be doing my due diligence if I didn't point out that in a Therabody press release, the IMG Academy was referred to as a Therabody partner. However, the science seems sound, and the CryoTherm Palm might just be your secret weapon to keep cool during your next workout, especially in very hot weather.
The device is available now, priced at $399.99 / £349 / around AU$600. I'm looking forward to testing, especially if the heatwaves we're experiencing here in the UK continue.
TCL CSOT has seemingly taken a big step towards putting inkjet-printed OLED panels in the homes of consumers, and mass production of these screens is now reportedly underway.
OLED-Info reports that the Chinese manufacturer has kicked off production with an initial 27-inch 4K panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It offers a brightness of up to 300 nits and 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut (meaning lifelike and accurate color representation).
This inkjet-printed screen is destined for monitors, but bigger panels for the likes of TVs are expected to be in the cards for the future. For starters, though, we're looking at production for monitors and also laptop OLEDs.
This is still the very early stages for TCL, and OLED-Info clarifies that we are only talking about 'low volume' production on the firm's Gen 5.5 inkjet line for now. Still, it's an important step to take, but producing the panels is one thing, and it'll take some time for these to be incorporated into monitors which are then shipped to retailers where consumers can buy them.
Note that the Gen 5.5 inkjet line has produced OLED panels before, just not displays destined for consumer products (they were screens for commercial use in the medical field).
It seems that the freshly announced MSI Pro Max OLED 271UPJW12 uses this TCL 4K panel, although that isn't explicitly stated in the press release for the new model published by TechPowerup. All the specs match up, though, and it couldn't really be any other screen anyway – and this revelation is another sign to back up OLED-Info's contention that mass production is now up and running.
MSI boasts of the monitor: "With a 164 PPI density and an optimized RGB Stripe sub-pixel layout that closely resembles the uniform RGB structure of traditional LCDs, this advanced design effectively eliminates color fringing, optimizing text and image clarity."
We don't get a price from MSI, but that's not surprising at this stage, because as noted, the release is likely still some way off yet.
As we've covered in the past, there are some distinct advantages with using an OLED printed by an inkjet compared to traditional (Fine Metal Mask) OLED panels. They are more power-efficient, and the inkjet-printed (IJP) OLEDs will also have a longer lifespan, but most crucially, they're cheaper.
TCL has previously told us that these IJP panels are 20% cheaper than existing OLEDs (and they can be made 30% faster, too). Analyst firms believe that these printed panels could be up to 35% cheaper in the future, when production is higher volume and more refined (with less waste).
The upshot should be OLED monitors which are a good deal more affordable, not to mention laptops with OLED screens that hit cheaper price points – and as noted, TVs eventually, too. The lower power usage will also be a major benefit for notebooks in terms of extending battery life, given that the display is one of the biggest drains on the battery.
The overall affordability of OLED will also be helped by TCL's inkjet-based creations, because the dominant panel makers – LG Display and Samsung – will be forced to be more competitive with their pricing. Add to that the emergence of BOE's Generation 8.6 panels, which went into mass production last month – again offering a more economical way to produce OLEDs thanks to much larger substrates – and this poses yet more competition, meaning there'll be some distinct downward pressures on OLED pricing.
The catch is that it will take some time for this to happen, especially in the world of bigger screens for the likes of OLED TVs – but make no mistake, it is happening.
As the common phrase goes – ‘patience is a virtue’. The ability to endure, wait and yield to time without complaint is widely seen as a positive personality trait. Yet patience is situational, and everyone has a limit.
In a customer service context, people will wait longer when the stakes are high, or when they trust that delays will lead to better security, accuracy or care. If they’re dealing with another human, they also tend to be far more forgiving.
Alongside that limited patience, customers are also increasingly distracted. The average Brit now sits on over 1,000 unread emails in their inbox, according to recent research, alongside juggling around 25 non-work notifications a day.
People are not short of communication, but saturated. Attention is at a premium, and anything irrelevant is quickly deprioritized or disappears entirely.
This is particularly acute for the 36-55-year-old cohort, which boast the highest unread email counts, and the greatest pressure to stay online for work. Two-fifths of 36-50-year-olds say they feel more disconnected than ever, despite increased digital interactions.
Balancing careers, caregiving, mortgages and performance metrics, the attention and mental load on this group is significant. If brands are adding irrelevant noise and difficulty into these environments, tolerance is low.
This simultaneous feeling of burnout and impatience is heightened by the fact that the instant nature of the attention economy, and the incentives of digital platforms, has rewired expectations.
If there is no sense of progress or urgency conveyed with a digital service, then reassurance falls away and the chances someone will give up on the process rapidly increases. Clear, proactive explanations, combined with customer experience design that maintains continuity across every channel and interaction are vital.
Digital saturation and the attention economy have also meant that first impressions are decisive. If in those initial moments of engagement there is any sense of delay or stalling, people will reconsider if they need the product or service in the first place.
These early moments are therefore a critical opportunity to build seamless customer journeys, closing these ‘patience deficits’ by finding and fixing areas that cause frustration. When there are unavoidable moments where waiting is required, brands must turn these into opportunities to strengthen loyalty and trust.
Customers want assurance that every click, confirmation or verification step serves a purpose. Uncertainty is the true enemy of patience, so give customers better visibility and control to help build trust.
Other industry research found that 25% of consumers there think ‘transparency about what’s happening and why’ is one of the most important things to them in a digital customer experience, with 45% valuing clear instructions and easy-to-follow steps. If there’s an action they don’t need to take or unnecessary duplication, remove it.
Poor design can lead to digital impatience, and exacerbate the overload of digital admin. Ensure that digital and automated channels are fast, reliable and transparent when it comes to waiting times. Competitive advantage will come from being the most considered, not the loudest.
At the same time, when customers know brands are protecting their data, there is an opportunity to earn patience through careful application of friction. Digital speed bumps like two-factor authentication, framed in the right way, can become symbols of care, not inconvenience – so in designing the customer journey, brands should take advantage.
The reality of digital patience is made more complex by the fact that more people are interacting with machines for customer service than ever before. AI agents, designed and used effectively, have raised expectations – but when AI gets stuck, misunderstands intent or is otherwise poorly designed, it backfires and becomes counterproductive. In those moments, many of us prefer to just talk to a human.
The purpose and context of interactions matter, so organizations must take care to match automation to the complexity and stakes of each task. Examine which tasks are best for AI agents to take on, and be clear about when AI is in use, explaining its role in plain language.
For those tasks which require more reassurance, empathy and accountability, human alternatives may be preferable. In these situations, we tend to be slightly more patient – 84% will stay patient on the phone with a real person, perhaps because we know we’re more likely to be able to connect on a human level, and get some understanding and reassurance in response to our enquiry.
If a service is too slow, however, then more than half of consumers say that delays lead them to think less of a brand, leave negative reviews, or warn others to steer clear.
Brands should provide the choice of human support and digital self-service tools in a way that reflects these dynamics. When switching between the two, brands should also carry context over, so that customers never need to repeat themselves.
Digital patience is a precious resource. Poor design which frustrates and builds impatience can see it easily lost, but with care, it is equally easy to earn. When brands anticipate frustration and design for reassurance, they convert fleeting attention into enduring trust, and find opportunities to strengthen relationships and loyalty.
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For the longest time, I thought that, despite their annoyances, iPhones had something big over the best Android phones: PC connectivity. I'd always seen iPhone and Mac-owning friends quickly send files between the two, and assumed it was an Apple-exclusive feature.
As it turns out, this isn't true. Android users can use a Windows app that brings loads of really useful features — and it's really underutilized, which is why a tech journalist like me hadn't heard of it.
This software is called Phone Link, and we've got a guide on how to connect your Android phone to a Windows PC using Phone Link elsewhere on TechRadar. I downloaded it about a year ago, largely out of duty to test every tool, appliance, and gadget I could get my hands on. I was expecting it to last a weekend.
A year on, though, and Phone Link has become such a useful part of my workflow that I'd forgotten it's something not everyone's heard about. It's such a natural part of the way I use my phone and computer that I'd totally forgotten it was something I initially downloaded to test!
Well, no longer: TechRadar has let me wax lyrical about Phone Link, and I'm going to give the tool its time in the sun.
For the most part, whenever I want to connect my phone to my PC, it's to move pictures between the two devices.
As a smartphone journalist, you can understand that I'm sending snaps from my phone to my computer a lot. Sometimes it's camera samples from a mobile I'm testing that I want to upload for a review. Occasionally, I want to back up pictures I really like before I wipe a phone and send it back to the company.
The most frequent use case, though, is to transfer to my PC pictures I've taken on one phone, of another. I use smartphones to do review photography, and it's a great way to test out a phone I'm reviewing.
Before Phone Link, I'd have to use a USB cable to connect my phone to my computer — approving the connection on my Android's end, because they're always annoyingly suspicious — and drag and drop all the relevant pictures into a folder on my computer. It's not an especially onerous process — it's a lot quicker than when I used to use Google Drive to transfer pictures, for instance — but it takes a little while of fiddling with my phone and digging out a cable to work.
Not so with Phone Link. Its Photos tab shows a big old list of all the pictures you've taken recently, giving you options to save them to your PC, open them in an editing app, and share them with others.
These pictures appear as soon as you take them, as long as your phone is on the same Wi-Fi as your computer. I've become used to taking photos in one room of my home, and entering my office, to see them linked up on Phone Link, ready for an edit. When I've got PC notifications turned on, I can even hear the 'bong' of my computer telling me they've arrived.
Phone Link also lets you browse the contents of your mobile in the Files tab, where it appears in the Devices and drives list alongside any cloud or local drives you have. I don't use my phone to handle non-photo files, but it's a nice touch that'd be really useful if I were in another line of work.
Ostensibly, one of the main uses for Phone Link is that it lets you open your smartphone apps on your computer. Its Apps page shows you a massive list of every one you have installed on your mobile, and clicking on it opens it in a window.
This doesn't override anything you have going on on your phone; if you're using it as a second screen to watch a YouTube video or act as a music player (one of many ways you can repurpose an old Android phone), the app will open in your PC window alone.
When I first started Phone Link, I tried using it for everything, but often bounced straight off. In many circumstances, using a smartphone is simply more intuitive than using a mouse and keyboard, given that phone apps are designed for thumbs. But over time, I've found a few uses of Phone Link's app windows that are genuinely handy.
As mentioned, one of those uses is as a music player. I can let Spotify hang around as a spare window, ready to skip tracks or change playlists when I want. It's also useful as a way to check apps that don't have PC equivalents, like Too Good To Go or Mubi Go, or ones that do have web functions but are easier on the phone, like my national health service's app.
There's one way that Phone Link saved me hours, though. When I used to work for a company that didn't let you use your work Gmail account on personal computers, Phone Link was my workaround to still see emails on my PC. This saved me ages each day; time that'd otherwise be taken up checking and replying to emails on my phone, or trying to get my decrepit work laptop to turn on.
Naturally, you can manage your calls and texts via Phone Link too. Personally, I don't think I've sent an SMS or made a non-WhatsApp voice call since the 2010s, but I'm sure there are some people who'd find this handy.
I also appreciate a notification list down the left side of Phone Link. This transforms it from being software solely for controlling your mobile to a veritable hub of information from your handset. I'll often keep it up on my second monitor; it makes good use of its space.
As mentioned, you can use your computer to control your mobile's apps via Phone Link, but you can also use it to change the actual settings of the device itself, which proves itself useful in an entirely different way.
Phone Link lets you monitor your phone status; I can see how it's connected to other devices, what battery it's on, and whether it's currently paired with Phone Link or not. I can even see a little representation of what my wallpaper currently is. All useful to a small degree, but the charge is the only one of those that's seriously useful.
What's more important are the status controls. You can toggle between vibrate, sound, and silent, turn Do Not Disturb on and off, and turn on the media player.
From a cursory mention of the tools, these might not sound that important, but I've found them really useful in a pinch. I'm constantly forgetting to mute my phone before I go on a video meeting, and a quick click of the Do Not Disturb button means I'm not going to have unexpected calls.
As a lazy person, I also love the fact that you can use Phone Link to play a sound from your phone; I'm always doing this instead of spending five seconds actually looking.
My one gripe with Phone Link is that I still need my phone with me to use it. When you start using it each session, you're required to unlock your device and approve the connection. But this is a small price to pay for the transformational effect it's had on my workflow — and I hope that you, too, consider giving it a try.
Every day, millions of people type a web address into their browser, usually in a flurry of rapid keystrokes, and arrive exactly where they intended.
However, a small but significant number of people don’t.
They might miss a letter, type an extra letter in their haste, or get some letters mixed up. Instead of hitting linkedin[.]com, they hit linkdein[.]com. Those mistakes gave way to one of the internet’s least glamorous destinations – the parked domain.
Most internet users have encountered them at some point, even if they didn't know what they were looking at. Typically, a parked domain would just be a sparse, messy page filled with adverts and a search bar with very little else.
They existed because someone, somewhere, recognized that in the early days of the internet a percentage of users would inevitably mistype a popular website – so they registered the most similar-looking domain names for themselves in a move known as “typosquatting” and earned advertising revenue from the resulting traffic.
If just 0.1% of the millions of people accessing amazon[.]com accidentally went to the amazn[.]com domain they’d bought, that’s still a worthwhile payday. It was a mundane corner of the digital economy, built on convenience, coincidence, and the occasional typo.
History can be a harsh teacher, but it can also sow complacency. In 2026, a lot of security teams still regard parked domains as little more than lazy digital billboards – inconvenient and annoying, but not a meaningful security concern.
However, the infrastructure surrounding parked domains has evolved considerably from the amateurish, pop-up-ridden advertising pages of the early internet. What was once a simple case of opportunistic domain monetization now sits inside a far more complex ecosystem of advertisers, brokers, and traffic distribution networks.
In many cases, a user's accidental visit no longer ends on a parked page at all. Instead, it triggers a journey through a chain of intermediaries operating largely out of sight. Somewhere along that journey, legitimate advertising can give way to fraud, scams, and malware distribution.
In other words, one of the web's most familiar and overlooked mechanisms has become one of the most lucrative and insidious vehicles for cybercrime.
The transformation of parked domains from digital curiosities into cybersecurity risks has been subtle, and that’s one of the reasons it’s so dangerous. For decades, the model followed the same patterns – a user would land on a parked domain, see a collection of banners, click on something accidental or otherwise, and generate a small amount of revenue for the domain owner.
It was cynical, but at least it was transparent because users could at least see where they had ended up and decide for themselves what to do next – usually just close the tab and go where they meant to. The only real danger here came from the occasional misleading or malicious ad rather than the mechanics of the domain itself.
Today things are different. Changes within the online advertising industry, including tighter policies around traditional domain monetization, have encouraged cybercriminals and fraudsters to try new approaches to keep the train of monetization moving.
Increasingly, users who arrive at a parked domain don't encounter a parked page at all. Instead, they’re immediately redirected elsewhere through a process known as “zero-click advertising”, sometimes referred to as direct search.
What appears to be a simple typo can trigger a rapid auction in which a user's visit is bought, sold, and passed between multiple advertising partners before they ever see a destination website. Most of this activity unfolds in fractions of a second and entirely beyond the user's view, and while many of those transactions remain legitimate, the sheer complexity of the ecosystem creates opportunities for abuse.
Somewhere within that chain, traffic can be acquired by actors whose interests extend far beyond advertising revenue, opening the door to scams, malware, fraudulent software, and a host of other malicious outcomes.
One of the reasons parked domain abuse is still underestimated and difficult to pin down is that the attack path rarely follows a straight line. When most people imagine a cyberattack, they picture a malicious website waiting at the end of a link, ready to ensnare an unsuspecting user.
But in this case, by the time a user reaches the content they're ultimately shown, their traffic may have already passed through a maze of advertising exchanges, brokers, redirectors, and cloaking services.
Each participant sees only a fragment of the overall journey, making it remarkably difficult for the “good guys” to determine which “bad guys” are responsible for what. It’s a little like trying to investigate a crime scene where the evidence constantly rearranges itself.
The cowardly threat actors involved in this type of cybercrime exploit this ambiguity. They use sophisticated cloaking techniques which allow them to examine visitors before deciding which content to serve up – where are they based? What kind of browser are they using? What operating system is their device running?
A security researcher in California might see a harmless landing page, while a finance broker in London might be served up a credential harvesting scam. This selective delivery makes malicious activity harder to detect and even harder to reproduce.
What’s worse, parked domain abuse is rarely aimed at a specific industry or organization. The actors deploying parked domains are usually financially motivated, and their primary interest is in acquiring traffic, so they’re not going to discriminate.
Once they’ve ensnared a victim, they become a commodity moving through an invisible marketplace where every click has value and every redirection creates another opportunity for exploitation.
So where does all of this leave defenders? Parked domain abuse doesn’t behave like a conventional cyber threat. While security teams are used to investigating suspicious websites, malicious files, or compromised accounts that leave a relatively obvious trail, parked domain campaigns are different because the underlying traffic distribution is constantly changing.
The same typo domain can send one user down an entirely different path than the next. By the time an analyst attempts to recreate what a victim experienced, the route may no longer exist and any “evidence” has effectively evaporated. How do they defend against something they can't see or recreate?
One thing is guaranteed – regardless of how many redirects, intermediaries, cloaking systems, or advertising platforms sit between the initial typo and the final destination, every step in the journey depends on the domain name system (DNS). Often described as the internet's address book, DNS is responsible for translating domain names into the destinations users ultimately reach.
Put simply, each lookup leaves behind a breadcrumb that helps reveal relationships that would otherwise remain hidden, and that visibility has allowed researchers investigating typosquatted versions of well-known domains to follow the trail beyond the initial deception. Patterns start to emerge between seemingly unrelated cases of malware, involving the same parking providers, cloaking services, and traffic distribution infrastructure.
By examining historical DNS records and mapping the relationships between domains over time, it has become possible to connect incidents that appear to be unrelated and expose the networks operating behind them. Instead of playing “whack a mole” and chasing surface level domains, DNS mapping has allowed defenders to target the entire machine.
The greatest danger posed by parked domains isn't the typo itself, but the assumption that the infrastructure behind that typo is benign. For years, parked domains occupied a strange corner of the internet, largely ignored by security teams and rarely considered worthy of serious scrutiny.
But today, they offer cybercriminals something far more valuable than advertising revenue – access to legitimate systems, trusted business models, and vast streams of user traffic that can be manipulated and monetized at scale.
As threat actors continue to refine their use of cloaking, traffic distribution, and advertising networks, the distinction between legitimate online activity and malicious activity will become increasingly difficult to spot from the outside.
Protect yourself against malware with the best antivirus software.
This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit
Back in 2023, T-Force by TeamGroup introduced its first Gen5 SSD solution, the CARDEA Z540. Based on the Phison E26 controller, this SSD offered up to 12.4 GB/s speeds, making it a solid option back then. At the moment, there are plenty of Gen5 SSD controllers in the market, Phison has its new E28 and E31T, the SMI SM2508 is doing great, and InnoGrit, along with Samsung, has its own solutions offering really fast storage capabilities on NVMe products. TeamGroup has also streamlined its product family over the years, now leveraging the G-series branding in "GE", "GC", and "GA". The […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/team-group-t-force-ga-pro-gen5-2-tb-nvme-ssd-review-tuned-specs-for-entry-level-gen5-builders/
A former TSMC executive, suspected of taking the firm's trade secrets to Intel, has had his records on Taiwan's research institute's body removed, according to reports in the local media. The executive, Wei-Jen Lo, was TSMC's senior vice president for corporate strategy and development and he played a role in helping the firm mass produce its 5-nanometer, 3-nanometer and 2-nanometer chip manufacturing process technologies. Authorities began investigating Lo last year in November after he left TSMC following allegations that the former executive took proprietary company data to Intel. Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Removes Former TSMC Executive's Page Amidst […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/taiwan-erases-tsmc-executive-from-itri-website-after-he-joined-intel-amid-trade-secret-allegations/
NVIDIA CEO, Jensen Huang, has arrived in Japan and will be holding key meetings with robotics partners to advance the Physical AI era ahead. Jensen Huang Arrives In The Birthplace of Humanoid Robots To Kickstart The Physical AI Era AI is a multi-domain market, and while Agentic AI is all the buzz these days, there's one other key market that is growing at a rapid pace with the evolution of AI: Physical AI. Robots are to Physical AI what humans are to Agentic AI. And NVIDIA has a vast robotics platform ready for the future. It is mainly powered by […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/jensen-huang-lands-in-japan-the-birthplace-of-humanoid-robots-as-nvidia-kickstarts-physical-ai-era/
ZeniMax Online Studios was among the first-party studios most affected by the Xbox layoffs in both July 2025 and 2026. Last year, the team saw its sci-fi online game Project Blackbird (with related layoffs of a few hundred employees who had been working on it for years) canceled despite then-Xbox CEO Phil Spencer reportedly loving it. The end of Project Blackbird also directly led to the resignation of ZeniMax Online Studios founder Matt Firor, who would later label it as a missed opportunity for Xbox. Following the cancellation of Blackbird, ZOS refocused on its prize jewel, the popular MMORPG The […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/zenimax-eso-xbox-layoffs-content-pace/
The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Kerala, India, has recently ruled in a consumer case regarding a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra that experienced overheating issues. The Commission determined that “Samsung India, e-commerce platform Flipkart, an official Samsung service center, and the retailer share joint liability for the consumer’s damages” and ordered them to “either repair the product free of charge or refund the purchase amount to the consumer.”
According to IndianExpress, an Indian District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission issued this ruling against Samsung India, Flipkart, Samsung’s official service center “Bright Care,” and the retailer CIGFIL, regarding a Galaxy S23 Ultra that had suffered from overheating issues.
The court ordered either a free repair or a full refund of the purchase price of INR 100,000. The Commission also ordered the parties to pay INR 20,000 (~ $210) in compensation for mental agony and Rs 7,000 (~ $80) for litigation costs.
The buyer purchased the Galaxy S23 Ultra through Flipkart in January 2024. About two weeks after receiving the device, overheating and camera performance issues arose, prompting a visit to the service center.
The service center returned the device after performing a software update, stating, “A replacement is not possible without the manufacturer’s approval.”
The buyer subsequently requested a replacement from Flipkart as well, but when that request was also rejected, they filed a lawsuit with the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
During the Commission’s hearings, Flipkart argued that it was merely an intermediary platform, while the service center claimed it had no authority to issue replacements.
Samsung India denied responsibility, raising the possibility that the device might have been a used product. The retailer also countered that manufacturing defects are the responsibility of the manufacturer.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The post Galaxy S23 Ultra overheating case ends with consumer victory appeared first on Sammy Fans.
Samsung’s latest Spider-Man footage offers the first official look at the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra ahead of Galaxy Unpacked on July 22.
Rather than revealing the devices through a traditional teaser, Samsung worked them into an original Spider-Man story that also sets the stage for its next foldable launch.
Samsung’s newest promotional video confirms the appearance of the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for the first time in official marketing material.
The campaign is part of Samsung’s ongoing partnership with Sony Pictures for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which arrives in theaters on July 31.
Samsung built an original story around Peter Parker’s everyday superhero life. The short film mixes newly created scenes with clips from the upcoming movie, while naturally placing Galaxy devices into the action.
Samsung also confirmed that today’s teaser is only the beginning. The story continues during Galaxy Unpacked on July 22, suggesting the collaboration will play a larger role during the company’s foldable launch event.
The company stated in its newsroom press release that the collaboration was built around Spider-Man’s qualities of ingenuity and resilience, making Galaxy foldables feel like a natural fit rather than obvious product placement.
The video also expands Samsung’s earlier “Spidey Tracker” campaign. Jacob Batalon, who plays Ned Leeds, returns in the new spot and has officially joined Team Galaxy as Samsung’s newest brand ambassador.
The post Samsung’s Spider-Man campaign gives first official look at Galaxy Z Flip 8, Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra appeared first on Sammy Fans.
We’re surprised it took this long, but the timing makes a lot of sense given how expensive gaming hardware has gotten. GeForce Now, Nvidia’s game streaming service, is now available in India. The service first entered the country with an open beta in April, but that only offered 90-day passes. Now, it’s widely available and it offers monthly passes instead. The free ad-supported tier gets you 1080p @ 60fps streaming with gaming sessions limited to 1 hour. This is a great way to test things out (especially your Internet connection) and might work for games that are played in short...
Multiple Internet giants have found themselves under the scrutiny of lawmakers, regulators and organizations concerned with the safety of children on the web. Google and its AI Search are the latest to draw criticism. Interestingly, it may have been the success of the Chromebooks that caused this – they are very popular as school laptops. The Common Sense Media organization explains that the thing that separates Google’s AI from all the other AI services is that it is “ubiquitous on children's personal and school-issued devices.” Who needs to learn math when AI can just solve the...
Azərbaycanı avrokuboklarda təmsil edəcək voleybol komandalarının 2026/2027-ci illər mövsümündəki rəqibləri müəyyənləşib.
Arena.az xəbər verir ki, qadınlardan ibarət “Turan” komandası Çempionlar Liqasının 2-ci təsnifat mərhələsində Xorvatiyanın “Mladost” kollektivi ilə üz-üzə gələcək.
İlk qarşılaşma 20-22 oktyabrda evdə, cavab matçı 27-29 oktyabrda səfərdə baş tutacaq.
Kişilərdən ibarət “Xilasedici” komandası Çempionlar Liqasında Portuqaliya təmsilçisi “Sportinq”lə görüşəcək. İlk matçlar 2-5, cavab qarşılaşmaları 10-12 noyabrda gerçəkləşəcək.
Qadınlardan ibarət “DH Volley” komandası Çağırış Kubokunun 1/32 finalında “Holte” (Danimarka) ilə üz-üzə gələcək. İlk oyun 27-29 oktyabrda evdə, cavab oyunu 3-5 noyabrda səfərdə keçiriləcək.
Kişilər arasında Çağırış Kubokunda “Ordu” uğur qazanmağa çalışacaq. Komandamızın rəqibi Norveçin “Ferde” kollektivi olacaq. “Hərbçilər” ilk görüşü 10-12 noyabrda evdə, cavab matçını 17-19 noyabrda səfərdə keçirəcəklər.
Bu yay “Kəpəz”dən azad agent kimi ayrılmış sağ cinah müdafiəçisi Ehtiram Şahverdiyev bundan sonra “Səbail”in uğurları üçün çalışacaq.
Arena.az bu barədə “Səbail”in mətbuat xidmətinə istinadən xəbər verir.
29 yaşlı futbolçu yeni klubu ilə 1+1 illik müqaviləyə imza atıb.
Xatırladaq ki, Ehtiram Şahverdiyev son iki mövsümü “Kəpəz”də keçirib. O, 2023-cü ilin iyul ayında “Turan Tovuz”dan Gəncə klubuna keçmişdi. Müdafiəçi Gəncə təmsilçisinin heyətində bütövlükdə 105 oyun keçirib, 3 qol və 9 məhsuldar ötürmə ilə yadda qalıb.
Şahverdiyev daha öncə “Turan Tovuz”, “Sumqayıt” və “Qəbələ”də oynayıb. O, Azərbaycanın U-21 yığmasında da forma geyinib.
Qeyd edək ki, “Səbail” ötən mövsüm olduğu kimi, qarşıdakı mövsümdə də Birinci Liqada mübarizə aparacaq.
İspaniya millisinin futbolçusu Rodri DÇ-2026-da unikal göstəriciyə imza atıb.
Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, yarımmüdafiəçi mundiallar tarixində ən çox dəqiq ötürmə edən futbolçudur.
Rodri 7 oyunda ümumilikdə 705 ötürmə edib ki, bunların da 655-i dəqiq olub. Onun pas dəqiqliyi 92.91 faizdir və bu, mundiallardakı rekord göstəricidir.
Bundan əvvəlki ən yaxşı göstərici DÇ-2014-də Toni Kroosa məxsus idi. O, həmin mundialda 643 dəqiq ötürmə etmişdi.
Neftçi” PFK-nın yeni mövsüm öncəsi açıq məşqi təşkil olunacaq.
Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, məşq iyulun 18-də saat 18:00-da “Palms Sports Arena”da başlanacaq.
Komandanın hazırlığını canlı izləmək üçün “Forza Neftçi” Azad Azarkeş Qrupu ilə yanaşı, bütün azarkeşlərimizi tribunalarda gözləyəcəyik. Stadiona giriş sərbəstdir. Saat 16:00-dan etibarən “Palms Sports Arena”da yerləşən rəsmi mağazanın da qapılarını qonaqlar üçün açılacaq. Azarkeşlərin ən geci saat 17:30-da stadionda olması tövsiyə edilir.
Açıq məşqə KİV nümayəndələri də dəvətlidir. Onlar üçün məşqdən əvvəl “Neftçi” PFK-nın baş icraçı direktoru Cenk Sümer və baş məşqçi Yuri Vernidubun iştirakı ilə brifinq təşkil ediləcək.
Surging volumes on Robinhood Chain could be very good for Ethereum, but only if the “ETH is money” crowd turn out to be right.
AMLA is expanding its crypto oversight as firms complete the transition to the EU’s MiCA licensing regime.
Fiorentina have agreed a deal with Le Havre, sending them midfielder Amir Richardson on loan with an option to buy for €8m.
Multiple sources including L’Equipe and Le Parisien are confident the final details have been worked out and he will arrive for a medical on Friday or Saturday this week.
The 24-year-old had joined Fiorentina from Stade Reims in the summer of 2024 at a cost of €9m plus add-ons.
Although he made 43 appearances in all competition for the club, scoring two goals and providing one assist, his time in Florence made little impact.
He was loaned out to FC Copenhagen in January 2026, and has no place in the current squad under new coach Fabio Grosso.
This represents a return to Le Havre for the Morocco international, who started his career in their youth team from 2019 until moving on in 2022.
The 24-year-old has nine senior caps for Morocco after representing France at youth level.
Another player set to leave Fiorentina is Robin Gosens, who last night agreed a loan with obligation to buy at the end of the season for €2.5m plus bonus to Schalke 04.
Roma were locked in talks for weeks to sign Mason Greenwood, but Olympique Marseille director Gregory Lorenzi reveals ‘only Fenerbahce made a formal offer’ and his ‘image’ was a problem.
The Giallorossi had targeted the Englishman for the whole summer, with reports of a proposal worth over €42m plus add-ons coming to Marseille.
They could not compete with the salary on offer in Turkiye, where there are significantly different tax regulations allowing for a higher wage of a reported €10m per season, and he ultimately chose Fenerbahce.
Amid rumours of a bidding war with Atletico Madrid and teams from the Saudi Pro League, it is therefore surprising to learn that Roma never went all in.
“You all know the complexity of the Greenwood situation, given the player’s image,” confessed new Marseille director of sport Lorenzi in a press conference today.
He was referring to the domestic violence allegations that saw him pushed out of Manchester United, and the reason why Roma fans started a petition urging the club not to buy him.
Considering his splendid record in France, and the fact 40 per cent of the profit was owed to Manchester United, Marseille fans wonder why Greenwood only cost €39m plus bonuses.
“When we talk about the transfer fee, we shouldn’t assume that there were that many opportunities for Mason. Discussions had already taken place, the player was determined to leave as soon as possible, I want to make that clear.
“Clubs didn’t approach us, so the idea of selling for €80-100m… The market decided the player wasn’t worth that much. We thought there would be several clubs interested, which unfortunately wasn’t the case,” added Lorenzi.
“So we felt the best solution for all concerned was Fenerbahce, in the circumstances.”
Udinese defender Oumar Solet was linked with Inter and Juventus, but now there are reports Leeds United are coming in with an offer worth €25m.
The centre-back impressed last season in Friuli and is still considered hot property on the transfer market.
However, the Serie A sides showing firm interest like Inter and Juve are forced to deal with other priorities first, so let the negotiations slide rather than pay the €25m asking price.
That could prove costly, because Il Messaggero Veneto newspaper via FCInterNews claim that Leeds United are making no such qualms, so are ready to swoop with the full fee.
It would be the second time in a few days that Leeds United have dived in to pick up a Serie A talent, as they already agreed a €40m deal with Sassuolo for Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic.
When Inter did come forward with proposals for Solet, they were believed to be worth €20m including add-ons, which is not enough to tempt Udinese into a sale.
It is a big profit for Udinese, who picked up the Frenchman as a free agent in January 2025 after he left RB Salzburg in a contract dispute in September 2024.
Napoli’s new season is under way, with a first group of players reporting back for duty, among them two men whose summers have been anything but quiet.
According to IlNapolista, eleven players gathered at the SSC Napoli Training Center for the customary medicals and athletic tests: Beukema, Contini, Giovane, Gutierrez, Rafa Marin, Lindstrom, Mazzocchi, Lucca, Meret, Milinkovic-Savic and Vergara.
The last two names carry the most intrigue.
Antonio Vergara returns as the young midfielder the club refused to sell, having rebuffed offers approaching €30 million while moving to extend his contract, with Massimiliano Allegri planning a role for him in the senior side.
Goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s situation points the other way: he is among the sizeable group of players tipped for possible exits as the club works to slim down a squad Aurelio De Laurentiis has said must shed some of.
Pasquale Mazzocchi and Jesper Lindstrom, both also linked with moves away, were in the group too.
Matteo Ruggeri remains firmly on Fiorentina’s radar as the Viola continue their search for reinforcements out wide, and the full-back’s own inclinations may work in their favour.
According to La Nazione, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Atletico Madrid defender is strongly tempted by the idea of returning to Serie A, where he made his name and where he believes his development can best continue.
That openness could prove a decisive card for Fiorentina, who have identified the Italian as one of the ideal profiles for their flank and are weighing a concrete move in the coming weeks.
Atletico rate Ruggeri and the strides he has made in Spain, but the pull of Italian football appears real.
The full-back built his reputation at Atalanta, where he developed into one of Serie A’s most reliable wing-backs before earning his move to Madrid, and a return would come with none of the adaptation risk attached to a foreign signing.
For Fiorentina, the interest forms part of a wider reshaping of their defensive flanks.
Dodo’s expected departure has left a gap on one side, Alex Jimenez has arrived from Bournemouth on the other, and Fabio Grosso’s squad is being rebuilt at pace ahead of a European campaign. In Ruggeri, the Viola see a Serie A-proven operator entering his prime years, and, crucially, one who appears willing to come back.
Chelsea are still being linked with a top goalkeeper over a potential summer transfer – although it still feels unlikely.
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Chelsea’s stance on their goalkeeper situation this summer has seemed pretty clear – they’re going to stick with Robert Sanchez while bringing young talent Mike Penders back from loan to be his backup.
But rumours about the Blues wanting to spend big on on a ready made, elite option won’t go away. SportWitness today claim that a move for Diogo Costa of Porto is still on the cards.
The report claims that Chelsea are reluctant to pay the goalkeeper’s €60m release clause, instead aiming to pay around €40m.
That is a big gap, and one we don’t see being bridged easily.
We still don’t believe Chelsea will change their plans – there is only one thing that might have affected things. The appointment of Xabi Alonso, if he really insists he wants Costa, could be enough to get the Blues to consider a new approach.
Even at the full €60m, while expensive, it’s not insane for a player who could change the whole team’s prospects. It would be like Alejandro Garnacho plus Deivid Washington, for example…
Fabrizio Romano says that Bournemouth are close to completing their latest impressive deal – a move for Antonio Silva from Benfica.
Coventry City are close to a deal for Aurele Amenda, the Frankfurt central defender who has just returned from a spell at the World Cup with Switzerland.
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England manager Thomas Tuchel has dodged a question about whether he thinks Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time.
The German tactician is preparing to lead the Three Lions against Argentina in tonight’s World Cup semi-final clash, and stopping Messi will probably be the tactic he most needs to get right.
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Messi has never played against England before, so it will be interesting to see what he can do, but he goes into this game in superb form as he’s joint-top of the Golden Boot charts at the World Cup so far.
See below as Tuchel discusses Messi’s quality, but falls short of declaring him the best player ever, as he admits he’s not a fan of lists like that…
‘We’re NOT here to build him a throne’ ?
Thomas Tuchel on the challenge Lionel Messi and Argentina pose for England ?????????#ITVFootball | @England | @gabrielclarke05 pic.twitter.com/L5c9xfnERb
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 15, 2026
Tuchel also sent a clear message about not worshipping Messi too much, which seems like the right kind of mentality for England if they are to avoid being overawed by the 39-year-old.
Tuchel also spoke in another video clip about how he’s tempted to try an old-school man-marking system to keep Messi quiet.
See below as the England manager admitted to that kind of plan crossing his mind, though he obviously wouldn’t reveal one way or another if he’d definitely choose that particular option, as it might not be something that works on Messi anyway…
How Thomas Tuchel and England are planning on stopping Lionel Messi… ?? pic.twitter.com/iaF3mSpYUe
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 15, 2026
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Ultimately, it might just be best not to focus too much on Messi, as throughout his career he’s got the better of pretty much every top defence you can think of.
| Player | Goals | Assists |
| Kylian Mbappe | 8 | 3 |
| Lionel Messi | 8 | 1 |
| Erling Haaland | 7 | 0 |
| Harry Kane | 6 | 1 |
| Jude Bellingham | 6 | 1 |
It might work best for England if they just focus on their own game tonight, and do their best to keep the ball, create chances, and limit what Messi can do by simply being the better team.
That’s easier said than done, of course, but if they retreat and make everything about stopping Messi, chances are he’ll find at least one moment of immense quality to undo all that work anyway.
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Manchester City have reportedly intensified talks over signing Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, while Arsenal are also still in the running.
The talented young Morocco international has shone in Ligue 1 and also impressed with his national team at the 2026 World Cup, though his tournament ended with the recent defeat to France.
A recent report from the Guardian claimed Man City were keen on a potential £85m deal for Bouaddi, and there’s now been a new update.
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According to TEAMtalk, City have communicated to Bouaddi’s representatives that they want the player to come in straight away and become part of Enzo Maresca’s first-team.
They add that Arsenal remain ‘firmly’ in contention for Bouaddi, even if City have clearly been advancing on this one.
A few years ago this would probably have been a no-brainer, with City the go-to destination for the world’s best players due to the chance to play under Pep Guardiola and get as good a guarantee as you can get of winning major trophies.
With Guardiola leaving this summer, though, there is no longer that guarantee, even if Maresca is also a good manager, and this remains a City squad full of world class players.
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Arsenal are reigning Premier League champions and possibly the favourites to retain their title in 2026/27, so Bouaddi could do well to choose the Emirates Stadium for the next step in his career.
It’s not an easy decision, though, with City probably likely to be able to offer more money, while there’s actually also a lot of competition in Arsenal’s midfield at the moment.
The Gunners already have Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lewis-Skelly in that area of their squad, so there’s no guarantee Bouaddi would get regular minutes.
City, by contrast, probably need to start thinking about rebuilding their midfield a little bit as Rodri is not getting any younger and has had some injury problems in the last couple of years, with Bouaddi looking like an ideal long-term successor in that role.
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Bournemouth’s ridiculous run of impressive transfers is set to continue, with Antonio Silva close to joining from Benfica.
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Benfica centre back Antonio Silva is close to agreeing a move to Bournemouth, Fabrizio Romano has claimed today. The Italian insider claims that there is an “agreement on personal terms” and that a club to club deal is “very close.”
The 22 year old came through the Eagles academy and has been a regular for their first team since 2022. After turning down their offer of a new contract, he’s opened the door to a big move. The transfer fee isn’t yet known – but given AC Milan’s €20m offer was rejected out of hand, we can only assume it’s €30m or more.
There’s no doubt that, after years of being linked with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, this is a bit of a step down for Silva. He’s also trading Champions League football and potential titles in Lisbon for a quieter life on the South Coast of England.
But it’s also clear that Bournemouth are a great shop window for players looking to break into the Premier League, and Silva’s stay could be pretty short if he impresses.
Coventry City are close to a deal for Aurele Amenda, the Frankfurt central defender who has just returned from a spell at the World Cup with Switzerland.
One defender who came to the fore at the World Cup is already a major target for Bournemouth and Southampton – although Leeds look to have the lead in the chase for his signature.
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Swiss centre back Aurele Amenda is set to join Coventry for almost 20m according to the BBC’s report today.
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It’s been a slow start to the transfer window from newly-promoted Coventry, but they’re about to get into gear with a huge deal by their standards.
Nizaar Kinsella of the BBC is reporting that the Sky Blues are close to a £17m deal for Eintracht Frankfurt defender Aurele Amenda.
The Swiss centre back has just got back from the World Cup and is now able to engage fully with a potential deal. He will cost £15.4m up front, with another £1.7m in add-ons, and will sign a four year contract.
He has apparently been persuaded by a “strong pitch” from manager Frank Lampard.
Coventry completed an even bigger deal for Burnley’s Loum Tchaouna this week, and made Frank Onyeka’s loan from Brentford permanent earlier this summer.
Once they get Amenda over the line, their priority will be securing goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, who was excellent on loan from Brighton last season. The Seagulls are asking for big money, however, and Coventry may have to turn to Chelsea backup Filip Jorgensen as an alternative, according to this report.
One defender who came to the fore at the World Cup is already a major target for Bournemouth and Southampton – although Leeds look to have the lead in the chase for his signature.
Newcastle have locked in on a Fiorentina full back who is available at a bargain price this summer.
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The New York Giants have significant excitement surrounding their offense ahead of the 2026 season and beyond, particularly with the new coaching staff led by John Harbaugh.
As quarterback Jaxson Dart enters his sophomore season and first full year under center for Big Blue, many observers will closely watch two of his key weapons: wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo, both of whom are returning from injuries suffered last season.
CBS Sports recently published a ranking of NFL triplets, defined as each team’s best quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. The Giants landed at No. 22, with their trio consisting of Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers.
This is just too high for the Giants, who are benefiting from Dart's fantasy-football prowess, Skattebo's endearing style and Nabers' sparkling rookie year. Skattebo averaged just 4.1 yards per carry during his rookie season and is coming off a gruesome ankle injury. Nabers didn't get to play much with Dart during his second season before suffering a torn ACL, but the reports surrounding that rehab have been dreadful. There are major questions surrounding this group, especially with Matt Nagy and Greg Roman in charge of the offense in Dart's second year.
Despite the ranking, there is palpable excitement around these three young potential stars on the offensive side of the ball. Nabers played less than a full game alongside Dart before his sophomore season was cut short by injury. Meanwhile, Skattebo showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, though his severe ankle injury remains a concern heading into 2026.
Notably, CBS Sports selected Skattebo over Tyrone Tracy Jr. as the featured running back for the list.
The Giants' triplets have the potential to climb the rankings after the upcoming season. Nabers was drafted in 2024, while Dart and Skattebo were part of the 2025 draft class. Although they checked in at 22nd, the group can improve quickly and emerge as one of the league’s best. Time will tell how different the offense looks in 2026 under the new coaching staff.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Where do New York Giants' offensive triplets rank?
Fulham's new head coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, has given his first interview since joining the west London side.
Arbeloa, who previously spent five months in charge of Real Madrid, has spoken of how "happy and really proud" he is to have made the move to Craven Cottage.
"When I spoke with the owners and people at the club, I felt ambition, honesty and real desire to improve. This club has everything it needs to make the next step so I'm ready to work and make it happen," the Spaniard said.
On the club's transfer strategy, Arbeloa added: "If we want to be ambitious we need to sign players who can improve the squad. We lost some good players from last season so we need to replace them. We need to bring in quality players, the sooner they arrive is important because we have the first game in six weeks.
"Fulham is one of the oldest English football clubs, I want to respect that history and try to write the next chapter.
"I want a team with a clear identity. I want to see a team that plays with courage and personality. We want to be an offensive team, brave with the ball and aggressive when we lose it and ready to attack. We need to show that passion and ambition every game and show everything that we have.
"At Real Madrid I learnt winning is about a standard that you set every day, it's about mentality, self-demand, hard work and discipline. Mentality gives you the best chance of winning.
Looking ahead to the new season, the new boss said: "I think the Premier League is the best League in the world, I enjoyed it as a player so I'm looking forward to this new chapter as a coach.
"I want to build something special, a supporter can be proud of, if they are proud of me I think I will be successful."
Sunny skies? Temperatures in the mid-70s? Winds gusting no more than 10-15 mph?
That all sounds good if you're playing or walking the grounds at Royal Birkdale this week, but these are certainly not the conditions that annualy make the The Open Championship — or British Open on this side of the pond — the most unique major of the year.
TV viewers can only hope the forecasters are wrong, and that wind, rain and brutality make their way north of Liverpool to wreak some havoc on the 154th Open.
Now, let's get to our picks, which are never wrong:
Total heart pick here. Tommy's got a whole mural painted in his honor at Royal Birkdale, and he's a local lad. That probably puts way too much pressure on him to win, but just suppose Fleetwood wins the Open and then, a couple hours later, England win the World Cup. The entire country wouldn't go to work for a week! Well, unless you work at a pub, then you'd be working for a week. Regardless, this needs to happen. (Head pick: Matt Fitzpatrick, for the record.)
This isn't really a fun pick. But Scottie Scheffler is off his game after missing a cut for the first time in years, and McIlroy claims to have identified the issue with his swing that was bothering him last week. So why overthink this? McIlroy will end the year with a win in the UK, and then we can all start talking about his potential Masters three-peat even earlier.
Picking the winner of a golf tournament amounts to a dart throw. Picking a player to finish in the top 10 is a lot easier, especially if you pick Xander Schauffele, who has 10 top-10 finishes in his last 15 majors. That includes a victory at The Open two years ago and a T7 last year. His worst finish in the three majors this year was a T11 a few weeks ago at Shinnecock. I don't know if he will lift the Claret Jug for a second time on Sunday, but it's a safe bet that he'll be in the hunt.
Baseball debates never truly have a finish line, especially when it comes to deciding the greatest players in history. Every generation has its legends, making it nearly impossible to compare stars across different eras. FanDuel recently took on that challenge by naming the best Major League Baseball player from every decade dating back to the 1930s. The list features Hall of Famers, record-breakers, and a current superstar who is still adding to his legacy. Here’s a look at FanDuel’s selections.
MORE: MLB Power Rankings: All 30 teams ranked ahead of the 2026 All-Star Game
The list is loaded with players who not only dominated statistically but also helped define their respective eras.
It’s hard to argue against most of the selections. Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Joe Morgan, Mike Schmidt, and Albert Pujols are all considered among the greatest players to ever step onto a baseball field.
Barry Bonds remains one of the most dominant hitters in MLB history, despite the ongoing debates surrounding his career, while Mike Trout’s incredible run throughout the 2010s made him the face of baseball for nearly a decade.
Then there’s Shohei Ohtani. Although the 2020s are only halfway complete, Ohtani has already built a résumé unlike anything the sport has ever seen as both an elite hitter and pitcher, making him a logical choice for the current decade.
As with any all-time ranking, there are sure to be disagreements. Some fans may argue that Hank Aaron deserved consideration for the 1950s or 1960s. Others will point to Rickey Henderson in the 1980s or debate whether another superstar belongs ahead of Joe Morgan in the 1970s.
The 2020s selection will likely generate discussion as well, simply because there are still several seasons left in the decade for Ohtani—or another superstar—to strengthen their case.
Regardless of where fans stand, FanDuel’s list serves as a reminder of just how fortunate baseball has been to feature so many iconic players across nearly a century of Major League history.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
You’re looking for something to fill your offseason time, ProveIt is here with an update you don’t care about on a topic you hate… without rumors, inside sources, or a YouTube podcast from my spare bedroom!
Hyphen-free timeline in start of football seasons which is the only timeline that matters in discussion conference realignment:
2025 through 2030: ACC exit fee starts at $165 million, dropping $18 million a year to $75 million in 2030, then holding at $75 million until the end of their broadcast contract.
2029: Last year of the current B1G broadcast contract
2029: VT completes university subsidies to boost AD spending
2029: The B1G signs their new broadcast contract
2030: ACC exit fee bottoms out coinciding with the 1st season of…
2030: B1G starts new broadcast contract
2030: Last year of the current B12 contract, signs their new contract
2031: B12 starts their new broadcast contract
2033: Last year of the current SEC contract, signs their new contract
2034: SEC starts their new broadcast contract
2035: Last year of the current ACC contract, signs their new contract
2036: ACC starts their new broadcast contract
The current B1G contract was in place in 2022, in 2025 the ACC agreed to a new exit fee structure that bottoms out just as the B1G starts their new contract.
I suspect this was an easy sell to both sides in negotiations: The ACC members looking to lower the fee didn’t care about the exit fee after the new B1G contract, it benefits them for the exit fee to be high after this in case they get rejected by the B1G, if they go to the SEC the SEC will probably ask them to wait for the new SEC contract. The rest of the ACC still benefits from this high fee in dissuading members from considering the B12, delaying movement to the SEC, and money flowing into their pockets.
AAU affiliation isn’t a requirement: Delany said Nebraska would have been invited without being in the AAU, a B1G member voted to boot Nebraska from the AAU, the B1G at the time wanted to make the AAU a government lobbying group for academics but the AAU refused to follow suit by expanding. This came about when Delany asked what programs he should pursue for expansion ahead of adding Nebraska, he was told no “football factories,” they have to show a priority for academic achievement (you’re out Louisville), with AAU affiliation as an example.
There is the non-descript cultural fit, which along with academics may have more to do with how the University Presidents and Chancellors view each other than the student and fan base.
Otherwise it’s all about FB broadcast revenue (even for you Duke), hoopheads will have to cope and deal.
The B1G doesn’t formally recruit programs for legal reasons. They might use a 3rd party for informal inquiries and talks (ND, Gordon Gee and Texas). They might string along a team for a long time (like Rutgers).
Most of the time the B1G waits for the program to inquire (PSU, Nebraska, Maryland, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington), performs a feasibility study, then moves to the cloak and dagger stage with tight lipped closed door meetings, meetings in remote undisclosed locations where reps travel separately and incognito, etc.
The broadcast contract drives expansion, but broadcasters have to keep some distance for legal reasons. I believe their involvement is primarily in guiding the B1G what to look at in the feasibility study stage and possibly providing raw data (with an occasional nudge and feedback).
B1G expansion costs are minimal when programs are added at the time of a new broadcast contract. Expect the existing B1G members to cover exit fees for new members, then recover by decreasing shared revenue to what they would receive if they remained in the ACC for their 1st 3 or 4 years (until their exit fee is paid up).
For each of the existing 18 B1G members, this would be a 1 time $4.2 million decrease in shared revenue for each ACC program added, with higher payouts from the conference in later years, at a time when members will be getting a shared revenue boost from a new broadcast contract.
The B1G full share conference shared revenue ranged from $76.01 million to $91.57 million, averaging $79.9 million.
The ACC highest payout was $55.1 million to Clemson, $21 million less than the LOWEST full share B1G member received.
The difference in between the B1G lowest and the ACC highest payout is more than the $18 million yearly decrease in the ACC exit fee. The ACC exit fee is not the determining factor in the timeline.
The B1G will want additions on board before inking a new contract like was done with USC-UCLA. Neither the B1G nor the new programs want to expand mid-contract like Oregon and Washington.
The B1G F’ed up by asking Oregon and Washington to wait until 2031, don’t expect this to happen again. Inquiries, informal discussions, and feasibility studies have likely already taken place for most ACC programs, the serious talks with candidate programs will be in 2028 and early 2029 as rumors fly, with formal announcements and inking occurring in mid-2029.
With all the issues of expansion, if 1 of 19+ members were to play 1 more or less conference game a year, or a program gets to choose about once every 2 decades between an additional OOC or home conference game, I don’t think it’s a problem for anyone.
For example, if the B1G increased to 22 teams averaging 7 home games a year, that’s a whopping 154 games a year. Spread out over 15 weeks, it averages a manageable 10 or 11 games a week, but in conference bye weeks it would be as low as 8 and into the upper teens in OOC weeks – not the most lucrative structure.
Fox-CBS-NBC will be all for poaching the rights to the top ACC brands from ESPN, but to fully capitalize the B1G needs to find a way to spread out the inventory more evenly – OOC body bag games during conference season, more weekday games, late night weekend time slot, etc.
Expanding the number of conference games should be off the table as it could be counter-productive if members drop their quality OOC game which typically have higher ratings.
The easiest solution for the B1G would be to sell low tier time slots to an additional carrier, but I don’t know if any can afford the bidding price unless ESPN returns to the table – with the better ACC brands the B1G could typically offer games with at least 1 decent brand deep into their tier selections.
While I don’t think it’s the case, the B1G may not even have all 3 of its current partners returning – NBC’s rollercoaster B1G ratings and selling its rights to the B1G CCG could be a red flag that they plan to exit after the current deal expires, leaving the B1G scrambling to find a new broadcast partner to fill the gap, or trying to convince Fox-CBS to increase the number of games they buy.
Using the last time I did a deeper dive, the long term B1G average viewership would be somewhere above the Nebraska-Iowa-Sparty level of interest, so STFU about programs like GT, Pitt, NC State, etc. – you need to be higher up to warrant an invite.
It won’t be a program from the B12 or G6, if the B1G-SEC was interested in any of these programs they would have been added already. I don’t think that any conference would decline a request from the academies, but the academies aren’t going to ask to join the B1G-SEC making it a moot point.
The difference in shared revenue isn’t enough for the B1G to poach the SEC… yet.
ND fans want to remain independent in FB. ND has enough revenue to remain independent. ND will always find a conference for an ACC-like scheduling agreement. ND will remain independent.
This leaves the ACC: FSU, Miami, and Clemson are obvious. I had NC and VT as marginal, but with more recent news, I now have them as solid candidates. With the exception of maybe Clemson, I don’t think any of these would be disqualified from B1G consideration for academics or culture. See GT-Pitt-NC State, Louisville, and Duke comments above for any other ACC members. Poaching the ACC in 2029 will bring an end to B1G expansion.
In 2024-2025 VT’s AD revenue was $161.2 million. In 2025 VT announced they were increasing the AD budget annually to $212.1 million by 2028-2029, a 31% $51 million increase in 4 years.
I don’t think this is a coincidence – 2029 is when candidates whose inquiries to join the B1G will become known, a year ahead of the next broadcast contract. This feels like a little like a Rutgers trajectory where the B1G instructed Rutgers on what they needed to do to get an invite, except with VT the timing is known.
VT’s funding formally includes over $21 million increase in student fees, over $48 million from the university, and a buried additional $39.6 million from the university under the name “bridge funding,” bringing the university total contribution to about $88 million, with the claim the AD can sustain this level of income without the University contribution at the end of 4 years from growth – that’s a lot of growth in 4 years.
Initially this was thought to be a flyer to garner a B1G invite, but I have a hard time believing the university would gamble $88 million on achieving this level of growth, unless they have some additional assurances to believe they will get a huge boost in conference shared revenue, a boost that can only realistically be provided by the bold claim…
VT is already set to join the B1G for the 2030 season. Hoopheads can feel confident that if VT is on their way to the B1G, so is NC. The poaching of the ACC in 2029 will end B1G expansion unless ND becomes interested in joining a conference, or the shared revenue differential becomes substantial enough for the B1G to poach the SEC.
The B12 won’t be looking to expand. Their contract expires just 1 year behind the B1G. Their shared revenue lags the ACC now but should move about even, they can’t afford to poach the ACC. ESPN doesn’t want to pay for the same ACC program rights twice, they will get the same rights cheaper leaving the programs in a depleted ACC. The B12 is done with expansion unless their new contract is only 5 years long to expire with the ACC, but ESPN won’t leave this door open, and the B12 doesn’t have enough broadcast suitors to force the issue – ESPN wants the rights to both the ACC and B12 at the cheapest cost.
ESPN/SEC sidelined. ESPN is already in a financial bind, paying steep increases to renew other broadcast rights they currently own, and giving up rights as cord cutting continues. To poach the better ACC FB brands, ESPN would have to increase the payments for program rights they already own through the ACC, with an offer that still lags behind what the B1G will offer.
My expectation is the SEC will inform candidate programs if they will be added, they might even announce and ink the deals, but ask candidates to wait until the new contract before changing conferences, bringing an end to SEC expansion in 2033.
The remaining ACC programs won’t have any place better to move to (unless ESPN leaves the door open for movement to the B12). Their new identity will be a hoops conference that plays football well above the G6 level, but notably behind the B12. With this new identity they might add a few programs known for hoops that also play FBS FB outside the B1G-SEC-B12 (we see you UConn). 2035 will mark the end of ACC expansion.
Don’t expect federal legislation to bring an end to expansion. They might add a meaningless restriction like prohibiting conferences from merging (forget the B1G and SEC merging, they can barely reach a scheduling agreement), but there are more than enough reps in the House and Senate from the footprint of the B1G-SEC, programs hoping to join the B1G-SEC, and other programs hoping to step up in conference affiliation, to get this restriction stripped from the bill.
This long winding path of P5 expansion that exploded in 2011 with the PAC’s attempt to gut the B12, is winding down with the B1G and SEC forming the P2 because they had more to offer, the B12 surviving with a lot of hustle, while the PAC and ACC were ultimately done in by agreeing to terrible broadcast contracts.
Questions? Critiques? Thoughts? Let us know in the comments. Thanks to ProveIt, as ever, for sending this and for his patience as I rediscovered and uploaded it.
If YOU would ever like to write for OTE—whether irregularly or as one of our irregulars—drop me a line at minnesotawildcat [at] gmail [dot] com. We’d be happy to add your thoughts to the conversation. —MNW
We are almost a week into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and that means it is the perfect time to start looking at one of the big stories from this tournament every four years.
The chase for the Golden Boot.
The 2026 World Cup could see history, given the presence of Kylian Mbappe. In the history of this event, no player has ever won the Golden Boot twice. After winning the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup, Mbappe could become the first player to achieve that feat, if he were to win again this year.
Mbappe’s brace against Senegal got his campaign for a second Golden Boot off to a strong start, but Lionel Messi’s hat trick against Algeria put the Argentina legend atop the list after his opening match.
Here are the current standings in the chase for the Golden Boot. You will note that assists and minutes played are listed, as those are the two tiebreakers in determining the winner of the Golden Boot. In the case of ties, the player with the most assists is ranked ahead.
Should there still be a tie, the player with the fewest minutes played is ranked ahead.
After Spain’s 2-0 win over France, we have trimmed this list even more. Only players with four or more goals are included. For the full list you can see the FIFA website.
Join the discussion each Match Day over on The Feed!
Note: Table last updated following France-Spain on July 14. In addition, the list has been trimmed to players with four goals or moreas noted above.
| Player | Team | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | France | 8 | 3 | 667 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | 2 | 602 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | 7 | 0 | 536 |
| Jude Bellingham | England | 6 | 1 | 572 |
| Harry Kane | England | 6 | 1 | 624 |
| Ousmane Dembélé | France | 5 | 2 | 595 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 5 | 1 | 595 |
| Ismaila Sarr | Senegal | 4 | 1 | 419 |
| Julian Quinones | Mexico | 4 | 1 | 440 |
| Vinicius Jr. | Brazil | 4 | 1 | 506 |
Verizon fuels soccer culture and community impact year-round – uniting fans, supporting local businesses and creating unforgettable moments that celebrate the global game.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Raiders fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Las Vegas Raiders brought in Klint Kubiak to help with the offense. Kubiak’s expertise lies in the running game. The Seahawks ran the ball 5o percent of the time, and the new head coach is expected to bring that philosophy to Las Vegas.
With Ashton Jeanty as the main back it is expectedd for him to take a step up this season. Jeanty didn’t get over 1000 yards during his rookie year but displayed elements in his game that could lifteed by Kubiak. His ability to run and catch the football will make a weapon in this offense.
In this week’s SB Nation Reacts, we ask Raider Nation if Jeanty will get over 1,000 yards. Let us know in the survey below.
Good morning, Chargers fans!
You know what to do!
And now for today’s links.
These Chargers made Pro Football Network’s top 100 for the 2026 season (Chargers.com)
Oronde Gadsden II could be a breakout star this season (Chargers.com)
See how high Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ top offensive trio rank amongst their peers (Chargers Wire)
This Chargers UDFA could have one of the steepest paths to the active roster (Bolt Beat)
Check out the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL voted by league execs, coaches, and scouts (ESPN)
Every NFC team’s biggest roster hole entering training camp (CBS Sports)
Orlando Brown Jr. believes the Bengals have the best pass protection unit in the NFL (NFL.com)
Geno Smith will not be charged in a Florida domestic incident (Pro Football Talk)
Matching World Cup teams with NFL squads (Sports Illustrated)
Predicting the next NFL stars to request a trade (Bleacher Report)
Arsenal are stepping up plans to move Gabriel Jesus on this summer, with AC Milan emerging as one of the strongest contenders for the Brazil international. According to TeamTalk, the Gunners have now made their position clear as they look to avoid losing the forward for nothing at the end of his contract.
Jesus, now 29, joined Arsenal from Manchester City in a £45 million deal in 2022, yet the current window appears to represent the club’s final realistic chance to secure a fee. Arsenal have reportedly told interested clubs they will listen to offers of around £20 million, a significant drop on their original outlay, but one shaped by both his contract status and fitness record.
The central point in this developing situation is Arsenal’s determination to act now. The report states they are “actively trying to sell striker Gabriel Jesus in the coming weeks”, while the club are “working hard with his representatives to secure his exit”. That language points to a clear internal decision rather than a tentative market test.
Photo IMAGO
There is a footballing logic to it too. Jesus made only 14 Premier League appearances last season, scoring six goals, and he now sits behind Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz in the attacking order. Arsenal have also “made it clear to Jesus that he is not going to be first choice”, with that message said to have been repeated again over the past week.
For the player, the picture is more nuanced. He has previously spoken of “unfinished business” at the Emirates and would ideally prefer to remain. Yet the same report indicates he wants regular minutes, a perfectly understandable stance for a player entering an important stage of his career.
Among the clubs in the frame, AC Milan appear particularly serious. They are described as being among the leading contenders and are already in contact with Arsenal. Juventus have also asked questions and are considering a £20 million proposal, while Atletico Madrid are in dialogue too.
What stands out is the sense that Italy may offer the clearest route to a solution. Serie A is described as “his most likely destination”, which aligns with Jesus’ well-known admiration for Italian football. From Arsenal’s perspective, a clean permanent sale would be the preferred outcome, especially with their squad planning still active elsewhere in the market.
There has also been movement from Turkey. Fenerbahce reportedly have Jesus high on their shortlist, although their finances have been stretched by an initial £33 million agreement for Mason Greenwood. Besiktas have made early checks as well, but Arsenal would much rather bank a transfer fee now than entertain a less favourable structure.
The broader significance here lies in Arsenal’s market strategy. Moving Jesus out would free wages and create extra room for further additions. The report says Arsenal are “keen to move him on as soon as possible and help fund towards their own incomings”, which is a revealing line and one that fits the wider pattern of modern elite squad building.
There is still a deal to be done, and the player’s own preference matters, but Arsenal’s stance now appears firm. If AC Milan maintain their push, this could quickly become one of the more notable attacking exits of the window.
From an Arsenal supporter’s standpoint, this feels like the right call, even if it is not an easy one emotionally. Gabriel Jesus brought edge, intensity and top-level experience when he arrived, and at his best he lifted the standard of the frontline. There was a period where his movement, pressing and personality made Arsenal look sharper and more dangerous. That should not be forgotten.
At the same time, squad building at the top level demands difficult decisions. If the club truly sees him behind Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, then keeping a high-earner for sentimental reasons would make little sense. The key phrase in this report is that Arsenal have “made it clear to Jesus that he is not going to be first choice”. Once that message is delivered, a parting becomes the logical next step.
The fee matters too. Recovering around £20 million for a player in the final year of his deal would be decent business in the circumstances. Supporters will also recognise the importance of creating space for fresh attacking investment.
If he goes to Italy, there is a feeling it could suit him. Serie A may offer a rhythm and tactical structure that helps him rediscover consistency. For Arsenal, the priority is clarity, decisiveness and reinvestment. This situation now looks like one to resolve quickly.
Source: TeamTalk
As the 2026 World Cup approaches its crescendo, the loose collection of transfer rumors we’ve sweated over for the past several weeks should start to coalesce into actual signings. Indeed, we’ve already seen several rumors that felt like near certainties a month ago fall by the wayside, giving us a clearer picture of Roma’s actual transfer targets.
With the Ides of July upon us, Gian Piero Gasperini and new Sporting Director Tony D’Amico have narrowed their focus to a select group of players: Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho, Brugge’s Nicolo Tresoldi, West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville, and Strasbourg’s Diego Moreira; four players would absorb most, if not all, of Roma’s rumored €100 million transfer reserves.
The chances of the Giallorossi acquiring all four of those players are slim, but they appear to be making progress on Moreira, an extremely talented and versatile 21-year-old Belgian capable of playing five to six positions. Given his ability to fill virtually any role on the flank, Moreira would be the smartest purchase on this list. Based on reports from La Repubblica, Roma is drawing closer to making that plan a reality.
According to their reports, Roma and Strasbourg (and Chelsea, which still has a contractual stake in Moreira) are working on the finer points of a €30 million deal. The sticking point, however, remains the future sell-on fee. La Repubblica reports that Roma are offering a 10% cut of any future transfer, while Strasbourg would prefer a 20% stake in Moreira.
That’s a pretty significant difference, of course, but we’ve certainly seen larger slices of the proverbial pie sacrificed to facilitate a transfer. We always wrap up these pieces by telling you to stay tuned, but now that the World Cup is drawing to a close, we may see some real traction on the transfer front very soon.
Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game was loaded with Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had six representatives on the National League team, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most in the game.
All of them played, too, thanks to some skillful managing by Dave Roberts, who did his best to satisfy the Philadelphia fans at Citizens Bank Park.
Unfortunately for the NL, the Phillies players didn't perform very well in the Midsummer Classic, doing more harm than good in the NL's 4-0 defeat.
Cristopher Sanchez started for the NL and took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in the first inning. The NL never recovered.
Jesus Luzardo and Jhoan Duran both pitched well in relief, combining for 1 2/3 scoreless innings. However, it was already too late.
The NL didn't get any run support as its lineup was stifled by the American League. Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh and Home Run Derby runner-up Kyle Schwarber went a combined 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.
In the end, it just wasn't the NL's night, especially for Philadelphia's stars.
More MLB: Yankees Slugger Wins MLB All-Star Game MVP With Clutch Hit
Klay Thompson's $17.5 million future with Mavericks hangs in the balance – here's why originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Mavericks are preparing for a new chapter following significant changes in the front office and coaching staff. As the franchise moves in a different direction under its new leadership, veteran guard Klay Thompson's future with the organization appears increasingly uncertain.
Thompson is entering the final season of the three-year, $50 million contract he signed with Dallas in 2024. The contract will pay him approximately $17.5 million during the 2026-27 season.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks are actively exploring the trade market for the four-time NBA champion and have shown little desire to negotiate a buyout or risk losing him without receiving assets in return.
“The Mavericks, league sources say, continue to explore Klay Thompson's trade market, showing little interest — to this point — in buying out the four-time champion’s final remaining season ($17.5 million) of a three-year, $50 million deal with Dallas,” per Stein.
“The Miami Herald and 5 Reasons Sports'Ethan Skolnick have reported that Miami would have strong interest in Thompson if he became a free agent and there would surely be other suitors.”
Only two years after arriving in Dallas in one of the league's most talked-about free-agent moves, Thompson appears to be nearing another change of scenery. He originally joined the Mavericks with hopes of competing for a fifth NBA championship alongside Luka Doncic. However, those plans dramatically changed after the franchise traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dallas' willingness to move Thompson is largely tied to his disappointing 2025-26 season, during which both his role and production declined significantly. For the first time in his 13-year NBA career, the veteran accepted a primary bench role, while posting career lows across several statistical categories. He finished the season averaging 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
The Mavericks are now expected to remain engaged in trade discussions, hoping to find a suitable deal for Thompson before finalizing the remainder of their roster ahead of the new season.
USC basketball upgraded its roster in Eric Musselman's second season. It wasn't quite enough to make the NCAA Tournament only because of several injuries which led to many dozens of games missed. Now Musselman sees NBA-caliber talent on his roster, giving the Trojans the ingredients they need to be a nationally relevant team. He talked to USC athletics about this point.
"In year one at Arkansas, we felt there were two really talented players in Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe. It was super important that we retained those two guys, which we did, and they ended up both being future NBA players," Musselman began. "Now, in the Big Ten, you have to have NBA players to win. At Nevada, we had NBA draft picks and guys that went on to play in the NBA, then at Arkansas, we had the first one-and-dones ever at a very historic program. They had never even had a lottery pick before. We feel like we're going to have multiple guys that put on an NBA uniform on this year's roster, which is a change from where we've been in years one and two. I can pretty much guarantee we're going to have at least one guy get drafted. But that's what happens when you're building a program: You're learning a new conference, your campus and your academic culture all before you build. Hopefully this is the year that we turn the corner."
There is little doubt that USC will be well-represented at the 2027 NBA Draft unless the Trojans get hit hard by the injury bug. There are definitely multiple NBA-quality performers on this squad, and USC has what many analysts view as a Sweet 16-caliber team which should rise to the second tier of the Big Ten this season behind the top three of Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC men's basketball clearly has the NBA-caliber talent it needs
Jets' desired trade return for Connor Hellebuyck revealed from Sabres originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Winnipeg Jets may end up trading Connor Hellebuyck this offseason, and it might be to the Buffalo Sabres.
But for that to happen, it continues to seem like the Jets are looking for a massive haul in return.
Will Buffalo pay that price? It remains to be seen.
But if they do, there's some new clarity on what the cost might really be.
MORE:How a 3-team Dylan Larkin, Jason Robertson trade could work
The Athletic's Murat Ates revealed a number of Sabres who could factor into a deal, as part of a new article on Wednesday.
He first notes a few potential future assets.
"A first-round pick would be nice and the same applies to top prospects like Konsta Helenius or Radim Mrtka, but Winnipeg’s best outcome hinges on the quality of the top six forward they get back in the deal," Ates writes.
The first two forwards he goes on to mention are Zach Benson and Josh Doan.
"They each have ties to Winnipeg," Ates writes. "Benson starred for the WHL’s Winnipeg ICE, while Doan’s dad, Shane, started his career with the first edition of the Jets in 1995. Either one of those players would be a home run for the Jets."
Without them, it might be Ryan McLeod or Jack Quinn.
"Ryan McLeod would be a more reasonable target and has already dominated alongside Jets forward Cole Perfetti," Ates writes. "The 26-year-old playmaking center played with Perfetti on the Saginaw Spirit’s top line during their OHL playoff run in 2019. Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs may each have appeal, too, but wouldn’t represent the same kind of home run swing. A return of McLeod and a substantial secondary piece could be viewed as a success."
The Sabres likely don't want to give up Helenius, Benson or Doan. Is there a combination of others that get it done? We'll probably find out soon enough.
England look to end 60 years of hurt as they head into the World Cup semi-finals once again.
Tuchel’s Three Lions are set to go head-to-head with Argentina in what will be a historic clash, with captain Lionel Messi to face England for the first time in his career.
Across the years, England have had plenty of highs and lows at the sport’s biggest tournament, with drama never far away.
Here, we take a look at how England have fared in previous tournaments.
England’s debut appearance ended in a group-stage exit after a shock defeat to the United States was followed by another loss to Spain.
A first taste of quarter-final heartache, Walter Winterbottom’s side lost 4-2 to Uruguay despite goals from Nat Lofthouse and Tom Finney.
England were unbeaten in the group stage after draws with Soviet Union, Brazil and Austria, but because they could not be separated from the Soviet Union on goals scored or conceded, the two teams met in a play-off which Winterbottom’s side lost 1-0 and were subsequently sent home.
After beating Argentina to get out of the group stage, Brazil were waiting in the last eight and England went down to a 3-1 defeat in Winterbottom’s last match as manager.
English football’s defining moment came on home soil as Sir Alf Ramsey’s side won the tournament, thanks largely to Sir Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick in a dramatic final against West Germany.
Despite losing a memorable group game against Brazil, famous for Bobby Moore’s tackle and Gordon Banks’ save, England progressed to a quarter-final against West Germany, where they blew a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 after extra time.
After an absence of 12 years, England won all three of their group games, but then came unstuck in the second group stage, exiting after draws against West Germany and Spain.
Gary Lineker’s hat-trick against Poland helped England through to the quarter-finals against Argentina, where they were beaten by Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ and stunning individual effort in another historic moment of English football.
One of England’s best runs was defined by Paul Gascoigne’s tears as Sir Bobby Robson’s men suffered a heartbreaking semi-final penalty shootout defeat to old foes West Germany.
Argentina were again the enemy again as a thrilling last-16 tie saw 18-year-old Michael Owen score a wonder goal, David Beckham get sent off and Glenn Hoddle’s side lose on penalties after Paul Ince and David Batty missed.
After Beckham’s group-stage redemption against Argentina, England, managed by Sven Goran-Eriksson, were beaten 2-1 by Brazil in the quarter-finals after Ronaldinho scored from distance.
England’s golden generation flopped as they lost on penalties to Portugal after Wayne Rooney had been sent off in what proved to be the end of Eriksson’s reign.
Fabio Capello’s side put in a dismal showing as they finished second in a group containing the United States, Algeria and Slovenia and subsequently suffered their heaviest World Cup defeat in a 4-1 last-16 hammering against Germany, where Frank Lampard scored a ‘ghost goal’.
Roy Hodgson’s England were eliminated at the first hurdle after group stage defeats to Italy and Uruguay, meaning they were already out by the time they drew with Costa Rica in their third match.
England’s best run in 28 years saw them finally win a penalty shootout against Colombia in the last 16 before Sir Gareth Southgate’s men ran out of steam and suffered a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Croatia in the semi-final.
After strolling through to the last eight, England’s hopes were dashed by France as Harry Kane missed a late penalty in a 2-1 defeat.
Gary Russell Jr just recently caught up with Fight Hub TV and talks about a few prospective matchups down the lines between the likes of Tank Davis, Devin Haney, and Shakur Stevenson. Here’s some of what he had to say on a couple of notable prospective fights.
“I would lean more so towards Haney. I think Tank is a good fight but I think he’s more of a flat-footed fighter. He needs to really plant to get his punches off and stuff like that. Anyone that’s going to box and have lateral movement is going to make it a little difficult for him to find him. I think Devin Haney, he’ll stick to the script. His flaw is his biggest strength. He’s not going to sit there and try to fight you, he going to get the f—k out the way. That’s going to be his strength, he’s going to move, he’s going to box.
“Even Tank fighting a Shakur. I still leans towards a Shakur. It’s be boring as hell…but he’s going to put that stick on Tank ass. He’s going to touch him whenever he wants, move, get out the way, and it wouldn’t be too much going on. I think they’ll both beat Tank in a very long, boring fight.”
“I think both of them would have problems with each other. Shakur is not a go get you type of fighter. He’s going to be on the back foot, he’s going to try to block and Philly Shell. And Devin Haney is not going to try to come get you either. He’s going to box. So two boxers are going to force each other to do things outside of their comfort zone. I think that’ll be a difficult fight for both parties.
“It’ll probably be a little harder for Shakur than Devin just off the strength that Shakur has shorter arms. Because Shakur has shorter arms, in order for him to hit Devin he has to cross that threshold, and he’s not a go forward fighter.”
A lot has been made of a potential return of Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund, albeit the rumours have gone quiet in recent weeks.
However, as reported by Bild, there are clear parameters for the return of the prodigal son to the Westphalians who gave him his name.
After failing to make an impact in the Premier League at both Manchester United and Aston Villa, the Englishman is open to a return.
With Sancho also willing to accept a pay cut, Book and Kovač gave the green light for re-signing the 26-year-old winger:
"BVB wants to pay the Englishman a maximum base salary of five million euros, although he is currently without a club.
“BVB boss Lars Ricken and sporting director Ole Book do not want to pay Sancho a signing bonus and expect him to agree to a performance-related contract.”
Both officials watched several of the player's performances during his loan at Aston Villa, and scouts were sent to England in the spring.
According to the tabloid, there is a growing internal conviction that Sancho could rediscover his former form at BVB.
In what has already been an offseason clouded by uncertainty for the Detroit Red Wings, the path ahead just got a bit murkier.
Executive Vice President and GM Steve Yzerman is moving on from his roster managerial role, the team announced the morning of July 15. Yzerman will remain with the organization as an advisor to the team's Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch and handle day-to-day operations, but the Wings are beginning the search for a new roster manager.
REQUIRED READING: Dylan Larkin trade destinations: 4 teams who could intrigue Red Wings captain
The move comes while star center Dylan Larkin's trade request hangs in the ether, which has proven to be difficult to comply with. Reports indicate Larkin's trade destinations list includes the Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, and Florida Panthers, with the Dallas Stars also floated as a candidate (though the latter is unconfirmed).
Yzerman joined the organization after a wildly successful tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning in April 2019, sparking enthusiasm among a fanbase that hadn't made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. He failed, however, to make the postseason in his homecoming, and the historically successful Red Wings now have the longest active drought in the NHL at 10 seasons after the Buffalo Sabres ended their drought last season.
"Steve's lifetime of contributions to the Red Wings has meant more to this franchise than words can truly express, and I have the highest level of respect for his continued commitment to our organization,” Ilitch said in a statement released by the team July 15. “We are thankful for Steve’s hard work and dedication as General Manager and are grateful knowing Steve will remain where he belongs – here with the Red Wings family.”
"I am sincerely grateful to Chris and the entire Ilitch family,” Yzerman said. “This organization has given me incredible opportunities, from my time as a player to the privilege of returning as General Manager. I've appreciated every experience throughout the years, and I’m extremely proud to remain part of this great franchise.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Yzerman out as GM for Detroit Red Wings, stays as team advisor
The New York Sack Exchange (not to be confused with the New York Stock Exchange) remains one of the NFL's most iconic nicknames. Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, and Abdul Salaam didn't simply terrorize quarterbacks. They helped the New York Jets redefine what dominant defensive line play looked like.
No one is suggesting today's New York Jets are ready to join that conversation. They have far too much to prove first. Still, after a disappointing 2025 season, it's clear the organization has made rebuilding its pass rush one of its top priorities.
The Jets managed just 26 sacks, fewer than two per game, while struggling to affect opposing quarterbacks consistently. Will McDonald IV led the team with eight sacks, but the defense rarely generated the relentless pressure necessary to compete with the AFC's better offenses. As a result, the front office responded aggressively.
Veteran additions Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare and T'Vondre Sweat immediately strengthened the defensive front, while rookies David Bailey and Darrell Jackson Jr. added youth and upside to the rotation. Each move addressed a different need. Some were designed to improve the run defense. Others were made with one objective in mind.
Get after the quarterback.
No one expects this group to suddenly recreate the magic of the New York Sack Exchange (but it would be nice if they eventually did. That would be an unfair comparison to one of the greatest defensive fronts in franchise history.
What the Jets can reasonably expect is progress. McDonald continues developing into a productive edge rusher. Bailey brings intriguing pass-rushing potential, while Ossai and Enagbare provide experienced depth that can keep the rotation fresh throughout a long season.
Sweat and Jackson should also help create more favorable pass-rushing situations by strengthening the interior of the defensive line. The names may be different, and the expectations should remain realistic. Still, for the first time in a while, the Jets appear to be building their defensive front with purpose rather than patching it together one offseason at a time.
Whether this group develops into one of the league's better pass-rushing units remains to be seen, but the commitment is obvious. The New York Sack Exchange earned its legendary reputation over years of dominant football. The current Jets have a long way to go before entering that conversation, but if this rebuilt defensive front performs the way New York hopes, it could become the first step toward restoring one of the franchise's proudest defensive traditions.
Jets Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 offseason.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets pass-rushing rebuild evokes memories of an iconic era
Naturally, this comes with a huge caveat and grain of salt... it is just a video game.
But were the Buffalo Bills snubbed in the first release of player ratings in EA Sports' upcoming "Madden 27" video game?
The 100 best player ratings have surfaced for the next installment of the NFL game. As one of the consensus top teams heading into the 2026 NFL season, the Bills should see a few players in that bunch, right?
As of now, there are one two: Quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook.
It was already known Allen is among the game's prestigious "99 club." That is the best rating a player can have in the game and Buffalo's QB is just one of four players in "Madden 27" that will have that number attached to them.
On the Cook front, he lands at a 94 rating after leading the NFL in rushing yards last season:
The Buffalo Bills have 2 players ranked in the top 100 in Madden 27 ratings per @MUTLeaksXXVII
— SleeperBills (@SleeperBills) July 12, 2026
🔷Josh Allen 99
♦️James Cook 94 #BillsMafiapic.twitter.com/Xy0a8Aqwzl
That still begs the question, did Buffalo's team deserve another player or two among the top 100?
The lowest rating rounding out the list is multiple players from around the NFL with an 89 overall. While players such as offensive tackle Dion Dawkins or defensive lineman Ed Oliver might be worth such a number, no other member of the Bills earned such a game standing as of now.
Bills Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 offseason.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Were the Bills snubbed in 'Madden 27' video game ratings?
USC football plays Penn State this season. The York Daily Record, via Nittany Lions Wire, looked at Penn State offensive tackle Malachi Goodman.
"No one, so far, has stood out like Malachi Goodman. He was an extremely rare though overlooked piece of last year's team. The true freshman was an impressive five-star recruiting talent who picked the Nittany Lions over Alabama, Georgia and USC, arrived in State College as a 17-year-old freshman and then waited his turn, redshirting. The New Jersey native is a physical anomaly at 6-foot-6 and 331 pounds, looking long-limbed and lean, like he's at least 30 pounds lighter. Only now, after that long first college year of learning and transitioning to a new staff and teammates, he's being unleashed as the Lions' new left tackle. Goodman may be the most intriguing piece of what is arguably the most integral unit on the field. He's polite, articulate and upbeat, though more comfortable saying less than more to reporters. He's just beginning to understand his potential and power in college, it seems.
"'He put his hand through my heart today, hard. I probably bruised,' (offensive line assistant coach Ryan) Clanton said with a smile, describing a blocking drill ... He can glide. He’s long, he’s aggressive and he’s smart," Clanton said. "And he does a good job of retaining information and putting it out there on the field. He plays confident, you forget how young he is sometimes. He’s done a great job transforming his body like when you look at him, he’s 330 pounds and he lowered his body fat."
USC's defensive line has to be able to make this young and inexperienced player hesitate and doubt himself. Malachi Goodman has impressive physical tools. USC has to make him question if those tools are ready to be used properly.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC opposing player scouting report - Malachi Goodman, Penn State
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