Norway is preparing for the biggest match in its modern soccer history as it faces England in the 2026 World Cup Quarter-finals, with Erling Haaland and Harry Kane expected to headline one of the tournament’s most anticipated battles. However, before kickoff in Miami, fans are eager to learn whether both superstar strikers will feature from the opening whistle and how each national team plans to approach the high-stakes showdown.

The quarterfinal brings together two sides whose journeys have captivated supporters for different reasons. Norway has emerged as the surprise package of the tournament. At the same time, England has continued its pursuit of a first World Cup title since 1966, relying heavily on the leadership of Kane and the brilliance of Jude Bellingham.

Norway’s remarkable journey continues as England survives major tests

Few expected Norway to reach this stage when the tournament began. After ending a 28-year absence from the World Cup, the Scandinavian nation has embraced the occasion, advancing to its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal after memorable victories over Ivory Coast and five-time champions Brazil.

The victory against Brazil became one of the defining moments of the tournament. Erling Haaland scored twice in the 2-1 triumph, further cementing his reputation as one of the world’s deadliest finishers while helping Norway make history.

On the other hand, England has also experienced its share of drama during the knockout rounds. Thomas Tuchel’s side produced an impressive 3-2 victory over co-host Mexico, overcoming difficult conditions and even playing with ten men after Jarell Quansah’s dismissal.

The Three Lions have now reached their 11th World Cup quarterfinal, extending a consistent run of success at major tournaments. While defensive issues have occasionally surfaced, England’s attack has remained productive thanks to Kane, Bellingham and Bukayo Saka.

Will Erling Haaland and Harry Kane play?

Both Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are expected to start for their respective national teams, setting up one of the tournament’s most intriguing individual duels.

The former enters the quarterfinal in sensational form after scoring seven goals, placing him among the leading contenders for the Golden Boot. Meanwhile, the latter has been equally influential, contributing six goals while continuing to lead England’s attack with his movement, finishing, and experience.

Both forwards approach the game differently. Haaland remains high up the pitch, constantly searching for space behind defenders, while Kane frequently drops deeper to link midfield with attack before arriving inside the penalty area.

Norway vs England: Projected lineups

Norway projected XI (4-3-3): Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Berg, Berge, Odegaard; Schjelderup, Haaland, Bobb.

England projected XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Stones, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.

In 2026, we live in the worst kind of memory crisis that the consumer market has ever faced. Some people call it the RAMmageddon, and others call it the RAMpocalypse. Whichever way you want to call it, one thing is set: shortages created by massive demand in the AI and data center segment have led to a severe hike in prices across all memory segments. This came at a time when memory speeds were seeing rapid updates. We saw speeds surge past 9000 MT/s, and some kits were hitting close to 10,000 MT/s. We saw the launch of CUDIMMs and […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/g-skill-trident-z5-neox-rgb-ddr5-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-6000-mt-s-cl36-expo-ull-memory-kit-review/

It doesn't happen that easily, but if it does, you are one of the luckiest members of the PC Master Race. Redditor Orders Ryzen 7 7800X3D for an Upgrade, Retailer Sends Him Ryzen 7 9800X3D Instead It has been a while since we have published surprising hardware stories, but since these are occasional, we don't get to hear about them much. Many reports we published previously show how some users get extremely lucky in securing a free piece of hardware or a much better one than they ordered. This is exactly what happened to u/jackinets, who was confused between the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/user-gets-a-surprise-upgrade-as-a-retailer-hands-him-ryzen-7-9800x3d-instead-of-ryzen-7-7800x3d/

Almanya Futbol Federasyonu (DFB), teknik direktörlük görevi için başkan Bernd Neuendorf'un Jürgen Klopp ile ABD'de bir görüşme gerçekleştirdiğini ve olası bir sözleşmenin temel konularında mutabakata varıldığını duyurdu.

Federasyondan yapılan açıklamada, "DFB Başkanı Bernd Neuendorf, dün New York'ta Jürgen Klopp ile milli takım teknik direktörlüğü görevini üstlenme olasılığı üzerine kapsamlı bir ilk görüşme gerçekleştirdi. Yapılan bu yapıcı görüşmede, olası bir sözleşmenin temel hususları üzerinde mutabakata varıldı. Görüşmeler önümüzdeki hafta da devam edecek." denildi.

2026 Dünya Kupası'nın son 32 turunda Paraguay'a penaltılar sonucu yenilen Almanya'da teknik direktör Julian Nagelsmann ile yollar ayrılmıştı.

Fenerbahçe, futbol dünyasının en çılgın golcüsü Jean-Philippe Mateta için düğmeye bastı! Kendini 'Kral' ilan eden, köşe gönderini tekmelediği "Boom Boom" dansıyla sosyal medyayı sallayan Fransız yıldız, meydan okuyan tarzıyla Kadıköy'e gelmeye hazırlanıyor.

Fenerbahçe'nin, dünya futbolunun en renkli golcülerinden Jean-Philippe Mateta’yı kadrosuna katmak için kolları sıvadığı iddia edildi.

Crystal Palace’ın yıldızı için yürütülen transfer iddiaları, spor camiasını şimdiden ayağa kaldırdı.

Mateta, sadece golleriyle değil, yüksek özgüveniyle de tam bir magazin figürü. Kendisini "Fransa’nın en iyi forvetlerinden biri" olarak tanımlayan 28 yaşındaki yıldız, Premier Lig savunmacılarına açıkça meydan okumasıyla tanınıyor.

Onu dünya çapında ikonik hale getiren ise gol sevinçleri. Gol attıktan sonra köşe gönderini çılgınca tekmeleyip yaptığı danslar, TikTok ve Instagram’da "Boom Boom Mateta" akımıyla viral oldu. Taraftarlar, bu çılgın şovları Kadıköy’de izlemek için sabırsızlanıyor.

2024 Paris Olimpiyatları’nda efsane Thierry Henry’nin prensi olan Mateta, Fransa’yı finale taşımıştı. Hem saha içi liderliği hem de saha dışındaki sempatik ve lüks tarzıyla manşetlerden düşmeyen yıldız, soyunma odasının da en eğlenceli ismi.

Galatasaraylı eski yıldız Mario Lemina'nın kardeşi Türkiye'de! Paris Saint-Germain altyapısında yetişen ve bonservisi elinde olan 21 yaşındaki genç yetenek Noha Lemina, Manisa FK ile resmi sözleşmeyi imzaladı.

Trendyol 1. Lig ekiplerinden Manisa FK, transfer piyasasında büyük bir bomba patlattı. Bir dönem Galatasaray forması da giyen ünlü futbolcu Mario Lemina'nın kardeşi Noha Lemina, Ege temsilcisine resmi imzayı attı.

Paris Saint-Germain altyapısında yetişen ve son olarak Wolverhampton forması giyen 21 yaşındaki genç yetenek Noha Lemina, bonservisini elinde bulunduruyor ve bir süredir kendisine takım arıyordu.

Genç ve potansiyelli oyuncuları radarına alan Manisa FK, yürüttüğü gizli operasyonla genç hücumcuyu kadrosuna katmayı başardı. Noha Lemina, Türkiye'deki futbolseverlerin Galatasaray'dan yakından tanıdığı Mario Lemina'nın öz kardeşi. Ağabeyi Mario Lemina'nın Türkiye deneyiminin ardından Noha Lemina'nın da Türkiye liglerini seçmesi, oyuncunun adaptasyon sürecini hızlandıracaktır. Manisa FK, hücum hattına hem dinamizm hem de uluslararası bir vizyon katmış oldu.

?? Ailemize hoş geldin Noha Lemina ??

Manisa Futbol Kulübümüz, genç kanat oyuncusu Noha Lemina'yı 2+1 yıllığına kadrosuna katmıştır.

Noha Lemina'ya Manisa Futbol Kulübü ailesine hoş geldin diyor, Siyah-beyaz formamızla başarılar diliyoruz. pic.twitter.com/U2dxGe1JZZ

Süper Lig ekibi Galatasaray'da forma giyen Nijeryalı yıldız Victor Osimhen, yeni sezon öncesi takımla çalışmalara başladı.

Galatasaray, Kemerburgaz'da yaptığı antrenmanla yeni sezon hazırlıklarına devam etti.

Sarı-kırmızılılarda Victor Osimhen de yeni sezon hazırlıklarına başladı.

TAKIMLA BİRLİKTE ÇALIŞTI

Cuma günü İstanbul'a gelen Nijeryalı golcü, cumartesi günü gerçekleştirilen idmanda takımla birlikte çalıştı.

Galatasaray'da geride kalan sezonda 33 maçta süre bulan 27 yaşındaki golcü futbolcu, 22 gol attı ve 8 asist yaptı.

Trabzonspor'un genç yıldızı Christ Inao Oulai'nin yurt dışına satılması bekleniyor. Peki Galatasaray devre arasında talip olduğu Fildişi Sahilli oyuncu konusunda yeni bir hamle yaptı mı?

Trabzonspor geçen sezon başında Bastia Kulübü'ne 5.5 milyon euro ödeyerek Christ Inao Oulai'yi kadrosuna katmıştı. Fildişi Sahilli futbolcuyla 30 Haziran 2030 tarihine kadar mukavele yapıldı. 1.73 boyundaki oyuncu, kısa süre içinde değerini inanılmaz şekilde artırdı...

GERGİNLİKLER YAŞANDI

Galatasaray kış döneminde 20 yaşındaki merkez orta saha için 30 milyon euronun üzerine çıktı. Trabzonspor ise çok daha fazlasını talep etti. İki kulüp arasında Oulai yüzünden gerginlikler yaşandı. O dönemde kapanan transfer dosyasının yeniden açılıp açılmadığı merak ediliyordu.

HİÇBİR TEMAS KURULMADI

Sezon içinde Oulai dışında Uğurcan Çakır sebebiyle de Galatasaray ve Trabzonspor'un arası açılmıştı. İddiaların aksine; Sarı-Kırmızılılar'ın yaz döneminde Oulai konusunda hiçbir temas kurmadığı belirtildi. Genç yeteneğin bu yaz Avrupa'ya satılması bekleniyor.

Indian handset maker Lava recently announced its partnership with the Indian online retailer Flipkart for its new Virat smartphone series. Now, Lava has announced that the first smartphone in this series will be called Virat V1, which will make its debut on July 21 at 12 PM local time in India. Lava also revealed the design and colors of the Virat V1. You can take a look at it by watching the video in the X post below. 17 years of trust. Built into every detail.For India's endless dreams. A smartphone you can trust. 🤝A new chapter begins with Virat V1.Launching on 21st July, 12 PM. Only...

İspaniya La Liqasında mübarizə aparan “Valensiya”nın baş məşqçisi, 43 yaşlı ispan mütəxəssis Karlos Korberan klubla yeni müqavilə bağlayıb.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, tərəflər müddəti 2028-ci ilin iyun ayının sonuna qədər qüvvədə olacaq yeni müqavilə imzalayıblar.

Xatırladaq ki, Korberan 2024-cü ilin dekabr ayından “yarasalar”ın sükanı arxasındadır. Həmin vaxt tərəflər 2027-ci ilin iyun ayının sonuna qədər qüvvədə olacaq müqaviləyə imza atmışdılar.

“Valensiya” Korberanın rəhbərliyi altında indiyə qədər 67 oyuna çıxıb. Komanda bu görüşlərd 28 qələbə qazanıb, 17 heç-heçə edib, 22 məğlubiyyətə üzülüb.

43 yaşlı Korberan məşqçilik fəaliyyətinə 2013/2014-cü illər mövsümündə başlayıb. Korberan “Alkorkon”, “Doksa”, “Ermis”, “Lids” (U-23 komandası), “Haddersfild Taun”, “Olimpiakos” (Pirey), “Vest Bromviç” komandalarını çalışdırıb.

Futbol üzrə Cənubi Afrika milli komandasının və bu ölkənin “Mamelodi Sandauns” klubunun yarımmüdafiəçisi Ceyden Adams 25 yaşında vəfat edib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə “Soccer Laduma” portalı məlumat yayıb. Futbolçunun ölüm səbəbi açıqlanmayıb.

Ceyden Adams 2025-ci ildə “Mamelodi Sandauns”a transfer olunmuşdu. O, klubun heyətində 27 oyuna çıxaraq 4 qol vurmuşdu. Bundan əvvəl isə futbolçu beş mövsüm Cənubi Afrikanın “Stellenboş” klubunda çıxış etmişdi.

Yarımmüdafiəçi 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümündə “Mamelodi Sandauns”la birlikdə Afrika Çempionlar Liqasının qalibi olmuşdu.

Cənubi Afrika millisində 9 oyun keçirmiş və 1 qolla yadda qalmış Adams DÇ-2026-da komandasının qrup mərhələsində keçirdiyi hər üç matçda meydana çıxmışdı. O, turnirin 1/16 finalında Kanada ilə keçirilən və 0:1 hesabı ilə uduzduqları qarşılaşmada isə iştirak etməmişdi.

Şimali Makedoniyanın Skopye şəhərində güləş üzrə U20 Avropa çempionatı davam edir.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, beşinci yarış günündə qadın güləşi üzrə mübarizəyə yekun vurulub.

Ruzanna Məmmədova (62 kq) finalda türkiyəli Özdenur Özmezlə qarşılaşıb. Rəqibinə 6:0 hesabıyla qalib gələn həmyerlimiz titulunu qoruyub. Bununla da Ruzanna Azərbaycan güləşi tarixində U20 yaş qrupunda 3 qat Avropa çempionu olan ilk qadın güləşçi ünvanına sahib çıxıb.

Zəhra Kərimzadə (72 kq) isə gərgin mübarizə şəraitində keçən bürünc medal görüşündə Türkiyənin digər təmsilçisi İlayda Çinə 9:11 hesabıyla məğlub olaraq, 5-ci yerlə kifayətlənib.

Ciro Immobile has installed Inter as the team to beat in Serie A next season, pointing to the upheaval among their closest rivals as the champions’ biggest edge.

According to Noi Biancocelesti, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the former Italy striker, for now at Paris FC, sees continuity as the decisive factor.

“I think Inter are favourites. I’ve seen a lot of managerial changes and therefore a need to settle, whereas they’re already well-drilled,” he said. “Milan, Napoli and Juventus have to gear up to trouble them.”

That churn is hard to argue with. Milan are starting afresh under Ruben Amorim, Napoli have replaced Antonio Conte with Massimiliano Allegri, and Juventus continue to build around Luciano Spalletti.

Inter, by contrast, keep faith with Cristian Chivu and the spine that carried them to the Scudetto, a stability their pursuers cannot currently match.

Immobile weighs in on Italy’s Conte-or-Mancini call

Immobile also turned to the vacant Italy job, with the succession appearing to come down to Conte or Mancini. On that, he refused to split them.

“They’ve both done well. I remember we did well at the Euros with Conte too, after ending up in a group with Spain and Germany,” he said. “Mancini’s was the last winning Italy side, one that left a nice memory for the children of today too.”

Having played under both men with the Azzurri, Immobile is well placed to judge, and his verdict offers little to separate two of the frontrunners now being weighed to lead Italy’s rebuild.

Fiorentina are on the verge of a surprise signing, with Alex Jimenez set to join from Bournemouth and return to Serie A.

According to Sky Sport and Gianluca Di Marzio, via FirenzeViola, the Viola have wrapped up a loan deal with an option to buy set at €20 million.

The move is at an advanced stage, with the Spaniard already in Florence and undergoing his medical after completing the first round of tests earlier in the day.

Fiorentina to land ex-Milan full-back Jimenez on loan

The 2005-born right-back arrives to bolster Fabio Grosso’s options down the flank, and the switch reunites him with Italian football after a brief spell in the Premier League.

Jimenez is a familiar name in Serie A, having previously impressed at Milan, and Bournemouth only made his move permanent from the Rossoneri in January for around €19 million.

The Cherries have opted to cash in barely six months later, moving him on this window after an off-the-pitch scandal involving supposed online messages with a teenage girl.

For Fiorentina, it represents an opportunistic piece of business: a young, Serie A-proven defender secured on a loan that hands them the choice, rather than the obligation, of a permanent deal further down the line.

Fiorentina have been knocked back in their attempt to sign Tolu Arokodare, with Wolves rejecting an approach for the forward.

According to Fabrizio Romano, via FirenzeViola, the Viola tabled a proposal for the striker, only for the Premier League club to turn it down.

The move is part of Fiorentina’s search for a wide attacker to hand straight to Fabio Grosso, with the club looking at options while they wait on Luca Koleosho.

Arokodare, though, looks a difficult target on more than one front.

Arokodare reluctance a stumbling block for Fiorentina

Wolves’ rejection is not the only obstacle.

Trabzonspor have also shown interest in the 2000-born Nigeria international and made their own unsuccessful move for him, but the bigger issue for any suitor may be the player’s own stance: Arokodare is reported to have little appetite for a transfer at this stage.

For Fiorentina, then, attention is likely to turn back to alternatives as they seek to reinforce Grosso’s attack, with Koleosho among the names still in the frame.

Paulo Dybala is set to put pen to paper on a new Roma contract today, ending any uncertainty over the Argentine’s future in the capital.

The playmaker had reached the end of his previous deal, and his signature will formally restore his status as a Roma player after a spell as a free agent.

The agreement runs for a single season, with no option for a further year attached, according to the Corriere dello Sport.

Dybala had initially hoped for a longer commitment, but an improved salary, worth close to €3 million net plus bonuses, bridged the gap and left both parties satisfied.

Dybala turns down Boca Juniors to stay at Roma

His decision was far from inevitable.

Boca Juniors pushed to bring him back to Argentina, with his friend Leandro Paredes reportedly trying to talk him into a homecoming, but Dybala never wavered in his preference for staying put.

He is due back in the capital on Sunday with the contract signed, before reporting to the Trigoria training base on Monday to link up with Gian Piero Gasperini for pre-season.

Roma have every reason to want him tied down. Dybala remains a technical leader in the dressing room and one of the players Gasperini intends to build around.

His influence was clear at the tail end of last season: in his first three starts back from injury, he supplied four assists to help steer Roma to third place and Champions League qualification.

Juventus have revived their interest in Fikayo Tomori, roughly 18 months after a move for the Milan defender collapsed when the player turned it down.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, via CalcioMercato, the Bianconeri are once again weighing up the centre-back, drawn to his experience and Serie A grounding, a profile that fits Luciano Spalletti’s wishes.

Any deal, however, depends on outgoings. Giovanni Carnevali’s hierarchy want to lighten the squad before adding to it, and Federico Gatti is among those who could make way.

Squeezed out by Bremer and seeking more regular minutes, Gatti would command a fee that generates a healthy profit, with Napoli and moves to Turkey lingering in the background as possible routes out.

Juventus ready to move for Tomori if Gatti departs

Should Gatti go, Juventus are prepared to press ahead for Tomori.

The England international, whose Milan contract expires in 2027, looks set for a reduced role following the arrival of Gila, and this time may be more open to a switch than he was previously.

For Milan, a sale would raise funds; for Juventus, it represents a market opportunity, but only once space has been cleared.

Tomori has been a mainstay at San Siro since joining in 2021, racking up 214 appearances and seven goals, and helping the club to the 2022 Scudetto and the Supercoppa Italiana.

Whether his Milan chapter now nears its end may hinge, in the first instance, on what Juventus can do at the other end of their own defence.

Alvaro Carreras has once again emerged as a potential departure from Real Madrid.

Although the left-back is keen to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu, SPORT (h/t Bernabeu Digital) reports that Xabi Alonso continues to view him as one of his priority targets and remains determined to bring him to Chelsea.

The Spanish coach has identified Carreras as a key signing from the moment he took charge in London and believes the defender would fit perfectly into his long-term project at Stamford Bridge.

A long-standing admiration

Xabi Alonso’s interest in Carreras dates back to his appointment as Chelsea manager, but it intensified following Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid.

With Chelsea needing to strengthen the left side of their defense, the Real Madrid left-back has remained at the top of Alonso’s wishlist for several weeks.

Xabi Alonso wants Carreras at Chelsea. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

However, Real Madrid have already informed the Premier League club that they will not entertain offers for the Spaniard, although proposals around €50 million could test their resolve.

Despite the possibility of a steep price tag, Alonso has not abandoned hope of completing the transfer, and Chelsea could still decide to match Madrid’s asking price.

Carreras wants to stay

Having already sold Fran Garcia, Real Madrid are unlikely to want to part ways with Carreras as well this summer.

Moreover, the biggest obstacle for Chelsea in their pursuit of the defender may be the player himself.

Carreras wants to stay at Real Madrid. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Indeed, Carreras wants to remain in Madrid after arriving only a year ago and still believes he can establish himself at the club.

The former Benfica full-back arrived at the Bernabeu with a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising young left-backs.

However, after a season in which he failed to cement a regular starting place, and with the arrival of Cucurella, he has slipped down the pecking order.

A move to Chelsea could offer him the opportunity to become an undisputed starter under a coach who has shown consistent faith in him.

If he stays in Madrid, he is expected to play a secondary role behind Cucurella, who has been signed to become the club’s first-choice left-back.

NFL analyst Warren Sharp continues his vendetta against the Cleveland Browns, evidenced by his most recent ranking of the Cleveland offensive line.

On Wednesday, Sharp released his 2026 ranking of the NFL's offensive lines based on what he believes will happen in the 2026 season. This is purely a guess, and from the looks of it, he doesn't have high hopes for the Browns. Now, he presented no criteria, so this is an argument on his opinion of one of the most turned over groups in the entire league.

The Browns' starting five on September 5th will be completely different from the starting five from week one of the 2025 season. The Browns addressed their issues in every possible. They traded for Tytus Howard, signed Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, and drafted Spencer Fano and Parker Brailsford.

If the dream scenario were accomplished, it would be those five as the starters. That will all get sorted out throughout training camp over the next couple of months. Regardless of how it all shakes out, Cleveland's offensive line, while on paper it is much improved, is still a major question mark.

NFL analyst ranks the Cleveland Offensive Line last in the League.

ranking the best offensive lines

1. Denver Broncos
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. Los Angeles Rams
6. Chicago Bears
7. San Francisco 49ers
8. Los Angeles Chargers
9. Seattle Seahawks
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. Indianapolis Colts
12. Carolina…

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 8, 2026

Ranking them 32nd seems to be a bit aggressive, but it certainly cannot be ruled out.

One of the many large issues last year was Cleveland up front. They were old and bad, and the results were terrible. Now, as they go into the 2026 season with a new perspective and new coaching, most importantly, there is reason to believe that the group will be significantly improved.

The major reason why they could improve in a major way is the new offensive line coach, George Warhop. Warhop is a legend of the game and a coach who has proven time and time again that he can produce and develop high-quality linemen.

Sharp is always going to paint the Browns in the worst light possible. When given the opportunity, he will give Cleveland the worst possible ranking.

The Browns have a lot of work to do, but if they can turn that group around, they will not only be competitive next year, but they will absolutely win some football games.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: NFL Analyst Warren Sharp pins the Browns deep in his OL rankings

CNN’s Abby Phillip called out Republican outrage over “attacks” against Caitlin Clark as “seemingly” being fueled by the simple fact that Clark is white.

On Saturday’s Table for Five, Phillip and her panelists discussed Republican lawmakers sending a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, in which they demanded protection for Clark from possible “racially motivated” attacks.

Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) shared the letter on X, which was signed by a total of 11 Republican lawmakers.

“I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from @WNBA Commissioner Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women’s sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics,” he wrote. “I’m putting the league on notice that if it keeps letting the violent targeting slide, they could find themselves facing a DOJ and EEOC crackdown for violating federal civil rights law.”

Sports broadcaster Cari Champion dismissed the lawmakers and accused them of being ignorant of the game, calling the “bullying” on the court a “rite of passage:”

I think it’s really, really disrespectful in so many different ways because this is from people who one haven’t watched sports, obviously, have never watched women’s basketball. They’re probably more so a fan of Caitlin Clark than the actual sport itself, or a fan of the Indiana Fever.

What has been happening to Caitlin has been happening since the inception of the WNBA. These women play tough. They play hard. It’s sports. To suggest that it is intentional or that people are being racist towards her leaves out a long history of women who supported this league and started this league who were black.

It’s very disrespectful to them, the women who are the foundation of the league; 70% of the people in the league are LGBTQIA and Black, and so they literally are sitting here thinking, well, why now, because we’ve been playing the game that we’ve been playing, are people demanding that we be investigated for doing what we’re supposed to do?

Can you imagine going to work every single day, trying to do your job, but fear that you’re going to be attacked and get death threats?

Phillip called Clark a “superstar” soaking up a lot of attention, but questioned whether the attention the athlete is getting from Republicans and the government is because of her skin color.

“The problem with Caitlin Clark is that she is a superstar. She’s great at what she does. However, the attention that she’s getting from Republicans and from government seems to be exclusively because she is white,” she said.

“That’s the only reason,” Champion agreed.

Watch above via CNN.

The post Abby Phillip Rips Caitlin Clark Outrage From Right: ‘Seemingly Exclusively Because She Is White’ first appeared on Mediaite.

One Cleveland Brown Lands on the NFL's Top 25 Under 25

The focal point of the biggest trade in recent NFL history was Jared Verse. For several reasons, including the fact that he rushes the quarterback relentlessly and he is still a young player with a ton of room to grow.

Verse was the key piece that got Cleveland off of "stuck" and allowed them to pull the trigger on what is going to be a generational deal that will send ripple effects throughout the history of the NFL.

Cleveland's return of several draft picks and Jared Verse is probably one of the only fair transactions that they could have drawn up. On Tuesday, the NFL released its Top 25 players under the age of 25, and Verse is the lone Cleveland Brown on that list, for now.

Through two seasons, Verse has logged 124 total tackles and 12.0 sacks in two years. He has 22.0 tackles for loss, and while his sack numbers are not high, he has 45 quarterback hits. He is around the quarterback, just not finishing the job.

Top 25: 25 and under 👀 pic.twitter.com/0cYuAPepBX

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) July 7, 2026

Verse enters his third year in the NFL as a 25-year-old exactly. He needed all of his college years to prove what he was, and the result was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2024 draft. Now, he comes to Cleveland with a lot of potential but also a lot of pressure to fill the shoes of Garrett.

Not only is Verse the only Cleveland Brown on the roster, but he is one of just two players in the AFC North to land on the list. The other is probably the best safety in the league, Kyle Hamilton. While Verse is entering his third season, Hamilton is actually going into his fifth because he only needed three years at Notre Dame before coming out.

Regardless, the Browns have their hands on one of the great young talents in the league, and he needs to be that way for Cleveland. The reality is that the Browns are putting a lot of faith and pressure on him to perform.

So far, he has shown everything and more that Cleveland was looking for. Now, when training camp kicks off in a couple of weeks, and the season inches closer, he needs to be the dominant force on the edge of the line of scrimmage that the Browns have to replace with Garrett's departure.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns' Jared Verse Lands on Exclusive List of Young NFL Stars

Cleveland Browns' newest key addition to their roster is back to work this week at Von Miller's ninth annual Sack Summit hosted in Las Vegas. Jared Verse is in attendance representing the Cleveland Browns alongside all of the league's best pass rushers.

While Cleveland gave up a generational pass rusher, they did receive a very good one in return. With Verse being out at Sack Summit, it gave Brian Baldinger a great opportunity to break down a Verse clip of him getting after the quarterback.

Baldinger is the authority when it comes to pass rushing and line of scrimmage breakdowns. Unless you have been schooled in it, it is very hard to understand and teach the line of scrimmage play. Everyone up front is connected. The offense has to have five guys working together on the same page, while on defense, they have three or four guys who all have to be connected schematically.

Everyone has a plan, and then the ball is snapped, and the biggest and strongest guys begin hand-to-hand combat and go to war with each other for three straight hours. The work that takes place up front is fascinating to learn, and Baldinger is one of the best at teaching it.

Brian Baldinger breaks down a successful pass rush clip as Jared Verse sacks former Browns' QB Baker Mayfield.

For this Verse clip, he breaks down exactly how Verse rushed through one of the best tackles in the game to get to Baker Mayfield and sack the quarterback.

One of the knocks against Verse is that he is a one-trick pony. He is a guy who just uses power and bullrushes to win on the line of scrimmage. While that is mostly true, this rep shows that he has a little bit more to his game.

.@Browns@RamsNFL@JaredVerse1 will get discussed today as 80 pass rushers have come to Vegas to be a part of @VonMiller 9th annual #SackSummit#sumersports@sumersports#BaldysBreakdownspic.twitter.com/DFrj9G8wFa

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) July 10, 2026

He begins the rep by getting right into the chest of Wirfs and using his patented power move. He took Wirfs for a ride up the field, and then Baker felt the pressure and stepped up to avoid. Verse stuck his foot in the ground and hit a spin move that, admittedly, wasn't the smoothest, but it was effective.

The spin move got him into arm's length of Mayfield, and he latched on. While trying to wiggle the ball free, he was still able to bring the quarterback down to notch a sack.

This specific clip shows that Verse has more than just power to his game. He is developing more and more moves in his toolbox, and when he becomes fully developed, he is going to be one of the top pass rushers in the game.

In his career, Verse has 12 total sacks; however, he has 45 total QB knockdowns. He lives around the quarterback; he just has to learn how to finish. If he gets there, the Browns will be happy with the return that they got for trading one of the best players in the game.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Brian Baldinger dissects Browns' Jared Verse's pass rush

Long before Norway's Erling Haaland and England's Jude Bellingham face off in today's World Cup quarterfinal, the two were teammates with Borussia Dortmund. Their bond is still worth revisiting and celebrating.

Haaland and Bellingham played together for two seasons and became known for their collaborative celebrations and fun interview moments. Here's a look at some of their best memories in Dortmund colors.

The bromance takes the pitch tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/NPvnVSAWQM

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) July 10, 2026

The bromance took a hit when Haaland left for Manchester City in 2022. Bellingham departed for Real Madrid the following year. Still, they helped each other accomplish quite a bit. Both Haaland and Bellingham won Bundesliga Player of the Season during their time together, with the former earning the honor in 2020-21 while the latter claimed it the following year.

Perhaps we'll get another memory from Haaland and Bellingham when they meet on the pitch today.

What time is the World Cup game today?

Norway vs. England begins at 5 p.m. ET in Miami, Florida.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Reliving the Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham bromance at Borussia Dortmund

• Scotland looking for first win against South Africa in 16 years
• Finn Russell back in Gregor Townsend's starting XV after missing Argentina win with calf injury
• Both sides won their first games in the inaugural Nations Championship

Nations Championship: South Africa v Scotland under way

Hundreds of yachts are taking part in the annual Round the Island Race in what organisers described as "near perfect sailing conditions".

The annual race, circumnavigating the Isle of Wight, started at Royal Yacht Squadron Line at Cowes with various classes setting off every 10 minutes from 07:00 BST.

The first yacht to cross the finish line was Pace which finished at 12:48 BST.

Speaking before the event, race director, Dave Atkinson, said: "The forecast looks amazing for the race and the winds look like being the best we've had for some time."

The race, a 50-nautical mile (93 km) lap of the Isle of Wight, sees the fleet of boats head west from Cowes towards The Needles, before arriving back in Cowes via St Catherine's Lighthouse, Bembridge and Ryde.

It sees professional sailors go up against amateurs, with a unique handicap system meaning any boat can win its prize - the coveted Gold Roman Bowl.

Organisers said the weather conditions "expected to be the best the race has seen in a number of years... mean there is potential for a new race record to be set".

The course record for a monohull boat, set by Mike Slade on ICAP Leopard in 2013, is 3h 43m 50s.

Ned Collier Wakefield holds the multihull record of 2h 22m 23s in 2017, on Concise 10.

The first race took place in 1931 with 25 entries.

Related internet links

• RTIR

LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, returned to Wimbledon for the women's final between Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova on Saturday as part of a Royal Box contingent that included tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.

Jodie Foster, “Emily in Paris” star Lily Collins, and “Ted Lasso” actress Hannah Waddingham were also among the invited guests in the Royal Box at Centre Court for the all-Czech women’s final, along with two-time Wimbledon singles champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.

Kate, the patron of the All England Club, was scheduled to present the trophy to the winner, as she has done in prior years.

The princess, who early last year announced her cancer was in remission, also visited the grass-court tournament last week and sat next to Andy Murray to watch the tennis.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Atlético Madrid’s summer business is accelerating. Alejandro Grimaldo has arrived from Leverkusen, Kang-In Lee is close to joining from Paris Saint-Germain, and on Saturday the club confirmed that Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand had signed a contract to 2031 (worth approximately €6 million per year) upon completing a €40 million transfer.

Who is Morten Hjulmand?

Hjulmand was born on June 25, 1999, in Kastrup, a small town on the southern tip of Amager island in Denmark, just outside Copenhagen. He came through FC Copenhagen’s youth system before making an unlikely move to Austrian second-tier side Admira Wacker at 18, where he spent three seasons developing as a professional with minimal fanfare and consistent game time.

In January 2021 he joined Lecce in Serie B for around €1.5 million, which may yet go down as the most underpriced transfer for a defensive midfielder in Italian football’s recent history. He captained them through their 2021/22 Serie B title win, helped them establish themselves in Serie A and left for Sporting CP in August 2023 for €18 million after Sporting had just sold Manuel Ugarte to PSG for €60 million and needed a like-for-like replacement.

At Sporting, Hjulmand won back-to-back Primeira Liga titles in 2023-24 and 2024-25, adding a Taça de Portugal in his second season. He was handed the captain’s armband within a year of arriving, succeeding Bruno Fernandes and Sebastián Coates in the role. In 141 competitive appearances for the club he scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists.

His Fotmob rating of 7.65 across the 2025/26 league season is among the highest for defensive midfielders in any major European competition. At 27, he has 24 senior caps for Denmark and started every group game at Euro 2024 in Germany. He was pivotal in their attempts to qualify for the World Cup, which ended in a play-off defeat to Czechia in qualifying.

Where does Hjulmand play and how does he fit in?

Hjulmand is a number six, a genuine defensive midfielder who sits in front of the defence, screens, intercepts, organises and recycles. Breaking The Lines described him when he arrived at Sporting as having “great anticipation which allows him to read the opposition’s next attacking moves, giving him an impressive 2.15 interceptions per 90 (top 1%).” WhoScored rates his passing as very strong and his tackling as strong, with no significant weaknesses flagged across the last two seasons.

What makes Hjulmand unusual in this profile is that he is not a destroyer. He is often described as a player who reads the game well to try to intercept, rather than rely a crunching tackle. He uses strong positioning and reading of the game to avoid having to make aggressive interventions, and he only slides in when he has calculated the tackle rather than reacted to instinct. That is a different calibre of defensive intelligence to the traditional Simeone enforcer type, such as Thomas Partey, and it is exactly why Atlético pursued him specifically.

The fit at the Metropolitano is direct. Koke is 34 and in the final chapter of his career. Atlético have carried him as the central organiser of their midfield for a decade, but the next phase needs a specialist behind him, or in his stead, who can do the defensive work the captain used to share across a more energetic press. Hjulmand provides that cover without sacrificing the technical quality to build from deep, which Simeone increasingly demands. The Atlético squad review that followed Saúl and Thomas Lemar’s exits made clear the club needed more physical authority and leadership in central areas, while Johnny Cardoso’s injury-hit first year didn’t solve the issue.

Who does Hjulmand play like?

The comparison Sporting supporters reach for is not one Atlético fans will need to strain to place: Gabi. The former Atlético captain and newly-minted assistant coach wore the armband for nearly a decade and defined the intensity, the leadership from the base of midfield and the positional authority that characterised Simeone’s best teams. Hjulmand is more technically polished than Gabi was at the same age, and his career arc through lower-division football into top-level captaincy mirrors something of that developmental profile.

The other player to whom Hjulmand has drawn comparisons is Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, another Danish international who once was linked to Atlético and occupies a similar position for club and country. The comparison has tactical accuracy, though Hjulmand has consistently outperformed Højbjerg in interception and progressive passing metrics over the last two seasons, and at 27 against 29 he has more runway.

Does Hjulmand have any links to Atleti?

None direct. His career has run through Denmark, Austria, Italy and Portugal before this window, but there are contextual threads worth noting. Sporting’s midfield pipeline, from João Palhinha to Manuel Ugarte to Hjulmand, has now fed clubs across Europe’s top leagues consistently, and Atlético’s scouts have been watching this production line closely alongside their long-term interest in the Portuguese market.

Hjulmand also will be aware that Atlético tried to sign him in January with an opening bid of around €25 million that Sporting rejected. The fact he chose Atlético over Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid, all of whom were credibly linked is its own statement of intent.

What’s been said about Hjulmand?

The most striking testimony belongs to Rúben Amorim, who managed him at Sporting and is now at AC Milan. Amorim had already worked with Palhinha and Ugarte, two of the finest defensive midfielders in recent European football. His verdict on Hjulmand was a strong statement: “I love João Palhinha and Manuel Ugarte, I ask them to forgive me but I would say that Hjulmand is the most complete player of the three.”

After Hjulmand scored a long-range equaliser in a 4-2 win over Braga during Amorim’s final game in charge of Sporting, his coach called it “a great goal by a fantastic player and captain who arrived at Sporting a year ago.”

When Amorim left for United, Hjulmand framed it without sentiment, insisting that “I see it as a positive challenge to try to be champions without Rúben, which is the main objective of this season,” before Sporting indeed won the league without him.

The Danish football media have been consistent in their praise throughout Hjulmand’s rise. Tom Kundert of Portugoal described him as a “born leader, vocal and commanding, yet serene and secure when taking responsibility with the ball.” His Euro 2024 goal against England, a 25-yard volley that equalised to level after Harry Kane’s penalty in a 1-1 draw in Frankfurt, announced him to a wider European audience, but Danish fans who were in the stadium that night would not have been surprised.

Andoni Iraola and the transfer committee continue their behind the scenes work to transfer the team in preparation for the upcoming pre-training. Players from around the world will begin trickling back to the training centre this month and the real preparations for Iraola’s inaugural season with the team will commence.

It’s almost mid-July, but with the World Cup in full swing, less has been accomplished in the transfer market than Liverpool likely would have wanted at this point. The final configuration of the team is still nowhere near complete. As the summer carries on, rumours continue regarding who the transfer committee has its eyes set on.

Recently relegated Wolves are dealing with their own shake up, and Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes is one of the players who is looking to jump ship. Initially near an agreement with Atletico Madrid, the potential transfer has since collapsed.

Now reports in Brazil are that both Liverpool and Manchester United have made contact with Wolves, showing their interest in the 25-year-old. He’s said to be valued by the club at about £38m.

Wolves’ player of the season has proven Premier League experience and shone even while playing for struggling Wolves last season. It’s also an affordable price in today’s transfer market. It’s unclear if this is a genuine interest from the Reds or another case of sending out feelers to see their options.

Liverpool’s interest in the midfielder pre-dates his time with Wolves, but never amounted to anything. Could now be the right time for him at Anfield?

England football fans can now stay in pubs longer this Saturday for the match against Norway, the government has confirmed.

Extended licensing hours mean pubs in England and Wales can remain open until 30 minutes past the final whistle, even if the game faces delays due to extreme heat.

The fixture, which sees England face Norway at 10pm BST on Saturday from Miami, Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium, had previously seen ministers extend opening times until 2am, with this latest move utilising flexible laws for further allowance.

Policing minister Sarah Jones said: “England fans deserve the chance to watch every minute of the quarter-final together, and that is exactly what our extension guarantees.

“After the weather delay we saw before the Mexico game, we want to give fans and venues complete certainty that no-one will miss a moment of the action.

“I hope pubs and bars across England and Wales are packed on Saturday night, as we hopefully move one step closer to bringing football home.”

The Three Lions’ previous game against Mexico in the host country’s Azteca Stadium in the early hours of Monday was delayed by an hour because of storms.

Licensing hours were extended into the early morning for that game, which England won 3-2.

Thomas Tuchel is ready to take another big step as England look to overcome heat, humidity and Erling Haaland in their crunch quarter-final clash.

“I think we took a big step in our last match, but it was only a step,” the England boss said. “We’re still hungry, we still have dreams, and we still have a big goal to play for.

“The next step is to win the quarter-final. It’s important to look up front. We left this match behind.

“We take the positive things and the belief with us, but everything that matters is ahead of us. It’s tomorrow’s match.”

England will be made to sweat for a semi-final spot, with the temperature set to be 32 degrees Celsius when the game gets under way at 5pm local time (10pm UK).

Tuchel’s side did their World Cup preparation camp in Florida in an attempt to acclimatise to such conditions, only to end up playing in rain on three occasions and under a roof in their other two games.

“Science says that we banked a lot of heat training,” the German coach said. “That will help us.

“This week we spent quite some minutes in the heat and then we will go from there. Subjectively, for me, it’s always like ‘can you really prepare for that?’

“We knew when we stepped out of the plane in Miami, we expected it to feel painful. Maybe we are still lucky and we get another dark cloud over the stadium! And full rain!

“It was like this. But everything we did, how we trained, where we trained, when we started this journey together in America, was to prepare. That’s what science says.

“So hopefully it gives us a slight edge. We haven’t lost it because we banked it in the heat training sessions.

“But the games of course, like you said, they were indoor or in Mexico it was quite chilly actually, no-one could foresee that. Now the forecast is that it will be a tough one. But for our opponents as well.”

LONDON (AP) — Ken Bates, the former Chelsea owner and chairman who bought the club for just a pound in 1982, has died. He as 94.

Chelsea confirmed the death in a statement Saturday, saying Bates “passed away peacefully in Monaco this morning surrounded by his wife and family.”

"The club sends our heartfelt condolences to Ken’s wife Suzannah, the rest of his family and his friends. Ken’s determination to fight for Chelsea when times were tough, and drive the team on to winning trophies will never be forgotten.”

Bates bought Chelsea when it was laden with debt and struggling in the English second division — hence the price of just one pound — but injected money into the club and oversaw a return to the top flight in 1984.

He went on to become the club's third-longest serving chairman, holding the position for 22 years. He also became one of the English game's most well-known characters because of a personality that Chelsea described as “colourful, outspoken and controversial.”

He sold Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003 for 140 million pounds (then $233 million). He took over Leeds as owner and chairman in 2005, selling the club in 2012.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Egypt’s Mostafa Zico made headlines around the world for claiming their 3-2 Round of 16 loss to Argentina and Lionel Messi was due to unfair treatment.

Egypt’s 2-0 lead against Argentina crumbled into a 3-2 defeat within the span of 15 minutes, with multiple decisions in the game coming under fire after such a narrow win.

Zico was among the loudest critics, but fans believe they’ve unearthed what might be personal motivations for his reaction, given past comments against Messi and Argentina.

Mostafa Zico’s Facebook highlights past negative comments towards Messi and Barcelona

Zico is an admitted Real Madrid fan, and as a result, has multiple Facebook posts from the past criticizing the Spanish club Barcelona and their legend, Messi. He’s also an ardent Cristiano Ronaldo fan.

One of his comments in particular is being highlighted as hypocritical, as Zico criticizes Barcelona fans complaining about the referees after a loss.

“Every single matchday Barca fans keep talking about the refs. Bro, y’all don’t even win in the first place. Win a game first, then come talk about the refereeing. And yeah… We love robbery.”

Refereeing is a major debate at every World Cup, with Argentina’s win over Egypt amplifying concerns for the 2026 edition. Nonetheless, the matches are decided on the field, where Argentina scored three well-earned goals to keep their dream alive.

By Zico’s own words, ‘Win the game first, then come talk about the refereeing.’

What did Mostafa Zico say after Egypt’s World Cup loss to Messi and Argentina?

Zico saw a second-half goal disallowed by VAR for an early build-up foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martinez. The application of the rule to disallow the goal was legal, but was an incredibly aggressive use of VAR that’s been criticized heavily.

With Egypt also feeling like they didn’t get a penalty call on Mo Salah at the end of the game, Zico went on a post-match tirade against the fairness of the match.

“The referee is unfair, the injustice is clear… God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He’s wasting the effort of an entire nation. The cup is being given to Argentina. They win the World Cup”.

Zico’s disallowed goal was an unquestionably aggressive use of VAR, although the supposed missed penalty for Salah was marginal.

It’s a shame to watch a World Cup match end with so many questions in the air. While Argentina will feel they earned this win, a generation of Egyptians will always remember this game in a different light.

Read more:

Coventry City have completed the signing of Loum Tchaouna from Burnley on a five-year deal.

The French forward first joined the Clarets last summer from Lazio having initially began his football journey with Rennes.

The 22-year-old featured 32 times in total in first season in English football, chipping in with three goals and making a single assist.

Now, Tchaouna will stay in the Premier League after signing for newly-promoted Coventry City for a reported £20 million.

"I’m so excited to start this new season in the Premier League, I’m feeling good and ready for the challenge," Tchaouna said on his arrival.

"I was at Burnley last season in the Premier League, which was incredible.

"I’m going to bring my energy, determination and leadership to the team. I’ve played in Ligue 1, Serie A and now I’m playing in the Premier League, the best league in the world, so I have a lot of experience for my young age.

"I’m so excited to play at the Coventry Building Society Arena and I can’t wait for the new season."

Great Britain's Henry Patten and Finnish team-mate Harri Heliovaara clinched their third major triumph in as many years by regaining their Wimbledon men's doubles title.

The world number ones beat El Salvador's Marcelo Arevalo and Croatia's Mate Pavic 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3) in front of a delighted Centre Court crowd.

Patten collapsed to the ground after firing down an ace on the pair's second match point, before being embraced by Heliovaara after his team-mate performed a forward roll in celebration.

The pair achieved their first Wimbledon triumph in 2024 despite only joining forces earlier that year, before winning the Australian Open in 2025.

Heliovaara called Patten "the best partner in the world" while the Briton thanked him for pairing up with him two years ago.

"I owe Harri my career, really. When I started, he took a chance on me, and it turned out to be the best decision he ever made, I think," Patten said.

"It is surreal. When we won the first time, we didn't know if we would have chance to do it again. We feel so lucky to be here again."

• Not 'something in the beer' - why Czechs are dominating Wimbledon
• Hewett & Reid win seventh Wimbledon doubles title

After being presented with the men's doubles trophy on Centre Court, Patten took time to defend doubles tennis after the men's ATP Tour proposed significant changes earlier this month.

A group of leading doubles players accused the tour of trying to "end doubles as a viable profession", after discussions were held around halving the size of future doubles draws and cutting prize money in order to allocate a greater share to singles players.

The proposals would mean only 16 teams competing at ATP 1000 events and eight at the smaller tournaments, while the percentage of prize money devoted to doubles players could fall from 20% to 10%.

"It would be remiss of me not to mention that the ATP Tour submitted proposals to cut some of the doubles, and I'm a strong believer we are here to grow the game," said Patten, who is optimistic of holding constructive meetings with the ATP.

"This is a fantastic example of the joy that doubles can bring. The crowd - I hope you enjoyed it.

"I believe we should be growing opportunities in tennis for kids, whether they are doubles players, singles players, British, Finnish, from El Salvador or Croatia, wherever they are from, we should be growing the support instead of taking opportunities away.

"Thank you to Wimbledon for giving this platform to us for the two weeks, you are the best tournament in the world."

Patten and Heliovaara lost in the French Open final in June and were beaten by Arevalo and Pavic in the Queen's final in the build-up to Wimbledon.

However, they would not be denied at the All England Club on Saturday, continuing their excellent record in tie-breaks to capture a tour-leading fifth title of the season.

Neither pairing could force a break point in either set as both teams maintained excellent levels on serve.

But Patten and Heliovaara, having won deciding-set tie-breaks in three of their five matches - and six of the seven tie-breaks they had contested overall - again lifted their level when it counted.

They won four of the first five points to take charge of the first set tie-break, and five of the first six in the second before clinching victory.

In doing so, they became the first team to win multiple Wimbledon men's doubles titles since American greats Bob and Mike Bryan in 2011.

They continue to go from strength to strength, having captured the world number one ranking for first time in June.

Patten is the first British player in the Open era to win the Wimbledon men's doubles title on multiple occasions, with this the fourth year in a row a home player has won the title.

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Trent Taylor's NFL career has come to an end.

The former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver announced his retirement online, as confirmed by photos shared on his wife's Instagram story. Taylor celebrated the moment with former teammate George Kittle and Kittle's wife, Claire.

Trent Taylor’s retirement was announced on his wife’s IG story https://t.co/oxlCiM20ybpic.twitter.com/XJFYhQ8IIY

— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) July 11, 2026

Taylor, 32, spent seven seasons in the league after San Francisco drafted him in the fifth round out of Louisiana Tech in 2017. He played four of those seasons with the 49ers, sandwiched around stints with the Bengals (two seasons) and Bears (one season).

Across his career, Taylor caught 88 passes for 845 yards and three touchdowns. He also carved out a role as a punt returner, fielding 112 returns for 1,051 yards. His best statistical season came right out of the gate. As a rookie in 2017, Taylor hauled in 43 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns, establishing himself as a reliable slot option in Kyle Shanahan's offense. He missed the entire 2019 season after suffering a setback from offseason foot surgery.

Taylor's NFL journey came full circle in 2024, when the 49ers brought him back to the roster after he spent three seasons away from the team. However, he only played two games that year and caught one pass for 11 yards in Week 18. The reunion was cut short, too, after San Francisco placed him on injured reserve a year later with an undisclosed injury, and he never took the field for the team again.

No further details on his post-NFL plans have been announced.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers WR retires after seven-year NFL career

Eintracht Frankfurt are reportedly considering a move for Rangers and Scotland midfielder Connor Barron.

According to Sky Sports, the Bundesliga club, along with Serie A duo Bologna and Lazio, have expressed interest in the 23-year-old.

Barron is the latest name to emerge in Eintracht Frankfurt’s search for a defensive midfielder following previous links with Bayer Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich, Club Brugge’s Raphaël Onyedika and West Ham’s Edson Álvarez.

The Scotland international has two years remaining on his contract with Rangers. He joined the club from Aberdeen on a free transfer in 2024.

Barron made 37 appearances for Rangers last season.

On the eve of the 2026 MLB Draft, Jay Johnson and company got a massive surprise when Aledo, Texas outfielder/left-handed pitcher Lucas Nawrocki announced Friday night on his Instagram that he would be withdrawing from the draft and enrolling at LSU.

Nawrocki really made a name for himself at the MLB Draft Combine and Over the Slot's Joe Doyle projected Nawrocki as a prospect who could command $2 million from an MLB team. Nawrocki can legitimately play both ways, with a fastball that comfortably sits 95 MPH from the left side, a slider that some scouts say is the best among high schoolers, and he showed off some pretty impressive pop in his bat.

Teams have been trying to hide Aledo (Tx.) Lucas Nawrocki’s bat all season. He was already a potential $2m LHP.

Today might have help seal his name as a bat. One of the better swings of the morning groups, multiple 109s. Gets to it easy. Pro-ready frame.

📈📈📈 pic.twitter.com/ruoU5Z4brw

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) June 23, 2026

The knock on Nawrocki is his physicality. Listed at 5'11", scouts feel like he'll never project to a starter at the Major League level, though he could certainly develop into a high-leverage lefty reliever, and that likely factored into getting Nawrocki to campus.

Nawrocki will get the chance to play both ways at LSU, but his immediate future is in the bullpen. LSU's lineup is more or less set, but the Tigers desperately need some more left-handed pitching coming out of the bullpen. The only lefty relievers LSU has returning are Danny Lachenmayer, Cooper Williams, and Ethan Plogg, and that is Nawrocki's ticket to some immediate playing time in 2027.

Nawrocki is the third marquee recruit from Jay Johnson's class to bypass the draft and stick with their LSU commitment, joining outfielder Nathaneal Davis and Braxton Beaty, another lefty pitcher.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Elite two-way prospect sticks with LSU baseball, turns down draft

Liverpool Should View Michael Edwards’ Departure With Calm, Not Concern

News that Michael Edwards is set to leave Liverpool will naturally create concern among supporters. After all, he has long been regarded as one of the finest football executives in the game, playing a pivotal role in building one of the most successful eras in the club’s modern history.

However, this is not a moment for panic.

It is a moment for perspective.

When Edwards returned to the Liverpool hierarchy, his remit extended far beyond Anfield. His appointment as Sporting CEO was designed to oversee the broader football operations of Fenway Sports Group and, most importantly, to help establish a multi-club model that would mirror structures successfully implemented elsewhere in European football.

That project appears to have changed significantly.

Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, FSG seem to have stepped away from aggressively pursuing additional football clubs. Acquiring, developing and integrating multiple teams across different leagues requires enormous investment, patience and long-term commitment.

Understandably, those plans have been reassessed.

Once that strategy was shelved, Edwards’ role inevitably became very different.

The position he returned to undertake no longer carried the same purpose. Rather than overseeing a growing football network, the role became increasingly limited to Liverpool itself, something that had never appeared to be the long-term intention.

From that perspective, his departure should not come as a surprise.

In fact, it may have been anticipated internally for quite some time.

Liverpool are not a club that reacts impulsively to executive changes. Succession planning has always been one of the organisation’s greatest strengths, and it would be surprising if FSG had not already mapped out exactly how responsibilities would be redistributed long before any announcement became public.

Mike Gordon has previously overseen many of the club’s major football operations and is perfectly capable of assuming greater responsibility once again.

It may even be that Liverpool decide no direct replacement for Edwards is required.

Richard Hughes Can Still Deliver a Strong Final Transfer Window

The same measured thinking should apply to Richard Hughes.

For months, there has been an expectation that Liverpool’s sporting director will leave following this transfer window to take up a senior position within the Saudi Pro League.

If that proves to be the case, it should not alter Liverpool’s ambitions this summer.

Hughes has built an outstanding reputation throughout his career because of his professionalism, organisation and ability to negotiate effectively. There is nothing to suggest those standards will suddenly disappear simply because a new opportunity awaits him.

If anything, he will be determined to leave Liverpool in the strongest possible position.

The next six weeks could prove to be among the most important in recent years.

Andoni Iraola is preparing for his first season as Liverpool head coach and requires a squad capable of executing his demanding style of football. Key additions remain necessary in midfield, defence and attack, while several departures are also expected as the squad continues its evolution.

Those decisions have almost certainly been planned collaboratively for months.

Liverpool’s recruitment model has never relied on one individual. It is built around collective decision-making, detailed analysis and long-term planning. That structure should ensure continuity regardless of who occupies the executive offices.

Supporters understandably become anxious whenever respected figures leave, but Liverpool have repeatedly shown that strong institutions outlast individuals.

The club’s direction should remain unchanged.

Rather than fearing executive departures, attention should remain focused on the football.

The transfer window is only just beginning, the new manager is preparing for his first campaign, and significant business is still expected before the season gets underway.

Intrigue, not panic, should define the mood around Anfield.

Liverpool have planned for change before.

There is every reason to believe they have planned for this one too.

Strange, but it felt like Dominick Puni broke out in his rookie year in 2024. Unfortunately, his 2025 saw a bit of a regression after a solid 2024 campaign. Blame it on a PCL injury in August, but that was just his first month.

Could the San Francisco 49ers’ right guard be poised for a breakout? It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a player go from a decent rookie season to a step back in year 2 and then get it all together in year 3.

Over at NFL.com, Bucky Brooks put together an offensive all-breakout team of one player per position who he thought would have a significant rise in stock. Puni was the only 49er who made the list:

The 2024 third-round pick has started 36 consecutive games (postseason included) in an offense that relies on his punishing skills at the point of attack. As a mauler who specializes in moving defenders off the ball, Puni is an essential piece to the 49ers’ dynamic running game. Although the heavy-handed shadow boxer must continue to improve in pass protection, San Francisco has a Pro Bowler in the making at right guard.

The final year of Puni’s contract is 2027, so that gives him two more years to justify a lucrative extension. As KP said in the post linked above, New York Jets’ Joe Tippmann is a good comparison of what kind of extension Puni could get right now—but Puni’s actual numbers resemble Dallas Cowboys’ Tyler Smith.

It’s been a running gag that the 49ers either have issues with their offensive line (minus Trent Williams) or the pieces that do pan out wind up playing out of the 49ers’ price range (See Banks, Aaron & McGlinchey, Mike).

There was a lot to see from Puni in his rookie season, and the aforementioned knee injury likely had a hand in some of those blown blocks: 21 in the first seven weeks of the season. After Week 8, Puni only had one game with more than three blown blocks.

If that’s the case, maybe that PCL injury was worse than we thought?

Do you see Puni having a breakout year in 2026?

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — England mollified its critics for a week after smothering a dismal Fiji by a record 73-8 in Nations Championship rugby on Saturday.

Relevant questions about England's lineup, tactics and attitude after the hammering from world champion South Africa in Johannesburg last weekend were pacified somewhat by coming home and posting an equally unsurprising 11-try win against outclassed Fiji.

Fiji struggled for possession and could not handle England's scrum, maul and defense. Under pressure, Fiji conceded 12 penalties — nine by halftime — and a red card to scrumhalf Simione Kuruvoli for lashing out with his boot into the stomach of Ellis Genge.

That meant Fiji played the entire second half down a man and England could play wider and be ruthless. Up 35-3 at halftime, England added six more tries, including a hat trick for replacement flanker Henry Pollock. Fin Smith converted nine.

England tallied a record score against Fiji and its biggest win since beating Chile 71-0 in Lille at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Alex Marquez believes MotoGP’s new starting grid rules made it quite difficult for riders to gain position at the start of the German Grand Prix sprint.

The Gresini rider lined up second on the grid for Saturday’s half-distance race at the Sachsenring but was unable to get the jump on his brother Marc Marquez, who led comfortably from pole position on his factory Ducati. 

There were few changes elsewhere inside the top 10, with Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura briefly passing Fabio di Giannantonio into Turn 1 and Aprilia’s Jorge Martin making a move on Francesco Bagnaia later in the lap.

The relatively quiet start to the sprint came after MotoGP made a major change to the grid formation this weekend, with the distance between each rider increased from three to four metres.

This revision was made on safety grounds following a crash-heavy Catalan GP, where Johann Zarco suffered a major knee injury after his leg got collected in Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati at the restart.

Alex Marquez, who himself got injured in the same Barcelona race through no fault of his own, said the new start rules severely limited overtaking opportunities at the start.

“My idea was to attack him on the start, but now with the new rules that we have more space between riders and more space between lines, it's quite difficult to gain position,” he explained.

“If the other one didn't make a big mistake, it's so impossible to arrive even in parallel.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Following an uneventful opening lap, the Sachsenring race quickly descended into a procession, with Marc Marquez successfully holding off his brother through the remaining laps.

Alex Marquez himself came under pressure from VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio on the final tour, but the latter never came close enough to attempt a move.

There were no major changes outside the top three either, with Ogura finishing fourth and Martin unable to pass Fernandez, who was compromised by back pain after suffering a compression shock in qualifying.

Di Giannantonio believes the lack of action was primarily down to the track layout, which made it harder for riders to follow each other without compromising their tyre life. 

“We know that this track is really, really difficult to overtake on,” he said. “Once you go just behind another rider, the front tyre gets temperature, and with all the corners being in the angle, it's really difficult to keep the pace and then try to overtake. You can do it, but it's pretty risky.

“So I had to do the move on Ogura at the beginning to try to be there, but then I tried to have a little space in the middle of the race to save the front tyre, but it was not enough for the end. It was just too risky to overtake Alex.”

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing, Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

The Italian said the situation was made worse by the fact that he felt quicker than race winner Marquez, who was unable to push at full capacity due to his physical limitations.

“I had better speed to go faster,” he said. “It's 100% true that Marc was not pushing 100%. I think Marc had something more on the pace, but he was controlling, but it's normal. 

“For us, I was there trying to be with them, but then when you are behind, it really becomes a nightmare to just keep the pace. Even if you are faster, you cannot keep the pace, so you really need some room.”

Di Giannantonio explained that he deliberately dropped back a few tenths behind Alex Marquez to run in clean air, as following a rider too closely left his bike on the “edge”.

“You can do different lines to try to save the rear tyre, but then whatever you do to save the rear tyre, it destroys the front tyre a little,” he said.

“When you are behind a rider almost three-fourths of the lap, just behind, full in the edge, it's really difficult then to save it. So once you arrive pretty close, you have just the front moving all the time.

“It was a bit strange to race like this, but it's like this, so we need to adapt, and we need to try to do something better for tomorrow to try to attack.”

Marco Bezzecchi withdraws from German GP after suffering fracture in qualifying

MotoGP German GP: Marc Marquez leads Ducati sprint sweep

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson had large shoes to fill when he arrived in March of 2022. He replaced longtime first baseman and franchise legend Freddie Freeman, who left for the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.

The Braves quickly pivoted to Olson, acquiring him from the then-Oakland Athletics and signing him to a massive eight-year, $168 million contract extension just one day after the trade was finalized.

It is safe to say Olson has been exactly as advertised. The 32-year-old left-handed slugger has earned a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award across five seasons in Atlanta and will head to his third All-Star Game as a Brave this year.

The Braves currently sit at 54-38, in first place in the National League East, and Olson is a big reason why. Across 92 games this year, he has posted a .270 batting average, .342 on-base percentage, .888 OPS, 25 home runs and 58 RBIs.

Even though the Braves have lost Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals by a final score of 2-1, the moment the first pitch was delivered Olson stepped into his place in franchise history. Atlanta announced the monumental moment on social media.

"History made! Matt Olson now holds the Braves franchise record with 741 consecutive games played," the Braves wrote on X.

History made!

Matt Olson now holds the Braves franchise record with 741 consecutive games played. pic.twitter.com/mflkC6AsW0

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 11, 2026

Olson's iron man streak began the moment he arrived in Atlanta in 2022. Since joining the organization, he has appeared in every game possible, playing through minor injury issues along the way.

It is something Olson has taken pride in throughout his entire 11-year career, having appeared in every possible game twice during his six-year stint with the Athletics as well.

The record he broke belongs to Dale Murphy, who held the franchise mark at 740 consecutive games. Olson tied Murphy's mark 40 years to the day on Thursday before breaking it Friday.

His streak also ranks ninth in MLB history overall, and he is currently on pace to pass St. Louis Cardinals legend Stan Musial this season.

Now that Olson holds the franchise record, the Braves may eventually need to have a conversation with him about rest if they find themselves with a playoff spot locked up in September.

But that is a conversation for another day. For now, Olson stands as the premier iron man of his generation in an era defined by load management, and that distinction says everything about who he is as a player.

Former Blue Devil and No. 10 overall selection Khaman Maluach impressed in his first summer league game of 2026, scoring 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to an 81-79 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Along with his 19 points, Maluach posted 11 rebounds, two steals and one block.

While Maluach will need to take better care of the ball (seven turnovers), his outside shooting was especially impressive. After shooting just 23.8% from beyond the arc during his rookie campaign, Maluach knocked down three of his seven three-point attempts against Portland, adding a new dimension to his offensive game.

For the Blazers, former Blue Devil DJ Steward stood out as well, scoring 21 points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. Both players had support from current Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, while another alum, Luke Kennard, was there to support Maluach following his move to Phoenix.

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Former Duke top-10 pick showcases new skill at NBA Summer League

Today’s Yankee birthday is someone who had a bit of an odd career. If you just glance at his stats, he looks like someone who should’ve had a way longer career than playing just parts of seven years. He has way better stats than someone who had two year plus long stints out of the majors entirely, that had nothing to do with injury or any sort of military service. The only explanation I have for parts of how his time in the big leagues played out was that it was the 1910s.

Harry Meiggs Wolter
Born: July 11, 1884 (Monterey, CA)
Died: July 6, 1970 (Palo Alto, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1910-13

Wolter was born in Monterey, CA in 1884, the youngest of seven children. He attended the local Monterey High School — where future Yankee Mike Aldrete would go many decades later — and then went on to Santa Clara University. He had a brief run in the minors in 1905, but his pro career began in full in 1906 after he graduated college. That year, he joined the incredibly named Fresno Raisin Eaters of the Pacific Coast League. He was a bit of a two-way player at that time, as he had a 3.22 ERA in nearly 300 innings for Fresno that year, but also had a .307 batting average in over 500 at-bats.

That season got Wolter on the major league radar. The Reds picked up him for 1907, but that ended up being a very weird season for Wolter. He played four games for the Reds — all in the outfield — before they sold him to the Pirates. Pittsburgh tried him as a pitcher in one game, but also didn’t have a use for him and sold him to the Cardinals. He showed some promise at the plate in St. Louis, but only appeared in 16 games. After that trek around the country, he headed back out west. Despite the Cardinals attempting to sell him to a minor league team, Wolter instead jumped to the “outlaw” California State League and the San Jose Prune Pickers.

A good year there got him back on the MLB radar, and the Red Sox bought him for 1909. He finally got an extended chance to be a two-way player with Boston, but during that year it became clear that he was a better hitter than pitcher, and 1909 would be his final MLB season with any innings pitched.

Despite a decent hitting year, the Red Sox placed Wolters on waivers, and the New York Highlanders picked him up. Appearing in 135 games, Wolter put up a .725 OPS in 1910, which equated to a very good 122 OPS+. While his pitching days were over, he remained quite versatile, playing games at four different positions in the field.

Wolter was even better in 1911, putting up 127 OPS+, although the Highlanders as a team weren’t particularly great. The following year, he made a bit of history by recording the first ever hit in the history of Fenway Park, singling in the first inning. However, he would be restricted to just 12 games after dislocating his kneecap while sliding into second base.

Whether it was the injury or any other reason, Wolter’s numbers fell off in 1913, but he was still above average in a lot of stats. Like a lot of things about Wolter’s career or old timey baseball, I can’t fully explain why, but ahead of the 1914 season, the Highlanders sold Wolters back to the Pacific Coast League. Wolters did not take the move lightly saying:

“It is a clear case of railroading. (New York owner) Frank Farrell never asked waivers on me and is trying to send me to the minors without giving me a chance to get on with some other American League club. I will sign with the Angels for the same salary I received from the New Yorks, but will not accept any contract which calls for a cent less, and unless these terms are met I will jump to the Federal League.”

In the end, he did return back to the PCL, joining the Los Angeles Angels. He ended up playing the next three years there and looked more like the 1910-11 version of himself. He had one more run in the big leagues, joining the Cubs for 1917. He was a bit below average, and opted to go back to the PCL again when the Cubs tried to slash his salary for 1918. Wolter played for a variety of PCL teams over the next couple years, retiring after the 1920 season. He briefly came out of retirement in 1927, playing a couple games for a minor league team he was managing, and even returned to the mound on a couple occasions.

Following his playing career, Wolter served as the baseball coach at Stanford off and on until 1949. He also remained in Palo Alto until he passed away at the age of 85 in 1970.

There are a couple things about Wolter’s career that I can only say “it was the 1910s” about.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

The 2026 MLB Draft is set to get underway today at 12 PM CDT, and the future of Cardinals baseball takes another important step forward. Last year, the Cardinals infused their pipeline with high-octane heat on day 1, adding a pair of University of Tennessee hurlers in Liam Doyle and Tanner Franklin, a high-upside left-handed-hitting prepster in Ryan Mitchell, and a college power-hitting left-handed first baseman in Jack Gurevitch.

This year, the Cardinals own 6 of the top 86 picks and will be very busy on day 1 as they look to continue stockpiling young talent for their improving farm system. Those picks include 13, 32, 50, 68, 72, and 86.

The Cardinals own one of the larger bonus pools for this weekend’s festivities, thanks in large part to securing their comp A pick and the two comp B picks they acquired in the Brendan Donovan trade.

Top 10 bonus pools for the 2026 MLB Draft
1. White Sox: $20,489,500
2. Rays: $19,009,300
3. Giants: $17,350,600
4. Twins: $16,929,600
5. Cardinals: $16,612,300
6. Pirates: $16,233,300
7. Royals: $15,954,000
8. Braves: $15,870,800
9. Rockies: $15,557,600
10. Athletics: $13,840,300

Day 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)
• 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET – Preview show + Picks 1-10 (NBC/Peacock)
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. ET – Picks 11-40 (MLB Network, Peacock, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
• 4:30-7:45 p.m. ET – Picks 41-135 (Peacock, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)

Here is your “when, where, and how” for watching the draft unfold live. Obviously, the who and the why will be up to the Cardinals, and the what is the draft, of course.

This thread will be updated throughout the day as new picks are selected, and the comments section will serve as our forum to discuss information as it unfolds. I will be VEB’s attentive guide throughout the day; prepare yourselves for a mountain of content from me.

*Note*

I apologize to all who submitted or were looking forward to my conversation with Joe Doyle of Overslot Baseball. I made a mistake on the scheduling, and we were unable to facilitate a conversation or a makeup of the conversation before the draft began, as you can imagine, several shows across baseball had him scheduled over the last 72 hours. Joe will join us again in the future. If you have questions throughout the day, I will do my best to either answer, provide context, or seek answers for you from contacts within the industry I have procured who have a deeper knowledge of these players.

Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda are the two dominant forces in golf.

Scheffler is the men’s world number one, and while he’s in the midst of a down year by his own lofty standards, he is still the man to beat week in, week out on the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, Korda, following a mediocre season in 2025, is having the best season of her career to date. She’s won two major championships and won four times in total this season already.

But while they are both inarguably the best in their respective fields, they now share a piece of unwanted history after their performances this week.

Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda make history by both missing the cut

Scheffler and Korda have both had weeks to forget. Scheffler missed the cut at the Scottish Open to break his streak of 78 consecutive made cuts on the PGA Tour, a run that dates back to August of 2022.

Meanwhile, Korda had a disappointing week at the Amundi Evian Championship, also failing to make the weekend’s action. It’s Korda’s first missed cut since the 2024 Women’s PGA Championship.

This marks the first time that both the men’s and women’s world number ones have missed the cut in the same weekend since the women’s world golf rankings were introduced 20 years ago in 2006.

It’s jarring to see two of the most consistent performers in the sport have such uncharacteristically disastrous performances in the same week.

NEED TO KNOW

• South African midfielder Jayden Adams has died at age 25

• The soccer player’s death comes just weeks after representing his country at the 2026 World Cup

• “South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents, and our nation mourns alongside his family, his team-mates and the millions of supporters who watched him grow from a promising academy prospect into a full Bafana Bafana international,” said South Africa’s minister of sports, arts and culture

Jayden Adams, a soccer player who recently represented South Africa at the 2026 World Cup, has died. He was 25. 

On Saturday, July 11, the South African Football Players Union announced in a statement shared on X that Adams died after “carrying the hopes of the nation with pride, courage and distinction” throughout the soccer tournament.

“The South African Football Players Union (SAFPU) is devastated by the untimely passing of Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder, Jayden Adams,” the union wrote. “His passing is an immeasurable loss to his family, teammates, clubs, the football fraternity and the country at large.”

“Death has cruelly stolen one of our own,” the club added. “It has robbed our nation of a remarkable footballer, but it will never take away the legacy Jayden Adams leaves behind. We will forever remember his humility, his extraordinary talent and the pride with which he represented South Africa.”

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Adams began his soccer journey as Stellenbosch FC’s first graduate to sign a professional contract in August 2020. During the World Cup, he appeared in all three of South Africa’s group-stage matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

After starting in the team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico and its following 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic, Adams served as a substitute in the 1-0 win over South Korea. The athlete was also an unused substitute for the round of 32 defeat to Canada. 

Following his death, South Africa’s minister of sports, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, paid tribute in a statement shared on social media. 

“It is with profound shock and a heavy heart that I have learnt of the passing of Jayden Adams,” McKenzie wrote. “South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents, and our nation mourns alongside his family, his team-mates and the millions of supporters who watched him grow from a promising academy prospect into a full Bafana Bafana international.”

McKenzie revealed that Adams’ grandmother had died just hours before Bafana’s match against the Czech Republic began in Atlanta on June 18.

He wrote: “I recall noting how unusually quiet Jayden seemed on the bench in the second half, after he had been substituted — it was only afterwards that we learnt he had taken to the field that day carrying the fresh grief of losing his grandmother, Marianna, who had passed away only hours before kick-off.”

Adding that Adams’ cause of death has not yet been confirmed, McKenzie urged members of the public to “exercise restraint and compassion, and to refrain from speculation, while his family and Mamelodi Sundowns are given the space and privacy they need at this incredibly difficult time.”

Read the original article on People

South Africa and Scotland tussle on the second weekend of the inaugural Nations Championship.

The pair were both opening round winners, with the Springboks putting England away comprehensively and the Scots impressive in beating Argentina.

• LIVE! Follow all the action as the Springboks take on Scotland

Gregor Townsend will know his side face a tall task here, though, even with home head coach Rassie Erasmus freshening up his matchday 23.

It is 12 years since Scotland last played the Springboks on South African soil, while they have failed to muster a try in their last two outings against Erasmus’s team.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is South Africa vs Scotland?

South Africa vs Scotland is due to kick off at 4.40pm BST on Saturday 11 July at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on ITV1, with coverage on the channel from 4.20pm BST. A livestream will be available via ITVX.

Team news

It’s a new-look South African team, again led by Pieter-Steph du Toit after the flanker stood in following Siya Kolisi’s late withdrawal against England. Four of the tight five in front of the flanker are freshly involved, while Van Roos replaces Jasper Wiese at No 8.

Damian Willemse, so impressive at full-back a week ago, shifts into the centres with Aphelele Fassi wearing the No 15 shirt, while Handre Pollard starts at fly half at his home club ground. Six forwards are ready to make an impact from the bench.

South Africa XV: 1 Boan Venter, 2 Johann Grobbelaar, 3 Wilco Louw; 4 Cobus Wiese, 5 Ruan Nortje; 6 Paul de Villiers, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (capt.), 8 Evan Roos; 9 Embrose Papier, 10 Handre Pollard; 11 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Edwill van der Merwe; 15 Aphelele Fassi.

Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Zach Porthen, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Elrigh Louw; 22 Grant Williams, 23 Quan Horn.

Finn Russell has recovered from a calf injury to start at fly half for Scotland having missed the win over Argentina. Zander Fagerson and Gregor Brown are promoted into the starting tight five off the bench, while Rory Hutchinson and Kyle Rowe continue at outside centre and full-back after strong performances a week ago.

There are six forwards on the bench, with Jamie Dobie the scrum-half cover if required.

Scotland XV: 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 Ewan Ashman, 3 Zander Fagerson; 4 Gregor Brown, 5 Scott Cummings; 6 Matt Fagerson, 7 Rory Darge, 8 Jack Dempsey; 9 Ben White, 10 Finn Russell; 11 Jamie Dobie, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (capt.), 13 Rory Hutchinson, 14 Kyle Steyn; 15 Kyle Rowe.

Replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Alex Samuel, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Magnus Bradbury; 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Stafford McDowall.

The 2026 Miami Dolphins are in a rebuild; this is a fact. However, one of their stars is expecting the team to outperform expectations. Left tackle Patrick Paul sat down with his predecessor and future Hall of Fame candidate, Terron Armstead, on the former Dolphins’ podcast, "The Set."

Paul told Armstead that a different mentality would be on display with this version of the Dolphins and had a message for fans. Paul said, "I expect them to see a gritty team. With this new leadership, we're definitely coming different.”

He went on to elaborate as he detailed, “A hard-working team that's going to be very disciplined, a team that's going to play all through four quarters, in all different weather situations. Just expect a team that's going to go out there and shock people."

🎥 Patrick Paul believes the 2026 Miami Dolphins will shock people:

"I expect them to see a gritty team. With this new leadership, we're definitely coming different... a hard working team that's going to be very disciplined, a team that's going to play all through four quarters,… pic.twitter.com/wwGdiRoial

— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) July 10, 2026

These words were very telling, as the stigmas held against Miami over the last several years have been a certain lack of toughness, as well as an inability to adjust in the second half and well-documented problems in cold-weather situations with the elements in play.

Also discussed on the show was Paul breaking down his own performance from 2025, as the third-year player and 2024 second-round pick broke down his season, telling Armstead, “It was good ball that I played, being completely honest, but there’s definitely more. The mindset’s always like more; it’s got to be better.”

He elaborated, “Because whenever you watch it, I’m not watching the good stuff; I’m watching where I messed up when I look back to the season.” In his first full season as a starter, Paul continued about his 2025 play, saying, “Definitely a good intro, but I want more, I want it to be more clean; I want it to be more consistent.”

New head coach Jeff Hafley and first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan have echoed the desire to change the culture in South Florida. Although there could be growing pains in this new regime, Paul's comments are in coordination with the mindset of the new regime, and the left tackle will be one of the leaders in the locker room in 2026 and certainly among the top five players on the roster.

Paul and Armstead discussed other topics, ranging from his rookie season to former coach Mike McDaniel, as well as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his time in Miami, who is now looking to win the Atlanta Falcons' starting job. Paul and the Dolphins will begin training camp as a full unit on July 28, with rookies reporting on the 21.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins young lineman says Miami will 'shock people' in 2026

Nations Championship - round two

Fiji (3) 8

Try: Ikanivere, Pen: Muntz

England (35) 73

Tries: M Smith, George, Pepper, Janse van Rensburg, Atkinson, Feyi-Waboso, Pollock (3), Slade, Caluori Cons: F Smith (9)

Replacement Henry Pollock scored a second-half hat-trick as England cruised to victory and ended a five-Test losing streak against an ill-disciplined and disjointed Fiji in Liverpool.

Playing against 14 men for half the match after scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli was shown a straight red for a kick out at Ellis Genge, England raced away to their largest ever win over Fiji.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's acrobatic finish down the left wing and Pollock's treble, all celebrated in style, brought loud cheers from the Hill Dickinson Stadium's 50,209-strong crowd after the break.

Elsewhere Bristol's South African-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Saracens' teenage wing sensation Noah Caluori made try-scoring Test debuts from the bench.

England were as comprehensive winners as the scoreline suggested, but the value of the victory has to be assessed in the context of a rabble of a performance from Fiji.

The Pacific Islanders famously beat England at Twickenham in August 2023, and came close to doing so again when the teams met in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals a few weeks later.

When they met in the autumn, in the midst of an England winning streak, Fiji had been within three points on the hour mark, before fading to a 38-18 loss.

This version however, never looked like having the consistency and cohesion to condemn England to a sixth successive Test defeat – a run of form which would have been their worst in 20 years.

More to follow

Fiji: Rayasi; Karaivalevu, Ravouvou, Tuisova, Wainiqolo; Muntz, Kuruvoli; Mawi, Ikanivere, Doge, Ratuva, Nasilasila, Yato, Tagitagivalu, Botia

Replacements: Matavesi, Matave, Ravai, Mayanavanua, Canakivata, Sovakula, Lomani, Armstrong-Ravula

England: M Smith; Freeman, Slade, Atkinson, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George, Heyes, Coles, Martin, Chessum, Pepper, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Kloska, Curry, Pollock, Mitchell, Janse van Rensburg, Caluori.

• Listen: Sport's Strangest Crimes - Bloodgate
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Women's Super League leaders Wigan Warriors ran in 12 tries as they thrashed struggling Featherstone Rovers 70-10 to maintain their 100% record this season.

Anna Davies scored a hat-trick, while Eva Hunter's brace, plus tries from Remi Wilton, Georgia Wilson, Elara Llewellyn-Sharrock, Cerys Jones, Ellise Derbyshire, Beri Salihi and Grace Banks completed the rout.

Dani Waters scored and converted for Featherstone, while Shavon Craven crossed for a late conversion.

Isabel Rowe was in superb form with the boot for Wigan, converting 11 of the 12 tries.

Elsewhere, St Helens also racked up a try count into double figures as they eased past Leigh Leopards 58-6 at the Brewdog Stadium to stay third.

Phoebe Hook and Olivia Leach both scored hat-tricks on a damaging afternoon for the Leopards, who sit sixth.

Jodie Cunningham (2), Dani McGifford, Vicky Whitfield and Paige Travis also crossed, with Faye Gaskin converting seven of the 11 tries.

The damage was done inside the first half, which also included Lucy Johnson's try for Leigh, converted by Charlotte Melvin.

A football club has called for "full and unconditional apologies" from the Alliance Party after the club's badge was used in an image on a social media post where the party was promoting a bill that will "tackle abusive flags".

The image posted had a flag which bears Linfield FC's badge and the text on the image said "striking the right balance".

South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw, who is proposing the bill, apologised to the club "for any offence caused" which Linfield have called a "conditional apology".

The Alliance Party said the flag had been used "in conjunction with highlighted text about legitimate cultural expression, but was misconstrued by some".

The graphic was removed to "avoid any misrepresentation, deliberate or otherwise".

'Shocked and extremely disappointed'

Linfield said it was "shocked and extremely disappointed" on Friday to see that the "club's badge had been used in a political message linked to 'abusive flags'".

"The club engaged at an early stage with representatives of the party responsible and secured the deletion of the offending post.

"A rather conditional apology from their South Belfast MLA has since followed.

"With all due respect, and in particular context of previous issues between this club and other elected representatives of this party, it is difficult to see any other reasonable interpretation of the use of a Linfield FC flag as the sole imagery accompanying an article referring specifically to "abusive flags"," a Linfield statement said.

"We did feel that the matter had been brought under some control yesterday evening, however, until an inappropriate and undignified late night intervention from that party's leader."

The club said it "now awaits full and unconditional apologies from the Alliance Party and the individuals in question".

The series of graphic that The Alliance Party used included a number of graphics of various flags flying on lampposts.

Writing on social media, Bradshaw said she had "seen a lot of commentary on a graphic used" in her social media posts "re my flags bill entitled 'Striking the Balance'".

"This has rather missed the point. Flags celebrating sports clubs would generally be permitted under my bill".

She apologised for "any offence caused".

In a statement the party said: "This bill is intended to resolve the issue of the flying of flags across Northern Ireland, and it remains vital to have that conversation."

'Embarrasing'

The posts have attracted comments from other political parties.

The Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson posted on social media: "First the shirt. Now the flag. What is it about Linfield that provokes such intolerance from Alliance Party. Embarrassing."

In response the Alliance leader Naomi Long said: "Why on earth would you assume that a Linfield flag was meant to be representative of the negatives suggested in this post rather than the positives about celebration?

"Maybe you're just exposing your own bias."

The Traditional Unionist Voice MLA Timothy Gaston said: "When one has to apologise for a social media campaign promoting a proposed law it's probably an indication that what you are proposing will make bad law."

Dan Campbell has breathed new life into the Detroit Lions since taking charge of the team five years ago, guiding them to two playoff appearances, but crossing the final hurdle to win the championship has remained out of reach. The 2023 NFL Championship appearance is their deepest run of the Dan Campbell era. To become a potential championship contender, they may need an X-factor who can truly become the difference maker.

On that note, the ESPN analyst Seth Walder believes that the Lions’ first-round pick from the 2026 NFL draft and the former Clemson Tigers offensive tackle could be that ‘X-factor’ Dan Campbell needs this season, as he is poised to make a significant impact on the O-Line.

“Right tackle Blake Miller. We think of the Lions as having a stalwart offensive line, but they had a serious need at right tackle after releasing veteran tackle Taylor Decker and flipping Penei Sewell to the left side. They filled it with Miller in the first round of the draft,” Walder recently stated.

However, he also added that the historically rookie offensive tackles, including the elite first-round picks, struggled to make it in the first season of their professional careers, so it will be interesting to see if Miller manages to break the jinx and takes the Lions’ O-line to another level, helping Jared Goff become more productive on the field.

Breaking into the big league in the rookie season is not easy, especially considering the track record of the first-season tackles, but Miller has the tools to become an exception.

Blake Miller Has What It Takes to Beat the Rookie Tackle Trend

GettyBlake Miller

Blake Miller is going to play as the right tackle. Unlike a majority of the college prospects who are around the offensive line, who are often forced to flip sides, the 22-year-old is battle-tested, having played four years of his college football as the right tackle. Therefore, he will not need to adjust to a different position as a professional, considering his extensive experience. Playing 54 games for the Clemson Tigers in his four seasons, he amassed 3,778 offensive snaps at right tackle.

The learning curve in the NFL for a rookie is often disrupted by minor or major injuries, but the rookie OT’s college track record shows he is built differently. Even though he suited up for the Tigers for four seasons, he never had an injury setback. Then comes his physical profile. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds with 34-inch arms, the rookie has a textbook NFL frame for a premium OT while having explosive lateral movement to lock with the big and elite edge rushers on the gridiron, as he will be teaming up with the All-Pro Penei Sewell.

Blake Miler Will Replace the Veteran Taylor Decker in Lions’ O-Line

GettyBlake Miller

The Lions’ O-Line is set to witness a major shake-up this season. Dan Campbell parted ways with the long-term veteran Taylor Decker, who spent a decade in Detroit and played as the left tackle. By bringing Blake Miller into the mix, the franchise filled this void, but he will not be playing at left tackle as his direct replacement.

Penei Sewell, who played as the right tackle, will move to his natural left tackle position. On the other hand, Balke Miller will be the new right tackle for the Lions, and the duo is expected to be a nightmare for opposing NFL defenses.

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This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post ESPN Analyst Tabs Detroit Lions’ Biggest X-Factor for 2026 appeared first on HEAVY.

The German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed positive talks with Jürgen Klopp over his potential appointment as Germany's new head coach.

After Sky Germany reported that the parties had reached an agreement in principle on a contract until 2030, the DFB released a statement saying:

"DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and DFB Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke held an initial in-depth meeting with Jürgen Klopp yesterday in New York regarding the possible appointment of Klopp as Germany's national team head coach.

“During the constructive discussions, the parties reached an understanding on the key terms of a potential contract.”

Klopp is under contract with Red Bull as their Head of Global Soccer, but securing his release is not expected to be a problem.

“The talks will continue next week. Both sides are confident that the negotiations can ultimately be concluded successfully, subject to reaching an agreement with Klopp's current employer, Red Bull,” the DFB stated.

"Any potential contract must ultimately be approved at a joint meeting of the Supervisory Board and the Shareholders' Assembly of DFB GmbH & Co. KG."

The Germany job became vacant after Julian Nagelsmann stepped down following the national team's disappointing round of 32 exit to Paraguay at the World Cup.

The Boston Celtics opened their 2026 NBA Summer League campaign with an 83-80 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

While much of the pregame attention centered on first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. making his debut, it was a familiar face who stole the show by the final buzzer.

Two-way center Amari Williams dominated both ends of the floor, finishing with a team-high 23 points and 13 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, to lead Boston to victory.

Boston Celtics Two-Way Center Leads the Way in Summer League Opener

Williams produced a solid all-around performance in 29 minutes, shooting an efficient 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from the free-throw line while adding two assists and two blocks.

He also posted a plus-nine plus-minus, the second-best mark on the team, underlining his impact on both ends of the floor.

Fellow 2025 draft pick Hugo González flirted with a triple-double despite enduring a difficult shooting night.

The 20-year-old made just three of his 16 field-goal attempts and connected on only one of his nine shots from beyond the arc. Even so, he still influenced the game by grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out eight assists.

Meanwhile, 2026 first-round selection Cenac Jr. also struggled to find his rhythm offensively, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He did, however, knock down two of his four three-point attempts while collecting 10 rebounds to complete a double-double.

Five of those rebounds came on the offensive glass, and the rookie also recorded four blocks, offering an encouraging glimpse of his defensive upside.

The contest remained tightly contested throughout, featuring 12 lead changes overall, including eight during a dramatic fourth quarter before Boston eventually prevailed in overtime.

The Celtics will return to action on Sunday when they face the Charlotte Hornets.

For Williams, it was another statement performance as he continues to strengthen his standing within the organization.

Williams Continuing to Build Momentum in Boston

After being selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Williams initially signed a two-way contract before earning a two-year, $2.7 million standard NBA deal in February.

The promotion reflected the Celtics’ belief in his long-term potential after he showed a handful of encouraging moments when called upon at the NBA level.

This offseason, Boston declined his team option before bringing him back on a new two-way contract, a move that allows Williams to continue developing while remaining closely integrated with the NBA roster.

The 6-foot-11 center spent much of last season with the Maine Celtics, where he established himself as one of the G League’s most productive big men.

Across 28 games, Williams averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks while shooting an efficient 59.6% from the field.

He finished 16th in the G League with 305 total rebounds and ranked 20th in blocked shots with 49 despite playing fewer minutes than many of the players ahead of him.

Perhaps even more impressive was his playmaking. Williams’ 139 assists ranked second among all G League centers, highlighting a passing ability that separates him from more traditional interior bigs.

Like most young centers splitting time between the NBA and G League, Williams experienced expected growing pains while adapting to different systems and styles of play.

Even so, he consistently flashed significant upside, with Maine head coach Phil Pressey describing him as a “monster” and a “beast” while adding that he has “high upside.”

For a second-round pick, Williams’ development continues to trend in the right direction.

If he carries this momentum through Summer League and into his second professional season, he could quickly establish himself as an important piece of the Boston Celtics’ long-term plans.

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The post Celtics Two-Way Standout Flashes Upside in Summer League Opener appeared first on HEAVY.

The MLB Draft begins at 12:00 p.m. CT on Saturday with rounds one through four. Several media outlets filed their last mock drafts in the waning hours of Friday and one former LSU Baseball star is looking like a lock for the first round.

Derek Curiel landed inside the top 15 overall picks as projected by ESPN and The Athletic. Both outlets considered the center fielder a high first-rounder for much of the buildup to the draft. It hasn't changed over the final stretch before the big day.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel slots Curiel at No. 11 overall to the Washington Nationals, making him the third outfielder taken. The Athletic's Keith Law put Curiel at No. 15 overall to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He would be the fourth outfielder off the board.

Curiel leaves Baton Rouge after two standout years. He started in left field as a freshman and in center field as a sophomore while maintaining.a spot in the top half of the batting order. He batted .349 with a .975 OPS, 171 hits, 131 runs and 101 RBI over his LSU career.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Final mock draft projection for LSU baseball star Derek Curiel

Why Switzerland is SUI as abbreviation on World Cup scoreboard originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Switzerland isn't a team necessarily expected to make a deep run at a World Cup.

But they are a squad that always seems to be there early in the knockout rounds. They're consistently solid, if not exceptional.

And so each time that happens, one question arises.

On scoreboards, Switzerland is abbreviated as SUI, not SWI. Why?

MORE: Christian Pulisic gives a terrible answer after World Cup-ending loss

Why is Switzerland abbreviated as SUI?

This has to do with the country's name in a language other than English, which is often why country codes don't match up.

Switzerland's name in French is Suisse.

Thus, the SUI as the abbreviation.

MORE: Folarin Balogun, after all that, couldn't save USA

It's much like how Morocco is abbreviated as MAR for the same linguistic reason.

Clearly, it doesn't impact what happens on the pitch. It's just something that catches eyes when it's on the scoreboard at international sporting events, and that's the simple explanation.

More FIFA World Cup news:

• Why Norway brought 600 pounds of salmon to the World Cup
• An on-brand finish to Neymar's Brazil career
• Lionel Messi makes announcer lose his mind in 35-second goal call
• Jordan Henderson got injured celebrating England's win over Mexico
• Singing Hey Jude as Bellingham sets epic World Cup record

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers hope to get back on track against the Arizona Diamondbacks after dropping the opening game of the series. 

L.A. is -257 on the moneyline, and the total has been bumped up to 9.5 given the hitter-friendly weather.

My Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks fancy the home team and the Under for Saturday, July 11.

Who will win Diamondbacks vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (-122)

The Los Angeles Dodgers essentially punted Game 1 (a 9-3 loss) after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled start. Combine that with Thursday's off day, and the Boys in Blue are well-positioned to strike back tonight.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.49 ERA) has great results against these hitters (.172 AVG, .505 OPS) and represents an enormous starting pitching edge over Brandon Pfaadt (4.95 FIP, 95 Stuff+).

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been entirely ineffective against right-handed pitching (70 wRC+), and L.A. will plate enough runs against Pfaadt to create separation. Play the run line to -135.

COVERS INTEL: Yoshinobu Yamamoto will positively cook with his unhittable splitter (19 wRC+) against a Diamondbacks lineup with the worst results in the league against the offering (-13 runs above average).

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-138)

L.A. has played to the Under in 10 of Yamamoto's last 15 starts. He's in peak form, posting a 0.77 WHIP and .163 AVG against in his last eight starts, and will prove length after Friday's bullpen game. 

The Dodgers are floundering at the plate with a 99 wRC+ against RHP in the last 14 days. Arizona's bullpen has been lights out in that span (2.91 ERA, 3.05 SIERA), which compensates somewhat for Pfaadt's ineffectiveness.

Arizona has played in low-scoring games outside of hitter-friendly Chase Field (103 Park Factor), going 3-13 O/U in its last 16 road games.

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers weather

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Diamondbacks +245 | Dodgers -257
• Run line: Diamondbacks +1.5 (+113) | Dodgers -1.5 (-122)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+133) | Under 9.5 (-138)

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers trend

The Dodgers have covered the run line in eight of Yoshinobu Yamamoto's last 11 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Diamondbacks vs Dodgers and game info

Diamondbacks vs Dodgers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

India vs England 5th T20I 2026 live score, toss winner, winning probability, result and highlights from Southampton originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY MATCH DETAILS: (India vs England 5th T20I)

• Venue: Rose Bowl, Southampton
• Captains: Shreyas Iyer (India), Harry Brook (England)
• Toss result: Team India won the toss and chose to bowl first.
• Live Telecast: Sony Sports Network (India), Willow TV (USA, Canada), Sky Sports (UK, England)
• Umpires and match officials: Graham Lloyd and Russell Warren (on-field umpires), Martin Saggers (third umpire), Mike Burns (reserve umpire), and Richie Richardson (match referee).
• Match result: TBD
• Player of the Match: TBD

India vs England 5th T20I live match Scorecard

Follow along with the latest live scorecard here as the match unfolds, or click here for key text commentary updates from the action.

India vs England 5th T20I 2026 Live Score Updates

Hello everyone, and welcome to the live blog for the India vs. England fifth T20I 2026 at Rose Bowl, Southampton. 

England will look to seal a commanding series sweep when they face India in the fifth and final T20 international at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, with the hosts already sitting on an unassailable 3-0 lead heading into the contest.

For India, this match offers little beyond pride and preparation, as they aim to close out the series on a winning note before shifting focus to the upcoming ODI leg of the tour. 

The toss scheduled for 2:00 PM local time was postponed to 2:45 PM, as tweeted by the official BCCI X account.

🚨 Update 🚨

Toss at 7.15 PM IST (2:45 PM local time).

Start of play at 7.30 PM IST (3 PM local time).#TeamIndia | #ENGvIND

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 11, 2026

The reason for this delay is due to the Indian cricket team getting stuck in the traffic. Matt Roller of ESPN Cricinfo tweeted, "The fifth T20 at the Utilita Bowl has been delayed because India is stuck in traffic. Second England white-ball game in as many summers delayed due to traffic." With the game delayed, fans will have to wait for 45 more minutes before they see the toss result.

The fifth T20 at the Utilita Bowl has been delayed because India are stuck in traffic. Second England white-ball game in as many summers delayed due to traffic

— Matt Roller (@mroller98) July 11, 2026

England Batting Updates

• With India choosing to bowl first, England arrives to bat first.
• India strikes first as Prasidh Krishna quickly dismisses destructive opener Phil Salt in the second over for just six runs.
• England finishes the powerplay in a strong position after Harry Brook grounds the English innings.
• England reaches 100 runs in 9.2 overs as Brook and Jos Buttler continue their onslaught.
• Harry Brook gets his second consecutive half century in just 19 balls.
• Buttler joins Brook as he reaches his half century as well in 34 balls.
• England continue to hammer India as both Brook and Buttler bring the innings towards a huge total.
• England reaches 200 in the 16th over as Buttler smashes Axar Patel for a six to score his second T20I century in 51 balls.

Toss result: Team India won the toss and chose to bowl first.

India vs England 5th T20I: Win Probability

For the latest winning momentum in this match, you can click here for the Manhattan GFX breakdown, while the latest probability odds are below:

India vs England 5th T20I 2026: Predicted playing XI

India playing XI (predicted): Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

Englandplaying XI (predicted): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue

England vs India 5th T20I weather forecast: Rain chances in Southampton

The Utilita Bowl is set to experience bright, sunny, and unusually hot conditions, completely ruling out any rain delays or weather interruptions. The temperature will peak at a scorching 31°C in the afternoon during play, dropping to around 16°C by the evening.

Because of the hot, bone-dry weather and clear sunny skies, the pitch will dry up quickly. This heavily favors the team winning the toss, as the surface is expected to slow down slightly and crack during the second innings, making chasing quite difficult.

Key highlights and reactions: India vs England 5th T20I

• Is India really a team full of flat-track bullies?

• Is India really a team full of flat-track bullies?

• Jacks reacts on becoming first bowler to dismiss Sooryavanshi in internationals

• How England can overtake India as No. 1 T20I ranked team after ENG vs IND 5th T20I

India vs England T20I 2026 series schedule

For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.

Royals sign former Phillies, Cubs 4.86 ERA swingman originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Kansas City Royals have added a 10-year Major League veteran on a minor league deal. 

According to his MLB transactions page, right-hander Vince Velasquez has signed with the AL Central club. 

Velasquez, 34, made two appearances with the Chicago Cubs earlier this season, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. 

That wasn't enough to convince the Cubs to keep him around, as he elected free agency instead of an outright assignment to Triple-A after being DFA'd. 

"This time around, however, Velasquez has opted for a change of scenery in Kansas City’s organization," Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors wrote Saturday.

"While the Cubs’ unending string of pitching injuries would’ve seemed to provide an opportunity for Velasquez to return to Chicago at some point this season, it’s possible he saw the Royals (a likely deadline seller) as a better avenue to an open roster spot when and if K.C. moves some players at the trade deadline," Polishuk added. 

MORE: After 9 years in the minor leagues, a magical moment for Tigers catcher

From 2016-21, Velazquez was a regular in the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation as a back-end starter. 

His best season came in 2016, when he posted a 101 ERA+ and struck out 27.6% of the batters he faced. 

The 2010 draft pick made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Houston Astros. 

More MLB news:

• How a Dodgers, Yankees battle for Tarik Skubal is looming
• One thing stands between the Phillies and a trade for Byron Buxton
• How Joe Ryan is a bad reminder for the Red Sox
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JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams, who played at the World Cup, has died. He was 25.

His death was confirmed by Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s minister of sport, arts and culture, in a statement on Saturday.

“It is with profound shock and a heavy heart that I have learnt of the passing of Jayden Adams, midfielder for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana, at the age of 25," McKenzie posted on X.

"South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents, and our nation mourns alongside his family, his team-mates and the millions of supporters.”

Adams helped South Africa reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

Further details of his death were not given.

“The cause of Jayden’s passing has not yet been confirmed," McKenzie said. “I wish to appeal to members of the media and the public to exercise restraint and compassion, and to refrain from speculation.”

Adams started South Africa's first Group A game against the Czech Republic and was substituted at halftime. McKenzie said he played that game only hours after learning that his grandmother had died.

Adams played several seasons for Stellenbosch before joining Mamelodi Sundowns last year. He helped the club win the CAF (African) Champions League this year.

“Death has cruelly stolen one of our own. It has robbed our nation of a remarkable footballer,” the South African Football Players Union posted on X. “We will forever remember his humility, his extraordinary talent and the pride with which he represented South Africa. Rest in eternal peace, Jayden. You will never be forgotten.”

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African Federation of Trade Unions also expressed their condolences. ___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The free agent frenzy in the National Hockey League has quieted down considerably since it opened up on July 1st, and that is likely due in large part to some of the truly enormous contracts we've seen handed out already this summer.

Teams will be much more reluctant to pay top dollar for players that may not have been their first, or even their second, choice, and finding high quality options is becoming more and more difficult by the day. There is no position where this is more apparent than the goaltending position with very few options left to teams hoping to secure some goaltending depth through free agency.

Today I will be looking at the Top 5 unrestricted free agent goaltenders who remain unsigned, and it's slim pickings.

#1 Connor Ingram.

Although it was far from his best season in the NHL with a 2.60 goals against average and a .899 save percentage, Ingram did have a big time bounce back season after going through some difficult personal struggles in recent years. The 29 year old is the youngest name on this list and showed he can take on a significant workload by appearing in 32 games for the Oilers last season.

#2 Cam Talbot

Talbot's season with the Detroit Red Wings very much mirrored Ingram's with the Oilers with the veteran goaltender appearing in 34 games but struggling with a 3.19 goals against average and a .883 save percentage. Talbot drops to #2 because of his age with 39 years old being up there for an NHL goaltender. That being said he was coming off solid seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and Red Wings prior to this past season and is a better option than some of the other names on this list.

#3 Petr Mrazek


Mrazek falls down the list due to a ton of question marks surrounding his future. The 34 year old netminder played just 10 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season, recording a 4.07 goals against average and a .858 save percentage, before suffering a season ending injury. Those numbers wouldn't inspire confidence even without the injury, making Mrazek a big time risk at this stage of his career.

#4 Matt Murray

Matt Murray played just 5 games in the NHL last season after returning from yet another injury, but he takes the #4 spot on the list. Murray's return was solid with a 2.21 goals against average and a .922 save percentage over those 5 games and he looked good in his last showing prior to the latest injury as well. During the 2024-25 season Murray shined with the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies, recording a 1.72 goals against average and a .934 save percentage over 21 games.

Whether or not anyone is willing to take a risk on such an injury-prone goaltender however remains to be seen.

#5 James Reimer

Although there has been much talk of retirement surrounding Reimer in recent years, he keeps coming back for more. This past season he appeared in 14 games for the Ottawa Senators where he had a 2.42 goals against average and a .886 save percentage but, with retirement a real consideration for Reimer at this stage of his career, he falls to the #5 spot.

Things have significantly quieted down on the free-agent front in the last few days, and the players who have yet to be signed have fewer options than they might have had on July 1st. According to BPM Sports’ contributor Marc-Olivier Beaudoin, the Montreal Canadiens have shown interest in 31-year-old Anthony Mantha. 

The former Detroit Red Wings first-round pick has had a tremendous bounce-back season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, gathering 64 points in 81 games, by far the best season of his career. While some would have you believe that it’s all down to his linemates, he did spend the first two quarters of the season skating alongside Evgeny Malkin, picking up 29 points along the way. Still, he was most productive in the last two quarters of the campaign (35 points), playing alongside Ben Kindell and Tommy Novak among others.

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He had a 0.79 point-per-game rhythm; only once in his career was he most productive, back in 2019-20 with the Wings when he put up 38 points in 43 games for a 0.88 PPG. It’s after that season that Detroit gave him a four-year contract with a $5.7 M cap hit, a move they would soon regret. The Wings traded him halfway through the following season when he had only racked up 21 points in 42 games. He finished the season with the Washington Capitals, adding eight more points for 29 points in 56 games. His next three campaigns yielded 23, 27, and 44 points, but he struggled to stay healthy, featuring in 37, 67, and 74 games.  He was flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights in the last year of his four-year deal. 

Unsurprisingly, he took a pay cut in his next contract, signing with the Calgary Flames for a single season for $3.5 million. He played in only 13 games, putting up 7 points before suffering a knee injury in which he tore his ACL. He needed the rest of the season to recover from the surgery and ended up signing a one-year deal with the Penguins for a $2.5M cap hit last July.

That's 22 goals this season for Anthony Mantha 😤 pic.twitter.com/Yx4Vy2xpTi

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 8, 2026

Although Mantha isn't a very physical player (52 hits in 81 games this past season), he at least brings a lot of size at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. After a career year, the winger is looking for both a pay rise and a long-term deal, but according to Beaudoin, the Canadiens are only interested in a short-term contract. That makes sense, given his record improves on short-term deals and his injury history. Taking that into consideration, the odds of seeing Mantha put pen to paper with the Habs are slim. This is quite similar to when Hughes was willing to sign Jonathan Marchessault for two years, but the forward elected to join the Nashville Predators, who were giving him a five-year pact with a full no-move clause for the first four years.

If Mantha doesn’t find what he’s looking for on the market, he may return to the Canadiens, but one thing’s clear: a short-term deal with the Canadiens wouldn’t be his first choice, nor would adding him be the Canadiens’ first choice. Hughes has made it clear in the past that he's not looking to acquire aging players who will only block his young players' progress. In fact, this reported interest suggests Hughes may be realizing he cannot acquire a top-six player on the trade market right now. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him adopt a patient approach and see how things progress at the start of the season. If a team struggles out of the gate, they may be willing to reconsider their stance on a certain player’s availability.

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South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams has passed away at age 25, just weeks after appearing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the South African Football Players Union confirmed in a statement.

Adams had appeared in all three Group Stage games during Bafana Bafana’s run, which included two starts. He started in the 1-1 draw against Czechia, despite his grandmother’s death one day prior.

A cause of death has not officially been reported at this time.

“The South African Football Players Union (SAFPU) is devastated by the untimely passing of Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder Jayden Adams,” a statement released on Saturday morning read.

South Africa was officially eliminated from the tournament on June 28 in the Knockout Stage by co-host nation Canada.

“Jayden had only recently represented South Africa at the FIFA World Cup, carrying the hopes of the nation with pride, courage and distinction. His passing is an immeasurable loss to his family, teammates, clubs, the football fraternity and the country at large,” the statement continued.

MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo receives heartfelt message from fiancée after World Cup exit

“We extend our deepest condolences to the Adams family, Mamelodi Sundowns, Stellenbosch FC, Bafana Bafana and all those whose lives he touched. South African football has lost a gifted player, a proud servant of the game and a young life that still had so much to offer. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Prior to his World Cup appearances, Adams won the CAF Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Our deepest condolences go out to Adams’ family and friends during this incredibly difficult and tragic time.

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England’s quarterfinal against Norway is one of the biggest matches remaining at the 2026 World Cup, and the outcome could dramatically reshape the tournament bracket. The Three Lions enter the contest after a thrilling victory over Mexico, while Norway arrives full of confidence following a stunning upset of Brazil. Before the first whistle in Miami, fans are already wondering how each possible result could alter the road to the final.

England heads into the knockout clash following a 3-2 victory over Mexico, while Norway earned a memorable 2-1 triumph over Brazil to reach its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal. With Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard all preparing for another high-pressure occasion, the winner will move one step closer to lifting soccer’s biggest prize.

The Vikings have become one of the tournament’s biggest surprises after ending a 28-year World Cup absence by reaching the last eight. Stale Solbakken’s side has combined fearless attacking soccer with remarkable resilience, eliminating Brazil after also overcoming Ivory Coast in the previous knockout round.

On the other hand, the Three Lions’ journey has been equally dramatic. Thomas Tuchel’s squad survived an exhausting battle against co-host Mexico, winning despite playing with ten men for a significant portion of the second half.

What happens if England wins and Norway loses?

If England defeats Norway, Thomas Tuchel’s side will secure a place in the 2026 World Cup Semi-finals. The Three Lions would then face the winner of Argentina versus Switzerland, keeping alive hopes of reaching another World Cup final.

Victory would also maintain England’s pursuit of its first world title since 1966. With Kane and Bellingham leading the attack, England would remain on the same side of the bracket as Argentina or Switzerland before a potential final against the winner emerging from the opposite half.

England enters the Quarter-finals carrying momentum after winning three consecutive matches while scoring at least twice in each victory. Despite lingering injury concerns, squad depth remains one of its greatest strengths entering the decisive stage of the tournament.

What happens if the match is level after 90 minutes?

If England and Norway are tied at the end of regulation, neither nation advances immediately. Instead, the quarterfinal would move into two 15-minute periods of extra time, with penalties deciding the winner if the deadlock remains.

This scenario introduces another layer of drama, especially for players already carrying yellow cards. England stars such as Jude Bellingham and several teammates could risk suspension for the semifinals if they receive another booking before eventually advancing.

Extra time would also test both squads physically after demanding knockout campaigns. Miami’s expected heat could become another significant factor as tired legs begin to influence the contest.

What happens if Norway wins and England loses?

If Norway eliminates England, the Scandinavian nation would complete another historic achievement by reaching its first-ever World Cup semifinal. Such a result would become one of the greatest moments in Norwegian soccer history, following the already remarkable victory over Brazil.

The Vikings would then advance to face Argentina/Switzerland in Atlanta. England’s campaign would come to an end at the quarterfinal stage despite entering the tournament as one of the favorites.

Haaland has played a central role in Norway’s remarkable run, scoring seven goals to establish himself among the Golden Boot leaders. Martin Odegaard’s creativity, combined with the pace of Norway’s supporting attackers, has transformed the team into one of the competition’s most dangerous outsiders.

Real Vision chief crypto analyst Jamie Coutts said it's far too early to call $1 million by 2030, but he's confident Bitcoin could climb up to $250,000 over the next couple of years.

WhatsApp's desktop app turns your Windows or Mac into a full messaging hub. You can link up to four devices at once, make voice and video calls straight from your webcam, and type on a real keyboard instead of a phone screen. Your phone only needs to reconnect once every 14 days, so it's an easy way to stay on top of conversations while you actually get work done.

Several new monitors were debuted, featuring different display technologies with high refresh rates for gamers. HKC Reveals Specs for RGB Mini LED Gaming Monitors at BW2026, Offering Dual Mode Configuration; Also Debuts an IPS Dual Mode Monitor for the Budget Segment In the ongoing Bilibili World 2026 event, popular display maker HKC has introduced several new gaming monitors for enthusiasts. The company has revealed the specifications of its first RGB mini LED gaming monitors, which it debuted at the Computex 2026 event. These were two displays that were based on the RGB Mini LED technology, offering exceptional color volume. RGB […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/hkc-lists-specifications-for-worlds-first-31-4-and-27-rgb-mini-led-monitors/

Samsung is once again letting fans reserve its upcoming foldable phones. The next Unpacked event is set for July 22; the in-person event is scheduled in London, while the event will be livestreamed on official Samsung channels and YouTube. Reserving the next Galaxy unlocks some impressive perks for your purchase, with one benefiting even if no purchase is made.

Here are the top 5 reasons to reserve the new Samsung foldable phones:

1. Free $30 Samsung Credit

Samsung officially confirmed it’s giving away a free $30 Credit for everyone reserving the next Galaxy devices. While it comes as cash, the credit can be used toward additional accessory items when you preorder the new foldables.

2. Up to $1,230 in total savings with boosted trade-in credits

Shoppers can secure enhanced trade-in credits for their next purchase. Samsung would offer up to a $1,200 discount toward the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 series phones when you preorder by trading in your existing handset.

We expect Galaxy Z Fold 7 owners to receive up to a $1,200 trade-in discount.

3. Entry to a $500 giveaway

You get automatically enrolled into a $500 giveaway the time you fill the reservation form. Samsung previously offered $5,000 to a lucky winner, but it has now splited in 10 parts, maximizing the win potential.

The best part: You are eligible for the giveaway even if you don’t purchase any new device.

4. Enhanced preorder perks (2x storage upgrade)

Samsung usually offers a free storage upgrade to preorder consumers. Simply put: ordering a 256GB variant would secure a 512GB version for you. The same way, ordering the 512GB model will take the storage to 1TB at no extra cost.

5. Priority delivery and early access to exclusive colors

Galaxy Z Fold 7 broke sales records in various countries last year. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 (wide) and Z Fold 8 Ultra models may further cement Samsung’s foldable ambitions.

If you are considering upgrading to a new foldable phone, reserving early will ensure you don’t have to wait much. Samsung will prioritize reserved users at the time of shipping the devices to deliver them by the day the global sale starts.

How to reserve the next Galaxy?

Access the reserve page through samsung.com or the Samsung Shop app. If you are in the US, you don’t have to pay any upfront fee to fill out the reservation form.

• Reserve the next Galaxy on samsung.com.

The post Top 5 reasons to reserve the new Samsung foldable phones appeared first on Sammy Fans.

2026 Dünya Kupası'nda Güney Afrika formasıyla 3 grup maçında da sahne alan ve ülkesinin tarihi başarısında büyük pay sahibi olan 25 yaşındaki millî futbolcu Jayden Adams ani vefatıyla futbol dünyasını yasa boğdu. Turnuva sırasında büyükanne acısı yaşamasına rağmen profesyonelliğiyle takdir toplayan Mamelodi Sundowns'ın genç yıldızının kesin ölüm nedeni henüz açıklanmazken, acılı aile ve kulübü mahremiyet talep etti.

Futbol dünyası, 2026 Dünya Kupası'nda Güney Afrika formasıyla harikalar yaratan 25 yaşındaki orta saha oyuncusu Jayden Adams’ın ani vefatıyla sarsıldı. Turnuvada ülkesi adına 3 grup maçında da sahaya çıkan genç yıldızın ölümü, spor camiasını yasa boğdu.

Mamelodi Sundowns ve Güney Afrika millî takımının parlayan yıldızı Jayden Adams, henüz kariyerinin zirvesindeyken hayata gözlerini yumdu. Ölüm haberi menajerlik şirketi ve aile sözcüleri tarafından doğrulanırken, futbolcunun bu ani kaybı büyük bir şok etkisi yarattı.

Genç futbolcunun kesin ölüm nedeni hakkında henüz resmî bir açıklama yapılmadı. Adams’ın ailesi ve kulübü Mamelodi Sundowns, bu büyük trajedinin ardından derin bir yas sürecinde olduklarını belirterek, kamuoyundan ve basından mahremiyetlerine saygı gösterilmesini talep etti.

Güney Afrika'nın 2026 Dünya Kupası'nda son 32 turuna kalarak tarih yazmasında büyük pay sahibi olan Adams, gruptaki 3 maçta da görev aldı:

- Meksika maçında ilk 11'de 60 dakika sahada kaldı.

- Çekya maçından sadece bir gün önce 72 yaşındaki büyükannesini kaybetmesine rağmen büyük bir profesyonellikle ilk 11'de sahaya çıktı.

- Takımının gruptan çıkmasını sağlayan kritik Güney Kore galibiyetinde sonradan oyuna girerek mücadele etti.

Güney Afrika Spor Bakanı Gayton McKenzie ve Güney Afrika Futbolcular Birliği (SAFPU), ülkenin en yetenekli gençlerinden birini kaybetmenin derin üzüntüsünü paylaştıklarını açıklayarak futbol dünyasına başsağlığı diledi.

Galatasaray'ın yeni sezon planlamasında fazla düşünülmeyen Ahmed Kutucu'nun ayrılması bekleniyor. Geçtiğimiz günlerde evlenen 26 yaşındaki futbolcunun İstanbul'dan ayrılmak istemediği öğrenildi. Bu sebeple diğer seçeneklere mesafeli yaklaşıyor.

Galatasaray 2025'in Ocak ayında Eyüpspor'a 5.96 milyon euro ödeyerek Ahmed Kutucu'yu kadrosuna katmıştı. 1.81 boyundaki futbolcuyla 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar mukavele yapıldı. Ancak 26 yaşındaki futbolcu, beklentilerin altında kaldı. Fazla forma süresi de bulamadı.

RİZESPOR VE ÇORUM FK

Ahmed'in kısa süre içinde ayrılması bekleniyor. Şu anda Çaykur Rizespor ve Çorum FK gibi ekipler ona yoğun ilgi gösteriyor. Fakat oyuncunun bir istanbul ekibine gitmeye daha sıcak baktığı öğrenildi. Geçtiğimiz günlerde evlenen Kutucu'nun tercihi İstanbul kulüpleri olacak.

BELKİ BAŞAKŞEHİR

Ezeli rakipler dışında Süper Lig'de şu İstanbul takımları bulunuyor:

Başakşehir

Kasımpaşa

Eyüpspor

Bu 3 ekip içinde Başakşehir ihtimali gerçeğe dönüşebilir. Çünkü Galatasaray, Bertuğ Yıldırım'ı istiyor. Genç forvetin transferinde Ahmed Kutucu'nun da takasta kullanılabileceği konuşuluyor. Cim-Bom ayrıca Başakşehir'e bonservis bedeli de ödeyecek.

Göztepe Kulübü Başkanı Rasmus Ankersen, yeni sezonla ilgili değerlendirmelerde bulundu.

Göztepe Kulübü Başkanı Rasmus Ankersen, Türkiye Futbol Federasyonunun (TFF) 10+4 yabancı oyuncu kuralının devam etmesinden memnun olduklarını belirterek, kulüp olarak alınan her karara uyum sağlamaya odaklandıklarını söyledi.

Ankersen, Göztepe'nin kamp çalışmalarını sürdürdüğü Slovenya'nın başkenti Lübliyana yakınlarındaki Bled kasabasında düzenlediği basın toplantısında, geçen sezonun ardından bu yıl daha başarılı olmayı hedeflediklerini ifade etti.

Kulübün finansal açıdan güçlü bir yapıya sahip olduğunu dile getiren Ankersen, bunun sürdürülebilir transfer politikası ve artan ticari gelirler sayesinde mümkün olduğunu belirtti.

Transfer çalışmalarını kulübün oyun anlayışı ve uzun vadeli planlaması doğrultusunda yürüttüklerini vurgulayan Ankersen, "Biz en pahalı oyuncuların peşinde değiliz. Oyun stratejimize ve kulübümüzün kültürüne en uygun, gelişime açık ve kulübümüze değer katabilecek oyuncuları arıyoruz." dedi.

Romulo transferini bu modelin önemli örneklerinden biri olarak gösteren Ankersen, genç ve gelişime açık futbolcuları keşfedip hem sportif hem de ekonomik değer üretmeyi hedeflediklerini kaydetti.

Yeni sezonda savunmadaki istikrarı koruyup hücum gücünü artırmak istediklerini belirten Ankersen, transfer döneminin sonuna kadar takıma yeni oyuncuların katılacağını, ayrılıkların da yaşanacağını ifade etti.

Kaleci transferi üzerinde de çalıştıklarını aktaran Ankersen, Arda Özçimen'in potansiyeline güvendiklerini ancak bu bölgede alternatifleri değerlendirmeyi sürdürdüklerini söyledi.

"(10+4 yabancı kuralı) Bu karar bizim adımıza doğru"

TFF'nin yabancı oyuncu kuralına ilişkin değerlendirmelerde bulunan Ankersen, şunları kaydetti:

"Yabancı kararıyla ilgili olarak biz 10+4'ün devam etmesinden dolayı mutlu olduğumuzu söyleyebilirim. Mehmet Sepil ile beraber bunu her zaman değerlendiriyoruz ve bu kuralın devam etmesinin doğru olduğunu düşünüyoruz. Biz aslında kararlar ne olursa olsun bunlara en iyi şekilde adapte olmalıyız. Tabii ki bu yabancı kurulanın Türk futboluna finansal açıdan nasıl etkileri var, bunun da değerlendirilmesi gerekiyor. Bunun çözümünün ise kendi Türk oyuncularınızı akademinizden yetiştirmek olduğunu düşünüyorum. Ben bunu düşünüyorum. Bu nedenle akademimize büyük önem veriyoruz. Bu çok önemli bir şey. Söylediğim gibi Türkiye Futbol Federasyonunun aldığı bu karar bizim adımıza doğru."

Marsilya'nın yollarını ayırma kararı aldığı Mason Greenwood, Fenerbahçe ve Atlético Madrid ile el sıkıştı. İngiliz yıldızın kaderini belirleyecek 24 saatlik geri sayım başladı; son karar Pazar günü açıklanıyor!

Marsilya'nın kadro değerini nakde çevirmek adına yollarını ayırmaya hazırlandığı Mason Greenwood transferinde düğüm çözülüyor. Fransız ekibinin her konuda el sıkıştığı iki kulüp var: Fenerbahçe ve Atlético Madrid. İngiliz yıldızın nihai kararını vermesi için önünde yalnızca 24 saati kaldı.

Uzun süre oyuncunun peşinde koşan İtalyan ekibine transfer ihtimali tamamen ortadan kalktı. Daha önce Getafe'de kiralık oynayan Greenwood, tanıdığı bir lig olduğu için Atlético Madrid'e daha sıcak bakıyor.

Fenerbahçe Sportif Direktörü Oğuz Çetin, bu transfere olan inancını vurgulayarak İngiliz golcünün sonunda İstanbul'a geleceğini iddia etti. Her iki kulüple de şartlarda anlaşan 24 yaşındaki forvet, kesin kararını Pazar günü açıklayacak.

Eski Marsilya oyuncusu ve teknik direktörü Albert Emon, Greenwood'un ayrılığını değerlendirirken oyuncunun kalitesine vurgu yaptı:

- Son iki yıldır takımın gol kralıydı ve sahada tahmin edilemez bir oyun kurucuydu. Savunma zaafları olsa da onu izlemek büyük keyifti. Arkasında bir şampiyonluk veya final bırakamadığı için bu ayrılık yarım kalmış bir iş hissi yaratacak. Yerini doldurmak çok zor.

Marsilya’nın mali kaynak yaratmak adına sabırsızlandığı bu transferde, Greenwood'un rota tercihi önümüzdeki saatlerde resmiyet kazanacak.

has been called out by a former foe, who would agree to a rematch if the Argentinian whips himself into shape. The former two-weight world champion has not fought since his second encounter with Floyd Mayweather, which resulted in a unanimous decision defeat in 2014. Their first fight, earlier that year, saw Mayweather edge a […]

The post Former world champion wants to face Marcos Maidana again in ‘the biggest fight ever’ appeared first on Boxing News.

Azərbaycan Basketbol Liqasında (ABL) 2026/2027-ci illər mövsümünün yarış formatı, iştirak şərtləri və əsas normativ dəyişiklikləri açıqlanıb.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə Azərbaycan Basketbol Federasiyasının (ABF) mətbuat xidməti məlumat yayıb.

Xəbərdə bildirilir ki, yeni mövsümə 2026-cı il oktyabrın 3-də start veriləcək. 8 komanda 3 dövrədən ibarət müntəzəm çempionatda, ümumilikdə 21 tur ərzində mübarizə aparacaq. Müntəzəm mövsüm başa çatdıqdan sonra turnir cədvəlində ilk iki yeri tutmuş komandalar birbaşa yarımfinala vəsiqə qazanacaqlar. 3, 4, 5 və 6-cı yerləri tutmuş komandalar isə “pley-in” mərhələsində iştirak edəcəklər.

Yarımfinal və final mərhələləri maksimum beş oyundan ibarət seriya formatında keçiriləcək. Yarımfinal seriyasında ən tez üç qələbə qazanmış komanda finala yüksələcək. Final seriyasında da ən tez üç qələbə qazanmış komanda Azərbaycan Basketbol Liqasının çempionu elan olunacaq.

Müntəzəm mövsümü 7-ci və 8-ci pillələrdə başa vurmuş komandalar isə daha yüksək pillədə qərarlaşmış klubun meydanında keçiriləcək “pley-out” oyununda qarşılaşacaqlar. Qalib komanda növbəti mövsüm üçün ABL-də iştirak hüququnu qoruyacaq.

2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün yekununa əsasən, yeni mövsümdə “Sabah”, “Landau Lions”, “Gəncə”, “Neftçi” İK, “Şəki”, “Naxçıvan”, “Ordu” və NTD klubları iştirak hüququ qazanıblar. Bu komandalardan hər hansı biri iştirak üçün tələb olunan sənədləri təqdim etmədiyi və ya Əsasnamədə (2026/2027) müəyyən edilmiş inzibati və idman tələblərinə cavab vermədiyi halda, ABF ötən mövsümü 9–12-ci yerlərdə başa vurmuş klublar arasında dəvət prosesinə başlayacaq.

Yeni mövsümdə də oyunlar əvvəlki mövsümdə olduğu kimi, “4+1” qaydası ilə keçiriləcək. Hər bir komanda oyun ərzində meydanda eyni vaxtda ən azı 1 yerli basketbolçunun iştirakını təmin etməlidir. Bununla yanaşı, ABL-də iştirak edən hər bir klub mövsüm başlamazdan əvvəl ABF-də ən azı 5 yerli basketbolçunu qeydiyyatdan keçirməlidir.

Premyer Liqada çıxış edən klubların ikinci komandaları arasında keçirilən Əvəzedicilər Liqasında 2026/27 mövsümünə avqustda start veriləcək.

Arena.az bu barədə Peşəkar Futbol Liqasının (PFL) rəsmi saytına istinadən xəbər verir.

Məlumatda vurğulanır ki, payız-yaz sistemi ilə təşkil olunacaq Əvəzedicilər Liqasının 2026/2027-ci illər mövsümünə avqustun 21-də start veriləcək. O da qeyd edilir ki, yeni mövsümdə Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasında çıxış edəcək bütün klubların əvəzedici komandaları bu yarışda mübarizə aparacaqlar.

Xatırladaq ki, Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasında 12 komanda yarışır. Bu isə o deməkdir ki, Əvəzedicilər Liqasında aşağıdakı klubların əvəzediciləri yarışacaqlar:

Sabah
Qarabağ
Turan Tovuz
Neftçi
Zirə
Sumqayıt
Araz-Naxçıvan
Şamaxı
İmişli
Qəbələ
Kəpəz
Şəfa

Cənubi Afrika millisinin və “Mamelodi” klubunun yarımmüdafiəçisi Ceyden Adams vəfat edib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə Afrika mətbuatı məlumat yayıb. 25 yaşlı oyunçunun ölüm səbəbi bilinmir.

Adams CAR millisinin heyətində DÇ-2026-da 3 oyuna çıxıb.

Payız-yaz sistemi ilə təşkil olunacaq Əvəzedicilər Liqasının 2026/27 mövsümünün başlama tarixi müəyyənləşib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, yeni mövsümdə turnirdə Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasında çıxış edən bütün klubların əvəzedici komandaları mübarizə aparacaq.

Əvəzedicilər Liqasının 2026/27 mövsümünə avqustun 21-də start veriləcək.

Source

Dodo appears to be on his way out of Fiorentina this summer, and Nottingham Forest have become the latest club to register an interest in the Brazilian full-back.

According to reports from FirenzeViola, the right-back has made no secret of his wish to move on, and the Viola, working alongside his representatives, are now trying to find him a new home.

A quick sale is far from guaranteed, though: with his contract ticking down to 2027, Fiorentina are still holding out for around €15 million, a fee that complicates any swift departure.

Napoli push hardest for Dodo as Nottingham Forest enquire

Napoli have been the most persistent of his admirers, returning to the 1998-born defender repeatedly in recent weeks.

A route to a deal may lie in an exchange: Fiorentina are keen on Napoli winger Noa Lang, raising the possibility of a swap with a cash element tilted in the Partenopei’s favour.

Forest, for their part, have made contact from the Premier League as they search for a wide defender of Dodo’s type.

They are not the only ones circling.

Como look, for now, the likeliest to firm up their interest with a concrete offer, while Inter had made earlier soundings and could yet come back into it. Roma’s interest, keen at the start of the month, has since faded. What seems settled is Dodo’s determination to leave the Viola.

Mario Gila has spoken for the first time since completing his move to Milan, crediting the club’s standing and Ruben Amorim’s vision as the factors that swayed him.

The Spanish defender, who signed a contract through to 2031 upon sealing his €30m transfer from Lazio, gave his first interview to the club’s official channels.

“I chose Milan because it’s one of the strongest teams in the world. The history it has and everything around it was exactly what I needed to reach a certain level,” Gila said.

“We can do many great things, there are lots of objectives and I promise to help the team by giving everything I have. It’s a wonderful challenge for me. The coach’s ideas and everything that Milan represents led me to choose the Rossoneri.”

Gila eager to get started under Amorim at Milanello

The centre-back made no secret of his excitement at joining the club, and at the prospect of getting to work under his new coach.

“I was very emotional about arriving at such an important club. These have been days full of positive emotions and I’m very happy,” he added.

“I’m someone who feels comfortable anywhere, and I’m sure I’ll settle in well with my teammates. I’m really curious to see Milanello, the fans will be there on Monday. I can’t wait to meet the coach and see how he works.”

Gila becomes Milan’s second major arrival of the summer, following the club-record capture of Gonçalo Ramos, and forms part of the defensive overhaul Amorim has prioritised since taking charge.

Alejandro Garnacho could be on his way out of Chelsea this summer, and the Argentine’s situation has caught the attention of Serie A, with Roma his preferred destination and Napoli the latest club to make enquiries.

Barely a year on from his move from Manchester United, the Argentine has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are now open to cashing in.

According to Fabrizio Romano, via CalcioMercato, Garnacho is expected to leave in the coming weeks, with Chelsea holding firm, for now, on a permanent sale rather than a loan. That resolve could ease if no firm bids arrive, potentially opening the door to a loan-with-obligation or option-to-buy structure that would suit the Italian sides far better.

Roma lead race for Chelsea’s Garnacho as Napoli enquire

Roma have had Garnacho on their radar for some weeks, and Alfredo Pedullà reports their interest remains strong and very much alive, with the player himself keen on the move.

The Giallorossi are seeking attacking reinforcements for Gian Piero Gasperini, and with their pursuit of Mason Greenwood having grown complicated, the budget earmarked for that deal could be redirected.

Roma are weighing alternatives too, among them Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye, valued at around €30m and familiar with Serie A from his Bologna days, as well as Noa Lang, Assane Diao and, further afield, West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville.

Napoli, meanwhile, have entered the frame. Pedullà reports the Partenopei made an enquiry in the last few hours, though Garnacho is no new name for a club that tracked him for months.

For now, though, Aurelio De Laurentiis’s side cannot move for incomings until they first trim Massimiliano Allegri’s squad.

South African midfielder Jayden Adams has died at age 25 less than three weeks after helping his country advance out of World Cup group play for the first time.

The Mamelodi Sundowns player started South Africa’s first two games, a 2-0 defeat against host Mexico and a 1-1 draw against Czechia. He then came off the bench in the 1-0 upset victory over South Korea that sent South Africa to the round of 32.

"The South African Football Players Union is devastated by the untimely passing of Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder, Jayden Adams," the SAFPU said in a statement Saturday. "Jayden had only recently represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, carrying the hopes of the nation with pride, courage and distinction. His passing is an immeasurable loss to his family, teammates, clubs, the football fraternity and the country at large."

Neither the SAFPU nor the South African Football Association immediately returned emails from Yahoo Sports seeking further information on the timing or cause of Adams’ death.

Adams came through the youth system of South African club Stellenbosch FC, becoming their first academy product to sign a professional contract. He made 139 appearances for Stellenbosch before joining Mamelodi Sundowns in January 2025.

"South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents, “ South Africa minister of sport Gayton McKenzie said Saturday in a statement. “Our nation mourns alongside his family, his teammates and the millions of supporters who watched him grow from a promising academy prospect into a full Bafana Bafana international."

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Every four years, one name goes on the Golden Boot. Adidas puts its logo on the trophy, and a boot company puts its logo on the player who wins it. Those two facts have always been true in isolation, but this summer, for the first time, the boot company and the trophy sponsor are in direct competition and the race between them is being played out in real time on a scoreboard watched by a billion people.

Lionel Messi joint-leads the 2026 World Cup scoring race with eight goals through five matches. He is an Adidas athlete with a lifetime contract and the award he is chasing has Adidas’s name on it. Kylian Mbappé is level on eight, having played one game more, still nominally a Nike athlete but only because Nike secured a one-month contract extension to stop him switching boots mid-tournament, a deal due to expire twelve days after the final. Erling Haaland also has seven, in Nike boots, with no such complication. Harry Kane is one behind on six goals, but has a deal with Sketchers, becoming their leading soccer player when he signed in 2023.

That leaves four players in contention with different commercial arrangements competing for one trophy. Mbappé has already booked a semifinal place, while in the quarterfinals Kane’s England faces Haaland’s Norway in Miami on July 11, and Messi’s Argentina faces Switzerland in Kansas City the same night.

How the race got here

Messi opened with a hat trick against Algeria, added a brace against Austria, missing a ninth-minute penalty along the way, breaking the all-time World Cup scoring record in the process, then came off the bench to score against Jordan before adding a seventh against Cape Verde in the round of 32. That one came in a 3-2 extra-time win where Cape Verde equalised twice. The eighth, against Egypt, was a first-time strike inside the box to pull it back to 2-2 before Argentina finished the job.

He has also now missed two penalties in the same tournament, against Austria and Egypt, making him the first player to do so in World Cup history outside of shootouts. His eight tournament goals sit on top of 21 across his World Cup career. He is the first player to score in nine consecutive World Cup appearances.

Mbappé reached eight with France’s first goal in a 2-0 win over Morocco, coming after missing a penalty earlier on in the game to progress from the quarterfinals. He has 20 career World Cup goals, second only to Messi, and Haaland matched seven with a brace against Brazil on July 5 with a header from Schjelderup’s cross in the 79th minute, then a low finish from outside the box in the 90th. Six of his seven tournament goals came from one-touch finishes to lead Norway to the quarterfinals for the first time in their federation’s history.

Kane has six, after a penalty in England’s 3-2 win over Mexico on July 5 in Mexico City, his second of the tournament after opening his account for this World Cup with a penalty against Croatia. The Englishman won the award in 2018 with six goals, while Mbappé won it last time in 2022 with eight.

Why the numbers look different this tournament

Eight goals before the quarterfinals would have won the last three Golden Boots outright. At Qatar 2022, Mbappé’s eight goals across seven games were enough to claim the award. At Russia 2018, Kane won it with six. At Brazil 2014, James Rodríguez won it with six. The last time a Golden Boot winner needed more than eight goals was when Gerd Müller scored nine in 1970.

The 2026 tournament changed the arithmetic. The expansion from 32 to 48 teams increased the total number of matches from 64 to 104, and added a round of 32 to the knockout structure. The practical result for a striker: a team reaching the final now plays eight matches instead of seven. That is one more game, and for someone scoring at Messi’s current rate of 1.6 goals per appearance, that matters.

The format change also front-loaded the tournament with mismatches. The group stage average at this World Cup has been 2.99 goals per game, compared to 2.5 in 2022. That is the highest group-stage average since the 1958 tournament in Sweden, where Frenchman Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in six games, still a tournament record, though much of the inflation comes from the widened quality gap between the top sides and the debutant nations. Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all appeared at their first World Cup this summer with mixed success rates. While Cape Verde gave Argentina a scare and were one of the stories of the summer, Germany beat Curaçao 7-1 on their way to crashing out in the first knock-out round. Mismatches produce high scorelines, and high scorelines pull the average up.

Still, the structural effect is real. In the seven 32-team tournaments from 1998 to 2022, the Golden Boot winner needed between five and eight goals. In 2010, Germany’s Thomas Müller won with only five, just as his compatriot Miroslav Klose won with five in 2006. Messi's eight goals already exceed what was needed to win the award in four of those seven editions.

The expanded format also multiplied the number of lower-ranked opponents in the group stage, which is where tournament top scorers have historically built their tallies. Fontaine’s 13 in 1958 included four against West Germany in a third-place play-off. Gerd Müller’s 10 in 1970 included a hat trick against Bulgaria. Oleg Salenko’s six in 1994, enough to share the award, included five against Cameroon in a single game. In 2026, Messi’s hat-trick came against Algeria. Haaland opened with a four-goal game against Iraq.

Whose name is on the boot

Of the four contenders, Messi’s arrangement is the simplest. He has worn Adidas since 2006 and signed a lifetime contract in 2017. Adidas has presented the Golden Boot trophy since 2010 and supplies the official match ball for the tournament. If Messi wins, this being one of the few individual titles he has never won, the brand's name is on both the award and the man holding it.

Mbappé is still in Nike boots as his contract was due to expire June 30, mid-tournament, and Nike secured a one-month continuation through July 31 with a long-term renewal is not expected. Adidas and Under Armour have both made offers, with adidas pointing to the fact that Mbappé already plays club football for Real Madrid in adidas kits. Every goal Mbappé scores moves the current Mercurial line, but also draws attention to the opening number for whoever signs him next.

Haaland has no such complication. Nike released the fourth chapter of his signature Phantom series in April, built for this tournament, off a long-term deal signed in 2023 which led to Kane leaving Nike, having dropped down their priority list, to sign a lifetime deal with Skechers in August 2023, announced alongside his move to Bayern Munich. Skechers, a US brand best known for lifestyle and comfort footwear, used Kane’s availability to launch its first-ever football boot, the SKX_01. A Kane Golden Boot would validate Skechers as a performance brand against Nike and adidas, on the biggest possible stage.

What a Golden Boot has historically been worth

James Rodríguez won the award in 2014 with six goals for Colombia, signed with Real Madrid weeks later, and entered Forbes’ highest-earner rankings for the first time at $29 million in total income. His endorsement earnings peaked at $7 million in 2016. Adidas marked the moment with a custom gold boot, using the award to anchor its relationship with a newly prominent athlete.

Kane won it four years later in Russia with six goals, leading England to a semifinal and Nike responded the same way adidas had with Rodríguez, releasing a limited-edition gold Hypervenom Phantom III. His commercial trajectory tracked steadily upward from that point. By 2024, his annual endorsement income was estimated at close to £11 million ($14.7 million), according to Sunday Times Rich List data. The harder question is what a second Golden Boot, something no player has ever won, would do.

Sports marketing consultant Ben Wilson told Yahoo Sports this week that a Kane win, combined with an England trophy, could increase his annual endorsement value by around 30 percent, adding roughly £10 million ($13.4 million) a year in commercial income for the following three or four years. That uplift would flow primarily to Skechers, which signed him on a lifetime deal in 2023 and built its entire football division around him.

Mbappé’s 2022 Golden Boot produced the largest documented single-tournament effect. He moved from 35th to third on Forbes’ highest-paid athletes list in one year, with total earnings of $120 million for the period ending May 2023, $20 million off the field. His endorsement income heading into this tournament runs an estimated $25 to $40 million annually across Nike, Hublot, Dior, Oakley and EA Sports. He is about to sign a new boot deal within days of the final and what he scores between now and July 19 could form part of that negotiation.

For Haaland, the payoff runs differently. He has a long-term Nike contract and no deal to renegotiate immediately, but a Golden Boot at 27 sets the baseline for every future conversation about what his name is worth on a product, as the likes of Kane and Rodríguez have proven.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

The Cincinnati Bengals’ receiving corps was expecting a big year in 2025 after the top three pass-catchers signed new contracts or extensions, but Joe Burrow’s toe injury shook things up, turnovers became an issue and things just didn’t go as planned.

Coming off a triple crown campaign and huge extension, Ja’Marr Chase had more targets than ever, and it didn’t translate into more production. It would have been tough to top his numbers from 2024 anyway, but Chase now says he is done writing down statistical goals on his mirror. Both he and Tee Higgins — who managed to stay healthy in the first year of his new deal but also saw a drop in his production — are just focused on winning championships.

For the Bengals to reach their goals, they’ll need the receivers to get back to the explosiveness that made them so hard to beat. Tight end Mike Gesicki, who also re-signed ahead of the 2025 season, is capable of more, and some competition at the No. 3 receiver spot could help Andrei Iosivas take the next step, while eyes are on rookie Colbie Young to see what he adds.

Let’s take a look at the past performances of the Bengals’ wide receivers and tight ends, and how they are expected to stack up in 2026 with help from some analysis and data from Pro Football Focus and other sites.

This is the third in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals. Next up: Offensive line.

WIDE RECEIVERS ON THE ROSTER

Starters: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas

Reserves: Charlie Jones, Mitch Tinsley, Colbie Young

Others in the mix: Dohnte Meyers, Jordan Moore, Kendric Pryor, Xavier Johnson, Noah Thomas, Ke’Shawn Williams

CHASE BY THE NUMBERS

2025 stats: 1,412 yards, 8 TDs on 125 catches and 185 targets (11.3 yards per reception)

PFF grades for 2025: Chase ranked fourth of 81 qualifying wide receivers with a 90.1 overall grade. He was also fourth in receiving grade at 90.1.

PFF ranking for 2026: Chase was third of 32 wide receivers ranked by PFF going into 2025, but 2026 projections have not been released at time of publication. The site’s Fantasy projections rank him second, behind Puka Nacua.

HIGGINS BY THE NUMBERS

2025 stats: 846 yards, 11 TDs on 59 catches and 98 targets (14.3 yards per reception)

PFF grades for 2025: Higgins ranked 16th of 81 qualifying wide receivers with an overall grade of 80.1 and 17th in receiving grade at 80.2.

PFF ranking for 2026: Higgins was 14th of 32 wide receivers ranked by PFF going into 2025, but 2026 projections have not been released at time of publication. The site’s Fantasy projections rank him 18th.

IOSIVAS BY THE NUMBERS

2024 stats: 435 yards, 2 TDs on 33 catches and 58 targets (13.2 yards per catch)

PFF grades for 2025: Iosivas ranked 78th of 81 qualifying receivers with an overall grade of 53.7 and 79th with a receiving grade at 53.8.

PFF ranking for 2026: N/A

TIGHT ENDS ON THE ROSTER

Starter: Mike Gesicki

Backups: Erick All Jr.*, Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample

Other: Jack Endries, Cam Grandy, Josh Kattus

*Missed the 2025 season

GESICKI BY THE NUMBERS

2025 stats: 307 yards, 2 TDs on 28 catches and 42 targets (11.0 yards per reception)

PFF grades for 2025: Gesicki ranked 16th of 37 qualifying tight ends with an overall grade of 70.8 and ranked 17th with a receiving grade of 71.7.

PFF ranking for 2026: Gesicki was ranked as the 27th-best tight end in the league in 2025; PFF’s Fantasy projections rank him 29th.

FURTHER ANALYSIS

PFF hasn’t rolled out its wide receiver or tight end position group rankings yet, but ESPN listed the Bengals’ receivers, tight ends and running backs as the third-best playmaker group in the NFL. Most of that comes from the expectations for the receiving corps.

“The Bengals are the only team in the NFL that can credibly say it has two WR1-caliber talents anchoring the offense,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote. “In Ja'Marr Chase, the Bengals have a first-team All-Pro each of the past two seasons with an annual case to lead the league in any (or every) receiving category. Chase's big-play rate from 2024 inevitably regressed a little toward the mean in 2025, but there's no wide receiver in the NFL with a higher floor or ceiling.

“On a snap-by-snap basis, Tee Higgins has a solid case as a mid-tier WR1, particularly in the moments we've seen him without Chase on the field. Higgins has scored 21 touchdowns in 27 games over the past two seasons, and he ranked 11th in ESPN's receiver scores a year ago. The issue, frustratingly, is availability. Higgins missed five games in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and while he was healthier in 2025, he was still sidelined for two contests. He hasn't played a full season since his rookie campaign in 2020. A 17-game season from Higgins would go a long way toward getting the 27-year-old back to the Pro Bowl for a second consecutive campaign.”

Barnwell also notes how Chase Brown’s role as a receiver has grown, while garnering 88 targets in 2025, but wasn’t as positive about the rest of the playmakers. He said Iosivas “has been one of the least efficient receivers in the league, even when one of the players ahead of him has been absent,” and knocked Gesicki for not being able to build on his “resurgent 2024 campaign.”

Iosivas had been an effective red-zone target in 2024 but struggled with drops last year and said he got in his own head after that. Gesicki missed four games due to injury and his production cut in half from his first season in Cincinnati. Both will be looking to get back on track in 2026.

The big wild card is Erick All Jr., who “quietly impressed early in his rookie season before missing the second half of 2024 and all of 2025 with a serious knee injury. Could the 25-year-old tight end be the player the Bengals need to make it to No. 1 on this list?” Cincinnati no longer has Noah Fant, who struggled with turnovers, and All is more than capable of filling that hole if he is healthy.

ESPN’s top 10 tight ends don’t include any Bengals. The Raiders’ Brock Bowers is No. 1 on that list.

Quarterback consistency is a big factor in a team maintaining success, which is extremely hard to do in the current college football landscape. However, the OregonDucks have been a great example of getting it right at quarterback year after year.

In a recent article, Blake Brockermeyer lists the Ducks' quarterback room as the best in college football. Here is what he had to say about the Ducks' signal callers:

"Dante Moore is my top-ranked QB entering the season season and it is still baffling that he turned down life-changing money to return to Oregon. More power to him.

The Ducks have also done a strong job over the last few seasons of adding capable backup quarterbacks with starting experience as insurance. Dylan Raiola is now the next man up after starting the last few seasons for Nebraska, giving Oregon one of the rare quarterback rooms with both high-end talent and real experience behind the starter. Moore resurrected his career by transferring to Oregon and learning behind Dillon Gabriel for a year, and Raiola is going to replicate that come 2027. 

Oregon's quarterbacks enter the season with 42 combined starts on a loaded roster that looks like my favorite to win the national title. In today's college football, that kind of quarterback depth is almost impossible to find."

The Ducks are leaning on experience with their quarterback room. Not only this season, but the following season too. Dante Moore is arguably the top quarterback in the country, and he will pick up right where he left off last season. Dylan Raiola has always shown flashes of being a good quarterback. With the Ducks, he has the resources to finally put it all together after this season. The Trojans' biggest rival will not lose a step at the quarterback position even after Moore exits.

However, with all of this having been said, Jayden Maiava will have a lot to say about whether Oregon really does have the best quarterback situation in the Big Ten or, for that matter, on the West Coast. USC has every right to think it isn't second-best at quarterback this year.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Analyst says Oregon Ducks have best quarterback room in America

Cardiff City were resoundingly beaten 6-0 by Danish side FC Midtjylland as the Bluebirds began preparations for the start of the new Championship campaign.

Boss Brian Barry-Murphy named three academy graduates in the starting eleven, with Noah Williams, Paul Moreno and Jack Sykes all included, while Yousef Salech led the line and Alex Robertson captained the side.

Midtjylland, who are preparing for a Europa League qualifier against Turkish side Besiktas later this month and are unbeaten in their opening five pre-season games, started the brighter of the two teams, who finished second in their respective leagues last season.

The Danish Cup champions led after 20 minutes when Harry Tyrer gifted the ball to Valdemar Byskov, before Franculino, who scored 17 times last season, doubled the lead as the Bluebirds were undone on the counter.

Viktor Bak added a third before the break, while Cardiff did threaten a response on the stroke of half-time, but Ollie Tanner's powerful effort was straight at keeper Elias Olafsson.

Despite naming an entirely different side for the second half, including Callum Robinson in midfield and academy graduate Jac Thomas at left-back, Cardiff quickly fell further behind.

Second-half substitutes Friday Etim and Mikel Gogorza were both left with the simplest of tap-ins before Junior Brumado headed home former Leeds full-back Rasmus Kristensen's cross to cap a 6-0 victory for the visitors.

Cardiff face Cork City in their second pre-season friendly on Tuesday.

• Latest Cardiff City news, analysis and fan views

The Philadelphia 76ers have become one of the frontrunners to acquire LeBron James in free agency, especially after they landed five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics just days ago. With Brown, two-time scoring champion Joel Embiid and young star guard Tyrese Maxey, they have a ready-made contender that James could potentially walk into and claim his fifth world title with.

One man who knows about coming to the City of Brotherly Love and winning it all is Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. After spending his first six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley joined the Eagles prior to the 2024 season and then had a campaign for the ages. He became just one of a handful of NFL players to ever record 2,000 rushing yards in a single season before leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship at the end of the season.

Per NBC Sports Philadelphia, he made a pitch to James to head to the 76ers and make his mark on history.

“I think it is one of the greatest sports towns in the world,” Barkley said. “... If you want to go out with a bang, I feel like a great spot would be in Philly, and bringing a championship to Philadelphia, you’d be remembered forever.”

If James were to head to Philly, he would have to accept a much-reduced offensive role, and it is questionable whether he would be content doing so. As the Los Angeles Lakers' third scoring option this past season, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists a game despite turning 41 years of age in late December.

Rich Paul, James' longtime agent, said on a recent episode of his "Game Over" podcast that James wants to have "complete happiness" at his next NBA stop.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Eagles star Saquon Barkley makes pitch to LeBron James to join 76ers

Duke basketball members and alumni linked up for a special Brotherhood dinner in Las Vegas as the 2026 NBA Summer League tournament began Thursday. This meeting comes not long after head coach Jon Scheyer was seen at a recent AAU basketball tournament in Vegas.

The event was riddled with current and former members of the university; most notably Scheyer, Jayson Tatum, Paolo Banchero and Cameron Boozer were in attendance. Recent rookie standouts Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were present as well, with nearly 30 Blue Devils representing the school in total.

The university posted a photo from the get-together on their social media pages.

Brotherhood dinner in Vegas 👿💙 pic.twitter.com/KfK53Ou6Pf

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) July 11, 2026

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Jon Scheyer gathers Duke alumni for special 'Brotherhood dinner' in Vegas

The 2026 MLB Draft begins in Philadelphia on July 11, with the Chicago White Sox picking first overall. A promising young franchise that needs an injection into its middling farm system, who will the Southsiders land on? Will it be UCLA's star shortstop and longtime consensus No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky? Georgia Tech's breakout star catcher Vahn Lackey? Or will the White Sox follow in the footsteps of the Washington Nationals last year and pick Texas high schooler Grady Emerson?

All options are on the table for Chicago, which heads into the All-Star break battling for first in the AL Central with the Cleveland Guardians. From there, it's anyone's guess. The Tampa Bay Rays will be picking second, the Minnesota Twins third, the San Francisco Giants fourth, and the Pittsburgh Pirates round out the top five.

The White Sox now face an interesting decision. White Sox amateur scouting director Mike Shirley has indicated the team won't be rushing anyone to the Bigs, regardless of team success. “Our guys have done a tremendous job in letting the player mature," Shirley said to MLB.com earlier this season. "Even the 1-1 pick, he’ll tell us when he’s ready. In some ways the development of this, maybe the player doesn’t have to be rushed to support the organization."

That certainly doesn't signal a philosophy shift is imminent, though the franchise likely wouldn't want to tip its hand. The Rays and Twins won't be moved off their building strategies, and the Giants need to find a way to right the ship in San Francisco.

The slot value at No. 1 overall is $11,350,600, up 2.5% from last season.

USA TODAY Sports will keep you up to date with all the picks made in the 2026 MLB Draft:

2026 MLB Draft picks tracker

First round

1. Chicago White Sox
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Minnesota Twins
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Kansas City Royals
7. Baltimore Orioles
8. Athletics
9. Atlanta Braves
10. Colorado Rockies
11. Washington Nationals
12. Los Angeles Angels
13. St. Louis Cardinals
14. Miami Marlins
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
16. Texas Rangers
17. Houston Astros
18. Cincinnati Reds
19. Cleveland Guardians
20. Boston Red Sox
21. San Diego Padres
22. Detroit Tigers
23. Chicago Cubs
24. Seattle Mariners
25. Milwaukee Brewers

Prospect Promotion Incentive Picks

26. Atlanta Braves

27. New York Mets

28. Houston Astros

Competitive Balance Round A

29. San Francisco Giants

30. Kansas City Royals

31. Arizona Diamondbacks

32. St. Louis Cardinals

33. Tampa Bay Rays

34. Pittsburgh Pirates

35. New York Yankees

36. Philadelphia Phillies

37. Colorado Rockies

Second round

38. Colorado Rockies

39. Toronto Blue Jays

40. Los Angeles Dodgers

41. Chicago White Sox

42. Washington Nationals

43. Minnesota Twins

44. Pittsburgh Pirates

45. Los Angeles Angels

46. Baltimore Orioles

47. Athletics

48. Atlanta Braves

49. Tampa Bay Rays

50. St. Louis Cardinals

51. Pittsburgh Pirates

52. Miami Marlins

53. Arizona Diamondbacks

54. Texas Rangers

55. San Francisco Giants

56. Kansas City Royals

57. Houston Astros

58. Cincinnati Reds

59. Cleveland Guardians

60. San Diego Padres

61. Detroit Tigers

62. Chicago Cubs

63. New York Yankees

64. Philadelphia Phillies

65. Seattle Mariners

66. Milwaukee Brewers

Competitive Balance Round B

67. Boston Red Sox

68. St. Louis Cardinals

69. Detroit Tigers

70. Cincinnati Reds

71. Miami Marlins

72. St. Louis Cardinals

73. Athletics

74. Minnesota Twins

Compensation Picks

75. Chicago Cubs

Third round

76. Colorado Rockies

77. Chicago White Sox

78. Washington Nationals

79. Minnesota Twins

80. Pittsburgh Pirates

81. Los Angeles Angels

82. Baltimore Orioles

83. Athletics

84. Atlanta Braves

85. Tampa Bay Rays

86. St. Louis Cardinals

87. Miami Marlins

88. Arizona Diamondbacks

89. Texas Rangers

90. San Francisco Giants

91. Kansas City Royals

92. New York Mets

93. Houston Astros

94. Cincinnati Reds

95. Cleveland Guardians

96. Boston Red Sox

97. San Diego Padres

98. Chicago Cubs

99. New York Yankees

100. Philadelphia Phillies

101. Seattle Mariners

102. Milwaukee Brewers

103. Toronto Blue Jays

Fourth round

104. Colorado Rockies

105. Chicago White Sox

106. Washington Nationals

107. Minnesota Twins

108. Pittsburgh Pirates

109. Los Angeles Angels

110. Baltimore Orioles

111. Athletics

112. Atlanta Braves

113. Tampa Bay Rays

114. St. Louis Cardinals

115. Miami Marlins

116. Arizona Diamondbacks

117. Texas Rangers

118. San Francisco Giants

119. Kansas City Royals

120. New York Mets

121. Houston Astros

122. Cincinnati Reds

123. Cleveland Guardians

124. San Diego Padres

125. Detroit Tigers

126. Chicago Cubs

127. New York Yankees

128. Philadelphia Phillies

129. Seattle Mariners

130. Milwaukee Brewers

131. Toronto Blue Jays

132. Los Angeles Dodgers

Compensation picks

133. Houston Astros

134. San Diego Padres

135. Philadelphia Phillies

Fifth round

136. Colorado Rockies

137. Chicago White Sox

138. Washington Nationals

139. Minnesota Twins

140. Pittsburgh Pirates

141. Los Angeles Angels

142. Baltimore Orioles

143. Athletics

144. Atlanta Braves

145. Tampa Bay Rays

146. St. Louis Cardinals

147. Miami Marlins

148. Arizona Diamondbacks

149. Texas Rangers

150. San Francisco Giants

151. Kansas City Royals

152. New York Mets

153. Houston Astros

154. Cincinnati Reds

155. Cleveland Guardians

156. Boston Red Sox

157. San Diego Padres

158. Detroit Tigers

159. Chicago Cubs

160. New York Yankees

161. Philadelphia Phillies

162. Seattle Mariners

163. Milwaukee Brewers

164. Toronto Blue Jays

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 MLB Draft picks tracker: Who will Chicago White Sox take No. 1 overall?

Erling Haaland is now known as a goal fiend, a cowboy and a chart-topping music artist.

If the Manchester City star wasn't already popular, the 2026 World Cup has skyrocketed the Norwegian striker's profile even further. So far that fans discovered a rap song that he made back in 2016.

A teenage Haaland, under the stage name Lyng, joined forces with two of his Norway teammates, Erik Botheim and Erik Tobias Sandberg, to create a group called Flow Kingz. They released a song called "Kygo Jo," where they each trade verses in Norwegian over a snappy beat that feels like sunshine. They even created a music video for it with basic choreography and Haaland performing in front of a grill wearing a hoodie with the 100 emoji all over it. At the time of publication, the video has 22 million views on YouTube.

Multi-platinum deejay and producer Kygo, who also hails from Norway, heard about the song and promised to put his spin on it if Haaland scored in the round of 16 match against Brazil. On Sunday, July 5, the striker delivered not once, but twice in Norway's first-ever World Cup knockout win.

Kygo kept his promise and, two days later, released "Kygo Jo (Kygo Remix)" featuring some epic buildups and bass drops over the original track. On his X page, he posted a mini music video of Haaland highlights and the Norway supporters' rowing tradition.

As promised, Kygo Jo (Kygo Remix) @ErlingHaaland 🇳🇴 - out now! https://t.co/DR4mkvXhW9pic.twitter.com/7SPpRJUWFK

— Kygo (@KygoMusic) July 7, 2026

Haaland posted an Instagram gallery of the song's cover art, a screenshot of himself from the original music video and an old team photo with his friends, calling the remix a "Made it moment!"

Tobias Sandberg also shared the cover art for the track on his Instagram and declared a "Flow Kingz comeback."

View this post on Instagram

Kygo said on X on Thursday, July 9 that the remix had reached the top of the Spotify Top 50 chart in Norway. He posted a screenshot of the chart and a screenshot of a video call with Haaland and expressed surprise at the striker's unearthed rap talent, putting him in the athlete-artist conversation with Memphis Depay, Clint Dempsey aka Deuce and Rafael Leão who raps under the alias WAY 45.

".@Erling being a no. 1 artist in Norway was not on my bingo card for 2026," he wrote.

.@Erling being a no. 1 artist in Norway was not on my bingo card for 2026 https://t.co/SYrJ6oWAtHpic.twitter.com/71lOWEce1C

— Kygo (@KygoMusic) July 9, 2026

The less surprising list that Haaland might top in Norway's historic World Cup run is the most goals of the tournament. He has scored seven times and is second to Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi's eight goals in the Golden Boot race.

His quest continues as Norway faces England in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is the Erling Haaland song that's gone viral? 'Kygo Jo' rap given new life in World Cup

Knowing you have the ability to hit the fairway with your driver when needed is the best tool to have when trying to lower your scores. 

Professional long driver Averee Dovsek explains how she executes a fairway finder cut with her driver.

This driver shot is low, controllable and predictable. Executing this shot is not difficult but takes some practice because it may feel foreign. Follow these simple steps and you will have a low, running shot straight down the fairway every time. 

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Golfweek video instruction: Simple driver steps for a fairway finder

The final day of the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals will conclude with a pair of blockbuster matches involving two frontrunners and two dark horses.

England face Norway in a match that could be defined by two superstar forwards: Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. Both strikers have been in rich goalscoring form at the World Cup so far, dragging their respective teams to the final eight. Jude Bellingham and Martin Ødegaard aren’t bad either.

Finally, Argentina’s World Cup defence will continue against Switzerland on the back of two less-than-convincing knockout round wins over Cape Verde and Egypt. Switzerland, meanwhile, have flown under the radar and are on the brink of their first ever World Cup semi-final.

Here is your complete guide on how to watch today’s World Cup games, including kick-off times, broadcast networks, and online streaming options.

• Complete guide to all the players

• A visual guide to every stadium

• The full draw

• Golden Boot leaders

***

Norway v England

Time (ET): 5pm

Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)

How to watch

United States: Fox / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)

Canada: TSN (Stream)

United Kingdom: ITV1 (Stream)

Australia: SBS (Stream)

***

What to watch for

If there was any doubt about Norway’s threat at this World Cup, their last-16 win over Brazil surely dispelled that. With Haaland leading the line, Ødegaard driving forward from central midfield and the likes of Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup as options off the bench, Norway could turn a first-ever World Cup quarter-final into a first-ever World Cup semi-final.

England demonstrated guts to get past Mexico at Estadio Azteca, but the reality is that Thomas Tuchel’s team must find an even higher level to reach the semi-final. That should be possible for a side of England’s talent, but Tuchel’s general approach hasn’t always resulted in the most fluid of attacking play.

Player to watch: Erling Haaland, Norway – Brazil found out to their cost what happens when Haaland is afforded too much time and space around the penalty area. England can’t make the same mistake, although stopping Haaland is much easier said than done.

What to read

Norway team guide

England team guide

No league tables, no trophies: how Norway made sport fun for kids

Wing wizards or worries? England and Norway have choices to make out wide

Haaland claims pressure is all on England in quarter-final with Norway

***

Argentina v Switzerland

Time (ET): 9pm

Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City)

How to watch

United States: Fox / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)

Canada: TSN (Stream)

United Kingdom: ITV1 (Stream)

Australia: SBS (Stream)

What to watch for

As long as Argentina have Lionel Messi, they have a chance of retaining the title they won in Qatar three-and-a-half years ago. As a unit, though, La Albiceleste have looked vulnerable in their knockout matches against Cape Verde and Egypt, needing a late comeback from 2-0 down against the latter to make it this far.

Switzerland ground out a last-16 victory over Colombia on penalties. Murat Yakin’s side may choose a similarly conservative approach against Argentina especially with Johan Manzambi expected to miss out again through injury. Switzerland’s best chance of victory will come if they can make this a slog.

Player to watch: Lionel Messi, Argentina – Even at age 39, Messi might still be the best in the world. Without his eight goals in five games, Argentina might not have made it this far. Whenever Messi takes to the field, watch.

What to read

Argentina team guide

Switzerland team guide

Argentina continue to show ‘heart’ but flaws are apparent

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain is putting in the work ahead of training camp.

Jacory Nichols, a personal defensive backs coach from Houston, shared a video on his Instagram page (@jacory_1way) showing Surtain going through individual cornerback drills. PS2 rocks Denver's beautiful light blue throwback helmet at the start of the video.

The NFL re-shared the video on their official Twitter/X page, and it received just under one million views (about 954,000 as of the time this post was scheduled).

"Top Corner In Da League Craftin 🤝🙏🏾," Nichols captioned his Instagram post. "Solid Wrk Real technician 🔒."

The top comment came from Surtain: "Crafting !"

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A four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and one-time Defensive Player of the Year, Surtain has totaled 59 pass breakups, 12 interceptions and two pick-sixes since the Broncos selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Alabama.

Now entering his sixth season in the NFL, PS2 is set to report for training camp on July 28.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Video of Pat Surtain's offseason training goes viral

Jersey Police are urging football fans to enjoy watching the England Norway World Cup match "responsibly" .

The force said it had "additional resourcing arrangements" for the game which starts at 22:00 BST at the Miami stadium and sees the teams compete for a place in the semi-finals.

It said officers would be on duty "to respond to incidents and provide a visible presence where needed".

A police spokesperson added: "We'd encourage anyone planning to watch the match in town to enjoy the occasion responsibly – look out for friends, respect licensed premises and staff, and plan ahead for getting home safely."

• More news stories for Jersey
• Listen to the latest news for Jersey

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.

More on this story

• No big screen in Jersey for rest of the World Cup

As NFL franchises prepare to report to training camp, front offices across the league are quietly identifying the missing pieces required for a true championship push. For the Los Angeles Rams, that missing piece could come from a highly familiar former division rival.

In a list of bold predictions for the 2026 NFL training camp cycle, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon posits that the Rams will make a splash by signing veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

The logic behind the move is rooted in a stark reality facing the Rams' current offensive structure. Beyond superstars Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, Matthew Stafford's options are limited. Yes, L.A. used tight ends effectively, but no other wide receiver on the roster caught more than 20 passes or logged a single touchdown during the entire 2025 campaign.

Gagnon argues that general manager Les Snead needs to find immediate insurance for Nacua and Adams to prevent the offense from becoming entirely predictable. While massive, other veteran names like Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs remain available on the open market, Samuel represents a far cleaner operational fit. Samuel also offers significantly fewer off-field distractions while bringing a physical, multi-dimensional skill set that perfectly aligns with modern offensive philosophies.

I think Samuel is an ideal fit as a versatile addition to Sean McVay's creative offense. The Rams saw a lot of Samuel during his six-year run in the NFC West. I wouldn't be shocked if they were to find a way to bring in the 30-year-old former star on a one-year contract.

The Rams are intimately aware of what Samuel brings to a football field. Over his dynamic career, mainly in the NFC West, the 30-year-old weapon has built a reputation as one of the league's premium weapons. He has accumulated 6,737 total yards (5,519 receiving and 1,218 rushing) and 48 total touchdowns (27 receiving, 21 rushing). By inserting a weapon of Samuel's caliber into the slot and backfield, Sean McVay could unlock a devastatingly creative hybrid role, solidifying the Rams' offense as one of the most feared units in the NFC heading into 2026.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Analyst predicts Rams will make bold training camp acquisition

Tennis Scotland is still failing to capitalise on the legacy of Andy and Jamie Murray's success at the top of the sport, mother Judy has claimed.

Cameron Norrie is Scotland's highest ranked singles player at 29 in the world, while most recent challenger Jacob Fearnley is languishing at 159.

But it was college tennis in the United States that gave them the grounding for their relative success.

"It is very disappointing where we're at now, given the massive shop window that we had," Murray told The Saturday Show on BBC Radio Scotland, referencing Andy, who was world number one at singles and brother Jamie who did likewise at doubles.

"Think when Jamie and Andy were going through the best years of their careers, it established a huge interest and a huge fan base across the country.

"We had a lot of Davis Cup matches, GB matches that were at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, for example.

"And it gave us a world-class competition for people in Scotland to be able to go to without having to trek down south. And the shop window was there - it could never have been any bigger than that."

• Hewett & Reid win seventh Wimbledon doubles title
• Fery's Wimbledon run ended by Zverev in semi-finals

Now, though, Murray is "being bombarded by emails and messages on Instagram from parents who are basically saying this is being all left to the parents that there's just not a good pathway that works".

She points out that there is only one regional tennis centre in the central belt, at Stirling University.

"Somebody today was telling me that their child, who is one of the best in the age group across GB, actually has no training program - there are no training camps," she said.

"There is no funding for taking them to tournaments - it's all up to the parents to do this. The regional center is closed for the school holidays, which doesn't make any sense. It's the only one in the UK that's closed for the holidays.

"That's when the kids are around, it's when you can bring everybody from across the country together, because you don't have school to worry about."

Murray thinks tennis is still seen as a rich person's sport that is difficult to access.

Many local tennis clubs are in residential areas where it is difficult to build indoor facilities, while many schools have scrapped their tennis courts to such an extent that "there's only about 12 state schools in Scotland that have tennis courts now".

"Tennis Scotland should invest in clubs and coaches in local areas and not be operating a centralised system where they try to bring everybody to one base and spend all their money on full-time staff," Murray argued.

In reply, Tennis Scotland said it "has a positive and ambitious strategy, which has led to record investment in facilities, schools tennis and our performance pathway, which ensures young players now receive high-quality localised coaching within their district as part of the wider LTA Performance strategy.

"We have a proud record in player development, including helping two juniors on our programmes reach the world's top 10 (ITF junior rankings) in recent years and will continue to support and motivate hard-working coaches as they help young players fulfil their potential.

"We have record numbers of courts being built, both indoor and outdoor, and record club membership, which has grown year-on-year across Scotland.

"We will also be making more announcements soon regarding further significant investments for tennis in Scotland."

• Live scores, results and order of play
• Get tennis news sent straight to your phone

Arsenal want to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United this summer, and the midfielder is interested in joining the Gunners. However, Arsenal would need to meet Newcastle United’s valuation before they can complete a deal for the Brazilian.

Interestingly, the Magpies have refused to set an official asking price for his signature because they insist that Guimaraes is not currently available for transfer. The midfielder remains a key figure at the club and is regarded as one of their most important players.

Arsenal faces a challenge in Guimaraes pursuit

Guimaraes is Newcastle’s captain and has become even more important following the departures of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali. The club is determined to keep him in their squad and does not want to lose one of their leading players.

According to Sky Sports, Arsenal would need to offer around £80m to convince Newcastle to enter negotiations for Guimaraes. That figure would show the Magpies that the Gunners are serious about signing him, although it could represent a major financial commitment for Arsenal.

The midfielder has two years remaining on his contract at Newcastle United, and he believes this could be the right time to consider a move elsewhere. A transfer to Arsenal represents an opportunity that he does not want to miss.

Newcastle United hold the final decision

Despite Guimaraes’ interest in joining Arsenal, Newcastle United remain in control of the situation because the player is still under contract with the club. Their desire to retain him means they are unlikely to consider a transfer unless their demands are met.

Arsenal are prepared to make a strong effort to bring him into their squad, but the financial requirements could determine whether the move becomes realistic. The Gunners must decide if investing such a significant amount in the midfielder is the right choice.

A fee of around £80m would likely make Newcastle consider discussions, but Arsenal may feel the amount is too high. Much will depend on how strongly the club want to pursue Guimaraes and whether an agreement can be reached between the two sides.

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You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.

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11 July 2026, 13:00

As we continue with our Montreal Canadiens draft reviews, we move to one of the most polarizing weekends since general manager Kent Hughes took over from the previous regime: the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

It was quite the departure from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, one of the best hauls in recent franchise history. Not only did they land Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick, they also ended up selecting the best player in the draft, phenom Lane Hutson, 62nd overall.

Of course, the Canadiens no longer had the advantage of picking first overall the following year, but having a top-five selection still leads to a situation in which you’re almost guaranteed to land an impact player. And we’re all aware of the importance of hitting on first-round picks, as the Canadiens failed to do so throughout the majority of Marc Bergevin’s tenure. The result was essentially a complete lack of prospect development for over a decade.

The times have changed, but seeing as we’re dealing with a relatively recent draft, we have to keep in mind that prospect development is not linear. We cannot simply judge the value of the class by how many players have made it to the NHL when evaluating a draft as fresh as 2023.

However, we can evaluate how far they’ve come since being drafted, to give us insight as to their reassessed potential.

The bulk of this article will focus on Montreal’s fifth overall pick, defenceman David Reinbacher.

While there’s no doubt he held an interesting amount of pre-draft potential, and was seen as the best available blue liner by many teams, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that he’s yet to earn a spot in the NHL. He’s a right-handed defenceman, which means he carries more value than others, and will consequently be given a longer leash to hopefully reach his potential.

No. 5 Overall – David Reinbacher – Defenceman – 6’2″, 194 lb, 2GP, 0G, 1A, 1PT

Reinbacher was given a two-game audition at the end of the season, once the regular defencemen needed a rest, and the team had already qualified for the playoffs. He played a grand total of 26:17 during his short stint in the NHL, the epitome of a low-stakes tryout.

Every player is different, which means we cannot simply point to the other players selected in the top five to suggest Reinbacher is lagging in his development. However, eight other defencemen have already spent more time in the NHL than Reinbacher, with many of them picked in the later rounds of the draft.

Goalies usually take even longer to develop than defenceman, and yet, Jacob Fowler, selected in the third round of the same draft, has already played 17 games with the Canadiens.

Of course, injuries have played a significant part in slowing Reinbacher’s development, as did a frustrating and tumultuous draft+1 season in Europe, playing for EHC Kloten (Swiss League). The Canadiens were hoping he’d find some semblance of stability away from Montreal, but instead, he had to deal with a team that imploded, with three different men serving as the head coach throughout the year.

The good news, relatively speaking, is that Reinbacher has improved his play since joining the Rocket, and is much less timid than when he first arrived in North America. A heightened level of aggression is still in order, but it’s fair to say he’s starting to use his reach to his advantage in scrums.

He also managed to play 57 games, which may not seem like an accomplishment for some prospects, but Reinbacher’s injury history has forced him to miss an overabundance of critical games throughout his development. To give you an idea of his injury misfortune, he only played in 10 games for the Rocket in 2023-24, and 2024-25.

In other words, he tripled his professional North American hockey experience in 2025-26, setting a career best in goals (5) and assists (19).

If we were judging based on what Reinbacher has done since being drafted, it would be very difficult to suggest he’s not trending towards being a draft disappointment. And yet, there’s still developmental runway left to explore.

Highlights videos reveal that Reinbacher does have flashes of brilliance, including his work in transition, but they ignore the reality of being a professional hockey player: every shift matters, not just those that end up in highlight reels.

It will be a tall mountain to climb, but if Reinbacher can find his rhythm in the NHL, the overall impression of the 2023 Canadiens draft class will improve considerably.

To do so, he’ll need a little more luck in the injury department, lots of time at the gym, and at least half a season in which he is used as the Rocket’s top defenceman. For the most part, fellow defensive prospect Adam Engstrom has served as the top blue liner in the AHL, though there have been several games in which they played alongside each other.

No.69 Overall – Jacob Fowler – Goaltender – 6’2″, 214lb, 17 GP, 9-6-2, .908 SV%, 2.43 GAA.

Admittedly, using Fowler as evidence to imply Reinbacher’s development has been substandard was a stretch, because if things went according to plan, Fowler would have spent the entire season in the AHL.

With that in mind, things rarely go perfectly in a professional setting, which led to Fowler’s promotion to the NHL, and quick ascension as a legitimate professional goaltender.

In a sense, Fowler’s ability to adapt to a new situation has come to define him, especially since he tackles these challenges with aplomb.

Not only did Fowler become the Laval Rocket’s top goaltender as a rookie with little to no experience in the AHL, he also finished the NHL season with the best numbers of any netminder.

He did not play as often as Jakub Dobes, but there’s no doubt his presence in the Canadiens lineup served as a corrective tool at a time when playoffs seemed to be slipping from Montreal’s grasp. His stoic style of play was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Habs.

Fowler’s first NHL game, a 36-save performance that secured an important win versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, set the tone for his rookie campaign, and hopefully, beyond.

He also served as an essential contingency plan should Dobes falter, a legitimate possibility, as he was also a rookie netminder in one of the most pressure-packed jobs in the sports world.

With Fowler in place, both Dobes and the rest of the Canadiens played with a heightened sense of confidence, leading to an improved record, and a much easier time qualifying for the playoffs. It also allowed Dobes to rest with more frequency, leaving him relatively fresh for Montreal’s impressive push in the 2026 NHL Playoffs.

As it stands, Fowler is the most important prospect drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in our annual fan vote.

Fortunately, by signing Dobes to a three-year contract extension this summer, the Habs have afforded Fowler a little more time to iron out some wrinkles in his game. Ideally, he’d be serving as Laval’s starter throughout the entire year, gaining crucial experience as a starting goaltender, but a 1A/1B situation with the Canadiens should offer plenty of ice time for the 21-year-old Florida native.

Florian Xhekaj And Bogdan Konyushkov

If both Reinbacher and Fowler make it to the NHL in a permanent fashion, 2023 will end up being a solid draft.

On the flip side of the coin, if Reinbacher does not pan out, the Canadiens will need players selected in later rounds, such as Florian Xhekaj, to make their mark.

Xhekaj, chosen 101st overall in 2023, had one of the best rookie seasons in Laval Rocket history, when he scored 24 goals in 69 games as a rookie in 2024-25. He did most of his damage playing on the fourth line, though he also enjoyed time on the powerplay, as well as the penalty kill.

His production declined last season, to the tune of 17 goals and 12 assists in 64 games. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention he earned a five-game call-up with the Canadiens, where he registered an assist, not to mention several hits.

His rough-and-tumble style of play will always give him an advantage when it comes to potential call-ups from the farm, as he can essentially be used in a plug-and-play situation in the bottom six. You could even argue that he’s already defied the odds by playing in the NHL for a handful of games, especially when we keep his draft position in mind.

Bogdan Konyushkov is yet to play for the Canadiens, but once he makes his way to North America, possibly as early as the end of next season, he will also have a clear-cut advantage over his counterparts hoping to earn a job in the NHL. He has already played over 260 games in the KHL, including an entire year spent as Torpedo’s captain.

Given his steady progression, the Canadiens negotiated an interesting agreement with Torpedo. They convinced the KHL club to terminate his contract, which allowed the Habs to offer Konyushkov a two-year deal. The Habs then agreed to loan him back to his KHL club, giving him a chance to play out the 2026-27 season. Once his campaign is over, he will be available to play for both the Rocket or the Canadiens.

It’s a novel solution to a long-time issue, as the NHL and KHL do not currently have a valid transfer agreement. It’s also a testament to Montreal’s interest in the smooth-skating defenceman’s services.

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

Quentin Miller, Sam Harris, Yevgeni Volohkin, Filip Eriksson, and Luke Mittelstadt should all be considered long shots, but the remaining players stemming from the 2023 NHL Entry Draft have not written the final chapter in their hockey journey books.

If one of them ‘hits’, so to speak, you’d be armed with much more ammo to argue that 2023 should be considered a good draft for the Habs.

But once again, we’re discussing a hypothetical situation.

If Reinbacher improves considerably.

If Xhekaj and Konyushkov make it.

If one of the players chosen in late rounds defy the odds…

Simply put, the word “if” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this analysis, which is never a good sing.

With the power of hindsight, we’d be delving into intellectual dishonesty if we did not acknowledge the 2023 NHL Entry Draft could have yielded better assets.

There’s still a chance Reinbacher will ascend as a useful defenceman for the Habs, but truth be told, the value of the Canadiens’ draft haul will always be linked to his contemporary impact in the NHL.

As it stands, it does not exist.

We’ll reevaluate if new information come to light, but for now, we’re going to suggest the 2023 draft was underwhelming, even if Fowler has already demonstrated he has NHL starter potential.

Montreal Canadiens 2022 Draft Grade: C

Related Headlines

• Habs Daily: Top Prospect Fan Vote, Konyushkov Contract, Price HHoF
• Canadiens Sign Interesting KHL Prospect Konyushkov
• Canadiens Top 20 Prospect Rankings: 2026 Summer Fan Vote

This post is brought to you by FanDuel, proud partner of SBNation.

Broncos are the safest pick for 9 wins.

Apologies, as we were limited to one question this week; otherwise, we would have asked about the Mountain West and Pac-12 separately. That being said, about half of the voters believe that the Broncos are the best bet to get to nine wins or more in 2026. That’s how many they got last year, for the record. About a quarter of fans gave the Lobos a chance to get to 9 wins as well, with the Rebels, Aztecs, and Bulldogs also getting votes, It’s likely a few teams will reach that mark and we will see who gets there this year.

• Man City have signed 17-year-old England youth winger Jeremy Monga from Leicester City
• Monga has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium running until the summer of 2031
• The teenager broke Jude Bellingham’s record as the youngest goalscorer in Championship history

Manchester City have completed the signing of highly-rated England youth international winger Jeremy Monga from Leicester Cityon a five-year contract.

Monga turned 17 on Friday, the day before signing for Manchester City – and the timing of his arrival speaks to the urgency with which director of football Hugo Viana and the club’s recruitment team moved to secure one of the most coveted young wingers in English football before rival clubs could intervene.

The youngster began his academy career at Leicester City at the U9 level, developing through every age group at the King Power Stadium before his rapid progression accelerated to a remarkable degree in his mid-teenage years, with his pace, dribbling, power and eye for goal drawing attention from across the Premier League.

Manchester City close in on £10 million deal for Leicester City winger – Arsenal withdraw from race

At just 15 years old, Monga broke into Leicester’s U21s – an extraordinary feat in itself – and on 15 years, three months and 22 days, he became the youngest Premier League 2 goalscorer in history when he found the net against Aston Villa in November 2024.

His ascent into senior football followed swiftly, with Monga appearing as a substitute in Leicester’s 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United in April 2025 to become the second-youngest player to receive minutes in the Premier League, before going on to total seven top-flight appearances across 2024-25.

Monga and Viana react as City land England youth’s most exciting prospect

The 2025-26 campaign brought further history, with Monga named in Leicester’s starting XI for their Carabao Cup draw against Huddersfield Town in August 2025, becoming the youngest player ever to start a game for the Foxes – a record that lasted only days before he surpassed it entirely.

Shortly afterwards, Monga netted in Leicester’s 2-1 Championship defeat to Preston to become the youngest goalscorer in Championship history at 16 years and 37 days old, breaking the record previously held by Jude Bellingham – a comparison that gives a vivid sense of the company Monga is now keeping in the record books at such a young age.

Speaking to official Manchester City media following the announcement, Monga said: “When I became aware that Manchester City were interested, I knew instantly this was the right choice for me. For any young footballer, to become part of this amazing club is a dream come true.”

“This has been the best club in England over the past 10 years. And it has also handed opportunities to players from the Academy like Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly which shows that the pathway is there. It is a privilege to be here and I’m delighted to have joined.”

Hugo Viana remains big fan of Man City centre-back amid ‘plenty of interest’ in loan transfer

Viana: We feel Jeremy is only going to continue to improve

Viana added: “Jeremy is an exciting player who has already made huge strides in his young career. We were already very aware of him as a Club and we have seen his ability first-hand from his time at Leicester.