AYANEO wants to find a place in the handheld retro gaming console niche, and it plans to launch yet another Game Boy-like device called KONKR Pocket BLOCK. And as the name implies, it's a small gaming device that fits your pocket. KONKR Pocket BLOCK The company officially teased the KONKR Pocket BLOCK during a streamed event, confirming the design and form factor - a vertical, handheld gaming device with physical buttons, but without the analog stick that other AYANEO devices have. Interestingly, AYANEO markets the device as the first AI handheld gaming console, but we are not...

Despite Real Madrid’s turbulent 2025-26 season, Vinicius Junior delivered several standout performances and made key contributions across all competitions. That allowed him to match a feat previously achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo, and this weekend he could reach another milestone against Athletic Club.

This season, Vini recorded 20 or more goals for the fifth consecutive year, something only seven other players in Real Madrid history had accomplished, according to Diario AS. Cristiano Ronaldo is obviously one of them, having done it in all nine seasons he spent at the club between 2009 and 2018. Not only that, but he scored fewer than 40 goals just once — in his debut season.

The player with the record for the most consecutive seasons with at least 20 goals for Real Madrid is Alfredo Di Stefano. The Argentine legend achieved the feat in 10 straight seasons between 1953 and 1963. Only in his final year at the club did he fall short of the mark, scoring 17 goals during the 1963-64 campaign.

The other players to accomplish the same feat were Manuel Fernandez Pahino (1948-1953), Ferenc Puskas (1958-1964), Hugo Sanchez (1985-1990), Raul Gonzalez (1998-2004) and Karim Benzema, who is the only player to score 20 or more goals in at least five consecutive seasons on more than one occasion: first between 2010 and 2016, and later between 2018 and 2023.

Vinicius can improve his best scoring season at Real Madrid

This season, Vinicius has recorded 22 goals and 14 assists in 53 matches across La Liga, Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League. That leaves him just two goals shy of his career-best mark of 24, set during the 2023-24 season.

Real Madrid have only one game left this season. On Saturday, they will close out their La Liga campaign by hosting Athletic Bilbao at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. A brace would allow the Brazilian winger to match his best scoring season, while a hat trick would give him a new personal record.

However, his current situation could work against that goal. According to Marca, Vini has missed training sessions this week after receiving permission from Real Madrid to rest before joining the Brazil national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That puts his availability for Saturday’s clash against Athletic in doubt and, therefore, also his chances of setting a new personal scoring record.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix finally brought the Saudi Pro League title back to Al-Nassr after years of frustration, but one surprising statistic from the campaign quietly highlighted how influential the younger Portuguese forward became during the club’s championship run. While Ronaldo delivered decisive goals and leadership throughout the season, Felix ended the year with a key achievement that placed him ahead of his legendary teammate in one important category.

The Riyadh club sealed the title on the final day of the season with a dominant 4-1 victory over Damac, as Ronaldo scored twice to secure the championship ahead of Al Hilal. The triumph ended Al-Nassr’s seven-year wait for the Saudi Pro League crown and handed Ronaldo his first league title since arriving in the Middle East in 2023.

For Cristiano Ronaldo, the moment carried enormous significance after several painful near-misses in previous seasons. Since leaving Europe for Saudi Arabia, the Portuguese icon had experienced squad rebuilds, coaching changes, and heartbreaking defeats despite producing extraordinary individual numbers.

His influence on Saudi soccer has been undeniable ever since his arrival opened the door for several global stars to join the league. Yet despite winning individual honors and finishing as top scorer in previous campaigns, the league title had remained elusive until now.

Under Jorge Jesus, however, Al-Nassr finally found the balance it had been missing. The Portuguese coach brought stability to the dressing room, improved the defensive structure, and built a more varied attack that no longer depended entirely on the 41-year-old ace.

Joao Felix becomes a decisive figure

Much of that attacking transformation came from the arrival of Joao Felix. The Portuguese forward quickly formed a strong understanding with Ronaldo and became one of the standout performers of the season.

Felix finished the campaign with 20 league goals and 13 assists, while producing 44 goal contributions across all competitions in just 47 appearances. He scored in every major tournament Al-Nassr participated in, including the Saudi Pro League, King’s Cup, Saudi Super Cup, and AFC Champions League.

Alongside Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and Kingsley Coman, Felix gave Al-Nassr multiple attacking options that opponents struggled to contain. His creativity between the lines and ability to decide matches in crucial moments proved vital during the title race.

The hidden mark Felix surpassed

As the season came to a close, another statistic emerged that underlined Felix’s growing importance within the squad. The Portuguese attacker ended the Saudi Pro League campaign with nine Man of the Match awards, narrowly ahead of Ronaldo’s total of eight.

The award distribution showcased how consistently influential Felix had been throughout the year. Sadio Mane finished third among Al-Nassr players with five awards, while Kingsley Coman earned two. According to reports tracking official Saudi Pro League matchday recognitions, the full distribution among Al-Nassr players was:

Tottenham are playing for their top-flight survival this weekend as they host Everton on the final matchday of the Premier League season. For this critical fixture, Spurs will be without their captain, Cristian Romero, due to a severe injury.

However, the defender has found himself at the center of a heated debate among supporters after it was revealed he will not even be inside the stadium to support his teammates.

Amidst this turbulent period for Tottenham, the center-back returned to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation process. Controversy ignited when it was confirmed that Romero will instead be in attendance this Sunday for the Argentine league final, where his boyhood club, Belgrano, face off against River Plate—a move that has sparked immense frustration among the Spurs faithful.

Stepping into the storm, manager Roberto De Zerbi addressed the situation, firmly stating that Romero’s return to South America was strictly a medical decision. “Romero spoke with the medical staff and together they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with Argentinian medical staff,” the Italian tactician stated in his pre-match press conference.

Furthermore, De Zerbi made it clear that Romero’s physical presence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday would have no bearing on the final score. “The decision was with the medical staff and I think he can’t change anything if he’s at the stadium or not. Finally, I have no time to lose energy other than on the game,” he added defensively.

Romero keeps his focus on the 2026 World Cup

Romero has been sidelined for just over a month after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee during a painful 1-0 defeat against Sunderland.

The injury undoubtedly set off alarm bells within Lionel Scaloni’s coaching staff. With less than a month to go before the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina can ill afford to lose one of their undisputed starting center-backs.

Recognizing the stakes, the president of Belgrano confirmed that Romero has actually been training at the Argentine club’s facilities, completely locked in on accelerating his recovery to ensure he arrives in North America at peak fitness.

Will Romero leave Tottenham this summer?

“Cuti” Romero’s name was heavily featured in the rumor mill during the previous transfer window, with multiple high-profile reports positioning him as a primary target to reinforce Real Madrid’s backline.

With Sunday’s crucial match set to decide Tottenham’s top-flight future—and inevitably dictate the futures of several key players—De Zerbi admitted he is in the dark regarding what next season holds for his captain. “I don’t know,” the Italian coach responded candidly when questioned about Romero’s long-term future in North London.

“I think Cristian is a top player and with me he was a top guy. And when I say top guy, it’s because I’m sure of what I’m saying. For the future, I don’t know. Sunday is a crucial game for us, for our future, for our fans, for our club and we have to stay together,” the manager concluded.

Cristiano Ronaldo has climbed back to the summit of world sport in spectacular fashion after another extraordinary year in Saudi Arabia. In addition to finally bringing home the league trophy for the club, the iconic Portuguese hero has reached yet another milestone in his illustrious career, leading Forbes‘ list of the highest-paid sportsmen in 2026 with an incredible $300 million. Yet while Ronaldo’s dominance once again captured global attention, many fans were left wondering one thing: Where did Lionel Messi finish on the list?

At 41 years old, Ronaldo continues to rewrite expectations about longevity in elite football. The veteran forward not only guided Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title, but also matched one of the biggest financial records in sports history with earnings that tied Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s 2015 figure for the highest annual income ever recorded for an active athlete by Forbes.

According to Forbes, the Portuguese superstar earned $235 million on the field through his contract in Saudi Arabia, while another $65 million arrived from endorsements, sponsorships, appearances, licensing deals, and business ventures. His enormous global influence, amplified by more than a billion followers across social media platforms, continues to make him one of the most marketable figures in sport.

Ronaldo’s Saudi success brings historic rewards

Ronaldo’s latest achievement came shortly after captaining the club to its first league championship in seven years. The 41-year-old veteran scored twice in a dramatic final-day victory that sealed the title and completed another memorable chapter in his career. The triumph also marked the first time Ronaldo had won a domestic league title in the Saudi Pro League, adding yet another country to a career already filled with trophies in England, Spain, and Italy.

Forbes noted that the Portuguese forward has now finished first on the publication’s rich list six times overall, placing him level with NBA legend Michael Jordan and behind only Tiger Woods, who topped the ranking 11 times. “For the fourth year in a row, and the sixth time overall, Ronaldo leads the athlete income ranking”, the report said.

The financial numbers behind his rise are staggering. Since moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023, Ronaldo’s on-field earnings have reportedly more than tripled compared to the final years of his second spell in England. His influence stretches far beyond football, with partnerships involving brands such as Nike, Binance, Herbalife, and several technology companies.

Lionel Messi’s position finally revealed

While Ronaldo sits comfortably at No. 1, Lionel Messi also remains near the very top of the global earnings landscape. The Argentine superstar finished third overall with $140 million, behind only his Portuguese rival and boxer Canelo Alvarez.

Messi’s income was split evenly between on-field and off-field earnings, with $70 million coming from soccer and another $70 million generated commercially. His unique agreements involving Adidas and Apple TV reportedly continue to boost his earnings beyond his standard playing salary.

The Inter Miami forward remains the face of soccer in the United States and recently extended his stay with the club through the 2028 MLS season. Forbes also highlighted Messi’s extraordinary impact on American soccer, revealing that his guaranteed compensation exceeds the payroll of almost every other MLS team.

“Messi reached 100 combined goals and assists in his 64th regular-season MLS match this month—31 games faster than any player in league history”, the report said. Beyond soccer, the Argentine ace has expanded his business portfolio with investments in Spain, including the purchase of lower-division side Cornella and several real-estate ventures in Barcelona.

has delivered his verdict ahead of ‘s clash with Rico Verhoeven. The Ukrainian defends his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxing legend Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza tomorrow night, in a bout that has caused controversy due to the perceived mismatch that many fans are expecting. While he may be one of the best to […]

The post Canelo makes knockout prediction for Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven: “He’s going to win” appeared first on Boxing News.

believes that Richard Torrez Jr, now trained by Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, will “shock a lot of people” when he collides with Frank Sanchez. The pair are gearing up for an IBF title eliminator this Saturday, featuring on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza. Whoever emerges victorious should then […]

The post Terence Crawford predicts ‘shock’ on Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven card appeared first on Boxing News.

has urged to follow in his footsteps and move up to heavyweight, rather than risk his unbeaten record against a lower-profile champion. The 29-year-old comes off a dominant display against Gilberto Ramirez, dethroning the Mexican earlier this month to become a three-division world champion. As a result of his sixth-round stoppage victory, Benavidez claimed the […]

The post Roy Jones Jr urges David Benavidez to avoid facing one man next: “It’s not smart” appeared first on Boxing News.

Fenerbahçe Yüksek Divan Kurulu Başkanı Şekip Mosturoğlu açıklamalarda bulundu.

Fenerbahçe Yüksek Divan Kurulu Başkanı Şekip Mosturoğlu, HT Spor'da açıklamalarda bulundu. Mosturoğlu, birlik çağrısında bulundu.

Şekip Mosturoğlu'nun açıklamaları şöyle:

Şampiyonluk neden gelemedi?

-Lig istatistiklerine, penaltı sayıları ve hakem hatalarına baktığınızda sebep ve sonuç ortada. Sürekli kadro değişikliğine gidilmesi de bir etken.

-Fenerbahçe'nin bölünmüşlüğü rakibimizin güçlü görünmesini sağlıyor. Biz birlik olsak, bölünmemiş ve sürekli seçim atmosferinde olmasak, büyüklüğümüz Galatasaray'ın ötesinde bir büyüklük.

-Seçimden sonraki 3-4 aylık süreçte birlik ve beraberlik noktasında muazzam bir hava yakalamıştık. Ancak maalesef kulüp içi değil, dış etkenlerden dolayı yeniden seçim sürecine gelindi.

-Sadettin Bey, kulüp içi dinamiklerle alakası olmayan bir sebeple seçime gitmek zorunda kaldı. Bu durum sportif başarı ya da başarısızlıkla ilgili değildi.

Basketbol Avrupa Ligi (EuroLeague) Dörtlü Final ilk maçında Olympiakos'a 79-61 mağlup olarak finale yükselemeyen Fenerbahçe Beko büyük bir hayal kırıklığına uğradı. Fenerbahçe Beko'da başantrenör Sarunas Jasikevicius ise maç sonunda yaptığı açıklamada kötü oynadıklarını kabul etti.

Basketbol Avrupa Ligi (EuroLeague) Dörtlü Final ilk maçında Olympiakos'a 79-61 mağlup olarak finale yükselemeyen Fenerbahçe Beko'da başantrenör Sarunas Jasikevicius, çok kötü oynadıklarını söyledi.

Tarık Biberovic çok üzgün olduklarını söyledi:

-Vallahi... Çok üzgünüm. Buraya kadar geldik. Onlardan daha iyi takımız, bunu kesinlikle biliyorum. Savunma konusunda iyiydik, 80 sayı altında tuttuk onları bugün. EuroLeague'in en iyi hücum takımını 80 altında tuttuk ama olmadı. Çok üzgünüm.. Gerçekten çok üzgünüm..

Saras Jasikevicius ise Atina'daki Final Four organizasyonunu eleştirdi:

-Çok sayıda Fenerbahçe taraftarı, duyduğum kadarıyla biletleri olmasına rağmen salona alınmadı. Bu da EuroLeague organizasyonu adına çok üzücü bir durum.

İnsanlar bilet için o kadar para ödüyor, buraya gelmek için o kadar çabalıyor ve maça giremiyor. Bu çok üzücü, taraftarımız adına kendimi kötü hissediyorum.

-Maçtan önce de bunu konuşuyorduk, çoğu taraftar dışarda mail gelmesini bekliyordu.

Dün akşam arkadaşlarımla restorandaydım, çoğu arkadaşıma daha biletleri gelmemişti. O yüzden bana 'Saras, biletlerimiz gelecek mi?' diye soruyorlardı.

Bu EuroLeague için hiç iyi bir durum değil. Ne diyebilirim ki? Üzücü.

Öte yandan Federasyon Başkanı Hidayet Türkoğlu maç sonunda Fenerbahçe Beko'ya teşekkür etti:

-EuroLeague’de sezon boyunca ortaya koyduğu mücadele ve başarılı performansla, Final Four’da ülkemizi en iyi şekilde temsil eden Fenerbahçe Beko’ya teşekkür ediyoruz.

Fenerbahçe'de kongre ateşi bacayı sarmışken, teknik direktör İsmail Kartal'dan gündeme bomba gibi düşen bir yalanlama geldi!

Fenerbahçe'de yaklaşan başkanlık seçimi öncesi kulisler hareketliliğini korurken, teknik direktör İsmail Kartal’dan gündemi sarsacak net açıklamalar geldi.

Adı başkan adaylarının teknik direktör listelerinde geçen tecrübeli çalıştırıcı, hakkında çıkan iddialara son noktayı koydu.

Medyada yer alan iddiaları kesin bir dille yalanlayan Kartal, ne eski başkan Aziz Yıldırım’dan ne de Hakan Safi’den herhangi bir teklif almadığını açıkladı.

- Ne Aziz Başkan'dan ne Hakan Safi Bey'den bir teklif almadım. Hakan Safi Bey'le hayatımda hiç konuşmadım.

Fenerbahçe’de haziran ayında yapılacak olağan seçimli genel kurul öncesi Safi, cephesinin İsmail Kartal ile temasa geçtiği ve yeni dönem planlamasında tecrübeli hocanın da yer aldığı ileri sürülmüştü.

Beşiktaş'a futbol direktörü olarak dönen ve ekranlarda ortaya koyduğu futbol doktrinleri ile transfer şifresini veren Önder Özen'in işaret ettiği golcü olarak Vangelis Pavlidis öne çıktı! Stoperlerle boğuşan, sırtı dönük top saklayıp kanatları içeri sızdıran ve presi en önde başlatan komple bir savaşçı isteyen Özen'in bu talebi doğrultusunda, başkan Serdal Adalı daha Sergen Yalçın ile yolları ayırmadan önce gizli operasyon başlattı.

12 sezon sonra futbol direktörlüğü koltuğuna geri dönen Önder Özen, ayağının tozuyla Beşiktaş'ın transfer politikasını şekillendirmeye başladı.

Ekranlarda yorumculuk yaptığı dönemde ortaya koyduğu futbol doktrinleri ve taktiksel analizleriyle sürecin şifreleri zaten vermişti.

Özen’in sistemindeki "ideal santrfor" tanımı; stoperlerle dişe diş boğuşan, sırtı dönük top saklayarak kanat oyuncularının içeri sızması için derine gelip alan açan ve savunma presini en önde başlatan hareketli ve komple bir savaşçıya dayanıyor.

Beşiktaş'ın sportif direktörü Orkun Kökçü! Kerem Aktürkoğlu ve Pavlidis için bastırıyor

Başkan Serdal Adalı ya bilerek ya da bilmeyerek bu tarife harfiyen uyan dünya yıldızı Vangelis Pavlidis için bir süredir tüm tuşlara basıyor.

AZ Alkmaar ve Benfica formalarıyla modern bir "bağlantı forveti" dersi veren Yunan golcü, Özen’in sistemine adeta biçilmiş kaftan.

- Fiziksel kapasitesi ve üstün top koruma becerisi sayesinde arkasındaki stoperi kilitliyor. Topu saklayarak kanat oyuncularının veya arkadan gelen skorer orta sahaların savunma arkasına koşu yapması için takıma hayati bir 2-3 saniye kazandırıyor.

Beşiktaş'ta Yunan rüzgarı! Adalı Madrid'te işi bitirdi

- Klasik, statik bir ceza sahası golcüsü olmayan Pavlidis, maç içinde sık sık orta saha çizgisine kadar gelip top istiyor. Sürekli sağa ve sola deplase olarak rakip stoperlerin pozisyonunu bozuyor, onları konfor alanından çıkararak kanatların sızacağı devasa boşluklar yaratıyor.

- Top rakibe geçtiği an agresif bir baskı uygulayan yıldız oyuncu, rakip defans hattını rahatsız ederek takımının savunmasını en önde başlatıyor. Bu özellik, Önder Özen felsefesinin en kritik maddelerinden biri olarak öne çıkıyor.

Serdal Adalı ''Rüya takımı'' kuruyor! Sergen Yalçın'ın gitmesini bekledi

Beşiktaş Başkanı Serdal Adalı, teknik direktör Sergen Yalçın ile yolları ayırmadan önce bizzat yürüttüğü gizli zirvelerle transfer operasyonunun düğmesine basmıştı. Siyah-beyazlılar, Benfica’nın gol makinesi Pavlidis'in yanı sıra Sevilla'da kiralık olarak forma giyen Vlachodimos için resmi temaslarda kısa süre önce Madrid'de temaslarda bulunmuştu.

Başkan Serdal Adalı'nın bu transferdeki stratejisi oldukça net: Pavlidis "evet" dediği an, Beşiktaş ile Benfica kulüpleri arasındaki resmi pazarlıklar başlayacak. Siyah-beyazlı yönetimin masaya koymaya hazırlandığı ilk plan; 20 milyon Euro garanti ücret ve performansa dayalı başarı bonuslarıyla desteklenen dev bir transfer paketi olacak.

Fenerbahçe'de sakatlığı nedeniyle ameliyat edilen Dorgeles Nene'nin yaşadığı sürecin arkasındaki sır perdesi aralandı... Sağlık heyetinden habersiz aldığı kayropraktik (kütletme) seansları yüzünden sakatlığı enfeksiyona dönüşen Malili oyuncu, en az 2 ay sahalardan uzak kalacak... Nene şimdi kulüp disiplinini hiçe saydığı gerekçesiyle yıllık ücretinin %25'ine varan tarihi bir para cezasıyla karşı karşıya.

Fenerbahçe’nin Malili futbolcusu Dorgeles Nene, sağlık ekibinin bilgisi dışında uygulattığı "nenelerden kalma" alternatif tedaviler sonrası sakatlığının ciddileşmesi üzerine operasyon geçirdi.

- Başarıyla tamamlanan operasyon sonrası oyuncumuzun tedavi ve rehabilitasyon süreci, kulübümüzün sağlık ekibi tarafından titizlikle takip edilmektedir. Dorgeles Nene'ye geçmiş olsun dileklerimizi iletiyor, en kısa sürede sağlıklı şekilde takımımıza dönmesini temenni ediyoruz.

Kulüp kanadından ameliyatın içeriğine dair herhangi resmi bir detayın paylaşılmaması perde arkasında çok daha ciddi bir sıkıntının olduğuna işaret olarak algılandı.

Fenerbahçe'de Nene ameliyat edildi

Gelen bilgilere göre süreç, Nene’nin kasık bölgesindeki ağrılar için kulüp doktorlarından onay almadan dışarıdan terapi ve kayropraktik (kütletme) seansları almasıyla başladı.

Bu bilinçsiz müdahaleler beklenen iyileşmeyi sağlamadığı gibi, sporcu fıtığının başlangıç aşamasındaki yırtıklarını daha da genişleterek bölgede doku hasarına ve enfeksiyona yol açtı.

1.5-2 AY SAHALARDAN UZAK KALACAK

Durumun ciddiyetini gören Fenerbahçe sağlık heyeti, "cerrahi müdahale kaçınılmaz" raporu verdi. Nene ameliyat edildi. Operasyonun ardından ilk 3 haftayı pasif rehabilitasyonla geçirecek olan Malili oyuncunun, en iyi ihtimalle 1.5-2 ay (6-8 hafta) sahalardan uzak kalması bekleniyor. Sağlık ekibinin ana hedefi, Nene’yi sezon öncesi kampına yetiştirebilmek.

Ameliyat artık kaçınılmaz! Nene'ye kesilecek ceza

Yaşanan bu gelişme, sarı-lacivertli yönetimde büyük bir disiplin krizine yol açtı. İddialara göre Başkan Sadettin Saran sözleşme kuralları gereği sağlık disiplinine uymayan ve kulüp doktorlarından habersiz hareket eden Nene hakkında disiplin süreci başlatılmasını istedi.

Cezayla karşı karşıya kalan Dorgeles Nene’nin, menajeri ve avukatı aracılığıyla yaptığı savunma ise tartışmaları daha da alevlendirdi.

Dorgeles Nene'ye ağır ceza! Saran acımadı

İddialara göre Nene savunmasında, Fenerbahçe'ye bir an önce hizmet edebilmek adına bu yola başvurduğunu belirterek, sağlık ekibinin uyguladığı tedaviden sonuç alamadığını savundu. Durumu kanıtlayabileceğini belirterek, "zorunluluk hali" ve "kendi sağlığını koruma hakkı" argümanlarını öne sürerek cezaya itiraz etti.

Fenerbahçe'nin iç disiplin yönetmeliğine göre, kulüp kurallarını çiğneyen futbolculara yıllık ücretlerinin %10'u ile %25'i arasında değişen oranlarda ağır para cezaları kesilebiliyor.

Dursun Özbek'in "130 milyon euro'luk transfer havuzunun 80 milyonunu ödedik, Osimhen'in borcunu kapattık" açıklaması Trabzonspor camiasının kafasını karıştırdı. Paranın hemen hemen tamamının Napoli'ye gittiğini ve Uğurcan Çakır'ın bonservisinin 3-4 yıllık uzun vadeli taksitlere bölündüğü söylentileri üzerine "Buzdolabı satar gibi mi satıldı?" diyerek Başkan Ertuğrul Doğan'dan açıklama bekler duruma geçtiler.

Galatasaray Başkanı Dursun Özbek’in üst üste yaptığı "130 milyon euro'luk transfer havuzunun (Osimhen, Singo ve Uğurcan) 80 milyonunu ödedik" ve "Osimhen’in borcunun hemen hemen hepsini kapattık" açıklaması Trabzonspor camiasının kafasının karıştırdı.

Rakamları alt alta koyan camia, kasadan çıkan 80 milyon euro'nun neredeyse tamamının Napoli’ye (Osimhen) aktarıldığını, Uğurcan Çakır için "sembolik" bir peşinat alındığını iddia ederek Başkan Ertuğrul Doğan'dan açıklama bekliyor.

27.5 milyon Euro'nun 3-4 yıllık taksitlerle almayı kabul edildiği iddialarının gerçek olup olmadığının Başkan Doğan tarafından açıklanmasını bekliyor.

Trabzonspor, Uğurcan Çakır'ı Galatasaray'a satarken kontrata 27.5 milyon euro garanti bedelin yanı sıra 3 milyon euro da şarta bağlı bonus ekletmişti. Galatasaray’ın Süper Lig’de şampiyonluğunu ilan etmesiyle birlikte 3 milyon euro'luk dev bir bonus maddesi de aktif hale geldi. Camia ayrıca şampiyonluk priminin de ne zaman satılacağının açıklanmasını bekliyor.

Devre arasında yaşanan Renato Nhaga transferi ve Trabzonspor tribünlerinin Uğurcan Çakır'a tepki gösterip, bordo-mavili yöneticilerin de Galatasaray aleyhine yaptığı sert çıkışların bu transfer süreciyle ilgili olduğu iddiaları camiada daha net şekilde tartışılıyor.

Bu arada Singo için AS Monaco'ya ödenecek 30.7 milyon euro'luk bonservis bedelinin de aynen Uğurcan'da olduğu gibi yıllar içine bölündüğ gelen bilgiler arasında.

Gabriel Sara'nın Brezilya'da bıçak altına yatıp yatmayacağı netleşiyor! İlk kontrollerin ardından soluğu Brezilya'da alan ve burada özel dijital sensörler ile milimetrik eklem mobilizasyon testlerinden geçirilen Sambacı'nın korkutan görüntüleri akıllara tek bir soruyu getirdi: Teşhiste hata mı yapıldı?

Galatasaray'da Gabriel Sara'nın sakatlığı bilmece haline geldi. Geçtiğimiz günlerde Brezilya’ya dönen yıldız futbolcu, burada özel bir klinikte laboratuvar testlerine girdi. Tedavi edici bir masaj ya da sıradan bir egzersiz programının aksine, tamamen klinik bir ölçüm ve teşhis protokolünün uygulandığı o anlar akıllara sarı-kırmızılıların sağlık heyetinin koyduğu teşhiste bir sapma olup olmadığı sorusunu getirdi.

?? Gabriel Sara; ülkesinde antrenör ağabeyi ve Fizyoterapist eşliğinde çalışmalar yaptı. pic.twitter.com/sM4hs6CR7t

Brezilya’da fizyoterapistlerin gözetiminde gerçekleşen süreç, oyuncunun alt ekstremite (bacak) ve ayak bileği mekaniğini mercek altına aldı.

- Sara’nın bacağına bağlanan dijital sensörler ve akıllı telefon klinometreleri yardımıyla, ayak bileğinin dorsal fleksiyon (yukarı doğru bükülme) açısı milimetrik olarak ölçüldü.

- Yüzüstü pozisyonda yapılan manuel muayenede, aşil tendonu ve topuk çevresindeki bağların esnekliği ve verdiği tepki test edildi.

- Yıldız futbolcu ayağa kaldırılarak, futbolcularda sakatlık dönüşü en kritik veri kabul edilen yük altında esneme) protokolüne tabi tutuldu. Dizin duvara yaklaşma açısı üzerinden eklem mobilitesi raporlandı.

Brezilya'da bu kadar detaylı ve dinamik testlerin yapılmasının arkasında, daha önce konulan teşhisi doğrulama ya da revize etme arayışı yatıyor. Florya'da sakatlığın boyutuyla ilgili yapılan ilk değerlendirmelerin, oyuncunun kronikleşen ağrılarını tam olarak açıklayamadığı ve gözden kaçan bir "eklem sıkışması" veya bağ gevşekliği şüphesiyle bu testlerin istendiği iddia ediliyor.

Gelen bilgilere göre; Gabriel Sara ameliyat olup olmama konusundaki kesin kararını vermeden önce bu klinikte son kontrollerini yaptırdı.

Eğer Brezilya'daki bu fonksiyonel ve manuel testlerde eklem içinde kemiksel bir blokaj veya ileri derece bir bağ instabilitesi tespit edilirse, yanlış teşhis ihtimali kesinleşecek.

Bu durumda operasyon kaçınılmaz hale gelecek ve Sambacı, bıçak altına yatmak üzere ameliyat edilecek.

Fenerbahçe'de yılan hikayesine dönen teknik direktör bilmecesini "rakamlar" çözdü... Aykut Kocaman ya da Jorge Jesus formüllerini rafa kaldıran "istatistikler" İsmail Kartal'ı seçti. Takımın hücum genetiğine uygun, baskılı ve dominant futbolu benimseyen, aynı zamanda camiadaki şampiyonluk baskısını kaldırabilecek elite düzeydeki yeni hocayı Kartal olarak belirledi.

Fenerbahçe’de yeni sezon planlaması ve teknik direktör tercihleri ana gündem maddesi... son dönemde sarı-lacivertli kulübenin emanet edileceği 3 hocanın performansları "Futbol Verileri" tarafından masaya yatırıldı.

Jorge Jesus, Aykut Kocaman ve İsmail Kartal'ın sarı-lacivertli kariyerlerindeki istatistikler, kulübün genetiğine ve hedeflerine en uygun profilin kim olduğunu çarpıcı bir şekilde gözler önüne seriyor.

                  Jesus Kocaman     Kartal

Toplam Maç        53    197   125

Galibiyet         36    119   86

Maç Başı Galibiyet      0.68  0.60  0.69

Beraberlik        10    41    22

Maç Başı Beraberlik     0.19  0.21  0.18

Mağlubiyet        7     37    17

Maç Başı Mağlubiyet     0.13  0.19  0.14

Maç Başı Gol            2.20  2.005 2.25

Maç Başı Puan           2.23  2.02  2.24

Rakamlar, İsmail Kartal’ın Fenerbahçe’de hem en yüksek maç başı galibiyet oranına (0.69) hem de en yüksek maç başı puan ortalamasına (2.24) sahip olduğunu gösteriyor.

Üstelik sarı-lacivertli taraftarın her zaman talep ettiği "hücum futbolu" standardını, maç başı 2.25 gol ortalamasıyla üç hoca arasında zirveye taşıyarak karşıladı.

Jorge Jesus maç başı 0.13 mağlubiyet oranıyla yenilmesi en zor hoca konumunda. Maç başı 2.23 puan ve 2.20 gol ortalamasıyla İsmail Kartal'ı kıl payı geriden takip ediyor. Ancak Jesus dönemindeki en büyük handikap, bu dominasyonun derbilerde ve kritik kırılma anlarında sürdürülememiş olmasıydı.

Aykut Kocaman 197 maçla bu baskı ortamında en uzun süre kalmayı başaran isim. Maç başı istatistikleri (2.02 puan) diğer iki hocanın gerisinde görünse de, kulübe kazandırdığı şampiyonluk ve kupalarla, uzun vadeli bir kurumsal hafıza oluşturma konusunda en deneyimli profil.

Ziraat Türkiye Kupası finalinde TÜMOSAN Konyaspor ile Trabzonspor karşı karşıya gelecek. Konyaspor teknik direktörü İlhan Palut maç öncesi açıklamalarda bulundu.

Ziraat Türkiye Kupası finalinde Trabzonspor ile karşılaşacak olan Konyaspor'da teknik direktör İlhan Palut maç öncesi açıklamalarda bulundu.

İlhan Palut'un açıklamaları şöyle:

-Öncelikle burada final oynayacak olmamızdan dolayı mutluyuz. Her final oynayan takım gibi biz de kazanmak istiyoruz. Dışarıda çok güzel bir ambiyans var. Rakibimiz Trabzonspor iyi bir takım. Bu sezonun büyük bir bölümünü başarılı geçirdiler ve yarışın içinde oldular. Biz de ligin ikinci yarısından itibaren çıkışa geçtik ve kritik bir durumdan sıyrıldık. Kupada da adım adım finale gelmeyi başardık. Oyuncularımı oldukça konsantre görüyorum, çok iyi mücadele edeceklerinden eminim. Keyifli bir maç olacağını düşünüyorum ancak sonucu hiç kimse bilemez. İnşallah bizim lehimize olur.

Birinci Liqada çıxış etmək uğrunda “Şimal” və “Qaradağ Lökbatan” arasında keçiriləcək pley-off matçının keçirilmə vaxtı müəyyənləşib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə Peşəkar Futbol Liqasının (PFL) rəsmi saytı məlumat yayıb.

Xəbərdə bildirilir ki, həlledici görüş mayın 27-də Şamaxıda baş tutacaq. Qarşılaşmaya saat 16:00-da start veriləcək.

Xatırladaq ki, “Şimal” Birinci Liqada 20 xal toplayaraq 9-cu yeri tutub. Xaçmaz təmsilçisi cari mövsümdə İkinci Liqanı ikinci sırada başa vurmuş “Qaradağ Lökbatan”la üz-üzə gəlmək hüququ qazanıb. Bir matçdan ibarət olan qarşılaşmada qələbə qazanacaq tərəf 2026/2027-ci illər mövsümündə Birinci Liqada çıxış etmək hüququ qazanacaq.

Birinci Liqaya vəsiqə uğrunda pley-off matçı
27 may

“Şimal” – “Qaradağ Lökbatan”
Şamaxı şəhər stadionu, 16:00.

Bu gün futbol üzrə Azərbaycan çempionatında (Premyer Liqa) 2025/2026 mövsümünün sonuncu – 33-cü turunun növbəti oyunları keçirilib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, ikinci oyun gününün sonuncu qarşılaşması Sumqayıtda baş tutub.

Burada “Sumqayıt” və “Qarabağ” komandaları üz-üzə gəliblər. Mehdi Hüseynzadə adına Sumqayıt şəhər stadionunda təşkil edilmiş oyunun baş hakimi Elvin Bayramov olub.

Məhsuldar alınmış oyunda bütövlükdə 7 qol qeydə alınıb. Yekunda “Qarabağ” qalib gələrək mövsümü qələbə ilə bitirib.

Premyer Liqa
33-cü tur
22 may

“Sumqayıt” – “Qarabağ” 3:4
Qollar: Səbuhi Abdullazadə, 53. Rüstəm Əhmədzadə, 76. Emil Mustafayev, 90+3 – Ramil Şeydayev, 3; 64. Emmanuel Addai, 22. Aleksey Kaşuk, 85.
Hakimlər: Elvin Bayramov, Pərvin Talıbov, Mirnihat Seyidov, Nicat İsmayıllı.
VAR: Fərid Hacıyev.
AVAR: Eyyub İbrahimov.
Hakim-inspektor: Ceyhun Haşımov.
Mehdi Hüseynzadə adına Sumqayıt şəhər stadionu. 19:30.

Sumqayıt: 22. Xəyal Fərzullayev, 7. Rüstəm Əhmədzadə, 29. Emil Mustafayev, 8. Səbuhi Abdullazadə (k), 21. Nihad Əhmədzadə, 75. Nadir Orucov, 97. Vüsal Paşayev, 9. Aleksandr Ramalinqom, 6. Sedrik Badolo, 33. Danilo Beskorovaynı, 95. Nsana Simon.
Ehtiyat oyunçular: 1. Mehdi Cənnətov, 12. Murad Ağamalıyev, 20. Ayxan Süleymanlı, 24. Sənan Muradlı, 10. Nikola Ninkoviç, 11. Aleksa Yankoviç.
Baş məşqçi: Saşa İliç.

Qarabağ: 89. Amin Ramazanov, 55. Bədavi Hüseynov (k), 77. Ramil Şeydayev, 27. Toral Bayramov, 80. Bəhruz Qurbanlı, 32. Hikmət Cəbrayılzadə, 82. Məhəmməd İmaməliyev, 8. Marko Yankoviç, 18. Dani Bolt, 21. Aleksey Kaşuk, 11. Emmanuel Addai.
Ehtiyat oyunçular: 1. Şahruddin Məhəmmədəliyev, 97. Fabian Buntiç, 13. Bəhlul Mustafazadə, 66. Hacı İbrahim, 76. Nicat Xasıyev, 74. Səbuhi Niftiyev, 47. Mehdi Mütəllimli.
Baş məşqçi: Qurban Qurbanov.

Misli Premyer Liqasının XXXIII turunun “Sumqayıt” – “Qarabağ” oyunundan (3:4) sonra meydan sahibi komandanın baş məşqçisi Saşa İliç jurnalistlərin suallarını cavablandırdı.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis əvvəlcə görüşlə bağlı fikirlərini bölüşdü:

– Maraqlı oyun alındı. Hər iki komanda gənclərə şans verdik. Kifayət qədər qol epizodları oldu. Rəqib yenə də səhvlərimizdən qollar vurdu.

– Mətbuatda yayılan xəbərlərə görə, “Sumqayıt”dan ayrılacaqsınız. Gedəcəksinizsə, hansı təəssüratlara olacaq?
– Gözəl təəssüratlarım var. Buranın insanları çox gözəldir. “Sumqayıt” top klub deyil, amma kifayət qədər çalışdıq ki, yaxşı yerlərdə olaq. Mənimçün maraqlı təcrübə oldu.

– Nə üçün gedirsiniz?
– Müqaviləm başa çatır. Ancaq yenə də rəhbərliklə danışacağıq, klubun istəkləri avrokuboklara vəsiqə olacaqsa, müəyyən xərclər lazımdır. Dəyişikliyə ehtiyac var. Demirəm ki, hazırki futbolçular pisdir, sadəcə reallıq var. Səviyyəli komanda minimum səhvlər etməlidir. Mövsümboyu sadə səhvlər buraxmışıq. Buna görə dəyişiklik olmalıdır.

– Məşqçi kimi bir komandada çox qalmamısınız. İnsan olaraq səyahət etməyi sevirsiniz, ya istədiyiniz klubu tapmamısınız?
– Hər şey məndən asılı deyil. Amma müəyyən ölkələrdə də kifayət qədər işləmişəm, mənim üçün maraqlı təcrübələr olub. “Sumqayıt” da böyük təcrübədir. Bu klubun çox yaxşı stadionu, bazası var. Lakin müəyyən irəliləyiş üçün dəyişiklik lazımdır.

– Mövsümün əvvəlində demişdiniz ki, hədəfimiz avrokuboklara getməkdir. İndi geriyə qayıtsaq, yenidən bu fikirdə olarsınız?
– Məsələ bu deyil. Futbolda çoxlu situasiyalar olur. “Lester” bir vaxt çempion idi, bu mövsüm Çempionşipdən də düşdülər. Bu mövsüm kifayət qədər xallar itirdik, bəzi matçlarda yaxşı oynayan tərəf idik. Səhvlər olmazsa, nəticə də gələr.

– Bu mövsüm “Qarabağ”a qarşı yaxşı oyunlarınız olub. Nə üçün mövsümdə belə stabil ola bilmədiniz?
– Qapıya 20 zərbə endiririk, amma neçəsi qol olur? Əsas odur, səhvlər az olsun. Bugünkü məğlubiyyətin digərlərindən fərqi yoxdur. Məğlubiyyət məğlubiyyətdir. Çoxlu səhvlər edirik və qollar buraxırıq. Bu mövsüm problemimiz bu oldu.

– Azərbaycandan avrokuboklara vəsiqə qazanmaqçün hansısa spesifika lazımdır?
– “Qarabağ” Avropada uğur qazanır. Bu mövsüm də Çempionlar Liqasında pley-offa yüksəldilər. “Araz-Naxçıvan”, “Zirə” kimi komandalar da mərhələ keçməyi bacarıb. “Sabah”a da inanıram ki, yaxşı nəticələr göstərəcək.

– Büdcənin artırılması ilə bağlı zəmanət alsanız, klubda qalacaqsınız?
– Dünyanın ən yaxşı məşqçisi olmaya bilərəm, amma plan üzrə çalışanda, işlər də qaydasında gedər. “Sumqayıt”ın kifayət qədər potensialı var. Bəzi məsələlər də həll olunsa, komanda avrokuboklara vəsiqə qazanar. Planlı işin tərəfdarıyam.

Şahin Cəfərov 

Misli Premyer Liqasının XXXIII turunun “Sumqayıt” – “Qarabağ” oyunundan (3:4) sonra qonaq komandanın baş məşqçisi Qurban Qurbanov jurnalistlərin suallarını cavablandırdı.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssis əvvəlcə görüşlə bağlı fikirlərini bölüşdü:

– Futbolçularımı təbrik edirəm, son oyun olsa da, istəkli idilər. Ümumi olaraq yaxşı oyun göstərdilər. Maraqlı mövsüm keçdi. Demək olar, futbola xas hər şey oldu. Qələbələr, məğlubiyyətlər, yerdəyişmələr… maraqlı alındı. Sizləri, azarkeşləri narahat etmişiksə, üzürlü hesab edin. Futbol emosional oyundur. Bu gün də oyunun sonlarına yaxın gərginlik oldu. Bunlar futbolun sevilən tərəfləridir. Çalışıb, özümüzü daha sakit aparmalıyıq. Azarkeşlərimizə də təşəkkür edirəm, bu gün bizi dəstəksiz qoymadılar. Ümumiyyətlə, bütün matçlarda yanımızda oldular. Onlara bütün komanda adından təşəkkür edirəm.  Bir az istirahət edib, növbəti mövsümə hazırlaşacağıq. Yəqin, transferlərdən də suallar verəcəksiniz. İndidən deyim, işləyirik (gülür). Çempion olmasaq da, yaxşı mövsüm keçirdik.

– Əsas məsələ kimlərin qalacağı, kimlərin gedəcəyidir. Xüsusilə, Elvin Cəfərquliyevin durumu nə yerdədir?
– Gedəcək oyunçular açıqlanacaq. 1-2 günə daha dolğun açıqlama olacaq. Bizdən asılı olmayan məsələlər də var. Elvinlə bağlı danışıqlara açığıq. Bizimlə müqaviləsi var. Transfer məsələsi alınmazsa, növbəti qərarı sonra verəcəyik. Elvinə icazə vermişik ki, başqa klublarla danışıq aparsın.

– Artıq bir transfer etmisiniz. Daha kimlər gələcək?
– İş gedir, məlumatlar olacaq.

– Zakaria Savonun gəlişi dəqiqdir? 
– Müsbət danışıqlar gedir. Alınmaq ehtimalı böyükdür.

– Ramil Şeydayev gedir?
– Sabah qərar verəcəyik.

– Geriyə boylananda hansısa məqama görə təəssüflənmisiniz? Haqsızlıq və ya nəsə səhv…
– Haqsızlıqla bağlı danışmaq istəmirəm. Hakimlik məsələsinə gəlincə, onlar üçün çox ağır mövsüm keçdi. Bu il referilərdən çox danışıldı. Yəqin, tələblər də artıb. Bəzən elə gərgin matçlar oldu ki, bilmədilər nə qərar versinlər. Demək olar, hakimləri tənqid etməyən olmadı. Bu qədər çox müzakirə onlara təsir etdi. Düşünürdüm ki, onlar üçün mövsüm tez bitsə, daha yaxşıdır. Hər bir halda, hakimlik çox məsuliyyətli işdir. Diqqətli qərar verməyə məcburdurlar ki, başqa komandanın haqqına girməsinlər. Referilərə uğurlar, güc, qüvvət arzu edirəm. İstirahətə ehtiyacları var. Ümumi baxanda, “Qarabağ” tarixinin ən uğurlu ili oldu. Çempionlar Liqasında xallar qazandıq, pley-off mərhələsinə yüksəldik. Birinci Liqa mərhələsində 7 fərqli rəqiblə oynadıq, mərhələ adladıq. Bu, bizim üçün tarixi nəticə idi. Futbolçular çox yoruldular. Şükürlər olsun, vəzifəmizin öhdəsindən gələ bildik. Böyük futbolu fevralın sonuna kimi gördük, böyük həyəcan yaşadıq. Nəticələr futbolçulara da marağı artırdı, bir tərəfdən təklilər gəlməyə başladı, parçalandılar, amma güc tapıb, toparlandıq.

– Adınız “Beşiktaş”la hallanırdı. Maraqlıdır, təklif gəlsə, qəbul edərsiniz?
– Adımı çəkən hər kəsə təşəkkür edirəm. “Qarabağ”la müqaviləm var.

– Mövsümü həm çox maraqlı adlandıran da var, həm də əksini düşünən. Sizcə, bu mövsümə son illərin ən maraqlısı demək olar?
– Olar. Maraqlı il keçdi.

– Üç ay əvvəl “Qarabağ”ın adı dünya gündəmində idi. Amma indi bəzi fikirlər var ki, komanda uğursuz mövsüm keçirib. Bu, sizi məyus etmir?
– Özümə yox, futbolçulara görə bəzən pis oluram. Həqiqətən, onlar böyük güc sərf etdilər. Bunlar Azərbaycan futbolu adınadır. Vaxt var idi, Çempionlar Liqasında qrupa düşməyi arzulayırdıq. Amma bu futbolçular daha artığını bacardılar. Mövsümü uğursuz adlandırmaq olmaz. 7-8 ay böyük futbolu Azərbaycanda hiss etdik. Oyunlardan sonra maraqlanırdım, deyirdilər ki, restoranlarda, şəhərin mərkəzində böyük ekranlar quraşdırılıb, matçlarımıza baxıblar. Bunlar futbolda böyük sevinc idi. Digər idman növlərinə hörmətimiz var, onlara baxan say olaraq azdır, amma futbolu bütün dünya izləyir. Üstəlik, yaxşı nəticələrimiz də oldu. Ona görə bu mövsümü uğursuz adlandırmaq bizə yaraşmaz. ÇL-də qələbə arzulayırdıq, pley-off yaşadıq. TOP-5 ölkələrinin komandaları ilə qarşılaşdıq. Böyük klublar bizimlə maraqlandı, “Qarabağ” haqqında danışdı. Açığı, mənə mövsümlə bağlı narazılıq edən olmayıb, hər kəs təşəkkürünü bildirib. Düşünmürəm ki, kimsə mövsümə görə bizdən narazı qalsın. Sadəcə futbolçulara görə bəzən neqativ fikirlərə görə pis olurdum. Onların hər biri müxtəlif şəraitdə böyüyüb, inkişaf edib. Və burda “Qarabağ” üçün döyüşüb, tarixi nəticələr qazanıb. Lazım olanda vacib qələbələr qazanmışıq. Bəlkə, belə qalibiyyəti başqa gün əldə etsəydik, bu qədər maraqlı olmazdı.  Belə deyim, silahsız uşaqlar böyük döyüş qazandı.

– Bildirmisiniz ki, növbəti mövsüm “Qarabağ” ağırlığını ortaya qoyacaq. İstədiyiniz büdcə ayrılacaq?
– Büdcə ilə bağlı ciddi problem görmürəm. Çox istərdik ki, daha böyük işlər görək, amma bəzi reallıqları qəbul etməliyik. Tək büdcə məsələsi deyil, bəzi futbolçular düşünür ki, Azərbaycana gəlmək və daha sonra Avropaya getmək çətindir. Büdcə məsələsində problem yoxdur. Artıq Avropa “bazarı”na girmişik, lazım olanda futbolçuların tələb etdiyi məbləği verə bilirik. O cümlədən, bizdən də müəyyən məbləğ qarşılığında oyunçu almaq istəyənlər var. Artıq öz çempionatımızda da “transfer bazarı” aktivləşib.

– Bu gün altı futbolçu debüt etdi. Onlar haqda fikirləriniz nədir?
– Təəssüf ki, onları daim heyətə cəlb edə bilmirik. Ancaq hər məşqdə bəzilərinə yer veririk. Təlim-məşq toplanışında da iki-üç futbolçuya şans verəcəyik.

– “Qarabağ”ı Avropa Liqasının finalında görürsünüz?
– Yaxşı arzudur… Avropa Liqası Çempionlar Liqasının kiçik qardaşıdır. Komandanı formalaşdırmaq üçün müəyyən vaxt lazımdır. İstəkli olacağıq, çalışacağıq ki, maksimum irəliləyək.

Şahin Cəfərov

Luka Modric has declared his love for life at AC Milan and expressed a desire to win a trophy with the club, as the Croatian legend makes himself available for Sunday’s crucial Champions League qualifier against Cagliari despite recovering from a fractured cheekbone.

Speaking to Sport Mediaset, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the 40-year-old, whose contract expires on June 30, was careful to deflect questions about his future while making clear his attachment to the club runs deep.

“I am very happy in Milan but the most important thing now is the match against Cagliari on Sunday and Champions League qualification,” he said. “For the rest, we will see. I have good relationships with the club, the management and the coach.”

Modric hints at Milan stay as he praises city life and declares trophy ambition

On his desire to contribute beyond this season, Modric was telling.

“When I chose Milan it was to help and try to win,” he said. “This year it has not happened, but it is clear that I would like to win a trophy with Milan.”

The comment will fuel hope among the Rossoneri fanbase that the Croatian could yet commit to another year, particularly given his evident enjoyment of life in the city.

“It is a spectacular city, I love it,” he said. “The food is spectacular, pasta is my favourite dish, and it is close to the mountains, the sea and the lake.”

On his physical condition, Modric was upbeat. “I feel good and I am improving physically, I have returned to training with the squad and I am already getting used to the mask,” he said. “I am ready to come back. I have a great desire to play again.”

Asked whether he could become a future assistant to Allegri, Modric was non-committal but warm. “I have a good relationship with him but we have not talked about that,” he said. “I still love playing football. When I retire I will think about it, and when will I retire? I do not know, let’s see after Sunday.”

Matteo Politano has admitted that Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup remains a painful subject, describing it as the last chance for a generation of over-30s and calling for a fundamental restructuring of Italian football’s approach to youth development.

Speaking to Radio CRC, via CalcioMercato, after Napoli sealed Champions League qualification, the winger was reflective and at times emotional as he addressed both the club’s campaign and the Azzurri’s damaging elimination.

Politano praises De Bruyne impact at Napoli and hails exciting youngster Vergara

On the national team, Politano was candid. “I find it hard to talk about,” he said.

“It was awful. For those of us over 30, it was our last chance, so there was enormous regret. I am very attached to Gattuso, I care about him a lot and I was so sorry for him and for everyone.

“I think that to restart Italian football we need to rebuild from the foundations and from the youth sectors. There are very few Italians in the academies of the top clubs. We complain that there are no Italian players, but if we do not develop them ourselves it becomes very difficult.”

On Napoli’s season, Politano acknowledged the toll of a demanding and injury-hit campaign while taking pride in what the group achieved.

“It has been a long season with many commitments and injuries, but what we have built over these two years has been clear for all to see,” he said.

“We faced difficult moments where we sometimes struggled to put 11 players on the pitch, but we always tried to give our maximum.”

Politano also hailed the impact of two new players in the Napoli camp.

On youngster Antonio Vergara, he was enthusiastic. “He has impressed me enormously, he has great desire and real character,” he said. “He must play freely and think only of himself and the team.”

On Kevin De Bruyne, Politano expressed genuine regret at how little the club saw of him. “We lost him for four months and it was a significant absence,” he said. “Having a champion of that level available is important and unfortunately we enjoyed him too little.”

Fiorentina host Atalanta this evening as both sides prepare for their final match of the season.

For the hosts, they will be looking to put this season quickly behind them.

After qualifying for Europe last season, a disastrous start to the campaign saw the Viola took some time to get going.

Under Paolo Vanoli, things have improved but the club still sit 15th in the league, avoiding relegation by just seven points.

Atalanta, meanwhile, secured their spot in next season’s Conference League after their narrow 1-0 defeat to Bologna but will feel disappointed that their end of season form saw them slip out of the race for a place in the Champions League.

Fiorentina vs Atalanta – Official XIs

Fiorentina: Christensen; Comuzzo, Rugani, Dodo; Brescianini, Fabbian, Mandragora, Gosens; Piccoli, Gudmundsson, Harrison

Atalanta: Sportiello; Bellanova, Ahanor, Scalvini, Hien; Samardzic, de Roon, Musah, Pasalic; Raspadori, Sulemana

22-05-2026 19:45

MatchDay 38

Artemio Franchi Stadium

Fiorentina

Atalanta

vs

Season Analytics

Fiorentina

Positions

Atalanta

SEASON TOTAL

FIO HOME

4

8

6

9

14

14

Last matches

17-05-2026		Juventus	W	0 - 2
10-05-2026		Genoa	D	0 - 0
04-05-2026		Roma	L	4 - 0
26-04-2026		Sassuolo	D	0 - 0
20-04-2026		Lecce	D	1 - 1

10-05-2026		Genoa	D	0 - 0
26-04-2026		Sassuolo	D	0 - 0
13-04-2026		Lazio	W	1 - 0
22-03-2026		Inter	D	1 - 1
08-03-2026		Parma	D	0 - 0

15

7

Position

SEASON TOTAL

ATT AWAY

6

7

5

15

13

9

Last matches

	0 - 1	L	Bologna		17-05-2026
	2 - 3	W	Milan		10-05-2026
	0 - 0	D	Genoa		02-05-2026
	3 - 2	L	Cagliari		27-04-2026
	1 - 1	D	Roma		18-04-2026

	2 - 3	W	Milan		10-05-2026
	3 - 2	L	Cagliari		27-04-2026
	1 - 1	D	Roma		18-04-2026
	0 - 3	W	Lecce		06-04-2026
	1 - 1	D	Inter		14-03-2026

Fiorentina

Atalanta

Starting lineups

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

2

Dodô

Defender

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

4

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

4

Isak Hien

Defender

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

18

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

Substitutes

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

19

Manor Solomon

Attacker

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

69

Giorgio Puzzoli

Midfielder

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

13

Éderson

Midfielder

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

45

Dominic Vavassori

Midfielder

40

Relja Obric

Defender

Jonathan David has been linked with a move away from Juventus, and Premier League clubs have been offered the chance to sign the Canadian International.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Crystal Palace have all been made aware of the player’s availability this summer. It will be interesting to see if they are willing to make a move for him.

The 26-year-old was outstanding for Lille during his time in France, and there is no doubt that he has the qualities to do well in the Premier League as well. The move to Italy has not worked out for him, and he needs a fresh start. Moving to England could be ideal for the player as well.

Newcastle need to add more quality to the attacking unit. Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade have not lived up to expectations. They need to invest in another striker. The Canadian International could be a very useful option for them if he manages to discover his form.

On the other hand, Aston Villa need someone who can support Ollie Watkins in the attack. They have been overly dependent on the England international this season. They have secured Champions League qualification for the next season, and they need more quality going forward.

Leeds United and Crystal Palace will be looking to push for a place in the top half next season, and they need more cutting-edge in the final third. David could prove to be a very handy option, and it remains to be seen whether they can get the deal done.

David has 8 goals and 5 assists to his name this season.

The post Crystal Palace and Leeds join four-way tussle to sign 13-G/A Serie A star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United are interested in signing the Atalanta midfielder Ederson Dos Santos during the summer transfer window.

The 26-year-old Brazilian has been a key player for the Italian club. Manchester United need more creativity, control and defensive cover in the middle of the park. The Brazilian is a complete central midfielder who could be an asset for them. He could form a solid partnership with Kobbie Mainoo.

According to journalist Michele Criscitiello, Manchester United has an agreement with the Italian club on all fronts, and the deal is almost closed. They will pay €48 million plus €5 million in bonuses for the Brazilian.

The opportunity to play in the Premier League will be exciting for the South American, and he will look to make his mark in England. Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and he will look to win major trophies with them.

Manchester United have done well this season and secured Champions League qualification. They will look to push for major trophies next year, and they need quality players at their disposal. Ederson could make a huge difference for them in the middle of the park. If they can support him with a quality defensive midfielder, there is no reason why Manchester United cannot excel in the middle of the park next year.

The midfielder has scored 16 goals during his time at the Italian club, and he will look to help out at both ends of the park at Manchester United.

The investment could look steep right now, but the 26-year-old is at the peak of his powers, and he could justify the investment in the coming seasons.

The post Manchester United agree deal for 16-goal star in €53 million package appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing the Sporting CP attacker Francisco Trincao during the summer transfer window.

According to a report from Portuguese publication Record, the 26-year-old is a target for the Premier League club, and it remains to be seen whether they can get the deal done.

He has a contract with Sporting CP until 2030, with a €60 million release clause. It is highly unlikely that Liverpool will pay that kind of money for the player. They need more quality and technical ability in the final third, but they will look to sign the player for a reasonable fee.

The 26-year-old has done quite well since joining the Portuguese club, with 13 goals and 18 assists in 53 matches. He can operate as an attacking midfielder as well as on the right flank.

With Mohamed Salah leaving the club, Liverpool needs more creativity, and the 26-year-old could be the ideal acquisition. The opportunity to play in the Premier League could be exciting for him as well. He’s at the peak of his career, and this could be the right time for him to join one of the biggest clubs in the world.

It remains to be seen whether the two clubs can agree on a reasonable deal.

Meanwhile, Trincao previously played in the Premier League with Wolves but failed to make his Mark in English football. He will look to make amends this time around and prove himself in England if the move to Liverpool goes through.

The post Liverpool targeting move for €60m attacker with 13 goals and 18 assists appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Verdict: Draw Best odds: 27/10 Bookmaker: ZetBet Tottenham Hotspur face a season‑defining afternoon on Sunday as they host Everton in one of the Premier League’s headline final‑day fixtures. The Lilywhites missed the chance to secure safety during the week, but with a two‑point advantage and a superior goal difference over West Ham United, even a […]

The post Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton appeared first on Soccer News.

The 2026 World Cup doesn’t start for a few more weeks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch some of the best teams competing against each other in the meantime. Tonight, you can catch Team Mexico facing off against Team Ghana in an international friendly at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, Mexico. In the teams’ past four matchups, Mexico has won all four.

Tonight’s Mexico vs. Ghana match will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TUDN and Univision, which are available on streaming services like DirecTV and YouTube TV. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Mexico vs. Ghana.

How to watch Mexico vs. Ghana

Date: Friday, May 22

Time: 9:30 p.m. ET

Channels: Univision, TUDN

Streaming: DirecTV, YouTube TV, and more

When is the Mexico vs. Ghana match?

The friendly match between Mexico and Ghana is set for Friday, May 22.

What time is the Mexico vs. Ghana match?

Mexico vs. Ghana kicks off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET. Coverage will begin on Univision at 9:30 p.m.

What channels will Mexico vs. Ghana be on?

Mexico vs. Ghana will be broadcast in Spanish on Univision and TUDN.

How to watch the Mexico vs. Ghana match without cable

Atlético Madrid have the chance to salvage something — albeit small — as they travel to the East coast of Spain on Sunday night to take on Villarreal CF in a straight shoot-out for third place in the final matchday of this season.

Los Rojiblancos haven’t occupied third spot in LALIGA at the close of matchday since mid-March, but they now have the chance to secure their usual position behind Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in the league table.

Atleti (21-6-10, 69 points) require just a point away to the Yellow Submarine to leapfrog them into third, with a tie on points decided by the head-to-head goal difference in the two league meetings between the sides. Back in September, Atleti scooped up their first win of the season with a fine 2-0 victory over Villarreal, putting them in good stead in the event of a draw at Estadio La Cerámica.

The team from tiny town Vila-real (also 21-6-10, 69 points) have more incentives than just winning a football match on Sunday, as manager Marcelino will take his place in the Villarreal dugout for the final time (in this current spell, at least). The man from Asturias has been in charge for the last three years, leading the club to back-to-back UEFA Champions League qualifications for just the second time in their history.

As well as wanting to send off their manager in the best possible way, Atlético’s opposition will be playing to achieve their highest league finish since the 2007/08 season. Third place won’t quite eclipse the silver medal they achieved 18 years ago, but it would be statement of intent that an incoming manager can use to build upon in their quest to disrupt the country’s big three teams.

As far as the recent history between these two sides at La Cerámica, Atleti have a positive record to call upon in their quest to get the job done on Sunday. Since losing three matches in a row away to Villarreal between 2015 and 2018, Diego Simeone’s men haven’t been defeated at their place.

This fixture has twice before been played on the final day of the season, the first time being a 1-0 win to close El Cholo’s first campaign in Madrid, and more recently in the 2022/23 season, when Atleti ended up drawing 2-2 when a win could have put them above Real Madrid in second.

Team news

There have been no new additions to the last few weeks’ long list of injured players. But Robin Le Normand has replaced Marcos Llorente on the naughty step having accumulated five yellow cards and is therefore suspended. He has been handed the opportunity to win his way back into the Spain squad for the FIFA World Cup, but will miss his one last chance to impress national team coach Luis de la Fuente before the traveling team is announced Monday.

The latest training ground rehearsal from Simeone indicates Antoine Griezmann will start his last-ever game for the club, in a front three by Ademola Lookman and Giuliano Simeone.

In the midfield, captain Koke (hopefully not playing his last Atleti match) will be joined by Álex Baena and the impressive Obed Vargas, who seems to be winning the trust of his manager. There are suggestions the Mexican could spend next season on loan at a fellow LALIGA side, but recent performances would suggest he has a place in this Atlético Madrid squad come August.

At the back, the four that have come to be the first choice line of defence will have one last rodeo together to close out the campaign. Center-back pairing Dávid Hancko and Marc Pubill are set to be flanked by Marcos Llorente, fresh from his Spanish media book sales tour which has caused more damage than good, and Matteo Ruggeri.

In goal, Juan Musso looks to be favoured over the regular Slovenian first-choice, further casting doubts about the future of Jan Oblak.

Predicted lineup

Musso; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Koke, Vargas, Baena; Giuliano, Griezmann, Lookman.

The NASCAR community continues to mourn ahead of the 2026 Coca-Cola 600. On Thursday, May 21, 2026, Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch died at 41 years old, the sport announced. Busch was hospitalized overnight, and the driver's family announced the "severe" illness in the morning.

This has been one of the darkest days in NASCAR history, as everyone mourns Busch's tragic death. From fans to drivers, everyone has been paying tribute to one of NASCAR's all-time greats. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was one of the sport's most popular drivers.

Below are some of the tributes that active and former NASCAR drivers have posted in memory of the late Kyle Busch.

Brad Keselowski

I made him earn every victory and stole a few from him along the way. We took our shots at each other, in the media and on the track. But I’d like to think that somewhere deep down there was an appreciation that we pushed each other to perform at the highest level, even if… pic.twitter.com/1dAq7Eui7D

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) May 22, 2026

Jeff Gordon

This is a devastating loss and one that is hard for the NASCAR community to process. Kyle was a fierce competitor who demanded the very best from himself each time he put on the helmet. As teammates, I saw firsthand the passion and intensity he brought to the sport every single… pic.twitter.com/jVQLdTXcyF

— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) May 22, 2026

Jimmie Johnson

Kyle Busch wasn’t just one of the fiercest competitors our sport has ever seen, he was one of the most talented race car drivers I’ve ever shared a track with. We spent years as teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, and even as competitors, there was always a deep respect for what… pic.twitter.com/uAX3o2D0Nz

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) May 21, 2026

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years. But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams. I was super eager for us to get on better…

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) May 21, 2026

Kevin Harvick

pic.twitter.com/MtP0REaNsX

— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) May 22, 2026

William Byron

I’m so sad and stunned to hear the news about KB. He meant so much to a lot of people, not just myself. Kyle was the best mentor you could ever have. He was incredibly unselfish, cared about his people and his family deeply. And helped shaped my career to what it is. I’m… pic.twitter.com/Y4VYaf5QNS

— William Byron (@WilliamByron) May 21, 2026

Kyle Larson

Completely heartbroken to hear the news of Kyle’s passing.

I have so many memories of great battles with him throughout my career that I’ll cherish forever. It’s hard to even put into words what he meant to me and my career, whether he knew it or not. He was the bar we all… pic.twitter.com/wJmFDmY7LN

— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) May 21, 2026

Ryan Blaney

pic.twitter.com/RU6ffzslna

— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) May 22, 2026

Richard Petty

The Petty Family is absolutely heartbroken. This is truly unbelievable. Our hearts and prayers go out to Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, and the entire Busch family. pic.twitter.com/A4yjvvTLuu

— Richard Petty (@therichardpetty) May 21, 2026

Joey Logano

My heart goes out to Kyle’s family, his Team and everyone that knew and supported him. Kyle was a Champion, a feared competitor, a loving husband, a great dad and he’ll truly be missed, as he made a forever impact on and off the race track. Let us pray for Samantha, Brexton,… pic.twitter.com/Pxi0u4OK9o

— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) May 22, 2026

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

There aren’t really words for today. I’ve raced against Kyle for a long time, and anyone who’s lined up next to him knows exactly what made him special, he gave you everything he had, every single lap, and he made all of us better for it.

But more than the wins and the records,… https://t.co/hLS9vioUyN

— Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (@StenhouseJr) May 21, 2026

Clint Bowyer

I just talked to him Friday. In complete shock, as we all are. The devastation and sadness is beyond words. Praying for Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, his entire family and loved ones…🙏 pic.twitter.com/4Z98jzgWIK

— Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer) May 21, 2026

Denny Hamlin

Absolutely cannot comprehend this news. We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB. https://t.co/cpaXg2HZGF

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) May 21, 2026

Chandler Smith

Still, it just doesn’t feel real. Our industry will never feel the same.
Not only did I have such deep respect for what you could do on the track, but what you did for me off the track spoke volumes to me. You always took the time to sit down and give me honest feedback on how I… pic.twitter.com/YkLgWiaoR3

— Chandler Smith (@CSmith_Racing) May 22, 2026

Christian Eckes

Heartbroken…. He played such a big role in so many people’s lives & careers, including mine. I’m grateful for the lessons, guidance, & support that will stay with me forever. My thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, & the entire Busch family. God speed, KFB. pic.twitter.com/Ir3YkvVDRd

— Christian Eckes (@christianeckes) May 21, 2026

Kyle Petty

Devastated by this news. My heart is broken for Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, Tom, Gaye and Kurt. When words are never enough, prayers are all you have. All of mine today are with the Busch family. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/tup6snqn8L

— Kyle Petty (@kylepetty) May 22, 2026

Chase Briscoe

This doesn’t even feel real typing this… Easily one of the absolute greatest of all time, any track, any car, it didn’t matter he was gonna be good. Getting to race against Kyle was a true pinch me moment, I’ll never forget the first time just sharing the track with someone I… pic.twitter.com/pC2Okldg10

— Chase Briscoe (@chasebriscoe) May 21, 2026

Carson Hocevar

every day is a privilege and today is a truly sad reminder of that.

this little boy in this picture hated you on sunday’s. but he loved to hate you, and you made it very difficult to hate and not become a fan when your passion for racing showed, when you would show up to his… pic.twitter.com/RxKignaf51

— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) May 21, 2026

More: A tribute to Kyle Busch: One of NASCAR’s all-time greats

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: NASCAR drivers post tributes after Kyle Busch's tragic death

Rachel Entrekin was already known as the “Queen of Cocodona” when she arrived in Arizona this month for one of America’s most punishing ultramarathons.

Then the 250-mile race started. Entrekin, a two-time women’s champion in the event, found herself running again with the elite males, and she began wondering: “Why not you?”

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So she pulled away, crushing the course record by seven hours, beating every man and woman in the field and providing another example of how multi-day races have erased gender lines.

Now, at 34, Entrekin’s the king of Cocodona, too, or maybe something more than that.

“One of my pacers has determined that I must be from another planet,” Entrekin said in an interview, still buzzing from her historic win.

Entrekin began running in 2009, as a student at the University of Alabama, before starting a career in physical therapy. She eventually started competing in half-marathons, then full ones, before hitting longer ultramarathons in the Southeast and descending into what she called “insanity.” When she moved to Washington state and looked up at the vistas, she found her calling.

“I love running up mountains,” she told the “For the Long Run” podcast in February.

Today, Entrekin is fully sponsored and has won or placed in about 100 ultras, regularly beating men. At Cocodona, that meant finishing in 56 hours 9 minutes 48 seconds. Kilian Korth, the men’s winner, finished 78 minutes behind her.

Passing Korth and other top runners at mile 60 was a test of Entrekin’s “why not you?” philosophy.

“I thought about my résumé - that I’ve won this race twice already and that I won lots of other 200-mile races and other 100-mile races. I’m just as qualified to be at the front of this race as they are, so why can’t it be me?” she said. “I thought, ‘I think I can do this, so why not?’”

The ultimate ultra

Cocodona, which debuted in 2021, begins in the Sonoran Desert and weaves north through red rocks, pine forests and mountain ranges. It has quickly become a measuring stick for some of the world’s best ultrarunners.

This year’s race featured a mind-boggling 38,791 feet of elevation gain, which translates into miles of painful ascents and descents. It’s been described as the race that “breaks you,” and many starters can’t finish it.

A female competitor died on the course this year from a “medical emergency.” Some social media posts from runners discuss feet that feel like raw hamburger, along with discussions about swollen tongues and videos of bloody foreheads. Hallucinations from lack of sleep are common. (Entrekin may or may not have seen bats.) Medics rushed in to meet one competitor who crawled across the line to the same chorus of cheers, 125 hours after starting.

Jamil Coury, the creator of the race, noted that Cocodona’s slogan is “Adventure Awaits,” not hell.

“The goal wasn’t to make the most brutal beatdown possible,” he said. “We wanted to create an adventure that takes you through historic towns and incredible landscapes.”

Coury said Entrekin’s performance this month was a “bit shocking,” and seeing her story break into mainstream media has been a joy. She has been on ESPN, Bloomberg Television and “Good Morning America” since the win.

“She’s the perfect person for this,” Coury said. “She’s been dominant for many, many years, but she’s just so energetic and positive. It’s great for the sport.”

Where women rule

Entrekin has some theories about why women have excelled at longer distances.

“Top-end speed is not the be all, end all in the multi-day-running endurance scene,” Entrekin said. “I think women have a lot more practice, maybe, dealing with adversity and managing our emotional state and communicating.”

She mentioned Ann Trason, arguably the most accomplished female ultrarunner of all time, and Tara Dower, who finished the 2,197-mile Appalachian Trail in 40 days, 18 hours and 6 minutes in 2024, as examples.

Entrekin, who now lives in Colorado, isn’t calling for races to end gender categories and said she’s self-assured enough not to care how her win is classified. She just wishes, as Trason did decades earlier, that the conversation would evolve.

“I hope this is a step in the direction of maybe making men less of the measuring stick,” she said.

Amy Clark, editor of UltraRunning Magazine, said Entrekin is one of a handful of elite women doing unprecedented things in the sport. She said Courtney Dauwalter won the prestigious Moab 240 Endurance Run outright in 2017 and finished sixth overall at Cocodona. Entrekin, Clark said, has an uncanny ability to push through the lows that haunt every runner in ultramarathons.

“She’s so tough, and she goes hard, but she just has such a positive attitude. She doesn’t let those lows pull her back,” Clark said.

Entrekin, Coury noted, finished the race relatively unscathed. She slept just 19 minutes total over those 56 hours. While she consumed precision-crafted electrolyte drinks and gels to hydrate, as most competitors did, she also had a Coke or two and a ton of mashed potatoes. She calls potatoes the “unsung hero” of ultrarunning.

“You just get tired of chewing,” she said.

In the past, loading up on candy and drinks at 7-Eleven was a pre-race ritual for Entrekin. She only recently started wearing a watch, and her cross-training consists of “occasional yoga,” she said. During the race - even one as serious as Cocodona - Entrekin is mostly all smiles, cracking jokes, petting dogs and chatting up fellow racers. She’s seemingly nonchalant about any setbacks, which are few.

“Uh, I fell in a hole,” she said at one aid station.

Instead of getting deep sleep and lots of real, hot meals after her finish, Entrekin hung around Flagstaff to cheer on other finishers. She’s not taking a beach vacation or any time off, really. In August, she’s racing in the highly competitive Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in France.

She’s been itching to go for a run, but interviews keep getting in the way.

“I mean, running is my favorite thing in the world,” she said. “Obviously.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article omitted the name of photographer Scott Rokis on two photos.

Related Content

The New Mexico Lobos faced a lot of postseason pressure, but they answered with one of their strongest performances of the season on Thursday night in Mesa.

No. 4 seed New Mexico used big offense and solid pitching to beat No. 5 seed Nevada 13-4 at Sloan Park. This opening-round win in the Mountain West Baseball Championship kept the Lobos’ season going and put them into the double-elimination bracket.

For Head Coach Tod Brown, this was his first Mountain West Tournament win since coming to Albuquerque, and the Lobos made sure to earn it in a big way.

Lobos Strike Early and Never Let Up

New Mexico took control of the game right away.

Leadoff hitter Julian Diaz singled to start the game. After Nick Mansy walked with two outs, Lenny Junior Ashby made a big impact. On the first pitch he saw, Ashby hit a towering three-run homer to left, his team-leading seventh, giving the Lobos a 3-0 lead.

Nevada responded quickly with four hits in the bottom of the first. Right-hander Ryan Castillo limited the damage. A key 4-6-3 double play and a strikeout helped the Lobos keep the lead, as the Wolf Pack scored only two runs.

Nevada tied the game in the second inning, but New Mexico’s offense quickly took over again.

The Lobos scored five runs in the third inning, breaking the game open. Akili Carris and Mansy hit back-to-back doubles, Brodey Williams added an RBI single, and Antonio Gianni hit a two-run homer to make it 8-3.

In the next inning, UNM put the game out of reach.

The Lobos added five more runs in the fourth inning on three hits, building their lead to 13-3 and stopping Nevada’s momentum. By halfway through the game, New Mexico had scored 13 runs in four innings and kept control from there.

Ashby Leads Offensive Explosion

New Mexico ended the game with 12 hits and got contributions from the whole lineup. Still, Ashby stood out with a huge game.

Ashby went 3-for-4 with two runs, five RBIs, a home run, and a walk. It was one of his best games this season.

Carris had two hits, two runs, two RBIs, and a double. Williams went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Gianni also had two hits, three RBIs, and his two-run homer in the third was the highlight of his night.

This big offensive game was just what the Lobos needed as they started the postseason after a tough regular season.

Castillo Settles In, Corkrean Slams the Door

While the offense got most of the attention, the Lobos’ pitchers also came through when it counted.

Castillo worked through some early trouble and kept Nevada from catching up. He pitched 5.2 innings, gave up four runs on 11 hits, and struck out four. This was his eighth win of the season.

This win was also special because Castillo became the Lobo pitcher with the most wins in a season since Carson Schneider had nine in 2016.

After Castillo left the game, Cooper Corkrean shut down the Wolf Pack offense.

The left-hander was strong out of the bullpen, pitching 3.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball and striking out four. Corkrean’s effort ended any chance of a Nevada comeback and helped the Lobos move on with confidence.

Lobos Advance to Face Top-Seeded Aztecs

With this win, New Mexico will play Mountain West regular-season champion and No. 1 seed San Diego State on Friday afternoon in Mesa.

The Lobos showed on Thursday that they are tough to beat when their offense is clicking. Now, they hope to keep that momentum going against the conference’s top seed, with a chance to advance further.

New Mexico came into the tournament needing to win to keep playing, and they made a strong statement with this performance.

For at least one more day, the Lobos’ season is still alive.

PBKS IPL 2026 playoff chances detailed: Qualification scenarios, wins and points required for Punjab Kings originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Six straight losses have put last year's finalists Punjab Kings, in a tricky position of making the IPL 2026 playoffs.
• PBKS can reach a maximum of 15 points this season.
• PBKS went down against RCB on Sunday. 

Rules for the play-off qualification in IPL 2026

The 2026 IPL season features 10 teams split into two groups of five. They play twice against the other four teams in their own group. They play twice against one specific team from the opposite group.

Whereas, they play once against the remaining four teams from the opposite group. Cumulatively, they will play 14 matches. 

Teams collect points based on their match results:

• Win: 2 points
• No Result (Rain/Cancelled): 1 point
• Loss: 0 points

Once all the league matches are finished, the top four teams on the leaderboard move on to the playoffs.

MORE: Chennai Super Kings' IPL 2026 playoff chances

Here is how the league position will be decided if two or more teams have the same points:

If two or more teams end up with the same number of points, officials use these rules (in order) to decide who ranks higher:

• Total Wins: The team that won more matches gets the higher spot.
• Net Run Rate (NRR): If wins are equal, the team with the better "Net Run Rate" (a score based on how quickly they score runs versus how quickly they concede them) moves up.
• Wickets Taken: If the NRR is also identical, the team that took the most wickets during the season is preferred.
• Drawing Lots: In the rare case that everything above is exactly the same, the winner is chosen by random draw (luck).

IPL 2026 Points Table: Latest updated standings

(After SRH vs RCB)

How can PBKS qualify for the 2026 IPL playoffs?

Punjab Kings began the IPL 2026 campaign in great style, unbeaten in their first seven games, but things have changed quite a lot over the past two weeks. Back-to-back losses have left PBKS scrambling towards a play-off spot.

After losing to Delhi Capitals, PBKS are still sitting among the top four, having collected 13 points from 11 matches. But, they are not the only sides who are mathematically in contention at this point, with others like CSK, RR, KKR and DC also in the reckoning for the fourth-placed finish.

For 10 teams in the IPL league, 16 points mark the golden rule for securing qualification. As every victory brings two points, it becomes simple for PBKS:

• Remaining matches: 1
• Target points: 16 (Minimum safe zone)
• Required wins: 1 out of 1 remaining matches.
• Maximum possible points: 15 (if they win the remaining game).

MORE: CSK injured players list IPL 2026: Latest injury updates and return date

1. If PBKS win their last match (15 points) 

A win in their last match will see Punjab Kings with 15 points at the end of the league stage. But this will put them in a risky position where qualification will largely depend upon:

• RR losing their final game.
• KKR losing their final game or if they win their net run rate should exceed PBKS' tally.

3. If PBKS lose the last match (Under 14 points)

PBKS will be eliminated if they lose the last game as RR have already secured 14 points.

IPL Qualification trends (Based on past seasons)

• 16 points (8 wins): Almost guaranteed qualification.
• 14 points (7 wins): Decent chance but depends on NRR and other results.
• 12 points (6 wins): Rare. Qualification is only possible in exceptional circumstances.

What is PBKS's remaining schedule in IPL 2026?

PBKS upcoming fixtures, wins required, and chances of qualification

To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.

The San Francisco 49ers’ defense goes as far as Nick Bosa does. Without one of their franchise cornerstones on the field, a depleted defensive line struggled to compete.

No team had a lower sack percentage than the 49ers, which was 1.1% lower than the 31st-place team. The 49ers had six fewer sacks than the 31st-place team, despite facing the pass at the 10th-highest rate in the league. Bringing down the quarterback wasn’t the only issue. Only the Panthers had a lower pressure percentage.

Bosa will be coming off a torn ACL heading into his 29-year-old season. Nobody questions whether Bosa will be impactful. The magnitude is what is fair to consider. After all, we are talking about one of the very best pass rushers in the NFL.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Bosa’s contract is another factor to consider:

Bosa has a big cap hit in 2027, at nearly $55 million. And yes, he’s coming off a torn ACL and will turn 30 that November. Next year is also the first year of the deal done in the summer of 2023 that won’t be fully guaranteed from the outset — he has less than $1 million guaranteed for 2027.

So all those points lead to a decision needing to be made. So, really, what this boils down to is how good Bosa is in 2026.

Breer doesn’t believe Bosa is going anywhere, as long as his production doesn’t fall off a cliff:

“If [Bosa] rings up a dozen sacks, and offenses have to double him and slide protection to him, the cash he’s due in 2027 ($33.18 million) is reasonable relative to where the market at his position has gone, and cap numbers can be managed.”

Bosa is now the 8th-highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL on an annual basis. If he has the kind of season he’s capable of, Bosa could very well want to be compensated like he’s one of the top edge rushers in the NFL one last time.

There’s the other side of the coin, where Bosa sustains another injury:

“If he gets hurt or slips, then we’re talking about another situation altogether. I would say that I have no doubt that Bosa’s going to do all he can to get back to being the player he has been for most of his seven years in the NFL.”

Another Bosa injury might lead to the 49ers making another splash move around the trade deadline. Many wanted them to do that last season, but the defense had too many holes for one player to fix. Unless that player was a superstar.

The depth is better, but that depth revolves around Bosa. We saw what happened last year when everybody was asked to do more. It did not work out well. The gravity that Bosa brings to the table is something you can’t quantify, making it tough to envision the 49ers doing anything else besides working out something to keep Bosa around this time next year.

There’s been quite a bit of talk around rule changes in college football this offseason, with expansion being a key topic as deliberations are ongoing on whether to move the College Football Playoff to 24 teams.

That’s not the only rule change, however, as the NCAA introduced a new punt formation rule for the 2026 season. And coaches do not like it, especially in the Big Ten, where Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell and every other Big Ten coach voted against it, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The new rule stipulates that the snapper and the players lined up on each side of them automatically become ineligible receivers on punt players when certain jersey number exceptions are used. The rule was to combat coaches disguising players as eligible receivers during fake punts, taking away an element of surprise for special teams coaches.

Additionally, according to Tennessee Tech special teams coordinator Frank Wilson Jr., here are the other major changes:

• Formations must be 2×2 on either side of the snapper, unless there are five players wearing Nos. 50 to 79 on the line of scrimmage.
• Players are locked into the 2×2 formation with the guards and tackles in or touching the tackle box. No shifting is allowed, and they are ineligible.
• If five players wearing Nos. 50-79 are on the line of scrimmage, then the normal football rules of shifting and eligibility apply.
• If a team elects to change player jerseys to alleviate numbering exceptions, a team may fill out a form and present it to referees at pregame meetings, and an announcement will be made prior to the play about the changes.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz voiced his displeasure with the rule change, believing that the original rules were good as is.

“There’s no compelling reason to change it. It was already perfectly fine,” Ferentz said, via Thamel.

In addition, on a recent podcast, ESPN’s Rece Davis said that coaches universally hate the rule change, noting, like Ferentz said, that nobody asked for it nor do they want it.

According to a USA Today report, an unofficial survey of Division I coaches held a 61-1 vote against the rule. That’s quite the discrepancy.

PARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula were among those paying tribute to Associated Press tennis writer Howard Fendrich as players gathered at Roland Garros for a French Open that’s now missing one of the sport’s most-respected journalists.

Fendrich, a regular at Roland Garros and all the tennis majors since 2002, died Thursday, less than three months after being diagnosed with cancer.

The news elicited a social media outpouring that included a Friday morning post from Nadal, whose record 14 French Open victories were chronicled in rich and colorful detail by Fendrich. “Tennis loses one of its great journalists,” Nadal said.

Gauff, whose title last year at Roland Garros was her second major singles championship, opened her pre-tournament news conference with a shout-out to Fendrich, the award-winning writer who spent 24 of his 33 years with AP on the tennis beat.

“I just wanted to start this off just recognizing a deep loss that I think we all have experienced as a community with Howard,” Gauff said. “He was someone I always enjoyed having conversations with. One of my favorite faces to see in the room.”

Fendrich died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was diagnosed with cancer in February shortly after returning from Milan, where he covered his 11th Olympics. He was 55.

The Women’s Tennis Association wrote a tribute to Fendrich, recalling that “His classic opening before a question, ‘soooo, I’m curious ...’ always set a comfortable tone of kindness in interviews.”

The fifth-ranked Pegula, a member of the WTA Players’ Council, sent her condolences.

“Howard was one of the most respected journalists in our sport and someone players trusted because he always approached his work with honesty, professionalism and fairness,” she said.

Roger Federer, Billie Jean King and Patrick McEnroe, a former player and the current president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, were among those who honored Fendrich on Thursday.

Other tributes streamed in from Fendrich’s press box colleagues. Washington-based Adam Kilgore called him “the best person to see at a game, in a press room, at a dinner after an event.” They also came from across Fendrich’s home base, where, when not covering tennis, he was a regular in press boxes at Commanders, Nationals and Capitals games.

“His contributions to and impact on sports journalism extend far beyond that of the Nationals press box,” the baseball team said. “He will be dearly missed.”

Fendrich was based in Washington and the city’s football and hockey teams — the Commanders and Capitals — also extended their condolences.

Fendrich is survived by his wife, Rosanna Maietta; his mother, Renée; his brother, Alex; and two sons, Stefano and Jordan.

___

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

As if the opening practice session for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix wasn’t already enough of a headache for the paddock, Scuderia Ferrari just found themselves opening their wallets for the FIA. Amidst the barrage of red flags and bizarre wildlife encounters, Charles Leclerc managed to commit a completely unforced error before his tires even hit the active track.

According to official Document 18 released by the stewards, Ferrari has been slapped with a €1000 fine for a pit lane speeding violation during Free Practice 1.

At exactly 12:57 local time, the FIA’s timing loops caught Leclerc’s Car 16 clocking in at a rapid 96.3 km/h. This completely blew past the strict 80 km/h speed limit established for the Montreal pit lane this weekend, exceeding the legal threshold by a solid 16.3 km/h.

The Symptom of a Desperate Session for Ferrari?

While a €1000 penalty is effectively pocket change for a team operating with Maranello’s massive budget, the fine is a glaring symptom of the desperation gripping the garages on Friday afternoon.

Because Montreal is operating as a Sprint weekend, FP1 was the one and only opportunity for teams to dial in their aerodynamic setups before the cars entered strict parc fermé conditions. Every time the session was red-flagged, whether it was Alex Albon destroying his Williams or Esteban Ocon shedding a front wing, crucial setup time evaporated into thin air.

When the pit lane finally went green between those heavy stoppages, drivers were practically crawling out of their cockpits with eagerness to get back onto the asphalt and secure baseline data. Leclerc clearly dumped the clutch and disengaged his pit limiter a fraction of a second too early in his rush to maximize the ticking clock.

For a Ferrari team that is already openly admitting they are down on straight-line engine power compared to Mercedes and Ford, throwing away focus on sloppy pit lane procedures is a deeply frustrating way to kick off a high-pressure Sprint weekend.

This holiday weekend will be an absolute doozy for wrestling fans, with WWE running its latest Saturday Night’s Main Event and AEW holding one of its annual staples, Double or Nothing.

With so much going on, the Uncrowned Horsemen — Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — are here to answer burning questions and offer predictions for the two cards.

Let’s ride!

1. The story surrounding Darby Allin’s AEW title run seems to be pretty straightforward — he’s running himself into the ground. Grade his reign so far and do you think it comes to an end on Sunday night?

Sulla-Heffinger: I don’t know how you could conceivably go anything lower than an “A.” Allin hasn’t just been a fighting champion, he’s putting himself firmly in the discussion to win Uncrowned’s Men’s Wrestler of the Year with the string of matches he has had since winning the championship in April.

That said, I do think MJF walks out of New York as the AEW World Champion. As good as Allin’s been, the narrative here protects him in a loss to MJF. As admirable as it is that Allin has taken on any and all challengers, it lends itself to a defeat being a learning experience for him.

It’s an interesting parallel to what WWE is doing with Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu in terms of someone not being ready to be a top champion. Both companies are telling similar stories in different ways.

Riggs: It's been a wildly comfortable "A." To steal the words of Sheamus, the guy is putting on banger after banger after banger, and fitting the work-rate champion role to a tee in the only unique way he can.

Have I agreed with some of the things he's survived in matches to remain on top? Not entirely. But Allin always delivers insanity, which you can't look away from. He really does remind me of a smaller AEW equivalent to prime Jeff Hardy, who I've mentioned numerous times is my all-time favorite. So the parallels are clear, and I love it.

With all that said, I doubt he beats MJF again, mostly because of the hair stipulation. They'll put on an instant classic, matching everything Darby has done since he won the title. But this match feels like a better way to extend this feud further for a greater crescendo point down the road. A Darby win would be a colossal boost on top of this already great run and propel him to a pretty concrete position atop the company; for the sake of the story, though, MJF winning for a revisit down the line feels like the right move.

Jackman: Drake quoted old Sheamus on this one, but I’m going to stretch back further in time and quote Mr. Sinatra. When I look at Darby Allin’s time at the top, the thing that stands out is just his unabashed commitment to doing things his way. I mean, has there ever been another world champion who would have attempted that brutal table bump at Fairway to Hell.

I appreciate not everyone will be so enthusiastic about Darby's style — though even if you’re not so into the daredevil stuff, I think there’s cause to welcome him being world champion. One of the weaknesses of AEW has been its inability to turn its homegrown stars (i.e. the non-WWE castoffs) into world champions. It’s good to see the guy who literally put the AEW flag on Mount Everest getting his time in the spotlight.

As to whether Darby’s run ends this weekend, I'm happy either way. Tony Khan has done a great job of booking the world title scene since the dethroning of Jon Moxley and I’m confident he can keep that going whichever way this one finishes.

Dansby: Darby’s reign has been a strong B+ for me so far. The idea of an undersized champion surviving purely through heart, recklessness and sheer refusal to quit is a great story for AEW. It’s very Darby Allin, and fans naturally buy into him as an underdog fighting champion.

That said, I don’t think the reign survives Double or Nothing.

We’ve already seen MJF with short hair before, so the “hair vs. title” element doesn’t feel nearly as shocking as it might on paper. More importantly, though, the next wave of challengers feels very babyface-heavy, and AEW needs a top heel holding down the championship heading into the summer.

Darby winning the title was the emotional payoff. MJF taking it back and crushing that dream is the next chapter. Everyone knows the endgame is probably Will Ospreay winning the title at Wembley, and MJF feels like the perfect villain for him to finally dethrone.

2. The four-way match for the AEW Women’s Championship is a prime way to set up a potential summer-long program for Thekla. Who should it be with?

Riggs: The obvious answer feels like Mercedes Mone, purely based on name value and her absence after dropping all the belts. Perhaps it gets kick-started this weekend, but for some reason, I'm just not quite sold yet. There appears to be unfinished business between Thekla and Kris Statlander, but that feud feels like it should get more room to breathe.

So, I'll throw somewhat of a curveball, but the answer should be Athena. Let's really strap the rocket to her, and eventually circle back to Mone once Athena is the world champion. There's history between those two, unlike Thekla and Mone. That would be the magic-maker move long-term — as much as I love Thekla.

Sulla-Heffinger: I agree wholeheartedly with Drake: I think there’s unfinished business between Thekla and Kris Statlander. Statlander won the championship last year in a four-way, so it could be cool to build this up as her specialty match and have her win again.

So, assuming Statlander wins, we should get at least her and Thekla in a program to carry us to All In. The reason I said “at least” is because I can’t see Mercedes Moné not coming back before that event in England. Shoot, I can’t see them leaving Double or Nothing without “The CEO” making an appearance.

Thekla vs. Moné vs. Statlander is almost as big as it gets on the women’s side for All In.

Dansby: Is it weird that none of the obvious options really excite me?

Honestly, Thekla should win — and the real story should be the return of Mercedes Moné. The most interesting direction for Mercedes now is losing the collection of championships she’s built up and coming back to AEW humbled for the first time in years.

There’s real value in turning her into a sympathetic babyface instead of leaning into the untouchable star presentation forever. A focused Mercedes chasing Thekla throughout the second half of 2026 feels fresher than most of the current options in the division.

Jackman: As the resident Brit among the four of us, surely this has to be the set up for Thekla having a one-on-one title match with Jamie Hayter at Wembley later this year? I know hometown pops are a bit of cliche, but there’s a reason for that: They tend to work. And Hayter’s whole Carnby Street vibe is just perfect for the occasion.

3. Neither Rhea Ripley nor Liv Morgan have defended their championships since WrestleMania. Is that an issue? Should one have been defended on the Saturday Night’s Main Event Card?

Jackman: The lack of title defenses is definitely an issue. I wrote a column a few months back looking at some of the particularly egregious gaps we’d seen between title defenses. At one point, Jade Cargill was pushing three months without a single defense of her Women’s World Championship. Obviously, neither Morgan or Ripley are close to that, but every day counts.

The absence of these world title matches also raises wider questions as to what on earth the purpose of SNME is these days. If you exclude the John Cena special event in December, there’s been a massive drop-off in interest in these events. The fact that this one is being scheduled one week before an actual PLE — and without a single major title on the line — isn’t going to help that one bit.

WWE via Getty Images

Riggs: I wouldn't say any of this is an "issue," per se. The real issue is them recycling their 'Mania feuds and/or not having a current feud whatsoever — and before Morgan lost her feud, it was going to be the former! I shout about WWE's creative bankruptcy very regularly, but the women's world title picture highlights that more than anything else in the company, and it's not even close. WWE has no idea whatsoever how to book two made stars, Ripley and Morgan, as champions, which is insane, not only because of their talent but also because of the overall talent around them. Even after the addition of Fatal Influence to the main roster, WWE immediately swerved away from that fresh option (for now) and went back to Jade Cargill for Ripley. It's just maddening.

Meanwhile, Morgan has been nothing more than a manager with a title since Stephanie Vaquer's injury. I will say their revisit is more acceptable, since the pair was done dirty with only seven minutes at WrestleMania. Nonetheless, it's insane to see how, essentially right after the last Evolution PLE, the women's booking has fallen entirely off a cliff.

Sulla-Heffinger: Absolutely it’s an issue. Ripley and Morgan are two of the biggest names in WWE and your top champions on the women’s side, yet it’s likely we won’t see them defend their championships for nearly two months after winning them.

I understand Stephanie Vaquer’s injury threw a wrench into the “Raw” title picture, but Iyo Sky or Bayley or even Sol Ruca are all right there. Even if it’s a filler feud, it still keeps the championship prominent.

It’s not exactly the same situation on “SmackDown,” since it seems like we will get another Ripley match against Jade Cargill, but after Fatal Influence’s call-up, even that feels a little flat. If you’re going to simply run it back, why not at Backlash or SNME?

Even if we get one of these titles defended at Clash in Italy next weekend, it’s either going to be a rushed feud (“Raw”) or a little too drawn out (“SmackDown”).

Dansby: The women’s title scene was messy before WrestleMania, and honestly, it still feels messy now.

Part of me is glad WWE didn’t just force a rematch onto the Saturday Night’s Main Event card for the sake of getting the championships featured. At the same time, these divisions desperately need meaningful stories heading into Night of Champions and SummerSlam.

Right now, both title scenes feel like they’re stalling instead of building momentum, which is dangerous this time of year.

4. Where does Stadium Stampede rank for you in terms of specialty matches in not just AEW, but all of wrestling?

Dansby: Honestly, it’s the most fun match type in wrestling right now.

The Royal Rumble used to own that spot for me, but WWE’s bloated roster and increasingly predictable surprise entrants have taken away some of the magic. Add in the constant celebrity and influencer involvement under TKO, and it doesn’t feel as special anymore.

Stadium Stampede, on the other hand, almost always delivers chaos in the best possible way. I’ve been in the crowd for several of them live, and they never disappoint. It feels like AEW fully embracing what makes the company different.

Riggs: It's right up there as an all-timer. Last year's Anarchy in the Arena was a big part of why Double or Nothing 2025 was arguably the most fun pro-wrestling event I've ever watched. My worry, however, is always the same: They're going to run out of ideas. How do they possibly top the last one?

I feel that way every single time. Yet, AEW never ceases to find new ways to innovate in these bonkers brawls. They've well earned the trust to believe in these matches delivering, so more often than not, it's about sitting back and enjoying the ride because you know it’ll be one you won't soon forget.

Jackman: I think it definitely has its place in history. The idea of doing an over-the-top cinematic match to make up for the lack of fans during Covid wasn’t exclusively an AEW thing, but they definitely did it with gusto. As much as I liked WWE’s boneyard match, the old Stadium Stampedes have a stronger claim to being part of modern pro-wrestling history.

Again, they’re not for everyone, but can’t you say that about just about anything that happens in AEW?

Sulla-Heffinger: It’s AEW’s top specialty match and top five across all of wrestling. Putting them in no particular order:

• Stadium Stampede/Anarchy in the Arena

• Royal Rumble

• Money in the Bank

• WarGames

• TLC

5. What will be the match of the weekend? Is there any chance a performance from Saturday Night’s Main Event can break through Double or Nothing?

Jackman: I think you've framed the question perfectly there, in terms of the smart money being on Double or Nothing having the stronger matches. At this point that's basically the presumption when you have these WWE vs. AEW weekends.

That said, I think there's a case to be made for Ethan Page vs. Penta, a match that pits two of WWE’s most promising mid-carders against each other. Provided it gets enough time to breathe, it should be a banger. In fact, it might be a rare example of a match that will actually benefit from being on a SNME show.

Dansby: When was the last time a WWE match genuinely topped an AEW match on a head-to-head weekend? I honestly can’t think of one, so I’m not expecting that to change here.

Okada vs. Takeshita feels like the clear answer to the first part of the question. AEW has quietly been building toward this match for nearly a year, and it has all the ingredients of a true passing-of-the-torch moment between two of the best Japanese wrestlers in the world.

It feels like the moment Takeshita finally beats “The Rainmaker,” and if they’re given the proper time, this absolutely has five-star potential written all over it.

Sulla-Heffinger: With all due respect to the athletes on the WWE card, the run AEW has been on with its pay-per-views has been arguably the best ever. It will be impossibly hard for SNME to top Double or Nothing.

There are a bunch of contenders for match of the weekend. Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido will be a bell-to-bell masterpiece, Stadium Stampede will be chaotic and violent, and FTR vs. Cage and Cope will have incredible storytelling, but one match is likely to combine all three of those:

Darby Allin vs. MJF.

Two pillars of AEW with a shared history, battling for AEW’s top prize. It’s going to be an instant classic.

Riggs: Let's not kid ourselves — a SNME breakthrough is wildly generous to even ask about, despite my intrigue in Penta vs. Page. AEW has three guaranteed thrillers on tap, and I struggle to rank them for this answer, but they are Allin vs. MJF, Okada vs. Takeshita and Swerve vs. Bandido. That's just in terms of pure potential for certified classics. And Will Ospreay vs. Samoa Joe is on the card too, mind you.

I just don't see how Allin vs. MJF isn't a complete rollercoaster of wrestling brilliance within the story these two have told over the years. MJF doesn't miss as the main event — or typically ever — and Allin continues to shift into another gear with every title match. But I'll also coin-flip it between Okada and Takeshita, just because the latter has been white-hot, and obviously, these two are set to really blow the roof off the place, whether or not this is the conclusion of their feud.

Predictions

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event:

• Intercontinental Championship: Penta (Dansby) vs. Ethan Page (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

• Women’s Tag Team Championship: Paige and Brie Bella (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. The Irresistible Forces (Dansby)

• World Tag Team Championship: The Vision (Jackman) vs. The Street Profits (Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

• Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

• Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (Dansby, Riggs) vs. Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab (Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger)

AEW Double or Nothing 2026:

• AEW World Championship, Title vs. Hair match: Darby Allin vs. MJF (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

• AEW Women’s Championship: Thekla (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs) vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Kris Statlander (Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Jamie Hayter

• AEW World Tag Team Championship, I Quit match: FTR vs. Cage and Cope (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

• AEW International Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

• Stadium Stampede: The Elite, The Hurt Syndicate and Chris Jericho (Dansby, Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. The Demand, The Dogs and The Don Callis Family (Riggs)

• Willow Nightingale (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Alex Windsor

• Will Ospreay (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Samoa Joe

• Swerve Strickland (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Bandido

2026 standings

• Robert Jackman: 30-16

• Kel Dansby: 28-18

• Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 27-19

• Drake Riggs: 26-20

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Tippecanoe’s Nick Von Krosigk, Alter’s Michael Shope, Milton-Union’s Levi Brumbaugh and the Oakwood doubles team of Oren Watson/Ronin Boehne each booked a trip to the OHSAA state tournament after picking up a pair of wins on the opening day of the boys tennis district tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Thursday, May 21.

In the Division I tournament, Von Krosigk, the Miami Valley League’s boys tennis athlete of the year, defeated Kevin Zhou of Sycamore and Josef Alkuino of Fairfield to advance. Von Krosigk will face Janek Teply of Mason in the district semifinal round on Saturday, May 23.

Alkuino defeated Bellbrook’s Jonah Grismer in the first round before falling 6-2, 6-1 to Von Krosigk.

Centerville’s Timothy Lee defeated Tippecanoe’s Alex Darner by scores of 6-3, 6-3 in the first round but had to forfeit his second-round match.

Ryan Hunt of Beavercreek grabbed a first-round win but fell in the second.

No area teams qualified in D-I doubles, but Springboro’s Peyton Nelson/Brady Mullins and Centerville’s Luke Edwards/Jake Critchfield did record first-round victories.

In D-II singles Shope highlighted his day for Alter with a straight-set victory in his first-round match. Shope will play Milton-Union’s Brumbaugh in the district semifinals on Saturday, May 23.

Arjun Jain of Miami Valley and Noah Wildofsky of Northwestern earned first round wins but did not advance.

In D-II doubles Oakwood’s duo of Oren Watson/Ronin Boehne qualified for state with wins over Seven Hills and Wyoming. Watson and Boehne will meet Indian Hill’s Will Jordan/Vedant Buch in the district semifinals on Saturday, May 23.

PHOTOS: Boys D-I and D-II district tennis tournament in Mason

* Nick Graham

The OHSAA state tournament is returning to the Lindner Family Tennis Center this year. The facility had previously hosted the tournament from 2014-2022 before undergoing renovations. The tournament is scheduled for Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29.

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Setting the threshold low on a goal may get you to achieve it quicker. It doesn’t give you as much satisfaction as setting out to go for something more.

Ella Oakes did that and is reaping the boost in confidence for future seasons.

Oakes is a sophomore with Oakwood lacrosse. This season she scored 70 goals for the Lumberjills and on the way reached 100 career points.

For her efforts, Oakes was named the Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week for May 12-18, earning the honor through reader voting at DaytonDailyNews.com.

“It just feels really cool, and I really appreciate it,” Oakes said. “I like that people are seeing what I can do, and it just makes me excited for next season too.”

She set out at the start of the season believing reaching 100 points was possible before her sophomore campaign ended. She also had decided to set a mark of 60 goals during this season for herself even though she didn’t score half of that total last year.

Oakes not only felt the confidence in herself was warranted, but proved she was spot on with her thinking toward reaching both goals.

“I thought I had a pretty good season last year, and I came into this season with a lot more confidence than I did last year,” she said. “I thought I was able to reach that number, especially because with my team I feel like we all work well together.”

That team camaraderie started early this season from the moment the team was formed, through outings at Fox Hollow rodeo line dancing together, and everyday practices.

Realizing the fulfillment that stemmed from needing to put in the work to achieve something lofty, Oakes said she’s ready to try again next season.

“I really want to try and break the goal record for our school,” she said. “I’m also hoping to hit 100 [career] goals next season, which I’m seven away from and I think will definitely happen. But overall I just want it to be a good atmosphere and I’m excited to play with my friends.”

What if she ended up reaching 100 goals in a single season?

“That would be insane. I hope I could do that,” Oakes said. “I don’t know if I could, but that would be awesome if I did.”

Should Oakes keep setting higher goals and continue reaching them, one shouldn’t put it past her to keep going higher.

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The news about two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch's death was shocking to many racing fans.

It was definitely shocking to me, as he was just 41 years old.

Early in my career I covered several NASCAR races and really enjoyed working at Kentucky Speedway and other tracks when I had the opportunity.

Kyle Busch seemed to be one of the favorites to win just about every race over the years, but that wasn't really the case at the beginning of his career.

In 2004, I was assigned to cover the NASCAR Busch series Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Kyle Busch was just 18 years old then and, although there was a lot of hype surrounding the young driver, he wasn't expected to win the race.

Another reason he wasn't expected to win was that he had wrecked his primary car in practice. Although he had qualified to start on the outside of the front row, using a backup car meant that he had to start from the back of the field in 43rd place.

Somehow, Busch gradually made his way to the front and won the race pulling away, his third victory of the season.

As soon as the race was over, another sort of race began. All the photographers hurried from their various positions to get to the winners circle and the shot everyone wanted of Busch getting out of the car to celebrate.

Media from all over the world covered these races, and there could easily be over 100 photographers trying to get the best spots for photos.

I was lucky enough to get a great spot and ended up getting one of my favorite racing photos.

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The news about two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch's death was shocking to many racing fans.

It was definitely shocking to me, as he was just 41 years old.

Early in my career I covered several NASCAR races and really enjoyed working at Kentucky Speedway and other tracks when I had the opportunity.

Kyle Busch seemed to be one of the favorites to win just about every race over the years, but that wasn't really the case at the beginning of his career.

In 2004, I was assigned to cover the NASCAR Busch series Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Kyle Busch was just 18 years old then and, although there was a lot of hype surrounding the young driver, he wasn't expected to win the race.

Another reason he wasn't expected to win was that he had wrecked his primary car in practice. Although he had qualified to start on the outside of the front row, using a backup car meant that he had to start from the back of the field in 43rd place.

Somehow, Busch gradually made his way to the front and won the race pulling away, his third victory of the season.

As soon as the race was over, another sort of race began. All the photographers hurried from their various positions to get to the winners circle and the shot everyone wanted of Busch getting out of the car to celebrate.

Media from all over the world covered these races, and there could easily be over 100 photographers trying to get the best spots for photos.

I was lucky enough to get a great spot and ended up getting one of my favorite racing photos.

Yankees would be a good trade fit for 3.13 ERA Cardinals reliever, per MLB insider originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Yankees made three big moves at the 2025 MLB trade deadline to bolster their bullpen, and a year later, they are likely to be eyeing more reliever help again.

Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, and David Bednar are still on the team, but there is room for improvement in the bullpen.

That's why it makes sense that MLB insider Robert Murray of Fansided.com named the Yankees as a good fit for St. Louis Cardinals 3.13 ERA reliever, Riley O'Brien.

Yankees would be good trade fit for Riley O'Brien

"O'Brien will be one of many options that the Yankees consider," Murray writes. "His success, and also his controllability (he's not a free agent until 2031), make him desirable and an option that New York will surely make a call about."

With the Yankees seeking out more bullpen help, it wouldn't be a surprise if they turned their sights to someone like O'Brien.

The Cardinals are likely to be deadline sellers, even with their impressive record to begin the 2026 regular season.

O'Brien is someone the Cardinals might look to capitalize on, as he's having a good season for the second year in a row, though he's 31 years old and a bit more of an unknown.

MORE: Yankees’ Aaron Judge on track to become first player in MLB history with five 50+ homer seasons

However, for the Yankees, he's exactly the kind of reliever worth taking a chance on. The right-hander has a 3.13 ERA this season and had a 2.06 ERA last year.

He might not be the best reliever who could be on the move this season, but O'Brien would likely be a little cheaper than some of those other options, while still providing solid upside for the Yankees to invest in.

Murray graded this trade fit an "8/10," which is a strong grade, and would make for a good pairing if the Yankees and Cardinals could work out a deal this season by the August 3rd trade deadline.

More MLB news:

• 5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for Cardinals
• Roman Anthony might’ve been overhyped for Red Sox
• Dodgers still have a Roki Sasaki problem
• Chase Burns becomes first Reds pitcher with elite stat line since 1922
• Phillies’ Aidan Miller finally beginning baseball activities amid back injury

NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell is meeting with the media for the first time since the sport confronts one of its most stunning losses in years.

There are many questions to be answered after the shocking death of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on Thursday, May 21. He was 41 and had raced just four days before.

Follow here for live updates from the O’Donnell press conference, on Friday, May 22.  

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell to speak after Kyle Busch's death

Washington has entered the mix for 2028 five-star forward Evan Willis.

The 6-foot-7, 180-pound Crossroads, California, star picked up an offer from Danny Sprinkle and company on Monday, one day after Huskies assistant coaches were on hand to see Willis at the PRO16 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Different breed. The Huskies saw it too! Thank you Coach Sprinkle, Coach Pondexter and staff for believing in me. #GoHuskies#washington#offered#blessedpic.twitter.com/7rqRV71y8D

— The.Evan.Willis (@The_Evan_Willis) May 18, 2026

Willis is ranked the No. 7 player in the 2028 class by 247Sports and the No. 30 player in the 247Sports composite rankings. He has participated in two minicamps with the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team, once in October 2025 and once at the Final Four this April.

At the latter minicamp, 247Sports analyst Eric Bossi said that Willis was the most explosive athlete in the gym, with the length and size to impact the game defensively from the three or four spot. Multiple reports have noted that his effort has waned when not involved offensively, however, and that his potential is largely in his own hands based on how engaged with the game he is on any given night.

On Sunday, Bossi wrote of Willis: "The five-star prospect took things into his own hands and showed why he's so highly regarded. He did so by ramping up the energy and turning into an absolute menace on the defensive end. There can't be many better athletes in his class, or any, and he really used that to his advantage. He's highly switchable because he can move his feet, and then his ability to explode off the floor, length, and instincts make him a big-time shot blocker for a wing. Offensively, he attacked when he could, hit a nice-looking three, and even though there were no official stats available, we wouldn't be surprised if he had a triple-double of points, rebounds, and blocks."

Willis now holds 14 offers, according to 247Sports, with Georgia, North Carolina State, Nebraska, Texas A&M, USC, and Creighton among them. A Santa Monica native, Washington will likely rely on assistant coach Quincy Pondexter's connections in the Los Angeles area to stay in the mix in his recruitment as it ramps up over the next year. Bossi reported that Baylor, Miami, Texas, Kansas, Louisville, and Oklahoma were among the schools that sent coaches to Tulsa to watch Willis this weekend.

It would be a huge win for Sprinkle and his staff, who brought in local three-star forward Lattimore Ford as their only high school signing in the 2026 class to date. Sprinkle put together a strong 2025 class, signing forward Jasir Rencher, guard JJ Mandaquit, and guard Courtland Muldrew out of the American high school ranks while bringing in Hannes Steinbach and Nikola Dzepina from overseas, but that group has splintered this offseason.

Steinbach is off to the NBA, Mandaquit transferred to Arizona, Muldrew entered the transfer portal, Rencher had a heart issue, and his timetable to return to the court remains unknown. Dzepina will return to the Huskies in 2026.

With how quickly the college basketball landscape changes each offseason, it's difficult to say who Willis might be surrounded by should he come to Montlake in 2028. Dzepina would be a senior if he stays that long, as would Rencher if he returns to basketball. Ford would be a junior, as would Brazilian import Wini Braga. But regardless of the roster around him, Washington could use the talent injection that would come with Willis' arrival to campus.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: UW basketball offers 2028 five-star SF with high-end upside

Where to watch Georgia high school baseball playoffs: Schedule, channel, live stream for GHSA championship games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After an eventful trip through the various brackets, it's time to crown state champions in Georgia high school baseball. 

Eight teams will have the honor of lifting trophies over the extended Memorial Day weekend after best-of-three championship series at three minor league ballparks and one college stadium around the state. 

This year's finals feature three schools trying to repeat after winning state last year in Troup (3A), Gordon Lee (1AD1) and Lanier County (1AD2), but most of the brackets feature an entirely new set of finalists. They include some national powers like North Oconee (4A), which is No. 37 in the country according to MaxPreps, along with No. 39 Pope (5A) and No. 43 North Paulding (6A). 

The 6A finals start last and may draw the most attention as North Paulding meets Etowah in a rematch of an early season series that saw the Wolfpack take two of three. Etowah will try to reverse that this time behind the state's top high school prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft, outfielder Trevor Condon (who is no relation to the Rockies prospect and former UGA star Charlie). 

Here's everything you need to know to watch all the state championship series play out. 

Where to watch Georgia high school baseball playoffs

• TV channel: None
• Live stream:NFHS Network

The Georgia high school baseball playoffs will not air on traditional broadcast television. Games can be streamed live and on demand via the NFHS Network. 

The NFHS Network offers prospective customers two basic plans: an Annual Pass ($6.67 per month) or a Monthly Pass ($13.99 per month). Subscribers to the NFHS Network can watch high school sports nationwide, live and on demand.

Georgia high school baseball playoffs schedule 2026

The finalists in each classification play a doubleheader, then a third game if necessary to decide a champion.

Friday, May 22

Stream every game live on the NFHS Network.

Saturday, May 23

* If necessary

Monday, May 25

* If necessary

Tuesday, May 26

* If necessary

Wednesday, May 27

* If necessary

Where are the Georgia high school baseball championship games played? 

The GHSA championship series will be played at four sites around the state in 2026:

Back in 2018, I launched a Dynasty League with many of the Chicago Bears content creators that you all know and love, and many of them are regular contributors at Windy City Gridiron and 2nd City Gridiron.

It’s been a fun league and a few days ago, our guy Jeff Berckes said to me, why don’t you write about the league on Windy City Gridiron, I thought about it and wondered if fans would want to hear abou it, and our big boss man, Lester Wiltfong, thought it might be a fun exercise to do, especially in the offseason (depending on how much you guys like this series, we can continue it periodically during the season if you guys are hungry for updates).

I have grown to love dynasty fantasy football. I have found redraft leagues boring, even offense-only leagues where you keep a couple of players aren’t enough for me. I love dynasty leagues, especially ones that feature individual defensive players. I am in three leagues, this one included.

We will analyze the draft, the rosters, and the best ways each of these managers should work moving forward. I think it will also be an opportunity for other dynasty players to use this league as a resource to get opinions on how they value their players and get fresh opinions.

There aren’t many resources on the Internet that deal with dynasty leagues, and the ones that do usually only rank offensive players. If your league has offensive and defensive players, there are practically zero resources that show you how to build on both sides of the ball and what you should value in the draft. Should you draft Sonny Styles or KC Concepcion? These answers are not found on the Internet, so I am hoping to provide some insight as to how some smart football people look at leagues that have that juxtaposition.

This first article is to introduce you to the league, and then we will discuss the draft and analyze how each team did.

The owners, as we enter year nine of the league:

Bill Zimmerman: I actually started the league back in 2018. I started my first dynasty league in 2015, joined another in 2017, and started this one in 2018. I’ve won the league championship 3 times and appeared in the championship game another three. I decided to start rebuilding my roster a couple of years ago, and we are hoping the team is about ready to start competing again.

Lester Wiltfong: The two dynasties in the league overlapped a little with Lester and me. Consider myself the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and Lester the Duncan/Parker Spurs. One of the original members of the league, Lester, always competes. While I decided to do a full rebuild after my team aged, Lester has stayed competitive and reached the semifinals this past season. Lester has appeared in three championship games and won them all.

Mason West: The host of the Bear Bones podcast, Mason joined the league a few years ago and has a similar philosophy to that of the LA Rams: F*ck them picks. Mason consistently trades away his draft picks for strong veteran players and rebuilds a team in a few years, and landed himself the championship in 2025.

[Redacted]: [Redacted] also wasn’t an original participant but joined a few years into the league and has put together a strong roster that always competes for the championship. Why are they [redacted]? Maybe they just don’t want their name publicly, or maybe they are someone in football who can’t be in a public league, but we will talk about them, nevertheless. [Redacted] has one championship game appearance but no championship trophies.

Brandon Robinson: Brandon has made many appearances on Chicago Bears podcasts over the years and has contributed to various websites. He’s another strong dynasty player who has his team in the playoffs most seasons. He made his first title game appearance in 2025, but lost the game to Mason West.

Dan Meehan: Danny is one of the original members of the league (one of six of us remaining). Danny is, of course, the co-host of the Bear Bones podcast and has appeared on other podcasts on the 2nd City Gridiron podcast channel. Danny’s team struggles with the dangerous word: purgatory. He’s almost always in the playoffs as one of the lower seeds and has yet to appear in a championship game; his team also never finishes near the bottom of the league.

Kevin Hand: Kev has been a part of the Windy City Gridiron family for many years, including years before I joined Lester’s band of merry men. Kev had a strong team early in the league’s history, but has had his team fall into tough times and is working through a rebuild. Kev has appeared in one championship game, but does not have a trophy to his name. Kev is one of the original six.

Tyler Volz: You have a better chance to see Tyler as the ring announcer in a professional wrestling league than you do on a Bears podcast, but he’s been a part of the Bears Twitter community for many years. Tyler’s teams struggled early in the league’s history, but he has steadily built a contender and has been to the championship game 2 of the last three years, winning one title. Tyler is also part of the original six.

Will Ingalls: Will is the sixth member of the original six. Will had a good team early, built it to a great team, but couldn’t get over the hump in the playoffs. Will reached one title game, but lost and could never get over the championship game hump. He entered a rebuild a year ago.

Adam Hess: Of all the non-original members, Adam is one of the longest tenured members of the league. His team has been near the bottom of the standings the last few years, and Adam is working through a rebuild to try to bring his team to heights he has yet to reach.

Jacob Infante: We had some major turnover this year, but the league is stronger for it. Jacob is one of 4 new league members this year; we had never had more than one new league owner previously. Jacob takes over a team that has a serious rebuild in front of it. If anyone can do it, it’s the NFL Draft guru.

Jeff Berckes: JB takes over a roster that is entering year five of its rebuild and is still consistently picking in the top three. It’s not JB’s fault; it’s his first year managing the roster. Will JB get this one out of the cellar? He has a few nice foundational pieces to build upon.

Quintin Krysko: Q joins the league this year and is, of course, part of our friends at Bears On Tap. Q has taken over a team that never had much direction and needs someone committed to building through the draft, something Q knows quite well.

Ron Luce: Ron is the fourth new member this year and has only been a part of the league for two months, and you already know he’s a great addition. Ron loves to wheel and deal, and I think he has made more trades than anyone else since he’s joined the league. Ron also comes from Bears on Tap and has a team similar to Qs that needs some TLC to get back on track.

Here’s a look at the championship game results in the history of the league:

2025: West over Robinson
2024: Volz over [Redacted]
2023: Wiltfong over Volz
2022: Zimmerman over Ingalls
2021: Wiltfong over Zimmerman
2020: Wiltfong over Zimmerman
2019: Zimmerman over Hand
2018: Zimmerman over Read (Ross Read, no longer in league)

We will continue with more articles dedicated to this dynasty league and dynasty content throughout the offseason. Please comment below if there is any specific content you are looking for, and we would be happy to try to oblige.

The single practice session is in the books, and the teams are pouring through the data ahead of qualifying for the F1 Sprint race at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli led the practice session ahead of teammate George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton posting the third-fastest time behind the Mercedes duo. The practice session was interrupted with three different red flags, first when Liam Lawson came to a stop along the side of the track. The second red flag came when Alexander Albon made contact with some wildlife at the exit of Turn 7 before striking the barrier, and finally Esteban Ocon brought out the red flag when he clipped his front wing.

But who will top the timing sheets when the lap times begin to matter? That is the question that will be answered in short order. F1 Sprint qualifying gets underway at 4:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday, and we will be following every development here live. So check back early and often!

Canadian Grand Prix F1 Sprint qualifying results

Here is the provisional qualifying grid for the F1 Sprint race at the Canadian Grand Prix. Spots will be filled in during the session:

Cole Palmer needs a break – and he’s now got one. He hasn’t been picked for England and some are saying that could be good.

If you enjoy Chelsea News coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a preferred source on Google to make us a favourite and see more of our content.

Some of the big Chelsea news today was on Cole Palmer, who hasn’t been picked for the England squad this summer.

This probably isn’t such a surprise to Chelsea fans who have seen him play this season as it is to some others. But he will still be devastated by it. In his press conference today, Calum McFarlane was asked if he saw there was actually a positive in there, in that it meant Palmer would finally get a full summer break.

Cole Palmer gets a much needed break

“I think in life and in football, especially in football I’ve learned that you need to take every setback as a positive,” McFarlane said, going into full High Performance Podcast mode.

“There’s going to be lots of them. There’s going to be losses. There’s going to be moments like this. If you have the right mindset you can turn it into a positive.”

More straightforward than that, it just means a proper break for Cole, and the chance for a full preseason with his new manager. There can be no excuses made for him when next season rolls around.

In other news…

McFarlane also spoke in glowing terms about Jorrel Hato, a player he clearly thinks really highly of.

Reece James sounds like he will be fit for the game on Saturday, with no real injury issues just the general ongoing caution about his minutes.

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Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:

Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi has commented on the overall quality and balance of the Juventus squad, insisting that the team currently lacks both midfield control and attacking strength, and suggesting that structural issues remain within the side despite ongoing adjustments.

After a promising spell earlier in the season, the club have recently dropped four points in consecutive home matches, a setback that has placed their Champions League qualification hopes at risk. With just one fixture remaining, the strong form of AS Roma has contributed to Juventus slipping out of the top four, highlighting a worrying end to the campaign and increasing scrutiny on performances in Turin.

Squad Concerns Raised

Moggi’s remarks underline growing concern around the squad, with questions emerging about depth and consistency across key areas. He believes that the current group is not sufficiently balanced to compete at the highest level over a full season, particularly when results become decisive in the final stages of competition.

His assessment reflects wider frustration within discussions surrounding Juventus’ performances, particularly as some players are viewed as having exceeded expectations under Luciano Spalletti, masking structural weaknesses that have now become more visible in decisive matches and late-season pressure situations across the campaign.

Summer Transfer Rebuild

The club will now turn attention to the upcoming summer transfer window, where there is an opportunity to address these issues and strengthen both midfield and attack in line with expectations at the Allianz Stadium, as well as restoring greater consistency and balance across the squad for next season.

According to Calciomercato, Luciano Moggi said: “The team is incomplete. I don’t know how Comolli reacted, I would have looked in the mirror and asked myself, ‘What kind of team have I built?’ The team has no attack and no midfield.” The comments reinforce the urgency for Juventus to rebuild and regain consistency ahead of next season, with pressure continuing on the current squad structure.

Giants just watched their offseason take a brutal turn in seconds with big news originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Giants held their OTA workout on Thursday. Something went terribly wrong during the team's 11-on-11 drills.

A key defensive player went down while rushing the passer. He grabbed his right leg and then limped off. The news that followed was devastating for the team.

Defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris tore his Achilles tendon at that practice. A source told ESPN's Jordan Raanan about the injury. Robertson-Harris is expected to miss the entire 2026 NFL season.

Giants defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris tore his Achilles at Thursday's OTA workout and is expected to miss the 2026 season, a source told @JordanRaanan. https://t.co/pi5MnTslKI

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 22, 2026

This is a significant blow for the Giants defense. He started all 17 games in 2025 and recorded 35 tackles. He signed a 2-year $10M contract with New York in March 2025.

The 2026 season was the final year of that contract. His 2026 salary cap hit was set at $5.5M. The Giants traded defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence this offseason.

Losing Robertson-Harris has made the defensive front much thinner. The team must find help from within or explore outside options. This is the second Achilles tear for the Giants this month.

Rookie cornerback Thaddeus Dixon tore his Achilles tendon on May 13. Two season-ending injuries in one month raise serious concerns.

Robertson-Harris has 9 accrued NFL seasons under his belt. He played college football at UTEP before entering the league. The veteran brought a steady presence to the Giants defense.

New York now faces a critical gap on the defensive line. Their depth chart looks very different from what it was a few weeks ago. Replacing his production will not be easy this season.

Head coach John Harbaugh must quickly adjust his defensive plans. The Giants offseason program continues amid these injury setbacks. Finding depth is New York's top priority.

The Giants will need younger players to step up immediately. Training camp will be critical for evaluating roster options. The 2026 season opens with real uncertainty on defense.

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HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru sacrificed trying to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad to ensure they finished atop the Indian Premier League table on Friday.

Bengaluru got what it wanted despite losing by 55 runs.

Top of the table on net run rate, Bengaluru will host Gujarat Titans in the first playoff on Tuesday with the winner going straight to the May 31 final in Ahmedabad.

Hyderabad, tied on points with Bengaluru and Gujarat but third in the table, will host the second playoff on Wednesday against a team yet to be determined.

Hyderabad posted 255-4 — its ninth 200-plus total in 14 games — thanks to half-centuries from Ishan Kishan (79), Abhishek Sharma (56) and Heinrich Klaasen (51).

That left Bengaluru needing only 166 runs to clinch a top two placing. After a blazing start by Venkatesh Iyer and the cheap dismissals of Virat Kohli and Devdutt Paddikal, captain Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya set their sights on 166 instead of winning and got there in the 17th over.

They then passed 178 to clinch top spot in the table. They finished on 200-4, Pandya not out on 41 after Patidar fell for 56.

___

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

Thomas Tuchel was almost wistful in the way he described leaving out Phil Foden from his World Cup squad, like letting go of a cherished treasure. By contrast, his description of the decision to leave out Cole Palmer was a little more blunt.

“I think he suffers from, first of all, a lack of individual form within his club (Chelsea),” Tuchel explained. “He was not as decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons, throughout the whole season.

“Second of all, he was not very influential with us (England). His record with us was just not outstanding, not good enough to make him ‘no matter what, he is coming’. That is just the reality of it. He had to pull out several times (five different camps) injured, and when he was in camp he did not have the impact that we all wanted to push him for.”

This was ultimately the story of Palmer’s World Cup omission. There is undoubtedly a supreme player in there, Tuchel accepted. But no one had seen that player since the Club World Cup final last summer.

Tuchel warned in October that the severe groin injury Palmer suffered at the start of the season could become “chronic” if not treated carefully. When Palmer did eventually return to Chelsea’s team, in December, he was not the same player and it wasn’t just the lack of goals and assists; Tuchel noted Palmer’s stride pattern had become shorter and tighter, lacking the full range of a fully fit player.

Palmer didn’t complete 90 minutes until January, and didn’t play two 90s back to back until March. By then, Tuchel noted that Palmer’s long stride had returned. He looked more fluid. But unfortunately for both Palmer and Liam Rosenior, that was the start of a dismal run of form which led Chelsea to sack the manager. Rosenior might have hoped Palmer’s return would boost the team’s fortunes, but since mid-February, Palmer has only one Premier League goal and no assists despite regular starts.

He had a chance to play as Tuchel’s No 10 in March, against Japan, after a bright cameo off the bench against Uruguay a few days earlier. But the latter game was a dismal 1-0 defeat in which Palmer was dispossessed for Japan’s goal, and he struggled to find his groove before being replaced in the second half.

“I can find a lot of arguments to have him in the squad, a lot,” said Tuchel. “I respect his quality and his very unique personality, he was never a problem in camp. I think his personality helps him, even, in big moments to not show nerves and to be decisive. But to have these moments you need also to be in shape, you need to be influential within this group and he has just failed to prove it on a consistent level.”

That is not to say that Tuchel found it easy to leave out Palmer. They seemed to share a warm relationship, and the manager was frequently seen cuddling the Chelsea player during training sessions. “It was one of my most difficult phone calls,” Tuchel said.

But ultimately, with Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers baked into the squad, it was a decision between Eberechi Eze and Cole Palmer as the spare attacking midfielder. Whoever Tuchel chose was likely to be spending much of the summer on the bench, and perhaps Eze – who has performed that role with a smile for Arsenal this season – felt like a better fit than Palmer.

“We chose for Jude Bellingham, for Morgan Rogers and for Ebs on his position, so he competes on the position where it’s maybe the most difficult to compete for,” Tuchel said. And there was no room on the right wing, either. Where Gareth Southgate chose to shoehorn in his best attacking players at Euro 2024, to little effect, Tuchel decided to take round pegs for round holes.

“Obviously he’s one of the most prominent names that we leave out, but I refuse to bring players for the name and I refuse to then play them out of position just to give them something. I prefer to have the tough decision beforehand, digest it and then push everyone else.”

The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) is in full swing with its 19th edition.

Here are the key stats from the tournament, including the full points table and previous winners of the orange and purple caps.

• IPL 2026 schedule - fixtures and results

IPL points table

IPL 2026 orange cap: Who is highest run-scorer?

1. Sai Sudharsan (Gujarat Titans) - 638 runs

2. Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans) - 616

3. Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 606

4. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals) - 579

5. Ishan Kishan (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 569

IPL 2026 purple cap: Who is highest wicket-taker?

=1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) & Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans) - 24 wickets

3. Anshul Kamboj (Chennai Super Kings) - 21

=4. Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans) & Eshan Malinga (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 19

IPL 2026 batting stats: Highest strike-rate, average & most sixes

Highest strike-rate

Minimum 20 balls faced

1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals) - 236.32

2. Finn Allen (Kolkata Knight Riders) - 219.33

3. Priyansh Arya (Punjab Kings) - 212.86

4. Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 206.22

5. Urvil Patel (Chennai Super Kings) - 201.56

Highest average

1. Venkatesh Iyer (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 79

2. Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders) - 73.75

3. Quinton de Kock (Mumbai Indians) - 66

4. Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 50.63

5. Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 50.50

Most sixes

1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals) - 53 sixes

2. Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 43

3. Ryan Rickelton (Mumbai Indians) - 37

4. Mitchell Marsh (Lucknow Super Giants) - 36

=5. Priyansh Arya (Punjab Kings), Cooper Connolly (Punjab Kings) & Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 32

IPL 2026 bowling stats: Best strike-rate, average & economy

Best strike-rate

1. Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 6.00

2. Corbin Bosch (Mumbai Indians) - 8.81

3. Ashwani Kumar (Mumbai Indians) - 10.00

=4. Akash Singh (Lucknow Super Giants) & Blessing Muzarabani (Kolkata Knight Riders) - 10.50

Best average

1. Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - 7.00

2. Corbin Bosch (Mumbai Indians) - 14.27

3. Jason Holder (Gujarat Titans) - 16.00

4. Mohsin Khan (Lucknow Super Giants) - 16.36

5. Madhav Tiwari (Delhi Capitals) - 16.75

Best economy

Minimum of 24 balls bowled

1. Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders) - 6.40

2. Jason Holder (Gujarat Titans) - 7.34

=3. Mohsin Khan (Lucknow Super Giants) & Harpreet Brar (Punjab Kings) - 7.50

5. Ravindra Jadeja (Rajasthan Royals) - 7.84

Previous winners of IPL orange and purple cap

• How the IPL is reshaping India's talent map
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Can Illinois win the rematch with UConn set for December 4th, 2026?

Isaac Ambrose sat down with Aman Kidwai of The UConn Blog to break down the Illinois/UConn matchup set for December 4th at the United Center and discuss why Dan Hurley has had Brad Underwood’s number in previous matchups.

The opening practice session for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix was an absolute bloodbath for the lower half of the grid. As we detailed in our previous breakdown of the Montreal Meltdown, FP1 was derailed by three separate red flags. Alex Albon’s bizarre collision with a marmot, Esteban Ocon’s late crash, and Liam Lawson’s dangerous clutch system failure. With track time severely limited by the stoppages, the pressure was immense. Yet, amidst the carnage, Kimi Antonelli completely silenced the paddock.

According to a session recap from Motorsport.com, Antonelli dominated the timing sheets, completely unbothered by the start-and-stop nature of the morning. The 19-year-old Italian set a blistering benchmark of 1m14.392s on the hard compound tires, pushing the McLaren of Oscar Piastri over half a second adrift. Lewis Hamilton slotted into third in his Ferrari, while Antonelli firmly established the Mercedes W17 as the car to beat.

The Sprint Weekend Squeeze

What makes Antonelli’s performance so devastating is the context of the weekend. Montreal is the third Sprint event in just four rounds. This means FP1 was the one and only practice session before the cars entered parc fermé conditions for Sprint Qualifying later in the day.

Every minute of the red-flag interruptions caused by the midfield chaos burned crucial setup time. Furthermore, the FIA used the chaotic session to temporarily trial a complex new rear light system designed to signal MGU-K power derating and “super clipping”. Drivers were forced to learn a highly technical new visual system while navigating a very green, low-grip track. Antonelli adapted flawlessly, dialing in the setup with terrifying efficiency.

Russell’s Low-Grip Nightmare Continues

On the other side of the Mercedes garage, George Russell’s nightmare is only getting worse. While Antonelli was busy setting the pace, Russell suffered a spin during the heavily interrupted session.

This is a direct continuation of the exact weakness Russell admitted to following the Miami Grand Prix. He openly confessed that smooth, low-grip track surfaces completely ruin his confidence and cause him to overcook the tires. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is notoriously slippery early in the weekend, and Russell’s spin proves he is still struggling to master the basic fundamentals of the 2026 chassis.

With Toto Wolff publicly taking meetings with Jos Verstappen, Russell is already driving for his contract life. Getting comprehensively beaten by a teenager in the only practice session of a Sprint weekend, while spinning the car in the process, is the last thing the British driver needed. Kimi Antonelli isn’t just winning races; he is actively exposing his veteran teammate under the highest pressure imaginable.

Fabrizio Romano Confirms Liverpool’s Plans to Sign South American Wonderkid

Just one game remains of Liverpool’s season and attention is starting to turn onto their summer transfer plans.

The Reds have already wrapped up one signing with Jeremy Jacquet joining from Rennes in a deal worth in the region of £60m.

He is expected to play a big part in Liverpool’s short and long-term future.

However, Liverpool are now on the verge of wrapping up a deal very much for the long-term future of the club.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Liverpool are on the verge of signing Atletico Nacional midfielder Samuel Martinez. The 17-year-old will join on a five year deal once he turns 18.

Posting on X, he said: “Liverpool agree deal to sign Samuel Martinez from Atletico Nacional, here we go!”

“Deal in place for 17 year old Colombian talent to join in 2027, as soon as he turns 18.”

“#LFC anticipate Borussia Dortmund, as @PSierraR revealed. Agreement closed.”

Martinez’s Impressive Stats

Liverpool look to have secured an absolute gem of a player. Journalist Bence Bocsak took to X to reveal some of the impressive stats behind the teenager’s performances over in South America.

“Samuel Martinez averaged 7.23 dribbles per 90 minutes at the U17 CONMEBOL and completed 62.5% of his attempts,” Bocsak said.

“He also averaged 3.25 progressive runs per 90 – the 2nd highest among midfielders.”

“He’s a brilliant ball carrier. Works a ton off the ball, too. And covers a lot of ground.”

“Liverpool are getting a gem of a midfielder.”

Martinez has been capped by Colombia’s Under-17 squad on six occasions and is incredibly highly rated in South America.

A number of other big European clubs were reportedly eyeing a move. Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are just a few of those.

Of course, it’s not quite the marquee signing that Liverpool supporters have become used to. But it could be a huge move when we look back in years to come.

It took only a single game for the Vegas Golden Knights to flip the Western Conference Final on its axis.

Now, the Golden Knights have an opportunity to assert themselves further in the series when they take on the Colorado Avalanche in Game Two on Friday.

Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

Date: Friday, May 22

Time: 5:00 pm PST

How To Watch: ESPN, ESPN+

Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM

The Avalanche made a push in the third period of Game One to keep things interesting, but the Golden Knights dominated in pockets and walked away with a victory that surprised many across the hockey world. It cemented the notion that Vegas not only had the horses to hang with the President’s Trophy winner, but that there exists a real chance that they can be the ones representing the Western Conference as the last team standing.

With the chance to change the narrative entirely in their favor, here is how the Golden Knights can take an unexpected 2-0 stranglehold on the series.

Skip the Cale

The Avalanche will have to make do without defenseman Cale Makar, as he was ruled out during morning skate for the second consecutive game.

Colorado still had moments of brilliance in the offensive zone, but the Golden Knights saw firsthand the difference that their opponent’s blue line maestro truly makes. Makar’s absence places the impetus of generating offense solely on the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, giving the Golden Knights a better sense of who to take time and space away from. They know that Colorado is vulnerable with Makar out of the lineup, and his absence creates an opportunity to take a series lead back to Vegas.

Leaders lead

The Golden Knights will only win this series if their best players continue producing, and Game One was indicative of that philosophy.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden continue to pace the NHL in goals by scoring their 10th and ninth goals of the postseason, respectively, in Game One. Elsewhere, Mitch Marner continues his redemption arc with a league-leading 19 points, while Jack Eichel paces the NHL with 15 assists. Add to that a continued run of great play in net from Carter Hart, and the end result is a team that is firing on all cylinders right now.

Channel 2023

‘It hurts to win’ was the philosophy implemented under former head coach Bruce Cassidy when the Golden Knights went on their Stanley Cup run three years ago, and that mantra needs to continue holding true.

Along with their offensive leaders, Ivan Barbashev (67), Keegan Kolesar (58) and Cole Smith (57) are the top three in the NHL in hits. The Golden Knights have shown zero issue with punishing opponents who try and challenge for open lanes to the offensive zone, and that physical toll has worn on all of their opponents so far. The Avalanche certainly felt the effects of Game One, and taking too many hits could lead to the energy reserves depleting too soon if the series continues like this.

After struggling mightily in 2025 on offense, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a dedicated effort to improving that side of the football in the offseason. New head coach Mike McCarthy got his quarterback and put the pieces around him to make Aaron Rodgers successful at 42 years old.

The three big additions are wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who came via trade, running back Rico Dowdle who the team signed in free agency and wide receiver Germie Bernard, who the team selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft. Here are our predictions for the Steelers top three newcomers.

Running back - Rico Dowdle

As much as we appreciate everything Jaylen Warren brings to the offense, the run game is going to go through Dowdle this season. He's not quite the receiver Warren is but his running style and knowledge of the offense helps him to lead the team in rushing.

Rushing yards: 988

Receptions: 31

Receiving yards: 327

Total touchdowns: 11

Wide receiver - Michael Pittman Jr.

Pittman Jr. is exactly the type of receiver the Steelers needed last season to take some heat off DK Metcalf. Pittman's addition gives Rodgers a reliable target in the short and intermediate routes and allow Metcalf to work deep. We expect Pittman to lead the Steelers in receptions and Metcalf to lead the team in receiving yards.

Receptions: 87

Receiving yards: 905

Receiving touchdowns: 5

Wide receiver - Germie Bernard

We love the addition of Bernard and the level of versatility he brings. Bernard isn't going to put up huge numbers rushing or receiving but is going to provide a spark at multiple spots and create opportunities for other players.

Receptions: 41

Receiving yards: 506

Rushing yards: 105

Total touchdowns: 3

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Stat predictions for the Steelers newest skill players including Rico Dowdle and Michael Pittman Jr.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made no secret of his criticism of FIFA over its "unaffordable" World Cup tickets. On Thursday, he announced that he had secured 1,000 non-transferable tickets to be distributed to New Yorkers through online lotteries.

Mamdani was joined at Thursday afternoon's announcement by U.S. Men's National Team hopefuls Timothy Weah, son of Ballon d'Or winner and current Liberian President George Weah, and Miles Robinson.

Weah, who plays for Marseille, landed himself in trouble this past January after telling a French newspaper that World Cup tickets were "too expensive." USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino called him out at his next press conference.

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"First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the [pitch]," Pochettino said in January, via The Mirror US. "It is not his duty to evaluate the price of the ticket."

Weah, 26, grew up playing local soccer in New York City before relocating to France at 14 to chase professional opportunities. Standing proudly alongside Mamdani, he spoke passionately about the significance of affordable tickets.

"I think this opportunity is really healthy for the community and for New York in its whole," he told the cheering crowd. "I think as athletes it's important to have a voice because we are the pillars of this community - we're the leaders of the next generation.

"As a kid, it was a dream to be up here, to be in stadiums playing," Weah added. "If I can help the next kid get to that stage, it's a wonderful feeling. The mayor has done an amazing job of making these tickets accessible to New Yorkers."

To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERE

MetLife Stadium, which will be rebranded as New York/New Jersey Stadium for this summer's World Cup, is set to stage several marquee games, including the final on July 19. Confirmed group stage games feature Brazil vs. Morocco, France vs. Senegal, and Panama vs. England.

"We know that there are so many New Yorkers who thought that there was no way they could afford to go to this tournament, and now there is that glimpse of an opportunity," Mamdani said of the program.

Weah, who operates as both a winger and wing-back, is expected to feature prominently for the U.S. at this summer's World Cup. He netted his country's first goal at the 2022 edition during a 1-1 draw with Wales.

Pochettino, appointed by the USMNT following an extensive European career overseeing clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, has urged his American squad to steer clear of political discourse.

"We are not politicians. We are sport people that only we can talk about our job," he said at that same January presser. "And I think if FIFA does something or takes some decision, they know why, and it is their responsibility to explain why. But it's not up to us to provide our opinion."

Thomas Tuchel had to have “clear-the-air” talks with Ivan Toney before considering the striker’s recall for the 2026 World Cup, as he revealed he was “not happy” with “the level of training and level of commitment” in last year’s June camp.

The England manager nevertheless re-opened communication with Toney around the period of putting in the provisional 55-man list a few weeks ago, after a frank chat saw them start anew.

On considering the various “obstacles” and “scenarios” of the expanded 48-team World Cup in testing conditions, Tuchel gradually realised that the Al Ahli striker offered many solutions – enough to edge out Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was close to a call-up.

“I was not happy with the June camp,” Tuchel said of Toney. “He knows that. And we had to clear the air after that. That was the first step to even start thinking about calling him up again, because I was not happy. That was then out of the picture and no more issues.

“And then we started talking more deeply about the team and started talking different scenarios and what would be the most offensive lineup if we are going 1-0 down with 15 minutes to play, ten minutes plus extra time we need a goal. We are pushing. We are around the box. Balls are flying into the box. What are scenarios? Then his name comes up constantly. Because he has a presence.

“Harry loves to play with him, because he thinks that he takes the attention off him. He is even more of an old-school No 9 than Harry himself. So would he be a player you would like to fall the ball down to if there is a ricochet in the box? Yes. Absolutely. Would he be the player that you want to have this touch? Does he take, with his presence, the attention off other strikers? Yes.

”We are trying to build a strong set-piece squad. He can have his role there, defensively and offensively, and he is a world-class penalty taker. He ticks suddenly a lot of boxes. It was necessary that we talked with him again and clarified with him if he’s happy to come.

“The closest to him was then Dominic Calvert-Lewin because he’s also strong in the air. He could help us with set pieces. He’s a very good penalty taker. And after having another conversation with [Toney] and having good feedback from his club coach – very good feedback – and having good feedback from the Euros in Germany, we decided to reopen the door and invite him in.”

Tuchel said it “took a while” to have the chat with Toney, and that he’d done a lot of background work on it. Assistant coach Justin Cochrane was sent to watch the 30-year-old in the Saudi Pro League, and there was constant chat with club manager Matthias Jaissle, who used to play for Tuchel.

“It took a while, and it was in the last weeks, when we started deeply to talk about the selection, like after basically the nomination for the 55, or around the nomination of the group of 55, we made sure we are on the same page going forward, to even put him on the 55, and then from there stayed in touch, to make the decision to put him in.”

Tuchel added that he felt Harry Maguire’s statement soon after learning he would not make the squad was “not necessary”.

Asked for his feelings, the manager said: “Surprised, and I think it was not necessary. I felt his disappointment. I felt that he was upset. He expressed it, which is fair enough. I can see all the arguments to have in camp. I respect him a lot as a player. I respect him even more for his quality that he showed in March. As a football player, I can see all the arguments to have him in camp, but it's just a decision, not a personal decision, just a decision for someone else. It was not necessary. Let's put it like this.”

Tuchel revealed that he made calls to all 50 players who had been with the camp, as well as Luke Shaw.

He revealed that he still felt he learned something from every response.

“The ones who were close, and to be totally open the reaction also of the players towards the disappointment just also plays a factor. Because I learned a lot yesterday from all the phone calls. And it gave me just confirmation, who would pick the phone up happily when we call.

“Even [if they were] in Australia on holiday. Who will be actually: ‘When do I have to be where?’”

On the same theme, Tuchel has had psychologists – led by Richard Hampson – monitor the camp to even assess how players and staff speak to each other.

“They're just part of the process, they're listening to our language,” the England manager explained. “They're just part of our, more or less, part of our meetings in a formal way. They're listening to our language. They're listening to how we talk about players, how we talk about the set-up of teams, and then he is part of our staff.

“Rich, he's part of the youth teams and develops and observes communication, behaviours within the group, behaviours within the matches and compares it to other national teams on the highest level and shows us opportunity where to improve. He upskills the leadership group. He gives us feedback and observations throughout the camp.”

Hewitt-Trussville wins controversial Alabama state softball title over Thompson after crazy rain delay originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Hewitt-Trussville was one out away when the skies absolutely opened up.

On Thursday night, clinging to a 2-1 lead over Thompson in the Alabama 7A state championship, action was called to a halt. The game would be delayed. They couldn't continue in the conditions.

The field was quickly in terrible shape:

A wild series of events unfolded in the Alabama 7A softball championship. Hewitt-Trussville needed just one more out to defeat Thompson for the state title, but monsoon-like rain postponed the game until the next morning, when the Huskies finished the job. 🥎🌧️

(🎥via… pic.twitter.com/xH0Jit6f4U

— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) May 22, 2026

On Friday morning, Hewitt-Trussville took to the field again.

Imagine the overnight nerves, one out and one run separating a state title one way or another.

It took four pitches to finish the job, including a called strike three that was quite a bit off the plate:

It took 4 pitches. Hewitt-Trussville wins the 7A state title 2-1 pic.twitter.com/ZTstyOkys0

— Ben Thomas (@BenThomasPreps) May 22, 2026

It was the fifth state softball title in Class 7A for Hewitt-Trussville.

"It was definitely the craziest," head coach Taylor Burt told AL.com.

Thompson was the defending state champion, but this time around, it was Hewitt-Trussville celebrating -- they just needed to wait a little while to reach that finish line.

MORE: This is an epic way to win a state baseball title

The St. Louis Cardinals weekend series versus the Cincinnati Reds will have to wait until Saturday as the team just announced that Friday night’s game has been postponed due to weather. Saturday will now see a double-header (weather permitting, of course) with the first game being at 12:10pm central time and the night game scheduled to start at 6:10pm central time. Both games viewable on Cardinals.tv.

Lakers named one of 'best fits' for coveted $51 million sharpshooter originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers could have a transformative offseason.

LeBron James' pending free agent decision may well condition everything for the Lakers, whose roster could undergo a series of changes as Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick try to build the optimal team for franchise player Luka Doncic.

That includes lob threats and 3-and-D wings who will elevate the Lakers in a Western Conference ruled by two titans in the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.

MORE: LeBron James delaying decision leaves Lakers in tricky salary cap situation heading into offseason

One player ESPN has named a fit in Los Angeles is Ayo Dosunmu, who helped transform the Minnesota Timberwolves following a midseason trade out of Chicago. ESPN projects that Dosunmu will sign for three years and $51 million -- a flat $17 million per year.

Dosunmu is one of the most attractive free agents on the market due to his cost and his shooting (41.4 percent in 24 games with Minnesota). The 26-year-old guard can sign for up to three years and $52.4 million if he extends with the Timberwolves before June 30, and Minnesota has no intention of letting him leave.

"Ayo's our most important free agent," Minnesota's president of basketball operations Tim Connelly told The Minnesota Star Tribune recently. "He's a guy we thought we knew pretty well, and we liked him from afar. Now seeing him day to day, we love him. I think he fits in not just on the court but off the court. I think his best basketball is in front of him."

Still, if Dosunmu can't get a deal done in Minnesota, teams like the Lakers -- who could lose the league's leading 3-point shooter, Luke Kennard, in free agency -- will be all over Dosunmu, an electric scorer off the bench who would be a seamless fit spacing the floor next to Doncic.

More NBA news:

• LeBron James projected to land intriguing short-term contract deal

• Lakers have 6 teams to battle for Rui Hachimura in free agency

• This blockbuster trade idea would give Luka Doncic NBA’s next superstar pairing

• LeBron James reveals the scary reason every team became obsessed with stopping SGA

Livingston say Cammy Palmer will add "energy, technical quality and versatility" to their squad after the midfielder agreed a pre-contract to join from Glentoran.

The 26-year-old has previously played in Scotland with Partick Thistle and Clyde on loan from Rangers. He also had a loan at Orange County and joined Linfield in 2021 and Glentoran two years later.

"Primarily a central midfielder, Palmer is also capable of operating in both attacking and defensive midfield roles," Livingston said.

At Glentoran, Livi say Palmer "became an important figure in midfield, impressing with his work rate, passing ability and composure on the ball across three strong seasons with the club, featuring 100 times".

Houston Rockets center and Turkish basketball star Alperen Şengün was seen at the EuroLeague Final Four Friday, supporting Turkish basketball club Fenerbahçe. While there, Şengün made time for an interview, expressing his support for the club that he nearly signed with before entering the 2021 NBA Draft.

Alperen Sengun supporting Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague Final Four 🗣️🇹🇷pic.twitter.com/kuRzOmgvkv

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) May 22, 2026

Despite his presence, Fenerbahce would end up falling to Greek club Olympiacos 79-61. The game featured a few notable former NBA players, including Sasha Vezenkov, Evan Fournier, Cory Joseph, Talen Horton-Tucker, Wade Baldwin IV and Khem Birch. Looking ahead, Olympiacos will face the winner of No. 2 seed Valencia Basket and No. 3 seed Real Madrid in the EuroLeague Finals.

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets star makes appearance at EuroLeague Final Four

MLB insider is a fan of Braves trade fit with Rockies' $50.5 million pitcher originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With the best record in Major League Baseball at 35-16, the Atlanta Braves are an obvious candidate to be a buyer by the August 3rd trade deadline.

Atlanta has a great roster, and they could use more offensive firepower, but the bigger need is more pitching depth. Whether it's a reliever or a starter, the Braves need a bit more help.

With a pitcher need in mind, MLB insider for Fansided.com, Robert Murray, revealed that a Colorado Rockies pitcher on a $50.5 million deal, 1.19 ERA reliever, Antonio Senzatela, would be a great fit for the Braves at this year's deadline.

Braves would be great fit for Rockies' Antonio Senzatela

"The Atlanta Braves would be a good fit," Murray writes. "Their bullpen is already strong with Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias in the late innings, and adding Senzatela would give them an even more formidable unit while taking pressure off the rotation."

Adding Senzatela to the pitching staff would make a ton of sense for the Braves. They have solid starters and a couple of nice back-end relievers.

But what this team could use is a versatile piece who could be used as a long reliever, whether it's to close out games, or bridge the gap between the starter and the closer.

This season, Senzatela has a 1.19 ERA in 14 games with 26 strikeouts in 30.1 innings pitched to go with 1.9 bWAR.

MORE: Mets projected to still sell at trade deadline by ex-MLB GM

The 31-year-old typically goes multiple innings at a time and can be a versatile reliever option for the Braves that likely won't cost much with his status as a free agent after the 2026 season, with a club option as well.

He's a perfect option for the Braves to acquire pitching talent without spending too much in the trade market.

Murray likes this fit for the Braves, grading it an "8/10" thanks to the versatility, cost, and simply how well the player would fit into the current roster. Senzatela would be a nice pickup for the Braves, and is deserving of being this good a fit.

More MLB news:

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• Roman Anthony might’ve been overhyped for Red Sox
• Dodgers still have a Roki Sasaki problem
• Chase Burns becomes first Reds pitcher with elite stat line since 1922
• Yankees’ Aaron Judge on track to become first player in MLB history with five 50+ homer seasons

Representative James Comer asked CEOs of two major prediction market companies for information on their responses to insider trading after “suspiciously timed trades” related to US military actions against Iran.

NEAR price surges 50% in a week as AI token momentum, Nvidia optimism and network upgrades fuel bullish sentiment.

The transfer was executed on ADI Chain, a layer-2 blockchain designed for institutional payments, treasury operations and trade settlement.

With the Computex 2026 trade show in Taiwan coming up, analysts from GF Securities are confident that NVIDIA will address the latest trend in the AI computing industry at the event. Following Intel's first-quarter earnings, the industry's shift towards CPUs for agentic AI computing has generated speculation that the role that GPUs play within an AI cluster could drop. However, GF Securities believes that NVIDIA will showcase the advantages of its Vera CPUs at Computex and claim that they offer as much as 1.5 times the computing performance over x86 rivals from AMD and Intel. NVIDIA Will Make Significant CPU […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nvidias-vera-cpus-set-to-outrun-intel-and-amd-x86-chips-by-1-5x-at-computex-2026-analysts-predict/

Samsung is apparently trying to pair titanium's ruggedness with Aluminum's better thermal performance, bringing the best of both metal frames to its future lineup of foldables. Interestingly, Samsung's relatively simple approach to smartphone-geared metallurgy can serve as an effective counter to Apple's more complicated efforts with the so-called Liquidmetal. Samsung new 'dual-phase' frame fuses an outer titanium layer with an inner aluminum core, bringing superior rigidity and thermal performance to its foldables in the near future The tipster Schrödinger has just penned an interesting post on his Telegram channel, detailing Samsung's latest smartphone-related metallurgy efforts. According to the tipster, Samsung […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/samsung-working-to-fuse-titanium-and-aluminum-into-a-hybrid-foldable-frame-to-counter-apples-liquidmetal-innovation/

Playground's Fable reboot has been officially rated in South Korea and Australia, as spotted by Reddit users. Both of them have restricted the game to be only available to adults due to its mature content, and the South Korean board also shared why: An immersive open-world action RPG depicting the player's adventure to resolve the situation where villagers are turned to stone by an unidentified stranger. Therefore, in accordance with Article 21 of the Act on Promotion of the Game Industry and Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the Classification Regulations, it has been decided to classify it as 'Not suitable […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/fable-gta6-korean-rating-2026-release-window/

As advanced as smartphones are, we doubt that companies have even scratched the surface of their capabilities. With sufficient firepower to rival desktop computers, it’s almost as if the hardware continues to evolve, but there are negligible use cases to take advantage of the internals. Fortunately, Apple may have found a way to transform its upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max into literal life savers, and that too, without placing individuals in awkward and limiting situations. Here’s how the company can accomplish this. Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature is severely underrated, but it’s also limiting - Here’s […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-18-pro-to-transform-into-life-saving-technology-here-is-how/

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War IV has finally been given a release date at Warhammer Skulls 2026, with its arrival on PC officially set for September 17, 2026. More than just a release date though, developer KING Art and publisher Deep Silver also revealed the game's post-launch roadmap for its first year which includes two paid expansions due to arrive in year one. Pre-orders for the game also went live alongside the announcement, which was revealed in a new gameplay trailer you can check out below. The base game will run you $53.99 USD if you pick it up while […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/warhammer-40k-dawn-of-war-4-release-date-post-launch-roadmap/

Typoscale pairs your ideas and knowledge with an autonomous AI writing engine to outline, draft, format, and publish high-quality non-fiction and narrative books quickly. Choose the Manuscript Workshop to co-author chapter by chapter with a structured, intelligent ghostwriter, or use the Autonomous Publishing Engine to let Strategist, Scribe, and Editor agents build and refine your manuscript automatically. You can export your work to EPUB, DOCX, and Audiobook formats.

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Hailuo 3.0 is an AI video generator that turns text or images into export-ready clips using the Hailuo 3.0 Model on Minimax 3.0. It helps creators and teams iterate quickly, compare takes, and keep a consistent look across variations. Use it for ads, explainers, and cinematic shots, then scale throughput with Hailuo 03 APP and Minimax 03 Video when you need more volume.

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Respondo unifies AI-powered customer support on one platform. It combines an AI agent that resolves most tickets, a shared omnichannel inbox, an agent-assist copilot, a living knowledge base, and outbound messaging to keep customers informed. Teams get analytics on resolution rates and ROI, multi-brand management, and enterprise compliance including SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA. You can start with a 14-day trial and white-glove migration in a day.

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Samsung Collection app is a built-in feature on Galaxy phones that helps users save and organize things like text, images, links, and notes in one place. With the new One UI 8.5 update, the app is getting many useful improvements to make it faster and easier to use. And these features are now live globally.

According to Galaxy Techie, the main upgrade is Intelligent Drag and Drop. Now users can drag content more smoothly and see a new side panel with a soft, blurred glow effect. This panel also opens faster and includes better shortcuts. However, on some global devices, drag-and-drop shortcuts may still not work properly and can sometimes crash.

The app also gets new options like Full Page Save, which lets users save an entire web page directly into Collection. You can also now send saved items to the Gallery or move them to the Secure Folder for privacy.

Some apps and features inside Galaxy phones are also improved. Tools like Bixby, Touch to Search, and Social Composer now open faster than before.

Moreover, sharing and smart tools are also improved. You can quickly save notes, share files using Quick Share, or open content in editing tools. You can also search for things using Google or use Gemini. All of these actions are now faster.

An AI summary feature can now understand more types of content and show simple tips for new users. This makes it easier to understand long text or pages quickly. There is also a hidden test menu for advanced users, but most people will not need it. It is mainly used for testing AI and system features.

One UI 8.5 makes Samsung Collection more useful, faster, and easier to use, even though some features are still not fully stable on all devices.

The post Samsung Collection upgrade expands intelligent drag and drop globally appeared first on Sammy Fans.

Honor's mid-range 600 series will be expanding even further in the near future. According to new certifications by both the GCF and SGS, the Honor 600 Smart 5G is on its way with the model number MRK-NX1. Honor 600 Smart 5G certifications As the name implies, it has 5G support, but that's the only spec that has been outed by these certifications, unfortunately. The global certifications hint at the fact that this won't be launching in China only, so we should see it in international markets too. Unfortunately, it's unclear when it will be launching, but stay tuned and we'll...

Following the 4-1 victory by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr over Damac to clinch the Saudi Pro League title, head coach Jorge Jesus announced his departure from the club ahead of next season. With a high-profile vacancy now open, the Saudi powerhouse is already aggressively hunting for a successor, positioning Roberto Martinez as a frontrunner while hopes of landing Pep Guardiola rapidly fade.

Manchester City recently confirmed Guardiola‘s exit after 10 illustrious seasons at the helm, and reports from Al-Youm indicate that Al Nassr was ready to tempt the Spanish tactician with a record-breaking salary to secure his services.

Furthermore, Saudi media outlet Okaz Sports revealed that Guardiola’s agent, Josep Maria Orobitg, confirmed receiving an official inquiry from Al Nassr roughly a month and a half ago. However, during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Aston Villa fixture, Guardiola strongly hinted that he intends to take an extended sabbatical from coaching.

With Guardiola seemingly out of reach, the same outlet reports that Roberto Martinez has positioned himself as a highly viable alternative. The current Portugal national team manager is expected to step down from his post following the conclusion of his contract after the 2026 World Cup, paving the way for a potential blockbuster reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.

The Ronaldo factor gives Martinez a distinct edge

The pivotal X-factor working in Martinez’s favor is his exceptional relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spanish strategist took over the Portuguese national team in early 2023 and has since overseen 38 matches, racking up an impressive record of 24 wins, four draws, and just six defeats.

Guardiola distances himself from Al Nassr links

Despite the formal contact between Al Nassr and Guardiola’s camp, the manager himself has heavily implied that a break from the dugout is non-negotiable after ten grueling seasons shifting the landscape of English soccer with Manchester City. “I need to step back. I will not train for a while,” the Spaniard confirmed during his press conference, effectively cooling down Al Nassr’s immediate hopes.

Pep Guardiola has officially confirmed that his remarkable era with Manchester City is coming to an end, closing one of the most dominant managerial reigns England has ever witnessed. After a decade filled with trophies, tactical revolutions, and relentless success, the Spaniard now prepares to take the next step as the soccer world wonders what comes next for the coach who changed the modern game forever.

The announcement immediately sent shockwaves across the Premier League, with rivals, supporters, and former players reflecting on Guardiola’s enormous impact. From transforming Manchester City into a global powerhouse to forcing every title challenger to raise its standards, Guardiola leaves behind a legacy that stretches far beyond silverware.

When he arrived in England in 2016 after successful spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, many questioned whether his style could survive the intensity of the Premier League. Ten years later, those doubts feel almost impossible to remember.

Under the Spaniard, Manchester City collected 20 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League crown, multiple domestic cups, and a historic continental treble in 2023. More importantly, the club became the benchmark every rival desperately tried to reach.

Beyond trophies, Guardiola’s greatest contribution may be the way he reshaped soccer thinking in England. His positional play, use of inverted full-backs, and constant tactical experimentation influenced managers across the league and even grassroots soccer.

Guardiola explains why the time felt right

The emotional weight of Guardiola’s departure became clear during his final press conference before facing Aston Villa. The City manager admitted the decision had been building internally for quite some time. “I am really satisfied, I don’t know the right words. Happy, proud. The experience of my life,” he said.

The Spaniard also revealed the emotional toll of coaching continuously for nearly two decades. “I need to breathe a little bit and relax. It’ll be a while, that is my feeling right now,” he explained.

The 55-year-old stressed that the club also needed a fresh voice moving forward. “I think the club needs a new manager, new energy with these incredible players that we have right now, and you start to write another chapter,” he said.