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Colombia holds the 11th position in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking as the squad enters the final stages of the 2026 World Cup group phase. According to the official statistical index published by FIFA, the South American side commands a baseline of 1,727.42 points.

This placement follows a highly consistent qualification cycle in CONMEBOL under head coach Nestor Lorenzo. The matchday opponent represents one of the highest-seeded teams in the entire tournament structure. Portugal occupies the 8th spot globally with 1,766.74 points.

This creates a statistical gap of only three places on the international ladder ahead of the Group K kickoff.

Group K leaderboard context

The positioning of both nations dictates the mathematical stakes of this fixture. The official point baselines establish Portugal as the theoretical favorite, but Colombia’s on-field performance in Group K has already disrupted basic paper predictions.

The table below outlines the global rankings and points for the Group K field:

Group K global metrics

Historical data and algorithm mechanics

A review of Colombia’s historical trajectory highlights the team’s long-term recovery. The nation recorded its lowest structural floor in June 2011, dropping to 49th globally. Conversely, the team reached its highest competitive peak during the summer of 2018, climbing to 3rd in the world following consecutive knockout-stage appearances.

The mathematical structure of the FIFA ranking system provides distinct leverage to lower-ranked teams in head-to-head matches. Because the algorithm calculates weight based on the rank proximity of the opponents, Colombia stands to gain a significant coefficient increase with a victory or a draw.

The Ghana FIFA ranking remains locked at a live, elevated position of 65th in the world as the Black Stars gear up for their final, decisive Group L showdown against Croatia.

Officially arriving at the 2026 World Cup bracket in the 73rd global slot, Carlos Queiroz’s squad completely upended pre-tournament projections. Back-to-back masterclasses on the pitch have sparked a major mathematical surge, leaving the African side in prime position to punch their ticket to the knockout rounds.

The Black Stars carry immense competitive momentum into the pitch at Philadelphia Stadium. Following their historic 1-0 opening triumph over Panama, Ghana executed a flawless defensive blueprint to hold a loaded England squad to a scoreless 0-0 draw on Matchday 2.

That resolute performance added an immense layer of coefficient points to their board, preserving their newly claimed ranking position and proving that paper seedings don’t define this team.

Unpacking the final Group L equation

While Ghana’s live climb to 65th showcases a disciplined, rapidly rising unit, they face another massive structural challenge against a veteran Croatia side anchored at 13th place globally.

The current standings grid in Group L outlines the tight margins in play ahead of tonight’s simultaneous kickoffs:Group L Live Standings & Global Rank

Because Croatia bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Panama, they sit just one point behind the co-leaders. This creates a straightforward, high-octane scenario: the winner of tonight’s head-to-head match will secure a guaranteed route out of the group stage. Remarkably, because Ghana has built such a rigid defensive wall, a draw will also be mathematically sufficient to secure a place in the historic Round of 32.

Historic trajectory

To put Ghana’s current 65th-place standing into a clearer historical perspective, the team is gradually climbing back toward the baseline of their golden generations.

The Black Stars achieved their absolute pinnacle in February 2008, when a sensational international run propelled them to an all-time peak of 14th in the world. Conversely, their lowest structural floor occurred during a difficult competitive transition in June 2004, when they plummeted to 89th globally.

The Panama FIFA ranking sits at a live, updated position of 42nd in the world as Los Canaleros prepare to wrap up their highly demanding Group L schedule against global giants England.

While Thomas Christiansen’s tactical unit officially entered the 2026 World Cup bracket occupying a respectable 34th position, the merciless nature of tournament math has caused an immediate downward shift. Tracking these live Elo-based alterations highlights the uphill climb Panama faces to protect their international prestige.

The Central American representatives enter the pitch at Snapdragon Stadium burdened by a difficult start to their campaign. Back-to-back 1-0 defeats against Ghana and Croatia completely erased their margin for error, causing a six-place slide on the live coefficient tables.

The Group L elephant in the room

While Panama’s slide to 42nd reflects a team struggling to find the back of the net, the statistical gulf becomes even wider when looking at an England side firmly entrenched at 4th place globally.

The current standings layout in Group L outlines the stark competitive divide ahead of kickoff:

Group L standings & global rank

Historic trajectory

To place Panama’s current 42nd position into clear perspective, the nation’s soccer history reveals an era of massive structural growth. Los Canaleros drifted at a highly difficult all-time floor of 150th in the world back in 1999. Through meticulous youth development and a sustained tactical identity under Christiansen, they eventually soared to a historic all-time peak of 29th globally.

Facing the Three Lions under their current ranking profile presents a forgiving mathematical environment. Because the FIFA algorithm protects lower-ranked underdogs while heavily penalizing top-five favorites, Panama has nothing to lose; a loss barely impacts their point accumulation, while a shock result against England would trigger an immediate coefficient boost.

With their World Cup survival on the line, Croatia and Ghana are gearing up for a fiercely contested Group L finale. A single moment could alter the course of their World Cup journey forever, with a win, draw, or loss dictating whether Croatia marches on to glory, clings to the hope of third-place calculations, or suffers the sheer heartbreak of elimination.

The match carries huge importance because England and Panama are also playing at the same time, meaning the final table could shift until the final whistle. Croatia has three points after beating Panama, while Ghana sits on four points after a victory and a draw, keeping both teams alive for different reasons.

Croatia entered the tournament facing questions about whether its experienced core could still compete at the highest level. After suffering a 4-2 defeat against England in the opening match, the national team responded with a crucial 1-0 victory over Panama thanks to Ante Budimir’s second-half goal, keeping the qualification dream alive.

The biggest advantage for Croatia remains its incredible tournament experience, led by captain Luka Modric. At 40 years old and with 200 international appearances, he continues to control matches through his vision, passing, and ability to slow down or accelerate the tempo whenever needed. The Checkered Ones’ midfield strength with Modric and Mateo Kovacic will be essential against Ghana’s energetic style.

Meanwhile, Ghana arrives with confidence after collecting four points from its first two matches. The Black Stars defeated Panama 1-0 before producing a disciplined defensive performance to hold England to a goalless draw. The African side has impressed with its organization, pressing, and ability to transition quickly from defense into attack.

What happens if Croatia wins and Ghana loses?

A Croatia victory would completely change the Group L picture. Three points would move Croatia to six points and guarantee a top-two finish, sending the national team directly into the Round of 32.

If England fails to beat Panama, Croatia could even finish first in the group. However, if England wins, Croatia would likely secure second place while Ghana would drop down the table.

For Ghana, a defeat would not necessarily end the tournament. With four points already collected, the Black Stars would still have a strong chance of advancing through the best third-place ranking system.

Croatia would rely on exactly the kind of match where experience matters most. A tense, high-pressure encounter could favor a side that has already reached the final stages of previous World Cups.

What happens if Croatia draws vs Ghana?

A draw would create a complicated situation for Croatia. The national team would finish the group stage with four points and likely remain in third place, meaning qualification would depend on the wider third-place rankings.

The result would be much better news for Ghana. A draw would move the Black Stars to five points and guarantee automatic qualification to the knockout round.

Ghana would also keep the possibility of winning the group alive depending on what happens between England and Panama. A point would allow the team to continue its impressive tournament run without needing help from other groups.

For Croatia, a draw would keep hope alive but remove control from its own hands. The national team would have to wait and see whether four points and its goal difference are enough to move forward.

What happens if Ghana wins and Croatia loses?

A defeat would put Croatia in the most dangerous position. The national team would remain on three points and enter a nervous wait, depending on results from other groups and the third-place qualification table.

Ghana, meanwhile, would move to seven points with a victory and become a serious contender to finish first in Group L. If England drops points against Panama, Ghana would win the group outright.

Croatia’s biggest concern would be its goal difference after already suffering a heavy defeat against England. A loss could leave the 2018 World Cup finalists needing several results to go their way.

Ghana would continue its impressive defensive record and secure one of the biggest achievements in its recent World Cup history. The national team has already shown it can frustrate stronger opponents, and another disciplined performance could send Croatia into trouble.

England and Panama will meet in their final 2026 World Cup Group L match on Saturday, with the Three Lions still chasing first place while Panama enters the game already eliminated. The result will decide more than just one team’s position, as it could impact the 2026 World Cup Group L standings and reshape the paths of Ghana and Croatia heading into the knockout stage.

England entered the tournament with major expectations and looked on course after a dominant 4-2 victory over Croatia in the opening match. However, the national team was held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Ghana, leaving the group wide open with the final matchday approaching.

Thomas Tuchel’s side currently leads Group L with four points, tied with Ghana but ahead on goal difference. Croatia sits just one point behind, meaning Tuchel and his players cannot afford to completely relax despite facing a Panama team that has already suffered elimination after defeats to Ghana and Croatia.

Panama, meanwhile, has been competitive despite losing both matches by narrow margins. The national team fell 1-0 to Ghana and 1-0 to Croatia, but performances suggested the scorelines did not fully reflect the effort shown by Thomas Christiansen’s side.

The match also brings back memories of the 2018 World Cup, when England defeated Panama 6-1, with Harry Kane scoring a hat-trick. However, Panama believes this version of the team is far stronger and more prepared to challenge top opponents.

What happens if England wins and Panama loses?

A victory would move England to seven points and guarantee a place in the knockout stage as one of the top two teams in Group L. It would also put the Three Lions in the strongest position to finish first, although Ghana’s result against Croatia could still influence the final ranking.

If Ghana fails to defeat Croatia, England automatically wins the group. However, if Ghana also wins, both teams would finish level on seven points, and the group winner would be decided by tiebreakers, beginning with goal difference.

For Panama, a defeat would confirm a winless group-stage exit. The national team would still leave the tournament with valuable experience after competing against some of the strongest sides in the group.

What happens if England and Panama draw?

A draw would take England to five points and guarantee qualification, but it would create uncertainty over first place. The Three Lions would need to watch the Ghana vs Croatia match closely, as the result would determine whether they finish top or second.

If Ghana and Croatia draw, England would finish as the Group L winner. But if either Ghana or Croatia wins, that team would move above England in the standings and take first place.

A draw would still represent progress for Panama compared with its 2018 World Cup campaign, as the national team would show improvement despite failing to reach the knockout stage.

What happens if Panama wins and England loses?

A shock defeat would prevent England from winning Group L and open the door for Ghana or Croatia to claim first place. England would remain on four points, meaning its final position would depend heavily on the result between Ghana and Croatia.

If Ghana beats or draws Croatia, Ghana would secure the top position, and England would likely finish second. If Croatia defeats Ghana, Croatia would jump to six points and win the group.

For Panama, a victory would be a historic moment, giving the national team its first World Cup win and potentially damaging England’s hopes of entering the knockout rounds as group winners.

Jaron Ennis believes a win over Xander Zayas, which he is fully confident in securing, will prove that he is the world’s pound-for-pound No.1 fighter. The 29-year-old does, indeed, appear to possess elite-level talent, yet his achievements pale in comparison to those of Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue. Many would consider these two as the […]

The post Jaron Ennis makes bold pound-for-pound claim ahead of Xander Zayas title fight appeared first on Boxing News.

Müdafiəçi Trevo Çaloba “Çelsi”dən ayrıla bilər.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, İtaliyanın “İnter” və “Komo” klubu futbolçunu transfer etmək istəyir. Bu barədə insayder Fabrizio Romano məlumat yayıb. Hər iki klub yaxın zamanda londonlularla danışıqlara başlayacaq.

Çaloba ötən mövsüm “Çelsi” ilə Premyer Liqada 34 oyunda 3 qol vurub.

Azərbaycan Premyer Liqası klubları 2026/27 mövsümünün transfer çalışmalarına start verib.

“FutbolPress” Premyer Liqa təmsilçilərinin transferlərini təqdim edir:

“Sabah”

Gələnlər: Yunis Laçabı (“Lill”, Fransa – icarə) Eyden Makkarti (son klubu – “Kayzer Çifs”, CAR), Junior Erivaldo Almeyda (“Maritumu”, Portuqaliya), Patrik Orfe Mbina (“Maribor”, Sloveniya)
Gedənlər: Cesse Sekidika, Pavol Şafranko, Nicat Mehbalıyev, Amin Seydiyev, Andrey Santos (“İberiya” (Gürcüstan) – icarə)
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Velko Simiç, Coy-Lens Mikels, Stas Pokatilov, Tellur Mütəllimov, Patrik Orfe Mbina

“Qarabağ”

Gələnlər: Zakaria Savo ( “Aris”, Kipr), Jali Muaddib (“Omoniya”, Aradippou Kipr), Samuel Lobato (“Portimonense”, Portuqaliya), Bruno Lanqa (“Almeriya”, İspaniya), Martin Zlomisliç (“Riyeka”, Xorvatiya)
Gedənlər: Toral Bayramov, Emmanuel Addai, Ramil Şeydayev, Sami Mmae, Kevin Medina, Fabian Buntiç (“Farense”, Portuqaliya), Amin Ramazanov, Leandro Andrade (“Polessye”, Ukrayna)
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Pedro Bikalyo, Bədavi Hüseynov

“Turan Tovuz”

Gələnlər: Dioqo Balau (“Şamaxı”)
Gedənlər: Filip Ozobiç, Şəhriyar Əliyev, Tural Bayramlı, Sergey Samok, Ayxan Hüseynov (“Zirə”)
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: İbrahima Vadji

“Neftçi”

Gələnlər: Rüfət Abbasov (“Şamaxı”), Qustavo Klisman (“Santa Klara”, Portuqaliya), Lyubomir Tupta (AEL, Yunanıstan)
Gedənlər: Vensan Abubakar, Edvin Kuç, Kristian Kostin, Murad Məmmədov (“Pafos”), Cordan Rezabala
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Elvin Camalov, Emin Mahmudov, Emil Balayev

“Zirə”

Gələnlər: Amin Seydiyev (“Sabah”), Maykon Kleyton (son klubu “Portimonense”, Portuqaliya), Vierinya (“Olimpiakos”, Kipr), Ayxan Hüseynov (“Turan Tovuz”)
Gedənlər: Tiaqo Silva, Ceyhun Nuriyev, Stefan Aka, Eldar Quliyev, Leroy Mikels, Rüfət Abdullazadə, Anatoli Nuriyev, Ayron Qomis
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Eren Aydınla, Davit Volkov,  Aydın Bayramov, Elçin Əlicanov, Enrike Kustodio, Qismət Alıyev

“Araz Naxçıvan”

Gələnlər: Cavid Hüseynov (baş məşqçi), Luka Dumançiç (“Persis”, İndoneziya), Rəşad Həsənov (Son klubu “Cəbrayıl”), Alberto Fernandes, Rövlan Muradov (“Zirə”)
Gedənlər: Andrey Demçenko (baş məşqçi), Ramon Maçado, Hamidu Keyta, Bar Kohen, Nuno Rodriques, Rahil Məmmədov, Bəxtiyar Həsənalızadə, Coşqun Diniyev, Kristian Avram, Felipe Santos, Ba-Muaka Simakala, Urfan Abbasov
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Slavik Alxasov, Ömər Buludov, Tərlan Əhmədli, Ülvi İsgəndərov, İbrahim Piriyev

“Sumqayıt”

Gələnlər: 
Gedənlər: Sənan Muradlı, Aleksandr Ramalinqom, Rayan Senhadji, Saşa İliç (baş məşqçi)
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: 

“Şamaxı”

Gələnlər: Azər Bağırov (baş məşqçi, “Kəpəz”), Sənan Muradlı (“Sumqayıt” – icarə) Emin Rüstəmov (“Karvan-Yevlax”) Uğur Cahangirov (“Karvan-Yevlax”), Ceyhun Bağırzadə (“Qəbələ”)
Gedənlər:  Alfons Mabula Msanqa, Ravil Qafarov, Sezar Enrike, Bilal İsmayılov, Nihat Mehralıyev, Vladislav Veremeyev, Rafael Məhərrəmli, Arsen Ağcabəyov, Andrey Tirkoveanu, Rodriqo Fernandes, Emil Süleymanov, Ramiz Muradov, Davud Mənsumov, Abdulla Rzayev, Səlim Həşimov, Rüfət Abbasov, Karim Rossi, Ayxan Abbasov (baş məşqçi), Dioqo Balau
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Abdulla Seydəhmədov, Həbib İsmayılov

“İmişli”

Gələnlər: Seyxan Fərəcov (MOİK)
Gedənlər: Xəzər Mahmudov, Həzrət İsayev, Elmir Rəhimzadə, Riad Abbaszadə, Orxan Fərəcov, Lətif Rzayev
Müqaviləni artıranlar: Azər Salahlı, Tuncay Yusifli, İmam Əli

“Kəpəz”

Gələnlər: Azər Məmmədov (baş məşqçi)
Gedənlər: Azər Bağırov (baş məşqçi), Rauf Hüseynli, Məmməd Hüseynov
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Əli Səmədov, Rəhman Hacıyev, Dioqo Verdaska

“Qəbələ”

Gələnlər:
Gedənlər: Adriel Ba Loua, Murad Musayev, Rza Cəfərov, Sambu Sissoko, İbrahim Sanqare, Rüfət Əhmədov, Turan Manafov, Mehrac Baxşalı (icarə  – “Şahdağ Qusar”), Domi Massumo (“Alaşkert”, Ermənistan)
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: 

“Şəfa”

Gələnlər: Zaur Həşimov (baş məşqçi), Məmməd Hüseynov (“Kəpəz”) Arsen Ağcabəyov (“Şamaxı”), Rauf Hüseynli (“Kəpəz”), Nicat Mehbalıyev (“Sabah”), Murad Musayev (“Qəbələ”)
Gedənlər: Elgiz Kərəmli (baş məşqçi), Seymur Rəhimov, Elvin İsmayılov, İbrahim Əliyev, Hüseyn Mürsəlov, Aqil Nəsibov, Amir Ebrahimzade, Əli Həsənli, Zahid Mərdanov, Emin Zamanov, Novruz Məmmədov, Aqşin Paşayev, Urfan İsmayılov, Vüqar Həsənov, Ruslan Hacıyev
Müqaviləsi artırılanlar: Tərlan Quliyev, Elnur Cəfərov, Ramin Nəsirli, Nahid Əliyev

Növbəti mövsümə daha iddialı olmağı hədəfləyən “Turan Tovuz” rəhbərliyi azarkeşlərinə futbol bayramı yaşatmağı planlaşdırır.

Futbolpress.az-ın əldə etdiyi məlumata görə, klub rəhbərliyinin Türkiyə təmsilçisi “Fənərbağça”ya yoldaşlıq oyunu ilə bağlı müraciəti müsbət qarşılanıb. Tovuz şəhər stadionunda keçiriləcək matçın vaxtı hələ dəqiqləşməyib.

Azərbaycanı ilk dəfə avrokuboklarda təmsil edən “Turan” 1994-cü ildə məhz “Fənərbağça” ilə qaşılaşmışdı və ölkə futbol tarixinə ilk avrokubok təmsilçisi kimi düşmüşdü.

“Arsenal” heyətini yeni yarımmüdafiəçi ilə gücləndirmək istəyir.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, London klubu “Nyukasl”ın və Braziliya millisinin futbolçusu Bruno Gimaraeslə maraqlanır. Bu barədə insayder Fabrizio Romano məlumat yayıb. “Topçular” yarımmüdafiəçi üçün 55 milyonluq təklif hazırlayıb. Klublar arasında danışıqlar yaxın zamanda başlayacaq.

Gimaraes Braziliya millisi ilə dünya çempionatındadır.

French reports claim Roma are back in front for Mason Greenwood after Olympique Marseille received a ‘disrespectful’ €30m offer from Fenerbahce.

The winger must be sold to raise much-needed funds, as Marseille are going through a serious financial crisis.

However, as part of the agreement for his €26m transfer from Manchester United in 2024, they also owe the Premier League club 40 per cent of the sale fee.

Roma still have Greenwood hope

This means they are demanding €55m, so RMC Sport and le10sport in France claim the Marseille response to the first formal Fenerbahce written offer was one of disgust.

“It was considered disrespectful” to offer just €30m, claim the French transfer experts.

So while Greenwood has seemingly agreed personal terms with the Turkish club, Roma are the favourites for his signature now.

Even that is no guarantee, because the Giallorossi have Financial Fair Play settlements to consider too, so must first sell either Matias Soulé or Manu Koné to raise funds.

At least it is a boost for Roma to know that Marseille are more favourable towards a sale to them rather than Fenerbahce as things stand.

Parma have officially purchased Benjamin Cremaschi outright from Inter Miami with a new contract to 2031 for the USMNT talent. ‘I am proud to say my future is at Parma.’

The 21-year-old creative midfielder had arrived in Serie A last summer on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for €4m.

As expected, the Ducali formally announced today that they decided to activate that clause and now own the player outright.

He has put pen to paper on a new contract at the Stadio Tardini until June 2031.

Cremaschi settles down at Parma

“I am proud to say that my future is at Parma,” Cremaschi told the official club website.

“This city has become my home and I am happy to continue this journey with Parma Calcio. The last year was difficult due to the injury, but this made me even more determined to come back stronger than ever.

“I am working every day to be ready for the new season and can’t wait to experience new emotions along with all the fans. I thank the supporters for their affection, their support, and the faith they always showed in me. We’ll see each other soon!”

As the name would suggest, Cremaschi has Italian origins and therefore was able to secure an Italian passport.

He was also called up by Argentina at Under-20 level, but made his decision to represent the USA.

Cremaschi’s last game for Parma was in March, when he sustained a meniscus ligament injury in his knee, but he can look to the future with confidence in Serie A.

Adrien Rabiot brushed off questions about his Milan future after reports he could follow Max Allegri to Napoli. ‘I am concentrated on the World Cup, then we’ll see.’

The midfielder had come to San Siro in order to reunite with his former Juventus coach Allegri, and was a key figure in the squad that ultimately fumbled Champions League qualification on the final day of the season.

Allegri was fired and is now lined up for the Napoli job, while Milan appointed Ruben Amorim as their new boss.

Rabiot keeps Milan waiting

Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after France’s 4-1 World Cup victory over Norway, Rabiot was asked how this affects his future.

“I am concentrated on the World Cup, then we’ll see what happens,” replied the midfielder.

The 31-year-old signed a contract with Milan to June 2028, although there is an option to extend for another year after that.

He arrived from Olympique Marseille on deadline day at a cost of €7m plus add-ons, contributing six goals and five assists in 29 Serie A appearances for the Rossoneri.

Inter have joined Como in tracking Chelsea and England defender Trevoh Chalobah, because negotiations with Udinese for Oumar Solet have stalled.

The Nerazzurri’s summer has so far been one of bitter disappointment, as they keep being priced out of players following weeks or even months of confident negotiations.

They lost Marco Palestra to Chelsea, look to be backing away from Liverpool’s Curtis Jones, and now Solet is increasingly unlikely to arrive.

Chalobah next on Inter list

The defender agreed personal terms, but Udinese want at least €25m and so far Inter do not seem prepared to pay that for someone who is also an Atletico Madrid target.

Multiple sources including transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano therefore suggest that Inter are now turning towards Chalobah, who was already on the radar for Serie A side Como.

The centre-back turns 27 next month and seems to be linked with a Serie A move every few months, though it never materialises.

A Chelsea youth academy product with several loan experiences under his belt, his salary is reported to be just €1.6m per season, but the cost of the fee is still considered too high for both clubs.

His profile might be rising too, because due to a Reece James injury, Chalobah is expected to start for England in tonight’s World Cup match against Panama.

Palermo and former Italy Under-21 international goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanches is attracting interest from Glasgow Rangers and Norwich City, claim Sky Sport Italia.

The 23-year-old is a product of the Milan youth academy until he was sold to Vicenza in 2022.

Desplanches went on to represent Trento and Palermo, spending this season on loan with Pescara in Serie B.

Desplanches attracting interest from abroad

According to Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, there have been several approaches to Palermo for his services.

These include calls from abroad, with Glasgow Rangers and Norwich City among the interested parties.

Several Italian clubs are also said to be keeping a close eye on the situation.

He was a regular for the Italy Under-21 side, amassing 16 caps for the Azzurrini, after representing them a various youth levels.

His current contract with Palermo runs to June 2028, but he might be available on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.

Franck Kessie tells Juventus that he would be ‘a great signing’ for them, especially as a free agent after leaving Al-Ahli. ‘My agent is working on it, we’re receiving a lot of calls.’

The midfielder is certainly no stranger to Serie A, because he came to the Atalanta youth academy in 2015, then had experiences with Cesena and Milan before joining Barcelona in 2022.

Just a year later, he moved to Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League and his contract is due to expire on June 30.

There have been reports linking the 29-year-old with a return to Italian football for Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus, so when participating in the 2026 World Cup with the Ivory Coast, he spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Kessie sells himself to Juventus

“I did see the talk about Juventus,” said Kessie.

“I am focused only on the World Cup, but I will just say one thing: I would be a great signing. I’m in good shape, I’m playing at the World Cup, and above all I am a free agent, so what more could you ask for?!

“This is why so many clubs want me, and they are right! But for another five days, I am still a player of Al-Ahli. After the Round of 16, we’ll meet up and I can tell you something else.”

Juventus and Atalanta have shown interest in the midfielder, who scored 41 goals with 16 assists in 204 Serie A appearances during his career.

“My agent is working on it, we’re receiving a lot of calls, and that’s to be expected. I too would sign me at these conditions, both physically and financially!” grinned Kessie.

The main issue is the salary, which would be €4-5m per season, but still accepting a gigantic cut from his current wages worth a reported €14m per year with Al-Ahli.

England’s iconic Wembley Stadium isn’t simply the country’s most famous sports and entertainment venue. It’s one of Britain’s great cultural landmarks, where generations of dreams have been realized.

From England lifting its only World Cup to Arsenal raising a record 14 FA Cup wins and Oasis launching its long-awaited reunion tour, Wembley has long served as a stage where history is made. For AEW’s Will Ospreay, chasing greatness has always led back there.

Wrestling at Wembley was at one point deemed too big of a dream to have. Getting into wrestling, much less getting signed, felt at times unrealistic. English representation on television was limited to the likes of the British Bulldog and William Regal. 

Instead, Ospreay has spent his career kicking down doors that at one point felt impossible to open. Now, one victory separates him from competing for AEW’s richest prize on the grandest sporting stage England has to offer.

The AEW World Championship is the prize, but the main event at Wembley is the dream.

“This is kind of like the semifinals to my World Cup,” Ospreay tells Uncrowned ahead of Sunday’s AEW Forbidden Door pay-per-view. 

“I understand this is the finals for the Owen [Hart] Cup, but to have this as something that will put me in a spot as important as the main event of [AEW All In at] Wembley Stadium, fighting for the championship, it is something that I hold with so much pride that I want to be able to give the best performance physically possible.”

A win over Swerve Strickland on Sunday night at AEW Forbidden Door from the SAP Center in San Jose will earn Ospreay the AEW World Championship opportunity he’s spent the better part of a year chasing.

The spot is familiar territory for Ospreay, who fell just short in the Owen Hart Cup Tournament final last year against “Hangman” Adam Page. This time around, he’s hungry, more motivated, and has been through too much to get this close to glory without reaching the top of the mountain. 

Neck surgery sidelined Ospreay for nearly six months over the past year, forcing him to watch his former protégé Kyle Fletcher earn his first title shot, while his former rival Kenny Omega regained top form.

When he returned, there was no speeding up the process to get back to the top. He simply wanted to feel the rush of energy that comes with lighting up the squared circle. 

“I just want to feel the breath come out of the audience, I want to feel the arena change temperature,” Ospreay says. 

“I don’t put much pressure on that. I just free flow, and just allow whatever feels natural to come to me.”

Through it all, the destination never changed. AEW’s biggest show of the year at Wembley Stadium remained the focal point. 

Carlo Paloni via Getty Images

Upon his return to the ring, Ospreay was expected to step right back into the main-event scene, marching unopposed to Wembley. Instead, he stumbled into a program with the Death Riders after suffering an unexpected loss at the hands of Jon Moxley, halting his progress toward AEW’s top prize. 

Rather than continue fighting the Death Riders, Ospreay ultimately aligned himself with the group, allowing for a slower, more deliberate climb. Ospreay didn’t rush back into the title picture, and the alliance shaped his presentation, giving his return greater purpose. 

“I've enjoyed being in that locker room with those guys because I feel like I've leveled up my game. I've got to create small bonds within that group just to know that we're fighting for something more, and we're always doing things that are best for the wrestling fans,” Ospreay says.

“I have nothing but respect for Jon and it's taken a while to obviously get to that position. But it's cool to understand his methodology and his thoughts about what pro-wrestling is. In the dealings that we've had prior to this, it was almost like I couldn't see what he was saying because he's a man that loves a little riddle. Being by his side now, I’m starting to understand more and more.”

Ospreay’s climb back to the top has forced him to confront chapters from his past. First came Samoa Joe and The Opps. Then former partner-turned-foe Mark Davis. Now comes perhaps the most emotionally complex opponent of all: Strickland. 

The former AEW World Champion spent the past year fighting alongside men like Ospreay and Page to reclaim AEW from the Death Riders and the Young Bucks. Now, Ospreay’s standing shoulder to shoulder with the crew he at one point actively tried to eliminate. 

Despite all of that, Ospreay says his relationship with Strickland is “very real.” The two have looked after one another for nearly a decade, and there’s a genuine bond between them. There’s also a level of competition that drives them to be at the top of their respective games. 

"We're just two human beings fighting for something bigger than our friendship," Ospreay says.

“He's just extremely motivated to want to be back at that top spot. And I genuinely have nothing but love for the guy.

“When it gets to this point where the stakes are higher, the friendship with us does get put to one side, and we will always do battle. Because his methodology is what's best for AEW and my methodology is best for AEW. But there can only be one winner.”

Everything Ospreay has worked toward over the past year now comes down to one night. Beat Strickland on Sunday, and the walk through Wembley Stadium’s tunnel with a chance at the world title becomes a reality. 

Ospreay knows what it feels like to wrestle at Wembley. He performed before more than 80,000 fans there at the inaugural AEW All In show in 2023, then successfully defended the AEW International Championship against Pac there the following year. 

Neither compares to what could await him this summer.  

“To have the story culminate in that incredible venue and to win the most important championship in all of professional wrestling, the AEW World Championship, which to me is the symbol of professional wrestling,” Ospreay says. 

“And to be able to hold that with pride, being one of the first Englishmen to ever win a world championship on home soil, it would fill my heart with so much pride and gratitude knowing that I got it by not compromising on who I am, never sacrificing, never changing what my morals were.”

Sunday isn’t the finish line. It’s the final hurdle before the dream Ospreay’s spent his career chasing. 

TROYES, France (AP) — Newly promoted French club Troyes sold forward Mathys Detourbet to Premier League giant Manchester City on Saturday.

Troyes announced the transfer on X and on its website without giving financial details. Sports daily L'Equipe said City signed the 19-year-old Frenchman for around 25 million euros ($28.5 million) and he would be loaned to Monaco next season.

Detourbet had been at the club academy since the age of eight. Last season, the left winger scored three times as Troyes won Ligue 2 to rejoin the top flight.

“Troyes is particularly proud to have supported Mathys' growth both as a player and as a man,” Troyes said. “The whole club warmly thanks him for his commitment and professionalism.”

Troyes is one of 12 clubs totally or partially owned by the City Football Group, which has City as its flagship club.

City was bought in 2008 by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family. The CFG was formed five years later. ___

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

ESTAC Troyes have confirmed the transfer of Mathys Detourbet (19) to fellow City Group club, Manchester City. 

Detourbet was one of the key pillars of an ESTAC side that secured promotion back to Ligue 1. In 27 games in all competitions, he has scored four goals and registered seven assists. The playmaker came through the ranks at Troyes and had been drawing significant interest. 

Detourbet set for AS Monaco loan

Given the link to Manchester City, the Premier League side were in control of the situation and have opted to sign the Frenchman. The transfer has been confirmed by L’ESTAC. A fee has not been disclosed, however, L’Équipe understands the deal to be worth €25m. The length of his contract at the Etihad has also not been revealed.

Detourbet is now expected to join AS Monaco on a loan deal. L’Équipe understands that the deal will include a purchase option.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

No matter who wins the Manoa Cup trophy today, there are sure to be plenty of admirers visiting the trophy case to see the new name etched into immortality.

Ryan Takeshita beat Ka’ena Kaulia and Derek Chinen overcame Sam Rodriguez in the semifinals of the Manoa Cup on Friday to reach today’s 36-hole final beginning at 7 a.m. at Oahu Country Club.

Both finalists won 1-up on the 18th hole and have plenty to talk about with their loved ones before gearing up for another grueling trip around the course. As much as they want their names on the historic trophy, they want it more for those who got them here.

“It means a lot because my grandpa cares a lot about this tournament and he’s 89,” Chinen said. “I knew for sure coming in that this was going to be my last Manoa Cup, so I wanted to make it count for him.”

Like Chinen, Takeshita is driven by his family. He moved away when he was a baby, but his grandmother lives 10 minutes from the course.

“It’s always been special, my dad’s always talked about it and my uncle always talked about it,” Takeshita said.

Takeshita only had to play 14 holes in the morning quarterfinals to beat Maximus Waki but needed everything he had to top Kaulia. Kaulia, a Kamehameha kid who hadn’t played in the event in seven years because he left to follow his golf dream on the continent, put Takeshita three down at the turn with a scorching 32. Takeshita got it all back and took the lead on 13 when Kaulia grimaced and grabbed his shoulder from an old basketball injury while making his tee shot. He suffered the same pain on 14 but recovered enough to square the match with a birdie 3 on 15.

“It comes with the territory with all of the holes we play,” Kaulia said. “I felt fine until my shoulder popped out, but that’s just how it goes. No excuses, no matter what the circumstances you have to give it your all.”

By the time they walked onto the 18th tee, Takeshita needed only to tie the hole to win the match. He pulled an iron and put his tee shot in the fairway 100 yards from the green and Kaulia selected driver and aimed for the 15th green on the left hoping it would fade. It didn’t, but it did soar over the trees and come to rest in the rough in front of the wrong green. After their approaches, their balls were within a foot of each other on the green 40 feet from the hole. Kaulia tapped in after his lag to leave Takeshita 5 feet for the win. He backed off twice when the wind gusted and then drained it to punch his ticket to the final.

“It was pretty stressful with the wind and stuff, I am just happy it went in,” Takeshita said.

Veterans Chinen and Rodriguez needed playoffs in the morning to reach the semis, with Chinen beating Taylor George in 19 holes and the 40-year-old Rodriguez getting a birdie on his 2oth to take care of Punahou’s Jordan Takai.

Chinen jumped on Rodriguez from the beginning by earning a birdie on four of his first five holes — his only par came after a missed 3-foot putt — to go up four. Rodriguez fought back and tied it on the 15th after the long climb up the hill that left both players feeling the pain. Chinen said his arms felt like “jelly, like I was surfing for four or five hours” and Rodriguez admitted that his back “is not feeling great.”

Rodriguez has won 10 times in this tournament, six of them before 2010, and Chinen has won nine times, so they knew what they were in for. They were all square on the 18th hole when Chinen launched a driver that settled in the right rough and earned him relief while Rodriguez was 38 yards from the hole. But his 157th shot of the long day sailed a little bit long and his 25-foot putt missed by an inch. Chinen stepped up and buried his 6 footer and shook the trees with a loud “Finally! Let’s Go! Manoa Cup Final!”

While Rodriguez has been in the golf industry forever, Chinen had never broken par until six years ago. He attended UH after graduating from Castle but didn’t play golf there. Today’s final is set up as the local indoor grinder against the Weber State sophomore who finished in the top 15 in his first collegiate tournament. Takeshita shot a 68 in the semis to Chinen’s 74. They both shot 70 in qualifying, when they didn’t have to walk.

“During COVID when all we could do was surf and golf, I got hooked,” Chinen said. “Ever since then I have been practicing at Sports Box. It’s an indoor golf and sports simulator and helps me get dialed and it is a good place to practice at. I’m just happy it got me within 36 holes of being Manoa Cup champion.”

A steady rain was not about to halt Ava Cepeda’s steady reign.

Cepeda, a New Mexico sophomore out of Kahuku, beat Punahou senior Samantha Monroe with a birdie on the 15th hole to capture the women’s division of the Manoa Cup on Friday, completing quite a summer slam. Fresh off capturing the state amateur stroke play title, Cepeda blitzed the field to win match play at Oahu Country Club.

Hawaii State Golf Association officials say that the only other player to win both in the same year was Tyler Ota in 2019.

“Today was fun, with the rain and everything. It was like a battle and it was good to be out there in these conditions,” Cepeda said. “Its a nice relief to finally get the win.”

A light rain greeted the combatants on the first tee and hung around throughout. Impervious to the weather and hilly terrain, the girl who learned the game at Kahuku Golf Course won the first two holes but lost the third when her putt lipped out. She made a slider from 9 feet on the fourth hole to stay 1-up and then buried the shot of the day on the fifth.

After a short — for her, she was ahead of Monroe all day — drive of about 220 yards into the wind, Cepeda unleashed a high shot from 50 yards that plunked onto the wet green, took one hop and disappeared into the hole. She couldn’t see the result because of the elevated surface but knew it was good, only showing an indication of her heroics with a brief smile as she took the ball out of the cup for an eagle 2.

“I figured once I didn’t see the ball on the green it was probably in,” Cepeda said. “I saw the pitch mark, too, so yea.”

Monroe, who had to make the lonely walk to the back of the green to retrieve her ball, was suddenly two holes down. She fought back to win the next hole with a birdie, but Cepeda ground her down after that and clinched the match by winning 12-13-14. Cepeda didn’t play the final three holes in match play all week, the only time she visited that part of the layout was in Monday qualifying when she shot a 67. She is the first medalist to win the tournament since Raya Nakao in 2022.

She lost in the final to Kara Kaneshiro last year, but Kaneshiro was not in the field to defend it.

“Ava will take a lot of satisfaction out of this,” her father and caddie, Baxter, said. “It was a little bit of pressure with some of the people missing, and she was one of the favorites. But you come in with that expectation and you kind of have the best chance to win, to get it done is a satisfaction.”

In her first appearance at the prestigious tournament, Monroe reached the final as the 15th seed after shooting 80 to make the cut by two strokes. She turned up her game in match play beginning Tuesday when she sent No. 2 seed Jasmine Wong packing and clutched up with birdies on 16 and 17 to send Mariko Yonemura to a playoff in the semifinal Thursday before eliminating her with another birdie on the 20th hole.

“It was a really good tournament — from barely making the cut to making it this far was really nice,” Monroe said. “I do wish I played a little better today, but I feel like I had really good rounds this week.”

Monroe — who is considering Colorado State, Boise State and Sacramento State — went into the final with her coach on her bag after her friend Lia Choy helped her through the playoff in the semifinal. Her mother was on the bag for her upset of Wong and still came in handy in the final against Cepeda when Monroe lost an earring during the action.

“By the second day I was like, ‘Mom, I’m going to have to turn it over to someone else’,” Monroe said.

Both females were surrounded by supporters in the final, with Cepeda’s sister Mia keeping score for the HSGA after losing in the first round to end hopes of another all-Cepeda clash, her younger brother frolicking on the links between shots and her boyfriend admiring from the fringes. What they witnessed might have been Ava Cepeda at her best with much more to come.

“Her game is just so solid,” Mia Cepeda said. “She just makes putts out of nowhere when you don’t really expect it, so it’s fun to watch her play. We both really like match play, it’s just exciting. Because we don’t do it very often, it is special for both of us.”

Facing a financial crunch, the Oklahoma City Thunder have said goodbye to a couple of longtime faces. The latest was Isaiah Joe. He was sent to the Detroit Pistons for two future second-round picks. The deal is all about cost-cutting as they're trying to shave salary off to get under the second apron.

Such is life in the NBA. The Thunder are going through the same problems every contender will eventually face. To duck financial punishments, they had to send away one of their best role players who helped them win the 2025 NBA championship.

Joe averaged 11.1 points on 45.5% shooting and 2.5 rebounds. He shot 42.3% from 3 on six attempts. In his four seasons in OKC, he salvaged his NBA career as one of the best 3-point shooting role players. Now, he hopes to take advantage of Cade Cunningham's gravity as he did with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder are going through roster changes for the first time in a couple of summers. And even though the deal makes sense if your goal is to bring down your hefty payroll, it still stings as Joe is one of OKC's best developmental stories. Here's how a couple of his teammates reacted to the deal:

Jalen Williams to Isaiah Joe getting traded: pic.twitter.com/QR7nSEqWqe

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) June 26, 2026

Isaiah Hartenstein showing Isaiah Joe after he was traded to the Pistons: pic.twitter.com/JdM1vQETlo

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) June 26, 2026

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder players react to Isaiah Joe getting traded to Pistons

The New England Patriots are a deep team.

They added several marquee players to their roster this offseason. New England maintained the strength of their front four and their secondary by replacing the departing K’Lavon Chaisson and Jaylinn Hawkins with Dre’Mont Jones and Kevin Byard. They also made many improvements to their offensive line, but their offensive weapons around quarterback Drake Maye are the best they’ve been since he entered the league.

According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in his ranking of the NFL’s wide receiver, tight end and running back groups of playmakers for next season, the Patriots’ unit ranks No. 10 in the league.

”The top 10 starts with the Patriots, who added an elite receiver to the mix after trading for A.J. Brown this summer,” Barnwell said. “Brown left Philadelphia after a frustrating 2025 season, but there's still plenty of evidence that Brown is one of the top wideouts in all of football. … While there's a drop-off from Brown to the rest of the lineup, the Patriots are much deeper than they've been in years.”

Brown and Doubs are one of the best wide receiver duos in the league, with upside that might potentially be getting overlooked for next season. Henderson and Stevenson are two running backs who have the capability to rush for 1,000 yards, and the addition of rookie tight end Eli Raridon gives New England a good replacement for Austin Hooper behind Hunter Henry for next season.

The Patriots have reason to be confident in the unit that they have around Maye, which is much better than the one that he led to the Super Bowl at the end of last season. Their unit appears poised to outpace most of the other teams in the league statistically in 2026.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots’ WR-RB-TE group makes top 10 in ESPN ranking for 2026 season

Ahead of the 2024 season, the San Francisco 49ers signed receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million contract after a long offseason standoff.

At the time it looked like a necessary deal to lock down the 49ers' top receiver following three consecutive NFC champion appearances and one Super Bowl loss. But just two years later, Aiyuk's deal will likely go down as one of the worst contracts in the history of the John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan era.

When the 49ers inevitably move on from Aiyuk, either with a trade or release, he'll have played just seven total games on that deal. Now, the 49ers didn't end up giving him much after voiding his guarantees when he refused to report to the team in 2025, but the decision will still live in infamy in recent team history.

But is it the worst contract Lynch and Shanahan have ever given out during their tenure together in San Francisco? Let's explore the top-10 worst 49ers contracts since 2017. It should be noted that most of these are injury-related more than simply overpays.

No. 10: DE Nick Bosa — 5 years, $170M (2023)

Bosa's contract was recently ranked one of the worst deals in the NFL — and for good reason. After a Defensive Player of the Year season in 2022, Bosa's production declined in back-to-back years before he missed all but three games in 2025 with his third ACL tear. While the 49ers restructured the deal to reduce Bosa's 2026 cap hit to just $17.7 million, it also increased in future years by $4.29 million. Bosa is one of the best defensive players in the NFL when heathly, but he simply hasn't been since signing this mega extension.

No. 9: QB Trey Lance — 4 years, $34.1M (2021)

Maybe this is technically cheating, but the 49ers still paid Lance a lot of money on his rookie deal for just four starts in eight appearances over two seasons. Trading all of those draft picks to take Lance at No. 3 hurts his case, too. Injuries ruined Lance's chances in San Francisco, and he finished with a 54.9% completion rate, 797 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. The only reason this isn't higher is because the 49ers drafted Brock Purdy in the same class, and we all know how that turned out.

No. 8: DT Javon Hargrave — 4 years, $84M (2023)

The 49ers took a big swing with Hargrave in free agency that bore fruit almost immediately before bottoming out after two seasons. Hargrave finished with seven sacks, 44 tackles, and two passes defended in 16 games in 2023, where he was also named to the Pro Bowl and added a sack in Super Bowl LVIII. But three games into 2024, he partially tore his right triceps against the Los Angeles Rams, requiring surgery and ending his season. Over two seasons total, he appeared in 19 regular season games and recorded eight sacks. The 49ers cut him in March 2025, carrying $8.6 million in dead money in 2025 and $17.5 million in 2026.

No. 7: DL Arik Armstead — 5 years, $85M (2020)

Armstead peaked and got paid after a 10-sack season in 2019. However, he never replicated that success. What followed was a steady decline, and he never cracked more than five sacks in any subsequent season while his cap hit escalated to over $20 million per year. The 49ers released him ahead of the 2023 season.

No. 6: WR Deebo Samuel — 3 years, $71.55M (2022)

This one is more complicated than a straight bad contract. Samuel was an All-Pro in 2021, and the deal was fair market value at signing. But the 49ers didn't see the same star in Samuel they had a year before, after he tallied just 864 total yards and five touchdowns in 13 games during the 2023 season. He had a great 2024 with 1,117 total yards and 12 touchdowns, but had another 800-yard season in 2024 before the 49ers traded him away before the 2025 season. All to say, the 49ers went 1-for-3 on quality years of this deal despite the big investment.

No. 5: LB Malcolm Smith — 5 years, $26.5M (2017)

This is a Shanahan-era entry that doesn't get enough attention in his first free agency class. Smith signed a five-year, $26.5 million deal in March 2017 with $11.5 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $7 million. He then tore his pectoral during training camp in August and missed the entire 2017 season. While Smith came back in 2018, he dealt with Achilles tendinitis and hamstring issues throughout, finishing with just 35 tackles in 12 games and five starts. The 49ers released him before 2019, absorbing a $4.2 million dead cap hit.

No. 4: RB Jerick McKinnon — 4 years, $30M (2018)

McKinnon tore his ACL during a team workout months after he signed a big deal to start for the 49ers, ending his season before it started. He then suffered a setback in the 2019 training camp and missed that season entirely, too. By the time he got healthy, the team had moved on. McKinnon finished third in carries in his only healthy season in 2020 behind Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert and finished his 49ers tenure with 81 carries for 319 yards and five touchdowns in 16 total games.

No. 3: LB Kwon Alexander — 4 years, $54M (2019)

Alexander was sold as the linebacker to pair with Fred Warner, but ended up playing just 13 games for the 49ers. He tore his pec in November of his first season and missed the second-half of the season before rejoining them for the Super Bowl run. However, the 49ers traded Alexander to the New Orleans Saints five weeks into the 2020 season in exchange for a fifth-round conditional pick in the 2021 NFL draft and linebacker Kiko Alonso. Alexander finished his time in San Francisco with 64 combined tackles, four passes defensed and 1.5 sacks.

No. 2: WR Brandon Aiyuk — 4 year, $120 million (2024)

Aiyuk's landing spot on this list is a combination of injury issues, production and off-field problems. Not only did Aiyuk miss more than half of the 2024 season with a torn ACL and all of 2025 after failing to report to the team, but he wasn't even playing well when he was on the field. The former first-round pick had just 25 receptions for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games before his injury after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Now, Aiyuk is posting on social media as he tries to bait the 49ers into trading or cutting him.

No. 1: DE Dee Ford — 5 years, $87.5M (2019)

The crown jewel of bad contracts. Over three seasons with the 49ers, Ford made just 18 appearances, totaling 9.5 sacks. The team also surrendered a second-round pick to get him. At his healthiest, Ford played 11 games in 2019 — his first with the 49ers — where he tallied 6.5 sacks. But then he fell apart. In 2020, Ford played one game before landing on injured reserve with a neck and back injury, then six games in 2021 before hitting IR again, and the 49ers released him in July 2022. While a lot of the issues stem from injury issues, Ford never came close to justifying the deal.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Ranking the worst contracts in 49ers history in Lynch-Shanahan era

John Kincade is heading back to where his career really took root.

Kincade announced on Friday that he will return to 680 The Fan in Atlanta this fall, saying he is “honored” to be coming back to the station.

 

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A post shared by 680 The Fan (@680thefan)

The move closes the loop on a Philadelphia chapter that began in January 2021, when Kincade joined 97.5 The Fanatic to host morning drive after spending more than 20 years at 680 The Fan. He announced earlier this month that he would be leaving The Fanatic on July 31, citing health concerns, specifically, that his doctors had raised concerns about the long-term toll of a 4 a.m. wake-up schedule.

Kincade is a three-time cancer survivor, having beaten non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the ’90s, testicular cancer shortly after, and then stepping away from the show in May 2023 after being diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. He returned following surgery and marked six months cancer-free in May 2024.

“I’m totally healthy, and I’m totally fine, which actually leads to this being better,” he said when announcing the departure. “But after talking with my doctors and hearing about that, one of the things that was brought up to me was that 4 a.m. is not the best for me.”

Kincade didn’t wait out his contract, which ran through the end of the year. He said he made the call early, specifically to avoid leaving co-host Andrew Salciunas and their producer in a difficult spot mid-Eagles season.

Before coming to Philadelphia, Kincade spent more than two decades at 680 The Fan, building a long-running partnership with former Georgia quarterback Buck Belue that became a staple of Atlanta sports radio. He also worked nationally for ESPN Radio and CBS Sports Radio during that time and co-hosted The Big Podcast alongside Shaquille O’Neal.

He hasn’t specified what his role at 680 The Fan will be this fall.

The post John Kincade is returning to 680 The Fan in Atlanta appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Former Washington Huskies standout freshman Hannes Steinbach received a message of congratulations from ex-NBA star Dirk Nowitzki after the latest German-made forward went No. 14 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in the 2026 NBA draft.

"Hannes, congratulations, my man," the 21-year veteran and Hall of Famer. "Another kid from Würzburg in the league. Incredible. I've known you since you were born. I've followed your journey, and I'm super proud how you've handled everything. Enjoy this moment with your family. Speaking of—I'm so glad you didn't get your father's athleticism and hands. Enjoy this moment. Congratulations."

Steinbach, the son of Burkhard Steinbach, a former teammate of Nowitzki's when the two played professionally in Germany, is the first UW player to go in the first round since Isaiah Stewart (No. 16 to the Detroit Pistons) and Jaden McDaniels (No. 28 to the Los Angeles Lakers) each heard their names called in the 2020 draft.

Since there apparently were some audio issues when this aired live … allow me to pass on Dirk Nowitzki’s congratulatory video to the newest Charlotte Hornet Hannes Steinbach … son of Dirk’s former DJK Würzburg X-Rays teammate Burkhard Steinbach: pic.twitter.com/14XZtYGlUM

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 24, 2026

The now-former UW freshman and Big Ten Conference leader in rebounds joins fellow German natives in the NBA, including Dennis Schröder, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Orlando Magic brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, among others.

"I definitely bring rebounding as my best quality," Steinbach said in a post-draft interview. "And I definitely want to improve my shooting ability and spread the floor and provide spacing for my team."

Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 power forward, led the Huskies in his one year on campus, averaging 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game over his 30 games in his lone season in college basketball.

"Wurzburg helped me a lot," Steinbach said of the experience playing in Germany, which helped shape his game going into the NBA. "Just playing with pros and against pros, against physical guys and guys with more experience than myself. So I think that experience will help me to get adjusted to the NBA and how it is to play against older, more experienced guys."

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Hall Of Famer Dirk Nowitzki Congratulates Ex-Husky Steinbach

The Houston Texans made a big trade in the 2025 offseason to acquire Super Bowl champion C.J. Gardner-Johnson to bolster their secondary. They didn’t reap many benefits from that deal, as Gardner-Johnson played three games in Houston before being released. It wasn’t a performance-based release, as the 28-year-old safety revealed the spat that led to his exit.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson Speaks About Ugly Departure from Houston

Gardner-Johnson got cut because he got into an argument. He revealed that when the Texans went to West Virginia during training camp, he got into an argument with a friend of general manager Nick Caserio.

“That’s how I got (cut) in Houston,” said Gardner-Johnson. “One person that’s not technically a part of the organization called me a B-word at Greenbrier. I get out my body; he says something to the GM, and the next thing I’m cut.”

When The Athletic’s Tim Graham asked about the spat, the Texans declined to comment.

This was not how Gardner-Johnson expected his tenure in Houston to go, but he found a home shortly after in Chicago. Gardner-Johnson doesn’t seem happy with how this exit is portraying him, and made sure to explain how this ugly exit transpired.

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“If y’all going to cut me, cut me,” Gardner-Johnson said. “But I’ll give nobody reasons to cut me. I haven’t. I don’t. I’m not a cancer. There’s nobody in this locker room that says, ‘Chauncey’s a problem.’ The media loves me. The only thing that’ll do it is something that triggers somebody that has a say in the building that can alter somebody else’s mind. That happens every time.”

In the end, the Texans cut ties with Gardner-Johnson after the spat, and the general manager’s friend seemingly had influence in that. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t a huge miss for the Texans, though, as Houston maintained one of the best secondaries in the NFL with Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock, and Jalen Pitre.

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Gardner-Johnson finished the 2025 season with two interceptions, 66 tackles, and five tackles for loss (TFLs). He ranked 63rd in PFSN’s Safety Impact Metric, and now, he’s headed to the AFC East to help the Buffalo Bills try to get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl they’ve been chasing for years.

The Bills are scheduled to visit the Texans in Week 1 of the 2026 season in Houston, and Gardner-Johnson will almost assuredly be playing for his revenge on his former team’s home turf. This could turn out to be one of the games of the season with two teams with Super Bowl aspirations, and the Gardner-Johnson storyline will add to the fireworks.

Fulham Complete Permanent Signing of Jonah Kusi Asare

Fulham have confirmed the permanent signing of promising striker Jonah Kusi Asare from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee, rewarding an impressive loan spell with a long term commitment. The announcement, made via Fulham’s official account on X, reflects the club’s growing confidence in one of its brightest young attacking talents.

The 18 year old made seven Premier League appearances during his loan stay and caught the eye with four goals in five Premier League 2 matches, underlining his potential for the future.

Bright Future at Craven Cottage

Speaking after completing the move, Kusi Asare said:

“I’m very happy to be a permanent Fulham player. From my first week here, it was very good – I felt like I was a part of the Fulham family.

“The changing room was very nice, team, staff, so I’m very happy to stay here.”

His comments reflect the positive environment Fulham have created for young players looking to establish themselves in senior football.

Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations Tony Khan also welcomed the signing, stating:

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jonah Kusi-Asare to Fulham on a long-term contract.

“We believe that he is a very talented young player with massive potential and a bright future, and we’re very happy that Jonah is joining the Club permanently now following his time with us on loan.”

Fulham continue to invest in youth, and securing Kusi Asare on a permanent basis could prove to be another smart piece of long term planning.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

From a football supporter’s perspective, this feels like exactly the type of transfer Fulham should be making.

Jonah Kusi Asare has already shown encouraging signs during his loan spell, both in Premier League appearances and at youth level. More importantly, he appears settled at the club and genuinely enthusiastic about continuing his development in West London.

Supporters should be excited by Tony Khan’s comments about the striker’s potential. Fulham have developed a reputation for giving talented young players opportunities, and Kusi Asare now has the platform to justify the faith shown in him.

There is no need to rush his progress. At 18 years of age, consistent development is more important than immediate headlines. Learning alongside experienced professionals while earning first team opportunities could be the ideal pathway.

If Fulham remain patient, this signing may eventually be viewed as outstanding business. The club have secured a talented forward who already understands the environment and appears fully committed to helping Fulham move forward in the coming seasons.

• Plans are already being drawn up at Manchester City to capture Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi.
• The 18-year-old Lille sensation has seen his profile skyrocket during a standout World Cup so far with the Moroccan national team.
• While City officials formulate a potential 2027 proposal, European rivals look to disrupt those plans.

Officials at Manchester City are believed to have the idea of recruiting Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi in the summer of 2027, according to a new update on the situation.

With Enzo Maresca officially set to take charge in the coming weeks and the club finalising a club record-breaking £116 million deal for Elliot Anderson, Sporting Director Hugo Viana is heavily focusing on long-term succession planning.

Manchester City’s recruitment model has historically thrived on identifying talent and players of interest before they reach their peak valuation, ensuring the squad’s technical superiority remains insulated from market inflation.

The latest focal point of this long-term scouting project at the Etihad Stadium is Lille’s midfield prodigy, who has captured the attention of the world’s scouting elite through his performances at the World Cup..

Born in 2007, the 18-year-old enjoyed a stellar rise in Ligue 1 last season, racking up 30 senior appearances for Lille in the French first division and demonstrating tactical maturity, as well as experiencing European competition through the Europa League.

His integration into Mohamed Ouahbi’s Morocco national team at the ongoing World Cup has only accelerated interest, as his press-resistant passing metrics help push the Atlas Lions into the tournament’s knockout bracket.

Man City hold longer-term Bouaddi transfer plan

Now, providing a new update on the future of Lille and Morocco’s highly-rated teenager, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the initial idea concerning Manchester City is to sign the player in the summer of 2027.

“Lille have been smart in signing a new contract with [Ayyoub] Bouaddi before the World Cup, so Lille can control the deal,” said Romano.

Hugo Viana and Manchester City keeping ‘close eye’ on Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi

He continued, “Manchester City have genuine interest in Bouaddi. He’s one of the players being considered by Manchester City, eventually for summer 2027.

“So the idea of Manchester City, the starting idea – then lets see how conversations develop – could be to try go for the player in summer 2027. So Manchester City have an interest in Bouaddi.”

On the wider battle for the Moroccan teenager, Romano explained, “I’m told that also Paris Saint-Germain have been in touch with people close to the player. PSG have different priorities, attack and defence.

“But Paris Saint-Germain have also been in touch with people close to the player to understand the situation.

“So lets see what’s going to happen with Bouaddi. I told you that Arsenal and Liverpool had meetings before the World Cup for this boy, so both clubs were already tracking him.

“Manchester City are in a conversation for eventually 2027, so we have to keep a close eye on this boy because there’s going to be a lot of movement and lets see who’s going to win the race for Bouaddi. For sure, a very very interesting one to follow.”

Why a delayed Bouaddi transfer benefits Man City

For Manchester City, executing a delayed 2027 strategy would replicate their successful historical capture of targets who were left to develop in familiar surroundings before making the leap to the Premier League.

However, with domestic rivals already holding formal meetings with the player’s representatives, Viana will need to maintain regular contact to ensure City’s preferred timeline is not undone by an early bid.

As the summer transfer window heats up, Manchester City’s immediate board priorities remain focused on trimming the current squad and making targeted senior additions for Enzo Maresca’s debut campaign.

The club is balancing several moving components, including reports of holding a £45 million valuation cap for Chelsea’s Malo Gusto and keeping a close eye on Newcastle’s £100 million-rated Sandro Tonali.

Manchester City set price cap on transfer pursuit for Chelsea’s Malo Gusto

England have booked their spot in the World Cup knockout rounds, with the milestone secured even before kick-off against Panama on Saturday.

Four points from their opening two matches leave Thomas Tuchel’s men assured of at least one of the eight best third-placed berths.

That confirmation arrived courtesy of results elsewhere. Spain’s win over Uruguay on Saturday morning proved decisive, removing the last realistic threat to England’s standing.

A 4-2 victory against Croatia and a stalemate with Ghana had already done much of the heavy lifting.

Who could England face in the World Cup last 32?

First place is still very much on. England top the group on goal difference, while Ghana, also on four points, take on Croatia at the same time.

Both fixtures begin at 22:00 BST on Saturday, and avoiding defeat while equalling Ghana’s outcome would seal top spot.

Win the group, and a meeting with one of the best third-placed sides follows. From there, the calculations grow tangled.

Should DR Congo see off Uzbekistan in their Group K finale, at 00:30 BST on Sunday, the Three Lions would be paired with that group’s third-placed team.

In practice that means DR Congo, the only exception being a Portugal defeat accompanied by a seven-goal swing between the pair. That outcome would instead send England towards Portugal.

A DR Congo draw or loss would point England towards Senegal, provided Croatia do not slip into third by losing to Ghana.

If Croatia were to drop into that bracket, England’s opponent would come from Group J instead, assuming a side qualifies.

That third spot rests between Austria and Algeria, who clash in their last fixture. A stalemate would steer England towards Algeria, with Austria still in the frame should they go down by a single goal.

A heavier Austrian loss would likely end their hopes, restoring Senegal as the probable opponent.

Slip to second, however, and the maths becomes far simpler. England would then be drawn against the Group K runner-up, a position Portugal currently occupy.

Read more – Man United due multi-million payout following Ugarte injury

See Also- England reach World Cup last 32 before Panama finale

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Transfer reporter Matteo Moretto reports that Barcelona are preparing to revive their pursuit of Julián Álvarez (26, Argentine) with a renewed offer in the region of €130-140m, representing a meaningful upward shift from the figures that defined the opening phase of this saga. Moretto, a senior reporter at Relevo, has been among the most consistently accurate voices covering this negotiation throughout the summer window.

As previously covered on Football Espana, Barcelona’s previously reported ceiling sat at around €120m, a figure Atlético Madrid had already rejected before the Blaugrana began drafting a stronger second proposal. The gap between the two clubs’ positions has been the defining feature of this transfer saga, and the new range Moretto cites suggests Barcelona have decided that closing it, at least partially, is the only way to keep the deal alive.

What the €130-140m figure actually signals

The distinction worth drawing here is between what this figure represents as a negotiating position and what it represents as a final offer. Moretto’s report frames this as a renewed bid Barcelona are preparing, not a formal offer already lodged – a difference that matters when assessing how far the negotiation has actually advanced. The range itself, €130-140m, almost certainly reflects a structure built around a fixed fee plus variables, which is consistent with earlier reporting that described Barcelona’s approach as a package deal rather than a straightforward cash transfer.

Santi Ovalle had previously indicated that Barcelona’s offer would hover around €120-130m, and the new figure suggests the Blaugrana are now willing to push the upper end of that band further than previously signalled. What the report does not confirm is whether Atlético have been formally consulted on this revised valuation or whether Barcelona are simply preparing internally before making an approach. Those are meaningfully different stages of a negotiation.

The gap to Atlético’s publicly stated position remains substantial. Los Colchoneros have cited a €500m release clause as the baseline for any departure and have shown no willingness to negotiate off a figure anywhere near €130-140m. Whether the revised offer is enough to bring Atlético to the table, rather than simply prompting another rejection, is the central question this report raises without yet answering.

What this means for Barcelona’s summer

Barcelona’s decision to push beyond their previously reported €120m ceiling is not a trivial one. The club’s LaLiga financial position means every euro committed to a transfer fee has downstream consequences for registration and squad salary management, and a package that could reach €140m at the top end of the range represents a significant allocation. That Barcelona appear willing to stretch to this level reflects both the sporting priority they have assigned to Álvarez and the pressure of a World Cup summer in which inaction carries its own risks.

Álvarez has been identified as the primary striker target in the post-Lewandowski planning cycle, and no credible alternative has emerged in the reporting to suggest Barcelona have a meaningful fallback. That dependency on landing this specific player strengthens Atlético’s hand, even if it also creates pressure on the Blaugrana to keep the offer competitive enough to avoid the saga collapsing entirely before the window closes.

The fee structure matters here too. If the €130-140m range is heavily loaded towards add-ons and performance-related bonuses, Atlético may view the guaranteed element as considerably lower than the headline figure suggests. Barcelona will need to make the fixed component convincing enough to move Los Colchoneros off their current position, and there is no indication yet that they have managed to do so.

What this means for Atlético Madrid’s summer

Atlético’s posture throughout this saga has been consistent: they are under no obligation to sell, they have a release clause that dwarfs any figure Barcelona have floated, and their preference is to retain the player regardless of his stated wish to leave. Atlético’s hardline stance and the €500m release clause obstacle have not shifted in response to any of the bids or bid signals reported so far, and there is no particular reason to expect the renewed Moretto figure to change that calculus.

There is also a dimension to this negotiation that goes beyond the fee. The escalating tensions between the clubs – including Atlético’s threatened FIFA complaint over Barcelona’s conduct in pursuing the player – have made this a more political dispute than a straightforward transfer negotiation. Selling to Barcelona, at any price, represents a concession Atlético’s board has shown no appetite to make.

The alternative track involving Arsenal, reportedly structured around a deal that could include Viktor Gyökeres as part of the package, remains live in the background. If that framework advances, Atlético may ultimately prefer a transaction that avoids strengthening a direct La Liga title rival, regardless of what fee Barcelona put on the table.

Where the Moretto report comes from and what weight it carries

Matteo Moretto has established a strong track record in Spanish football transfer reporting, operating out of Relevo with sourcing that has proven reliable across multiple stories in the current window. His credibility in this specific market is well established. The specificity of the €130-140m range, rather than a vaguer indication that Barcelona are increasing their offer, suggests this figure comes from a source with direct knowledge of the Blaugrana’s internal deliberations rather than general market awareness.

That said, Moretto’s framing – that Barcelona are preparing to renew their bid – stops short of confirming a formal offer has been submitted or that Atlético have received anything new. The distinction between a club preparing a bid and a club lodging one is significant in a negotiation where timing and procedural sequence have already become points of contention between the parties.

What next for Julián Álvarez?

The next meaningful development will be whether Barcelona formally lodge a second bid in the €130-140m range and whether Atlético’s response represents a genuine counteroffer or a repetition of their existing refusal to engage – and whether the threatened FIFA complaint changes the procedural landscape enough to force a resolution before both clubs turn their attention to pre-season preparations.

Real Madrid are welcoming in a new era this summer, with Jose Mourinho having returned as manager for the first time in 13 years. He has already had influence on the club’s transfer business, with four players having already been signed.

One of those is Denzel Dumfries, who will officially join on the 1st of July after Real Madrid triggered the release clause in his Inter contract. The 30-year-old will compete with Trent Alexander-Arnold for the starting right-back spot following the departure of Dani Carvajal, although there could be doubts over the continuity of the England international.

Trent’s first season at Real Madrid was interrupted by injuries, and when he did play, his defensive struggles came to the fore again. Right now, it’s unclear what Mourinho thinks of him, although if an exit were to transpire, former Manchester United player Antonio Valencia would want him at Old Trafford, as per Hajper (via Liverpool.com).

“Trent is a player I like a lot. He has a very good right foot, he crosses well, and he is a player who defends well. He would be very good for Manchester United. He knows the Premier League. He knows what it means to win the Champions League and the Premier League. He is a passionate player, and I would like to see him at Manchester United.”

No reason for Trent to leave Real Madrid this summer

A move to Man United would be highly controversial, given that Trent previously played for Liverpool. His reputation among the Merseyside club’s supporters nosedived following his Real Madrid move, but it would drop even further if he ended up in Manchester.

However, an exit of any kind this summer would be highly unlikely for Trent. As far as is known, there are no concerns about him within Real Madrid, and he should have every chance to start for Mourinho during the 2026-27 season and beyond.

Juventus are prepared to sell Fabio Miretti this summer, with Bologna offering €14 million for the midfielder as the Bianconeri race to generate roughly €13 million in capital gains before the June 30th financial year close, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The capital gain is not optional: Continassa must close the 2025/26 books within the established trajectory toward break-even in 2027/28, and the club is still awaiting official confirmation of a renewed settlement agreement with UEFA in the coming days. Giovanni Carnevali’s first meaningful act as Juventus’s transfer authority will therefore be financial rather than sporting.

Miretti Situation and the Bologna Proposal

Miretti, a Continassa academy product who signed a contract extension to 2028, spent last season on a 12-month loan at Genoa with no buy option – a move designed to protect his value while keeping him sharp. The positive spell drew attention from Napoli among others, with Juventus previously setting an asking price in the €15–20 million range during those conversations. Bologna’s current €14 million proposal sits at the lower end of that band, though La Gazzetta dello Sport reports the 22-year-old is keen on the move and is seeking the regular game time Juventus cannot guarantee him.

Bologna are also pushing to insert Jhon Lucumí into a broader negotiation. The Colombian left-footed defender carries a €28 million release clause activatable in July, and Bologna would offer a discount on that figure as part of a combined deal. Continassa’s position is predictable: keep costs as low as possible, which means Lucumí’s valuation remains a sticking point and Juventus are simultaneously listening to alternative offers to keep their options open.

Broader Summer Picture

The Miretti situation is one piece of a wider restructuring exercise at Juventus this window. Andrea Cambiaso has also been made available, underlining that the squad is being reshaped with financial discipline as the primary driver. On the incoming side, Jonathan David is understood to want to remain at the club, offering some stability in the forward line as business elsewhere accelerates.

Whether Bologna formalise their proposal quickly enough to meet the June 30th deadline – and whether Juventus accept Lucumí at a reduced valuation or hold out for a cleaner cash sale – will define how smoothly Carnevali completes his first piece of FFP housekeeping.

Man United are due to receive millions in compensation after Manuel Ugarte suffered a devastating injury while playing for Uruguay at the FIFA World Cup 2026. 

The midfielder had to be stretchered off the pitch in the 45th minute of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Spain, which eliminated La Celeste from the tournament.

Ugarte went down in agony after he overextended his left knee while trying to win possession of the ball in the lead-up to Spain’s goal. He was replaced by Nicolas de la Cruz.

The Red Devils are still waiting to discover the full extent of the injury, but it is possible Ugarte tore his anterior cruciate ligament, which could keep him sidelined for nine to twelve months.

Man United due multi-million payout following Ugarte injury

If Ugarte is kept out of action for an extended period of time, then Man United will be due millions in compensation from FIFA.

Under the FIFA Club Compensation Programme, clubs are compensated when footballers sustain an injury while on international duty, if the player is unavailable to play for more than 28 consecutive days.

The programme compensates clubs up to a maximum of £6,470,625 (€7.5m) per player per accident and is payable for a maximum of one year. The compensation is based solely on the fixed salary the player receives from his football.

Read – Man United outcast set for another loan move

The maximum daily compensation is limited to €20,548 per accident, which works out at £17,727.79 per day, or £124,094.53 per week, at current conversion rates.

Ugarte is reportedly earning £120,000 per week, meaning Man United would be due £6,452,915.56 in compensation from FIFA if he misses an entire year of football.

Whatever sum United do end up receiving from FIFA will only be a mere consolation for the Premier League side, who were reportedly hoping to sell Ugarte in the summer transfer window. They were looking to sign at least one more midfielder after agreeing a £35 million deal with Atalanta for Èderson Silva.

Read – How FIFA’s new World Cup format manufactures dead rubbers

See Also – The all-time leading World Cup goal scorers as Messi breaks record

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The Boston Red Sox (34-46) can clinch their four-game series with the New York Yankees (48-33) at Fenway Park on Saturday after winning the first two matchups, including a dominant pitching performance on Friday night.

How to Watch New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

• Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET
• Channel: ABC
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Payton Tolle didn’t allow a baserunner until the sixth inning and allowed just one hit in seven scoreless innings to lead Boston to a 6-1 victory over the Yankees on Friday night. Willson Contreras hit a ball over the Green Monster and out of Fenway Park in the third inning as the Red Sox built an early 4-0 lead, and backup catcher Connor Wong drove in two runs. Tolle threw 88 pitches, 61 for strikes, and struck out seven.

The Yankees mustered just three hits, getting their lone run in the eighth inning when Austin Wells grounded out to chase Anthony Volpe home from third base. Will Warren struggled through 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while walking three, and didn’t record a strikeout. 

Left-hander Jake Bennett (1-3) gets the start for the Red Sox on Saturday. In five starts and 26.2 innings, Bennett owns a 3.71 ERA and 1.125 WHIP and comes off six scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies on Monday in Denver. New York gives the ball to veteran Gerrit Cole (2-2), who comes in with a 3.62 ERA and 1.175 WHIP in six starts and 32.1 innings.

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Cristian Camilo Orozco (17) will travel to Manchester this Sunday to undergo a medical with Manchester United, according to journalist Pipe Sierra – with United’s chief South American scout Giuseppe Antonaccio travelling alongside him, confirming how seriously the club regard this particular recruitment target.

Orozco plays as a defensive or holding midfielder for Fortaleza CEIF in Bogotá and has accumulated 13 appearances for Colombia’s youth national teams. United have been tracking him for months, with a verbal agreement between the club and Fortaleza CEIF reported as far back as October 2025, and the teenager was brought to Manchester in December for a tour of Carrington and Old Trafford and a brief training spell with academy sides.

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What the report says – and what the medical actually confirms

Fabrizio Romano has characterised the deal as sealed, with a fee in the region of $1 million (approximately £750k–£800k) agreed for the transfer from Fortaleza CEIF. That is not a figure that strains any balance sheet – this is a long-term project signing, not an immediate first-team acquisition, and the structure of the deal reflects as much.

Antonaccio’s presence on the trip is the most telling detail Sierra’s report provides. United’s scouting investment in South America has often been cited without much tangible output to point to; a named senior figure travelling personally to escort a 17-year-old through a medical suggests the club’s internal conviction here runs considerably deeper than the fee implies.

Casemiro’s confirmed departure to Inter Miami leaves United short in holding midfield – the void Orozco is being developed to eventually fill

Registration rules and the development path – why this signing is a 2026 story, not a summer one

Alas, supporters should temper any expectation of seeing Orozco in a United shirt before next year. FIFA regulations prohibit English clubs from officially registering non-UK players from abroad until they turn 18, meaning formal registration is not expected until summer 2026 regardless of when the medical and paperwork are completed.

In the interim, Orozco is set to return to Fortaleza on loan – a logical arrangement that keeps him in competitive football rather than marooned in an academy holding pattern. Once eligible to be registered in England, reports consistently point to integration into United’s U21 squad, with a pre-season camp in Germany also referenced as part of his early acclimatisation.

United’s medical process for Éderson earlier this window illustrates the club’s template for confirming imminent signings

What happens next

The medical this Sunday is effectively the final procedural step before an official announcement. United are expected to confirm the transfer formally in the days that follow, at which point the loan arrangement back to Fortaleza and the 2026 registration timeline should also be clarified in club communications.

The broader picture is one of United’s South American scouting network producing concrete results – Antonaccio’s direct involvement signals this is not a speculative punt but a considered, structured addition to the academy pipeline. United’s pursuit of Mateus Fernandes in the same window shows the club is building across multiple age profiles simultaneously, addressing both immediate senior needs and long-term positional depth in a single summer.

It remains to be seen whether Orozco’s development on loan at Fortaleza proceeds smoothly enough that he arrives in Manchester next summer ready to challenge in the U21s, or whether the adjustment period stretches further than United’s current timeline anticipates.

Packers could trade key $8 million defender away before Week 1 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Green Bay Packers will have a new-look defense in 2026. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was brought in to be the new defensive coordinator and several changes were made on the roster as well. 

Rashan Gary was traded to the Dallas Cowboys and Javon Hargrave and Zaire Franklin were added in free agency. Any time new talent is brought in, it takes away spots from previous contributors.

As a result, Bill Huber of Packers On SI recently identified three notable Packers who could be traded ahead of Week 1. One of the players Huber mentioned has started 29 games over the last two seasons, but the defensive scheme change could make him expendable.

Packers could trade Isaiah McDuffie 

Isaiah McDuffie came into the league as a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It's safe to say McDuffie has exceeded expectations, as he's been a multi-year starter and has given the Packers some solid production. 

However, Huber thinks the Packers would prefer to move on from McDuffie. 

"The shift to Jonathan Gannon’s 3-4 defense means the Packers need only two off-the-ball linebackers on the field. That’s Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin," Huber explained. "McDuffie, who is playing under the final year of a two-year contract extension, has a base salary of $2.4 million for the upcoming season. Moving on would create almost $3.0 million of cap space."

In 2025, McDuffie played in 17 games with 12 starts and collected 92 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception. Pro Football Focus gave the veteran a solid 69.4 grade, which ranked 30th out of 88 qualified linebackers. 

As Huber pointed out, the Packers are switching to a 3-4 defense, which means only two off-ball linebackers are needed at one time. With the addition of Franklin, that leaves McDuffie as the odd man out. 

Of course, it's not a bad thing to have depth. Without McDuffie, 2024 third-round pick Ty'Ron Hopper would be the top backup, and he's only had more than 20 snaps in a game once in his NFL career. 

It's unlikely the Packers would get more than a mid-to-late-round pick for McDuffie, though, so it may be smarter to just hold on to him for one more season. 

Will Packers be good enough on defense? 

Looking elsewhere on the Packers' defense, it's fair to question if this unit will be good enough in 2026. Star edge Micah Parsons will likely miss half the season, and the edge rusher depth around him leaves much to be desired. 

In the secondary, the Packers seem content to rely heavily on Brandon Cisse as a rookie and new addition Benjamin St. Juste. The team will also adjust to life without Rashan Gary on the line, so there's no doubt this unit will be different. Different doesn't necessarily mean bad, though, so we'll have to see how the unit looks in September. 

More NFL news:

• Can Saints go from worst to first in 2026?
• Jaguars had a 2026 offseason to forget
• Chiefs, Raiders could be battling for young receiver
• Underrated landing spot for Stefon Diggs identified
• Could Dolphins trade for disappointing former top pick?
• Packers urged to trade for 5-time Pro Bowler 

George Russell claimed pole position for the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday with an extraordinary lap at the end of a dramatic qualifying session in which Max Verstappen crashed late on.

Russell clocked 1 minute 6.113 seconds in his Mercedes on the 4,321-kilometres Red Bull Ring in his final lap but faced an anxious wait whether he had slowed down sufficiently under yellow flags after Verstappen lost the car into a right turn and crashed into the barriers.

He was cleared a few minutes later by stewards and despite the incident took pole with a massive advantage of .236 ahead of Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.

The advantage is even more stunning as Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff said Russell probably lost "one and a half tenths" when he lifted his foot off the gas for around 100m.

Lewis Hamilton was .295 back in third in the other Ferrari and championship leader Kimi Antonelli fourth in the other Mercedes, .301 back.

"I feel incredible. It was an amazing lap. I saw the yellow, I had a big lift into the corner, went in in five tenths up and came out two and a half tenths up," Russell said.

It added to the confusion that Russell had a lap deleted but that appeared to be the in-lap after the fast lap when not single but double yellow flags were waived over the Verstappen incident, forcing drivers to slow down even more.

Leclerc, who has enjoyed a difficult season, said: "I’m relatively happy about today. Of course the last few weekends have been quite tough, so I just wanted to have a clean weekend and most of all a clean qualifying to start well for tomorrow."

Hamilton, who claimed his first win as a Ferrari driver at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP two weeks ago, said he was happy with the outcome after making a mistake in his first Q3 fast lap.

"To have the two Ferraris second and third is fantastic and a reflection of the amazing work being done back at the factory. They really are continuing to push. They brought small bits here and worked hard to upgrade the car. It is really starting to pay off," He said.

It was a dramatic qualifying where Verstappen from home team Red Bull just squeezed into Q3 by a mere four-hundredths of a second in 10th place but was then on fire with an early lead which was however quickly bettered by Antonelli while Russell moved into second.

Hamilton and then Leclerc bettered that time but Russell had the last laugh, after also topping third practice earlier on another hot day in Austria.

Russell has not won a grand prix proper since the season-opener in Australia. The next five races were won by Antonelli before the Italian teenager failed to finish two weeks ago in Barcelona where Hamilton triumphed.

Antonelli tops the championship 41 points ahead of Hamilton and 50 ahead of Russell.

Brand Over Everything

It sure looks like WWE may be slowly working towards reuniting the best version of the Bloodline, including Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn.

A case could be made that the Bloodline saga that began in the summer of 2021 and seemingly ended a few weeks after WrestleMania 40 in 2024 was the greatest storyline in wrestling history. Sure, the nWo took the industry and pop culture by storm in the late 1990s, but it didn’t have the dramatic moments that grabbed the hearts and minds of fans like the WWE storyline did.

However, like all good things — including the nWo — they come to an end. And while there was Sikoa’s version of the Bloodline and a pseudo-reunion at Survivor Series in 2024, the Bloodline story seemed to be over. Or so we thought.

After winning the World Heavyweight title at WrestleMania 42 in April, Roman Reigns formed fresh alliances with his family again. He quickly made amends with the first two members of the faction, the Usos. Then, after a violent feud with Jacob Fatu, the “Samoan Werewolf” joined the group as his new enforcer.

Yet, it doesn’t look like Reigns is done expanding the 2.0 version of the Bloodline. On a recent episode of SmackDown, Fatu passed on a message to Sikoa: Reigns wants him to come home. However, the former United States champion and leader of the MFT has declined the offer. But this week’s episode of the show pushed him closer to a return to the faction.

Is Solo Sikoa’s return to the Bloodline inevitable?

Sikoa’s MFT brothers, Tama Tonga and Tala Tonga, informed him that they received approval from “the elders” and cut ties with their faction leader. The rest of SmackDown told a story that the man who has only known being in factions on the main roster is now completely alone, with no friends. Could we now get Sikoa’s first run on the main roster without allies? Possibly. But it sure seems more likely that he will crawl his way back to his cousin and brothers.

But if Sikoa returned to the Bloodline, are they really going to have two enforcers? Probably not. From the moment he joined the faction, it has always seemed like this storyline is a vehicle to make Fatu a bigger star. Just like Jey Uso’s Bloodline exit was about turning him into a solo star. Sooner or later, Fatu will leave the group, and they will be back to their first four: Reigns, the Usos, and Sikoa.

Could Sami Zayn eventually return to the Bloodline?

However, when the faction was at its best, it was when it included an honorary uce. The group was a force for over a year and a half, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2022 that it soared to new heights as Zayn tried to prove worthy of joining the all-Samoan team. His efforts to earn respect while bringing levity to the group made the Bloodline story the hottest thing pro wrestling has seen in over two decades.

When he eventually chose real friendship over faction loyalty at Survivor Series 2022, Zayn’s career took off, and he would go on to have some major professional successes. Yet, his career has plateaued over the last year and a half. While he will compete for the WWE Championship on Saturday at Night of Champions, he is not expected to win.

Assuming WWE doesn’t pull the trigger on a shocking win, Zayn’s career has stalled out and could use a new direction. Could that be a return to the Bloodline? Reigns has always had a soft spot for Zayn because of his willingness to make the sacrifices needed, despite not being a family member. It is probably a long shot, but there are certainly signs that WWE may be working their way towards a 2.0 edition of the best version of the Bloodline.

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• Wales women take on Barbarians women, after Wales men edge Barbarians men 33-31 in earlier kick-off - read report here
• Wales lead 14-5 at half-time through tries by Keiran Hardy and Dan Edwards either side of Vincent Koch score
• Edwards runs clear for second before replacement George North crosses with first touch of last rugby appearance
• Reuben Morgan-Williams steps over but Alex Nankivell hits back for BaaBaas.
• Ellis Mee grabs Wales' fifth before North grabs second and then converts Santiago Arata score with final kick
• British and Irish Lions and Wales great North featured for Baa-Baas against his national side in his final professional game
• Barbarians fixture is a warm-up for Wales men's Nations Championship Tests against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July
• Get Involved: Use yellow button on page

Barbarians women v Wales women - build-up after North stars in men's game

Paris Saint-Germain are leading the race to sign AS Monaco forward Maghnes Akliouche (24), as per a report from Fabrizio Romano.

Akliouche is set to leave his formative club this summer. He was touted to leave last summer, but the price tag set by the Principality club proved prohibitive. Monaco, however, won’t stand in his way this summer. 

There is plenty of interest. Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were two of the clubs in the race last season. Romano evokes interest from two (unnamed) Premier League clubs, but reports that it is PSG, potentially in the market for a replacement for Lee Kang-in, who leads the race. 

Les Monégasques are expecting bids soon; talks and approaches are “intensifying”, Romano adds. Foot Mercato, meanwhile, understand that the playmaker, currently at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with France, has already spoken with Luis Enrique and has agreed to join PSG. Lee’s prospective move to Atletico Madrid would allow the move to be completed.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Barbarians (5) 31

Tries: Koch, North 2, Nankivell, Arata Cons: Plummer 2, North

Wales (14) 33

Tries: Hardy, Edwards 2, Morgan-Williams, Mee Cons: Edwards 2, Costelow 2

George North's try-scoring farewell could not prevent Wales warming up for their Nations Championship campaign with victory against Barbarians.

In sweltering sunshine with temperatures at the Allianz Stadium reaching 32C (90F), Wales scored five tries through fly-half Dan Edwards, two, scrum-halves Kieran Hardy and Reuben Morgan-Williams as well as wing Ellis Mee.

But the day belonged to Wales great North who bowed out in style in his final game before retirement with two Barbarians tries.

After coming on as a second-half replacement, North's opening try came with his first touch and he also added a conversion with the final kick of the game.

Few could have imagined kicking a conversion against Wales would be his last contribution on the rugby field after such a glittering career.

South Africa prop Vincent Koch, Munster centre Alex Nankivell and Uruguay scrum-half Santiago Arata also scored for the invitational side.

• FT Barbarians 31-33 Wales - Wales hang on but North headlines in last game
• Phillips emulates father to make Barbarians history
• Watch: Memories are made of Wales v Barbarians

Wales had enjoyed a morale-boosting Six Nations win against Italy in March.

This - uncapped - victory represented successive wins for the the first time since the 2023 World Cup but Wales know there is a lot to improve before the start of the Nations Championship.

This fixture was staged outside World Rugby's official window so Wales' team was picked solely from the four domestic regions with Tandy missing 12 English and French based players.

Scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins, props Nicky Smith and Rhys Carre and Louis Rees-Zammit will come back into the equation for the Nations Championship start next week when Wales face Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium.

Tandy will name his squad for that tournament early next week which also includes away matches in Argentina and South Africa.

Empty seats but vital hit out for Wales

Watching Wales play in front of so few fans at the home of English rugby was surreal.

The top two tiers were closed with a sparse crowd of under 20,000 in an 82,000-capacity stadium, and a first-half "Mexican Wave" indicated the supporters were not always fully engaged.

It was an uncapped international with the double-header alonsgide the women's side being played in south-west London and not in Cardiff, where heavy metal group Metallica were playing at the Principality Stadium the following day.

As a rugby exercise it was worthwhile, with many Welsh players having not had a game for more than a month.

Tandy's side needed this test before the Nations Championship and the Barbarians squad provided that challenge with the squad boasting 19 internationals from 11 different countries.

South African double World Cup winning scrum-half Faf de Klerk captained the side and described the Baa-Baas forward pack as one of the biggest he had ever played behind. A telling assessment from somebody used to playing with the Springboks.

Wales shade first half in London sunshine

Wales started strongly with powerful forward drives and Hardy sniped over.

Cardiff lock Teddy Williams, who made a welcome return from a dislocated right foot suffered in October, failed to gather the restart.

South African prop Koch forced Gareth Thomas to concede a scrum penalty and gained his reward by burrowing over for a try.

Hooker Elliot Dee, left out by Tandy this summer, was the one Welsh player starting for the Barbarians and was denied a try in the left corner,.

Dee's opposite number Wales captain Dewi Lake, who kept the leadership despite the return of British and Irish Lions flanker Jac Morgan from injury, had a productive opening quarter with powerful carries and a penalty turnover.

Barbarians finally provided some typical flair with countless offloads following a de Klerk break but the move broke down to bring up the first water break.

Wales had lacked structure since their opening try but that cohesion briefly returned with a well-worked move, with bursts from centre Joe Hawkins and man of the match Aaron Wainwright, finished off by Edwards.

Scarlets back rower Taine Plumtree produced a searing break but could not claim his own kick to score while another Wales try went begging after a poor Lake pass to Wainwright.

Handling mistakes were rife from both sides as Wales led by nine points at half-time with the break extended to 20 minutes because of the warm weather.

North stars but Wales hold on

Wales changed their front-row trio at the start of the second half with replacement props Ben Warren and Rhys Barratt given their first Wales chance, later joined by Dragons forward duo Ryan Woodman and Harrison Keddie.

Hardy's kick provided a simple second try for Edwards who sprinted away to score before the largest cheer of the day came when North came on as second-half replacement wing.

North had called time on his international career in 2024 having won 121 caps and scored 47 tries for his country, helping Wales win four Six Nations titles and two Grand Slams.

As well as his Wales exploits, he toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2013 and 2017, playing three Tests and scoring two brilliant tries in the series win against Australia.

North demonstrated he still had his world-class qualities when he burst over with his first touch, taking advantage of weak Wales defence.

After Wales centre Eddie James denied Nathan Hughes a try, Tandy's side bounced back as Morgan-Williams glided over before Munster centre Nankivell hit back before the Barbarians.

A fine Blair Murray break appeared to have set up a try for Scarlets team-mate Mee but Mason Grady was penalised for obstruction.

Mee gained his reward before North fittingly had the final word when he strolled over for his second try and converted Arata's last-gasp score.

How they lined up

Barbarians: Spring; Kellaway, Ward, Nankivell, Vakatawa; Plummer, de Klerk (capt); Kharaishvili, Dee, Koch, Rodda, Taofifenua, Salakaia-Loto, Boshier, Hughes.

Replacements: Thacker, Iscaro, Alo-Emile, Tanga, Joseph, Arata, North, McConnell.

Wales: Murray; Rogers, James, Hawkins, Mee; Edwards, Hardy; G Thomas, Lake (capt), Lewis, Carter, T Williams, Plumtree, Morgan, Wainwright.

Replacements: Elias, Barratt, Warren, Woodman, Keddie, Morgan-Williams, Costelow, Grady.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (England)

Assistant referees: Alex Thomas, Jamie Parr (England)

TMO: Stuart Terheege (England).

Welcome back to day 2 of the Qingdao Grand Prix for another thrilling day of World-class judo. Before the medal matches, a dazzling opening ceremony set the stage.

In attendance was International Judo Federation General Treasurer, Dr. Naser AL TAMIMI, Mr. Bian Zhiliang, Honorary Vice President of International Judo Federation, Founder and Chair of the Board of Taishan Sports Industry Group, Mr Lin Chun, Deputy Director General of Shandong Administration of Sports and Mr Yue Yan, Vice President and Secretary General of Chinese Judo Association.

Narumi TANIOKA faced Jisu KIM in the -63kg final where an exciting Golden Score would decide the top spot on the podium. A yuko from a hold down secured TANIOKA the gold.

Qingdao Municipal People's Government Vice Mayor Mr ZHAO Shengcun awarded the medals.

At -73kg, it was Tatsuki ISHIHARA with this stand out moment from the preliminaries claiming his first Grand Prix gold in Qingdao!

International Judo Federation Executive Committee Member & Uzbekistan Judo Federation President Mr Azizjon KAMILOV awarded the medals.

At -70kg, it was Lara CVJETKO on the podium claiming her second Qingdao title, and fifth Grand Prix gold overall, after a fantastic day of competition, showcasing her experience.

Realcan Pharmaceutical Group Co Limited Chair Mr HAN Xu awarded the medals.

Bernd FASCHING faced Zelim TCKAEV at -81kg, where the Azeri claimed gold with two impressive waza-ari throws leaving no doubt as he sealed the victory.

Impulse Health Tech Co Limited Chair Mr LIU Hongtao awarded the medals.

Join us again tomorrow for the heavyweights.

The Warriors made another offseason move Friday, adding Lachlan Olbrich to their summer league roster according to ESPN's Olgun Uluc.

Olbrich saw his first bit of NBA experience last season with the Chicago Bulls, playing 37 games on a two-way contract.

While his averages weren't the best, Olbrich showed real potential toward the end of the season, given an extra opportunity when Chicago's frontcourt was depleted. In his final game of the year, Olbrich posted a triple-double, with 10 points, 10 assists, 15 rebounds and two steals in 31 minutes.

All in all, the Australian forward/center averaged 2.4 points, three rebounds and 1.1 assists in 9.3 minutes per game. If able to impress this summer, there's a chance Olbrich could earn G-League or two-way consideration.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors sign former Chicago Bulls big man to summer league deal

Rockets linked to shock move for veteran who tormented them in the playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Houston Rockets entered the 2025-26 season with legitimate championship aspirations after pulling off a blockbuster trade to acquire Kevin Durant. Expectations were sky-high, but the season ultimately ended in disappointment. Houston's title hopes came crashing down with a frustrating first-round playoff exit to an injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers team.

One player who left a lasting impression on the Rockets during that series was Lakers veteran Marcus Smart. With Los Angeles dealing with multiple injuries, Smart took on a significantly expanded role and delivered a series of impactful performances to help eliminate Houston from the playoffs.

Now, the Rockets appear interested in bringing that same veteran presence to their own roster. According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Houston is expected to pursue Smart if he becomes available in free agency.

“The Rockets do, however, loom as a possible free agent destination for another one of Udoka's former players in Boston: Marcus Smart. League sources say that Smart, who is expected to draw interest from Houston and possibly other teams in free agency, is very much giving consideration to declining his $5.4 million player option for next season with the Lakers before Monday's deadline to do so and then proceed to the open market,” the report read.

Smart is seen as one of the NBA's premier defensive guards and brings a wealth of postseason experience along with proven leadership qualities. His defensive mindset and veteran presence could provide valuable guidance for Houston's emerging young stars, particularly Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard.

For now, the Rockets must wait to see whether Smart declines his 5.4 million player option before Monday's deadline. If he becomes a free agent, Houston and the Lakers could find themselves competing for his services.

More NBA news:

• Dereck Lively II's new comments could change expectations for his return – here's why
• Maliq Brown reveals the first thing that left him speechless about Spurs
• AJ Dybantsa exposes unexpected Houston Rockets influence on his rise and it's interesting
• Spurs front office explains risky Jayden Quaintance decision after draft slide
• De'Aaron Fox trade rumors take unexpected turn following Spurs GM's comments

Todd Golden revealed in an interview with On3 that Floridapostponed Denzel Aberdeen's waiver process until the NCAA gave the green light to its new 5-in-5 age-based eligibility model, which was recently voted on and approved.

“We wanted to wait until the new legislation got voted on,” Golden said.

According to Golden, Aberdeen is expected to sit down with his legal team next week as he takes the first steps in pursuing a waiver.

“With this ruling that came out, he’s going to start working with his legal team next week in terms of getting that waiver process started,” he noted.

The NCAA's approval of the new "5-in-5" age-based eligibility model earlier this week marks a significant change, as athletes will now receive five full years of eligibility beginning with their first full-time enrollment in college or the academic year after their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.

However, the caveat is that legislation does not apply to current athletes who have already completed their fourth season, essentially meaning Aberdeen is not automatically granted an additional year of eligibility.

Coach Golden, however, believes Aberdeen’s situation is different from that of other athletes to whom this may apply.

“I think for Denzel, he has, in our opinion, a much better case than these guys that just finished their fourth year playing because Denzel didn’t really play as a freshman. I think that’s the biggest difference.”

Golden emphasized that Aberdeen's circumstances are different from those of the players at the center of the Ohio case.

“As you saw in Ohio, they denied the initial TRO, for the guys that have played four years and are looking for another year. We’re keeping Denzel separate from that group because Denzel played 35 minutes as a freshman. He didn’t play a full season. So we think his case is a little different that way. He’s already re-enrolled, working towards his degree here at Florida… We think Denzel is in good shape.”

Golden said the program is prepared to pursue legal action if Aberdeen's waiver is rejected.

“We’re ready to take legal action if needed. Our hope is that there’s some common sense that comes into play before that. And they look at a guy that’s 22 years old, so way younger than a lot of these guys that are still playing college that, again, is back working for his undergraduate degree within his five-year clock. There’s a lot of things that are going his way. So, we’ll do what we need to do to make sure he’s supported properly.”

Aberdeen spent the first three years of his collegiate career with the Gators before transferring to Kentucky. Aberdeen was the sixth man on the national title team in 2024-2025 with the Gators, averaging 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

Aberdeen then transferred to Kentucky, where he had his best overall season yet from a statistical standpoint, averaging 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in the 2025-2026 season before transferring back to Florida this offseason.

The Gators will enter the 2026-27 season as the preseason No. 1 and one of the favorites to win the big dance for the second time in three seasons.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Todd Golden provides an update on Aberdeen’s eligibility

Today, we will experience the final day of the 2026 World Cup group stage, where we already have a certainty that feels more than a little nostalgic, because more than half of the matches in this World Cup have already been played. However, there is still plenty of excitement left, with three groups yet to be decided.

Group L will be decided in the first time slot

If there is one tight group, it is clearly this one. Croatia will face Ghana to decide second place.

Meanwhile, England will do the same against an already eliminated Panama, after the tough draw against the Africans.

That said, no one will be able to relax because no position has been decided yet.

Group K will take the stage in the second time slot

Then, in what will be the middle slot, we will have a real blockbuster to decide first place between Portugal and Colombia.

On the other hand, we also have to keep an eye on DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, because the Africans could end up as one of the best third-place teams.

This is how the table looks...

Group J will close out the group stage

In the final slot, we will have Argentina facing Jordan, where Scaloni has already confirmed that Messi will not play because first place is almost secured.

Meanwhile, Austria and Algeria have a lot on the line, as the match could determine Spain’s next opponent.

This is what the standings look like, and once they are finalized, they will confirm the final bracket for this World Cup.

Make your predictions in the comments...

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

At the heart of the competition.

After three intense matches in the group stage, it’s finally time for the round of 32.

This time, mistakes are fatal. So missing out in your match is not an option if you don’t want to drag your national team down.

Only one team will qualify from each match: now things are getting serious.

For this 2026 World Cup, the Netherlands will take on Morocco. A highly anticipated clash, as both teams promise plenty of excitement.

The Netherlands delivered solid performances during the group stage. Morocco, meanwhile, were runners-up in the last Africa Cup of Nations and stood up to Brazil.

To whet your appetite, here is a combined XI from the two teams.

It’s hard to make choices. The players have been selected solely on the basis of their performances during this World Cup.

Who would you have picked for this team?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

The post Red Wings Add X- Factor with #47 Pick appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings traded back into the first round last night, parting ways with goaltender Sebastian Cossa as they selected #23 overall in an after a trade with the Utah Mammoth .

Owning picks #47, #79, #108, #143, #175, #196, and #207, the Red Wings have selections in each of the 6 available rounds today.

Barring a trade, the Red Wings will select at those spots. Insider Elliotte Friedman reported during the opening of Day 2 of the draft that things had been quiet on the Larkin trade-front on Night 1. He did, however, preface that things are always subject to change. Especially with Yzerman’s reputation for keeping things close to his chest.

Round 2, #47 Overall-

With the 47 pick in the Draft the Red Wings selected Victor Plante. Brother of Red Wings prospect Max Plante.

Victor comes out of the US National Development Program at the moment. However, he will be joining his brother at University of Minnesota Duluth to play in the next year. Though slightly undersized, Victor plays a similar cerebral, smart game that allows him to find the soft spots in defenses and score.

The post Red Wings Add X- Factor with #47 Pick appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft is underway, and the draft coverage started with a bang. On the broadcast, Elliotte Friedman mentioned that, among many teams, he expects two teams to be very aggressive in their pursuit of the 2025-26 Norris Trophy winner, Zach Werenski, and one of them is the Philadelphia Flyers.

“There was a lot of noise around Werenski over the last few weeks,” Friedman said. “There is word that he has informed the Blue Jackets that he will not extend after the next two years of his deal, and it’s kind of in Columbus’ hands on how they want to handle it. They have started opening talks; they are at least discussing it with other teams. I don’t know how I would handicap the likelihood, but there is interest. Dallas and Philadelphia are among the teams expected to be very aggressive.”

The Flyers have been well noted to be looking to upgrade on defense. A true No. 1 defenseman as well as a No. 1 center have been needed for a while now. Werenski would fill that No. 1 defender spot.

Werenski, the 6’2″ left-shot defenseman, would be absolutely everything the Flyers are looking for. A true defender, but also has point-producing offensive impact. In 75 games in his Norris-winning season, Werenski had 22 goals and 81 total points, including 21 power-play points and 4 power-play goals.

Werenski is a true, elite, two-way defenseman. It will be a hefty price for Werenski, probably a highly uncomfortable one at that. But the Flyers have the assets to get it done. Without knowing what direction the Blue Jackets will go, it’s hard to fully predict the package.

Would you pay the price for Zach Werenski?

Read More: Flyers Report Card: Grading Philly’s 1st Round Pick

The post Report: Flyers Expected To Be ‘Very Aggressive’ In Trade Pursuit Norris Trophy Winner appeared first on Philly Hockey Now.

Steve Clarke ended Scotland's long World Cup drought but aspirations of a first taste of the knockout rounds - heightened by the expanded format - now rest on a series of highly unlikely results elsewhere.

The draw was brutally tough, with Brazil and Morocco at five and six in Fifa's rankings. No other group had two top 10 teams.

Scotland were expected to finish third and did so after beating Haiti.

But four of the 12 third-place sides miss out and Scotland face the anguish of an early exit as Cape Verde, Ghana and Bosnia-Herzegovina continue, with DR Congo expected to join the list of pot four nations progressing.

Clarke signed a four-year contract extension prior to the tournament but his leadership is under scrutiny, much as it was after a disappointing Euro 2024.

Did the head coach get the best out of his squad in the USA?

• Scotland's World Cup hopes at 0.07% - these are results they need
• What do numbers tell us about Scotland's World Cup attacking intent?
• Is a former England striker right about reasons for Scottish football's ills?

Know your limits?

"Over the three games you're definitely looking at below-par performances," said Willie Miller, who played at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups for Scotland.

"I keep looking back on the Denmark game [November's 4-2 win to seal qualification] with those outstanding goals, but they didn't get anywhere near those levels."

The former defender described the lack of a top-class striker as "a major issue" and said he was "uncertain about the logic of a few selections".

However, he did back Clarke by adding: "He got us there and that's what the Scotland manager's job is.

"He has introduced a real togetherness in the squad as well, which wasn't always the case."

With 81 matches under his belt, Clarke is Scotland's longest-serving manager.

Support from the Scottish FA has been emphatic, with their coffers significantly enhanced by participation at three of the past four major finals.

Euro 2028 will be staged in Scotland, England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland and it will be difficult for the co-hosts not to qualify.

"I'm sure he can go again over the next few years if he wants to," Miller added of Clarke.

"The new contract was a positive step. I think it was the right thing to do."

Scotland conceded soft, early goals in defeats to Morocco and Brazil, with former striker James McFadden saying: "The defending was certainly below the standard we're used to and the errors were costly.

"I just feel the players could have shown more. We could have done better against Morocco in terms of having a go.

"But a lot of people think we should have had two penalties and a red card in that game, which is nothing to do with the manager and players.

"Against Brazil, we gave them two gifts."

The opening 1-0 against Haiti was just Scotland's fifth win in nine World Cup campaigns.

"We have to understand our limitations," stressed Pat Nevin, who was a team-mate of Clarke's for Scotland and Chelsea.

"It's harsh to say the manager is ultra defensive when [Ben] Gannon-Doak, [John] McGinn, [Scott] McTominay and [Lawrence] Shankland are picked.

"A lack of conservatism was his downfall to a degree - because we're not good enough to be that open. I'd have gone with a back five for every game.

"We did have a go and we got absolutely found out."

With the flak coming his way, would Clarke consider walking away?

"It might cross his mind with the grief he's getting - and there's a bit of rebuild required, which is not going to be easy," Nevin added.

"I think that's blown away by one thing. He's loved what he's seen in moments and there are moments that he's given the country that have been spectacular.

"I think he's fallen in love with it and he'll definitely stick it out."

'No shame' in World Cup defeats

Stephen O'Donnell earned most of his 26 caps under Clarke and played in all three group games at the delayed Euro 2020.

The Motherwell defender points to advances made in the past seven years and believes it is fanciful to expect a larger points haul from Group C.

"We went to our first World Cup in 28 years and got our first win since 1990," said the 34-year-old.

"I don't think anyone can realistically be saying we should be getting more than three points.

"We got beat 4-0 on aggregate by two of the top teams in the world. There's no shame in that, even if there is frustration in the way we conceded the goals.

"Cape Verde are going through with three draws and their group is far easier than Scotland's.

"I see progression with the win, which we didn't manage in the last two tournaments [Euro 2020 and Euro 24].

"There is momentum building and it's got to inspire the next generation of players.

"There will be criticism around the style of play. Whether or not people say we were better in the past, we have won a game at the World Cup and that hasn't happened for 36 years.

"We've improved from when Steve Clarke first came in and hopefully there is more to come.

"You can't question the success he has had. You can always ask for better and hope to over-achieve but I don't think qualifying for three out of four tournaments looks bad on the CV."

What is the Disgrace of Gijon? Why Algeria-Austria want to draw at World Cup, and how history has a funny sense of humor originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Algeria and Austria play on Saturday night, and if they draw, both will advance to the World Cup's Round of 32.

A loser in this match would be in great jeopardy of going home. There are strong incentives for both sides to play safe and end with it all tied up, either 0-0 or maybe 1-1.

If that happens, it will remind long-time world football fans of the Disgrace of Gijon.

And ironically, that 1982 bit of history also involved Austria and Algeria, albeit in different places in the story.

MORE: With Messi, history and magic go hand in hand

What is the Disgrace of Gijon?

This was a World Cup match that took place in 1982 in Gijon, Spain, between West Germany and Austria.

The West Germans and Austrians knew that a 1-0 win for West Germany would advance both teams to the next round and eliminate Algeria.

Back then, the final matches in a given group weren't played at the same time -- this is what changed that.

Algeria played a day earlier, so West Germany knew that after scoring one goal, they and Austria could just chill out and both move on.

There was not much push to score anymore after the West Germans got it to the desired 1-0 score line.

Algeria was eliminated.

Is there a choice to make for Algeria?

Of course, advancing to the Round of 32 is the most important thing here. Algeria shouldn't jeopardize a draw just to redeem bad feelings.

But there's a case to be made, as the team that missed out due to the Disgrace of Gijon, that Algeria could really go for it in this match.

They could look to score goals, win, and eliminate Austria.

It would be a bit of karma 44 years in the making.

Will they do it? It seems much more likely that both sides in this match take the pragmatic approach.

Maybe it'll even feel like another disgrace, but for the sake of football fans, we hope not.

More FIFA World Cup news:

• USA, England can't actually play on July 4th
• Why Norway brought 600 pounds of salmon to the World Cup
• Eloy Room leads Curacao to astounding World Cup history
• It had to be Mo Salah for Egypt
• Lamine Yamal outdoes Messi, Ronaldo in historic moment for Spanish wunderkind

Parma have officially purchased Benjamin Cremaschi outright from Inter Miami with a new contract to 2031 for the USMNT talent. ‘I am proud to say my future is at Parma.’

The 21-year-old creative midfielder had arrived in Serie A last summer on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for €4m.

PARMA, ITALY – APRIL 12: Carlos Cuesta, Head Coach of Parma Calcio reacts during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and SSC Napoli at Stadio Ennio Tardini on April 12, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)

As expected, the Ducali formally announced today that they decided to activate that clause and now own the player outright.

He has put pen to paper on a new contract at the Stadio Tardini until June 2031.

Cremaschi settles down at Parma

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – MAY 31: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF celebrates with teammate Benjamin Cremaschi #30 after scoring the team’s second goal during the MLS match between Inter Miami CF and Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium on May 31, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

“I am proud to say that my future is at Parma,” Cremaschi told the official club website.

“This city has become my home and I am happy to continue this journey with Parma Calcio. The last year was difficult due to the injury, but this made me even more determined to come back stronger than ever.

“I am working every day to be ready for the new season and can’t wait to experience new emotions along with all the fans. I thank the supporters for their affection, their support, and the faith they always showed in me. We’ll see each other soon!”

As the name would suggest, Cremaschi has Italian origins and therefore was able to secure an Italian passport.

He was also called up by Argentina at Under-20 level, but made his decision to represent the USA.

Cremaschi’s last game for Parma was in March, when he sustained a meniscus ligament injury in his knee, but he can look to the future with confidence in Serie A.

Richard Hughes and Liverpool Face Defining Moment Amid Al Hilal Interest

Liverpool sporting director remains central to summer rebuild

Credit must go to Ben Jacobs for the original information, with the journalist reporting that Richard Hughes remains “fully committed” to Liverpool this summer despite growing expectation that Al Hilal will return with an “aggressive” approach once the transfer window closes.

For Liverpool, this is a story about far more than one executive’s future. It is about control, continuity and the machinery behind a club attempting to reshape itself at speed. Hughes is not operating on the margins of this rebuild. He is at the centre of it.

Photo: IMAGO

With Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot, Victor Munoz already added to the squad and further movement expected, Liverpool require clarity as much as ambition. Recruitment departments thrive on conviction. They suffer when uncertainty begins to gather around the people making the decisions.

Al Hilal interest refuses to fade

Jacobs told The Redmen TV that “advanced talks” have already taken place, although Liverpool’s position remains firm for now.

“My expectation is that it goes quiet over the summer, that he continues to lead Liverpool’s recruitment and get this two-summer plan done,” Jacobs explained.

That sentence matters. Liverpool’s plan has always appeared broader than one window. This is not a scattergun summer built around impulse and opportunity. It feels like a staged reset, one designed to reshape the squad across two summers, balancing senior departures, tactical evolution and long-term succession.

Yet Jacobs added the warning that will concern supporters.

“But then, after that, I think Al Hilal will be there. I think Al Hilal will be aggressive.”

There is the tension. Liverpool may have Hughes fully focused now, but September could bring a different conversation.

Edwards, Hughes and Liverpool’s bigger question

Hughes is working alongside FSG CEO of Football Michael Edwards, with both men out of contract next summer. That detail gives this story its real edge. Liverpool are not merely asking whether Hughes stays. They are asking how stable their football structure will look beyond this window.

Al Hilal’s plan reportedly involves Hughes reuniting with Simon Francis after their Bournemouth connection, with roles as technical and sporting directors under discussion. That would be a serious attempt to import Premier League expertise into a Saudi project still eager to accelerate its credibility.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

From a Liverpool supporter’s point of view, this report lands in a slightly uncomfortable place. On one hand, there is reassurance in the idea that Hughes remains fully committed for the summer. That matters because this is a major period for the club. Iraola needs backing, the squad still needs work and the club cannot afford confusion behind the scenes.

On the other hand, the idea of Al Hilal waiting until September feels like one of those stories that does not simply disappear. If “advanced talks” have already taken place, then fans are entitled to wonder how far down the road this has gone.

The biggest concern is not really Hughes leaving in isolation. People move on. Liverpool have survived major exits before. The concern is timing. If Hughes helps design a two-summer plan, then leaves after summer one, Liverpool need to know exactly who owns the next stage.

Hughes staying through the window is good news. Hughes staying beyond it would feel far more significant.

Penn State hockey commit Egor Shilov was drafted 43rd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft:

Shilov quickly flew up the NHL Draft radar after an outstanding 2025-26 season with the Victoriaville Tigers of the QMJHL. He had 82 points (32 goals, 50 assists) in the regular season, good for 7th in the QMJHL among all skaters. Shilov was one of the top center prospects in this year’s draft and committed to Penn State last month, flipping from Boston University to the Nittany Lions. It is still unclear when he will join Penn State, but his future is bright.

The Avalanche are still in the middle of their Stanley Cup window with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Former Penn State winger Matt DiMarsico signed a two-year entry level contract with the Avalanche in March.

Congratulations Egor and good luck!

The Brooklyn Nets are coming off a 2025-26 NBA season in which they finished with a lowly 20-62 record that ultimately awarded them with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Brooklyn is likely hoping to improve the team as much as possible given that they don't have the rights to their own first-round pick in 2027 and it seems like they're taking care of business.

The Nets extended a Two-Way qualifying offer to forward Chaney Johnson on Saturday, according to a report from Keith Smith of Spotrac. As Smith pointed out in his post on X, Johnson is now a restricted free-agent, meaning that other teams could make offers to him in free-agency, but the Nets have the opportunity to match the offer due to the restricted status.

Johnson, 24, played 17 games for the Nets last season and he averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 54.3% from the field and 30.0% from behind the three-point line. Johnson began the season by signing a Two-Way contract with Brooklyn towards the end of December and while he spent most of his time with the G League team in Long Island., he showed what he was capable of during his time on the NBA stage.

While this move doesn't guarantee that Johnson will be back with the Nets next season, this is the next step to pave the way for him to be back with Brooklyn. Time will tell if Johnson will see more playing time next season given that the Nets just added three more players to the team through the 2026 NBA Draft, but he should be in a good spot to continue his development.

Chaney Johnson played 17 games for the Nets this past season, averaging 8.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 2.1 APG while shooting 54.3% from the field and 30.0% from 3. https://t.co/SdeUn9R46c

— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) June 27, 2026

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets extend Two-Way qualifying offer to Chaney Johnson

Max Verstappen walked away from a Q3 shunt at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday uninjured but with questions his team can’t yet answer. A car that had behaved itself all weekend suddenly bit him twice on the same flying lap – and the four-time world champion wants to know why.

Speaking to Sky Sports after qualifying, Verstappen described the sequence that ended his session. “In that lap, on Turn 6, there was a big moment on entry. It is a bit weird as I have not had something like that all weekend.”

That was the warning. He didn’t heed it in time. “Then, in Turn 9, it was immediately gone. Not a small correction but full-lock off. That is a bit odd, so we will have a look.”

What the Crash Actually Cost Him

The RB22 found the barriers at Turn 9 in front of Red Bull’s home crowd, scattering gravel and bringing out double yellows through the final sector. The chaos that followed – George Russell completing a pole lap under those conditions, stewards initially noting a yellow flag infringement before clearing him entirely – somewhat overshadowed Verstappen’s situation. His earlier Q3 effort had clocked a 1m06.475s, placing him third at that stage of the session. Ultimately, the accident left him fifth on the grid, with Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Kimi Antonelli all ahead of him.

Fifth at a track where Verstappen had taken pole four years running, from 2021 through 2024, stings. He admitted the opportunity that slipped away. “It’s a shame as realistically we could have been P3. But getting off the line is hard for us so even P3 we might drop to P5.”

The qualifying session had already been trickier than it needed to be. In Q2, Red Bull left Verstappen in the garage deep into the session, calculating that his 1m07.183s would hold up – a decision partly driven by a desire to keep a fresh set of softs for Q3. The gamble nearly failed; he slid from seventh down to tenth before scraping through as cars around him couldn’t improve enough to bump him out.

On Sunday, the team will be working through what went wrong mechanically.

“There are still some things we want to understand from the package, some that worked well and some not so well, and work from there.”

Fulham have completed the permanent signing of Bayern Munich forward Jonah Kusi-Asare for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old Swede, who joins on a five-year deal with an option for a further 12 months, played 10 times for the Cottagers while on loan from the Bundesliga champions last season.

"I'm very happy to be a permanent Fulham player. From my first week here, it was very good – I felt like I was a part of the Fulham family," he told FFCtv.

"The changing room was very nice, team, staff, so I'm very happy to stay here."

Victor Wembanyama's brother reveals the Unexpected burden of being recognized everywhere originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

In just three NBA seasons, Victor Wembanyama has firmly established himself as one of the league's biggest superstars. After years of sky-high expectations, the French star delivered on the grand stage during the 2025-26 season. However, his remarkable season run ultimately ended in disappointment as the Spurs fell short against the New York Knicks in the finals.

Meanwhile, Wembanyama's younger brother, Oscar Wembanyama, made a significant move in his own basketball career as he continues preparing for a future NBA Draft opportunity. Despite not yet reaching the league, Oscar is already dealing with the enormous expectations that naturally come with sharing the Wembanyama name. Recently, he opened up about the unique pressure of being compared to his brother.

"I mean it's definitely not easy. I think every athlete that have family member that went pro knows what it is. Like people recognize you without you being like doing nothing. My brother is the best player in the world. So I cannot ignore that. And nobody does. I'd say it's a different type of pressure,” Oscar said.

Oscar spent last season starring in France's U21 league with SIG Strasbourg before taking the next step in his development by signing his first professional contract with Denain ASC Voltaire for the 2026-27 season. By joining a Pro B club, he has chosen an environment that will provide meaningful minutes against experienced professional players.

Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama has continued to justify every expectation that accompanied him as the No. 1 overall pick. During the 2025-26 season, he became the youngest player in NBA history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. The 22-year-old later earned Western Conference Finals MVP honors, and added several records to his remarkable resume.

With Victor already accomplishing milestones typically associated with all-time greats before the age of 23, basketball fans will closely monitor Oscar's progress in France. All are eager to see whether another member of the Wembanyama family can follow a similar path toward NBA stardom.

More NBA news:

• Kyrie Irving's relationship with Kidd is gone, and Dusty May could push him out the door
• Maliq Brown reveals the first thing that left him speechless about Spurs
• AJ Dybantsa exposes unexpected Houston Rockets influence on his rise and it's interesting
• Spurs front office explains risky Jayden Quaintance decision after draft slide
• De'Aaron Fox trade rumors take unexpected turn following Spurs GM's comments

There is a different feel to JDC-Miller MotorSports since the last time Kaylen Frederick was in the car. 

Frederick is back co-driving the #5 Porsche 963 for the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of The Glen, a little over three months since his previous appearance at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Over that stretch, the John Church-led outfit managed to acquire Porsche factory breakout star Laurin Heinrich for the sprint rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with the German helping pull off a stellar victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - the first-ever privateer win in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.

Through the uniqueness of Heinrich sitting second in the championship, courtesy of his two season-opening wins with his other responsibilities with Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM), he was pivoted - and added - to JDC-Miller’s endurance lineups for Watkins Glen International and Road America. He will end the season with PPM at Petit Le Mans before taking over one of the entries full-time next season. 

Frederick, 24, made his IMSA debut at Daytona and has been doing mostly simulator work since Sebring. However, he was present for Heinrich’s first weekend with JDC-Miller at Long Beach, where they finished sixth.

Kaylen Frederick, ART Grand Prix

And this weekend the Maryland has enjoyed not only getting back in the car, but getting the opportunity to work with Heinrich, as the pair also co-drive the entry with full-timer Tijmen van der Helm.

“It's been really good,” Frederick said. “I mean, to be honest, he has more races with the team than I do now, because I've only done Daytona and Sebring. He brings a lot of experience, which is great for the team. Just helping them develop and go in the right direction. It's something that I can only give a certain amount of feedback of what I'd like with the car. But, somebody that has that more experience and sort of knows what helps it go fast can move the team in the right direction, which is tricky for me or Tijmen to do. 

“Obviously, with not having the experience from Penske or being a Porsche factory driver, you just get that bit more information, right? You have more experience.”

#5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963: Tijmen van der Helm, Laurin Heinrich, Laurens Vanthoor

While it might appear to be a significant difference in experience, Frederick also noted how the differences in the team - and car, as JDC-Miller runs without this year’s Joker upgrades - are something to retain awareness of as the weekend goes on.

“I think the main thing that we're also having to manage is to maximize what we have and not necessarily try to copy other people, because it is still a different car,” Frederick said. 

“It's a different philosophy. So I think we're having to not take it with a grain of salt, but make sure we're not going too far away from our own philosophies that we're not in no man's land. 

“We're just trying to find a balance of going in a certain direction that Laurin might feel is better, but also making sure we're still within a good window and not just massively experimenting for a race because you still want to get a good result. But I think they've done a good job at the sprint races recently. They've been pretty strong. So, yeah, we'll see how we go this weekend. I think we have a good opportunity to be pretty quick.” 

Looking forward

#5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963: Tijmen van der Helm, Laurin Heinrich, Kaylen Frederick

As it stands, Frederick will only be in the car for the remaining endurance rounds as he focuses on a budget to expand his racing presence next season. With that in mind, there are certain things he wants to see out of himself before the year is over.

“Obviously everyone wants a good result,” he said. “They want the number, but I think it's all relative to the car's performance.

“Sebring or Daytona was never really possible for us to get on the podium. But at some race this year, it might be like it was at Laguna. So we'll obviously capitalize on those races when we do have a good performance. Otherwise, I think having Laurin in the car, just making sure I am learning a lot. Because he is quite helpful in giving those last bits of performance. He knows where all those small pieces are. But also, I think there is just a lot to learn in general. I'm still very new to endurance racing. I think I did relatively well at Daytona and Sebring, but I just want to polish up on a lot of different things. And get more comfortable with them so I feel more vetted because every time I get in the car, it feels like I'm getting up to speed. As opposed to I'm already on it and I can keep improving and pushing the team.

“So I think just to gather that experience is the main thing. And yeah, get used to every track and get more comfortable with the car just so I'm not getting in the car and feeling like I'm playing catch-up, because that's what it feels like when you're out of the car for three months.”

Watch: The Rolex 24 at Daytona: Precision, Perfection, and The Road To Victory (IMSA Endurance Racing)

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

One of WWE’s biggest Premium Live Events of the year takes place today as Night of Champions heads to Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With multiple championships on the line, the King and Queen of the Ring Finals, and a blockbuster Undisputed WWE Championship Triple Threat Match, Night of Champions is expected to play a major role in shaping the road to SummerSlam. The event streams exclusively in the United States on ESPN Unlimited through the ESPN App, while international viewers can watch on Netflix.

How to Watch WWE Night of Champions 2026

• When: Saturday, June 27, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET
• TV Channel: ESPN Unlimited
• Live Stream: ESPN Unlimited (watch now)

The event marks the first WWE Premium Live Event to stream exclusively on ESPN Unlimited in the United States following WWE’s new media partnership with ESPN. Fans can also watch the free Countdown Show beginning two hours before the opening bell.

WWE Night of Champions 2026 Match Card

• Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn
• King of the Ring Final: Oba Femi vs. Jey Uso
• Queen of the Ring Final: Liv Morgan vs. IYO SKY
• Steel Cage Match: Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
• WWE United States Championship: Trick Williams (c) vs. Ricky Saints
• WWE Women’s United States Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill

The main event features Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther and Sami Zayn in a Triple Threat Match. The winners of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will earn championship opportunities at SummerSlam, making today’s finals among the most important matches on the card. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker settle their heated rivalry inside a steel cage.

– Live Stream WWE Night of Champions with ESPN –

Night of Champions has become one of WWE’s premier international events, and this year’s show carries significant championship implications heading into one of the company’s biggest events of the summer.

Fans in the United States can stream WWE Night of Champions live today with an ESPN Unlimitedsubscription through the ESPN App beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Live stream WWE Night of Champions on ESPN:Start your subscription now!

Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

The world of college football is simultaneously very big and very small. Just ask the Manning family.

As Texas quarterback Arch Manning prepares for his fourth season with the Longhorns and his second as the full-time starter, a large orange matchup looms on the horizon: Tennessee, the alma mater of one of his uncles, Peyton. Later in the season, he will take on Ole Miss, where Eli also helmed at QB.

REQUIRED READING: NFL had Peyton Manning pitch Fernando Mendoza on attending 2026 draft

It'll be a new-look Vols team Manning takes on, but the expectations will be high as ever. Texas, meanwhile, is looking to navigate its way back to the College Football Playoffs.

At the annual Manning Passing Academy, Peyton was asked who he would be cheering for in the Week 4 matchup and the SEC opener for both sides. Though he presented a largely neutral front, refusing to say he would be rooting against his alma mater, he did make it quite clear he would be supporting his nephew.

"I was asking one of the kids, one of the kids was asking me earlier who I was gonna go for," Manning said when he was asked about the pending matchup. "And I said what do you think? And of course he said that he would go for his school over his relative. And I went 'well you and I are different. You and I are wired differently.

"Nothing's more important than your family," he continued. "But obviously it's gonna be a huge SEC game. My dad (Arch) dealt with it when I was in college when Tennessee played Ole Miss. I love my university, my alma mater. Pull for them unconditionally. But nothing's more important than my family. And when you have a nephew playing. I pull very hard for him every single Saturday. So that's pretty much a no-brainer, pulling for your nephew to play well. But like I said everybody knows pretty strongly where my loyalties lie on all other Saturdays. The University of Tennessee."

Now, Arch playing well, of course, does not preclude Tennessee from winning. But Manning did say all "other" Saturdays. With that in mind, it seems pretty clear he'll be rooting for Texas. But don't expect him to show up in burnt orange at Neyland Stadium.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas vs Tennessee matchup deeper than alma mater for Peyton Manning

Milli motosikletçi Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, MotoGP Dünya Şampiyonası'nın 10. etabı Hollanda Grand Prix'sinin sprint yarışında 17. oldu.

Hollanda'nın Assen kentiyle aynı adı taşıyan 4,5 kilometrelik pistte gerçekleştirilen sprint yarışında 20.05.310'luk dereceyle Trackhouse takımının İspanyol sürücüsü Raul Fernandez, birinci sırayı aldı.

Prima Pramac Yamaha adına yarışan Red Bull sporcusu Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, sprint yarışını 17. sırada tamamladı.

Hollanda Grand Prix'sinin ana yarışı, yarın TSİ 15.00'te 26 tur üzerinden yapılacak.

Milli sualtı sporcusu Kaan Efe Kaya, Güney Kore'de düzenlenen CMAS Paletli Yüzme Havuz Dünya Şampiyonası'nda gümüş madalya elde etti.

Türkiye Sualtı Sporları Federasyonunun açıklamasına göre Güney Kore'nin Incheon kentindeki organizasyonda Kaan Efe Kaya, erkekler 400 metre çift palet finalinde mücadele etti.

Kaan Efe, finalde 3 dakika 29.06 saniyelik derecesiyle dünya ikincisi olarak gümüş madalya kazandı.

Açıklamada görüşlerine yer verilen Türkiye Sualtı Sporları Federasyonu Başkanı Kadir Sağlam, "Federasyonumuz, birçok branşta ülkemizi Avrupa ve dünya şampiyonalarında gururla temsil etmeye devam etmektedir. Güney Kore'deki Paletli Yüzme Dünya Şampiyonası'nda mücadele eden milli takımımız, ülkemizin gururu oldu. Dünya ikinciliği başarımız, yine bu ay gençlerde 3 Avrupa ikinciliği ve 2 Avrupa üçüncülüğü madalyaları elde etmemiz bir tesadüf değil. Sporcularımızın dünya şampiyonluğunda final derecelerine ulaşmaları için elimizden gelen her türlü çabayı adım adım ortaya koyuyoruz. Bu madalyaları şampiyonluklara dönüştüreceğimize inancım tamdır. Dünya ikincisi olan, finallerde yüzen sporcularımız başta olmak üzere tüm millilerimize ve antrenörlerimize camiamız adına teşekkür eder, onları gönülden kutlarız. Gençlik ve Spor Bakanımız Sayın Osman Aşkın Bak ve Bakan Yardımcımız Sayın Hamza Yerlikaya başta olmak üzere Bakanlığımızın tüm çalışanlarına, camiamıza her zaman destek oldukları için ayrıca teşekkür ederiz." ifadelerini kullandı.

Sarı-lacivertlilerin transfer gündemini meşgul eden milli yıldız Hakan Çalhanoğlu için Inter kulübü radikal bir karar aldı. Çizme basını, tecrübeli orta sahanın geleceğini şekillendirecek o planı duyurdu.

İtalyan basınından Fenerbahçe camiasını yakından ilgilendiren önemli bir iddia geldi. Sarı-lacivertlilerin başkan adaylarından Hakan Safi’nin transfer vaatleri arasında yer alan milli yıldız Hakan Çalhanoğlu için Inter kulübü nihai kararını verdi.

La Gazzetta Dello Sport’un paylaştığı bilgilere göre, Milano ekibi tecrübeli orta saha oyuncusuyla yeni bir sözleşme imzalamayı düşünmüyor. Sezon ortasında kontrat yenileme yönünde bazı dedikodular çıksa da İtalyan devinin yönetimi bu fikirden vazgeçti.

Inter, başarılı futbolcuyu hemen elden çıkarmak yerine mevcut sözleşmesinin sonuna kadar takımda tutmak istiyor. 2027 yılına kadar kontratı bulunan Hakan Çalhanoğlu, bir ayrılık yaşanmaması durumunda Temmuz 2027’de serbest kalarak bonservisini eline alacak.

Inter'de 2 Serie A şampiyonluğu yaşayan Hakan Çalhanoğlu, 212 maçta forma giydi ve 50 gol atarken, 39 asist yaptı.

Inter'in bu hamlesinin ardından, 32 yaşındaki yıldız oyuncunun transfer sürecinde nasıl bir yol izleyeceği merak konusu.

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has delivered an emphatic prediction for vs , which he will watch with a keen eye this evening. The two super-welterweights will collide at the Barclays Center, New York, with Zayas making a defence of his unified WBO and WBA crown. A split decision victory over Abass Baraou saw him seize the WBA belt in […]

The post Vergil Ortiz Jr makes final KO prediction for Jaron Ennis vs Xander Zayas appeared first on Boxing News.

2026/2027-ci illər mövsümündə də Birinci Liqada mübarizə aparacaq “Səbail” keçmiş yarımmüdafiəçisi Bahadur Həziyev ilə güclənib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə paytaxt klubunun mətbuat xidməti məlumat yayıb.

Xəbərdə bildirilir ki, Bahadur azad agent kimi komandaya cəlb edilib. 27 yaşlı futbolçu ilə 1+1 illik müqavilə imzalanıb.

Xatırladaq ki, Həziyev 2019-2023-cü illər aralığında və 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümündə də məhz “Səbail”in formasını geyinib. Lakin o, bu ilin fevralında “dənizçilər”dən ayrılaraq “Mingəçevir”ə keçmişdi.

“Neftçi”nin yetirməsi olan Bahadur Həziyev MOİK, “İmişli”, “Şamaxı”, “Qaradağ Lökbatan” kimi klublarda da forma geyinib.

Bahadur Azərbaycanın U-17, U-19 və U-21 yığmalarında oynayıb, əsas millimizdə isə debüt şansı qazanmayıb.

“Səbail” bu yay digər sabiq oyunçularından Rubin Seyidov və Zeynəddin Abdurrahmanovu da heyətinə qatmış, həmçinin “Sumqayıt”dan Mehdi Cənnətovu transfer etmişdi.

“Qarabağ”ın kabo-verdeli yarımmüdafiəçisi Leandro Andrade Ağdam klubundan ayrılaraq Ukraynanın “Polesye” komandasına keçib.

Arena.az bu barədə Ağdam klubunun rəsmi saytına istinadən xəbər verir.

Bildirilir ki, “Qarabağ” Andradenin transferi ilə bağlı Ukrayna klubunun təklifini və yarımmüdafiəçinin istəyini nəzərə alaraq müsbət cavablandırıb. Klublar arasında aparılan danışıqların uğurla yekunlaşıb və tərəflər arasında razılıq əldə olunub.

Artıq “Polesye” də bu transferi rəsmən açıqlayıb. 26 yaşlı yarımmüdafiəçi ilə 3 illik (2029-cu ilin iyununa qədər) müqavilə imzalanıb. O, yeni komandasında 11 nömrəli formanı geyinəcək.

Xatırladaq ki, “Polesye” Ukrayna Premyer Liqasında ötən mövsümü 3-cü yerdə başa vurub. Jitomir klubu növbəti mövsüm Avropa Konfrans Liqasında oynayacaq.

2022-ci ilin yanvarından “Qarabağ”ın formasını geyinən kabo-verdeli futbolçu bu komandanın heyətində 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024 və 2024/2025-ci illər mövsümlərində Azərbaycan çempionu olub, 2021/2022 və 2023/2024-cü illər mövsümlərində Azərbaycan Kubokunu qazanıb. Komandanın 2023/2024-cü illər mövsümündə Avropa Liqasının 1/8 finalına, 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümündə UEFA Çempionlar Liqasının pley-offuna yüksəlməsində əməyi olan Andrade 2022/2023 və 2024/2025-ci illər mövsümlərində Avropa Liqasının əsas, 2021/2022 və 2022/2023-cü illər mövsümlərimdə Konfrans Liqasının pley-off mərhələlərinin iştirakçısı olub. Leandro “Qarabağ”da keçirdiyi ümumilikdə 213 matçda 60 qol vurub.

Leandro Andrade “Qarabağ”da oynadığı müddətdə Avropa miqyaslı klub turnirlərinin tarixinə düşüb. O, əsas mərhələlərin üç fərqli matçının 1-ci dəqiqəsində qol sevinci yaşayan ilk və yeganə oyunçudur.

Kabo Verde milli komandasının təcrübəli qapıçısı Vozinya futbol üzrə dünya çempionatları tarixində nadir nailiyyətə imza atıb.

Arena.az xəbər veri ki, 40 yaşdan yuxarı olan təcrübəli qolkiper mundiallar tarixində iki “quru” oyun keçirən cəmi üçüncü qapıçı olub.

Vozinya DÇ-2026-nın qrup mərhələsində İspaniya və Səudiyyə Ərəbistanına qarşı keçirdikləri qarşılaşmalarda qapısını toxunulmaz saxlamışdı. Hər iki oyun qolsuz heç-heçə ilə başa çatmışdı.

Bununla da Kabo Verde millisinin qapıçısı İngiltərə yığmasının sabiq qapıçısı Piter Şilton və İtaliya millisinin əfsanəvi qolkiperi Dino Zoffun yer aldığı siyahıya daxil olub. Şilton 40 yaşdan sonra mundiallarda 3, Zoff isə 2 “quru” oyun keçirməyi bacarmışdı.

Qeyd edək ki, Kabo Verde millisi tarixində ilk dəfə iştirak etdiyi dünya çempionatında pley-off mərhələsinə yüksəlib. Afrika təmsilçisi 1/16 finalda son dünya çempionu Argentina ilə qarşılaşacaq.

ABŞ, Kanada və Meksikada keçirilən DÇ-2026 iyulun 19-da başa çatacaq.

“Bakı”nın baş məşqçisi, türkiyəli futbol mütəxəssisi Bülənt Qorxmaz bundan sonra TFF Birinci Liqanda mübarizə aparan “Antalyaspor”u çalışdıracaq.

Arena.az bu barədə Türkiyə klubunun mətbuat xidmətinə istinadən xəbər verir.

57 yaşlı mütəxəssis təmsilçisi ilə 1 illik müqavilə bağlayıb.

Xatırladaq ki, “Antalyaspor” bu məşqçi üçün doğma klubdur. Belə ki, Bülənt Qorxmaz 2018-2019 mövsümündə və 2021-ci ildə də Antalya təmsilçisinə rəhbərlik edib. O, sözügedən komandanı bütövlükdə 70 oyuna çıxarıb, 29 qələbə, 14 heç-heçə və 27 məğlubiyyət görüb.

Bülənt Qorxmazın sonuncu iş yeri Birici Liqa təmsilçisi “Erokspor” olub.

Türkiyəli mütəxəssis 2009/2010-cu illər mövsümündə Azərbaycanda “Bakı”nın da baş məşqçisi olub. O, “Rizəspor”, “Alanyaspor”, “Konyaspor”, “Mersin İdman Yurdu”, “Kayseri Ərciyəsspor”, “Başakşəhər”, “Karabükspor”, “Qalatasaray” və “Gənclərbirliyi” kimi komandaları da çalışdırıb.

2026/27-ci il mövsümü üçün transfer çalışmalarını davam etdirən “Səbail” heyətini yeni futbolçu ilə gücləndirib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, “dənizçilər” Bahadur Həziyevlə 1+1 illik müqavilə imzalayıb.

Qeyd edək ki, 27 yaşlı yarımmüdafiəçi əvvəlki illərdə də “Səbail”in şərəfini qoruyub. O, son olaraq “Mingəçevir”də çıxış edib.

Bakı klubu yeni mövsümdə I Liqada mübarizə aparacaq.

Bakıda “UFC Fight Night” turnirinə start verilib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, azərbaycanlı MMA döyüşçüsü Tahir Abdullayev yarımorta çəkidə braziliyalı Ceferson Nasimento ilə qarşılaşıb. Döyüş Abdullayevin qələbəsiylə başa çatıb.

Gecənin əsas döyüşündə Azərbaycan təmsilçisi Rafael Fiziyev yüngül çəkidə meksikalı Manuel Torreslə qarşılaşacaq.

Uruqvay millisinin qapıçısı Fernando Muslera DÇ-2026 ilə vidalaşmaları haqqında açıqlama verib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, turnirdə kobud səhvlərlə yadda qalan qolkiper bunları deyib:

“Yaxşı mundial keçirmədim. Xalqımdan üzr istəyirəm. Heç vaxt bu qədər məyus olmamışdım. Hər sahədə olduğu kimi futbolda da yanlışlar qaçılmazdır. Bu, bəhanə deyil. Qapıçı da səhvlər edə bilər. Bəzən çox şey edərsən, bəzən isə çox şeyi qaçırarsan…”

Uruqvay yığması qrupda 2 xalla 3-cü olub və mundialı tərk edib.

Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici continues to work with old club Tottenham Hotspur to bring in Italy international Destiny Udogie, while Atletico Madrid’s Matteo Ruggeri is an alternative.

Paratici had two different spells at Spurs, plus working as an outside advisor during his ban, before coming back to Serie A for Fiorentina in February.

He is now using some of those contacts to seek reinforcements for the team at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, and has set his sights firmly on Udogie.

Udogie or Ruggeri for Fiorentina

The 23-year-old Italy international has struggled with injury and a lack of regular playing time at Tottenham since his transfer from Udinese in 2022.

That move was worth €18m plus up to a further €7m in add-ons, signing a contract to June 2030.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, this is going to be a very difficult deal to get over the line, because Spurs are asking for €40-50m for the left-back.

Coach Roberto De Zerbi is also determined not to let Udogie leave this summer, even though the player made only 28 appearances this term, contributing one assist.

Paratici is hoping that he can get Tottenham to agree a paid loan with option to buy tied to achieving certain targets during the season.

A cheaper alternative is another Italy international who moved abroad, Matteo Ruggeri, with Atletico Madrid reportedly wanting €25m for his sale.

They only bought Ruggeri from Atalanta last year for €17m plus add-ons.

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus and Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero is the frontman for a consortium hoping to purchase and revive Rimini, who declared bankruptcy and were later expelled from Serie C last year. 

Reports Del Piero interested in buying Rimini

Rimini were docked 15 points last September due to ‘various administrative irregularities’, and the team was later disbanded and kicked out of Serie C as a result of the club’s financial crisis. 

Reports indicate that those in control of the club and its remaining assets are actively seeking buyers, and according to Saturday’s updates from Calciomercato.com, there is a possibility that a consortium revolving around Del Piero takes control. 

According to Saturday’s reports, Del Piero will be joined by a ‘mystery’ business partner, who has invested in several of the former Juventus star’s recent projects. 

It is also believed that there has already been an exploratory phone call between Del Piero and mayor of Rimini, Jamil Sadegholvaad.

Del Piero and his associates have not yet lodged a formal offer to buy the club, but Saturday’s reports claim that locals and executives in Rimini were delighted with the news that Del Piero could be among the club’s next owners.

Spanish reports state that Real Madrid have every intention of using their €80m buy-back option for Nico Paz in 2027 after Como purchase the remaining 50 per cent for €60m.

The complicated deal was confirmed yesterday by multiple sources in Italy and Spain, ensuring that he can continue his career development under the guidance of Cesc Fabregas.

Nico Paz future between Como and Real Madrid

Como had bought the player from the Real Madrid youth academy for €6m in 2024, but the Merengues retained either a 50 per cent cut of his future sale, or a buy-back option set at €9m in 2026 and €11m in 2027.

They did not actually activate that, merely informing Como this week that they intended to, giving the Lariani the opportunity to buy the remaining 50 per cent for €60m.

This gives the Argentina international a total valuation of €120m on the market.

Como accepted and will sign the paperwork over the next few days, but Real Madrid secure a new buy-back clause for €80m that is only valid for the summer of 2027.

According to Diario AS, the giants are confident they will exercise that next year and bring the talent back to the Bernabeu.

In the meantime, Nico Paz has the opportunity to play regularly in Serie A and also the Champions League, further developing his experience before making the big leap to Madrid.

Considering the prices paid by Como and the clauses, in the end Real Madrid should get a fully developed Nico Paz back in 2027 at a cost of just €14m.

That is €80m minus the €66m transfer fees paid between 2024 and 2026.

Como are expected to secure a €60m deal to keep Nico Paz at the Stadio Sinigaglia on a permanent basis, but given that Como are already on the brink of breaking financial fair play regulations, why are they able to fork out such a significant sum so early on in the transfer window?

Why are Como able to spend so much on Nico Paz?

According to reports from various outlets on Friday, Real Madrid will activate their €9m buy-back option for Nico Paz, and Como will spend €60m to sign him back immediately. This deal is also expected to include another €80m buy-back option in favour of Real Madrid, which will only be valid in the summer of 2027. 

Given that Como have the wealthiest ownership group in Serie A, it is not a question of how the club can afford the signing of Nico Paz, rather how they are able to get around UEFA’s financial fair play rules. 

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the short answer is that they won’t. 

Como have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history, which will bring an increase in revenues compared to last season, but this also means that the club will be under fiercer scrutiny from UEFA and their financial sustainability rules. 

UEFA will examine Como’s financial accounts in the coming spring. This review will be based on the previous three financial years (i.e. 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26). Like all clubs competing in Europe, Como must not exceed losses of over €60m over that three-year period, and first-team expenses must not exceed 70% of the club’s overall revenues. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Como will ‘inevitably exceed these limits’. Saturday’s report notes that Como were €50m in the red in 2023-24, which shot up to €132m in 2024-25. It is expected that there will be an improvement in the club’s next financial statements for the 2025-26 season ending on June 30, but La Gazzetta dello Sport predicts that losses will still be around €100m. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Como are now looking at the possibility of entering a settlement agreement with UEFA next year, as has happened with several Serie A clubs in recent seasons, and this could limit the club’s ability to spend for the following three or four years. 

UEFA tend to look favourably upon clubs who spend on ‘rational investments’ and upon owners who have a proven track record of injecting funds into their club. Como’s ownership group have reportedly poured €390m into the club since they took over in 2019. 

While Como are expected to be in the red by UEFA’s financial fair play rules, the club has no debts with any lenders and boast net assets in excess of €54m. Additionally, Como will be ‘first time offenders’ if they breach UEFA’s financial fair play regulations, and again, there is hope that the governing body will look favourably upon the club as a result. 

MMA Fighting has UFC Baku results for the Fiziev vs. Torres fight, a live blog for the top two fights, and more from National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday afternoon.

In the main event, Rafael Fiziev clashes with Manuel Torres in a lightweight contest. Fiziev has lost four of his past five fights, while Torres has won five of his six UFC fights.

Shara Magomedov and Michel Pereira square off in a middleweight contest in the co-main event.

Check out UFC Baku results below.

Main Card (Paramount+ at 12 p.m. ET)

Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres

Shara Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira

Nazim Sadykhov vs. Matheus Camilo

Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson

Ikram Aliskerov vs. Brunno Ferreira

Abus Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

Preliminary Card (LIVE NOW)

Farman Hasanov vs. Eric Nolan

Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev vs. Julius Walker

Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Andrey Pulyaev

Kaan Ofli vs. Javier Reyes

Daniil Donchenko vs. Theodor Berggren

Jean Matsumoto def. Bekzat Almakhan via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Tahir Abdullayev def. Jefferson Nascimento via TKO (strikes) (R3, 4:28) | Watch controversial stoppage

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers held on for a win against the Blue Jays yesterday.

Justin Foscue drove in half the Rangers runs on a big night.

It was a night that Foscue apparently predicted for himself.

Elsewhere Corey Seager is ready to put a “frustrating” concussion recovery behind him.

Jeff Wilson takes a look at where the Rangers stand at the halfway point of the season.

Rusty Greer is the latest guest on Evan Grant’s podcast.

And finally, the Angels have fired GM Perry Minasian. Why, what happened?!?

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers play their third of four against the Blue Jays today at 2:07 with Cal Quantrill on the mound, I guess.

Have a great weekend!

World Cup pathways and opponents for every third-place team in 2026 knockout bracket originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As the World Cup group stage winds down, the tournament heads into new territory with the inaugural round of 32 coming up next.

This year is the first year of the expanded World Cup, which means it's the first year that third-place teams will play in the knockout stages. Of the 12 teams to finish in third place in their group, eight of them will get a chance to make an unexpected run starting in the round of 32.

While teams who finish first or second in their group immediately slot into a specific spot in the bracket, third-place teams can end up in one of several spots in the next round. It all depends on which groups will have three teams move on, and which teams will just see two teams in the knockout stage.

Here's a look at the possible opponents for each third-place team in the knockout stage.

2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets

World Cup pathways and opponents for every third-place team

Ecuador

Ecuador has clinched third place in its group and could be placed in any one of four different spots on the bracket. The team could face Mexico or Switzerland, two teams who have clinched the top spot in their group, along with likely first-place finishers Egypt or England, and an outside chance to play Ghana, Iran or Belgium.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina already knows it will play the United States in the round of 32. Therefore, the team will face a tough task in a true road environment against a United States team hungry to take advantage of being a host.

If Bosnia and Herzegovina can pull off the upset, it will then be in line to potentially face Egypt in the round of 16. Eventually, though, the team could find itself facing Spain, Ghana or Austria, among others.

MORE: Download a printable World Cup bracket here

Sweden

Sweden clinching third place in Group F means it can be placed in one of three spots on the bracket. The Swedish team will either play France, Mexico or Switzerland in the round of 32 as it looks to produce a huge upset.

Paraguay

Paraguay secured a spot in the round of 32 with a draw against Australia on Thursday night, but the team still doesn't know its opponent. In the next round, Paraguay can play either Germany or France, who are located in the same round of 16 pod, or the team could play the winner of Group K, which will be either Colombia or Portugal.

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

• World Cup bracket scenarios
• World Cup third place standings
• Teams to qualify for Round of 32
• Team eliminated from World Cup

Here's how Penguins can draft Markus Ruck after already taking his twin, Liam, in NHL Draft 1st round originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Plenty of people have wondered whether the Ruck twins will end up with the same team in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Liam Ruck is off the board, with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking him No. 22 overall in Friday night's first round. Could Markus join him?

Markus didn't go in the first round, so it's a matter of how long he lasts into the second round. Most likely, it won't be too long.

And if he's going to play with the same team as his brother, Markus will need the Penguins to find a way to get him.

Can they? This would be how.

MORE: What the Gavin McKenna pick means for the Maple Leafs

How the Penguins can draft Markus Ruck to pair with Liam Ruck

The Penguins currently hold the seventh pick of the second round, which is No. 39 overall.

They have two paths.

Either they sit in that spot and hope Markus falls to them.

Or they trade up, not needing to add a ton to the 39th pick (likely one later-round pick) to move up a handful of spots and ensure they get Markus.

MORE: Now comes the tricky part for the Canucks and Caleb Malhotra

It's not a given they want to do that for sure, but it'd make a lot of sense, and it's worth considering.

Markus went for 21 goals and 87 assists this season in the Western Hockey League for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Liam had 45 goals and 59 assists.

The brothers know how to play together. The Penguins might have a way to keep them together.

More NHL news:

• Jack Eichel turned into Ben Simmons
• Frederik Andersen heading toward an unceremonious exit
• Cale Makar is about to become a lot more expensive
• Sidney Crosby trade plans did a 180 for the Penguins
• It's time to ask a serious Matthew Knies question

Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Portsmouth defender Hannah Coan on a free transfer.

WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Tricky Trees earlier this afternoon.

The 25-year-old defender will officially join Nottingham Forest on 1 July 2026 when her contract with Portsmouth comes to an end. She has signed a two-year deal at The City Ground.

Coan came through the Everton youth ranks before going on to establish herself at senior level in a spell with Blackburn Rovers. The defender joined latest club Portsmouth in summer 2024 and she has helped them to compete in Barclays WSL2. Coan appeared in all 22 of Portsmouth’s fixtures in this season’s Barclays WSL2.

After joining Nottingham Forest, Coan said “I’m really excited to be here, it’s a massive club with big ambitions and after listening to what the Club wants to achieve this year, it really aligned with me.

“We want to be getting as high up the table as we can, winning as many games as possible and I can’t wait to get into the group to hopefully settle in quick and hit the ground running.”

Coan is Nottingham Forest’s second signing of the summer transfer window.

Real Madrid players have scored the most number of goals than any other European club so far, with players like Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe stealing the spotlight.

However, the club are facing some key hurdles this summer, including Vini Jr.’s uncertain future at Santiago Bernabeu, which has led to Los Blancosdoubling down on Michael Olise.

Bayern Munich, though, have no intention of parting ways with the French international, much to the disappointment of Florentino Perez, who desperately wants to make a Galactico signing this summer.

Olise the priority, but a Plan B exists

According to journalist Ramon Alvarez (h/t Defensa Central), Olise has been identified as the ideal long-term successor to Vinicius, whose contract expires in 2027 with no renewal agreement in sight despite talks dragging on since early 2025.

But with Bayern firm in their refusal to sell, and actively working to extend the winger’s contract and double his salary, Real Madrid have been forced to consider alternatives.

The priority for Real Madrid. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The message from within the club is clear: if the Olise deal cannot be done, Perez intends to sign one of the standout performers of the World Cup instead.

The club are reportedly prepared to make a significant splash regardless, with the tournament serving as a key scouting platform.

Real Madrid are said to be working quietly and observing how receptive certain players might be to a move, even without formal negotiations taking place.

Who could be the possible targets?

Several names performing well at the World Cup have been floated as potential alternatives to Olise.

One is Yan Diomande, the 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger who has been a revelation for the Ivory Coast.

Yan Diomande is on Real Madrid’s radar. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

The teenager enjoyed a sensational debut Bundesliga season, registering 12 goals and eight assists while completing more dribbles than any other player in the division, and his explosive displays at the World Cup have only enhanced his reputation.

Real Madrid chief scout Juni Calafat has been watching him closely, and the player himself favours a move to the Bernabeu over interest from Liverpool and PSG. Leipzig, however, would demand a fee in the region of €120 million.

The other name is Ayyoub Bouaddi, the 18-year-old Lille midfielder who has already been linked with Real Madrid.

Bouaddi caught the eye with a commanding display against Brazil, and while Lille want to keep him after qualifying for the Champions League, they are aware that his World Cup performances could prompt offers of around €80 million.

Madison Keys secured her third Eastbourne title with a straight-sets win over Tatjana Maria.

Keys beat German Maria 7-5 6-4 to join tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova as the only players to win the women's tournament on three or more occasions.

The American first triumphed in Eastbourne in 2014 - her first WTA title - before a second success came in 2023.

"I always forget how heavy this one is," Keys, 31, joked as she lifted the trophy.

"It's been such a special place for me to play here in Eastbourne.

"I won my first title here many, many years ago, so to win for a third time means the world to me. To do it in front of such amazing fans is the icing on the cake."

Keys used her powerful serve and approached the net regularly to put pressure on 2025 Queen's champion Maria, and secured a break early in the first set.

She was rarely troubled on serve, but threw a lifeline to 112th-ranked Maria as she squandered two set points with two double faults.

However, Keys put the pressure straight back on Maria, taking her to deuce the very next game and finding a way through the 38-year-old's defence to break straight back before wrapping up the set at the fifth time of asking.

Keys had an immediate opportunity to break in the opening game of the second set, but Maria used her sliced forehand and backhand effectively to dig herself out of trouble.

The American finally made the breakthrough in the seventh game of the set to secure the break and go 4-3 up.

Keys made easier work this time of closing out the set and with it the match, earning herself three championship points but needing only one.

The 2025 Australian Open champion, who has now won 11 tour titles, did not drop a set all week and continues her impressive run in tour finals, having won her past five.

Next up for both players is Wimbledon, with Keys set to face compatriot Kayla Day in the first round, while Maria - a 2022 semi-finalist - starts her campaign against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.

Muchova wins in Germany as Osaka retires injured

Elsewhere, Karolina Muchova secured the Bad Homburg title in Germany after her opponent, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, had to retire injured from the first grass-court final of her career.

Osaka, 28, received treatment on an ankle injury during the first set, which she lost 6-1, before indicating she could not continue one game into the second.

Victory marks Czech Muchova's second title of the year and she will return to the top 10 in the world rankings on Monday.

"I want to say thank you to everyone who came to the match and I want to apologise for not being able to finish," said Osaka.

"Congratulations to Karolina. You're one of the coolest girls on tour and it's always really fun to play you. I hope you have the best of luck in Wimbledon."

Japan's Osaka is due to start her campaign at the All England Club on Monday against Elsa Jacquemot of France, while Muchova - seeded 10th - begins against Russian Anastasia Zakharova.

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Merriam-Webster defines Schadenfreude as the enjoyment obtained from seeing or hearing about the troubles of others.

As sports fans, you probably experience it all the time.

If you root for the Bears, perhaps you experience it when the Packers lose.

If you root for the Cardinals, you may giggle when a Lincoln Park yuppie slips and faceplants in their own vomit on a Wrigleyville sidewalk.

And if you’re an Illini fan, Juwan Howard getting shitcanned in Ann Arbor likely warmed the cockles of your heart.

Speaking of Ann Arbor.

Native Chicagoan, former Illini commit, signee, and player Morez Johnson Jr. was drafted 9th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.

A year after Johnson departed Champaign, he became the Dallas Mavericks’ first-round selection.

It was the next step in a journey that took Morez from St. Rita to Thornton to Champaign, Ann Arbor, and now the Metroplex. 

Now Morez’ NBA fate is tied to Dusty May and Cooper Flagg.

Not bad for someone still facing the unjust, vitriolic bile of some Illinois fans.

The palpable emotional incontinence in some Illinois fans’ hatred for Morez makes me ashamed to count myself among them in fandom.

No, I will not just stick to sports. Sports don’t exist in a bubble. They exist in the real world with all the joy and pain of the tangible universe. And the people who participate are just as susceptible to the slings and arrows of time as the average anti-Morez Illinois fan.

You do not own the athletes for whom you cheer.

I think there is a series of constitutional amendments that make it so. And being that ignorant this close to Juneteenth is irony rich enough to get naming rights to a college football stadium in Texas.

I know it’s hard for some of you to look at a young man like Morez and take leave of your faculties when he has the gall not to do what you want him to do. 

When Morez transferred from Illinois, some decided to unleash vile personal attacks on the young man and his family.

You wished him ill will. Not just on the court. 

It’s fair to wish his new program failure. They are a conference rival.

But some insults went beyond losing basketball games. 

In that world, his decision to go somewhere else was not a basketball decision. It wasn’t the choice of an ambitious young man trying to achieve his goals. It was a betrayal.

They wanted to call him a greedy, selfish…haberdasher. And perhaps you do privately.

They scoured the internet for comments about his family.

“See, he comes from a family full of haberdashers.”

It’s like there was some joy in satiating that lustful disdain.

Morez Johnson’s mentor left Illinois. Wouldn’t you feel abandoned if the same happened to you?

When Tim Anderson was placed on administrative leave just before the 2024-25 season tipped off, the balance of the program shifted. The arrival of star big man coach and Underwood ally, Orlando Antigua, marked a different direction. Anderson (and Chester Frazier) recruited players like Morez: tough, physical grinders with evolving skill and the willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Think about the players they brought in:

• Terrence Shannon Jr.
• Morez Johnson Jr.
• Sencire Harris
• Ty Rodgers
• Amani Hansberry 

Antigua brings a different approach to Illinois. He brought in international prospects like Tomislav Ivisic (and later his twin brother). That was the new direction of the program. 

The offense was to be built around spacing and shooting and less around having a sledgehammer in the dunker spot.

This is where we find the crux of the basketball insult used to couch more personal animus.

“He left one of the best big men coaches in the country. So that automatically means he had no interest in improving his game. It’s all because that greedy, lying haberdasher wanted to take more money so his family can put shinier rims on their cars.”

His other mentor, Tai Streets, is a University of Michigan alum. 

For a “kid who got bad advice from his father,” he sure did get some wise counsel from both of his mentors. He wound up having two productive seasons in the Big Ten, winning a national title, and landing himself in the lottery.

They wanted him to shut up, run, dunk, and rebound. They didn’t see him as capable of growing as a player. I’ll let you sort out what about him made them think he was a finished product at 17.

“But I saw clips of him shooting. It was obvious his shot was broken and his desire to go somewhere else is stupid. You hear that, boy? You do what I want you to do. Screw your dreams and ambitions, what about mine, dammit? The dang Illini need to win me a national championship.“

Okay, so you thought he was one-dimensional and wouldn’t be anything more at Michigan than he was at Illinois.

And to stop you from being willfully obtuse, let’s look at the numbers.

At Illinois, he took approximately 4 shots per game. That number doubled at Michigan.

With the increased volume, his two-point percentage actually increased from 64% to 66%.

So he took more shots inside the arc and shot a higher percentage.

He went from attempting zero threes at Illinois to taking 35 threes on the season at Michigan. Sure, that is low volume. And no, he did not turn into Koby Brea overnight. But the talk about him being an incompetent shooter was absolute rubbish. He shot 34% from behind the arc. For context, Tomislav Ivisic shot 31% from three-point range last season. (That’s not a knock on Tomi.)

Morez Johnson at least showed the threat of a jump shot. He demonstrated that he can make open shots from deep, so you have to respect him. And that’s an element he didn’t get to show as an Illini.

The advanced stats showcase the difference between a good role player on an excellent team and an emerging star on a championship team.

Playing with Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg meant his rebounding numbers went down. His offensive rebound rate fell from 17% to a still excellent 13%. That is a fair critique of his value.

His true shooting percentage increased from 64% to 67%. And he didn’t need the best big man coach in the nation to do that. 

He more than doubled his win shares from just under 3 to just over 6. The analytics-driven Illini staff would have to be impressed with that number. To understand his true value, the great Keaton Wagler had 7.2 win shares in his lone collegiate season.

So from a basketball standpoint, Morez wasn’t the same player. He was not relied upon to be the primary rebounder. But his prowess still helped anchor a national champion on the glass. His quickness and switchability defensively made him a Swiss Army knife. 

No, Morez didn’t turn from a frontcourt player to a wing while at Michigan. But he demonstrated new skills and the team orientation it takes to succeed at the highest levels. He can play alongside smaller players due to his length and rebounding prowess. He can thrive next to larger players because of his evolving offensive skill.

Dusty May had all three of his former Michigan frontcourt players on the board at number nine. And he chose Morez Johnson. Do you think that pick just happened because someone thought the name Morez sounds cool?

And you were so eager to besmirch his character as a human and a basketball player.

“He was drafted too high. He only went in the top ten because his college coach is in Dallas now.”

Or, because he, you know, excelled as a player and at the combine.

If Morez really agreed to a deal to stay at Illinois and reneged, is that what makes him so detestable?

Because Brad Underwood had a valid contract at Oklahoma State when he agreed to come to Illinois. Is Brad also a dishonorable man? Or is he an ambitious man who saw an opportunity to enhance his life and took it?

Are you going to hurl the same level of invective at Quentin Coleman? He had a signed agreement to enroll at Wake Forest. Does that mean it’s morally okay to break your word if you’re coming to Illinois but not when you’re going from?

I’ll reiterate, I’m not saying anyone has to root for him. I am definitely not saying that anyone should have become Wolverines fans last season.

But if you think that you have dominion over a young man’s character because he didn’t follow your instructions…

World Cup-winning French manager Didier Deschamps missed his team's Group I finale against Norway on Friday at Boston Stadium to attend the funeral of his mother, who died earlier this week.

The French national side, led by Deschamps' longtime assistant Guy Stephan against Norway, had its FIFA request to wear black armbands in honor of its manager's mother rejected. A moment of silence took place before Friday's World Cup clash in Boston, but not for Deschamps' mother. Instead, the tribute honored the over 900 victims of the devastating earthquake in Venezuela this week.

Deschamps received news of his mother Ginette's death on Tuesday and departed the team's camp for France. French supporters let out a loud cheer when the manager was read alongside the starting lineup.

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"Didier Deschamps will not be able to oversee training sessions ahead of the Norway v France match. He will also be absent from the bench for Friday's final Group I game," the French Football Federation said in a statement earlier this week. "At this incredibly painful time, we wish the head coach great strength and assure him of everyone's support."

Stephan served under Deschamps as an assistant at Marseille for three years before joining the national side in 2012. Together, the pair claimed the 2018 World Cup title and reached the finals at the 2022 tournament and the 2016 Euros.

In a conversation with The Athletic earlier this week, Stephan revealed that he and Deschamps share an almost telepathic bond.

"We understand each other," Stephan said. "We don't even need to speak anymore. A glance is enough when we're out on the pitch or at a training session; if something needs changing or tweaking, we just look at each other and - boom - it's as if we'd actually spoken.

"That's the strength of the time we've spent together - 17 years. We don't always agree - not always... we talk things through, but once a decision is made, it's made."

Stephan previously stepped in for Deschamps when he guided Les Blues against Denmark in June 2022 following the passing of the France coach's father. Friday represented the 69-year-old's major tournament debut as head coach, and Ousmane Dembele settled any early jitters by finding the net in just the seventh minute. He went on to score a hat-trick in the 4-1 win.

When ten‌n‌‌i‌s fans de‌ba‌‌te the grea‌t‌‌est pl‌‌ay‌er‌s of al‌l ti‌‌me, th‌ey us‌‌u‌‌al‌ly focu‌s on Grand Slam ti‌‌tles, we‌e‌‌ks at No. 1 and over‌‌a‌‌l‌l care‌er achieve‌ment‌‌s. But Wimbledon offers a dif‌f‌eren‌t way to measure greatness.

The gras‌s cou‌‌r‌ts of the All England Club have always been the ultimate te‌st. Gra‌‌s‌s is the fastest sur‌face in the spor‌t. It rewards st‌‌r‌ong ser‌‌ving, qu‌‌ick reactions, smart movement an‌‌d the abilit‌y to ha‌‌ndle pres‌s‌ur‌e in the bi‌‌g‌ges‌‌t mome‌‌nts. Not every great player has mastered it.

MORE:All American tennis players who have been world No 1

Ov‌e‌r the years, a selec‌t gro‌up of playe‌rs have turn‌ed Wim‌‌bledon int‌‌o thei‌‌r stage. Some built their legacy th‌‌ro‌‌ug‌h year‌s of domin‌‌ance on gr‌‌a‌s‌s, while others adjusted their game and found a way to suc‌ce‌ed on the surface.

Winning Wimbledon once is a career-defining achievement. Wi‌n‌ning it multiple times places a player among ten‌nis royal‌‌ty.

This rank‌‌in‌‌g lo‌oks only at Wimb‌‌ledon perf‌or‌ma‌‌nc‌e. It does not co‌‌n‌‌s‌‌id‌er suc‌ces‌s at the Au‌s‌‌tr‌a‌‌lian Open, French Open or US Open.

8. Ven‌us Wil‌lia‌‌ms

Venus Wil‌liams does no‌t al‌‌wa‌‌ys ge‌t enough cred‌it wh‌‌en peop‌le tal‌k about the greates‌t gras‌s-co‌‌urt play‌e‌‌rs. However, her record at Wi‌m‌‌bledo‌‌n is one of the be‌‌st in ten‌nis his‌‌tory.

The American st‌‌ar wo‌‌n fiv‌‌e Wim‌b‌led‌‌on sing‌les titl‌es an‌‌d rea‌ched nine finals. Her powerful serve and aggressive style worked perfectly on gras‌s courts. Once Venu‌‌s to‌ok contro‌l of a poi‌n‌‌t, very few players could stop he‌‌r.

She won five Wimbledon championships over a nine-year per‌‌iod and remained one of the tournament’s biggest threats for more than a decade. Three of the her four losses in title matches came against her sister, Serena.

7. Bjorn Bo‌‌r‌g

Bjorn Bo‌rg cha‌‌nged the wa‌y people vie‌wed gras‌s-cou‌rt ten‌ni‌s.

Bef‌o‌re Bor‌g ar‌ri‌ved, most Wimb‌l‌ed‌‌on champions relied heavily on freq‌u‌ent trip‌‌s to the net. Bo‌rg showed that a player could dominate from the baseli‌‌n‌e and still win on gr‌a‌s‌s.

The Swedish lege‌‌nd wo‌n five straig‌ht Wim‌bl‌‌e‌‌don title‌‌s fro‌‌m 1976 to 1980. Dur‌i‌‌n‌g tha‌‌t ru‌n, he put toget‌‌h‌‌er an incredible strea‌k of 41 consecutive match wins at the tournament.

Hi‌‌s suc‌ces‌s inspired futu‌‌re eras and pro‌v‌ed tha‌‌t dif‌fe‌rent styles coul‌d suc‌c‌e‌ed on gr‌a‌‌s‌s.

6. Stef‌f‌‌i Graf

Stef‌fi Graf had one of the most com‌plete games ten‌n‌‌is has ever se‌e‌n.

The German superstar won seven Wimbledon singles titles and reached nine finals. Her powerf‌ul fo‌‌rehand, outstanding mo‌‌vem‌en‌‌t, and at‌hle‌‌t‌‌ic‌‌ism ma‌‌de her a dif‌fic‌‌ult op‌ponen‌‌t on ev‌ery su‌rf‌‌ace, esp‌‌ecial‌ly gra‌‌s‌s.

Graf’s fa‌‌m‌‌o‌‌u‌s sli‌‌ce ba‌ckh‌an‌‌d staye‌d low an‌d sk‌id‌ded thr‌o‌u‌gh the court, often for‌cing foes in‌t‌‌o mistakes. She won her Wimbledon titles be‌‌t‌we‌e‌‌n 1988 and 1996, showing remarkable consistency throughout her care‌e‌r.

Ma‌‌ny te‌‌n‌ni‌‌s experts still consider Gr‌‌af one of the greatest all-around players in history.

MORE: What to (realistically) expect from Serena Williams in Wimbledon singles

5. Ser‌e‌n‌‌a Wi‌l‌l‌‌i‌a‌‌ms

Serena Williams turned her pow‌‌erfu‌l game int‌‌o one of the most effective techniques Wimbledon ha‌‌s ever se‌e‌n.

She wo‌n se‌ven Wimbl‌e‌‌do‌‌n si‌ngl‌‌es titles and reached 11 fi‌‌n‌als. Her serve wa‌s often the big‌gest re‌‌aso‌n for her su‌‌c‌ce‌‌s‌s. Wh‌‌en Serena was at her best, br‌‌eaking her serve on gra‌s‌s fel‌‌t al‌mo‌s‌‌t impos‌sib‌‌le.

What makes he‌r ach‌ie‌‌vements ev‌en more impr‌‌e‌‌s‌si‌ve is her longevity. Serena won he‌r firs‌t Wimbled‌on ti‌tle in 2002 and he‌‌r most recent in 2016. Few players have stayed at the top of th‌e spo‌r‌‌t for such a lon‌‌g time.

Her combin‌‌a‌‌tion of pow‌‌er, con‌‌fidence and con‌‌siste‌‌nc‌y made her one of the gre‌‌ates‌t gras‌s-cour‌‌t pl‌a‌yer‌s eve‌‌r.

4. Pete Sam‌p‌‌ras

Before Roger Federer broke recor‌ds at Wim‌bledon, Pete Sa‌m‌‌p‌‌ras was wid‌e‌ly con‌‌s‌‌idered the grea‌‌test me‌‌n’s gras‌s-co‌ur‌‌t player.

The American won seven Wimbledon titles in an eight-year span. He never los‌‌t a Wimbl‌ed‌‌o‌n fi‌nal.

Sampra‌‌s domi‌n‌at‌e‌d th‌e tou‌‌rnament throughout the 1990s wit‌h his huge se‌rv‌‌e and at‌ta‌‌c‌king sty‌‌l‌‌e. Fr‌om 1997 to 2000, he won four str‌‌ai‌g‌ht championshi‌ps and looked nearly unbeatable on gra‌‌s‌s.

For an entire gener‌‌atio‌‌n of ten‌nis fa‌‌ns, Wimbledon and Samp‌‌ra‌s became synon‌y‌mou‌‌s.

3. Novak Dj‌‌okovic

Nov‌a‌‌k Dj‌o‌‌ko‌‌vic was not exp‌ec‌‌t‌e‌‌d to become a gras‌s-cou‌‌rt le‌ge‌‌nd when he fi‌‌rst joined the tour. Ove‌r ti‌‌me, howev‌‌er, he de‌veloped int‌‌o one of Wim‌‌bl‌e‌‌don’s grea‌‌t‌est cha‌mpio‌ns.

The Serbian star has won seven Wimbledon titles and reached 10 finals. He was especially dominant from 2018 to 2022, winning four Wimbledon titles in a row.

Unlike many great gras‌s-cou‌r‌t pla‌y‌‌e‌r‌‌s, Dj‌‌o‌‌ko‌‌v‌ic bu‌‌ilt his suc‌ces‌s aro‌‌u‌nd elite returning, movement and defense. Those skills allowed him to neutralize big se‌r‌‌v‌‌ers and win crucial points under pre‌‌s‌sure.

His vi‌‌ctor‌‌ies over Federer and Raf‌‌ae‌‌l Nada‌l at Wimbled‌‌on further stren‌‌gt‌‌h‌ene‌‌d his place amo‌n‌‌g the sport’s gre‌ate‌‌s‌‌t gras‌s-court players.

MORE:Where is former ATP World No. 1 Pete Sampras

2. Roger Fe‌d‌erer

Ro‌‌g‌‌e‌r Fed‌‌e‌‌re‌‌r remains the most suc‌ces‌sful men’s sin‌‌gles pla‌‌yer in Wimble‌d‌‌on history.

The Sw‌‌is‌s legend won a re‌‌cord eight Wi‌‌mbled‌on titl‌es and reach‌‌ed 12 fi‌nal‌s. He also recorded 105 ma‌‌tch vic‌tori‌‌es at the tournament.

Fr‌‌om 2003 to 2007, Fe‌d‌‌erer won five str‌‌ai‌‌gh‌‌t Wimbl‌edon champ‌io‌‌ns‌‌hip‌s. During that peri‌‌od, his mov‌e‌‌men‌t, ser‌ving and shot-maki‌‌ng wer‌e on a dif‌f‌eren‌t le‌v‌el.

He la‌te‌r ad‌d‌‌ed mor‌e tit‌‌le‌s in 2009, 2012 and 2017, proving he could do‌‌minat‌e acros‌s mu‌lt‌‌ipl‌e eras. His elegant style and incr‌‌e‌d‌‌ibl‌e suc‌ces‌s he‌l‌ped ma‌‌ke him the face of Wimbledon for nearly two dec‌‌a‌des.

1. Ma‌rtina Navrati‌‌lova

Without a doubt, no player has dominated Wimbledon more than Martina Navratilova.

The te‌‌n‌n‌i‌s icon won a record nine Wimbledon singles titles and reached 12 final‌s. Her remarkable Wimbledon record of 120 wins and only 13 los‌s‌‌es sh‌o‌w‌‌s just how dom‌inan‌t she was on gras‌s.

Betwe‌en 1982 and 1987, Navra‌tilov‌a won six conse‌‌cuti‌ve Wimbl‌edo‌‌n cha‌‌m‌pions‌h‌i‌‌ps. He‌r ag‌g‌‌r‌es‌sive serve-an‌d-vol‌l‌ey game was pe‌‌r‌‌fe‌ctly suite‌‌d to the su‌rf‌ace and ove‌‌rwh‌elmed op‌p‌‌one‌‌nts ye‌ar after year.

Her su‌‌c‌c‌‌es‌s extend‌ed be‌yon‌‌d si‌ngles, as she al‌s‌‌o col‌lecte‌‌d seven double‌‌s an‌d four mixed do‌‌uble‌s titl‌‌es at th‌‌e Al‌l Engla‌‌nd Clu‌‌b.

Wh‌‌en the discussion focuses only on Wim‌b‌‌ledon, Navr‌ati‌‌l‌o‌‌va stan‌‌ds alone at the top.

How Jets' Viggo Bjorck draft pick is a steal despite how small he is originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Winnipeg Jets had plenty of tantalizing options available to them at the No. 8 overall pick in Friday's NHL Draft first round.

They used that spot to select Viggo Bjorck, a tiny Swedish center.

And despite his size, Bjorck might be a steal.

MORE: What the Gavin McKenna pick means for the Maple Leafs

Viggo Bjorck height, weight

He checks in at 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds.

Yep, that's small, both in height but maybe even more in weight.

Despite that, Bjorck was the first-line center for the Swedish senior national team at the World Championships in May.

MORE: Now comes the tricky part for the Canucks and Caleb Malhotra

The positive of picking Viggo Bjorck

Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin is a big fan:

"Björck was held in high regard by scouts heading into his draft year, but he gained momentum throughout this season and rose rapidly up boards. He’s just 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, but he plays with such a fearless intensity that he can go toe to toe with larger opponents regularly. Björck is a playmaker known for making his linemates better and facilitating power plays. He also has a deceptively dangerous shot. His high hockey IQ gives him a maturity beyond his years."

The Jets weren't in a position to draft for need. They needed best available.

Bjorck has a chance to outperform this slot. The first center drafted was Caleb Malhotra to the Canucks at No. 3, but Bjorck could outdo him. His size might just be some numbers.

More NHL news:

• Jack Eichel turned into Ben Simmons
• Frederik Andersen heading toward an unceremonious exit
• Cale Makar is about to become a lot more expensive
• Sidney Crosby trade plans did a 180 for the Penguins
• It's time to ask a serious Matthew Knies question

England Cricket World Cup winner makes professional baseball debut in the USA originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Liam Plunkett made his professional baseball debut for the Oakland Ballers, striking out a hitter on Friday.
• The 41-year-old was part of England's 2019 50-over World Cup-winning squad before moving to the United States.
• Plunkett is the first English cricketer to ever play professional baseball in any league.

England Cricket World Cup winner makes professional baseball debut in the USA

Few sporting careers take a turn quite like this one. Liam Plunkett, a key part of England's World Cup triumph in 2019, has reinvented himself once more, trading the cricket field for the baseball diamond with a professional debut in California on Friday night.

The 41-year-old took to the mound for the Oakland Ballers against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds in the Pioneer Baseball League, an independent competition recognised as a Major League Baseball partner. He threw five pitches and struck out Josh Duarte in front of 1,878 fans at Raimondi Park.

His moment of success could not spare the home side, who slipped to an 18-11 defeat on the night. Still, the strikeout ensured Plunkett walked away with a story few cricketers could ever tell about reinvention long after the international game had finished with them.

MORE: Ben Stokes invited Saracens players before nightclub incident as England rugby captain admits teammate 'got it wrong'

From Lord's to the mound

Plunkett will forever be associated with England's finest day in one-day cricket. He played a starring role in the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's, taking three wickets in a tied contest that England eventually won on boundary count.

That final proved to be his last international appearance. Across a decade in England colours, the Durham, Yorkshire and Surrey seamer played 13 Tests, 89 one-day internationals and 22 T20 internationals, claiming 201 wickets in all formats before stepping away from the international game for good.

An unusual style on debut

Plunkett admitted his approach on the mound owed plenty to his old trade. He described his method as a "bit unusual" and a "mix between bowling and pitching," the natural result of a cricketer learning to channel years of fast bowling into a new discipline.

He had tried batting in training before deciding that pitching suited him better. "The swing path when you bat is so different compared to cricket, especially when someone is pitching at 90mph," Plunkett told BBC Sport, joking that a "monster home run" would have gone viral.

MORE: 'We destroyed Australia': Stokes relives Ashes glory and Bazball memories at Trent Bridge

A rare cross-sport switch

The appearance was made possible by the Pioneer League's marketing player exception, a clause that lets clubs sign a high-profile name outside their usual roster rules. Plunkett believes the move made history, saying he is likely "the first English cricketer to ever play a professional game of baseball."

Now settled in the United States, Plunkett is part of the San Francisco Unicorns squad in Major League Cricket, though he is yet to feature this season. Reflecting on his debut, he said simply that to "play my first game and get a strikeout, I couldn't ask for more."

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

Barcelona continue to prioritize a move for Julian Alvarez this summer, but the club is already preparing contingency plans should negotiations with Atletico Madrid fail.

Among the names under serious consideration, Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi has emerged as one of the most highly rated alternatives, reports SPORT.

The 20-year-old French striker has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the Premier League, attracting interest from several of Europe’s biggest clubs despite not being part of France’s World Cup squad.

A rising star on Europe’s radar

Kroupi has rapidly established himself as one of the continent’s brightest young forwards.

PSG, Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona have all monitored his development closely following an impressive first full season with Bournemouth.

Didier Deschamps opted for more established attacking options such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Marcus Thuram for France’s World Cup squad.

Barcelona’s Plan B. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

But Kroupi remains a regular at youth international level and is widely expected to earn a senior call-up in the near future.

Barcelona’s contingency plan

Barcelona remain fully focused on completing a deal for Alvarez, but the club’s sporting department has identified several backup options in case negotiations prove impossible.

Among them, Kroupi is regarded as one of the most exciting long-term investments available.

Standing at 1.79 metres, the right-footed striker came through Lorient’s academy before joining Bournemouth.

After being loaned back to Lorient for a season, he established himself in the Premier League this year, scoring 13 league goals and becoming one of the division’s breakout performers.

His market value has risen dramatically, climbing from around €15 million a year ago to approximately €70 million following his outstanding campaign.

Complete forward profile

Barcelona’s scouting department has followed Kroupi long before his Premier League breakthrough, compiling consistently positive reports on the forward.

The 20-year-old striker combines technical quality with mobility, intelligent movement and strong finishing ability.

The priority target. (Photo by Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images)

While Barcelona’s priority remains securing Alvarez, Kroupi has firmly established himself among the club’s preferred alternatives.

Whether he ultimately becomes Plan B or remains simply a closely monitored target will depend on how the Argentine transfer saga unfolds.

What is clear is that Barcelona see the French striker as one of the most exciting young forwards available on the European market.

Serie A side Juventus remain in the hunt for a new goalkeeper. They have had several options on the table but they continue to make in-roads in a move for Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez.

The Argentine is playing at the World Cup for his national team but the Italian press has always felt his future could be up in the air. They believe he is happy to join Juve too.

TuttoJuve’s Mirko di Natale reports the Old Lady’s attempts haven’t stopped. They have made new contact with Aston Villa for his possible signature this week.

Efforts are underway to make sure that the Villans’ price tag reduces but it is still at over €10 million. That is where it is at but attempts could still keep going, with Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario still very much an option.

Meanwhile, Juve could also soon speak to Michele Di Gregorio’s agent to sort out his future.

Villa under no pressure

A lot of this seems agent driven as the English media has never spoken in detail about Martinez’s future. This suggests Aston Villa are quite calm and are under  no pressure to execute Martinez’s sale.

Kaustubh Pandey – GIFN

Newcastle United are positioning themselves to land Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic as he approaches free agency. The Magpies have significantly intensified their efforts to bring the Serbian international to St James’ Park. Eddie Howe is keen to add elite, physical firepower to his frontline to bolster his goalscoring options as the Magpies target a return to European football. They finished 12th in the 2025/26 campaign and, as a result, are facing a mass exodus of key players. Anthony Gordon has already left for Barcelona, while Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are currently being courted by Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, respectively.

According to reports from Italy, Newcastle have stepped up direct contact with Vlahovic’s entourage. The initial discussions are understood to have been highly encouraging, to the extent that the 26-year-old, who has previously been dubbed ‘a better player than Haaland’, is now seriously evaluating a move to England. With Vlahovic entering the final stages of his lucrative contract in Turin, the Newcastle recruitment team is eager to exploit this window of opportunity. Juventus are ready to part ways with Vlahovic to reduce the club’s hefty wage bill, freeing up more financial resources for summer acquisitions.

The Serie A giants are already actively monitoring several replacement profiles to spearhead their new-look attack, with PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani firmly on their shortlist. Newcastle are not the only team interested in Vlahovic, with Turkish giants Besiktas also keen on a swoop, although it is unclear whether he will be open to a move to Turkey. From a Newcastle perspective, securing a proven goalscorer like Vlahovic would represent a statement of intent despite his recent injury woes. He scored seven goals in just 976 minutes of league action last season.

In the last 24 hours, it has been confirmed that Nico Paz will not be returning to Real Madrid this summer. On Thursday, Los Blancos activated the €9m buy-back clause in their agreement with Como, but within a day, they agreed a deal for the Serie A side to retain his services on a permanent basis to the tune of €60m.

An immediate profit of €51m is very good news for Real Madrid, who have already spent €80m this summer on Marc Cucurella (€60m) and Denzel Dumfries (€20m), on top of free transfers Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva. The money coming in from Paz can be put towards his Argentina teammate Enzo Fernandez, who is Jose Mourinho’s top target to strengthen the midfield in his squad.

Not only have Real Madrid made a huge profit on Paz, they have also managed to retain a buy-back clause in the new agreement with Como. Next summer, they will be given the chance to definitively return him to the Bernabeu for €80m, and according to Guillermo Rai of The Athletic, they are already planning to activate this.

Real Madrid believe Paz is worth more than €80m

Right now, the feeling within Real Madrid is that Paz is worth in excess of €80m. The sale to Como for a reduced price of €60m has allowed them to retain control over the 21-year-old’s future, and there is chances for his value to grow further given that he will have a lot more prominence at the Serie A side than if he had returned to the Bernabeu, where he would not have been counted on much by Mourinho.

Real Madrid will certainly be keeping a keen eye on Paz’s development at Como during the 2026-27 season, and barring any surprises, it appears that they will sign him back next summer.

There are still plenty of future stars out there who have yet to be drafted. Can the Hurricanes identify and select them?

Here are a couple of listings of top rated players still available.

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2026-nhl-draft-top-30-players-remaining-heading-into-day-2-preston-trejbal-villeneuve

https://www.flohockey.tv/articles/16035800-2026-nhl-draft-round-2-preview-best-players-available-and-draft-order

Right now (subject to change), the Canes have five picks.

42

57

105

165

192

I will be at Lenovo and will post any updates in the comments.

During the MLB Draft Combine earlier this week, we got a slight peek into what the future looks like for UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky. Cholowsky discussed his pre-draft process, including which MLB franchises he’s met with ahead of next month’s draft.

Cholowsky told Sam Blum of The Athletic that he met with the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants. The White Sox own the first pick of the MLB Draft, with the Rays right behind them at No. 2 and the Giants owning the No. 4 pick.

That leaves out the Minnesota Twins at No. 3, but Cholowsky didn’t have too much to say when explaining why he didn’t meet with Minnesota.

"I don't know. I stay out of those talks,” Cholowsky said. “I just do whatever's on my schedule. I don't make those calls."

Top draft prospect Roch Cholowsky said he met with 3 teams at the MLB combine:

• White Sox (No. 1 selection)
• Rays (No. 2)
• Giants (No. 4)

Why not the Twins (No. 3)?

"I don't know. I stay out of those talks. I just do whatever's on my schedule. I don't make those calls."

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) June 25, 2026

Cholowsky was viewed as the No. 1 pick for much of the college season but after a quiet exit for Cholowsky and the Bruins, catcher Vahn Lackey and shortstop Grady Emerson have picked up momentum. If not the White Sox, the Giants have been viewed as an option. Cholowsky grew up a Giants fan and San Francisco have added to their signing bonus pool by trading for a second first round pick.  

It was still a terrific collegiate career for Cholowsky, owning a career batting average of .329 with 52 home runs and 167 runs batted in 178 games as a Bruin. We’ll find out Cholowsky’s home soon enough. The draft begins on July 11th where Cholowsky will be one of several UCLA players selected.

This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA's Roch Cholowsky meets with three teams ahead of the MLB Draft

The Guardians have a real hitting problem. The Pope is Catholic. Water is wet.

Yes, José Ramírez and Chase DeLauter are out. But, Luis Castillo waltzed into Progressive Field with a 5.22 ERA and shut this lineup down. There is something wrong.

Is it a pull/lift philosophy? Every team in baseball wants to pull the ball in the air, so I’m not sure. They definitely don’t hit the ball hard or barrel the ball often enough. Is that because of pull/lift? Or because their players are just not good enough? The organization needs to do some soul searching… and make some hires from organizations that know what the heck they are doing here (Milwaukee comes to mind).

I was at the game and had a great time with my daughter who is three and does not care about the score. Props to the team for fixing up the kids’ clubhouse from earlier in the year. Now, fix the offense.

Cooper Ingle debuted and looked like he had a solid approach. Hope he gets his first hit tonight. Here is his pre-game interview:

AROUND MLB

The White Sox and Tigers scored a million runs each and won their respective games.

'Ensure his comfort': Abhishek Sharma opens up on sharing dressing room with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as wonderkid waits for India debut originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Abhishek Sharma says it is the team's collective duty to ensure Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's comfort in the Indian dressing room
• The 15-year-old is yet to make his India debut, missing the 1st T20I against Ireland
• Sooryavanshi has a separate changing room under ICC and ECB safeguarding rules for under-16 players

Abhishek Sharma opens up on sharing dressing room with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as wonderkid waits for India debut

Abhishek Sharma has opened up on what it has been like to share a dressing room with teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stressing that the senior players see it as their responsibility to make the 15-year-old feel at home. The Indian opener spoke warmly of the prodigy as he waits patiently for his international debut.

Sooryavanshi was left out of the playing XI for the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast, with India unwilling to disturb their successful top order. Yet his presence in the squad has already made an impression, with the youngster's eagerness to learn standing out to his more experienced teammates.

The teenager's integration into the senior setup carries unique considerations. Under ICC and ECB safeguarding regulations, under-16 players are not permitted to use adult changing facilities, meaning Sooryavanshi has been provided with a separate changing room throughout the tour of Ireland and England.

MORE: India under Shreyas Iyer become latest victims of T20 World Cup champions' curse

Abhishek Sharma on ensuring Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's comfort

Abhishek explained that the senior group has taken it upon themselves to help the youngster settle, describing a player hungry to absorb everything around him at the start of his journey.

"I believe it is our collective duty to ensure his comfort. He is undoubtedly a young man, and from what I could see, he is constantly eager to play. He is only now beginning to learn.

"He seems to have a desire to learn a lot because he asks questions. Of course, it's also a fantasy for him. Therefore, we are making every effort to give him a sense of inclusion in the group," Abhishek Sharma said after the first T20I.

MORE: Manjrekar tears into Sundar's 'not sensible batting' in India's loss to Ireland

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's wait for a debut

Despite the anticipation, Sooryavanshi's path into the XI remains blocked by India's settled and successful combination. Abhishek and Sanju Samson form an accomplished opening pair, both of whom contributed to India's T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year.

For the management, the challenge lies in balancing the excitement around the teenager with the need to reward in-form performers. Captain Shreyas Iyer reiterated at the toss that Sooryavanshi would earn his chance when the time was right, rather than being rushed into the side.

A prodigy ready for the moment

Sooryavanshi has done everything asked of him to justify his inclusion. He finished as the highest run-scorer in IPL 2026 and smashed the fastest fifty in List A history during the India A tri-series, underlining why the selectors fast-tracked him into the senior squad.

For now, the focus within the camp is on nurturing the youngster and ensuring his transition into international cricket is as smooth as possible. As

Abhishek's comments make clear that India is determined to protect and support its brightest young talent, confident that his time on the field will come soon enough.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has given a rare glimpse of what happens in the dressing room during matchdays.

Pre-match

Shaw pulled back the curtain in an extensive club-media interview, walking fans through every stage of his matchday routine, from sunrise on game day to the recovery that follows.

He explained that upon waking, he is typically consumed by a mixture of nervousness and excitement. The former born from a burning desire to win, the latter from the simple joy of doing what he loves. The left-back made it clear that it’s ultimately a positive energy, which he relishes and has driven him for the past 12 years that he has been at the club.

Asked what he tends to eat as a pre-match meal, he answered, ” It changes. Sometimes it depends what time the game is, as well. If it’s a later game, an evening game, then I’ll go to my pasta and pesto and chicken.”

The team then sits together, he said, with the mood usually upbeat and cheerful.

“To be fair, it’s quite relaxed. We’re there quite early before kick-off. We’re normally there three-and-a-half hours before the actual game, so I think when we get there it’s more of a relaxed vibe. Everyone’s a bit more chilled and talking normally. I think more of a focus will come once we’ve had a little meeting at Carrington, before we leave. Then we step onto the bus and I think that’s when the focus changes.”

Shaw agreed that Old Trafford feels like a safe haven, shaped by years of playing there in front of the home supporters.

“Yeah, I think so. It also helps knowing you’re at home and we’ve got 70,000 fans behind us, cheering us on, which always gives us a lot of energy. Seeing the passion they have really drives us on and that’s helped us in a lot of games since I’ve been here. We’re very fortunate, for starters, to be able to play at Old Trafford. To be able to call it home, it’s a very special feeling.”

He continued, “Of course, it’s crazy and it shows the support that we have. It’s the best support in the world. Home and away, they’re always with us, always pushing us on. Like you just touched on then, the fans that come so early to see us getting off the bus, it’s a real special feeling and an honour to be at a club like Manchester United.”

On what happens from the moment the players arrive at the ground to heading out for warm-ups, Shaw remarked, “We get off the bus, we go into the changing room and then we have a couple of minutes to get our stuff ready. Then the manager will speak; a really small meeting just picking up on the last few details. He finishes and then it’s more about just preparing to go out for the warm-up.”

“I always have kind of the same routine. I get on the massage beds first, get my massage. I’ll go into another area in the changing room where there’s a mat on the floor. I’ll do my foam roller, my stretches, so it’s quite a long routine in there.”

“If there’s time to jump on with one of the physios for a last-minute stretch, I love to do that. That’s my sort of routine, though, and when it’s done I’m ready to go out for the warm-up.”

The 30-year-old named Noussair Mazraoui and Harry Maguire as the two players he sits next to the most.

In-game and post-match

Shaw further revealed that a bell is rung to alert the squad to begin warm-ups. He then applies a spray of Deep Heat to stimulate his muscles, before participating in the team huddle alongside his teammates and backroom personnel.

“Of course, everyone’s involved in the huddle. At the end of the day, it’s not just about the last that are starting the game. It’s about the whole team. Like I said, it’s not just about the ones on the bench either, it’s about the ones not involved in the squad at all. It’s every staff member that’s in and around the changing room.”

“We’re all in it together and we all want the same thing, which is to win the game. You need everyone, not just the XI going out on the pitch.”

On coming out to a packed Old Trafford, Shaw said, “It’s such a special feeling, which you can’t describe. It just makes you realise how lucky you are to be able to play for this club. Not just walking out on the pitch, but even sometimes when you drive past it at night when you’re going into town. You look at it and just think how lucky we are.”

“There are millions of people around the world that would love to be in my position and I’m one of the lucky ones, to be able to do this week in and week out. It’s a real privilege and, like I said, of course the feeling walking out is always the same. It’s an unbelievable feeling and sometimes you do have that thought in your head of how lucky we are to be in this position.”

“It’s a real privilege to be able to do that and it’s an honour to wear the shirt.”

He went on, “Yeah, it’s amazing. I touched on their support earlier, they’re unbelievable, I think, home and away. Of course there’s always a special feeling at home, especially more this season with the flags and stuff. They bring so much passion and energy, and it really flies through us. We can feel it and it helps us a lot when we’re on the pitch.”

The England international stressed that the “rivalry” games against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are more special because the intensity of it and the atmosphere.

He pinpointed the home win against City earlier in the season as “one of the best atmospheres” he has ever experienced at the Theatre of Dreams.

Shaw clarified that while his family and friends are frequent visitors to watch him play, he rarely interacts with them before games as he is fully focused on performing well. It’s only after the full-time whistle that he will acknowledge their presence in the stands.

Asked what comes after matches, Shaw told club media, “After the game I always tend to get a recovery rub. Sometimes I’ll get in the ice baths, so get in there, leave and get home. I think my evenings now look a lot different to what they were five or 10 years ago! I’ve got an extremely busy house now, with four kids, so there’s not much I can do now, really, apart from just play and have fun with them.”

“I think especially going back after a good win and being able to enjoy it with my kids and family, it’s really special.”

And if United play on a Saturday? He admitted he’s glued to Match of the Day that night, rewatching his own side’s game and checking out what everyone else got up to.

Featured image by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

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The Italian market has been shaken by the arrival of Gonçalo Ramos (who enters the TOP 10 most expensive signings in Serie A), while at the Club World Cup the angry reaction from Bielsa to the elimination of his Uruguay caused a stir, along with the announcement that Messi will start on the bench.

Now let’s take a look at today’s most important news about Italy’s biggest clubs.

Juventus, capital gains needed and the Muharemovic situation

Matteo Moretto spoke about Muharemovic on Fabrizio Romano’s YouTube channel: "Juventus are still keeping tabs on Muharemovic; they own 50% of the player’s future sale, but right now they are focused on other deals. He is also very popular abroad, even though Juve have a preferential channel."

Juventus, however, will need to register capital gains on the books as soon as possible: according to the Corriere dello Sport, Miretti (15 million), Di Gregorio (15 million), Cabal (carried on the books for 7 million), and Gatti (20/25 million) are up for sale.

Milan, is Hjulmand further away?

Atletico Madrid were interested in Gonçalo Ramos (according to Fabrizio Romano), but Milan’s offer beat the colchoneros to it, so they are now targeting another player also on Milan’s radar: Morten Hjulmand.

The player, launched at Sporting by Ruben Amorim, is valued at 45 million euros: according to Marca, Atletico Madrid are ready to submit an offer in the coming weeks.

Inter, renewal for Pio and F. Carboni on the way out

As reported by Matteo Moretto on YouTube, Inter have started talks over Pio Esposito’s renewal: "He has a contract with Inter until 2030 and earns 1.1/1.2 million net per season, but I can confirm that Inter have begun talks with the player’s agent, Mario Giuffredi, to try to improve and extend Pio Esposito’s contract. There is really great harmony between the parties."

On the outgoing side, Franco Carboni is very close to Parma: "I’ve been told a possible 4-year contract for Carboni at Parma is on the table; we’ll see when the deal can be completed, but there is a willingness to get it over the line."

Napoli, McTominay-Real? Difficult and huge asking price

According to Il Mattino, The Scottish Sun (citing Italian sources) and the Corriere del Mezzogiorno: Mourinho and Real Madrid appreciate Scott McTominay’s profile. However, the player is happy in the city and is discussing a contract renewal with Napoli: the club values him at 80 million euros.

The rumor is backed up by RAI journalist Ciro Venerato: "McTominay is appreciated by Real Madrid, but he will stay at Napoli. He should renew with the Azzurri; the Campania club have put an interesting offer on the table for him."

Roma, Soulé says "No" to Saudi Arabia

As written by the Corriere dello Sport, Al-Ahli had made an approach for Greenwood, who turned down the proposal. The Saudi club then shifted its focus to Matias Soulé, who could leave Roma.

The Argentine, however, does not want to move to the Saudi Pro League, according to Repubblica; his goal is to remain in Europe’s top leagues and earn a call-up to the national team.

Lazio, Peruzzi returns as Technical Director

According to Il Messaggero, Angelo Peruzzi is very close to becoming Lazio’s new Technical Director. It would be a return, given that he served as club manager from 2016 to 2021.

The former Biancocelesti goalkeeper has already met with Lotito and is expected to sign a one-year contract. His excellent relationship with Gennaro Gattuso played an important role in the negotiations.

Fiorentina, the preferred options out wide

As reported by La Nazione, Fiorentina have placed two names at the top of their transfer wishlist: Napoli’s Noa Lang and Leipzig’s Johan Bakayoko. However, both deals are difficult in terms of cost.

Cancellieri remains a more distant option: a cheaper alternative, but not a priority for Paratici and the Viola club.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

'Team first': R Ashwin defends Gautam Gambhir in keeping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of India lineup vs Ireland in 1st T20I originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Ravichandran Ashwin publicly defended Gautam Gambhir's decision to keep Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of India's first T20I vs Ireland.
• He argued in-form openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma should not be dropped to accommodate hype.
• Ashwin said sitting out and serving the team is a valuable role for the young prodigy.

R Ashwin defends Gautam Gambhir in keeping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's absence from India's lineup in Belfast sparked an angry reaction online, and the criticism only intensified once Ireland sealed a stunning 34-run win. Ravichandran Ashwin has now waded into the row, and he has come down firmly on the side of the team management.

Speaking to senior journalist Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel, the former off-spinner challenged the assumption that the teenager was a certainty.

"Why was the whole of India thinking that Vaibhav Suryavanshi was going to play?" Ashwin asked. "No one makes a team for an individual."

He then anchored his defence in the coach's philosophy. "What did Gautam Gambhir say? Team first, there should not be any superstar culture," Ashwin noted.

While accepting that superstars help sell the game, he asked pointedly, "What mistake did Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma make?"

MORE: Has Ireland ever beaten India in T20Is?

No room for superstar culture

Ashwin mocked the notion that India should reshape a settled top order to fit one name in. "Do we have to send three openers at once? Call Shubman Gill as well because he has scored a lot of runs. Sai Sudharsan has also scored runs," he said. His sarcasm sharpened the point.

"Send all five of them together; all of them will play in rotation," Ashwin added, underlining how crowded India's batting options have become. With several in-form players competing for the same slots, forcing a debut would mean punishing somebody who has earned their place.

For Ashwin, time on the bench is far from wasted. "There is a lot of value in sitting outside and watching the match," Ashwin explained.

"Let him sit outside, service the team, and carry drinks; there will be a lot of things to learn from that as well. A great player is not made overnight."

That advice carried a neat irony on Friday. While India slumped to defeat, Sooryavanshi spent the day exactly as Ashwin described, carrying drinks onto the field alongside Ravi Bishnoi as he soaked up his first taste of life with the senior side.

MORE: India under Shreyas Iyer become latest victims of T20 World Cup champions' curse

A long career awaits

Ashwin then turned to the long game, invoking the most revered name in Indian cricket. "Maybe once Vaibhav Suryavanshi gets playing, he will never be dropped. What happened with Sachin Tendulkar could happen with him as well," he suggested of the prodigy's potential.

His conclusion reframed the snub as a gift rather than a setback. "But my point is, he will get empathy by sitting out. It could be a long-serving career for India. Sitting outside is also a role," Ashwin said, urging patience over a rushed introduction.

I kept your quote spelling of "Suryavanshi" inside the quotes and used the headline spelling in my own prose. Say the word if you want that standardised either way.