In the computer market in the second quarter of this year, there was only one clear winner: Apple. It's the only company that managed to gain market share compared to the same period last year, as its shipments grew by 10.1%, according to a new IDC report. Apple shipped 6.7 million Macs in Q2 for a 9.9% market share, up from 6.1 million units and 8.5% market share in Q2 2025. Windows PC makers have been hit hard by their own price increases (which are due to the RAM crisis, of course). First-place Lenovo's shipments dropped to 16.6 million units from 17 million in the year-ago...

Labour lawmakers proposed a full moratorium on crypto donations in March, which some have sought be made permanent after millions of dollars in contributions were linked to Reform leader Nigel Farage.

US 10-year Treasury yields nears dangerous level while major Deribit Bitcoin options expiry approaches.

The Bitcoin miner's shares climbed about 15% after announcing it's acquiring a Texas site with up to 2 GW of power capacity to expand its AI and digital infrastructure strategy.

Bitcoin gained new upside targets for the daily close and beyond after US president Donald Trump said that Iran "wants to make a deal."

Futbol üzrə Uels milli komandasının və “Fulhem”in 29 yaşlı sağ cinah hücumçusu Harri Uilson azad agent qismində “Lids”in düşərgəsinə keçib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə “Lids Yunayted” rəsmi saytı vasitəsilə məlumat yayıb.

Tərəflər 4 illik müqaviləyə imza atıblar. Belə ki, Uilson 2030-cu ilin iyun ayının sonuna qədər müddət ərzində “tovuzquşular”ın xidmətində olacaq.

Xatırladaq ki, Harri Uilson “Liverpul”un yetirməsidir. O, karyerası ərzində “Kryu Aleksandra”, “Hall Siti”, “Derbi Kaunti”, “Bornmut”, “Kardiff Siti” kimi klubların da şərəfini qoruyub. “Fulhem”ə 2021-ci ilin yayında “Liverpul”dan 14 milyon avro qarşılığında keçmiş futbolçu bu komandanın heyətində 187 oyuna çıxıb, 36 qol vurub, 46 məhsuldar ötürmə verib.

2013-cü ildən Uels millisində çıxış edən futbolçu yığmanın heyətində 69 oyuna çıxıb, 17 qola imza atıb, 12 assist müəllifi olub.

Futbol üzrə Azərbaycan Premyer Liqasında mübarizə aparan “Kəpəz”in dayaq yarımmüdafiəçisi Olavale Onanuqa Gəncə klubundan ayrılıb.

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

Tərəflər başa çatmış müqaviləni yeniləməmək qərarına gəliblər. Klub futbolçuya xidmətlərinə görə təşəkkür edib, gələcək karyerasında uğurlar arzulayıb.

Xatırladaq ki, Olavale Onanuqa 2025-ci ilin avqust ayında yenidən Gəncə klubunun sıralarına qayıtmışdı. Nigeriyalı dayaq yarımmüdafiəçisi ötən mövsüm ölkə çempionatı və kubokunda ümumilikdə 30 oyun keçirib, 1 qol vurub.

28 yaşlı futbolçu 2023/2024-cü illər mövsümündə də “sarı-göylər”in heyətində çıxış edib. Onanuqa həmin dövrdə “Kəpəz”də 27 oyuna 2 qol vurub. “Kəpəz”dən ayrılandan sonra Olavale “Əl-Nəsr” (Küveyt) və “Bney Yehuda” (İsrail) klublarında oynayıb. O, vaxtilə Albaniyanın “Kastrioti” klubunun da şərəfini qoruyub.

Xatırladaq ki, “Kəpəz” daha öncə Rauf Hüseynli, Məmməd Hüseynov, Fərid Nəbiyev, Luis Paçu, Yusif İmanov, Camal Cəfərov və Ehtiram Şahverdiyevlə də vidalaşmışdı. Əli Səmədov, Rəhman Hacıyev və Dioqo Verdaska isə klubla yeni müqaviləyə imza atıblar.

Dortmund “Borussiya”sının futbolçusu Karim Adeyemi karyerasını İspaniyada davam etdirə bilər.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, “Barselona” alman hücumçunun xidmətində maraqlıdır. Bu barədə insayder Fabrizio Romano məlumat yayıb. Kataloniya klubu yaxın zamanda dortmundlularla danışıqlara başlayacaq.

24 yaşlı futbolçu ötən mövsüm Bundesliqada 28 oyunda 7 qol vurub, 5 məhsuldar ötürmə edib.

“Kəpəz”də ayrılıq gerçəkləşib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, klubla müqaviləsi başa çatan Olavale Onanuqa ilə yollar ayrılıb.

Ötən mövsüm Ölkə çempionatı və kubokunda ümumilikdə 30 oyun keçirən 28 yaşlı yarımmüdafiəçi 1 dəfə rəqib qapısına yol tapıb.

Multiple sources in Italy and Argentina claim Bologna are very close to securing Estudiantes creative midfielder Mikel Amondarain for circa €9m.

The 21-year-old is considered a real talent in his homeland and is a product of the Estudiantes youth academy, graduating to the senior squad last year.

So far this season, he has contributed four goals and three assists in 23 appearances for his club.

Amondarain on Bologna list

According to the Corriere dello Sport, Tuttomercatoweb, Sportitalia and more, the initial bid of €8m was rejected, but negotiations are whittling down the differences to reach the €9m asking price.

Amondarain can play in a variety of tactical positions, including in a three-man midfield, in front of the defence, or on the right wing.

Considered a box to box player, he can surge forward, but also protect the defence when required, and had been a striker in his youth.

His current contract with Estudiantes is set to run until December 2028.

Roma have identified another target in Belgium’s Diego Moreira of RC Strasbourg, but Fenerbahce and Atletico Madrid continue the battle for Mason Greenwood.

The Giallorossi are in search of a striker who can attack on the left side of a trident, and Greenwood was the first choice for coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Roma look to Moreira after Greenwood turn

They seemed to have withdrawn from the race on Wednesday when Fenerbahce had offered €40m plus a further €2m in add-ons, but today L’Equipe insist Atletico Madrid are back in the running.

It’s reported the Spaniards are offering €45m plus €5m bonus, but that they’d be the preferred option despite a lower salary because Greenwood lived in Madrid previously for Getafe and would like a return.

Either way, Roma look as if they have given up on the England international, and are looking at other candidates.

The latest is Moreira, who is currently playing for Belgium at the 2026 World Cup, where he was on the field in the victory on penalties against Senegal.

He was sold to RC Strasbourg by their sister club Chelsea in the summer of 2024 at a cost of €8.5m.

Turning 22 next month, Moreira has represented both Belgium and Portugal at youth level before committing to the country of his birth.

Gasperini and new Roma director Tony D’Amico had already shown an interest in Moreira when they were still working for Atalanta, but the Gazzetta dello Sport warn the asking price is now €40m.

His salary would be considerably lower than the one Greenwood is commanding, though.

Another alternative mentioned in the media is Dan Ndoye of Nottingham Forest.

With Mario Gila’s move to Milan now agreed, Lazio have wasted no time in lining up his successor, turning their attention to Sergi Dominguez.

According to Sky Sport, sporting director Angelo Fabiani has travelled to Croatia to meet Dinamo Zagreb in a bid to get the deal over the line.

Lazio target Dinamo Zagreb’s Dominguez to fill Gila void

Dinamo value the young defender at €12 million, a figure Lazio are hoping to reach through the inclusion of bonuses.

Fabiani’s personal trip underlines how seriously the Biancocelesti are pursuing the centre-back, whom new head coach Gennaro Gattuso has earmarked as a priority reinforcement for his backline.

Dominguez, 21, is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy who left the Catalan club for Dinamo Zagreb last summer.

He announced himself immediately in Croatia, playing a central role in the side that swept the domestic double, and his performances quickly drew attention from across Europe. Barcelona, for their part, stand to benefit from a sell-on clause included in that transfer.

For Lazio, the Spaniard represents a younger, long-term profile to inherit the shirt vacated by his compatriot Gila.

Should Fabiani succeed in bridging the gap to Dinamo’s valuation, Lazio will have moved swiftly to turn the proceeds of one Spanish centre-back’s sale into the arrival of another.

Alessandro Del Piero has looked back on Italy’s 2006 World Cup victory, the Azzurri’s most recent triumph on the game’s biggest stage, reflecting on both the joy of that summer and the turmoil that swirled around it.

Speaking to Sky Sport to mark 20 years since the success, the former Juventus forward described a campaign coloured by emotion.

“That goal against Germany has a special flavour, it was everyone’s World Cup,” Del Piero said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“Of those who lived it, dreamed it and wanted it: there’s always so much emotion. Now that I no longer play, it’s much easier to celebrate trophies, this one in particular. We keep the chat of that World Cup group alive.”

His reflections carried a note of realism about the present, too.

“Watching these World Cups, you understand that certain national teams have made great strides forward, and qualifying today is no longer so guaranteed,” he added, a pointed acknowledgement, given Italy have now missed three tournaments in a row.

Del Piero recalls staying ‘isolated’ from Juventus turmoil

The context in which Italy triumphed in 2006 was anything but straightforward. The Calciopoli scandal was engulfing Italian football that summer, with Juventus, Del Piero’s club and that of several teammates, at its centre, ultimately stripped of titles and relegated to Serie B in its aftermath.

“What was happening in the Juventus world was inexplicable, even for us inside it,” Del Piero recalled.

“Back then it was essential to stay focused. Within the group we lived very well, we were all focused and we didn’t want external news to harm our serenity. There was enormous tension, that World Cup was at times disarming for everything that was going on. But we were good at staying isolated from it, yes.”

That ability to compartmentalise, as Del Piero tells it, was central to one of the most remarkable triumphs in the country’s footballing history, a feat that looks all the more distant against the backdrop of the Azzurri’s current struggles.

Mario Gila is set to undergo his Milan medical tests on Friday, completing the transfer from Lazio for €30m, with half of that going to Real Madrid.

The defender turns 26 next month and has been at the Stadio Olimpico since 2022, but was down to the final year of his contract.

With no renewal in sight, the Biancocelesti accepted the proposal worth €30m from Milan, having also been in talks with Inter, Napoli, Juventus and Atalanta.

Gila medical scheduled for July 10

Multiple sources this evening state that Gila will be in Milan tonight, so he can undergo the necessary medical tests on Friday.

He is then ready to sign a five-year contract worth €5m net per season, while his agent is expected to pocket €5m in commission.

Lazio are only getting 50 per cent of the €30m fee, thanks to the arrangement they had agreed with Real Madrid when buying the defender for just €6m in 2022.

As part of the deal, La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Milan will also buy Lazio youth team left-back Lorenzo Calvani for €2.5m.

This is €30m for the total, specifically €27m plus some easy to achieve add-ons.

Nico Gonzalez impressed on loan with Atletico Madrid, but Juventus have reportedly warned he cannot make the move permanent for less than €28m.

The 28-year-old is currently preparing for the World Cup quarter-final with Argentina against Switzerland, having made 55 senior appearances for his country with six goals.

His future remains up in the air, as he was loaned out to Atletico Madrid last season for just under €2m and is eager to remain after five goals in 37 games.

Nico Gonzalez welcome back at Juventus

However, Tuttosport insist that Juventus and specifically coach Luciano Spalletti would more than welcome the Argentine back to Turin in the summer.

With that in mind, the asking price is not going to drop below €28m, which might be beyond Diego Simeone’s valuation.

There was a potential obligation to buy for €32m, but that was not triggered.

The negotiations have dried up and it is increasingly likely that Nico Gonzalez will be part of the Juventus squad this term.

He was purchased from Fiorentina for a total of €36.5m plus add-ons, arriving on loan in 2024 with obligation to make it permanent, and the contract runs to June 2029.

Nico Gonzalez had been pushed out by previous coach Igor Tudor, but when he was sacked and replaced by Spalletti, their approach changed.

The difficulties of players like Edon Zhegrova and Lois Openda to deliver in wide areas leaves room for Nico Gonzalez to make his mark for the Bianconeri.

Zion Suzuki could be set for a Premier League move, with Leeds United poised to step up their interest in the Parma goalkeeper after losing Illan Meslier to Arsenal.

The Gunners have officially confirmed the signing of Meslier, the 26-year-old France goalkeeper departing after seven seasons at Elland Road, during which he racked up 215 appearances and kept 70 clean sheets.

He will wear the number 30 shirt at his new club.

Leeds ready to move for Parma’s Suzuki

Meslier’s exit leaves a vacancy between the posts at Leeds, and the club are reportedly ready to act quickly to fill it.

Suzuki has been identified as the man to do so, with Leeds preparing to lodge a fresh offer for the Parma stopper shortly.

The Japan international has caught the eye during his time in Serie A, and his situation has been closely watched, Juventus were among the Italian clubs credited with contacts over the goalkeeper earlier in the window.

A concrete Leeds bid would now test Parma’s resolve, and potentially open the door to a Premier League switch for one of the division’s more coveted young goalkeepers.

Enzo Fernandez could end up staying at Chelsea because his transfer fee is too high for any serious interest.

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Enzo Fernandez is in a tricky situation.

The midfielder wants to leave Chelsea – he made that clear with his comments earlier this year, and with his subsequent refusal to commit to the club.

But the fact that the Blues paid more than £100m for him and are determined to not lose a penny on any sale means that very few clubs are interested. Now that Real Madrid have declared publicly that they’re not interested, there’s almost nobody left.

As journalist Ben Jacobs pointed out, Enzo’s strong World Cup isn’t really attracting suitors – it’s just reinforcing Chelsea’s belief that he’s player worth what they’re asking for.

Enzo could be playing his way out of a future move

“Enzo Fernandez, at the price he’s valued, doesn’t have that many options,” Jacobs said on the London is Blue podcast this morning.

“He’s again putting himself at the forefront of a lot of clubs’ minds and in the shop window because of the World Cup he’s having, but this will only make Chelsea double down in wanting to keep him unless their valuation is met and he’s still very well contracted.”

In other news…

One really interesting player on the market this summer is Christos Tzolis, and Arsenal are front of the queue to sign him.

Liverpool are really keen on Bradley Barcola this summer – but the price PSG are putting on him is pretty crazy, and there are big questions over whether the Reds would pay it.

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The post £100m midfielder’s World Cup performances making transfer move less likely claims insider appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It took far, far longer than anyone expected, but the Washington Commanders are finally retiring John Riggins’ number. The team announced the news on social media Thursday, sending out a video and statement honoring Riggins.

In his nine seasons with the Commanders, Riggins rushed for 7,472 yards, making him the franchise’s all-time leader in the stat. The team will officially retire Riggins’ No. 44 during a Nov. 8 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

This story will be updated.

The 113th Tour de France began on July 4 with a Grand Départ out of Barcelona, Spain – the first time the race has begun in the Catalonian city. The race will wind through more than 3,000 km of terrain before wrapping up in Paris on July 26. In the U.S., you can catch the entire Tour de France on Peacock — every stage will stream every day on the platform. NBC will also air live coverage and highlights of select stages, including the race's last day. (Can't watch live? Peacock will stream Tour de France Daily, a highlights show featuring all of the day's biggest moments from 7-8 p.m. ET every day of the race.) You can stay on top of all the daily Tour de France news, including highlights and winners from every stage and much more at our Yahoo Sports cycling hub.

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the 2026 Tour de France, including the complete race schedule and

How to watch the 2026 Tour de France:

Dates: July 4-26, 2026

Location: Barcelona, Spain to Paris, France

TV channel: NBC (Stages 1, 8, 14, 15, 20 and 21)

Streaming: Peacock, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV, YouTubeTV and more

When is the 2026 Tour de France?

This year's Tour de France runs from July 4-26, 2026.

How long is the 2026 Tour de France?

This year's Tour de France began with a Grand Départ in Barcelona, Spain on July 4. The race will cover cover approximately 3,321 kilometers, wrapping up in Paris on July 26.

What is the 2026 Tour de France schedule?

Here's a complete breakdown of every stage of this year's Tour de France (all times Eastern):

• July 4: Stage 1: 10 a.m. — Barcelona / Barcelona (Peacock, NBC)

• July 5: Stage 2: 7 a.m. — Tarragona / Barcelona (Peacock)

• July 6: Stage 3: 5:30 a.m. — Granollers / Les Angles

• July 7: Stage 4: 6:30 a.m. — Carcassonne / Foix (Peacock)

• July 8: Stage 5: 7 a.m. — Lannemezan / Pau (Peacock)

• July 9: Stage 6: 6 a.m. — Pau / Gavarnie-Gèdre (Peacock)

• July 10: Stage 7: 6:30 a.m. Hagetmau / Bordeaux (Peacock)

• July 11: Stage 8: 6:30 a.m. — Périgueux / Bergerac (Peacock, coverage on NBC at 8 a.m. ET)

• July 12: Stage 9: 6:30 a.m. — Malemort / Ussel (Peacock)

• July 14: Stage 10: 6:30 a.m. — Aurillac / Le Lioran (Peacock)

• July 15: Stage 11: 7 a.m. — Vichy / Nevers (Peacock)

• July 16: Stage 12: 7 a.m. — Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours / Chalon-sur-Saône (Peacock)

• July 17: Stage 13: 6:30 a.m. — Dole / Belfort (Peacock)

• July 18: Stage 14: 6:30 a.m. — Mulhouse / Le Markstein Fellering (Peacock, encore coverage on NBC at 3 p.m. ET)

• July 19: Stage 15: 6:30 a.m. — Champagnole / Plateau de Solaison (Peacock, encore coverage on NBC at 2 p.m.)

• July 21: Stage 16: 6:30 a.m. — Évian-les-Bains / Thonon-les-Bains (Peacock)

• July 22: Stage 17: 6:30 a.m. — Chambéry / Voiron (Peacock)

• July 23: Stage 18: 6 a.m. — Voiron / Orcières (Peacock)

• July 24: Stage 19: 7 a.m. — Gap / Alpe d'Huez (Peacock)

• July 25: Stage 20: 6 a.m. Le Bourg d'Oisans / Alpe d'Huez (Peacock, live coverage on NBC at 8 a.m.)

• July 26: Stage 21: 9:30 a.m. Thoiry / Paris Champs-Élysées (Peacock, encore coverage on NBC at 2 p.m.)

How to watch the 2026 Tour de France in the US:

In the U.S., every stage of the Tour de France will stream on Peacock. NBC will also air coverage from Stage 1, 8, 14, 15, 20, and 21, though some of it will be on a time delay. You can find NBC's coverage of the race on live TV platforms, including DirecTV, YouTube TV, and more. 

While countries around the world are peacefully coming together and celebrating the global sport of soccer with the World Cup, one Palestinian professional soccer player who dreamed of one day playing in the World Cup lost his life before the birth of his first child while trying to care for his family.

According to multiple outlets, 32-year-old Palestinian professional goalkeeper Saleem al-Ashqar was killed by Israeli fire while trying to secure a cooking gas cylinder for his family in southern Gaza, leaving behind his wife, who was pregnant with their first child.

Al Jazeera reports that al-Ashqar set out on a motorcycle to search for a cooking gas cylinder, but he was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the town of al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The Palestine Football Association shared that al-Ashqar was struck in the abdomen and rushed to the hospital, where he died of his injuries hours later.

“He went out like any other young man, just trying to provide a gas cylinder for his wife and family, but the treacherous bullets of the occupation struck him,” his uncle, Captain Farid al-Ashqar, a member of the PFA referees committee who had helped raise Saleem, told Al Jazeera.

World Cup Dreams

Al-Ashqar spent his professional career playing for three clubs in the Gaza Strip, representing Al-Aqsa Sports Club and Al-Masdar Sports Club previously before last playing for Khadamat Khan Younis.

While al-Ashqar never had the opportunity to play for the Palestinian national team, his father says that was the ultimate goal for his career.

“He had big dreams,” his father, Khadir Saleem al-Ashqar, told NBC News of his 32-year-old son. “His goal was to make it to the Palestinian national team and proudly represent his people and Palestine on the world stage.”

“When club managements would sit with us to negotiate his contract, Saleem would tell them, ‘I don’t need money; I need to be a player who represents my homeland, my people, and the State of Palestine,’” his uncle told Al Jazeera.

Abdulghani al-Sheikh, president of Khadamat Khan Younis, described the news of al-Ashqar’s killing as a “shocking and harsh” blow to the players, coaching staff, and fans.

“Every martyr from the sports movement is a human story before becoming a statistical number,” al-Sheikh said, addng that he was a “life force” and “role model” for future generations.

Over 1,000 Palestinian Athletes Killed

While al-Ashqar is the latest athlete killed in the region, he is certainly not the only one.

According to the official Palestinian Football Association (PFA), at least 1,009 athletes have been killed in the conflict with Israel.

Mustafa Siam, secretary-general of the Palestinian Sports Media Union, said the figure reflects the “heavy losses suffered by the Palestinian sports sector,” alongside the destruction of numerous stadiums and sports facilities during the war.

The post Palestinian goalkeeper killed by Israeli forces during World Cup appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

Steelers Rookie WR Germie Bernard Turning Heads Ahead of Training Camp originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With training camp weeks away, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard is earning plenty of attention early on.

Bernard, the Alabama standout who was drafted by Pittsburgh with the No. 47 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has quickly translated his collegiate big-play ability to the pro level, drawing rave reviews during offseason workouts for his sharp route-running and immediate chemistry with the starting offense.

Heading into training camp, Bernard projects to compete for the WR3 role — behind DK Metcalf and offseason acquisition Michael Pittman Jr. — with third-year receiver Roman Wilson. While Wilson might enter training camp with the starting role, some insiders are saying Bernard is a real threat to become the starter come the 2026 season.

Germie Bernard drawing rave reviews at training camp

Ahead of training camp in late July, the rookie Bernard is gaining attention in the Steelers offense. The former Crimson Tide wide receiver has been praised for his ability to line up all over the field, and, moreover, his route-running ability.

Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo noted how Bernard's route-running fits in the Steelers offense, saying, "Bernard was the savviest route runner in the receiver class, and he’ll do an excellent job working underneath the coverage while DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. play a more vertical game for the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Melo is not the only one noting Bernard as a potential breakout candidate in his rookie season, with others saying his work in the offseason — and the open spot in the starting group — will give him an opportunity to shine.

Steelers training camp is still weeks away, but rookie WR Germie Bernard is making an impression during the off-season. pic.twitter.com/gLsxLmTUeu

— Steelers Black and Gold Nation - Training Camp SZN (@B_GNation1) July 7, 2026

Bernard projects to compete with Wilson, who was selected out of Michigan with the 84th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, for the third wide receiver spot, operating out of the slot. Per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, "Fans want to look past Wilson and go right to Germie Bernard. But Wilson will clearly be WR3 when camp starts. The question will be how long he can keep it."

Wilson had 12 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns for Pittsburgh during the 2025 season, and while coach Mike McCarthy will use both in his personnel, Bernard is a notable fit. DeFabo notes that his "versatile, pro-ready profile and potential for yards after the catch should ease his transition."

When training camp begins, expect Bernard to show his talent, whether route-running from the slot or his versatility to line up anywhere on the field, which he became known for under Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa. Now, the question is simple: How he will translate to the next level with a Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and a new, professional-tailored system?

Germie Bernard college stats

Bernard was productive for three teams in college, bursting onto the scene at Alabama.

More Steelers

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• Complete history of Steelers championships

The Indiana Fever will face the Phoenix Mercury tonight for the first time since their dust-up on June 24. In that matchup, the Mercury's Alyssa Thomas was issued a flagrant foul after the fact for putting her fist on Caitlin Clark's throat. The situation has opened up a broader conversation about how games are officiated in the league. Clark returned to action last night after missing two games due to a back injury and is expected to play tonight. Thomas is on the Mercury's injury report but is also listed as probable for tonight's matchup.

Thursday's Fever vs. Matchup game will stream on Prime Video starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. (It will immediately follow the 8 p.m. ET game between the Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream.) Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury game, and check out the complete 2026 Indiana Fever schedule below.

How to watch Caitlin Clark's next WNBA game of the season:

Date: July 9, 2026

Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 pm. PT

TV channel: WTHR (Indiana)

Streaming: Prime Video

Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury game time: 

The Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury game tips off at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 11.

Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury game channel:

The Fever vs. Mercury game will stream on Prime Video. Indiana fans can also watch locally on WTHR.

How to watch the Fever vs. Mercury game without cable:

Most Thursday night WNBA games, including this week's Mercury vs. Fever matchup, stream on Prime Video. The game will also stream the next day on WNBA League Pass.

What channel are WNBA games on this season? 

For the 2026 season, WNBA games will be spread across a wide range of channels (and streaming platforms). Games will air on ABC, ESPN (and ESPN2/ESPN+), CBS, NBC (and NBCSN), ION, USA Network, and NBA TV. Plus, some games will be exclusive to Amazon Prime Video; games that air on NBC will stream on Peacock; games on CBS will be available on Paramount+; and select games airing on ABC will stream on Disney+. Certain games will also be available only via League Pass. 

Confused? Overwhelmed? Don't have cable these days? Here's a loose weekly schedule for which nights of the week get which channels, plus what you'll need to watch WNBA games in 2026: 

• Sunday — ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBA TV, or NBC

• Monday — NBCSN/Peacock or USA

• Tuesday — ESPN

• Wednesday — USA

• Thursday — NBA TV or Prime Video

• Friday — ION

• Saturday — ABC, CBS or NBCSN/Peacock

Indiana Fever 2026 Broadcast Schedule: 

All times Eastern

Thursday, July 9, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury, 10 p.m. (Prime Video/Local Broadcasters)

Sunday, July 12, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Las Vegas Aces, 9 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

• Golden State Valkyries vs. Indiana Fever, 8 p.m. (USA Network/Local Broadcasters)

Friday, July 17, 2026

• Seattle Storm vs. Indiana Fever, 7:30 p.m. (ION/WNBA League Pass)

Saturday, July 18, 2026

• New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever, 8 p.m. (CBS/Paramount+)

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

• Connecticut Sun vs. Indiana Fever, 8 p.m. (USA Network/Local Broadcasters)

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN/Local Broadcasters)

Friday, July 31, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Portland Fire, 10 p.m. (ION/WNBA League Pass/Local Broadcasters)

Sunday, August 2, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx, 1 p.m. (ABC)

Thursday, August 6, 2026

• Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever, 7 p.m. (Prime Video)

Saturday, August 8, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

• New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Friday, August 14, 2026

• Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever, 7:30 p.m. (ION/WNBA League Pass)

Sunday, August 16, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Toronto Tempo, 7 p.m. (ESPN/Local Broadcasters)

Thursday, August 20, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings, 8 p.m. (Prime Video/Local Broadcasters)

Saturday, August 22, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty, 7 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday, August 23, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky, 7 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Friday, August 28. 2026

• Connecticut Sun vs. Indiana Fever, 7:30 pm. (ION/WNBA League Pass)

Friday, September 18, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Toronto Tempo, 7:30 p.m. (ION/WNBA League Pass/Local Broadcasters)

Sunday, September 20, 2026

• Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever, 4 p.m. (NBA TV/Local Broadcasters)

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

• Minnesota Lynx vs. Indiana Fever, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Thursday, September 24, 2026

• Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx, 8 p.m. (USA Network/Local Broadcasters)

Michigan State will warm up for its much-anticipated 2026-27 season on the other side of Lake Michigan.

Michigan State announced Thursday a home-and-home exhibition series with Marquette, which will send the Spartans to Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum on Sunday, Oct. 25. With that, Michigan State's exhibition schedule is set. The Spartans will also host UConn at Breslin Center for another exhibition, date to be determined, as the return trip of the deal that sent them to Storrs last season.

Michigan State is coming off a 27-8 season (15-5 Big Ten) and is expected to rank highly in the preseason rankings. Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. returns for his redshirt junior season after leading the Spartans with 15.2 points per game and the country with 9.4 assists per game. Michigan State lost only one player to the transfer portal, returning depth at many positions while bolstering the frontcourt with Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke.

More: Michigan State can do ‘something special’ with Jeremy Fears return

Marquette, of the same Big East conference as UConn, missed the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in coach Shaka Smart's five-year tenure. The Golden Eagles went 12-20 overall, 7-13 in the Big East, though one of those wins came against UConn (34-6), which wound up playing in the national championship game against Michigan.

Tom Izzo is 2-0 against Smart, with a win in the 2023 NCAA Tournament to send Michigan State to the Sweet 16, and a win over his old Texas Longhorns in the 2018 Las Vegas Invitational.

Michigan State is 33-23 against Marquette in 56 career meetings dating to February 1922. The Spartans have won the last five meetings dating to 1956. Before then, Michigan State went 9-14 on the road against Marquette but 20-9 at home.

In the schedule that counts, Michigan State is also playing some notable opponents. The Spartans will see Duke at Chicago's United Center for the Champion's Classic on Nov. 10 and Arkansas at Little Caesars Arena on Thanksgiving. Gonzaga and MSU will also play at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California, with the game expected to take place Dec. 19. Michigan State will also play at Tennessee on a date to be determined.

cearegood@detroitnews.com

@ConnorEaregood

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Spartans finish 2026-27 exhibition schedule with Marquette series

FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina has hit out at "unfounded allegations" against World Cup match officials in the wake of Argentina's controversial last 16 victory over Egypt.

In comments posted on FIFA's official website, Collina defended officials who oversaw Argentina's 3-2 win in Atlanta and were accused of malpractice by Egypt coach Hossam Hassan.

Hassan speculated that the officiating team for the game, headed by French referee Francois Letexier may have been subjected to "external pressure" to favour Argentina.

The claims came after a string of decisions went against the Egyptians, including a goal chalked off by VAR for a foul committed much earlier in the move at the other end of the field.

Collina though rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing or a conspiracy to assist Argentina's World Cup campaign.

"Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport," Collina said. 

"Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.

"Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA Refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA President (Gianni Infantino). 

"Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best."

Egypt coach Hassan said his team had been the victims of "injustice" by officials.

"We have been cheated unfairly today, we have suffered injustice," Hassan said after his team's loss, suggesting that FIFA "wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running."

"In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions received support at every level," Hassan told BeIn Sports.

But on the specific case of the decision to disallow Mostafa Zico's superb breakaway goal which would have given Egypt a 2-0 lead, Collina said referees had acted correctly after VAR spotted a foul in the build-up.

"If a foul is identified in the build-up and is deemed to have had an impact on the goal, the VAR will recommend an on-field review," the Italian said. "There is no defined limit regarding either the distance from goal or the amount of time between the incident and the goal.

"We believe that a foul is a foul. Regardless of whether the foul appears 'obvious', if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene."

rcw/bb

After a well deserved day off, the most dramatic World Cup in recent memory returns with some quarterfinal action today, starting with France against the Champions (administrative) of Africa.

France have rolled through the competition without too much trouble, certainly after the first-half of their first game against Senegal, winning all five of their games by an average margin of over two goals. Other than that opening 45, it’s been dominant from last year’s beaten finalists, who are obviously hoping to do one better. And they’ve certainly got the firepower, the depth, and the absolute quality at every position to do so. The only team to give them any pause, really, were Paraguay in the Round of 16, but they had to employ all sorts of shenanigans just to try to stay in it, and they still were defeated in regulation in the end.

Morocco meanwhile have not always managed to impress, and ironically, two of their best games both ended in draws: 1-1 against Brazil in the opening game and the same scoreline against the Netherlands in the Round of 32 before winning on penalties. They did put three past Canada in the Round of 16 and four past Haiti in the groups, but finishing chances remains a pain point for this team, especially now with leading scorer Ismael Saibari set to miss out due to injury.

France are the obvious and heavy favorites here, but we’ve seen plenty of shocks (or near shocks) in this World Cup, so let’s hope that sort of entertainment continues.

Date / Time: Thursday, July 9, 2026, 4pm EDT; 9pm BST
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA, USA
Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina)

On TV: FOX, Telemundo (USA); ITV 1 (UK); elsewhere
Streaming online: FOX One, Peacock (USA); ITVx (UK)

Chelsea interest: Malo Gusto started the tournament as the second-choice right back, and has remained behind Jules Koundé ever since. He has made three substitute appearances off the bench, a couple last-minute cameos plus a 15-minute stint in the 3-0 laugher against Sweden in the Round of 32. He’s not featured in any of their close games (Senegal, Paraguay) and unless something drastic happens, I don’t expect that situation to change.

Similarly, Chelsea target Maxence Lacroix has served as one of the backup center backs and would only get gametime now if there’s an injury ahead of him. He did play the full-90 against Norway in the final group stage game, and did just fine against a Haaland-less opposition.

Former Chelsea favorite N’Golo Kanté has not seen any action yet, but the adorable veteran midfielder could play a role today, with Aurélien Tchouaméni still injured and Manu Koné one yellow card away from a suspension.

And there’s of course former Chelsea Academy prospect Michael Olise, who’s been one of the absolute stars of this tournament, and leads all players with five assists.

Wolfsburg midfielder Christian Eriksen is preparing to begin an individual rehabilitation programme in his native Denmark, following a concerning second medical incident in June.

The 34-year-old briefly lost consciousness during a friendly international between Denmark and Ukraine on June 8, an event that led to the match's abandonment and renewed fears for his health.

This latest incident marked a deeply concerning recurrence for Eriksen, who famously suffered a cardiac arrest during the Covid-19 pandemic-postponed Euro 2020 tournament. In the aftermath of his recent collapse, the midfielder swiftly took to social media to reassure his supporters, clarifying that he wanted "to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021".

Wolfsburg confirmed the rehabilitation plans in a statement, detailing the arrangements for their player.

"Christian Eriksen will shortly begin an individual rehabilitation programme,” the statement began.

“Following discussions with VfL Managing Director Dieter Hecking, it was decided that the 34-year-old will complete it in his native Denmark. VfL remains in regular contact with Christian and the doctors overseeing his treatment. We continue to wish Christian all the very best with his rehabilitation."

In a poignant Instagram post following the June incident, Eriksen shared his personal experience and gratitude: "I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family. As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021.

“In addition to being grateful for the support and assistance of all the players and the medical team on the field, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years. Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it. For now, my focus is on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children."

Eriksen’s initial health scare saw him require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during Denmark’s 1-0 defeat to Finland at Parken Stadium on June 12, 2021. A pacemaker was fitted days later.

Due to stringent Serie A rules preventing players with pacemakers from competing, he subsequently left Inter Milan. He then resumed his professional career with Brentford in 2022, enjoyed a three-year spell at Manchester United, and joined Wolfsburg last summer on a two-year deal.

Every NFL team can point to its stars. The Philadelphia Eagles certainly have their fair share. Howie Roseman deserves his fair share of credit. You'll never be able to say this team lost because he didn't do his job. There's talent on both sides of the ball, but championship teams aren't defined solely by their biggest names.

They're defined by what happens when someone misses a game, a young player is thrust into a larger role, or the schedule begins testing a roster's depth over the course of a 17-game season. That's where Philadelphia may quietly separate itself from much of the NFL. Depth has become one of the organization's greatest strengths.

The Eagles have built more than a talented starting lineup

Depth is questioned on every roster thanks to free agency and a salary cap. Every team will always seemingly need something, but there aren't many major holes on this Eagles depth chart.

Hollywood Brown gives them another proven playmaker at wide receiver, while Makai Lemon enters camp as one of the roster's most intriguing young receivers. The offensive line features multiple players capable of stepping into larger roles if needed, continuing a tradition of strong development in the trenches.

Defensively, the Eagles have created competition throughout the secondary. Riq Woolen adds another experienced cornerback to a group already featuring Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Andrew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, and DeJean provide Vic Fangio with multiple answers at safety. The defensive front remains loaded with players capable of rotating without a significant drop in production. Few teams can say the same.

Depth often decides who is still playing in January

The NFL season has a way of testing every roster. Injuries are inevitable. Young players are asked to grow up quickly. Veterans occasionally miss time, and unexpected contributors emerge every season.

The Eagles appear well-equipped for those moments. That doesn't guarantee another deep playoff run, but it does provide something every contender values: flexibility. Philadelphia isn't forced to rely on any single player or position group to carry the roster because quality depth exists across both sides of the football.

That's no accident. It's the result of years spent building a roster capable of surviving the inevitable challenges that come with an NFL season. The Eagles enter 2026 with plenty of recognizable stars, and they'll need those players to perform at a high level. Their championship hopes, however, may depend just as much on the players who don't dominate headlines. That's often the difference between good teams and great ones, and it's one of the reasons Philadelphia once again finds itself among the NFL's most complete rosters.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles’ roster depth may separate them from NFL contenders

The Michigan men’s basketball team missed out on one of the most coveted international prospects in the freshman recruiting class, as Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica has reportedly committed to UCLA.

Kusturica’s recruitment came down to the wire, with 247Sports’ Travis Branham initially logging a Crystal Ball prediction in favor of Kentucky before removing it not long after that, signaling a pretty heated recruiting war. It seemed like things were trending in the right direction for the Wolverines, but all that changed once Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks.

Following May’s departure, all the predictions flipped over to the Bruins, giving Mick Cronin another highly regarded overseas prospect that could eventually transfer to Michigan and find more success a year from now. (sarcasm font…but not really).

This is really tough news, as Kusturica would have been a great fit for the Wolverines’ final remaining roster spot. He burst onto the recruiting scene during the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket Tournament, where he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three across 25.6 minutes per game en route to tournament MVP honors. That performance helped establish him as a coveted recruit and a future NBA player, with some of the way-too-early projections viewing him as a potential lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft.

All in all, this is a tough pill to swallow for interim head coach Mike Boynton Jr. and company. It’s especially tough considering that Kusturica was viewed, at one time, as a legitimate candidate to commit to Michigan. Instead, he will be going to a different school in the same conference. It’s completely understandable, but it’s also frustrating knowing what could have been.

For now, Boynton will continue working on retaining the current roster. The lone player yet to reaffirm his commitment to the Wolverines for next season is guard L.J. Cason.

Colts to induct Adam Vinatieri Into Ring of Honor originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Adam Vinatieri’s legendary NFL career continues to receive the recognition it deserves.

The Indianapolis Colts announced Wednesday that Vinatieri will become the 21st member of the franchise’s prestigious Ring of Honor. The ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 18 during the Colts’ home game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium, adding another milestone to a remarkable year for one of football’s greatest kickers.

The honor comes just weeks before Vinatieri is set to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, cementing his legacy as arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history.

Vinatieri spent 14 seasons with the Colts after beginning his career with the New England Patriots. While he won three Super Bowls in New England, he added another championship with Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLI and became one of the most reliable players in franchise history.

His consistency and longevity helped rewrite the NFL record book.

Vinatieri’s legendary career recognized 

Vinatieri retired as the league’s all-time leader in career points with 2,673 and career field goals made with 599, two records that remain unmatched. He also owns one of the most impressive streaks in league history, converting 44 consecutive field goals during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Throughout his 24-year NFL career, Vinatieri earned four First-Team All-Pro selections and was named to the Pro Bowl three times. He also was selected to both the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, recognizing his dominance over multiple eras.

Although his statistics are extraordinary, Vinatieri is perhaps best remembered for delivering in the game’s biggest moments. His clutch kicks helped the Patriots capture Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII, earning a reputation as one of the most dependable postseason performers in NFL history.

The Colts’ Ring of Honor celebrates players, coaches and contributors who have left a lasting impact on the organization. Vinatieri’s induction places him alongside some of the greatest names in franchise history.

With his Hall of Fame induction next month and his Ring of Honor ceremony this fall, 2026 has become a fitting celebration of a player whose right leg produced some of the most iconic moments the NFL has ever witnessed.

More NFL news: 

• Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer hints at more physical training camp ahead
• Christian Parker's message on Caleb Downs should terrify NFL offenses
• Cowboys breathe easier after Dak Prescott update as backfield battle heats up
• Jerry Jones faces unwelcome advice as 6× Pro Bowler urges George Pickens to take different route
• Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce wedding stage secret might be her biggest production yet
• Dallas Goedert explains decision to remain with Philadelphia Eagles in free agency

The Boston Red Sox suffered another health setback as they fight their way back into the American League playoff picture.

Boston placed Ranger Suarez on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to July 6, with a left groin strain. They called up infielder Brett Harris from Triple-A Worcester to fill the vacant roster spot.

The Red Sox signed Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract last offseason to bolster their starting rotation. He's validated the sizable investment by posting a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts.

Suarez, who had spent eight seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, was slated to return to Citizens Bank Park after receiving his second career All-Star selection. The 30-year-old has paired his typically stout run prevention with a career-high 25.8 strikeout percentage and his lowest WHIP (1.16) since 2021.

Do you have a take to get off your chest? Do you want to engage in a growing Red Sox community? Comment on our content alongside staff and fans alike!

Suarez exited Sunday's start against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning after attempting to field a ground ball. After the game, per MLB.com's Courtney Hollmon, the southpaw said through an interpreter that he "felt a big pinch around the groin area."

"When he jumped on that ball, you could kind of see it," Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. "We watched the replay. It looked like he jumped on that ball and felt a little something in the groin. And then obviously threw a pitch and felt it on the pitch, like we're not going to continue."

Losing Suarez is another big blow to a Red Sox rotation also operating without ace Garrett Crochet and rookie Connelly Early. Some help is on the way, as Patrick Sandoval is scheduled to make his first MLB start in over two years on Thursday afternoon.

Even if Sandoval proves a steady option, the Red Sox now need another starter to join Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett. They could call up Brayan Bello back from Triple-A to start one of three games against the New York Mets before the All-Star break.

More MLB: Report: Red Sox Expected To Be 'Realistic' About Trade Deadline

The Texas Longhorns have been burning up the recruiting trail lately. There's still one huge prize that's still out there, and that's 2027 four-star running back Landen Williams-Callis out of Richmond, Texas.

He recently took an official visit to Texas on June 19. That trip catapulted the Longhorns into a great position when it comes to landing Williams-Callis. According to Sam Spiegelman and Steve Wiltfong of Rivals, Texas is the favorite to get a commitment from Williams-Callis as both have logged predictions in favor of the Longhorns. Spiegelman broke down why this is the case.

Williams-Callis has a fantastic relationship with first-year Longhorns position coach Jabbar Juluke and is excited about the blueprint that Steve Sarkisian and the staff laid out for him in Austin. A well-placed source told Rivals that Texas took a significant step forward this week that changed the trajectory of this recruitment. That intel aligns with colleague Steve Wiltfong, who also likes Texas’ chances in this race down the stretch. With that, we’ve moved our predictions reflecting the Horns’ position right now.

There was a bit on controversy once this was announced on Wednesday. When Josh Newberg of Rivals posted a video of Wiltfong speaking on his prediction that Williams-Callis will choose Texas, the elite prospect said this on social media.

I never talked to you or anybody from rivals, this is a complete lie 💯 https://t.co/5FVRsfReBh

— Landen Williams-Callis (@CallisLanden) July 8, 2026

Well, that was certainly spicy. However, there's clearly a misunderstanding here. Wiltfong never mentioned that he talked to Williams-Callis about where he was going to commit. Nonetheless, Texas has clearly gained some major momentum when it comes to the recruitment of the 5-foot-7.5, 190-pounder.

Williams-Callis is listed as the nation's No. 47 overall recruit and the No. 3 running back per Rivals industry rankings. He's also ranked as the No. 6 prospect in Texas.

The Longhorns are aiming to further improve their top-five recruiting class for the 2027 cycle.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on X (Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on X @StarConscience

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas predicted to land four-star RB Landen Williams-Callis

The Atlanta Falcons have pulled off two big contract extensions so far this off-season, inking top wide receiver Drake London to a four-year, $141 million deal and tight end Kyle Pitts to a three-year, $54 million extension.

It's been a couple of weeks but we now finally have the details on Pitts' new contract with the Falcons. Here's how it breaks down by cap hits year by year, according to figures available at Over the Cap.

Kyle Pitts cap hits

• 2026: $4,622,000
• 2027: $7,965,000
• 2028: $13,017,000
• 2029 (void): $27,396,000

Pitts' deal includes $36 million in guarantees, including a $16.785 million signing bonus.

It'sa fair market deal for Pitts, but if it doesn't age well then the earliest the Falcons can get out from under it without an extremely painful dead money hit against the cap savings is in 2028, when they'd save $9.61 million and take a hit of just over $3.4 million.

Pitts' cap hit for 2026 is just a little bit higher than what OTC projected when the deal was announced, which saves the Falcons around $10.4 million in cap space instead of the $11 million we originally put them down for.

That puts Atlanta's current cap space at $37,961,331, which is the fifth-most in the NFL right now.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Contract details revealed for Falcons TE Kyle Pitts

How Brewers could get tempted to trade .831 OPS outfielder to Guardians originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Milwaukee Brewers are a World Series contender this season, so it would be a bit of a surprise if they wound up trading away anyone from the Major League roster.

However, if there were an are of the roster where some big leaguer could be dealt, it would be the outfield. It's a crowded room right now, and the organizational depth might help open the door to a deal as well.

ESPN's Jeff Passan believes the Brewers could be tempted to trade away their .831 OPS outfielder, Garrett Mithcell, to the Cleveland Guardians this summer.

Brewers could get tempted to trade Garrett Mitchell per ESPN's Jeff Passan

"With Luis Lara's promotion, though, they've now got a center fielder under long-term contract, and with Milwaukee's depth in the outfield - Lara, Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, plus Jett Williams and Josh Adamczewski nearly big-league ready - Cleveland has a good enough farm system to tempt the Brewers into moving Mitchell."

This would be a very interesting move for the Brewers, as trading away Mitchell, one of their better hitters, in the middle of a World Series-contending season, would be a shocker.

Mitchell has a .276 batting average with eight homers and an .831 OPS this season with 1.8 bWAR in 254 at-bats. Trading him would be a very bold decision from the Brewers.

He's under club control through the 2028 season as well, so there's little reason for the Brewers to trade him as if he were a rental hitting free agency after 2026.

MORE: 3 reasons why Braves are perfect fit for Tarik Skubal at MLB trade deadline

Sure, the Guardians could put together a very strong offer for Mitchell, but regardless of how good that offer might be, if such a deal can't help the team in 2026, it might not be the best move for Milwaukee.

They have Chourio, Frelick, and Lara as outfield options in the big leagues right now, and they could decide to trade for a different outfielder this summer alongside a Mitchell trade.

But any possible scenario involving trading away Mitchell this summer makes very little sense and would be too complicated and too risky to pull off.

If the Brewers were sellers, a Mitchell trade would make sense. But, they sit atop the NL Central, and such a trade, as Passan alludes to being a possibility if the Guardians make a big offer, would not make sense for Milwaukee this season at all.

More MLB news:

• Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez is planned NL All-Star starter
• Blue Jays trade idea swaps two top-10 prospects to Mets for Freddy Peralta
• Rays trade idea sends top-10 prospect in MLB to Tigers for Tarik Skubal
• Astros plan to be involved in Tarik Skubal trade sweepstakes
• Angels GM says ’NO!’ in response to Phillies trade rumor for Mike Trout

The Kentucky Wildcats were, at one point, the favorites to land European basketball recruit Nikola Kusturica. They even received an official prediction from 247Sports a few weeks ago. However, momentum began to swing away from the Wildcats, and on Thursday, he officially committed to the UCLA Bruins, per Travis Branham of 247Sports.

Kusturica is a very highly though of player who is still just 17 years old. Many experts think he will be a lottery pick in the NBA draft in a few years, but because of his age he'll have to play college basketball for at least two seasons before turning to the NBA.

Most recently, Kusturica led Serbia to the silver medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup. He averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, and had a massive 37 point performance against the United States.

Kentucky had an open roster spot that Kusturica could have filled, but it didn't work out for Mark Pope and his staff. Pope has stated that they may or may not fill it, and that he's happy with the squad the way it is. Good luck to Kusturica with the Bruins.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky officially misses on European star Nikola Kusturica

Oxford United have been placed under a temporary transfer embargo by the English Football League, preventing them from making summer signings.

New boss Aaron Ramsey took charge just over a fortnight ago but must now make do with the existing players at his disposal at the relegated side.

The League One club say their focus is on retaining the "extremely competitive squad already in place", adding they are confident the embargo will be lifted by the January window.

Oxford will be unable to register new players in the current window because they are not compliant with the EFL's salary cost management protocol (SCMP) regulations.

SCMPs are the financial fair play rules for all League One and League Two clubs, setting limits on the proportion of a club's turnover and funding that can be spent on player-related costs.

"Following relegation and with rule changes, the club have been working to align their financial position with the reporting requirements of League One," Oxford said in a statement.

• Ferguson no longer Oxford chairman in board reshuffle
• Placheta and nine others to leave Oxford this summer

• Oxford United

"With a commitment from shareholders to increase investment into Oxford United over the coming months, along with measures to reduce overall costs, the club will be compliant and in a strong position ahead of the January transfer window.

"The club have an extremely competitive squad already in place and the focus this summer will be on retaining those players that give Aaron Ramsey and his staff the strongest group possible to deliver success on the pitch this season."

Oxford are back in League One following two campaigns in the Championship, having been relegated in April and eventually finishing 22nd.

Ramsey was appointed as Oxford's head coach in late June as his first permanent role in football management. He was previously interim boss at Cardiff City.

Oxford, owned by an Indonesia-based group led by businessman Erick Thohir, sacked former boss Matt Bloomfield three days before Ramsey's appointment.

They will get their season under way with a Carabao Cup match at Leyton Orient on 8 August before a league opener at home to MK Dons seven days later.

'Worrying and unsettling' - Oxford supporters' trust

Oxford United's supporters' trust OxVox described the development as "unsettling" at a tough time for the club following last season's relegation.

However, they echoed the club's belief that the embargo would be a short-term issue, rather than a long-term headache.

"It is our understanding this embargo will be lifted as soon as the matter is resolved and that there is no fixed term," OxVox said in a statement.

"We have often praised the owners and board for their continued funding of our club in difficult circumstances but this news is worrying and unsettling at a time when the new manager needs to be focused solely on recruitment and pre-season.

"We are continuing to work hard to bring more details forward and we have managed to pencil in a meeting with our new chairman Dusan Bogdanovic to discuss this and other matters.

"We, as supporters, are the constant that holds this club together and we are pressing the club in the strongest terms to honour the trust placed in them and to protect our club at this vitally important time."

More questions left than answers - analysis

Jerome Sale, BBC Radio Oxford

Let's be clear: this is not good news.

We're used to seeing heat warnings at this time of year, but for supporters who read this and worry about the club's future, this should come with an amber alert attached.

Taken at face value, you can argue the current squad is strong enough to be competitive this season.

The greater concern is the longer-term reputational damage, which could affect confidence in the club as a whole.

There are mitigating factors - a club that has just been relegated, at the same time new regulations have come into force, was always likely to find the compliance process more challenging.

However, this is also a consequence of spending having increased significantly across the club in recent years.

Requiring owners to provide a substantial portion of next year's funding in advance is a significant demand.

However, United's Indonesian backers have consistently been portrayed as both wealthy and willing to invest.

The guidance I've received is that the situation is expected to be resolved over the coming months - even so, United knew these regulations were coming, and many inside and outside the club had been led to believe everything would already be in place.

What must rookie head coach Aaron Ramsey make of this, barely a fortnight into his tenure?

I'm told it's business as usual.

The lights are on, staff were paid on time last week, and the players will head to their training camp in Spain this weekend.

But doubts and concerns will inevitably linger in the minds of players and supporters alike, and those concerns now need to be addressed.

LAS VEGAS – Benoit Saint Denis plans to bring a full-scale war to UFC 329.

Saint Denis (17-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), a top contender at 155 pounds, expects his fight against Paddy Pimblett (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) to be a wild, bonus-worthy fight. The fight goes down at Saturday's UFC 329, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena. Saint Denis will have tough competition, given the other matchups on the card, but he's fully confident his performance will shine.

"It's a privilege to be here in such a huge card, and of course, it's a huge fight," Saint Denis said at Wednesday's UFC 329 media day. "I'm fully concentrated on what I have to do and delivering you a Fight of the Night performance."

Not only did Saint Denis get a co-main event spot on this year's UFC International Fight Week event, but he also got one of the hottest names in the company in Pimblett. Saint Denis is not surprised he's getting a big step-up promotionally.

"Not to much," Saint Denis said when asked if he was surprised by the matchup. "I do believe I put myself in a small group conversation, and it was part of it. It's a huge fight, and I'm not underestimating him."

Saint Denis has made it clear that his ultimate goal is to be UFC champion. This is certainly a big fight in his career, but he's hesitant about calling for a shot before fighting Pimblett.

"I never say anything before I get my job done," Saint Denis said. "First of all, I believe you have to do your job, and then you can hear me loud and clear."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 329: Benoit Saint Denis expects Fight of the Night vs. Paddy Pimblett

Max Holloway will aim to write another chapter in his storied career when he faces Conor McGregor at UFC 329 on Sunday.

Holloway is a former UFC featherweight champion, former BMF title-holder, future Hall of Famer and leader across many metrics when you look at the history of the organisation.

But ask MMA fans to name their 'Mount Rushmore' - picking the top four fighters to have competed in the UFC - and Holloway's name rarely, if ever, comes up.

The Hawaii native first stepped into the octagon in 2012 - just four fights into his MMA career - and has been a mainstay ever since.

Now 34, Holloway's legacy has been cemented and the new generation, like 27-year-old Briton Lone'er Kavanagh - who competes on the undercard this weekend - have no doubts about his standing as one of the all time greats.

"If I see him the little child in me comes out," Kavanagh said. "I look up to Max, he's been at the top for so long and he's always had exciting fights.

"I like his mindset going into things so if you told me five years ago I'd be fighting on a card with Max Holloway I wouldn't have believed it."

In the build-up to headlining UFC 329 with a rematch against McGregor, BBC Sport looks at Holloway's rise through the ranks and the records he has set.

From promising youngster to headline star

Aged 20, Holloway was the youngest fighter on the UFC's roster when he made his debut at short notice against Dustin Poirier in 2012.

Signing a youngster who had only fought four times professionally appeared risky but it is a gamble that has paid off.

When Holloway walks to the octagon at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena in the early hours of Sunday morning, it will be his 32nd bout with the organisation.

Holloway is due to headline his 15th main event, with only Anderson Silva (21), Jon Jones (19) Randy Couture (18) and Tito Ortiz (16) topping the bill on more occasions.

Quite simply, the UFC know that they can rely on Holloway to bring in the crowds and put on a show.

Holloway has won 23 of his 32 contests in the UFC, losing nine, and has competed across eight title fights.

He become interim featherweight champion after beating Anthony Pettis in 2016 and turned that into the undisputed title when stopping fellow great Jose Aldo the following year.

After two defences of the 145lb belts, Holloway targeted success in a second division but fell short in a rematch with Poirier for the interim lightweight title - ending a five-year, 13-fight win streak.

Holloway made one further successful defence of his featherweight strap before losing it to Alexander Volkanovski in 2019.

He has not laid hands on a world title since but his willingness to come again - having failed in three further title bids - means he has remained one of the sport's largest draws.

Holloway makes his welterweight debut this weekend and three of his last four fights have taken place at lightweight, but he still remains a record-holder at featherweight and ranks highly across several categories:

• Most wins: 20
• Most finishes: 11
• Tied second for most fights: 27
• Longest win streak: 13
• Third-most title fight wins: 5
• Second-most Fight Night bonuses: 10

Holloway's fighting style has always been fan-friendly.

'Blessed' is a high-output striker with a seemingly bottomless gas tank. He has earned 12 knockout finishes.

None have been more famous than his point-down knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 - described by commentator Joe Rogan as "KO of the century".

In 2020, Holloway spoke about changing his approach to training and cutting back on sparring to preserve his health. But that has not impacted his ability to turn it on once he steps inside the octagon.

Holloway holds two records at lightweight for his striking output:

• Most significant strikes attempted in a fight v Dustin Poirier 2 (2019)
• Most significant body strikes landed in a fight v Dustin Poirier 3 (2025)

Victory over McGregor at UFC 329 will be another feather in the cap for Holloway. It is 13 years since the pair last shared the octagon in a bout on the preliminary card when the Irishman won by decision.

Holloway believes he has been presented the chance to "right the wrong" as he continues to set the example for those following on behind.

• MMA schedule and results 2026
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Mets lineup

1. A.J. Ewing – CF
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – SS
4. Carson Benge – RF
5. Francisco Alvarez – DH
6. Jared Young – 1B
7. Mark Vientos – 3B
8. Brett Baty – 2B
9. Luis Torrens – C

Sean Manaea – LHP

Royals Lineup

1. Lane Thomas – CF
2. Bobby Witt – SS
3. Salvador Perez – 1B
4. Starling Marte – DH
5. Nick Loftin – 3B
6. Jac Caglianone – RF
7. Isaac Collins – LF
8. Tyler Tolbert – 2B
9. Luke Maile – C

Michael Wacha – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

La Liga giants Real Madrid have this week tied up a contract renewal agreement with a leading member of the club’s midfield ranks.

The player in question? Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Midfielder Tchouaméni has of course seen his name emerge as an altogether prominent one in the headlines in Spain’s capital across the summer to date.

This comes amid the understanding that the Frenchman has been earmarked as a key transfer target on the part of Premier League heavyweights Manchester United.

As alluded to above, however, this week, those in the boardroom at the Bernabéu have moved to make clear their stance on Tchouaméni’s long-term future.

As per a report from journalist Fabrizio Romano, amongst others, the former AS Monaco man and his entourage have reached a definitive accord on the terms of a new Real Madrid contract:

‘Aurélien Tchouaméni to sign new deal at Real Madrid soon, all agreed on contract until June 2031! Man United deal never close due to high salary and Madrid not opening doors to exit.’

Conor Laird – GSFN

We asked for your views on Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes asking to leave the club amid interest from Premier League champions Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Jona: Bruno wanting to leave is an inevitable by product of us selling our best players - Isak, Gordon and Tonali. While he would be the ideal captain to lead us during our rebuild, unfortunately you can understand him wanting to leave and challenge for titles. We'll just have to get the best fee we can for him and shop smart in the market to replace him.

Samuel: This could be more of a kick in the teeth than Isak. The club captain, who throughout his entire time at the club has seemed so devoted to the journey we're on. There was a sense of inevitability around the Gordon and Tonali transfers, but I suppose I didn't see this one coming. I said last year when Isak left that there was a lot of work to be done to change player perspectives of the club. Clearly there's still more to do.

Gordon: I am saddened but not surprised. Bruno has been special as the engine of the team. A great leader and he will be missed, of course. I don't blame him for seeking a stronger more successful club. I hope the deal is done quickly and without animosity.

Dave: Putting it mildly, it's an absolute disaster. Since he arrived, Bruno has been the beating heart of the team (see results when he's not played) and the most creative player in midfield. Without him, there is a distinct lack of passion, creativity and forward thinking. We desperately need to keep him or else a season without Europe could easily turn into a season without hope.

Tony: There's clearly a reason why all the top players are leaving. The team has gone stale under Howe. We will not challenge for the top honours and we don't have the ability to spend on top players. Bruno has been brilliant for the club and I'm happy to see him go and play for a top club and win silverware. His attitude and his love for the Toon cannot be faulted. It's just a shame the leadership and PSR have driven us to a point where this has happened.

Magpies fan Jonny Greenwood from True Faith NUFC Podcast joined Harry Roy on Total Sport to give his reaction to the news of Guimaraes asking to leave.

You can watch his reaction below or listen alongside reaction from BBC Radio Newcastle's Mathew Raisbeck and Roy on BBC Sounds here.

Middlesex have announced the appointment of Julie Harrington as the county's interim chief executive officer.

Harrington, the former CEO of British Cycling and the British Horseracing Authority, said she was looking forward to "bringing her experience" to the club.

Her appointment comes after chief executive, Andrew Cornish, was placed on a leave of absence amid an investigation being carried out by the Cricket Regulator.

In March, former England captain Mike Gatting and a group of high-profile former Middlesex players wrote to members after calling on the club's chair, Richard Sykes, to resign over what they said was the poor running of the club.

In a statement, Sykes said Harrington's "extensive leadership experience across major sports" would be invaluable to the club.

"Together, we remain focused on providing stability for our people, supporting our players, members and staff, and ensuring Middlesex continues to move forward with confidence and purpose," he added.

Harrington will take up the role on Monday, 20 July.

U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty to charges of damaging the Reflecting Pool at the base of the Washington Monument.

The 67-year-old, who competed in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics, was indicted July 2, after he was accused of ripping out a portion of the sealant from the bottom of the Reflecting Pool on June 19. He faces up to 10 years in prison, if convicted.

Hearn said he stopped by the pool during a 64-mile bike ride and was arrested after reaching down into the pool. He has said he was just interested in the material and briefly touched it. 

Hearn's attorneys, Mary Dohrmann, senior counsel at Washington Litigation Group, and Norm Eisen, co-founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, requested a status hearing and trial date and advocated for "release with no restriction" in the meantime. 

A status hearing has been set for Aug. 5.

The government asked for a "stay away, no contact order," which Dohrmann opposed. 

Hearn is "an upstanding citizen" and "does not need supervision of any kind," Dohrmann argued. She added it would be "a waste of court resources to impose any restrictions." 

The judge agreed to release Hearn on his own recognizance.

The case "reflects the administration's effort to shift blame for their own failures," his lawyers said in a statement after Hearn's indictment last week.

On Thursday, his attorneys issued a statement saying they had "confidence in our justice system to see through this misuse of government power against an ordinary American based on a false and politicized narrative."

We’re two weeks away from the Las Vegas Raiders starting training camp, as rookies will report on July 23. So the return of Raiders’ football is on the horizon. But this also means we have a couple of weeks to get those last few questions about the roster or whatever else you can think of for the mailbag before we start getting into camp and the preseason.

As always, anything Raiders-related is on the table and fire away with anything that’s on your mind. Send your questions my way by either dropping a comment in the comments section below, tweeting at me (@MHolder95) or via email at SBPQuestions1@gmail.com. I’ll follow up with another column in the coming days.

If you don’t have a commenting account already, you’ll need to create one but the steps are pretty easy and it’s a seamless process. Also, we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines. 

Shipping Up to Boston: Fleet Moving to New Home for 2026-27 PWHL Season originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After making Lowell their home to start their run, the Boston Fleet will officially move to the Boston area for the 2026-27 season.

In a release, it was announced that Fleet games during the 2026-27 season will emanate from Agganis Arena in Boston, moving out of the Tsongas Center.

Home to the Boston University Terriers, Agganis Arena can hold up to 6,150 for hockey, with a full capacity of 8,000 seats. The Tsongas Center could hold up to 10,003 people, with 6,500 seats for hockey games.

Dropping anchor in Boston ⚓️

We're excited to share that @AgganisArena will be the home for your Boston Fleet for the 2026-27 season!

📰: https://t.co/Tl2kh2j8EZpic.twitter.com/6f6gQm3Pxk

— Boston Fleet (@PWHL_Boston) July 7, 2026

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the Boston Fleet to Agganis Arena full-time,” said Boston Fleet Director of Business Operations Laura Marie Davey in a release. “The passion for the Fleet in the City of Boston has continued to grow since our first game at Agganis, and this move allows us to build on that momentum while creating new opportunities to connect with supporters throughout Greater Boston, the South Shore and Rhode Island.

MORE: PWHL Beginner’s Guide: Everything New Fans Need to Know

One of the original clubs when the PWHL formed in 2023, the Fleet played at the Tsongas Center from 2024 to 2026. The team recently made the semifinals of the PWHL Finals, losing against the Ottawa Charge. They are led by Olympians Aerin Frankel and Megan Keller.

The Fleet built a loyal fanbase in the Lowell area. However, per Boston.com, commuter issues resulted in attendance issues at the Tsongas Center during weekday games. The team averaged 4,938 fans at the Tsongas Center and averaged 5,238 in a few games at the Agganis Arena.

“We’re deeply grateful to the Lowell community and our partners at the Tsongas Center, whose support has been instrumental to the growth of our organization. We look forward to carrying that support with us as we begin this next chapter,” Davey said.

💚 pic.twitter.com/PKHKwjrsUf

— Boston Fleet (@PWHL_Boston) July 8, 2026

Boston holds a 3-0-1-2 record at the Agganis Arena. At the moment, the PWHL has not released the schedule for the upcoming season.

July 9 (UPI) -- Karolina Muchova warred multiple formidable foes in her first Wimbledon semifinal, overcoming harsh heat, weathering nagging pain and repelling American Coco Gauff on Thursday to clinch her ticket to the finale.

"It was a big fight," the No. 9 Czech said on the ESPN broadcast. "It was a rollercoaster. You are up and down, match point down, no time to think, very nerve-wracking."

With the win, Muchova earned a spot in Saturday's final, where she will meet either No. 13 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine or No. 12 Linda Noskova of Czechia. Kostyuk and Noskova also are first-time semifinalists.

Muchova broke Gauff twice in the 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(10) victory in London. Gauff held a 32-31 edge in winners, but converted just two of 13 break point chances in the 1-hour, 59-minute meeting.

She totaled just two double faults, but one came at a very inopportune time, giving Muchova an 8-7 lead in the tiebreak.

Gauff also earned a shot at match point, but failed to capitalize when she hit a drop shot attempt into the net from just a few feet away.

Muchova, who often held onto her right midsection and grimaced, clinched match point just minutes later when Gauff hit her final forehand into the net.

"I was trying to catch a breath," Muchova said.

Muchova established her grass-court comfort early on, breaking Gauff twice in the first set for a 5-1 edge. She sizzled an ace into the lawn for opening set point.

Gauff rallied in the bridge set, often running to the net to rush Muchova. She broke the Czech in the fourth and sixth game for a commanding 5-1 edge. She earned set point off an errant Muchova backhand to tie the match.

Gauff and Muchova each held through the first dozen games of the final set and exchanged the first two points of the tiebreak. Muchova claimed three-consecutive triumphs for a 4-1 advantage, but Gauff surged to tie the tiebreak 6-6.

She then recorded her brutal double fault, hitting a serve into the net to trail 8-7. But Muchova went long on a return to give Gauff her match point opportunity.

Muchova capitalized on Gauff's blunder with a towering lob behind the American for a mini break. Gauff fended off match point with a simmering forehand past her foe to tie the tiebreak at 10-10.

Muchova, who is now 29-0 this year when winning the first set, ended the match when Gauff failed to clear the net with her final return.

Muchova will take on Kostyuk or Noskova of Czechia in the Wimbledon 2026 women's singles final at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday in London.

Gauff is on track to move up to No. 4 in the WTA rankings thanks to her run at Wimbledon. Muchova, who is set to move to No. 6, could eclipse Gauff in the rankings if she wins Saturday's finale.

No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany will take on No. 114 Arthur Fery of the United Kingdom in the first Wimbledon 2026 men's singles semifinal at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the All-England Club. No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy will meet No. 8 Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the second semifinal after that match on Center Court.

According to Danish newspaper Tipsbladet, FC Midtjylland is close to signing Borussia Dortmund talent Kjell Wätjen.

The report states that the parties have “practically agreed on a deal which is expected to be finalized in the near future”.

Sky Germany also backs this information up, estimating that the transfer fee will amount to less than €5million overall.

It has been apparent for some time that Wätjen – similar to several other BVB youth products – no longer has a future in Dortmund. 

Although the versatile midfielder was supposed to be tested as a wing-back during preseason, those plans look to have been ended.

In Denmark, the German U-20 international will meet Mike Tullberg, who previously coached Wätjen in Dortmund's U-19 team.

The youngster's contract with Dortmund runs until 2028 – he was most recently on loan to second-division side VfL Bochum. 

There may not be a hotter name in sports right now than Erling Haaland, whose World Cup exploits with Norway have shot him into global superstardom.

Haaland’s seven goals have him right behind Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, and have helped Norway to a historic quarter-final, where they will come up against an England team seen as heavy favorites.

But it’s not just his performances on the pitch. The 25-year-old has become one of the most marketable faces in soccer, thanks to a focus on online content and an authenticity that has become increasingly rare.

So naturally, The Tonight Show were desperate to get him on the couch with Jimmy Fallon this week. It sounds like a non-starter.

Erling Haaland invited onto Jimmy Fallon ahead of England clash

At last count, Haaland has gained over 16 million followers since the World Cup began last month.

The further he takes this Norway team, the more his legend grows. England is the next obstacle, and it will be a step up from the competition they have faced to this point.

That might be why Haaland is not showing interest in a late-night appearance in New York City. According to The Athletic, “the logistics” of attending will “probably rule that out.”

The Norwegian has been keeping busy, though. He recently made the cover of Time Magazine, agreed a sponsorship deal with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey for his YouTube channel — which just recently passed 100 million views.

One of the most famous people on the planet right now is gearing up for the biggest match of his life on Saturday, so snubbing Fallon makes sense.

Once Norway’s race is run, we should expect to see a lot more of Haaland in the US and back across the pond.

READ MORE:

Erling Haaland celebrated by Google with Viking row celebration before England game

Erling Haaland settles the console debate between Xbox and PlayStation

‘That’s my dream’ – Erling Haaland has already shared his unusual plans for retirement

Cam Heyward didn’t make ESPN’s list of the top 10 defensive tackles for 2026, voted on by NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. That snub is tough to swallow considering what Heyward put on tape in 2025.

Heyward never missed a game and, for his tremendous efforts, earned second-team AP All-Pro honors and All-AFC recognition. He played at a level most defensive linemen never scratch at 36, leading all Steelers defensive linemen with 78 combined tackles, added 3.5 sacks and posted nine tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits.

Heyward also finished with a 90.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which reflects what Steelers fans watched every week: Cam doing Cam things in a way that made it look easy. He was winning snaps, controlling gaps and being that reliable interior guy that he always has been.

The Steelers rewarded him with a one-year extension in March, keeping him under contract through 2027, showing that he’s at the top of their list no matter what execs, coaches and scouts think.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Cam Heyward gets no love from ESPN rankings

Brandon Aiyuk is rewriting the James Harden playbook on how to get traded from a team you don't want to play for.

The original was better.

While Harden, like Aiyuk, used public discontentment as a tool in forcing his way out of situations that no longer served him, he usually operated from a place of leverage. That's not the case with Aiyuk, whose unending stream of social media posts are only making him more untouchable -- and burning the only bridges that can help him.

Case in point: he wants to be traded to the Washington Commanders, to play with his college quarterback Jayden Daniels. Which seemed like a viable option at the start of this saga. But his social media activity has now apparently turned off Daniels, who Aiyuk said won't even answer his calls.

Wait, you mean to tell me Daniels won't answer the calls of a person who insulted him? Color me shocked.

At this point, it's hard to see the end game for Aiyuk, who said he won't be applying for reinstatement with the San Francisco 49ers. Which is his only path back into the NFL and potentially another team -- if the 49ers choose to trade or release him, which seems likely after they already voided the guarantees in his contract.

However, Aiyuk has tanked his trade value with the way he's acted, and he might've even tanked his overall value, with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler saying he might have to sign for the vet minimum if he gets cut. That would be the best case scenario after Aiyuk said he won't stop making videos even after this is resolved. Because unlike the NBA, where stars hold all the power, the NFL doesn't usually make room for players whose distractions outweigh their production.

"He's lighting money on fire, is what he's doing, every time he puts an Instagram video out," Fowler said.

Money isn't the only thing he's lighting on fire.

Landon Donovan had more to say about Christian Pulisic

Everyone has a lot to say about Christian Pulisic right now. But even the person who can relate most to the pressure on Pulisic as the USMNT's biggest star is having a hard time defending him.

HE SPEAKS: Pulisic breaks silence after World Cup exit

Landon Donovan gave a more gentle critique of Pulisic in his first reaction to the USMNT's loss to Belgium. But on the latest episode of his podcast with Tim Howard, Donovan didn't just go at Pulisic, he had a lot to say about the people around him.

Gallery of the Day

Quick hits: Fox is mad ... Kelsey on Sophie ... and more

• Fox is reportedly unhappy English speakers are apparently watching Telemundo for their World Cup fix.
• World Cup darling Erling Haaland is just as excited as the rest of us for Grand Theft Auto 6.
• Kelsey Mitchell had the perfect two-word description of her Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham.
• LeBron James is doing the NBA one last solid on his way out by injecting life into free agency.

This was For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Brandon Aiyuk is burning every bridge around him

American Nelly Korda got off to a rough start in her quest to win her third major this season.

The World No. 1 shot a 3-over 74 in the opening round of the 2026 LPGA Amundi Evian Championship on Thursday, July 9. Korda teed of on the back nine, playing her first eight holes at 1 under. Then, she bogeyed No. 18 and double-bogeyed No. 1. Korda had two more bogeys on No. 4 and No. 5 and is tied for 101st on the leaderboard."I don't know. It's Evian. That's all I'm going to say … I've hit some really good shots and ended up in some really bad places and hit some bad places and ended up in good places," Korda said after the round. "What I learned every year is patience is key out here. I'm still figuring it out."

Akie Iwai, from Japan, is leading the tournament at 8-under. Korean Haeran Ryu, who secured her first major title at the Women's PGA Championship last month, is tied for fourth at 5-under.

Akie Iwai signs for a 63 (-8) at Evian 🇯🇵#EvianChamppic.twitter.com/ZjqJ3WIBD8

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) July 9, 2026

Korda won the first two majors of the 2026 season and had a chance on the back nine at the Women's PGA, where she finished tied for eighth.  She has had her least major success at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France. She finished in 43th place last year, with her best finishes coming in 2022 (No. 8) and 2023 (No. 9) when she cracked the top 10. The Evian Championship also marks the third major tournament in six weeks.

Babe Zaharias of the U.S. was the first woman to win three majors in one season in 1950. Inbee Park of South Korea was the last to accomplish the feat in 2013. Korda's chances are lessened after the opening round.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aiming for third major of season, Nelly Korda shoots 3 over at Evian Championship

Yahoo Sports made a blockbuster announcement of the company's expansion into the college fantasy football realm on Thursday morning.

The site has launched college fantasy football leagues featuring Power Four players and Notre Dame for the upcoming season. This marks the first time that a world-renowned company has offered the fantasy football mode, where participants will have the opportunity to build their team of college football's biggest stars.

According to the announcement by Yahoo Sports, the mode is available now for users to begin setting up their leagues for the first-ever college fantasy football format.

Fantasy Football is going back to school. 📣

College Fantasy Football is now on @Yahoo. Get started now: https://t.co/cUiR5lSVzrpic.twitter.com/zzHBm6zwe8

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) July 9, 2026

There are a few differences between the new college mode and the NFL fantasy football most are accustomed to, however. It starts with the draft, which features 18-player rosters from the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC, along with the Fighting Irish. A new "offense" position is available for those who would like to draft an entire unit from a specific team, providing users with a bonus for team touchdowns, total yards, field goals, and a win. For example, if Aggie fans drafted quarterback Marcel Reed and Texas A&M's entire offense, additional points will be awarded for certain plays and parameters.

With the groundbreaking announcement of the new format, Yahoo Sports president Ryan Spoon says this will provide all college football fans with a unique opportunity and experience.

"This will be an interesting opportunity to really develop fandom not just of the sport, but also the players and the schools,” Spoon said according to AP News. “The content … is now available to make a really robust, awesome experience.”

In a release on Thursday morning, here is what the media company says users can expect from the new mode:

• Players from powerhouse programs: "Reflecting the modern conference landscape, fans can draft players from any of the Power 4 conferences (Big 10, SEC, Big 12, ACC) plus Notre Dame. With a condensed player pool, fans can expect a more balanced, competitive experience."
• Team offense: "For the first time in Yahoo Fantasy history, fans can start an "Offense" position with team-level aggregate scoring. Fans can draft a college team's offense as a whole and earn points for that team's touchdowns, total yards, field goals made and wins, and lose points for turnovers and losses. The new position rewards the dynamic and creative offenses of today's college football."
• Expanded rosters: "The game features a larger fantasy roster (18 players) than traditional fantasy football (15 players). As the transfer portal creates new opportunities for playing time and stardom, NIL keeps talented upperclassmen in school, and freshmen are increasingly game-ready, the modern game has more stars than ever. Now fans can add even more of them to their fantasy teams."

You can begin your journey into the college fantasy football realm today by creating a league or joining one here.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Yahoo Sports announces college fantasy football for 2026 season

WOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — German soccer club Wolfsburg says Denmark star Christian Eriksen will start an individual rehabilitation program in his native country after another on-field collapse last month.

Wolfsburg said in a brief statement on Thursday that it “remains in regular contact with Christian and the doctors overseeing his treatment. We continue to wish Christian all the very best with his rehabilitation.”

The 34-year-old Eriksen collapsed after clutching his chest during Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine in Odense, Denmark on June 7. It quickly brought back memories of his cardiac arrest at the European Championship five years before, as players formed a circle around him while he received medical attention. He was able to walk off the field by himself and was taken to the hospital, where he underwent more tests.

Eriksen, who had had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted to support his heart after his cardiac arrest in 2021, provided an update the next day, saying he was “doing well” and was already home with his family.

“As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major effect on both me and my family, but I want to assure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021,” Eriksen said.

Eriksen had a contract with Wolfsburg for the coming season after joining the German club in a two-year deal as a free agent in September last year. He was unable to prevent its relegation from the Bundesliga. Eriksen captained the side in his last game with Wolfsburg, the playoff defeat to Paderborn.

___

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

What happened to Ranger Suarez? Why Red Sox placed $130 million All-Star on IL originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox will be without one of their frontline starting pitchers for at least a few weeks. 

On Thursday, the AL East club announced that left-hander Ranger Suarez was placed on the 15-day IL with a groin strain. 

The move is retroactive to July 6, per Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. Taking Suarez's place on Boston's active roster is infielder Brett Harris from Triple-A Worcester. 

Suarez left his last start, a matchup against the Los Angeles Angels, in the third inning with tightness in his left adductor. 

He has made 17 starts in a Red Sox uniform after signing a five-year, $130 million deal with the organization during the offseason. 

In those outings, Suarez has posted a 3.15 ERA with 97 strikeouts and just 26 walks in 91.1 innings. 

MORE: Blue Jays did the right thing with Dylan Cease

That's following an impressive and successful transition from a reliever to a starter during his first eight seasons in the Majors with the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Suarez was named to the American League All-Star team, but will not be able to participate due to his groin injury. 

While Suarez is out, Boston will hope to continue its hot streak. They've won 10 of their last 12 games. 

More MLB news:

• How a Dodgers, Yankees battle for Tarik Skubal is looming
• One thing stands between the Phillies and a trade for Byron Buxton
• How Joe Ryan is a bad reminder for the Red Sox
• Dodgers needed 92 games to do something that's normally pretty easy for MLB teams
• Kyle Schwarber is closing in on a Babe Ruth record

While the World Cup is still going on, many Premier League clubs are already returning to pre-season training and friendly matches.

The Premier League officially returns on 21 August but some clubs are in pre-season match action before the World Cup final.

The games are spread across the globe, from Hong Kong and New York to York and Bristol.

Who is your club playing, and when and where are the matches?

All kick-off times BST

AFC Bournemouth

24 July: St. Pauli v Bournemouth (Saalfelden Arena, Austria, 15:00)

30 July: Augsburg v Bournemouth (Saalfelden Arena, Austria, 15:00)

4 August: Bournemouth v Genoa (behind closed doors)

8 August: Real Betis v Bournemouth (Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, 19:30)

Arsenal

1 August: Girona v Arsenal (Estadi Montilivi, Girona, 19:00)

5 August: Arsenal v Real Betis (Aviva Stadium, Dublin, 19:30)

9 August: Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund (Emirates Stadium, London, 14:00)

16 August: Community Shield - Arsenal v Manchester City (Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 15:00)

Aston Villa

21 July: Walsall v Aston Villa (Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, 19:30)

28 July: Aston Villa v Real Sociedad (Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, 19:30)

1 August: Indonesia All-Stars v Aston Villa (Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, 19:00)

4 August: BG Pathum United v Aston Villa (True BG Stadium, Pathum Thani, 19:30)

7 August: Aston Villa v Bayern Munich (Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong, TBC)

15 August: Borussia Monchengladbach v Aston Villa (Borussia-Park, Monchengladbach, 14:30)

Brentford

8 August: Stade Rennais v Brentford (Roazhon Park, Rennes, 17:00)

15 August: Brentford v Eintracht Frankfurt (Gtech Community Stadium, London)

Brighton

25 July: Brighton v Annecy (behind closed doors)

1 August: Brighton v Strasbourg (behind closed doors)

8 August: Brighton v Roma (Amex Stadium, Brighton, 15:00)

15 August: Brighton v Bologna (Amex Stadium, Brighton, 15:00)

Chelsea

28 July: Western Sydney Wanderers v Chelsea (Accor Stadium, Sydney, 10:45)

1 August: Chelsea v Tottenham (Accor Stadium, Sydney, 10:45)

5 August: Chelsea v Juventus (Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong, 12:30)

8 August: Chelsea v AC Milan (Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, 13:00)

11 August: Johor Darul Ta'zim v Chelsea (Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Johor, 13:00)

Coventry

18 July: Northampton v Coventry (Sixfields Stadium, Northampton, 14:00)

8 August: Coventry v Espanyol (CBS Arena, Coventry, 17:30)

Crystal Palace

28 July: Crystal Palace v Lens (Lake Como, Italy, 18:00)

28 July: Crystal Palace v FC Famalicao (Lake Como, Italy, 19:30)

Everton

18 July: Dundee v Everton (Dens Park, Dundee, 14:00)

25 July: Bolton v Everton (Toughsheet Community Stadium, Bolton, 15:00)

28 July: Stoke City v Everton (bet365 Stadium, Stoke, 19:45)

1 August: Hamburg v Everton (MHP Arena, Stuttgart, 16:00)

8 August: Stuttgart v Everton (MHP Arena, Stuttgart, 16:00)

12 August: Everton v Newcastle (Murrayfield, Edinburgh, 17:15)

Fulham

No fixtures announced

Hull City

No fixtures announced

Ipswich Town

29 July: Ipswich v Osasuna (JobServe Community Stadium, Colchester, 19:45)

1 August: Oxford Utd v Ipswich (Kassam Stadium, Oxford, 12:00)

1 August: Wycombe v Ipswich (Adams Park, Wycombe, 16:00)

4 August: Ipswich v Le Havre (Portman Road, Ipswich, 19:45)

8 August: Ipswich v Rayo Vallecano (Portman Road, Ipswich, 15:00)

15 August: Union Berlin v Ipswich (Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Berlin, 14:30)

Leeds United

25 July: Leeds v Wrexham (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, 00:30)

30 July: Leeds v Sunderland (Sports Illustrated Stadium, New Jersey, 00:30)

2 August: Leeds United v Liverpool (Soldier Field, Chicago, 21:00)

8 August: Leeds United v RB Leipzig (Elland Road, Leeds, 14:00)

12 August: Leeds United v Manchester United (Croke Park, Dublin, 19:30)

Liverpool

25 July: Liverpool v Sunderland (Geodis Park, Nashville, 23:00)

29 July: Liverpool v Wrexham (Yankee Stadium, New York, 00:30)

2 August: Liverpool v Leeds (Soldier Field, Chicago, 21:00)

9 August: Liverpool v Monaco (Anfield, Liverpool, 14:30)

16 August: Liverpool v Como (Anfield, Liverpool 18:00)

Manchester City

1 August: Manchester City v Inter Milan (Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong, 12:30)

5 August: Manchester City v K-League All-Stars (Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul)

9 August: Manchester City v Atletico Madrid (Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul)

16 August: FA Community Shield - Manchester City v Arsenal (Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 15:00)

Manchester United

18 July: Manchester United v Wrexham (Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, 17:00)

24 July: Manchester United v Rosenborg (Lerkendal Stadium, Trondheim, 17:00)

1 August: Manchester United v Atletico Madrid (Stockholm, 14:00)

8 August: Manchester United v Paris St-Germain (Gothenburg, 16:00)

12 August: Manchester United v Leeds United (Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 15:00)

15 August: Manchester United v AC Milan (Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, 15:45)

Newcastle United

18 July: Newcastle v Darlington (behind closed doors)

25 July: Gateshead v Newcastle (Gateshead International Stadium, Gateshead, 12:30)

29 July: Bristol City v Newcastle (Ashton Gate, Bristol, 19:30)

8 August: Valencia v Newcastle (Mestalla Stadium, Valencia, 20:00)

12 August: Everton v Newcastle (Murrayfield, Edinburgh, 17:15)

15 August: Newcastle v Bayer Leverkusen (St James' Park, Newcastle, 15:00)

16 August: Newcastle v Strasbourg (St James' Park, Newcastle, 16:00)

Nottingham Forest

18 July: Notts County v Nottingham Forest (Meadow Lane, Nottingham, 15:00)

22 July: Nottingham Forest v Blackburn Rovers (Estadio de Nora, Albufeira, 11:00)

26 July: Nottingham Forest v Vitoria (behind closed doors)

31 July: Nottingham Forest v Sporting (Estadio Algarve, Faro, TBC)

12 August: Nottingham Forest v Bayer Leverkusen (City Ground, Nottingham, 19:45)

16 August: Nottingham Forest v Brest (City Ground, Nottingham, 14:00)

Sunderland

18 July: York City v Sunderland (LNER Community Stadium, York, 15:00)

25 July: Sunderland v Liverpool (Geodis Park, Nashville, 23:00)

30 July: Sunderland v Leeds (Sports Illustrated Stadium, New Jersey, 00:30)

2 August: Sunderland v Wrexham (Subaru Park, Pennsylvania, 17:00)

8 August: Lens v Sunderland (behind closed doors, 11:00)

8 August: Lens v Sunderland (Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, 16:00)

15 August: Sunderland v Rennes (Stadium of Light, Sunderland, 15:00)

Tottenham Hotspur

22 July: Tottenham v MK Dons (behind closed doors)

26 July: Auckland FC v Tottenham (Eden Park, Auckland, 04:30)

29 July: Sydney FC v Tottenham (Accor Stadium, Sydney, 10:45)

1 August: Tottenham v Chelsea (Accor Stadium, Sydney, 10:45)

8 August: Tottenham v Getafe (behind closed doors)

15 August: Tottenham v Hoffenheim (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, 15:00)

16 August: Tottenham v Hoffenheim (behind closed doors)

• Get news, insight and fan views on your Premier League team
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Are GOG teasing Silent Hill 2 Classic’s return to PC If there’s one thing that GOG is good at, it’s bringing classic PC games back to the platform. GOG is famed for making classic PC games available digitally, complete with full compatibility with modern OS’, improved rendering, and support for modern control options. Now, GOG […]

The post GOG really wants to bring Silent Hill 2 (Classic) back to PC, and you can help appeared first on OC3D.

Google Search Console has never been better at collecting data. It just hasn’t gotten much better at helping us interpret it.

Open almost any property, and you’ll find thousands of queries, landing pages, and performance metrics. That’s great until you’re trying to answer a deceptively simple question: What should I do with this?

For years, the answer has been to export the data into Excel or Google Sheets, build a few pivot tables, apply some filters, and start digging for patterns. It’s effective, but it’s also slow. More often than not, you’re hunting for insights you don’t even know exist.

That’s where AI fits into the workflow. It can accelerate the part that takes the longest: finding meaningful patterns hidden across thousands of rows of search data.

Think of Google Search Console as the source of truth and AI — whether you prefer ChatGPT or Claude — as the analyst sitting beside you. GSC tells you what happened. Your AI tool of choice can help you figure out why it happened, uncover opportunities you might overlook, and organize messy data into something you can actually act on.

A quick note on regex

Every example below starts in the same place in Google Search Console: Performance → Queries → + Add Filter → Query → Custom (regex).

From there, you’ll enter a regular expression to filter your query data.

The good news is you don’t have to memorize regex syntax anymore. Instead, let ChatGPT write it for you. You can prompt:

Create a regex for Google Search Console that matches queries beginning with question words.

ChatGPT will return something similar to (?i)^(who|what|why|how|can|does|will|should)\b

Need something more specific? Just describe the pattern you’re looking for.

For example:

• Create a regex for Google Search Console that matches queries containing five or more words.
• Create a regex for Google Search Console that identifies comparison searches.
• Create a regex for Google Search Console that finds branded queries containing product names.

The better you describe the pattern, the better the regex.

Here are seven ways to combine GSC with AI to spend less time sifting through data and more time making decisions.

1. Stop looking at queries and start looking at intent

Most GSC analysis still happens at the keyword level. The problem? Users don’t search by keyword. They search with intent.

Instead of reviewing thousands of individual queries, use regex to isolate investigation-focused queries before exporting.

Use the regex: (?i)^(best|top|vs|review|reviews|compare|comparison)

Next, export your query data and ask Claude or ChatGPT to classify search intent with the prompt:

• “Categorize these queries into informational, navigational, investigation, transactional, and local intent. Return a CSV with classifications and confidence scores.”

Maybe informational traffic is growing while commercial investigation queries are declining. Maybe transactional queries have strong rankings but weak click-through rates. Maybe a group of comparison-related queries is driving impressions but lacks dedicated content.

Those insights are difficult to spot one keyword at a time. Intent segmentation makes them obvious.

2. Discover questions your audience is already asking

Question-based keyword research isn’t new. What is new is how quickly AI can help identify themes across hundreds of question-oriented searches.

Use the regex: (?i)^(who|what|where|when|why|how|can|does|should|will)\b

Export the results. Then ask Claude or ChatGPT:

• “Group these questions into common themes and identify unanswered topics.”

Instead of reviewing hundreds of individual questions, you’ll start seeing broader patterns, from pricing concerns to product comparisons, implementation challenges, and industry-specific use cases.

This quickly becomes more than a content exercise. These themes can influence FAQ development, support resources, sales enablement, and AI Overview optimization.

The best opportunities often aren’t hidden in individual queries. They’re hidden in clusters of related questions.

3. Find queries most likely to trigger AI Overviews

While Google doesn’t provide a filter for “queries likely to trigger AI Overviews,” you can create your own approximation.

Start by isolating common informational and comparison patterns with regex: (?i)^(what is|how to|best|vs|difference between|guide to)

Export the matching queries and ask Claude or ChatGPT:

• “Review these queries and group them by the content format needed to answer them effectively.”

The resulting themes often include definitions, tutorials, comparisons, or expert recommendations.

With this process, you’re identifying where your content may need to shift from ranking for keywords to becoming the best source for answering questions. Increasingly, those aren’t always the same thing.

4. Track emerging trends

Traditional keyword research tends to be reactive. By the time a trend becomes obvious in your keyword tools, your competitors are already targeting it.

Google Search Console is a great resource for identifying those shifts early. You just have to know how to find them.

Instead of searching for individual keywords, use ChatGPT to build regex around broader concepts.

You’ll need to craft a prompt specific to changes in your industry. For example:

• “Create a Google Search Console regex to identify searches related to AI agents, copilots, assistants, automation, and autonomous workflows.”

The result: (?i)(ai agent|agentic|copilot|assistant|automation)

This same approach works for new technologies, product categories, competitors, industry buzzwords, or changing customer concerns.

Once you’ve filtered and exported the data, let your AI analyst do the heavy lifting.

Try a prompt like:

• “Review these queries and identify emerging themes, new terminology, and shifts in search behavior. Highlight which topics appear to be gaining traction, recommend whether they deserve a new content asset or an update to an existing page, and identify any patterns that could influence our content strategy.”

Rather than simply confirming that a trend exists, AI can help determine whether it’s meaningful enough to act on and what your next move should be.

5. Surface conversion intent hiding in informational traffic

One of the most overlooked opportunities in Search Console is identifying bottom-of-funnel signals in queries that appear informational at first glance.

Ask ChatGPT:

• “Create a regex for searches that indicate evaluation, comparison, pricing, alternatives, migration, implementation, or vendor selection intent.”

Example output: (?i)(cost|pricing|price|vs|alternative|compare|implementation|migration)

Apply that regex to your query report and export the filtered data.

Then ask Claude or ChatGPT to analyze the results:

• “Review these Google Search Console queries and identify recurring buying signals. Group them into themes (e.g., pricing, comparisons, implementation, vendor evaluation), recommend which existing pages should better address this intent, and identify opportunities to improve content through stronger CTAs, internal links, comparison tables, FAQs, or supporting resources.”

You may discover that pages built for top-of-funnel education are already attracting visitors who are evaluating solutions. Instead of creating new content, the better opportunity may be to refine what already exists, making it easier for users to take the next step without disrupting the informational experience.

Sometimes the biggest content opportunity isn’t publishing another page. It’s recognizing the conversion intent that’s already finding its way to the ones you have.

6. Find audience-specific opportunities

One of my favorite ways to uncover new content opportunities is by filtering queries for specific industries, audiences, or customer segments. It’s a quick way to see whether your content is resonating with the audiences you intended to reach or revealing opportunities you hadn’t considered.

Start by asking ChatGPT to create a regex based on the audience segments that matter most to your business.

Example prompt:

• “Create a Google Search Console regex that identifies queries related to healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, financial services, government, and nonprofit organizations.”

Example output: (?i)(healthcare|hospital|medical|manufacturing|factory|retail|education|school|financial|bank|government|public sector|nonprofit)

Apply that filter in Google Search Console and export the results.

Then ask Claude or ChatGPT:

• “Analyze these queries and group them by audience segment. Identify which industries show the strongest search demand, what recurring questions or pain points each audience has, and recommend opportunities for new content, landing pages, case studies, or internal linking that would better serve those audiences.”

Maybe healthcare-related searches consistently focus on compliance, while manufacturing queries revolve around implementation. Maybe retailers are searching for entirely different use cases than financial services organizations.

7. Uncover ‘striking distance’ opportunities at scale

Every SEO knows the classic recommendation: “Look at keywords ranking in positions 5-15 to identify opportunities within striking distance.”

The challenge, again, is doing this at scale. A report with hundreds of queries where your site is within striking distance of a top-ranking position can quickly become overwhelming.

Take any of the regex patterns above a step further. Use the same filters based on your needs and goals, then filter your data to positions 5-15 before exporting the queries.

Then ask your AI analyst:

• “Identify recurring themes across these queries and recommend page-level optimizations rather than keyword-level optimizations.”

Rather than recommending tweaks to individual keywords, AI often surfaces larger opportunities. You may identify missing subtopics or incomplete comparison content. Maybe you have relevant content, but weak internal linking or missing use cases.

The result is often fewer optimizations, but significantly more impactful ones.

Turn Google Search Console data into decisions

As SEOs, we don’t have a problem with a lack of data. We have a prioritization problem.

Google Search Console has always been one of the richest sources of insight into how people discover your business. The challenge has long been turning thousands of rows into something actionable.

That’s where AI fits into the workflow. It helps uncover patterns, organize information, and surface opportunities you might have otherwise missed. It’s not an SEO strategist or a replacement for experience and critical thinking.

The real advantage isn’t writing better regex or exporting cleaner spreadsheets. It’s spending less time searching for insights and more time acting on them.

Because data doesn’t improve SEO. Better decisions do.

Marketing mix modeling (MMM) is becoming more accessible, but getting started remains a challenge.

After several conversations about MMM adoption, I noticed the same question kept coming up: “We believe in the concept of MMM, but we don’t know how to get started.”

The answer is that viable open-source platforms have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry. They haven’t lowered the level of expertise required to produce trustworthy, actionable results.

Open-source MMM has changed the starting point

MMM adoption is accelerating. Almost half (46.9%) of U.S. marketers will invest more in MMM over the next year, and they ranked MMM as the most reliable measurement methodology (27.6%).

The open-source revolution in MMM is real. Three production-grade libraries now cover the full methodological spectrum:

• Robyn (Meta, R): Automated hyperparameter search via Nevergrad, Pareto frontier model selection, and built-in decomposition and response curve plots — the most approachable entry point. It’s the one I use most because it’s highly customizable.
• Meridian (Google, Python/TensorFlow): Bayesian inference with geo-level priors and principled uncertainty quantification — more rigorous, with a steeper learning curve.
• PyMC-Marketing (PyMC Labs, Python): The most flexible option, offering a full probabilistic model that’s closest to academic-grade Bayesian MMM — but it also requires the most statistical fluency.

This generation of tools has eliminated the $150,000 to $500,000 consulting gate that used to be the only path into MMM. Any team with R or Python expertise and relatively clean historical data can now run a model in-house.

The key caveat worth making explicit in any conversation with those exploring MMM is this: “Free tool” doesn’t mean “free model.” The software is free. The domain expertise required to configure it correctly — a hugely important part of the process — isn’t.

A crowded vendor landscape with an interesting power dynamic

The SaaS layer built on top of open-source MMM has proliferated quickly. It’s worth distinguishing a few tiers.

Data-layer-first vendors

Platforms like Rockerbox and Northbeam started as attribution and data collection platforms, then added MMM. Their edge is data pipelines and speed, not modeling depth or customization.

Measurement-first vendors

Platforms like Measured, Analytic Partners, Ekimetrics, and Nielsen Gracenote offer more rigorous modeling at a higher price point, with enterprise-grade capabilities.

Google Meridian and GA360

One point is worth calling out. Google’s open-sourcing of Meridian was a generous contribution to the field and, at the same time, a strategic one. When a walled garden funds and packages the measurement methodology used to evaluate its own channels, it’s worth maintaining healthy skepticism about model priors and default assumptions, even with transparent code.

The practical question when evaluating vendors is: who owns your data layer, and does that create conflicts in the modeling layer?

Challenge 1: Data access is the silent MMM killer

This is the most underappreciated implementation blocker, and it rarely gets the attention it deserves. A well-specified MMM needs:

• Two to three years of weekly data as a baseline — enough to capture at least two full seasonality cycles and a meaningful range of spend variation.
• Consistent channel-level spend granularity — not just “digital,” but search, social, display, and video broken out separately.
• Offline channels (TV, OOH, radio, events, direct mail — which typically live in different systems) are owned by different teams, and often use incompatible time granularities.
• External covariates — macro indicators, competitor activity, pricing data, and product launch calendars.
• For B2B specifically, longer sales cycles and lower conversion volumes make the data requirements even more demanding. You often need more history.

In practice, what blocks most MMM projects is the six-week data archaeology exercise that comes before model building. Finance owns revenue. The brand team owns TV. The agency owns digital spend. The spreadsheet someone built in 2021 is the only record of trade promotions.

The model is only as good as the data archaeology that precedes it, and nobody tells you that in the vendor demo.

Challenge 2: You still need to roll up your sleeves

AI assistants have meaningfully lowered the syntax barrier. They can scaffold a Robyn run, generate a Meridian config, or help debug a PyMC model. What they can’t yet do is navigate the judgment calls that make an MMM trustworthy:

• Choose where to sit on a Pareto frontier of hundreds of model solutions (NRMSE vs. DECOMP.RSSD tradeoffs).
• Know when Nevergrad’s optimizer has meaningfully converged versus landed in a local minimum.
• Configure adstock transformation parameters (Weibull shape/scale, geometric decay) to match realistic channel dynamics.
• Diagnose why a model assigns an implausible contribution to a channel, and whether to address it with a prior, a data correction, or a variable exclusion.

In other words, vibe coding your way to an MMM will produce a model that appears to work but is wrong in ways you won’t catch. The scripting isn’t the hard part. The domain expertise required to validate the output includes running channel-specific incrementality experiments to calibrate your MMM.

Challenge 3: The human expertise layer isn’t optional

Even when the tooling matures to the point where AI can run a competent default MMM, the irreplaceable human contribution is encoding business context — things no model can infer from the data alone:

• Adstock and carryover context: Your TV buy has a four-week carryover. Your paid search has a three-day carryover. Your branded awareness campaign has a decay that spans months. This information isn’t found in the data. It’s in the minds of the channel experts.
• Saturation curve shape: Knowing a channel is likely approaching diminishing returns before the model tells you so, and questioning the results when the model suggests otherwise.
• Guardrails and anomaly handling: Factors like COVID troughs, product launches, pricing shifts, and macro disruptions need to be modeled explicitly or flagged as structural breaks. AI doesn’t know your client had a pricing crisis in Q3 2022.
• Interpretation sanity checks: A modeled TV contribution of 40% for a brand spending $2 million on TV may “feel wrong” and warrant investigation. That intuition is earned, not computed.
• Organizational translation: The most technically correct model is worthless if you can’t explain why it recommends shifting 15% of the search budget to CTV in terms a CMO and CFO will act on.

Lay the groundwork before you build a model

The best place to begin is understanding what data you need to fuel the model and who needs to help contextualize and translate that data into effective marketing decisions. Neither is easy or fast, but both are essential if you want to get meaningful insights from your model, regardless of whether you choose an open-source or subscription-based platform.

A practical first step is to download Robyn’s demo script and experiment with the sample data before applying it to your own.

Let’s get real. SEO advice often sounds completely made up. There, I said it!

A lot of recommendations sound ridiculous to people who do not live in search every single day. “Change this canonical.” “Don’t block that resource.” “We need this content exposed in the rendered HTML.”

This is exactly why SEO still gets labeled as black magic in many organizations.

I’ve been an advocate for “un-nerding SEO” for years, but that’s a different story. Today, we’re talking about something much more practical: using Google’s own documentation to win approval, build trust, and prioritize tasks for action.

Not because Google tells us everything. Not because every sentence should be treated as gospel. But because hard-documented resources are hard to blow off.

When you need buy-in, sometimes the best argument is not “trust me.”

It’s “Google already documented how we should approach this.”

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The buy-in problem is usually not the recommendation itself

Most SEO recommendations do not die because they are wrong. They die because they have to compete with everything else happening inside the business.

Dev sprints, product timelines, CMS limitations, legal concerns, brand standards, executive assumptions, and the ever-popular… (close your eyes!) “we’ve always done it this way”, it all has a seat at the table. SEO is rarely the only priority in the room, even when the recommendation is technically correct.

That is why “best practice says” or “from an SEO perspective” is simply not enough to close the deal. It sounds optional, especially to teams already managing risk, deadlines, and competing requests.

But “Google has official documentation to guide us” lands differently.

It may not automatically win the argument, and it definitely does not mean the recommendation gets prioritized tomorrow. But it does change the conversation from “the SEO gal told us…” to “Suzzie provided us official Google documentation explaining why this matters.”

Google documentation is not gospel

I know what some of you are thinking.

“Nick, are we really pretending Google tells us the full truth about how search works?”

Fuck No. I mean… absolutely not.

Google’s documentation is not the complete truth of search. It has omissions. It simplifies complicated systems. Sometimes it explains how Google wants site owners to behave, not necessarily every nerdy factor that goes into organic visibility.

Google also writes documentation for a very broad audience. That means nuance gets sanded down, edge cases get skipped, and the answer is often technically true without being the entire story. (Want proof? Log in to X, and you’ll read SEOs with too much time on their hands, complaining and “calling out” Google for this)

So no, I am not suggesting we treat every Google statement as if it were carved into stone tablets and carried down from Mountain View.

But that does not make the documentation useless.

It makes it a starting point. A receipt. An official reference point.

It moves the conversation away from “Nick thinks this matters” and toward “Google has explicitly documented why this matters.” That distinction matters a lot when you’re trying to get someone else to approve (and prioritize) the work.

Documentation is especially useful with developers

This is probably where Google documentation earns its keep the fastest. SEOs need developers, and the fastest way to lose their support is to treat every recommendation as a command rather than a requirement.

but… just in case this works…

google.exe /disable-ai-overviews /please

Bummer, no dice.

Developers are not wrong just because they disagree with an SEO recommendation. Most of the time, they are optimizing for completely different (but valid) things, such as performance, code quality, technical debt, security, and let’s not forget, simply not being the person who takes the entire website down with one wrong push to production.

But sometimes they are wrong about how Google discovers, crawls, renders, indexes, or interprets content.

And telling a developer “you’re wrong” is a great way to make sure your ticket never sees the light of day.

This is where Google documentation helps. It removes subjectivity on the purpose/value. It aligns the conversation on how best to implement within your own ecosystem, rather than the recommendation being “right vs wrong”

• Canonical tags are signals, not directives.
• Robots.txt blocks crawling, not always indexing.
• JavaScript rendering has limitations.
• Internal links need to be discoverable.
• Structured data has eligibility requirements.
• Why status codes matter and a 302 doesn’t “do the same thing.”

The point is never “SEO wins and dev loses.”

The point is that you now have an external source of truth to discuss. That is a much better conversation than two teams arguing from preference.

Documentation is also a client management tool

For client-facing SEOs, documentation helps separate serious recommendations from “trust me, bro, I have a contact at Google” consulting.

This is especially useful when a client has been burned by bad SEO advice before.

Instead of saying:

“We need to change this because it’s better for SEO.”

You can say:

“Here’s what Google documents. Here’s where your current setup conflicts with that. Here’s the risk. Here’s the recommendation. Here is the estimated reward.”

That framing builds trust because it shows the recommendation is not reliant on 100% blind faith.

It also makes the SEO look less like a magician and more like an interpreter.

That is the real role of an SEO: translating Google’s needs from a website (confirmed via documentation) into business and technical decisions.

Less black magic, more receipts

SEO has a reputation problem, and some of it is earned.

Too much of our work is still explained in vague terminology with low confidence. We say things like “Google likes this” or “this needs to exist for the bots” when we should be saying, “Google documents this behavior here, and here’s how it applies to our situation.”

That does not mean documentation alone creates buy-in.

Dropping a Google link into a ticket or Slack thread is not a strategy. You still have to translate what it means, explain the risk, connect it to business outcomes, and help the team understand why the recommendation deserves attention.

Google documentation will never replace experience, testing, or judgment. It will not tell us everything, and it should not be treated like the final answer to every SEO debate.

But it can make SEO easier to defend, easier to prioritize, and much harder for divisional leaders to dismiss.

The best SEOs are not just the ones who know what to recommend. They are the ones who can prove why the recommendation deserves to be taken seriously.

Less black magic. More receipts. More results.

Google documentation may not be the whole truth, but it sure beats showing up to a buy-in conversation with “my buddy from Google told me….” Suuuure they did.

This post first appeared on the author’s website and is republished here with permission.

Google has dropped “Next” from Merchant Center Next and it will now be known as just Google Merchant Center. “The platform you use today will simply be referred to as Google Merchant Center,” Google announced.

Merchant Center Next. Google Merchant Center Next was the new version of the old Google Merchant Center, which was announced in 2023. Over the past few years, more and more merchants, site owners and advertisers moved from the old Google Merchant Center to Merchant Center Next.

At this point, it seems everyone is on Merchant Center Next, so Google has decided to drop “Next” from the name and just give it the old name back of just Merchant Center.

What Google said. Google wrote:

• “You’ll begin to notice the “Next” branding removed from our Help Center articles, email communications, and the Merchant Center interface.”
• “The platform you use today will simply be referred to as Google Merchant Center.”
• “No action is required. This name change doesn’t affect your account”
  

Why we care. When you are talking about Google Merchant Center, maybe now leave off “Next” at the end. Truth is, most of us have just been calling this Google Merchant Center without the next.

Paid search has changed. Auction dynamics shift by the hour, competitor bids adjust in real time, and search behavior varies across devices, times of day, and audience segments in ways monthly reporting cycles weren’t built to capture. 

The gap between a performance signal and a human response has always carried a cost. groas closes that gap every hour of every day. Here’s what the data showed when it did.

When you sign up with groas, the process starts with a human account manager conducting a full audit of your existing Google Ads account. This isn’t a surface-level review — campaign structure, keyword strategy, bidding logic, budget allocation, conversion tracking, quality scores, search term reports, and auction insights all come under scrutiny.

The quality of that audit shapes everything that follows. groas’s system optimizes toward the goals and structure defined in the roadmap, so a well-structured account with a clear conversion hierarchy and accurate tracking gives it stronger signals to work with. That’s why the human work at the start matters so much: it forms the foundation for everything that follows.

From there, the rollout is paced over the first 60 days, so nothing moves before the system understands the account it’s working in.

• Weeks 1 to 2 — Observation: groas ingests historical performance data, establishes baselines, and maps patterns across search terms, device performance, time-of-day variance, and audience behavior. No changes are made while the system learns the account.
• Weeks 3 to 4 — Calibration: The system begins targeted optimizations: bid adjustments, negative keyword additions, match type refinements, and budget reallocation between campaigns. These are deliberate interventions, working campaign by campaign so each change builds on the last.
• Weeks 5 to 6 — Traction: Early changes start to show. Performance shifts become visible across ROAS, conversion value, and wasted spend as the optimizations compound.
• Weeks 7 to 8 — Scaling: Around the 60-day mark, the account has stabilized, and groas begins scaling: pushing more budget into the campaigns and keywords with the strongest conversion history and expanding from a proven base.

Once running, groas works across the full account the way a skilled team would, except it never stops. It writes and tests ad copy, deploys dynamic landing pages that reshape around each search, turns ad groups on and off as performance dictates, moves budget where it earns the most, and adjusts bidding strategies in response to live signals. 

Anything a person can do inside Google Ads, groas can do, too — around the clock.

Capability is one thing; results are another. 

The clearest way to show what continuous, full-surface management is worth is to follow one real account groas took over: a high-spend search account in a notoriously unforgiving corner of paid search. Specifically, it was a U.S.-based online mobile recharge platform that lets people instantly top up prepaid mobile phones across major U.S. carriers, without creating an account or paying added transaction fees. It operates in prepaid wireless, serving a large base of pay-as-you-go and underbanked customers who recharge monthly or more often, usually when their balance runs out.

That model puts Google Ads at the center of growth. 

Demand is overwhelmingly intent-driven: when someone’s credit runs out, they search for a way to recharge and buy within minutes. Capturing that moment is the whole game. But it’s a punishing channel to run profitably: transactions are low-value and high-volume, margins are thin, and a crowded auction full of carrier brand terms and generic “recharge” and “top up” queries keeps click costs under constant pressure. 

A few cents of wasted CPC, multiplied across hundreds of conversions a day, can be the difference between a profitable account and one that quietly bleeds.

In this account, a conversion is a completed recharge. The figures that follow aren’t abstract: every point of ROAS and every extra conversion per day means more recharges processed and more revenue moving through the platform on the same budget.

The comparison below draws on two account reporting periods: before groas assumed optimization and after.

• Spend: Up 18% to $164,000
• ROAS: Up 30%
• Average CPC: Down 15%
• Conversions per day: Up 29%
• Conversion value: Up 44%
• Cost per conversion: Down 14%

The clearest gain was return on ad spend. ROAS rose from 1.02x to 1.32x, roughly a 30% improvement in value returned for each dollar spent.

At the same time, average cost per click fell from $2.34 to $2. More important than click cost was how much more the account did with the clicks it paid for. Conversions and conversion value both grew faster than spend, so each dollar worked harder than it had under the previous setup.

Daily conversions rose from 571 to 739, around 29%. Daily conversion value rose faster, from $4,702 to $6,772, roughly 44%. 

What makes this notable is that the gains came through consolidation, not expansion. groas focused spend into 10 active search campaigns, down from 17. 

Budget spread thinly across underperforming campaigns was redirected into the keywords and campaigns with the strongest conversion history. Fewer campaigns, lower click costs, more value returned. 

That’s the shape of an account with waste removed and budget focused.

The mechanism behind results like these is speed and breadth of attention. Under traditional management tied to weekly or monthly reporting cycles, an underperforming search term might run for 7 to 14 days before anyone acts, and a target CPA can drift far from its goal between reviews. An autonomous system narrows the gap between a performance signal and a response to hours, and watches every campaign at once instead of a few per day.

As groas accumulates more data on audience behavior, search patterns, and conversion value, its decisions become more precise and budget concentrates further into the highest-returning campaigns.

This is the structural difference between autonomous management and periodic manual review. Each optimization generates new data, and that data informs the next decision. A system running continuous observe-and-optimize cycles draws more signal from the same account over time.

Business context stays with the people who understand the business. When a client launches a new product line, repositions on price, or changes which conversions matter, that information has to come from a person. groas optimizes toward the goal it’s given, and setting that goal is strategic work.

Creative shows how the two layers work together. groas writes and tests ad copy and landing page variations at a volume and pace no human team could match, while the people on the account set the brand voice, positioning, and creative direction the system executes against. The strategist shapes the message; groas finds, at machine speed, the specific combinations of wording and layout that convert.

For businesses ready to see better results

If your current setup runs on monthly reports and weekly changes, there’s a consistent gap between what the data says and what actually happens in the account. That gap is where budget gets wasted and opportunities close. In the account above, it showed up as more than 15 active search campaigns, many spending inefficiently, with budget spread too thin to compound.

groas’s onboarding is structured to keep the transition low-risk. The first two weeks are analysis only, measured changes follow, and meaningful performance shifts usually appear within the first month or two, with scaling beginning around day 60. Live campaigns keep running throughout calibration, and the initial audit grounds changes in context from the start.

For businesses that have stayed with the same agency for a long time without material improvement, the audit alone often surfaces things that have gone unaddressed.

Get started here.

For agencies running groas white-label

Execution-layer account management doesn’t scale well. 

Continuous optimization, bid management, negative keyword maintenance, and budget pacing are time-intensive at volume. As you add clients, you either add headcount or accept that some accounts get less attention than others — and most agencies know exactly which ones are underserved.

With groas handling execution autonomously across a client portfolio, your team can shift toward strategy, client relationships, and new business. 

The work that differentiates an agency is also the hardest to automate. Clients see better results, and team capacity goes where it creates the most value.

Get started here.

France have remained a top contender for the third consecutive World Cup. Under Didier Deschamps, they have undergone a rebuild by placing their trust in promising young players. After defeating Paraguay in a tightly contested match, they reached the quarterfinals as one of the tournament’s top contenders. After their outstanding performances, they have climbed the FIFA Men’s World Ranking ahead of facing Morocco.

According to the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, France are ranked first with 1,925.86 points. Reflecting their strong form, they have climbed two places, remaining the best national team in the world. Head coach Didier Deschamps has built a national team that is highly dominant in both defense and attack, making them extremely difficult to beat. In addition, they have remained near the top of the rankings for several years.

While Didier Deschamps’ team are the top-ranked national team in the world, Morocco are not far behind. Mohamed Ouahbi’s team are ranked sixth with 1,803.99 points. Following their strong run of form, they have climbed one place, showcasing their attacking strength and overall quality. With their defensive solidity, they could surprise France and look to win through effective counterattacks.

Facing one of the best African teams, France need to be at their best defensively. Although they excel with their high press, they often leave space behind the back line. Because of this, the defensive recovery of Jules Koundé and Lucas Digne will be essential in stopping any opposition attacks. In addition, the counter-press from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé will be key, as they are highly effective at winning the ball back.

Desiré Doué and Michael Olise poised for key France roles

Just as they did against Paraguay, France could face a very difficult defensive challenge against Morocco. Although Mohamed Ouahbi’s team are outstanding in possession and attacking quality, they have shown they are capable of sitting deep against elite opponents. Therefore, head coach Didier Deschamps could need the best version of Désiré Doué and Michael Olise on the pitch.

If Doué and Olise shine on the wings, they would create space for Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. In addition, they could dribble inside and create openings, looking to score and break down Morocco’s defensive structure. Although they are not the team’s top goalscorers, they will be essential in allowing the rest of the attack to shine, requiring plenty of individual quality.

France and Morocco are colliding in a blockbuster 2026 World Cup quarterfinal clash at Boston Stadium, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. This decisive showdown in Boston guarantees that only one of these dynamic squads will secure a coveted ticket to the semifinals. Let’s take a closer look at the knockout scenarios and explore how the ultimate victor will impact the rest of the 2026 World Cup bracket.

Thursday’s clash at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, is a rematch of the unforgettable 2022 World Cup semifinal, where France ended Morocco’s historic run with a 2-0 victory. Four years later, both nations arrive with ambitions of writing another memorable chapter.

France enters the quarterfinal as one of the tournament favorites after another impressive campaign. Didier Deschamps’ squad has advanced through the competition with a series of convincing performances, although Paraguay pushed Les Bleus harder than any previous opponent during the Round of 16.

Morocco continues to prove that its remarkable run in Qatar was far from a one-time achievement. The Atlas Lions reached another World Cup quarterfinal after eliminating Canada and remain one of the tournament’s most disciplined and dangerous sides.

The fixture also carries emotional significance because several Moroccan internationals were born in France, while multiple French players share North African or Middle Eastern heritage. That unique connection gives this encounter an added layer beyond soccer.

France arrives with confidence, while Morocco hopes to create more history

France has scored freely throughout the tournament thanks to one of the deepest attacking units in international soccer. Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doue have consistently troubled opposing defenses.

Mbappe has already found the net seven times during this World Cup and continues battling for another Golden Boot. France has also produced 14 goals while conceding only two, underlining why many consider Les Bleus the strongest remaining contender.

Morocco, meanwhile, has continued building on the momentum created during its groundbreaking 2022 World Cup campaign. Under head coach Mohamed Ouahbi, the Atlas Lions remain unbeaten in their last ten matches and have become one of Africa’s leading soccer powers.

The reigning Africa Cup of Nations champion has impressed with organization, patience, and technical quality. Players like Achraf Hakimi, Azzedine Ounahi, Brahim Diaz, and Yassine Bounou have given Morocco genuine belief that another upset is possible.

What happens if France wins and Morocco loses?

If France wins, regardless of whether it comes in regulation, extra time or a penalty shootout, Les Bleus will advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals.

France would then face the winner of Belgium vs Spain, keeping alive its pursuit of a third consecutive World Cup final appearance. Morocco’s remarkable tournament would come to an end before reaching another semifinal.

What happens if France and Morocco draw?

Although many supporters wonder what a draw would mean, a World Cup quarterfinal cannot finish level.

If the match is tied after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time will be played. Should neither side find a winner, the semifinal place will be decided through a penalty shootout, ensuring one nation progresses while the other is eliminated.

What happens if Morocco wins and France loses?

A Moroccan triumph would represent one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. France would be eliminated, while Morocco would book another place in the World Cup semifinals, exacting revenge for the 2022 loss to Les Bleus.

Another semifinal appearance would also strengthen Morocco’s growing legacy on the global stage after its groundbreaking run in Qatar four years ago.