Sometimes I think we lose track of the Diamondbacks a little bit. They’ve only made the playoffs twice in the past 14 years, though they did make it to the World Series in 2023 (as an 84-win team). The other NL West teams tend to obscure them: the Dodgers and Padres because of their star power, the Giants and Rockies because of their ballparks. I did not head to the March fantasy baseball draft table targeting Snakes for my roster.

But with a third of the season in the books, Arizona is holding up nicely. The Diamondbacks stand 31-24, which is comfortably inside the wild-card cutline. The offense has mostly supported the team (10th in runs scored), while the pitching has been average (16th in ERA). And there are a handful of players offering fantasy value.

Let’s pop open the hood and see what’s going on in Phoenix.

Why fantasy managers should take a look at the D-backs

The first thing that struck me about this year’s club is how many older and surprising players dot the top of the roster. Four of the top six Arizona players by WAR are in their 30s: Eduardo Rodríguez (33), Nolan Arenado (35), Ildemaro Vargas (34) and Ketel Marte (32).

Marte is producing close to expectations, though his slugging is down a tick and he no longer runs much. We know what he is. But Rodríguez, Arenado and Vargas have all been unexpected producers, forcing their way from the waiver wire to active fantasy rosters.

It’s hard to take Rodríguez’s start at face value. That pretty 2.31 ERA doesn’t jibe with a 3.70 FIP and he has a small strikeout rate (18%) and a bloated walk rate (8.8%). All the good-luck signs are flashing: a 7.2% HR/FB rate and a miraculous 84.9% strand rate. He recently took advantage of some stream-friendly opponents (Giants, Rockies on the road, Mets), but I wouldn’t tempt fate against the better opponents that are coming.

Arenado’s Hall of Fame ticket is likely punched already, with 360 career homers and 10 Gold Gloves. He’s just shy of 60.0 WAR for his career. But it’s fun to see his best offensive season in four years, a .271/.351/.459 slash with seven home runs. Third base is not a deep fantasy position, so Arenado stands as the 3B12 through two months.

Arenado has a collection of older-player skills dotting his offensive profile. His bat speed is below average, his hard-hit metrics lag. His expected slugging (.361) is a whopping 98 points shy of his actual mark. Arenado’s best skills moving forward should be a credible batting average and consistent contact; he might struggle to get to 20 homers. I understand why he’s still unrostered in about two-thirds of Yahoo leagues.

The Vargas story has come completely out of nowhere, a 34-year-old journeyman who’s never seen 300 at-bats in a season. The Snakes viewed him as a versatile bench player to open the year, but injuries and underperformance have forced Vargas into the lineup regularly. A .303/.330/.484 slash with seven homers will play in any format, and he’s earned most of that average (.291 xBA) even if Statcast doesn’t buy all the slugging (.412 slugging).

Vargas is another contact king (97th percentile in strikeout rate) but he’ll swing at almost anything (3.6% walks, 42.4% chase rate). You worry about that sort of thing being exploited as more teams get a look at Vargas. Perhaps that’s been the story over the past 17 games, where he’s at .215/.257/.292 with just three extra base hits.

Stories like this can expire at any time.

Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament

Not every player has to have a Cinderella tilt. Sometimes it’s as simple as a great player performing to expectations. Corbin Carroll was a first-round staple in March and although he’s been closer to a third- or fourth-round producer so far, a .293-35-7-28-7 line is within a reasonable range of outcomes. This is a very safe place to park your money.

Geraldo Perdomo has not repeated his 2025 dream season, but he could be a reasonable buy-low. His plate-discipline stats are all excellent, and his .223 batting average should be 25 points higher based on Statcast data. Last year’s 20 home runs aren’t coming back, but this is a smart base stealer (69-for-85 over his career) who’s a strong bet to hit for a plus average moving forward (he’s at .274 since the beginning of 2024). He’s welcome on any of my rosters.

Michael Soroka might be the staff ace here, finally healthy again in his age-28 season. He’s an easy watch because he rarely walks anyone (2.1 BB/9) and he keeps the ball in the park (0.6 HR/9). He’s already given us a couple of double-digit strikeout games — those are always screaming buy signals.

His 3.25 ERA is a trickier case, depending on which ERA estimator you feel best about. Soroka is validated by FIP (2.84), trusted by SIERA (3.48) and dismissed by Savant (4.42). Which kind of porridge would you like? Soroka’s true value might be revealed in his next two starts, when he takes on the formidable Dodgers and Nationals.

Neymar has been ⁠ruled out of Brazil’s upcoming friendlies and is set to miss their World Cup opener after scans revealed a grade-two calf injury, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has confirmed.

CBF doctor Rodrigo Lasmar delivered the blow on Thursday ahead of a players’ media conference, confirming the 34-year-old forward faces two to three more weeks on the sidelines.

“Neymar reported for duty yesterday here ⁠at Granja Comary, underwent all the medical tests, which concluded with an MRI scan revealing a grade-two calf injury, not just swelling. He is expected to be cleared in two to three weeks,” Lasmar said.

He did not say whether Neymar could be dropped from the squad.

He had joined the team on ‌Tuesday but missed Wednesday’s first training session and was sent to a private clinic in Teresopolis for imaging tests after complaints of swelling in his right calf.

According to Lasmar, the MRI showed not swelling, as previously reported, but a grade-two calf strain — a moderate injury involving a partial tear of the muscle fibres that requires rest and rehabilitation.

The diagnosis differs from that presented by Santos prior to the squad announcement. The club’s doctor, Rodrigo ⁠Zogaib, stated that the problem was merely swelling, and that Neymar would ⁠arrive fit to begin training on Tuesday.

Instead, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer will miss Sunday’s friendly against Panama at the Maracana, and the subsequent match against Egypt in Cleveland. He is also all but ruled out of Brazil’s World Cup ⁠opener against African champions Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey.

Brazil are in Group C alongside Haiti and Scotland.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti is already ⁠without defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos, as well as forward Gabriel ⁠Martinelli for Sunday’s fixture due to their involvement in this weekend’s Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar’s recall last week had generated widespread excitement after not featuring in Ancelotti’s plans during the Italian’s year in charge. ‌

The forward, who has scored 79 goals in 128 international appearances, has endured years of injury troubles and an underwhelming return to Santos.

In an interview with Reuters earlier this month, Ancelotti ‌said ‌that Neymar would receive no special treatment, and that his place in the squad would be strictly based on fitness and form, not sentiment.

For now, Brazil must plan without him.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes left Game 4 of the NHL‘s Eastern Conference Final with another loss on his record, but the Bell Centre crowd still gave him one of the loudest ovations of the night.

After Wednesday’s 4-0 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes, Dobes admitted he was stunned by the support he received late in the game despite Montreal falling into a 3-1 series deficit.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s been unbelievable,” Dobes said. “My family’s here, and they’re loving every second of it. And really grateful for what I have [achieved] and how much the fans love me and love our team.”

MORE: Canadiens GM says 78-point D-man Lane Hutson ‘never quits’

The 24-year-old finished with 40 saves on 43 shots, with Carolina’s fourth goal coming into an empty net. Dobes was again one of the few reasons Montreal remained competitive as the Canadiens struggled badly to generate offense.

“I will never take that for granted,” Dobes said of the crowd support. “I will always show up with my best effort.”

Still, the numbers highlighted the gap between the two teams. Carolina has outshot Montreal 136-65 through four games, while the Canadiens produced only four total shots in the third periods of Games 3 and 4 combined.

Hurricanes’ structure continues to overwhelm the Canadiens

The Hurricanes dictated the game with aggressive puck pressure, layered defensive coverage, and constant transition speed. Montreal repeatedly turned pucks over under pressure, especially during a disastrous first period when Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, and Logan Stankoven scored three goals in less than three minutes.

This series has exposed how difficult it is for young teams to create offense against Carolina’s structure. The Hurricanes close space quickly in the neutral zone and force rushed plays before opponents can establish possession.

Montreal never adjusted cleanly. The Canadiens managed only 18 shots in Game 4 and spent long stretches defending instead of attacking. Frederik Andersen earned the shutout with little sustained pressure against him.

Dobes, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his reputation despite the loss. He now owns a 2.53 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage across 18 playoff starts.

MORE: Elliotte Friedman reacts as Mitch Marner reaches first Stanley Cup Final

Head coach Martin St. Louis kept the focus simple entering Game 5.

“It’s not to worry about the whole thing; it’s just winning a game – one game,” St. Louis said. “You can’t look at the mountain. You just have to look at what’s in front of you and stay present.”

Former Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco once looked destined to become one of the faces of Major League Baseball. At just 24 years old, he had already signed a massive long-term contract, earned All-Star recognition, and established himself as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.

Now, his baseball future should be over for good. On Monday, a Dominican court found Franco guilty of sexual and psychological abuse involving a minor. Although the court ruled that he would avoid prison time because of findings related to extortion and blackmail by the minor’s mother, the conviction itself remains in place. That distinction matters.

MORE: MLB set to propose salary cap in new CBA negotiations & it could be a disaster

Guilty Verdict Cannot Be Ignored

Franco was arrested in January 2024 after authorities accused him of maintaining a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Prosecutors also alleged that money was transferred to the girl’s mother in exchange for consent regarding the relationship.

While the court later determined Franco had also been victimized through extortion and blackmail, it did not erase the central ruling of the case.

He was still found guilty. Avoiding prison time does not change the seriousness of the conviction or the nature of the allegations that led to it. For Major League Baseball, that should be enough to make a permanent decision.

MLB Must Protect Its Image

Professional sports leagues constantly talk about protecting the integrity of the game and holding players accountable for conduct off the field.

This is one of those moments where MLB has to prove it truly means that. Franco is not just another player. He was marketed as one of baseball’s future superstars. He signed an 11-year, $182 million extension with Tampa Bay in 2021 and was viewed as a foundational player for the sport moving forward.

That is exactly why the league cannot afford to treat this lightly. Allowing Franco to eventually return would send a terrible message to fans, sponsors, and players across the league.

Baseball Has Already Moved On

Franco has not played in Major League Baseball since allegations first surfaced in 2023. MLB placed him on administrative leave before later moving him to the restricted list. At this point, a comeback should not even be part of the conversation.

The legal process has now produced a guilty verdict, even if it did not result in incarceration. Baseball does not need to wait for additional developments to understand the seriousness of the situation. Wander Franco was once one of baseball’s brightest stars. Now, MLB should make sure his career remains over permanently.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

The New York Giants wanted to get bigger, faster, and nastier this offseason, as illustrated in the players they chose in April's NFL draft.

After taking Miami's Francis Mauigoa with the 10th overall pick to bolster the interior and dynamics of the offensive line, they added Illinois' massive tackle J.C. Davis with the 192nd overall selection in Round 6.

The Giants were looking for linemen who not only play with a high motor and a physical edge, but also seek out versatility as well. Davis' college coach, former Giants assistant Bret Bielema, says there's no need to worry about that with his former player.

"I don't know exactly where the Giants are going to play him," Bielema said on the “Giants Huddle” podcast about his former left tackle. "But I told several of the scouts -- I've got a great relationship with the Giants and everybody in that building -- I'm telling you, I literally think he can play all four, both left tackle, right tackle, left guard, and right guard.

"I know there were a lot of people who thought he should move to guard and play only guard, but if they do play him at guard, I think he can pop out at tackle and have a lot of flexibility for you. One of the things I really learned in the NFL, too, was just that word 'flex.' He's a guy that he might be able to plug and play at one position, but he probably has the flexibility to play all four."

The Giants are aware of Davis' ability to be flexible. The 6-foot-4, 322-pound Davis will be used wherever the team needs him.

"Swing guard and tackle. He can play both," head coach John Harbaugh said after the draft. "We just had this conversation. That went a long way in determining where he would play.

"Very talented, athletic, long-armed guy, can bend, can move his feet. He's big. He's got some growing to do as a player, some maturing to do as a player, but we had him in for a visit and talked to him about that at length. Very determined guy. He's determined to kind of develop into his talent level. He's a very talented offensive lineman."

Davis will not be a starter for the Giants right away, but as Harbaugh said, he's still developing. The Giants believe they may have gotten a bit of a steal with him. It's about time the Giants' offensive line was properly restocked.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: College coach says New York Giants got versatile player in J.C. Davis

Joey Logano is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, but he isn't fighting for the title right now. Halfway through the 2026 Cup Series regular season, Logano sits 18th in the point standings as the final Team Penske driver. Ryan Blaney (third) and Austin Cindric (17th) have more epoints.

The driver of the No. 22 car sits 29 points behind Ryan Preece for the final spot in the Chase. Logano has shown speed on different occasions; however, the No. 22 team has been inconsistent. It doesn't help that Logano has been unlucky, getting caught up in wrecks or incidents that affect his day.

Logano obviously has the talent to make a 16-driver Chase, but this is starting to become a big story. Team Penske hasn't been as fast during the 2026 NASCAR season, and there is a real chance that Logano doesn't make the Chase. There is still time, but the No. 22 team has to turn up the wick soon.

More: Ryan Blaney signs long-term contract extension with Team Penske

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Joey Logano outside of the Chase halfway through 2026 regular season

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressed Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek’s public complaint about ESPN’s early-season scheduling on Wednesday, acknowledging he had already raised the issue with the network before the schedule was released, and that it made no difference.

Yurachek released a pointed statement after the early-season schedule was released showing Arkansas playing at Utah at 10:15 p.m. ET on Sept. 12, then hosting Georgia at noon ET on Sept. 19. Yurachek, who also serves as chairman of the College Football Playoff committee, called the scheduling “unacceptable” and named ESPN directly, arguing the condensed schedule was “not simply a competitive disadvantage” but “a genuine welfare issue for the young men who represent our program.” He said he would not quietly accept the situation and called on the SEC and ESPN to aggressively pursue an alternative solution.

pic.twitter.com/vARDylvpIv

— Hunter Yurachek (@HunterYurachek) May 27, 2026

Sankey’s response at the SEC spring meetings this week amounted to a frank acknowledgment of the conference’s limitations under its current deal with ESPN. “We have communicated the displeasure in advance,” Sankey said. “It hasn’t changed. That’s one of those points of authority that are given to our broadcast partner. And the squeeze on the West Coast games, we don’t have to do what other college conferences do by comparison. And then the squeeze with the early kickoff is not something that I’m thrilled about either, but we do delegate that authority as part of our TV contracts.

Here is Greg Sankey’s response to Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek (which I’m sure he told him in-person recently) about kickoff times.

Cites ESPN, but also says he wasn’t particularly happy with the “squeeze” as well https://t.co/WiZhoYpVBypic.twitter.com/McIMRjfo2e

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace) May 27, 2026

The SEC’s current deal with ESPN is a 10-year pact worth $710 million per year that began in 2024, and kickoff time authority is among the powers the conference ceded to the network as part of the arrangement. That context matters because Sankey, at the same spring meetings, separately acknowledged that the deal undervalues what the SEC actually delivers. The conference has dominated college football television ratings for two consecutive seasons under the current arrangement — ABC won 34 of 42 Saturday windows last season, with SEC teams featured in the vast majority — while collecting roughly $400 million less per year than the Big Ten gets from Fox, CBS, and NBC.

The deal runs through 2034, and until it doesn’t, ESPN holds the authority the SEC signed away, including the power to put Arkansas on a plane to Salt Lake City for a 10:15 p.m. kickoff and back home six days later for a noon kickoff against Georgia, regardless of what the commissioner thinks.

The post Greg Sankey: SEC ‘communicated displeasure’ to ESPN about Arkansas kickoff times appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Mississippi State vs. Texas Tech live box score Women's College World Series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs softball team will make history Thursday with the first-ever appearance in the Women’s College World Series against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Oklahoma City.

Mississippi State (43-19) earned its spot in the WCWS with a commanding 6-0 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the decisive game of the super regionals, and now faces a familiar opponent with a trip deeper into the bracket at stake.

Texas Tech (57-7) eliminated the Bulldogs in last year’s NCAA Tournament and arrives with one of the nation’s most dangerous combinations of elite pitching and explosive offense. The Red Raiders rank among the national leaders in batting average, home runs and runs scored, led by slugger Mia Williams. In the circle, Texas Tech features standout arms NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry, who have built one of college softball’s top pitching staffs all season.

But Mississippi State enters with momentum and confidence after shutting out Oklahoma. Delainey Everett delivered a breakout performance in that win, while Peja Goold and SEC Newcomer of the Year Alyssa Faircloth give the Bulldogs valuable depth. 

Mississippi State vs. Texas Tech live box score Women's College World Series

Batting Average

Through games Sunday, May 24, 2026

More NCAA News

• Miss. State vs. Oklahoma box score: Final stats from NCAA Softball Super Regionals
• Texas Tech vs. Florida box score: Final stats from NCAA Softball Super Regionals
• Texas vs. Arizona State box score: Final stats from NCAA Softball Super Regionals
• Shedeur Sanders is all over social media after Colorado GPA surfaces
• Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at Kentucky Derby leaves everyone saying the same thing

Aaron Rai will still be celebrating his superb victory at the PGA Championship, having lifted the trophy at Aronimink two weeks ago.

Rai finished his week in Pennsylvania on nine-under, three shots ahead of Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley.

The Englishman, who has yet to return since his maiden major win, is now a two-time champion on the PGA Tour.

Rai also won the Wyndham Championship in 2024, but claimed his biggest career achievement at this year’s PGA Championship.

Now that the dust has settled, the 31-year-old has looked back on the fantastic success, giving his thoughts on the setup at Aronimink.

Aaron Rai shares Aronimink verdict after winning the PGA Championship

Speaking to 5 Clubs, Rai said: “I think the conditions played a big part and the conditions felt pretty even morning and afternoon for both sides of the draw, there did not seem to be a distinct advantage.

“I think it was a course where it felt really hard to string extended periods of the round together.

“For instance, if you missed a fairway, it did not matter if you had 80 yards or 150 yards, it was going to be difficult to get it on the green and to then make your par.

“But it was hard to keep it on the fairways hole after hole after hole.

“There was always going to be a break in that momentum after x amount of holes when you were out of positions.

“I have never seen so many pins cut on grain changes.

“It was literally like half the hole on the down grain and half the hole on the inter-grain. I thought that created challenges on the green and it was a great set-up.

“I felt you had to be so wary of every shot that you played and it was so hard to string all of those shots together to keep building continued momentum to turn those one, two or three unders into six, seven or eight unders which we never really saw until Sunday.”

Why Aaron Rai deserves big praise for his PGA Championship win

Aronimink was under heavy scrutiny throughout the entire tournament, with its many tricky pin positions particularly coming under the spotlight.

But Rai guided himself through the course expertly, shooting rounds of 70, 69, 67 and 65 as his week got better and better.

Such progressive efforts deserve huge praise, as does his ability to lift the Wanamaker Trophy despite a major setback just beforehand.

Rai was battling injury in PGA Championship practice, but pushed through the problem to produce a stunning upset.

Moreover, he very impressively held his nerve despite the conditions and the course setup, and indeed the hugely talented rivals that he outclassed to come out on top.

Rai withdrew from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson immediately after his win at Aronimink, with his absence from the PGA Tour continuing this week at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Read more:

Aaron Rai’s coach shares what he is really like to be around

How many people watched Aaron Rai win the PGA Championship on TV as a five-year record broken

Michael Kim explains how he feels after watching Aaron Rai win the PGA Championship title

A new name has cropped up on the list of potential successors to Massimiliano Allegri as head coach of Milan, as Ralf Rangnick reportedly wants 38-year-old Matthias Jaissle to take charge of the Rossoneri.

Report: Rangnick wants Jaissle to take over as head coach of Milan

Milan need an entire new senior management team after parting company with head coach Allegri, sporting director Igli Tare, technical director Geoffrey Moncada and CEO Giorgio Furlani the day after the 2025-26 season came to an end, after the Rossoneri had failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Recent reports indicate that Rangnick is among the leading candidates to take over the technical sector in San Siro, however, the German, currently serving as head coach of the Austria national team, wants certain guarantees if he is to join the Milan set-up.

Recent reports claim that Rangnick wants full control to bring in his own staff of scouts to the club and to have full control over the appointment of the next head coach. He has made it clear that he only wishes to join the Rossoneri after the 2026 World Cup has come to an end.

According to the latest updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rangnick’s first-choice as head coach would be 38-year-old Jaissle, currently in charge of Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. A former Hoffenheim defender, Jaissle also held roles with FC Liefering and later RB Salzburg before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – APRIL 17: Matthias Jaissle, Head Coach of Al Ahli, gestures during the AFC Champions League Quarter Final match between Al Ahli and Johor Darul Ta’zim at King Abdullah Sports City on April 17, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)

Jaissle won the Austrian domestic double during his first season in charge of RB Salzburg and also led the club to the knock-out stages of the Champions League for the first time in its history. He followed that up with another league title in 2022-23.

Jaissle also won the 2025 AFC Champions League with an Al-Ahli side that featured the likes of Edouard Mendy, Franck Kessie, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – OCTOBER 20: Matthias Jaissle coach of Al Ahli reacts during the AFC Champions League Elite match between Al Ahli and Al Gharafa at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on October 20, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Jaissle is not the only name to be linked with a move to Milan over the last few days. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino is said to be liked by Gerry Cardinale, and Oliver Glasner is also a potential option. Andoni Iraola has also been linked, but recent updates claim that he is more likely to replace Glasner at Crystal Palace instead.

Caitlin Clark’s gravity numbers look strange at first because the Indiana Fever star still bends defenses more visibly than almost anyone in the WNBA.

The confusion comes from what the metric is actually separating. Clark can pull heavy pressure when she has the ball, while still ranking differently when the model weighs off-ball gravity.

That split is what makes the discussion useful. It does not say defenses ignore Clark; it shows where her pressure is being measured most clearly.

Rachel DeMita explains why Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever gravity metric looks off

During a recent Rachel DeMita breakdown, the WNBA analyst said she was surprised by Clark’s position on the gravity list, given how teams typically approach her.

“I thought this was so interesting because Caitlin Clark is far down this list,” DeMita said. “I think when we think about gravity, we think that she is the number one player, because how many teams shift their defenses to adapt to Caitlin?”

That is a common reaction. Clark’s shooting range forces teams to pick her up early, trap her in screens and shift coverages toward her side of the floor.

The WNBA’s Inside the Game platform defines player gravity as the defensive pressure an offensive player draws, both on and off the ball. That means the overall number can look different from how a possession feels when Clark is initiating the offense.

Rachel DeMita highlights why Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever on-ball gravity still matters

DeMita then pointed out the split that helps make sense of Clark’s place in the rankings, stating: “Her on-ball gravity is some of the highest in all of these rankings. Like they have her at 5.3 and a 4.4.”

“When it comes to perimeter on-ball gravity minutes, she is at 5.3, and Sonia Citron is 2.4. And then when you look at the off-ball gravity, that’s when things change,” DeMita concluded.

That is the important distinction. Clark’s on-ball gravity captures the defensive pressure she draws when she is actively running the offense, often well beyond the arc.

Off-ball gravity looks at how teams react when she is away from the ball, where Indiana’s spacing and movement can change the picture entirely.

So the lower overall metric is not proof that Clark lacks gravity. It is a reminder that a single number can sometimes blur the line between her impact with the ball and the way teams play her off it.

DeMita’s point holds up: the combined ranking might seem low, but Clark is still one of the most defense-shifting players in the league.

Read more:

Juventus could turn their attention towards Giorgi Mamardashvili if they can’t buy his Liverpool teammate Alisson Becker.

The Bianconeri are planning to sign a new goalkeeper to replace Michele Di Gregorio, who has been largely unconvincing this season.

Luciano Spalletti has identified his former Roma pupil, Alisson, as his first choice for the role, and the latter expressed his desire to return to Italian football.

Juventus shift their focus from Alisson to Giorgi Mamardashvili

As reported earlier today, Liverpool were planning a change of the guard for next season, with Mamardashvili taking the starting role from Alisson.

However, the Brazilian isn’t willing to remain at Anfield Road as a backup option, so he asked the club to sanction his transfer to Juventus.

Nevertheless, Arne Slot is keen to keep Alisson, especially after losing two locker-room leaders in Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.

Therefore, the Reds have decided to delay their plans by confirming Alisson as their first choice for next season, and sending Mamardashvili away on loan.

According to Sportitalia journalist Gianluigi Longari, Juventus are keeping a close eye on the situation, as they would also be interested in signing the Georgian custodian on loan.

“While awaiting to understand what Liverpool will decide to do with Alisson, Juventus has made inquiries with the Reds regarding the loan of Giorgi Mamardashvili,” posted the transfer market expert on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Mamardashvili’s background & Liverpool stats

Mamardashvili rose to prominence after joining Valencia in the summer of 2021. The 25-year-old then completed a €30 million move to Liverpool in the summer of 2024, but the Premier League giants kept him on loan at Los Che for another year.

Last summer, the Georgian international joined Arne Slot’s squad, acting as Alisson’s understudy.

With the Brazilian struggling with injuries this season, Mamardashvili was able to make 20 appearances across all competitions. He conceded 34 goals in the process and registered three clean sheets.

Brad Keselowski admitted his final meeting with Kyle Busch immediately felt different after the NASCAR veteran appeared unusually quiet and unwell shortly before his death.

The RFK Racing co-owner reflected on the emotional interaction following Busch’s death at the age of 41 from severe pneumonia that reportedly progressed into sepsis.

Keselowski explained that Busch’s demeanor instantly stood out because it felt completely different from the outgoing personality he had known throughout their long NASCAR rivalry.

Brad Keselowski said Kyle Busch immediately seemed different

Keselowski explained that the pair unexpectedly crossed paths while traveling to Dover last week, with the interaction eventually becoming the final time he would see Busch.

Despite spending years battling each other on track, Keselowski said Busch’s condition was immediately noticeable during the flight. Speaking to PEOPLE, Keselowski described how Busch’s behavior felt completely out of character.

“I was flying to Dover last week with Kyle… It was probably more by chance than anything else,” Keselowski explained.

“Kyle is normally a fairly gregarious person, very outgoing, and he wasn’t… He sat down one row behind me and next to me and fell asleep right away. I could tell he wasn’t feeling well.

“And that was pretty much the last time I saw him.”

The comments painted a deeply emotional picture of Busch’s final days, especially considering the competitive history between the two drivers throughout their careers.

Keselowski explained how Busch became his NASCAR benchmark

The rivalry between the two former Cup Series champions produced numerous on track clashes and championship battles across multiple NASCAR eras.

For Keselowski, Busch eventually became the driver he measured himself against more than anyone else in the field.

“For whatever reason, Kyle and I had built into a relationship where although there’s 30 some other drivers on the racetrack, I valued meeting him more than anyone else,” Keselowski said.

“Fifth place day and race is generally a good day. It’s not a great day, but it’s a good day.

“With a fifth place day where Kyle Busch finished fourth didn’t feel like a good day… And conversely, a 10th place day where I beat Kyle Busch felt like a better day.

“That’s what a rivalry is at its core and that’s how I felt about it.”

Keselowski also admitted he once imagined eventually laughing with Busch about their rivalry later in life, particularly during future Hall of Fame celebrations.

“And will we actually be able to share a laugh about it?… I guess in my mind, I hope so, and now obviously not.”

The emotional reflection added to the growing list of tributes from across NASCAR as drivers, teams and sports figures continue processing the loss of one of the sport’s defining modern stars.

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Chelsea are targeting two young English midfielders as the Blues look to upgrade their options this summer.

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Our writer Simon Phillips is on quite the tear on Substack. He’s just dropped another update on Chelsea’s summer transfer situation where he talks about two players we’re being heavily linked to: Alex Scott and Adam Wharton.

The two English midfielders just had great seasons with Bournemouth and Crystal Palace respectively, and are both being linked with moves to bigger clubs.

Phillips source mentioned both as players the Blues are interested in, with “very prominent” links.

Chelsea look to English pair for potential midfield upgrades

“Chelsea believe Scott in particular is underrated by some, and is unfortunate not to be an England international yet,” Phillips writes.

“Our source have also raved about how good Scott is.”

Earlier today it was reported that the Cherries are going to offer their rising star a new contract, while Palace will also do all they can to keep hold of Wharton. In either case, it’s going to be an expensive operation for the Blues.

As so much else this summer, it all hinges on the future of Enzo Fernandez to some extent.

In other news…

Chelsea are getting tied closer and closer to interest in Real Madrid players as they try to figure out a way to sell Enzo Fernandez for a reasonable price.

Romeo Lavia is being lined up by other clubs, and while we’re sure Chelsea would love to sell, it may prove more difficult than that.

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

The 2026 edition of the Isle of Man TT is off to a somber start with the death of British rider Daniel Ingham, who was making his debut. Earlier in the week, an off at Parliament Square left eight spectators injured, but all were reported to be conscious. 

In the Sidecar class, two major incidents have already occurred, with Maria Costello and her rider Shaun Parker crashing on Thursday, which followed another major incident on Wednesday involving brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe. All were hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries. 

Following a review, Isle of Man TT organizers have taken taken action, halting all Sidecar races for the remainder of the 2026 event. 

Here is the full statement:

"Following an incident involving a Sidecar team during the third Qualifying Session of the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races, the Race Organisation initiated an immediate technical and operational review to assess the circumstances surrounding the incident and the continued participation of the Sidecar class at the event. Following that review, in conjunction with the Event Promoter, a decision has been taken to suspend the Sidecar class for the remainder of the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races.

"This precautionary measure has been implemented in the interests of competitor and spectator safety and reflects the Race Organisation’s commitment to reviewing all aspects of event safety and operational delivery whenever an incident occurs.

"All sidecar competitors and teams involved in the event have been briefed by Race Officials on the outcome of the initial review and the next stages of the assessment process.

"We recognise the long-standing history of Sidecar racing at the TT, together with the commitment of the competitors, teams and supporters involved in the class. This decision has not been taken lightly. However, the safety of competitors, spectators, marshals, officials and all those involved in the event must remain the priority.

"Further updates will be provided in due course through official Isle of Man TT Races channels."

Isle of Man TT reports first rider death in two years

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The Miami Dolphins are back on the field this week continuing their organized team activities at the Baptist Health Training Complex in preparation for their first season under new head coach Jeff Hafley.

On Wednesday, the Dolphins hosted just their second OTA session that was open to the media, and before the practice started, Hafley revealed that right tackle Austin Jackson wouldn't participate.

While Miami took an offensive tackle in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, Hafley revealed that they have a specific plan for Kadyn Proctor and the rest of the offensive line group while Jackson is sidelined, which is a little different than their strategy for rookie cornerback Chris Johnson in the secondary.

"Yeah, I think it's case-by-case," Hafley said. "I mean Chris is going to play inside and outside. We got to be careful overloading any young player, but we also have to get a feel for the players and see how much that they can handle. Quickly we've seen that Chris is capable of handling multiple positions, so you'll see him on the inside, you'll see him on the outside. He'll be doing both.

"Proctor, you'll see on one side right now, Jonah (Savaiinaea), you'll see on one side right now, and we'll just keep him on those sides and let them get comfortable. So it's case by case, and I think that's our job as coaches is to figure that out. Some guys, we're still not sure yet. Practice has been limited. Team reps have been limited, and we'll figure that out in training camp."

Miami seems to want to keep things simple for Proctor as he already has his hands full with a transition to guard from tackle this year. With Jackson entering the final year of his contract, it will be interesting to see if the team wants to get the rookie reps at his possible future position at some point, but for now, they're playing it safe.

More Dolphins: De'Von Achane reveals blunt opinion on Dolphins rebuild

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Jeff Hafley explains Dolphins' interesting offensive line decision

The ACC conference opponents are signed, sealed, and delivered for the Virginia Cavaliers 2026-2027 season after an announcement was posted online by the official Virginia Men’s Basketball account. Times and dates are yet to be announced, but getting a glimpse at who the opponents will be will suffice for now.

Some story lines relvoving the ‘Hoos draw include Virginia Tech and Duke being the two teams they will face on the road and at John Paul Jones Arena, they will face Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum after missing out on Brad Brownell and his Tigers completely last season, Wake Forest is a no show on the schedule, and last but certaintly not least is newly hired assistant coach at Virginia and former player and head coach of the Syracuse Orange will return to the JMA Wireless Dome to face his former team for the first time since his departure last season.

An overlooked and challenging part of this schedule will be the California trip week. The ‘Hoos were on the fortunate side of this last season as they got California and Stanford to travel to Charlottesville, but this season Ryan Odom and his squad will be making the trip across the country to face the Cardinal and the Golden Bears in the same week. North Carolina fell victim to this trip last year, losing both of their games on the West Coast back-to-back after being more than seven-point favorites in both of those matchups.

In the end, it is an exciting draw for the ’Hoos and one that poses a good mix of great tests, fun rivalry matchups, and ample opportunity to collect solid victories.

It’s time for another update one everyone’s favorite forward.

Rubén Uría on Thursday revealed that Julián Alvarez feels “disappointed and deceived” with Atlético de Madrid, a feeling cemented by a broken promise to renew his contract last fall — after Atlético had turned down a €120 million approach from Arsenal at the FIFA Club World Cup.

“Julián Alvarez feels like he’s been thrown ‘to the dogs’ in the press” after what he thought was a private conversation with the club became common knowledge, Uría said. “He hasn’t declared himself ‘in rebellion’, he knows he has a contract and if Atleti decide not to sell him, he’ll return from the World Cup and play for Atleti. Zero problems.”

Back in February, Alvarez and Atlético’s chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil had lunch together and discussed his future, according to Uría. At that lunch, it was agreed that no definitive decision about Alvarez’s future would be taken until the end of the season.

This week, after Atlético’s season ended with a 5-1 loss at Villarreal and a fourth-place finish in LaLiga, Alvarez and his agent Fernando Hidalgo informed Gil that La Araña preferred to leave the club in the summer amid intense, longstanding interest from FC Barcelona. Barça sporting director Deco has made an unofficial bid of €70 million plus Ferrán Torres that Atleti swiftly rejected; according to The Athletic on Thursday, the Spanish champions now are preparing a formal €100 million offer, which is expected to be turned down as well.

For now, Atleti’s position is that Alvarez will not leave the club for less than €150 million.

Uría reports that PSG and Arsenal have expressed interest in Alvarez over the past year; Andrea Berta, Atleti’s former sporting director, signed Viktor Gyökeres as a direct response to Atleti’s flat refusal to negotiate for Alvarez last June. After shutting down talks with Berta, Gil and chairman Enrique Cerezo promised Alvarez a new contract that would make him the highest-earning player at the club.

Alvarez and Hidalgo expected to receive said offer immediately following the summer transfer window. It didn’t materialize until last month, when Mateu Alemany — who had arrived in October — was tasked with untangling the mess that Gil and Cerezo had helped to create. Not that Alvarez was blameless here; in the interim, he stumbled through a lengthy goal drought, going 14 league games without scoring between Nov. 8 and Feb. 28.

Alemany has offered Alvarez a renewal ahead of next season that the Argentina forward now does not want to sign as the siren songs emanating from Barcelona’s machinery continue to attract him. At the moment, Atleti are not planning to sell Alvarez and are letting it be known that there is no economic need to sell the 26-year-old.

Of course, as long as Miguel Ángel Gil is here, the “want” to sell will always trump the “need” to sell.

Organized team activities can sometimes feel repetitive. That isn't criticism. It's simply the reality of a Baltimore Ravens offseason. Installations are repeated. Fundamentals are drilled constantly. Coaches teach the same concepts over and over until they become second nature. Even for elite athletes, there are moments during OTAs when the daily grind can start to feel a little routine. The Ravens, however, appear determined to keep energy levels high.

That probably becomes easier when an organization welcomes a new coaching staff, fresh voices, and an entirely different atmosphere surrounding the building. Jesse Minter's arrival has already brought a different vibe to Baltimore's offseason program. Recently, fans got another glimpse of that personality through the team's social media accounts. Baltimore's team is the best in the business, and recently, they brought the energy when Coach Minter brought a medicine ball to practice.

Jesse Minter uses a medicine ball to infuse some Ravens competition

Take a group of alpha males at a spring football practice. Add a medicine ball, some competition, and things can escalate very quickly. Players and coaches appeared fully invested in the challenge, turning what could have been a simple conditioning exercise into a spirited competition.

Even better? The apparent punishment for losing involved push-ups, which only made the entire scene feel even more entertaining. Moments like this may seem small on the surface, but they matter. Team-building during the offseason isn't always about speeches or film sessions. Sometimes, it’s simply about creating an environment where players enjoy competing together.

Be the best competition 🔥 pic.twitter.com/h82Hj3vba6

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 28, 2026

The Ravens have long prided themselves on culture, accountability, and camaraderie, and clips like this help explain why those traits often show up on Sundays. It also says something about Minter. The new Ravens head coach clearly understands balance. OTAs still require discipline and hard work, but finding ways to keep practices engaging can help maintain focus during a long offseason program.

And again, Baltimore's social media department deserves some credit, too. The Ravens continue producing some of the NFL's best behind-the-scenes content, and this latest clip felt like another reminder that football teams are still filled with competitive personalities who occasionally enjoy acting like kids during gym class.

It still feels appropriate to add a disclaimer. These are professionals. Don't try this at home, or at work. Please don’t walk into your office breakroom tomorrow carrying a medicine ball expecting management to approve a push-up punishment system. That probably ends differently outside an NFL practice field.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens take competition to another level during OTAs

A new report proves that if the Los Angeles Dodgers really wanted to make a blockbuster trade for Tarik Skubal this summer, they could easily make the best trade offer in MLB.

Although they have hit some bumps in the road over the first few months of the season as Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker have not had the starts to the year that most expected, to the surprise of no one, the Dodgers own one of the best records in MLB as we near the start of June.

Their 36-20 record is second only to the Atlanta Braves, and they aren’t close to full strength. Yet, even when they get some of their injured stars back, LA’s management is always looking to add to their stacked roster. And there has already been a lot of speculation over the last year that they could target Detroit Tigers ace and two-time Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal.

A reason why they have been viewed as a contender for the superstar pitcher is that, beyond being able to spend absurd sums in free agency, the Dodgers have developed one of the best minor league systems in baseball over the last few years.

We got more proof of how impressive their farm system is and why they could probably give the Tigers what they want in a Skubal trade. On Thursday, The Athletic’s Keith Law released a major update to his update of the top 50 prospects in MLB right now, and Dodgers youngsters were on the list early and often.

LA Dodgers land six players on Keith Law’s updated top 50 prospects list

Although the Dodgers did not have any players in the top 10, the six players that landed on Law’s list were all in the top 30. Single-A Outfielder Eduardo Quintero was 11th. Two spots behind him was fellow outfielder Josue De Paula. De Paul’s Double-A teammate Mike Sirota was 18th, and right behind at 19 was Triple-A pitcher Rivery Ryan. Outfielder and first baseman James Tibbs III landed at 24, and the last Dodgers prospect on the list was stud Double-A outfielder Zyhir Hope.

The team with the next highest number of players in the top 50 was the Seattle Mariners with three. The Tigers will want quite a few elite prospects in a trade for Skubal, even if he is a rental for the final months of the season. The Dodgers could make an offer that no other team will be willing to, and still have two or three top 50 players left after the deal.

That thought should horrify fans of rival teams tired of seeing LA add more stars to its roster.

Related Headlines

• NY Mets Fans Get Terrible News in Major Update of MLB’s Top 50 Prospects
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The MLB expansion drumbeat is getting much louder, but there are still many more questions than answers in the league’s potential move to add two teams. 

As expected, Sacramento leaders formally unveiled an expansion bid Thursday, with officials there seeking to build materially on the three-year interim stay of the A’s in the California capital that is now in a second season. 

While the A’s are ultimately headed to Las Vegas in a new stadium set to open in 2028, Sacramento intends to build their own new ballpark at or near the site of Sutter Health Park, the current home of the A’s and Triple-A River Cats. There is not a lead investor in place for the Sacramento bid, and the A’s currently have the worst attendance in MLB playing in that minor-league facility. 

Local boosters, however, contend they have amassed $800 million in land and private investment, with access to another $1 billion in public money, including tax-increment financing and receipts from hotel taxes. A new bid organization, The Sacramento Pitch, has been formed, containing a series of local politicians, business leaders, and prominent baseball figures including former MLB player and manager Dusty Baker.

Sacramento, the No. 20 U.S. media market, is the country’s second-largest locale without a MLB club, trailing only No. 15 Orlando. 

“When MLB moves forward on expansion, Sacramento will be impossible to ignore,” said Mark Friedman, founder and chair of Fulcrum Property and chair of The Sacramento Pitch. “We have the market, the site, the capital, and the community. Sacramento is ready to compete—and ready to win.”

State of Play

Sacramento, however, certainly has no shortage of rivals among MLB expansion candidates. Other markets that have either put forward formal or informal overtures to the league include Salt Lake City, Nashville, Portland, Orlando, Raleigh, Vancouver, Montreal, and Mexico City. 

“One of the things we’ve begun to think about is expansion. There are a lot of markets in the United States, in North America, quite frankly, Canada and Mexico, that would like to have Major League Baseball,” league commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday night on The Pat McAfee Show.

There is a bigger notion to the expansion play, too, as Manfred intends to use the creation of two new franchises as an opening to pursue more geographic-based realignment across MLB—one that would do away with the traditional National and American leagues and the current six-division format. One western team and one eastern team among the expansion entrants would be part of that plan.

“This opens up a whole lot of opportunities in terms of geographic realignment, which promotes rivalries and reduces travel in what is a tough season,” Manfred said. “If you can cut that travel down, it’s great for the players.”

The commissioner said last fall at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit that he would like to have two new markets selected before he finishes his tenure in early 2029. Those teams would likely not be on the field before then, though.

MLB last expanded with the arrival of the Diamondbacks and Rays in 1998. 

Bigger Issues 

While expansion is set to be a defining part of Manfred’s final era as commissioner, there are several other steps that must happen before any site choices are made. Among the outstanding prerequisites:

• Settling the long-running Rays stadium saga once and for all. While there is rising momentum for a ballpark deal in Tampa, planned renovations at Raymond James Stadium, home of the neighboring Buccaneers, could complicate the baseball effort. If the Rays ultimately fail to complete a ballpark agreement, one of the expansion candidate cities could become relocation targets.
• Completing a labor agreement with the MLB Players Association. With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring Dec. 1, the sport’s future economic framework is unknown. The union presented its initial proposal to management on Wednesday, but found a grim reception to that. Owners are expected to seek a salary cap, something that players have resisted for decades, and set up what could be a fractious set of negotiations. Realignment is also subject to collective bargaining. 
• Establishing an expansion fee for the incoming franchises. The previous expectation for that had been around $2.2 billion each, but the recent $3.9 billion sale of the Padres that smashed all prior records in the sport will likely prompt a reconsideration of the ask from the current team owners, and require more capital from bidders. 

 “When people want your product, it’s kind of incumbent on you to try to figure out a way if you can deliver that product,” Manfred said.

The post Sacramento’s Bid Intensifies MLB’s Complex Expansion Derby appeared first on Front Office Sports.

As Ryan Day and Ohio State push for a College Football Playoff berth, the attention centers around quarterback Julian Sayin. Yet, beneath the surface of the depth chart lies a calculated strategy that FOX Sports analyst RJ Young believes could define the Buckeyes’ long-term championship sustainability.

RJ Young Explains Ryan Day’s Strategy for Ohio State’s Depth Chart

Young, appearing on his podcast “Adapt & Respond,” explained how a blueprint was designed to give 5-star redshirt freshman Tavien St. Clair live, high-stakes game reps without sacrificing the health of the primary starter.

Young said, “Tavien St. Clair might get the Kyle McCord treatment. So, if you remember, Kyle McCord’s first start did not come when he became the starting quarterback at Ohio State. It came to rest C.J. Stroud.”

On Sept. 25, 2021, Ohio State didn’t desperately need a new quarterback, but it desperately needed to preserve one. Starting signal-caller C.J. Stroud was nursing a shoulder injury after a grueling, early-season 45-31 Thursday night victory at Minnesota.

Day chose a matchup against Akron to unleash a true freshman named Kyle McCord. In a 59-7 destruction of the Zips, McCord went 13 of 18 for 319 passing yards, throwing 2 touchdowns against 1 interception.

“Ryan Day has been really ahead of the curve in trying to get his quarterbacks live reps against other people,” Young said. “A, you get that dude experience and B, you get to rest the guy that’s going to carry you the rest of the way. There’s no if Ands or buts that Julian Sayin is starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes.”

Young highlights the upcoming matchup against Kent State as the exact moment Day will deploy this hidden tactic. While Sayin is the undisputed starting quarterback for the Buckeyes, the modern, expanded playoff format requires a deeper roster than ever before.

If St. Clair proves himself through the preseason, the Kent State game represents the ultimate developmental laboratory. Playing against a lesser opponent alongside a heavy rotation of twos on the depth chart allows Ohio State to accomplish two things simultaneously: It shields Sayin from unnecessary hits ahead of brutal Big Ten stretches, and it gives St. Clair crucial, live-game snaps to accelerate his processing speed.

The trickle-down effect of managing the roster this way extends far beyond the quarterback position. Young said that putting St. Clair on the field opens the door to unleashing Ohio State’s next wave of terrifying skill talent.

Chief among them is true freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., an elite 6-foot-5 prospect Young describes as “an alien” and the literal “heir apparent” to superstar Jeremiah Smith.

By pulling Sayin, Day will likely sit his primary perimeter weapons like Smith and Brandon Inniss. This creates an environment where St. Clair can distribute the ball to vertical threats like Kyle Parker, Brock Boyd, and Henry Jr.

Currently, PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter gives the Buckeyes a 68% chance to make the College Football Playoff.

Read More: ‘They’ll Spit in His Food’ : DJ Uiagalelei’s Father Reveals Disturbing Reality of Florida State Fans

The 2026 college football year promises to be a banner season for the OregonDucks.

They have offensive weapons galore, led by quarterback Dante Moore, one of the best signal callers in the country and a definite Heisman Trophy candidate. Oregon should have no problem on that side of the ball.

But what might get lost in the mix is that the Ducks could have one of the best defensive units out there. They brought back several veterans, who will play with very talented underclassmen.

According to CBS Sports, Oregon has several defensive players who are considered to be the most feared in the nation. They listed 26 players (for the year 2026) described as those that have "disruption, versatility and the rare ability to tilt game plans before the first snap (that) define these players."

The first Duck listed, at No. 5, is defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington. He could have been drafted by the NFL this past April, but Washington chose to return to Eugene. CBS says Washington is one a group of small players that can disrupt an opposing offense in many ways.

"Few interior defenders are as disruptive snap-for-snap, and Washington consistently collapses the pocket from the interior, a devastating development for quarterbacks trying to step up against the Ducks' edge pressure," CBS writer Brad Crawford. "Washington's value goes beyond the numbers, too. He eats double teams, clogs rushing lanes and creates cleaner opportunities for linebackers behind him."

Next on the list, at No. 10, is cornerback Brandon Finney. CBS says he shouldn't experience a sophomore slump in 2026.

"Finney has the length, fluid hips, and closing speed that translates cleanly to the next level, but what separates him as a potential future first-round pick is how advanced he already is in coverage recognition," Crawford said. "He doesn't just react -- he anticipates route combinations and understands spacing at a veteran level."

A new Duck, safety Koi Perich, a transfer from Minnesota, will be able to step on the field of Autzen Stadium and contribute right away.

"Perich's instincts and range should allow Oregon to stay multiple without sacrificing communication or structure," CBS said. "He also brings a physical edge in run support, much like last cycle's future first-round addition, Dillon Thieneman."

Last, but not least on this list, is linebacker Teitum Tuioti, who could be considered the best Duck defender this season, is a definite throwback to an era almost forgotten.

"Oregon rarely misses on linebackers during the recruiting process, and Tuioti is another star. He plays with natural leverage, closes downhill with authority, and finishes under control, all qualities coaching staffs look for in a difference-maker in the middle or on the outside," Crawford said.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: CBS says Oregon has several defensive players among most feared

Neymar is now a doubt for Brazil’s World Cup opener against Morocco on June 13 after suffering a calf injury at the worst possible time.

The 34-year-old Santos forward has been selected by Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil’s World Cup squad, but the decision already looks more complicated than romantic.

This is not an argument against Neymar’s quality. It is an argument against Brazil building their tournament plan around a player whose availability is uncertain before the first ball has been kicked.

Neymar’s timeline leaves Brazil with a real problem

Neymar has suffered a grade two muscle injury, with Brazil doctor Rodrigo Lasmar saying the expectation is that he will be available in two to three weeks.

That timeline matters because Brazil’s opener against Morocco comes on June 13. Even if Neymar recovers inside the optimistic end of that window, the question becomes match sharpness rather than just medical clearance.

Brazil do not have the luxury of treating that as a minor issue. Their first World Cup match is not a warm-up, and Neymar is already set to miss the pre-tournament friendlies against Panama and Egypt.

That means Ancelotti may arrive at the opening game with his biggest name short of minutes, short of rhythm and surrounded by understandable doubt.

Ancelotti was right to look at Neymar, but not to rely on him

The temptation to bring Neymar back is obvious. He is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances.

That record carries weight. It should carry weight. But Brazil cannot confuse legacy with certainty. Neymar had not been picked for almost three years before Ancelotti named him in the squad, and fitness was already a concern when he was left out of the March friendlies against France and Croatia.

Those details matter because this injury is not arriving in isolation. It lands on top of a wider pattern where the question around Neymar has stopped being talent and started being reliability.

Ancelotti can still use Neymar if he is fit. What he cannot do is allow Neymar’s name to decide Brazil’s structure before his body proves it can handle the tournament.

Brazil’s plan has to start without guarantees

The sensible approach is clear. Brazil should prepare for Morocco as if Neymar will not start, then treat any contribution from him as a bonus.

That is not disrespect. It is tournament management. Brazil’s World Cup squad gives Ancelotti alternatives, and players such as Vinícius Júnior already represent the direction of the team’s attack. The squad has to be built around availability, pace and repeatable roles, not around the hope that a returning icon will be ready on schedule.

Neymar can still change matches. Brazil should not pretend otherwise.

But the best teams at a World Cup are not built on best-case scenarios. They are built on plans that survive bad news.

Neymar’s greatness is not in doubt. His timeline is. That is why Brazil must stop treating him as the centre of everything and start treating him as what he currently is, a potentially valuable piece whose role has to be earned by fitness, not guaranteed by reputation.

Read more:

Arsenal will have pocketed at least £95m in prize money from this season's Champions League, should they beat Paris St-Germain in the final.

The Gunners have already guaranteed themselves a minimum of around £91.5m for reaching the final, although that may be nearer £130m depending on how much they have earned from Uefa in the form of television revenue.

For winning this season's Europa League, Aston Villa have guaranteed themselves around £45.6m. That fee includes the minimum earned for qualifying for next season's Champions League.

Crystal Palace won Wednesday's Conference League final, their first European trophy. Their earnings from the Conference League are around a minimum of £18.9m, including what they have received for qualifying for next season's Europa League.

Here is a breakdown of how much all three clubs have earned from Europe's three club competitions this season.

How much have Arsenal earned from this season's Champions League?

For reaching the final of this season's Champions League, Arsenal have already banked around 105.6m euros (£91.5m). Winning the final itself is worth an additional 6.5m euros (£5.63m).

The breakdown of that total is formed from a wide range of inputs such as performance in the league phase, bonuses for each round and television revenue.

Arsenal received 18.62m euros (£16.14m) for qualifying for the league phase. For winning all eight league phase matches, they were given a 16.8m euros (£14.6m) bonus. They were then awarded 2m euros (£1.7m) for a finish between first and eighth place and a further 9.9m euros (£8.6m) for being the top-ranked team.

For reaching the last 16, Mikel Arteta's side were awarded 11m euros (£9.5m). They were given an additional 12.5m euros (£10.8m) for reaching the quarter-finals and a further 15m euros (£13m) for the semi-finals.

As finalists, Arsenal have already guaranteed themselves 18.5m euros (£16m) – a number which will increase to 25m euros (£21.7m) should they beat PSG.

The remaining revenue comes from Uefa's value pillar. This awards all teams competing in its club competitions a portion of revenue based on a country's market value and a team's club coefficient ranking.

In short, the more marketable a country is and the better the team you are, the more money you are awarded.

The range of the value pillar is broad, starting at a minimum of 1.28m euros (£1.1m) for the team ranked lowest. Given Arsenal's high ranking in Uefa's club coefficient and the marketability of English clubs in Europe, they are likely to be nearer the top end of clubs, which has a maximum reward of 46.08m euros (£39.9m).

It means that while Arsenal have already earned a guaranteed 105.6m euros (£91.5m) for reaching the final, the potential of winning the competition and the broad range of television money available could mean Arsenal's total earnings for the competition is nearer to 156.9m euros (£136m).

Those totals do not include the minimum Arsenal will earn in next season's Champions League, which will be at least 20.2m euros (£17.5m) but likely to be much higher.

How much have Aston Villa earned from this season's Europa League?

While it is quite a drop from what Arsenal have earned this season, Europa League winners Aston Villa will have banked at least 52.6m euros (£45.6m) for winning Uefa's second-tier club competition this season.

That pot does include what they have already guaranteed for qualifying for next season's Champions League, among the prizes for the Europa League winner. However, Villa's entry in the Champions League is as a direct result of their fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

Financial distribution across all three of Uefa's club competitions are structured identically, with the main differences being in the amounts of money on offer.

For reaching the league phase of the Europa League, Villa were given 4.31m euros (£3.7m). They won seven of their eight matches in that round, earning 3.15m euros (£2.7m). They were given 600k euros (£520k) for a top-eight finish and a further 2.625m euros (£2.3m) for finishing second in the table.

Villa earned 1.75m euros (£1.5m) for reaching the last 16, 2.5m euros (£2.2m) for getting to the quarter-finals and an additional 4.2m euros (£3.6m) for getting into the semi-finals.

For beating Freiburg in the final in Istanbul, Villa received 13m euros (£11.3m).

Like the Champions League, there is also a value pillar for television money distribution. Villa were guaranteed 297,000 euros (£257,000) of that, although the top-end payment of 10.7m euros (£9.3m) or a total nearer to that is more likely.

It means that for the Europa League alone, Villa won 32.4m euros (£28.1m), rising to potentially nearer the 42.8m euros (£37.1m) mark.

But on top of that, Villa have already confirmed a further income of just under 20.2m euros (£17.5m) for reaching next season's Champions League. That figure could be significantly more.

The 20.2m euros consists primarily of what is given out for qualifying for the league phase, as well as the minimum value pillar payment, and based on no league phase win or draw bonuses and a bottom place finish in the league table.

Because all of the above is unlikely, a high value pillar payment and a high league phase finish could increase payments to at least the 56m euros (£48.5m) before bonuses for wins, draws and reaching later rounds are included.

How much have Crystal Palace earned from this season's Europa League?

Again, a major drop off compared to the earnings made by the Gunners and Villa, but Palace's income from their debut European season proved to be lucrative, having already banked just shy of 22m euros (£19.1m) via a combination of winning the Conference League and for qualifying for the Europa League.

Unlike Arsenal and Villa, Palace are the only English club to directly qualify for a European competition as a result of winning a trophy this term.

From the Conference League itself, Palace have earned at least 17.3m euros (£15m) this term.

For qualifying for the league phase, Palace were given 175,000 euros (£152,000) for winning the play-off round and a further 3.17m euros (£2.75m) for getting to the league phase.

In Palace's six league phase matches, they won three and drew one. That combined earned the club 1.333m euros (£1.16m). Oliver Glasner's side received an additional 200,000 euros (£173,000) for finishing between ninth and 24th and a further 756,000 euros (£655,000) for a 10th-placed finish.

Palace then earned 800,000 euros (£694,000) for reaching the last 16, 1.3m euros (£1.1m) for getting to the quarter-finals and 2.5m euros (£2.2m) for reaching the semi-finals.

Winning the final earned Palace 7m euros (£6.1m) in prize money from that match alone.

In the Conference League, Uefa's value pillar ranges from 85,000 euros (£74,000) to 3.06m euros (£2.65m). Their 17.3m euros guaranteed fee from the competition includes the bottom end of that figure, but could be as much as 3.5m euros (£3m) higher than that.

Via a combination of qualifying for the Europa League's league phase, Palace have earned a minimum of 4.68m euros (£4.05m), potentially rising to nearer 17.7m euros (£15.3m) depending on their finish in the Europa League's league phase and television revenue.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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The DR Congo national team has been fully cleared to participate in the 2026 World Cup, the country's soccer association (FECOFA) and FIFA confirmed this week.

There had been questions over the country's participation amid an ongoing Ebola crisis, which per The New York Times has seen more than 1,000 cases and more than 200 deaths in DR Congo thus far.

Last week, the CDC issued travel restrictions intended to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the United States. Almost all individuals who had been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days were barred from entering the U.S. at least until June 17.

With the World Cup kicking off on June 11, there were questions over DR Congo's participation — though no members of the team's World Cup roster play their club soccer in DR Congo.

But after a videoconference between FECOFA President Veron Mosengo Omba and senior FIFA representatives, DR Congo was cleared to travel to the U.S. and participate in the tournament.

DR Congo cancelled a pre-tournament training camp originally scheduled for Kinshasa, the country's capital. Team staff who departed Kinshasa did so on May 20, and will complete a minimum 21-day stay in Europe before entering the United States.

"The Leopards and its staff have demonstrated exactly the kind of responsibility, discipline, and respect that we expect from our athletes on the world stage," said Yvette Kapinga Ngandu, DRC Ambassador to the United States. 

"I applaud FECOFA and FIFA for moving swiftly and decisively to make this responsible, reasonable determination. The Leopards are ready, they are safe, and I have no doubt that the United States will embrace this team and this moment with the warmth that has defined America for 250 years."

DR Congo is in Group K and scheduled to play group stage games against Portugal on June 17 in Houston, Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, and Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta. The DR Congo team will train at SaberCats Stadium in Houston.

The Leopards named their 26-player squad for this summer's tournament on May 18, a roster that includes Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa and Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki.

What about fans who can't travel?

Though the team has been cleared to travel, many fans who planned to come to North America for the tournament appear to be out of luck.

According to a press release, FIFA has committed to reviewing FECOFA's formal request to facilitate refunds for affected fans.

"My heart goes out to every Congolese fan who saved and planned and dreamed of being in the stadium cheering on the Leopards, only to be turned away through no fault of their own," Ngandu said. 

"I am encouraged that FIFA is taking this matter seriously, and I call on them to act with urgency and compassion in making these supporters whole. They deserve nothing less."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ebola outbreak: DR Congo will play in 2026 FIFA World Cup amid crisis

Unlike several of the Buccaneers’ earlier draft selections, who are expected to compete for immediate starting-level roles, fifth-round defensive lineman DeMonte Capehart may enter his rookie season in a much more limited rotational situation due to Tampa Bay’s depth along the defensive front.

That does not mean the Buccaneers are not high on his long-term potential.

Capehart brings the kind of size, length, and raw strength Todd Bowles covets in interior defensive linemen, coming in at 6'4" and 313 lbs. However, Tampa Bay already possesses one of the deepest defensive tackle rotations in the NFC with established contributors such as Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, A'Shawn Robinson, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches all expected to command snaps ahead of the rookie early on.

Because of that, Capehart’s rookie role will likely center around situational rotational work and developmental reps rather than immediate high-volume production.

A realistic rookie stat line could fall somewhere around 10 to 20 total tackles, two to four tackles for loss, one to three sacks, and a handful of quarterback pressures while appearing primarily in rotational packages throughout the season. Where Capehart could carve out opportunities early is as a rotational run defender. His size and play strength give him the ability to clog rushing lanes, absorb double teams, and help control the line of scrimmage in short-yardage situations.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs DL DeMonte Capehart rookie season projections

ACC and Notre Dame QB rankings for 2026: CJ Carr, Darian Mensah headline list originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There are just five returning QBs who started at least six games last season in the ACC, and we’re counting Notre Dame’s CJ Carr among them as we always include the Irish in our ACC analysis (ranking the Independent QBs doesn’t make for engaging content). Not surprisingly, those five players are among our top seven in the league, and others such as Darian Mensah and Steve Angeli have ACC starting experience and are also near the top.

This group is not as deep as last season’s, when Carson Beck, Chandler Morris and Haynes King led their teams to strong finishes, but there is talent and experience as 11 ACC teams enter the season with a first-year transfer as the projected starter.

Here are our rankings for the 2026 season.

MORE QB RANKINGS: SEC | Big Ten| Big 12

Ranking the ACC QBs for 2026

1. Notre Dame

Starter: Sophomore CJ Carr (12 career starts)

Backup: Freshman Noah Grubbs (0 career starts)

Situation: Carr will be in Heisman conversations this offseason as the point person of a team that should contend for a national championship. The Michigan native directed an offense that averaged 42 points per game as a redshirt freshman, throwing for 228 yards per game with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He will be leaned on more this season with the loss of two running backs that were picked in the first round, and he should be ready for the additional workload.

DECOURCY: It is time for the ACC to issue an ultimatum to Notre Dame

2. Miami

Starter: Junior Darian Mensah (27 career starts; 14 at Duke, 13 at Tulane)

Backup: Freshman Luke Nickel (0 career starts)

Situation: Mensah entered the transfer portal on the final day, then negotiated a settlement with Duke after he broke his reported 2-year contract with the school. Mensah was sixth in the nation in passing efficiency at Tulane and 21st at Duke, where he led the Devils to an unlikely ACC title and threw for 3,973 yards. Now he’s surrounded by talent and should improve on his 1-6 record against ranked opponents.

3. SMU

Starter: Senior Kevin Jennings (26 career starts)

Backup: Freshman Ty Hawkins (0 career starts)

Situation: Jennings was second in the ACC in passing yards per game behind Mensah at 280.1 He led the league in INTs with 13 and was fifth in rating. This will be his third season as a starter at SMU, and that experience should help him cut down on his interceptions. Jennings does not add much as a rusher, but he has a 65 percent career completion percentage and has 55 career touchdowns.

MORE: SN's Big Board for 2027 NFL Draft

4. Cal

Starter: Sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (13 career starts)

Backup: Junior Jackson Brousseau (8 career starts at Colorado State)

Situation: Sagapolutele was runner-up for ACC Rookie of the Year to Miami’s Malachi Toney last season after completing 64 percent of his passes for 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was fifth in the ACC in touchdowns and third in passing yards per game. He ran for four touchdowns, but was sacked 30 times and is not a threat in the running game. JKS led the Bears to late comeback wins against Boston College and SMU, plus threw a game-winning TD in overtime to beat Louisville. He threw nine INTs, but none in his final four games.

5. Syracuse

Starter: Senior Steve Angeli (5 career starts; 4 at Syracuse, 1 at Notre Dame)

Backup: Junior Amari Odom (19 career starts; 10 at Kennesaw State, 9 at Wofford)

Situation: Syracuse spiraled immediately after Angeli was lost for the season after tearing his Achilles in the fourth game. The former Notre Dame transfer averaged 329 yards per game with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. The Orange won at Clemson in the game Angeli was hurt late, and then never won another game. Unlike last season, Syracuse has a capable backup in Odom, who was first-team All-Conference USA last season and was the C-USA championship game MVP.

6. NC State

Starter: Junior CJ Bailey (22 career starts)

Backup: Sophomore Will Wilson (0 career starts)

Situation: Bailey followed up a strong true freshman season with another solid effort in 2025, starting all 13 games and finishing third in the ACC in QB rating behind Mensah and Carson Beck. He threw multiple interceptions against Duke, Notre Dame and Miami, but was flawless in a 48-36 upset of Georgia Tech. Bailey had a rush of at least 10+ yards in 11 of his 13 games and ran for six touchdowns.

MORE: SN's post-spring Top 25 rankings

 7. Pitt

Starter: Sophomore Mason Heintschel (8 career starts)

Backup: Senior Holden Geriner (0 career starts)

Situation: Heintschel’s first start as a true freshman last season was at Florida State, where he led Pitt to a 34-31 upset. That started a run of four straight wins where the Panthers averaged 38 points per game. Heintschel lost three of his final four starts, but there should still be optimism at the position for 2026.

8. Virginia

Starter: Senior Beau Pribula (10 career starts at Missouri)

Backup: Senior Eli Holstein (12 career starts at Pitt)

Situation: Virginia had big success with a first-year transfer QB last year with Chandler Morris and hopes it can do the same with Pribula. The former Penn State backup and Missouri starter enjoyed a strong season with the Tigers, going 7-3 in the 10 games he played. He was 0-3 vs. ranked teams (Alabama, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma) and finished with just 11 TDs and nine interceptions. Pribula had six rushing touchdowns and completed 67 percent of his passes. He was the 11th rated passer in the SEC. Holstein spent two years at Pitt and one at Alabama.

BENDER: Why a 24-team playoff is a terrible idea

9. Virginia Tech

Starter: Sophomore Ethan Grunkemeyer (7 career starts at Penn State)

Backup: Freshman Bryce Baker (0 career starts)

Situation: A four-star coming out of high school, Grunkemeyer backed up Drew Allar at Penn State in 2024. Grunkemeyer took over the week James Franklin was fired in 2025 and finished 4-3 with a reeling Penn State team that included narrow losses to Iowa and Indiana. Grunkemeyer is a classic pocket QB who completed 69 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.

10. Louisville

Starter: Junior Lincoln Kienholz (0 career starts)

Backup: Senior Davin Wydner (18 career starts at West Georgia)

Situation: Kienholtz spent three years at Ohio State after signing as a four-star out of South Dakota. His only significant time with the Buckeyes was during a 14-3 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri with a depleted roster after the 2023 season. Jeff Brohm has a stellar track record with QBs throughout his career, and it will be interesting to see if he can unlock Kienholz’s potential. Kienholz was reportedly just behind eventual Heisman finalist Julian Sayin during a training camp battle for QB1 in 2025. Wydner signed with Ole Miss out of high school.

11. Duke

Starter: Senior Walker Eget (18 career starts at San Jose State)

Backup: Freshman Dan Mahan (0 career starts)

Situation: Eget is the most experienced QB on the roster with two years as a starter at San Jose State. He threw for over 300 yards six times last season and was averaging 327 yards per game before a nightmarish 74-yard, 3-interception effort at Nevada and a 32-yard game against San Diego State where he left in the first quarter with a leg injury. How his play translates from the MWC to the ACC remains to be seen, but coach Manny Diaz looks to have salvaged the position somewhat after losing Mesah at the last minute.

Ken Ruinard-GREENVILLE NEWS-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

12. Clemson

Starter: Junior Chris Vizzina (1 career start)

Backup: Freshman Chris Denson (0 career starts)

Situation: Vizzina was a four-star coming out of high school and has waited his turn for three years behind Cade Klubnik. He started one game in 2025 and looked good, completing 29 of 42 passes for 317 yards with 3 TDs and no INTs in a 35-24 loss at SMU. The offense now belongs to him, and the Tigers will need to improve on its 105th-ranked rushing offense to give Vizzina his best chance.

13. Georgia Tech

Starter: Sophomore Alberto Mendoza (0 career starts)

Backup: Sophomore Graham Knowles (0 career starts)

Situation: The Jackets go from having one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the nation in Haynes King to having a combined 0 QB starts on the roster after projected successor Aaron Philo transferred to Florida. Mendoza, the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, left Indiana and won the job over the spring. He has some elements that can contribute to the run game like King did.

14. Wake Forest

Starter: Sophomore Gio Lopez (22 career starts; 11 at North Carolina, 11 at South Alabama)

Backup: Freshman Steele Pizzella (0 career starts)

Situation: Lopez put up strong numbers at South Alabama as a dual threat QB, but mostly struggled as Bill Belichick’s starter at North Carolina last season. He went 4-7, with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 65 percent of his passes. Lopez was 14th in the ACC in passer rating, but there is optimism he will be able to tap into his potential away from the Chapel Bill spotlight.

15. Florida State

Starter: Senior Ashton Daniels (23 career starts; 3 at Auburn, 20 at Stanford)

Backup: Freshman Kevin Sperry (0 career starts)

Situation: Daniels has flashed potential in his career, throwing for over 300 yards three times and rushing for over 100 yards in two other starts, but he has had too many subpar performances mixed in to lend a lot of confidence heading into his new gig at Florida State. When he is on, he is a dynamic QB that can put up points. Too often, his teams at Stanford and Auburn were overmatched. Having Duce Robinson back at WR is a big plus. Sperry redshirted as a four-star signee last season and should be ready should Daniels falter.

16. North Carolina

Starter: Senior Billy Edwards Jr. (16 career starts; 2 at Wisconsin, 14 at Maryland)

Backup: Sophomore Miles O’Neil (0 career starts) 

Situation: A knee injury limited Edwards to just two games at Wisconsin last season, and he briefly retired before deciding to apply for a medical redshirt and play one more season. In his one season as a full-time starter at Maryland in 2024, he had nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in Big Ten play and was benched in the season finale. We’ll see if Belichick can bring the best out of the pro-style QB.

17. Boston College

Starter: Junior Mason McKenzie (22 career starts at Saginaw Valley State)

Backup: Freshman Grayson Wilson (0 career starts)

Situation: McKenzie arrives at Boston College from the same Division 2 conference that produced Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss. The dual-threat threw for 2,086 yards and 17 TDs and rushed for 942 yards and 10 TDs over 11 games in 2025 and SVS went 6-5. Behind him is Wilson, who did not see the field during a redshirt season at Arkansas.

18. Stanford

Starter: Senior Davis Warren (9 career starts at Michigan)

Backup: Sophomore Dylan Rizk (3 career starts at UCF)

Situation: Warren earned a scholarship after beginning as a walk-on at Michigan, He was the primary starter in 2024 and went 6-3, beating both Ohio State and Alabama to close the season. He threw just seven TDs against nine interceptions, however and was not a threat in the run game. Michigan was 17th in the Big Ten in total offense in 2024. Warren was unable to hold onto the job and did not see the field when Bryce Underwood arrived in 2025.

The Miami Dolphins enlisted the services of Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman when filling their general manager and head coach openings this offseason. The former Cowboys great was so instrumental in helping to hire Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, the Dolphins retained Aikman as a consultant to the organization despite never playing for Miami.

Aikman’s former teammate — Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin — is not a fan of his quarterback working for the Dolphins and not the Cowboys.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Irvin had this to say about Aikman benefiting Miami and not Dallas:

“It does pain me to see [Aikman working with Miami]… For any club not to try to glean as much as you can from a guy like Troy Aikman whose job… is to go and talk to teams and talk to coaches and bring an understanding of what’s going on behind the scene to the world — so he understands each thing that’s going on in your organization — I mean, there is no better place for information than to get it from a guy like Troy Aikman… So yeah, absolutely it hurts me. It pains me to see that happening because I know Troy wanted to do that. Troy wanted a John Elway situation here in Dallas… But it’s not going to happen.”

Dallas’ loss is Miami’s gain. While the team’s new power structure is in the middle of rebuilding the Dolphins, and results may take awhile to show themselves in a positive way, Irvin clearly believes that Aikman is pointing Miami in the right direction.

The Carolina Panthers will have stability at the starting quarterback position after picking up the fifth-year option on the 2023 No. 1 pick, Bryce Young. 

But the Panthers shook up the quarterback room this offseason by trading Andy Dalton to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Carolina signed Kenny Pickett and Will Grier to back up Young. The Panthers also signed former Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King as an undrafted rookie free agent.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN argued that signing Pickett to a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million was the worst move of the offseason for the Panthers. Pickett, a first-round pick by the Steelers in 2022, has been passed around to the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and now the Panthers since last March.

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“Pickett has been part of four organizations over a 24-month span, having been traded by the Steelers, Eagles and Browns before finishing up 2025 with the Raiders and signing in Carolina,” Barnwell wrote. “He has thrown exactly 800 pass attempts over that time frame. 

“His 45.0 Total QBR ranks 28th out of 33 quarterbacks with at least 800 passes over the past four years, and his 0.06 EPA per dropback is last, just ahead of Bryce Young in 31st and Russell Wilson in 32nd. Pickett’s still young enough to improve, I suppose, but if four organizations have decided that he’s not a priority, are the Panthers really likely to find otherwise? Is that possibility worth paying $4 million to explore?”

It’s a gamble that was worth exploring for a couple of reasons. Dalton, 38, is aging. The Panthers are getting a player in Pickett who can develop into a solid backup quarterback.

Backup quarterbacks are extremely valuable to playoff teams, which the Panthers were last season. If the Denver Broncos had a better backup quarterback, they would have likely beaten the New England Patriots in the AFC championship.

The Panthers are getting a solid backup quarterback on a team that wants to make a deep run in the playoffs, and the costs are what they are.

For more on the Vikings and the NFL, head toNewsweek Sports.

George Kittle is open to the NFL adding an 18th game to the schedule—as long as the league does two things for the players. 

The 49ers star tight end recently spoke with Front Office Sports on a wide range of topics and said he thinks players would be more open to adding an additional regular season game if it came with more rest and salary. 

“You got to have an extra bye regardless,” Kittle told FOS. “This season is too long as it is. I think 16 games was perfect. They add an extra game for more TV stuff, which, hey I get it makes everyone more money. If you’re gonna add an 18th game you gotta add an extra bye.”

Kittle’s first request doesn’t seem unrealistic. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in March he, too, would want an extra bye week if the league added another game. 

“The one thing that didn’t really make sense to me is you sign a contract to play 16 games,” Kittle said. “They added the 17th game and you don’t get paid anymore money, your paycheck just gets cut an extra time. So you’re making 17 paychecks instead of 16. So in my opinion I’m just like if you bumped up the payment a little bit for that last game instead of cutting it again I think guys would be more interested in that as well.”

Players got additional revenue from the 17th game, and would likely seek more if the league pushes for an 18th game. Owners would have to make their own concessions to lengthen the schedule, which is why Kittle has a wish list.

“You can’t keep doing this cause the game is hard enough as it is,” Kittle said. “If you look back at last year, the amount of players who were hurt it’s actually insane. Let’s take care of the guys a little bit here.”

At the NFL annual league meetings in March, multiple team owners endorsed the prospect of an 18th game, which the NFLPA is publicly against. The union was also against the addition of a 17th game, but ultimately approved it in 2021. The league’s current CBA doesn’t expire until 2031, which means the ultimate decision may still be years away.

The post George Kittle Shares 2 Changes NFL Should Make For 18th Game appeared first on Front Office Sports.

Patriots Insider: Mike Vrabel Likely 'Knows He’s Not Out Of The Woods' As Dianna Russini May Soon Be 'Breaking Her Silence' originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel held a press conference Wednesday ahead of the team's organized team activities (OTAs).

While most of the talk was about football, the two-time AP Coach of the Year was also asked if he anticipated any more absences this offseason in the wake of the Dianna Russini affair scandal.

Vrabel stepped away from the team during the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft in April to undergo counseling.

The former Pro Bowl linebacker said among other things, "who knows what’s gonna come up?" and "you know, anything could happen."

MassLive.com's Karen Guregian wrote Thursday morning that Vrabel's response was "telling."

"With that last line, it sure sounds like Vrabel knows he’s not out of the woods just yet," Guregian said. "There’s more to come, most likely from Russini finally breaking her silence."

For now, the Patriots' OTAs will continue with Vrabel in attendance, but we'll see what happens this summer.

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Brewers' Kyle Harrison made one simple change that's sparked breakout season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Milwaukee Brewers have been the best team in the National League Central, thanks in part to the dominance of two of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.

While a lot of the attention has been on Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison should not be ignored. He's breaking out this season and is certainly a Cy Young caliber pitcher in 2026 so far.

So, what caused this breakout? Fansided.com's Robert Murray revealed that the Brewers had Harrison make one change that's helped spark this breakout. And this one change is a ridiculously simple one: Harrison moved to a different side of the mound.

Kyle Harrison makes a simple change to spark a Cy Young-caliber season

"This offseason, the Brewers changed some foundational things with Harrison, including altering the way he practiced," Murray writes. "Late in spring training, he moved to the other side of the rubber on the mound, and utilized it in the scrimmage in late March against the Cincinnati Reds and carried it into the regular season."

Harrison is breaking out this season, and his decision to simply move from one side of the mound to the other has been a huge boost to his production.

This season, Harrison is pitching from the left-side of the rubber, closer to first base. While this might not be the only reason why he's having such success, it's still a notable change that has helped Harrison have a breakout 2026 season so far.

MORE: Chase Burns becomes first Reds pitcher with elite stat line since 1922

Through 10 starts for the Brewers, after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin trade, Harrison has a 1.57 ERA, a 6-1 record, 2.3 bWAR, 61 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 51.2 innings pitched with a 256 ERA+.

Harrison has been incredible this season, and if it weren't for Misiorowski, Cristopher Sanchez, and Shohei Ohtani, he'd be much more talked about as a Cy Young candidate.

The Brewers' lefty had a 4.39 ERA coming into this season, but has broken out and more than reached his potential.

While it remains to be seen if this will last all year, for now, Harrison's breakout, spurred on by switching sides of the mound, has been incredible to watch.

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Running things back with Holly Holm won't get Ronda Rousey to come out of retirement again.

Rousey (13-2) returned from an almost 10-year layoff to submit Gina Carano in just 17 seconds in the MVP MMA 1 main event less than two weeks ago.

Holm, who was the first person to beat Rousey when she claimed the women's bantamweight title with a stunning knockout at UFC 193, wasn't surprised to see Rousey quickly submit Carano. She explained how she's always been willing to rematch Rousey since the moment she finished her.

"I've always been open to a rematch with her since the day the fight was over," Holm said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "So if she wants to rematch, I'm game anytime. I've always said I'm good with a rematch. Right after the fight, it was, 'Hey, do you want to wait for the fight with Ronda?' I said, ‘Well, sure, how long are we going to wait?' There was no answer because we had no answer from her. She didn't say yes. She just, nothing.

"And I was like, 'Well, I don't want to just sit and wait because I don't know if she'll ever want to fight or ever want to rematch, or if she does come back, will it be with me? I don't know.' There was no answer. So I chose to keep fighting, and then it was over a year after we fought, and she fought (Amanda) Nunes and was done. But I've always said I would rematch her, and I still would to this day. I just think that she wanted to come back, have a fight and then be done. No hate on her for that."

Rousey said coming back for Carano was a one-and-done, and she's sticking by her word.

"I think I definitely have the ability and the opportunity to be able to clean her clock and re-write all of that," Rousey said of Holm on the "Up & Adams" show. "But it's no longer important to me anymore. It doesn't haunt me. It's not the most important thing in my life."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ronda Rousey insists avenging Holly Holm loss doesn't haunt her

Most Memorable Green Monster Home Runs: Carlton Fisk, Bucky Dent & More at Fenway Park originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

NESN's "Monster Week" is back May 26-28! Tune in and follow along all week for wall-to-wall coverage inspired by Fenway Park's iconic Green Monster, complete with a full game broadcast from atop the wall, exclusive camera angles, live reporting from inside the structure and Monster-focused features and interviews.

Standing at 37 feet tall and more than 200 feet wide, the Green Monster has swallowed up plenty of hard hits that would be home runs in other stadiums. However, Fenway Park's massive wall has also served as the backdrop for a few legendary dingers.

Let's look back at some of the most memorable home runs in Green Monster history, from walk-off bombs to record-breaking blasts.

Most memorable Green Monster home runs

Carlton Fisk (1975 World Series, Game 6 vs. Reds)

"If it stays fair..."

In Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, Fisk smacked a pitch down the line and drilled the left-field foul pole, giving the Red Sox a 7-6 victory.

Boston lost to Cincinnati in Game 7 of the World Series, but Fisk waving his arms to make sure the ball went fair in the bottom of the 12th inning is an unforgettable moment.

Bucky Dent (1978 AL East tiebreaker vs. Yankees)

In a winner-take-all tiebreaker between the Red Sox and Yankees, New York shortstop Bucky Dent fouled a pitch off his foot before hitting a dramatic three-run homer in the seventh inning.

The ball just barely cleared the Green Monster, propelling the Yankees to a 5-4 victory and breaking the hearts of Red Sox fans. No wonder they call him Bucky "Bleeping" Dent.

1999 Home Run Derby

Fenway Park was the perfect spot for the 1999 Home Run Derby, which featured Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa just one year after they chased down Roger Maris' single-season home run record.

While Ken Griffey Jr. won his second consecutive Home Run Derby, McGwire provided plenty of entertainment in the first round with 13 home runs, setting a new Derby record for a single round.

Manny Ramirez (2001 vs. Blue Jays)

In his first season with the Red Sox, Ramirez offered a glimpse of what Boston fans would witness for years to come, absolutely crushing a couple of pitches against the Blue Jays.

Manny Ramirez (2007 ALDS, Game 2 vs. Angels)

In Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS, Francisco Rodriguez was on the mound in the bottom ninth inning with Ramirez at the plate. Against an elite closer, Ramirez sent a ball over the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox a 2-0 series lead.

Boston went on to sweep the Angels and ultimately win the 2007 World Series.

Shane Victorino (2013 ALCS, Game 6 vs. Tigers)

Victorino was the hero in Game 6 of the 2013 ALCS.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Victorino crushed a grand slam over the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox a lead that they would not relinquish. After eliminating Detroit, Boston defeated St. Louis in the 2013 World Series.

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Former AC Milan captain Riccardo Montolivo has identified the club’s chronic attacking issues as the key area requiring investment this summer, insisting that the forward line has been a recurring weakness long before this season’s collapse, and that only Olivier Giroud’s brilliance masked it for so long.

Speaking to gianlucadimarzio.com, via MilanNews.it, Montolivo was candid in his assessment of the club’s recent failings while stopping short of placing all the blame on the outgoing Massimiliano Allegri.

“He is a very high-level coach,” Montolivo said.

“Milan had an obvious decline and the squad will undoubtedly need to be strengthened for next year. The attack has been a bit of a problem for Milan for many years. Giroud managed in the years he played to hide that problem by having fantastic seasons. But it is up front that action needs to be taken.”

SASSUOLO, ITALY – MAY 03: Ardon Jashari in action during the Serie A match at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on May 03, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)

Montolivo backs Jashari and Ricci for second chance at Milan after difficult debut season

The former Italy international, who wore the captain’s armband at San Siro and describes his time at the club as a lifelong dream fulfilled, also offered encouraging words to two of Milan’s younger midfielders who struggled for consistency this season.

“Don’t give up,” Montolivo said of Ardon Jashari and Samuele Ricci.

“This year was a difficult season for them also because they had few opportunities and little continuity. Jashari also got injured straight away. I believe both of them deserve a second chance because they are players of value. They need to have patience and not give up.”

Mickey Harte paid tribute to "one of a kind" Frank McGuigan, as Ardboe came to a standstill on Thursday to say its goodbyes to the 71-year-old, who passed away on Sunday.

Harte and McGuigan played on the same Tyrone team that won the 1972 Ulster minor title before McGuigan graduated to the senior squad which lifted the Anglo-Celt Cup 12 months later.

While Harte says McGuigan is "without a doubt" one of the best footballers never to win an All-Ireland title, his exploits in the 1984 Ulster final when scoring 11 points from play ensures he will remain in GAA folklore.

"I don't think I've ever seen a footballer with as much natural talent as Frank McGuigan and I've seen a lot of players playing football - he was the best I've ever seen," Harte, who managed Tyrone to three All-Ireland titles in the 2000s, told BBC Sport NI.

"He could do everything: field ball with anybody, pass the ball, vision, power and was deceptively fast.

"He had this ability not many have where he floated in for a ball. You see people putting in a real effort to get a high ball, this man was effortless. He has the timing, positioning and used his back end quite a bit to keep the people getting close to the ball - a nice little skill."

Harte reflected on a man who "enjoyed life to the full" and while his footballing aptitude was beyond question, it was matched only by his unassuming nature.

"I always said you could play him from corner-back to corner-forward or even stuck him in goals nowadays and he would have excelled," Harte continued.

"There's very few you could say that about, but the biggest thing of all was his modesty. He was such a humble man, you wouldn't even know he played football but was the best who ever walked these fields I believe."

Brewers 2019 re-draft sees Yankees' 8.9 WAR Gold Glove infielder land in Milwaukee originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

What could've been. 

In 2019, the Milwaukee Brewers selected left-handed pitcher Ethan Small with the 28th overall pick in the MLB Draft. 

Small is a free agent and made just four combined appearances with Milwaukee between 2022-23. It's safe to say the pick did not work out for the Brewers. Enough time has passed. 

In Bleacher Report's re-draft of the 2019 MLB Draft, Joel Reuter has the NL Central club selecting New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe instead of Small. 

"Instead, his stock has dropped considerably after a 2025 season where he hit .212/.272/.391 for an 82 OPS+ while his defense also took a step backward," Reuter wrote about Volpe's performance in recent seasons. "The Brewers have gotten little in the way of production out of Joey Ortiz, so this is a bet on the higher ceiling of Volpe, who is still only 25 years old." 

Even with his struggles, Volpe wouldn't have been the worst option at shortstop. He won a Gold Glove during his rookie season, and he's having a strong start to the year with the Yankees, albeit with a small sample size of games. 

MORE: A rookie named Santa had a 1-of-a-kind MLB debut

In the actual 2019 draft, the Yankees selected Volpe with the 30th overall pick. Since making his debut in 2023, he's produced 8.9 WAR in 483 games. 

Has he experienced hardship? Sure, but there are a lot worse ways your first-round pick can turn out. 

More MLB news:

• Bo Bichette reveals his plans for his opt-out clause
• Bumpus Jones is trending for an 1892 accomplishment
• The last time a team was this bad at walking, it took 9 balls to earn a walk
• Chase Burns makes Reds history that hasn't been done in 104 years
• Guardians pitcher trying to complete incredible comeback

Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorer, Neymar, was a somewhat surprising inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s final 26-man roster for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Having not played since Ancelotti took charge, with his most recent international outing being back in 2023, the 34-year-old Santos attacker should provide Brazil with some potentially invaluable experience and flair going forward - that is, assuming he makes it to the pitch.

With his last few years having been blighted by injuries, Neymar has suffered yet another setback, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirming that what Santos’ doctor had described as an edema in his calf is actually more serious.

• Zohran Mamdani takes Philadelphia swipe while announcing $50 World Cup tickets
• Mauricio Pochettino goes on rant defending decision to cut USMNT players via email

“Neymar arrived here at Granja Comary yesterday, underwent all the medical exams, which ended with an MRI that revealed a grade two injury to his calf, not just edema. The expectation is that he will be cleared in two to three weeks,” the CBF doctor said, as per Torcedores.

This essentially rules Neymar out of both of Brazil’s World Cup warm-up friendlies, with the first being at Estadio do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro against Panama on May 31, followed by a trip to Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, to take on Egypt on June 6.

Should his recovery go smoothly, he may be back in time for their Group C opener on June 13 against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; otherwise, he might need to wait six days to make his 2026 World Cup bow at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, against Haiti.

Brazil’s final group stage game is scheduled for June 24, when they head to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, to take on Scotland.

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

While Ancelotti’s final roster must be submitted by June 1, teams are permitted to make alterations up until a day before their first game, assuming there is adequate proof of a player's injury or a serious illness. As such, Ancelotti and Co. have until June 12 to keep a very close eye on Neymar’s recovery and decide if this fairytale comeback may need to come to a premature end.

It seems safe to say, however, that his teammates would much rather see him stick around for the duration of the tournament, with fellow veteran Casemiro, who recently left Manchester United after four seasons, saying of Neymar, via The Athletic, “Neymar is an experienced player. He’s heading to his fourth World Cup. He has already been through so many things, and he has a lot to offer. We know that the experience he has is important.”

Should Neymar ultimately be dropped or forced to withdraw, one potential candidate to take his spot could be Chelsea’s João Pedro, who was arguably the most surprising omission from Ancelotti’s squad. This would not be a like-for-like swap, however, with the Blue star typically deployed as more of an out-and-out center forward than his compatriot.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Picking injury-prone Neymar in Brazil’s World Cup squad seemed a risk and so it proved just 10 days later on Thursday.

The 34-year-old forward has a calf injury and likely will not be fit for Brazil’s opening game against Morocco, team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said.

“The expectation is that he will be sidelined from two to three weeks,” Lasmar told reporters.

Brazil plays Morocco on June 13 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to start a group that also includes Haiti and Scotland.

“Neymar arrived (Wednesday) at the Granja Comary," Lasmar said, referring to the team's training base near Rio de Janeiro, "did all medical tests, and was diagnosed with a grade two calf injury.”

Neymar was selected for his fourth World Cup in a 26-man squad by coach Carlo Ancelotti despite not playing for the national team since October 2023 when he tore the cruciate ligament in his left knee in a World Cup qualifying game against Uruguay.

He has played just a few games this season for Santos since returning from Saudi Arabia on a free transfer from Al-Hilal.

FIFA’s World Cup rules allow Neymar to be replaced by a June 1 deadline for Ancelotti to submit his final squad, or up to one day before a team’s first game at the tournament.

___

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

If you watch enough tour golf, you start to notice something counterintuitive: the best draw players don't actually draw the ball that much.

Below are the average spin axis of draw players versus faders—using data from the 2026 Masters—and draw players draw it less than faders fade it. The margins are thinner, fewer players do it, and the ones who do, do it carefully.

The reason comes down to a move some people call the path draw. And it's worth understanding.

A draw happens when the clubface is pointing to the left of the direction of your swing—the clubface is closed, in other words.

A path draw is a way of getting that shape without leaning on the clubface to do the work. Players keep their body turning aggressively so the clubface stays more open, then create the draw by swinging just to the right of it.

Golf Digest+ members can dive deeper into this important concept using our new interactiveBall Flight Builder Tool right here.

Most juniors, before they've fully and amateurs hit draws a different way—dropping the hands behind the body, swinging out to the right, and rolling the hands through to close the face. Young Rory came up on tour perfecting this. But it's hard to time. The differences:

• Hand draws rely on rolling the wrists to close the face. The good ones are push draws, but when those arrows get too far apart, they turn into high hooks.

• Path draws keep the face more neutral and create the shape with a more extreme path instead. Tommy Fleetwood and Bryson DeChambeau is the example—they both work on keeping the clubface from turning over, while swinging out to the right.

Rolling the clubface closed is kind of like playing with fire. It lowers loft, ramps up ball speed, kills spin—which is why hook misses are low and hot rather than high and soft. As the old saying goes, you can talk to a fade, but hooks don't listen.

Path draws give pros a friendlier miss: a block or push, where face and path point the same way, out to the right. Predictable. Playable. And it's why pros love them.

Golf Digest+ members can dive deeper into this important concept using our new interactiveBall Flight Builder Tool right here.

The CBS Sports Network has agreed an exclusive four-year broadcast rights deal to show the Women’s Super League in the United States.

The WSL and CBS announced the deal on Thursday, which will run from the 2026-27 season through to 2029-30.

As part of the agreement, Paramount+ will stream 183 matches each season, CBS Sports Network will broadcast one match per week and select matches will also be shown on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

The value of the deal has not been disclosed but is described as a “record U.S. deal” for the WSL. It was negotiated by WSL Football’s international media rights representative, IMG

The deal marks a return to CBS for the WSL, with the network previously holding the English top flight’s rights during the 2023-24 season. ESPN has held the league’s U.S. broadcast rights for the past two years, with the initial ESPN deal and subsequent one-year extension both completed on the eve of the season’s start.

The 2026-27 season will be the WSL’s first following its expansion to 14 teams.

As part of the deal, WSL coverage will also feature in CBS’ women’s soccer show Attacking Third in addition to the network’s other studio programmes.

The WSL joins an extensive selection of women’s soccer rights already held by CBS Sports and Paramount+, including the NWSL, Women’s Champions League and Concacaf W Champions Cup.

In October 2024, the WSL agreed a new five-year deal with an estimated value of £65 million with Sky Sports and the BBC for its broadcast rights in the UK and Ireland, which began from the 2025-26 season.

A selection of U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) players have moved to the WSL in recent seasons, including defender Naomi Girma and winger Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea, and full-back Emily Fox to Arsenal.

‘Year-round access to women’s soccer’s biggest stars’

Analysis from women’s soccer writer Asli Pelit

For CBS Sports and Paramount+, landing the WSL is less about adding another property and more about consolidating themselves as the central destination for women’s soccer in the United States.

The network is one of the partners of the NWSL’s $240 million over four year media package and with this deal Paramount+ will have year-round inventory tied to some of the biggest stars in the global game, including players American audiences already recognize through the U.S. women’s national team ecosystem and UEFA Women’s Champions League exposure.

The deal also comes at a strategic moment for the WSL. England’s top flight is expanding while global interest in women’s soccer continues to rise ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. By streaming 183 matches per season, Paramount+ secures a consistent pipeline of live programming that appeals to a younger, digitally native audience increasingly comfortable consuming soccer across multiple leagues and time zones.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

US Women's national team, Arsenal WFC, Manchester United WFC, Chelsea FC Women, Manchester City WFC, NWSL, Sports Business, Women's Soccer

2026 The Athletic Media Company

On the heels of Wednesday’s announcement of the U.S. women’s national team senior roster for June, the program’s under-23s manager, Heather Dyche, has invited 20 players to travel to Brazil next month to compete against a Brazilian club in São Paulo.

Several of the players named to this U-23 roster have experience with the senior USWNT: center backs Jordyn Bugg and Eva Gaetino, fullback Ayo Oke, forwards Maddie Dahlien and Mia Fishel, and goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz. Others are older than 23, which has occasionally been the norm for this team.

Both factors point to Dyche — and USWNT head coach Emma Hayes — still wanting to cultivate a core group, even if the core extends across generations. It also suggests they still want players who’ve enjoyed recent success on the pitch to have opportunities to train and compete at an international level. Though the USWNT will face Brazil, hosts of the 2027 World Cup, twice in two different cities, the under-23s will play two matches against the storied Brazilian professional club SC Corinthians Paulista on June 5 and 9.

U.S. Under-23 June roster, in full

Goalkeepers (2): Neeku Purcell (Seattle Reign FC; Seattle), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; Fairfax, Va.)

Defenders (7): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; El Cajon, Calif.), Carolyn Calzada (Portland Thorns FC; Sugar Hill, Ga.), Kate Del Fava (Utah Royals; Kenosha, Wis.), Eva Gaetino (Denver Summit FC; Dexter, Mich.), Leah Klenke (Houston Dash; Houston), Ayo Oke (Denver Summit FC; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Evelyn Shores (Angel City FC; Atlanta)

Midfielders (5): Sofia Cook (Gotham FC; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Ally Lemos (Orlando Pride; Glendora, Calif.), Yuna McCormack (Denver Summit FC; Mill Valley, Calif.), Taylor Suarez (Angel City FC; Charlotte, N.C.), Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns FC; Miami)

Forwards (6): Trinity Byars (San Diego Wave FC; Richardson, Texas), Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; Edina, Minn.), Jordynn Dudley (Gotham FC; Milton, Ga.), Mia Fishel (Seattle Reign FC; San Diego), Madison Haley (Brighton & Hove Albion, ENG; Dallas), Kat Rader (Houston Dash; Stuart, Fla.)

Prioritizing experience over age

Hayes has been inclined to decenter age as a barometer for any given camp invitation, whether at the senior or youth level. Five players over the age of 23 have made this roster: Silkowitz (born in 2000), Gaetino (2002), Del Fava (1998), Haley (1998) and Fishel (2001), emphasizing that point from a different angle. Del Fava and Haley, both 27, have never been called up to the USWNT. Just as younger players can gain more experience playing with the senior team during any given window, older players can learn from training and competing with their juniors. They’re all professionals anyway, and this method could also allow Hayes to assess them without disrupting the chemistry of her own core group just yet.

Rookie performances earning national team invites

Seven of the 20 players called up to this team are in their first professional seasons: Calzada, Klenke, Cook, McCormack, Suarez, Dudley and Rader. Each has transitioned seamlessly from collegiate play, either by scoring goals or earning regular starts on their NWSL teams. Though clubs such as Gotham FC (to whom Cook and Dudley are signed) and Portland (Calzada) are known to sign top college prospects with or without a draft, it is promising to see some of these rookies come from less expected clubs like the Houston Dash and the expansion side Denver Summit.

Women’s Super League standout

Haley played at Stanford across similar years as Catarino Macaio, Naomi Girma, Sophia Wilson and other USWNT players, but she took a decidedly different path to the pros, beginning her career in Australia before signing with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Women’s Super League. Typically, players selected for the USWNT represent the “top four” of the WSL: Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United. Haley’s Brighton finished seventh this season in the WSL, but Haley had a standout campaign, scoring four goals and recording three assists. She was similarly prolific in the FA Cup, scoring three times across four fixtures, including against Arsenal.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Women's Soccer

2026 The Athletic Media Company

Acer’s ready to showcase its next-generation Atlas 8 PC gaming handheld at Computex 2026 Acer has confirmed that it will showcase its next-generation PC gaming handheld, the Predator Atlas 8, at Computex 2026. This new handheld will be powered by Intel’s ARC G3 Extreme SoC. The device will feature up to 24GB of LPDDR5X-7467 memory […]

The post Acer unveils its Intel ARC G3 Elite powered Predator Atlas 8 PC gaming handheld appeared first on OC3D.

Not just OLED monitors, but the mini LED monitors are also getting frequent upgrades, and with the introduction of RGB mini LED, we are going to see an incredible visual quality. Hisense Debuts 32UX As the World's First RGB Mini LED Monitor, Bringing Full-Color Backlighting at $1475 Hisense has introduced what it calls the world's first RGB mini-LED monitor, a technology it appears to have brought from premium TVs to the desktop monitor. This brings a 32-inch display, boasting a resolution of 4K, and at a decent refresh rate of 180 Hz. This positions it as a high-end gaming monitor […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/hisense-launches-worlds-first-rgb-mini-led-monitor-boasting-4k180hz-and-peak-brightness-of-2000-nits/

Following a short teaser shared earlier today and the first indications that a reveal was imminent, it is now official: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be the next entry in the series, bringing players to South Korea when it launches on October 23 worldwide. "War erupts on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launches a full-scale invasion that threatens to destabilize the world in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4," the announcement reads. "A young squad of South Korean soldiers fight to survive on the collapsing front lines, while half a world away a vengeful Captain Price wages […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-october-23-switch-2/

OneXPlayer has unveiled its first Intel Arc G3 Extreme-based gaming handheld, featuring 14 CPU cores and 12 Xe3 GPU cores. OneXPlayer Unveils World's First Intel Arc G3 Extreme-Powered Gaming Handheld, Featuring 8.8-inch OLED Display and a 3-in-1 Design With the unveiling of Intel's Arc G3 chips, handheld manufacturers have already readied their next-gen gaming handhelds powered by the new Panther Lake variants. The Arc G3 is a dedicated chip lineup for gaming handhelds, offering up to 14 CPU cores and up to 12 Xe3 GPU cores for an impressive gaming performance, as has been demonstrated by the Panther Lake counterparts. […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/onexplayer-3-pairs-intel-new-arc-g3-extreme-with-an-8-8-inch-oled-targeting-console-class-handheld-gaming/

Intel has finally unveiled its brand new SoCs for gaming handhelds called the Arc G3 Extreme & Arc G3, based on the Panther Lake design. Intel Plans To Disrupt AMD's Gaming Handheld Dominance With Its New Arc G3 Chips, Featuring Strong Capabilities The gaming handheld space has seen a major surge over the past few years. For the longest time, AMD has been very competitive in the market, and while Intel did have a few products that showed the kind of performance, efficiency, and features to compete well, there weren't that many options to select from, as the market was […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-arc-g3-extreme-g3-chips-gaming-handhelds-14-cpu-cores-12-gpu-cores/

Today, independent developer Crate Entertainment re-emerged to announce the final launch date of Grim Dawn: Fangs of Asterkarn, the biggest expansion yet for the hack-and-slash action RPG originally launched in 2016. It will be available on July 23, 2026 on PC via Steam, GOG, and the Humble Store, but there's no mention of the Xbox One version, which was previously supposed to debut simultaneously. Fangs of Asterkarn was originally announced in August 2023 for a 2024 launch. Clearly, the expansion's development took much longer than planned, but there's a good reason. The development team boasts that the expansion is the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/grim-dawn-fangs-of-asterkarn-release-date-july-2026/

Argentina’s proposed online gambling bill would restrict banks, payment firms and crypto providers from serving unauthorized betting platforms.

RWA standard ERC-7943 reaches final stage as Ethereum builders rethink how institutional finance move onchain.

Standard Chartered reaffirms bullish Ether price targets, citing strong network fundamentals even as ETH trades 57% below its 2025 peak and fund flows turn negative.

Bitcoin approached the final week of CME futures gaps with several still open, providing potential BTC price targets as low as $67,000.

XRP breaks key support at $1.30 as bearish technical setups and weak investor sentiment point to a deeper correction toward $0.63.

Aave Labs’ Push received FCA approval for “certain cryptoasset activities” in the UK, supporting its plans for regulated stablecoin on- and off-ramping.

1pm streamlines event planning with a live run of show that updates in real time across your crew. Edit timings, reorder tasks, and watch start times auto-calculate while everyone stays synced on mobile. Crew members access 1pm from their personalized link with no app or login required.

Manage events end to end with crew databases, statuses, branding themes, and requestable uploads like insurance and briefs. Assign roles, track completion, and keep venues and planners aligned from enquiry to wrap.

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Bearing helps you grow as a leader by turning candid team interviews into clear, actionable insights. It conducts conversations with your direct reports, distills patterns, and then works with you one-on-one to build habits, navigate challenges, and track progress over time.

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Sync Suite is a dual-app construction ecosystem that separates the job site from the back office. It provides foremen with Sync Crew, a lightweight, offline-capable mobile app to log daily hours and run native engineering math like pipe offsets without needing an account. The back office uses Command in Sync, a premium desktop dashboard that aggregates field data into live financial rollups and automated AI executive briefs. Crews get a fast, simple terminal, and executives get real-time profit insights.

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Fenerbahçe'nin devre arasında Al-Ittihad'a sattığı Youssef En-Nesyri, Suudi Arabistan'da gözden çıkarılmasının ardından Beşiktaş'a önerildi... siyah-beyazlılar dev transfer için harekete geçecek mi henüz net bir bilgi yok.

Fenerbahçe'nin devre arasında Al-Ittihad'a gönderdiği Youssef En-Nesyri için flaş bir gelişme yaşandı. Körfez'de aradığını bulamayan ve kulübüyle ipleri kopma noktasına gelen Faslı oyuncunun, menajerler aracılığıyla Beşiktaş'a önerildiği iddia edildi.

Geçtiğimiz dönemde teknik direktör Sergio Conceição’nun kadrosunun vazgeçilmez isimlerinden biri olan ve takımın kilit oyuncusu olarak görülen En-Nesyri, hocanın ayrılığının ardından adeta boşa düştü. Al-Ittihad yönetiminin radikal bir yapılanmaya giderek hem teknik direktör Conceição hem de En-Nesyri ile yola devam etmeme kararı alması, transfer piyasasını hareketlendirdi.

Fenerbahçe formasıyla Süper Lig dinamiklerine alışan En-Nesyri'nin, Beşiktaş'ın santrfor hattındaki gol yollarını canlandırabilir. Ancak Önder Özen ya da Beşiktaş'ın yeni teknik direktörünün Faslı golcüye ne diyeceği hakkında net bir bilgi yok.

Galatasaray'ın Kolombiyalı stoperi Davinson Sanchez, ülkesiyle Dünya Kupası'nda boy gösterecek. Yönetim onunla ilgili net bir satış kararı almadı. Ancak dev organizasyonun ardından durum değişebilir.

Galatasaray, 2023 yazında Tottenham'a 9.5 milyon euro ödeyerek Davinson Sanchez'i kadrosuna katmıştı. Tecrübeli stoper, kulüple olan sözleşmesini 15 Ağustos 2025'te yeniledi. Mevcut kontratı 30 Haziran 2029'a kadar devem ediyor. Kolombiyalı savunmacı, üst üste kazanılan şampiyonluklarda önemli rol oynadı.

ÇOK ELEŞTİRİLMİŞTİ

Ancak Sanchez, geride bıraktığımız sezondaki bazı maçlarda ağır şekilde eleştirilmişti. Oyuncunun satılacağı yönünde iddialar dolaşsa da Galatasaray Yönetimi'nin bu yönde bir kararı bulunmuyor. Fakat, 1.87 boyundaki futbolcunun Kolombiya ile Dünya Kupası'nda sergileyeceği performans, birçok şeyi değiştirebilir.

1 DEĞİL 2 TAKVİYE

Davinson Sanchez'in tahmini piyasa değeri 16 milyon euro civarında... Eğer Dünya Kupası'nda iyi bir grafik çizerse, 20 milyon euronun üzerinde teklifler alabileceği konuşuluyor. Bu durumda Galatasaray Yönetimi'nin bir karar vermesi gerekecek. Eğer Davinson satılırsa, savunma hattına 1 değil 2 takviye yapılması şart olacak...

Sezonun ikinci grand slam tenis turnuvası Fransa Açık'ta (Roland Garros) tek kadınların 16 numaralı seribaşı Japon Naomi Osaka, üçüncü tura çıktı.

Fransa'nın başkenti Paris'te düzenlenen turnuvanın 5. gününde 4 kez grand slam şampiyonu Osaka, Hırvat Donna Vekic'i 7-6 ve 6-4'lük setlerle 2-0 mağlup etti.

Kadınlarda ABD'li Iva Jovic (17), Rus Diana Shnaider (25), Ukraynalı Oleksandra Oliynykova ve Polonyalı Maja Chwalinska rakiplerini geçerek üçüncü tura yükseldi.

Tek erkeklerde ise İtalyan Flavio Cobolli (10), Çinli Wu Yibing karşısında 6-4 biten setlerle 3-0 galip geldi.

Erkeklerde ABD'li Learner Tien (18) ve Zachary Svajda ile Şilili Alejandro Tabilo adlarını üçüncü tura yazdırdı.

Fenerbahçe Kulübü Başkan Adayı Hakan Safi, Muğla'nın Fethiye ilçesinde düzenlenen bir programda taraftarlarla bir araya geldi.

Fenerbahçe Kulübü Başkan Adayı Hakan Safi, Muğla’nın Fethiye ilçesinde kongre üyeleri ve taraftarlarla bir araya geldi

Fethiye’de bir restoranda düzenlenen programda Safi, taraftarlar ve kongre üyeleri tarafından karşılandı.

Buluşmada Safi’ye, Fethiye Fenerbahçeliler Derneği tarafından çiçek ve atkı takdim edildi.

Burada konuşan Safi, adaylık sürecine ilişkin değerlendirmelerde bulundu.

Adaylığını erken açıkladığını belirten Safi, çeşitli iddialara rağmen duruşlarını koruduklarını belirterek, "Önümüzdeki hafta yapılacak seçimde sizlerin teveccühü ile seçimimizi kazanacağız ve Fenerbahçe’mizin şanlı tarihi bir kere daha başlayacak." dedi.

Programın sonunda Safi, taraftarların sorularını yanıtladı ve katılımcılarla hatıra fotoğrafı çektirdi.

ultrAslan tribün lideri Sebahattin Şirin sosyal medya hesabından sosyal medya hesabından dikkat çeken bir yazı paylaştı. Şirin'in Başkan Dursun Özbek'e bir mesajı var.,

ultrAslan tribün lideri Sebahattin Şirin sosyal medya hesabından bir yazı paylaştı. Şirin, Başkan Dursun Özbek'in masaya yumruğunu vurarak görev dağılımını keskin bir şekilde açıklamasını istedi.

Sebahattin Şirin'in açıklaması şöyle:

-Galatasaray Spor Kulübü Yönetim Kurulu üyeliği ego tatmin edilecek bir yer değildir. Kişisel egolarını Galatasaray'ın menfaatleri önüne koyan kimsenin bu pozisyonda ne işi ne görevi olmalıdır.

-Özellikle bu sene en büyük iş Başkanımız Dursun Aydın Özbek'e düşüyor masaya yumruğunu vurarak sert bir şekilde iç çekişme yaşayan isimlere bunu hatırlatmalı ve görev dağılımlarını keskin bir şekilde acilen açıklamalı. Önümüzde kendi rekorumuzu kendimizin kıracağı üst üste 5. şampiyonluk ve Avrupa hedefimiz var.

-Bizi bu hedeften uzaklaştıracak hiçbir mazerete tahammülümüz yoktur.

Kante ve Matteo Guendouzi hamlelerinin ardından Fenerbahçe'de geleceği en çok merak edilen isimlerden biri İsmail Yüksek... Milli futbolcunun birçok talibi var. Kararı ise yeni gelecek yönetim verecek.

İsmail Yüksek, Fenerbahçe'yle mukavelesini 28 Mart 2025 tarihinde yenilemişti. 27 yaşındaki ön liberonun Sarı-Lacivertliler'le 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar sözleşmesi var. Ancak Kante ve Matteo Guendouzi hamlelerinin ardından forma sürelerinde düşüş gözlemlendi. Üstelik İsmail açısından bu problem yeni sezonda da devam edebilir.

DÜZENLİ OYNAMAK İSTİYOR

Milli futbolcunun, düzenli oynamak istediği biliniyor. Yeni sezonda da ağırlıklı olarak Matteo Guendouzi-Kante ikilisi tercih edilirse, İsmail rotasyon oyuncusuna dönüşecek. Bu sebeple de ayrılmak istediği konuşuluyor. 1.83 boyundaki futbolcuyla birçok Avrupa ekibi ilgileniyor.

3 AVRUPA EKİBİ SIRADA

Bayer Leverkusen, Como ve Brighton, İsmail'in durumunu takip ediyor. 27 yaşındaki orta saha ise Fenerbahçe'deki başkanlık seçimini ve yeni hocayı bekliyor. Milli oyuncu, yeni sezon hazırlıkları sırasında geleceğini de görüşecek. Eğer durum değişmezse, yurt dışına çıkabilir!

Eyüpspor'la mukavelesi sona eren Umut Bozok, istediği kulübe bedelsiz olarak gidebilecek. 29 yaşındaki forvetin adı Beşiktaş'la anılıyordu. Ancak Umut, Galatasaray'a da önerildi.

Hem Galatasaray hem de Beşiktaş, yeni bir yabancı golcü hamlesi yapacak. Ancak iki ezeli rakip de yerli bir isimle hücum hattındaki rotasyonu güçlendirmek istiyor. Şu anda maliyet bakımından en avantajlı oyuncu ise kesinlikle Umut Bozok... Çünkü 29 yaşındaki futbolcunun Eyüpspor'la sözleşmesi sona erdi.

ÇOK PARA İSTİYORLAR

Galatasaray'ın yerli konusundaki favorisi; Başakşehir forması giyen Bertuğ Yıldırım'dı... Ancak Başakşehir, genç santrfor için çift haneli bir rakam talep ediyor. Umut'ta böyle bir problem söz konusu değil... Sarı-Kırmızılılar şu anda menajerlerin önerdiği Umut'la ilgili karar aşamasında...

KISA SÜRE İÇİNDE

Beşiktaş cephesinde ise 1.78 boyundaki futbolcuyla temaslar sürüyor. Umut'un kararını kısa süre içinde vermesi bekleniyor. 29 yaşındaki forvet bu sezon Eyüpspor'la 32 maça çıktı. Sahada 2.101 dakika kaldı. 6 gol ve 6 asist üretti. Özellikle sezonun son haftalarında performansını yukarı çıkardı.

Galatasaray, Mainz forması giyen Nadiem Amiri'yle kişisel şartlarda anlaşma sağladı. Ancak TFF'nin 10+4'lük yabancı kontenjanı değişmezse, iş çıkmaza girecek...

Galatasaray, Alman ekibi Mainz'da forma giyen Nadiem Amiri'yle el sıkıştı. Merkez orta saha, ön libero ve 10 numarada görev yapabilen 29 yaşındaki futbolcunun gelişi ise Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu'na takıldı... TFF, yeni sezon için 10+4'lük yabancı kontenjanı belirlemişti.

GÜNCELLEME BEKLİYORLAR

29 yaşındaki Nadiem Amiri, doğal olarak genç yabancı kriterini karşılamıyor. Aslan'ın mevcut kadro yapılanmasında bu durum ciddi sorun çıkarıyor. Süper Lig ekiplerinin büyük bölümü, 10+4'lük kontenjanda güncelleme bekliyor. Eğer Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu kuralda değişiklik yaparsa Nadiem Amiri hamlesinin önü de açılacak.

12 GOL VE 3 ASİST ÜRETTİ

Alman futbolcu bu sezon Bundesliga'da 26 karşılaşmaya çıktı. Sahada 2.092 dakika kaldı. 12 gol ve 3 asist üretti. Mainz ile 30 Haziran 2028 tarihine kadar mukavelesi bulunuyor. Sarı-Kırmızılılar'ın bu transfer için 15 milyon euroluk bonservis teklifi yapacağı belirtildi. Oyuncunun ayrılma isteği, Mainz'ı satışa zorluyor.

Galatasaray'ın merkez orta saha adayları arasında Bournemouth forması giyen Alex Toth da bulunuyordu. 20 yaşındaki genç yetenek, geleceğiyle ilgili kararını iletti.

Premier Lig ekibi Bournemouth, kış döneminde Ferencvaros Kulübü'ne 12 milyon euro ödeyerek Alex Toth'u kadrosuna katmıştı. Macar oyuncuyla 30 Haziran 2031 tarihine kadar mukavele yapıldı. Ancak 20 yaşındaki genç yetenek, fazla forma süresi bulamadı. 9 Premier Lig sınavında sadece 137 dakika oynayabildi.

BİR SÜRE DAHA DEVAM

Galatasaray'ın da bu durumu değerlendirerek oyuncuyu kiralamak istediği konuşuluyordu. Ancak Alex Toth cephesinden pek de güzel bir haber gelmedi. 1.81 boyundaki merkez orta saha, yeni geldiği Bournemouth'ta bir süre daha devam etmek istediğini söyledi. En azından önümüzdeki sezonu da İngiliz ekibinde geçirmeyi hedefliyor.

ALTERNATİFLERE GİDİLECEK

Galatasaray'ın merkez orta sahayla ilgili geniş bir listesi bulunuyor. Alex Toth bugün itibarıyla gündemden düştü. Önümüzdeki sezon durum değişir mi henüz bilinmiyor. Sarı-Kırmızılılar şu anda alternatiflere yönelmiş durumda... Cim-Bom, orta alanın merkezi dışında bir 10 numara hamlesi de planlıyor.

Galatasaray'ın orta saha adayları arasında Juventus'tan Khephren Thuram ve Teun Koopmeiners bulunuyor. Ancak Aslan'ın, İtalyan ekibinden sürpriz bir ismin daha durumunu takip ettiği öğrenildi.

Galatasaray yaz döneminde orta sahasını kesinlikle güçlendirecek. Listede birçok isim bulunuyor. Bir süredir Juventus'tan Teun Koopmeiners ve Khephren Thuram, Aslan'a ilişkilendiriliyor. Ancak çok ilginç bir gelişme yaşandı. Takım kaptanı Manuel Locatelli, Juventus taraftarlarının hedefi haline geldi.

AYRILIĞI DÜŞÜNÜYOR

Kötü geçen sezonun ardından sosyal medyada İtalyan futbolcuya büyük bir saldırı var. Ve 28 yaşındaki ön liberonun moralinin çok bozulduğu öğrenildi. Oyuncunun şu anda takımdan ayrılma ihtimalini düşündüğü konuşuluyor. Eğer bu yönde bir karar alır ve yönetime de ayrılmak istediğini söylerse, ortalık iyice karışacak.

TAKİP EDİYORLAR

Galatasaray cephesinin, Manuel Locatelli'nin durumunu yakından takip ettiği öğrenildi. Eğer şartlar oluşursa, resmi teklif sunulacak. 1.85 boyundaki futbolcunun Juventus'la 30 Haziran 2030'a kadar mukavelesi bulunuyor. Şu andaki tahmini piyasa değeri 25 milyon euro... İtalyan ön libero bu sezon ligde 36 maça çıktı. Sahada 3.005 dakika kaldı. 1 gol ve 2 asist üretti.

Galatasaray'ın sol kanat adayları arasında Real Betis'ten Abde Ezzalzouli'nin de bulunduğu öğrenildi. Ancak İspanyol ekibi, onu ucuza bırakmaya hiç niyetli değil!

Galatasaray yaz döneminde kanatlarını güçlendirmeyi düşünüyor. Sol taraf için listedeki isimlerden birinin Real Betis forması giyen Abde Ezzalzouli olduğu öğrenildi. 24 yaşındaki Faslı yıldız, harika bir performans sergiledi. Bu sezon La Liga'da 29 maça çıktı. Sahada 2.255 dakika kaldı. 10 gol ve 9 asist üretti.

ÇOK DAHA FAZLASI

Oyuncunun tahmini piyasa değeri 30 milyon euro... Ancak Real Betis Yönetimi'nin, çok daha fazlasını istediği belirtildi. Bunun arkasında oyuncunun kalitesi dışında farklı bir faktör de var... Abde Ezzalzouli'nin haklarının yüzde 50'si eski kulübü Barcelona'da bulunuyor...

YARISI BARCELONA'YA

Örnek vermek gerekirse; 1.77 boyundaki futbolcu 40 milyon euroya satılırsa, bu paranın 20 milyonu Barcelona'ya gidecek. Real Betis de doğal olarak çok yüksek bir bonservis geliri hedefliyor. Galatasaray'ın şartları zorlayacağı öğrenildi. Ancak sonuç alınamazsa, alternatiflere gidilecek.

Sezon başında Galatasaray'ın Eyüpspor'a kiraladığı Jankat Yılmaz, kritik kurtarışlarla Eyüp'ün Süper Lig'de kalmasına katkıda bulunmuştu. Sarı-Kırmızılı yönetim, oyuncuyla ilgili kararını verdi

Galatasaray altyapısından çıkan Jankat Yılmaz, bu sezon başında Eyüpspor'a kiralanmıştı. 21 yaşındaki eldiven, 14 lig maçına çıktı. 18 gol yerken 4 karşılaşmada kalesini kapattı. Herkesin "Kesin düşer" dediği Eyüpspor'un ligde kalmasında çok önemli bir rol oynadı.

SON SENESİNE GİRDİ

1.93 boyundaki futbolcunun Galatasaray'la sözleşmesi 30 Haziran 2027'de bitiyor. Yani kontratının son senesine girmiş durumda... Sarı-Kırmızılı yönetim, ona yeni mukavele önermeye karar verdi. Tarafların çok kısa bir süre içinde pazarlık masasına oturması bekleniyor...

YENİDEN KİRALANABİLİR

Jankat, yeni imza sonrasında tekrar kiralanabilir. Bu konuda her şey Günay Güvenç'in geleceğine bağlı... 34 yaşındaki tecrübeli kaleci, geride bıraktığımız sezonda çok eleştirilmişti. Günay'ın sözleşmesi 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar sürüyor. Eğer kalırsa, Jankat kiralık verilecek. Ayrılırsa, yeni sezonda Uğurcan'ın yedeği Jankat olabilir...

Galatasaray'ın 10 numara adayları arasında Lokomotiv Moskova'dan Aleksey Batrakov da bulunuyor. Genç futbolcu konusunda son dönemdeki haberler iyi değil... Ancak Aslan'ın ısrarının bitmediği öğrenildi.

Foot Mercato'nun haberine göre; Lokomotiv Moskova kaptanı Anton Mitryushkin, "Batrakov'un PSG'ye gideceğine kesinlikle eminim" ifadelerini kullanmıştı. Fransız devinin çok kısa bir süre içinde Rus ekibiyle masaya oturacağı da belirtildi. 20 yaşındaki 10 numaranın bonservisi ise belli!

16+4 MİLYON EURO

1.73 boyundaki futbolcunun sözleşmesindeki 20 milyon euroluk serbest kalma maddesi bu yaz devreye giriyor. 16 milyon euro kulübüne, 4 milyon euro ise menajerine verilecek... Bu şartları hem PSG hem de Galatasaray'ın karşılamaya hazır olduğu belirtildi. Ortalık fena halde karışacak.

FAVORİ GÖZÜKÜYORLAR

Şu anda PSG favori gibi gözükse de Galatasaray'ın son ana kadar şartları zorlayacağı ifade edildi. Önümüzdeki haftalarda oyuncuyla ilgili büyük bir rekabet yaşanabilir. Aleksey Batrakov bu sezon Rus Ligi'nde 28 karşılaşmaya çıktı. Sahada 2.494 dakika kaldı. 13 gol ve 10 asistle yıldızlaştı. 20 yaşındaki futbolcu, TFF'nin genç yabancı kontenjanını da fazlasıyla karşılıyor.

Xiaomi held a few announcements today, namely the new 17T series, and now we can add a few smart wearables to the mix. Meet the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro, the Xiaomi Buds 6, and the Xiaomi Sound Play. The Smart Band 10 Pro has been kicking it over in China under the Mi Band 10 Pro moniker for a little over a week now. Global wearers get the Smart Band, Chinese buyers get the Mi Band. Name aside, the new wearable is very similar to its predecessor - it has the same size, 1.74-inch display. It's 60Hz and 16.8 million colors, but it's a bit brighter at a peak of 2,000 nits (vs 1,200...

vivo will debut its first ever wireless over-ear headphones alongside the vivo S60 series on May 29. Ahead of the launch, the company has revealed the headphones design and key features. According to official teasers shared on Weibo, vivo’s upcoming wireless over-ear headphones will support active noise cancellation (ANC), multi-device connectivity, and Spatial Audio. The headphones will be offered in purple and white color options. The wireless headphones will feature 40mm dynamic drivers and carry Hi-Res Audio Gold certification. vivo also claims that the headphones can deliver up...

Neymar Jr. missed the last matches with Santos FC due to a supposed edema in his right calf. As it was considered a minor injury, Brazil called him up for the 2026 World Cup, hoping for him to return to full fitness. However, the 34-year-old star has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 calf injury, more serious than expected. Following this, he will officially miss the national team’s friendlies, emerging doubts on his presence in the anticipated tournament.

According to the doctor of the Brazilian national team, Rodrigo Lasmar, after performing an MRI scan on Neymar Jr., it revealed a Grade 2 calf injury, not just an edema as Santos FC had reported. Following this, the 34-year-old star will undergo a recovery process of approximately two to three weeks, meaning he will miss the friendlies against Panama and Egypt, arriving with very little margin for the 2026 World Cup.

Not only will he miss Brazil’s friendlies, but he would also miss the first two matches of the 2026 World Cup. Facing Morocco on June 13 and Haiti on June 19, the veteran would be arriving just in time to face Scotland on June 24. Based on his recovery, head coach Carlo Ancelotti could make the decision to remove Neymar Jr. from the final squad, as he may not be at full fitness for the opening match.

Ahead of the World Cup, Carlo Ancelotti revealed that he would only count on players at full fitness, even praising Neymar before knowing the extent of his injury. Unable to rely on him for the debut against Morocco, the head coach could decide not to include the 34-year-old veteran, as there are no certainties regarding his physical condition. However, both parties could make a decision after the friendlies, depending on the progress of his recovery.

Joao Pedro may emerge as Neymar’s replacement for 2026 World Cup

João Pedro managed to become one of Carlo Ancelotti’s regulars with Brazil. As the usual centre-forward during the qualifiers and friendlies, he seemed to have his place secured for the 2026 World Cup. However, the emergence of Neymar took his spot in the roster, becoming a major disappointment. Despite this, the Grade 2 calf injury could leave the 34-year-old star out of the squad, reopening the door for the return of the Chelsea star.

In the event that Neymar does not make a quick recovery from his injury, Ancelotti could decide to leave him out of the squad. In that case, João Pedro would be the leading candidate to replace the veteran, as he can play not only as a striker, but also as a winger or attacking midfielder. In addition, he is coming off an impressive spell in the Premier League, meaning Carlo could make him the main candidate to be added to the squad.

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will attempt to regain one of his former super-middleweight world titles when he returns to action in September, but his path to all four belts is full of challenges. A two-time undisputed champion, Canelo is one of the greatest super-middleweights of all time, and he has made it clear that his goal […]

The post KO artist world champion says Canelo will avoid him on comeback run: “I’m a different breed” appeared first on Boxing News.

Slovakiyanın paytaxtı Bratislava şəhərində təşkil edilmiş minifutbol üzrə Avropa çempionatında (AÇ-2026) qrup mərhələsinin oyunları keçirilir.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, minifutbol üzrə Azərbaycan millisi də bu gün qitə birinciliyində mübarizəyə başlayıb.

Elşad Quliyevin baş məşqçisi olduğu kollektiv F qrupu çərçivəsindəki ilk oyununda Avstriya yığması ilə üz-üzə gəlib. “Tipos Arena”da baş tutmuş bu matçın taleyini bir qol həll edib. Millimiz yeganə qol sayəsində turnirə qələbə ilə başlayıb. Qələbə qolunu 36-cı dəqiqədə İsa Atayev vurub.

Xatırladaq ki, Azərbaycan milli komandası F qrupunda İtaliya və Fransa yığmaları ilə də münasibətlərə aydınlıq gətirəcək. İtaliya ilə oyun mayın 29-da, fransızlarla görüş isə mayın 30-da baş tutacaq.

Bu gün keçirilmiş qrupun digər oyununda İtaliya və Fransa yığmaları sülhə razılaşıblar – 0:0.

“Qarabağ”dan ayrılaraq Türkiyənin “Bursaspor” klubuna keçən Toral Bayramov sosial şəbəkə hesabında Ağdam təmsilçisi haqqında paylaşım edib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, Azərbaycan millisinin müdafiəçisi “İnstaqram” səhifəsindəki paylaşımında keçmiş klubu ilə belə vidalaşıb:

“Bu gün sözləri seçmək asan deyil. Bu forma ilə keçən illər ərzində təkcə futbol oynamadım, böyüdüm, öyrəndim və unudulmaz xatirələr qazandım. Mənə güvənən hər kəsə – rəhbərliyə, məşqçilərə, komanda yoldaşlarıma və hər zaman yanımda olan azarkeşlərə təşəkkür edirəm. “Qarabağ” mənim üçün sadəcə klub olmadı, həyatımın bir hissəsinə çevrildi.

Doğma “Qarabağ”ı çempion kimi tərk etmək istəyərdim. Olmadı… Əvəzində UEFA Çempionlar Liqasında tarix yazıldı! Çətin qərar oldu, həm mənim, həm də rəhbərlik üçün. İstəyimi nəzərə alıb mənim keçidimi anlayışla qarşılayan rəhbərliyə xüsusi təşəkkürümü bildirirəm.

Hər son yeni başlanğıcdır. Görüşənədək! Uğurlar, “Qarabağ”!

Xatırladaq ki, 2020-ci ildən “Qarabağ”ın əsas komandasında çıxış edən Toral Bayramov bu müddətdə 254 oyunda 37 qol vurub, 46 məhsuldar ötürmə verib. O, komanda ilə 5 dəfə Azərbaycan çempionu olub, 2 dəfə Azərbaycan Kubokunu qazanıb.

Bayramov 2021-ci ildə debüt etdiyi Azərbaycan millisinin heyətində meydana çıxdığı 40 oyunda 5 qola imza atıb, 3 məhsular ötürmə verib. Toral əvvəllər U-19 və U-21 yığmalarımızın da formasını geyinib.

Xatırladaq ki, “Bursaspor” səviyyəcə üçüncü çempionat hesab edilən İkinci Liqada 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünü lider kimi başa vurub və Birinci Liqaya vəsiqə qazanıb.

“İnter”in futbolçusu Alessandro Bastoninin “Barselona”ya keçidi baş tutmayıb.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə “neradzurra”nın prezidenti Beppe Marotta yerli mətbuata açıqlamasında deyib. O, Bastoninin klubda qalacağını bildirib.

Alessandro başa çatan mövsümdə A Seriyasında 28 oyuna çıxıb.

“Qəbələ” Misli Premyer Liqasında vəsiqə uğrunda keçiriləcək pley-off matçında bu gün “Mingəçevir”lə üz-üzə gələcək.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, saat 18:30-da start götürəcək oyuna komandalar aşağıdakı heyətlə çıxacaq:

“Qəbələ”: 1. Səlahət Ağayev 28. Murad Musayev (k) 13. Nicat Əliyev 10. Şahin Şahniyarov 27. Eşqin Əhmədov 33. Seydina Keyta 50. Adriel Ba Loua 6. Xayme Syerra 16. İsaak Amoah 14. Domi Massumo 30. Prins Ovusu
Ehtiyat oyunçular: 93. Rza Cəfərov 11. Asif Məmmədov 22. Fərid İsgəndərov 74. Süleyman Damadayev 66. Nuğay Rəşidov 26. Elnunr Mustafayev 24. İsmael Akinade 12. İbrahim Sanqare 3. Eduardo Kunde 70. Paulo Quimbila
Baş məşqçi: Kaxaber Tsxadadze

“Mingəçevir”: 1. Orxan Sadıqlı 16. Fuad Bayramov 22. Elçin Mustafayev 60. Elmin Bayramov 4. Kənan Quliyev (k) 70. Nicat Məmmədov 10. Qabil Əlizadə 15. Seymur Məmmədov 32. Rəhim Cəfərli 33. Əkbər Eyubov 11. Kennet Kalunqa
Ehtiyat oyunçular: 36. Əmrah Məmmədli 9. Amil Yunanov 19. Nurlan Novruzov 20. Bahadur Həziyev 81. Xəyal Muradov 99. Cəlal Cəbrayılov 17. Taleh Fərmanov 27. Elnur Mirzəyev 77. Məhəmməd Səfərov 8. Abba Usman 21. Rimas Kerimi
Baş məşqçi: Ramiz Məmmədov

Reports in Italy claim that Jean-Phillipe Mateta is becoming a popular name in Juventus circles again following his winning goal in Wednesday night’s Conference League final between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano. 

Could Juventus move for Mateta again this summer?

Mateta had been linked with moves to several Serie A sides during the January transfer window. Juventus were among those interested, although it was Milan who had come to an agreement with Crystal Palace, only for the deal to collapse due to medical concerns. 

During Mateta’s medical tests with Milan in January, it was revealed that there was an issue with the striker’s knee, which would either require surgery or a lengthy period of rehabilitation. 

The Frenchman decided against going under the knife, aware that this might have jeopardised his chances of making Didier Deschamps’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. He has since been included in the 26-man roster. 

Mateta was fit enough to feature in all of Crystal Palace’s last nine matches of the Premier League season, scoring four goals in the process, and also netted the winner as the South London outfit won their first ever European title with a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Wednesday’s Conference League final. 

Now, according to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, the idea of signing the 28-year-old is becoming an increasingly viable option again in Bianconeri circles. 

Juventus are still uncertain as to whether Dusan Vlahovic will stay or leave, but either way, Juventus are aware of the fact that they need to strengthen at centre-forward. 

2025 loanee Randal Kolo Muani remains an option for Juventus, but Mateta is now being considered as a strong alternative to his compatriot, who did not make the cut in the France national team squad. 

Mateta, meanwhile, is still likely to leave Crystal Palace this summer given that his contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season and that he had strongly sought a move away from Selhurst Park in January. 

Milan had agreed a fee of €35m for Mateta’s services in January, and La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that it is unfeasible that Palace can demand any more for the Frenchman heading into the summer transfer window, when he will have less than a year remaining on his contract.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Mason Greenwood is open to joining Roma from Marseille this summer, with the Englishman potentially replacing Matias Soulé, who has received an offer from Aston Villa.

Latest Roma transfer news: Greenwood to replace Soulé?

Roma will partially reshape their attack in the summer and have made English winger Greenwood the primary target for their attack.

Reports on Wednesday claimed that Roma had made contact with the player’s entourage, and Gazzetta now reports that the response was positive, as Greenwood is very much open to moving to the Stadio Olimpico.

Gazzetta confirms that the biggest issue for Roma remains Marseille’s asking price of around €50m for a player still under contract until 2029.

Stephan El Shaarawy will leave Roma at the end of his contract in June, but Soulé might also walk out of the Olimpico, having attracted interest from Aston Villa.

Gazzetta reports that the fresh Europa League winners have already made an offer, but it was below Roma’s €35-40m asking price.

Further details are emerging after a reported meeting between Milan and USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is among the latest candidates to be linked with the vacant managerial position in San Siro. 

Could Pochettino replace Allegri at Milan?

Milan are on the hunt for a new head coach to replace Massimiliano Allegri, who was dismissed along with sporting director Igli Tare, technical director Geoffrey Moncada and CEO Giorgio Furlani almost immediately after the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League on the final day of the 2025-26 season. 

AFC Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and former Barcelona head coach Xavi were among the immediate candidates to be linked with the Milan job, but the former is now leaning in the direction of Crystal Palace instead according to recent reports. 

According to the latest updates from James Horncastle and The Athletic, Milan have already met with Pochettino, who is currently preparing the United States national team squad ahead of their home tournament at the 2026 World Cup. 

Thursday’s report claims that there was a meeting between Pochettino and representatives from Milan last week, ahead of the USMNT’s training camp in Georgia. 

Pochettino will soon be out of contract with the USMNT. He joined the set-up in 2024 and has a deal that runs until the end of the World Cup.

The 2026/27 season will begin on August 23, 2026, and conclude on May 30, 2027. Unlike recent years, it will also feature a Christmas break.

The 2025/26 Serie A season has just concluded with Inter winning the Scudetto for the 21st time in their history, while Cremonese, Pisa, and Verona were relegated to Serie B.

However, a new season is already around the corner, as the fixture list for the upcoming campaign will be unveiled by Lega Serie A on June 5, 2026.

Serie A 2026/27 key dates

Serie A betting markets are already waiting to learn the pathway for each Italian club, allowing an early assessment of what the 2026/27 season could offer. The new campaign will begin on August 23, 2026, and conclude on May 30, 2027.

The only two midweek rounds are scheduled for October 28 and Wednesday, January 6, 2027, while there will be no games on the weekend of December 27. The four international breaks are scheduled for September 27, October 4, November 15, and March 28.

Following recent clashes between Juventus and Torino ultras, Lega Serie A President Ezio Maria Simonelli suggested that the Turin Derby is unlikely to be played in the evening next season.

“I imagine there will be a ban on playing the Turin Derby in the evening next season. It’s an objective matter, which makes me believe that these types of games should be avoided in the final games of the season.”

Clashes between Torino and Juventus ultras led to the postponement of kick-off by one hour on Sunday, while the other four matches scheduled to be played simultaneously went ahead as planned.

To avoid the influence of external factors during the closing stages of the season, Lega Serie A could decide to schedule potentially high-risk derbies only on certain weekends, avoiding the final rounds of the campaign.

Inter won the Serie A title in the 2025/26 season, qualifying for the Champions League alongside Napoli, Roma, and Como. Juventus and Milan qualified for the Europa League, while Atalanta secured a place in the Conference League.

Managerial changes in the 2026-27 Serie A season

Napoli are the only club in the top four set to change coach for next season after Antonio Conte left the Stadio Maradona following a two-year spell.

Cristian Chivu will remain in charge of Inter, while Gian Piero Gasperini and Cesc Fabregas are expected to continue with Roma and Como respectively.

Juventus are also expected to keep Luciano Spalletti despite finishing outside the top four, while Milan will not only replace head coach Massimiliano Allegri, but also restructure their leadership team after dismissing Igli Tare, Giorgio Furlani, and Geoffrey Moncada following a disappointing fifth-place finish in 2025/26.

Atalanta are reportedly expected to appoint Maurizio Sarri, who would reunite with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli in Bergamo.

Reports on Thursday confirm that Carlo Ancelotti will have to go without star attacker Neymar for Brazil’s warm-up matches ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and that the former Barcelona and PSG star may have to miss the opening game of the tournament as well. 

Neymar ruled out for two to three weeks ahead of 2026 World Cup

Ancelotti confirmed that the 34-year-old Neymar would be going to the World Cup in his squad announcement earlier this month. 

Neymar has been back in Brazil with his boyhood club Santos since last January, however injuries have continued to have an impact on the veteran’s playtime. 

Now, Brazil national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar has confirmed that Neymar will be out of action for another two to three weeks due to a grade-two strain in his calf. 

“Neymar came to Granja Comary yesterday, did all the tests, which ended with an MRI that showed a grade two injury to the calf, not just an edema. The expectation is that he will be released in two to three weeks,” Lasmar confirmed (via Globo.com). 

That means that he will have to miss out on Brazil’s next friendly against Panama on May 31 and against Egypt on June 6. The expectation is that he will also be unavailable for Brazil’s first game at the 2026 World Cup, which comes against Morocco at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 13. 

Neymar will instead be targeting an appearance in Brazil’s second match of the tournament, against Haiti on June 20. 

BYD released the new self-developed 4-nm Xuanji A3 assisted driving chip capable of L3 and L4 autonomous driving functions.

The post BYD released Xuanji A3 ADAS chip as it aims at accident-free traffic appeared first on CarNewsChina.com.

It’s been a strange start to the season. We have veteran hitters struggling, with rookies and unexpected contributors like Zack Gelof and JJ Bleday making some noise. This week, we’re looking at four veteran hitters with a decent track record who aren’t quite meeting expectations through the first two months of the season. We’ll examine their skills and luck factors to identify whether their skills indicate better production moving forward. 

Manny Machado, Padres (97% Rostered)

Should we be buying low on Manny Machado? As we shift toward the end of May, we probably wouldn’t have expected Machado to hit nine home runs with a .169 batting average. Machado has been unfortunate, with a .173 BABIP in 2026 compared to a .296 BABIP in his career. From a plate discipline standpoint, most of Machado’s metrics look similar to his career averages. That’s evident in Machado’s 76.7% contact rate, 28.8% chase rate and an 11% swinging-strike rate. 

Machado continues to pull the ball and elevate it in the air around 41% of the time in 2026, within 1-2 percentage points from recent seasons and his career averages. Knowing that, Machado’s BABIP should regress because there haven’t been drastic changes in his batted ball profile. For instance, if Machado was hitting way more flyballs than usual, we could understand the significant drop in BABIP. 

Machado still boasts strong power metrics. That’s evident by Machado’s 74.1 mph bat speed, yet his barrel rate per plate appearance has been cut in half in 2026 (4.6%) compared to 2025 (9.3%). Machado still hits the ball hard, with a 101.1 mph Exit Velocity 50 or EV50 (No. 87), which accounts for the average of the hardest 50% of a player’s batted balls. For context, Machado’s EV50 fell from 103.4 mph (No. 28), aligning with the lower barrel rate. 

If Machado’s power metrics don’t return closer to 2025 and recent seasons, that will lead us toward adjusting our expectations for a significant fantasy contributor at the position. Look to buy low on Machado.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (99% Rostered)

If you had a trivia question about which hitter has more stolen bases than home runs in late May, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. probably wouldn’t be one of them. Guerrero has three home runs and five stolen bases as we hit the end of May. Though Guerrero hasn’t popped off the page, the projections suggest he could have a repeat of the 2025 season. Guerrero historically had near-elite plate discipline, given his higher walk rate (12.8%) than his strikeout rate (10.6%). Interestingly, Guerrero has been swinging (48.3% swing rate) and chasing (31.2%) more often in 2026. However, Guerrero has a similar career swing rate (47.5%), while chasing four points more than his career norm (27.1%).

Hitting too many ground balls remains an issue for Guerrero, with a 46-47% groundball rate. That directly impacts his home run luck (5.4% HR/F) in 2026 compared to a 17.1% career average. We should see Guerrero’s home run rate regress favorably with his near-elite power. He continues to swing the bat hard (76.2 mph), but we’ve seen his barrel rate per plate appearance drop to 5.6% in 2026 compared to 9% in 2025, which would be similar to his career norm.

Guerrero consistently hits the ball hard, but the launch angles have been an issue. Furthermore, Guerrero’s launch-angle consistency remains a challenge because he hits the power into the ground often, yet he typically boasts a high-end barrel rate. If hitters hit the ball into the ground often, we want them to destroy flyballs and line drives. For context, Guerrero averaged a 95.7 mph average exit velocity on flyballs and line drives (No. 44) in 2025 after 97.1 mph (2024). Unfortunately, Guerrero’s average exit velocity on flyballs and line drives has drastically fallen to 91.3 mph (No. 204) in 2026. 

Guerrero’s 2026 season looks like the outlier from an exit velocity standpoint, potentially making him a buy-low candidate since he hasn’t exploded in the power department. 

Gunnar Henderson, Orioles (99% Rostered)

The power and speed have been there for Gunnar Henderson, with 13 home runs and six steals. However, Henderson’s .222 batting average and career-low OBP (.274 OBP) have been the main concerns. Henderson was typically a batting average (.265), on-base (.339) and points-league asset in his career. So, what’s going on under the hood?

Henderson has been more aggressive by swinging more (49.9% swing rate) and chasing more often (35.6%). For context, Henderson’s swing rate was four points lower (46.2%) with a significantly lower chase rate (26.2%) throughout his career. His swinging-strike rate has increased to 11.7% in 2026, not much higher than his career norm (10.7%). 

Since Henderson has been more aggressive by chasing more often, it makes sense to see his walk rate dip to a career low (6%). Hopefully, Henderson starts to revert toward his career averages by being more patient to raise his OBP. The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System strike zones consist of shadow and chase sections. The shadow area of the strike zone covers the outside edge, in and outside of the zone. Meanwhile, the chase area is beyond the shadow section. Here’s Henderson’s breakdown:

Henderson has been swinging more in the shadow area (58.4%) and chase zones (31.5%) in 2026. That aligns with his overall chase rate, but breaking down the zones by shadow and chase provides a more detailed look at where he swings. For context, Henderson’s career swing rate in the shadow area (50.8%) and chase sections (20.1%) have been significantly lower in his career. That’s something to monitor if Henderson continues to chase and post a lower OBP.

Henderson has shown a slight change in approach by pulling the ball more (47.9% pull rate) and elevating the ball at a higher rate (39.4%). When hitters hit more flyballs, it can impact their BABIP. That’s what we’re seeing for Henderson, though his flyball rate isn’t extreme toward 50% yet. Both Henderson’s pull and flyball rates have been 6-7 percentage points higher than his career norms. That’s typically an optimal approach for power, especially since he often hit groundballs, with a career average of 47.2%.

Henderson continues to have high-end bat speed (74.5 mph) and a consistent 6% barrel rate per plate appearance. Both metrics have been within one point of his career averages. Theoretically, pulling the ball into the air with strong exit velocities should lead to optimal results, but the batted ball results have been lower in 2026. The visual below shows the results and exit velocities on Henderson’s pulled flyballs.

Henderson had a wOBA over 1.000 throughout his career on pulled flyballs, but it has been lower in 2026 (.921 wOBA). Notably, Henderson’s .580 expected wOBA has been lower than recent seasons, though it has increased gradually throughout the season. His average exit velocity on pulled flyballs in 2026 (96.2 mph) is similar to 2025. However, Henderson’s barrel rate per plate appearance has nearly been cut in half in 2026 (28%) on pulled flyballs. The 2026 data could be the outlier, meaning Henderson’s barrel rate and results on pulled flyballs could regress favorably. 

The projections suggest Henderson could push for nearly 30 home runs and 20+ stolen bases. Henderson’s main sticking point will be the batting average and OBP for different league formats. There probably isn’t a window to buy on Henderson because of his power and speed production, but I would still lean on the track record and strong tools, expecting the batting average and OBP to rise closer to the career norms.

Geraldo Perdomo, Diamondbacks (92% Rostered)

After a peak season in 2025 — with 20 home runs, 27 stolen bases, nearly 200 combined runs plus RBI and a .290 batting average — Geraldo Perdomo has been off to a slow start. He has two home runs and eight steals, yet only a .223 batting average. Like other hitters, Perdomo’s BABIP is down in 2026 (.248), the lowest since 2022 for him. He still has been hitting tons of line drives (24.7%), which would be a career high. There’s a good chance that Perdomo’s BABIP regresses closer to his career norm, since hitters who hit plenty of line drives tend to run higher BABIPs.

Perdomo still possesses near-elite plate discipline, given his 89.8% contact rate and a 21.1% chase rate. That aligns with Perdomo’s higher walk rate (14.5%) than strikeout rate (13.2%), supporting his strong OBP. He should continue being a value in points and OBP leagues, with the potential for a better batting average in those formats. 

He wasn’t known for his power, as he compiled his way to 20 home runs across 720 plate appearances in 2025. Perdomo had a 4.6% barrel rate per plate appearance in 2025, which has dropped to 2.8% in 2026. He has been hitting more ground balls in 2026, which impacts his ability to elevate the ball. Perdomo has a 45.3% groundball rate in 2026, up from 37.5% in 2025. That coincided with Perdomo hitting a career-high 9.9% home run per flyball rate (HR/F) in 2025, which has dropped to 4.4% in 2026. 

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Thankfully, Perdomo has continued to run often, with a 18% stolen base opportunity rate in 2026. That’s slightly higher than his stolen base opportunity percentage in 2025 (15%). He should steal around 25 bases again, but the home runs might regress to around 10, as the projections indicate. 

If Perdomo’s batting average doesn’t rise, it will be a disappointing season from a fantasy standpoint. A hitter with 10 home runs, 25 stolen bases and a lower batting average isn’t what fantasy managers expected if they drafted him. Since it doesn’t appear like there have been any skill declines, we’ll bet on Perdomo’s batting average increasing closer to the .270 or .280 mark. 

Perdomo likely has more value in season-long rotisserie and points leagues instead of head-to-head formats because he needs volume to compile fantasy value. It all ultimately looks like a down season for Perdomo in 2026.

TSG Hoffenheim talent Luka Đurić is leaving his hometown club and joining newly promoted Bundesliga side SC Paderborn.

The 22-year-old progressed through all of the Kraichgauers' youth teams and even made his Bundesliga debut for TSG last season.

Born in Sinsheim, Luka Đurić began playing football at Hoffenheim's youth academy from the tender age of four. 

The son of Nebojsa Đurić, who played for TSG from 1992 to 2004, eventually did enough to secure a place in the academy. 

Đurić progressed through all the youth teams, making a total of 88 appearances for the U23s, scoring 26 goals and providing 18 assists.

In the 2024/25 season, he helped that side claim promotion to the 3. Liga and in February 2026, made his Bundesliga debut against Bayern Munich.

“Luka has written a unique story at TSG Hoffenheim – from the youngest age group all the way to the Bundesliga,” said Frank Kramer, Sporting Director of TSG Hoffenheim.

“With his strong performances in the promotion year and in the 3rd division, he attracted attention, was an absolute key player for our U23 team.

"Now wants to prove himself at the next level. Therefore, we agreed to his transfer, even though he will always remain a true Hoffenheim lad.” 

France’s Moise Kouame has become the youngest man since Rafael Nadal in 2003 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam with a stunning match tie break victory against Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo.

Kouame became the youngest Grand Slam match winner for 17 years when, at 17, he beat former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round

Kouame’s 6-3 7-5 6-3 6-2 6-6 (10-8) defeat of Vallejo came in front of a partisan Parisian home support at Roland Garros, who cheered the local boy to the very last point as he defied Vallejo’s charge.

The 22-year-old is ranked 71st in the world – compared to Kouame’s 318 listing – and recovered from a narrow second set defeat to storm level from two sets down, then moving to the verge of victory at 5-3 in the fifth, only for his teenage opponent to break back.

Whether it was Kouame’s energy first, or that of the crowd, the crescendo almost spilled over in the following game as the crowd had to be settled and nearly impinged on points.

Vallejo was not perturbed and produced his own fire in searing Parisian heat to keep Kouame and his feverish following at bay.

Kouame held serve with the aide of two stunning backhands down the line that brought the crowd to their feet and took the match to a tie break – the youngster responded with a showmanship and swagger that suggests a star may just have been born.

His feat, matching that of Nadal at Wimbledon 20 years ago, was pushed to a one-sided finale by another backhand in the his final break of serve in the longest game of the match before holding his own game.

The ten-point match tie break that followed saw Kouame storm to the first five points, only for his plucky Paraguayan opponent to once again prove own resilience by drawing level at 6 points each.

By 7-7, Kouame somehow produced his quickest serve of the day for an ace that was only the latest in a long line of part tricks.

The backhands and drop shots wowed all the way, but it was a cross-court forehand that broke Vallejo to move to 9-8. Then can the moment with the hold of serve, as well as an awful lot of nerve.

As the home crowd and their new found star soaked in the moment – it would appear a new Parisian love affair has just begun.

The Philadelphia Eagles are only in the opening stages of organized team activities, but an early look at the depth chart already offers several revealing clues about roster construction, positional battles, and the organization's long-term vision heading into the 2026 season.

Context remains important.

Philadelphia's Wednesday practice featured several notable absences during the voluntary portion of the offseason program, creating a depth chart that reflected both availability and experimentation rather than firm regular-season roles. The Eagles had near-full attendance on Tuesday, aside from wide receiver A.J. Brown, but Wednesday's session included additional veterans and injured players who had been missing from practice.

Brown remains the most significant storyline.

The star wide receiver has skipped workouts since the offseason program began on April 20, and his expected trade to the New England Patriots is widely expected to become official on June 1, once financial and compensation details are finalized. His absence dramatically reshaped the look of the offense throughout the session.

Without Brown present, DeVonta Smith operated clearly as the Eagles' No. 1 receiver and received the majority of first-team targets from quarterback Jalen Hurts, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Smith already entered the offseason positioned for an expanded offensive role, and Wednesday's practice reinforced the organization's confidence in his ability to function as the focal point of the passing game.

First-round rookie Makai Lemon also stood out immediately.

The explosive rookie saw significant work with the first-team offense both in the slot and occasionally outside, an early indication that Philadelphia intends to feature him prominently within Sean Mannion's new offensive system. Lemon's versatility fits the motion-heavy, spacing-oriented offense the Eagles are expected to install this season.

Johnny Wilson also drew attention after missing all of last season. The second-year receiver rotated with portions of the first-team offense while Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore primarily worked with the second unit. Dontayvion Wicks was entirely absent from practice.

At quarterback, the backup competition remains fluid.

One day after Tanner McKee received most of the second-team work behind Hurts, veteran Andy Dalton handled the majority of backup reps on Wednesday. The alternating workload suggests the Eagles are still evaluating the pecking order behind Hurts entering training camp. Along the offensive line, new coach Chris Kuper offered perhaps the clearest insight into both short-term depth and long-term developmental planning.

With Lane Johnson absent, rookie Markel Bell operated as the first-team right tackle. The third-round selection continues drawing attention internally as a potential long-term successor to Johnson, whose future Hall of Fame career is entering its later stages. Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Tyler Steen rounded out the rest of the first-team offensive line. One of the more intriguing developments involved second-year lineman Myles Hinton. Primarily viewed as an offensive tackle, Hinton worked at both guard spots Wednesday, signaling either a permanent positional transition or an organizational effort to increase his versatility entering roster cutdown season.

Philadelphia has long prioritized cross-training along the offensive front, particularly among reserve linemen expected to fill multiple roles on game day.

Rookie interior lineman Drew Kendall also saw work at guard while Jake Majors operated as the second-team center ahead of Willie Lampkin. The alignment suggested Majors may currently hold an early advantage in the competition for the primary backup center role behind Jurgens.

Defensively, several notable names were absent.

Jalen Carter, Jihaad Campbell, and rookie pass rusher Keyshawn James-Newby all missed practice, while Brandon Graham was also away from the facility. Graham is expected to come off the active roster after June 1 as part of a contractual maneuver, although a return for a 17th season has not been ruled out. Campbell remains in recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio recently indicated the rookie linebacker is expected back for the start of training camp, where he is projected to star in the role vacated by Nakobe Dean.

The Eagles did receive encouraging news in the secondary.

Safety Drew Mukuba participated fully after returning from a fractured ankle during his rookie season. Rookie safeties Cole Wisniewski and Tucker Large, along with linebacker Chandler Martin, watched practice from the sideline while recovering from injuries.

The safety competition itself also appears worth monitoring closely.

Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II appear positioned for an important battle depending on how often Cooper DeJean aligns in the slot. Philadelphia's defensive flexibility under Fangio could create interchangeable roles throughout the secondary, making versatility particularly valuable entering camp. The Eagles are still months away from final roster decisions, and voluntary OTA depth charts rarely provide definitive answers.

What they can reveal, however, are organizational priorities, developmental plans, and early indications of where competition may intensify once training camp arrives.

Wednesday's practice provided several of those clues.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Early Eagles OTA depth chart reveals key roster battles now

‘10 Years with Pep’ celebrates an unforgettable decade at the helm for the incredible Catalan who has had a transformative effect during his ten years in charge and leaves having won 20 major trophies.

Guardiola’s record of six Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups, five League Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and three FA Community Shields tells only some of the story.

PRE-ORDER ‘10 YEARS WITH PEP’

Undoubtedly a Premier League icon – and widely considered one of the greatest managers ever to grace the game – Guardiola has also given rise to Centurions, Fourmidables, Treble Winners, Champions of the World and History Makers during an era of unprecedented success.

This is the fourth in a series of books that have been created exclusively for members.

Our previous issues include ‘Manchester City: Our Decade in Pictures’  which takes a look back at the 10 years of success from 2011 to 2021, ‘The Year of the Big Five’ which focuses on our success in the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup all in the same calendar year as well as ‘King Kev’, spotlighting the career of our brilliant former Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.

This latest edition, ‘10 Years with Pep’, looks back at Guardiola’s phenomenal decade at the Etihad Stadium when he made dreams come true for Blues of all ages.

MORE INFORMATION ON ‘10 YEARS WITH PEP’

This hard-covered, coffee table book is a celebration of our incredible success under Guardiola and is once again exclusively available to Season Ticket Members, Seasonal Hospitality Members, Cityzens Official Members and Official Supporter Clubs.

Spectacular photography tells the story of his time in Manchester from his arrival at the CFA to huge fanfare through to his emotional last game at the Etihad against Aston Villa and subsequent Parade and After Party where we said goodbye to the football genius.

All of these fabulous memories are captured in the book with the help of a host of behind-the-scenes images from our brilliant photography team.

‘10 Years with Pep’ is available to pre-order now and is priced at £65 plus postage and packaging and will be delivered in the summer of 2026.

Why Jaxson Dart addressed Donald Trump rally introduction with Giants and how team is moving forward originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart's appearance at Donald Trump's rally, where he introduced the president, didn't go over well with some corners of the fan base or with teammate Abdul Carter, who tweeted his surprise at the decision.

While Carter later said he and Dart were fine and ultimately deleted his initial tweet, the spat raised suspicions that not all was well inside the Giants' locker room.

As the offseason presses on and a critical season for the Giants looms, the team's leaders have now reportedly cleared the air over Dart's rally appearance.

Here's what you need to know about Dart's response to the controversy.

MORE:Fact-checking fake quote attributed to Jaxson Dart

Jaxson Dart addresses Donald Trump rally with Giants

Dart met with his Giants teammates to discuss introducing Trump at the New York rally, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported, adding that Dart and other Giants players "worked through it" and are "moving forward."

#Giants QB Jaxson Dart addressed teammates in a meeting yesterday to discuss his introduction of President Trump last week, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

Other team leaders spoke up as well, and Dart and the players worked through it. They are moving forward. pic.twitter.com/6u7aSgj9RY

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 28, 2026

The meeting reportedly included words from Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jameis Winston, who are seen as veteran leaders in a young locker room.

While what Dart said exactly isn't clear, the Giants appear to be ready to get back to football after Carter's response made what might have initially looked like a simple internet controversy turn into a legitimate issue for the team. 

Here's a look at how the situation unfolded.

MORE:Abdul Carter expresses disbelief over Jaxson Dart's rally appearance

Jaxson Dart Donald Trump rally controversy

Dart made a surprise appearance at Trump's rally for Rep. Mike Lawler in New York on Friday, introducing the president. Any political involvement by a prominent athlete is naturally going to generate some controversy on social media, but it turned into a real issue for the Giants when Carter, who was part of Dart's draft class, tweeted his thoughts.

"Thought this s— was AI, what we doing, man," Carter tweeted.

Shortly after, Carter tried to put out the fire. "Me & JD6 are good!" he tweeted. "We spoke earlier as Men. Y'all can keep y'all narratives."

Dart hasn't spoken publicly about the rally, but some outlets have added fuel to the fire by pointing out that he has a history of liking pro-Trump posts on Instagram. 

Some NFL players, including Nick Bosa, Marlon Humphrey and Maxx Crosby, were vocal supporters of Trump ahead of the 2024 election. Dart's head coach, John Harbaugh, visited the White House in 2025 and called the experience "amazing," explaining, "I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful and I want my team to be successful."

Dart certainly isn't alone, but his public appearance at the rally put him in an awkward position with at least one teammate. 

Neymar has been ruled out of Brazil's upcoming friendlies and is set to miss its World Cup opener after scans revealed a grade-two calf injury, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Thursday.

CBF doctor Rodrigo Lasmar delivered the blow ahead of a players' press conference, confirming the 34-year-old forward faces two to three more weeks on the sidelines.

"Neymar reported for duty yesterday here at Granja Comary, underwent all the medical tests, which concluded with an MRI scan revealing a grade-two calf injury, not just swelling. He is expected to be cleared in two to three weeks," Lasmar said.

He did not say whether Neymar could be dropped from the squad.

He had joined the team on Tuesday but missed Wednesday's first training session and was sent to a private clinic in Teresopolis for imaging tests after complaints of swelling in his right calf. According to Lasmar, the MRI showed not swelling, as previously reported, but a Grade 2 calf strain _ a moderate injury involving a partial tear of the muscle fibers that requires rest and rehabilitation.

The diagnosis differs from that presented by Santos prior to the squad announcement. The club's doctor Rodrigo Zogaib had stated the problem was merely swelling and that Neymar would arrive fit to begin training on Tuesday.

Instead, Brazil's all-time leading scorer will miss Sunday's friendly against Panama at the Maracana and the subsequent match against Egypt in Cleveland. He is also all but ruled out of Brazil's World Cup opener against African champions Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey.

Brazil are in Group C also alongside Haiti and Scotland.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti had already been without defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos and forward Gabriel Martinelli for Sunday's fixture due to their involvement in last weekend's Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar's recall last week had generated widespread excitement after he had not featured in Ancelotti's plans during the Italian's year in charge. The forward, who has scored 79 goals in 128 international appearances, has endured years of injury trouble and an underwhelming return to Santos. In an interview with Reuters in early May, Ancelotti said that Neymar would receive no special treatment and that his place in the squad would be strictly based on fitness and form, not sentiment.

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Neymar out of Brazil friendlies and set to miss World Cup opener

How Jalen Ramsey fits into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new-look defense, led by DC Patrick Graham, has been revealed, courtesy of a new report that claims he’ll have an interesting role in 2026.

On Wednesday, Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live reported via the Steelers Blitz podcast that Ramsey would be playing “star” and “money” positions in 2026, which are the team’s nickel cornerback and subpackage linebacker roles, respectively.

“[Joe Whitt Jr.] said [Ramsey] is going to play the star position, which is their nickel position,” Farabaugh said. “He’s going to be their nickel corner, and he said he’s going to play the money, which is like their subpackage linebacker. It’s like a Will linebacker. Very coverage-focused guy that plays closer down, they think he can do that. They think he can play safety, they think he can play outside. They’re going to use him really as a Swiss Army knife.”

Ramsey, who was traded to the Steelers in June 2025, had a solid debut season with the Steelers last year, recording 88 combined tackles, one interception, and eight passes defended while playing all over the secondary.

With Ramsey expected to play in the slot and near the line of scrimmage, the door is open for Jaquan Brisker and DeShon Elliott to be named the starting safety tandem heading into 2026.

For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers’ Jalen Ramsey to play new role in Patrick Graham’s defense

Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary.

During the Lakers' 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years.

One year after he went undrafted out of the University of Arkansas, Mason Jones came to the Lakers on a two-way contract early in the 2021-22 season. He played in four games with them and totaled 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 51 minutes.

The 6-foot-4 guard went to the Mexico City Capitanes, who were then in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP), the following season, before appearing in a total of 15 NBA games over the next two years. Jones is currently a member of the Hong Kong Bulls of the Chinese National Basketball League, where he won a league championship this past season. He also took home a G League title and finals MVP award as a member of the Stockton Kings during the 2024-25 season.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 40 — Mason Jones

The Boston Red Sox's coaching exodus from earlier in the 2026 campaign continues to be a major talking point around the organization. 

Boston fired former manager Alex Cora, along with hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. Boston also "reassigned" Jason Varitek, but he isn't expected to return. 

The decisions sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball and naturally led to a wide range of opinions. Boston's offense was mightily struggling, but there has been a lot of positive takes about Fatse specifically since his firing. For example, former Red Sox fan-favorite Dom Smith, who is now a member of the Atlanta Braves, credited Fatse for helping to turn his career around. 

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!

"A few years ago when I played here in Boston I got with Pete the hitting coach ... He really just broke down my swing a lot and a lot of it was just going back to the basics and stuff I did in high school," Smith said on "Foul Territory." "He pulled up some of my high school video and he just asked why I stopped doing this. I kind of laughed and said, 'Well, a lot of coaches said this wouldn't work.' And he said, 'C'mon, this would definitely work. This is how you swing. This is how you create power. This is how you are. This is how you grew up. ...' We just really dove into that just me being athletic in the box and from there on it really clicked." 

More MLB: Red Sox Have a Serious Fenway Park Problem

Former New York Giants wide receiver Parris Campbell has officially announced his retirement, reports CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Former 2019 second round wide receiver Parris Campbell has retired. He played for the Colts, Giants, Eagles and Cowboys.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) May 27, 2026

Campbell spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Giants as a free agent in 2023. In his lone season in New York, he recorded just 104 yards on 20 receptions and was unable to secure a meaningful role on the offense, appearing in 12 games.

Campbell then spent the final two years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys before retiring this offseason. He was viewed as a low-risk, high-reward signing by the Giants in 2023, but injuries and inconsistency prevented him from making a significant impact.

Originally a second-round pick by Indianapolis in the 2019 NFL Draft, Campbell showed flashes of his potential during his early years in the league. However, a series of injuries in the latter part of his seven-year career played a major role in his decision to retire.

While Campbell struggled in his brief time with the Giants, he had a solid NFL career overall.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Ex-New York Giants WR Parris Campbell retires from football

Cleetus McFarland is back in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series. McFarland will drive the No. 33 car for Richard Childress Racing in the O'Reilly Series race at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend, the entry list revealed. The YouTube personality will make his second start in the O'Reilly Series.

In April, McFarland made his O'Reilly Series debut at Rockingham Speedway, finishing six laps down in 32nd place. It was a very challenging race for an O'Reilly Series debut. NASCAR didn't clear McFarland to drive in the O'Reilly Series superspeedway races, meaning he needed another race to gain permission.

The driver of the No. 33 car hopes to prove why he should be allowed to compete in superspeedway races at Nashville this weekend. If McFarland can have a good enough race and do live green-flag pit stops, NASCAR could give him permission to run in superspeedway races in the O'Reilly Series this season.

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

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Cleetus McFarland returns to NASCAR O'Reilly in No. 33 at Nashville

Corniel van Zyl has welcomed the claim by Stormers counterpart John Dobson that Cardiff are the "easiest" of United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final opponents.

The Blue and Blacks will make their first play-off appearance in Cape Town on Saturday (14:30 BST) after finishing sixth in the table.

Cardiff now aim to upset the odds against a Stormers side who they beat 22-16 at the Arms Park a fortnight ago.

That meant the South Africans dropped to third in the table – below top seeds Glasgow and Leinster – but Dobson is pleased to have a swift reunion with Van Zyl's side.

"It's probably the easiest of the quarter-finals," the Stormers director of rugby told CapeTalk.

Dobson admitted Stormers got what they deserved at the Arms Park but is glad to have avoided 2023 champions Munster, a Connacht side who won in Cape Town in April and South African rivals Lions.

"If we won in Cardiff, we would have played the Lions and I think we'd be a lot more angst-ridden than we are about Cardiff," he said.

"It sounds arrogant and presumptuous, but I think if I was to choose a quarter-finalist, it's the first time they have been in a quarter-final so I would probably choose them."

Wales wing Josh Adams said that Cardiff will take Dobson's assessment with "a pinch of salt" while boss Van Zyl stressed that the home side will be feeling the heat.

"It makes it even better," said Van Zyl when asked about the Stormers boss' comments.

"It's a nice little challenge and it will come down to the 80 minutes and hopefully the boys can perform well.

"With Stormers' last few results after starting the season so well, the pressure was on us last time at Cardiff Arms Park, but that has moved a little bit now."

The Blue and Blacks have won outside Wales just once this season - at URC bottom club Zebre in November - but Van Zyl believes they can upset the odds.

"I know people will be writing us off,but we will have a good crack at it and see what happens," he said.

• Can Cardiff end eight-year wait for Welsh play-off win?
• No excuses for Cardiff with South Africa trip
• Cardiff provide special night Welsh rugby needed

Wales trio travel to South Africa

Cardiff have been boosted by the availability of Wales internationals Adams, Alex Mann and Mason Grady plus influential lock Josh McNally, but remain without fly-half Callum Sheedy.

"It's massive to have them back and ready for selection because they are experienced and have been a big part in what we have done this season," said Van Zyl.

Adams sat out the Stormers fixture in Cardiff after a head injury suffered when playing at outside centre against Glasgow in his first club game since an impressive Six Nations on the wing with Wales.

Wing Grady and flanker Mann both missed the last three games of the season while McNally missed the regular season finale because of his Royal Air Force playing commitments.

That left George Nott and Rory Thornton as the only available specialist locks with back-row forward Alun Lawrence their cover.

The absence of Sheedy, who has started 18 of 23 fixtures this season, means that Ioan Lloyd is set to continue pulling the strings.

The Denver Broncos used to announce their full uniform schedule for an entire season each preseason. That changed last year when the club switched to announcing its 2025 uniform choices on a week-by-week basis.

One exception was the club's alternate throwback uniform. Last year, the Broncos announced they would wear their popular 1977-inspired throwback against the Dallas Cowboys one week before that showdown. In that same announcement, Denver revealed that they would also wear the throwback look in Weeks 10 and 18.

If the Broncos continue that trend in 2026, we won't know their uniform selections until closer to each game. But one of their matchups should be an easy decision, as DNVR's Ryan Greene noted on Twitter/X:

Broncos vs. Seahawks Week 6 on Thursday Night and football fans deserve this uniform matchup: pic.twitter.com/5bm6uxv1Ld

— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) May 17, 2026

Denver will host the Seattle Seahawks, a former division rival, on Thursday Night Football in Week 6, and that would be a perfect opportunity for both clubs to break out their iconic throwback uniforms. Seattle, of course, played in the AFC West from 1977-2001, so it would make sense to wear that throwback uniform against the Broncos.

The NFL can make exceptions to allow both teams to wear primary colors in the same game, and this would be a perfect opportunity to do so.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Broncos vs. Seahawks could feature beautiful throwback uniforms

Along with being a renowned actor, comedian, and filmmaker, Ben Stiller is a massive fan of the New York Knicks. His X page has long been a Knicks hype feed, and for good reason lately, with New York on its way to the NBA Finals after a four-game sweep over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Among Stiller’s recent posts on X was one in response to a video from FS1’s First Things First on Wednesday night. In the video, Fox Sports personality Danny Parkins explained that Stiller liked a First Things First post on X in which Parkins admitted that he was wrong about the Knicks.

“Let’s end the show with one of your favorite comedic actors ever, and huge Knicks fan, Ben Stiller, liking a post of me just saying, ‘Obviously I was wrong. Obviously.’ I guess I’m out of Ben Stiller’s circle of trust, [Rachel Nichols]. This is very upsetting.”

“I can just drape myself in shame, and double down, and pick the Thunder (to win the NBA Finals),” Parkins added.

“I guess I’m out of Ben Stiller’s circle of trust, this is very upsetting.”

Hey @BenStiller, @DannyParkins says he’s sorry pic.twitter.com/N87697aHhv

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 27, 2026

Here’s how Stiller responded to that video:

Danny. I almost responded to your (with respect) deeply flawed non believer take – in which you said you wouldn’t even believe in the Knicks if they actually won the championship. I think that’s what you said, or close to it… so no bad blood, thanks for the MTP love, and if… https://t.co/wehjuaokkQ

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) May 28, 2026

“Danny. I almost responded to your (with respect) deeply flawed non believer take – in which you said you wouldn’t even believe in the Knicks if they actually won the championship. I think that’s what you said, or close to it… so no bad blood, thanks for the [Meet the Parents] love, and if anything you represent what many feel when they can’t accept the reality in front of their eyes of this brilliant, record breaking team. People want to dunk on the Knicks, always have in my life time, which will make this chip all the sweeter.

Much love and orange and blue skies,

Focker”

Parkins responded to Stiller and included a Heavyweights reference to close it out.

Oh if I ever conveyed I wouldn’t believe in them if they WON THE TITLE then I erred as a communicator.

Certainly picked ATL & CLE & think the path has inflated this team but hey, I’ve been wrong every step of the way!

My lunch should be cancelled due to lack of hustle.

— Danny Parkins (@DannyParkins) May 28, 2026

“Oh if I ever conveyed I wouldn’t believe in them if they WON THE TITLE then I erred as a communicator.

Certainly picked [the Atlanta Hawks] & [the Cavaliers] & think the path has inflated this team but hey, I’ve been wrong every step of the way!

My lunch should be cancelled due to lack of hustle.”

pic.twitter.com/FlZUNhd9Ta

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) May 28, 2026

Parkins’ close friend and First Things First co-star, Nick Wright, also responded to Stiller’s post.

First we lose the Emmy & then @DannyParkins’ god awful Knicks takes get us roasted by @BenStiller.

Tough 24 hours for @FTFonFS1. https://t.co/SRAyttdmRm

— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 28, 2026

If the Knicks win the NBA championship, Parkins — and many other figures in the sports media world — might hear from Stiller again. New York is looking for its first NBA title since 1973.

The post Ben Stiller roasts Danny Parkins over Knicks takes appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Jannik Sinner is out of the French Open in the biggest shock of the tournament so far after struggling with injury in a five-set loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round in sweltering Paris conditions.

World number one Sinner was the heaviest favourite for the men's title since the great Rafael Nadal in 2009, with no-one coming close to challenging him on the clay in recent weeks.

Sinner was bidding to complete the career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, and few expected him to fall short - but just as Nadal suffered an early exit 17 years ago, the Italian will now have to wait for another chance at Paris glory.

Sinner was two sets and 5-1 up before a remarkable change of momentum when fitness issues plagued his game.

The 24-year-old appeared laboured on court with a dejected expression as he lost the next three games, including 11 straight points, before calling for the trainer.

Sinner could be heard saying he felt "dizzy" and like he "wanted to vomit" and took a mid-game medical timeout before returning to court.

After dropping the third set, Sinner failed to regain his fitness as Argentina's world number 56 won 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1.

More to follow.

• Live scores, results and order of play
• Get tennis news sent straight to your phone

Best Wemby props for Game 6: Prediction markets for NBA Playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The stakes could not be higher as the San Antonio Spurs host the Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder are looking to close out the series on the road this on Thursday night, while the Spurs aim to force a decisive Game 7. Tip-off is set for 8:30 PM ET at the Frost Bank Center, with national broadcast coverage provided by NBC and Peacock. Before the game gets underway, see the best Wemby props to trade on markets for the French phenom.

By using the latest Kalshi promo code TSNEWS, new users can secure a $10 sign-up bonus that unlocks immediately after making $10 in trades on games.

Both squads enter this pivotal contest following a lopsided Game 5, where the Thunder secured a decisive 127-114 victory. The Thunder were propelled by a dominant performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who poured in 32 points while dishing out 9 assists.

On the other side, the Spurs struggled to contain the Thunder's offensive attack despite 20 points from Victor Wembanyama. The central storyline heading into Thursday night is clear: can Wembanyama and the Spurs stave off elimination on their home floor, or will Gilgeous-Alexander lead the Thunder to a series clinch and a trip to the NBA Finals?

Spurs vs Thunder prediction markets for Game 6

The data-driven win probabilities point to a competitive Game 6, with the Spurs entering as the moderate favorites despite facing elimination. With a 59% chance of winning, the numbers indicate that home-court advantage gives the Spurs a clear but not overwhelming edge in this must-win scenario. While the Thunder face a statistical uphill battle at 41% on the road, they carry all the momentum from their convincing Game 5 victory and a 3-2 series lead.

Spurs vs Thunder: Tale of the tape and key matchups

Through five games, the statistical profiles reveal stylistic differences and glaring mismatches. The Spurs rely heavily on their overwhelming size, averaging 47.2 rebounds, 6.4 blocks, and 46.8 points in the paint per game. The Thunder lean on their lethal perimeter play and depth, boasting a massive 51.4 to 25.4 average advantage in bench points while shooting 36% from deep compared to 32% for the Spurs.

The Thunder also protect the basketball significantly better. They average just 13.2 turnovers per game while forcing the Spurs into 16.8. This allows the Thunder to score 21.6 points off turnovers per contest. Despite these differences, the series scoring average slightly favors the Thunder, who are putting up 113.8 points per night to 112 for the Spurs.

In terms of momentum, the Thunder are riding high after a convincing 127-114 victory in Game 5 where they shot 48% from the field and hit 14 three-pointers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been sensational all series, averaging 26.2 points, 9.8 assists, and 2 steals per game. Alex Caruso exploded for 22 points in Game 5, showcasing the Thunder's devastating bench depth. The Spurs found themselves overwhelmed despite Victor Wembanyama's series-long dominance, as the franchise cornerstone is averaging 28.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The key matchups tonight will revolve around whether Wembanyama and the Spurs can rediscover the defensive intensity that fueled their Game 4 blowout (103-82), or if Gilgeous-Alexander and the high-scoring Thunder bench can continue capitalizing on Spurs turnover issues to close out the series.

Spurs vs Thunder Game 6 injury report

Spurs

• David Jones Garcia (Ankle): Out for Season

Thunder

• Jalen Williams (Hamstring): Day-to-Day
• Ajay Mitchell (Calf): Day-to-Day
• Thomas Sorber (Knee): Out for Season

The most consequential injury heading into Game 6 remains the hamstring issue plaguing Thunder wing Jalen Williams. His day-to-day status looms large, though the Thunder have managed to win games in this series without him (Williams only played 7 minutes in Game 3 and missed Games 4 and 5). Reserve guard Ajay Mitchell is also day-to-day with a calf injury and did not play in Game 5, which could continue to test the backcourt depth for the Thunder. The Spurs enter this elimination game with a remarkably clean bill of health among their core rotation.

Victor Wembanyama prop picks for Game 6

Wembanyama has been the defining force of this series for the Spurs, averaging 28.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game while shooting 48% from the field and 91% from the free throw line. Here are three prop picks to target for Game 6:

1. Victor Wembanyama: 25+ Points (67% on Kalshi)

Wembanyama has been a scoring machine throughout this series, posting 28.2 points per game on highly efficient shooting. While he was held to 20 points in the Game 5 loss, the Spurs will need him to shoulder an even heavier offensive load in this elimination game. He's averaging 9.2 free throw attempts per game in this series and converting at a 91% clip, giving him a reliable floor for scoring production regardless of shooting variance. In a must-win game with the crowd behind him and the season on the line, Wembanyama should attack aggressively and exceed this number.

2. Victor Wembanyama: 10+ Rebounds (85% on Kalshi)

The 7-foot-4 phenom has been a dominant force on the glass, pulling down 11.8 rebounds per game this series (3.6 offensive, 8.2 defensive). His regular-season average of 11.1 rebounds per game confirms this is sustainable production, not a series-specific spike. The Thunder rank behind the Spurs in total rebounding this series (43.4 to 47.2 per game), and Wembanyama's length makes him nearly impossible to box out. With an elimination game at stake, expect maximum intensity and effort on the boards.

3. Victor Wembanyama: 3+ Blocks (87% on Kalshi)

Wembanyama is averaging 3 blocks per game in this series and posted 3.7 blocks per game during the regular season. His elite shot-blocking ability has been a series-defining factor, as the Spurs have averaged 6.4 team blocks per game. The Thunder rely heavily on points in the paint (39.2 per game) and drives from Gilgeous-Alexander, which should present ample opportunities for Wembanyama to swat shots. In a high-stakes elimination game where defensive effort will be at its peak, look for Wembanyama to continue altering shots at the rim.

Thunder vs Spurs Game 6 prediction

The Spurs enter Game 6 with their backs against the wall after a disappointing 127-114 loss in Game 5. The Thunder dominated behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 32 points and 9 assists, while Alex Caruso added 22 points off the bench. The Spurs were unable to contain the Thunder's perimeter shooting, as Oklahoma City knocked down 14 three-pointers at a 44% clip.

However, history and home-court advantage favor the Spurs in this spot. Just one game earlier, the Spurs delivered a dominant 103-82 blowout in Game 4, proving they have the defensive blueprint to stifle the Thunder when firing on all cylinders. Victor Wembanyama exploded for 33 points in that Game 4 victory, and the Spurs held the Thunder to just 6-of-33 from three-point range.

The statistical advantages for the Spurs remain formidable on their home floor. The Spurs are controlling the glass with 47.2 rebounds per game compared to 43.4 for the Thunder, and dominating the interior with 46.8 points in the paint per night to 39.2 for the Thunder. Wembanyama is backing up his team-leading season averages of 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. His looming presence in the middle should continue to neutralize offensive drives from the Thunder.

The continued absence of Jalen Williams also works in the Spurs' favor. While the Thunder have proven capable of winning without him, forcing a Game 7 is a different proposition than building a lead. Expect the Frost Bank Center crowd to provide a massive boost as the Spurs fight to extend their season.

While the Thunder's ability to protect the basketball and their devastating bench scoring will keep them competitive, the combination of home-court desperation, Wembanyama's dominance, and the Spurs' interior superiority should be enough to force a winner-take-all Game 7.

Prediction: Spurs 112, Thunder 105

Ryan Preece’s appeal against the $50,000 NASCAR penalty issued after his Texas Motor Speedway clash with Ty Gibbs has officially been rejected.

NASCAR confirmed Wednesday that the National Motorsports Appeals Panel upheld both the financial punishment and the 25 driver points deduction handed to the RFK Racing driver.

The ruling followed an appeal hearing connected to the May 3 incident at Texas, where Gibbs crashed after contact from Preece during the race.

NASCAR upheld Ryan Preece’s penalty after Texas review

The original penalty stemmed from NASCAR rules covering “wrecking or spinning another vehicle” following the incident involving Gibbs at Texas Motor Speedway.

Preece’s radio traffic during the race became a major focus after the RFK Racing driver repeatedly vented frustration about Gibbs over team communications.

During the race, Preece vented frustration about Gibbs over team radio communications.

“What a f—— idiot that kid is… He’s so lucky his car is so f—— fast… Alright, when I get to that 54, I’m done with him. F—— idiot…

“It’s just, that car is so fast, it f—— p—– me off… Stupid… I’m going to vent for 15 seconds… I can’t stand when idiots like him have fast race cars that they can do stupid s— and get away with it… End of rant.”

NASCAR ultimately fined Preece $50,000 and deducted 25 driver points under sections 4.3 and 4.4.A of the NASCAR Rule Book.

The appeals panel later stated that neither NASCAR nor RFK Racing fully proved their interpretation of the available data during Wednesday’s hearing.

RFK Racing reacted after appeal decision was announced

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel included former Truck Series team owner Tom DeLoach, former sports marketing executive Dixon Johnston and former NASCAR driver Lake Speed.

After reviewing the evidence, the panel released a statement explaining why the punishment remained in place.

“Although not a unanimous decision, NASCAR and RFK Racing presented competing interpretations of common data. Neither side clearly proved their point but Mr. Preece’s comments showed that he chose to not cut his competitor any breaks.”

RFK Racing later released a strongly worded response criticizing the outcome of the appeal.

“RFK Racing is extremely disappointed in today’s ruling by the national motorsports appeals panel. We stand by Ryan Preece and believe our argument was fair, sound and without question.”

“We appreciate the forum provided by NASCAR to both provide detailed evidence and defend our stance through thoughtful data and digital evidence. Let’s get back to racing and see you in Nashville.”

RFK Racing still has the option to continue the process through NASCAR’s Final Appeals Officer system, although Wednesday’s statement suggested the organisation may now move on from the dispute.

Read more:

The season has come to an end, but several Rossoneri players will now be on international duty in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup.

Here are the details of the friendlies they will play in preparation for the World Cup:

Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot (France)

• France v Ivory Coast, Thursday 4 June at 21:10 CEST - Nantes
• France v Northern Ireland, Monday 8 June at 21:10 CEST - Lille

Alexis Saelemaekers and Koni de Winter (Belgium)

• Croatia v Belgium, Tuesday 2 June at 18:00 CEST - Rijeka
• Belgium v Tunisia, Saturday 6 June at 15:00 CEST - Bruxelles

Pervis Estupiñan (Ecuador)* = pre-call up, Ecuador will officially announce their squad by 1 June 

• Ecuador v Saudi Arabia, Sunday 31 May at 1:30 CEST - Harrison (United States)
• Ecuador v Guatemala, Sunday 7 June at 22:00 CEST - Columbus (United States)

Santiago Gimenez (Mexico)* = pre-call up, Mexico will officially announce their squad by 1 June 

• Mexico v Australia, Sunday 31 May at 4.00 CEST - Pasadena (United States)
• Mexico v Serbia, Friday 5 June at 4:00 CEST - Toluca

Ardon Jashari (Switzerland)

• Switzerland v Jordan, Sunday 31 May at 15:00 CEST - St. Gallen
• Australia v Switzerland, Saturday 6 June at 21:00 CEST - San Diego (United States)

Rafael Leão (Portugal)

• Portugal v Chile, Saturday 6 June at 19:45 CEST - Oeiras
• Portugal v Nigeria, Wednesday 10 June at 21:45 CEST - Leiria

Luka Modrić (Croatia)

• Croatia v Belgium, Tuesday 2 June at 18:00 CEST - Rijeka
• Croatia v Slovenia, Sunday 7 June at 20:45 CEST - Varaždin

Christian Pulisic (United States)

• United States v Senegal, Sunday 31 May at 21:30 CEST - Charlotte
• United States v Germany, Saturday 6 June at 20:30 CEST - Chicago

As well as the players who are taking part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, two Rossoneri who will not participate in the tournament will also be on international duty in the upcoming days: 

Davide Bartesaghi (Italy)

• Luxembourg v Italy, Wednesday 3 June at 20:45 CEST - Luxembourg
• Greece v Italy, Sunday 7 June at 21:00 CEST - Crete

Strahinja Pavlović (Serbia)

• Cape Verde v Serbia, Sunday 31 May at 16:30 CEST - Lisbon (Portugal)
• Mexico v Serbia, Friday 5 June at 4:00 CEST - Toluca

ThenewAC Milan 2026/27 Home Kit is available: buy it now!

Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in a move for Maxi Araujo as he shines at Sporting Club, and they are competing with two other Premier League teams to sign the defender.

Araujo has developed into one of the most exciting left-backs on the continent and has been in excellent form over the last few seasons. The defender is expected to attract strong interest when the season ends, with a move to a bigger league appearing likely.

Premier League competition for Araujo

Manchester United and Chelsea are also monitoring the situation closely, according to Sport Witness, and both clubs are prepared to compete with Arsenal for his signature.

Both Premier League sides view him as a strong addition and believe he has the quality to strengthen their squads. Arsenal, however, remain confident that their recent success and project could give them an advantage in negotiations.

Araujo is understood to be open to a move if the right offer is presented, with his future expected to become clearer in the coming weeks.

Arsenal believe they have the resources to compete financially and remain one of the most attractive options due to their recent progress and stability.

Transfer fee expectations rising

Interest from multiple clubs is expected to increase the asking price for Sporting Club, making the deal more expensive for any potential buyer this summer.

Despite the higher valuation, Arsenal remain committed to monitoring the situation as they consider making a formal approach later in the window.

The competition from rival clubs may force Arsenal to act quickly if they wish to secure his signature ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Araujo continues to be highly regarded across Europe and is expected to be one of the more sought-after defenders in the upcoming transfer window as interest continues to grow ahead of the summer window and potential negotiations.

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La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Mason Greenwood is open to joining Roma from Marseille this summer, with the Englishman potentially replacing Matias Soulé, who has received an offer from Aston Villa.

Latest Roma transfer news: Greenwood to replace Soulé?

Roma will partially reshape their attack in the summer and have made English winger Greenwood the primary target for their attack.

Reports on Wednesday claimed that Roma had made contact with the player’s entourage, and Gazzetta now reports that the response was positive, as Greenwood is very much open to moving to the Stadio Olimpico.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE – NOVEMBER 25: Harvey Barnes of Newcastle United is challenged by Mason Greenwood of Olympique de Marseille during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Olympique de Marseille and Newcastle United FC at Stade de Marseille on November 25, 2025 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Gazzetta confirms that the biggest issue for Roma remains Marseille’s asking price of around €50m for a player still under contract until 2029.

Stephan El Shaarawy will leave Roma at the end of his contract in June, but Soulé might also walk out of the Olimpico, having attracted interest from Aston Villa.

ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 15: Matias Soule of AS Roma gestures during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Como 1907 at Stadio Olimpico on December 15, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Gazzetta reports that the fresh Europa League winners have already made an offer, but it was below Roma’s €35-40m asking price.

A swap deal involving Juventus Gleison Bremer and Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae has been brewing over the past few days.

Juventus CEO Damien Comolli has admitted that the club might have to make a major financial sacrifice this summer after missing out on a Champions League spot.

Many believe Bremer is one of the main candidates to be sold, alongside Andrea Cambiaso and Khephren Thuram.