Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial for rape, French prosecutors have confirmed.

A woman accused the Paris St-Germain defender of raping her at his home in the French capital in 2023, when she was aged 24.

The public prosecutor's office in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris, began a preliminary investigation in March 2023.

An investigating judge ordered a trial in February 2026 and French media report that Hakimi, 27, failed with a recent appeal to have the trial dismissed.

Hakimi, who is set to lead his side out for their second World Cup fixture against Scotland on Friday (23:00 BST), has consistently denied the accusations.

"The justice system looked me in the eye and said, 'If you weren't famous, there would never have been a case,'" Hakimi wrote on social media on Friday.

"I chose to remain silent for years. I believed that maintaining my dignity, being patient, and trusting in the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.

"Today, a story that isn't mine is being told at the expense of my family, my life, and above all, the truth. I sometimes feel like I've become an easy target.

"I've been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I'm eagerly awaiting it. Finally, I'll be able to speak."

Rachel-Flore Pardo, the plaintiff's lawyer said in a statement: "After more than three years of legal proceedings, and after my client was, in her view, defamed and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi's defence, this decision brings her relief and hope.

"Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have the right to a trial.

"Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the wall of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including in the world of men's football."

A date has not yet been set for the start of the trial.

All three of Morocco's group stage fixtures are being held in the United States, where the team are currently based.

But should Morocco progress to the knockout stages, Hakimi could face difficulties in entering Canada or Mexico if their matches are scheduled outside the United States.

Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country's opener against Panama after being denied entry to World Cup co-hosts Canada.

Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022.

He is due to stand trial next year.

Canada's government website states that they can deny entry to any person that has "committed or been convicted of a crime".

The World Cup is being held across all three co-host countries until the quarter-final stage, when it will be held exclusively in the US.

Hakimi, who has won 97 caps for Morocco, made his international debut in 2016 at the age of 17.

He was a key figure in the Morocco side that became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2022.

The defender joined Paris St-Germain from Inter Milan in 2021, and has won 13 pieces of silverware during his time at the club - including back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons.

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Michael Olise is coming off a sensational 2025/26 campaign with Bayern Munich, which saw him named Bundesliga Player of the Season after racking up 22 goals and 31 assists in 52 games in all competitions.

The Frenchman’s performances have put him on the radar of Real Madrid, but Bayern have made clear on numerous occasions that they have no interest in letting him leave.

Bild head of football Christian Falk now reports that, although Olise still has three years remaining on his current contract, Bayern are keen to extend it by a further two years until 2031 to secure his long-term future.

As part of the proposed extension, Bayern are willing to increase Olise’s wages from around €15 million to the region of €25 million to make him one of the club’s absolute top earners.

The 24-year-old is currently representing France at the World Cup and impressed with a Player of the Match-winning performance in his country’s 3-1 opening win over Senegal.

It was a special day for Juventus Men's First Team star Jonathan David, who is proving to be a key player for co-hosts Canada at the 2026 Men's FIFA World Cup.

The Canadian national team’s No. 10 capped off the 6-0 rout of Qatar in their second Group B match with a hat trick: the first came with a perfectly executed right-footed finish after a rebound; the second saw him tap in from close range after the ball was deflected by goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada; and finally, in the closing minutes, he struck from the heart of Qatar’s penalty area.

It was the best way to celebrate Canada’s historic first victory in a World Cup finals match, making David the first Serie A player to score a hat trick in this competition since 1998 and the first from a host nation since 1966.

A night to remember: congratulations, Jonathan!

Jose Alvarado: I always made my way. So, it was always like, "Yo, every time I got to come here, I got to prove to myself." And that's what my life is about, and that's fine with me, though. Q. So, even after being an NBA champion, now you still got that chip on your shoulder? Alvarado: Hell yeah, I got it. First of all, I got to go get paid. Q. Hopefully you’ll get the big contract, which you should. Alvarado: Yeah, hopefully, God willing. I want to be in this for a long time. I love this life, I love the NBA life. It feeds my family and it puts me in rooms where I can never be at. I'm here with y'all, you know what I'm saying? So, I got to work.

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jose Alvarado on free agency: I got to go get paid

Bobby Marks: Speaking of paying, we're going to probably have an eye on Karl-Anthony Towns. He is extension eligible. Jay, how about this number? Four years, $272 million. That is what Towns is extension eligible for. He's got two years left. He's got a player option for that second year. They can negotiate right now and he can sign that on July 6th. That's the number to certainly keep an eye on. Remember Jalen Brunson had given back some money. Mikal Bridges, will there be a compromise with Towns? Josh Hart is also extension eligible. Also, McBride, but Towns is going to be the player to focus on when we're looking at that next big contract here.

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Four years, $272 million. That is what Towns is …

Iran's football federation has said it will lodge a complaint at the ruling body FIFA over the tight arrival and departure procedures around their World Cup matches in the United States.

A statement said that the US-imposed restrictions imposed on its own team are incompatible with the principles of creating a level playing field for the participating teams.

Iran's team was only allowed to travel from their their Mexican base camp on the eve of their first match in Inglewood, California, where they drew 2-2 with New Zealand.

They said they have also not received permission to travel two days ahead of their next match on Sunday at the same venue against Belgium.

Some Iran delegation members have also been denied entry to the US altogether.

Team officials said that FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the Iran team in the dressing room after the New Zealand match and offered to help them.

The US and Iran have been in a military conflict since February. A framework agreement aiming to end the hostilities was signed on Wednesday.

Everton begin their 2026/27 Premier League season with a home game against Crystal Palace.

The first of the two Merseyside derbies against Liverpool will come on November 28 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Everton’s trip to Anfield on January 30.

The Premier League have released the full fixture list for the 2026/27 campaign. As ever, these fixtures are subject to change based on which games are selected for TV coverage, the European schedule and other factors. But here is Everton’s current order of fixtures…

August

22: Crystal Palace (h) – 3pm

29: Bournemouth (a) – 3pm

September

5: Man Utd (h) – 3pm

12: Tottenham (a) – 3pm

19: Ipswich (h) – 3pm

October

10: Hull (a) – 3pm

17: Chelsea (h) – 3pm

24: Arsenal (a) – 3pm

31: Newcastle (a) – 3pm

November

7: Coventry (h) – 3pm

21: Brentford (a) – 3pm

28: Liverpool (h) – 3pm

December

2: Aston Villa (a) – 8pm

5: Fulham (h) – 3pm

12: Brighton (a) – 3pm

19: Nottingham Forest (a) – 3pm

26: Sunderland (h) – 3pm

30: Man City (h) – 8pm

January

2: Leeds (a) – 3pm

6: Aston Villa (h) – 3pm

16: Coventry (a) – 3pm

23: Brentford (h) – 3pm

30: Liverpool (a) – 3pm

February

6: Newcastle (h) – 3pm

10: Leeds (h) – 8pm

20: Sunderland (a) – 3pm

27: Nottingham Forest (h) – 3pm

March

3: Man City (a) – 8pm

13: Man Utd (a) – 3pm

20: Tottenham (h) – 3pm

April

10: Crystal Palace (a) – 3pm

17: Bournemouth (h) – 3pm

24: Brighton (h) – 3pm

May

1: Fulham (a) – 3pm

8: Hull (h) – 3pm

15: Chelsea (a) – 3pm

23: Arsenal (h) – 3pm

30: Ipswich (a) – 4pm

Bayern Munich are set to demand a world-record fee in order to sell Michael Olise (24) during the summer transfer window, according to a report from DiarioAS. The current world-record transfer fee was paid by Paris Saint-Germain to Barcelona when they signed Neymar in 2017.  Les Parisiens paid €222m for the Brazilian international attacker. 

The former Crystal Palace attacking midfielder is atrracting great interest with transfer window now open. Following a season in which he scored 22 goals and registered 31 assists, the 24-year-old has emerged as one of the greatest players in world football. 

Real Madrid and PSG set to battle for Olise

Real Madrid and PSG are the leading candidates to make a move for the France international. Both teams would like to recruit the Frenchman, but due to their good relationship, they have stated they would be willing to stand aside once the London-born attacking midfielder states his preference. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Nearly a month after the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours concluded, the final standings have been changed, and Max Verstappen‘s squad has moved up one more spot as a result.

Team Abt, which crossed the line second overall, has been retrospectively disqualified following a technical infringement, with stewards formalising the decision on June 12.

An inspection of the #84 Lamborghini following the race found its power output running beyond the tolerance margins set by the Balance of Performance regulations.

Six SP9-class GT3 cars were put through routine dynamometer testing in the days after the race; the Abt car was the only one to fail, with entries from Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche all cleared.

Reports suggest the #84 was producing around 20 horsepower above the permitted reference value, with the allowable tolerance sitting at two percent, equivalent to roughly 10 hp from an estimated 500 hp baseline.

That’s a meaningful gap and not just a small error.

How the Revised Podium and Classification Look

Behind overall winner Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL – Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maxime Martin – the Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO of Christian Krognes, Mattia Drudi, and Nicki Thiim has been elevated to second place.

Rowe Racing‘s BMW M4 GT3, shared by Daniel Harper, Max Hesse, Sheldon van der Linde, and Dries Vanthoor, now occupies third.

Further down the order, the Verstappen Racing #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 has been bumped to 36th overall.

Verstappen’s part in the event drew a record crowd of 352,000 to the Eifel region, so the result – however modest on paper – will have been watched closely. The car had run with Jules Gounon, Lucas Auer, and Daniel Juncadella alongside the four-time F1 champion, and looked firmly on course for victory with under four hours remaining, leading what appeared to be a comfortable 1-2 for the Winward Mercedes operation.

A driveshaft failure on Juncadella’s watch ended that, handing the lead to the sister #80 car with Maro Engel at the wheel.

Juncadella was generous in his assessment of Verstappen’s performance in the race, telling PlanetF1.com: “The more I see him drive, the more I see how incredible he is.”

With Abt electing not to appeal the stewards’ ruling, the 54th edition of the Nürburgring 24 Hours now has its definitive classification.

Verstappen has already said he wants to return next year, and there is reportedly a reasonable chance the 2027 event – pencilled in for May 27–30 – won’t conflict with an F1 round. Finishing 36th instead of 37th isn’t exactly the result he came for, but given the driveshaft robbed him of an outright win, he’ll probably take it.

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers secured a nice commitment with seven-footer Jack Thelen out of Maple Grove, Minnesota. A move that may help shape the Badgers’ frontcourt for years to come. The idea is pretty simple: you can’t teach size.

Landing a legit seven-footer is difficult in today’s transfer-driven college basketball landscape. Even Thelen’s listed weight (hovering around 235-240 pounds) could be a major advantage once developed within the program’s system.

Wisconsin’s long-term approach is to get Thelen into the program and allow him to develop as many Badgers big men over the last several years. Thelen isn’t expected to crack the rotation immediately. He represents a lottery ticket that could become an answer to some of the larger frontcourts the Badgers routinely see in the Big Ten.

What makes Thelen stand out? Start with his strong footwork, rare for a high schooler his size. He flashes the ability to combine a variety of post moves while staying balanced, using drop steps, pivots, and counters. On film, Thelen also shows he’s been well coached, keeping the ball high off passes and rebounds to finish quickly at the rim.

Recruiting a player like Thelen isn’t just about on-court fit; it demonstrates the need to add size in today’s college game. In the modern portal era, landing and developing size internally is more cost-effective than chasing expensive transfers every offseason.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball: Scouting seven-footer Jack Thelen

The Premier League has released the fixture schedule for the 2026/27 season, with Arsenal set to kick off the campaign against newly promoted Coventry City.

After four consecutive seasons chasing shadows, the Gunners finally got over the line last season, beating Manchester City to the Premier League title by seven points.

Having ended a 22-year wait for the English holy grail, Arsenal will now kick off the 2026/27 campaign at home to another side that made history last season.

Coventry are set to return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, but will kick off their campaign with a trial by fire.

The Sky Blues will hardly have a chance to settle in before they’re thrown into the deep end, with their curtain raiser scheduled to take place at the formidable Emirates Stadium.

Coventry secured their Premier League return under the guidance of Frank Lampard.

They took the Championship by storm and finished the season 11 points clear of second-place Ipswich Town, although they fell just five short of hitting the 100-point mark.

While it’s not the start they’d have hoped for, Coventry will welcome the chance to test themselves against the Premier League champions, knowing an unlikely win could shape the rest of their campaign.

Meanwhile, Premier League runners-up Manchester City will ironically kick off their post-Pep Guardiola era at home to Bournemouth, who ended their title challenge last term.

The Cityzens have yet to name Guardiola’s successor, but former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is expected to pick up where his mentor left off.

Maresca’s former employers are also heading into a new era with Xabi Alonso to begin his Chelsea reign with a London derby against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Manchester United, who have found a spring in their step under Michael Carrick, will visit newly promoted Hull City, while Andoni Iraola kicks off his Liverpool reign away to Newcastle United.

Europa League winners Aston Villa will visit Brighton & Hove Albion, while Tottenham Hotspur visit Brentford in the other London derby scheduled for matchday one.

Kentucky Basketball is off and running for summer practice, and to no surprise, new transfer Milan Momcilovic is impressing early on.

Not only is he a lethal long-range shooter, but he’s also making a positive impact on the culture of the team.

The team reportedly can’t get enough of practice and being together, building chemistry on and off the court.

Momcilovic is leading the way for this group in that regard, and, according to assistant coach Mikhail McLean, he’s also shooting the lights out.

“He’s an unbelievable shooter. He came in, and we’re like, ‘Okay, teach us what you do. Like, we’re not going to tell you how to run your workouts and all this stuff. Let’s learn from you and let’s figure out where we can tweak it.’ So, we kind of — we’re not tweaking anything, because he’s the best shooter in America, right?”

Last year’s team was missing exactly what Momcilovic brings to the table. Big Blue Nation sure has to be glad to have him on campus and leading this year’s squad. He just might be what turns everything around for head coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats.

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Headlines

Kentucky basketball stars discuss Coal Lodge – Cats Pause

“I think what sticks out is just how easy we’ve gelled together,” Moreno said.

Kentucky Offensive Line is Rebuilt and Ready to Roll – KSR

Yes!

Christian Pulisic ‘much better,’ still in doubt vs. Australia – ESPN

Gameday.

Arkansas replaces Kentucky in Baha Mar Summer League – KSR

Surprised?

Brunson slams skeptics as Knicks revel in NBA championship parade – ESPN

Them against the world.

J.B. Holmes cards 5-over first round in return at U.S. Open – KSR

Tough out there yesterday.

Sauce Gardner says he’s 24, not 25 as widely listed – ESPN

Weird.

WBB programs have steadily improved under J Batt – KSR

Both at Georgia Tech and Michigan State.

Mike Trout to injured list with right hamstring injury – ESPN

Can’t catch a break.

Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus put together his list of six NFL coaches who will enter the 2026 season on the hot seat, and not surprisingly, the Indianapolis Colts' Shane Steichen was mentioned.

The Colts are currently in the midst of a five-year playoff drought, and Steichen has been at the helm for three of those seasons. Presumably, this is a make-or-break year for both him and GM Chris Ballard.

"The Colts re-signed both Jones and receiver Alec Pierce to monster contracts in March and have other talent like Jonathan Taylor, Sauce Gardner, Quenton Nelson and Laiatu Latu on the roster, but real questions permeate a defense that finished 21^st in success rate. It’s tough to envision Steichen making it to a fifth year in blue if Indianapolis either starts flat or doesn’t reach the postseason."

As Locker mentions, the Colts are banking on Steichen and Daniel Jones getting the offense to operate at a high level once again this season, just as they did through the first 10 games of last year.

The Colts' red-hot start to the year did showcase the full capabilities of what the Steichen offense can look like. In addition to that, while the Colts didn't win any games with Phillip Rivers, Steichen's ability to mold the offense to Rivers' game on the fly and make changes from week to week was impressive.

That said, even before Jones' injury, defenses were beginning to slow this unit down. And there are real questions still surrounding this Colts team entering the 2026 season.

Jones is coming off a major injury, and it remains to be seen if all the roster turnover at defensive end will lead to improved play. The linebacker unit features several new and young players, while a battle for the WR3 role is taking place.

Another area that Steichen must resolve is his team's performance down the stretch.

Steichen enters Year 4 with the Colts with a 25-26 record.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Why one analyst put Colts' Shane Steichen on hot seat for 2026 NFL season

• Second Test, day three, The Oval
• Henry completes five wicket haul - Cox chips low to mid-wicket,Blundell takes stunner standing up to remove Archer and Smith snaffles juggling catch to dismiss Tongue
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Smith's juggling grab helps Henry complete five-wicket haul for NZ

FIFA World Cup

Czech Republic 1 - 1 South Africa FT

Teboho Mokoena scored an 83rd-minute penalty to earn South Africa a draw against the Czech Republic at the World Cup.

South Africa trailed after five minutes and seven seconds when Michal Sadilek latched on to a clever lay-off and rifled home the earliest goal of the tournament so far.

Bafana Bafana, who also conceded early against Mexico in their tournament opener, eventually settled into the game and slowed down play, but they struggled to create chances and only managed their first shot on target in the 74th minute.

But their fortunes finally changed as Thapelo Maseko's shot thundered into Pavel Sulc's arm in the Czech box with less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining.

Mokoena made no mistake with the finish, slotting into the left corner.

A point does little to help either side and their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages remain in the balance, with Mexico and South Korea above them in the Group A table.

However, with the eight best third-placed teams progressing to the last 32 and three points likely to be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages, South Africa and the Czech Republic still have it all to play for in their final group games.

South Africa face South Korea on Thursday, 25 June at 02:00 BST, while the Czechs will take on co-hosts Mexico in the Azteca at the same time.

• World Cup fixtures and group standings
• How to watch the World Cup on the BBC
• Everything you need to know about the World Cup

Two years after he left Bayer Leverkusen to join FC Schalke 04, Clinton Wilson is returning to Die Werkself.

On Thursday, Leverkusen announced the return of the 18-year-old winger, who will initially play for the U19s.

“Clinton Wilson is a player who is very difficult to stop: he’s quick, agile and good at finding solutions in one-on-one situations,” said Bayer Leverkusen director of football Kim Falkenberg.

“He will breathe new life into our U19 attack.”

Wilson, who moved to Germany from Ghana in early 2023, scored six goals and provided two assists in 24 games in the U19 DFB Youth League for Schalke 04 last season.

Aston Villa begin their 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a trip down south to face Brighton & Hove Albion.

That will be followed by a difficult clash with reigning Premier League champions Arsenal at Villa Park in the second game of the season.

The Premier League have released the full fixture list for the 2026/27 campaign

As ever, these fixtures are subject to change based on which games are selected for TV coverage, the European schedule and other factors. But here is Villa’s current order of fixtures.

August

23: Brighton (a) – 2pm

29: Arsenal (h) – 3pm

September

5: Hull (a) – 3pm

12: Nottingham Forest (h) – 3pm

19: Tottenham (a) – 3pm

October

10: Brentford (h) – 3pm

17: Newcastle (a) – 3pm

24: Man City (h) – 3pm

31: Fulham (h) – 3pm

November

7: Man Utd (a) – 3pm

21: Sunderland (h) – 3pm

28: Ipswich (a) – 3pm

December

2: Everton (h) – 8pm

5: Crystal Palace (h) – 3pm

12: Coventry (a) – 3pm

19: Chelsea (a) – 3pm

26: Leeds (h) – 3pm

30: Liverpool (h) – 8pm

January

2: Bournemouth (a) – 3pm

6: Everton (a) – 8pm

16: Man Utd (h) – 3pm

23: Fulham (a) – 3pm

30: Ipswich (h) – 3pm

February

6: Sunderland (a) – 3pm

10: Bournemouth (h) – 8pm

20: Leeds (a) – 3pm

27: Chelsea (h) – 3pm

March

3: Liverpool (a) – 8pm

13: Hull (h) – 3pm

20: Nottingham Forest (a) – 3pm

April

10: Brighton (h) – 3pm

17: Arsenal (a) – 3pm

24: Coventry (h) – 3pm

May

1: Crystal Palace (a) – 3pm

8: Brentford (a) – 3pm

15: Newcastle (h) – 3pm

23: Man City (a) – 3pm

30: Tottenham (h) – 4pm

According to a report from Diario AS, Paris Saint-Germain are seen as Real Madrid’s biggest rival in the race to sign Michael Olise (24) from Bayern Munich. The French champions are eager to sign the France international attacking midfielder during the summer transfer window. 

The 24-year-old is perhaps the most coveted player on the transfer market. In a season in which he scored 22 goals and registered 31 assists for Bayern, there aren’t many clubs that wouldn’t want to have him for next season. The former Crystal Palace attacking midfielder also impressed on his FIFA World Cup debut with Les Bleus against Senegal. 

PSG and Real Madrid willing to step aside when Olise decides his destination

Due to the good relationship that exists between Real Madrid and PSG, both clubs have stated that they would be willing to step aside in the race to sign the Frenchman, once he has decided where he wants to go. However, the Bundesliga champions have stated that he is not for sale this summer. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Earlier this week, Real Madrid announced the signing of Spain international defender Marc Cucurella from Chelsea. The 27-year-old will move to the Bernabeu later this summer, but first, he will be focused on achieving success with Spain at this summer’s World Cup.

News of Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid dominated the Spanish camp in the 24 hours before La Roja’s goalless draw against Cape Verde on Monday. However, Barcelona’s Gavi has admitted that no one in the squad knew about the deal until mere hours before it was confirmed by the Bernabeu club, as he told RAC1.

“We found out (Cucurella was joining Real Madrid) the day before, after training. We didn’t expect it and nobody knew, the b****** kept it very quiet. Lamine has been teasing him a bit, because now he will be the one to defend him in the Clasicos. But I like him as a rival. He’s tough and intense. He’s a good signing for Real Madrid, I’m happy for him.”

Cucurella has shut down Lamine Yamal in the past

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

That battle between Cucurella and Lamine Yamal is one that many El Clasico viewers will have a vested interest in ahead of next season’s matches. The 18-year-old Barcelona winger was shut down by Alvaro Carreras in the first meeting between the sides during the 2025-26 campaign, and the new left-back has every chance of doing similar, given that he kept him quiet when Chelsea defeated in the Catalans in the Champions League last November.

On the whole, Real Madrid will hope that Cucurella can help them improve their record against Barcelona. Over the last two seasons, Los Blancos have only won once against their arch rivals (2-1 in October 2025), and it will be up to Jose Mourinho to ensure that his side bucks this trend.

UFC’s fight card at the White House delivered a record-breaking viewership to Paramount+, according to the streaming platform, with 17 million viewers tuning in.

On Sunday, an unprecedented event took place on the South Lawn, as seven UFC fights played out to celebrate 250 years of the United States, as well as the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump.

Trump sat cageside with UFC chief Dana White, a good friend of his, as the night ended with Justin Gaethje securing an upset stoppage win over Ilia Topuria to become lightweight champion. In the co-main event, Ciryl Gane stopped Alex Pereira to win the interim heavyweight title, although the finish was controversial due to Gane’s allegedly illegal strikes.

In fact, all seven bouts ended with stoppages, as American star Sean O’Malley joined compatriots Josh Hokit and Bo Nickal in picking up victories – although Hokit and Nickal’s wins came at the expense of other US fighters.

Regardless, the event was a resounding success for Paramount+, which was the exclusive broadcaster of the fights in the US and Latin America.

While the platform is yet to announce its viewership figures for other territories, 17m viewers watched in the US and Latin America, making it Paramount+’s most-watched exclusive live event ever.

The number does not include any delayed viewership, or any viewership where more than one person watched on an account.

In January, Paramount+ took over as the UFC’s main broadcast partner, as the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion moved from a pay-per-view model to a subscriber-based one.

“Since the beginning of the year, 16m subscriber households have watched more than 180m hours of UFC programming on Paramount+,” read a press release on Thursday, “delivering viewership more than 20x the average pay-per-view event over the past two years.

“The inaugural numbered event, UFC 324 on 24 January, broke the record at the time for the largest exclusive live event on Paramount+ with 5m average viewers and 7m households in the US and Latin America, according to Adobe Analytics.” Nielsen was also used to verify figures.

“UFC Freedom 250 [at the White House] was the 6th marquee event in a seven-year deal between UFC and Paramount+ that includes 13 Numbered Events and 30 Fight Nights in the US and Latin America for 2026, with select offerings in Australia. UFC and Paramount+ also recently announced the expansion of UFC Numbered Event Main Card rights to Canada beginning in 2027.”

Mexico next World Cup match: Schedule, start time, draw bracket and results as El Tri face Czechia originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mexico are set to embark on a potentially defining summer.

Hosted two World Cups previously in 1970 and 1986, El Tri are embedded in global soccer lore. Yet they have a dodgy past at the FIFA tournament, and currently sit on the precipice of troubled times.

After seven straight appearances in the Round of 16, Mexico fans were hoping to finally break through their World Cup glass ceiling in 2022, but instead found themselves embarrassed in Qatar with a group stage elimination, their first since 1978.

Now, Javier Aguirre leads El Tri into the 2026 tournament hoping not only for redemption, but a chance to provide fans with a return to global prominence on home soil. They will look to pull from past experience, as their only two appearances in a World Cup quarterfinal both came on familiar ground during their two previous hosting opportunities.

Can Mexico reverse course and put themselves back on the World Cup map? The Sporting News brings you a closer look at their next match at the 2026 World Cup, knowing the trek is fraught with danger at every turn.

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

When is Mexico's next match at World Cup 2026?

Having beaten South Africa 2-0 in their opener and edged past South Korea, Mexico have qualified for the knockout stages.

El Tri now face Czechia on Wednesday, June 24at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

It will kick off at 9 p.m. ET.

MORE:A deeper look at the Mexico squad for the 2026 World Cup

Mexico match schedule, results from World Cup 2026

World Cup Group A standings

How to watch Mexico matches at World Cup 2026

• TV channel: FOX, FS1
• Streaming:Fubo

The opening match of the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup will be televised in the United States on FOX network channel. After that, all World Cup games will be televised on either FOX or FS1.

Mexico's game against South Africa, along with every other World Cup match through the 2026 tournament, is available to stream on Fubo.

Fubo offers a FREE trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

Mexico World Cup 2026 draw bracket for Group A

The winner and runner-up from each group enter the bracket on opposite sides.

The Group A winner will meet a third-place finisher from either groups C, E, F, H, or I, while the group's second-place finisher will take on the second-place from Group B, which includes Canada.

The third-place finisher in Group A has several potential landing spots in the bracket, but only eight groups will have a third-place qualifier for the knockout stage.

Until all third-place qualifiers are known, it is impossible to predict where or when they could potentially play because there are 495 mathematical combinations of third place qualifiers.

Round of 32

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Third-place match

Final

British heavyweight Joe Joyce may be 40 years old and coming off a seriously rough stretch where he’s lost four of his last five fights, but he believes he still has more to offer as he tells Sky Sports he thinks it would be a great idea for him to have a rematch with WBO champion Daniel Dubois, who he scored a win over back in 2020.

“It’s always an attractive option,” Joyce told Sky Sports. “Before I took Zhang, which was obviously a bad decision, I was WBO Interim [champion] off the back of beating Dubois and Parker. So it’s just like a bit of a mistake that I’m going to rectify now.”

Before Joyce can even really lobby for a Dubois rematch, however, he’ll have to handle business against Artem Suslenkov and demonstrate he’s worthy of getting another fight of that magnitude.

Joyce says he’s learned much during his layoff over the past year, and anticipates demonstrating his growth in this particular outing and isn’t worried about any sort of rust as he’s been steadily been in the gym. Joyce is currently slated to appear on the undercard of Murat Gassiev vs Tony Yoka this July 11, and hopes a good showing can propel him back to world level.

Iran is set to lodge an official complaint with FIFA over travel restrictions that the country’s soccer team is facing at the 2026 World Cup.

Amir Ghalenoei, the head coach of Iran’s team, has said his players are “the most oppressed” at the tournament.

The Iran team is allowed to fly into the U.S. one day before their matches, and must leave the country on the same day under the conditions of their visas.

On Friday, the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) said: “The football federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes.

“Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels.”

Iran’s involvement in the World Cup was plagued with uncertainty this year amid the conflict with the U.S. But President Donald Trump and President Masoud Pezeshkian signed an initial peace deal aimed at ending the war this week.

Newsweek contacted FIFA for comment outside of normal business hours.

This is a developing story. More to follow.

• England Test captain Ben Stokes playing for Division Two leaders Durham at home to Northants
• Suspended bowler Gus Atkinson in Surrey's team for their game at Glamorgan
• Championship leaders Essex playing champions Notts at Chelmsford
• Division One: Leics v Yorkshire; Somerset v Warwicks; Sussex v Hampshire
• Division Two: Derbyshire v Lancashire; Kent v Middlesex; Worcestershire v Gloucestershire
• Use the audio icons in the 'watch & listen' tab for live BBC Radio commentaries

County Championship day one: Stokes bowling for Durham - radio & text

The NBA Draft Preview series concludes on Episode 830 as we discuss the final Duke player eligible for the draft, Maliq Brown.

One again, Jay Bilas is back to speak on Maliq’s qualities and how his game translates to the next level. He obviously needs to continue to work on his offense, but can his defense carry him in the Association? After Jay wraps up, Donald and Scott react and give our final predictions on a) if Maliq will hear his name called in the second round, and b) where he could go if drafted.

Make sure you’re following us! Head to our ⁠Linktree⁠ to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from ⁠Fanatics⁠ and ⁠SLAM⁠ (use the code DBR15 to save 15%), ⁠Homefield Apparel⁠ (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order), to the ⁠NBA Store⁠, ⁠NFL Shop⁠, and even ⁠Fubo TV⁠. Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on ⁠YouTube⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠⁠@DukeRoundup⁠⁠!

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Texas A&M coach Mike Elko should be considered the best recruiter in the country, at least for now, after landing five-star linebacker Kaden Henderson on Thursday afternoon, who became the Aggies' 10th top 100-ranked prospect to commit to the program, further proving that Elko and his staff are building something special in College Station.

In the 2026 signing class, Texas A&M dominated the Georgia recruiting pipeline, landing four top prospects from the Peach State, and while the Aggies continue to cast a wide recruiting net, Florida has become a hot spot despite battling the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes, who continue to keep top prospects in-state.

However, in today's NIL-driven recruiting landscape, relationships and fit are everything, knowing that money won't be an issue within the Power Four conferences, so when it comes down to making a final choice, Texas A&M's bright future under coach Mike Elko has swayed four of the top-ranked 2027 recruits in the Sunshine State, now including Kaden Henderson.

After landing the program's No. 1 and No. 2 ranked commits, five-star edge Zyron Forstall, and five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews, rising four-star defensive lineman Frederick Ards III made things official, while Kaden Henderson isn't just the cherry on top of an elite Florida haul, but the first five-star linebacker commit under Mike Elko and former head coaches Jimbo Fisher and Kevin Sumlin. Also including three-star athlete Loia Valade, Florida has been more than kind to the Aggies.

Elko isn't finished recruiting Florida-based prospects, already receiving a prediction to land five-star wide receiver Eric McFarland, who took his OV late last month, and will announce his commitment on June 28.

Four 2027 Texas A&M commits are among the top seven Florida recruits, and they're all top 100 overall (per the Rivals Industry rankings):

OL Mark Matthews: 5th
DE Zyron Forstall: 24th
LB Kaden Henderson: 26th
DE Frederick Ards III: 61st

Impressive work in the Sunshine State.

— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) June 18, 2026

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

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M has land four Top 100-ranked 2027 prospects out of Florida

Four minutes and 20 seconds per match. Or seven hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds across the tournament.

That's how much extra TV advertising some football fans around the world are watching during mandatory hydration breaks at the World Cup.

While viewers in the UK watching on BBC and ITV are seeing players refuel and hearing extra tactical insight from pundits, spectators elsewhere are taken away from the football to see companies selling their products.

The ads are allowed to begin 20 seconds after the referee blows the whistle for the three-minute pause midway through each half, and must end 30 seconds before the actions starts again.

That works out as a potential eight extra 30-second ad slots per match for each broadcaster in each country - 832 between the start and end of the competition.

Experts have told BBC Sport that an average 30-second World Cup ad slot on Fox Sports costs between $200,000 (£152,000) and $300,000 (£227,000), rising to $750,000 (£567,000) during USA matches and the final stages.

That means advertising during hydration breaks is likely to generate more than $250m (£189m) in the USA alone.

The breaks have disrupted the momentum of matches, brought heavy criticism from managers and players, and drawn loud jeers from supporters at almost every venue.

But, in which countries are the ads being shown, how do they work, and what could it mean for the future of football?

'Hydration ad breaks worth more than a billion globally'

Fifa has insisted that hydration breaks have been introduced to benefit player welfare in the North American heat, and that sporting integrity means they must be used equally in every single match, even when temperatures are low in roofed, air-conditioned stadiums.

Fans in the UK have been protected from ads during hydration breaks because the BBC does not use advertising, and ITV's ability to show ads during play is restricted by Ofcom regulations governing how many adverts can be used in a 60-minute period. If ITV used slots during mid-match breaks, they would have fewer available at half-time, for example.

But elsewhere broadcasters have the ability to choose how to use the breaks, and most have used them as an opportunity to bring in extra money from advertising, whether by cutting away to a full commercial break or showing ads in split screen.

Fox Sports, the US broadcaster, has been using the maximum amount of advertising time it can during the pauses and displaying them full screen.

It has also been introducing the ad break itself as "sponsored by" a brand, and with Fifa sponsor Coca Cola providing branded drinks for players, the advertising US viewers are faced with during hydration breaks is effectively three-fold.

"Amercians have been used to in-play ads for 40, 50 years, so culturally this fits right in," says Rob di Gisi, lecturer in sport management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

"There is very little pushback here. Any changes which make games more Americanised will be embraced without people noticing."

Fellow US broadcaster Telemundo, which shows matches in Spanish and is aimed at Latino Americans, is one of the few broadcasters which has decided not to show ads during the breaks.

During Canada's opening match last week, its commentator said: "We prefer the old school way. We should be able to see what the players do.

"We show fans, people enjoying themselves, not the corporate direction of football."

BBC Sport has contacted Fox Sports and Telemundo for comment.

In other big markets around the world ads are being used too, including in Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The broadcasters in those territories will not be able to charge prices as high as Fox Sports, and not all are running them for the maximum duration allowed, but the total amount accrued will be huge.

"When you start scaling that up over all the rest of the countries, it's probably a billion dollars (£756m) from hydration break ads across the globe," Di Gisi adds.

Having eyeballs on products during in-game breaks doesn't necessarily guarantee success, however.

"Will advertisers in the hydration break be met with enough discontent that it negates the value of the advertising?" says T. Bettina Cornwell, head of marketing at the University of Oregon.

"It is the case that when brands violate the expected experience, in this case the flow of the game, fans can react negatively."

'Hydration break ads are here to last'

The broadcasters in each territory act independently when they sell advertising slots, meaning Fifa does not directly gain financially.

But the extra income makes purchasing rights to show the World Cup more valuable to broadcasters, meaning Fifa can theoretically charge higher prices when negotiating over future tournaments.

Fifa has not yet confirmed whether hydration breaks will be used in future editions of the World Cup, but given the financial benefit to the organisation and its broadcast partners - and the fact that the 2030 World Cup in Morocco, Spain and Portugal will be held in climates with very hot summers - it is highly likely that they will remain a long-term feature.

"The rights for this World Cup, Fox Sports got for only $485m (£367m)," says Dennis Deninger, author of Live Sports Media: The What, How and Why of Sports Broadcasting.

"If they're making $250m (£189m) just on the hydration breaks, that rights fee is a real bargain.

"When Fifa goes into rights negotiations next time, they can say their product is worth more, because broadcasters can sell sponsorship in these hydration breaks, have more advertising, and there is the increased amount of matches, so they can charge every broadcaster in every country more money.

"There is never any going back – when there is an opportunity to make more money, nobody ever says 'let's make less money'."

The more casual football fan demographic the World Cup attracts has made introducing the ads easier.

"I think this is here to last, especially in Fifa-organised tournaments," says Thomas Peeters, professor of strategy economics at the Erasmus School of Economics.

"The World Cup is an event that attracts non-traditionalists, people tuning in who don't watch every game. A very general audience.

"There is a trend for those people to watch clips rather than entire games, so in that sense you can build in breaks yourself [and show ads to them without them caring].

"It breaks the game into shorter bits which, as we see with other forms of entertainment, helps with younger audiences who typically consume content in smaller portions."

But whether other major football competitions would take on hydration breaks for the economic benefit is doubtful.

The Premier League would be restricted in the UK by Ofcom rules and likely face a huge backlash from fans, while Uefa has sought to create clear distance between itself and Fifa on policy matters in recent months, including pledging not to use dynamic ticket pricing at Euro 2028.

"When a game is watched by diehard fans of both sides, they don't want a break after 25 minutes," Peeters adds.

"For Uefa and the Premier League this idea is less of a concern because they are in very mature markets compared to Fifa."

Maryland football cornerback Dontay Joyner was arrested on harassment charges on June 11, multiple sources confirmed.

Joyner was booked by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for telephone misuse and electronic communications harassment. He is currently being held without bond.

Last season’s All-Big Ten honorable mention was a standout in the Terps’ secondary after transferring in from Arkansas State. Joyner posted a team-high eight pass breakups and snagged two interceptions, highlighted by a 67-yard pick-six against Nebraska.

The rising senior isn’t the first Maryland player to be charged; defensive lineman DD Holmes was arrested after driving under the influence in late September. 

Joyner’s arrest adds uncertainty to a Maryland defense that is looking to rebound after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. The veteran cornerback was projected to be one of the unit’s top pieces this fall.

In other news

Former Maryland football offensive tackle Gottlieb Ayedze signed with the Miami Dolphins.

Maryland baseball added pitching depth with Salisbury right-hander Aidan Brinsfield.

Former Maryland basketball forward Jalen Smith was selected into the Baltimore Catholic League Hall of Fame.

The Chicago Cubs have spent much of the last decade balancing modernization with preservation around one of baseball’s most recognizable landmarks.

While Wrigley Field has undergone extensive renovations under the ownership of the Ricketts family, the organization has also worked to maintain the historic character that makes the ballpark unique.

That balancing act continued this week as the Cubs pushed forward with another significant change surrounding the stadium. Unlike previous renovations focused on infrastructure or fan amenities, this latest development centers on advertising and it looks like fans will surely notice the changes if and when they are implemented.

“Aldermen approved a Chicago Cubs-backed plan Wednesday to allow three new signs to go up on buildings overlooking iconic Wrigley Field,” Jake Sheridan reported for the Chicago Tribune. “The team will be allowed to add one new sign up to 69 feet tall on North Sheffield Avenue, as well as two new smaller signs on its West Waveland Avenue rooftops.”

Chicago Cubs Fans Set For New Experience At Wrigley Field

The decision marks another step in the Cubs' long-term effort to maximize the value of properties surrounding Wrigley Field.

Since acquiring the franchise in 2009, the Ricketts family has steadily expanded its footprint throughout the Wrigleyville neighborhood. That strategy has included purchasing rooftop properties and neighboring buildings while integrating them more closely into the club's overall business operations.

“During the time the Ricketts family has owned the Cubs, the team has begun purchasing buildings across the street from the ballpark, operating rooftops and erecting advertising across the street from the ballpark,” NBC 5 Chicago noted following the latest advertising approval. “It’s unclear when the new signs will be added, but it is expected the signs will replace banners advertising the Wrigley Field rooftops…”

Chicago Cubs’ Historic Ballpark Presents Unique Advertising Challenges

Unlike many modern stadiums, Wrigley Field presents unique restrictions because of its landmark status.

“The ballpark is a landmarked space, making it difficult to add signs inside the stadium, but the advertisements will be profitable for the team,” Sheridan added. “The team has already fostered an environment with little intrusive advertising and created an open space for fans.”

That special designation limits the organization's ability to add new signage and advertising directly inside the ballpark, making nearby rooftop and building locations particularly valuable.

Though the team has not officially outlined its plans for the new ads, it seems all but certain that Cubs fans can expect a tweaked experience with new promotions visible from their seats in the near future.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Brazil played their first World Cup match without one of their most recognizable players, Neymar, who has been nursing a calf injury in recent weeks. That first match ended in a draw against Morocco, and there are rumors (though nothing is confirmed) that Neymar could make his return in a match this Friday against Haiti. Haiti lost their first match against Scotland 0-1; here's a look at the latest predictions and updates for all the Group C teams as they head into their second games this week.

Find out more about this game and all of this week's biggest matches in our 2026 World Cup guide.

Here's everything you need to know about watching the Brazil vs. Haiti match at the 2026 World Cup live from the U.S. (Plus, find out how you can catch every other game of the tournament).

Where to watch the Brazil vs. Haiti match:

Date: Friday, June 19, 2026

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

TV channels: FOX, Telemundo

Streaming: YouTube TV, DirecTV, Peacock, and more

Brazil vs. Haiti game time:

Coverage of the 2026 World Cup game between Brazil and Haiti begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 19.

Brazil vs. Haiti game channel:

FOX will be broadcasting the Brazil vs. Haiti World Cup game in English. A Spanish-language broadcast of the game will air on Telemundo.

Where to watch the 2026 World Cup without cable:

2026 FIFA World Cup group stage schedule: 

All times Eastern

Friday, June 19
United States vs Australia: 3 p.m. (FOX) — Lumen Field, Seattle
Scotland vs Morocco: 6 p.m. (FOX) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Brazil vs Haiti: 8:30 p.m. (FOX) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Türkiye vs Paraguay: 11 p.m. (FS1) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Saturday, June 20
Netherlands vs Sweden: 1 p.m. (FOX) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Germany vs Ivory Coast: 4 p.m. (FOX) — BMO Field, Toronto
Ecuador vs Willemstad Curaçao: 8 p.m. (FS1) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Sunday, June 21
Tunisia vs Japan: 12 a.m. (FS1) — Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Guadalupe
Spain vs Saudi Arabia: 12 p.m. (FOX) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Belgium vs Iran: 3 p.m. (FS1) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Uruguay vs Cape Verde: 6 p.m. (FS1) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
New Zealand vs Egypt: 9 p.m. (FS1) — BC Place, Vancouver

Monday, June 22
Argentina vs Austria: 1 p.m. (FOX) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
France vs Iraq: 5 p.m. (FOX) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Norway vs Senegal: 8 p.m. (FOX) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Jordan vs Algeria: 11 p.m. (FS1) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Tuesday, June 23
Portugal vs Uzbekistan: 1 p.m. (FOX) — NRG Stadium, Houston
England vs Ghana: 4 p.m. (FOX) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Panama vs Croatia: 7 p.m. (FOX) — BMO Field, Toronto
Colombia vs DR Congo: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Estadio Akron, Zapopan

Wednesday, June 24
Switzerland vs Canada: 3 p.m. (FOX) — BC Place, Vancouver
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar: 3 p.m. (FS1) — Lumen Field, Seattle
Scotland vs Brazil: 6 p.m. (FOX) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Morocco vs Haiti: 6 p.m. (FS1) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Czechia vs Mexico: 9 p.m. (FOX) — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
South Africa vs South Korea: 9 p.m. (FS1) — Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Guadalupe

Thursday, June 25
Ecuador vs Germany: 4 p.m. (FOX) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Willemstad Curaçao vs Ivory Coast: 4 p.m. (FS1) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Tunisia vs Netherlands: 7 p.m. (FOX) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Japan vs Sweden: 7 p.m. (FS1) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Türkiye vs United States: 10 p.m. (FOX) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Paraguay vs Australia: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Friday, June 26
Norway vs France: 3 p.m. (FOX) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Senegal vs Iraq: 3 p.m. (FS1) — BMO Field, Toronto
Uruguay vs Spain: 8 p.m. (FOX) — Estadio Akron, Zapopan
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia: 8 p.m. (FS1) — NRG Stadium, Houston
New Zealand vs Belgium: 11 p.m. (FOX) — BC Place, Vancouver
Egypt vs Iran: 11 p.m. (FS1) — Lumen Field, Seattle

Saturday, June 27
Panama vs England: 5 p.m. (FOX) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Croatia vs Ghana: 5 p.m. (FS1) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Colombia vs Portugal: 7:30 p.m. (FOX) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: 7:30 p.m. (FS1) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Jordan vs Argentina: 10 p.m. (FOX) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Algeria vs Austria: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

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  Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line
  

Dawgs By Nature

• Browns: 3 safety plan looks solid for 2026. But then what? (Thomas Moore) – Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are promising. But how long will they be together in Cleveland?
• Browns TE Harold Fannin receives high praise from one of best tight ends in the NFL (Jared Mueller) – The future is very bright for Cleveland Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. according to Tight End U founder George Kittle.
• 49ers ready to release WR Brandon Aiyuk, should the Browns make an offer? (Barry Shuck) – Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry once tried to trade for Brandon Aiyuk, should they try to sign him when 49ers release him?
• What comes first: New stadium or Browns win the AFC North? (Abby Mueller) – The Browns haven’t had much success in the division, but could it come before the new stadium?

The Feed

This is a league starved for QB play. If Sorsby is breathing and can throw a football, some team will take a chance. The question is … who?

Cleveland Browns

• Browns expect, need rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston to make big impact (Browns Zone) – The Browns expect rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston to make an immediate impact. They need them to do just that.
• How Shedeur Sanders is making strides in Browns’ QB competition (ESPN) – A day after the Cleveland Browns’ 2025 season ended, general manager Andrew Berry called quarterback Shedeur Sanders, fresh off a seven-start rookie campaign, a “work in progress.”
• How Jared Verse is already showing signs of topping Myles Garrett in one key area (cleveland.com) – On the final day of Browns mandatory minicamp last week, Alex Wright, Jared Verse and several other defensive linemen broke out into dance during a break in team drills on a sweltering afternoon.

NFL

• Sauce Gardner’s unlucky streak could continue with the Colts to start 2026 (Stampede Blue) – Could the Colts start to the year become a recurring nightmare for Gardner?
• Should Falcons, Lions balk at handing Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs record-setting deals? (The Athletic) – If NFL fans have heard it once, they’ve heard it a 1,000 times: “Don’t pay running backs!”
• Commanders QB Jayden Daniels on learning David Blough’s offense: ‘I’ve still got a long way to go’ (NFL.com) – Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Washington Commanders continue to dig into David Blough’s offense as we hit the NFL’s summer break.

Thierno Barry to Leipzig Would Leave Everton With Questions to Answer

Everton Face Important Decision Over Barry Future

According to reporting from The Times, RB Leipzig have made an enquiry about Everton striker Thierno Barry, a development that feels significant despite the early nature of the interest.

Barry, 23, arrived with considerable promise and featured in every Premier League game last season, scoring eight goals. Yet there remains a sense that his debut campaign only scratched the surface of his potential.

Photo IMAGO

Everton invested £27 million to sign him from Villarreal and will understandably be reluctant to take a financial hit.

Leipzig Interest Carries Weight

There is always intrigue when a club such as RB Leipzig enters the conversation.

Their data driven recruitment process is widely respected and the fact Barry has emerged on their radar suggests there is a belief that his ceiling is far higher than his current output indicates.

At the same time, Everton cannot afford to weaken an already delicate attacking department.

Clubs in Italy have also shown interest in Beto, who ended the season with ten goals across all competitions.

Photo IMAGO

Replacing one striker would be difficult enough. Replacing two could prove a major gamble.

Squad Building Challenge for Moyes

Everton must weigh immediate needs against long term value. Striker availability across Europe is limited and Premier League clubs without European football often face an uphill battle in recruitment.

Selling Barry may generate funds, but it could also create another problem to solve.

Our View, EPL Index Analysis

Everton Supporters Should Be Cautious

This report may trigger mixed emotions.

There is an element of pride in seeing one of your club’s newest signings attract attention from a Champions League side. Leipzig do not routinely pursue players without extensive analysis behind the scenes.

However, supporters would rightly question why Everton should entertain a sale after only one season.

Barry showed flashes rather than consistency, but that was also true of several players adapting to the physical demands of English football. Patience is often required.

Many Everton fans would probably argue that the club have spent years resetting projects before they have had time to mature. Barry could become another example of that if he leaves too soon.

There is also the wider concern over the striker market. If Beto is attracting interest and Barry departs, Everton would suddenly need to recruit at least one, perhaps two forwards, in a market already described as scarce.

David Moyes is trying to build stability rather than constantly replace key pieces. Barry still feels like an unfinished product with considerable upside.

Supporters may ultimately conclude that unless Leipzig present an offer significantly above Everton’s investment, keeping him is the smarter decision.

Good teams are built by identifying potential before everybody else does, not by selling it at the first sign of external interest.

Nottingham Forest start their 2026/27 Premier League season by hosting Leeds United at the City Ground.

That will be followed by a difficult trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, with the Premier League having released the full list of fixtures for the upcoming season.

As ever, these fixtures are subject to change based on which games are selected for TV coverage, the European schedule and other factors. But here is Forest’s current order of fixtures…

August

22: Leeds (h) – 3pm

29: Liverpool (a) – 3pm

September

5: Tottenham (h) – 3pm

12: Aston Villa (a) – 3pm

19: Coventry (h) – 3pm

October

10: Crystal Palace (a) – 3pm

17: Arsenal (h) – 3pm

24: Ipswich (a) – 3pm

31: Brentford (a) – 3pm

November

7: Man City (h) – 3pm

21: Bournemouth (a) – 3pm

28: Chelsea (h) – 3pm

December

2: Hull (a) – 8pm

5: Brighton (h) – 3pm

12: Sunderland (a) – 3pm

19: Everton (h) – 3pm

26: Man Utd (a) – 3pm

30: Newcastle (a) – 8pm

January

2: Fulham (h) – 3pm

6: Hull (h) – 8pm

16: Man City (a) – 3pm

23: Bournemouth (h) – 3pm

30: Chelsea (a) – 3pm

February

6: Brentford (h) – 3pm

10: Fulham (a) – 8pm

20: Man Utd (h) – 3pm

27: Everton (a) – 3pm

March

3: Newcastle (h) – 8pm

13: Tottenham (a) – 3pm

20: Aston Villa (h) – 3pm

April

10: Leeds (a) – 3pm

17: Liverpool (h) – 3pm

24: Sunderland (h) – 3pm

May

1: Brighton (a) – 3pm

8: Crystal Palace (h) – 3pm

15: Arsenal (a) – 3pm

23: Ipswich (h) – 3pm

30: Coventry (a) – 4pm

Round 2 of the 126th U.S. Open takes center stage Friday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where players will not only battle one of golf’s most demanding courses but also race to make the cut and position themselves for the weekend.

MORE:Masters champ Rory McIlroy shares golf dad tips with Jason Kelce

How to Watch 2026 U.S. Open: 2nd Round

• Date: Friday, June 19, 2026
• TV Channel: NBC / NBCSN / Peacock
• Live Stream: Peacock (watch now)

full TV & streaming schedule below

Thursday’s opening round was disrupted by a more than two-hour fog delay and ultimately suspended because of darkness, forcing several players to return Friday morning to complete their first rounds. Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark emerged as the player to catch, reaching 6-under through 16 holes and building a four-shot advantage before play was halted. Clark took advantage of calmer late-afternoon conditions with a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch that vaulted him atop the leaderboard.

– Live Stream 2026 U.S. Open with Peacock –

The chasing pack remains loaded with major champions and contenders. Rory McIlroy battled difficult conditions to post a 1-under 69, while Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson, and Gary Woodland all remained within striking distance with holes left to complete. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened with a 2-over 72 as he continues his bid to complete the career Grand Slam after winning the PGA Championship and The Open last year.

Friday figures to be a marathon day at Shinnecock. Players still on the course will finish Round 1 beginning in the morning before quickly turning around for their second rounds, creating the possibility for significant leaderboard movement. Shinnecock’s firm fairways, punishing fescue, and ever-changing coastal winds have already proven capable of producing big numbers, and with the cut line looming, every shot will carry added importance as the field tries to survive one of golf’s toughest major tests and earn a spot for the weekend.

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TV Schedule

Friday

6:30 AM ET – (NBCSN)

1:30 PM ET – (NBC)

– Live Stream 2026 U.S. Open with Peacock –

Saturday

10:00 AM ET – (USA)

12:00 PM ET – (NBC)

Sunday

9:00 AM ET – (USA)

12:00 PM ET – (NBC)

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When fans tune in to watch the US Open, they want to see the best players in the world struggle.

It has branded itself as golf’s toughest test, where breaking par is a significant achievement, and where professionals are brought to their knees.

So when the forecast predicted gusts of up to 40mph on Thursday at Shinnecock Hills, which is already one of the most difficult golf courses in the world at the best of times, chaos was predicted. But this chaos never came.

In response to the forecast, the USGA watered the greens to ensure balls could stay on the putting surfaces. So when the wind failed to live up to expectations, players were able to throw darts at Shinnecock.

Wyndham Clark leads through 18 holes with a score of six-under, at a place where only three players have finished a US Open under par in the last 100 years. This was not well received by golf fans.

Golf fans slam USGA for Shinnecock setup at the US Open

The typically rock hard greens of Shinnecock Hills had been softened by the USGA to ensure the golf course was playable, but that resulted in the scores being far lower than anyone wanted from the opening round of a US Open.

One fan slammed the USGA for setting up the golf course to be easier than it is for the members throughout the year: “I get why they softened the Shinnecock greens. I really do. But this is disgusting.

“This green plays twice as firm for the members on a typical Tuesday. 77 year old retired guys play a tougher hole than the best players on earth.”

Another fan agreed, appreciating why they made the call, but implying the USGA to ramp up the difficulty: “Not my US Open.

“I applaud looking at the wind forecast and adjusting but this is too cautious. Shinnecock is not supposed to play soft! Put the teeth back in the course!”

One fan noted that this felt more like the Canadian Open from last week than your usual US Open: “I’m worried that Golf Canada has infiltrated the USGA and is setting up our national open. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d see Shinnecock cosplaying as TPC Toronto.

“Slow the greens down as much as needed, but keep them firm for goodness sake. Sad!”

Fans begged the USGA to make the greens firmer for the final three days: “Should be like Royal Melbourne in February, harder and faster than concrete.”

Another fan said, “Stop watering the greens. Let nature do its thing.”

In truth, the US Open has not been as brutal of a test as it once was decades ago. The USGA seems afraid to upset the players in the modern era, meaning the event rarely lives up to the pre-tournament hype.

One fan said, “Every year everybody on Twitter hypes up how hard it’s going to be then the USGA swoops in and saves the players.”

The USGA made the right call with Shinnecock setup

In reality, the USGA were stuck between a rock and a hard place. The pre-tournament forecast forced them into this decision, and they simply got unlucky that the howling wind never really came.

If they had made the greens any firmer, and if the winds were any stronger, then balls would have blown off the greens, and play would have been suspended. In fact, in the morning wave we did see balls being shifted by the wind on the seventh green in particular.

And if the USGA set the golf course up in a way that threatened play to be stopped, they’d have been slammed for that too. They could not win in this scenario.

The USGA are now simply victims of their own reputation. If this was a PGA Championship, nobody would complain.

With the 2026 World Cup taking place in North America, the debate around whether the sport should be called football or soccer is raging once more.

The modern version of football was popularised in Europe, and on that continent, it is called by its original name.

Only some nations refer to the sport as soccer, one of which is the United States. Now, former USMNT player Alexi Lalas has explained he will never change his mind and call it football.

Alexi Lalas will not call football soccer

The ex-player, who made 96 appearances for the USA in the 90s, responded to a tweet from a fan talking about why he still calls it soccer.

The fan stated: “Alexi we need to talk about you continuing to call the sport ‘soccer’ cmon man.. you could bridge the gap. Even the US players call it ‘football’ in overseas interviews out of respect.”

However, Lalas was unmoved by the comment and said it is ‘cringe’ to start saying football if you previously grew up referring to the sport as soccer.

He stated: “Yeah… that’s not gonna happen. I call it soccer. I own it proudly. I never apologize for it.

“If you grew up calling it soccer and changed out of insecurity or some misguided belief it makes you more authentic/credible… it doesn’t. It’s cringe. It makes you look like a weak poser.”

In the US, football is, of course, used to refer to American football and the NFL, which is a different sport altogether.

There would perhaps be some confusion if everyone in the country started to call both sports football. But that does seem unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Read more:

Knicks ownerJames Dolan reportedly had a verbal clash with NYC MayorZohran Mamdani last week. The tense interaction occurred when the duo met at City Hall to conclude the Knicks’ championship parade. They spoke at the ticker-tape parade and rally at City Hall on Thursday.

James Dolan seemingly takes swipe at Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani seemingly clashed with the Knicks’ owner, James Dolan, after the latter said in an interview that the New York City mayor is not a real fan of the team. During his speech at City Hall, Mamdani praised the Knicks’ history with a shout-out to the team’s former player, Charles Oakley, who has been publicly in a legal battle with Dolan.

Following Mamdani’s speech, Dolan seemingly took a jab at the NYC mayor. “I don’t need your vote,” the Knicks owner told the crowd. “I don’t need to quote to you what happened. If you’re real Knicks fans, you know it already,” he added.

Mamdani then went on to issue keys to the city to several staff members and players, including Dolan. However, the MSG Network CEO appeared to avoid a photo op with Mamdani. The pair did shake hands at the time.

The report comes just days after Dolan confirmed that the New York Knicks have accepted an invitation to the White House following their recent NBA Championship victory. Speaking with WFAN New York on Wednesday, the Knicks owner said, “We just did receive an invitation from [the] White House, which we accepted. We still have to figure out the details.”

Dolan also spoke about his friendship with Donald Trump during the interview. “I invited the President to come down for the game,” he said, adding, “He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years, and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”

The President attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, where he was booed by the crowd.

The post Knicks Owner Seemingly Calls Out NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared first on Mandatory.

Canada next World Cup match: Schedule, start time, draw bracket and results as CanMNT face Switzerland originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After winning hearts and minds but crashing out of the group stage at the 2022 World Cup, Canada hope to take a more tangible step towards building their soccer credentials as they contest the 2026 FIFA tournament on home soil.

Having qualified for their first World Cup in decades, Les Rouges failed to earn a single point in Qatar four years ago, but their plucky nature gave many hope for a brighter future.

Now, under head coach Jesse Marsch's steady leadership, the CanMNT hopes to win more than just emotional victories, having lost all six of their World Cup matches to date.

The Sporting News brings you a closer look at Canada's next match at the 2026 World Cup, with Les Rouges aiming to rewrite their FIFA history.

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

When is Canada's next match at World Cup 2026?

Having drawn 1-1 with Bosnia & Herzegovina in the opening match, Canada then thumped Qatar 6-0.

They'll now remain in Vancouver for their final game on Wednesday, June 24 with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET.

MORE:A deeper look at the Canada squad for the 2026 World Cup

Canada match schedule, results at World Cup 2026

World Cup Group B standings

How to watch Canada matches at World Cup 2026

• TV channel: TSN, CTV
• Streaming: TSN via Amazon Prime, TSN+, CTV app

The broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada are owned by Bell Media, who will air all matches in English on TSN and CTV, and in French on RDS.

All 104 matches of the tournament will be televised in Canada, with streaming available on both CTV GO and TSN GO. Audio commentary will also be broadcast on TSN Radio.

TSN channels set to air games in English include TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5.

TSN can also be added as a separate subscription channel on Amazon Prime with fans able to access all of TSN's live and on demand content.

Canada World Cup 2026 draw bracket for Group B

As co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Canada were pre-drawn out of Pot 1 into Group B.

This is a traditional process, as the host of every World Cup is given Pot 1 treatment, and is pre-drawn into a group ahead of time to maximize the home nation's positioning amongst the venues and bracket.

They were then drawn alongside Switzerland from Pot 2, Qatar from Pot 3, and late UEFA playoff qualifiers Bosnia & Herzegovina from Pot 4.

It was a relatively kind draw for the 2026 co-hosts, who have a good chance of reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their nation's history.

Should Canada advance through the group stage and into the knockout stage, their placement within the 32-team bracket will be dependent on their finish within the four-team Group B table.

If Les Rouges qualify for the Round of 32, either by placing top two in their group or being one of the eight third-place qualifiers, they have four potential places they could end up in.

Here are all four possible locations Canada could wind up slotting into, as well as their path to the final from each one.

Path for Canada in World Cup knockout — 1st place in Group B

Winning Group B would place Canada in an exceptional position, slated to host both their Round of 32 and potential Round of 16 matches on home soil.

Path for Canada in World Cup knockout — 2nd place in Group D

Path for Canada in World Cup knockout — 3rd place qualifier

As a member of Group B, Canada have two potential places in the knockout stage bracket they could be sorted into should they qualify as one of the eight third-place qualifiers.

Until all qualifiers are known, it is impossible to predict where or when they could potentially play should this come to pass. There are 495 mathematical combinations of third place qualifiers. All of these have been spelled out in advance, and every potential outcome can be found in Annex C (pg. 80) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup regulations.

Potential path 1 — Face Winner of Group D

Of Canada's 330 potential sorting options as a potential Group B third-place qualifier, 329 of those see them face the winner of Group D, which is the group featuring the United States.

Potential path 2 — Face Winner of Group E

Of Canada's 330 potential sorting options as a potential Group B third-place qualifier, only one of those see them face the winner of Group E.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have emerged as a potential suitor for Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas. NHL insider Kevin Weekes reported that Toronto and the Florida Panthers are among the teams monitoring the veteran defenseman.

Weekes wrote on X: “👀 Per sources, I’m told @AnaheimDucks Captain D Gudas is gaining interest in the marketplace. If him & Ducks can’t get a deal done, @FlaPanthers @MapleLeafs are among potential fits.”

Gudas is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after completing his three-year, $12 million contract with Anaheim. The 36-year-old reportedly seeks a new deal worth between $3.5 million and $4 million annually.

MORE: Canadiens among teams ‘pushing hard’ for $46.5M Maple Leafs star

Toronto’s interest is notable because Gudas ended Auston Matthews’ season in March. The Ducks captain received a five-game suspension after a knee-on-knee hit injured the Leafs star.

Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion. The injury limited him to 60 games and removed Toronto’s top offensive threat.

Why the Maple Leafs could pursue Radko Gudas?

The Maple Leafs are coming off a disastrous 2025-26 season. They finished 32-36-14, missed the playoffs, and posted a -46 goal differential.

Defensive play was a major issue throughout the season. Toronto allowed too many shots and struggled to establish a consistent physical presence on the blue line, especially after Chris Tanev’s injury.

That is where Gudas could help, despite his age. He remains one of the league’s toughest defenders and brings extensive playoff experience. His 2025-26 season was affected by ankle and lower-body injuries, but despite that, he appeared in 56 games and recorded two goals, 11 assists, and 67 penalty minutes.

So, Gudas makes more sense as a depth addition than a major solution. Toronto still needs stronger top-four options if it hopes to return to contention. However, a short-term contract could provide value. Gudas would add leadership, physicality, and defensive edge to a roster undergoing significant changes.

New general manager John Chayka and head coach Jim Hiller are reshaping the organization. Pursuing Gudas suggests Toronto wants a harder, more structured identity moving forward.

MORE: Sid Seixeiro rips Maple Leafs after coach Jim Hiller hiring

Anaheim still hopes to retain its captain before free agency begins. If talks stall, the Maple Leafs appear ready to enter the race alongside Florida.

As reported already, Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise has become Real Madrid’s dream signing this summer.

The French international impressed once again in his opening World Cup appearance, adding to the performances that had already caught the eye during Bayern Munich’s Champions League clashes with Real Madrid.

Although the club had been aware of his talent beforehand, it was his displays in the UCL that convinced many inside the Bernabeu that they were witnessing a player capable of becoming one of the game’s biggest stars, reports AS.

Since then, the admiration has only grown. With every appearance, Olise continues to enhance his reputation, reinforcing the belief within the club that he is the ideal figure to lead the next generation of Galacticos.

Contacts during the election campaign

Real Madrid’s presidential campaign temporarily slowed several operations, but it also reignited the club’s ambition to secure another global superstar.

The next Galactico? (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

According to the report, senior figures at the club made initial approaches during the campaign, laying the groundwork for future negotiations.

Those contacts kept hope alive and opened a line of communication around a player viewed by many in football as a genuine Galactico.

While Bayern Munich have remained firm in their stance, Real Madrid’s interest has never faded. If anything, the Merengues have only intensified their pursuit of the former Crystal Palace attacker.

The Bundesliga champions continue to insist that Olise is not for sale, but they are aware that the situation could become more complicated if the player himself decides he wants to move to Spain.

Real Madrid remain committed to trying to sign the player who has arguably made the biggest impact on world football over the past year.

Bayern, as they have done on numerous occasions, continue to resist selling their stars, but they also understand the realities of the market.

Bayern insist Olise is not for sale. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Inside Germany, there are suggestions that if Olise eventually pushes for a move, Bayern would be prepared to negotiate and could even seek a fee that surpasses the €222 million Paris Saint-Germain paid for Neymar in 2017.

PSG also interested

PSG are considered Real Madrid’s biggest rivals in the race for the Frenchman. However, the strong relationship between the clubs involved means there is no expectation of a prolonged bidding war.

Should one side gain a decisive advantage, the other is expected to step aside and allow negotiations with Bayern to proceed.

Relations between Real Madrid and Bayern have traditionally been respectful, and those at Valdebebas are keen to maintain that spirit, even in what could become one of the most expensive transfer sagas in football history.

For now, Bayern’s message remains unchanged: Olise is not for sale. But ultimately, the next chapter may depend on the player himself.

Roma has officially sold Tommaso Baldanzi to Genoa.

It won’t be a permanent transfer, but a loan with an obligation to buy. The fee is expected to be around €9.5 million.

The Giallorossi club said goodbye to the attacking midfielder with a statement: “AS Roma announces that it has reached an agreement with Genoa CFC for the transfer of Tommaso Baldanzi. The deal concludes with a loan with an obligation to buy. Baldanzi made 69 appearances and scored three goals for the Giallorossi. He also joined Genoa on loan in January 2026. Best of luck for the future, Tommaso!”

Tommaso Baldanzi has released his first words as a new Genoa player, after his loan spell in the second half of the season: “I’m thrilled to continue my adventure in the Grifone jersey, and I can’t wait to start again in these colors. I feel I can give and I know I still have a lot to prove to the Rossoblu fans, who have made me feel at home since my first day here in Genoa.”

City will host AFC Bournemouth on the first weekend of the 2026/27 Premier League season.

The Etihad fixture will be played at 14:00 (UK) on Sunday 23 August and is set to be shown live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.

The game will kickstart our 30th season in the Premier League and see us begin pursuit of what would be a ninth title since the top-flight was rebranded in 1992.

We follow up that clash against the Cherries with an away game at Crystal Palace, Pierre Sage taking charge of his first Selhurst Park encounter since succeeding Oliver Glasner.

That match is currently scheduled for Saturday 29 August but the kick-off time and date for every match beyond the opening weekend is subject to change once broadcasters have selected the games they wish to show live.

From there, it’s a home clash with newly promoted Coventry City on Saturday 5 September with former Blue Frank Lampard returning to the Etihad.

Then it’s the first Manchester derby of the season as we travel to Old Trafford to take on United on Saturday 12 September, while the reverse fixture will be played at the Etihad on Saturday 20 March.

We’ll end the campaign with a trip to Sunderland on Sunday 30 May.

Over the festive period, we will head to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle on Boxing Day followed by a clash with Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Wednesday 30 December while we’ll see in the New Year with a home game against Tottenham on Saturday 2 January.

Elsewhere, our games against current defending champions Arsenal currently fall away on Saturday 28 November and at home on Saturday 30 January.

We’ll go to Liverpool on Saturday 10 October before welcoming them to the Etihad on Saturday 8 May.

As with the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns, the FA Cup final will be played the week before the final day of the Premier League - this year falling on Saturday 22 May - meaning our home clash with Aston Villa is currently pencilled in for Sunday 23 May.

As previously stated, the date and time for all fixtures beyond the opening weekend are subject to change due to broadcast selections.

Please also be aware that some fixtures may be subject to movement from Saturday to Sunday due to participation of our opponents in the Europa League or Europa Conference League the preceding Thursday.

Keep across mancity.com and our official app for all confirmed fixture changes throughout the 2026/27 season.

Following the release of today’s 2026/27 Premier League fixtures, remember you can secure your place at the Etihad Stadium by becoming an Official Member, which gives access to Premier League match tickets.

Supporters can also sign up to be notified once tickets go on-sale and register their interest in matchday hospitality, with a range of unforgettable experiences available including five new spaces in the Pep Guardiola Stand.

Full details can be found by clicking the link below.

BECOME AN OFFICIAL MEMBER 

FIXTURES

(Home Games in Bold)

Sunday 23 August: AFC Bournemouth (H)

Saturday 29 August: Crystal Palace (A)

Saturday 5 September: Coventry City (H)

Saturday 12 September: Manchester United (A)

Saturday 19 September: Sunderland (H)

Saturday 10 October: Liverpool (A)

Saturday 17 October: Ipswich Town (H)

Saturday 24 October: Aston Villa (A)

Saturday 31 October: Brighton (H)

Saturday 7 November: Nottingham Forest (A)

Saturday 21 November: Fulham (H)

Saturday 28 November: Arsenal (A)

Wednesday 2 December: Leeds United (H)

Saturday 5 December: Brentford (A)

Saturday 12 December: Chelsea (H)

Saturday 19 December: Hull City (H)

Saturday 26 December: Newcastle United (A)

Wednesday 30 December: Everton (A)

Saturday 2 January: Tottenham (H)

Wednesday 6  January: Leeds United (A)

Saturday 16 January: Nottingham Forest (H)

Saturday 23 January: Brighton (A)

Saturday 30 January: Arsenal (H)

Saturday 6 February: Fulham (A)

Wednesday 10 February: Tottenham (A)

Saturday 20 February: Newcastle United (H)

Saturday 27 February: Hull City (A)

Wednesday 3 March: Everton (H)

Saturday 13 March: Coventry City (A)

Saturday 20 March: Manchester United (H)

Saturday 10 April: AFC Bournemouth (A)

Saturday 17 April: Crystal Palace (H)

Saturday 24 April: Chelsea (A)

Saturday 1 May: Brentford (H)

Saturday 8 May: Liverpool (H)

Saturday 15 May: Ipswich Town (A)

Sunday 23 May: Aston Villa (H)

Sunday 30 May: Sunderland (A)

The Tennessee Titans have finished off their minicamp and now set their sights on training camp with what Robert Saleh believes are the most important 40 days of the offseason.

There is no doubt the Titans are a team in transition, with a new staff and an overhauled roster, and that they have much higher expectations as they head into 2026. But even with all of the new faces, there is still room to add to the roster, and Aaron Schatz of ESPN believes that adding some more experienced depth to their secondary could be the perfect finishing touch to their rebuild.

Tennessee TitansSign cornerback Kenny Moore II

Coach Robert Saleh and coordinator Gus Bradley say that they are confident in second-year cornerback Marcus Harris handling the nickelback role. But why not bring in some veteran competition to push him during training camp? Moore was still above average in my coverage DVOA metric last season, and he has always been strong against the run.

General manager Mike Borgonzi has done a great job at adding to the secondary this offseason, but Schatz does make sense. While Harris flashed as a rookie, he is nowhere near as experienced as Moore, and the Titans have the cap room to make a move like this work and still ink Peter Skoronski and possibly Jeffery Simmons to lucrative extensions.

Moore has the ball skills and ball-hawking abilities that could be a perfect fit in Saleh’s new defensive scheme, not to mention his familiarity with the divisional rivals, the Indianapolis Colts.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans: Is Kenny Moore II a viable option for the secondary?

The new Premier League season will begin with Arsenal launching their title defence, as they take on newly-promoted side Coventry City, while Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea reign starts with a derby to cap off the weekend.

After Mikel Arteta guided Arsenal to their first Premier League trophy in 22 years, the north London club will try to go back to back, and some fans will see their season-opener as a kind one, as they face a side who will simply be happy to avoid relegation this year.

That said, Frank Lampard’s Coventry will take some confidence from their fine Championship campaign last term, as they topped the table by 11 points to return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.

Also on the opening weekend, newly-promoted Hull City, who won the Championship play-off final, host Manchester United in Michael Carrick’s first game as full-time coach of the Red Devils. The match may provide some early scenes for a new Amazon documentary about Man United’s upcoming season.

The third promoted club, Ipswich Town, will host Sunderland, while title hopefuls Manchester City are at home versus Bournemouth in their first game of the post-Pep Guardiola era.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Chelsea will venture away from home for interesting tests as they begin their bids to challenge for the title again; Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge of the Reds will play out at Newcastle United, while Alonso’s Blues make a short trip across west London to play rivals Fulham.

Elsewhere, Roberto De Zerbi will aim to pick up where he left off as Tottenham coach, with some positive results late in the season giving way to a trip to Brentford to launch their upcoming campaign.

Everton will welcome Europa Conference League champions Crystal Palace to the Hill Dickinson Stadium; Nottingham Forest and Leeds United will square off in a clash of teams who just avoided the drop last term; and Aston Villa – still buoyed by their Europa League triumph, no doubt – visit Brighton.

Premier League 2026/27, opening-weekend fixtures (all times BST)

Friday 21 August, 8pm – Arsenal v Coventry City

Saturday 22 August, 12.30pm – Hull City v Manchester United

Saturday 22 August, 3pm – Everton v Crystal Palace

Saturday 22 August, 3pm – Ipswich Town v Sunderland

Saturday 22 August, 3pm – Nottingham Forest v Leeds United

Saturday 22 August, 5.30pm – Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday 23 August, 2pm – Brighton and Hove Albion v Aston Villa

Sunday 23 August, 2pm – Manchester City v Bournemouth

Sunday 23 August, 4.30pm – Newcastle United v Liverpool

Monday 24 August, 8pm – Fulham v Chelsea

Il Corriere dello Sport reports that Nico Paz’s decision to remain at Como in 2026-27 has upset Real Madrid, which still want the Argentine to return to the Bernabeu unless the Serie A club pay €60m.

Il Corriere dello Sport reports that Real Madrid are unhappy with Nico Paz’s decision to remain at Como in 2026-27.

Nico Paz’s transfer decision upsets Real Madrid

AS.com in Spain reported earlier this week that Paz had opted to stay at the Stadio Sinigaglia for one more year, given that Real Madrid are bringing in several experienced players, including Bernardo Silva, which will raise the competition for a starting spot in attack next season.

Italian sources such as Sky Sport Italia and Fabrizio Romano had been more cautious, saying that Como were confident of retaining Paz, but adding that the Serie A side and Real Madrid were in talks to determine the best transfer formula.

COMO, ITALY – APRIL 12: Nico Paz of Como 1907 celebrates after scoring their team’s second goal during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and FC Internazionale at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on April 12, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Technically, Nico Paz is a Como player, having completed a permanent transfer from Real Madrid two years ago.

Real Madrid, however, have an option to bring him back until 2027.

If they sign him this summer, they’ll need to pay €10m, while the fee for the next campaign is €11m.

Corriere dello Sport adds that Como will be entitled to a 50% sell-on clause if Paz remains with the club beyond the summer.

The Italian newspaper claims that Real Madrid still want to bring the Argentine back to the club this summer by activating their clause and have warned Como that the only way to retain him permanently is by paying €60m.

The defending world champions meet a resurgent Austria side back on football’s biggest stage for the first time since 1998 — and with both teams already winning in Group J, Matchday 2 in Dallas carries real knockout-round weight…

Fixture: Argentina vs Austria | Group J, Matchday 2Date: Monday, 22 June 2026Kick-off: 12:00 local (17:00 BST)Venue: AT&T Stadium, Dallas (Arlington), USATV/Streaming (UK): BBC / iPlayer

Group J Standings

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What’s at Stake

Both Argentina and Austria arrive at AT&T Stadium having won their opening group fixtures, meaning the victor here takes a commanding grip on Group J and moves to within touching distance of the last sixteen. A win for Argentina, who opened with a 3-0 dismantling of Algeria, would almost certainly confirm their progression with a game to spare. Austria, returning to the World Cup after a 28-year absence and fresh from a 3-1 opening win over Jordan, know that victory would stake an enormous claim to the group’s second automatic qualification spot, while a defeat leaves their ambitions hanging on the final matchday.

Verdict

Argentina look the value play to win this match, with the holders carrying far too much firepower for an Austria side making their first World Cup appearance since 1998. Back Argentina to Win and Both Teams to Score at the best available price with leading operators — Lionel Messi has already hit the ground running with three goals in this tournament, and L. Scaloni’s side are in the kind of ruthless form that has defined their pursuit of back-to-back titles.

Argentina vs Austria Match Preview

This is a fixture that pits the game’s most decorated active squad against a team rediscovering itself on the grandest stage. Argentina, under L. Scaloni, are a side built on continuity: the core of their 2022 World Cup-winning group is intact, the tactical structure is settled, and Lionel Messi at 38 is still capable of the decisive moment. Their 3-0 opening win over Algeria was a statement of intent, and a second Group J victory here would book their place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare.

Austria’s return to this stage is genuinely compelling. S. Helm’s side qualified with a record of six wins and one draw from their first seven qualifying matches before drawing their final group fixture, and they carried that confidence into the tournament opener, seeing off Jordan 3-1. David Alaba provides genuine top-level pedigree at the back, and Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer give Austria a hard-working, technically capable midfield that will not simply roll over against the champions.

The reality, though, is that Argentina possess a quality differential that is very difficult to bridge at this level. Lautaro Martinez at centre-forward, Julian Alvarez offering movement in behind, and Messi pulling the strings across the front line represents an attacking unit that few sides at this World Cup can match. Austria will likely sit deep, try to stay organised, and look for moments on the counter. Whether that approach can contain a defending champion in full flow is the central question of this Argentina vs Austria prediction.

Team Form

Argentina: Last 5

– Algeria (N): Won 3-0 (World Cup) – Iceland (N): Won 3-0 (Friendly) – Honduras (N): Won 2-0 (Friendly) – Zambia (H): Won 5-0 (Friendly) – Mauritania (H): Won 2-1 (Friendly)

Five wins from five heading into this fixture, and the competitive record matters most: Argentina dispatched Algeria without a great deal of fuss in their World Cup opener. The quality of opposition in the warm-up fixtures varied, but the clean sheets and goal tallies speak to a side that is firing on all cylinders. L. Scaloni’s men have not conceded in four of those last five outings, which underlines a defensive discipline that often gets overlooked behind all the attacking headlines.

Austria: Last 5

– Jordan (H): Won 3-1 (World Cup) – Tunisia (H): Won 1-0 (Friendly) – South Korea (H): Won 1-0 (Friendly) – Ghana (H): Won 5-1 (Friendly) – Bosnia and Herzegovina (H): Drew 1-1 (World Cup Qualifying)

Austria’s form curve has been positive, with four wins from their last five heading into this one. The 3-1 win over Jordan in their World Cup opener was encouraging, and the 5-1 friendly victory over Ghana showed they can score freely on a good day. The caution is that their opposition quality has been a step below what they will face here. Stepping up to play Argentina is a different proposition entirely, and the real test of S. Helm’s tactical preparations arrives now.

Argentina vs Austria Head to Head

The head-to-head record between these two nations is a thin one. Their two documented meetings both took place in Vienna and both went in Argentina’s favour or ended level. In May 1980, Argentina won 5-1 in a friendly in Austria, and a decade later in May 1990 the two sides drew 1-1, again in Vienna.

There is no World Cup meeting between the sides to reference, which means there is limited historical data to lean on here. What the record does confirm is that Argentina have never lost to Austria in the fixtures on file, and the one occasion the score was close came in a pre-World Cup friendly rather than competitive action. The Argentina vs Austria head to head offers little as a predictor for a match of this magnitude, but history at least does not work against the champions.

Team News

Argentina

Argentina’s squad is strong and settled heading into this fixture. Lionel Messi is fit and in fine form, having scored three goals in the opening win over Algeria, and L. Scaloni has no known injury concerns to disrupt his first-choice arrangements. Emiliano Martinez is expected in goal, with Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi continuing at centre-back. Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez offer security in midfield, with Rodrigo De Paul also available to provide a physical engine alongside them.

The depth of Argentina’s attacking options is remarkable. Lautaro Martinez leads the line and is the side’s primary focal point, while Julian Alvarez offers relentless pressing and movement as a second striker option. Giuliano Simeone and Nicolas Gonzalez provide wide options if L. Scaloni wants to rotate, though the core of Messi, Alvarez and Martinez is likely to remain the preferred front-line arrangement given how it functioned against Algeria.

Austria

Austria have few selection headaches of their own ahead of this Argentina vs Austria fixture. David Alaba is expected to continue as captain and leader of the defensive line, bringing his Real Madrid experience to bear against one of the most dangerous attacks in the tournament. Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer will likely anchor the midfield, with the latter’s work rate from his Bayern Munich season an important factor in Austria’s pressing approach. Xaver Schlager of RB Leipzig adds technical quality in that department alongside them.

Up front, Marko Arnautovic is Austria’s most capped and most experienced forward, having already scored in this World Cup, and S. Helm will likely look to use his physical presence to hold the ball and give the midfield something to run off. Michael Gregoritsch offers an alternative. Romano Schmid also scored in the Jordan win and may be used to support from a wider or more advanced midfield role. Alexander Schlager is set to continue in goal.

Predicted Lineups

Argentina

Argentina (4-3-3): E. Martinez; Montiel, Romero, Otamendi (c), Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, E. Fernandez; Messi, L. Martinez, J. Alvarez

Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed before kick-off.

Austria

Austria (4-2-3-1): A. Schlager; Posch, Danso, Alaba (c), Mwene; Laimer, X. Schlager; Wimmer, Sabitzer, Schmid; Arnautovic

Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed before kick-off.

Key Tactical Matchup

The central duel of this match is Austria’s midfield pair of Konrad Laimer and Xaver Schlager against Argentina’s engine room of Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez. Austria will need those two to win second balls, disrupt Argentina’s build-up rhythm, and press high enough to prevent Lionel Messi receiving the ball in dangerous areas. The problem is that Mac Allister and Fernandez, both Premier League regulars operating at the top of the game, are exactly the type of composed, technically precise midfielders who thrive when pressed aggressively. Argentina have already looked fluid through the middle in their 3-0 win over Algeria, and if Austria’s press breaks down, the space behind opens up for Messi and Lautaro Martinez to exploit at pace.

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Main Pick: Argentina to Win

The Argentina vs Austria betting tips market places L. Scaloni’s side as strong favourites at 8/13, and that reflects the reality of the contest. Argentina are the reigning world champions, they are in excellent form, and Messi is already among the tournament’s top scorers with three goals from the opening fixture alone. Austria’s return to the World Cup is a fine story, but the gulf in experience and quality at this level is considerable. Back Argentina to win.

Goals Market: Over 2.5 Goals at Evens

The best available price for over 2.5 goals in this match is 1/1, which looks well worth taking. Argentina scored three without reply against Algeria and have netted nine goals across their last three matches in all competitions. Austria scored three against Jordan in their opener. The attacking quality on both sides, combined with Austria’s need to push on and take the game to Argentina if they fall behind, creates conditions where goals are likely. Over 2.5 goals at evens is a strong Argentina vs Austria best bet.

Scorer Market: Lautaro Martinez Anytime Scorer

Lautaro Martinez is Argentina’s primary striker and arrives at this World Cup with 37 international goals to his name. He leads the line in L. Scaloni’s system and carries the central responsibility for converting the chances that Messi’s creativity generates. He is among the Argentina vs Austria picks that offer genuine value as an anytime scorer given the volume of opportunities Argentina are likely to create against a defensively stretched Austria side. Check the best available price with leading operators ahead of kick-off.

Bet Builder: Argentina Win and Both Teams to Score

Austria showed in their 3-1 win over Jordan that they are capable of scoring against organised opposition, and Marko Arnautovic has already got off the mark at this World Cup. Argentina are prolific but they are not impenetrable to a clinical counter-attack, and combining Argentina to win with both teams to score in a bet builder offers attractive value for the Argentina vs Austria accumulator or single-game builder markets. This Argentina vs Austria bet builder angle deserves serious consideration for those looking beyond the straight result.

Odds Across Operators

The Argentina vs Austria betting odds below reflect the best available prices from leading operators at the time of writing. Argentina are clear favourites, with Austria’s chances priced as a significant upset.

The Argentina vs Austria odds reflect a contest the market expects the holders to control. Austria at 11/2 is not without appeal for each-way or accumulator purposes, but the 8/13 on Argentina represents a straightforward reflection of the quality gap between the sides.

How to Watch and How to Bet

How to Watch

Argentina vs Austria is live in the UK on BBC and via iPlayer, with kick-off at 17:00 BST on Monday, 22 June 2026. The match is played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas (Arlington), Texas, one of the flagship venues of the 2026 World Cup. No subscription is required for UK viewers using the BBC’s free-to-air coverage. You can also follow live text commentary across major sports platforms for those unable to watch the stream directly.

How to Bet

If you want to get involved in the Argentina vs Austria betting market ahead of kick-off, here is a straightforward step-by-step process:

1. Choose a licensed and regulated betting operator in your jurisdiction.
2. Register for an account or log in to your existing account.
3. Navigate to the football or World Cup 2026 section of the sportsbook.
4. Search for Argentina vs Austria in the Group J fixtures.
5. Select your preferred market, whether that is the match result, goals, scorer, or a bet builder combination.
6. Enter your stake and review your potential returns before confirming.
7. Check for any enhanced odds or welcome offers available on this fixture.
8. Place your bet and enjoy the match live on BBC / iPlayer.

Responsible Gambling

Betting should always be enjoyable and kept within your means. Set a budget before you bet, never chase losses, and take advantage of the responsible gambling tools available on all licensed platforms, including deposit limits and self-exclusion options. If you are concerned about your gambling or someone else’s, free and confidential support is available at BeGambleAware and via the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Please gamble responsibly.

[morestories category=8]

Three teams have yet to announce their next coach, nearly a month after the end of the last Serie A season, but all the choices have been made at this point. Monza were the final piece of the puzzle, as Paolo Bianco decided to head to Pisa after the promotion. The Brianzoli have picked Ivan Juric to replace him, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.

The Croatian manager is back in the saddle after being sacked by Atalanta after 11 games last year. His previous two spells hadn’t gone well either. He inherited Southampton when they were already doomed, and he lasted just eight games in the Roma dugout in 2024/2025. Instead, he had fared well at Verona and Torino, finishing in the middle of the table for five consecutive campaigns.

Juric will be the ninth new boss in Serie A. Eusebio Di Francesco and Lecce struck a deal to continue together. Once Massimiliano Allegri completes his Milan exit, he’ll sign a three-year contract with Napoli, longer than initially expected. Lazio are waiting for the FIGC contracts of Gennaro Gattuso and his assistants to run out before confirming the appointment.

Our Take on the Serie A Coaching Landscape in 2025/2026

Juric failed to level up in bigger clubs, but he’s a rock-solid choice for a relegation struggler that should have the means to put together a gritty squad. Among the switches, Atalanta made the most interesting and ambitious choice, moving away from Gian Piero Gasperini’s shadow, but their roster will need a lot of tweaks to function well. Gattuso deserved another shot, but he took on a pretty daunting task. Bologna, Sassuolo, and Torino made calculated risks that could easily pay off big time.

What’s next for 49ers QB Mac Jones after not being traded?
“At the end of last season, Jones told ESPN he felt like he “got the train back on the tracks.” The mission now is finding a way to keep it from derailing. Jones jokes that he’s not an engineer, but he has given plenty of thought to what he can do to ensure he stays on course.”

Maxx Crosby Trade: 49ers Reportedly ‘Nuclear Hot’
“Carpenter reported “a lot of interest” in the five-time Pro Bowl selection and named the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles as the two teams most likely to pursue a deal for one of the NFL’s top defensive ends.”

NFL insider reveals Washington is not going to ‘press’ for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
“I’ll use this end of things to tell you that the Washington Commanders are not looking to press for Brandon Aiyuk. And my understanding is if he becomes a free agent, they will then take a look at Brandon Aiyuk and the possibility of bringing him in and reuniting him with Jayden Daniels, who was sort of asked about Aiyuk today. When he talked about having a throwing session with his receivers and was asked, “Is anybody else gonna be there?” He sort of didn’t really answer that one.”

After heavy fog delayed Thursday's first round of the 2026 U.S. Open, the weather could be a factor again at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Round 2.

The historic William Flynn-designed layout is always going to be subject to the ever-changing conditions on Long Island. Whoever is going to claim this year's title will have to defeat not only the best players in the world but Mother Nature as well.

This will be the sixth time the U.S. Open has been contested at Shinnecock, with a champions list that includes Brooks Koepka (2018), Retief Goosen (2004), Corey Pavin (1996) and Raymond Floyd (1986).

Here's the updated weather forecast for U.S. Open weekend.

U.S. Open weather forecast

The U.S. Open got underway June 18, AccuWeather has posted its 10-day forecast for Shinnecock Hills, N.Y. Bear in mind that thunderstorms are always a possibility for the area during the summertime.

Friday, June 19 (Round 2)

• Stiff winds with clouds giving way to sun; gusty winds will continue to pose problems for golfers

Saturday, June 20 (Round 3)

• Stiff winds with plenty of sunshine; gusty winds will continue to pose problems for golfers

Sunday, June 21 (Round 4)

• Times of clouds and sunshine; nice for Father's Day activities

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Open forecasts windy weather and possible issues for golfers Friday

Few Georgia football players have ever been so legendary and at the same time so lost to the sands of history as Andre “Pulpwood” Smith. The bruising fullback out of Coffee County emerged in the post-Herschel days when Georgia was definitively “Running Back University.” Smith ran with a combination of bruising power and blazing speed that made him seem like the next great UGA backfield star.

That may have never been more evident than when Georgia took on Vanderbilt in 1984.

That electrifying touchdown run was vintage Pulpwood, and it keyed one of the most explosive offensive efforts of the Vince Dooley era in Athens. Dooley’s offenses were never known as point-a-minute affairs.

But on this afternoon in Sanford Stadium they couldn’t stop finding the endzone. Vanderbilt began the 1984 season on a tear, going 4-0 to start the season, including beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa and rising into the AP poll for the first time since 1958. But on an October afternoon they ran into an absolute buzzsaw in Red and Black.

The Athenians would run over, around and through the Commodores, piling up 562 yards of total offense and lighting up the scoreboard to the tune of 62 points, the most they would ever score in Dooley’s 26 seasons as the top ‘Dawg.Interestingly the game was actually tied 21-21 with three minutes to go until halftime. But Georgia put three touchdowns on the board before intermission, then two more in the third quarter, including that Pulpwood jaunt, to put the game out of reach. Unfortunately Pulpwood’s Bulldog career would come to an end just when it looked like it was about to take off.After leading the team in rushing in 1984 with 655 yards (an impressive 6.0 yards per carry) Smith was dismissed from the team for academic reasons. How great he could have been remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in UGA history. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

During his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban lost only 29 times as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

When taking a look at those 29 losses, more times than not, it required a special performance from the quarterback position in particular against the Alabama defense, both in terms of passing and rushing. As a result of this, some of the quarterbacks who defeated the Crimson Tide during the Saban era went on to become household names due to their performances, with some even going on to win the Heisman Trophy.

Here is every quarterback who defeated Alabama during the Nick Saban era from 2007-23, as well as how each performed against the Crimson Tide during those games.

Matthew Stafford, Georgia Bulldogs

The very first quarterback to defeat Saban at Alabama likely ended up being the best of them all in Stafford, who led Georgia to a 26-23 road win in Tuscaloosa early in the 2007 season. A game which featured a pair of ranked teams, Stafford completed 19-of-35 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the win, while also rushing for five yards on two attempts.

Xavier Lee, Florida State Seminoles

A neutral-site game played in Jacksonville, Lee was the primary signal caller during Florida State's 21-14 win against Alabama back in 2007. An Alabama team that was ranked at the time, Lee completed 12-of-19 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while also leading the Seminoles in rushing with 59 yards on 11 attempts.

Matt Flynn, LSU Tigers

Saban's first season at Alabama featured four losses during the month of November, the first of which came against Flynn and LSU in a ranked showdown in Tuscaloosa. A game won by the Tigers, 41-34, Flynn completed 24-of-44 passes for 353 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, while also rushing for 19 yards on 10 attempts.

Wesley Carroll, Mississippi State Bulldogs

Carroll and Mississippi State upset a ranked Alabama team in Starkville back in 2007, 17-12. The Bulldogs' starter struggled mightily though in the win, completing 9-of-21 passes for 100 yards and an interception.

Kinsmon Lancaster, Louisiana Monroe Warhawks

Lancaster was the starting quarterback for what was the most shocking loss of the Saban era at Alabama, a game which saw the Crimson Tide upset at home by Louisiana Monroe, 21-14. In the shocking upset, Lancaster completed 14-of-24 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown.

Brandon Cox, Auburn Tigers

Saban's first Iron Bowl at Alabama featured a 17-10 road loss at Auburn, a game that Cox started for the Tigers. Cox completed 12-of-22 passes in that year's Iron Bowl for 117 yards and an interception, while also rushing for a score.

Tim Tebow, Florida Gators

Alabama's first-of-two losses during the 2008 season came against Florida in that year's SEC Championship Game, a game which saw the Crimson Tide fall 31-20 in a top five showdown. The Heisman Trophy winning quarterback completed 14-of-22 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns in the win, while also leading the Gators in rushing with 57 yards on 17 attempts.

Brian Johnson, Utah Utes

Johnson led Utah to a 31-17 win over Alabama in the 2008 Sugar Bowl, a game which featured a pair of teams who were ranked in the Top 10. In the win, Johnson completed 27-of-41 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns.

Stephen Garcia, South Carolina Gamecocks

After not losing in 2009, Alabama's next loss did not come until midway through 2010 when the defending national champion Crimson Tide were upset in Columbia by South Carolina in a Top 25 showdown, 35-21. Garcia completed 17-of-20 passes for 201 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in the win, while also rushing for 11 yards on seven attempts.

Jordan Jefferson, LSU Tigers

A game where Jarrett Lee also saw action, Jefferson led LSU to a Top 10 home win over Alabama in 2010, 24-21. In the home win, Jefferson completed 10-of-13 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 27 yards on seven attempts.

Cam Newton, Auburn Tigers

Newton, the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, led Auburn to a comeback 28-27 victory in Tuscaloosa in the 2010 Iron Bowl, a Tigers team that later went on to win the national championship as well. The Auburn signal caller had a big day despite the Tigers' slow start, completing 13-of-20 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 39 yards and a score on 22 attempts.

Jordan Jefferson, LSU Tigers

Jefferson became the first opposing quarterback to defeat Saban's Alabama twice back in 2011, doing so during the infamous "Game of the Century" in Tuscaloosa between the nation's top two teams. A game won by LSU, 9-6, this matchup also featured Jarrett Lee seeing action, with Jefferson completing 6-of-10 passes for 67 yards, while also rushing for 43 yards on 11 attempts.

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Aggies

Manziel announced himself to the college football world during Texas A&M's 2012 trip to Tuscaloosa, a game which saw the Aggies win a Top 25 matchup, 29-24. The eventual Heisman Trophy winner, Manziel completed 24-of-31 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the Aggies in rushing with 92 yards on 18 attempts.

Nick Marshall, Auburn Tigers

One of the most memorable Iron Bowl's off all-time, Marshall led Auburn to a 34-28 win over Alabama in a top five, high-stakes matchup at the end of the 2013 regular season. A game Auburn won via the "Kick Six" on the final play, Marshall completed 11-of-16 passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 99 yards and a score on 17 attempts.

Trevor Knight, Oklahoma Sooners

In the next game following the aforementioned loss at Auburn, Alabama's 2013 season ended with a 45-31 upset loss to Oklahoma and Knight in that year's Sugar Bowl. Knight completed 32-of-44 passes for 348 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in the win, while also rushing for seven yards.

Bo Wallace, Ole Miss Rebels

Alabama's first loss of the 2014 campaign came in Oxford when the Crimson Tide were upset by Wallace and Ole Miss in a Top 15 matchup, 23-17. Wallace completed 18-of-31 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 32 yards.

Cardale Jones, Ohio State Buckeyes

Jones introduced himself to the college football world back in 2014 when the Ohio State backup led the Buckeyes to a 42-35 win in that season's CFP Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl. In the win, Jones completed 18-of-35 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown, and an interception, while also rushing for 43 yards on 17 attempts.

Chad Kelly, Ole Miss Rebels

Alabama's lone defeat of their 2015 national title winning season came at the hands of Ole Miss in Tuscaloosa, when Kelly led the Rebels to a 43-37 upset of Alabama in a Top 15 showdown. Kelly, who rushed for 21 yards and a score in the game, completed 18-of-33 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns.

Deshaun Watson, Clemson Tigers

After falling to Alabama the year before, Watson and No. 2 Clemson topped the No. 1 Crimson Tide in the 2016 CFP national championship game, 35-31. A game which Clemson won in the final seconds, Watson completed 36-of-56 passes for 420 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 43 yards and a score on 21 attempts.

Jarrett Stidham, Auburn Tigers

Stidham and the Tigers defeated Alabama during a high-stakes, Top 10 Iron Bowl showdown in Auburn during 2017, 26-14. The Auburn quarterback completed 21-of-28 passes for 237 yards, with Stidham also rushing for 51 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts.

Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Tigers

Alabama's lone defeat during the 2018 season came in the CFP national championship game against Clemson, a No. 2 ranked Tigers team which defeated the No. 1 Crimson Tide in blowout fashion, 44-16. Lawrence enjoyed a strong showing against the Alabama defense by completing 20-of-32 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 27 yards on six attempts.

Joe Burrow, LSU Tigers

Burrow, the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, led LSU to a 46-41 road win at Alabama during the 2019 season, with both teams ranked within the top five nationally at the time. The Tigers' signal caller completed 31-of-39 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns in the win for the eventual national champions, while also rushing for 64 yards on 14 attempts.

Bo Nix, Auburn Tigers

Nix and Auburn upset Alabama at home in the 2019 Iron Bowl, with the Tigers winning the Top 15 matchup, 48-45. The Auburn quarterback completed 15-of-30 passes in the win for 173 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 44 yards and another score.

Zach Calzada, Texas A&M Aggies

Alabama's first loss during the 2021 season came on the road in College Station when the top ranked Crimson Tide were upset by an unranked Texas A&M team led by Calzada, 41-38. A game the Aggies won on a field goal as time expired, Calzada completed 21-of-31 passes for 285 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, rushing for 12 yards also.

Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia defeated Alabama in the 2021 CFP national championship game, 33-18, with Bennett leading the Bulldogs in the win. In the win, Bennett completed 17-of-26 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee Volunteers

Alabama's first loss of the 2022 season came in Knoxville against Tennessee in a high-scoring, Top 10 showdown, 52-49. Hooker completed 21-of-30 passes for 385 yards, five touchdowns, and an interception in the win, while also rushing for 56 yards on 14 attempts.

Jayden Daniels, LSU Tigers

Alabama's other loss during the 2022 season also came on the final play when LSU upset the Crimson Tide in a Top 10 showdown in Baton Rouge, 32-31. Daniels had a big showing on the ground by rushing for 95 yards and a score on 18 attempts, while also completing 22-of-32 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

Quinn Ewers, Texas Longhorns

Saban's final season at Alabama in 2023 featured two losses, the first of which came at home when the Crimson Tide were upset by Texas in a Top 15 matchup, 34-24. Ewers led the Longhorns that day by completing 24-of-38 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 11 yards.

JJ McCarthy, Michigan Wolverines

Saban's final loss as head coach at Alabama came against No. 1 Michigan in the CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl, a 27-20 loss to the Wolverines in overtime. McCarthy was the starting quarterback for Michigan in that game, as the Wolverines' signal caller completed 17-of-27 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 25 yards.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Every quarterback to defeat Alabama football during Nick Saban era

Retiring great George North will play his final professional game for Barbarians against Wales at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.

The 34-year-old announced in April he will retire from professional rugby at the end of this season and will finish his glittering career with a first Baa-Baas appearance on Saturday, 27 June (14:00 BST).

"It's always been a dream of mine to play for the Barbarians so to be invited now, for a game at Twickenham, against Wales is incredible," said North.

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

The wing or centre also toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2013 and 2017, playing three Tests and scoring two tries.

After club stints with Scarlets, Northampton Saints and Ospreys, North has spent the past two seasons playing for French second-tier side Provence.

• Van der Merwe and Dee start for Barbarians
• Welsh rugby's ins, outs and re-signings for 2026-27
• Wales prop Assiratti ruled out of summer series

Latest Wales star to finish career with Barbarians

North will link up with the Barbarians squad in London next week after the invitational side have played South Africa on Saturday.

The Wales and Barbarians occasion in Twickenham will be a double-header with the men's game at 14:00 BST followed by the women's game at 17:00 BST.

On the previous occasion that Wales men faced the Barbarians, after the 2023 World Cup, Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric were given a farewell to the Welsh crowd when they lined up for the invitational side at the Principality Stadium.

This time North will be one of the headline acts.

"I have been privileged to enjoy the career I have had, and I have so many unforgettable memories from Wales and friendships to last a lifetime," said North.

"So to go out against my country, with some of my friends and teammates playing is so special.

"To also be able to play alongside some of the best and most exciting players in the world, and to enjoy that famous Barbarians spirit is something I couldn't turn down.

"I can't wait to link up with the boys next week and hopefully we can do something special."

The Barbarians fixture is a warm-up for Wales' Nations Championship Tests against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July.

A lot of American teams have captured the imagination of fans and earned such monikers as the “Dream Team.” But none is quite like the gathering of soccer talent that thrashed Paraguay 4-1 on June 12 and will take on Australia on June 19 in its second World Cup match. 

It goes by the rather ordinary name of U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT). But there’s nothing ordinary about this diverse assortment of brash, driven, articulate, enterprising, hip, multilingual and immensely likable young men who defy convention and sneer at boundaries.  

They cut quite the figure, to say the least, with their fascinating backgrounds and engaging stories. 

From a son of a former president to a striker who got an assist from the 14th Amendment

One of them, winger Tim Weah, has four nationalities and is the son of a former president ‒ George Weah, who led Liberia from 2018-24 and who also was once FIFA World Player of the Year. 

Another, winger and midfielder Christian Pulisic, chartered a jet in 2016 to get to his high school prom in Pennsylvania. (Don’t we all?) It then brought him back to Kansas City the next day in time for him to score against Bolivia. 

Midfielder Weston McKennie is equal parts comic and keen analyst of the human condition. Defensive midfielder Tyler Adams answers questions – including hostile ones from Iranian media at the 2022 World Cup ‒ with such grace, aplomb and insight that he’s a good bet to be our president someday. 

Goalkeeper Matt Freese is a Harvard man, in a sport where few players go to any college. And El Paso, Texas, native and striker Ricardo Pepi chose to play for the USA even though his father dreamed for him to pick Mexico. 

Then there is striker Folarin Balogun, the accidental American who scored twice against Paraguay and has been an absolute breakout phenomenon in 2026. He has rarely set foot on our shores, but he's eligible to play for us because he was born in New York City ‒ a fact that he attributes to airline employees not allowing his pregnant mom to board a flight back to London in the summer of 2001. Credit birthright citizenship for the assist.

Your Turn: I'm excited for the World Cup. Soccer is our greatest sport. | Opinion Forum

'You had the choice to choose, and you chose America'

In all its insane glory, the USMNT is an apt metaphor for the United States, a nation growing more diverse by the moment and increasingly interconnected with the world. The team didn’t get this way by accident.

Though soccer has grown increasingly popular, the United States is still very much a football-basketball-baseball country at the youth development level ‒ meaning that, in one way or another, the members of this U.S. men's soccer team have had to try harder than other professional athletes to get where they are. 

Opinion: 'Pay to play' system hurts US chances to win World Cup

There are basically two types who dominate the roster:

The first grows up in Europe, holding U.S. citizenship through a parent or place of birth, and takes advantage of its many developmental academies that feed directly into top teams. In this category is forward Sergiño Dest. His mother is Dutch, his father Surinamese American. Apart from brief stints in Spain and Italy, he has lived in the Netherlands his entire life. 

When it came time to pick a national team, most observers assumed he'd go Dutch ‒ for the convenience, for the chance to play for a global soccer power and because its national team really wanted him. But it had been the U.S. soccer federation that had given him a chance on its underage teams, including stints at FIFA Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups. While on those teams, he developed deep loyalties – and deep friendships.  

In a recent HBO documentary, Dest's father, a Vietnam War veteran, explained how he sees things: “You’re more American if you’re not born (here). Because you had the choice to choose, and you chose America.” 

The other type of player is raised in the USA and somehow makes it work through sheer will power and an insatiable desire to be different. Eventually, he makes his way to Europe about the time his peers are finishing high school. 

Center back Chris Richards is a great example. He was drawn to soccer while growing up on the farthest planet from the American soccer galaxy: Alabama.

As he told the "Men in Blazers" podcast, “I felt like an outsider because I was the only kid who wasn’t playing football. But it wasn’t just that. It was that I was the only Black kid that was playing soccer.” 

Despite the challenges, Richards did so well that, at 18, he found himself at the club perched at pretty much the pinnacle of European football, FC Bayern Munich. There, he was battling people from around the world for precious few roster spots. 

In an odd way, Richards' Alabama struggles made things easier: “I finally was seeing people that looked like me playing the sport I loved.”

It is people like these who make the national team so easy to like. They come to the World Cup with the not-so-modest dual mandate of showing the world that the USA is a legit soccer power and exploding on the domestic scene with such force as to drive up interest in their beloved sport.  

No, nothing ordinary about them. Just extraordinary.  

Dan Carney is a former editorial writer for USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup 2026 USMNT players are apt metaphor for America | Opinion

Bill Belichick once had to solve one of the strangest Patriots problems imaginable: replacing $5,000 worth of spoiled milk for Tom Brady.

The story, which resurfaced online this week, dates back to Belichick’s account of Antonio Brown’s short stay in New England. Brown lasted just 11 days with the Patriots in 2019, but still managed to cause a very expensive problem.

It all started because Brown, who was staying with Brady at the time, wanted to send him a nutrition-related gift.

Tom Brady $5,000 milk story resurfaces from Patriots chaos

dank on X shared the resurfaced clip of Belichick explaining how the Patriots ended up replacing the spoiled delivery.

Belichick said: “Tom’s very nutrition oriented. Antonio ordered this special milk for Brady. Cost $5,000”

He then explained how the gift became a problem inside the building: “To make a long story short, it got mixed up and ended up in the mail room for too long. The milk went bad”

That left the Patriots with a very unusual decision. Belichick said: “So we go out and get $5,000 worth of this special milk and give it to Brady from Antonio. And now we turn in an expense report for $5,000 worth of milk”

The reason was pure locker-room diplomacy. Belichick added: “I didn’t want to ruin the relationship between Brown and Brady on this spoiled milk. So we spent $5,000 to replace this milk”

Brady diet made absurd Patriots story feel believable

The exact type of milk has never been publicly revealed, which may be the funniest part of the story. Brady is famously strict about nutrition, but dairy has never been central to his TB12 approach.

His diet has long been described as mostly plant-based and anti-inflammatory, avoiding dairy, gluten, white sugar, alcohol and processed foods. Brady has also become known for unusual staples such as avocado ice cream and intense hydration routines.

That made Brown’s expensive gesture oddly logical. He was trying to connect with Brady in the language Brady cared about: preparation, health and routine.

Instead, the Patriots ended up paying thousands to keep a new receiver and franchise quarterback from starting their relationship with spoiled milk.

Read more:

As a new Premier League season edges closer, with fixtures released on Friday, much attention will turn to the title race.

At the top of the table, Arsenal will aim to retain the title after ending a 22-year Premier League trophy drought, and they will face uncertain challenges from Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, given all three clubs will have new coaches at the helm.

In a post-Pep Guardiola era at Man City, it’s still unclear who will manage the team next term, while Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot at Liverpool, and Xabi Alonso comes in for Liam Rosenior at Chelsea.

Could there be surprise challengers, though? Below, we look at five games that could decide the 2026/27 Premier League title race.

Man City v Arsenal, 30/1/2027

It would’ve been easy to use both of Arsenal’s clashes with their main title rivals as two of the five games here, but we’ll go with the second of the two. Arsenal host Man City in November, but this rematch at the Etihad Stadium in late January might come at a more telling time – and in a more difficult place for the Gunners.

As impressive as their title triumph was last season, Mikel Arteta’s Reds did not beat City in any competition. That will be one area where Arsenal will aim to improve this season, and an away victory over City could make for a statement – and three important points. Conversely, a City win could give the Manchester side a mental edge over Arsenal, as it has appeared to do in certain moments in the last few years.

Arsenal v Liverpool, 6/2/2027

Again, we’re working on the assumption that Liverpool will be in the title race, or at least a threat to the sides running it. Arsenal hosting Andoni Iraola’s men (assuming the new coach is still in place by then?!) could be a tantalising showdown, and early February is certainly deep enough into the season that you start running out of opportunities to claw back points, if you lose. This one should be fun, and hopefully it’s important, too.

Chelsea v Man City, 24/4/27

We’re getting late in the season now, just a month before the final weekend. It’ll be interesting to see whether Alonso’s Chelsea are in contention, and the same with Man City given we don’t know for sure who will be replacing Guardiola yet. Again, it’s even possible that Alonso’s reign will have come to an abrupt end by this point, knowing Chelsea, but this match could be pivotal if these different shades of Blues are in the running for the title – or even if just one of them is.

Arsenal v Tottenham, 1/5/2027

The north London derby, surely another feisty rendition and a potential banana skin for Arsenal. Who knows what exactly Tottenham will have to play for, too; at this stage last season, they were desperate for points in a bid to avoid relegation, so will it be similar next year, or will they even be vying for European football – or something greater? Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, but this game could be impactful either way.

Man City v Liverpool, 8/5/2027

Almost always a thrilling fixture, and just a couple of weeks before the end of the season? Corrr. Let’s hope there’s still something on the line for either or both teams by this point, because if so, we could be looking at an instant classic.

The Premier League has revealed its fixture list for the 2026/27 season.

The opening day will take place on the weekend of August 22 with the final matchday on May 30.

Here are the opening day fixtures with reigning champions Arsenal taking on newly-promoted Coventry.

Pep Guardiola-less Manchester City play Bournemouth while Liverpool travel to Newcastle.

The final day sees Arsenal host Brighton, City go to Sunderland and Manchester United take on Fulham.

Arsenal will kick off the defence of their Premier League title against newly-promoted Coventry City on the opening night of the 2026/27 campaign.

Having won their first top-flight crown in more than two decades, Mikel Arteta’s champions host Frank Lampard’s side at the Emirates Stadium on Friday 21 August in the first fixture of the new season.

It is a demanding start for Coventry, back in the Premier League after 25 years away, with a trip to Manchester City in the third round of fixtures.

Hull, meanwhile, host Manchester United in their first game after promotion via the play-offs, while Ipswich take on Sunderland on the opening Saturday of the season.

New Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola faces an early reunion with Bournemouth as the two sides meet on 19 September, while the Basque manager is also set to face his former club on the final day of the season, 30 May 2027.

A full array of Boxing Day fixtures is set to return to the schedule with Lampard and Coventry up against Chelsea, now managed by Xabi Alonso.

The two North London derbies will be held on 5 December and 1 May with Tottenham seeking a better campaign under Roberto De Zerbi.

Everton host Liverpool at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on 28 November before travelling across Merseyside on 30 January – a week before Iraola’s team take on Arsenal in a potentially pivotal period.

Manchester City, who are primed to appoint Enzo Maresca as successor to Pep Guardiola, begin against Bournemouth on Sunday 23 August and take on cross-town rivals Manchester United on 12 September.

Michael Carrick is now in permanent charge at Old Trafford, and is perhaps afforded a kind start against promoted Hull and Ipswich.

There are 33 weekend rounds and five midweek sets of fixtures across the season, although plenty will be subject to change with nine Premier League clubs in European competition.

Sky Sports and TNT Sports will again share television coverage, with the former channel showing at least 215 exclusively live games including the Boxing Day action.

A French appeals court confirmed Friday that Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco star player Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case, lawyers told The Associated Press.

The defender, who is currently playing with Morocco at the World Cup after winning the Champions League for a second straight year with PSG, had appealed a February decision by an investigative judge. That ruling followed recommendations from public prosecutors that Hakimi should face trial.

The Versailles appeals court’s decision was released just hours before Morocco takes on Scotland in their Group C match. Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil in its opening game.

Hakimi, one of the best right backs in the world, denies any wrongdoing. He faced preliminary charges of rape in March 2023 after a 24-year-old woman said she was raped by Hakimi at his home in a Paris suburb.

Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, said that after more than three years of legal proceedings, “and after being defamed and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi’s defense,” the court's decision “brings my client a sense of relief and hope."

“Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have her case heard at trial,” Pardo said in a statement to the AP. "Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including within the world of men’s football.”

Hakimi claimed in a message posted on X on Friday that his case would have been dismissed if he had not been famous, and that he sometimes feels he has become “an easy target.”

“Justice looked me in the eye and told me: ‘If you were not famous, there would never have been a case,’" Hakimi wrote. “I chose to remain silent for years. I believed that staying dignified, being patient, and trusting the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.”

He added that the case has been detrimental not only to him, but also to his family, “and above all, to the truth.”

“I have been waiting for this trial since the first day. And I am now waiting for it impatiently,” he added. “Finally, I will be able to speak.”

A date for the trial has yet to be announced.

“The multitude of exculpatory elements uncovered during the investigation and judicial inquiry would, in any other case, have led to the dismissal of the proceedings," Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, told the AP.

“Achraf Hakimi’s defense regrets that no consequences were drawn from the contradictions and false statements made by the complainant, her concealment of information from the judicial authorities, her obstruction of the search for the truth, and the psychological assessments noting both her ambivalence and her lack of clarity regarding the events she reported.”

___

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

Newly promoted Coventry City will travel to champions Arsenal in the first match of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

The season's curtain raiser on Friday, 21 August sees the Sky Blues play their first top-flight match in 25 years against the Gunners, who were led to their first Premier League title since 2004 by Mikel Arteta.

Hull City, who went up via the play-offs, host Manchester United on Saturday, 22 August while fellow promoted side Ipswich are at home to Sunderland on the same day.

Manchester City begin life without Pep Guardiola at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, 23 August, who also start the campaign with a new manager in Marco Rose.

Liverpool's first match under Andoni Iraola, who replaced the sacked Arne Slot after leaving the Cherries, is away at Newcastle on the same day.

Chelsea start life under Xabi Alonso away at Fulham on Monday, 24 September, with the Cottagers also still to appoint a new manager after Marco Silva's departure.

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Full list of Premier League opening-weekend fixtures

All times BST

Friday, 21 August

Arsenal v Coventry (20:00)

Saturday, 22 August

Hull City v Manchester United (12:30)

Everton v Crystal Palace (15:00)

Ipswich v Sunderland (15:00)

Nottingham Forest v Leeds (15:00)

Brentford v Tottenham (17:30)

Sunday, 23 August

Brighton v Aston Villa (14:00)

Manchester City v Bournemouth (14:00)

Liverpool v Newcastle (16:30)

Monday, 24 August

Fulham v Chelsea (20:00)

When does the Premier League season start?

The new campaign will start on Friday, 21 August - 34 days after the World Cup final in the United States.

The Premier League season will end on Sunday, 30 May 2027, with the Champions League final six days later.

Both the start and end dates of the 2026-27 season are later than usual as a result of the World Cup.

There will be 33 rounds of weekend fixtures next term, with the remaining five taking place midweek.

The Premier League has said the schedule will be designed to "avoid domestic competition clashes with Uefa competition dates, wherever possible".

A joint-record nine Premier League teams have qualified for European competition next season.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool will play in the Champions League.

Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace will feature in the Europa League, with Brighton qualifying for the Conference League.

During the Christmas and New Year period, no two rounds of matches will take place within 60 hours of each other in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address congested schedules.

Rather than the traditional three two-week international breaks during the opening months of the season, there will now be two.

September and October's international breaks will merge into a new three-week break beginning after the weekend of September 19/20, while November's two-week international break will remain.

Key things to look out for this season

There will be a change in the way Premier League referees judge hair-pulling next season after three players were sent off for the offence in 2025-26.

All three red cards for hair-pulling came through a video assistant referee review, but from next season, not every time a player is seen to pull an opponent's hair will they be dismissed.

Instead, greater emphasis will be placed on both the level of force and the intention.

Referees will be told to look for a "clear and deliberate action" which has "excessive force and/or brutality".

The change is intended to give more latitude to players who may accidentally hold on to an opponent's hair.

In addition, officials will be asked to place a greater emphasis on grappling and holding inside the area after it became commonplace on corners and set-pieces.

Referees will be told to pay much more attention to "holding actions that have clear material impact".

This includes players who are "clearly only focused on opponents and making a holding action".

A solution to stop goalkeeper "tactical timeouts" is also set to be introduced.

The tactic is used by managers to get new instructions to their players or to impact the momentum of the opposition.

The goalkeeper sits on the turf and signals for the physio and the other players rush to the technical area for a team talk.

The Premier League is discussing a solution before the new season while a new law to tackle general time-wasting by goalkeepers will be introduced.

If keepers delay a restart on a goal-kick, a referee can start a five-second countdown. If time runs out, the opposition will be given a corner.

The measures were agreed at the Premier League AGM earlier this month.

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Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes (21), with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting that new Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi is actively pushing to secure the Portuguese international – a development that meaningfully complicates Manchester United’s pursuit of the player ahead of what is shaping up to be a competitive auction at West Ham’s £80 million valuation.

This is a manager-driven push, not passive monitoring – Ornstein’s phrasing is deliberate. De Zerbi, who inherited a Tottenham squad in need of significant midfield quality after two difficult seasons, has identified Fernandes as a priority and the club are reported to be ready to back him. That framing, from a journalist of Ornstein’s standing, elevates Spurs from interested bystander to credible competitor overnight.

🔴 Follow Stretty News on Google as a preferred source and be first with every United update.

United’s position in the Fernandes pursuit

United’s interest in Fernandes is well established and predates this latest complication. Stretty News covered United’s detailed scouting of the player earlier this summer, and Michael Carrick’s side have since opened formal talks with his representatives, positioning themselves as the frontrunners before Real Madrid, PSG, and now Spurs escalated their own interest.

The structural challenge has always been West Ham’s asking price. The Hammers paid an initial £38 million for Fernandes only last summer and, despite relegation, are under no particular financial pressure to sell below their £80 million valuation. INEOS, for their part, have been engaged in talks with West Ham but are reportedly reluctant to open anywhere near that figure, with internal discussions anchored closer to £60 million and an expectation that the Hammers’ stance would soften over time.

That calculation looks more precarious now. Arsenal’s withdrawal from the race narrowed the realistic competition considerably, but Tottenham’s entry – particularly with a manager prepared to push hard – restores the auction dynamic United were hoping to avoid. Fernandes himself is reported to favour Old Trafford, keen to play alongside Bruno Fernandes, but player preference only carries so much weight when a club is willing to meet the asking price in full.

The De Zerbi factor and what Tottenham’s push actually means

De Zerbi’s tactical profile makes Fernandes a logical fit. The 21-year-old offers the kind of dynamic, press-resistant ball-carrying from central areas that De Zerbi has consistently prioritised throughout his managerial career, and a manager of his profile identifying a specific target publicly through Ornstein is not a throwaway signal. Tottenham are reported to be willing to go to the full £80 million – a number United have thus far declined to match.

The question of Champions League football is also relevant here. Both clubs are competing in Europe next season, so there is no obvious competitive distinction that would push Fernandes toward United purely on that basis. The player’s personal preference for Old Trafford remains the clearest structural advantage United hold, but INEOS will need to move with more urgency than their current negotiating posture suggests if that preference is to be converted into a signed contract.

Alas, United have been here before – watching a primary transfer target drift toward a rival while holding firm on valuation, only to lose the player and restart the search entirely. The window after losing Elliot Anderson and being priced out of Sandro Tonali does not allow much further margin for error in the midfield rebuild Carrick needs.

What happens next

The immediate pressure point is whether Tottenham formalise their interest with a concrete offer at or near West Ham’s valuation, which would force United’s hand significantly. West Ham have every incentive to let the two clubs compete – a bidding war serves their interests directly, and they have shown no inclination to grant United preferential access simply because talks opened earlier.

It remains to be seen whether INEOS accelerate their timeline and table a formal bid before Tottenham can do so, or whether their insistence on negotiating down from £80 million hands De Zerbi the opportunity to move decisively and end the pursuit on Spurs’ terms.

Best goals of the season – FC Barcelona
Grab the popcorn and settle in to watch a selection of goals of the highest quality from the 2025/26 season.

Barça are counting on Raphinha’s desire to stay – Mundo Deportivo
The Brazilian has a prominent place in Barcelona’s plans for the new season despite the signing of Gordon. Barcelona are confident he will stay despite interest from Saudi Arabia and would only sell him if the offer is astronomical.

Fermín sends a hopeful message about his injury – Mundo Deportivo
The Barcelona midfielder, who is missing the World Cup due to a fracture in his right foot, was optimistic on social media.

Van de Ven, the latest center-back linked to Barça – Mundo Deportivo
According to the Telegraaf newspaper, the Dutch international and Tottenham defender has attracted interest from Barcelona and Liverpool after putting his contract renewal on hold.

Javi Guerra, among the players considered by Deco – Mundo Deportivo
The Barcelona sporting director held a meeting with the Valencia player’s representative, with whom he maintains a close relationship and who represents some Barça players.

After Kieran McKenna’s resignation, newly promoted Ipswich Town are on the search for a new manager. On that list, according to a report by Sky Germany, is former Augsburg head coach Sandro Wagner.

What is Sandro Wagner’s coaching style

Starting his tenure with a 3-1 victory at Freiburg, Sandro Wagner’s coaching style was a breath of fresh air for Augsburg fans. High intensity and playing with a purpose, his coaching style has been heavily influenced by Julian Nagelsmann, whom he worked under with the German national team.

A preference to play a 3-4-2-1, Wagner likes to play with two 10s. At Augsburg, it was Mert Kömür and Elias Saad – two technical players who like to play direct football. Clinical on the counter-attack, Augsburg scored three goals from three shots on target, a trait unbeknownst to Die Fuggerstädter followers.

Who is Sandro Wagner?

Born in Munich, Wagner was somewhat a late bloomer during his playing career. Featuring heavily for Hertha Berlin between 2012 and 2015, it wasn’t until his departure for then newly promoted Darmstadt in 2015/16 that Wagner became prolific, scoring 14 goals in 32 Bundesliga games, helping the Hessen club remain in the division. From then, he moved to Hoffenheim, where he struck 15 goals in 42 league games across 18 months which earned him a call up to the German national team at 29 years old before a switch to Bayern Munich at 30 in the second half of the 2017/18 campaign.

Upon his arrival at the Allianz Arena, Wagner scored eight goals in 14 Bundesliga games but he managed just 139 minutes across seven games in 2018/19 before a switch to the Chinese Super League in 2019, where he scored 12 goals in 26 games with Tianjin Teda before his retirement from professional football.

After hanging up his boots, Wagner worked with the DFB as a coach before spending two months as Unterhaching’s U19 head coach. He then coached the first team between 2021 and 2023, averaging 1.96 Points Per Game in the Regionalliga (fourth tier) before returning to the DFB, where he worked under Julian Nagelsmann as an assistant for 23 games.

After announcing his departure from the DFB to pursue a head coaching role in top flight football, Wagner received nothing but praise from his colleagues. “Sandro has brought his full energy to the DFB from the very beginning and has developed enormously in his collaboration with Julian Nagelsmann,” explained DFB sporting director Rudi Völler. Nagelsmann added: “Sandro has enriched our team with his expertise and as a person.”

Wagner was appointed as Augsburg head coach in the summer of 2025 but won just three of his 12 Bundesliga games, drawing one and losing eight while being eliminated by 2. Bundesliga side Bochum in the DFB Pokal second round.

A 3-0 loss against Hoffenheim, their ninth defeat of 2025/26, left Augsburg just two points above the promotion/relegation play-off, which forced Augsburg’s hand, dismissing Wagner in December 2025.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder

Artem Dovbyk and Angelino could leave Roma in the coming weeks.

The Giallorossi’s goal is to cash in on two players who combined for just 1,053 minutes last season.

As reported by Corriere dello Sport, the Roman club would like to earn no less than €30-35 million.

Both Dovbyk and Angelino still have fans in Spain who could make the Friedkins smile.

The Ukrainian striker has made his mark in La Liga, becoming the top scorer for Girona. The 1997-born player is popular with Real Betis Sevilla and also with Villarreal, who have added him to their wish list.

The Giallorossi club doesn’t want to make a capital loss, so they won’t consider offers below €20-25 million. Similar offers are unlikely to arrive this summer.

For Angelino, the situation is different. Gasperini is waiting for him at Trigoria despite strong interest from Spain. Deportivo La Coruña and Real Betis Sevilla have made moves for the former Leipzig player, with Real Betis going beyond a simple request for information and initiating contact with Roma.

Real Betis hasn’t closed the door on a transfer, but an agreement on the terms for any potential negotiations needs to be reached.

The 1997-born player is valued at around €10 million. Developments are awaited, with Betis potentially opening their wallets to attempt a double deal with Dovbyk and Angeliño.

The Premier League fixture list is out for the 2026-27 season and Arsenal’s defence of their crown will begin at the Emirates Stadium against newly-promoted Coventry City on August 21.

After ending their 22-year wait to become champions last season, Mikel Arteta’s side have been handed what appears to be a favourable opening month, although an early trip to Aston Villa and a derby with Chelsea means they will not have long to settle into their title defence.

Following the visit of Coventry, Arsenal travel to Aston Villa before hosting Chelsea on September 5 in the first heavyweight clash involving any of last season’s leading contenders.

While Arsenal face an early London derby, several of their rivals appear to have kinder starts.

Manchester City open against Bournemouth before facing Crystal Palace and Coventry, while Liverpool’s first major challenge comes immediately with a trip to Newcastle. Chelsea travel to Fulham before visiting Arsenal in week three, while Manchester United’s opening standout fixture is the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on September 12.

The fixture computer has also thrown up several dates that could have a huge bearing on the destination of the title.

Liverpool host Manchester City on October 10 in the first meeting between last season’s biggest challengers, before Arsenal travel to Anfield on October 31.

Just four weeks later comes what many expect to be the defining fixture of the first half of the season as Arsenal host Manchester City at the Emirates on November 28.

That match sits right in the middle of what looks Arsenal’s most demanding spell. Between the end of October and early February, the champions face Liverpool twice, Manchester City twice, Tottenham and Manchester United.

If Arteta’s side are still leading the table by February, they will have negotiated arguably the toughest stretch of fixtures facing any of the leading contenders.

The festive schedule could also play a major role. Boxing Day takes Arsenal away to Crystal Palace, Liverpool head to Hull City, Chelsea visit Coventry and Manchester City face a difficult trip to Newcastle.

Then comes the business end of the season.

The standout fixture in the run-in may be Manchester City against Liverpool on May 8. With only three rounds of matches remaining afterwards, it has all the ingredients of a potential title decider.

Arsenal’s own run-in includes Aston Villa, Tottenham, Everton and Brighton, with the north London Derby at the Emirates on May 1 immediately jumping off the page.

For Chelsea, the challenge comes even later. Xabi Alonso’s side face Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham during the closing weeks of the campaign in what appears the toughest finish of any potential title contender.

For now, though, all eyes are on opening night.

The champions begin at home, the challengers are lining up behind them, and the road to May starts with Arsenal against Coventry under the lights at the Emirates.

Brentford’s fixtures for the 2026/27 Premier League season have been confirmed.

The Bees welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Gtech Community Stadium on the opening weekend and end the campaign with a trip to Chelsea.

Fixture dates and kick-off times remain subject to change. Broadcast selections will be confirmed in due course.

Add Brentford's 2026/27 fixtures to your calendar

Brentford’s 2026/27 Premier League fixture list

August

Saturday 22 August – Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Saturday 29 August – Leeds United (A)

September

Saturday 5 September – Sunderland (H)

Saturday 12 September – Bournemouth (A)

Saturday 19 September – Chelsea (H)

October

Saturday 10 October – Aston Villa (A)

Saturday 17 October – Liverpool (H)

Saturday 24 October – Hull City (A)

Saturday 31 October – Nottingham Forest (H)

November

Saturday 21 November – Everton (H)

Saturday 28 November – Manchester United (A)

December

Wednesday 2 December – Arsenal (H)

Saturday 5 December – Manchester City (H)

Saturday 12 December – Fulham (A)

Saturday 19 December – Newcastle United (H)

Saturday 26 December – Ipswich Town (A)

Wednesday 30 December – Coventry City (A)

January

Saturday 2 January – Crystal Palace (H)

Wednesday 6 January – Arsenal (A)

Saturday 16 January – Brighton and Hove Albion (H)

Saturday 23 January – Everton (A)

Saturday 30 January – Manchester United (H)

February

Saturday 6 February – Nottingham Forest (A)

Wednesday 10 February – Crystal Palace (A)

Saturday 20 February – Coventry City (H)

Saturday 27 February – Newcastle United (A)

March

Wednesday 3 March – Ipswich Town (H)

Saturday 13 March – Sunderland (A)

Saturday 20 March – Bournemouth (H)

April

Saturday 10 April – Tottenham Hotspur (A)

Saturday 17 April – Leeds United (H)

Saturday 24 April – Fulham (H)

May

Saturday 1 May – Manchester City (A)

Saturday 8 May – Aston Villa (H)

Saturday 15 May – Liverpool (A)

Sunday 23 May – Hull City (H)

Sunday 30 May – Chelsea (A)

Add Brentford's 2026/27 fixtures to your calendar

• Incoming manager Enzo Maresca and Manchester City have now found out their first opponents for the 2026/27 Premier League season.
• The brand new season will get underway on the weekend of Saturday 22 August, 2026.
• City will be hoping to win the English top-flight crown for the first time since the 2023/24 season.

Manchester City have now discovered their opponents for the opening week of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign after the unveiling of the full season schedule.

Incoming manager Enzo Maresca and the changes to be made to the first-team squad roster throughout the course of the summer will no doubt have one eye on winning back the Premier League title.

Manchester City, having won the English top-flight four seasons in a row culminating in the 2023/24 campaign, have now gone without the leading prize in back-to-back seasons despite a domestic cup double success in the last year of Pep Guardiola’s 10-year tenure.

The ongoing summer transfer window is expected to see significant big-money business from sporting director Hugo Viana once more, with Nottingham Forest’s potentially record-breaking transfer for Elliot Anderson to the Etihad Stadium being a major talking point.

Elsewhere, there has been a belief that City could also look towards Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali as another summer deal, although the Italian’s arrival could depend on outgoings with uncertain futures for the likes of Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders, and Mateo Kovacic.

On the contractual renewal front, Manchester City are believed to be closing in on formal announcements for fresh deals for all of Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, and Jeremy Doku, while an extension offer is understood to be on the table for Rodri.

Jack Gaughan confirms new Manchester City contract for Josko Gvardiol

Aside from the doubts circling over the futures of the aforementioned midfield contingent, there could be movement for the likes of James Trafford, Ruben Dias, Rico Lewis, Savinho, and Omar Marmoush.

Looking back on the last campaign, Manchester City finished 2nd to eventual Premier League champions Arsenal, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup against the Gunners and Chelsea respectively, whilst exiting the Champions League at the last-16 stage.

And as the Premier League announce their full preliminary fixture list for the brand new campaign kicking off in August, Manchester City have found out their first opponents will be Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 23 August, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 (UK) live on Sky Sports.

Full Premier League 2026/27 Gameweek One Schedule

23/08/2026 – 14:00 – Manchester City vs Bournemouth

This is a developing story. More to follow.

Opening day, derby dates, festive football and the final run-in - Brentford’s 2026/27 Premier League fixtures are confirmed.

The Bees begin the season at home to Tottenham Hotspur and end the campaign with a trip to Chelsea.

Take a look at some of the standout dates from the season ahead.

Add Brentford's 2026/27 fixtures to your calendar

First game of the season

Saturday 22 August – Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Tottenham Hotspur are the visitors to Gtech Community Stadium on the opening day. This game ended in a goalless draw last term.

West London derbies

Saturday 19 September – Chelsea (H)

Saturday 12 December – Fulham (A)

Saturday 24 April – Fulham (H)

Sunday 30 May – Chelsea (A)

Bees fans won’t have to wait long for the first west London derby, as Keith Andrews’ side take on Chelsea at the Gtech on Saturday 19 September.

A late equaliser from Fábio Carvalho secured a point for Brentford in a 2-2 draw in the corresponding fixture last season.

The Bees’ first meeting with Fulham comes at Craven Cottage on Saturday 12 December.

Festive fixtures

Saturday 19 December – Newcastle United (H)

Saturday 26 December – Ipswich Town (A)

Wednesday 30 December – Coventry City (A)

Saturday 2 January – Crystal Palace (H)

Brentford face newly promoted Ipswich Town on Boxing Day.

Kevin Schade headed in the only goal of the game to earn the Bees a victory on their last visit to Portman Road in May 2025.

The first fixture of 2027 sees the Bees host Crystal Palace.

Final game of the season

Sunday 30 May – Chelsea (A)

Brentford end their 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a short trip to Chelsea.

A happy hunting ground in recent seasons, the Bees have won three of their last five fixtures at Stamford Bridge.

Add Brentford's 2026/27 fixtures to your calendar

Ibrahima Konaté (27) has completed a move to Real Madrid on a four-year contract after leaving Liverpool when his deal expired at the end of June, The Athletic report. The French centre-back arrives at the Bernabéu as a free transfer, ending a five-year spell at Anfield that began with his £40 million move from RB Leipzig in 2021.

Los Blancos move quickly once it became clear Konaté would not be renewing at Liverpool, with ESPN reporting that Madrid were the first club to make a formal approach once his exit became likely. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and interests from Saudi Arabia had also been monitoring the situation, but none moved with the same conviction or speed as Madrid, who had been tracking Konaté for the better part of a year according to sources across Spanish football media.

Konaté joins as Real Madrid prioritise long-term defensive depth

At 27, Konaté arrives in his prime and represents exactly the kind of signing Madrid have been pursuing as part of a wider summer rebuild – a proven performer at the highest level who adds both physicality and defensive intelligence to the backline. His 183 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions offer the kind of track record Los Blancos demanded for a long-term commitment.

As previously covered on Football Espana, Madrid’s interest in Konaté was partly framed around finding a long-term solution at centre-back – a need that has been a recurring concern since David Alaba’s prolonged injury absence disrupted their defensive planning. Konaté’s ability to play as either a right-sided or left-sided centre-back gives the coaching staff genuine flexibility in how they construct the pairing.

The timing of the deal also reflects a degree of patience on Madrid’s part. Diario AS report that conversations with Konaté’s camp had been ongoing since 2023, though they stalled at various points before finally reaching a conclusion once Liverpool formally confirmed in May 2026 that he would not be extending. Madrid’s reconsideration of the move amid Chelsea interest had added an element of late competition, though Los Blancos ultimately held firm.

Konaté departs Liverpool after five seasons and four honours

Liverpool confirmed in May 2026 that Konaté would leave upon contract expiry, drawing a line under what had become months of fruitless extension talks. He departs having won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and two Carabao Cups during his time at Anfield – a return that underlines why his exit has been framed in the English press as a significant loss rather than a straightforward departure.

The failure to secure a renewal, and the resulting loss without any transfer fee, mirrors a pattern of contract-related departures that Liverpool have been criticised for managing poorly. Whether the club move decisively to sign a replacement in this window remains an open question, though the gap in their defensive depth is apparent.

What Konaté’s arrival means for Real Madrid’s summer

Konaté’s signing sits within a broader defensive reshuffle at the Bernabéu. Antonio Rüdiger’s recent contract extension confirmed Madrid’s intent to retain their existing core while adding to it, and Konaté now slots into a centre-back group that has been deliberately reshaped with longevity in mind. The two signings together suggest the club are not relying on short-term fixes.

The free transfer nature of the deal also matters in a broader financial context. Landing a player of Konaté’s standing without a fee frees up transfer budget that Madrid can redirect elsewhere in the window, whether in midfield or further forward as the rebuild continues.

What next for Konaté at Real Madrid

The next meaningful development will be Konaté’s formal presentation at the Bernabéu and his integration into pre-season preparations, with squad registration expected to be completed without complication given the straightforward free transfer structure. How quickly he establishes himself in the first-choice defensive pairing – and whether his arrival closes off any remaining external targets at centre-back – will define the early weeks of his Madrid career.

The Miami Dolphins will be entering the 2026 with a revamped roster and with a new quarterback at the helm in Malik Willis. The oddsmakers do not think highly of the Dolphins this season and if they end with a top pick in the first round, they are probably looking to draft a new quarterback for the future. However, if Willis can win a few extra games and look competent, he may have proven he can be the Dolphins starter heading forward.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.

Miami Dolphins Q&A: 10 Questions That Will Define 2026, Part 2 of 10
What does a ‘successful’ 2026 season look like for Malik Willis?

Dolphins Running Backs

Dolphins RB Jaylen Wright leaves no doubt how he feels about a key shift that’s been taking place recently among NFL running backs
The ex-Tennessee star is thankful for his Miami teammate’s recent big news.

Dolphins Tight Ends

Dolphins’ Greg Dulcich, developing chemistry with Malik Willis, can build on 2025 momentum
There are a number of things going for Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich heading into the 2026 season.

The team leading the charge with the NFL’s hottest trend may hold the ticket to roster upgrade for the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins could use some extra help at plenty of positions — and one team elsewhere has a surplus worth watching.

Dolphins Offensive Line

Dolphins sign new tackle prospect after parting ways with two linemen
After parting ways with two offensive tackles earlier in the week, the Miami Dolphins found a replacement Wednesday.

Phinsider News You May Have Missed

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Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

Rich Eisen a fan of Dolphins rebuild so far | The Phinsider
Eisen thinks Dolphins are making right decisions this offseason.

Dolphins sign UFL offensive lineman
Gottlieb Ayedze signs with Dolphins.

Miami Dolphins Discussion: New Blood On The Defense Edition
We ask Miami Dolphins fans which new players on the defense they are most excited to see play.

Did Denver Broncos lay blueprint for Miami Dolphins offseason strategy?
Dolphins willing to incur record-breaking dead cap charges due to Broncos quick turnaround, according to poll.

Could the Dolphins be getting new uniforms in 2027?
Rumors are circling that the Dolphins may get a uniform redesign in 2027.

Miami Dolphins Discussion: 2026 Season Hopes Vs Expectations Edition
We ask Miami Dolphins fans what their hopes vs their expectations are for the upcoming NFL season.

AC Milan is delighted to announce that Sandra Estévez Ogalla has extended her contract with the Club until 30 June 2029. The goalkeeper (born in 2002) joined the Rossonere last summer and, since then, has shown total professionalism, commitment and team spirit. Always ready and available at any given moment, Sandra has put in some solid performances, thereby backing up her worth both on and off the pitch.

Real Madrid’s Enzo Fernández Interest Puts Chelsea on Alert

Madrid admire Chelsea midfielder

Real Madrid’s summer rebuild appears to be moving with familiar purpose, and Chelsea may soon find themselves watching one of their most expensive assets drift into the conversation. According to ESPN, Enzo Fernández is among the midfield options admired at the Bernabéu, with Madrid looking to add another central player and a centre back before José Mourinho’s first season back in charge.

Madrid have already announced the signings of Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konaté, with Denzel Dumfries expected to follow. That is not tinkering. That is reconstruction. It is also the sort of aggressive, heavyweight recruitment drive that tends to unsettle players elsewhere.

Fernández, currently with Argentina at the World Cup, has long been admired by Madrid. ESPN report that the club have tracked him since his Benfica days, before Chelsea paid a British record fee to bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

Enzo Fernández price makes deal difficult

Chelsea, understandably, would not make this easy. ESPN report that the club would expect around £120 million if Fernández tried to force an exit this summer. That figure matters because it changes the nature of Madrid’s interest. Admiration is one thing. A nine figure transfer is quite another.

Madrid are also said to be considering cheaper alternatives, including West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi. That suggests this is still an assessment phase, rather than a deal approaching conclusion.

Photo IMAGO

Even so, Chelsea supporters will not ignore one line in particular. ESPN claim Fernández would welcome a move to Madrid, while Mourinho is described as an important backer of the deal.

That combination gives the story weight. A player with interest, a manager with influence and a club with a need rarely sit quietly in the market for long.

Chelsea face familiar transfer pressure

Fernández has already placed himself in awkward territory. Last April, Chelsea benched him for two matches after comments that hinted at a desire to experience Spain.

“I’d like to live in Madrid. I really like it, it’s similar to Buenos Aires,” Fernandez said.

Those words may have felt harmless at the time, perhaps even romantic rather than strategic. In football, though, geography can become politics. When Real Madrid admire you, every sentence gains a second life.

For Chelsea, the issue is not only financial. It is symbolic. Fernández was signed to be part of a new core, one of the midfielders around whom the club could rebuild its identity. Selling him would raise money, yes, but it would also suggest another reset in a project that has already endured too many.

Midfield need drives Madrid interest

Madrid’s interest makes football sense. They have struggled to fully replace Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, two players who shaped the rhythm of an era. Fernández does not replicate either man, but he offers range, aggression, passing depth and World Cup pedigree.

Chelsea will know all of that. They will also know that Madrid’s good relationship with them, strengthened by the Cucurella deal, does not automatically make negotiations simple. ESPN state that talks for Fernández would not be straightforward.

That may be Chelsea’s comfort for now. Madrid admire him. Mourinho likes him. Fernández may be tempted. But admiration still has to become an offer, and an offer still has to reach a number Chelsea can live with.

For now, Stamford Bridge waits.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

From a Chelsea supporter’s perspective, this report feels uncomfortable rather than surprising. Enzo Fernández has always looked like a player Real Madrid would eventually circle. He has the pedigree, the profile and the personality of a footballer who seems designed for huge European stages.

The problem for Chelsea is simple. If Fernández wants Madrid, the club need to decide whether they are protecting a cornerstone or managing an asset. At £120 million, selling him would not be a collapse. It would be a statement that Chelsea can trade aggressively and reinvest. Yet supporters have heard that before. They have seen rebuilds become reboots, and reboots become confusion.

There is also a football question. Chelsea have spent years trying to build a midfield with structure and authority. Fernández has not always dominated games, but his ceiling remains obvious. Under the right coach, in the right system, he can still become the controller Chelsea thought they were buying.

If Madrid come seriously, Chelsea should not panic. They should demand full value, move on their own timeline and avoid being dragged into another summer shaped by someone else’s ambition. But if the player pushes, this could become one of those transfers where resistance slowly turns into negotiation.

For Chelsea fans, that is the worry. Not that Madrid admire him, but that Fernández might admire them back.

The 2024/25 Premier League fixtures have been released, and the dates of all 380 matches are below.

Fixtures are subject to change and will be updated based on decisions made by rights holders, teams’ involvement in other competitions and any security concerns raised. 

Stay up-to-date on all the games with our Premier League fixtures page.

Juventus have reopened negotiations with PSG over Randal Kolo Muani as newly-appointed CEO Giovanni Carnevali identifies the Frenchman as the priority solution to replace Dusan Vlahovic, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

Di Marzio reported on Thursday that Carnevali is working to establish the full cost of bringing Kolo Muani back to Turin on a permanent basis, running the numbers across the transfer fee, wages, and agents’ fees before committing to a formal proposal.

Vlahovic Exit Creates Urgent Gap Up Front

Vlahovic’s contract expires on June 30, 2026, and with no renewal in sight, he is set to walk away on a free transfer. That departure leaves Carnevali staring at a striking unit of Jonathan David, Lois Openda, and Arkadiusz Milik – a trio that managed a combined seven Serie A goals in 2025-26, with David accounting for six of them and Openda contributing just one.

Kolo Muani’s loan return last season makes the contrast stark. He scored eight goals in his first 16 Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri – a goal every other game – and delivered 10 goal contributions across all competitions in 19 outings, enough to convince the club he had adapted quickly to both the league and the environment at Continassa.

Financial Structure and PSG’s Position

Italian reports have previously indicated Juventus favour a loan-plus-obligation formula: a one-year loan with a compulsory purchase clause triggering in 2026, with the total package in the €50–55m range – roughly €10m as a loan fee and €40–45m to buy. PSG, who signed Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt for around €75m in 2023 and have him contracted until 2028-29, have generally pushed for a straight sale or an unconditional obligation rather than a simple option.

Chelsea and other Premier League clubs have registered interest at various points, meaning PSG hold leverage if those parties re-enter the conversation. Juventus are expected to table another formal proposal once PSG clarify their preferred structure and whether Kolo Muani features in their own plans for next season.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: In case you missed last night’s game, Yankees’ second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was forced to exit it due to a, um, likely quite painful injury. Chisholm fouled a ball off the ground that came right back up and hit him right in the groin. He remained on the ground in pain for quite a while before exiting the game. You would hope that’s not the type of injury that will cause any lingering effects, but we shall see.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: On the positive injury news front, Austin Wells gave us a good sign down in a rehab outing. In a game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Wells homered twice in Columbus as he continues to recover from cervical headaches that sent him to the IL.

New York Post | Jon Heyman: Not that it’s particularly surprising, but it seems unlikely that the Yankees could swing a deal for two-time reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline this year. While every team could always use pitching, the rotation is a strong point on this year’s roster, and the Yankees will likely try to use their assets on deals to shore up more pressing holes on their roster.

CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: We’re not that far away from the 2026 All-Star Game, and at least one Yankee is looking at participating in more than just the game. Yankees’ breakout star first baseman Ben Rice has said that he would participate in the Home Run Derby if asked. He is one of just five American League players at the 20-homer mark at this point.

Tens of thousands of soccer fans poured into downtown Atlanta for the city’s second FIFA World Cup match between South Africa and Czechia. The match ended with a 1-1 tie.

The weather put an early end to celebrations outside the stadium and at nearby Centennial Olympic Park where FIFA Fan Fest closed early.

But as Channel 2’s Bryan Mims reports, the weather didn’t stop fans from taking in what Atlanta has to offer.

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SOUTH AFRICA AND CZECHIA FANS TAKE IN ATLANTA

It’s been years since both South Africa and Czechia competed in the FIFA World Cup. That’s what makes the trip to Atlanta so special, so memorable for fans.

“It feels wonderful being here, in a different continent, different environment. Just being here with the boys away from home and understanding that they’ve got the support and we are with them,” Xolani Radebe told Mims.

Radebe flew here from Pretoria, South Africa, to shout for his team making their first World Cup appearance in 16 years.

Fiona Nomthandazo, a native of South Africa now living in Cincinnati, drove eight hours to be here for the match.

“It’s a beautiful city. But too much traffic!” she told Mims.

Czechia fans traveled, too, for their country’s first World Cup appearance in 20 years.

Marcela Houbova grew up in the Czech Republic but now lives in Las Vegas. She’s here with her Czech friends who flew in from all across the country.

“We’re already here and the effort we made to come over here, it’s gonna be, it’s good,” Houbova said.

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NO RAINING ON ATLANTA RESTAURANTS AND BARS PARADE

Even before noon, bartenders were scooping ice, filling shakers and pouring pints. Well before noon.

After all, it was 5 p.m. in Johannesburg. And in Prague. South Africa and Czechia happen to be in the same time zone.

At The Irish Exit bar, which opened mere days ago, the crowd would just as soon raise a toast to the weather. Owner Pierce White expected a full house before and after the match, especially with Fan Fast closing early.

His wife Claire says add rain to the crush of soccer fans, and the bar is standing room only.

“As long as we can take care of people, I think that’s the underlying principle of any Irish pub and Irish hospitality,” Claire White said.

Just up the street at The Center bar at the old CNN Center, the bartenders had a lull as the match began. But they, too, braced for a flood of fans.

“Rain is always good. Because right when it started raining, it makes everybody run inside,” bartender Destiny Lester said.

The next match Atlanta will host is between Spain and Saudi Arabia on Sunday. There is a chance for rain again.

The second week and second matchday of the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by North America has kicked off after weeks one offered fans around the world a glimpse into the participating teams’ forms and fuelling early predictions over who has what it takes to bring the coveted title home.

The first seven days have seen all 48 nations who qualified for this expanded edition of the global tournament take to the pitch, producing a mix of expected, exciting, lacklustre and disappointing results – depending on which nation you support.

The eight teams making up Groups A and B took to the pitch late on Thursday and early into Friday morning as the fight to clinch vital points has begun.

In FIFA’s newly expanded format including 48 instead of the usual 32 teams, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups will earn a ticket to the knockout rounds, in addition to eight of the best third place finishers – reviewed by points – from all the groups.

Here is an overview of all the action Day 8 of the tournament had to offer:

Czechia v South Africa

Both teams were seeking their first points in the World Cup after suffering losses in their opening fixtures last week and ranking third and fourth in Group A.

Czechia looked determined to fight its way into the knockout stages, after midfielder Michal Sadilek opened the scoring really early into the match, converting a chance from inside the box with a beautifully placed bottom right corner finish to beat South African keeper Ronwen Williams.

The Czech team then shifted tactically into a low block for the majority of the match in an effort to protect their marginal lead over South Africa, playing only in their first World Cup since hosting the tournament back in 2010, while also looking to capitalise on any openings with counter-attacking play.

The match seemed to be heading their way and going according to plan, but an attempt by South Africa’s Thapelo Maseko to curl a top corner shot into the far left from outside the box, was blocked by Czechia’s Pavel Sulc, who to his team’s disappointment, gave away a penalty in the dying minutes of the game after the referee pointed to the spot and called a handball.

Tebeho Mokoena, cool, calm and collected as ever ran up to the ball and placed it into the bottom left corner, beating keeper Matej Kovar who jumped in the opposite direction, equalising for his team in the 83rd minute and earning his side their first point.

Switzerland v Bosnia

Bosnia, who earned their qualification ticket by upsetting European heavyweights Italy opened Group B’s second matchday fixtures, where they took on Switzerland. Both teams had been winless at that stage and looking to secure their first three points at the tournament, after drawing their opening matches.

Switzerland had chances early on to take the lead but failed to capitalise. Swiss forward Dan Ndoye executed a spectacular overhead kick early in the first half which almost found its way to the back of the net and would’ve been a sure contender for goal of the tournament.

The match however remained goalless for well over an hour and seemed to be headed towards a draw. Many fans were pictured in the stadiums leaving their seats early, expecting the final 20 minutes of regular time to be much like the previous 70, but in a dramatic and unanticipated way, it was anything but.

Switzerland was able to open the scoring in the 74th minute. A cross into the box was not cleared well by Bosnia, with the ball falling just outside the 6-yard box, gifted on a platter to striker Johan Manzambi who took it on the volley and placed it in the top right corner.

It was 10 minutes later, roughly five minutes after Bosnia suffered a red card and went a man down, that play really opened for Switzerland who were able to pounce on the newly open spaces, and a quick attack left Ruben Vargas unmarked in the box, who was fed the ball for an easy tap-in.

Six minutes later, Swiss fans were treated to another almost identical goal, where the flanks were utilised to create gaps in the centre. A quick ball fed to Manzambi in the 90th resulted in a third goal for the red shirts, who found themselves 3-0 in a matter of 16 minutes.

Bosnia showed heart however and were able to pull a goal back, after Ermin Mahmic scored a screamer off a cleared corner kick. A poor corner was headed out of harm’s way by Swiss defences, landing to unmarked Mahmic on the edge of the box who fired an unstoppable volley into the top right corner to make it 3-1.

It was veteran Swiss player, who formerly starred for top club sides Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen, who scored a penalty in the 7th minute of added time to push his nation towards their first win of the tournament, sitting on par with Canada at four points a peace.

Canada v Qatar

Canada produced the tournament’s second goal-studded display, after Germany pummelled first-timers Curacao 7-1 last week, securing their first win of the World Cup they co-host with the United States and Mexico.

Scoring opened early for Canada who managed to gain the lead in the 16th minute after Qatari keeper Mahmud Abunada failed to hold on to the ball after an initial shot on goal, giving the ball back to Cyle Larin who tapped it in.

Just over 10 minutes later, Canada’s forward Jonathan David grabbed his first goal of the fixture, who scored a stunning bottom right corner volley in the 29th minute just inside the box.

A Qatari team in shambles was set to further spiral after defender Homam Ahmed was given a red card in the 33rd minute, leaving his team two goals trailing and a man down. Canada was ruthless with their opportunities and David managed to bag one more goal in the 3rd minute of the first half’s stoppage time, to enter the halftime break with a healthy 3-0 advantage and an almost guaranteed three points.

The reigning Asian champions, playing in only their second World Cup since hosting the last edition in 2022, were in for more sorrow after midfielder Assim Madibo was also shown a red card in the 53rd minute, leaving the team at a serious disadvantage and a mountain to climb.

Canada was once more quick to utilise the open spaces and opened the second half scoring with a stunning free kick goal in the 64th curled around the defensive wall and into the bottom right corner, just minutes after being substituted into the game, and drawing an applause from Prime Minister Mark Carney who was watching the game from the stands.

Just 10 minutes later the crimson shirts conceded once more after Qatar’s Mohammed Manai in an attempt to clear the ball off the goal line, shanked it into his own net, giving Canada a ruthless 5-0 lead.

The maple leaves were not finished yet as New York-born striker Jonathan David sought to complete his first World Cup hat trick, and was able to successfully execute, with clever movement inside the box making space for himself to receive and beating the keeper with ease in the 92nd minute.

The win propelled Canada to the top of Group B, ahead of Switzerland, leading their European competition on goal difference, who they face next week in matchday three for a top of the table clash.

Mexico v South Korea

Co-hosts Mexico became the first nation to book their ticket to the World Cup knockout stage after defeating South Korea 1-0 in their second match and leading Group A with six points.

The team that opened the tournament last week with a 2-0 over South Africa was able to marginally edge its way past South Korea led by Tottenham Hotspurs legend Son Heung-min, after Luis Romo scored the fixture’s only goal in the 50th minute on home soil at Estadio Guadalajara.

They now prepare to face Czechia next week for their group stage match and have the advantage of being able to rest key players ahead of the knockout stages, while the rest of the group competes fiercely for points to book their qualifying tickets.

Brothers playing at the World Cup is nothing new, with England's Bobby and Jack Charlton lifting the trophy in 1966 and Dutch twins René and Willy van de Kerkhof featuring together in the 1978 final.

There are also the Boateng brothers Jérôme and Kevin-Prince who faced each other when Jérôme's Germany played Kevin-Prince's Ghana at the 2014 tournament.

French brothers Theo and Lucas Hernandez were already at the 2022 tournament where Lucas suffered a severe knee injury early in their first match and was replaced by Theo.

They are back again and part of seven pairs of siblings overall at the 2026 tournament, of which three are in the same team while the four other pairs play for different countries.

Apart from the Hernandez brothers, Curaçao feature captain Leandro Bacuna and his brother Jininho and Cape Verde has brothers in midfielders Deroy and Laros Duerta.

It should have been been four pairs but Jurriën Timber failed to recover from injury and was withdrawn from the Dutch squad which now only features his brother Quinten.

The other four pairs chose different national team paths:

Barefoot through the Sahara: the Williams parents

Inaki and Nico Williams both play club football for Athletic Bilbao but Nico plays for Spain and Inaki for Ghana.

Their parents are from Ghana and left for Europe, crossing parts of the Sahara desert when mother Maria was pregnant with the now 32-year-old Inaki, who was named after a priest who helped them get into Spain.

Inaki chose to play for Ghana while winger Nico, who is nine years younger at 23, chose Spain and won Euro 2024 with them. Both are committed to their Bilbao club, with Nico even snubbing mighty Barcelona.

"As an older brother, it makes me really proud to see how he has grown, to see how he is improving as a footballer. He has no ceiling. I'm here to help him, to teach him and give him everything he needs," Inaki once told the BBC.

Like the Boatengs: Luckassen and Brobbey

Like the Boateng brothers, Derrick Luckassen and Brian Brobbey have a Ghanaian mother but different fathers.

Both were born in Amsterdam and went through Dutch teams before Luckassen decided to play for Ghana. Brobbey achieved the leap into the Dutch team.

One for father's and the other for mother's country

The other two pairs decided to play for their mothers' and fathers' countries.

The Doués

Desiré und Guéla Doué have an Ivorian father and a French mother. They grew up in France and started their careers at Stade Rennes.

At 21, Desiré is the younger sibling but also the more talented one. The winger plays for Paris Saint-Germain and has won the Champions League twice with them.

Desiré plays for France while Strasbourg full back Guéla is part of the Ivory Coast squad.

The Souttars

John und Harry Souttar are the sons of Scottish-Australian parents. Father Jack is from Scotland and was a player in the 1970s while mother Heather was born in Australia.

The brothers grew up and started their football careers in Scotland, where the parents live, but Harry decided to play for Australia in 2019 while John is part of the Scotland squad.

Both won their opening matches on the same day last week. Defender Harry captained the Socceroos to a 2-0 success over Turkey while John was an unused substitute in Scotland's 1-0 against Haiti.

"They're fairly close brothers," father Jack told the BBC. "They're always talking to each other about games. They're always looking out for each other, that's for certain."

Cam Waters and Tickford Racing have put a tough mid-season behind them with a first win of the season in the first of three Supercars races at Hidden Valley in Australia’s Northern Territory.

In the first-ever Friday race at the Darwin circuit, Waters and his Ford Mustang came from fourth on the grid and pitted later than early leader Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing Ford) to take the lead at Turn 1 and come home to a narrow victory, in a race that featured a one-lap dash to the flag after a late safety car.

“A long hard slog, for sure,” said Waters, whose victory ended a 47-race winless streak. “We haven’t had the best start to the year but we have been there or thereabouts.

“I thought he [Kostecki] was going to make it a little bit harder for me but I had a fresher tyre. Amazing to get a win, it has been a hard year."

In unseasonably cool conditions (it even rained lightly during the second part of Qualifying), Kostecki took the early lead from the Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro of Anton De Pasquale – the pair shared the front row for the fifth time of their careers. Both lost positions in the race, with the Grove Racing Fords of Kai Allen and Matt Payne pushing the 2023 champion back to fourth in one fell swoop on lap 32.

Allen, who scored a podium at the track a year ago, said: “I love this track.

“I need to get the qualifying a little better but the race car was really good. I got to the back of Brodie’s rear bar and we tried to get a double podium, and it worked out.”

Where will Kevin Magnussen rank among the Project 91 NASCAR drivers?

Payne rued the loss a couple of seconds when a rear wheel stuck during his pitstop.

“Kai was making the moves for us,” he said. “I thought the car was pretty speedy but we just had a hiccup during the pitstop.”

Earlier, Kostecki shrugged off a problem with his engine’s throttle body, which stranded him in the garage for the opening 15 minutes of the sole Practice session, and a bout of flu, to take pole position. But his car lacked the race pace of the other Fords and he had to settle for fourth place at the finish.

Will Brown took fifth for Triple Eight Racing, thereby giving Ford a sweep of the top five places at a track that has previously featured only Chevrolet wins during the Gen3 era.

The best of the rest was De Pasquale, just ahead of the Toyota GR Supra of Walkinshaw TWG’s Chaz Mostert. The defending Supercars Champion just missed making the Qualifying cut to the top 10 session and started 11th, before passing team-mate Ryan Wood on his way to seventh.

Points leader Broc Feeney, the winner of six of the eight previous Gen3 races at the circuit, started from 13th on the grid after a tricky qualifying session. He did his cause no good at all by running off immediately when rejoining after his pitstop and complained of a lack of straightline speed during the race, finishing 14th. As a result, the 90-point lead he brought to the event has been reduced to 59.

The Supercars teams and drivers will return to action on Saturday and Sunday with two 70-lap, 200km races.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Celik will remain at Roma.

The Turkish full-back seemed unlikely to remain in the capital, given his expiring contract and his agent’s high demands for a new deal, but progress has been made in the last few hours.

Both parties are confident that the final details will be resolved in the coming hours. The negotiations haven’t been easy, but now the final credits and handshakes have begun.

Celik arrived in Rome for €7 million and a €250,000 commission. In recent months, Gasperini has pushed for the Turkish full-back’s permanence in the capital and has personally worked to break the deadlock in which Inter, Juventus, and Turkish clubs have attempted to intervene.

As Il Tempo reports, the former Lille player, unlike Dybala and Pellegrini, is set to renew his contract with a slight increase over the €2 million plus bonuses he was earning. Further contacts are expected to finalize the deal, but the path is now clear: Celik will remain in Rome, and even the player’s agent is optimistic.

Where to watch USA vs. Australia live stream, TV channel, start time for World Cup Group D match originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

On Friday, Team USA and Australia will share the pitch at 9 p.m. ET from Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash.

Team USA will be making its 12th appearance in a World Cup, and the first in front of its home crowd since hosting the 1994 tournament. Australia, on the other hand, will be making its seventh World Cup appearance, and sixth in a row.

This game could have massive consequences for both sides in relation to who will finish where in Group D. As the second of three games in the group stage for each of these teams, how they finish today in Seattle could have massive consequences. Their knockout qualification picture will be painted after Friday's game, with the U.S. taking on Turkey in its final game, while Australia will face Paraguay in its third and final group stage match.

The Sporting News takes you through all the information you need to follow the game.

USA vs. Australia live stream, TV channel

• TV channel: Fox
• Live stream: fubo,Fox One, Fox Sports app/website

This match will be broadcast nationally on Fox in the United States with streaming options available on its dedicated platforms.

The best place to catch the match is on streaming service fubo, with new customers able to sign up a for a FREE trial.

Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

What time does USA vs. Australia start?

This World Cup clash kicks off Friday, June 19, at 3 p.m. ET at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash.

Here's how that time translates across the United States timezones:

World Cup schedule today and tomorrow

All times Eastern.

Friday, June 19

• USA vs. Australia (3 p.m.)
• Scotland vs. Morocco (6 p.m.)
• Brazil vs. Haiti (9 p.m.)

Saturday, June 20

• Turkey vs. Paraguay (12 a.m.)
• Netherlands vs. Sweden (1 p.m.)
• Germany vs. Ivory Coast (4 p.m.)
• Ecuador vs. Curacao (8 p.m.)

MORE:Complete World Cup schedule and fixtures

2026 FIFA World Cup FAQs

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 through July 19, 2026. It will be the first World Cup hosted across three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup being played?

The 2026 World Cup will be played across 16 host cities in North America, with matches taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It will be the first men’s World Cup hosted by three countries.

The 16 host cities are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle in the United States; Toronto and Vancouver in Canada; and Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico.

How many teams are in the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams, expanding from the 32-team format used in previous tournaments. The larger field also means more matches, more knockout-round games and more countries involved than ever before.

The 48 teams are Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Curaçao, Czechia, DR Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, United States, Uruguay and Uzbekistan.

How many games are in the 2026 World Cup?

There will be 104 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That includes the group stage, knockout rounds and the final.

Can I stream the 2026 World Cup?

Yes. Streaming options will depend on the match, language and broadcast partner. In the U.S., Fox Sports lists FOX and FS1, which are available on fubo for English-language coverage, while Telemundo will stream every match live on Peacock and the Telemundo App for Spanish-language coverage.

What channel is the 2026 World Cup on?

In the U.S., English-language matches are expected across FOX and FS1, which are available on fubo for those without cable, while Spanish-language coverage will air on Telemundo and Universo, which you can stream on DIRECTV and Peacock. Check the schedule for the specific match you want to watch.

When is the 2026 World Cup final?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026. The match will be played at New York-New Jersey Stadium, FIFA’s tournament name for MetLife Stadium.

What time do World Cup games start?

Kickoff times vary by date, host city and round. Because the tournament is being played across multiple time zones in the United States, Canada and Mexico, fans should check the official match schedule for start times in their local time zone.

Is the United States playing in the 2026 World Cup?

Yes. The United States automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup as one of the three host nations, along with Canada and Mexico.

Inside Australia's soccer team: A complete roster and more about 2026 World Cup squad originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The ghosts of Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell still linger on the soccer fields that litter Australia's landscape more than a decade after they last laced their cleats.

The Socceroos have been one of the region's most successful sides, emerging as a titan of Asian and Oceanian soccer in the 21st century. Now, they're setting their sights at a new pinnacle — securing a spot in the knockout stages of the World Cup for the second-straight trip. Armed with a gaggle of talented youngsters and wily veterans, they look well-equipped to compete for a spot in the business end of the competition.

The Group D outfit isn't quite faultless. But it is enticing, particularly in the attacking areas of the pitch. It proved as much in its 2-0 triumph over Turkey in its first match, showcasing all the typical tenets of Australian soccer — speed, dynamism and creativity.

With that, here's a look at the Socceroos' roster for the 2026 World Cup.

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

Australia 2026 World Cup roster

Australia has rolled out a 26-man roster ahead of this year's World Cup in North America. The Socceroos' roster features talent spanning as far as Cyprus and as nearby as Melbourne City.

Here's a look at Australia's full roster for the 2026 World Cup.

Caps and stats are correct as of June 1.

Australia players to watch in 2026 World Cup

Australia is quietly blessed with a handful of gifted young stars. Nestory Irankunda earned rave reviews for his performances at Watford and, at 20 years old, is already being tipped for greatness. He found the target in Australia's shock 2-0 win over Turkey in the Socceroos' group stage opener. He's joined in Australia's attacking corps by Norwich winger Mohamed Toure, who tallied nine goals in 11 appearances for Championship side Norwich City upon his arrival in Feb. 2026.

Christian Volpato got the nod, having made his bones at Sassuolo in Serie A. He'll look to add pace and dynamism into an attacking unit teeming with it already.

Captain Mathew Ryan has spent more than a decade in Europe, plying his trade for powerhouses like Club Brugge, Valencia, Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal, Lens and, most recently, Levante.

Other noteworthy talents include St. Pauli pairing Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe and hulking Leicester City defender Harry Souttar.

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

• Ranking World Cup groups from hardest to easiest
• 10 World Cup teams with best chance to win
• Ranking 7 best matches of the World Cup

Who is coaching Team Australia in the 2026 World Cup?

Australian soccer legend Tony Popovic holds the reins for the Socceroos. The Sydney native starred at the domestic and international level, playing more than 100 times for Crystal Palace during the early 2000s. Popovic was a fully fledged Australian international, earning 58 caps with his home nation from 1995-2006.

After retiring from the sport in 2008, Popovic got into coaching. He was named the head coach of Western Sydney Wanderers in May 2012. Popovic led Wanderers to an A-League title in his first season with the club. In his second, they triumphed in the AFC Champions League, besting Al-Hilal in the final.

Popovic has remained a coaching star in the years since his coaching debut. He lent his services to Karabukspor, Perth Glory, Xanthi and Melbourne Victory before agreeing terms to become Australia's head coach in Sept. 2024.

Under Popovic’s tutelage, the Socceroos have shined. They are 11-4-4 in 19 appearances, cementing themselves as one of Asia’s finest sides.

Australia World Cup history

The Socceroos are one of Asian soccer's most decorated outfits, having appeared in seven World Cups in their history.

Formerly a member on the Oceania Football Confederation, Australia made its first World Cup appearance in 1974. The Socceroos' deepest run saw them qualify for the Round of 16 in 2006 and 2022, respectively.

Here's a look at the Aussies' history in soccer's grandest international competition.

Australia World Cup 2026 schedule

Australia will play in Group D at this year's World Cup. It will be joined by Paraguay, Turkey and the United States. Here's a look at their slate of games during the group stage of the 2026 tournament:

Where is USMNT playing in World Cup? Full schedule for USA's group games and potential knockouts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As the United States Men's National Team continues its journey as a home World Cup team, it will travel throughout the country.

The team begins its quest out west for all three of its group stage matches, which is why those games are scheduled for late at night in many parts of the country. Depending on where the USMNT is placed in the knockout stage, however, it could make its way to other parts of the country in hopes of making a championship run.

The key to the USMNT making a legitimate run is its path through the knockout stage, and the team should benefit from always playing on home soil. Certain locations should also provide the team with a more raucous home-field advantage than others.

Here's a look at where the USMNT could play its World Cup matches.

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

Where is USMNT playing in World Cup?

What stadium is USA playing in today?

June 12: SoFi Stadium/Los Angeles Stadium

The USMNT opened its World Cup campaign at SoFi Stadium, known as Los Angeles Stadium for this tournament, with a convincing 4-1 victory over Paraguay. The home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers provided a fitting stage as the United States played a World Cup match on home soil for the first time since 1994.

SoFi Stadium opened in 2020 and has since hosted a Super Bowl and a College Football Playoff National Championship before becoming one of the primary venues for the 2026 World Cup.

June 19: Lumen Field/Seattle Stadium

For their second matchup, the United States will travel north to Seattle to take on Australia on June 19. This game will take place at Lumen Field, the home of the Seattle Seahawks, and it will be the second match at the stadium after Belgium and Egypt played earlier in the tournament.

Lumen Field opened in 2002 and has gone through multiple names, including Seahawks Stadium, Qwest Field and CenturyLink Field.

June 25: SoFi Stadium/Los Angeles Stadium

The United States will return to Los Angeles for its third and final group stage match against Turkiye on June 25. The game will take place at 10:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. local time, as the USMNT looks to secure a a good seed in the knockout stage.

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

• Who will win the World Cup in 2026?
• Updated FIFA World Rankings
• How World Cup qualifying works
• Explaining the expanded World Cup bracket
• Full list of teams to qualify for 2026 World Cup

Where will USA play in World Cup knockouts?

Round of 32

Depending on where the United States finishes in the group stage standings, the team has five potential options for its round of 32 match.

Levi's Stadium/San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

The United States has a great opportunity to win Group D, which would send it to Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., for its Round of 32 match. The match would take place on Wednesday, July 1.

AT&T Stadium/Dallas Stadium

If the United States finishes as the runner up in Group D, then they would travel to Dallas to play the round of 32 game at AT&T Stadium, which is where the Dallas Cowboys play their home games. If this is the USMNT's path, this game would be played on Friday, July 3.

Gillette Stadium/Boston Stadium

If the United States finishes third in Group D, the team has three possible stadium options for the knockout stage. First, the USMNT could play at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, on Monday, June 29.

MetLife Stadium/New York New Jersey Stadium

Another possibility is that the USMNT could travel to New Jersey to play its Round of 32 match at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, June 30.

Arrowhead Stadium/Kansas City Stadium

Finally, the United States could also play a round of 32 match at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, which is the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. This would mean the USMNT plays on Friday, July 3.

Round of 16

Lumen Field/Seattle Stadium

The path in which the United States wins its group includes a round of 16 match at Lumen Field in Seattle on Saturday, July 4.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium/Atlanta Stadium

If the USMNT finishes in second in their group, that path would have the team heading to the Atlanta Falcons Stadium in the round of 16. This match at Mercedes-Benx Stadium is scheduled for Tuesday, July 7.

Lincoln Financial Field/Philadelphia Stadium

A third place finish in the group stage would likely but the United States on the path that includes playing in Philadelphia for the round of 16. Lincoln Financial Field, which is where the Philadelphia Eagles play their home games, is the host stadium, This match will occure on Saturday, July 4.

BC Place/Vancouver Stadium

There is one unlikely scenario that would have the United States playing a game in Canada. The USMNT would have to not only third in their group, but would also have to be placed on a path that would lead to game in Vancouver. This match will take place on Tuesday, July 7.

Quarterfinals

SoFi Stadium/Los Angeles Stadium

The United States could return to Los Angeles for a quarterfinal match if they make it this far after winning Group D. This quarterfinal match is scheduled for Friday, July 10.

Arrowhead Stadium/Kansas City Stadium

There is also a path that would have the United States playing a quarterfinal match at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday, July 11.

Gillette Stadium/Boston Stadium

Another possible match in Boston for the United States could be in play, as this stadium will host a quarterfinal match on Thursday, July 9.

Semifinals

AT&T Stadium/Dallas Stadium

There are two designated stadiums for the semifinal round. First, the USMNT could find itself playing in Dallas at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday, July 14.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium/Atlanta Stadium

If the United States makes it to the second semifinal game, it would take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15.

Third place match

Hard Rock Stadium/Miami Stadium

The United States would welcome a possibility to play in the third-place match, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Finals

MetLife Stadium/New York New Jersey Stadium

It's unlikely that the United States makes it all the way to the World Cup final, but if they do, the game is set for Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium.

What channel is Diamondbacks vs. Twins on today? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch MLB Friday baseball game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Two teams sitting in the middle of their respective divisions face off this weekend, with the Arizona Diamondbacks hosting the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series beginning Friday.

The D'backs are looking up at the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West as they sit just above .500 entering this series. Arizona has looked solid recently, winning its last two series against the Angels and Reds on the heels of a tough stretch. 

The Twins also have won two consecutive series, theirs against the Rangers and Cardinals, to build some positive momentum as they try to make up ground on the Guardians and White Sox in the AL Central. 

Who will open the weekend with a win Friday night? Here's everything you need to know to watch. 

What channel is Diamondbacks vs. Twins on today?

• TV channel: None
• Live stream: Apple TV

Diamondbacks vs. Twins will not air on traditional television Friday. The game will stream live as part of Apple TV's "Friday Night Baseball" package. 

New subscribers get their first week of Apple TV for free. After that, they can subscribe for just $12.99/month. 

Subscribers can watch "Friday Night Baseball" with the Apple TV app, which is available on select smart TVs, Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV, and gaming consoles. 

Diamondbacks vs. Twins start time

• Date: Friday, June 19
• Time: 9:45 p.m. ET | 8:45 p.m. CT | 6:45 p.m. PT

First pitch of Diamondbacks vs. Twins on Friday is set for 9:45 p.m. ET. The game will be played at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Apple TV 'Friday Night Baseball' schedule 2026

Apple and MLB have announced the "Friday Night Baseball" schedule through the end of July. See every upcoming game below. 

Related Links

• Latest MLB news and rumors
• 2026 MLB schedule and scores
• MLB standings 2026

After a convincing 4-1 win over Paraguay in their opening game, the United States are looking to move closer to the knockout stages and secure consecutive World Cup wins for the first time since 2002 as they face Australia.

The hosts started the tournament in impressive fashion by beating Paraguay 4-1 last Saturday. An own goal, a brace from Folarin Balogun and a wonder strike from Giovanni Reyna meant the United States recorded their joint biggest-ever World Cup win.

Australia also started the tournament with a bang after a shock 2-0 victory over Türkiye, with Nestroy Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe finding the net for the Socceroos.

Both nations reached the Round of 16 in Qatar four years ago and are now aiming to secure a place in the expanded World Cup’s Round of 32. A win for either side would almost guarantee top spot in the group and a place in the knockout stages.

It was an impressive display from the United States, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino could name an unchanged side. Captain Christian Pulisic did go off at half-time against Paraguay after picking up a knock, but he is expected to be fit.

Meanwhile, Australia come into the game with no injuries and are expected to name the starting XI after their stunning victory. Speaking ahead of the game, Australian defender Cameron Burgess stated that the United States must be ready for the Socceroos.

“We’re playing against a host nation with some tremendous talent in their squad. We faced them only a few months ago. We’re going to have to be ready for what they can bring, and the same goes for them. They’re going to have to be ready for what we can bring, so it’s going to be a hard-fought game.”

The fixture will take place at the Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field, kicking off at 20:00 (BST). In the UK, it will be televised on BBC One with coverage starting at 19:30 (BST).

Bizarre scenes in Tennessee. As a video posted by the Spanish X account 'El Chiringuito TV' shows, Spain striker Borja Iglesias was denied entry to his teammates’ training camp by the security staff there. Apparently, the security employees simply did not recognize the former Leverkusen striker. 

Even Iglesias’ words, “I’m a striker for the national team, I need to get in,” did not help at first. So the 33-year-old had to make a few phone calls before he was finally allowed to join his teammates. 

After all the escapades the World Cup has already caused when it comes to entries into the country, this is of course one of the funny and harmless stories. At least this problem was resolved fairly quickly.

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

The Norwegians’ rowing boat stops for no one. No matter whether you’re rooting for the Scandinavians or another team, if you want to climb aboard, then join in!

The Scots got to experience that for themselves, as they were introduced to the art of being a Norwegian fan in front of a huge crowd of excited supporters. 

You just have to love the fans for these images. 

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

Walt Frazier did not just arrive at the New York Knicks’ championship parade in a classic car. He rode through the Canyon of Heroes in a vehicle with a history that reaches far beyond basketball.

The New York Knicks legend was one of the central figures of the celebration after the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973.

Frazier helped deliver that previous championship, so his place in the parade already carried weight before the car itself became part of the story. The vehicle had its own legend attached.

Walt Frazier rode in $1m Chrysler at New York Knicks parade

The parade car details revealed why Frazier’s ride drew so much attention during the New York Knicks celebration.

“The car that Walt Clyde Frazier rode in today is a 1952 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton estimated over $1 million,” New York Basketball wrote on X.

“It’s the same car that’s carried countless legends down the Canyon of Heroes, including the Apollo 11 astronauts who first landed on the moon,” the handle added.

The 1952 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton is not your average vintage convertible. Chrysler built only three of the open-top parade cars, and New York City’s version has long been reserved for major civic celebrations.

The car is more than 20 feet long and weighs close to 6,000 pounds, with a red leather interior and ceremonial design built for dignitaries. For a New York Knicks parade built around history, it was a fitting lead vehicle for one of the franchise’s most important figures.

Walt Frazier car links New York Knicks parade to Apollo 11 history

Frazier’s ride carried a link to one of the most famous moments ever celebrated in New York. After the 1969 moon landing, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were honored with a ticker-tape parade through the same Canyon of Heroes.

That history gave the New York Knicks celebration an unexpected connection to the space race. A car once used to carry the first humans to walk on the moon was now carrying a Hall of Famer from the franchise’s last title team before 2026.

The Chrysler has also been used for other major parades and dignitaries, which is why it remains one of New York’s most recognizable ceremonial vehicles. It is brought out only for occasions big enough to justify its place in city history.

The Knicks’ 2026 title qualified. More than two million people lined the parade route as New York celebrated a 53-year wait finally ending, turning the day into one of the city’s biggest recent sports moments.

Frazier already represented the bridge between the old Knicks champions and the new one. The car made that bridge even wider, connecting basketball, New York tradition, and a piece of history that once carried the Apollo 11 crew through Manhattan.

Read more:

Real Madrid’s search for midfield reinforcements continues to generate new names, and the latest player being linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu is Napoli star Scott McTominay.

The Scottish international has enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years and is now considered one of the most important figures in Napoli’s midfield setup. 

However, reports emerging from Italy suggest his future is attracting attention from Real Madrid, with new manager Jose Mourinho playing a key role behind the growing interest.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Portuguese coach is closely following the situation of the midfielder he knows better than most.

An old connection

McTominay’s connection with Mourinho goes back to their time together at Manchester United. 

It was the Portuguese manager who handed the midfielder his first-team breakthrough and showed considerable faith in him during the early stages of his career.

Mourinho is interested in Scott McTominay. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

That relationship appears to remain strong years later.

It is stated that Mourinho is an admirer of the Scotland international and views him as a profile capable of strengthening Real Madrid’s midfield options. 

At 29 years old, McTominay combines experience, physicality and tactical discipline, qualities that have helped him establish himself as one of Napoli’s most influential players since arriving in Italy.

Napoli moving to secure his future

The reports have understandably raised concerns within the Serie A side, where McTominay is viewed as a central piece of both the present and future project.

Although his contract runs until 2028, the Italian team is eager to strengthen their position by negotiating a new agreement. 

Club officials are aware that interest from a team like Real Madrid could complicate matters if discussions are delayed.

McTominay is a mainstay in Napoli’s midfield. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

On that note, they have no intention of entertaining offers for the midfielder this summer and consider him non-transferable under normal circumstances.

While his current market value is estimated at around €40 million, any potential negotiations would likely start at a significantly higher figure given his importance to the team.

Right now, the Italian side’s priority is to secure McTominay’s long-term future before external interest grows further.

As things stand, the story appears to be driven largely by Mourinho’s admiration for a player he helped develop at Manchester United. 

Whether that admiration evolves into a concrete transfer attempt remains to be seen, as Real Madrid are assessing several options for the same position.

Barcelona’s search for exciting young talents appears to have taken them across the Atlantic, with Australian defender Lucas Herrington emerging as a serious target for the Catalan club. 

The highly-rated teenager has been generating significant attention in recent months, and Barcelona’s interest is now understood to be far more advanced than simple scouting reports.

According to SPORT, the Blaugrana have been closely following the Colorado Rapids defender and have already taken concrete steps to assess the possibility of bringing him to Spain. 

At just 18 years old, Herrington is establishing himself as one of the most exciting defensive prospects in North American football, attracting attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Barcelona intensify pursuit of Australian wonderkid

Herrington has impressed Barcelona’s scouting department with a combination of qualities that are highly valued in modern defenders. 

Barcelona are interested in Lucas Herrington. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

His comfort on the ball, ability to break lines with passes and dominance in aerial situations have reportedly stood out during the club’s evaluations.

Notably, the interest has progressed beyond routine monitoring, with the outlet reporting that Barcelona representatives travelled to the United States earlier this year to watch the player firsthand and gather further information about his situation. 

During that visit, club officials also held discussions with the defender’s representatives to explore the conditions of a potential transfer.

Currently, Herrington remains tied to Colorado Rapids until the end of 2029, with the MLS side also holding an option to extend his contract for an additional year.

Colorado Rapids’ valuation

The biggest obstacle facing Barcelona appears to be the player’s price tag. 

Herrington is currently at the World Cup. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Reports emerging from the United States suggest that the Catalan club have already tested the waters with an opening proposal worth around €10 million.

However, that figure was rejected by Colorado Rapids, who believe the defender’s value is more than €20 million.

For what it is worth, Herrington’s rapid rise helps explain that valuation. 

Despite his age, he has already broken into the Australian national team setup and has accumulated four senior international appearances. 

Right now, the 18-year-old is with the Australian national team at the World Cup and if he delivers a strong performance, Colorado Rapids will have all the reasons to demand more than €20 million.

RB Leipzig have made contact over the possibility of signing Everton forward Thierno Barry, according to The Times.

However, Die Roten Bullen have yet to make a formal offer for the 23-year-old, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

Everton paid €30 million to sign the towering French forward from Villarreal in the summer of 2025.

He went on to score eight goals in 41 appearances in his first season at the Premier League club.

Romulo and Conrad Harder competed for the starting striker role at RB Leipzig during the 2025/26 season, with the former the preferred option under now-sacked head coach Ole Werner.

I spent nearly the entire day yesterday (Thursday) traveling up to Seattle, in order to catch a clinical dose of World Cup fever in person as the US took on Australia in the iconic stadium of the Seattle Seahawks (whatever the name of it may be temporarily). I’m quite excited, even if I would prefer a slightly later kickoff than high noon.

So I didn’t get to watch any of the games on Day 8 (Sirius XM simulcast of FOX Sports is poor substitute), but it looks like Canada, Switzerland, and Mexico did alright, and the Czechs disappointed once again. Bah.

Here’s hoping for no letdowns from Pochettino’s boys today. LFG.

USA vs. AUSTRALIA

It’s Juneteenth here in the States, a federal holiday. Most people have the day off. The nation’s primed to celebrate soccer. The 4-1 win over Paraguay in the US’s opening game only served to heighten the emotions, the expectations, the excitement. Catch the fever!

Australia also won their first game 2-0, putting on a counter-attacking clinic while holding Turkey at arm’s length. It wasn’t complicated, it wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was, as ever, quite effective. They will be looking to do the same again today.

Date / Time: Friday, June 19, 2026, 3pm EDT; 8pm BST
Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA, USA
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)

On TV: FOX, Telemundo (USA); BBC One (UK); elsewhere
Streaming online: FOX One, Peacock (USA); BBC iPlayer (UK)

Chelsea interest: Christian Pulisic took a star turn for the US in their first game, bringing back fond memories of Lockdown Pulisic from the long ago days of the year 2020. Can you believe that was six years ago already!? Pulisic did get subbed off early as precaution for a calf concern — he’s questionable to play in this one after being limited in training all week.

SCOTLAND vs. MOROCCO

Scotland got their first win at a World Cup in forever when they beat Haiti, 1-0 in their opening match. Since t hen, their fans have become social media darlings, showing up at Boston Red Sox baseball games and local area children’s hospitals. Great stuff!

So it’s all going great for them, though they may find Morocco a tougher nut to crack. The Champions of Africa by Administrative Decision outplayed mighty Brazil in their first game, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi is one of the early breakout stars of this World Cup.

Date / Time: Friday, June 19, 2026, 6pm EDT; 11pm BST
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA, USA
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

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

Chelsea interest: None, though Morocco’s Samir El Mourabet also earned some rave reviews for his performance against Brazil, and he’s already in the BlueCo system at Strasbourg.

BRAZIL vs. HAITI

Speaking of Brazil, here’s a must-win game for them already. Still no Neymar.

Date / Time: Friday, June 19, 2026, 9pm EDT; 2am BST (next day)
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain)

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

Chelsea interest: Well, none, since all of our Brazilian player were left off the final squad by Carlo Ancelotti.

TURKEY vs. PARAGUAY

Both teams would’ve been quite disappointed with their performances in their respective first games, and will be looking to do a lot better to stay in with a good chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

Date / Time: Friday, June 19, 2026, 9pm PDT; 5am BST (next day)
Venue: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)

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

Chelsea interest: None.

Thomas Tuchel put himself on the spot in front of his England players by throwing a ceremonial first pitch in the Kansas City Royals baseball team’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

England head coach Tuchel and members of his squad were guests at the Kauffman Stadium to watch the Royals barely 24 hours after winning their opening World Cup game against Croatia in Dallas.

Having seen captain Harry Kane score from the spot with a retaken penalty against Croatia, Tuchel put himself on the spot by throwing a ceremonial first pitch to Royals manager Matt Quatraro.

The moment was captured on film by delighted fans at the game after the stadium announcer welcomed the England players on the stadium’s big screen.

In a reversal of roles, England’s players were able to sit back and assess their head coach’s technique, as Tuchel tossed a right-handed pitch to Quatraro.

Against Croatia, Tuchel had inspired his team’s 4-2 victory with an inspiring half-time speech after being unhappy with elements of the first-half performance.

Kane, who was welcomed by name at the Royals, scored twice against Croatia with Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford also getting on the scoresheet.

Tuchel and his players were relaxing on Thursday night between World Cup games after flying straight back to their Kansas training base from Dallas.

The England squad face Ghana in their next Group L game next Tuesday, which gave the players and Tuchel an opportunity to switch off ahead of stepping up their preparations for the game in Boston.

Kane and vice-captain Declan Rice are both confident they will be fully fit to face Ghana. Rice went off against Croatia with some pain in his lower back that may need managing, while Kane experienced some cramp.

Nicolas Raskin has made clear his intention to leave Rangers this summer in search of the next step in his career amid interest from Atalanta and other clubs in the 25-year-old Belgium midfielder. (TeamTalk)

PSV Eindhoven are preparing to follow up their interest in 22-year-old striker Youssef Chermiti but have yet to weigh up their signing shortlist with Rangers likely to cash in if offered £25m. (Ed via Record)

Besiktas pitched Chermiti as one of four potential striker targets this summer, but head coach Vincenzo Italiano is not keen on a deal for Rangers' forward. (Yanpas via Record)

Kelechi Iheanacho, who is waiting to see if Celtic will trigger a contract extension, was offered to Vasco da Gama, but the Brazilian club did not find the Nigeria striker appealing. (Atencao Vascainos via Sun)

Plymouth Argyle are not planning on selling any of their top players, including 24-year-old Celtic-linked striker Lorent Tolaj, despite forecasting operating losses of £10.6m for the 2025-26 season. (Plymouth Herald)

Reports that former Celtic midfielder Efrain Juarez was in the mix to be Martin O'Neill's assistant with the Scottish champions proved premature when the 38-year-old was named the new head coach of Hungarian champions ETO Gyori. (National - subscription required)

• Celtic irked by Monday season start against Dundee
• Scottish Premiership fixtures - find out your club's schedule

Hearts paid a six-figure transfer fee exceeding £700,000 to York City for their latest signing, 24-year-old defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required)

Former Utrecht, Go Ahead Eagles and Twente head coach Rene Hake, who was most recently Robin van Persie's assistant at Feyenoord, was one of the candidates Hearts spoke to in London as they look to appoint a new manager. (Herald - subscription required)

Hearts have interviewed Hake, was also in the running for the recent Leicester City vacancy that was filled by ex-Rangers boss Russell Martin, for their managerial vacancy and plan to speak to further candidates in the coming days. (Scotsman - subscription required)

Midfielder Callum Wright has joined Hibernian's list of targets after the 26-year-old was released by Plymouth having ended the season on loan to Wigan Athletic in League One. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required)

• Friday's English & European transfer rumours
• Thursday's Scottish Gossip

Kilmarnock have agreed a transfer deal to sign 27-year-old goalkeeper Calum Ferrie from Queen's Park. (Daily Record)

Ruari Paton has negotiated his release from Port Vale and the 25-year-old striker is poised to return to St Johnstone after last season's loan, while 26-year-old winger Logan Chalmers should soon complete his transfer from Partick Thistle. (Courier - subscription required)

Falkirk have made an offer to sign Nottingham Forest attacker Joe Gardner on a permanent transfer, but the 21-year-old is also wanted by a number of League One and League Two clubs, including Oldham Athletic. (Football Insider)

Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain has revealed he effectively volunteered for a deadline-day transfer to Celtic while on loan to Hibernian from Dundee after seeing the Glasgow club linked with Trevor Carson on Sky Sports News. (Herald - subscription required)

Victor Munoz has speed in abundance and assets that can prove effective in the Premier League, says Radio Catalunya journalist Ernest Macia.

The 22-year-old spent time as a teenager at one of Spain's most famous academies in La Masia, then years at local side Damm and Real Madrid before moving to Osasuna in 2025.

Munoz left a mark on La Liga's 2025-26 season and was shortlisted for the league's Young Player of the Season award.

"What's striking about this player is from a Spanish perspective, it seems a nice story because the guy has been working very hard for years to achieve the first division in Spain and he finally did it," Macia told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"After 40 games he finally succeeded up to a point where he was able to play at the level of the best players at Barcelona or in Champions League teams. He's very athletic, he's very creative and he has what most of the teams lack which is this capacity for one-on-one and for high speed which I think for the Premier League will be very useful for him.

"The guy is very talented and after almost 40 games [in La Liga] it's a very, very courageous move by Liverpool but I think it seems like Barcelona were already looking at him and he deserves this chance and I think he will do well in the Premier League.

"He is one of those players who immediately changes the tempo of the game. Defenders aren't comfortable against him because of his pace and directness. In modern football, I think this kind of speed is very worthy and very valuable. He has that in abundance.

"The only question is – whether in such a short period of time in which he was able to show his value in Spain, will it be at the same pace and the same progress in England?"

Click play above to hear more from Macia or listen on BBC Sounds here

Last weekend in Boston, Scotland played their most important game of international football in 28 years, a walk on the wildside against Haiti, a game that put the heart sideways in every Scot but, ultimately, sparked the party to end all parties in the city they called Beantown.

More like Beanotown, more like Scotland, Massachusetts. For almost four decades there was a character in the DC Thomson comic called Ball Boy, a wee football-obsessed lad who couldn't kick a can down a street without thinking he'd scored the winner in a World Cup final.

Boston has been overtaken by Ball Boys, full-time dreamers and relentless ambassadors for their country. There isn't a cop in the city who hasn't been charmed by them, nor a local business that hasn't benefitted hugely from the Tartan Army dollar.

They've been a happy whirlwind, a force of nature that will be missed when it blows out of town in the coming days.

Before the exodus, though, there's a job to be done. Such is the rarefied air they're breathing at this World Cup, what we said in previewing Haiti can be said again in looking forward to Morocco.

• Scotland's Boston love affair one for the ages
• What are Clarke's big calls for Morocco? And who would you pick?
• Why does Scotland's McGinn do goggles celebration?
• World Cup: Scotland's Biggest Test Yet

After the big one comes the ever bigger one. Bigly, as somebody once said.

This one, if it goes well, could be the greatest of them all, not just in 28 years but, arguably, in the 154 years since Scotland played England at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in the first international match ever played.

Then, as now, Scotland were captained by a man with firm roots at Queen's Park. A 0-0 draw then would go down a storm now.

Stalemate against Morocco would almost certainly send Steve Clarke's boys into the promised land of knockout football for the first time in the nation's history. Even a narrow defeat would be good news given the way the permutations are shaking up for the best third-placed qualifiers.

Robert Gardner was the man who led Scotland in that pioneering contest of 1872. A full Victorian moustache and well-groomed beard, it's nice to imagine him up there in football heaven, his whiskers twitching as he watches the action from the Boston Stadium, a little bit of a step-up from the arenas he'd have been used to.

Summoning up history is appropriate because even before Scotland set foot in the States they were doing it themselves, manager and players laying it on the line about what their target was - becoming the first of their kind to make it out of a group in a major championship.

It was hairy against Haiti; a deflected winner, a Grant Hanley handball in the box not deemed a penalty, a magnificent Hanley block denying a near-certain goal, a late Frantzdy Pierrot header that went just wide instead of going where many thought it was going - into the back of Angus Gunn's goal.

Scotland had their moments, too, of course, but it was a sticky effort and none of the players are arguing otherwise. A brilliant victory in a pressure-filled, must-win game, but a performance that was beneath them.

These players are capable of more than they delivered against Haiti. And now is the time to prove it.

At various points in qualification, good fortune shone brightly on Scotland, but luck always runs out in the end. The likelihood of Morocco, ranked the sixth best international side in the world, being held or beaten on the back of big breaks going the way of the underdogs is a dream too far.

Scotland are going to have to be resilient, organised and inspired to get a draw or even a one-goal loss. To win, they need to put in the best display we've seen from them since Clarke took over.

Anything below par and Morocco, with their speed and creativity, will give them a rough night. The jeopardy is intoxicating.

In their 1-1 draw with Brazil on Saturday, Morocco bossed the show early on. They ran rings round the South Americans for a spell.

In the first 30 minutes, they had 12 shots on goal. When they scored, it was a microcosm of their class, a lethal moment of accuracy and brilliance.

Brahim Diaz's pass was threaded between Gabriel, Premier League winner with Arsenal, and Marquinhos, double Champions League winner with Paris St-Germain. Ismael Saibari's lobbed finish was gorgeous and too much for Liverpool's Alisson.

That's a slight lack of concentration from two world-class defenders and one of the finest goalkeepers on the planet undone by two touches.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti made two substitutions at half-time. Casemiro was hooked because a teenager was making him look like an old man.

Ayyoub Bouaddi is 18 and is the breakout star of the tournament so far. He plays for Lille, but soon he's going to be playing for one of Europe's elite clubs and they'll be paying plenty for him. Current price tag: £61m.

Bouaddi has technique and vision. He made his Conference League debut at 16 - the youngest player to have featured in a Uefa club competition. He's also the youngest to have played a top-flight game in France in the 21st century.

Morocco haven't lost a game in two and a half years. There's an asterisk beside that stat, of course. They were defeated by Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in January only to be awarded a 3-0 victory later on by the Confederation of African Football.

Senegal were sanctioned for walking off in protest for 15 minutes after a penalty decision went against them. Chaotic doesn't begin to cover it.

Despite winning all of these games, Scotland's opponents don't tend to score many goals, which is a surprise. In Diaz and Saibari and the left-sided midfielder, Bilal El Khannouss, they have hugely dynamic attackers.

And, in Achraf Hakimi, they have one of the best right-backs in the world, if not the absolute best. Hakimi is the heart of it. Born in Spain to a street vendor father and a mother who was a cleaner, he has spoken often about how his upbringing shaped him.

The Paris St-Germain defender will stand trial for rape, French prosecutors have confirmed. Hakimi vehemently denies the accusations.

Hakimi is a magnificent footballer, at his best when going forward, an explosive force down the right for Morocco, a Serie A winner with Inter, twice a Champions League winner with PSG, a World Cup semi-finalist with his country four years ago.

Morocco are a team drawn from the diaspora. Of the starting line-up that drew with Brazil, their goalkeeper was born in Canada, two of their defenders hail from Spain, another from France and another from the Netherlands.

Neil El Aynaoui, the midfielder, was born in France, Bouaddi and Saibari in Spain, El Khannouss in Belgium. In the rest of the squad there are another nine players who originated in Spain, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Clearly, though, they are Moroccan to the core of their beings.

They represent a ferocious test for Scotland - and also an opportunity. Only a handful of Clarke's team produced their best stuff against Haiti and none of them are hiding from that.

Scott McTominay was one of them. Maybe still feeling the impact of a tummy bug or, perhaps, weighed down a touch by the burden on his shoulders, the talisman was not all that talismanic.

He ran his heart out - with all nations having played one game, he ranked sixth overall in terms of kilometres covered - but he wasn't the influence he can be. Nor was John McGinn, despite his goal.

It didn't matter on the day, but it will matter against Morocco. Scotland's totems need to turn up.

Clarke is likely to drop a striker and bring in an extra midfielder to cope with Morocco's energy and class, to stifle while also retaining the capacity to strike out on their own. This can't be backs-to-the-wall for 90 minutes.

Everything screams 'the biggest test of their international lives', but, also, everything we know about this Scotland team tells us that they are up for a fight. They go again.

• A day of tears, scuffles & history as injury mars Canada's moment
• World Cup fixtures and group standings
• How to watch the World Cup on the BBC

Former Sunderland midfielder Darren Williams says former team-mate Eric Roy "always had a smile on his face" during his short stint at the Stadium of Light.

Roy, who was managing Ligue 1 club Brest, died on Wednesday. He had been suffering with pancreatic cancer.

The pair played together in the 1999-00 season, helping the newly promoted Black Cats to an impressive seventh-place finish in the Premier League.

Roy, who played as a defensive midfielder, scored one goal and registered two assists across 31 appearances for the club.

"We were all a little bit unaware of him when he came into the side," Williams told BBC Radio Newcastle. "But what a fantastic player he turned out to be.

"He was a great guy. He gelled with the squad really quickly. He wasn't at the club for long, but during the time he was there his character came out.

"He was quite flamboyant. He always had a smile on his face. He was always polite, apart from when he was on the pitch. He was a fantastic team-mate and player.

"He was also good for the younger lads, and I was one of them. If you had any concerns or issues, you could always sit down and just have a chat with him. That just shows what a character he was in our dressing room.

"I could always see him going into the managerial side of things. What Eric wanted to do, you knew Eric would do."

Listen to the full conversation above or listen on BBC Sounds

There are almost two completely different stories to tell when analysing Savinho’s recent season at Manchester City.

Across the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, the Brazilian often looked like a player still searching for his place within Pep Guardiola’s system.

Yet in the domestic cup competitions, he has appeared transformed; more confident, more direct and, crucially, more productive. Of course, context is important.

In the Premier League, 17 of Savinho’s 24 appearances came from the bench, amounting to just 821 minutes. In the Champions League, three of his seven appearances were substitute outings, with only 369 minutes played overall. Consistent starts often allow attacking players to establish rhythm and confidence, something Savinho has rarely been afforded in league competition.

Manchester City awaiting formal Tottenham offer for Savinho as Iliman Ndiaye plans develop

The numbers from Europe’s premier competition are intriguing. Savinho completed dribbles at a success rate of 61.5%, outperforming 83% of players, while his 58% duel success rate ranked above 88% of his peers. On the surface, these are the statistics of a winger capable of causing serious problems for opposition defences.

The problem came with what followed.

Despite regularly beating defenders, Savinho produced only a single assist and created eight chances across the campaign. His underlying dribbling figures suggest a player progressing the ball into dangerous areas, yet the final action was too often missing. For all the excitement generated by his ball carrying, there was little tangible reward.

The Premier League paints an even harsher picture.

His dribble success rate of 32.1% ranked lower than 72% of players, while he won only 40.6% of his duels and created just nine chances all season. One goal from 20 shots and a solitary assist summed up a league campaign that never truly managed to gather momentum.

This is where things become interesting.

In the FA Cup, virtually every major metric improved.

Savinho averaged 0.65 goals per 90 minutes, completed 3.88 successful dribbles per 90 and won almost 10 duels per game. His influence on matches was immediately apparent. He saw significantly more of the ball and ranked among the competition’s elite for touches inside the opposition box, suggesting a player far more involved in attacking phases than his league performances often indicated.

Savinho’s “incredible” performance against Sunderland to secure “a lot of minutes” says Pep Guardiola

The sample size remains small, but the trend is difficult to ignore. Whether the explanation is confidence, greater familiarity with teammates, more consistent starts or simply the level of opposition remains unclear. What is clear is that Savinho looked far closer to the player Manchester City believed they were signing.

The same pattern emerged in the Carabao Cup.

Two goals in two appearances delivered an average of 1.04 goals per 90 minutes. His dribbling reached its highest level of the season at 4.68 successful take-ons per game, while his involvement in possession increased further still. Even defensively there was greater engagement, averaging 1.56 tackles per 90 minutes.

Taken in isolation, neither cup campaign provides enough evidence to draw definitive conclusions. Together, however, they raise a fascinating question.

Which version of Savinho is the real one?

The player who struggled to translate possession into productivity in the Premier League? Or the winger who repeatedly dominated domestic cup matches when afforded a run of starts?

That uncertainty leaves Manchester City facing an increasingly important decision.

Reports linking Tottenham with a move worth around £60 million present a genuine dilemma. The talent is clearly there. At just 22 years old, Savinho possesses the technical ability, acceleration and ball-carrying qualities that cannot easily be taught. What remains unproven is whether he can consistently deliver those attributes at the highest level.

Tottenham advancing in talks for Manchester City’s Savinho

With Antoine Semenyo arriving and Jeremy Doku already established as one of the Premier League’s most explosive dribblers, competition for places is only becoming fiercer. Minutes may become harder to find, but equally opportunities to develop may become increasingly limited.

That leaves City with a difficult balancing act.

Sell now and they risk watching a talented young winger fulfil his potential elsewhere. Keep him and they may spend another season waiting for promise to become production.

The statistics suggest both outcomes remain entirely possible. That uncertainty, more than anything else, explains why Savinho’s future could become one of the most intriguing subplots of Manchester City’s summer.

The drama has already reached another level at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with knockout places already being secured and several nations facing defining moments.

Some teams have taken a giant step towards the next round, while others are already running out of room for error.

Read on as we break down the biggest stories from the latest round of action and look ahead to what’s still to come.

Canada find World Cup breakthrough in dominant fashion

Canada had to wait eight matches for their first World Cup victory, but Jesse Marsch’s side made the wait worthwhile last night.

After being held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia & Herzegovina on matchday one, the Canucks cruised to a 6-0 win over Qatar at BC Place in Vancouver.

Juventus striker Jonathan David inspired his country to a long-awaited triumph over the lowest-ranked nation in Group B, scoring a hat-trick against Julen Lopetegui’s ill-disciplined side.

In doing so, he became the second player at this World Cup to score three goals in one game after Argentina icon Lionel Messi. He has also entered the race for the Golden Boot, just like his teammate Cyle Larin.

After scoring an equaliser against Bosnia, the Southampton centre-forward returned to the scoresheet with a simple tap-in to open the scoring.

Meanwhile, Qatar couldn’t replicate their heroics from round one, when they held Switzerland to a late draw, as they received two red cards.

Chilean referee Cristian Garay sent off the likes of Homam Al-Amin and Assim Omer Madibo on either side of half-time, with both players receiving straight reds for cynical fouls on Tajon Buchanan and Ismael Kone, respectively.

Despite a heavy loss, Qatar’s hopes of progressing as one of the best-ranked third-placed teams are not entirely gone, though they’d have to pull off an epic win over Bosnia, who slumped to a 4-1 defeat to the Swiss yesterday.

Mexico book knockout place

Co-hosts Mexico squeezed past South Korea in Group A’s top-table six-pointer to secure a place in the round of 32, avenging a heartbreaking group-stage exit in Qatar four years ago.

Buoyed by a 2-0 win over South Africa on the opening day, Javier Aguirre’s side knew they were in for a much more complicated contest this time around, with the Taegeuk Warriors standing on the other side.

Following a disappointing first half that produced just a single shot on target, El Tri drew first blood early in the second half as Chivas Guadalajara midfielder Luis Romo scored the winning goal at his home stadium.

With 40 minutes left on the clock, Mexico had to dig deep to protect their slender lead and uphold their 100% win rate over Asian opposition at World Cups, having now won all six such matches.

Most importantly, they’ve secured a knockout berth with a game to spare.

As for South Korea, they’ll have to avoid defeat against South Africa in their final group-stage outing to lock in second place, provided the Czech Republic fail to beat Mexico in the other fixture.

USMNT & Australia both seeking history in Seattle

After a 4-1 rout of Paraguay on day one, the United States are in pole position to join Mexico in the knockouts, as they face Asian qualifiers Australia in Seattle later in the evening.

Mauricio Pochettino oversaw the USMNT’s joint-largest World Cup victory last time out, with the co-hosts also finding the net four times in a single World Cup match for the first time.

On that basis, confidence should be sky-high for the home team as they seek back-to-back World Cup victories for the first time since 1930.

Achieving that feat would also see them register multiple triumphs at one World Cup for the first time since going all the way to the quarter-finals in 2002.

Seattle may provide a perfect backdrop, given that they’ve won seven consecutive games in this city, yet there’s no room for complacency as they meet a high-flying Australia side.

The Socceroos defied the odds to beat Turkey 2-0 in their Group D opener, marking their first day-one win at World Cups since 2006. As a result, they could move on to the next stage with a win here.

It would be an unprecedented success for Australia, as they could reach the knockouts twice in a row for the first time after qualifying for the round of 16 in Qatar.

Top football stories

• Marcus Rashford’s battle with ‘enemy’ Anthony Gordon could determine club future
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• World Cup 2026: Golden Boot battle heats up, Ronaldo off to frustrating start, Spain call for calm
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What to watch

Folarin Balogun set the tone for the United States’ thrashing of Paraguay with a first-half brace and is now halfway to becoming the second USMNT star to score four goals at a single World Cup.

It has been almost a century since Bert Patenaude struck four times at a single World Cup in 1930, and Balogun now stands on the verge of ending that wait and writing his own chapter in USMNT history.

Elsewhere, Brazil will look to bounce back from a lacklustre day-one performance against Morocco when they take on Group C minnows Haiti overnight, hoping to get their faltering World Cup campaign back on track.

Another upset, no matter how unlikely it may feel, would significantly derail the Selecao’s chances of extending their proud record of topping their World Cup group in every tournament since 1982.

Not since 1978 have Brazil failed to win their opening two World Cup matches, and there’s little doubt that veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti will expect nothing less than a statement victory here.

A big surprise for the away kit.

This Friday morning, Tottenham unveiled their new home and away kits for next season.

While the home kit remains very traditional, with only the addition of white stripes on a white background along the diagonal, the away kit is much more surprising.

Spurs have gone for a black base with diagonal stripes in shades of pink, purple, and orange. It’s a bold choice that could divide opinion among fans.

And what do you think of this away kit? Tell us all about it in the comments!

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

Conor McGregor will make his long-awaited return to the UFC this month, as he takes onMax Holloway in a rematch 13 years in the making.

McGregor has not fought in five years, having broken his leg in his last outing in the Octagon, a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. As such, it’s hard to know which version of the Irishman will appear at UFC 329, where he fights Holloway in Las Vegas.

Holloway has been much more active than his old rival, who outpointed him in 2013, but the Hawaiian enters this fight on the back of a defeat – a one-sided decision against Charles Oliveira in March.

Still, the 34-year-old is a former champion like McGregor, 37, and is deemed one of the greatest featherweights of all time. He has also had success at lightweight, although he will fight McGregor at welterweight, where the Irishman has experience and Holloway does not.

In the co-main event, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett aims to bounce back from his first UFC loss, but the Liverpudlian faces a stern test as he takes on the heavy-hitting, well-rounded Benoit Saint-Denis.

Here’s all you need to know:

When is the fight?

UFC 329 will take place on Saturday 11 July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, US. The early prelims will begin at 10pm BST (2pm PT / 4pm CT / 5pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 12am BST (4pm PT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET) on Sunday, before the main card starts at 2am BST on Sunday (6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET on Saturday).

How can I watch it?

In the UK, the card will air live on TNT Sports and is also accessible via HBO Max, EE TV, Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Sports. In the US, Paramount+ will stream the action, with CBS showing a segment of the card.

Odds

McGregor – 5/2; Holloway – 3/10

Pimblett – 13/10; Saint-Denis – 8/13

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Fight card in full

Subject to change:

Main card

Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway 2 (welterweight)

Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight)

Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista (bantamweight)

Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh (flyweight)

Gable Steveson vs Elisha Ellison (heavyweight)

Prelims

Robert Whittaker vs Nikita Krylov (light-heavyweight)

Luke Riley vs Kai Kamaka III (featherweight)

Damian Pinas vs Cesar Almeida (middleweight)

Cody Garbrandt vs Adrian Yanez (bantamweight)

Early prelims

Tracy Cortez vs Wang Cong (women’s flyweight)

Ryan Gandra vs Zachary Reese (middleweight)

Ode’ Osbourne vs Cody Durden (flyweight)

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Australia arrive at Lumen Field in Seattle tonight, brimming with confidence after one of the tournament’s standout results so far.

Tony Popovic earned widespread praise for masterminding a disciplined tactical display against fancied Turkey on matchday one. The Socceroos willingly surrendered possession, hit Turkiye on the counter, and walked away with a 2-0 victory that few saw coming. Another positive result tonight against the hosts, the USA, would put this squad on the verge of the knockout rounds.

Australia team news

Popovic has a largely fit squad at his disposal ahead of the Seattle fixture. The one concern is Mo Touré, who suffered cramp late in the Turkiye match and has been assessed since, though he remains in contention to lead the line tonight. The coaching staff will have monitored his recovery closely, given Australia conceded 72% possession in the opener — a physically demanding shift for every player on the pitch.

Patrick Beach keeps his place in goal after a stunning competitive international debut against Turkiye, in which the 22-year-old made eight saves to preserve a clean sheet.

Harry Souttar anchors the back three once more, with Cameron Burgess and Alessandro Circati providing physical presence on either side. Jacob Italiano and Jordy Bos are set to resume their demanding wing-back roles.

Aiden O’Neill and Paul Okon-Engstler form a tireless defensive screen in midfield. Connor Metcalfe, who scored against Turkey, pushes from an advanced position to support the attack. Nestory Irankunda — Australia’s youngest-ever World Cup scorer — provides the explosive pace to threaten on the counter.

When does the match kick off?

The Group D fixture takes place on Friday, 19 June 2026, with kick-off at 20:00 BST at Lumen Field in Seattle.

How to watch USA vs Australia?

UK viewers can watch the match live and free-to-air on BBC One, with a live stream available via BBC iPlayer.

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Scotland take on Morocco in an important Round 2 Group C clash of the FIFA World Cup on Friday at Boston Stadium, with both sides coming into the game after encouraging results in their opening matches.

Scotland arrives in strong form, currently on a three-match winning run. In the build-up to the tournament, they recorded convincing friendly victories over Curaçao (4-1) and Bolivia (4-0).

They carried that momentum into their World Cup opener, edging past Haiti 1-0 thanks to a decisive goal from John McGinn. That result puts them at the top of Group C, and confidence within the squad is high.

Scotland team news

Heading into this important fixture against Morocco, Scotland have almost a fully fit squad available.

The only notable concern for manager Steve Clarke is defender Scott McKenna, who missed training earlier in the week due to a persistent calf issue. He is considered very unlikely to feature in this match.

After opting for a 4-4-2 formation against Haiti, Clarke is now weighing up a tactical adjustment. He could switch to either a 5-3-2 or a 4-2-3-1 system in order to strengthen control in midfield.

John McGinn is certain to retain his place in the starting lineup after scoring the winner in the opening game.

Meanwhile, striker Lawrence Shankland may start on the bench, as Clarke looks to introduce an additional midfielder such as Ryan Christie to better handle Morocco’s pace and movement.

Angus Gunn is set to continue in goal, with Jack Hendry and Grant Hanley expected to provide defensive cover in front of him.

Scotland predicted lineup

Possible Scotland starting XI: Gunn; Hickey, Hendry, Hanley, Robertson; Gannon-Doak, Ferguson, McTominay, McGinn, Christie; Adams

When will the match kick off?

The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Friday, 19th June.

How to watch Scotland vs Morocco?

United Kingdom viewers can watch the Scotland vs Morocco World Cup match live on ITV1.

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Paraguay arrive at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara desperate to rebuild after a chastening opening defeat.

Gustavo Alfaro watched his side’s defensive structure crumble against the United States on matchday one. Three goals conceded before half-time in Los Angeles left La Albirroja with a mountain to climb, and they never recovered, eventually falling to a 4-1 defeat.

Their reputation for defensive resilience took a serious dent, and Alfaro will demand an immediate and emphatic response tonight. A win against Turkiye would keep their knockout hopes alive; anything less and their tournament is effectively over.

Paraguay team news

Alfaro faces a couple of fitness concerns ahead of kick-off. Gustavo Caballero missed the opener entirely and continues to battle a muscular issue, while Ramon Sosa requires a late assessment on an ankle problem before a final decision is made on his involvement. Rodrigo Gill retains his place in goal.

Omar Alderete and captain Gustavo Gomez are expected to continue at centre-back. Junior Alonso could make way at left-back, with Alexandro Maidana ready to come in and provide greater defensive solidity on that flank. Juan Jose Caceres continues at right-back.

Damian Bobadilla and Andres Cubas form the midfield base, tasked with disrupting Turkiye’s passing rhythm. Miguel Almiron, who picked up a booking against the United States, operates on the right flank and must stay disciplined tonight.

Diego Gomez provides energy from the opposite wing. Julio Enciso adds creativity in the spaces behind the striker. Tonny Sanabria leads the line, with substitute Mauricio — who scored against the USA — pushing hard for a starting role.

Paraguay predicted lineup

Paraguay possible starting XI: Gill; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Maidana; Bobadilla, Cubas; D. Gomez, Enciso, Almiron; Sanabria

When does the match kick off?

The Group D fixture kicks off at 04:00 BST in the early hours of Saturday, 20 June 2026, at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara.

How to watch Turkiye vs Paraguay?

UK viewers can watch the match live on ITV1, with a live stream available via ITVX.

Read more – 📈 World Cup Power Rankings: German goal-fest and Messi magic

See Also- World Cup Day 7: England make statement; Ronaldo blanks

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