Sports
Raptors fail test against Kings as DeRozan, Achiuwa burn former team
TORONTO — The downside of playing meaningful basketball in the late stage of the NBA season is that you can fail.
They hosted the Sacramento Kings, a team that is last place in the Western Conference, were losers of six of their past seven games and came into the game ranked 26th on offence and 28th on defence.
They are only a couple of years removed from winning 48 and 46 wins in the West, but have crumbled like stale chips since. Their new plan hinges on drafting a star this summer and starting over.
That might work. Their plan for this season — accumulating a collection of past-their-best-years veterans and hoping to extract some asset value at the trade deadline — decidedly didn’t work because no one else in the league wanted the players or the contracts.
Which is how former Raptors DeMar DeRozan and Precious Achiuwa were on hand for the Kings to torture their former team in a game that Sacramento would have been fine with losing and the Raptors very much needed to win.
Achiuwa is a useful player, and DeRozan will have a chance to be in the Hall of Fame when his career winds up. But in each case — at this stage of their careers — the ways they can hurt you are fairly straightforward. Achiuwa is strong, agile and quick and hard to handle when he wants to use all of those gifts. But if he’s kept off the glass, his ability to hurt you is limited.
Well, the sixth-year pro bounced around for 11 offensive rebounds — 19 overall
— and pummelled the Raptors with 28 points, a big night for him considering he was averaging 9.6 points and 6.5 rebounds on the season.
And DeRozan? He’s not the athlete he was when he was posterizing people as a Raptor, but at 36 years old, he’s still a dangerous scorer if you’re not mindful defensively, and in particular about reacting to his feints and fakes designed to draw fouls. The Raptors put him on the free throw line 12 times – he made all 12 – as he scored 26 of his 28 points in the second half.
The result was a 123-115 Kings win that improved them to 20-57 while the Raptors fell to 42-34. The Raptors’ loss, coupled with wins from Atlanta and Philadelphia, dropped Toronto to seventh place as the 76ers — in the sixth and final playoff spot — hold the tiebreaker over Toronto.
Before the tip, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was saying the team’s first run for a playoff spot together will depend on a daily focus on the small things they can hope to control, rather than spending too much energy thinking about the desired outcome.
“Really, every game comes down to are we going to play to our standard or not,” said Rajakovic. “… That’s a daily fight, that’s a daily commitment to those things, so we’re really focussing on that and enjoying the process. We’re not looking forward to the post-season and like, hey, that’s the end goal.”
All fair and reasonable. But if you’re dropping games to the Sacramento Kings at home, maybe the process needs work?
“This is a game we’re supposed to win no matter what,” said Raptors wing RJ Barrett, who had 20 points, five rebounds and six assists – but also five turnovers. “Process or no process, we can’t lose this game.”
But they did. They did it by coming out tentatively in the first quarter and falling behind early. They did by giving up an 18-3 run late in the second quarter, immediately after the Raptors themselves had put a 21-3 run on the Kings to take control of the game in the first place. Instead, it was the Kings that led at halftime.
It was like the Raptors didn’t really believe that the Kings were in it to win the game. But they miscalculated. The Kings were rested, having been in Toronto since Sunday night. And the Raptors could reasonably cite fatigue, given then had lost in Detroit the night before.
But that’s the point: the teams that reach their goals — whatever their process — are the ones that fight through the fatigue or the injuries or the inconvenience. The Pistons had beaten the Raptors the night before, having lost in overtime in Oklahoma City on Monday night. They found a way.
The Raptors found a way to lose. They missed 10 free throws, for example, this after missing 11 the night before in Detroit. The Kings were 27-of-29 at the stripe. The Raptors played from behind most of the game, and when the end of the game came, they had no margin for error and got burned.
“There were times when you felt like there was no sense of urgency, until, like, we made it close,” said Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, who had 17 points and six rebounds off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting. “And then we’d be like, ah, OK, we’re in the game. But we can’t have those slip-ups.”
There were other good performers. Jamal Shead had 16 points and seven assists in 37 minutes, and Collin Murray-Boyles had the first 20-point game of his career in 18 minutes off the bench. But Scottie Barnes took too long to assert himself offensively while playing point guard in place of the injured Immanuel Quickley. His 10 assists extended his streak of games with double-digit assists to six, but Toronto needed more than his 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting. He was also 4-of-8 from the line. Jakob Poeltl couldn’t match Achiuwa’s physicality.
The Raptors let the Kings hang around, maybe hoping they’d just hand the game to them in the end. But instead, Sacramento figured, hey, why not win one for a change?
Toronto gave up 34 points to the Kings in the fourth quarter. They hit four threes and were 11-of-11 from the free throw line.
Fittingly, it was DeRozan’s triple from the corner in front of the Raptors bench that pushed the Kings’ lead to six with 1:05 to play after Toronto had pulled the game within a single possession, and then it was Achiuwa who sealed it with a driving lay-up.
If playing meaningful basketball in March and April, the Raptors’ season to this point has been a success. But how they cope with something on the line will determine their final grade.
A home game against the Kings was supposed to be an open-book test. The Raptors flunked it.
“This one’s frustrating,” said Barrett. “We’ve been fighting hard all year, so you want the reward of making it to the playoffs and fighting for the championship, so nights like tonight, they hurt, especially when we know how much work we put in.
“Especially now after tonight, if we don’t come out and fight with everything we have got for these next couple of games… we have to play like our lives depend on it.”
He’s still a Raptor: Wednesday night’s visit with the Sacramento Kings was DeRozan’s 587th as a non-Raptor. An entire career for a lot of players. But he played nine seasons and 675 games for Toronto. He’s played 63 playoff games in his career
— a total that won’t change after a lost season with the lottery-bound Kings. But 51 of them were as a Raptor, helping the team scale its highest heights until they won the 2019 championship thanks in large part to the return — Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green — the Raptors got in the trade that sent DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs.
But playoff success has eluded him since. Failure too. He hasn’t been in the post-season at all since the Chicago Bulls lost in five games in 2021-22. He lost in the first game when he was with the Spurs in 2018-19. When I spoke with him briefly before the game, he said that his old pal Kyle Lowry is trying to get him to play 20 years, and while DeRozan is durable enough — he’s averaged 76 games his last four seasons and has only missed two so far this season — he’s not sure he’s got three more years in him. Diar — a longtime fixture on the sidelines at Raptors games (and famously cheering against the Raptors) and the oldest of four daughters with his wife, Kiara — is 13 and starting high school next year.
But at the same time, DeRozan is interested in finishing his career off with one more crack on a competitive team. He said he’d be open to a different role – DeRozan has started every game he’s played since the 2009-10 season – if necessary. “If it makes sense,” he said.
In the meantime? He’s made the most of his time with the Kings. He’s averaging 18.5 points a game on 49.5 per cent shooting and still gets to the free-throw line. Kings head coach (and former Raptor) Doug Christie gushed about his reliability and the example he provides to a young team. He passed Dominique Wilkins for 17th place on the NBA all-time scoring list Wednesday. “I mean, it’s always an honour passing the greats that came before me,” DeRozan said. “Especially people I know, you know, I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Dominique, so passing him is definitely cool.” With 26,688 points, DeRozan now trails only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden and fellow King Russel Westbrook among active scorers.
15th man watch: Wednesday night marked the end of Markelle Fultz’s 10-day contract. It’s expected that the Raptors will sign someone else on a 10-day deal on Thursday. Fultz got into five games for Toronto but didn’t really play any meaningful minutes, which was not encouraging given Quickley was out with plantar fasciitis for all of the six games the Raptors played when Fultz was with them. One name that was circulating as a possibility for a new 10-day was Tyreke Key, who played with Raptors 905 the past two seasons, was on their Summer League team last year and signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Raptors before training camp. The six-foot-two guard out of Tennessee has shot 40.1 per cent from three over 90 G-League starts the past two seasons. If the Raptors do add someone on a 10-day Thursday, they would still be able to sign one of their two-way players to a standard NBA deal on the last day of the regular season (April 12th) and have them eligible for the post-season. For the second game in a row, AJ Lawson was the first Raptors wing off the bench for Darko Rajakovic against the Kings. “He just needs to continue putting the work in. He already does a lot of great stuff that can help the team. I definitely see him as a player that belongs in the league with a full contract.”
So Precious: The former Raptors is often the forgotten man in the ‘OG Anunoby trade’ that brought Quickley and RJ Barrett to Toronto midway through the 2023-24 season. Not as forgotten as Malachi Flynn, who is now playing in Turkey, but it can be hard to stay in the spotlight playing on a Kings team that is in tank mode. But Achiuwa has put together a decent season, and he’s finishing strong. Even before his big night at Scotiabank Arena, he averaged 15.4 points and 9.5 assists on 57 per cent shooting over 14 games in March. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer and could be an intriguing depth big for a lot of teams. His market might be comparable to that of Raptors big Sandro Mamukelashvili, another depth big, albeit with a different skill set. Per league sources, Achiuwa could slot in for something in the six-to-eight-million-dollar range on a short-term deal.
Thomas Tuchel has announced the England squad and there are some big surprises, with Ivan Toney making the cut
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13 min read
The road to the 2026 World Cup is almost over as the 48 teams that will participate in the most-awaited soccer tournament in the world are now in the process of announcing their rosters. Some big names have already been announced, and Neymar is one of the latest. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti named the 34-year-old superstar to the squad in the most anticipated part of his announcement on Monday.
“I want to be clear, clean and honest. He will play if he deserves to play,” Ancelotti said of Neymar, who left Europe for an unsuccessful spell in Saudi Arabia in 2023 before returning to boyhood club Santos last year. “We have training and training to decide who will play. I have an idea of who could be the starting lineup at this moment, but we have to see how they train later, how they are prepared, what physical and mental condition they have to be in the starting lineup. I think it’s important not to set an expectation that someone on whether one plays. Each one (on the team) must prioritize to help the team win the cup. I only want players available to help the team win games.”
On Friday, Thomas Tuchel named the 26 players that will travel to the World Cup and there are some surprises as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire were all left out of the roster picked by the German coach ahead of the summer tournament, while Jordan Henderson and Ivan Toney made it to the list.
The associations that have yet to announce must provide FIFA with their final squads of between 23 and 26 players, including at least three goalkeepers. A player on the final list can be replaced by a player from the preliminary list in the event of a serious injury or illness no later than 24 hours before the team’s first match at the World Cup, while a goalkeeper in the final squad may be replaced by another goalkeeper from the preliminary squad in the event of a serious injury or illness at any time during the World Cup.
We’ll keep track of all the official squads for you as they get announced below.
Group A
Mexico: TBA
Korea Republic:
- Goalkeepers: Song Bumkeun (Jeonbuk), Jo Hyeonwoo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo)
- Defenders: Jens Castrop (Borussia Monchengladbach), Lee Hanbeom (Midtjylland), Park Jinseob (Zhejiang FC), Lee Kihyuk (Gangwon), Kim Minjae (Bayern Munich), Kim Moonhwan (Daejeon), Kim Taehyeon (Kashima Antlers), Lee Taeseok (Austria Wien), Seol Youngwoo (Crvena Zvezda), Cho Yumin (Sharjah)
- Midfielders: Lee Donggyeong (Ulsan), Hwang Heechan (Wolves), Yang Hyunjun (Celtic), Hwang Inbeom (Feyenoord), Lee Jaesung (FSV Mainz), Kim Jingyu (Jeonbuk), Eom Jisung (Swansea), Bae Junho (Stoke), Lee Kangin (PSG), Paik Seungho (Birmingham)
- Forwards: Cho Guesung (Midtjylland), Son Heungmin (LAFC), Oh Hyeongyu (Besiktas)
South Africa: TBA
Czechia: TBA
Group B
Canada: TBA
Qatar: TBA
Switzerland:
- Goalkeepers: Marvin Keller (Young Boys), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Yvon Mvogo (Lorient)
- Defenders: Manuel Akanji (Inter), Aurele Amenda (Eintracht Frankfurt), Eray Comert (Valencia), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Luca Jaquez (VfB Stuttgart), Miro Muheim (Hamburg), Ricardo Rodriguez (Real Betis), Silvan Widmer (Mainz)
- Midfielders: Michel Aebischer (Pisa), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Remo Freuler (Bologna), Ardon Jashari (AC Milan), Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), Fabian Rieder (Augsburg), Djibril Sow, Ruben Vargas (both Sevilla), Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), Denis Zakaria (Monaco)
- Forwards: Zeki Amdouni (Burnley), Breel Embolo (Stade Rennais), Cedric Itten (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest), Noah Okafor (Leeds United)
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj (FC St. Pauli), Martin Zlomislic (Rijeka) Osman Hadzikic (Slaven Belupo)
- Defenders: Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta), Dennis Hadzikadunic (Sampdoria), Amar Dedic (Benfica), Nikola Katic (Schalke 04), Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo), Nihad Mujakic (Gaziantep), Stjepan Radeljic (Rijeka), Nidal Celik (Lens)
- Midfielders: Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull City), Benjamin Tahirovic (Brondby), Dzenis Burnic (Karlsruher SC), Armin Gigovic (Young Boys), Ivan Basic (Astana), Esmir Bajraktarevic (PSV), Amar Memic (Viktoria Plzen), Ivan Sunjic (Pafos), Kerim Alajbegovic (Red Bull Salzburg), Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec)
- Forwards: Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04), Ermedin Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart), Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj)
Group C
Brazil:
- Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio)
- Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Marquinhos (PSG), Wesley (Roma)
- Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ahli), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo)
- Forwards: Endrick (Lyon/Real Madrid), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Neymar (Santos), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
Morocco: TBA
Haiti:
- Goalkeepers: Johny Placide (Bastia), Alexandre Pierre (Sochaux), Josue Duverger (Cosmos Koblenz)
- Defenders: Ricardo Ade (LDU Quito), Carlens Arcus (Angers), Martin Experience (Nancy), Jean-Kevin Duverne (Gent), Duke Lacroix (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC), Wilguens Paugain (Zulte Waregem), Hannes Delcroix (Lugano), Keeto Thermoncy (Young Boys)
- Midfielders: Leverton Pierre (Vizela), Danley Jean Jacques (Philadelphia Union), Carl Sainte (El Paso Locomotive FC), Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Woodensky Pierre (Violette), Dominique Simon (Tatran Presov)
- Forwards: Duckens Nazon (Esteghlal), Frantzdy Pierrot (Caykur Rizespor), Derrick Etienne Jr. (Toronto FC), Louicius Deedson (FC Dallas), Ruben Providence (Almere City), Josue Casimir (Auxerre), Yassin Fortune (Vizela), Wilson Isidor (Sunderland), Lenny Joseph (Ferencvaros)
Scotland:
- Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Liam Kelly (Rangers)
- Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al-Etiffaq), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic)
- Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Finlay Curtis (Kilmarnock), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli)
- Forwards: Che Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic), George Hirst (Ipswich), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Ross Stewart (Southampton)
Group D
United States: TBA
Australia: TBA
Paraguay: TBA
Turkiye: TBA
Group E
Germany:
- Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Monaco)
- Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Frankfurt), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle)
- Midfielders: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Brighton), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Alexander Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
- Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Denis Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)
Curacao:
- Goalkeepers: Tyrick Bodak (SC Telstar), Trevor Doornbusch (VVV-Venlo), Eloy Room (Miami FC)
- Defenders: Riechedly Bazoer (Konyaspor), Joshua Brenet (Kayserispor), Roshon Van Eijma (RKC Waalwijk), Sherel Floranus (PEC Zwolle), Deveron Fonville (NEC Nijmegen), Jurien Gaari (Abha Club), Armando Obispo (PSV Eindhoven), Shurandy Sambo (Sparta Rotterdam)
- Midfielders: Juninho Bacuna (FC Volendam), Leandro Bacuna (Igdır), Livano Comenencia (FC Zurich), Kevin Felida (FC Den Bosch), Ar’Jany Martha (Rotherham United), Tyrese Noslin (SC Telstar), Godfried Roemeratoe (RKC Waalwijk)
- Forwards: Jeremy Antonisse (AE Kifisia), Tahith Chong (Sheffield United), Kenji Gorré (Maccabi Haifa), Sontje Hansen (Middlesbrough), Gervane Kastaneer (Terengganu FC), Brandley Kuwas (FC Volendam), Jurgen Locadia (Miami FC), Jearl Margaritha (SK Beveren)
Ecuador: TBA
Cote d’Ivoire:
- Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Rizespor), Mohamed Kone (Charleroi), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos)
- Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Clement Akpa (AJ Auxerre), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Guela Doue (Racing Strasbourg), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente), Odilon Kossonou (Atalanta), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma), Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray)
- Midfielders: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais), Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi), Franck Kessie (Al Ahli), Christ Oulai (Trabzonspor), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Jean-Michael Seri (NK Maribor)
- Forwards: Simon Adingra (AS Monaco), Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Oumar Diakite (Cercle Brugge), Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa), Nicolas Pepe (Villarreal), Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), Elye Wahi (Nice)
Group F
Netherlands: TBA
Japan:
- Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Aya Suzuki (Parma)
- Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden), Ko Itakura (Ajax), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre AC), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen), Junosuke Suzuki (FC Copenhagen)
- Midfielders: Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Junya Ito (Genk), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Koki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Kaishu Sano (Mainz 05), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)
- Forwards: Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims), Ito Suzuki (SC Freiburg), Kento Shiode (Wolfsburg), Keisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden)
Tunisia:
- Goalkeepers: Sabri Ben Hessen (Etoile Sahel), Abdelmouhib Chamakh (Club Africain), Aymen Dahman (CS Sfaxien)
- Defenders: Ali Abdi (Nice), Adem Arous (Kasimpasa), Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Esperance), Dylan Bronn (Servette Geneva), Raed Chikhaoui (US Monastir), Moutaz Neffati (Norrkoping), Omar Rekik (NK Maribor), Montassar Talbi (Lorient), Yan Valery (Young Boys Berne)
- Midfielders: Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa), Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City), Ismael Gharbi (FC Augsburg), Rani Khedira (Union Berlin), Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud (Lugano), Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley), Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt)
- Forwards: Elias Achouri (FC Copenhagen), Khalil Ayari (Paris St Germain), Firas Chaouat (Club Africain), Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps), Hazem Mastouri (Dynamo Makhachkala), Elias Saad (Hannover 96), Sebastian Tounekti (Celtic)
Sweden:
- Goalkeepers: Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK), Jacob Widell Zetterstrom (Derby County)
- Defenders: Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Isak Hien (Atalanta), Emil Holm (Juventus), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Victor Lindelof (Aston Villa), Erik Smith (St. Pauli), Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), Elliot Stroud (Mjallby), Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund)
- Midfielders: Taha Ali (Malmo), Yasin Ayari (Brighton), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham), Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese), Ken Sema (Pafos), Mattias Svanberg (Wolfsburg), Besfort Zeneli (Union St-Gilloise)
- Forwards: Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic)
Group G
Belgium:
- Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Racing Strasbourg)
- Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting), Maxim de Cuyper (Brighton), Koni de Winter (AC Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)
- Midfielders: Kevin de Bruyne (Napoli), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Girona)
- Forwards: Charles de Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).
Egypt: TBA
Iran: TBA
New Zealand:
- Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdansk, on loan from Bournemouth), Michael Woud (Auckland FC)
- Defenders: Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix), Francis de Vries (Auckland FC), Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United), Liberato Cacace (Wrexham), Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers), Callan Elliot (Auckland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree Town)
- Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking FK), Matthew Garbett (Peterborough United), Marko Stamenic (Swansea City), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Ben Old (Saint-Étienne), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg IF), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle)
- Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Eli Just (Motherwell), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC), Ben Waine (Port Vale), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
Group H
Saudi Arabia: TBA
Uruguay: TBA
Spain: TBA
Cabo Verde:
- Goalkeepers: Vozinha (Chaves), Marcio Rosa (Montana), CJ dos Santos (San Diego)
- Defenders: Stopira (Torreense), Roberto Lopes (Shamrock Rovers), Joao Paulo (FCSB), Diney (Al Bataeh), Logan Costa (Villarreal), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Wagner Pina (Trabzonspor), Sidny Lopes Cabral (Benfica), Kelvin Pires (SJK)
- Midfielders: Jamiro Monteiro (PEC Zwolle), Kevin Pina (Krasnodar), Deroy Duarte (Ludogorets), Telmo Arcanjo (Vitoria Guimaraes), Laros Duarte (Puskas Akademia), Yannick Semedo (Farense)
- Forwards: Ryan Mendes (Igdir), Garry Rodrigues (Apollon Limassol), Willy Semedo (Omonia), Jovane Cabral (Estrela Amadora), Gilson Tavares (Akron Tolyatti), Dailon Livramento (Casa Pia), Helio Varela (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Nuno da Costa (Istanbul Basaksehir)
Group I
France:
- Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Lens), Brice Samba (Rennes)
- Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernandez (Paris St-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
- Midfielders: N’Golo Kante (Fenerbache), Manu Kone (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris St-Germain)
- Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris St-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Man City), Ousmane Dembele (Paris St-Germain), Desire Doue (Paris St-Germain), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Jean-Phillipe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Marcus Thuram (Inter)
Senegal:
- Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Mory Diaw (Le Havre)
- Defenders: Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), Ilay Camara (Anderlecht), Moussa Niakhate (Lyon), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), El-Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United), Moustapha Mbow (Paris FC), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray)
- Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Bara Ndiaye (Bayern Munich)
- Forwards: Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Assane Diao (Como), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris St-Germain), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
Norway:
- Goalkeepers: Orjan Haskjold Nyland (Sevilla), Egil Selvik (Watford), Sander Tangvik (Hamburger SV)
- Defenders: Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Torino), David Moller Wolfe (Wolverhampton), Fredrik Bjorkan (Bodo/Glimt), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford), Torbjorn Heggem (Bologna), Leo Skiri Ostigard (Genoa), Sondre Langas (Derby County), Henrik Falchener (Viking)
- Midfielders: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Sander Berge (Fulham), Fredrik Aursnes (Benfica), Patrick Berg (Bodo/Glimt), Kristian Thorstvedt (Sassuolo), Morten Thorsby (Cremonese), Thelo Aasgaard (Rangers).
- Forwards: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Alexander Sorloth (Atletico Madrid), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace), Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig), Oscar Bobb (Fulham), Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica), Jens Petter Hauge (Bodo/Glimt)
Iraq: TBA
Group J
Algeria: TBA
Argentina: TBA
Austria:
- Goalkeepers: Patrick Pentz (Brondby), Alexander Schlager (RB Salzburg), Florian Wiegele (Viktoria Pilsen)
- Defenders: David Affengruber (Elche), David Alaba (Real Madrid), Kevin Danso (Tottenham), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen), Philipp Lienhart (Freiburg), Phillipp Mwene (Mainz), Stefan Posch (Mainz), Alexander Prass (Hoffenheim), Michael Svoboda (Venezia)
- Midfielders: Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig), Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund), Florian Grillitsch (Braga), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig), Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen), Alessandro Schopf (RZ Pellets WAC), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven), Patrick Wimmer (Wolfsburg)
- Forwards: Marko Arnautovic (Red Star Belgrade), Michael Gregoritsch (Augsburg), Sasa Kalajdzic (LASK)
Jordan: TBA
Group K
Colombia: TBA
Portugal:
- Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP); Ricardo Velho (Gençlerbirliği Ankara)
- Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United); Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce SK), Joao Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Gonçalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal); Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Tomas Araujo (SL Benfica)
- Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samuel Costa (Mallorca), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
- Forwards: Joao Félix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceicao (Juventus), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG); Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Uzbekistan: TBA
DR Congo:
- Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege), Timothy Fayulu (Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)
- Defenders: Dylan Batubinsika (Larisa), Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian), Gedoon Kalulu (Aris Limassol), Steve Kapuadi (Widzew Lodz), Joris Kayembe (Racing Genk), Arthur Masuaku (Lens), Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)
- Midfielders: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Brian Cipenga (Castellon), Meshack Elia (Alanyaspor), Gael Kakuta (Larisa), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland)
- Forwards: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis), Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids), Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)
Group L
England:
- Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
- Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
- Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
Croatia:
- Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Dominik Kotarski (Copenhagen), Ivor Pandur (Hull City)
- Defenders: Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City), Duje Caleta-Car (Real Sociedad), Josip Sutalo (Ajax Amsterdam), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Marin Pongracic (Fiorentina), Martin Erlic (Midtjylland), Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)
- Midfielders: Luka Modric (AC Milan), Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Luka Sucic (Real Sociedad), Martin Baturina (Como), Kristijan Jakic (Augsburg), Petar Sucic (Inter), Nikola Moro (Bologna), Toni Fruk (Rijeka)
- Forwards: Ivan Perisic (PSV), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marco Pasalic (Orlando City), Petar Musa (Dallas), Igor Matanovic (Freiburg).
Panama: TBA
Ghana: TBA
NU Lady Bulldogs’ Alyssa Solomon during the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball Finals Game 2 against La Salle Lady Spikers.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Alyssa Solomon has declared for the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Rookie Draft amid several overseas offers.
Solomon’s management team, Hustle and Groove, announced that the rising opposite spiker has officially thrown her name into this year’s draft pool ahead of Draft Night on June 3.
The PVL is set to release the initial list of applicants following the May 22 deadline. Aspirants may still withdraw their applications until June 1.
Hustle and Groove also told the Inquirer that Solomon is still weighing offers from clubs in the United States, South America and Europe.
The 24-year-old Solomon played in Japan after winning her third UAAP championship alongside Bella Belen last year.
She helped Osaka Marvelous finish runner-up in the SV.League.
Solomon has also been a fixture for Alas Pilipinas Women’s Volleyball Team over the past two years, helping the national squad capture four bronze medals in the SEA V.League and a runner-up finish in last year’s AVC Women’s Cup.
The Santa Rosa, Laguna native was a former UAAP and SEA V.League Best Opposite Spiker and won MVP thrice in the Shakey’s Super League.
She was also named Finals MVP in UAAP Season 86 after leading National University to a sweep of University of Santo Tomas two years ago.
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Pakistani hockey players’ financial woes continued as they are yet to receive pending dues from the national federation (PHF) and their daily training camp allowance has also been reduced ahead of the FIH World Cup to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium in August this year. The Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) interim set-up announced that players and officials of the national team will now receive a daily allowance of USD 110 on foreign tours.
But the players have complained that their training camp allowance has been reduced from USD 11 (3000 rupees) to USD 3.5 (1000 rupees) (INR 335).
According to a reliable source close to the PHF, the senior players had asked the PHF to confirm about how much allowance they would get for the training camp duration.
Pakistan on Thursday named their 20-member squad for next month’s FIH Pro League matches in Belgium and England but didn’t name the captain, a move that didn’t go down well with the players.
Shakeel Ammad Butt has been leading Pakistan since early last year.
“They have announced we will get USD 110 daily allowance for foreign tours, including the World Cup qualifying event we had played in Egypt but we will only believe it unless we are paid that amount,” one player said on condition of anonymity.
He said in the past also the PHF officials had made similar promises but never fulfilled that.
“Right now we just want to know whether it is true they will pay us just 1000 rupees daily for the camp duration. This amount is an insult to national players,” another player said.
The third leg of the FIH Pro League is scheduled from June 13 to 27 with Pakistan playing Belgium, Spain, England and arch-rivals India.
Pakistan will then participate in the FIH World Cup.
Pakistan squad for FIH Pro League:
Goalkeepers: Waqar Ali, Ali Raza.
Defenders: Abu Bakar, Arbaz Ahmad, Mohammad Abdullah, Sufyan Khan.
Midfielders: Nadeem Khan, Ammad Shakeel, Moin Shakeel, Hammad Anjum, Zakriya Hayat.
Forwards: Gjazanfar Ali, Mohammad Emmad, Rana Waleed, Afraz Khan, Rana Wahid, Abdur Rahman, Ahmad Nadeem, Arshad Liaquat, Hanan Shahid.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Pumas fans cheer prior to a Mexican soccer league semifinal second leg match against Pachuca in Mexico City, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
MEXICO CITY — Less than a month before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican Football Federation announced on Thursday a new advertising campaign that seeks to prevent its fans from using a chant considered homophobic during the tournament.
The chant, that has been an unwelcome feature at matches involving Mexico and its fervent fans for two decades, has resurfaced strongly in recent weeks, including the Liga MX playoffs matches held just last weekend.
READ: World Cup 2026: How are the favorites shaping up?
The name of the advertising campaign launched by the Mexican Federation is “The Wave Yes, The Chant No” and it features former Mexican national team players from the 1986 World Cup.
Mexican Wave dates to 1986
The creation of the Wave, the coordinated movement of fans in stadiums, is attributed to George “Krazy” Henderson, an American fan who began orchestrating it at the Oakland Coliseum in 1981, but it became popular globally at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and began to be called the “Mexican Wave”.
“This campaign aims to raise awareness among fans about the importance of supporting the Mexican national team with the wave and not with discriminatory chants that FIFA sanctions,” the federation said in a statement.
Mexico will be the first country to host the World Cup three times, starting on June 11 when it faces South Africa in the opening match. The country was also the host nation in 1970 and 1986, but will share hosting duties this year with the United States and Canada.
“It was at a World Cup 40 years ago that The Wave was immortalized, a movement of unity that remains in stadiums today as one of the most significant and iconic legacies of international football.”
This is a new attempt by Mexican soccer officials to end the chant that has earned them a dozen FIFA sanctions, as well as criticism from LGBT+ organizations, who claim that the federation does nothing to stop the practice in Mexican stadiums.
Appealing to CAS
Mexico currently has appeals against FIFA punishment over a 2024 match against the U.S. pending before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The chant, a one-word slur that literally means male prostitute in Spanish, usually occurs when the opposing goalkeeper is involved in a goal kick. It went viral in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was heard again in Russia during the 2018 World Cup and four years later in Qatar.
The federation said the advertising campaign will have a couple of stages, the first from May 21 to 31 and the second from June 1 to 30, in which Hugo Sánchez, considered the best Mexican player in history, Manuel Negrete and the current coach of the national team, Javier Aguirre, will ask the fans not to shout the chant.
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The advertising campaign will be featured on social media and on video screens in stadiums in Mexico’s three friendly matches before the World Cup, starting next Friday when it faces Ghana in Puebla.
Sports
WNBA issues Fever a warning for leaving Caitlin Clark off injury report after late scratch controversy
The WNBA has issued the Indiana Fever a warning for leaving Caitlin Clark off of the injury report ahead of the Fever’s Wednesday night game against the Portland Fire, which the Fever won 90-73 despite their star guard being sidelined with a back injury.
The Fever did not announce that Clark would be missing from Wednesday’s game until 5:20 p.m. ET, less than two hours before tipoff. She was not on the pre-game injury report, and there had been no prior indication from the team that Clark might not suit up.
Head coach Stephanie White revealed in her pre-game press conference on Wednesday that Clark sat out of Tuesday’s practice due to back stiffness, which raised questions about why she was not listed on Tuesday’s injury report and whether the team violated WNBA rules.
The league rules state that, “By 5 p.m. local time the day before a game (other than the second day of a back-to-back), teams must designate a participation status and identify a specific injury, illness, other medical condition, or other reason for any player whose participation in the game may be affected for any reason.”
After the Fever’s win over the Fire, White answered questions about the situation, but she did not necessarily provide more clarity.
“Not everyone that doesn’t practice or gets a pro day is on the injury report. That happens all the time.” White said. “She wasn’t on the injury report earlier because we expected her to play.”
Clark has been listed as probable on the Fever’s injury report ahead of Friday’s home game against the Golden State Valkyries.
When asked if the decision was due to “strategic management,” White said no and added that Clark was healthy, but this was just a precaution because of her back soreness.
“She just woke up with some stiffness and soreness,” the coach said. “For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.”
While it makes sense to be cautious, transparency is still the expectation. Teams have to notify the league and update their injury report as soon as a change in a player’s status occurs — such as an illness, a new injury or a flare-up.
Wednesday was the first time this season that Clark has missed a game. However, last year she only played 13 games due to a variety of lower-body injuries, and she left the court multiple times during the Fever’s opening game to get her back adjusted in the locker room.
Clark’s late scratch happened on the same day the WNBA announced it adopted a new Game Status (“Injury/Illness”) reporting system (PATA), which generates real-time Game Status reports every 15 minutes. Both the NBA and WNBA use specific designations on injury reports that give a clue about the probability of a player getting on the court.
- Out (OUT): The player will definitely not play.
- Doubtful (DUB): The player is highly unlikely to play (roughly a 25% chance).
- Questionable (QUES): The player’s availability is uncertain (roughly a 50% chance).
- Probable (PRO): The player will likely play (roughly a 75% chance).
- Game-Time Decision (GTD): The final status will be decided right before the game.
If there was a question regarding Clark’s back the day before, it made sense to at least list her as questionable or a game-time decision. Knowing a player’s status is useful for fans who plan their schedule around a game and buy tickets expecting to see certain players. Those participating in sports betting also rely on the injury report to make informed decisions.
In addition, accurate/updated reports are important for media coverage and help opponents know what lineups to expect. Failing to disclose a player’s availability as a form of game strategy or to sell tickets is frowned upon, and there are consequences for those who don’t follow the rules.
Last month, the Orlando Magic were fined $25,000 by the NBA for violating the rules. The team had listed point guard Anthony Black as “out” on their initial injury report, but he ended up playing in the 123-107 win over the Detroit Pistons. The punishment can also increase for repeated violations. The Philadelphia 76ers were fined $100,000 after star Joel Embiid played against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 30 despite initially being listed as “out.” The fine was significantly heavier than the one for the Magic because the 76ers had previously committed similar infractions.
The WNBA has not been as public with fines as the NBA, but the rules do get enforced. As reported by USA Today, the Las Vegas were fined an undisclosed amount for an injury report violation involving star A’ja Wilson on September 2024.
May 16, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Cristopher Sanchez is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he’s certainly not complacent.
The Philadelphia Phillies’ ace takes the mound Friday in the opener of a three-game home series against the Cleveland Guardians.
Sanchez (5-2, 1.82 ERA) has emerged as a dominant force for Philadelphia over the past couple of years. He finished as the runner-up in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2025, when he went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA, and he has taken another step forward this season.
Most recently, Sanchez struck out a career-high 13 batters in a shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. It was the third straight scoreless appearance for the left-hander, who has thrown 29 2/3 consecutive frames without giving up a run.
“I’m proud of myself, but at the same time, I try to keep my feet on the ground,” Sanchez said. “Keep it going, keep getting better, keep working. The same.”
That humble approach continues to benefit Sanchez, who has issued one walk while striking out 30 this month. He will look to continue that trend against a Cleveland squad that has won nine of its past 10 games.
The Guardians are coming off an impressive sweep in Detroit in which they held the Tigers to eight runs over the four games.
The Guardians, who sit a season-high eight games over .500, come into Philadelphia looking to extend their winning streak to seven games.
“After a couple of emotional wins back to back, it could be easy to show up today on your heels,” manager Stephen Vogt said after Cleveland’s 3-1 triumph on Thursday. “But our guys came out ready to rock.”
Joey Cantillo pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and Patrick Bailey’s home run highlighted Cleveland’s offensive performance.
“Everyone’s just doing their part and kind of feeding off each other,” Cantillo said.
The Guardians will aim to continue the momentum as they turn to Gavin Williams (6-3, 3.67 ERA), who enjoyed a bounce-back effort his last time on the hill. Williams gave up five runs in six innings in each of his first two starts in May, but he rebounded on Sunday by yielding only two runs in six innings against the Cincinnati Reds.
“I know I’ve got to clean some things up in the delivery,” Williams said. “Metrically, the pitches aren’t where I want them to be. So I’m going to take a little dive into that and see what I can do.”
Williams has started twice against Philadelphia in his career, compiling a 1-0 record with a 1.00 ERA. Sanchez gave up three runs in six innings against the Guardians in a 2024 start, his only prior appearance against Cleveland.
Philadelphia had won six series in a row entering its home set against Cincinnati this week. The Phillies captured the opener before dropping the next two meetings with the Reds, falling 4-1 on Tuesday and 9-4 on Wednesday. “We’re fine,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “You’re not going to win every day. I mean, I plan on winning every day, but that’s not going to happen.”
The Phillies took two of three matchups in Cleveland in 2025, winning the final two meetings by a combined margin of 10-1.
–Field Level Media
The Minnesota Vikings are set to face the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. That means they’ll open with their biggest rival, and be looking to start the season on a positive note in the NFC North.
A year ago, the Green Bay Packers added one of the best edge rushers in football when they acquired Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys.
Hargrave Will Be Asked to Fill a Massive Void in GB
Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL late in the season and underwent surgery. It remains unclear when he will be available for the 2026 season, which immediately benefits Minnesota.
Last season, Parsons played in his first Packers-Vikings game during Week 12, and he racked up a pair of sacks while logging three quarterback hits. He’s a menace off the edge and is a problem for any passer dropping back in the pocket. If there’s a game he’s going to miss, though, it seems that the one out of the gate makes sense.
Should Parsons not be available, eyes turn even more significantly to former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Javon Hargrave. Released as a cap casualty that didn’t live up to expectations a season ago, the defensive tackle will certainly be looking to get back at his former employer. He won’t have the benefit of focus on the edge, but he has been a guy who can get home up the middle.
After playing in just three games during 2024 for the San Francisco 49ers, Hargrave tallied 3.5 sacks last season with Minnesota. That was down substantially from the 7.0 he had as a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, and even lower than the career-high 11.0 he had in 2022.
Hargrave isn’t getting any younger at 33, but he did sign with a rival that can provide an opportunity to get revenge on his former employer. If the Packers aren’t going to have Parsons for Week 1, then they’ll need Hargrave to be a menace up the middle, and he should be motivated to do so personally as well.
Either way, not facing a defensive star like Parsons would be a win for the Vikings. Knowing that Hargrave is coming for them won’t be a surprise, and maybe they can thwart his efforts, too.
The caddie for Garrick Higgo blames himself after the pro was penalized two strokes for arriving late last week to his PGA Championship first-round tee time.
Austin Gaugert posted his thoughts to Instagram on Wednesday. On Monday, Golfweek’s Adam Schupak reported that Gaugert and Higgo parted ways after the PGA, and at this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson event, Higgo is using Nick Cavendish-Pell as his caddie.
Below is Gaugert’s statement:
“I want to say something about the incident with Garrick Higgo being late to the tee on Thursday at the PGA Championship. As a caddie, you try to do everything you can to prepare your player for competition and I fell short of that. Garrick was understanding throughout the situation and handled it with professionalism and class. This has happened to players before and will again. Garrick handled a difficult situation with grace, and I wish him nothing but success moving forward.
“After working with Garrick and finding the highest success in caddying, Garrick has become a better friend to me than just a boss. I will always be grateful for that.”
Higgo’s late-arrival penalty came during last Thursday’s first round of the PGA. He’d been scheduled to tee off at 7:18 a.m. ET and arrived at 7:19, leading to the addition of two strokes to his first-hole score, per rule 5.3a of the Rules of Golf. Had Higgo arrived more than five minutes late, he would have been disqualified.
At the time of the tee time, Higgo was on the nearby practice green, and as Higgo made his way to the tee, Gaugert was seen imploring him to arrive. When Higgo did, he was told of the penalty by a rules official, then went on to shoot a one-under 69. The next day, Higgo shot a 76 and missed the cut by a shot.
After his first round, Higgo answered 15 questions on what had happened.
“If you know me, then you know I am very casual and laid back,” Higgo said in his press conference. “But — I don’t know. I don’t want to be there 10 minutes early. I know that five minutes is fine. I thought I had time.
“I was obviously too casual, yeah.”
“>
4 Pines Park will play host to Saturday’s
Round 12 NRL game between Manly Sea Eagles and
Gold Coast Titans. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Manly Sea Eagles heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Manly Sea Eagles vs.
Gold Coast Titans
game and give you our free tips and bets.
When: Saturday May 23, 2026 at 7:35 pm
Where: 4 Pines Park
Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE
Manly Sea Eagles vs Gold Coast Titans Odds
Manly Sea Eagles vs Gold Coast Titans Preview
Manly will aim to strengthen its place inside the top four when it hosts struggling Gold Coast at 4 Pines Park on Saturday night. The Sea Eagles have rediscovered their spark under Kieran Foran, winning six of their past seven matches after last week’s emphatic 46-18 victory over the Wests Tigers. Their attacking form has been particularly impressive during that stretch, with Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic leading a confident and fast-moving spine. The Titans, meanwhile, continue to slide after suffering a fourth consecutive defeat against Newcastle despite showing early promise. Origin absences further complicate matters for Gold Coast, with captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and winger Jojo Fifita unavailable. Manly also loses several key players to Origin and suspension, forcing changes across the backline. The Titans will still take confidence from last season’s upset win over the Sea Eagles, when they stunned Manly 28-8 on the Gold Coast.
First Try Scorer
Manly Sea Eagles vs Gold Coast Titans Teams
Sea Eagles team: 1. Clayton Faulalo 2. Jason Saab 3. Josh Feledy 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Blake Wilson 6. Luke Brooks 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Brandon Wakeham 10. Ethan Bullemor 11. Jackson Shereb 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Nathan Brown 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Simione Laiafi 18. Hugo Hart 19. Joey Walsh 20. Onitoni Large 21. Zach Dockar-Clay 22. Aaron Schoupp
Titans team: 1. Keano Kini 2. Jenson Taumoepeau 3. Jaylan De Groot 4. AJ Brimson 5. Phillip Sami 6. Jayden Campbell 7. Zane Harrison 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Oliver Pascoe 10. Klese Haas 11. Arama Hau 12. Beau Fermor 13. Cooper Bai 14. Kurtis Morrin 15. Josh Patston 16. Luke Sommerton 17. Adam Christensen 18. Lachlan Ilias 19. Bodhi Sharpley 20. Max Feagai 21. Chris Randall 22. Tony Francis
Moses Itauma has been urged to fight one of his fellow rising stars, with their battle potentially revealing a natural successor to Oleksandr Usyk.
While Usyk is still widely regarded as the bona fide heavyweight king, many would highlight Itauma as the obvious candidate to eventually seize his throne.
The 21-year-old is, after all, one of the most promising talents in world boxing, seemingly possessing the speed, power and footwork to become a long-reigning world champion.
Itauma’s most significant victory came against Jermaine Franklin in March, when he stopped the typically durable American in five rounds and cemented himself as the WBO’s leading contender.
While acknowledging his world-class potential, though, many have argued that the unbeaten knockout artist is yet to prove himself at the very top level.
And the same can be said for his transatlantic counterpart, Richard Torrez Jr, who also believes he has what it takes to reign supreme in years to come.
The 26-year-old’s most meaningful win saw him unanimously outpoint Guido Vianello in April 2025, representing his greatest achievement since claiming silver at Tokyo 2020.
Now, Torrez looks to remain unbeaten against Cuban veteran Frank Sanchez, but tells Pro Boxing Fans that he hopes to face Itauma before they both sail beyond their primes.
“I have a love for the sport and a love for competition – I want to know I’m the best.
“In order to know you’re the best, you have to fight the best, and I think Moses is one of the best up-and-comers.
“Fighting some of the older guys and trying to build your name is great… [but] being able to [fight someone in their] prime is also [great].
“We [Torrez and Itauma] have the opportunity to do so, so if everything goes to plan, and everyone’s willing, why not make that fight happen?”
The winner of Torrez-Sanchez, which features on the undercard of Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, this Saturday, will be in line for a shot at Usyk’s IBF title.
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