Sports
Neymar overcomes injury to make Brazil World Cup squad
Neymar has been named in Brazil’s squad for next month’s World Cup, handing the forward a chance to return to football’s biggest stage after an injury-disrupted few years.
The 34-year-old, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, comes back following a prolonged absence due to a series of injuries that kept him out for much of the qualifying campaign, as the five-time champions pursue a record-extending sixth title.
As dozens of journalists gathered at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Tomorrow for a ceremony featuring music acts and celebrity guests, all eyes were on boss Carlo Ancelotti’s decision on whether to include Neymar in the squad.
The 66-year-old Italian, who took charge of Brazil last year, had not previously called-up the former Barcelona and PSG star. He said earlier this month that Neymar’s inclusion would be based on fitness and form, not sentiment.
“We evaluated Neymar throughout the year and noticed that recently he has been playing consistently and has improved his physical condition,” Ancelotti explained in a press conference after naming the squad.
“He has the same role and responsibilities as everyone else, but he is an experienced player. It’s true that in some positions we prioritised experience.”
Neymar, who has 79 international goals but has not featured for Brazil since 2023, has faced questions about his fitness and form following an injury-marred spell at Al Hilal and an underwhelming return to boyhood club Santos last year.
The forward said on Sunday he was satisfied he had done all he could to prove he was fully fit and deserved a place in the squad. “Physically, I feel great. I’ve been improving with every game,” he told reporters after Santos’ 3-0 defeat to Coritiba.
The rest of Brazil’s squad was largely retained from the qualifying campaign and recent friendlies, with the likes of Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha and Endrick shouldering attacking duties alongside Neymar.
Real Madrid striker Rodrygo, defender Eder Militao and Chelsea winger Estevao were left out due to injuries, while Chelsea’s forward Joao Pedro and their midfielder Andrey Santos, who had been regulars in recent times, also surprisingly missed the final squad.
“Some of the players who were with us this year won’t be happy with this list,” added Ancelotti. “I’m sorry, and I want to thank everyone who was with us.”
Brazil will open their World Cup campaign against Morocco on 13 June in New Jersey and also face Haiti and Scotland in Group C.
Full Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahçe), 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 Ittihad), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo)
Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Neymar (Santos), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
Christian Pulisic was visibly emotional after being withdrawn with a new injury as the USA crashed out of the World Cup at the hands of Belgium.
Pulisic’s tournament has been plagued by fitness problems after sustaining a calf problem the USA’s opener against Paraguay, which forced him to come off at half-time in Los Angeles.
The American talisman was able to make a return to the starting XI against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 after being limited for the rest of the group stage, and was hopeful to remain at the forefront of the USA’s efforts in the knockouts.
But with the co-hosts trailing to Belgium in their must-win last-16 tie, injury reared its ugly head once again for Pulisic after he kicked Youri Tielemans’ boot while trying to shoot.
After spending a few moments lying on the pitch, Pulisic was visibly in pain as he returned to his feet and was subsequently replaced by Sebastian Berhalter in the 59th minute.
His exit came two minutes after the USA fell 3-1 behind courtesy of a calamitous error from goalkeeper Matt Freese, who was dispossessed outside his own area before Hans Vanaken fired into an empty net from range.
The USA’s World Cup hopes greatly diminished, Pulisic was consoled by his team-mates as he knew he could do no more to help his team overcome the deficit they faced.
Mauricio Pochettino later said that he think Pulisic twisted his ankle and hopes it’s not serious ahead of Pulisic’s reintegration with AC Milan for the 2026/27 season.
The USA went on to lose 4-1 in Seattle despite fielding Folarin Balogun, whose red card ban was controversially suspended by Fifa after US president Donald Trump called Gianni Infantino asking for it to be reviewed.
Belgium had an appeal claiming Balogun was ineligible denied before the match but the Monaco striker’s inclusion proved fruitless, with the USA’s only goal coming from a deflected Malik Tillman free-kick.
Belgium face Spain in the next round but will also be fearing the worst about one of their own injury concerns, with Amadou Onana appearing to suffer a serious knee injury against the US. He was replaced early on and later seen on crutches wearing a knee brace.
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
LOS ANGELES–Six-time NBA All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan, a 17-season veteran, was waived by the Sacramento Kings on Monday after two campaigns with the club.
“Thank you for every bucket, every big moment, and every time you represented Sacramento. Wishing you all the best in your next chapter,” the Kings posted on X in announcing the move.
READ: NBA: DeMar DeRozan reaches 26K career points in Kings’ win
Starting at least 74 games in each of the past five seasons and 77 apiece in his two years with the Kings, DeRozan became a casualty of a rebuilding franchise creating financial flexibility.
Now he’s one of the top free agents on the market.
DeRozan has averaged 21.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.0 blocked shots in 1,264 games with the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and the Kings.
The 36-year-old American, who helped the United States to Olympic gold at Rio in 2016 and the 2014 Basketball World Cup crown, averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots a game last season.
DeRozan’s teams, however, have missed the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, including both of his campaigns with Sacramento.
DeRozan ranks fifth among all active NBA players in scoring and 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 26,711 points.
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Belgium secured its place in the World Cup quarterfinals after beating the US 4-1 in Seattle.
Atalanta attacker Charles de Ketelaere scored twice for Belgium, with Hans Vanaken scoring the third after a mistake by US goalkeeper Matt Freese.
Romelu Lukaku added the fourth in stoppage time after another mistake in the US defense
Germany-born Malik Tillman temporarily equalized for the US in the 31st minute.
The defeat signals the end of the US’ World Cup campaign, marking the last host country to have been eliminated.
Belgium will face Spain in Los Angeles on Friday, July 10.
FIFA decision causes uproar
The game was overshadowed by FIFA’s decision to overturn a red card received by US striker Folarin Balogun, who featured in the US’ starting eleven for the game without leaving any impact.
US President Donald Trump admitted to having spoken with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about Balogun’s red card, which would have prompted a ban from the last 16 game against Belgium, with world football’s governing body later announcing the red card as suspended for one year.
FIFA’s own statutes forbid any kind of governmental or political interference with the work and decision making of its member associations, with world football’s governing body previously sanctioning national associations for such interference taking place.
Kuwait and Indonesia, for example, were disqualified from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers due to governmental interference in the two countries’ respective football associations.
Infantino, Trump defend decision
Infantino claimed the decision had been made by FIFA’s disciplinary committee and that Trump’s phone call had no influence on it.
“During our conversation I explained that there was an ongoing legal process,” Infantino said in a statement, adding that FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent.
“This is how FIFA’s system works and it is a principle I will always uphold,” he said.
Trump, too, said he had only asked for the red card to be reviewed.
Belgium’s football association appealed the decision ahead of the game, but its appeal was rejected by FIFA.
FIFA’s decision caused large-scale criticism across world football, including by European football’s governing body UEFA and many national associations and high-profile figures across the game.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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Nov 14, 2025; Madrid, Spain; Miami Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas (26) during practice at Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Washington Commanders are planning to sign cornerback Rasul Douglas to a one-year deal, ESPN reported Monday.
The deal is reportedly worth up to $3.8 million.
Douglas played last season, his ninth in the NFL, with the Miami Dolphins. He recorded 62 tackles, two interceptions and 13 pass breakups in 15 games (13 starts), earning an AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor in Week 14.
The 30-year old third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has 503 tackles, 92 pass deflections and 21 interceptions over 135 games (93 starts) with the Philadelphia Eagles (2017-19), Carolina Panthers (2020), Green Bay Packers (2021-23), Buffalo Bills (2023-24) and Dolphins. With his signing, Washington would seek to bolster a passing defense which ranked 28th in the NFL last season, allowing 242.5 passing yards per game.
–Field Level Media
FILE – Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo walks off the court after an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File)
MIAMI— Giannis Antetokounmpo plans to say hello to Miami in a few days. First, he had to bid farewell to Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo’s time with the Bucks officially ended Monday, when the trade sending him and Bobby Portis to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis and draft capital was approved by the NBA.
Antetokounmpo plans to arrive in Miami in a few days to start his Heat era — and said in a video message posted Monday on social media that he will forever think of Milwaukee, the place where he spent 13 seasons, as his city.
“I want you to hear from my mouth, the city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart,” Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 10-time All-Star, said in the video. “This is my home, and this is a place that I had my kids. … It made me the man that I am today. That will never ever change. No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family.”
His run in Milwaukee ended with 21,531 points — by far the most in franchise history, more than 7,000 ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total during his tenure with the Bucks. Antetokounmpo is also Milwaukee’s all-time leader in rebounds and assists, plus he ranks second on the team’s career list in steals.
And now, he plays in Miami — a team desperate to get back into title contention, one that paid a ransom to make it happen.
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center on March 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images/AFP
“The announcement of today’s trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. is one of the great trades in Heat history,” Miami President Pat Riley said. “In my opinion, Giannis is one of the top five players in the league and Bobby is one of the best power forwards. The difficult part is trading Tyler, Kasparas, Jaime and Kel’el, who have given so much to this organization. We wish them nothing but the best.”
Bucks general manager Jon Horst released a statement saying the trade was in the best interest of everyone involved.
He also lauded Antetokounmpo, as would be expected.
“Since we drafted him in 2013, Giannis has transformed the Milwaukee Bucks in every way — on the court, in our locker room and throughout the community,” Horst said. “Over 13 seasons, he became an extraordinary leader, teammate and representative of this city, and one of the defining players of his generation. The standard he set will continue here.”
The highlight of Antetokounmpo’s 13 seasons in Milwaukee, of course, was the 2021 NBA title. He had 50 points in the Bucks’ title-clinching Game 6 victory over Phoenix, earning NBA Finals MVP honors in a landslide.
Antetokounmpo said then, and reiterated Monday, that Bucks fans deserved that moment.
“I believe the city of Milwaukee is blue collar,” he said in the video. “It’s people that work extremely hard every single day. They give all their hard-earned money just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks, to come and feel something, to come, to be a part of us.
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“I hope that I was able to represent them the best that I could. And I was like them. I showed up to work, did everything. I was willing to do all the dirty work, just like them. I hope that bringing a trophy to this city meant something to them, because it meant so much to me.”
Sports
Errol Spence’s ex trainer Derrick James addresses what went wrong in Terence Crawford training camp
Errol Spence Jr made headlines recently when he described his training camp for the undisputed welterweight clash with Terence Crawford as “trash.”
Spence was comprehensively beaten by Crawford in 2023, suffering two knockdowns before being stopped in the ninth round. The following year, he parted ways with long-time trainer Derrick James, with the pair also becoming embroiled in a two-way lawsuit.
Responding to Spence’s comments on The Last Stand podcast, James appeared to acknowledge that preparations were not ideal, explaining that the gym was busier than usual while he was also overseeing training camps for Anthony Joshua and Frank Martin.
“This is what I’ll say. We weren’t able to do everything that we normally do to prepare for a fight. The gym was busy at that time … so it was a different space. The whole protocol changed right after that [fight] – no kids in the gym, no this or that.
“If that’s his perception… I had two other training camps going on at the same time. They never trained at the same time, but they were going on simultaneously. I will say that. If ‘trash’ is his perception, there’s nothing I can do about it … It was never like I was training all three of them at the same time.”
James did, however, refuse to be blamed for the lack of sparring.
“It was [disappointing] to hear … He said he didn’t spar. No, he did spar for two weeks, and supposedly he got injured within the last week of the sparring.
“So he couldn’t spar for the next eight weeks because he suffered an injury. That’s the only thing that was really different – he didn’t spar because he was injured … [After the injury] his father said, no sparring, he’s gonna save it till the fight.”
Despite their disagreement over the camp, James was quick to stress that nothing should detract from Crawford’s performance on the night.
“This takes nothing away from what Terence Crawford did.”
Spence returns to the ring on July 25 when he takes on Tim Tszyu, with Ronnie Shields now serving as his trainer.
The last-32 of the 2026 World Cup is delivering bucketloads of drama for fans to watch live on television.
Every single game in the competition is available to watch on free-to-air TV for UK viewers.
Of course, you do have to factor in the time difference, with the kinder kick-off times including slots at 6pm BST and 8pm BST, while there are games throughout the night for UK viewers.
Here’s how you can watch every game at the 2026 World Cup on the BBC and ITV – and STV in Scotland.
World Cup 2026 TV schedule, UK
Knockout stages
Sunday 28 June
South Africa 0-1 Canada (Round of 32)
Monday 29 June
Brazil 2-1 Japan (Round of 32)
Germany 1-1 (3-4 pens) Paraguay (Round of 32)
Tuesday 30 June
Netherlands 1-1 (2-3 pens) Morocco (Round of 32)
Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway (Round of 32)
France 3-0 Sweden (Round of 32)
Wednesday 1 July
Mexico 2-0 Ecuador (Round of 32)
England 2-1 DR Congo (Round of 32)
Belgium 3-2 Senegal A.E.T. (Round of 32)
Thursday 2 July
USA 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina (Round of 32)
Spain 3-0 Austria (Round of 32)
Friday 3 July
Portugal 2-1 Croatia (Round of 32)
Switzerland 2-0 Algeria (Round of 32)
Australia 1-1 (2-4 pens) Egypt (Round of 32)
Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde A.E.T. (Round of 32)
Saturday 4 July
Colombia 1-0 Ghana (Round of 32)
Canada 0-3 Morocco (Round of 16)
Paraguay 0-1 France (Round of 16)
Sunday 5 July
Brazil 1-2 Norway (Round of 16)
Monday 6 July
Mexico 2-3 England (Round of 16)
Portugal 0-1 Spain (Round of 16)
Tuesday 7 July
Argentina vs Egypt (Round of 16) – 5pm BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player
Switzerland vs Colombia (Round of 16) – 9pm BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player
Thursday 9 July
France vs Morocco (Quarter-final) – 9pm BST – TBC
Friday 10 July
Spain vs Belgium (Quarter-final) – 8pm BST – TBC
Saturday 11 July
Norway vs England (Quarter-final) – 10pm BST – TBC
Sunday 12 July
Quarter-final – 2am BST – TBC
Tuesday 14 July
Semi-final – 8pm BST – TBC
Wednesday 15 July
Semi-final – 8pm BST – TBC
Saturday 18 July
Third-place play-off – 10pm BST – TBC
Sunday 19 July
Final – 8pm BST – TBC
Group stage results
Thursday 11 June
Mexico 2-0 South Africa (Group A)
Friday 12 June
South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic (Group A)
Canada 1-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group B)
Saturday 13 June
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland (Group B)
Sunday 14 June
Australia 2-0 Turkey (Group D)
Netherlands 2-2 Japan (Group F)
Monday 15 June
Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador (Group E)
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde (Group H)
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay (Group H)
Tuesday 16 June
Iran 2-2 New Zealand (Group G)
Wednesday 17 June
Argentina 3-0 Algeria (Group J)
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo (Group K)
Thursday 18 June
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia (Group K)
Czech Republic 1-1 South Africa (Group A)
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group B)
Friday 19 June
Mexico 1-0 South Korea (Group A)
Scotland 0-1 Morocco (Group C)
Saturday 20 June
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden (Group F)
Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast (Group E)
Sunday 21 June
Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia (Group H)
Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde (Group H)
Monday 22 June
New Zealand 1-3 Egypt (Group G)
Argentina 2-0 Austria (Group J)
Tuesday 23 June
Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan (Group K)
Wednesday 24 June
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo (Group K)
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar (Group B)
Switzerland 2-1 Canada (Group B)
Thursday 25 June
Czech Republic 0-3 Mexico (Group A)
South Africa 1-0 South Korea (Group A)
Curacao 0-2 Ivory Coast (Group E)
Friday 26 June
Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands (Group F)
Paraguay 0-0 Australia (Group D)
Saturday 27 June
Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia (Group H)
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium (Group G)
Sunday 28 June
Colombia 0-0 Portugal (Group K)
Sports
World Cup 2026: USA vs Belgium – USA suffer ‘total calamity’ at the back to gift Belgium a third goal
USA goalkeeper Matt Freese with a huge error in judgement as he gifts Belgium’s Hans Vanaken the ball, leaving him with an easy finish that defender Tim Ream could’ve done more to stop. Errors all around as Belgium take control of the round of 16 tie.
FOLLOW LIVE: USA v Belgium
Available to UK users only.
Tom Wachman continued the good form of Irish riders at Spruce Meadows with success in the McNerney Cup aboard Hawaii.
The McNerney Cup 1.45m in the International Ring at Spruce Meadows was contested by twenty-five combinations as they took on the challenge of a technical course designed by FEI course designer Santiago Varela.
Nine of the competitors made it through to the second round after producing clears in the first round.
Both Tom Wachman and Daniel Coyle were among the nine to go against the clock in the second round.
Wachman and Hawaii delivered the fastest fault-free round of the jump-off, stopping the clock in 38.87 seconds to claim victory.
Saudi Arabian rider Abdulrahman, aboard Heartbeat W, took the runner-up spot, with Juan Manuel Luzardo (IRI) and Guizmo du Riou completing the podium.
Daniel Coyle and VDL Mourinho took fourth.
Top 10 McNerney Cup 1.45m
- Tom Wachman (IRL) & Hawaii
- Abdulrahman Alrajhi (KSA) & Heartbeat W
- Juan Manuel Luzardo (IRI) & Guizmo du Riou
- Daniel Coyle (IRL) & VDL Mourinho
- Tiffany Foster (CAN) & Steadfast
- Brian Morton (CAN) & Baton Rouge
- Jos Verlooy (BEL) & Etundel de Marocy
- Vanessa Hood (ISR) BW Graphik
- Carly Campbell-Cooper (CAN) & U2 Westleven Z
- Blythe Karolyi (USA) & Theo Duc T&L Z
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