Some view the addition of linebacker Jake Golday as being key to the Jonathan Greenard deal. After all, the rookie defender has a history of coming off the edge, meaning he could soak up edge rusher snaps for the Vikings as early as 2026.

What gets missed in that calculus is the presence of Eric Wilson.

The off-ball linebacker was used in an unusual manner in 2026. Wilson more than doubled his career snaps at edge rusher in 2025 alone, boosting what was 327 snaps along the defensive line up to 663 snaps along the defensive line. What changed was the effort from Brian Flores to lean into Wilson’s ability to line up as an edge rusher, a reality that appears unlikely to change in 2026.

The Vikings Boast In-House Edge Rusher Depth

Consider how many view the edge rusher hierarchy:

• EDGE1: Andrew Van Ginkel
• EDGE2: Dallas Turner
• EDGE3: Bo Richter
• EDGE4: Tyler Batty
• EDGE5: Chaz Chambliss
• EDGE6: Arden Walker
• EDGE7: Cam’Ron Stewart

Many onlookers glance at the list and feel a cold shiver work down their spine. The nervous spectator can’t help but be gripped by fear at the glance of the horrors that appear behind Door 3: unproven UDFAs all the way down. Is the depth as horrific as it appears?

For whatever it’s worth, the Vikings appear to believe that there’s very little reason to fear.

Check out how the edge rusher hierarchy looks upon considering the reality of snap allotments and not the position tag that’s attached to players. The more accurate hierarchy:

• EDGE1: Andrew Van Ginkel
• EDGE2: Dallas Turner
• EDGE3: Eric Wilson
• EDGE4: Ty Ingram-Dawkins
• EDGE5: Bo Richter
• EDGE6: Tyler Batty
• EDGE7: Chaz Chambliss
• EDGE8: Arden Walker
• EDGE9: Cam’Ron Stewart

Tossing Wilson into the mix changes the water on the purple beans (which is to say nothing of Ingram-Dawkins).

Last year, Eric Wilson played 965 snaps on defense. Looking under the hood means seeing 336 snaps as an edge rusher. His final stat tally shows 115 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, and an eye-popping 4 forced fumbles. Excellent stuff.

Per Over the Cap, Eric Wilson’s contract sits at a trio of seasons for a total compensation promise coming in at $22,500,000. Paying him so much would be an overpay were he merely an off-ball linebacker. Paying him so little would be great value if he proves to be an outside linebacker on top of being an off-ball linebacker.

Boasting Van Ginkel alongside Turner as the starters isn’t a bad spot to be. Van Ginkel is already elite; Turner is capable of getting to that spot. Wilson can then be an explosive EDGE3 to pin his ears back some of the time. Ingram-Dawkins can be a heavy edge rusher who clogs running lanes as the EDGE4.

Part of what allows the team to move players around freely is the presence of guys like Golday. Even if he never plays a snap at edge rusher in his debut season, Golday will help at edge rusher if he frees Eric Wilson to be an edge rusher. Essentially, there’s a domino effect that gives Brian Flores the flexibility he desires.

Quite possibly, the move is to add somebody else to have a more traditional EDGE3. Jadeveon Clowney, in particular, looks like a good fit. Regardless, the presence of Mr. Wilson means that there’s little reason for the team to panic. He’s essentially the EDGE3 until further notice.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Even in failure, Messi breaks records.

He will get the headlines for his prowess in front of goal, but there were also some unwanted records.

Argentina were awarded a penalty when Lautaro Martinez was brought down, but Messi fired the spot-kick wide.

“There was a moment where I was very angry about the penalty, because I missed it and I took it very, very badly,” said Messi. “Luckily we were able to reverse that situation, take the lead and get the three points.”

He became the first player to miss a penalty at the 2026 World Cup and has now both taken (seven) and missed (three) the most penalties in tournament history, excluding shootouts.

He has also failed to score six of 31 penalties for Argentina.

By making amends with his double, this was the first competitive match that Messi has scored in for Argentina after also missing a penalty.

“Messi is human after all, he’s allowed the odd mistake,” added Murphy.

Perhaps it was written in the stars for his record-breaking goal to be scored in true Messi fashion.

“He might have missed it on purpose,” Murphy joked. “Maybe breaking the record was meant for a better goal.”

South American football expert Tim Vickery added: “The gods of football obviously didn’t want him to break the record with a penalty, they wanted him to break the record with a goal from open play.

“Argentina have built the team around him and I just don’t want the carnival to end.”

While holding so many records, there are more for him to get.

Next on the list could be the most assists at a World Cup as Messi is currently level with Maradona on eight.

Jordan in the final group match (Sunday, 03:00 BST) is Messi’s next chance to make yet more footballing history.

Few nations enter major tournaments with a stronger blend of proven pedigree and emerging talent than France. Didier Deschamps has spent more than a decade constructing a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts, and the depth available to him is one of the principal reasons Les Bleus continue to be viewed as one of the favourites in North America.

Mike Maignan provides security in goal, while William Saliba, Jules Kounde and Dayot Upamecano form the backbone of a defence filled with elite-level experience. In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni continues to grow into one of the most influential players in European football, supported by the enduring presence of N’Golo Kante.

The attacking options remain particularly intimidating. Kylian Mbappe is the headline figure, but he is supported by Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki, ensuring France possess a range of profiles capable of changing matches in different ways.

Their opening victory over Senegal was not flawless, yet it reinforced a familiar theme surrounding Deschamps’ teams. Even when France are not operating at their absolute peak, they retain the ability to seize control of matches through moments of individual brilliance and collective quality.

Morgan Rogers keen on a move to Arsenal, Marcus Rashford prepared to take pay cut to join Tottenham and Spurs also confident of signing Newcastle‘s Sandro Tonali.

Aston Villa and England midfielder Morgan Rogers is keen on a move to Premier League champions Arsenal this summer, with the Gunners making the 23-year-old a top target. (Talksport) , external

Manchester United‘s England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, is prepared to take a pay cut to join Tottenham for £40m this summer after his Barcelona loan. (i paper), external

Tottenham are confident of signing Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali for a fee close to £85m, but the Italy international, 26, would rather join rivals Arsenal. (Daily Mail – subscription required), external

Chelsea‘s 26-year-old defender Trevoh Chalobah, who was a late call-up to England’s World Cup squad, is wanted by Como boss Cesc Fabregas. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Bayern Munich and Tottenham are both keen on 29-year-old Juventus defender Bremer, but the Brazilian is happy to stay in Turin. (Gianluca DiMarzio – in Italian), external

Barcelona have made a surprise approach to see if England striker Harry Kane, 32, would be open to leaving Bayern Munich for the Spanish club. (Sport – in Spanish) , external

Manchester United are prepared to accept a loss on 25-year-old Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte in order to sell him this summer. (Sun) , external

Leeds United have moved closer to finalising a deal for Southampton’s Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles, 22, who only has a year left on his current contract. (Teamtalk), external

Brighton are closing in on the signing of 27-year-old Venezia and Austria defender Michael Svoboda. (Sky Sports) , external

Arsenal are yet to agree a deal to sign Kolkheti and Georgia Under-21 midfielder Andria Bartishvili, with Liverpool and Paris FC are also working on a move for the 17-year-old. (Talksport) , external

West Ham and France defender Jean-Clair Todibo, 26, is close to agreeing a loan move to Fenerbahce after the Hammers’ relegation. (Star – in Turkish), external

Manchester City are close to appointing former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as their new head coach on a three-year contract.

The move comes one month after Pep Guardiola announced that he would leave City after 10 successful years in charge.

Reports indicate that City and Chelsea have reached an agreement over compensation for Maresca, with the fee believed to be more than £10 million.

Chelsea were entitled to compensation because Maresca was under contract with the London club until 2029 before leaving his role in January. The Blues had been considering their legal options before the two clubs entered negotiations.

Maresca was quickly identified by City as their preferred choice to succeed Guardiola and lead the club into a new era.

Manchester City have not commented publicly on the reports.

The club’s players who are not involved in the ongoing World Cup are expected to return for pre-season training in mid-July.

Although the appointment has not yet been officially announced, transfer planning has continued behind the scenes. City are looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign.

The club have already seen two bids rejected for Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest and are expected to return with another offer.

The midfielder is being considered as a possible replacement for departing captain Bernardo Silva.

Football analyst Freddie Pye believes City remain an attractive destination for players despite Guardiola’s departure.

According to Pye, City continue to offer the chance to win trophies, world-class facilities and the opportunity to be part of an exciting new chapter under a new manager.

However, he also noted that some players may view Guardiola’s exit as the end of an era and could consider leaving the club after enjoying some of the most successful years in City’s history.

An official announcement on Maresca’s appointment is expected in the coming days as Manchester City prepare for life after Guardiola.

Monday is a loaded day of World Cup action, and some of the best goalscorers in the world are looking to put on another show. Defending champions Argentina faced Austria in the first match of the day, and we cashed in when Lionel Messi broke the World Cup record with his 17th goal then added another to give him five at World Cup 2026. Argentina won 2-0, and up next on Monday’s World Cup schedule is 2022 Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, as his France side takes on Iraq at 5 p.m. Erling Haaland and Norway clash with Senegal at 8 p.m., and the action wraps up at 11 p.m. with Jordan facing Algeria. 

If you’re interested in soccer betting, you have high-end options when it comes to anytime goal scorer props for Monday’s matches, but do they have value at current odds? We’ve made our favorite picks using the World Cup 2026 odds at FanDuel.

For more World Cup picks, including outright winners, spread picks and totals, be sure to check out the picks from SportsLine experts like Jon Eimer, Martin Green and Brad Thomas. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Best World Cup goalscorer picks for Monday

• Lionel Messi, Argentina (+110, FanDuel)
• Kylian Mbappe, France (-210, FanDuel)
• Erling Haaland, Norway (+120, FanDuel)
• Riyad Mahrez, Algeria (+160, FanDuel)  

Lionel Messi, Argentina (+110, FanDuel)

Rather than riding into the sunset after leading Argentina to a 2022 World Cup victory, Messi decided he’d run it back again in 2026. So far, so good. Messi began this tournament with a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, and he was the only player in the first round of group play to record a hat trick. Austria presents a tougher challenge than Algeria after defeating Jordan 3-1, but it’s clear Messi is still the guy and will be a force in front of the net. 

Kylian Mbappe, France (-210, FanDuel)

After a 0-0 score at halftime against Senegal, the French attack woke up in the second half thanks largely to one man — Mbappe. The Real Madrid star scored the first goal of the match and after Senegal made it 2-1, Mbappe quickly answered with a long laser for his second tally of the game to become the all-time leader in goals in France history. France now face an Iraq side that gave up four goals to Norway last week, so Mbappe should be licking his chops entering this matchup. 

Erling Haaland, Norway (+120, FanDuel)

Speaking of that 4-1 Norway win, Haaland made his presence felt with not one, but two goals in that matchup. The Manchester City superstar was flying all over the place there, putting in one on a header and another by forcing the goalie’s hand — or foot in this case. Haaland and Co. face Senegal in their last match before what should be an eventful Group I tilt with France on Friday. Haaland was tremendous in Norway’s opener, and there’s little reason to think he won’t make an impact against Senegal. 

Riyad Mahrez, Algeria (+160, FanDuel)

Mahrez, who stars for Al-Ahli, is one of the better players in Algerian history with 33 goals in 104 caps dating back to 2014. He was a major factor in the Africa Cup of Nations last year with three goals in four matches in a quarterfinal run, but he’s yet to score in a World Cup. There’s no time like the present in that regard against Jordan, which gave up three goals to Austria in their opener. Algeria were shut out against Argentina, so look for them to lean on the veteran Mahrez, who has some major juice at this price.