Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning.
🚨 HEADLINES
🎓 Landmark decision: The NCAA Division I Cabinet has unanimously approved an age-based, five-year eligibility model to replace the existing structure that has no age restrictions. The historic change, set to take effect in 2027, will see athletes’ eligibility clocks start either when they enroll or after their 19th birthday (whichever comes first).
Advertisement
🏈 Sorsby saga update: The NFL delivered a scathing lesson in accountability on Tuesday by denying Brendan Sorsby’s request to hold a Supplemental Draft. The 22-year-old, who admitted to betting on his own team and will no longer be playing for Texas Tech this fall, may still enter the standard 2027 NFL Draft.
Advertisement
🏀 Coaching carousel complete: The Trail Blazers have hired longtime Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori as their next head coach, filling the NBA’s last remaining vacancy.
🏒 Ditto: The NHL’s last remaining vacancy was also filled on Tuesday when the Oilers hired Mike Babcock, who last coached in the NHL in 2019.
⚾️ What a turnaround: The first-place White Sox improved to 41-37 with Tuesday’s win over the Guardians, matching their entire win total from just two years ago when they set the modern MLB record for losses in a season (41-121).
BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was selected No. 1 overall by the Wizards on Tuesday night in Brooklyn, where nearly every team earned top marks for their selections in the first round of an absolutely loaded NBA Draft.
Top 4: Any of these freshman uber-prospects could have reasonably gone No. 1 in most years, so Washington, Utah, Memphis and Chicago should all be thrilled with the young men who are about to join their ranks.
Dybantsa (Wizards): The 6-foot-9 athletic freak and scoring machine (he led the NCAA with 25.5 points per game last season) gives Washington someone who could become one of the NBA’s most unstoppable shot-creators, and someone who should slot in nicely alongside veteran All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
Darryn Peterson (Jazz): The 6-foot-5 guard out of Kansas is a buttery-smooth scorer and dynamic playmaker who can shine with or without the ball, and his 6-foot-11 wingspan makes him a high-impact defender, to boot. Utah got a potential superstar as long as he can avoid the cramping issue that hindered his otherwise sensational season in Lawrence.
Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies): The most polished player in the class and reigning POY out of Duke made this an incredibly easy choice for Memphis, who get a 6-foot-8 forward that can score from the post with both footwork and power. Plus, second-generation players like him historically outperform their draft slot expectations by 26%.
Caleb Wilson (Bulls): The most gifted athlete in the draft class is 6-foot-9 with springs for legs, and when the North Carolina big is flying above the rim, finishing through contact, and chasing down every shot, he looks like a future franchise cornerstone. That sort of defensive anchor with offensive upside is exactly what the Bulls need in the frontcourt.
Next up: Those four freshman at the top were followed by four freshman guards who went in succession, as the Clippers got Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, the Nets got Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., the Kings got Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., and the Hawks got Houston’s Kingston Flemings.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Consider this: 11 of the 14 lottery picks were freshmen, while the other three were transfers — all of whom won the national championship with Michigan. Morez Johnson Jr. went ninth to the Mavericks (where he’ll reunite with Dusty May), Yaxel Lendeborg went 11th to the Warriors and Aday Mara went 12th to the Thunder.
(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)
The Swoosh strikes again: Dybantsa’s selection made him the 12th Nike athlete in the last 20 years to go No. 1 overall, or 14th if you include the Nike-owned Jordan Brand. His addition adds young dynamism to an evolving men’s basketball roster at Nike, where the future is in uncertain hands.
The top of the roster is aging, as LeBron James and Kevin Durant — on the 23rd and 19th iterations of their signature shoes, respectively — near the end of their playing careers.
Nike added reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a signature athlete last week, plucking him from Nike-owned Converse to fortify its collection of prime-aged players.
Ja Morant and Cade Cunningham headline the tier below SGA, but the former’s play has taken a step back, while the latter’s marketability remains a source of skepticism.
Further complicating matters? The presumed face of the next generation, Victor Wembanyama, is an impending sneaker free agent, per Shams Charania. Depending on the Frenchman’s decision, Dybantsa could have size 22 shoes to fill.
Advertisement
⚽️ RONALDO JOINS THE PARTY
Siuuu. (Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)
With his fading abilities the subject of question marks and jeers, Cristiano Ronaldo had to watch as his chief rival chased and achieved tournament history through the World Cup’s early stages. On Tuesday, the Portuguese icon made history of his own.
Advertisement
Two decorated decades: Ronaldo scored two first-half goals in Portugal’s 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, adding to the parade of superstar braces that began on Monday.
His first, a characteristically clinical finish in the match’s sixth minute, made him the first player to score in six World Cups — a feat that it’s hard to imagine anyone ever matching (Lionel Messi was shut out in the 2010 edition).
His second, carefully slotted past the keeper in the 39th minute, made him the oldest player ever with a multi-goal game in the tournament (41 years, 138 days), breaking the record set by Messi twice in the past week (38 years, 363 days).
More from Tuesday: England and Ghana played to a scoreless draw as the Black Stars joined Mexico, Spain and Argentina as the only teams who have yet to allow a goal; Croatia dismissed Panama from the tournament in a nervy 1-0 win; Colombia booked their trip to the Round of 32, beating DR Congo 1-0.
Advertisement
(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
Where it stands: With every team having now played two of their three group stage games, the knockout round picture is beginning to come into focus.
Advertisement
Advanced: Mexico, United States, Germany, Argentina, France, Norway, Colombia
Eliminated: Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, Panama
Everything to play for: 36 teams (75% of the field) still have hope of advancing out of the group stage. And though such widespread uncertainty at this juncture is nothing new, the heavy proportion of those teams who will eventually secure passage into the knockouts is.
In 2022, 27 of 32 teams (84%) came into Matchday No. 3 facing an uncertain outcome. However, only 13 of those nations (48%) would ultimately advance.
In this year’s edition — where the top-eight third-place teams will advance alongside the top two teams in each group — those 36 teams are vying for 25 remaining positions, ensuring that more than two-thirds of them will fight on past the group stage.
What to watch: The group stage gets kicked up a notch beginning this afternoon, with six games per day until the preliminary round concludes on Saturday. With that in mind, here are five of the most important games to keep an eye on, headlined by Friday’s dream matchup between Kylian Mbappé’s France and Erling Haaland’s Norway.
Advertisement
⛳️ THE PGA TOUR INTRODUCES PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp — set to take over as commissioner next year — in March before the Players Championship. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
The PGA Tour unveiled a radical new competitive model on Tuesday, featuring a series of changes that will be more substantial than any in the Tour’s half-century-long history.
Advertisement
Champions and Challengers: Beginning in 2028, the Tour will operate on two tracks — the Championship and Challenger Series — which will run concurrently from February through August and include a promotion/relegation system.
Championship: The top golfers’ slate includes a baseline of 15 regular-season events, each with about 120 golfers, a 36-hole cut and at least a $20 million purse. Their remaining schedule is filled out with the four majors, The Players Championship, the playoffs and an annual international team event (Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup).
Challenger: Larger fields of about 144 golfers will compete in at least 20 events, each with a minimum purse of $4 million. Of note: The exact criteria for which players will slot into each Series has yet to be determined, but to be clear, this is distinct from the Korn Ferry Tour; these will be PGA Tour golfers.
Promotion/relegation: The top 20 players in the season-long Challenger standings will be promoted to the Championship, with immediate promotion available to anyone who wins either two events or a major. The top 90 Championship players (at least) will remain on that track, while the remaining ~40 will be eligible for relegation. In the fall, several “last-chance” events will give fringe players an opportunity to play their way into the Championship.
Advertisement
Plus: The postseason will be revamped to include match play, and will be contested across a rotation of courses. Further details will be revealed at the Tour Championship in August.
📺 WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
(Yahoo Sports)
⚽️ World Cup, Day 14
Advertisement
You thought four games a day was fun? Let’s try six. First up is Canada vs. Switzerland in Vancouver (3pm ET, Fox) and Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar in Seattle(3pm, FS1). Then it’s Scotland vs. Brazil in Miami (6pm, Fox) and Morocco vs. Haiti in Atlanta (6pm, FS1) followed by Mexico vs. Czechia in Mexico City (9pm, Fox) and South Korea vs. South Africa in Guadalupe (9pm, FS1).
Advertisement
Host nation bump: Mexico has already clinched Group A, while Canada has all but assured its first-ever trip to the World Cup knockout round. They’ll clinch Group B with either a win or draw against the Swiss.
🏀 NBA Draft, Day 2
30 more prospects will be selected tonight in Brooklyn (8pm, ESPN) on the second and final day of the NBA Draft.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Still on the board: Meleek Thomas (Arkansas), Henri Veesaar (UNC), Richie Saunders (BYU) and Isaiah Evans (Duke) headline our best players still available.
More to watch:
⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Tigers (6:40pm Prime) … Tarik Skubal makes his third start since returning (incredibly quickly) from a groundbreaking new procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow.
🏀 WNBA: Mercury at Fever (7:30pm, USA); Dream at Valkyries (10pm, USA) … Five of the top 11 scorers take the floor in Indiana’s Caitlin Clark (21.3) and Kelsey Mitchell (20.9), Atlanta’s Allisha Gray (19.5) and Rhyne Howard (19.1) and Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper (19.2).
Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. Get tickets now!
🏈 NFL TRIVIA
A portrait of the Oorang Indians, one of 18 teams to play in the 1922 NFL season. (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images)
104 years ago today, the NFL got its modern name, rebranding to the National Football League before its third season kicked off in the fall of 1922.
Advertisement
Question: What was the league’s original name from its founding in 1920?
A) American League of Professional Football
B) American Professional Football Association
Advertisement
Advertisement
C) All-America Football Conference
D) Association of Professional Football
Answer at the bottom.
📣 LAUNCH DAY IS HERE!
Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter authored by Dylan Dittrich, launches today!
What to expect: Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Dylan and the rest of our growing newsletter team will break down the deals, dollars and decisions shaping your favorite sports.
Advertisement
Trivia answer: B) American Professional Football Association
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Cristiano Ronaldo responded to criticism in the best possible way on Tuesday against Uzbekistan (5–0). The 41-year-old striker scored twice to lead his country to their first victory in this World Cup.
England will have to wait before securing their place in the round of 32. The Three Lions were held to a goalless draw by a resilient Ghana squad.
France will be without Didier Deschamps on Friday against Norway. The national team coach has returned home following the death of his mother. He is expected to return to the United States on Saturday.
Finally, in basketball, Monaco claimed the French championship title for the third time in four years by defeating Paris in a decisive Game 5.
Northern Ireland’s upcoming Nations League campaign and EURO 2028 qualifiers will be broadcast live on the BBC.
The free-to-air agreement between the broadcaster and Uefa will see an extension of the current deal until June 2028, and will also include Scotland and Wales internationals as the BBC maintains its commitment to make international football accessible to all.
In the build-up to the 2028 Uefa European Championship, hosted by the UK and the Republic of Ireland, there will be around 60 live games available between the three nations, while the tournament itself will be broadcast live on the BBC.
The extension builds upon a hugely successful partnership that has made the BBC the home of international football for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales since the initial deal was struck in March 2025, with live action available on BBC television, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Advertisement
Audiences have reflected the appetite for live international football, with an average UK-wide audience of 1.11m tuning in for Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Germany, with 121,000 people watching in Northern Ireland alone.
Wales’ exit and Scotland’s dramatic qualification win over Denmark also saw audiences over 1m, while Steve Clarke’s side’s recent World Cup opener against Haiti drew a peak audience of 2.8 million viewers on BBC One and iPlayer, despite a 02:00 BST kick-off.
“Extending this agreement is fantastic news for football fans across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, ensuring every match is available live and free-to-air on the BBC,” said Rhuanedd Richards, Interim Director of BBC Nations.
“These fixtures bring communities together and deliver some of the biggest shared moments in our sporting calendar. We’re proud to continue telling these stories and showcasing our nations’ teams.”
Advertisement
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, added: “International football creates moments that unite communities, spark national pride and generate huge audiences across every platform.
“We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Uefa and continue bringing every Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland men’s international match to fans free-to-air.
“Whether watching on television, streaming on iPlayer or following through the BBC Sport website, app or our social channels, audiences can be sure the BBC will be there for every crucial moment on the road to Uefa Euro 2028.”
BBC coverage of the Fifa World Cup continues throughout the tournament, including Scotland’s match against Brazil this evening at 23:00 BST on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal continues to shock the NFL world, even months after it began. The NFL reporter and the New England Patriots coach were photographed together at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona. While she shrugged off the rumors at first, she resigned from her job at The Athletic a few days later after the company launched an investigation.
The Athletic’s parent company, The New York Times, revealed details of the investigation on Wednesday. Russini is believed to have violated the firm’s strict journalistic codes.
Thanks for the submission!
Advertisement
“The Athletic’s editorial guidelines include language addressing relationships between its journalists and the people they cover,” the report read. “Under a section titled ‘Transparency,’ the publication says reporters should avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest and reveal those sources or affiliations that may put into question our ability to be credible.”
Advertisement
•
“Ms. Russini did not alert editors to any conflicts of interest, according to the Times Company spokeswoman.”
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
Kelly McBride, the chair of the Newmark Center for Ethics at the Poynter Institute, added that if a journalist has a close platonic relationship with a source, they should bring in their bosses to discuss how that would look to the public. According to her, Russini could have told the news outlet that she was friends with Vrabel and gotten another assignment.
Tony Farmer raises questions about Dianna Russini’s role in Mike Vrabel’s Patriots arrival
Podcaster Tony Farmer sparked debate on Tuesday by suggesting that former reporter Dianna Russini may have played a part in creating tension between Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, leading to Vrabel taking up the coaching role in 2025.
“Did Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel work together to create tension in the media and nudge Bill Belichick out of New England to create a job opening for Mike?” Farmer tweeted. “IDK, but this might explain Jordon Hudson’s shade toward Russini recently. If the Pats were the destination all along, it would explain why Mike took a year off from coaching too.”
Farmer also pointed to reports suggesting that some Patriots players favored hiring Vrabel immediately after Belichick’s exit, despite the team’s plans to move forward with Jerod Mayo.
Advertisement
He attached a November 2023 article by Russini discussing a potential split between Belichick and the Patriots. Vrabel arrived in New England in January 2025 and guided the franchise to a Super Bowl appearance in his first season.
DR Congo’s hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage suffered a major setback after a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in Guadalajara.
A deflected strike from Colombia wing-back Daniel Munoz in the 76th minute proved enough to separate the two teams in a closely contested Group K encounter.
The result secured Colombia’s place in the last 32 after their second consecutive win, while DR Congo dropped to third place in the group standings.
Advertisement
DR Congo worked hard to keep Colombia at bay for much of the game, with goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi making several important saves. However, they were finally beaten when Juan Fernando Quintero’s pass found Munoz, whose shot took a slight deflection before finding the net.
The Congolese side pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but could not break through Colombia’s defence.
The defeat means DR Congo must now beat Uzbekistan in their final group match on Saturday and hope other results go their way to keep their World Cup dream alive.
Play at Wimbledon qualifying at Roehampton was suspended for over an hour due to a power outage that caused the tournament’s Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system to fail amid extreme heat.
ELC replaced replaced line judges at Wimbledon last year, but the system was accidentally deactivated during the match between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkov and Sonay Kartal, due to “human error”.
Wimbledon qualifying takes place away from the All England Club, at Roehampton (PA)
Speaking ahead of this year’s Wimbledon, chief executive of the All England Club Sally Bolton said there was confidence in the system – but the extreme heat is likely to have played a part in this latest outage.
“There was a temporary loss of power to part of our Qualifying venue, which meant that the electronic line calling system could not function,” a spokesperson for the All England Club said. “Power has now been restored and play is expected to resume shortly.”
The tournament is operating under an extreme heat weather warning, with the first priority being the welfare of players and guests. Although it is understood it is likely the heat was a factor in the outage, a full investigation will be undertaken in due course.
Advertisement
On the BBC, presenter Annabel Croft said it had been a “very challenging day”, with temperatures expected to rise to 37C later in the day.
Britain’s Dan Evans, looking to reach a final Wimbledon before his planned retirement, was one of those impacted by the delay as he lost in the second round of qualifying against Tristan Schoolkate, the Australian 28th seed closing out a 7-5 6-0 win when play resumed.
Schoolkate said of the issues in his post-match interview on the BBC: “It is not usually this hot in London, so it was unexpected – it usually rains a bit.
“I don’t think it was a heat thing, maybe it had something to do with the electronics and all that, but you get time to gather your thoughts. It was a bit strange, but I was just glad I came out of the gates pretty hot there.”
Advertisement
Wimbledon has a heat rule in place for this year’s tournament and players are allowed to request a 10-minute break when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1C.
The heat stress index accounts for air temperature, humidity and surface temperature – creating a ‘feels-like’ reading that is also known as the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature [WGBT].
The heat stress index will be measured 30 minutes before the start of play, then at 2pm and then at 5pm. The 10-minute break would take place between the second and third sets for women’s singles matches and between the third and fourth sets for men’s matches.
A rare red weather warning for extreme heat has come into force across large parts of the county, as Britons have been told to stay out of the sun for a four-hour period.
Advertisement
Record-breaking temperatures of 40C are expected on Wednesday, with the Met Office alert stretching from London across to Somerset and Swansea, and up towards Birmingham, until 9pm on Thursday.
People have been warned to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm as the severe heat is expected to cause a danger to life, while Network Rail has advised passengers to only travel if “absolutely necessary”.
Extreme heat has played a part in both of this season’s tennis grand slams, with temperatures of 46C at the Australian Open and a heatwave hitting the French Open, too.
Defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has at times struggled in the heat, and was knocked out of the French Open during a sweltering second round.
Advertisement
Wimbledon recorded its hottest opening day at last year’s Championship and the heat could be a significant factor once again across the fortnight, which begins on Monday 28 June.
France have looked like the team to beat so far. Kylian Mbappe looks in great shape and seems driven by the memory of the 2022 final, when his hat trick wasn’t enough to prevent defeat. With his current form, even Messi’s newly set World Cup scoring record may not be out of reach.
—
2
Argentina
What more can be said about Messi? Five goals in two games, a new World Cup record with 18 goals, and another masterclass on the biggest stage. He’s carrying Argentina once again, but as the tournament progresses, they’ll need his teammates to start contributing more as well.
—
3
Spain
After the disappointing draw against Cabo Verde in their opening match, they showed exactly why they are considered one of the favorites to win the World Cup. Scoring four goals against Saudi Arabia was a statement of intent. Now, they face a tougher challenge against Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay.
—
4
Portugal
We were waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo and he finally delivered two goals that led Portugal to their first World Cup win this summer. He also became the first player to score in six different editions of the World Cup.
1
5
England
Such a disappointing performance and 0-0 result against Ghana on Tuesday. There are already some questions about Thomas Tuchel and his decisions ahead of the tournament, such not including Cole Palmer in the squad traveling to the World Cup.
1
6
Brazil
Beating Haiti is exactly what we expected from them after their opening draw against Morocco. Now comes the real test: Scotland.
—
7
Norway
If some people were confused by their position in the rankings, those doubts may start to fade after the first two games. Now they face France, and we’ll get a much clearer picture of their true potential in this tournament.
1
8
Morocco
What a team and what a World Cup so far! Ismael Saibari needs to be considered among the best players of the tournament so far.
1
9
Netherlands
Winning 5-1 against Sweden was a big statement from them and they needed it after a disappointing debut against Japan.
—
10
Germany
They won both matches against Ivory Coast and Curacao. They also won the group stage, but I’m still not 100% convinced about their performances so far.
—
11
Colombia
Two games, two wins, Round of 32 clinched and Luis Diaz is one of the best players of the tournament. They are a dangerous underdog.
—
12
United States
Despite the absence of Christian Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT delivered another convincing performance. Surprising? Not really. This is why they are still in the position I ranked them ahead of the World Cup.
—
13
Japan
I’m in love with this team. After drawing against Netherlands, they won 4-0 against Tunisia. They play incredibly well and this is only helping.
1
14
Mexico
Another solid performance and clinched round of 32 qualification with one game to go. Their dream continues.
3
15
Sweden
Won 5-1 against Tunisia and lost 5-1 to Netherlands: Which is the real version of this team? We will figure it out against Japan.
—
16
Uruguay
One of the biggest disappointments so far. Two games, two draws against Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde. Things might get tricky now, considering they need to face Spain in the last match.
3
17
Switzerland
They are back. After drawing the first match against Qatar, they bounced back and won against Bosnia-Herzegovina pretty easily.
2
18
Ivory Coast
They lost against Germany, but they showed why they are a strong team and now they need a win against Curacao.
4
19
Egypt
Mo Salah scored, because of course he did, this is the World Cup of stars. Up next: Iran.
6
20
Croatia
Winning against Panama was what we expected from them: It’s now time to show what they are capable of against Ghana, who drew against England.
Maybe we overestimated their experience, but facing England, this team especially, was a big task. It was sad to see a legend like Luka Modric making a crucial mistake that led to the first goal.
—
21
Senegal
Disappointing. Yes, they were drawn into a tough group with France and Norway, but coming away with zero points is still a disappointing return for the 2025 AFCON finalists. Now, everything comes down to the final match against Iraq.
5
22
Scotland
Everything will be decided in the last match against Brazil after losing to Morocco in the second game of the group.
4
23
Ecuador
The draw against Curacao was a historic result for the other team and now they need to beat Germany in their final group match to have a chance of advancing. That’s a very tough task.
—
24
Iran
Despite all their struggles and the tensions between their country and the United States, they’ve handled enormous pressure extremely well. It’s possible, though unlikely they could end up facing the U.S. in a round of 16 match.
—
25
Belgium
What is going on here? I wasn’t expecting this roster to set the world on fire, but I figured they could at least manage one win.Belgium’s golden generation is nearing its end, and it showed in their opening match. While Romelu Lukaku made a difference off the bench and played a key role in Egypt’s own goal, a draw is simply not the statement Belgium needed to make.
4
26
Canada
We should praise them and Jesse Marsch. Now it’s time to make history and qualify for knockout phase for the first time ever.
3
27
Korea Republic
They are where we expected to be, in contention for a second place in the group with Mexico, Czechia and South Africa.
1
28
Austria
Yes, they could have done better against Argentina, but let’s be honest: What can you do against this version of Lionel Messi?
1
29
Ghana
What a performance against England. They looked solid against one of the favorites to win the tournament.
2
30
Paraguay
If people thought they’d roll over against Turkiye, they were all wrong. Paraguay is now in a good spot for a place in the round of 32.
6
31
Czechia
Despite having a pretty solid team, they will probably just be able to play one round of the knockouts before getting sent home by better opposition.
1
32
Algeria
By far, one of the most impressive performances of the second round. After losing to Argentina at the debut, they bounced back and made a comeback against Jordan.
11
33
Cabo Verde
If we thought that the first draw against Spain was a miracle, the second one against Uruguay told us much more about this national team and their impressive debut at the World Cup.
5
34
Bosnia-Herzegovina
After a convincing debut against Canada, they lost to Switzerland in the second game, but they still can make it to the round of 32 in the last game against Qatar. Advance and the USMNT likely awaits.
2
35
DR Congo
Their first time at the World Cup since 1974. After a historic draw against Portugal, they only lost by one goal to Colombia, one of the best teams of the tournament. They can actually make history and advance with a result vs. Uzbekistan.
4
36
Saudi Arabia
Their opening draw against Uruguay means they’re alive ahead of the last game of the group against Cabo Verde. They have a chance to play in the knockout stages despite a heavy loss against Spain.
1
37
Qatar
After their last-minute draw against Switzerland we couldn’t expect such a downfall, but a horrible leg-breaking tackle and two red cards contributed to a 6-0 loss to Canada.
4
38
Australia
We probably had too many expectations after their win against Turkiye, but the United States exposed them in the second game of the group phase.
4
39
Curacao
What a story! They might be eliminated this week when they face Ivory Coast, but who cares? First goal at the World Cup against Germany, first draw against Ecuador. They made history.
9
40
New Zealand
Losing to Egypt in their second match of the group stage makes it much more difficult to hope for a historic qualification to the knockouts.
—
41
South Africa
They started off badly and lost to Mexico in the opening match of the tournament but bounced back and drew 1-1 against Czechia. They still have a little chance to advance.
5
42
Iraq
Conceded seven goals in two games against France and Norway, but aren’t technically eliminated. Next up: Senegal.
—
43
Uzbekistan
They don’t have much chance to play in the round of 32. The side coached by 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro had their tournament all but ended by losing 5-0 to Portugal.
4
44
Panama
ELIMINATED — Despite playing against Ghana and Croatia, not easy opponents, they were able to show why they were back at the World Cup for a second time since 2018.
1
45
Tunisia
ELIMINATED — They made history at this World Cup by sacking Sabri Lamouchi after the defeat against Sweden and replacing him with Herve Renard in the middle of the tournament. Didn’t help much
8
46
Haiti
ELIMINATED — They were just unlucky to meet Brazil, Morocco and Scotland in what was probably the most challenging group of the World Cup.
5
47
Jordan
ELIMINATED –They played their first ever World Cup and they have already made history. At least they will have a chance to face Lionel Messi’Argentina in their last match of the group phase.
3
48
Turkiye
ELIMINATED — I’ll be completely honest: I thought they could become one of the surprises of this tournament, with so many talented players. They registered 62 shots in two games and failed to score a single goal: The most shots without a goal by a team in a single World Cup since 1966.
The final Signature Event of the year begins Thursday when the 2026 Travelers Championship tees off from TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. The event’s signature status and proximity to last week’s U.S. Open lead to a loaded 2026 Travelers Championship field that features all the top-ranked players on tour with the exception of Rory McIlroy. Scottie Scheffler is the +440 favorite (risk $100 to win $440) in the 2026 Travelers Championship odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Paramount+ Premium is now included with every SportsLine membership! Watch the NFL on CBS, UFC, select PGA events, Champions League and more than 40,000 episodes and movies. Join right here to get both for one low price.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals golf betting picks that have a history of being extremely profitable.
Advertisement
This same model has also nailed a whopping 17 majors entering the weekend, including the 2026 Masters — its fifth Masters in a row — as well as last year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites.
One major surprise the model is calling for at the Travelers Championship 2026: Young, who is one of the favorites at +2200, stumbles and finishes outside the top 10. He’s a golfer to fade in Travelers Championship best bets. He was arguably the hottest player on tour earlier in the spring, but he’s cooled off in the last few events. He’s finished outside the top 25 in his past three events, including a T43 at the U.S. Open, so the model isn’t confident in him as a top contender this week. See who else to fade here.
Advertisement
Another surprise: Justin Thomas is a top-5 contender on the projected leaderboard despite never having won a major and having slightly longer odds at +2500. Thomas has been steady recently, finishing no worse than T19 in any event since the start of May. He was one of the few golfers with two sub-70 rounds at Shinnecock Hills last week, and he has three top-10 finishes at the Travelers Championship. See who else to pick here.
New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review to see their latest offers and get started.
Scottie Scheffler +440 Tommy Fleetwood +1600 Ludvig Åberg +1800 Xander Schauffele +1800 Matt Fitzpatrick +2200 Cameron Young +2200 Justin Thomas +2500 Sam Burns +2500 Si Woo Kim +2500 Russell Henley +2700 Collin Morikawa +3000 Patrick Cantlay +3300 Wyndham Clark +3500 Viktor Hovland +4000 J.J. Spaun +4000 Aaron Rai +4000 Justin Rose +4500 Kurt Kitayama +4500 Alex Fitzpatrick +4500 Ben Griffin +4500 Chris Gotterup +4500 Robert MacIntyre +5500 Brian Harman +5500 Min Woo Lee +5500 Keegan Bradley +5500 Maverick McNealy +5500 Jordan Spieth +6000 Ryan Gerard +6000 Harris English +6000 Keith Mitchell +6000 J.T. Poston +6500 Gary Woodland +6500 Bud Cauley +6500 Shane Lowry +6500 Adam Scott +7000 Akshay Bhatia +7000 Kristoffer Reitan +7000 Hideki Matsuyama +7000 Sahith Theegala +7000 Jake Knapp +7000 Jacob Bridgeman +8000 Alex Noren +8000 Nicolai Højgaard +10000 Corey Conners +10000 Eric Cole +10000 Sepp Straka +10000 Rickie Fowler +10000 Samuel Stevens +10000 Ryo Hisatsune +10000 Ryan Fox +10000 Alex Smalley +10000 Harry Hall +12500 Ben James +12500 Sungjae Im +15000 Daniel Berger +15000 Andrew Novak +15000 Jason Day +15000 Nick Taylor +15000 Michael Kim +15000 Tony Finau +17500 Mac Meissner +17500 Taylor Pendrith +17500 Matt McCarty +17500 Denny McCarthy +22500 Jackson Suber +22500 Nico Echavarria +25000 Brandt Snedeker +25000 Lucas Glover +35000 Tom Hoge +50000 Jhonattan Vegas +75000 Mark Hubbard +75000 Brian Campbell +100000
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones loosens up before a road game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The former first-round passer prepared for action on November 2, 2025, as his future role remained a topic of discussion around the league entering the second half of the season. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images.
Before Kyler Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings in March, some fans and media members believed Minnesota could swing a trade for San Francisco 49ers QB2 Mac Jones as the quarterback insurance behind J.J. McCarthy in 2026.
Jones to Minnesota became moot in a hurry when Murray signed on the Vikings’ dotted line, but now, thanks to Bleacher Report, the Jones rumor mill has resurged.
Bleacher Report Says Vikings Could Revisit the Jones Option
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones delivers a pass against the New Orleans Saints during action at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The veteran passer made plays through the air on September 14, 2025, while handling starting duties for San Francisco during the early portion of the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images.
BR: Vikings Should Consider Trading for Jones
Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns made the cut on Mo Moton’s list that detailed trade destinations for Jones, and the Vikings were not excluded.
Advertisement
He wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings made a low-risk, high-reward move in signing quarterback Kyler Murray, who’s only under contract for the 2026 season. He’s the favorite to win the starting job over J.J. McCarthy, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.”
“Though even if Murray has a bounce-back year, the Vikings may not keep him around for the long term. Remember, they allowed Sam Darnold to walk after his first Pro Bowl campaign. Minnesota can get ahead of the rising cost of the quarterback market by acquiring Jones and signing him to an extension after the 2026 term if Murray does enough to spike his 2027 market value.”
Jones played marvelously in 2025 when Brock Purdy got hurt.
Advertisement
“Jones will also be a free agent next year, but he won’t be able to demand as much as a starting quarterback with decent passing numbers. The Vikings could make the playoffs with Murray, which would likely push them out of range for a top 2027 quarterback prospect,” Moton continued.
“Instead of earmarking significant cap space for him or hoping for a trade-up in next year’s draft, they can acquire and extend Jones to stabilize their quarterback room.”
Jones’ Career Production
Jones’s career has unfolded in three distinct chapters. His rookie season in New England suggested a very promising future as a long-term starter, as he amassed 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns, even leading the Patriots to the playoffs. But subsequent seasons saw a decline in both his performance and the team’s success. Over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he registered a less impressive 24 touchdowns against 23 interceptions — so, a sophomore slump that didn’t end.
Advertisement
A fresh start arrived in 2024 with the Jacksonville Jaguars after the Patriots moved on, where Jones started 7 games and stabilized his play enough to remain relevant. The true test, however, arrived in San Francisco. In 2025, he started 8 games while Brock Purdy was injured, going 5-3. During that period, Jones completed an impressive 69.6% of his passes, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones fires downfield against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Jones directed the offense on September 21, 2025, while making another start for San Francisco and continuing a productive stretch during the middle portion of the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images.
Across five seasons, Jones has accumulated 12,741 passing yards, 67 touchdowns, and 50 interceptions. While he may not fulfill the “franchise savior” expectations once held for him, his displayed solid play that emulated Malik Willis last year in Green Bay.
Moton thinks the Vikings are an option for that tale.
Probably a 2027 Free Agency Idea if Vikings’ QBs Fail
Moton’s article outlines teams that should trade for Jones by November’s trade deadline. By then, Minnesota will know the early returns from the Murray experiment or how McCarthy is trending in Year No. 3. Depending on quarterback injuries around the league, San Francisco will likely price-gouge Jones, only selling if it can grab a 2nd- or 3rd-Rounder, for example. He’s one of the best backup passers in the league, and Purdy isn’t necessarily Iron Man. The 49ers won’t sell short.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Minnesota has a new general manager, Nolan Teasley, who probably isn’t eager to peddle his draft picks before selecting a single rookie. Teasley took over a few weeks ago; Rob Brzezinski steered the ship during April’s draft.
If Murray and McCarthy wholly fail in 2026, Jones is a talker for the Vikings during the 2027 offseason — when he will be “free” in free agency. Why donate a handsome draft pick to San Francisco in November when Minnesota could, theoretically, sign Jones outright in March?
Another Sam Darnold in the Making?
A team will give Jones a shot at the QB1 job before too long. Based on his 2025 production — 8 starts — he’d bank 4,570 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions when scaled to 17 games.
Advertisement
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers meet after their game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The two veteran passers shared a moment on the field following the December 15, 2024 matchup, with Jones closing his season in Jacksonville before later joining the San Francisco 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images.
In a league that re-empowered Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield to thrive — the aforementioned Willis may be next in Miami — Jones won’t be excluded from second chances. One could argue that he played just as well as Purdy last season.
It may not be the Vikings, especially via trade in 2026, but Jones’s story is far from over. He could be the go-to guy via trade this season when a QB1 from a Super Bowl contender inevitably gets hurt.
Jones will turn 28 in September.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Man Utd are in the market for a Casemiro replacement this summer, but face competition to sign Mateus Fernandes.
It’s a skill to know when to walk away from a transfer target and Manchester United may be getting close to that point with Matues Fernandes.
United identified an opportunity with Fernandes following West Ham’s relegation, but Tottenham have come to the table, and the noise from the capital suggests they are willing to meet the £85million asking price.
Advertisement
Tottenham can offer higher wages to Fernandes. United are not out of the running for the midfielder, and the player’s preference will be decisive, but a sensible club must have a contingency plan.
That’s how United landed on Fernandes as a target this summer in the first place. Elliot Anderson was the priority, but it became clear that Nottingham Forest’s valuation would make a deal impossible to do.
The numbers from last season alone show Fernandes would be a decent second choice to Anderson. He won more tackles and made more accurate switches of play. He wasn’t far behind Anderson on ground duels won, possessions won, and possessions won in the defensive third.
Advertisement
The data boffins will have to crunch the numbers again if Fernandes cannot be signed, though, and perhaps Borussia Dortmund’s rising star Felix Nmecha should be in the running to make a switch to United.
Nmecha has started both of Germany’s games at the World Cup this summer, making a strong impression. He scored and assisted against Curacao, and assisted against the Ivory Coast.
“The more he plays like he did the other night, the more expensive he’ll get,” said Gary Neville after Germany’s win over the Ivory Coast. “He looked outstanding the other night. It looked like he had absolutely everything.”
Ian Wright praised Nmecha, saying: “When you look at him, he breaks lines, he gets into the box, he’s got Kimmich to come in and fill in for him. He can play as a No.8 or No.10, we can see he can finish, you can see why teams are interested in him. He’s got everything.”
Advertisement
Nmecha’s varied skillset in midfield makes him an attractive option. He predominantly played as a defensive midfielder for Dortmund last season, but as Wright observed, he has the quality to go forward.
Fernandes has a varied skillset as well. He excelled playing in a deeper midfield role for West Ham, but he played as a No.8 for Southampton and played as a No.10 during his time in Portugal.
You should never make a move for a player on the back of a few positive performances at the World Cup, but Nmecha’s quality has been obvious in his displays for Dortmund in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Advertisement
If United do seriously consider Nmecha as an alternative to Fernandes, they will be drawn to the fact that he’s a homegrown player, as Premier League rules require at least eight players in a 25-man squad to be homegrown.
The Premier League’s definition of a homegrown player is any player who has been trained by a club in the United Kingdom for at least three years before their 21st birthday.
The Champions League’s definition is slightly different, as UEFA requires clubs to register eight homegrown players, however, four of those have to be ‘club-trained’, while the other four can be trained by other English academies. A club homegrown player is someone who has been in the club for three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
Nmecha came through Manchester City’s academy before returning to the country where he was born, Germany, in the summer of 2021 on a free transfer. He impressed for Wolfsburg and joined Dortmund two years later.
Advertisement
City can sometimes allow talent from their academy to slip through their net. Nmecha was viewed as a decent prospect, but the extent of his improvement may surprise staff at the club.
The City link with Nmecha means Jason Wilcox is familiar with him. Wilcox is currently United’s director of football, but he previously spent almost six years working as City’s academy director.
The homegrown status and having a link with Wilcox are two big ticks in Nmecha’s box with a view to a potential transfer to Old Trafford. Those will not be the factors United solely base a decision on, but they are advantageous.
Advertisement
Nmecha knows Manchester well, having spent his formative years in the city, and joining United from Dortmund would be a step up. It’s also worth noting that his older brother Lukas returned to Germany after progressing through City’s academy, then came back to England.
Lukas Nmecha scored six Premier League goals for Leeds last season. Felix would obviously be nearer his brother, with who he has a strong relationship, if he moved to Manchester this summer.
The move would make a lot of sense for United, and a lot of sense for Nmecha should Fernandes move out of reach.
Manchester United land ownership latest after Old Trafford project update – Manchester Evening News
Need to know
Man Utd announced they had reached a deal to acquire a key plot of land for their new stadium project on Monday.
What the new Old Trafford could look like.(Image: Manchester United)
All you need to know about Manchester United’s land ownership around Old Trafford…
The Manchester Evening News contacted United to confirm which land the club now owns, and a graphic has been included at the bottom of this article to highlight that land, and the Freightliner-owned land behind the Stretford End.
After striking a deal with Indurent, who have sold the land in the top left corner of the graphic, United now own a significant portion of land around Old Trafford to accommodate a 100,000-seater stadium.
The plot of land acquired is a 25-acre triangle, located between Wharfside Way, Europa Way and John Gilbert Way. United have acquired the majority of the plot, but there is still some to purchase – although club sources have said no problems are expected.
Now that the land has been secured, Foster + Partners can resume design work after sharing initial impressions last year.
United estimated that a new stadium alone would cost £2billion, but an updated estimate in 2026 could double costs. The club is already saddled with a record level of £1.3bn debt.
The project will be financed privately, and “positive conversations” with potential investors and stakeholders are ongoing. United will sell the naming rights of the new stadium to raise capital.
Earlier this year, The Sponsor compiled a European stadium naming fair market value report, which outlined that United could bank around £15m per season, equating to £150m over 10 years.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe initially floated the idea of taxpayers partly funding the project, but that notion was rejected by politicians.
United have earmarked July 9 to announce more stadium details, including further details of the stadium site, and to reveal the formal consultation period.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login