Vozinha and Cabo Verde tangled with Lionel Messi and Argentina, and while the run of the Blue Sharks at the World Cup may be over, they’ve left a mark on the World Cup that won’t be forgotten. As the second smallest nation to ever qualify for the tournament, Cabo Verde used LinkedIn as a recruiting tool, pulling from their diaspora around the world, and after drawing against Spain, they one-upped themselves in an electric match, facing Argentina in the round of 32.

What’s most impressive in this loss to Argentina is that Cabo Verde lived up to their dreams so much that, leaving the pitch against Argentina, it wasn’t about moral victories. It was a picture of sadness. Players who laid it all on the line going toe to toe with the reigning World Cup champions, and they were able to fight back twice. Vozinha outdueled Emiliano Martínez, and Sidny Lopes Cabral had the best goal from distance, not Messi. 

“We hope that now you realize that there is no easy opponent, and congratulations to Cabo Verde. We knew that they were going to be a tough opponent, and we struggled so much,” Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said after the match. “Actually, we deserved the win, but that doesn’t mean that the opponent made things easy for us, and of course, I will talk about the negative aspects with my players, but we also need to focus on the positive aspects, the fact that we never gave in, and neither did the opponents.”

Messi also agreed with his manager about how tough the Blue Sharks made this on Argentina. Without fouling much, Cabo Verde are the team who pushed Argentina the most physically, making things quite tough for them in the match despite having all the talent from all over the world and a core of the team playing in the second division of Portugal.

“We knew this would be a very tough match. In the World Cup, no one gives you anything for free. Now it’s about resting, learning from today, and focusing on the next game. Also, congratulations to Cabo Verde for that great performance,” Messi said.

These aren’t things that happen overnight, and it’s part of why the Cabo Verde story has been one that has endured during this tournament. Katy Perry may not have been in attendance for their game against Argentina, but even Left Shark made an appearance in the game as their style makes the Blue Sharks easy to root for, as Bubista has built an organized unit during his time in charge of the squad.

“I think that shows the character of our team, how skilled our team is, and was throughout most of the match. We knew of the quality of our opponent,” Bubista said. “It would be a tough match, as it truly proved to be against Argentina. But I think we did our best, and we did it with bravery. And never did we fail to stay true to our identity, which is why I’m so proud of what my players did throughout the match.”

Bubista has been the architect of this project, managing the side since 2020, and while he was confident that they’d compete coming into the match, it’s another thing to push Argentina from start to finish after what they’ve already accomplished. And surely he’ll also be prepared to work on their set-play defending, which was their undoing in extra time.

Their keeper, Vozinha, grew to internet fame after the draw against Spain and has amassed over 18 million Instagram followers during the tournament. When the World Cup began, his mother wasn’t able to see him play due to visa issues, but those were resolved so that she could see the remainder of Cabo Verde’s run.

While there is joy around the Cabo Verde story, there are also the rape allegations surrounding their captain, Ryan Mendes, that have cast a negative shadow during the tournament. He had an assist during the game and has appeared over 100 times for this country, but he’s currently under investigation in regard to an alleged incident in New Zealand in March.

Following the match, Bubista made it clear that he would only answer questions about the game, and if Mendes is found guilty, his participation in the World Cup will bring a black mark to this team, which is unfortunate because they’re well poised to be back at this stage. 

This World Cup run will make dual national recruitment easier for Cabo Verde, as now eyes turn toward the Africa Cup of Nations and qualifying for the 2030 World Cup. Remember the Cabo Verde name because this won’t be the last time that it’s heard on the big stage for this island nation.

Losing Mitchell Robinson to the division rival Boston Celtics was a real blow to the New York Knicks, who were simply not going to go past the second apron to sign a backup center. On Friday, they addressed that need with a poor-man’s Robinson by signing free agent Andre Drummond to a one-year, $3.9 million deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. 

Drummond, who spent the last two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, has been around for a long time. This will be his 15th season in the league. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, that was a big reason why New York went after him. They like Drummond’s veteran experience and his rebounding to fill some of the void left by Robinson, one of the best offensive rebounders in NBA history. 

Drummond is an all-time rebounder himself. His career 25% rebound rate is the best ever. He played 62 games for the 76ers last season, and when he was on the floor, he rebounded 20.2% of all misses. That was the second-best rebound rate in the league. Who was the best? Robinson, who brought down 21.4% of all misses. If you take the stats at face value, Drummond and Robinson performed strikingly similarly last season. 

Where they separate, on paper, is with Robinson’s 72.3% shooing clip against Drummond’s 47.2%, but that is because Robinson basically doesn’t shoot anything that isn’t a point-blank finish. Drummond doesn’t do much more, but he is a bit more of an active offensive participant outside of screening and crashing the glass. We all remember him actually taking and making corner 3s in the playoffs. 

Plus, Drummond’s 63.1% free-throw clip is basically Steph Curry compared to Robinson, who shot 40% from the stripe in the regular season and 29% in the playoffs. That’s a big deal. Drummond made 70% of his free throws in the playoffs. You can’t hack him off the floor the same way you can Robinson. 

It begs the question: Did the Knicks just get an equal player for a fraction of the $47 million the Celtics just paid for Robinson? The answer is no. Robinson is a much better defender. But listen, at the end of the day, the Knicks just blasted their playoff opponents by 22.5 points per 100 possessions with Robinson off the floor, per Cleaning the Glass, while falling to just plus-2.7 with Robinson on the floor. The 76ers were basically neutral with Drummond on the floor. 

That’s a small sample and we all understand these numbers are lineup and opponent dependent. Robinson is a better player. That’s why he just got a $47 million contract while Drummond is getting $3.9 million. But for a $44 million savings, which adds up to a bunch more with the taxes and roster-building restrictions they avoid by staying under the second apron, this is a heck of a bargain deal for the Knicks. 

On Friday, Argentina looked to continue its quest for back-to-back World Cup titles, and to do it, they had to get through one of the darlings of this year’s tournament, Cape Verde.

The small island nation off the coast of West Africa came into the match as the No. 64-ranked team in the world, and they managed to hold Argentina — the No. 2 team behind France at the moment — scoreless for almost thirty minutes.

But in the 29th minute, Lionel Messi scored to give Argentina the lead.

WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE

That was the 20th World Cup goal of his career, and it also made him the first player to score seven or more goals in multiple World Cups, having done it in Qatar as well.

It was also Messi’s eighth-straight World Cup match with a goal.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi scored in his eight-straight World Cup match and potted the 20th World Cup goal of his career. (Photo by Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images))

Well, typically when Argentina takes the lead, they don’t cough it up, but early in the second half, Cape Verde’s Deroy Duarte pulled off a stunner and tied the game at 1-1.

HARRY KANE RESCUES ENGLAND FROM SHOCK WORLD CUP EXIT WITH TWO GOALS IN 11 MINUTES AGAINST DR CONGO

While there was some late pressure from Argentina, that included an always-dangerous Messi free kick from just outside the box that Cape Verde managed to stop.

And with that, it was off to extra time.

Cape Verde celebrates after scoring one of their two tying goals against Argentina. (Photo by Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

However, it only took moments for Cape Verde to find themselves once again battling from behind.

Lisandro Martinez found the twine in the 92nd minute to give Argentina the lead.

It looked like that would be all she wrote… but Cape Verde had other plans.

They stuck with the defending World Cup champs, and in the 103rd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral scored an unbelievable goal to tie the game again.

Coming into this game, Argentina had given up just two goals in their ten-match World Cup winning streak.

Cape Verde did that in one match.

Argentina’s Cristian Romero gets his head on what proved ot be the game-winning goal. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

But in the 111th minute, Messi took an Argentina corner kick and put it in the perfect spot for Cristian Romero to head it to the back post and into the back of the net.

This was eventually updated to an own-goal, as it went off the Cape Verde defender’s arm, but it counts the same on the scoreboard.

Despite a late flurry of chances, Argentina held on to avoid what would have been potentially the biggest upset in World Cup history.

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What a match, and what a run Cape Verde had in the tournament.

Argentina will now have to recompose and get ready for a tough Round of 16 match against Egypt, which will take place on Tuesday in Atlanta.

The 2026 John Deere Classic continues on Saturday, July 4, with the third round at TPC Deere Run. You can find full John Deere Classic tee times for Saturday’s third round at the bottom of this post.

John Deere Classic tee times: What to know

What to know? Your leader through two rounds is Lucas Glover — who, after play on Friday, didn’t exactly know what he shot a day earlier. 

It was only a 63, the lowest round of the day. 

The revelation came after he was asked whether he was happier with that round, or the one he shot on Friday, when he shot a 65.  

“Honestly, probably just the difference between playing in the morning and the afternoon,” Glover said. “I mean, that’s completely honest and transparent. The ball was going forever this afternoon, just with the heat, and just the ball is going a long way.

“I hit a couple of nice shots on 7 and 8. My 16, 17th hole, thought they were going to be good and ended up missing the green. Just misjudged them 2 or 3 yards too far.

“Yeah, I think it was just a difference in that. I think yesterday morning if I’d have played this morning and played the same round, I might have shot one more instead of 3 or 2. I don’t know what I shot, but yeah, I think that was the only difference.”

That easy-going nature is how Glover does his business. It should be useful this weekend, too. 

“I mean, this is my 23rd year,” he said. “There’s nothing I hadn’t been there, done that, to be fair. I’ve played in the last groups and played great, and I’ve played in the last groups and played terrible.

“There’s no formula other than hydrate and rest and keep the pedal down this week, because it’s not going to be able to hang on. There’s going to be birdies and eagles. It’s going to be fun.”

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2026 John Deere Classic tee times for Saturday: Round 3 (ET)

Tee No. 1

Tee No. 1

7:31 a.m. – Michael Feagles, Adrien Dumont de Chassart

7:42 a.m. – Max McGreevy, A.J. Ewart 

7:53 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Mackenzie Hughes, Erik van Rooyen 

8:04 a.m. – Mark Hubbard, Nick Dunlap, Eric Cole 

8:15 a.m. – Zach Bauchou Keita Nakajima, Fabian Gómez 

8:26 a.m. – Will Gordon, Keegan Bradley, David Skinns 

8:37 a.m. – Jonathan Byrd, Rickie Fowler, Keith Mitchell 

8:48 a.m. –  Camilo Villegas, Trace Crowe, Lanto Griffin 

9:05 a.m. – Ryan Voois, Davis Thompson, Matt Wallace 

9:16 a.m. – Tony Finau, Kevin Yu, Matt Kuchar 

9:27 a.m. – Joel Dahmen, Tom Hoge, Austin Eckroat 

9:38 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Jacob Bridgeman, Davis Riley 

9:49 a.m. – Ryan Brehm, Beau Hossler, Pierceson Coody 

10: a.m. – Mac Meissner, Nicholas Lindheim, Rafael Campos 

10:11 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Karl Vilips, Peter Malnati 

10:28 a.m. – Gordon Sargent, Stephan Jaeger, Patrick Fishburn 

10:39 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Chandler Phillips, Zecheng Dou 

10:50 a.m. – Luke Gutschewski, Steven Fisk, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

11:01 a.m. – Blades Brown, Preston Stout (a), Chan Kim 

11:12 a.m. – Andrew Putnam, Austin Smotherman, Aaron Wise 

11:23 a.m. – Harry Higgs, Tom Kim, Davis Chatfield 

11:34 a.m. – Michael Brennan, Doug Ghim, Hayden Springer 

11:51 a.m. – Pontus Nyholm, William Mouw, Ben Griffin

12:02 p.m. – Max Homa, Zach Johnson, Chris Gotterup 

12:13 p.m. – David Lipsky, Ryo Hisatsune, Ben Kohles 

12:24 p.m. – Jackson Suber, Tyler Duncan, Troy Merritt 

12:35 p.m. – Lucas Glover, Lee Hodges, Zac Blair 

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Muhammad Ali is viewed by many as the greatest heavyweight of all time, but another boxing legend has disputed that claim.

Ali became a three-time world heavyweight champion, with iconic wins over George Foreman in the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ and Joe Frazier in the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ helping to add to his legacy.

There are several others who managed to earn world honours in the banner division on three occasions, including Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko, but the only man who has managed it on four occasions has stated his case for why he is greater than Ali.

That fighter is Evander Holyfield, and he explained to Seconds Out why he believes nobody is on his level.

“I’m the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world but they are still talking about Ali when I broke his record. I’ve been the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world for 24 years.

“You can’t talk about it until you break someone’s record, they don’t say nothing about me. How do you cut somebody out of history? Now I didn’t even know I was the first person to be undisputed in two weight divisions, until Usyk did it.

“They keep saying Ali is the best fighter, no I am. He was three times, I’m four.”

It is hard to argue with Holyfield’s view, as he was undisputed cruiserweight champion before moving up and achieving that status at heavyweight too, claiming wins against fighters such as Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, George Foreman and Larry Holmes along the way.

Despite those memorable triumphs, Holyfield once revealed another name when he was asked who his greatest ever victory came against.

The race for the golden boot at the World Cup is hurtling towards an epic contest during the knockout stage as Lionel Messi went back ahead of Kylian Mbappe at the top of the standings with Vinicius Jr and Erling Haalandalso very much in the race.

The stars continue to dominate at this tournament, none more so than Messi after backing up a hat-trick against Algeria with a double against Austria to highlight one of his greatest traits after a penalty miss. Another arrived off the bench against Jordan before he inevitably scored again in their slender knockouts win over Cape Verde.

Not to be outdone, Mbappe has been in excellent scoring touch and a brace against Sweden propelled France to a 3-0 victory and a spot in the last-16 as he once again thrives on the biggest stage. It briefly sent him above Messi in the standings, pipping him on assists while tied on goals scored, before the Argentinian bulged the net for a seventh time this tournament.

Elsewhere, Haaland scored for the 13th straight international when he netted an 86th-minute winner in Norway’s last-32 clash with Ivory Coast to send his side into the next round and move on to five goals for the tournament – just one behind Mbappe. Harry Kane is right there with him, too, having saved England with a double against DR Congo.

Mikel Oyarzabal has thrown his hat into the ring as his brace against Austria brings his total to four. And while he does have some catching up to do, Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the spot in his side’s dramatic knockout win over Croatia to keep himself somewhat into the mix.

If players are tied for goals, the number of assists will determine who ranks higher. If there is still a tie, it comes down to minutes played and the goals-per-minute ratio. Here are the latest 2026 World Cup golden boot standings:

World Cup 2026 golden boot standings

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina), 7 goals

2. Kylian Mbappe (France), 6 goals, (2 assists)

= 3. Erling Haaland (Norway), 5 goals

= 3. Harry Kane (England), 5 goals

5. Ousmane Dembele (France), 4 goals (2 assists)

= 6. Vinicius Jr (Brazil), 4 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), 4 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), 4 goals (1 assist)

9. Deniz Undav (Germany), 3 goals (2 assists)

= 10. Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), 3 goals (1 assist)

= 10. Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), 3 goals (1 assist)

= 10. Julian Quinones (Mexico), 3 goals (1 assist)

= 13. Jonathan David (Canada), 3 goals

= 13 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), 3 goals

= 13. Ismael Saibari (Morocco), 3 goals

= 13. Matheus Cunha (Brazil), 3 goals

= 13. Brian Brobbey (Netherlands), 3 goals

= 13. Elijah Just (New Zealand), 3 goals

= 13. Yoane Wissa (DR Congo), 3 goals

= 13. Kai Havertz (Germany), 3 goals

= 13. Folarin Balogun (USA), 3 goals

Vidit Gujrathi Exclusive (Graphic designed by TimesofIndia.com)

NEW DELHI: The race for a place at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris through the India Rising: Road to EWC Chess qualifiers has boiled down to a blockbuster final between two established Grandmasters.India’s Vidit Gujrathi will take on Benjamin Bok of the Netherlands. Both have booked their places in the LAN Finals in Mumbai after coming through a stacked playoff field featuring some of the biggest names in professional chess. The winner of Saturday’s showdown will thus earn a coveted spot at the final stage of EWC 2026, which will include 14 players in total. Indian Grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, and Arjun Erigaisi have already qualified for the EWC main event. En route to the summit clash, Vidit defeated the likes of M Pranesh and Raunak Sadhwani to seal his spot, while Bok produced arguably the standout run of the tournament, defeating Karthikeyan Murali before knocking out India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi.Ahead of the high-stakes Mumbai showdown, TimesofIndia.com caught up with Vidit Gujrathi to discuss his journey through the qualifiers so far, the growing convergence of chess and esports, the significance of India’s dedicated EWC qualifier, and much more. Excepts.Q. What was your first reaction when you heard about India Rising and its EWC connection?I remember in May, I was planning some tournaments, and I got to know about the India Rising Championship. I was really pleased because the finals were going to be held in Mumbai. There are very few major tournaments held in India, so I was excited about the opportunity. At the same time, I knew it would be a difficult journey because there were multiple qualifying stages. I was hoping to make it to the finals in India so that my friends and family could come and watch me play in person.Q. How different did this event feel compared to a traditional chess tournament?Online events are very different compared to over-the-board chess. Also, this format is 10 minutes plus zero-second increment, so this event is very different from traditional chess tournaments because, even if you get low on time, you usually have some increment. Here, you can have a completely winning position but only 10 seconds left on the clock, and you might still lose the game. So it requires a different strategy and a different kind of play, which is very modern. This style of play has only come to the surface in the last three to five years, and it’s picking up. So I can predict that maybe, in the future, there will be more events like this.

Vidit Gujrathi on chess in esports (Graphic by TimesofIndia.com)

Q. How important is it for India to have its own pathway to the Esports World Cup?India is a powerhouse when it comes to chess. We have won the Olympiad gold medal. We are the current champions. The World Champion is from India, the Women’s World Cup winner is from India, and challenger Vaishali is also from India. So India is very important in the chess landscape. With the sheer number of players as well, I think India is one of the top places. I feel the competition is much higher here, and it makes a lot of sense that we have our own pathway to the Esports World Cup. As esports is such a global event, it’s very important to have Indian representation there. I think we are among the favourites in the chess world, so it makes sense that we have this event for India.Q. What was the toughest challenge during the qualification stage?For me, the qualification stage was not easy at all because the first qualifier was a nine-round event. I was feeling very rusty as I had not played for a very long time and in the second round itself, I lost a game, which kind of shook me up. I made a comeback, but in the last four games, I could only manage four draws. It was by an absolute miracle that my tie-breaks were better than the others and I managed to get the last qualifying spot, which was fourth place.

Vidit Gujrathi on India’s influence on chess world (Graphic by TimesofIndia.com)

I think that moment could have changed everything. If my tie-breaks had been worse, I would not have been part of this tournament. So I had a bit of luck there. The next day, I played much better, but I definitely needed that luck in the initial qualifying phase. I almost thought that I had botched the opportunity.Q. How significant is the opportunity to play a LAN final in Mumbai?I don’t recall a big event apart from the Global Chess League being held in Mumbai. Mumbai is the financial capital of India and such a major hub, so it makes sense to have a global event there. I think the esports scene has been on the rise in India since the pandemic, and having a LAN final in Mumbai that garners a lot of attention will definitely encourage more events like these to happen here. I’m very pleased to see that.Q. What does qualifying for EWC mean at this stage of your career?The Esports World Cup is a very interesting tournament. Last year, I tried to play the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). I was leading the tournament, but in the last three rounds, I messed up and fell short. I was in Riyadh, I had flown there specifically from the US, and it was very painful to know that after all those efforts, I couldn’t qualify. Now I have another chance to qualify, and I’m really preparing well for it. I’m hoping that this time around I can make it and that all the efforts pay off because the Esports World Cup has a very different audience compared to usual tournaments. It’s a unique opportunity, and I would really love to be a part of it.

Vidit Gujrathi on India’s potential in esports

Q. How do you see the relationship between chess and esports evolving?I think chess has this untapped opportunity. No other sport was booming during the pandemic the way chess was because it could be played online, and esports is a very natural fit for it.Last year, if I remember the statistics correctly, chess was one of the top-viewed games, at least among the top five or top ten, and that was just in its first year. Many other sports have been part of the Esports World Cup for years, and for chess to receive such a warm reception in its first year showed that there is good product market fit. Chess has a global audience, so the viewership is spread throughout the world. I feel we should explore more opportunities for esports and chess working hand in hand. Q. Do you think India can become a global hub for esports-chess events?I think India is still far from being a global hub for esports events. You need to have a culture, like-minded people, and a complete ecosystem, including organisers, players, sponsors, and more. Right now, I feel we still haven’t had a major breakthrough when it comes to esports.ALSO READ: ‘This is India’s moment’: Why the nation of 1.4 billion now has a dedicated pathway to Esports World CupAlthough I know that a couple of esports players are leading very good lives in different domains, we are slowly getting there. But I feel we are still some way from becoming a global hub. It will require more tournaments, more grassroots work, and greater viewership to reach that stage. That said, I feel it could happen in the next five years.

The Boston Celtics accepted a criminally low trade package for Jaylen Brown, the Los Angeles Lakers spent the farm on Walter Kessler, the Minnesota Timberwolves sent the expected price to the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is a member of the Miami Heat after a landmark trade.

So, we ask — what if the Minnesota Vikings splash in this manner? It’s probably unlikely because new general manager Nolan Teasley will want to preserve draft picks, but let’s take a look at the outlandish possibilities.

Why even bother with this list? Because, for example, the Philadelphia 76ers were 100-to-1 odds to land Brown, and look what happened. Anything is possible in sports.

Vikings Might Have Enough Roster Flexibility for One Massive Swing

1. Maxx Crosby (OLB) to MIN for Two 1st-Rounders

Thanks to the Baltimore Ravens’ shenanigans, we already know the price for Crosby, who will evidently just return to the Las Vegas Raiders as if nothing happened.

The Vikings already traded Jonathan Greenard this offseason, paving the way for Dallas Turner to start without impediment, but don’t forget that Andrew Van Ginkel, the other main EDGE rusher, is scheduled to test free agency in March 2027. Theoretically, Teasley could donate his next two 1st-Rounders for a sure thing in Crosby and extend the team’s Super Bowl window.

Crosby ranks sixth in sacks (69.5) leaguewide since turning pro in 2019. Like every trade on this list, this one is a long shot. Teasley probably won’t get rid of his 1st-Rounders unless he embraces the Los Angeles Rams’ longstanding team-building philosophy.

2. J.J. McCarthy (QB) to IND for Anthony Richardson (QB)

Minnesota drafted McCarthy in April 2024, and through two seasons, it’s safe to say the experiment has not panned out as planned, mainly because of McCarthy’s injury woes. He’s missed 73% of all eligible games due to injuries.

The Vikings were reportedly high on Richardson during the 2023 NFL Draft, so in this scenario, they swap quarterbacks with similar modus operandi. Neither the Vikings nor the Colts know whether their quarterbacks will blossom into starters, as their first few years in the league have been marred by injuries.

3. Garrett Bradbury (C) Back to MIN for a 6th-Rounder

The New England Patriots decided that 2025 3rd-Rounder Jared Wilson will start at center in 2026, trading Bradbury to the Chicago Bears for a 5th-Round pick a few months ago. Bradbury would start for the Bears and face the Vikings twice annually, right? Probably not. Chicago then drafted Iowa’s Logan Jones in Round 2 two months ago; teams don’t spend 2nd-Round draft capital and redshirt them, at least not frequently.

Therefore, barring a bench assignment for Bradbury, he could be on the trade block, and Minnesota is scheduled to start Blake Brandel at center. Bradbury certainly wasn’t loved by all during his six seasons with the Vikings, but he might be better than Brandel.

A 6th-Rounder would likely get the trade across the finish line. The trade would be considered “outlandish” because Bradbury left the team not long ago, and the Bears and Vikings rarely engage in trade business.

4. Riley Moss (CB) to MIN for a 4th-Rounder

Jahdae Barron is itching for playing time in Denver after the Broncos drafted him in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, while Sean Payton and friends already employ Patrick Surtain II and Ja’Quan McMillian at cornerback.

These are Moss’s passer rating allowed marks over the last two years:

And his Pro Football Focus grades:

Moss played nearly 1,100 snaps on defense last year — a workhorse — and his contract will run out after this season. It’s worth noting that the Vikings have enjoyed some luck with guys named Moss.

5. Budda Baker (S) to MIN for a 4th-Rounder

Pretend Harrison Smith doesn’t return for Year No. 15. Minnesota would embark on the 2026 campaign with Josh Metellus, Jay Ward, Theo Jackson, and rookie Jakobe Thomas at safety. Is that enough firepower? Maybe, maybe not.

Baker is a proven commodity and an eight-time Pro Bowler. The Arizona Cardinals will set sail on 2026 with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, or Carson Beck at quarterback, proving that they’re not overly serious about contending and probably biding their time for a new signal-caller from the 2027 NFL Draft. Baker may want to play for a contender, and in theory, he could wind down his career in Minnesota.

New Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray was a teammate of Baker for seven seasons in the desert. Baker has visited the postseason just once in nine seasons. Perhaps his fortunes could change in Minnesota.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Chad Schofield and Zac Lloyd, who typically share the Sydney jockeys’ room, will be competing against each other this weekend in South Africa’s premier racing event, the Durban July.

The talented cousins are both set to participate in the prestigious 2200m race. Schofield will partner King Pelles for trainer Gareth van Zyl, while Lloyd is aboard Regulation, trained by Justin Snaith.

“It will be kind of funny sitting with him in the rooms in South Africa,” Schofield commented. “Obviously, we do it here every week, but to be over there together is sentimental.”

Their venture to South Africa is somewhat of a homecoming for both. Schofield and Lloyd are sons of former leading South African jockeys, Glyn Schofield and Jeff Lloyd respectively, both of whom achieved significant success in Australia.

Chad Schofield, who spent his childhood in South Africa and still has family there, will be making his second appearance in the feature race. He previously rode The Conglomerate in the 2015 Durban July when he was still an apprentice.

“My family came to Australia when I was about fourteen, and I have been back once, but it’s going to be really cool to get back again,” Schofield stated. “I’ve got a gran and aunt there, so I’ll be able to see them too. I used to go to that racecourse often when Dad was riding there. Even this particular race meeting, it’s a big deal over there, and to be able to go back and be amongst it is pretty cool.”

Schofield is scheduled to arrive in South Africa late on Thursday, with a chance to test King Pelles in a track workout the following day.

King Pelles, a proven stayer with a victory over 3200m, is listed at double-figure odds for Saturday’s 2200m Grade 1 event. However, Schofield has been encouraged by positive reports from his trainer.

“He’s a really good stayer. His form over the staying trips is the best in the country,” Schofield said. “He is running over a distance that looks to be too short for him, but I know the stable has freshened him right up and kept him as sharp as they could. It’s a handicap, and he’s got 59 (kilos). He is a 20-1 chance, but he’s got the class.”

King Pelles is one of seven rides for Schofield on the 12-race Greyville card. Lloyd, who recently notched his first winner at Royal Ascot during their June carnival, has eight mounts.

Both jockeys will be aiming to better their fathers’ performances, as neither Glyn Schofield nor Jeff Lloyd managed to win the Durban July during their successful racing careers. The Durban July is a major event, and punters can find competitive betting sites for the race.