Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell speaks with running back Ty Chandler during pregame warmups at U.S. Bank Stadium as the offense prepares for Arizona. On Dec. 1, 2024, the two discuss final details before kickoff while Minnesota settles its backfield rotation and offensive responsibilities for the late-season home matchup in Minneapolis. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker–Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings news cycle rarely stays sensible for long, and this week brought another round of claims that fell apart under scrutiny.
Nopedy Nopes have been tracked by VikingsTerritory for over two years, with new examples emerging almost weekly.
Here are the latest.
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The Summer Narratives Outrunning Vikings Reality
Minnesota Vikings cornerback James Pierre smiles during an interview at the team facility, answering lighthearted questions about Nickelodeon and offseason life while wearing his Vikings jersey. In July 2026, Pierre gives fans a more relaxed look at his personality as training camp approaches and attention begins turning toward his role on Minnesota’s roster. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
The Nopedy Nope: James Pierre, who will turn 30 in September, is the best example of a Vikings breakout player in 2026.
Pierre isn’t young, but ESPN’s Ben Solak didn’t mind, selecting the veteran CB as his breakout prediction: “The Vikings like to rotate cornerbacks on cheap contracts, as coordinator Brian Flores’ zone-heavy and blitz-happy approach requires fewer snaps of prolonged man coverage than most other defenses.”
“This offseason, they snagged Pierre in free agency after he made some strong spot starts with the Steelers. Pierre had only 219 coverage snaps last season, but his passer rating allowed of 49.8 was second only to Jamel Dean among cornerbacks last season. (Dean, ironically, is who the Steelers signed in free agency).”
This offseason, the Vikings snagged Gerald Alexander from the Steelers to be their defensive passing game coordinator, and Alexander brought Pierre with him.
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Solak continued, “It’s worth noting that Fabian Moreau was third in passer rating allowed at 50.5 in Flores’ defense. But the Vikings still elected to cycle Moreau out for Pierre, who was coached by Flores and passing game coordinator Gerald Alexander during their time in Pittsburgh.”
“That’s a clear sign they trust him more — and might ask for more man coverage accordingly.”
While Pierre as a breakout candidate is encouraging, that label should probably be reserved for a younger man.
The Verdict: Nopedy nope on 30-year-olds breaking out. Dallas Turner is a wiser choice.
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The Nopedy Nope: Because the Vikings don’t have a QB1 right now, they’re a step behind all comers in the NFC North.
NFL writer Steve Silverman explained his theory this week, “The other three teams in the NFC North know who their starting quarterbacks will be but the Vikings don’t. The Chicago Bears found their quarterback a year ago when Caleb Williams came through in his second season led the team to the division title.”
“The Packers are secure in knowing Jordan Love is coming off an excellent season in which he had a 23-6 TD-interception ratio and led his team to the playoffs again. The Lions have Jared Goff under center as that team attempts to regain its stature after a disappointing 2025 season.”
Most Vikings fans are thrilled that the team signed Kyler Murray to a $1.3 million free-agent deal, and they are comfortable with having multiple quarterback options.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray works through organized team activities at the TCO Performance Center, taking part in drills as the offense continues its spring installation. On May 27, 2026, Murray builds chemistry with teammates while coaches evaluate the quarterback room and receiving corps before training camp begins in Eagan later that summer. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
Silverman concluded, “That’s a problem that the Vikings will have to overcome, and it could turn out to be a season-long weak link. The ideal situation would have Murray asserting himself and demonstrating his excellence from Day 1. The locker room will be at risk if the Vikings struggle at the start.”
Silverman’s theory misses the boat by an inch or two because — what if Murray handily wins the QB1 job this summer and plays great in 2026? There won’t be any quarterback instability.
The Verdict: Nopedy Nope on panicking over a summer training camp competition.
The Nopedy Nope: Minnesota has the 11th-worst roster in the NFL.
Mike Clay of ESPN unveiled the No. 22 ranking for the Vikings, stating that the running backs — Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Demond Claiborne, and Zavier Scott — were the franchise’s main weakness.
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Conversely, he noted the chief strength: “Biggest strength: Pass catchers. Receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and newcomer Jauan Jennings and tight end T.J. Hockenson form a terrific group of targets for whoever wins the QB job.”
“Even in a down season (no fault of his own), Jefferson delivered his sixth consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2025 and remains arguably the league’s best wide receiver. Addison produced 875-plus receiving yards and nine-plus TDs in his first two seasons before the QB woes of 2025.”
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell patrols the sideline during fourth-quarter action against Pittsburgh at Croke Park, directing his team through the closing stages of the International Series matchup. On Sep. 28, 2025, O’Connell manages the overseas challenge as Minnesota adjusts before a global crowd and works to finish the game in Dublin. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Clay is probably right that the pass-catchers are the team’s claim to fame, even though the defense’s stats are fantastic.
“Jennings broke out in 2024 with the 49ers and has a 132-1,618-15 receiving line over the past two seasons. Hockenson’s stats have been down the past two seasons, but the 29-year-old remains one of the league’s best two-way tight ends,” Clay concluded.
Clay later argued that the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders have better rosters than Minnesota’s.
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The Verdict: The Vikings’ depth chart is not flawless or elite, but Nopedy Nope on it being the NFL’s 11th-worst.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
England are set to face Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night – but the kick-off time could be delayed again
England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina could be set for lengthy delays after severe thunderstorms were forecast to hit Georgia on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel’s side are due to face the reigning world champions at the Atlanta Stadium, with kick-off schedule for 8pm BST (3pm local time).
However, weather forecasts suggest lightning and thunderstorms could strike the city throughout the afternoon and into the early evening, potentially causing a disrupted start to one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the tournament. Under US safety legislation, play cannot begin or continue if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium, regardless of whether the match is being played under a roof.
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Although Atlanta Stadium’s retractable roof will remain closed, officials are obliged to consider the safety of supporters, staff and players when outside the venue. Any lightning strike within the eight-mile perimeter would trigger an immediate suspension, with play only able to restart when 30 minutes have passed without further strikes.
The 30-minute countdown restarts every time a strike is detected, meaning a wave of stormy weather could cause significant delays. Once the all-clear is eventually given, both teams would also require around 15 minutes to warm-up.
That means England’s clash against Lionel Messi, who will face the Three Lions for the very first time, could be pushed back several hours. It would not be the first occasion England have been affected by thunder and lightning at this tournament.
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The kick-off in their last 16 encounter with Mexico was delayed by an hour, with the match eventually getting underway at 2pm UK time. There had been speculation that kick-off would be moved forward to 7pm UK time from its scheduled 1am slot, but FIFA decided against the change.
England’s final preparation match for the World Cup was also affected by thunderstorms, postponing kick-off. The extreme weather has been a significant topic of discussion throughout the competition, with England’s quarter-final victory against Norway occurring in 33 degree heat.
England manager Tuchel was dissatisfied with his team’s display in that triumph, though star player Jude Bellingham defended the squad in his post-match interview.
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“Maybe he [Tuchel] doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions against [Erling] Haaland, [Martin] Odegaard, [Antonio] Nusa and [Alexander] Sorloth,” Bellingham said post-match. “They’re not an easy team to play against.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the lads. You can’t win every game popping the ball and making 1,000 passes, sometimes you have to win dirty and we did that today.”
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.
HAMPTON, Ga. — A late brush with the wall wasn’t enough to send Ryan Blaney to pit row.
The decision paid off with a dominant victory.
Blaney emerged from a three-wide battle on the final lap of overtime in the weather-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta early Monday.
Blaney won every stage of the race and led 171 laps after starting on the pole, but the Team Penske Ford driver had to fight off challenges from Bubba Wallace and Christopher Hill, who finished second, on the final lap. Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top four.
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Wallace was penalized for passing below the double yellow lines and finished 29th instead of second.
There was a delay of 3 hours, 9 minutes because of rain and lightning. The raced ended at 1:45 a.m. at EchoPark Speedway.
Blaney won the first two stages but brushed the wall with 29 laps remaining, causing possible damage on his right side, after he was cut off by Wallace. Blaney remained on the track despite telling his crew he felt a “terrible” vibration.
“I tried to make a move and just got loose and hit the fence,” Blaney said. “You know I think it’s just concrete in the wheels and paint and stuff like that but luckily it still drove really decent. … It wasn’t too bad. Luckily it wasn’t enough damage we couldn’t keep running.”
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Blaney’s crew chief Jonathan Hassler said his team was able to view photos of the right side of the car and determine the best chance to win was to remain on the track.
“There were 30 cars on the lead lap at that point and not a lot of laps left,’ Hassler said. ”Our best chance to win was to stay out there.”
Multiple drivers, including Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe and Riley Herbst, were involved in a wreck with five laps remaining to set up the overtime.
There had been concern about approaching rain before lightning close to the track near Atlanta led NASCAR officials to order cars off the track and advise fans to exit the grandstand. Rain began soon after the race was delayed. Following some caution laps and pit stops, the race went back to green at 12:02 a.m.
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Blaney said he “took a nap and ate a little food” during the delay. Larson said the resumption of the race a few minutes before midnight “is definitely past my bedtime.”
Blaney won the pole and his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano joined him on the front row. A third Team Penske driver, Austin Cindric, moved up to third early in the race for an early strong showing for the Fords.
Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin, who qualified 28th, finished 12th. Tyler Reddick was eighth.
Reddick, who won at EchoPark Speedway in February as part of his string of five wins in the season’s first nine races, qualified only 31st on Saturday. By the 35th lap he already had moved up to fourth, proving early that he again would be a factor in Atlanta.
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The weather delay was the first caution for cause in the race, a dramatic departure from the weekend’s first race.
There were a track-record 13 cautions in Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race won by Justin Allgaier. That total included four red flag incidents, creating an ominous preview for the Cup Series race.
The first caution for an incident on the track in the Cup Series race came when AJ Allmendinger lost control of his Chevrolet with 67 laps remaining. Allmendinger blew a tire and hit the wall with 25 laps remaining to cause another caution.
This was Chase Elliott’s 10th year of his Design to Drive program with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He gave credit to the baseball-themed design of his No. 9 Chevrolet to two patients, 8-year-old Maximus Peace and 9-year-old Noelle Springer.
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The program raised $545,500 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in its first nine years. Elliott finished 13th.
Another strong start for Team Penske
Blaney’s Stage 1 win gave Team Penske Fords yet another strong start in Atlanta. Team Penske drivers have won Stage 1 in six of the last eight races at the track.
Blaney held off Reddick, who finished second in the first stage after qualifying 31st.
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The Cup Series moves to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, next weekend. Christopher Bell edged Joey Logano at North Wilkesboro Speedway in the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 18, 2025.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca will not officially meet his new players until next week while two of his rivals hold press conferences
Enzo Maresca will have to wait a few more days before getting to start on the training pitches with his Manchester City players. The nature of so many of his first team squad being at the World Cup meant that it would have been daft to drag anyone in earlier than necessary ahead of another lengthy campaign.
Other clubs are already up and running though, with Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso both kicking off their new eras at Liverpool and Chelsea respectively. Add in the fact that Michael Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi will be starting their first full seasons in charge at United and Tottenham, and there are plenty of unknowns among the biggest clubs.
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Not that Iraola or Alonso are strangers to City, having managed against them last season and building their reputations in the game. They will be looking to offer fresh starts at their clubs to bounce them back into success, and City have to be wary of that.
At the same time, the only reason both are where they are is because the two clubs got themselves into a big mess. Chelsea spectacularly fell out with Maresca and then made a hash of his replacement Liam Rosenior, who only lasted a few months before being sacked.
Liverpool’s title-winning team fell apart spectacularly, not least because it is not yet a year since they were widely seen to have delivered one of the best transfer windows in recent memory. Their big-money signings failed to meet expectations and that has seen not just Arne Slot leave but also chief executive of football Michael Edwards, while sporting director Richard Hughes is also expected to go in the next year.
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At both Anfield and Stamford Bridge then, there is an unusual amount of chaos that Iraola and Alonso have walked into. The two are excellent coaches but City and then Arsenal have shown over the last 15 years that it takes more than that to make a club consistently successful.
That is a useful reminder for City as Maresca gets to work. Nobody is expecting the Italian to be able to replicate what Pep Guardiola did, but if expectations naturally lower he has plenty going in his favour and that includes the state of rival clubs.
There should be plenty of positives to come out of Merseyside and West London on Monday as the new managers say all the right things about what they want their time at the clubs to be about. Making that a reality is much harder though, and Maresca is coming in with the advantage of coming in on the back of success rather than disaster.
City will be later back this summer, but already have the headstart from how they have handed over to their new coach.
Man Utd have completed the signing of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos for a fee of up to £50million.
Andrey Santos believes he is playing for the perfect manager after signing a five-year deal at Manchester United to link up with a former midfielder in Michael Carrick.
The 22-year-old has signed a five-year deal at OId Trafford after United agreed an initial £48million deal with Chelsea, with a further £2million in add-ons.
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The six-cap Brazil international is part of a midfield rebuild at United after the departure of countryman Casemiro at the end of last season.
“Everything about Manchester United is special; it is an incredible feeling to join a club that some of my biggest idols have represented,” said Santos.
“As a midfielder, I am really excited to have the opportunity to learn from Michael Carrick. He is the perfect coach to help me take the next step in my career and push to achieve my dreams.
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“Everybody told me about how ambitious the club is and the amazing environment that has been created here. I know just how strong the squad is and I can not wait to fight together to compete for the biggest trophies.”
Santos spent three-and-a-half seasons at Chelsea but struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez blocking his path to the first team.
He had loan spells at Strasbourg and Nottingham Forest and made 27 appearances for the Blues last season, but is now ready to kick on and play more regularly.
United’s director of football Jason Wilcox said: “Andrey is an outstanding midfielder with excellent technical qualities and the ability to impact the game at both ends of the pitch.
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“He was a key target for us in an important position, so we are delighted that he will join Michael’s squad so early in pre-season.
“Despite already having extensive experience, leadership abilities and proving his talent at the highest level, Andrey still has enormous potential to develop further, and we cannot wait to see him flourish at Manchester United.”
Former offensive tackle David Bakhtiari has called out NFL commissioner Roger Goodell amid the final stretch of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On Sunday, video footage showed the natural grass surface at Gillette Stadium being removed to eventually be replaced with artificial grass for the 2026 NFL season.
When Bakhtiari caught a glimpse of the video, he questioned whether the NFL cares about players’ safety.
Thanks for the submission!
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“Tell me you don’t care about player’s safety, without telling me you don’t care about player’s safety? @NFL,” Bakhtiari tweeted.
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Gillette Stadium, the home arena for the New England Patriots, hosted seven games at this year’s World Cup.
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Bakhtiari played for the Green Bay Packers for 11 seasons after they drafted him in the fourth round in 2013. He earned three Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors.
Seattle Seahawks to face New England Patriots in 2026 NFL season opener
Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold – Source: Getty
The 2026 NFL season kicks off on Sept. 9. The Seattle Seahawks, who won the Super Bowl last season, will play in the season opener as part of the league’s tradition.
Incidentally, the Seahawks will face the New England Patriots, the team they beat in last year’s Super Bowl, in Week 1. The game will commence at 8:20 p.m. ET from Lumen Field in Seattle.
The 2026 Open Championship runs July 16-19 at Royal Birkdale in England, where pro golf’s greatest players will compete in the final major of the year. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Open Championship schedule, including online streaming details, Open Championship TV times and more.
How to watch the Open Championship
We’ve reached the final men’s major of the year. It’s the last chance the world’s best players, such as defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Masters champ Rory McIlroy, have to add to their career resumes, and the last opportunity for majorless pros, like hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood, to secure their first major title in 2026.
Royal Birkdale in England will host this 154th Open. The last time Birkdale played host in 2017, Jordan Spieth captured his first Claret Jug and third major title. Spieth arrived in Southport early to prep for his attempt at a second Birkdale Open title.
TV coverage for the 2026 Open Championship will be provided by NBC and USA, which will offer wall-to-wall coverage beginning early in the morning all four days of the tournament.
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Streaming coverage of the 2026 Open Championship will be available via Peacock and Golf Channel Mobile. Peacock will provide exclusive early coverage for Thursday’s first round and Friday’s second round, in addition to featured group coverage all tournament long. Golf Channel Mobile will offer live streams of USA’s telecasts. Additional stats, scoring and highlights will be available at TheOpen.com.
You can check out the complete TV and streaming schedules for the 2026 Open Championship below.
Open Championship TV schedule (ET)
Thursday, July 16: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock) 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (USA) Friday, July 17: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock) 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (USA) Saturday, July 18: 5-7 a.m. (USA); 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC) Sunday, July 19: 4-7 a.m. (USA); 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC)
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Open Championship streaming schedule (ET)
THURSDAY, JULY 16 Open Round 1 Coverage: 1:30 a.m.-4 a.m. (Peacock) Featured Groups: All Day (Peacock) Open Round 1 USA Coverage: 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel Mobile)
FRIDAY, JULY 17 Open Round 2 Coverage: 1:30 a.m.-4 a.m. (Peacock) Featured Groups: All day (Peacock) Open Round 2 USA Coverage: 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel Mobile)
SATURDAY, JULY 18 Featured Groups: All day (Peacock) Open Round 3 USA Coverage: 5-7 a.m. (Golf Channel Mobile) Open Round 3 NBC Coverage: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (Peacock)
SUNDAY, JULY 19 Featured Groups: All day (Peacock) Open Round 4 USA Coverage: 4-7 a.m. (Golf Channel Mobile) Open Round 4 NBC Coverage: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (Peacock)
This week’s 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is the last chance for major glory this year, and the two biggest stars in golf are the top betting favorites. Here is everything you need to know about the Open Championship odds and other betting favorites to start the week.
Open Championship betting favorites
Heading into the final men’s major of the year, defending Open champion Scottie Scheffleris still the favorite to win, but not by all that much.
That might have to do with the fact that Scheffler is coming off his first missed cut in years, which happened on Friday at the Genesis Scottish Open. But that’s pretty much been Scheffler’s only truly poor result this season, which means he’s still our favorite to win his fifth major title with +600 odds-to-win to start Open week.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy looked much better at the Scottish Open, contending until late Sunday and eventually finishing T7. He comes into the Open with +780 odds-to-win.
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LIV Golf star Jon Rahm is in third in the Open betting odds at +1550. Rahm played in the Scottish Open too, where he rallied to make the cut and finish T36.
The two players tied for fourth (+2150) in the pre-tournament Open odds both had solid finishes last week in Scotland. Matt Fitzpatrick recorded a T3, while Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up near Open host Royal Birkdale, ended up T13.
You can see the top 25 and ties in the Open Championship betting odds as of Monday morning below via DraftKings.
2026 Open Championship odds (top 25 and ties)
Scottie Scheffler (+600) Rory McIlroy (+780) Jon Rahm (+1550) Matt Fitzpatrick (+2150) Tommy Fleetwood (+2150) Xander Schauffele (+2200) Chris Gotterup (+2900) Cameron Young (+2900) Collin Morikawa (+3100) Ludvig Aberg (+3200) Tyrrell Hatton (+3800) Robert MacIntyre (+4100) Justin Rose (+4300) Wyndham Clark (+4300) Sam Burns (+4300) Bryson DeChambeau (+4500) Viktor Hovland (+4500) Joaquin Niemann (+5400) Russell Henley (+5400) Brooks Koepka (+5500) Patrick Cantlay (+5600) Justin Thomas (+6000) Jordan Spieth (+6100) Patrick Reed (+6400) Tom Kim (+6500)
Lionel Messi and Argentina have been at the receiving end of brutal social media attacks, which have often stemmed from rivals too. The bone of contention has been the apparent ‘advantage’ that Argentina allegedly get from FIFA referees and VAR. It all started with Messi not getting a red card despite appearing to step on the calf of Algeria skipper Aissa Mandifor. Then, in a Round of 16 match against Egypt, Argentina made a miraculous escape after being 2-0 down until the 78th minute. Messi’s Argentina won 3-2. In that match, Egypt had one goal disallowed after a contentious VAR decision. If that goal had been allowed, the score would have been 3-3 at the end of regulation time.
“They are incredibly provocative. Highly provocative. They came out looking to set the whole place on fire, looking to get under your skin. They get right in your face… There was even a red card. He came out with the sole intention of provoking you,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan told Kora Plus.
“There are things that are simply out of our control. The referee completely disrupted the game… It created absolute chaos. Every two minutes there were arguments with the players, yellow cards flying, and refereeing decisions consistently going against us,” the head coach explained.
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Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan also reacted strongly after the defeat, announcing a personal boycott of the remainder of the FIFA World Cup 2026 while claiming his side had not received “fair play” or “justice” during the tournament.
The Pharaohs appeared on course for one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history after Yasser Ibrahim gave them a 15th-minute lead with a powerful header. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir then produced another memorable moment by saving Messi’s first-half penalty before Salah played a pivotal role in Mostafa Ziko‘s strike that doubled Egypt’s advantage in the 67th minute.
Argentina, however, staged a dramatic late comeback. CristianRomero reduced the deficit with a header in the 79th minute before Messi equalised four minutes later with his ninth consecutive World Cup scoring appearance.
Deep into stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez delivered a cross that Enzo Fernandez converted to complete a remarkable 3-2 turnaround.
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The encounter was overshadowed by controversy after Egypt had an earlier second-half goal ruled out following a VAR review for a foul in the build-up. The decision, along with several other refereeing calls, fuelled accusations from sections of the Egyptian camp that they had been denied a famous victory.
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Lionel Messi has once again spearheaded Argentina’s World Cup charge, and he is now closing in on a Diego Maradona record.
The 39-year-old is firmly in the hunt for the World Cup Golden Boot alongside Kylian Mbappe, with both players having netted eight goals in six games.
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Next up for Messi is a first-ever meeting against England in the semi-finals of the tournament, and he will once again be looking to add to his goal tally.
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The Three Lions should be genuinely worried about the form of the Argentine phenomenon, who has just beaten a long-standing World Cup record.
Photo by Emiliano Lasalvia / AFP via Getty Images
Lionel Messi closing in on Diego Maradona’s shot involvement record
Data from Opta Joe shows that Lionel Messi is now the player with the second-most shot involvements in a single World Cup campaign.
The Inter Miami star has managed 54 shot involvements this summer, including 33 shots and 21 chances created.
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This is the most any player has managed in a single World Cup campaign since Diego Maradona back in 1986, when he won the tournament.
During the 1986 edition of the World Cup, the Napoli legend managed 29 shots and 30 chances created, which is more than any other player.
But Messi is now well in contention to break that record when he takes the field on Wednesday to face England in the semi-finals.
The former Barcelona man has never faced England previously, but he will be desperate to fire his nation to yet another World Cup final.
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