Sports
Ranking the toughest divisions across the four major leagues
North America’s softest sports day has been saved by soccer.
Typically, the day after the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is a real snoozer, with the four major leagues on this continent on some form of break. Baseball won’t be back until Thursday, the NFL is still weeks away from pre-season games and the NHL and NBA are in deep slumbers, with the off-season news cycle — save for the occasional interesting flicker — grinding to a halt.
Enter Lionel Messi and Harry Kane.
For a change, this mid-July Wednesday in North America will be alive with high-stakes sports, as Argentina and England battle for a spot in the 2026 World Cup Final.
Still, this brief hiatus from the Big Four club sports in Canada and the U.S. offers a moment to zoom out and have some fun that incorporates the quartet of circuits. As such, we decided to take a World Cup concept — the Group of Death — and rank the 10 toughest divisions across the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB.
An NFC West team has represented the NFC in the Super Bowl in five of the past eight seasons and the NFC Championship has featured a West team in six of the past eight winters. Last January, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams — two of four NFC West clubs along with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals — played an NFC title game that was basically the Super Bowl. Of course, Seattle went on to down the New England Patriots in the actual league championship contest, so the current champ resides in the NFC West. Additionally, the division is home to reigning league MVP Matt Stafford of the Rams and the NFC West also features a pair of top coaches in L.A.’s Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers. And, of course, Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald is a newly minted member of the “Awesome Coach” club thanks to the ring he won in February.
Thank goodness Seattle, L.A. and San Francisco have the Cardinals to kick around.
If there’s one thing that dampens the optimism of hopeful Atlantic clubs, it’s looking around the group and realizing what a death match it’s going to be just to get into the playoffs.
Two teams — the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning — have won a pair of championships while advancing to three Stanley Cup Finals apiece. The 2026 champs from Carolina were the first non-Atlantic team to advance to the final since the Washington Capitals in 2018. (Technically, the Lightning were representing the “Discover Central Division” during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, but you get the point.)
In 2022-23, the Boston Bruins set an NHL record with 135 points.
A couple years ago, top-flight Atlantic teams Toronto, Florida, Tampa and Boston could always kick around Buffalo, Montreal, Detroit and Ottawa. Now, the Habs and Sabres are two of the best up-and-coming clubs in the NHL.
Toronto finished second-last in the Eastern Conference last season, but is adding a first-overall talent in Gavin McKenna, a Hall of Fame-bound goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky and a top-flight defenceman in Darren Raddysh.
The Bruins always find a way to be competitive, and don’t write off the Senators just because Brady Tkachuk left; Ottawa has a superstar blue-liner in Jake Sanderson, depth down the middle and the Sens made the playoffs this past season despite not really getting a save until March. They’re not falling off a cliff.
That leaves Detroit as, potentially, the weakling of the eight teams and the Wings still have foundational stud pieces Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.
This is more about a high floor than a high ceiling. All four NFC North teams — the Bears, Packers, Vikings and Lions — finished above .500 last year, while every other NFL division had at least one team lose 11 or more games. (The NFC South didn’t have a single team finish with a winning record.) Two years ago, in 2024, the Lions tied for the NFL lead with 15 victories, and Minnesota was just one behind at 14. Chicago is helmed by one of the best young quarterbacks in the game in Caleb Williams, Detroit could re-emerge as a true league power with better injury luck, Green Bay is hoping to get a full, healthy season from elite pass-rusher Micah Parsons — acquired from Dallas last summer — and Minny has made an upside play by pairing former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray with its quarterback-whisperer of a coach, Kevin O’Connell.
Until Game 7 of the 2026 Western Conference Final, it seemed very plausible that the Northwest Division would produce its third Larry O’Brien Trophy winner in four years. The Denver Nuggets won in 2023 and the Oklahoma City Thunder topped the NBA in ’25. The Thunder — led by two-time defending league MVP Shea Gilgeous-Alexander — were in prime position to return to the Finals with a Game 7 on home court in the West final, but the San Antonio Spurs of the Southwest Division were able to knock them off. Still, OKC is poised to contend for titles for years to come, while Denver is still in the championship mix as long as Nikola Jokic is on the team. Between Jokic and SGA, the Northwest has five of the past six MVPs.
And, honestly, it would surprise no one if Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves claimed an MVP one of these seasons. Though they have not made the final during Edwards’ time in Minny, the Wolves have won five playoff series in the past three springs.
The Portland Trailblazers are on the rise and climbed over .500 last year, while the division’s fifth team, the Utah Jazz, could soon make a huge leap with high draft picks Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson leading the way.
Assuming the Kansas City Chiefs rebound from a 6-11 showing, the AFC West will feature some stalwart clubs in 2026. Maybe the Chiefs — with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes returning from a torn ACL — won’t be the pre-season Super Bowl favourite the way they have been for most of the decade, but it’s easy to bet on KC being very competitive, assuming Mahomes is healthy.
The arrow is pointing way up in Denver, where the Broncos could have made the Super Bowl last season had starting QB Bo Nix not been injured in a playoff win over Buffalo and missed the AFC title contest one week later versus the Patriots. This fall, Nix will have a new weapon at his disposal after Denver acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins.
The Chargers always seem to have pre-season smoke, but there’s legit intrigue this time out with offensive guru Mike McDaneil joining the club calling plays for big-armed Justin Herbert.
Even the lowly Las Vegas Raiders enter the year with a competent QB duo of veteran Kirk Cousins and 2026 first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
The past two Presidents’ Trophy winners in the NHL reside in the Central, with the Colorado Avalanche finishing first overall last season, while the Winnipeg Jets topped the league standings in 2024-25.
At the high end, Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota represent three of the best teams in the NHL. If the Jets, who missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, rebound, the Central will be that much tougher. Throw in an ascendant Utah Mammoth squad and you’ve got one difficult division.
That said, the bottom three clubs — Chicago, St. Louis and Nashville — make it impossible to put the Central over the Atlantic as the NHL’s toughest group.
The Central teams in both leagues are often overshadowed by the coastal elites, but there’s no tougher MLB division top to bottom in 2026 than the NL Central. The division-leading Milwaukee Brewers have the second-best winning percentage (.615) in baseball after the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers (.629), and the Central is the only division with four teams — the Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals and Pirates — over .500 entering the back half of summer. Those four clubs also have a positive run differential, while no other division has more than three teams in the black. The Central’s fifth squad, the Cincinnati Reds, have the second-best record of any last-place team in its division. Which brings us to …
For years, the AL East was the go-to example for a gruesomely difficult group. And before this season, it seemed plausible — on the heels of the Toronto Blue Jays nearly winning the World Series — that four of the six American League playoff teams would come from the division with the Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Orioles.
As it happens, the Rays and Yankees still have the best two records in the AL, but the Jays, Sox and Orioles have all disappointed. Boston ended the first half on a nine-game heater, leaving Toronto with the best record of any club last in its division.
The good news for all the struggling East clubs is the overall stinkiness of the AL this year still leaves the door open to snag a post-season berth.
The still-celebrating New York Knicks headline the division as defending league champs, while the Toronto Raptors are still hoping to welcome difference-maker Kawhi Leonard back to the fold this summer. The Boston Celtics will have star Jayson Tatum back and fully healthy after he sustained a torn Achillies tendon in the 2025 playoffs, while the Philadelphia 76ers benefit from Boston’s shocking decision to trade Jaylen Brown — 1B on the Celtics to Tatum’s 1A for years — to a division rival.
Even if the Brooklyn Nets are roadkill, the Atlantic will be a tough group.
Really, this is just an acknowledgement that the Padres, Diamondbacks, Giants and Rockies must deal with the juggernaut that is the Dodgers more than any other squads in baseball.
The Dodgers, of course, are gunning for a third straight World Series title and surely hold the unofficial title of North America’s premier sports club across the four major leagues.
Arizona and San Diego are both .500 teams, and the latter must always be recognized for its willingness to, without blinking, trade its best prospects for Major League talent. While the Giants are having a down year, San Francisco is usually a quality club and has three World Series titles in the past 16 years.
Of course, the Rockies’ ineptitude is basically the counterbalance to the Dodgers’ dominance at the top of the division.
Sports
Longtime defenceman Edler returns to Canucks in development role
Alex Edler, a steady member of the Vancouver Canucks‘ defence for 15 seasons during his playing career, is joining the NHL team’s player development department.
Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson announced the move Thursday and said Edler will work closely with prospects throughout the organization
Edler participated in the team’s recent Development Camp in Abbotsford, B.C.
Edler was drafted 91st overall by Vancouver in 2004 and had 99 goals and 310 assists over 925 games with the club.
He added eight goals and 32 assists in 93 playoff games.
Edler spent his last two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings before retiring following the 2022-23 season.
The 40-year-old from Ostersund, Sweden, played a year for the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets after being drafted by the Canucks, putting up 53 points in 62 games in the 2005-06 season.
“Alex knows first-hand what it means to be a Vancouver Canuck,” Johnson said in a release.
“His past experience in the NHL will really help in our players development, he understands the demands of what it takes to be a good pro both on and off the ice, while his skill set and communication will be a big plus when it comes to coaching and mentoring our prospects.”
Sports
Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: CB Jaden Davis
The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.
Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2025, questions they face and their roster outlook.
Advertisement
Here is cornerback Jaden Davis.
Jaden Davis background, 2025 season
Davis enters his third NFL season, all with the Cardinals. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round in 2024. He spent his entire rookie season on their practice squad. In 2025, he didn’t start the season on the practice squad, but did have two stints on it before he was signed to the active roster. He played in three games at the end of the season.
He played 38 defensive snaps and 24 on special teams. He had three total tackles, one on special teams.
Jaden Davis contract details, salary cap hit
He is signed through this season and will be an exclusive rights free agent.
Advertisement
He will make a salary of $1.005 million if he makes the roster and that will be his cap hit.
Roster outlook, questions he faces
Davis got playing time last year because of multiple injuries. Everyone is back, so he is unlikely to make the roster, although his versatility playing nickel and special teams might land him another stint on the practice squad.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: CB Jaden Davis
Sports
Canada wildfire smoke forces MLB, MLS game rescheduling
Wildfire smoke brings orange skies, dangerous air quality to millions in the U.S.
Canadian wildfire smoke from nearly 900 active fires is creating hazardous air quality and orange skies across the Midwest and Northeast U.S. Fox Weather correspondent Katie Byrne reports live from Cleveland on the extensive smoke impacting major cities like New York, Boston and Washington D.C., with relief expected soon.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A slow time in sports got even slower on Thursday as some games on the schedule were altered due to the air quality in the Northeast and Midwest.
Wildfires in Canada have affected the air quality in those areas to the point where residents were urged to stay inside and wear masks if they had to go out.
At least two sporting events were forced to be moved because of the air: one MLB game and an MLS match.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

A cyclist wears a mask as smoke from wildfires blankets Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Laura Proctor/Bloomberg)
Polish soccer star Robert Lewandowski was set to make his MLS debut on Thursday, but the air quality forced the postponement of his Chicago Fire’s contest against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Philadelphia Phillies also announced roughly three hours before the scheduled first pitch that their game against the New York Mets, originally slated for 7:10 p.m. ET, was moved up an hour.
The National Women’s Soccer League played a game at Citi Field that turned into the most-attended women’s sports contest in New York history, with 42,175 people attending Gotham FC’s match against the Washington Spirit at Citi Field. But Washington’s Trinity Rodman wasn’t happy with the game, which included two hydration breaks per half, being played.

A general view of Citi Field before the Queens Classic match between Washington Spirit and Gotham FC in New York. (Brenden Willsch/Imagn Images)
EARTHQUAKE RATTLES ICONIC NATIONAL PARK NEAR ITS MASSIVE SUPERVOLCANO
“If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game, and that’s my opinion,” Rodman said. “But at the end of the day, there’s 40,000 people. It’s a whole event, so it’s really tough. It’s just a really hard situation for everyone to work around.”
Three MLB games were postponed in 2023 due to air quality concerns in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
The air quality in the tri-state area has been deemed “unhealthy,” perhaps putting a wrinkle in Sunday’s World Cup final at nearby MetLife Stadium. But it is expected to be better in time.
Due to the air quality, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she “directed” NJ Transit and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority “to make select quantities of masks available to commuters and at rest areas along the Turnpike and Parkway.”

A general view of Citizens Bank Park during hazy conditions from wildfires in Canada in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game between the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies was postponed because of unsafe air quality. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to “stay somewhere cool” and “drink plenty of water.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Freedom 250 Grand Prix start time announced for IndyCar’s Washington, DC debut
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The NTT IndyCar Series is gearing up to hit the streets of Washington, DC for the first time on Aug. 23, and now, we know when the green flag will wave.
There is absolutely no question about it: the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, DC is going to be a full-on spectacle as cars race past some of the most iconic monuments our nation has to offer.
As such, it’s getting the level of coverage it deserves.
Practice sessions 1 and 2 will air Saturday, Aug. 22, on FS1 and FS2, respectively. Qualifying will take place that evening from 5 to 6:30 p.m. ET on FS2.
Then, Sunday morning, the IndyCar broadcast booth regulars — lap-by-lap commentator Will Buxton, along with former drivers-turned-broadcasters Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe — will call the warm-up from 9 to 10 a.m. ET on FS1.

IndyCar will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
After that, expanded pre-race coverage will get underway on FOX at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the race getting started shortly after 1 p.m. ET.
SCOTT DIXON LEAVING CHIP GANASSI RACING THROWS A HUGE WRENCH INTO INDYCAR’S SILLY SEASON
On top of the IndyCar action, the International Race of Champions, or IROC, will make its return as a support series for the weekend. They’ll race on Saturday, with IndyCar greats Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan taking part alongside NASCAR legends Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott using the same Pontiac Firebirds the original IROC series used from 1996 to 2006.

IndyCar drivers (from left) David Malukas, Felix Rosenqvist, and Alex Palou visited the White House this week. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
There’s a lot of excitement around this one-of-a-kind addition to the 2026 IndyCar calendar, and this week reigning series champ Alex Palou, Indy 500 champ Felix Rosenqvist and Team Penske’s David Malukas were all at the White House to meet with President Donald Trump and to knock out some pit stop practice.
IndyCar has another big weekend ahead, as the series heads to Nashville Superspeedway for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, which will air on FOX immediately after the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
Sports
Band Of Brothers victorious in 2026 Ramornie Handicap
Trainer Matt Dunn marked a personal best season when his speedy sprinter Band Of Brothers demonstrated enduring speed to lead throughout the Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton this Wednesday.
Band Of Brothers put behind him a less-than-impressive recent performance and successfully repelled a series of challengers in the home straight to record a popular win.
For Dunn, who leads the trainers’ premiership in the NSW Northern Rivers area, this was his first major win at the Grafton Cup Carnival.
Band Of Brothers’ triumph in the Ramornie Handicap represented his 128th winner for the 2025/26 racing season, elevating him to sixth place in the Australian trainers’ standings.
However, the trainer revealed that the Ramornie Handicap was not initially a planned target for Band Of Brothers.
“To be honest, it (Ramornie) was a bit of an afterthought,” Dunn told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He went to the Glasshouse Handicap second-up and he was a bit disappointing but he was probably on the wrong part of the track.
“Today, he found himself in front, fought on really hard and they had the opportunity to get to him in the straight but he really dug deep.”
Band Of Brothers, which was heavily backed into $5 favouritism, was expertly rated in front by jockey Dylan Turner to claim the Ramornie by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Pereille ($9), with Givemethebeatboys ($6) a nose further back in third.
Fire Star, starting from a wide gate, was never prominent but ran on respectably to finish fourth, beaten just over a length and a half.
The victory in the Ramornie Handicap was the second stakes success for the rising five-year-old Band Of Brothers, following his win in the Group 3 Vain Stakes during his three-year-old season.
Band Of Brothers has now improved his race record to five wins and eight minor placings from 20 starts, pushing his career earnings close to $630,000.
The talented sprinter is now likely to be targeted towards the $2 million The Kosciuszko (1200m) on Everest Day at Royal Randwick on October 17.
Check out the latest racing odds for upcoming feature races.
Sports
Victor Osimhen Set to Become Galatasaray Captain After Icardi Exit
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen is expected to become the new captain of Turkish champions Galatasaray following the departure of Mauro Icardi.
Galatasaray recently confirmed that Icardi has left the club after his contract ended, bringing his successful four-year stay in Istanbul to an end. During that time, the Argentine helped the club win four Turkish Super Lig titles and became one of its most respected leaders.
Although the club has not yet made an official announcement, reports in Turkey say Osimhen is the favourite to take over the captain’s armband after serving as vice-captain last season.
The Super Eagles forward has become one of Galatasaray’s most important players since joining from Italian club Napoli in 2025. He has helped the team win two straight Turkish Super Lig titles, lift the Turkish Cup and make a strong impact in the UEFA Champions League.
Osimhen also made history by becoming the fastest player to score 50 goals for Galatasaray. He is also the first foreign player in the club’s history to score a Champions League hat-trick, achieving the feat against Ajax.
Last season, the 27-year-old played a key role as Galatasaray defended their league title under coach Okan Buruk. He returned from injury to score in a vital derby win over Fenerbahce and later scored twice against Antalyaspor as the club secured a record 26th Turkish Super Lig title.
His performances, leadership and influence in the dressing room have made him the leading choice to replace Icardi as captain.
If confirmed, Osimhen will become one of the few Nigerian footballers to captain one of Europe’s biggest clubs, adding another remarkable achievement to his growing career.
Sports
Errol Spence addresses weight concerns after last minute change to Tim Tszyu fight
Errol Spence Jr returns to the ring for the first time in three years this month, facing Tim Tszyu in Sydney, Australia.
The former unified welterweight world champion has been inactive since his defeat to Terence Crawford in 2023, leading many to think that retirement was on the cards, particularly when a reported fight with Sebastian Fundora came to nothing.
Tszyu, meanwhile, comes into the contest with some momentum on his side after rebuilding from successive defeats to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev. The Australian has since outpointed Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja, and now has the opportunity to claim the biggest win of his career on home soil.
When the bout was agreed in May, it was announced with a 158lb catchweight.
Ahead of landing in Australia, Spence requested to bump the weight up to the middleweight limit of 160lbs, and Tszyu’s team accommodated it. The last-minute nature of the change led to speculation that Spence has struggled to cut weight. Asked by Fight Hub TV for the reason behind his request, however, and he played it down.
“It wasn’t no reason, I was like ‘why fight at 158 when we might as well fight at the weight limit, 160?’ Why not?”
It will be the highest weight of both men’s professional careers, with Tszyu previously holding the WBO belt at super-welterweight. Should Spence emerge victorious, a return to 154lbs could still be on the cards, as major fights against the likes of Fundora, Vergil Ortiz Jr and Jaron Ennis remain available.
First, however, he must come through what is one of the tougher comeback assignments against an aggressive operator like Tszyu.
Sports
The photo that foretold it: Yamal faces Messi, who ‘baptised’ him, in final | FIFA World Cup 2026
Football has always had a way of writing stories that seem too unbelievable to be true.
On Sunday night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Lionel Messi will lead defending champions Argentina into the FIFA World Cup 2026 final against European champions Spain.
Standing on the opposite side will be Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation many already believe could become football’s next global icon.
For most fans, it is simply the meeting of the greatest player of a generation against the brightest talent of the next. But for those who know the story, this final is something much bigger.
The Finalissima that never happened
Long before the World Cup final became reality, football fans were waiting for Messi-Yamal first meeting at the football pitch.
Argentina’s Copa América triumph and Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 success meant Messi and Yamal were expected to face each other in the next Finalissima, the clash between the South American and European champions.
Instead, scheduling conflicts, FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, an increasingly packed international calendar and logistical issues repeatedly delayed the fixture.
Eventually, the match quietly disappeared from immediate plans. The football world never got its Messi versus Yamal showdown. Instead, destiny saved it for something much bigger.
Rather than a ceremonial champions’ clash, the two now meet with the FIFA World Cup trophy on the line.
Lamine Yamal ketika ditanya soal foto viral saat Lionel Messi memandikan dirinya sewaktu ia masih bayi. ???????????? Foto ini bisa saja jadi laga final Piala Dunia. Maksudku, ini luar biasa kalau dipikir-pikir. ???????? Iya. Yah, aku rasa aku sudah sedikit tumbuh besar, dan Leo juga. Semoga… pic.twitter.com/a3eN6FHYU4
— Sambat Academy (@sambat_academy) July 14, 2026
When Messi unknowingly met his future rival
The story begins in Barcelona in late 2007. Messi was only 20 years old.
He had begun establishing himself as Ronaldinho’s heir but had not yet won a Ballon d’Or, Champions League as the team’s talisman or a World Cup. At the same time, five-month-old Lamine Yamal knew nothing about football.
His family entered a charity raffle organised by Diario Sport and UNICEF, which offered local families the opportunity to pose with Barcelona players for the newspaper’s annual charity calendar. Yamal’s family won.
Inside the Camp Nou dressing room, photographer Joan Monfort captured a series of photographs that nobody realised would become iconic.
One image showed Messi carefully holding baby Yamal inside a small blue bathtub during the photoshoot. It looked like an ordinary charity campaign. It turned out to be football history.
The famous photograph that resurfaced years later
The photographs remained largely forgotten until Euro 2024.
As Yamal dazzled Europe while helping Spain lift the European Championship, his father, Mounir Nasraoui, shared one of the images on Instagram.
Lamine Yamal as baby with Messi. Photo: X
Suddenly the world rediscovered the extraordinary coincidence. The greatest player of the modern era had unknowingly cradled the footballer many believed could become his successor. The photographer who witnessed history Photographer Joan Monfort still remembers the awkwardness of the shoot.
Messi was naturally shy. He admitted the Barcelona star looked uncomfortable when he entered the dressing room. “Messi is very introverted and shy,” Monfort recalled.
“He entered the changing room to find a plastic bathtub filled with water and a baby inside. In the beginning he did not know how to hold him.”
Nearly two decades later, Monfort never imagined those photographs would become among football’s most famous images.
“It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation.”
Barcelona: Where both stories began
Their connection goes well beyond one photograph. Both became products of Barcelona’s football culture.
Messi arrived from Argentina as a teenager and transformed into the greatest player in the club’s history.
He left with:
-
Eight Ballons d’Or (eventually) -
Four Champions League titles -
Ten La Liga trophies -
Barcelona’s all-time scoring record
Yamal has emerged from La Masia following a remarkably similar path.
Still only 19, he has already become one of Barcelona’s biggest stars.
He has won multiple La Liga titles, conquered Europe with Spain and inherited Barcelona’s iconic No. 10 shirt once worn by Messi himself.
Messi has already chosen his successor
The admiration is mutual. Earlier this year, Messi was asked to name the finest player of football’s new generation.
His answer came instantly. “It would be Lamine. No doubt about it: for me, he is the best.” Praise rarely comes bigger. For arguably the greatest footballer ever to publicly identify Yamal as the best young player in world football speaks volumes.
Yamal refuses to become ‘the next Messi’
Many young stars have struggled under comparisons with Messi. Yamal has chosen another route. Respect. Not imitation.
Asked about being compared to the Argentine, he replied: “For me, Messi is the greatest football player in history. He is a legend and I do not find myself worthy of being compared to him.”
He then made his ambitions crystal clear. “I do not want to be Messi and he knows it. I want to follow my own path.”
Even comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo receive the same response. “It is best not to compare yourself to anyone.”
“Players like Cristiano Ronaldo did what they did because they wanted to be themselves. I try to be me, play my game, and get people to recognise me for being Lamine.”
A football brain inspired by Messi and Modric
Interestingly, Yamal says he never tried to copy Messi’s dribbling. Instead, he admired something deeper. His vision. “When I was small I never dribbled much or got past many opponents.”
“I focused on what Messi did because he gave different passes, passes that led to goals.”
That intelligence has made Yamal far more than an explosive winger. Many believe he is evolving into the kind of complete playmaker Messi himself eventually became. Spain’s new king meets Argentina’s eternal king
Sunday’s final is more than Spain versus Argentina. It is also experience versus youth. Messi, now 39, has already won everything football has to offer. World Cup, Copa América., Champions League, Ballon d’Or.
Yamal, meanwhile, is only beginning. He has already won a European Championship and become Spain’s creative heartbeat before turning 20.
But a World Cup would elevate him into another stratosphere.
Can the apprentice dethrone the master?
Ironically, Messi has spent two decades inspiring footballers around the world. Now one of those children stands directly in his path.
The little boy once photographed in Messi’s arms has become Spain’s biggest hope. The footballer who unknowingly bathed him now stands between him and the greatest trophy in the sport.
For Messi, victory would mean ending his World Cup career with consecutive world titles and perhaps the perfect farewell.
For Yamal, defeating his idol would instantly become the defining moment of his young career and perhaps mark the true beginning of football’s next era.
Whether it represents the passing of the torch or one final masterpiece from the greatest of all time, Sunday’s World Cup final is already one of football’s most poetic stories. Nineteen years ago, Lionel Messi gently held baby Lamine Yamal in a bathtub at Camp Nou.
Lamine Yamal vs Lionel Messi in Fifa World Cup 2026 grand finale on July 20 at 12:30 AM IST. Photo Reuters
Sports
DeChambeau gets in the mix and trails by a shot at Open Championship
SOUTHPORT, England — Turns out Bryson DeChambeau had enough strategy to get in the mix Thursday at Royal Birkdale, often ripping driver to take the fearsome bunkers out of play and doing enough right for a 3-under 67 that left him one shot out of the early lead in the Open Championship.
Sungjae Im and Dan Brown led the way at 4-under 66, the lowest score Royal Birkdale offered even in a mild wind, which strengthened and switched late in the afternoon as Rory McIlroy and others were just getting started.
Canadian Nick Taylor shot 3 under through the front nine but ended the day at 2 under, while Corey Conners finished the opening round at 1 over.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler had few complaints after a 68, even after four birdies in his opening six holes and no birdies the rest of the way. He had a pair of soft bogeys and played the two par 5s on the back nine in 1 over.
“If I continue to strike the ball the way I did today and just keep giving myself looks, that’s part of it,” Scheffler said. “Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today.”
As for DeChambeau’s strategy? Part of it might have been declining to speak to the media, which he did again Thursday and has at the majors this year during competition rounds. The two-time U.S. Open champion has missed the cut in all three majors.
Strategy became a talking point when three-time Open Championship winner Nick Faldo told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast this week, “DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy. He said last year, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I’ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don’t you? You feed it down the fairway. … You don’t think, ‘Oh, I’ll just blast it down there.’”
DeChambeau twice blasted it over the trouble and close to the green at the par-4 second and the par-4 10th, the latter a blind shot. He made birdie on both. And while Jon Rahm was among those who said going long can lead to trouble at some point, the only two shots DeChambeau dropped came from his putting (the par-5 14th) and chipping (the par-4 18th).
He was tied for the lead until going from wispy, yellow rough over the back of the 18th, chipped weakly to eight feet and missed the putt. He missed three birdie chances from around 10 feet or under, one of them on the redesigned, 321-yard fifth hole, when his drive settled on a hump behind the green.
DeChambeau agreed to take a few questions from the R&A and said, “I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places. Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.”
Brown ran off three straight birdies around the turn and found himself atop the leaderboard, just as he did at Royal Troon two years ago after the first round. That year, he was in the penultimate group with hardly anyone watching. This time he was out early with Im, who had four birdies on the back nine as they matched 66s.
Robert MacIntyre and Francesco Molinari, the Open champion from Carnoustie in 2018, were part of the large group of players at 67. That included Ryan Gerard in his Open debut, M.J. Daffue of South Africa and Alex Smalley, the only player to reach 5 under at any point.
Smalley, who took a two-shot lead into the final round at the PGA Championship, was leading until his drive on the 18th was fading with the wind and then the luck of links golf took over. One wild bounce sent it further right and out of bounds. He finished with a double bogey for a 67.
“Got up to where the ball was supposed to be and was told it hit a spectator fence and kicked another 15 yards right out of bounds. All three of us in our group actually hit it over there, and mine just got an unlucky break,” Smalley said. “Poor tee shot, poor break. Sometimes that’s how it goes.”
Scheffler played in the group with DeChambeau and they traded birdies early. For six holes, the world’s No. 1 player had total control of his shots and looked as though he couldn’t miss. He got to 4 under when he gave a leg kick as his 40-foot birdie putt dropped on No. 6.
But then he missed the seventh green — 139 yards, downhill — to the left between a pair of bunkers, and his pitch was so strong it flirted with going in a bunker on the other side. He missed a five-foot birdie chance on the 11th, and then made a mess of the par-5 17th.
Scheffler missed his approach well to the right and was so surprised to see it buried in deep grass he felt it might have been embedded from someone stepping on it. But no one stepped forward, and he was denied a free drop. He yanked that across the fairway to more deep grass, then hit a splendid chip to four feet, only to miss the par putt.
“It was underneath the wire and it was just … I’m hoping somebody stepped on it, but nobody would fess up. Apparently nobody did,” Scheffler said. “I was just shocked at how deep the ball was in that grass. I considered actually taking an unplayable.
“Sometime you hit it over there and you get a clean lie and you’re able to give yourself a look, and then other times like today, you pay a pretty severe price,” he said. “But I guess don’t hit it offline.”
–with files from Sportsnet staff
Sports
’60 years of hurt are a big weight on English players’ shoulders’
-
Fashion6 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Nutriplenish Leave-In Conditioner
-
NewsBeat6 hours agoLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan handed a peerage by Keir Starmer alongside 15 other Labour figures… just days before the PM leaves No10
-
Sports7 days agoSuper Eagles star Moses Simon opens up on Liverpool transfer regret
-
Business19 hours agoNvidia Stock Slips After Big Tuesday Rally as Huang Confirms Vera Rubin Chip Is Now in Production Today
-
Crypto World21 hours agoCFTC blocks Kalshi from unwinding Michigan trades after court order
-
Politics1 day agoYoung campaigners urge incoming PM to act on outdoor junk food ads
-
News Videos2 days agoXRP BOMBSHELL… XRP OMBOARDED FOR TRANSACTIONS!!!
-
Tech3 days agoGet Your ESP32 Sunny Side Up With This Solar Dev Board
-
Entertainment1 day agoDisney’s Most Ambitious Failed Star Wars Attraction Is Coming to SDCC
-
Tech2 days agoDark Secrets Emerge When Jailbreaking LLMs
-
Sports1 day agoNew Cornerback Enters Vikings Trade Rumor Mill
-
Tech3 days agoCloudflare Precursor Watches Your Mouse and Keyboard To Decide If You Are Human
-
News Videos3 days agohow to make coin bank box with cardboard #scienceproject #money #diy #shorts
-
Entertainment1 day agoVicki Gunvalson Defends Discussing Heather Dubrow’s Money
-
Crypto World2 days ago
Ripple, Coinbase, Circle Join Linux x402 Foundation to Help Shape AI Payments
-
Business2 days agoACCC warns AI could lift insurance costs in risk-prone areas
-
NewsBeat1 day agoWatch: Is Donald Trump facing a popular backlash on immigration?
-
Sports22 hours agoMichigan officials not expected to discuss AD Warde Manuel at Thursday meeting
-
Business2 days agoSubaru recalls 541,000 vehicles over federal safety sticker mistake: NHTSA
-
Business2 days agoAI blueprint looms as PM examines 'lessons from abroad'


You must be logged in to post a comment Login