Also in this edition:

Patrick Vieira is Senegal‘s new manager. Rodri is officially a Barcelona player. In tennis, Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva have qualified for the last 16 in Cincinnati, as has Brandon Nakashima. Finally, at the World Badminton Championships, France’s Christo Popov has already been knocked out.

The 2026-2027 Serie A season is about to kick off this weekend around Italy, where Cristian Chivu’s Inter will try to defend the title against rivals such as AC Milan, Napoli and Juventus. You can see all the action all season long live on Paramount+.

While the teams are preparing for the new season, there are some talents that have already shined this summer at the 2026 World Cup and are now ready to start their upcoming club season in the Italian Serie A. Some of them are new faces in their teams, others are not. Let’s take a look now at five of the most interesting Serie A talents that have shined at the World Cup and that you can see all season long.

Kerim Alajbegovic, Juventus

The Bianconeri have signed the Bosnian attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen. Alajbegovic attracted the interest of multiple Italian clubs after knocking Italy out of the World Cup playoffs back in March and then featuring in the Bosnian national team at the summer tournament, one of the surprises of the World Cup. Alajbegovic, who will turn 19 in September, is considered one of the best talents of the Italian Serie A and can become a key player under Luciano Spalletti’s management. The Bianconeri will play both Serie A and Europa League, meaning that players like Alajbegovic can have an immediate impact in the team’s rotations, as the whole roster will be called to feature in one of the two competitions. Watch out for him. 

Diego Moreira, AC Milan 

The latest AC Milan signing is definitely one of those players who need to be watched this season in Italy. Moreira, signed by the Rossoneri from Strasbourg for around $50 million, came through the academies of Benfica and Standard Liege. Despite spending most of his youth career representing Portugal, he opted to play for Belgium at senior level, also holding a Portuguese passport. The Italian giants signed him as the natural replacement for Rafael Leao, as Moreira’s favorite role is attacking left winger, but there is also a chance the two will need to co-exist, as there are no advanced talks for the departure of the Portuguese star. 

Djed Spence, Inter

Inter had to bid farewell to one of their best players, Denzel Dumfries, this summer, as the Dutchman joined Real Madrid after the Spanish giants triggered his $20 million release clause. The Nerazzurri moved to replace him, signing former Tottenham winger Djed Spence for $30 million. Spence was one of the surprising calls of England manager Thomas Tuchel this summer but turned out to become one of the best English players at the World Cup, showcasing some outstanding performances. He has the potential to improve even more in the Italian Serie A under Chivu’s management. It won’t be easy to make the Inter fans forget about Dumfries, but he definitely has the potential. 

Martin Baturina, Como

The Croatian striker was one of the most interesting signings of the summer of 2025, but his first season at Como wasn’t as expected. Following a strong World Cup campaign, in which he also scored against England in the tournament’s opening game, he is expected to play a much more important role for Cesc Fabregas and Como next season. The club will also face the added challenge of competing in both Serie A and the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.

Donyell Malen, AS Roma

When AS Roma signed Malen from Aston Villa in January 2026, he immediately had an impact on the season of the Giallorossi, scoring 14 goals in 18 matches in the Italian Serie A. He is now ready to replicate those numbers at club level after AS Roma made his move permanent. The striker is expected to lead Gian Piero Gasperini’s attack, having started three games for the Netherlands at the World Cup. Following a successful spell with the Giallorossi last season, he will now look to spearhead Roma’s campaign in both Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.

South Korean actor Hong Min-gi has become the subject of serious allegations from a woman identified as “A,” who claims she was previously in a relationship with him. According to a report by Chosunbiz, the influencer, who reportedly has more than 20,000 followers, has shared details of her claims on social media on August 19, 2026. She has also shared parts of a legal notice that she says was sent to Hong Min-gi through her legal representative on July 28.

A accused the actor of dating violence, physical assault, threats, intimidation, emotional abuse and invasion of privacy. She alleged that Hong once threw a soju bottle on the street, causing it to break, and also threw other objects during arguments. She claimed he hit her shoulder, pushed her and grabbed her by the neck.

According to A, Hong became suspicious that she was talking to a former boyfriend after her phone was turned off. After that, he called her more than 40 times and later threatened both her and the former boyfriend. She claimed he said he intended to kill them if he found them and allegedly threatened to kill the former boyfriend.

She also alleged that Hong Min-gi secretly checked her phone and KakaoTalk conversations because he suspected she had been unfaithful. She further claimed that he rode an electric kickboard while intoxicated, with her accompanying him, and that the incident resulted in serious injuries. She also said she had photographs documenting those injuries.

The former partner described what she called a repeated pattern of verbal abuse, intimidation and emotional manipulation. She alleged that Hong Min-gi told her that his mental health problems had returned because of her, said he wanted to die and suggested that they should die together. She also claimed he insulted her and later behaved affectionately, which she initially interpreted as love.

A said she continued to feel responsible for his reported panic disorder after their breakup. She alleged that she visited his home several times and apologized. However, he responded by swearing and kicking objects for extended periods. She further accused him of trying to initiate s**ual contact after their relationship had already ended, claiming that he pushed her onto a bed and touched her without her consent.

She also alleged that Hong Min-gi made derogatory comments about women, including statements about women becoming less desirable with age and also that women should serve in the military.

A additionally claimed he made disparaging comments about a former girlfriend who was now an actress. He also used profanity toward other actors, staff members, and directors he had worked with.

The accusations also extended to his relationship with fans. A also claimed Hong looked down on fans who spent money and time supporting him and allegedly complained about attending a fan-organized birthday event. A also accused him of verbally abusing and kicking his pet dog, Leo. She claimed that after she sent the legal notice, he cut off contact and left the dog alone at home for several days.

A said she initially did not understand the relationship as abusive and only recognized what she believed had happened several weeks after the breakup. She described experiencing fear, trembling, sweating and sleeplessness and said the effects interfered with her daily life. She eventually told her parents and said she began legal action because she wanted Hong Min-gi to acknowledge his alleged actions and apologize.

Hong Min-gi’s agency denies dating violence allegations, accuses former partner of stalking and defamation

Hong Min-gi’s agency, Fable Company, initially said it was checking the circumstances and preparing its position. The agency later issued a response rejecting key parts of A’s account and presented a substantially different version of the relationship.

According to Fable Company, Hong Min-gi and A began dating around April 2026. The agency claimed that A continued communicating with a former boyfriend, which caused the actor to lose trust in the relationship. It said Hong Min-gi repeatedly made clear that he did not want to continue dating her.

The agency alleged that A continued making calls and approaching Hong Min-gi after the relationship ended. It claimed that she repeatedly went to his home and his family’s home and, at around 1 a.m. on one occasion, arrived at the actor’s residence and continued ringing the doorbell until 4 a.m. The agency described the incident as an unwanted approach and said Hong Min-gi had previously avoided public statements and legal action because he wanted the relationship to end peacefully.

Fable Company also denied allegations involving pet abuse and other claims made by A, saying that several of her assertions differed from the facts as understood by the actor and his representatives. The agency accused A of using the actor’s public image to pressure him and claimed she distributed statements it considered false or defamatory.

The company said Hong Min-gi had been subjected to stalking and intended to pursue legal action. It stated that it would use objective evidence and legal procedures to establish the facts and consider civil and criminal measures, including action over alleged stalking and defamation. The agency also asked the public not to spread unverified claims or speculate about the matter.

The dispute has also drawn attention to the actor’s upcoming projects. The actor has reportedly completed filming for the second season of TVING’s Study Group, where he played Park Geon-yeop in the first season. The production team said it had only recently become aware of the allegations and would need to verify the circumstances because the issue concerns the actor’s personal life.

Hong Min-gi was born on March 12, 2002, and began his acting career in 2020. He gained wider attention through supporting roles and appearances in several Korean television and streaming productions. His credits include Love Your Enemy, Study Group, Crushology 101, Doctor on the Edge, and more.