FIFA announce star-studded World Cup Dream XI featuring Messi, Mbappé and Haaland/ Image: X

Spain may have lifted the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy after defeating Argentina 1-0 following extra time in New Jersey, but the tournament’s best-performing players have now also been recognised after FIFA revealed its official Dream XI.The Team of the Tournament, selected through a global fan vote, reflects the standout performers from six weeks of football across the United States, Canada and Mexico. While Spain, France and Argentina dominate the selection after reaching the semi-finals, England’s third-place finish was rewarded with just a single representative.Jude Bellingham is the only England player to make FIFA’s Dream XI despite Thomas Tuchel’s side ending the tournament on a high with a remarkable 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off.

Bellingham’s inclusion comes after another outstanding major tournament for the Real Madrid midfielder.The 23-year-old finished with seven goals, the highest tally ever recorded by an England player at a single FIFA World Cup, helping the Three Lions secure their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966.Despite England producing several standout performers, including Bukayo Saka’s historic hat-trick against France and Declan Rice’s record-breaking third-place play-off display, Bellingham was the only English player voted into the final XI.

Spain, France and Argentina dominate selections

Fresh from captaining Spain to their second World Cup title, Rodri headlines the midfield after also winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.Spain have three representatives in total, with both full-backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro joining their captain in the side after Luis de la Fuente’s men completed an unbeaten tournament by defeating Argentina in the final.France also supply three players despite finishing fourth.Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé occupies the right side of the attack after finishing the tournament with 10 goals, becoming the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice while also breaking Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record with 22 career goals.Michael Olise takes one of the midfield places after producing a record-breaking campaign of his own. The France playmaker finished the tournament with seven assists, the most ever recorded by a player at a single FIFA World Cup.Dayot Upamecano completes France’s contingent in central defence.Argentina, beaten finalists after Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner, have two players in the XI.Lionel Messi features on the left wing after finishing the tournament with eight goals and four assists, while defender Lisandro Martínez partners Upamecano at the heart of the defence.Completing the front three is Norway striker Erling Haaland, who marked his World Cup debut by firing his country to a historic first-ever quarter-final appearance while scoring seven goals during the tournament.

Cape Verde cult hero earns goalkeeper spot

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Dream XI is the goalkeeper selection.Rather than Golden Glove winner Unai Simón, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford or France’s Mike Maignan, fans voted for Cape Verde veteran Vozinha.The 40-year-old became one of the breakout stars of the tournament during Cape Verde’s memorable run to the Round of 32 before they narrowly lost 3-2 after extra time to eventual finalists Argentina.Vozinha kept clean sheets against both Spain and Saudi Arabia, made 18 saves across the tournament and outperformed his expected goals against figure by 0.9.His performances also made him an unlikely social media sensation. According to tournament figures, the goalkeeper began Cape Verde’s opening match against Spain with around 50,000 Instagram followers. After producing seven saves against the eventual champions and continuing his impressive campaign, that number reportedly surged to 29.5 million by the end of the World Cup.

GoalkeeperDefenders

Midfielders

Forwards

The Dream XI rounds off the individual honours following the conclusion of the tournament.Rodri claimed the Golden Ball as the competition’s best player after leading Spain to the title, with Messi and Mbappé receiving the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball respectively.Mbappé finished as Golden Boot winner with 10 goals, edging Messi, who ended the tournament on eight goals and four assists, while Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón received the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal in eight matches. Teenage defender Pau Cubarsí collected the FIFA Young Player Award, and the Netherlands were recognised with the FIFA Fair Play Award after receiving just three yellow cards throughout their campaign.

Kyler Murray needs to show signs of genuine improvement in his understanding of the offense. Anything less than a large step forward will arrive as a disappointment to the coaching staff.

Any Kevin O’Connell quarterback needs two things to succeed. First, there’s accuracy. Murray doesn’t appear to have any issue in this area, but do note that he’s being asked to play from within a different style of offense than he’s accustomed to from Arizona. Still, though, we’re talking about a veteran with a career completion number coming in at 67.1%. That’s an excellent number.

But then there’s the second item on Coach O’Connell’s list: beefy mental bandwidth.

Over and over again, players have described how difficult the O’Connell offense can be. That difficulty is especially pronounced for the quarterback since he needs to understand what everybody is doing. Murray has been criticized in the past about his commitment to football, most notable in the homework clause in that Cardinals extension. Murray can firmly shutdown this critique by mastering the O’Connell scheme.

Where Kyler Murray Needs to Have Grown

Nobody should expect Murray to have mastered the scheme by May or June. Everybody who steps into this offense needs time to acclimate. O’Connell, at times, appears to ask too much of his players, something that Wes Phillips appeared to acknowledge earlier in the offseason.

So, give Mr. Murray some grace.

Prior to the summer break, Kyler Murray explained that his plan was to work over the summer, eschewing time off in the process. A lot of veterans opt for rest — fair, I’d say, even wise — but Murray didn’t plan to be among those building sand castles. Rather, Murray said that he was going to spend his time working. After all, he’s in a new environment for the first time since getting chosen in the 2019 NFL Draft. Putting in some extra hours makes a pile of sense.

Upon returning to TCO Performance Center, Kyler Murray needs to show that he lived up to his promise of putting in work.

Presumably, Murray has been throwing during the summer weeks and has been training his body. Well and good. Necessary, even.

More important, though, is the mental component of things.

The Vikings’ coaching staff wants to see a Kyler Murray who has a better understanding of the offense. Show off more confidence with the verbiage and adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Command the huddle with clarity and confidence. Offer a more refined understanding of the offense in the meeting room. All of this will help to inspire confidence in the coaching staff.

All along, Murray has looked like a clunky scheme fit. He’s more of a run-and-gun style of passer, playing fast in a simpler offense while operating out of shotgun. O’Connell is asking him to digest a ton of information, to slow down, and to play from under center. Doing so well will show that he may have appeared to be a clunky scheme fit but that simply didn’t match up with reality.

Football is a cerebral sport. Coaches sometimes get in the way, making things overly complex when what a player needs is simplicity from within the complexity.

Murray, for his part, needs to show from Day 1 onward that he has been doing his part to take on the mental workload that comes with the Kevin O’Connell offense.

Kyler Murray, 28, is entering his eighth NFL season.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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The World Cup may be over, but there are some still upset over the controversy surrounding USMNT star Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban being suspended.

Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) President Lise Klaveness said she is going to ask her board to pursue a formal ethics complaint over the incident. She called on FIFA to acknowledge the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban as an error.

“We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error,” Klaveness told The Times. “If you start to adapt in such a way towards state leaders and state politics, you will move your behavior and the organization’s behavior, and also the red line of what states’ leaders should interfere with. And that happened.”

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Norwegian Football Federation President Lisa Klaveness attends the European Football Women’s Gala 2023 at Antiga Fabrica D’Estrella Damm in Barcelona, Spain, on Nov. 6, 2023. (Cesc Maymo/WireImage)

Klaveness claimed that the proper process was not followed and that bending the rules could put the whole game at risk.

“First of all, it should not have happened. It is very important now to have honest communication around it. We all know that this verdict was influenced from external forces and did not have the proper process,” Klaveness said. “When you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk. It is a worry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of the game.”

Klaveness called the case of FIFA suspending Balogun’s red card ban both “serious” and “worrying.”

“This case was so serious and so worrying that I hope that it might contribute to bring people out a little bit and don’t fear to bring up cases,” she said. “I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it. To me, it should be in the same sphere of ethical complaint.”

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U.S. President Donald Trump look on before presenting the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy to Spain after the Final – FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask the organization to review the decision to give U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun a red card. The red card meant Balogun would have been suspended for the team’s knockout match against Belgium on Monday, but FIFA decided to suspend the one-game ban after Trump’s call.

Trump addressed the controversy earlier this month.

“All I did was, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” the president said. “And again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different.

“I think it’s a terrible… if they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain. I relayed it. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t believe he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, No. 1, it wasn’t a foul, and you want to see a game with your best players.”

Trump said he took issue with the initial red card that was assessed to Balogun in the first place.

“If you would have taken him out, I think it would have really stained this incredible championship,” Trump continued. “We gotta have our best players and Belgium, Belgium’s got a great team by the way. We have our best players and they have to have their best. If we win or we lose, it’s fair. Otherwise, let’s say we lost to them, then we lost the game. It would be a terrible thing. I think they made a really brilliant decision.

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The United States’ Folarin Balogun (20) walks off the pitch after losing to Belgium during their World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Seattle, Washington. Monday, July 6, 2026. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)

“I think the referee’s call was horrible and nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it’s fine. The referee’s decision to red card, I didn’t know what the hell a red card was and when I found out I said, ‘You gotta be kidding.’… I said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of power, that’s terrible.’ And then I looked at his past and it wasn’t so great.”

While Balogun was able to play, the USMNT lost 4-1 to Belgium on Monday night, ending their World Cup run in the Round of 16.

Fox News Digital reached out to FIFA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric – who turns 41 in September – has signed a one-year contract extension.

The Croatian joined Milan last summer on a one-year deal with an option to extend after leaving Real Madrid.

After 13 years at the Bernabeu, Modric scored two goals in 37 appearances for Milan in a season when they finished fifth in Serie A and only reached the last-16 stage of the Coppa Italia.

“I am thrilled to stay at AC Milan, where you made me feel welcomed and loved from the very first day,” Modric said of his new deal.

“After a season below our expectations, the desire to bounce back is immense. A new season and a new challenge await us – a project I believe in and that motivates me.

“I’m ready to continue to give everything again for this shirt and I’m so proud to keep wearing these colours. Can’t wait to return to San Siro and feel your roar.”

Modric has just played in his fifth World Cup, in which Croatia were knocked out in the last 32 by Portugal.

Since Modric became national team captain in 2016, Croatia had previously been runners-up and finished third in the World Cup.

The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner won six Champions League titles and four La Liga titles at Real. Previously, he made 160 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur over four years in north London.

In Milan this season, he will play under former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim, who replaced the sacked Massimiliano Allegri in June.

In a statement, Milan said: “A key figure in the Rossoneri midfield since his arrival, Luka has brought his experience and quality to the service of the team, both on and off the pitch, with humility and great passion.

“One of the finest and most iconic players in world football, the Croatian will continue his journey in the Rossoneri shirt with the ambition to reach new, important milestones.”

A British former world champion who has not fought in over years has announced his comeback to the sport.

Former IBF super-middleweight world champion, James DeGale, who became the first Briton to capture an Olympic medal and a professional world title when he outpointed Andre Dirrell in 2015, has announced he is making a return to the ring.

DeGale has not fought since he was decisioned in a grudge match with Chris Eubank Jr in 2019, but appeared in a bare-knuckle scrap against Matt Floyd back in September.

The 40-year-old southpaw will face 45-year-old former English welterweight champion, Marcus Portman, in Wolverhampton on Saturday, September 26. Although, it is believed that the bout will not be sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Speaking to TalkSport, following the announcement of his ring return, DeGale admitted that he is not eyeing up a return to the world titles, but is instead hoping to secure a fight with either Jake Paul or a big-name ‘Misfits’ fighter.

“I can’t go out how I went out against Eubank, I’ve stayed in shape, and after Floyd, I want to have one more in boxing.”

“Boxing has changed since I left. There is Misfits, and the Saudis have come in.

“My world title days are done but there are fights out there like Jake Paul, Darren Till, Ty Mitchell, KSI and Tommy Fury.”

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The weight for DeGale-Portman is yet to be confirmed, but success in that contest could see ‘Chunky’ emerge as a potential dance partner for some of the Misfits stars.

USMNT star nearing transfer to EFL Championship side originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

While there has been an influx of players coming into the MLS over the recent few weeks, most notably Robert Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann, there are also players making the move away from the top American league. This could reportedly be the case for the USMNT‘s Sebastian Berhalter, who is set to make a move across the pond, according to recent reports.

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Berhalter to Middlesbrough?

Former ESPN star Trey Wingo wants to set the record straight.

Former NFL linebacker and ex-ESPN analyst Emmanuel Acho claimed that Ryan Clark built ESPN’s “NFL Live” into the “juggernaut” it is today, and Wingo was not having any of it.

“Ryan Clark built NFL Live into the juggernaut it is today (along with Rutledge, Mina, and Spears), he didn’t ideate NFL Live, there’s a difference,” Acho posted.

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Trey Wingo looks on during the first round of the American Century Championship on July 10, 2026, at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev. (Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Wingo, who hosted “NFL Live” for 15 years, from 2003 to 2018, clapped back at Acho’s claim that Clark built the show by posting a graphic showing its ratings over the years, which he said disproved Acho’s claim.

The graphic, which was based on numbers that ESPN reported, showed that the “NFL Live” averaged 688,000 viewers during a comparable early-season period in 2013 and 624,000 in 2012. It averaged roughly 486,000 in 2015, 492,000 in 2016, 449,000 in 2021 and 440,000 in 2025.

Wingo captioned his post on X, “’Let your apology be as loud as your disrespect.’ I think someone said that once.”

The former ESPN host’s line about letting your apology be as loud as your disrespect referenced a spat in which Acho insulted former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel and later apologized to him.

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Emmanuel Acho speaks onstage during the ADL Never Is Now Summit at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on March 17, 2026. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ADL)

Acho’s initial tweet was in response to OutKick’s Dan Zaksheske. Zaksheske began the thread of interaction by responding to a clip from “The Breakfast Club,” where the morning show hosts said Clark built “NFL Live.”

“NFL Live premiered in 1998 when Clark was 18 years old, four years before he entered the NFL and 17 years before he joined ESPN,” Zaksheske wrote on X.

Acho responded to Zaksheske and agreed with “The Breakfast Club,” saying “And nobody was watching NFL Live then,” referencing the show’s existence before Clark joined it.

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ESPN is parting ways with longtime NFL analyst Ryan Clark following an 11-year run at the network. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Wingo spent nearly 23 years at ESPN and was not retained in November 2020.

A large part of his tenure was spent hosting and building “NFL Live,” and was the host during its peak year in 2013.

Clark joined ESPN in 2015 and spent more than 11 seasons with the network, overlapping for about five years with Wingo. As his time at ESPN progressed, he became an increasingly polarizing figure.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Acho for comment but did not immediately get a response.

OutKick’s Dan Zaksheske contributed to this report.

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Ian Rapoport — who used to form a gruesome twosome with Tom Pelissero — thinks that the Minnesota Vikings are working through a genuine passer battle.

In a short clip on social media, Rapoport offers his 2 cents on how things are going to unfold in the Twin Cities. “For the Minnesota Vikings,” the NFL insider says, “no doubt one of the biggest storylines of all of training camp. They have their quarterback battle, as well. Is it Kyler Murray? Is it J.J. McCarthy?” Rapoport indicates that the two-person battle will last through August and that there will be “wide-ranging ramifications for the organization.”

A touch general, perhaps, but Ian Rapoport is stepping into what can be a heated debate.

Ian Rapoport on Minnesota’s QB1 Competition

Depending on who gets asked, the Minnesota Vikings are either moving through a farce or a competition. Just how wide the chasm is between Murray’s and McCarthy’s abilities (or lack thereof) largely influences the stance the onlooker takes.

Murray, no doubt, is a sensational talent. Few, if any, are so elusive. Even better, the man has an excellent arm, which is easy to overlook since he’s a smaller lad. Murray can zip the ball and put the pigskin into his receiver’s hands. Kevin O’Connell is desperate for a quarterback who is accurate; Murray fits that basic criteria.

Meanwhile, McCarthy is coming off a disappointing season. His playing time has taken a major hit due to injury. Combined, the knee, ankle, concussion, and wrist issues have robbed him of 24 games across a pair of seasons.

On the field, McCarthy has left something to be desired with his play. His completion percentage — an eyesore at 57.6% — points toward an inaccurate passer. So, too, does a 11/12 TD-to-INT ratio point toward somebody who simply doesn’t have it.

But then there’s a critical reality: the kid is talented, works hard, and is only 23. Roughly two years ago, the Vikings opted to pick him at No. 10 overall, the highest a passer has ever gone in franchise history. Does it really make sense to quit on the kid after a pair of injury-filled seasons? Wouldn’t that be an instance of O’Connell’s franchise failing a passer?

A key reality to remember: humans are dynamic beings rather than static beings. McCarthy will grow and improve. What’s yet to be determined is by how much.

Consider, for instance, a scenario where Kyler Murray came to town as a quarterback who was ten steps ahead of J.J. McCarthy. Murray has since been taking steps forward as he gets coached up and learns the scheme. What happens, though, if McCarthy takes two or three steps for every step that Murray takes?

Doing so would mean that the race could get pretty close to the end of August. Again, that basic reality: the passers aren’t static. Whatever discrepancy existed in March of 2026 isn’t guaranteed to exist in August or September of 2026. Kick out the timeline even further — 2027, 2028, and so on — and the truth becomes even more pronounced.

Ian Rapoport thinks that the competition is going to be given a long life. Essentially, all of August since Rapoport points toward the battle taking place through the preseason. There then appears to be a suggestion that the battle could bleed into September. Quite possibly, the well-connected insider is exactly right.

To my eye, though, Rapoport is overshooting a touch.

Expect a QB1 decision to get figured out by August 31st. If so, then the starting quarterback will get a two-week runway to prepare for the Sunday, September 13th battle against the Green Bay Packers. The Week 1 game won’t be hindered by the pair of passers going toe-to-toe for the upcoming month. In fact, needing to directly compete for several weeks could be crucial toward each developing into the best version of themselves.

The Minnesota Vikings welcome rookies to town on Sunday, July 26th. Veterans arrive on Tuesday, July 28th. All eyes will be on Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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