Italy may have endured the disappointment of missing out on another FIFA World Cup, but the value of the Azzurri’s top talent has never been higher.

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Tonali and Palestra’s expensive transfers

Italian players continue to attract significant interest from Europe’s elite clubs, as highlighted by the blockbuster Premier League transfers of Sandro Tonali and highly rated full-back Marco Palestra, underscoring the growing demand for homegrown Italian talent on the international stage.

Marco Palestra has completed his transfer to Chelsea from Atalanta (chelseafc.com)

There are encouraging signs closer to home as well. Serie A clubs are increasingly investing in the next generation of Italian prospects, with Juventus completing the permanent signing of 19-year-old forward Jeff Ekhator from Genoa after an impressive spell with the Bianconeri’s youth setup.

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Meanwhile, ambitious Como are on the verge of securing one of the country’s brightest creative talents, Mattia Liberali, after the midfielder turned down the opportunity to return to Milan from Catanzaro.

Lorenzo Bettoni and Giancarlo Rinaldi break it all down in the latest episode of the Football Italia Summer Show.

Watch the full episode below

Croatia thought their FIFA World Cup hopes were still alive when they scored the game-tying goal just before the end of stoppage time in the second half.

But a VAR review said Mario Pasalic was offside, and it was Portugal moving on instead.

Gonçalo Ramos’ goal just minutes earlier — a beautiful header into the back of the net in the 94th minute — was the decider in this 2-1 victory for Portugal. And it was only the second time in Portuguese World Cup history the nation needed to come from behind to win, underscoring its resilience on the sport’s biggest stage.

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Luka Modric of Croatia and teammates react after the 1-2 loss during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Patrick Smith – FIFA)

It was a controversial ending, though, and one where Croatia tried to argue the ball never hit the head of Igor Matanovic, which made Pasalic offside during VAR review.

It’s also worth noting that a new chip within the ball shows when it is touched, giving more concrete evidence to the referee’s final decision in such a crucial time of the match. This was the 10th goal overruled by VAR thus far in the World Cup.

GABRIEL MARTINELLI’S 96TH-MINUTE GOAL RESCUES BRAZIL FROM JAPAN UPSET IN WORLD CUP ROUND OF 32

So, with the goal annulled, Croatia’s time at the tournament has ended. As a result, Croatian legend Luka Modrić is finishing his fifth World Cup, which will likely be the 40-year-old midfielder’s final one.

But another older legend on the pitch will move on, as Cristiano Ronaldo made some World Cup history during this match.

When No. 7 stepped foot on the pitch and the ball was kicked, he became the oldest player to participate in a knockout stage match at the World Cup at 41 years and 147 days old. He also became the oldest player to score in a knockout stage match when he saw a penalty situation while Portugal was down 1-0 in the match.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Patrick Smith – FIFA)

Ivan Perisic got the first goal of this game and put Portugal’s back against the wall. But after a foul was committed inside Croatia’s box in the 67th minute, it was time for Ronaldo to get his first career knockout goal, and he didn’t disappoint.

Ronaldo was ecstatic, sprinting toward the corner flag and performing his signature “SIU!” celebration, which the crowd bellowed with the score at 1-1. Ronaldo had also seemed to get that first knockout goal just minutes earlier but he was called offside.

Modrić and Ronaldo, two former teammates on Real Madrid, also made history together, as they were the first two players 40 years or older to play in the same match together.

Luka Modric of Croatia congratulates Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal after the 2-1 win during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

It was also an emotional moment after the match, as Ronaldo wore the jersey of late Portugal teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident a year ago. A team photo was taken on the pitch, with Ronaldo holding up Jota’s jersey alongside his squad.

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Now that the job is done in the Round of 32 for Portugal, they face a big challenge against a key rival in the Round of 16.

Spain, who dominated Austria with a 3-0 finish earlier on Thursday, awaits Portugal at Dallas Stadium on July 6 at 3 p.m. ET.

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• Gilas Pilipinas, already qualified for the second round, opens its Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers third window campaign against New Zealand in an away game.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers – third window

July 3, Friday – Auckland

• 3pm (PH time) – Gilas Pilipinas vs New Zealand

LIVE UPDATES: Gilas Pilipinas vs New Zealand – Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers

• Shea Ili fouled by Carl Tamayo. He makes both freethrows. 87-85 lead for New Zealand.
• Dwight Ramos 2 freethrows. Gilas ties at 85-all 3:46 in OT.
• Sam Waardenburg first to score in OT as New Zealand takes the lead, 85-83.
• NOT COUNTED! We got into overtime.
• Referees reviewing the final attempt is counted.
• 3 attempts at the basket in New Zealand’s final possession, looks like the final attempt beat the clock.
• Juan Gomez de Liaño stops and pops and makes a bigtime 3! Tied game at 83-all, 11.9 seconds left.
• Shea Ili makes 2 freethrows. New Zealand holding on to an 83-80 lead. 21.5 seconds to go.
• Dwight Ramos fouls Shea Ili.
• Justin Brownlee loses the ball. 24.7 seconds left.
• But he only makes 2nd of the crucial freethrows. Gilas still down 81-80.
• Kevin Quiambao with the steal and he gets foiled! 30.4 seconds to go.
• After a review, New Zealand gets the ball. 38.8 seconds left.
• Tense moments. Dwight Ramos fouled. 41 seconds left. But New Zealand not yet in penatly.
• Gilas turnover. Tai Webster converts. New Zealand with the lead anew, 81-79, 45 seconds left.
• Tai Webster ties the game for New Zealand, 79-all. 1:24 left.
• Kevin Quiambao pulls up and gives Gilas the lead back, 79-77, 2:52 left.
• Sam Waardenburg 2 freethrows. New Zealand ties the game at 77.
• Carlin Davison completes a slam off a Gilas turnover. Gilas lead quickly down to 2, 77-75. 4:19 to play.
• But Reuben Te Rangi quickly answers with a wide-open 3. Gilas lead down to four, 77-73.
• Dwight Ramos gets the bounce with the 3. 77-70 for Gilas.
• Reuben Te Rangi with the putback. Gilas still leads 74-70.
• Kevin Quiambao for 3! Gilas Pilipinas now leads by 6, 74-68. 5:52 left.
• AJ Edu splits the freethrows. 71-68 for Gilas Pilipinas.
• Jordan Ngatai also called for an unsportsmanlike foul with after an elbow on AJ Edu’s face.
• RJ Abarrientos with a bank shot. Gilas up again, 70-68.
• Shea Ili split as New Zealands ties, 68-68.
• Carl Tamayo spin move. Gilas back in the lead, 68-67. 8:20 left.
• Dwight Ramos and Reuben Te Rangi trade baskets. 67-66, New Zealand.
• Shea Ili puts New Zealand back in front, 65-64.
• Last 10 minutes.
• END OF THIRD QUARTER: Gilas Pilipinas 64, New Zealand 63.
• Sam Waardenburg killer 3 to end the quarter.
• AJ Edu splits his freethrows.
• Filipino fans in Auckland making themselves heard with Gilas Pilipinas chants.
• Juan Gomez de Liaño for 3! And Gilas Pilipinas takes the lead, 63-30. 46 seconds left.
• RJ Abarrientos 2 freethrows. 60-all, 1:18 3rd quarter.
• Mike Phillips floater! Gilas Pilipinas within two, 60-58. 1:38 3rd quarter.
• Kevin Quiambao with a baseline floater. Gilas down by four, 60-56.
• Mike Phillips, though, misses both freebies. Gilas Pilipinas gets possession.
• Tohi Smith-Milner called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Mike Phillips.
• New Zealand makes the Filipinos pay as Tohi Smith-Milner shoots another 3. Kiwis lead, 57-54. 2:45 3rd quarter.
• Gilas couldn’t convert in the possesion.
• Two freethrows for Dwight Ramos. Gilas Pilipinas within 3, 57-54. 3:57, 3rd quarter.
• Dwight Ramos floater! Gilas still trails 57-52.
• Taylor Britt quickly answers with a baseline drive. New Zealand leads 57-50.
• AJ Edu 2 freethrows. Gilas brings down the lead to 5, 55-50.
• Much needed 3 from Juan Gomez de Liano. Gilaas still down 55-48. 5:23, 3rd quarter.
• Carl Tamayo underneath. New Zealand 55, Gilas Pilipinas 45.
• Shea Ili with another 3. New Zealand’s 3-point shooting hurting Gilas here. Kiwis lead 55-43.
• Dwight Ramos for 2. Gilas still down by nine, 52-43.
• Sam Mennenga follows up his split with a 3. Biggest lead for New Zealand at 52-41, 7:47 3rd quarter.
• Justin Brownlee still scoreless and now with 3 personal fouls.
• Sam Mennenga finishes on the break. New Zealand leads 48-41.
• Carl Tamayo also scores again. Gilas still down by five, 46-41.
• Quick 2 for New Zealand courtesy of Shea Ili.
• Third quarter underway.
• Justin Brownlee still scoreless in 12 minutes of action off the bench.
• Carl Tamayo leads Gilas Pilipinas in scoring with 11, Kevin Quiambao has 10.
• END OF SECOND QUARTER: New Zealand 44, Gilas Pilipinas 39.
• Final possession Gilas, but AJ Edu misses the attempt.
• Tai Webster two freethrows. 44-39, New Zealand. 4.6 seconds left.
• Dwight Ramos floater. Gilas still down by 3, 42-39. 20 seconds left.
• Abarrientos misses a wide open left corner 3. New Zealand back with the ball.
• RJ Abarrientos off the glass. Gilas down 42-37.
• Sam Waardenburg two freethrows. New Zealand leads 42-35, 1:36.
• Carl Tamayo hits his third 3! But Tai Webster quickly scores a 3 of his own. 40-35, New Zealand 1:44 second quarter.
• Sam Mennenga nifty move. Back to a 5-point lead for NZ, 37-32.
• New Zealand lead back to 3 after a Sam Timmins basket. 35-32.
• Carl Tamayo attacks. New Zealand 33, Gilas 32. 3:37.
• Taine Murray with a stepback jumper to keep the lead for New Zealand.
• Gilas Pilipinas muffs chance to take the lead after a miss from Dwight Ramos.
• Carl Tamayo for 3! Back to just a one point deficit for Gilas Pilipinas, 30-31. 4:43, second.
• Taylor Britt takes advantage and scores 2. 31-27 for New Zealand.
• Carl Tamayo and Mike Phillips with misses down low. New Zealand gets the ball back.
• Juan Gomez de Lian with the fastbreak alley-oop. Gilas still down 29-27.
• AJ Edu fouled on the rebound.
• Couple of empty possessions for both teams.
• Reuben Te Rangi ends Gilas run with a 3. New Zealand leads 29-25. 7:18 second quarter.
• Carl Tamayo called for a travel as he attempts a basket.
• Quiambao already with eight points off the bench.
• Another 3 from KQ! Gilas Pilipinas down by just one, 26-25; 8:46, second quarter.
• Jordan Ngatai quick answer for New Zealand.
• Kevin Quiambao for 3! Gilas down by two, 24-22.
• Tai Webster troops to the line again. He goes 1-2. 24-19 New Zealand lead.
• KQ with a floater to start things off for Gilas in the second quarter. Still a 23-19 lead for New Zealand.
• Second quarter underway.
• END OF FIRST QUARTER: New Zealand 23, Gilas Pilipinas 17.
• Juan Gomez de Liaño underneath! He gets the foul too and makes the freethrow. Gilas still down by four, 21-17, 27.3 first quarter.
• Brownlee steal but AJ Edu with a bad pass. New Zealand possession again.
• Mike Phillips and AJ Edu on the floor now for Gilas.
• Gomez de Liaño another basket, but New Zealand quickly answers with a Reuben Te Rangi and- one.
• Tohi Smith-Milner for 3 for New Zealand’s third 3 in the first. 18-12 lead for Kiwis.
• JGDL with his first two. New Zealand still leads, 15-12.
• Tai Webster. 2 freethrows. 15-10, New Zealand lead.
• Instant offense from KQ. Gilas Pilipinas still down by 3, 13-10.
• Juan Gomez de Liaño, Kevin Quiambao check in.
• Brownlee steal, then he’s fouled.
• But NZ knocks down another 3, courtesy of Reuben Te Rangi. 13-8 lead for the Kiwis.
• Troy Rosario underneath. Gilas within two, 10-8.
• Dwight Ramos splits his freethrows. Gilas down 10-6. 5:51, first quarter.
• Justin Brownlee on the floor for Gilas.
• New Zealand forces a turnover and Sam Waardenburg finishes. 10-5, New Zealand.
• Sam Waardenburg knocks down a 3 as New Zealand retakes the lead, 8-5. 6:26, first quarter.
• Shea Ili ties the game at 5-5.
• Dwight Ramos scores his first 2. 5-3, Gilas Pilipinas. 7:39, first quarter.
• Carl Tamayo with a 3! Gilas takes an early 3-2 lead.
• Empty first possession for Gilas Pilipinas.
• Shea Ili opens the scoring for New Zealand.
• Gilas Pilipinas starting 5: RJ Abarrientos, June Mar Fajardo, Troy Rosario, Dwight Ramos and Carl Tamayo. No Justin Brownlee.
• New Zealand players perform their routine pre-game Haka.
• Players on the floor for the national anthems.

• Refresh this page for updates.

Gilas Pilipinas battles New Zealand in Auckland on Friday, looking to conquer the Boomers on their home floor for the Filipinos to have some sort of slack heading into the next window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

The Filipinos will be looking to avenge a 69-66 loss the last time they tangled with the Kiwis, and a win would give them some breather heading into the next round where formidable Middle Eastern teams like Iran and Jordan await.

“If we don’t win one of these next two games, then we’re going to have a very small margin of error as we move forward to the next round,” Cone had said during one of their practices prior to departure.

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This game will be held at Spark Arena, before the Filipinos fly to Australia for a match with the Boomers, who manhandled them the last time.

“It’s almost like we’re going to [need to] sweep the next round, and that’s really difficult with high-quality teams like Iran, Jordan,” added Cone in explaining the consequences of two losses this week.

FILE– Gilas Pilipinas RJ Abarrientos during a send off match ahead of the Philippines’ campaign in Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers third window. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas rolled past the Franklin Bulls, 94-66, on Tuesday to complete a sweep of the two-game series against New Zealand clubs before the third window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

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Coach Tim Cone elected not to use Justin Brownlee anew while also resting Mike Phillips, but that hardly mattered as Gilas pulled away in the second half to rout the Bulls at Franklin Pool and Leisure in Pukekohe.

The win came two days after Gilas blew out the Manawatu Jets, 92-71, in North Palmerston.

The exhibitions served as tuneups before the Philippines resumes its qualifying campaign against host New Zealand on Friday.

Gilas also takes on Australia in Perth on Monday to conclude the first round of qualification.

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Generally speaking, former NFLer Ryan Fitzpatrick expects big things from new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray — but he doesn’t think the prosperity will last.

Murray is tentatively expected to win the Vikings’ QB1 job this summer, and according to Fitzpatrick, he’ll play well in 2026 and get stale thereafter.

Murray Will Cook — But There’s a Catch

Fitzpatrick on Murray

Fitzpatrick delivered his Murray-themed takes on The Rich Eisen Show, stating, “I think his best year with Minnesota will be his first year, and if they keep him after that, it’s going to trail off because some of the issues that came up in Arizona are going to be the same issues that follow him. I don’t know that it’s a maturity issue.”

“I just think, with Kyler Murray, what are his strengths? All the things that you can measure, those are the things that he’s always been unbelievable at. I think it’s just been some of the intangibles where he has struggled, fitting into a locker room and being able to elevate a team to the next level.”

Seeing whether Murray plays well and maintains the pace is well worth it for the Vikings, who signed Murray for $1.3 million in March.

“So I just think in Year 1, you’re not going to have to worry about those things because they’ll take care of themselves. It’s easy in Year 1 because everything is new. As you go on in the same spot for multiple years, those things become much more important,” Fitzpatrick, who started 147 games in the NFL, continued.

“That’s what I’m saying as to why I think this year is going to be great, but it’s going to be a one-year experiment that starts out great and tails off from there.”

Tailing Off in 2027 Is a 2027 Problem and Worth the Gamble

Listen, if Murray is planning on cooking with the 2026 Vikings, but Fitzpatrick thinks the risk is that he might fall off a year later, that’s a crapshoot a team must be willing to take. For example, Sam Darnold thrived for the Vikings in 16 games. Then, he collapsed in his 17th and 18th starts, ruining the 2024 campaign. Minnesota’s response? Dump Darnold and embark on the J.J. McCarthy era — which led the Vikings to the here and now, signing Murray to perhaps rectify their quarterback conundrum.

Meanwhile, Darnold won a Super Bowl in Seattle.

So, the Vikings owe it to themselves to audition Murray in 2026, and if he’s productive, they’ll have a “cross that bridge when they get their problem” regarding Fitzpatrick’s prediction.

Injuries to Monitor, Too

The larger concerns about Murray are his size and subsequent injury history. He’s only about 5’10” — depending on the measurer — and misses more games than most franchise quarterbacks. Through seven seasons, Murray has missed 26% of all eligible games, meaning he’s due to miss 3-4 per year.

While Fitzpatrick may fear a sophomore slump for Murray in the Twin Cities, Vikings fans should spend most of their time contemplating Murray’s durability when it comes to his weaknesses. He’s played full seasons thrice in his career — 2019, 2020, and 2024 — and then that’s it.

Optimists will say he’s due for a complete season sans injuries. Fingers crossed.

Supreme Vikings QB Depth This Time Around

Minnesota is not messing around at quarterback this time. In 2023, the season was ruined when Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles. Backup quarterback Nick Mullens was hurt at the time, too, so the Vikings fired off an inexpensive trade for Joshua Dobbs, while experimenting with rookie Jaren Hall. The club ultimately flamed out because there was no QB1 stability and missed the postseason.

In 2025, McCarthy could not stay healthy, and Carson Wentz’s shoulder was fried by Halloween. Minnesota turned to Max Brosmer, which quickly revealed a disaster. Brosmer was not ready for the NFL, and in fact, posted more bloopers than completed passes.

Now, the purple team has quarterback depth to prevent this madness. Between Murray, McCarthy, and Wentz, it’s next to impossible that all three would be lost for the season and ruin another shot at the playoffs.

The Vikings have quarterback depth and two passers specifically, Murray and McCarthy, with something to prove.

Quarterback struggles in 2027 should be left for 2027. If Murray succeeds in 2026, he has a chance to sign a big contract in Minnesota and remain the quarterback for the next-decade-plus. His age, 28, allows for that upside.

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

Max Holloway recently shared his thoughts on potential fights against Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev after his Conor McGregor rematch.

Gaethje is coming off an incredible fourth-round knockout victory against Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 last month, where he won the undisputed lightweight championship. Meanwhile, Makhachev claimed the welterweight title after beating Jack Della Maddalena via unanimous decision at UFC 322 last November.

Holloway and McGregor will be throwing down in a welterweight bout in the main event of UFC 329 on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Considering that Holloway moved up to 170 pounds for this fight, he’s open to challenging Makhachev for the belt someday.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, the Hawaiian fighter addressed his plans after the McGregor rematch. When asked who he’d pick as his next opponent between Gaethje and Makhachev, he replied:

“Both those fights are fun. Why not go back to 155 [pounds] and do something amazing, and then ask to maybe come back up. We’ll see what happens. I’d love to fight both of them… That’s a tough one. I don’t know what I would choose… If everything goes good come July 11, ask me that question again and maybe I’d have an answer.”

Catch Max Holloway’s comments below (11:45 onwards):

Max Holloway believes Conor McGregor is hyping himself up for UFC 329

Max Holloway isn’t fazed by Conor McGregor’s trash-talking ahead of their rematch at UFC 329 and believes the Irishman is simply trying to convince himself.

In the same interview with MMA Junkie, the former featherweight champion dismissed McGregor’s pre-fight comments and said:

“Him saying I’m not a different fighter and blah, blah, blah. It is what it is. Keep telling yourself whatever you’ve got to tell yourself. I just need him to come and show up July 11 and get in that octagon. Then we can find out if he’s right or wrong.”