Welcome to our weekly PGA Tour gambling-tips column, featuring picks from GOLF.com’s expert prognosticator, Brady Kannon. A seasoned golf bettor and commentator, Kannon is a host and regular guest on SportsGrid, a syndicated audio network devoted to sports and sports betting, and is a golf betting analyst for CBS Sportsline. You can follow Brady on Twitter at @LasVegasGolfer, and you can read his picks below for the 2026Rocket Classic, which gets underway on Thursday in Detroit.
The “Close But No Cigar” campaign of 2026 continues this week in the Motor City after we once again narrowly missed on the outright winner last week in Minneapolis. Emiliano Grillo and Michael Brennan went into the final round last week at the 3M Open, in second and third place, respectively. We failed to account, however, for the coming-out party of what appears to be the PGA Tour’s next mega-star, Jackson Koivun, who followed up a Saturday 61 with a Sunday 66 to hold off World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, and secure his first-ever Tour win in only his third professional start. Hello world.
Along with Koivun, we are onto Detroit.
Just two more regular season events remain before the FedExCup Playoffs begin. This week it is the eighth and final edition of the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club, a classic Donald Ross design that has recently undergone an extensive redesign by Tyler Rae.
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As many redesign efforts aim to do, Rae has restored much of Ross’ original intent that had eroded over several decades. The greens have increased in size to restore many of the Ross signature humps and bumps and run-off collection areas. The fairways have been narrowed somewhat but also redirected to bring back some of the angles Ross envisioned. Fairway bunkers have been added, and others repositioned to require more strategy off the tee and bring the golf course up to modern-day game standards. Much of what it boils down to is this once Par 72 layout being converted into a long Par 70 at over 7,300 yards. Two of what used to be the easiest par 5s on the course have become very long and challenging par 4s. Over the first seven editions of this tournament, the winning score has been better than 22-under par on average. Given the changes, I believe we are likely to see 3-4 shots more than that, which will be enough this season.
I still looked at Birdies or Better Percentage this week, as I do expect the players to go low. I looked at Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Good Drives Percentage. After successfully negotiating one’s tee shot, I believe we are going to get a wide variety of wedge shots and short irons anywhere from 50 to 175 yards out. I looked at Strokes Gained on the par 4s, as there are now 12 of them here this year, and finally Strokes Gained: Putting on what are blended Poa Annua and Bentgrass greens.
As for the comp courses, they are similar to last week, and I did indeed use Silverado in Napa (Procore Championship) and TPC Deere Run (John Deere Classic) again, in addition to last week’s home course, TPC Twin Cities. I added TPC Toronto this week and also threw in Sedgefield Country Club, which is another Ross design where they play the Wyndham Championship.
Si Woo Kim (23-1)
Kim has played this event five times, making the cut in his last four visits with a finish as high as 14th in 2022. He has four top 10 finishes in his last six starts and leads this field over the last 24 rounds in Birdie or Better Percentage. He ranks top five in this field on Par 4 scoring and in Hole Proximity from 50-75, 125-150 and 150-175 yards. Kim has finished top five at the Wyndham Championship four times, including a win in 2016.
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J.J. Spaun (33-1)
Spaun has quietly been playing some very solid golf, finishing top 12 in four of his last eight starts. This is his first action since spending two weeks overseas, playing the Scottish Open and Open Championship. He is one of the very best in approach and in Par 4 Scoring. Also, over the last 24 rounds, Spaun ranks 18th in this field for SG: Putting (Bent/Poa). He’s played this event six times and in half of those trips, finished 13th or better. Spaun finished third at Sedgefield in 2024 and has finished top 11 at Silverado three times.
Jacob Bridgeman (60-1)
We haven’t heard a whole lot from the young man who earned his first Tour win back in February at Riviera at the Genesis Invitational, but he has only missed one cut all season. Just last month, he finished 11th at one of our correlated courses, TPC Toronto, at the Canadian Open. He’s excellent on the Par 4s and in Hole Proximity from 100-175 yards. Bridgeman ranks third on Tour this season for SG: Putting. He was fifth at the John Deere in 2025 and 12th at the Wyndham in 2024.
Emiliano Grillo (130-1)
Cruel and unusual punishment, you say? Maybe so. Grillo finally started scoring last week in Minnesota on the back nine on Sunday, but at that point, it was too little, too late for our guy who began the day in second place and ultimately finished seventh. Even though this is a “new and improved” Detroit Golf Club, this Minnesota-Motor City swing has seen many of the same names pop up on leaderboards over the years. Last week was Grillo’s fourth top 10 finish at TPC Twin Cities. Last week, we noted that he has a win and a fourth-place finish in Napa and two runner-up finishes at the John Deere Classic. He has two top 25 finishes at TPC Toronto and ranks top 10 in this field over the last 24 rounds in SG: Putting (Bent/Poa), SG: Par 4s, and Birdie or Better Percentage.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (145-1)
We’re going to jump back on the South African horse as well this week after CBez finished off four straight days in the 60s with a 66 on Sunday last week at TPC Twin Cities to finish top 20. He ranked 13th in that field in SG: Putting. The short game, the wedge game and the approach play are all excellent for Bezuidenhout, and this course may even suit those skills better than last week’s course did. At monster prices, we’ll use a couple of longshots again this week who fared quite well for us just one week ago. Note: Bezuidenhout has never missed a cut at the Wyndham Championship in five trips to Sedgefield Country Club.
You’ve likely been hearing a lot about mini drivers — a club category that exists in between regular drivers and 3-woods.
What is a mini driver exactly? Mini drivers generally have stronger lofts than 3-woods but weaker lofts than drivers. They also have smaller heads and shorter shaft lengths than standard drivers, which makes them more forgiving and easier to hit off the tee.
“Mini drivers have taken the world by storm over the last couple of years,” said True Spec VP of sales Matt Morin. “With the game of golf evolving, we have also seen a ‘turn-back-in-time’ movement. The traditional driver’s head size and shape from the early 2000s were always the smaller profile that allowed the better player to be able to utilize the club off the fairway and the tee. The mini driver profile has become smaller than your traditional driver head shape but bigger than your modern 3-wood, which allows for more forgiveness on tee shots that do not call for the driver.”
So what can a mini driver do that a standard driver — or 3-wood — can’t? For many players, a mini driver provides some attractive new attributes, especially if regular drivers aren’t your strong suit.
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“In today’s age, you are seeing players put the mini driver in their back pocket for a second crutch off the tee if they tend to struggle with their driver,” Morin said. “With the sole technology and center of gravity positioning, the mini driver has become a far easier club to hit off the deck even without the perfect lie. This has become a home run in the amateur game.
“At the professional level, Tour players are leaning more towards the mini driver as an off-the-tee club,” Morin continued. “This is mainly due to the increase in lengths of golf courses that they are playing week in and week out, where the modern-day 3-wood is not going the distance that is needed.”
So how do you know if a mini driver would be a good fit for your game? According to Morin, players should take a thoughtful look at their general pattern of play and on-course personality.
“For amateur-level players, they need to be aware that the club will not be as versatile as your traditional 3-wood,” he said. “It’s important to decipher what the main goal of putting a mini driver in the bag is. Will it be primarily an off-the-tee club? Even though you can hit a mini driver off the deck, a higher handicap will not be able to produce the same quality or consistency of shot out of the fairway that you would with a 3-wood if the lie is not perfect.
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“If, like many amateur players, you struggle with fairway woods off the tee, you probably tend to generate very high spin rates and very high peak height,” he continued. “The mini driver is a great option to bring both of those data metrics down. This player type will benefit from the mini driver off the fairway, because a well-struck shot will keep the flight down.”
The governing body of European football has led the furious response to Infantino’s proposals and called an emergency meeting to discuss how to they can leverage their position. That includes the threat of boycotting the tournament, as a World Cup without major nations such as champions Spain, France, Germany and England would be hugely damaging to Infantino.
Uefa were left dismayed that Infantino has given Fifa’s member associations just 53 days to decide their position and were outraged by Infantino promising a $40m (£30m) windfall to nations who back the proposals, or have the one-off payment withdrawn. “This says everything you need to know about this plan,” Uefa said in a statement on Wednesday.
Uefa, which previously said that Infantino’s plans “crossed a line”, will hold their emergency meeting with its 55 member associations virtually and knows it will require support from another confederation to block Infantino’s plans. Meanwhile, the head of the Czech FA backed Fifa’s proposals on Wednesday, which suggests Infantino carries some support within Europe as well.
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Follow all the latest news from the Uefa emergency meeting, below
What will Uefa’s emergency meeting look like?
It’s set to start at 2pm this afternoon and will be held virtually, with the heads of the 55 member associations logging onto what will essentially be a Zoom meeting.
The meeting won’t be streamed online, but news from what is discussed is certain to trickle out over the course of the afternoon.
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(Getty)
Jamie Braidwood30 July 2026 11:24
How can Uefa stop Gianni Infantino’s plans?
Gianni Infantino needs a majority vote from Fifa’s 211 member associations (50 per cent + one) and the backing from the Fifa Council. He has confirmed that a vote will take place on 19 September, which is just 53 days after the plans were leaked to the media via The Times on Tuesday.
Uefa’s members make up 55 of Fifa’s 211 national associations – so they cannot stop the vote outright and they would need support from at least one other confederation, such as North America, Asia, Africa or South America. But where Uefa do have leverage is that the World Cup would not be the same without countries Spain, France and England – three of the four semi-finalists from this summer’s tournament.
The threat of a boycott is a powerful card to play – but do they have the courage to play it?
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(Getty)
Jamie Braidwood30 July 2026 11:20
What is Gianni Infantino trying to do?
On Tuesday, Fifa revealed plans to create a new subsidiary to manage the commercial rights and delivery of the World Cup and other major tournaments, with Gianni Infantino confirming that the new company – ‘Fifa Forward Enterprises (FFE)’ – would be open to external capital investment.
Private investors will be sought to “make minority, non-controlling investments” in the company. The investor group for FFE is set to be led by Thrive Eternal, founded earlier this year by Joshua Kushner – the brother of US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Fifa is working with bankers at JPMorgan to raise billions of dollars by bringing in external investors to take as much as a 20 per cent stake.
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In a statement, Fifa said it would “raise up to $4.2bn later this year” to fund the project, “based on an initial equity valuation of $20bn by carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests … All net benefits will be reinvested back into football worldwide.”
(PA Wire)
Jamie Braidwood30 July 2026 11:11
What has Uefa said about Gianni Infantino’s World Cup proposals?
Uefa, the governing body of European football and a long-term critic of Fifa president Gianni Infantino, said in a statement: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.
“Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.
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“None of us are the owners of football. It is not Fifa’s to sell.”
Jamie Braidwood30 July 2026 11:04
Uefa to discuss boycotting World Cup in emergency meeting after Fifa bombshell
Uefa will hold an emergency meeting this afternoon, where the prospect of boycotting the World Cup will be discussed as leverage against Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to privatise the tournament.
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Next steps with the European Union will also be raised, as the European Commission scrutinises whether Infantino’s project contravenes protections that are afforded as regards competition law.
Fifa’s plan has provoked fury in most of the European game, to the point that an alliance of all major stakeholders is gaining strength.
Bodies including the Football Association, European Leagues, European Football Clubs, the Union of European Clubs, the Football Supporters Association and Football Supporters Europe have already released strident statements, mostly condemning the lack of proper process, but with some going much further and demanding drastic change at the top of the game.
Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer30 July 2026 11:01
The Detroit Tigers are reportedly calling up top prospect Max Clark for this weekend’s series against the Athletics, giving fans their first look at one of the most important players in the organization’s future.
Emily Waldon first reported the promotion Thursday morning, with Cody Stavenhagen later confirming that Clark will join Detroit for the upcoming series.
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Max Clark Earns His Opportunity
Clark, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, has spent the 2026 season with Triple-A Toledo.
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The 21-year-old center fielder is batting .276 with a .368 on-base percentage and a .434 slugging percentage through 90 games. He has recorded 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.
Clark has also shown the strike-zone awareness that helped establish him as Detroit’s No. 1 prospect, drawing 50 walks while striking out 66 times.
The Tigers have moved him aggressively through the farm system, and his combination of speed, defense and on-base ability has kept him on a fast track toward Comerica Park.
Max Clark Detroit Tigers prospect Max Clark viral post criticism Max Clark Javier Báez Max Clark called up
What Clark’s Promotion Means for Detroit
It was not immediately clear whether Clark’s promotion would be permanent or limited to the weekend series.
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Either way, the move gives Detroit an opportunity to evaluate its prized young outfielder against major-league pitching while injecting some excitement into the roster.
Clark has been viewed as a central piece of the Tigers’ long-term plans since draft night. Now, Detroit fans are about to get their first glimpse of what he can do at baseball’s highest level.
Bottom Line
Max Clark is headed to the majors.
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After steadily climbing through Detroit’s system, the Tigers’ top prospect will reportedly join the club for its weekend series against the Athletics. Whether this is a brief look or the beginning of his permanent stay, one of the organization’s most anticipated debuts is finally here.
JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt reacted with a four-word message after the team revealed a special tribute paint scheme honoring the late NASCAR driver Michael Annett for the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Iowa Speedway. The event is scheduled to be held on Saturday, August 8.
The honor comes less than a year after Annett’s passing in December 2025 at the age of 39. He drove for Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kelley Earnhardt owned JR Motorsports from 2017 through 2021.
Thanks for the submission!
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To celebrate his lasting legacy, JRM driver Sammy Smith, who shared a close friendship with Annett, will pilot a throwback version of the #8 Chevrolet inspired by Annett’s iconic 2017 Pilot Flying J paint scheme. The car also features Annett’s signature shamrock, a symbol long associated with the Iowa native throughout his racing career.
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JRM shared the video of the special livery on Wednesday on their official social media accounts. Kelley Earnhardt posted the video on her Instagram story and wrote:
“We miss you Michael”
Kelley Earnhardt insta account
Annett’s lone win came with JRM in the 2019 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The Iowa-native also had three playoff berths and three ninth-place finishes in the points standings over the five years at JRM.
Kelley Earnhardt’s JRM driver Sammy Smith reacts to represent Michael Annett-inspired tribute livery at Iowa
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Pennzoil 250 Presented by Take 5 Oil Change – Source: Getty
The tribute carries added significance as the 2026 season heads to Iowa, Annett’s home-state track. The recreated 2017 Pilot Flying J design pays homage to one of the most recognizable paint schemes from Annett’s career and serves as a reminder of the impact he had on those around him.
Kelley Earnhardt’s JRM driver Sammy Smith’s connection to Annett makes the tribute even more meaningful.
In the video uploaded on Instagram, Smith expressed his emotions paying tribute to Annett, saying:
“Michael meant so much to me personally. I would say he probably was one of the biggest reasons I probably started racing. Kind of just growing up around the track watching him. Being from Iowa, I’m from Iowa. He grew up, he’s pretty much family to us. I think he was kind of right to do it at Iowa.”
“The Shamrock, it was kind of Michael’s thing. He always ran it on the back of his helmets pretty much through his whole career. I plan on carrying it with me the rest of my career and I think it’s just something to carry along for me personally and hopefully it’s making him proud. really cool that Pilot allowed us to do this for Iowa Weekend. It’s very special.”
Kelley Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports is leading the owners’ points standings and is the clear favorite to win the owners championship title.
Many years ago, before drunk-driving charges were euphemized as driving while intoxicated, Dan Marino liked to imbibe a little. But he also enjoyed getting around South Florida because he was the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, not a hermit.
Marino understood his stature in the community and what an unacceptable pratfall a drinking and driving charge would be on charges of his reputation. So he bought a limousine. And he hired a driver.
That driver, who happened to be the father of future NFL great and current Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan, would drive Marino everywhere, making sure the star quarterback, who liked a few drinks now and then, never had any issues on the road.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino broke Fran Tarkenton’s NFL career completion record with his 3,687th career completion on his fourth completion of the game. Marino finished the day with 3,702 career completions during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 8, 1995.(CHRIS BERNACCHI/AFP via Getty Images)
The NFL, its players and coaches could definitely use more of Dan Marino’s thinking now because events in the past couple of years suggest the league has something of a driving problem.
Consider what has happened this month so far:
July 22 – The Los Angeles Chargers release guard Ben Cleveland after he is arrested the week before on charges of speeding and driving with a limited permit, according to police reports obtained by the New York Post. That arrest came roughly one-and-a-half-years removed from Cleveland being arrested for DUI.
July 23: Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo is arrested in Wisconsin for OWI, which is Operating While Intoxicated, unsafe passing, open intoxicants, and refusing a breathalyzer. He was booked, and a hearing is scheduled for Sept. 21.
July 25: News of an accident involving Kyle Shanahan leaks. The San Francisco 49ers coach on July 14 suffered a broken hand, broken nose, broken ribs, a facial laceration and has been battling concussion symptoms after a head-on collision with another car. Although neither driver was cited, Shanahan this week took responsibility for the accident, saying he dropped his phone and lost control of his Tesla which hit an oncoming car.
July 28: Defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander is suspended by the Minnesota Vikings, the team announces, after he pleaded guilty to third-degree DWI. Alexander paid fines and fees, was assigned community service and will be on probation for two years. He is suspended until Aug. 13.
Rueben Bain Jr of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 25, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana.(Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“Certainly really wish the best for Ben and his family,” Commanders general manager Adam Peters said this week. “A lot of thought was put into that decision and, you know, it was unfortunate but hoping for the best for him and his family.”
Before the draft, OutKick reported that University of Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. got into an accident in October 2025 and was cited for reckless driving. That followed a March 2024 fatal accident in which Bain hit another car on I-95 in South Florida, setting off a chain reaction accident that eventually left one of his passengers non-responsive.
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That passenger eventually died.
Bain was drafted in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Top 10 prospect dropped to the No. 15 overall slot.
In this screen grab taken from dash camera video provided by Bill Nabors, two speeding sports cars, left and second from left, cause a chain-reaction crash on the North Central Expressway, in Dallas, Saturday, March 30, 2024. Dallas police said Wednesday, April 10, 2024, that Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver Rashee Rice faces charges including aggravated assault after he and another speeding driver of a sports car caused a chain-reaction crash on a Dallas highway.(Bill Nabors via AP)
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice served 30 days in jail from May to June because he tested positive for THC (marijuana) and the reason we know this is because those tests are part of a probation agreement stemming from his well-chronicled driving conviction.
Rice in July 2025 pleaded guilty to third-degree felony charges (collision involving serious bodily injury, and racing on a highway causing bodily injury) following a high-speed March 2024 crash in Dallas.
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Fox News Digital compiled records of 21 driving incidents involving NFL people dating back to 2024 that speak to drinking and driving, reckless driving or simply bad decision-making behind the wheel when viewed individually.
But when one understands NFL-connected people – not including their families – are involved in more than one traffic-related mishap per month on average, it could signal a problem.
An NFL spokesman could not be reached for comment on this matter, but a league source told Fox News Digital this is an individual and club matter.
Clubs instruct their employees not to drink and drive, something they probably should already know. Some clubs connect players and others with rideshare programs or tell players to call club security if they feel unsure of their ability to drive.
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But a large percentage of these incidents, like Shanahan’s head-on collision, do not involve alcohol.
More NFL drivers apparently could learn something from the Dan Marino example.
Manchester City have to accept that Rodri may not sign a new contract at the Etihad but have been here before with star players
Manchester City’s hopes of getting Rodri to recommit his future to the club have reduced since the season ended. The player has not accepted any offers of a new deal and Real Madrid are turning their attention to the Ballon d’Or winner as his contract ticks down.
Rodri is currently on holiday after minor surgery on his back and Enzo Maresca said last week that he expects him back at the Etihad before the new season starts. But given the delicate web that Rodri and City weave with Real Madrid there is likely to be plenty more noise before then about a potential transfer.
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City or Rodri could come out and put a stop to it all, with the player saying he is signing a new deal or the club putting a statement out detailing if there are any conditions that would allow for a sale. However, it is hard to see either party speaking up because it is not the sort of thing they do when they know it will antagonise people they are friendly to.
City have long held a golden rule with transfers that is often misquoted. Any player who wants to leave can do so as long as they bring an acceptable offer to the table – the second part is crucial.
Some Blues are already annoyed about the Rodri situation and that’s entirely understandable, and the last time City were in Hong Kong there was a situation where Pep Guardiola was steaming about how blatant Bayern Munich were being about signing Leroy Sane. City insisted he could leave as long as their valuation (of around £135m) was met, and when it wasn’t Sane played in the Community Shield and suffered an injury that ruined his season and his move.
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On more than one occasion, significant bids for Bernardo Silva were knocked back because the player was deemed too valuable to lose at that time; he didn’t like it but he got on with it and left as a club great. On a smaller but related note for Rodri, City got so fed up with Barcelona trying to lowball them over defender Eric Garcia they calculated it was more valuable to keep him and let him leave on a free than to take the number that Barcelona were willing to go up to.
This is common in football recruitment – Kevin De Bruyne enlisted the help of data companies to calculate how much he was worth to City and how much it would cost them to replace him – and there will be a number for Rodri. It isn’t public yet but it is far higher than the 50 million euros that was mentioned about Real this week.
City’s CEO Ferran Soriano does not like the emotional side of transfers, and seeing Rodri go so soon after Silva would be an enormous loss to the team. Soriano is a numbers man though and knows that loss can be calculated, so it does not have to play on City emotions for the rest of the summer if everyone is clear on what figure it will take for Real to take the man that could win the Ballon d’Or for the second time in three years after lifting the World Cup with Spain.
Football is a business, but the more noise from Madrid without the club meeting City’s transfer requirements the more annoyed the Blues and Maresca are going to get. In any negotiation, making your seller angry never usually works out well for the buyer.
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City have to accept that Rodri may not sign a new deal, but if they are to lose him either this summer or next it simply has to be on their terms.
The 2026 Little League Softball World Series will feature eight regional champions from across the United States and four international teams. The tournament will kick off at the Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park in Greenville, North Carolina on August 2 and will crown a new champion on August 9.
How to watch the 2026 Little League Softball World Series
The 2026 Little League Softball World Series will be shown on ESPN networks, with the final game broadcast on ABC. Additionally, games can be streamed on ESPN+.
Location: Greenville, North Carolina
Teams in the 2026 Little League Softball World Series
Anthony Joshua came close to a shock knockout defeat when tasked with Kristian Prenga on Saturday and the advice from his corner has been criticised. Now, Joshua’s trainer Iegor Golub has released a statement following his fighter’s concerning display.
‘AJ’ famously moved to Team Usyk last year, with Golub taking the reins for the first time ahead of Joshua’s unconventional bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, where the Briton scored a sixth round knockout win.
However, against Prenga, Joshua and Golub faced their first genuine heavyweight as a team, albeit one who entered the contest as a larger underdog than Paul did.
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The night did not go as planned for anyone involved, as Joshua was dropped twice in a disastrous opening round. Corner instructions from Sergey Lapin telling him “not to go down,” coupled with a somewhat confusing exchange with Golub, have left fans and pundits questioning the tactics employed.
On his Instagram, Golub responded by highlighting how impressive Joshua’s response to adversity was, before declaring that ‘a big fish’ is ahead of them.
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“It’s not mistakes that define a champion. It’s how he responds to them.
“A few moments passed after the first knockdown, and I glanced at the clock: 2:36 remained in the round. Those were probably the longest two and a half minutes of my life. I imagine they were for AJ as well.
“But he pulled himself together, showed his character, and weathered the storm. There was a lot at stake. We all understood that then, and we understand it even more now.
“I don’t see much point in commenting on the knockout itself. The power in his hands is incredible, and every single day we work to make that weapon as sharp as it can possibly be.
“Huge thanks to the Ready to Fight team for their work, to Oleksandr Usyk, and to my loved ones who traveled to the other side of the world to support us.
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“Ahead of us is a “very big fish” that won’t forgive a single mistake. Anthony won’t forgive a single mistake too.”
Joshua and Fury are expected to face each other in November with Netflix set to be the broadcaster of a blockbuster bill.
“We must not let it become a pawn in the hands of investors. We must not lose the fans’ support, but we are well on our way to squandering that support. I consider this extremely problematic and unacceptable.”
Neuendorf said he “had to learn the news from the newspaper. That’s no way to treat people.” He said Infantino’s method was “extremely troubling. When you sit on the committee, you want to be able to actively participate in decisions and express your opinion. That has to be a process, but none of that is happening at FIFA — not on important issues, and especially not now with the investor issue.”
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Bundesliga clubs slam FIFA World Cup plan
As well as widespread fan discontent, expressed via social media, leading German clubs have voiced their dissatisfaction with the plans.
“I am ashamed that we even discuss such ideas in football. Football does not belong to us,” Bayern Munich’s board member for sport Max Eberl told Sky.
“I have the feeling that FIFA exists solely to make a profit. It disgusts me,” he added.
“Why does FIFA feel it needs to reinvent the wheel? In my view, this initiative is not a good idea at all,” said Borussia Dortmund’s CEO Carsten Cramer, while his equivalent at Stuttgart, Alexander Wehrle, lent his support to the DFB and European football governor UEFA’s stance against the proposal.
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“Driving the commercialization of football in this direction without even a semblance of a common, sensible goal would send a disastrous message,” he said.
“Let’s just say: this is our game, not theirs. These two people (Infantino and Trump), who both have no idea about football, should have nothing to do with that,” he said.
Germany and UEFA keen to make voice heard
Despite falling behind on the pitch in recent times, Germany still holds plenty of sway in European football’s governing body and will likely be a key voice when that organization meets, reportedly on Thursday. Neundorf added that: “If UEFA rejects this request (for approval of the plan), then it is dead, because I believe that you won’t be able to find any investor who would be willing to go ahead with this project if UEFA is out.”
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Bernd Neundorf (right) has been critical of how Gianni Infantino has handled his latest proposalImage: Federico Gambarini/dpa/picture alliance
This is not the first time that Germany has protested against a FIFA decision. At the Qatar World Cup in 2022, the men’s team covered their mouths before a game against Japan in protest at not being allowed to wear the rainbow armband to support LGBT+ rights. The lack of support from other federations for that action made Germany hesitant to repeat it in World Cup 2026 despite widespread concerns about ticket prices, the failure to issue visas to fans and officials from certain countries and Infantino’s relationship with Trump.
Fan engagement means DFB must be strong in message and action
But the Balogun case, and the new sell off proposal may have been beyond the pale. The DFB know that they must toe a particularly careful line on these issues due to the country’s football culture.
In 2024, the DFL, the organization that operate the Bundesliga, was forced to climb down from plans to sell a share of its TV rights to foreign investors due to fan protests that included tennis balls and remote control cars with smoke bombs being thrown on the pitch during matches.
Fan protests against commercialization are common in the Bundesliga. This reads “No to investors in the DFL”Image: Moritz Müller/IMAGO
However, the DFL confirmed on Sunday that it had received an “unsolicited proposal for a debt financing model at the league association level” and have “begun a general, preliminary review of the proposal and its legal feasibility.” German newspaper Bild reported that finance firm Apollo is looking to loan the Bundesliga at least €1 billion ($1.14 billion), with the domestic media rights serving as collateral in the deal. Any notion the DFL will accept this would likely be strenuously opposed by fan groups.
In May, fans of Bayern and Stuttgart unfurled a huge banner featuring a crossed out DFB logo at this year’s German Cup final in protest at high ticket prices.
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Such actions are commonplace in German football, with the 50+1 ownership model, that bars single investors owning a majority stake in a club, ensuring fans retain more power than in most other European nations.
Even if Germany and UEFA continue to protest Infantino’s decisions and presidency, the Swiss executive will likely retain control unless other confederations, particularly Africa and Asia, follow suit. Although UEFA only has 55 of 211 votes, it remains the most powerful confederation within FIFA and with leadership from a powerful nation like Germany, Infantino may start to feel the heat.
The seventh day of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow proved to be another memorable outing for Team India. The day was headlined by star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar grabbing a silver medal and an unprecedented clean sweep by Indian boxers in their quarterfinal bouts.
Sreeshankar produced a stellar leap of 8.09m in the Men’s Long Jump Final to secure India’s 13th official medal of the Games. Meanwhile, the Indian boxing squad enjoyed an historic day in the ring, winning all six of their quarterfinal matches to guarantee six additional medals.
Murali Sreeshankar leaps to silver in Men’s Long Jump at Commonwealth Games 2026
Murali Sreeshankar wins silver medal (Image via Wikipedia)Jaismine Lamboria qualifies for semi finals (Image via Olympics)
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Star athlete Murali Sreeshankar delivered a trademark performance in the Commonwealth Games Men’s Long Jump Final, taking the Silver Medal with an impressive leap of 8.09m on his second attempt. Sreeshankar held the gold medal position for much of the competition before Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle clinched gold with an 8.15m attempt in the fourth round. Fellow Indian jumper Lokesh Satyanathan also put up a valiant effort, finishing in the top five with a best mark of 7.70m.
Dilip Gavit grabs Gold, Mohammed Basil wins Silver in Commonwealth Games Men’s 100m T47 Final
Late into the night, India’s para-athletics stars delivered one of the absolute highlights of Day 7 in the Men’s 100m T47 Final. Executing a brilliant race, Dilip Mahadu Gavit stormed across the finish line in 10.71 seconds to capture a glorious Gold Medal for Team India. Right behind him, teammate Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath clocked 10.83 seconds to take the Silver Medal, completing a memorable 1-2 podium sweep for India on the track.
In field events, Devender Kumar and Sagar Thayat also put up strong efforts representing the nation in the Men’s Discus Throw F42-44/F61-64 Final.
Indian boxers script history with six quarterfinal victories at Commonwealth Games 2026
It was a flawless day for the Indian boxing contingent at the OVO Hydro, as all six Indian pugilists in action won their quarterfinal bouts to advance to the semi-finals, assuring India of at least six more bronze medals:
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Jaismine Lamboria (Women’s 57kg Quarterfinal): Earned a hard-fought split-decision victory over England’s Elise Glynn.
Sakshi Choudhary (Women’s 51kg Quarterfinal): Outclassed Northern Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers to book her semi-final spot.
Arundhati Choudhary (Women’s 70kg Quarterfinal): Dominantly outpointed Morgan Henderson of New Zealand.
Sachin Siwach (Men’s 60kg Quarterfinal): Advanced with a convincing win against Botswana’s Treasure Moremi.
Ankush Yadav (Men’s 80kg Quarterfinal): Defeated Jade Micock of Seychelles to progress to the semi-finals.
Narender Berwal (Men’s 90+kg Quarterfinal): Beat Michael Seko of Samoa to complete the historic 6-for-6 day.
Track, pool, and other key outcomes for India at Commonwealth Games 2026
Tajinder Singh Toor for India (Image via Getty Images)
In field events, shot put stars Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill both performed strongly in qualification to secure their spots in the Commonwealth Games Men’s Shot Put Final. In the Women’s Shot Put Final, Manpreet Kaur came close to the podium, finishing in 4th place with a best throw of 17.00m.
On the track:
Yashas Palaksha finished 3rd in Heat 1 of the Men’s 400m Hurdles with a time of 49.65s.
Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan also took 3rd in Heat 2, clocking 49.51s.
Animesh Kujur won Heat 4 with a season-best time of 20.46s.to rank 7th overall and comfortably qualify for the semi-finals of Men’s 200m Heats.
Across other sports:
Lawn Bowls: India secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Namibia in the Men’s Pairs sectional play.
Para Swimming: Suyash Narayan Jadhav and Chaitanya Vishwas Kulkarni both advanced to the final of the Men’s 50m Freestyle S7.
Weightlifting: Sanjana suffered an unfortunate setback in the Women’s 77kg Final, failing to register a successful lift across her three attempts.
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