PGA Tour players don’t often retire. Not really. Not publicly.
Some keep playing forever, transitioning gracefully to the Champions tour, teeing it up for Charles Schwab points from South Dakota to South Florida until the end of time. Others play as long as they can, clinging to status even as it dwindles, dropping one ladder rung at a time until there’s no denying the fact that both feet have reached the ground.
But we don’t often get the sorts of farewell tours we see in other sports. We don’t get thank-you ads taken out in newspapers or teary, reflective press conferences — not unless you’re Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer, when it finally happens in your mid-60s or mid-70s. So we often miss the perspective of life on the margins, the exit interviews of pros who have made it work for a while but eventually reach the end.
Enter Martin Trainer.
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In some ways, Trainer’s career is strange and unique. For a while he had a Ricky Bobby-esque trajectory, either contending to win or missing the cut; he clambered onto the PGA Tour via multiple Korn Ferry Tour victories and then won in his first season, which locked up several more years of status.
But in other ways Trainer can speak to the typical pro’s Tour experience better than the guys we typically hear from, the Schefflers and Schauffeles and McIlroys and Morikawas of the world. He’s fought for status, he’s hopped tours, he’s waited around as an alternate, he’s Monday qualified and Q-Schooled and missed cut after cut and yes, he’s occasionally won.
Now he’s taking a unique post-PGA Tour path, prepping for psychology school as he mulls a career as a therapist. Pro golf, he says, gives you plenty of experience with pressure and stress.
Trainer shared 10 things he learned in an all-new retirement-announcement-turned-interview on the Drop Zone. Pieces of five are below; you can find a whole bunch more on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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(Side note: I wrote my own retirement letter several years ago, though as a spoiler alert I never won on the PGA Tour.)
1. There is (obviously) some really cool stuff about being a pro golfer.
People generally assume that playing the PGA Tour means you’re living the dream; the reality, if you’re not a top dog, is more complex. But yeah, Trainer confirmed with specifics: there is plenty of stuff that’s awesome.
“I think there’s those exhilarating moments that I can’t imagine you can experience outside of professional sports. It’s the moment where you make a long putt and the crowd cheers,” Trainer said. “It’s kind of a surreal, out-of-body experience. If you’re playing 17 at [TPC] Sawgrass, you’re hitting that tee shot and you hit it on the green, or let’s say you birdie that hole and the crowd goes wild. I think those are the peak experiences that are surreal and kind of hard to wrap your mind around.
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“I don’t think it’s a very ‘natural’ experience to be put in that setting, but it’s certainly extremely thrilling. And I don’t think the rest of my life will ever include a moment like that ever again.”
But beyond the cheer, the career also provides a certain clarity of purpose. I thought there was something relatable and beautiful about the way Trainer described this bit:
“In terms of the lifestyle, I think what’s cool about playing professional golf is that you always have a goal. You always have a new week. You always have something that you’re working towards. I think in our modern lifestyle there are a lot of people that feel aimless, feel disjointed and divorced from community, and you have this sense of purpose, I think, with golf, where you really get to pursue your goal.
“It’s a craft. It’s a craft that feels important and meaningful. And I think that part really grounds you. It allows you to continuously look forward to something. And so it’s sort of psychological catnip. Because you always have next week, even if you bomb and miss the cut by seven shots, you always can just do a couple tweaks on the range and hope it goes better next week.”
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Martin Trainer at the 2019 Puerto Rico Open.
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2. Pro golf can be brutal, too.
“We just talked about the good parts. I think unfortunately there’s a lot of parts that are really challenging, especially from like a mental health standpoint,” Trainer said. “I think there’s something really unnatural, I guess, about flying every week to a new location, living in a hotel, never truly having a sense of community, never recognizing your surroundings, never having a routine that involves the place that you’re in. … When you are in a new place, especially the first couple of years you’re out there, you’re trying to really savor it and enjoy it. But I remember my rookie year, I randomly joined up with Rory Sabbatini in a practice round. It was like, my third event. And I foolishly asked Rory, I was like, ‘Hey, how many times have you played this event? Do you usually play here? Have you played here before?’
And he just looks at me with a straight face and he’s like, ‘I’ve played here for 24 straight years.’
“And it’s like, at a certain point, maybe he did go to the fun little museum that they have at the center of town, 22 years ago. And maybe you have your little restaurant that you go to. But the years add up and I think it’s harder as time goes on to get excited about those things.”
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For Trainer, whose PGA Tour status eventually petered out, one rock-bottom stretch stands out — particularly one tournament that ended with a splash:
“I think there was one specific moment that I think was the lowest I’ve ever been,” he said. “It was a couple years ago at the 3M [Open]. So, relatively late in the season, I had a great first round. I shot like six under par or something like that.I was in second or third place after the first round. [Editor’s note: Confirmed, Trainer opened with 65 and was T3.] And I’d just missed a bunch of cuts, so I was like, ‘Oh, finally, I’m gonna have a big week. This is gonna be my week.’
“And the second round I just completely bombed. It was really windy, tough conditions, and I just kept making bogey after bogey. And it comes down to the last hole, and all I need to do is make par or bogey to make the cut.
“And I just like, flare my iron shot into the water and I make double bogey. And I was just so devastated. And that is something that I will not miss. That moment of just like, utter devastation, of some glimmer of hope that’s just snatched away from you is just really brutal.”
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3. Pressure is very real.
Trainer described first-tee pressure as “an eight out of 10” but said that still pales in comparison to contention, where it climbs to “11, or more.” His best illustration of that phenomenon? Enter the 2024 Zurich Classic, where Trainer and his partner Chad Ramey ended up in a playoff against Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
“I couldn’t feel the club, basically,” Trainer said. “And I just remember afterwards, I was like, I just had so little control over what I was doing. I mean, it was truly what they talk about where you can’t even think. Like, when you’re on the range, you can have a swing thought. Here there was no swing thought, there was just survival, you’re in fight or flight, and you just have to hit this ball, and it’s hard to simulate that. It’s hard to even imagine being in it. But you truly resort to like the most primitive form of like, hand-eye coordination at that point. You really can’t even attempt to control the club. You’re just going to swing. It’s just one mode. It’s swing.”
How’d it go for Trainer in the playoff?
“You know, mixed,” he said with a grin. “I mean, I hit a good drive, but then I had a really difficult pitch shot and I sort of flubbed it. And then I had to putt to tie the hole to move on to the next. It was about six feet and I just completely shoved it to the right. And I think it’s just hard to even control a club at that point, you’re just kind of hitting it.”
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4. Celebrity is strange.
Trainer said he himself never reached anything close to celebrity status — “if I went to the grocery store or stepped outside of the golf course, no one knew who I was” — but his win at the 2019 Puerto Rico Open thrust him alongside fellow winners in top tee times and gave him proximity to the Tour’s biggest names.
“It truly is a curse in some sense,” he said. “I think regular people … everyone seems to dream about celebrity and social status and, you know, being recognized, but I struggle to find any positives in that. Just going to the grocery store or hopping on a flight and having people come up to you and say all sorts of weird, wacky stuff to you? It can’t be a fun experience. … I remember playing Pebble Beach with Jordan Spieth, and there was just one particularly obnoxious fan that kept yelling at him over and over again. And after a while, it’s like, you can’t just ignore it, you have to address it. And so he went over and kind of told him — this person was aggressively trying to get his autograph in the middle of play, and he politely told them to come ask after the round. But yeah, dealing with that, it would drive me crazy. I don’t know how those guys do it.”
5. The best course on Tour? They blend together — with one exception.
As a pro golfer, Trainer said, you’re generally far more concerned with the score you can shoot on a course than its history or architecture. But not always.
“You’re right that they all end up blurring together, but there are a few that are exceptional,” he said. “Number one, I think by far, is Pebble Beach. Like that was the only practice round that you look forward to all year.
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“You assume that professional golfers love golf. Actually … a practice round, especially when you’re tired from travel or not in a good mood, can be a drag.
“But playing Pebble Beach was always a treat, practice round or not.”
You can listen to the rest of the interview below, or follow the Drop Zone at one of these links:
Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Switzerland star Johan Manzambi who is currently starring for his country at the World Cup
Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller has explained why his former club should swoop in and sign Johan Manzambi amid rumours of potential interest from Manchester United. The Reds have been credited with an interest in signing the Switzerland international ahead of the summer transfer.
United are yet to strengthen their squad ahead of next season but have already reached an agreement to complete their first signing of the window.
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Atalanta star Ederson is expected to become a United player this summer after the club agreed a £35million deal with the Serie A outfit for the Brazilian, which also includes a further £3.8million in add-ons.
It remains to be seen who else United will look to target this summer, with Freiburg star Manzambi being mentioned as a potential target over the last few months.
Manzambi is currently starring for Switzerland at this summer’s World Cup, which is being held in North America, and put in an impressive performance in the country’s 4-1 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina earlier this week.
The 20-year-old midfielder – who is reported to be valued at around £43million, scored two goals in the game and has since been praised by Muller, who has urged his former club, Bayern, to make a move this summer.
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“He’s a good player overall. We’ve had him on our list for a while now,” Muller stated on MagentaTV.
“For me, he’s someone, and now we can make a headline, that FC Bayern should also consider.
“You can sense his flexibility. You can also sense his carefree attitude. At the same time, you can already see a certain maturity in his actions, in his decision-making, his work ethic.
“He’s now in Freiburg in a team where they really work hard. I think his development is very, very good. He’s a player who can play as No.6 he can play as No.8, he can play as No.10. He wears No.9 on his back, so maybe we could also market him as a striker!”
Manzambi admitted he was going to find it tough to come back down to earth after his World Cup goals for Switzerland.
“Honestly, it’s incredible, it’s the first brace of my career, and at the World Cup on top of that,” Manzambi said via FIFA’s website.
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“Scoring two goals in front of the fans and my family, that’s very, very nice. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
A promising filly, Chains Of Love, is set to compete in black-type events again after a commanding win in the Highway Handicap at Randwick, where she proved too strong for a field of more seasoned gallopers.
This exceptionally bred daughter of I Am Invincible, out of the 2015 Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me, is being prepared for a trip to Victoria. Her next likely start is the Listed Creswick Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington next month, followed by a brief rest before targeting The Kosciuszko (1200m).
“There is a stakes race for three-year-olds in Melbourne in two weeks down the straight, so that could be a possibility,” stated the filly’s trainer, Paul Messara.
“Then we’ll probably give her a little let-up and go for the ‘Kosi’.”
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Messara elaborated on his plans, saying, “I thought she was a Kosciuszko type.”
The Highway Handicap (1200m) at Randwick marked only the fifth start for Chains Of Love. In her previous race, she finished midfield in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Messara noted that Chains Of Love is still developing but performed admirably under the circumstances, especially given a wide draw at Randwick. He also commended the ride from jockey Aaron Bullock.
“He put her in a position to win the race, and she was too good late,” Messara commented.
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“She’s still learning her craft, but she’s progressive,” he added.
Messara also provided an update on the juvenile Cormier, who is currently spelling after finishing second to Tron Bolt in the J J Atkins Stakes (1600m) in Brisbane. The colt is being readied for an ambitious spring campaign.
“He’s great. He’s having a little break, and he will be back for a Golden Rose ‘prep’,” the trainer confirmed.
With the Creswick Sprint Series Final approaching, consider checking out the available racing odds on top Australian betting sites.
It’s been talked about ever since Serena Williams announced nearly three weeks ago that she was returning to professional tennis after almost four years away from the sport.
Still, seeing the single-sentence announcement from The All England Club that the 23-time Grand Slam champion will play singles at Wimbledon was stunning nonetheless.
“Serena Williams (USA) receives the final ladies’ singles wild card,” read the key line in Sunday’s announcement, which was issued eight days before the grass-court Grand Slam begins.
At 44, Williams will actually play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon after already accepting a wild card for the doubles competition with older sister Venus.
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“This is not a drill,” Wimbledon said on its social media accounts Sunday.
Commented the WTA Tour, “Name a more iconic returnwe’ll wait.”
Wimbledon held open the eighth and final women’s singles wild card spot until Williams made up her mind. As recently as earlier this week after losing a doubles match in Berlin, she appeared to be waffling over the decision.
“Oh my gosh, there are some left?” she replied when she was told there was still a wild card spot open.
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Wild cards are special invitations handed out by tournament organisers, which allow former champions and others access to the main draw without the necessary entry qualifications. But then she mused about her readiness for it.
“Do you think I’m ready for singles?” she asked a reporter and then turned to doubles partner Karolina Muchova to ask what she thought.
“I think I would be interested in it,” the Czech player responded.
“That’s the question of the hour, right?” Williams said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I wonder why there’s I don’t know.”
Well, now that Williams has made up her mind, the big remaining question is how she can physically handle singles play after so long.
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Serena’s most-recent singles match was a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 US Open. At the time, she said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis.
Her second daughter was born in 2023.
“Just finished a mean game of duck duck goose,” Williams said on X after the wild card announcement.
Of Williams’ 23 Grand Slam titles in singles, seven have come at Wimbledon: in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016. She’s also won 14 Grand Slams in doubles, all with Venus, and six of them at Wimbledon.
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Serena also swept the singles and doubles (with Venus) titles at the 2012 London Olympics, when the tennis competition was held on the hallowed grass of the All England Club.
At her last Wimbledon appearance in 2022, Serena was beaten in the opening round by 115th-ranked Harmony Tan in her first match since having to stop less than a set into her opening contest at the All England Club because of an injury the year before.
Serena won a doubles match with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club last week but the pair had to withdraw after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.
In another doubles match at the Berlin Open on Tuesday, Serena and Muchova were beaten by Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.
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As of Sunday, Serena had not entered the singles draws of any grass-court tuneup tournaments before Wimbledon.
She will learn who her first-round opponent is on Friday when the singles draws for Wimbledon are held.
While she’s No. 593 in the doubles rankings courtesy of her victory last week, Serena has no singles ranking after being away for so long.
Iga Swiatek is the defending Wimbledon champion, while Aryna Sabalenka is ranked No. 1.
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Because Serena has no ranking, she could potentially face Swiatek, Sabalenka or any other top-ranked player in the opening rounds.
Iran made World Cup history on Saturday by naming the oldest starting line-up ever seen at the tournament, but the experienced side still had enough quality to earn a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Belgium in California.
The Iranian team started the match with an average age of more than 32 years, setting a new World Cup record. Despite their age, they matched Belgium throughout the contest and came close to securing all three points.
Iran thought they had taken the lead in the first half through striker Mehdi Taremi. Captain Ehsan Hajisafi cleverly rolled a free-kick around the Belgian wall for Taremi, who turned and fired past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
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However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside.
While Iran’s squad was the oldest in World Cup history, it was Belgium who appeared short of energy at times. The 2018 World Cup semi-finalists dominated possession, enjoying 81 per cent of the ball in the opening half, but created very few clear chances.
Kevin De Bruyne saw an effort blocked, while Maxim De Cuyper forced a save from Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, but Belgium struggled to break down the organised Iranian defence.
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Iran continued to threaten after the break. Taremi tested Courtois with a powerful effort before Belgium responded through De Cuyper, whose close-range shot was saved by Beiranvand.
Belgium’s task became more difficult in the 65th minute when defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off. The defender panicked after a poor backpass and brought down Taremi as the Iranian forward raced towards goal.
With a numerical advantage, Iran pushed for a winner, but Courtois produced another important save to deny Saeid Ezatolahi’s long-range strike.
Belgium also had late opportunities, with De Cuyper going close again, but neither side could find a breakthrough.
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The draw leaves both teams with plenty to play for heading into their final group matches, while Iran’s veteran squad continued to prove that experience can still be a valuable weapon on football’s biggest stage.
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has some advice for Lamine Yamal, the Spain prodigy who just scored at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 18-year-old was on target in their Group H clash with Saudi Arabia as the reigning European champions cruised to a massive 4-0 victory in Atlanta.
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Racing into the box, Yamal latched onto a cross from Mikel Oyarzabal to make a sliding finish near the post to put Spain 1-0 up and score his first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Given his prodigious talents, the Spanish dynamite is often billed as a future legend who could match the records of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for club and country.
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But ex-manager Frank had some advice for him when speaking about Lamine Yamal’s performance tonight on the BBC:
“These tap-in goals of Lamine Yamal, he needs to score them MUCH more if he wants to reach the highest level like Ronaldo and Messi.”
The former Spurs manager is implying that Yamal needs to score a high volume of goals to enter the same bracket as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom have netted over 900 times throughout their illustrious careers.
Their blistering exploits have seen them play an instrumental role for all their sides, guiding them to numerous trophies, while also picking up individual accolades such as the prestigious Ballon d’Or along the way.
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Lamine Yamal, who is just three weeks away from turning 19, has accomplished a lot in his nascent career already. He’s won three LaLiga titles with Barcelona in addition to three more domestic cups (one Copa del Rey and two Spanish Supercups) while helping Spain win a fourth Euro Cup title in 2024.
He was awarded the LaLiga Player of the Season honor for the 2025-26 season while also finishing as the runner-up to Ousmane Dembele in last year’s Ballon d’Or rankings.
Since breaking onto the scene in 2023, Lamine Yamal has scored 49 goals and assisted 52 times for the Catalans, while netting seven times and making 12 assists for Spain’s national team too.
Lamine Yamal opens his World Cup account as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo close out theirs
With a goal today, Lamine Yamal officially opened his goalscoring account at the FIFA World Cup – a first of potentially many to come in the years ahead.
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But as he looks to make his mark on the biggest stage of them all, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play their last World Cups with their respective national teams.
It marks the end of an era for two of football’s modern-day greats, while Lamine Yamal’s rise simultaneously weaves a new story, one that could emulate the outgoing legends someday.
Marcus Armstrong lost a near-certain victory at the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America after a late-race mechanical failure forced him to retire with just four laps remaining.
After starting third, the 25-year-old New Zealander out-lasted a complex blend of strategies courtesy of a chaotic 55-lap race that featured five cautions and constantly shook up the running order. He was out front for 14 laps, including the closing stages of the race where he held more than a 2.5s advantage over Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard with less than five laps remaining.
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However, disaster struck as Armstrong’s #66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda began to slow with four laps to go, allowing Lundgaard to overtake him for the lead. Moments later, Armstrong exited the final corner of the 14-turn, 4.014-mile natural terrain road course, smoke began to appear and brought out the final caution, forcing him to pull off track and retire, while setting up a one-lap shootout that saw Lundgaard fend off Team Penske’s David Malukas for the win.
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Armstrong confirmed to FOX Sports after the race that he received no advanced warning on his dashboard or from his engineers before the issue.
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“No,” Armstrong said. “No, I mean, it was all smooth sailing. I came out at Turn 6 and the engine just started spluttering like it was out of fuel, but clearly it wasn’t. And then it just completely died. So I don’t know, we have to speak to Honda, see what the issue was, but it was… there was no indication that there was something wrong.”
Despite leaving with a 24th-place result, Armstrong praised the operational execution of his Meyer Shank Racing team, noting that they fielded the fastest car of the weekend.
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“I’m massively proud of the guys, the guys and girls on the #66, because we had the quickest car out there today,” Armstrong said.
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“I think we had the quickest car really this weekend. Obviously, Alex was quick too, but yeah, I mean, my engineers did everything right. My pit crew as well, like every pit stop was spot on. And I thought that was, you know, that was ours to lose. We had, I had some time in the pocket already. So for Lundgaard, obviously he was coming, but yeah, just gutted really.”
The midfielder has been in fine form for Germany at the World Cup and could head to the Premier League this summer
Felix Nmecha is available for just £52m as he continues to turn heads at the World Cup. The Germany international has contributed to three goals so far, including the assist for the winning strike against the Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Nmecha is reportedly open to leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer and eager to return to England, with Manchester Unitedamong the clubs tracking him. The 25-year-old left the Manchester City academy setup in 2021 for a fresh start at Wolfsburg, before earning a £26m switch to BVB two years on.
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Since making that move, the midfielder has racked up 21 goal contributions in 112 outings for the Bundesliga outfit and secured a place in Germany’s World Cup squad. He scored and assisted in the nation’s emphatic 7-1 thrashing of Curacao before adding another assist to help seal progression to the knockout rounds.
The 25-year-old’s reputation has never been higher. Reports indicate that although Nmecha penned a fresh Dortmund contract in March, his long-term future at the club remains uncertain.
It is understood that a deal could be struck for around £52m, a figure that has attracted considerable interest in the midfielder. However, United could face stiff competition from Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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Nmecha’s brother Lukas also came through the ranks at City before linking up with Felix at Wolfsburg. The striker is now back on English soil with Leeds United, and his younger sibling could well follow suit this summer.
TeamTalk reports that the midfielder’s camp believes there is a genuine chance for the player to secure a transfer during the window, with interest in his abilities likely to remain strong throughout the major tournament.
Numerous Premier League supporters have taken to social media to express their enthusiasm over Nmecha’s display against the Ivory Coast, urging their respective clubs to make their move. One Chelsea supporter wrote: “Felix Nmecha, what a player. I need him beside Caicedo.”
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Another commented: “If Xabi Alonso will need a midfielder who can carry the ball, win duels, cover ground, dominate transitions, and impact games at Chelsea. I have 2 names Felix Nmecha and Angelo Stiller.”
An Arsenal supporter added: “Felix Nmecha is a midfield general. He does literally everything with the ball, a 6’4 midfielder that turns fluidity like a ballerina, as defensively solid as a bull, passes the ball like a proper maestro. He should definitely be on Arsenal’s shortlist.”
One United supporter weighed in, stating: “INEOS Felix Nmecha isn’t a gamble, he’s a proven midfielder. We should be going all in for him if Matheus Fernandes won’t work.”
Some are calling it the World Cup of the red card.
When Belgium’s Nathan Ngoy was sent off with a straight red in the 66th minute vs. Iran on Sunday, red-card history was made.
Ngoy’s was the eighth red card issued at this edition of the World Cup, which ties the last two World Cups combined, The Athletic shared on X. There were exactly four red cards issued in Qatar and Russia, respectively.
Two matches at this tournament have featured two send-offs — the opening match between South Africa and Mexico, and Canada’s match on Thursday vs. Qatar.
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Ngoy’s illegal challenge was made to prevent an Iranian breakaway, which is by rule worthy of a straight send-off. Iran was unable to capitalize despite being up a man, and the match finished 0-0.
The 2006 World Cup in Germany featured 28 red cards, which is the most all-time at one tournament.
TOPSHOT – Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova poses with the trophy after winning the women’s singles final match against Jessica Pegula of the US at the WTA500 Berlin Tennis Open tournament in Berlin on June 21, 2026. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP via Getty Images)
Linda Noskova captured the biggest title of her career after defeating Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the Berlin Open final.
The victory secured Noskova’s second WTA title and will see the Czech star break into the Top 10 of the world rankings for the first time.
Facing one of the toughest opponents on tour, Noskova produced another impressive performance to improve her head-to-head record against Pegula to 3-1.
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The title caps a remarkable week for the 20-year-old, who continued the powerful form that has made her one of the most dangerous players on the WTA Tour heading into Wimbledon.
It was also Noskova’s 13th career win over a Top 10 opponent and her 22nd victory of the 2026 season.
After lifting the trophy, Noskova took time to thank the people who helped her reach the biggest moment of her career.
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“I wanna give a big thanks to my team… To my coach supporting me the whole week, to the rest of the team supporting me back home, my whole journey,” she said.
The Czech star also thanked a friend who travelled to Berlin to support her during the tournament.
“I really appreciate every one of you guys. Thank you.
Alex Eala headsto Homburg as the27th seed. —WTA PHOTO
Alex Eala’s most memorable 2026 WTA run ended on Sunday morning in Manila when the Czech Linda Noskova needed just 69 minutes to bundle out the hard-fighting pride of the Philippines in the semifinals of the Berlin Open.
And that leaves the 21-year-old setting her sights on another WTA 500 event starting Monday when she battles Elise Mertens in the round-of-32 of the Bad Homburg Open at the Spielbank Bad Homburg Centre Court.
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There will be no shortage of giants to chop down in Homburg in Germany, with former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland and newly crowned French Open champion Meera Andreeva ranked 1-2 in the event and where Eala will get a chance of facing Noskova again after taking a 6-2, 6-4 defeat in Berlin.
With Filipino blood
A second player with Filipino roots in Leyla Fernandez of Canada is also entered and they could find their paths crossing in the quarterfinals with Fernandez opening up against wild card Katie Boulter.
Eala, who owns a win over Swiatek carved out in magical Miami Open stint last year, had said in Berlin that she was just thankful for the chance of playing some of the biggest names in the world—and beating some of them like world No. 2 Elena Rybakina before taking out Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
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The Filipino made the Berlin draw as a wildcard and sealed a place in the final four after humbling world No. 8 Svitolina, 6-3, 6-4. Eala wasted no time paying tribute to her vanquished opponent.
“Elina is a huge fighter, and I’ve seen it many times,” Eala said in her on-court interview after the match on Friday, Berlin time.
Shot at Adreeva
“I’ve been watching her since I was a kid, so to be able to compete with her today is such an honor, and I really admire her. She’s a mother, and I find her to act with such elegance and strength, and I’m really lucky to have had this match today.”
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Svitolina, like Swiatek, Andreeva and Karolina Muchova all earned first round byes, with Eala, being at the bottom half of the draw as the 27th seed, having a shot at Andreeva in the third round.
But for that to happen, Eala would of course have to beat Martens first to advance into a likely collision with another charismatic player in Japan’s Naomi Osaka, another multiple Grand Slam winner entered as the 25th seed in Homburg.
Noskova, meanwhile, now has a 2-0 record against Eala and will battle Jessica Pegula of the United States after the American scored an impressive 6-4, 7-6, 6-0 dismantling of current No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the other semifinal.
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