Salah has played for the senior national team for 14 years and his importance to Egypt is such that high-ranking government officials have been known to get involved when he has been injured.

“I even had calls from Egypt’s Minister of Health,” recalls Dr Mohamed Aboud, the national team’s medic, about the time Salah suffered a serious shoulder injury in Liverpool‘s defeat to Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final, leading to speculation he could miss the World Cup in Russia a few weeks later.

“I told him not to panic, everything is going well.”

Speaking from his medical clinic in the Maadi area of Egypt’s capital, Dr Aboud adds: “I was younger and the pressure from inside the country was intense.

“I had calls from so many people trying to help. One of our board members told me I was now one of the most important people in the whole world.

“This situation changed me as a person.”

For the record, Salah did recover to play in two of his country’s three group games but was unable to prevent Egypt from making a quick exit after defeats to Uruguay, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

“I need to tell you that Salah was involved in every single goal in our 2018 World Cup qualification campaign,” says former Egypt assistant coach Mahmoud Fayez at his home on the outskirts of Cairo.

Salah had scored a dramatic 95th-minute penalty against Congo in Alexandria to secure a 2-1 win and book Egypt’s place at the World Cup, with one qualifying game to spare, for the first time in 28 years.

In a nail-biting game, Salah put Egypt ahead before Congo equalised three minutes from time.

“Do you know when you can listen to silence? I listened to the silence when Congo scored – 75,000 fans and silence everywhere,” adds Fayez.

Then came the penalty that turned Salah into a national hero.

“Imagine it, a nation of nearly 120 million waiting for this moment to qualify,” says Fayez. “He had the toughest and most difficult moment for one player, a penalty in the 95th minute that Mohamed had to score.

“He scored it and he made us all proud. In the dressing room afterwards he started to dance, hug everyone and he was shouting ‘we did it, we did it’, after 28 years, we did it.”

In Cairo is a football academy called ‘The Maker’, founded and run by former Tottenham and Egypt striker Mido, who is hoping to produce players who will follow in Salah’s footsteps.

“I played for the national team in front of 110,000 people when I was only 17, the youngest player to represent Egypt,” Mido says. “I love to feel that people depend on me and Salah is the same.”

At the time of our visit, a classroom lesson for young players about the mindset required to become a top professional is taking place.

Underneath Salah’s name on a whiteboard, one of the coaches has written “discipline, dedication and motivation”.

“The reason Salah is where he is now is because he works on his mental strength daily,” Mido adds.

“He is the greatest ambassador for Egypt and for African players as well. He made European clubs respect Arab players, this is what Salah has done.

“I think a lot of European clubs now, when they see a young player from Egypt, they think of Salah. He has made our young players dream.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder are out.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs ended OKC’s title defence in seven games, booking a place in the NBA Finals and sending the NBA’s most controversial superstar home for the summer.

Yet despite averaging over 30 points per game and winning back-to-back MVP awards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s season may ultimately be remembered as much for foul-baiting as basketball brilliance.

The complaints did not begin in the playoffs.

They followed him throughout the regular season.

Fans complained. Rival players complained. Analysts debated whether the NBA was rewarding exaggerated contact too easily. By the time the Western Conference Finals arrived, frustration around Gilgeous-Alexander’s whistle had already become one of the league’s biggest talking points.

Then came the Spurs series.

Social media was flooded with clips of Gilgeous-Alexander collapsing to the floor after contact. Fans counted every tumble. One viral compilation claimed SGA hit the hardwood more than 45 times during the seven-game series against San Antonio alone.

By the end of the series, Spurs fans were openly chanting “Flopper!” every time he stepped to the free-throw line. One fan even brought a courtside trophy labelled “Best Flopper,” which quickly went viral across basketball media.

Whether every fall was technically a flop is almost beside the point now.

The perception has become reality.

When the back-to-back MVP becomes more associated with foul-baiting than shot-making, the league has a problem.

The face of a growing frustration

To be fair to Gilgeous-Alexander, he did not invent foul hunting.

James Harden mastered it.

Joel Embiid perfected it.

Many stars before them have learned how to manipulate defenders, exaggerate contact and earn trips to the line.

The difference is that SGA has become the modern face of the trend.

His game is brilliant. His footwork is elite. His mid-range scoring is among the best in basketball.

Yet many fans now spend as much time discussing his free throws as his jump shots.

That should concern the NBA.

The greatest players are usually remembered for iconic moments.

Michael Jordan had “The Shot.”

Kobe Bryant had the 81-point game.

Stephen Curry changed basketball with his shooting.

Increasingly, Shai’s playoff highlights are being accompanied by debates about officiating.

Adam Silver’s disappointing response

The most worrying part of the discussion is not the criticism of SGA.

It is the league’s response.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently addressed the issue and acknowledged that players “sell calls.” However, he largely defended the state of officiating and suggested the bigger issue is whether referees are being fooled by embellishment. Silver also praised playoff officiating while pointing toward future technological solutions and AI-assisted reviews.

That answer misses the point.

Fans are not complaining because they think referees are incapable.

They are complaining because they are tired of seeing basketball possessions decided by acting contests.

The league has spent years talking about flopping.

Warnings were introduced.

Fines were introduced.

Rules were adjusted.

And yet the issue remains one of the biggest talking points every postseason.

If anything, it appears to be getting worse.

The league created the incentive

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton recently made perhaps the most honest observation in the entire debate.

He admitted that players are effectively being taught how to exaggerate contact because getting to the free-throw line is one of the most efficient ways to score in modern basketball.

That is the heart of the problem.

The NBA keeps treating flopping as a player issue.

It is actually a system issue.

If players are rewarded for falling, they will fall.

If players are rewarded for exaggerating contact, they will exaggerate contact.

Elite athletes spend their careers searching for competitive advantages. The NBA has given them one.

Basketball is still the star

None of this is intended to diminish Gilgeous-Alexander’s greatness.

He remains one of the most skilled players in the world and a legitimate superstar.

But the reaction he received throughout the Spurs series should serve as a warning to the league.

When fans leave an MVP performance talking more about whistles than basketball, something has gone wrong.

The NBA has never had more talent.

It has never had more skill.

It has never had more global stars.

Yet one of the biggest conversations of the 2026 playoffs revolved around whether one of its best players spends too much time on the floor.

That conversation will not disappear when the Finals begin.

And unless the NBA becomes more serious about discouraging foul-baiting and embellishment, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may simply be remembered as the first face of a problem that was already spreading throughout the league.

Paul Onuachu has won the Turkish Super Lig Goal of the Season award following his spectacular strike for Trabzonspor against Fatih Karagümrük.

The Nigerian striker’s acrobatic finish quickly became one of the most talked-about goals of the Turkish season, earning praise from fans, pundits and teammates across social media.

Many supporters described the finish as another reminder that Onuachu “never scores normal goals.”

The 32-year-old learned about the award while in camp with the Super Eagles in Warsaw ahead of Nigeria’s international friendly against Poland.

It marks another major achievement in what has been an impressive campaign for the former Genk striker, who rediscovered his best form in Turkey after difficult spells elsewhere in Europe.

Onuachu’s performances also formed part of a strong season for Nigerian forwards in the Turkish Super Lig.

Paul Onuachu Wins Turkish Super Lig Goal of the Season Award
pic.twitter.com/ge44Y7SCVI

— Sports Ration (@SportsRation) June 3, 2026

Victor Osimhen also finished among the league’s top attacking contributors following another productive campaign with Galatasaray.

Turkish Super Lig 2025/26 Goal Contributions Leaders

1. Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Basaksehir) — 27 G+A
2. Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor) — 24 G+A
3. Talisca (Fenerbahce) — 23 G+A
4. Marco Asensio (Fenerbahce) — 23 G+A
5. Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray) — 21 G+A
6. Baris Alper Yilmaz (Galatasaray) — 19 G+A
7. Mohamed Bayo (Gaziantep FK) — 18 G+A
8. Qazim Laci (Rizespor) — 17 G+A
9. Juan (Goztepe) — 16 G+A
10. Orkun Kokcu (Besiktas) — 16 G+A

The presence of two Nigerian forwards inside the top five highlights Nigeria’s growing attacking influence in Turkish football ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Standing at 6ft 7in, Onuachu remains one of the most unique strikers available to the Super Eagles.

His aerial dominance has always been a major weapon, but this season also showed his technical quality and ability to score spectacular goals.

The award-winning strike against Fatih Karagümrük may now become one of the defining moments of his club career.

With Nigeria preparing for major competitions under Eric Chelle, Onuachu’s form could also hand the Super Eagles another dangerous attacking option alongside Osimhen, Terem Moffi, Akor Adams and Moses Simon.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes meet in the postseason for the first time when they square off in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. It’s an 8 ET puck drop on ABC from Raleigh, in the 68th unique matchup in Stanley Cup Final history. It is the first meeting of division champions since 2018. The NHL is big on parity. 

Both franchises are eyeing a second championship, with Carolina winning the Stanley Cup in 2006 and Vegas lifting the Cup in 2023. The Hurricanes are -152 money-line favorites in the consensus Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes odds, with Carolina priced at +127 and the Over/Under for total goals set at 5.5. 

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Canadiens vs. Hurricanes same-game parlay

• Carolina money line
• Vegas Over 1.5 goals
• Alt Under 7.5

BetRivers SGP price: +300

Carolina is -155 on the series line to hoist its first Cup since 2006, and Vegas is +130 to win its first since 2023 – the last time a team from the Western Conference won it all. I’m simply hoping for seven games, and my early lean would be Hurricanes in seven, which is the +425 exact series result favorite. The Over/Under for total games is 5.5, with the Over at -185, and I absolutely believe this goes at least six. That we have a shutout in any game is -120.

Only eight players in NHL history have won an Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup in the same year all-time, and only one American: Ken Morrow, who debuted with the Islanders after the 1980 Olympics. But we will get at least one addition to both lists from this series as Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin and Vegas’ Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifan all played for the gold medal-winning Team USA at this year’s Olympics in Italy.

The Golden Knights might be rusty, as they haven’t played since last Tuesday when they shockingly swept out the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the West Final.  They seek to become only the fourth team to win at least two Cups in their first nine seasons in the expansion era (since 1967-68).

Coach John Tortorella’s 22-year gap between Stanley Cup Final appearances is the longest by a head coach in NHL history. He won it in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vegas tries to become the eight team to win a Stanley Cup after changing head coaches midseason.

Knights forward Mitchell Marner leads the postseason with 21 points and is the +165 Conn Smythe Trophy favorite as playoff MVP after opening at +6600. At BetMGM, the book is very exposed, as Marner is taking the most tickets of any player on that prop at 17.5%

He’s +330 to have the most points of any player in this series, behind his teammate Eichel (+300), who is second in the league with 18 playoff points. The former Maple Leaf Marner could become the fourth player in the NHL’s modern era (since 1944) to lead the postseason in points during his first season with a franchise. The Leafs tried to trade Marner to Carolina during the 2024-25 season, but he used his no-trade clause to reject the deal because his wife was pregnant and he didn’t want to leave her or Toronto.

The two players with the most goals in these playoffs are the Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden, each with 10, but it’s the Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov who is the +500 favorite as the top goal scorer in the series. That’s a bit curious, considering he has only three so far in the playoffs. Logan Stankoven (+900) leads the Canes with nine. 

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Carolina finished off Montreal in the East final last Friday and is the first team to enter the Stanley Cup Final with one or fewer loss since all four rounds went best-of-7 in 1987. Goalie Frederik Andersen is the +220 second favorite for the Conn Smythe as the Canes have allowed only 1.62 goals per game in these playoffs, the seventh-fewest in a postseason in league history with a minimum of 10 games played.

Five of the top six won the Cup, most recently the 2012 Los Angeles Kings. Andersen’s 1.41 GAA is tied for the third-best by a goalie in a postseason in playoff history (minimum 10 games played). For some reason, goalies don’t win the Conn Smythe much these days, only twice since 2007, but I like Andersen at the moment. He could become the first netminder ever to record 13 wins in his first 14 games of a postseason.

In addition, the Hurricanes have been lights-out on special teams in killing off 92.5% of penalties, tied for the fourth-best in any postseason since tracking began in 1978 (minimum of 10 games). Vegas is scoring on the power play 23.9% of the time.

I don’t care much about the regular season. Montreal had won all three during the year vs. Carolina and that proved not to matter. Vegas won both vs. the Hurricanes, outscoring them 10-4, but those were way back in October. Eichel led the way with three goals and an assist, while Marner had four assists. Andersen was in net for both and finished with a 4.09 GAA, but the Dane wasn’t that great during the year. He has flipped a switch.

Current Knights No. 1 netminder Carter Hart — +1200 for the Conn Smythe — didn’t see Carolina during the regular season. Akira Schmid won both games, starting one and replacing an injured Adin Hill in the other.

Jordan Staal and William Carrier are Carolina’s only players with Stanley Cup Final experience who have dressed at least one game this postseason, while Vegas has 13. Staal last won the Cup in 2009 and has a chance to set the NHL record for longest time between Stanley Cup championships as a player. Hall of Famer Chris Chelios has the record with a 16-year gap.

Game 1 winners have won 75.6% of Stanley Cup Finals all-time, and teams that take Game 1 at home are 52-11 in the Final all-time. Excluding the unusual 2020 bubble setup, the home team hasn’t lost Game 1 of a Final since 2015. Four of those past five won the Cup, but the 2025 Oilers didn’t despite the Game 1 win in Edmonton. 

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I believe the rust that got Carolina will get Vegas a bit in the opener, and frankly the Golden Knights benefitted from some Avalanche injuries in the last round. The Canes are healthy and absolutely rolling. They are also 5-0 in OT games. Check out more expert picks in the daily SportsLine newsletter. 

The Manchester United players heading to North America this summer are now set in stone after the World Cup squad deadline

The deadline to submit World Cup squads has passed and Manchester United will have 12 players competing in North America this summer.

There were some notable snubs in the Red Devils’ ranks, with Harry Maguire unfortunate to miss out in Thomas Tuchel’s England selection after playing a key part in the resurgence Michael Carrick oversaw as interim boss.

Luke Shaw was also left out by the German boss despite starting every Premier League game of the season, becoming just the fifth outfield United player to have done so.

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They and the rest of the contingent who were either not selected or whose nation didn’t qualify will enjoy an extended summer break before returning to start pre-season next month.

There will be plenty of representation for the club, though, when the World Cup gets underway on Thursday, June 11. That includes surprise late call-up Tyler Fletcher, who’s replaced the injured Billy Gilmour for Scotland.

And there’s set to be United vs United action when Brazil play Morocco on June 13. Here’s a look at the confirmed list of players headed to Mexico, Canada and the United States.

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Man United World Cup call-ups

Goalkeepers: Senne Lammens (Belgium), Altay Bayindr (Turkey)

Defenders: Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Lisandro Martinez (Argentina), Diogo Dalot (Portugal)

Midfielders: Manuel Ugarte (Uruguay), Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), Kobbie Mainoo (England), Tyler Fletcher (Scotland)

Forwards: Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Amad (Ivory Coast), Marcus Rashford (England)

Not going to the World Cup

Andre Onana (Cameroon – didn’t qualify)

Leny Yoro (France – not selected)

Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands – injured)

Harry Maguire (England – not selected)

Ayden Heaven (England – not selected)

Diego Leon (Paraguay – not selected)

Luke Shaw (England – not selected)

Mason Mount (England – not selected)

Patrick Dorgu (Denmark – didn’t qualify)

Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon – didn’t qualify)

Benjamin Sesko (Slovenia – didn’t qualify)

Joshua Zirkzee (Netherlands – not selected)

Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has launched a scathing attack on Russian players, accusing them of hiding behind silence regarding the war in Ukraine and asserting that their inaction has revealed “whose side they are on” after four years of conflict.

Her comments came after she reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old secured her place in the final four by defeating fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3 2-6 6-2 in an emotionally charged quarter-final, played just hours after another night of Russian strikes targeted Kyiv.

Kostyuk, who is set to face Russian Mirra Andreeva next, dismissed the argument that Russian athletes must remain silent due to potential repercussions at home.

“There is a way if you don’t agree,” Kostyuk told reporters. “I know some people who have left Russia the moment the war began, who sold all their business, who left everything behind because they just don’t agree with what their country is doing to other people.”

She highlighted fellow player Daria Kasatkina, who switched allegiance from Russia to Australia last year, as an example of someone who has publicly spoken out despite family pressure.

“I don’t think she lives in Russia anyways, but the majority of players don’t live in Russia,” Kostyuk added. “There is nothing that’s stopping you if this is something you don’t believe in. After four years, I think they’ve made it very clear whose side they are on.”

Kostyuk’s remarks followed questions about comments from Russian players, including Diana Shnaider and Andreeva, who have previously stated their focus remains solely on tennis, avoiding political discussions.

“They are all grown-ups. They know what they’re talking about. They know what’s going on. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news,” Kostyuk stated. “I wish there was some more clear stance on what’s going on, especially when your country is killing other people.”

Earlier, the Ukrainian dedicated her victory to “the Ukrainian people” after revealing she had woken to news of further deadly bombings before checking on her family’s safety. Kostyuk emphasised that representing Ukraine has become more significant than individual results.

“With everything that’s happening, for me being here is a real blessing, and I don’t think about winning,” she said. “I’m here to represent Ukraine and to enjoy.”

A video of Senegalese players testing the ball during football training has racked up millions of views across social media. It shows them repeatedly throwing a series of balls into the air and seeing it rebound on the pitch, with the players seemingly surprised that the balls don’t bounce.

It triggered criticism and concern from football fans online, who said “it completely changes the game” and that “this is going to be the worst World Cup in history.” Others mentioned potential effects for players, posting “a carnival of injuries is coming” and “if you plant your foot wrong, you’ve ruined your career.”

However, there is key context missing from this viral video. It’s an authentic clip with no indication it was modified by AI, and filmed in recent days at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina ahead of a Senegal-US friendly match. However, the stadium where it was filmed is not being used to host World Cup matches across the US, meaning the video isn’t necessarily a reflection of the conditions that players will see during the tournament.

Venues like the Bank of America stadium – which is primarily used for NFL matches – are often used for multiple sports, and use temporary turf or grass that can be unrolled before games. It’s therefore unlikely to have had the same standards or maintenance as the pitches to be used by FIFA.

The turfgrass researchers hired by FIFA spoke to outlet The Conversation about the strictness of the pitch rules across multiple playing conditions and cities for the games, and how they’re confident that all the surface performance tests “met FIFA standards.”

That being said, the 2026 World Cup has not been without controversy. Due to FIFA introducing dynamic pricing for the first time, fans are left with eyewatering ticket prices. There’s also criticism of the “greedy” price hike by US transport authorities during the tournament period, as well as against the “Americanization” of adding the first ever halftime show.

Political controversies have also been present due to Donald Trump’s extensive travel ban rendering fans from multiple participating countries unable to visit, as well as uncertainty about Iran’s participation considering the ongoing war and concern that ICE will be mobilised in US stadiums.