Sports analyst Dan Dakich previews the USA vs. Australia FIFA World Cup match, addressing concerns over star Christian Pulisic’s calf injury. Dakich highlights Australia’s strong team, noting their improved performance since a coaching change, making them a dangerous opponent. He emphasizes the importance of the U.S. team’s readiness for this critical knockout stage game, and also touches on the US Open golf tournament.
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Team USA’s last group stage match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup doesn’t matter in terms of winning Group D – they’ve already done it after victories in their first two matches against Paraguay and Australia.
But the status of Christian Pulisic remains a topic of conversation for the USMNT, as he didn’t play against Australia after suffering a calf injury that kept him out of the second half of their opening match against Paraguay.
But Pulisic told FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft just how he’s felt in the practices leading up to the final group stage match against Türkiye.
Christian Pulisic had an assist in the first half of the USMNT World Cup opener against Paraguay.(Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)
“Yeah, I’m feeling great. I think the team’s feeling great. I’ve been able to join the team the last few days, and I’m feeling healthy and ready to go for this game,” he said.
That’s certainly a good thing to hear for the USMNT, and even more so when Pulisic answered Taft’s follow-up question: Is he 100%?
“Yeah, I would say so,” he responded. “I would say definitely yesterday I felt very close, and I would say 100%.”
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The question now becomes whether head coach Mauricio Pochettino wants to risk playing Pulisic in a game that means nothing in terms of their spot in the knockout round.
One side of the argument is why risk another injury? The United States has done a fantastic job winning both matches to begin the tournament, and the real game that matters will be the Round of 32, where it becomes win-or-go-home territory. Team USA will need Pulisic 100% for certain that match and moving forward.
Christian Pulisic of the United States celebrates after an own goal by Damian Bobadilla of Paraguay during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026.(Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
Then again, Pulisic has played only a single half in this tournament, and it would bode well for him to get some game action against an opponent rather than facing his teammates in a practice setting. Momentum and comfortability, even with a World Cup veteran like Pulisic, would do “Captain America” well to get going before the Round of 32.
Taft added that players have yet to be informed whether they will play. Pochettino may also need to be cautious with the four players carrying yellow cards: Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun and Tyler Adams. Another booking would result in a one-match suspension, causing them to miss the Round of 32.
Pulisic has dealt with injuries prior to the World Cup as well, having not played much since early May. He had three substitute appearances for his club, AC Milan, and didn’t play a full match in three U.S. friendlies leading into the World Cup.
Christian Pulisic of the United States participates in a training session for the 2026 World Cup at Great Sports Park in Irvine, Calif., on June 17, 2026.(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Pulisic, however, has said that minutes do not affect his “sharpness,” and we’ll see whether the 100% healthy star is utilized by Pochettino on Thursday night in Los Angeles.
After their 3-1 win on Wednesday, it appears the United States will be facing off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
Charania noted that Ball wants to be in Charlotte and that his relationship with the team is in a “good place,” but that might not matter with the Hornets suddenly fielding “aggressive offers” that could make a deal too good to pass up.
And that’s seemingly just the start of the list. This situation appears to be developing quickly.
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Changing mindset on score-first guards
It’s worth noting what we just saw from Jalen Brunson and pondering how much his playoff performance — and New York’s championship — might be reinvigorating the market for these one-way, ball-dominant point guards.
For a minute, this was the most rapidly depreciating player archetype in the league. The Hawks couldn’t trade Trae Young for a sack of nickels and wound up having to salary dump him to the Wizards. The Bucks decided that paying Damian Lillard $113 million over five years to play for someone else was better than keeping him.
Fats forward, and Young has gotten a $212 million contract from the Wizards, who apparently believed there were multiple max offers about to come Young’s way. And now a bunch of teams want Ball. There appears to be a bidding war for his services.
Ball is an extremely talented player, as we saw in the playoffs, how important shot creation is, even if it’s coming from a defensively deficient source.
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The Knicks just showed the basketball world that it is indeed possible to surround such these one-sided stars with enough defensive infrastructure to make them competitively viable on the highest level. Is Ball or Young on Brunson’s level? Absolutely not. But Ball, at 6-foot-8, has the size to eliminate at least one of the concerns with these types of guards.
He can be a disruptive defender, and we have seen him scale back some his playground antics on the offensive end. Last season he trimmed his turnovers to a career-low 2.8 per game, and he has scored north of 20 PPG to go with seven-plus assists in each of the last five seasons.
He’s far from a perfect player, but the bottom line is the Hornets were 9.9 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court last year, per Cleaning the Glass, and Charlotte was one of the best teams in the league from January on. You can’t call him a total losing player with much credibility anymore.
Ball’s scoring efficiency still leaves a lot to be desired, but he’s a plus 3-point shooter on high volume despite a pretty difficult shot diet. There is no questioning his ability to create offense for himself and others, and he is an incredible pace-pusher. There’s some Tyrese Haliburton in there. A much bigger Trae Young at worst. Imagining Ball on a team like the Wolves, alongside Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, with that kind of defensive support in place, is an intriguing prospect to say the least.
Why would the Hornets want to trade LaMelo Ball?
It begs the question: If Ball is this good, and the idea that his type of player can lead competitive teams is now back on the radar, why would the Hornets want to get rid of him? Well, for starters, Charania noted “aggressive” offers. You don’t necessarily have to want to trade a player to be moved to do so by an offer you can’t refuse.
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Besides that, we’ve just taken a total glass-half-full look at Ball. There is still a lot of carelessness in there, and again, the scoring inefficiency is real. It’s hard to imagine a team winning a championship with its point guard launching one-footed 3-pointers as a matter of routine. Plus, he makes a lot of money. He’s owed more than $130 million over the next three years.
By moving off Ball, Charlotte could be ahead of the curve on a depreciating player, and in doing so could free up a lot of immediate flexibility by taking back expiring money to resign Brandon Miller and begin to build in earnest around him and Kon Kneuppel.
Perhaps the Hornets could even use Ball to get into the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes by way of a multi-team deal. Whatever the case, the options are much more open with Ball off the books. For a while, it didn’t seem like that would be possible. Again, it wasn’t that long ago that teams were of the mindset that you couldn’t win with the ball-dominant, defensively deficient point guard unless his name is Luka Dončić. Hell, the Mavericks didn’t even think they could win with Dončić.
But that belief seems to be flipping. How much does Brunson’s success have to do with that? Who knows. But either way, Ball is back in the good graces of the trade market, and things appear to be heating up quickly.
AEW star Christian Cage’s rival revisited the veteran’s past on tonight’s Dynamite. The Patriarch was one of the most underrated stars of the global sports entertainment juggernaut. He debuted with Adam Copeland as a tag team. In just a few years, the Rated-R Superstar was pushed to the moon. Meanwhile, Cage got lost in the shuffle. Eventually, the two stars retired from action for many years. The two stars eventually returned to WWE and are currently with All Elite.
A few months after his WWE debut, the Patriarch wore Oakley’s Over the Top sunglasses. He wore the sunglasses for the 5-second pose schtick. The fashion was bought back by David Finaly tonight. Finlay and his teammate Clark Connors are set to battle Adam Copeland and Christian Cage for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Forbidden Door later this week. The two teams have been ambushing each other ahead of their match.
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Tonight on Dynamite, the War Dogs collided with Cope and Cage backstage. While the veterans had an upper hand in the brawl, things turned around quickly for them as Clark Connors and David Finlay choked them with wires. In the end, David wore the over-the-top sunglasses and gave a 5-second pose, revisiting Christian Cage’s gimmick in WWE.
Christian Cage brutally roasted War Dogs’ David Finlay last week
One-half of the current AEW World Tag Team Champions has been known for taking brutal shots at his opponents.
While talking about the War Dogs and their match at Forbidden Door on last week’s Dynamite, Christian Cage claimed that WWE legend Fit Finlay should have never given birth to David.
“I’ve never come across another tag team that’s actually named after their mothers. And Finlay, if you’re supposed to be some sort of gift to the wrestling business from your father, he should’ve done all of us a favor and let you run down the inside of his leg,” he said.
It will be interesting to see if War Dogs emerge victorious at Forbidden Door.
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Brazil’s Neymar (10) celebrates after the World Cup Group C soccer match between Scotland and Brazil in Miami Gardens, Fla., Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Neymar marked his long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup by reaching two of the most exclusive milestones in Brazilian football history during Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Scotland. Coming off the bench in the second half at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the 34-year-old became only the fourth Brazilian player to appear at four different World Cup tournaments and just the second to wear Brazil’s iconic No. 10 shirt across four editions of the competition.The appearance ended an absence of more than three years from the World Cup stage. Neymar had not featured since Brazil’s quarter-final defeat to Croatia on December 9, 2022, while his last international appearance came on October 17, 2023, when he suffered the serious knee injury during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Neymar joins one of Brazil’s most exclusive World Cup lists
Brazil’s rich World Cup history stretches back to 1930, yet only four players have represented the Seleção at four different editions of the tournament.Neymar now joins Pelé (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970), Djalma Santos (1954, 1958, 1962 and 1966) and Cafu (1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006) in that select group after making his first appearance of the 2026 tournament.His return also carried another piece of history. By wearing Brazil’s famous No. 10 shirt at the 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, Neymar became only the second Brazilian after Pelé to wear the nation’s most celebrated jersey across four separate World Cup editions.
Brazil secure first place before Neymar returns
Brazil entered the final Group C fixture needing at least a draw to guarantee top spot, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side quickly removed any uncertainty.Vinícius Júnior capitalised on a defensive mistake to open the scoring in the seventh minute before adding a second with a powerful header in first-half stoppage time. Matheus Cunha completed the victory in the 60th minute after being released by an incisive Bruno Guimarães through ball.
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Brazil’s Neymar (10) reacts as he takes the field during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Scotland and Brazil in Miami Gardens, Fla., Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
With the result effectively secured, Ancelotti introduced Neymar in the 76th minute, replacing Cunha to a standing ovation from the Miami crowd.The substitution represented Neymar’s first World Cup appearance since Qatar 2022 and his first international match since recovering from the knee injury that sidelined him for an extended period before a recent calf problem delayed his involvement at this tournament.
Sharp return offers Brazil another attacking option
Although Neymar played only 15 minutes, he looked comfortable and composed operating in his familiar No. 10 role.He completed 13 of his 14 passes for a 92 per cent passing accuracy, created two chances, produced one shot on target and drew a foul without showing any visible signs of discomfort. One of his most promising moments came after his own free-kick rebounded back into his path, allowing him to strike first time from distance, although Angus Gunn gathered comfortably.
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Brazil’s Neymar (10) challenges for the ball with Scotland’s Kenny McLean (23) and Lewis Ferguson (19) during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Scotland and Brazil in Miami Gardens, Fla., Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, Neymar reflected on his return to the World Cup stage, describing it as “one of the most special days” of his career as he wore the Brazil shirt again on football’s biggest stage.More importantly for Brazil, Neymar completed the match without any physical setbacks after missing the opening two group-stage matches.Brazil finished Group C unbeaten with seven points following a draw against Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland, securing progression to the Round of 32 as group winners.With Neymar now match-fit again and Vinícius Júnior leading the tournament with another outstanding display, Carlo Ancelotti heads into the knockout rounds with the deepest attacking options Brazil have possessed since the competition began.
Eddie Hearn has offered his verdict on a clash between Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney, which has suddenly emerged as an unexpected possibility for later this year.
WBO welterweight champion Haney took to social media earlier this week, claiming that Davis’ team has reached out in a somewhat bizarre turn of events.
This follows the news of ‘Tank’ withdrawing from negotiations with Floyd Schofield, thus forgoing an opportunity to reclaim his WBA lightweight title.
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An encounter with Haney would therefore come as a considerable curveball, given that Davis was seemingly plotting a return to 135lbs.
‘Tank’ was subsequently involved in negotiations for an immediate rematch, only to then land a lucrative opportunity to face Jake Paul in November.
Due to accusations of domestic violence, however, the American was later removed from the scheduled exhibition match and stripped of his WBA title.
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But now, it would appear that he is set to return to action, potentially against Haney, who comes off a unanimous decision victory over Brian Norman Jr in November.
In a media huddle with Fight Hub TV, Matchroom chairman Hearn – who used to promote Haney – gave an honest assessment of how the all-American showdown might unfold.
“You just don’t know how Tank’s gonna [perform when he returns]. When did he last fight?
“He’s been through a lot, but Tank is an unbelievable talent; he’s a generational talent. If it’s prime v prime, I don’t like backing against Devin Haney …. It’s a good fight.
“[I’d favour] Devin Haney, for his professionalism and his discipline, but Tank is a phenomenal fighter. If it’s Tank at his very best, maybe Tank [wins].”
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In order to secure the ‘Tank’ fight, Haney would likely need to vacate his WBO title and, in turn, relieve himself of a mandatory obligation against Keyshawn Davis.
South Africa Starting XI: Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Ime Okon, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba, Sphephelo Sithole, Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, Relebohile Mofokeng, Thapelo Maseko, Evidence Makgopa.
South Korea Starting XI: Kim Seung-gyu, Kim Min-jae, Lee Gi-hyuk, Lee Han-beom, Kim Moon-hwan, Hwang In-beom, Paik Seung-ho, Seol Young-woo, Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan, Oh Hyeon-gyu.
A feature race during the latter part of the spring carnival is now on the radar for Pin Up Sheila, following the juvenile’s second victory from as many starts at Warwick Farm.
By the adaptable sire Pinatubo, the filly added to a determined on-speed win at Canterbury last month with another impressive performance on Wednesday, wearing down the leaders to take out the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1100m).
Winning trainer Tom Charlton was delighted to see Pin Up Sheila ($2.50 fav) exhibit another facet of her ability, with the filly digging deep to win despite racing greenly.
“She will learn a lot. She did a bit wrong in her trial the other day, and even up the running today she is climbing a bit in her action and not quite flattening out yet,” Charlton stated.
“Hopefully, that will do her the world of good going forward.
“We will probably turn her out now. I’ll have a chat with (owners) the Esplin family, who have obviously got a nice filly on their hands.
“I’d say we’ll give her a breather and look after her, and perhaps she can look at something a little later in the spring.”
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Charlton is unsure about Pin Up Sheila’s potential to stretch in distance, but indicated there is stamina in her lineage, making races like the Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) and potential Melbourne targets possibilities.
“She will definitely stay further than today. She has a very stout female line, but she’s not slow,” he commented.
“The stallion is quite a mixed bag. He can get a bit of everything, so we’ll have to work that out.”
Chris Waller presented the $850,000 yearling Omalong for a stylish debut win in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1100m), the colt by Extreme Choice overcoming a slow start to stamp his class.
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Bred by Gerry Harvey, the prominent businessman retained a share of the ownership, a decision that Waller’s assistant trainer, Charlie Duckworth, believes was a wise one.
“Gerry Harvey kept a little share in him as well. He did the same with (Group 1 winner) Campione D’Italia, so hopefully he’s just as lucky,” Duckworth said.
“He’s obviously got a very good future. They don’t win like that unless they do.”
Omalong ($1.70 fav) finished ahead of Sanctum ($17) by 1-3/4 lengths to secure a stable trifecta, with Letters Patent ($12) a further long head back in third. You can find the latest betting sites for this and upcoming races at online bookmakers.
Ball, 24, has played his entire career in Charlotte and has three years remaining on the five-year, $260-million max contract he signed with the Hornets.
Over 72 games last season, Ball averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds over 28 minutes a game.
The Hornets were knocked out in the NBA play-in tournament, and may be looking to shift away from Ball as the focal point of the team and instead build around rising stars Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.
Meanwhile, the Raptors headed into the summer with a need at guard, and Ball certainly has the talent to fill a hole on the Toronto roster.
Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) catches the onside kick against the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have +5000 odds to win the Super Bowl in 2026, which is about the same as a snowfall in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
Every year, we uplift teams that live in the same neighborhood of Super Bowl odds as Minnesota, and this go-around, there are about four clubs. Ranked in ascending order, the following franchises have similar Super Bowl moneyline (No. 1 = closest Vikings comp in 2026).
Vikings Share Vegas Tier with Four Squads
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers runs onto the field for pregame introductions at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Rodgers entered the spotlight on November 16, 2025, before a divisional matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals as the stadium atmosphere built and anticipation surrounded the veteran quarterback’s latest AFC North appearance. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers Odds to Win SB: +6500
Sportsbooks are not too enamored with the Steelers, probably because Pittsburgh is running it back with Aaron Rodgers, who will turn 43 in December, and got rid of Mike Tomlin after nearly two decades — in favor of Mike McCarthy. Vikings fans will know McCarthy well from his time in Green Bay and Dallas. He’s a coach who establishes legitimacy, usually manufactures a playoff appearance, and then falls short of the Super Bowl.
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Pittsburgh added wide receiver Michael Pittman, cornerback Jamel Dean, and running back Rico Dowdle. At quarterback behind Rodgers, the depth includes Will Howard, Drew Allar, and Mason Rudolph.
The time may be ripe for the Steelers to finish with a losing record for the first time since 2003.
USA Today‘s Nate Davis called Pittsburgh the 19th-best team in the business last week, explaining, “They officially have QB Aaron Rodgers and the most expensive trio of outside linebackers in the league after Nick Herbig became the latest to cash in on an expensive, aging defense that didn’t do nearly enough to support the four-time league MVP in 2025.”
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“The Steelers managed to win the AFC North in a down year for the division, but 10-7 likely won’t get the job done this time around.”
3. Washington Commanders Odds to Win SB: +4500
Washington has slightly better odds to win it all than Minnesota, probably because Vegas trusts Jayden Daniels to rebound, after a lost 2025 season, more than Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy to surge in the Twin Cities. There’s also Dan Quinn, the head coach, to consider, who usually produces a steady defense.
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn speaks with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine inside the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Quinn met with the media on February 24, 2026, as Washington evaluated draft prospects and discussed offseason plans following the franchise’s successful season and deep postseason run. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
K’Lavon Chaisson (DE), Leo Chenal (LB), Jerome Ford (RB), Nick Cross (S), Chig Okonkwo (TE), Odafe Oweh (EDGE), Amik Robertson (CB), Laremy Tunsil (OT), Rachaad White (RB), and Ahkello Witherspoon (CB) joined the roster in free agency. The Commanders also used the seventh overall pick in the draft on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, in addition to onboarding wide receiver Antonio Williams in Round 3.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Odds to Win SB: +5000
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Now — the teams with the same Super Bowl odds as Minnesota. Led by Baker Mayfield, who is tentatively slated for free agency in 2027, Tampa Bay will hope to return to the playoffs after a down season at 8-9 last year. Quietly, the Buccaneers reached the postseason every season from 2020 to 2024, so it was a little weird for Bucs fans to live without meaningful January football.
Tampa Bay embarked on a more modest free agency than the aforementioned Commanders, signing Alex Anzalone (LB), Kenneth Gainwell (RB), Al-Quadin Muhammad (LB), and A’Shawn Robinson (DE). In the draft, EDGE rusher Rueben Bain fell into their lap with the 15th pick, while the Buccaneers also picked linebacker Joshiah Trotter, wide receiver Ted Hurst, and cornerback Keionte Scott.
Future Hall of Famer Mike Evans finally left Tampa Bay, signing with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Buccaneers did not fetch No. 1 on this list because they’re expected to narrowly win the NFC South. Oddsmakers think the Vikings will finish in last place in the NFC North.
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1. Indianapolis Colts Odds to Win SB: +5000
The Colts are the club most like the Vikings in 2026, per sportsbooks’ expectations. They’re slated to finish in third place in the AFC South and employ a quarterback, Daniel Jones — a former Viking — desperate to prove his legitimacy.
With the same odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy as the Vikings, Indianapolis onboarded Micheal Clemons (DE), Arden Key (DE), Derrick Nnadi (DT), Cam Taylor-Britt (CB), while re-upping with the aforementioned Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce.
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addresses the media during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Quinn spoke on February 24, 2026, while league executives and coaches gathered in Indianapolis to evaluate draft prospects and begin preparations for the upcoming NFL season. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Sans a 1st-Round pick this year and next due to the Sauce Gardner trade, the Colts walked away from the draft with CJ Allen, a linebacker from Georgia, and safety A.J. Haulcy of LSU.
Sharp Football‘s Raymond Sumerlin noted on the Colts this month after ranking them No. 21 in power rankings, “The Colts got good value on CJ Allen, who some thought was a first-round talent, but they simply did not have the draft capital to add much to the roster. The pass rush still looks like a major area of concern.”
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If you’re looking for the best comp for the 2026 Vikings, based on how the world feels, it’s the Colts.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Vinicius Junior made it four goals in three games at the World Cup as Brazil cruised to a 3-0 victory over Scotland on Wednesday, sealing progress to the last 32 as Group C winners and leaving their opponents in danger of another first-round exit.
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius took advantage of a defensive howler to give Brazil an early lead in Miami and headed in another in first-half stoppage time.
Scotland were never really in it and Matheus Cunha got a third on the hour mark for the record five-time World Cup winners, who brought on Neymar towards the end for his first international appearance in over two-and-a-half years.
There are doubts as to whether Carlo Ancelotti’s side are genuine contenders to win this tournament but boosted by finishing top of the group they head to Texas for a last-32 tie in Houston on June 29.
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That will be against the runners-up in Group F, which will be either the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden.
After scoring in both the opening 1-1 draw with Morocco and the 3-0 win over Haiti, Vinicius is the first Brazilian to find the net in every group game at a World Cup since Ronaldo and Rivaldo both did it in 2002.
With four goals, he is one behind Lionel Messi and level with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the golden boot race.
Scotland, meanwhile, are at real risk of yet another group-stage elimination, as has been their fate at every previous major tournament in which they have participated — that includes eight World Cups before this year.
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Morocco took second in Group C, with seven points but behind Brazil on goal difference, after coming from behind twice to beat Haiti 4-2 in Atlanta.
Scotland come third with three points and a goal difference of minus three. They must wait to see if that is enough to finish as one of the eight best third-placed sides who advance to the last 32.
Steve Clarke’s team could not recover from conceding inside two minutes in their last outing against Morocco in Boston, and they only had themselves to blame as they once again fell behind early.
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It was a very soft goal to concede and a nightmare for Scott McKenna, who had been brought into the defence in place of Grant Hanley.
McKenna was too casual in possession in his own box in the seventh minute and was closed down by Rayan.
Starting in place of the injured Raphinha, the young Bournemouth forward gave it to Vinicius and he rounded Angus Gunn to score.
Neymar makes comeback
Scotland were very lucky not to concede again in similar circumstances midway through the first half as Jack Hendry was closed down by Vinicius who went on to slot in.
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This time, however, the goal was overturned following a VAR check by the Mexican referee, who could see that Vinicius had clipped the leg of Hendry on his way through.
But it was only a matter of time before Brazil scored again, and Vinicius headed in with the game in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Once more Scotland were punished for slack play at the back with an Andy Robertson pass being intercepted inside his own area before Bruno Guimaraes crossed for the goal.
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Scotland looked at risk of completely collapsing as Gunn had to save from Rayan just before the half-time whistle, and the goalkeeper then denied Vinicius his hat-trick soon after the restart.
Instead it was Manchester United‘s Cunha who got the third — his third of the tournament — from a Guimaraes lay-off, and Brazil could have won by more.
A consolation goal for Scotland might have been significant in their quest to reach the next round, but Alisson twice denied Scott McTominay.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top goal-scorer, came on for Cunha in the 76th minute to huge cheers, making his comeback after being absent from the Selecao since October 2023.
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This was Brazil’s fourth win in five World Cup meetings with Scotland, the exception being a goalless draw in 1974.
Morocco became the most successful African nation in FIFA World Cup history after defeating Haiti 4-2 in their final Group C match on Wednesday.
The victory was Morocco’s seventh win at the World Cup, moving the Atlas Lions ahead of Nigeria, who previously held the African record with six victories.
Late goals from Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine sealed the historic win in Atlanta as Morocco came from behind twice to deny Haiti a first-ever World Cup point.
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Haiti stunned the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists by taking the lead in the 10th minute when a flick from Lenny Joseph went in off Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou for an own goal.
Morocco responded through Achraf Hakimi, who levelled in the 39th minute after Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide failed to keep out Brahim Diaz’s effort.
However, Haiti regained the lead just before half-time when Wilson Isidor scored a stunning long-range strike into the top corner.
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Morocco hit back again in first-half stoppage time as Ismael Saibari scored his third goal of the tournament after a well-worked move involving Hakimi.
The Atlas Lions finally took control in the closing stages when substitute Rahimi’s effort took a deflection and found the net with 12 minutes remaining.
Yassine then wrapped up the victory in the 89th minute after a VAR check confirmed Rahimi had kept the ball in play before providing the assist.
The win ensured Morocco finished second in Group C behind Brazil, who beat Scotland 3-0 to claim top spot.
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Although Morocco could not finish first in the group, the result secured another piece of history for African football. Their seventh World Cup victory is now the highest number achieved by any African nation in the competition, surpassing Nigeria’s long-standing mark of six wins.
For Haiti, the defeat brought an end to a spirited campaign. The Caribbean side, ranked 83rd in the world, exited the tournament without a point but earned praise for scoring twice against one of the strongest teams in the competition.
Morocco will now face either the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden in the Round of 32, while Haiti return home after finishing bottom of Group C.
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