Former NFL player and college football standout Aldon Smith died at the age of 36, his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, announced.

“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the team said in a statement.

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Aldon Smith #99 of the San Francisco 49ers runs on the field before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Dec. 20, 2014. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

“Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”

Smith’s NFL career was defined by historic, unprecedented early dominance that was derailed by off-the-field and substance abuse issues.

Drafted seventh overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 out of Missouri, Smith had one of the most explosive starts for a defensive player in NFL history. As a situational pass rusher in his rookie year, he racked up 14.0 sacks.

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Former NFL star Aldon Smith smiles while discussing his troubled past and hopes to help players and coaches within NFL buildings. (Fox News Digital)

In his second season in 2012, Smith set a 49ers franchise record with 19.5 sacks, earned First-Team All-Pro honors, and helped lead the team to Super Bowl XLVII. Notably, he reached 30 career sacks in just 27 games, becoming the fastest player in NFL history to hit that milestone, breaking a record previously held by Hall of Famer Reggie White.

But then in 2013, he voluntarily entered rehab and missed five games. In 2014, he served a nine-game suspension for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies.

In 2015, the 49ers released Smith in August following his third DUI arrest. He signed with the Oakland Raiders a month later, playing nine games before the NFL handed down a one-year suspension in November. Smith remained indefinitely suspended from the NFL for four full seasons as he dealt with continued legal and personal troubles.

Smith made a comeback in 2020 when he successfully applied for reinstatement, and played a full season for the Dallas Cowboys. He started all 16 games, recording 5.0 sacks and 48 tackles.

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New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is chased out of the pocket by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Aldon Smith during the NFL game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Oct. 11, 2020. (Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire)

The next year, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks in April but was released before the season began following another arrest.

No cause of death has been immediately disclosed.

Curacao coach Dick Advocaat believes the tiny Caribbean island can “steal some points” from four-time winners Germany on their tournament debut on Sunday.

The 78-year-old Dutchman will also become the oldest coach in World Cup history and will take charge of a third different nation at a World Cup after the Netherlands and South Korea.

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Despite his vast experience in both the club and international game, Advocaat said the team spirit that has carried a nation of just 160,000 to the World Cup is the best he has seen.

“The team spirit in this team is something I’ve never seen before. As a country we will give everything to win for the island, but we’re not the favourite,” Advocaat said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday.

“When you are participating with the Netherlands or a bigger team, you are one of the favourites. Now it is just amazing to be a part of this.

“We would like to show them what we can do and what we’re worth. And for the island of Curacao, it is amazing what we have shown the people over the past two years.”

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A daunting task awaits Advocaat’s side.

As well as facing Germany in Group E, they will take on an Ecuador side that finished second in South American qualifying and African powerhouses Ivory Coast.

“I think we will have to steal some points, but in a legitimate way. We want to show them that we have a good plan,” added Advocaat

“Germany will be the dominant team and that is normal.”

Curacao’s carefree attitude has already won admirers online with players singing and dancing bare-chested on the team bus in a viral social media post.

“We are a nation that we love to have a little bit of a party as well,” said captain Leandro Bacuna. “We love to have fun.”

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Bacuna, like most of his team-mates, was born in the Netherlands but is proud of his heritage and the achievement of putting Curacao on the map.

“People sometimes say I’m not really from Curacao. But these are people, my parents, who had been looking for opportunities and these opportunities are not always present on Curacao,” added the former Aston Villa midfielder.

“But we are Curacaoans and we love Curacao!”

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Vinicius’ goal was a moment of breathtaking beauty we have come to expect from the outstanding talent.

Will he kick on and write his name into Brazilian folklore?

“The expectation was for him, by now, to have become the Selecao’s leading figure,” said Brazilian football expert Marcus Alves.

“Yet, four years on from a penalty shootout exit against Croatia in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, doubts remain around him.”

However, there can be no doubting the quality of his goal here – his 10th for Brazil, with three of those coming on US soil.

“This is where Vinicius Jr comes into his own,” former England goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC One.

“He was quiet in the game, of course he was, but you can’t criticise players like this on the big stage.

“He cuts in, smashes it past Bono. What a moment.”

Vinicius talked on Friday about how this was “the most important time in my life and career”.

“I feel great freedom and sincere trust from Ancelotti. He is sure I can do for the national team what I do for Real Madrid,” he added.

“I want to try to write the history of the country and the national team. We must do everything to win.”

Brazil came up short against Morocco.

Failure at this tournament, after a 24-year title drought, would lead to serious questions about how the most successful team in World Cup history moves forward.

The English national team is still a few days away from their World Cup opener, but it has already been an eventful tournament for them after some of their equipment was stolen while en route to the team’s training base in Kansas City.

The Three Lions start their tournament slate on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas, against Croatia, but their base of operations for the tournament will be Kansas City’s Swope Soccer Village.

According to the BBC, the plan was to move equipment into place before the team arrived on Saturday; however, some of the vehicles moving that equipment were broken into. The theft is believed to have happened at some point on its journey from Florida to Kansas City.

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England’s Noni Madueke and Harry Kane train on Saturday at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP via Getty Images)

Police responded to the theft on Friday night, and while footwear was among the items stolen, none of the missing equipment was considered essential for the team to play.

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“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” a Kansas City Police spokesman said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Well, the investigation panned out, because the equipment was eventually recovered and two arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

The English national team poses for a photo before their final match before the World Cup on June 10 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

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England follows up their match against Croatia in Arlington with a match in Boston against Ghana on June 23. They will then finish up their group stage slate with a match against Panama in New Jersey.

The team is expected to make it out of the group stage and possibly even win the group.

Brazil and Morocco shared the points in a thrilling 1-1 draw in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Ismael Saibari and Vinicius Junior scoring the goals at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. While the result leaves both teams well placed in the group, the match produced several major talking points.

Brahim Diaz Shows Why He Can Be Morocco’s World Cup Hero

Before the tournament, many wondered whether this could be the World Cup of redemption for Brahim Diaz following his painful Panenka penalty miss at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Morocco playmaker answered those questions with a moment of pure quality. His perfectly weighted through ball split the Brazil defence and sent Ismael Saibari clear on goal for the opening strike.

It was a pass that combined vision, precision and confidence against one of the strongest teams in world football. If Morocco go deep into the tournament, this assist could be remembered as one of the defining moments of their campaign and an early contender for assist of the tournament.

Morocco Make History While Brazil Continue a Troubling Trend

The opening goal was significant for more than just the scoreline.

Morocco became the first Moroccan team to score against a South American nation at a FIFA World Cup. Their previous meetings ended in 3-0 defeats to Peru in 1970 and Brazil in 1998.

The goal also highlighted a growing concern for Brazil. The five-time world champions have now failed to win any of their last four World Cup matches after conceding the first goal. The last time Brazil came from behind to win a World Cup match was their 3-1 victory over Croatia in June 2014.

Despite their wealth of attacking talent, Brazil once again struggled to turn possession into a winning performance after falling behind.

Vinicius Junior Delivers a Moment of World-Class Quality

When Brazil needed inspiration, Vinicius Junior stepped forward.

For much of the opening half-hour, the Real Madrid star was largely kept quiet by Morocco’s disciplined defence. However, world-class players often need only one moment to change a game.

Receiving a pass from Bruno Guimaraes on the left side of the penalty area, Vinicius cut inside onto his right foot before unleashing a stunning strike into the roof of the net.

It was a finish of the highest quality and a reminder of why he is regarded as one of the biggest stars at this World Cup. The goal not only rescued a point for Brazil but also announced that Vinicius is ready to play a leading role in his country’s quest for a sixth world title.

While the match ended level, both teams left the stadium with positives. Morocco proved once again that they can compete with the world’s best, while Brazil were reminded that individual brilliance can still make the difference when the pressure is at its highest.

With Brazil floundering during an alarming first half of their World Cup 2026 opener against a slick and bold Morocco, Carlo Ancelotti desperately looked around for a saviour. Enter Vinicius Jr and a piece of exquisite skill to delight a sea of yellow inside this New York bowl and ignite a flawed Selecao in their pursuit of a sixth star.

Their wooden midfield, with Casemiro’s redemption at Manchester United obscured upon sporting that famous canary, and imposters at full-back enough to make Cafu and Roberto Carlos shudder, Vinicius Jr’s mercurial talent shone a light on why the heart of this tournament’s greatest team still beats.

A laser from the left side of the penalty area that pierced the top right corner of Bono’s net led to an eruption of joy and relief in equal doses. Bruno Guimaraes, also uncomfortable around the snapping Moroccan midfielders, placed an imperfect pass into space. Vinicius Jr reset, gathered and then sent a shiver down the spine of Neil El Aynaoui. Unable to stop the inevitable dance inside, Vinicius Jr brought parity, but also underlined Ancelotti’s ongoing struggle to find balance.

This entire mission under Ancelotti, a first foreign manager of this proud nation, is the “rumo ao hexa,” or chasing the sixth, with parallels between this year’s quest and the triumph in 1994. And not merely due to the USA hosting both tournaments. With a 24-year drought between the legendary 1970 side and the overspill of emotion from those penalties in Pasadena, it has now also been 24 years since Ronaldo guided a side that gifted the world “joga bonito”.

That particular philosophy has long since disappeared; no longer the fabulous entertainers of the past, irresistible at their best and able to overwhelm opponents. That is why echoes of 1994 resonate. There, a Brazil side also flawed, but leaning on the ruthless Romario and Bebeto, covered up the cracks just enough, and grew into a tournament. Here, across 104 total matches and 48 teams there will be an opportunity to do just that.

The wildcard to this Selecao might still be Neymar Jr: a nation of 220 million coaches, Romario once said, that particular decision might be scrutinised a little more if Brazil fail to fire this summer.

Ancelotti is known to resist coveting a “clear identity,” and his Brazil made that apparent against the African champions, for now, with Senegal determined to reverse that status through Cas.

Ancelotti has talent, but confessed that “without talent you cannot win but balance is also very important,” and that remains the unanswered question here, with the ambitious approach from former Under-20s boss Mohamed Ouahbi offering an immediate fright to his opponents.

Brazil’s aforementioned glaring weakness at full-back saw Roger Ibanez exposed early and often. A stern examination from Bilal El Khannouss led to the crowd wincing at every twist and turn. And the rampaging Noussair Mazraoui overlapped nicely to leave the Al-Ahli defender sprawling.

The cut-back bobbled across to El Aynaoui and the finish lacked conviction in an early reprieve for the Selecao.

Then Azzedine Ounahi shifted the ball and angle on the edge of the penalty area; Casemiro and Lucas Paqueta’s desperate, chopping challenges exemplified how uncomfortable Brazil looked.

But Vinicius Jr’s sparkle offered a threat, regardless, with Achraf Hakimi beaten for pace. Igor Thiago failed to capitalise on the chance supplied by the winger or the moment, after being handed the starting centre forward jersey at a World Cup for the five-time winners.

A rare moment of danger from Brazil was soon erased by Morocco, who exposed the Selecao’s hapless shape. Brahim Diaz floated the ball in behind from deep, allowing Ismael Saibari to race past Gabriel Magalhaes and delicately lift the ball over Alisson Becker.

El Khannouss then opened up Brazil again, but Hakimi failed to capitalise after driving into space in yet another dangerous counter-attack. A trend that could hand Ancelotti some restless nights before future tests against Haiti and Scotland.

Hakimi boldly declared Morocco were “The Brazilians of Africa” ahead of the tournament and it was easy to see why, with Diaz’s little flick opening up the Selecao once more, but Saibari failed to connect cleanly and handed his side a hard truth at this level.

Morocco’s profligacy was punished with the ultimate cheat code: Vinicius Jr. His crisp finish brought an undeserved equaliser.

The second half failed to live up to the breathless pace of the first. Morocco wilted to show why Brazil will remain dangerous as this tournament unfolds.

The No 7’s pace could emerge as one of the fiercest weapons at this tournament, too, particularly in conditions like those in New Jersey, as temperatures reached 30C. One particular counter-attack saw a dragged finish from Raphinha stand between lift-off for a partnership that could match that of Romario and Bebeto on the biggest stage.

Danilo Santos dragged a finish in the closing stages and El Aynaoui’s bending drive was spilt by Alisson with Ayoube Amaimouni’s rebound smothered in a late scare. Those efforts were the first shots on goal for the Africans between the 31st and 99th minute. The points shared, but the pursuit of balance will define this Brazil and right now it has deserted them.