European champions Spain head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup with high expectations as they look to recapture the dominance that once defined their golden generation. Since lifting their maiden World Cup title in 2010 with a possession-heavy masterclass, Spain’s subsequent campaigns have brought mixed fortunes, one major disappointment and a couple of underwhelming performances.
However, La Roja appear to have rediscovered their identity. After the departure of Luis Enrique in 2022, Spain underwent a smooth transition and re-emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting sides at Euro 2024. Their triumph in Germany stood out for its balance of traditional tiki-taka principles blended with a more direct, dynamic attacking approach, especially through wide areas.
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Now, questions are being asked about whether this evolving generation can emulate Spain’s legendary 2008-2012 era, when they dominated world football with back-to-back European Championships and a World Cup triumph.
Spain arrive at the World Cup with a near-perfect qualifying record, finishing with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 0 defeats. They scored 21 goals and conceded just 2, underlining their control at both ends of the pitch.
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Mikel Merino and Mikel Oyarzabal led the scoring charts with six goals each, while Oyarzabal also topped the assist rankings with four.
A defining moment came early in the campaign when Spain dismantled Türkiye 6-0 away from home, setting the tone for their dominance. By the time qualification was sealed, Spain had gone unbeaten without conceding a single goal. A 2–2 draw against Türkiye in the return fixture was the only slight setback, a result that did little to disrupt their momentum.
Span’s Group H in FIFA World Cup 2026
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Spain
Uruguay
Saudi Arabia
Cape Verde
Lamine Yamal the X factor for Spain
Lamine Yamal is regarded as a generational talent who commands attention whenever he is on the pitch. However, Spain will be eager for him to recover quickly from the hamstring injury that ended his 2025–26 club season prematurely.
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If fully fit, he has the ability to deliver a World Cup performance comparable to iconic campaigns like Diego Maradona in 1986, Kylian Mbappé in 2018, or Lionel Messi in 2022. Meanwhile, Fermín López is emerging as a key breakout star. Despite over 100 appearances for Barcelona, he is still establishing himself internationally. He offers creativity, dribbling, passing, finishing, and exceptional energy.
Spain schedule for FIFA World Cup 2026
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FIFA World Cup 2026 Spain schedule
Fixture
Date
Venue
Spain vs. Cabo Verde
Monday, June 15
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
Sunday, June 21
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Uruguay vs. Spain
Friday, June 26
Estadio Akron
Spain Strengths
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Spain’s preferred system is a 4-2-3-1 formation, built around a hybrid style of play that blends control with direct attacking threat. One of their biggest strengths is their exceptionally high technical quality, allowing them to dominate possession and dictate tempo against any opposition.
They are also a highly effective pressing team, capable of winning the ball high up the pitch and immediately transitioning into attack. Spain’s play is particularly dangerous in wide areas, where they generate explosive attacking movements and pace, making them unpredictable and difficult to defend against.
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Another key strength is their cohesion across all phases of play. This is not just a team that passes for control, it operates as a unified unit, capable of both patient build-up and quick, vertical attacks. Their system is further elevated by moments of individual brilliance from some of the world’s top stars, with Lamine Yamal often drawing attention, though he is far from the only game-changer in the squad.
Spain Weaknesses
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Despite their dominance, Spain are not without vulnerabilities. One of their main concerns is impulsive defending, which can occasionally disrupt their otherwise structured approach.
Their intense pressing style, while effective, can also become a liability in physically demanding or stifling conditions, where maintaining high energy levels over 90 minutes may be challenging.
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Another notable weakness is their record in penalty shootouts, an area that has historically caused problems and could prove decisive in knockout-stage matches at major tournaments.
Spain squad for FIFA World Cup 2026: Yet to be announced Preliminary squad:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, David Raya, Juan Garcia, Alex Remiro.
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Defenders: Pedro Porro, Marcos Llorente, Dani Carvajal, Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo, Alejandro Balde, Pep Chavarria, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Robin Le Normand, Dean Huijsen, Aymeric Laporte, Eric Garcia, Pau Torres, Mario Gila, Cesar Tarrega.
Midfielders: Rodri, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, Mikel Merino, Pablo Barrios, Oihan Sancet, Alex Garcia, Javi Guerra, Alberto Moleiro.
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Forwards: Yeremy Pino, Mikel Jauregizar, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Ferran Torres, Bryan Zaragoza, Jesus Rodriguez
TOKYO — Injured Premier League winger Kaoru Mitoma was left out of Japan’s World Cup squad on Friday when coach Hajime Moriyasu named his 26 players for the tournament starting next month in North America.
Captain and Liverpool defensive midfielder Wataru Endo and veteran fullback Yuto Nagatomo were included.
The 28-year-old Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton’s 3-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League last weekend.
“The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament,” Moriyasu said.
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Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also missed out after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December.
In 2022 in Qatar, Japan won its group after upset victories over Germany and Spain before losing in the round of 16 on penalties to eventual semifinalists Croatia.
Japan is on a five-match winning streak heading into its final pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31.
The streak started last October with a 3-2 win over Brazil in Tokyo when the home side came back from 2-0 down to beat the South Americans for the first time.
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It was also the last time Japan conceded a goal. Japan also beat England 1-0 on March 31 at Wembley after defeating Scotland 1-0 at Glasgow three days earlier.
Japan qualified for its first World Cup at France in 1998 and co-hosted the event with South Korea in 2002. This year marks Japan’s eighth World Cup tournament in a row.
Goalkeepers: Zion Suzuki, Keisuke Osako, Tomoki Hayakawa.
Let the footballs fly. The Vikings began working out their newly acquired rookies last week at TCO Performance Center, and for the Vikings, that was a lot of them. They reportedly signed eight of their nine draft choices (with the exception of linebacker Jake Golday—whose “gold day” has been delayed). The Vikings had a plethora of undrafted rookies in camp and even signed a couple of them: LB Kamara Bangally from Kansas and DL Vilbert Smith Vilbert from North Carolina.
More importantly, the Vikings signed a free agent wide receiver, Jauan Jennings, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, this past week. He signed a one-year deal worth of $8 million (with incentives allowing it to reach up to $13 million), and he will slide into the vacated WR3 slot. That is plenty of money for that position, but Jennings has size, skills and veteran experience and will help take some pressure off Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
In addition, the Purple’s search for a new general manager has gotten underway with a list of names the Vikings’ ownership is seeking to interview. Plus, the team is headed to Mexico for an international game against the Niners this season, and Adrian Peterson learned that he will be put in the Vikings Ring of Honor this season. There is plenty of news coming out of TCO Performance Center, and the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—have got it all for you. Tune in and check it out. Skol!
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Joe Oberle is a veteran sportswriter/editor/reporter and has covered the Vikings since 2008. The author of three books, he … More about Joe Oberle
Washington Nationals pitcher Foster Griffin (22) is visited at the mound before being relieved in the fifth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The Reds led 2-0 after three innings. The Reds won 15-1.
The Washington Nationals will be glad to start fresh against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night, one day after a debacle in Cincinnati.
Washington’s chance for a series sweep vs. the Reds and a bid to reach .500 for the season ended in a 15-1 loss to the Reds.
The Nationals now will host the Orioles and New York Mets on a seven-game homestand, starting with Baltimore on Friday night in the opener of the three-game Beltway Series.
Home has not been sweet for Washington, which is just 6-13 at Nationals Park.
The Orioles, who have won three of their last four games, will open a six-game trip that will conclude against Tampa Bay. Baltimore is 8-12 on the road.
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The series against Washington will feature pitching staffs that have two of the bottom five ERAs in the majors: 4.60 for the Orioles (26th) and 5.01 for the Nationals (29th).
On Friday, Baltimore’s Shane Baz (1-4, 5.48 ERA) will oppose fellow right-hander Zack Littell (1-4, 6.94), who could be preceded by an opener.
Baz has allowed four or more earned runs in five of his eight starts this season and 10 earned runs over 10 1/3 innings in his past two outings. Last Saturday against the Athletics, he took the loss after giving up five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five in Baltimore’s 6-2 defeat.
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“You want to play better,” Baz said. “I think we’re doing the right stuff in between starts and game planning wise to have more success. So I’m just kind of turning the page and looking forward to the next one.”
Baz has yet to face the Nationals in his career.
Littell has worked behind an opener in each of his past two starts. Last time out, he worked innings three through six against the Miami Marlins on Saturday and gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits in his team’s 8-7 loss. After giving up 11 homers over four starts, he has allowed one home run in his last two outings.
Littell is 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 career games (eight starts) vs. the Orioles.
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On Thursday, Washington’s most reliable starter to date was torched as Foster Griffin gave up nine runs in 4 1/3 innings. The Nationals mustered only three hits against Chase Burns and the Reds’ bullpen.
The defeat marked the 15th straight time the Nationals have lost a game in which a win would have gotten them to .500.
“It’s not just the .500. You want to be contending,” Washington’s Jacob Young said. “And to be contending, you’ve got to be at least .500. … We’ve been teetering with it, of course. But if we can just catch a little momentum and win a few in a row, we can forget about that number and go the other way.”
For the Orioles, they got a strong start Wednesday from Kyle Bradish in a 7-0 win over the New York Yankees. Blaze Alexander had three hits and drove in two runs. Coby Mayo had two hits, including an RBI double, and Adley Rutschman homered and drove in three runs.
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“I think that’s what we’re capable of,” Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said. “We’ve shown it. We’ve shown we can play a game like this. So, for our guys, it’s just anchoring to it, being consistent with it and being diligent with our work.”
With the Mumbai Indians enduring a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has come to the defence of captain Hardik Pandya, stating that the team’s poor performances should not be pinned on him alone. MI, who have won just four of their 12 matches this season, were the second team to be eliminated from playoff contention, with their captain struggling with form and injury. “I wouldn’t review his captaincy this year at all. Honestly, when you have seasons like this, to pin the blame on the captain is quite unfair. Nobody has turned up. The team has failed to turn up and for Hardik to take the blame on himself is… you’re asking him to do a little too much,” Ashwin told ESPNcricinfo.
Ashwin highlighted the context of Pandya’s return to MI in 2024 after a successful stint with the Gujarat Titans, where he led the franchise to a title and a runners-up finish.
“He was there at Gujarat Titans. Had two fabulous seasons (one title and one runners-up finish). So clearly, as a leader, he did something right there. And when he returned to Mumbai Indians, he had to deal with quite a bit. It’s not easy to replace an incumbent Indian captain, white-ball captain, such as Rohit Sharma. Five (six) titles in the IPL. He’s won a T20 World Cup. And Hardik comes and replaces him. You’ve got a lot of fandom going around in the country. You should have a thick skin to survive the social media these days,” Ashwin added.
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Ashwin also stressed that captaincy is not solely responsible for a team’s failures as he said, “I wouldn’t judge his captaincy much because the bowling has also leaked (runs in) every direction. Every single time an over is bowled for six or seven runs, in comes a 15-run over. So what do you do as a captain? And sure, he’s made some calls that have been debatable. (But) captaincy is the result of how your team is making you look. So which is why I believe when you have a good season, don’t give too much credit to a captain. When you have a bad season, don’t pin it on him. And similar with the coach; the coach sends the players out. So you can’t blame him too much.”
This season, Pandya’s struggles have been stark. Since returning to MI as captain in 2024, he has yet to win a trophy for the franchise. In IPL 2026, he scored just 146 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 136.44, with a best of 40, and took only four wickets at an economy of 11.90.
Beyond leadership, Ashwin expressed concern about Pandya’s batting, noting unusual timing issues, stating, “With his (Hardik’s) batting, I found something quite interesting and strange, which is how late he’s been on the ball. Is he going through something physically? We wouldn’t be able to know that if there is something, then maybe that physical aspect will bring him back. And if he gets better, he’ll come back to it. But he’s been late on the hard-length deliveries.”
“He’s not someone who’s going to miss hard-length deliveries. He hits it 15 rows back. That’s a bit of a concern for me, whether he’s suffering something physically from a back issue or hands, or does he have a tennis elbow? Is his bat heavier (than it should be)? Does he need to recalibrate that? Those are things that I would want to know,” he added.
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The team has also struggled collectively, with other stars like Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah having similarly modest campaigns. Pandya has additionally been sidelined due to a reported back issue, missing three games, with Suryakumar and Bumrah stepping in as stand-in captains. Despite the struggles, Ashwin reaffirmed Pandya’s value.
“Hardik is a once-in-a-generation player. You don’t find such players. And if India finds itself in a certain T20 mastery now, Hardik’s been a linchpin in that. And to me, Hardik, the player, you can have a bad season. It’s digestible for me. Especially after you had a (T20) World Cup like that. Hardik likes a bit of space. He kind of stays in his own zone. So the only thing I’d be worried about is how late he’s been on the ball when he’s batting. Apart from that, it’s okay. I wouldn’t judge any of the other aspects of his game,” the former India spinner mentioned.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Back to full fitness after an uninterrupted winter, Pattison, the second-fastest British 800m runner in history, is desperate to clinch more major silverware on home soil this summer.
The 24-year-old announced himself on the global stage by claiming a surprise 800m bronze in his first world final in Budapest in 2023, and moved behind only Sebastian Coe on the British all-time list the following season.
But, after illness disrupted his Olympic preparations and his 2025 plans were ruined by a stress fracture, Pattison is targeting European and Commonwealth medals in Birmingham and Glasgow respectively.
Speaking to BBC Sport before competing in China, Pattison said: “The plan is to do both and my goal is to get two medals. It’s been three years now since I’ve got a medal at a major championship, so I feel like it’s been far too long.
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“I was asked at the world indoors: ‘Do you feel like you need to get a medal again?’ And I was thinking, hang on, I’m still quite young – but it does almost feel like that.
“I don’t like the fact that people still reference Budapest. That was good, and if you had told me when I was younger that I’d retire with a world and a Commonwealth bronze medal, I’d have definitely taken that.
“But to achieve that by the age of 21, I’d like to think by the end of my career I’ll definitely be able to get more medals – and that’s what really gets me going.”
Ronda Rousey worked with WWE from 2017 to 2019, and then again from 2022 to 2023. She made quite the impact during her two runs with the company.
In 2019, WWE had the first-ever main event with female superstars. Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35 in a Winner Takes All match. Both the then-RAW Women’s Championship and then-SmackDown Women’s Championship were on the line at the match. Lynch won that match to become Becky Two Belts, and Rousey disappeared from WWE TV.
Thanks for the submission!
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While speaking to Zack Heydorn of SI’s The Takedown, Rousey revealed that before taking time off for her pregnancy, Rousey had pitched a singles feud against Becky Lynch to WWE, which Vince McMahon absolutely loved.
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“After WrestleMania, I literally printed out a whole presentation for them, for me and Becky — the singles match,” Rousey said. “How we would do it, how we would plan it out and rehearse these things and have them woven throughout the show. To do something really exceptional and new, and then Vince and them were like, ‘oh yeah, this is a great idea, this is great.’ Then I went and had my baby, I came back, and they were like, well, we talked about that a year ago”, said Ronda Rousey.
However, when she returned in 2022, it never came to fruition. She feuded with Charlotte Flair in 2022, but not with Becky Lynch, even though it was teased.
“They said, ‘We love this plan, it’s an epic showdown with you and Becky that’s going to build all year.’ I wanted to make basically a final showdown of me and Becky woven throughout the entirety of the show. It would summarize the entire rivalry for anyone watching it for the first time. Someone could watch it and not need to watch everything that came beforehand. It would sum it up and then deliver the ending. I thought it was fucking incredible and it was why I came back,” she added. [H/t: The Takedown]
Ronda Rousey opened up about working with Vince McMahon
Just weeks from the start of the 2026 World Cup, India is without a broadcasting deal. Talks are reportedly ongoing, with time zones and cost expectations clear stumbling blocks, but there is also a feeling that FIFA has misunderstood its two biggest markets.
“The Indian market is a sort of a brute force market,” Nandan Kamath, one of India’s leading sports lawyers and a key figure in the country’s sports policy, told DW. “It’s the numbers rather than the willingness.”
Broadcasters in India rely far more on advertising revenue than subscriptions. Viewing numbers for the tournament in Qatar were good, but they did not lead to a profit for Viacom18, the Indian media giant who owned the rights. On top of that, the premium subscriber base for most services is just too small to generate a major profit. In order for FIFA to reach the scale it wants, it will likely have to reduce its expectations.
“Everyone has had to rationalize subscriptions to get scale,” Kamath said, before referencing Netflix and Formula One. Both had to change their original ideas to reach the desired audience. For example, a Netflix subscription can now cost 199 rupees a month (roughly $2.50), while F1 offers a season pass for 899 rupees ($10).
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The Indian Premier League is the biggest cricket league in the world and is the top focus for broadcasters in IndiaImage: Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo/picture alliance
Not a competitive market
“I don’t know if we’ve really seen the broadcast meet the market. Normally these rights are sold where there’s highly competitive people dealing with FOMO [fear of missing out], and that isn’t here right now,” Kamath said.
With only JioStar (which absorbed Viacom18 after the Reliance-Disney merger in 2024) and Sony in the running, a competitive market for rights isn’t there. And then there’s cricket.
“India is a sports market that has grown up on cricket,” said Kamath. “Without question, the FIFA World Cup would not be in the top two rights that would get sold in India; those would be IPL and ICC rights. And it’s a very unique thing for any market to not even be in the top two.”
If FIFA wants to break into the top two, it must look harder at the landscape.
“Cricket is the perfect advertising-supported sport, where it breaks every three or four minutes. And that is just so different from football,” Kamath explained. “I don’t think there’s enough breaks in play to really build a convincing advertising market.”
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Time and place a factor
Time zones are also a factor. Most the games will kick off when India is asleep. Four years ago in Qatar, the time difference to India was just two and a half hours. There’s also the country’s clear desire to host the Olympics, which pushes football further down the priority list. It also doesn’t help that India’s men’s football team have never played at a World Cup before, and were knocked out in the second round of qualifying for this edition.
“There is this notion that cricket is king, the Olympics is the next aspiration, and FIFA is very much an entertainment product,” Kamath said. “The bridge between participatory football, hosting ambition and viewing has too many barriers at this point in time.”
Ultimately, Kamath feels a deal will follow, but that FIFA will have to be more innovative in the future if they are to really flourish in the Indian market.
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“It could be virtual advertising, or better integration of Indian sponsors,” Kamath said. “You might need to find new models to meet this, but I don’t see the willingness to subscribe and pay a huge amount more changing in four years or eight.”
China have only participated at one men’s World Cup before, in 2002Image: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP
FIFA greed a problem in China?
After weeks of doubt and negotiation, national media in China reported on May 15 that a broadcasting deal for the next two World Cups (men’s and women’s) had been agreed.
“China, basically, has always been obsessed with the game,” Xu Guoqi, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, told DW. “So in the past, even if the Chinese men had not qualified, the Chinese Central TV (CCTV) was always broadcasting.”
Guoqi, who is an expert in the role of sports in China and has authored books about the importance of sport in the country, feels that part of the problem is FIFA’s inability to understand the region.
“Time difference is not really an issue because historically speaking, with the exception of Qatar recently, it’s always in another place, so we all have to stay up very late,” Guoqi said. “I think FIFA got greedy. It’s a business deal, right? For FIFA, if Chinese men don’t watch the game that’s a big loss to them.”
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Given that, according to FIFA, almost 20% of linear TV reach in Qatar came from CCTV, it is understandable why football’s governing body is so keen to be present in the Chinese market.
The absence of the men’s team — who fell in the third round of qualifying and have only been at one previous World Cup, in 2002 — looks less decisive for the Chinese market currently. This is in part because there are still four Chinese companies who are sponsoring the tournament, but also because watching a World Cup remains a source of joy for many.
“In 1999 when NATO bombed a Chinese embassy, the Chinese government decided to cancel the broadcasting of NBA games,” said Guoqi, referencing work from his book “Olympic Dreams: China and Sports.”
“The Chinese youngsters denounced Americans in front of the embassy during the daytime, and in the evening, they denounced CCTV with the argument, ‘We hate American imperialism, but we love the NBA.’ The NBA belongs to the world. That tells you something about that new Chinese mindset, because it’s pure joy for them, basketball or football.”
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This article was updated shortly after publishing to reflect the news that China had secured a broadcasting deal for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
The 2026 PGA Championship’s second round has begun at Aronimink Golf Club. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler leads the way among Friday’s early wave. Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau will tee off in the afternoon for Round 2. GOLF’s writers and editors are providing live updates on the PGA Championship first round all day long, from on-site at Aronimink and beyond.
PGA Round 2: What you need to know
Friday’s second round starts with a whopping seven players tied for the lead… and another seven pros tied for second. But Scheffler’s name stands tallest among them. The four-time major winner is the defending PGA champion, and his repeat bid is off to a hot start. But plenty of other stars are in the mix, such as Spieth, Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry, to name just a few.
Meanwhile, McIlroy and DeChambeau will be fighting to make the cut on Friday and earn tee times for the weekend.
Notable Round 2 tee times: Martin Kaymer (7:29 a.m. ET); Patrick Reed (8:02 a.m. ET); Scottie Scheffler (8:40 a.m. ET); Bryson DeChambeau (1:43 p.m. ET); Rory McIlroy (2:05 p.m. ET); Jon Rahm (2:05 p.m. ET); Jordan Spieth (2:05 p.m. ET)
Aside from the Dubois defeat, which was stopped on cuts in the eighth round, Hrgovic has looked close to losing on two occasions – a controversial points win over Zhilei Zhang, and a dramatic eighth round against Adeleye in which the Brit was dropped but recovered to put ‘El Animal’ on seriously shaky legs.
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Speaking to DAZN ahead of his return, Hrgovic reflected on the ‘toughest round of his career’ against Adeleye, confirming that the Brit is the hardest hitter he has faced so far.
“He gave me the hardest punch that I ever received in my career. He punches harder than Zhang, Dubois, than anyone I faced … He’s got power. He doesn’t throw a lot, but he definitely has a strong punch.”
Most predict that Hrgovic’s durability will pose problems for Allen, who also believes he possesses an ‘iron chin’. If the Croatian comes through with the win and is injury-free, it is this resilience that may well land him a fight with young sensation Moses Itauma.
Itauma has made no secret that he wants to face Hrgovic, and it would be the clear toughest assignment of his impressive career so far. Talk of the match-up has intensified this week, seemingly leaving ‘The White Rhino’ Allen as the only man who can upset the plans.
As for Adeleye, he does not currently have his next fight booked but is consistently pushing for a high-level return, even calling out the new WBO champion, Dubois.
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