Neymar has returned to limited training as he bids to return to fitness in time to feature for Brazil at what could be his last World Cup.

The superstar forward has been out of acting nursing a calf problem sustained while playing for Santos in May, and underwent tests on Monday to determine the progress of his recovery.

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He is not expected to play in Brazil‘s second Group C outing against Haiti on Friday, with the Selecao desperately needing an injection of attacking spark after putting in an underwhelming display in their opening 1-1 draw with Morocco.

Elsewhere, Lamine Yamal has stepped up his return to full fitness after making his return to action in Spain‘s goalless draw with Cape Verde off the bench – will he start their next match against Saudi Arabia?

Canada, meanwhile, were without captain Alphonso Davies in their 1-1 opening-game draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, while US star Christian Pulisic was withdrawn at half-time from their win against Paraguay. England have also suffered their first casualty of the tournament after Tino Livramento was forced to withdraw from the squad.

See below for a full list of key injuries at this year’s World Cup.

Neymar sustained a grade two calf injury just three weeks out from the tournament.

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The 34-year-old missed the opening match against Morocco and underwent tests on Monday to determine the progress of his recovery.

He has only just returned to partial training with Brazil and is not expected to feature against Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia.

The 18-year-old star injured his left hamstring and had been out since 22 April, but he has now made his return to action after coming off the bench in Spain’s goalless draw with Cape Verde.

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente insisted he was in “perfect condition” with Yamal no doubt eager to start for the European champions against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

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Fellow Spain winger Nico Williams also returned off the bench against Cape Verde, as did Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino who had been sidelined for much of the year so far.

The co-hosts’ star player shone in the first-half of USA’s 4-1 win against Paraguay in Los Angeles but was withdrawn by Mauricio Pochettino at half-time due to a calf problem. However, the knock is not thought to be too serious.

“He received a kick in his calf and he felt tight at the end of the first half,” Pochettino said. “We didn’t want to take any risks. It was difficult for him to walk, but we hope that it is not a big issue and he can be ready for the next one.”

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Pulisic later told reporters: “I just got a bit of a kick in the first half, so I’m really hoping that it’s nothing. Taking a little bit of precaution today, but I’m hoping I’ll be fine the next few days.”

The United States next face Australia in San Francisco on Friday, with Pulisic currently in individual training. A team spokesman described Pulisic as “day to day” after his second straight day on his own.

Canada’s captain and star player had to sit out their 1-1 draw against Bosnia on Friday in Toronto and there are doubts whether he will be fit for their next match against Qatar in Vancouver on Thursday.

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Bayern Munich‘s Davies sustained a hamstring injury in May and the team remained tight-lipped about his recovery during Tuesday’s training session.

“Mentally, it was very draining, suffering these injuries,” Davies told reporters ahead of Canada’s opener. “I was going ‌into a hole where I ⁠was doubting myself, but I had that time off (during the ⁠injuries) and I thought about why I’m doing this, and how important this ‌is to me.”

Saka did not start England’s friendly win against Costa Rica but did put lingering concern surrounding his fitness to one side as he came on in the closing stages.

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The Arsenal winger has been managing an Achilles problem. He said he is having to take a “gamble” on his fitness but is still “ready to go” ahead of England’s opener against Croatia.

Thomas Tuchel will have to decide whether he is fit enough to start the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia on Wednesday.

“He was available and made himself available in the end of the season, and did this brilliantly, but he was managed in-between matches and that continues a little bit at the very moment, so we’re building him up,” Tuchel said last week.

Manchester City defender Dias will miss Portugal’s opener against DR Congo in a hefty blow for Roberto Martinez’s side.

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He has been dealing with an injury in training in recent days and Martinez confirmed that Portugal “won’t take any risks” against the African nation, with Dias still “not fully fit”.

England have been dealt their first real injury blow of the campaign after Newcastle defender Livramento was ruled out for the tournament with a calf injury.

Tuchel could have called up a raft of other full-back options, including Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle’s Lewis Hall. However the England manager chose to bring Trevoh Chalobah, a centre-back, into the fold.

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Chalobah will not be available in England’s opener against Croatia.

Another confirmed absentee, Tottenham forward Kudus will miss the World Cup because of a quadricep injury.

The 25-year-old has not featured since January, in a blow to Ghana – who are in England’s group.

Liverpool defensive midfielder Endo injured his foot in February and has been ruled out of the World Cup – and the 33-year-old has immediately retired from international duty.

“Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever,” he said. “From here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans.”

The Arsenal defender had been out since March due to a groin problem, but came on in the second half of the Champions League final against PSG.

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However, the Dutch FA believe Timber had “not recovered sufficiently” to take part in the tournament in a “medically responsible manner.”

As such, Timber has left the Dutch squad and been ruled out of the World Cup.

The 18-year-old was expected to be one of the young stars of this tournament but suffered a torn thigh muscle in training, ruling him out of the World Cup.

It was heartbreak for Scotland’s creative midfielder Gilmour, as he suffered an injury in their warm-up victory against Curacao.

The 24-year-old Napoli player picked up a knee injury in the 4-1 win, with teammate Scott McTominay saying he was “absolutely devastated” by the news.

Gilmour was, however, in camp to support his teammates ahead of their opening win against Haiti on Saturday.

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From the show

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France beat Senegal in their opening World Cup match (3-1). With a brace, captain Kylian Mbappé is now the all-time leading goalscorer for France, with 58 goals.

Sports fans are in for another packed weekend of live action, with GAA Championship fixtures, FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, rugby finals and semi-finals, Royal Ascot and Queen’s Club tennis all available across TV and streaming platforms.

The weekend schedule includes major All-Ireland SFC and SHC fixtures, Tailteann Cup action, FIFA World Cup games live on RTÉ2, the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final, French Top 14 semi-finals, Royal Ascot on Virgin Media One and the Queen’s Club men’s singles final.

Friday 19 June

• 19:25 – Kildare v Tyrone, All-Ireland Minor Football Semi-Final – TG4
• 20:00 – USA v Australia, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 20:05 – Toulouse v Racing 92, Top 14 Semi-Final – Premier Sports 2
• 23:00 – Scotland v Morocco, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 01:30 – Brazil v Haiti, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 04:00 – Turkey v Paraguay, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2

Saturday 20 June

• 09:45 – Adult Handball Semi-Finals – Spórt TG4 YouTube
• 12:50 – Donegal v Mayo, Munster SFC Round 3 – TG4
• 12:55 – Tyrone v Meath, Leinster SFC Round 3 – Spórt TG4 YouTube
• 14:00 – Barbarians v South Africa, Rugby Test Match – Premier Sports 2
• 14:45 – Armagh v Waterford, Ulster SFC Round 3 – TG4
• 14:55 – Tipperary v Kildare, Leinster SFC Round 3 – Spórt TG4 YouTube
• 15:00 – Down v Fermanagh, Tailteann Cup – RTÉ2
• 15:00 – Northampton v Exeter Chiefs, Gallagher Premiership Final – ITV4 / TNT Sports 1
• 15:45 – Cork v Derry, All-Ireland Minor Football Semi-Final – TG4 Player
• 16:00 – Kerry v Armagh, All-Ireland SFC – GAA+
• 17:00 – Offaly v Wicklow, Tailteann Cup – RTÉ News
• 17:00 – South Africa v AUNZ Invitational XV, Rugby Test Match – Premier Sports 2
• 18:00 – Netherlands v Sweden, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 18:15 – Mayo v Meath, All-Ireland SFC – GAA+
• 19:00 – Clare v Dublin, All-Ireland SHC – RTÉ1 / GAA+
• 19:25 – Kildare v Tyrone, All-Ireland Minor Football Semi-Final – TG4
• 20:05 – Montpellier v Stade Français, Top 14 Semi-Final – Premier Sports 1
• 21:00 – Germany v Ivory Coast, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 01:00 – Ecuador v Curaçao, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 05:00 – Tunisia v Japan, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2

Sunday 21 June

• 13:15 – Dublin v Donegal, All-Ireland SFC – RTÉ1
• 13:20 – Queen’s Club Men’s Singles Final – BBC One Northern Ireland HD
• 15:30 – Cork v Offaly, All-Ireland SHC – RTÉ1 / GAA+
• 16:00 – Monaghan v Westmeath, All-Ireland SFC – GAA+
• 17:00 – Spain v Saudi Arabia, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 20:00 – Belgium v Iran, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 23:00 – Uruguay v Cape Verde, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2
• 02:00 – New Zealand v Egypt, FIFA World Cup 2026 – RTÉ2

Royal Ascot Live on Virgin Media One

Royal Ascot continues from Wednesday to Saturday, with live coverage each day from 1:30pm to 6:30pm on Virgin Media One.

FIFA World Cup 2026 on RTÉ2

The FIFA World Cup 2026 continues throughout the weekend, with all listed matches live on RTÉ2. Key fixtures include USA v Australia, Scotland v Morocco, Brazil v Haiti, Netherlands v Sweden, Germany v Ivory Coast, Spain v Saudi Arabia and Belgium v Iran.

Weekend Highlights

• Dublin v Donegal in the All-Ireland SFC
• Clare v Dublin and Cork v Offaly in the All-Ireland SHC
• Northampton v Exeter Chiefs in the Gallagher Premiership Final
• Toulouse v Racing 92 and Montpellier v Stade Français in the Top 14 semi-finals
• Queen’s Club Men’s Singles Final
• Royal Ascot live on Virgin Media One
• FIFA World Cup 2026 matches live on RTÉ2

SportsNewsIreland.com will continue to provide live sport listings, fixtures, previews, TV information and match coverage throughout the weekend.

The first ODI had a lot of promise for India as Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey took three wickets each. Ishan Kishan adapted well to a new role while Nitish Kumar Reddy’s breakthroughs showed his progress as an all-rounder. With 2027 ODI World Cup in focus, these matches will be crucial for the team management to come up with the perfect composition.

Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On Tuesday afternoon in northern New Jersey, one of the planet’s most famous athletes did what all the greatest do so often: deliver when they’re expected to, even when the opponent is doing everything it can to prevent it from happening.

It’s an exhilarating thing to watch, made all the more beautiful to see on a flawless 75-degree day alongside more than 80,000 other witnesses. 

Kylian Mbappé is already one of the game’s elites, and yet there’s still so much more of his phenomenal career to go. It’s easy to forget as he embarks on his third World Cup (with a winner’s trophy and runners-up medal to his name already) that he’s still only 27 years old. That’s what makes this, right now, such a special moment for the World Cup on American soil. On Tuesday, he promptly announced his return to the grandest stage in soccer in emphatic fashion, putting on a second-half showing that reminded us yet again that the best of the best in every sport just have that knack for finding a way to Do Their Thing, leaving us slack-jawed as they change what’s hoped for into what is.

Mbappé deftly scooted home the first goal of France‘s game against Senegal in the 66th minute, breaking the seal in Group I’s first match. But it was the balletic blitzer’s second goal that boomed home from around 30 yards out in the game’s final minute of extra time, to make it 3-1 France, that sets him apart from most of the rest of the sport.

After Senegal scored a late goal in stoppage time to make the game 2-1, it took Mbappé less than two minutes to end the matter with the World Cup’s most bombastic goal through the first six days of this 48-team tournament. His beautiful clinching boot was a thunderclap message to the rest of the World Cup field and doubly set the tone for France in its first game of what’s hoped to be a strut to the World Cup final in this very stadium a little more than a month from now, on July 19. 

As someone who attended both, I can also say: Tuesday’s showing was the best performance at MetLife Stadium since Oasis’ epic two-nighter here last summer. On this day, Mbappé would not acquiesce. 

It was riveting for the spectacle, but special for the historic element. Mbappé’s two goals lifted him atop the all-time French table. His lifetime tally of goals for the French national team now logs at 58, placing him above France’s longtime stalwart, Olivier Giroud for most in that country’s history.

Mbappé is also, now, at 14 World Cup goals, tied for third-most all-time with Gerd Müller and only trailing Ronaldo‘s 15 (for now) and Miroslav Klose‘s 18. He’s got an outstanding chance to hold the record by the start of the knockout stage, let alone at the end of the tournament … if Lionel Messi doesn’t relent. The Argentinian legend matched Mbappé less than six hours later on Tuesday by dropping two goals in the late game against Algeria in Kansas City. 

And as for the scenes? If you have the means to attend at least one World Cup match, you have to. As I made my way through the crowds on the concourse level and into the seats, I saw kits from at least a dozen countries. In what’s fast becoming a running theme, Mexico was particularly prominent here. But of course, the crowd was heavily draped in blue, red and white. The French showed up early, taking over MetLife Stadium.

I typically cover basketball games for CBS Sports, but living in the northeast, I’ve been to a handful of NFL games as a fan at both MetLife Stadium and its predecessor, Giants Stadium. I was in the stands on a Sunday night in 2006 when Chicago Bears speedster Devin Hester brought back the second-most famous return of his Hall of Fame career, a 108-yard house call after a missed field goal.

I remember the roar and awe of the crowd on that night as it watched the most brilliant return man in NFL history tap into his greatness.

That roar and awe was even greater on Tuesday, and it was like that not just because of the World Cup — but because of Mbappé. The event’s return to the United States for the first time in 32 years is going to reignite this country’s passion not just for soccer (potentially on a level that’s never been seen here), but for the epic theater that this incredible global event will provide — and its stars will make it marquee.

Mbappé has a keen sense for the moment. France got off to a terrible start, only managing one shot on goal in the first half to Senegal’s five.

By the game’s end, it was 11-6 in France’s favor. The expected goal battle tilted toward the favorite, with France pulling ahead 1.79 to 0.56. Despite a slow start, France was clearly the dominant side by match’s end.

That’s because France is arguably the most loaded team in this event. They are stacked with attackers. They can sub in some of the most gifted players in the world. Bradley Barcola of Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain scored France’s second, the other substiute for France, Premier League runner-up Rayan Cherki. While other highly rated countries have been a tad sluggish to start, with other top-tier favorites Brazil and Spain dropping points, Les Bleus are immediately off and booming. 

It all starts with Mbappé, whose celebrity reach was palpable around the stadium from start to finish. The crowd’s collective response every time the ball hit his foot was like a jerk to the senses. He practically tilts the field while simultaneously flaring your attention. There is a magnetism to him that few athletes carry.

And any possession feels like it could end with a blast of dynamite. 

In Group I, France are the overwhelming favorite to leave with three wins and stomp into the knockout stage. Despite that inevitability, Mbappé’s presence makes France must-see every game, no matter the opposing side.

To get to see this was something I’ll never forget, and I’m saying this about an opening match in group play with more than a month remaining in this terrific tournament. You can’t just wave off greatness when you see it. It stays with you. The only athletes I’ve ever watched in person who could compare to Mbappé’s presence, crowd control and greatness are Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. And while he’s not on that level yet, could he get there in the next decade?

Or.

Could he get there in the next month?

If Mbappé is indeed that great, he’ll take what could be and change it into what is. 

San Diego State rode an elite defense to a great 2025 season to set the stage for its entrance into the Pac-12.

Are the Aztecs a threat to win the league under head coach Sean Lewis?

Spencer joins ‘Locked On Pac-12’ host Christian Rauh to discuss.

This segment is from Monday’s episode of Locked On College Football with Spencer McLaughlin: Pac-12 BUZZ: San Diego State RISING to be conference contender?

Sean Lewis MUST overcome this task

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Caitlin Clark put on a clinic Tuesday night, leading the Indiana Fever to a dominant 113-91 win over the Toronto Tempo — a franchise so new that half the audience was probably doing a double take when the score appeared.

Oh, and the win was the fourth consecutive victory for the scorching-hot Fever.

Caitlin Clark draws a foul from Maria Conde during Indiana’s victory over the Toronto Tempo. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) ((Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images))

But the biggest milestone of the night was Clark reclaiming the top spot on the WNBA assists leaderboard. She recorded 14 assists in just 32 minutes.

CAITLIN CLARK DROPS 21 POINTS AND 10 ASSISTS AFTER WNBA USED RAVEN JOHNSON IN FEVER PROMO GRAPHICS

She was equally effective when looking for her own shot.

Clark finished with 21 points, forcing Toronto to respect her scoring ability and preventing defenders from keying solely on her passing.

Caitlin Clark ran absolute circles around the Toronto Tempo during another dominant night in Indy. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ((Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))

By balancing her responsibilities as both a facilitator and scorer, she kept Indiana’s offense difficult to predict. She also added five rebounds.

CAITLIN CLARK PUTS UP REGGIE MILLER-LIKE SHOOTING DISPLAY IN RETURN FROM INJURY; SCORES 9 POINTS IN 38 SECONDS

Orchestrating an offense that produced 113 points and a 22-point victory margin was a nice reminder from Clark of her WNBA dominance.

Frankly, we’ve never seen a player like her, though some have already forgotten.

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Indiana’s recent surge may be less of a hot streak and more of a glimpse of what’s to come in this much-discussed third season for the WNBA phenom.

Clark retakes the league lead in assists after Tuesday night rout of Toronto Tempo. (Photo by Pepper Robinson/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Pepper Robinson/NBAE via Getty Images))

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