Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel believes Argentina are favourites to beat England in tonight’s 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final.

The former Chelsea midfielder said Lionel Messi remains the biggest threat on the pitch and believes England will struggle to stop the Argentina captain.

Mikel, who faced Messi at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, admitted that every team he played in tried to stop the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner but failed.

“I’m a Messi fan and I want Argentina to win,” Mikel said on the Rest is Football podcast.

“How do you stop Messi? We’ve all tried and we’ve all failed. He’s simply a genius and an incredible player.”

The 39-year-old recalled how former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho always came up with different plans to stop Messi before their matches against Barcelona.

“Mourinho always had ideas, but you can’t defend Messi one-on-one. It’s almost impossible,” Mikel said.

“He dribbles like the ball is attached to his feet. People talk about his goals, but his passing and vision are also among the best in the world.”

Mikel also warned England against asking midfielder Declan Rice to man-mark Messi.

He believes such a plan would leave space in midfield and play into Argentina’s hands.

“Argentina will win. England have not been at their best in this tournament. If Messi gets space in midfield, he will punish you,” Mikel added.

He also praised the experienced Argentina squad, saying they know how to protect Messi and perform in big matches.

England and Argentina will meet in the second World Cup semi-final at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with kick-off scheduled for 8:00 pm WAT.

Meanwhile, England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Declan Rice has recovered from illness and is available for the match.

2026 Candidates women champion Vaishali with her mother (FIDE Photo)

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has approved a new qualification system for the 2028 FIDE Candidates Tournament and the 2028 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. These events decide who will challenge for the World Championship titles. The updated rules are designed to make qualification fairer by rewarding players for strong performances across major tournaments instead of relying on world rankings alone. The changes were proposed by FIDE’s Global Strategy Commission and aim to give players more ways to earn a place in the Candidates.One of the biggest updates is the addition of the Total Chess World Championship Tour 2026–2027 as a direct qualification route. The top two players in the Tour standings will earn spots in the 2028 Candidates Tournament.FIDE has also reduced the number of Candidates spots available through the World Cup. From the 2027 edition onwards, only the two finalists in both the Open and Women’s World Cups will qualify, instead of three players as in previous cycles. Clear replacement rules have also been introduced if a qualified player cannot take part.Another major change is the removal of the rating-based qualification spot. Instead, every place will now be earned through performances in events such as the Grand Swiss, World Cup, Total Chess World Championship Tour, Women’s Grand Prix and the FIDE Circuit. In addition, the FIDE Circuit will now award two qualification places based on combined results over the 2026–2027 season rather than one place each year.

Qualification paths and FIDE’s view

Both the Open and Women’s Candidates Tournaments will feature eight players. Each event will have two qualifiers from the Grand Swiss, two from the World Cup, two from the Tour or Women’s Grand Prix, and two from the FIDE Circuit.“The qualification system for the Candidates Tournaments is one of the cornerstones of the World Championship cycle, and it is essential that it continues to evolve alongside the game itself,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “These changes have been carefully developed to make the qualification process more balanced, transparent, and performance-based. “By introducing the Total Chess World Championship Tour as a new pathway, refining the allocation of World Cup places, and placing greater emphasis on results achieved during the cycle, we are ensuring that every route to the Candidates rewards sustained excellence at the highest level of competition.”

Giuliano Simeone will play on the right wing instead of Rodrigo De Paul, reports TYC Sports.  Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni hinted at changes to the starting XI on the eve of the clash.

“We might make some changes with the opponent in mind. The idea is to field our best lineup; the lads are in good shape,” said Scaloni.

Argentina XI, as reported by TYC Sports: Emiliano  Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian  Romero , Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Giuliano Simeone, Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allsiter; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez

The 2026 Minnesota Vikings have much more cornerback depth than the 2025 club, but according to Bleacher Report, new general manager Nolan Teasley should be in the market for one more — ideally, Kansas City Chiefs corner Kristian Fulton.

BR’s Moe Moton found one player per team to target for each NFL squad, and for Minnesota, that’s evidently the Chiefs’ veteran defender.

A Late-Round Gamble Could Strengthen Vikings’ Cornerback Depth

Moton: Vikings Should Trade for Fulton

Minnesota probably needs an extra EDGE defender or backup guard per roster need at the moment, but Moton recommended Fulton.

He explained this week, “Minnesota Vikings: Trade a late 2027 pick for Kansas City Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton. Aside from Byron Murphy Jr., the Vikings’ cornerback group is highly questionable with Isaiah Rodgers and James Pierre in line for big roles.”

“Rodgers had a decent 2025 campaign, allowing an 88.2 passer rating in coverage. Pierre only has 13 career starts. Minnesota should add veteran insurance to cover the boundary when Murphy lines up in the slot.”

Fulton entered the NFL as a 2nd-Rounder in 2020 — the day after Justin Jefferson — and was on the Vikings’ radar at the time, at least per the mock draft community. Minnesota instead picked 1st-Rounder Jeff Gladney.

“Fulton could be serviceable in that role. Last year, he only appeared in eight games but allowed a solid 81.7 passer rating in coverage,” Moton continued.

“The 27-year-old may be behind L’Jarius Sneed and Nohl Williams on the Chiefs’ depth chart. With 53 career starts, Fulton could take on a prominent role on the perimeter in nickel packages or provide quality depth.”

Fulton was a teammate of the aforementioned Jefferson at LSU.

The Career So Far for Fulton

For starters, here’s Fulton’s career resume:

• Tennessee Titans (2020–2023)
• Los Angeles Chargers (2024)
• Kansas City Chiefs (2025–now)

Fulton’s six-year NFL career has been largely unremarkable compared to his original draft stock. In 65 games, including 53 starts, he has recorded five interceptions and 38 pass breakups. However, he has also surrendered 2,346 yards and 17 touchdowns in coverage, far from the production of a “shutdown corner.”

His most effective season was 2021, when opposing quarterbacks achieved a 75.3 passer rating against him, and he secured two interceptions. Pro Football Focus awarded him a 66.2 coverage grade that year.

Since then, his performance has declined. In 2023, he allowed a 129.3 passer rating and three touchdowns, resulting in a coverage grade of 46.9. While a move to Los Angeles offered some improvement, he still gave up six touchdowns in 2024 and finished with a 66.6 coverage grade.

Kansas City utilized him sparingly in 2025, with only 208 defensive snaps. He allowed eight catches on 16 targets and received an overall grade of 60.4 from PFF.

Fulton’s experience suggests he can serve as a backup corner and potentially fill in as a starter if necessary. Nevertheless, his career trajectory indicates he is an average player who never developed into the reliable outside starter, as was the best-case scenario back in 2020.

The Vikings’ CBs at the Moment

Do the Vikings need a cornerback? Not really, unless one is analyzing the depth chart from a long-term angle. Minnesota hasn’t successfully drafted a cornerback of any kind with staying power in a decade; before too long, it will need to change that habit in the draft.

As a whole, though, the Vikings’ current cornerback corps is deeper than most summers:

Murphy Jr., Rodgers, Pierre, and Demmings will easily make the 53-man roster at the end of August. The rest are mysteries.

Acquiring Fulton, per the Moton recommendation, would make the CB room run five men deep and probably put Demmings, a rookie, in line for a redshirt season.

For a Late-Round Pick, Why Not?

It’s debatable whether the Vikings should take the plunge for a fourth or fifth cornerback. It feels like a conversation to have if a starting cornerback gets hurt and is lost for the season at training camp or in the preseason — like Mekhi Blackmon in 2024.

Still, sending a 6th- or 7th-Rounder to Kansas City for a decent performer isn’t the worst idea. Fulton will be a free agent in eight months, and the Vikings would have to cover about $10 million of his 2026 salary if traded. Teasley has approximately $13 million in cap space in mid-July. Late-round picks rarely amount to much. Fulton would at least serve as insurance for the 2026 campaign.

He’ll turn 28 in September.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

India’s Hardik Pandya, right, celebrates with teammate Ishan Kishan (AP Photo)

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) revamped format for the 2027 ODI World Cup has not only increased the possibility of India and Pakistan facing each other three times during the tournament, but it has also reignited criticism over how inclusive cricket’s biggest event really is. At a time when major global sporting events are expanding opportunities for more nations, the ICC has opted for a format that, despite officially increasing the ODI World Cup from 10 to 14 teams, effectively limits meaningful participation for lower-ranked sides. The new structure requires the three lowest-ranked qualified teams to fight for a single place in the main competition, meaning only one of them progresses while the other two are eliminated before the tournament reaches its principal stages. The governing body has said the new format is designed to make every match more meaningful from the opening day and strengthen the competitive narrative throughout the event. However, it also creates a pathway for multiple meetings between cricket’s biggest rivals.

First meeting in the group stage

The tournament will begin with a ‘Super Series’ involving Teams 12, 13 and 14. Only the winner of that round-robin advances to the next phase. The remaining 12 teams will then be split into two groups of six. Each side will play the others in its group once, with the top three teams from each group and the next best team overall qualifying for the Super 7. The ICC does not use a completely random draw for its global events, and India and Pakistan have regularly found themselves in the same group in recent tournaments. If that continues in 2027, the rivals could meet for the first time in the group stage.

Super 7 opens door for second encounter

The seven qualifying teams will then compete in a single round-robin Super 7 stage. Since every team plays each other once, India and Pakistan would be guaranteed another meeting if both reach this phase, taking their tally to two matches in the same tournament. The top four teams from the Super 7 will qualify for the semi-finals.

Knockout stage could produce a third blockbuster

The format also leaves room for a third India-Pakistan contest. If both teams qualify for the last four, they could meet in the semi-finals if they finish first and fourth or second and third in the Super 7 standings. If they finish on opposite sides of the draw, they could instead face off in the final. That means the revised format allows for as many as three India-Pakistan matches in a single ODI World Cup: one in the group stage, one in the Super 7, and another in either the semi-final or the final. While the ICC has presented the changes as a way of increasing the significance of every game, the format has also drawn attention for effectively reducing opportunities for emerging nations while simultaneously increasing the chances of repeat meetings between the sport’s biggest commercial rivals.

Warriors reportedly fear ex-Lakers star LeBron James will not join Steph Curry, Draymond Green originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Golden State Warriors know that LeBron James is the biggest free agent available and want to pair him with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and the rest of their veteran core. James has largely stayed out of the process, allowing his agent, Rich Paul, to handle phone calls and negotiations.

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The Warriors have done everything to land James, including Curry meeting with him before free agency started.

“Pairing him with Stephen Curry is going to be something that the Warriors are going to pursue over the next few weeks… It seemed very doubtful, it seemed low percentage, now it’s kind of questionable. Now there’s going to be some legs to this… That same source told us that Steph is planning on meeting and talking with LeBron about potentially joining the Warriors over the course of the next few weeks leading up to free agency,” NBA insider Brett Siegel said.

James has narrowed his list to five organizations he believes can compete for an NBA championship. Now, all that remains is for him to make his decision.

“It’s decision time for LeBron James… The Leading suitors have been CLE, MIA, GSW, PHI, and MIN…. LeBron James has made it clear privately that he wants to go somewhere he can compete for a championship. Somewhere he feels he finds that happiness from a team environment and culture that he can uplift,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said.

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While the Warriors have done everything possible to convince James to come to the Bay Area, it no longer appears to be enough. Golden State reportedly feels like it is on the outside looking in.

“I’m kind of hearing today that the Warriors internally kind of feel like they’re a dark horse at this point, that LeBron James is probably going out east,” ESPN insider Marc Spears said.

The Warriors believed they were in a strong position to land James until recently. They offered him the chance to form a generational duo with Curry, a pairing that would have immediately become one of the most feared in the NBA. James would also have had the opportunity to play alongside Green, one of his closest friends.

It is an unfortunate position for the Warriors, but the reality is they may not offer James the best opportunity to win another championship. Ultimately, that appears to be what his free agency decision will come down to.

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Argentina vice president Victoria Villarruel stirred controversy ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final against England by invoking the Falkland Islands dispute and describing the Three Lions as “pirate usurpers” in a post on X.“Tomorrow we play against the pirate usurpers. It’s not just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct or indifferent. Against the English, it’s always something more. It’s the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), it’s Diego (Maradona), it’s Leo’s (Messi’s) last one, and it’s about standing up to the invaders. Long live Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’ll keep demanding what’s ours!” she wrote, translated from Latin American Spanish, on X.Villarruel’s remarks come as defending champions Argentina prepare to face England in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time), with a place in the World Cup final at stake. The winner will meet Spain, who booked their place in the title clash with a 2-0 victory over France.The contest will mark a landmark moment for Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who is set to face England for the first time in his illustrious international career.Despite representing Argentina for more than two decades and playing against every other FIFA World Cup-winning nation, Messi has never taken on the Three Lions.“The truth is, it’s special,” Messi told reporters after Argentina’s 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the quarter-finals.“It’s a special match because it’s my first time. I’ve played against everyone except England. And it’s special, as I said before, because they’re a big team, a powerhouse. It’s always nice to play against teams like that, in matches like this, and especially in the semi-finals of a World Cup,” he added.The semi-final also revives one of international football’s most enduring rivalries. England and Argentina have not met in a competitive fixture since the 2002 FIFA World Cup, when England secured a 1-0 victory.Argentina have reached the last four after winning all three of their Group J matches before overcoming Cabo Verde, Egypt and Switzerland in the knockout rounds. The defending champions have scored nine goals across their three knockout fixtures, the highest tally among the semi-finalists.England, meanwhile, advanced with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over Norway, courtesy of Jude Bellingham’s brace. The Three Lions had earlier edged past DR Congo and Mexico by one-goal margins, highlighting the resilience that has carried them into just their fourth World Cup semi-final.For Messi, the clash offers an opportunity to complete a rare missing chapter in his international career, while for Argentina and England, another high-stakes encounter adds to a rivalry shaped by decades of sporting history and political undertones.