Kobbie Mainoo has been told to make the ultimate refusal at the World Cup

As England prepares for its third-place World Cup clash against France on Saturday, Manchester United icon Nicky Butt is advising Kobbie Mainoo to take a stand.

Thomas Tuchel is widely expected to heavily rotate his line-up for the match, which could theoretically hand Mainoo his tournament debut. To date, the 21-year-old Manchester United midfielder and Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah are the only two outfield players left unused across England’s seven matches.

However, Butt believes Mainoo should reject an appearance. The former United midfielder has publicly questioned Tuchel’s management of the youngster during the North American tournament, suggesting the prolonged benching points to deeper, unresolved issues behind the scenes.

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With Mainoo so far failing to add to his 14 international caps this summer, Butt said: “I do not know what is going on there, there’s something not quite right with it. Now they’re going to play the bomb squad in the stupid third-place game. I’d just refuse to play if I was Kobbie Mainoo. I’d say I was injured. It’s a nonsense game, especially when you’ve been treated like that.

“He’s not played a minute of football, now to go and start this pointless jumped-up friendly and potentially get injured for the whole season… no.” Beyond his frustration with Tuchel’s handling of Mainoo, Butt believes the German should face the sack for the way England crashed out in the semi-finals.

He explained: “There’s no way he [Tuchel] can stay on. Not a cat in hell’s chance after that. If he stays on, John McDermott [the FA’s technical director] needs to be sacked as well. There’s no way you can keep him now. He’s not a Sir Bobby Robson or Kevin Keegan, someone that the nation loves.

“You’re talking about a manager that’s come in and played negative football, crazy negative football, in the semi-final against a beatable Argentina team. And it shouldn’t really matter, but people will go against him because he’s German as well, so he’s going to have a nightmare.

“He’s an unbelievable club manager, so just let him go. He won’t want to stay. He might say he does, but deep down he’ll be thinking, ‘pay up, I’m out of here’. If we were nine months down the line, I’d definitely be going for Pep Guardiola.

“But Pep can’t leave Man City a month ago, saying he needs a rest from football, and then go straight back in. He can’t do that.” Butt also named Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and United States national team manager Mauricio Pochettino as potential candidates to replace Tuchel.

He said: “Eddie Howe would be brilliant. I’d love him to go in, it’d be great. Mauricio Pochettino’s got an unbelievable relationship with John McDermott and he picks it. When McDermott was the academy manager at Tottenham, Pochettino was the manager, and they had a really, really good relationship.

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“I was in and around it with the Manchester United academy, we would do training camps there so I’ve seen it first hand. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened and I wouldn’t be against it at all. He’s a very, very good manager.

“A likeable person, plays good football everywhere he goes. But we all said the same about Tuchel, yet when they go into that England dynamic, they just change, it’s crazy. I can’t put my finger on why.”

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Lionel Messi has already won the World Cup, but the Argentina captain added another chapter to his astonishing career on Wednesday, inspiring his team to victory in their semi-final against England.

The defending champions were up against it, trailing to Anthony Gordon’s goal until the 85th minute in Atlanta before Messi worked his magic.

This time the tournament’s all-time leading marksman did not score. But he teed up Enzo Fernandez for the equaliser and delivered the cross for Lautaro Martinez to head in the winner, sealing a 2-1 victory.

“These are special feelings. I think the squad could feel it and this was a game the Argentine people really wanted to win, and so did we,” Messi, 39, said after facing England for the first time in his career.

“This is still a special fixture.”

He was not quite able to emulate Diego Maradona, who scored two iconic goals in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final win over England.

But he will settle for the two assists, and he has already emulated his legendary predecessor by winning the trophy four years ago in Qatar.

Now, after Argentina maintained their incredible record of never having lost a World Cup semi-final, Messi will appear in a second straight final, and a third overall.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: France, Spain, Argentina – Who are the favourites?

The South Americans are aiming to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, and Messi, the sole survivor from the side that lost to Germany in 2014, will become just the second player after Brazilian great Cafu to appear in three finals.

“It is crazy to be playing in back-to-back finals,” he said.

Argentina had already staged a stunning late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in the same Atlanta stadium in the last 16, and they smelled blood as England sat deeper and deeper after going ahead.

“Once again we managed to do the job when things were looking bad. We never stopped believing,” said Messi, who has now played a record 33 World Cup games across six different tournaments.

For long spells on Wednesday his influence was limited, but that has often been the way with Messi and he was still able to drag his team to victory.

“I felt like for large parts of the game, we dealt with him really well. But as always with the most dangerous players in the world, when they have the ball in the final third, they can create something,” said England captain Harry Kane.

“He’s done that again today. He’s obviously one of the best players ever for a reason.”

Spanish reunion

Messi is arguably the greatest of all, and there may no longer be an argument if Argentina successfully defend their title in Sunday’s final against Spain.

Pele and Maradona only played in two World Cup finals while Maradona won the trophy just once.

Messi is also the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals, although Kylian Mbappé is just one behind and plays Saturday against England in the third-place play-off.

He could easily have bowed out of international football after 2022, when Argentina defeated France in the final.

But he appears to have been saving himself for this World Cup in recent years, removing himself from the intensity of European football and acclimatising to American conditions with Inter Miami.

While Cristiano Ronaldo‘s ongoing presence in the Portugal team may have held them back, Messi remains almost as influential as ever.

“He is just the leader and key player in any team in which he plays,” said England coach Thomas Tuchel.

Now he gets his chance to play Spain in a competitive game for the first time, and the identity of the opposition makes the occasion even more special.

Messi moved to Barcelona with his family at the age of 13 and stayed for two decades, before leaving in 2021 for Paris Saint-Germain.

He has a Spanish passport and may one day settle down again in Castelldefels, just down the coast from Barcelona.

But before Messi thinks about that, he wants to douse Spain’s dreams.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Devin Haney is yet to step into the ring this year but is looking to prove that he is one of boxing’s pound-for-pound stars with a fight date looming, and now he has revealed the four men whom he believes warrant a place on boxing’s ‘Mount Rushmore’.

Haney dominated Brian Norman Jr to capture the WBO welterweight title back in November, but ‘The Dream’ is still waiting to defend the belt, despite links to a rematch with Ryan Garcia and bouts against both Conor Benn and Shakur Stevenson.

Despite those rumours, Haney could instead take on WBO mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis in his next outing, before potential clashes with Stevenson and Garcia in 2027.

As Haney looks to achieve greatness of his own, the Californian told Inside The Ring the four legends that he would place on boxing’s ‘Mount Rushmore’.

“My Mount Rushmore of fighters are Floyd [Mayweather] because he changed the game, his defence, he just brought a whole different vibe to the sport of boxing.

“My next is Sugar Ray [Leonard] because he was just a killer in the ring, he had the offence and the defence, his defence was his offence, he was just Sugar Ray. 

“[Muhammad] Ali. Ali just stood for so much and he is ‘The Greatest’.

“Number four, this is hard, the fourth spot, I’ll go Sugar Ray Robinson. What he was doing back in those days, fighting so often and all of those fights that he won. He is just a legend, so I would say Sugar Ray Robinson.”

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It’s hard to argue with that assessment, with Mayweather, Leonard, Ali and Robinson all widely regarded as some of the greatest of all time due to the elite achievements they have all managed inside the ring.

As for Haney, his bout with Davis has been ordered by the WBO and will head to purse bids if an agreement is not reached by Monday, July 20.

Recent years have featured no shortage of Vikings UDFA success stories. The 2026 season could involve more unheralded talents shining.

Rob Brzezinski was leading the Vikings’ front office when most of the UDFAs were added. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had been fired but Nolan Teasley hadn’t yet been hired. Since the end of April, the front office has been undergoing an overhaul, resulting in some executives being shown the door. Teasley then brought in some unheralded talent of his own. Consider some of the most notable names ahead of camp competition (shout out to Over the Cap).

Vikings UDFA Talents to Know for Training Camp

Player No. 1 — Dillon Bell, WR/KR

The versatile weapon on offense really jumps off the field. He moves explosively and boasts nice size. Getting him to town meant guaranteeing a hearty $272,500 within his contract. Even better is that he appears capable of helping on specials. Almost feels like he’s favored to get onto the 53-man roster even if there’s no sure thing for an undrafted talent.

Player No. 2 — Brett Thorson, P

The issue for Mr. Thorson has little to do with punting the football. In all likelihood, the rookie can do a better job of launching the football far down the field than veteran Johnny Hekker. Can he do a good enough job as a holder? Matt Daniels expressed plenty of optimism. Still, though, it’s tough to know if he can handle the pressure in major moments. The Vikings will try to find out.

Player No. 3 — Delby Lemieux, iOL

In Lemieux, the Vikings have a young lineman who appears to be quite smart and who performed well within a lower level of college football (he played for Dartmouth, an Ivy League school). Much remains unsettled for the interior of the offensive line once one looks past LG1 Donovan Jackson and RG1 Will Fries. Opportunity beckons.

Player No. 4 — Triston Leigh, OL

The rookie lineman was a 5-star recruit going into college. He then had a modest career at Clemson. Where does he settle as an NFL player? Leigh boasts a great build and earned a beefy $262,500 in guaranteed money to become a Viking. Again, there’s room for someone to emerge along the interior for the Vikings.

Player No. 5 — Michael Briscoe, WR

The Vikings have a true battle taking place at receiver. Nobody is going to overcome the top trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings. After those three it could be a bloodbath. A ton of talent is going to jostle for what is a maximum of three open positions. Where Briscoe could emerge is due to being a Seattle UDFA add prior to joining the Vikings. He stands at 6’2″ and is 210 pounds. He’ll need to overcome some combo of Tai Felton, Myles Price, Bell, Jeshaun Jones, and several others.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Suncorp Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 20 NRL game between Dolphins and
North Queensland Cowboys. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Dolphins heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Dolphins vs.
North Queensland Cowboys
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday July 19, 2026 at 4:05 pm

Where: Suncorp Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Dolphins vs North Queensland Cowboys Odds

Dolphins vs North Queensland Cowboys Preview

The Dolphins will be eager to respond after a disappointing defeat to Cronulla, although the result came with several key players unavailable. With a stronger squad returning, Redcliffe has the chance to quickly reset ahead of a crucial stretch in the finals race.

North Queensland has developed a habit of dragging opponents into high-scoring contests and possesses enough attacking strike to challenge any side. The Dolphins’ best football is built on control, discipline and defensive pressure rather than trying to match points. If they can avoid an open shootout, they’ll give themselves every chance, but the Cowboys remain a dangerous opponent capable of punishing lapses in concentration.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday said that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has become a “political football in this country.” Silver, speaking during the CNBC x Boardroom summit in New York City, also declined to answer when asked if a report that he persuaded WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for putting her fist on Clark’s throat was accurate. 

During the Fever’s controversial loss to the Mercury on June 22, Clark was on the receiving end of what her coach Stephanie White called “two cheap shots.” The first was Thomas putting her first on Clark’s throat, the second was a landing space foul that jarred Clark’s back and ultimately led to a two-week absence. 

No foul was called on the Thomas incident during the game, but the league retroactively assessed a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game. The incident became a flash point, both inside and outside the WNBA, and Thomas was subsequently subjected to death threats and online abuse. 

In the ensuing weeks, the WNBA’s officiating, particularly in regard to Clark, has been a constant topic of discussion. It flared up again in recent days due to a report from the Sports Business Journal that Engelbert was not planning to punish Thomas until Silver stepped in (a report that the WNBA has denied), and another controversial moment with Clark in the Fever’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries. 

When Silver was on stage Thursday, he was asked directly about the report that he influenced the WNBA’s decision on the Thomas incident. Here are Silver’s full comments:

CNBC: The report says that effectively the WNBA was not necessarily going to penalize [Alyssa] Thomas, but that you stepped in and said that it had to happen

Silver: Let me give you a serious answer to that question. I think that ultimately the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating. And that particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time of the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant non-review. 

I’ve come to know Caitlin really well. She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. And she’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think that’s incredibly unfair to her. I don’t think that issue is ultimately about officiating. It’s become political ping pong with her. She’s a young woman who’s trying to improve her game, focus on being the best player she can. And I don’t even think it’s fair to her that this has become a separate storyline about one foul — should it have been call in time or should it have been called a flagrant after the fact? 

That’s my response. People are allowed to think whatever they can, and whatever they want about our league, but there’s so much to celebrate around the WNBA. I was part of the group that wrote the original business plan 30 years ago, and where women’s sports has come — we missed our numbers for many years in the WNBA, but then it turned the corner. You’re now seeing off the chart valuations of WNBA teams. Joe and Clara Tsai have done an incredible job here in New York with the Liberty. Caitlin came along, brought an entirely new audience — and it began when she was still in college — to the game: young girls, women, men, across the board, people who never had been paying attention to women’s basketball. And then it became a rising tide. Because as we quickly all saw, it wasn’t just Caitlin. There’s enormous talent in this league. 

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But as I said, do we need to improve WNBA officiating? No doubt about it, but my day job is getting complaints about NBA officiating. 

CNBC: But fair to say you stepped in? 

Silver: I’m not going to comment on that, because I don’t think it’s fair to Caitlin, and to Cathy Engelbert either. I think that’s not the real issue here. What people are trying to make a larger issue around that — not as to whether that was a flagrant foul or not. Obviously, the league decided after the fact that not only should a foul have been called, but it was a flagrant foul. 

Yes, we need to improve WNBA officiating, and there’s a lot of work to do on NBA officiating as well, but I really think there’s an opportunity to support Caitlin and say, let her be the best basketball player she can be. 

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During a press conference in Las Vegas for the NBA’s Summer League on Tuesday, Silver was non-committal when asked about Engelbert’s future, though he said he was “pleased” with the current state of the WNBA. 

“I think Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league,” Silver said, noting that he didn’t want to speak for Engelbert. “We’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.”

Locals in Buenos ⁠Aires voiced support ​on Thursday for Argentine World Cup players who held up a banner asserting sovereignty over the Falkland Islands after their semi-final ​victory over England, even as Britain urged FIFA to investigate the incident.

Some players brandished a banner declaring “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”) after their 2-1 victory over England in Atlanta.

A Reuters photograph showed the white, homemade-looking banner ​initially waved by ‌fans celebrating in the stadium’s front row. According to Argentine newspaper Clarin, midfielder ⁠Giovani Lo Celso approached the supporters and asked to borrow it.

Later photos showed him holding it up with centre-back Lisandro Martinez, while the players were singing ‌and celebrating, facing their fans. It can later be seen lying on the grass.

FIFA’s Stadium ⁠Code of Conduct bans “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.

It had not issued any public sanction as of Thursday and declined ​to comment when contacted by Reuters. Similar actions in the past by footballers ‌have led to fines or match bans.

British business minister Peter Kyle told BBC Radio on Thursday that the incident must be formally investigated, stressing that politics must be kept separate from the World Cup.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, in a ‌public letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, said the act “directly insulted the people of the islands” and called for the players to be disqualified from participating ​in Sunday’s final.

The question of sovereignty over the South Atlantic British overseas territory, known to the British as the Falklands and to the Argentines as the Malvinas, has been a long-running sore in relations between the ​countries.

They fought a short conflict over the islands in 1982, in which 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 ​British combatants died.

Near a monument to the Argentine war dead in central Buenos ​Aires, locals Reuters spoke to were supportive of the team’s actions.

“For me, it is very important that players, as public figures, give their opinion, especially on ​issues that are so sensitive for us,” said 30-year-old Martin Aguirre.

“That is why we really appreciate the gestures by Licha (Martinez) and Giovani Lo Celso, because even though they know they could face a sanction or some kind of problem over this, they still raised that flag.”

Federico Schenone, 52, said it was not a political gesture but a “matter ⁠of history and legitimacy”.

Although he did not directly mention the banner, talisman Lionel Messi said after the game: “When you play a match of ⁠that magnitude, so many ​things come into play. History weighs on a game like that.”

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Dominik Szoboszlai has signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool and said it was maybe the biggest day of his career to commit his future to the club.

The midfielder, who had entered the last two years of his previous deal, has agreed to stay at Anfield until he is 30 and has targeted winning the Champions League before he goes.

Szoboszlai had been in talks with Liverpool for months and there was always the belief he wanted to stay but discussions accelerated in the last few weeks.

“It’s maybe my biggest day,” he told Liverpool’s club website. “There are a couple in front of it – probably when I signed for Liverpool the first one and when I got my baby, of course. But in my football career, I can say this is in the top three. Very happy. [I] can’t wait to go again and again and again. I’m just happy to be here.”

Liverpool have rewarded Szoboszlai for his outstanding form last season, when he scored 13 goals, got 12 assists and played in a variety of positions, with a new deal.

While the Hungarian, a £60m signing from RB Leipzig in 2023, was also influential when they won the Premier League in 2024-25, he believes his best years are ahead of him.

“There’s always more to come. I’m never happy,” Szoboszlai added. “I’m happy with myself but I think I can do even better. I think that’s why I’m sitting here, because that pushed me since I was a kid: that it was never enough. And I’m thinking the same now.

“I want to set the example. I want to be an example also for everyone, as much as I can. When I signed, I said I want to win everything. That didn’t change for a little moment either. It stayed the same: I want to win everything that is possible in this country, also let’s say the Champions League. I’m ready to go for it.”

In addition to Szoboszlai’s contract, Liverpool have brought in winger Victor Munoz this summer while defender Jeremy Jacquet, whose purchase from Rennes was arranged in January, has joined up with new head coach Andoni Iraola’s squad.

After six years of being on ESPN, the Bundesliga has a new home in the United States of America.

A combination of USA Network and Fandango has reportedly struck a deal through the 2030-31 season to be the English-language broadcaster of Germany’s top flight in the USA. The deal is reportedly worth $20 million (€17.4 million) per year, which is noticeably less than the $34 million per year paid by ESPN.

USA and Fandango are part of Versant, a media company in the country that is trying to develop itself as a home for broadcasting rights below the top leagues of the NFL and NBA. Fandango is predominately an app to buy movie tickets, but Versant is looking to diversify its offering by including live sports. All 300-plus Bundesliga games will air on either channel, with USA requiring a subscription and Fandango being free and ad-supported.

The reaction from US-based Bundesliga fans on social media was mostly negative.

“This will only make the Bundesliga even more obscure,” posted @skierpro on X. “Any momentum the league had in the US and growing viership will be destroyed. The folks in Germany signing this agreement have no idea about the US it seems. They just shot themselves in the foot with this deal.”

“This is bad. The simplicity of having every game on ESPN that already has a lot of other sports was perfect. Fandango, a company with nearly no sports streaming experience, may be free, but the games on USA will require an expensive YT TV, Fubo or similar package,” posted Corbin Williams on X.

“SAD!  USA is OK but Fandango is not a popular streaming app.  ESPN was easily accessible. Games on Fandango is going to be like going to the bike shop to buy a BMW,” wrote Eric Smith on social media.

New Bundesliga deal in the US a case of less money, but more reach

Some believe the drop in financial return is a sign of the times for the Bundesliga. Others see it as an opportunity.

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“From the outside, the new agreement appears to deliver less media-rights income per season but broader distribution, greater discoverability, and a better chance of reaching viewers beyond the Bundesliga’s existing fan base. In essence, the reported financial return appears lower, but the potential reach is greater,” Dominik Schreyer, a professor of sports economics at Germany’s Otto Beisheim School of Management, told DW.

While Schreyer admits that the reported fee being less than the previous deal is disappointing from a business perspective, it is also important to consider its context.

“The DFL is facing a difficult market reality. The media-rights market has become more selective, while competition for audience attention is intensifying. Maximizing the cheque from each individual cycle may therefore no longer be the only sensible objective,” Schreyer said. 

“The new distribution model could still prove strategically valuable if its broader reach helps build a larger and more commercially attractive audience over time.”

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ESPN’s coverage in terms of reporters and commentators was praised by most fans, but the new deal suggests that perhaps it wasn’t the ideal place for Germany’s top flight.

“My best guess is that the previous model provided insufficient prominence within ESPN’s crowded sports portfolio, potentially limiting audience growth. The Bundesliga may now be more important to a partner seeking to establish and differentiate its own live-sports offering in an intensely competitive market, although we cannot know from the outside which considerations ultimately drove the change,” Schreyer said.

Is the Bundesliga really growing in America?

“The 2026 World Cup has highlighted the tremendous growth potential of soccer in the U.S.,” Robin Austermann, Bundesliga Americas Executive Vice President, said in a Bundesliga statement. “We’ve seen that momentum firsthand, with the number of Bundesliga fans in the U.S. growing by 43% over the past five years.”

While that may be true, German football’s struggle more generally cannot be helping the Bundesliga’s position in the market. Bayern Munich have long been dominant domestically, removing both the feeling of competition and suspense in the league. The number of star players in the league isn’t high compared to other leagues, and Germany’s poor showing at recent World Cups have also weakened the standing of German football globally.

It is clear that the Bundesliga faces an enormous task when it comes to improving its position at the negotiating table for broadcasting deals, much of which is beyond their control. Nevertheless, there is hope that, as mentioned by Austermann, the football momentum provided by the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico can be harnessed to the Bundesliga’s advantage.

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“It now needs to use prominent scheduling, strong promotion, and localized storytelling to build consumption capital,” Schreyer said. “Once viewers discover the product, repeated exposure helps them learn about the clubs, recognize the stars, understand the rivalries, and gradually turn occasional viewing into habit, fandom, and ultimately commercial value.”

Edited by: Chuck Penfold