A Big 12 media poll came together and put Texas Tech on top of the league, followed by BYU and Arizona.

Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils are woefully underrated.

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin and ‘Locked On Huskies’ host Roman Tomashoff discuss Washington’s 2026 schedule.

Their win total is lower than it should be, at 7.5 regular-season wins.

Colorado has a challenging Big 12 schedule in 2026 with JuJu Lewis likely to take the reins at QB.

The Buffs need to have a better coaching support system around him than last year.

00:00 Quarterback changes and rankings
06:34 Coaching changes impact Utah football
10:56 Washington’s potential against top teams
14:54 Discussing Washington’s football schedule
17:09 Defensive team analysis with newcomers
22:58 Discussing college football offenses
25:06 Debating Colorado’s tough schedule
31:38 Comparing Georgia Tech and Colorado

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

The match is tense, the ball is in play and millions of viewers are following every movement. Then, often before the first hydration break, the television coverage leaves the pitch.

For a few seconds, Gianni Infantino fills the screen.

The recurring appearance of the Fifa president has become almost as predictable as the shots of players arriving at the stadium or supporters waving national flags. Infantino has been shown during matches across the 2026 World Cup, sometimes alongside heads of state, royalty or football officials, and sometimes as the clear focus of the camera.

The repetition has created an uncomfortable question for viewers: are broadcasters required to show him?

The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Television companies that purchase World Cup rights are not known to receive a direct instruction telling them to show Infantino at a particular minute. They are, however, obliged to use the international match feed supplied by Host Broadcast Services, or HBS, the company responsible for producing the tournament’s pictures.

Fifa owns 49 per cent of HBS.

The production company also operates under an agreement requiring a “dignitary shot” during each half of a match. When Infantino is the highest-ranking football official present, that arrangement creates a system in which his appearance becomes highly likely, even without an explicit instruction naming him.

Are broadcasters obliged to show Infantino?

Broadcasters are obliged to carry the footage provided by HBS, but that does not mean they personally choose every image shown during a match.

HBS creates the central television feed distributed to World Cup rights-holders around the world. National broadcasters may add their own commentators, graphics, studio analysis and pitch-side reporting, but the core match pictures are supplied centrally.

That means when the world feed cuts from the action to Infantino in the directors’ box, hundreds of broadcasters can show the same shot simultaneously.

Fifa says it would be misleading to suggest that it has issued instructions requiring specific shots of its president during the 2026 tournament.

There is, however, an agreement between Fifa and HBS that every half should include a shot of the most senior dignitaries in attendance. These may include heads of state, senior confederation representatives, federation officials, celebrities and people carrying “VVIP” accreditation.

“It is standard practice for seats which include football officials, public figures and celebrities to be shown as part of the match running order, whoever they may be,” a Fifa spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Athletic.

HBS has offices in Zug, London and Miami and performs one of the most influential roles at the tournament.

Its cameras determine what the global audience sees beyond the football itself: supporters, coaches, celebrities, royalty, political leaders and officials.

This centralised system provides Fifa with a consistent product across markets. A viewer in India, Britain, Brazil or Japan may hear different commentary but will usually see the same replays, crowd reactions and dignitary shots.

From a commercial perspective, the model is valuable because Fifa can sell a standardised premium broadcast package to rights-holders across the world. Broadcasters receive a professionally produced feed without having to independently film every angle of every match.

A rights-holder can choose to cut away from the feed using its own cameras when available, but most broadcasters remain dependent on the pictures supplied by HBS. During live play, abandoning the central feed also carries the risk of missing a significant moment.

The economics behind the global feed

The World Cup’s broadcasting model is built around scarcity and control.

Fifa owns the event, sells its media rights and determines which production feed accompanies those rights. The centralised footage becomes part of the product purchased by television companies.

The approach offers several commercial advantages.

It allows Fifa to maintain consistent production standards across more than 200 markets. It ensures that official branding, sponsors, stadium presentation and ceremonial elements are incorporated into the coverage. It also reduces the possibility that different broadcasters will present radically different versions of the same event.

HBS, meanwhile, sits at the centre of the value chain.

Fifa’s 49 per cent interest gives it exposure to the production operation, while Infront retains the controlling stake. Infront itself belongs to Wanda, the Chinese conglomerate that has previously held extensive commercial interests in global sport.

This ownership structure does not prove that individual shots are politically motivated. It does, however, make the question of editorial independence legitimate.

The organisation selling the broadcast rights is also a major shareholder in the company deciding which images accompany the matches. Those images repeatedly include the organisation’s president.

The economic value is not limited to direct production income. Visibility has institutional value.

Every shot of Infantino reinforces his position as the public face of the tournament. With the World Cup drawing one of the largest cumulative television audiences in sport, even brief appearances are distributed across countries, languages and platforms.

Unlike a paid advertisement, the images appear inside the match coverage itself and are repeated by broadcasters that have little practical ability to replace the central feed.

Dignitary shot or presidential branding?

Fifa’s dignitary-shot policy provides a formal explanation for showing Infantino.

But not every appearance has shared the focus so evenly.

Some shots have centred primarily on Infantino, including during matches in which his presence carried no obvious connection to either team. The repetition has made the coverage feel less like incidental recognition and more like an established part of the broadcast format.

The distinction matters.

A policy requiring the highest-ranking official to be shown may be technically neutral. In practice, Infantino is usually the most senior Fifa figure present, particularly when he attends games with national officials of lower rank within the football hierarchy.

The system can therefore produce the same outcome as a direct instruction without explicitly naming him.

This is also not the first World Cup at which the television treatment of Infantino has raised questions.

During the 2022 tournament in Qatar, The Times of London reported that television production crews received emails instructing them to ensure that Infantino appeared during matches. The reported guidance also said he should not be shown using his mobile phone.

That detail suggested concern not merely with documenting his presence, but with managing how that presence was presented.

Fifa disputes the suggestion that comparable instructions have been issued for the current tournament. Nevertheless, the Qatar precedent continues to shape the interpretation of the 2026 shots.

Two games a day and a sponsor’s private jet

Infantino’s visibility has also been supported by an unusually ambitious travel schedule.

During the group stage, he sought to attend two matches a day across North America, despite the vast distances between host cities and the tournament’s multiple time zones.

Qatar Airways, a Fifa sponsor, provided a private aircraft for his travel.

On June 11, Infantino attended the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City. He then travelled about 285 miles by private jet to Guadalajara in time for South Korea’s match against the Czech Republic.

Four days later, he attended Belgium’s match against Egypt in Seattle before flying south to Los Angeles for Iran against New Zealand that evening.

The arrangement served an operational purpose, allowing the Fifa president to attend more fixtures across a geographically demanding tournament. It also dramatically increased the number of occasions on which the broadcast’s dignitary-shot requirement could feature him.

The overlap between sponsor support, executive travel and global television exposure illustrates the commercial ecosystem surrounding the World Cup.

Qatar Airways gains association with Fifa and the tournament. Infantino gains the ability to appear at more matches. HBS captures his presence, and rights-holders distribute those images worldwide.

Each part of the arrangement can be defended independently. Taken together, they create a powerful visibility machine.

Qatar had previously provided Infantino with a residence in the Gulf state ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Why Infantino’s screen time matters politically

Infantino’s broadcast prominence has acquired additional significance because he intends to seek another term as Fifa president in 2027.

Victory would allow him to remain in office until 2031 and take his tenure to 15 years.

He is currently unopposed.

Three of football’s six continental confederations — those representing Africa, Asia and South America — have publicly backed his re-election. Together, they account for 110 of Fifa’s 211 member associations, already giving him the declared support of a majority of the electorate.

Fifa presidential elections are not decided by television viewers. Each member association holds a vote.

Yet global visibility can still reinforce political power.

Infantino’s repeated presence beside world leaders, royalty and star players presents him as the central authority of the tournament. For officials watching in Fifa’s member countries, the imagery conveys reach, access and control.

Whether that amounts to personal propaganda is a matter of interpretation. There is no publicly established evidence that every shot is deliberately inserted to support his campaign.

But the political benefit is difficult to ignore.

A president seeking another term is being repeatedly shown through a feed produced by a company in which his organisation owns 49 per cent. The broadcasters carrying those images have purchased rights from the same organisation and are required to use that feed.

The structure does not need an explicit campaign slogan to produce favourable exposure.

How Fifa compares with other competitions

The frequency with which Infantino appears is unusual when compared with other major football bodies.

Premier League coverage does not operate under a known requirement to show chief executive Richard Masters during every half of every match he attends.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin is normally pictured during the Champions League final and other major ceremonial occasions. He is not routinely shown whenever he attends a group-stage or knockout match.

The difference is partly explained by the World Cup’s ceremonial status. Heads of state and senior officials regularly attend, making dignitary coverage a conventional part of the production.

Infantino cannot be everywhere — but the cameras follow when he is

Infantino attended all 64 matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where stadiums were concentrated within a relatively small geographical area.

The expanded 2026 tournament presents a different logistical challenge.

One hundred matches have already been played, with four remaining, across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Even with private air travel, Infantino has not been able to attend every fixture.

Yet when he is present, the global audience usually knows.

This is partly because the dignitary-shot agreement makes his appearance predictable. It is also because the production system ensures the same image is transmitted through broadcasters around the world.

For viewers, the effect is repetition. For Fifa, it is control over the visual identity of its most valuable tournament. For Infantino, it is unmatched exposure during the period leading towards another presidential election.

The Nike swoosh will be absent from the World Cup final, a stark indicator of rival Adidas’s dominance on the tournament’s biggest stage.

Argentina’s semi-final victory over England on Wednesday extinguished the sportswear giant’s hopes of sponsoring a team in Sunday’s ultimate match.

Amid a fierce brand battle both on and off the pitch, the outcome represents a significant visibility boost for Adidas, which outfits both finalists: Argentina and Spain. Adidas had sponsored a total of 14 national teams in the tournament, while none of Nike’s 12 teams, including semi-finalists England and France, managed to secure a spot in the final.

This outcome arrives as Nike grapples with years of steadily shrinking market share, having heavily relied on the tournament for a much-needed boost in sales and visibility.

The company signaled last month that CEO Elliott Hill’s turnaround strategy faces significant obstacles, with persistent weakness in China and a cautious outlook overshadowing a modest fourth-quarter revenue beat. Nike’s shares have lost nearly a third of their value this year as investors grow impatient with Hill’s progress.

Morningstar analyst David Swartz underscored the deeper challenges facing Nike, stating, “There are more important issues, such as footwear innovation, inventory control, and stabilizing sales and margins in China.” He added, “Adidas got more publicity, but that’s just the way it goes.”

A Nike spokesperson maintained the company’s long-term perspective, asserting that “our vision for football has never been tied to a single moment.” Meanwhile, Adidas called the World Cup final a “proud moment” for the company, though it declined to share specific sales projections.

Despite its teams not reaching the final, Nike invested significantly in the tournament. It unveiled two new Mercurial soccer boots, partnered with local streetwear designers, and refreshed soccer merchandise at over 5,000 Nike and wholesale stores globally. Its “Rip the Script” World Cup campaign, featuring stars like Kylian Mbappe and Kim Kardashian, garnered 1.5 billion views in its first week, with national team kits selling 2.5 times more than during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

However, Adidas, an official World Cup sponsor, has emerged as the “clear winner” in the athletic footwear and apparel market, according to Drake MacFarlane, a research analyst at M Science. Stronger momentum in the U.S. and Europe helped the brand gain share from Nike in the second quarter. While World Cup demand offered a lift, Adidas’ improvement extends beyond the event, whereas Nike continues to face pressure in Europe.

M Science data shows Adidas’s share of the footwear market rose to 19.2% in June, up from 16.0% a year earlier, while Nike continued to shed share. Adidas executives reported robust bookings for World Cup products, totaling around 250 million euros (\$292 million) in the first quarter, with similar figures anticipated for the current quarter.

India’s Virat Kohli (ANI Photo)

Virat Kohli added another milestone to his glittering career during the second ODI against England, moving past Australian great Ricky Ponting to become the fifth-most capped player in the history of international cricket. The match marked Kohli’s 561st international appearance, taking him ahead of Ponting’s tally of 560 matches. Only four players now stand above the former India captain on the all-time list, with Sachin Tendulkar continuing to hold the record.

Most international appearances

Kohli celebrated the landmark with another composed innings, scoring 65 off 66 balls before falling to Jofra Archer for the second successive ODI in the series. Archer, reintroduced into the attack to break India’s flourishing partnership, struck with a back-of-a-length delivery that forced Kohli into a mistimed pull. The ball flew off the top edge and Adil Rashid completed a comfortable catch running in from third man. Before his dismissal, Kohli played a key role in stabilising India’s innings. He first added 60 runs with Rohit Sharma after the opener made 26, before stitching together a 67-run stand with Shreyas Iyer to put India in a commanding position. The half-century also saw Kohli achieve another notable feat. It was his 14th score of 50 or more in ODIs against England, drawing level with West Indies legend Viv Richards for the second-most such scores against the opposition. Only Kumar Sangakkara, with 15 fifty-plus scores against England, sits ahead of the Indian batting star. Kohli’s latest milestone further underlines his remarkable longevity across formats. Since making his international debut in 2008, the 37-year-old has amassed more than 28,000 international runs while becoming one of only a handful of cricketers to feature in over 560 matches for their country.

CommBank Stadium will play host to Thursday’s
Round 20 NRL game between Penrith Panthers and
Brisbane Broncos. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with Penrith Panthers heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Penrith Panthers vs.
Brisbane Broncos
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Thursday July 16, 2026 at 7:50 pm

Where: CommBank Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Penrith Panthers vs Brisbane Broncos Odds

Penrith Panthers vs Brisbane Broncos Preview

Both sides return from the bye with plenty to play for, but for very different reasons. Penrith remains firmly in the premiership hunt, while Brisbane is running out of chances to revive its season. The Broncos regain a host of representative stars, including Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh, giving them their strongest side in weeks.

Nathan Cleary returns to club football after earning the Wally Lewis Medal and shapes as the key to Penrith controlling the contest. His kicking game and composure should gradually wear Brisbane down, although the Broncos’ returning firepower makes them capable of causing an upset if they can stay in the arm wrestle early.

The “Most Marketable” independent professional wrestler on the scene presently, Richard Holliday, is set to take on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) star Elijah at Awesome Championship Wrestling’s (ACW) Indypendence Day on Saturday night in New York.

Holliday’s rumored WWE signing has been the talk of the pro wrestling landscape since Fightful Select first mentioned it earlier this month.

COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITAL

Ben Bishop offers support to Richard Holliday at Awesome Championship Wrestling. (Jay Vogel)

Since then, he left his boots in the ring after a match with Game Changer Wrestling and embraced his fellow wrestlers Ben Bishop, Jack Vaughn and Tommy Invincible in their own version of the “Curtain Call” following a match at Fight Factory Wrestling’s The War on the Shore 3.

Tommy Dreamer, who will also have a match at Indypendence Day, shared his thoughts with Fox News Digital about the possibility of Holliday going to WWE.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Awesome Championship Wrestling star Richard Holliday was in action at Reckoning on Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

“I hope so. I think he’s a really, really good wrestler. I like him personally,” Dreamer said. “He’s really worked hard on every indie to try to get his name out there and if he gets that opportunity, he’ll have to work even harder.”

The Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) legend also lauded Elijah’s work ethic.

“And Elijah, I worked with him very, very closely in TNA. He is a superstar. He is very unique in his songwriting and his wrestling,” he said. “Always wanting to be better. When you meet him, you will be like, ‘Holy crap, I didn’t think this guy was this big.’ He’s always meal prepping. You see him in the back, not only is he playing guitar, but I mean he takes his craft very, very seriously and just overall should be a good match.”

Still, Dreamer implored that fans should get out to see Holliday while the ticket to get in the door is reasonably priced.

Tommy Dreamer makes his way down the ring (Provided to Fox News Digital)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“But if the rumors are true, for Richard Holliday, it’s awesome. And it’s another way to see somebody before you can’t see them anymore because then they’re under a whole other regime if that is the case,” he said.

Ocean Protect Stadium will play host to Friday’s
Round 20 NRL game between Cronulla Sharks and
Newcastle Knights. The game kicks off at 6:00 pm with Cronulla Sharks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Cronulla Sharks vs.
Newcastle Knights
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Friday July 17, 2026 at 6:00 pm

Where: Ocean Protect Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Cronulla Sharks vs Newcastle Knights Odds

Cronulla Sharks vs Newcastle Knights Preview

Cronulla enters Round 20 in ominous attacking form after producing another 50-point performance, with Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall continuing to steer one of the competition’s most dangerous offences. The Sharks have found their rhythm at the right time and will be confident of extending their momentum at home.

Newcastle faces a tougher assignment after losing Jacob Saifiti, with the veteran forward’s absence leaving a significant hole through the middle. The Knights have shown they can trouble quality sides, but they’ll need to match Cronulla’s physicality before their playmakers can have an influence. If the Sharks dominate possession again, they should create enough opportunities to secure another important victory.

Argentina fans burn England flags (Screengrabs)

Argentina’s victory over England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final sparked massive celebrations across Buenos Aires, but some fans drew criticism after burning England flags and displaying coffins decorated with the St George’s Cross. Videos and photos also showed supporters chanting songs linked to the Falklands War, while some carried Falklands-themed flags during the celebrations.The Falkland Islands became a major talking point before, during and after the match. Ahead of the game, Argentina’s Vice President referred to England as “usurping pirates”, while President Javier Milei reiterated his country’s claim over the islands, saying, “We are doing everything humanly possible to bring the Falkland Islands back into Argentine hands. Sovereignty is not negotiable.”During the match, fans from both countries booed each other’s national anthems. Following the match, however, it was the clips of Argentina fans burning England flags that have been making the rounds on social media.Watch:After Argentina’s 2-1 comeback win in Atlanta, several players celebrated with a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falklands are Argentine). Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso were among those seen posing with it. Argentina had previously been fined by FIFA in 2014 for displaying a similar banner before a friendly.Lionel Messi helped Argentina overturn an early deficit by setting up two late goals to send the defending champions into the World Cup final and eliminate England. After the game, midfielder Leandro Paredes reinforced Argentina’s stance, saying the Falklands “will always be Argentine”.The celebrations also extended to Ushuaia, where fans gathered near a Falklands War veterans’ memorial. Britain and Argentina fought the 1982 Falklands War after Argentina invaded the islands. The conflict claimed the lives of hundreds on both sides, and the islands have remained a British Overseas Territory since then. Reports suggest FIFA could again review Argentina’s post-match celebrations over the political banner.

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From the show

World Cup Debrief

Reading time
1 min

The defending champions strike again. Led 1-0 after Anthony Gordon opened the score for England, Argentina kept believing and turned the game on its head. Guided by Lionel Messi, Lionel Scaloni’s men sealed a 2-1 victory after an injury-time winner saw them book a spot against Spain in the final. England manager Thomas Tuchel opted to defend after taking the lead, a choice that backfired as the Three Lions’ time in the United States comes to an end.