Joao Pedro has been voted Chelsea FC Men’s Player of the Season after an outstanding 2025/26 campaign.
The Brazilian forward won the fan vote comfortably after scoring 20 goals and providing 9 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Pedro quickly became one of Chelsea’s most important players following his move from Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., producing big performances throughout the season and helping the club win the Club World Cup.
Advertisement
The award arrived just hours after the 24-year-old was surprisingly left out of Brazil’s World Cup squad, a decision that shocked many fans.
Pedro later shared a calm message on social media, speaking about the “joys and frustrations” of football while thanking supporters for their backing.
Many Chelsea fans were quick to defend him online, believing his performances this season deserved international recognition.
July 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, U.S.; Chris Richards of the U.S. looks dejected as he is consoled by coach Mauricio Pochettino after the match following their elimination from the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
In one of the more stunning moves in World Cup history, FIFA restored Folarin Balogun’s eligibility for the United States’ round of 16 clash with Belgium less than 36 hours before the Monday night kickoff in Seattle.
Shame he’s not a defender.
While the whole American sporting public — including the president, apparently — fixated on the one-game suspension of a striker most hadn’t heard of until the United States’ World Cup opener on June 12, Belgium exposed what this team’s consistent critics had said for ages: The American talent pool still isn’t good enough in the back.
Despite the circus of the last 36 hours that followed FIFA’s sudden reversal of Balogun’s red-card ban, that truth shone in the bright Seattle sun during an embarrassing 4-1 loss that is arguably the most humbling American result in its World Cup finals history.
An imperfect back line was terrorized on a near-consistent basis in the opening 10 minutes, resulting in Charles De Ketelaere’s deserved ninth-minute opener. Tim Ream’s declining ability was punished with a brutal second goal from De Ketelaere on 33 minutes, just two minutes after a real moment of good luck in the form of Malik Tillman’s deflected free-kick leveler.
Advertisement
And the flickers of uncertainty that Matt Freese sparked while adjusting to the role of U.S. No. 1 goalkeeper became a full-on blaze during a shambolic third Belgium goal that was gifted to Hans Vanaken.
Romelu Lukaku’s added-time strike will be completely forgotten, save by those who might have eyed his stocky frame and thought of another famous wide-bodied star who once brought deceptive speed to that Seattle playing surface on Monday evenings.
It was enough to ask what has been learned since that terrible night in Trinidad nine years ago when the Yanks conceded twice to the Soca Warriors and shockingly failed to reach the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Advertisement
Not much, it seems, as American soccer continues trying to run before it can walk.
Major League Soccer, its top league, has expanded from 22 to 30 teams since that night. It has attracted some of the world’s biggest stars, including Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. What it hasn’t done is modernize the salary structure to enable teams to develop and retain talent, build depth and win meaningful games on the continental level.
U.S. Soccer has hired two full-time men’s coaches in the time since.
The first ridiculously pledged to change how the world viewed American soccer, as if anyone elsewhere around the world devoted large amounts of time to the subject. Then he managed a respectable but perfectly average showing in 2022, then talked his way into an ugly controversy while trying to toot his own horn at a supposedly off-the-record leadership retreat.
Advertisement
The second one leaned all-in to the American underdog mantra of Miracle on Ice vintage, which suddenly felt a lot less authentic when the president lobbied FIFA as if he were a Soviet.
In between, the centerbacks didn’t get any better, and the goalkeepers got worse. The team beat its weaker opponents, but no one else, and again exited at the round of 16.
And the 2026 World Cup passed, not as an enormous opportunity seized, but as one of the biggest missed chances in our nation’s sporting history.
Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast:
Joe Oberle and Mark Craig
Vikings Territory Breakdown Archives
In 2018, Joe Johnson, the creator, founder, and former owner of purplePTSD.com and eventually Vikingsterritory.com, put together the sites’ first podcast (with Joe Oberle and Skolt Scott) called the Three Deep podcast. Relatively short-lived, that podcast morphed into the Purple Journal podcast with Joe J., Joe O and Luke Braun, and then became the Morning Joes podcast with Johnson and Oberle on 9-11-18—before later being renamed the Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast.
In the summer of 2021, we sadly and unexpectedly lost Joe, and the local Vikings media world lost a great voice. After a short time, the Star Tribune’s Mark Craig joined the podcast, and I (Joe O.) jumped into Joe J’s chair to interview him. Now, try as I might to replicate Joe’s spirit and love for the Purple (I can never come close to how he signed off each pod with his signature and unique “Skol?!”—though I do try), he was one of a kind and irreplaceable, and matching his first name is about the best I will ever do.
Advertisement
So, that’s why, five years after we lost the original Purple J.J.—the dreamer, creator and hardest-working podcaster I ever knew—we wanted to bring back that voice from the archives. We are in the doldrums of the NFL offseason, and scheduling conflicts occasionally conspire against our “big shot” talking heads, so we decided to fill in with an inspiring blast from the past.
All the old pods can still be found online, so why not unearth something to remind us how we got here? Bringing back Joe’s purple-tinged voice is a labor of love for us here, but it also is a fun way to highlight the archives for our listeners, who need a bridge to the next season (and may not want to hear yet another analysis of who is in line for the starting quarterback for the Vikings this season).
Joe Johnson’s sister, Stephanie, and her husband Mike Woldum (the producer of the VT Breakdown podcast) are the site archeologists for the project and have dug deep into the archives. This week, an episode excerpt from the Vikings Territory Breakdown archives that features Joe J. and Joe O. talking with Mike Tice about winning “ugly”, comparing Justin Jefferson to Randy Moss and Tice’s thoughts on PFF. Joe also talks of one of his most often read pieces, The great Moss v. Rice debate.
Advertisement
The names of the Vikings and the dates being spoken about are certainly different from today, but the spirit and love for the Purple remain. So, tune in and check it out if for no other reason than to hear Joe sign off with his patented questioning Skol. Thanks for listening, and we will be back with the regular VT Breakdown pod very soon.
Joe Oberle is a veteran sportswriter/editor/reporter and has covered the Vikings since 2008. The author of three books, he … More about Joe Oberle
SAN FRANCISCO – This especially miserable offensive rut the Toronto Blue Jays are in isn’t going to last forever. Eventually, they’re going to resume scoring runs at a better clip, even if just at the still-wanting-but-better-than-this levels they’d been at for most of the season.
So, to avoid thinking in prisoner-of-the-moment terms, what the Blue Jays need to figure out leading into the Aug. 3 trade deadline is, first, how much can they reasonably expect their lineup to correct under the given circumstances, and second, what can they do in the market to upgrade and better leverage the group they have.
Without a substantial turnaround soon, a third option they may be forced to consider is whether to step back and sell-off some expiring assets, an option that would have been unfathomable at the start of the year.
Yet after a 10-1 thumping from the San Francisco Giants on Monday night, they’re a season-high seven games below .500 at 42-49, unravelling after Kazuma Okamoto’s solo shot in the sixth ended a stretch of 29 innings without a run, the fifth-longest in team history. And while the uber-average American League hasn’t run away from them, eventually they’ll be out of runway for their performance to normalize.
Advertisement
Heading into the day, Fangraphs’ objective playoff odds still gave them a 26.4 per cent chance of reaching the post-season, underlining the talent on the roster. But it’s got to start happening with the players on the roster now, as there isn’t much help imminently arriving with Jesus Sanchez (ankle) just starting to hit and run and Addison Barger (back, elbow) in stasis.
To that end, manager John Schneider and the coaching staff urged hitters to “get out of the individual stuff” and “put together a team approach,” getting back to the “nine-on-one mentality” that was so key to their 2025 success.
“We need to do a better job of generating some traffic and swinging with a little bit more intent,” he continued. “I know I said (Sunday) they bullied us with fastballs. So if that’s going to be the case, you’ve got to throw some uppercuts instead of just putting the ball in play. We’ve talked about that. … Trying a lot, but it really comes down to not one person worrying about themself, it’s the nine out there worrying about the nine.”
To try and spark some change, Schneider pushed Ernie Clement up to the leadoff spot, and while he reached to open the first and third innings, both rallies quickly fizzled out. Over eight dominant innings of three-hit ball, Landen Roupp largely lived on the edges of the zone, with the Blue Jays rarely putting balls over the heart of the plate into play.
Advertisement
That’s a tough way to get to damage.
Meanwhile, the malaise at the plate crept into the rest of their game, as Andres Gimenez’s wild relay to third as the ball from Heliot Ramos’ triple in the first came back to the infield allowed the right-fielder to score the game’s first run.
Kevin Gausman allowed a second run in the third on Willy Adames’ double-play ball and another in the fourth when the Giants, with runners on the corners, caught the Blue Jays napping and executed a delayed double steal, Victor Bericoto coming home.
Then in the sixth, when Okamoto’s massive drive to left-centre gave the offence a touch of life, they came apart, the third baseman missing a potential double-play ball that led to a five-run frame. The Giants piled on from there, too.
That’s why traffic on the bases is good, putting pressure on the pitcher and the defence and creating havoc. The Blue Jays have been trying all year to get back to that, and it remains a moving target.
Advertisement
Asked why that is, Schneider replied, “the obvious answer is you need some guys that have performed at a higher level to do that.”
“I always say that we’re at our best when everyone’s kind of feeding off of one another,” he continued. “When you look at it as a whole, if you’re not hitting homers and not walking, it’s tough to generate any kind of consistent traffic. So you need a couple of guys to get going, Kirkie, Varsh, Vlad, George, and you need the rest of the guys to follow suit a little bit. And I think that when a few of those guys aren’t getting as many hits consistently or producing as many runs, it can kind of get to that one or two trying to do too much, and then everyone else is trying to do too much. So you’ve got to have some guys that you expect to do it, do it.”
Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol (4) scores a goal against Portugal goalkeeper Diego Costa (1) that was later taken back due to an offside call (AP Photo)
Croatia have formally written to FIFA following their dramatic FIFA World Cup Round of 32 elimination against Portugal, accusing football’s governing body of allowing technology to overstep its role in a match-defining decision.The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has questioned the use of advanced technology during Portugal’s 2-1 victory, with its complaint centred on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) process and the use of data generated by the Trionda match ball.The controversy unfolded deep into stoppage time when Joško Gvardiol appeared to have scored an equaliser that would have kept Croatia’s World Cup hopes alive. Although the goal was initially awarded, referee Espen Eskås overturned the decision after an extended VAR review.The offside call was not based on conventional television footage alone. Instead, FIFA’s ball technology detected what officials determined to be a minute touch from Igor Matanović’s hair before the ball reached Gvardiol, changing the offside calculation and resulting in the goal being disallowed.While television replays appeared to show the goal as legitimate, FIFA defended the decision by pointing to the data collected by sensors embedded inside the official match ball.In a statement, FIFA said: “IMU sensors housed within the Trionda ball are capable of determining any slight contact, displayed to viewers in the broadcast as a ‘heartbeat graphic,’ and allowing officials an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions.”Croatia, however, believes the incident raises wider concerns about the direction of officiating in football. The federation argues that relying on imperceptible contact detected only through technology goes beyond VAR’s intended purpose and moves away from the principle of correcting only “clear and obvious” errors.The HNS complaint also challenges the decision to award Portugal a second-half penalty, which Cristiano Ronaldo converted in the 68th minute to level the scores.Speaking to RTL Danas, HNS spokesperson Tomislav Pacak explained why the federation had decided to escalate the matter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.“The Croatian Football Association sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in which we expressed deep disappointment and disagreement with the match with Portugal, not because of the refereeing decisions as such, because they can be discussed after every match, but because of the process itself that led to those decisions.“To begin with, we believe that the VAR protocol was completely incorrectly applied to the penalty kick for Portugal, and the referee should not have been called to review the footage. And more importantly, with Guardiola’s equalizer, Pasalic was awarded offside against the rules and spirit of football due to Matanovic’s non-existent ball play, because the sensor showed so.”Pacak stressed that Croatia is not opposed to technological innovation in football but believes it should not undermine the spirit of the game.“We believe that this is an abuse of technology, which we welcome in football, but we believe that this application is not beneficial to FIFA, teams and football fans, and we know that our letter will not reduce the pain and disappointment of fans and players, but we believe that it is important to warn FIFA and request a detailed explanation of all decisions,” he concluded.FIFA has so far stood by the officiating process and the technology used during the match, but Croatia’s formal complaint has intensified debate over how far technological assistance should influence crucial decisions at football’s biggest tournament.
Charles De Ketalaere scored twice as Belgium brought the United States’ World Cup party to a shattering halt on Monday, thrashing the tournament co-hosts 4-1 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Spain. The buildup to the match was overshadowed by a row over US President Donald Trump’s extraordinary intervention to earn a red-card reprieve for striker Folarin Balogun.
A popular WWE legend was seemingly set for a retirement storyline in AEW, but it was ultimately scrapped. They have now broken their silence on the matter and spoken about it.
In early 2025, Jeff Jarrett boldly declared he would go on one final major run before hanging up his boots, targeting Jon Moxley and his AEW World Championship. MJF was among those who objected to this, believing someone like him was more deserving. In the end, the Death Riders themselves cut things short.
Double J was recently active on Reddit in an Ask Me Anything segment as part of a collaboration with Vice TV ahead of the seventh season of the Dark Side of the Ring. He was asked about his retirement run, and he had a straightforward response.
Advertisement
“There’s one thing in the wrestling business that’s always consistent: “CARD SUBJECT TO CHANGE…Creative plans will always change in this industry. –JJ”
Jeff Jarrett also revealed his current role within AEW
The veteran has not competed in a match for AEW in more than a year, and he has shifted to a different role within the promotion.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, he confirmed that he was still an in-ring talent, but the company also wanted him to be a constant analyst for their Zero Hour pre-shows during pay-per-view events.
“So when I’m called into Zero Hour to be an analyst, I do that. When I’m called to wrestle, I will wrestle. Yeah, I’m just an on-screen talent, whether a wrestler or not. Nothing behind the scenes.”
Jeff Jarrett may be 58, but he has shown that he can still contribute to a major company, whether as an in-ring competitor or in another role. It remains to be seen whether AEW will decide to revisit his retirement storyline or book him in a different one.
Why did you not like this content?
Advertisement
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
Get all the hottest wrestling news FIRST by clicking here
Terence Crawford may boast an immaculate professional record, but one man claims to have “smoked” the surefire Hall of Famer in the amateurs.
In the professional code, ‘Bud’ ended his career as a three-division undisputed champion, just a few months removed from his astounding triumph over Canelo Alvarez.
But despite his remarkable 42-fight campaign, the American enjoyed comparatively modest success in the unpaid ranks, where he crafted an overall record of 58-12.
Advertisement
Still, Crawford was able to win several national tournaments, while amassing victories over Danny and Mikey Garcia, yet it must be said that the professional code was his preferred domain.
But it was nonetheless considered a resounding achievement when Miguel Gonzalez, an elite amateur himself, defeated ‘Bud’ by a margin of 32–23.
‘Silky Smooth’ had lost to Crawford by much tighter margins on two previous occasions, both times feeling aggrieved by the result.
This time around, though, the Ohio native took the bull by the horns and denied his rival any further success in the amateurs.
Advertisement
Speaking with FightHype, Gonzalez gave his interpretation of what unfolded.
“The first time I fought Bud [in 2006], I came from a two-year layoff and I thought I smoked Bud. [But] they [the judges] gave it to him by two-three points.
“The second time I boxed Bud [in 2007], I smoked Bud. [But] they robbed me by one point. I was so angry. They ended up taking a point from me and gave him the decision. I was blowing him out every round.
“The third time I fought Bud [2007], it was all-out. [I] smoked his ass for sure. Blew him out the water.”
Gonzalez also praised Crawford for what he went on to achieve in his career following their encounters.
Advertisement
“I take my hat off to Bud. Big ups to Crawford. His whole career I never felt like he took any wrong paths… The way he did his career, I respect it.”
Despite Gonzalez defeating the great Crawford, it was actually Sadam Ali who, after outpointing both fighters, would go on to represent Team USA at the 2008 Olympics.
Pulisic’s tournament has been plagued by fitness problems after sustaining a calf problem the USA’s opener against Paraguay, which forced him to come off at half-time in Los Angeles.
The American talisman was able to make a return to the starting XI against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 after being limited for the rest of the group stage, and was hopeful to remain at the forefront of the USA’s efforts in the knockouts.
But with the co-hosts trailing to Belgium in their must-win last-16 tie, injury reared its ugly head once again for Pulisic after he kicked Youri Tielemans’ boot while trying to shoot.
After spending a few moments lying on the pitch, Pulisic was visibly in pain as he returned to his feet and was subsequently replaced by Sebastian Berhalter in the 59th minute.
Advertisement
Christian Pulisic suffered a fresh injury blow against Belgium (Getty)
His exit came two minutes after the USA fell 3-1 behind courtesy of a calamitous error from goalkeeper Matt Freese, who was dispossessed outside his own area before Hans Vanaken fired into an empty net from range.
The USA’s World Cup hopes greatly diminished, Pulisic was consoled by his team-mates as he knew he could do no more to help his team overcome the deficit they faced.
Mauricio Pochettino later said that he think Pulisic twisted his ankle and hopes it’s not serious ahead of Pulisic’s reintegration with AC Milan for the 2026/27 season.
Belgium had an appeal claiming Balogun was ineligible denied before the match but the Monaco striker’s inclusion proved fruitless, with the USA’s only goal coming from a deflected Malik Tillman free-kick.
Advertisement
Belgium face Spain in the next round but will also be fearing the worst about one of their own injury concerns, with Amadou Onana appearing to suffer a serious knee injury against the US. He was replaced early on and later seen on crutches wearing a knee brace.
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
LOS ANGELES–Six-time NBA All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan, a 17-season veteran, was waived by the Sacramento Kings on Monday after two campaigns with the club.
“Thank you for every bucket, every big moment, and every time you represented Sacramento. Wishing you all the best in your next chapter,” the Kings posted on X in announcing the move.
Starting at least 74 games in each of the past five seasons and 77 apiece in his two years with the Kings, DeRozan became a casualty of a rebuilding franchise creating financial flexibility.
Now he’s one of the top free agents on the market.
DeRozan has averaged 21.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.0 blocked shots in 1,264 games with the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and the Kings.
Advertisement
Article continues after this advertisement
The 36-year-old American, who helped the United States to Olympic gold at Rio in 2016 and the 2014 Basketball World Cup crown, averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots a game last season.
DeRozan’s teams, however, have missed the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, including both of his campaigns with Sacramento.
DeRozan ranks fifth among all active NBA players in scoring and 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 26,711 points.
Advertisement
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Belgium secured its place in the World Cup quarterfinals after beating the US 4-1 in Seattle.
Atalanta attacker Charles de Ketelaere scored twice for Belgium, with Hans Vanaken scoring the third after a mistake by US goalkeeper Matt Freese.
Romelu Lukaku added the fourth in stoppage time after another mistake in the US defense
Germany-born Malik Tillman temporarily equalized for the US in the 31st minute.
Advertisement
The defeat signals the end of the US’ World Cup campaign, marking the last host country to have been eliminated.
Belgium will face Spain in Los Angeles on Friday, July 10.
FIFA decision causes uproar
The game was overshadowed by FIFA’s decision to overturn a red card received by US striker Folarin Balogun, who featured in the US’ starting eleven for the game without leaving any impact.
FIFA’s own statutes forbid any kind of governmental or political interference with the work and decision making of its member associations, with world football’s governing body previously sanctioning national associations for such interference taking place.
Kuwait and Indonesia, for example, were disqualified from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers due to governmental interference in the two countries’ respective football associations.
US striker Folarin Balogun left no impact on the gameImage: Manu Fernandez/AP Photo/picture alliance
Infantino, Trump defend decision
Infantino claimed the decision had been made by FIFA’s disciplinary committee and that Trump’s phone call had no influence on it.
“During our conversation I explained that there was an ongoing legal process,” Infantino said in a statement, adding that FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent.
Advertisement
“This is how FIFA’s system works and it is a principle I will always uphold,” he said.
Trump, too, said he had only asked for the red card to be reviewed.
Belgium’s football association appealed the decision ahead of the game, but its appeal was rejected by FIFA.
FIFA’s decision caused large-scale criticism across world football, including by European football’s governing body UEFA and many national associations and high-profile figures across the game.
Advertisement
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
Don’t let the algorithm hide the news. If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the “star” or “preferred” button, so you’ll always see our verified news first.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login