FIFA World Cups are usually remembered for moments that become part of football history, a stunning goal, an unlikely upset or a player who captures the imagination of millions.

But as the FIFA World Cup 2026 unfolds across North America, two of Africa’s biggest stars find themselves on a different kind of journey.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey arrived at the World Cup as two of the pillars of their respective teams. Yet beyond the pressure of group-stage matches and the dream of a deep run lies another reality.

Both men face legal battles that will continue beyond the World Cup, creating a rare intersection between football’s biggest stage and proceedings that have unfolded over several years. 

Both players deny the allegations against them and remain available for selection.

Two leaders carrying their countries’ hopes

For Morocco, Hakimi is far more than a right-back. The 27-year-old has become one of the faces of the national team since helping the Atlas Lions reach the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago. Now captain, he remains central to Morocco’s ambitions of repeating that success.

Partey occupies a similar place in Ghanaian football. The 33-year-old has been one of the Black Stars’ most influential figures for nearly a decade, and his experience is viewed as crucial in a group containing England, Croatia and Panama.

Their importance to their teams meant Morocco and Ghana stood by their stars despite the legal cases hanging over both players.

Hakimi’s case advances during the tournament

Hakimi’s case dates back to February 2023, when a woman accused the Paris Saint-Germain defender of rape following an alleged incident at his home near Paris. French authorities subsequently opened an investigation and placed the player under formal examination.

Hakimi consistently denied the allegations and maintained that the encounter had been consensual.

The investigation continued while he carried on with his club and international career. Over the next three years, he helped Paris Saint-Germain win domestic honours and led Morocco into another World Cup campaign.

Earlier this year, an investigating judge ordered that the case proceed to trial. Hakimi challenged the decision, but just days before Morocco’s meeting with Scotland at the World Cup, the Versailles appeals court upheld the ruling, confirming that he would stand trial. A date has yet to be fixed.

Partey’s long-running case

The legal process involving Partey stretches back even further. British police began investigating allegations against the midfielder in 2022. For years, the investigation remained largely in the background as Partey continued playing in England and later moved to Spain.

In July 2025, prosecutors charged the former Arsenal midfielder with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty.

Two additional rape charges were added earlier this year, bringing the total number of charges to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Partey has denied all allegations and is expected to stand trial next year.

The proceedings even affected his World Cup preparations. Canadian authorities denied him entry for Ghana’s opening match against Panama, leading him to miss the game.

However, he was granted entry to the United States and is expected to feature during the remainder of the tournament.

Football and the presumption of innocence

The cases have also exposed the absence of any clear football-wide approach.

Unlike doping offences or suspensions for misconduct on the pitch, criminal proceedings do not automatically prevent players from representing their countries. In most cases, the decision is left to national associations, which are often forced to balance sporting considerations with broader ethical questions.

Those who support the continued involvement of players facing charges point to the principle that accusations alone should not amount to punishment. Both Hakimi and Partey have denied the allegations, and neither has been convicted.

Others argue that football has frequently treated elite players differently from other professions, where employees facing allegations of serious misconduct are often suspended pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

They contend that continuing to select such players raises uncomfortable questions about the message sent to victims of sexual violence and whether success on the pitch is being prioritised above all else.

The debate is hardly new, but it has followed the World Cup to North America.

The issue has travelled with the tournament

During Morocco’s group-stage match against Scotland, sections of the Scottish support jeered Hakimi whenever he touched the ball, ensuring events away from football became part of the atmosphere inside the stadium.

Partey’s preparations were affected differently. Canadian authorities denied him entry for Ghana’s opening match against Panama, forcing him to miss the game. However, he was able to enter the United States and is expected to return for the meeting with England.

His availability has prompted discussions in England as well. Thomas Tuchel has stressed the need for his players to focus solely on football, while the Football Association has left any decisions surrounding pre-match handshakes to the players themselves.

Not entirely without precedent

 
Football has witnessed similar situations before, with off-field legal proceedings occasionally unfolding alongside players’ careers.

Yet rarely have two players so central to their national teams arrived at the same World Cup with rape trials still lying ahead.

That coincidence has made Hakimi and Partey’s stories one of the tournament’s more distinctive and uncomfortable threads.

Al Riffa, the horse acquired with the ambition of winning a Melbourne Cup, will have the chance to definitively prove his elite stayer status on day three of the 2026 Royal Ascot meeting.

The six-year-old gelding is set to be tested over 4014 metres in the week’s premier race, the Group 1 Gold Cup, which will be broadcast live at 1:15 am Friday AEST.

Jamie Lovett of Australian Bloodstock, the owners who purchased Al Riffa just prior to last year’s Spring Carnival, admitted there was a question mark over the son of Wootton Bassett’s ability to handle the extreme distance of the Gold Cup, indicating the race tempo would be critical.

“It will depend on how the race was run, if it was a brutally run race I’m tipping no (he won’t stay), but if it was one where they hack around like they’re in training down around the back and then they zip up, he can get away with it,” he said.

Al Riffa’s turn of foot was a standout feature in his most recent performance, the Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (3100m) at Longchamp on May 21, where he made a strong late charge to finish less than half a length behind the winner, having been held up in the straight.

Al Riffa has garnered significant support in the Gold Cup betting markets since the field was announced earlier this week, with UK bookmakers now offering him at odds as short as $6.50.

The current favourite at $3 is last year’s English St Leger Stakes winner, Scandinavia, while the defending champion, Trawlerman, is priced at $4.

Al Riffa made an appearance at Royal Ascot last year, finishing second to Rebel’s Romance in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes (2405m), a race that was also considered for him this year.

The decision by O’Brien to target the Gold Cup instead of the Hardwicke Stakes could potentially leave the door open for Al Riffa’s return to Flemington. In last year’s Melbourne Cup, he finished seventh, beaten by just over nine lengths under 59kg.

His last victory came in the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) prior to his Melbourne Cup run last year. Lovett stated that a return to Flemington was unlikely, though not entirely ruled out.

“Unlikely but it would depend what’s in it, if he got 57.5 (kilos) you’d definitely be tempted,” Lovett said.

“I thought last year was inconclusive. He obviously carried weight, but he drew wide and got back.

“I’m not saying he couldn’t carry weight in the Melbourne Cup with the right draw and he got the right run around.”

Check out the racing odds for this event.

Leo Cullen’s remarkable 12-year spell as Leinster head coach is set to come to an end, with the province expected to confirm that he will leave his role at the conclusion of the 2026/27 season.

The decision brings to a close one of the most successful coaching eras in Irish provincial rugby. Since taking charge in 2015, the former Leinster captain has overseen a period of sustained excellence, delivering the 2018 Champions Cup and six URC titles, including last Friday’s triumph.

However, his tenure will also be remembered for a series of agonising European near misses. Leinster reached five Champions Cup finals after their 2018 success but fell short in 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 and again in 2026, leading to growing scrutiny over the province’s inability to convert dominance into European silverware.

End of an Era

Cullen has become synonymous with Leinster rugby, both as a player and coach. Under his leadership, the province consistently produced Ireland internationals and remained one of Europe’s strongest clubs, regularly reaching the latter stages of the Champions Cup and URC.

Yet the pressure surrounding those repeated final defeats intensified over recent seasons, despite domestic success.

The IRFU and Leinster are expected to begin the search for his successor ahead of the 2027 season.

Recent Comments Raised Eyebrows

While Cullen’s achievements on the field are unquestionable, the closing months of his tenure have also been marked by several unusual public comments.

Following Leinster’s Champions Cup campaign, Cullen criticised sections of the media over their coverage of the team, suggesting some journalists had created unnecessary negativity around the province. The remarks attracted attention, with many observers feeling criticism naturally accompanies a side with Leinster’s resources and expectations.

He also referenced what he described as online “Munster trolls”, claiming social media discourse had become increasingly toxic. While there is no doubt online abuse exists across all sports, some supporters felt Cullen’s focus on online commentary was an unusual distraction at a time when attention remained firmly on Leinster’s performances in Europe.

Legacy Secure

Despite those recent controversies, Cullen’s legacy is unlikely to be defined by his final press conferences.

Instead, he leaves having maintained Leinster as one of Europe’s elite clubs for more than a decade, helping develop the core of Ireland’s recent international success while delivering consistent silverware.

The challenge for his successor will be significant. Domestically, Leinster remain the benchmark. In Europe, however, the expectation will be to end a run of five Champions Cup final defeats and return the game’s biggest club prize to Dublin.

For Cullen, the final season of his tenure now presents one last opportunity to finish with the European title that has so narrowly eluded Leinster in recent years.

Speaking about his departure from the role Head Coach Leo Cullen said: “By the end of next season, in 2027, I will have been in my current job for 12 years. It’ll also be 32 years since I first represented Leinster as a Schools player! So, I think the timing will be right for me to move on to a new challenge.

“I managed 10 years as a player on different Leinster teams before moving to Leicester in 2005 and then returning to Leinster in 2007 to go on to experience some of the most amazing days imaginable.

“As many of you will know, I’m committed to Leinster up until the end of next season, and I intend to honour my contract, as I always have done.

“We’re moving back to Laya Arena at the start of next season, and we can’t wait for that homecoming. We also have players leaving Leinster and other players who’ll potentially be coming in. So, I think it’s good to have continuity and certainty heading into the summer.

“We have a fantastic group of coaches, staff and players here and I know the club will do everything to ensure continuity and stability – two cornerstones of Leinster Rugby. 

“I want to thank the Leinster Professional Game Board, in particular Shane Nolan, Guy Easterby and Frank Doherty, for their support throughout this process and indeed during my time as Leinster Head Coach.

“And to my family, friends and all Leinster supporters a huge thanks also.”

Leinster Rugby CEO, Shane Nolan said: “I would like to thank Leo for everything he has done as the Head Coach of Leinster Rugby, his achievements in the role speak for themselves, including winning seven trophies in 11 years culminating in a brilliant URC Grand Final win at Croke Park last Friday. Leo has been a great player, coach and leader for Leinster and will always be held in the highest regard by anyone that has ever been fortunate enough to work with him.

“Leo and his coaching team are already well advanced in their planning for the new season and will continue to drive the high standards that have been a hallmark of his time as Head Coach and has seen Leinster consistently competing for trophies season after season. I am sure all Leinster supporters will join me in celebrating Leo and his achievements throughout his final year in charge.

“We have begun the process to recruit our new Head Coach and will work to ensure that we secure the best possible candidate to continue the success of Leinster Rugby.”

D Gukesh (@FIDE_chess X Photo)

NEW DELHI: World champion D Gukesh is preparing to defend his title against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov later this year, and Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran believes the young Indian needs to sharpen some areas of his game to stay ahead. According to Sasikiran, Gukesh’s habit of creating highly complicated positions makes him dangerous, but it also often leads to time pressure.“Sometimes Gukesh takes too much risk by his unconventional play creating chaos and imbalance … in a sense, he wants to let things go out of control, it does not matter if the position is completely in chaos,” Sasikiran told PTI.“He is a champion of that kind of a game but he often gets into time trouble. So, one thing I’d advise him to concentrate on is speeding up his calculation, he definitely needs to speed up, because you don’t want to consistently find yourself in a scenario where your opponent is driving you into time trouble.”The former second of five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand also stressed that strong preparation and memorisation are essential at the highest level. Gukesh has had mixed results since winning the world title, struggling in several major classical tournaments. Sasikiran said Gukesh should focus on putting opponents in uncomfortable situations and study Sindarov’s weaknesses closely. He warned that the challenger is extremely well prepared and relies heavily on memory and fast play.“From what I have seen from Sindarov, all this candidate stuff, he is also making some complications, he had prepared very deeply for the Candidates tournament. I mean very high level of chess, so this world championship match is going to be very tough,” he explained.He added that Gukesh must improve his conversion of technical positions and avoid missing chances. However, the Chennai-based Grandmaster feels experience could work in the Indian’s favour.“But Gukesh has already been at that level, he has already played a world championship match, so match experience is in Gukesh’s favour, but the challenger also carries momentum,” he added.Sasikiran believes Gukesh and his team have already narrowed down a few opening choices and will continue preparing right until the match begins.

Monday is an absolutely loaded day of World Cup action. The defending champions, Argentina, face Austria in the first match of the day at 1 p.m. ET, France take on Iraq at 5 p.m., Norway clash with Senegal at 8 p.m. and the action wraps up at 11 p.m. with Jordan facing Algeria. If you’re interested in soccer betting, you have no shortage of high-end options when it comes to anytime goal scorer props for Monday’s matches. We’ve made our picks at FanDuel — one for each of the four matches.

For more World Cup picks, including outright winners, spread picks and totals, be sure to check out the picks from SportsLine experts like Jon Eimer, Martin Green and Brad Thomas. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Best World Cup goalscorer picks for Monday

• Lionel Messi, Argentina (+110, FanDuel)
• Kylian Mbappe, France (-210, FanDuel)
• Erling Haaland, Norway (+120, FanDuel)
• Riyad Mahrez, Algeria (+160, FanDuel)  

Lionel Messi, Argentina (+110, FanDuel)

Rather than riding into the sunset after leading Argentina to a 2022 World Cup victory, Messi decided he’d run it back again in 2026. So far, so good. Messi began this tournament with a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, and he was the only player in the first round of group play to record a hat trick. Austria presents a tougher challenge than Algeria after defeating Jordan 3-1, but it’s clear Messi is still the guy and will be a force in front of the net. 

Kylian Mbappe, France (-210, FanDuel)

Advertisement

After a 0-0 score at halftime against Senegal, the French attack woke up in the second half thanks largely to one man — Mbappe. The Real Madrid star scored the first goal of the match and after Senegal made it 2-1, Mbappe quickly answered with a long laser for his second tally of the game to become the all-time leader in goals in France history. France now face an Iraq side that gave up four goals to Norway last week, so Mbappe should be licking his chops entering this matchup. 

Erling Haaland, Norway (+120, FanDuel)

Speaking of that 4-1 Norway win, Haaland made his presence felt with not one, but two goals in that matchup. The Manchester City superstar was flying all over the place there, putting in one on a header and another by forcing the goalie’s hand — or foot in this case. Haaland and Co. face Senegal in their last match before what should be an eventful Group I tilt with France on Friday. Haaland was tremendous in Norway’s opener, and there’s little reason to think he won’t make an impact against Senegal. 

Riyad Mahrez, Algeria (+160, FanDuel)

Advertisement

Mahrez, who stars for Al-Ahli, is one of the better players in Algerian history with 33 goals in 104 caps dating back to 2014. He was a major factor in the Africa Cup of Nations last year with three goals in four matches in a quarterfinal run, but he’s yet to score in a World Cup. There’s no time like the present in that regard against Jordan, which gave up three goals to Austria in their opener. Algeria were shut out against Argentina, so look for them to lean on the veteran Mahrez, who has some major juice at this price.

It’s time for the World Cup roundup! Mo Salah scored his third World Cup goal, allowing Egypt to get his first win in the tournament after 92 years. French fans are gearing up for their second game against Iraq in Philadelphia, while Norway is getting ready to play Senegal. FRANCE 24’s Emily Boyles tells us what to know.