Some view the addition of linebacker Jake Golday as being key to the Jonathan Greenard deal. After all, the rookie defender has a history of coming off the edge, meaning he could soak up edge rusher snaps for the Vikings as early as 2026.

What gets missed in that calculus is the presence of Eric Wilson.

The off-ball linebacker was used in an unusual manner in 2026. Wilson more than doubled his career snaps at edge rusher in 2025 alone, boosting what was 327 snaps along the defensive line up to 663 snaps along the defensive line. What changed was the effort from Brian Flores to lean into Wilson’s ability to line up as an edge rusher, a reality that appears unlikely to change in 2026.

The Vikings Boast In-House Edge Rusher Depth

Consider how many view the edge rusher hierarchy:

• EDGE1: Andrew Van Ginkel
• EDGE2: Dallas Turner
• EDGE3: Bo Richter
• EDGE4: Tyler Batty
• EDGE5: Chaz Chambliss
• EDGE6: Arden Walker
• EDGE7: Cam’Ron Stewart

Many onlookers glance at the list and feel a cold shiver work down their spine. The nervous spectator can’t help but be gripped by fear at the glance of the horrors that appear behind Door 3: unproven UDFAs all the way down. Is the depth as horrific as it appears?

For whatever it’s worth, the Vikings appear to believe that there’s very little reason to fear.

Check out how the edge rusher hierarchy looks upon considering the reality of snap allotments and not the position tag that’s attached to players. The more accurate hierarchy:

• EDGE1: Andrew Van Ginkel
• EDGE2: Dallas Turner
• EDGE3: Eric Wilson
• EDGE4: Ty Ingram-Dawkins
• EDGE5: Bo Richter
• EDGE6: Tyler Batty
• EDGE7: Chaz Chambliss
• EDGE8: Arden Walker
• EDGE9: Cam’Ron Stewart

Tossing Wilson into the mix changes the water on the purple beans (which is to say nothing of Ingram-Dawkins).

Last year, Eric Wilson played 965 snaps on defense. Looking under the hood means seeing 336 snaps as an edge rusher. His final stat tally shows 115 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, and an eye-popping 4 forced fumbles. Excellent stuff.

Per Over the Cap, Eric Wilson’s contract sits at a trio of seasons for a total compensation promise coming in at $22,500,000. Paying him so much would be an overpay were he merely an off-ball linebacker. Paying him so little would be great value if he proves to be an outside linebacker on top of being an off-ball linebacker.

Boasting Van Ginkel alongside Turner as the starters isn’t a bad spot to be. Van Ginkel is already elite; Turner is capable of getting to that spot. Wilson can then be an explosive EDGE3 to pin his ears back some of the time. Ingram-Dawkins can be a heavy edge rusher who clogs running lanes as the EDGE4.

Part of what allows the team to move players around freely is the presence of guys like Golday. Even if he never plays a snap at edge rusher in his debut season, Golday will help at edge rusher if he frees Eric Wilson to be an edge rusher. Essentially, there’s a domino effect that gives Brian Flores the flexibility he desires.

Quite possibly, the move is to add somebody else to have a more traditional EDGE3. Jadeveon Clowney, in particular, looks like a good fit. Regardless, the presence of Mr. Wilson means that there’s little reason for the team to panic. He’s essentially the EDGE3 until further notice.

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

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Even in failure, Messi breaks records.

He will get the headlines for his prowess in front of goal, but there were also some unwanted records.

Argentina were awarded a penalty when Lautaro Martinez was brought down, but Messi fired the spot-kick wide.

“There was a moment where I was very angry about the penalty, because I missed it and I took it very, very badly,” said Messi. “Luckily we were able to reverse that situation, take the lead and get the three points.”

He became the first player to miss a penalty at the 2026 World Cup and has now both taken (seven) and missed (three) the most penalties in tournament history, excluding shootouts.

He has also failed to score six of 31 penalties for Argentina.

By making amends with his double, this was the first competitive match that Messi has scored in for Argentina after also missing a penalty.

“Messi is human after all, he’s allowed the odd mistake,” added Murphy.

Perhaps it was written in the stars for his record-breaking goal to be scored in true Messi fashion.

“He might have missed it on purpose,” Murphy joked. “Maybe breaking the record was meant for a better goal.”

South American football expert Tim Vickery added: “The gods of football obviously didn’t want him to break the record with a penalty, they wanted him to break the record with a goal from open play.

“Argentina have built the team around him and I just don’t want the carnival to end.”

While holding so many records, there are more for him to get.

Next on the list could be the most assists at a World Cup as Messi is currently level with Maradona on eight.

Jordan in the final group match (Sunday, 03:00 BST) is Messi’s next chance to make yet more footballing history.

Few nations enter major tournaments with a stronger blend of proven pedigree and emerging talent than France. Didier Deschamps has spent more than a decade constructing a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts, and the depth available to him is one of the principal reasons Les Bleus continue to be viewed as one of the favourites in North America.

Mike Maignan provides security in goal, while William Saliba, Jules Kounde and Dayot Upamecano form the backbone of a defence filled with elite-level experience. In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni continues to grow into one of the most influential players in European football, supported by the enduring presence of N’Golo Kante.

The attacking options remain particularly intimidating. Kylian Mbappe is the headline figure, but he is supported by Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki, ensuring France possess a range of profiles capable of changing matches in different ways.

Their opening victory over Senegal was not flawless, yet it reinforced a familiar theme surrounding Deschamps’ teams. Even when France are not operating at their absolute peak, they retain the ability to seize control of matches through moments of individual brilliance and collective quality.

Morgan Rogers keen on a move to Arsenal, Marcus Rashford prepared to take pay cut to join Tottenham and Spurs also confident of signing Newcastle‘s Sandro Tonali.

Aston Villa and England midfielder Morgan Rogers is keen on a move to Premier League champions Arsenal this summer, with the Gunners making the 23-year-old a top target. (Talksport) , external

Manchester United‘s England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, is prepared to take a pay cut to join Tottenham for £40m this summer after his Barcelona loan. (i paper), external

Tottenham are confident of signing Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali for a fee close to £85m, but the Italy international, 26, would rather join rivals Arsenal. (Daily Mail – subscription required), external

Chelsea‘s 26-year-old defender Trevoh Chalobah, who was a late call-up to England’s World Cup squad, is wanted by Como boss Cesc Fabregas. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Bayern Munich and Tottenham are both keen on 29-year-old Juventus defender Bremer, but the Brazilian is happy to stay in Turin. (Gianluca DiMarzio – in Italian), external

Barcelona have made a surprise approach to see if England striker Harry Kane, 32, would be open to leaving Bayern Munich for the Spanish club. (Sport – in Spanish) , external

Manchester United are prepared to accept a loss on 25-year-old Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte in order to sell him this summer. (Sun) , external

Leeds United have moved closer to finalising a deal for Southampton’s Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles, 22, who only has a year left on his current contract. (Teamtalk), external

Brighton are closing in on the signing of 27-year-old Venezia and Austria defender Michael Svoboda. (Sky Sports) , external

Arsenal are yet to agree a deal to sign Kolkheti and Georgia Under-21 midfielder Andria Bartishvili, with Liverpool and Paris FC are also working on a move for the 17-year-old. (Talksport) , external

West Ham and France defender Jean-Clair Todibo, 26, is close to agreeing a loan move to Fenerbahce after the Hammers’ relegation. (Star – in Turkish), external

Monday is a loaded day of World Cup action, and some of the best goalscorers in the world are looking to put on another show. Defending champions Argentina faced Austria in the first match of the day, and we cashed in when Lionel Messi broke the World Cup record with his 17th goal then added another to give him five at World Cup 2026. Argentina won 2-0, and up next on Monday’s World Cup schedule is 2022 Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, as his France side takes on Iraq at 5 p.m. Erling Haaland and 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 high-end options when it comes to anytime goal scorer props for Monday’s matches, but do they have value at current odds? We’ve made our favorite picks using the World Cup 2026 odds at FanDuel.

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)

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)

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.

Lionel Messi became the leading scorer in World Cup history when the Argentina captain netted against Austria on Monday to take his total to 17 goals. Messi had equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time mark of 16 World Cup goals when hitting a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria to open his country’s title defence in North America last week. He made it 17 when he swept home after 38 minutes in Argentina’s second group game, to deafening roars at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.

The 38-year-old had missed a penalty earlier in the game.

Messi is playing at his sixth World Cup, his first coming in 2006 and he now has 121 goals in 201 games for his country. His enduring quality augurs well for Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles.

LIONEL MESSI’S GOAL LOOKS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING FROM THIS ANGLE! pic.twitter.com/tMH0eq3Mky

— MC (@CrewsMat10) June 22, 2026

Messi was tearful after his first goal against Algeria, and it later emerged that his father is recovering from an unspecified health issue.

Despite his personal travails and a troubled build-up because of a hamstring niggle, Messi’s mere presence inspires his teammates.

“If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all,” said midfielder Alexis Mac Allister after the win against Algeria.

Inter Miami attacker Messi had not even committed to playing the tournament in North America until the last moment.

But nobody realistically expected him to be absent from spearheading Argentina’s title defence.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain wizard dragged his country to World Cup glory four years ago, and the lure of representing his nation once again on the biggest stage proved irresistible.

Argentina can qualify for the next round with a victory over Austria and would be assured of finishing top of Group J if Jordan fail to beat Algeria later on Monday.

After former Germany forward Klose, next on the all-time list is Brazilian great Ronaldo, with 15 goals, one ahead of Gerd Muller and current France star Kylian Mbappe.

pst/gj

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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, journalist Pete O’Rourke mentioned that Manchester United are keeping a keen eye on West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville this summer. O’Rourke said,

“As a result of West Ham going down and their need to balance the books, they will have to look to cash in on Summerville.

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“West Ham are resigned to losing a number of key players this summer, and Mateus Fernandes and Summerville are probably the two most high profile players that could be on the move as well.

“Man United are potentially looking to sign both of them from West Ham and they have them on their list of targets this summer.

“United are very much interested in Summerville a lot will come down to the price, and it will be a similar case for Fernandes and whether they can agree a deal between the clubs.”

Summerville’s Decent Form In English Football

Summerville managed to shine at times with his performances on the left side of West Ham’s attack in the previous campaign, but failed to help them avoid relegation from the Premier League. The Dutch talent found the back of the net on seven occasions and picked up five assists in 34 matches for the Hammers last season across multiple competitions.

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The 24-year-old is currently among the best wide players in his homeland. Hence, Man United would do well to acquire his services later this year.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JUNE 14: Crysencio Summerville #24 of Netherlands celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Netherlands and Japan at Dallas Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

His current contract at the London Stadium will expire in the summer of 2029, which could make it tough for the Red Devils to snap him up on a cut-price deal in this transfer period.

Should Manchester United Boss Michael Carrick Go For Summerville?

Summerville has got the pace to cause a lot of headaches for his marker out in the wide areas. He can shoot the ball with power from long range and has got the vision to engineer some inviting chances for his teammates to score.

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The Dutch sensation can chip in by scoring and creating a handful of important goals for his team. He is already quite familiar with the Premier League and won’t take much time to adjust to life at the Mancunian club.

Summerville would inject more quality and depth into Man United head coach Michael Carrick’s attack. He has what it takes to fight for a regular first-team spot at Old Trafford next season.

At 24, Summerville has got his best years ahead of him, which makes him a decent choice for the Red Devils to consider in this transfer window. He will also help Man United challenge across all fronts in the coming years. Hence, Carrick would be wise to go for him soon.