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

Manchester City are close to appointing former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as their new head coach on a three-year contract.

The move comes one month after Pep Guardiola announced that he would leave City after 10 successful years in charge.

Reports indicate that City and Chelsea have reached an agreement over compensation for Maresca, with the fee believed to be more than £10 million.

Chelsea were entitled to compensation because Maresca was under contract with the London club until 2029 before leaving his role in January. The Blues had been considering their legal options before the two clubs entered negotiations.

Maresca was quickly identified by City as their preferred choice to succeed Guardiola and lead the club into a new era.

Manchester City have not commented publicly on the reports.

The club’s players who are not involved in the ongoing World Cup are expected to return for pre-season training in mid-July.

Although the appointment has not yet been officially announced, transfer planning has continued behind the scenes. City are looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign.

The club have already seen two bids rejected for Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest and are expected to return with another offer.

The midfielder is being considered as a possible replacement for departing captain Bernardo Silva.

Football analyst Freddie Pye believes City remain an attractive destination for players despite Guardiola’s departure.

According to Pye, City continue to offer the chance to win trophies, world-class facilities and the opportunity to be part of an exciting new chapter under a new manager.

However, he also noted that some players may view Guardiola’s exit as the end of an era and could consider leaving the club after enjoying some of the most successful years in City’s history.

An official announcement on Maresca’s appointment is expected in the coming days as Manchester City prepare for life after Guardiola.

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

Featured Video Of The Day

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

Brothers Carlos Yulo and Eldrew Yulo after winning the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s floor exercise at the Asian Gymnastics Championships in China.–Photo from Carlos Yulo’s Instagram

MANILA, Philippines—After winning two medals in the floor exercise event of the Asian Gymnastics Championships on Friday, brothers Carlos and Eldrew Yulo failed to pull off an encore 24 hours later in Zunyi China.

The older Yulo couldn’t add to his gold total after coming up short in the horizontal and parallel bar finals.

Carlos tallied only 13.500 points in the horizontal bar final, won by defending champion Chia-Hung Tang of Chinese Taipei with a score of 15.500. Eldrew just missed the podium with 13.833 for fourth place.

READ: Carlos Yulo wins floor gold, Eldrew takes bronze in Asian meet

The double Olympic champion suffered a double whammy on Sunday night after he wound up in sixth in the parallel bar final with 13.566 points. China’s Zhang Boheng ruled the event with 14.933 points.

Still, Carlos was in high spirits after he and Eldrew achieved a rare feat by winning medals on the big stage together.

“Proud to represent the Philippines and grateful for everyone who continues to support this journey,” Carlos wrote in an Instagram post.

Golden boy Carlos Yulo has advice as brother Karl Eldrew chases glory

“Thank you to my coaches, family, and everyone who believed in me through every high and low.”

Carlos won the floor exercise gold, while Eldrew bagged the bronze on Saturday.

As things stand, the Vikings are boasting north of $13 million in open cap space (OTC). Not too shabby, but things could be improved. In fact, the financial outlook for 2026 seems destined to improve.

The Minnesota Vikings boast a pair of stud players in RT1 Brian O’Neill and EDGE1 Andrew Van Ginkel, both of whom look like logical extension candidates. Combined, the pair of veterans could spark a robust financial windfall for the present-day Vikings. All that’s needed is for GM Nolan Teasley to put together a pair of contract extensions, a task that’s easier said than done but that’s nevertheless quite plausible.

The Vikings’ Cap: Watch for a $25M Boost

At this stage, Mr. O’Neill appears to be a lifelong Viking.

Kirk Cousins used to pass along the quip that the letters “NFL” actually stand for “Not for Long.” His basic idea is that job security is scarce in the money-hungry, cutthroat football league. Very few players ever arrive at fixity in their employment for a specific team.

Brian O’Neill is therefore a unique player who appears to be following in Harrison Smith’s and C.J. Ham’s footsteps.

Right now, O’Neill carries the weightiest cap charge for the Minnesota Vikings. He’s seeing $23,115,657 get attached to his name, a hit that’s worth it but still difficult enough to digest.

Extending the rugged large lad could involve $14,160,000 getting put back into the mix. At this point on the calendar, that’s a total that is quite beefy. Enough to do damage among the remaining free agent talents, that’s for sure.

Extending O’Neill appears to be Step 1, at least in the minds of many.

There’s then Andrew Van Ginkel, whom the Vikings should be prioritizing as the top player to extend. No team can succeed without having a formidable pass rush. In Van Ginkel, the Vikings boast one of the most overlooked options within considerations of the NFL’s top edge rushers. Ensuring that he finishes his pro career with a horn on his helmet should be a priority.

He, too, is a pricey player. The cap is showing $19,250,000 for the edge rusher’s services in 2026 (third-most on the team behind O’Neill and Justin Jefferson). Extending him could mean seeing $11,352,000 tossed back into the mix for 2026.

Extending both of Brian O’Neill and Andrew Van Ginkel — a reasonable outcome that may even be likely — would mean giving the Vikings $25,512,000 in added cap room for 2026.

Teasley could use that open room to enhance the roster by plucking talent out of free agency. Or, perhaps, there’s a desire to venture into the trade market. Boasting ample cap space helps in when it comes to pulling off a swap.

The NFL is operating from within its slowest portion of the year. What could disrupt the seemingly inevitable summer doldrums is an extension or two. The Vikings boast several players who appear like nice candidates, none more compelling than O’Neill and Van Ginkel. Since each have hearty cap charges, each can give back ample cap room.

Look for the Vikings to get some enhanced cap space at some point during the summer.

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