France head into the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup as the top-ranked nation in the world. Even without the validation of the men’s football rankings, the 2018 champions boast an abundance of quality as they pursue a third World Cup title.  Missing out from their 2nd consecutive world title last time on penalties against Lionel Messi’s Argentina, Les Blues are coming into this edition with another power-packed squad with them.

This edition will also mark the final tournament for coach Didier Deschamps, one of only three men in history to lift the World Cup both as a player (1998) and as a manager (2018). The two-time champions are drawn in Group I alongside African giants Senegal, Erling Haaland’s Norway, and Iraq, who return to the global stage after 40 years.  France’s Group I in FIFA World Cup 2026 

• 
  France
• 
  Senegal
• 
  Norway
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  Iraq

Kylian Mbappé leads France as captain at his third World Cup finals. With 12 goals already to his name, the Real Madrid star is closing in on Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 World Cup goals. He remains the focal point of France’s attack and leadership on the biggest stage.

France will not rely on Mbappé alone, as he is supported by a wealth of world-class attacking talent. Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé will operate on the flanks, while Ballon d’Or contender Michael Olise adds further creativity and flair. Notably, the two teammates are set to face each other in the Champions League semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern München.

Midfielders: N’Golo Kanté, Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Warren Zaïre-Emery 

Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Marcus Thuram, Jean-Philippe Mateta

Optus Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 10 AFL game between West Coast Eagles and
GWS Giants. The game kicks off at 6:15 pm with GWS Giants heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the West Coast Eagles vs.
GWS Giants
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday May 17, 2026 at 6:15 pm

Where: Optus Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

West Coast Eagles vs GWS Giants Odds

West Coast Eagles vs GWS Giants Preview

GWS will aim to move back to an even record for the season when it travels west to face a struggling Eagles outfit. The Giants showed impressive resilience last week, overturning a 26-point deficit against Essendon to keep their finals hopes alive. While GWS has been inconsistent away from home this year, the matchup against West Coast presents a significant opportunity given the Eagles’ disastrous recent form. West Coast has now lost six straight games by more than 60 points on average and continues to battle badly with defensive structure and contested football. GWS has also dominated recent meetings between the clubs, including a crushing 59-point victory last season led by Finn Callaghan’s outstanding midfield display. Unless West Coast can produce a dramatic improvement defensively, the Giants appear well positioned to continue their climb back towards the top eight.

About once or twice per year, VikingsTerritory publishes an article detailing the fruit of Jordan Ta’amu’s labor in the UFL. The 2026 campaign is no different, but there’s a catch: Ta’amu is now hurt.

Ta’amu’s spring football rise added another unfortunate turn before the Defenders’ postseason push.

The man was cooking, but the Defenders must improvise.

Ta’amu’s Minnesota Stay Was Brief but a Bit Memorable

It’s a blow for the champs.

Ta’amu Out for Year

NBC Sports‘ Mike Florio wrote Monday, “Even though the UFL has been generating solid TV ratings, it’s had a hard time moving the needle. That’s largely because the NFL continues to dominate the calendar, even in the months when NFL games aren’t being played. Still, certain developments merit a mention.”

“Like this one: D.C. Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu has been lost for the season due to an injury suffered in a Week 8 loss to Louisville. The specific injury was not specified.”

Defenders head coach Shannon Harris said of the setback, “We never want to lose a quarterback of that caliber, especially a guy who’s been an MVP-level player and championship leader for us. But we still have a really good football team, and we are going to rally behind Spencer Sanders and Jason Bean.”

Time with the Vikings

Just before the 2023 regular season, the Vikings signed Ta’amu to bolster their preseason quarterback depth. He arrived with significant spring buzz, having won the XFL’s 2023 Offensive Player of the Year award five months earlier.

However, his tenure in Minnesota was brief. Ta’amu lasted only a week before being cut, eventually returning to the Defenders on February 22, 2024. The Vikings, already boasting Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall on their roster for the 2023 season, further solidified their quarterback room during that season by trading for Joshua Dobbs a couple of months later.

Last Year’s Masterclass

In 2025, the Defenders won the UFL Championship, as Ta’amu passed for 2,153 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, along with 178 rushing yards and 2 scores, in nine games. Nearing the end of the current campaign, the Defenders have a 5-3 record, so they’re trending toward another championship push. Ta’amu has produced 1,516 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and 9 picks, in addition to 196 rushing yards in 8 games.

Of course, the injury ends his dream of back-to-back titles and MVP awards. A brutal blow.

Pro Football Newsroom‘s James Larsen on the Defenders’ without Ta’amu: “Earlier this year, the Defenders traded for Jason Bean from the Kings. He seems like the perfect prospect to fill in, with his mobility – and ability to push the ball down the field. Through four weeks of play with the Louisville Kings, no QB in the UFL had more big-time throws than Bean, with 10.”

“The clock is ticking on what was shaping up to be another big year for DC. If any team can manage this instability – it’s the Defenders. Shannon Harris has chartered strange waters before, and now will have to lead DC to success without their signal caller of the past four seasons.”

Bean might be the meal ticket sans Ta’amu.

Larsen concluded, “Hopefully, this isn’t the last we’ll see of Jordan Ta’amu. He has been one of spring football’s best over the past several years, with two Championship appearances (and a win) in DC. The veteran is, no doubt, on the Mount Rushmore of spring football.”

Lucky Jackson Thriving

Another former Viking has stood out in the offshoot league: Jackson. He plays for the Louisville Kings, a club with a 4-4 mark through eight games, and has tabulated 27 receptions for 341 yards and 2 scores in eight games. Much in part due to his first name, Jackson is well-known in recent Vikings lore as a summer attraction and preseason stud.

And he’s been associated with the Vikings for a while, beginning around the time that Ta’aum initially entered the mix. Jackson signed with the Vikings in May 2023, sticking around for the whole summer and later reaching the 2023 practice squad. He earned active roster placement in late 2023 and signed a futures contract at the start of the 2024 offseason.

Then, he encountered the same arrangement from the summer prior in 2024 — an August cut, followed by a practice squad assignment. In 2025, Jackson actually flirted with becoming the team’s WR4 due to a notable training camp and preseason. But in the end, Minnesota dropped him on September 23, 2025. He signed with Louisville on February 18th — three months ago.

Overall, he’s known for his 4.36 speed coming out of college (Western Kentucky) in 2020.

The Ta’amu-less Defenders’ next game is Friday at the Orlando Storm. Ta’amu will turn 28 in December.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant

NEW DELHI: India’s squads for the upcoming Afghanistan tour have largely retained the core from the side’s previous Test and ODI assignments, but there are still several notable inclusions, exclusions and workload-management calls across formats.While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue in the ODI setup, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested, opening the door for fresh faces like Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey. Here’s a closer look at who’s in and who’s out from India’s previous squads:

ODI squad: Who’s in and Who’s out?

Ishan Kishan comes back into India’s ODI setup on the back of some stellar form in domestic cricket and carrying the momentum of T20 World Cup selection. With Rishabh Pant not part of the ODI squad, Kishan slots back in as the additional wicketkeeping option alongside KL Rahul.Hardik Pandya returns to the ODI setup, though his inclusion remains subject to fitness clearance. India had gone without a frontline pace-bowling all-rounder since the 2025 Champions Trophy.The biggest headline from the ODI squad is Prince Yadav’s maiden India call-up. The Lucknow Super Giants pacer impressed selectors with his IPL 2026 performances, especially his pace and hard-length bowling.Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar also earned a place in the ODI squad as well as the Test squad as India continue to test their fast bowling depth, in the absence of injured Harshit Rana.

Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey (PTI Photo)

Harsh Dubey’s domestic performances have earned him a place in the ODI and Test squad as India look to expand their all-round options.One of the biggest absentees from the ODI squad is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been rested for the Afghanistan tour.Rishabh Pant, who was withdrawn from India’s previous ODI squad against New Zealand owing to an injury sustained during the practice, does not find a place in the current setup either.Ayush Badoni, part of the ODI squad against New Zealand earlier this year, has been left out.Despite being part of the last ODI squad, Yashasvi Jaiswal does not feature in the Afghanistan ODI setup while Dhruv Jurel also misses out from the ODI squad.Mohammed Siraj, who featured in the New Zealand ODI series, is not part of the Afghanistan squad, while Harshit Rana loses his place from the previous ODI squad.

Test squad: Who’s in, who’s out?

Gill, who had withdrawn after the first Test against South Africa due to injury, returns and will captain India in the one-off Test against Afghanistan.Prasidh Krishna comes into the Test squad, strengthening India’s pace attack in Bumrah’s absence, while Punjab left-arm seamer Gurnoor Brar is among the fresh additions to the Test setup alongside spinner Manav Suthar has also earned a place in the Test squad as India continue investing in younger red-ball options. Harsh Dubey’s rise continues with inclusion in the Test squad as well.India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the Afghanistan tour. Ravindra Jadeja is also absent from the Test setup as part of workload management. ALSO READ: Who is Gurnoor Brar? Spotted by Shubman Gill, impressed Shikhar Dhawan with pace, being groomed by Ashish NehraAxar Patel, who was part of India’s last Test squad against South Africa, does not feature in the Afghanistan Test squad. Pacer Akash Deep also misses out from the current Test setup.

The average franchise valuation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is projected to reach $15 billion by 2032, up sharply from $1.8 billion in 2026, according to the Fanatic Sports Hurun India’s Most Valuable Sports Teams 2026 report.

The report noted that average IPL franchise valuations have risen significantly since the league’s inception, climbing from $0.1 billion in 2008. It added that IPL franchise values are expected to narrow the gap with the National Football League (NFL), currently the world’s most valuable sports league.

Average NFL franchise valuations stood at $1 billion in 2008 and have grown to $7.1 billion in 2026. They are expected to reach $29.8 billion by 2032, the report said.

Among Indian sports leagues, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), owned by the Shah Rukh Khan family and Mehta Group, emerged as the most valuable franchise. The three-time IPL champion is valued between ₹19,200 crore and ₹22,500 crore in 2026, compared to ₹300 crore at inception.

Mumbai Indians (MI), owned by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, ranked second with a valuation of ₹18,400–21,700 crore. The five-time IPL champion was valued at ₹448 crore at inception.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), owned by the N Srinivasan family, and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), owned by Sun TV Group, ranked third and fourth, respectively. CSK is valued at ₹18,400–20,700 crore, while SRH is valued at ₹17,500–18,400 crore.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ranked fifth with a valuation of ₹16,700 crore.

Among the top individual earners in the IPL are Virat Kohli, who leads all-time IPL earnings with ₹230.2 crore across 18 seasons, followed by Rohit Sharma with ₹227.2 crore and MS Dhoni with ₹200.3 crore — three athletes each exceeding $25 million in single-league career earnings.

Among women, Smriti Mandhana leads WPL cumulative earnings at ₹13.7 crore. In just four WPL seasons, the top 10 players have collectively earned over ₹90 crore, the report stated.

The report also highlighted the growing scale of sports ownership portfolios in India. GMR Group leads with 10 teams across three sports and three continents, making it the largest sports portfolio among Indian owners. JSW Group follows with seven teams and is the only owner present across four sports — cricket, football, kabaddi, and hockey. Reliance Industries and the Shah Rukh Khan family & Mehta Group own multiple cricket franchises across five countries.

RPSG Group and Sun TV Group have expanded their IPL brands internationally through SA20 in South Africa and The Hundred in England, respectively. Meanwhile, the Adani family and Capri Sports have diversified into emerging domestic leagues, including kho-kho and women’s cricket.

The report said institutional investors have generated substantial returns through investments in Indian sports franchises. Following the sale of Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lachlan Murdoch achieved a 92.1x return, while Blenheim Chalcot (Manoj Badale) and RedBird Capital realised returns of 24.3x and 7.8x, respectively. United Spirits (Diageo) secured a 37.2x return through the sale of RCB.

Earlier this month, RR was acquired by a consortium led by Lakshmi Mittal and Adar Poonawalla at a valuation of $1.65 billion. In March 2026, RCB was sold to a consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group, alongside The Times Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone, valuing the franchise at $1.78 billion.

Newer franchises, however, remain in the early stages of value creation. CVC Capital Partners’ Gujarat Titans (GT) delivered a relatively modest 1.3x return multiple, reflecting the franchise’s early growth phase. Torrent Group acquired a majority stake in GT in February last year.

The report covers six professional leagues and tracks more than 1,300 athletes across cricket, football, kabaddi, hockey, volleyball, and women’s cricket.

Raghav Gupta, founder and chief executive officer, Fanatic Sports, said, “India is becoming a sports-embracing nation. Home to 17.8 per cent of the world’s population, India will not just participate in the global sporting economy — it will reshape it. The business of sport here is becoming its own asset class, with its own audiences, its own economics, and its own heroes.”

According to Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher, Hurun India, there is serious interest among large business families in acquiring teams in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), India’s second-most valuable sports league, because they believe valuations will rise sharply.

Junaid added that when discretionary income doubles, spending on sports — tickets, merchandise, OTT subscriptions, fantasy platforms, fan travel, youth academies — does not grow linearly; it compounds, and the democratisation of Indian sport will give this wave its triple-multiplier effect.

India’s per capita income has just crossed the $2,500 inflection point that economists associate with the shift from essential to discretionary spending, and it is projected to approach $5,000 by 2030, with an estimated 165 million Indians earning over $10,000 a year.

The combined valuation of all 10 IPL franchises stands at ₹1.63 trillion ($18 billion). Fifty-nine teams across six leagues hold 763 brand sponsorship partnerships, with the IPL alone accounting for 307, averaging 13 brand partners per franchise.

Replacing Pep Guardiola may well be the toughest job in football, but Enzo Maresca has already shown Manchester City that he is willing to work in the most challenging circumstances. It was back in 2020 when the Italian took his family away from the Amalfi Coast in the middle of the global pandemic in order to accept a job coaching City’s Under-21s.

If that showed Maresca’s willingness, the fact that City singled the coach out in a summer where restrictions had been so tight that even travel in football was limited was a sign of how much the former West Ham assistant had already impressed. Despite being unable to have a pre-season with the players or even being in place for the beginning of the campaign, Maresca immediately made his mark on academy staff by planning games over Zoom calls and making clear the improvements that could be made.

When he did belatedly arrive, Maresca won the Premier League 2 title for the first time in the club’s history. And he didn’t just win it, he obliterated the league; the youngest team were champions by 14 points after playing exhilarating football that saw them average more than three goals a game while keeping the second-best defensive record.

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Good players help, and with Liam Delap beating Cole Palmer to the Golden Boot and James McAtee being named the best player for the season, City were blessed with a fantastic crop. Equally, listen to the way those players talk about the way Maresca helped them to be better and it was easy for all to see Maresca was destined for bigger things.

He left after just a year, returning to Italy for his first job as a manager in senior football but only lasted a few months in Serie B with Parma before being shown the door. Guardiola had been thrilled with the way City’s youngsters had been developed though and Maresca was welcomed back onto the manager’s staff for the year in which the club would make more history and win the Treble.

Once again, City knew they wouldn’t have him for long and spells at Leicester and Chelsea have enhanced Maresca’s reputation – even if he was not always popular at either club. He has the approval of both Guardiola and his bosses, who are confident he can adapt into a winning system while making his own mark.

The system is important to note here. This isn’t Sir Alex Ferguson giving David Moyes a tap on the shoulder, it is a framework that pre-dates Guardiola and has been seriously beefed up since his arrival to make sure that they can be ready to move for the best managers as and when they are needed.

There have been several points over the last decade when Guardiola was expected to leave and didn’t, so this is not the first time that shortlists have been drawn up. The manager has raised the standards at City during his ten years so they are now more confident of attracting the best in the business, but it still has to be one that works within their framework.

As one senior official put it: “The challenge will be can the system flex to the next coach and can the coach flex to the system and do they meet in the middle? That means we need to recruit a coach that is prepared to flex a bit, and not somebody who is coming in doing it their way and there is no other way.”

With the exceptions of Guardiola and Haaland, City’s recruitment model has looked to find emerging talent that have the potential and ambition to lift themselves to the highest level. Even if some are doubting if Maresca can reach that level, the Blues are backing him to, and he ticks a lot of the boxes that they use to bring in the right players as well as staff.

As important, Maresca has made and kept himself available. Whether or not he left Chelsea as a direct result of informing them of talks with the Blues, he has been out of work since and willing to wait for a manager who City would have kept right up to the last day if he had decided to stay.

That may sound trivial but timing is a lot in football and there have been some coaches for whom the moment has passed and some who do not want to step into such shoes at this moment. The pay will no doubt help, yet stepping in to fill Guardiola’s shoes is not a task relished by many and it counts for plenty in the favour of those that are willing to put their hand up.

A known lover of chess who has been reading up during his time off, Maresca has patiently waited to make his move. There is no perfect candidate to succeed Guardiola, but City are backing one who is determined to become a Grand Master.

Chris Eubank Jr looks likely to return to the ring later this year, and his two-division world champion father, Eubank Sr, has now shared his thoughts on his son’s decision to continue to fight.

Eubank Jr defeated Conor Benn in a middleweight affair last April, overcoming a strenuous weight cut and rehydration clause to claim a unanimous-decision win over his fierce rival; following in his father’s footsteps by scoring a victory over a Benn.

However, when they rematched seven months later, it was a completely different story, and the weight cut looked to have a more severe impact on Eubank, who was defeated with relative ease as Benn avenged his first career loss to even the score.

Now, reflecting on that performance, Eubank Sr told Playbook Boxing that his son is a ‘shot fighter’, clearly of the belief that the 36-year-old should hang up the gloves. 

“He is shot. If he was a horse, they would [put him down]. He is shot, he is spent. Now, the boxing authorities, the boxing experts, everyone can see it but no one is paying attention to it – and I want to be party to that? I’m going to stand [by his side]? No. I have got to stay alone.” 

“I have given my life to this. I only can wish Junior luck and mercy.”

It is the latest swing in the public relationship between the pair. Eubank Sr was strongly against the Benn fight, saying that the weight was dangerous for both men. He did, however, turn up on the night and celebrated the win with his son. He was not present for the rematch, once again criticising the match-up and the promoters behind it.

Despite his father’s criticism, Eubank Jr could be set to return to action Down Under, linked to a scrap against Australia’s Michael Zerafa on away soil.

Ateneo deputy Sandy Arespacochaga is the new Gilas girls coach.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–The Gilas Pilipinas women’s youth program has tapped veteran coach Sandy Arespacochaga to handle the national team ahead of the 2026 Fiba Women’s U18 Asia Cup Seaba Qualifiers.

Gilas Women program director Bacon Austria welcomed the appointment of Arespacochaga, citing the longtime coach’s experience and ability to develop young players.

“He is a teacher. At this stage, he fits perfectly in shaping the girls’ future,” Austria said.

“More than winning, his focus is on developing the girls into better basketball players and better people. On the basketball aspect, Coach Sandy is no stranger to Fiba tournaments. He’s already coached Gilas Youth Men and assisted Gilas Men at the World Cup level.”

Arespacochaga has built an extensive coaching résumé in both collegiate and professional basketball.

He currently serves as an assistant coach under Tab Baldwin with the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP and is also part of Chot Reyes’ staff with TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA.

Now, he adds another role as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas U-18 Women’s team.

“I’ve been a fan of women’s basketball, but I’ve never coached women’s basketball, so I’m really thankful for this opportunity,” Arespacochaga said.

“We formed the pool with the idea not just of forming the team for Seaba. We wanted to form a pool that included players whom we can help out and help elevate because we wanted to elevate women’s basketball as a whole.”

Arespacochaga is set to officially begin his duties next month.

The 2026 Fiba Women’s U18 Asia Cup Seaba Qualifiers will be held in Bacolod from June 2 to 6.

The Philippines has already secured a place in the 2026 Fiba Women’s U18 Asia Cup after winning Division B in 2024 to earn promotion to Division A.