The World Cup semifinalists are set, a batch of usual suspects making the cut – Spain will play France on Tuesday and England will take on Argentina the following day, this week’s games marking the first time FIFA’s top four-ranked teams make up the tournament’s last four. It is also an appropriate group of semifinalists for a World Cup dominated by star power, each team boasting a generational talent that has eyes on winning the sport’s most coveted prize. Tuesday’s semifinal will feature Spain’s Lamine Yamal and France’s Kylian Mbappe, also club adversaries when they respectively play for Barcelona and Real Madrid, while Harry Kane will lead England’s line and Lionel Messi will do the same for Argentina on Wednesday.

It sets up for a fascinating final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in the suburbs of New York, no matter which of the semifinalists makes the cut. Each possibility is compelling in its own right but as is always the case, no two potential matchups are created equal – and some are more poised to be a classic than others.

As we enter the final week of the World Cup, here’s a ranking of potential matchups in the final.

4. Spain vs. England

The good news about the semifinals is that however things shake out, a fascinating game is set for Sunday’s final in the New York suburbs. The prospect of Spain’s Lamine Yamal and England’s Jude Bellingham, two stars of the future who are making their make in the present, playing against each other for a World Cup is entertaining in its own right. There’s also a sense of curiosity that comes from the tactical contrasts these teams pose — Spain perfected a possession-oriented, pass-heavy style generations ago and hope it will lead them to a second World Cup title this summer. England have some free-flowing capabilities of their own but they also have an ability to slip into a more conservative approach, which is why they will ultimately rank low on this list. It is not inherently a knock on them — there are plenty of ways to win a World Cup, after all, and the objective is do that rather than entertain. If Saturday’s win over Norway in the quarterfinals is anything to go by, though, they can create and survive a dull match if need be.

3. France vs. England

This final would have a batch of multigenerational matchups that would offer plenty of intrigue, from France’s Kylian Mbappe and England’s Harry Kane duking it out for the golden boot to Les Bleus‘ Michael Olise proving further that he ranks amongst the elites with Bellingham on the pitch for the other side. France edge out Spain here for being the picture of consistency at this World Cup, rarely facing a test they could not ace and looking unbeatable at just about every point of the tournament so far. It makes for an inherently fascinating question of how — or if — they can be stopped and England are as formidable a foe as it gets in that regard. This one, though, falls lower on the list because the entertainment factor might fall to the wayside if these two meet at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

2. Spain vs. Argentina

Should Argentina advance to the final, the entertainment levels will already be up a notch (or several, rather) because the defending champions have been in fully chaotic form this summer. They have endured two extra time periods already during the knockouts, allowing both Cape Verde and Switzerland into games they should have controlled handily. In the other knockout match, they were down 2-0 to Egypt before a late comeback ensured they would advance in the most dramatic of circumstances. Against a solid Spain, Argentina would be the exact opposite — unhealthily dramatic but entertainingly so, the outcome excitingly unpredictable. Plus, watching Lionel Messi face Lamine Yamal in what might be their one and only meeting — after the photoshoot they did when Yamal was a baby — would be hard to miss.

1. France vs. Argentina

This should be the boring pick. France and Argentina meeting in a third consecutive World Cup and second straight final should not be inspiring but to their credit, these two have never kept things boring. France outdid Argentina in a dramatic round of 16 game in Russia in 2018 that France won 4-3 en route to the title, while the 2022 final that saw the two sides locked at 3-3 before Argentina won a penalty shootout was one of the sport’s most exciting games in recent memory. There’s no reason a meeting on Sunday would be less thrilling — France and Argentina are dramatic foils at this World Cup, perhaps the fracas of La Albiceleste the only thing that can disrupt an impressively consistent France. The storylines write themselves, too — Messi could play his final World Cup match with the game’s biggest trophy on the line, while Mbappe will look to firmly acquire the spotlight the Argentine will one day leave behind. Plus, the pair would likely duke it out not only for the golden boot but for the title of the World Cup’s greatest-ever goalscorer, two worthy players battling it out on sport’s biggest stage.

Many of world football’s brightest names took the field over the weekend, as the quarter finals of the FIFA men’s World Cup played out. But for many fans, the heroics of the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland were overshadowed by the actions of a surprising character: the referee.

Two contentious decisions marred England’s 2–1 win over Norway: one that disallowed a Norwegian goal due to an earlier foul, and another that allowed an English goal despite an apparent earlier collision between the ball and an overhead cable. Similarly, Argentina’s victory over Switzerland never looked in doubt once the ref issued a game-ending second yellow card to Swiss forward Breel Embolo.

At the heart of all three controversial calls were technologies designed to do away with controversial calls. FIFA pointed to the contact-detecting “snicko” device attached to the ball in allowing England’s goal, and the other two decisions hinged on the little-loved Video Assistant Referee or VAR, an off-field panel of officials able to watch replays and advise the on-field referee.

These were just the latest in a string of contentious VAR calls at this World Cup. So why has a high-tech system designed to reduce unfairness and error in refereeing ended up sparking more of the very controversies it was supposed to put to bed?

Facts are important – but so is judgement

Football is a fast-paced and complex sport, its rules developed over more than 160 years.

Technology can help referees resolve some factual questions, such as whether the ball has crossed the goal line, or which player touched the ball last before it went out of play.

However, many decisions involving fouls, penalty kicks and handballs come down to questions of judgement and how to apply the rules. Often even the best-informed experts will disagree about the right decision.

Some disputes relate to margins of millimetres revealed by replays; others where even VAR has appeared to miss a clear foul; and others where a technically correct decision nevertheless feels unjust.

VAR can reproduce evidence to revisit decisions and review them. On paper, this should help alleviate the errors.

However, despite reviews now having more evidence to work with, the actual decision-making involved is regarded by many as highly inconsistent.

In part this is because the on-field referee has discretion over how strictly to enforce certain rules, such as how much contact between players may count as a foul. According to Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of referees, VAR has to adjust to the way the match is officiated. If the referee allows strong contact in the field, VAR should adjust accordingly, and finding a sweet spot for consistency is challenging.

The core issues remain

More technology and more intervention are not likely to resolve some of the core issues.

A February match between Juventus and Inter Milan in Italy’s Serie A illustrates the problem. A Juventus player made minimal contact with an Inter player, who exaggerated the contact and fell over.

The referee issued a yellow card – given for a significant foul – to the Juventus player. It was the player’s second yellow card, which meant he was sent off the field for the rest of the match.

A perfect chance for a VAR review to set the record straight, you might think. However, VAR’s rules prevented it being used to intervene in second-yellow-card situations.

When the rule was subsequently changed, not everyone was happy – including the Italian league’s head of referees Gianluca Rocchi, who warned against the “greater use of technology”. At the same time, he said, such incidents didn’t occur when “the players focused on playing football and therefore made life easier for the referee”.

More technology, more demands

Even when the system does work, it may not increase fans’ trust in the system.

In a World Cup match in June between Qatar and Switzerland, a crucial penalty kick decision appeared to hinge on an offside call, which is precisely the kind of thing VAR is meant for. Typically, after a VAR review, an infographic detailing the result is shown – but in this case nothing was shown and the penalty kick proceeded.

Fans and commentators were unhappy with the lack of information, saying it led to distrust in the technology. FIFA later stated the VAR review was carried out successfully, but a technical issue had prevented the infographic being shown.

So even when justice is done, it must also be seen to be done. The more advanced the technology becomes, the more the margin for error will shrink and the more audiences will demand transparency – and at the same time, the opportunities for failure will only increase.

Even when the technology works, it can turn football into a game of millimetres in cases where the position of a player’s toes may determine a game-changing offside call.

This method may seem factual and objective, but it risks taking out the very emotion that draws fans to the game. What’s more, it presupposes the measurements are perfectly precise and accurate, with no errors.

Problems far beyond the pitch

The VAR system has also seen trouble off the field. One VAR referee was caught watching betting sites on the job during a game. Another was suspended for match-fixing. A refereeing administrator has been investigated for unduly influencing VAR reviews.

And at an altitude way above the field, FIFA itself has been criticised for suspending a ban against a US player without a clear explanation, and after an intervention from US President Donald Trump. This may have opened the door to broader political interference, and we have already seen other countries ask for similar treatment.

Perhaps it was futile to hope a technical system could end fundamentally human disputes over a sport that has always been more art than science.

Meanwhile, millions of dollars have been invested in the technology and operations of VAR. Now it means errors come with a huge bill attached, which makes them less acceptable. And that same investment means VAR is very likely here to stay – whether we like it or not.

When Tom Kim won for the third time on the PGA Tour in October 2023, capturing the Shriners Children’s Open for the second straight year, many fans assumed the floodgates would open for the young phenom.

But Kim hadn’t been back in the winner’s circle since that victory.

Until Sunday.

Tom Kim shot a 64 in the final round of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open to capture his first PGA Tour victory since 2023. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The 24-year-old South Korean closed with a sparkling 64, tied for low round of the day, in the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open for his first PGA Tour victory in nearly three years.

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Kim had a strong week at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, opening with a five-under 65 in round one before firing a 66 in round two to share the lead at the halfway point of the tournament with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Smith.

However, McIlroy and Smith struggled in the fog-delayed third round (73 and 72, respectively) while Kim kept the momentum rolling with another under-par round (68). The weekend schedule was complicated by fog delays, with third-round play spilling into Sunday morning before the final round began.

Kim trailed Matt Fitzpatrick by one shot heading into round four, but the 24-year-old quickly made up the difference with birdies on three of his first seven holes.

Tom Kim wins the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Min Woo Lee made a late charge, cutting Kim’s lead to one shot with just a few holes left, but Kim hit a beautiful approach on the par-4 16th to set up his sixth birdie of the day and ultimately put himself out of reach for the rest of the field.

And the victory comes at a great time, too.

After playing in every major tournament from 2023-25, Kim failed to qualify for both the 2026 Masters and PGA Championship before posting an impressive third-place finish at the U.S. Open. Kim won’t have to worry about qualifying for the Masters or PGA next year, as the Scottish Open victory guarantees a berth in both next season. His third-place finish at the U.S. Open earned him an automatic bid into the 2027 U.S. Open, as well.

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The win also gives Kim momentum heading into the 2026 Open Championship. He finished tied for second in the 2023 Open but failed to make the cut in both 2024 and 2025. His game is in a much better place than it was in either of the past two seasons, though.

Kim has made the cut in 15 of the 17 events he’s played this year, plus he has the Scottish Open win and the third-place finish at the U.S. Open to remind himself of the immense talent he’s always possessed.

South Korean Tom Kim posted under-par rounds in all four rounds of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Kim won his first two PGA Tour events at age 20, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice before turning 21.

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The third victory at age 21 appeared to have him on the fast track to PGA Tour success. But as is the case for many young golfers, Kim hit a rough patch following the October 2023 victory at Shriners. He had just three top-10 finishes in 2024 and 2025 combined, with zero victories and no top-25 finishes in any of the eight majors (after finishing top-10 in both the 2023 U.S. Open and Open Championship).

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Now it’s fair to wonder if that stretch is fully behind Kim, who has struggled with consistency since he burst onto the scene in 2022.

The first chance he’ll have to prove that this week wasn’t a one-off is at Royal Birkdale for the 2026 Open Championship, which begins on Thursday.

Tazima and jockey Grima combined for their third successive victory in the Precise Air Handicap (1800m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The promising gelding Tazima has now amassed five wins this season, a commendable achievement. Trainer Chris Waller indicated that this latest win was his horse’s most impressive effort to date.

“I feel that was close to his best win,” Waller said. “He was up in grade but he won quite easily. “We will keep him going through the winter, he’s thriving, he’s well, and he’s winning with plenty in hand. “He could be a Wyong Cup-type of horse. Those type of races will come around pretty soon and there is an 1800m race at Rosehill or Randwick next month which is going to be his next run to keep him ticking along.”

Tazima, who was heavily backed into $3.90 favouritism, completed a winning treble on the Randwick program for Grima. He accelerated clear to win by two lengths from Boniface ($5.50), who chased hard but was safely held. Sly Boots ($5) finished more than three lengths adrift in third.

Grima disclosed that her first-ever ride for the Waller stable was on Tazima, when the gelding won on the Kensington track in August last year.

“Tazima was my first winner from my first ride for Chris and that is my fourth win on the horse now,” Grima enthused.

The race didn’t entirely go to plan for Grima, as Tazima was caught three-wide early on, albeit with cover.

“I honestly don’t mind the three-wide line today if you can get a bit of cover,” said Grima, who also rode winners on Perfect Justice and Beneva. “Tazima travelled beautifully for me, he got a lovely cart into the straight and was just too good.”

Grima’s Randwick treble takes her to 33 city wins for the season, and she now leads Braith Nock by three wins in their battle for the Sydney apprentices premiership.

Although Grima took riding honours at Randwick, Reece Jones celebrated a brace of wins in close finishes.

Jones found the shortest path home on Zouripper to score narrowly in the Kieran Moore Handicap (1000m).

This was the second tight but successful finish for Jones after he won the opener on Proxima Dea.

But just as in Jones’ win on Proxima Dea, the jockey was unsure if Zouripper had won in another finish that left everyone guessing.

“I didn’t know if we got there, I just put my head down and went for it,” Jones said. “To his credit, Zouripper tried very hard. He got through the heavy pretty well and I’m glad we got there right on the line.”

Zouripper settled three pairs back, one off the fence early. As they approached the turns, Jones could have easily moved the sprinter out towards the centre of the home straight to make his finishing run.

Instead, Jones made a tactical decision to switch back to near the inside rail, a move that proved to be a masterstroke, providing the jockey with the second leg of his Randwick double.

Zouripper ($4.40) arrived in time to edge out the brave Petticoat ($3 favourite), with Prima Bella ($3.50) a half-length away third.

Trainer Joe Pride had a rare Saturday off racing, but stable representative Orla Pearl stated that Zouripper is only just getting started this winter.

“This was Zouripper’s third run this time in and he’s going well,” Pearl said. “He ran such a strong race last time we were pretty confident coming here today because he handles these wet tracks.”

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FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, has strongly dismissed allegations that match officials have been favouring Argentina during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The claims emerged after Egypt’s dramatic round-of-16 defeat to Argentina, with Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan accusing the refereeing team of being influenced during the match.

Hassan was left frustrated after a goal scored by Egypt was ruled out, while he also believed his side should have been awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time before Argentina went on to score the winning goal. Following the match, he claimed there had been “pressure” on French referee François Letexier and described the result as “unfair.”

Responding to the accusations, Collina insisted that FIFA referees operate independently and are not influenced by anyone, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“Nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He has always shown his full support for FIFA Team One while trusting us to work with complete independence.”

Collina also defended the integrity of match officials, stressing that referees, like players and coaches, always strive to make the correct decisions during games.

“Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best. Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport.”

FIFA’s response comes amid growing debate over officiating standards at the 2026 World Cup, but the governing body has maintained that its referees remain independent and committed to making fair decisions throughout the tournament.

The 2026 Open Championship tees off on Thursday, July 16, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Rory McIlroy (Masters), Aaron Rai (PGA Championship) and Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open) were the year’s first three major winners, and they’re all in the 2026 Open Championship field. Scottie Scheffler is the defending Open Championship winner, while Jordan Spieth won this event the last time it was at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

Scheffler is the +750 co-favorites (risk $100 to win $750) in the latest 2026 Open Championship odds, followed by McIlroy at +850. Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood (+1800) and Matt Fitzpatrick (+2000) are next on the PGA odds board for this event, with Tom Kim, who is coming off a win at the Scottish Open, a +6500 longshot. Before locking in any 2026 Open Championship picks, be sure to see the 2026 British Open predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

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This same model has also nailed a whopping 17 majors entering the weekend, including the 2026 Masters — its fifth Masters in a row — as well as last year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites. 

Now that the 2026 Open Championship field is finalizing, the model simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

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2026 Open Championship predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the Open Championship 2026: Fleetwood, the third favorite and the lowest English golfer on the board at +1800, stumbles and barely finishes inside top 5. He’s a golfer to fade in Open Championship best bets. Fleetwood has a pair of top-5 finishes at the Open Championship, but also missed the cut in 2024 and finished outside the top 10 last year. He finished 27th the last time this event was at the Royal Birkdale. With no finishes better than T11 in any major this year, the model has found better values on the board. See who else to fade here. 

Another surprise: Ludvig Aberg is a top-3 contender on the projected leaderboard despite never having won a major and having longer odds at +3000. This will be just his third British Open appearance, but he finished in the top 25 in this event last year. He’s also been steady at the majors this year, which was highlighted by a T4 finish at the PGA Championship. He’s one of the best drivers in both distance and accuracy on tour right now, and that quality alone makes him a top contender at Royal Birkdale. See who else to pick here. 

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How to make 2026 Open Championship picks

The model is also targeting several longshots, including one shocking pick who is going off around 35-1. You can only see the model’s picks here. 

Who will win the 2026 Open Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the 2026 Open Championship odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 17 golf majors, including three in 2025.

2026 Open Championship odds, favorites 

Get full 2026 Open Championship picks, best bets and predictions here.
(odds via FanDuel and subject to change)

Scottie Scheffler +750
Rory McIlroy +850
Tommy Fleetwood +1800
Matt Fitzpatrick +2000
Jon Rahm +2000
Xander Schauffele +2200
Chris Gotterup +3000
Collin Morikawa +3000
Ludvig Åberg +3000
Wyndham Clark +3300
Cameron Young +3300
Tyrrell Hatton +3300
Justin Rose +3300
Robert MacIntyre +3300
Viktor Hovland +3500
Bryson DeChambeau +4500
Sam Burns +4500
Patrick Reed +5000
Shane Lowry +5500
Brooks Koepka +5500
Russell Henley +5500
Justin Thomas +5500
Jordan Spieth +6000
Joaquin Niemann +6000
Patrick Cantlay +6000
Aaron Rai +6500
Tom Kim +6500
Si Woo Kim +7000
Min Woo Lee +8000
Nicolai Højgaard +8000
Hideki Matsuyama +8000
David Puig +10000
Rickie Fowler +10000
Maverick McNealy +10000
Brian Harman +10000
Marco Penge +10000
Alex Fitzpatrick +10000
Corey Conners +10000
Adam Scott +10000
Harris English +10000
Kurt Kitayama +10000
Cameron Smith +10000
JJ Spaun +10000
Akshay Bhatia +10000
Kristoffer Reitan +10000
Ben Griffin +10000
Sepp Straka +12500
Bud Cauley +12500
Jake Knapp +12500
Jordan Smith +12500
Rasmus Højgaard +12500
Max Homa +12500
Ryan Gerard +12500
Ryan Fox +12500
Alex Noren +12500
Jason Day +12500
Sungjae Im +15000
Tom McKibbin +15000
Eugenio Chacarra +15000
Keegan Bradley +15000
Angel Ayora +15000
Harry Hall +15000
Keith Mitchell +15000
Gary Woodland +15000
Jacob Bridgeman +17500
Alex Smalley +17500
Jayden Schaper +17500
Pierceson Coody +17500
Haotong Li +17500
Sahith Theegala +17500
Jackson Suber +17500
Matt Wallace +17500
Lucas Herbert +17500
Thomas Detry +17500
Daniel Berger +17500
Max Greyserman +17500
Michael Brennan +17500
Ryo Hisatsune +17500
Eric Cole +17500
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +17500
J.T. Poston +17500
Daniel Hillier +22500
Billy Horschel +22500
Andrew Novak +22500
Casey Jarvis +22500
Nick Taylor +22500
Bernd Wiesberger +22500
Sami Valimaki +25000
Louis Oosthuizen +25000
John Parry +25000
Michael Kim +25000
Daniel Brown +25000
Matthew Jordan +25000
Matt McCarty +25000
Hennie du Plessis +35000
Jesper Svensson +35000
Sam Stevens +35000
Scott Vincent +35000
Laurie Canter +35000
Michael Hollick +35000
Jose Luis Ballester +35000
Peter Uihlein +50000
Martin Couvra +50000
Frederic Lacroix +50000
Keita Nakajima +50000
Padraig Harrington +50000
Nico Echavarria +50000
Kazuma Kobori +50000
Andy Sullivan +50000
Francesco Molinari +50000
Francesco Laporta +50000
Antoine Rozner +50000
Alejandro De Castro Piera +75000
Kota Kaneko +75000
Matthew Southgate +75000
Dan Bradbury +75000
MJ Daffue +75000
Joakim Lagergren +75000
Shaun Norris +75000
Stewart Cink +75000
Adrien Saddier +75000
Caleb Surratt +75000
Nevill Ruiter +100000
Baard Bjoernevik Skogen +100000
Travis Smyth +100000
Naoyuki Kataoka +100000
Marcus Plunkett +100000
Cameron John +100000
Tiger Christensen +100000
Ryutaro Nagano +100000
Jeong Woo Ham +100000
Lev Grinberg +100000
Jack Buchanan +100000
Stuart Grehan +100000
Matthew Baldwin +100000
Kazuki Higa +100000
Sam Bairstow +100000
Darren Clarke +100000
Fifa Laopakdee +100000
David Duval +100000
Mason Howell +100000
Ren Yonezawa +100000
Jiho Yang +100000
James Nicholas +100000
David Howard +100000
Mateo Pulcini +100000
Henrik Stenson +100000
Tim Wiedemeyer +100000
Jack McDonald +100000
Alistair Docherty +100000
Austen Truslow +100000
Tom Sloman +100000

Rhea Ripley successfully defended the WWE Women’s Championship at Clash in Italy against Jade Cargill, seemingly putting an end to their rivalry for the time being.

But Ripley’s appearances on “Friday Night SmackDown” have been few and far between. She didn’t appear at Night Champions last month and hasn’t been on the show to defend her on-screen partners in Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss as they deal with Cargill, Michin and B-Fab since June 5.

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Rhea Ripley is in action against Jade Cargill during Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Torino di Sangro, Italy, on May 31, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

Ripley was seen at a Power Slap event on Friday and she provided an update on her health, revealing she suffered a slight tear in her meniscus.

“I hurt my knee. I got a slight tear in my meniscus, it’s just healing. It’s getting there. It’s getting stronger. I just can’t bend it very well. Kind of need to bend, guys,” she told content creator Nina Drama.

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Rhea Ripley makes her entrance during Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Torino di Sangro, Italy, on May 31, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE via Getty Images)

She added that she didn’t have a timeline for her return.

“I tore it in a really weird spot, so it’s kind of a little bit up in the air with just how fast my body recovers. But I’ve been out for probably about a month now. I think it’s been a month and one week,” she said. “It feels better. It still starts to hurt and throb and it gets tired. I can’t get up or bend down really or kind of move side to side while crouching. We’ll see how it goes.”

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Rhea Ripley, the WWE Women’s Champion, stands in the ring during Friday Night SmackDown at Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain, on May 29, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

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She recaptured the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42 when she defeated Cargill.

The Ciaron Maher stable presented a strong pair in a Caulfield three-year-old race, with the less fancied runner ultimately emerging victorious.

Maher’s team fielded both the $2.40 favourite Decalogue and the $6.50 outsider Ichnusa in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (2000m) on Saturday.

Decalogue’s chances were diminished by its tendency to over-race, finishing the event in fifth place. In contrast, Ichnusa charged along the outside to claim a half-length win over Our Chief ($5), with Dirnaseer ($9) securing third position, a further three-quarters of a length behind.

While the Maher camp had anticipated a win from Decalogue, Ichnusa’s performance was not entirely unexpected.

This marked Ichnusa’s second race start, following a debut victory over 1600m at Seymour.

Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, explained that the stable had been patient with Ichnusa, acting on the counsel of part-owner and breeder Rick Jamieson.

“I thought he did a really good job as he travelled in patches,” Turnbull conveyed.

“The race was run at a farcical tempo. He was on the bit, he was off the bit, and he was running in and out.”

“He’s got such a big action and he’s such a talented horse and does it so easily.”

“His half-sister is Suntora which gets over a trip, and he is bred to get a mile-and-a-half and beyond.”

“Looking at genes, he’s a TT which suggests he’s going to be better for further development, and time.”

“When we were training him in his earlier stages, Rick was very keen for us to be patient and let him grow out, strengthen, and this is reward for that.”

Turnbull stated that the stable would assess Ichnusa’s recovery post-race before determining its next race.

Although Decalogue’s finishing position was disappointing, Turnbull felt the gelding’s effort was fair.

“He’s a bold travelling horse and when Jabez (Johnstone) wanted to come back and get cover, they were running trackwork times and that is not his go,” Turnbull commented.

“It is disappointing the race was run like that and if he was able to get out and run his own race, I’m sure he would have run much better.”

“He’s tricky in that he needs things to go his way, he needs galloping room but needs to take a sit.”

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Not every World Cup goal is a classic. Sometimes a half-hearted shot goes in as a result of little more than goalkeeper error. And on those occasions, goalies may be inclined to find an excuse.

During the 2026 tournament, some members of what is jokingly referred to as the “goalkeepers’ union” have pointed toward the performance of the ball. Joe Hart, a former England goalkeeper and serving BBC pundit, noted after one blunder: “The ball is coming into the keepers a lot faster than it feels when it comes off the foot.”

But are his concerns justified? The Conversation turned to John Eric Goff, who has been studying the physics of World Cup balls for two decades and previously wrote about what to expect from the Trionda ball being used at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

What did your lab tests predict?

Colleagues of mine at the University of Tsukuba in Japan took the World Cup ball, put a little hole in it, stuck it on a rod, attached force sensors and then set it up in a wind tunnel to obtain all kinds of aerodynamic data. They sent that data to me to look at what the trajectory modeling for the ball suggested about how it would perform in comparison to its predecessors.

Central to the performance is the airflow around the ball and how it changes as the speed of the ball increases. For the Jabulani ball used in the 2010 World Cup, for example, this airflow change happened at a speed that was right in the middle of typical free kicks and corner kicks. That caused problems for goalkeepers, as it moved in the air unpredictably as a result.

Among the recent World Cup balls we tested, Trionda has the lowest critical speed at which that airflow change takes place. That led us to predict free kicks and corner kicks with fairly consistent, stable flight.

But we also found that Trionda’s drag coefficient was slightly larger than that of its predecessors, which implied a slightly rougher surface. So there was a possible trade-off; it might fall a couple of meters short.

Has the real pitch experience followed those predictions?

It has depended a little on conditions. Take the Mexico vs. England game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which took place at high elevation.

That meant the ball had less air drag on it, so it could actually go farther than it would when kicked with the same launch speed in lower-altitude conditions. It also meant that because the sideways, or Magnus forces, are proportional to air density, it would curve less.

During the England vs. Mexico game, what I noticed, especially early on, was many of England’s kicks tended to go a little long. They would kick the ball down the pitch in those first 20 minutes and it would be just out of reach of teammates.

The sense I got was they weren’t quite adjusting for the higher elevation and lower air density.

Some have questioned the flight. Do they have a point?

I have heard the complaints by former England goalkeeper Joe Hart about the ball. But I haven’t heard a whole lot of detail about the substance of those complaints.

In other words, I’ve heard about the ball not being their favorite, but not why. The scientist in me really wants to interview a goalkeeper and find out: “Do you think it’s moving in erratic ways? Or is it something to do with the color scheme that’s flummoxing you on the pitch?”

I think goalkeepers are always going to complain about a new ball. But the Nike Flight, which was used in the 2024-25 English Premier League season, has an aerodynamic profile most similar to that of the current World Cup ball. So players who used that ball might already be somewhat familiar with the motion of Trionda.

As far as I can tell, the ball appears to be flying in ways that not only we predicted but that don’t look completely out of touch with what players would have seen with other balls.

As the World Cup has progressed, I’ve been watching the ball come in toward the goalkeepers, and it could be that the reds, blues and greens twirling in front of the goalkeepers’ eyes are confusing them.

There’s been talk of more long-range goals. Is the ball playing a role?

I have read there are more goals coming from farther out than in previous World Cups. But I don’t know if I could attribute it specifically to the ball.

It’s possible, of course. But I would really have to see what the actual number is and see what the percentage increase has been, because, for a sport like soccer where you only get two or three goals in a match, the sample size is so small.

It would certainly be a very interesting research question to pursue. But I don’t think the ball alone can be credited for these longer-range goals.

Overall, how has this ball performed?

I think the ball has been fine. It is an attractive ball, with the colors of the original version representing the three host countries – all of whom are now out of the tournament, so it didn’t bring them much luck, unfortunately.

Boxing fans are always keen for the heavyweight elite to fight one another, but in the eyes of two-time divisional ruler Hasim Rahman, two former champions’ willingness to fight proved consequential to both. 

Rahman famously dethroned Lennox Lewis to claim the WBC, IBF and lineal title in a shock knockout win back in 2001, but he was stopped himself in their rematch just seven months on, finding himself on the wrong side of one of boxing’s most devastating KO’s.

Although, he returned to the throne five years later, elevated to world champion after winning the vacant WBC interim strap against Monte Barrett, later losing the full title to Oleg Maskaev.

Speaking with Sean Zittel, Rahman highlighted the decline of a fellow two-time heavyweight world champion, believing that Tyson Fury’s iconic trilogy with Deontay Wilder had a severe impact on the careers of both combatants.

“Absolutely, [Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury ruined each other]. The amount of shots that they both gave and received was so damaging to their career. I think that they beat their careers out of each other, in my opinion. 

“I don’t think that either one of them would be the same and I think, had they never fought each other, but of them would still be reigning, and at a much higher level, right now.”

Fury and Wilder met on three occasions between 2018 and 2021, with the first bout ending in a draw while Fury claimed two stoppage wins in the fights that followed, with a total of nine knockdowns dished out between the duo.

Wilder has suffered two further defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang since the trilogy, but did claim a victory over Derek Chisora in April, while Fury lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk, perhaps adding credence to Rahman’s claim.

Fury will return to action in less than two weeks as he fights for the second time this year in an unconventional low-profile scrap with Mariusz Wach at the Max Muaythai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand.