Erling Haaland opened his World Cup account with a brace on his tournament debut as Norway rolled past Iraq 4-1 in Boston.

Norway, appearing in the tournament for the first time in 28 years, took the lead after 29 minutes as Sander Berge played David Moller Wolfe in on the left of the penalty area and his low cross was turned in at the back post by Haaland.

Moments later, the Manchester City striker almost turned provider after latching on to Antonio Nusa’s fine pass and feeding Alexander Sorloth, whose shot was well blocked, with Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard firing wide as Norway continued to dominate.

Iraq dealt a sucker-punch on the counter attack after 39 minutes. Ali Jasim played a clever reverse pass to Amir Al-Ammari and from his cross, Aymen Hussein planted a header low into the bottom corner.

It was a brilliant moment for the striker, who endured almost seven hours of questioning by US authorities on his arrival at O’Hare airport last week, and sparked wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands.

But Iraq were level for just four minutes as goalkeeper Jalal Hassan failed to deal with a weak back pass and only succeeded in launching his clearance against Haaland, with the ball ricocheting into the net.

Iraq almost drew level in first-half stoppage time as Ali Al Hamadi was played through one-on-one, only to see Kristoffer Ajer’s last-ditch block steer his effort narrowly wide, before Akam Hashim’s volley from the edge of the box flew narrowly over the bar.

After the break, Hussein headed wide and Hussein Ali fired over as Iraq threatened an equaliser, only for Leo Ostigard to rise highest and head in an Odegaard corner after 76 minutes to put the result beyond doubt.

Hassan denied Haaland his hat-trick with a good close-range save, but was powerless to prevent a fourth in stoppage-time.

Again Haaland was involved, heading the ball across the face of goal for Kristian Thorstvedt, who bundled it home – but the goal went down as a Hussein own goal as he attempted without avail to keep it out of his own net.

The result leaves Norway top of Group I, having underlined their status as dark horses in a group also containing 2022 runners-up France and Senegal, with the former winning 3-1 in their clash on Tuesday.

PA

For most golf course maintenance crews, work days begin with watering and mowing.

Not Jon Jennings and his staff. They start theirs with mindfulness.

Jennings is the superintendent of Shinnecock Hills, a role he has held for nearly 15 years. It’s no small task, tending to grounds of such scale and subtlety, with a celebrated William Flynn design set on nearly 300 rolling acres.

The duties are exhaustive and intensely detailed. But before the labor of the day begins, Jennings leads his crew in five minutes of meditative breathing, followed by a brisk burst of calisthenics. It is, he’ll tell you, the best way to prepare for what lies ahead — and what lies ahead right now is a national championship.

For the fifth time in its storied history, Shinnecock is getting set to host the U.S. Open. Practice rounds began Monday. Jennings and his crew, of course, began their preparations long before that.

GOLF.com has been following those preparations for months, sending cameras to Southampton starting in the dead of winter, when Shinnecock was still blanketed in snow. Our crews captured Jennings and his staff pulling protective tarps off the greens, a physically demanding job given the forceful winds that sweep the exposed property. Jennings likened it to that grade-school gym class exercise with the parachute. “You’re holding on for dear life,” he said.

The winter of 2025–26 brought unusual amounts of snow to Long Island, which was both a blessing and a burden. On one hand, the snowpack acted as a protective blanket, shielding the turf from killing cold and desiccating wind. On the other, it pushed back the start of other preparations. Once temperatures rose and the snow cleared, the crew got busy grooming bunkers battered by months of winter weather, rolling the turf, and readying everything for the fine-tuning that championship conditions demand.

Managing the workforce behind all of it is an undertaking in itself. During the off-season, Jennings oversees a staff of 13. That number swells to 40 during the regular season, and for U.S. Open week it will balloon further, with volunteers pushing the total to around 200. With that kind of firepower, the entire course can be mown in roughly two hours.

Even then, the elements keep Jennings and his team on their toes. Moisture management is among the most persistent challenges at Shinnecock, where winds arrive from every direction across the open landscape, threatening to dry out the turf. Keeping the course properly — but not excessively — hydrated is one of the central tasks of the job.

It is, by any measure, a career’s worth of work. But it’s drawing to a close. Jennings is planning to retire after 45 years in the industry. Time flies, which is partly why his morning mindfulness routine has taken on new meaning. It’s a reminder, he says, to stay present amid the controlled chaos of championship preparation.

“It happens so fast,” he said. “I have to make myself slow down and enjoy what’s happening.” You can watch the full video below.

Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald is set to play in this year’s Amgen Irish Open alongside a trio of Team Europe comrades in Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard and twin brother Nicolai Højgaard.

The former World Number One and two-time Ryder Cup winning Captain will make his first appearance at Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg from September 10-13, 2026.

Donald will again lead Team Europe in the 2027 edition of the Ryder Cup at the J.P. McManus-owned Adare Manor, where the English golfer will bid to become the first Captain to lead a Ryder Cup team to three consecutive victories, having claimed back-to-back victories at Marco Simone in 2023 and Bethpage Black in 2025.

Local Favourites

The world-class Amgen Irish Open field also features defending champion Rory McIlroy, past champions and Major winners Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry, alongside local hopes Séamus Power and Tom McKibbin, adding further star power on Ireland’s west coast.

“I had the chance to play at Doonbeg in 2010 and it was a great experience,” said Donald. “I’ve always loved competing in Ireland – the atmosphere, the passionate fans and the challenge of links golf make it such a special place to play, and I’m really looking forward to being part of the Amgen Irish Open.”

Tyrrell Hatton, marking his fourth Ryder Cup appearance, secured the half point that sealed victory in New York last year, as Team Europe defeated the United States 15-13 to record a first away Ryder Cup win since 2012.

“The Amgen Irish Open is always one of the tournaments you look out for on the schedule,” said World Number 21 Hatton. “The fans create a fantastic atmosphere every year and links golf is a challenge that all of us enjoy. I’m looking forward to getting to Doonbeg and hopefully putting myself in contention.”

Former winner Højgaard to compete

Rasmus Højgaard held off the challenge of home favourite McIlroy to win his fifth DP World Tour title at the 2024 Amgen Irish Open, hosted at Royal County Down. His efforts saw him finish second on the Race to Dubai that year and secure the final automatic qualification spot for Bethpage Black, making his Ryder Cup debut in Donald’s victorious 2025 side.

“Winning the Amgen Irish Open was one of the highlights of my career so far and it’s always special returning to a tournament as a past champion,” said Rasmus. “The support we receive from the Irish fans is incredible and I’m excited to be back in Ireland and hopefully make some more great memories.”

Nicolai Højgaard will also arrive at Doonbeg in strong form after recording runner-up finishes on the PGA TOUR at the Truist Championship and Texas Children’s Houston Open, alongside three further top-ten finishes worldwide this season. The Dane enjoyed an impressive Ryder Cup debut at Marco Simone in 2023, helping Team Europe regain the trophy on home soil.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing in Ireland and the atmosphere at the Amgen Irish Open is among the best we experience all year,” Nicolai added. “The course looks like it will provide a great test and I’m excited to be part of such a strong field.”

Amgen Irish Open part of Back 9

The Amgen Irish Open once again assumes a key position on the DP World Tour’s Global Schedule as part of the Back 9, which encompasses nine of the Tour’s most historic tournaments and national opens.

It features an esteemed roll of honour of champions, including Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Harrington, Lowry, McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, Jon Rahm and Sam Torrance.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Unbeatable football stars, historic goals and legendary goalkeepers: The FIFA World Cup has begun in the US, Mexico and Canada, but the frantic search for tickets remains. Many fraudsters are trying to scam football fans online.

In May, the US domestic intelligence service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned against scams and said it was issuing a public service announcement “to warn the public that cyber threat actors are conducting spoofing attacks against the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) website in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

It went on to explain that “a spoofed website is designed to pose as a legitimate website, with branding, product listings, etc., and malicious actors use them to further illegal activity like personal information theft and facilitating monetary scams.”

It also listed dozens of suspicious domains that had already been identified but said that “the public should be aware that new websites will continue to appear.”

DW Fact Check has put together some tips on how to spot scams.

How do I recognize a fake site?

URLs: Fake websites often have URLS that resemble those of the original sites with minor differences. For example, the official domain fifa.com might be altered to filfa.org, fifa-online.com, fifa-2026.xyz, fifaworldcup26.sale or fifa-com.services.

Legal notice: In Germany, Austria and Switzerland and various other countries, websites with commercial or editorial content must display a legally compliant imprint. Therefore, if a website does not have one, it suggests it is not a legitimate site.

Fakeshop-Finder: In Germany, you can use this online tool provided by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBZ) to find out whether a site is legit or not. You just need to put in the URL.

Look up a domain: You can check when a site was registered at www.whois.com

FIFA tickets at exorbitant prices

According to TicketData, a US platform that tracks major sports events, FIFA currently has thousands of official tickets left.

But they are expensive and that is probably the biggest hurdle for many fans who would like to attend a game. The cheapest tickets for the June 12 match between the US and Paraguay was going for $2,000 on June 10, and tickets for Sunday’s match between the Netherlands and Japan cost $900.

Verified ticket resale sites such as Seatgeek, StubHub, Vivid and Gametime often offer FIFA tickets at lower prices.

Though FIFA and consumer protection agencies still advise consumers to only purchase through official FIFA channels to avoid being scammed, these sites are established ticket marketplaces that offer refund guarantees. Purchases are legally valid.

The GoalPass app allows users to compare ticket prices on the various platforms, both the official FIFA site as well as those of unofficial resale sites.

On June 11, a ticket for the Germany versus Ivory Coast game on June 20 was going for $932 on Seatgeek, while it cost $3,398 and upwards on the FIFA site.

Experts see no contradiction in the fact that FIFA allows tickets to be sold at significantly lower prices on other platforms. “The last thing it wants is loads of unoccupied seats – not just for the optics but also because any empty seat means a value of $0,” wrote BBC football correspondent Dale Johnson.

“The figures show that fans are not prepared to pay the high prices for tickets for the less desirable games,” he added. “This suggests Fifa cannot get the high face value on its own site, leading to the speculation it is trying to sell the tickets elsewhere – without reducing the prices itself.”

This article was originally written in German.

France captain Kylian Mbappe enjoyed a record-breaking evening as Les Bleus opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in New York.

Mbappe scored in the 64th minute and again in stoppage time as Didier Deschamps’ side overcame a spirited Senegal team that had created several opportunities and troubled the 2018 champions for long periods.

His first goal drew him level with Olivier Giroud on 57 goals as France’s joint-highest scorer, while his second saw him move clear on 58 goals.

Senegal threaten in first half

Senegal made the brighter start and created the better openings in the opening 45 minutes.

Nicolas Jackson came closest in the 23rd minute after winning possession high up the pitch and striking the base of the post. The Lions of Teranga had another chance to take the lead in first-half stoppage time when Sadio Mane cut the ball back for Ismaila Sarr, who lifted his effort over the crossbar.

Mbappe draws level with Giroud

France returned after the interval with greater purpose and eventually found the breakthrough in the 64th minute.

Michael Olise threaded a pass into the right channel and Mbappe controlled the ball before sliding his finish beyond Edouard Mendy.

The strike gave France a 1-0 lead and took the Real Madrid forward to 57 international goals, drawing him level with Olivier Giroud as Les Bleus’ joint-highest scorer.

Senegal continued to pose problems and nearly equalised in the 79th minute, but Jackson guided Habib Diouf’s inviting cross over the bar.

Two minutes later, substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s advantage.

Mbappe moves clear of Giroud

Senegal briefly revived hopes of a comeback when substitute Mbaye curled a fine effort into the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

But Mbappe had the final word. The France captain struck his second goal of the evening a minute later to restore the two-goal cushion and secure a 3-1 victory.

The goal took him to 58 for his country, moving him past Giroud to become France’s outright leading scorer.

Most international goals for France:

Messi record also falls

Mbappe’s stoppage-time strike also brought another milestone.

It was his 14th goal at the FIFA World Cup, taking him past Lionel Messi’s tally of 13 goals in the tournament.

The 27-year-old now sits among the leading scorers in World Cup history, adding another achievement to a night that saw him guide France to victory and write his name deeper into the record books.

Top goal scorers in FIFA World Cup history:

France begin their quest to reach another World Cup final with a tough opening test against Senegal on Tuesday in Group I of the 2026 tournament.

Les Bleus arrive with a strong recent record on the global stage, having finished runners-up to Argentina in Qatar 2022 and winning the tournament in 2018. Didier Deschamps’ side are now aiming to become only the third nation in history to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, after West Germany and Brazil.

France have also been remarkably consistent, reaching four of the last seven World Cup finals (1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022), more than any other country during that period. They are now making their 17th World Cup appearance and their eighth in a row, the longest streak in their history.

At the heart of their attack remains Kylian Mbappé, who has been the standout star of France’s recent World Cup campaigns. The Real Madrid forward has scored 12 goals across the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, equalling Pelé and sitting just four behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time record. His hat-trick in the 2022 final further underlined his status as one of the greatest big-game performers in World Cup history.

France’s experience is also unmatched. Deschamps, who captained France to World Cup glory in 1998, is now one of only three people to win the tournament as both player and coach. Tuesday’s match will be his 20th World Cup game in charge of Les Bleus, with only Helmut Schön managing more for a single nation.

However, Senegal arrive with confidence and belief, and history suggests they are more than capable of causing problems.

The West African side famously stunned France 1-0 in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, in what remains one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. That result marked Senegal’s debut on the world stage and set the tone for a remarkable run to the quarter-finals.

Now, more than two decades later, Senegal return for their fourth World Cup appearance and third in a row, matching the longest active streak by any African nation alongside Morocco and Tunisia.

Although their only World Cup clean sheet still comes from that famous 2002 victory over France, they will take confidence from a strong qualifying campaign in which they went unbeaten and finished top of their group ahead of DR Congo.

Sadio Mané remains their biggest attacking threat, leading the team in qualifying with five goals. The 34-year-old forward, Senegal’s all-time top scorer, is appearing at his second World Cup after playing every match in 2018.

Coach Pape Thiaw, who was part of the Senegal squad that defeated France in 2002, now leads the team into his first World Cup as a manager. His side will look to repeat history, even against one of the tournament favourites.

Despite Senegal’s pedigree for surprises, France still enter the match as strong favourites. Ranked third in the world, Les Bleus are expected to dominate possession and chances, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 65.6% chance of victory. Senegal’s chances stand at 14.9%, with a draw rated at 19.5%.

France are also tipped to win Group I and remain among the top contenders for the trophy, while Senegal are seen as strong candidates to reach the knockout stage.

Tuesday’s clash, however, carries more than statistics. It is a meeting between a modern powerhouse and a nation with a proven history of upsetting the elite. France may have the stars, but Senegal have already shown they are not intimidated by reputation.

For Deschamps’ side, it is about starting strongly and avoiding another early shock. For Senegal, it is about history repeating itself.

Terence Crawford has been accused of rejecting the chance to take part in a two-fight deal that would have been worth 200 million dollars.

Crawford called time on his professional career last year after his monumental victory over Canelo Alvarez, becoming the undisputed super-middleweight world champion in the process.

That victory saw ‘Bud’ become a three-weight undisputed champion, along with a five-division world champion in total, making it clear why he is viewed as one of the greatest boxers in recent history.

Despite all of that success, it has now been claimed that Crawford turned down the opportunity to be involved in a mammoth two-fight deal that was extremely financially viable.

The man making the accusation is UFC superstar Conor McGregor, who revealed on The Ariel Helwani Show that ‘Bud’ wasn’t interested in a proposal from Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh, that would have seen a deal covering both a boxing and an MMA bout.

“I got on the phone, ‘What’s the craic, Terence? It’s the Mac Daddy. I got [Turki] here. We’ve got a big deal for you. It’s hundreds of millions, $200 million to be exact. Mixed martial arts against me and a boxing one against you.

“He said, ‘I don’t want to be kicked by you. No way.’ Whatever, that’s fine… I don’t know how as a man, or as a combatant, you couldn’t want to test yourself.”

Conor McGregor reveals there were discussions for a two-fight deal with Terence Crawford worth $200 million involving Turki Alalshikh, but says Crawford ultimately declined:

“I got on the phone, ‘What’s the craic, Terence? It’s the Mac Daddy. I got [Turki] here. We’ve got a big… pic.twitter.com/NpkkCblSG3

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— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 16, 2026

It perhaps comes as no surprise that Crawford wasn’t interested in stepping into the Octagon, having revealed that he has turned down various offers over the past year after deciding it was time to retire, including a lucrative rematch with Canelo.

Crossover bouts have been in fashion as of late, such as the recent battles between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, along with Francis Ngannou facing both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

It even dates back to McGregor’s own venture into boxing in 2017 when he was stopped by Floyd Mayweather, but if ‘Bud’ was to ever return, fight fans would likely prefer to see him competing in his own sport against the elite names, rather than in a crossover contest.

Curt Cignetti has orchestrated the best coaching turnaround in college football history over the last two seasons.

One college football pundit doesn’t think that makes him the best coach in the sport.

Today’s episode of Locked On College Football is a crossover with ‘Locked On Irish’ host Tyler Wojciak.

Where does Marcus Freeman rank among college football coaches currently?

Lane Kiffin brings a lot of hype and attention to LSU this year, is he a top 10 coach in college football? Where should Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer fit into this discussion? 

00:00 Ranking the top 10 college coaches
03:36 Kirby Smart’s early Georgia challenges
08:30 Ryan Day’s coaching challenges
11:01 Freeman’s impressive coaching season
15:34 Ranking Mario Cristobal’s success
19:19 Cristobal’s unpredictable losses
20:59 Discussing Big Ten football coaches
24:14 Mike Elko’s impact at Texas A&M
30:03 Discussing Kalani Sitake’s coaching career
34:48 Coaching evaluations and team dynamics
37:04 Turning Miami’s team around

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

GM Nolan Teasley has been hard at work. Any leader needs a good ecosystem of support. Minnesota’s top executive has therefore been working to fortify his helpers.

Check out the update from Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune for what’s taking place in Minnesota’s front office. The update: “The #Vikings are hiring former Bears GM Ryan Pace as a football advisor for new GM Nolan Teasley, and they’re adding Seahawks scout Azzaam Kapadia as assistant director of pro scouting.”

GM Nolan Teasley Brings More Talent to Twin Cities

Plenty of chatter is circulating online about the news. After all, Pace used to be the GM for the Bears, so people are noticing.

Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network offered his two cents: “The #Vikings will get valuable experience from Ryan Pace, the former #Bears GM. And Kapadia was another key cog in the #Seahawks machine, having most recently served as a pro scout in 2025.”

— READ MORE: Vikings O-Lineman Gaining Ground for Job Opening —
— READ MORE: Is that Vikings Rumor Finally Going to Turn into a Deal? —

With Kapadia, Thor Nystrom passes along some good insight. Minnesota hired a worker: “He’s a film junky — described as curious, and no-stone-left-unturned thorough. Clearly respected by Teasley/Kirchner, the Nos. 2/3 in Seattle’s FO during his brief tenure.”

Scouting is a grind of a profession. Nobody will find success in this area of football unless there’s a willingness to spend a ton of time chewing up game film. Kapadia has found a way to stand out among a group of people known for their dedication.

On Pace, there are at least a few things to know.

For starters, he failed as the Chicago Bears’ GM. His overall record on the job finished off at 48-65. Twice did Pace’s Bears venture into the playoffs; twice did Pace’s Bears get bounced in the Wild Card Round. Chicago only surpassed .500 a single time when Pace was in charge.

Don’t be surprised if Bears fans in your friend group don’t have kind things to say about Pace. Quite possibly, he’s best known for drafting Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Patrick Mahomes went at No. 10. Missing on Christian McCaffrey, chosen at No. 8 in the same draft, also stings.

Under GM Nolan Teasley, the Vikings have been making moves in the front office. Several people have been shown the door and still others have been hired. Before too long, the leadership group will be in place, allowed to move forward into the 2026 regular season.

Training camp gets going soon enough.

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