Mexico had so many memorable moments as co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup and one of their most dynamic players has made the short list for soccer’s most prestigious awards. 

Julián Quiñones has earned a spot on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist, making him only the second Mexican player in history to be nominated for the award. Recently retired goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was the first, earning a nomination in 2007.

The 29-year-old forward, who plays for both the Mexico national team and Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah, put together a season that combined individual scoring records with a standout World Cup run.

Quiñones closed out the 2025 Saudi Pro League season with 33 goals in 31 appearances, winning the league’s Golden Boot ahead of Ivan Toney and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

He carried that form into the World Cup, where Mexico served as one of three co-host nations. In the tournament opener against South Africa, Quiñones scored Mexico’s first goal of the tournament, becoming the first player from a CONCACAF nation to score the opening goal of a World Cup. 

Julian Quinones celebrates during Mexico’s 2026 World Cup run, in which he scored four goals and added an assist — tying the record for goals by a Mexican player at a single World Cup. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Quinones went on to score three more goals and add an assist as Mexico advanced to the round of 16, where the team was eliminated by England. England went on to finish third after an appearance in the semifinals.

Mexico also managed to end a 40-year drought in knockout stage matches with a round of 32 win over Ecuador. With four goals at the tournament, Quiñones joins Luis Hernandez and Javier Hernandez as the only Mexican players to score four goals at a single World Cup, tying the national record.

Quiñones switched his international allegiance from his native Colombia to Mexico in 2023. 

Before moving to Saudi Arabia, he spent nearly a decade in Liga MX with Tigres UANL, Venados, Lobos BUAP, Atlas and Club América, appearing in 258 matches, scoring 94 goals and winning nine LIGA MX titles, including back-to-back championships with Atlas in 2021 and 2022 that ended a 70-year title drought for the club.

The Ballon d’Or winner will be announced on Monday, October 26, 2026. The ceremony will be held at the London Palladium in England, the first time the event has taken place there.

There’s a little less than three weeks to go in the regular season. But somebody in Major League Baseball could qualify for a playoff spot this week.

Two somebodies: the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League. Fun? Depends. But first, some math.

The Brewers, with a functional magic number of four, can clinch a playoff spot as soon as Wednesday. The Rays, whose magic number is five — functional, dysfunctional, we want the functional, give us the functional — can clinch a spot as soon as Thursday.

Both of these teams also lead their respective divisions, but neither is likely to clinch this week.

By the way, you might be wondering: What the heck is a “functional magic number”? And how does it differ from a plain, old magic number?

The easiest answer is “just go with it.” But for you sticklers, because of how the remaining regular-season schedule shakes out among the Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, Milwaukee’s actual magic number to clinch a playoff spot is four, not six as it might appear after doing the typical magic number math.

As most MLB fans need to be reminded annually, the magic number is calculated like this:

Take the leading team’s games remaining. The Brewers have 17 games remaining. Add 1. Just do it. That makes 18.

(Within these parentheses, take the number of losses by the pursuing team and subtract the losses by the leading team. The Padres and D-backs have 68 losses apiece, and the Brewers have 56 losses. That’s 68-56=12.)

Subtract 12 from 18 (remember the 18 from before the parentheses?) and you get six.

But it’s not six, it’s four, because Arizona and San Diego play each other in a three-game series to wrap up the regular season. This guarantees the Brewers at least two additional losses by one of their opponents in the clinching formula. Subtract those two inevitable losses from the Brewers non-functional magic number of six and you get a functional magic number of four. Now that’s a magical conjunction of function. The wonders of math, or maybe it’s physics. There seems to be a wormhole involved.

The D-backs/Padres series was already fixing to be compelling and rich because the last playoff spot figured to be on the line. But it’s even more interesting because of… math. Raise your hand if you love math. Use all of your fingers, please.

What about ties? Tiebreakers could matter, but they’re dwarfed by Arizona and San Diego having to play each other at the end of the season.

Nobody else can clinch a spot before next week. The Los Angeles Dodgers have a magic number of seven to clinch a spot. The Atlanta Braves, eight. The New York Yankees, nine.

Here’s where a few notable others stand:

Coming off three straight 100-plus loss seasons in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox lead the Cleveland Guardians by four games in the loss column. But they also have three games at Cleveland next week, so there’s time for chaos. Not to mention Cleveland’s slim lead on the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers for the last AL playoff spot.

And if they don’t fizzle, the Sox also have a good chance for a first-round bye because they lead the Houston Astros by three games in the loss column. The Astros lead the AL West by two games in the loss column over the Rangers.

The Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers aren’t cooked, but they can’t lose more than three or four games the rest of the way, or else they are.

The 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival will officially begin on September 22, with the closing ceremony scheduled for September 27.

Governor Pastor Umo Eno is also expected to light the Festival Torch on Thursday, September 10, as the state begins the final countdown to the sporting event.

The festival will bring together athletes from the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, with participants expected to compete in different sporting events.

The 2026 edition follows the successful 2025 Sports Festival, which ran from September 8 to September 13 and ended with a colourful closing ceremony at the Uyo Township Stadium.

The 2025 festival produced 627 medals, made up of 196 gold, 189 silver and 242 bronze medals. Every local government area won at least one medal.

Itu Local Government Area emerged as the overall winner after recording an impressive 70 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals, giving it 106 medals in total.

Uyo finished second with 22 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals, while Nsit Atai took third place with 19 gold, 13 silver and seven bronze medals.

Other strong performers included Etinan, Ikot Ekpene, Onna, Oruk Anam and Uruan, which also recorded impressive medal hauls.

The festival provided an opportunity for young athletes across the state to showcase their talents while promoting unity and sports development.

At the closing ceremony last year, Governor Umo Eno described the event as a celebration in which “Everyone is a winner.”

With the 2026 edition set to begin on September 22, attention will now turn to the athletes and local government teams as they battle for honours and look to produce new champions.

Pakistan debutant Razaullah Khan enjoys a perfect first over in Test cricket as he traps England captain Joe Root lbw for eight, as England fall to 39-3 in their first innings of the third and final Test at Edgbaston.

FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Third Test, day one

Available to UK users only.

Rivers United have called on football fans in Akwa Ibom State to come out in large numbers and support the team when they face San Pedro of Côte d’Ivoire in the second leg of their CAF Champions League first-round tie on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

The match will take place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, with kick-off scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

The appeal was made during a courtesy visit by Rivers United officials, led by the club’s Sole Administrator, Barrister Christopher Green, and General Manager, Okey Kpaloku, to the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, in Uyo.

The Rivers United delegation told the Commissioner that the club will continue to use the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium as its home for continental matches.

The club secured a valuable 1-1 draw against San Pedro in the first leg in Côte d’Ivoire and will now look to complete the job in front of home fans.

To encourage supporters to attend the match, Rivers United announced that 50 replica jerseys will be given to the first 50 fans who arrive at the stadium on Sunday.

Green said Rivers United are determined to go far in the competition and help maintain Nigeria’s strong presence in African club football.

“We are back in Uyo for our continental matches and we deemed it fit to come and inform you that we are in town because Uyo is our second home,” Green said.

He added: “Rivers United is representing Nigeria on the continent and we want to go as far as we can to ensure a Nigerian team makes it to the latter stages of this competition.

“We know that Akwa Ibom people love sports, especially football, and we sincerely appeal to all football lovers, fans and stakeholders to come out en masse and support Rivers United to victory on Sunday.”

Green also thanked the Akwa Ibom State Government for maintaining the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium to international standards.

Bassey Promises Support

Responding, Commissioner Paul Bassey congratulated Rivers United on their 1-1 draw in Côte d’Ivoire and urged the team to remain focused.

He said the result from the first leg should give the players confidence as they aim to secure qualification for the next round.

Bassey also assured the club that football fans in Akwa Ibom would respond to the call and turn out in large numbers to support the Nigerian representatives.

He urged the players and technical crew to remain disciplined, work harder and make good use of the home advantage.

The CAF Champions League encounter between Rivers United and San Pedro will kick off at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

Manon Fiorot has already decided what a win over Alexa Grasso should lead to.“I think the winner of this fight will be the next one for the belt,” Fiorot told TimesofIndia.com ahead of her flyweight bout against Grasso at UFC Noche on September 13 at Glendale, Arizona. “I’m pretty sure the winner on Saturday evening will fight for the belt in the next fight.”The title picture had changed just days before Fiorot’s fight. On September 5, the UFC announced that Valentina Shevchenko had vacated the women’s flyweight championship after telling the promotion she would be unable to compete for at least a year.Shevchenko had been scheduled to defend the belt against No. 1 contender Natalia Silva at UFC 332 on October 3, but her injury forced that fight to be scrapped. Shevchenko is expected to return and compete for the title once she is healthy.The vacant belt will now be contested by Silva and Wang Cong in the UFC 332 main event in Salt Lake City. Silva is 8-0 in the UFC and has won 14 straight fights, with her recent run including victories over former champions Rose Namajunas and Grasso, as well as former title challenger Jessica Andrade.

Shevchenko’s exit changes the title picture

For Fiorot, ranked No. 2, the change has made the route to another title opportunity look shorter.The 36-year-old French fighter is 13-2 as a professional and 8-1 in the UFC. Her only UFC defeat came against Shevchenko in a five-round decision at UFC 315 in May 2025, after Fiorot had opened her UFC career with seven straight wins. She returned five months later and stopped Jasmine Jasudavicius in 1:14 of the first round.

Fiorot has also beaten Namajunas and former title challenger Erin Blanchfield during her UFC run.“Yes, I think it’s better for me,” Fiorot said of Shevchenko’s departure. “Because it will allow the whole category to fight more. And I think I will have the title fight more quickly than if it was Valentina. I would have had to wait for Valentina if she had won in October.”The immediate hurdle though is Grasso, the No. 3 contender and former UFC women’s flyweight champion.The 33-year-old Mexican enters with a 17-5-1 professional record. She became champion in March 2023 after submitting Shevchenko with a fourth-round face crank. Their rematch six months later ended in a split draw before Shevchenko regained the belt with a unanimous decision in their third meeting in September 2024.Grasso then lost a unanimous decision to Silva at UFC 315. She returned in March this year with a first-round stoppage of Maycee Barber, putting herself back among the division’s leading contenders.And that bout piqued Fiorot’s interest.“In the top five, she is the only girl I haven’t fought again,” Fiorot said. “So after her great performance against Maycee, I think it’s time. It’s a good opportunity for us to fight together.”

Fiorot sees no one ahead of her

Fiorot’s own case for another title opportunity rests on the opponents she has already beaten. Asked what argument she would make for being next rather than the winner of the Silva-Wang title fight, she was direct.“Because I have beaten all the contenders in the division. So I don’t see who else can fight for the belt.”For now, though, Fiorot is resisting the temptation to look beyond Grasso.

“To be honest, I try not to think about it too much,” she said. “For now, I’m really focused on the fight with Alexa.”“Yes, that’s what [title shot] I want and what I would like, but I try not to think about it too much. For now, I’m focused on Saturday. And after, we have time to dream about it and focus on it. This is my goal. But right now, I’m thinking about Alexa and that’s it.”

Fiorot has had almost 11 months to prepare since her last fight. The Jasudavicius stoppage lasted only 1:14, leaving little time to see the changes she had been working on during that period.“I worked on a lot of things, but I won’t say everything now,” Fiorot said. “But I hope I can show you a bit more against Grasso. I worked on a lot of skills and things, but, to be honest, I can’t talk about them in the interview because of the game plan and the strategy. But I hope to show more and to show all my skills Saturday evening.”The long gap between fights, she said, gave her time to work on areas that might not receive the same attention during a conventional fight camp.“Yes, it allowed me to improve on a lot of things,” Fiorot said. “Because when you train for a fight, you train specifically for a fight. So I was able to work on a lot of things during all those months.”“And yes, I think I’m even better today. Definitely, I think I’m a much better fighter now than 11 months ago.”

A French MMA wave closing in on UFC gold

Fiorot is also part of a strong group of French fighters pushing toward the top of the UFC. Ciryl Gane is the promotion’s interim heavyweight champion and No. 1 heavyweight, Nassourdine Imavov is ranked No. 3 at middleweight, while Benoît Saint Denis is No. 6 at lightweight.Asked whether younger French fighters now see her as a reference point, Fiorot was unequivocal.“Yes, clearly. The French fighters are clearly rising. We are very close to the belt.”“So yes, I think it’s good for the French MMA scene and for all the young people who are coming. Definitely, I think the hype of French MMA is big and it’s a good thing for every fighter, every French fighter.”Watch NOCHE UFC – Rodriguez vs Silva on September 13, 2026, from 2:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) & Sony LIV.

Erling Haaland alleged that Porto’s Pablo Rosario grabbed his bottom during Manchester City’s heated Champions League victory at the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday.

The two players were involved in a tense exchange during stoppage time of a tumultuous match, following an earlier confrontation in the tunnel at half-time.

The dispute occurred shortly after the 26-year-old Norway striker scored his second goal of the league-phase fixture to secure a 2-0 win.

Haaland was fouled by Rosario, prompting a further scuffle that resulted in a yellow card for the forward. However, he suggested there was more to the incident.

Speaking to Norway’s TV2, he said: “I was really keen on a hat-trick and it seemed like he (Rosario) was very eager to stop me from getting it. It was a little interesting, that.

“You’ll be seeing a picture where he’s grabbing my bottom. It’ll be interesting to see that picture.”

City are awaiting confirmation on whether tournament organisers Uefa will take disciplinary action after several flashpoints, the most serious occurring as players departed the pitch at the break.

Porto were left aggrieved that City’s Marc Guehi avoided a red card after striking Gabri Veiga in the head with his arm during an aerial challenge late in the first half.

An immediate altercation ensued on the field as Porto players vented their frustration to officials and opponents, with tempers failing to subside by the interval.

Tensions spilled over as the teams left the pitch, with reports of pushing and shoving in the tunnel requiring security personnel to step in. Footage also appeared to show City captain Ruben Dias placing his hand on Porto coach Francesco Farioli’s chest near the tunnel entrance.

UEFA will review reports from referee Szymon Marciniak and match delegate Stephanie Ford before deciding whether to open formal proceedings. City could face a financial penalty if action is pursued.

While City were worthy winners, Farioli argued the outcome could have been different had the opposition been reduced to 10 men.

He said: “The footage of the foul on Gabri Veiga is very clear and (Josko) Gvardiol should also have been shown a second yellow card. He behaved in an unsporting manner when he was already on a yellow.

“At this level, and playing against 10 men for an entire second half… things could have been different.”

Veiga added: “He (Marciniak) is a world-class referee and I respect him, but when an opponent leads with his elbow and then there is blood, there is not much to say. We all make mistakes.”

Haaland brushed aside the half-time friction to put City ahead with a 47th-minute header. Porto offered a spirited response and crafted several clear opportunities before Haaland ultimately put the result beyond doubt.

The Norwegian striker has now scored five goals in his last three appearances, three of them headers. He attributed his aerial form to extra drills with his father Alf-Inge, the former City and Leeds midfielder.

He said: “Over the years, I’ve worked a lot on my heading. I’ve improved it massively and it’s become a strength of my game.

“Actually, two days ago I was practising headers with my dad in the garden!”

We’ve come to it at last — Week 1 of the 2026 fantasy football season. There is no better time to reveal our boldest predictions for the campaign ahead — which will come true?

Luther Burden III emerges as a fantasy WR1

Burden returned from his groin injury two and half weeks before the season opener, meaning he’ll be all systems go for Week 1. Meanwhile, head coach Ben Johnson is talking about challenging for the highest-scoring offense of all time, which should get the attention of fantasy managers because he has the talent to do it.

Advertisement

Join a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season

Burden is one of the players Johnson is continuously talked up this offseason, after the 22-year-old caught fire down the stretch as a rookie. From Week 10 when his playing time increased, Burden was the WR28 in fantasy points per game while playing at a 1,000-yard pace. In addition to posting the third best yards per route run among all wideouts (behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba), Burden also finished top-20 among receivers in both targets per route run and yards after the catch. The latter is particularly impressive considering he caught far fewer passes (47) than the players ahead of him in that category.

With 150 combined targets left behind by the departures of DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus, the opportunity is there for multiple pass-catchers to thrive. You should be happy if you have any Bears on your fantasy roster, but Burden and tight end Colston Loveland are positioned for transcendent campaigns. — Justin Boone

Colston Loveland is the TE1 

Boone put this on a tee for me, I’ll smack it down the fairway.

Advertisement

Ben Johnson is one of the best offensive designers in the league and the Bears will have to outscore a weak (and injury-ravaged) defense on the other side. I see the upside for Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze, but they both have obvious injury concerns. And why can’t Loveland be the target hog in this offense? Over the last four games of 2025 (playoffs included), he went bonkers: 48 targets, 28 catches, 378 yards, two touchdowns. 

Let’s just appreciate how absurd that final Loveland run was. If you projected those stats for a full 17-game season, we’re looking at 204 targets, 119 catches, 1,606 yards and 8.5 touchdowns. That ceiling might be unrealistic, but Loveland has a legitimate chance to outscore all the tight ends in 2026. He’s been the most fun pick you can make in the fourth round all summer, with Ladd McConkey (save us, Mike McDaniel) not far behind. — Scott Pianowski

I know what you’re thinking. Two top-10 wide receivers from the same offense? Yes.

Advertisement

Dak Prescott is a walking 4,000-yard passer when healthy, and he made a push for the passing title last season. Dallas finished second in passing yards and seventh in scoring during Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as head coach. More importantly, all 11 offensive starters would be back if not for the injury to Tyler Smith. This is not a projection built on a new scheme or chemistry that still has to be created. We already saw it work. Now give Pickens a full offseason in Dallas and another year learning how his game fits alongside Lamb. Pickens can continue what he started last season while a healthy Lamb gets back to being one of football’s most dominant receivers.

Dallas can be balanced on the ground, dangerous at tight end and still lethal through the air because this passing game runs through arguably the best receiver duo in football. If Prescott pushes 4,500 yards and 30-plus touchdowns, there is enough volume for both. My bold prediction is that Lamb and Pickens both finish inside the top 10. — Ray Garvin

De’Zhaun Stribling finishes as the rookie WR1

In any other situation, the fantasy football world would be fawning over the 33rd overall pick — who drew rave reviews in training camp and preseason action — only needing to compete with (a 33-year-old) Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. (on a retirement tour) for targets on an offense that is perennially top 10 in scoring. Yet here we are, with Stribling only able to climb as high as WR47 in consensus rankings during draft season.

Advertisement

I get it. His college profile had questions. The draft community poorly projected where he would be selected. But shouldn’t we be picking players as if Kyle Shanahan is correct? That the 6-foot-2, 207 lbs receiver with 4.36 speed and some of the best blocking tape in the class and outside-to-inside versatility might just be better than believed?

If that reads like a supercharged version of Jauan Jennings, I’ll take his 2024 season as a nice rookie season projection: 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. This season, with Carnell Tate dealing with the Titans likely disappointment, Makai Lemon’s slow preseason and KC Concepcion glued to Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders … that might be enough for the rookie WR1 title. — Josh Norris

Advertisement

Emeka Egbuka leads the NFL in receptions

I don’t care about his second half of the season skid in production while he and his quarterback played through injuries. None of the other, albeit quality, pass-catchers on the team bother me. My only concern about Emeka Egbuka’s outlook in 2026 is a toe injury that bothered him in training camp. However, considering he’s all but a lock to play in Week 1, I’m not even sure that’s a hindrance.

Egbuka put up a solid rookie season while playing out of position as the Buccaneers’ X-receiver, while Mike Evans missed most of last year. Even with Evans gone now, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Egbuka would move to the Z position in his offense. That is essentially the role Drake London has held down the last two seasons in Atlanta, where he lined up off the ball more than on and was in the slot on over 37% of his snaps. The 2025 Falcons lead the NFL in passing yards on plays where a receiver was in motion at the snap. The Bucs, under the same scheme, will offer better quarterback and offensive line play to this scheme.

Advertisement

Egbuka benefits from that while also playing a receiver role that fits his prospect profile as a big slot and movement Z-receiver much better than we saw last season. — Matt Harmon

Chase Brown finishes inside the top 5 at RB

Luckily, we’ve already seen proof of concept when testing out the idea of Chase Brown as a top-five RB. Last year was Brown’s first as the unquestioned starter for the Bengals. He ranked inside the top 12 in every opportunity metric, from overall rush rate (65% – 11th) to target share (15% – 6th). Plus, the former Illini held on to the lead job at the goal line, out-touching Samaje Perine 2:1 when Joe Burrow was active.

However, it’s the results that should’ve had us eager to click on Brown at the 1-2 turn.

Advertisement

His per-touch stats were ahead of some of the first-round darlings and just a shade behind the elites. And as just one of nine rushers with more than 60% of his team’s carries combined with a double-digit target rate, Chase already has one half of the “talent plus situation” equation locked up.

Now, let’s consider his environment. Let’s entertain the idea that the integration of under-center concepts will give Brown more advantageous looks at the LOS. Let’s buy into the idea that their defensive additions will take (some of) the burden off Burrow’s shoulders and put it on Brown’s. In that reality, Brown vaults into the top five ranks by season’s end. — Chris Allen

Kenneth Walker III finishes inside the top 3 at RB

Some of the best fantasy RB seasons of the past two decades have been with coach Andy Reid. From Brian Westbrook to LeSean McCoy to Jamal Charles. He didn’t have Patrick Mahomes at QB when those players were hitting either. Mahomes will be effective but won’t be leaned on as much, and the Chiefs defense will flirt with top-10 numbers as they typically do. It’s a great set up for fantasy points, especially with their interior OL being the best of Walker’s career.

Advertisement

There’s proof of concept with Walker having an elite upside, too. In the final six games last year including playoffs, Walker averaged 19.4 half PPR points despite tough matchups. Don’t be surprised if this is a career year in touchdowns and receptions. — Hayden Winks

Jaylen Waddle finally fixes his fantasy perception

Jaylen Waddle has largely been viewed as a disappointment. For the last three seasons in Miami, he’s finished outside the top 20 fantasy WRs in PPG and has left several games due to smaller injuries. Although he hasn’t missed a ton of games in his career, there has been a handful of weeks lost due to mid-game exits. That has driven his ADP down to WR21 in the consensus, and makes me buy back in on a player who has hurt me before.

Advertisement

I can’t promise that he will not miss a snap in 18 weeks, but I do believe that as long as he’s on the field, he’ll be winning managers’ games. Sean Payton and the Broncos paid a hefty price, both in draft capital and financially. He is the clear WR1 on a team whose QB led the league in passing attempts. The Broncos, with limited WR talent, ranked seventh in team WR fantasy points last season, as two WRs ranked inside the top eight in red zone targets (the only team), and Sutton ranking to five in routes and 15th in fantasy PPG. That fantasy passing offense just gave up a first and third round draft pick along with $29M per year to hand select their team’s next WR1. — Joel Smyth

One of the most underestimated aspects of the NFL is its unbalanced schedule.

Take the San Francisco 49ers, for example.

The 49ers and their three NFC West rivals won the Schedule Lottery last season, drawing the coveted South/South rotation.

In other words, six virtual byes against the NFC South’s Falcons, Saints and Panthers, and the AFC South’s Colts, Jaguars and Titans.

We’ll label matchups with the Buccaneers and Texans as legitimate contests.

A struggling 6-11 team the year before, the 49ers went 5-1 in the “gimme” games as the foundation for a 12-5 season.

The real gift came in Weeks 11-16, when the 49ers faced the Panthers, Titans and Colts, sandwiching the Cardinals, Browns and – talk about an embarrassment of riches – a bye, and rode a momentum-building five-game winning streak to playing their best ball when the season ended with the Bears, Seahawks, Eagles and Seahawks again, the latter two in a charity-case wild card into the playoffs.

In the meantime, the Seahawks and Rams went a combined 10-2 against the South/South lightweights. It helped vault Seattle to top seeding – and the home-field lime carpet – in the NFC playoffs, and the Rams, as a postseason lucky loser, into matchups with the weakest playoff team (the Panthers) and a division winner that had taken advantage of a last-place schedule (the Bears).

Does anybody really believe the Seahawks and Rams were the two best teams in football last season? And that the NFC West was the most powerful division? If so, you’ve fallen into the trap of believing Priority 1 of the NFL schedule is to create a fair gauge by which a champion can be determined.

That leads us into the 2026 opener, where … uh oh.

The AFC North won this year’s Schedule Lottery, but we’re not here to discuss why the Steelers are a lock to make the playoffs. It’s the advantage the NFC North will have this season that has to have the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers most concerned.

The Frozen Four draw the NFC South and AFC East as schedule partners this season. For the Bears, Packers and Lions, that’s got a 6-2 (or better) head-start written all over it.

The Bears, Packers and Lions get a golden opportunity to be this year’s Seahawks, Rams and 49ers. In fact, you can pencil all three into your playoff bracket right now.

That leaves ONE wild-card spot available for the NFC West incumbent trio, presuming the division non-winner can beat Cowboys in the race to 11 wins.

Why the Niners likely won’t repeat last year

How likely are the 49ers, coming off a 12-5 season, to be that team? As they say Down Under: Not bloody likely.

The NFC West rotation this season (NFC East/AFC West) isn’t the toughest in the league, but it’s no collection of leftover cupcakes, either.

The 49ers substitute the Eagles for the Panthers (net loss), the Cowboys for the Buccaneers (break-even at best), the Commanders for the Falcons (even) and the Giants for the Saints (loss), and the Broncos for the Jaguars (loss), the Chargers for the Texans (even), the Chiefs for the Colts (loss) and the Raiders for the Titans (even).

That’s four more difficult and no easier matchups than last season. And you can only afford, maybe, one more loss?

So, the schedule says the 49ers won’t be a playoff team. But what does the roster say?

The good news is an inordinate number of injuries in the secondary in recent years has resulted in greater depth, Brock Purdy has transformed from weakness to strength, and Christian McCaffrey … gotta say, I’m a bit befuddled by the logic that he’s an accident waiting to happen simply because he was healthier than ever last season.

Other than that, the 49ers kinda resemble their sports cousins, the San Francisco Giants. And that’s not good.

The wide receiver corps has gone from Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in their prime and a dependable Jauan Jennings to a suspended Aiyuk, a broken-down Samuel, an even older Mike Evans and a rookie (De’Zhaun Stribling) who probably wishes he followed the flow of the Mississippi and went to LSU. Heck, maybe he still can.

Star offensive tackle Trent Williams looks ancient, and that’s BEFORE two new head-to-heads with Myles Garrett.

Key heartbeats George Kittle and Nick Bosa are both coming off major surgeries, as is Fred Warner, the latter tainting a reunion with another guy last seen heading to the operating table, Dre Greenlaw.

And these are your DEPENDABLE guys.

Suffice it to say, there are so many question marks, the wily 49ers marketing staff would be wise to sell burgundy-colored Riddler gear to its more realistic Australian fans.

Alas, there’s always next year, when the 49ers could once again benefit from the NFL’s unofficial motto: The more you lose, the more help you get.

On Saturday night, Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn collide in a high-profile clash for Garcia’s WBC welterweight world title, where the winner is sure to enhance their star power within the sport.

Now, British fan-favourite heavyweight, Dave Allen, has offered his thoughts on the fight and predicted one man to get the victory before the halfway point.

Garcia got his hands on the WBC marble back in February when he dropped Mario Barrios to kickstart a dominant performance that ultimately culminated in a one-sided decision win, rather than a first knockout triumph since 2023.

Meanwhile, Benn has not won inside the distance since his last welterweight outing back in April 2022, but hopes that he will have consequential punch power upon his return to the division, after five straight full-distance contests above the 147lb limit.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Allen looked ahead to the bout and believes that Garcia will score a statement stoppage win to retain his throne and hand Benn the first knockout defeat of his career.

“If we go off his last couple of fights; [Chris] Eubank Jr. and [Regis] Prograis, I weren’t massively impressed with the performances but he has beat two very good fighters, so you have to give him credit.

“Do I think that Conor Benn beats Garcia? I don’t see it, no. I think that Garcia is a level or two above, add in the weight and I think Garcia wins by stoppage and I think he probably does it inside six [rounds], as well.”

Garcia-Benn takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and can be purchased and watched live via DAZN PPV.