Germany’s bench emptied after Deniz Undav scored the winner in the 94th minute. Julian Nagelsmann roared with delight. The Germany fans behind the goal threw themselves in all directions, lost in the joy of an injury-time winner. For the first time since they won the World Cup in 2014, Germany are headed to the knockouts. Moments like this make it easy to believe that something special is happening with this team.

This was a victory for head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who got his substitutes spot on. But more than that, it was a win for the new guard. Unaffected by the scars of the last two tournaments, the newer faces in this squad drove the team to victory from a losing position.

The youngsters of this group stepped up. Felix Nmecha continued his strong form and is emerging as the heartbeat of this team. Jamie Leweling made a difference off the bench. Nadiem Amiri provided the cross to set up the equalizer. And there was Undav.

The Stuttgart striker, who is playing at his first World Cup just six years after playing in the third division, took control of the game once again. In two appearances off the bench at this tournament, Undav has now scored three goals and two assists. Only Cameroon’s Roger Milla in 1990 scored more (four) as a substitute. He is now the story of this Germany team, and the pressure on Nagelsmann to start him will grow.

“He’s a full-blooded striker,” Nagelsmann said to public broadcaster ZDF after the match. “He scored two super goals. The whole group earned the victory today.”

Tough loss for the Elephants

Ivory Coast deserved more from this game. Emerse Fae’s side had more than one spell of control, and their opening goal did not come against the run of play. The team in orange won more battles in midfield, unsettling Germany, but they were also smart about how they went about it. Almost all of their attacks came down the left-hand side, where rising star Yan Diomande continually got the better of Germany captain Joshua Kimmich. 

The Elephants got under Germany’s skin and made it difficult for Nagelsmann’s charges to gain momentum. Eventually, one of Diomande’s many surges ended with Franck Kessie converting the cross at the back post.

Animated by referring decisions that included two disallowed goals for Germany, Nagelsmann was lucky to escape a booking for his antics on the sidelines. This was exactly the kind of contest Germany did not want.

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By the hour mark, it looked like an all-too-familiar World Cup story for Germany. Ivory Coast were closer to scoring a second. Germany looked asleep, adrift. In the face of this uncertainty, the Germany fans did the only thing they could do — they called for Deniz Undav.

Fairytale being written

Nagelsmann responded, and on came his heroes. Eight minutes later, Amiri found Undav and Germany were level. An incredible finale followed as both sides went for the win. Ivory Coast inexplicably missed a glorious chance, with Leon Goretzka saving the day for Germany. Then Nathaniel Brown and Amiri both looked to have missed Germany’s game-winner. But then came Undav, sneaking into the space near the last defender, taking a touch, turning, and scoring like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Deniz deserves special mention today. The way he got into the game was outstanding,” Jonathan Tah said.

“Deniz is lethal in front of goal. He doesn’t need a lot of chances,” Amiri told Magenta.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s injury dampened the mood, as the Borussia Dortmund defender’s tournament looks over.

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But injuries or the defensive weakness out wide or the poor first half performance won’t worry any Germany fans today. They are dreaming of winning it all again. And thanks to Curacao’s historic draw against Ecuador later in the day, top spot in Group E is also officially Germany’s.

After the 7-1 win against Curacao, the comparisons with that semifinal win against Brazil were inevitable, even if a little bit of a stretch. Undav’s last-minute winner has echoes of Oliver Neuville’s at Germany’s home World Cup in 2006. Granted, this tournament isn’t in Germany, but it would be fair to say the first few lines of a summer fairytale are being written at the 2026 World Cup.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

Emerging sprinter Ice Kool continues to impress, securing another victory at Randwick despite still refining his racecraft.

The three-year-old colt makes his task harder by not reacting promptly to the start and tending to race keenly, yet he consistently moves up through the grades.

His win in Saturday’s Ensure Workplace Risk Solutions Handicap (1000m) marked his fourth success from five starts. Trainer David Pfieffer conceded the horse has some quirks but expressed hope that time and maturity will resolve them.

“He makes it hard for himself. He’s slow out of the gates, and then he had to use himself to muster a bit of speed,” Pfieffer explained. “He’s still ironing out his race craft, and he’s just got to get those one percenters right. When he does that, he’s going to keep improving.

“If he learns to settle and adapt to races when things don’t go to plan, we’ll see a nice horse.”

Ridden by Jay Ford, the $1.50 favourite Ice Kool settled three-wide on the speed and had to be strongly urged by his jockey to overcome his 60kg impost, winning by a half-length from Petticoat ($14). Teylu ($41) finished a long head further back in third.

While this form is considered off-season, Pfieffer believes Ice Kool has the potential to become a carnival contender and plans a short spell for the colt before the spring.

“We might look to give him a let-up and then poke around at carnival time,” he said. “I’m contemplating going to Melbourne because I’m thinking he won’t be in the Concorde (Stakes), The Shorts, the Premiere (Stakes). He’s not at that level yet.

“Testing him down the straight or around Caulfield or Sandown, a few of those races that are second tier stakes races will be nice little targets. Hopefully we’re talking those Sydney lead-up races this time next year.”

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Trainer Chris Munce has added another significant chapter to the Ipswich Cup’s storied history, this time sharing the victory with his son, Corey.

Munce’s own jockeying career saw him win the Listed staying feature aboard Oompala in 1994, a horse that later finished third in the Melbourne Cup.

His training prowess was first showcased in the Ipswich Cup with Smart Meteor in 2022, and Kaluakoi continued this winning legacy on Saturday.

Reflecting on his achievements, Munce said, “Oompala was a very good galloper. He won the Caloundra Cup, got beaten in the Grafton Cup, then went and ran third in the Melbourne Cup. To be able to ride a winner and now train two, one with Corey, it’s a great thrill.”

Munce admitted that Kaluakoi’s lack of a recent middle-distance run this preparation was a point of concern leading up to Saturday’s event.

However, any such worries were quickly allayed once the race commenced.

Munce shared his immediate thoughts with Corey after the first lap: “I said to Corey when he got past the winning post that he was going to be hard to beat because he pricked his ears down the hill and relaxed lovely. He’s got no real turn of foot, but he’s a tough galloper.”

The $4.60 favourite, Kaluakoi, set the pace throughout and responded gamely for apprentice Emily Lang to secure a three-quarters of a length win over Encoder ($4.80). Sun Worshipper ($21) took third place.

Lang, notching her fifth stakes victory, confirmed she followed Chris Munce’s directive to be proactive from the start.

She explained the trainer’s instructions: “He did say to me on Thursday at the trials that he didn’t want (the horse) to be ridden pretty. The last four or so weeks have been really tough. I obviously don’t have a claim anymore, and with all the Sydney and Melbourne jockeys coming up, my manager has had to do a really tough job of getting me rides. When I get the opportunity from a stable like Chris and Corey Munce, it makes all the difference and it’s good to get the job done.”

In the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m), Michael Freedman’s Soothsayer, piloted by Daniel Moor, triumphed despite a challenging draw.

Lee Freedman, who manages his brother’s Gold Coast stable, expressed his surprise at the six-year-old’s rapid improvement this season, suggesting he might develop into a capable miler next year.

“I’m a bit flabbergaster to be honest because he’s gone from a benchmark 85 to a Group Three. He may have come back this ‘prep’ better than ever. I always thought he’d be a good horse for a race like the Epsom (Handicap), so that may be the race you see him in,” Lee Freedman stated.

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The latest in our NFC North positional rankings sees us take a look at the tight end position. This is another position group in the division that is loaded with talent, making it difficult to separate the four teams.

NFC North TE Rankings for 2026

For the TE group, the main focus is on the top two players on each team’s depth chart, with other options taken into consideration. I had the Vikings in first place in last season’s ranking, but they don’t fare so well this time around. Here are my NFC North TE rankings for 2026.

1. Chicago Bears – Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet

Chicago has invested heavily in the draft at the TE position in recent years, spending a first-round pick on Colston Loveland, a second-round pick on Cole Kmet, and going again this year, spending a third-round pick on Sam Roush. It has given the Bears not just the top-end quality but also strong depth.

Loveland immediately became the team’s TE1, going over 700 receiving yards and scoring six touchdowns in his rookie season. With a head coach who has proven he likes to give his TEs a heavy workload, Loveland should be looking to go even bigger in Year 2.

2. Detroit Lions – Sam LaPorta and Tyler Conklin

Sam LaPorta’s 2025 season ended after Week 10 due to a herniated disc in his back. It led to career lows in his numbers across the board, but 489 receiving yards and three touchdowns from nine games showed his production didn’t suffer from the exit of Ben Johnson as the Lions’ playcaller. Tyler Conklin was signed on free agency, perhaps as insurance if LaPorta takes time to get back up to speed, or as a replacement for Brock Wright, whose name has been mentioned with a potential exit. 

Conklin is well known to Vikings fans, a fifth-round pick by Minnesota back in 2018. Conklin has gone on to have a solid career. How good the Lions are at this position and as a team could hinge on if/when LaPorta gets back to his best. Detroit’s form nose dived after LaPorta got injured last season, winning only three of the last eight games and finishing last in the division.

3. Green Bay Packers – Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave

Tucker Kraft was building on his good season in 2024 and looking to go even better in 2025 when an ACL tear cut his season short. Kraft had racked up 489 receiving yards and six touchdowns from just eight games. The Packers will be hoping he can return to that form in 2026.

Luke Musgrave was taken a round earlier (second round) than Kraft in the 2023 draft, but hasn’t managed to have the same impact. Musgrave couldn’t take advantage of Kraft’s injury either and isn’t certain to stay above Josh Whyle on the depth chart. What should be an area of strength on the Packers’ teams has question marks hanging over it coming into the new season.

4. Minnesota Vikings – T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver

It looked for a moment that T.J. Hockenson was heading out of Minnesota, but a reworked deal that makes him a free agent at the end of the season saw him stay. Hockenson was set for a 1,000 receiving yards season in 2023 before a knee injury ended his season a couple of games earlier. He hasn’t been able to find that form since, although that would have been difficult for anybody in the Vikings stuttering offense of 2025. 

Hockenson turns 29 in July and should have some good years left in him. With a contract to play for, he will be eager to show he can still be one of the top receiving TEs in the league.

Josh Oliver is one of the best blocking TEs in the league and has shown he is well capable of making a play when called upon. However, he’s not the most dynamic, and not a guy you’d want to step into a role as a focal point receiver of Hockenson can’t play. I thought the Vikings would look to draft a potential Hockenson replacement in the draft, but that never materialized.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

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Mason Greenwood is planning a move away from Marseille this summer and Manchester United will profit if he does switch clubs

Mason Greenwood would make Manchester United millions if he moves on from Marseille this summer. However, this transfer will not be to north London as Tottenham are not in for the attacker.

Greenwood has scored 48 goals and assisted 17 times from 81 appearances in France, pushing him to the forefront of this summer’s transfer window. There were rumours that Spurs were planning to move for the 24-year-old, offering him a return to the Premier League.

Football London has confirmed that there is no interest in bringing Greenwood to the club, despite his former manager, Roberto De Zerbi, praising him during his time at Marseille. The current Spurs manager claimed that the player – who had attempted rape and assault charges dropped against him in 2023 – was a “good guy” who was handed a “heavy price.”

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De Zerbi said at the time: “I don’t want to get involved in anyone’s private life. All I can see is that Mason seems a good lad; he paid in a strong way for what happened. He has probably here found the right environment for him, which gave him affection, and held out its hand to him.

“When I look at him as a person, I feel sad for what happened in his life, without getting into the details. Because the person I know here is very different to the one that has been described, especially in England.”

This response led to fan backlash before De Zerbi joined Spurs, and he apologised for the comments after his deal in north London was confirmed. He said: “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly.

“In my life, I have always stood up for who are more vulnerable, more fragile. I have consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are more at risk. Those of you who know me well will know I’m not the type of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title. I apologise to those who I offended with this subject matter.

“I have a daughter, and I’m very sensitive to these things and always have been. I hope that over time, people will get to know me better and will understand that in that moment, I didn’t mean to take a stance.”

While Spurs are not in the race for Greenwood, Marseille are still keen to let the goalscorer go this summer.

L’Equipe reports that the club will consider all offers and a deal is desired before the end of June. Roma have been credited with an interest, with a fee of around £35million (€40m) proposed by the Italians.

Marseille are expecting at least £47m (€55m) before they let the 24-year-old go, as per Corriere dello Sport. Reports suggest that Roma could make a secondary offer of around £40m (€45m), plus £4.3m (€5m) in add-ons.

This deal could in turn benefit United, despite Greenwood initially departing Old Trafford in 2024. The club holds a 40% sell-on clause, so a deal this summer could significantly boost Michael Carrick’s transfer war chest.

If Roma does move forward with the £43.3m deal in the coming days, United would make around £17m in total. With Ederson on his way to the club this summer and plenty more players linked, Carrick would welcome the incoming cash to bolster his squad for next season.

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Tyson Fury has considered Oleksandr Usyk’s justification for distancing himself from a showdown with heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma.

The Ukrainian comes off an 11th-round stoppage victory over Rico Verhoeven, only he was made to work harder than expected to get the former long-reigning kickboxing champion out of there.

In what was initially thought to be nothing more than a showcase event, Usyk ended up trailing on one judges’ scorecard after 10 completed rounds.

Their contest last month then resulted in controversy when Verhoeven, after being floored by a right uppercut, was waved off by referee Mark Lyson.

The 37-year-old later filed an appeal against the decision, seeing that he was stopped after the bell had sounded, but his efforts were ultimately dismissed.

Usyk, meanwhile, must decide whether to vacate his WBC title – and potentially pursue a rematch with Verhoeven – or face WBC ‘interim’ champion Agit Kabayel.

Either way, the 39-year-old has expressed no interest in fighting Itauma, who comes off an emphatic fifth-round finish over the typically durable Jermaine Franklin, claiming that he didn’t want to ‘break’ him at such a young age.

“No, I’m not going to fight with Itauma because he’s a young guy. I don’t want to break this guy.”

Speaking with IFL TV, former opponent Fury doesn’t believe Usyk’s reasoning for not wanting to face Itauma.

“Bulls**t. Oleksandr is coming up to around 40 years old, he has just been pushed all of the way and probably lost every round against a kickboxer. So, I don’t think that he wants to fight a 21-year-old kid who is mustard, for no gain.

“He is not going to gain big money because Moses doesn’t have that following at the moment or the popularity. He is coming up, he is a rising star but he is not on top at the moment, so he [Usyk] isn’t going to gain anything from it.

“It’s all to lose and nothing to gain. If he beats Moses, he has beat a young kid coming up and if he loses to Moses, he has lost to a 21-year-old, so it doesn’t make much sense [for Usyk to fight him].”

Itauma will face Filip Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena on August 29, entering his toughest assignment in the professional ranks thus far.

Japan thrashed Tunisia 4-0 to confirm the North Africans’ exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage on Saturday.

Tunisia came into the match after a difficult week that included a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden, the dismissal of head coach Sabri Lamouchi and the appointment of Herve Renard as his replacement. However, the change in the dugout failed to produce an immediate response.

Japan took the lead after less than four minutes at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico. A swift counter-attack caught Tunisia’s defence out of position and Daichi Kamada finished from close range to put the Asian side ahead.

The Japanese doubled their advantage soon afterwards through Ayase Ueda. The striker produced an excellent finish from the edge of the penalty area, sending the ball through a defender’s legs and into the far corner.

Tunisia struggled to create meaningful chances and looked short of ideas throughout the contest. Japan controlled possession comfortably and repeatedly found space to launch dangerous attacks.

Junya Ito made it 3-0 after being played through on goal and calmly beat goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen with a simple finish.

Ueda completed the scoring late in the match when he guided a looping header into the far corner for his second goal of the game.

Japan were far superior from start to finish and never looked troubled by a Tunisia side whose attacks were easily dealt with.

The result leaves Japan on four points and in a strong position to reach the knockout stage. They will aim to secure qualification when they face Sweden in their final group match on Friday.

Tunisia, meanwhile, have been eliminated from the tournament and will play their last group game against group leaders the Netherlands.

There’s been Achilles the cat, Mani the Parakeet and Nelly the elephant. Over the years, animals from across the world have predicted the outcome of World Cup matches. This year is no different, with a Canadian goldfish and Thai tigers and hippos putting bets on who will come out on top in the 2026 competition. Story by Camille Corcoran.

Only a few days ago, they were charging at and sledging Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. On Sunday, it all turned into the ultimate show of sportsmanship. Playing in the final of the Tri-Nation Series in Dambulla, Sooryavanshi shrugged off his lean run in the league stage with a breathtaking 29-ball 94, which also included the fastest fifty in List A cricket, to help India A post a mammoth 377/9 against Sri Lanka A in the tri-series final on Sunday.

The last time Sooryavanshi faced Sri Lanka A, it ended in a physical altercation. On Sunday, Sri Lankan players came up and patted him on the back after the fiery knock.

THE AURA OF 15 YO SOORYAVANSHI.

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From mocking to congratulating – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi answered with his blistering knock of 94.

Sri Lankan players congratulating Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.👀 pic.twitter.com/z3BR15wlkx

— Maina Singh (@Maina_Singhx77) June 21, 2026

Asked to bat, India A looked set for a score in excess of 400, riding on Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary blitz before Sri Lanka A clawed their way back in the middle overs.

Skipper Tilak Varma steadied the innings with a composed 67 off 90 balls, while Anukul Roy (39 off 15) and Vipraj Nigam (27 off 20) produced a late burst to lift India beyond the 350-run mark.

The day, however, belonged to Sooryavanshi.

The 15-year-old from Samastipur in Bihar needed just 11 deliveries to reach his half-century, eclipsing the 21-year-old record held by Sri Lanka’s Kaushalya Weeraratne, who had taken 12 balls to reach the milestone in 2005.

Having endured a modest run in the series, Sooryavanshi walked out with clear intent and unleashed absolute carnage. His first 11 deliveries yielded 50 runs, reading 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6, 6, as he dismantled the Sri Lankan attack from the outset.

He reached the landmark with five sixes and as many boundaries, bringing up the record with successive sixes straight down the ground off pacer Dulaj Samuditha.

The left-hander combined brute force with exceptional timing. He initially targeted the leg side against the seamers before effortlessly opening up the off side once Sri Lanka A stationed an additional fielder on the on side.

His ability to dispatch even good deliveries over the ropes once again stood out.

The highlight of the innings was his lofted shots over extra cover. Three effortless sixes in that region showcased the bat speed, balance and fearlessness that have made him one of India’s most exciting young talents.

Alongside Priyansh Arya (39), Sooryavanshi added 132 runs for the opening wicket and looked well on course to register the fastest century in List A cricket.

However, spinner Sahan Arachchige ended the fireworks by having him caught at mid-off in the ninth over. Arya followed an over later as Sri Lanka A clawed their way back into the contest.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (40) and Tilak then added 63 runs for the third wicket, but the flow of boundaries dried up considerably.

As India attempted to accelerate in the closing stages, wickets fell at regular intervals, but Nigam and Anukul provided the final flourish.

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