FILE – Boston Celtics’ Neemias Queta, top, goes up for a dunk over Philadelphia 76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr., right, and Joel Embiid during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series April 26, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

The Boston Celtics have signed center Neemias Queta to a four-year extension, according to person familiar with the agreement.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the signing cannot be announced until Monday at the earliest. ESPN, which first reported the deal, cited agent Bill Duffy in saying the extension was worth $56 million.

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Retaining Queta seemed to be a priority for the Celtics, who traded perennial NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia earlier this week for Paul George and draft picks.

Queta, who turns 27 on July 13, is coming off a breakout season with the Celtics. He averaged a career-best 10.2 points, a career-best 8.4 rebounds and was a full-time starter for the first time.

The Portugal native also got better as the season went along, averaging 11.2 points on 68% shooting after the All-Star break.

Colombia secured their place in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Ghana 1-0 in a hard-fought encounter in Kansas City on Friday night.

Jhon Arias scored the only goal of the match in the first half as the South Americans booked a round of 16 clash against Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday. The victory also keeps alive the possibility of a quarter-final showdown with Argentina.

Despite playing in temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, Colombia produced another impressive performance and could have won by a much bigger margin.

Ghana, meanwhile, endured a disappointing evening as they failed to register a single shot on target. The Black Stars managed only four shots on target throughout their entire World Cup campaign, with only Iraq recording fewer in the tournament.

Thomas Partey almost gave Ghana a dream start when his long-range effort flashed just wide of the post within the opening minute.

However, the game quickly became difficult for the Black Stars. Colombia striker Jhon Cordoba was forced off with a groin injury after just 10 minutes and was replaced by Luis Suarez. Ghana also suffered an early setback when right-back Marvin Senaya went off injured, with Alidu Seidu coming on as his replacement.

Colombia took the lead in the 14th minute when Suarez raced down the right wing and delivered a cross for the unmarked Arias, who volleyed home at the far post after Seidu failed to track his run.

Ghana tried to respond, with Antoine Semenyo seeing an effort deflected over the bar, but they struggled to create clear chances throughout the contest.

Colombia continued to dominate. Luis Diaz missed a good opportunity before Suarez headed wide, while Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Zigi produced an excellent save to deny Johan Mojica before half-time.

After the break, Colombia remained in control. Richard Rios fired wide shortly after replacing captain James Rodriguez, while Zigi made further impressive saves to keep out Gustavo Puerta and Diaz. The Liverpool winger also had a goal ruled out for offside.

Partey had Ghana’s best chance of the second half but dragged his effort wide in the 69th minute.

Colombia continued to create opportunities, with Juan Fernando Quintero, Diaz and Davinson Sanchez all going close, but Zigi’s outstanding performance prevented the scoreline from becoming more embarrassing for Ghana.

The Black Stars pushed forward in the closing stages in search of an equaliser but were unable to break through, becoming the seventh of nine African teams to be eliminated in the round of 32.

Only Morocco and Egypt remain in the tournament as Africa’s representatives.

For Colombia, the victory extended their unbeaten run in normal time at the World Cup to seven matches and strengthened their reputation as one of the tournament’s surprise contenders.

For Ghana, however, the defeat marks the end of a disappointing campaign. The Black Stars exited the World Cup without recording a shot on target in their final match, and head coach Carlos Queiroz is likely to face serious questions following their early exit.

Harry Kane may be England’s record goalscorer and one of the greatest strikers of his generation, but few football fans realise the Three Lions captain has deep roots in the west of Ireland.

While Kane has always represented England, his family story begins in the heart of Connemara, where his grandfather was born and raised before emigrating to England.

Harry Kane’s Connemara Connection

Harry Kane’s Irish heritage comes through his paternal grandfather, Michael John Kane, who was born and reared in the townland of Dawros, Letterfrack, Co. Galway.

Like many Irish people of his generation, Michael John emigrated to England as a young man in search of work, where the next generation of the Kane family, including Harry’s father Pat, would be born and raised.

Despite settling in England, the Kane family never lost touch with their Connemara roots and have continued to return to Letterfrack over the years to visit family and friends.

Harry Returned to Connemara for His Grandfather’s Funeral

In May 2013, Michael John Kane passed away and was brought home to be buried in Baunogues Cemetery in Letterfrack.

Harry Kane, who was still establishing himself as a professional footballer at Tottenham Hotspur, travelled to Connemara to attend his grandfather’s funeral, highlighting the importance of his family’s Irish connections.

Just a few years later, Kane would become one of the biggest names in world football, captain England and win the Golden Boot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The Family Still Has Strong Ties to Letterfrack

The Kane family’s links with Connemara remain strong.

Harry’s cousin, Liz Kane, one half of the acclaimed traditional Irish music duo The Kane Sisters, spoke proudly about their famous relative during the 2018 World Cup.

“We’re super proud of him and his achievements.”

“Someone said to me the other day that it gives us a reason now to support England because he is a Connemara man – it’s hilarious.”

Liz also revealed that Harry’s father Pat, along with his brothers Michael and John, are well known around Letterfrack whenever they return home.

The Man Who Helped Shape Harry Kane

Football was always a huge part of family life, and Harry’s father Pat played a major role in his son’s development.

From taking him to training sessions and matches to supporting him through setbacks, Pat was a constant influence throughout Harry’s childhood.

When Harry was released by Arsenal as a youngster, many players would have seen their dream come to an end.

Instead, his family encouraged him to keep believing in himself, continue working hard and never give up.

That resilience became one of the defining characteristics of Harry Kane’s career.

Could Harry Kane Have Played for Ireland?

Because of his Irish family heritage, Harry Kane was eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland before committing his international future to England.

Instead, he chose England, where he would go on to become captain, break the national scoring record and establish himself among the greatest strikers in football history.

For Irish football supporters, it remains one of the sport’s great “what ifs”.

A Little Bit of Banter…

Of course, we’re only joking… but Britain has never been shy about claiming Irish actors, musicians and sporting heroes when it suits.

So maybe it’s finally Ireland’s turn.

After all, if Harry Kane’s roots stretch all the way back to Dawros in Letterfrack, perhaps Irish fans are entitled to cheekily claim one of the world’s greatest goalscorers as having a little bit of green in him too!

The Question That Will Always Be Asked

What if Harry Kane had chosen Ireland instead of England?

It’s a question that will never be answered—but one thing is certain: one of world football’s greatest strikers has a story that begins in the hills of Connemara.

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Croatia’s Luka Modric (AP/PTI)

Luka Modric’s exit from the World Cup stage and, with it, possibly international football as well, did not turn out to be the beau idéal or a perfect 10, a number he has so adoringly and alluringly made his own over the years. The end was, though, dramatic — and cruel. As Croatia thought Josko Gvardiol’s late equaliser against Portugal was enough to defy the inevitable, enter VAR with its usual plot twist to turn it into a cause célèbre. Modric, looking stoically detached from the chaos around him, his face reflecting a sobering resignation to fate, was slowly enveloped in a warm hug from Cristiano Ronaldo. It was a moment of catharsis. Of the two middle-aged men, Ronaldo will now go deeper into the tournament, but Modric’s fifth bid for the biggest prize will remain elusive. “I played with Luka for many years. We’re almost the same age. He’s a football legend; he’s still a football legend because he keeps playing so well and with such great quality. It’s incredible,” Ronaldo later let his feelings be known to the world. The 40-year-old Croatian — often hailed as the greatest player from the tiny, proud Central European country — is ringing the curtain down on his World Cup career with a silver and a bronze medal, with the Golden Ball and the Bronze Ball to boot. A sportsperson’s eternal thirst for completing an endeavour often comes with its presumed value and a reassuring order, but judging Modric through this perception is anything but a conventional valediction. Because pity has never been a requisite for generating passion in his play, because his football has always throbbed with its life-affirming nature. This is where he is unique, perhaps offering a more humane conception of a sporting hero. If Davor Suker — a goal-machine par excellence — represented a symbol of hope and happiness for a newly independent Croatia by helping them finish third in the 1998 World Cup, Modric has extended that legacy, serving as a bridge between the country’s astounding arrival and its new identity in the 21st century as a football powerhouse. Modric himself was a child of Croatia’s battle for independence, his early years turning him into a refugee moving from one place to another in search of survival. Luckily, instead of picking up arms, he found in football the calm amid the chaos. His football has since sought to restore order to disorder, and this has helped him rise above the mediocre. In his delightfully alluring presence, in those sumptuous outside-of-the-boot flicks or crosses, beauty has resided like an object of transcending elegance, like Roger Federer’s backhand — conjuring up a mystique in how it transitions defence into attack, and attack into a winner before opponents could even get a grasp of it. Like every No. 10, he has been a quintessential dreamer with the ball. Tottenham gave him the platform to announce his arrival, and it was at Real Madrid where he truly found his dramatic stage to realise his dream, marrying his method with an unflinching rhetorical fancy. It was never stereotypical, but rather a symphony of pure joy. His rise as the heartbeat of the Spanish club coincided with Croatia’s most successful period in international football, finishing second in the 2018 World Cup and third four years later in Qatar. In his last dance on the world’s stage, he might have tumbled like an ageing king, but not before thrilling the crowd. Football will feel a bit empty now, but Modric’s legacy will be a lasting one.

As Gianni Infantino stood beaming in the Miami stands on an unforgettable night at the World Cup, posing for selfies amid celebrities at the unforgettable Argentina vs Cape Verde match, it was hard not to wonder whether he should have been more focused on what Fifa are actually supposed to be about: running football tournaments.

Because, over five needlessly chaotic hours on Friday, they almost failed at the basics of that: confirming a kick-off time for a football match.

The basic details are worth recapping, all the more so because they are clouded in so much confusion.

Shortly after midday in Mexico City, and 7pm in the UK, one Mexican broadcaster reported as fact that Sunday’s last-16 match between Mexico and England was being brought forward six hours – to 12pm local – “due to a forecast of thunderstorms”.

National team coach Javier Aguirre even went on the same broadcaster’s show to furiously complain about it.

Various federation figures and Fifa sources were initially slow to even respond to questions about this, but it was eventually confirmed that negotiations were taking place. There was still a keenness within the global governing body to insist that there had been no agreement on a new time, or that the game was yet going to be moved.

Mexican media were still reporting it as a done deal, however, that this game was absolutely taking place at 12pm.

A rare popular Sir Keir Starmer decision, to allow pubs to stay open for a 1am kick-off, apparently wasn’t even going to have benefit. England fans would instead get to watch at prime time.

And then… an about-turn, if that’s how you can even describe this.

Some local media were reporting that the game was taking place at the original time, after all.

Just before 5pm, midnight in the UK, Fifa sources were confirming this, but after a lot of confusion and considerable cost.

This went beyond the two teams having to completely reconsider preparation plans for such a crucial game. The Independent has been told of England supporters who felt forced into paying thousands of dollars just to try and fulfil the dream of seeing the team at the Azteca, because their travel to Mexico City was cutting it too close.

That was directly because of a dismal lack of communication, that was all the worse given the proximity to the match.

In normal circumstances, after all, you could actually have some sympathy for Fifa here.

The summer circumstances in north America mean they have to be prepared for a certain adaptability due to the weather, and storms in Mexico City at this time of year are said by locals to be “like clockwork” and ferocious.

Fifa sources were talking about a “risk of flooding”. This match may yet be delayed on the night.

Mexican sources were meanwhile talking of other necessary considerations, like security and public order after the difficulties of handling celebrations following Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Ecuador.

There was obviously a lot to think about, and it’s completely fair that Fifa would have to discuss contingency plans.

It’s also out of their control that Mexican media just went and reported a change to kick-off.

Fifa were wrong-footed.

What is not out of their control, though, is how they respond to that.

There was no leadership, direction or answers. Infantino at that point didn’t seem to have control of his own competition.

Such perceptions became even worse when the various involved parties were pursued for explanation.

No one at Fifa was willing to go into any of it. The Football Association insisted it was nothing to do with them, and they are understood to have been astounded by developments. They hadn’t even been notified about any discussions when reports appeared in Mexican media, despite Fifa sources stating both federations had been informed at the same time. Aguirre fulminated that he hadn’t even been consulted.

“The schedule change hits like a kick in the stomach,” the Mexican coach said, while speaking to the logistical issues that both sides were now having to consider. “We have to change the entire plan. I don’t like it at all, nor do my players.

“Of course, the food, the nap, the sleep, the physiotherapy, everything, everything, it seems trivial, but it isn’t.”

Sources close to the Mexican FA were meanwhile saying they had been informed by local broadcasters.

As people scrambled for info, the England camp were en route from Kansas City to Mexico City. Their flight was apparently one of the few in north America that doesn’t have wifi.

As they were travelling, reports emerged in Mexico that all of this was a consequence of negotiations between Fifa and the BBC – a claim the BBC flatly denied.

The majority of those connected to the story already felt that idea was absurd, that the corporation would never consider trying to change the schedule, especially at this late stage.

The BBC were still one of the few to go on record.

No one else was willing to take public responsibility for pushing the change, and there was a lot of private finger-pointing.

Some believe it speaks to the ad hoc manner of governance in Infantino’s Fifa.

The eventual adherence to the original time – after five hours of confusion – was decided upon after hours of discussions with both federations.

While fears do persist about delays and flooding, a key factor was that the operation around the game – right up to military personnel – was too complicated for it to be changed.

The potential for confusion was too great. There’d been enough on Friday, not quite a day when time stood still but somehow went back and forth, amid all kinds of spin.

Arthur Fery is probably sick of people mentioning his height.

At 5ft 9in, the British number three is shorter than many of his peers on the ATP Tour.

The Wimbledon grass often suits ‘servebots’ – tall players who send down flurries of aces and unreturnable first serves. Fery does not fall into that category.

But the 23-year-old has shown he has other tools to hurt opponents and plans to use them against Zizou Bergs, a 6ft 1in Belgian, when they meet on Saturday for a place in the fourth round.

The world number 114 is carrying British hopes at the All England Club after becoming the sole home player to reach the third round of the singles.

“Arthur has to be an exceptional mover – he’s got a very good first serve, but he’s not going to get as many cheap points by hitting people off the court,” said Alex Ward, a men’s national coach with the Lawn Tennis Association who has been guiding Fery.

“He’s had to have an all-round game, been able to come to the net, defend, attack, use variation.

“In general, if you are on the shorter side, you have to be better at the skill side, and fortunately, he is.”

Fery has plenty of venom in his groundstrokes and his nimbleness means he is able to spring forward to finish points with volleys at the net.

The way Fery carries himself around the court is also notable, and Ward believes it is one of his biggest strengths.

“He believes, not in an arrogant way, he can beat the players he’s playing here,” said Ward.

“When you talk to him, and when we speak about matches or opponents, I get a real true feeling that he believes he can win matches.

“That’s a massive thing to have, and it’s a tough thing to be taught.”

The New York Knicks‘ first championship team in 53 years is now starting to look a little bit different.

They were able to hang on to Jose Alvarado, but the first domino to fall was defensive big man Mitchell Robinson, who signed a three-year deal with the Boston Celtics.

Several of Robinson’s former Knick teammates, including Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby, commented on his farewell post on Instagram, but Robinson’s response to Anunoby was rather telling.

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Mitchell Robinson outside City Hall at the New York Knicks ticker-tape parade June 18, 2026 in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images)

Anunoby commented with a sad emoji, and Robinson said he “tried” to get back with the Knicks, hinting the feeling was not mutual.

“I tried brother I didn’t want this to happen hopefully the truth comes out at some point. I’m gonna miss you big dawg! Keep being great,” Robinson replied.

Team owner James Dolan said almost immediately after the Knicks won the title that he had no interest in approaching the NBA’s second apron of payroll, calling it “suicidal.”

Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks celebrates after winning an NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images)

KNICKS OWNER APPEARS TO TAKE SWIPE AT MAMDANI AT NBA CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION, STIFFS PHOTO OP WITH HIM

That alone was enough to tell fans that a roster reconstruction was looming, especially with Brunson about to make up for the massive pay cut he took to help the Knicks win it all.

Robinson grabbed the final offensive rebound off a missed free throw that all but clinched the Knicks’ title against the San Antonio Spurs last month.

Robinson saw both the good and the bad with the Knicks as a second-round draft pick in 2018; in his first season, they were 17-65.

Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks talks to the media after a Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs June 13, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Jacob Gonzalez/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Now, he heads to an apparently retooling Celtics team as a champion.

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