Sports
Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland headed to Monday playoff at Travelers
Jun 28, 2026; Cromwell, Connecticut, USA; Scottie Scheffler drives from the 1st tee during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John Dufour-Imagn Images Norway’s Viktor Hovland and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler ended regulation tied atop the leaderboard and will return Monday for a playoff at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn.
They finished at 21-under 259 after Sunday’s fourth round at TPC River Highlands, where darkness became an issue because of an earlier weather delay.
Scheffler shot 2-under-par 68 and Hovland, who was the third-round leader, posted 69.
Hovland nearly won it with his birdie attempt from about 25 feet on the last hole, but the ball settled inches from the cup. Then Scheffler needed to save par with a putt from just inside 9 feet. He fist-pumped emphatically when his ball dropped.
The playoff is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
Play was suspended for nearly 90 minutes because of storms Sunday evening, creating a dash to the finish. Golfers played in rain for numerous shots before lightning was detected and play was halted.
Scheffler birdied the par-5 13th hole in the rain to take the lead. Play stopped after his tee shot on the next hole.
Hovland bridged the suspension with three consecutive birdies to pull even with Scheffler at 21 under. Collin Morikawa shot 61 in the final round to finish third at 20 under. He completed his round tied atop the leaderboard, though the final pairing of Hovland and Scheffler still had six holes to finish.
Morikawa began the day nine strokes off the lead, but pulled even after a birdie on No. 16.
Morikawa went 5 under across the front nine as part of his bogey-free round. His late surge included a birdie on No. 18 despite needing to escape a fairway bunker amid the rain.
Five golfers were within a shot of the lead as the final group began the back nine. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (64) placed fourth at 19 under. Wyndham Clark (65), a week removed from winning the U.S. Open, and Akshay Bhatia (67) shared fifth place at 18 under.
J.J. Spaun (64), England’s Alex Fitzpatrick (64) and Canada’s Corey Conners (63) tied for seventh at 17 under.
After Morikawa, the second-best score of the day was a bogey-free 62 turned in by Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard. That allowed him to move to 14 under and tie for 14th place.
–Field Level Media
Austria and Algeria went down to the wire in a match full of drama. Austria’s last-minute goal means both teams are through to the next round. Celebrations are also due for the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have qualified for the first time in their history thanks to a 3-1 win against Uzbekistan. Portugal and Colombia stayed level at 0-0. England finished top of group L, putting two past Panama. The round of 32 fixtures are all confirmed. The first knockout game has Canada go up against South Africa in Los Angeles.
The biggest ever group stage at a World Cup is over – and the tournament bracket has been settled all the way to the final.
After 72 games, we now know which of the 48 teams participating have made it to the round of 32.
But how well do you know the numbers that helped – or hindered – teams in getting there?
Test yourself in our quiz below!
After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.
Davis Alexander didn’t seem like a quarterback who’d just led his team to another victory — and a 3-1 record.
The Montreal Alouettes’ star pivot offered a brutally honest assessment of what had just transpired at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium on Sunday night.
“I’m gonna say it. It was awful,” a visibly frustrated Alexander said on the side of the field post-game. “Way too close of a game, awful for our standard.”
Despite big performances from Alexander and wideout Tyson Philpot, the Alouettes only barely held on to beat the struggling Ottawa Redblacks 37-35, a score line that looked unlikely when favoured Montreal cruised to a 21-6 halftime lead.
The Redblacks posted just 76 yards of net offence in the first half before responding with a pair of quick touchdowns to outscore the Alouettes 12-0 in the third quarter, continuing a woeful early-season trend for Montreal (3-1) after halftime.
“There’s something about that third quarter that we need to clean up,” Philpot said. “It pisses us off when we let teams back in, and we know when we play championship-winning football teams, we’re not going to find a way to win (playing) football like that.”
So, what’s the solution?
“I don’t know. I want to say laser focus through four quarters,” Alexander said. “But I don’t know, can you measure that? Is that actually the problem? That’s just the way I see it. I mean, I’m obviously pretty frustrated and pissed, but we just have to be better.”
Veteran defensive back Wesley Sutton offered a more philosophical explanation after another tough second half for the Alouettes’ defence.
“It’s not just football, it’s life. You get a promotion, you have success, and you just tend to fall back, but you have to continue to fight that,” said Sutton, who had one interception. “We have to fight that temptation to take our foot off the gas and relax.
“It’s just an innate feeling, you have success and you want to relax. You’ve got to fight, we have to be on each other to continue to keep pushing and finish.”
Head coach Jason Maas, meanwhile, wasn’t buying into the negative slant.
“Was it awful? I would never say that. I’m sorry, I don’t believe in that,” he said. “The CFL is hard to win games. Bottom line.
“Can you get upset about not playing to a standard on every play? Sure, you can do that. But a totality of a game and you win a game? You’ve got to be happy about that and proud of that.”
To Maas’ point, it wasn’t all bad.
Alexander completed 22-of-30 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns for Montreal, improving his record as a CFL starter to 15-1 in the regular season.
His favourite target was Philpot, who hauled in 12 receptions for 198 yards — including 125 in the first half — before 17,138 fans.
In perhaps the play of the night, Alexander went deep up the middle to Snead on a 46-yard heave, helping the Alouettes take a nine-point lead with 56.4 left on a José Maltos Diaz field goal. The clutch play came moments after Alexander limped off a tackle, saying post-game he felt fine.
“It’s the way I’m built, the way I’m wired,” he said. “I’m in the Grey Cup, I’m playing on a torn hamstring, I throw a ball 65 yards to Snead. I mean, it doesn’t matter.”
The Redblacks immediately answered in stunning fashion as Kalil Pimpleton returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to make it 37-35 with 42 seconds remaining. But Philpot retrieved Ottawa’s onside kick to run out the clock and secure an Alouettes victory.
Ottawa, meanwhile, is still searching for its first win under head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie (0-3), but had an encouraging second half.
Jake Maier was 27-of-38 passing for 336 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for Ottawa (0-3), while Keelan White caught two touchdowns as the offence and special teams found a rhythm against an Alouettes team that has surrendered 124 points through four games.
“I thought Jake battled, I thought the offence battled, where we kind of found an identity in the second (half) and we got to build off of that,” Dinwiddie said. “But no moral victories. We’re 0-3. That’s where we’re at.
“You can’t point fingers and blame. I told the guys, everybody’s got to have a lens and look in the mirror, including myself and the rest of the coaches.”
Redblacks: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday.
Alouettes: Have a bye week, then host the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, July 11.
Sports
Cricket at LA Olympics: Why two-time T20 World Cup champions West Indies will miss out – explained | Cricket News
New Delhi: Two-time Men’s T20 World Cup champions West Indies will miss cricket’s return to the Olympics in 2028 after the qualification process was revealed on Monday (June 29). Six teams each will play in the men’s and women’s T20 competitions at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.Besides four-highest ranked eligible National Olympic Committees (NOC) continentally and one quota place for the hosts USA, one more place will be decided by virtue of a Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament (FOCGQT). Based on the rankings on 31 December 2026, a qualifying tournament will be played featuring the “next eight highest-ranked eligible teams not yet qualified.”If West Indies, who are currently seventh in the ICC T20I rankings, the ICC will organise a West Indies Nations Regional Tournament.It will be played to decide which NOC will compete in the FOCGQT. Unlike the ICC, which recognises the collection of Caribbean islands as the West indies, it is not the case with the IOC (International Olympic Committee).So, IOC recognises Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica , St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands, as separate NOCs. ICC, however, do not.The NOC that wins the FOGQT will secure the final Olympic quota place.Cricket returns to the Olympics after a 126 year period. The last time cricket was played at the Olympics was in Paris 1900.Cricket at LA2028Men: 6 teamsWomen: 6 teamsMen’s event1 team: Host USA qualifies if they remain in top-15 rankings on 31 December 2026.4 teams: Highest-ranked eligible NOCs continentally on December 31 (India, England, Australia, South Africa qualify based on current rankings)1 team: Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament (FOGQT) of the next eight highest-ranked eligible teams that haven’t already qualified. West Indies, if it meets the rankings criteria, will play a regional tournament of its Caribbean islands.* New Zealand (currently 4th in the rankings) would not qualify automatically because Australia is already Oceania’s highest-ranked team.* Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka would miss out because India occupies Asia’s continental berth. They will likely head to the qualifier.Women’s eventUnlike the men’s event which is decided by the rankings, the women’s will be decided by the ongoing T20 World Cup.4 teams: The automatic places go to the highest-placed eligible NOCs from four different continents at the World Cup.1 team: USA qualify as hosts if they stay within the top-15 rankings. They’re currently 20th.1 team: One final spot comes via the Global Qualification Tournament which will be played between the next eight highest-ranked eligible teams that haven’t qualified.Again, West Indies, if they are in this category, will play a regional tournament to ascertain which NOC qualifies for the Olympics.
Sports
‘I Want To Fight Against Him’ – Rifdean Masdor Eyes Nadaka After Earning Six-Figure Deal At The Inner Circle 19
Rifdean “Magic Boy” Masdor came to The Inner Circle 19 with a point to prove. He left with a knockout, a US$100,000 main roster contract, and a callout that sent a message to the entire atomweight Muay Thai division.
The 23-year-old delivered a fierce first-round stoppage of Iran’s Javad Mozafari on the subscriber-only card, which streamed live at live.onefc.com from Bangkok’s revered Lumpinee Stadium.
The win – his seventh in ONE Championship and his fifth first-round promotional knockout – earned the Sor Sommai and Sor Kitrungroj product the six-figure deal.
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In doing so, he joined Johan “Jojo” Ghazali and Aliff Sor Dechapan in an exclusive club of Malaysians who have been handed that life-changing opportunity on the global stage.
For Rifdean, three years of grinding, sacrificing, and believing had finally produced exactly what he always knew they would.
He said:
“I’ve been waiting for this contract for three years. I’ve got it because I worked hard. Discipline and motivation have always been number one for me.
“Thank you so much to Boss Chatri [Sityodtong] for giving me the contract and the bonus, and thank you to my big boss at Sor Sommai. Thank you to my fans and my family. Thank you, everyone.”
The path to that contract ran through a performance that Rifdean himself did not entirely see coming. Despite already owning four first-round knockouts in ONE heading into the fight, he was not banking on a swift finish.
What followed, though, left little room for doubt. The Malaysian imposed himself from the opening bell and gave his foe no time to breathe. A telling body shot soon dropped Mozafari. The Iranian beat the count – but two left hooks to the body finished the job for good at the 94-second mark.
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“Magic Boy” continued:
“I wasn’t expecting to get the knockout win in the first round because anything can happen in a fight. But, Alhamdulillah, I kept pushing until my opponent went down.”
The finish was the exclamation point on a brilliant campaign that had been building toward this exact moment. Five straight victories, five finishes, and now a main roster contract that opens an entirely new chapter.
What came next made clear that he had no intention of stopping there. He had inserted himself firmly into the atomweight Muay Thai conversation, and his message to the division was equally unambiguous.
Rifdean shared:
“Now that I’ve got the contract, I’m happy. But it’s not over yet. See you in the next fight. I will do my best.”
Rifdean Has Nadaka In His Sights
True to his word, Rifdean Masdor intends to do his best, and he has already identified exactly who he wants to do it against.
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No opponent has been officially confirmed for his main roster debut. But following his knockout of Mozafari, the Sor Sommai and Sor Kitrungroj athlete fixed his gaze firmly on reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka.
He continued:
“My next goal is to become a ONE World Champion. So, for my next fight, see you in Japan, Nadaka. I want to fight against him.”
The callout carries genuine conviction – but it is not the words of a fighter getting ahead of himself.
Rifdean has long admired what the Japanese slugger has built throughout his rise to become arguably the finest striker of this generation. Now, with a main roster contract in hand, the young Malaysian believes he belongs in the same conversation.
The 23-year-old concluded:
“I’ll train hard to get the belt. Nadaka is my idol, and I want to fight with my idol. It will be a good fight.”
The updated game introduces major enhancements, including the Dynasty Blueprint system, new Road to Glory mechanics, Mascot Mashup mode, and expanded on-field gameplay, like refined zone coverage and the jump snap.
The vast majority of players actively opted into the game, but there are a few notable absences in the database ahead of launch.
Here are the ratings of the Top 100+ players from the West, with their school, position, and conference.
Top 100+ EA SPORTS College Football 27 Players from the West
| Overall Rating | Player | Team | Position | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | Dante Moore | Oregon | QB | Big Ten |
| 94 | Matayo Uiagalelei | Oregon | Edge | Big Ten |
| 93 | A’Mauri Washington | Oregon | DT | Big Ten |
| 93 | Iapani Laloulu | Oregon | C | Big Ten |
| 93 | Koi Perich | Oregon | S | Big Ten |
| 92 | Jayden Maiava | USC | QB | Big Ten |
| 92 | LJ Martin | BYU | RB | Big 12 |
| 92 | Teitum Tuioti | Oregon | Edge | Big Ten |
| 91 | Brandon Finney Jr. | Oregon | CB | Big Ten |
| 91 | Bruce Mitchell | BYU | C | Big 12 |
| 91 | Danny Scudero | Colorado | WR | Big 12 |
| 91 | Jontez Williams | USC | CB | Big Ten |
| 90 | Bear Alexander | Oregon | DT | Big Ten |
| 90 | Evan Johnson | BYU | CB | Big 12 |
| 90 | Faletau Satuala | BYU | S | Big 12 |
| 90 | Ian Strong | Cal | WR | ACC |
| 90 | Jamari Johnson | Oregon | TE | Big Ten |
| 90 | Noah Fifita | Arizona | QB | Big 12 |
| 90 | Wayne Knight | UCLA | RB | Big Ten |
| 89 | Devon Dampier | Utah | QB | Big 12 |
| 89 | Dorian Thomas | Cal | TE | ACC |
| 89 | Jai’Den Thomas | UNLV | RB | Mountain West |
| 89 | Jaxton Eck | New Mexico | LB | Mountain West |
| 89 | Jayden Virgin-Morgan | Boise State | Edge | Pac-12 |
| 89 | Simeon Harris | Fresno State | CB | Pac-12 |
| 88 | C.J. Fite | ASU | DT | Big 12 |
| 88 | Dakorien Moore | Oregon | WR | Big Ten |
| 88 | Demond Williams Jr. | Washington | QB | Big Ten |
| 88 | Dylan Riley | Boise State | RB | Pac-12 |
| 88 | Gideon Lampron | Colorado | LB | Big 12 |
| 88 | Iverson Hooks | Oregon | WR | Big Ten |
| 88 | Jay’Vion Cole | Arizona | CB | Big 12 |
| 88 | Matt Rose | Stanford | LB | ACC |
| 88 | Owen Long | ASU | LB | Big 12 |
| 88 | Owen Allen | Air Force | RB | Mountain West |
| 88 | Tao Johnson | UCLA | S | Big Ten |
| 88 | Waymond Jordan | USC | RB | Big Ten |
| 87 | Ashton Stamps | ASU | CB | Big 12 |
| 87 | Boo Carter | Colorado | CB | Big 12 |
| 87 | Chase Hendricks | Cal | WR | ACC |
| 87 | Dezmen Roebuck | Washington | WR | Big Ten |
| 87 | Dylan Labarbera | Nevada | Edge | Mountain West |
| 87 | Elijah Paige | USC | OL | Big Ten |
| 87 | Evan Stewart | Oregon | WR | Big Ten |
| 87 | Isaiah Glasker | BYU | LB | Big 12 |
| 87 | Jacob Manu | Washington | LB | Big Ten |
| 87 | Jide Abasiri | USC | DT | Big Ten |
| 87 | Jordon Davison | Oregon | RB | Big TEn |
| 87 | Keanu Tanuvasa | BYU | DT | Big 12 |
| 87 | King Miller | USC | RB | Big Ten |
| 87 | Lucky Sutton | SDSU | RB | Pac-12 |
| 87 | Maddux Madsen | Boise State | QB | Pac-12 |
| 87 | Nico Iamaleava | UCLA | QB | Big Ten |
| 87 | Omarion Miller | ASU | WR | Big 12 |
| 87 | Reed Harris | ASU | WR | Big 12 |
| 87 | Taye Brown | Arizona | LB | Big 12 |
| 87 | Tyson Ruffins | Cal | OL | ACC |
| 86 | Cade Uluave | BYU | LB | Big 12 |
| 86 | DeAndre Moore Jr. | Colorado | WR | Big 12 |
| 86 | Jeremiah McClellan | Oregon | WR | Big Ten |
| 86 | Roger Carreon | Boise State | OL | Pac-12 |
| 86 | Terrell Anderson | USC | WR | Big Ten |
| 86 | Tony Freeman | WSU | WR | Pac-12 |
| 86 | Wayshawn Parker | Utah | RB | Big 12 |
| 85 | Adrian Wilson | ASU | S | Big 12 |
| 85 | Aiden Sullivan | Oregon State | LB | Pac-12 |
| 85 | Braden Pegan | Utah | WR | Big 12 |
| 85 | Brandon Nicholson | Stanford | CB | ACC |
| 85 | Dave Iuli | Oregon | OL | Big Ten |
| 85 | Dierre Hill Jr. | Oregon | RB | Big Ten |
| 85 | Drew Azzopardi | Washington | OL | Big Ten |
| 85 | Elijah Palmer | Hawai’i | CB | Mountain West |
| 85 | Elinneus Davis | Washington | DT | Big Ten |
| 85 | Jackson Bennee | Utah | S | Big 12 |
| 85 | Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele | Cal | QB | ACC |
| 85 | Jordan Napier | SDSU | WR | Pac-12 |
| 85 | Pofele Ashlock | Hawai’i | WR | Mountain West |
| 85 | Sire Gaines | Boise State | RB | Pac-12 |
| 85 | Tano Letuli | SDSU | LB | Pac-12 |
| 85 | Tre Smith | Arizona | Edge | Big 12 |
| 84 | Alex McLaughlin | Washington | S | Big Ten |
| 84 | Andrew Gentry | BYU | OL | Big 12 |
| 84 | Bear Bachmeier | BYU | QB | Big 12 |
| 84 | Bernock Iya | New Mexico State | S | CUSA |
| 84 | Blake Fletcher | Air Force | LB | Mountain West |
| 84 | Brevin Hamblin | Utah State | S | Pac-12 |
| 84 | Bryson Donelson | Fresno State | RB | Pac-12 |
| 84 | Daniel Harris | Cal | CB | ACC |
| 84 | Decker DeGraaf | Washington | TE | Big Ten |
| 84 | Desman Stephens II | USC | LB | Big Ten |
| 84 | DJ Barksdale | UCLA | CB | Big Ten |
| 84 | Ify Obidegwu | Oregon | CB | Big Ten |
| 84 | JeRico Washington Jr. | Boise State | CB | Pac-12 |
| 84 | Jerry Mixon | Oregon | LB | Big Ten |
| 84 | Joseph Williams | Colorado | WR | Big 12 |
| 84 | Kalan Ellis | SDSU | OL | Pac-12 |
| 84 | Oumar Diomande | CSU | LB | Pac-12 |
| 84 | Randon Fontenette | Colorado | S | Big 12 |
| 84 | Rayshon Luke | Fresno State | RB | Pac-12 |
| 84 | Sahir West | UCLA | Edge | Big Ten |
| 84 | Therrian Alexander III | BYU | CB | Big 12 |
| 84 | Tristan Bounds | Arizona | OL | Big 12 |
| 84 | Zach Cochnauer | Nevada | OL | Mountain West |
BOSTON — Sonny Gray was almost overloaded with reasons to celebrate.
As if taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning and reaching 2,000 career strikeouts weren’t enough, his brilliant outing Sunday night for Boston came against the rival New York Yankees — a team Gray once pitched for and hasn’t been shy about disliking.
So after winning in a wild ending, Gray and the Red Sox were reveling in a four-game sweep at Fenway Park that marked their longest winning streak this season.
“They’re at the top of our division right now. They are where we hope to be. So yeah, it was a good series and it was a pretty sick finish to the series for us,” Gray said after the Red Sox rallied for a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.
Actually, the Yankees are now a game behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East, thanks in large part to Boston’s first four-game sweep in the rivalry since 2018.
Finishing it off proved difficult when New York scored two runs in the ninth to tie it and then two more in the 10th to take a 4-2 lead. But the Red Sox responded with three in the bottom half and walked off with a rousing win on Jarren Duran’s game-ending single.
The chaotic ending nearly overshadowed what Gray had done hours before, striking out nine and shutting down the Yankees emphatically for 7 1/3 innings as Boston clung to a 2-0 advantage.
“I was just trying to do my part to win the game. That’s all I was thinking about other than executing a pitch,” Gray said. “I just felt very focused. I wanted to come out and win the game and we did that.”
Gray didn’t dwell much on the opponent despite his history with New York.
He pitched for the Yankees after a trade-deadline deal in 2017, but the following season ended up losing his spot in the rotation and was ultimately left off the Yankees’ postseason roster. His time with New York ended with an offseason trade to Cincinnati. Stops in Minnesota and St. Louis followed before the veteran right-hander arrived in Boston this season, and he said he never really wanted to play for the Yankees.
While the last-place Red Sox (36-46) are still 10 games below .500, Gray said it felt pretty special getting to that point after what it took to win Sunday. He tipped his cap to Boston fans as he left to a standing ovation in the eighth after Amed Rosario ended the no-hit bid with a one-out single up the middle on Gray’s 97th pitch.
“I think in the sixth inning or something they started really like getting into it and it was cool. I appreciated that,” Gray said. “I appreciate them and it seemed like they appreciated the outing tonight. We need them. If we’re going to get back into this thing, we need them. And they were here for us this weekend, so I appreciated that.”
It was the first time since 1963 the Yankees were held hitless through the first four innings of three straight games.
Gray got some defensive help in the third when Wilyer Abreu robbed Austin Wells of a hit with a sliding grab in shallow right field after a full sprint to reach the sinking ball in time. Abreu also committed a pair of costly throwing errors late that helped the Yankees tie it and later take the lead.
Interim manager Chad Tracy said he still has plenty of confidence in his Gold Glove outfielder, as did his teammates.
“We’ve had a good weekend. Even though we gave up a couple of runs, the energy in the dugout coming in was like, let’s go win the game,” Tracy said. “There’s been times here in the past couple of months where that would have kind of crushed us, but that was not the case. They were fired up to try and get that done.”
Yankees starter Carlos Rodón had a one-hitter going after holding Boston without a hit through the first three innings. Caleb Durbin broke it up with a two-run single with one out in the fourth.
The winger is finalizing a six-year, $18-million deal to remain in Buffalo, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Sunday.
Malenstyn has spent the past two seasons with the Sabres. In 2025-26, he had seven goals and seven assists in 81 games played.
The 28-year-old also appeared in 13 playoff games and had three points (one goal, two assists).
Malenstyn was drafted by the Washington Capitals 145th overall in 2016. The Capitals traded him to Buffalo in the 2024 off-season for the second-round pick that ended up being Cole Hutson, brother of Montreal Canadiens star Lane Hutson.
In 262 career NHL games, Malenstyn has 19 goals and 29 assists for 48 points.
After 72 matches played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end, leaving just 32 teams in the race for football’s biggest prize.
The tournament has already produced unforgettable moments, surprise results and outstanding individual performances. As the competition moves into the knockout rounds, here are my personal picks for the best team, player, match and moment of the group stage.
Best Team: France
For me, France have been the best team of the tournament so far. They won all three of their group matches and showed why they remain one of the favourites to lift the World Cup trophy.
Their attack has been outstanding, with pace, creativity and goals coming from different players. They have also shown strength in depth, allowing them to rotate players without losing quality.
While they are not yet at their absolute best, France have looked more complete than any other team in the competition. Their experience, squad depth and attacking quality make them a very difficult team to stop.
Best Player: Lionel Messi
At 39 years old, Lionel Messi continues to prove why he is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
The Argentine captain has been exceptional during the group stage, scoring goals, creating chances and leading by example. His intelligence, movement and ability to influence matches remain unmatched.
Every time Messi steps onto the pitch, he creates moments that football fans will remember forever. His performances at this World Cup have once again shown that age is just a number for a player of his quality.
Best Match: Uruguay vs Cape Verde
The best match of the group stage for me was the thrilling 2-2 draw between Uruguay and Cape Verde.
The game had everything that makes football special, goals, drama, emotion and excitement. Cape Verde took the lead, fell behind and then fought back to earn a deserved draw against one of the traditional giants of world football.
Both teams created chances to win the game in the closing stages, making it one of the most entertaining and unforgettable matches of the tournament so far.
Best Moment: Cape Verde Reach the Last 32
The most memorable moment of the World Cup group stage was Cape Verde qualifying for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
After completing their own match, the players from the small African nation gathered together on the pitch to watch updates from the Spain versus Uruguay game. They knew their World Cup dream depended on Spain avoiding defeat.
When confirmation finally arrived that Spain had beaten Uruguay, the emotions exploded. Players, coaches and staff celebrated wildly as Cape Verde secured a historic place in the last 32.
It was a beautiful reminder of what makes the World Cup so special. For a small nation to achieve such a remarkable feat and celebrate together in such an emotional way was a moment that captured the true spirit of football.
June 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Japan’s Takefusa Kubo reacts. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Japan won’t have star winger Takefusa Kubo for their World Cup round of 32 match vs. Brazil on Monday in Houston.
Kubo suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee during Japan’s tournament opener against the Netherlands on June 14. He was held out of the Samurai Blue’s remaining group-stage matches against Tunisia and Sweden as he rehabbed his knee.
Kubo — nicknamed “the Japanese Messi” — trained separately from his teammates on Sunday in the portion of practice open to media. But coach Hajime Moriyasu removed any question about Kubo’s status later in the day.
“He’s still only doing individual running (and) training, so he’s not going to play in the match against Brazil,” Moriyasu said. “We really wish for him to recover swiftly, and he wishes it, too.” Japan were still able to finish second in Group F without Kubo’s services to secure advancement. They have reached the knockouts in three straight World Cups and four of the past five, but Brazil represent a major challenge.
“Brazil are always a leading team,” Moriyasu said. “They have a very good chance of winning. Some people will say Japan are underdogs. We will play with that in mind.
“We will respect the opponents but like last year (in the friendly win) we weren’t given a chance to win. This possibility to win — we can change history.”
–Field Level Media
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