A Somali referee set to become his country’s first to officiate a World Cup match has been denied entry into the US, ending his involvement in the football tournament.
Omar Artan was turned away on Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport and told to return to Istanbul, from where he had flown. He was named Africa’s best referee in 2025.
United States Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry due to “vetting concerns” that made him “inadmissible.”
Artan said he remained positive despite the circumstances and was focused on his next refereeing challenges.
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“I thank FIFA and CAF for their support and will maintain my refereeing standards as I look ahead,” he said. “I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”
FIFA: Artan unable to officiate at 2026 World Cup
World football’s governing body said it could not influence the US decision and confirmed Artan’s removal from the World Cup.
“FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States,” a FIFA spokesperson was quoted by AFP as saying.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino promised the most inclusive World Cup everImage: Raymond Carlin III/Imagn Images/REUTERS
Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser at Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, criticized the move, saying it damaged not only Artan but also “football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.”
Artan’s case is not the only problem faced by teams and officials traveling to the US for the tournament, which will also be hosted by Mexico and Canada.
Iran’s national team was forced to move its base camp from the US to Tijuana, Mexico, after Washington denied visas to more than a dozen delegation members. The decision came amid the joint US-Israeli war with Iran.
Iran’s players, coaches and staff will now only be allowed into the US on matchdays, creating travel demands that could affect performance. Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand and Egypt in Los Angeles, with a potential group decider against Belgium in Seattle.
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Coach Amir Ghalenoei criticized the treatment of his team.
“Usually in these tournaments, before technical matters, ethical and human considerations must be respected — which I think for us it was not the case,” he said.
Iran’s national team traveled from Turkey to MexicoImage: Fatih Hepokur/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO
Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was questioned for seven hours after arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. An Iraqi photographer traveling with the team was denied entry.
The World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, is the largest ever, featuring 48 national teams.
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The tournament kicks off on Thursday, with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City.
World Cup 2026: Will international fans come to America?
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
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In the latest edition of WWE RAW, Rey Mysterio and Penta locked horns in an Intercontinental Championship match. The Hall of Famer failed to dethrone the masked man.
However, in the post-match, Rusev and Ethan Page attacked them. The Bulgarian Brute unmasked the Master of 619 on live television. Even in public appearances, Rey had rarely been spotted without a mask and always maintained his culture.
Thanks for the submission!
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Getting unmasked by Rusev on the red brand is indeed a big moment on the show. In this article, let’s discuss three possible reasons why the legendary star got unmasked on RAW this week.
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#3. WWE wants to put over Chad Gable
Since the Mask vs. Mask match, Chad Gable has been the talk of the town among the fans. During SmackDown last week, he appeared on the show and apologized to Rey Fenix for his actions.
On the latest episode of the Monday Night show, Gable confronted Penta, Rey Mysterio, and Dragon Lee backstage and apologized for disrespecting their culture.
When Rusev and Ethan Page launched the post-match assault, the former Alpha Academy member rescued the IC Champion, Mysterio, and Lee. Gable also grabbed Rey’s mask in his hand and handed it over to Penta and Dragon Lee.
In this segment, Gable got a massive pop from the live crowd, particularly when he saved the lucha stars. A major reason Mysterio got unmasked on RAW could be linked to Chad Gable.
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WWE may want to capitalize on the 40-year-old star buzz. By adding the unmasked angle, the company not only heated the entire segment but also added more relevance to Gable’s El Grande Americano gimmick and his apologies to the luchadores.
#2. To set the stage for a tag team match at WWE Night of Champions 2026
WWE Night of Champions 2026 is the next premium live event of the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. As of now, the company is building the PLE primarily around King & Queen of the Ring winners.
However, some more matches are expected to be part of the show. The reason Rey Mysterio got unmasked on the red brand could be connected to this. The Triple H-led creative regime likely wants to add tag team matches to the card.
As a result, they prefer to add this unmasked angle on RAW as it will instantly escalate the heat and set the stage for a tag team match at the Saudi Arabia show. The former El Grande Americano and Rey may pair as allies against Rusev and Ethan Page. If not Chad Gable, then Penta might team up with the Hall of Famer.
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#1. To add a significant moment on RAW
Rusev has unmasked Rey Mysterio.
Controversial angles on live television usually attract big numbers online. Rey Mysterio getting unmasked isn’t usual for the WWE Universe. Such an angle allows World Wrestling Entertainment to generate significant buzz.
Getting massive numbers online could explain the unmasked angle on the red brand. The rest remains to be seen; what plans WWE has in store for the Hall of Famer after what happened on Monday Night RAW.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores patrols the sideline during an international matchup against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Flores remained engaged throughout the contest, overseeing defensive adjustments and communication from the coaching area. On Oct. 6, 2024, Minnesota continued its strong early-season run while showcasing its aggressive defensive identity abroad. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
After trading Jonathan Greenard in late April to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Minnesota Vikings arguably need another outside linebacker for additional depth — and that man may already be in-house. A rookie from last year, defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, is flirting with a switch to OLB, or at least some form of hybrid duty.
If the experiment clicks, Minnesota won’t need any more free-agent power from the open market.
Vikings Defensive Depth Chart Gets a New Summer Experiment
Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins works through on-field testing at the NFL Combine, showcasing his athletic traits in front of league evaluators. On Feb. 27, 2025, Ingram-Dawkins participated in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as teams gathered information ahead of the NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Ingram-Dawkins on the Change
Ingram-Dawnkins filled an EDGE role at organized team activities, and KSTP’s Darren Wolfson asked him about it.
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“I just cleaned up my body a lot in the offseason. I mean, I’m still 280 pounds. Why was it important to clean up your body? You know, just trying to make a big, big jump from my last year. You know, I feel like that was one of the things that I could work on in my game. You know, developing a core and all that, that’ll help me in my techniques with all the versatile positions that I’m playing across the line,” he replied.
“The main focus was to just clean up my body. You know, I feel like that could only help me with how versatile I’m using, I’m being used across the line with all positions. You know, I just feel like I can play all around the line and wherever they wanna plug me and play me. That’s, I’m gonna just put my all into that.”
One of the perks of drafting Ingram-Dawkins was this very possibility — tweener capabilities between DT and OLB.
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Kevin O’Connell Breaks It Down
The Vikings skipper also commented on Ingram-Dawkins’ OLB snaps: “One of the things we really liked about him was his versatility. He did a lot of different things at Georgia, and he’s a really heavy presence on the edge. When we’re trying to run the ball out at that Christian Darrisaw gap out there, and then he’s out there setting the edge, that’s different.”
“And then his versatility to get kick inside, I don’t know if we’ll see him get much tighter than maybe a three, but from the 3T all the way out to the edge, that’s a really versatile player. And then you pair that with what Caleb Banks can be from a versatile standpoint, really being kind of from that 4i/5T on down; it’s exciting. And he’s had a really good sprint, and that kind of year to jump; we’re hoping that it’s happening right now.”
At least from a summer perspective, the plan is in motion.
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What the EDGEs Might Look Like
Examining Minnesota’s OLBs used to be the fun part of roster analysis — until Greenard was traded. Now, the group seems to be missing a link unless Turner erupts into a full-blown star.
Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins finishes a series of workouts and testing exercises during a pivotal pre-draft showcase. On Feb. 27, 2025, Ingram-Dawkins took part in combine activities at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, meeting with scouts and demonstrating his physical tools before the NFL Draft process intensified. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
But pretend momentarily that the Vikings convert Ingram-Dawkins. The EDGE room would look like this:
OLB1: Andrew Van Ginkel OLB2: Dallas Turner OLB3: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins OLB4: Bo Richter OLB5: Tyler Batty OLB6: Chaz Chambliss OLB7: Cam’Ron Stewart OLB8: Arden Walker
It’s unclear if Ingram-Dawkins can morph into a stud OLB3, but his versatility alleviates the depth concerns, if only a little bit.
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Richter, Batty, or a Free Agent? Jake Golday?
Now — pretend Ingram-Dawkings doesn’t play much at OLB in 2026, and in hindsight, that was just a summer theory that didn’t go far. Richter and Batty may be ready for expanded roles, and Jake Golday could emerge as an intriguing inside-outside linebacker.
But the speculation forms a shaky OLB foundation for a team aiming to win playoff games.
While Golday could impress at training camp, Richter could evolve beyond a special teams ace, Batty might quickly prove his capabilities, and Flores could deploy Ingram-Dawkins in a pressure package, much of this remains hypothetical. The Vikings shouldn’t equate such conjecture with genuine roster depth.
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Minnesota’s roster is otherwise solid, making the third outside linebacker spot arguably their biggest remaining question mark before the season. The starting positions are secure; the real concern is potential injuries or whether younger players need more development time.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Bo Richter tracks the football while dropping into coverage during preseason action against Philadelphia. On Aug. 24, 2024, Richter attempted to come away with an interception in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field, displaying versatility as Minnesota evaluated young defenders before roster decisions. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports.
If Richter, Batty, Ingram-Dawkins, and Golday are not the OLB3 answer, here’s the external list of options from free agency:
Cameron Jordan
Derek Barnett
Haason Reddick
Jadeveon Clowney
Joey Bosa
Kyle Van Noy
Leonard Floyd
Marcus Davenport
Von Miller
Yannick Ngakoue
The Vikings have about $13-14 million in cap space if they need an extra outside linebacker.
Ingram-Dawkins’s role will become clearer at training camp, which is seven weeks away.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
That was it for the Spurs. They all knew it. At a minimum, they needed a big Victor Wembanyama performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday. He delivered. They needed someone else to do so as well. Down 2-0 against the Knicks. At Madison Square Garden. Do or die. Stephon Castle did. The Spurs didn’t die.
You could point out any number of massive moments for Castle in what has been a series of endless pressure for both teams, but his big bucket and free throws late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 were the stuff that you’d expect from veterans, not a 21-year-old. He wasn’t fazed. If anything, Castle seemed to welcome the responsibility.
The Spurs were clinging to a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter and were desperate to find another bucket, to avoid blowing a lead yet again, as they had in the first two games. The shot clock was winding down. Wembanyama tried to take Karl-Anthony Towns off the dribble, then had second thoughts. Instead, Wemby threw an awkward, twisting pass to Castle and all but begged him to bail out the Spurs. Castle obliged.
That 3 alone would have been reason enough for his teammates to throw him a salute and thank him for his service. But with 6.8 seconds remaining and the Spurs lead cut to two points, Castle went to the line for two critical free throws. He shot 73.4% there this season, and he’s upped that to 81.1% in the playoffs. Pretty good. But improved numbers only get you so far. Imagine the weight of being that young and knowing that knocking down both gets you another game, and doing anything short of that might very well end your season with the way the Spurs have struggled to close out the first two games. If Castle was thinking about any of that, he didn’t let the MSG crowd or anyone else see him sweat.
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Castle played it cool after the game, too. He went for 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. He committed just two turnovers. He made 8 of his 14 shots, including two 3s, and drained 5 of 6 free throws. And then after all that he sat on the courtside set with the Inside the NBA guys — all of them legends — and calmly answered questions like he didn’t just make three of the biggest shots of his life when his storied franchise needed it most and all eyes everywhere were firmly fixed on him. The postgame poise alone was impressive.
Without Castle having the most important game of his young career at such a critical moment, the Spurs would be cooked. Maybe they still will fall short in this series, but, at the very least, they prevented the Knicks from feasting on them late for a third straight game. That’s not nothing. Here’s something else: however this series ultimately resolves itself, San Antonio knows that it has a killer young core that will make the Spurs a living nightmare for the rest of the league for the foreseeable future. Dylan Harper, at 20, is already so far ahead of the curve that it almost feels unfair. And Wembanyama is Wembanyama. But Castle emerging as a monster two-way force — a guy who has All-Defense-level talent in him along with a developing no-fear offensive game — is perhaps the secret sauce. What he’ll be two or three years from now boggles the mind. What he already is isn’t much easier to process.
When the Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox a little over a year ago, the idea was to pair him with Wemby and fast-track the San Antonio rebuild. But with respect to Fox — who hit the biggest shot of his career in the fourth quarter on Monday evening — he’s already been supplanted by his two young teammates. Maybe Harper ends up being the better of the two, and he’s certainly had plenty of big moments this postseason, but in Game 3 it was Castle who picked up as much weight as he could carry and helped Wembanyama lift the Spurs to a victory. Together, they became the first teammates in NBA history 22 years old or younger to both go for 20 or more points in the NBA Finals.
Castle played through contact to find Wemby several times. And he made some contact of his own when he steamrolled Jalen Brunson, much to the displeasure of Knicks fans. Through it all, throughout the game, he looked like a veteran in both body and mindset. And when it was all done, he shrugged it off the way you’d want from a professional who’s going about his business and knows the job is far from over. The Spurs had just won a massive game on the road to climb back into the series and make the Knicks think twice about their pending parade, and this kid who is barely out of college said he felt “like we haven’t done anything yet.” Castle was right. The Spurs still have plenty to do — but that’s only the case because Castle did plenty in Game 3.
New York Giants defensive end Chauncey Golston brings down Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy during a road matchup late in the regular season. On Dec. 21, 2025, Golston recorded the sack in the first half at MetLife Stadium, applying pressure as Minnesota battled the Giants in East Rutherford. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images.
Because Kyler Murray appears to be the runaway frontrunner to win the Minnesota Vikings’ QB1 job this summer, some NFL-themed media outlets believe Murray’s competition, J.J. McCarthy, could be traded.
A to Z Sports sized up landing spots for McCarthy, landing on the New York Jets as the wisest option from the Vikings’ standpoint.
Vikings QB Plan Still Points toward Keeping the Young Passer
A themed Gotham City rivalry helmet sits on the field before kickoff, adding a unique visual element to the pregame atmosphere at MetLife Stadium. On Dec. 7, 2025, the display was positioned before the New York Jets hosted the Miami Dolphins, highlighting one of the AFC East’s longstanding rivalries. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
A to Z Sports Lands on Jets as Top McCarthy Trade Partner
Rob Gregson led the charge for McCarthy to the Jets, writing, “Jets receive: J.J. McCarthy. Vikings receive: 2027 5th-round pick (conditional pick that rises to a 3rd with 70% snaps played). Let’s be honest, the New York Jets aren’t going to field a very competitive team in 2026, or at least not on the offensive side of the ball.”
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“After his career resurgence in Seattle, Geno Smith has regressed to the mean over the past couple of seasons, including a year to forget in Vegas last year. Even if he recaptures the magic of his 2022-2023 campaigns in Seattle, Smith turns 36 in October.”
New York also has rookie passer Cade Klubnik in the mix.
Gregson continued, “The Jets are searching for their quarterback of the future, and they are well-positioned to do so in the 2027 class with three 1st-rounders. But why delay the process? Let’s say you trade for J.J. McCarthy, he wins the backup job, and then at some point during the season, you turn to him. Now, let’s say he plays well.”
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“Suddenly, you have a bridge quarterback at the very least, if not a long-term backup. Plus, you will still have all of your premier draft capital, because McCarthy isn’t fetching anything close to a 1st-rounder. A low-risk, high-reward proposition for the Jets here.”
The panel at A to Z Sports also mentioned the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals as trade partners but settled on the Jets as the smartest: “Vikings should select trade proposal from Jets. There are two things at play here: getting proper draft capital back for McCarthy, but also getting him an opportunity to potentially be a starting quarterback somewhere.”
“The Dolphins offered the best package from a guaranteed draft pick standpoint, but the Jets offering a condition on the fifth-round pick to improve it into a third-round pick, while only having Geno Smith in his way makes it the smartest move.”
Destined to Fail?
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The Jets — especially right now — would not be the best situation for any quarterback, especially McCarthy, who must hone his consistency to catch on as a long-term starter. Foremost, he’d be trapped in a QB2 role behind Smith because, for some reason or another, the Jets just love Smith.
McCarthy would also have Klubnik breathing down his neck, notable because the current front office regime hand-picked him in the draft a month and a half ago.
And — it’s the Jets. How many times in recent memory or NFL history has New York hosted a successful redemption story — or a long-term quarterback at all? McCarthy could hand the ball off to Breece Hall and sling it to Garrett Wilson and Kenyon Sadiq, but the Jets aren’t the dream setup for the youngster.
The only thing he might have going for him, down the road, is playing time.
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Vikings Likely to Keep McCarthy
Minnesota’s 2025 quarterback strategy faced a critical flaw: a lack of viable alternatives. The Vikings could have retained Sam Darnold after a 14-3 season. They could have brought in Daniel Jones for another year or pursued Aaron Rodgers. They could even have eased McCarthy into the starting role, making his rookie year smoother.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy goes through pregame warm-ups ahead of a key NFC North road matchup against Detroit. On Nov. 2, 2025, McCarthy prepared at Ford Field before Minnesota’s showdown with the Lions, continuing his first season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images.
Instead, they bypassed these options and immediately entrusted McCarthy with the starting position, accepting the consequences. He didn’t fully excel, and the Vikings missed the playoffs. By February, their quarterback situation was back to square one.
And this is where Murray becomes a pivotal addition. He provides the Vikings with something they lacked last year: a genuine Plan B. McCarthy can still earn the starting job, but so can Murray. Minnesota is no longer forced to put all its hopes on a single young quarterback to develop under pressure.
While this doesn’t guarantee perfect quarterback play — nothing does — having two strong contenders for QB1 is a significant improvement over relying on one uncertain prospect.
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Given Murray and McCarthy as long-term possibilities, trading the younger player makes little sense. Two of the last three Vikings seasons have been derailed by quarterback injuries. It would be unwise to discard a quarterback option so soon.
Chargers Make Most Sense Otherwise
Suppose McCarthy is traded. The Chargers are the one spot that makes sense — because of Jim Harbaugh. He nurtured McCarthy at Michigan and seems to “get him.” The two won a National Championship together in 2023.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with quarterback J.J. McCarthy after a touchdown pass during a rivalry game against Michigan State. On Oct. 21, 2023, McCarthy helped power the Wolverines at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, adding another highlight to a season that eventually ended with a national championship. Mandatory Credit: Nick King-USA TODAY NETWORK.
Of course, McCarthy would sit behind Justin Herbert, and he won’t surrender the QB1 job. But Herbert has missed five games in the last three seasons. Perhaps living under Harbaugh’s tutelage would work wonders for McCarthy. Any time Harbaugh is asked about McCarthy, he just raves about him.
Generally speaking, a McCarthy trade is unlikely to come to fruition this summer unless he demands one.
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Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Former Australia batter Matthew Hayden is set to be named head coach of the European T20 Premier League’s Glasgow franchise.
BBC Sport understands Hayden has signed up to coach Glasgow Cosmic for the inaugural tournament between 26 August and 20 September.
Hayden has split his time between commentary work and coaching since retiring from playing in 2012.
The 54-year-old’s most recent coaching job was as the Gujarat Titans’ batting coach for the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
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Hayden previously held batting and mentoring roles as part of Pakistan’s coaching staff from 2021 until after the 2022 T20 World Cup.
He played 103 Tests, 161 one-day internationals and nine T20s for Australia between 1993 and 2009 scoring 15,066 runs across all formats.
Hayden’s assistant at Cosmic will be fellow Queenslander Matthew Mott, who coached England’s white-ball team between 2022 and 2024.
New Zealand opener Finn Allen, South Africa quick Lungi Ngidi and former England all-rounder Liam Livingstone are among the players to have agreed deals to play for Cosmic in the ETPL.
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The ETPL is being run in collaboration with the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands with teams based out of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Glasgow Cosmic are backed by the Mugafi Group, an India-based entertainment business, while former Australia captain Steve Waugh and India legend Rahul Dravid are among those to invest in other ETPL franchises.
Bollywood actor and film producer Abhishek Bachchan is a part-owner of the league in conjunction with Rules Sport Tech, a private Indian company.
The first edition of the tournament will be staged in The Hague and Dublin.
Les Bleus won 3-1 in their final match ahead of the World Cup. Michael Olise scored a hat-trick, the first of his career.
The Netherlands beat Uzbekistan but failed to put their minds at ease. Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US. Olivier Giroud has extended his contract with Lille, whilst Ibrahima Konaté is set to sign for Real Madrid. Monaco have qualified for their fifth consecutive Betclic Élite final. Serena Williams is making her return to the courts.
Guela Doue scored a goal and set up the winning strike as Ivory Coast surprised France – and Doue’s brother in the French dugout – with a 2-1 victory in a World Cup warmup match.
Amad Diallo fired home Doue’s low cross from the right six minutes from time at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes Thursday.
Rayan Cherki had put France ahead in the final minute of the first half when he left two defenders behind and beat goalkeeper Yahia Fofana with a low shot.
Fofana was frequently in action, saving the chances of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and again Cherki.
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But Doue – whose brother Desire Doue plays for France – received a through ball from Nicolas Pepe to equalize eight minutes into the second half.
Many fans waved posters with a photo of Didier Deschamps to thank the coach for a successful reign that began in 2012 and saw France win the 2018 World Cup and reach the 2022 final and will come to an end after this edition.
Deschamps had all six players involved in the Champions League final – Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaire-Emery, Desire Doue, Lucas Hernandez and William Saliba – on the bench. He used Hernandez, Zaire-Emery and Barcola as substitutes in the second half.
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France will play one more warmup – against Northern Ireland on Monday in Lille – before heading to the United States.
France opens its campaign against Senegal on June 16 in New Jersey.
Ivory Coast meets Ecuador in its opener in Philadelphia on June 14.
Spain held by IraqSpain – another World Cup favorite – was held 1-1 at home by Iraq in La Coruna.
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Playing without forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, Spain took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute on Ferran Torres’ goal.
Merchas Doski’s left-footed strike from just outside the box beat goalkeeper Joan Garcia to equalize before the half-hour mark.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said he expects Yamal to be fit to face Cape Verde in the team’s World Cup opener in Atlanta on June 15.
De la Fuente rested David Raya, Martin Zubimendi and Fabian Ruiz – who all participated in the Champions League’s final. Recently injured Mikel Merino came on as a substitute.
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Spain is scheduled to play one more warmup game – against Peru in Mexico on Monday.
Iraq meets Norway in its World Cup opener in Massachusetts on June 16.
England’s national football team will use a new high-carbohydrate liquid pouch this summer, designed to help cope with the World Cup rigours this summer.
The Football Association has meticulously prepared for the tournament’s unique stresses, including travel, time zones, heat, and humidity in North America.
This groundwork involved England’s performance nutritionists collaborating with sports drinks partner Lucozade’s research and development team to develop a product for hydration, fuelling, and recovery in North America.
Lucozade Elite, a high-carbohydrate electrolyte solution, is being used by Thomas Tuchel’s side at the World Cup. It is not commercially available, having been exclusively developed for use by the national teams.
Lucozade Elite (not pictured) is a high-carbohydrate electrolyte solution (Bradley Collyer/PA)
England midfielder Jude Bellingham said: “Football is demanding enough on its own, but when you’re playing regularly and at the highest level, the small details become even more important.
“Everything around preparation, hydration and fuelling has to be right so you can perform consistently throughout a game. The right preparation can make a big difference.”
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England have been in Florida since last Monday acclimatising to the heat and humidity during a warm weather training camp, which ends with Wednesday’s friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando.
The Three Lions played their first of two warm-up matches on Saturday evening, beating the World Cup’s lowest-ranked side New Zealand 1-0 – and while Tuchel was unhappy with some of the “freestyle” football shown in the first half against New Zealand, emerging unscathed from the patchwork pitch was a boost.
Kane admitted the surface was “a bit sticky” as they were made to sweat in 33 degrees Celsius heat, but the skipper feels talk about the conditions have been overblown.
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“To be honest, I don’t think the heat’s been too bad,” the striker, who played at last year’s Club World Cup in America, added.
“Obviously, we’ve been getting used to it in training. After the first couple of days, I felt like most of the lads were used to it.
“Today actually didn’t feel terrible out there, so I think there’s a talking point that might get over spoke about, to be honest.
“We’re all professional athletes. We all have done the right preparation to get ready for this tournament between us and the staff as well.
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“We have another 10 days or so until that first game, training in this environment, so I think come the tournament, it won’t be a factor.”
Kane scored the winner against the All Whites, a sublime first-half header, to take his tally to 67 for the season for club and country.
I recently took a trip to Ping’s PLD Fitting Lab at their HQ in Phoenix, Ariz. and quite honestly had my mind blown.
When developing their new Scottsdale TEC putters, Ping utilized studies in ‘Quiet Eye’ theory to help develop their new Eye Q alignment aid. The aid has since gone on to give Tony Finau his first ever-strokes gained putting lead in an event, as well as powering Wyndham Clark to a few wins this season. The question is, what makes the Eye Q alignment aid so intriguing? I found out with Ping’s Erik Henrikson.
As explained in the video, the new Scottsdale TEC Eye Q alignment aid design comes from the team studying ‘Quiet Eye’ theory. The study involves using eye-tracking glasses to examine what a golfer does for the two second duration before they begin their putting stroke. By studying a wide range of putters with a wide range of different alignment aids they settled on their Eye Q alignment design that incorporates a very small front sight dot married to a crown line. (Here’s a great article on Quiet Eye in sports that you can read here.)
Quiet Eye Theory is something that’s vastly used outside of golf and with the help of eye-tracking glasses like the Tobii glasses I wore in the video, it’s easy for engineers and scientists to gather data on humans’ ability to focus on their objective or target. I’ve actually seen this tested when I used to work in the firearms industry and it’s something I’ve always found rather fascinating.
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As a competitive handgun shooter, we used to watch video replays of how the best shooters in the world would blaze through stages while wearing eye-tracking technology to see how they approached a multi-target stage. Understanding how people focus, and more importantly what they may be distracted by, can be critical information. In the video you hear Erik tell us that as they started to go through their testing they realized that something as simple as the placement of the shaft band sticker was affecting how players were or weren’t able to focus on their putt.
I went into this test really skeptical, but also recognizing that as an engineering-first company, Ping was probably going to prove me wrong pretty easily. I mean how much can an alignment aid design actually help a golfer focus on what they need to do? Quite a bit as I found out.
My eye-tracking heat map with the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset.
Ping Golf
I actually prefer to not have any alignment aids on my putters. If anything I just want a nice clean sight dot. Which it turns out, actually makes a ton of sense. With a mallet putter that has long alignment lines, I just don’t feel comfortable standing over the ball. There’s just too much going on. But with the small sight dot on the Scottsdale TEC I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort it provided, and there was no arguing with the eye-tracking data.
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My eyes were all over the place without any alignment. It seemed like I was searching, and ended up sort of focusing on the golf ball itself. With just a standard line, my eyes got a bit more focused to the center, but still searching for a landing spot between the face and the ball. With the Eye Q alignment aid of the Scottsdale TEC, my eyes were dialed on the small sight dot that breaks up the long crown line.
Yet again, Ping delivers on it’s promise of engineering and science. Like I said above, I can’t say I’m surprised. There’s so much going on inside those walls at Ping HQ, and every trip I take I learn answers to questions I didn’t even know I was supposed to ask. Now the question is, which Scottsdale TEC putter could actually end up in the bag for me? Tony Finau is putting better than he ever has, and Wyndham Clark is winning … so there has to be something there!
;)
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