Members of Iran’s World Cup soccer team have been granted visas to the United States, two U.S. officials said, clearing them to enter the United States from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of their first two matches near Los Angeles this month.

The team’s participation in the World Cup has been complicated by Iran’s war with Israel and the United States. Problems with processing visas had earlier led Iran to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, on Mexico’s border with California.

One US official said all players on the Iranian team were approved for visas and were in the process of receiving them. A second official said visas had been issued for players, coaches, trainers and some support staff. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the visas publicly.

The second official could not say if any Iranian applicants had been denied. It was not immediately clear when the Iranian team’s passports would be returned to them to allow them to travel, but the official said it could be as early as Friday or Saturday.

The squad has been preparing for the World Cup at a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, before departing for Tijuana. The team said it has already received visas from Mexico’s embassy in Ankara.

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack credited the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for processing visas for the Iranian team. “Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world,” Barrack wrote in a social media post Friday.

Iran plays its first two games in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium six days later, then heads to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26. Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas, if both teams place second in their groups.

President Donald Trump in March had discouraged Iran from participating in the tournament, saying he didn’t think it was “appropriate” and raising concerns over players’ “life and safety.” 
A day later, Iran’s national team pushed back, saying “no one can exclude” it from playing.

Iran finalized its team Monday, including 17 home-based players whose clubs have not played since February because of the war. Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped in March, reportedly because of a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the war.

Iran’s sports minister said in March that it would “not be possible” for the team to participate in the World Cup, but the republic’s soccer federation said in May it was moving ahead with a team.

The federation had insisted that all players and staff be granted visas, including those who had military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Twenty-three-time grand slam singles champion Serena Williams is liberating herself of any expectations as she prepares to make her comeback at the HSBC Championships in London.

The 44-year-old has been given a wild card for the women’s doubles to play alongside 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko at the Queen’s Club, marking her first competitive tennis since a farewell at the 2022 US Open.

Williams said her decision to pick up a racket again boiled down to a simple “Why not?”, and while Mboko feels her partner is “hitting great”, the American insists she is not focused on any outcomes.

“I don’t need to win,” said Williams. “I’ve won more than most people have in their whole lives, so it’s not that important to me, and it’s important that I keep reminding myself of that, because I don’t have anything to prove.

“I don’t have anything to lose, and everything here is just to gain.”

Williams never directly used the word retirement, but Monday’s comeback confirmation still came as a shock after the mother-of-two had, to use her preferred terminology at the time, made the decision to “evolve away” from tennis.

Speaking after she and Mboko trained on the Queen’s Club grass, Williams said: “This whole journey is like, I’m putting no pressure on myself.

“For me right now, it’s really just about so many elements. It’s really about my kids getting to see me play. Olympia is a little bit older, Adira is very young.

“An athlete is the best thing that you can be in the highest place, and having an opportunity to still be able to do that, possibly one last time, is kind of cool and exciting.”

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, who spent 319 weeks as the WTA number one at the peak of her career, and claimed 39 major titles, has not exactly ruled out a return to singles, but suggested it was not imminent.

“I can’t say no right now,” she said. “I feel like I probably need to train a little bit more if I want to play singles, and we will see if I get there, and if not… that’s not my journey right now.”

Williams, who shares her two daughters with Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, revealed as recently as December that she believed she “definitely was not” returning to tennis, but, after some conversations, thought: “Well, why not? For lack of a better explanation.

“It’s summer, the kids aren’t in school, so it’s a perfect time to get out there, have fun, and see what happens.”

In Mboko, Williams saw something, she said, “that reminded me a lot of myself” in her attitude, resilience, and drive. After making the “pretty 11th-hour commitment” to Queen’s, she reached out to the Canadian via text message. 

Mboko said: “She’s hitting great. She has such clean ball striking, she could probably take years off, and when she steps on the court she could probably find that rhythm again and find her timing. So I think that’s really a god-given gift that she has.

“I personally think she’s ready to go. I’m hitting with her, she’s hitting pretty big and she’s really fit, so we’ll see.”

Current Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is expected to get re-elected and win today’s election with around 65% of the votes, according to exit polls published on both MARCA and AS. Mail-in votes are not considered in those exit polls and Pérez is likely to increase his lead there, per sources.

The official result of today’s election will likely be announced tonight at around 10pm local time.

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Real Madrid published the following announcement on its website earlier today.
The Real Madrid Electoral Board announces that, as of 5:00 pm, a total of 23,593 members have voted in the elections for Real Madrid President and Board of Directors, which are taking place at the Basketball Pavilion of Ciudad Real Madrid. This figure represents a 31.37% turnout. The polling stations will remain open continuously until 8:00 pm.

Nigerian forward Inemesit Sunday has signed for Rwanda Premier League club Gorilla FC on a two-year contract ahead of the new season.

The forward, who has previously played for Musanze FC and AS Kigali, joins Gorilla FC as the club looks to strengthen its attack.

Inemesit had a strong spell last season with AS Kigali, scoring 8 goals in 11 matches. His good form helped him gain more attention in the Rwandan top league.

Gorilla FC are expecting the Nigerian striker to bring more goals and consistency as they prepare for a better campaign. Last season, the club reached the semifinals of the Peace Cup, where they were knocked out by Rayon Sports, and they now hope to go further this time with added attacking strength.

The forward has also played for several clubs in Nigeria, including ALGON Boys FC, Akwa United FC, Rangers International, Dakkada FC, and Ibom Youths FC.

On social media, Inemesit said farewell to AS Kigali, thanking the club for their support during his short stay. He described his time there as one filled with love, teamwork, and family spirit, and wished them well as he moved on to a new challenge.

He wrote “It’s hard to say goodbye to the family that showed up when i needed someone, not only showing up but took me in as family. 5 months of love, happiness, fighting together. I want to say thank you AS KIGALI for the love and God bless you guys. We move forward.”

The U.S. men’s national team may not have won their friendly World Cup tune-up against Germany on Saturday but Antonee Robinson provided a goal that will definitely get any American fan hyped for what’s potentially to come.

The U.S. trailed 1-0 as the match entered the 37th minute. A corner kick was deflected off a German defender’s head and outside of the box where Robinson was waiting for a rocket shot on goal. He blasted the ball past Oliver Baumann to tie the match at one apiece.

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United States defenders Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream celebrate after Robinson scored a goal during the first half of an international friendly soccer match against Germany in Chicago on June 6, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

It was Robinson’s fifth international goal for the U.S. and his first this year. He hadn’t scored while playing for the U.S. since 2023.

“Sick. I mean, it’s a sick goal,” Christian Pulisic said after the match.

Robinson said he had never scored a goal like that in a competitive game.

“Going into a World Cup it means a lot to have that kind of in my mind that I’ve scored something like that and a bit of freedom to shoot again if I’m in that position,” he said.

United States defender Antonee Robinson scores against Germany during the first half of an international friendly soccer match in Chicago on June 6, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

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Germany won the match 2-1.

Despite losing their ninth straight game against a European squad, the Americans felt confident going into the World Cup.

“I mean against a really good team, I thought we were dangerous at times,” Pulisic said. “We had good stretches of possession, defended well for good portions of it. And, yeah, I mean honestly, I think, we’re feeling good.”

Christian Pulisic celebrates after scoring the second goal for the United States during an international friendly match against Senegal at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31, 2026. (Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images)

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The Associated Press contributed to this report

Gervonta Davis’ most recent legal trouble seems to be impacting his return to boxing and may see him lose his world title entirely.

‘Tank’ last fought in March of 2025, retaining his WBA lightweight world title via a controversial draw against Lamont Roach Jr. An exhibition fight with Jake Paul later in the year was cancelled when he was accused of domestic violence.

In January, the sanctioning body named Davis ‘champion in recess’ and looked set to order a vacant title bout between Floyd Schoefild and Lucas Bahdi, but instead, as talk of the Baltimore champion’s return began to heat up, ordered him to face Schofield instead.

Speaking to Mill City Boxing recently, Schofield’s father and trainer said that talks are not currently ongoing, perhaps due to Davis’ fresh legal situation, and that he and his son are waiting for the negotiation period to end for the WBA to make a decision.

“We can’t do anything until the WBA says. [We’re] supposed to be in negotiations for another 20 days with Tank’s people, but according to what the lawyers say, they can’t be in negotiations right now. So, [we’re] in limbo for 20 more days while they got that mandate up. Tank’s people got to make a fight with us within 20 days.”

From Schofield’s update, Davis’ grip on the WBA title appears increasingly uncertain, with the sanctioning body potentially forced to make a decision if the teams fail to make progress. The allotted negotiation period ends on June 22, at which point purse bids could be called, though only if ‘Tank’ is willing and able to defend his belt.

Schofield is undefeated in 19 bouts and, at 23 years old, has a bright future in the sport. His previous world title challenge against Shakur Stevenson was cancelled during fight week when he took unwell.

Every NFL team needs affordable players who outperform their contracts, especially those squads truly contending for the Super Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings aspire to those very stakes in 2026, and we are thus here to document the top bargain players on the 2026 roster.

As always with bargain- or value-based player lists, we did not include players on rookie contracts because they’re widely considered affordable.

Here’s the pecking order, ranked from good to great bargain (No. 1 = top bargain).

Vikings’ Best Contract Values Are the Meal Ticket

5. Blake Brandel | C

2026 Cap Hit: $4.5M

Brandel plays every position on the offensive line, and it seems head coach Kevin O’Connell will ask Brandel to be his starting center in 2026. Brandel’s versatility is invaluable — he’s already played tackle, guard, and center for the Vikings since joining the franchise in 2020.

Whether he morphs into a solid center remains to be seen, but his $4.5 million cap hit is team-friendly, no matter what. If he stinks at center, O’Connell can yank him back into the jack-of-all-trades role.

It’s also worth noting that Brandel is eligible for an extension, which could arrive as early as this summer.

4. Eric Wilson | LB

2026 Cap Hit: $4.1M

Wilson produced Pro Bowl numbers — out of nowhere — in 2025 after the Vikings signed him away from the Green Bay Packers. Fans thought he would play special teams and be a depth asset if Blake Cashman or Ivan Pace Jr. got hurt.

Instead, he became a starter by October, stealing Pace Jr.’s job.

Wilson led the NFL in sacks and quarterback pressures by an off-ball linebacker. Accordingly, Minnesota re-signed him in March. A $4.1 million cap hit is worth it to see if Wilson was a one-hit wonder.

3. Jauan Jennings | WR

2026 Cap Hit: $9.5M

Before Jennings signed in the Twin Cities, the who’s who of NFL reporting claimed that he wanted “WR2 money.” Well, that can climb all the way up to $30 million. Ask Christian Watson of the Packers, who just snagged an extension worth $28 million per season.

Minnesota paid Jennings $9.5 million for the upcoming season. When the Jennings-to-Minnesota rumor mill kicked up dust, many wondered if the Vikings could afford him under $20 million. The price is half that.

The Vikings have not spent luxuriously at WR3 in years; Jennings provides them with their best WR3 option in eons. A steal of a deal.

Star Tribune‘s Michael Rand on Jennings and the Vikings’ WR room: “Any trio of Vikings receivers has a good starting point with Justin Jefferson. He has been in the conversation for the best receiver in the NFL for several years. He’s still part of that chatter even after struggling to make an on-field connection with J.J. McCarthy last season.”

“Add in Jordan Addison, who was very good in 2023 and 2024, and newcomer Jauan Jennings, who has approached 1,000 yards in the past with the San Francisco 49ers, and it is a formidable group. All three are at least capable of being above-average starters, with Jefferson of course having a higher ceiling. Jennings is listed at 6-3, 212 pounds and looks every bit of that.”

It’s not outrageous to claim Minnesota now has a Top 3 corps in the NFL.

“The Vikings haven’t had a receiver that big and physical in quite some time. He’s a very capable (and willing) run blocker who plays with an edge. He’ll also be motivated to have a big season while playing on a one-year contract,” Rand continued.

“All three of Jennings, Addison and Jefferson, in fact, should be motivated this season and their styles should be a good complement to each other. That’s what makes this potentially the best Vikings receiver trio in more than a quarter-century.”

2. James Pierre | CB

2026 Cap Hit $2.9M

Pierre was a best-kept secret in Pittsburgh, firing up a PFF grade over 86.0 in 2025. Minnesota hired Gerald Alexander from Pittsburgh to replace defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones, who picked the Washington Commanders as his next employer (defensive coordinator). Alexander is bringing Pierre with him.

The Vikings paid Jeff Okudah $2.36 million in 2025 for his underwhelming CB3 services. Pierre at $2.9 million is quite the change of pace. A welcome one.

1. Kyler Murray | QB

2026 Cap Hit: $1.3M

Not only is Murray at $1.3 million for a season the best deal in the NFL, it might be the top value in all of sports — assuming he plays at his peak level in 2026.

The Arizona Cardinals decided to move on from Murray, and like Sam Darnold in 2024, Minnesota has a chance to pounce on supreme value at the most important position on a football team. It’s still mind-boggling that Arizona kicked him out — and that he wound up in Minnesota a few days later. It could be a turning point in Vikings history.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Adelaide Oval will play host to Thursday’s
Round 13 AFL game between Adelaide Crows and
Geelong Cats. The game kicks off at 7:30 pm with Geelong Cats heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Adelaide Crows vs.
Geelong Cats
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Thursday June 4, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Where: Adelaide Oval

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Adelaide Crows vs Geelong Cats Odds

Adelaide Crows vs Geelong Cats Preview

Geelong faces a crucial test of its top-four ambitions when it travels to Adelaide Oval for a Thursday night showdown with the Crows. The Cats were left stunned by Carlton last week after conceding a late goal to fall by four points in one of the games of the season. With several difficult fixtures looming, another loss could prove costly. Adelaide returns from a bye looking to respond after a narrow defeat to Hawthorn in Round 11. The Crows have shown they can challenge the competition’s best but will need to reverse a worrying trend against Geelong, having dropped their past six meetings. In front of a home crowd and with finals positioning becoming increasingly important, Adelaide has an opportunity to make a statement against one of the AFL’s perennial contenders.