It has not always been easy for a neutral observer to get behind Adrien Rabiot, whose dependency on the pitch has been repeatedly concealed by a curious, maddening penchant for irritating coaches, clubs and team-mates as much as opponents.

Yet if France are to reach an unprecedented third straight final, and wrest back the trophy from Argentina’s grasp, Didier Deschamps needs his team’s maligned midfield mainstay to keep pursuing what seems a neverending path to proving critics wrong.

Rabiot has come a long way from emailing Deschamps eight years ago to say he would not accept a place on the standby list for the 2018 World Cup in which Les Bleus ground their way to glory. Not long after that he was jettisoned by Paris Saint-Germain because of a dispute in which his mother and agent, Veronique, was infamously prominent.

But Rabiot began to grow at Juventus, leading to Andrea Pirlo, who served as head coach of the Old Lady for a spell, to declare him as a “complete” midfielder who could combine the technical and physical side of the game. High praise from one of the great purveyors of the former who struggled with the latter.

Gradually, Rabiot clawed his way back to the national team set-up and by Qatar was a crucial cog on the path to the greatest World Cup final of all, though he missed the last-four win against Morocco owing to illness.

Now Rabiot is one of Deschamps’ key lieutenants, among the cleanest players to carry out the dirty work, and a figure who is clearly more appreciated by his present team-mates than many of those who have gone before – not least former Marseille colleague Jonathan Rowe, with whom he had a changing room scrap that led to both players being sold last year.

“A guy with incredible resilience,” Kylian Mbappe said of Rabiot before the tournament got underway. “No matter what gets said about him, what happens to him, the guy’s always there. He’s weathered storms and gales and, when you look at his career, his CV speaks for itself.”

It is still missing a World Cup. But if Mbappe is to win his second, the leading star knows the less flashy presence two rows behind will be relied on intensely.

Maybe not against Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday night but from the group closer against Norway on Friday and into the knockout stages, it should become increasingly clear that this iteration of the fraternité is far more than the front four.

For all the criticism of Deschamps’ vague philosophy he has always considered balance a central tenet of all gameplans. So by committing to such a luxurious attack, the emphasis on Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni to bring control behind the chaos is even greater than before.

“With Aurelien, we need to maintain this balance,” Rabiot said before the tournament began. “We’re not restricted by the coach but, in this setup, we need to find the right adjustments with the four key attacking players who can make the difference.”

The early signs are promising. Rabiot’s pass to Bradley Barcola for France’s second against Senegal was exquisite, among the assists of the tournament to date, and he got through the standard pile of unseen work against an opponent whose mobility would upset plenty of teams.

There is an elegance to Rabiot that has often been overlooked by the perception of him being a workhorse; a misreading no doubt enhanced by him sharing a pitch with some of the game’s most thrilling forwards.

His physical capacity perhaps limits the appreciation of the technical side too. A team in which a gifted centre-forward has been fairly criticised for an unrivalled lack of work ethic off the ball requires the rest to be committed.

Deschamps knows that in Rabiot he can place unwavering faith to keep running, keep battling and keep trying – even if his inclusion seems destined to be forever questioned.

Wyndham Clark entered Sunday with a six-shot lead at the 2026 U.S. Open and victory seemed all but inevitable until his wayward drive on the par-5 16th hole sailed into the thick fescue at Shinnecock Hills.

NBC on-course broadcaster Jim “Bones” Mackay described Clark’s lie in the tall grass as “horrendous.” Others in the booth noted that Clark would be lucky to escape with par on the hole. But the 32-year-old American somehow managed to advance the ball nearly 180 yards and back into the fairway before hitting his third on the green and then sinking the birdie putt that set the stage for his second U.S. Open victory.

Wyndham Clark celebrates with caddie David Pelekoudas after winning the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

Clark entered the final round with a six-shot lead over four players, and he was an overwhelming favorite to hoist the trophy at the end of the tournament. For the majority of the weekend, fate appeared to be on his side. It seemed like every time Clark hit a bad shot, the next thing that followed was a commentator saying something like, “he caught a break with this one.” Clark led the tournament after each round, becoming the first wire-to-wire U.S. Open winner since Martin Kaymer in 2014.

But he battled through a major shift in luck on Sunday afternoon. Not only did his luck flip, but so did the crowd on Long Island. It was clear from the first hole that the gallery was rooting hard for Scottie Scheffler, Clark’s playing partner and one of the four players who started the day six shots back of the leader.

THE SIMPLE AND FRUSTRATING REASON THERE ARE VERY FEW FANS AT THE US OPEN AT SHINNECOCK HILLS

But that spilled into active cheering against Clark, to the point that the NBC broadcast reported that at least two fans were ejected from the venue for crossing the line with their taunts toward Clark. According to reporter Kevin Van Valkenburg, one was tossed for saying “Don’t choke, Wyndham” prior to Clark’s tee shot on No. 4.

Ejectable offenses aside, the crowd roared for every good Scheffler shot, but there was a noticeable moan when Clark would execute a good shot.

Wyndham Clark celebrates after making a putt during the final round of the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., on June 21, 2026. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

Unfortunately for Scheffler, and the crowd following the group, the world No. 1 didn’t have quite as much magic in his clubs on Sunday as Sam Burns did. Attempting to become a career Grand Slam winner on his 30th birthday, Scheffler never really put much pressure on Clark. He bogeyed the first hole and shot a one-over 36 on the front nine before trudging his way to a one-over 71.

While most golf fans probably assumed that Scheffler would be the guy to chase down Clark, it was Burns who emerged as Clark’s biggest threat after beginning the day at even par and seven shots behind Clark.

Not only did Burns come out firing, but Clark struggled early. He made bogey on the par-3 second hole, made a mess of the easiest hole on the course, the par-5 fifth, for another bogey and then added a third dropped shot with a bogey on No. 7.

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With momentum clearly gone and Burns charging, it would have been easy for Clark to wilt under the immense pressure. But he managed to steady the ship and make par at No. 8 and No. 9 before ripping driver on No. 10 straight down the middle. The broadcast questioned the choice of club off the tee, but Clark’s plan worked to perfection, eventually making his first birdie of the day.

Clark made another bogey on No. 13 and Burns got within one shot of the lead.

But two key moments took place down the stretch. Burns, who was several groups ahead of Clark, nearly holed his birdie putt on 18. As the putt just missed on the right side of the cup, Burns dropped to his knees. It was as if he knew he might have been just that close to winning the U.S. Open. And he was.

Clark’s 24-and-a-half-foot birdie putt on 16 pushed his lead over Burns back to two shots with two holes to play. At that moment, Clark could feel the trophy in his hands, and that’s a familiar feeling given he won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

Wyndham Clark celebrates with girlfriend Emily Tanner after winning the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

But his nerves showed on No. 17. Clark hit a conservative tee shot on the par-3, leaving himself a nearly 70-foot putt. His birdie effort came up six feet short, and he followed that by pulling his par putt left to drop his lead back to one.

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All Clark needed to do on the 72nd hole of the tournament was to make par and he would become a two-time U.S. Open champion. And that’s exactly what he did, although it didn’t start great. Clark leaked his tee shot to the right and it skirted into the rough. He got the ball to the green in two, but stood over 50 feet away. Clark calmly stepped up and perfectly lagged his putt to within one foot of the hole, tapped in for par and became a two-time major champion.

And, on Father’s Day, Clark’s dad surprised him by taking a red-eye flight to New York so that he could greet his son following the victory.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Clark became the first American to win a major in 2026 after Europeans Rory McIlroy and Aaron Rai won the Masters and PGA Championship respectively.

That also means the U.S. Open trophy is staying where it belongs.

Cristiano Ronaldo in action© AFP

India Women captain Harmanpreet Kaur lamented the team’s missed chances in the field after their six-wicket defeat to South Africa in the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup, admitting that the dropped catches proved costly. Defending 158/7, India endured a disappointing outing in the field, missing a potential chance off Tazmin Brits when she was on 18 and giving Marizanne Kapp two reprieves on 25 and 65 through substitute fielder Radha Yadav. The South African pair capitalised on the opportunities, with Kapp remaining unbeaten on 81 to guide her side to a victory and hand India their first loss of the tournament.

After the match, Harmanpreet said India’s dropped catches proved costly, as the team failed to capitalise on key opportunities in the field. While she praised the bowling efforts of Shree Charani and Shafali Verma, she noted that the lack of support from the fielders hurt India’s chances.

“We got a couple of chances in between, but couldn’t take those chances. We have two matches and this is the time to stay positive. Shree Charani and Shafali bowled well but the fielders didn’t support them. We have to take opportunities at this level. We were not lucky enough with that. We have two matches and this is the time to think about that. We will sit and rethink about what to do and then will see the changes to be done. [On Kapp] She took the game away from us. She gave us two chances and those were the crucial moments and that took the game away from us,” the Indian captain said in the post-match presentation.

Harmanpreet said the defeat offered several lessons and positives, stressing the importance of staying strong and maintaining a positive mindset.

“Lots of learning, lots of positive moments and lots of moments where I have to stay strong. Now is the time to stay positive and think what to do in the upcoming games. Hopefully, we come up better in the next games,” she said.

India will next lock horns against Bangladesh on June 25 before facing off against Australia on June 28.

Coming to the match, Marizanne Kapp starred with both bat and ball as South Africa defeated India by six wickets in the Women’s T20 World Cup in Manchester. Kapp first claimed 2/27 to help restrict India to 158/7 before smashing an unbeaten 81 to guide her side to 161/4 in 19.1 overs.

India made a strong start through Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, but regular wickets prevented them from capitalising. Shafali top-scored with 31, while Deepti Sharma made 29 and captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 24 in her 200th T20I appearance.

In reply, South Africa were reduced to 25/2 after a brilliant spell from Sree Charani, but Kapp and Tazmin Brits (40) added 97 runs to revive the chase. Kapp then finished the job in style, helping South Africa complete their highest successful chase in Women’s T20 World Cup history and hand India their first defeat of the tournament. The victory lifted South Africa to third place in Group A, while India remained second.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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By now, the Minnesota Vikings’ 2026 offseason is in the books, with training camp beginning on August 1st and the regular season six weeks after that. While the club has fired up some encouraging transactions, such as signing quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Jauan Jennings, Minnesota may regret a handful of offseason decisions.

Ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top possible regret), here’s the list of items that could age poorly.

Vikings Bet Heavily on Youth and Internal Development

4. Ignoring Veteran Centers in Free Agency

The Vikings had opportunities to address their center position more aggressively. They could have pursued free agents like Cade Mays, Elgton Jenkins, Lloyd Cushenberry, Luke Fortner, or Tyler Biadasz. Alternatively, they could have drafted a center such as Jake Slaughter, Connor Lew, Sam Hecht, or Logan Jones.

Instead, they chose to retain Blake Brandel as their primary center, a decision that accepts intrinsic risk.

While Minnesota did draft Cincinnati center Gavin Gerhardt in the 7th Round, hoping he might develop, relying on a 7th-Rounder for an immediate impact is ill-advised, particularly for a team focused on stabilizing the quarterback position and maintaining offensive momentum.

If Brandel performs well, the Vikings’ decision will appear shrewd and patient. However, if he struggles, this one will undoubtedly become an offseason choice that fans quickly criticize, given the available alternatives. Ultimately, they opted to trust their internal solution.

3. Passing on All the Draft’s Best RBs

In free agency, the Vikings said no thanks to halfbacks like Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker II — presumably too expensive. Instead, they drafted Demond Claiborne from Wake Forest in Round 5 and re-upped with Aaron Jones at a reduced price.

During the draft, Minnesota passed on these rookie tailbacks:

• Kaelon Black | R3, San Francisco 49ers
• Jonah Coleman | R4, Denver Broncos
• Mike Washington Jr. | R4, Las Vegas Raiders
• Emmett Johnson | R5, Kansas City Chiefs
• Nicholas Singleton | R5, Tennessee Titans
• Adam Randall | R5, Baltimore Ravens

For a franchise that has not connected on a rookie RB draft pick since Dalvin Cook in 2017 and Alexander Mattison (to an extent) in 2019, one might’ve expected more emphasis on a new runner. No luck.

For youth at running back, Claiborne and his 4.37 speed is the one big hope.

2. Trading Jonathan Greenard

The Vikings might be just fine at outside linebacker with Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. Rookie defender Jake Golday could even play some hybrid ILB-OLB snaps. Early summer clues also hinted that defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins could flip to OLB from time to time in 2026.

Regardless, most Super Bowl contenders don’t trade their best defensive players, and they for damn sure don’t trade quality EDGE rushers to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Minnesota did that anyway, refusing to accommodate Greenard’s asking price of $25 million per season over the next four years. The pressure is now squarely on Turner.

1. A Team That Has Drafted Poorly since 2022 Betting It All on 1st-Round DT with a Bad Foot

The departures of DTs Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in March were no surprise. Allen signed with Cincinnati, Hargrave with Green Bay, and Minnesota signaled a transition towards a younger strategy.

Simply promoting Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins was never going to be the complete solution. While these players remain valuable, the Vikings clearly viewed them as depth rather than primary starters.

The perspective later directly informed their draft strategy. Minnesota dedicated two of its first three picks to Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange, clearly outlining the front office’s vision for rebuilding the defensive line’s interior. The message was straightforward: out with the old and in with the new.

While Allen and Hargrave offered experience, their projected 2025 performance wasn’t compelling enough. The Vikings evidently opted to construct their future defensive line around emerging talent rather than established, albeit mediocre, veterans.

So, the pressure is now on the rookies. Rapid development from Banks and Orange will validate the move. On the other hand, if the defensive line underperforms, questions will inevitably arise about whether parting with two proven veterans was premature.

The problem with Banks? Well, he’s suffered two separate foot injuries since the summer of 2025, including a broken foot at the 2026 NFL Combine. Big men with foot injuries tend to have problematic recoveries, though that’s not a guarantee.

The Vikings have not drafted well over the last four years, and while Banks has All-Pro upside when healthy, it’s a little weird that one of the NFL’s worst-drafting teams since 2022 would take the plunge on a boom-or-bust rookie.

Hopefully, for the Vikings’ sake, Banks, as No. 1 on this list, will age poorly.

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