Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) rolls out looking to throw the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Kyler Murray needs to show signs of genuine improvement in his understanding of the offense. Anything less than a large step forward will arrive as a disappointment to the coaching staff.
Any Kevin O’Connell quarterback needs two things to succeed. First, there’s accuracy. Murray doesn’t appear to have any issue in this area, but do note that he’s being asked to play from within a different style of offense than he’s accustomed to from Arizona. Still, though, we’re talking about a veteran with a career completion number coming in at 67.1%. That’s an excellent number.
But then there’s the second item on Coach O’Connell’s list: beefy mental bandwidth.
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Over and over again, players have described how difficult the O’Connell offense can be. That difficulty is especially pronounced for the quarterback since he needs to understand what everybody is doing. Murray has been criticized in the past about his commitment to football, most notable in the homework clause in that Cardinals extension. Murray can firmly shutdown this critique by mastering the O’Connell scheme.
Prior to the summer break, Kyler Murray explained that his plan was to work over the summer, eschewing time off in the process. A lot of veterans opt for rest — fair, I’d say, even wise — but Murray didn’t plan to be among those building sand castles. Rather, Murray said that he was going to spend his time working. After all, he’s in a new environment for the first time since getting chosen in the 2019 NFL Draft. Putting in some extra hours makes a pile of sense.
Sep 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon talks with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Upon returning to TCO Performance Center, Kyler Murray needs to show that he lived up to his promise of putting in work.
Presumably, Murray has been throwing during the summer weeks and has been training his body. Well and good. Necessary, even.
More important, though, is the mental component of things.
The Vikings’ coaching staff wants to see a Kyler Murray who has a better understanding of the offense. Show off more confidence with the verbiage and adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Command the huddle with clarity and confidence. Offer a more refined understanding of the offense in the meeting room. All of this will help to inspire confidence in the coaching staff.
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All along, Murray has looked like a clunky scheme fit. He’s more of a run-and-gun style of passer, playing fast in a simpler offense while operating out of shotgun. O’Connell is asking him to digest a ton of information, to slow down, and to play from under center. Doing so well will show that he may have appeared to be a clunky scheme fit but that simply didn’t match up with reality.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) lines up during game action on Sep 8, 2019, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, facing the Detroit Lions as he surveys the defense and prepares to operate the offense in his early career debut season. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.
Football is a cerebral sport. Coaches sometimes get in the way, making things overly complex when what a player needs is simplicity from within the complexity.
Murray, for his part, needs to show from Day 1 onward that he has been doing his part to take on the mental workload that comes with the Kevin O’Connell offense.
Kyler Murray, 28, is entering his eighth NFL season.
WBC welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia has predicted how Terence Crawford would fare if tasked with boxing legend Thomas Hearns in his prime.
Crawford became boxing’s sixth five-division world champion when he defeated Canelo Alvarez back in September, 37 years after Hearns became boxing’s first five-weight conqueror.
Meanwhile, Crawford became the first fighter in 17 years to join the five-division club when he dethroned Canelo, simultaneously becoming the first post-war boxer to reign as an undisputed champion in three different divisions.
As a result, ‘Bud’ has earned his place amongst boxing’s all-time greats and now that he has retired, he is beginning to receive the recognition that his phenomenal career merits, unanimously considered as a pound-for-pound legend.
However, in an interview with Daily Mail Sport, Garcia admitted that he would still favour Hearns in a fantasy fight with the Omaha-born switch-hitter, with the size of the Detroit icon presumably being one key factor.
Garcia then went on to pick Hearns to come out on top against Floyd Mayweather, but admitted that Sugar Ray Leonard would always have Hearns’ number if they fought in their primes, despite their controversial rematch in 1989; where Leonard was fortunate to escape with a draw and later admitted that he lost that fight.
ATLANTA — Chris Sale matched a season-high with 11 strikeouts and the Atlanta Braves hit four home runs in a 6-5 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
Dominic Smith hit a three-run homer and Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies had solo blasts off bulk reliever Griffin Canning as the Braves took three of four from San Diego. All-star Drake Baldwin added his 19th of the season in the seventh inning.
Sale (11-6) gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in six innings of work. All three runs came in the second inning.
Ty France hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off Braves reliever Tyler Kinley to pull the Padres within one at 6-5. Danny Young came on for the Braves and recorded the third out of the eighth inning, then Raisel Iglesias threw a scoreless ninth to record his 21st save.
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Canning (1-9) took over in the second inning after a perfect first from Padres opener Kyle Hart. Harris greeted him with a 420-foot home run to right field. Canning lasted 2.2 innings and gave up five runs, four earned as his ERA climbed to 6.97.
Harris was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and is now 6-for-7 in his career against Canning. Albies was 2-for-4 for the Braves, who have won six of eight.
Luis Rengifo was 2-for-5 and had a two-run single off Sale.
Padres: RHP Germán Márquez (4-2, 5.24) will open a three-game series at Miami on Friday.
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Braves: RHP Grant Holmes (6-4, 3.70) starts Atlanta’s three-game series at Baltimore on Friday.
Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges just went live in-game. A new set of 24 challenges has arrived, and if you can complete these tasks, a huge amount of XP will be rewarded. As always, Warzone and Black Ops7’s multiplayer, Endgame, and Zombies modes have 6 tasks each, and if you can complete any six among these 24, you will get the main reward for Week 1 Challenges.
The main reward of Week 1 Challenges is a unique attachment for the Jäger 45 pistol, which turns it into a menace for every electronic item in the field.
If you wish to know more about Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges and their rewards, then give the upcoming sections a read.
All Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges: All challenges according to game mode
The Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges are as follows:
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Endgame/Co-op
Endgame challenges for Week 1 (Image via Activision)
Challenges
Reward
In Endgame: complete 30 Activities or Assignments
5000 XP
Get 500 Eliminations
5000 XP
Get 35 Kills with the Needle Drone or Point Turret Equipment
3500 XP
In Endgame: clear a Toxin Field or Toxin Source 3 times
3500 XP
In Endgame: complete an Assignment or Activity in the Nightmare Zone
2500 XP
In Endgame: complete the Burn Run Assignment
2500 XP
Multiplayer
Challenges
Reward
Get 50 Objective Kills
5000 XP
With the Overkill Wildcard equipped, get 150 Eliminations with a Primary Weapon equipped to your Secondary Loadout Slot
5000 XP
Get 30 Kills with a Weapon while or shortly after sprinting
3500 XP
Kill 3 or more enemies with a single Scorestreak 2 times
3500 XP
Finish a match having more Kills against your Nemesis than they have against you
2500 XP
Earn 5 Revenge Medals (Killed the enemy that killed you last)
2500 XP
Zombies
Challenges
Reward
Get 150 Kills during a single TEDD Task on Lighthouse Survival 5 times
5000 XP
Get 750 Eliminations using Epic or higher Rarity Wall Buy Weapons
5000 XP
Kill 5 Zombies rapidly with the PHD Flopper explosions 15 times
3500 XP
Complete 5 Special Rounds
3500 XP
Complete 15 Rounds on Kowakujo
2500 XP
Earn 10 Carnage Medals (Killed 15 Zombies rapidly with a weapon)
2500 XP
Warzone
Challenges
Reward
Complete 3 Big Game Bounty Contracts
5000 XP
Activate 5 UAV Killstreaks
5000 XP
Get 2 Kills without dying 5 times
3500 XP
Get 10 Kills while Aiming Down Sight
3500 XP
Complete 5 Supply Run Contracts
2500 XP
Get 5 Headshots
2500 XP
Main rewards for finishing the Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges
The main reward for Season 5 Week 1 Challenges is the Jäger 45 Grid-Breaker Kit. You can get this attachment by just completing any six of the 24 tasks.
Jäger 45 Grid-Breaker Kit (Image via Activision)
The Jäger 45 Grid-Breaker Kit turns the pistol from a ballistic weapon to an EMP firearm. Alongside giving better movement speed, this kit changes the gun into a recharging EMP device. Although the resultant damage of the device is very low against enemy operators, it can absolutely fry any electronic device, be it throwables or Scorestreaks.
When you unlock the main reward, you will also get a bonus 10000 XP. The six tasks that you need to complete can be a mixture of challenges from any of four game modes, and don’t have to be exclusive to one. Additionally, if you can complete all 24 of the weekly challenges, then you will get a total of 96000 XP.
This covers everything we have of Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges and their rewards. Follow Sportskeeda for the latest news and guides on Call of Duty.
The trade values chart aims to help you make the best value trades you can
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7 min read
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Every week, we update our Fantasy Baseball rankings to reflect the latest injuries, standout performances, and more to help you make the best lineup decisions you can.
That includes trade advice, with the latest Trade Values Chart here to help you make the right trades to build a championship roster. Here’s how it works: Look for the value of the player(s) you’re giving up, compare it to the value of the player(s) you’re getting in return, and if you’ve got more points coming back to you than you’re giving up, go ahead and pull the trigger on that trade.
Now, of course, it’s not an exact science; if the values are pretty close but you like the player you’re getting back more than I do, go ahead and make the trade. And, the more lopsided the trade is in terms of the number of players moved on each side, the less you have to adhere to the values; trading three quarters, two dimes, and a nickel for a dollar is usually not going to work out well for the person getting all that change.
We’ve got values for both H2H points and Roto/categories leagues below, and you can also use these as rest-of-season rankings for both formats as well. And, if you don’t see a player listed here, I’m treating them as if they have very minimal trade value.
Jubilee Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 21 NRL game between St. George Illawarra Dragons and
Gold Coast Titans. The game kicks off at 2:00 pm with Gold Coast Titans heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the St. George Illawarra Dragons vs.
Gold Coast Titans
game and give you our free tips and bets.
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Gold Coast Titans Odds
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Gold Coast Titans Preview
St George Illawarra returns to Kogarah aiming to bounce back after a spirited performance against the Warriors went unrewarded. The Dragons competed strongly against one of the competition’s benchmark teams and will take confidence into a winnable clash with Gold Coast.
The Titans showed admirable resilience after a poor start against Manly but again exposed defensive vulnerabilities, particularly on the edges. That could play directly into St George’s hands, with Tyrell Sloan’s pace posing a constant threat if the Dragons can generate quick ball. Shane Flanagan’s side has built its recent improvement on defensive effort and discipline, and another gritty display should create enough opportunities to pressure Gold Coast into mistakes in what shapes as a tight contest.
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Gold Coast Titans Teams
Dragons team: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Setu Tu 3. Mathew Feagai 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Tyrell Sloan 6. Daniel Atkinson 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 9. Damien Cook 10. Toby Couchman 11. Dylan Egan 12. Hamish Stewart 13. Ryan Couchman 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Luciano Leilua 16. Josh Kerr 17. Jacob Halangahu 18. Moses Suli 19. Lyhkan King-Togia 20. Emre Guler 21. Christian Tuipulotu 22. Jacob Webster
Titans team: 1. Keano Kini 2. Dean Ieremia 3. Jojo Fifita 4. Jaylan De Groot 5. Phillip Sami 6. Jayden Campbell 7. Zane Harrison 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Oliver Pascoe 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 11. Arama Hau 12. Beau Fermor 13. Chris Randall 14. Kurtis Morrin 15. Josh Patston 16. Klese Haas 17. Cooper Bai 18. Sam Verrills 19. Lachlan Ilias 20. Michael Molo 21. Sialetili Faeamani 22. Adam Christensen
FIFA announce star-studded World Cup Dream XI featuring Messi, Mbappé and Haaland/ Image: X
Spain may have lifted the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy after defeating Argentina 1-0 following extra time in New Jersey, but the tournament’s best-performing players have now also been recognised after FIFA revealed its official Dream XI.The Team of the Tournament, selected through a global fan vote, reflects the standout performers from six weeks of football across the United States, Canada and Mexico. While Spain, France and Argentina dominate the selection after reaching the semi-finals, England’s third-place finish was rewarded with just a single representative.Jude Bellingham is the only England player to make FIFA’s Dream XI despite Thomas Tuchel’s side ending the tournament on a high with a remarkable 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off.
Bellingham flies England’s flag
Bellingham’s inclusion comes after another outstanding major tournament for the Real Madrid midfielder.The 23-year-old finished with seven goals, the highest tally ever recorded by an England player at a single FIFA World Cup, helping the Three Lions secure their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966.Despite England producing several standout performers, including Bukayo Saka’s historic hat-trick against France and Declan Rice’s record-breaking third-place play-off display, Bellingham was the only English player voted into the final XI.
Spain, France and Argentina dominate selections
Fresh from captaining Spain to their second World Cup title, Rodri headlines the midfield after also winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.Spain have three representatives in total, with both full-backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro joining their captain in the side after Luis de la Fuente’s men completed an unbeaten tournament by defeating Argentina in the final.France also supply three players despite finishing fourth.Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé occupies the right side of the attack after finishing the tournament with 10 goals, becoming the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice while also breaking Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record with 22 career goals.Michael Olise takes one of the midfield places after producing a record-breaking campaign of his own. The France playmaker finished the tournament with seven assists, the most ever recorded by a player at a single FIFA World Cup.Dayot Upamecano completes France’s contingent in central defence.Argentina, beaten finalists after Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner, have two players in the XI.Lionel Messi features on the left wing after finishing the tournament with eight goals and four assists, while defender Lisandro Martínez partners Upamecano at the heart of the defence.Completing the front three is Norway striker Erling Haaland, who marked his World Cup debut by firing his country to a historic first-ever quarter-final appearance while scoring seven goals during the tournament.
Cape Verde cult hero earns goalkeeper spot
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Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Dream XI is the goalkeeper selection.Rather than Golden Glove winner Unai Simón, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford or France’s Mike Maignan, fans voted for Cape Verde veteran Vozinha.The 40-year-old became one of the breakout stars of the tournament during Cape Verde’s memorable run to the Round of 32 before they narrowly lost 3-2 after extra time to eventual finalists Argentina.Vozinha kept clean sheets against both Spain and Saudi Arabia, made 18 saves across the tournament and outperformed his expected goals against figure by 0.9.His performances also made him an unlikely social media sensation. According to tournament figures, the goalkeeper began Cape Verde’s opening match against Spain with around 50,000 Instagram followers. After producing seven saves against the eventual champions and continuing his impressive campaign, that number reportedly surged to 29.5 million by the end of the World Cup.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Dream XI
GoalkeeperDefenders
Pedro Porro (Spain)
Lisandro Martínez (Argentina)
Dayot Upamecano (France)
Marc Cucurella (Spain)
Midfielders
Rodri (Spain)
Michael Olise (France)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Forwards
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Erling Haaland (Norway)
Kylian Mbappé (France)
The Dream XI rounds off the individual honours following the conclusion of the tournament.Rodri claimed the Golden Ball as the competition’s best player after leading Spain to the title, with Messi and Mbappé receiving the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball respectively.Mbappé finished as Golden Boot winner with 10 goals, edging Messi, who ended the tournament on eight goals and four assists, while Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón received the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal in eight matches. Teenage defender Pau Cubarsí collected the FIFA Young Player Award, and the Netherlands were recognised with the FIFA Fair Play Award after receiving just three yellow cards throughout their campaign.
Jun 3, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) warms up during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
The Las Vegas Raiders signed quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, on Thursday.
The Heisman Trophy winner’s four-year rookie deal is worth a fully guaranteed $57.27 million and includes a fifth-year option.
Mendoza, 22, guided Indiana to its first national championship and a 16-0 season in 2025. He completed 72.0% of his passes for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions in his lone season with the Hoosiers.
The Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins as the likely Week 1 starter for this season, with Mendoza as the long-term face of the franchise.
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Mendoza and the Raiders reportedly had been at odds over his signing bonus. The team did not disclose those details on Thursday.
Rookies were due to report to training camp for Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Mendoza played his first two collegiate campaigns at Cal from 2023-24, throwing for a combined 4,712 yards with 30 TDs and 16 interceptions in 20 games for the Golden Bears.
CAF A-licensed coach Emmanuel King has been strongly linked with the vacant head coach position at El-Kanemi Warriors ahead of the club’s official unveiling of a new manager.
The Akwa Ibom-born coach is understood to be the leading candidate to take charge as the Maiduguri-based club prepares for the new Nigeria National League (NNL) season and its CAF Confederation Cup campaign.
King has built a solid coaching reputation in Nigerian football. He has previously managed FC ONE Rocket, Dakkada FC and Rovers FC, gaining valuable experience at different levels of the domestic game.
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Reigning Nigeria President Federation Cup champions El-Kanemi Warriors announced that they will unveil their new head coach as part of their plans to strengthen the team for the challenges ahead.
The club said the appointment is an important step in building a competitive side capable of competing successfully in both domestic and continental competitions.
Supporters and football fans are expected to follow the unveiling through the club’s official media platforms.
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While Emmanuel King has been widely linked with the role, the club has yet to officially confirm the identity of its new head coach.
The World Cup may be over, but there are some still upset over the controversy surrounding USMNT star Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban being suspended.
Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) President Lise Klaveness said she is going to ask her board to pursue a formal ethics complaint over the incident. She called on FIFA to acknowledge the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban as an error.
“We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error,” Klaveness told The Times. “If you start to adapt in such a way towards state leaders and state politics, you will move your behavior and the organization’s behavior, and also the red line of what states’ leaders should interfere with. And that happened.”
Norwegian Football Federation President Lisa Klaveness attends the European Football Women’s Gala 2023 at Antiga Fabrica D’Estrella Damm in Barcelona, Spain, on Nov. 6, 2023.(Cesc Maymo/WireImage)
Klaveness claimed that the proper process was not followed and that bending the rules could put the whole game at risk.
“First of all, it should not have happened. It is very important now to have honest communication around it. We all know that this verdict was influenced from external forces and did not have the proper process,” Klaveness said. “When you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk. It is a worry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of the game.”
Klaveness called the case of FIFA suspending Balogun’s red card ban both “serious” and “worrying.”
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“This case was so serious and so worrying that I hope that it might contribute to bring people out a little bit and don’t fear to bring up cases,” she said. “I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it. To me, it should be in the same sphere of ethical complaint.”
U.S. President Donald Trump look on before presenting the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy to Spain after the Final – FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.(Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask the organization to review the decision to give U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun a red card. The red card meant Balogun would have been suspended for the team’s knockout match against Belgium on Monday, but FIFA decided to suspend the one-game ban after Trump’s call.
Trump addressed the controversy earlier this month.
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“All I did was, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” the president said. “And again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different.
“I think it’s a terrible… if they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain. I relayed it. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t believe he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, No. 1, it wasn’t a foul, and you want to see a game with your best players.”
Trump said he took issue with the initial red card that was assessed to Balogun in the first place.
“If you would have taken him out, I think it would have really stained this incredible championship,” Trump continued. “We gotta have our best players and Belgium, Belgium’s got a great team by the way. We have our best players and they have to have their best. If we win or we lose, it’s fair. Otherwise, let’s say we lost to them, then we lost the game. It would be a terrible thing. I think they made a really brilliant decision.
The United States’ Folarin Balogun (20) walks off the pitch after losing to Belgium during their World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Seattle, Washington. Monday, July 6, 2026.(Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)
“I think the referee’s call was horrible and nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it’s fine. The referee’s decision to red card, I didn’t know what the hell a red card was and when I found out I said, ‘You gotta be kidding.’… I said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of power, that’s terrible.’ And then I looked at his past and it wasn’t so great.”
While Balogun was able to play, the USMNT lost 4-1 to Belgium on Monday night, ending their World Cup run in the Round of 16.
Fox News Digital reached out to FIFA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric – who turns 41 in September – has signed a one-year contract extension.
The Croatian joined Milan last summer on a one-year deal with an option to extend after leaving Real Madrid.
After 13 years at the Bernabeu, Modric scored two goals in 37 appearances for Milan in a season when they finished fifth in Serie A and only reached the last-16 stage of the Coppa Italia.
“I am thrilled to stay at AC Milan, where you made me feel welcomed and loved from the very first day,” Modric said of his new deal.
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“After a season below our expectations, the desire to bounce back is immense. A new season and a new challenge await us – a project I believe in and that motivates me.
“I’m ready to continue to give everything again for this shirt and I’m so proud to keep wearing these colours. Can’t wait to return to San Siro and feel your roar.”
Modric has just played in his fifth World Cup, in which Croatia were knocked out in the last 32 by Portugal.
Since Modric became national team captain in 2016, Croatia had previously been runners-up and finished third in the World Cup.
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The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner won six Champions League titles and four La Liga titles at Real. Previously, he made 160 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur over four years in north London.
In a statement, Milan said: “A key figure in the Rossoneri midfield since his arrival, Luka has brought his experience and quality to the service of the team, both on and off the pitch, with humility and great passion.
“One of the finest and most iconic players in world football, the Croatian will continue his journey in the Rossoneri shirt with the ambition to reach new, important milestones.”
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