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Sports

USMNT Player Ratings: Pulisic returns, Berhalter shines in loss

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The United States men’s national team’s World Cup group stage concluded on Thursday as the Americans lost 3-2 to Turkiye in a match that meant nothing for positioning, finishing Group D with six points and a date with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in the round of 32.

While the Americans were unable to sweep the group stage matches for the first time in history, facing an already-eliminated Turkiye brought some challenges, but in a heavily rotated side for Mauricio Pochettino, they’ll take the experience as one to learn from as they move forward.

But how did the players perform? Here are our player ratings:

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Matt Turner

USA • GK • #1

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Conceded three goals and never looked all that confident. His defense did let him down though, especially on the third goal.

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Auston Trusty

USA • D • #6

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Got his first USMNT goal with a nice strike in the opening minutes in a thrilling moment. Defensively, he was outmatched and lacked consistency. Rolled his ankle as time wound down.

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Miles Robinson

USA • D • #12

Late to react and sometimes a step slow. The effort is there, but he’s not pushing for a starting spot anytime soon. USMNT’s defense struggled and he was a big part of it.

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Mark McKenzie
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USA • D • #22

Embraced the physical nature of Turkiye but lacked the technical ability to stay toe-to-toe with their best attacking players. Arder Guler feasted on this back line.

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Weston McKennie

USA • M • #8

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Brought the energy and had some positive moments going forward. Captained the team and sat deep in the middle. Solid but not in the spot where he can be best. He’ll welcome the return of midfield partner Tyler Adams.

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Giovanni Reyna

USA • M • #7

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Very quiet. Had a couple decent balls in but nothing more. A far cry from what we saw off the bench versus Paraguay. Once again didn’t seize an opportunity for more minutes.

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Sebastian Berhalter

USA • M • #14

Stock is rising with a goal and an assist. The truth is, he can hit a ball. Great accuracy on his corner and boy did he hit his goal sweetly with a low rocket. May just be the guy off the bench.

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Brenden Aaronson
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USA • M • #11

Quiet for most of the match. Didn’t get the looks he would have wanted in the attacking third in the first half. Could have been more useful if he was a bit more central. Missed an open rebound in second half. He’s great at annoying the opposition by pressing, but doesn’t bring much else.

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Ricardo Pepi

USA • F • #9

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Almost forgot he was playing, to be honest. Was more involved early in the second half but was a little delayed in making his runs. A classic case of a shoot first striker starved for service.

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Timothy Weah

USA • F • #21

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Not a night to remember. His touch was off, his awareness was too. The only thing he did effectively was play the ball backwards, out of trouble. When the striker doesn’t touch the ball odds on bet is that the wingers struggled to get it to him

Subs

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Christian Pulisic

USA • M • #10

Super lively off the bench. Created trouble and nearly scored a golazo with his left foot. It’s good to have him back from injury.

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Alex Freeman
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USA • D • #16

Came off the bench and was decent, but got caught helping others on the winning goal, leaving his player unmarked at the back post.

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Sergino Dest

USA • D • #2

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Came off the bench and had just eight touches. Did create a chance.

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Alex Zendejas

USA • F • #26

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Like the energy he brings off the bench. Can really go at players and needed a run out.

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Malik Tillman

USA • M • #17

Late sub who barely got to touch the ball.

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Three MLB Bets Worth Targeting on Thursday June 25 Slate

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Jun 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn ImagesJun 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have controlled their rivalry with the Boston Red Sox this season but things could change when the teams open a four-game series at Fenway Park on Thursday night. New York is 4-1 against its most-hated foe this season.

Boston has scored just nine runs in the five games and five of them came in its lone victory. The Yankees are still without Aaron Judge so that counts as a bit of an equalizer for their American League East counterparts.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado badly wanted out of St. Louis and now completes a four-game series against the visiting Cardinals. We will also check in on the National League East battle between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.

NEW YORK YANKEES AT BOSTON RED SOX

Judge has missed the past three-plus weeks with a fractured rib and isn’t expected back until August. The three-time AL MVP has hit 15 homers in 57 career games at Fenway Park so his absence will be felt. Ben Rice (22 homers, 53 RBIs) is thriving and had two hits in Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers after going hitless in three of the previous four games.

Paul Goldschmidt smacked two solo homers off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and is looking like a younger version of himself. The 38-year-old is batting .346 with eight homers and 20 RBIs in June. Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) gave up three runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings of a 4-0 loss to New York on April 21.

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Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler (8-3, 1.71) is headed to the All-Star Game and he is 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts against Boston this season. Guys like Jarren Duran (1-for-11), Wilyer Abreu (1-for-8) and Willson Contreras (1-for-6) are due for success against Schlittler.

Red Sox money line, +143 (DraftKings)

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ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Next month’s three-game set in St. Louis is when the 35-year-old Arenado can expect the boo-birds but he’s not exactly having a successful June. He is 3-for-13 in the first three games of this series and batting just .173 with one homer for the month. That homer came on June 1.

Arenado hit 30 or more homers in the first two of his five seasons in St. Louis before the totals dropped to 26, 16 and 12. Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy (3-6, 3.35) has never previously faced the Diamondbacks, who won the past two games after losing the series opener.

Speaking of players who were once good, Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen (3-6, 6.10) has been regularly pounded this season and was torched for nine runs and 12 innings in four-plus innings against the Minnesota Twins in his last outing. Yes, the Arizona fans loudly booed him.

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Teams combine for over nine runs, -102 (DraftKings)

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PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (9-3, 1.80) was the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award last season and he’s definitely in the mix again due to his strong first half. Sanchez has struck out 121 and walked just 20 and he’s a superb 7-1 with a 1.11 ERA over his last nine turns.

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Sanchez fanned seven Nationals in a no-decision on April 1 when he gave up one run, four hits and a season-worst four walks in 5 1/3 innings. Washington won the first game of the series but gave up 19 total runs in back-to-back losses the past two days. The Nationals were one strike away from winning Wednesday before Philadelphia’s Derek Hill hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth in a 5-4 victory.

Brandon Marsh is lighting up Washington by going 7-for-13 with two homers in the series. Marsh is 2-for-9 against Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (4-4, 4.07), who has regularly handled Bryce Harper (1-for-9, three strikeouts).

Cristopher Sanchez to strike out seven or more batters, +111 (DraftKings)

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2026 World Cup parlay, best bets: Top picks for matches on Friday include Norway-France, Uruguay-Spain

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The 2026 World Cup group stage is winding down, and more spots in the Round of 32 will be locked up on Friday, June 26 with six more games across Groups G, H and I. The banner showdown will be between Norway and France, pitting stars Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe against one another as they battle for the Golden Boot as well as team glory.

With six games on the docket, there’s plenty of action for bettors to target for Friday’s matches. We’ve built a parlay for the day’s contests, with Norway vs. France as one of the legs, using odds from FanDuel and advice from SportsLine experts Jon Eimer, Brad Thomas and Martin Green. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

World Cup parlay for Friday

  • Norway-France Over 2.5 goals (-160)
  • Cape Verde double chance vs. Saudi Arabia (-240)
  • Uruguay-Spain Over 2.5 goals (-120)

FanDuel parlay price: +322

Norway-France Over 2.5 goals

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I’m not going to stop anyone from backing more goals to get additional value, especially given how Haaland and Mbappe have been playing. However, I do think there will be a more concentrated effort against these two star forwards in this encounter. France’s back line has been solid in this World Cup, and Norway’s midfield is capable of locking down the pitch. That being said, there should still be enough fireworks in this game for the Over on 2.5 goals to hit.

Cape Verde double chance vs. Saudi Arabia

This Cape Verde team has been the best story of the World Cup, a positive result of expanding to 48 teams. They have not backed down from anyone and have two points thanks to draws against Spain and Uruguay. Saudi Arabia may have gotten lucky fending off 27 shots from Uruguay in a 1-1 draw, but they were overmatched against Spain. Cape Verde need all three points to ensure a Round of 32 berth, and a draw could put them in a precarious spot among the third-place teams. However, for this match, they are simply more invested than Saudi Arabia and have shown more determination.

Uruguay-Spain Over 2.5 goals

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Spain looked out of sorts in the draw against Cape Verde but found their offensive mojo against Saudi Arabia. Uruguay had some big letdowns against Cape Verde as well, and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera will be wanting some redemption after effectively costing his team two points. Spain have more quality going forward, but Uruguay are also desperate for a win to move to the knockout round. I see goals here, and Spain can do enough on their own for this Over to connect.

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Man City make Elliot Anderson medical decision after £116m transfer agreement

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Elliot Anderson will undergo a Manchester City medical around England’s plans at the World Cup as he closes in on a record-breaking move to the Etihad.

Elliot Anderson is expected to complete a medical for Manchester City in the coming days after a £116m fee was agreed with Nottingham Forest. The midfielder is free to finalise his move to the Etihad after that breakthrough in negotiations, but is also said to be focused on the World Cup.

England are expected to fly into New York on Friday ahead of their third group game against Panama, and Anderson is not scheduled for his medical before that game as he looks to play a part in Thomas Tuchel’s team topping their group. While a date for the medical has not yet been confirmed, it should take place after the completion of the first stage of the World Cup on Saturday.

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City are in no rush to complete the deal having done the hard bit of agreeing a fee with Forest, and are happy to respect whatever England and Anderson think is best in order to cause the least disruption to the World Cup effort. Tuchel called for common sense recently on transfer activity when he spoke about the summer moves that some of his players could make during the tournament.

“There has to be common sense, I would say, I would not like it on a -1 and a matchday. That’s the policy,” he said. “And everything else, if it is quietly done, privately done, done efficiently, we are always happy to help to have clarity around the player.“I think the best we can have is clarity. If anyone has the chance to complete a change of club and a transfer, we will not stand in the way, but it has to align, of course, with our schedule and our goals which is to be focused and prepare for matches.”

Should England top their group, their round-of-32 match will take place on Wednesday and it will be even later if they do not, with a Thursday game if they are runners-up and Friday for a third-place finish. Anderson has started the first two matches for England and is set to be a key part of Tuchel’s plans to go all the way in the tournament.

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India vs Ireland Live Score, 1st T20I: Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi make his India debut?

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India vs Ireland Live Score: India begin a new chapter in T20I cricket under captain Shreyas Iyer when they face an injury-hit Ireland in the first match of the two-game series at the Civil Service Cricket Ground in Stormont on Friday.

While the reigning T20 World Cup champions start as overwhelming favourites, much of the spotlight will be on teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is on the verge of making his international debut.

Will Sooryavanshi make his debut?

The 15-year-old has been one of the biggest talking points in world cricket after a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals. He followed it up with a blistering 94 off just 29 balls for India A in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla.

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A debut against Ireland would see Sooryavanshi become India’s youngest men’s international cricketer. However, fitting him into the playing XI is not straightforward.

India already have a settled top order. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson formed a successful opening pair during the T20 World Cup, while Ishan Kishan impressed at No. 3. The team management will have to decide whether to reshuffle a winning combination to accommodate the teenage prodigy.

A new era under Shreyas Iyer

The series also marks Iyer’s return to India’s T20I side for the first time since December 2023, and his first assignment as full-time captain after replacing Suryakumar Yadav.

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Fresh from a successful IPL season as captain, Iyer will look to bring the same aggressive approach to the national side alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir. India are expected to field a power-packed middle order featuring Iyer, Kishan and vice-captain Tilak Varma.

Selection calls in the bowling attack

India also have decisions to make with the ball.

The management must decide whether to bring Harshit Rana straight back into the XI after his return to fitness or continue with recent performers Prince Yadav and Prasidh Krishna alongside pace spearhead Arshdeep Singh.

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Ireland battling injury crisis

Ireland head into the series with several key players unavailable.

The hosts will be without experienced names including Paul Stirling, Mark Adair and Josh Little due to injuries. Newly appointed T20I captain Lorcan Tucker will lead a depleted side, with uncapped bowlers Matthew Hollard and Jai Moondra earning maiden call-ups.

India’s dominant record

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History is firmly in India’s favour. The Men in Blue have won all eight T20Is they have played against Ireland and last met them during the 2024 T20 World Cup.

India are also enjoying an excellent run in the format, having won 12 of their 14 T20Is this year. They will also be playing an international match at Stormont for the first time since 2007.

Match details

Match: India vs Ireland, 1st T20I

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Date: Friday, June 26

Time: 6:00 PM IST

Venue: Civil Service Cricket Ground, Stormont, Belfast

Live telecast: Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD and Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD

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Live streaming: SonyLiv website and app

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Andrew Castle admits he is ‘upset’ over departure from BBC Wimbledon team

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Veteran commentator Andrew Castle said he was “upset” to learn that this would be his last broadcasting Wimbledon for the BBC.

Castle will be part of the broadcasting and commentary team for this year’s tournament, which begins on Monday, but announced he would step down entirely after this Championships rather than take a different role.

The BBC, which has recently renewed its free-to-air broadcast agreement with Wimbledon until 2033, is revamping its coverage of the tournament once again.

Castle told The Telegraph: “Am I upset? Yeah, I was upset, and I will stay that way this year, knowing it’s my last. But all good things come to an end.”

Castle said he would have preferred for his final Championships to be the 2027 edition, which will be the 150th year of Wimbledon. “It would have been my 25th year. But who’s bleating?”

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He said he was told in person that he would not be lead commentator for the men’s final next year. He said: “I was told in person, in a very respectful way, and I was very grateful for that – because knowing what I know about TV, you can be walking down the street one moment and the next you’ve been nobbled.”

Ex-pro Castle, who was British No 1 in 1986, will commentate on his 23rd final in 24 years as part of the BBC team this summer. He had previously told The Telegraph: “They want me to stay on the team but I will depart with gratitude.”

Castle grew up in Taunton and won a tennis scholarship to nearby Millfield School, before moving to Florida and then to Wichita State University in Kansas.

He reached the third round of the US Open in 1987, his best result at a major in singles, and reached the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open in the same year.

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After retiring as a player he moved into broadcasting, presenting on Sky and ITV’s breakfast programme GMTV, before joining the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage.

The BBC’s coverage has undergone several changes in the past few years, most notably the departure of veteran presenter Sue Barker in 2022. Barker said of Castle: “As a presenter, I always loved having Andrew in the studio, because he offered something a bit different. I’m sad that this news has come as a bit of a shock to him, but it feels that way for all of us, because we love what we do so much.”

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FIFA defies anti-LGBTQ backlash and allows Pride flags at Iran-Egypt World Cup match

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FIFA says fans will be allowed to display rainbow flags at Friday’s World Cup match between Egypt and Iran in Seattle, despite objections from both countries, where homosexuality is criminalized.

The Group G match falls during Seattle’s annual Pride weekend and was designated a “Pride Match” by the city’s local World Cup organizing committee long before December’s tournament draw paired the two Muslim-majority nations.

Following the draw, both football federations objected to the designation. Egypt’s Football Association said Pride-related activities conflicted with the country’s cultural and religious values.

WCup Pride Match Soccer
WCup Pride Match Soccer (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

According to The Athletic, Iran’s federation requested that “no ceremonies or promotional activities associated with this movement should be present inside the stadium.” Iran’s federation did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

FIFA confirmed Thursday that rainbow flags will be permitted inside Lumen Field, saying the World Cup is “an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds.”

“General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted … and may be displayed inside stadiums,” FIFA said.

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WCup Pride Match Soccer
WCup Pride Match Soccer (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

At the same time, FIFA emphasized that the Pride celebrations are organized by Seattle’s local host committee rather than the governing body itself. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said earlier this year that while Pride events would coincide with the match, “that has nothing to do with the match itself.”

The issue has drawn attention because of the competing teams’ records on LGBTQ+ rights. In Iran, same-sex relations are illegal and men have faced execution on sodomy charges. Egypt has prosecuted LGBTQ+ people and cracked down on public displays of Pride, including the use of rainbow flags.

Seattle organizers say the match is an opportunity to showcase the city’s longstanding commitment to inclusion.

Mohamed Salah #10 of Egypt competes with Michael Boxall #5 of New Zealand during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between New Zealand and Egypt at BC Place Vancouver on June 21
Mohamed Salah #10 of Egypt competes with Michael Boxall #5 of New Zealand during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between New Zealand and Egypt at BC Place Vancouver on June 21 (Getty)

Patti Hearn, executive director of Seattle Pride, said the rainbow flag represents human rights and inclusivity.

“The rainbow flag or any of the Pride flags are just a symbol of inclusivity, of community, of love — and that really isn’t offensive,” Hearn told Reuters.

She acknowledged the objections from Egypt and Iran but said the event sends an important message.

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Mehdi Taremi #9 of Iran celebrates scoring a goal with teammates before it was disallowed due to offside during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Belgium and IR Iran at Los Angeles Stadium on June 21
Mehdi Taremi #9 of Iran celebrates scoring a goal with teammates before it was disallowed due to offside during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Belgium and IR Iran at Los Angeles Stadium on June 21 (Getty)

“There are queer people everywhere,” she said. “If we can provide the opportunity for the world stage to see and experience what it feels like to be in a welcoming and inclusive place … I think that’s great.”

Bookda Gheisar, an Iranian American lesbian and diversity director at the Port of Seattle, said the moment carries deep personal significance.

“The challenge of that contradiction has been a struggle of my own personal life for 40 years,” Gheisar said. “I’m certainly not alone in that.”

A giant flag is displayed in the outfield to celebrate Pride night before the Baltimore Orioles play the Toronto Blue Jays in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 5, 2026
A giant flag is displayed in the outfield to celebrate Pride night before the Baltimore Orioles play the Toronto Blue Jays in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 5, 2026 (Getty)

Seattle officials stressed that Pride celebrations have been part of the city for decades and are not being created specifically for the tournament.

“The Pride celebration … has happened on this weekend for 50-plus years,” said Hedda McLendon of Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee. “It is going to happen this weekend, it is going to happen long after the World Cup.”

Ilona Lohrey, president and CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association, called Seattle one of the country’s most inclusive cities.

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A fan waves a Pride flag before the game between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers at Lumen Field on June 03, 2023
A fan waves a Pride flag before the game between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers at Lumen Field on June 03, 2023 (Getty Images)

“I think it gives us an opportunity to showcase who we are as a city, who we are as a people and how diversity makes us stronger,” she said.

Seattle Reign captain Jess Fishlock said the World Cup provides a unique opportunity to celebrate diversity.

“I don’t think there is a sport that has a global event that creates unity and diversity … quite like the World Cup,” she said.

Both teams have sought to keep attention on football rather than the Pride celebrations.

Seattle Reign captain Jess Fishlock said the World Cup provides a unique opportunity to celebrate diversity
Seattle Reign captain Jess Fishlock said the World Cup provides a unique opportunity to celebrate diversity (Getty)

Before Iran’s pre-match news conference on Thursday, FIFA public relations executive Daniel Marin read a statement saying the Iranian delegation would answer only football-related questions. Coach Amir Ghalenoei later repeated that his team’s “entire focus” was on the match.

“We are here to play football. For nothing else,” he said.

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Egypt took a similar approach, with team officials preventing players from answering Pride-related questions. Coach Hossam Hassan said, “We are all focused on football,” adding that his team respected “fair play and rules for everybody to abide by.”

Women with simulated wounds symbolising war victims take part in a mourning procession marking Ashura, the holiest day on the Shi’ite Muslim calendar on June 25, 2026 in Istanbul
Women with simulated wounds symbolising war victims take part in a mourning procession marking Ashura, the holiest day on the Shi’ite Muslim calendar on June 25, 2026 in Istanbul (Getty)

Iran has also faced travel complications during the tournament due to U.S. restrictions tied to geopolitical tensions.

Several support staff members were initially unable to enter the United States, and the team had been required to fly in shortly before previous matches and return immediately afterward. Restrictions were eased ahead of the Seattle match, allowing Iran to arrive two days early.

With Egypt leading Group G and Iran chasing its first-ever knockout-stage appearance at a World Cup, Friday’s match is expected to draw global attention both for the action on the field and for the rainbow flags that FIFA says fans are free to display.

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Elliot Anderson ‘fully focused’ on winning World Cup for England amid Man City move

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Elliot Anderson’s impending mega-money move to Manchester City will not impact the England midfielder’s focus on winning the World Cup, according to team-mate Jarell Quansah.

The 23-year-old has established himself as a key part of Thomas Tuchel’s side since making his debut last September and impressed on his major tournament bow as they overcame Croatia 4-2 in last week’s thriller.

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Anderson also started England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana and heads into Saturday’s Group L finale against Panama fresh from the life-changing news that City have struck a deal to sign him from Nottingham Forest.

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Jarell Quansah has been impressed by team-mate Anderson (JC Ruiz/PA)

Jarell Quansah has been impressed by team-mate Anderson (JC Ruiz/PA)

The agreement is said to be worth £116m and a medical has reportedly been lined up for when the team arrives in the Tri-State Area, but Quansah does not expect his team-mate’s focus to waver.

“I see a player that’s fully focused on what he wants, and I think at the moment what he wants is to win a World Cup,” the England defender told talkSPORT. “That ultimately is the goal.

“Obviously I’m not in his head or whatnot, but I’m sure he is fully focused on winning the World Cup for England, and you can’t drift too far away from that and he knows that.

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“But he’s a proper focused young lad and he’ll go right to the top I think.”

Anderson has flourished since being moved to a deeper midfield role by England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley, who he played a starring role for in last summer’s European Championship triumph.

Anderson is expected to leave Nottingham Forest for Manchester City (Mike Egerton/PA)

Anderson is expected to leave Nottingham Forest for Manchester City (Mike Egerton/PA)

Quansah, another member of that victorious side, said: “I think he’s a very versatile player as well.

“This season he’s played a deeper role, played in a sort of a six and sometimes an eight, but he’s got probably everything you want as a midfielder, to be honest.

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“I remember hearing about him at Bristol Rovers (when I went on loan there afterwards) and I think he was playing on the wing.

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“Knowing he can do that and what he does in training sessions as well, he’s got a lot of attributes that are really good for an England squad and exactly what the manager wants, which is good.”

Tuchel has some interesting decisions to make this weekend as he looks to balance protecting players with producing the performance needed to top Group L.

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Declan Rice will be assessed ahead of the clash with Panama (Martin Rickett/PA)
Declan Rice will be assessed ahead of the clash with Panama (Martin Rickett/PA)

England are all but assured of a place in the round of 32 ahead of facing already-eliminated Panama but must equal or better Ghana’s result against Croatia to top the pool.

Star midfielder Declan Rice has been under assessment ahead of Saturday’s match having limped out of Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, while Reece James sounds a major doubt.

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A hamstring injury is said to have seen him miss training on Thursday and back-up Tino Livramento’s enforced departure opens the door to versatile Quansah stepping in at right-back.

“It will be cliche but it’s a dream come true, and there’s probably no better words to actually sum it up,” the Bayer Leverkusen defender said of his potential World Cup debut.

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“Because when you’re younger, playing in the back garden, or whatever you’re doing, you always think about World Cups and the biggest stage of them all in my opinion.

“To be able to play with England it will be a massive, massive honour, and something I’m ready for, and something I’d look forward to.”

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How Minnesota Governor reacted to Naz Reid getting traded to Charlotte Hornets

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The Minnesota Timberwolves have rattled things up ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.

Following a hard-fought 4-2 second-round series loss in the Western Conference, many expected the Minnesota Timberwolves to make some major changes to the roster.

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Well, the Timberwolves did just that, but hardly anyone expected the franchise to trade away star center Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets.

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Photo by Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images

Photo by Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images

Tim Walz reacts to Naz Reid’s trade to the Charlotte Hornets

Considering Reid has spent his entire NBA career in Minnesota, up until this point, it was shocking to see the T-Wolves trade him to Charlotte.

But how much Reid meant to the organization can be seen in Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s reaction to the trade.

“You’ll always have a home in Minnesota, Naz,” Walz wrote on X.

Reid averaged 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game for the Timberwolves across seven regular seasons.

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Naz Reid to Charlotte Hornets full trade

The main piece in the Timberwolves-Hornets trade wasn’t Reid, but none other than 1x NBA All-Star LaMelo Ball.

Yes, the Timberwolves gave up, Reid, 2033 first-round pick, a 2028, 2029, 2030 first-round pick swap, and 2029, 2032, 2033 second-round draft pick in exchange for Ball and Josh Green from the Hornets.

Now, that’s a massive move, and it indicates that the Timberwolves are entering win-now mode as they have already traded Julius Randle earlier in the offseason.

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But can the dynamic duo of Ball and Anthony Edwards carry the T-Wolves farther than when Reid was on the roster? Only time will tell.

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‘1 bad swing’ stymies Nelly Korda’s KPMG Women’s PGA opener

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CHASKA, Minn. — Nelly Korda wasted no time picking up her tee. Usually, that means two things: it’s really good, or it’s really bad.

This was the latter.

“I just overturned it,” Korda said of her tee shot on the par-4 16th hole at Hazeltine National, which hooked into the creek that runs up the left side of the course’s signature hole. “By now you just feel it when it’s bad. So the wind was off the right and I actually think I just made too fast of a swing and I was kind of in between clubs.

“It’s a pretty intimidating tee shot and I just didn’t really like the way I hit it off the start.”

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Korda took a drop, wedged on and then three-putted from 35 feet for a messy double bogey. It was her only double of the day and came after she birdied three in a five-hole span.

She still shot a two-under 70 in the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which was good enough to stay in the top 10 of Thursday’s morning wave, although she’s seven back of early leader Ina Yoon, who shot 63.

There’s no shortage of pressure on Korda this week, where she’s attempting to become just the third player in LPGA history to win the first three majors of the season. A win this week would also send Korda, still just 27 years old, into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

She started early Thursday morning — with a large contingent of fans following along — and turned in one under. She added birdies on 11, 13 and 15 before she reached the 378-yard par-4 16th hole, a short par-4 played along Hazeltine Lake that has a tight driving window — the lake right, creek left — and most of the green guarded by water. During the 2016 Ryder Cup, the 16th was changed to the 5th hole to guarantee it played a role in the matches. Korda hit driver on Thursday.

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“It’s between a 3-wood and driver,” Korda said. “You can’t lay it too far back because then you’re blocked out by the trees and you have a long shot into a pretty difficult green that is pretty undulated, so you got to risk it.”

Korda begins her second round at 2:42 p.m. ET on Friday.

“Honestly just made one bad swing, which ended up in a double,” Korda said. “But overall, pretty happy with my day.”

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Wimbledon 2026: How not to be a tennis parent

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By the time Ellie-Rose Griffiths was nine, she had left school to train full-time. That was when tennis stopped being just a game and became her life.

The former top-ranked junior player would go on to compete alongside some of the top names in British tennis including Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Harriet Dart before stopping playing at 19 because she was burned out and not enjoying it any more.

When the 27-year-old looks back now, it is not just the tennis she remembers. It is the pressure around it, and in particular one group of people she believes could deal with it better.

Parents.

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Pushy parents are nothing new in a sport offering the potential of millions of pounds in prize money at the very top – at elite level there are well-documented incidents involving the dads of Jelena Dokic, Mary Pierce and Bernard Tomic to name a few.

It all starts at junior level.

“You see parents shouting at children all the time in tennis,” Griffiths tells BBC Sport. “There’s a lack of understanding on how they should behave… on how they could help their child to blossom into the athlete that they should become.”

And it can get out of hand.

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“We’ve had situations here before where unfortunately we’ve had to call the police because the parents’ behaviour is getting that far out of control,” says Chris Johnson, head coach at Sutton Coldfield Tennis Club, where he has worked for 36 years.

“They won’t listen, they think they can get away with anything, they don’t respect the referees, it can get a bit ugly.”

Both are clear that behaviour like that does not happen in isolation and that it is the environment tennis creates that makes parents behave this way.

So, why is that and what needs to change?

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Tennis can be intense for parents.

There is transport to arrange, coaching to fund, and a complicated player pathway to navigate. In some cases there’s even private tutoring to arrange if their child has left mainstream school to focus on the sport.

“You do get on a bit of a hamster wheel”, says John from Derbyshire, whose 11-year-old son Harrison is a promising player. “It’s 12 months of the year, indoor courts and outdoor courts.”

Children can start a form of tennis from the age of four on a modified court. The Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) performance pathway for the most promising juniors supports players from the age of seven on their journey to potentially becoming a Grand Slam champion.

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Competitions are grouped according to age and start aged eight and under.

And the ratings and rankings you get from doing them are one way to get noticed.

So when does it start to get serious?

“The minute they start playing their first competition,” according to Johnson.

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Does he think that is right?

“Absolutely not.

“A lot of adults can’t cope with the pressures of playing an individual sport and then they’re expecting young children to be able to do so.”

Steve Whelan, a coach working in St Albans with nearly three decades of experience, agrees that the system places too much emphasis on winning at a young age.

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“It just creates this race to the bottom because parents are chasing ratings and rankings,” he says.

He tells parents: “These are not tennis players. They are kids who play tennis and there’s a big difference.”

The LTA says it undertook a “comprehensive review” of its rating and ranking system in 2018 “specifically to address the issue of putting too much pressure on children at too young an age.”

Now players can’t be ranked nationally against their peers until they reach the under-11 age group, with younger children from eight and up organised into competition based on recent form – a rating.

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When it comes to parental behaviour the LTA says like any sport “there are occasions when a small minority of parents do not uphold the standards of behaviour expected”. The governing body will soon be launching a new initiative called Fair Play, to promote positive parent behaviour and support coaches.

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