A Minnesota Vikings helmet sits on display before kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium ahead of a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. On Oct. 19, 2025, fans gathered in Minneapolis as the Vikings prepared for another important regular-season test in front of a packed home crowd. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Expecting big things from outside linebacker Dallas Turner in 2026? How about second-year wideout Tai Felton? Neither of those men is the most logical breakout candidate for the 2026 Minnesota Vikings — because that distinction belongs to left tackle Christian Darrisaw, says CBS Sports.
It’s a bizarre selection for a breakout player, as Darrisaw broke out five years ago.
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Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw pursues a loose football during fourth-quarter action against the Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium. On Dec. 26, 2021, Darrisaw recovered a fumble during a pivotal sequence, showcasing hustle and awareness in a hard-fought contest late in the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
CBS Sports: Vikings Breakout Player = Christian Darrisaw
Zachary Pereles nominated a breakout player for each NFC team this week, landing on Darrisaw for Minnesota: “If you ask Vikings fans, they’d probably say it’s past time for Christian Darrisaw to become a star. The left tackle showcases elite talent when he’s on the field. The issue is he hasn’t been on the field enough: zero full seasons.”
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“He has played in just 17 games total the past two seasons after signing a four-year, $113 million extension in July 2024. He then tore his ACL and MCL in October and struggled with knee issues for seemingly all of 2025.”
Pereles is correct with his first sentence. Minnesotans are not looking for Darrisaw to achieve stardom. They want him to be healthy.
“He’s an absolute road grader in the run game; since Darrisaw arrived in 2021, the Vikings have a 46% rushing success rate with him on the field and a 41% rushing success rate without him,” Pereles added.
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“In 2025, that would have been the difference between the NFL’s 17th-best rushing attack and its 31st-best rushing attack.”
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Pereles is right about one thing — Vikings fans considering Darrisaw a stud. From their perspective, he broke out sometime in mid-2021 as a rookie.
In fact, during the dark years of 2021 and 2023, Darrisaw was a bright spot, a player fans could tout as, “At least we have Darrisaw.” That crowd spends more time wondering why Darrisaw has never reached a Pro Bowl, despite a Pro Bowl resume, than labeling him as a breakout candidate.
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Most would’ve picked the aforementioned Turner for the “breakout” candidacy, as outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard was traded in late April. It’s finally time for Turner to start after the Vikings traded the farm to get him in 2024.
But nope — CBS Sports says Darrisaw could be on the cusp of something big in 2026.
Career Resume for Darrisaw
Darrisaw’s track record is clear: when healthy, he is one of the best left tackles in football.
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Since 2021, the Vikings have witnessed his prowess over 3,440 total snaps — 2,216 in pass-blocking and 1,224 in run-blocking. His performance has been exceptional, highlighted by an overall grade of 90.4 in 2022, followed by 82.4 in 2023 and 81.4 in 2024. PFF ranked him seventh among all offensive tackles after the 2023 season, noting his career-best 85.3 pass-blocking grade, which was third in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw prepares for the snap during a road matchup against the Washington Commanders at FedExField. On Nov. 6, 2022, Darrisaw anchored Minnesota’s offensive line while continuing his emergence as one of the NFL’s premier young left tackles during a successful Vikings campaign. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
The 2023 season is particularly significant, as Darrisaw maintained his elite blindside protection despite Minnesota cycling through four quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins, Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall.
His run-blocking grades have been consistently strong: 90.6 in 2022, 73.9 in 2023, 82.3 in 2024, and 69.8 in 2025. His pass-blocking grades show even greater consistency: 82.4, 85.3, 79.9, and 71.3 from 2022 to 2025.
PFF recognized his potential early, ranking him among rookie left tackles with the lowest pressure rates since 2010 after his first season.
The primary concern, of course, revolves around his recent availability. Darrisaw has played in 58 games and started 56 over five years. His talent undeniably qualifies him as a franchise left tackle; the Vikings simply need him to complete a full season.
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Actual Breakout Candidates?
If one classifies Darrisaw’s breakout label as bogus, here’s the real list of possible Vikings contenders in 2026:
Tai Felton (WR)
Jordan Mason (RB)
Myles Price (WR)
Bo Richter (OLB)
Dallas Turner (OLB)
Jay Ward (S)
Rookies, too — the Vikings have about 30 on the roster right now — could break out, but no one considers a rookie shining for the first time all that remarkable. It happens.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner watches drills during minicamp at the team’s training facility in Eagan. On June 10, 2025, Turner continued his offseason development as coaches evaluated young defenders and installed schemes ahead of training camp, with expectations rising for the former first-round draft pick. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Darrisaw said last week that his knee feels its best in two years, notable because he tore his ACL in October 2024. Mankato Free Press‘s Abbie Parr noted, “Darrisaw, who’s entering his sixth season with the Vikings after being drafted in the first round in 2021, wore a leg sleeve but no knee brace during Thursday’s organized team activities practice.”
“He participated in everything from O-line drills to 7-on-7 work. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said the team had planned on Darrisaw being available in this part of the NFL calendar and that he’s been participating ‘pretty much in totality.’”
He turned 27 last week.
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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dec. 7, 2025. Hockenson celebrated in the second half after finishing the drive with a scoring catch as Minnesota’s passing attack found success at home. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
When the Minnesota Vikings traded for T.J. Hockenson back in 2022, the early results were promising. Hockenson seemed to have the world at his feet as he put forward a case to be recognized as one of the best tight ends in football. Then disaster struck.
T.J. Hockenson Out to Restore Reputation in 2026
After a strong second half in 2022 following his trade from the Detroit Lions, T.J. Hockenson was well on his way to breaking the 1,000 receiving yards mark for the first time in his career.
Playing against his former team in Week 16 of the 2023 season, Hockenson sat on 960 receiving yards and five touchdowns – reaching 1,000 seemed a formality. Then the Vikings TE1 suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee – a devastating injury.
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Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) makes a catch during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
It was a catastrophic injury that not only ended that season in its tracks but also lingered well into the 2024 season. Hockenson went from borderline top five at his position to almost becoming a forgotten man.
The Vikings and Hockenson agreed on a restructured contract in March that would save the team $5.75 million in salary cap space and make Hockenson a free agent at the end of the season – a year early. It ended speculation that Minnesota was looking to release their TE1 who was due to be the highest-paid TE in the league this season.
Two Years of Struggle
T.J. Hockenson didn’t return from his injury until Week 9 of the 2024 season but would then go on to play in every game for the rest of the season. In those 10 games, Hockenson caught 41 of 62 targets for 455 receiving yards – respectable numbers for the number of games played.
There were a few bad drops that caught the eye but most notably, for the first and to date only time in his career, Hockenson didn’t score a single touchdown across the season.
With a full preseason behind him, the hope was for a return to form for the Vikings TE1 in 2025. Hockenson did get back on the score sheet in 2025 with three touchdown catches. However, despite playing in 15 games his receiving yards actually dropped slightly to 438 from 51 receptions on 66 targets. That’s a humble 29.2 yards per game. From those statistics, something that sticks out to me is that in five extra games, Hockenson only got four more targets.
The offensive woes of the Vikings in 2025 stemmed from a complete disaster at the quarterback position, which saw three different starting QBs across the season (all of whom struggled). People jump to this fact when defending Justin Jefferson’s down season last year, but it is brushed aside when Hockenson is the subject at hand.
Can Hockenson get Back to His Best?
Hockenson had some of his sharpness back in 2025 and his successful catch percentage of 77.3 was the highest of his career. Get accurate balls to him regularly and Hockenson will deliver. He also earned praise from the coaching staff for his blocking being the best it has been in his career so far.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked Hockenson as the 21st-best TE in football. At 29 years old, he should have plenty left in the tank and in a settled Vikings offense that needs to show much improvement from last year, there is no reason why he shouldn’t get himself back in the frame for a top 10 guy at his position.
With this now being a contract year with Hockenson playing for his future he should have all the motivation that he needs.
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Another record-breaking season for trainer Chris Waller has been capped off with a midweek double at Randwick’s Kensington track, securing his sixteenth consecutive Sydney trainers’ premiership. The tally of Sydney metropolitan wins for the season now stands at 183.
The victories were achieved with Godolphin’s two-year-old filly Sequinned in the Inglis Xtra Bonus Plate (1100m) and Concordia Wind in the Tropicus @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1550m), adding a celebratory flourish to Waller’s dominant season.
The stable’s success was mirrored by its riders, with apprentice Siena Grima claiming the Sydney junior rider’s title with 34 wins, while James McDonald, a frequent jockey for Waller, secured the senior division for the tenth time.
Assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth commented on the driving force behind the stable’s success. “Chris is a relentless worker, and he does a lot of it himself,” Duckworth said. “Plenty of people get accolades for him, but he is the driving force.”
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Duckworth elaborated on the team’s exceptional performance this season. “Amazing that he has gone and broken his own records again. He had a bumper year in terms of the top tier horses, and I think we’ve also had more provincial winners than we had last year. Every category has been stronger this year without expanding in terms of numbers. It’s pretty cool.”
Waller’s string of 22 Group 1 winners this season surpasses his previous best of 19 from the 2024-25 period. Both Sequinned and Concordia Wind showcased promising performances at Randwick, despite not yet reaching the highest echelons of racing.
Sequinned, a half-sister to Bivouac, was in just her third career start. A city win as a two-year-old was a significant achievement for the filly, given her esteemed pedigree. “The main thing is you get a metropolitan win on the pedigree page. Not that you need much on a pedigree page like hers, but it still boosts the whole family,” Duckworth stated. “Then you just try to plot a path and hopefully end up in black type if you can.”
Ridden by Zac Lloyd, Sequinned ($11) secured a 1-1/4 length victory over Wanda’s Spark ($2.50), with Eviction Notice ($2.25 favourite) finishing third.
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European football’s governing body UEFA said on Thursday it would boycott the World Cup if FIFA pressed ahead with its private investor plan. “No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership,” UEFA said in a statement. FRANCE 24’s James Vasina reports.
Serie A giants AS Roma travel to Wales this weekend to face off with EFL Championship side Cardiff City in a pre-season friendly.
This will be Cardiff’s final pre-season game before their 2026-27 campaign officially begins next weekend, while Roma still have three more games following this one.
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So can Roma start their time in Wales with a win, or will Cardiff pick up a big scalp?
Cardiff City vs AS Roma Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
The last time Cardiff faced off with Roma in a friendly match was prior to the 1963-64 season, when they travelled to Italy and suffered a 1-4 loss, a tour that also saw them draw 3-3 with Juventus and lose to Lazio.
Cardiff have already played three pre-season friendlies, beginning with a bad 0-6 defeat at the hands of Midtjylland. Since then, though, the Welsh side have beaten both Forest Green Rovers and Cork City, scoring eleven goals in those two games while conceding just two.
Roma’s first pre-season friendly saw them travel to Cannes, and they ended up drawing 3-3 with the French third-tier side. They are set to follow this match against Cardiff with one against another Welsh side, Newport County, before they play Brighton and Borussia Dortmund.
Outside of France’s Manu Kone, who remains on an extended break following the World Cup, Roma have a full-strength squad to call upon for this match, with the likes of Paolo Dybala, Donyell Malen and Matias Soule all available.
Cardiff’s eleven-goal haul in their last two friendly matches was not a surprise to fans who followed them in their League One campaign last season. The Bluebirds were the competition’s top scorers with 90 goals, something that heavily contributed to their promotion.
Cardiff City vs AS Roma Prediction
There’s no doubt that on paper, Roma are a far superior outfit to Cardiff, even without arguably their best player in the form of Manu Kone.
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However, Cardiff are very dangerous going forward – as their recent friendly wins showed – and they do have the home advantage here. What’s more, they will be arguably better-prepared and sharper for this match after playing more games, while Roma looked rusty against Cannes.
With that in mind, then, the prediction here is a score draw,
Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has spoken for the first time since Nigeria’s shocking 3-2 defeat to Malawi at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), promising that the team will learn from the setback and return stronger.
The nine-time African champions suffered a surprise defeat in their Group C opener, leaving their title defence under immediate pressure.
Reacting in a post on social media on Thursday, July 30, Nnadozie admitted the result was painful but praised the fighting spirit of the team.
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“This one hurts really bad. Not the result we wanted, but the fight was real. Left it all on the field, but wasn’t enough to get the three points,” she wrote.
“We take full responsibility for our performance against a very tough opponent. It stings, but we grow. Falls hurt, but we do not stay down.”
The goalkeeper ended her message on a positive note, saying: “Head high, heart full. Proud of this team, always.”
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Her comments came after head coach Justin Madugu defended his players following the defeat, insisting the loss was a collective failure and not the fault of any individual.
“Chiamaka Nnadozie is a top-class goalkeeper. It wasn’t the fault of one player, we generally had a bad day as a team,” Madugu said.
The coach described the defeat as a wake-up call and expressed confidence that the Super Falcons have the quality and experience to recover.
“We have identified the areas we need to improve on, and we’ll go back to work immediately. I believe this team has the quality, character and experience to bounce back stronger,” he said.
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Nigeria will now shift focus to a crucial Group C clash against Zambia on August 1, knowing that victory is vital to keep alive their hopes of winning a record-extending 10th WAFCON title.
The subsidiary would be responsible for FIFA’s commercial rights like broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing contracts for its competitions, including the World Cup.
UEFA’s 55 members met to discuss a response to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s controversial plans.
“No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership,” UEFA said in a statement.
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“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product… No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale,” the statement added.
Shortly after, North America’s soccer body CONCACAF unanimously rejected the FIFA plan, though it stopped short of a boycott.
UEFA swiftly rejected FIFA’s proposal
UEFA had come out publicly in opposition to the plan within an hour of it first being reported by the Financial Times and Times on Tuesday.
Shortly after the newspaper reports, FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, issued a statement confirming the plan.
In a later statement, it gave FIFA’s 211 member associations until September 19 to express their written support for the scheme. The proposal requires a simple majority and approval from the FIFA Council to pass.
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Even before Thursday’s meeting, UEFA had doubled down on its criticism after learning of the deadline, saying: “Today we have learned of FIFA’s deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn. This says everything you need to know about this plan.
Aleksander Ceferin’s UEFA has been at loggerheads with FIFA for some timeImage: Mike Egerton/PA/picture alliance
It added that talks with many stakeholders showed that “there is significant and growing opposition to FIFA’s scheme. FIFA cannot to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends.”
DFB: FIFA plan ‘problematic and unacceptable’
Germany’s mass-circulation Bild paper reported that key UEFA officials including German FA (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf had already discussed the FIFA plans via a video call on Wednesday.
“We must not lose the fans’ support, but we are well on the way to squandering that,” he told public broadcaster ZDF. “I consider this to be extremely problematic and unacceptable.
“If UEFA rejects this request (for approval of the plan), then it is dead, because I believe that you won’t be able to find any investor who would be willing to go ahead with this project if UEFA is out,” he added.
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Bernd Neuendorf can’t see the FIFA plan going forward without UEFA on boardImage: Ulrich Wagner/picture alliance
Other critics have expressed fears that the deal could lead to more tournaments, teams and matches to increase revenue and boost the value of investors’ stakes.
UEFA hasn’t been the only confederation to criticize the report. CONCACAF, responsible for North and Central America, as well as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have also expressed concerns that the proposal was made public without their consultation while the African confederation (CAF) have said they will discuss the plans next week.
Members of the FIFA Council, including Neuendorf, have said they were not consulted on the latest proposal.
FIFA: Subsidiary could raise billions ‘this year’
FIFA has said the new subsidiary, to be known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would be valued at $20 billion and that it would aim to raise up to $4.2 billion “this year” by “carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests” in the company.
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Under the plan, FIFA said it could make $10 billion available for development beginning in 2027. Each federation would be eligible for up to $20 million in one-time Fast Forward funding, in addition to $20 million through the regular FIFA Forward program during the 2027-30 cycle. Without approval, FIFA projects a development package of about $2.7 billion.
FIFA unveils controversial World Cup investor plan
Infantino: ‘A golden opportunity’
In the face of the opposition, FIFA President Gianni Infantino released a video on Wednesday evening, describing the project a “golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally.”
He added that the proposal was “part of a democratic process” and in comments directed to football fans, he stressed that “the sport they watch and love will not change.”
Senne Lammens cemented his place as United’s No.1 in his debut season at Old Trafford, while Andre Onana has already has already joined Trabzonspor on loan. Michael Carrick has added Karl Darlow on a free transfer from Leeds United to his array of shotstoppers, but could yet lose Altay Bayindir and Radek Vitek.
Gill’s agent has suggested that the goalkeeper will soon leave for San Lorenzo. He told DSports Radio: “We are in talks with English clubs as well as clubs in Germany.
“There were enquiries with Manchester United. We only received two concrete offers. We are currently in the negotiation phase.
“The sale is close, the time is right. We have to handle it very carefully because there are many things involved. It’s ideal for him to take a step up in quality. He’s prepared and capable of playing in any league, without a doubt.”
He added, “We’re trying to finalise it as quickly as possible for everyone’s benefit. It would be very important for San Lorenzo; hopefully, it will come to fruition.”
United glovesman Lammens returned to Carrington on Thursday following his post-World Cup break. Vitek has featured in each of the club’s friendlies so far against Wrexham and Rosenborg.
After the clash against the Westlsh side, the former Bristol City loanee confirmed that he is ready to find a new club.
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“I feel great and ready to go again somewhere to be, hopefully, number one, so we will see. We will see what is going to happen,” Vitek said.
“At the moment, I am still here, but we will see. I hope so. I hope there will be some interest. I think you will know when things are more concrete.
“I am ready for both, to be fair. [It] Depends what the club wants and also depends on the options. We will see.
“There have been a few interests on the table. But we hope to get the best one and hopefully it will happen soon.”
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Just as he did in Birmingham four years ago, Ball had got, well, the ball rolling,
He competes in tandem races as an athlete with a visual impairment and is a multiple world champion across the tandem sprint events, also winning a gold at the 2024 Paralympics in the tandem B kilo alongside his pilot Steffan Lloyd.
In 2022, he was Team Wales’ first Commonwealth medallist and first gold medallist This time Ball delivered the first cycling podium position in the men’s B tandem 1,000m time trial.
Ball and Rotherham matched the silver they won in Birmingham with great rival Neil Fachie from Scotland taking the gold.
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It was a third successive Commonwealth Games second place in this event for Ball.
“It is special to equal to what we did in Birmingham four years ago,” said Ball.
“We have to be proud of what we’ve done. We gave it everything on the track and I was on the floor for 20 minutes afterwards.”
Fachie effectively came out of retirement for this event and now has six Commonwealth Games golds and one silver to his name.
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The rivalry between Fachie and Ball is long-standing with Rotherham having been the pilot for both men.
Fachie won gold in this event four years ago, while the results were reversed in the tandem sprint.
So Ball and Rotherham will have a chance to defend their sprint title on Saturday.
Rotherham, who hails from Bolton, said: “I spent three days learning the Welsh national anthem and I’m gutted I didn’t get to sing it today.
The Webbed Fruit is a Secret Equipment introduced in the Release Update (0.0) of Anime Expeditions on July 17, 2026. It is a Unit-type Equipment designed exclusively for String Demon (Awakened), the evolved version of the String Demon unit. You can obtain it as a drop from the Mastery Act of the Rose Kingdom.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Webbed Fruit in Anime Expeditions.
An overview of the Webbed Fruit in Anime Expeditions
The Webbed Fruit info (Image via Roblox)
How to get
The Webbed Fruit is obtained by completing the Mastery mode of Rose Kingdom, the third Story stage in Anime Expeditions.
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Rose Kingdom features five Acts, an Infinite Act, and a Mastery Act. The Webbed Fruit can only drop from the last Act. The Equipment has the following drop rates:
5% drop chance after completing the Rose Kingdom Mastery Stage.
20-Run Pity, guaranteeing the Equipment if you don’t obtain it within 20 Mastery clears.
Although you can farm the Equipment at any time, it can only be equipped after evolving String Demon into String Demon (Awakened).
Stats and passive
The Webbed Fruit comes with two rollable substats:
Range: +1% to +10%
SPA: -1% to -5%
These values are randomized when the Equipment drops. You can improve them later by using Equipment Rerolls if you’re looking for better stat rolls. Webbed Fruit grants the Cocoon of Carnage passive, which completely overrides String Demon (Awakened)’s original passive ability.
The passive works as follows:
Every five regular attacks, the unit Cocoons all enemies hit.
Cocooned enemies remain trapped until they are either:
Hit 10 times, or
Held for five seconds.
If the Cocoon is broken after receiving 10 hits, it explodes and deals 125% of String Demon (Awakened)’s current damage. If the Cocoon survives the full five seconds without being broken, it simply disappears without dealing the bonus damage.
Thanks to its increased range, faster attack speed, and reliable crowd-control effects, the Webbed Fruit is considered the best Equipment for String Demon (Awakened) and significantly improves the unit’s overall performance.
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How to evolve String Demon into String Demon (Awakened)
To evolve String Demon into its Awakened form, you’ll need the following materials:
1x Joker of the Nonsensical Pirates (obtained from the Strings of Captivity Unit Trial)
20x Yellow Sprite
20x Pink Sprite
1x Rainbow Sprite
5,000 Gold
Once all the required materials have been collected, you can evolve the unit into String Demon (Awakened), allowing it to equip the Webbed Fruit.
FAQs on Anime Expeditions
How do you get the Webbed Fruit in Anime Expeditions?
It drops from the Rose Kingdom Mastery Stage with a 5% drop chance and features a 20-run pity system.
Which unit can use the Webbed Fruit?
Only String Demon (Awakened) can equip this Unit-type Equipment.
What stats does the Webbed Fruit provide?
It grants +1% to +10% Range and -1% to -5% SPA, with both stats being randomly rolled.
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