Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have all but confirmed they will add another quarterback this offseason, probably via trade or free agency. And based on the landscape of possibly available signal-callers, San Francisco 49ers QB2 Mac Jones might move the needle. Wouldn’t you know it? He sure sounded like a guy this week who would welcome a trade.
The fit runs through Shanahan roots, a more straightforward path to snaps, and the Vikings’ need for an absolute contingency behind J.J. McCarthy.
Jones spoke to NFL.com, explaining his desire to start again, which won’t happen in San Francisco unless Brock Purdy gets injured.
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Jones-to-Vikings Has Real Logic
Jones chatter in the purple rumor mill won’t die anytime soon.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones completes pregame throws at Lucas Oil Stadium as preparations unfold in Indianapolis, with December 22, 2025 sitting at the center of a late-season matchup against the Colts. The controlled warmup captures Jones’ mechanics and timing under dome conditions while coaches and evaluators observe routine reps before kickoff nearby. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn
Jones on His Plans to Start Again
Reporters asked Jones this week if he’d like to start elsewhere, and he replied, “Honestly, it’s a business. You know how this goes. I’ve proven I can be a starter. I’ve proven I can be a starter in multiple different spots. I have 50-plus starts or whatever.”
“I know how to do it, but it’s also a business. I understand both sides of it. If you’re a quarterback that’s a free agent or could get traded or whatever your situation is, you want to go somewhere that fits and makes sense. At the end of the day, that’s what I want in San Francisco. We’ll see what happens. It’s good to be talked about.”
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He also said about the 2025 campaign, “Getting back to having fun and being around a group of guys that I really mesh well with, coaches and players. I felt like it was very laid back, but we put in a lot of work in OTAs.”
“Just for them to take me under their wing and for me to learn from all the Hall of Fame players we have, it was awesome. Kyle has been great for me. We’re really on the same … I call it ‘wi-fi.’ We’re just a really good match.”
That sounds like a man who wouldn’t mind a trade and starting gig in 2026.
Just an Insurance Policy in SF
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Why does Jones want to eventually wiggle out of San Francisco? Simple — he can’t start there. The 49ers pay Brock Purdy the megabucks, and unless Purdy gets hurt again, Jones is merely an insurance policy.
Elsewhere, with the Vikings, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, or Pittsburgh Steelers, Jones could be the top guy.
It’s all a matter of San Francisco’s willingness to trade him this offseason. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan said a couple of weeks ago that they have no desire to offload Jones. Some have reasoned that 1st- or 2nd-Round draft pick might change their minds.
The Numbers in 2025
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The case for Jones to Minnesota — or anywhere — is really straightforward. He started eight games in 2025, with the 49ers finishing 5-3 on his watch. If one scales his eight-game performance to a full 17 games, the numbers look like this:
4,570 Passing Yards
28 Passing TDs
13 INTs
69.6% Completion
That’s close to 2024 Darnold output, and Minnesota finished 14-3 that year.
There’s no reason to believe that Jones would arrive in Minnesota and suddenly struggle.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones delivers a first-quarter throw at Gillette Stadium during an early-season test against Dallas, with October 17, 2021 positioned mid-paragraph as the moment unfolds in Foxborough. The in-game snapshot reflects pocket rhythm and decision-making as the Patriots traded scores with the Cowboys before halftime under steady pressure throughout Sunday. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
SI.com‘s Jose Sanchez compiled a list of Jones’s trade spots this week and noted on the Vikings, “Last, but not least, is the most obvious team — the Vikings. It was recently reported that they have Jones on their radar, which makes sense.”
“They are the most playoff-ready team on this list and can offer the 49ers a great deal. Justin Jefferson is what fans would love to hear, but that won’t happen. It’s more likely for the 49ers to get a pick and Jordan Addison from the Vikings. Minnesota gets its quarterback, while the 49ers add draft capital and needed speed at receiver with Addison.”
The Next Darnold/Mayfield?
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Baker Mayfield turned his career all the way around in Tampa Bay. So did Sam Darnold in 2024 and 2025. Jones could be next.
He also opined on Darnold, who will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday: “I get asked that a lot. Everyone’s journey is so different. I feel like I’ve watched him in interviews, and he does say that learning from Kyle and Brock really changed his career. I see why now.”
“I’ve learned so much this year. I know Sam probably felt the same way (in his one year in San Francisco). You can see it on the tape, there’s a lot of crossover.”
Carolina Panthers quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield jog onto the field at FedExField during pregame routines, with August 13, 2022 embedded mid-paragraph before a matchup against Washington in Landover. The shared warmup moment captures a transitional quarterback room as roles and responsibilities were evaluated ahead of kickoff by coaches and staff members together. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
If anyone replicates the Mayfield-Darnold path as early as 2026, it will probably be Jones. He already showed his ability to produce at an impressive level in the right system.
Lionel Messi was the subject of praise from fans after he gifted teammate Nicolas Otamendi a penalty during Argentina’s 5-0 win over Zambia on Tuesday. It was an emotional moment as the match was most likely Otamendi’s last game on Argentine soil, marking the end of an era for one of the country’s most committed defenders.
In a bid to head into the 2026 World Cup on a high, La Albiceleste started the game strongly and took the lead after four minutes through Julian Alvarez, with Messi providing the assist. Just before the break, Messi doubled the advantage following a one-touch move with Alexis Mac Allister.
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The lovely gesture came after Albert Kangwanda committed a foul on Thiago Almada three minutes into the second half. Rather than take the penalty, Messi signaled to Otamendi and handed the ball to him. The veteran defender seized the opportunity and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score his country’s third of the night and his eighth goal for the national team.
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Zambia’s woes were worsened as Dominik Chanda scored an own goal midway through the second half while Valentin Barco added the cherry on top in stoppage time.
While Argentina fans were thrilled with the convincing victory, some were drawn to Messi’s ‘selfless’ act and took to X to laud him for it.
One wrote:
“This is what a real leader looks like.”
Another tweeted:
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“This is one of the many reasons players love sharing the pitch with him ❤️”
A third poked fun at Lionel Messi’s archrival, Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the Portuguese would never do something like that.
“Ronaldo would NEVER do something like this in a million years lol,” they remarked.
“That’s why they adore and respect him,” another chimed in.
Otamendi, meanwhile couldn’t hold back his tears after being substituted in the 69th minute, hugging his teammates including Lionel Messi before leaving the pitch.
Lionel Messi reaches goal scoring milestone after scoring in Argentina’s 5-0 win over Zambia
In what was his likely last-ever home game with Argentina, Lionel Messi added another feather to his illustrious cap. His 43rd minute stunner against Zambia meant he has now scored against 40 different countries with Argentina, for 117 national team goals.
Messi is expected to retire from the national team after the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, he has yet to guarantee his presence at this competition this summer.
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The 38-year-old is currently Argentina’s most capped player and all-time leading scorer.
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) smiles after a dunk in the final minutes of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Luka Doncic had 42 points and 12 assists, and LeBron James scored 14 points in his NBA-record 1,229th career win, powering the Los Angeles Lakers to a decisive 127-113 victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Los Angeles won for the 13th time in its last 14 games, clinching a playoff spot and the Pacific Division title earlier in the night when the Phoenix Suns lost. The Lakers sit third in the Western Conference, two games ahead of the Denver Nuggets.
James surpassed Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined regular season and playoff wins. The all-time scoring leader added five rebounds and six assists against the Cavaliers, with whom he spent 11 seasons over two stints.
Doncic returned from a one-game suspension to become the third-youngest player with 15,000 career points at 27 years, 31 days (James holds the mark at 25, 79). Jarrett Allen scored 18 points for the Cavaliers, who remained one game behind the third-place New York Knicks in the East. James Harden added 17 points.
Pistons 127, Raptors 116
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Jalen Duren scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds as host Detroit topped Toronto.
Daniss Jenkins supplied 21 points, five rebounds and five assists for Eastern Conference-leading Detroit, which won for the 10th time in 13 games. Duncan Robinson had 19 points, while Tobias Harris contributed 12 points, six assists and five rebounds.
RJ Barrett led Toronto with 24 points and pulled down six rebounds. Brandon Ingram scored 22 points, and Sandro Mamukelashvili had 16. Collin Murray-Boyles added 14 points with 10 rebounds for the Raptors.
Magic 115, Suns 111
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Desmond Bane scored 21 points and Jalen Suggs added 20 to help Orlando earn a victory over visiting Phoenix.
Paolo Banchero added 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, who had dropped seven of their previous eight.
Devin Booker poured in 34 points and Royce O’Neale contributed 14 for the Suns, who have lost seven of their past 10.
Hornets 117, Nets 86
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Brandon Miller scored 25 points in three quarters as Charlotte seized control early and rolled to a rout of Brooklyn in New York.
Miles Bridges added 19 points while also playing three quarters as the Hornets improved to 29-13 in the past 42 games and avoided a third straight loss.
Josh Minott posted 14 points as the Nets lost for the 11th time in 12 games and fell to 3-21 in their past 24.
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Rockets 111, Knicks 94
Kevin Durant scored a game-high 27 points, Reed Sheppard added 20 off the bench and Houston rolled to a victory over visiting New York.
Amen Thompson and Tari Eason tallied 17 points apiece for Houston, and Jabari Smith Jr. totaled 15 points. Alperen Sengun produced 13 points and 10 assists as the Rockets shot a robust 53.8% in their third straight win.
Karl-Anthony Towns paced the Knicks, who lost their third game in a row, with 22 points and eight rebounds. Josh Hart added 13 points, while Jalen Brunson shot 5-for-14 and scored 12 points.
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Bucks 123, Mavericks 99
Ryan Rollins scored 24 points and Kyle Kuzma added 20 to lead Milwaukee to dominant victory over visiting Dallas.
Rollins also dished nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds as the Bucks ended a four-game skid. AJ Green poured in 17 points off the bench.
Cooper Flagg logged 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Mavericks lost for the seventh time in the past eight contests. Brandon Williams added 18 points.
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Trail Blazers 114, Clippers 104
Jrue Holiday scored 30 points and Deni Avdija recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as Portland scored a crucial win over Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.
Portland pulled within a half-game of Los Angeles for eighth place in the Western Conference, a spot that would require just one play-in win instead of two to reach the playoffs. The Blazers turned in an inspired performance, taking the lead late in the first quarter and never relinquishing it. Toumani Camara added 17 points and Scoot Henderson finished with 15.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 23 points and eight rebounds. Darius Garland added 20 points, Brook Lopez put up 18, John Collins had 17 and Jordan Miller contributed 16.
Bully, Kanye West’s first album post-apology, has received a 3.4 out of 10 rating from Pitchfork, which stated that the rapper returned to music as a “hollowed-out shell of his former self.” Bully, Ye’s highly anticipated album, created buzz online when it was released on March 28, 2026, as it marked his return to his roots as an artist following his antisemitism controversy and a full-length apology ad in The Wall Street Journal in January 2026.
The 18-track album included features from Travis Scott, Peso Pluma, CeeLo Green, and Don Toliver, among others. On April 1, 20206, Pitchfork published its review of Bully, giving it a meagre rating of 3.4 out of 10. The music publication called the project a “cheap hit of retro-Kanye—a copy of the classic spectacle.” It further suggested that the album was filled with “weak introspection and feeble, characterless music,” adding:
“Even at his bleakest moments of self-professed nitrous and porn addiction, when he was prohibited from seeing his children, he still knew how to make a song. Bully’s real curveball is the lack of Ye, even after he re-recorded it with human vocals. He’s on every track but also somehow none of them, making a case for redemption and not sounding very convinced by it himself.”
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Pitchfork’s rating of Bully seemed to draw divisive responses from netizens on X, with one user questioning:
“Are they rating the album or the person? Lmaooo.”
@Kurrco Are they rating the album or the person? Lmaooo
Several fans felt the publication was too harsh with its rating.
@Kurrco The record could have sonically excelled more but definitely not this rating. Today’s pseudo music intellectuals fr.
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@Kurrco Bully is good. It’s a 10/10 but we have these Moral clowns who think hating on his music makes them a better person. I mean a 59 score for DONDA? a 65 for YE? like no one should give a fuck what people think anymore.
@Kurrco This gotta be an April Fools joke right?
@Kurrco Nobody cares about “Pitchfork”
However, others claimed that the rating was deserved and even suggested it deserved to be rated lower.
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@Kurrco 3.4 checks out. album was lowk mid
@Kurrco Well deserved. album was absolute buns
@Kurrco I mean it was a 2\10
@Kurrco Kanye fans will never be objective and call an album he makes bad lol, they’ve never had to deal with getting poor music over and over again, not everything the guy makes is a masterpiece anymore but they keep acting as if it is.
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Meanwhile, Rolling Stone gave Bully 2.5 stars out of 5 in a review on March 31, stating the album felt “lifeless overall” and more like Ye’s “greatest-hits compilation.” The publication also addressed widespread rumors of the rapper using AI to create the album, writing:
“Whether or not Ye used AI to make Bully, the album nonetheless feels like decades of his music fed into a computer program.”
Kanye West’s Bullymade waves on Spotify despite critics’ underwhelming response, and topped Spotify’s top albums chart following its release on March 28, 2026. According to Rolling Stone, ten songs from the 18-track list have debuted on Spotify’s chart of top songs worldwide.
Gamma, which distributed the album, claimed that it drew approximately 50 million streams on the first day, making it the largest single-day total for a hip-hop artist on Spotify in 2026.
However, the album was not without its fair share of controversy, and its rollout was plagued by speculation that Kanye West had used AI. However, days before the album’s release, West took to X to release the album’s tracklist with the caption, “BULLY ON THE WAY NO AI.”
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Following the album’s release, English singer and record producer James Blake requested that Ye remove his production credit from the album in response to fans speculating that AI was used on the track This One Here. In a comment on his Vault social media platform, Blake suggested that the released version of the song did not align with his original version, writing:
“The way I pitched his vocals and constructed the track from his freestyle is partially there, majorly peppered with other newer vocal takes etc. But the spirit of my actual production is mostly absent other than that. My original version is a completely different production in spirit. Happy for the fans but I’ve asked to be taken off the producer credits for now as I don’t want to take credit for other people’s work and this version isn’t what I created with Ye.”
According to Billboard, he also clarified that his reasoning for wanting to remove his name from the production credit was “not personal,” adding that he had “hit a point where don’t want to be credited on music where I can’t affect the end result.”
In other news, Kanye West is scheduled to headline all three days of the Wireless Festival from July 10 to July 12 at Finsbury Park, London.
TORONTO – The Canadian men’s team showed plenty of attacking impetus, but ended up settling for a 0-0 draw against Tunisia on Tuesday to close out March’s international window.
Fresh off a 2-2 draw versus Iceland last week, Canada was hoping to end this month on a more positive note, only to be let down by a lack of finishing in front of goal against the African nation.
While it wasn’t quite the result that Jesse Marsch was after, the Canadian coach was still pleased with the tenacity and spirit that his side displayed as it inches closer towards co-hosting this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
“Guys are really willing to sacrifice themselves to do whatever to help the team be successful,” Marsch said. “It’s a pleasure to be their coach. We’ve got some tough decisions coming up over the next eight weeks, but I really like our team, I really like our chances.”
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Canada is 30th in the current FIFA world rankings, 14 spots above Tunisia, which will compete in its seventh World Cup this summer.
Here are three key takeaways from Canada’s draw against Tunisia:
Goals still hard to come by for Canada
Tuesday’s goal-less stalemate means Canada has recorded four clean sheets in its last five outings. Marsch’s men also are unbeaten in five games.
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While the defence is holding steady, the offence has had issues.
Canada has now failed to score from open play in six of its last seven matches – and has no goals from open play in the last four games at Toronto’s BMO Field, where it will open its World Cup campaign on June 12 versus. Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnians stunned Italy in penalty kicks on Tuesday to qualify.
The Canadians fervently attacked in waves on Tuesday, putting Tunisia under constant pressure while carrying the bulk of play and enjoying a 6-2 edge in shots on target. Canada looked dangerous in attack, but the final product was often lacking. And if not for a pair of penalties converted by acting captain Jonathan David last week versus Iceland, Canada would have failed to score across this month’s pair of friendlies.
Yet, Marsch maintains the goals will come for Canada at the World Cup.
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“We would have liked to score more goals, but I think we were creating chances. We’re dangerous throughout games. We’re controlling matches. We’re playing against good opponents, so I’m not going to get negative or down on this group,” Marsch said.
“I know we have quality in the team, and I know that we can score goals. teams are defending harder against us; they’re taking us more seriously. They understand that when you come and play us, that it’s a talented group with a lot of speed and power. So, they know they have to be organized defensively and deep often and not give much away.”
Marcelo Flores shines in his first start
If anybody has used this international window to play his way onto the roster for the World Cup, it’s Marcelo Flores.
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Flores, a 22-year-old born in Georgetown, Ont., is a dual national who had been capped for Mexico but had his one-time international switch approved by FIFA in February. Flores plays for Tigres UANL in Liga MX, the Mexican first division.
He earned his first cap for Canada when he came off the bench in the 63rd minute for Ali Ahmed last week versus Iceland and did enough to earn his first start on Tuesday.
Flores was one of Canada’s best performers, his speed, quick feet and trickery on the ball down the left side and while drifting into the middle caused Tunisia problems all night.
Canada’s best attacking moments flowed through Flores, who routinely found open spaces to exploit via his dynamic movements with the ball, while also playing his teammates into dangerous scoring positions. The fearlessness with which he plays is something that Canada’s attack could use more of as it heads into the World Cup.
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“We have a lot of guys that are athletic and play with power, and he has a little something different. He’s clever, he’s quick, he moves around in the game. He can help see final plays. He did so many good things tonight, and now we’ve got to continue to work with his ability to understand how to see and play with the guys around him,” Marsch offered.
Liam Millar’s amazing defensive play
With no goals between the two sides, highlight-reel moments were few and far between. But Canadian winger Liam Millar managed to come up with an amazing defensive play that instantly went viral.
Canada was pressing for the opening goal late in the first half when a mistake by defender Joel Waterman deep inside Tunisia’s half allowed the visitors to launch a quick counterattack spearheaded by Elias Saad and Sayfallah Ltaief.
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Saad looked poised to score from a tight angle on a two-on-zero breakaway after rounding Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, only to be thwarted at the very last second by a sliding block from Millar, who made a lung-busting recovery run from deep inside of his half to deny the visitors a sure goal.
Millar furiously pumped his first after making the stellar defensive play, while Marsch emphatically celebrated on the sideline as if Millar had scored the game’s opening goal. Millar’s amazing hustle to track back exemplifies the spirit with which Jesse Marsch wants to see his side play.
“We talk about having 100 per cent recoveries; when we do get broken down in transition moments, that we have a team that sprints back and gives everything to defend our own goal. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a play like [that] and how far he ran. … You’d have to go back to where he started and where he ended to see how much he invested into protecting our goal. An amazing play and a defining play for what we’re trying to be,” Marsch said.
Another defensive injury for Canada
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Canada’s depth at the back was tested during this international window and a defensive injury crisis appears to have deepened.
Alistair Johnston and Moïse Bombito were involved in this Canadian camp but only as training players as they are still regaining their fitness from long-term injuries. Missing from the team altogether due to injuries were fullback Alphonso Davies, and defenders Alfie Jones, Zorhan Bassong and Jamie Knight-Lebel. Youngster Luc de Fougerolles was in camp but didn’t play as he was dealing with an ankle injury, while fellow centre back Derek Cornelius saw limited minutes across the two games as he’s just coming back from a muscle injury.
This month’s games offered a chance for centre back Ralph Priso to step up in a big way. Priso, 23, has impressed for the Vancouver Whitecaps ever since last season when he was converted from a midfielder into a central defender, with many pundits believing he’s shown enough to earn a call-up for this summer’s World Cup.
Priso earned his first official cap against Iceland when he came off the bench and Marsch trusted him enough to start him against Tunisia. Priso started off on the right foot, displaying genuine intelligence in his positioning before a hamstring injury knocked him out of the game after only 26 minutes.
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“We’re hopeful it’s not too bad. Maybe a couple weeks would be the best-case scenario,” Marsch said when asked about the prognosis on Priso.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
Filip Hrgovic returns to the UK on May 16, this time facing fan-favourite Dave Allen at Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium.
The Croatian heavyweight known as ‘El Animal’ hasn’t lost on British soil, beating Demsey McKean in London back in 2023 and David Adeleye in Manchester last year. He has, however, been beaten by a Brit in Daniel Dubois.
As he looks to work himself into contention for a rematch with Dubois – who challenges for Fabio Wardley’s WBO heavyweight title a week before – Hrgovic will step through the ropes a considerable favourite against Allen, who lost to Arslanbek Makhmudov last year but beat Karim Berredjem in February to get back in the winning column.
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If Allen can’t harness the home advantage and pull off an upset, Hrgovic has already secured himself a significant fight. Speaking to Boxing King Media, he named the heavyweights mentioned in his contract.
“I get paid and I move forward for my second fight in a new deal with Queensberry.
“I have in contract a few names that must get delivered. Moses [Itauma], Agit [Kabayel], [Daniel] Dubois, [Fabio] Wardley. Four, five names that must be delivered. It’s guaranteed. We’ll see what happens with Wardley-Dubois, Moses and Agit. But we have an obligation that I must face one of these guys later in the year.”
After his latest knockout win this past weekend, where he became the first man to stop Jermaine Franklin, Moses Itauma did mention Hrgovic as his ideal next test, but their timelines may not line up as the young Brit is due to return in July.
Agit Kabayel is in prime position with the WBC, looking to either fight champion Oleksandr Usyk next or see the belt become vacant and pick it up that way.
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The standout match-up for Hrgovic would undoubtedly be a shot at the winner of Fabio Wardley vs Dubois – a straight shot at the WBO belt.
His two-fight deal with Queensberry represents more significant moves in the division, which is shaping up strongly for 2026 into 2027. Of course, Allen – ‘The Doncaster De La Hoya’ – looks to spoil those plans and land a big one himself.
1 min read Last Updated : Apr 01 2026 | 1:25 PM IST
Three-time Olympian Manika Batra registered a gritty 3-2 win over USA’s Lily Zhang to stay in contention for a place in the knockouts of the ITTF Table Tennis World Cup in Macau on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Batra rallied past Zhang 11-7, 11-2, 14-16, 5-11, 11-6 in a 43-minute Group 4 clash, bouncing back from her opening match defeat to Japan’s Miwa Harimoto.
In another match, world No. 43 Sreeja Akula suffered a 1-3 (11-8, 9-11, 13-15, 8-11) loss to Portugal’s Fu Yu in her Group 2 opener. She will next face China’s world No. 2 Wang Manyu on Wednesday.
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In the men’s draw, Manav Thakkar faces a must-win situation against Sweden’s Olympic silver medallist Truls Moregard in Group 2 after going down 0-3 to Korea’s Park Ganghyeon in his opening match.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday, defeating Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico to seal their first appearance at the finals in 40 years.
Iraq, whose preparations for Tuesday’s playoff had been disrupted by the war in the Middle East, will play in World Cup Group I against France, Senegal and Norway.
Goals from Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein secured a famous win for Iraq, whose last appearance at the World Cup came at the 1986 finals in Mexico.
The win marked a triumph for Iraq’s Australian coach Graham Arnold, who had initially sought to have Tuesday’s fixture postponed due to the disruption caused by the regional conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Most of the Iraqi squad only reached Mexico after a gruelling three-day journey from Baghdad that began with an overland crossing into Jordan.
But there was little sign of weariness during a confident start by Iraq, who took the lead after nine minutes through Luton Town striker Al-Hamadi – the 24-year-old who moved to Liverpool as a toddler following the outbreak of the 2003 Iraq war.
Iraq midfielder Amir Al-Ammari won a corner after a superb free-kick that was saved at full stretch from Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra.
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From the subsequent set piece Al-Ammari curled a pinpoint corner on to the head of Al-Hamadi who nodded home for 1-0.
Iraq were well worth the early goal and looked in control until Bolivia, who had gradually grown into the game, equalized after 38 minutes.
Ramiro Vaca’s shot from the edge of the area was controlled with one touch by Moises Paniagua and the Morocco-based central midfielder swept into the roof of the net.
The goal stunned Iraq and Bolivia looked likely to grab a second after dominating the remainder of the half.
Iraq regained the lead eight minutes into the second half, when a long ball forward was nodded into the path of substitute Marko Lawk-Farji.
Lawk-Farji’s cross found captain Hussein and the veteran striker clipped a first-time finish into the bottom corner.
Bolivia pressed frantically for a goal to force extra-time, but Iraq’s well-marshalled defence held firm during a nerve-shredding nine minutes of stoppage time.
Michael O’Neill has openly acknowledged the immense strain of simultaneously managing both the Northern Ireland national team and Blackburn Rovers, describing the dual role as “challenging physically and mentally.”
The 56-year-old stepped into the Championship relegation battle with Rovers on a short-term deal in February, a move that raised eyebrows among Northern Ireland supporters ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final against Italy.
That play-off ultimately ended in a 2-0 defeat in Bergamo on Thursday, but the focus on O’Neill’s long-term future has been a persistent narrative throughout this international window.
He has previously expressed being “fed up” with the constant discussion, stating that “as things stand” he intends to complete the season with Blackburn before “returning to the status quo” as Northern Ireland manager, where he has two years remaining on his contract.
However, this has not quelled the debate. Ahead of Tuesday’s 1-1 friendly draw with Wales, O’Neill faced renewed scrutiny after rival Championship clubs voiced concerns over a potential conflict of interest, particularly regarding his management of Northern Ireland players also involved in the same relegation fight as Blackburn.
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Northern Ireland and Wales played out a 1-1 draw on Tuesday (Nick Potts/PA Wire)
Despite the distractions, O’Neill has successfully guided Blackburn out of the bottom three to 19th place, now four points clear of 22nd-placed Leicester ahead of Friday’s match at Birmingham.
Reflecting on the demands of his unique situation, O’Neill reiterated the personal toll.
“It has been tough, challenging physically and mentally, because the results obviously affect you as a manager,” he said. “I go back to the club now. We’ve seven games to go between now and the end of the season. I’ll look forward to the second of May when the season ends.”
Despite the World Cup dream ending, O’Neill remains optimistic about the national team’s trajectory.
“But I can come away (after this), though we’re disappointed we lost a World Cup play-off, we saw a lot of development and progress in our team and our squad,” he added.
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His discussions about the young, rapidly developing Northern Ireland side suggest a manager not eager to depart from a promising project, with an eye towards a Euro 2028 qualifying campaign.
The upcoming Nations League campaign, which will see Northern Ireland face Georgia, Hungary and Ukraine later this year, also featured in his post-Wales comments.
“We have games in June, which have yet to be confirmed in terms of opposition or venue,” O’Neill noted.
“In the Nations League we go up a level into League B and I think the window in September and October will be really challenging because of the depth of our squad.”
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He highlighted the particular difficulties for smaller nations: “Four games in 16 days is challenging when you don’t have the resources of the bigger nations.”
Nevertheless, O’Neill stressed the strategic importance of these fixtures, concluding: “But the Nations League will be very important for us in terms of our preparation (for) and the draw for 2028 when it comes around.”
This weekend, Derek Chisora fights one of the hardest natural punchers in heavyweight history, as he collides with Deontay Wilder in his supposed farewell fight. Ahead of the scrap, Chisora has unveiled a surprise name as the man who has hit him hardest thus far in his 49-fight career.
Chisora has faced a host of heavyweights considered to be major punchers and has been stopped four times during his almost two-decade-long spell in the sport, with David Haye being the first to halt him, in their 2012 grudge match at Upton Park.
Two years later, ‘Del Boy’ fell to Tyson Fury in their 2014 rematch, when he attempted to become a two-time British champion and the EBU European heavyweight titleholder, as his corner pulled him out after round 10.
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In 2018, after a gruelling rematch with Dillian Whyte, Chisora was knocked out whilst ahead on the scorecards in round 11, that being the solitary pure ‘KO’ defeat to date for the 43-year-old.
Finally, in a second unsuccessful challenge for world honours, ‘Del Boy’ was denied in round 10 by Fury once again in 2022, in a one-sided trilogy clash that remains as his most recent defeat.
Yet, in an interview with Givemesport, Chisora accredited the hardest punch that he has felt to a man that he beat twice, believing that Paul Butlin, whom he decisioned in 2008 and 2009, caught him with the best shot.
“Paul Butlin from Wales [hit me the hardest].”
Butlin was a veteran journeyman who also shared the ring with fighters such as Anthony Joshua and Lucas Browne, but had claimed just three stoppage wins in his 41 professional contests.
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Despite Chisora’s words, Butlin hails from Leicester, meaning that Chisora could have instead meant to name Welshman Darren Morgan -whom he fought in his third pro bout back in 2007 and has also since praised his power – with six of Morgan’s eight wins coming by knockout.
Wilder will hope that he can remove any confusion and register a more devastating blow, as he seeks to become the first non-Briton to dispatch of Chisora when they meet at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.
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