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‘White ball YouTuber’: Kevin Pietersen gives hilarious response when asked if he would coach England Test team
‘White ball YouTuber’: Kevin Pietersen gives hilarious response when asked if he would coach England Test team originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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Kevin Pietersen jokingly rules himself out of England Test coaching race.
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Backs former teammate Jonathan Trott for the vacant red-ball role.
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Justin Langer emerges as ECB’s new frontrunner for the job.
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Kevin Pietersen’s witty response wins hearts to England test coach speculation
As the England and Wales Cricket Board scrambles to find someone to fill the void left by Brendon McCullum’s recent sacking as Test head coach, former batter Kevin Pietersen has playfully taken himself out of contention with a response that had fans laughing.
The coaching search took an interesting turn on Friday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s head coach Andy Flower confirmed he wouldn’t be pursuing the role, following talks with the ECB. Despite the board’s clear interest in bringing him on board, Flower opted to remain with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the two-time reigning IPL champions, instead.
In the aftermath of that news, Pietersen backed his former England teammate Jonathan Trott and expressed hope that the ex-batter lands the job as McCullum’s successor in red-ball cricket.
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Trott, now 45, enjoyed a solid international career between 2009 and 2015, featuring in 52 Tests, 68 ODIs and seven T20Is. He was part of three Ashes-winning campaigns, famously scoring a match-defining century on debut during that historic rivalry.
Rashid Khan Jonathan Trott Afghanistan
(getty)
He also played a key role in England’s Ashes triumph on Australian soil during the 2010-11 series, a feat the team hadn’t managed in 24 years, and was part of the squad that famously beat India in their own backyard during the 2012-13 tour.
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These days, Trott works as a short-term consultant with Ireland, after having previously stepped down as Afghanistan’s head coach back in February.
Pietersen wrote on X: “Jonathan Trott: Hard working, dedicated, Great cricket brain, emotionally intelligent, Done cricket the hard way, Respected. Hopefully, he’s a frontrunner for the England red-ball team.”
Amid the discussion, one fan directly asked Pietersen whether he himself would consider getting involved with England’s Test setup. His reply was: “I’m a white ball YouTuber 🤣.”
Justin Langer emerges as the favourite to succeed Brendon McCullum
Meanwhile, Justin Langer has reportedly climbed to the top of the ECB’s shortlist following Flower’s decision to step back.
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Interestingly, Langer’s candidacy comes with some irony, given that when the same role opened up back in 2022, shortly after his own exit from Australia’s coaching setup, he firmly dismissed any interest in the position.
Currently, Langer coaches IPL side Lucknow Super Giants, a role he took over from Flower in 2023, alongside his responsibilities with Manchester Super Giants in the Hundred, meaning he would face a similar balancing act between franchise commitments and a potential England role.
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Pietersen’s humour hides a fair point
Pietersen’s response was funny, but it also subtly highlighted something real: Test coaching demands a completely different skill set and mindset than white-ball punditry or franchise cricket.
His backing of Trott, though, deserves attention rather than being dismissed as loyalty to an old teammate. Trott’s Ashes pedigree and calm technical approach could suit England’s current red-ball rebuild far better than another high-profile name.
The ECB’s dilemma with Langer is equally telling, as they are chasing a coach who once flatly rejected the job, largely because their better options keep saying no. Sometimes the right candidate isn’t the most famous one available, but the one who actually understands what Test cricket demands, and on that front, Trott’s resume speaks louder.
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The Las Vegas Raiders signed Kirk Cousins in March, about six weeks before their very obvious draft pick of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza first overall. Now, somewhat predictably, there’s a mystery looming, with Raiders fans unsure how long Cousins will be under center.
Las Vegas evidently wants Cousins to start indefinitely while the world wonders, “What’s the hold-up?” on Mendoza.
Mendoza Gives Las Vegas a Built-In Pivot
Ian Rapoport on Cousins
Training camps begin in about one week, and among quarterback competitions around the league, Cousins versus Mendoza is near the top of the list.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport said this week, “The way they’re hoping for it to all be is for Kirk Cousins to be the starter at the beginning of the season, throughout the season, and the end of the season”
Sitting Mendoza behind Cousins for an entire year would be fine in the long run; it’s just that first overall picks usually play sooner rather than later. The last first-overall-pick to watch and learn was Jared Goff in Los Angeles, and that was a decade ago. Before Goff, Raiders passer JaMarcus Russell — hopefully not a good career comp for Mendoza — only started one game as a rookie. And in 2003, Carson Palmer sat all year behind Jon Kitna for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Overall, it’s a little weird for a first overall pick to have a clear bench assignment as a rookie. Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, for example, started right away.
The Head Coach’s Musings
Earlier in the offseason, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak — a former Vikings offensive coordinator — opined on this topic, telling Fox Sports, “Ideally, you don’t want him to start from day one. You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. It doesn’t always work out that way.”
“Sometimes they have to play from day one, and it’s our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”
Kubiak backed up his words by signing Cousins, and with Cousins’s history of production, he could retain the QB1 job longer than most. Perhaps Kubiak enjoys the “Green Bay Packers model” of quarterback development; just letting a young passer marinate indefinitely.
Just Fluff?
Not everyone is buying the Cousins QB1 theory, though. Fansided‘s Rucker Haringey wrote Saturday, “The more likely date for Mendoza’s first start will come in Week 8 when the Raiders travel to New York to take on the Jets.”
“The downside to that date is that Vegas heads to San Francisco the following week to take on a good 49ers defense. It’s not a perfect runway for Mendoza, but it represents the right balance between rushing him onto the field in Week 1 and having him sit until the season has ceased to be competitive for the Raiders. In the end, Raiders fans should ignore what their team’s higher-ups continue to say about Cousins.”
There’s a chance that promoting Cousins as the starter through the media is a tactic to motivate Mendoza.
“He’s not going to hold off Mendoza for the full season unless the rookie is entirely unable to operate the offense. Expect to see the No. 1 overall pick firmly entrenched as Las Vegas’ starter before the midpoint of the regular season,” Haringey added.
The Inevitability
One thing is certain: Mendoza will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback before too long. It’s all a matter of when.
If Mendoza looks markedly better than Cousins at training camp, Kubiak can just tell the masses, “Hey, the guy earned it, and we didn’t expect him to look this terrific.” And if Cousins looks the part, the Raiders can insist that Mendoza as the QB2 to start the season was the plan all along.
But all signs point to Cousins starting multiple games out of the gate in 2026, even if most NFL teams start first overall picks right away.
However, unfortunately for the Toronto Blue Jays, that didn’t impact the result as the team’s offence continued to sputter.
Yesavage righted himself after an outing that was marred by wildness, yet the Blue Jays couldn’t muster any runs during a 3-0 loss to the White Sox in front of 41,288 at Rogers Centre on Sunday. With the loss, the Blue Jays dropped two out three games in the weekend series, and fell to 46-53 on the campaign.
The club currently sits four games behind the final American League wild-card spot.
Walks have been an issue for Yesavage this season and that became glaringly evident during his previous start, when he couldn’t find the zone and issued seven free passes in just 1.2 innings against the San Diego Padres last week.
Following that outing, the rookie said his wildness was the result of a mechanical issue — he was leaning too far back during his delivery and that was causing his front side to fly open. Yesavage worked with the Blue Jays coaching staff on correcting that during what manager John Schneider described as a “good work day” on Friday.
“With the unique delivery comes a lot of moving parts and making sure that they’re all in sync,” Schneider said this weekend. “The fact that he’s aware of it is good. It’s not like we’re sitting here screaming, ‘This is what you’re doing.’ He felt that. He was aware of it.
And he’s had a few of those outings, even looking back into last year in the minor leagues where things can get out of whack a little bit,” continued the manager. “So, I think it was a lot delivery, nothing about stuff. Stuff comes with the delivery being kind of intact.”
The stuff, along with everything else, certainly looked sharp for Yesavage out of the gate on Sunday as he struck out six out of the first nine hitters he faced.
He ran into trouble in the fourth inning when the White Sox opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly and then again in the sixth when Chicago shortstop Colson Montgomery launched a solo home run and right-fielder Braden Montgomery added a hard-hit RBI single that pushed the lead to 3-0.
All told though, Yesavage authored a quality start by allowing three runs on five hits over six innings. He walked just two batters and punched out nine while generating 21 whiffs, an indication that his stuff was back to normal.
Perhaps most impressive, though, was that Yesavage filled up the strike zone. He recorded first-pitch strikes to 22 of the 24 batters he faced while 69 of his 95 total pitches were strikes (72.6 per cent).
Under most circumstances, such a performance would be worthy of a win. But that’s not the case when a lineup is experiencing the type of struggles that the Blue Jays are going through.
The club was shut down by White Sox starter Sean Burke, who surrendered just two hits over 6.2 frames, and remained punchless against the Chicago bullpen. The Blue Jays tallied just five runs during the three-game series and sit 26th in the majors in OPS (.687) and 27th in runs (397).
Sunday also began on an emotional note with news of the passing of former Blue Jays pitcher Duane Ward, who died on Saturday of natural causes. The team held a moment of silence for Ward, who was an impactful reliver during his nine years with the franchise. He was 62.
Up next is a pivotal four-game set against the AL-East leading Tampa Bay Rays, beginning Monday at Rogers Centre.
National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has explained why a N6.44 billion budget provision for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign remained in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The issue came up after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar questioned why the money was still included in the budget even though Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Atiku said the budget item, listed as “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers,” needed a public explanation.
He asked why the government budgeted N6.44 billion for the World Cup qualifiers after Nigeria’s qualification campaign had ended. He also questioned who approved the budget line and what the money was meant for.
The budget provision has sparked public discussion, with many Nigerians asking whether the allocation was for a programme that had already been completed.
In response, Dikko said there was a misunderstanding about how the country’s budget system works.
According to him, the N6.44 billion was first included in the 2025 budget to support the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifying campaign. However, he said the money was never released during the 2025 financial year.
Dikko explained that despite not receiving the funds, the National Sports Commission still financed Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying matches, including the playoff fixtures, using other available resources.
He said the Federal Government later approved the transfer of some unfunded 2025 budget items into the 2026 budget so payments could be made for projects already carried out or programmes that were still outstanding.
“The budget sub-head has been in the Federal Government budget since the 2025 Appropriation Act to support the World Cup qualifiers,” Dikko said.
He added that when the 2026 budget was prepared, Nigeria still had a petition before FIFA concerning the qualification process. Because of this, he said there was reason to keep the budget item until the matter was concluded.
Dikko also revealed that after Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup officially ended, the NSC worked with the National Assembly and the Budget Office to change the budget through a corrigendum.
He said the amendment would allow the funds to be legally redirected to support other Nigerian national teams taking part in international competitions.
According to the NSC chairman, using a budget corrigendum is a legal process for correcting or updating items in the Appropriation Act.
He maintained that rolling over unfunded budget provisions from one year to another is part of the Federal Government’s budget implementation policy for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially where projects have already been completed but payment has not yet been made.
The controversy has renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of government funds for sports development and other national projects.
Spain and Argentina meet in the World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with both nations seeking to etch their names in football history. The European champions face the defending world champions in a clash of styles, experience, and ambition as the tournament’s ultimate prize hangs in the balance. Follow our liveblog for minute-by-minute commentary.
Official lineups for Spain-Argentina
Spain: Simon – Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella – Rodri (c), Ruiz – Yamal, Olmo, Baena – Oyarzabal.
Argentina: E. Martinez – Montiel, Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico – De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Gonzalez – Messi (c), Alvarez.
Spain arrive as reigning European champions, seeking to replicate the extraordinary achievements of their golden generation by winning a second Euro-World Cup double sixteen years after their 2008-2010 feat. The Roja have showcased commanding possession-based football throughout this tournament, controlling matches through their midfield superiority and collective organisation. Their ability to dictate tempo and starve opponents of the ball has proven devastatingly effective, culminating in their semi-final demolition of France.
Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Spanish control meets Argentinian resilience in final showdown
Argentina come as defending World Cup champions, bidding to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. The Albiceleste have displayed pragmatism and defensive resilience despite being tested repeatedly in the knockout stages. Lionel Messi leads the charge, pursuing both a second World Cup crown and potentially reclaiming the all-time goalscoring record from Kylian Mbappé, who currently stands at 22 goals.
Argentina needed an extraordinary late comeback to beat England in the 2026 World Cup semifinal, and Lionel Messi’s side now faces Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday. Messi has now scored or assisted in every one of Argentina’s matches at this World Cup, tallying eight goals and five assists. Spain, meanwhile, proved why they may be the best all-around team at this tournament, dismantling France 2-0 in the semifinal with a display of complete dominance. They have conceded just one goal in seven matches and are riding a seven-game winning streak, and 37-match unbeaten run, coming into the Final.
Kickoff for Argentina vs. Spain is 3 p.m. ET from East Rutherford. The latest Argentina vs. Spain odds from FanDuel Sportsbook list Spain at +125 (risk $100 to win $125) on the 90-minute money line, with Argentina at +260 and a draw at +195. The over/under is 2.5 goals. Spain are -160 to lift the cup, with Argentina at +138. Messi (+160) has the shortest soccer odds as an anytime goal scorer, followed by Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal (+165) and Lamine Yamal (+230). Before locking in any Argentina vs. Spain picks or World Cup 2026 final predictions, check out the Argentina vs. Spain predictions from SportsLine’s Jon Eimer.
Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, the FA Cup, and much more. He’s been red-hot on his soccer betting picks in 2026, posting a 31-13-2 record and returning over $1,200 of profit on his Champions League picks, and is on a profitable 27-18-2 run on WC picks. Anyone wanting to follow his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could see big returns.
Now, Eimer has studied Argentina vs. Spain and just revealed his 2026 World Cup picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several World Cup odds and soccer betting lines for Spain vs. Argentina:
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Argentina vs. Spain 90-minute money line |
Spain +125, Argentina +260, Draw +195 |
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Argentina vs. Spain over/under: |
2.5 goals |
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Argentina vs. Spain to finish third: |
Spain -160, Argentina +138 |
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Argentina vs. Spain picks: |
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Argentina vs. Spain streaming: |
Fubo (Try for free) |
Top Argentina vs. Spain predictions
After examining Argentina vs. Spain from every angle, Eimer is leaning Under 2.5 total goals (-164). Spain have conceded just one goal in seven matches at this World Cup and were virtually untouchable against France in the semifinal. Argentina tend to strike late — nine of their 11 knockout-stage goals have come after the 75th minute — but breaking down this Spanish defense is a fundamentally different challenge.
“I expect a tight, tactical final where goals are at a premium,” Eimer told SportsLine. See Eimer’s best bets for Argentina vs. Spain at SportsLine, and you can bet the Under in Argentina vs. Spain at FanDuel here:
How to make Argentina vs. Spain picks
After studying the Argentina vs. Spain matchup from every angle, Eimer has found a critical x-factor and locked in three best bets, including a must-see Messi prop. You can head to SportsLine to see what they are.
So what are the best bets for Argentina vs. Spain? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Argentina vs. Spain, all from expert on a 27-16 roll on World Cup picks, and find out.
Sword Of Legacy has concluded a successful week for trainer Matthew Dunn, achieving a determined victory at Rosehill. This win comes just three days after Band Of Brothers, carrying the same lime, purple, and gold silks of David Moodie’s Hesket Thoroughbreds, clinched the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.
The $2.25 favourite, Sword Of Legacy, took out the Ranvet Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. This marked Dunn’s 130th win for the current season, propelling him to sixth place in the national trainers’ premiership, a testament to an outstanding campaign for the stable. The filly was a popular choice with the public, according to leading online bookmakers.
“The same colours on Wednesday won the Ramornie. We’ve had a great season,” Dunn commented.
“That’s about 130 winners for the season, and we’re fifth or sixth in the Australian premiership, so to do that from a country base is a credit to my team.”
Having achieved Group placings in Victoria as a two-year-old, Sword Of Legacy joined Dunn’s stable earlier this year and has since won three of her six starts under his care.
Dunn admitted he had been inclined to spell the filly after her last start at Eagle Farm, but Moodie persuaded him to give her another run.
“I was actually going to stop her after her last start and David Moodie convinced me to go one more,” he said.
“She’s had to dig really deep on a testing track, and I suppose it ticks another box moving forward with her career. She’s going to improve again off what she’s doing now.
“She has already performed at stakes level. She should have won a Listed race three starts back in Brisbane, and just missed in a stakes race her second start in a race.
“I think she is better than an off-season Saturday horse.”
The Grafton influence continued when the Tom Charlton and John O’Shea-trained Roselyn’s Star captured the Schweppes Handicap (1100m) in the following race. Charlton had previously won the Grafton Cup (2350m) with King Pedro on Thursday.
Roselyn’s Star, the $2 favourite, was having its first start since winning at Group 3 level in the autumn and proved a class above its competitors, winning by a comfortable 2-1/4 lengths from Grand Impact ($20).
“The key to him was when we turned him out a winner,” O’Shea explained.
“He had a nice break, he had his tail in the air coming off a win. He’s come back in, and Tom and the team have done a wonderful job preparing him today.”
O’Shea confirmed that the Magic Millions carnival next year is the long-term goal for the talented winner.
Check out the latest betting markets for the race and see who the experts are tipping.
Special guests on announcing duties
For all the eye-rolling at the USA’s antics this tournament, this addition to the World Cup is sure to be well received – for fight fans, at least.
Legendary announcing brothers, Michael and Bruce Buffer, will take to the mic and each burst a lung for the sake of the final.
Will Castle19 July 2026 19:05
The peculiar past of World Cup final referee Slavko Vincic
A story that has surprised fans this week has been the news that World Cup final referee Slavko Vincic was once wrongly arrested at a “sex party” in Bosnia in 2020, per The Sun. Vincic told Slovenian media he was attending a business lunch when a raid took place and drugs, guns and money were seized. He was later probed by police as a witness before being released, with law enforcement deciding he had nothing to do with the incident.
Vincic later told Slovenian media: “I found myself on this ranch by chance. I have my own company, I was in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a business meeting. I accepted an invitation to lunch, which turned out to be my biggest mistake. I regret it. I was sitting at a table with my company, all of a sudden the police came and what happened, happened. I have nothing to do with the group that was arrested and detained, nor do my business partners. Yes, they really took us to the police, asked [us] as witnesses, when it turned out that we didn’t even know them, we were able to go.”
Slovenian refereeing boss Vlado Sajn added: “According to the information we gathered from official and unofficial sources, and last but not least from Slavko himself, he is not suspected of anything, no proceedings have been instituted against him. He found himself in this place at the wrong time. He was invited to a party where there was a large group of people – he did not know the vast majority… I consider this story to be a web of unfortunate circumstances.”
Will Castle19 July 2026 19:00
Team news
Right, in all that closing ceremony excitement, we had something actually important happen: team news was confirmed!
Spain are set to name an unchanged side from the one that beat France in the semis, meaning Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro were in fact fit to start, while Pedri is benched again.
Argentina make two changes: Nico Gonzalez and Gonzalo Montiel come in for Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina.
Will Castle19 July 2026 18:57
World Cup 2026 closing ceremony
That’s your lot, for now! We’ve still been promised Robbie Williams, Tom Cruise and more for the closing ceremony, but my guess is that they’ll bring out those big guns closer to kick-off, like they did for the opening ceremony.
Will Castle19 July 2026 18:54
World Cup 2026 closing ceremony
Actually a decent turnout for the closing ceremony inside MetLife (sorry, the New York-New Jersey Stadium), considering the ticketing chaos and queues that have plagued the day for fans so far.
Will Castle19 July 2026 18:52
World Cup 2026 closing ceremony
Next up, it’s Post Malone! Sorry Speed, but this is more like it.
Walking top the centre-stage surrounded by pyro, Posty performs “Chrome Heartbreaker” before breaking into two of his bigger hits: “Wow.” and “Sunflower”.
For the latter, he’s joined by Swae Lee, who features on the song.
Will Castle19 July 2026 18:51
Line-ups
Argentina XI: E. Martinez; Montiel, Romero, Lis. Martinez, Tagliafico; Gonzalez, Enzo, De Paul, Mac Allister; Álvarez, Messi.
Subs: Musso, Rulli, Senesi, Otamendi, Medina, Molina, Paredes, Barco, Lo Celso, Palacios, Almada, Simeone, Paz, Lopez, Martinez.
Chris Wilson19 July 2026 18:51
Line-ups
Spain XI: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri; Olmo, Fabian; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena.
Subs: Raya, Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Gavi, Zubimendi, Pedri, Torres, Pino, Williams. Munoz, Iglesias.
Chris Wilson19 July 2026 18:49
McIlroy, who also confirmed he will not play again before the PGA Tour play-offs in mid-August, added that it was “fair to say” that he is no longer as enthused by the prospect of playing on the PGA Tour and in the FedEx Cup after completing his career Grand Slam of winning all four majors.
When asked why that was the case, the 37-year-old said that “it just sort of ebbs and flows”.
He explained: “There’s been years where I’ve given it maybe more of my attention and years that I haven’t. I guess I’m just at a stage that I have other things that I prioritise.
“Again, the PGA Tour is in a lot of flux at the minute with a lot of their schedule and structure and everything like that.
“So I think the change where it doesn’t matter where you are in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, it’s like I just need to be in the top 30 going in there to have a chance to win a FedEx Cup. So why would I care about the first two?
“I sort of came to that decision last year and I’m just sort of doing the same thing.”
The world number two was left to reflect on a week at The Open in which he says he was “stuck in neutral”.
He added: “Obviously shot a good one on Friday to get myself in for the weekend and back in it. Even par over the weekend is not going to get it done.
“I just felt like any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey. Just one of those weeks I couldn’t get it going.”
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President Donald Trump will present the FIFA World Cup trophy to the winner of the match between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, a White House official confirmed to Fox News.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last month on “Fox & Friends” that he and Trump would deliver the trophy to the winning team’s captain on the field of New York/New Jersey Stadium.
Reece James of Chelsea lifts the FIFA Club World Cup trophy on stage with President Donald Trump after Chelsea’s victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Infantino also said at the time that Trump would attend the contest. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the president’s attendance “a fitting conclusion to a tournament that showcased America’s ability to host the world on the grandest stage.”
Trump was on stage during the FIFA Club World Cup trophy presentation after Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Earlier in the World Cup, Trump got involved in one of the World Cup’s biggest controversies, calling Infantino and requesting a review of Folarin Balogun’s red card. Balogun was suspended for Team USA’s Round of 16 match, but he was later ruled eligible for the game.
President of FIFA Gianni Infantino and President Donald Trump prepare to present the trophy to Chelsea FC following the World Cup final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 13, 2025. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Trump has yet to attend a World Cup match, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio was spotted at the U.S. Men’s National Team’s opener against Paraguay, a 4-1 win on June 12.
The president was awarded the first FIFA Peace Prize at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., during the World Cup final draw in December.
President Donald Trump speaks after receiving the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the World Cup 2026 Final Draw. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)
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Trump recently attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, while the White House played host to UFC Freedom 250 last month. An IndyCar race will take place in Washington, D.C., next month.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
Kirk Cousins Could Already Have a QB Controversy in Las Vegas
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