The week of festivities at the 2026 Open Championship is firmly underway as Royal Birkdale hosts the final major of the season in Southport, England. The same question abounds, though: Who will become Champion Golfer of the Year and raise the Claret Jug at week’s end?

With an excellent 156-man field featuring nearly all the best golfers in the world competing, the fourth major championship of the 2026 season should once again be a tremendous ride from Thursday’s first round onward. Royal Birkdale will serve as a particularly difficult test, which should only heighten tensions, particularly given the expected condition of the course over the week.

While The Open field is stacked, the overall favorite, Scottie Scheffler, is not playing his best golf. While he remains the best overall player in the world, it got to the point last week that Rory McIlroy looked poised to overcome Scheffler on an odds board involving both golfers for the first time in years. McIlroy is still second on that list, coming off three tremendous rounds of golf at the Scottish Open, but a rocky Moving Day kept him from hoisting that championship last week.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will each miss all four majors this season, facing starkly different personal circumstances, and Bryson DeChambeau enters The Open facing the potential of missing the cut at all four majors in a given year for the first time in his career. On a more positive note, English golfers like Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose will have a ton of local support that could buoy any or all of them into terrific performances.

So, what is going to happen in Southport this week? Let’s take a look at a full set of predictions and picks from our CBS Sports experts as we attempt to project who will win — and what will go down — in the final major championship of the season. To hone in even tighter on The Open, check out the nine golfers most likely to raise the Claret Jug on Sunday.

2026 Open expert picks, predictions

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Patrick McDonald, golf writer

Winner — Matt Fitzpatrick (18-1): Seems too good to be true, but I am riding with an Englishman who is in top form. Arguably the Player of the Year as it stands with three wins under his belt, Fitzpatrick is flying into this Open with every club in his bag performing properly. He has improved in majors as the season has progressed, earning him a final pairing tee time Saturday at the U.S. Open before falling off the pace. His game is in good order, and so is his mental state; he appears relaxed and ready for the challenge ahead. Fitzpatrick leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach and strokes gained around the green. That feels like a nice recipe.

Sleeper – Shane Lowry (66-1): I haven’t heard a single soul mention his name, and that is where I like to live. The Irishman has not flashed brilliance since his collapse at PGA National, though his game appears to be turning a corner with three top-25 finishes in his last seven tournaments. The resurgence stems from a return to Lowry’s DNA: hitting fairways consistently and leaning on his iron play, where he ranks 10th over the last three months. Something in my gut says he will have a good week.

Top 10 lock — Scottie Scheffler: Look, he’s still the best player in the world, and his record in this championship is quite good. Scheffler may be slightly off his high standards, yet the completeness of his game should allow him to thrive on this version of Royal Birkdale that features firm, fiery turf. If his iron play continues as it has for years, he will be on the leaderboard’s first page. 

Star who definitely won’t win — Xander Schauffele: This pains me to write. Physically pains me. The hope for Schauffele this season was to return to 2024 form. While he has clocked three top-15 finishes in majors this season, the quality has been off. Schauffele arrives off a missed cut at the Scottish Open and a forgettable start at the Travelers Championship, where he was again unable to put the entirety of his game together. His floor is so high that he will finish top 20, but I don’t see him winning. 

Top Englishman — Matt Fitzpatrick (1st): If he is the pick to win, then he is the pick to be the low Englishman. Let me instead shed some light on Justin Rose, who could complete the storybook ending this weekend with a win. He has a great chance to do so as he continues to peak at the precise right time for these tournaments with three top-11 finishes this season. Rose has a pair of runner-up finishes in 2024 and 2018, both at a crispy, dried-out golf course in Carnoustie. 

Biggest surprise — An old guy contends: Just don’t tell them that I called them “old.” Give me one of Francesco Molinari, Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink or Henrik Stenson to at least climb inside the top 20 by week’s end. All in the field due to winning previous Opens, this quartet of older players (1) is playing solid golf and (2) has the experience, knowledge and mental fortitude to handle anything Royal Birkdale throws their way.

Lowest round: 64 (-6)
Winning score: 267 (-13)
Winner’s Sunday score: 67 (-3)

Robby Kalland, golf writer

Winner — Sam Burns (50-1): I’m going to take a longer shot this week to continue the trend of the season with Burns, who has been insanely consistent since The Players. He’s got two major top 10s already, including a 2nd at the U.S. Open, and has been inside the top 26 in 9 of 11 starts going back to TPC Sawgrass (making the cut in all 11). His links record isn’t great, but the way he played at Shinnecock Hills (about the closest thing you can get to it in the U.S.) should buoy his confidence heading into Royal Birkdale. 

Sleeper – Johnny Keefer (175-1): Keefer is coming off a T3 at the Scottish Open, and all this guy does is contend and win tournaments. He dominated his first year on PGA Tour Americas to move up to the Korn Ferry Tour and dominated there to advance to the PGA Tour in one year. It took a little bit to get his footing on the big tour, but he’s popped up a few times, and last week, he proved that he’s extremely comfortable with his game when he gets into the mix on a weekend. If he gets into the hunt on Sunday, he’s not going to wilt under the pressure. 

Top 10 lock — Rory McIlroy: When Rory shows up to The Open with anything approaching his A-game, he finishes in the top 10. He’s been prepping for this since the U.S. Open, taking a page out of his Masters playbook to get some extra time in at Royal Birkdale in the weeks leading up to the tournament. He showed last week in Scotland that he’s in good form — if not for nine dreadful holes on Saturday in the fog he could’ve won — and if he’s not on the first page on Sunday, it’d be a shock. 

Star who definitely won’t win — Tommy Fleetwood: I can’t tell you how much I’d like to be wrong here, but unfortunately, I just don’t see it happening. Fleetwood is always under some pressure at The Open, but this time he’s back home in Southport and will deal with everything that comes with that. The scene on Sunday, if he’s in contention, would be incredible, but I fear that, even if that’s the case, the anxiety of everyone trying to will him to the win would only add to the stress he feels — and he’s proven in the past that he doesn’t always hold up well. 

Top Englishman — Tyrrell Hatton (T5): Fleetwood has all the pressure of being at home. Fitzpatrick is the favorite based on form, but he hasn’t quite found his best in the majors this year. Hatton, meanwhile, has two sneaky top 10 finishes in majors this season. While I’m not expecting him to win, he’s in form, comfortable on the links, will have the support but not quite the same scrutiny and has steadily improved as a major competitor. 

Biggest surprise — Bryson DeChambeau completes golf’s Golden Sombrero: I’m not sure how much of a surprise it would be for DeChambeau to miss the cut at The Open, given his history here is checkered at best, but in the grand scheme, it would be shocking for Bryson to miss all four major championship cuts in 2026. That’s firmly in play, and my biggest concern with DeChambeau is that his mental game seems to be shot. He gets into a pit of negativity so quickly now on the course, and once his confidence goes, he tends to eject. 

Lowest round: 65 (-5)
Winning score: 269 (-11)
Winner’s Sunday score: 68 (-2)

Who will win the 2026 Open Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 17 golf majors heading into the weekend, including the past five Masters, and find out. 

Go Media Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 20 NRL game between New Zealand Warriors and
St. George Illawarra Dragons. The game kicks off at 5:30 pm with New Zealand Warriors heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the New Zealand Warriors vs.
St. George Illawarra Dragons
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday July 18, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Where: Go Media Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

New Zealand Warriors vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Odds

New Zealand Warriors vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Preview

The Warriors continue to strengthen their premiership credentials after comfortably accounting for the Tigers despite missing several Origin stars. Their depth has been a feature all season and they’ll be confident of maintaining that momentum back at Go Media Stadium.

St George Illawarra should be competitive through the opening exchanges, but containing New Zealand across the full 80 minutes presents a far greater challenge. Chanel Harris-Tavita has become increasingly influential on the Warriors’ left edge, combining effectively with Wayde Egan, Kurt Capewell and Adam Pompey. If that combination fires again, the home side will be difficult to contain as fatigue begins to take its toll.

The Brazil international star’s move to Manchester United collapsed late on

Former PSG and Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Moura revealed he almost joined Manchester United. The 33-year-old, who now plays for Sao Paulo in his native Brazil, won four Ligue 1 titles in France.

In 2019, he played in the Champions League final for Spurs, where they lost to Liverpool. Yet his career could have worked out very differently.

Moura began his career at Sao Paulo and started to attract interest from Europe’s top clubs. In 2016, the winger said it was a tough decision to turn down United for PSG.

He said it was former Brazil star Leonardo, then the director of football at PSG, who swayed him to move to France in 2012.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Moura said: “I was very close to joining Manchester United. It nearly happened but, at the last minute, Leonardo called me and spoke to me and my parents.

“It was a very difficult moment because suddenly I had to make a choice when I thought I was joining Manchester United. I thought about it a lot; I talked about it with my family and I made my choice. Football is like that. You have to choose a team.”

After six seasons in Paris, Moura joined Spurs for around £25million and he made 221 appearances for the club over the next six years. United have been pursuing another Brazilian midfielder, Ederson, this summer but their chase is now in doubt.

United will seek to renegotiate the deal they’ve agreed with Atalanta to get the signing over the line after fitness doubts regarding the star emerged.

Despite reports stating the deal has collapsed, United remain open to bringing the 27-year-old to Old Trafford, but the deal has become complex after medical tests raised concerns about a knee injury sustained last season.

Further tests were carried out last week, and United could now try to restructure the deal in their bid. A fee of £35m plus a further £3.8m in add-ons had been agreed around six weeks ago.

The transfer was slated to go through in early July but Ederson was a late call-up to the Brazil squad for the World Cup. He underwent part of his medical while in the United States, and then had further checks after Brazil were beaten by Norway in the last 16.

Sources in Italy have claimed the deal is off and that Atalanta are ready to offer Ederson a new five-year deal. United haven’t ruled out moving ahead with the signing, however.

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England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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England spent much of the Fifa World Cup 2026 semifinal proving that Lionel Messi could be contained. They spent the closing minutes discovering that he did not need much time to decide the contest.

Argentina scored twice in six minutes and 24 seconds to overturn Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal and beat England 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, sending the defending champions into Sunday’s final against Spain.

Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th minute after Messi drew England’s defenders towards him and released the midfielder outside the penalty area. Lautaro Martinez, introduced four minutes earlier, then headed in Messi’s right-footed cross in the second minute of stoppage time.

The result preserved Argentina’s chance of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup. It also ended England’s hopes of reaching the final for the first time since winning the tournament in 1966.

England will now face France in the third-place match in Miami on Saturday (2:30 AM IST on Sunday), while Argentina will meet Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday (12:30 AM IST on Monday).

England matched Argentina physically and defended effectively for long periods, but the match data showed how heavily the second half tilted towards the defending champions.

Argentina finished with 64 per cent possession, completed almost twice as many accurate passes and generated an expected-goals figure more than three times England’s total.

Argentina’s 537 accurate passes, compared with England’s 273, illustrated the territorial pressure that intensified after Gordon’s goal.

Their 1.84 expected goals also suggested that the late comeback was not simply the product of two isolated moments. Argentina created three big chances, missed two and forced Jordan Pickford into three saves.

Old hostility returns from the opening whistle

England and Argentina had not played each other for 21 years, but the rivalry’s historic tension resurfaced before the match had properly begun.

The national anthems were met with jeers from sections of the opposing support, while the first exchanges featured more confrontation than football.

Jude Bellingham was knocked down by Leandro Paredes within seconds of kick-off. Soon afterwards, Fernandez caught Elliot Anderson from behind, prompting England’s players to appeal to referee Ismail Elfath.

Anderson later responded with a late challenge of his own.

The pattern suited England initially. Declan Rice and Anderson tracked Messi aggressively, Bellingham embraced the physical exchanges and Argentina struggled to establish their passing rhythm.

Messi was crowded whenever he moved between England’s midfield and defence. Argentina’s attempts to launch quick attacks were repeatedly interrupted before they could gather momentum.

Elfath kept his cards in his pocket during the most heated opening exchanges before booking Anderson for bringing down Messi and Lisandro Martinez for stopping Morgan Rogers.

The American official largely maintained control without allowing the match to become dominated by disciplinary decisions.

Gordon puts England within sight of history

After an attritional first half, England broke the deadlock in the 55th minute through one of their best attacking sequences of the tournament.

Harry Kane dropped towards midfield to provide an outlet and pull Argentina’s defenders out of position. Nicolas Tagliafico’s attempted clearance then fell to Rice, who quickly moved the ball towards Rogers on the right.

Rogers looked up and delivered a cross towards the back post, where Gordon arrived behind the defence and adjusted his body to guide the bouncing ball beyond Emiliano Martinez.

Argentina’s defensive errors contributed to the goal. Tagliafico failed to clear decisively, while the back line did not respond quickly enough to Gordon’s run.

For England, however, the move demonstrated what had made them dangerous throughout the tournament: Kane’s ability to link play, Rice’s forward movement, Rogers’ composure and Gordon’s pace from the flank.

Spence produces a defining intervention

Argentina responded almost immediately.

Fernandez and Messi combined in midfield before releasing Giuliano Simeone behind England’s defence. The forward appeared to have a clear route towards goal as Pickford prepared for the shot.

Djed Spence recovered from several metres behind and launched into a perfectly timed sliding challenge, taking the ball away from Simeone and conceding only a corner.

The England defender celebrated with a roar towards the crowd before being surrounded by his team-mates.

Given the quality of the recovery, the position of the attacker and the stakes involved, it was one of the outstanding defensive moments of the tournament.

Pickford then made important saves as Argentina increased their pressure. England appeared to be defending with discipline while retaining the possibility of counter-attacking through Gordon and Rogers.

That balance did not last.

Tuchel’s substitutions change the character of the match

Thomas Tuchel responded to England’s lead by progressively replacing attacking players with defenders.

Gordon was withdrawn despite remaining England’s most effective outlet. Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly were introduced during the final 20 minutes as England retreated into a deep 5-4-1 formation.

The changes were designed to protect the penalty area and preserve the lead. Instead, they removed England’s ability to carry the ball away from danger.

Argentina no longer had to account for runners behind their defence. Their full-backs pushed higher, their midfielders occupied positions around England’s penalty area and Messi began receiving possession closer to goal.

England’s 36 per cent possession and 273 accurate passes reflected the overall imbalance, but their retreat after taking the lead made the gap more damaging.

Each clearance returned the ball to Argentina. Kane became isolated, England’s midfield moved closer to its own defensive line and the pressure became continuous.

Former England captain Wayne Rooney argued that the substitutions would have weakened the players’ belief.

“If you’re an attacking player on that pitch and you go 1-0 up and you see the changes which the manager’s making, you’re losing belief,” Rooney said during the BBC’s coverage.

Former goalkeeper Joe Hart compared the retreat with England’s approach under Gareth Southgate in previous major finals, while Alan Shearer said Tuchel had “played his hand” too early by placing six defenders on the pitch.

Their criticism centred not only on the substitutions but on the message they conveyed: England appeared to stop trying to win the match and began trying only to survive it.

Messi emerges when England stop attacking

For more than 80 minutes, England’s defensive plan against Messi had largely worked.

He was followed through midfield, denied time near the penalty area and pushed towards areas where his influence was less dangerous.

With seven minutes remaining, Messi even appeared exhausted after racing O’Reilly towards the halfway line for a loose ball.

Yet England’s deeper shape changed the space available to him.

Messi no longer needed to drop into midfield to find possession. Argentina recovered the ball quickly and returned it to him around the edge of England’s penalty area.

In the 85th minute, several defenders moved towards Messi as he received possession. He recognised that Fernandez had been left unmarked outside the box and released the midfielder.

Fernandez curled a powerful 20-metre shot beyond Pickford and into the corner.

The equaliser was the product of Argentina’s sustained pressure and England’s inability to close down the ball. It also altered the psychological balance immediately.

Lautaro completes the turnaround

Argentina continued attacking after Fernandez’s equaliser rather than preparing for extra time.

Alexis Mac Allister struck the post, providing another warning that England’s defensive structure was beginning to break.

Messi recovered the loose ball and moved towards the right channel. Using his weaker right foot, he delivered a precise cross into the penalty area. 

Lautaro Martinez attacked the space between England’s defenders and directed his header beyond Pickford in the 92nd minute.

The substitute had been on the field for only 11 minutes.

Argentina had transformed the match from probable elimination to a place in the final in little more than six minutes.

Argentina punish surrender of possession

Argentina’s victory was not built on a dramatic tactical reinvention. It came from maintaining their structure while England abandoned theirs.

Lionel Scaloni’s side continued circulating the ball patiently after falling behind. Fernandez and Mac Allister moved higher, the full-backs widened the pitch and Messi searched for spaces between England’s increasingly narrow lines.

The statistical contrast became more pronounced as the game progressed.

Argentina completed 91 per cent of their passes, compared with England’s 84 per cent, and held a narrow 51-48 advantage in duels won. Despite the physical nature of the match, they retained enough technical control to sustain attacks around England’s box.

Their five shots on target were produced from a lower shot-accuracy rate than England’s, but the greater volume eventually proved decisive.

Scaloni’s substitution also had a direct attacking effect. Lautaro entered and scored the winner.

Tuchel’s substitutions had the opposite consequence. They helped England defend in numbers but removed the players capable of relieving pressure.

A familiar form of English heartbreak

England have suffered painful World Cup semifinal defeats before.

They lost to West Germany on penalties in 1990 after recovering to force extra time. In 2018, they led Croatia before being beaten in extra time.

This defeat carried a different weight because England appeared to have control of both the score and the contest until the final stages.

They had absorbed Argentina’s physical approach, limited Messi and taken the lead through a well-constructed attack. Their defenders had also produced significant individual moments, most notably Spence’s recovery challenge and Pickford’s saves.

The tactical retreat revived memories of the Euro 2020 final against Italy, when England scored early and gradually withdrew, and the Euro 2024 final against Spain, when another cautious approach attracted criticism.

Rooney described the decision to stop pursuing a second goal as a surrender of the team’s strengths.

“You can’t go a goal up and then surrender the strength of the ball and surrender any opportunity to try to get the second goal,” he said.

“If you let players of that quality have the ball around your penalty box, sooner or later they’re going to score.”

Referee avoids becoming part of the rivalry’s history

World Cup matches between England and Argentina have often been defined partly by refereeing controversy.

Antonio Rattin’s dismissal in 1966, Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal in 1986 and David Beckham’s red card in 1998 became permanent chapters in the rivalry.

The Atlanta semifinal was physical and confrontational but did not produce a comparable dispute.

Neither side could credibly argue that a major refereeing decision determined the result.

The semifinal was decided by England’s retreat, Argentina’s pressure and Messi’s ability to exploit the spaces that emerged.

Argentina’s late goals reflect deeper superiority

The timing of Argentina’s goals made the comeback feel sudden, but the numbers indicate that pressure had been building.

Their expected-goals figure of 1.84 was significantly higher than England’s 0.53. Argentina created three big chances to England’s one and forced Pickford into three saves.

They also missed two big chances before eventually scoring.

England were more efficient with their limited opportunities, placing 40 per cent of their attempts on target compared with Argentina’s 33 per cent. But efficiency could not compensate for the lack of attacking volume once Tuchel’s side withdrew.

Argentina’s 64 per cent possession was not sterile. It pushed England deeper, created repeated entries into the final third and eventually placed Messi close enough to goal to decide the match.

Messi earns another chance to defend the crown

Messi did not dominate the semifinal from the beginning. For much of it, England’s midfield and defence reduced his influence.

His decisive contribution came through timing and awareness rather than constant involvement.

For the equaliser, he attracted defenders and recognised Fernandez’s space. For the winner, he moved wide and delivered a precise cross with his weaker foot.

At 39, the physical demands of the tournament were visible. His ability to determine the outcome nevertheless remained undiminished.

Argentina will now attempt to retain the World Cup against a Spain side that controlled France comprehensively in the first semifinal.

The final will present a clash between Spain’s collective possession game and Argentina’s experience, adaptability and late-match resilience.

It will also place Messi opposite Lamine Yamal, bringing together one of football’s defining figures and the leading talent of its emerging generation.

England left to confront tactical questions

England must now prepare for a third-place match neither they nor France wanted to play.

The more important contest for Tuchel will be the debate surrounding his decisions.

England reached the semifinal unbeaten and showed for long periods that they possessed the quality to compete with the defending champions. Gordon troubled Argentina, Rice and Anderson restricted Messi, and the back line held firm under pressure.

The defeat was therefore not simply evidence of Argentina’s superior talent.

It also raised the question of whether England abandoned the approach that had put them ahead.

Argentina finished with more possession, more passes, more chances and a substantially higher expected-goals figure. But the decisive shift came only after England chose to defend increasingly close to their own goal.

For 80 minutes, Messi was controlled.

Lionel Messi not only guided Argentina into a second consecutive FIFA World Cup final, but also climbed to the top of the Golden Boot standings after producing two decisive assists in the dramatic 2-1 semifinal victory over England.

The 39-year-old, who had gone scoreless for the first time in this year’s tournament, once again proved why he remains Argentina’s driving force. Instead of finding the net himself, Messi turned creator when it mattered most, setting up both goals as the defending champions overturned a one-goal deficit in the closing minutes.

Two moments of magic change everything

Argentina looked destined for elimination after Anthony Gordon’s second-half opener had England on course for the final.

But Messi sparked another remarkable comeback.

In the 85th minute, he slipped the ball to Enzo Fernández, whose long-range strike brought Argentina level. Then, deep into stoppage time, the Argentine captain produced a pinpoint delivery into the box for Lautaro Martínez, who powered home the winning header to send the holders into Sunday’s final against Spain.

Those two assists not only completed Argentina’s turnaround but also pushed Messi ahead in the race to finish as the tournament’s leading attacker.

The Golden Boot is awarded to the tournament’s top scorer, with assists serving as the first tiebreaker when players finish level on goals.

Both Messi and Mbappé have scored eight times in the 2026 World Cup, but the Argentine’s semifinal display moved him to four assists, one more than the French star.

Another comeback, another Messi masterclass

The semifinal heroics continued a familiar trend for Argentina.

In the quarterfinal against Egypt, Messi had also played a decisive role in an astonishing comeback. He assisted Argentina’s first goal before scoring the equaliser just minutes later as Lionel Scaloni’s side recovered from two goals down to stay alive.

Against England, he once again delivered when his team needed inspiration, this time sacrificing personal glory to create both goals.

Although his streak of scoring in nine consecutive World Cup matches came to an end, Messi arguably produced one of his most influential performances of the tournament.

England duo Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham remain mathematically in contention, with both players on six goals and one assist. However, after England’s semifinal defeat, their only opportunity to close the gap will come in the third-place playoff against France.

One final prize left to win

Messi now heads into Sunday’s final against Spain chasing two of football’s biggest honours simultaneously.

Victory would secure Argentina back-to-back World Cup titles, while a goal, or even another decisive assist, could also seal the first World Cup Golden Boot of his illustrious career.

At 39, the Argentine icon is once again on the brink of adding another remarkable chapter to a legacy that continues to redefine greatness.

Girls aged 11–18 take part in 84 fewer minutes of sport each week than boys, equivalent to 280 million lost hours of activity across the UK each year

The participation gap varies widely by location, with the West Midlands and north-east recording the largest disparities, while the south-east, north-west and Scotland perform best

Researchers found the gap is driven by belonging, safety, unequal access to facilities and teams, sexism and a lack of female role models rather than a lack of interest in sport

Public First estimates that closing the gender gap could generate £570 million in annual productivity gains, save the NHS £73 million a year and deliver £6.5 billion in cumulative economic and health benefits by 2035

Girls in the UK are missing out on 280 million hours of sport every year compared with boys, according to research commissioned by Sky.

The broadcaster is calling for national action to tackle what it describes as a postcode lottery in sports participation.

The report, Game Changing: How Sport Gives Every Girl a Better Chance, was produced by research consultancy Public First and is the first to map the gender participation gap across all 650 UK parliamentary constituencies.

It found that girls aged 11 to 18 spend an average of 84 fewer minutes taking part in sport each week than boys – equivalent to 280 million fewer hours of activity nationally each year.

However, the analysis shows the gap varies dramatically depending on where girls live. While some constituencies report little difference between boys’ and girls’ participation, others see girls missing out on more than two-and-a-half hours of sport each week.

The widest gaps are concentrated in the West Midlands and north-east while constituencies in the south-west, north-west and Scotland generally perform better. Birmingham Perry Barr records the largest disparity, while Westmorland and Lonsdale has one of the smallest.

The report says the issue isn’t a simple north-south divide, but is heavily influenced by local conditions. Urban areas perform significantly worse than rural communities, with girls in towns and cities participating in almost 100 fewer minutes of sport each week than boys, compared with around 75 minutes in rural areas. Researchers suggest this reflects differences in safety, access to facilities and reliance on organised sport.

Access to facilities also has a major impact. In areas with the poorest sports provision, the participation gap is 46 per cent wider than in the best-served communities. Girls from ethnic minority backgrounds also experience larger disparities than the national average.

Rather than a lack of interest in sport, the research argues that a combination of cultural and structural barriers discourages participation, with lack of belonging a key issue. Many girls feeling that sports clubs and facilities are designed primarily for boys and men.

It also highlights unequal access to pitches, facilities and school teams, concerns about personal safety and harassment, limited visibility of female role models and persistent sexism.

According to the research, more than one in three girls has experienced sexist comments while taking part in sport, rising to more than four in 10 among older teenage girls, while almost one in four has experienced sexual comments. More than half say watching elite female athletes inspires them to take part in sport, underlining the importance of media visibility and representation.

Public First estimates that closing the participation gap could generate around £570 million a year in productivity gains and save the NHS £73 million annually through improved health. By 2035, the cumulative economic and health benefits could reach £6.5 billion.

The findings are being published as part of Sky’s Game Changing campaign, which is calling for government, schools, sports organisations and local communities to work together to improve girls’ access to sport. The initiative includes partnerships with England footballer Alessia Russo and the charity Goals 4 Girls to encourage greater participation among young women.

For the health and fitness sector, the report reinforces growing evidence that participation is influenced as much by environment as opportunity. It suggests that creating safe, welcoming spaces, increasing the visibility of female coaches and role models, offering beginner-friendly programmes and building supportive communities may be as important as providing facilities in encouraging more women and girls to become active.

The 2026 Open Championship gets underway early Thursday morning with the first round at Royal Birkdale in England. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Thursday, including full Open Championship TV coverage, streaming details and complete Round 1 tee times.

How to watch Open on Thursday

It’s been a long time since Rory McIlroy hoisted the Claret Jug as Open champion back in 2014. But in recent years, McIlroy has broken his major drought with back-to-back wins at the Masters.

This week, McIlroy embarks on a different mission: winning his second Open and seventh major championship title. He’s come close in recent years, finishing T7 last season behind winner Scottie Scheffler, T6 in 2023 and solo third in 2022 at St. Andrews.

But Scheffler and a host of other challengers, not to mention Royal Birkdale’s baked-out fairways, should give Rory a run for his money this week. And all the action gets started on Thursday.

If you’re a golf fan watching from the U.S., you’re going to want to wake up early to catch the Open on Thursday.

You can watch the first round of the Open Championship on TV via USA, which will open the TV coverage at 4 a.m. ET on Thursday morning. Before that, Peacock will kick off the streaming coverage at 1:30 a.m. ET. Peacock will also provide featured group coverage all day Thursday.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the first round of the 2026 Open Championship.

How to watch on TV Thursday

USA will provide first-round TV coverage of the 2026 Open Championship on Thursday from 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET.

How to stream online Thursday

You can stream the first round of the 2026 Open Championship via Peacock, which will provide early streaming coverage and featured group coverage. USA’s telecast can be streamed via Golf Channel Mobile.

Here’s the full Open Championship streaming schedule for Thursday:

Open Round 1 Coverage: 1:30 a.m.-4 a.m. (Peacock)
Featured Groups: All Day (Peacock)
Open Round 1 USA Coverage: 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel Mobile)

SIGN UP FOR PEACOCK PREMIUM TO WATCH EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2026 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

2026 Open Championship Round 1 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

1:35 a.m. – Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas
1:46 a.m. – Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan
1:57 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan
2:08 a.m. – Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean
2:19 a.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick
2:30 a.m. – David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate
2:41 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
2:52 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith
3:03 a.m. – Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a)
3:14 a.m. – Hennie Du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury
3:25 a.m. – Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a)
3:36 a.m. – Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren
3:47 a.m. – Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth
4:03 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune
4:14 a.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Højgaard
4:25 a.m. – Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee
4:36 a.m. – Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
4:47 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
4:58 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
5:09 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
5:20 a.m. – Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor
5:31 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig
5:42 a.m. – Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a)
5:53 a.m. – Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt
6:04 a.m. – M.J. Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald
6:15 a.m. – Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a)
6:41 a.m. – John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen
6:52 a.m. – Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman
7:03 a.m. – Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter
7:14 a.m. – Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a)
7:25 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama
7:36 a.m. – Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber
7:47 a.m. – Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger
7:58 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis
8:09 a.m. – Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li
8:20 a.m. – Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick
8:31 a.m. – Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a)
8:42 a.m. – Johnny Keefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima
8:53 a.m. – Aldrich Potgieter, Jesper Svensson, Jack Buchanan (a)
9:09 a.m. – Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert
9:20 a.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston
9:31 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
9:42 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Højgaard
9:53 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
10:04 a.m. – Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg
10:15 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
10:26 a.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a)
10:37 a.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria
10:48 a.m. – Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta
10:59 a.m. – Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow
11:10 a.m. – Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Skogen
11:21 a.m. – Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a)

Argentinian players celebrated beating England in the World Cup semi-final with a banner reading “The Malvinas are Argentine” in a reference to the Falkland Islands.

Former Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was among those holding the sign as his teammates danced on the pitch after their 2-1 win over the Three Lions in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Political slogans are banned from being displayed on the pitch or on players’ equipment according to Fifa rules.

Tensions linger between Argentina and Britain over the Falkland Islands. Argentina has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the Islands, which are about 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from mainland Argentina.

In 1982, the Falklands War broke out, claiming the lives of 907 people – 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 from Britain and three Falkland Islanders – after the then-incumbent far-right Argentinian military dictatorship invaded the islands.

Today, the islands remain a major issue in Argentina, and are frequently subject to numerous chants and flags at football games. After their last-16 win over Egypt, their players celebrated by singing: “For the Malvinas, for Diego [Maradona], for Leo [Messi]’s last one.”

The flames were further stoked prior to the semi-final when Argentina’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel called England “invaders” and “usurping pirates”.“Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates,” he wrote on X.

“This isn’t just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!”

Argentina’s foreign minister Pablo Quirno also claimed Falklands Islanders were an “artificially implanted” population. He wrote in La Nacion: “For this reason, no referendum organised unilaterally by the United Kingdom can have legal effect on a controversy whose resolution belongs exclusively to Argentina and the United Kingdom through negotiations.”

Downing Street flatly rejected his claims, saying the Falkland islanders are “British with a right to determine their own future”.

Asked about Mr Quirno’s comments, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The UK’s position is clear. The islanders have repeatedly expressed their wish to remain a British overseas territory, and their right to self-determination is paramount.”

The tension inside the game appeared to also spill outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with pictures showing a scuffle among supporters following the match, with police reportedly seen taking at least three people away.

Don’t look now, but the Minnesota Vikings will have one of the NFL’s most improved offenses heading into 2026, says Bleacher Report, as training camp turns white-hot in about two weeks.

BR’s Moe Moton listed all offenses by their improvement level during the offseason, and Minnesota was not ignored.

Kyler Murray and Jauan Jennings Change the Projection

Vikings’ Offense Gets Kudos from BR

Moton revealed five NFL offenses that will improve this season, and he wrote about Minnesota, “Last season, J.J. McCarthy threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 57.6 percent completion rate. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported that head coach Kevin O’Connell removed over-the-middle passing concepts to simplify the signal-caller’s progression reads.”

“Yet the Vikings still didn’t get much production out of the aerial attack. Although Kyler Murray underperformed in Arizona over the last few years, he could see a career resurgence under O’Connell, who has called plays for a top-six passing offense in three of his four years with the Vikings.”

McCarthy and Murray will face off in a quarterback battle in Eagan — about two weeks from now.

“The 28-year-old signal-caller needs to stay healthy, though. Murray joined a team with a solid wide receiver duo in two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Minnesota signed Jennings, who caught 55 passes for 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns last season with the San Francisco 49ers,” Moton continued.

“The Vikings will have a new dynamic starting quarterback and one of the league’s best receiver trios this year. Expect this offense to rack up points as one of the top 10 scoring units.”

The Murray Upgrade

Vikings fans — and sites like Bleacher Report — can dream big about the team’s offense because of two words: Kyler Murray.

Murray averages 4,500 combined passing and rushing yards over 17 starts, along with 30 total touchdowns. The world isn’t thinking too highly of him in 2026 after the Arizona Cardinals dumped him — rather unceremoniously — which enabled Minnesota to snag him for the veteran minimum.

In Arizona, Murray didn’t suffer from a lack of weapons, but the Vikings’ arsenal is an upgrade, and Minnesota’s defense over the last few years has ranked second in the NFL per EPA/Play. The Cardinals rank 30th in defense per the same metric since 2023.

More weapons and better defense will make Murray look a whole lot better.

The Jennings Addition

For years, the Vikings have deprioritized the WR3 spot, often content with decent-but-not-great playmakers like K.J. Osborn and Jalen Nailor. Before those two, Minnesota would find WR5 types and shove them into the WR3 job, like Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe.

Jennings is different.

In San Francisco, Jennings posted legitimate WR3 numbers, frequently crossing over as the WR2. The Vikings haven’t showcased a fancy WR trio quite like this (Jefferson, Addison, and Jennings) since Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed. And that was 25 years ago.

Jennings can take Kevin O’Connell’s passing offense to a new dimension. Now, if O’Connell can figure out how to run the football at a balanced clip, the enterprise will be cooking with gas.

The Viking Age‘s Anthony Miller noted this week, “As for Jennings, while his addition wasn’t 100 percent necessary for the Vikings to be successful, he certainly helps the room out. He was one of the top receivers on the San Francisco 49ers over the years, giving the Vikings what could be one of the best receiver trios in the NFL.”

“Justin Jefferson is the star of the group, of course, and Jordan Addison can do a bit of everything needed. Jennings is a good insurance policy if anything goes wrong with Addison, but he is also a reliable receiver to turn to when defenses focus heavily on Jefferson and Addison.”

Don’t Forget about Clean Slate of OL Health

But wait, there’s more.

Last year, the Vikings envisioned an offensive line, from left to right, with Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill. The fivesome hardly played together. Injuries ruined everything.

While injuries — yet again — are always possible, Minnesota is due for a season with limited offensive line injuries. Kelly is gone — he retired because of concussions — and Blake Brandel is in, but the outlook remains the same: the Vikings should have a Top 10 or Top 15 offensive line.

Plop that on top of Murray and Jennings in the house, and it’s no wonder BR is dreaming big about the purple team’s 2026 offense.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

During the France-Spain semi-final, many supporters at the FIFA fan zone in Dallas were wearing jerseys from nations that got eliminated earlier in the competition. We went to ask them which team they were supporting now.