The FIFA World Cup is finally here.

Over the next month, the world’s best players will battle for football’s biggest prize, with national pride, history and immortality on the line.

Every tournament begins with a handful of favourites, a few dark horses and several nations hoping to spring a surprise. While the expanded format means more opportunities for shocks, history suggests the eventual winner is usually found among a select group of elite teams.

Here are SportsRation’s five leading contenders to lift the World Cup trophy.

1. Spain

If there is one team entering the tournament with the fewest weaknesses, it is Spain.

The European champions have blended youthful brilliance with proven experience, creating arguably the most balanced squad in international football.

Lamine Yamal has emerged as one of the game’s brightest stars, while Pedri continues to control matches with his intelligence and composure. Behind them sits Rodri, the midfielder many consider the most important player in world football.

Spain do not simply win games; they control them.

Their ability to dominate possession, dictate tempo and suffocate opponents makes them the team everyone will want to avoid in the knockout rounds.

2. France

France arrive at another major tournament carrying familiar expectations.

They reached the 2018 World Cup final, won it, then returned to the final again in 2022. No nation has been more consistently successful on the biggest stage over the last decade.

Kylian Mbappé remains the headline act, but France’s strength lies in their incredible depth.

Ousmane Dembélé is coming off one of the finest seasons of his career, while players such as Aurélien Tchouaméni, William Saliba, Michael Olise and Eduardo Camavinga’s replacements ensure Didier Deschamps has quality in every area of the pitch.

France know how to navigate tournament football, and that experience makes them genuine contenders once again.

3. Argentina

Writing off Argentina would be foolish.

The reigning world champions arrive with the confidence of a team that knows exactly what it takes to win football’s greatest prize.

While Lionel Messi may no longer be at his physical peak, his influence remains enormous. More importantly, Argentina are no longer dependent on him.

Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez have become world-class performers in their own right, while manager Lionel Scaloni has built one of the most cohesive units in international football.

The motivation is obvious too.

Many within the squad have spoken openly about wanting to give Messi one final World Cup triumph before the curtain falls on his international career.

4. Portugal

This may be Portugal’s best opportunity since Cristiano Ronaldo first burst onto the international scene.

The spotlight naturally falls on Ronaldo, who is likely playing in his final World Cup, but Portugal’s strength extends far beyond their iconic captain.

Vitinha enters the tournament after a sensational season that has placed him among the world’s elite midfielders. Bruno Fernandes remains one of football’s most creative forces, while João Neves and Nuno Mendes have developed into world-class talents.

Portugal are no longer a team built solely around Ronaldo.

Instead, they possess quality throughout the squad, with the added emotional motivation of trying to deliver the ultimate prize for their greatest-ever player.

5. Germany

Germany are flying under the radar.

That is usually when they are most dangerous.

While Spain, France and Argentina dominate the headlines, Germany quietly possess one of the most exciting young cores in world football.

Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are capable of deciding matches on their own, while Germany’s tournament pedigree remains unmatched by most nations.

Few teams understand World Cup football better.

If Germany gather momentum, they have the quality and experience to beat anyone.

Dark Horse: Colombia

Every World Cup produces a surprise package.

This time, Colombia could be that team.

Led by Liverpool star Luis Díaz, Colombia possess the attacking quality needed to trouble the world’s best sides.

They are physically strong, tactically disciplined and enter the tournament without the pressure facing traditional powerhouses.

A favourable draw could see them become one of the stories of the competition.

Why England and Brazil Miss Out

The absence of England and Brazil may surprise some readers.

England possess outstanding talent, but injuries and squad balance concerns leave questions unanswered. Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden are capable of carrying the Three Lions deep into the tournament, but compared to Spain, France and Argentina, England still feel incomplete.

Brazil remain Brazil. They have stars, quality and history.

However, recent performances have lacked the consistency and cohesion that characterised their greatest World Cup-winning sides. Until they prove otherwise against elite opposition, they sit just outside our top five.

Prediction

Spain enter the tournament as the team to beat.

France have the depth.

Argentina have the belief.

Portugal have the emotion.

Germany have the pedigree.

One of those five nations is likely to be celebrating when the final whistle blows.

The only certainty is that football’s biggest stage is ready for another unforgettable chapter.

As Mexico City prepares to host the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, teachers have pledged to continue their protests for increased wages and better labor conditions in the area surrounding the capital’s legendary Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) as part of a national strike announced June 1 by the CNTE education workers union, which is demanding a 100% pay-rise. 

Over the past week, thousands of teachers have occupied the iconic Zocalo, or main square, blocked intersections and marched through the streets of the capital. Media report that security forces deployed tear gas against teachers who were attempting to occupy the Education Ministry. 

On the Paseo de la Reforma (Promenade of the Reform), teachers tore down meter-tall statues of soccer stars that had been erected ahead of the World Cup, ripping the jerseys off the plastic players and burning them.

“Without a solution, the ball won’t roll,” the teachers wrote on some of the fallen statues. 

Mexican teachers calling for higher salaries to cover cost of inflation

The teachers are protesting the education and pension policies of Claudia Sheinbaum, who was elected president with broad labor support as the successor to Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador, founder of the anti-neoliberal National Regeneration Movement (Morena) party. In May 2025, Sheinbaum’s government announced a 10% raise for teachers by September 2026 — which the unions had rejected as wholly inadequate.  

Salaries vary widely by region and according to education levels. Early-career teachers in public schools in Mexico receive 8,000-14,000 pesos (€390-690/$460-800) per month.  

The rival SNTE teachers union, which has long enjoyed close relations with Mexico’s various ruling parties, has called for a 13% raise in 2026 to cover the increasing costs of inflation. 

Protests in the international limelight

With its protests at the World Cup site, the CNTE is attempting to use the national and global focus on Mexico City for leverage. As one of the tournament’s three co-hosts, alongside the United States and Canada, Mexico is expecting about 5 million international tourists in June and July.  

According to the administration of Mexico City, the Zocalo can accommodate up to 55,000 people for public viewings — though thousands more may attempt to cram in when the national team plays. The teachers’ protest camp threatens to disrupt those plans. The global football governing body, FIFA, has already called off a training for World Cup volunteers on the square. 

Sheinbaum won’t ‘fall for provocations’

In her daily press conference, Sheinbaum accused the teachers of trying to provoke the government while the international spotlight is on Mexico, but also ruled out a heavy-handed clampdown.

“We aren’t going to fall for provocations, ” Sheinbaum said. 

Instead, her government is negotiating with the teachers. The 100% raise has been ruled out as “incompatible with the federal budget.” The most probable compromise between the government and the teachers would be a package that combined raises with pension increases. 

Historic center teeming with protesters

Mexico City’s chamber of commerce has claimed that the disruptions to business in the area around the Zocalo and the blocking of traffic on main streets and to and from the airport have cost the private sector nearly €20 million. Some residents of Mexico City who oppose the protests have written on social media that they feel like they have been taken hostage by the teachers. 

The government has not blamed the union or the majority of the teachers for damage and destruction caused by affiliated groups. “There was a lot of provocation yesterday,” Sheinbaum said following the march. “The truth is that I don’t believe it was teachers who were behind the provocation.” 

Many media outlets in Mexico have defended the protests as a legitimate form of social expression. The right-wing press, on the other hand, has criticized the teachers. In his column for the newspaper Milenio, the journalist Hector Aguilar Camin accused the teachers of a “pedagogy of violence.” He said the Morena party was partly at fault because it had empowered the CNTE union in its efforts to win teachers’ votes.  

This article was originally published in German.

Man Utd have shifted their approach to recruitment over the past 18 months and there is now something transfer targets need to take into account.

One of the attractions for Manchester United when signing Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford last summer was just how clear he had made it that he wanted to come to Old Trafford.

Fresh off the back of a 20-goal season in the Premier League for the Bees, the Cameroon international had options, including a reunion with boss Thomas Frank at Tottenham. That also offered an immediate avenue into the Champions League.

But Mbeumo only had eyes for United, and he made that clear throughout the process. In the end, a deal for an initial £65million, with £6million in add-ons, was secured in the third week of July.

That is a lesson that the transfer targets United are eyeing up in this window would do well to heed. United place considerable weight on just how keen players are to sign for them and that has been evidenced again with the decision to step away from the pursuit of Elliot Anderson.

The 23-year-old’s priority is to join Manchester City this summer, but United could have complicated matters. Had they outbid City and done a deal with Forest, Anderson could have easily ended up at Old Trafford, just as Harry Maguire, Fred and Alexis Sanchez did.

Instead, United’s recruitment chiefs baulked at the idea of paying more than £120million for a player who wasn’t all-in on joining the club. As City raised the stakes, United’s director of football Jason Wilcox and the people in charge of transfers at Old Trafford stepped back.

Instead, they will look at targets below Anderson on the list, but crucially, some or all of those players have made it clear they want to come to Old Trafford. That is certainly the case for Carlos Baleba, who wanted to leave Brighton for United last summer.

Mateus Fernandes has also given the impression that he would like to link up with his idol and namesake, Bruno, at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old West Ham midfielder now slots in at the top of United’s options in midfield.

This is another welcome change in United’s recruitment. For too long it has been back of the fag packet stuff, with little joined-up thinking in why players were being pursued and little to no discipline when it comes to fees and wages.

That is changing under Ineos. The football executives blundered with Ruben Amorim, but transfer business last summer was excellent and the £35million deal for Ederson looks a bargain compared to some of the fees being quoted for other midfielders this year.

It’s easy to imagine the United of a few years ago pushing hard for Anderson and trying to make a statement against City. Instead, this version of the club have followed Omar Berrada’s instructions to be “really disciplined”.

United wanted Anderson to be the man to step into Casemiro’s shoes next to Kobbie Mainoo. He looks like an excellent player and a good fit in that midfield, but there are other options there, and it might be they can sign two midfielders for a little more than the Forest man would have cost on his own.

This is clearly the right decision from United, and another sign that the approach to transfers within Old Trafford is beginning to change.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Burnley have been awarded in excess of £35million after a landmark legal success against Everton, a bombshell judgment that could ultimately prove to be bad news for Manchester City, if found guilty of alleged charges

Manchester City’s rivals could each demand more than 100million in compensation, it’s claimed, after Burnley’s landmark legal success against Everton.

The Clarets have been awarded in excess of £35million – plus interest – from Everton by an independent Premier League commission as compensation. Everton are appealing the decision, made after the commission concluded that the Merseysiders benefited from a sporting advantage for breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

In the case, the commission awarded £26million for losses due to relegation and £9.1million in interest. According to the commission’s judgment, the Toffees “accepted that its breach of the PSR conferred a sporting advantage but disputes both the extent and effect of that advantage”

Everton provided an expert who stated “that Burnley had suffered no financial loss following relegation”. However, the Clarets’ expert witness claimed they had lost £51.7m before interest. Burnley’s expert witness claimed the club had lost £51.7million before interest.

It’s a landmark case because under Premier League rules its clubs cannot sue each other through the courts – but they can do so through arbitration.

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Now, if City are ultimately found guilty of serious charges among their alleged 115 breaches of Premier League rules, it could be a very costly affair.

Four clubs – Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs – served legal notices on City in 2024, reserving the right to seek compensation if City are found guilty. They served compensation notices after being advised by lawyers of a potential six year statute of limitation period, dating back to November 2018 – when the Football Leaks document were first published by Der Spiegel, the German website.

If that indeed does happen, it opens the door to compensation claims by those clubs, who can argue that the alleged breaches gave City sporting advantages over their rivals over numerous seasons, between 2009 and 2017.

According to The Times, sources involved in the process estimate some of those clubs “had calculated potential losses costing significantly more than £100m” – down to income losses, not least missing out on the Champions League.

If you add interest, as in the Everton case, that figure would rise substantially higher.

If you’re wondering how to best prepare yourself for the round ahead on the greens, Drew Stoltz has a simple routine worth copying.

In the latest episode of Emergency 9, the Subpar co-host shared how he dials in his putting before each round.

Up first: straight shorties, which he said helps him get a feel for his tendencies on a given day.

“I like to start off with just some short straight putts,” he said. “All I’m focusing on is ball position and alignment. Speed doesn’t matter. I want a dead straight putt just so I can get some feedback. If it’s going in the right side of the hole, I know I may be aimed a little right. Same with the left side as well.”

Stoltz said he likes to see five or 10 short putts go in before moving to mid-range.

“I like to work my way around in a circle from about 6 to 8 feet,” he said. “That way, I’m getting putts that are right to left, I get putts that are uphill, downhill, left to right, you get all of it. It just gives you a good idea for the pace of the greens and how hard you need to hit it on your given line.”

After completing a circle around the hole, Stoltz moves on to the final stage of his putting warm-up: lags.

“Sometimes I’ll aim for the edge of the green, sometimes I’ll aim for a hole, whatever I can,” he said. “I just hit like, 40-footers over and over, uphill, downhill, just to get the pace dialed in for the longer putts. After that I try not to overthink it and head to the first tee.”

And Stoltz’s current flatstick, Cobra’s 3DP Tour Agera, makes alignment easier than ever.

“This thing’s been a game changer for me,” Stoltz said. “This putter has been really consistent for me ever since I put it in. Super consistent off the face, you get a lot of feedback too, whether you hit it on the toe or the heel, but you also get that consistent rollout.

“The main reason I think I like this is these two stripes on top make it super easy for alignment,” he continued. “That’s the thing I struggle with most, and I think that’s what a ton of golfers struggle with most is just getting set up correctly.”

Interested in testing Stoltz’s putter for yourself? Check it out in detail by clicking the link below. You can also watch Stoltz explain his pre-round putting routine in the video above.

Cobra 3DP Tour Agera Custom Putter

 

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Texas A&M’s 2026 season ended at the hands of USC in the College Station Regional less than two weeks ago, and while second-year coach Michael Earely deserves credit for leading the Aggies back to the NCAA Tournament after missing the postseason during his first year at the helm, but after firing pitching coach Jason Kelley, it’s clear that the Aggies are in need of better coaching and talent on the mound.

Despite his struggles, junior LHP Shane Sdao could easily depart for the 2026 MLB Draft, while elite closer Clayton Freshcorn will also have a tough decision to make regarding his future, knowing that his stock has steadily risen after ending the season with an impressive 2.82 ERA with 56 strikeouts.

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Another name to watch is incoming senior Weston Moss, who also struggled early in the year but settled in late, capping his season off with a record performance against Texas State. Pairing with sophomore ace Aiden Sims, the right pitching coach hire should help Moss, Sdao, and several other pitchers, including Gavin Lyons, improve significantly next season.

This week, it was revealed that the Aggies are in the mix for Texas State pitcher Wade Cooper, as On3 insider Pete Nakos confirmed that Texas A&M is now the leading favorite to land the standout freshman, who recorded five saves and 73 strikeouts last season.

“Cooper just finished his freshman season at Texas State with a 4.72 ERA, five saves in 66.2 innings pitched and 73 strikeouts. Sources tell On3 that Texas A&M is trending to land Cooper, and barring something unforeseen, he’s expected to land in College Station.”

Adding Wade Cooper would be the first step towards filling out the 2027 pitching rotation, but given the likely departure of Texas A&M’s top three hitters, Michael Earley and his staff have plenty of work ahead of them to rebuild the roster.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M is ‘expected to land’ Texas State transfer P Wade Cooper

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India pacer S Sreesanth has urged teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to remain focused on cricket and avoid getting distracted by professional managers following his rapid rise to fame.The 15-year-old prodigy recently earned a place in India’s squads for the tours of Ireland and England, becoming the youngest player ever selected for the Indian men’s team. In doing so, he eclipsed a 36-year-old record held by legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar, who made his India debut at the age of 16 against Pakistan in 1989.Speaking about the youngster’s success, Sreesanth showered praise on Suryavanshi’s commitment, discipline and the sacrifices made by his family.“Man, no matter how less we say about Suryavanshi… it won’t be enough. I mean, no matter how much we praise him, it will still fall short.”“So I will say that Sooryavanshi’s family… and the young kids who are watching and thinking ‘I want to be like him too’ – you can achieve it because he has shown the way. First, Sachin Paji showed us, then Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma came along. But I would say what Vaibhav… what Vaibhav has shown, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that is a prime example of commitment and perseverance.”The former fast bowler recalled seeing videos of Sooryavanshi training relentlessly during the Covid-19 pandemic and highlighted the role played by his father and coaches in shaping his journey.“Even during Corona times, they were showing his videos of practicing on the terrace. His father, man, lots of respect to him. Respect to all his coaches, respect to everyone because… as you know, I am from Kerala. And when people talk about ‘opportunities, opportunities’ – even in cricket today, that’s all we talk about, getting an opportunity.”“But traveling for four hours without even having an assured opportunity, practicing, staying back, going back every single day… and that too playing 750 to 1000 balls daily, doing drills… and he still says, ‘I don’t feel good when I get rest.’ I will learn from him. I… with all respect to all the legendary cricketers, respect to everybody, but what this kid has shown… just leave him be, man. Leave him as he is. A lot of managers will come around now.“Sreesanth then issued a word of caution, advising the youngster to stay grounded and let his family take care of off-field matters.“Vaibhav, if you are watching this, my request to you is to leave these managers aside and focus on yourself. Your father will handle things, and your family members will handle things. Stay away from these professional managers.”