Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and retired from international football after failing to recover from a persistent foot injury. The Liverpool midfielder ends an 11-year international career with 73 appearances, having captained Japan in recent years. His absence leaves a major leadership void as Japan begin their World Cup campaign without one of their most influential figures.

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Christian Pulisic might only be 27 years old, but he could be a few weeks away from becoming the all-time face of the U.S. men's national team. Well, that's what former USA star Maurice Edu thinks. Ahead of the USA's opening match in the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, Edu proclaimed that Pulisic could be the greatest player in the federation's history with a strong performance in the tournament. "You talk about legacy, you talk about cementing yourself as one of the greatest as part of our [FOX] broadcast team, we've got Landon Donavan and Clint Dempsey, two guys we constantly debate about who is the GOAT for this sport in America Christian with a strong tournament here, taking this team on a run, he puts himself into that conversation," Edu said on "World Cup Now." Pulisic has already set multiple federation records in his 10 years with the senior squad. He became the youngest USA player to score 10 international goals and the fastest USA player to contribute to 50 international goals. So, Pulisic is already arguably on a trajectory to become the best player in the federation's history. However, after Pulisic recorded his 50th international goal contribution in November 2024, he went through a bit of a slump. He didn't score a goal for the USA in international play in seven matches before ending that skid in its friendly against Senegal on May 31. Pulisic also added an assist in that match, helping the USA get a 3-2 win. That scoreless skid in international play also coincided with a 19-match scoreless skid for Pulisic with his club team, AC Milan. But as Pulisic struggled to get the ball in the net for much of the 2025-26 season, Edu thinks that the goal against Senegal might break the lid open for the USA star in the World Cup. "He was going through a tough moment where, despite whatever he did, he was putting himself in the right positions," Edu said. "He's not shying away from getting on the ball. He's not shying away from trying to be the guy for the team. The ball just wouldn't find the back of the net. Well, he finally broke that drought. I think that was pivotal against Senegal for him to get on the scoresheet." To Edu's point, Pulisic had a 0.45 expected goals per 90 minutes (xG) with AC Milan this season, which would've put him in the 97th percentile of all players in Serie A, per Footy Stats. That number is even better with the national team in 2026, holding a 0.48 xG per 90 minutes. If Pulisic can turn those expected goals into actual goals, that'll be a good sign for the USA. The USA is 16-2-4 in matches that Pulisic scores, as his 33 international goals are the fifth-most in the federation's history. Edu expects that Pulisic will add to that total in the World Cup, believing he can carry the nation on his shoulders and take the United States to the quarterfinals. "How far we can go in this tournament will rely heavily on how far he can take us," Edu said. "He's our most talented player and probably has the highest ceiling."

Kucherov bests two fellow superstars to win his second Hart Trophy

The hostility between Alex Pereira and Josh Hokit refuses to die, allegedly forcing the UFC to take unprecedented measures to bury it.Made famous by many before him, with Colby Covington as one of the standout pioneers, Hokit has taken a professional wrestling approach to his early mixed martial arts career. Creating several larger-than-life characters that capture the spotlight and demand attention each time he has a mic in front of him has slingshot the 28-year-old into the limelight, but not everybody is a fan of his antics.Throughout his quick rise to fame, Josh Hokit has made some enemies. One who refuses to engage with Hokit's performances is former middleweight and light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira. The South American has remained stoic during his altercations with the California native, believing Hokit's disrespectful approach to the fight game has him on the UFC chopping block."I try not even to think about it or entertain anything about him because there is no reason for it," Pereira said. "But we cannot remove him out of the card on Sunday. He is already there, so he is going to fight.""But I have just heard some things that I don't even know if he will be part of this organization going forward. I mean, he is going to fight, but I don't know. I have heard some things here or there that I don't even maybe not even worth talking about because I don't even know if he is gonna be there."Freedom of speech has always been preached by Dana White, regardless of the beliefs and views of his fighters. But if controversial comments and damning behavior potentially damage the UFC product, how long will it take for those in charge to act?That is what Alex Pereira trusts is being discussed among the company's overseers, with Josh Hokit's future in the promotion a topic of some very uncomfortable conversations."There is a huge audience that watches this. There are children, there are families, there are people, and a lot of the things he does and says are just very disrespectful. So, I think, I don't know [what will happen with Hokit's UFC future]."https://youtube.com/shorts/IsXvLf0EAVI?si=1hSJNO4khZ8c5BAl

Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee has been indicted on a murder charge in the death of his partner.

Its just before eight oclock on Thursday morning when, right above us, a lone US secret service agent suddenly appears on The White House roof.

DANIEL MATTHEWS IN LOS ANGELES: On the eve of the USMNT's opening game against Paraguay in Los Angeles , the head coach was asked how his players can inspire the same hype.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall figures his team has played all season for the opportunity that now awaits in the Stanley Cup Final.The Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night in Game 5, with the best-of-seven series even at 2-2. The Hurricanes won Game 4 on the road to retake home-ice advantage, which would include next Game 7 on Wednesday night if the series goes the distance. Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas and will provide the first opportunity for a Cup-ending victory.We're excited to be at home," Hall said. "I think our game has been trending in the right direction all series long, doing a lot of really good things. We feel like we're an in-shape team. We can go as long as this needs to go. The fact we had three short series to start with, were confident in where were at."Home ice hasn't mattered much in a series in which the only reliable element is its unpredictability. Its made for an epic finale with nightly blown multi-goal leads, wild swings and close finishes perfect for fans packed into buzzing arenas and TV viewers but leading to what Carolina coach Rod BrindAmour has described as intensely stressful nights behind the bench.As Vegas coach John Tortorella said Wednesday: I don't think anybody expected this.It's come in a series that was expected to be a defense-first battle but has instead seen 33 goals through four games (8.3 per game), making life tricky for each team's goaltenders.Carolina started veteran Frederik Andersen after he had led them in a 12-1 run through the Eastern Conference playoffs, but pulled him in the third period of Game 3 with the Hurricanes down 4-0 before rallying in what ended as a double-overtime loss. Brandon Bussi played well in relief, then got the start in Game 4 with Brind'Amour saying Andersen who didn't dress out needed a break.The plan ultimately remained the same for Thursday night, with the team announcing during pregame warmups that Bussi would make his second career postseason start for Game 5.As for Vegas, Carter Hart has become the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games yet two of them were wins. Tortorella said he had no concerns about Hart's play at all. This Stanley Cup Final has offered a perfect companion to what's going in the other major American pro sports championship series taking place. On Wednesday night, the New York Knicks rallied from 29 down to stun the San Antonio Spurs in the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history to take a 3-1 series lead.I wanted to go to bed, Tortorella said of watching the comeback. But when they got it down to 15, you knew something stupid was going to happen. I'm just basically saying the same stupid stuff's happened in our series.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall figures his team has played all season for the opportunity that now awaits in the Stanley Cup Final.The Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night in Game 5, with the best-of-seven series even at 2-2. The Hurricanes won Game 4 on the road to retake home-ice advantage, which would include next Game 7 on Wednesday night if the series goes the distance. Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas and will provide the first opportunity for a Cup-ending victory.We're excited to be at home," Hall said. "I think our game has been trending in the right direction all series long, doing a lot of really good things. We feel like we're an in-shape team. We can go as long as this needs to go. The fact we had three short series to start with, were confident in where were at."Home ice hasn't mattered much in a series in which the only reliable element is its unpredictability. Its made for an epic finale with nightly blown multi-goal leads, wild swings and close finishes perfect for fans packed into buzzing arenas and TV viewers but leading to what Carolina coach Rod BrindAmour has described as intensely stressful nights behind the bench.As Vegas coach John Tortorella said Wednesday: I don't think anybody expected this.It's come in a series that was expected to be a defense-first battle but has instead seen 33 goals through four games (8.3 per game), making life tricky for each team's goaltenders.Carolina started veteran Frederik Andersen after he had led them in a 12-1 run through the Eastern Conference playoffs, but pulled him in the third period of Game 3 with the Hurricanes down 4-0 before rallying in what ended as a double-overtime loss. Brandon Bussi played well in relief, then got the start in Game 4 with Brind'Amour saying Andersen who didn't dress out needed a break.The plan ultimately remained the same for Thursday night, with the team announcing during pregame warmups that Bussi would make his second career postseason start for Game 5.As for Vegas, Carter Hart has become the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games yet two of them were wins. Tortorella said he had no concerns about Hart's play at all. This Stanley Cup Final has offered a perfect companion to what's going in the other major American pro sports championship series taking place. On Wednesday night, the New York Knicks rallied from 29 down to stun the San Antonio Spurs in the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history to take a 3-1 series lead.I wanted to go to bed, Tortorella said of watching the comeback. But when they got it down to 15, you knew something stupid was going to happen. I'm just basically saying the same stupid stuff's happened in our series.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl