Belgium's golden generation might have ended in 2022, but a younger squad opened itsWorld Cup the way it has opened most things lately: with more questions than answers. Egypt organized, patient, entirely unfazed by the badge it was facing held one of Europe's more talented squads to a 1-1 draw in Seattle on Monday. Emam Ashour put the Pharaohs ahead in the 19th minute. Belgium, which lined up without a recognized striker, spent an hour passing the ball to death without ever threatening to score one. Then Rudi Garcia went for one of the lasting remnants of the past golden generation, and that man shocked audiences with his first touch. Here are my takeaways from Belgium and Egypt's opening draw: 1. Belgium Needs a Healthy Lukaku Desperately Belgium started this World Cup match without a striker. Garcia deployed Charles De Ketelaere, usually a second striker or attacking midfielder, as a false nine in front of an attacking midfield three built on flair: Jrmy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard. It produced some decent football but virtually no penalty-box menace. Egypt's block sat there and dared Belgium to find a center forward. Belgium couldn't muster a single shot on target during the entire first half. Enter Romelu Lukaku. Within seconds, a Youri Tielemans pass sprang Thomas Meunier down the right. Lukaku's run through the middle was perfectly timed as the low cross was fed right into the path of the veteran striker. That sequence is Belgium's entire striker situation in a nutshell. Lukaku is 33. He has played about an hour of competitive football all season after a high-grade thigh tear, surgery and a parade of setbacks at Napoli a saga ugly enough that he spent half the year rehabbing in Belgium against his club's wishes. And he is still, comfortably, the most important No. 9 this team has. Belgium's all-time leading scorer, and it isn't close. The question for Garcia was never whether Lukaku belongs. It depends on whether his body allows him to be the player this squad is designed around. 2. The Gap At The Top Keeps Shrinking Egypt didn't park ten men and pray. Hossam Hassan's side defended with shape, broke with intent and, for long spells, looked like the team with the clearer idea of what it was doing. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush were deployed to stretch Belgium's back line all night. This was not a smash-and-grab. And it fits the pattern of these opening days. Canada took its first men's World Cup point off Bosnia. Cape Verde somehow held Spain to a 0-0 draw. Japan produced a highly entertaining 2-2 result against the Netherlands. The teams that were supposed to make up the numbers in a bloated 48-side field have been landing clean punches on the establishment. Egypt went winless in Russia in 2018. This cycle it conceded two goals in 10 qualifiers. On Monday, it walked off the pitch proudly with a point against the ninth placed side in the FIFA rankings. Pedigree still wins most of these games, but be thankful for the surprises that keep some of these games highly unpredictable. 3. Egypt Is Built To Be A Problem Two goals allowed in ten qualifying matches is not a rounding error. It's an identity. Hassan has built a side around defensive discipline and two attackers who can punish a single lapse. Salah who turned 34 on Monday, and is fresh off a quieter final season at Liverpool is still feared by defenders. Marmoush, now at Manchester City, offers a second runner who threatens in behind the moment a center back steps too high. Ashour's opener came from exactly the kind of organized, low-risk football this team will live on. The draw has been kind to the Pharaohs, too. They drew the toughest fixture first and came away with a point. Iran and New Zealand are next, and Egypt will fancy itself in both. Second place in Group G is very much on the table and a Round-of-32 date that could fall against the United States is the sort of thing that makes a federation dream. 4. What Is The Ceiling For Belgium? We have been writing this group's obituary since 2018, and it keeps refusing to die quietly. De Bruyne is 34. Courtois is 34. Lukaku is 33 and held together with tape. The trophy cabinet is empty. Qatar 2022 ended in a group-stage exit and a dressing room reportedly at war with itself. The brief in 2026 was simple: don't do that again. A point against a well-drilled Egypt is not that. But in a draw, Garcia's headline idea De Bruyne conducting behind a striker-less front three generated barely any threat. It's the kind of result that should keep a coach up at night. Talent has never been the issue with Belgium. The coherence has. Iran comes next in Los Angeles, then New Zealand in Vancouver. Both are winnable. Both are also precisely the sort of stubborn, well-organized opponent that just gave Belgium 90 minutes of frustration while wearing a different shirt. Garcia has a week to decide how much he trusts Lukaku's body because for an hour on Monday, the alternative looked like nothing at all.

SportsLine's Jon Eimer reveals his New Zealand vs. Iran best bets for the FIFA World Cup 2026 match on Monday

Running back J.K. Dobbins wanted to stay in Denver for a second season. He is.He almost wasn't.Luca Evans of the Denver Post reports that, before Dobbins worked out a new two-year contract with the Broncos, he had a deal that was essentially done with the Jaguars.Dobbins, who had 772 yards through 10 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury, hopes to build on what he did in 2025.What Im going to show is that last year wasnt a fluke," Dobbins said. "Like, instead of being No. 3 in the NFL, Ill be No. 1 this year. And there wont be any injuries.No running back can credibly make that vow. It's even harder for Dobbins to do it, given the number of injuries he has suffered during an NFL career that has gone very well, when he's able to play. He has a career average of 5.2 yards per carry.Still only 27, Dobbins has plenty of gas in the tank. And, if he can stay healthy all year, he should finish with his first 1,000-yard season.

UFC fighter Josh Hokit targeted Michelle Obama during his postfight comments at Sunday's UFC White House event, saying the former First Lady "is a man."

As Pedro Acosta arrives at Brno in Czechia this weekend for the ninth round of the MotoGP season which doubles as his 50th premier-class Grand Prix start his career can be considered in one of two, completely opposite, ways.

Tunisia manager Sabri Lamouchi has been sacked after their 5-1 shellacking by Sweden, according to reports in the African nation.

Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider will be shut down from throwing for four weeks because of inflammation in his right elbow, the team announced Monday.Strider, who had been placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, had a consultation with Dr. Keith Meister before they decided on four weeks. Strider will have another MRI at the end of that period and would begin throwing progression if tests showed the inflammation had cleared, the team said.Strider left Friday's 7-5 loss at the New York Mets in the fourth inning due to right shoulder and elbow soreness. Braves manager Walt Weiss said the team also was concerned about a dramatic decline in Strider's velocity.Strider has a history of arm problems. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and had the UCL in his right elbow repaired with an internal brace in April 2024.Rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, who pitched in relief behind Strider on Friday, will move into the rotation and has been scheduled to start Wednesday night's game against San Francisco.Strider allowed six hits, including three homers, and a season-worst seven earned runs in three innings on Friday.Strider was making his eighth start of the season for the first-place Braves after missing the first 34 games recovering from a strained left oblique. He is 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA this season.Strider led the major leagues with 20 wins and an Atlanta-record 281 strikeouts in 2023.The Braves activated catcher Drake Baldwin from the injured list on Monday. Baldwin was placed on the IL on May 19 with an oblique injury. Catcher Austin Wynns was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider will be shut down from throwing for four weeks because of inflammation in his right elbow, the team announced Monday.Strider, who had been placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, had a consultation with Dr. Keith Meister before they decided on four weeks. Strider will have another MRI at the end of that period and would begin throwing progression if tests showed the inflammation had cleared, the team said.Strider left Friday's 7-5 loss at the New York Mets in the fourth inning due to right shoulder and elbow soreness. Braves manager Walt Weiss said the team also was concerned about a dramatic decline in Strider's velocity.Strider has a history of arm problems. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and had the UCL in his right elbow repaired with an internal brace in April 2024.Rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, who pitched in relief behind Strider on Friday, will move into the rotation and has been scheduled to start Wednesday night's game against San Francisco.Strider allowed six hits, including three homers, and a season-worst seven earned runs in three innings on Friday.Strider was making his eighth start of the season for the first-place Braves after missing the first 34 games recovering from a strained left oblique. He is 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA this season.Strider led the major leagues with 20 wins and an Atlanta-record 281 strikeouts in 2023.The Braves activated catcher Drake Baldwin from the injured list on Monday. Baldwin was placed on the IL on May 19 with an oblique injury. Catcher Austin Wynns was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

A source familiar with the investigations said they had been ongoing for "roughly a year'".

There are glimpses of happiness in the Democratic Republic of Congo's fight against the virus that has killed more than 170.