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From ageless wonders to breakout stars, the first week of the World Cup provided some outstanding performances. We're to highlight, position by position, players who deserve some recognition after each of the 48 teams in the tournament have played a game. Matteo's Top Performers Going with a 4-4-2 formation, there are plenty of recognizable names alongside players who will be worth watching the rest of the tournament. The 40-year-old kept the world's second-ranked side scoreless, making seven saves in a 0-0 draw with Spain on Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup appearance. No one older has played in a nation's debut World Cup match, and no keeper at this tournament has had a better afternoon. Morocco's captain spent the night strolling through Brazil's midfield and tearing up the left flank in a 1-1 draw that flattered the five-time champions. He's now Morocco's most-capped World Cup player, and still the most dangerous right back on the planet. When Curaao stunned Germany with an early equalizer, the Borussia Dortmund center back restored order, heading home his first international goal in a 7-1 rout. Left-footed, calm on the ball, a building block for Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann at the back. The most underrated defender at the tournament held Bosnia's line together against a relentless Canada never rushed, never beaten in a duel that mattered. Then, with the game on the line late, he threw his body in front of a goal-bound Larin shot to rescue the point. "Jedi" was the engine down the USA's left in a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay, driving the ball forward for the move that teed up Balogun's opener. Fulham's asking price just went up on this evidence. He's among the best left backs in the field. The teenage right midfielder dribbled and ran at Ecuador relentlessly. He created five chances more than any player at the tournament in the Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador. No goal, no assist, didn't matter; you don't forget a debut like that. The Brighton midfielder starred in a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia with two long-range thunderbolts and ran the game in between. One of those strikes is already on the goal-of-the-tournament shortlist. At 18, he sat in the middle of the park against Brazil and dictated, making Casemiro and Bruno Guimares look a step slow in that 1-1 draw. Alongside Diomande, he's the breakout teenager of the opening round and he plays like he's been doing it for a decade. On a night Brazil looked ordinary, Vini cut inside and smashed an unstoppable strike into Bounou's top corner to salvage a 1-1 draw with Morocco. He was the one Brazilian who actually looked like he belonged on the favorites' list. Two first-half goals the second a left-footed beauty into the upper corner. He bullied Paraguay's backline all night and finally looked like the No. 9 this nation has been searching for years. He walked off with the official Player of the Match award against Tunisia, scoring once and setting up another goal. His partnership with Viktor Gykeres looked like it could become one of the tournament's best strike tandems. Luis Miguel's Top Performers Let me just say that it was not an easy decision as many players deserved a nod. But in the end, these stood out to me not just for how they played, but for their approach and resilience. Isthere any need to think about anyone else? Having to deal with 27 shots andseven saves (six of them inside the box), the 40-year-old goalkeeper produced one of the best performances in recent modern World Cup history, helping Cabo Verde earn a historic point against mighty Spain. His Instagram following count is not too shabby either these days. In front of the aforementioned Vozinha stoodDiney Borges, who alongside Roberto "Pico" Lopes, created a formidable center-back pairing in denying any attempt from Spain. Lopes was great but Borges? It was a steel-driven display from the defender, who plays forAl Bataeh in UAE'sPro League. Freeman was undoubtedly the unsung, underrated gem in the USA's imposing win over Paraguay. The 21-year-old defender (and son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman) practically won every battle, and it was thanks to his passto Weston McKennie that started the sequence that led to the first goal. Freeman was very, very impressive. The Colombian full back is quite simply Sonic the Hedgehog. When he gets forwardand out of nowhere, he can create magic out of nothing. Especially when he has distribution from Luis Daz, who found the Crystal Palace man for a beautiful goal, whichopened the scoring against Uzbekistan. Portugal just could not handle how to break through this man. After Pedro Neto failed, Rafael Leo entered but again, Wan Bissaka stood firm. The tackle against the aforementioned Leo was a remarkable block. It was so good that the camera turned to Roberto Martnez, showing his frustrated reaction, knowing that Wan Bissaka and his Congoleseteammates were simply not going to lose. I was at the game between Brazil and Morocco and let me tell you something, Bouaddi was exceptional. He created opportunities and driving runs, leaving the Brazilian midfield lost in disbelief. At 18 years old, Bouaddi, who was born in the north of Paris to Moroccan parents, was only allowed to play for the Atlas Lions last March when he was cleared by FIFA after France coach Didier Deschamps never called him up. Well, France's loss is Morocco's gain. What a talent. I wanted to give this spot to Australia's Nestory Irankunda, but apologies, because Bellingham truly stood out against a toughopponent such as Croatia. And there has been so much talk about his role for England, from his positioning to his attitude. It's all ridiculous, and I am glad he had the performance we witnessed onWednesday, which included a goal with a statement. It was a wonderfully aggressive, determined solo effort that was there to prove a point. Balogun gave one of the best performances by an American male striker I have seen atthe World Cup. It's as simple as that. He became the first USA men's player to score a brace in a World Cup match since 1930, but more than that, it was movement and creativity that opened the doors for other teammates to penetrate Paraguay's box. Fantasticstuff from the Monaco forward. It was a match for the ages where Mbapp became France's all-time top scorer after hisremarkable brace in a 3-1 victory against Senegal. I was there to witness it and my goodness, the electrifying power of the Real Madrid star stood out in the second half and when he turns it on, it's really quite a sight. Did you ever doubt I was going to include this man? I mean, what else is there to say? What other superlative could possibly exist that hasn't been mentioned? Lionel Messi's hat trick against Algeria broke multiple records and Algerian hearts but most importantly, it was a reminder that days before his 39th birthday, he reminded everyone of his genius as the greatest ever. Full stop. Norway fans will be upset at me right now for not including Erling Haaland but I had to include Kane over the Manchester City striker due to two factors. One, the difficulty of the opponent. And two, their overall contributions. Kane was unbelievable against Croatia, proving why he is the greatest English male striker. Gary Lineker agrees after Kane's brace leveled England's record in World Cup goals. He also became the second England player to score in three different World Cups (after David Beckham.) But it was more than his goals. His overall game is so important for Thomas Tuchel'sgame plan, opening the pitch and becoming a provider and protector.

The co-hosts look to secure their first three points in Vancouver as star fullback Alphonso Davies prepares to make his highly anticipated return from injury

With the departure of Jonathan Greenard to Philadelphia this offseason via trade, there is now a hole opposite Dallas Turner. While this will likely be a rotation of players, the Minnesota Vikings will need to look to make a move to find him a running mate. With the 2027 NFL Draft absolutely stacked at EDGE rusher, Minnesota has ample opportunity to improve. While Colin Simmons and Dylan Stewart are the headliners in this group, the amount of depth to be found on days two and three is stellar. One name that stands out the most in the mind of ESPN's Matt Miller is Yhonzae Pierre out of Alabama. Pierre is a player going under the radar, but has immense upside and should see a bigger role in 2026. He has a similar build to Dallas Turner, and a pair of speed-oriented pass rushers would cause havoc.Pierre is still a work in progress, and 2026 will be a massive year for him. If he improves upon his eight-sack season from a year ago, there's a pathway for him to be in consideration for that third EDGE spot in the class. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: One edge prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft Vikings fans should watch

Jalen Brunson finally hit back at his skeptics as the Knicks and millions of fans celebrated the franchise's first NBA championship in 53 years with a parade Thursday.

It is anticipated that the regulator will recommend a one-match ban - applied retrospectively - meaning that both Stokes and Atkinson would come into the reckoning for the series finale.

Teboho Mokoena started the game with tears in his eyes and finished it with a smile on his face after converting a second-half penalty in South Africa's 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic on Thursday at the World Cup.Thapelo Masekos long range shot late in the match caught the hand of Czech opponent Pavel Sulc in the area.Mokoena, who was shown on camera with tears rolling down his cheeks during the pre-game national anthem, stepped up to the penalty spot and sent his shot low past Czech Republic goalkeeper Matej Kovar in the 83rd minute.The South Africa midfielder said he was overwhelmed before kick off, thinking about his late grandfather.I know, wherever he is, he would be proud of me," Mokoena said. "I just felt his presence in that moment. I thought if he was here, he would be proud of me because I know he believed in me when nobody believed in me.Michal Sadilek had given the Czechs the lead in the sixth minute at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alexandr Sojka played in Sadilek and he slid a shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Both teams lost their opening matches, and both knew another setback would seriously hinder their chances of reaching the round of 32.South Africa faced some strong criticism following its 2-0 loss to World Cup co-host Mexico, which raised the prospect of the country extending its run of never having advanced to the knockout phase of a World Cup even as host in 2010.If we go on like that and if we can make another performance like today I think we have a chance to go in the second round, South Africa coach Hugo Broos said.South Africa will next face South Korea on Wednesday in Group A, but will be without Mokoena, who is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament.The Czechs lost to South Korea 2-1 in their opening match and will likely need to beat Mexico in their final game on Wednesday to advance.___Associated Press writer R.J. Rico contributed to this report.___James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

An Uber driver taking American fans of Argentinas soccer team to a World Cup match was among four people injured in a series of shootings in Kansas City, Missouri, that also left one man dead, police said.A 22-year-old male suspect, described as armed and dangerous, remained at large Thursday. The five shootings occurred Tuesday between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m, in a 5-mile stretch of Kansas City, three of them on Interstates 70 and 670 as they cut through downtown. All of the shootings were at least 4 miles away from Arrowhead Stadium, where Argentina won its first match against Algeria.Two Argentina fans told Argentine outlet La Nacin that someone in a car came alongside and fired two shots at the Uber they were riding in, hitting the driver in the leg. They said they first thought the sound was a car tire popping until they saw the driver had been hit.They had to go to the police station to provide statements about what happened. Officers then took them to the stadium in patrol cars, they said. The driver's injuries were not life-threatening, police Capt. Jacob Becchina said.That shooting and two others on the interstates occurred while cars were traveling east, one of them from neighboring Kansas, police said. The others occurred further east on Truman Road, a major thoroughfare through the city.Police said three adults and a minor, a teenager, were injured, and all were hospitalized, though only one adult had life-threatening injuries, Becchina said.About 6:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a vehicle crashing into a pole along Truman Road, east of the other shootings. The driver was taken to a hospital, and workers there discovered what appeared to be a gunshot wound while treating him. He died of his injuries.Victims all indicated they were driving down the highway or roadway when one or more shots were fired into their vehicles, Becchina said in an email. Becchina said detectives believe the non-fatal shootings occurred in close succession, from west to east, connected by the one suspect. Police later tracked the suspect to a home in the suburb of Independence, about 2 miles further east of where the fatal shooting victim was found, and a standoff ensued. But when police entered the home about 8 a.m. Wednesday, the suspect was not there. Officials across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, also have a warrant out for the suspect over a June 11 incident involving an illegal discharge of a firearm, Nancy Chartrand, the spokesperson for its police department said.