Yan Diomande's superb World Cup recordYan Diomand continues to establish himself as one of the breakout stars of this World Cup. In the decisive Group E match against Curaao, Cte d'Ivoires new gem delivered a perfectly weighted assist for Nicolas Pps early opener in the 7th minute. By providing that gift at just 19 years and 223 days old, the Leipzig winger officially became the youngest player in history to be directly involved in a World Cup goal for the Elephants.This historic moment comes as the Ivorian sensation finds himself at the center of a royal transfer battle between PSG and Liverpool. Already dazzling in the Bundesliga this season, the young international is raising his stock with every minute he spends on American pitches. With this record in hand, Leipzigs executives are already rubbing their hands together: his market value, already estimated at over 100 million euros, is about to soar for good.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in here.

For the first time ever, Ivory Coast has qualified for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. Ivory Coast sealed its progression with a straightforward win over Curaao on Thursday in Philadelphia. Nicolas Pp scored once in each half, including one in the seventh minute that put the African nation in control from the start. Here are our takeaways: 1. Ivory Coast Will Be A Tough Out Ivory Coast got a late winner to earn three points against Ecuador in its opening match, and it was moments away from a draw against Germany. It's clear Les lphants have a competitive squad, highlighted by Yan Diomand in attack and veteran Franck Kessi in midfield. The team took care of business against Curaao, clearly creating the better scoring chances and dominating possession. It even had a respectable 40% of the ball against Germany, despite scoring the first goal in the 30th minute and playing on the back foot for most of the game. This squad is full of players from top clubs in Europe. Striker Ange-Yoan Bonny is at Inter Milan, winger Amad Diallo at Manchester United, while midfielder Ibrahim Sangar is also a regular in the Premier League for Nottingham Forrest. Ivory Coast will not be intimidated by any opponent, a sentiment that will come in handy in its next game. 2. For France Or Norway The Ivory Coast's prize for finishing second in Group E might not be seen as a positive one by many. Les lphants will be drawn against the second-place team in Group I, which will be either France or Norway. Both teams are on six points entering their Friday catchup, but the French have a superior goal difference. That means Norway has to beat France to win Group I. Regardless of which team Ivory Coast will face, it will be an underdog to advance. France has some of the best players in the tournament, while Erling Haaland powers a Norway attack that is one of the best in the tournament. 3. Diomand's Price Tag Keeps Going Up The 19-year-old winger, who currently plays his club soccer at RB Leipzig in Germany, has been a hot topic this summer, with Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool rumored to be very interested in his services. He has shown why with three impressive performances in the group stage for Ivory Coast. Diomand provided the assist for Pp's opening goal on Thursday, getting possession after a mistake from Curaao in its own 18-yard box and putting it on a plate for Pp. Having a player like Diomand, who can create a chance out of nothing, will be huge moving forward for Ivory Coast. Chances may be at a premium for Les lphants in the knockout stages, but Diomand is capable of making sure their quality looks at goal. 4. Curaao's Presence Won't Be Forgotten This World Cup has featured some of the smallest nations ever to compete in the tournament, which makes sense given the expansion to 48 teams. No country is smaller than Curaao, which has a population of 158,000 people. Only one player in the squad was born there (Tahith Chong), while the other 22 were born in the Netherlands with ancestry from the country. Of course, the tournament started with a 7-1 thumping against Germany, but Curaao followed that up with an impressive defensive effort to hold Ecuador to a 0-0 draw. Cape Verde has captivated the tournament with two draws to open the tournament, while DR Congo held Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal scoreless. While there have been some lopsided scorelines in the tournament, it's encouraging to see some of these teams get their shot on the biggest stage and occasionally look like they belong.

SportsLine's soccer experts have revealed their World Cup picks and World Cup predictions for Thursday, June 25

There has been recent shifting of rosters and coaching staffs in college basketball, but one thing has remained certain: Jon Rothstein has Michigan State as a top 10 team entering next year.Rothstein has released a new batch of early preseason rankings for next season and he still has Michigan State listed near the top of his rankings. As of now, Rothstein has the Spartans sitting at No. 6 in his rankings.The lone five teams ranked ahead of the Spartans are Florida (No. 1), Duke (No. 2), Illinois (No. 3), Michigan (No. 4) and UConn (No. 5). Right behind the Spartans is Arizona (No. 7), Gonzaga (No. 8), Virginia (No. 9) and St. John's (No. 10) to round out the top 10.Michigan State reached the Sweet 16 this past season and is set to return a large chunk of their key players from last year's squad. That includes star All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who elected to return for another season instead of remain in the NBA Draft.Click on the post below to see the complete updated rankings from Rothstein:Todays ROTHSTEIN 45 is LIVE. TOP 10: 1. Florida 2. Duke 3. Illinois 4. Michigan 5. UConn 6. Michigan State 7. Arizona 8. Gonzaga 9. Virginia 10. St. Johns CC: @FDSportsbook,@FanDuelResearch.https://t.co/rzAUfH0a5t Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 25, 2026Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU basketball listed in top 10 of latest preseason rankings from national analyst

"Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making. One of the blockbuster matches of the tournament is set to take place today, with Norway facing France. Here is what Im eyeing ahead of Match Day 16. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. World Cup Best Bets Friday, June 26 Norway vs. France Norway conceded twice against Senegal and once against Iraq. France should really be able to score three if it desires. The winner wins the group and even Erving Haaland quipped the other day, "Theyll probably beat us." Ill take his word for it. Senegal vs. Iraq It has been a disappointing run so far for Senegal, but most likely a big win here will put it on three points and say a GD of -1 or even. And that should be good enough to get Senegal through. Iraq is the side you want to face when you need a big win. Uruguay vs. Spain Uruguay has butchered this World Cup. It has nobody out there who can finish. It couldnt hold a 2-1 lead vs. Cape Verde and couldnt get the second goal against one of the worst teams in the competition in Saudi Arabia. Now, Uruguay must beat Spain to advance. Good luck with that. I mean, theres a non-zero chance Uruguay could win, as Spain have certainly thrown some clunkers in group play of major tourneys. This match could go so many ways, but I think the safest way to play it is Spain team total Over 1.5. Uruguay needs to win and that could leave it vulnerable to Spain countering. Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia A second-place finish is on the table for both sides depending on the result of Spain-Uruguay. Clearly, from watching both sides' first two matches, Cape Verde looks to be the better squad, and Ill grab the nice plus price on it to get the win and continue this magical ride. Belgium vs. New Zealand There have been a few candidates for the most disappointing or overrated side in this World Cup. Take your pick of word, but Belgium applies to both. Two lackluster draws vs. Egypt and Iran have taken winning the group out of Belgium's hands. On the bright side, star winger Jeremy Doku has returned to the team, which should help. If Belgium can't score on New Zealand, something is seriously wrong. Egypt vs. Iran Everything to play for here. Depending on results, any of Egypt, Iran or Belgium could win the group. This has both teams to score written all over it.

Leonard is reportedly open to a contract extension if he's traded from the Clippers to one of his two former teams

We are diving into some fantasy football content this offseason as we look to bring in all sorts of football fans to Vikings Wire. It is arguably the most popular game that is around football, so not dipping our toes into the proverbial pool wouldn't make sense.We will start with some rookie profiles, and where they fit into the team landscape they were drafted into. Next up, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst.Depth Chart SituationEmeka EgbukaChris GodwinJalen McMillanTed HurstSkill Players Around HimEmeka EgbukaChris GodwinJalen McMillanBucky IrvingKenneth Gainwell2026 Stat ProjectionsStat projections are done byESPN's Mike Clay23 Receptions296 Receiving Yards2 Touchdowns65 Fantasy Points2026 OutlookTed Hurst has a chance to take over as the team's deep threat in 2026 after the departure of Mike Evans. He will still be the WR4 in 2026, but if the team moves on from Chris Godwin at any point, he could be the next one to likely step up. For 2026, though, Hurst is someone who shouldn't be heavily invested in until an injury forces him up the depth chart. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Fantasy outlook for Bucs wide receiver Ted Hurst

Junior Caminero hit three home runs and drove in six runs, Victor Mesa Jr. added a three-run homer and three pitchers combined for 8 1/3 no-hit innings to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 13-2 victory against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. Opener Casey Legumina retired the first four batters before Ian Seymour (4-1) took over in the second inning. The pair combined to retire the first 16 Kansas City batters before Starling Marte drew a one-out walk in the sixth off Seymour. Craig Kimbrel started the ninth with a walk to Marte, then struck out Tyler Tolbert before allowing a two-run home run to Carter Jensen to the right-field stands for the Royals only hit of the game. The Rays salvaged a split of the four-game series after dropping the first two games. Tolbert, who started at shortstop for Kansas City, moved to the mound for the eighth inning, allowing five runs on six hits. Caminero tied a franchise record with his three home runs and registered his sixth career multi-homer game and second this season. He hit a two-run home run in the first inning and added a solo shot in the fifth, both off Seth Lugo (3-5), before going deep off Tolbert in the ninth. Mesa hit a three-run shot to right field in the fourth. Tampa Bays Yandy Diaz extended his hitting streak to nine games with a seventh-inning double. Up Next The Royals open a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Friday, with both teams yet to announce a starter. The Rays open a three-game series at home on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks with right-hander Nick Martinez (6-2, 2.73 ERA) set to start while the D-backs have yet to announce their starter. Reporting by The Associated Press.