Former Arsenal manager Arsne Wenger has delivered his definitive prediction for the final stages of the World Cup, backing France to lift the trophy once again. The current FIFA chief of global football development insists Didier Deschamps' men look unstoppable, while naming just one European powerhouse capable of halting Les Bleus' charge. Arsne Wenger Backs Les Bleus Wenger has tipped the French national team to emerge as world champions in this year's tournament after witnessing the convincing performances of Mbappe and Co. Deschamps men have looked formidable in their opening five matches before their scheduled quarter-final clash against Morocco at the Gillette Stadium in Boston. Wenger believes Les Bleus possess an extraordinary speed and momentum that will make it incredibly difficult for rival teams to match their strength. Frenchman Predicts Tournament Victory The 76-year-old legendary former Arsenal manager shared his in-depth analysis during a guest appearance on Felix and Toni Kroos podcast. Wenger emphasised that his prediction is purely based on technical quality on the pitch, rather than any subjective bias as a French citizen. He stated: "France will win the World Cup. I know you're going to say it's because I'm French. But when you analyse the tournament a bit, the train is moving at a certain speed today. And you have to be capable of getting on board that train." Spain Pose Tactical Threat Despite European representatives dominating the quarter-finals, Wenger dismissed England's chances and believes Morocco and Argentina will struggle to thwart the reigning champions. In his view, only Luis de la Fuentes La Roja squad possess the collective identity and tactical maturity to trouble the holders. Wenger added: "For me, the real question mark is Spain. If any team is capable of beating France right now, I would say it's Spain. Because they have a better technical level than France. They have a quality of collective play, and a culture of collective play, that nobody else in the world has at the moment. Not at this level, anyway. So it's between those two in my opinion. After that, of course, France is stronger physically." Heavyweights Eye Semi-Final Spots A stern physical and mental test now awaits France as they must contend with a Morocco side intent on gaining revenge for their 2022 semi-final defeat. Should they progress, the road to glory will only become steeper with a potential showdown against Spains new golden generation, spearheaded by Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal. Given the impressive form of both nations so far, physical consistency and squad depth will be the ultimate deciding factors in the race for football's most prestigious trophy.

The NBA's Aspiration investigation is still looking into potential salary-cap circumvention by the Clippers

The Steelers have not had great wide receiver cores over the last few seasons, but in 2026 they finally have some depth in the pass-catching room.The Steelers have a good problem on their hands: a battle for the No. 3 wide receiver spot. Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard are seemingly the third and fourth receivers behind DK Metcalf and newly acquired Michael Pittman Jr. Both are young receivers with tons of upside after being drafted from prominent schools.Will one of them stand out over the other as the Steelers third option?Tale of the TapeBernard, a rookie from Alabama, caught 114 passes for 1,656 yards and nine touchdowns over two seasons. The Steelers drafted the 6-foot-1 receiver in the second round of this years draft, 47th overall. Bernard has high expectations from fans and analysts, who many believe could be the next great Steeler receiver.Germie Bernard is a good all-around WR prospect who reminds me of Robert Woodshell play in the NFL for a long time. pic.twitter.com/wUstmKo3YQ NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) April 13, 2026Wilsons story is somewhat odd compared to the average high-draft-pick receiver. He played four seasons at Michigan, hauling in 107 receptions and 1,707 yards during his time there, as well as 20 receiving touchdowns. The Steelers drafted him in 2024 after he won a national title with the Wolverines, but he battled injuries his rookie year and only appeared in one game.Last season, Wilson played a decent amount early on but eventually became a healthy scratch for Mike Tomlins team towards the end of the season. He was solid during his limited time on the field, scoring two touchdowns and notching 74 yards against the Green Bay Packers. In total, he caught 12 passes for 166 yards.Roman Wilson hangs on long enough for the @Steelers TDGBvsPIT on NBCStream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/HubWYi2Whv NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2025Germie Bernard, Roman Wilson Are Young Receivers Improving TogetherRecently, the two were seen on social media working out together with notable route coach James Everett Jr., also known as Route God. Everett Jr. has worked with many NFL receivers, including Diontae Johnson and Antonio Brown, two former Steelers well known for their crisp route running.Roman Wilson & Germie Bernard with the Route God, per IG #Steelers#NFLpic.twitter.com/WTR6d17FwY Steelers Depot 7 (@Steelersdepot) July 4, 2026Wilson was posted training with Everett Jr. in March and also recently in July, now with his new teammate Bernard. Obviously, the two will be battling for the third spot on the depth chart come September, but it is great to see them training with each other, especially in a space that is not mandatory.In RouteGods posts, both receivers look quick and smooth throughout their cuts. Their ability to stop on a dime and explode into the ball looks to be very polished thanks to Everett Jrs training.Germie Bernard Steelers. pic.twitter.com/rP9m6kCebJ RouteGod (@RouteGod) July 5, 2026Everett Jr. worked with George Pickens the last two offseasons. Him improving his route running was a big reason he had a career year in Dallas with the Cowboys.Competition is HealthyWhoever the Steelers end up going with to be their slot receiver will have undoubtedly earned the spot. Receiver depth has been one of the main culprits behind their seasons ending prematurely and in disappointment.Both Wilson and Bernard are very talented and will be impactful on the field for Pittsburgh. At the end of the day, this is a healthy dilemma for the Steelers to have. It will be interesting to see how the two utilize their opportunities during the remainder of the offseason, but also how the Steelers will use the two receivers regardless of who wins the battle.Steelers training camp begins July 28, and the preseason starts August 13, when the Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers.The post Will Germie Bernard or Roman Wilson Be Steelers WR3? appeared first on The Lead.

FOX Sports Peter Crouch argued that France star Kylian Mbapp will become the World Cup greatest of all time.

Pereira is determined to continue his heavyweight journey and plans to return to the Octagon in November

Late-round draft picks can be wild cards. For every hidden gem, theres plenty of picks who never even see the field. If you could draft a two-time All-Pro and a locked-in every-game starter, itd be a no brainer.So Tim Soudan did, sort of, as he shipped off a third-round pick for Ben Randall this past offseason. And Randall has been a star for the Denver Outlaws since.That might be the best third rounder weve ever spent, Soudan said.Randall nearly ended up a California Redwood, but the Outlaws swooped in to snatch him from the Philadelphia Waterdogs. With the retirement of Jesse Bernhardt, Denver wanted an experienced, proven starter for a championship-caliber team.Soudan and the Outlaws are particular about the types of player they bring in, but more importantly the types of people they add to the locker room. Randall checked that box, especially with the strong recommendation of his former Ohio State teammate and Denver captain Ryan Terefenko.[Terefenko] and I are pretty close. I mean, he came to my wedding, Randall said. I think he played some part in getting me over here.That connection was an obvious launching point for Randall with the Outlaws squad, but he quickly ingratiated himself with the squad.At training camp, he and Mikie Schlosser another past teammate from their time on the Waterdogs were two of the older players on the roster. While learning the team on the field, they were also teachers. After practices, they would teach card games to the younger players on the team to help pass the time and get to know the group.It was some good team bonding, and I think Ive gotten to know a lot of the guys really well and become close, Randall said.From that point on, it was a natural fit for Randall and the Outlaws.Hes been an amazing freaking teammate, third-year long-stick midfielder Jake Piseno said. I really feel like hes been on our team this whole time.As Denvers star-studded offense has battled injuries and absences, the defense has been the rock of the team. The Outlaws boast the best scoring defense in the league, allowing just 9.4 scores per game. Theyve conceded no more than 12 goals in a game and held two opponents to single digits.Randall has been an integral part of that success. His elite on-ball ability has given Denver one of the best groups of defensive stoppers in front of arguably the best goalie in the world, Logan McNaney. Against the Maryland Whipsnakes, he held TJ Malone without a point for the first time in Malones career.As the Outlaws bear down for the second half of the season and seven games over six weeks the key for Randall and the defense is growth.I was getting used to playing with the group, but I think weve progressed really well throughout this first half of the year, Randall said.The end goal for this Denver team is a championship. This group was agonizingly close to glory a season ago, and Soudan pushed his chips in the center for this season. Adding Randall was a big part of that.While his Philadelphia teams struggled the last two seasons, hes no stranger to winning at the highest level. He was a key cog on the 2022 team that hoisted a PLL Championship. Hes also the only player on the Outlaws 25-man roster who has won a professional championship.With that Waterdogs team, there was a chemistry off the field that helped that group maximize its talent and win a title. For Randall, he sees a lot of similarities with this Denver group.A lot of us were really tight knit, and I do see that with this team too, Randall said.The Outlaws push to the playoffs starts on the shores of Lake Michigan as they face the Boston Cannons on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.

Kylian Mbappe spread his arms out wide and spun around after scoring his eighth goal of this years World Cup. He later gave the jubilant France fans dotted around the stadium a wave when he left the game because of an injury scare. Les Bleus, with a star striker who said he's fine despite a right ankle issue, are headed back to the semifinals for the third straight World Cup tournament. Mbapp had a goal and an assist after missing a first-half penalty kick, Ousmane Dembele also scored and two-time champion France beat Morocco 2-0 Thursday in the quarterfinals. "Theres only one way to relax, and thats by winning. Until weve done that, we dont let up," Mbapp said. "Were in the semifinals and were very happy, but theres still a long way to go." Mbapps goal in the 60th minute was the 20th of his World Cup career and came in his 20th match at the tournament, moving him one behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi. Dembl scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the 66th. Mbapp went down to the ground in the 76th minute, about 13 minutes after being hit hard by a Moroccan defender, and was taken off for a substitute a minute later. He was then shown sitting on the bench with an ice pack on his right ankle. After the match and with both shoes on, Mbapp ran and jumped in celebration with his teammates. "I took a knock to the ankle, but Im fine," Mbapp said. "At that point, JP (Jean-Philippe Mateta) was in better shape than I was to play the final minutes." France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinals in Dallas on Tuesday. France beat Morocco by the same score in the semifinals of the 2022 tournament in Qatar when the Atlas Lions became the first African team to make it that far. France now remains on track to become only the third nation to play in the final of three consecutive World Cups. "It is a confirmation of how weve played so far," said France coach Didier Deschamps, who added there is a reason for his team's success in recent World Cups. "Having great players. Excellent players. My credit goes to the players. But maybe I do my job well," he said. "The only truth is the one on the pitch." Mbapp got his goal with a perfectly placed shot just inside the far post after Morocco failed to clear the ball. He received the ball just outside the area, took a couple steps forward and then sent his shot sailing into the net. He extended both arms and ran to the sideline to celebrate with his teammates. France's second goal came after Mbapp took a pass and tapped it back for Dembl. Mbapp kept running forward and took defenders with him, opening space for Dembl's shot. Dembl said he wasn't surprised with how Mbapp stepped up after his penalty miss in the first half. "He's our captain and he has an incredible mentality," Dembl said. "We're expecting even more goals from him." France held a 21-4 advantage in shots on goal and 8-1 edge in shots on target for the game. "We are very disappointed. We wanted to go on," Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said. "When we had ball possession, our transitions were not great and we had to run a little more. Their players were in their comfort zone." Mbapp also had the first shot on goal of the game, just missing wide right in the fourth minute. Then, in the 25th, he was running up the left side when he was chopped down in the box by Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui. Referee Facundo Tello quickly pointed to the penalty spot. Mbapp lined up waiting for his attempt but was held up by a lengthy video review. He was finally cleared to shoot in the 28th minute, but after a hesitation, Mbapps shot toward the right corner was corralled by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who guessed the direction of the shot correctly. Deschamps said the long review also included a review for another foul. Mbapp made his only other penalty attempt at this year's World Cup in Frances 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the round of 16. Still, France was by far the more active team offensively in the first half, holding a 13-1 advantage in shots on goal. Moroccos best opportunity came just before the halftime whistle when Achraf Hakimi sent a free kick from just outside the box past the right post. France now has a chance to emulate Brazil and West Germany in reaching three straight World Cup finals. "We realize that what lies ahead is even tougher than what weve been through," Mbapp said, "but were ready to face anything." Reporting by the Associated Press.

The action heats up on Saturday night from Las Vegas and there's plenty of ways to get in on it

The return ofConor McGregoris just days away. The Notorious headlines Saturdays UFC 329 fight card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a rematch with former featherweight champion and BMF titleholderMax Holloway.McGregor and Holloway, along with the co-main event fighters, Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis, will appear at the event's pre-fight press conference on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. UFC 329 Pre-Fight Press Conference

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