Credit: Fox Sports; Reuters ConnectThe shadow of President Donald Trump have ultimately not loomed all that large over the FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, but his presence will be strongly felt Sunday at the final in New Jersey.Trump is expected to attend the match, and, if last years FIFA Club World Cup is any indicator, may be prominently involved in the trophy presentation as well. When Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals last month, his presence, though quiet at the game itself, became a major storyline especially after the Knicks lost a pivotal home game in front of him.And just last week, the Trump administration intervened to lobby FIFA to reinstate USMNT striker Folarin Balogun. After the teams loss to Belgium, Balogun acknowledged that the effort led to nerves among the players.As a result, Trumps presence at the final on Sunday will bring plenty of baggage even from a sports standpoint, even before considering his low approval rating amid a reignited war in the Middle East.These difficult dynamics are not lost on Fox Sports lead soccer announcer John Strong, who in a virtual news conference on Friday said he would play it down the middle when discussing the president on the broadcast.Certainly when it comes to President Trump, there are no neutral opinions, Strong said, according to Fox News. But that means there are a lot of people in the audience who are super excited to see him at the game, and there are going to be a lot of people in the audience who maybe are less thrilled to have him on their TV screen.As ever, its my job to play it down the middle and acknowledge the fact that the United States president being engaged with the sport, being at the game, thats a fun, unique thing, he added. Whatever I say, the tone of my voice will be scrutinized. It will be what it is. Thats the nature of it.Strong added that he did not want discussion of Trump to overshadow the competition, and if recent history is any indication, it wont. Though Trump has been a fixture at live sporting events since returning to office, he mostly keeps to himself and leaves early.Of course, if he hands over the trophy to Lionel Messi or Spains Rodri around a live microphone, it would be hard to imagine that the ever-polarizing president is not a lead topic of conversation going into next week.The post Foxs John Strong: Fun, unique thing for Trump to appear at World Cup final; my job is to play it down the middle appeared first on Awful Announcing.

There may not be a clear favorite on Sunday when Spain and Argentina meet in the FIFA World Cup final, but there are very discernable differences in the way each team arrived at this point. For Argentina, Lionel Messi is the star. He is the World Cups all-time leading scorer with 21 goals. In 2022, he was the tournaments best player with seven goals and three assists. Entering Sunday, he has eight goals and four assists at this World Cup. Unquestionably, Messi has a supporting cast with Argentina that consists of global stars. But Messi is the star. On the other side, it is a completely different approach. For Spain, there are world-class players on the roster, but the team is the star. Even with a player such as Lamine Yamal, who was recently a finalist for the Ballon dOr as an 18-year-old, no single player is above the team or its system. Instead, every player fills a role within that system and sticks to that role. Former Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Inter Milan star forward and now FOX Sports analyst Zlatan Ibrahimovi put it succinctly immediately following Spains 2-0 win over France in the World Cup semifinal. "If I speak about Spain, I don't speak about one star," Ibrahimovi said. "The team is the star. When they shine, they shine collectively even if you have Yamal. This is not a team that is dependent on one player. It is not an individual performance. It is a team performance. Everything they do is as a team." The Foundation Of Spains System At the heart of this team is a system that has been evolving for many years. From 2004-2008, Spain was coached by Luis Aragons. Then, from 2008-2016, La Roja was led by Vicente del Bosque. Those years saw Spain achieve unprecedented success, winning the Euros in 2008 and 2012 along with the World Cup in 2010. Those teams were led by a wave of talent that included David Villa, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fbregas, Andrs Iniesta, Gerard Piqu, and Carles Puyol. At that time, Spain (and Barcelona) developed and perfected the "tiki-taka" style of playing which featured constant short passes, players forming triangles to have multiple passing options, and a heavy emphasis on possession with a high tempo. For that generation of players, it worked. But, like all things, it ultimately came to an end. Replacing that generation was difficult as Spain failed to get out of group play at the 2014 World Cup and then were bounced in the round of 16 in 2018 and 2022. But following the 2022 exit is when Spains team took huge steps in its evolution in hiring Luis de la Fuente to coach the first team. It was a bold hire for Spain because, despite now having gone three World Cups without winning a knockout game, Spain decided to remain on the same track and go with an insider. De La Fuente's Fresh Approach De la Fuente was promoted from within Spains after having successfully coached Spains youth teams since 2013. Prior to that, he had been unsuccessful in coaching stints at the club levels in Spain and Portugal. But with Spains youth teams, de la Fuente had been building something special with a new generation of Spanish players. He won the Euro U-19 championship, and then he moved up an age group and led Spains U-21 team to the Euro U-21 championship. His last stop before the full national team was the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021) with the U-23 team, which he led to the silver medal before losing to Brazil in the final. When he moved to the first team, he knew what was working. Despite him being an insider, he had his own ideas. He didnt want to get rid of Spains high-tempo and quick passing style, but instead wanted to breathe new life into it with tactical tweaks. He had Spain to be more direct and get the ball into the attacking third more quickly. De la Fuente also wanted to create overloads centrally to open space up for wingers to have more room to operate in one-on-one situations. Then, on defense, there is a commitment to the teams shape to close space and win the ball back. But de la Fuente has also not been acting alone. Other managers of Spains youth national teams during his time also at the youth level were also creating the same system. Just as the players work together, the Spanish coaches were as well. Santi Denia was also a Spanish youth national team coach during that era when he was hired in 2010. When de la Fuente was hired as the full team manager, Denia was hired to replace de la Fuente with Spains U-21 team and also the Olympic team for 2024. The 2024 Spanish Summer Working in unison, de la Fuente and Denia created an incredible summer of 2024 for Spanish soccer. First there was the full national team at Euro 2024 where de la Fuentes team won all seven of its games to win the title. The road was extremely difficult. Spain won all three of its group stage games against Italy, Croatia, and Albania without conceding a goal. Then, in the knockouts, it rolled past Georgia, hosts Germany, France, and then England in the final. As for the Olympic team, Denia won the gold medal playing essentially the same system. In the knockouts, Spain defeated Japan, Morocco, and then France in the gold medal game. Just as important as winning the Euros and the Olympic gold medal was for Spain, also important was that Denia was able to develop players who were able to make a seamless transition to the full team due to playing the same system. Five players from the Olympic gold medal team made the World Cup team, including key players Pau Cubars and lex Baena. It would have been six if star forward Fermn Lpez hadn't suffered a broken foot just before the World Cup. "Luis is a master of managing a team: he understands how players tick, he knows how to guide them, and he senses who should start each match," Denis told FIFA recently. "He adds his own twist to an established model, taking into account the players profiles. That has delivered results for the association in recent years and helped us win titles. We believe in that model, and Luis believes in it more than anyone." The 2026 World Cup Run De la Fuente was able to help create and implement a new system and style of play that was consistent within Spains youth team and several of the countrys clubs. That helped to make it easier to name a roster for the 2026 World Cup. But it was also not without controversy. When the roster was named, it did not consist of a single Real Madrid player. LaLiga rivals Barcelona, meanwhile, sent eight players onto the World Cup team. In Spain, it was highly controversial and almost unthinkable to have Real Madrid absent from La Roja on the biggest stage. For de la Fuente, he said the roster was "perfect" and that "its the 26 players we wanted." Once again, it was de la Fuentes belief in the system. "The best players aren't just at Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Atltico. There are very good players at other clubs," de la Fuente explained before the tournament. "As we have a deep understanding of Spanish football, we pick the ones we believe best fit our system." The past two months have proven de la Fuente to be correct. In the first seven games of the World Cup, Spain has not lost and has shockingly conceded just one goal. Its only blemishes were a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde and a goal conceded in a 2-1 win over Belgium in the quarterfinal. Former French World Cup winner Thierry Henry, who now serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and knows de la Fuentes system well. He coached Frances U-23 team at the Olympics which lost to Santi Denia and Spain in the gold medal game. "The Spanish team finds a way to be successful at every level," Henry said after Spain defeated France. "Women's football, youth tournaments, the Olympics I lost a final against them time and time again they are coming. Identity and philosophy, they all play the same way at every level. The coach was the youth team coach normally, but because he knows the system and all the players know the system, you can see that it is a team with stars in it but first and foremost, it is a team effort. Today, we were not in the game because mainly because when the Spanish team gets the ball, they don't give you the ball back." "I also want to give credit to the whole system of what they put in place, because Spain never used to win like that, and now they win at every level." Spain and its impressive system will now be put to the ultimate test against a Messi-led Argentina side that is reigning World Cup champions and two-time defending Copa Amrica champions.

DeChambeau stole the show in more ways than one on Friday at The Open

Year two of North Carolina football in the Bill Belichick era will be a lot different, the six-time Super Bowl winner told reporters at ACC Kickoff on Friday. Tar Heels fans certainly hope so after UNC was one of the most disappointing teams in college football in Belichicks first season. North Carolina finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC, losing decisively to Clemson and NC State. However, the Tar Heels did play close games against Virginia and Duke, the top two finishers in the conference. But the football program had a proper offseason, unlike when Belichick was hired in December 2025 after the high school recruiting window had effectively closed. The coach says that made a significant difference in how the roster was assembled. The biggest thing last year was just how behind we were, Belichick said (via the Fayetteville Observers Rodd Baxley). Very behind in recruiting. A lot of players had signed in December, so were picking up leftovers there. Were picking up leftovers in the portal.Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!This year, UNC added 20 players through the transfer portal compared to 40 the previous year. Additionally, 31 of 40 freshmen enrolled early to get a head start on joining the program. Last year we didnt have any player-run practices, Belichick said about summer workouts (via WRAL). We couldnt actually line up a team and run against another team without the coaches being out there because we didnt have anybody that knew enough on either side of the ball to do that. Whereas this year, these guys have done it all all spring and all summer. So culture is a lot different, work ethics different, he added. Not taking anything away from the guys that were here, but compared to a year ago, we know a lot more about what were doing and how to do it and our cultures a lot different.Something else that will have to be different is UNCs offense. The Tar Heels finished No. 129 in the nation in total offense. "We took some steps, but we're nowhere close to where we wanted to be," Belichick said (via ESPNs Pete Thamel). "We had too many penalties, we had too many turnovers. We couldn't convert on third downHiring veteran coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator, while adding transfer quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. (from Wisconsin) and Miles ONeill (from Texas A&M) will hopefully improve those numbers. Four-star recruit Travis Burgess could also be in the QB mix. Like last season, North Carolina will open its schedule against TCU. That got Belichicks debut off to a bad start, losing 48-14 on the Tar Heels home field (with the Horned Frogs scoring 41 unanswered points). This year, UNC will face TCU overseas in Dublin, Ireland. There would be no better way to show this season is different than a better performance in a season-opening rematch.

If Argentina's run to the final can be described with one fact, it's this one La Albiceleste has not led going into the 90th minute in any of its knockout stage matches. With two comeback wins and two extra-time victories, Argentina's run to the World Cup final has been unlike anything seen before. Four of its last seven World Cup knockout stage matches have gone to extra-time, with two coming this tournament. Lionel Messi & Co. will face Spain on Sunday at 3 p.m. EST at New York New Jersey Stadium on FOX. This matchup will be the first time the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in FIFA's rankings have met in the final (since rankings were introduced in 1992). It will also be the first ever World Cup final between the reigning European champions, and the reigning Copa Amrica champions. So how did Argentina get here? Just how improbable has its World Cup run been? Let's dive in. 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. Behind Lionel Messi's first career World Cup hat trick, Argentina cruised to a 3-0 win over Algeria in its opener. After missing a penalty kick early in the match, Messi redeemed himself with two more goals in Argentina's 2-0 win against Austria to clinch Group J. Having already clinched Group J, Argentina mixed up the lineup with multiple new starters in the group finale vs. Jordan. Giovani Lo Celso scored the first non-Messi goal for Argentina this summer, while Lautaro Martnez added another. Then, after coming on via a substitution, Messi's brilliance was on full display once again as he scored a beautiful free-kick goal for his sixth goal of the group stage. In the Round of 32, Argentina barely survived what would have been one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Cape Verde, a country with a population of approximately 529,000 people, took the defending World Cup champions to extra time. After Messi's 29th minute goal put Argentina in front, Cape Verde answered in the 59th minute to force extras. Then, after Argentina took the lead once again in the 92nd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral scored the goal of the tournament to level the score once again for the Blue Sharks. As penalties loomed, a Cape Verde own goal provided the game-winning goal that sent Argentina through. If Cape Verde had advanced, it would have been the largest upset in a knockout stage match by FIFA rankings in World Cup history; Cape Verde was ranked 67th, while Argentina was ranked first (difference of 66 spots). For nearly 80 minutes, it looked like the defending champions were heading home. Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 entering the 79th minute of its Round of 16 match before scoring three goals in a stunning 13-minute span to complete one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history. Egypt took the lead in the 15th minute, marking the first time Argentina had trailed in a World Cup match since its opening game of the 2022 tournament against Saudi Arabia. The Pharaohs then doubled their lead in the 67th minute, leaving Argentina on the brink of elimination. Then everything changed. Cristian Romero sparked the comeback in the 79th minute, converting a Messi assist to cut the deficit to 2-1. Just four minutes later, Messi found the equalizer himself. Then, in stoppage time, Enzo Fernndez completed the miracle, scoring in the 92nd minute to seal an improbable 3-2 victory. In the quarterfinals, after an early goal from Alexis Mac Allister in the 10th minute, La Albiceleste looked like it was cruising to an easy win. Then, Switzerland's Dan Ndoye equalized in the 67th minute. However, just when all the momentum shifted to Switzerland, Breel Embolo was sent off moments later after picking up his second yellow card. The match was tied 1-1 through 111 minutes, until Julin Alvarez scored one of the best goals of the tournament to give Argentina the lead. Lautaro Martnez would scored a third in the 120th (+1), putting the nail in the coffin. After giving up a goal in the 55th minute, Argentina once again found itself trailing. But with five minutes left in regulation, Messi saved the day once again finding Enzo Fernndez for the equalizing goal. Seven minutes later, he found Martnez for the game-winner.

After his round concluded, DeChambeau was called back out to the 5th for trampling down the grass behind his ball

Jul. 17MITCHELL Longtime Mitchell High School coach Deb Thill will be honored Sunday with induction into the South Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame as part of a six-member class for 2026.Thill and the other SDHSCA honorees will be recognized during their annual award ceremony at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, at the Mitchell High School Performing Arts Center. The event is free to attend.Thill retired earlier this year after 35 years of teaching and as the only high school volleyball coach in Kernel history, creating the program in 1991. She also was the Kernels' head track and field coach and previously was head coach of the MHS girls basketball program.Thill is also part of the first father-daughter duo inducted into the SDHSCA Hall of Fame, joining her father, Richard Donovan, who was inducted in 2001. Donovan coached sports for 31 years at Delmont, Highmore, Groton and Mitchell.When Thill launched the MHS volleyball program, it was one of the last schools in Class AA to add the sport. But the Kernels quickly were built into a powerhouse, with state championships in 1995 and 2003. The Kernels qualified for the Class AA state tournament 15 times under Thill's leadership, including in 2025, and she amassed 517 volleyball coaching wins.After 11 years as girls basketball assistant coach, Thill coached the Kernel girls as head coach in 2003 and 2004, claiming the 2003 state title. In track and field, she began coaching in 2013 and became the head coach in 2022, specializing in coaching the high jump.Thill was the state's volleyball coach of the year in 2003, a South Dakota Volleyball Coaches Association hall of famer in 2011, and is a past president of the South Dakota High School Coaches Association. She served on the National High School Athletic Coaches Association board for nine years.A 1981 graduate of Groton High School, Thill earned her degree in health, physical education, and recreation from South Dakota State University in 1985 and later completed her master's degree from Emporia State (Kan.) in 2010.Other coaches being inducted on Sunday include:Terry Dosch, Aberdeen: A 1976 Ipswich graduate and 1980 Northern State University graduate, Dosch began his coaching career in Faulkton, where he served as head football and assistant wrestling coach. In 1985, he began a 40-year career at Aberdeen Roncalli, where he coached football, track, and wrestling while teaching generations of student-athletes. As head football coach for 32 years and head boys track coach for 20 years, Roncalli reached the state football championship game three times, including back-to-back state titles in 2005 and 2006. His track and field program also captured a Class A championship in 2006. Dosch was a two-time SDHSCA football coach of the year.Paul Hendry, Rapid City: Hendry has spent the last 28 years coaching at Rapid City Stevens, including 25 years as the head coach of Raider track and field. In that time, Stevens has 16 team championships, 75 individual state titles, 43 relay state titles, 14 All-Americans and nine Gatorade state track athletes of the year. Hendry was a Stevens graduate where he was a three-time state triple jump champion and still holds the school record in the event and an indoor All-American at USD. He has also coached as an assistant in track and field and basketball, and helped launch ASA girls softball in Rapid City, coaching a future WNBA star Becky Hammon in 1995.Bob Hirsch, Harrisburg: A graduate of Vermillion and Northern State University, Hirsch coached wrestling and tennis at Milbank for 19 years, building one of the most respected wrestling programs in the state, winning the 1990 Class A state title and finished second three times. He also coached at Harding County and Watertown in his career, and was a two-time SDHSCA wrestling coach of the year in 1990 and 1993. He has served on the South Dakota Wrestling Coaches Association board since 1987 and continues to serve as a high school and college wrestling official.Ken Koistinen, Pierre: A Lake Norden native and graduate of Huron College, Koistinen began his 36-year teaching and coaching career in Erwin before spending 14 years at Wessington Springs, where he coached football, basketball and track. During his tenure, his football teams captured three Central Conference championships and finished the 1979 season ranked No. 1 in Class B. In 1981, Koistinen moved to Pierre, where he taught mathematics and coached football and track for 19 years until his retirement in 1999. Koistinen served 10 years on the South Dakota Football Coaches Association board and has been inducted into both the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Pierre High School Hall of Fame.Dan Mitchell, Yankton: A native of Wayne, Nebraska, Mitchell began his teaching and coaching career at Yankton High School in 1985 and spent more than three decades making an impact as a teacher and coach at Yankton. In wrestling, he served as both assistant and head coach, helping guide 39 qualifiers to the state tournament, along with conference titles and a 1986 state championship. In football, he served as a longtime assistant coach for the Bucks, capturing six Class 11AA state championships during his tenure. A past president of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association, he also helped with strength and conditioning education both at Yankton and around the state until his retirement in 2019.Pirates' Kuhlman named SD softball coach of the yearAvon softball coach Paul Kuhlman is among the South Dakota High School Coaches Association 2026 spring sports coaches of the year.Kuhlman helped the Pirates return to the Class B state tournament for a second year in a row with a 17-9 record. It represents a strong turnaround from where Avon's program started in 2023, with only two wins and eight total wins in its first two seasons. The Pirates finished seventh at the state tournament, while Brielle Voigt and Rilyn Thury were picked as Class B all-state selections.Other SDHSCA coach of the year spring season selections included:* Girls golf Kim Zimmerman, Aberdeen Central* Boys tennis Tim Hedblom, Huron* Boys track and field Jim Jarovski, Sioux Falls Lincoln* Girls track and field Julie Preheim, Colman-EganThe coaches will be honored in the SDHSCA awards ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, at the MHS Performing Arts Center.

Twenty-six years ago, when a 13-year-old Lionel Messi left his beloved Rosario and arrived in Barcelona for his trial to joinLa Masia academy, with the hopes of sealing a move that could change his life, no one could predict how that moment would not only eternally change Messis life or the footballing landscape as a whole, but it would also create a butterfly effect that would transform the entire fate of a club, a nation and the way Messi and Barcelona became the greatest partnership in modern football history. But his departure in 2021 from the club, which sent shock waves around the world, caused a seismic impact on so many tangible factors that forced Barcelona to act. As a result, from a fatalistic standpoint Messis departure from Barcelona and his eventual arrival to Inter Miami after a disappointing tenure with PSG, would become a huge factor in what we are currently witnessing, which is the continued gritty dominance of Argentina and the jaw-dropping depth of Spain, including the rapid rise of its star player, Lamine Yamal. Sundays World Cup final, therefore, has a chapter deeply embedded in its theme and thats the role of Barcelona. Messis exit from the club was a result of financial instability and terrible mismanagement, where the clubs huge debt impeded it from signing the superstar due to La Ligas financial fairness regulations. After 21 years, with heavy emotion, Messi left the club and joined PSG. As a result, through the years, Barcelona needed to make the best of its most important asset: the aforementioned academy asLa Masia, the place who nurtured Messi, would have to come to the rescue once again. Since Messis departure, at least 15 different graduates fromLa Masia have featured heavily for Barcelona, including Lamine Yamal, who made his arrival to the senior team in the 2022/2023 season under then-manager Xavi. Yamal aside, this acceleration of the young Spanish talents now infiltrates La Roja with the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubars, Eric Garca and Dani Olmo are all very important for the national team and a reason why Spains dominance has catapulted. Yamal especially. His arrival to Barcelonas first team and Spain was sorely needed as he injected a vital, creative spark that had been missing. Yamal is a confident young superstar. A brand-new mold of star, full of swagger and without any inhibition regarding his game. He knows exactly who he is and, thanks to his success with club and country, as well as the guidance of his managers, Hansi Flick and Luis de la Fuente, he has persevered. There does remain a worry about minute management and the concern that perhaps these young stars are being worn down. Lets remember that it was in this World Cup that Yamal has only just returned to full fitness as his first full match was in the Round of 16 against Portugal. And from then, he hasnt looked back. On Sunday, when he enters the pitch in New York, New Jersey, he will become the third-youngest mens player to enter a World Cup final behind Pel and the Italian Giuseppe Bergomi. Then theres Lionel Messi, who at 39 is looking to once again turn back time and deliver another majestic performance in the final and help his Argentina - the two-consecutive Copa Amrica winner and defending World Cup champion - do something only two other national teams have done before: win back-to-back World Cup trophies. And his departure from Barcelona also helped Argentina because after PSG, winning the World Cup in 2022 was a sign of resilience and fortitude. But it was also about reflection. So his arrival to Inter Miami six months later gave him something that can't be measured in transfer or contract fees. It gave him his happiness. "I have never seen you happier," I told him the night before the Leagues Cup final, which would become Inter Miamis first ever trophy. "Its true," he smiled back. "Not just because of results on the pitch but because of our everyday lifestyle, with my wife, my kids and the way we spend our time." Yes, we would have to be fools to not realize that his move to MLS was financially monumental in every way, but it was also about his everyday life and his acceptance of peace after leaving PSG. Messi, once again, was happy. Calm. And I think this allowed him to continue playing and eventually winning MLS Cup but also, creating an even stronger relationship with Argentina, the players, Lionel Scaloni and its community. Miami, you see, and the South Florida region, is home to the largest Argentinian diaspora in America. Messi is practically in Rosario without actually being there. His people are there. Argentinas federation even has a base in Miami, with a complex, offices and also work closely with Inter Miami for Messis preparations prior to major matches and tournaments with the national team. So playing in America throughout this World Cup has truly served Messi and Argentina. If this is his last dance, it is being played to a beautiful tango of Argentinian warmth. Argentina, therefore, has benefited from Messi's happiness as he also enters the final with a chance to secure the golden boot, also depending on what Kylian Mbapp and Harry Kane do or dont do on Saturday. So I guess what I am trying to say is that when it comes to Sundays final between Argentina and Spain, this fixture is a result of fate, decisions thrown against Barcelonas will, which consequently created a narrative that we have today. The Catalan club very much plays a role in this final. And I havent even mentioned the iconic 2007, viral photo from freelance photographer Joan Monfort. To conclude this sentiment, lets leave it with this: Messi left Barcelona in 2021, but his departure caused a ripple-effect of trajectories, one where many players, most notably Lamine Yamal benefited tremendously and after a short stint in Paris, also allowed Leo to move to a place he could truly love in the final years of his career. In a cosmically intriguing way, they both owe each other a sense of gratitudebut it all begins at the place where both learned their trait: La Masia. Barcelona, therefore, may be very far away from East Rutherford, New Jersey, but in spirit and narrative, it is very much a protagonist for Sundays World Cup final.

An exciting Moving Day is in store for the final major championship of the season

It appears the LeBron James free agency drama will drag into next week as he made a couple of appearances at Fanatics Fest in New York and said nothing new. As LeBron again enjoys basking in the spotlight, here are the latest rumors on the biggest story in the NBA.LeBron closer to a decisionOn Thursday, LeBron said of his decision timeline, "I won't hold you guys up too much longer." The latest reporting from ESPNs Dave McMenamin echoes that."Multiple sources familiar with his thinking told me in the last 24 hours that he is truly getting much closer to a decision."One of the hot rumors about LeBron during the Las Vegas Summer League was that he wanted to wait until after the World Cup to make the announcement, and whether that is his intent or not, that seems to be how things are playing out. ESPN's Shams Charania said on Friday he thought an announcement could come next week. For now, we're all feeling like Miamis Pat Riley."Right now, I think we're like everybody else, we're just waiting to see what he does," Riley said this week.Antetokounmpo makes his pitchMiami is one of the "finalists" in the LeBron sweepstakes, and Giannis Antetokounmpo talked about the opportunity to play with him during an appearance on ESPN with Ohm Youngmisuk on Thursday."If there was a scenario for that to happen, I'd be very, very excited. He's one of the best players to ever play this game, if not the best. [I'd] be able to learn so much from him. Obviously, brings such a championship experience to the team right from day one. I think he's still one of the best players in the [game today], if not top 25 [at 41 years old]. You don't see signs of him slowing down at all. You saw in the playoffs how effective and good he was for the Lakers."But I'm just like everybody else, we don't have all the information. All the information is in LeBron James' hand and his family's hands, and he's going to make the best decision for him. The history has shown that he's always made good decisions for his career. And I hope if he thinks that the Miami Heat is a good decision for him. I would love for him to be here."A lot of pundits have Cleveland and Miami two former LeBron teams as the frontrunners for his services (NBC Sports continues to hear Cleveland, but nobody really knows).Did LeBron drop 76ers hint?For the second day in a row, LeBron appeared at Fanatics Fest, this time for a live recording of his show "The Shop." Philadelphia fans are running with this quote as a hint that he is coming to the City of Brotherly Love. Quote via ESPNs Dave McMenamin."What's most important is I want to compete, I want to compete at a high level. I want to join a franchise that kind of shares the same motto as myself, and that's, like, practicing championship happens every day. But trusting the process more than anything."The process? Philly fans at the event cheered, but LeBron quickly shot that down with his next comment."I've been saying 'to trust the process' since I was drafted in like 2003. I don't even know if Embiid was even born yet."At this point, we could parse LeBron's comments over the past few months and have it point just about anywhere. Read into it if you want, all anybody else really wants is him just to make a decision.