Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter will represent the United States at the World Cup, completing a remarkable rise two years after his father Gregg was sacked as national team manager.
The dynamic midfielder is set to feature when the Americans open their tournament against Paraguay on Friday night.
His inclusion follows a breakout 2025 season in Major League Soccer, culminating in an All-Star appearance and runs to both the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup finals.
A family legacy redefined
During the 2022 tournament in Qatar, the combative player travelled solely as a fan to support his father from the stands.
Gregg Berhalter managed the national side during that campaign but was dismissed in 2024 following a disappointing tournament exit.
The managerial change ultimately removed any conflict of interest, allowing the former Columbus Crew prospect to be judged purely on his own merit without external pressure.
“It’s pretty ridiculous,”
The Vancouver playmaker said regarding the surreal conversations he now shares with his father, who also represented the US in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
“It’s pretty funny — sometimes we’ll have moments where we’re like, ‘I can’t believe we’re talking about this right now.’ I feel super fortunate to have a dad who understands.”
From fringe player to MLS star
The journey to the highest level of international football has been a slow burn for the American talent.
His club career appeared stalled just a few years ago following an underwhelming loan spell at Austin FC.
He was subsequently traded to the Whitecaps for a mere $50,000 in guaranteed allocation money, which represents the lowest permitted fee in the North American top flight.
However, an intensified focus on attacking under the guidance of head coach Jesper Sørensen saw his output and confidence explode.
“I think he was always a powerful force for us,”
Vancouver teammate Thomas Müller told reporters last month, praising his colleague’s relentless energy and dangerous set-piece delivery.
“From one to 90, every minute he is on the pitch, he gives everything. Overall, he is a very important player for us, not only on the field but also in the locker room.”
AC Milan winger Rafael Leao has issued a public plea for a transfer to the Premier League or La Liga following a frustrating domestic season in Italy.
The Portugal international, who helped secure the Serie A title in 2022, is actively seeking a move away from the San Siro despite having two years remaining on his contract.
Arsenal and Manchester United are both reportedly monitoring the situation as the electric forward puts himself in the shop window ahead of the World Cup.
Turkish giants Galatasaray have already submitted a considerable offer, but the player has his heart set on a switch to England or Spain.
Seeking a new challenge
The prolific attacker believes his dynamic playing style is perfectly suited to the intense demands of English or Spanish top-flight football.
“I need a new challenge,” Leao said.
“I already won two trophies in Italy and have been there for a while.”
“The league is evolving, but for my style of football, I think the Premier League or La Liga would make more of my talent, as a player.”
Frustrations under Allegri
The Rossoneri endured a difficult campaign, faltering to a fifth-place finish and consequently missing out on Champions League qualification.
The Portuguese star blamed this underperformance on the tactical philosophy of recently sacked manager Massimiliano Allegri.
He also revealed that he played through the pain barrier with a severe groin inflammation for up to five months.
“It was a difficult season,” he added.
“I played while injured for 4-5 months with a groin inflammation, in a position that was not suited to me.”
“The tactical system did not help me. I felt that I could make the difference, but the way the team played didn’t put me in a condition to do that. At the end of the day, it wore me down.”
World Cup showcase
Any potential transfer is likely to be delayed until after Portugal conclude their upcoming World Cup campaign.
However, the highly-rated forward made his ambitions for the immediate future crystal clear.
“If a Premier League opportunity were to come along, I would be very happy,” he explained.
“Playing in that kind of a league really gets the best out of a player.”
Former chairman Daniel Levy has agreed to sell a 24.99 per cent stake in Tottenham Hotspur to American tech billionaire Brooklyn Earick in a deal expected to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
The 63-year-old stepped down from his leadership role last September after running the North London club for a quarter of a century.
He has now signed a formal sale and purchase agreement with Eight Sports Capital to transfer a significant portion of his holding.
Boyhood fan brings vast wealth
Earick is an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who previously worked for Nasa and grew up supporting the Lilywhites.
The American has raised more than £25bn in funds throughout his career, drawing substantial investment from sovereign wealth funds.
He currently operates as the chief executive of Redacted RnD, a prominent venture capital company based in Singapore.
Commitment to continued growth
Eight Sports Capital itself is a sports investment firm owned by Triller, a network previously involved in high-profile pay-per-view boxing events.
A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited stated: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in ENIC.”
“We look forward to working with the club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fans to support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success.”
Ownership structure and recent struggles
Despite this major boardroom transaction, ENIC will remain the majority owners of the Premier League side.
The Lewis family continues to hold a 70.12 per cent share, currently represented by Vivienne Lewis and her son-in-law Nick Beucher.
Peter Charrington took over as chairman following Levy’s high-profile departure last year.
This off-field restructure follows a deeply turbulent period on the pitch for Spurs.
Promises of fresh investment
They finished 17th for the second consecutive season, only narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of the recent league campaign.
Following their survival, the hierarchy released a statement insisting the club was not for outright sale and promised crucial funding for the playing squad.
While the exact financial figures of this new agreement remain undisclosed, the outgoing executive will retain approximately four per cent of ENIC.
Katie Taylor will end her historic boxing career against unbeaten French fighter Flora Pili at Dublin’s Croke Park on 5 September.
The 39-year-old Irishwoman will attempt to become a three-time undisputed champion in her final appearance in the ring.
This highly anticipated bout marks the first boxing event held at the iconic Gaelic Games stadium in over five decades.
The venue last hosted a professional boxing match in July 1972 when legendary heavyweight Muhammad Ali secured a victory over Al ‘Blue’ Lewis.
Seeking historic final victory
The Olympic gold medallist has not fought since securing a clean sweep in her historic trilogy against Amanda Serrano last July.
That memorable clash at New York’s Madison Square Garden saw the Bray native successfully retain her undisputed light-welterweight world title.
Stepping into the ring with an unblemished professional record, Pili represents a formidable challenge for the retiring champion.
An iconic Dublin homecoming
A stadium bout in her home country has long been a major career ambition for Ireland’s most celebrated modern athlete.
Supporters will now have one last opportunity to witness the undisputed light-welterweight queen compete on home soil before she officially hangs up her gloves.
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time ahead of Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton in opening practice for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Monegasque driver delighted his home crowd by clocking a benchmark lap of one minute 13.978 seconds around the famous street circuit.
That time proved enough to eclipse the seven-time world champion by 0.226 seconds and underline the Italian team’s status as pre-race favourites.
The strong start caps a positive week for the local hero, who recently committed his long-term future to the Scuderia with a contract extension.
Mercedes adrift as Verstappen splits rivals
Championship leaders Mercedes, who have claimed every pole position and race victory so far this season, struggled to match the early pace.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third to separate the flying Ferraris from the chasing pack.
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell could only manage fourth and fifth respectively, leaving the Silver Arrows half a second off the benchmark.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who triumphed in the principality last year, finished over a second adrift in sixth position.
Red flags disrupt opening session
The notoriously unforgiving barrier-lined track claimed two early victims during a disjointed opening hour of running.
Isack Hadjar triggered the first red flag when he lost control of his Red Bull at the high-speed Swimming Pool section.
Two-time Monaco winner Fernando Alonso then caused a late stoppage after hitting the barriers while braking for the chicane.
The veteran Spaniard sustained front wing damage to his Aston Martin but managed to safely limp back to the pit lane.
Several other drivers, including pacesetter Leclerc, were forced to use the escape roads as they tested the limits of their 2026 machinery.
England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss Exeter Chiefs’ crucial Premiership finale and faces a race to be fit for the summer internationals after requiring surgery on a facial injury.
The 23-year-old sustained the damage during his side’s vital victory away to Leicester Tigers last week.
Consequently, the prolific back is completely ruled out of the club’s regular-season conclusion against Saracens.
His looming recovery period also raises severe doubts regarding his availability for the upcoming national team fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.
Chiefs confirm surgical intervention
The Devon-based outfit released a formal medical update as part of their team news ahead of the highly anticipated clash with Saracens.
“After extensive monitoring by the Chiefs medical team and investigative scans, a decision has been made in partnership with England Rugby for Feyi-Waboso to undergo surgery.”
Curiously, director of rugby Rob Baxter had omitted any mention of the impending operation during his routine pre-match media briefing on Thursday morning.
Another setback for the rising star
This latest physical blow marks the second major layoff of the calendar year for the dynamic attacker.
The highly rated youngster previously missed the entirety of the Six Nations championship after suffering a hamstring tear during a national training camp in early February.
Furthermore, his previous domestic campaign was prematurely ended during the second half of the season due to a severe shoulder problem.
The San Antonio Spurs are targeting a swift NBA Finals comeback against the New York Knicks following a disappointing Game 1 defeat.
Victor Wembanyama struggled during the 105-95 loss, recording playoff career highs in both turnovers and missed shots.
The 22-year-old subsequently received a blunt text message from Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich.
“It was that I’ve been bad, and I’m better than this.”
Victor Wembanyama
However, the French phenom revealed he is not worried about his team’s ability to recover from the setback.
Overcoming early adversity
The Texas franchise has experienced a dramatic rise to reach their first championship series since 2014.
This current roster endured a gruelling 102-game journey, forging a resilience that players believe will prove crucial.
“We know we’re not here by chance.”
Victor Wembanyama
The former number one draft pick added that overcoming bizarre situations throughout the year has cemented the squad’s mental toughness.
A turbulent path to the championship
Reaching the 2026 Finals appeared highly unlikely after a 34-win campaign the previous year.
The towering center had missed the final 36 games of that season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
Pre-season preparations were then further hampered by ill-timed injuries to key personnel.
Rookie guard Dylan Harper required thumb surgery just weeks before training camp, while trade acquisition De’Aaron Fox battled a severe hamstring strain.
Despite these early hurdles, general manager Brian Wright maintained his absolute faith in the remodelled roster.
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has promised a full explanation once the independent commission’s ruling on the club’s alleged financial breaches is published.
The Premier League champions are awaiting a verdict following a 12-week disciplinary hearing that concluded in December 2024.
City were initially charged in 2023 with breaking financial regulations over a nine-year period spanning from 2009 to 2018.
The club strongly denies all allegations, which reportedly total up to 130 separate breaches of top-flight rules.
Awaiting the verdict
Speaking during an end-of-season interview, the 48-year-old executive maintained his long-standing silence on the ongoing legal proceedings.
“Let me be as consistent as I’ve always been – until we have a ruling, I can’t say much,” stated Al Mubarak.
“Once we have a ruling, believe me, we’re going to have a wonderful sit-down together and I’ll say everything I’ve wanted to say for the last three years.”
The Abu Dhabi-backed outfit has enjoyed an era of unprecedented domestic dominance during the contested timeframe, raising the stakes of the impending judgment.
No intention to sell
This protracted legal battle arrives during a significant transitional phase for the Etihad side.
Legendary manager Pep Guardiola has just departed following a trophy-laden decade that yielded 20 major honours, including a historic Champions League title.
Despite this major boardroom uncertainty and the loss of their transformative head coach, leadership insists owner Sheikh Mansour remains fully committed to the project.
“There’s no intention to sell,” Al Mubarak confirmed.
“There’s only intention to keep growing this because the view here is that this will only grow and this is a beautiful business to own.”