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⚽ Five things to know Monday
- FIFA lifted Folarin Balogun's one-match red card suspension. The stunning decision came at an opportune time for the USMNT, who will have their striker available for tonight's World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium. Even though they disagreed with the red card in the first place, Balogun's own teammates were in disbelief with the reversal. FIFA cited Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows it to turn a match suspension into a one-year probationary period. Balogun is now the second player to have a red card ban lifted during this World Cup after FIFA similarly changed the final two matches of Cristiano Ronaldo's three-match suspension to a probation. The USMNT also saw their odds to win both the round of 16 match and the entire tournament spike in the wake of the ruling, and our experts like the United States' chances of reaching the quarterfinals.
- Meet the 2026 MLB All-Stars. The home fans in Philadelphia will have plenty of All-Stars to cheer for at the Midsummer Classic as the Phillies are tied with the Dodgers and Braves for the most selections with five. MLB unveiled the full rosters on the Fourth of July and announced the starters, which were determined via fan vote. Shohei Ohtani and Ernie Clement had already been revealed as the top vote-getters in their respective leagues, and their managers, Dave Roberts and John Schneider, will join them in the dugouts. And while Jacob Misiorowski made the National League squad, the Brewers ace will not pitch in the All-Star Game since he lines up to start the Sunday prior. He is not the only big name who will be absent from the July 14 action, as Sonny Gray, despite his 10-1 record and 2.61 ERA, is among the biggest roster snubs.
- Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo are hot dog-eating champions again. Chestnut secured his 18th Mustard Belt when he downed 66 hot dogs and buns at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. He fell short of record pace, perhaps due to the blistering heat on Coney Island, but still finished 15 HDBs ahead of second-place Patrick Bertoletti to win the event for the second consecutive year. Chestnut is the standard bearer in the men's competition, and Sudo has long been the top dog (pun intended) on the women's side. She consumed 38.75 HDBs for her 12th title and fifth in as many years.
- Novak Djokovic made Wimbledon history, while numerous top-seeded women lost. Djokovic, in punching his ticket to the quarterfinals on Sunday, secured his 106th Wimbledon victory to pass Roger Federer as the winningest player in tournament history. In the women's competition, however, the biggest names were not so fortunate over the weekend. Reigning champion Iga Swiatek, No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina and No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova all lost in the third round while Aryna Sabalenka -- the top player in the tournament -- fell to Naomi Osaka in the round of 16.
- Deandre Ayton is on the move again, this time to the Wizards. The fallout from LeBron James' decision to leave Los Angeles continued when the Lakers reportedly came to terms with the Wizards on a trade. Ayton heads to Washington in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks in a transaction that our trade grades suggest is mutually beneficial. Both teams added useful depth, while Ayton became the seventh former No. 1 overall pick to be traded multiple times this century.
🏆 Do not miss this: World Cup Power Rankings
Another full round of the World Cup is complete, and the round of 16 is already halfway done. Considering everything the tournament has produced thus far -- from Cabo Verde's Cinderella run and near upset of Argentina in the round of 32, to the unforgettable performances from soccer's biggest stars -- this is arguably the greatest World Cup of all time.
The weekend delivered another entertaining dose of soccer, first with Morocco opening the new round with a 3-0 rout of Canada. The following match was much tighter and saw France win a physical battle with Paraguay, 1-0, in 100-degree heat. Then it was Erling Haaland who returned to center stage with a brace in Norway's 2-1 win over Brazil, which put him in lockstep with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race. And most recently, Jude Bellingham scored two goals in a two-minute span to highlight an absolutely wild battle between England and Mexico, which the Three Lions won 3-2 to eliminate the second of the three host nations.
The United States return to action tonight against Belgium, and if the USMNT are to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, they would prove themselves as real contenders and bolster their claim to be the best squad in the nation's history. It won't be a walk in the park, though, since Belgium are the best team in our World Cup Power Rankings that they have seen all tournament.
This is the tier in which the Belgians stand:
12. Switzerland (↑3)
13. Egypt (↑5)
14. Belgium (↑8)
Our Francesco Porzio did not hold Belgium's slow start against Senegal against them but rather rewarded them for erasing a 2-0 deficit in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
- Porzio: "Their dramatic late comeback against Senegal in the round of 32 was a reminder of the talent Belgium possesses throughout its squad. The frustrating part is that they seemed to remember it only when they were on the brink of elimination."
Kickoff between the United States and Belgium is set for 8 p.m. ET.
⚾ Yankees take nosedive in MLB Power Rankings
This is not how the summer was supposed to go for the Yankees. After a couple of strong months in which they looked like one of the few actually good teams in the American League, they have completely fallen apart. New York has dropped 13 of its last 17 games, it sustained an eight-game swing in the standings to lose its AL East lead to the Rays and it continued to tumble down our MLB Power Rankings.
Our Matt Snyder explained how the mounting injuries and slumping lineup compounded to create a serious summer slump.
- Snyder: "It's just not working out right now, and the Bronx Bombers aren't worthy of that moniker. They are tumbling and fast while the Rays continue to play excellent baseball -- they recently won nine in a row. If there's only one power in the AL East, it's the one playing its home games in St. Petersburg."
Here's where Snyder slotted the Yankees in this week's rankings:
9. White Sox (--)
10. Yankees (↑4)
11. Mariners (↓5)
🏀 The case for 10 teams in pursuit of LeBron James
Every time LeBron James has reached free agency during his 23-year career, teams battled in a frenzy to secure his talents. That is no different this time around, even as King James hits the open market at the less-than-ripe age of 41. According to his agent, Rich Paul, there are at least 10 teams that have his interest.
A few of them have been tied to James from the start of this process, but there are also a couple of surprise contenders. These teams are among the possible landing spots:
- 76ers: "Everything changed" after the Jaylen Brown trade
- Nuggets: James and Paul are "close to" the Kroenke family
- Timberwolves: James has respect for the front office and Jaden McDaniels
That's not the only factor that could draw James to Minnesota, either. The Timberwolves have reportedly become even more serious about bringing him in, and the fact that he could help deliver the first pro sports championship to the city of Minneapolis in 35 years might help him settle the GOAT debate.
The Warriors have long been viewed as the frontrunners to land James, but if a surprise team like the Timberwolves swoop in and add him to their roster, it could be devastating to a Golden State team that put all its eggs in one basket.
Of course, the entire landscape can change with one move. Just like how the 76ers put their name in the ring when they acquired Brown, we can foresee multiple other teams attempting to pull off a blockbuster move in order to entice James. Our Sam Quinn explained why a handful of teams, including the Rockets, could go that route and perhaps trade for Kyrie Irving.
- Quinn: "They badly needed guard play last season, and while they hope Fred VanVleet's return addresses that need, Irving could as well. Oh yeah, and they employ Kevin Durant. At least as far as championship contention goes... why are the Rockets not viewed as a superior "Expendables" style last run for a group of aging legends over the Warriors?"
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- Leo Carlsson is the new highest paid player in NHL history thanks to a massive offer sheet from the Flyers. The only question is whether the Ducks will pay up to keep him out of Philadelphia.
- Eury Pérez did not allow a baserunner through seven innings against the Athletics, but instead of letting him complete his perfect game bid, the Marlins pulled him and nearly blew an eight-run lead.
- Cristiano Ronaldo announced this World Cup will be his last.
- We named the greatest college football program of every decade from the 1920s to today.
- Chris Gotterup secured his third win of the PGA Tour season with a 20-under scorecard at the John Deere Classic.
- The biggest wedding of the year is in the books. Here's everything we know about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's nuptials.
- Caitlin Clark broke her silence on the incident with Alyssa Thomas and blasted both the WNBA and the fans who lashed out against Thomas.
- Jaylen Brown called out the Celtics for showing a "lack of respect" in trading him to the 76ers.
- With Mitchell Robinson off to the Celtics, the Knicks found their new backup center in Andre Drummond, who will reportedly sign a much more affordable contract.
- Cody Rhodes defeated Jey Uso on WWE SmackDown to set up tonight's title rematch with Sami Zayn on Raw.
- Top Yankees pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange landed on the Triple-A injured list, meaning New York will have to wait for help amid its severe slump.
- MLB trade rumors rolled in over the weekend, as the deadline is now less than a month away.
- We're picking every single Power Four game of the college football season, and up next is the ACC.
- Germany have a new manager in place as Jurgen Klopp accepted the position, replacing Julian Nagelsmann on the heels of a World Cup round of 32 exit.
📺 What we're watching Monday
🎾 Wimbledon, Round of 16, 6 a.m. on ESPN2 and 8 a.m. on ESPN
⚾ Phillies at Royals, 2:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚽ World Cup: Portugal vs. Spain, 3 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Summer League: Hawks vs. Thunder, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Astros at Nationals, 7:05 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Summer League: Lakers vs. Spurs, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
⚽ World Cup: United States vs. Belgium, 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Summer League: Warriors Blue vs. Nets, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🤼 WWE Raw, 8 p.m. on Netflix
🏀 Summer League: Grizzlies vs. Jazz, 9 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Diamondbacks at Padres, 9:40 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Summer League: Heat vs. Warriors Gold, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Summer League: Bucks vs. Kings, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Storm at Sparks, 10 p.m. on USA Network
