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Who: Brazil vs Norway What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 16 Where: New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, US When: Sunday, July 5, at 4pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.
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Two of the world’s most exciting forwards, Vinicius Jr and Erling Haaland, will light up Sunday evening in New Jersey when Brazil face Norway in a blockbuster round of 16 clash.
For all their dominance on the world stage, Brazil have historically struggled to find a way past Norway, and after four failed attempts, the Selecao will hope the fifth time is the charm.
Carlo Ancelotti’s talented side has its fair share of flaws, and having narrowly escaped elimination in the last 32 against Japan, they need an improved performance against Norway – one of the dark horses at this tournament.
Spearheaded by Haaland and Martin Odegaard, Norway arrive with bragging rights – they are one of only three countries Brazil have faced at a World Cup without registering at least one victory.
How did Brazil and Norway reach the round of 16?
Brazil finished at the top of Group C, with wins over Scotland and Haiti, and a draw with Morocco. They fought from a goal down to beat Japan 2-1 in stoppage time in the last 32.
Norway came second in Group I, winning against Iraq and Senegal and falling to France. They sealed a late 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in the last 32 – the Scandinavian nation’s first World Cup knockout victory after previous exits to Italy in 1938 and 1998.
Can Haaland extend Norway’s dream run?
Be it for club or country, towering forward Haaland’s impact cannot be understated.
Of the 10 goals Norway have scored at the tournament, Haaland is responsible for half – numbers that are remarkable for a 25-year-old making his World Cup debut.
Come Sunday, Norway will need their 1.95-metre- (6.4ft)-tall, pony-tailed talisman to strike again if they are to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
Brazil will be wary of Norway’s lethal striker Erling Haaland [Paul Ellis/AFP]
Norway could take inspiration from their 1998 World Cup side, which famously beat Brazil 2-1 in a group game. And they need not look further than their coach Stale Solbakken – a midfielder in that Norwegian squad – for words of advice.
“Brazil are favourites, of course they are, but we are hopeful that we will give them a match, and we are not playing the game for fun – we are playing to win the game and to reach the quarterfinals,” said Solbakken. “It’s possible, but it’s very difficult.”
The Norwegians will be wary of Brazil’s very own trump card Vinicius, whose four goals at the tournament have made him the team’s leading scorer and most influential player. Vinicius became the first Brazilian since Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002 to score in all three group stage matches at a World Cup. That was the last time Brazil lifted the trophy.
Brazil vs Norway prediction
The Opta supercomputer gives Brazil a 53.6 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Norway’s chances of winning are 22.4 percent.
The model estimates a 24 percent probability of the game going to extra time.
Brazil vs Norway: Kickoff time, TV channel
Brazil: SBT, CazeTV (4pm, Brasilia Standard Time)
Norway: TV2, NRK (9pm, Central European Summer Time)
United Kingdom: ITV1, ITVX, STV, STV Player (8pm, British Summer Time)
United States: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (4pm, Eastern Daylight Time)
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
Norway fans do the traditional rowing celebration in the stands [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]
Who will the winner face in the quarterfinals?
The winner of the Brazil vs Norway match will face either Mexico or England in the quarterfinals in Miami on Saturday, July 11.
Brazil vs Norway: Head-to-head
Norway hold the rare distinction of never having lost to Brazil, with two wins and two draws from their four previous meetings, including a memorable 2-1 victory over Brazil in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup.
Brazil and Norway last met in a friendly in 2006, which ended 1-1.
More worryingly for Ancelotti, Brazil have been eliminated from each of their last six World Cup knockout ties against European opponents since beating Germany in the 2002 final.
Brazil vs Norway: Team news
Brazil’s Lucas Paqueta picked up a hamstring injury in the last game, while Raphinha, who also picked up the same issue in the second game, has resumed individual training and could make the bench.
Norway’s Julian Ryerson is out with a thigh injury.
Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes has four assists at the World Cup – only Pele recorded more (six) for the five-time world champions at a World Cup [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]
A post-game fireworks show went awry at BMO Stadium on Friday night, when fireworks set off on the playing pitch sent flares streaming into the stands, forcing fans to scatter to safety.
Angel City FC played the Orlando Pride at BMO Stadium, coming back from a month-long break to win the match 2-0. But it was the promised post-game fireworks celebration that made the biggest splash.
Videos of the pyrotechnics display show the pitch filling with tall showers of sparks and dense smoke as dozens of fireworks launched upward. At what was to be the climactic finale of the show, however, fireworks began to take off horizontally, headed into the half-filled stands.
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From her club seat with her friends, season ticket-holder Jade Greenhut captured the center circle spectacle. She said she took out her phone and started recording after the first errant missile from the fusillade sped directly toward the Angel City team bench.
“Oh my god!” a woman’s voice on Greenhut’s video screams as at least two fireworks launched into the stands nearby, sending fans scrambling to get clear. Two more fireworks bounded across the field and into the stands. Off-camera, a man says, “Everybody’s running!”
A spokesperson for the soccer club said the organization had no information “of any serious injury” from the wayward pyrotechnics.
“A third party vendor was hired to facilitate the pyrotechnics,” said Stephanie Rudnick, head of communications for the Angel City Football Club, from her home in Australia.
“A fireworks malfunction did occur during last night’s post-match celebration at Angel City FC’s game vs. Orlando at BMO Stadium,” the team said in a statement to The Times. “Our medical and safety teams were on site and ready to respond. Stadium operations confirmed the venue was secure and guests, staff, players, and crew were able to depart safely.
“We are working closely with our pyrotechnics vendor to review the incident and evaluating appropriate next steps.”
Greenhut was nonplussed about the post-match mayhem. She said many fans had already left in the 20-minute interlude between the end of the game and the fireworks show, leaving the stands relatively empty and reducing the likelihood of injuries.
The air was already clearing by the time the stadium was evacuated. Her ticket ambassador approached her afterward to apologize. “He was like, ‘We did this for the [Los Angeles Football Club], and everything was fine,’” she said. “I don’t blame them at all.
“Honestly, the game was great. We played phenomenal,” Greenhut said.
But perhaps next time, she said, Angel City could go with drones.
Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez homered to back the superb pitching of Sonny Gray, who gave up one run and four hits in six innings of the Boston Red Sox’s 8-1 win over the Angels on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.
Wilyer Abreu added a two-run double, and relievers Jovani Morán, Greg Weissert and Alec Gamboa combined for three hitless innings for the Red Sox (39-48), who have won seven of nine games. The Angels (36-54) have lost five straight and 11 of 17 since June 17.
Gray (10-1) induced two of Boston’s three double-play grounders, struck out seven and walked one. The 36-year-old right-hander has six straight quality starts since May 30, a stretch in which he’s gone 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA.
Though he leads the American League in wins and ranks second with a 2.61 ERA, Gray was not named to the AL All-Star team Saturday.
Angels starter Sam Aldegheri (3-4) walked two ahead of Contreras’ 19th homer, a 421-foot blast to left-center that gave Boston a 3-0 lead in the first.
Josh Lowe’s one-out homer pulled the Angels to within 3-1 in the second. Jo Adell walked, and Wade Meckler singled, but Gray struck out Donovan Walton and Tyler Heineman to escape the jam.
Aldegheri did not give up a hit in the second, third and fourth, but with his pitch count at 88, he was pulled in favor of left-hander Samy Natera Jr., who gave up one run in his first nine big-league games.
Anthony Seigler led off the fifth with a double, Ceddanne Rafaela walked, and Abreu slammed a two-run double off the right-field wall for a 5-1 lead.
Gonzalez, robbed of a potential first-inning homer when Adell made a leaping catch of his drive above the wall in right, followed with a towering, 368-foot fly that cleared the short left-field wall for his first homer of the season and a 7-1 lead. Rafaela’s RBI single in the eighth made it 8-1.
Up next: Red Sox LHP Ranger Suarez (4-3, 2.94 ERA) will oppose Angels RHP Ryan Johnson (1-3, 7.40) in Sunday night’s series finale.
Thomas Tuchel has dismissed concerns over England’s treatment in Mexico as they prepare to face the World Cup co-hosts – saying it had been “nicer than I expected” and that home fans were “friendly and respectful”.
Tuchel’s side take on Mexico in a last-16 match that kicks off at 18:00 local time on Sunday (Monday 01:00 BST, live on BBC One, iPlayer and Radio 5 Live).
On Saturday, the team were met with a mixture of cheers and jeers from fans as they left their hotel for training under enhanced security measures in Mexico City.
Ecuador – beaten 2-0 by Mexico in the World Cup last 32 – lodged a noise complaint with Fifa after fans with loudspeakers, motorbikes and horns disrupted their sleep last week.
As a result, members of Mexico’s National Guard lined the entrance to England’s hotel, while police officers in riot gear stood next to barriers on the road outside.
“We had no issues tonight and I think Fifa took care of the situation,” head coach Tuchel said. “We have security around the hotel so we expect a good night’s sleep.
“I don’t want to talk about problems that don’t exist yet. If they come, we will accept them. The best way to approach is to be relaxed and calm.
“We have a six o’clock kick-off, so if we miss some hours of sleep we will have time to get some other hours in the late morning.
“What I experienced until now was very respectful and emotional and very supportive to towards our teams so are very respectful towards everyone. We expect to be treated with respect and that was the case.
“It was even nicer than I expected.”
Tuchel said he had felt the energy in Mexico City.
“It just catches you straight away once you land here and saw the excitement and the emotions,” he said.
“This will be a proper World Cup match. We are in an iconic place, an iconic stadium and a massive knockout game.
“It is a big stage and we feel it. It makes you sharper and brings the best out of you. It makes you feel alive.”
World Cup favourites France book their quarter-final place thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty against a stubborn Paraguay side in Philadelphia.
The price for the final 2026 World Cup match in Seattle hit nearly $4,000 but dipped as low as $1,549 on Tuesday.
Published On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026
Ticket prices for the United States’ highly anticipated round of 16 game against Belgium on Monday plunged by more than 30 percent before rebounding slightly early Saturday evening.
The get-in price for the final 2026 World Cup match in Seattle hit nearly $4,000 on June 1, according to ticket-tracking service TicketData.com. After dipping to as low as $1,549 on Tuesday, the get-in price spiked to $2,836 after the USA solidified their spot in the round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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However, the get-in price has steadily declined in the days since. It dropped to $1,423 on Saturday afternoon – a 32 percent decrease over the past three days – but the get-in price rebounded to $1,635 at 6pm Eastern Time (23:00 GMT).
That late boost pushed the USA-Belgium game from the fourth-highest get-in price to the second-highest price among the eight round of 16 matches. Mexico’s game against England in Mexico City on Sunday sits at $3,574.
ROUND OF 16 TICKET PRICES*:
Mexico-England, 7/5 (Houston): $3,574
USA-Belgium: 7/6 (Seattle): $1,635
Argentina-Egypt: 7/7 (Atlanta): $1,599
Brazil-Norway: 7/5 (New Jersey): $1,537
Portugal-Spain: 7/6 (Dallas): $1,367
Switzerland-Colombia: $959 (Vancouver): $972
Paraguay-France: 7/4 (Philadelphia): $914
Canada-Morocco: 7/4 (Houston): $721
*TicketData.com as of 6 p.m. ET on July 4.
The significant drop in the get-in price for the US-Belgium game is somewhat surprising considering the Red Devils’ base camp is located just 16 kilometres (10 miles) south of Seattle Stadium at the Sounders FC Performance Center. Monday will mark Belgium’s third match in Seattle following a 1-1 draw with Egypt in the group stage and a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal in the round of 32.
Canada was the first team eliminated from the round of 16 with their 3-0 loss to Morocco on Saturday. The get-in price for that match dropped 14 percent from $838 over the final 72 hours.
World number 146 Grigor Dimitrov held his nerve to overcome a stubborn Matteo Berrettini to win a five-set classic and set up a fourth round tie against Great Britain’s Arthur Fery at Wimbledon.
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SAN FRANCISCO — Jordin Canada is the only person in the world with a UCLA-inspired pair of Air Jordan 4028 PEs, and she was excited to use them to represent her Bruins when the Atlanta Dream came to California last week.
“That’s my alma mater,” she said with a smile. “Any chance I get to support them and rep them, I will.”
Canada, who was an All-American in four years at UCLA, was rocking the blue-and-yellow shoes in shootaround before her Dream took on the Golden State Valkyries. The Los Angeles native had a quiet first outing against the Valkyries but bounced back with a season-high 23 points in their next matchup, then had 10 assists against the Seattle Storm on Saturday.
She is averaging 11.5 points and a career-high 7.0 assists as the leader of the third-best offense in the WNBA. Her 30.5 minutes per game are a step up from last season.
That’s because she’s done so much to facilitate the Dream offense and run it through Atlanta’s bigs.
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“She’s made my job easy,” Dream star Angel Reese said. “I mean, when you have a point guard that can score and also facilitate to me… Her and I had a talk a little bit before the season started about how I can be better for her than pick and roll, but also like coming down on the rebound, I can get the ball and push and flip, flip it to her, and she can start the offense… So she’s made it a lot easier, really easy, and she’s just a great player, she’s a great leader for us offensively and defensively.”
Canada’s 3.6 rebounds per game also are a career high as teams lock in defending Reese and the other versatile Atlanta players such as Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard.
Shooting 46.7% from the field, Canada has capitalized on her minutes by being the most efficient possible this season and being enough of a threat that teams have to guard her, while she also can send the ball to one of Atlanta’s top scorers.
“Being aggressive on the offensive end and trying to be more efficient, talking to Cam [Brown], who’s my position coach, and [head coach Karl Smesko], just seeing ways I could be more effective and more efficient in my position,” Canada said. “So just watching a lot of film, watching the areas where I need to improve, and just trying to make sure that I do that consistently, day in and day out, every game, and skin to my spots, and making the right decisions.
Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada attempts a pass against the Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday in Seattle.
(Jack Compton / Getty Images)
The Dream are fourth in the WNBA standings behind their consistent starters. With that group, Canada has become one of the most dynamic point guards in the WNBA in her ninth season.
“Her speed is pretty level,” Valkyries coach and former UCLA player Natalie Nakase said. “At UCLA, she was fast. I think now she’s like, for some reason, she looks a lot stronger, I think, from her college years, and I think she really has bought into a system under Karl of what she is doing.”
Tyler Bilodeau drafted by Nets
Former UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau was selected by the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA draft.
Bilodeau, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Oregon State, averaged 15.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in 64 games at UCLA. The Kennewick, Wash., nativeled UCLA in scoring in his junior and senior seasons, averaging a team-best 17.6 points in 2025-26 and finishing second on the team in rebounding (5.6). Bilodeau earned third-team All-Big Ten Conference honors both seasons. He ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in three-point shooting as a senior, knocking down 46.4% of his attempts.
“We’re all so thrilled for Tyler to get drafted by Brooklyn,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said in a statement released by the athletic department. “He is a tremendous young man and a tireless worker who really excelled in our program. He’s come a long way since his days at Kamiakin High School, and it’s simply a testament to the work ethic that Tyler and his family have embodied. He’s a versatile player who really improved his three-point stroke during his two years in Westwood. I can’t wait to see him take that next step with Brooklyn. All of us at UCLA are so proud of him.”
Zoey Molomo, Katelyn Ohashi Shine at American Classic
Zoey Molomo, competing at the United States Gymnastics Olympic trials in 2024, placed second on vault and floor and third in the all-around and bars at the 2026 American Classic.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
Zoey Molomo, who is joining UCLA’s gymnastics program for the 2027 season, placed second on vault and floor and third in the all-around and on bars at the American Classic.
Molomo qualified for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships with an all-around total of 52.700.
UCLA alum Katelyn Ohashi, who returned to competitive gymnastics after a seven-year absence at age 29, tied for third on balance beam. In her first competition since the 2019 NCAA championships and her first elite competition since winning the 2013 American Cup, Ohashi scored 13.150 on balance beam to earn bronze.
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LONDON — During a weekend that celebrates life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Wimbledon offers an American variation in the pursuit of Grand Slam glory.
Sunday’s fourth-round clash on the No. 1 Court between Jessica Pegula, the top-ranked American and veteran standard-bearer, and Iva Jovic, the brightest young American star since Coco Gauff, is a compelling intergenerational showdown between the present and future of U.S. women’s tennis.
It’s the kind of matchup worthy of a holiday complete with fireworks.
“I know she’s going to come after me hard,” the 32-year-old Pegula said following her clinical 6-1, 6-3 third-round defeat of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain on Friday.
“Everyone kind of wants to be the top American, I guess,” agreed Jovic, an 18-year-old from Torrance who toughed out a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia on Friday to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time. “There is a little bit extra competition there.”
Pegula and Jovic are hardly unfamiliar opponents, and not just because people frequently told a young Jovic to model her game after Pegula. The two have met three times before, including twice this year, on hard courts in Dubai and on clay in Charleston, S.C. Pegula won all three matches.
American Jessica Pegula serves the ball during a win over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
(Kirsty Wigglesworth / Ap Photo/kirsty Wigglesworth)
“There is a lot of things we do well, and we do similar, but a couple of differences too,” Jovic noted of their baseline-centric, tactical styles.
Pegula is expecting nothing less than a mirror-like baseline duel from the player she affectionately dubbed “mini-me” after beating her in February.
Their career arcs have taken different paths to their first Grand Slam meeting. Pegula spent years grinding away on the Women’s Tennis Assn.’s lower tier before becoming a late-blooming major contender and top-10 mainstay. The experience gap remains enormous: Pegula owns 11 career singles titles to Jovic’s one and has amassed more than 500 tour-level wins compared with just over 100 for the teenager.
Jovic, a top-ranked junior in just her second Wimbledon, quickly has made her presence felt on tour, becoming the youngest player to win a WTA title last season at 17 before backing it up with her breakout quarterfinal run at the Australian Open in January. She is the youngest player in the top 20 and the youngest remaining in the Wimbledon singles draw.
After watching Jovic’s rise this season, Pegula praised her competitive instincts and rapid adjustment to grass.
Jovic “competes like an animal,” Pegula said.
Their relationship to grass, however, couldn’t be more different.
Pegula historically has not been a force at Wimbledon, reaching the quarterfinals only once in 2023. She acknowledges battling her own instincts on the surface.
“I feel like sometimes years in the past I’ve really fought against how to move on it, fought against all the intangibles, all the slices,” she said.
This year she’s relaxed her approach, improved her balance and added more pop to her serve, a major asset on grass.
Jovic, by contrast, has been a quick study when it comes to adapting to the tricky footing, sliding and occasional tumbles on grass. She’s taken to the lawns of London like a natural despite growing up in Los Angeles County, where grass courts are virtually nonexistent.
Jovic credits playing left wing in local soccer leagues from about ages 6 to 13 for her exceptional, low-to-the-ground footwork. That cross-training has paid dividends. She won her first professional title on grass in England last year and recently reached the semifinals at the prestigious Queen’s Club warmup event.
“It’s very closely related to the movement that we do in tennis,” Jovic said of soccer.
Jovic, who’s of Serbian and Croatian descent, also has been keeping tabs on the World Cup, though rooting for the U.S. during late starts has proved challenging in Europe.
Hall of Fame analyst Pam Shriver says the age gap adds a fascinating dimension to the grass-court chess match.
“It’s interesting when rivalries can develop generations apart from the same country, and I think they have a really good respect for each other,” Shriver said.
Torrance native Iva Jovic, left, congratulates fellow American Jessica Pegula after Pegula won their match during the Charleston Open on April 4 in Charleston, S.C.
(Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
Shriver added that Jovic can learn from Pegula’s cerebral approach, while veterans like Pegula can tap into a fresh mindset from the younger generation’s unflinching energy.
“It goes by so fast,” Pegula acknowledged of the creeping sense of urgency in pursuit of her first major title.
Jovic is aware Sunday’s match is a massive opportunity to prove her rapid ascent is no fluke and flip the script on her head-to-head deficit.
“Hopefully, this will be the one I get her,” she said.
Through the first week in London, Pegula has been in sharper form. She hasn’t dropped a set in three matches, gliding into the fourth round and looking more and more like the favorite in her quarter. She also feasts on fellow Americans. Since 2023, Pegula is an impressive 34-3 against her compatriots.
“I’m always motivated to beat the other Americans in a way that’s different,” Pegula said. “Excited again to challenge myself against someone who is much younger, who is playing with nothing to lose and no fear.”
Still, reaching next weekend’s final will require either player to navigate a brutal top half of the draw. It includes four-time major winners Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka, two-time major champion Gauff and the last Wimbledon champion left in the field, 2024 winner Barbora Krejcikova.
On a weekend devoted to celebrating the U.S., at least one American will be celebrating at Wimbledon when the fireworks fade.
Eala played tennis as a youngster with her brother and grandfather, telling BBC TV she “still can’t keep up” with her older brother, even now.
She first rose to prominence in 2022, when she was on the cover of Vogue in her home country after becoming the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam title with her US Open triumph.
She rose to wider notice after her 2025 Miami Open breakthrough – which ironically began with another victory over Swiatek.
Aged 19 and ranked outside the top 100, Eala took out Grand Slam champions Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys to reach the semi-finals.
Since then, she has reached the world’s top 30, claimed two titles on the second-tier WTA 125 tournaments and finished runner-up at Eastbourne last year.
In the build-up to this year’s Wimbledon, she beat world number two Elena Rybakina and eighth-ranked Elina Svitolina in Berlin, and also teamed up with Venus Williams in doubles.
Her success has meant her popularity sky-rocketed. Queues snake around the Grand Slam grounds when she is scheduled on an outside court, while viewing parties are held for her matches back home.
That brings with it a pressure both good and bad. If Eala’s wins are celebrated as a point of national pride in the Philippines, then her losses are also felt deeply.
It was a situation that got on top of her at the Australian Open, where she was overwhelmed by the amount of people who simply queued to watch her practice.
“I try to be as authentic as I can. I believe in being genuine,” Eala said.
“Although I’m very grateful and very welcoming of all the support that I get, me, my team and my family are the ones who have been putting in the hours.
“We’re the ones who are here at the courts 12 hours in a row. We’re the ones who wake up early, who come back home late.
“I think that work ethic is really what keeps me grounded.”
British wildcard Arthur Fery beat Zizou Bergs in a five-set thriller to reach the Wimbledon fourth round and keep home singles hopes alive – despite suffering three nosebleeds during the match.
Wildcard Fery recovered twice from falling a set and a break down to come through 2-6 7-5 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-5) in front of a packed crowd on court 18.
After fighting back to beat Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur and Finland’s Otto Virtanen in his first two matches, it seemed as though Fery had finally run out of steam against Belgium’s Bergs.
But the 23-year-old held his nerve and then rallied to become the first British wildcard to reach the Wimbledon fourth round since 1993.
“No words for it, honestly,” Fery said after throwing himself to the floor in celebration.
“I don’t know what is going on right now. It will take time to digest it.”
Fery will face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini or Grigor Dimitrov next.
Jacob Bethell hits an unbeaten 76 as England recover from 1-2 to chase down 191 to beat India by four wickets in the second T20 at Old Trafford and take a 1-0 lead in the five match series.
Antonelli’s pole, from a driver looking comfortable and confident around the fast sweeps of Silverstone, dealt Russell another blow in their title fight.
He had already extended his championship lead with victory in the sprint and their starting positions give Russell an uphill struggle as he seeks to take his first win at his home race.
Leaving the pits for his final lap, Antonelli complained about being the first driver to run but he need not have worried.
He beat his previous time by nearly 0.3secs to put himself well out of reach of his rivals.
“I was a bit stressed because I never really like going first for the last run but the last lap was very tidy. It came all together,” Antonelli said.
“It was very tricky with the winds because it was very gusty, unpredictable, and to build the car to pole was very satisfying.”
Leclerc’s second place was the first time he had beaten Hamilton in qualifying since the Miami Grand Prix in early May, and brings to an end a run of races in which he has been struggling for confidence in the car.
“I am pleased,” Leclerc said. “It has been a few tough races when the feeling was not quite right, struggling to put everything together. There has been so much work behind the scenes to get back that feeling. This was the first time I had it back, I have struggled to be consistent but it is a good start.”
Hamilton, who was passed by Antonelli on the Mercedes driver’s run to victory in the sprint, said: “Of course I’m not satisfied. I’m third. Both these guys did a great job today.
“Charles has been doing good improvements and we just didn’t have the pace of the Mercedes but we are slowly closing the gap and to have both of us here is good for the team.”
England’s run chase gets off to a dreadful start, as they lose openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler in the opening over from Arshdeep Singh, as England fall to 1-2, chasing 191 to win the second T20 international at Old Trafford.
I will miss watching the greatest maestro and savant in the history of basketball, LeBron James. He is to basketball what Van Gogh was to painting, Coltrane to music, Hemingway to literature. He came from poverty and rose to a global hero and gave back. His after-game interviews were always intelligent and sometimes humorous. To all his detractors and haters? Eat your hearts out, he is a happy man.
Dell Franklin Cayucos
I have always been in awe of LeBron’s athleticism and basketball IQ. And I greatly admire his dedication to maintaining his physical abilities throughout the years and his philanthropic pursuits.
But, as a lifelong Lakers fan, I will not miss LeBron. He was never a true Laker. He made it clear when he announced that he was taking his talents to South Beach that he cared only about LeBron, not the team.
So, as he closes out his career elsewhere, I will enjoy watching his superior playing prowess from afar. But I will be grateful that I can now cheer for my Lakers without the drama LeBron brings to every team he’s been on.
Linda Salzman Rancho Palos Verdes
I agree that it was probably time to move on from LeBron simply in the interest to pursue a long-term player versus one more year from the King. But Bill Plaschke’s argument that he was tired of the mind games LeBron supposedly was playing is a terrible take. Losing 27-7-7 is not replaceable overnight, if ever.
George Metalsky Redondo Beach
While acknowledging LeBron James as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, it never really felt as if he was selflessly committed to the Purple and Gold team concept like so many of the legendary players that preceded him.
During his eight years as a Laker there seemed to be countless occasions when Lakers brass capitulated to his “demands.” Year after year we endured a mishmash roster with his hand-picked players, just to appease LeBron.
During the Lakers’ dynasty we had championship teams. With LeBron we had a king shaping his fiefdom to first and foremost best serve him.
He’s a great player but a horrible GM. The Lakers will be a better team without him.
David Griffin Westwood
I only have one question regarding LeBron James: What happens to Bronny now?
India’s 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wastes no time in his ODI debut against England as he smashes Hofra Archer and Josh Tongue for two sixes early on in India’s innings at Old Trafford.
Australia: Jock Campbell; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch, Carter Gordon, Ryan Lonergan; Angus Bell, Josh Nasser, Allan Alaalatoa, Jeremy Williams, Josh Canham, Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Lachlan Shaw, Tom Hooper, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Tom Wright.
Sin-bin: Shaw (76)
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Tom O’Toole, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne, Nick Timoney, Craig Casey, Ciaran Frawley, Bundee Aki.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli caught and passed Lewis Hamilton to win an action-packed sprint race at the British Grand Prix.
While McLaren’s Lando Norris, Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen staged a frantic place-swapping scrap in the opening laps at Silverstone, Antonelli bided his time before homing in on Hamilton at the front.
The 19-year-old Italian let the race settle down before remorselessly homing in on the Ferrari and blasting past Hamilton on the Hangar Straight on lap eight after strategically saving his battery charge.
Hamilton hung on bravely but could do nothing to stop Antonelli extending his championship lead still further to 43 points over Russell.
Behind them, Norris drove an excellent race to blast up from sixth on the grid to fourth on the first lap before passing Russell on the second lap.
There were a few hectic laps as Norris, Russell and Verstappen swapped places before Norris managed to consolidate third place and move clear of the the battle behind him.
Russell managed to pass Verstappen on lap nine before the four-time champion fell back into the clutches of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who moved past the Red Bull a lap later.
Verstappen dropped back but managed to hold off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to take sixth.
Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson held off an attack from Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in the closing laps as they took the final points positions.
Qualifying for Sunday’s main grand prix is at 16:00 BST on Saturday.
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where we’re just one month out from fall camp and the start of Lincoln Riley’s fifth season at USC. Soon enough, we’ll have actual football to discuss and not just the existential crises surrounding it.
But while the college sports calendar remains dormant for the moment, summer basketball practice is in full swing at USC. The Times was there at Galen Center last week to get an idea of where the Trojans stand heading into a critical third season for Eric Musselman as coach. And I came away feeling like this is the most talented team the Trojans have had in quite some time.
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What that will mean come March, I wouldn’t even attempt to speculate at this point. It’s June. This team has been together only a couple of weeks. Plans are bound to change. And injuries are bound to happen.*
*I do feel safe in assuming whatever ancient curse or voodoo hex was cast long ago on USC basketball can’t possibly derail another season like it did the last one.**
**OK, so transfer center Eric Reibe aggravating an injury in June and sitting out the summer isn’t … ideal. And sure, neither is the fact that transfer guard KJ Lewis won’t be cleared from the ankle injury he suffered in February until “hopefully mid-to-late September,” per Musselman. But still no freak car accidents, sudden cardiac incidents or bizarre player dismissals to date …
But Musselman has all the makings of a roster that should — read: must — make it to March.
The difference isn’t so much in what USC added to its roster, but rather in who Musselman and his staff managed to retain from the previous one. That was USC’s primary focus coming into the offseason.
Instead of having to rebuild an entire team from scratch like in Musselman’s first two seasons, which proved much more difficult than expected, the Trojans brought back their three top returning players: Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas and Jacob Cofie.
“Those three are a great start for us,” Musselman said last week, and alluded to losing two transfers last year. “We learned with Wes [Yates] and [Desmond Claude], that hurt us.”
The continuity is significant. At least two of those returners will be starters, with a full year in Musselman’s system, and all three could be drafted next spring if they have strong seasons.
It starts with Rice, the guard who through six games last season looked like a bona fide rising star. His shoulder injury ended up totally changing the Trojans’ trajectory. His return should be equally impactful.
“I can play at a high level, an All-American level,” Rice said. “I have all the confidence in the world still.”
Musselman and his staff feel the same way. And all parties involved concur that the makeup of this roster will better maximize Rice’s skills. He’ll be able to play more off the ball, with other options like lightning-quick Colgate transfer Jalen Cox able to handle more of the load as a floor general.
Rice won’t return to full go until after summer practice, but that’s more of a precaution than anything. He could be on the brink of a big season, if all things break right.
I’m less confident in the spring emergence of Cofie, the forward who played his way into an NBA scouting combine invite in May. When he first signed with USC, Musselman told me he thought Cofie was a future first-round pick. But considering the expectations, I thought his first season as a Trojan was mostly underwhelming.
Musselman thought Cofie “didn’t really have a stamp on the roster” last season. But so far this year, “He’s kind of a different guy.”
Cofie has made a point to expand his game to the perimeter. Just 27% of Cofie’s shots last season came from behind the arc, and he made just 31% of them. But any added spacing would be welcomed on a roster with potential to get bogged down inside the arc.
“You’ll see me shoot a lot more threes,” Cofie said last week. We’ll see how that factors into the lineups that USC is able to deploy this fall.
The most intriguing of the Trojans’ trio of returners is Arenas, given the wide range of possible outcomes in front of the guard this season. After arriving last year as one of the most-hyped hoops prospects in school history, he returns with a chance to basically redo his ill-fated freshman year.
The challenge for him as a sophomore is to be a more efficient player, after shooting just 34% from the field and 21% from three-point range. Arenas also uncharacteristically struggled finishing at the rim and with his shot selection, two skills that previously were seen as strengths.
He has all the tools to bounce back. Arenas’ ability to create space and find his own shot, in particular, is special. The question is how those tools best fit USC with so many more options around him.
When he debuted in January last season after missing the start because of knee surgery, Arenas immediately shouldered the load and dominated the ball. It was too much to ask of a freshman in that situation. But that’s no longer necessary with Rice healthy and Cox able to handle the point. Arenas will benefit from being off the ball more often.
Adding three McDonald’s All-Americans should go a long way with this team as well, if only because there will be real talent at the back end of the rotation. And unlike last season, USC should be able to bring its freshmen along at their own pace.
The potential is obvious with Darius and Adonis Ratliff, but both presumably would benefit from that time. Christian Collins, on the other hand, looks primed to make an impact right away, if needed. Watching him knife through the lane on his way to the hoop last week, I found myself wondering if he might be a lottery pick by next spring.
“Christian has been very impressive,” Musselman said. “We knew the intangibles and the length and the reaction to loose balls, but he has scored the ball, you know, [really well] for a freshman at this early stage.”
It’s far too early to draw any conclusions about the upcoming season. But after watching just one practice, it’s not hard to see why Musselman and his staff are feeling especially sunny this summer.
New eligibility rules
Back in October 2024, days after two USC defenders announced they were sitting out the football season to preserve their eligibility, a frustrated Riley offered what he felt was a reasonable solution to a growing problem.
“Guys should have five years to do whatever you want,” Riley said. “I think it should be that plain and simple. Then nobody has to worry about any of this other crap like how many games you’ve played.”
Almost two years later, the NCAA is finally on board with the coach.
The Division 1 Cabinet voted last week to implement major changes to the NCAA’s eligibility rules, giving athletes five years of eligibility to play five seasons. That means no more redshirts, no more medical waivers, no more eligibility questions. All eligibility clocks start the academic year after an athlete’s 19th birthday, and the only exceptions, per the NCAA, are for pregnancy, active-duty military service and religious missions.
Any athlete who wants to state their case for an extra year of eligibility has until the end of next month. But after that, the word “redshirt” officially can be retired from the college football vocabulary.
USC pitching coach Sean Allen talks to Gavin Lauridsen during a Super Regional game last season.
(Kara Durrette / For The Times)
—Musselman has yet to have one of his USC players selected in the NBA draft. But that will change next season. I’d expect, by next spring, we will be talking about as many as three Trojans who could be selected in 2027. Collins and Arenas are five-star talents, and while Collins’ stock is higher at the moment, Arenas easily could return to draft darling status with a strong start to the season. Then there’s Cofie, who balled his way into a draft combine invite this spring, and Rice, whose name will be known in draft circles soon enough.
—Fourteen USC baseball players entered the transfer portal. That group includes two promising young pitchers in Diego Velazquez (who also plays infield) and Gavin Lauridsen. Both were highly touted prospects and looked slated for bigger roles next season. USC also lost its starting catcher to the portal again, with Isaac Cadena committing to Clemson. Losing the young pitchers is a blow, but without the backing to match the name, image and licensing offers of some ACC and SEC teams, this sort of exodus is just inevitable.
What I’m Watching This Week
Tatiana Maslany in “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.”
(Apple TV)
Apple has been on an absolute heater, and “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” is yet another unique and worthy entrant into its growing library of prestige TV. It stars Tatiana Maslany as Paula, a divorced mom and magazine fact-checker whose only solace is returning to a webcam boy who turns out to be scamming her. Her life is unraveling, but when she takes matters into her own hands, it only descends further into chaos.
“Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” is an absolute thrill ride and one of the more surprising shows I’ve seen this year.
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. I’m back from a two-week vacation in Japan. Did you miss me? There are two weeks to go before the MLB amateur draft July 11-14. Let’s take a look where things stand for local players.
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Draft prospects
Major-league baseball’s amateur draft is set to begin July 11. The Chicago White Sox have the first pick and are expected to select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.
Former Orange Lutheran outfielder Derek Curiel from LSU and former Villa Park outfielder Gavin Grahovac from Texas A&M are both tracking as first-round draft picks. UCLA third baseman Roman Miller from Servite and first baseman Mulivai Levu from Ocean View are considered top hitters and helped the Bruins be the No. 1 team in the regular season. Let’s see how they are selected.
UCLA pitcher Logan Reddemann from Quartz Hill should be a first-round pick. Harvard-Westlake grad Will Gasparino is another Bruin likely in the top three rounds.
USC pitcher Mason Edwards from Palisades established himself as a first-round prospect.
It’s also a good year for high school graduates. Jared Grindlinger, a pitcher and outfielder from Huntington Beach, is 17 and a certain first-round draft pick after reclassifying to be taken next month. Other potential high picks include outfielder Blake Bowen from JSerra, pitcher Logan Schmidt from Ganesha and the Corona duo of shortstop Trey Ebel and outfielder Anthony Murphy.
Few players helped themselves more with an outstanding senior season than St. John Bosco pitcher Julian Garcia and Harvard-Westlake shortstop James Tronstein. Tronstein, The Times’ player of the year, is committed to Vanderbilt.
The NCAA approved new age-based eligibility rules, giving athletes five years to complete their college eligibility. The clock begins upon initial full-time enrollment in college or at the beginning of the academic year after their 19th birthday, whichever occurs earlier. Here’s the report.
It’s a big deal that will affect high school recruits. Already some recent graduates are being told by schools they no longer have room on their rosters for them.
Julian Savery of Crescenta Valley missed his junior year because of a torn ACL. He switched positions, from running back to quarterback, and the Falcons are thrilled.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
The seven-on-seven passing competition continues. Crescenta Valley has an unlikely new starting quarterback in Julian Savery, who was a running back before suffering a torn ACL and missing the 2025 season. He has returned as a quarterback, and the Falcons are happy. Here’s the report along with other summer notes.
In one of the biggest offseason transfers yet, running back AJ McBean, a Stanford commit, has left Mira Costa for Gardena Serra. Here’s a look. Here’s the transfer tracker. …
Top Jewish athletes
Call it the passing of the high jump torch. Former Olympic high jump Dwight Stones presents JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame the high school player of the year award from the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame .
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
The Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame held its latest induction ceremony Sunday. The boys and girls high school athletes of the year were high jumper JJ Harel from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and basketball player Shira Abramson from YULA.
Harvard-Westlake basketball coach David Rebibo was inducted into the coaching category. Here’s the complete list of inductees.
Notes . . .
Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco was named Division 1 p;layer of the year in baseball. Here’s the All-CIF team….
Liliana Escobar of JSerra was named Division 1 player of the year in softball. Here’s the All-CIF team.…
Dorian Clark is the new boys basketball coach at St. Bonaventure….
Standout junior basketball player Tatianna Griffin from Ontario Christian has transferred to Mater Dei, breaking up one of the most successful girls basketball duos the last two seasons. Griffin and Kaleena Smith helped Ontario Christian rise to the top in Southern California girls basketball….
Iggy Porchia is the new football coach at Venice, replacing his mentor, Angelo Gasca, who died earlier this year. He’s a former Venice player and served as an assistant coach. Gasca encourged him to become a teacher and coach. He played at UNLV….
Receiver Jay Williams of Long Beach Millikan has committed to Kansas….
Defensive back Wesley Ace of Gardena Serra has committed to San Jose State….
Defensive back Jaden Walk-Green of Corona Centennial has committed to Washington….
Offensive lineman Kota Seshimo of Irvine has committed to Fresno State….
Offensive lineman Tyson Seidman of Sierra Canyon has committed to San Diego State….
Offensive lineman Lucas Rhoa of Orange Lutheran has committed to Texas….
Standout Royal pitcher DustinDunwoody has committed to USC….
Corona Centennial’s basketball team is looking to be an Open Division title contender. The Huskies picked up 6-foot-4 sophomore guard transfer Juleeyan Williams from Monterey Trail in Elk Grove….
Dominic Loehle, a senior guard at Heritage Christian, has transferred to Loyola….
Charlie Adams, who started at guard for St. Bonaventure as a freshman, then Cleveland as a sophomore, has transferred to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame….
Brentwood, Crespi and Palisades were among the local schools winning basketball championship in the Section 7 tournament in Arizona….
Chavez in San Fernando has changed its named to Arroyo High….
Former St. Bonaventure football coach Joe Goyeneche is the new head coach at Walnut….
Thomas Silverman is the new basketball coach at Sierra Vista….
Quarterback Chris Fields III of Carson, the reigning City Section player of the year, has committed to Georgetown…
Quarterback Ryan Rakowski of Palos Verdes has committed to Nevada….
Receiver Blake Wong of Norco has committed to Brigham Young….
Offensive lineman Micah Butler of Hamilton has committed to Sacramento State….
Offensive lineman Amaziah Siale of Mission Viejo has committed to LSU….
Defensive back Jaxson Rex of San Clemente has committed to Brigham Young….
Sophomore receiver Austin Miller of Bellflower has committed to Ohio State….
Offensive lineman Lex Mailangi of Mater Dei has committed to Oregon….
Receiver Jack Junker from Mission Viejo has committed to San Jose State….
Two former Crespi pitchers are on the move. Diego Velasquez has left USC for LSU. Standout Hawaii pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno has entered the transfer portal. He’s also draft eligible…
All-City closer Aidan Martinez of City Section Open Division champion Birmingham has committed to UC San Diego. He came back from Tommy John surgery to throw 92 mph….
Standout guard Lauren Wolfe from Villa Park has transferred to Orange Lutheran….
Junior girls’ soccer player Kendra Hansen of Mater Dei has committed to Stanford….
Ella Bott, star girls’ soccer player from the Santa Margarita class of 2028, has committed to Stanford….
The No. 1 kicker in Southern California, Westlake’s Gabriel Goroyan, has committed to Stanford….
Receiver Mason Maddox of St. Francis has committed to Princeton….
Keith McGill is the new football coach at Whittier Christian…
Nick Heinle will be the interim football coach at Esperanza….
Pitcher Shane Wendler of Servite has committed to USC….
The nation’s top volleyball player from the class of 2027, Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa, has been selected for the U21 national team….
Vista Murrieta has hired Murrieta Valley offensive coordinator Alex Rosenblum to coach its offensive line. He’s a head coach in waiting. He’s a Calabasas grad who once coached at Sierra Canyon….
Mater Dei has hired Brett Luch to be the boys water polo coach….
Madison Gillinger of Edison has committed to UCLA for beach volleyball….
Jaslene Massey of Aliso Niguel has been named the Gatorade state girls player of the year in track and field for her record-breaking performances in the shot put and discus. Maximo Zavaleta of King is the boys state player of the year for his distance running….
Max Gamboa is the new boys volleyball coach at Corona del Mar. He has been the school’s girls volleyball coach….
From the archives: Hal Harkness
Former City Section commissioner and long-time track expert Hal Harkness turns 88 in September. He’s been a state rules interpreter in track and field and helped with the Arcadia Invitational and many others.
He served as City Section commissioner from 1986 to 1993 and once was cross-country coach at UCLA.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Harvard-Westlake tennis player Chase Klugo promoting expanded coverage of hearing aids.
From MyBurbank.com, a story on the firing of longtime baseball coach Bob Hart at Burbank.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story explaining the changes in high school soccer through the eyes of former El Rancho High star Cristian Roldan, perhaps the last high school player to make the World Cup team.
From 12sportsconsulting.com, a story on how the 105-man roster limit in college football is changing the preferred walk-on path.
Tweets you might have missed
🗣⚾ Congratulations on being selected to the 2026 CIF Los Angeles City Section Baseball Open Division All-City team! 🎉⚾ pic.twitter.com/wLxSTJmv6z
The most overused word in high school sports: Elite. Very few are elite and yet, it’s used again and again, making the word less credible. You can thank the recruiting websites for that.
In case anyone doesn’t know my pet peeves, they have been known for years. 1. Outrageous parking prices, 2. Oregon-like uniforms with invisible numbers, 3. Players who transfer multiple times, 4. TV timeouts, 5. Star rankings. I’m waiting to see if anything else can join top 5.
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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