Soccer (FIFA)
fromESPN.com
9 hours agoInternational rookies who could shape the 2026 World Cup
Newcomers to the World Cup include players with fewer than 10 caps who may significantly impact their teams' performances.
"He brings a lot to the table, is carefree, has a playful wit. I'm always of the opinion that it should be based on performance - no matter if someone's 17, 18 or 25. It should also be based on character: Does he fit into the team? In that case, age doesn't matter."
Sweden secured their World Cup spot with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Poland, thanks to Viktor Gyokeres' late goal, following earlier strikes from Anthony Elanga and Gustaf Lagerbielke.
Troy Parrott's actions on the pitch included scoring Ireland's opener and successfully converting a penalty in the shoot-out, demonstrating his skill and composure under pressure.
Playing a World Cup is a dream that every footballer has. But in order to win a place in the squad, you have to perform at club level, so for the time being I'm staying focused on things at Bournemouth.
Aissatou Fall was a key player as Senegal made it through to the quarter-finals for just the second time in their history. Despite being just 17 years old, she played every single minute of Senegal's tournament in Morocco, helping the Lionesses to keep two clean sheets in four games.
It's time for the CIF state championships in basketball and soccer (first time for soccer) in Sacramento on Friday and Saturday. Basketball will be played at Golden 1 Center. Soccer is at Natomas High.
ICYMI: The 2026 Winter Olympics are currently underway in Milano Cortina. From the "Quad God" to all the athletes winning gold, there has been a ton of buzz around this year's games. And while we watch history happen, let's take a walk down memory lane and see how fan-favorite Olympians have transformed over the years: 1. To start, Michael Phelps made his first Olympic appearance at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia, when he was just 15 years old:
In a week where young Irish players were in the headlines, from Shamrock Rovers' Michael Noonan to former Galway United man Alex Murphy, here are the teenage talents who have been capturing attention and will hope to follow in the footsteps of Mason Melia (€1.7m move to Spurs) and Victor Ozhianvuna (initial €2m pre-contract deal with Arsenal) in the future.
The Texas Tech star (19.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, 44% from beyond the arc) is the son of a German father and recently played for Germany's 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup team. In that event, he averaged 17.3 PPG, leading the nation to a silver medal. He could be an All-American this season and represent Germany once again in the 2028 Olympic Summer Games.
On a cool Wednesday afternoon before the US Open last year, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev were busy fine-tuning their games in an intense practice set at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison, semi-finalists in the mixed doubles tournament, were scheduled to take their place at the hour and the American pair duly arrived a couple of minutes before their allotted slot.
If I told you I have played football for 15 years, you'd probably assume that I'm decent. Unfortunately, I am not. I have three left feet and a not-very-convincing shot on goal. Despite how many years I have put into the sport, these things show little to no improvement. I play football for the joy of it: the rush of the first whistle; the exhilaration of making a successful tackle or a clever pass;