Carrie Underwood had a pointed response after getting booed during ‘American Idol’s Hollywood Week in Nashville. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Month: March 2026
Carrie Underwood had a pointed response after getting booed during ‘American Idol’s Hollywood Week in Nashville. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
On Jan. 6, 2021, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared to a raucous crowd of President Donald Trump’s supporters, many of whom were moments away from storming the U.S. Capitol: “We will not quit fighting.”
Five years later, Paxton’s fighting spirit has him poised to unseat a 24-year incumbent.
It’s been a steady journey. As Texas’ top lawyer, Paxton became a hero of the far right by using rapid-fire lawsuits to spearhead their most important causes, from expanding religious influence in schools to attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He presented himself as a foil to the Obama and Biden administrations, filing more than 100 lawsuits over issues like immigration and environmental regulations. And he continues to steer the power of his office toward investigating alleged election irregularities, particularly in Democratic-led cities like Houston.
On Tuesday, the MAGA grassroots that fueled his rise will reach its apex of influence so far: Paxton is well-positioned to finish first against John Cornyn in the GOP primary for his Senate seat, despite being saddled with tons of political baggage and targeted by millions of dollars in attack ads.
The bare-knuckle Senate primary is likely headed to a runoff, dragging out the party’s own angst over generational change.
For the far-right in Texas, Paxton’s arc shows the ascendent strength of their movement, which has pushed Republican leaders toward adopting increasingly conservative positions. For Cornyn, it means the potential end of his long career in the Senate, and the near-extinction of establishment Republicans within the party.
“Ken Paxton is more than just an attorney general that’s been MAGA. He is a symbol of the heart of the grassroots MAGA movement,” said Steve Bannon, the former senior adviser to Trump and War Room host who has been broadcasting his popular show from a rented ranch in North Texas in the days leading up to the election.
“He’s resilient because folks here know he has fought the good fight for years and years and years,” Bannon said. “He has resilience because people know where his heart is, and he’s a fighter.”
Cornyn is in serious trouble
The MAGA movement is tenacious in protecting its own and knifing its Republican rivals. Paxton has survived an impeachment by the GOP-controlled state House, a federal securities fraud investigation and slew of ethics complaints. Three months after beginning his Senate campaign last year, Paxton’s wife filed for divorce, alleging an extramarital affair. His competitors — including Cornyn, who has said Paxton is too unethical to serve in public office — have hammered his trail of scandals.
And still he’s the front-runner.
Paxton has continued to lead in polling — from even before he launched — despite a concerted effort by Republicans in Washington to boost Cornyn.
“Ideally you want a saint to be your elected leader, and that is something we all hope and pray for one of these days,” said Bo French, former chair of the Tarrant County Republican party, who is running for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. “But until that happens, we need people who are going to be warriors for the cause. And he is seen and beloved among Republican primary voters in Texas as a warrior.”
Cornyn knows the strong headwinds he’s facing, conceding that the composition of primary voters doesn’t reflect his usual base of support. Many Texas Republicans remain angry with the senator for voting in favor of a bipartisan gun control package after the Uvalde school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. Cornyn was famously booed onstage at the Texas GOP convention in 2022.
“If only the most radical people show up in the primary … then I think that’s going to be a challenge,” Cornyn said in an interview Saturday with CBS. His other primary opponent, Rep. Wesley Hunt, who is also running a campaign appealing to the far right, said on X that Cornyn’s comments show he has “lost touch with the people you’re supposed to represent” and “your contempt for the voters of Texas is exactly why your career is coming to an end.”
Trump has not endorsed in the race, throwing a wrench into any MAGA pickup Cornyn could get — or that could put Paxton over the line. At an event in Corpus Christi last week, Trump said he had “pretty much” decided who to support, but did not reveal that pick.
Democrats believe Paxton’s baggage makes him beatable in the general election, a view shared by many national Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who is working to keep Cornyn in the GOP caucus.
Kendall Scudder, chair of the Texas Democratic Party, said Paxton jeopardizes Republicans at every level of the ticket. “Every one of these top-tier Republicans in the state is wildly unpopular, and they’ll be led by Ken Paxton,” he said. “That’s what puts a lot of these different seats in interesting hands.”
The MAGA vs. establishment fight has been years in the making
Paxton has endured years of legal and personal scrutiny. He also kept winning.
Texas Republicans have repeatedly reelected both Cornyn to the Senate and Paxton as attorney general, backing the leaders of both wings of the party. But recent elections have shown the growing strength of the MAGA faction.
Paxton’s reelections have been aided by the deep coffers of Texas megadonors like Tim Dunn and the Wilks brothers in addition to his hyper-conservative supporters. In 2022, he was challenged by Land Commissioner George P. Bush — the relative of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
Bush tried to sell conservative voters on his vision to restore integrity to the attorney general’s office at a time when Paxton was facing years of securities fraud investigations and bribery allegations. It’s a playbook Paxton allies say Cornyn is reusing.
Voters seemed to prefer Paxton’s combative style. Paxton thumped Bush by a two-to-one margin in that year’s run-off, the clearest sign yet that voters were siding with the MAGA wing and rejecting the old-school establishment.
In 2022, Paxton agreed to pay restitution and perform community service to settle the securities fraud case, which was brought over allegations that he duped investors in a tech startup. The Justice Department, in the final weeks of the Biden administration, decided not to prosecute Paxton over the remaining bribery charges. That eventually led the GOP-heavy Texas House to impeach him before the Senate voted to acquit.
As scrutiny over Paxton intensified within the Texas Republican Party, he cast himself as a martyr, a victim of spurious probes that not only threatened him, but also the integrity of the MAGA base. For the far-right, Paxton’s impeachment acquittal only further strengthened his parallels to Trump.
The onslaught energized his supporters. State Rep. Gary Gates, a Republican, learned that firsthand when he publicly recanted his vote to impeach Paxton after dealing with blowback from the base.
“There was a certain faction of those that support him that were rather upset,” said Gates, who represents a suburban district outside of Houston. “You have to deal with that political reality.”
Paxton often brags that he was one of the few Republicans to attend Trump’s campaign launch at Mar-A-Lago in 2022, when many in the party had abandoned him following the violent insurrection in the U.S. Capitol.
“When you try to take out somebody like those two guys who have fought for our values, and the whole world is weaponized against them, the people are ride-or-die,” said Aaron Reitz, a former deputy in Paxton’s office who, with his backing, is running to succeed him.
“I hope that the establishment wing of the GOP would learn a similar lesson when they have tried to take out Trump, which is they are not in control of this party,” Reitz said. “The grassroots, the people, are in control of the party, and they have to stop spending their millions.”
How Paxton got here
Paxton’s deep base of support is built in part from his lawsuits against frequent targets of the right — high-profile cases that were splashed on the front pages of local newspapers from Beaumont to Amarillo. Throughout his decade as Texas’ top lawyer, Paxton oversaw the Lone Star State’s transformation into an incubator for ultra conservatives issues, from defending abortion restrictions to warning that Muslims will attempt to introduce Islamic law in Texas.
At a recent campaign event in the Houston suburbs as early voting was underway, Paxton ticked off his courtroom successes to a group gathered at a “safari ranch” in Richmond with roaming peacocks, zebras and goats.
Paxton, speaking to the crowd of about 75 supporters, recounted the beginning of his career, starting with when he decided to run for attorney general during his first term in the state legislature because he viewed former President Barack Obama as “a really epic threat” who relied excessively on executive orders to bypass Congress.
In his first AG race, Paxton rode the wave of the Tea Party insurgency to topple an establishment Republican backed by former President George W. Bush. Paxton told the audience, to chuckles, that he sued Obama 27 times in the 22 months they overlapped.
After Obama left office and Trump took his place, Paxton turned his sights away from the White House and toward Silicon Valley. He sued Google (“who was doing really bad things”), Facebook (“we got a lot of money from them”), Twitter (“before Elon”) and Pfizer (“they lied about the vaccine”).
Then Paxton became fixated on probing voter fraud allegations, making him an instrumental figure in Trump’s unsuccessful efforts to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. He even filed a case directly with the Supreme Court seeking to invalidate election results in Pennsylvania and other battleground states — though the justices rejected his attempt, ruling Texas did not have standing.
When Joe Biden was sworn in, Paxton picked back up his onslaught against the federal government. Then Trump was reelected in 2024, Paxton said, and he “felt like I didn’t have a mission. I’d done my three different missions. I felt like 12 years was enough.”
“And I looked around,” Paxton told the crowd, “and I saw a guy: John Cornyn.”
Adam Wren contributed reporting.
Politics
Among the huge soul and R&B talent to come out of the UK, Terri Walker – whose debut album Untitled was released in 2003 – is one of the country’s finest. Emerging alongside British R&B artists like Ms. Dynamite, Estelle, and Keisha White, Walker stood out with her vivacious personality and punchy, jazz-inflected vocals.
Born Chanelle Walker in London, she moved to Germany as a child to live with her mother and German stepfather, at which point she became Chanelle Gstettenbauer. (She flexes her fluent German on the Untitled interlude “Deutschland.”) She went to boarding school in the UK, studying opera and training briefly at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. However, Walker was more inclined to follow in the footsteps of British soul divas Mica Paris and Beverley Knight.
Terri Walker’s Untitled is available on vinyl via the Black Story initiative. Order it now.
As she stepped into the industry, she rebranded herself “Terri Walker,” and lent her vocals to various UK garage tracks. After shopping demos around of her own music, she eventually signed to Def Soul UK. In March 2003, her debut album was released. The record, Untitled, is a statement of purpose. “I ain’t that stupid love fool,” Walker spits on the opening track “Love Fool,” setting the tone with honest, straight-talking R&B. Bringing together seasoned industry professionals like producer/songwriter Warryn Campbell (Mary Mary, Alicia Keys, Brandy) and bassist Pino Palladino (Elton John, D’Angelo, Jeff Beck), the album marries slick R&B grooves with jazzy flourishes, anchored by Walker’s charisma and attitude. She collaborates with rapper Mos Def on snappy rebuke “Guess You Didn’t Love Me” and shows her softer side on puppy love ditty “Ching Ching (Lovin’ You Still)” – which peaked at #38 on the UK charts, her highest entry.
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Walker’s signature track and the album’s high point is “Drawing Board,” a shrugging anthem of indifference in the face of romantic disappointment. Ballads like the sensual duet “What Will I Do” and “Love You For Life” also widen the emotional range of the album and demonstrate Walker’s capacity for soul-baring vulnerability. She has a wail of a time on “Dirty Weekend,” ad-libbing over the brassy outro.
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Despite its assured sound, Walker once told journalist Sope Soetan that she called the album Untitled because she was still finding herself. Nonetheless, the record garnered Walker four Music of Black Origin (MOBO) nominations and ushered in a cult following. She would follow with four studio albums, collaborate with producer Salaam Remi on the side-project Champagne Flutes, and record an album as part of the duo Lady with Nicole Wray. Nodding to the sense of uncertainty she felt when recording Untitled, Walker named her fourth album Entitled – reflecting her ultimate sense of belonging in the industry.
Browse our R&B / Soul / Funk collection featuring limited edition vinyl and CDs here.
Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music
What comes to mind when you think of the top men’s FIFA World Cup moments? It could be Diego Maradona carving through England’s defense for the Goal of the Century. Or, a legend like Pele or Lionel Messi raising the trophy up high into the sky. It could be something more controversial, like Cristiano Ronaldo’s wink after getting Wayne Rooney sent off. When the World Cup comes to North America this summer, we’ll be in store for many more moments. It remains to be seen if they’ll make the pantheon of the best. Until then, we’re counting down the most iconic, most controversial, most defining moments in men’s World Cup history. 2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19). [WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup] Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, here’s our countdown of the 100 best men’s moments in history: No. 100: Pure Control, Pure Class, Pure Messi In 2018, the pressure on Lionel Messi was building. Argentina’s star captain had gone scoreless through two games, including a 3-0 loss to Croatia. He needed to do something against Nigeria. That’s when the Messi magic appeared. Argentina went on to win the game and advance. An unbelievable first touch from Lionel Messi that saved Argentina. And while La Albiceleste were eliminated by eventual champions France in the round of 16, Messi’s sublime goal was perhaps the best of the tournament. Until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 11, FOX Sports is counting down the top 100 moments in tournament history. Check back every day for a new moment.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
As the biggest-ever edition of the global showcase, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first tournament hosted by three countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada — with 48 teams competing across 16 host cities. Here’s what you need to know about the tournament: 2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19). [WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup] Who Is Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup? For the first time ever, there will be three countries hosting the World Cup — the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Only once in the tournament’s history have there been co-hosts, with the 2002 edition being held in South Korea and Japan. Eleven cities will be hosting the tournament in the U.S. including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. Canadian cities, Toronto and Vancouver, will also host games with three Mexican cities — Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City — also included. For 2026, the majority of the 104 matches will be held in the U.S., with 78 games spread across 11 cities. Canada (two cities) and Mexico (three cities) will have 13 matches each. Where is the 2026 World Cup Final being played? The 2026 World Cup final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The venue, which opened in 2010 and is also known as MetLife Stadium, is the home of two NFL teams — the New York Giants and New York Jets. The 2026 World Cup final will take place on Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m. ET. What is the USA’s Schedule for the 2026 World Cup? Christian Pulisic and the United States now know their path to glory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after learning their group stage opponents, which stadiums they will play at and the times for the games. Which Teams Have Qualified for the 2026 World Cup? Of the 48 spots for the World Cup, 42 teams have qualified so far. The other six spots will be determined at the end of March via FIFA’s intercontinental playoff (two spots) and UEFA’s playoff (four spots) tournaments. The list of the qualified teams by their groups is as follows:Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Ready or not, here it comes. Only 100 days until the World Cup commences, and we’re in store for a tournament for the ages. And there will be plenty of attention on the United States men’s national team, who are one of the three tournament co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico. There’s not much time left before the USA play their first match on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles. And there are some big questions still to answer for USA coach Mauricio Pochettino. 2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19). [WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup] Question No. 1 – USA’s World Cup Chances: How Far Can This Team Go? Don’t underestimate the power of playing at home. Back in 2002, World Cup co-hosts South Korea — which had never so much as survived group play at any previous edition — stunned the tournament by reaching the semifinals. But there’s also pressure when hosting the greatest sporting tournament on earth: Who can forget Brazil’s shocking 7-1 elimination by eventual champions Germany in 2014? Ahead of the World Cup, most pundits have the USA advancing no farther than the quarterfinals. That would both equal their best finish this century while also making some new history: now that the tournament has been expanded to 48 teams, the Americans must win two knockout games — something it has never done — just to reach the last eight. Their star coach, who has had stints at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, has set the bar even higher. “We need to believe,” Pochettino said when he was hired in late 2024, “that we can win the World Cup.” Question No. 2 – USA’s World Cup Vibes: What Are They Right Now? When we last saw the USA play in November, they had just smashed two-time World Cup champions Uruguay in a friendly. That 5-1 victory was their third straight win and fourth in five games — all against 2026 World Cup participants — to close out the year. Optimism was rife. That’s exactly how the Americans want to feel when they kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign. – The 26: Who Makes the USA’s World Cup Roster? But building on those sky-high vibes could be tricky and there are some stern tests ahead. The USA will play two top-10 ranked teams in March, with Belgium and Portugal coming to Atlanta. Then it’s African champions Senegal in Charlotte on May 31 followed by Germany (another top-10 team) in Chicago on June 6 as the final preparation. Oh, all four teams will also be at the World Cup as well. Those stern tests should help the USA be at its best when the games get real. Win a combo of those four and confidence goes through the roof ahead of the actual World Cup opener on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles. But that’s easier said than done. Question No. 3 – Christian Pulisic’s Health: Is There Concern? When the country’s most decorated attacking player asked Pochettino if he could skip last summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup — a request the fiery Argentine reluctantly granted — he said the break would help his body recover and allow him to perform at the height of his powers for this summer. Sure enough, Pulisic began AC Milan’s season in career-best form. But his production and playing time fell off a cliff in early 2026 as he dealt with bursitis and a lingering hamstring issue; Pulisic has started just three of the Rossoneri’s eight games since mid-January, with no goals or assists through the first two months of this calendar year. (Pulisic remains the club’s top scorer this season.) The good news is AC Milan manager Maxi Allegri said last week the American headliner is on the mend and “will definitely get back to scoring.” It’s safe to say that if the USA is to make a deep run this summer, it will depend on the status of its 27-year-old playmaker. Question No. 4 – What’s the USA’s Biggest Weakness? Every team has a weakness. For the USA heading into this World Cup, the biggest worries are regarding defense. Presumed starting goalkeeper Matt Freese, who plays for MLS side NYCFC, has made just 13 international appearances – all of them since last summer. That’s a far cry from the mid-2000s, when four grizzled Americans (Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, Brad Guzan) were Premier League regulars. The backline also has questions. Center back and captain Tim Ream, who plays for MLS club Charlotte FC, will turn 39 later this year. Fullback duo Antonee “Jedi” Robinson (who plays at Fulham) and Sergiño Dest (now at PSV) have missed significant portions of recent seasons following knee surgeries. If Pochettino plays with three central defenders, it’s still unclear who would join Ream and Crystal Palace star Chris Richards in the middle. For all his promise, Alex Freeman, the breakout young star of 2025 who now plays at Villarreal in Spain, still lacks experience. Add it up, and it’s fair to ask. Will the USA’s defense be up to the task this summer? Any successful run starts with preventing goals — something this team has struggled with at times last fall. In October, after the Americans came from behind to beat Australia — a team they’ll face again in Group D this summer — Pochettino was blunt. “[At] the World Cup,” he said following that 2-1 win. “You cannot concede that type of goal.” Question No. 5 – Pochettino’s Priorities: What’s the USA Coach Looking For? Toward the end of his roller coaster first full year in charge of the program in 2025, Pochettino began repeating a similar mantra. “We don’t need the best players,” he said, taking a page out of 1980 “Miracle on Ice” coach Herb Brooks. “We need the right players.” – How USA Hockey’s ‘Miracle on Ice’ Has Inspired Pochettino Where does that leave someone like Weston McKennie? The Juventus star has emerged as one of the best midfielders in Europe this season, but who has been called in just once since the USA lost to Canada and Panama in the Nations League finals last March? McKennie has probably played too well for Juventus not to summon and start this summer, but it’s worth remembering that Pochettino has preached camaraderie above all else. He’s reminded his so-called regulars — a term he made clear he “hates” — that no spots are guaranteed. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” is another of Pochettino’s favorite quotes. So, don’t be surprised if there’s a surprise or two when he drops his final 26-man World Cup roster in May.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
The United States men’s national team will play its first game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in 100 days, and the debate over who should start at striker for Mauricio Pochettino against Paraguay isn’t close to being settled with Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi trading goals every week. But for USA Soccer legend Brian McBride, the choice is clear. “I would start Flo, especially with the way that he’s been playing this year,” McBride said on Alexi Lalas’ “State of the Union.” “Form is a big thing, and if you’re playing, and you’re in-form, you just have that flow on the field. You’re not necessarily thinking, ‘Oh should I make that run?’ It’s a general thing that you get and you know. He’s got more of what we need than, say, Ricardo Pepi.” Balogun is in the midst of a bounce-back season with French club AS Monaco, recording 12 goals and four assists in all competitions this season, including five goals in the UEFA Champions League. The 24-year-old hasn’t had a season with more than 10 goals since the 2022-23 season, when he finished as one of the top scorers in Ligue 1 with 21 goals. Balogun has also started regularly contributing to the national team. After missing an entire year of international call-ups due to injuries, Balogun returned for the USA in September and made an instant impact, scoring three goals in his last five matches. The only reason Balogun isn’t a penciled-in starter for Pochettino is the person right on his tail: Ricardo Pepi. [WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup] “Pepi is a great goalscorer and his movement is really good, and he’s been playing at a higher level,” McBride said. “It may hurt him that he comes off of the bench and scores goals. As a coach, you see that, and you’re like, ‘Wait a second, I can keep this as sort of a secret weapon.’” Only Pepi’s goal-scoring ability is not so much of a secret anymore. Coming off of yet another double-digit goal-scoring campaign for Dutch side PSV, Pepi has been linked with a move to the Premier League. Fulham made a $38 million transfer bid for Pepi during the January transfer window, but the deal ultimately didn’t come to fruition due to Fulham not being able to find a replacement striker in time. Fulham are still the heavy favorites to bring in Pepi this summer, and McBride sees the 23-year-old striker as a great fit for his former club. “I think it would be a good spot for him, I really do,” McBride said. “I know the club, and people there are amazing. The way that Fulham plays, you don’t ask a lot of your center forward. You have to hold the ball up every once in a while; definitely, if you can run in behind, that’s very helpful; teams tend to play a higher line against Fulham because sometimes we didn’t have that pace. “I think we’re getting there and turning the players around, and I think Ricardo can do that. He’s a willing runner, and he’s a great finisher.” Balogun and Pepi are both expected to be called up for the USA’s upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, which will be the final tuneups before Pochettino’s World Cup roster is set in May. The 2026 FIFA World Cup starts on June 11.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
When it comes to the U.S. men’s national team, there are plenty of players in the pool who fans are keeping regular tabs on. Beyond the best-friend trio of Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, there are other players who’ll be under the spotlight with only 100 days before the World Cup begins. USA manager Mauricio Pochettino will name his 26-man roster in May, and we’ll get a glimpse of what that looks like in a few weeks when the team convenes for training camp at the end of March. The window features two matches against European powers Belgium (March 28) and Portugal (March 31) in Atlanta, and Pochettino has notably said that the World Cup begins for his team in March. Between now and then – and really, up until Pochettino makes his final roster decision – there will be players to keep an eye on. How are they performing with their clubs? Are they healthy? How do they fit into Pochettino’s plans? The three players fit that bill and are worth monitoring between now and when the USA opens up World Cup play on June 12 against Paraguay: Folarin Balogun, Striker The USA has had a striker problem for years. There’s no Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane or Cristiano Ronaldo in this player pool. That was an issue four years ago when former manager Gregg Berhalter brought three strikers to the World Cup in Qatar – Jesus Ferreira, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright. Only Wright scored a goal, and it was by accident in the round of 16 loss to the Netherlands. [WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup] The U.S. has long been in search of a reliable, clinical finisher up top. Could Balogun be that guy this summer? Right now, he appears to be Pochettino’s top choice. In the “what have you done for me lately?” category, Balogun scored as Monaco beat Angers 2-0 in a Ligue 1 match on Saturday. He’s now scored four goals in his last four games for Monaco, bringing his total up to 12 across all competitions this season. Is he hitting his stride just in time to make his first World Cup roster? That seems to be the case for the 24-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 23 appearances for the USA. Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, Fullback Fans should be quite familiar with Jedi. He started every World Cup match four years ago at left back for the U.S., and has been a steady presence on the back line. He was considered the top left back in the Premier League last year as well. But the Fulham star has been hampered by injuries. First there was a knee issue, which required surgery and kept him out of the national team for nearly a year, including missing last summer’s Gold Cup. He returned to the fold in October, but experienced another setback. He returned to Fulham in December, but has been on the bench recently while recovering from an ankle issue. Fulham head coach Marco Silva previously said he didn’t think Robinson’s ankle problem was serious, but we’ll see what this means in terms of playing for Pochettino in March. When Robinson has been out, Pochettino has relied on Columbus Crew’s Max Arfsten and Marseille’s Tim Weah at left wing back, so they may end up starting in his stead if he’s injured. Robinson’s health will be monitored under a microscope for the next several months because when he is fit, he’s one of the most important players Pochettino has in his pool. Matt Freese, Goalkeeper The goalkeeping situation is not 100% set, but Freese seems to have a leg up. He made his international debut last June ahead of the Gold Cup and started the USA’s final 12 games of 2025. He unseated Matt Turner, who was the starter for the Americans at the last World Cup, and hasn’t looked back. Now, Turner isn’t giving up on starting at this summer’s tournament. He’s going to keep doing everything possible to prove to Pochettino and his staff why he should be the starter. Plus, he moved back to MLS from the Premier League to get more consistent playing time and so far he’s getting it with the New England Revolution. But it’s hard to imagine Freese relinquishing his spot on top. He’s been consistent for the USA and for NYCFC, and Pochettino is a fan. But it will be interesting to watch the competition brew because you know Turner wants that spot back.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
From living legends to rising youngsters to non-stop goal machines. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is often defined by incredible individual performances, and we shouldn’t expect this summer to be any different. The 48-team World Cup will feature plenty of stars, and many more will emerge. But these are 10 players who we expect to take top billing. 2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19). [WHEN AND WHERE: Full Schedule for 2026 FIFA World Cup]Lamine Yamal, Forward, SpainAge: 18Club: Barcelona Out of all the stars that will light up soccer’s grandest stage this summer, perhaps there’s no more intriguing or exciting player than the 18-year-old Spanish winger. It’s Yamal’s first World Cup (of many more to come) and he has a chance to score a lot of goals and help La Roja win it all. — Laken Litman Cristiano Ronaldo, Striker, PortugalAge: 41Club: Al-Nassr FC This has to be Ronaldo’s last World Cup, right? We thought maybe the 2022 tournament in Qatar would be, but then he walked off the field in tears following Portugal’s quarterfinal loss to Morocco. So here we are: the 41-year-old superstar forward has already won everything he possibly can in this sport, except a World Cup trophy, and that’s his goal this summer. — Litman Kylian Mbappé, Striker, FranceAge: 27Club: Real Madrid Mbappé scored a hat trick in the 2022 World Cup final and France still lost to Leo Messi and Argentina in the most epic finish. Mbappé already has a World Cup trophy, winning it all in 2018, but Les Bleus’ captain is hungry and motivated for another. — Litman Ousmane Dembélé, Forward, FranceAge: 28Club: Paris Saint-Germain 2025 was a big year for Dembélé. The 28-year-old forward won a Champions League title with PSG and then took home the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player. While he has a World Cup trophy on his resume (2018), like Mbappe, he wants another after coming so close four years ago in Qatar. — Litman Erling Haaland, Striker, NorwayAge: 25Club: Manchester City Despite his goal-scoring prowess and overall domination in the Premier League, we’ve never seen Haaland in an environment like the one he’ll be in this summer. The 2026 World Cup will not only be Haaland’s debut World Cup, but his first-ever major tournament. How far he’ll take Norway will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow. — Litman Lionel Messi, Forward, ArgentinaAge: 38Club: Inter Miami CF The GOAT hasn’t yet confirmed that he’ll lead Argentina’s World Cup title defense in the country he now plays his club soccer, but let’s be real: Although he’ll turn 39 three days before the Albicleleste’s group stage finale against Jordan in Arlington, Texas, Messi will be there. Barring serious injury, there’s no way the living legend won’t try to repeat as champs – something no team has done since Pele’s Brazil in 1962. — Doug McIntyre Harry Kane, Striker, EnglandAge: 32 Club: Bayern Munich England’s all-time top scorer led the 2018 World Cup in goals despite England’s semifinal elimination to Croatia. In 2022, the Three Lions captain missed a late penalty kick in the quarterfinals against France, ensuring that the country that invented the sport’s long World Cup drought would continue for at least another four years. Can Kane, now 32, finally help England’s men win their first major title since 1966 this summer? — McIntyre Christian Pulisic, Forward/Winger, USAAge: 27Club: AC Milan Already considered the most gifted attacking player the U.S. has ever produced, Pulisic’s legacy will depend largely on how he performs at this World Cup on home soil this summer. At 27, the AC Milan star is just now entering his prime. He already has one tournament under his belt; in 2022, Pulisic scored the goal that beat Iran and sent the Americans to the round of 16. If the Americans are to last a little longer this summer, Puisic must lead the way. — McIntyre Vinícius Júnior, Forward, BrazilAge: 25Club: Real Madrid With Neymar Jr. having just come back from injury and no lock to make Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, the polarizing Real Madrid star will be the face of the Seleção at this World Cup. Vini is more than capable of manning the role; the pacy winger remains one of the most electrifying forwards on Earth. — McIntyre Alphonso Davies, Fullback/Winger, CanadaAge: 25Club: Bayern Munich Still just 25, the best player in Canadian history will lead the co-hosts’ effort this summer. Davies is a legit star. The Vancouver Whitecaps product made FIFA’s year-ending Best XI as a teenager in 2020. He’s won the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup and five Bundesliga titles, and he scored Les Rouges’ first ever World Cup goal at Qatar 2022. He’ll be looking for another first in Toronto and Vancouver this summer: Canada’s maiden World Cup win. — McIntyreLatest Sports News from FOX Sports