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Denny Hamlin is truly living in the world of it doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you finish. For the second consecutive week, Hamlin went from the rear of the field to Victory Lane as he won at Michigan International Speedway for his third win of the season. Hamlin, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 car, won the pole but damage to his underbody from a flat tire in practice resulted in fixes that dropped him to the rear of the field for the start. That was no problem for Hamlin, who won at Michigan for the second consecutive year and fourth overall. “Most athletes, they get to a point where they have everything they need,” team owner Joe Gibbs said in his postrace news conference. “And they just lose the drive and passion. “And what we’re witnessing with Denny is really just the opposite of that. He’s full-blown into the simulator, works extremely hard. … He’s really helped build what we have [at JGR].” Here are my takeaways: 1. Cool Tribute To Busch Hamlin tied Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list with 63, and he celebrated by honoring Busch, who died of complications from pneumonia May 21, a day after being hospitalized. Hamlin had a flag designed for the celebration that included Busch’s stylized No. 8 that he used since 2023 at Richard Childress Racing with a No. 1 in front of it to pay tribute to his days driving the No. 18 as Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing. “I’m thinking, do I put the 8 — I know him as the 18, I don’t know the right thing,” Hamlin said in his postrace news conference. “Then this person owns this font, that person owns this trademark. It’s like we had to have some collaboration, and I appreciate RCR letting us use the stylized 8 with the Joe Gibbs Racing 1. “It was just a happy balance that I felt good about when it all came out. … I just wanted to pay my respects to someone that I really did look up to and taught me so much as a teammate. There’s nothing we can say or do that’s going to make his family feel better, but at least during that little time, you can pay him the respects that he deserves.” 2. Bell Takes Massive Hit Christopher Bell will be evaluated for possible wrist and ankle injuries after a brutal crash where Chase Elliott unintentionally drifted up into him. Both drivers got out of their cars under their own power. “We’re going to continue [to have him treated] tonight when he gets home — we’re going to make sure that he gets everything he needs to get there, whatever it might be,” team owner Joe Gibbs said. “And then we’ll just have to kind of wait [to see if he can race]. It is his wrist and his ankle.” 3. Jones surging with second Erik Jones has had progressively better results, and his second-place finish was his first top-five of the season. Like Hamlin, he also had to start at the rear. Jones now sits just 18 points behind the playoff cutoff. “Our group is rolling really well as a team, and we’re executing as well,” the Legacy Motor Club driver said. “We’ve just got to do every little thing right, and it will come. You run up front like that, it’s going to happen for you.” 4. Hocevar Causes Ire Carson Hocevar finished fifth but was the subject of ire from other drivers for causing a multicar pileup when he got into the back of John Hunter Nemechek. Hocevar said on the Prime postrace show that he was trying to avoid getting damage as the cars appeared to lift off the throttle in front of him. “It looked like they kind of accordioned a little bit and I really didn’t expect it,” Hocevar said. “I turned left. … I’m shocked that it spun him left. Ultimately, my evasiveness wrecked him and everybody there.” 4 ½. What’s Next The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the 2.5-mile triangular-shaped Pocono Raceway for its annual stop at another high-speed track. It also is one of Hamlin’s best tracks. He has seven career victories at the track, which features three distinct and uniquely shaped turns, which means a driver typically can’t be perfect in all of them.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Plenty of time still remains for last winter’s biggest names and priciest acquisitions to make a positive impact. But more than a third of the way through the 2026 season, we have a better idea now about the decisions that were wise, shrewd and prudent … and those that weren’t. For this week’s Power Rankings, we take a look around MLB at every team’s best offseason move (or moves). Shockingly, most of their many, many, many attempted reclamation projects haven’t panned out. But their acquisition of second baseman Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox has been helpful, as the once-promising prospect is hitting slightly above league average this year. Acquired from Arizona for minor-league pitcher Josh Grosz, outfielder Jake McCarthy has been one of the Rockies’ most valuable offensive players. He’s batting .282 with 11 steals, and he’s under team control through 2028. Maikel Garcia hasn’t replicated his offensive breakout from last year, but his defense is so spectacular and reliable at third base that the five-year, $57.5 million extension he signed in December still feels like a big win for Kansas City. And given Garcia’s advanced approach at the plate, I’d expect better offensive results ahead. Almost all of their offseason moves have backfired to this point, but second baseman Gleyber Torres — when healthy — is still doing his thing offensively for a Tigers team that needs his bat. He’s registering the highest on-base percentage of his career, and his return from the injured list has provided a spark. What a year so far for Luis Arraez. He has been the most valuable player on the Giants — and for reasons beyond his .323 batting average. Arraez is taking advantage of his opportunity at second base in San Francisco, where the 29-year-old is producing the best defensive season of his career. After getting little production at the position last season, Boston has one of the top first basemen in the sport this year in Willson Contreras, acquired from the Cardinals in a December trade. He leads the Red Sox in homers, RBIs and every slash-line category. The Twins traded for reliever Eric Orze last November, and he now leads the barren Minnesota bullpen in innings pitched. Most of their offseason moves haven’t panned out, but John King’s $1.5 million deal looks worth it. The left-hander has appeared in more games than any other Marlins reliever and is 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA and one save. The Astros signed Peter Lambert to a minor-league deal in March. He’s 5-4 with a 3.55 ERA and has been one of the most valuable starters in their shorthanded rotation. He hasn’t been dominant, but Freddy Peralta has performed better than the players the Mets traded to the Brewers (Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams) to acquire him. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if Peralta (4-4, 3.63 ERA) remains in Queens through the deadline. After a rough start to the year, Mark Leiter Jr. has logged 11 straight scoreless appearances for an A’s bullpen that can use that kind of consistency. As Grayson Rodriguez struggles in Anaheim, the Taylor Ward trade is working out well in Baltimore. Oddly, Ward’s profile has completely changed — he only has two home runs and ranks in the top 10 in MLB in on-base percentage and walks — but overall he’s providing well above-average offensive value. Signed for just $1.4 million, J.J. Bleday leads the Reds with a .931 OPS. Among all MLB outfielders with at least 100 plate appearances, Bleday ranks third in OPS. The Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto deals have both worked out well. While Cease is currently sidelined, he has the highest strikeout rate among AL starters. Okamoto, meanwhile, has nearly twice as many home runs (13 total) as any other Blue Jays player. Signed for just $5.5 million after spending the past three years in Japan, Foster Griffin has been the standout of Washington’s rotation. He’s 7-2 with a 3.63 ERA. The Rangers are rolling, winners of seven of their past nine games, and once again their bullpen — composed primarily of one-year signings — is among the best in the sport. Jakob Junis, signed for $4 million in the offseason, has a 1.69 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and four saves in his 23 appearances. The Padres are sinking, having lost 11 of their last 13 games, and need offense anywhere they can get it. Surprisingly, one of their best offensive players to this point has been first baseman Ty France, who was signed to a minor-league deal before the season. After an inauspicious start to the year offensively, Pete Crow-Armstrong’s $115 million extension now looks like a prudent move for the Cubs. He has been on fire in June and suddenly ranks second in the National League in fWAR behind only Shohei Ohtani. The Pirates hoped Brandon Lowe could help lift their anemic offense, and he’s giving them everything they could have envisioned. Lowe has the highest slugging percentage and most home runs of any qualified MLB second baseman this year. Signed for $7.5 million in December, starter Michael Soroka is 8-3 with a 3.28 ERA. It’s his best season since his 2019 All-Star year in Atlanta. The rest of MLB’s hesitancy was the South Siders’ gain when they got NPB star Munetaka Murakami for two years and $34 million. Though he hasn’t played in June due to a hamstring strain, the 26-year-old still leads all first basemen with 20 home runs. Dustin May has pitched better than his 4.59 ERA would indicate. By FanGraphs’ version of WAR, he is the Cardinals’ most valuable starting pitcher by a wide margin. It has been a helpful $12.5 million one-year flier. José A. Ferrer has a 1.55 ERA in a team-high 32 appearances and has been arguably the most valuable member of the Mariners’ bullpen this year. The trade to acquire Ferrer is especially important given Andrés Muñoz’s (5.40) unexpected struggles. Signed in February for $13 million, 35-year-old Nick Martinez ranks second among all qualified American League starters with a 2.29 ERA. Unfortunately for the Rays, their offensive blemishes are starting to show while dropping 10 of their past 13 games. Signed for just $1.5 million in December, reliever Colin Holderman is 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA and a team-best 0.78 WHIP. This is what the Guardians do. Re-signing Kyle Schwarber was inarguably the most vital move of the Phillies’ offseason. Coming off a 56-homer season, Schwarber leads MLB this year with 23 home runs. A return to the Bronx always made the most sense for Cody Bellinger, and he’s giving the Yankees everything they could have hoped for. Bellinger’s .373 on-base percentage is his highest mark since his 2019 MVP season. His offensive production is even more important now with Aaron Judge sidelined. A key piece of Boston’s return in the Rafael Devers trade, Kyle Harrison is instead enjoying his breakout in Milwaukee. The Brewers acquired Harrison as part of the Caleb Durbin trade and are reaping the rewards. The former top Giants prospect is 7-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 11 starts. The Dodgers signed the top player and closer on the market, but those moves haven’t gone to plan. Kyle Tucker, who’s making $60 million a year, has hit barely above league average. Edwin Díaz, meanwhile, has an ERA over 10.00 and is on the injured list. Of course, all that matters for L.A. is October. But for now, it looks like the Dodgers’ best move was extending Max Muncy for $10 million guaranteed in 2027. He has been one of the most valuable third basemen in MLB this year. Atlanta’s signing of Robert Suarez (4-0, 0.63 ERA) and re-signing of Raisel Iglesias (0.87 ERA, 13-for-13 in save opportunities) have helped the Braves construct a bullpen with the lowest ERA and WHIP in MLB.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

World Wide Technology Raceway (Madison, Ill.) — Josef Newgarden continued his mastery of the short ovals at a place that he has conquered many times. Newgarden, still nursing an injured left foot from a crash two weeks ago in the Indianapolis 500, led the final 40 laps for his sixth career victory at the 1.25-mile asphalt oval commonly known as Gateway. It was the Team Penske driver’s fifth win in the last seven races at the track but it was far from a normal race, as this 260-lapper was suspended twice for rain. “When you have the fastest car in the field, it’s easier to win the race, and that’s more times than not what I’ve got when we roll out,” Newgarden said in his winner’s news conference. “I think that was the case today, too.” Here are my takeaways: 1. Another Short Oval Win For Newgarden The two-time INDYCAR champion won on the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway oval earlier this year and the win at Gateway kept him perfect on the short ovals this year. He won the final race of last season on the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway. In his final pass for the lead, Newgarden got by Christian Rasmussen but he didn’t realize it was for the lead. He thought Rasmussen was a lap down. “When [Rasmussen] came up to the [top-three] podium, I’m like, ‘What are you doing here? How did you get here? You were a lap down? Like, what are you doing?’” Newgarden said. “I think he got a little offended by that, but I’m so glad that I re-passed him. I was like, ‘He’s just kind of in the way.’” 2. Strange Contact For Siegel & Palou Nolan Siegel’s day ended after just 53 laps when he had contact with Alex Palou. The contact surprised Siegel, who was a lap down. “I was a little bit shocked,” Siegel told me and other reporters. “We weren’t racing each other. I felt like I left a lot of room on the inside. … Obviously, Alex is not an idiot. He knows what he’s doing. “He’s a very good race car driver. I don’t know, but I’m disappointed that it happened.” Palou, who was not penalized for avoidable contact, also was a little surprised. “I don’t know if I moved up or he’ll move down. … We were like lapping him, and I was well ahead,” Palou explained. “I think we hit on my rear tire, so I don’t know if I just moved up or he turned. It was obviously not on purpose.” 3: Palou Out Of Gas Palou tried to stretch his fuel. And then, after one of the red flags for rain, he opted to wait until the pits were open to pit instead of coming in for emergency service (which would have cost him a chance to win). He ran out of gas entering pit road, and with the last stall, he crept slowly down pit road as the rest of the field sped by. He lost two laps. “It’s not a good feeling,” Palou said. “It was so close. … It’s just sad, but at the same time, it’s OK. It’s one of those that you need to risk it to try and get the win or try and get position up there. … It doesn’t feel nice when you’re there and everybody was flying by.” The series points leader finished 17th and has a 49-point edge on Kyle Kirkwood halfway through the season. 4. Podium Finishers Needed Solid Runs Marcus Ericsson led 114 laps but settled for second, while Rasmussen ended up third. Both drivers saw a potential win slip away but they also needed those strong runs. Ericsson is in a contract year at Andretti Global, while Rasmussen entered the race 24th in the series standings out of 25 full-time drivers. Rasmussen and ECR announced earlier in the week he had signed a contract extension. “It’s definitely bittersweet after leading that many laps, having a great car underneath me,” said Ericsson in a post-race news conference. He lost the lead on a pit cycle when he pitted a lap earlier than Newgarden. “We drove all the way to the front.” 4 ½. What’s Next The INDYCAR Series, which has been on track for five consecutive weekends, will be off next week before returning to action June 19-21 at Road America, one of the most iconic road courses in the United States. The 4.014-mile course tests a driver’s skill level as well as the equipment with a series of fast turns as elevation changes. Alex Palou has won three of the last five races at the track.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Yankee Stadium (NEW YORK) – Even though baseball’s most iconic rivalry didn’t quite have the same buzz as we’re used to with Aaron Judge sidelined by injury and Boston languishing at the bottom of the AL East, the Yankees and Red Sox still delivered. No matter the circumstances, when these two historic franchises share the same field, the pressure is heightened and the excitement always draws an enormous crowd. Sure, the stakes weren’t as high. But the rivalry still felt bigger. Here are my takeaways from the series split in the Bronx: 1. Lessons Learned With Judge Out Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ top outfield prospect, returned to the lineup on Friday night with a new frame of mind. Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray found out the hard way. In his first at-bat since being called up from Triple-A to replace the injured Judge, Jones turned an eight-pitch at-bat into a 101-mph single to center field. The 25-year-old rookie gave Gray a headache all night. Gray tried to change his approach against Jones in their next meeting in the fourth inning, trying to get Jones to chase pitches outside like he did last month, when he was called up for a cup of coffee in the major leagues. But Jones didn’t bite. He waited for something better down the middle, eventually ripping an RBI double down the first-base line to right field. Hitting sixth, Jones went 3-for-3 in his return to the big leagues, showing that he had learned a thing or two during his two-week minor-league demotion. “I kind of used it as motivation,” Jones told me in the clubhouse on Sunday. “Before I got called up the first time, I always wondered if how I played was good enough.” Jones hit .167 (4-for-24) with three walks and 12 strikeouts in his brief, 10-game stint with the Yankees in May. The lefty-swinging outfielder went back down to the minors, focusing on the exact areas he needed to improve. He made subtle changes in the batter’s box, standing in different positions against certain pitchers, particularly lefties. He cleaned up his swing. He focused on being more intentional on defense and worked on getting jumps before stealing bases. He also has more confidence in his abilities this time around. Though he still hasn’t hit a home run in the major leagues, the power is there. It’s a small sample size, but his 96.9 average exit velocity and 77.6 mph bat speed are both considered elite. The homers will come, Jones said, because he no longer feels like he’s “drinking out of a firehose,” like he did the first time he was called up. “It’s only been a couple of days, but for me, I know what it feels like,” Jones said of the pressure to perform for the Yankees. “That was part of being in the minor leagues. It’s like, how do you bottle that feeling and replicate that feeling, where it’s like, I won’t let those things affect me.” 2. The Contreras Trade Is Paying Dividends For Willson Contreras, this was nothing new. The Red Sox first baseman has carried the lineup all year, so putting on a show in a visit to the Bronx was no different. In Friday’s series opener, Contreras delivered a go-ahead RBI single and a two-run home run that broke the game open in Boston’s 5-3 win over the Yankees. His two-run shot was his first-career home run at Yankee Stadium, and Contreras stopped in his tracks and admired all of it. Craig Breslow, Boston’s chief baseball officer, is known for some pretty lopsided trades — we’re coming up to the one-year anniversary of his jaw-dropping Rafael Devers’ trade — but acquiring Contreras from the Cardinals isn’t one of them. Since Contreras joined the Red Sox in December, he leads the offense in batting average, home runs, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, and walks. The Red Sox gave up three pitching prospects in the deal for Contreras, with the biggest piece being right-hander Hunter Dobbins for St. Louis. Breslow acquired Contreras for the right-handed pop from his bat, and he’s become a stabilizing, veteran force in an otherwise young and unproven Red Sox lineup. “We need to make sure we get our house in order,” Breslow said in the visitor’s dugout at Yankee Stadium on Friday. “We need to play better, and we need to win more games. … The first thing is to continue to build on the progress we’ve seen offensively over the last month.” Without Contreras, the Red Sox offense would be unwatchable right now. Even with his help, Boston is ranked 25th in wRC+ (91), 26th in slugging (.378), 25th in OPS (.694), and 27th in walk percentage (7.9%). Contreras has days when he can carry the team, like he did in Friday’s win. But even on Sunday, he was the only Red Sox hitter to put a run on the board when he lined an RBI single to left field, which extended his on-base streak to 18 games. Contreras is doing his job. What about everyone else? 3) How Is Judge’s Bat Still Getting Action? While Judge is catching bench splinters, his bat is still getting plenty of action. Jazz Chisholm Jr. used Judge’s bat to hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 6-1 win over the Red Sox on Sunday. That was Chisholm’s second time using Judge’s bat; he tore his oblique the first time he used it, on April 29, 2025, and missed five weeks on the injured list. On Sunday, Chisholm knew not to swing as hard. “Sometimes you need a little bit more weight,” Chisholm said. “And a little bit less on your swing.” Did Chisholm ask Judge’s permission before using his bat? “Definitely didn’t ask him,” Chisholm said. “You know, it’s like a big brother, little brother thing.” The Yankees are in the early days of navigating life without Judge, who went on the injured list Friday with a stress fracture on the first rib on his right side. He’s expected to miss two months recovering from the fracture, waiting for the bone to heal before he can begin swinging again. The results have been a mixed bag, with the Yankees going 2-3 in the five games they’ve played without Judge anchoring the lineup. But there are reasons for optimism from the offense. Ben Rice homered off Red Sox veteran right Sonny Gray on Friday, hours after Judge was placed on the IL, to become the team leader in homers with 18 this season. Trent Grisham, batting fifth instead of leading off on Sunday, had an excellent day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the eighth. Cody Bellinger mashed his ninth home run of the year on Sunday with a tie-breaking solo shot to right. Paul Goldschmidt continued to pile on hits against left-handers. And after Amed Rosario and Grisham swiped a bag each in the eighth inning Sunday, the Yankees are tied with the Guardians for the most stolen bases (64) in the American League. “I think this offense is capable of a lot more than people realize,” Jones said. “I think there’s a lot of speed on this team. There’s a lot of different ways to win baseball games. And the guys are super close. All the position players are super tight-knit. Everybody’s rooting for each other. It’s such a solid unit that it’s like, obviously it sucks to have the captain go down. But I truly believe that the people in this room are more than enough to pull together wins and play good baseball without him.” 4. Suárez Outduels Schlittler Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suárez and Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler engaged in a good, old-fashioned pitcher’s duel on Sunday, though it didn’t go the distance. Schlittler gave up a run in the fifth, while Suárez threw 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Since April 11, Suárez has gone 2-2 with a 2.38 ERA over his last 10 starts. The southpaw has allowed one run or fewer in seven of those 10 outings. It’s too bad his bullpen blew a 1-0 Red Sox lead going into the eighth inning. Besides a couple of clunkers against Atlanta and Cleveland this month, Suárez has been solid on the mound in the absence of injured ace Garrett Crochet. “Your focus as a starter is to get deep into the games,” Suárez said after his outing on Sunday. “It was good to be out there and throw into the seventh inning. I know the past few starts haven’t been that long, but that’s what you strive for as a pitcher.” There will always be a little extra juice when Cam Schlittler takes the mound against the Red Sox, and on Sunday he was under pressure to bounce back. Schlittler recorded the worst start of his career his last time out, coughing up five runs (four earned) over 4 ⅓ innings against Cleveland last week. Against the Red Sox, his favorite childhood team, Schlittler’s fastball velocity recovered and he looked more like himself. It helped that the Red Sox are the worst team in baseball against cutters, which he used nearly as much as his four-seam fastball to blow past batters in the series finale. Schlittler cemented himself in Yankees-Red Sox rivalry lore when he gave it some new ammo last October. He pitched eight scoreless innings and recorded 12 strikeouts in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series to eliminate the Red Sox from the playoffs. After that shutout start, Schlittler revealed he was extra motivated to silence Boston because the Weymouth, Massachusetts native had been receiving inappropriate messages from Red Sox fans, comments that he said crossed a line. He used his frustration as fuel for the game. “The velo was there, and the movement was a little better,” Schlittler said of his performance against the Red Sox on Sunday. “I was still a little sloppy, but definitely better than last week and that’s all I can really take from that.” 4 ½. What’s Next? The Yankees and Red Sox will meet again in just a couple of weeks, when Boston hosts New York for a four-game series beginning June 25 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox come back to the Bronx at the end of August for what will unexpectedly be another four-game series. Saturday’s postponed game was moved to August 29 as part of a split doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

In the world of global sports, mononyms — going by a single name — has become one of the more popular parts of the sport. Icons like Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaká don’t need a surname to identify themselves to the world. But while it looks like a calculated marketing strategy for modern brands, the origin of the soccer mononym is actually rooted in deep cultural traditions, nicknames and the informal nature of soccer itself. Where Did It Come From? The phenomenon is most famously tied to Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries, particularly Brazil. In Portuguese culture, naming conventions are exceptionally long, often combining multiple maternal and paternal family names. For example, Pelé (born Edson Arantes do Nascimento) remains the most famous one-name soccer star. But broadcasting or printing long names on a match sheet often became impractical. To solve this, players started to use apelidos (nicknames). Some current players who follow this trend are Brazil’s Raphinha, born Raphael Dias Belloli or Vinícius Jr, born Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior. Another Brazilian star, Neymar, was Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. The same goes for Spain’s Pedri, born Pedro González López, and Rodri, born Rodrigo Hernández Cascante. In Brazil, soccer has historically been a game of the working class, played in streets and dirt lots where formal surnames carry little weight. Players are christened with nicknames by teammates, fans, or family based on physical traits, childhood stories, or where they grew up. When younger players transition to the professional ranks, the street names stick. Ultimately, what began as a linguistic shortcut and a nickname has evolved into one of soccer’s biggest badges of honor. A single name connects an athlete with the fan, turning a player into a household name. Famous Examples A few famous examples of players going by a single name include: Pelé | Brazil Pelé’s apelido was a childhood mispronunciation of his favorite local goalkeeper, Bilé. But no one will mistake this name ever again, as the three-time World Cup winner (1958, 1962, 1970) is considered the greatest soccer player ever. Naturally, Pelé is also known as “O Rei” – which is “The King” in Portuguese. Ronaldinho and Ronaldo | Brazil The name Ronaldo is very come in Portuguese-speaking countries (Lusophone countries to be precise). You’d be forgiven then if it was slightly confusing when referring to two legendary figures from Brazil. Ronaldinho – whose full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira – means “Little Ronaldo,” adopted to distinguish him from older teammate and fellow icon, Ronaldo (whose full name is Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima). Of course, Ronaldo went by “Ronaldinho” for a short time as well during his early playing days. And that’s not even to mention Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who is often referred to by one name as well. Kaká | Brazil Kaká – born Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite – earned his apelido from his younger brother’s inability to pronounce “Ricardo.” The Brazilian was also often referred to by “Ricardo Kaká” during is playing days, combining his real name and his more famous moniker. Pedri | Spain One of the best players in today’s game, Pedri (Pedro González López) is already known by fans across the globe for his playmaking skills for club (Barcelona) and country (Spain). So why doesn’t he just go by Pedro? As he has previously explained, he played alongside another boy named Pedro in his youth team days who was bigger than him. As such, he earned the more diminutive nickname.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Brazil has made an injury replacement to its World Cup roster less than a week before its first match against Morocco, with right back Wesley out and midfielder Ederson in. The Brazilian soccer confederation said Sunday that Wesley injured a muscle in his left thigh. He left early in the team’s friendly game against Egypt on Saturday night in Cleveland, and imaging found it significant enough to knock Wesley out of the World Cup. “Wesley is an athlete loved by the group and will always be considered part of this team that seeks the six-time world championship,” the Brazilian confederation said. Éderson, 26, is now set to join the team in the U.S. as part of the 26-player roster. Brazil opens World Cup Group C Drawn into Group C play on Saturday in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Brazil will face Morocco on June 13, Haiti on June 20, and Scotland on June 24. Another injury situation is still ongoing with 34-year-old forward Neymar, who did not travel to Cleveland with the rest of the group. Neymar is currently sidelined because of a calf injury. The Associated Press contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Soldier Field (CHICAGO) — As the American and German players filed out of their locker rooms toward the buses following Saturday’s exhibition match, the air of excitement was impossible to ignore. Next stop for both teams? The 2026 FIFA World Cup. For the United States men’s national team, this moment has been eight years in the making. The USA was awarded co-hosting rights, along with neighbors Canada and Mexico, just months after the Stars and Stripes’ epic failure to qualify for the 2018 tournament. A new generation of players  responded by reaching Qatar 2022, where they fielded the youngest lineup in the competition and still reached the knockout stage. Now in their prime and employed by some of soccer’s marquee clubs, they’re aiming to make history on home soil. “Excited to get going, man,” heart and soul U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams told the gaggle of reporters after Mauricio Pochettino’s team lost 2-1 to the four-time world champions on Leroy Sané’s second-half goal. “Now it’s down to business.” Or, more accurately: the business of winning games. And that begins when USA next take the pitch for the real deal on Friday against Paraguay in its World Cup opening match in Los Angeles. Pochettino’s team performed well against Germany in both sides’ final pre-World Cup warm-up. They outshot and out-possessed FIFA’s 10th ranked team, and even dominated the star-studded Die Mannschaft for long stretches — a feat made more impressive considering they trailed less than two minutes after kickoff on Kai Havertz’s goal. “We can take a lot of positives,” said veteran left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, whose stunning volley pulled the hosts level before halftime. “Conceding that early, we could have easily crumbled, and it could have been a very, very bad day to be going into the tournament with. “But we fought back, and at times played some really good football, and looked good, looked competitive…we’ve still got time to shore up a few mistakes that we’ve made going into the first game.” Mistakes are often fatal at the highest level. And as encouraging as the Americans’ response and overall performance was, they still lost the game. Winning is a habit. At the World Cup, there is no such thing as a moral victory. The U.S. players know that as well as anyone. Opening the tournament with a victory over the Paraguayans on Friday is imperative, even though the new 48-team format is more forgiving than the previous editions; 32 countries will now qualify for the knockout stage, including eight third-place finishers across the 12 four-team groups. As one of the dozen No. 1 seeds — a privilege automatically afforded to the three hosts — the U.S. has a manageable path to the second round, with Australia and Türkiye rounding out Group D. Those games won’t be easy, but the U.S. is favored to advance. After that, though, a true world power could await. “We’re gonna face teams like this in the World Cup,” star forward Christian Pulisic said after the Germany match.  “We have to be ready to compete with some of the best, and yeah, we’ve had good performances, but we still want to win these games.” Being able to focus solely on the World Cup now should help. The U.S. delegation flew directly to Irvine, California on Saturday night and will remain there until jetting to Seattle ahead of playing Australia on June 19. The first and final group game against Türkiye will then be back in Los Angeles. That’s a far cry from the USA’s recent itinerary. Pochettino’s 26-man roster was introduced in New York City on May 26. Over the next 11 days, they traveled to Atlanta, Charlotte, back to Atlanta, Chicago and finally onto Irvine. “It’ll be nice to just get in one place and be able to settle in, try and minimize the travel as much as possible,” Adams said. “We’ve been in a million different places, a million different facilities, in and out.” Now that they’re on the ground, what’s the plan? “Watch the film, obviously, and get the little details right,” Pulisic said. “[We’ll] keep working as a team, and we think that we can do it when it really matters.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

SOLDIER FIELD (Chicago) – After a terrible start to the game, conceding off a free kick in the second minute, the United States grew into Saturday’s friendly against Germany finishing the 1st half as the better side. The Americans slowly got into a rhythm after Kai Havertz’s header opened the scoring. They probably should have had a second goal outside Antonee “Jedi” Robinson’s volley in the 37th minute. After not taking their chances and conceding again in the second half, the U.S. is heading into its World Cup opener against Paraguay off the back of a loss to the 10th-best team in the world, according to FIFA’s rankings, in Germany. Here are my player ratings for the United States’ starting XI against Germany. (Ratings are out of 10.) You need players who can step up and create big moments. That’s exactly what Antonee did. I dare him to try to score a better goal! That was a fantastic strike, and the timing of it was so important, getting the U.S. level going into halftime. Robinson is one of the most important players for Mauricio Pochettino, so the fact that he went down in the second half before having to walk slowly off the field was not encouraging. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that it was nothing more than cramps. This was a very different game for the U.S. in terms of the defensive structure it faced compared to Senegal last week. That didn’t stop Christian from finding ways to be a threat on the ball. He had an early long ball that almost put Sergiño Dest through on goal, and he was constantly getting on the ball and looking to dribble into space. Overall, an encouraging two games for the USA’s most dangerous attacker. He looks confident and hungry heading into the World Cup. I like the freedom that Dest has in this system to push higher up the pitch. He had an early chance on that long ball from Pulisic that I mentioned, which is an example of how important he’ll be in attack for the U.S. He didn’t have the same impact as last week against Senegal, but I like that Sergiño is always willing to make himself dangerous in the attacking third and take risks. Balogun found it a little more difficult against Germany than he did in the second half against Senegal last week, although he still had some moments when he looked a threat. I would have liked to see Flo turn one of his half-chances into a better look at goal – or better yet score. His work rate was tremendous, though. A big moment for Tillman, starting this game against a lot of players he’s familiar with, having been born in Germany. Malik can play in midfield or higher up the pitch, which was evident from his starting position. Sometimes he stayed higher up the pitch, while other moments saw him drop deeper to help build the attack. Finding a balance between where he plays and Weston McKennie when he makes his runs forward from midfield will be important. Overall, he helped create a couple chances and did a good job pressing the German defense. Adams committed a silly early foul that led to the free kick that saw Havertz open the scoring for Germany. Like the rest of the team, though, he responded well. I thought Tyler offered a lot of personality in midfield against a quality opponent. He showed his leadership with some key tackles in midfield that started some U.S. attacks in transition. Weston had some moments that showed why he’s so important to this team. He will slot into midfield next to Adams this summer, which allows him to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Wes brings a lot of energy and combativeness to midfield. He’ll need to be at his very best next week against Paraguay. Overall, I think Freese was solid on the night. I’m not going to blame him for either of the two goals that were conceded. This game showed that he will be in net against Paraguay next week and is the USA No. 1 goalkeeper ahead of Matt Turner. Freeman has earned his starting spot as the right center back in the USA’s back three. He played well last week against Senegal and held his own against a tougher opponent. Alex can play as a right back, as well as more centrally in defense. That versatility will be important at the World Cup, starting with the game against Paraguay. Ream started as the left center back for the U.S. and was clearly targeted by Germany. For the most part, he held his own and didn’t allow the Germans to exploit his lack of pace. Tim is a veteran, and his experience showed in his calmness on the ball and ability to pass out of the back under pressure. That should come in handy. Robinson didn’t do enough to track Havertz on the opening goal. He followed that up with some good moments, as well as some shaky ones, for the rest of the first half. Chris Richards expressed optimism this week that he’ll be ready to take his place at the center of the U.S. defense against Paraguay on Friday. If he isn’t, the question is whether Robinson has shown enough to convince Pochettino that he should start over Mark McKenzie, who played the first 45 minutes last week against Paraguay and finished this game.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There were plenty of bright spots for the United States men’s national team in their 2-1 loss to No. 10-ranked Germany on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago: Antonee Robinson’s wonder strike, Christian Pulisic’s confidence and the play from the fullbacks. However, the jury is still very much out on the situation in goal with Matt Freese and Matt Turner. Freese got the starting nod in goal against Germany after Turner started the first half of the United States’ friendly against Senegal on Sunday. For many, Freese’s selection in Saturday’s squad was a sign of his standing in Maurico Pochettino’s pecking order, but for Alexi Lalas, Freese still has something to prove. “The second goal from Germany, again, was a letdown,” Lalas said on his “State of the Union” podcast. “I want to be fair, there was a little bit of a deflection on the shot, but it just goes back to Matt Freese has yet to make the save he shouldn’t make, and there are plenty of big-time goalkeepers in the world that would find a way to make that save.” Lalas’ criticism was not limited to Germany’s second goal. The former U.S. international also placed much of the blame for Kai Havertz’s opening strike on Freese, arguing that the goalkeeper failed to take command of his penalty area. With the United States deploying a high defensive line while defending the set piece, Lalas believes Freese needed to be far more aggressive in coming off his line and dealing with the danger before Havertz could capitalize. “I think the majority of this blame goes on Matt Freese,” Lalas said. “It used to drive me crazy when coaches and goalkeepers would want you as high as possible, and I would say fine, but recognize that you are putting me at a huge disadvantage in terms of meeting the ball and being goalside of my attacker. “If you are going to create what amounts to a 10-15 yard space, your goalkeeper damn well better come out and clean house, and that is certainly not what Matt Freese did on this. You are left as defenders having to retreat and then get goalside.” The goalkeeping position remains one of the biggest question marks for the United States heading into the World Cup. Matt Turner has struggled to build on the momentum he gained from his strong performances at the 2022 World Cup, despite putting together a solid season with the New England Revolution. Meanwhile, Freese has established himself as the current No. 1, but he has yet to fully cement the role with consistently standout performances. Unlike previous generations, when the United States could call upon multiple elite goalkeepers, the current pool lacks the same level of proven international talent. As a result, the competition between Freese and Turner remains open heading into the tournament. Despite his criticism, Lalas still expects Freese to start the United States’ World Cup opener against Paraguay next Friday. He also suggested that the lineup used against Germany is likely close to the team Mauricio Pochettino will deploy, with the exception of Miles Robinson. “I’m not saying that Matt Turner is going to start,” Lalas continued. “I still think it’s Matt Freese. Matt Freese is going to have to step up his game as the World Cup happens here next week. Again, make that save where you go, ‘Wow, I didn’t know he had it in him.’ We haven’t seen any of those moments from Matt Freese other than saving penalties. Which is wonderful, but who knows when we’re going to get to penalties?”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Golden Tempo won the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, capturing the third leg of the Triple Crown five weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby and making more history for trainer Cherie DeVaux. With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, Golden Tempo charged down the stretch at Saratoga Race Course to win the Belmont, holding off Commandment before the finish line at the historic track. Commandment was second and favorite Renegade third. The pace was not nearly as fast as it was at Churchill Downs, yet Golden Tempo still was able to close in time to win the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:03.49. DeVaux, after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, is the second in four years to do so at the Belmont. Jena Antonucci won it with Archangelo in 2023. This was the third and final time for the Belmont at Saratoga in upstate New York while its traditional home on the border of Queens and Long Island is getting demolished and rebuilt. The race is set to return to Belmont Park next year. DeVaux was born in Saratoga Springs and began her training career at the track. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports