Sports
Spain's opener vs. Cape Verde carries giant expectations
June 14, 2026; Kennesaw, Georgia, U.S.; Spain’s Lamine Yamal during training. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images After becoming a global star before turning 18, Lamine Yamal now has his sights on the World Cup and introducing himself on United States soil.
The teenage sensation could be set to make his World Cup debut Monday when Spain begin their pursuit of a second championship in Group H play against Cape Verde in Atlanta.
Yamal finished second in voting for the most recent Ballon d’Or Trophy, the equivalent of the world’s MVP. He scored 24 goals with 17 assists across all competitions for Barcelona this past season. Two seasons ago, he scored 18 goals with 21 assists, all before his 18th birthday.
The youngest to play and score internationally for Spain (16 years, 57 days) Yamal is set to return after being sidelined since April 22 with a left hamstring injury.
“Ever since I was a kid, it’s been the one tournament everyone watches. That’s what makes it special,” Yamal told FIFA. “Even if you’re not into football, your country is playing and suddenly everyone is out in the streets, watching together. That’s the beauty of the game. It gives me goosebumps to think I’ll be part of it.”
Exactly how much Yamal and fellow recovering striker Nico Williams play in the opener, after missing the final tune-up friendly vs. Peru, remains to be seen.
“They’ll all be available for Cape Verde. Now, that doesn’t mean they’ll play. We’ll see how we all feel,” Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente said. “They come first. And we’ll see in that match whether we need to give them some playing time or not.”
Spain enter the World Cup second in the FIFA World Rankings. They won the 2023 Nations League Final and 2024 European Championship under de la Fuente.
In the World Cup, though, Spain have not advanced to the quarterfinals after winning the title in 2010.
“Playing every match as if it’s our last, respecting our opponents and being ready to challenge for the highest honors,” de la Fuente said. “The only things we ask for are effort, hard work and dedication. The results will take care of themselves.”
Cape Verde will be the second of four teams to make their World Cup debut, after Curacao faced Germany on Sunday.
At the time of their qualification last October, Cape Verde were the second-smallest country by land area and the third-smallest by population to qualify, until Curacao topped them in both categories. Cape Verde is an island nation off the west coast of Africa.
It’s been a meteoric rise for the Blue Sharks, who have been trying to qualify for the World Cup since before the 2002 event.
“Taking part in the World Cup is something that we probably never imagined happening so soon,” Cape Verde left back Stopira told FIFA. “Our people would always wait until the World Cup came around and then choose who they would support. But now they’ll have the pleasure of cheering on their own country.”
Cape Verde’s team represents 14 countries in domestic play. The squad’s only player in a top-five European league, Villarreal defender Logan Costa, made the roster despite playing just 14 minutes this past season after an ACL tear in August.
Other World Cup matches to be played Monday:
–Group G: Belgium vs. Egypt at Seattle: Romelu Lukaku and Belgium’s group of aging stars will look to channel the country’s 2018 third-place finish, not the 2022 group-stage exit. Egypt, making their fourth World Cup appearance, are seeking their first tournament win.
–Group H: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay at Miami Gardens, Fla.: Saudi Arabia have an easier opening task than four years ago, when they began with an upset of eventual champion Argentina. Uruguay, without all-time goals leader Luis Suarez, won two of the first four World Cups but haven’t finished better than fourth since.
–Group G: Iran vs. New Zealand at Inglewood, Calif.: The expansion of the knockout round to 32 teams could very well mean either Iran or New Zealand advance past the group stage for the first time. An opening three points would put one well on its way.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels pursue rare series sweep against Rays
Jun 12, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell (7) hits a single during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Tampa Bay Rays could become the answer to this trivia question: Who are the only two teams the Los Angeles Angels have swept in 2026?
The Angels will look to add the Rays to their short list of sweep victims — the Texas Rangers are the other — when they host them on Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (2-2, 8.10 ERA) will make his sixth start since missing almost two years with assorted injuries. The Rays, who have lost four straight road games and eight of their last nine away from Florida, will use right-hander reliever Casey Legumina (2-1, 3.07 ERA) as an opener.
Rodriguez is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in four career starts against Tampa Bay with the last one coming in 2024 before he was shut down for the season on July 31. He missed all of 2025.
He picked up a no-decision in his most recent start, a 5-4 loss in 10 innings to the Houston Astros on Monday. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits over 5 1/3 innings, walked two and struck out six while averaging 97 mph with his four-seam fastball.
Legumina will be making his second career start. He is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in eight career appearances against Los Angeles.
Los Angeles tied a season-high four-game win streak with a 8-0 victory on Saturday, pounding out 15 hits in the process. Jo Adell went 4-for-5 with a double and three runs, and Jose Siri smacked a two-run homer for the Angels.
It was the third four-hit game of Adell’s career and second in a week.
The Angels, 12-8 over their last 20 games, will be trying for their first five-game win streak in over a year. The last time that happened was May 16-23, 2025, when they won eight in a row.
Jose Soriano, hit in the right chest area by a 105 mph comebacker by Jonathan Aranda in the first inning, picked up his eighth win, allowing three hits and striking out five over five innings. He left after throwing just 76 pitches.
“We just wanted to be really cautious,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “It was smoked right off his chest. He gave us five good innings, and we felt like that was the right time to get him out of there.”
Soriano said it was actually his left hip, not his chest, that was bothering him.
“I was trying to get away from the ball, and when I tried, I just felt my leg (get) stuck,” Soriano told The Orange County Register. “That’s when I started feeling a little bit sore. And every inning, it felt a little bit worse.”
Soriano said he doesn’t expect the hip injury to sideline him.
“I feel I can be good for my next outing,” he said. “We’ll just keep working on that and I’m gonna be good.”
Tampa Bay managed just five singles but also walked four times in Saturday’s loss. The Rays were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and have scored just three runs on 12 hits in the first two games.
“Our offense is going through it a little bit right now,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash admitted. “We’ll come out of it. We just need to find a way to get a couple of those big hits in bunches.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
2 men charged following theft of England World Cup gear
June 9, 2026; Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S.; England’s Jordan Henderson during training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Prosecutors in Jackson County, Mo., have charged two Texas men with one felony count each of receiving stolen property after the theft of equipment belonging to England’s national soccer team.
Charged were Mustafa Salik, 40, and Erfan Kamal, 36. The felony charge could result in a prison term of up to seven years if they are convicted.
Bond was set at $75,000. They remained held at the Jackson County Detention Center as of Sunday morning.
“Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have traveled here to compete,” Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson said. “We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work in filing charges immediately.”
The men are alleged to have stolen about $18,000 worth of gear during the team’s relocation from a training site in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to its World Cup base camp in Kansas City.
The items were not part of the essentials needed for game day. KCUR in Kansas City reported the stolen gear included signed jerseys, clothing, cleats and two stuffed animals — lions to refect the team’s name, Three Lions.
Much of the gear has been returned to England.
Ranked No. 4 in the world, England chose Kansas City for a base camp for its central U.S. location.
The Three Lions’ Group L opener is on Wednesday against Croatia in Arlington, Texas. England also will play Ghana on June 23 in Foxborough, Mass., and Panama on June 27 in East Rutherford, N.J.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brooks Koepka (hand) WDs from RBC Canadian Open
Jun 13, 2026; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Brooks Koepka hits his tee shot at the 17th hole during the third round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Brooks Koepka acknowledged an injury to his hand after he labored through a 2-over-par 72 on the third round at the RBC Canadian Open on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, Koepka officially withdrew from the tournament at Caledon, Ontario.
The five-time major champion admitted that he was struggling with the grip of his club ahead of the fourth round.
“Yeah, I don’t know what it is. I’m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger, so can’t grip it,” Koepka said.
“So the club is kind of just, my fingers would come loose, it was kind of numb. I don’t know what the deal was but hopefully we’ll figure it out.”
He opened the tournament with rounds of 64 and 68.
Koepka, 36, was spotted receiving treatment on the 11th tee box at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) during the third round.
“Yeah, the whole warm-up, I felt fine, I was absolutely good,” he said. “Then got to the range and went to grip the club and I just couldn’t even grip it.
“So it lasted — it was all day. Felt better the last few holes. I don’t know if that’s just the meds kicked in or what it is. But hopefully we’ll figure it out now.”
Figuring it out is paramount given the U.S. Open is next week at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y. He won the second of his two consecutive U.S. Open championships at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.
Koepka has been back on the PGA Tour since January after more than three years away with LIV Golf. He’s placed in the top 20 in six events this year but his next win would be his first in a standard PGA Tour event since the 2021 WM Phoenix Open.
–Field Level Media
Angels pursue rare series sweep against Rays
2 men charged following theft of England World Cup gear
