Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes Jude Bellingham has all the makings of a future captain after his impressive debut season in LaLiga.
Bellingham finished as top scorer with 19 goals to help Madrid to their 36th LaLiga title while also providing six assists, and was voted LaLiga Player of the Season.
He scored a further four for Los Blancos in the Champions League as they won a record-extending 15th continental title.
The 20-year-old is also a key figure in Gareth Southgate's side at Euro 2024 and scored England's winning goal when they beat Serbia 1-0 in their group opener last Sunday.
Casillas is pleased with how quickly Bellingham adapted to life in Madrid and expects him to continue his impressive rise in the coming seasons, even though he will be asked to take on more responsibility.
"Bellingham has made it at the most important club in the world and has shown that he is a great player and that he can be there," Casillas said.
"Now, and next year, more may be asked of him, but that is what will make him a star.
"Let's see if he can also consolidate this way of playing. He is one of the great players in the world."
Casillas, who himself was Real Madrid captain, added: "He can surely be the captain of Real Madrid, of course.
"He has everything to form the role.
"There are more experienced players at the top [now], but I would advise him to continue learning from the veterans there, soaking up the history of the club, and to do everything he can to be a great player and captain.
"He plays for England, who are very strong and already [made the final] in a tough championship three years ago. He has what it takes to adapt to the Euros."
Spain also made a winning start to the European Championships, cruising past Croatia 3-0 in their first match in the so-called ‘group of death’.
With a marquee match-up with Italy next up, Casillas thinks La Roja's chances at the tournament will be much clearer after the result is known on Thursday.
Asked how far Spain can go, Casillas replied: "I don't know, there is still a lot of competition left and we have to play against Italy, which I think is going to be a more serious and a tougher challenge than Croatia.
"I was impressed with Spain winning 3-0, which has encouraged me as the Spanish fan that I am.
"But the match against Croatia was also a bit tricky, [the goals came] all at once Croatia had to do it all and, in the end, they were unlucky [to lose by three].
"I think we must see how Spain perform in the next game [against Italy]. That is the match where we are going to really measure their strength. We will see how that goes."
Casillas captained Spain to three major trophies, winning the Euros in back-to-back editions in 2008 and 2012, while also lifting the World Cup in 2010.
"I remember the moments of intense concentration we had [when playing this tournament]," he added. "I started in the Euros in 2000, 24 years ago, when I was 18 years old, and from there it was so much growth, step by step as I improved my level.
"Then I was very lucky to win two Euros trophies, and we got to contribute to making millions of Spaniards incredibly happy.
"We haven't reached the maximum levels of passion for this tournament yet. From the quarter-finals onwards we will really see the teams that are strong after the group stage and round of 16 have been played.
"That's where we will have a lot of fun! I have always loved this competition and really like it when they go to the quarter-finals."
Iker Casillas is a brand ambassador for Hisense's UEFA EURO 2024 campaign BEYOND GLORY which celebrates the relentless pursuit of excellence shared by professional footballers aiming for EURO honours and Hisense’s commitment to pushing boundaries in the home appliance industry.
Noted sports attorney Dr. Emir Crowne, along with Matthew Gayle, Jason Jones, and Sayeed Bernard, have stepped up to represent Jamaican judo athlete Ebony Drysdale-Daley amidst a heated dispute with the Jamaica Judo Association (JJA). The association, led by Dwayne Barnett, has recently accused the British-born judoka of having two whereabouts failures and being on the brink of a ban, a move that Dr Crowne has vehemently criticized.
Dr. Crowne, an international sports lawyer with a history of defending athletes in high-profile cases, blasted the JJA for what he describes as a "smear campaign" against Drysdale-Daley. He expressed outrage over the JJA's decision to publicly disclose confidential information about Drysdale-Daley's whereabouts failures in a press release, calling it "absolutely atrocious" and "wildly irresponsible."
“The Jamaican Judo Association’s action to disclose such confidential information is absolutely atrocious. Athletes enjoy the protection of confidentiality until there is actually some sort of anti-doping rule violation asserted against them,” Crowne explained. He pointed out that an anti-doping rule violation only occurs after three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period, making the JJA's disclosure premature and unethical.
The JJA's press release came as a response to a video posted by Drysdale-Daley, in which she accused the association of bias in selecting athletes for the Paris Olympic Games. Drysdale-Daley, who made history as Jamaica's first judoka at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, alleged that her attempts to qualify for the upcoming Olympics were being deliberately hindered by the JJA in favour of her male counterpart, Ashley McKenzie.
“I feel the federation has shown no impartiality. There is a real question of ethics and integrity. The Jamaican Judo Association is blocking me from attending and competing in my last qualifying event, an event that I have self-funded and paid for,” Drysdale-Daley said in her video.
The JJA, in its defence, cited Drysdale-Daley’s failure to meet deadlines and her previous conduct at the Commonwealth Games 2022, which they described as "unbecoming of an athlete."
In response, Dr. Crowne called for the Jamaican Olympic Association (JOA), the International Judo Federation (IJF), and the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) to investigate the JJA's conduct. “I encourage JADCO, I encourage WADA, I encourage the JOA, I encourage the international federation to take a hard look at this press release and see if it was appropriate to disclose what is otherwise completely confidential,” Crowne asserted.
Dr. Crowne, known for his representation of athletes like Jamaica’s Ryker Hylton and Briana Williams, argued that the JJA's actions have damaged its own reputation more than Drysdale-Daley's. “In attempting to paint the athlete in a negative light, the Jamaican Judo Association has now painted themselves in a negative light through this breach of confidence, and it should not go unpunished,” he declared.
The disciplinary process for Drysdale-Daley, who has already received a notice of suspension from the JJA, remains in flux. With Dr Crowne and his team offering their legal expertise, the battle between Drysdale-Daley and the JJA is poised to intensify, drawing significant attention from the sports community as the saga unfolds.
Andy Murray hopes his latest injury will not rule him out of his Wimbledon swansong next month after withdrawing from the Queen's Club Championships on Wednesday.
The former world number one was forced to retire against Jordan Thompson five games into their second-round encounter due to a back injury and pain in his right leg.
It was a sad end for Murray, who has won the tournament a record five times. However, attention will immediately turn to being fit for Wimbledon, which starts on July 1.
"Let's hope it will be OK with some rest and treatment, and I'll still be able to play [at Wimbledon]," said Murray, who won two Wimbledon titles in 2013 and 2016.
The three-time grand slam champion was set to play an exhibition event in Hurlingham next week before Wimbledon but looks likely to miss the event.
Murray had said earlier this week he felt ending his illustrious career at Wimbledon or the Olympics would be a fitting stage to retire from the sport.
The Scot is set to undergo a scan on Thursday to clarify his potential participation at the tournament next month, where he is also due to play in the doubles alongside his older brother, Jamie.
"I don't know exactly what the problem is. I hadn't experienced that before," said Murray. "I have no idea how long it will take to get better and what the treatment options are."
New Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is keen to build on the solid foundations laid by Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Slot, who led Feyenoord to their KNVB Cup success last season, officially started his position at the start of June as the Reds start life without Klopp, who won eight trophies during nine years on Merseyside.
Liverpool finished third in the Premier League, nine points behind winners Manchester City and seven behind runners-up Arsenal, lifting the Carabao Cup in February against Chelsea.
The Dutchman is optimistic his new side can once again challenge for the title in his first campaign in charge and is hopeful of continuing the good work Klopp started back in 2015.
"I think 82 points is a result of the playing style. Always the points you get is always a result of the way you play," Slot said in his first interview with the club. "I've seen many games already, I've seen many training sessions as well.
"Of course the fans can see the games, so they know we have some very good players. But I've also seen a lot of training sessions already and this is where you bring the culture, and they are always working hard - like the fans see during the game.
"A real good team, real good players, managed to be on top for a very long time, but I think in the end we would all love to see Liverpool a bit higher than third place and this is the challenge we are facing now - to build on from what we have.
"I have all the confidence in this because of the players, that we can add a few things where we hopefully can get a bit more points than 82, which is necessary with the likes of Arsenal and City, to end up hopefully a bit higher than we did this season."
Slot's appointment was confirmed in May, with comparisons between his style of play immediately compared to Klopp's.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Feyenoord won possession in the final third more than any other team in Europe's top five leagues, with Liverpool in second place.
The Dutchman added his attacking brand of football was similar to his predecessor, saying: "This is probably one of the reasons they came to me as well," Slot said.
"We were all inspired by (Pep) Guardiola and Klopp and I think at a big club, which I worked in at Feyenoord as well, it is probably the only style you can play – to have the ball a lot, to have a lot of energy."
Liverpool next play in a pre-season game against Real Betis on July 26. They start the new Premier League campaign away to Ipswich Town on August 17.
The West Indies' T20 World Cup campaign took a severe hit after their eight-wicket defeat to England in the Super 8s match in St Lucia on Wednesday night with the news that they could be without opener Brandon King for the remainder of the tournament. The Jamaican retired hurt due to an apparent side strain early in their innings of 180-4.
King had given the West Indies a strong start, smashing 23 runs off just 12 balls, including a massive 101-metre six off Reece Topley that flew over the midwicket boundary. However, his promising innings was abruptly halted on his 13th delivery when he attempted to drive Sam Curran through the covers and suffered a side strain, forcing him to retire hurt after medical attention.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) later confirmed the injury: "Brandon King has suffered a side strain and will not return to the field of play in this evening's match." King did not field during England's chase, with Shimron Hetmyer taking his place.
Side strains usually take several weeks to heal, making King's participation in the remaining matches of the World Cup highly unlikely with only ten days left in the tournament. West Indies captain Rovman Powell expressed concern over King's injury. "Yes, a little bit worrying but hopefully he can pull through for the next game," Powell said. "We know how important a player he is for us."
King's absence would be a significant setback for the West Indies. Despite a modest tournament so far with a top score of 34, King’s experience and leadership, having recently captained the team against South Africa, are invaluable.
The West Indies have five standby players: Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr., and Matthew Forde. Kyle Mayers, who narrowly missed the initial squad, is the frontrunner to replace King, though Fletcher's experience as a top-order batsman also makes him a strong candidate.
The team will travel to Barbados on Thursday ahead of their next Super Eight match against the USA at Kensington Oval on Friday. With their World Cup ambitions in jeopardy, the West Indies will need to quickly adapt and find a way to mitigate the loss of their dynamic opener.
As the tournament continues, the focus will be on the West Indies to see how they handle this adversity and whether Brandon King can make an unexpected return to bolster their World Cup hopes.
Leicester City have announced Steve Cooper as their new manager following Enzo Maresca's move to Chelsea.
Cooper, who left Nottingham Forest in December 2023, has signed a three-year contract with the Foxes ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Maresca left the club earlier this month after just one season in charge, having led Leicester back to the top-flight at the first attempt, finishing top of the Championship.
"I am really excited and proud to be appointed Leicester City's First Team Manager," Cooper said. "This is a fantastic club with a rich history and passionate supporters.
"I am excited to work with such a talented squad and I'm looking forward to the challenge of achieving our shared ambitions in the Premier League."
In an open letter to the fans, he added: "Any person who loves football can only look with great respect upon how much this club has achieved in recent years.
"The Premier League title of 2016 and the FA Cup of 2021 have demonstrated what's possible for a united club. As the new manager, I don’t take that legacy lightly.
"My job will be to build on those achievements and to bring everyone along – players, staff and fans. Great challenges lie ahead, but I get the feeling that Leicester thrives in these moments. I know we will be ready."
After taking over in September 2021, Cooper saved Forest from relegation in the Championship and led them to promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge before ensuring top-flight safety the following year.
However, he left the club in December with the club sitting in 17th after a run of just one win in 13 matches.
The Welshman has also previously been in charge of England Under-16s and Under-17s, winning the World Cup with the latter in 2017, and also spent two years at Swansea City.
Cooper's first competitive game in charge will be at home to Tottenham on August 19.
Lionel Scaloni says Argentina are not resting on their laurels as they prepare for a tough Copa America title defence.
The Albiceleste won the 2021 edition of the tournament, beating Brazil 1-0 in the final, before lifting the World Cup in Qatar a year later.
Argentina are among the favourites to lift the trophy again, for what would be a record 16th time, edging past Uruguay, who also have 15.
However, Scaloni believes they need to put their recent successes behind them ahead of their opening game against Canada on Thursday.
"We are talking about things that have already passed. [Winning the World Cup and the Copa America] was very nice, but it's over," he said in his press conference.
"Football matches are all different, there are no easier games than others. A lot of things can happen. The difficulty of France, Brazil or Canada can be the same.
"It will be a difficult Copa America as always; we are prepared for what is to come. We are doing well, with clear ideas and knowing the difficulty of this tournament.
"Beyond the titles, we have enjoyed a lot. It's a pleasure to watch how [the players] give their all. That leads to being able to achieve things. We have shown that even if we didn't win like in 2019, we were able to continue and show you can do things."
Lionel Messi, who is set to break the all-time appearance record in the competition when he features for Argentina, is potentially playing in his final major tournament for the national side, while Angel Di Maria announced he will be retiring at its conclusion.
Instead of looking to a future without the two star players in his squad, Scaloni urged fans to enjoy getting to see them play together while they still can.
"It is a pleasure to see them train and play, how they give themselves. I am not worried about the future of Messi and Di Maria.
"It doesn't make much sense to think about when they're gone. Let's enjoy them now. We'll see what happens later. Messi is fine, he's happy. I have renewed ideas and strength. It's a nice challenge to defend the title."
Argentina will also face Chile and Peru in Group A.
Phil Salt hit an impressive six boundaries in a single over as England produced their best performance of the T20 World Cup to beat West Indies by eight wickets in the Super 8s.
Opener Salt plundered 87 not out in 47 balls to set the defending champions on their way to hitting their target of 181 with 15 balls to spare.
Brandon King made a promising start for West Indies, hitting 23 in the powerplay, but retired hurt, potentially ending his tournament early.
Though Johnson Charles (38), Nicolas Pooran and Rovman Powell (both 36) kept the hosts moving steadily, England were able to limit them to 180-4.
Salt hit his 50 at the start of the 16th, in which he hit three sixes and as many fours in a 30-run over against Romario Shepherd.
Jonny Bairstow also added an unbeaten 48 to take them to 181-2 after Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali were dismissed, as England finally found their footing in the tournament.
Data Debrief: Worth his Salt
Salt's 30-run over firmly swung the momentum in England's favour, and it is the joint-most expensive over for a West Indies bowler at the T20 World Cup.
Before this match, Salt had scored just 60 runs in total in England's previous three outings at the tournament but beat that in a dominant display against West Indies.
The Baltimore Orioles' Cedric Mullins ended Gerrit Cole's long-awaited season debut in the fifth inning.
Five innings later, he sent the New York Yankees to a loss.
Mullins hit the go-ahead single in the 10th inning and later scored on a throwing error as the Orioles held on to beat the Yankees 7-6 on Wednesday.
The game went to extras on Giancarlo Stanton's run-scoring single off Baltimore closer Craig Kimbrel with one out in the ninth.
Two innings earlier, Stanton's three-run home run off reliever Yennier Cano pulled New York within one run at 5-4.
In the 10th, Mullins' tie-breaking single scored Anthony Santander, and he made it to second base on the throw to the plate. He then stole third and came around to score as catcher Jose Trevino overthrew third baseman DJ LeMahieu.
With the win, Baltimore (48-25) pulled within 1 1/2 games of New York for first place in the AL East.
The Yankees (51-25) were playing without Aaron Judge after he was hit on the left hand by a pitch in Tuesday's 4-2 win in the series opener.
While New York was without its star slugger it did get its pitching ace back.
Cole had been on the injured list since experiencing nerve inflammation and swelling in his pitching elbow during spring training and delivered an encouraging performance.
The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs and three hits while striking out five and walking one in four-plus innings.
He permitted a single to Mullins to lead off the fifth inning and was promptly pulled after throwing 62 pitches.
Bibee, Naylor lead Guardians in rout of Mariners
Tanner Bibee struck out a career-high 12 batters and Josh Naylor homered twice as the Guardians rolled to an 8-0 win over the Seattle Mariners in a matchup of American League division leaders.
Naylor drove in four runs, and got things started with a run-scoring single in the first inning.
That would be all the offence Bibee would need, as he limited the Mariners to three hits and a walk over six innings.
Steven Kwan hit a two-run homer and singled and has hit safely in all 13 games since missing nearly four weeks with a strained left hamstring, batting .510 with nine RBIs and 13 runs scored during his hitting streak.
Jose Ramirez and Bo Naylor also each had a pair of hits for the AL Central-leading Guardians (45-26), who snapped a three-game losing streak and bounced back from Tuesday's 8-5 setback in the series opener.
The AL West-leading Mariners (44-32) lost for just the second time in 10 games and were shutout for the first time since May 30.
Rangers break up no-hitter to end Mets' seven-game winning streak
Leody Taveras came off the bench to hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Texas Rangers to a 5-3 win over the New York Mets.
The Rangers (34-40) ended a five-game losing streak and snapped the Mets' seven-game winning streak.
Texas prevailed despite being no-hit into the sixth inning.
Mets starter Sean Manaea retired the game's first two batters before issuing three consecutive walks to load the bases. He then hit Wyatt Langford with a pitch to force in a run before getting Nathaniel Lowe to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Manaea then retired the next 13 batters before giving up his first hit on Robbie Grossman's single with one out in the sixth inning.
Pete Alonso hit his 16th homer for the Mets (35-38), who lost for just the third time in 14 games.
The first female to become president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) returns unopposed for her second-consecutive term of office. Jodi Munn-Barrow had no challenger for the top position of the JGA when the organization hosted its election at the Constant Golf Club recently.
“It’s a true honour to be elected as president of the Jamaica Golf Association. I look forward to working with the members of the new executive committee. The first matter of importance that we will be looking at is the hosting of the Caribbean Amateur Junior Championships in July and then we continue to focus on our Jamaica Open but grateful to have a good committee and grateful to lead this august body” said a delighted Munn-Barrow.
She was nominated by the immediate past president Peter Chin, who is an avid golfer and chairs the Jamaica Open Golf Championship committee.
Vice president Dr. Mark Newnham returned unopposed as well after being nominated by Robert Chin.
The other elected members of the committee are William Brown –Treasurer, Fred Sutherland – Honourary Secretary, Alison Reid – Junior Golf Chairperson, Rowena Coe – Ladie’s Representative, along with committee members Dave Lyn, Vikram Dhiman, Robert Chin, Teddy Alexander and Dave Cameron.
Alexander and Cameron will be serving on the JGA executive for the first time. Cameron, the former president of the West Indies Cricket Board can be seen on the golf course from time to time.
For Demarai Gray, the journey to recover from a broken collarbone in time for the Copa America has been a testament of resilience, passion, and an unwavering commitment to representing Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz.
The England-born winger, who suffered the injury earlier this year, while representing Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, recently returned to fitness, and his joy and excitement about being back in Jamaica’s setup are palpable, as he prepares to parade his skills in one of the most prestigious tournaments in international football.
“It's good to be back; I was disappointed that I missed the World Cup qualifiers, but I'm happy the boys got the six points. I am glad to be back with the boys and excited for this tournament,” Gray said in an interview with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) media.
“It was a difficult end (to the season) with the injury, I had about six weeks out, but over the last few weeks, I've been working and trying to get as fit as possible for the Copa. So, we've got a few more days for me to build, and hopefully I can get off to a good start against Mexico,” he added.
Gray going through his paces in training.
Gray's injury initially cast doubt on his availability for the Copa America, but the 27-year-old's return to a clean bill of health represents a significant boost for the Reggae Boyz, who view him as a crucial component of their attacking force.
Since he made the switch to represent Jamaica in 2023, Gray has quickly become a fan favorite, celebrated for his electrifying speed, deft dribbling, and ability to change the course of a game. His contributions have been instrumental in the Reggae Boyz's recent successes, including crucial goals and assists that have propelled the team forward in international competitions.
Reflecting on his journey with the Jamaican national team, Gray expressed deep pride and a sense of belonging that transcends his England roots.
“Yeah, it's been good. I've seen a lot since playing for Jamaica, playing back in Jamaica and being at the Gold Cup, and now being at this (Copa America) competition. So it's been good. It's been exciting, and fans have shown me a lot of love and respect, and the boys have been good,” Gray shared.
“So, yeah, it's been a good experience and, you know, with these tournaments and the World Cup qualifiers that we've got ahead, there's a lot of exciting things to look forward to, and I'm just taking it each game at a time, trying to achieve and contribute as much as I can for the country,” the soft-spoken player declared.
In 11 appearances so far, Gray has scored five goals, and he was instrumental in Jamaica’s historic third-place finish in the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League campaign. That is an accomplishment that the nippy player prides himself on, and one he hopes is the first of many to come on the international stage.
“Throughout my career, I want to get as many medals as I can, and win as many things as I can. I think we're a nation that's slowly building, I think you can see the talent and the potential that we've got, but things don't happen overnight, so we have to be a bit patient, but there's a lot to look forward to.
“Just qualifying and making different competitions is good for us as players, the young players coming through and the fans, it's just good for the whole nation. So I think that would be the main objective, just trying to be as successful as we can in competitions and just keep building,” Gray noted.
As the Reggae Boyz gear up for the Copa America, Gray's presence adds a layer of optimism and confidence to Heimir Hallgrimsson’s squad. He is focused on making a significant impact and is determined to help Jamaica achieve new heights on the international stage.
The Boyz will kick start their Group B campaign against perennial rivals Mexico, before rubbing shoulders with Venezuela and Ecuador later in the tournament.
“I am very excited. It's one I've been looking forward to. Obviously, if you look at the history of this tournament, see how many good players have played in it, and it's a very competitive tournament and testing tournament and I want to be tested at the highest levels in the best competitions,” he said.
“I'm happy that we're in this and got an opportunity to showcase what we're about. It's going to be a tough tournament because it's very high quality, but without these tests, we're not going to push ourselves. I'm very excited. I can't wait for the first game,” Gray ended.
A festival of football is about to kick off in the United States, as the Copa America sparks into action.
Argentina, the reigning champions, get the ball rolling when they face Canada in the opening Group A match, and Lionel Messi will be the main man as ever for La Albiceleste.
Messi was the joint-leading scorer at the 2021 Copa America, netting four goals to lead the standings alongside Colombia’s Luis Diaz.
The Barcelona great is expected to be right up there again when it comes to the 2024 Copa America Golden Boot race, and here, we dive into the main candidates for that award.
Lionel Messi
Not only did Messi finish as joint-top scorer at the 2021 Copa, he was also the leading assister and then, 18 months later, he went on to lead Argentina to World Cup glory, scoring seven goals in the process, from 6.6 expected goals – only Kylian Mbappe (eight) netted more times in Qatar.
As soon as he features for Argentina at this tournament, Messi will become the Copa America’s all-time record holder for appearances – he is tied with Chile great Sergio Livingstone on 34, as it stands.
Messi has scored 13 Copa America goals, which puts him joint-seventh on the all-time list, alongside fellow Argentina great Gabriel Batistuta. If he is able to replicate his four goals from the 2021 edition, then Messi will join Norberto Mendez and Zizinho at the top of the all-time charts – that is unless Peru’s Paolo Guerrero and/or Chile’s Eduardo Vargas were to net at least four times each to set a new record.
Since the start of the 2011 Copa, Messi has had 102 shots – more than any other player. Surprisingly, his conversion rate stands at just 10.78 per cent, which stands as the second-lowest out of any player to have netted at least five goals in the competition in that time.
But there can be no doubting Messi’s genius, and the little magician is entering what will surely be his final Copa in fine form – he has scored 12 goals in MLS for Inter Miami this season, outperforming his 8.3 xG and averaging a goal every 86 minutes.
Argentina are the Opta supercomputer’s favourites to win the Copa, and group matches against Canada, Chile and Peru provide Messi with a favourable jumping off point to win the Golden Boot again.
Vinicius Junior
Fresh from winning the Champions League with Real Madrid (and scoring in the final – again), Vinicius heads into the Copa America as Brazil’s talisman.
With Neymar absent through injury, the onus will fall on the winger to provide the creative spark and clinical edge to drag what looks like a more dogged, workmanlike squad through to the latter stages – Brazil are, according to our model, second favourites behind Argentina, with a 23 per cent win probability.
If the Selecao are to challenge the holders, then they need Vinicius in top form.
While he played as a split-striker for Madrid this season as Carlo Ancelotti found a way to get the best out of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius is more likely to play wide left for his country, though his cutting runs from out-to-in will make him a constant threat, as long as the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta can pick him out.
Vinicius netted 24 times for Los Blancos in 2023-24, and attempted 286 dribbles – 10 more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues across all competitions. He averaged 8.4 take-on attempts per 90, a tally bettered by only Jeremy Doku, while Vinicius also boasts a dribble completion rate of 3.3 per 90.
He is yet to score at the Copa America, however. That being said, he did not make a single start in 2021, with all four of his appearances coming as a substitute, having only one shot and completing only one of his seven dribbles. But such has been his stellar form under Ancelotti in the intervening three years, there is no doubting he is now Brazil’s main man.
Brazil face Costa Rica, Paraguay and in-form Colombia in Group D, but none of those defences should strike fear into Vinicius.
Luis Diaz
Diaz enjoyed a superb campaign three years ago, scoring two absolute screamers – one came in the group stage, an overhead kick against Brazil, while the other came in the third-place play-off as Colombia beat Peru; it was a stunner from outside the area, with the then-Porto winger lashing into the top-right corner after skipping in from the flank and taking on several defenders.
Indeed, the quality of Diaz’s finishes are shown by his xG in 2021, which was just 1.0. And Diaz’s excellent shooting at that edition is further evidenced by his expected goals on target (xGoT) figure of 2.2.
Diaz had only 10 shots, 18 fewer than Messi, yet boasted a hugely impressive 40 per cent shot conversion rate. Only Messi (57) and Neymar (77), meanwhile, attempted more dribbles than Diaz (43) at the 2021 edition, while it was just that superstar duo that completed more dribbles, too (Neymar 35, Messi 34, Diaz 26).
His performances at that tournament piqued the interest of Premier League sides, and Diaz subsequently moved to Liverpool in January 2022. So while he will not be quite the unknown quantity that he was three years ago, if he is at his best, he will still be hugely difficult to stop – especially with James Rodriguez pulling the strings behind him.
Darwin Nunez
Bookending this list of the top Golden Boot contenders is Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez. The Liverpool striker has been superb under Marcelo Bielsa, and looks to be El Loco’s main attacker, even with Luis Suarez in the squad.
Nunez scored 11 Premier League goals for the Reds in 2023-24, but underperformed his xG (16.4) by 5.4. While he was unfortunate in a sense – he hit the woodwork on nine occasions, four more times than any other player – he was also erratic in his finishing, with his xGoT dropping to 15.5. Nunez also missed 14 big chances, which ranked behind only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (34).
The 24-year-old may never be ultra-clinical, (he had a shot conversion rate of 10.2 per cent in the Premier League in the season just gone) but his pace, tenacity and work rate make him the ideal Bielsa folly up top.
Nunez scored a hat-trick in Uruguay’s 4-0 demolition of Mexico earlier in June, while he is the leading goalscorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, with five to his name.
Uruguay head into the tournament in fine fettle, and Bielsa will always be willing to risk it all in attack – meaning plenty of opportunities should come Nunez’s way.
They are in a group with the hosts USA, Panama and Bolivia – the worst-ranked team in the tournament – so Nunez should be aiming to make a dent early on.
Other contenders
Lautaro Martinez
Martinez has had an outstanding season for Inter, who he led to the Scudetto while finishing as top scorer in Serie A, scoring 24 goals in 33 appearances, and comfortably outperforming his 17.6 xG.
However, he has not netted for Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifying, and is not a regular starter under Lionel Scaloni, so chances may not be of a premium for him. That being said, he did score twice in Argentina's 4-1 win over Guatemala on Friday.
Endrick
Boy wonder Endrick, who will link up with Vinicius, Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid next season, has scored three goals for Brazil in his last three appearances.
He scored those in successive matches, though he was unable to become the first Selecao player since Neymar in 2021 to net in four consecutive games as Dorival Junior’s team drew 1-1 with the USA in a warm-up match. At 17, Endrick looks like a superstar in the making, and he could be an outside bet for the Golden Boot.
Luis Suarez
Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer Suarez is bang in form heading into this tournament. The veteran has 68 goals in 138 caps and has netted 12 times already for Miami in MLS this season, averaging a goal every 96 minutes.
Of players to score at least five times in MLS in 2024, Suarez has the fourth-highest shot conversion rate, too (33.33 per cent). Uruguay are ranked as the third-favourites by the Opta supercomputer, so Suarez could have plenty of matches to add to his international goals tally.
Christian Pulisic
The USA cannot find much consistency under Gregg Berhalter, though they did draw 1-1 with Brazil in a friendly on June 13. If the hosts are to make a serious run, then they will need to channel through Pulisic.
While he is more likely to act as a creator, the attacker has proved he is more than capable of putting away chances. He scored 15 goals for Milan in 2023-24, making it the best goalscoring campaign of his career.
Emma Raducanu is one of a record four former grand slam champions to get wild cards into the women's singles draw at Wimbledon.
Raducanu missed most of last year, including Wimbledon, after being forced to undergo wrist and ankle surgeries.
The 2021 US Open champion has slipped to 165th in the WTA rankings after enduring a difficult few years, and she was beaten by fellow Brit and eventual champion Katie Boulter in the Nottingham Open semi-finals on Sunday.
Raducanu is one of an unprecedented four former major champions to be handed wild cards for the women's draw by the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber, who won the 2018 edition of Wimbledon, have all been granted entry.
All seven wild cards for the men's singles draw, meanwhile, have gone to British players, Liam Broady chief among them.
The third grand slam of 2024 gets under way on July 1, with the women's singles final being held on July 13 and the men's showpiece taking place the following day.
Luis de la Fuente sees striking similarities between Italy and his Spain side as La Roja prepare to "get muddy" against the Azzurri at Euro 2024.
Spain and Italy each won their Group B openers, against Croatia and Albania respectively, and a further victory for either team on Thursday will clinch top spot.
Although the pair account for three of the past four European Championship titles, neither have widely been counted among the leading contenders, but De la Fuente expects a highly competitive encounter between two young sides.
"They're very similar to us," Spain coach De la Fuente said of Italy. "They have changed coach and they have young players. They are very competitive.
"When I see them, it's almost like looking at ourselves in the mirror actually.
"We are a growing, developing team, working on cohesion and consistency, and so are they. I think it will be a very high quality match."
Italy beat Spain on penalties in the semi-finals of the last Euros, while the sides went on to meet in the 2012 final when they last played each other in the group stage.
The calibre of the fixture makes for a mouthwatering occasion, in which De la Fuente is keen to ensure Spain will be "ready for everything".
"It's a football clasico, a clash that could easily be a Euros or World Cup final," he said.
"We are prepared to get muddy, to dig deep in a quarry, for a good day at the office. We are ready for everything.
"We know what kind of football Italy play and how competitive they are, so we won't be surprised. I expect a strong, aggressive Italy who will try to control possession."
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