SI:AM | Get Ready for the World Cup’s Best Week
SI:AM | Get Ready for the World Cup’s Best Week
The drama will be ratcheted up a notch with wall-to-wall knockout stage action. Dan Gartland|
Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I have to respect all the fans who showed up for this morning’s playoff between Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship. The whole thing was over in about 15 minutes after Scheffler missed a short putt.
In today’s SI:AM:
🇨🇦 Canada moves on
🏈 Breer’s NFL Takeaways
⚾ MLB mock draft
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The World Cup is heating up
If you enjoyed Canada’s late win over South Africa yesterday afternoon, there’s plenty more where that came from.
This week is shaping up to be perhaps the best week of the entire World Cup. Sure, the climactic matches will be great, and the worldwide representation of the group stage was a joy, but this week will feature the perfect combination of high stakes and nonstop action.
There will be 15 do-or-die matches between now and Friday (three each day). Unlike in the group stage, a traditional power can’t shake off a poor result against an underdog. Perhaps best of all for U.S. fans, there will be no more draws. If the game is tied after 90 minutes, they’ll play 30 minutes of added time. If it’s still level after that, you’ll have the white-knuckle drama of a penalty shootout.
I’ll admit I was wrong about the expanded World Cup format. I thought it would dilute the group stage, but I underestimated the number of quality teams that were in the field. Who would have predicted that DR Congo and Cabo Verde would advance to the knockout stage? I wouldn’t expect either of them to win their next game (against England and Argentina, respectively), but their early success was a reminder that soccer can be beautifully unpredictable. And this week you’ve got 15 chances to see something unexpected happen.
A historic WNBA game
Anyone who’s a fan of international soccer and the WNBA faced a difficult choice yesterday at 3 p.m. ET: Should they watch the Canada-South Africa knockout stage match or the Fire-Mystics game? Well, Portland and Washington made sure people could catch the thrilling conclusion of both contests.
The Fire-Mystics game tied a WNBA record by taking four overtime periods to determine a winner. It lasted nearly four hours before Washington came away with a 124–123 victory.
Portland’s Carla Leite and Washington’s Sonia Citron stole the show, both scoring 32 points. Leite sank a wild, off-balance three off the backboard as the buzzer sounded at the end of regulation to send the game to OT and drilled another deep three in the closing seconds of the first overtime to keep her team in it. Citron had a clutch layup through traffic to tie the game with 15 seconds left in the second overtime, and Portland’s Bridget Carleton hit a smooth turnaround jumper to force the fourth OT. Citron’s layup with 21.4 seconds left in the fourth overtime proved to be the game-winner.
The only other game in WNBA history to go to four overtimes was on July 3, 2001, when the Mystics beat the Storm, 72–69. Comparing the scores of those two games is a great way to illustrate the progress the WNBA has made since its early days. That 2001 game was tied at 50 at the end of regulation, a score teams these days routinely surpass by halftime. There has not been a game in which neither team scored more than 50 points since 2008.
That 2001 game was a slog. Each team scored just 10 points in the first three OT periods combined. Yesterday’s game, on the other hand, was a legitimate thriller played in front of a sellout crowd. The league has come a long way in the past 25 years.
Red Sox sweep Yankees in dramatic fashion
The Red Sox’ walk-off win over the Yankees last night will either be the high point of a lost season or the start of a stunning turnaround.
Boston came from behind to win in walk-off fashion in the 10th inning on Sunday Night Baseball and complete a four-game sweep of the archrival Yankees for the first time since 2018.
New York, after being held without a hit for more than seven innings by Sonny Gray, had tied the game in the top of the ninth with the help of a throwing error by Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu. The Yankees scored two runs in the top of the 10th to take the lead, but Boston jumped all over reliever Fernando Cruz in the bottom of the inning and won the game on Jarren Duran’s walk-off single.
The Red Sox’ hopes of turning their season around are still slim. They’re in last place in the AL East at 36–46, 12 ½ games behind the first-place Rays and 4 ½ games out of the final wild-card spot. They haven’t played much better since they fired manager Alex Cora and five assistant coaches in late April. Unlike the Phillies, who fired their manager around the same time and have since gone on a tear, Boston is 26–29 under new manager Chad Tracy.
Red Sox players and fans celebrated like crazy after Duran’s clutch hit—as they should. A comeback win to complete a four-game sweep against your biggest rival is a huge deal, regardless of how the rest of the season is going. It’s possible that the sweep sparks something for this struggling team. Fangraphs still gives them a 17.8% chance of making the playoffs. But if Boston doesn’t reach the postseason, Red Sox fans will still remember 2026 as the year Jarren Duran walked off the Yankees on national TV to wrap up a sweep.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Albert Breer: Albert Breer’s Takeaways: Where Every NFL Team Stands at Summer Break
- Ben Steiner: Jesse Marsch Had a Vision and Now Canada Is Reaching New Heights at the World Cup
- Bryan Fischer: 2026 World Cup Golden Boot Race Is Shaping Up to Be the Best in History
- Mike Kadlick: NFL Uniform Rankings: Every Team’s 2026 Look, From Worst to Best
- Ryan Phillips: 2026 MLB Mock Draft 2.0: Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey Battle to Go No. 1
The top five…
… things I saw yesterday:
5. The Cubs’ game-saving double play.
4. Some quick hands by the Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton to set up a fast break opportunity.
3. Junior Caminero’s towering 463-foot blast. (Caminero has homered in each of his last four games and has seven homers in his last six games.)
2. Brandon Nimmo’s catch while colliding with the wall to record the final out of the Rangers’ win over the Blue Jays. (Texas took all four games in Toronto this weekend.)
1. Stephen Eustáquio’s powerful strike for Canada’s winning goal against South Africa.
Published 5 minutes ago | Modified 5 minutes ago
DAN GARTLANDDan Gartland writes Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and is the host of the “Stadium Wonders” video series. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).
Home/Soccer
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
