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Good morning! I respect your trade value. Coming up: 

World Cupdate: Bonjour, goals

Space runs short today, but soccer remains compelling enough for the top spot. Let’s do three points for three matches: 

1. France is probably winning the whole thing.
Les Bleus looked effortless in a 3-0 rout of Sweden yesterday, and it’s difficult to imagine any other team in this tournament outclassing them. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, which gives him the record for knockout-round goals scored in World Cup history. Just look at this filth from his first strike:

Kylian Mbappé aparece en el momento indicado para abrir el marcador y darle la ventaja a su selección con una gran definición. ¡Revive el gol el partido! presentado por @BankofAmerica pic.twitter.com/njXbq1db92

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 30, 2026

Behind Mbappé, the French look unstoppable. 

2. Mexico might be unbeatable at Azteca.
What could’ve been the best game of the night was instead a show of force for Mexico in a 2-0 win over Ecuador. Maybe it was the hotel disruption the night before. Maybe it was the rain delay. And maybe it was this absolute laser from Julián Quiñones, which gave the home team a 1-0 lead and sent the entire stadium into a frenzy:

What a goal from Julián Quiñones and Mexico 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Oqo9tx2jkr

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 1, 2026

It was a feisty night on the pitch, too, as Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie earned a red card for covering his mouth. 

3. Erling Haaland, always on time.
The superstar was in the right place at the right time, as he always seems to be, to put an 86th-minute winner into the net to help Norway skate through to the round of 16 with a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. Next up: Brazil. 

Let’s keep moving:

Eras, Ended: Two NBA stars on the move

Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images

The names are still big enough to blink brightly in our basketball brains: LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard are playing for new teams next season. These two have combined for six NBA championships and six Finals MVPs. This is a big deal … right? 

Before we get to context, let’s recap what actually happened: 

After eight years in Los Angeles, James — in somewhat of a surprise — informed the Lakers he will play elsewhere next season. The 41-year-old is still an elite NBA player, which is still an absurd reality to consider. But the Lakers are building around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Makes enough sense. It will be fascinating to see where James plays in his final 1-2 seasons. Warriors? Timberwolves? Wild card? We’ve identified six contenders. Either way, his Lakers story closes without a Hollywood ending.
In more concrete news, the Clippers have agreed to trade Leonard back to Toronto, where he won a title in his lone season with the Raptors, in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Grady Dick and a bevy of picks. The Raptors win this deal on paper (for now), and as Eric Koreen writes, it puts a hilarious finish to one of the most unique NBA stories in modern history. In L.A., Leonard was both excellent and never able to bring the Clippers where they wanted to go. There was also the whole Aspiration scandal, which remains unsettled.

Ron Jenkins / Getty Images

Toronto is intriguing with Leonard in tow. James will certainly improve whatever team he joins, but durability — even for the player who’s been an ironman for his unparalleled career — is a concern. These two have rings, but are also a combined 76 years old. So … are we overreacting to these moves? 

I asked Zach Harper, author of The Bounce, for a vibe check on both of these: 

💬 “For LeBron, whatever he decides, it will truly be about what makes him happiest to finish his career. That’s kind of poetic in a way? 

“On Kawhi: It’s funny how quickly he wanted to get out of Toronto back in 2019. Seven years later, it just takes $126 million over two years at 35 years old to make him feel comfortable there.” 

Make sure to read Zach throughout this offseason stretch. Let’s keep moving:

News to Know

Robert Prange / Getty Images

Williams loses in three sets
Serena Williams’ singles comeback at Wimbledon is over after just one match, a three-set loss to Maya Joint yesterday. Williams both looked rusty and like herself across the course of the match, but a late comeback was not enough to stay the 20-year-old Joint. I thought Ava Wallace’s capture of the moment was perfect. 

In other Wimbledon news: American Ben Shelton, the No. 4 seed on the men’s side, is out after a stunning first-round upset against Finland’s Otto Virtanen. Shelton’s serve, a strength, bit him.

NFL clears Sorsby … for next year
The Brendan Sorsby saga appears to be over, for now, as the NFL sent a memo to teams yesterday stating the former Texas Tech quarterback would not sue the league to play in 2026, instead opting to wait a year and prepare for the 2027 NFL Draft. Is this actually over? Until 2027, I guess, but I’ve thought it was over multiple times over the last two months. See more here.

Mendes under investigation
New Zealand police are investigating allegations of rape against Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes, who has started all three of the team’s matches in the World Cup thus far. Mendes is accused of raping a woman in March during a FIFA event in New Zealand, and the news here is Mendes’ identification; The Athletic previously reported on the investigation into an unnamed player back in May. Read our full story here.

More news:

Late-breaking NHL news last night: Zach Werenski, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, vetoed a trade to Columbus.
The Liberty are Commissioner’s Cup champs for the second time after beating a shorthanded Las Vegas team last night. Read our full story from New York.
Also in the W: Alyssa Thomas, recently suspended for a flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark, called out commissioner Cathy Engelbert after receiving online threats. Good reporting in here.
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was ejected last night after a confrontation with Nationals starter Cade Cavalli that led to benches clearing. More inside.
While other NBA news heats up, chatter about Celtics star Jaylen Brown is dying down. Sam Amick reported yesterday his market isn’t what Boston hoped it would be. Woof.
Guardians rookie Cooper Ingle made a routine catch last night and tossed the ball into the stands. There were two outs.
The Premier Lacrosse League just closed a $100 million funding round. Wow. 
The Supreme Court upheld state bans on trans athletes. Read our full story.

📰 Find more news here 24/7.

Watch Guide

đź“ş Tennis: Wimbledon
6 a.m. – noon ET on ESPN
With Serena gone from the singles bracket, we can focus on everyone else. Both No. 1 seeds — Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner — play early this morning. Just have it on in the background if you’re busy. 

đź“ş World Cup: Round of 32
Noon – 8 p.m. ET on Fox, FS1 and Telemundo
A most anticipated day, starting with England-DR Congo at noon and ending with the U.S. versus Bosnia and Herzegovina at 8 p.m. Christian Pulisic is ready to play for the Americans, who have also undergone brainwave testing to prepare for penalty kicks. Sure. 

Belgium and Senegal play the middle match, which might be our closest of the day. Strap in and find a couch, bar or stadium seat.

Pulse Picks

A victim in all the rapid transformation MLB has undergone the last few years? The minor-league system, as Brittany Ghiroli reported in a great piece today, has been turned on its head in ways you wouldn’t expect. Make time for this. 

I also adored this story on Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who initially struggled to adapt in his first MLB season. He’s having a good time now, thanks to prolonged bows and açai bowls. 

The Southwest Conference is fondly remembered around these parts, although its demise is over 30 years old. As Sam Khan wrote yesterday, the SWC also foreshadowed the future of college football. 

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Willson Contreras’ roller-coaster two-inning stretch Monday. 

Most-read on the website yesterday: Mexico-Ecuador live blog. The World Cup has been very, very popular.