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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards revealed that he and his new teammate LaMelo Ball have agreed to reduce their use of profanity in post-game interviews to present a more professional image. During the 2025-26 regular season, Edwards played 61 games, averaging 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game; Ball played 72 games, averaging 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game.

On July 18, Cavaliers reporter Chris Fedor said that the 41-year-old James's influence still keeps the NBA waiting for his decision, and the league is still dominated by him. If the Lakers fail to give him enough respect, it is puzzling. In the 2025-26 season, James played 60 games for the Lakers, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.

Messi dismisses the notion that his career is like a video game, stating that winning the previous World Cup was the ultimate achievement.

Former Arsenal full-back Nacho Monreal advised the club to make every effort to sign Morgan Rogers, whose transfer fee could exceed £100 million after a record-breaking summer market. Monreal praised Rogers' elite-level performances last season and urged Arsenal to stick with their set-piece-heavy tactics rather than overhauling their approach.

The 2026 World Cup final pits 19-year-old Lamine Yamal against his childhood idol Lionel Messi. Both debuted in the World Cup wearing No. 19 and turned 19 during the tournament, highlighting a Barcelona legacy in this title match.

The official announcement of Karim Adeyemi's transfer to Barcelona has been pushed to next week due to club president Laporta and sporting director Deco being in the U.S. for the World Cup final. The winger visited Barcelona's training ground on Friday but has yet to sign his contract, which runs until 2031 with a €22M fixed fee plus add-ons.

Strasbourg and Famalicao had reached an agreement worth over €20 million for Ibrahima Ba, but the club canceled the signing due to knee issues found during the player's medical. The 21-year-old Senegal U21 international was a priority target for new head coach Hugo Oliveira and had rejected an offer from Benfica. The player suffered a right knee sprain last season, underwent surgery after an April match, and missed the final three league games. Both Strasbourg and Benfica knew he would not recover in time for preseason.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup final, Messi attended the trophy preview event and spoke about Yamal, calling him a benchmark in football at just 19 with a bright career ahead. Messi recalled a photo: he once bathed Yamal when the latter was a baby, and now the two will face each other in the final—a change he finds unbelievable. Messi said Argentina will try to limit Yamal's performance while also handling other tactics from the Spanish team, but Argentina has their own advantages.

According to US media, the 2026 World Cup final tickets have a base price of around $8,500, with a $1 million VIP package offered by Medium Rare. It includes four tickets, a Friday party hosted by 50 Cent and Diplo, helicopter from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium, backstage passes for Knicks' Brunson and Hart's podcast, a four-person table at 4 Charles Prime Rib, and VIP access to the Sports Illustrated Super Bowl party in Los Angeles.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente stated the final is a celebration, called on referees to improve entertainment value, praised Argentina's growth under Scaloni, confirmed Yamal's fitness, and stressed teamwork and persistence as keys to success.

Marca news on July 17th, Real Madrid is calmly dealing with the World Cup and emphasizes that this summer's transfer window is coming to an end. The club is not interested in the rumors surrounding Enzo and Rodri, believing that related reports are mostly hyped by agents. Enzo intends to leave Chelsea, but Real Madrid has not taken action and there has been no substantial progress. Rodri's contract has only one year left, making a departure possible; however, Real Madrid has not made contact. ...

According to Mundo Deportivo, after Atletico Madrid CEO Gil Marin publicly criticized Barcelona president Laporta for attempting to sign Alvarez, Barcelona chose not to respond publicly to avoid a war of words. On Sunday, Spain and Argentina face off in a final in the United States, with a Barcelona delegation watching in New York. Gil Marin firmly stated Atletico will not sell Alvarez even if offered €100 million, €150 million, or €200 million, and accused Laporta's comments of being a 'circus act,' demanding he stop to no avail. Barcelona told Mundo Deportivo they will not engage publicly and will wait until after Sunday's World Cup final to consider. Alvarez will represent Argentina against Spain, which has eight Barcelona players. Gil Marin also criticized agent Fernando Hidalgo, who did not respond.

According to L'Equipe, Spanish winger Yamal is in good form. Thursday training saw his left thigh heavily bandaged with special protection. On Friday, he participated in a partially closed session in New York Harvey, joining the opening circle drill. The previous day, he did recovery work on yoga mats with injured teammate Porro. A shopping trip with his girlfriend in Manhattan further signals his positive condition.

In a pre-final interview, Porro acknowledged that stopping Messi is nearly impossible and emphasized Spain must focus on their own game. He dismissed the pressure of facing Messi and the majority Argentina crowd, recalled his grandfather's advice, and highlighted team unity. He also shared a humorous childhood injury story and expressed hope for his fibula's performance in the final.

Hornets rookie Hannes Steinbach posted 22 points and 11 rebounds in a Summer League game, while the NBA debuted a single free throw rule that scores each foul with one shot matching the original total value.

Following the 2026 World Cup semifinals, France and England will play the third-place match. French commentator Riolo has publicly criticized the match as meaningless and called for FIFA to abolish it, dismissing players using it to boost stats or chase the Golden Boot as absurd.

Trail Blazers head coach Nouri stated that the team's roster structure is highly similar to the Timberwolves. Clingan's rim protection under the basket is comparable to Gobert, while Camara's perimeter defense can be likened to McDaniels. On offense, Lillard, Morant, and Avdija (All-Star level) form a potent scoring trio, similar to the Timberwolves having Edwards. Nouri emphasized that roster depth is key to NBA success in recent years, and the Blazers possess that condition.

Opta statistics reveal a polarized national team career for Messi. During his time at Barcelona, he played in 9 tournaments with 46 appearances, scoring just 15 goals, and lost all 4 finals. After leaving Barcelona, he scored 20 goals in 26 appearances across 4 major tournaments, winning 3 titles in 4 finals (this edition's final result not included), with both efficiency and achievements soaring.

TA reporter Adam Crafton criticizes Tuchel for blaming English players' lack of ball-playing DNA, arguing that the real problem lies in Tuchel's squad selection and substitutions, not genetics.

Angel Di Maria denies attending the 2026 World Cup final award ceremony, saying he doesn't want to be a jinx and will watch from home.