- Soccer has quietly become Canada’s top youth sport — a Jumpstart report says about half of Canadian kids now play organized soccer, surpassing hockey.
- Toronto was a sea of red as fans donned Canada jerseys ahead of the 2026 World Cup opener, and many see hosting the tournament as a big moment to grow the sport.
- Canada will be without star Alphonso Davies for the opener due to a hamstring injury, though coach Jesse Marsch hopes he can return during the group stage.
The news, distilled into what matters.
- Yordan Álvarez is quietly having maybe his best offensive season — leading MLB in OPS, slugging and total bases — and is drawing serious AL MVP talk.
- Teammates praise his calm, humble demeanor and history of clutch moments (including 2022 World Series walk-offs), even though he doesn’t seek individual attention.
- The Astros are underperforming (31-39), and Álvarez’s injury history and team record complicate the MVP case — but the AL lacks clear superstars right now, so it’s an intriguing race.
- Brazil vs Morocco shapes up as the headline — a tight, open match where both sides should push for a win, with attacking stars on display.
- Switzerland are clear favorites against Qatar; Breel Embolo is the one to watch as a likely scorer.
- Scotland should dominate possession vs Haiti, while Haiti will sit back and try to snatch a counter.
- Cubs avoided a sweep, beating the Rockies 9-3 after Pete Crow-Armstrong ignited the rally and Seiya Suzuki cleared the bases — Chicago stays a game out of the wild-card hunt.
- Dodgers won 8-6 as Shohei Ohtani homered (his 13th) but exited early with knee inflammation — not serious, but worth an eye this weekend.
- Marlins swept the Diamondbacks 2-0 for their fifth straight win, pitching brilliantly and creeping back into wild-card contention.
- U.S. officials say a “secret mission” and military overwatch helped more than 100 million barrels of Gulf oil move past the Strait of Hormuz, easing Iran’s recent chokehold.
- Tankers and Gulf exporters have been using stealthy tactics — turning off trackers and doing ship‑to‑ship transfers — to get crude out, often with U.S. support nearby.
- Iran’s oil industry is under growing strain: output is reportedly down ~800,000 bpd, onshore storage is filling, and the blockade is increasing economic pressure on Tehran.
- Dominating this season: a 1.50 ERA and 0.81 WHIP through 13 starts, and he leads MLB in several advanced pitching metrics.
- Strikeout machine — he leads baseball with 116 K’s, has five double‑digit strikeout games and a 37.8% whiff rate.
- Unmatched heat: a 100 mph average fastball, once began a game with ten straight pitches ≥102 mph, and threw a 103.7 mph pitch (the fastest by a starter in the Statcast era).
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