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Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage:

• What drivers are saying about Christopher Bell’s hard crash
• Josh Berry finds himself out of a NASCAR ride for 2027
• What’s driving Denny Hamlin at this point of his career?

Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pa.) — Drivers seemed thankful that all Christopher Bell suffered in a violent crash June 7 at Michigan International Speedway was a fractured left wrist.

Most thankful was Bell himself.

“To get out of there with just a fractured wrist is pretty immaculate,” Bell said in a news conference Saturday at Pocono Raceway. 

When drivers saw Bell hit the wall after Chase Elliott drifted into him at high speed, they knew they had seen a hard hit. NASCAR says the change-in-velocity (delta-V) was the highest since 2015. Bell said it was 62Gs, not as much as Ryan Blaney’s 70G hit at Daytona but more than most others in recent years.

NASCAR will continue to look at photos of the car and the data from the accident. Bell does not wear a mouthguard that records data in accidents as some drivers do voluntarily. NASCAR has a high-speed camera that starts recording at the beginning of accidents as well as an incident data recorder.

Bell never had time to take his hand off the wheel.

“I was still hands on the wheel. Hands turned left and then my left hand, which was on the bottom, my wrist was bent over [palm up] on the underside of the wheel and then just the force into the steering wheel slightly smashed it,” Bell said of the accident.

A fractured wrist didn’t keep Christopher Bell from getting behind the wheel at Pocono. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

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Bell was able to race at Pocono this past weekend and is hopeful he can handle the upcoming road courses at Naval Base Coronado and Sonoma. As far as any follow-ups to the accident on NASCAR’s side, NASCAR conducts meetings every couple of months with the drivers and will likely summarize anything they find as a result of the accident that they think could be useful to other drivers.

Chase Briscoe, a teammate of Bell’s at Joe Gibbs Racing, said he will examine how Bell has the seat safety equipment installed and how much foam he uses on his headrests because for Bell not to have a concussion amazed him.

“I’m just trying to see if maybe I need to do something different in my stuff,” Briscoe said in his Pocono pre-race news conference. “Because I feel like to be able to get out of that impact, especially like from a head standpoint, to not have a concussion, he’s got something right with his helmet or head rest or whatever.

Elliott has continued to talk to Bell about the accident and said that he would look at the things that he can do with his interior safety equipment.

“The way the cars are built and all that is pretty far beyond me,” Elliott told me and other reporters Saturday at Pocono. “So I think at this point it’s just more focusing on the things that are in our control to try and help from a driver’s perspective and hopefully, the rest of it will improve as time goes as well.

“In the short term, just [do] things that we have easier access to adjust and improve upon.”

Chase Elliott was involved in the wreck that injured Christopher Bell at Michigan. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

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Brad Keselowski also said he doesn’t believe they will significantly change the car, so he doesn’t want to know too much about the car and the accident. He said the move to a rack-and-pinion steering will generate more hand and wrist injuries.

“The old car … actually served the sport very well because you could have a lot of wheel-to-wheel contact and the steering system would absorb it without transferring it through to your arms and hands at the level that it does today with the rack-and-pinion,” Keselowski told me and other reporters.

“Most vehicles today use rack-and-pinion steering. It’s a more efficient way of steering cars — less parts, less energy. But it is more apt to transfer energy through your arms, hands, wrists, fingers, et cetera.”

William Byron felt the accident was a product of the racing in the Next Gen car.

“You wouldn’t see that kind of a crash, as violent as that was, with the Gen 6 car,” Byron said about the previous iteration of NASCAR’s Cup car in a news conference. “You’re seeing that crash because of the nature of the tire, the aero and everything with these cars.

“It was a violent impact. Fortunately, the car is capable of taking that and Christopher was able to get out, so that’s a good thing. But that impact to me is way, way larger than what we would have had in the past with a bigger sidewall and a different tire.”

Bell said he didn’t consider not racing Pocono, and it wasn’t because he had to race to get points in the current format.

“I didn’t really have any thought of not racing because I’m like, ‘As long as I can hold the steering wheel, I’ll be fine,’” Bell said. “And then throughout my simulator sessions, obviously that was a test of like, ‘How am I going to do driving the car?’

“I did fine in the simulator. There [were] no thoughts of me missing a race since my head was fine. The important stuff is fine.”

Berry Out At Wood Brothers

Josh Berry found out last week he would not return to Wood Brothers Racing in 2027. He won a race last year at Las Vegas to make the playoffs and finish 16th in the standings. He is sits 30th in the current Cup standings.

[NASCAR SILLY SEASON: Tracking Driver Movement]

“I still feel like I’m the same guy that won Las Vegas,” Berry said on a video teleconference Wednesday with reporters. “I’m still the same guy that nearly won at New Hampshire in the playoffs. It’s been a tough year, but we’ll work through it and try to find out what’s out there.

“The sun came up today regardless of how bad it might have felt yesterday [when I found out]. It might have felt like it might not, but the sun came up this morning and it’s a new day. You land on your feet and go to work and that’s all you can do.”

RIP Dennis Reinbold

Dreyer & Reinbold co-owner Dennis Reinbold died Saturday at age 65. His family has fielded cars in INDYCAR for more than two decades. Most recently, the team had two cars in the Indianapolis 500 for Jack Harvey and Conor Daly.

The INDYCAR world suffered a loss with the passing of Dennis Reinbold. (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)

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“Dennis was a proud son of Indianapolis,” the team said in a social media post. “He built a successful family of automobile dealerships across the state, and he loved the community of Indianapolis that gave him so much in return.

“That same devotion fueled his passion for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — its history and the relentless pursuit of an Indy 500 win drove him every day.”

In The News

— NASCAR’s 32-driver in-season tournament bracket is set … but it won’t begin for another couple of weeks at Sonoma. The race-within-the-race head-to-head matchups will begin at Sonoma Raceway so that this weekend’s race at Naval Base Coronado, a new event, doesn’t impact the brackets.

The bracket is set for the 2026 In-Season Challenge. (via NASCAR)

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— The San Diego truck race will have several former series regulars and veteran drivers in the event, including Trackhouse owner Justin Marks in a truck for Spire Motorsports. Brendan Gaughan will drive a truck for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. Jimmie Johnson (Tricon) and Jamie McMuarry (Kaulig) are in the race as well.

— Salvador de Alba will have a six-spot grid penalty for the first Indy NXT race at Road America this weekend for avoidable contact with Jordan Missig on Lap 61 of the race at WWTR Gateway (de Alba’s day ended with the contact).

Gaining Ground

Legacy Motor Club put two cars in the top 10 at Pocono, with John Hunter Nemechek fourth and Erik Jones sixth.

Nemechek led 42 laps and Jones moved up to 15th in the standings, now above the Chase cutoff.

“Today was probably one of the best days I’ve had in the Cup Series as a driver,” Nemechek told me and other reporters after the race. “We need to build that confidence, we need to build the momentum and the potential we have in our race cars.”

Chase Clincher

In the O’Reilly Series, Justin Allgaier has clinched a spot in the postseason Chase with seven races left in the regular season. 

Social Spotlight

They Said It

“I’m just at this point in my career trying to stack as many wins as possible. Points? Whatever. Wherever we finish in the championship? Whatever. To me, it’s wins, wins, wins.” — Denny Hamlin following his victory at Pocono, his third straight Cup win.

In Inside The Garage,Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.

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Bob Bradley woke up Monday morning and sent a text to Egypt national team superstar Mohamed Salah. He had two wishes for the player he once coached: Good luck in Egypt’s 2026 World Cup opener — and Happy Birthday.

Salah — Egypt’s captain and arguably its best player ever — turned 34 years old the same day as his team’s match against Belgium in Seattle, kicking off what could be his last World Cup. And Bradley is rooting for him. 

“I haven’t gotten to see him in a while, and we always talk about how we’ve got to figure out a way to get together, but in the meantime, we stay in touch,” said Bradley, who previously coached the U.S. men’s national team, along with the Pharaohs, and is now a FOX Sports World Cup analyst. 

(Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Expectations are high for Salah and Egypt, which aims to not only win its first World Cup match but also to advance to the knockout round of the tournament for the first time. With 67 goals and 116 appearances for Egypt ahead of the Belgium opener, the Liverpool legend also has the second-most men’s national team goals and is two away from tying current coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69. 

On Salah’s birthday and ahead of the Pharaohs’ first 2026 World Cup match, we spoke with Bradley about his time coaching the Egyptian star and what makes him the beloved icon he is. 

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. 

Mo Salah made his Egypt national team debut as a teenager about a month before you took over as manager in 2011. When you look back, what characteristics did you see that indicated what type of player he would grow into?

Mo Salah of Egypt during the Africa Cup of Nations playoff in January. (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)

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Two things. First, from the very beginning in training, you could see how quick and powerful he was, really dynamic. And I was fortunate that I had coached a great player named Hristo Stoichkov [on the Chicago Fire], and Hristo was also strong and powerful and is left-footed. Hristo is a player that would start in wide positions — but not stay wide and play like a winger, but find ways to make really hard runs into the box to be a goal-scoring threat. And when I got to see Salah up close, the bells in my head went off. There are so many similarities with Hristo.

The second thing is how much he wanted to be coached and challenged and how you could tell he was so motivated to get better. I think that’s been something that has been evident throughout his career. He’s just constantly looking for ways to improve.

You once said you “immediately” knew Salah was special. What else pointed to that for you?

It was the power and the speed that he had. You could tell that he was young, but he was still strong and could get away from defenders and get into good positions. Those things just stood out immediately.

Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring a goal against New Zealand at the London 2012 Olympics. (Photo by Francis Bompard/Getty Images)

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When you look back, is there a favorite on-field moment that comes to mind first when you think of him?

Yes. At that time in Egypt, on February 1, 2012, there was a [riot] in the stadium in Port Said, where 72 young fans were killed in the stadium after a game. When that happened, the [Egyptian Premier] League shut down, and we could only have friendly matches. We had to work very hard because our first [2014] World Cup qualifier was in June, and friendly matches had to be outside the country. So it was a really tough time, but the players were incredible.

It was a time when none of them knew what was going on in their careers. They probably weren’t being paid, but they still were so committed to the national team. And it was during that period that, in these camps and with these friendly matches outside Egypt, the team started to take shape. The player who had been a big part of the team for years — African player of the year — was [Mohamed] Aboutrika. And you could see on the field the way Aboutrika and Salah developed a very good understanding. So we played the first World Cup qualifier in Alexandria against Mozambique in an empty stadium, which was obviously quite strange, and we won, 2-0.

For the second World Cup qualifier, we had to travel and play in Guinea. We were down, 1-0, and then [Aboutrika] scored two goals to make it 2-1. Near the end, Guinea scored, so it looked like a 2-2 game. [Salah] played mostly on the right, and we had worked really hard on his movement — I always use this expression — from outside, meaning you’re wider on the field, to inside. 

After the game was 2-2, we moved forward with the ball, and he made a very strong move without the ball from outside to inside [and] received a great pass. He’s left-footed, so when he’s coming in from the right, he worked very hard on his ability to curl a ball into the far corner. So he scored the winning goal in that fashion, and I think from that moment on, he was a star, with Aboutrika, on the national team.

Off the field, is there a memory that encapsulates him as a leader or as just who he is as a person, rather than a player?

His teammates love him. He’s humble, and he’s just a guy with a fantastic personality. Just to see how much his teammates love him. We stay in touch, in part, because he’s always appreciated everything, and in all ways, he’s, for me, a great guy.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah congratulates Ramy Rabia after he scored a goal during the Africa Cup of Nations against Ivory Coast in January. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)

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Why do you think he’s so beloved by his teammates? How does he endear himself to them?

He’s funny, he’s down to earth. He’s just good to be around and makes everybody better in a real way.

Salah is obviously a huge international star, but is there something you think the masses don’t know about him but should?

Probably two things. The first one is out there a little bit because people have written about it, but as a young player, he played at a team called Al Mokawloon. In English, they would call it Arab Contractors. 

He lived in a village outside Cairo, so it took him three to four hours to get into training and to get home. And when you travel in Egypt, there’s something called microbusses. It’s a little van [for] public transportation, but people pack inside microbusses, and he had to take a number of different microbusses and get off and get on. So his commitment just to get from where he lived in and out to training every day was incredible. 

And then the second thing is — and he does it very quietly — he finds many, many ways to give back to causes in Egypt. Egyptians are very proud people, and they love their country. That shows in the way he conducts himself and also in the way that he quietly supports many, many, many good causes.

Mo Salah before the FIFA World Cup African qualifiers in September 2025. (Photo by Ayman Aref/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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From a global perspective, what do you think Salah’s legacy is for the game?

His legacy is that when he got to Liverpool, he exploded. And there were steps along the way, but it all came together. Everyone got to see him playing on one of the best teams in the world and become a global star that people mention with the best names in football. For that to happen for a player from Egypt, that was new, and to do it with style and class and grace and a smile, I think made it even better.

Fans with a banner for Liverpool’s Mo Salah for his final Liverpool appearance in May. He’s a free agent this summer. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

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In what could be Salah’s last World Cup, what are your expectations for him and for Egypt as a team?

For sure hope that they can play well, that they can get out of the group [stage] and have a chance to go far in the tournament. I know that that would be his dream and his goal for himself and for the team.

Do you think they can do it?

I hope so. We’ll see. 

What three words would you use to describe Mo Salah?

Humble, proud, positive.

Source

The NCAA asked a Texas appeals court Monday to stay a temporary injunction that cleared the way for Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play this fall despite being declared ineligible for gambling while the Big 12 Conference filed a federal lawsuit warning the Texas attorney general to stay out of a case that has rattled college sports.

The filings in separate courts raised the stakes in the fight over whether Sorsby can play and who makes that decision.

In documents filed with the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo, the NCAA asked for an emergency motion to stay the June 8 injunction granted by a Lubbock County court in favor of Sorsby, who has admitted he has a gambling addiction and has made thousands of bets, including some on his own team when he was a freshman at Indiana.

The NCAA also asked for a resolution of the case by Aug. 28, which it said would spare the potential disruption of a ruling after Texas Tech begins its season on Sept. 5. The NCAA has long banned players for gambling, but Texas Tech says Sorsby, who transferred there in January after the past two seasons at Cincinnati, would be better off on the team for his mental health and well-being.

“The trial court’s temporary injunction sweeps beyond anything Texas law permits,” attorneys for the NCAA wrote. “It undermines the integrity of college sports, rewrites member-adopted rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, immunizes Brendan Sorsby from discipline for admitted and serial violations of NCAA anti-gambling rules, incentivizes a run on courthouses across the country to challenge even the most obvious and straightforward student-athlete eligibility decisions and demolishes the status quo.”

The injunction last week from Judge Ken Curry prevents the NCAA from being able to block Sorsby’s eligibility for what will be his final college season with a team among the favorites to win the Big 12 and return to the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season.

The Big 12, meanwhile, filed suit in U.S. District Court in Dallas seeking a court order backing its ability to use its bylaws for potential punishment against Sorsby. So far, the Big 12 has not weighed in on the Sorsby case, but last week the Texas attorney general’s office warned the league of potential legal action from Texas Tech for any sanctions against the school or Sorsby.

The Big 12 filing names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee in the U.S. Senate race this fall, as well as Texas Tech leadership, including its president, chancellor and athletic director. It accused them of trying to prevent the Big 12 from exercising its own rules the school itself agreed to long ago.

“An athlete with an extensive, documented history of wagering on intercollegiate athletic contests — especially his own team’s games — presents a reputational and integrity risk to the conference and its championship competition that the conference has both the right and the responsibility to address,” attorneys for the Big 12 wrote. “The Conference is not required to accept that risk on behalf of its fifteen other member Institutions, their student-athletes, their fans and its commercial partners. And no government official has the power to compel it to do so.”

The Big 12 board of directors, made up of presidents and chancellors from the league’s 16 schools, was expected to meet Monday.

Court records show that Sorsby has acknowledged making thousands of impermissible bets on pro and college sports totaling at least $90,000 during his time at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. That included 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman at the school in 2022, though none on any of the games in which he played for the Hoosiers.

While some guidelines for penalties related to gambling have changed in recent years, NCAA rules still call for a permanent loss of eligibility for any player who wagered on his own team. At least two schools, Nebraska in the Big Ten and Georgia in the SEC, have indicated they will not schedule Texas Tech.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond last week called on the Big 12 to suspend Sorsby, and said claims by the Texas AG’s office that sanctions against Texas Tech would violate antitrust laws are meritless. The Kansas attorney general, Kris Kobach, said Monday his office would provide support to the Big 12 in any legal dispute with Paxton’s office.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Source

How do you describe what we saw in Atlanta? An inspiring performance? A powerhouse squad playing too one-dimensionally? 

Whichever way you want to call it, Cape Verde making its World Cup debut in the grandest of fashion by stalling mighty Spain will forever be remembered.  

Cape Verde, an archipelago nation off the coast of Africa and the third-smallest country ever to World Cup to qualify based on population, made history after earning a 0-0 result against Spain, a tournament favorite and European powerhouse. 

What an ending to the match, what a story. What a World Cup. Here are my takeaways: 

  A Tale Of Two Teams

It was a heroic and relentless performance that will forever be remembered by Cape Verdeans (and soccer fans in general) everywhere around the world. 

For context, here are some numbers. Cape Verde is ranked 67th in FIFA World Rankings compared to second-ranked Spain – the ninth-largest gap ever in a World Cup fixture and a difference of 65 spots.

What’s more, all 26 players of Cape Verde’s national team have a combined transfer value of approximately $63.1 million. Compare that to Spain’s teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, who made a second-half appearance, who has a reported value of $232.1 million. Or Spain’s midfielder Gavi at $174 million. 

HISTORICAL UPSET ALERT FIFA World Cup Now reacts to SHOCKING Spain-Cape Verde scoreless draw ️

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TheBlue Sharks delivered a fantastic, heroic performance, frustrating Spain’s possession and its 27 shots. Cape Verde did not allow the European side to get out of first gear throughout the match. 

But this is not a Cinderella story. Cape Verde is a team that plays without nerves. It committed its players to any presure from Spain and remained extremely well organized. Monday’s result is a testament to commitment and heart, and I am so insanely proud of this achievement … and I absolutely have no connection to the country. 

What’s more, the African side even had some chances to enter the final third. It wasn’t until the last five minutes that Spain truly threatened at goal. Which brings us to …

2. Vozinha Leads The Blue Sharks

In a tournament that includes several 40-year-old players across the field (Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Edin Dzeko), we didn’t expect to be talking about a Cape Verde keeper who plays in the Portuguese second division.

But Vozinha produced seven excellent saves to keep his clean sheet and give his team the result. He was playing the match of his life and would continue throughout. What a performance. He deserves all the flowers.

The resilience continued in the second half as Spain remained thwarted by Cape Verde. That team felt like it wanted more and was determined to create history. It rallied around the keeper to help keep Spain’s attack at bay. 

3. Lamine Yamal’s World Cup Debut Sputtered

 (Photo by Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images) –>

Fresh from recovery after a hamstring injury, Yamal entered the pitch and the energy around the stadium — and on the pitch — immediately changed. His mere presence ignited a much-needed spark and every time he touched the ball on the right wing, the crowd erupted. 

Cape Verde, therefore, needed to put two and even three men on the young phenom from Barcelona because they knew the danger he possessed. But still, Cape Verde held strong. 

Let’s be very honest here. In the first half without Yamal or Williams, Spain was one dimensional, with the usual amount of possession (70%) but with nothing to show for it. 

Cape Verde, as said, needs to take a lot of the credit here but regardless, let’s also call it as it is: it was not good enough for a team who is favored as a team who can win it all.

4. Possession Doesn’t Matter Without Goals

Something I always stress with teams like Spain is the fact that possession without intent is meaningless and that’s exactly what we saw in the first half and it shouldn’t take the introduction of Yamal to get the team going. And even when he came on, there was not enough aggression. 

I hope De la Fuente shows his team highlights from two years ago when Spain won the Euros, because that’s exactly what they need – to inject some direct energy going forward. Pretty patterns are just that: pretty. And when it comes to weapons, it can’t just fall to two players. 

For now, however — I am doing nothing else but saluting Cape Verde, its goalkeeper Vozinha and the manager, Bubista — who, as a former captain, knows too well the mountains his team had to climb to get here. 

This is what the World Cup is all about. It’s a tournament where heroes are born on the pitch.

4 ½. What’s Next?

For Spain, La Roja stays in Atlanta with a Sunday matchup against Saudi Arabia, whilst Cape Verde travels to Miami to face Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay on the same day.  And with eight third-place teams from the 12 groups advancing to the World Cup knockout rounds, Cape Verde has added its name to the mix. 

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Belgium winger Jérémy Doku could miss matches later in the World Cup because of the impending birth of his first child.

Ahead of his team’s World Cup opener against Egypt in Seattle on Monday, Doku told outlets including Belgian newspaper HLN that his wife, Shireen, is expected to give birth to his son during the knockout phase of the World Cup, specifically in early July, around the rounds of 32 and 16.

The 24-year-old forward, who plays for Premier League club Manchester City, would have to travel from Seattle to England to be there in time whenever Shireen goes into labor.

“No one wants to miss a birth,” Doku told reporters. “Moreover, it is my first child. But I also know that there is a lot involved in football. In any case, the FA sympathizes with the players and our situations, so we will see what we can do.”

Doku has represented Belgium since 2020. In World Cup qualifying in 2025, he scored in a 4-3 win over Wales. He added two more goals in a 7-0 victory over Liechtenstein, a result which clinched his team’s berth.

In 42 appearances for his country, Doku has scored seven goals.

His participation in the World Cup was briefly called into question when he reportedly left Tuesday’s training session early because of some breathing issues. He was a full participant in all portions of practice leading up to Monday’s match that media could watch.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The Polymarket promo code FOX unlocks a $50 bonus as Monday’s World Cup slate delivers another day of must-watch action. Group H opened with a stunning outcome. Now, Saudi Arabia or Uruguay can capitalize when they face off today.

Uruguay’s path to winning the group became a lot wider. Stars Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez, and Manuel Ugarte lead the Uruguay squad and look to take advantage of the opportunity to take the lead in group play. Saudi Arabia has already shown it can shock the world after its stunning upset of Argentina in 2022. 

Beyond Group H, Belgium and Egypt headline another intriguing Monday matchup as the tournament continues to produce more drama, and it’s only day five. One result can change an entire group, and the drama is only building as the road to the World Cup trophy heats up.

Use the Polymarket promo code FOX to claim your $50 bonus and get involved with Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia or any other World Cup match on Monday. 

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Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay Chances

*Odds/Probability are subject to change*

Teams	Chance	Yes	No
Uruguay	68%	68¢	33¢
Saudi Arabia	12%	12¢	89¢
Tie	22%	22¢	79¢

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How to Watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay

• When: Monday, June 15, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET
• Where: Miami Stadium, Miami, FL
• TV: FS1
• Stream: Watch 3 days for free on FOX One, FOX Sports, FOX Sports App

Players to Watch for Saudi Arabia

Salem Al-Dawsari is Saudi Arabia’s most experienced attacking player, starring for Al-Hilal for over a decade while winning multiple Asian Football Confederation Champions League titles and scoring the famous winner against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Musab Al-Juwayr provides a youthful midfield presence with Saudi Pro League experience and a strong track record in the country’s youth national teams.

Saud Abdulhamid brings reliability at fullback, backed by consistent performances in the Saudi Pro League and appearances in recent international competitions.

Players to Watch for Uruguay

Federico Valverde is one of Uruguay’s key midfielders, earning 71 caps since 2017. A veteran of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he has won multiple UEFA Champions League titles and La Liga championships while providing goals, assists, and defensive work in midfield.

José María Giménez is Uruguay’s defensive leader with 97 international caps. He has represented the country at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups and has enjoyed a decorated club career that includes La Liga, UEFA Super Cup, and Europa League titles.

Ronald Araújo has become a mainstay in Uruguay’s back line since debuting in 2020. The 2022 World Cup participant has earned 25 caps and won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona while establishing himself as one of the club’s top center backs.

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The name of the Cape Verde goalkeeper who shut out Spain is only one word, and it isn’t “Him,” although that might be more appropriate following his performance on Monday. 

Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar José Évora Dias, recorded seven saves in Cape Verde’s stunning 0-0 draw against Spain in Monday’s Group H opener. The 40-year-old had a string of leaping and diving saves late in the first half before making a few big stops late in the second half. As a result, Vozinha won man of the match. 

So, who is Vozinha, the star who gave Cape Verde a point in its World Cup debut? Here’s what to know about the Cape Verdean goalkeeper.

Why Does He Go By Vozinha?

While Vozinha isn’t his real name, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper said he got the name at a young age thanks to his grandparents. In an interview with FIFA, Vozinha said that his grandparents opted to call him Vozinha as he was raised by them and not his parents. Vozinha said that his father was serving in the military and his mother had to work.

However, the name Vozinha wound up sticking for a different reason. When he moved to Angola to play for Progresso, Vozinha had a decision to make with his name. 

“When I arrived in Angola, there was another goalkeeper named Josimar and I said I am not going to put Josimar II on the shirt — if everyone knew me as Vozinha in Cape Verde, that’s what I would be,” Vozinha told FIFA.

What Did Vozinha Say About Cape Verde’s Draw?

Vozinha was emotional when the final whistle blew in Monday’s match, appearing to hold back tears as he was embraced by his teammates. 

In a post-match interview with FOX Sports’ Alex Aljoe, Vozinha explained why he was emotional following the match. 

“I worked for all my life for this, for this moment, for this dream. A lot of generations in the past was dreaming with this. They did not shift,” Vozinha said. “Now, the dream come true. All of us are here because we worked a lot to be here. We deserved to be here today. A great game against Spain because it’s one of the best national teams in the world.”

What History Did Vozinha Make On Monday?

In terms of FIFA rankings, Cape Verde’s draw was the fourth-most surprising result in the history of the World Cup. Cape Verde entered the tournament ranked 67th and Spain entered the tournament ranked second.

As for Vozinha, he became the third-oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a men’s World Cup match, after Peter Shilton (40 years, 281 days) and Dino Zoff (40 years, 130 days), per FOX Sports Research. Vozinha is the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in his World Cup debut and just the second goalkeeper aged 40 or older to make at least seven saves in a World Cup match since 1966, per OPTA.

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How Big Of A Star Has Vozinha Become?

Vozinha has already seen his social media following grow in a major way in the hours following Monday’s match. His followers on Instagram have gone from 50,000 to 2.2 million as of 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday.

What Was Vozinha’s International Career Like Before Monday?

Vozinha had 90 international caps for Cape Verde prior to Monday’s match, beginning his senior international career in 2012. He recorded nine clean sheets for Cape Verde over the previous year before blanking Spain. He logged three clean sheets in five matches for Cape Verde in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. 

What Club Team Does Vozinha Play For?

Vozinha currently plays for Chaves in Liga Portugal 2, Portugal’s second division of soccer. He’s spent the bulk of his club career with Progresso (2012-15) and AEL Limassol (2017-22), though. Vozinha logged 116 caps during his time with AEL Limassol, a club in the Cypriot First Division.

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The Kalshi Promo Code FOXSPORTS unlocks a $10 trade bonus as another pivotal day of World Cup action unfolds. 

Spain unexpectedly tied with Cape Verde in a 0-0 draw. Group H has suddenly been thrown wide open, making the Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia match even more interesting.

Uruguay begins its 15th World Cup appearance led by Marcelo Bielsa and a talented core featuring Darwin Núñez, and Manuel Ugarte.

Captain Salem Al-Dawsari leads the Saudi Arabia squad eager to start this group stage with a win.

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Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay Chances

*Odds/Probability are subject to change*

Teams	Chance	Yes	No
Uruguay	68%	68¢	33¢
Saudi Arabia	12%	12¢	89¢
Tie	22%	22¢	79¢

More markets available on Kalshi.

How to Watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay

• When: Monday, June 15, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET
• Where: Miami Stadium, Miami, FL
• TV: FS1
• Stream: Watch 3 days for free on FOX One, FOX Sports, FOX Sports App

Players to Watch for Saudi Arabia

Salem Al-Dawsari is Saudi Arabia’s most experienced attacking player, starring for Al-Hilal for over a decade while winning multiple Asian Football Confederation Champions League titles and scoring the famous winner against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Musab Al-Juwayr provides a youthful midfield presence with Saudi Pro League experience and a strong track record in the country’s youth national teams.

Saud Abdulhamid brings reliability at fullback, backed by consistent performances in the Saudi Pro League and appearances in recent international competitions.

Players to Watch for Uruguay

Federico Valverde is one of Uruguay’s key midfielders, earning 71 caps since 2017. A veteran of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he has won multiple UEFA Champions League titles and La Liga championships while providing goals, assists, and defensive work in midfield.

José María Giménez is Uruguay’s defensive leader with 97 international caps. He has represented the country at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups and has enjoyed a decorated club career that includes La Liga, UEFA Super Cup, and Europa League titles.

Ronald Araújo has become a mainstay in Uruguay’s back line since debuting in 2020. The 2022 World Cup participant has earned 25 caps and won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona while establishing himself as one of the club’s top center backs.

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It’s always impressive when you see a player go an entire game without an incomplete pass attempt, but that’s not something a center back will necessarily strive to achieve.

No center back is going to go out there with the idea of, “I want to improve my completion percentage.” That’s not the job of a defender over 90 minutes.

A center back’s primary focus entering a game is, obviously, the defensive responsibilities. On the ball, you’re looking to make plays on the ball that are creating attacks. You’re also trying to be reliable and consistent so you can say at the end of the match, “I had a positive impact.”

There’s definitely a fine balance between picking your moments and determining when you have an 80% chance of squeezing a pass through and creating a potential opportunity going forward.

Chris Richards’ 83-for-83 passing mark was an opportunity provided to him by Paraguay in the teams’ 2026 World Cup opener.

Chris’ defensive partner, Tim Ream, was 84-of-90 with his passing and had the most touches of any player on the pitch with 102. To put that number into perspective, the player with the most passes attempted in the USA midfield was Tyler Adams, who was 52-of-59.

The USA’s opponent last Friday night wasn’t pressing very high up the field and was content to sit in a low block and defend.

The U.S. was able to play the ball around its back line, feeding Alex Freeman on the right side of defense or Antonee Robinson a little further up the field on the left. A big key for us for creating numerical mismatches in wide positions, and it’s easier for the center backs to find guys in those positions than it is further up the field.

Paraguay was always going to sit back and allow the USA to have the ball in spots on the field that aren’t immediately dangerous. It was the kind of game that definitely catered to Chris and Tim being able to keep a lot of possession.

The last thing on your mind in a game like that is, “Oh, what am I going to do with the ball?” That’s because you’re always in control. 

What did surprise me is that Paraguay did not step up the pressure after the second USA goal, which was Flo Balogun’s first of the game. At that point, I expected more of a sense of urgency from Paraguay, but it remained content to sit back and defend – and paid for that mentality.

It shows how reliable Richards is. His return was a boost to the American backline, and it’s clear how comfortable he is next to Ream.

Chris is also playing different kinds of passes compared to Tim. The USA captain played a more progressive game because Robinson was further up the field on his side compared to Freeman on the right side next to Richards.

Chris Richards (left) thrived next to Tim Ream in defense for the USA against Paraguay. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

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Expect a different kind of game for the USA backline on Friday against Australia.

While Australia will also be content to defend, the difference between the Socceroos and Paraguay is that they can hurt you even more in transition. Australia has more speed going forward. We saw winger Nestroy Irankunda put his speed and dribbling on display with his goal against Türkiye on Saturday night, which gave the Aussies a 1-0 lead. If he gets more people in one-on-one situations in the rest of the tournament, there will be more of that.

Australia will play with five defenders and three in midfield who will sit pretty deep. A lot of the time when we have the ball, there will be eight or nine players behind the ball.

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Uruguay enters as the favorite in the match, led by Darwin Núñez and Manuel Ugarte. Saudi Arabia’s captain Salem Al-Dawsari leads a squad eager to pull off another World Cup shock and throw Group H into even more chaos.

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Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay

• Uruguay: -235
• Tie: +333
• Saudi Arabia: +675

Who Scores In Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia?

Player	First	Anytime	Last
Darwin Núñez (URG)	+300	+110	+300
Rodrigo Aguirre (URG)	+400	+155	+400
Fedrico Vinas (URG)	+450	+260	+450
Salem Al Dawsari (SAU)	+900	+450	+950
Saleh Al-Shehri (SAU)	+900	+400	+950

How to Watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay

• When: Monday, June 15, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET
• Where: Miami Stadium, Miami, FL
• TV: FS1
• Stream: Watch 3 days for free on FOX One, FOX Sports, FOX Sports App

Players to Watch for Saudi Arabia

Salem Al-Dawsari is Saudi Arabia’s most experienced attacking player, starring for Al-Hilal for over a decade while winning multiple Asian Football Confederation Champions League titles and scoring the famous winner against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Musab Al-Juwayr provides a youthful midfield presence with Saudi Pro League experience and a strong track record in the country’s youth national teams.

Saud Abdulhamid brings reliability at fullback, backed by consistent performances in the Saudi Pro League and appearances in recent international competitions.

Players to Watch for Uruguay

Federico Valverde is one of Uruguay’s key midfielders, earning 71 caps since 2017. A veteran of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he has won multiple UEFA Champions League titles and La Liga championships while providing goals, assists, and defensive work in midfield.

José María Giménez is Uruguay’s defensive leader with 97 international caps. He has represented the country at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups and has enjoyed a decorated club career that includes La Liga, UEFA Super Cup, and Europa League titles.

Ronald Araújo has become a mainstay in Uruguay’s back line since debuting in 2020. The 2022 World Cup participant has earned 25 caps and won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona while establishing himself as one of the club’s top center backs.

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