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Trai Hume (left) could captain Northern Ireland in Lille while Kylian Mbappe will be preparing to lead France into the World Cup [Getty Images]
Northern Ireland will face two-time world champions France in a friendly in the lead-up to the latter’s World Cup campaign.
The game will take place on Monday, 8 June (20:10 BST) at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
Michael O’Neill’s side failed to reach the World Cup finals after losing the play-off semi-final against Italy on 26 March.

ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. released his final mock for the 2026 NFL draft. As is an annual tradition for Kiper, this one extends to the second round.
In the first two rounds of the upcoming draft, the Bills are not slated to make much noise. In that area of the draft, Buffalo enters with just one selection at No. 26 overall in Round 1 and that’s the only pick Kiper makes for the Bills. No trades.
With that selection, Auburn edge defender Keldric Faulk heads to Buffalo.
In 12 games played last season, Faulk had two sacks and five tackles for loss.

Second row Danny Eite has signed a new deal with Gloucester to stay with the club beyond the end of the 2025-26 season.
The 22-year-old has made 17 appearances for the club since his debut in 2022, having come through their academy.
Eite has also represented England at under-18 and under-20 level but injury has limited him to just five games this season for his club.
“He’s had limited minutes due to a couple of injuries and competition in that second row, but I’m confident he’s got a big future here,” head coach George Skivington told the club website.

Kawhi Leonard breaks silence on future with Clippers originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Clippers‘ season ended on Wednesday night at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
Kawhi Leonard’s clock is ticking.
He is currently only under contract through the end of next season (2026-27). He’s also under NBA investigation.
That combines to create a lot of uncertainty, and Leonard was asked about that after the game. As you’d imagine, he didn’t want to say much.

Luis Enrique shares his thoughts on Liverpool’s performance against PSG
Liverpool performance earns respect despite PSG defeat

Liverpool’s Champions League exit at the hands of PSG will sting, yet beneath the harsh glare of a 4-0 aggregate defeat lies a more nuanced reality. This was not a capitulation but a contest defined by fine margins, tactical discipline and elite-level ruthlessness.

At Anfield, Liverpool generated pressure, intensity and volume. They registered 21 shots across the 90 minutes, their highest tally without scoring in the competition since the 2022 final.

A view of the official voting papers from the City of Cologne for the mail-in ballot regarding the city council referendum on CologneRhineRuhr bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (2036, 2040, 2044). Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
An Olympic bid by the Rhine-Ruhr region is backed by a majority of 54% in the 17 cities and towns earmarked to host events, according to a latest survey which comes amid a referendum until Sunday.
The Forsa insitute said on Thursday that its survey, commissioned by 39 papers in the state of North Rhine-Wwestphalia, saw 38% oppose future Games while 8% did not answer.

Penn State’s basketball program has plugged another hole on the roster with a commitment from the transfer portal. Roberts Blums, a guard most recently with Davidson, has given his commitment to the Nittany Lions and will join the program for the 2026-27 season.
Blums announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions with a post on his Instagram account. He will provide some shooting skills to a roster in need of shooters. Blums will come to Penn State with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Blusm led Davidson with 12.

Richard Rios: Manchester United enter race to sign Benfica midfielder
Manchester United have reignited their interest in Colombian midfield wizard Richard Rios.
Last summer, the Red Devils were strongly linked with Rios on the back of his impressive showings for Palmeiras. However, Benfica won the race for his signature after striking an agreement over a deal worth around €30 million.
A year later, Rios could be on the move again after enduring a mixed time under Jose Mourinho in Lisbon.

Angelo Stiller believes Stuttgart deserve Champions League football
Angelo Stiller thinks Stuttgart’s attractive playing style is a perfect fit for the Champions League stage. In an exclusive interview with Bundesliga, the German international spoke about the prospect of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition.
“Champions League would mean everything, not only for me but for the whole club and the city,” said Stiller about his aim for the rest of the season. “We deserve it because of our attractive style of play. People enjoy watching us and know what we stand for.

Millie Bright and Rachel Daly’s podcast, Daly Brightness, has issued an apology after using an image of Bright’s Chelsea team-mate Lauren James being sent off against Nigeria at the Women’s World Cup as an episode thumbnail.
In the episode, former Lionesses players Bright and Daly discussed the most memorable games of their England careers and brought up the last-16 victory against Nigeria at the 2023 tournament. England progressed on penalties, having been reduced to 10 players after James was sent off for stamping on the back of an opponent in the second half.