Blazers Beat Clippers 114-104, Holiday 30, Avdija 28

Jrue Holiday's 30 points and Deni Avdija's 28, 11 rebounds and 8 assists propelled the Trail Blazers to a 114-104 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, ending the Clippers' five-game winning streak.

Avdija shot 11 of 12 from the free‑throw line, while the Blazers posted 18 offensive rebounds and 32 second‑chance points, leading the NBA in second‑chance points and second in offensive rebounds.

The Intercontinental Play-Off left Iraq as the last team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. It was a day full of surprises, with every national team chasing the coveted ticket.

Iraq will share a group with France, Senegal, and Norway.

After 40 years, Iraq is returning to the World Cup. Bolivia fought and fought, but they will have to wait another four years to try to make it to a World Cup.

BlogTitans Acquire Solomon Thomas in Draft Pick Swap with CowboysHow the Trade Was Structured The Tennessee Titans announced in early March that they had acquired defensive tackle Solomon Thomas from the Dallas Cowboys in excOpen →

With the “Lions of Mesopotamia,” the World Cup lineup is now complete. Now, all the national teams know their opponents, and the biggest celebration in football is getting closer and closer.

Will Argentina be able to defend its title, or will we have a new world champion?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

Coach Hajime Moriyasu cautioned it was only a friendly, but Japan's slice of history with a statement 1-0 win over England at Wembley shows they could go deep at the World Cup.

Japan strolled through Asian qualifying to become the first team to seal their place at the finals in North America and beat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly at home in October.

On Tuesday they faced England, who like Brazil are among the favourites to win the showpiece this summer, and were full value for their victory.

Kaoru Mitoma's composed finish in the first half at Wembley condemned England to their first defeat by Asian nation.

Moriyasu has said that Japan want to win the 2026 World Cup, and on this evidence that does not seem quite so outlandish.

But Moriyasu struck a note of caution, especially with Thomas Tuchel's England missing the influential trio Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

"Coming to the World Cup, I know it will be a totally different team for England," said the coach, whose side beat Scotland 1-0 on Saturday in Glasgow.

"Also, for us, this game at the end of the day is just a friendly game, so we must keep that in mind as well."

Japan, Asia's highest-ranked side at 18 in the world, are in a testing group with the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia this summer.

But they should have more than enough to make it through, as they attempt to go beyond the World Cup last 16 for the first time.

- Surging confidence -

At Qatar 2022, Japan beat Spain and Germany in the group phase, before losing on penalties to Croatia in the knockout rounds.

They look well equipped to go further this time with a squad full of technically gifted players who ply their trade in Europe's top leagues.

Wembley match-winner Mitoma, of Brighton, is one of the best wingers in the Premier League on his day.

Japan also have Premier League pedigree in Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada and Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka.

Takefusa Kubo did not feature in the recent friendlies because of injury, but the 24-year-old Real Sociedad attacker is well established in Spain's top flight.

Going back to 2019 he has 29 goals and 21 assists in 213 La Liga games.

In goal, Moriyasu kept faith in young stopper Zion Suzuki after a shaky start to his international career.

Now 23, the New Jersey-born goalkeeper, whose father is Ghanaian, has been linked with a move to the Premier League because of his good form for Parma in Italy's Serie A.

Following the England victory, Moriyasu again said that winning the World Cup was the goal.

Moriyasu has his side finely tuned and they know exactly what to expect from him, having been in charge since 2018.

"I'm confident that we can win no matter who we face," he said.

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When Mohamed Salah announced he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season speculation over his next club went into overdrive.

The Egyptian King has long been linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League and several clubs reportedly retain an interest in him.

Salah will also no doubt have offers from Europe, and MLS side San Diego FC are reportedly keen on bringing the legendary winger to the USA.

Everyone expects the finances involved in any deal to be massive, but a new report from Italy suggests that it could be sentiment that drives Salah’s decision and not finances.

Salah could stay in Europe

According to a report in La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Salah’s former club AS Roma could be among the teams trying to tempt Salah this summer.

The report claims that sources in England are certain that Roma are among the clubs being considered by the 33-year-old, but that the finances of a deal may be difficult to agree.

Similar reports emerged earlier in the week stating that Roma could be an option, even if only for one season.

La Gazetta Dello Sport claim that although Salah does not fit with Roma’s typical transfer model of signing young players to sell for profit, the Egyptian represents a unique opportunity for the club and the fact there would be no transfer fee will help.

Salah made 83 appearances for Roma before he joined Liverpool and joining up with Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad could provide the perfect opportunity for him to continue to perform in Europe.

Roma will find it difficult to get a deal over the line, with plenty of teams monitoring the situation, but Salah’s agent confirmed publicly that the forward hasn’t chosen his next club yet which will feed hope in the Italian capital that an agreement can be reached.

FIFA World Cup Qualifying - Intercontinental

Congo DR 0 - 0 Jamaica AET

The Democratic Republic of Congo qualified for their first World Cup in 52 years after Axel Tuanzebe's extra-time goal gave them a 1-0 win over Jamaica in their intercontinental play-off final at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico.

In the build-up, Tuanzebe told the BBC the game was the biggest of his career and the former England youth international, who was born in Bunia - a city affected by the ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo - has now written his name into Congolese football history.

While Leopards striker Cedric Bakambu twice had goals correctly ruled out for offside during normal time, it was no surprise that a tight encounter needed the extra 30 minutes to settle things.

And it was Tuanzebe who was in the right place at the right time, using his torso to almost run the ball into the goal after Brian Cipenga's in-swinging corner took a nick off the top of Jamaica defender Joel Latibeaudiere and cannoned into the onrushing Burnley man in the 100th minute.

Celebrations were paused temporarily while the officials checked for a potential handball, but the video assistant referee (VAR) eventually decided the ball had not brushed Tuanzebe's arm.

Jamaica were hoping to reach their second World Cup, having played at France 1998, but failed to carve out any real opportunities for an equaliser.

Instead, it is DR Congo who take their place in Group K at the expanded 48-team tournament, facing Portugal in their opening match in Houston on 17 June before ties against Colombia and Uzbekistan.

• 'This is bigger than football' - DR Congo bid to end 52-year World Cup wait
• Zaire's infamous World Cup free-kick moment

Reggae Boyz dance to Leopards' tune

This was the first meeting between the sides, having been drawn together in pathway one of Fifa's intercontinental play-offs, with both coming into the match off the back of morale-boosting wins.

A single goal from Wrexham striker Bailey Cadamarteri was enough to help Jamaica past New Caledonia in Friday's play-off semi-final, while DR Congo warmed up with a 2-0 win in their friendly against Bermuda.

The Central Africans had advanced straight into the play-off final courtesy of their world ranking, sitting 49th with Jamaica 68th.

But the Leopards had certainly worked hard to make it this far - this was their 13th qualifier in a campaign which began back in November 2023.

Sebastien Desabre's team finished second behind Senegal in their group before overcoming Cameroon and Nigeria in African play-offs to set up this encounter in the heart of Mexico.

Congo had the better of the early chances, with Bakambu's first offside effort coming in the fifth minute, poking home from inside the six-yard box from Meschack Elia's low ball.

Elia then saw his near-post effort from a tight angle thwarted by a mix of goalkeeper Andre Blake and the post.

But the Reggae Boyz grew into the contest as the half wore on, with interim coach Rudolph Speid, who replaced former England boss Steve McLaren after he quit in November, watching on tensely.

First, Kasey Palmer's goal-bound effort from the edge of the area was blocked by Chancel Mbema on the half hour.

And shortly before the break, Leon Bailey's left-foot fizzer from distance flashed across goal.

Blake saved well from Bakambu's long-range curl early in the second half before Bailey's diving header at the far post flew just wide.

Bakambu had the ball in the net again with five minutes to go, but substitute Theo Bongonda had strayed beyond the last man before laying on the assist.

The Congolese largely controlled extra time and should have finished off the game late on once they had taken the lead, with Watford midfielder Edo Kayembe blazing over with the goal gaping after a counter attack.

But Tuanzebe's strike, his first for his country, was ultimately enough to see them over the line.

• Tuanzebe's incredible journey from DR Congo to Man Utd

DR Congo analysis: Exorcising the ghosts of 1974

Congo fans have been waiting a long time to right the wrongs of their solitary World Cup campaign in 1974.

Back home, 110 million people - as well as a huge global diaspora - will now pray things go better this time than they did in West Germany, when their country competed as Zaire.

That campaign ended with three defeats, 14 goals conceded and none scored.

As well as a 9-0 loss to Yugoslavia, the game against holders Brazil created one of the World Cup's oddly iconic moments, when right-back Mwepu Ilunga charged out of the defensive wall and booted the ball downfield as Brazil lined up a free-kick.

Ilunga received a yellow card, but the damage done to African football's reputation was more severe, creating an impression that players from the continent did not even know the rules.

Tuanzebe and his team-mates now have the chance to banish those ghosts.

After the game, the 28-year-old, who only made his debut in June 2024, told Fifa he was "so proud of what I could do for the country", while also saying his father and brother were watching in the stands.

He is far from the only player Congo have persuaded to join their ranks after playing youth football for another country. In fact, like many other African nations, tapping into diaspora talent has been a specific tactic.

Former captain Gabriel Zakuani is one of those tasked with sweet talking players and their families into signing up, including both Tuanzebe and West Ham's Aaron Wan-Bissaka, another who only recently made the switch from England.

With Desabre having been in place since August 2022, the Leopards, who reached the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations under the Frenchman's guidance, now benefit from continuity and stability as they look to bed in fresh talent born overseas.

There is also the added motivation of playing for a population starved of success and battered by decades of conflict and corruption.

Fifty-two years is a long time to wait, but finally a new generation will have their shot at World Cup glory.

• What's the fighting in DR Congo all about?