The New York Knicks added another page to their legendary history last weekend as they ended a 53-year NBA Championship drought. By virtue of their 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5, the Knicks won the NBA Finals, securing their third NBA Championship.

Having waited since 1973, Knicks fans were overjoyed at the success, ending years of pain and suffering. The manner in which they won the title was also particularly impressive.

Games 6 and 7 weren’t even necessary for Mike Brown’s team, with the New York franchise clinching the series early. For as much joy as there was for those with a fondness for the Knicks, there was plenty of sadness, frustration and reflection for the Spurs.

Wembanyama Opens Up on NBA Finals Defeat

Spurs’ center Victor Wembanyama endured a tough series for a number of reasons. After losing the title to the Knicks, the 22-year-old Frenchman spoke to the media and explained what he had learned from the defeat.

After the Game 5 loss, Victor Wembanyama called the experience the “biggest learning moment of his life,” while revealing one aspect of the series caught him off guard.

“It surprised me that every game has the same scenario, every five games in the series have the same scenario, and how relentless we were in our mistakes, and they were in punishing them.”

Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

‘We Can’t Have This’ – Wembanyama Reflects on Loss to the New York Knicks

Reflecting on his first NBA Finals series, Wembanyama rued the missed opportunities his team had squandered to close out games.

“One of many things I learned is the margin of error is very, very thin,” he said. “Our domination stints were absolute. We absolutely, absolutely dominated for most of the series, but our mistakes are punished so hard… we can’t have ups and downs like this… the ups are okay, the downs… is the reason we lost.”

In Game 4, it looked nearly impossible for the Knicks to take the win with the score being 76-49 at the half. However, a legendary comeback meant that Spurs were left shocked at the final buzzer looking at a loss by just one point with a scoreline of 106-107 following OG Anunobys’s tip in with 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock.

That comeback ranks as one of the biggest to ever be achieved in the NBA Finals – surpassing the 2008 Boston Celtics’ 24-point comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wembanyama’s own form during the Finals was some way under par. During the series, he managed just 7.8 points in the final quarter of games. The Spurs needed far more from their star man in order to be competitive against such a tough opposition.

On the Knicks side, Jalen Brunson put on a clinic averaging 32.6 points per night and a series-leading 45 in the deciding game. Credit also needs to be given to Karl-Anthony Towns and his role in diminishing Wembanyama’s impact, holding the Frenchman to an FG% of 42.3%, a noticeable dip from his 51.2% average during the season.

Two World Cup nations have been eliminated from this summer’s tournament early due to a little-known rule, baffling many fans as both sides still appear, at least on paper, to have a mathematical chance of reaching the Round of 32.

Haiti were the first to suffer that fate after a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in Group C, with Turkiye eliminated following their 1-0 loss to Paraguay in Group D later on in Friday night’s action.

On the surface, it’s easier than ever to qualify for the knockout stage following the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams. The top two nations in each group progress automatically, while the eight best third-placed finishers also advance.

With both Haiti and Turkiye sitting just three points off those qualification places – albeit with a daunting route still ahead of them – their elimination has come as a surprise. However, a change to FIFA’s rules means neither nation can progress, even in the event of a miraculous turnaround.

Why Two Teams Have Been Knocked Out of World Cup Early

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As per talkSPORT, a rule change means Haiti and Turkiye can finish no higher than fourth in their respective groups despite each having one match left to play and just three points separating them from third place. At the 2026 World Cup, if two or more teams finish a group level on points, they are not separated by goal difference.

Instead, the first tiebreaker is a head-to-head record against the other sides involved – starting with points gained, followed by goal difference, then goals scored. After losing their first two games, the only team Haiti can still catch is Scotland – but having lost to them in their opening match, they cannot finish above them in third.

It’s a similar situation for Turkiye, who have lost to each of the two teams three points ahead of them: Australia and Paraguay. As a result, there is only pride left to play for when Haiti and Turkiye face Morocco and the USA respectively in their final group matches.

Two Teams Have Had Their Knockout Tickets Punched As A Result

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Mexico were the first to qualify for the next stage of this summer’s showpiece tournament, making it two wins from two by beating South Korea 1-0 in Group A. It’s been an impressive start for the Latin American hosts, who had opened their account with a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa a week prior, meaning they are yet to concede.

Fellow co-hosts the USA then followed them into the last 32 thanks to their 2-0 Group D victory over Australia. It’s only the second time the Stars and Stripes have ever won back-to-back World Cup matches, and their predicted path to the semi-finals now looks very favourable as Mauricio Pochettino leads them into a promising new dawn.

Lionel Messi was at the centre of a 2026 World Cup row after Argentina’s 3-0 victory against Algeria. Now, the 39-year-old could potentially be involved in another.

Many believed the Argentina superstar was lucky not to be shown a straight red card after a high challenge on Algerian defender Aissa Mandi. It caused lots of fans to claim that Messi was given preferential treatment by referees and officials.

That line of thinking has led to questions surrounding another incident involving the greatest of all time. Despite netting a hat-trick in the opening game for the world champions, some believe Messi should’ve seen red for covering his mouth.

How Lionel Messi Avoided Red Card vs Algeria

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After all, Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron became the first player at the World Cup to be sent off for covering his mouth during his country’s 1-0 win over Turkey. The newly introduced ‘Prestianni Law’ was invoked for the first time as the ex-Newcastle man covered his mouth during a confrontation with an opposition player.

The rule was approved by IFAB to try and prevent derogatory comments being hidden after the controversy involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.

Immediately after VAR found Almiron guilty of breaking the newly introduced law, the referee was sent to the screen and sent the winger off. However, an image quickly appeared on social media showing Messi himself with his hand over his mouth while speaking in Argentina’s opener.

However, the law clearly states that a player will be sent off if they hide their mouth during a confrontation. Messi was simply speaking to his teammates after netting his second goal in the 60th minute, therefore not breaching the rules.

Henry Winter pointed out on X that there’s an emphasis on ‘confrontational’. He also revealed all players were informed of the new regulation pre-tournament.

FIFA Statement After Almiron Red Card

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After controversy was sparked online surrounding Almiron’s red card, FIFA have released a statement explaining why he was dismissed. Football’s governing body confirmed this was one of the new rules implemented at the competition.

The statement read: “Following a VAR review in the FIFA World Cup match between Türkiye and Paraguay, Miguel Almiron was shown a red card for covering his mouth.

“Following a special meeting of The IFAB held in April, a number of amendments were introduced to be implemented at the FIFA World Cup 2026. This included a red card for any player in the tournament seen covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent.”