Crystal Palace are in advanced talks to appoint Pierre Sage as their new manager, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Palace have known for some time that they would need a new manager this summer, after Oliver Glasner made it clear he would not be signing a new contract and would leave the club.

And now an agreement is close for Palace to bring in highly-rated Sage to Selhurst Park to replace Glasner, after he made the decision to quit Ligue Un outfit Lens.

Palace replacing one trophy-winning manager with another

Glasner will go down as the Eagles’ most successful manager in history, winning the FA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Conference League in the past two seasons.

And in making the move to appoint Sage, Palace are probably bringing in the second most successful manager in Lens’ history.

Sage left his role as Lyon boss at the end of last season, making the move to Lens, where he enjoyed a terrific first season in charge. Lens were in the mix to win the Ligue Un title until losing to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in the penultimate game of the season.

They would go on to finish as runners-up for the sixth time in their history – they’ve won the title once – and lifted the Coupe de France trophy for the first time ever after a 3-1 win over Nice in the final.

Sage was one of the names on the shortlist for Liverpool, but their main priority was always to bring in Andoni Iraola, who had been linked with the vacant post at Selhurst Park until Arne Slot was sacked by the Reds.

Man City ace loves Pierre Sage

Manchester City midfielder Rayan Cherki played under Sage at Lyon and described him as a “genius”.

He said: “The coach brought back the serenity we needed so much. He knows how to talk to players, he understands how we feel. With him, there is no pretending. He gives us freedom while establishing a very clear framework. It’s exactly what we needed.”

“People forget just how much of a tactical genius he is. Every match is prepared down to the millimetre. We know exactly where the spaces are, what we have to do with the ball. He makes football simpler for us.”

The 2026 World Cup is on the horizon, and the 48 nations that will be competing have now named their 26-man player squads.

Euro 2024 champions Spain have a plethora of world-class players in their ranks and are the favourites to lift the trophy in July. The likes of France, England, Portugal, Argentina and Brazil will also fancy their chances of going all the way.

In total, 1248 footballers will take part in this year’s tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 23 clubs that will have the most players at the 2026 World Cup have now been revealed by the Athletic.

9 Players

Six teams have nine players going to the World Cup. That includes Egyptian club, Al-Ahly. Eight of their players will be representing Egypt, while Youssef Belammari has been named in Morocco’s squad.

Saudi Arabian sides Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr both have nine players going to this summer’s tournament. Franck Kessie (Ivory Coast) and Edouard Mendy (Senegal) are Al-Ahli’s most notable representatives, while Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo will have his last opportunity to become a world champion with Portugal.

Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez will be hoping to inspire Argentina to World Cup glory once more, while Sunderland will have nine players at the tournament, including Granit Xhaka (Switzerland) and Robin Roefs (Netherlands).

Nine players from Flamengo will also take part, including former Premier League stars Lucas Paqueta and Danilo.

10 Players

Five sides have 10 players going to the World Cup, including Real Madrid. Remarkably, there are zero Los Blanco players in Spain’s World Cup squad. The likes of Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr have been called up by England, Belgium and Brazil respectively.

Of Czechia’s 26-man squad, 10 players represent Slavia Prague at club level, including David Zima, Lukas Provod and Tomas Chory.

USA will be hoping that Christian Pulisic can work his magic in front of their own fans. Nine other AC Milan players will play at the tournament, including France goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Portuguese winger Rafael Leao.

Turkish giants Fenerbahce also have 10 players at the tournament, including N’Golo Kante and Ederson, as do Dutch champions PSV.

11-12 Players

Three teams have 11 players going to the World Cup: Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and Liverpool.

Egypt’s hopes rest solely on Mohamed Salah, who is leaving the Reds this summer. Liverpool have 10 other players competing, including Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Alisson Becker (Brazil), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) and Alexander Isak (Sweden). Not a single Liverpool player has been called up to England’s squad, though, with Curtis Jones missing out.

Manchester United have 12 players going to the World Cup, including Bruno Fernandes, as do Crystal Palace. The fact that the Eagles have so many players at the tournament highlights their impressive rise in recent years.

Atletico Madrid also have 12 players, with Marcos Llorente, Álex Baena and Marc Pubill featuring in the Spain squad.

15+ Players

Spain have called up seven Barcelona players, including Ballon d’Or contender Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Gavi. Eight of their players will feature for other nations.

The 2026 Champions League finalists, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, both have 16 players at this summer’s tournaments. Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke will turn out for England, while Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi are three of PSG’s representatives.

18 Bayern Munich players are going to the World Cup. Harry Kane is hoping to fire England to World Cup glory, Michael Olise has been named in the France squad and Manuel Neuer, now 40, will be the man between the sticks for Germany.

The club with the most players going to the World Cup is Manchester City. 19 of their players have been called up, including Erling Haaland (Norway), Rayan Cherki (France), Rodri (Spain), Jeremy Doku (Belgium) and Marc Guehi (England).

With the 2026 NBA Finals tipping off tonight, we asked AI to name the 10 best players set to feature in the potential seven-game series.

The San Antonio Spurs take on the New York Knicks in San Antonio in the first game out of a possible seven, to see who will take home the Larry O’Brian Championship trophy.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 best players in the 2026 NBA Finals, according to AI.

10

Dylan Harper

San Antonio Spurs

The first name churned out by AI is Dylan Harper. Despite being in his maiden NBA season, the shooting guard has shown experience well beyond his age. The 20-year-old has already had a number of outstanding performances over the postseason, with the standout being in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when the second pick in this year’s draft scored 24 points.

9

Devin Vassell

San Antonio Spurs

Vassell isn’t quite the exciting prospect he was two years ago, when he was averaging 19.5 points per game and looked like a future All-Star. Despite his shine dulling slightly, he still looks like a solid addition to a championship contender. He averaged 13.9 points per game this season, and could play an important part in these finals.

8

Josh Hart

New York Knicks

The first New York Knicks player on this list is Josh Hart. The small forward isn’t a prolific scorer, despite hitting 26 points in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but what he offers elsewhere on the court means he is a vital part of the Knicks squad. His all-action style means he is a nightmare for other teams, and will make an impact in these finals.

7

Mikal Bridges

New York Knicks

At number seven, AI has Mikal Bridges. The 29-year-old has been with the Knicks since 2024, and is known as the NBA’s ultimate iron man, because of the fact he has never missed a game in his NBA career. The small forward has reached the NBA Finals before, when he was a part of the Phoenix Suns’ 2021 collapse. They went 2-0 up in the seven-game series, but ended up losing 4-2. He returns to the finals this time hoping for a better outcome.

6

OG Anunoby

New York Knicks

This season’s finals have indicated that a shift in defensive styles has taken place, with both teams focusing on wing defenders, but it seems that OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks is the best about. The Brit has shown he is a very capable scorer in these playoffs, averaging 19.7 in the postseason, and has been insatiable for the 3-point line.

5

De’Aaron Fox

San Antonio Spurs

Despite only being 28 years old, De’Aaron Fox is seen as one of the veterans of this young San Antonio Spurs side. The guard is lightning quick in transition, and despite the Spurs progressing through the postseason without him, there is no doubt they are a stronger team with him on the court. ‘Swipa’ was an All-Star player this season, and will be hoping to lead the Spurs all this way in his debut season.

4

Stephon Castle

San Antonio Spurs

Stephon Castle was one of the most sought-after players when Spurs drafted him in 2024. Since then, the point guard’s stock has continued to rise. The former UConn guard won the national championship in college, and it seems he has translated that winning mentality to the NBA.

3

Karl-Anthony Towns

New York Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns has already established himself as the best 3-point shooting big man in the league. ‘KAT’ has hit 1,230 shots from deep since being drafted first in 2015. In nine years at the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 30-year-old never reached the NBA Finals, but despite this, he is a six-time NBA All-Star, and will be hugely influential as the Knicks look to get the better of the Spurs.

2

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

In at number two, AI has Jalen Brunson. The Knicks point guard has spent most of his basketball career being overlooked. He was a second round draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but it wasn’t until his switch to New York in 2022 that people started paying attention. He has developed into one of the best point guards in the NBA, and is the offensive engine. He, alongside Hart and Bridges, are known as the Nova Knicks, after the three won titles together at Villanova, and will all be vital if the Knicks are to go all the way this season.

1

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

The obvious choice for number one is the San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman is one of the biggest names in the NBA after entering the league as one of the most highly-rated prospects ever. The 22-year-old is undoubtedly the best defensive player in the division, leading the league in blocks per game since his debut in 2023. Despite his seven-foot-four frame, the Alien can dribble like a point guard, as well as hit jump shots and dunk. The future is bright for Wembanyama, and whether he is able to help the Spurs cross the line this time or not, it certainly won’t be long before the accolades come rolling in.