There was a time when Ansu Fati looked destined to be a standout star at a for both Barcelona and Spain.

These days that role belongs to Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation who shone at Euro 2024, while Fati’s name barely comes up in conversations about the national team anymore.

Fati’s most recent Spain cap dates back to October 2023, and he wasn’t in contention to be picked for this summer’s World Cup. Yet the player once tipped as the successor to Lionel Messi hasn’t disappeared from the spotlight entirely.

He’s simply found a very different way of grabbing attention, one that has left plenty of supporters doing a double take. At 23, with his football career still very much alive, Fati appears to be getting started on a second career.

Ansu Fati’s Early Promise at Barcelona

Fati arrived at Barcelona at 10-years-old and quickly tore up the club’s record books, becoming their youngest ever goalscorer and the youngest player to score in the Champions League, a mark that still hasn’t been beaten. Messi himself once praised the youngster, insisting he “has everything to be a great player.”

But fitness problems repeatedly halted his rise. A serious meniscus injury in 2020 kept him out for nine months and a string of hamstring and calf issues that disrupted his development for years. He’s went on loan to the Premier League with Brighton two seasons ago, then endured a frustrating return to Barcelona under Hansi Flick, before he rediscovered some rhythm last season on loan at Monaco, scoring 12 goals in 30 outings.

He’s now closing in on a permanent move there, with the French club expected to trigger their €11 million buy option.

Ansu Fati’s Surprise Move

Away from the pitch, Fati has been busy in the music industry. He recently shared a clip of his debut single, “Sea Como Sea,” with his 2.2 million TikTok followers, and the post has already pulled in more than three million views.

The comments section soon filled up. “How do I explain to my kids that this was supposed to be the next Messi?” one fan wrote, while another joked: “Wonder Kid to Wizkid.” A third added: “Future Ballon d’Or winner now looking for Grammy.”

Fati has signed a global distribution deal with Music Brokers, part of Sony Music, recording the track in Nice with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, and producer Gambinoalaprod. His sound mixes Afrobeats Latino, reggaeton and Amapiano, and on Spotify.

Ronaldinho’s love affair with a football isn’t over. The Brazilian icon, now 46, has put pen to paper on a deal with Ravenna, the Serie C outfit based in the north of Italy.

Whether he actually pulls on a shirt for a competitive fixture remains a different question entirely, and even the club’s own hierarchy can’t seem to agree on the answer.

News of the move broke via Gazzetta dello Sport, with the report revealing Ronaldinho will be officially unveiled at a glitzy event in Miami on the 23rd of June. The former Ballon d’Or winner was in a typically upbeat mood when discussing the move, and his words have only added to the excitement among fans hoping for one more glimpse of the magic.

Ronaldinho and Ravenna Confirm Stunning Capture

“I can’t wait to be able to dance on the ball again to write a new story together with Ignazio and the whole Cipriani family. Football has always been a source of joy for me, I want to bring the same spirit to Ravenna.”

Club owner Ignazio Cipriani, who split his time between Italy and a long stint living in the United States, couldn’t hide his excitement at landing one of his footballing heroes. “I spent 24 years of my life in the United States, but I still consider Ravenna my home. Acquiring Ronaldinho is something absolutely extraordinary for the club; he was my idol, and his impact on football goes beyond what he did on the pitch.”

Mixed Messages Surrounding Ronaldinho’s Actual Role

Vice-president Ariedo Braida, who signed Ronaldinho for AC Milan in 2008, initially poured cold water on any playing involvement:

Yet in a separate interview, Braida left the door open: “Ronaldinho is a timeless champion,” he said. “Will he play? We’ll see, but it’s not ruled out.”

The World Cup winner’s last competitive outing came for Fluminense in 2015, after a career spanning Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona and Milan, where he scored 26 goals in 95 games.

The US Open got underway on the 18th of June, with the best golfers battling it out for the glittering trophy and the glory that comes with it.

The 2026 US Open is the 126th edition of this fabled tournament, and it is hosting iconic names in Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, and Scottie Scheffler at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.

But there is one name who has notably missed out on the weekend’s action, and it is not the first time he hasn’t made the cut for a Major this year. In fact, it’s the third time in a row now.

Pamela Smith via Imagn Images

He has, however, won two Majors before, winning the 2020 and 2024 US Open and was part of the US team that won the Ryder Cup in 2021.

He was also tied for third in The Players Championship in 2021, and is known for his analytical approach to golf, having a successful amateur career where he won the NCAA Division I championship and the US Amateur in the same year. Winning the US Open meant that he was only the third player to have won those three championships, after golfing royalty Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

But Bryson DeChambeau’s fortunes seem to have run out as he has missed the cut for the 2026 US Open after struggling for form in the second round.

Bryson DeChambeau Misses US Open Cut

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The official cut line at the US Open this year was four-over, with all golfers who scored this or better all qualifying for the weekend. ‘The Scientist’, however, finished on the wrong side of the line with a score of five-over, and was sent packing, missing out on his third straight Major weekend, and fourth in his last five starts following abysmal results at The Masters and PGA Championship.

His despair will be further compounded by an Instagram post he made just a day before the tournament, with the 32-year-old posing with both thumbs up.

It is the caption, however, that renders the post now unfortunate and plain awkward.

Bryson DeChambeau’s Awkward Instagram Post

It read: “Like this post if you think I’m going to make the cut.”

Unsurprisingly, the comments didn’t hold back, and some were particularly brutal, with one fan commenting: “Like if Bryson missed the cut for the second year in a row.”

In hindsight, perhaps DeChambeau can see he was tempting fate and look at his post with a wry smile, using it as fuel for the fourth and final Major of the year, The Open Championship, in July. It is a moment that comes with humour and empathy in equal doses, as the cruel twist of reality so often does.

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Californian will be forced to watch the remainder of the action in New York from the sidelines as his dream of a third US Open victory goes unfulfilled, but he’ll need to dust himself off and reset so that he can come back stronger and end his nightmare run of performances.

DeChambeau will be eagerly awaiting July’s Major so that he can prove he’s still a valiant competitor and hasn’t lost his touch around the course.