Tottenham were set to say goodbye to six players at the start of the summer transfer window, with more potentially to follow them out of the exit door, but one of those that was expected to depart now looks set to stay.
Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani have headed back to their parent clubs following the end of their season-long loan deals, while out-of-contract stars Yves Bissouma and Ben Davies will also be saying farewell to north London.
Then, on the player sales side of things, Guglielmo Vicario and club captain Cristian Romero were the two most likely to leave, with there being a general acceptance that they would be allowed to depart should the right offer come in for them.
Begrudging transfer exit for Romero
GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs said before the Premier League season ended: “I think Tottenham are resigned and almost prepared to endorse as well, certain exits and Vicario probably falls into a category of a mutual parting of ways, because I can foresee a situation where Tottenham go out in the market and try and sign a new number one goalkeeper.
“In the case of Cristian Romero it is a more begrudging exit in that even if Tottenham do stay up there is a concrete possibility that he goes.”
However, now it looks like one of those players is going to stay and continue his love affair with Tottenham Hotspur.
That player is Ben Davies.
The Welshman has been with Tottenham for 12 years, having signed in a reported £10million deal from Swansea City in 2014. His contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is coming to an end this summer, with the 33-year-old able to leave the club on a free transfer.
Davies has not played under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, having broken his ankle in a game with West Ham in January. The Welshman was praised by fans during the controversy surrounding Romero’s situation for the final game of the season with Everton, when it appeared that the injured skipper was not going to be in London for the match, instead going to Argentina to prepare for the World Cup.
Davies made it clear to De Zerbi he wanted to be with the squad prior to the match and on matchday, although it did transpire that Romero was there too.
De Zerbi had said: “Sometimes, not all the leaders are the same. Ben Davies spoke with me and asked to stay today to work with us. Tomorrow, we sleep in the hotel. He wanted to stay with the team and teammates.”
The likelihood is Davies will put pen-to-paper on another one year deal to stay in N17.
There are plenty of ways to watch the World Cup, but doing so with a sweepstake and a vested interest in the tournament may take it to the next level.
A sweepstake takes participants and throws them into a random draw to decide who will get a certain team to follow throughout the competition in hopes of winning.
There is often a prize pool of money available to participants (though it isn’t necessary to have fun), adding an extra layer of competitiveness to the World Cup, as fans cheer on the team they have been drawn in this game of chance.
Considering putting one together for your office or friends? GIVEMESPORT brings you a step-by-step guide on how to play a World Cup sweepstake.
How To Do A World Cup Sweepstake
2026 World Cup Nation Sack Manager 72 Days Before Tournament Begins
1. Set An Entry Fee Or Prize
The first step is to set up an entry fee or a prize for the participants. This will give people an idea of what is at stake and whether they want to join.
The prize can be money, an item, or simply bragging rights (which, for some people is the most important!) Pick whatever is comfortable. It’s also worth considering how to divide the prize pot, and whether there will be a prize on offer for second and third place, or simply the winner.
2. Determine Entrants
It’s then important to find who is going to take part in the World Cup sweepstake, as this will likely determine how the teams are drawn out.
With it being a 48-team tournament, as many as 48 people could join in to make sure everyone has an individual team selected to cheer on.
If there are fewer than 48 people, it may be worth looking at if there could be multiple teams that could be drawn per person to ensure that there are as many teams being cheered on as possible. I.e. 24 participants may have two teams drawn out randomly each, 12 participants may have three teams drawn out each etc.
3. Draw The Teams
The next task to consider is how to draw out the teams to ensure that it is done randomly, and with some trust from those involved in the process.
One option is to do it physically. Each team can be written down on a piece of paper and torn into individual pieces, put into a hat, and drawn out at random. There are also kits online that can be printed out and cut to skip the writing part.
As the draw is ongoing, it’s worth keeping track of what team, or teams, each person receives so it is easier to see who is still in contention, and who is knocked out of the competition.
This may be done in a physical notebook, an online chart, or on a spreadsheet to keep track of who takes on who in the following rounds.
5. Reward The Winner!
Once the tournament has come to a close, make sure that whatever prize was set out at the start is given to the winner, and the other participants, if there is more than just one person who lands a prize.
World Cup Sweepstake Apps
If it’s difficult to do a physical drawing of teams for a sweepstake, then using an app or online tool may be best to help pick sides for every participant.
Sweeper is a popular app used for such occasions, as it features several different sports and formats that can be drawn.
There are also several random name pickers that can be used, such as Wheel of Names, with one wheel spin being for the participant, and another for the team they will receive.
Useful Links for a World Cup Sweepstake
Below are some useful World Cup links to bookmark if you’re doing a sweepstake. Good luck!
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have been teasing a contest between themselves for 10 years, and now, the two British heavyweight boxing titans have finally set a date with the match-up taking place later this year.
Joshua is set to fight a warm-up bout against the Albanian heavyweight boxer Kristian Prenga on the 25th of July. In his professional career, Prenga has taken 20 wins and lost once, suffering a point deduction and then losing on points to Dutchman Giovanni Auriemma in the Netherlands. All of his wins, meanwhile, have come by way of knockout.
He won by technical knockout against the American Joey Dawejko in the fifth round, for what is hailed as the biggest win of his careerto date. Joshua will go into the fight as the clear favourite, but Prenga won’t be willing to make it easy.
Joshua hasn’t stepped into a ring since he beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round on the 19th of December 2025. Just 10 days after the fight, the Brit was involved in a car accident in Nigeria which resulted in the death of two of his friends, who were also members of his team; his strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and his personal trainer Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele. Thankfully, the 36-year-old’s injuries were non-life-threatening, and he was treated in the hospital, but he has taken some time to recuperate.
Fury, on the other hand, returned from retirement for a comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov, outboxing the Russian with ease to win via unanimous decision. His 16-month sabbatical was self-imposed following two defeats to the current unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, with the Ukrainian defeating him on points both times, but The Gypsy King was unfazed by Makhmudov, whose boxing record stood at 21 wins in comparison to Fury’s 34.
While Joshua’s opponent for his warm-up fight has been announced, the same cannot be said for Fury, who is set to compete once more before the two battle it out.
Tyson Fury’s Warm-Up Fight For Anthony Joshua
Various opponents have been suggested, including the former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr and Jarrell Miller, who held regional heavyweight boxing titles in North America and has 28 wins with 22 by way of knockout.
Ruiz Jr, however, has been ruled out as an opponent by Fury’s manager Frank Warren, who claimed that the money he had asked for was ‘ridiculous.’
Fury wants a warm-up fight before sharing the ring with AJ, but he’s been urged to avoid one tricky heavyweight who has history with Joshua.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Joshua said: “Is he fighting Itauma? He [Fury] was saying to me when I was looking for an opponent, ‘fight [Fabio] Wardley, fight Itauma, these fights are easy to be made.’
“That would be a perfect name because they’re all under the same promotion. If Fury is what he says he is, then he should step forward and Frank [Warren] should put his fighter forward instead of worrying what I’m up to.”
Itauma has held the Commonwealth heavyweight title since 2025, beating Dillian Whyte by TKO in one minute and 59 seconds of the first round.
The 21-year-old has 14 wins to his name, but could be too sprightly for the 37-year-old Fury to handle. The Brit impressed against Whyte with a dominant display, using his youth, speed, and power to trounce his opponent and force him onto the ropes.
The Slovakian-born fighter then knocked out Jermaine Franklin in the fifth round of their tussle, Franklin’s first loss via knockout. Itauma had put his opponent down in the third round with another dominant display, showing his skill and stamina.
Itauma has shown that he is not to be trifled with, and The Gypsy King should be wary of the young boxer’s ferocious power if they are to meet in the ring, with many hailing him as a future world heavyweight champion.
A fight between the two is highly unlikely, though, with Fury’s team searching for a less dangerous opponent. This is a huge credit to Itauma, who is set to take on the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Filip Hrgovic in the summer.
With Fury’s interim fight likely approaching, a challenger will need to be chosen, and fast, so that preparations can begin. But the question on everyone’s lips is who will be touching gloves with Fury in a few months’ time?
A World Cup nation has released a statement after one of their star players was denied entry into the United States, less than 10 days from the start of football’s showpiece event. A lot has been made during the buildup over the issues around Donald Trump’s strict entry rules, and that’s something Breel Embolo has witnessed first-hand.
The Swiss federation confirmed his ESTA travel authorisation was placed under review this week – linking back to a court ruling over a 2018 altercation, as per The Sun. Embolo, the former Basel and Monaco frontman, was convicted in 2023 of making multiple threats and handed a suspended fine.
The verdict was upheld on appeal after judges rejected his account of the incident. Swiss media reported in April that Embolo decided against taking it to the Federal Court, finalising the judgement. In a statement, the country has said: “Unfortunately, Breel Embolo is currently unable to travel to the United States with the team.
“His ESTA authorisation had been approved until this morning. However, at 10.30am, we were informed that his ESTA application had been placed under further review. We are currently in contact with the relevant authorities and expect that Breel will either join the team later today or travel tomorrow and join the squad then.”
A spokesperson told Reuters Embolo had been allowed to travel to the USA to play for Switzerland against the USMNT and Mexico last June. The Rossocrociati flew to Los Angeles and will be based in San Diego throughout the early knockings of the competition.
