Japan leaves injured Kaoru Mitoma off World Cup roster

Japan left injured midfielder Kaoru Mitoma off the 26-man World Cup roster announced by coach Hajime Moriyasu on Friday.

Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton's Premier League match against Leeds on Saturday, leaving his World Cup status in serious doubt. That was confirmed with Friday's reveal of Japan's roster.

"The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament," Moriyasu told reporters Friday.

Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also will miss out on the World Cup after the 31-year-old suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December.

Moriyasu did take a chance on some other players dealing with injury issues, with Wataru Endo, Ko Itakura and Takehiro Tomiyasu included on the roster. Ajax defender Tomiyasu has dealt with multiple injuries that have led to him not appearing for Japan for nearly two years, while Liverpool midfielder Endo has only played in eight Premier League matches this season due to an ankle injury.

Sporting CP defensive midfielder Hidemasa Morita did not make the roster after totaling seven appearances in World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, defender Yuto Nagatomo will make his fifth World Cup appearance.

"I was able to select only 26 players, but I feel sorry that I couldn't select many other players," Moriyasu told reporters Friday. "However, I selected these 26 based on their past performances and through conversations with the coaching staff, believing that this is our best squad right now. I think I have chosen the best 26 players in order for Japan to win on the world stage at this moment."

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Mitoma, 28, has nine goals in 31 appearances for Japan.

Japan has won five consecutive matches ahead of its final pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31. The Japanese will then travel to the team's base camp in Nashville, Tenn., where they will train at the Nashville SC Training Center.

They begin their Group F play against the Netherlands in Arlington, Texas on June 14, followed by matches against Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico on June 20 and Sweden back in Arlington on June 25.

JAPAN WORLD CUP ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, Zion Suzuki

Defenders: Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki, Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Tsuyoshi Watanabe

Midfielders: Ritsu Doan, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, Ao Tanaka

Forwards: Keisuke Goto, Daizen Maeda, Koki Ogawa, Kento Shiogai, Yuito Suzuki, Ayase Ueda

--Field Level Media

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 15, 2026

Japan leaves injured Kaoru Mitoma off World Cup roster

Japan left injured midfielder Kaoru Mitoma off the 26-man World Cup roster announced by coach Hajime Moriyasu on Friday. Mitoma s...

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Eagles may meet Shane Steichen at a pivotal career crossroads in Week 14

NFL schedules create storylines before a single meaningful snap is played. Revenge games, primetime grudge matches, and familiar reunions are always on the table. Some of those narratives are overblown. Others feel entirely believable. ThePhiladelphia Eagles' Week 14 showdown against theIndianapolis Coltsmay fall into the second category.

Nostalgia is a funny thing. After reaching the Super Bowl in both the 2017 and 2022 seasons, theColtscame knocking and raided Philadelphia's coaching staff for its offensive coordinator. Indianapolis hired Frank Reich as its head coach in 2018. He hired Nick Sirianni as his offensive coordinator. Eventually, theEaglesand Doug Pederson parted ways, and the Birds replaced the first man to win the Super Bowl as head coach with Sirianni, the man who would eventually lead them to their second.

Along the way, there was a failure in football's biggest game (Super Bowl LVII). Still, Indianapolis had seen enough, again.They hired then-Eagles OC Shane Steichen to lead them as head coach, a role he still serves in today.

Things haven't gone the way Steichen had hoped. Last season, he seemed to be heading his team in the right direction. At one point, they even had the best record in the NFL. Then, injuries set in, and things went off the rails quickly. Carlie Irsay-Gordon gave Steichen another chance. He's still the head coach, butthe seat he's sitting in is heating up.

Steichen was handed another opportunity in Indianapolis after a disappointing 2025 campaign, but let's be honest. NFL owners do not hand out endless patience, especially when progress stalls. At some point, results become the only language that matters. That makes 2026 feel like a defining year for Steichen.

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The Eagles could become Shane Steichen's measuring stick, or a blemish on his resume

Reputations built as coordinators only buy so much time for a man. Head coaching is an entirely different conversation. If Indianapolis stumbles through the first three months of the season,the Week 14 meeting with Philadelphiasuddenly becomes far more interesting.

There would be obvious emotional layers. Steichen will be facing the franchise where much of his reputation was built. Jalen Hurts will be facing the coach who helped shape part of his evolution. The Eagles will possibly be walking in as the standard Steichen once helped establish. If Indianapolis is underperforming at that time, the spotlight gets hotter. Fair or not, owners love statement wins. Beating a contender changes narratives. Losing to one sometimes confirms them.

If the Colts arrive in Week 14 fighting for relevance, Steichen's reunion with Philadelphia may feel less like a sentimental subplot and more like a referendum. There are instances when the NFL writes drama no screenwriter would dare pitch.

If Shane Steichen reaches December needing a defining victory, few opponents would make the stakes feel larger than the team he helped build. If he fails, that reunion could become something far less sentimental and far more uncomfortable. The NFL has a cruel sense of timing sometimes.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire:Shane Steichen could be coaching for his job vs. the Eagles in Week 14

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 15, 2026

Eagles may meet Shane Steichen at a pivotal career crossroads in Week 14

NFL schedules create storylines before a single meaningful snap is played. Revenge games, primetime grudge matches, and familiar reunio...

Read More

Meghan Markle Announces Surprise Weekend Outing in Switzerland for a Key Cause

Meghan Markle is traveling solo to Switzerland this weekend in her continued advocacy for safer online spaces

NEED TO KNOW

• After debuting the Lost Screen Memorial in New York City, the installation will debut in Geneva

• Meghan will be joined by World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the illumination event on Sunday

Meghan Markleis heading to Switzerland as she continues Archewell Philanthropies' advocacy for safer online spaces.

On Friday, May 15, it was announced that the Duchess of Sussex, 44, will travel to Switzerland this weekend. On Sunday, May 17, she will join World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (who she previouslyjoined on a trip to JordanwithPrince Harryearlier this year), global health leaders, and families affected by online harm at the inauguration of theLost Screen Memorialin Geneva’s Place des Nations, ahead of the opening of the 79th World Health Assembly.

The event, hosted by the World Health Organization and Archewell Philanthropies, will see the illumination of 50 lightboxes, each displaying the lock screen image of a child who lost their life as a result of online violence and digital harm. At the ceremony, Meghan will pay tribute to the children remembered in the installation and underscore the urgent need for stronger global protections for children online.

Amy Neville, an online child safety advocate whose son Alexander is among those in the exhibition, will also address guests.

The memorial, which will be displayed in Geneva through May 22, was created by Meghan and Prince Harry's Archewell Philanthropies, in partnership with The Parents’ Network.

The installation is debuting in Geneva after it wasfirst unveiled in New York City in April 2025as part of the No Child Lost to Social Media campaign.

At the illumination event in Manhattan, which PEOPLE attended, Meghan told reporters, "These are families that we have been working with for several years. No matter how polarized the world is, or what people may or may not agree on, one thing that we can all agree on is that our children should be safe. All of our children should be safe, and I think tonight, all of these stories solidify that."

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Prince Harry, 41, added, "These children were not sick. Their deaths were not inevitable—they were exposed to, and in many cases were pushed harmful content online, the kind any child could encounter. No child should be exploited, groomed, or preyed upon in digital spaces. To the platforms, they may be seen as statistics. To their families, they were cherished and irreplaceable."

The Lost Screen Memorial seeks to highlight the measurable and preventable harms associated with online violence against children, including cyberbullying, grooming, sextortion, exposure to self-harm content and unsafe emerging technologies without adequate safeguards.

Prince Harry and Meghan have made creating safer digital spaces part of their philanthropic work, with both drawing on personal experience.

During a discussion with young people in Australia last month,Meghan commented that she was “bullied and attacked”every day for 10 years on social media and was “the most trolled person in the entire world."

“When I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realize that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks — that’s not going to change. So you have to be stronger than that," Meghan said.

Prince Harry also noted that social media has “led to so much loneliness for so many people," PA Media reported, before he shared the benefits of therapy with the group: "I waited until I was literally in the fetal position, much older, lying on the kitchen floor. Until I was like, 'Okay, maybe this therapy thing — maybe I should try it.' ”

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 15, 2026

Meghan Markle Announces Surprise Weekend Outing in Switzerland for a Key Cause

Meghan Markle is traveling solo to Switzerland this weekend in her continued advocacy for safer online spaces NEED TO KNOW ...

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Fantasy Football: Games we're most excited for on the 2026 NFL schedule

The NFL schedule for the 2026 season has been revealed, and there are lots of matchups worth talking about. Here, the Yahoo Fantasy Football crew chooses the games they’re most excited to watch for the upcoming campaign. See which matchups Justin Boone, Matt Harmon, Scott Pianowski and Joel Smyth are looking forward to.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season]

Reigning Super Bowl MVP returns to face former team

Chiefs at Seahawks, Week 7:It’s not often a Super Bowl MVP leaves his team in free agency, but that’s exactly the scenario Kenneth Walker III finds himself in after signing with the Chiefs. Even more exciting, is the fact he gets to face his former club on the road in Seattle. Whether it was the decision to not re-sign him or the committee backfield the coaching staff kept deploying him in, there doesn’t seem to be any love lost between Walker and the Seahawks’ management. When asked about the matchup this season, Walker told Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show “I would dap up all my teammates, but that’s about it”.

From a fantasy standpoint, it never hurts to have a little added motivation going into a game and I even factor that in slightly to my rankings and projections when a player encounters a team he used to be on. Walker is also coming off the hottest streak of his career, averaging 128.5 scrimmage yards per outing over his final six games (including the postseason). However, the Seahawks’ run defense will be up for the challenge. They allowed the third-fewest rushing yards and the second-fewest rushing touchdowns in 2025. Let’s hope Walker breaks a long run and gets to have a Marshawn Lynch-style celebration as he dives into the end zone.— Boone

No love lost between these two rivals on Sunday night

Cowboys at Giants, Week 1 (SNF opener):No better way to start than the beginning. We’ll all be heavily invested in the Cowboys offense from a fantasy standpoint, so it’s key to get an early look at that unit. We don’t have many questions about it but nevertheless, seeing how George Pickens is used in concert with a fully healthy CeeDee Lamb is a big variable as he proceeds to play on the franchise tag. The bigger questions are on the other side of the ball.

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The Giants' offense is one I can’t quite wrap my mind around just yet. On one hand, there are several interesting young players who might be values in drafts, including Year 2 players in Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. The entire unit is getting a facelift with a new coaching staff under John Harbaugh and looks poised to move toward more heavy and 12-personnel packages. At the same time, they might be playing the early season without orcertainly minus a fully healthy Malik Nabers. The star receiver is what can take this from a solid unit to a strong one. His status is one I’ll be closely monitoring all throughout the summer.— Harmon

Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament

High-scoring affair between two NFL powerhouses on tap

Bills at Rams, Week 5 (MNF):If this game doesn’t get your blood pumping, consult your doctor immediately. It’s a prime-time matchup between the last two MVP winners (Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford), and we’ve recently seen these teams have a pinball affair. The Bills and Rams met in Week 14 of 2024, withLos Angeles holding on for an exhilarating 44-42 victory. Josh Allen did his Superman thing for Buffalo that day (three touchdowns passing, three touchdowns rushing) while the Rams racked up 457 yards and five touchdowns of their own (the other TD scored on special teams). Puka Nacua put on a 12-162-1 clinic, Kyren Williams had 31 touches and scored twice, and Stafford threw for 320 yards and two scores, en route to a 132.6 rating. I don’t see how the teams are that much different now; little wonder there’s a 53.5 point total set for this Monday night showdown. Get your popcorn ready.— Pianowski

Jackson vs. Burrow matchup (health pending) in primetime

Ravens at Bengals, Week 17 (TNF): For years, the Lamar Jackson versus Joe Burrow prime-time games have fed families and fantasy football managers. Shootout after shootout has come with Ja’Marr Chase averaging 29.5 fantasy points over his last four with both QBs over 20 PPG. Prior to last season, Jackson was averaging 25.3 per game versus Cincinnati, one of the best marks by a player against a team in the NFL, but struggled mightily in the matchups last season, ultimately only throwing the ball 12 times in their Week 15 win. If both quarterbacks can stay healthy, I’d expect them to go back to their shootout ways and light up the scoreboard.

This time, the Bengals will finally host Baltimore in a primetime matchup, after the last four being played in Baltimore. A New Year’s Eve fantasy championship is what dreams are made of, as the two favorites in the division will square off to decide NFL playoff standings and fantasy championships.— Smyth

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 15, 2026

Fantasy Football: Games we're most excited for on the 2026 NFL schedule

The NFL schedule for the 2026 season has been revealed, and there are lots of matchups worth talking about. Here, the Yahoo Fantasy Foo...

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Reports: Dolphins, RB De'Von Achane agreed to $64M deal

Dolphins running back De'Von Achane agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract extension with Miami, ending one of the team's biggest offseason subplots ahead of training camp in July, according to multiple reports.

Achane's deal is the first long-term contract the Dolphins doled out under first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, the tandem undertaking a major restoration project on South Beach.

Achane, 24, is the lone remaining and proven playmaker from the offensive core of the Dolphins under fired coach Mike McDaniel. He rushed for a career-best 1,350 yards and scored eight touchdowns on the ground in 2025.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the former third-round pick hinted at a holdout with modest guarantees left on his contract. But the Dolphins made it clear, publicly and to Achane's representatives, he wasn't going anywhere. Sullivan referred to Achane as a pillar of the team and Hafley said he wasn't interested in any trade involving Achane.

The new contract extension includes $32 million in guarantees and can be worth up to $68 million with incentives, according to reports by The Athletic and ESPN.

In total, he would be the third-highest-paid running back in the NFL under those terms at an average annual salary of $16 million per year.

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Saquon Barkley of the Eagles ($20.6 million) and 49ers' Christian McCaffrey ($19 million) are the only backs with a higher AAV.

The Dolphins subtracted top playmakers Tyreek Hill (released), Jaylen Waddle (traded to Denver) and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (released) among other salary-clearing moves this offseason. Miami plans to pair Achane and former Titans and Packers quarterback Malik Willis in a run-heavy scheme in 2026.

The 84th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Achane split time with Raheem Mostert and logged 800 yards and eight TDs on the ground in 11 games (four starts) as a rookie. He gained a gaudy 7.8 yards per carry that year.

The following season, he started 16 times and came off the bench once, producing 907 yards and six touchdowns on 203 carries (4.5 per attempt).

In three seasons overall, he has 3,057 yards and 22 touchdowns on 544 carries (5.6 yards per attempt).

Despite Achane's success, the Dolphins finished just 13th in rushing yards in 2025.

--Field Level Media

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 14, 2026

Reports: Dolphins, RB De'Von Achane agreed to $64M deal

Dolphins running back De'Von Achane agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract extension with Miami, ending one of the team's ...

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