&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/fernando-mendoza&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Fernando Mendoza&lt;/a&gt; and Ty Simpson&lt;/strong&gt; are widely regarded as the &lt;strong&gt;top two quarterback prospects&lt;/strong&gt; in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/las-vegas-raiders&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Las Vegas Raiders&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; in need of a long-term answer at the position, the &lt;strong&gt;former Alabama standout has now made an appealing pitch to the franchise&lt;/strong&gt; in hopes of becoming the No. 1 overall pick.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;In just a few months, several college stars will find out whether their NFL dreams will become reality. Ty Simpson is among them, &lt;strong&gt;eager to take the next step in his career&lt;/strong&gt; and prove he can succeed at the professional level.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Although Simpson is currently &lt;strong&gt;viewed as the second-best quarterback prospect behind Mendoza&lt;/strong&gt;, he firmly believes he has what it takes to be considered the best in the class.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Ty Simpson sends strong message to NFL teams ahead of 2026 Draft&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/nfl-draft&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; represents a &lt;strong&gt;life-changing opportunity for college players&lt;/strong&gt;. Draft position matters — not only financially, but also in terms of opportunity, expectations, and long-term development.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Simpson is currently projected as a &lt;strong&gt;top-two quarterback prospect&lt;/strong&gt; and around the &lt;strong&gt;No. 33 overall player&lt;/strong&gt; on many boards. However, he has made it clear he believes he belongs in the first round — and &lt;strong&gt;potentially even in contention for the No. 1 overall selection&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“There was no question at all where I was going,”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Simpson said about his decision to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. &lt;em&gt;“I was going to the draft. I felt like I was ready.&lt;strong&gt; I know that I’m ready, I know I’m ready to lead a franchise.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/fernando-mendoza-opens-up-on-tom-brady-amid-rumors-of-raiders-picking-the-heisman-winner&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Simpson has real first-round potential&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While being ranked No. 33 overall could place him early in the second round, &lt;strong&gt;Simpson’s draft stock could rise significantly&lt;/strong&gt; due to the &lt;strong&gt;number of quarterback-needy teams across the league&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Beyond the Raiders, who hold the first overall pick, franchises such as the &lt;strong&gt;Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals&lt;/strong&gt; are all reportedly evaluating quarterback options. If those teams prioritize the position, Simpson could very well hear his name called in the first round — and potentially reshape the quarterback landscape of the 2026 draft.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        

Ty Simpson makes compelling case to Raiders as Fernando Mendoza draft rumors

Fernando Mendoza gives stern warning to Raiders: ‘Anything can happen’

Raiders reportedly set final asking price for Maxx Crosby amid growing trade rumors

Ty Simpson makes compelling case to Raiders as Fernando Mendoza draft rumors - Bolavip US

miniaturas

&lt;p&gt;If there is a player with a chip on its shoulder coming into the &lt;strong&gt;2026 NFL Draft&lt;/strong&gt;, it’s &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/vanderbilt&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Vanderbilt&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;quarterback &lt;strong&gt;Diego Pavia&lt;/strong&gt;. Always regarded like an underdog due to his size, he has turned into quite a pitbull, stocky, aggressive, and with a tough mentality. He is now dismissing the doubters quite vehemently.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;When Pavia didn’t win the Heisman, &lt;strong&gt;Pavia said, &lt;em&gt;“F— all the voters&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;strong&gt;” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;While he apologized for that, the fact is Pavia holds grudges against the ones who doubt him. Speaking on Friday at the combine, he was asked about people worrying about his size, given that Pavia stands at 5’9″ tall, according to his measurements in the Senior Bowl. &lt;strong&gt;That would put him below Bryce Young and Kyler Murray as the shortest QB in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;NFL&lt;/a&gt;. Young and Murray stand at 5’10” and have struggled&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Still, Pavia is confident, saying, &lt;em&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;I would just say turn on the tape&lt;/strong&gt;. It’s not like we’re not playing these guys who are going first round, second round on Saturdays in the SEC. So, I know the SEC and the Big Ten probably have the most guys drafted in the first and second round. So, &lt;strong&gt;we’re playing those guys and ain’t nothing going to change&lt;/strong&gt;.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Pavia is short, but he is very physical&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Contrary to Young and Murray, who have struggled with contact during their carees, &lt;strong&gt;Pavia doesn’t shy away from it and he will try to bulldoze the defenders before going down&lt;/strong&gt;. His build is more stocky and strong than Young’s and Murray. Still, NFL teams don’t exactly love their QBs taking hits and/or struggling to see above the line of scrimmage.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-embed__wrapper&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-width=&quot;500&quot; data-dnt=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;😂 I love Diego Pavia &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/6KUibipcNj&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/6KUibipcNj&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/CoachDanCasey/status/1967032629716480198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;September 14, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;script async=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot; charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, Pavia says his skill set helps him beat the obstacles. &lt;em&gt;“I’ve seen a lot of football.&lt;strong&gt; I feel like I can process a defense really fast, get the ball where it needs to go, check us into good plays, stay out of bad plays&lt;/strong&gt;. And I feel like that’s how you stay on schedule [with] that second-and-6, third-and-short, that’s how you win football games.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/heisman-finalist-warns-tom-brady-raiders-about-drafting-fernando-mendoza-in-2026&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Pavia’s projected spot in the NFL Draft&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/nfl-draft&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;2026 NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt; will take place on April, but we have combines, Pro Days, and plenty of more chances to elevate your stock before the draft comes into fruition. &lt;strong&gt;As for Pavia, his draft projection is all over the place, but on the lower side of things&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some mock drafts have him between the fifth and seventh round, while other scouts see him going undrafted&lt;/strong&gt;. Pavia is a big name and has a big personality. Hence, Pavia is likely to get chances, even if undrafted, to try and win a place in the NFL. However, once again, he will be an underdog to the highest of levels.&lt;/p&gt;

Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia confidently dismisses doubters ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft: ‘turn on the tape’

Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia confidently dismisses doubters ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft: 'turn on the tape' - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;Jerry Jones and the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dallas-cowboys&quot;&gt;Dallas Cowboys&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; have officially placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Now, the major challenge for the team’s ownership will be reaching an agreement with the wide receiver so he signs a long-term contract before the July 15 deadline.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;That move guarantees that the Cowboys retain Pickens’ rights and that the star cannot test free agency in the coming weeks. In addition, they are automatically obligated to pay him close to $28 million for the upcoming season as one of the top five players at the position. By the way, under this tag, Pickens can listen to offers, but Dallas will have the opportunity to match them. If that does not happen, the Cowboys would receive two first-round picks as compensation if the player leaves.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, the announcement will not sit well in Pickens’ camp. The player is expecting a multi-year deal with a lot of guaranteed money. After proving with the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-steelers&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and Dallas that he is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, George will not want to earn less than names like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, or CeeDee Lamb.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Will George Pickens sign a contract extension with Cowboys?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;For now, George Pickens is not close to signing a contract extension at all with the Cowboys and, after the franchise tag is officially in place, the wide receiver is most likely to skip all offseason activities with the team as a form of protest if he is not given a major contract.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        


&lt;h2&gt;How much money does George Pickens want from Cowboys?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;George Pickens will likely begin negotiations using CeeDee Lamb as a benchmark. His teammate signed a four-year, $136 million contract in 2024. It will be very difficult for him to accept anything less than that.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/jerry-jones-cowboys-confirm-new-coach-for-2026-to-replace-matt-eberflus-as-defensive-coordinator&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, in a very important detail, Pickens’ agent also has Micah Parsons as a top client. We cannot forget that David Mulugheta had an extremely complicated negotiation with Jerry Jones that ended with the defensive star being traded to the Packers. In the wide receiver’s case, he will not back down either.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Money benchmark for George Pickens&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;For all practical purposes, Pickens and Mulugheta will take into account that Justin Jefferson earns $35 million annually and that Ja’Marr Chase reset the market with $40 million per season. Based on that, and considering the massive salary cap problems the Cowboys are dealing with, it appears it will be another controversial and lengthy offseason for Jones with one of his stars.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If Jerry wants to keep one of the best offenses in the NFL intact with &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dak-prescott&quot;&gt;Dak Prescott&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, Lamb, and Pickens, he will have to find a way to give the former Steelers player a contract extension.&lt;/p&gt;

Jerry Jones and Cowboys officially announce final decision on George Pickens during 2026 NFL Combine

Jerry Jones and Cowboys are in trouble with Dak Prescott’s key teammate contract for 2026

Jerry Jones confirms final decision on George Pickens’ future with Cowboys and new contract for 2026

Jerry Jones and Cowboys officially announce final decision on George Pickens during 2026 NFL Combine - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Carnell Tate&lt;/strong&gt; is ready to produce in the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;NFL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. As he prepares for the draft after impressing for &lt;strong&gt;Ohio State&lt;/strong&gt; in the NCAA, the wide receiver is just ready to roll and he made sure all teams know that.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Tate knows he has all the tools to be an NFL superstar. Speaking to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, the Ohio State product said, “&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Everything. The catching, the route running, the blocking. I got&amp;nbsp;the mindset&amp;nbsp;that I’m the best wide receiver in the draft class&lt;/strong&gt;. I got the route running, I’m able to manipulate DB&lt;/em&gt;,&lt;em&gt; I got the catching, I can catch over DBs. I’ve got the field awareness on the sidelines, a couple of sideline grabs. I also showed up in the blocking game, blocking D-ends, corners. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Whatever you need, I got it&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;And to be fair, it’s hard to argue with Tate. He was a showstopper at &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/ohio-state&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Ohio State&lt;/a&gt; and he is electric on the field. &lt;strong&gt;Tate has all the tools to become an absolute star for whatever team that drafts him.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Ohio State is effectively WR University&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The amount of top-notch wideouts that Ohio State has produced in the last few years is just absurd. Tate has all the tools to be the next one on that elite list. &lt;strong&gt;He caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns for the Buckeyes in 2025.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-embed__wrapper&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-width=&quot;500&quot; data-dnt=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;What an adjustment by Ohio State WR Carnell Tate to make the touchdown catch.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Buckeyes, if it holds, are making a STATEMENT in their opener against No. 1 Texas. &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/63yHfGGn22&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/63yHfGGn22&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/AryePulliNFL/status/1961861989463917011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;August 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;script async=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot; charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, Emeka Egbuka, Terry McLaurin, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are all thriving in the NFL after delivering the goods for the Buckeyes. At this point, &lt;strong&gt;any first-round WR coming from Ohio State deserves the benefit of the doubt.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/steelers-could-pick-surprising-player-in-the-2026-nfl-draft-pending-aaron-rodgers-retirement-decision&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Carnell Tate wasn’t even the best Ohio State receiver last season&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Carnell Tate is a star in the making, but he wasn’t even the most productive receiver on the Ohio State roster. &lt;strong&gt;Jeremiah Smith was even better, leading the Big Ten in receptions (87) and receiving yards (1,243).&lt;/strong&gt; That left Tate as WR2 of the team, which is just insane to think about.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, &lt;strong&gt;Smith is&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;stil not eligible to go to the NFL&lt;/strong&gt;, he needs to play one more season at the collegiate level. Smith just ended up sixth in the Heisman voting. However, next year, Smith will be undoubtedly one of the best wideouts available.&lt;/p&gt;

Ohio State’s Carnell Tate sends clear message to NFL teams about who the best WR in the 2026 Draft is

Ohio State's Carnell Tate sends clear message to NFL teams about who the best WR in the 2026 Draft is - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/las-vegas-raiders&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Las Vegas&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Raiders&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;will pick &lt;strong&gt;Fernando Mendoza&lt;/strong&gt; with the first overall selection in the &lt;strong&gt;2026 NFL Draft&lt;/strong&gt;. At least that’s what every single soul in the football world expects, and it seems like the quarterback expects it too, as he is already sending messages to &lt;strong&gt;Tom Brady&lt;/strong&gt; on public display.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/fernando-mendoza-gives-stern-warning-to-raiders-anything-can-happen&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;While Mendoza did sent a warning to the Raiders&lt;/a&gt;, he also met with the organization and everything went “&lt;em&gt;fantastic&lt;/em&gt;.” Tom Brady owns quite a few shares of the Las Vegas Raiders, and he was very involved in picking Klint Kubiak as the new head coach, and &lt;strong&gt;is likely to be involved with the pick and developing Mendoza during his first year in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;NFL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Mendoza spoke about having Brady as a mentor. “&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Yeah, I mean, who hasn’t admired &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/tom-brady&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Tom Brady&lt;/a&gt;? More Super Bowl rings than anybody. So, that opportunity would be fantastic&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.” Mendoza then added,&lt;em&gt; “Tom Brady, I believe, is the best quarterback of all time by a wide margin. And to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him, it would mean so much. &lt;strong&gt;Especially to learn, and I’m all about learning, so Day 1, I’ve got to learn a lot.&lt;/strong&gt;“&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Tom Brady is very interested in Mendoza developing greatly&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;When Brady acquired ownership on the Raiders, he didn’t envision his team going 3-14. Why? Because Brady is a winner, a fierce competitor, a guy who hates losing more than he loves winning. Hence, &lt;strong&gt;it’s in his best interest to help &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/fernando-mendoza&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Mendoza&lt;/a&gt; develop into a great quarterback that can take the Raiders into prominence&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/09130530/tom-brady-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;Tom Brady&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-542446&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Tom Brady, co-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;After all, Brady overcame all the odds to become the best quarterback of all time. Now, can he become a great mentor? In the end, &lt;strong&gt;if Mendoza eventually guides the Raiders to the promise land, Brady will land a huge chunk of the credit too&lt;/strong&gt;, and it will add another Super Bowl to his seven won as a player.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/fernando-mendoza-received-huge-compliment-from-raiders-hc-klint-kubiak-ahead-of-2026-nfl-draft&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Mendoza will face tough competition on the AFC West&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If Mendoza ends up being a Raider, he will play in one of the most difficult divisions in football&lt;/strong&gt;. So, he will have an uphill battle from the get-go. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/kansas-city-chiefs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Chiefs&lt;/a&gt; have a good defense under Steve Spagnuolo, the Chargers and the Broncos were both in the top 6 of best total defenses last year, and Mendoza would have to play all these teams twice a year. All three are very well coached teams as well.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As for QB competition, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/patrick-mahomes&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Patrick Mahomes&lt;/a&gt; is already one of the top five best quarterbacks of all time. Justin Herbert is an elite talent and arguably top five right now in the NFL. Lastly, Bo Nix just guided his team to an AFC Championship Game appearance. &lt;strong&gt;Mendoza will have to face giant after giant if he wants to succeed with the Raiders&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

Fernando Mendoza opens up on Tom Brady amid rumors of Raiders picking the Heisman winner

Fernando Mendoza opens up on Tom Brady amid rumors of Raiders picking the Heisman winner - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/philadelphia-phillies&quot;&gt;Philadelphia Phillies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; have faced important roster questions over the past two offseasons, and &lt;strong&gt;Alec Bohm&lt;/strong&gt; has often found himself at the center of trade speculation. The All-Star third baseman is entering the final year of his contract, adding another layer of uncertainty to his future in Philadelphia.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;This winter brought even more attention when the Phillies made a serious push to sign infielder &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/bo-bichette&quot;&gt;Bo Bichette&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Had the move materialized differently, it could have significantly impacted Bohm’s role with the team. Instead, he now returns as the projected everyday starter for a club with championship expectations.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“We’re not dumb as players,”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Bohm said in an interview with Ken Rosenthal of &lt;em&gt;The Athletic&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;em&gt;“You start to add things up. Obviously, this time (the talk) ended up being true. They were seriously pursuing him (Bichette). For me, at the end of the day, give me a big-league uniform, and I’ll go try to help the team win.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Uncertainty still surrounds his future&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The situation did not completely settle once Bichette signed with the New York Mets&lt;/strong&gt;. Philadelphia also has highly regarded infield prospect &lt;strong&gt;Aidan Miller &lt;/strong&gt;progressing through the system, and he could be ready for the majors as soon as next season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27134552/alex-bohm-phillies-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-588008&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Alec Bohm #28 of the Phillies follows through on a swing. Mike Carlson/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bohm understands the business side of baseball &lt;/strong&gt;and knows this year could determine what comes next in his career. Still, he is focused on staying present rather than looking too far ahead.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/ny-mets-jorge-polanco-makes-candid-admission-about-transition-to-first-base&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I’m trying to keep it as far off in the distance as possible. So much can change between now and then&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;,” Bohm said. “&lt;em&gt;A 162-game season is a long time. I don’t want to spend every day thinking about the end of the season.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Pressure to deliver in 2026&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Beyond the roster uncertainty, &lt;strong&gt;Bohm also faces the pressure of helping a Phillies team that has fallen short in the postseason four straight years&lt;/strong&gt;. Expectations remain high, and every veteran player will be under scrutiny.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;69a1e715d1eb01dac3090f56&quot; data-title=&quot;Will Alec Bohm remain with the Phillies beyond this season?&quot; data-options=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;If Bohm can channel the outside noise into production, 2026 could become one of the most important seasons of his career — both for his future and for a Phillies team trying to take the final step toward a championship.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        

Phillies’ Alec Bohm breaks silence on trade rumors and Bo Bichette pursuit

NY Mets’ Freddy Peralta sends clear message on fresh start in New York

NY Yankees ace Gerrit Cole provides key update on injury ahead of opening day

Phillies' Alec Bohm breaks silence on trade rumors and Bo Bichette pursuit - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/atlanta-braves&quot;&gt;Atlanta Braves&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; approach 2026 with a payroll shaped by years of strategic extensions and roster continuity. Core players remain under multi-year agreements, giving the club a stable but heavily committed salary base.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Those &lt;strong&gt;long-term contracts, combined with arbitration-eligible raises&lt;/strong&gt;, steadily influence the team’s overall spending level. Each &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt; offseason adjustment subtly shifts the balance between flexibility and investment.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With competitive balance tax considerations in play, &lt;strong&gt;their 2026 salary picture reflects both ambition and calculation&lt;/strong&gt;. The numbers outline a contender’s framework, yet leave room for questions about how far the front office is willing to go if the season demands more.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Atlanta Braves payroll in 2026&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Atlanta Braves enter 2026 with a hefty payroll that ranks near the top of MLB. Spotrac’s most recent salary tracker lists &lt;strong&gt;their total MLB payroll at about $246 million&lt;/strong&gt;, placing them among the league’s biggest spenders.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27132622/Matt-Olson-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-587995&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Matt Olson of the Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day in 2026 (Source: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;At the heart of that figure are several high-value contracts. Cornerstone players like &lt;strong&gt;Austin Riley&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Matt Olson&lt;/strong&gt; each earn roughly $22 million, while &lt;strong&gt;Ha-seong Kim&lt;/strong&gt;’s one-year, $20 million deal adds significant salary room to the mix. Veteran arms like &lt;strong&gt;Spencer Strider &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;Chris Sale&lt;/strong&gt; are also among the higher-paid pitchers.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Depth pieces and rotation stalwarts contribute as well: All-Star catcher &lt;strong&gt;Sean Murphy&lt;/strong&gt; is under a multi-year pact with consistent annual pay, and established relievers such as &lt;strong&gt;Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez&lt;/strong&gt; represent notable figures in the bullpen ranks.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Beyond the prominent names,&lt;strong&gt; a host of arbitration-eligible players and mid-tier contracts help push the overall tally higher&lt;/strong&gt;. Those agreements, many of which are locked in before the official season begins, combine with guaranteed money to shape Atlanta’s competitive balance tax footprint.&lt;/p&gt;

How much is the Atlanta Braves payroll in 2026? Salary figures and more

How much is the Atlanta Braves payroll in 2026? Salary figures and more - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-mets&quot;&gt;New York Mets&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; added a major piece to their pitching staff, and &lt;strong&gt;Freddy Peralta&lt;/strong&gt; made it clear he is fully embracing the opportunity. Shortly after the move became official, the veteran right-hander shared an emotional message about beginning this new chapter in New York.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peralta did not hide his excitement about joining a contender &lt;/strong&gt;with high expectations entering the 2026 season. The 29-year-old understands both the spotlight and the opportunity that come with pitching in a major market.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“&lt;em&gt;I’m thrilled to be here! Honestly, it’s emotional and I’m happy to join the Mets organization.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; I’m excited to see what this season has in store. We got a squad, and some nasty pitchers. I can’t wait!”&lt;/em&gt; Peralta said, via Master Flip on X.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Coming off a career year&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Peralta arrives in New York after delivering the best season of his career with the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/milwaukee-brewers&quot;&gt;Milwaukee Brewers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Following the departure of &lt;strong&gt;Corbin Burnes&lt;/strong&gt;, he stepped into the ace role and responded with elite production.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27124854/freddy-peralta-mets-1-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-587951&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;&amp;nbsp;Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets looks on during spring training workouts. Rich Storry/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Last season, Peralta posted a &lt;strong&gt;2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts and a 1.075 WHIP across 176 2/3 innings.&lt;/strong&gt; He provided consistency at the top of the rotation and proved he could handle added responsibility.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/ny-mets-jorge-polanco-makes-candid-admission-about-transition-to-first-base&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Motivation ahead of free agency&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With free agency approaching after the 2026 season,&lt;strong&gt; Peralta has added incentive to perform at a high level.&lt;/strong&gt; A strong campaign in New York could significantly impact his long-term future.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;69a1dbe7d1eb01dac3090f55&quot; data-title=&quot;How impactful will Freddy Peralta be for the Mets this season?&quot; data-options=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        

NY Yankees add 12-year veteran outfielder to bolster right-handed hitting

Rex Sox legend David Ortiz shares candid reaction to the strength of modern MLB players

NY Mets' Freddy Peralta sends clear message on fresh start in New York - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/toronto-blue-jays&quot;&gt;Toronto Blue Jays&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; are shaping their 2026 payroll around both established stars and rising commitments, with numbers that could put them near the upper tier of &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt; spending. Their financial picture is anything but static…&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Long-term deals for players like &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/vladimir-guerrero-jr&quot;&gt;Vladimir Guerrero Jr.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dylan-cease&quot;&gt;Dylan Cease&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; anchor the ledger, while arbitration-eligible roster members contribute a rising salary base that quietly pushes total obligations higher.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;At the same time, luxury tax thresholds loom on the horizon. Whether the Blue Jays ease back under the CBT line or push into higher tiers will depend on how this mix of contracts and payroll decisions plays out as the season approaches.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How much is the Toronto Blue Jays payroll in 2026?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Toronto Blue Jays are projected to carry one of the heftiest payrolls in Major League Baseball for the 2026 season, with estimates placing &lt;strong&gt;their total well above $300 million for salary and luxury tax purposes&lt;/strong&gt;, as Spotrac reported.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27115056/Ernie-Clement-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-587923&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Ernie Clement of the Blue Jays hits a triple during a spring training game in 2026 (Source: Mark Taylor/Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;A large portion of that figure stems from the massive, long-term contract of &lt;strong&gt;Vladimir Guerrero Jr.&lt;/strong&gt;, whose &lt;strong&gt;14-year, $500 million extension&lt;/strong&gt; begins in 2026 with an &lt;strong&gt;annual salary over $35 million&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Alongside his deal, other high-value players such as &lt;strong&gt;Dylan Cease&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/kevin-gausman&quot;&gt;Kevin Gausman&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;and&lt;strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/george-springer&quot;&gt;George Springer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; command multi-million dollar salaries, anchoring the payroll even before arbitration raises are tallied.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arbitration-eligible contributors and mid-tier veteran contracts&lt;/strong&gt; add further layers to the financial picture. MLB teams generally include these figures when calculating competitive balance tax obligations, meaning their total payroll could trigger significant luxury tax implications.&lt;/p&gt;

Toronto Blue Jays payroll 2026: Salary breakdown and luxury tax outlook

Toronto Blue Jays payroll 2026: Salary breakdown and luxury tax outlook - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/los-angeles-angels&quot;&gt;Los Angeles Angels&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; are heading into 2026 with a payroll picture that looks very different from recent seasons, shaped by major contract realignments and a notable drop in total spending. &lt;strong&gt;After years of high payrolls, their numbers have shifted&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Long-term deals still dominate the ledger — from &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mike-trout&quot;&gt;Mike Trout&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;’s massive contract to &lt;strong&gt;Yusei Kikuchi&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Jorge Soler&lt;/strong&gt;’s guaranteed salaries — but the overall estimate sits well below previous levels and well under &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt;’s luxury tax thresholds&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, moves such as restructuring &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/anthony-rendon&quot;&gt;Anthony Rendon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;’s contract and trimming veteran salaries have cut payroll figures drastically. Those decisions could influence not just spending flexibility but the club’s competitive identity.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How much is the Angels payroll in 2026?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Los Angeles enter 2026 with a payroll picture that looks noticeably different from recent years, driven by a combination of long-term deals and a strategic pullback in spending. Based on Spotrac-aligned estimates, &lt;strong&gt;the Angels’ total payroll sits in $153 million&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27110848/Sam-Bachman-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-587889&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Sam Bachman of the Angels warms up during a spring training game in 2026 (Source: Mike Christy/Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Highest-paid Los Angeles Angels player in 2026&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;At the top of the ledger remains &lt;strong&gt;Mike Trout&lt;/strong&gt;, whose contract continues to carry one of the largest annual salaries on the roster, with an &lt;strong&gt;AAV north of $35 million&lt;/strong&gt;. Even amid roster turnover, his deal remains the financial centerpiece of the organization’s books.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Beyond him, &lt;strong&gt;several mid-tier veteran contracts and multi-year agreements shape the 2026 structure&lt;/strong&gt;. Commitments to established contributors ensure that a significant percentage of payroll is already locked in before arbitration figures are finalized.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arbitration-eligible players&lt;/strong&gt; also play a meaningful role in the Angels’ financial outlook. Rising salaries for controllable talent add incremental increases that, while smaller individually, collectively influence the club’s competitive balance tax calculation.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Luxury tax outlook: Are the Angels over the CBT threshold?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;From a luxury tax standpoint, &lt;strong&gt;Los Angeles projects to sit well below the CBT threshold&lt;/strong&gt;, giving the front office theoretical flexibility. Whether that space translates into in-season additions or remains unused will likely depend on where the team stands in the AL West standings by midyear.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, the Angels’ 2026 payroll tells the story of a franchise walking a financial tightrope — no longer among MLB’s biggest spenders, but not operating at the bottom either. The structure suggests optionality, though how aggressively that flexibility is deployed could define the season.&lt;/p&gt;

Los Angeles Angels payroll in 2026: Team salary, contracts and luxury tax situation

Los Angeles Angels payroll in 2026: Team salary, contracts and luxury tax situation - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;With the &lt;strong&gt;2026 &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/world-cup&quot;&gt;World Cup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; fast approaching, international attention has turned toward the unfolding situation in &lt;strong&gt;Mexico&lt;/strong&gt;, which is set to co-host the tournament alongside the &lt;strong&gt;United States&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Canada&lt;/strong&gt;. Amidst this backdrop, &lt;strong&gt;FIFA&lt;/strong&gt; have reportedly reached a definitive decision regarding the status of the host nation.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Due to a series of security incidents that have triggered alerts across the country, speculation had intensified that the host cities of &lt;strong&gt;Guadalajara, Monterrey&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mexico&quot;&gt;Mexico&lt;/a&gt; City&lt;/strong&gt; were in jeopardy for the upcoming tournament. Some reports even suggested that matches could be relocated to existing venues in the U.S. or Canada.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, according to reports from ESPN, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/fifa&quot;&gt;FIFA&lt;/a&gt; President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that no changes will be made to the tournament’s organization&lt;/strong&gt;. This decision follows a high-level discussion with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, in which the governing body was reassured of the nation’s commitment to safety and infrastructure for the global event.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;I had an excellent conversation today with the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum. &lt;strong&gt;I reiterated our full confidence in the host country, and we expect them to host all scheduled matches&lt;/strong&gt; in what will be the most inclusive and greatest World Cup in history&lt;/em&gt;“, Infantino stated via FIFA’s official channels, according to ESPN.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27161010/fifa-president-sheinbaum-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-588144&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum greets FIFA President Gianni Infantino. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;President Sheinbaum reaffirms Mexico’s World Cup commitment&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Mexican President &lt;strong&gt;Claudia Sheinbaum&lt;/strong&gt; confirmed via her X (formerly Twitter) account that she held a productive phone call with Infantino to continue preparations for the 2026 World Cup. During the discussion, she provided guarantees regarding the security measures being implemented for the tournament.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-breaks-silence-on-mexico-situation-ahead-of-2026-world-cup&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I spoke by telephone with the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino; we continue to work as we have been to successfully carry out the 2026 FIFA World Cup. &lt;strong&gt;We have confirmed the confidence in our country&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;,” Sheinbaum stated publicly, signaling that the Mexican government remain fully committed to the hosting duties.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Before the World Cup begins, Mexico will face a significant test as Monterrey and Guadalajara host four crucial &lt;strong&gt;Inter-Confederation Playoff fixtures&lt;/strong&gt;. These matches will serve as a trial run for tournament operations while determining the final teams to join the competition.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;On one side of the bracket, &lt;strong&gt;New Caledonia&lt;/strong&gt; will face &lt;strong&gt;Jamaica&lt;/strong&gt; on &lt;strong&gt;Thursday, March 26&lt;/strong&gt;, in &lt;strong&gt;Guadalajara&lt;/strong&gt;. The winner of this initial clash will then advance to take on the &lt;strong&gt;Republic of the Congo&lt;/strong&gt; for a coveted spot in &lt;strong&gt;Group K&lt;/strong&gt; of the 2026 World Cup.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, the other pathway features a showdown between &lt;strong&gt;Bolivia&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Suriname&lt;/strong&gt;, which is scheduled for the same day in &lt;strong&gt;Monterrey&lt;/strong&gt;. The winner of that match will progress to a final qualifying round against Iraq to determine which side will round out &lt;strong&gt;Group I&lt;/strong&gt; of the global tournament.&lt;/p&gt;

FIFA reportedly makes final decision on Mexico ahead of 2026 World Cup

FIFA reportedly makes final decision on Mexico ahead of 2026 World Cup - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;Second-placed &lt;strong&gt;Sporting CP&lt;/strong&gt; face&lt;strong&gt; Estoril&lt;/strong&gt; in Friday’s matchday 24 fixture, aiming to close the gap at the top of the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/primeira-liga&quot;&gt;Primeira Liga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Sporting sit four points behind leaders &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/porto-vs-arouca-live-2025-26-primeira-liga-matchday-24&quot;&gt;Porto, who play Arouca earlier&lt;/a&gt; in the evening, while Estoril occupy seventh place, nine points off the top four. The home side is favored due to consistent performances at Alvalade Stadium and strong form throughout the season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/sporting-cp&quot;&gt;Sporting&lt;/a&gt; arrive highly motivated,&lt;strong&gt; seeking to maintain pressure on Porto with an attack-oriented approach&lt;/strong&gt;. The Lions have one of the league’s best offenses, combining efficiency with defensive stability, evidenced by &lt;strong&gt;four wins and a draw in their last five league games&lt;/strong&gt;. Estoril, meanwhile, look to add valuable points to their mid-table total and continue their recent evolution, which includes three wins, a draw, and a defeat in the last five outings.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The matchup comes at a decisive stage of the campaign, with &lt;strong&gt;Sporting pushing to stay in title contention&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/estoril&quot;&gt;Estoril&lt;/a&gt; aiming to consolidate their position&lt;/strong&gt;. While the visitors have performed well away from home, they typically struggle against top-tier opponents.&lt;/p&gt;

Sporting CP and Estoril clash in Primeira Liga

Welcome to our live blog of the Primeira Liga match!
Sporting CP face Estoril Praia in Lisbon this Friday, February 27, as both teams look for important points. Sporting aims to stay close to Porto at the top, while Estoril seeks to strengthen their mid-table position.
Stay with us for key information, stats, and minute-by-minute updates as Sporting and Estoril clash in Lisbon!

Start time

Sporting CP vs Estoril will get underway at 3:45 PM ET (PT:12:45 PM)

Sporting CP confirmed lineup

Sporting CP will start with the following players: Rui Silva Oliveira; Alejandro Fresneda García, Ousmane Diomandé, Gonçalo Inácio Mendes, Maxi Araujo Fernández; Frederik Hjulmand, Koji Morita, Geny Catamo; Guilherme Schettine, Trincão, and Luis Suárez Díaz.

Estoril starting XI

Estoril Praia will start with the following players: Joel Robles Alonso; Ricard Sánchez Fernández, Félix Bacher Müller, Francisco Ferreira Silva; João Carvalho Mendes, Pedro Orellana Gómez, William Holsgrove, Gonçalo Costa Almeida; Rafik Guitamé, Alejandro Méndez Rodríguez, Yanis Begraoui Khalil.

Sporting CP vs Estoril LIVE: Start time and confirmed lineups! 2025-26 Primeira Liga Matchday 24

Sporting CP vs Estoril LIVE: Start time and confirmed lineups! 2025-26 Primeira Liga Matchday 24 - Bolavip US

destacadas

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/porto&quot;&gt;Porto&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; remain the standalone leaders of the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/primeira-liga&quot;&gt;Primeira Liga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; after a dominant 3-1 victory over Arouca. With this win, the Dragons reach &lt;strong&gt;65 points&lt;/strong&gt;, extending their lead to seven points over Sporting CP as they continue their march toward another league title.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The hosts started the match in historic fashion. Just 20 seconds after kickoff, &lt;strong&gt;Oskar Pietuszewski&lt;/strong&gt; found the back of the net, marking &lt;strong&gt;the fastest goal ever scored at the Estadio do Dragao&lt;/strong&gt;. After controlling the tempo for the remainder of the first half, the Dragons headed into the locker room with a 1-0 advantage.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/arouca&quot;&gt;Arouca&lt;/a&gt; emerged for the second half with a renewed attitude, nearly equalizing early on when &lt;strong&gt;Taichi Fukui&lt;/strong&gt; rattled the crossbar. Their persistence eventually paid off as &lt;strong&gt;Nais Djouahra&lt;/strong&gt; found the equalizer, briefly putting the visitors in a position to secure a valuable away point.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Porto refused to settle for the draw, eventually retaking the lead in the &lt;strong&gt;90th minute&lt;/strong&gt; when &lt;strong&gt;Willian Gomes&lt;/strong&gt; converted from the penalty spot. To put the match beyond doubt, &lt;strong&gt;Terem Moffi&lt;/strong&gt; capitalized on a late opportunity to seal the 3-1 win, ensuring three vital points for the league leaders in front of their home crowd.&lt;/p&gt;

Porto and Arouca clash in Primeira Liga Matchday 24

Welcome to our Primeira Liga liveblog, where Porto host Arouca in Matchday 24. The Dragons aim to secure a victory that allows them to maintain a meaningful gap at the top of the table, while the visitors are looking for three vital points to distance themselves from the relegation scrap.
Stay with us for all the action and minute-by-minute updates of this exciting game!

Kickoff time

Porto vs Arouca will get underway at the Estadio do Dragao at 1:45 PM (ET).

Porto lineup confirmed!

Porto's starting XI: Diogo Costa; Alberto, Bednarek, Kiwior, Zadu; Rosario, Froholdt, Gabri Veiga; Pepe, Pietuszewski, Gul.
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">⚽ 𝕆 ℕ𝕆𝕊𝕊𝕆 𝟙𝟙 𝕀ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕀𝔸𝕃 ⚽<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCPFCA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCPFCA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeguimosJuntos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SeguimosJuntos</a> <a href="https://t.co/oy8D0S6Dyg">pic.twitter.com/oy8D0S6Dyg</a>— FC Porto (@FCPorto) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCPorto/status/2027436351193243739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2026</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Arouca lineup confirmed!

Arouca's starting XI: Arruabarrena; Fontan, Monteiro, Djouahra; Gozalbez, Javi, Barbero, Trezza, Fukui; Mansilla, Kuipers.
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">𝟭𝟭 𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 🟡🔵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LobosDeArouca?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LobosDeArouca</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmorEPaixao?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmorEPaixao</a> <a href="https://t.co/W4CeGI4yoo">pic.twitter.com/W4CeGI4yoo</a>— FC Arouca (@OficialFCArouca) <a href="https://twitter.com/OficialFCArouca/status/2027441237754577083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2026</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Both teams doing warm up activities!

Players from both teams have taken the field for warmups at the Estadio do Dragao!

Today's referees

Iancu Vasilica has been appointed to officiate the quarterfinal clash between Porto and Arouca. He will be joined on the field by Jose Pereira and Renato Carvalho, who are set to serve as the assistant referees.
Full officiating team:
<ul>
<li>Referee: Iancu Vasilica (POR)</li>
<li>Assistant Referee 1: Jose Pereira (POR)</li>
<li>Assistant Referee 2: Renato Carvalho (POR)</li>
<li>Fourth Official: Vitor Ferreira (POR)</li>
<li>VAR: Rui Costa (POR)</li>
</ul>

Players are on the pitch!

Players from both teams are on the pitch. Everything is ready for the start of the match!
&nbsp;

GAME ON!

The game between Porto and Arouca is underway!
&nbsp;

1'- GOOOOAL OF PORTO! (0-0)

Oskar Pietuszewski opens the score within the opening minute of play!! This goal becomes the fastest ever scored at Estadio do Dragao!
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">FC Porto entrou com tudo 💨 Pietuszewski fez o 1-0 na bola de saída 😱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sporttvportugal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sporttvportugal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIGAnaSPORTTV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIGAnaSPORTTV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ligaportugalbetclic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ligaportugalbetclic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCPorto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCPorto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCArouca?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCArouca</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/betanolp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#betanolp</a> <a href="https://t.co/2dQEMgUFUI">pic.twitter.com/2dQEMgUFUI</a>— sport tv (@sporttvportugal) <a href="https://twitter.com/sporttvportugal/status/2027464400878116867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2026</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

10'- Arouca searching for equalizer (1-0)

Arouca are currently searching for an equalizing goal, but Porto have refused to drop their intensity. The Dragons are maintaining a high-press system that is making it exceedingly difficult for the visitors to build any sustained rhythm.

17'- Froholdt nearly scores! (1-0)

Following a pinpoint cross from the flank, Victor Froholdt found himself in space inside the box; however, his strike rattled off Ignacio de Arruabarrena’s left post.

24'- Porto are far superior (1-0)

Porto are putting on a clinical performance at the Estadio do Dragao, dictating the tempo with superior ball possession and a relentless offensive rhythm. The Dragons have shown no signs of slowing down, and with the pressure mounting on the Arouca defense, a second goal feels increasingly inevitable.

33'- Game's rythims slows down (1-0)

Porto have noticeably dialed back their offensive intensity, and as a result, the tempo of the match has slowed significantly. A flurry of fouls in the center of the pitch has turned the encounter more physical, making it difficult for either side to string together any fluid passages of play.

45'- Pepe almost doubles the lead! (1-0)

Pietuszewski whipped a pinpoint cross into the area, finding Pepe unmarked and in a prime position to score; however, a sliding Arouca defender produced a spectacular block to deflect the shot out for a corner.

Halftime!

The second half is underway!

Porto and Auroca are already playing the second half!

45'- First substitution of the game (1-0)

Arouca's Javier Sanchez was replaced by Boris Popovic.

46'- Fukui with a great chance! (1-0)

Arouca's Taichi Fukui unleashed a powerful strike from distance that beat Diogo Costa but thundered off the crossbar.

52'- What a miss by Gul! (1-0)

Deniz Gul had a golden opportunity to net a second goal for the Dragons, but the young striker’s effort sailed high over the crossbar.

60'- Three modifications in Porto (1-0)

Deniz Gul, Oskar Pietuszewski and Gabri Veiga were replaced by Terem Moffi, William Gomes and Rodrigo Mora.

65'- Modification in Arouca (1-0)

Ivan Barbero left the field to make way for Dylan Nandin.

70'- GOOOOAL OF AROUCA!!!! (1-1)

Nais Djouahra scores the equalizer of the game!!
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Djouahra empatou a partida no Dragão 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sporttvportugal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sporttvportugal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIGAnaSPORTTV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIGAnaSPORTTV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ligaportugalbetclic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ligaportugalbetclic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCPorto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCPorto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCArouca?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCArouca</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/betanolp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#betanolp</a> <a href="https://t.co/BdaB0m63pK">pic.twitter.com/BdaB0m63pK</a>— sport tv (@sporttvportugal) <a href="https://twitter.com/sporttvportugal/status/2027487250548723873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2026</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

75'- Modification in Porto (1-1)

Pablo Rosario was replaced by Seko Fofana.

78'- Two modifications in Arouca (1-1)

Pablo Gozalbez and Brian Mansilla were replaced by Yellu Santiago and Jose Silva.

80'- Nice try from William Gomes! (1-1)

William Gomes unleashed a curling effort from outside the box; however, Arruabarrena reacted brilliantly, diving to his right to contain the shot.

82'- Porto with another try (1-1)

Alberto Costa tried his luck with a powerful shot from outside the box; however, the ball was gathered cleanly and without issue by Arruabarrena.

84'- Modifications in both teams (1-1)

In Porto, Pepe was replaced by Andre Miranda. While Arouca's Alfonso Trezza left the fiel to make way for Miguel Puche.

86'- Penalty for Porto! (1-1)

The referee awarded Porto a penalty after a foul on Seko Fofana!

90'- GOOOOAAAL OF PORTO (2-1)

Willian Gomes scores from the penalty spot!!

90'+8- GOOOOOAAAL OF PORTO!!! (3-1)

Terem Moffi makes it three for Porto!!

End of the game!

Porto defeated Arouca 3-1 at Estadio do Dragao!

Thanks for joining us!

Porto secured three vital points at home and you lived every moment here in BolaVip!
Thanks for staying with us, see you next time!
&nbsp;

Porto secure a 3-1 win vs Arouca at 2025-26 Primeira Liga Matchday 24: Highlights and goals

Porto secure a 3-1 win vs Arouca at 2025-26 Primeira Liga Matchday 24: Highlights and goals - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;Following a tough &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lafc-vs-inter-miami-live-lionel-messi-starts-cup-title-defense-in-2026-mls-debut&quot;&gt;3-0 loss to LAFC&lt;/a&gt; in their 2026 MLS season opener, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/independiente-del-valle-vs-inter-miami-live-lionel-messi-visits-puerto-rico-after-2026-mls-debut-loss&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inter Miami&lt;/strong&gt; secured a 2-1 friendly victory over Independiente del Valle&lt;/a&gt; in Puerto Rico. &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi&quot;&gt;Lionel Messi&lt;/a&gt; provided the winning margin with a clinical strike from the &lt;strong&gt;penalty spot&lt;/strong&gt;. As the Argentine icon opens his penalty account for the new year, fans are once again looking at the numbers produced by his long-time rival, &lt;strong&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/video-lionel-messi-scores-from-penalty-for-inter-miami-vs-independiente-del-valle-in-friendly&quot;&gt;Messi’s penalty goal vs Independiente del Valle&lt;/a&gt; in Bayamon was his second overall in 2026, having previously scored in a 2-1 preseason win against Atletico Nacional. To date, the penalty in Puerto Rico is his only goal from the spot this calendar year. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;In contrast, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cristiano-ronaldo&quot;&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/a&gt; has already tallied &lt;strong&gt;six goals for Al Nassr&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;in 2026&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;two&lt;/strong&gt; of which were penalties. Ronaldo’s first came in a 2-1 loss to Al Qadsiah, followed by another in a 5-0 rout of Al Najma.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, the volume of games played provides necessary context. While Messi has appeared in just &lt;strong&gt;five&lt;/strong&gt; matches (four friendlies and one MLS fixture), Ronaldo has already featured in &lt;strong&gt;ten&lt;/strong&gt; matches—all within the Saudi Pro League—since the turn of the year.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27111554/cristiano-ronaldo-al-nassr-1-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-587901&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo scores from penalty spot vs Al Najma. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;When looking at career-long efficiency from the spot, the Portuguese international holds the advantage. Ronaldo has converted &lt;strong&gt;182 penalties&lt;/strong&gt; out of &lt;strong&gt;217 attempts&lt;/strong&gt;, while Messi has recorded &lt;strong&gt;112 goals&lt;/strong&gt; from &lt;strong&gt;144 attempts&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How does the race to 1,000 goals stand?&lt;/h2&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/not-real-madrid-cristiano-ronaldo-becomes-co-owner-of-another-spanish-club&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the all-time leading scorer in soccer history, with Lionel Messi following in second place. While the gap between the two icons remains relatively narrow, all signs suggest the Portuguese international will be the first to reach the historic 1,000-goal milestone.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Following his penalty goal against Independiente del Valle, Messi has reached &lt;strong&gt;898 career goals&lt;/strong&gt;. Meanwhile, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/video-cristiano-ronaldo-scores-965th-career-goal-for-al-nassr-vs-al-najma-in-2025-26-saudi-pro-league&quot;&gt;Ronaldo recently netted his 965th career goal&lt;/a&gt; for Al Nassr in a dominant performance against Al Najma. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Sitting just &lt;strong&gt;35 goals&lt;/strong&gt; away from the four-digit mark and with his scoring touch firmly intact—having scored &lt;strong&gt;four goals&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;in his last three matches&lt;/strong&gt;—it is highly probable that the Al Nassr captain will become the first player to reach 1,000 goals this season.&lt;/p&gt;

Lionel Messi Records First Penalty of 2026 as Scoring Race With Cristiano Ronaldo Continues

Lionel Messi scores first penalty of 2026: How many has Cristiano Ronaldo scored this year?

Lionel Messi scores first penalty of 2026: How many has Cristiano Ronaldo scored this year? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/champions-league&quot;&gt;UEFA Champions League&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; has entered its &lt;strong&gt;Round of 16&lt;/strong&gt;, and attention is turning to the possible matchups between Europe’s biggest clubs. &lt;strong&gt;Real Madrid&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Barcelona&lt;/strong&gt; remain among the elite teams still in contention, and fans are already speculating about whether these two giants could face each other in the 2025‑26 tournament.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/barcelona&quot;&gt;Barcelona&lt;/a&gt; finished fifth in the league phase&lt;/strong&gt;, which allowed them to qualify directly for the Round of 16. Their position secured a place in the draw, keeping them in the mix as one of the top contenders moving forward.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/real-madrid&quot;&gt;Real Madrid&lt;/a&gt;, meanwhile, did not finish among the top eight and had to go through the knockout playoff against &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/benfica&quot;&gt;Benfica&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to reach this stage. &lt;strong&gt;They won the first leg 1‑0 and sealed the tie with a 2‑1 victory in the second leg&lt;/strong&gt;, earning their spot in the next round and continuing their pursuit of Champions League glory.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;When could Real Madrid and Barcelona meet in the Champions League?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Following today’s draw, &lt;strong&gt;Real Madrid&lt;/strong&gt; will face &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/manchester-city&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Manchester City&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in the Round of 16, while &lt;strong&gt;Barcelona&lt;/strong&gt; has been paired with &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/newcastle&quot;&gt;Newcastle&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Real Madrid has been assigned to the &lt;strong&gt;silver&lt;/strong&gt; side of the draw, while Barcelona landed on the &lt;strong&gt;blue&lt;/strong&gt; side. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/27045556/UCL-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-587805&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League Trophy on June 01, 2024. David Ramos/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Based on that positioning, the earliest &lt;strong&gt;the two Spanish rivals could meet would be in the final&lt;/strong&gt;, provided both teams advance through their respective ties. As always in the Champions League knockout stage, the path is set through to the final. That means&lt;strong&gt; any potential Clasico showdown will depend entirely on both clubs &lt;/strong&gt;taking care of business in the rounds ahead.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/video-neymar-scores-his-first-goal-of-2026-after-injury-comeback-for-santos-vs-vasco-da-gama&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Round of 16 matchups (2025-26 UEFA Champions League)&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Paris Saint-Germain&lt;/strong&gt; vs. &lt;strong&gt;Chelsea&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Galatasaray &lt;/strong&gt;vs. &lt;strong&gt;Liverpool&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Real Madrid &lt;/strong&gt;vs. &lt;strong&gt;Manchester City&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Atalanta &lt;/strong&gt;vs. &lt;strong&gt;Bayern Munich&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Newcastle&lt;/strong&gt; vs. &lt;strong&gt;Barcelona&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Atleti&lt;/strong&gt; vs. &lt;strong&gt;Tottenham&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bodø/Glimt&lt;/strong&gt; vs. &lt;strong&gt;Sporting CP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bayer Leverkusen &lt;/strong&gt;vs. &lt;strong&gt;Arsenal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;69a16c8dd1eb01dac3090f4e&quot; data-title=&quot;Who takes the win if Real Madrid and Barcelona clash in the 2025‑26 Champions League?&quot; data-options=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        

2025-26 UEFA Champions League Draw Sets Possible Real Madrid-Barcelona Clash

UCL bracket set after draw: When can Real Madrid and Barcelona meet in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League?

Kylian Mbappe injured for 2026 World Cup? France reportedly concerned about Real Madrid star’s status

Lionel Messi makes a surprising confession about crucial penalty he missed during 2018 World Cup

UCL bracket set after draw: When can Real Madrid and Barcelona meet in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League? - Bolavip US

When can Real Madrid and Barcelona meet in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League?

SOCCER

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/sidney-crosby&quot;&gt;Sidney Crosby&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; confirmed that, after not being able to play with Team Canada in the gold medal game of the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/winter-olympics&quot;&gt;2026 Winter Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, all his attention is focused on recovering to have a chance to be available for the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Penguins.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Yeah, I mean, it’s why we play. Obviously, the Olympics was a great opportunity and experience, but, I think you shift your focus to exactly that. Playing in the playoffs.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-penguins&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh Penguins&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; control their destiny to clinch a spot in the postseason and, at the moment, they are in a good position within the Metropolitan Division to achieve it. However, the schedule will become very difficult in the coming weeks as they face several contenders.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How long will Sidney Crosby be out for?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Sidney Crosby will be out for at least one month according to official information released by the Penguins. Under this scenario, the legend’s goal is very clear: to return as soon as possible to help his teammates in a playoff push. &lt;em&gt;“It’s so special and so fun to be in those big games and play for that. So, yeah, that’s where my mind’s at.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        

        


&lt;h2&gt;What injury did Sidney Crosby have in the Olympics?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Sidney Crosby has a lower body injury after the 2026 Winter Olympics. No further details have been given about the medical issue, and the only thing publicly known is the possible recovery timeline.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nhl/sidney-crosby-sends-clear-message-to-nhl-about-allowing-players-to-participate-in-winter-olympics-after-injury&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Sidney Crosby breaks silence to confirm if Pittsburgh Penguins legend will miss 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs after injury

Radko Gudas sends clear message to Sidney Crosby after injury in Team Canada win vs Czechia in 2026 Winter Olympics hockey

Sidney Crosby issues strong warning to entire NHL about Penguins after 2026 Winter Olympics injury with Canada

Sidney Crosby breaks silence to confirm if Penguins legend will miss 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs after injury - Bolavip US

Sidney Crosby breaks silence to confirm if he'll miss 2026 playoffs

NHL News: Sidney Crosby breaks silence to confirm if Penguins legend will miss 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs after injury

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/sidney-crosby&quot;&gt;Sidney Crosby&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; warned that anyone who believes the Penguins will fall in the NHL standings during his absence is very mistaken. The legend showed complete confidence in his teammates.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I’m confident. I think we’ve shown it all year. We’ve had injuries and guys have steeped up to get to where we are at this point. I think it’s because of our team play. I don’t think it’s been just one person. I think it’s because collectively as a group we’ve found different ways to win and different guys have stepped up. So, as long as we continue that and understand that, I think we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Crosby suffered a lower-body injury in the quarterfinals of the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/winter-olympics&quot;&gt;2026 Winter Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; against Czechia. He was unable to return for the semifinals or the gold medal game, and the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-penguins&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh Penguins&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; officially announced that he will be out for four weeks.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Can the Penguins make the playoffs without Sidney Crosby?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Yes. The Pittsburgh Penguins proved they are very much alive in the playoff race with a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils in the NHL restart. Despite Crosby’s absence, the team continues to maintain an impressive pace.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        


&lt;p&gt;The Pens are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 72 points, which would give them a playoff spot. Everything indicates that Crosby would be recovered before the end of the regular season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Given this scenario, the Penguins star pointed out that they must maintain their level, as Pittsburgh’s schedule is entering a very challenging stretch. &lt;em&gt;“It’s going to be an important stretch here next a little bit. A lot of teams are trying to get points in similar positions, but I’m just really confident.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nhl/sidney-crosby-injury-is-confirmed-by-penguins-legend-with-key-update-after-2026-winter-olympics&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Sidney Crosby sends message to Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, Nathan MacKinnon and Team Canada after tough decision in 2026 Winter Olympics

Sidney Crosby issues strong warning to entire NHL about Penguins after 2026 Winter Olympics injury with Canada - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;Sidney Crosby’s recent injury at the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/winter-olympics&quot;&gt;2026 Winter Olympics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; has once again sparked debate about whether the NHL should continue allowing its players to participate in the Games. The veteran suffered a lower-body injury while representing &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/canada&quot;&gt;Canada&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, forcing him to miss the gold medal game and raising concerns in Pittsburgh about the potential long-term impact on the Penguins’ season. For many executives and fans, the risk-reward balance of Olympic participation is now under the microscope.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, Crosby believes stars should keep going. &lt;em&gt;“It’s the Olympics. It’s an amazing experience just as an athlete, not just a hockey player. I think if you want to look at it just from the hockey perspective, I think it’s incredible. Just the product on the ice, I think the way that fans see the games and just how competitive it is. How it brings everyone together, I think it’s pretty amazing.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, Crosby’s stance highlights the emotional and cultural value of Olympic competition for elite players. While teams may worry about injuries and the strain of a condensed NHL calendar, stars like &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/sidney-crosby&quot;&gt;Sidney Crosby&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; see international play as a defining part of their careers. Team Canada was a reflection of that, with names like &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/connor-mcdavid&quot;&gt;Connor McDavid&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, Nathan MacKinnon, or Mitch Marner in the roster.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;NHL and a tough decision for the Olympics&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The NHL’s involvement in the Olympics has long sparked debate among teams, executives and fans. While the global stage offers unmatched exposure for the sport, it also interrupts the league calendar and places added physical demands on stars. As of now, NHL players are set to participate in the 2030 Winter Olympics.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        


&lt;p&gt;For players like Sidney Crosby, the conversation often comes down to risk versus reward. &lt;em&gt;“Obviously, injuries are part of the game and they come with that, especially at that level with the speed, the intensity and the physicality of the games, but, I think it’s great that guys have the opportunity to go and showcase.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;That balance is at the heart of the dilemma: the Olympic stage elevates the sport, but it also exposes athletes to injuries. Ultimately, the decision reflects a broader vision for the game’s growth. Allowing NHL players to compete in 2030 ensures that fans will once again witness the world’s best facing off under one banner, even if it comes with undeniable challenges.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nhl/connor-mcdavid-mitch-marner-and-team-canada-get-warning-from-jon-cooper-after-sidney-crosbys-injury-vs-czechia-in-2026-winter-olympics-hockey&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Sidney Crosby sends clear message to NHL about allowing players to participate in Winter Olympics after injury

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Sidney Crosby sends clear message to NHL about allowing players to participate in Winter Olympics after injury - Bolavip US

Sidney Crosby's message about NHL players in the Olympics

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/jt-miller&quot;&gt;J.T. Miller&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Mike Sullivan&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;Vincent Trocheck&lt;/strong&gt; had the time of their lives during the 2026 Winter Olympics. However, they are no longer on Team USA, and the &lt;strong&gt;New York Rangers&lt;/strong&gt;’ status quo is nowhere near as joyful and celebratory.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;In case the long faces around Madison Square Garden don’t tell the story, a glance at the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nhl&quot;&gt;NHL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; standings should remind Miller and &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mike-sullivan&quot;&gt;Sullivan&lt;/a&gt; of how dramatic things were before leaving for Milan. It’s time to turn the page, or at least give it a try. If New York won’t even give it a shot, its leaders should simply stay in the Fashion Capital of the World.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As Miller, Sullivan, and Trocheck got a taste of perhaps the most meaningful and rewarding hardware any NHL player could ever claim, they now hope to bring winds of change back to the building in the Big Apple. &lt;strong&gt;The mood has now shifted&lt;/strong&gt;. For Miller and company, it is all about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-rangers&quot;&gt;Rangers&lt;/a&gt; back home in New York City. Shortly after &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nhl/ny-rangers-hc-mike-sullivan-issues-bold-reminder-for-j-t-miller-rest-of-the-team-as-nhl-resumes&quot;&gt;Sullivan issued a bold reminder for Miller and the Rangers&lt;/a&gt;, the captain returned the favor with a comment of his own.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“It’s why it was so special, and something we’re going to remember forever and have that to share, but &lt;strong&gt;we’re back to Rangers hockey now. Party’s over&lt;/strong&gt;, it’s time to focus, and we need to play some good hockey down the stretch,” &lt;/em&gt;Miller admitted to reporters, via&lt;em&gt; @SNYRangers&lt;/em&gt; on X.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/25130508/mike-sullivan-1-1-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;Mike Sullivan returns to NY Rangers after Olympics&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-586584&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Mike Sullivan at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Miller and Rangers have struggled at home&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As demoralizing as the Broadway Blueshirts have been at home, the organization must still &lt;strong&gt;find a way to sell tickets at Madison Square Garden&lt;/strong&gt;. Miller’s statement may serve as hope for the fanbase in New York. Otherwise, fans would have little reason to attend games.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        

        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nhl/ny-rangers-learn-mike-sullivans-plans-for-the-future-after-clear-message-from-hc&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;Given the way the season has unfolded in New York, home fans already know what they are signing up for when they arrive at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza in Midtown. Before the Olympic break, &lt;strong&gt;the Rangers were 6–15–4 at home&lt;/strong&gt;. Needless to say, that was—and remains—the worst home record in the Eastern Conference. It’s been the common theme all season long, &lt;strong&gt;what the Rangers do poorly, the Vancouver Canucks take to another level&lt;/strong&gt;. Thus, only the Canucks (6–17–5) have a worse home mark.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As the season resumes, Sullivan and the Rangers know the &lt;strong&gt;Stanley Cup Playoffs are out of reach&lt;/strong&gt;, but at the very least, they hope to offer their fan base something more than a gut-wrenching spectacle at Madison Square Garden.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Rangers could set new records for worst home mark&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;They say home is where the heart is. For Miller and the Rangers, however, &lt;strong&gt;home is where most of their embarrassment has unfolded&lt;/strong&gt; during the 2025–26 NHL season. Coming out of the Olympic break, New York has 16 home games remaining. The Rangers must truly flip the script, or they risk posting one of the worst home records in franchise history.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/26184204/jt-miller-1-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;J.T. Miller arrives for a game&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-587686&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;J.T. Miller at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://records.nhl.com/nyr/overview/season-by-season-record&quot;&gt;NHL.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, the worst home mark in franchise history came during the 1943–44 season, when the Blueshirts won just four games on home ice. However, that was during a shortened 50-game schedule. In an 82-game campaign, the low &lt;strong&gt;was set in 2003–04&lt;/strong&gt;, when the team &lt;strong&gt;won only 11 games&lt;/strong&gt; at Madison Square Garden. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The last time New York recorded fewer than 10 home wins in a season was in 1964–65, with eight victories in 35 home games. Numbers do not lie: Sullivan, Miller, and the Rangers are walking a tightrope, with &lt;strong&gt;all signs pointing toward a franchise record of the wrong kind&lt;/strong&gt; in 2025–26.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;69a0ddb5d1eb01dac3090f45&quot; data-title=&quot;Should Mike Sullivan Return as the Rangers’ Head Coach in 2026–27?&quot; data-options=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

J.T. Miller's message to Mike Sullivan after winning gold paints clear picture for NY Rangers

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NY Rangers captain and Olympic gold medalist J.T. Miller sends clear message to Mike Sullivan, rest of the team - Bolavip US

J.T. Miller sends clear message to Mike Sullivan, NY Rangers

NY Rangers captain and Olympic gold medalist J.T. Miller sends clear message to Mike Sullivan, rest of the team

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mike-sullivan&quot;&gt;Mike Sullivan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and the &lt;strong&gt;New York Rangers&lt;/strong&gt; are determined to turn the tide after a disheartening first half to the &lt;strong&gt;NHL&lt;/strong&gt; season. Coming off the Olympic break, there is not really much room for the Rangers to keep sinking. The only way should be up.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-rangers&quot;&gt;Rangers&lt;/a&gt; are set to be one of the &lt;strong&gt;main sellers going into the NHL trade deadline&lt;/strong&gt;. Pretty much everyone could be made available by the Blueshirts, as Sullivan and company acknowledge it’s time to start from scratch. Or as GM Chris Drury has put it time and again: retool.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;On that note, reports suggest the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nhl/ny-rangers-actively-shopping-former-first-round-pick-amid-vincent-trocheck-speculation&quot;&gt;Rangers are actively shopping a former first-round selection&lt;/a&gt; in defenseman &lt;strong&gt;Braden Schneider&lt;/strong&gt;. It’s clear New York is focusing on the future rather than the 2025-26 &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nhl&quot;&gt;NHL&lt;/a&gt; season. Still, Sullivan made it clear that the Rangers aren’t tanking nor throwing in the towel.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Sullivan’s answer&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;It’s a little bit of both&lt;/strong&gt;,” &lt;/em&gt;Sullivan answered a question on whether he will prioritize winning games or developing prospects, via Vince Mercogliano of&lt;em&gt; The Athletic. “&lt;strong&gt;We’re going to try to win&lt;/strong&gt;. We’re going to try to compete. We’re going to try to hold the group accountable to a certain standard.&lt;/em&gt;“&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/22131936/mike-sullivan-3-1920x1080.webp&quot; alt=&quot;Mike Sullivan gives instructions&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-584990&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Mike Sullivan of Team United States at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;And at the same time&lt;/strong&gt;, we’re going to do our best to gain a better &lt;strong&gt;understanding of what we have&lt;/strong&gt; and potentially to help us to make the right decisions about where we want to go moving forward. It’s not like a lot of the young players that we have haven’t been granted an opportunity to make a mark, so to speak. &lt;strong&gt;So we’ll continue to do that&lt;/strong&gt;.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nhl/ny-rangers-hc-mike-sullivan-issues-bold-reminder-for-j-t-miller-rest-of-the-team-as-nhl-resumes&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;Sullivan’s message is not surprising. The first-year head coach in New York City will not openly admit that the Rangers are angling to strengthen their draft position. Moreover, the players do not care about that—they want to win, and suggesting otherwise &lt;strong&gt;would send all the wrong messages&lt;/strong&gt; throughout the locker room. &lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;69a0ce79d1eb01dac3090f41&quot; data-title=&quot;Who will finish in last place in the East?&quot; data-options=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;