When you look at a scallion and you see Erling Haaland, then you probably have World Cup-itis. But we have exceedingly good news for those suffering from the affliction - after yesterday’s rest day, you have a game to look forward to this evening: namely the quarter-final between France and Morocco. Dave Hannigan is certainly looking forward to it it, but he’s also pining for the days when football was a little less complicated, when there were no such things as draught excluders or cutaway socks, when “boots were mostly black and mud-caked” and VAR wasn’t around to “deprive fans of the instant gratification that is the unbridled joy of a goal”. Ah, memories.
On the home front, Gavin Cooney reports on the FAI’s extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday evening when delegates endorsed their decision, by 75 votes to 32, to fulfil the Nations League fixtures against Israel later this year.
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Question of the day: Britain’s Arthur Fery became the first wildcard in 25 years to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon when he beat Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday. Who was the last man to achieve the feat, in 2001, and, to this day, the only wildcard to ever win a men’s singles major title?
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In Gaelic games, the build-up to the weekend’s All-Ireland football semi-finals continues apace, Gordon Manning hearing from Kerry old-boy Paul Galvin who puts Jack O’Connor in the same bracket as Mick O’Dwyer when it comes to managerial achievements.
Mickey Harte, meanwhile, has stepped down from his role as Offaly manager, along with his joint-boss Declan Kelly, Gordon looking back at his two-year spell at the helm. And Ciarán Kirk presents you with a list of contenders for the ‘Alternative All Stars’, ie players who might well be overlooked for the gongs this year because their counties failed to reach the semi-finals.
And in hurling, Ciarán Murphy recalls a “dispiriting” day back in May when he watched Galway lose to Dublin in Salthill. Now? They’re in the All-Ireland final. He didn’t see that coming. He salutes manager Micheál Donoghue whose “investment in youth has paid off in spectacular fashion”.
In rugby, Gerry Thornley reports on the team Andy Farrell has selected for Saturday’s Nations Championship meeting with Japan, and he has news from IRFU performance director David Humphreys - he has confirmed that Ronan O’Gara is one of the candidates in the frame to succeed Leo Cullen as Leinster head coach.
In golf, David Gorman talks to Patrick Adler, the American-born Irish citizen who made his first PGA Tour start at the John Deere Classic last week. The 23-year-old, an overseas member of Lahinch Golf Club, is now dreaming of earning his card for the Tour, and getting to play alongside his hero, Rory McIlroy.
In athletics, Ian O’Riordan has news on Rhasidat Adeleke’s withdrawal from Friday’s Monaco Diamond League meeting, the year continuing to be a struggle for the 23-year-old. And Ian also reports on yesterday’s Cork City Sports.
Is chess a sport? Well, the Irish Chess Union believes it is and is looking for official recognition. However that works out, Ireland is experiencing a boom in the pursuit/sport. Jack Brady investigates.
TV Watch: Sky Sports Golf’s coverage of the Scottish Open got under way at 8.30 this morning and continues until 7.0 this evening. And between 11am and 5pm, Sky Sports Plus has the first round of the Evian Championship, the fourth LPGA major of the season, Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh in the field.
It’s women’s semi-final day at Wimbledon, Karolina Muchova v Coco Gauff up first at 1.30pm, followed by Marta Kostyuk v Linda Noskova (BBC1 and BBC2 from 11am). And at 9pm, we have the first of the World Cup quarter-finals, France and Morocco meeting in Foxborough (RTÉ 2 & UTV).
Answer: Croatia’s Goran Ivanisevic. He beat Australian Pat Rafter in 2001, having gone in to the tournament ranked 125 in the world. It was fourth time lucky - he lost the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Wimbledon finals.
