What’s Gavin Brown’s favorite part about having his Dad as his baseball coach?

“I always have someone to talk to after practice if I need to,” he says, “and he can help me with extra stuff at home if I miss it at practice.”

This past winter, Gavin and his father, Matt, spent extended time away from the field together. They sat next to one another in matching recliners. They even slept in them.

As our kids seem to advance so rapidly in age, we might say in passing how we’d give anything for an uninterrupted period with them like this. For this father-son duo, the time together came after Matt Brown gave his kidney, which saved his son.

Matt and Gavin will be together at the Angels-Orioles game on Father’s Day in Baltimore, and they are playing with Calvert (Maryland) American Little League All-Stars this summer as they attempt to advance out of their state. It’s the shot about which every Little Leaguer can dream.

In the meantime, the Brown family, which has managed Gavin’s chronic kidney disease since birth, has been renewed with a successful transplant and recovery.

“We were completely shocked,” says Gavin’s mother, Erin. “He went from he can’t sit up to, ‘Holy Moly, he’s playing baseball,’ three months later.”

USA TODAY Sports spoke with Gavin and his parents, as well as Yi Shi, a pediatric nephrologist at Children’s National Hospital and a member of Gavin’s care team, about their journey.

“Gavin was extremely brave throughout the entire process,” Erin says. “Even up until the time he went back for surgery, he was confident and reassuring, making sure to tell me everything was going to be just fine. Gavin has known this was coming his entire life, and by the time it got here, he was very ready to just get it over with and try to get back to normal life.” 

Their story also details the role sports can play in managing life’s obstacles, no matter how steep they are, and in bringing fathers and sons closer together.

Coach Steve: Cal Ripken’s father passed down these four lessons for youth athletes

‘I just kept going with it’: How a parent makes a kidney transplant work

According to the latest data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), there have been 8,082 pediatric transplants performed through parent-child kidney donations since 1988, when national stats were first recorded.

Erin and Matt knew pretty much from Day 1 Gavin would need a transplant. Matt got tested and cleared to be a donor seven or eight years ago, and they waited.

In the meantime, Matt began helping out with the coaching on Gavin’s baseball team. He put his son directly into kid pitch, skipping tee ball and coach pitch. Gavin has come into his own and become a local All-Star.

But during adolescence, which is a kid’s highest period of physical growth, doctors see the steepest drop in kidney function, Shi says. That moment for Gavin came last fall, when he was 11.

“It was still kind of positioned that it was going to be a little ways away,” Erin says. “And then we saw a drastic decline. And they made the determination that we were, most likely, going to do the transplant.”

Shi says children usually do better with a living donor, and parents or other family members are the best matches: “We try to get donors less than 40 [years old] for kids, but we work around if the parents are older, for whatever reason.”

Matt, 38, was within the usual age range but there was one particular problem. “Healthy weight is a requirement for donation,” Shi says.

He weighed 238 pounds last summer.

“It wasn’t until I got out of the military that I just got soaked up with working shift work, and then kind of let myself go for a number of years,” says Matt, who served in the Army from June 2004 to October 2009, including stints in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Matt, who now works in security at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, had to lose 15 to 20 pounds from his 5-foot-9 frame. He hit the number, “and I just kept going with it,” he says. Today, he’s down to 200.

Pediatric transplant surgeon Jennifer Verbesey and a surgical team started Matt’s kidney removal surgery around 7 a.m. Feb. 10 at Washington’s MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Verbesey was with Gavin and Erin at Children’s National across town by 11:30 a.m. that day.

Father’s Day can come early: The importance of spending time together

It was five days after his 12th birthday and still, his mom says, Gavin was smiling right up until the time he went into surgery, which took 4 to 5 hours.

Doctors recommended staying out of school and avoiding large crowds for the first three months, when his immune system would be the most suppressed.

“The main part of the recovery process is really the post surgical recovery, which takes about a week or so,” Shi says. “Generally, kids feel quite good after that, so it’s not a prolonged recovery process. … It is common that children recover quickly and can return to full activity within a month.’

Gavin had swelling and some minor complications that were quickly resolved, Matt says, though they made everything a little more uncomfortable for him.

At first, neither one of them could even lie flat. Gavin had a lot of pain and, after he spent a week in the hospital, he and Matt spent about two weeks, off and on, in those reclining chairs.

“It was really just getting used to it and living with it for the most part,” Gavin says. “We went on walks a lot after we could and went outside in general. It was really just hard to get used to.”

But there was familiarity, first in spending time with dad, and then, after an isolation period together had ended, he moved to practice with his Little League team (the Orioles) in late May.

At first, the activity was about supporting his teammates and feeling like he was part of the group. Being with his friends is one of his favorite parts of baseball.

He learned the shifts and the plays, he tossed the ball softly, stretched a little and took in all the energy of practice.

“That way, when he’s ready, he can hop back in with the team,” Matt says. “You know, crawl before you walk and run.”

Shi says a transplant kidney is usually placed in the front of the belly and is less protected than our regular kidneys. They marked the spot and helped Gavin fashion a shirt, through Zoombang, that provides padding for it under his jersey.

There was a therapeutic function to playing baseball, too.

“It’s not like major league baseball, or at that level where we expect high-force injury,” Shi says. “In general, we advocate for kids to exercise, play sports, do what they otherwise would be doing. I think it’s better for quality of life and just general recovery, but kids in general, after transplant tend to gain weight, and so things like exercise really do help with blood pressure and the weight gain.

“On top of that, it’s something that he really likes doing so we try our best to accommodate.”

Coach Steve: Keep the ‘team’ in team sports − even when your child is injured

Learning how to forge kids’ independence

Though he has been on medication since he was born, Gavin and his parents decided he is now responsible enough to manage the process on his own.

He takes an antibiotic (Bactrim), which he will stop at the six-month mark after his surgery. He also takes Tacrolimus and Cellcept, two anti-rejection medications that prevent the immune system from attacking transplanted kidneys.  

Gavin takes medications at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., excusing himself momentarily from our video interview last week to do so.

“Timing is very important, as keeping his body regulated with the anti-rejection medications is the best way to prolong the life of his new kidney,” Erin says. “We get notifications (through an app) if he hasn’t marked them off, which allows us to monitor him without having to do the medication administration for him. Our goal with allowing him to do this is to start preparing him to be independent and understand the importance of taking his meds on time, without micromanaging.

“We also put all his medications into daily containers with his help each week. He’s been great about remembering to take them when he leaves the house and taking them on time. We’re really proud of how well he is doing.”

There have been unexpected hurdles, though. Just recently, for example, his white blood cell count was low and he missed school.

“Just things we weren’t necessarily prepared for that we’re kind of learning along the way,” Erin says. “He seemed fine, but his blood work wasn’t showing fine, so we had to make adjustments.”

When he plays baseball, he has been instructed to not slide headfirst. He was there, though, when the Orioles won their Little League’s championship.

“He’s hitting the ball well,” Matt says, “just not as far as he used to, which he understands. And mobility is a little bit slower … (He’s) still not back 100% but he’s able to compete.”

‘Doing something he loves’: Taking life and running with it

A point of emphasis for this season is recognizing not everyone on the team is at the same skill level.

“But we can always help people work to their strengths,” Erin says.

Gavin has an athletic stance. He puts the ball in play with a quick right-handed swing and sprints toward his dad urging him forward as a first base coach.

“Kidney donors should make a full recovery like any other surgery,” Shi says. “Matt has one kidney now compared to two, which means his one kidney has to work hard enough to take the place of two.”

He has helped his son avoid dialysis, a procedure that removes waste substances and fluid from blood that are normally eliminated by the kidneys.

“Dialysis generally has worse health outcomes than transplant, but also has worse quality of life,” Shi says. “Kids would either need to come to the hospital for dialysis three times a week or do dialysis at home every night. They have more dietary restrictions as well.”

Gavin will some day need another transplant. Shi says they last 10 to 15 years on average, sometimes longer.

Erin, who works in marketing for a software company, and Matt are hopeful that medical advances will give Gavin more options. Before his surgery, the family was introduced to the National Kidney Registry, a U.S.-based organization that aims to increase the quality, speed and number of living donor kidney transplants.

Transplant speed can increase when someone donates on behalf of a patient through programs like paired exchange or the voucher program.

Erin, 37, has had Type 1 Diabetes since 1999 and is automatically disqualified from being a donor.

“As a mom, this was very hard to accept,” she says.

She is looking forward to running a local 5K turkey trot with Gavin, and perhaps his younger brother, Connor, 11, on Thanksgiving. There could also be a winter family trip to Vermont to snowboard, which is Gavin’s other favorite sport and approved by Shi (if he wears his protective shirt).

In the more immediate future, there is lots of baseball.

“I just really enjoy it,” Matt says of coaching his son, “going out there and doing something he loves, just encouraging him, watching him grow.”

And to grow into someone who has learned to look to the future as an opportunity to seize what comes next.

“We spent time going through what the process would be like,” Erin says. “Gavin functions very well when he knows what to expect. Having a clear game plan for the day of surgery and a good idea what the post surgery recovery would look like was very comforting to him.”

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Jackson Holliday has read the scouting reports and heard the buzz about his own skills and those of his younger brother, Ethan, for most of his young life. And it rarely takes more than a sentence or two before talk turns from their work ethics or their gorgeous swings or power potential to the tie that ostensibly binds them to predictive greatness.

Bloodlines.

It’s both the most obvious and yet oversimplified evaluation a baseball scout can make – a recognizable name leaping off the page, a player profile to dream on based on how far their father made it in the game.

And ostensibly, the Holliday family justifies those dreams: For the second time in four years, a Holliday lad will be picked at or near the very top of Major League Baseball’s draft when Ethan is selected somewhere in the first five or so picks at the July 13 selection party.

Jackson, still just 21, is in his second year as a Baltimore Oriole and perhaps already on his way to his first All-Star Game. Ethan, while having to conquer several levels of minor league ball to join his older brother in a major league middle infield, could be a bigger and more powerful version of Jackson.

Both are carrying the legacy of their father Matt, a seven-time All-Star, a batting champion, a World Series winner who slugged 316 home runs over 15 years in the major leagues.

Genes to dream on, for certain.

Yet the story of baseball bloodlines will forever be a classic nature vs. nurture equation, and despite inherent advantages of growing up Holliday or Clemens or Bellinger, countless environmental factors will determine if the child’s most important adult acronym, say, is OPS or CPA.

“It’s nice to have the genes – my dad’s a big guy and played baseball a long time,” says Holliday, on pace for a 20-homer, 20-steal season in his first full season in the majors. “But I don’t look like him and I just have the last name and he happens to be my dad.

“I think a lot of it has to do with growing up in the game and watching someone you want to be like, and that’s what they do. So, that’s essentially what me and my brothers wanted to do.”

Indeed, the Holliday patriarch is built like an NFL linebacker – at 6-4, 240 pounds, he had both speed and power and at 45 still cuts an imposing figure when he’s around a major league batting cage.

While Holliday was a slugging left fielder, his eldest sons are cut from a different template: Jackson is 6 feet and 185 pounds, while Ethan is already 6-4, about 200 pounds and projected to stick at shortstop long term.

 Not exactly daddy duplicates from a physical standpoint.

“Yeah, it’s nice having good genetics,” says Kody Clemens, youngest son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, and a versatile reserve for the Minnesota Twins.

“But the exposure is probably more important.”

The scientific community generally agrees.

‘Biology is really good at mixing things up’

It’s been nearly a decade since Alejandro Lucia collaborated with renowned genomic professor Claude Bouchard – regarded as a godfather of genetics and exercise – on a 2016 study exploring the responses and adaptations of the body to exercise.

Lucia, a professor and researcher at European University of Madrid, worked with human patients and animals and extensively explored how genetics influence the body.

“We found, basically, nothing,” says Lucia.

That’s not to say genetics don’t affect body types. Lucia says there is an “undeniable genetic influence” that he pegs at around 50% that determines whether a person’s phenotype is better suited toward respiratory fitness or muscular makeup.

Humans, at their core, are endurance animals, he says. Yet what makes athletes great are almost exclusively influenced by environment, be it the preponderance of elite East African distance runners or, say, an elite travel baseball team from Texas.

“Is it the genes you have inherited from your father? Or is it the influence, the atmosphere?” says Lucia. “In the case of sports performance, we’re not talking about a single phenotype. It’s the combination of many phenotypes. What makes you a good basketball player? Is it strength? Is it skill? Is it motivation? It’s many different things.

“It is probably the combination of too many factors. We tend to blame our genetics on too many things.”

Certainly, genetics play some role in getting a child into the game. Stephen M. Roth, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Maryland, has studied genetics and elements of skeletal muscle and athletic performance for more than 20 years.

Loosely, he pegs the chances of bestowing athletic genes on offspring at about 50%, though some factors have a higher likelihood of inheritance. Height, for instance, has closer to 80% inheritability.

“Most of these traits are remarkably complex. It’s not just a single gene that’s contributing and you either have it or you don’t,” says Roth. “It’s going to be a lot of different genes, all contributing and the likelihood that at least some of those are passed down is probably pretty good. But certainly not all of them, in the exact pattern that either parent has.

“Biology is really good at mixing things up, and purposefully doing so.”

Roth says certain psychological factors – competitiveness, say – have about a 20-30% likelihood of inheritability. Yet it’s almost impossible for genetics to outkick an athlete’s surroundings.

“When you see a given geographic group or set of families who are especially successful in a given sport, instead of thinking of genes I will think of the special environment of this particular geographic reason or this particular family” says Lucia. “The example, the inspiration they get from their parents.

“I will never be a great baseball player. But maybe my genetic makeup is not that different from the best baseball player in the U.S.”

‘The Clay Stare’

And sometimes the next generation quickly exceeds its predecessors.

Cody Bellinger didn’t need much time to push the label “son of ex-Yankee Cody Bellinger” into the background. He hit 20 home runs in his first 51 major league games, and doubled his father’s career total of 12 in his first 57.

No, Cody wasn’t inheriting Babe Ruth’s genetic profile. Yet growing up Bellinger – Clay was part of World Series-winning Yankees teams in 1999 and 2000 – was pivotal.

“You’re in the batting cage, you’re picking up baseballs, you’re going out to batting practice and you just fall in love with it,” says Bellinger, who won the 2019 NL MVP award and has a .760 OPS this season for the Yankees. “Moreso than other kids who don’t have that opportunity. A huge blessing.

“I think just being around it, you just appreciate it and you love it and it’s not forced. For me, I loved it.”

That’s one trait that can’t be underestimated. The pressure of following in a famous father’s footsteps can be immense. With no ceiling on travel ball and many ballplayer families residing in warm-weather climes, the potential for burnout is immense.

“It’s almost like going into the family business. You have this, maybe stated, but unstated expectation that you could, or maybe should, be following in this person’s footsteps,” says Roth, the Maryland professor. “You have this unique opportunity to go into this particular business. I think the concern is, how many of these kids actually feel pressure to do it, but don’t realize they may not want to do it?

“They may be good at it, but is this how they want to spend their lives? That can be really hard to disentangle. We see that following in the family business, too, where someone says, ‘No, actually, I don’t want to be a butcher.’”

The second-gen kids who made the big leagues tended to steer into it. Craig Biggio, the Hall of Fame second baseman for the Houston Astros, was already retired by the time his son Cavan was in high school.

So the elder Biggio took the coaching reins at Houston’s St. Thomas High School, giving Cavan a potential double-whammy: A legacy to look up to, and the stigma that can come by being The Coach’s Son.

Yet it turns out his teammates thought it was nifty having a coach who was two years from having a bust in Cooperstown.

“Because everybody loved having him, having a Hall of Fame guy,” says Cavan, who is in his seventh major league season. “It was a professional environment from a high school level, which was really rare and cool.

“So when I eventually got to pro ball, it was already things I was doing from a young age.”

Not that Dad can’t be hard on the kid. Clay Bellinger also coached some of Cody’s teams, preaching lessons Cody relies upon to this day, and also saying so much by saying virtually nothing.

“I was lucky enough that my dad was the coach,” says Bellinger, drafted in the fourth round by the Dodgers in 2013, “but me and my friends had a little joke – if you didn’t do something well, you’d get the ‘Clay Stare.’

“He’d stare at you and you’d feel it. That you did something wrong. That was always something that we joked around with and that stuck with me – play the game hard.”

‘This was going to be for me’

Of course, having a ballplayer dad means having lots of famous uncles. Matt Holliday played long enough that Jackson can remember kibitzing in the clubhouse and on the field with the likes of Nolan Arenado and Aaron Judge.

Biggio recalls catcher Brad Ausmus as a “funny, witty guy,” and appreciates the respect he was afforded from Astros such as Morgan Ensberg, Lance Berkman and Willy Taveras.

Josh Barfield, a four-year major leaguer and now the assistant general manager of the White Sox and son of Blue Jays legend Jesse Barfield, counted Rickey Henderson and Ken Griffey Jr. as de facto family members thanks to his father’s longtime friendships with both.

As little kids and adolescents, they didn’t go through the grind. But they got an up-close view of what it took to survive it.

“You watch the work every day – and go out and try to replicate what I watched for so long,” says Jackson Holliday.

Sometimes, it’s the only life they know.

“Kasey and I always talk about how we really didn’t understand what there was in life besides being a baseball fan or baseball player,” says Kody Clemens of his older brother. “Growing up, we knew we wanted to be the players.

“When (Roger Clemens) was in New York and in the tail end of his career in Houston – that was when I realized how good he was, why these people were coming to the stadium, why we were going to the stadium. From 5 to 10 years old was when I realized what was going on.”

While some of the legacy ballplayers become elite – like Bellinger and Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – or are burgeoning stars like the Hollidays, others are determined to stick.

Clemens has never played in more than 56 games since his 2022 debut and at 29 is enjoying his first taste of extended success with Minnesota, slugging six homers in 36 games after Philadelphia designated him for assignment in April.

Biggio is currently at Class AAA with Kansas City, after making the club out of spring training; he’s with his fourth organization in the past two seasons.

It’s plenty of time to ponder who makes it, who stays, and why.

“I think athleticism has a ton to do with it, but everybody in pro ball is athletic, even college baseball,” says Biggio. “I more credit being around it as a young kid. For me, it developed a passion and a love and a want for what this was going to be for me.”

Or, as Maryland’s Roth puts it, “baseball is always in the environment. You have this almost constant presence. That’s going to lead to expectations and opportunities for these kids.”

And the cycle rolls along. As Bellinger glances about the Yankees clubhouse, a pair of young boys, baseball gloves in hand, tail behind assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes, like ducklings following their mother to the pond.

“There you go,” he says as elementary-school aged Kash and Jett head out to the field, perhaps taking the tiniest steps toward draft day 2036.

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The winner of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club will pocket $4.3 million as the U.S. Golf Association announced this week that the total purse will be $21.5 million.

Both the prize money and the purse amounts are the highest of the four major golf tournaments and are the same as last year’s, when Bryson DeChambeau took home the title with a one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy at Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2 in North Carolina.

Even though the purse amount did not change this year, it still signifies a healthy increase, as four years ago the total purse was $12.5 million, with the winner receiving $2.25 million.

2025 U.S. Open purse breakdown:

1st: $4,300,000
2nd: $2,322,000
3rd: $1,459,284
4th: $1,023,014
5th: $852,073
6th: $755,520
7th: $681,131
8th: $610,034
9th: $552,103
10th: $507,118
11th: $462,792
12th: $427,901
13th: $398,716
14th: $367,995
15th: $341,663
16th: $319,719
17th: $302,164
18th: $284,609
19th: $267,054
20th: $249,499
21st: $234,358
22nd: $219,217
23rd: $204,515
24th: $190,910
25th: $179,060
26th: $168,966
27th: $161,286
28th: $154,483
29th: $147,900
30th: $141,317
31st: $134,734
32nd: $128,151
33rd: $121,567
34th: $115,643
35th: $110,815
36th: $105,987
37th: $101,379
38th: $96,991
39th: $92,602
40th: $88,213
41st: $83,824
42nd: $79,436
43rd: $75,047
44th: $70,658
45th: $66,269
46th: $62,320
47th: $58,370
48th: $54,639
49th: $52,445
50th: $50,251
51st: $48,934
52nd: $47,837
53rd: $46,959
54th: $46,520
55th: $46,081
56th: $45,642
57th: $45,203
58th: $44,765
59th: $44,326
60th: $43,887
61st: $43,448
62nd: $43,009
63rd: $42,570
64th: $42,131
65th: $41,692
66th: $41,254

INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA Finals TV ratings discussion is a classic struggle between the optimist and the pessimist.

One headline: ‘NBA Finals have been most-watched programs since first week of May.”

Another headline: “NBA Finals ratings down 24%.”

Two things can be true in this season’s Finals between “small-market” Indiana and Oklahoma City.

Yes, ratings are down from last season’s Finals between Boston and Dallas, and yes, the Thunder-Pacers Finals have brought in millions of viewers, including a peak of 11.54 million at 11 p.m. ET of Game 3 on Wednesday, June 11.

Of the top 10 TV shows June 2-8, four were NBA-related for ABC: Games 1 and 2 of the Finals, postgame coverage of Game 2, and the Game 1 pregame show. Those four totaled 25.6 million viewers, including 8.9 million for Game 1 and 8.7 million for Game 2, according to Nielsen.

The topic of NBA TV ratings is shaped by the teams playing; the lack of household names driving the competition even though OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is this season’s MVP and Tyrese Haliburton is a two-time All-Star, 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist and cold-blooded, game-winning shooter; a new era in which different teams are playing the Finals each season; and stars not named LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant getting to the Finals.

The league and its TV partners need to navigate those issues, and they are focused on attracting more viewers, especially casual sports fans.

But, if you were to ask the league and Disney/ABC/ESPN if they are unhappy with the numbers, their answer is no. Would they like more viewers? Of course.

However, winning the night and winning with key demographics is exactly what they and corporate/partners advertisers want.

In today’s world of viewing consumption – streaming, multiple devices, YouTube highlights – nuance is required. Nielsen numbers are important but no longer the only factor.

“Ratings have changed from what they used to be,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before Game 1 of the Finals. “Netflix is the most valuable pure play media company out there. Nobody in this room knows what their ratings are. We don’t even think in terms of ratings. We think maybe in terms of popularity, buzz around a program. We’re going through a transition, and we’re going to work through that.”

Silver and his business operations staff have given considerable thought to the topic. Don’t fret too much for the league. The NBA’s nine-year, $24 billion TV deal expires after the Finals, and the new 11-year, $76 billion pact with ESPN/ABC, NBC and Amazon starts next season.

That’s almost triple the previous deal. Before that deal was secured, there was skepticism that the NBA could net a deal that averaged $7 billion annually. But Silver got it done. That amount does not include the league’s media deals with international broadcast partners.

For the TV partners, the amount they agreed to pay the NBA was not arbitrarily snagged from the ether. High-paid executives analyzed the data and the financials and settled on a figure that allows their network to make money.

There is extreme value in the NBA, and that’s also reflected in the value of franchises. The Boston Celtics are expected to sell for at least a valuation of $6.1 billion, and if the NBA decides to expand, those expansion teams will go for at least $6 billion.

Live sports on TV remain desirable to traditional and modern means of consumption. The NBA’s YouTube channel has more than 20 million followers, its X account has 48 million followers, its Instagram account has 90.8 million followers and its Facebook account has 50 million followers.

In February, Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger said, “We obviously believe in the NBA long term. We think it’s a growth sport. We don’t really look at ratings year-to-year that carefully. … We’re not distracted in any sense by what’s happening ratings-wise this season. We’re happy to have this now for 11 more years, including the Finals in 10 of those years. It is and will continue to be a marquee part of ESPN’s offering.”

Also in February, this time at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, Silver addressed the topic with a five-minute answer when asked by USA TODAY Sports how the NBA views TV ratings and what is considered success. It’s clearly a topic that is front of mind for Silver.

“I like the challenge, frankly, because I think for the league, and together with our partners, we have to up our game at the same time,” Silver said. “There’s a lot more competition for attention than there used to be. Just think of all of your habits in the room for people who grew up watching more traditional television. …

“I don’t think that kind of engagement through social media is necessarily a substitute for watching live games because that comes up all the time. Some suggesting, ‘Well, isn’t that bad you’re training the next generation of fans who might never watch live games but only watching highlights?’ I actually think it’s additive. We have a much better chance of moving young fans, in particular, to live games if they become engaged with various forms of our content, whether it’s things that our players are doing off the floor, music they love, fashion or highlights.”

TV ratings for the NBA’s 2024-25 season were down 2% which mirrors the NFL’s 2.2% decline for its 2024 season. Through the NBA’s conference finals, playoff ratings were up 3%, and viewership for Games 1 and 2 was 50% higher than the next three highest-rated shows (“The Tony Awards,” “60 Minutes,” “America’s Got Talent”) for the week of June 2-8.

Thunder-Pacers has turned into a compelling series of talented, well-coached teams whose offensive and defensive efforts make every possession matter.

This Finals is going at least six games, and any Finals series that goes more than five games is a financial success for the league’s TV partners.

One game after blowing a big lead in the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers figured out a solution: put on a defensive gem.

The Panthers shut down the Edmonton Oilers for much of Game 5, allowing only Connor McDavid’s first goal of the series and Corey Perry’s late goal, to win 5-2 and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Florida can clinch its second consecutive Stanley Cup title with a home victory in Game 6 on Tuesday, June 17. Game 7, if necessary, would be Friday, June 20, in Edmonton.

Brad Marchand helped the Panthers to a 3-0 lead with spectacular goals in the first and third period. He split the defense on the first goal and made a nifty move around Jake Walman on the other one.

‘What he can do under duress in a small area is world-class,’ Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. ‘It’s as good as I’ve seen.’

Sam Bennett (15th goal) and Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida, and Eetu Luostarinen added an empty-netter.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch gave Calvin Pickard the Game 5 start after his solid play in relief helped the Oilers rally from a 3-0 deficit for a Game 4 overtime win. Knoblauch will have to make a decision between Stuart Skinner and Pickard before the next game with Edmonton’s season on the line.

‘From what I saw, Picks didn’t have much chance on those goals: Breakaways, shots through screens, slot shots,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing saying that it was a poor performance.’

Highlights from Game 5 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers:

Panthers vs. Oilers highlights

Game recap

Final score: Panthers 5, Oilers 2

The Panthers play a perfect road game to take a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. Brad Marchand (two goals) was key on offense, but the Panthers also were solid on defense, holding Edmonton to 21 shots.

The Panthers celebrate the victory by shooting plastic rats at Marchand.

Score update: Panthers 5, Oilers 2

Eetu Luostarinen scores into the empty net with a long shot from his defensive zone.

Calvin Pickard to the bench again

Edmonton has extra skater. There’s 1:39 left.

Score update: Panthers 4, Oilers 2

Oilers have an extra skater again and Corey Perry scores on a slap shot from the point.

Calvin Pickard to the bench

Oilers have an extra skater.

Score update: Panthers 4, Oilers 1

Aleksander Barkov finds Sam Reinhart alone in the faceoff circle as the Panthers restore their three-goal lead.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 1

Connor McDavid scores his first goal of the series with some stickhandling after a nice pass from Evan Bouchard.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 0

Another spectacular move by Brad Marchand. He gets around Jake Walman and then beats Calvin Pickard.

Five minutes in

Still no shots for Edmonton in this period.

Third period underway

Panthers on power play to start. That’s killed off.

End second: Panthers 2, Oilers 0

A rare scoreless period in this series. Edmonton shows more life. Two power plays will do that. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch is using the nuclear option of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together. McDavid has no shots on goal, though he did hit the post. Florida’s Gustav Forsling makes some good defensive plays. Shots are 13-11 Panthers through two periods.

Panthers power play

Leon Draisaitl high sticks Dmitry Kulikov with 20 seconds left in the second period. There will be a 1:40 carryover in the third period.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl together

Oilers have their stars on the same line. Edmonton takes the lead in shots.

Oilers power play

Sam Reinhart clears the puck from his zone but it goes over the glass for a delay of game penalty. Edmonton got good looks on its first power play. Connor McDavid hits the post. Florida kills the rest. Edmonton gets two shots and is a 0-for-3 on the power.

Oilers power play

Gustav Forsling loses the puck to Evander Kane, who is tripped by Aaron Ekblad. Florida kills it off. Sergei Bobrovsky makes back-to-back saves on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Corey Perry.

Second period underway

Oilers kill off the rest of the Panthers power play.

Oilers have come back before

In both of their wins in this series, the Oilers were trailing after the first period. They were down 3-0 in Game 4.

End first: Panthers 2, Oilers 0

Another strong first period by the Panthers. They’ve outscored the Oilers 7-0 in the first period in the last three games. Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett score as the Panthers get two goals on eight shots against Calvin Pickard. He had held them to one goal in Game 4. Oilers get back-to-back shots around the nine-minute mark and nothing since. They have three shots in the period.

Panthers power play

Vasily Podkolzin is calling for tripping. Seventeen seconds will carry over into the second period.

Score update: Panthers 2, Oilers 0

Sam Bennett scores his 15th goal. He starts the play by intercepting the puck in the neutral zone and feeding Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk’s shot is blocked and Bennett pounces on the rebound.

Oilers power play

Seth Jones is called for interference at 15:44 for the game’s first penalty. A big difference from the past few games, which featured multiple power plays in the first period. Panthers kill it off. No shots for the Oilers, who are stuck at three shots.

Big check

Florida’s Dmitry Kulikov sends Evander Kane flying.

Score update: Panthers 1, Oilers 0

What a goal by Brad Marchand. He splits the defense for a mini-breakaway and beats Calvin Pickard at 9:12. The Panthers have scored first for four games in a row.

Jonah Gadjovich injury update

The Panthers forward heads to the dressing room, TNT reports. He blocked a shot earlier in the game. And now he’s back on the bench.

Five minutes in

Still scoreless. Edmonton gets a couple good chances on Sergei Bobrovsky.

Game 5 underway

Connor McDavid line vs. Sam Bennett line. Sergei Bobrovsky makes a glove save on Connor Brown early.

When is Stanley Cup Final Game 5? Panthers vs. Oilers game time

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off at 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday, June 14.

What TV channel is Panthers vs. Oilers Game 5 on?

TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting.

Stream the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Sling TV

How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 5

Date: Saturday, June 14
Location: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT)
TV: TNT, truTV
Streaming: Max, Sling TV

Starting lines

The Panthers are starting the Sam Bennett line. The Oilers are countering with the Connor McDavid line. Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Edmonton’s Calvin Pickard in net.

Game 5 on-ice officials

Referees: Francis Charron and Wes McCauley

Linespersons: Scott Cherrey and Trent Knorr

Florida Panthers lineup

Edmonton Oilers lineup

Goaltending matchup

Oilers’ Calvin Pickard (7-0, 2.69 goals-against average, .896) vs. Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (14-7, 2.27, .912)

Edmonton Oilers’ leading scorers

The Oilers have the top three scorers in the series: Forwards Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are tied with a league-best 32 points, followed by defenseman Evan Bouchard (22). Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 20 points and Draisaitl has a team-best 11 goals.

Florida Panthers’ leading scorers

The Panthers have 11 players with double-digit points, led by Sam Bennett (20), Carter Verhaeghe (19) and Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk (18 each). Bennett is the playoffs’ leading goal scorer with 14.

Troy Stecher back in lineup

Oilers defenseman Troy Stecher will make a second consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. He had a turnover in Game 4 that led to the Panthers’ third goal and played only 4:18 in the game. ‘We know his game is very dependable and when we need him, he’s able to give us quality minutes,’ coach Kris Knoblauch said.

Leon Draisaitl is overtime hero

Oilers star Leon Draisaitl has four playoff overtime goals this season, setting an NHL record. He also scored six OT goals during the regular season.

Most overtime games in Stanley Cup Final

Three games in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final have gone to overtime, the most since 2014. The record is five in the 1951 final between the victorious Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. Every game that year went to OT.

Late tying goals

The Oilers (Corey Perry, 19:42 in Game 2) and Panthers (Sam Reinhart, 19:40 in Game 4) have the two latest tying goals in Stanley Cup Final history. In each case, the team that tied the game late ended up losing in overtime.

Why Game 5 is so critical

The Stanley Cup Final has been tied 2-2 on 26 previous occasions. The team that has won Game 5 has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 19 times. The last four Game 5 winners in this situation won the Cup.

Calvin Pickard on Game 5 start

Calvin Pickard will be making his first start since the second round, but he played more than 50 minutes in Game 4 with little margin for error after entering the game at the start of the second period with his team trailing 3-0.

‘You can look at tonight as the biggest game of my life, but last game was the biggest of my life until the next one,’ he told reporters. ‘It’s rinse and repeat for me.’

Oilers lineup changes

In addition to Calvin Pickard going into the net, the Oilers are bringing back Viktor Arvidsson, who was scratched for Game 4. Kasperi Kapanen will come out of the lineup.

2025 Stanley Cup Finals schedule

Series tied 2-2

All times Eastern; (x-if necessary)

Game 1: Oilers 4, Panthers 3 | Story
Game 2:  Panthers 5, Oilers 4 (2OT) | Story
Game 3: Panthers 6, Oilers 1 | Story
Game 4: Oilers 5, Panthers 4 (OT) | Story
Game 5: Panthers 5, Oilers 2 | Story
Game 6: Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 7: Friday, June 20, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV

Stanley Cup Final Game 5 odds: Panthers vs. Oilers betting lines

Spread: Oilers by 1.5
Moneyline: Oilers -110, Panthers -110
Over/Under: 6.5

Odds to win 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final

Oilers -115
Panthers -105

OMAHA, NE ― Day 2 of the 2025 Men’s College World Series saw powerhouse LSU move into the winners bracket while mid-major darlings Murray State will face elimination against Arkansas.

The Tigers saw a strong start from Kade Anderson in a 4-1 win over the Razorbacks, while UCLA defeated the Racers, 6-4.

LSU and UCLA will face off on June 16 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) for a spot in the semifinals, while Arkansas will face Murray State in the early game (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Here were the Day 2 winners and losers:

WINNERS

Bunting

Bunting has always been a bigger part of college baseball than MLB, but in a lower-scoring College World Series, teams have more frequently turned to the bunt. UCLA bunted twice in its victory, including one squeeze bunt by star shortstop Roch Cholowsky that got the Bruins a run.

Ironically, Bruins coach John Savage wasn’t too pleased with the play, even though it worked.

‘That was on his own,’ Savage said. ‘That was not us. I’m like, ‘Come on, Roch, what are we doing here?’ But … how can you blame a guy for playing baseball?’

Then, in the second game, with two on and one out, LSU’s Daniel Dickinson dropped down a perfect bunt single. The Tigers ultimately scored three runs in that inning.

Rocco’s Jello shots

Rocco’s, an Omaha bar most famous for its ‘Jello Shot Challenge,’ surely cheers for LSU every postseason. Tigers fans show up in droves and, known for their tailgating prowess, buy up plenty of Jell-O shots.

Now, LSU is guaranteed to be in Omaha through at least Tuesday and likely longer. That will surely net Rocco’s more cash − and Tigers fans more social media notoriety.

Freshmen

Think freshmen have become unimportant in the age of NIL and the transfer portal? Think again.

Both winning teams, UCLA and LSU, saw significant contributions from freshmen. The Tigers’ Derek Curiel had two of the biggest plate appearances of the game, coming back from down 0-2 to draw a walk in an eventual three-run second inning and hitting an RBI single for an insurance run in the eighth.

‘I think the first at-bat might have been one of the most under-noticed, most important at-bats in the game, where he fell down 0-2 to Zach Root, and fought his way back to put a runner in scoring position for the first time,’ LSU coach Jay Johnson said in the postgame press conference. ‘ … But I’m not surprised. Like I said, he was born to hit. His disposition, his demeanor is made for hitting with runners on base is made for playing in games like the College World Series.’

Several other freshmen pitchers contributed for multiple teams. The Tigers’ Casan Evans got the save with a scoreless ninth inning. UCLA’s Easton Hawk also picked up the save after Murray State chipped away at an early lead, striking out two in a perfect inning. Arkansas reliever Cole Gibler struck out three in one inning of work.

LOSERS

Home runs (again)

Day 1 in Omaha saw just one home run. But Day 2 featured teams with more offensive firepower, so perhaps the long ball would reappear?

Not so much.

Murray State and UCLA didn’t hit a single home run in their matchup and had three total extra-base hits, all doubles. Arkansas’ Reese Robinett went deep in game 2, the first no-doubt home run of the tournament.

Just two home runs have been hit so far in Omaha, and neither team that homered won its game.

Shoelaces

During the top of the fifth inning against LSU, Arkansas pitcher Gabe Gaeckle had to leave the mound and go into the dugout when his shoelace broke. Gaeckle threaded a new shoelace into his cleat and returned to the mound after a few minutes.

It certainly wasn’t a ringing endorsement of whoever made the shoelaces Gaeckle used, and it didn’t help that Steven Milam hit a single right afterward.

After that inning, Gaeckle changed out the other shoelace in the dugout.

Neutral fans

Many people in Omaha not supporting a specific team pulled for Murray State, as evidenced by the Rocco’s Jello Shot Challenge leaderboard. But the Racers will face elimination in their next game and they won’t have an easy matchup with Arkansas.

Those seeking hotel rooms in Omaha won’t be too happy with LSU’s win, either, as Tigers fans tend to be one of the largest groups in Omaha.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Lionel Messi knew he didn’t score, but it didn’t stop fans at the FIFA Club World Cup opener from thinking he did, and cheering until they realized he didn’t.

Messi lined up for a free kick with his legendary left boot in the 64th minute and missed outside the left post. The ball still ricocheted into the outside of the net, giving the appearance he scored.

Messi’s reaction said it all. He raised his arms over his head, through his hair, and onto the back of his head. And got back to playing. It was the second-closest moment to a score for Messi during the first match of the 2025 Club World Cup.

The next was Messi’s attempt in the closing minutes (90’+5), where he soared a shot outside the box that could have snuck into the top left corner before Al Ahly goalie Mohamed El Shenawy hit it away.

Both teams play again on Thursday, June 19: Inter Miami in Atlanta against FC Porto (Portugal), while Al Ahly faces Brazilian club Palmeiras in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“Today is one of those days where – at least for me – with the effort, the work the team put in, the sacrifice, I think I’m leaving satisfied despite not having won,” Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez said after the match.

While the match was void of the magic Messi moment or a goal from either club, the near misses by both clubs provided plenty of drama.

Messi delivered a pass to Inter Miami’s Fafa Picault, whose header was saved by the last second by El Shenawy and over the crossbar in the 85th minute. Early in the second half, El Shenawy also stopped a kick from Inter Miami’s Tadeo Allende in front of the net.

Just before halftime, Al Ahly striker Wessam Abou Ali was the last line of defense on a floater by Suarez that Allende could have scored before it was deflected.

“We pushed really hard at the end … Their goalkeeper made three incredible saves, but it wasn’t to be. And now we’re moving on,” Inter Miami’s Benajmin Cremaschi said.

Inter Miami’s Club World Cup message to the world after the opener? That they can hang with the best. Even a club as accomplished as Al Ahly, which has won 45 Egyptian Premiere League titles – including 16 of the last 20.

Were there any empty seats? Sure, there were some despite reports of slow ticket sales. But the stadium filled out just before kickoff, and even more as the first half began.

Al Ahly supporters wearing red optically appeared to outnumber Inter Miami’s fans – wearing a variety of colors from light pink, black, aqua and orange from last year’s third kit, and Argentina’s light blue and white to support Messi. Sonically, the Al Ahly fans were louder too – until the Messi chants filled the stadium.

Too bad Messi was unable to score to lift the roof off the building, and send a message to the rest of the world that the Club World Cup has begun and will be the focal point of sports this summer in the United States.

“He’s the best player in the world, so it was a pleasure to play against him. But we had a really good chance to win,” Al Ahly’s Taher Mohamed said.

Ultimately, Inter Miami’s 38-year-old goalie Oscar Ustari was the MVP in this match – his eight saves helped his club have a respectable opener instead of the embarrassing last month in MLS play that they had before the Club World Cup.

Ustari – who surrendered 23 goals in an eight-game stretch before the tournament – saved shots by Wessam Abou Ali in the 5th minute, and Emam Ashour in the 8th minute.

Ustari’s crucial save on a penalty kick from Al Ahly’s Mahmoud Trézéguet in the 43rd minute was also a turning point, keeping Inter Miami in the match.

“I got to help the team by blocking it, and it made us change a few things for later,” Ustari said of his penalty save. “We knew what kind of game we were in for, against an intense team … but I think it was a good performance.”

Inter Miami is in must-win mode for its next two group stage matches in the Club World Cup. They have one point already, but four points could be enough to get them into the knockout stage.

Messi has never been ousted in a tournament for club or country in the group stage. Despite feeling accomplished with a draw, the pressure is on for Inter Miami to reach the next round. And for Messi to deliver.

“Everyone knows how much peace of mind it gives you to have him on your side,” Suarez said of Messi. “And I’m going to enjoy the time I have left playing alongside him and achieving important things with him, too.”

Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up now.

Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly highlights

Fafa Picault’s header misses in front of net: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Messi’s pass was in prime, but Fafa Picault’s header was barely clipped by by Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and over the crossbar in the 85th minute.

Messi’s free kick fools fans: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Messi knew he didn’t score, but he definitely fooled many inside Hard Rock Stadium. Messi barely missed his free kick outside the left post, but the ball hit the side of the net – causing fans to think he scored.

Messi’s attempt in the 64th minute was the closest Inter Miami had to score in his match, but his club’s collective energy in the second half has risen a notch in this Club World Cup opener.

Marcelo Weigandt’s shot high over net: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Lionel Messi found a teammate in open space, but the finish by right-back defender Marcelo Weigandt was high and over the net.

Lionel Messi fires shot in 57th, but doesn’t score: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Lionel Messi found a window, and fired a left boot toward the net. But his shot was stopped by Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in the 57th minute.

Tadeo Allende’s attempt saved by Al Ahly goalie: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Inter Miami nearly had its first shot on goal in the match. Tadeo Allende’s kick in front of the net was stopped by Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in the 51st minute. Luis Suarez deflected the ball into Allende’s direction in the middle of the goal area, but Inter Miami was unable to capitalize.

Halftime: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

It’s halftime in the Club World Cup opener. It might be 0-0, but there hasn’t been a shortage in drama.

After Oscar Ustari’s save on a penalty kick, Al Ahly striker Wessam Abou Ali was the last line of defense on a floater by Luis Suarez that Tadeo Allende nearly scored. Abou Ali kicked away the pass, practically under the crossbar to keep this match scoreless heading into the second half.

Oscar Ustari blocks Mahmoud Trézéguet’s penalty kick: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Inter Miami’s Oscar Ustari has been their MVP in the first half of this match, saving a penalty kick by Al Ahly’s Mahmoud Trézéguet in the 43rd minute. In the biggest moment of the match, Inter Miami’s goalie showed up to keep this match scoreless.

Play stops as Messi tends to hard hit: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Lionel Messi took some time on the pitch to tend to a hit to his right knee before getting up to cheers by fans. Messi was hit by Al Ahly defender Achraf Dari, who swung through his kick and struck Messi with his cleat.

Achraf Dari’s header is saved by Oscar Ustari: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Al Ahly defender Achraf Dari’s header was saved by Inter Miami goalie Oscar Ustari, his third save in the match.

Wessam Abou Ali offsides on goal: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

The Al Ahly fans cheered loudly, but Wessam Abou Ali was called offside to deny the opening goal in the match to the Egyptians in the 30th minute.

Messi’s free kick is high in 15th minute: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Messi lined up for a free kick, aiming for the top left corner, but his shot soared over the net in the 15th minute. But it’s clear: The fans were waiting for a major Messi moment to unfold.

8’: Al-Ahly’s Emam Ashour has shot blocked: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

Another save by Inter Miami’s Oscar Ustari, the 38-year-old goalie who is off to a great start in this match after a shaky last month in MLS play. He blocked a shot by Emam Ashour in the 8th minute.

5’: Al Ahly’s Wessam Abou Ali misses shot: Inter Miami 0, Al Ahly 0

A shot by Al Ahly’s Wessam Abou Ali is blocked by Inter Miami goalie Oscar Ustari in the 5th minute, stopping a one-on-one opportunity between the two early in this match.

What time is Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly Club World Cup match?

The match begins at 8 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Ahly in Club World Cup?

The match will be broadcast on TBS in English and TUDN in Spanish, and available to live stream free on DAZN.

Fans cheer Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez at Hard Rock Stadium

Is Messi playing tonight in Club World Cup? Inter Miami starting 11 vs. Al Ahly

Defenders Jordi Alba and Gonzalo Lujan, and midfielder Yannick Bright had all been ruled out of Saturday’s game.

Al Ahly starting 11 vs. Inter Miami

Al Ahly manager José Riveiro has revealed his starting 11 for the FIFA Club World Cup opener against Inter Miami.

Wessam Abou Ali is the team’s key goal-scoring threat. Goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy is the team captain. Midfielder Emam Ashour has made 16 appearances for the Egyptian national team.

Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly betting odds

Latest odds according to BetMGM:

Spread: Al Ahly +230, Inter Miami +110, Tie +260
Over/under: 2.5 goals

Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly prediction

Inter Miami 2, Al Ahly 1: This feels like a night and stage where Lionel Messi will shine the brightest. Messi scores a goal, Luis Suarez will score the other as Inter Miami beats Al Ahly in the first match of the tournament. — Safid Deen, Lionel Messi reporter for USA TODAY Sports

What to know about Inter Miami in Club World Cup

Inter Miami and its former Barcelona stars in Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba (who won’t play due to hamstring injury) enter the Club World Cup as a bit of an underdog despite being favored to win vs. Al Ahly.

Under new coach Javier Mascherano, Inter Miami started this season unbeaten in its first 14 matches across all competitions (11 wins and three draws) but hit a major slump toward the end of April. Inter Miami was bounced by the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-1 on aggregate score in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Since April 24, Inter Miami has played 10 matches – it has lost five with two draws. It was outscored 23-15 in the first eight matches, before outscoring CF Montreal and Columbus Crew 9-3 in two wins before the Club World Cup.

What to know about Al Ahly in Club World Cup

Al Alhy is regarded as one of the best teams in Africa. It has won 26 continental titles and 45 Egyptian Premiere League titles – including 16 of the last 20. It has played in the Club World Cup nine times and finished in third place in 2006, 2020, 2021 and 2023. However, the Inter Miami match will be the first for Al Ahly’s José Riveiro, who was announced as the club’s new coach on May 29.

When is Messi’s birthday?

Messi will turn 38 years old on June 24 – which is one day after Inter Miami completes its group stage matches in the Club World Cup. Messi will turn 39 during FIFA World Cup 2026, which he has not yet declared to play in for defending champion Argentina.

Will ICE or Border Patrol be at Club World Cup?

The presence of federal law enforcement officers, including those from U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is relatively common at major sporting events, which often carry special designations that prompt more rigorous security. There are concerns that CBP and ICE will go beyond their traditional security roles at the Club World Cup.

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The Club World Cup features 32 of the best soccer teams from across the world, split into eight groups of four teams each. European powerhouses like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich will be taking on winners of previous competitions across CONCACAF, Africa, Asia and South America.

What is the Club World Cup schedule?

After Inter Miami-Al Ahly Club World Cup opener, four matches will be played across the country on Sunday.

Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, Noon ET (Cincinnati)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California)
Group A: SE Palmeiras vs. FC Porto, 6 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group B: Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders, 10 p.m. ET (Seattle)

Here’s more on the Club World Cup groups, group stage schedule, and the full tournament schedule.

Club World Cup predictions

Winner: PSG. Paris Saint-Germain completed the treble with its demolition of Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final, how about accomplishing a historic ‘quadruple’ by winning the Club World Cup, too? PSG has been an unstoppable force, winning the French Cup final (vs. Reims) and Champions League final by a combined score of 8-0, and expect the newly crowned European champions to carry that momentum into their next high-profile tournament.

Which MLS team has the best chance to advance? Perhaps I’m being a bit optimistic, but my bracket has both Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC advancing to the knockout rounds. They get eliminated there (by PSG and Bayern Munich, respectively), but if MLS could get just one team beyond the group stage, then the Club World Cup will be considered a success for the league. You cannot discount Lionel Messi on a stage like this, and Miami was gifted a favorable group (alongside FC Porto, Palmeiras and Al Ahly). LAFC, meanwhile, is playing with house money after defeating Club America in a play-in game thriller. The Seattle Sounders’ path to the knockout rounds is a monumental challenge with PSG and Atlético Madrid also in their group.

Teams due for a group stage upset: Aside from having two MLS teams moving on to the knockout rounds, my bracket is rather chalk. However, in Group H there’s the European entrant that seems most susceptible to not advancing: FC Salzburg. Real Madrid should win the group, but I like Liga MX’s Pachuca to advance over Salzburg. — Jim Reineking