Sports
Chiefs’ shoddy O-line, WR corps prove too much for Patrick Mahomes to overcome
NEW ORLEANS — When asked how much he was taken aback by the extent of his team’s Super Bowl LIX loss, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins provided a fairly harmless response: “A loss is a loss. It’s a ‘W’ or an ‘L’ at the end of the day.”
Then, Hopkins branched off within the same answer, obviously wanting to get something off his chest following Sunday night’s 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I saw a lot of things in the media about the refs but, obviously, (expletive), what y’all gonna say now about the refs and us when there was a lot of touchy calls?” Hopkins said. “Are y’all gonna report that? Are y’all gonna talk about the refs now?”
It wasn’t officiating that doomed the Chiefs, though. For all the blame that will land on Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs’ failed attempt at a three-peat (and any blame Hopkins wanted to drop on the officials), the makeshift pieces surrounding Kansas City’s superstar quarterback along the offensive line and wide receiver room didn’t help matters against an Eagles squad that owned the Chiefs in every phase.
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It was clear the Eagles’ pass rush, generated entirely by the team’s defensive front, made Mahomes more uncomfortable than any defense in recent memory. Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat sped around the Chiefs’ tackles for 2 1/2 sacks, while defensive lineman Milton Williams bullied his way through Kansas City’s typically potent interior line for two more, including a second-half strip-sack.
Mahomes said he felt the Eagles blitzed him maybe once or twice Sunday; according to TruMedia, the actual number of Eagles blitzes in Super Bowl LIX was zero. Without ever needing to bring extra defenders, Philadelphia piled up six sacks on 18 pressures with a 40.9 percent pressure rate.
“In order to make a team blitz, you have to be able to beat what they’re showing, and that’s what we didn’t do — especially in the first half,” Mahomes said. “We made some good adjustments (at) halftime and came out better, but it was almost too late. The momentum had kind of flipped in (the Eagles’) favor, (because of) how they play and how they can run the football and control the clock with Jalen (Hurts) making big third-down conversions. It kind of put our defense in a really bad spot.
“And so, when you’re in these big games, you have to play better from the beginning. And that’s stuff that I hope to continue to work on and continue to get better at.”
There’s zero question the Eagles’ pressure affected Mahomes on both of his interceptions Sunday night, including a pick-six by Cooper DeJean that pushed Philadelphia’s lead out to 17-0 in the second quarter.
“He’s human,” said Hopkins of his QB.
That consistent pressure helps explain why on DeJean’s interception, Mahomes moved outside the pocket to his right on a designed rollout. But even with a little clear space before some late pressure arrived, Mahomes — having already been sacked multiple times by that point — pressed and threw a poor pass. DeJean picked off the errant ball, then took it back for an Eagles TD.
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Mahomes’ second interception also occurred deep in Kansas City territory, this time from a clogged pocket. Mahomes said a defender hit his arm on the play, which induced a short pass that Eagles linebacker Zack Baun nabbed as he dove to the turf.
“They didn’t show any different looks,” center Creed Humphrey said. “They didn’t show anything unscouted. It just came down to them coming out and playing harder.”
That might be the most telling part.
Joe Thuney has been one of the league’s best guards for many years — there’s a reason the Chiefs signed him in 2021, and why he’s been a first-team All-Pro the past two seasons. But Thuney was the team’s last resort to protect Mahomes’ blind side after Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris and D.J. Humphries proved not to be the answers there, and that revolving door was destined to catch up to the Chiefs at some point.
Thuney ended the regular season with an 11.5 percent pressure rate allowed at left tackle on 131 pass-block snaps. His numbers had improved during the Chiefs’ two prior playoff games (4.6 percent pressure rate), but they reverted (11.9 percent) on Sunday night.
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Mahomes put the heat on himself for the Chiefs’ miscues and inability to handle the Eagles’ pass rush, keeping the criticism away from his front five. He said he’s going to study how to be better equipped against opposing teams’ abilities to throw free defenders at him in the pocket.
“These defenses are going to continue to get better and better, and so I have to get better, and so I take a lot of ownership in that,” Mahomes said. “… I can’t make bad plays worse, and I think that’s something that you saw (Sunday) is that there’s times when guys aren’t open and I need to throw the ball away or check it down and let the other guys make plays happen.”
True. But Mahomes needs help, too.
There’s a high probability Thuney returns to his usual guard spot for the 2025 season, meaning the Chiefs will need a left tackle — badly. Plus, another Kansas City guard, Trey Smith, may be one of the more coveted free agents set to hit the market in March.
The Chiefs’ offensive line issues are relatively new. Mahomes’ lack of viable options at wide receiver, on the other hand, began last season.
Even with Rashee Rice healthy in 2023, Mahomes produced the worst EPA-per-dropback rate of his career. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl that season, of course. But without Rice (on injured reserve since October) for much of this season, the Chiefs had to piece together a band of aging veterans, such as Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, along with rookie Xavier Worthy, who spent the year trying to jell with Mahomes.
All three of those veteran receivers are impending free agents, but they also combined for just 12 catches for 155 yards and one TD this postseason. Worthy, by himself, eclipsed all of them (19 receptions, 287 yards, three TDs).
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“This might be my last time playing with them, some of them — might be their last game, trades happen,” said Worthy, who caught eight passes for 157 yards and two TDs in Sunday’s loss. “These guys really helped me out a lot, just on my development as a man and as a player in this league. This knowledge they gave me to learn and keep building my rookie year, I just really appreciate them for that.”
Given how many close wins the Chiefs escaped with this season, it always was fair to wonder how far some of these position groups could take them. The Super Bowl LIX drubbing should force Mahomes and the Chiefs to examine closely how they’ll need to improve to keep pace moving forward.
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
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The wait is over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to 16 different cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer, and you’ll be able to catch all the action with FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the 48-team soccer bonanza.
Here is the full broadcast schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and how you can watch every game:
How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.
JUMP TO: Group Stage | Knockout Rounds | World Cup Final
2026 World Cup Group Stage Schedule:
June 11, 2026
June 12
June 13
June 14
June 15
June 16
June 17
June 18
June 19
June 20
June 21
June 22
June 23
June 24
- Group B: Watch Switzerland vs Canada — BC Place Vancouver (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group B: Watch Bosnia vs Qatar — Seattle Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group C: Watch Brazil vs Scotland — Miami Stadium (6 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group C: Watch Morocco vs Haiti — Atlanta Stadium (6 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group A: Watch Mexico vs Czechia — Mexico City Stadium (9 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group A: Watch South Korea vs South Africa — Monterrey Stadium (9 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
June 25
- Group E: Watch Ecuador vs Germany — New York New Jersey Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group E: Watch Curaçao vs Ivory Coastt — Philadelphia Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group F: Watch Tunisia vs Netherlands — Kansas City Stadium (7 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group F: Watch Japan vs Sweden— Dallas Stadium (7 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group D: USA vs Türkiye – Los Angeles Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group D: Watch Paraguay vs Australia — San Francisco Bay Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
June 26
- Group I: Watch Norway vs France — Boston Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group I: Watch Senegal vs Iraq — Toronto Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group H: Watch Uruguay vs Spain — Guadalajara Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group H: Watch Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia — Houston Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group G: Watch New Zealand vs Belgium — BC Place Vancouver (11 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group G: Watch Egypt vs Iran — Seattle Stadium (11 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
June 27
- Group L: Watch Panama vs England —New York New Jersey Stadium (5 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group L: Watch Croatia vs Ghana — Philadelphia Stadium (5 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group K: Watch Colombia vs Portugal — Miami Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group K: Watch DR Congo vs Uzbekistan — Atlanta Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group J: Watch Argentina vs Jordan — Dallas Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group J: Watch Algeria vs Austria — Kansas City Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
2026 World Cup Schedule: Knockout Round
Round of 32
June 28
June 29
June 30
July 1
July 2
July 3
Round of 16
July 4
July 5
July 6
July 7
Quarterfinals
July 9
July 10
July 11
Semifinals
July 14
July 15
World Cup Final
July 19
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The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.
The U.S. men’s national team made its first World Cup game on home soil in 32 years one to remember, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in front of a sold-out crowd at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood on Friday night.
Here’s a look at some of the best moments before and during the game as captured by the Los Angeles Times photography staff:
U.S. fans march to Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) before the start of the U.S.-Paraguay World Cup match Friday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
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1. David Beckham, right, and Tom Cruise waves to fans before the World Cup group stage match. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2. Katy Perry, right, and Tius Luka perform during the World Cup opening ceremony before the U.S.-Paraguay match. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3. U.S. players, left, and Paraguay players enter the pitch before their World Cup group stage match. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
U.S. forward Christian Pulisic, right, controls the ball in front of Paraguay defender Juan Jose Caceres during the first half Friday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
U.S. defender Antonee Robinson, right, and Paraguay midfielder Diego Gomez battle for the ball during the first half. (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)
U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie celebrates after a U.S. goal in the first half against Paraguay. (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)
U.S. star Christian Pulisic celebrates after a goal in the first half of a 4-1 win over Paraguay at the World Cup on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium).
(Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)
U.S. players and coach Mauricio Pochettino, center, celebrate after a 4-1 win over Paraguay in the World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) on Friday night.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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1. Paraguay midfielder Cristian Roldan heads the ball over U.S. striker Folarin Balogun during the second half. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 2. Paraguay forward Julio Enciso jumps over U.S. defender Chris Richards during the second half. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3. A stage is placed for the opening ceremony before the start of the U.S. vs. Paraguay match at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) on Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Fans cheer during the United States’ 4-1 win over Paraguay at the World Cup on Friday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The wait is officially over. The FIFA World Cup has arrived.
For the first time ever, three nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the tournament. It is also the largest FIFA World Cup in history, expanding to a 48-team field. Squads from around the world have arrived in North America with one ultimate goal: capturing the iconic World Cup trophy.
Here’s the latest look at some of the most notable news surrounding the World Cup.
June 12:
Official Injury Update On Neymar
Brazilian star Neymar Jr. will officially miss Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on Saturday. Neymar was named to Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad despite a calf injury, and now won’t be available early on. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said that “Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible.
“The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.”
Google Doodle Has World Cup Fever
In case fans didn’t already have World Cup fever, they can open their web browser.
Google is officially ready for USA’s opener against Paraguay, as the home page features a custom, USA-themed Google Doodle.
The Doodle features red text with a blue outline, as well as a soccer ball along with an interchanging USA crest replacing the “O’s” in Google.
James Cordon Stretches With Christian Pulisic
James Corden joined Christian Pulisic and the United States men’s national team for a training session ahead of their World Cup opener against Paraguay.
After meeting with head coach Mauricio Pochettino and going through a film session with the players, Corden and Co. hit the pitch for practice, where he helped serve as a water boy.
Corden tried to help Pulisic stretch out his legs after practice before he was stopped by a member of the coaching staff. As Corden walked off, Pulisic sprayed him with a water bottle.
DR Congo Arrives to the World Cup in Style
The DR Congo men’s national team isn’t set to play until Wednesday, June 17, against Portugal in Group K, but they’ve already made a statement upon arrival in Houston, Texas.
The squad arrived in style, stepping off the plane in striking black, jaguar-inspired outfits that quickly turned heads. The bold look fits their nickname, Les Léopards, and sets the tone for their World Cup presence before they even face Portugal.
DR Congo may be heavy underdogs, but they’re already winning where it counts off the pitch, taking the fashion battle before kickoff.
Canada’s Jesse Marsch Takes Dig At USA
The Canadian men’s national team is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday afternoon. Ahead of the match, head coach Jesse Marsch took a subtle jab at the United States men’s national team during his remarks on Thursday.
“In the U.S., we had to beg players to sing the national anthem,” Marsch said.
The United States conducted a months-long search for a new head coach in 2023, with Marsch emerging as the frontrunner and making it clear he wanted the job. Instead, they chose to rehire Gregg Berhalter, a decision that may have left Marsch with some lingering resentment.
Marsch’s subtle jab could take on added stakes if the United States and Canada meet during the FIFA World Cup. The two nations could potentially face off as early as the Round of 32 or the Round of 16.
June 11:
The pressure of competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is high, but that hasn’t stopped players from enjoying some downtime with their teammates. Norway star Erling Haaland was spotted at the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Haaland appeared to be enjoying himself as the Hurricanes secured a Game 5 victory, taking a 3-2 series lead over the Golden Knights. The Manchester City striker drew plenty of attention from fans in attendance as he took in the action from the stands.
The Norway star was seen celebrating in the stands before turning his attention back to international duty, with Norway set to face Iraq in Group 1 play on Tuesday, June 16.
Australia Coach Popovic Signs Extension
Australia coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension through early 2027 on the eve of his team’s World Cup opening match against Turkey on Saturday.
Football Australia said Friday that the 52-year-old Popovic’s deal now extends through the Asian Cup, which will take place in January and early February in Saudi Arabia.
The former Australia international was hired in September 2024 and led the Socceroos to qualification for the 48-team tournament.
“I’m proud to lead my country into a World Cup, but most importantly, I want to ensure that our team is fully prepared and focused on our group matches against Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay,” he said of Australia’s opponents in Group D.
Canada Captain Sidelined For Opening Match
Canada’s captain and star defender Alphonso Davies will miss Canada’s World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Davies’ status has been questionable due to an ACL tear and other injuries during the club season, which limited Davies to appearing in two of Canada’s last 21 games.
Davies is one of the co-host’s more valuable players in terms of talent and experience, including 58 appearances in nine years with the national team. However, Davies’ injury does not rule him out of the entire tournament. His injury update and restraint from the opening match serves as a caution to heal his injury as the group stage unfolds.
After playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, Davies transferred to Bayern Munich, where he’s played since 2019. Canada is set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, followed by Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
Captain Wataru Endo Withdraws From World Cup
Just ahead of Japan’s opening match against the Netherlands on June 14, captain and midfielder Wataru Endo has withdrawn his name from Japan’s World Cup squad and paired it with his national team retirement, per his statement on X. Endo has been dealing with an ongoing ankle/foot injury since February.
Endo has played for the Japan national team for over a decade, where he made 73 appearances and scored four goals. As a veteran anchor in the midfield, Endo has also served as Japan’s captain since their previous World Cup in 2022, where they reached the Round of 16.
As for Endo’s professional career, he first played for Shanon Bellmare from 2010-15, followed by the Urawa Red Diamonds from 2016-19, VfB Stuttgart from 2019-23 and has played for Liverpool FC since 2023. With Liverpool, Endo played a prominent role in the team’s Carabao Cup victory in 2024.
With Endo out, Japan has officially called Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Shuto Machino to join the 26-man roster. Machino is entering his second World Cup and his fifth year with the Japan national team.
Marco Senesi Called Up To 26-Man Roster
Following the injury of defender Leonardo Balerdi, Argentina has officially called up defender Marcos Senesi to the 26-man roster. Argentina is set to open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria.
Senesi has been training prior in case of a last-minute call-up, and was named to the roster after Balerdi’s muscle injury was ruled out. Senesi has played professionally since 2016, playing for clubs like San Lorenzo, Feyenoord, AFC Bournemouth and is currently with Tottenham Hotspur.
Joining Senesi in the back are defenders Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi and Cristian Romero.
In what’s likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, Argentina will look to repeat their historic 2022 World Cup win this tournament.
Tyler Adams, USA Celebrate Shocking Knicks’ W
Tyler Adams, United States’ midfielder, is a fan of the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks. The Knicks are in the NBA Finals, on the eve of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so members of the United States’ squad gathered together to watch what turned out to be the largest NBA Finals comeback in history, with the Knicks coming out on top.
When New York won, the room erupted, with Adams especially going wild. And we know this because the reaction was caught on camera in the moment.
That couch is destroyed, but at least no one watching the game ended up as damaged as it did after Adams went climbing and kicking all over it! If the United States ends up having a major comeback or win in the World Cup, maybe keep the players away from any obstacles like that, though. Just to be safe.
Morocco Loses 2 Players To Injury Before World Cup
Morocco replaced two injured players in its World Cup squad ahead of an opening game against Brazil, including star winger Abde Ezzalzouli.
FIFA confirmed late Wednesday that former Barcelona player Ezzalzouli and Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd were withdrawn from the Morocco squad for the tournament.
Ezzalzouli helped Real Betis qualify for next season’s Champions League and was a potential breakout star at the World Cup. Aguerd was a cornerstone of Morocco’s historic semifinals team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
They were replaced by Amine Sbai of French club Angers and Marwane Saadane, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al Fateh.
Morocco opens against Brazil on Saturday at MetLife Stadium near New York, then plays Scotland on June 19 near Boston and finishes Group C against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
Ezzalzouli injured his right knee in a warmup game against Norway last weekend, though initial tests suggested he could be retained in coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad to play in the knockout rounds.
Surprise World Cup Comeback For Austrian Midfielder
The last time Dejan Ljubicic played for Austria was nearly three years ago. Now a teammate’s injury has given him a surprise comeback at the World Cup.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick called up Ljubicic late Wednesday to replace key midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, who injured his right thigh while warming up for a pre-World Cup friendly against Tunisia last week and needed surgery.
Ljubicic is set to join Austria at the team camp in Santa Barbara on Thursday, ahead of the team’s first game on Tuesday against Jordan. Austria also plays Argentina and Algeria in Group J.
He’s more of a defensive midfield option than Baumgartner, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for Leipzig in Germany last season and has remained in camp to support the team.
Ljubicic also plays in Germany on the Schalke team which secured promotion from the second division last month.
Ljubicic has nine games for Austria but none at a major tournament. His last appearance was in a friendly against Moldova in September 2023, and he wasn’t in the squad for any World Cup qualifiers.
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