Sports
Sunderland’s 17-year-old wonderkid Chris Rigg analyses his brilliant backheel goal
An hour after the final whistle has blown on Sunderland 1-0 Middlesbrough, Chris Rigg re-emerges onto the pitch where he has just settled a local derby with a piece of improvised magic, a backheel from nowhere that has made a stadium gasp and a national audience take note.
The netting has been taken down and Sunderland’s groundsmen are mowing the grass noisily behind Rigg, but the boy who was 17 in June agrees to be taken back through his brilliant moment with The Athletic.
Even he seems slightly surprised when talking us through it, but then a winner of this type is a dream, an instinct, it’s not the plan.
The 24th-minute goal originates with Sunderland’s goalkeeper, Anthony Patterson, and by the time his long pass out is with Romaine Mundle on Sunderland’s left, Rigg is in the centre circle readying himself to move forward.
“Probably just follow in,” he says when asked what is going through his mind at this point. “Because I know when Pat gets the ball he likes to shoot. And sometimes you get lucky. And I got lucky there. Just follow in.”
Pat is Patrick Roberts, Sunderland’s left-footed right-winger, who has been found by Mundle. When Roberts takes possession, he runs at the defence and shoots, as Rigg expects.
The expectation is moderate as the ball is drilled low and into the Boro defence. But Rigg is still running.
George Edmundson sticks out a leg to block the shot and diverts the ball back towards goal. Goalkeeper Seny Dieng is wrong-footed and prostrate on the ground. The ball is loose.
Following in, as he says, Rigg gets to it first. How was his first touch?
He smiles at its imperfection, then demonstrates with a roll of both feet how he tried to regain control. “It takes the ball away from the ’keeper,” Rigg says of the first touch. “It was the only thing I could have done because it dropped right in front of him, so I had to take it away from him. I was like ‘Aw, no, I’ve took it too wide’.”
And then? “Then the only thing I could do was backheel it.”
It was not the only thing. The ball was bound for the goal line, the angle was narrow and at best it looked as if Rigg could keep it in play. But then he produces a backheel on the run. Not many would think of it, never mind perform it, especially someone who turned 17 three months ago playing against men in front of 43,000 fans.
Chris Rigg, take a BOW! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jwCquWElwG
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 21, 2024
17-year-old Chris Rigg with a lovely back-heel goal for Sunderland 😱 pic.twitter.com/O1tI5cdIhP
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 21, 2024
“It went in, I was buzzin’ after that,” he says as watches the footage of his team-mates jumping on him.
“How cool is that? How cool is that?” shouts the commentator on Sky Sports.
We ask if he has done that in training. Rigg laughs: “I’ve not, nah, I’m not even that good in training.”
Another angle of Riggy’s back-heel… why not? 🎬🤩 pic.twitter.com/xYuYhC1iUL
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 22, 2024
Self-deprecation will take him far, so will self-confidence. Rigg speaks of how he first joined Sunderland aged five and of first playing on the pitch as half-time “entertainment” with the under-nines: “That was unbelievable. I was probably more nervous then.
“It’s just so good to do. Even though it’s half-time and it’s half empty, that’s what you dream of as a boy, to play in a stadium in front of fans.”
Rigg roars with delight after his moment of magic (Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)
He made his senior Stadium of Light debut, aged 15, in January last year, before he played here in the FA Youth Cup. He does get nervous, he says, though he does not show it, and of his style he says: “I could say I’m just a traditional midfielder. I love to attack, I love to defend. I can do both. I can add to it. And as you can see I love a tackle as well. Kind of a box-to-box midfielder.”
When asked about midfielders he admires, it suddenly dawns that they may be still playing, so young is Rigg. Sure enough, “Modric” is the first name he mentions; plus “you watch clips of Zidane and Lampard and Gerrard”.
Then a flash of self-determination, as seen on the field: “I don’t want to be Steven Gerrard, I want to be Chris Rigg. But those sorts of players.”
He is measured in his tone. Maintaining the balance between legitimate anticipation about Rigg and knowing the harsh realities of professional football is up to the rest of us. His youthfulness needs to be stressed and re-stressed — he will still be 17 when the season ends.
Rigg’s is the name most mentioned in a youthful side developing at pace. Scouts from across Europe are now requesting seats at the Stadium of Light. The average age of Saturday’s team was 23.1 and this was a fifth win in six Championship games under the summer’s new appointment, Regis Le Bris.
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There is excitement building as autumn takes hold of Wearside and Rigg, who was persuaded to sign his first professional contract in July, is the teenage flagbearer of a team that is second in the table. Watford away is next.
“I don’t think the age is a problem,” Le Bris said. “You can have a high level of maturity at 17 and a low level of maturity at 30. It depends on the personality and the players.
Le Bris’ young team have won five of their first six games (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
“Chris Rigg is a good symbol of what we want to create and build as a team and a club. He still wants to improve, he still wants to understand the game. He has this personality and character to play whatever the circumstance. I like that.”
Le Bris, though, does not offer grand projections of where Rigg’s career is headed. There is a chuckle from the Frenchman when asked if the England Under-18s captain can go on and win senior international caps in the future.
“I hope so,” he said. “It’s the consistency. You can perform one, two, three, four, five games, but the reality of the high level is to perform for a whole season and multiple seasons. He has many things to develop but this attitude is very interesting.”
One step — or backheel — at a time.
(Top photo: Rigg contorts his body to score his backheel; by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost here, and fans stateside are starting to feel the excitement.
For the next month, some of the best soccer players and teams the world has to offer will duke it out on North American soil for the right to hoist the World Cup.
The U.S. Men’s National Team in particular is an exciting young soccer squad that is looking to make some noise on their home turf, and their road to the knockout stage couldn’t have been much easier (with all due respect to their fellow group members).
Folarin Balogun #20 of United States celebrates with teammates after scoring during the second half of the international friendly match between United States and Senegal at Bank of America Stadium on May 31, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Cory Knowlton/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
The Stars and Stripes will begin their quest for a World Cup on Friday, June 12, at 9 p.m. Eastern against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
US MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM GETS FAVORABLE GROUP MATCHUPS AT WORLD CUP DRAW
The Paraguayans will be making their return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 2010, and have been giant killers throughout their qualifying rounds, taking down the likes of South American heavyweights Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil.
Next on the docket, the U.S. will face off against Australia on Friday, June 19, at 3 p.m. Eastern in Seattle.
The Socceroos will try their best to muck it up and play a very defensive brand of soccer against America, while also boasting a great goalkeeper in Matthew Ryan.
SEATTLE, VANCOUVER COORDINATE CROSS-BORDER PLANNING FOR 2026 WORLD CUP TOURISM
Tyler Adams of the United States looks on before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between the Netherlands and the United States at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Dec. 3, 2022. (Maddie Meyer/FIFA/Getty Images)
Goals will be at a premium for anyone who plays Australia in this tournament.
To conclude group play, the United States will play Turkey on Thursday, June 25, at 10 p.m. Eastern back in Los Angeles.
Fresh off a quarterfinals appearance in Euro 2024, this is a very talented Turkey who may not have the star power of a France or Brazil, but will be a very dangerous out for anyone in the World Cup.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Team USA fans celebrate with a flag during the soccer game between the United States and Panama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on June 27, 2024. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)
Though the subject of who moves on may already be decided when Türkiye and the United States square off, these are the two heavyweights of Group D and should make for an exciting conclusion to group play.
All three games will be streaming on Fox Sports and Fox One, with both the Australia and Paraguay matchups available on Fox (blackout restrictions may apply).
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Additionally, the U.S.-Paraguay matchup will be available for free on Tubi.
Happy World Cup, everyone, and go, go USA!
Sports
World Cup referee, denied entry to U.S. because of suspected ties to terrorists, hailed in return to Somalia
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry into the United States for the World Cup after enduring an 11-hour interrogation in Miami, according to media reports. Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House Task Force on the World Cup, indicated Artan was suspected to having ties to a Somali militant group.
“We want to make sure we are not going to allow a soccer tournament to be the opportunity for terrorists to potentially get in the country or anybody who is actually talking to them,” Giuliani told the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The New York Times reported that Artan’s name is similar to that of a man identified as linked to Al Shabab, a group that has been the target of U.S. government sanctions.
“I am very, very disappointed,” Artan told the Times from Istanabul, where he stopped on his way back to Somalia. “I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”
Safety was purportedly the concern with Artan, whose interrogation was conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said in a statement. “Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
Somalia is on the U.S. list of banned countries for immigration, although exceptions can be made. Artan is considered one of the best referees in Africa, having officiated in the Somali national football league championship and at the African Cup of Nations.
“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said in a statement. “I would like to thank FIFA and [the African federation] for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future.”
Artan, Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025, was greeted Wednesday at Aden Adde International Airport in Somalia by government officials and hundreds of well-wishers.
“I want to thank FIFA for supporting me all the way, and for Somali people also,” he told Al Jazeera. “So I am very grateful for FIFA and for CAF also. This is what I have to say.”
Sports
Jordan Staal’s two-goal night lifts Hurricanes past Golden Knights, evening Stanley Cup Final series
Tyler Reddick Makes History! Inside His 3-Peat and Historic Start to the Season
Fresh off his victory at Circuit of the Americas, Tyler Reddick joins Kevin Harvick on this week’s Victory Lap to break down his historic third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series win to open the 2026 season. Reddick discusses how he and 23XI Racing have built early-season momentum, what has clicked across the organization, and how the team has elevated its performance to championship level. He details his intense battle with road course standout Shane van Gisbergen at COTA, the strategy and execution that helped him secure the win, and what it means to become the first Cup driver to win the first three races of a season. Reddick also reflects on his viral 3-peat photo tribute to team owner Michael Jordan, the confidence inside the garage, and how this dominant start shapes expectations for the rest of the year.
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The Carolina Hurricanes have evened up the Stanley Cup Final once more thanks to Jordan Staal’s two-goal night in Las Vegas to beat the Golden Knights in Game 4, 5-3.
The series now sits at 2-2 with Game 5 slated for a return back to Carolina’s Lenovo Center on Thursday to see who will have the edge in this pivotal clash on ice.
This game didn’t need overtime like the previous two, but it did need someone to break the 3-3 tie that went into the third period between these opponents.
Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his power play goal with teammates against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 9, 2026. (Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
With 13:39 left in Game 4, Shea Theodore made a disastrous turnover in the Golden Knights’ own zone, and Hurricanes star Seth Jarvis picked it off right in front of the net.
Luckily for Vegas, Carter Harter stopped Jarvis’ backhand, but the threat wasn’t averted just yet. Jarvis battled to get the puck back out in front, and it ended up trickling to the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers, who tried flipping it to Staal.
SETH JARVIS SCORES OVERTIME GAME-WINNER AS HURRICANES STORM BACK FROM 2-0 DEFICIT TO EVEN STANLEY CUP FINAL
Staal lost his edge on his skate, but that didn’t stop him from swatting a back-handed shot of his own toward the net. It just trickled past Hart, and Staal celebrated while still down on the ice. He became the first player in 44 years to score a goal in each of the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final.
With the way these games have been going, though, a one-goal lead was not safe. This time, however, the Hurricanes had the defense and timely saves by Brandon Bussi, who head coach Rod Brind’Amour went with over Frederik Anderson, and the decision paid off.
The Golden Knights took 20 shots on goal, with Bussi saving 7 in his first time on ice for Carolina in this series. And Ehlers sealed victory when he cleverly banked the puck out of his own zone with an empty net on the other end that walked into the net for the 5-3 win.
Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a first-period goal against Carter Hart of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 9, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Hurricanes came out roaring in the first period in this one as well, scoring three goals to the Golden Knights’ one by captain Mark Stone. Logan Stankoven notched his 11th of these playoffs just 1:06 into the game. Jackson Blake quickly followed on a goal assisted by Taylor Hall and Ehlers.
Then, Staal’s first goal of the game came 12:48 into the period on a power play. Shayne Gostisbehere ripped a shot on goal, and after Hart made the save, Staal was first to find the puck and a clear shot right in front of the goal.
With a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes, the Hurricanes had to feel good. But again, no lead is safe, and Vegas reminded them of that in the second period.
Logan Stankoven of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring a first-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 9, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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William Karlsson got Vegas closer with his third goal of the playoffs, while Brett Howden, adding to his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy, scored his 14th to tie it all up at three.
In the end, Staal’s heroics for the Hurricanes is why he has a “C” on his sweater.
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