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The FIFA World Cup two thousand twenty six is fully in knockout mode, and Monday's slate is stacked. Brazil, Germany, and the Netherlands all take the pitch today in Round of Thirty Two action, where one bad half can end your entire tournament. Every match from here is sudden death, and the drama is already building after Canada's stunning win over South Africa kicked things off Sunday.
Speaking of the Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk remains the anchor of everything they do defensively, and France's World Cup winner Olivier Giroud knows it better than most. Giroud describes van Dijk as a big brother figure inside that Dutch locker room, a leader whose presence alone changes how opponents approach their attack. At thirty three, he's still the most important player in orange.
Shifting stateside, the Boston Red Sox just swept the New York Yankees, and their starting pitching was the story. Without ace Garrett Crochet, the top of Boston's rotation stepped up in a massive way, putting up elite numbers against one of the most dangerous lineups in the American League. That sweep has this team believing they can turn their season around in a hurry.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
