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Isaiah Hartenstein intends to sign a new three-year, $75 million contract to return to the Oklahoma City Thunder through the 2028-29 season, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Hartenstein’s reps, Andrew Morrison and Aaron Mintz of CAA Sports, negotiated a deal with the Thunder that includes a maximum 15% trade kicker and a unique mutual option that allows both parties to rework the agreement again in 2028 before the final season, sources said.

The contract brings Hartenstein’s total earnings with the Thunder at five years and $134 million guaranteed.

A 7-foot, 250-pound center, Hartenstein arrived in Oklahoma City as a free agent in the summer of 2024 and proved to be one of the finishing pieces of the Thunder’s championship puzzle, filling a glaring need for a physical interior presence.

Hartenstein, 28, averaged 10.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his first two seasons in Oklahoma City, primarily serving as the Thunder’s starting center. He has dealt with a variety of injuries during his tenure in OKC, including a broken left thumb that sidelined him to start the 2024-25 season and a lingering right calf strain last season that limited him to 104 games over the two regular seasons.

Hartenstein has played in all 38 of the Thunder’s playoff games over the past two years, starting 35 of them. He has averaged 9.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the postseason for Oklahoma City.

VANCOUVER, June 26 : New Zealand’s World Cup journey came to an end with a 5-1 thrashing by Belgium on Friday, but coach Darren Bazeley said he was proud of how his players had performed despite finishing bottom of Group G.

New Zealand led against Iran before being pegged back in a 2-2 draw, and they opened the scoring against Egypt before slumping to a 3-1 defeat.

Bazeley said the World Cup experience would be a valuable one for his squad. 

“I think when you saw the draw and we knew we were playing these (Belgium) last, you probably expected them to already be on six points and that maybe could work in our favour … we needed to pick up our points in the first two games and we gave ourselves the opportunity to do that, and we didn’t take it,” Bazeley told a media conference.

“We tried to get back in the game, we weren’t going to just leave this World Cup defending a 2-0 loss, we wanted to try and score, to try and get back in the game, but unfortunately, we got punished a few times.”

New Zealand did manage to pull a goal back when Elijah Just netted his third of the tournament, but Belgium went on to score twice more in the closing stages to complete the rout. 

“Most of these guys will be back in four years’ time and they will be better for it, and they have to be better for it, if we’re going to get to where we all want to, which is into those knockout games,” Bazeley said. 

“They’ll definitely learn from it. This is a great group of players that have got a really great future, a bright future, both individually at clubs and together. They’ll definitely be better for it because it’ll hurt, and it should hurt because we’re at a World Cup and now we’re going home.”

Striker Chris Wood, who was part of New Zealand’s 2010 squad, said there has been a clear progression during his time with the team. 

“You always want to play the best teams, that’s how you progress and that’s how you get better. I think we showed that against Egypt and Iran,” he told reporters. 

“We raised our level to that, but we couldn’t raise our level to Belgium tonight unfortunately. They’re a top side, but if we get our players into bigger leagues around the world, that will also help.”

SEATTLE, June 26 : Iran captain Mehdi Taremi questioned whether his side were welcome at the World Cup, strongly criticising the conditions they are playing under in the United States after they drew 1-1 with Egypt on Friday to possibly secure a knockout spot.

Taremi missed an early penalty and crashed a header off the crossbar, before an apparent late winner for Iran, which would have guaranteed progress out of the group stage at the seventh attempt, was ruled out for offside.

The contest threatened to be overshadowed by geopolitics, with some fans waving pre-revolutionary Iranian flags and booing the national anthem – just hours after the United States launched strikes on Iran, with each country accusing the other of violating terms of a ceasefire agreed last week.

Iran has also had to grapple with travel restrictions, though the U.S. said that Iran would be allowed to travel from their Mexican base two days before the game instead of one.

Taremi, however, said conditions were unfair, described the tournament as a logistical “disaster” and called on global governing body FIFA to try to resolve the situation.

“FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately they couldn’t stop, since the beginning,” Taremi told reporters.

He added that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had visited the Iran changing room after their first game “and he said, ‘it’s just the beginning’, but the group-stage finishes tomorrow and we don’t have our logistics people here”.

Taremi continued: “How (is it) possible we always have to travel to Tijuana? We love the people of Mexico. We love Tijuana, it’s so good, they are so humble people.

“We love them. But as professional players, in a professional competition, it’s not right.”

He also suggested that Iran’s presence at the tournament was no longer welcome, though they could find themselves in the round of 32 if results in Saturday’s group games go their way.

Taremi asked: “Who wants to help us? Who? If they want us to be out – OK, let’s (be) out, let’s get out. But that’s not fair.”

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside usual office hours.

SEATTLE, June 26 : Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei criticized travel restrictions imposed on the team by the United States after their 1-1 draw with Egypt at the World Cup in Seattle on Friday.

Despite having to commute from Mexico to the U.S. for their three group-stage fixtures, Iran came into the match with an outside chance of topping the group.

The U.S. eased travel restrictions on the squad slightly for Friday’s match, allowing them to arrive in the Seattle area two days early.

“The host country treated us very unfairly,” Ghalenoei told reporters after the match. “Had the host nation allowed us to arrive two weeks earlier, to be more prepared … we would have been in better shape, physically, mentally. However, they deprived us of that justice.”

The restrictions come amid high tensions between Washington and Tehran following a nearly four-month war.

In March, U.S. President Donald Trump said while Iran were welcome to participate in the tournament, he believed it was not appropriate that they remain there between matches “for their own life and safety.”

Iran seemed to have secured an automatic spot in the knockout stage when Shoja Khalilzadeh slammed a loose ball into the net in stoppage time.

Iran fans in the stadium erupted in celebration but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

“I used to think that we were really a totally oppressed team, but after these three games, I have noticed that we also have bad luck as well,” he said.

“I urge FIFA: don’t let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups.”

After the match, Iran had to fly back to Tijuana, which delayed recovery, said Ghalenoei.

In Mexico, which is co-hosting the tournament with the U.S. and Canada, the squad will wait to see if they advance to the knockout stage for the first time.

“The team came with a sacred objective, which was to train and play well,” he said. “If God willing, we advance, I’ll give them a day to have proper recovery, go to the beach maybe to mentally relax a bit.”

SEATTLE, June 26 : Egypt’s Mohamed Salah had a quiet game in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Iran at the World Cup and left the field early in the second half, but coach Hossam Hassan’s new-look side showed they can step up when their talismanic forward has an off day.

The 34-year-old winger, who had scored one and set up two others in Egypt’s previous Group G games against Belgium and New Zealand, will be assessed after asking to be substituted, though Hassan said he did not think the issue was serious.

Egypt will hope Salah is good to go for their round-of-32 game against Australia next week after they reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

Salah tallied nine of Egypt’s 20 goals in their World Cup qualifying campaign, and while he has scored only one of their five goals in the group stage, he remains the centrepiece of the attack.

At Egypt’s last World Cup appearance in 2018, Salah scored both their goals as the side were eliminated with three straight defeats by Uruguay, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Since Hassan took over as coach in 2024, Egypt have played far more dynamically and used Salah’s gravity to pull in defenders and open the space for team mates.

At this World Cup, Salah played a key role in their opening goal against Belgium in a 1-1 draw, feeding the ball to midfielder Emam Ashour, who netted from outside the box.

Egypt’s 3-1 win over New Zealand in their second match showcased the team’s wider attacking cast, with the goals coming from Salah, Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” and Mostafa Abdel Raouf “Zico”.

In Seattle, it was midfielder Mahmoud Saber who scored inside five minutes, with Salah leaving the field in the 57th minute.

Egypt were only denied top spot in the group on goal difference after Belgium thrashed New Zealand 5-1 on Friday.

Even if Salah is injured, Egypt’s attack still poses a threat for Australia when they play on July 3 in Dallas. 

June 27 : Former Sevilla manager Joaquin Caparros has been diagnosed with colon cancer and is undergoing treatment, the Spanish club said on Friday.

The 70-year-old is a widely respected figure at Sevilla, having guided the club back to the top flight after taking charge in 2000, before establishing it in La Liga during his five-year spell.

Caparros later returned in interim roles in 2018 and 2019, and most recently in 2025. He was named Sevilla’s honorary president in July last year in recognition of his contributions to the club.

“Sevilla FC wishes to express its deepest support and affection to our Honorary President, Joaquin Caparros, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer,” the club said in a statement.

“The beloved former Sevilla coach, who has the full support of his family, friends, and the entire Sevilla fanbase, is already undergoing the necessary medical treatment.”

Caparros coached a total of 248 official matches for Sevilla across competitions, a club record.

He also managed several other La Liga clubs, including Deportivo La Coruna, Athletic Bilbao, Real Mallorca, Levante and Osasuna, overseeing more than 500 games in Spain’s top division.

Caparros served as head coach of the Armenian national team between 2020 and 2022.

HOUSTON, June 26 : Joao Paulo will replace Sidny Lopes Cabral in midfield for Cape Verde’s Group H World Cup match in Houston on Friday against Saudi Arabia.

Fancied Spain head Group H with four points from two games, while their final opponents Uruguay have two. Cape Verde also have two points and Saudi Arabia one, meaning any of the four teams can still qualify for the next stage.

• Cape Verde make five changes for the match.

• Telmo Arcanjo misses out after coming off injured against Uruguay.

• Saudi Arabia bring back midfielder Mohamed Kanno.

• Captain Salem Aldawsari to lead the attack for Saudi Arabia.

Lineups:

Saudi Arabia: Mohammed Alowais; Abdulelah Alamri, Hassan Altambakti, Nawaf Bu Washl, Saud Abdulhamid; Nasser Aldawsari, Abdullah Alkhaibari, Mohamed Kanno; Feras Albrikan, Salem Aldawsari, Sultan Mandash

Cape Verde: Vozinha; Diney Borges, Pico Lopes, Wagner Pina; Kevin Pina, Joao Paulo, Jamiro Monteiro, Deroy Duarte, Willy Semedo; Dailon Livramento, Ryan Mendes.

TORONTO, June 26 : Ismaila Sarr’s quiet dedication finally got its loudest moment on Friday, as the striker became Senegal’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup in a 5-0 pounding of Iraq and his teammates could not have been prouder.

Sarr’s fourth World Cup goal, scored just before the hour mark, moved him past the late Papa Bouba Diop as his country’s record marksman at the tournament.

Those who share a dressing room with him say the milestone was richly deserved.

“He really, really deserves it,” said midfielder Idrissa Gueye. “Yeah, he puts everything into what he does.”

The 28-year-old Sarr had drawn level with Diop four days earlier with a brace against Norway, which made him the first Senegalese player to score at two World Cups.

Defender Moussa Niakhate offered a telling portrait of a man who lets his football do the talking.

“He’s an inspiration,” said Niakhate. “He’s like someone who is really shy, really quiet, but the most important thing is what you do on the pitch, and on the pitch he is not shy. He just shows what he can do, always gives his best for the country.”

Goalkeeper Mory Diaw, deputising for the injured Edouard Mendy, echoed the sentiment.

“He deserves it because he’s a very good player,” said Diaw. “Every day, he works a lot, so he deserves this goal, and I hope for more for him.”

DALLAS, June 26 : Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed Lionel Messi will start on the bench when the reigning World Cup champions take on Jordan in their final Group F match at Dallas Stadium on Saturday.

The Inter Miami playmaker has scored all five of his team’s goals in their wins over Algeria and Austria as Argentina have booked their place in the knockout rounds with one group phase match remaining.

“Leo will start on the bench,” Scaloni said in response to a question from 91-year-old Argentine radio journalist Enrique Macaya Marquez, who is working at his 18th World Cup. “I’m answering because you deserve a sincere answer.

“Leo will come in a little bit later.”

Argentina have already secured pole position in the group and Scaloni dismissed suggestions he was fielding a weakened side with one eye on the challenges that lie ahead in the knockout rounds.

“Those that are playing tomorrow deserve to play, they are part of the team,” he said. “All the effort we’ve put in in training is because of them, that’s why we’re here. They are making every effort when they’re not playing.

“I’d love to give everybody minutes and when I have the chance I do and it’s because they deserve it. They are fantastic players too.

“The dream as a coach is to have the team perform the same way, independent of the players who comprise the team.

“If you are wearing the jersey and playing it doesn’t matter if you’re playing in a game of significance for the points or not. You’re going to do your best to win, nothing changes. We’re in the same way as we were on day one.”

Argentina are facing a Jordan side that have already been eliminated after suffering back-to-back losses in their first appearance at the World Cup and Scaloni is expecting to face a team set up defensively in their final match at the tournament.

“Jordan normally play with five defenders and we’re open to the possibility that, if we’re facing some difficulties, we might have to move slightly differently,” he said.

“We might be prepared to do something differently if things are challenging, depending on how our opponent plays.”

NEW YORK, June 26 : Jeremy Wright knew exactly what he wanted to gift his wife, Sarah, for Christmas last year: tickets to a World Cup soccer game.

Wright used U.S. resale platform StubHub and snagged two tickets to watch the Netherlands take on Japan on June 14.

Or so he thought.

After more than 10 months of planning, the Wrights drove from Austin to Dallas and joined other fans in their hotel lobby to celebrate the occasion.

But their excitement turned to bitter disappointment after an email from StubHub just five hours prior to kickoff informed them that their tickets could not be delivered.

That email, seen by Reuters, told Jeremy that StubHub had found new tickets at no extra cost, covering him under its “FanProtect Guarantee.”

However, when he followed the steps to claim the new tickets, the only option StubHub gave him was to take a refund.

After hours waiting for and trying to get StubHub customer support to look into the issue, the Wrights gave up and drove back to Austin in the rain.

ANGRY TICKET BUYERS

The Wrights are among dozens of angry ticket buyers who took to social media this month after last-minute cancellations on StubHub left them without tickets they had purchased, often after similar assurances they would get replacement tickets.

It is also the latest ticketing issue surrounding the first North American World Cup in more than three decades, after world soccer governing body FIFA’s decision to adopt dynamic pricing for the first time invited criticism from some fans.

StubHub is not an official ticketing partner of the World Cup and is a resale-only platform. It does not possess the tickets or set the prices, and order cancellations are due to issues with delivery from sellers, a spokesperson said.

StubHub said FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure was affecting ticket transfers across all resale platforms.

FIFA, which had urged fans to only use its own official resale platform, said its World Cup ticketing platform was operating reliably at scale and added that its resale and exchange marketplace is the only platform through which it can guarantee proper delivery of tickets.

“With reference to the reliability of the services available to fans on FIFA’s official ticket platform, FIFA rejects any suggestion that the functional issues being experienced by users of third-party platforms with respect to FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets are the result of FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure.”

FIFA has charged 30 per cent commission on resale of tickets on its official platform, meaning tickets there are often more expensive than on other sites. FIFA said the fees are aligned with industry standards across North America.

FIFA added that its platform provides a “safe, transparent and secure environment for fans to sell or transfer tickets to other fans”, but some supporters, like writer and personal stylist Dacy Gillespie, turned to platforms like StubHub because they found FIFA’s platform convoluted and confusing.

Gillespie bought four tickets to Argentina’s June 16 game against Algeria as a surprise Christmas gift for her two boys, but after driving the 250-odd miles from their home in St Louis to Kansas City, she got an email from StubHub on matchday that the seller could not deliver the tickets.

‘GHOST TICKETS’

The core issue surrounding the StubHub problems is a practice known as ‘speculative ticketing’, said Scott Friedman, a ticketing expert who previously worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers and now runs the ‘Ticket Talk Network’, dedicated to exploring how seats for sports mega-events are bought and sold.

“Let’s say (a seller) listed that ticket six months ago for $500. He’s hoping to (buy) that ticket for less than $500 to make a profit and fill the ticket order,” said Friedman. “Just like shorting the stock market.”

But while tickets to sporting mega-events typically tend to go down over time on secondhand platforms, Friedman said, prices for World Cup tickets only went up as the tournament moved closer, leading to speculative sellers who were unable to fulfill orders without incurring a loss.

StubHub’s official policy prohibits speculative ticketing but so-called ‘ghost tickets’ are still common, said Friedman, as it does not require sellers to give seat numbers when they list tickets.

Wright purchased his tickets on StubHub on September 6, 2025, four days before FIFA even launched its first official sales draw, indicating his tickets were very likely listed by a speculator. A screenshot of his order details reviewed by Reuters showed only that they were for ‘Category 3’ seating, and seat numbers were not listed on the order.

StubHub said it requires sellers to upload tickets or provide proof of purchase at the time of listing. Sellers who misrepresent inventory face financial penalties and account suspension, a spokesperson added.

PUBLIC PRESSURE LEADS TO STUBHUB RESPONSE, OTHERS STILL WAIT

The Wrights and Gillespie took to social media to voice their complaints and said they felt as though they only got a response from StubHub because those posts had gone viral.

StubHub offered the Wrights complimentary seats to a semi-final game. It also offered Gillespie $3,000 to cover part of the costs she incurred purchasing her own replacement tickets.

“We had to raise holy hell to get the attention,” said Sarah Wright. “There’s almost a survivor’s guilt kind of feeling for us – we got (complimentary) tickets, but what about all the other people?”

StubHub has created a dedicated World Cup support team and expanded its capacity to source replacement tickets for affected customers, the company spokesperson said.

“Getting fans to their matches remains our top priority for the rest of this tournament,” the spokesperson added.

BRAND DAMAGE

For StubHub, the World Cup ticketing issues could spell major long-term damage to the company’s brand reputation, said Marsha-Gaye Knight, a clinical assistant professor at the NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sport.

The UK’s markets watchdog this week ordered StubHub UK to refund more than 50,000 customers and pay a £900,000 ($1.19 million) fine for not showing people the total price upfront for tickets.

A global sporting event of the scale of the expanded 48-team World Cup – which set an aggregate attendance record for the tournament before all of the group stage games have even been played – shines a brighter spotlight on issues.

“For them (StubHub) to be the third party where they’re supposed to provide this service with ease, and they’ve done it before, and they’ve done it with so many people, and they’ve gained that trust, for that trust to now get chipped away is very, very concerning for them,” Knight said.

“From a brand perspective, this could be a nightmare for them.”

Some of those who have faced last-minute cancellations on StubHub have called for legislators and regulators to investigate the issues.

The National Independent Venue Association, a trade body representing live entertainment venues, and fan advocacy group Fan Alliance wrote to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and others last week urging a ban on the sale of ghost tickets on resale platforms.

Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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