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One goal in 106 minutes, a golfer nobody predicted, and a football team that sold for $9.6 billion.
Plus LeBron's last decision, Lando finally wins, and a 21-year-old ruins golf's week.
The Sportsball Newsletter
ISSUE Nº 002 · WEEK OF JULY 27, 2026

A Slovenian won the Tour de France for a fifth time, LeBron James signed on for a 24th NBA season, and a 21-year-old nobody had heard of won a golf tournament. Everything below is safe to repeat out loud.

BIG EVENTS · THE TOUR DE FRANCE
Tadej Pogčar during the Tour de France (file photo)
TADEJ POGAČAR, PHOTOGRAPHED IN 2024, BEFORE THE FIFTH ONE
EXHIBIT A

A Slovenian rode a bicycle around France faster than everyone, for the fifth time

Tadej Pogačar, 27, won the Tour de France on Sunday, cycling's three-week showcase race and its biggest annual event. It is his fifth title, which ties the all-time record. Mathieu van der Poel won the final stage on the Champs-Élysées in Paris; Pogačar had already locked up the overall win by nearly six and a half minutes.

That fifth title joins a four-man club that had not admitted a new member since 1995, so the sport can finally update the plaque.

PHOTO: WOMPRATTE / CC0 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

BASKETBALL
LeBron James shooting a basketball (file photo)
LEBRON JAMES, PHOTOGRAPHED IN 2024, WHILE STILL DECIDING
EXHIBIT B

LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and called it his last decision

LeBron James, widely considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, agreed to a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. He announced it himself and described the choice as “my last decision.” It will be his 24th NBA season. He joins Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown on a team openly trying to win a championship now.

This means James has now been employed in the league longer than some of his new teammates have been alive, which is a difficult thing to put in a group chat.

PHOTO: BRYCE / CC0 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

FORMULA 1
THE FORMULA 1 CORRESPONDENT, WHO DOES NOT OWN A CAR
EXHIBIT C

Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix, his first victory of the season

Lando Norris, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, won Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. It was his and his McLaren team's first win of the 2026 season, ending a wait of eleven races. Max Verstappen finished second and 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli third. Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri led early before a gearbox problem ended his day.

The defending champion won his first race of the year in late July, and everyone politely agreed to call it a comeback rather than a nap.

NO LICENSED PHOTO ON FILE. THE MASCOT WILL REPRESENT THE SPORT.

GOLF
THE GOLF DESK, MOMENTS BEFORE LOOKING UP WHO JACKSON KOIVUN IS
EXHIBIT D

A 21-year-old won the 3M Open in his third professional event

Jackson Koivun, 21, won the 3M Open in Minnesota on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, and it came in only his third start as a professional. He finished at 25 under par, a tournament record, and beat Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world, by three shots.

He set a scoring record, won more than a million and a half dollars, and quietly ruined the week for the best player alive, all before he can legally rent a car without a fee.

NO LICENSED PHOTO ON FILE. THE MASCOT WILL REPRESENT THE SPORT.

SOCCER
THE SOCCER DEPARTMENT, STILL RECOVERING FROM THE WORLD CUP
EXHIBIT E

Chelsea bought one player for a British-record 117 million pounds

With the World Cup over, Europe's clubs returned to buying players. Chelsea signed forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a reported £117 million, a British record for a transfer, on a six-year contract. Tottenham, meanwhile, have spent more than any club in the world this summer after two dismal seasons.

Chelsea spent a British-record 117 million pounds on a single player, continuing football's proud tradition of solving problems by purchasing more of them.

NO LICENSED PHOTO ON FILE. THE MASCOT WILL REPRESENT THE SPORT.

BASEBALL
A BASEBALL, FILED FOR REFERENCE
EXHIBIT F

Baseball's trade deadline is a week away and every good pitcher is now a rumor

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is August 3, the annual cutoff for contending teams to add players. The best names being discussed are pitchers: Oakland closer Mason Miller (linked to the Yankees, Mariners and Pirates) and Detroit ace Tarik Skubal (linked to Milwaukee). The Nationals are fielding calls on shortstop CJ Abrams, and the Red Sox already picked up infielder Curtis Mead.

For one week a year the sport's best pitchers are discussed like used cars, and the Yankees would very much like to test-drive a closer.

NO LICENSED PHOTO ON FILE. THE MASCOT WILL REPRESENT THE SPORT.

FOOTBALL, AMERICAN
THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL, WHICH IS NOT SHAPED LIKE A FOOT
EXHIBIT G

NFL training camps opened, and everyone is officially back to work

All 32 NFL teams reported to training camp this week, the start of preseason preparation. The headlines were mostly medical and clerical: Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes was cleared to practice after last year's knee injury, and the Arizona Cardinals settled a contract standoff with quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

The one sport that never actually leaves the news has now also decided to start early.

NO LICENSED PHOTO ON FILE. THE MASCOT WILL REPRESENT THE SPORT.

TENNIS

Nothing happened. You're welcome.

Top-level tennis is between Wimbledon and the North American hard-court run. Only minor events this week, and the Washington tournament does not begin until Monday.

ALSO FILED
⚲ The NHL's free-agent market rolled on, with the Flyers (Trevor Zegras), Jets (Cole Perfetti) and Devils (Anthony Mantha) all handing multi-year contracts to men who skate for a living.

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