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Watch: Spain honors 10-year-old cancer patient after Euros win
A heartwarming moment occurred during Spain's Euro 2024 championship parade on Monday. As captain Alvaro Morata invited his players onto the stage, Alex Baena stepped out accompanied by a 10-year-old cancer patient, Maria Camano, a diehard fan of Morata's Atletico Madrid.
Morata proceeded to thank Camano for being a source of inspiration to him and his teammates.
"We are very happy to have you here with all of us, you know I've told you this many times," Morata told the fan. "In the end, we play football, I'll tell you again: you teach us every day, Alex and me, what it means to fight in life and what it means to be a superhero in life. I want to thank you here in front of everyone and hope you have a good photo here with the trophy."
Morata then asked the fan if she would hoist the Euro trophy on behalf of him and his teammates. Camano obliged with a smile, much to the delight of the players and scores of fans gathered on the streets of Madrid.
❤️ Emotional moment as 10-year-old Spain fan María Camaño is up on the stage with the Spain squad...
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 15, 2024
She is battling ewing sarcoma and her dream was to meet the team and especially Morata. pic.twitter.com/J5R6CIinRR
Camano, who suffers from Ewing sarcoma (a type of bone cancer), first met Morata earlier this year after a match at the Metropolitano Stadium thanks to the bullfighter Gonzalo Caballero. Since then, the La Roja skipper and the young fan have formed a beautiful friendship, per several Spanish publications.
The championship parade, attended by nearly 500,000 fans, also featured appearances from popular Spanish singers Aitana and Isabel Aaiun, among other celebrities.
Spain made history on several counts during Euro 2024, becoming the first nation to capture a fourth Euro title and win seven matches while netting a record 15 goals at the quadrennial soccer extravaganza.
Their players were rewarded with as many as six spots in the Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament.
✨ Introducing the UEFA EURO 2024 Team of the Tournament, as selected by UEFA's Technical Observer panel.#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/ITp3ipcWxF
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 16, 2024
More must-reads:
- With 'summer of soccer' in the rearview, is the U.S. ready for 2026?
- The U.S. is not to blame for Copa America security failures
- The 'UEFA Euro Champion' quiz
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Tottenham Hotspur star's LAFC transfer raises eyebrows for the right reasons
There aren't many athletes like Son Heung-min, the Korean attacker who's set to join Los Angeles FC for a blockbuster transfer fee of $20M-$26M, per GIVEMESPORT. During his 10-year run with Tottenham Hotspur — a stretch in which he broke Premier League scoring records and led the team to its first championship trophy in 17 years — Son played a major role for the Spurs off the field, too. The 33-year-old attacker hosted massive Korean banquets for Spurs staff, often catered by himself and his mother. He became godfather to teammate Ben Davies' child. Son also became renowned for treating people with respect, regardless of their station, and proved that you can be a world-class athlete without losing your principles. Son wasn't interested in leaving the Spurs for another Premier League club. He wasn't keen on signing elsewhere in Europe despite receiving serious interest from dozens of top clubs. Instead, he zeroed in on a wild, unexpected career shift to Major League Soccer. His transfer will be one of the biggest in the 31-year history of MLS. There are two types of players who join MLS on mega-deals like this: young, hyped talent from European and South American leagues (Atlanta's Emmanuel Latte Lath or Cincinnati's Kevin Denkey) and past-their-prime legends (Miami's Lionel Messi or the New York Red Bulls' Emil Forsberg). Son doesn't fit either of those categories. At 33, he's neither a moldable prospect nor an inflexible veteran. He's a world-class athlete in his prime, one who would be just as stellar at world powers Barcelona or Bayern Munich as he will with LAFC. This is the first time in a long time that MLS has successfully courted a player of Son's caliber and fitness level. One could argue that Toronto FC pulled it off when it signed Italian attacker Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi in 2022, but both players floundered in MLS. (Toronto released each this summer.) Son, with his indefatigable spirit and endless desire to please, is unlikely to make the mistakes in MLS that Insigne and Bernardeschi did. He's a willing ambassador and team player. In other words, he Messi with a little more gas in the tank. He's also a fascinating addition for LAFC. American soccer succeeds through multicultural exchange and owes much of its growth — on and off the field — to diasporas around the country. Son is one of South Korea's most famous and beloved celebrities, and Los Angeles features one of the world's largest Korean communities. His arrival in the L.A. will introduce American soccer fans to the Korea diaspora and should bring a wave of interest and positivity. According to GIVEMESPORT, Son's LAFC deal is expected to be finalized in early August. That would give Son a chance to improve LAFC's fortunes. The team (10-6-6), once known for its stability and unshakable nature, is sixth in the Western Conference with 12 games left to play in the regular season. LAFC will return to MLS action Saturday against the Chicago Fire.
Kolby Aipa, Surf Royalty, Tragically Dies in E-Bike Accident
On Saturday night, surf royalty heir Kolby Aipa was involved in a tragic accident in Huntington Beach, CA. The 20-year-old grandson of iconic and innovative Hawaiian surfboard shaper, Ben Aipa, was put on life support; on Tuesday, he passed away. According to reports, Aipa was towing behind a car of friends on his e-bike when the accident happened. He was struck by the same vehicle that was towing him. Since the news of his untimely passing, an outpouring of mourning from the surf community – from Hawaii to Huntington Beach – has been flooding in. “This is the hardest post we will ever make,” began the tribute from the official Aipa Surf Company account. “We are completely heartbroken. We wanted to thank all the visitors, supporters, food deliveries, donations, flowers, cards, countless stories and photos his friends have shared with us, Drs and nurses that have taken care of our sweet boy. The HB community and everyone around the world have touched our hearts in an unimaginable way. Thank you for loving our boy.” Following in his strong surfing lineage, Kolby was an up-and-coming surfer himself. He was sponsored by the clothing brand AVVA, Dakine, Cobian footwear, and others. He was a member of the Huntington Beach Board Riders club. The Aipa Surf Co. post announcing his passing continued, speaking to Kolby as a human: “Kolby always had a way with touching the lives of whoever he met. His acts of kindness and caring was his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike. To everyone that reads this... pass his Aloha on. So, how Kolby treated you, treat others in that same way...In this you are continuing his legacy of Aloha. And you too can be like Kolby.” A memorial paddle-out for Kolby is being planned; stay tuned for more information. Rest in peace, Kolby Aipa. To donate to the GoFundMe, see here.
Vikings offense has sizable hole following first-round WR's NFL ruling
The Minnesota Vikings will be without one of their top wide receivers for the start of the regular season. On Tuesday, wideout Jordan Addison was suspended without pay for the season's first three games after pleading no contest earlier this offseason to a "wet reckless" charge. He was initially charged with DUI on July 12, 2024 and pleaded not guilty to those counts on Dec. 3, 2024. In July 2023, he was also cited for speeding a reckless driving when going 140 mph in a 55 mph zone. During his first two seasons, Addison, a 2023 first-round pick (No. 23 overall), has 133 receptions, 1,786 receiving yards (13.4 yards per reception) and 19 touchdowns. During that span, only Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown have more receiving touchdowns. His absence is a blow to the Vikings offense, entering its first season with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback. While McCarthy will still have arguably the NFL's best wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, to throw to during the season's first three weeks, Addison's suspension severely compromises the team's depth. Jalen Nailor, a 2022 sixth-rounder, should be in line for an increase in playing time. Last season, he played a career-high 51 percent of his available offensive snaps, via Pro Football Reference. Offseason free-agent signings Rondale Moore and Tim Jones, 2025 third-round pick Tai Felton and undrafted free agents Lucky Jackson and Silas Bolden could also be forced into more prominent roles. Last season, Moore missed the entire year after suffering a training-camp knee injury with the Atlanta Falcons, while Jones had just three receptions on five targets for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Felton and Bolden are rookies and might not be ready for heavy workloads, while Jackson is possibly having the best training camp of the group, recently making impressive plays on back-to-back days. Regardless of who takes Addison's snaps, the Vikings offense won't be at full strength to begin the season. Opponents will be able to focus their attention on Jefferson with double-teams and force Minnesota's unproven secondary and tertiary options to beat them. It's not an ideal set of circumstances for McCarthy as he preps for his regular-season debut, but the Vikings have no other choice than to make it work.
Jerry Jones vocal in defense of handshake deal not being honored by Micah Parsons
Jerry Jones seems to be a firm believer that a handshake deal is as binding as any written contract. The Dallas Cowboys owner has maintained his stance that he had reached a verbal agreement with Micah Parsons on a contract extension back in March. On Tuesday, Jones was asked by NFL Network’s Jane Slater about the agreement not being put in writing. The 82-year-old claimed his initial acquisition of the Cowboys in 1989 started with a similar handshake deal. “I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake,” Jones said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later. As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money and I had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental, ‘I’m buying and you’re gonna sell it to me for that range,’ that’s done. And those are done with eye contact and handshake. “Just so you understand the way that I communicate with people that I negotiate with. Let’s leave it at that. There’s no question that in the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing. All parties do. We have a contract in writing, yet we’re still talking about renegotiating, so so much for that.” Parsons does not deny that he talked about contract terms with Jones in March. However, the star linebacker claims that he did not believe the conversation to be a formal negotiation. Parsons asserted in his trade request statement that he believed the conversation was going to be about team leadership before Jones shifted gears to talk about an extension. You can read more about Parsons’ side of the story here.
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