Sports
J.J. McCarthy’s game-day rituals: How eye black, meditation and Bob Marley get the Vikings QB ready
EAGAN, Minn. — In the minutes before kickoff Monday night, J.J. McCarthy and the rest of the Minnesota Vikings will retreat to their locker room for their final preparations to face the Chicago Bears (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN). McCarthy will spend part of the time in front of a mirror, painting his cheeks with eye black to create an alter ego that has been nearly unbeatable since his days as a teenage quarterback at Nazareth Academy in Illinois.
“I kind of make this switch when game day happens,” McCarthy said. “That’s when the war paint comes on. It’s like I’m ready to die on that field, and I’m ready to do anything possible to get that win. It’s not going to look pretty, and it’s not going to look like someone just did my makeup for Halloween. It’s war paint.”
At 22, McCarthy is closer to his trick-or-treating days than any of the NFL’s 31 other starting quarterbacks. He is largely a mystery to the NFL audience after missing his rookie season because of a meniscus tear in his right knee. He has played 42 snaps and made 24 throws in two preseason games since the Vikings made him the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft.
But the one fact on his résumé is that his teams almost always win. In two seasons at Nazareth (2018-19), one at IMG Academy (2020) and three at the University of Michigan (2021-23), McCarthy is 63-3 as a starter. He won an Illinois state 7A championship in high school and a national title in college.
McCarthy is only part of that team-wide success, but those who know him speak in reverential tones about his in-game moxie and competitiveness. Greg Holcomb, a Chicago-area quarterback trainer who first met McCarthy when the QB was in seventh grade, invoked one of the greatest basketball players during a recent discussion.
“There are so many things that take no skill whatsoever that can make you a really high-level football player,” Holcomb said. “You better have skill attached to it, but it’s the ones that have both of those things. It’s the Kobe Bryants of the world that are not only ultra-talented but are also so disciplined that they’re in the gym at 4:30 in the morning when they don’t have to be.
“J.J. has so many things in his toolbox that have nothing to do with his skill. He’s got both, so you’re looking at somebody who has the potential to be very elite. It’s almost like he’s got this eerie kind of aura about him that is just connected to success and winning.”
No one who watched the Vikings training camp this summer, or in 2024 before he suffered his injury, was reminded of Bryant. As often occurs with young quarterbacks, McCarthy produced his share of inaccurate passes, miscommunications and faulty decisions. Even so, many Vikings players acknowledged moments when they recognized the attributes that have helped McCarthy elevate teams on game day — and, in theory, can help him bridge the gaps while he continues his development.
“He definitely has the winning attitude, the dog mentality, just that killer mode,” receiver Justin Jefferson said.
Right tackle Brian O’Neill thought McCarthy’s best practices came on days when coaches inserted competitive elements, such as when the New England Patriots arrived for two days of workouts.
“I would not discount the fact that a lot of the times J.J — with whatever team he’s been on — tends to be a good version of himself on game day,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “There’s a lot of guys that are talented. There’s a lot of guys that can light up the practice field every day, but the guys that can either take it to the game or maybe even be a better version of themselves in the game have the ‘gamer,’ or whatever tag you want to put on it. I think he’s got that trait.”
But, O’Connell added: “I think it’s important that he doesn’t just solely rely on that trait showing up to Soldier Field. I think he [needs to] pair that with the work that he puts in throughout the week.”
Face paint is one of several game-day rituals McCarthy says helps him prepare to compete. He knows that war analogies in sports can be excessive, and he doesn’t mean them literally. But during a conversation last week with ESPN, he used a proverb attributed to 17th-century Japanese writer Miyamoto Musashi to explain his game-day mindset: “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”
McCARTHY HAS SPOKEN openly about his life with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), calling it his “superpower” and describing it as a condition that brings him “calm in the chaos and chaos in the calm.” Along the way, he has followed a game-day routine designed to amplify the productive elements of the condition.
The day begins with an extended version of his morning meditation. In trying to “stay as present as possible, grounded and centered,” he said he’ll rely on a variety of external stimulants. Sometimes, he’ll listen to a collection of audio tones called “963Hz.” Other times, he’ll listen to reggae icon Bob Marley. His favorite Marley tune is “Jamming.”
McCarthy also frequently uses a Shiftwave chair, a device he was first introduced to during his final season at Michigan and believes in so much that he invests in the company. Developed by former Discovery Channel host Mike North, a mechanical engineer who was searching for ways to heal a broken leg and balance his mental health, the chair is designed to apply vibrations as part of a biofeedback loop that responds to the body’s physical and mental state.
“The goal is very much putting a person into this kind of internal flow state,” North said, “where they’re able to freely flow between activate and go, and then relax, recover, reset. And so for someone like J.J., the ball snaps and you have to go. You want to be going a hundred miles an hour. But then the play’s over. You want to come down as fast as possible, think clearly, recharge, recover, and then prepare for the next play.”
McCarthy later reached out to North in hopes of learning more about how the chair works. It has multiple settings based on the circumstances, with programs that can last from five minutes to an hour.
“He told me his regimen and I wouldn’t have advised anything different for him,” North said. “It was perfect. And I was like, ‘Wow, you really understand this. You really intuitively figured out how to use this at its best.’ And I think J.J. is just an absolute superuser. He’s very tuned in. He is smart, aware, open. He’s just got this humble awareness that’s really remarkable. He’s a very enjoyable person to be around.”
The chair folds on top of itself, making it portable, and McCarthy carries it with him into the pregame locker room, even if it’s for only a few minutes of use during halftime. One way or another, however, he gets a final 10 or 15 minutes of meditation before the game begins.
JJ McCarthy reporting for work 🫡 @jjmccarthy09
📺: #LVvsMIN — 4pm ET on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/O751MZUoSm— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024
During his time at Michigan, McCarthy often conducted that meditation session in uniform while sitting under a goal post — a sight that reliably drew the attention of television cameras and photographers. In the NFL, however, he meditates in private.
“I felt like it got to be a distraction,” McCarthy said. “And that’s the last thing I want it to be. I don’t do it for a show. Obviously, I would love every kid in the world to learn how to meditate, but at the end of the day, I feel like it’s about getting the effects of that practice, not showing off the practice.”
WHAT TO MAKE of a 22-year-old quarterback who quotes 17th-century Japanese proverbs, carries a meditation chair and paints his face like a warrior? For one thing, it becomes easy to overlook how inexperienced he is in some of the basic elements of playing in the NFL.
Last Wednesday, for example, was McCarthy’s first regular-season practice as a professional. Because he was on injured reserve before the 2024 season began, he was ineligible to participate in practice — a fact that quarterback Carson Wentz learned in a hurry after signing as the team’s new backup Aug. 24. McCarthy immediately began peppering him with a series of first-day-of-class questions and later referred to him as “Coach Wentz.”
“He hasn’t even prepped for a game week in the NFL yet,” Wentz said upon his arrival. “So, he was talking about, ‘OK, what’s a normal routine? What time are we going to get there?’ All the things.”
Holcomb, the private quarterback trainer, compared McCarthy’s personality to P.J. Fleck, the University of Minnesota’s high-energy football coach.
“I had a chance to meet P.J. years ago,” Holcomb said, “and at first I was like, ‘There’s no way this dude is like this 24-7. It has to be an act.’ But all these years later, P.J. is still the same guy. J.J. has those same qualities. He’s almost, like, too happy sometimes. It can almost look obnoxious.”
Ultimately, a football locker room is an unforgiving place. Players can see through a performative façade if nothing exists behind it. In the NFL, the level of play is too high to count on good vibes and competitive spirit alone.
“It can’t be the only thing,” O’Neill said. “You can’t just show up with your eyes closed and then be like, ‘Well, I’m going to go out and ball on Sunday.’ This is the NFL and it doesn’t work like that. But I’ve felt that urgency from him [in practice] in terms of getting ready to go.”
O’Neill compared McCarthy to former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd, O’Neill’s college teammate at Pitt. Boyd’s high school teams were 63-1 with four state championships.
“There was a pingpong table in the locker room, and Tyler was winning every damn time,” O’Neill said. “He just kind of reminds me of J.J. We have a basketball hoop here. J.J.’s winning every game of P-I-G that we play. There’s just something about true-live competition that I see a lot in both of those guys. His best stuff comes when there’s a big stage.”
That’s when the face paint comes out and the warrior arrives in the garden, so to speak. There have been two exceptions, however, when the moment required something different — and provided an intense example of McCarthy’s inner competitor.
McCarthy grew up a fan of Ohio State football and was crushed when coach Ryan Day did not offer him a scholarship. So, when he started for Michigan against the Buckeyes in 2022 and 2023, McCarthy played without face paint.
He later explained why to Holcomb, his private trainer.
“On game day,” Holcomb said, “he wanted Ryan Day to see his entire face when he beat him.”
And beat him he did, both times, by a combined score of 75-46.
Sports
No more Nimmo, Timmy Trumpet and their all-time HR king: Remaking the Mets after historic collapse
The New York Mets arrived in Orlando, Florida, for the winter meetings last week with a chance to re-sign closer Edwin Diaz and first baseman Pete Alonso.
Díaz had already received two contract offers — one of three years from the Los Angeles Dodgers and another of five years from the Atlanta Braves. Díaz, though miffed by the Mets not alerting him before signing free agent reliever Devin Williams a few days before, still wanted to wait for an offer from his longtime team, sources told ESPN.
The offer came on Dec. 7: three years, $66 million with $21 million deferred over 10 years. Negotiations continued from there, and the Mets ultimately produced another offer, adding a $9 million signing bonus to match the Dodgers, with the $21 million deferred over 15 years.
But Díaz, who turns 32 in March, wanted an annual average value of at least $20 million and less deferred money spread over a shorter period. The Mets, according to a source, refused to meet those terms. The Braves, though offering more years, also declined to meet the criteria.
That left the Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions — with a nudge from Díaz’s Puerto Rican compatriot Kiké Hernández — to make an improved third offer: three years, $69 million with a $9 million bonus, $13.5 million in deferred money over 10 years, and a conditional $6.5 million option for 2029 that would trigger if he spends a certain number of days on the injured list. Díaz accepted, giving the Dodgers another All-Star for their loaded roster and another hole for the Mets to fill.
The next day, Alonso agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles — terms so far beyond the Mets’ valuation of the 31-year-old slugger that they didn’t even make the franchise’s all-time home run leader a formal offer, according to sources, after showing real interest in fellow slugger Kyle Schwarber before he re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. On Friday, the day Díaz and Alonso were introduced by their new teams, the Toronto Blue Jays outbid the Mets for reliever Tyler Rogers, whom the Mets had acquired at the trade deadline for a doomed playoff push.
The losses, less than three weeks after Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien in a swap of veterans with expensive contracts, were jarring to the fan base. In a vacuum, each decision can be explained with sound logic. But the departure of three mainstays — plus Rogers — produced an emotional firestorm. Nimmo, Alonso and Díaz were core players and fan favorites, with talent and personality that made them main characters at Citi Field for years. Now they are gone.
The Mets’ offseason, which began with most of manager Carlos Mendoza’s coaching staff shown the door, has thus far made one point clear: Stearns believes an overhaul is necessary after the team’s slow-motion collapse this year eradicated the previous season’s unforeseen run to the National League Championship Series. He determined the core wasn’t good enough not only after the Mets lost the final NL wild-card spot to the Cincinnati Reds on the last day of the 2025 campaign with a payroll of $340 million, but also because the team has now posted just two postseason series wins in seven seasons. Steve Cohen, the richest owner in baseball, has given Stearns the green light to operate as he sees fit — with calculated discipline — in his third offseason at the helm.
“I think we’re always weighing how certain transactions fit into the larger puzzle of the resources we have,” Stearns said at the winter meetings. “We have a lot of resources. No team has unending resources, and I’ve said that before. We’ve got all the resources we need, all of the payroll space. We need to put a really good team on the field. That doesn’t mean it’s infinite, nor should it be.”
Now the pressure is on Stearns to complement the Mets’ two remaining cornerstones — Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto — with the necessary personnel to rebound from 2025 and soothe the fan base.
The offseason is far from over. There are moves to make and they’ve already begun — the Mets initiated their pivot on Saturday, when they signed veteran infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million contract. With a projected payroll already pushing $300 million, what could be next for Stearns & Co.?
Here’s a unit-by-unit look.
The starting rotation
Starting pitching, the No. 1 reason for the Mets’ downfall in 2025, has so far been largely unaddressed. That will undoubtedly change. The Mets added depth by claiming Cooper Criswell off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, but they are determined to make more substantial modifications to a group that currently includes Nolan McLean, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat.
For one, New York has informed teams that Peterson and Senga are available in potential contract swap trades, rival executives told ESPN, similar to the Nimmo-for-Semien exchange. Why trade from the rotation when they’re looking to improve it? The goal is to add front-line talent alongside the promising McLean.
“I think the trade market, in general, agnostic of position, is pretty active,” Stearns said. “And I think there’s a lot of chatter, and has been throughout this offseason, among teams in the trade market. Seems like teams in general are maybe a little bit more open and willing to be creative, to talk about different types of structures, to talk about need-for-need-type trades at the major league level than maybe we’ve seen over the past couple of years at least.”
Stearns strongly prefers not to give long-term contracts to starting pitchers in their late 20s and into their 30s. So, left-handed ace Framber Valdez, at 32, is a potential option only if his market craters and he’s open to a short-term deal. Michael King, a high-upside right-hander coming off an injury-plagued age-30 season with the San Diego Padres, could qualify for the Mets’ short-term preference. The former New York Yankee has a 2.93 ERA since converting from reliever to starter in August 2023, good for seventh in the majors among starters with at least 250 innings pitched.
In the trade market, Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, who is owed just $8 million in 2026 before reaching free agency, is available for the right terms, sources told ESPN. The right-hander went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts last season and has a 3.40 ERA in 95 starts over the past three seasons. Stearns is also familiar with Peralta from his eight years leading Milwaukee’s front office.
The Padres, looking to offload payroll, are open to trading right-hander Nick Pivetta one year after giving him a four-year, $55 million contract, sources told ESPN. Pivetta, 32, had his best big league season in 2025, registering a 2.87 ERA in 181⅔ innings across 31 starts. The Washington Nationals are also exploring trading MacKenzie Gore, a 26-year-old left-hander with two years of team control remaining. Gore was an All-Star for the first time in 2025, finishing with a 4.17 ERA in 30 starts after a turbulent second half.
Then there’s Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in the world. Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris has not shut down speculation of trading the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner — he instead recently reiterated there aren’t any “untouchables” in the organization — but it would take a huge haul for a player who is just one year from free agency. The Tigers also want to compete in a very winnable AL Central after consecutive playoff appearances, and they ultimately have until the trade deadline to move him.
Industry consensus is the Mets’ farm system has drastically improved in recent years, giving them the ammo to land established top-tier major leaguers in trades even if their top two prospects — McLean and outfielder Carson Benge — are off the table.
The bullpen
Díaz’s departure means no more of his signature Timmy Trumpet-infused entrances from the bullpen at Citi Field, and, more importantly, that Williams — signed to a three-year, $51 million deal — will assume the closer role.
“And we’re very comfortable with that,” Stearns said hours after news of Díaz’s decision broke last week. “I’ve certainly seen Devin perform at a very high level for a long time. I have full confidence that he can be one of the best relievers in baseball. I think he’s very motivated to do that, and I’m looking forward to watching.”
But the Mets’ front office has plenty of work left to do in the bullpen. As it stands, left-handers A.J. Minter, who will be coming off surgery for a lat tear, and Brooks Raley are the top established relievers outside of Williams.
The Mets also already missed out on Rogers, who agreed to a three-year, $37 million contract with a vesting option for a fourth year with Toronto, and Robert Suarez, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Braves. Remaining options in free agency include Pete Fairbanks, Seranthony Dominguez, Luke Weaver, Brad Keller, Pierce Johnson, Kirby Yates and Shawn Armstrong.
The best possible replacement for Díaz could be Mason Miller if the Padres are willing to trade him. Miller, 27, has established himself as one of the top relievers in baseball with a fastball that averages over 100 mph. The right-hander compiled a 0.77 ERA in 22 appearances after the Padres acquired him at the trade deadline from the A’s for a four-player package that included shortstop Leodalis De Vries, one of the top prospects in the sport.
The infield
The 32-year-old Polanco, originally a shortstop before transitioning to second base, hasn’t logged an inning at first base in his 12-year major league career. Still, the Mets plan on using him there, as well as at designated hitter. Knee and hamstring injuries plagued the switch-hitter in 2023 and 2024 before he posted one of his best seasons in 2025, hitting 26 home runs with an .821 OPS in 138 games for the Seattle Mariners.
The other options for first base and designated hitter are Jeff McNeil and Mark Vientos. The Mets, however, have informed teams that both players are available in trades, rival executives told ESPN. McNeil, a 33-year-old former batting champion who can play around the diamond, is owed $15.75 million in 2026 and has a club option for the same amount for 2027. Vientos, 26, grades out as a subpar defender but enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, hitting 27 home runs with an .837 OPS in 111 games, before regressing to a .233/.289/.413 slash line and 17 home runs in 121 games in 2025. He is under team control through 2029.
Otherwise, the Mets’ infield appears set with Semien at second base, Lindor at shortstop, Brett Baty at third base and Francisco Alvarez behind the plate.
The outfield
With Soto entrenched in right field — Mendoza recently said having Soto DH is off the table despite his substantial defensive regression last season because Soto doesn’t like the role — the Mets have a hole in left field after trading Nimmo and could use an upgrade in center.
“I think between what’s available in free agency and some of the names that are being talked about in the trade market, that there’s a pretty robust group out there,” Stearns said of available outfielders during the winter meetings. “There’s a pretty robust market, and we’re going to continue to explore that. And I also think we’ve got some really good internal candidates as well.”
If the season began tomorrow, McNeil would play left field with Tyrone Taylor or Benge in center. Stearns has said he expects Benge, a first-round pick in 2024, to contribute in 2026, and that could be in center or left.
External outfield options include free agents Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker or trading from the team’s starting pitching depth for a contractually cheaper alternative. Bellinger could play center, left and first base. Tucker hasn’t played left field since 2020.
Both players seek long-term contracts, which could give Stearns pause. He has remained firm in his approach during a transformative offseason. Time will tell if the approach is the right one.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Alden González contributed to this report.
The UEFA Women’s Champions League will play its final matchday of the new-look league phase on Dec. 17, with all nine games kicking off at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. GMT).
All 18 teams have been battling to progress since early October and we now have a rough idea which 12 teams will be able to qualify for the knockout stages, either automatically or via a playoff.
The knockout draw, which sets the full path of the bracket, will be held on Thursday, Dec. 18. There is no country protection, meaning teams from the same league can face each other throughout the knockouts.
Here’s everything you need to know.
How does qualification work?
The top four in the league-phase table go straight through to the two-legged quarterfinals, which are to be played on March 24 and April 1.
The eight teams in positions 5 through to 12 go into the knockout-phase playoffs, which will be played on Feb. 11-12 and Feb. 18-19, to earn a place in the quarterfinals.
Teams in positions 13 to 18 are eliminated.
Then, from the league-phase playoffs onwards, the competition has a two-legged format through to the semifinals, with a traditional one-legged final.
How does the league phase feed into the knockout bracket?
The new format gives importance to league placing with teams paired. The higher you finish, the more favorable your path, including that jump direct to the quarterfinals for the top four.
Here’s how it works.
For the knockout-phase playoffs, the draw will create four ties from:
11 or 12 vs. 5 or 6 (two ties)
9 or 10 vs. 7 or 8 (two ties)
The draw will place the four ties which have been created into a position in the bracket, in either the silver or blue half.
Then the paired teams in positions 1 & 2, and 3 & 4, will be drawn into one of two possible positions, again to create fixtures.
For the quarterfinals, the draw will be:
The winners of a tie involving 7, 8, 9 and 10 will play 1 or 2 (two ties)
The winners of a tie involving 5, 6, 11 and 12 will play 3 or 4 (two ties)
The whole bracket is now set.
The teams that finish in positions 1-4 will be at home in the second leg of the quarterfinals.
The semifinal ties are already set by the bracket draw. In principle, the teams ranked 1 and 2 will play the semifinal second leg at home. However, if 1 and/or 2 are knocked out in the quarterfinals, the home right will pass to the team that has eliminated them. For instance, if Arsenal (first) are knocked out by Paris FC (ninth), it’s Paris FC who will have home advantage in the final four.
So, it isn’t based on league placing — and that means it’s impossible for the teams that finish in third and fourth to get a home semifinal second leg, as they cannot claim it off first or second.
Who is through already?
Barcelona and OL Lyonnes both have 13 points, which secures them a top-four spot.
Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris FC have all secured at least a knockout-phase playoff spot.
Atlético Madrid basically have as well, as Valerenga can go level on points with them, but have a vastly inferior goal difference and would need to win 10-0.
OH Leuven are favorites for the final 12th spot, unless they lose or draw vs. Arsenal and Valerenga beat Bayern.
Who is out already?
Bottom side St. Pölten are out, while FC Twente, Benfica, Roma, Paris Saint-Germain (who lost their first four games) also can’t catch OH Leuven in 12th at this point.
What’s at stake in the final league-phase fixtures?
VfL Wolfsburg vs. Chelsea: A Wolfsburg win could propel them into the top four and automatic qualification (depending on other results). But they’d need Real Madrid and Juventus not to win. Chelsea will seal top four with a win, but if they draw, then Juventus, Real Madrid or Bayern could usurp them.
OH Leuven vs. Arsenal: Leuven should be safe in 12th spot even with a defeat, but if Valerenga beat Bayern then even a draw wouldn’t be enough as they would lose out on goal difference. Arsenal need other results to go their way to claim a top-four spot, with Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Bayern and Wolfsburg above them.
Bayern Munich vs. Valerenga: To finish in the top four, Bayern need to better the results of Juventus or Real Madrid as they have a vastly inferior goal difference. Valerenga need a miracle to claim the final playoff spot and avoid elimination: they have to win and hope Arsenal don’t lose to Leuven.
FC Twente vs. Real Madrid: Madrid will want to score as many as possible and get the win against the already eliminated Twente, as it’s close with Juve for fourth spot. If they do that, an automatic place is theirs.
Juventus vs. Manchester United: Juve are currently fourth but are only edging Madrid on goals scored, so they really need to win. A draw will likely put them into the playoffs. United could edge into the top-tier of the playoff draw if they get a win, or a draw and Wolfsburg lose to Chelsea.
OL Lyonnes vs. Atlético Madrid: Atlético will want to finish as high as possible to get a better playoff draw, and only a win will do that. They have a much better goal difference (+8) than the teams around them, but a draw would only get them as high as 10th. OL Lyonnes are through but will be keen to finish top — though they are six goals behind Barcelona.
Paris FC vs. Barcelona: Similar to Atlético, Paris FC but need a win to get into spots 5-8, but their goal difference is worse than the teams there if they draw. Barcelona are through but will be keen to finish top.
Roma vs. St. Pölten: Nothing, both are out.
Benfica vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Nothing, both are out.
When will the knockout games be played?
Playoffs:
Leg 1: Feb. 11-12
Leg 2: Feb. 18-19
Quarterfinals
Leg 1: March 23-25
Leg 2: March 31-April 2
Semifinals
Leg 1: April 24-26
Leg 2: May 1-3
Final
May 22, 23 at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway.
The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be played from March 26 to May 3 2026, featuring an expanded eight-team competition and a revised two-phase tournament structure designed to fit within a 39-day window.
Under the approved format, the first phase of PSL 11 will be played on a single-league basis, with each of the eight teams playing one match against every other team. This stage will ensure all teams face each other once before progressing further in the tournament.
In the second phase, the competition will move into a Super Four-style stage, where the eight teams will be divided into two groups of four. Each team will play three matches in this round, producing a total of 12 matches in the second phase.
The top two teams from the Super Four stage will qualify for the playoffs. A total of four playoff matches, including the final, will be contested to determine the PSL 2026 champion.
Despite the expansion from six to eight teams, each side will still play a minimum of 10 matches, maintaining consistency with previous editions of the league.
PSL 2026 matches will be hosted in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, and, for the first time, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, marking the venue’s debut as a PSL host city.
It is pertinent to mention that the PSL, which began in 2016 with five franchises and later expanded to six sides in 2018, is set for further expansion with the addition of two new teams from its upcoming 11th edition, set to be played next year.
Thames Water halts plans to hand £2.5m retention bonuses to bosses
No more Nimmo, Timmy Trumpet and their all-time HR king: Remaking the Mets after historic collapse
Farida Khelfa vintage auction raises €330,000, half for charity
-
Politics1 week agoThailand launches air strikes against Cambodian military: army
-
Politics1 week agoZelenskiy says Ukraine’s peace talks with US constructive but not easy
-
Politics5 days agoTrump launches gold card programme for expedited visas with a $1m price tag
-
Fashion1 week agoGermany’s LuxExperience appoints Francis Belin as new CEO of Mytheresa
-
Tech7 days agoJennifer Lewis ScD ’91: “Can we make tissues that are made from you, for you?”
-
Business6 days agoRivian turns to AI, autonomy to woo investors as EV sales stall
-
Entertainment1 week agoToo big to fail? IndiGo crisis exposes risks in Indian aviation
-
Sports6 days agoPolice detain Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore after firing, salacious details emerge: report