The biggest tournament of the summer delivered an unforgettable final four.
Now we’re left with two matches that couldn’t be handicapped more differently.
There is absolutely no doubt about the motivation for Sunday’s finale between Argentina and Spain.
First, there’s the matter of the third-place playoff between France and England, in which the question of motivation remains the dominant theme.
Still dealing with the disappointment of semi-final losses, how much will France and England have left in the tank as they battle the sweltering heat and humidity in Miami in one final face-off before heading home?
France to win the third-place play-off is up to -215 at FanDuel this morning, with England up to +172.
Kylian Mbappe, who is tied with Lionel Messi for the tournament lead with eight goals, is -135 to score a goal and +150 to win the tournament goal scoring race.
Meanwhile, the last dance will belong to Messi, who will have the opportunity to make one final statement when Argentina and Spain face off in Sunday’s final.
Messi is the favourite to lead the tournament in goals and an even bigger favourite to be named player of the tournament, but Argentina is a +130 underdog for what will be their toughest test by far versus Spain.
Spain to lift the trophy is -150 at FanDuel this morning.
That number represents a 60 per cent implied chance.
Can Messi cap off a legendary career with one final unforgettable performance to lead the upset win?
Or will it be Lamine Yamal and Spain’s turn to have their moment as champions on the world stage?
Regardless of what happens next, it has been a truly special and unforgettable tournament – one that has surpassed every expectation.
On the theme of exceeding all expectations, tonight the focus shifts to Friday Night Football and the biggest surprise of the CFL season through six weeks.
The Edmonton Elks were written off as an afterthought in the West Division once again entering Week 1.
Instead, thanks in large part to their star running back, the Elks are tied for the CFL’s best record at 4-1 and have transformed from irrelevant to must-watch television.
Is it full steam ahead for The Edmonton Express tonight?
Let’s set the stage for what’s at stake on CFL Friday Night Football in this Morning Coffee column for Friday July 17th, 2026.
Justin Rankin, Elks Seek Redemption In Rematch Versus Lions on Friday Night Football
Momentum is a precarious commodity in sports.
On Tuesday morning, France was the obvious favourite to lift the trophy at FanDuel thanks to an elite attack, unparalleled depth, and an unblemished record.
All the momentum was on the side of Les Bleus.
By night fall, France would be an afterthought following a shutout loss to the “underdogs” Spain, in which they were held to their lowest expected goals in six decades on the world stage.
Then there’s what happened to England 24 hours later.
England seemed to be in complete control with a 1-0 lead over Argentina and momentum firmly in its grasp, only to sit back and watch Messi strike with a sudden wave of magic in the final minutes to steal a 2-1 win.
Does it ever drive you crazy just how fast the night changes?
Entering Week 7 in the CFL, momentum is clearly on the side of The Edmonton Express.
Justin Rankin is on pace to shatter the CFL single-season scrimmage yards record, break the single-season touchdown record, and become the first running back in CFL history to register 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving in the same season.
In five games, Rankin has produced a CFL-best 513 rushing yards, 297 receiving yards, and seven scores.
The 29-year-old is on pace for 2,916 scrimmage yards and 25 total touchdowns.
For perspective, Mike Pringle’s scrimmage yards record is 2414 and Milt Stegall’s touchdown record is 23.
With Rankin putting up video game numbers, Edmonton has surprised out of the gates with a 4-1 record that is tied for the best in the CFL entering Week 7.
The schedule is about to get a lot tougher for the Elks, and it will be up to Rankin and company to keep the train on the tracks and maintain momentum.
Edmonton’s next four games are against opponents that made up to the top three choices to win the Grey Cup at FanDuel entering Week 1.
The Elks host the BC Lions tonight before a home-and-home against the defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders, which are on a bye this week.
Then in Week 10, Edmonton will travel across the country to play Davis Alexander and the Montreal Alouettes, which are the current Grey Cup favourite.
That pivotal four-game stretch will challenge the Elks and go a long way towards determining how the remainder of their season will unfold.
It begins tonight against the only opponent that has picked up a win versus Edmonton this season.
The Lions roar has been subdued through a disappointing 1-3 start, but the last time we saw them in Week 5, they beat the Elks 36-24 for their first win of the season.
While the focus was on Rankin entering that showdown, BC running back James Butler stole the spotlight with 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Lions top-ranked run defence held Rankin to a season-low 19 rushing yards on seven carries, although we can’t ignore that he went for 100 receiving yards on 10 receptions.
The BC defence has held its opponents to an average of 59.8 rushing yards per game this season.
It’s not a secret that keeping Rankin in check – on the ground and through the air – will be a key to the Lions success coming off a bye in Week 6.
Will BC’s defence step up again on Friday Night Football and pump the brakes on The Edmonton Express?
Perhaps the Lions will slow Rankin on the ground again, but I’m willing to bet on the Elks star running back to do some damage in the passing game.
Will Rankin go over 45.5 receiving yards against BC?
Rankin went over that mark in three of his first four games, including 100 receiving yards against the Lions.
Rankin had three receptions for 43 receiving yards last week against the Ottawa Redblacks, but he could have easily gone over 45.5 if he didn’t dominate on the ground to the tune of 107 rushing yards in a 40-17 blowout win.
Facing the league’s best run defence for the second time in three weeks, I expect Edmonton to attempt to get Rankin involved in the passing game early and often.
I’ll lock in Rankin over 45.5 rushing yards as a FanDuel Best Bet for Friday Night Football.
With an upcoming schedule that features the Lions, a home-and-home versus the Riders, then a cross-country trip to Montreal to face the Alouettes, we’re about to find out if the Elks hot start is for real or not.
A loss to the Lions would drop them to 0-2 versus BC, with all five games against rivals Saskatchewan and the Calgary Stampeders still to play.
A home win would deliver a surge of confidence and inject some momentum into The Edmonton Express heading into the home-and-home with the Riders.
The Elks are suddenly must-watch television.
All eyes are on Edmonton as we wait to see what their star running back will do next on Friday Night Football.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
