# Nick Wright: Nick Wright predicted Lionel Messi will sweep the individual honors at this World Cup — winning a third Golden Ball and the Golden Boot — and separately said Lamar Jackson's most likely 2026 outcome is a solid year as roughly the sixth or seventh best quarterback in football, while handicapping LeBron James's free agency with Cleveland as the clear favorite and his own bet. **Claimed:** Jul 20, 2026 **Pundit:** Nick Wright — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/nick-wright **Outlet:** The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/the-herd-with-colin-cowherd-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/whats-wright-with-nick-wright/best-of-kevin-durant-calls-out-nick-messi-argentina-defying-all-logic-lamars-stunning-top-100-fall 4 checkable claims — 2 award picks, 1 positional finishe and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > He's gonna have three golden balls, more than anybody ever. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Leo Messi to win Golden Boot** - Kind: Award Picks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Lebron to move to Cleveland Browns** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Leo Messi to win Golden Ball** - Kind: Award Picks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Lamar Jackson to finish top ? at his position, by passing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: too vague to check ## Who this take is about - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - Lamar Jackson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/lamar-jackson-6152 - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/ravens ## What others said about the same people - Mike Florio on Shedeur Sanders: Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cf6258b2-b55f-4f50-84f9-24269a5a006a (scored 0) - Paul Keren on Teven Jenkins: Keren says Teven Jenkins still projects as Cleveland's Week 1 starting right guard despite a push from KT Leveston, and that Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams will be the Browns' lead linebackers. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/86b36112-724c-4f9c-a4fd-cf74a38be8e4 (scored 0) - Mason Cameron on Ethan Pocic: An unsigned PFF piece ranks the NFL's top 32 centers heading into the 2026 season, with Creed Humphrey first for the fourth straight year, and names Ethan Pocic and Austin Schlottmann as the favorites to win starting center jobs in Baltimore and Tennessee. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ac17490e-98b7-4d3c-9fea-750e5dc9e486 (scored 0) - Evan Silva on Baltimore Ravens: In his 2020 fantasy defense/special teams rankings, Silva puts the Steelers first, the 49ers second and the Ravens third, citing pass rush, favorable early schedules and game scripts. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/180b1036-60e5-494b-9b4d-90b5dc3d6528 (scored 58.33) - Jared Dubin on Baltimore Ravens: Dubin is high on the Ravens and low on the Colts, predicting a big Baltimore road win. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5255427f-f227-4e34-b350-059ecc4aa1fd (scored 100) - Kirk Herbstreit on Baltimore Ravens: Herbstreit made a full slate of Week 1 picks — Lions, Ravens, Bears, Bills, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, Packers and Cowboys — and also said he still thinks Seattle is the team to beat in the NFC West. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5bc3755c-9b84-484f-b8f2-b18d51a12261 (scored 100) ## More award picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Gregg Rosenthal on Tristan Wirfs: Rosenthal picked Patrick Mahomes for MVP, Micah Parsons for Defensive Player of the Year, Jahmyr Gibbs for Offensive Player of the Year, Aaron Glenn for Coach of the Year, Travis Hunter for both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, Bill Callahan for Assistant Coach of the Year and Tristan Wirfs for Protector of the Year. He also made depth-chart calls on Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/88928365-78fb-4f7b-84a4-0dd7856ba9cc (scored 0) - Jourdan Rodrigue on Penei Sewell: Rodrigue picked Patrick Mahomes for MVP, Jared Verse for Defensive Player of the Year, Ja'Marr Chase for Offensive Player of the Year, Mike Vrabel for Coach of the Year, TreVeyon Henderson for Offensive Rookie of the Year and Abdul Carter for Defensive Rookie of the Year, with Jesse Minter for Assistant Coach of the Year and Penei Sewell for Protector of the Year. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f3ba94ea-a935-4534-88e4-bb6027bf87ad (scored 0) - Brandon Sneide on Drake Maye: Snyder picks the Seahawks to beat the Patriots 31-23 in Super Bowl 60, believing Seattle pulls away late, and says Drake Maye will finish second in MVP voting behind Matthew Stafford. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1cf83e90-e59f-4c8f-941f-c732efcb4c03 (scored 0) - Chris Broussard on Cooper Kupp: Broussard picked New England to beat Seattle 24-21, with Drake May winning Super Bowl MVP, and named Cooper Kupp as his dark horse MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1247ee30-3338-4940-8fc9-977cc215ff59 (scored 0) - Eric Mangini on Drake Maye: Mangini picked the Patriots 23-20 with Drake May as Super Bowl MVP, and earlier named Kayshon Boutte ("Kaeshawn Booty") as his dark horse MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/332dce8c-f71c-4f26-a976-8f4615a9f9bd (scored 0) - Danny Parkins on Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Parkins picked Seattle to win 27-16 with Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Super Bowl MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/3667c28e-88b0-4d8e-bebd-6ef088550e4f (scored 0) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=nick-wright