quarterfinals

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Second Round

DIVISION 3

Lakewood St. Joseph d. Crescenta Valley, 3-2

Flintridge Prep d. North Torrance, 26-24, 21-25, 25-12, 25-14

Corona del Mar d. Burbank Burroughs, 3-2

Foothill d. South Pasadena, 3-0

Saugus d. Pasadena Poly, 25-22, 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-9

St. Margaret’s d. El Dorado, 19-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-15

Cypress d. Long Beach Wilson, 25-19, 25-11, 25-13

Millikan d. Village Christian, 3-2

DIVISION 5

Ontario Christian d. Downey, 3-1

Culver City d. San Marino, 25-21, 17-25, 25-11, 25-22

Gahr d. Orange County Pacifica Christian, 25-20, 14-25, 25-19, 25-21

Santa Barbara d. Sacred Heart LA, 3-1

Placentia Valencia at Alta Loma

Royal d. Valencia, 25-20, 25-20, 25-22

El Toro at San Gabriel, Monday at 6 p.m.

Chadwick d. Corona, 25-14, 25-19, 25-17

DIVISION 7

Elsinore d. Ontario, 3-1

San Jacinto Leadership Academy at Esperanza, Monday at 5 p.m.

West Valley d. Faith Baptist, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20

Bell Gardens d. Eisenhower, 25-18, 25-19, 16-25, 25-23

Cate d. Castaic, 3-1

Santa Fe d. Tustin, 3-0

Coastal Christian d. Pasadena, 25-19, 35-33, 20-25, 25-20

CAMS d. Geffen Academy, 3-1

DIVISION 9

Westminster La Quinta d. Beacon Hill, 3-0

Tarbut V’Torah at Avalon, Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Santa Ana Valley d. United Christian Academy, 3-0

Nogales d. Lawndale, 3-0

Nordhoff d. Estancia, 25-13, 17-25, 25-21, 25-17

Fairmont Prep d. Buena Park, 3-1

Riverside North d. Miller, 3-0

South El Monte d. Loara, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

Temecula Valley at Sierra Canyon

Mira Costa at Marymount

Harvard-Westlake at Mater Dei

San Juan Hills at Redondo Union

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 2

San Marcos at Long Beach Poly

Redlands at Santa Margarita

Bishop Montgomery at JSerra

West Ranch at Orange Lutheran

DIVISION 3

Flintridge Prep at Lakewood St. Joseph

Foothill at Corona Del Mar

St. Margaret’s at Saugus

Cypress at Millikan

DIVISION 4

La Canada at Marlborough

Dana Hills at Corona Santiago

Oak Park at Linfield Christian

Ventura at Paloma Valley

DIVISION 5

Culver City at Ontario Christian

Gahr at Santa Barbara

Alta Loma/Placentia Valencia at Royal

San Gabriel/El Toro vs. Chadwick

DIVISION 6

Garden Grove Pacifica at Pasadena Marshall

Arrowhead Christian at Cantwell-Sacred Heart

Wiseburn Da Vinci at Burbank Providence

Valley View at Capistrano Valley Christian

DIVISION 7

San Jacinto Leadership/Esperanza vs. Elsinore

West Valley at Bell Gardens

Santa Fe at Cate

Coastal Christian at CAMS

DIVISION 8

Malibu at Foothill Tech

Arroyo Valley at Schurr

Loma Linda Academy at Paramount

Artesia at Vistamar

DIVISION 9

Westminster La Quinta at Tarbut V’Torah/Avalon

Nogales at Santa Ana Valley

Nordhoff at Fairmont Prep

Riverside North at South El Monte

DIVISION 10

Colton at Thacher

Rosemead at Anaheim

San Luis Obispo Classical at Mesa Grande

Glendale Adventist at Moreno Valley

Note: Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 1; Division 1 Finals Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at Cerritos College; Finals (Divisions 2-10) Nov. 6-8 (sites & times TBA).

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Second Round

DIVISION 2

Bishop Amat 25, Cajon 0

Newbury Park 26, Portola 18

Ventura 40, Northwood 27

Corona Del Mar 7, Linfield Christian 6

Downey 25, San Clemente 6

Westlake 20, Beckman 6

El Toro 19, Aliso Niguel 18

Upland 33, Gahr 23

DIVISION 3

La Serna 20, Foothill 13

Sunny Hills 20, Moorpark 0

Long Beach Poly 26, Norco 7

Glendora 13, Millikan 12

Mission Viejo 20, Corona Santiago 6

El Modena 25, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Eastvale Roosevelt 16, Santa Paula 13

La Habra 27, Bellflower 8

DIVISION 4

Canyon Springs 26, Temecula Prep 13

West Ranch 19, Inglewood 6

Riverside King 41, Gardena Serra 25

Great Oak 25, Schurr 18

Temecula Valley 33, St. Mary’s Academy 22

Riverside Poly 20, Chaminade 14

Compton 25, Claremont 13

Royal 14, Antelope Valley 6

DIVISION 5

Moreno Valley 13, Quartz Hill 12

Rancho Alamitos 18, San Gorgonio 7

Norte Vista 19, Northview 13

Castaic 14, Hacienda Heights Wilson 12

Don Lugo 12, Azusa 6

Anaheim 20, Long Beach Jordan 19

Vasquez 12, Westridge 0

Vista Murrieta 7, Buena Park 0

DIVISION 6

Leuzinger 25, Brentwood 13

Cerritos 8, Montebello 6

Loara 18, Garey 14

Adelanto 12, Artesia 7

Estancia 13, El Rancho 6

Alemany 12, Paramount 6

Palm Desert 13, Gabrielino 7

Hillcrest 20, Godinez 6

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

JSerra at Santa Margarita

Dos Pueblos at Edison

Huntington Beach at Camarillo, 7 p.m.

Orange Lutheran at San Marcos

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-6) Oct. 28; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 1; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 7-8 at Fred Kelly Stadium.

SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

(All games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

DIVISION 2
Bishop Amat at Cypress
Cajon at Redlands East Valley
Shadow Hills at Portola
Tesoro at Newbury Park
Fullerton at Ventura
Northwood at Woodbridge
Corona Del Mar at Agoura
Palos Verdes at Linfield Christian
San Dimas at Downey
San Clemente at Yorba Linda
Bonita at Beckman
Westlake at Mater Dei
Warren at Aliso Niguel
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at El Toro
Western Christian at Upland
Gahr at Beaumont

DIVISION 3
La Serna at Mira Costa
Foothill at Ayala
Moorpark at South Hills
Sunny Hills at California
Hemet at Norco
Long Beach Poly at Villa Park
Placenita Valencia at Millikan
Glendora at Torrance
Irvine University at Mission Viejo
Patriot at Corona Santiago
Santa Monica at El Modena
Kaiser at Rancho Cucamonga
Sonora at Eastvale Roosvelt
Channel Islands at Santa Paula
Chino at Bellflower
San Marino at La Habra

DIVISION 4
Alta Loma at Temecula Prep
Canyon Springs at West Covina
Laguna Hills at Inglewood
West Ranch at Chaparral
Loma Linda Academy at Riverside King
Ramona at Gardena Serra
North Torrance at Schurr
Great Oak at Covina
Temecula Valley at Corona
St. Mary’s Academy at La Palma Kennedy
Temescal Canyon at Riverside Poly
Murrieta Mesa at Chaminade
La Canada at Claremont
Compton at Sierra Vista
Royal at Hart
Serrano at Antelope Valley

DIVISION 5
Lancaster at Quartz Hill
Moreno Valley at Jurupa Hills
Rancho Alamitos at Lawndale
Rialto at San Gorgonio
Orange at Norte Vista
El Segundo at Northview
Montclair at Hacienda Heights Wilson
Castaic at Highland
Elsinore at Don Lugo
Valley View at Azusa
Anaheim at San Jacinto Valley
Costa Mesa at Long Beach Jordan
Windward at Westridge
Vasquez at South El Monte
Buena Park at St. Paul
Garden Grove at Vista Murrieta

DIVISION 6
Pioneer at Brentwood
Norwalk at Leuzinger
Westminster La Quinta at Montebello
Saddleback at Cerritos
Miller at Garey
Bell Gardens at Loara
Tahquitz at Artesia
Los Amigos at Adelanto
Ramona Convent at El Rancho
Estancia at Palm Springs
SEED LA at BIshop Alemany
Fontana at Paramount
Workman at Gabrielino
Indian Springs at Palm Desert
Godinez at Rosemead
Pomona at Hillcrest

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

DIVISION 1
Trabuco Hills at JSerra
Anaheim Canyon at Santa Margarita
Edison at Newport Harbor
Etiwanda at Dos Pueblos
Esperanza at Huntington Beach
Oxnard at Camarillo
Lakewood St. Joseph at San Marcos
Redondo Union at Orange Lutheran

Note: Second round (Divisions 2-6) Oct. 25; Quarterfinals (Division 1), Oct. 27; Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-6) Oct. 28; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 1; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 7-8 at Fred Kelly Stadium.

World number one Luke Humphries moved into the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix in Leicester with a comfortable 3-1 win over Krzysztof Ratajski.

Humphries, 30, was champion in 2023 and runner-up last year, and reached the last eight after a half-time adjustment – hitting six 180s and averaging 95.58 at the ‘double in, double out’ tournament.

He said: “I went off at the break and said to myself ‘you must be doing something different because you don’t play like this usually’.

“So I slowed my throw down and I started hitting the trebles. On the practice board I am hitting everything and then I am going out there and not, so I needed to change something.”

Fourth seed Stephen Bunting was dumped out by 2021 semi-finalist Danny Noppert, while two-time world champion Gary Anderson breezed past Joe Cullen.

Cullen only averaged 68.05 and won just one leg.

Anderson told Sky Sports: “Joe was miles off tonight, his starting off is what cost him.

“My scoring came on at the end. It’s been a while since I went far in this tournament, it’s getting harder and harder for me.

“Darts is a joy but I still want to win.”

Reigning champion Mike de Decker is in action on Thursday against Luke Littler.

Wednesday’s World Grand Prix results:

Cameron Menzies 3-1 Rob Cross

Danny Noppert 3-1 Stephen Bunting

Luke Humphries 3-1 Krzysztof Ratajski

Joe Cullen 0-3 Gary Anderson

Thursday’s matches:

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Daryl Gurney

Jonny Clayton v Luke Woodhouse

Luke Littler v Mike de Decker

Gerwyn Price v Josh Rock

On any other day, Townsend, playing at her home major, would have been the crowd favourite.

On Sunday, the Louis Armstrong Stadium rode every high and low as she spurned eight match points before losing to Barbora Krejcikova in three sets to exit the women’s singles in the last 16.

But on the same stage in the doubles, she was playing against a partisan crowd.

Williams is, after all, a four-time champion at Flushing Meadows across the formats, winning back-to-back singles titles in 2000 and 2001 and earning two doubles titles alongside sister Serena in 1999 and 2009.

Across her career, she has fought back from wrist and back injuries as well as being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue.

This was her first appearance in the last eight of a Grand Slam since reaching the semi-finals in the singles in New York in 2017 and her first doubles quarter-final since winning Wimbledon in 2016.

But despite the raucous reception as she walked on to court, the match was one-way traffic.

The top seeds were relentless, winning 12 of the first13 points to race into a 3-0 lead.

Their success was met with polite, if muted, applause and it was not until the fourth game, when Williams rolled back the years with a bruising forehand winner off Siniakova’s serve, that the crowd erupted into life.

Williams later held her second service game to 15 but Townsend and Siniakova, who only dropped six points on serve throughout the match, had one foot in the last four after 22 minutes.

The second set proved more competitive, with Williams and Fernandez both holding their serves, but with their opponents sending down 12 winners and just two unforced errors, they could not get a foothold in the match.

Townsend and Czech Siniakova, who have yet to drop a set, will face fourth seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for a place in the final.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski – the sixth seeds – fought back from a set down to reach the third round of the men’s doubles with a 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 win over Monaco’s Hugo Nys and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

However, Briton Marcus Willis was knocked out as he and Karol Drzewiecki of Poland fell to 4-6 6-3 6-1 defeat by Czech pair Tomas Machac and Matej Vocel.

Venus Williams had made it to the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open women’s doubles competition five times. Each time, she was partnered with younger sister Serena Williams.

Venus Williams is back in the U.S. Open quarterfinals this year, for the first time since 2014, with new doubles partner Leylah Fernandez.

Williams’ retired sibling hasn’t made it to Flushing Meadows for any of this year’s action so far, but the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion made a plea for that to change following her and Fernandez’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zhang Shuai and Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday.

“She’s so happy for Leylah and I, and she’s given us advice,” Williams said of her sister during an on-court interview. “We just need her in the box. So, my message is: Serena, you need to show up.”

Williams was responding to a question about a recent TikTok post by Serena in which the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is watching Williams and Fernandez on TV and rolling her eyes. Once she notices she is being filmed, however, Serena forces some humorously fake-looking smiles.

“When you see your sister @Venus Williams has a new doubles partner @leylahanniefernandez and you are really happy she’s winning with someone else…” the caption reads.

Venus Williams called the post “very funny.”

The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam titles (including the U.S. Open in 1999 and 2009) and three Olympic gold medals as doubles partners. While Serena hasn’t played since the 2022 U.S. Open, Venus returned to the court after a lengthy hiatus for July’s D.C. Open.

At that tournament, the 45-year-old Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match with a first-round victory over 23-year-old Peyton Stearns. Williams also won a first-round doubles match with 23-year-old partner Hailey Baptiste.

At the U.S. Open, Williams lost her first-round singles match to 29-year-old Karolina Muchova in three sets. But she and Fernandez, a 22-year-old Canadian who played in the 2021 U.S. Open singles final, have been on a roll. They have yet to drop a set in three rounds of play.

Williams told reporters that Serena has actually been very supportive.

“She’s definitely coaching from afar, and she’s so excited,” Williams said. “She gets so nervous watching, and she’s got the kids watching. They’re all at home, just really on our side.”

Williams also addressed her earlier request for her sister to “show up” for Tuesday’s quarterfinal match against the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.

“If she came, it would be a dream for both of us,” Williams said. “We’d have her on the court coaching. And we’d force her to hit, even though she doesn’t hit often.”

She added with a laugh,”So it’s probably best she doesn’t come because we’d just like, probably bully her.”

Williams, a seven-time singles and 14-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion, is playing her 25th US Open.

She won the first of her two women’s doubles titles in New York with younger sister Serena in 1999, three years before Fernandez was born.

Addressing Williams in her on-court interview, former US Open singles runner-up Fernandez said: “Seeing you play on court with the same big smile you had back then is so inspirational and motivates me to keep going. I love that you love tennis.”

It is the first time that Williams has reached the quarter-finals of a major since winning the Wimbledon title, also alongside Serena, in 2016.

Asked if she had a message for her younger sibling, Williams joked: “She’s so happy for Leylah and I, she’s given us advice and we just need her in the box, so my message is ‘Serena, you need to show up!'”

Their quarter-final opponents could be top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, whose third-round match had not begun when Williams and Fernandez left the court having signed autographs for many of their waiting supporters.

For Alexandrova, it was the second defeat of the day on Louis Armstrong Stadium, having earlier been knocked out of the singles by Iga Swiatek on the same court.

American Jessica Pegula says completing an escape room with friends helped her rediscover her form and embark on a run to the US Open quarter-finals.

Fourth seed Pegula needed just 54 minutes to beat a nervous Ann Li 6-1 6-2 on Sunday and keep alive her hopes of winning a career-first Grand Slam.

In the last eight she will face 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who saved eight match points on her way to beating home hopeful Taylor Townsend 1-6 7-6 (15-13) 6-3 in a thrilling match.

Pegula, 31, has endured a difficult summer, with a humbling first-round exit at Wimbledon followed by early round exits at WTA events in Washington, Montreal and Cincinnati.

“I felt terrible coming into this tournament, honestly,” Pegula said after beating compatriot Li.

After quitting midway through a practice session with world number one Aryna Sabalenka days before the US Open, Pegula’s mood improved after a night out with friends.

“[We] went and did an escape room with my friends and had, like, two drinks and [realised] I need to just chill and stop getting so frustrated and overthinking all these practices,” she said.

Pegula – who enjoyed a superb run to the final at Flushing Meadows 12 months ago – looked much closer to her best on Sunday as she broke Li six times on her way to victory.

“I know when she’s serving well and has confidence she’s really dangerous,” Pegula said of Li, who she beat in a much tighter match at the French Open back in May.

“I felt like she came out a little slow and nervous and I wanted to jump on that and not let her feel comfortable for a second, that was my motivation all match.”

The Galaxy needed a regulation victory and win by at least two goals to qualify for the knockout-round quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup.

Mission accomplished.

Joseph Paintsil scored in the first minute and Matheus Nascimento tallied in the 39th minute to spark a 4-0 victory against overmatched Santos Laguna of Liga MX on Thursday night at Dignity Healthy Sports Park.

The Galaxy, which have endured a nightmarish season in MLS, played like a different team, setting the tempo early with Paintsil tucking in the ball at the right post thanks to an assist by Mauricio Cuevas.

The Galaxy struck again when a sliding Nascimento tapped in the ball past goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo off a long cross from Cuevas to make it 2-0.

In the 45th minute, Choco Lozano was shown his second yellow card to leave Santos Laguna short-handed.

Defender Maya Yoshida then added a goal during injury time to give the Galaxy a 3-0 advantage at the half. Yoshida collected a rebound after a long shot by Paintsil and buried it.

At the end of the first half, midfielder Ramiro Sordo was also shown a red card and Santos Laguna was left with nine players to open the second half.

Substitute Lucas Sanabria scored in the second half off a nice feed from Yoshida in the 74th minute for the Galaxy’s final goal.

The victory moved the Galaxy from the fifth seed among the MLS standings to the third seed, passing the Portland Timbers and No. 4 seed Orlando City.

The Leagues Cup quarterfinals — comprised of four MLS teams and four Liga MX teams — will be held Aug. 19-20. The Galaxy will take on Pachuca in the quarterfinal.

Naomi Osaka lost just one game as she outplayed Anastasija Sevastova to reach the Canadian Open quarter-finals in Montreal.

The four-time Grand Slam champion took just 49 minutes to wrap up a 6-1 6-0 victory against the 35-year-old Latvian, who had knocked out defending champion Jessica Pegula in the previous round.

Japan’s Osaka, a winner twice at the US and Australian Opens, is seeking her first title since returning from maternity leave early in 2024.

The 27-year-old parted with coach Patrick Mouratoglou after less than a year and is now working with Poland’s Tomasz Wiktorowski, former coach of Iga Swiatek.

“I had a solid plan coming in here and it just happened to work out pretty well,” said Osaka, currently ranked 49 in the world.

American Madison Keys had to fight back to beat Czech Karolina Muchova 4-6 6-3 7-5 in two hours and 20 minutes.

Teenager Victoria Mboko produced the shock of the tournament as she defeated top seed Coco Gauff to reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open in Montreal.

The 18-year-old Canadian, who was handed a wildcard entry into the main draw, needed just 62 minutes to defeat the two-time Grand Slam champion 6-1 6-4 and continue her meteoric rise up the rankings.

Mboko converted four of five break points against Gauff and has now dropped just one set in four matches at the tournament.

“Coming into the match, I was so locked in,” Mboko said.

“I tried to keep my composure as much as I could, especially playing in front of so many people. This is a very special experience for me.”

She began the year ranked 333rd in the world, and proceeded to win 22 successive matches without dropping a set on her way to securing five titles on the second-tier ITF Tour.

Mboko entered the tournament ranked 85th, but victory against Gauff will move her up to 53rd, and in the quarter-finals she will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ranked just two places higher.

Gauff once again struggled with her serve, committing six double faults to take her tournament total to 43 in three matches.

“I think she’s going to have a lot of success on tour. I’m sure we’re going to have many more battles in the future,” Gauff said.

Meanwhile, second seed Iga Swiatek cruised into the last 16 with a 6-2 6-2 victory against Eva Lys.

In Toronto Casper Ruud suffered a 6-4 7-5 defeat against Karen Khachanov, before top seed Alexander Zverev advanced to the quarter-finals with a walkover victory against Francisco Cerundolo.

Fifth seed Holger Rune threw away an early lead to lose 6-4 2-6 3-6 to Australian Alexei Popyrin.

With close to half a million fans attending the group-stage games, the UEFA Women’s Euros has attracted attention like never before.

Now, the spotlight shifts to the knockout stages, where the stakes are high and the pressure even higher.

Eight teams remain in contention to lift the trophy, with hosts Switzerland reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. World champions Spain have lived up to their billing as the team to beat at the competition, while holders England advanced after overcoming an early scare.

Here’s how the Euro 2025 quarterfinals line up:

⚽ First quarterfinal: Norway vs Italy

When: Wednesday, July 16 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stade de Geneve, Geneva

With a perfect nine points, Norway finished on top of Group A as expected, but they lack cohesion. The two-time European champions conceded five goals in the opening round – the most among the table toppers of the four groups.

Nonetheless, the experienced duo of striker Ada Hegerberg and winger Caroline Graham Hansen has proven to be vital for the Norwegians, who have an excellent opportunity for a deep run with Italy their quarterfinal opponent.

The Italians, who finished second in Group B, will be playing in the knockouts for the first time since 2013. Top-four finishers at six of the first seven Euro tournaments, Le Azzure have endured a barren spell since and have made the knockout round only twice in the 21st century.

But after surviving a tricky group stage – registering a win, a draw and a defeat – the Italians believe their best football is ahead of them in the last-eight.

“We have a great desire to do well, to continue dreaming, to continue writing important pages of a story that is only at the beginning,” midfielder Annamaria Serturini said before the quarterfinals.

The winner of this match will face either Sweden or England in the semifinals.

⚽ Second quarterfinal: Sweden vs England

When: Thursday, July 17 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich

After an opening match defeat which raised serious doubts about their title defence, England bounced back in style with consecutive statement wins, reaffirming their status as one of the heavyweights.

Thanks to the attacking prowess of Lauren James, Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway, the holders scored a combined 10 goals in their last two matches, finishing second in Group D.

In the quarterfinals, the Lionesses will be up against familiar foes, Sweden, whom they smashed 4-0 at the same stage during their Euro 2022-winning campaign.

“Sweden are a fantastic team, they’re relentless in the way they go about their game,” England captain Leah Williamson said.

“I think they sort of avoid the expectation of every tournament, and nobody really talks about them, [which is] slightly disrespectful, I think, because they always show up. They always seem to pose a threat to most teams, and normally come out with a medal or [be] a semifinal team, so they’re a strong team. We’re looking forward to the fixture.”

The Swedes laid down a marker with a sensational 4-1 win against a powerful Germany outfit on July 12, sealing the top spot in Group C and laying the groundwork for a revenge victory against England in Thursday’s quarterfinal in Zurich.

⚽ Third quarterfinal: Spain vs Switzerland

When: Friday, July 18 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stadion Wankdorf, Bern

Playing in the Euro knockout stage for the first time, hosts Switzerland face their biggest test yet against reigning world champions and title favourites Spain.

La Roja, who topped Group B with three wins in as many games, looked unstoppable in the opening round, scoring a tournament-high 14 goals while conceding just three.

Twice Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas once again grabbed the spotlight with three goals and four assists, while striker Esther Gonzalez has led the scoring charts with four goals.

Switzerland, who finished second in Group A, are the underdogs in this contest but will undoubtedly count on passionate home nation support in Bern as their youthful side strives for an unlikely upset.

“I think none of us expected things to happen in Switzerland – sold out crowds… Everything is blowing up way bigger than we ever expected,” Swiss captain Lia Walti said.

“We couldn’t even imagine having this when we were little,” added defender Viola Calligaris. “And now it’s like this for every match. We felt the people cheering – that really gives you strength.”

The winner of this match will face France or Germany in the semifinals.

⚽ Fourth quarterfinal: France vs Germany

When: Saturday, July 19 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: St Jakob-Park, Basel

France enter the quarterfinals in scintillating form, advancing as table toppers in what many had dubbed the “group of death”.

Scoring 11 times in the opening round, including a 5-2 thrashing of the highly-touted Netherlands outfit, France proved why they are the dark horses at this year’s tournament. Attacking winger Delphine Cascarino and striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto are both in stupendous form and have scored two goals a piece in the group stage.

“When it comes to Germany, it’s a very big nation,” Cascarino said. “They won several trophies and they have already knocked out others, so we know it’s going to be a great game… we’re going to try to find the cracks and win.”

For the eight-time record champions Germany, who finished second in Group C, defensive frailties remain a concern, especially after their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Sweden in the last group match.

The last time these sides clashed was in February 2024 with France defeating Germany 2-1 to reach the first UEFA Women’s Nations League final. A victory on Saturday would also avenge France’s painful defeat to Germany in the Euro 2022 semifinals.

The atmosphere inside the Olympic Stadium in Rabat was crackling with anticipation ahead of kick-off between Morocco and Senegal and, for the first time this tournament, there was not a spare seat to be seen.

Pounding drums helped lift the volume further, while giant Moroccan flags waved in a stiff breeze that made conditions far cooler once the sun went down.

But fans hoping to be entertained by two teams who had found goalscoring easy in their first two group games were left disappointed by a stop-start affair that often threatened to become ill-tempered.

While the decision for Mrabet’s goal was the most important intervention of the evening, the assistant referees’ flags also played a key role.

Both teams had the ball in the net during the 90 minutes, only to see the goals ruled out by a late flags for offside. Jraidi and Senegal forward Nguenar Ndiaye also saw the flag go up following good chances they failed to finish.

While most of those offside decisions were clear, VAR had to intervene again in added time at the end of the game after Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak found the back of the net.

Referee Nabadda was also busy keeping discipline in what developed into a niggly affair, issuing a total of seven yellow cards.

While Senegal huffed and puffed, the West Africans never really looked like creating much in the way of clear chances.

The hosts always looked the superior footballing side and saw Chebbak and Jraidi also spurn excellent opportunities that were onside.

Topping the group means Morocco stay in the capital for their quarter-final on Friday, while Zambia remain in Mohammedia for their clash the same day.

If Senegal do manage to progress, the Lionesses of Teranga will travel to Oujda to take on the winners of Group C next Saturday.

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic battled back from a sluggish start to overcome an inspired Alex de Minaur and reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

With longtime rival Roger Federer watching on from the Royal Box, Serbia’s Djokovic put in a error-strewn opener and had to fight back from 4-1 down in the fourth set to win 1-6 6-4 6-4 6-4.

The 38-year-old endured an uncomfortable three hours and 18 minutes on Centre Court against Australian 11th seed De Minaur but he is now within three wins of another piece of history.

Djokovic is bidding to equal Federer’s record of eight men’s singles titles at Wimbledon, as well as a standalone record 25th Grand Slam title.

He will face Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli for a place in the semi-finals, where he could meet world number one Jannik Sinner.

More to follow.

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz produced an impressive fightback to overcome Andrey Rublev and set up a Wimbledon quarter-final against Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

Alcaraz edged a step closer to becoming only the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles with a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over the Russian 14th seed under the Centre Court roof.

The 22-year-old Spaniard clinched his only break point in both the second and third sets to turn the match around, before a single break of serve again proved enough to end Rublev’s admirable resistance in the fourth.

Alcaraz will face Norrie for a semi-final place after the British number three withstood a fightback from Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry to win in five sets.

More to follow.

Désiré Doué scored in the 78th minute, and Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer to another trophy with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup on Saturday, a game marred by a gruesome injury to young German star Jamal Musiala.

With PSG two men down after a pair of late red cards and Bayern throwing everyone forward, Ousmane Dembélé added an insurance goal deep into stoppage time to send the French powerhouse on to the semifinals Wednesday.

Dembélé, whose goal was set up by Achraf Hakimi’s brilliant dribbling through five Bayern defenders, celebrated by sitting with his legs crossed to honor Liverpool player Diogo Jota, who was killed along with his brother in a car wreck early Thursday. A moment of silence was held before the opening kick.

“We do what we have to do to take the victory,” Hakimi said. “We are really happy. We know Bayern is one of the teams that plays similarly to us. They are a strong team. It was a really good effort today, a really good game.”

PSG, which claimed its first Champions League title with a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan five weeks ago, broke a scoreless deadlock when João Neves stole the ball from Harry Kane near the halfway line to send the French team sprinting toward the Bayern goal.

Neves got the ball back off a give-and-go and found Doué lurking just outside the top of the area. His left-footed shot caught Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer flat-footed as it skidded inside the right post.

But PSG had to hold on for dear life to preserve the win after Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández were both sent off with red cards. Pacho was called for a reckless challenge and Hernandez earned red for doling out an elbow.

Bayern had two apparent goals flagged for offside, including a header by Kane. In the waning seconds, the German club was awarded a penalty kick, only to have it waved off after a video review.

Musiala’s injury marred the outcome. As he chased a loose ball near the end line in first-half stoppage time, PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma darted off his spot and dived for it — only to crash into the left ankle of the 22-year-old German.

As Musiala rolled over, his foot dangled awkwardly, the ankle appearing to be cleanly broken.

Donnarumma walked away with the ball but kneeled down in horror when he looked back and realized the seriousness of the injury.

A stretcher was immediately summoned to take Musiala off the field.

Real Madrid beats Borussia Dortmund

Kylian Mbappé’s spectacular bicycle kick was among three goals in second-half stoppage time, and Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a Club World Cup quarterfinal match as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois used his fingertips to palm away the potential tying goal on the game’s final play.

Gonzalo García and Fran García scored in the first 20 minutes as Madrid built a 2-0 lead.

Courtois used all of the lengthy arm on his 6-foot-7 frame to tip away Marcel Sabitzer’s shot just before the final whistle.

Chelsea wins, reaches semifinal

Chelsea scored the go-ahead goal on Malo Gusto’s 83rd-minute shot that went in after a pair of deflections, beating Brazilian club Palmeiras 2-1 on Friday night in Philadelphia for a spot in the Club World Cup semifinals. Chelsea will meet Fluminense on Tuesday at noon.

An official attendance of 34,063 was announced on Wednesday – a big step for women’s football in Switzerland.

They were selected to host Euro 2025 in a bidding process which saw them beat Poland, France and a joint bid from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Uefa’s head of women’s football Nadine Kessler said Switzerland were the underdogs in the bidding process and challenged them to “make something out of it”.

Switzerland want to replicate England’s success as hosts three years ago and hope Euro 2025 can be a springboard to help grow their domestic women’s game.

The Swiss Women’s Super League is not yet professional. Attendances have risen in the build-up to Euro 2025 and Young Boys set an attendance record of 10,647 in March, but last season’s average attendance across the league was just 569.

With issues surrounding infrastructure, accessibility and pay, there is the sense that Euro 2025 could be the turning point that Swiss women’s football needs.

“Right now, women’s football isn’t in a great place in Switzerland,” journalist Helene Altgelt told the BBC.

“The league is severely underfunded, most teams aren’t professional, many teams aren’t playing in a real stadium so there is no actual stands. This is unacceptable for women’s football in 2025.

“The federation has realised this and now the Euros can be a great moment to kickstart that change and ensure women’s football is going to be professional and more girls can live their dream of actually living by playing football and not having three side hustles or studying.”

The Swiss Football Association has implemented an ambitious legacy programme that hopes to double the number of girls and women playing football in Switzerland from 40,000 to 80,000. It also hopes to double the number of coaches and increase attendances in the league by 2027.

As Sundhage said, this moment will never come back, but the signs are positive that women’s football can grow significantly in Switzerland.

A win or ideally two from their team over the next week, however, would go a long way to making sure of that.

EXPLAINER

Two all-European clashes, Brazilian flair and a Saudi surprise form the last-eight clashes of the Club World Cup.

Eight teams from across three continents have their sights set on the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 trophy as the tournament enters the second stage of its knockout matches.

After an extra-time thriller, two major upsets, three close encounters and two thumping wins, the quarterfinal lineup for the tournament has been completed as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund became the last two teams to seal their spots.

The last-eight stage pits four European giants against each other, provides a Middle Eastern club the chance to build on their deserved success and two Brazilian teams the opportunity to take the continent further.

Here’s how the Club World Cup quarterfinal lineup looks:

⚽ First quarterfinal : Fluminense vs Al Hilal

When: Friday, July 4 at 3pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Emotions will run high and the stands will be replete with colour and noise when one of Brazil’s oldest football clubs take on Saudi Arabia’s football giants Al Hilal at the 65,000-capacity venue in Florida.

Al Hilal will ride on the high of beating the tournament’s defending champions Manchester City 4-3 in an extra-time thriller in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history on Tuesday.

Their Brazilian opponents, too, achieved similar success as they ousted Italian giants and UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan in a 2-0 win.

There will be no lack of noise and colour when fans of the two underdogs descend upon the Camping World Stadium on Friday.

⚽ Second quarterfinal : Palmeiras vs Chelsea

When: Friday, July 4 at 9pm (01:00 GMT, July 5 )
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Palmeiras, the second Brazilian club to enter the quarterfinals, will face the former English champions Chelsea in Friday’s second quarterfinal in Philadelphia.

Runners-up in the last season of Serie A, the top tier of Brazil’s club football, Palmeiras beat compatriots Botafogo in a heated clash in the round of 16 and have been one of the strongest defensive lineups in the tournament.

Their opponents, who won the Club World Cup in 2021, will look to move past a disappointing season at home and enter the business end of the competition for a chance to lift a trophy.

The last-eight clash will be the final match held at the 69,000-capacity Lincoln Field stadium.

The winner will face the team that emerges victorious from the Al Hilal vs Fluminense match in the first semifinal.

⚽ Third quarterfinal : PSG vs Bayern Munich

When: Saturday, July 5 at 12pm (16:00 GMT)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Arguably, the biggest clash of the quarterfinals pits two of the three title favourites remaining in the competition.

A win over German giants Bayern will consolidate European champions PSG‘s pedigree as one of the biggest clubs in the world and offer them a chance to complete a sensational season quadruple.

Bayern are the joint top goal-scoring team in the competition, with 16 goals in their four games so far, but their attack will be tested against the French champions at the 75,000-capacity stadium in Georgia.

⚽ Fourth quarterfinal: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

When: Saturday, July 5 at 4pm (20:00 GMT)
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

The undisputed kings of the Club World Cup will come face-to-face with the German team that consistently finds itself amongst the best European clubs.

Real have welcomed back their star forward Kylian Mbappe and will hope he returns to his goalscoring form in a tough last-eight clash against a talented Dortmund team.

The match at the tournament’s biggest stadium and the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final will provide a test for the organisers, whether they can fill up a huge stadium with fans of one of the most widely followed clubs in the world.

The winner of this clash will meet the winner of the PSG-Bayern match in the second semifinal.

Next up: #FIFACWC Quarter-Finals. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/T49Cj3bOOy

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) July 2, 2025