The round of 32 is nearly complete, with several teams already set to play in the round of 16, including tournament co-hosts U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Here’s everything you need to know about World Cup knockout stage matches being played Friday, Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).
Friday’s round of 32 matches
Australia vs. Egypt
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring against New Zealand on June 21.
The buzz: Australia finished second to the U.S. in its group but stumbled into the round of 32, going 195 minutes without a goal. It’s the first time since 1974 that Australia has gone scoreless in consecutive World Cup games. The Socceroos are playing in the knockout stage for the third time in 20 years but have yet to win an elimination game. Unbeaten Egypt also finished second in its group, on a goal-differential tiebreaker. Its five goals have come from five players. The Pharaohs, Africa’s oldest national team, will be playing in the second round for the first time.
Argentina vs. Cape Verde
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, left, and Jordan’s Noussair Mazraoui battle for the ball on June 27.
(Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. Time: 3 p.m. TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: The last World Cup loss for Argentina came in its 2022 opener, making its nine-game unbeaten run the longest under one coach since 1986, the year it won its second championship. Speaking of streaks, when Lionel Messi came off the bench to score in the group finale, it gave him goals in a record seven consecutive World Cup games. He is tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race, having scored six of Argentina’s eight goals. Unbeaten Cape Verde is playing in the World Cup for the first time, advancing to the knockout stages behind three straight draws, two of them clean sheets by Vozinha, the team’s 40-year-old keeper. It is the first debutant to go unbeaten in the group stage since Senegal in 2002. The smallest country ever to advance out of World Cup group play, Cape Verde had just seven shots on target in the group stage.
Colombia vs. Ghana
Colombia’s Gustavo Puerta reacts during a match against Portugal on June 27.
The buzz: Unbeaten Colombia won its group but scored just once in its final two games. It’s 59 shots tied for third in the group stage, but just four of those found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, on the other hand, has been called on to make just four saves. Ghana is back in the knockout stages for the first time since 2010, advancing as a third-place team.
Saturday’s round of 16 matches
Canada vs. Morocco
Canada’s Alphonso Davies plays against South Africa on June 28.
The buzz: Canada, the first World Cup host to play outside its borders, eliminated South Africa on a stoppage-time goal from LAFC midfielder Stephen Eustáquio at SoFi Stadium in the team’s first-ever elimination game. Playing again in the U.S., Canada could be even stronger and more confident with Alphonso Davies back from injury. Morocco, one of nine African teams to reach the knockout stages, got a stoppage-time goal from defender Issa Diop to send its round-of-32 game with the Netherlands to penalty kicks, then got a big save from keeper Yassine Bounou to knock off another major European power. Four years ago, Morocco eliminated Spain on penalties.
Paraguay vs. France
France’s Kylian Mbappé scores against Sweden on June 30.
(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Time: 2 p.m. TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Paraguay, the third-place team from Group D, was dominated by Germany everywhere but on the scoreboard, stunning the four-time champion on penalties in the upset of the tournament. Germany had the ball 76% of the time and outshot Paraguay 21-7, but Paraguayan keeper Orlando Gill was phenomenal, especially in the shootout. France has been the dominant team of this World Cup, winning all four of its games while outsourcing opponents 13-2. Captain Kylian Mbappé has six of those goals.
Sunday’s round of 16 matches
Brazil vs. Norway
Norway’s Erling Haaland celebrates after a win over the Ivory Coast on June 30.
The buzz: Brazil rallied from a halftime deficit to eliminate Japan, 2-1, on a stoppage-time goal from second-half substitute Gabriel Martinelli. That kept alive a couple of streaks: Brazil has made it to the round of 16 in every World Cup since 1966, while Japan has yet to win an elimination game. Norway, playing in the tournament for the first time since Erling Haaland was born, has gotten five goals from its captain, including the winner in the 86th minute of his team’s round-of-32 victory over Ivory Coast, Norway’s first-ever win in the knockout rounds.
Mexico vs. England
England’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 1.
The buzz: Mexico rode a pair of first-half goals to a 2-0 win over Ecuador, its first victory in the knockout stages since 1986, the last time the World Cup was played in Mexico. El Tri is averaging two goals a game and has yet to concede one. A win here, in the smoggy and thin air of Azteca, would send Mexico to the quarterfinals, again for the first time since 1986. England, meanwhile, needed two goals from Harry Kane in the last 15 minutes to get past the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kane has scored five of England’s eight goals.
Four wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.
Who: Canada vs Morocco What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 16 Where: Houston Stadium, Texas, US When: Saturday, July 4, at noon (17:00 GMT) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 14:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.
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The Round of 16 gets under way on Saturday with World Cup cohosts Canada taking on Morocco in Houston, Texas.
It marks a historic day for Canadian football, with the men’s team set to play in the last-16 for the first time in their history, thanks to a dramatic late victory over South Africa.
But in their bid to extend a dream run, Canada face a daunting challenge against Morocco, who stunned the Netherlands on penalties to punch their ticket to this round.
The African champions, semifinalists of the last edition, are unbeaten at this year’s tournament and have grown stronger with every game.
Al Jazeera tells you everything about Canada vs Morocco:
How did Canada and Morocco reach the Round of 16?
Canada came second in Group B with four points, securing a win over Qatar and a draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina. They lost to Switzerland in the final group game. The Canadians beat South Africa 1-0 in the round of 32.
Morocco were second in Group C with seven points, winning against Scotland and Haiti, and holding Brazil to a draw. In the Round of 32, they scored a late equaliser to force the game to extra time before beating the Netherlands 3-2 in a thrilling shootout.
Can Canada pass the Moroccan test to extend dream run?
Canada are the underdogs in this last-16 game, sitting 24 places below world number six Morocco in the FIFA rankings. But after breaking numerous records at the tournament – including earning their first World Cup point and winning their first game – their campaign is nothing less than a success.
“Preparing for Morocco is like a gory, horrible nightmare,” coach Jesse Marsch said. “[But] we want to be here and we expect to be here. So we know that everybody’s going to write us off, and in that is an opportunity.”
For Morocco, the game against Canada is just another hurdle in the deep run they are hoping for this summer in North America. Four years on from stunning Spain and Portugal to become the first Arab and African nation to reach the semifinals, Morocco have arrived with bigger ambitions and increased expectations.
“If we get things wrong, we’ll go home,” Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi said. “We need to ensure that we have all the tools and we’re using the tools in our arsenal to go as far as we can.”
Canada will be wary of Morocco’s talismanic forward Ismael Saibari, their top scorer with three goals and the newly signed Bayern Munich player who also scored the winning spot-kick to send them to the round of 16.
Canada vs Morocco prediction
The Opta supercomputer gives Morocco a 52.7 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Canada is at 21.7 percent.
The model estimates a 25.6 percent probability of the game going to extra time.
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
Fans of Canada pose for a photograph inside the stadium before their last-32 match against South Africa in Inglewood, California [Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP]
Who will the winner face in the quarterfinals?
The winner of the Canada vs Morocco match will face either France or Paraguay in the quarterfinals in Boston on Thursday.
Canada vs Morocco: Head-to-head
The two teams have met four times, with Morocco winning on three occasions, while one game ended in a draw.
Canada are winless against Morocco, who won 2-1 in their last meeting, a group game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Canada vs Morocco: Team news
Ismael Kone is out with a broken ankle. Alphonso Davies played his first minutes at the tournament in the last game as a 75th-minute substitute and could start against Morocco.
No injuries have been reported in the Morocco camp.
From Liana Handler: Roki Sasaki’s abysmal appearance faded away in the Dodgers’ 12-7 win over the San Diego Padres after the Dodgers roared back from a 6-0 deficit as Andy Pages skirted a tying double down the left-field line, and Mookie Betts and Max Muncy each drove in runs to give them the lead. All of which sent the sellout crowd into jubilant celebrations, some jumping, others breaking out World Cup chants.
“I don’t know,” manager Dave Roberts said of the team’s ability to turn the game around. “Thankfully, it played out the way I didn’t expect, or the way it started.”
By the time the game ended, Sasaki’s three-inning start seemed like a murky nightmare the Dodgers awoke from in a sweat. Except the Dodgers weren’t dreaming, and the team hadn’t done much to assuage the concerns with Sasaki.
The problem with Sasaki isn’t his stuff. On his best nights, when the velocity and command combine, Sasaki blows past batters with a triple-digit fastball and cutting off-speed pitches. The problem has been how to tick the radar without making the strike zone look like a Jackson Pollock painting — and recently, it has.
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World Cup: U.S. team maintains focus before Belgium match
Its three wins are the most in a single tournament. So are the 10 goals in four games. It has the best goal differential ever and its two shutouts ties a record.
Yet all that means absolutely nothing to the players.
“They’re great milestones,” captain Tim Ream said. “But I don’t think anybody’s even once mentioned the different things that we’re doing. We’re focused on what we’re doing daily on the training ground, because that puts us in the best possible position to to put these performances.
“So yeah, not aware or even worried about records that we’re breaking.”
Well, except for maybe one.
With Wednesday’s gritty 2-0 over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a game the U.S. finished with just 10 men, the Americans won a game in the World Cup knockout stage for just the second time. That sends them on to a round-of-16 meeting with Belgium on Monday in Seattle where a win would be — you guessed it — historic.
Round of 32 Spain 3, Austria 0 Portugal 2, Croatia 1 Switzerland 2, Algeria 0
Today’s World Cup TV schedule
All times Pacific Australia vs. Egypt, 11 a.m., Fox, Telemundo Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 3 p.m., Fox, Telemundo Colombia vs. Ghana, 6:30 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
World Cup round of 32 schedule, results
Round of 32 results Canada 1, South Africa 0 Brazil 2, Japan 1 Paraguay 1, Germany 1 (Paraguay wins on PK’s, 4-3) Morocco 1, Netherlands 1 (Morocco wins on PK’s, 3-2) Norway 2, Ivory Coast 1 France 3, Sweden 0 Mexico 2, Ecuador 0 England 2, DR Congo 1 Belgium 3, Senegal 2 U.S. 2, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 Spain 3, Austria 0 Portugal 2, Croatia 1 Switzerland 2, Algeria 0
All times Pacific Friday Australia vs. Egypt, 11 a.m., Fox, Telemundo Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 3 p.m., Fox, Telemundo Colombia vs. Ghana, 6:30 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Round of 16 schedule
All times Pacific All games on Fox and Telemundo
Saturday Canada vs. Morocco, 10 a.m. Paraguay vs. France, 2 p.m.
Sunday Brazil vs. Norway, 1 p.m., Mexico vs. England, 5 p.m.
Monday Portugal vs. Spain, noon U.S. vs. Belgium, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, July 7 Argentina or Cape Verde vs. Australia or Egypt, 9 a.m. Switzerland vs. Colombia or Ghana, 1 p.m.
Angels swept by Mariners
Bryce Miller took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners edged the Angels 1-0 on Thursday night to finish a three-game sweep.
Cal Raleigh coaxed a bases-loaded walk from rookie starter Walbert Ureña with two outs in the sixth to force home the only run. Seattle stayed tied with the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West at 45-43.
Andrés Muñoz pitched a shaky ninth for his 16th save. Muñoz gave up a leadoff walk and two singles but retired Wade Meckler on a grounder with two runners aboard to end it.
From Chuck Schilken: LeRoy Irvin, a cornerback and special teams player who made two Pro Bowls with the Rams in the 1980s, has died, the team said Thursday. He was 68.
Irvin holds the Rams record for most non-offensive touchdowns (11, including five interception returns, four punt returns, one fumble recovery return and one blocked field goal return). He also is tied with Janoris Jenkins and Ed Meador for most pick-sixes in team history.
“We mourn the loss of Rams Legend LeRoy Irvin,” the team wrote on social media. “We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
1920 — Suzanne Lenglen beats Dorothea Chambers a second straight year (6-3, 6-0) to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1925 — Suzanne Lenglen wins her sixth and final women’s singles title at Wimbledon, easily beating Joan Fry, 6-2, 6-0.
1931 — Max Schmeling knocks out Young Stribling at 2:46 of the 15th round to retain the world heavyweight title in Cleveland.
1951 — Sam Snead wins his third PGA Championship with a 7 and 6 victory over Walter Burkemo at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
1976 — Bjorn Borg beats Ilie Nastase 6-4, 6-2, 9-7, to win his first men’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1981 — Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Chris Evert beats Hana Mandlíková 6-2, 6-2 for her third and final Wimbledon singles title.
1982 — Martina Navratilova begins her streak of six straight singles titles at Wimbledon with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Chris Evert Lloyd. It’s the third Wimbledon singles title for Navratilova, all against Evert Lloyd.
1983 — Calvin Smith sets the 100-meter world record at Colorado Springs, with a run of 9.93 seconds. He breaks the previous record of 9.95 set by Jim Hines in 1968.
1983 — Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: American John McEnroe wins 5th career Grand Slam title; outclasses Chris Lewis of New Zealand 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
1994 — FIFA World Cup: In a huge upset Romania eliminates Argentina 3-2 from the round of 16 at the Rose Bowl.
2004 — Maria Sharapova, 17, wins her first Grand Slam title and instant celebrity by beating Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4. For the first time since 1999, none of the four major titles is held by a Williams.
2005 — Roger Federer wins his third consecutive Wimbledon title by beating Andy Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4. Federer is the third man since 1936 to win three straight Wimbledon crowns, joining seven-time champion Pete Sampras and five-time winner Bjorn Borg.
2006 — Annika Sorenstam wins the U.S. Women’s Open after 10 years of frustration and wins her 10th major championship. Sorenstam, who shot a 1-under 70 in the 18-hole playoff, beats Pat Hurst by four strokes for the largest margin of victory in a playoff at the major since Kathy Cornelius won by seven shots 50 years ago.
2006 — Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman officially retires from the NHL, finishing with 692 goals and 1,755 points.
2007 — The Alinghi team from Switzerland — a country more often associated with Alpine skiing and winter snowscapes — successfully defends sailing’s coveted America’s Cup, beating Emirates Team New Zealand 5-2.
2010 — Serena Williams wins her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship by sweeping Vera Zvonareva in straight sets in the women’s final. Williams, who finishes the tournament without dropping a set, takes 67 minutes to win 6-3, 6-2.
2011 — Novak Djokovic wins his first Wimbledon, beating defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. Djokovic, already guaranteed to take over the No. 1 ranking from the Spaniard on July 4, extends his mastery over Nadal this season with a fifth straight head-to-head victory.
2016 — Serena Williams overwhelms Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 in just 51 minutes on Centre Court at Wimbledon, advancing to the fourth round with her 300th career Grand Slam match win.
2018 — Feliciano Lopez makes history just by taking to the court at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old Spaniard breaks Roger Federer’s record by appearing in a 66th consecutive Grand Slam singles tournament, continuing a run that started at the 2002 French Open. Lopez beats Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Compiled by the Associated Press
This day in baseball history
1912 — Rube Marquard of the New York Giants raised his season record to 19-0 with a 2-1 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. His winning streak ended five days later against the Chicago Cubs.
1939 — Cleveland’s Ben Chapman ties the modern major-league record with three triples in a 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers.
1939 — Johnny Mize of St. Louis hit two home runs, a triple and a double, leading the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Mize drove in three runs and scored three times.
1947 — The Cleveland Indians purchased the contract of Larry Doby from the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League, making him the first Black player in the American League.
1966 — Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger became the first National League player to hit two grand slams in one game. He added a single for nine RBIs in a 17-3 triumph over San Francisco.
1968 — Cleveland’s Luis Tiant struck out 19, walked none in a six-hit 1-0, 10-inning triumph over Minnesota.
1970 — The Angels’ Clyde Wright used only 98 pitches to no-hit the Oakland A’s 4-0 at Anaheim Stadium.
1973 — Jim Perry of the Detroit Tigers and brother Gaylord of the Cleveland Indians faced each other for the only time as opposing pitchers. Neither finished the game. Gaylord took the loss, 5-4.
2006 — Manager Felipe Alou picked up his 1,000th victory in San Francisco’s 9-6 win over Colorado.
2013 — Max Scherzer worked into the seventh inning to become the first pitcher in 27 years to get off to a 13-0 start, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
2016 — Stephen Strasburg was removed from a no-hit bid after 6 2/3 innings, and Ramon Cabrera singled against Matt Belisle leading off the eighth for Cincinnati’s first hit in the Washington Nationals’ 12-1 rout of the Reds. Strasburg (11-0) threw 109 pitches, five shy of his season high. Strasburg won a franchise-record 14 straight decisions and is the first NL starter to begin a season 11-0 since San Diego’s Andy Hawkins in 1985.
2016 — Wilmer Flores went 6 for 6 with two of New York’s five home runs, and the Mets romped to a 14-3 win and a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs. Jon Lester gave up eight runs and nine hits in 1 1/3 innings, the shortest of his 301 career starts over 11 major league seasons.
2016 — New York’s Mark Teixeira hit his 400th and 401st home runs and Chad Green got his first big league victory as the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-3 win over San Diego.
2020 — Major League Baseball announces the cancellation of the 2020 All Star game in Dodger Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
One of the most-storied national teams – and the current world champions – face opponents who only first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013.
Cape Verde was a colony of Portugal when Argentina took part in the first World Cup in 1930, finishing runners-up to Uruguay.
La Albiceleste have only failed to qualify for one World Cup, in Mexico in 1970, though withdrew from the three tournaments either side of World War Two.
Argentina’s first World Cup success came in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3-1. In 1986, a 3-2 victory over West Germany took the trophy back to South America.
A third World Cup trophy was secured in Qatar four years ago, with France beaten on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
Argentina have enjoyed extensive continental success, too, winning the Copa America a record 16 times – including the past two tournaments.
They have not been out of the top three of the Fifa world ranking since March 2022, and spent two years in the number one spot before being dethroned by France last year.
The Cape Verdean Football Federation was only formed in 1982, and accepted as a Fifa member in 1986 – just as Argentina were winning the World Cup for a second time.
The Blue Sharks first entered World Cup qualifying in 2002 but did not have a realistic chance of qualifying until 2022.
Four years ago they only just lost out to Nigeria, drawing the final group game 1-1 in Lagos when a win would have sent them to Qatar.
For the 2026 finals, despite being drawn in a group with eight-time qualifiers Cameroon, Cape Verde finished top with one defeat in 10 matches.
Such has been their recent development they only played at their first Africa Cup of Nations 13 years ago, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Ghana.
They have now played at the Afcon four times, reaching the last eight again in 2023.
But they failed to reach the 2025 Afcon, despite qualifying for the World Cup.
Cape Verde broke in the Fifa top 100 in 2006, and climbed to 36th on the back of the first Afcon outing. In 2014, after qualifying for the 2015 tournament, they achieved their highest-ever ranking of 27th.
For the last nine years, Cape Verde have hovered around the 60-80 bracket, and will go into Friday’s game ranked 64th.
Miami, United States – Singing to the beat of the drum, jumping and dancing with joyful abandon, sporting their famous light blue and white shirts, and waving large flags bearing images of their heroes, Argentinian football fans have announced their team’s arrival in Miami in grand fashion.
A day before Argentina’s first knockout match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 – and their first fixture in the Sunshine State – the portion of Miami Beach known as Little Buenos Aires came to life as close to a thousand revellers geared up for Lionel Messi’s “homecoming” on Friday.
The defending champions and one of the pre-tournament favourites will take on the fairytale team of the World Cup – the small African island nation of Cape Verde.
The match at Miami Stadium will pit a team supported by one of the largest travelling fan bases of the tournament against an outfit that may not have strong backing in the stands but has endeared itself to the neutrals with its heroic performances.
Among Argentinian supporters, though, there’s no room for sympathy for the team punching above its weight.
For Adrian Elizondo, the logic is simple: “Messi deserves to win another World Cup.”
“It’s Messi’s last World Cup and since he’s the greatest player of all time, he deserves to walk away with another trophy,” Elizondo told Al Jazeera.
Elizondo believes there’s more to Argentina’s success than Messi.
“We have good players, a great coach and tens of thousands of people supporting the team. We make a big difference.”
A quick glance at the party-like atmosphere in Miami Beach reinforced Elizondo’s claim.
Miami, where Messi has been playing his club football since 2023, is home to at least 30,000 Argentinians, according to local census data.
Add to this mix another 20,000 fans following the team on their quest to defend the title in the United States and it becomes evident that Miami is “Messi Country”.
Argentina fans gather in Miami before their team’s World Cup match against Cape Verde, on July 2, 2026 [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]
The crowd in North Beach, which is home to several decades-old Argentinian restaurants and cafes, started building more than 24 hours before kickoff and showed no sign of letting up as the evening went on.
Fans, from toddlers to supporters in their 70s, were seen walking towards the central area in Little Buenos Aires.
A small pocket of enthusiasts would begin singing “Muchachos” – the famous Argentinian football anthem – and hundreds of others would soon join in.
While the lyrics speak to the heartbreak of lost World Cup finals and past heroes, the mood among fans was festive, especially as Messi and Co broke a 36-year title drought four years ago in Qatar and emulated his hero Diego Maradona in leading them to a World Cup trophy.
For Argentina fans, Maradona and Messi are commonly considered the master and the protege. It’s part of their footballing folklore which is reinforced at every opportunity.
In Miami, as men, women and children danced on the streets, a group of supporters dressed in the shirts of Argentinian football club Newell’s Old Boys proudly stood in front of a banner connecting the two national heroes with the club.
Jorge Martinelli, second left, and other Argentina fans from Newell’s Old Boys club [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]
Jorge Martinelli travelled to Miami from Rosario, the club’s base, with his friends and proudly shared some facts about his hometown.
“Messi was born in Rosario and played in Newell’s youth teams before joining Barcelona, while Maradona came to the club in 1993,” he tells Al Jazeera.
Is there any other connection between the two iconic captains? Martinelli said: “Yes, it’s a cosmic connection.
“Many here believe Maradona is guiding the team from the heavens above,” he quipped.
Amid Martinelli’s explanation of the spiritual connection between the two, fans let off crackers to celebrate Miami’s favourite footballing son’s return to his adopted home.
The Rosario resident said he does not want to contemplate a future after Messi retires from international football.
“It will create a big hole in the national team, the same as what happened after Maradona,” he said.
For now, though, he believes Messi is the favourite to do what even the great Maradona couldn’t achieve: successfully defend the title.
“He [Messi] is here. He’s playing. Maradona is watching.”
The German football association is seeking talks with Jurgen Klopp about becoming their men’s national team coach after Julian Nagelsmann resigned.
Nagelsmann requested to be relieved of his duties on Thursday following the team’s early exit from the World Cup.
The German FA (DFB) has now granted that request and immediately terminated their contractual relationship with the 38-year-old former Bayern Munich boss.
In a statement, DFB said it “will now seek talks with Jurgen Klopp”, adding: “He has already signaled his general willingness to take on the position.”
Germany bowed out of the World Cup on Monday after the four-time winners were beaten by Paraguay on penalties in the last 32.
Initially Nagelsmann, who was appointed in 2023, was determined to remain in charge, saying after the game: “I’m not someone who runs away.”
But in a statement on Friday, he said: “I’ve done a lot of thinking in the days since our elimination and have consulted with trusted individuals both personally and within the federation.
“The decision was anything but easy for me. My top priority has always been the team ‘s success. After such a bitter disappointment, they deserve the chance for a fresh start.”
Spain achieved its primary goal at SoFi Stadium on Thursday, defeating Austria 3-0 and advancing to the World Cup round of 16 in front of a pro-Spain announced crowd of 70,492.
The Spaniards extended their unbeaten match streak to 34 games and their win streak over European teams to 35 dating back to 2023. They have yet to concede a goal this tournament, tying the record for most consecutive men’s World Cup clean sheets with five.
By every metric, Spain controlled the match and won decisively in its best performance of the tournament.
But Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team still has room to improve and has yet to play its best soccer.
The team favored to win the World Cup before matches kicked off last month is still ramping up and working to championship standards.
While France’s fearsome foursome led by the electric Kylian Mbappé has bulldozed opponents, Norway’s Erling Haaland is scoring at a rapid pace and Lionel Messi is dancing his way to immortality, Spain superstar Lamine Yamal is still waiting to deliver a multi-goal dominant World Cup performance.
Yamal, an 18-year-old prodigy, showed flashes of his talent and set up his teammates well en route to winning man of the match honors that more than a few Spanish media members questioned. But his efficient teammates carried the scoring load Thursday, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring two goals and Pedro Porro adding another for La Roja.
Spain has been managing Yamal’s minutes while he recovers from injury, but Thursday was supposed to be an opportunity to unleash his dominance.
“I think we need to keep improving our game, our intensity — everything — but obviously we know the quality we have, and we know we’re not afraid of any team,” Yamal said after the match. “We’re Spain, and we have to prove it on the field, but we believe in ourselves.”
Spain still advanced with ease and will face the winner of the Portugal-Croatia match to be played later Thursday. Their round of 16 match will be played Monday in Arlington, Texas. On July 10, the winner of that contest will face the winner of Monday’s U.S.-Belgium match at SoFi Stadium.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick is convinced Spain, the European champions, easily could become World Cup champions.
“If you watched the game today, you would recognize it is really difficult to play against this opponent,” Rangnick said of Spain. “… I cannot remember any unforced error they made.”
Spain’s de la Fuente shook his head when he heard Rangnick’s praise, saying he was happy for his players and loves his team but saw many areas that could be improved.
“There’s much to do,” de la Fuente said, noting the competition will only grow tougher. “The defense can still be improved. There have been some situations when we lacked high pressure. … Prior to the first hydration break, the team was still trying to evolve.
”… You need to keep improving all the time.”
Spain forward Lamine Yamal falls after Austria midfielder Florian Grillitsch kicks the ball away from him during the second half Thursday.
(Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)
During its round of 32 match on Thursday, Spain handled Austria’s high press and attacked spaces behind the defense.
The Spanish team capitalized on its opponent’s defensive misalignments, found depth down the wings and consistently exposed the Austrians’ defensive weaknesses.
Austria came out quickly looking to pull off an upset, but it ran into a Spain team that was well-organized defensively. The counterattack ended with Yamal firing a shot straight at Austria goalkeeper Alex Schlager one minute into the game.
The Austrians tried to get behind the Spanish defense, but their attacking creativity was limited and they never managed to turn their promising opportunities into goals. One of Austria’s clearest chances came on a play by Marcel Sabitzer, who sent a cross from the left flank to forward Michael Gregoritsch, who wasn’t fast enough to put a head or foot on the well-placed ball before it sailed out of bounds.
The pace of the game favored Spain, as Austria took risks on the attack and left spaces open.
In the 29th minute, Yamal’s corner kick pinballed in the penalty area before falling to Marc Cucurella, who appeared to score. The goal was erased, however, because Spain tackled Austria’s goalkeeper before Cucurella took his shot.
Yamal was dynamic early and a run into the box nearly resulted in another clear scoring opportunity. Schlager barely had time to react and prevented another Spanish celebration in the 32nd minute.
Four minutes later, Cucurella sent a pass to Oyarzabal, who was left unmarked because David Alaba had left a large gap between himself and the forward. Oyarzabal connected with the cross and easily scored to give Spain a 1-0 lead.
Spain had two great chances to extend its lead during first-half stoppage time. The first was a long-range shot by Álex Baena that hit the crossbar; on the rebound, Yamal fired the ball straight into the Austria goalkeeper’s body.
In the second half, Yamal continued to pressure the Spanish defenders and set up Oyarzabal for a shot caught by the Austrian goalkeeper.
Rodri’s dribbling opened more space for Spain, allowing him to create a shooting opportunity that grazed the post in the 54th minute.
Austria was looking to attack more and brought on Sasa Kalajdzic, who responded quickly with a header that sailed over the crossbar.
Spain responded by scoring a few minutes later.
In the 66th minute, Baena won the ball back on the left and sent in a cross for Porro, who headed in his team’s second goal. It was Porro’s first goal for Spain during international competition.
In his final play before being replaced in the 85th minute, Yamal received a pass inside the penalty area and although he struck the ball well to beat the Austrian goalkeeper, another Austrian defender managed to block his shot.
When it seemed both teams were content with the result, Cucurella once again linked up with Oyarzabal off a deep pass into the center of the penalty area. Oyarzabal got behind two defenders and scored, sealing Spain’s 3-0 win.
“The game kind of tells you what you need — whether the team needs more on offense or more on defense,” Porro said. “It’s about staying more focused on that, and surely when you’re more confident in what you have to do, you perform better.”
Bournemouth have agreed an initial fee of £21.4m rising to £25.7m with add-ons for Elche striker Alvaro Rodriguez.
The 21-year-old is set to complete his medical and sign a five-year deal at the Vitality Stadium on Monday.
Real Madrid will receive 50% of any transfer fee for the Uruguay youth international, who is also eligible to represent Spain, after selling him to their La Liga rivals last summer.
Former RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund boss Marco Rose has succeeded Iraola, with the Cherries targeting a striker and a left-sided centre-back this summer.
Any striker signing would provide competition and support for Evanilson, while the club are also open to selling Turkey forward Enes Unal for the right price.
Bournemouth are hoping for a more stable summer than last year, when three of the club’s first-choice back four and their starting goalkeeper departed.
Several clubs have expressed an interest in midfielder Alex Scott, who is reported to be valued at about £80m.
Bournemouth hope Scott will sign a new contract on improved terms, potentially including an agreement that would allow him to leave in the future for a predetermined fee, similar to the arrangement that preceded Antoine Semenyo’s move to Manchester City for a fee in the region of £65m in January.
They have also finalised their pre-season tour in the last 24 hours, announcing games against St Pauli and Augsburg in Austria, along with Real Betis and Mainz away in an effort to get used to European trips, with Genoa also facing the Cherries at their training ground this summer.
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has brought an end to his illustrious career in professional cycling.
The 41-year-old British rider has not raced since a serious crash in August 2025 when he collided head-on with a road sign at more than 30mph and suffered five broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a lumbar vertebrae fracture.
Froome’s wife later said doctors discovered a pericardial rupture – an injury where the sac that surrounds the heart is torn – during surgery and were able to repair it.
“Unfortunately, there was that crash last summer – that was not the way I wanted it to end. But even then, I knew it was over,” Froome told Belgian broadcaster Sporza.
The Kenyan-born rider retires as one of the most decorated cyclists in history, winning seven Grand Tours with Team Sky (now Team Ineos).
His four Tour de France victories came in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Only four men – Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Eddy Merckx – have won more Tour de France titles.
He also won the Giro d’Italia in 2018 and Vuelta a Espana in 2011 and 2017, and claimed two Olympic bronze medals in the individual time trial in 2012 and 2016.
Froome was made an OBE for his services to cycling in 2015.
Switzerland remain unbeaten at the 2026 World Cup and will face either Colombia or Ghana in the next game.
Published On 3 Jul 20263 Jul 2026
Switzerland striker Breel Embolo struck early and winger Dan Ndoye added a second as their side cruised to a 2-0 win over Algeria on Thursday and into the last 16 at the FIFA World Cup, where they will meet Colombia or Ghana back in Vancouver next week.
Murat Yakin’s Swiss side put on a tactical masterclass, shifting formations and laying traps for Algeria before hitting them with two sucker-punch goals that decided a contest short on excitement, but full of intrigue and nuance.
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Pitted against a familiar foe in Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic, who had seven years at the helm of Switzerland between 2014 and 2021, Yakin set his team up to absorb early pressure and strike on the break, and that is exactly what they did.
Their opener was as simple as it was effective.
Breel Embolo #7 of Switzerland celebrates scoring his first goal of the tournament [Fran Santiago/Getty Images via AFP]
The Swiss won the ball in their own half and sent 20-year-old Johan Manzambi off down the left on the counter, and he squared for Embolo to steer the ball into the net from close range in the 10th minute.
The lead secured, Switzerland shifted to a five-man midfield out of possession, snuffing out the space and challenging the Algerians to play through them, but Petkovic’s charges struggled to break their opponents down.
Algeria’s best chance came in first-half stoppage time when Ibrahim Maza dragged a snap shot wide of the near post, one of the few efforts on goal they managed in the game.
Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye celebrates scoring their second goal [Lee Smith/Reuters]
The Swiss struck again almost immediately after the break, attacking down the right before a half-hearted clearance from Rafik Belghali ended up at the feet of Ndoye, and the winger placed his shot beyond the dive of goalkeeper Luca Zidane.
Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez could have pulled a goal back moments later, but he fired straight at a defender from a central position, summing up a frustrating evening for the Algerians.
With Granit Xhaka steering Switzerland’s defensive shape, they reverted to their original game plan of ceding possession and launching lightning-fast counterattacks, but the Algerians were wary of committing players forward, lest they concede again.
Despite the sellout crowd at BC Place, the last 15 minutes were played in virtual silence, only broken by cheers and then groans as Swiss substitute Fabian Rieder somehow contrived to miss with the goal at his mercy, scuffing his shot back across goal where a grateful Zidane was able to avert the danger.
Fortunately for Switzerland, it had no bearing on the outcome as they celebrated moving into a last-16 clash on Tuesday.
Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez looks dejected after the second goal scored by Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye [Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images via Reuters]
Roki Sasaki’s abysmal appearance faded away in the Dodgers’ 12-7 win over the San Diego Padres after Los Angeles rose from a catatonic first inning. The Dodgers roared back from a 6-0 deficit as Andy Pages skirted a tying double down the left-field line, and Mookie Betts and Max Muncy each drove in runs to give them the lead in a four-run fourth inning. All of which sent the sellout crowd into jubilant celebrations, some jumping, others breaking out World Cup chants.
“I don’t know,” manager Dave Roberts said of the team’s ability to turn the game around. “Thankfully, it played out the way I didn’t expect, or the way it started.”
By the time the game ended, Sasaki’s three-inning start seemed like a murky nightmare the Dodgers awoke from in a sweat. Except the Dodgers weren’t dreaming, and the team hadn’t done much to assuage the concerns with Sasaki.
The problem with Sasaki isn’t his stuff. On his best nights, when the velocity and command combine, Sasaki blows past batters with a triple-digit fastball and cutting off-speed pitches. The problem has been how to tick the radar without making the strike zone look like a Jackson Pollock painting — and recently, it has.
Sasaki’s June swoon, impervious to the calendar change, continued into Thursday’s series opener against the Padres, in which the right-hander gave up three home runs and seven hits before Roberts called it quits going into the fourth inning.
“They were on everything,” Roberts said. “You could see it.”
One possible concern? Tipping pitches. While Roberts and catcher Dalton Rushing said the team would need to do some more research into Sasaki’s start, both left the door open to this answer.
“That would be a big explanation as to how they felt like they were on every pitch,” Rushing said.
As San Diego chugged through its lineup, Sasaki struggled to keep up. With his first pitch, he gave up a double to Fernando Tatis Jr., who scored on Manny Machado’s home run that left center fielder Pages staring at the ball’s path as it plopped down on the other side of the blue outfield fence.
The inning was only a preview of the Padres’ power. Each of the nine San Diego batters got his chance against Sasaki in the second, and the team quickly dug the Dodgers into a six-run hole. He surrendered two home runs in the second inning. First, Jackson Merrill blasted a ball to left-center field, and, two outs later, Jake Cronenworth drove in two runs with a shot to right-center.
Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo that he felt like he needed work on his command to improve, but he felt like his fastball was good.
Roki Sasaki has his head down after giving up a solo homer to Jackson Merrill in the second inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I don’t think my stuff was bad today,” Sasaki said. “Overall, it wasn’t great but a lot of things evolved.”
Part of Sasaki’s issue lies with his approach. Roberts said he wants the second-year pitcher to be aggressive, to play the cat-and-mouse game required to beat batters in the box. But when given the opportunity, Sasaki has shrunken in recent outings, struggling with his command and his ability to pitch deep into games.
“We had a great May, so let’s just get back to competing and making pitches,” Roberts said.
When reliever Will Klein walked out to the mound in the fourth to the aggressive, rambunctious clamor of the Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” and collected two scoreless, one-hit innings, the relief was immediate: The Dodgers took the lead.
The lineup already was revving, as Dalton Rushing homered in the second inning while Sasaki was still in the game, and both Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy drove in runs in the third, cutting the deficit to two. The Dodgers broke through against the Padres’ bullpen to score six runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
“The bullpen was fantastic tonight, and then the offense came up big,” Roberts said.
A late catch by Pages helped close out the game after he gloved a ball despite ramming into the padding of the center field wall. A combined effort by Paul Gervase and Tanner Scott shut down San Diego’s ninth-inning momentum after it pushed across a run.
“Turned back around, was able to find the ball and make a really good catch right there,” Tucker said. “That was a huge out.”
The Dodgers (57-31) beat their division rivals for the fifth time in seven games to open a 13-game lead over both San Diego and Arizona. The Padres, meanwhile, have given up 65 runs over the last six days, the most in such a span in franchise history.
But San Diego’s flaws don’t negate the Dodgers’ as they burned through six relievers in their win. So, while the Dodgers crawled out of the hole with a season-high 17 hits, the steep cost heightens the pressure on the rest of the rotation the rest of the series.
SEATTLE — Bryce Miller took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners edged the Angels 1-0 on Thursday night to finish a three-game sweep.
Cal Raleigh coaxed a bases-loaded walk from rookie starter Walbert Ureña with two outs in the sixth to force home the only run. Seattle stayed tied with the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West at 45-43.
Andrés Muñoz pitched a shaky ninth for his 16th save. Muñoz gave up a leadoff walk and two singles but retired Wade Meckler on a grounder with two runners aboard to end it.
Zach Neto walked to begin the inning but got picked off at first base attempting to steal second.
Seattle center fielder Julio Rodríguez was removed in the top of the third, two innings after being hit in the back of the helmet by a thrown ball while running the bases. He was replaced by Victor Robles, who got hit by a pitch on the right wrist in the bottom of the third and was lifted in favor of Weston Wilson in the fifth.
Miller (4-2) struck out eight and walked none in seven splendid innings. He lost his no-hit bid when Nolan Schanuel blooped a leadoff single to right-center in the seventh. Denzer Guzmán followed with a single, but Miller retired the next three batters to preserve the lead.
Eduard Bazardo struck out two in a perfect eighth.
The Angels’ lone baserunner through six innings came when Guzmán reached second on a throwing error by Mariners third baseman J.P. Crawford with two outs in the fourth.
Crawford, playing his 1,000th career game, doubled to start the bottom of the sixth for the first hit of the night. Dominic Canzone and Randy Arozarena walked to load the bases with one out before Josh Naylor struck out swinging. Raleigh fell behind 0-2 in the count but worked a nine-pitch walk that scored Crawford and chased Ureña (5-7).
Up next for the Angels: Host the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series beginning Friday night. LHP Reid Detmers (3-5, 3.88 ERA) starts the opener against LHP Jake Bennett (2-3, 3.27).
That was England coach Thomas Tuchel’s advice for parents on whether children should be allowed to stay up to support England in their early morning World Cup match against Mexico on Monday.
The time difference means the round of 16 clash against the co-hosts in Mexico City will not kick off until 01:00 BST – and would not finish until closer to 04:00 should it go to penalties.
Speaking to the media after the Three Lions’ victory over DR Congo on Wednesday, a smiling Tuchel said: “There’s so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch.”
But some parents and teachers are concerned about the knock-on impact.
In the past, some schools have suspended lessons to allow children to watch games in the knockout stages of tournaments – but the awkward timing of the Mexico match poses some tricky logistical questions.
Let children stay up and risk a wasted school day on Monday – or force young fans to miss what could be a vital victory on the way to World Cup glory?
Unsurprisingly, parents are divided.
One mum, from Epping in Essex, said of the prospect of her two young children staying up: “They couldn’t even if they wanted to.
“They struggled to make it to the 21:00 kick off for the Ghana match.”
Another parent said they would allow the kids to watch the match live, but expected them to be ready for school the next morning.
They wrote on X: “Mine will be watching and still going into the school the next day.
“What’s the big deal? The recent thunderstorms woke then up at 2am and kept them awake for hours and they were fine the next day going to school.”
A third parent praised Tuchel’s comments and called for every pupil to be given Monday off of school.
Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos after a chaotic second-half in Toronto to set up a last 16 tie with Iberian rivals Spain.
On the eve of his unofficial NBA debut, first-round draft pick Cameron Carr signed his Lakers rookie contract, the team announced Thursday.
The Lakers acquired Carr, a 6-foot-5 guard, in a swap of picks with the New York Knicks. Carr will play for the Lakers in summer league games beginning Friday in San Francisco.
Terms were not announced, but the standard rookie contract for the 24th pick this season is about $16.9 million over four seasons with team options in the third and fourth seasons, according to Spotrac.
Carr does not play the position most thought the Lakers would target in the draft. Desperate for a big man, the Lakers instead traded to get the shooting guard out of Baylor.
But Carr fits the bill with his athleticism and length. He recorded a 7-foot wingspan and 8-8 standing reach at the NBA combine, where he also impressed scouts during the five-on-five scrimmage with 30 points and seven rebounds on six-for-12 shooting from three-point range. At Baylor, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.
Carr’s father, Chris, played six seasons in the NBA, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 1997 NBA dunk contest.
With a chance to make his own NBA legacy, the 21-year-old Carr has found inspiration from his father.
“He was a good outlet for me because he’s been where I want to go, and he’s been down the road I want to go,” Carr told reporters at his introductory news conference. “He’s been a heck of a person to stand next to. Especially in tough times where sometimes I don’t know where I want to go. Man, I can lean on him and ask him. He’s been a lot of help for me.”
Arthur Fery grew up just a short walk away from Wimbledon but there is much more to his story than simply the confines of SW19.
The British men’s number three was born near Paris to his French parents before the family moved to Wimbledon when he was still in nappies.
After coming through the Lawn Tennis Association system, the 23-year-old then moved to Stanford University in California to study for a degree in science, technology and society – and sharpen his game in a tennis scholarship.
Now Fery is back on his doorstep and enjoying the biggest success of his career.
The world number 114 is left carrying British hopes at the All England Club this year after becoming the sole home player to reach the third round of the singles.
“I grew up coming to the tournament, watching the players and that definitely contributed to my development,” Fery told BBC Sport.
“I was trying to imitate players – like you do when you’re a kid. Now I’m here winning matches. It’s awesome.”
Fery’s mother, Olivia, is a French former Fed Cup player, who used to work for the LTA as a business development manager, while father Loic is an asset manager who owns Ligue 1 football club Lorient.
Many summer holidays were spent at the family’s second home near La Rochelle on the west coast of France, while he also spent time with other relatives near Nice – an area packed with courts and academies – to hone his tennis talent.
Fery briefly represented France when he was about 10 before starting to play for Britain shortly after.
After that, he says, there was “no question” that he would go on to represent Britain in the professional ranks.
“By that point, there was really no decision to make. I was living here, I was training at the National Tennis Centre. I was in the system here,” he said.
“I feel completely British now. Maybe 10 years ago if you’d asked me the question, it would be a bit different. Now I feel very British at heart.”
For much of an international career that began a decade ago at the age of 19, Oyarzabal has not enjoyed much of the limelight.
He missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee.
But four years later – and before a World Cup debut – he was in the form of his life with 12 goals in 12 international appearances.
The double against Austria extended that run to 17 in his last 16 starts, with four goals at this tournament.
“His last two seasons, since he recovered, are the best of his career,” added Balague.
“Four goals in the World Cup – our most decisive player, no doubt.”
Spain memorably played without a recognised striker at Euro 2012, but Oyarzabal is now very much the focal point of their attacks with two excellent finishes against Austria.
“Sometimes people are in doubt about Spain because of the centre-forward, but Oyarzabal is doing the job,” former Spain defender Cesar Azpilicueta told BBC One.
“A few years ago, Oyarzabal was playing a bit more on the right wing and he has transitioned more into the middle.”
Since the start of last year, the only European player with more international goals than Oyarzabal is Norway striker Erling Haaland with 22.
He also became the first Spanish player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Emilio Butragueno against Denmark in the last 16 of the 1986 tournament.
The statistics are impressive, but it is not to say he is overshadowed by Lamine Yamal, with the 18-year-old playing a key role in Oyarzabal being able to shine.
The Barcelona forward’s excellent ball control and dribbling skills clearly unsettles defences and pulled the Austrian defenders towards him to create more space for Oyarzabal.
“When you have someone in your team like Lamine Yamal who attracts so much attention, you know you will get more space,” said former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger.
“Oyarzabal uses that space, gets the ball, and scores goals.”
Dakar, Senegal – The silence came before kickoff. Not from fear but anticipation, a nation holding its breath.
Across Dakar, radios crackled from open windows. Men gathered shoulder to shoulder in cafes, their eyes fixed on flickering television screens. Families crowded into living rooms. Friends leaned over phones, tea growing cold as conversation gave way to concentration.
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The city’s usual rhythm horns, its markets, its arguments, its laughter – did not disappear. It simply yielded to something larger.
Senegal were in the first knockout round of the World Cup, playing against Belgium.
On the 25th-minute mark of the game, the boy from the suburbs of Dakar, Habib Diarra, delivered the nation from its anxiety, sweeping a loose ball beyond the Belgian goalkeeper: 1-0 to Senegal.
Eight thousand kilometres away from the game in Seattle, the United States, Dakar became the stadium. The celebrations only grew after Senegal scored a second goal early in the second half. Confidence turned into complacency. Five minutes from full-time, car horns blared and firecrackers echoed through the night. Victory was near.
But the celebrations came too early.
Belgium scored once. Then again. All in the space of five minutes, completing an astonishing comeback. And then, in the final minutes of extra-time, Senegal gave away a penalty: 3-2 to Belgium.
Problem is preparation
A day later, the silence remains.
Not quite mourning, but more disbelief.
“It’s incomprehensible,” says former Senegal international footballer Ferdinand Coly. “When you control a match with such quality until the 85th minute, you have to finish it. But psychologically, everything changed.”
Coly believes the turning point was not Belgium’s resurgence, but the Senegal coaching team’s decisions.
“The substitutions completely changed the midfield. There was no reason to make them. Once Belgium scored, they gained the psychological advantage. Senegal became fragile. They retreated, played with fear, and never recovered.”
Coly was part of Senegal’s 2002 World Cup squad, the team that famously stunned France in the tournament’s opening match.
“It’s never over… until the final whistle,” he said, reflecting on Belgium’s dramatic comeback.
Since retiring, Coly has swapped his football boots for farming. He has also worked with the Senegalese Football Federation, and believes the national team has lost sight of the basics.
For him, the problem is not talent but preparation.
He criticises what he sees as an over-reliance on data, statistics, and performance apps, instead of building a coherent team identity and developing a clear tactical strategy.
As Belgium searched for an equaliser, their coach was still scribbling notes on a sheet of paper, adjusting and reacting until the very last minute.
“What a contrast!” Coly said. “We’re relying on technology when football is still about reading the game, adapting and thinking.”
Senegal’s Pathe Ciss looks dejected after the match as the team are eliminated from the World Cup [Lee Smith /Reuters]
Same old struggle
Coly’s analysis echoes that of supporters still trying to process a defeat that slipped away in the closing minutes.
Ibrahima Diop is a die-hard fan of the Lions of Teranga. He travelled to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was even jailed in Morocco after trouble during the Africa Cup of Nations Final earlier this year.
In that controversial final – played against the hosts, Morocco – Senegal’s coach controversially called his players off the pitch after a disputed penalty decision. Senegal went on to win the match, but later lost the title over the incident.
For Diop, the lesson was the same as against Belgium.
“It comes down to concentration,” he says. “For 85 minutes the team was organised and united. Then it disappeared. European teams are prepared psychologically to fight until the very end. We still struggle in those final minutes.”
Diop also believes Senegal were missing something impossible to measure.
“The team played without its supporters. Visa restrictions and the economic crisis meant many fans could not travel. The players know what that atmosphere gives them. Mentally, it made a difference.”
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation in December declaring that no visas would be given for business or tourism to nationals of Senegal, and several other countries. This meant that fans with only Senegalese nationality were unable to travel to the tournament.
Diop sees a pattern in this World Cup. Ivory Coast, DR Congo, and now Senegal led until the closing minutes, only to watch victory slip away in stadiums empty of their fans.
Senegal supporters watch as their national football team snatches defeat from the jaws of victory in the World Cup round-of-32 game against Belgium [AFP]
Cruel for country
Football is rarely just football. This World Cup – meant to unite – has revealed the deep inequalities beyond the stands. A nation may be united in victory. But when the referee blows the final whistle, another game begins: the blame game.
Football is opium for the masses, says Coly. It has become one of the few moments when political loyalties disappear. For 90 minutes, everyone wears the same colours.
“The national team is a bridge,” Coly said. “When Senegal plays, there is no political affiliation. It’s simply Senegal. Sport has this unique ability to unite people beyond their differences.”
The unity makes defeat feel disproportionately heavy.
Social media quickly filled with frozen moments from the match: missed chances, defensive mistakes, and coaching decisions replayed endlessly.
Under pressure, football often reveals more than just sporting weaknesses.
Babacar Fall, a Senegalese journalist who has closely followed the national team, argues that the problems began long before kickoff.
According to him, uncertainty over the coach’s future, disagreements inside the federation, and unresolved contractual issues created instability during the tournament.
“There were already problems before the Norway match,” he says. “The coach’s contract wasn’t settled. There were disagreements over player selection. Then, 10 minutes from the end against Belgium, one substitution broke the defensive structure completely.”
He draws an even broader comparison.
“The country is paralysed. There was so much hope after the Africa Cup of Nations, just as there was so much hope politically. Today, there is disappointment. In many ways, the team’s collapse reflects the country’s mood.”
Those views capture a feeling repeated by many supporters in Dakar this week. There is frustration, not simply because Senegal lost, but because of how it lost.
The talent was there. The opportunity was there. For much of the match, Senegal looked like the stronger side. That is perhaps why the silence lingers.
This generation has raised expectations. Winning continental titles transformed how Senegal sees itself. Reaching the knockout stages is no longer enough; supporters believe this team should compete with the world’s best.
Ultimately, it is only football. But in Senegal, football has become something larger than sport. It is a source of national pride, a rare moment of collective unity, and a reflection of possibility.
That is why this defeat feels so cruel. Not because a match was lost. But because, for one evening, it felt as though an entire country’s potential had slipped away in the space of just five minutes.
Former NFL running back Chris Johnson has issued a challenge to his family, friends and fans — one that could quite literally send a chill down the spine of those who remember a certain viral trend from more than a decade ago.
A quick refresher: A social media sensation went viral in 2014, involving people posting videos of themselves having a bucket of ice water poured over their heads and challenging others, by name, to do the same.
The trend was often referred to as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge because many folks used the videos to raise awareness for and funding to help fight the degenerative neurological disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Johnson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who holds the NFL record for most yards from scrimmage in a single season, on Tuesday revealed on “Good Morning America” that he has been diagnosed with ALS. Soon after, former Utah basketball player and sports content creator Hunter Mecum posted a video on Instagram in which he dumped a large bowl of ice water on himself in Johnson’s honor.
That video inspired Johnson to bring the movement back.
“Man… the love y’all have shown me these last few days really [means] more than you know. Me and my family appreciate every prayer, message and every bit of support,” Johnson wrote on Wednesday on Instagram.
“After seeing @huntermecum video, I’m asking y’all to help me with something. Let’s bring back the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Grab a bucket, challenge 3 people and if you can, donate to help fund ALS research.”
Johnson included a link in his bio to a fundraiser for ALS research set up in his honor. As of Thursday morning, it had raised more than $32,000.
The retired player known as CJ2K also called on three people to accept the ice bucket challenge — ex-Tennessee Titans teammate LenDale White and fellow former NFL greats Marshawn Lynch and Adam “Pacman” Jones.
So far, White and Lynch have accepted Johnson’s challenge. Lynch, the former star running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders, obliged by getting hailed on by a bucket of ice.
White, who was Johnson’s “Smash and Dash” counterpart in the Titans backfield, took the traditional ice water route and nominated former NFL players Deion Sanders, Vince Young and Michael Sims-Walker, who was on hand at the time and accepted the challenge in a separate video.
Johnson also posted a video of his daughter Honey Love taking the challenge, with White handling the ice-bucket duty. She nominated her brothers and former Lakers superstar LeBron James.
James hasn’t yet responded, but he was one of the many celebrities who took part in the original challenge 12 years ago. Others included Kobe Bryant (who submerged himself in an ice tub), Shaquille O’Neal (who humorously poured one drop of water on his head) and Donald Trump (who joked he was nominated because “they want to see whether or not it’s my real hair, which it is”).
Mikel Oyarzabal’s brace allows the European champions to dominate Austria and move on to the round of 16.
Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026
Spain coasted past Austria and into the FIFA World Cup last 16 on Thursday, thoroughly outclassing their opponents in a 3-0 knockout win, with a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header.
The European champions controlled possession and sliced through the Austrian defence in a typically dominant performance in Los Angeles, as Hollywood stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem and singer Rosalia cheered on.
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The win, which could have been by a greater margin – with a disallowed goal and a free kick off the woodwork – sets up a tantalising round-of-16 clash with either Portugal or Croatia.
“I’m happy to help the team and get through to the next round. Now we need to rest,” said Oyarzabal directly after full-time.
“They were a physical side and difficult to play against, but we played a good match. We’re happy to qualify,” he added.
As to whether he would prefer Portugal or Croatia in Monday’s last-16 match-up, Oyarzabal remarked: “It doesn’t matter who we face in the next round; I have friends in both teams.”
Oyarzabal sets the tone
Los Angeles Stadium was a sea of red and excitement over the first visit by a bona fide World Cup favourite to the US’s second city.
Spain ratcheted up the pressure gradually through the first half, creating a string of chances after the first hydration break.
Marc Cucurella thought he had scored from a Lamine Yamal corner, but Pau Cubarsi was judged to have encroached on Austria’s goalkeeper.
Alexander Schlager then made a superb diving save, pushing Oyarzabal’s low shot around the post.
Austria’s defence finally buckled in the 36th minute. Pedri pinged a ball wide, left to Cucurella, whose cross to Oyarzabal was calmly side-footed past the goalkeeper.
Spain’s dominance grew further, with Yamal tormenting the Austrians, mainly from the right flank.
An Alex Baena free kick hit the crossbar, and Yamal’s close-range follow-up shot was well saved.
Austria spurned a rare chance at the other end. Romano Schmid played in a late-arriving and unmarked Stefan Posch, but a terrible first touch meant he lost the ball before even attempting a shot.
Oyarzabal scores his second goal against Austria in the 89th minute [Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images via Reuters]
‘Ole’
After the break, Spain continued knocking on the door without quite putting the game to rest.
Austria sent on two giant strikers, Sasa Kalajdzic and Marko Arnautovic, and immediately went long, with Kalajdzic putting a header over the bar.
But in the 66th minute, Spain struck again. Baena lifted a cross onto the head of Pedro Porro, who nodded in his first goal for Spain.
Some dogged defending kept the scoreline respectable, including a goal-line clearance by David Alaba from Yamal, who was substituted off to rest moments later.
Spain sprayed passes around the pitch as the final minutes ticked down, eliciting “Oles” from the crowd, as attention turned to a sterner test on Monday in Dallas.
In the 89th minute, a pinpoint Cucurella cross found a completely unmarked Oyarzabal in the penalty area, who slotted the ball home to seal the victory in style.
OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — In the pre-dawn chill of the Sierra Nevada, Christina Klayko bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to keep warm and calm before one of the planet’s most punishing competitions.
Surrounding her at the starting line for the Western States Endurance Run — a lung-busting 100-mile race over towering mountain ridges and through deep, sun-scorched canyons — were some of the most elite athletes in the world, including former champions, record holders and an Olympic marathon medalist.
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Klayko, a 48-year-old mother of three, had no illusions about winning — she was just relieved to be there. She is a two-time cancer survivor, and a year earlier, she was lying on an operating table enduring a full hysterectomy, followed by months of radiation treatment. She was terrified she might die.
Spectators trekked to Emigrant Pass before dawn to cheer at the first significant milestone the Western States Endurance Run.
“I was in a very dark place,” she said. “I would have given anything just to be able to walk my dog around the block.”
But Klayko, a former software engineer from Los Altos, has never been a quitter. In her twenties, following a breast cancer diagnosis and a full mastectomy, she finished an Ironman triathlon. Last Saturday, she was hoping to complete an even more miraculous comeback.
To do so, she would have to run almost half the width of California, from the shores of Lake Tahoe to Auburn, a former mining town in the foothills above Sacramento, along remote, rock-strewn paths that rise and fall like a roller coaster.
In all, she would have to propel herself up more than 18,000 vertical feet, or three times the elevation hikers climb to the summit of Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. And she’d have to endure relentless jack-hammering from nearly 23,000 feet of descent.
Hard things are nothing new to her, Klayko said. And unlike cancer, running is a choice. You can walk away when you’ve had enough.
There’s no prize money for doing well in the Western States 100, but finishers get a commemorative belt buckle and, more importantly, membership in one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports. More than 11,000 runners entered a lottery for fewer than 400 spots this year. Many had waited for more than a decade for their chance.
But there’s a cruel twist — not everyone who crosses the finish line wins the bragging rights.
There’s a strict 30-hour time limit. Which means, most years, dozens of competitors struggle over snow-capped mountains, push themselves to the brink of heat stroke in the sweltering canyons and endure a long, dark night in the wilderness, only to show up at the finish line a few minutes late.
Eric Strand, 65, of Wildwood, MO, center, runs in front of the Granite Chief Wilderness at the start of the Western States Endurance Run.
They’re not acknowledged as finishers. As far as the official record is concerned, they didn’t make it.
So as Klayko waited for the ceremonial shotgun blast that signals the start, she wasn’t worrying about cancer, or mortality, or even the hours of torture that lay ahead — she was dreading the cutoff.
“I knew I could just push and push as long as I had to,” Klayko said. But she couldn’t escape the looming fear of “running out of time.”
The first major obstacle was Emigrant Pass, a high ridge that is four miles, almost straight uphill, from the start at the Palisades Tahoe ski resort.
Half an hour after the start, the sun peeked over distant summits, turning the horizon orange, and the first runners approached the top.
In the lead pack was Jim Walmsley, a four-time Western States champion and holder of the course record — an astonishing 14 hours, 9 minutes and 28 seconds. Spaniard Kilian Jornet, arguably the greatest ultra runner of all time, was right there with him. That was no surprise. In addition to having won Western States and almost every other notable ultramarathon, Jornet famously summited Mt. Everest twice in one week — without supplemental oxygen.
Among the women was Molly Seidel, perhaps the most recognizable name after Jornet. Seidel had been a 27-year-old barista and babysitter before the COVID-delayed Olympics in 2021, when she shocked the running world by winning the bronze medal in the marathon. It was only the third marathon she had ever run.
These battle-hardened pros barely flinched when they crested the ridge and ran headfirst into bitter, gale-force winds gusting to 65 mph. Their bare, muscled legs kept pumping steadily and carried them down the other side, where the gusts quickly subsided.
The rest of the pack didn’t make it look so easy.
Spectators watch the sunrise before the start of the Western States Endurance Run.
Many were hunched and gasping as they struggled toward the crest. One woman bent over and started retching violently. Locking eyes with a reporter, she shouted, “I’M OK!” — apparently unaware that she was screaming over the wind and whatever was playing in her headphones. “I JUST SWALLOWED TOO MUCH SPIT!”
Then she straightened and staggered into the howling gale: only 96 more miles to go.
Seven hours later, at mile 56, the lead runners climbed out of the course’s deepest and hottest canyon, onto a dusty promontory called Michigan Bluff.
The first few looked almost as fresh and fast as they had at the ridge. But the punishment was starting to show on everyone else.
Jornet, who had been nursing a knee injury before the race, was concerned about the canyons. He didn’t make it through them, dropping out at mile 38.
Walmsley, who had been among the leaders for the first 30 miles, was fading by Michigan Bluff. Persistent hip pain would force him from the race at the next aid station. At this point, most of the other runners, including Klayko, were hours behind.
Justin Grunewald, a 40-year-old Colorado doctor, who some picked as a dark horse contender to finish in the top ten, looked exasperated as he emerged from the canyon. He went straight to his support team, who started dumping water down the back of his shirt and tying an ice bag around his neck.
“I’m totally fine,” he told them, “but my knee is killing me because I keep eating s—.” That’s runner shorthand for falling.
His knee was bleeding, but the real problem was his vision. He pulled off his sunglasses, and his eyes were a scary shade of red. He leaned his head back while a friend squeezed drops into them and reminded him to keep wearing his glasses. Obvious advice — but what else do you say to someone hellbent on running another 44 miles?
“Ultra runners are a strange breed,” said Amanda Basham, Grunewald’s wife. She was on his support team this year, but she has twice finished the race in fourth place.
Jacob Banta, of Mill Valley, pushes up the trail near Michigan Bluff during the Western States Endurance Run.
As Grunewald composed himself and trotted off into the distance, it seemed like a good time to ask the obvious: why does anyone put themselves through such an ordeal?
Basham laughed and said most people would probably brush the question aside with something safe and trite, like, “I just love running!” But the truth, she said, is that “almost everyone here has an intense story.”
Grunewald’s first wife and running partner, Gabe, died after fighting a rare cancer for 10 years, Basham said. Other competitors have lost a child, struggled with mental health or battled addiction. Running long distances on secluded trails can be a coping mechanism. For some, showing up at big races to commune with their tribe is like group therapy.
“We all come together for this common thing, and it doesn’t really matter if you went to rehab 10 times,” Basham said. “You’re here trying to get better, and it’s cool.”
Minutes later, Seidel hobbled out of the canyon clutching her thighs. When her crew offered her a chair, she tried to settle but started panting in pain, apologizing that she was in too much agony to sit.
This was her first attempt at 100 miles. She would explain later that she hadn’t eaten enough during the race and had developed excruciating skin lesions from chafing. It looked like her day was done, but she refused to quit.
The women’s winner, Jennifer Lichter, might have the most intense story of them all. Born in Bogota, Colombia, she was a nine-year old orphaned by cartel violence when a couple from Wisconsin adopted her.
In her first 100-mile race, she shaved a minute off the women’s course record, finishing in 15 hours, 28 minutes and five seconds.
The men’s winner, Vincent Bouillard, smashed the overall course record by more than 20 minutes, sprinting across the line in 13 hours, 46 minutes and 15 seconds.
Klayko, who never imagined herself involved in the chase for records, emerged from the canyon eight hours behind the leaders.
For most of the race, she hovered between hiking fast and running slow. She subsisted mostly on energy chews and gels, indulging in a baked potato sprinkled with salt at one point, and luxuriating in a cup of broth with rice at another.
Was attempting the race wise, given her health? Had she told her doctors she was planning to do this?
“That’s, um, a good question,” she said with a chuckle. “They know I’m a serious runner but … I don’t think I actually told them I was running the Western States.”
Probably for the best.
Like a lot of the runners, Klayko said she got a jolt of much needed energy at mile 78, on the bank of the American River, where the run suddenly turns into an obstacle course.
Racers grab a thin nylon rope and gingerly wade into the freezing water. Volunteers offer life vests and stay close to prevent drownings, but offer no assistance.
A racer crosses the American River during the Western States Endurance Run.
Near the middle of the crossing, the water got so deep that many runners submerged completely, pulling on the rope to haul themselves to the far bank.
“It definitely woke me up,” Klayko said of her crossing in the dark at 3 a.m. “It was a lot colder than I expected.”
On the other side — soaked to the bone, with wet clothes and shoes — she crawled back onto the dusty trail and started running again. Soon after, the trouble set in.
It began with a burning sensation on the bottom of her left foot. As the pain intensified, she started hobbling, leaning on the trekking pole in her right hand to take pressure off the blister that was growing bigger than a golf ball.
With just miles to go, her husband, Chris, who ran beside her — after the halfway point, competitors are allowed to have a companion for safety — kept checking the time. They were falling behind.
What do you say to someone you love in such a situation? You don’t want them to suffer, but you don’t want them to fail.
“We need to hustle,” he told her.
In the last few hundred yards, the race enters the football stadium at Placer High School. Seidel had finished hours earlier, at 5:29 a.m., when the stadium was relatively empty.
But the last 60 minutes before the notorious cutoff — known as Golden Hour — attracts a huge crowd.
Cameras film from every angle as one battered body after another circles the track. Some jog, some hobble, some openly sob. Whatever they do, it’s fully public and likely to go viral on social media.
Christina Klayko pushes for the finish at Placer High School with just minutes to spare in the Western States Endurance Run..
Klayko said she was coached to visualize her finish during training. In her head, it looked nothing like this.
When she came around the final bend with the clock ticking down, gasps arose from the media gaggle behind the finish line.
Desperate to compensate for the enormous blisters on both feet now, she leaned forward and to the right at almost 90 degrees — wobbling and weaving on her heels, relying on trekking poles to stay upright and claw forward.
It was hard to watch but impossible to look away.
When she was finally in stumbling distance of the line, Chris bounced up and down and thrust his arms in the air. The crowd roared.
She finished with 18 minutes to spare.
Christina Klayko nearly collapsed after crossing the finish with minutes to spare in Western States Endurance Run.
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