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		<title>Latest Sports News &amp; Videos from FOX Sports</title>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 22:27:18 -0400</pubDate>
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					<![CDATA[New York Mets’ 40-57 Start Marks Franchise’s Worst First Half Since 1995]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/new-york-mets-40-57-start-marks-franchises-worst-first-half-since-1995</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/new-york-mets-40-57-start-marks-franchises-worst-first-half-since-1995</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[After starting the season with high expectations and a payroll to match, the New York Mets stumbled into the All-Star break following their worst first half in 31 years.]]>
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				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:24:04 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[After starting the season with high expectations and a payroll to match, the New York Mets stumbled into the All-Star break following their worst first half in 31 years. Shortstop Francisco Lindor misplayed a potential game-ending, double-play grounder for an error that sparked Boston's comeback in a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Mets on Sunday. New York lost for the 16th time in 22 games and at 40-57 matched its season low of 17 games under .500. The Mets had not been 17 under at the All-Star break since they were 25-44 in 1995, when the season’s start was delayed until late April by the players’ strike. They are 17 under at the break in a full season for the first time since 1993, when they opened 27-60 and finished 59-103. "I think everybody understands what needs to happen going into the second half," said interim manager Andy Green, who fell to 6-10 since taking over for Carlos Mendoza on June 26. "There’s cleaner, better baseball for us to play. We all bear a measure of responsibility for it. This organization, the fan base, deserve better baseball." New York squandered seven scoreless innings from rookie Zach Thornton and a pair of RBIs by Lindor in just his second two-hit game since his return from the injured list. President of baseball operations David Stearns emphasized run prevention and a more resourceful offense while trading Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and allowing Pete Alonso, the franchise’s home run leader, and closer Edwin Díaz to leave as free agents. New York ranks 12th in the NL with 398 runs and has rarely fielded its optimal lineup. Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien and Luis Robert Jr. — all opening day starters —- have combined to miss 259 games. Juan Soto, New York’s lone All-Star, was sidelined for 15 games with a left quadriceps strain in April. Bo Bichette, signed in January to play third, is hitting .255 — 39 percentage points below his career average entering the year. He started the first 94 games before relegated to pinch-hitting this weekend due to sore legs. Mets pitchers have a 4.27 ERA, almost a quarter of a run higher than last year’s 4.03 mark. Opening day starter Freddy Peralta, acquired from Milwaukee in a January trade, has a career-worst 4.66 ERA. Devin Williams, who blew a save for the second time in a week, has a 4.83 ERA. "It hasn’t been a lot of fun," Williams said. "Not a lot of celebrating going on in this clubhouse right now." New York is 12 games out of the last NL wild card and will begin the second half with 19 straight games against teams currently occupying a playoff position. "Unacceptable," said Lindor, who is batting .216 with a .671 OPS in 40 games. "Just encourages us to continue to fight, At the end of the day, that’s the only thing we can do. We’re going to try to be better. We’re going to play as hard as we can in the second half and hopefully we put ourselves in a much better position because right now, it’s not where we want to be." Reporting by the Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[FIFA's Four Best Teams Will Make Star-Studded World Cup Semis A Treat For Fans]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/fifas-four-best-teams-will-make-star-studded-world-cup-semis-treat-fans</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/fifas-four-best-teams-will-make-star-studded-world-cup-semis-treat-fans</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[This week's World Cup semifinals feature FIFA's four top-ranked teams for the first time in history.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:53:10 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[In each of the two epic quarterfinals we witnessed on Saturday — England’s extra-time win over Norway, Argentina’s extra-time victory against Switzerland — there were long stretches where the underdog seemed destined to pull off the upsets and advance to this week’s semis. Norway led the Three Lions. The Swiss equalized and had the momentum with just over 20 of the regular 90 minutes remaining. Both losers understandably felt aggrieved; the Norwegian players insisted that England’s first goal shouldn’t have counted, and had what could’ve been its own game-winner nullified after an intervention by the video assistant referee. VAR reduced Switzerland to 10 men vs. Lionel Messi and the rest of the defending World Cup champions, rendering the outcome inevitable. However it happened, here we are: with FIFA’s four top-ranked teams — No. 1 France, followed by Argentina, Spain and the English — in the semifinals for the first time in tournament history. It’s a remarkable statistic when you think about it. Only eight nations have won the World Cup over 22 editions since the inaugural 1930 competition. The decisive match is almost always a meeting between past winners; just three of the 14 finalists since 2002 hadn’t previously lifted the trophy: Belgium and Croatia in 2018, and Spain eight years earlier. Yet in the semis, chaos has long reigned. Non-traditional powers have littered the World Cup's last four this century. Unlike the final, the semis are not normally a roll-call of the usual suspects. The Croats also got to the semis in Qatar in 2022. Morocco’s Cinderella run four years ago made them the first African nation and the first from the Arab world to get that far. Portugal, South Korea and Türkiye have also reached the semifinal stage this century. By contrast, all four countries still alive at this World Cup are anything but upstarts. The list includes current holders (Argentina), current runner-up (France), and the titlists from 2018 (France) and 2010 (Spain). England, which is hoping to end its 60-year World Cup drought this summer, was a semifinalist in 2018 and reached the last two European Championship finals. Each of the semifinalists features at least one legitimate global superstar. There’s living legend Messi, the GOAT, who at age 39 has scored eight goals and is tied atop the Golden Boot race with Le Bleus ace Kylian Mbappé. Three Lions duo Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have six goals apiece, with Bellingham scoring four of those in England's last two matches. Meantime, La Roja boasts teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, the player widely considered as the heir apparent to Messi and Mbappé as soccer's best, if he isn't better already. Though Yamal has had a quiet World Cup so far, the biggest game(s) yet await. The match-ups could hardly be better, either. Tuesday’s France-Spain contest (kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One) in Dallas is a rematch of the Euro 2024 semi, when Yamal’s golazo helped La Roja best its cross-border rival. England and Argentina will reignite an even more contentious rivalry on Wednesday (kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One) in Atlanta; the Albiceleste are 2-0 against England in World Cup knockout games all-time. There are more irresistible storylines. Can Messi lead Argentina to consecutive World Cup triumphs, which nobody has done since Pele’s Brazil repeated in 1962? Will Mbappé reach a third straight final, or will Yamal play for the most coveted prize in sports next Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium, just six days after celebrating his 19th birthday? Could this finally be the year it’s coming home to England for what would be the first time in most of their supporters' lifetimes? In what was already the biggest and best World Cup ever staged, it’s shaping up as a fitting last week. History is about to be written, and we all have a front-row seat.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois Weigh Belgium Futures After World Cup Exit]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/kevin-de-bruyne-thibaut-courtois-weigh-belgium-futures-after-world-cup-exit</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/kevin-de-bruyne-thibaut-courtois-weigh-belgium-futures-after-world-cup-exit</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois have cast doubt over their Belgium futures following the Red Devils' World Cup exit to Spain.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:06:32 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois have cast doubt over their Belgium futures following the Red Devils' World Cup exit to Spain. Both veterans admitted they need time to recover after demanding seasons, while the Real Madrid goalkeeper also revealed that talks with the Belgian FA and head coach Rudi Garcia will shape his international future. Belgium Stars Leave Futures Open After World Cup Exit Belgium's World Cup campaign ended with 2-1 defeat to Spain, leaving the futures of two of their most experienced players in doubt. De Bruyne and Courtois both stopped short of committing to the national team after the tournament. De Bruyne, who won his 124th Belgium cap, admitted the physical demands of elite football have taken their toll following a difficult period that included hamstring surgery in late 2025. Courtois, meanwhile, saw his tournament end after being substituted because of a quadriceps issue despite wanting to continue. De Bruyne Seeks Sabbatical After Physical Toll Speaking after Belgium's elimination, De Bruyne discussed the physical toll he has taken in recent seasons and said he wanted to take a 'break' from the national team. "I have two or three difficult years behind me and underwent major surgery," De Bruyne told Sporza. "I am 35 years old. I am proud to be standing here, to give everything every day, and to be able to be an example for this young team." Asked whether the defeat was his final Belgium appearance, he replied: "I don’t think so, but let me take a break for a bit now. It has been a busy year, and then we’ll see." Courtois Faces Uncertain Future After Substitution Drama Courtois, who played a key role throughout the group stage, had to end his tournament with an injury. The Real Madrid man, with 115 caps to his name, has openly discussed his future on the international stage. "It would be good to take a year-long break from the Nations League so I can find some rest," Courtois explained. "Then I can keep goal for the European Championship qualifiers and the European Championship again. It is now up to the national coach and the federation to make a choice. "I am going to discuss it with Vincent Mannaert and the national coach. If they see it differently than I do, then I will have to consider whether I can remain a Red Devil. Perhaps this was my last match as an international." Key talks will shape Belgium's future De Bruyne is expected to take time away before deciding whether to continue his international career. Courtois, meanwhile, will hold talks with Garcia and Mannaert, with the outcome likely to determine whether he remains part of Belgium's plans or brings his international career to an end.]]>
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					<![CDATA[MLB All-Star Team Of The Century: The Greatest First-Half Performers Since 2000]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-all-star-team-of-the-century-best-first-half-players-since-2000</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-all-star-team-of-the-century-best-first-half-players-since-2000</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[In the spirit of the Midsummer Classic, we've put together a team of 26 players who amassed the greatest first-half résumés this century.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:58:10 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[To celebrate the Midsummer Classic, we've built the All-Star team of the century, the ultimate 26-man roster based on first-half performance. We scoured the stats at every position to find the most impressive All-Star résumés since 2000. Some of the players who made our squad are household names you won't be surprised to see, but there are a few surprises along the way. (One of these players was the best at his position this century but didn't even make the roster for that year's Midsummer Classic!) Here's our 26-man roster, starting with a big name from last season behind the plate. All-Star Starting Nine By last season’s end, "Big Dumper" had set home run records for catchers and switch-hitters. His 60 dingers rank third all time on the American League single-season list, behind Aaron Judge (62 in 2022) and Roger Maris (61 in 1961). By the 2025 All-Star break, these were already all clear possibilities for Raleigh. He was slugging .634, with 38 home runs, 16 doubles, 10 steals, 82 RBI and 62 walks. On top of all that, he was catching every day and doing a fine job of it, too. Pujols was a safe guess for the Cardinals. The real question: which season? It’s tough to beat his 2009 campaign, when Pujols slashed an unreal .332/.456/.723 with 102 hits, 55 extra-base hits — including 32 homers — and enough plate appearances left over for 71 walks in 90 games. Pujols had plenty of first halves with the Cardinals that ranged from great to amazing, but none epitomized what he was capable of at his best better than his transcendent showing in 2009. Roberts was an underrated second baseman both before and after his 2005 breakout, maybe in part because he never quite reached those lofty heights again. His age-27 season — which featured his first of two career All-Star appearances — was fantastic, though, and difficult to replicate. In the first half of 2005, Roberts slashed .345/.416/.591 with 42 extra-base hits while going 18-for-23 on steal attempts and playing fantastic defense. By season's end, his glove alone was worth two wins above replacement, and his bat nearly six. His second half looked more like the Roberts the Orioles got for the rest of his career — still great, but nothing more than that. You’d think Cabrera’s Triple Crown 2012 season would be the pick here for the Tigers, but his first half of 2013 was even better. In fact, his entire 2013 was better. Cabrera won his second straight American League MVP after slashing .348/.442/.636 with a 190 OPS+ — the 15th-best OPS+ of the century, and 11th-best for players not named Barry Bonds. Cabrera's first half did most of the heavy lifting. He slashed .365/.458/.674 with 30 of his 44 home runs that year with 51 extra-base hits in his first 93 games. Cabrera won his third straight batting title, capping a four-year run during which he batted .337. Rodriguez won his first Most Valuable Player award in 2003, but his 2002 season was one hell of a warm-up. A-Rod would lead the majors with 57 homers, 142 RBIs and 389 total bases — and he did all that while playing Gold Glove defense at shortstop. In the first half alone, A-Rod slashed .305/.401/.607 with 27 home runs, 100 hits and 199 of those total bases, earning him his sixth All-Star nod. And it doesn’t matter for our purposes, but he was even better in the second half, with 30 homers and a .642 slugging percentage in 75 games. Bonds hit an MLB-record 73 home runs in 2001, and it’s impossible to do that without a monster first half of the season. He was a monster before the All-Star break that year, hitting 39 of those 73 homers in his first 81 games while slashing .305/.487/.826. Yes, you read that right: Bonds had a slugging percentage over 81 games of .826. He had 18 doubles to go with the 39 dingers, as well as going 7-for-8 on stolen-base attempts, racking up 79 hits despite pitchers avoiding him — Bonds already had 88 walks by the break — and driving in 73 runs even though opponents pitched around him even more with runners on base. Judge has been on an all-time tear since 2022. At no point in his career was this more evident than in 2025, when Judge won the "Slash-Stat Triple Crown," leading the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Last season, Judge slashed 331/.457/.688 with 53 homers — his fourth campaign with at least 50 dingers — and won his third American League MVP. Before the All-Star break, Judge slashed an even wilder .355/.462/.733 with 35 of those blasts, beating out other Yankees performances of the century … mostly from himself. Part of what made the idea of the Red Sox trading Betts rather than extending him so absurd was his MVP-winning 2018 season. That year, which ended with the Red Sox winning the World Series, saw the 25-year-old Betts lead the majors in wins above replacement (10.7), batting average (.346) and slugging (.640). He also played all-world defense in right field and posted a 30/30 season five years before MLB changed the rules to make thievery easier for baserunners. In the first half of 2018, Betts slashed .359/.448/.691 with 108 hits, 51 of them for extra bases. Pronk! Travis Hafner never made an All-Star team, but this isn’t a list of the best All-Stars of the 21st century, and he absolutely should have been an All-Star in 2006 anyway. Cleveland’s DH slashed an absurd .322/.461/.650 with 25 homers and 43 extra-base hits in 83 pre-break games, punctuated by a June in which he got on base 46 times for a .485 on-base percentage. Plus, he did all of this despite the fact that, at the time, Progressive Park played as a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Hafner finished the season leading the AL in slugging and OPS, he led the majors in OPS+ and finished eighth in the AL MVP race. All-Star Reserves Rodríguez was the 1999 AL MVP, and he continued that level of performance into the new millennium. Though a broken thumb limited him to just 11 games in the second half of the 2000 season, his performance in the 80 games he played before the All-Star break was pure magic. Pudge slashed .366/.393/.708 with 25 homers and 55 extra-base hits — remember, too, that catchers didn’t play every day like this as a regular thing back in 2000. That was just something Rodríguez did in the middle of his career, before injuries became more commonplace for him. Starting in 1995, Jones made the NL All-Star team in five of six seasons, and he won an MVP in the other. It would be seven years until his next All-Star nod, but boy, did Jones make that one count, slashing .376/.472/.614 in the first half while hitting 18 homers. Due to injury, he wound up playing just 128 games in the 2008 season, but that first half helped carry him to his first and only batting title. His .364 average led all of MLB. Lee played in the majors for 15 years and hit .281 with 331 homers, 432 doubles, 104 steals, 1,078 RBI, 1,081 runs, 874 walks and 1,959 hits. For context, just 29 players in the history of the game have reached 300 homers, 400 doubles, 100 steals, 1,000 RBI, 1,000 runs, 850 walks and 1,900 hits. And yet, you'd be forgiven for thinking Lee was more of a one-hit wonder, considering just how staggering his 2005 season was with the Cubs. Lee led the NL in hits with 199 and topped the majors in doubles (50), batting average (.335), slugging percentage (.662) and OPS+ (174). In the first half alone, Lee slashed .378/.452/.733 with 27 dingers and 27 doubles. Football loves its ultra-huge and ultra-fast players, while in basketball there’s an obvious advantage to height and length. In baseball? All of the above helps, sure, but you can also be 5-foot-6 and under 170 pounds and still be a star, so long as you have the hand-eye coordination to make up for it. Altuve is one of the players who best exemplifies this separation between MLB and other major sports. In 2016, he led the league in hits (216) and won the batting title (.338). In the first half, Altuve slashed .341/.413/.542 with 14 home runs, 40 extra-base hits and went 23-for-26 on stolen base attempts. When all is said and done, Ramírez might end up being one of the best players to never win a Most Valuable Player Award. In 2018, en route to his second All-Star selection, Ramírez slashed a ridiculous .302/.401/.629 with 29 home runs while going 20-for-23 on stolen base attempts. His power would drop in the second half, but part of that was because pitchers would pitch around him. Ramírez ended up drawing 106 walks in 2018 after picking up 49 in his 63 second-half games. Tejada rose to prominence with the "Moneyball"-era Athletics, but it was in Baltimore where he produced most of his high-powered offensive seasons. That includes 2005, when he slashed .304/.349/.515 with 26 homers and an MLB-best 50 doubles. Tejada earned an All-Star nomination thanks to a monster first half, when the veteran shortstop hit .329 with 30 of those 50 two-baggers and 53 extra-base hits overall. This was also the last season when Tejada was unquestionably a plus defensive shortstop, and he comfortably produced a win above replacement with his glove alone. In 2022, Acuña stole 29 bases with 15 home runs in 119 games. In the first half of 2023, he stole 41 bases with 21 home runs. Acuña took advantage of the new rules for pickoff attempts and stolen bases right out of the gate. At the same time, further removed from ACL reconstruction, his power had leveled up, too. The National League MVP led all of baseball with 73 stolen bases, 214 hits and a .416 on-base percentage. Oh, and he hit 41 homers, too, making him a 40/40 player as well as the first (and still only) 40/70 one. Bautista broke out with the Blue Jays in late 2009 after five years of replacement-level play with the Pirates. The following year, he bashed an MLB-leading 54 home runs, led the majors in total bases and finished fourth in the AL MVP vote. His 2011 season featured fewer long balls, but was better overall: .302/.447/.608 as the MLB leader in slugging, OPS and OPS+. Ohtani might have earned a spot if he were only counted as a designated hitter. In the first half of 2023, his last season with the Angels, Ohtani slashed .302/.387/.663 with 32 home runs, 15 doubles, six triples and 11 steals in 89 games. Ohtani isn’t just counted as a DH, however, and with good reason: In 17 starts and 100 ⅓ first-half innings, he posted a 3.32 ERA with 132 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .189/.293/.342 line. He hit 18 more home runs than he allowed over the same time frame, and induced more double plays than he hit into. All-Star Pitchers Randy Johnson’s first half with the 2000 Diamondbacks looks more like a season unto itself. The Big Unit threw 144 ⅔ innings with 198 strikeouts in 19 starts. He posted a 1.80 ERA, while averaging under one baserunner per inning. Opponents slashed just .193/.252/.320 against him, hitting the occasional homer but usually with the bases empty. Johnson won his second of four straight NL Cy Young Awards, a stretch during which he produced a 2.48 ERA with 1,417 strikeouts. The fewest number of batters he struck out in any one of those seasons was 334, in 2002. "King" wasn’t just a nickname for Hernández — he was about as good as a pitcher could be at his peak. And while he won his first and only Cy Young in 2010, it was the first half of 2014 that earned him a spot in this space. The Mariners’ ace limited opponents to a .201/.240/.280 line over his first 20 starts, while producing a 2.12 ERA over 144 ⅓ innings, powered by striking out 6.2 times as many batters as he walked. Hernández’s second half was nearly as good — he finished with a 2.14 ERA over 34 starts and 236 innings — which earned him a second-place finish for the AL Cy Young behind Corey Kluber. Verlander was named to the American League 2026 All-Star team as a Commissioner's Legend Pick, but in 2011 he was hitting high gear building that legend. Verlander won the first of his three career Cy Young Awards — as well as the AL MVP award — thanks to leading the majors in innings (251), strikeouts (250), and ERA+ (172) and pacing the AL in WAR while allowing less than a baserunner per inning. Before the 2011 All-Star Game, Verlander was absurd: a 2.15 ERA over 151 frames, while limiting opponents to a .188/.235/.298 line. The 6-foot-7 Wainwright was a towering force in the Cardinals’ rotation for years, and 2014 was arguably his top season as a starter. In the first half, he held opponents to a .201/.248/.282 slash line, resulting in a minuscule 1.83 ERA over 19 starts and 138 innings. In fact, that first half was so incredible that even though Wainwright’s ERA ballooned to (a still quality) 3.24 ERA over his final 13 starts, his full-season figure still came in at a career-best 2.38. The 2000 season was right in the middle of a stretch that featured the highest offensive output in the history of MLB. That did not phase or hinder Martínez even a little bit. The Red Sox ace led the majors with a career-best 1.74 ERA across 217 innings and 29 starts. He had an astonishing 291 ERA+, a stat that measures success (or failure) relative to the league average, represented as 100. Martínez’s 291 mark is the best ever for a qualified pitcher, and it all started before the All-Star Game, when he posted a 1.44 ERA over 106 innings while striking out 140 batters. Martínez would go on to lead the majors with a career-high WAR (11.7), win his second-straight Cy Young and third in four seasons, and lead the majors in ERA two more times before his peak ended. The Red Sox converted Jonathan Papelbon from starter to reliever during the 2005 season, and that decision looked brilliant in 2006. Papelbon was named Boston’s closer, and, in 46 first-half innings, he held opposing batters to a paltry .155/.200/.224 line — that’s an OPS of .424 — and an ERA of 0.59. Papelbon allowed three runs total in the first half, two on solo homers, while averaging 0.7 baserunners per inning. Smoltz is primarily in the Baseball Hall of Fame for his fantastic career as a starting pitcher, but he had a tremendous run in the Braves’ bullpen in the early aughts as well. He was never better than in 2003, when Smoltz threw 64 ⅓ innings in relief with 45 saves while producing a 1.12 ERA. Before the All-Star break, Smoltz held opponents to a .198/.118/.267 slash line while striking out 7.7 times as many batters as he walked, earning him a 0.95 ERA. His ERA climbed to a still-stellar 1.59 in the second half, during which he had 19 strikeouts against a single walk in in 18 appearances. Bautista was a revelation as a rookie on the Orioles in 2022, picking up 15 saves while striking out 12.1 batters per nine with a 2.19 ERA. But that was merely the opening act. In 2023, Baltimore’s closer held opponents to a mere .138/.242/.207 slash line in the first half — that’s four extra-base hits in 145 at-bats — and posted a 1.07 ERA. He walked 19 batters, sure, but he also struck out 84 in 42 innings. That’s twice as many whiffs as frames — and also 51% of all batters he faced. How to Watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 14, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Watch the MLB All-Star Game on FOX One for live and on-demand streaming.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Harry Kane Defends Thomas Tuchel Criticism: 'He’s Trying To Drag It Out Of Us']]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/harry-kane-england-manager-thomas-tuchel-criticism-2026-world-cup</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/harry-kane-england-manager-thomas-tuchel-criticism-2026-world-cup</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
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				    <![CDATA[Harry Kane came to the defense of Thomas Tuchel after the England coach delivered a scathing assessment of the Three Lions' quarterfinal victory.]]>
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				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:36:46 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Kane Backs Tuchel's Pursuit Of Perfection Superstar English striker Harry Kane has insisted that manager Thomas Tuchel’s strong criticism of the team’s World Cup performance against Norway was driven by a desire to see their training ground excellence translate into matchdays. While the Three Lions secured a 2-1 win thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace, Tuchel was vocal about his dissatisfaction with the display, describing the team as "lucky" and citing a lack of speed and technical composure. Kane believes the manager is simply trying to maintain high standards ahead of a semifinal clash with Argentina. Speaking on the manager's approach, Kane said: "When he sees us train, and sees the closeness and what we can do, especially with the players we have, the way we attack, our one-on-ones and the skills… he just wants to see that version of us. He knows as much as anyone that it’s not as simple as that, we’re playing against good opposition and good teams. He’s trying to drag it out of us, and we know ourselves we have another level that we can reach." Three Lions Searching For Top Gear Despite England’s progress to the semifinals for the fourth time in their history — having won the title in 1966 and finishing fourth in 1990 and 2018 — there is a growing consensus within the camp that they are yet to produce a complete 90-minute performance. Kane admitted that the team has struggled for total control during their run in North America, suggesting that the best is still to come from a star-studded squad. The Bayern Munich striker said: "We haven’t seen that [best level] yet. We’ve shown it in glimpses. Against Norway it was in glimpses. We haven’t had full control that we would like, and I feel we can have. But, at this stage of the tournament, you are playing against the best teams in the world. We’ll be playing against one of the best teams in the world in the semifinal." Bellingham Creates Friction With Reaction Tuchel’s blunt criticism of the performance did not sit well with Bellingham, who dismissed it by saying, "Yeah, well, whatever," and later adding, "Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Odegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sorloth." The Real Madrid star pointed to Miami's difficult conditions as a major factor. Kane was quick to play down any potential rift, focusing instead on the team's resilience and Bellingham's vital contribution. Both Kane and Bellingham now have six goals each in the tournament's top scorer race, trailing only Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé (eight goals) and Erling Haaland (seven goals). Speaking on the performance, Kane stated: "The most pleasing thing is that we are in a semifinal, and we still feel like we can improve. I don’t think it is something to get really over the top about. We are showing a lot of good things – the way the boys defended as a team against Norway, the way we attacked … we still had some really good moments. And Jude stepped up for us with another couple of goals." Focus Shifts To Argentina Semifinal Tuchel’s specific complaints centered on England's inability to beat the high press and their lack of penetration in the final third. The German coach suggested his players were "overthinking" in possession, leading to missed opportunities. With a monumental semifinal against Argentina looming in Atlanta, the pressure is on to find a solution to these tactical frustrations. Looking ahead, Kane remained optimistic about England's chances of reaching another final. "This has been an extremely successful era of our national team, getting to the semifinals and finals, and we want to get over the line. That is the missing piece now. We’ve been together for six weeks and shown every bit of desire for the badge. We’re going to need an even bigger push now for the last week or so," the captain concluded.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Jürgen Klopp Agrees Principles Of Contract To Become Next Germany Head Coach]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/jurgen-klopp-agrees-principles-contract-become-next-germany-head-coach</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/jurgen-klopp-agrees-principles-contract-become-next-germany-head-coach</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Jurgen Klopp is on the verge of becoming the new head coach of the German national team after reaching an agreement in principle with the DFB.]]>
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				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:31:31 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Jurgen Klopp is on the verge of becoming the new head coach of the German national team after reaching an agreement in principle with the DFB. The former Liverpool manager has been the top target to lead Die Mannschaft following a disappointing World Cup campaign under Julian Nagelsmann. Klopp is now set for a sensational return to the touchline. Breakthrough In New York Negotiations The DFB’s pursuit of Klopp has reached a decisive turning point following high-level discussions in the United States. According to Sky Sports Germany, an agreement in principle has been reached between the governing body and the 59-year-old tactician. DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke traveled to New York to meet with Klopp to iron out the primary terms of the deal. The breakthrough comes after months of speculation surrounding the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool boss, who has been away from the dugout since leaving Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season. The proposed contract is expected to run up to and including the 2030 World Cup, providing the stability the German national team has craved after recent tournament disappointments. Resolving The Red Bull Hurdle While the DFB and Klopp are in total alignment, one final hurdle remains before the appointment is made official. Klopp is currently under contract as the Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull group. According to the report, discussions are scheduled for early next week in New York with Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff to finalise the details of his departure from the organisation. The DFB is reportedly exploring a unique solution to avoid a hefty compensation fee for the manager. Recent reports suggest the two parties are looking at a creative arrangement where Klopp could potentially continue as a Red Bull brand ambassador while simultaneously serving as the Germany head coach. This compromise would allow Red Bull to maintain their association with one of football's biggest figures while freeing him to lead his country. A familiar Backroom Staff Overhaul Klopp is already planning a significant overhaul of the existing coaching setup to ensure his philosophy is implemented immediately. The German FA is prepared to support Klopp in bringing in his most trusted lieutenants to replace the outgoing assistants from the previous regime. Among those expected to join the new era are Peter Krawietz and Pepijn Lijnders, the duo who served as Klopp’s right-hand men during his trophy-laden era at Liverpool. Their arrival would signal a complete shift in the tactical direction of the German national team, bringing the high-intensity style that made Klopp a legend in the Premier League to the international arena. Restoring The European Giants The DFB intends to announce the agreement as soon as the final paperwork with Red Bull is signed. The move represents a major statement of intent for a nation that has struggled to replicate the success of its 2014 World Cup triumph. By securing a long-term commitment through 2030, the federation is putting its full faith in Klopp to build a sustainable project for the future. With Rudi Voller remaining in place as sporting director, the DFB has created a bridge between the federation's leadership and the new coaching staff. This structure is designed to install a management team capable of competing for major honours. The Klopp era for Germany is now just a signature away from becoming a reality.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Bellingham The GOAT? Lineker Thinks He Could Be 'England's Greatest Footballer']]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/gary-lineker-jude-bellingham-england-2026-world-cup</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/gary-lineker-jude-bellingham-england-2026-world-cup</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Gary Lineker thinks Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is on a path to becoming England's greatest ever player.]]>
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				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:21:37 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Bellingham Leading England's Charge Is England midfielder and 2026 World Cup star Jude Bellingham the English GOAT? Such a thought comes in the wake of another masterclass from the Real Madrid midfielder, who is now England’s joint-top 2026 World Cup scorer alongside Harry Kane with six goals. Bellingham’s impact has been undeniable, particularly in the high-pressure environment of the knockout rounds. Following his two-goal performance in the 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16, he achieved a feat not seen for decades by scoring twice again in the 2-1 victory over Norway, further cementing his status as one of the world's premier talents. His ability to produce match-winning moments on the biggest stage has led many to wonder just how high the youngster's ceiling can be. Matching Maradona And Breaking Records Bellingham is the first player to score twice in consecutive knockout stage games at a single World Cup since Diego Maradona achieved the feat for Argentina in 1986. With six goals in the current edition, he has joined an elite group of England players — including Lineker himself in 1986 and Kane in 2018 and 2026 — to score at least five goals in a single tournament. Nine of Bellingham's 12 international goals have now come at major tournaments, highlighting his knack for performing when the stakes are highest. Speaking on 'The Rest is Football' on Netflix, ex-England striker Lineker was unequivocal about the midfielder's trajectory. "I would go as far as to say I think there's a chance that I think he could well be, or end up being, England's greatest ever footballer. And that is a big shout," he said. Entering The Bracket Of Charlton And Kane Lineker acknowledged that England has produced world-class talent throughout its history, but noted that Bellingham possesses a rare combination of leadership and technical ability. Since making his international debut against Ireland in 2020, the midfielder has earned 54 caps and scored 12 goals for the Three Lions, helping England reach consecutive Euro finals in 2020 and 2024. Lineker placed the Madrid star alongside the likes of 1966 hero Bobby Charlton and current captain Kane while discussing the hierarchy of English football's legends. "We've had some really great players. Some of them have not necessarily done it for their country, others have," Lineker explained. "Go back to people like Bobby Charlton, obviously, I would say would have to be up there. You would put Harry Kane in that bracket and there are other players as well, but I think at this age, to be doing what he's doing and to grabbing England by the scruff and getting them over the line, that is a superstar." Eyes On The Semifinal Showdown Bellingham’s heroics against Norway have set up a mouth-watering semifinal clash against Argentina, providing the midfielder with another opportunity to bolster his growing legend. The Birmingham City academy graduate is determined to capitalize on his stellar form to lead England to their first World Cup final since winning their sole title in 1966.]]>
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					<![CDATA[MLB 2026 Buzz: Astros’ Brice Matthews Leaves Game With Left Knee Injury]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-2026-buzz-injuries-news-trades-rumors</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-2026-buzz-injuries-news-trades-rumors</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Notable news, notes and buzz from MLB's 2026 season.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 17:18:06 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The offseason and spring training are behind us, but there's plenty of MLB news left to cover. Here are the noteworthy transactions, injuries and more from the 2026 season. July 12 Houston Astros center fielder Brice Matthews left the game against Texas with a left knee injury Sunday after crashing back into the wall while pulling back a ball hit by Josh Jung. The ball fell from Matthews’ glove and went for a triple. Matthews crouched on his right knee for a period of minutes and was attended to by trainer Eric Velazquez with manager Joe Espada looking on. Matthews finished the inning, one more batter, but was pinch hit for in the second inning by Taylor Trammell. Matthews, 24, is a Houston native and a graduate of Atascocita High School in nearby Humble. He’s hitting .197 through 81 games after making his major league debut last summer and playing 13 games. The Arizona Diamondbacks placed right-hander Zac Gallen on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, while left-hander Mitch Bratt was recalled to start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Gallen was supposed to start Sunday’s final game before the MLB All-Star break before manager Torey Lovullo announced a change late Saturday. Gallen, 30, has struggled for more than a month, going 0-5 with an 8.24 ERA over his past eight starts, going back to May 29. He is 3-9 on the season with a 6.34 ERA over 19 starts. "I think he felt something and he spoke up and that’s when we decided to get him examined," said Lovullo, who added that a timeline for recovery will be established during the All-Star break. A veteran of eight major-league seasons, Gallen is 69-61 with a 3.83 ERA over 195 career starts for the Miami Marlins and Diamondbacks. He was a National League All-Star in 2023 when he finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting. Bratt, 23, is making his second appearance on the Diamondbacks’ roster. He made his major-league debut on June 24 when he allowed one run over three innings in a start against the St Louis Cardinals. The Texas Rangers placed veteran reliever Chris Martin on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with a right shoulder injury. Martin, 40, has allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings in making four appearances after being activated on July 4 from the IL following the same shoulder issue. He has pitched in 16 games this season, going 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA and giving up 25 hits in 14 innings. The Arlington High grad made 49 appearances last season beginning his second stint with his hometown ballclub, earning two of his 16 career saves over parts of 11 major league seasons. In the corresponding roster move, Texas recalled right-hander Emiliano Teodo from Triple-A Round Rock. Teodo, 25, was 3-3 at Round Rock with a 3.76 ERA in 35 relief appearances July 11 Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz, who was set to start at first base for the American League at next week's All-Star Game, went on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right thumb sprain. MLB announced that White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters is replacing Kurtz on the AL All-Star roster. The move is retroactive to Friday. Kurtz did not play in the Athletics' 14-1 loss to the White Sox in Chicago. In a corresponding move, the Athletics recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Las Vegas before Saturday's game against the White Sox. Neither Kurtz nor Athletics manager Mark Kotsay was available to speak to reporters. Kurtz is batting .266 with 20 home runs, 66 RBIs and a league-leading 76 walks. The 23-year-old was the AL rookie of the year last season, when he batted .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs. He landed on injured list for the second time in his career after being sidelined with a strained left hip flexor in May 2025. Across parts of four seasons, Serven is a career .188 hitter with six home runs and 20 RBIs. In 55 games with Las Vegas this year, Serven is hitting .308 with 18 doubles, seven home runs and 41 RBIs. Milwaukee Brewers left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison has gone on the 15-day injured list with tightness in his throwing forearm. The Brewers announced the move before their Saturday doubleheader with the Pittsburgh Pirates. They recalled left-hander Robert Gasser from Triple-A Nashville. The move is retroactive to Thursday. Harrison had told reporters that he was dealing with elbow soreness after he pitched four innings and took the loss in a 5-1 defeat at St. Louis on Wednesday. Harrison is having a breakthrough season in his first year with the Brewers, but he has allowed six runs over 6 2/3 innings in his last two starts. He owns a 8-2 record with a 3.01 ERA and 101 strikeouts over 83 2/3 innings. The Brewers acquired Harrison as part of a February trade with the Boston Red Sox. Gasser is 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA in eight starts with Milwaukee this season. Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson made franchise history on Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals when he played in his 741st consecutive game for the team to break Dale Murphy’s record of 740 set from 1981 to 1986. Olson signed with Atlanta as a free agent ahead of the 2022 season after playing parts of six seasons with the Oakland Athletics. He has started 740 of his 741 games as a member of the Braves with the lone exception coming on Sept. 24, 2022 at Philadelphia when he entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning as a defensive replacement. "It’s quite an accomplishment," Braves manager Walt Weiss said. "This is a tough league. We play virtually every day, so to do something like that is mind boggling, really. The Ripken thing is another universe, but what Matt Olson is doing is really, really impressive." Olson has played in 875 consecutive games overall which is the ninth-longest streak in major league history, 20 games shy of Stan Musial’s 895 game streak with the Cardinals from 1952-57. Cal Ripken played in 2,632 consecutive games for Baltimore from May 1982 until September 1998. Olson last sat out a game on May 1, 2021, when he missed three games with the Athletics after suffering a left eye contusion during batting practice on April 29. The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert and infielder Jacob Gonzalez from the Chicago White Sox on Friday night in a trade for minor league left-hander Jaden Woods and a competitive balance round selection in the amateur draft on Saturday. The draft selection is No. 34 overall. Eisert, 28, is 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA in 25 games this season, including four starts. Gonzalez, 24, was hitting .320 with 19 home runs in 53 games at Triple-A Charlotte after making his major league debut earlier in the season. He had been the corresponding move when rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami was activated off the IL on Friday. Woods, 24, has a 9.31 ERA in 10 relief appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis. Kazuma Okamoto hit his 22nd home run to tie Shohei Ohtani for the most by a Japanese-born rookie in a season in the majors to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night. Okamoto drove a tiebreaking, three-run shot into the left-field seats on a 95-mph sinker from reliever Jhony Brito with one out in the fifth. Ohtani was with the Los Angeles Angels when he hit 22 in 2018. Ohtani, in his third season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit his 300th career homer on Tuesday night against Colorado’s Michael Lorenzen to become the first Japanese-born player in the majors to reach the milestone. Okamoto, 30, hit his first grand slam on Wednesday at San Francisco. Okamoto’s 22 homers before the All-Star break are the most by a Blue Jays player since Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 28 and Marcus Semien’s 22 in 2021, and the most by a Toronto rookie in franchise history. July 10 The slumping Chicago White Sox got a lift on Friday when they activated rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami from the 10-day injured list. Murakami had been sidelined since he strained his right hamstring during a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on May 29. At the time of the injury, the Japanese infielder ranked among the major league leaders with 20 homers, 41 RBIs, 43 runs and a .947 OPS. The White Sox have dropped three in a row and six of eight overall going into a weekend series against the Athletics. They went 17-18 while Murakami was on the injured list. Infielder Jacob Gonzalez was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The 24-year-old Gonzalez, a first-round pick in the 2023 amateur draft, hit .244 with two homers and 17 RBIs in 30 games in his first stint in the major leagues. The 26-year-old Murakami signed a $34 million, two-year contract with Chicago in December. He made two rehab appearances with Charlotte, going 2 for 7 with a double. White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi said getting Murakami back right now is huge. "Obviously, he’s a presence in the lineup," he said. "He’ll bring the energy, I think. It seems like the vibe in here is kind of down right now but I’m sure seeing him tomorrow will spark it back up." "We understand the impact he makes on the field and in the clubhouse so to activate him is going to mean a lot for our group," Venable said. "Really excited about him." Athletics outfielder Zack Gelof left in the third inning of a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night after injuring his right knee when he slammed it into the left field fence in foul territory while making a sliding catch. Manager Mark Kotsay said after the game that Gelof has a deep cut underneath his right kneecap and will have tests Friday. "Fortunately, it just missed the tendon," Kotsay told reporters. "He’ll be reevaluated tomorrow to verify that with an MRI." Leading off the third in a scoreless game, Zach McKinstry lofted a pitch from Jack Perkins down the left field line. Gelof made a long run into foul territory before he slid and made a terrific catch for the out, but his right knee slammed into the fencing that juts out. Gelof immediately grabbed his knee in obvious pain, a tear in his uniform pants showing where his leg made contact with the fence. The outfielder got back to his feet after a few moments and limped back to his spot in left field as Kotsay and head athletic trainer Jeff Collins jogged out to check on him. Gelof quickly went down to the ground again and was replaced by Colby Thomas, who opened the game in right field. Lawrence Butler took over in right. Gelof grounded out in his only at-bat in the second. He's hitting .273 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs in what has been a bounce-back season after starting out at Triple-A Las Vegas. The 26-year-old outfielder/infielder had a 24-game hitting streak stopped on June 23 after he was forced to leave against San Francisco when Matt Chapman inadvertently stepped on Gelof’s right hand as the second baseman was applying the tag with his glove hand. Gelof, who was placed on the injured list with a bruised hand, also had his on-base streak of 27 games end, along with a streak of scoring in 13 consecutive games. He was activated on July 4. Alan Porter will be the umpire crew chief and call balls and strikes for Tuesday night's All-Star Game at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park. The 48-year-old made his major league debut in 2010, joined the major league staff in 2013 and became a crew chief in 2023. He was the right field umpire for the 2015 All-Star Game and worked the World Series in 2019, 2022 and 2025. Porter will be joined by Chris Conroy at first, Chad Whitson at second, Ryan Additon at third, Adam Beck in left and Edwin Moscoso in right. Vic Carapazza will be the video review umpire in New York. Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suárez will miss next week's All-Star Game after he was placed on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with a left groin strain. The IL stint for Suárez was made retroactive to Monday, a day after he left with two outs in the third inning in Boston's 7-5 victory at the Los Angeles Angels. The left-hander is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts in his first season after signing a $130 million, five-year contract with the Red Sox in free agency. The 30-year-old Suarez was scheduled to pitch again on Saturday at the New York Mets. "He is showing some improvement, but not enough to where, if there's still some soreness and tightness in there, not enough to where we're feeling comfortable he's going to be able to go Saturday," interim manager Chad Tracy said. Tracy said the team is considering several options for the start at New York, including Brayan Bello, who was optioned to Triple-A Worcester last month. With the All-Star break coming up, the Red Sox also could go with a bullpen game. Suárez also was an All-Star in 2024, but he missed the game because of back stiffness. This year's Midsummer Classic is on Tuesday in Philadelphia, where Suárez spent his first eight big-league seasons. "Obviously sad. I wanted to be able to go there, represent my team and also enjoy the moment," Suárez said through a translator. "But I think the best thing for me is to take care of my body and that's what I'm going to do." Suárez could be replaced on the AL team by Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray, who is 10-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts. Suárez said he is hopeful about coming off the IL as soon as he is eligible after the break. "The four days that we have a break, I'm going to do treatment and I hope I'm not going to lose any [starts], but we'll see how it goes," he said. Aaron Judge will have his injured rib tested during the All-Star break and the New York Yankees are hopeful the results show the three-time AL MVP is healing. Judge has not played since May 31 and went on the injured list June 5 with a stress fracture of his right rib after a CT scan, an MRI and a meeting with a specialist. "I don’t think we want to put him at risk of coming back while still injured," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters on Thursday. "He should be asymptomatic before we turn him loose. If he’s asymptomatic and not feeling anything and [medical images] are showing healing, then it’s probably appropriate to get him going again. But we don’t want to, because the schedule is what it is, put him in a position where we’re putting him in jeopardy where it somehow gets worse." The Yankees were 14-19 without Judge entering their series finale against the AL-East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Cashman said the injury has restricted Judge’s ability to work out his upper body because he can’t put stress on his rib cage. The new images will give a better understanding of where he stands in his rehab process. Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff was diagnosed on Wednesday with a new injury to his troublesome right shoulder after exiting early from his most recent start and returning to the injured list. The team said an MRI exam revealed a new injury to his anterior capsule, which was surgically repaired after the 2023 season. The Brewers planned to send Woodruff to surgeon Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion after initially diagnosing him with inflammation. The 33-year-old experienced a drop in velocity on Saturday at Arizona and was removed during the fourth inning of his third start since coming off the injured list, where he'd spent nearly two months after minor surgery to remove a cyst. Woodruff, who has a 2.98 ERA in nine starts this season, didn’t pitch at all in 2024. He returned midway through last season and fared well, before a lat muscle strain kept him from pitching in the playoffs. "It’s hard, but he’s trying to be strong, and he’s trying to look for the positive in all of it,' Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters in St. Louis before the game. 'He was so good when he was pitching. He makes the whole room relax." Detroit Tigers All-Star catcher Dillon Dingler left Wednesday's game against the Athletics with a injured right hand. Dingler was hit on the throwing hand by a foul tip off the bat of Jacob Wilson in the second inning. Dingler stayed in the game after a lengthy consultation with Detroit's training staff. In the bottom of the inning, Jake Rogers pinch hit for Dingler. Rogers hit his second homer of the season, giving Detroit a 3-0 lead. Dingler entered Wednesday's game hitting .262 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs. July 7 Tyler Tolbert tied a major league record with hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances, finishing 5-for-6 on Tuesday night and powering the Kansas City Royals to a wild, 16-12 comeback win over the New York Mets. Batting ninth, the right fielder hit a two-run homer in the second inning and singled in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. Tolbert’s last three hits were infield hits. He flied out in the ninth. Tolbert matched the record set by Chicago’s Johnny Kling in 1902 and equaled by Walt Dropo of the Detroit Tigers in 1952. The second-year player grinned as he walked back to first base following the record-tying hit. The Citi Field scoreboard flashed a graphic noting his accomplishment. A.J. Minter retired Tolbert in the ninth. The remnants of the announced crowd of 32,734 gave Tolbert an ovation, and his teammates applauded while gathering on the top step of their dugout. Tolbert went 2 for 2 on Saturday night against Philadelphia before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. He then started at shortstop on Monday and went 5 for 5 with a homer, his first of the season. Every starter except Jac Caglianone had at least one RBI for the Royals, who trailed 9-4 before tying it with five runs in the fifth and pushing ahead with a seven-run seventh against Matt Seelinger (0-1), who made his major league debut. Lane Thomas went 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Tolbert scored four runs and drove in two. The Mets had been 200-1 when scoring 12 or more runs, losing 13-12 at San Francisco on May 24, 2022, despite Joc Pederson’s three-homer, eight-RBI game. Beck Way (1-0), the Royals’ fourth pitcher, got the final two outs of the seventh. Seth Lugo was tagged for a career-high nine runs, six earned, in 4 1/3 innings. Rookie A.J. Ewing homered and reached base in all five plate appearances for the Mets, going 4 for 4 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Juan Soto hit his 20th homer, a three-run shot. Milwaukee Brewers outfield prospect Luis Lara has been called up to the major leagues nearly a month after signing a seven-year, $31 million contract. The NL Central-leading Brewers announced before their doubleheader Tuesday with the St. Louis Cardinals that they had promoted Lara and optioned outfielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A Nashville. Lara, 21, was still playing for Nashville when the Brewers signed him last month to a deal that runs through 2032 and includes club options for 2033, 2034 and 2035. The 5-foot-7 outfielder from Venezuela has long been regarded as an outstanding fielder, but he’s having a breakthrough season at the plate. Lara hit .321 with a .432 on-base percentage, .470 slugging percentage, nine homers, 42 RBIs and 24 steals in 78 games with Nashville. He batted .257 with a .369 on-base percentage and .343 slugging percentage in 136 games for Double-A Biloxi last season. This marks the second time this year that a Brewers prospect has been called up to the majors after signing a long-term deal. Shortstop Cooper Pratt made his MLB debut on June 16, 2 1/2 months after he signed an eight-year, $50.75 million contract. Pratt, who turns 22 on Aug. 18, entered Tuesday’s doubleheader with a .204 batting average, .313 on-base percentage, no homers, two RBIs and six steals in 18 games with Milwaukee. Perkins, 29, was hitting .157 with a .250 on-base percentage, one homer, 11 RBIs and three steals in 53 games with the Brewers. July 6 Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli’s suspension for his role in last Tuesday’s brawl at Boston has been reduced on appeal from seven games to five, Major League Baseball announced on Monday. Cavalli struck out Boston’s Willson Contreras looking in the fourth inning of an 8-1 Nationals victory. Cavalli shouted at Contreras, who threw his helmet and moved toward the mound. After they continued yelling at each other, both benches emptied. The right-hander began serving the suspension Monday as the Nationals opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros. Barring any postponements, Cavalli would be eligible to return Sunday against the New York Yankees in Washington’s final game before the All-Star break. While Contreras was ejected, Cavalli remained in the game and struck out 13 in seven innings while allowing one run. Cavalli is 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA in 19 starts this season. Contreras was also suspended seven games, while Washington pitcher Miles Mikolas (five games) and Boston outfielder Nate Eaton (three games) were also disciplined last week. All three are appealing their penalties. Reliever Evan Phillips was reinstated off the injured list Monday, returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers 13 months after having Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old right-hander spent the last month at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he had a 1.80 ERA with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings over 12 games for the Comets. "My primary mix is very sharp and ready to roll," he said before the Dodgers opened a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies. Phillips had the surgery in May 2025, setting him on course for the first long-term rehab stint of his career. "Credit to myself to stick with the process, leaning a lot on my family and my teammates here," he said. "I was very appreciative to spend my rehab here last year after the injury. I think that helped my mindset stay focused as well. Just ready for this next step." Phillips won't be needed again in the closer role. Tanner Scott has been ably filling in for the injured Edwin Diaz, who went on the IL in April for loose bodies in his elbow. Scott figures to slot into a middle-relief position as he builds up to a potentially bigger role in October, when the NL West-leading Dodgers are expected to seek a third consecutive World Series championship. During his month in the minors, Phillips spent his first several games focused on the physical side of pitching, including experimenting with grips, location, and working on a changeup. Then he flipped the switch. "The second half of it I really tried to step up the execution and competition side of things," he said. "That way, hopefully, it’s not the first time I’m doing it here." The Atlanta Braves placed left-hander Martín Pérez on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a left forearm contusion. Pérez was hit by Juan Soto’s line drive in Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the New York Mets and left the game. Afterward, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said X-rays were negative. Pérez (6-6) allowed six hits and five runs, four earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He has a 3.54 ERA in 18 games, including 14 starts. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco was designated for assignment after allowing five runs on five hits in two innings on Sunday. The Braves recalled right-hander JR Ritchie from Triple-A Gwinnett and called up right-hander Owen Murphy, who has pitched for Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus this season. Murphy would make his major league debut if used in a game. Ritchie is 1-2 with a 4.53 ERA in nine games, including seven starts, for Atlanta this season. He was optioned to Gwinnett on Sunday after he threw three scoreless innings to earn his first save in Saturday night’s 14-3 win over New York. The Mets also made a move before Monday night’s game at the Braves, acquiring right-hander Matt Seelinger from the Detroit Tigers for cash. Seelinger, 31, was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2017. He had a 3.89 ERA and one save in 27 games with Triple-A Toledo this season and has never pitched in the majors. July 5 Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff has gone back on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, one day after a drop in velocity led to his early exit from a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Brewers recalled left-handed pitcher Drew Rom from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move Sunday. Woodruff was removed from the Brewers’ 4-3 loss at Arizona on Saturday in the fourth inning after striking out Adrian Del Castillo on a 75.1-mph changeup. Although Woodruff struck out the only two batters he faced in the fourth, none of the pitches he threw that inning exceeded 87.3 mph. This had been Woodruff’s third start since coming off the injured list after an absence of almost two months. A drop in velocity also resulted in his first trip to the injured list this season. Woodruff also was facing the Diamondbacks on April 30 when he lasted just 1 1/3 innings because the average velocity of his fastball was just 85.4 mph. "First inning was fine, then it was kind of a slow progression of discomfort," Woodruff said after Saturday’s game. "It’s kind of the life of my shoulder. You hope that it will hold on until the end of the year and then you reassess and make some adjustments. But it’s kind of popped up on me here." Woodruff has pitched well when available. The two-time All-Star is 2-2 with a 2.98 ERA in nine starts this season, though he took the loss Saturday after allowing a three-run homer to Del Castillo in the first inning. Shoulder issues have hindered Woodruff for a few years now. He underwent shoulder surgery after the 2023 season and didn’t pitch at all in 2024. He returned midway through last season and went 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 12 starts, though a lat strain kept him from pitching in the playoffs. "It gets a little frustrating dealing with this," Woodruff said Saturday. "It kind of comes in waves." Rom had four relief outings in Milwaukee earlier this season with a 3.38 ERA. He has gone 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA and one save in 25 relief appearances at Nashville. José Ramírez has made steady progress in his recovery from hand surgery and the Cleveland Guardians star third baseman will soon start taking batting practice. The seven-time All-Star has been out since having a portion of the hamate bone in his left hand removed on June 16. Ramírez injured his hand while making a swing against the Detroit Tigers three days earlier. Chris Antonetti, the Guardians' president of baseball operations, said Ramírez has been hitting off a tee and is scheduled to start overhand batting practice "over the next couple days." Antonetti said the 5-to-7-week recovery timeframe on Ramírez remains unchanged, and the team expects him back later this month following the All-Star break. When the switch-hitting Ramírez had the same procedure done on his right hand in 2019, he returned in 30 days. Antonetti stressed that Ramírez has more hurdles to overcome. "It’s really individual specific," Antonetti said Sunday when asked if the 33-year-old could be back sooner. 'It’s how well the recovery site heals, how much discomfort they have over the surgery site and when they can progress to activity. "So far, Hosey has met or exceeded all of those checkpoints along the way. So, hopefully, we’ll be on the shorter side of that. But again, he still has a lot of activity or a lot of boxes to check between now and then." One of the AL's top players, Ramírez, a .278 career hitter, was batting just .239 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs when he got hurt. He was leading the league with 24 steals. July 4 Shohei Ohtani left Friday night's game against the San Diego Padres in the seventh inning with a right biceps issue and is unlikely to pitch in the All-Star Game after the Los Angeles Dodgers adjusted his schedule. The two-way superstar was hitless in three at-bats before being lifted as a precaution. On the mound, Ohtani allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out nine and threw a season-high 110 pitches before Los Angeles rallied for a 4-3 victory. Ohtani said he felt the biceps issue during his at-bat in the sixth, when he flied out to right field. "It’s the same location that I felt a couple months ago," he said through a translator. 'It went away pretty relatively quickly, so I expect that to happen again." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts , who will manage the National League All-Stars in Philadelphia, said Ohtani would be given Saturday off to recover and receive treatment. "He's a quick healer and finds a way to get back," said Roberts, who added that Ohtani's previous biceps issue was 'so benign that I didn't hear about it until tonight." Ohtani has primarily been starting on the mound every Wednesday, but the team pushed him back to Friday this week to manage his workload. Ohtani has been bothered by left knee soreness and has a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. "He feels good, the body feels good," Roberts said before Friday's game. "The knee feels as good as it’s felt in quite some time, so that’s encouraging." Asked if that meant Ohtani was unlikely to pitch in the All-Star Game, Roberts said before the game: "I haven't formally said it, but if you just kind of do the math, it would be hard to imagine. But I don’t have to make that decision quite yet." Mike Trout believes he can return from a hamstring injury for the Los Angeles Angels next week, giving him enough time to be ready for the All-Star Game in Philadelphia this month. Trout has been out since June 17, when he strained his right hamstring while running the bases against Arizona. He performed his normal pregame routine Friday before the Angels opened a series against the Boston Red Sox, and he expects to hit on the field this weekend. Trout said he is optimistic about playing early next week, and manager Kurt Suzuki didn't disagree. "He looks good,' Suzuki said. "I saw him today when I first came in. He was working out. He was obviously on the road trip, doing his thing. He’s getting really close. Really, really close." The 34-year-old Trout hasn't been officially selected for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, but the two-time All-Star Game MVP is expected to be elected to the AL's starting outfield in what would be his 12th All-Star nod. The honor would be particularly special this year for Trout, who grew up 40 miles from Philadelphia in Millville, New Jersey. The three-time AL MVP hasn't participated in the All-Star festivities since 2019. He wasn't able to play due to injury after being selected from 2021-23, and he injured his knee early in the 2024 season before not being selected last year. Trout has bounced back and stayed mostly healthy for the last-place Angels this season, posting a team-leading .866 OPS with 17 homers and 36 RBIs in 74 games. He said last week that he probably wouldn't participate in the Home Run Derby as he tries to stay healthy. San Diego Padres starting pitcher Randy Vásquez went on the 15-day injured list Friday with a bruised right ankle. The 27-year-old right-hander took a comebacker off his ankle in the Padres' 12-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night. Vásquez was struck by the comebacker from Mookie Betts in the bottom of the first inning. He remained in the game and allowed four runs over three innings before being removed after 50 pitches. Vásquez was hospitalized after fainting on his way to get an X-ray. He was released at 3 a.m. Friday and tests on his ankle came back negative, but the Padres are taking a cautious approach. "It's definitely really sore, he's limping around a little bit with it," manager Craig Stammen said. "All things point positive for Randy today, but just got to be careful. He's definitely feeling the effects of everything that went on yesterday." In another move, catcher Freddy Fermin went on the IL with a head contusion. "We've known the hits that Freddy's taken to the head throughout the course of the season," Stammen said, "and while he did not get diagnosed with a concussion, we thought it was smart to take care of him and just give him a little bit more time to heal up from that previous concussion without getting another head blow." Seattle center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who was removed from the Mariners’ game against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night after being struck by a ball in the back of the head, was placed on the 7-day injured list on Friday with a concussion. In a corresponding move, the Mariners selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni from Triple-A Tacoma. Mastrobuoni was originally designated for assignment on June 19. He has appeared in eight games this season, hitting .217 with one RBI in 21 at-bats. Rodríguez was running from first to second on a ground ball in the first inning of Thursday's 1-0 win when first baseman Nolan Schanuel fielded it and tried to throw to second to start a double play. The errant throw allowed Rodríguez to take third. "With head injuries, you have to be so careful,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Friday. 'Tough break, but we’ve been through it before." Victor Robles started Friday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays in center field. Robles replaced Rodríguez in center field in the third inning of Thursday night's game. The three-time All-Star Rodríguez played in a career-high 160 games last season. He had played in 87 games this season, hitting .259 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs, 40 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. July 3 Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko, who broke his back in a frightening collision with a minor league teammate Tuesday, posted on social media Thursday he faces a "lengthy" recovery but hopes to return to baseball. Lasko had surgery Tuesday night, a spinal decompression and stabilization procedure at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano to address a fractured C6-C7 vertebra. The outfielder was in stable condition Wednesday, according to the A’s. Lasko collided with Double-A Midland teammate Devin Taylor during a game in Frisco, Texas. Both dove for a flyball, and Lasko remained motionless on the field after the play. "I’d like to thank everyone for the well wishes &amp; prayers," Lasko posted. "I truly feel so loved and appreciated by everyone that has reached out. I am doing well and on the road to recovery. This is going to be a lengthy process but I hope to be able to get back to doing what I love." A’s player development director Ed Sprague traveled to Frisco, and counseling was offered to players. The 24-year-old Lasko was selected by the Athletics in the second round of the 2023 amateur draft from Rutgers. He was batting .209 with six homers, 34 RBIs and a .635 OPS for Midland this season. Lasko appeared in 13 games at Triple-A Las Vegas last year. He also played 21 games in the Arizona Fall League for promising prospects, batting .357 with nine stolen bases. Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli and Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras were each issued a seven-game suspension by Major League Baseball on Thursday for their role in a benches-clearing fight between the teams. Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas (five games) and Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton (three games) were also suspended by MLB for their actions during the dustup that took place at Fenway Park in the fourth inning of Tuesday night's game. The four players were also fined an undisclosed amount in the discipline announced by senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill. The suspensions were scheduled to begin on Friday when the Red Sox play on the road against the Los Angeles Angels and the Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates. If any of the players elect to appeal the penalty, the ban will be delayed until that process is completed. Cavalli shouted at Contreras after striking him out looking on a full-count pitch. Contreras then threw his helmet at Cavalli and approached him on the mound. They began jawing at each other and both dugouts emptied. Contreras, Eaton, Mikolas and Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy were ejected. Cavalli was not. Contreras was tossed for a second straight game, having mimicked an appeal call after striking out on a checked swing during Monday's game. He also celebrated a three-run homer off Mikolas in that game with a massive bat flip he later apologized for. The native of Venezuela acknowledged he's been stressed since his native country was damaged by a pair of devastating earthquakes last week. July 1 Corey Seager is back on the injured list. The Texas Rangers shortstop was placed on the 10-day injured list before Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians because of lower back inflammation. Seager was in the lineup for Tuesday's game but was removed before his first at-bat when his back flared up during warmups. He returned from the IL on June 25 after missing 12 games because of a concussion he sustained in a home plate collision with Kansas City catcher Carter Jensen on June 11. The 32-year-old Seager also missed 19 games from mid-May through early June because of back problems. Seager is batting .182 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in 50 games. The five-time All-Star went 1 for 10 but walked five times in 15 at-bats since returning from his concussion. Texas called up infielder Josh Smith recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to fill Seager's roster spot. Aaron Judge is approaching four weeks since going on the injured list with a stress fracture of his right rib, but the New York Yankees captain has yet to have updated scans. "I’ve got nothing for you," Judge said Wednesday before the Yankees faced the Tigers. "You know how it goes around here — guys can feel good, feel bad, but you’ve got to wait on images. I’ll give you a good update when we get some imaging." The three-time AL MVP has not played since May 31 and went on the injured list June 5 after a CT scan, an MRI and a meeting with a specialist. When the Yankees put Judge on the IL, they said he would have limited activity before getting re-evaluated and having additional imaging in four to six weeks. "There’s no need to talk about this now," Judge said. "I know it’s an important topic and a big issue, but I want to give you guys the full story." The Yankees began Wednesday 12-14 without Judge, who is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs. Judge had one homer in his final 18 games before getting sidelined and ended an 11-game homer and RBI drought with a game-ending, two-run drive on May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays. New York won nine of its first 13 games without Judge but entered Wednesday hitting .127 during a six-game losing streak. "It’s not great," Judge said. "It’s a little lack of focus. We got to dial it in." San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman left the Giants' loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night because of an abdominal strain that he suffered in the sixth inning. The five-time Gold Glove winner is scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury. The 33-year-old Chapman charged in on a ground ball, fielded it cleanly with his bare hand and threw out Gabriel Moreno at first to end the sixth, but was in obvious pain as he gingerly walked to the dugout. Chapman said his abdominal area had been bothering him some over the past several weeks, but the pain had been manageable until Tuesday's incident. "It's been hot and cold where I'm trying to figure out what's going on," Chapman said. "I made that bare-handed play and that was the first time that one specific play made me cringe and go down a little bit, where I was actually in a lot of pain." He batted in the seventh and was retired on an infield pop out before leaving the game. Chapman is batting .235 this season with seven homers and 42 RBIs. Red Sox rookie starter Connelly Early snapped a 12-game quality start streak by Boston pitchers on Tuesday, thanks to leaving his start against the Nationals early due to elbow discomfort in his throwing arm. Early will undergo testing on his left elbow on Wednesday to determine the cause of the discomfort. He was removed immediately from the game after feeling the discomfort, which occurred on his final pitch of the night. Early has made 17 starts for the Red Sox in 2026, posting an ERA 3.44 while striking out over a batter per inning. The 24-year-old southpaw made the rotation out of spring training after debuting in the majors in September 2025 with an 11-strikeout start against the Athletics. June 30 New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried took another step in his recovery from a bone bruise in his left elbow, throwing about 30 pitches in a two-inning simulated game Tuesday. Fried was on the mound for about 20 minutes and used all his pitches while facing Ryan McMahon and Trent Grisham, who are slated to be activated off the injured list Friday. "It looked great, like really good," manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees faced the Detroit Tigers. "Stuff was good. I thought he was really sharp." Fried recently started throwing bullpen sessions and will face hitters again before Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. The 32-year-old left-hander has been out since May 13, when he left a start in Baltimore against the Orioles after three innings when his velocity noticeably dropped, and he threw only 34 of 61 pitches for strikes. Fried also had an MRI and CT scan that were reviewed by Los Angeles Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. McMahon, who is recovering from a throat infection, faced Fried three times. He popped out and struck out in the first two at-bats before seeing three more pitches in the final at-bat when Fried’s session ended. "All over the zone," McMahon said. "He threw every pitch, landed the curveball and sweeper for strikes to me and the sinkers were nasty. Everything was good.' Grisham, who is recovering from a strained right hamstring, saw about 10 pitches from Fried and struck out in his first appearance while fouling off a pair of pitches. Fried did not face Giancarlo Stanton, who is recovering from a strained right calf that has kept him out since April 24. Boone said on Monday Stanton was going to face Fried, but Tuesday said he misspoke. Fried is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 10 starts after going 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA and making the AL All-Star team last season, his first with the Yankees. He left the Atlanta Braves as a free agent to sign a $218 million, eight-year contract with New York in December 2024. Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dane Myers was placed on the 10-day injured list with a bruised left shoulder on Tuesday, one day after crashing into an outfield wall and getting carted off the field. The Reds announced the move before their Tuesday night game with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds also activated reliever Emilio Pagan from the 15-day injured list, optioned right-handed pitcher Zach McCambley to Triple-A Louisville and selected utilityman Ivan Johnson from Louisville. Myers’ left shoulder hit the wall as he made a running backhanded catch of Andrew Vaughn's drive in the fourth inning of the Reds’ 5-3 loss to the Brewers on Monday. Reds manager Terry Francona said after Monday’s game that X-rays were negative, but Myers was still sent to the hospital "because he was in so much pain and so uncomfortable." Myers has batted .256 with a .358 on-base percentage, three homers, 14 RBIs and five steals in 63 games. Pagán had been dealing with a left hamstring strain and had last pitched in the majors on May 5. He is 2-1 with a 6.43 ERA with six saves in 15 appearances. McCambley has a 6.23 ERA in four appearances with the Reds. Johnson has hit .290 with a .388 on-base percentage, nine homers, 28 RBIs and 11 steals in 55 games at Louisville. June 28 The Texas Rangers put outfielder Wyatt Langford on the 10-day injured list Sunday because of a strained left hamstring and activated outfielder Evan Carter off the IL. Langford had homered seven times in 20 games since returning from the IL on June 5 after missing 39 games because of a strained right forearm. This is the sixth IL stint of Langford’s career. He played 134 games each in 2024 and 2025 and has appeared in 40 games this season. Langford is batting .278 with eight homers and 20 RBIs. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Langford will likely be out until after the MLB All-Star break. Langford felt sore after beating out a double in Friday’s 5-4 win and was scratched from the lineup Saturday. Carter went on the IL on June 13 because of a strained right oblique. He entered Sunday’s game batting .176 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 66 games. Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter was activated off the injured list before Sunday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners. The rookie was in the lineup at designated hitter and batted third. DeLauter went on the IL on June 17 after he fractured a rib on his right side when he collided with the outfield wall during a June 13 game against the Detroit Tigers. That was also the same game in which seven-time All-Star third baseman José Ramírez and outfielder Angel Martinez suffered injuries. The Guardians are 4-7 since Ramírez broke a bone in his left hand while fouling off a pitch. He had surgery on June 16 and is expected to miss six more weeks. Martínez (non-displaced left foot fracture) is also on the IL. DeLauter is batting .263 with a .337 on-base percentage, seven homers and 34 RBIs in 66 games. Outfielder Petey Halpin was optioned to Triple-A Columbus to make room for DeLauter. Carlos Santana has found team No. 10. The 40-year-old first baseman/designated hitter has signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves, per ESPN. Santana, a 2019 Silver Slugger and 2024 Gold Glover, played eight games with the Arizona Diamondbacks this season before going on the injured list with a right adductor strain and being released on June 26. Santana split the 2025 MLB season with the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs, totaling 11 home runs and 54 RBIs over a combined 124 regular-season games. The year prior (2024), he blasted 23 home runs with the Minnesota Twins. Should Santana, who has 335 career home runs over 17 MLB seasons, get called up by the Braves, he would join an Atlanta club that stands atop the National League East at 49-32. June 27 Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Bassitt underwent facet bone spur removal on his back and could rejoin the team later in the year. Mike Elias, the team’s president of baseball operations and general manager, said Saturday the 37-year-old right-hander opted for surgery after injections to reduce inflammation in his back about a week ago did not work. "It’s a pretty minor procedure and we’ll see where he’s at in a couple weeks and see if and when he can start throwing," Elias said. "We’re feeling pretty good about things right there. We feel there’s a very strong possibility we get him back in better condition before the end of the season." Bassitt is 4-4 with a 5.27 ERA in his first year in Baltimore. He has not pitched since June 3. Elias said catcher Adley Rutschman could return to the active roster soon. Rutschman was hit in the head with a throw while running the bases June 18 and was placed on the concussion injured list two days later. "Adley’s doing well," Elias said. "It’s improved the last couple of days. I think we’re getting close there." Elias said both outfielder Dylan Beavers (right oblique strain) and pitcher Dean Kremer (right quad strain) are also nearing returns after rehabbing at Triple-A Norfolk this week. Right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo (shoulder inflammation) is expected to begin a rehabilitation assignment Sunday, while first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (fractured left foot) has just started running. Reliever Félix Bautista, an All-Star in 2023 who missed all of 2024 and pitched in only 35 games last season, has made progress in his recovery from right shoulder surgery. The 31-year-old had a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff repaired in August, and Elias did not specify a time frame for his return. "I have to keep my fingers really crossed with Félix because of the nature of the surgery he had and how difficult it is," Elias said. "But he’s throwing really, really well and we’re pretty excited about where he’s at." Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans will undergo elbow surgery on Wednesday that will determine the degree of repair needed, manager Matt Quatraro said Saturday. A 2024 All-Star, Ragans went on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow impingement on May 8. He left his May 6 start against the Cleveland Guardians after three innings and was diagnosed with valgus extension overload. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on June 17. "They have read the MRI. They’re not going to be clear on the extent of it until they get in there and understand what they see," Quatraro said. Neal ElAttrache is scheduled to perform the surgery. A three-time opening day starter for Kansas City and a 2016 first-round draft pick by Texas, Ragans (1-4, 4.84 ERA) missed most of last season due to left groin strain and rotator cuff strains. He underwent Tommy John surgery twice when he was in the Rangers organization. June 26 The Los Angeles Angels announced the hiring of John Mozeliak as a baseball operations consultant. Mozeliak is also serving as the interim general manager as the Angels announced the firing of general manager Perry Minasian on Friday. Mozeliak joined the Angels after a 30-year tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Angels hired Minasian in 2020, and he hasn't overseen a winning season since, with the highest win total being 77 games in 2021. More details have emerged on the "neck strain" that Cubs' starter Ben Brown was placed on the 15-day IL with. Chicago's manager, Craig Counsell, explained to The Score that Brown actually suffered a stress reaction in his neck. Counsell described the injury as similar to one Brown suffered in 2024, when he was okayed on the 15-day IL in June and spent the rest of the season recovering. The Cubs plan to rest Brown for a month, limiting his activity, and then will make a decision on next steps from there. Brown began the season in the bullpen, but worked his way into the rotation and has been dominant in that role: in eight starts, the 6-foot-6 right-hander owns a 1.70 ERA and has struck out just under a batter per inning while punching out 3.7 times as many hitters as he's walked. General manager Jed Hoyer told The Athletic that, in addition to acquiring David Peterson from the Mets, the Cubs plan to add additional rotation help. Chicago is 44-37, sitting 6.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, but 1.5 up on a wild-card spot. Carlos Mendoza was fired as manager of the underperforming New York Mets on Friday and replaced by Andy Green. New York is 34-47 following a six-game losing streak and a four-game sweep by the Cubs, 15 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta and 9.5 games back of the NL’s last wild-card berth. Mets owner Steve Cohen had high expectations for a team without a World Series title since 1986. New York opened the season with baseball's highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax. "Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed,' Cohen said in a statement. 'There is no sugar-coating it: This season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered." A former Yankees assistant coach, Mendoza replaced Buck Showalter after the 2023 season and led the Mets to a 206-199 record. While New York advanced to the NL Championship Series in 2024, the Mets failed to reach the playoffs last year and are among the sport's biggest disappointments this season. "Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis," president of baseball operations David Stearns said in a statement. "Carlos’ impact on our players, staff, and culture over the last three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short and change is necessary to move forward." Green, a former major league infielder, joined the Mets in 2023 as senior vice president of baseball development. He managed San Diego to a 274-366 record from 2016-19. June 25 The Arizona Diamondbacks activated outfielder Max Kepler from the restricted list on Thursday following his completion of an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Kepler, who signed a free agent deal with the Diamondbacks on June 7, hit .333 with two home runs in 10 minor league games. He was fifth in the batting order and played left field for the Diamondbacks against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night. Kepler was suspended in January for a positive test for Epitrenbolone, a metabolite of Trenbolone that’s contained in some products used in body-building stores and has been used in products to promote cattle growth. Kepler was the first player suspended by MLB for the substance since public announcements of the penalty details began in 2005. "It’s a great opportunity for him," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said before Thursday’s game. "I’m glad that he’s here. … He’s been working his tail off to get back here as soon as possible, and the fact that he’s in this lineup tonight is not surprising to any of us. He’s going to go out there and help us win a baseball game by impacting it the right way." Kepler, 33, hit .216 with 18 homers and 52 RBIs with Philadelphia last year after agreeing to a $10 million, one-year contract. He was slowed in 2024 by left patellar tendinitis and had core surgery after the season to repair a sports hernia. He has a .235 average with 179 home runs and 560 RBIs over an 11-year career. "I don’t know what happened, but he paid his penalty," Lovullo said. "He served it, and he’s here, and he wants to show the world that he can still play this game at a very high level." To make room for Kepler on the 40 man, the Diamondbacks moved RHP Ryne Nelson (strained right elbow) to the 60-day disabled list. Arizona also optioned OF Tim Tawa and LHP Mitch Bratt to Triple-A Reno and recalled RHP Juan Burgos. Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was activated from the concussion list on June 25 after the two-time World Series MVP missed 12 games. The Rangers made the move before the opener of their four-game series at the Toronto Blue Jays, when Seager was in the lineup batting third. It came on the eighth of 15 consecutive days that Texas had a scheduled game. Utility player Cody Freeman was placed on the 10-day injured list with a herniated disk. Seager was on MLB's seven-day IL for the concussion that resulted from a collision with Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen on June 11, though Seager remained in that game and later hit a home run. That was only his fifth game back after missing 19 games from May 15-June 4 with lower back inflammation. In the 47 games he played in this season before Thursday, Seager hit .186 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs. When Seager was activated from the IL the first time, he hit a two-run homer in his first game back that put the Rangers ahead in a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on June 5. That snapped a career-worst 0-for-29 slump in the five-time All-Star's 12 big-league seasons. Texas also released infielder Blaine Crim, who had hit .263 in 21 games at Triple-A Round Rock since being acquired May 23 on a waiver claim from the Colorado Rockies. The Pittsburgh Pirates placed first baseman Spencer Horwitz on the 10-day injured list Thursday because of a left hamstring injury. Horwitz was injured Wednesday night in an 11-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. He felt a grabbing sensation in his leg while grounding into a double play in the third inning. He was removed for a pinch-hitter an inning later. In 74 games this season, Horwitz is hitting .280 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs. Infielder Jack Brannigan was recalled from Double-A Altoona. The 25-year-old has yet to make it in the big leagues after being selected in the third round of the 2012 draft from Notre Dame. The Pirates and Mariners were set to finish a three-game series on Thursday. June 24 Facing a rotation depleted by injuries, the Chicago Cubs acquired left-handed pitcher David Peterson from the New York Mets on Wednesday night, per ESPN. Peterson is set to enter free agency this offseason following a challenging season on the mound for the Mets. Over 68 innings pitched, he struggled to a 3-6 record with a 6.09 ERA, a 1.65 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts. The Cubs acquired Peterson from the Mets in exchange for first baseman Cole Mathis, Chicago's No. 13 prospect. This deal could kick off an expected fire sale for the Mets, who sit dead last in the NL East at 34-46. Minnesota Twins right-hander Mick Abel has been recommended for arthroscopic elbow surgery after a recent setback in his injury recovery. After an assessment by orthopedic specialist Dr. Keith Meister, the Twins announced Wednesday that Abel will undergo the minor procedure more than two months after he first landed on the injured list. The timetable for Abel’s return won’t be determined until after the surgery. The Twins had Abel lined up to rejoin the rotation Sunday, after he made two smooth rehab starts for Triple-A St. Paul. But he reported soreness after his bullpen session Friday and was shut down from throwing. Abel was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies with minor league catcher Eduardo Tait the day before the trade deadline last season for closer Jhoan Duran. The 24-year-old had a 3.98 ERA in four appearances this year, throwing 14 consecutive scoreless innings before he was sidelined by elbow inflammation following his start on April 14. Minnesota’s starting pitching has been depleted by injuries. Right-hander Pablo López, an All-Star in 2023, is out for the season following elbow surgery. Right-hander Bailey Ober has been sidelined for the last three weeks with elbow inflammation and won’t return until after the All-Star break. Left-hander Kendry Rojas, who started on Tuesday, was sent to Triple-A before the game Wednesday in the latest round of pitching roster moves made by the Twins. Milwaukee Brewers reliever Abner Uribe plans to serve his one-game suspension Wednesday night, nearly a month after Major League Baseball handed down the penalty. The suspension takes effect for Milwaukee’s game against the Cincinnati Reds as the Brewers attempt to complete a three-game sweep. Uribe was suspended and fined an undisclosed amount on May 29, three days after he celebrated an inning-ending strikeout by making three WWE-style crotch chops while facing St. Louis’ dugout during a 6-0 victory over the Cardinals. When the suspension was announced, Uribe said he planned to appeal it. He instead opted to serve the penalty Wednesday as part of a settlement agreement. Uribe has pitched four of the past five days, so he was unlikely to be available to pitch Wednesday anyway. Uribe is 4-2 and 3.38 ERA and five saves in 31 appearances this season. He has struck out 31 in 29 1/3 innings. The New York Yankees put infielder Ryan McMahon on the 10-day injured list due to a throat infection and recalled utility player Oswaldo Cabrera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. New York made the moves on Wednesday before wrapping up a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. McMahon is hitting .210 with eight homers — including five that have pulled the Yankees into a tie or given them the lead — and 23 RBIs in 69 games. Cabrera hit .234 with 20 home runs and 95 RBIs for the Yankees from 2022-25. Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera were placed on the injured list Wednesday, delivering two more blows for the pitching-depleted Chicago Cubs. Cabrera was expected to get imaging Wednesday after straining his left hamstring/adductor stretching for a throw at first base Tuesday during a 9-6 win over the New York Mets. Brown has a neck strain. He is 4-2 with one save and a 1.85 ERA for the Cubs, including being 3-1 with a 1.70 ERA in eight starts since joining the banged-up rotation on May 8. The Cubs have six starters sidelined, though opening day starter Matthew Boyd (left meniscus) is scheduled to come off the injured list and start in Brown’s spot Thursday. "We’re getting a guy that pitched opening day back for us, so that’s a big deal," Counsell said. "Those are important players to get healthy and get in your rotation." Jameson Taillon (strained left hamstring) is on the 15-day injured list. Counsell said the 34-year-old is progressing well and could throw off a mound soon. Cade Horton is out for the year after having Tommy John surgery, while Justin Steele is on the 60-day injured list recovering from his 2025 Tommy John surgery and a left flexor strain. General manager Jed Hoyer said this week Steele likely won’t return to the rotation this year. Francisco Lindor is ready to rejoin the New York Mets — just as Juan Soto deals with a back injury that may sideline him beyond Wednesday. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he couldn’t rule out a trip to the injured list for Soto, who exited a 9-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs after the fourth inning Tuesday night because of a tight back. Soto, who was pictured on SNY wearing a wrap around his back in the dugout Tuesday, underwent imaging before Wednesday’s doubleheader. Mendoza said he hoped Soto could be available at some point Wednesday but acknowledged a level of concern for the superstar outfielder, who is in the second season of a 15-year, $765 million deal. "We’ve got to wait," Mendoza said. "Obviously not ideal when a player like him comes out of a game. Those guys are tough, and they know how important they are, and they take pride in being in the lineup every day and posting. "I just didn’t like how he looked yesterday. We’ve got to wait." Soto’s injury may delay his reunion with Lindor, who is expected to be activated prior to Wednesday’s nightcap. The 32-year-old shortstop has been sidelined since suffering a strained left calf while running the bases against the Minnesota Twins on April 22 — the same day Soto returned from an 18-day stint on the shelf due to a strained right calf. Lindor played in his third rehab game Tuesday, when he was 2 for 5 while scoring twice for Triple-A Syracuse. He made the four-hour trip back to New York following the game, which factored into the Mets’ decision to hold off on activating him. "Everything checked out well after the game last night, but he got in late, so we told him to kind of recover this morning," Mendoza said. "We anticipate him being in the lineup." Mendoza said the Mets will proceed cautiously with Lindor following the longest injured stint of his 12-year career. Lindor, who missed just 15 games the previous four years, will likely sit out Thursday’s game and will also see more time than usual at designated hitter. Lindor and Soto have played just nine games together this season for the last-place Mets, who haven’t recovered from the 12-game losing streak they endured during Soto’s absence. New York, which hasn’t finished in last place since 2003, is seven games out of the final National League playoff spot. "I’m just worried about Soto," Mendoza said. "I’m not thinking about Lindor back, Soto out. It is what it is, right? Hopefully, we can get those two in the lineup for a long time here for the rest of the season, and we can make a run at it." Mendoza also announced beleaguered starter Kodai Senga has been shifted to the bullpen. Senga gave up seven runs over 3 2/3 innings Tuesday as his ERA rose to 10.08. He hasn’t earned a win since June 12, 2025, when he suffered a hamstring injury covering first base against the Washington Nationals. Senga, a noted creature of habit, has made just one relief appearance for the Mets. He threw the final 1 2/3 innings of Game 6 of the 2024 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. "We’re going to adjust his routine; he’s going to have to adjust his routine," Mendoza said. Mets slugger Juan Soto was removed from Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs because of back tightness. Soto appeared to grimace when he flied out in the first inning. He flied out again in the third and was replaced in left field in the top of the fifth with New York trailing 7-2. Jared Young moved from first base to left field, and Mark Vientos entered at first in Soto’s third spot in the batting order. In the bottom of the sixth, the last-place Mets announced Soto left with tightness on the left side of his back. "Back locked up there. So, he’s day-to-day. We’ll see where we’re at. He got treatment during the game, but he got to a point there, you could tell something was off,' manager Carlos Mendoza said after his team's 9-6 defeat. 'He was making some faces there and obviously I checked with him and he got to a point where it was like, it was bothering him to throw and then to just get his A swing on it. So at that point, I thought it was just best to get him out of the game and have the trainers look at him." Soto, a four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger award winner, began the night batting .301 with 17 homers, 38 RBIs and a .974 OPS. He spent time on the injured list in April with a calf strain. Mets' star shortstop Francisco Lindor (left calf strain) had two hits and scored twice in a rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse. A decision is expected Wednesday on whether to reinstate him from the injured list or wait a little longer. Lindor has not suited up for the Mets since April 22; New York is 25-28 in his absence, and in last place in the NL East. In the same game with Syracuse, outfielder Tyrone Taylor (right hip flexor strain) went 3 for 5 with a homer, a double and three runs against Lehigh Valley. Switch-hitting infielder Ronny Mauricio (broken left thumb) had two hits and three RBIs. New York expects right-hander Christian Scott (right hip impingement) to come off the injured list this weekend and start Saturday or Sunday against Philadelphia. New York has leaned on the likes of David Peterson (6.09 ERA in 68 innings) and Kodai Senga (10.08 ERA in seven starts) in the absence of Scott, who managed a 3.10 ERA in nine starts before landing on the IL. June 23 Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera was carted off the field Tuesday night after injuring his left leg stretching for a throw at first base against the New York Mets. With two runners aboard in the fifth inning, Cabrera hustled over to cover the bag when Jared Young hit a two-out grounder wide of first. Second baseman Nico Hoerner made a sliding stop on the outfield grass and threw to Cabrera, who went into a split as he caught the toss for the final out of the inning. The 28-year-old right-hander grabbed the inside of his left thigh, then got to his feet and tried to walk toward the dugout. But he went back down in obvious pain and needed assistance just to stand before a cart arrived and he was driven off the field through an opening in the outfield wall at Citi Field. A few innings later came an announcement in the press box saying Cabrera exited his start with a left hamstring/adductor strain. The Seattle Mariners activated left fielder Randy Arozarena from the injured list on Tuesday night before the opener of a three-game series with Pittsburgh. Arozarena was sidelined since June 13 because of a strained left hamstring. He’s hitting .291/.377/.448 with seven home runs and 19 stolen bases in 71 games. Infielder/outfielder Connor Joe was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. Joe hit .179/.289/.308 with one homer in 21 games. Major league home runs leader Kyle Schwarber was scratched with lower back tightness before the Philadelphia Phillies’ game against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. The announcement that the team’s designated hitter would be out came about five minutes before the game began. Edmundo Sosa replaced him in the Phillies’ lineup. Schwarber leads the majors this season with 29 home runs and is coming off a weekend in which he hit three against the Mets on Saturday and another one on Sunday. Schwarber went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 4-1 loss to the Nationals on Monday night. Elly De La Cruz was back in the Cincinnati Reds’ lineup for Tuesday night’s game against Milwaukee after spending just over three weeks on the injured list. The Reds announced they activated the two-time All-Star shortstop, who strained his right hamstring on May 31, and optioned outfielder Will Benson to Triple-A Louisville. De La Cruz completed a three-game rehab assignment at Louisville over the weekend. He homered and played five innings at shortstop on Friday, was 0 for 3 as the designated hitter Saturday and 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and an error on Sunday. De La Cruz was batting .280 with an .855 OPS and 12 home runs in 58 games before he went on the IL for the first time in his major league career. June 22 Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker was removed from Monday’s game against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning with low back spasms. Tucker walked with one out in the second and ran lightly to second base on Tommy Edman’s single to right field. Then, Tucker was replaced by pinch-runner Alex Call. Tucker stayed in the dugout, standing up next to dugout fence before heading into the clubhouse after the inning was over. After signing a four-year, $240 million contract with Los Angeles in January, Tucker has played in 75 of the Dodgers’ 79 games this season. But he’s hit just .234 with six home runs and four RBIs. The .234 average is his lowest since hitting .141 in 28 games as a rookie in Houston in 2018. He’s hit at least 22 homers in each of the past five seasons. The Dodgers also pulled catcher Dalton Rushing in the bottom of the third to rule out a concussion. Los Angeles was already without catcher Will Smith, who is on the 10-day IL with neck inflammation. Francisco Lindor will play at least one more minor-league rehab game before the New York Mets decide to activate their shortstop from the injured list following a two-month absence because of a strained left calf. Lindor will play his third rehab game on June 22 when he plays for Triple-A Syracuse. He split last weekend playing for Double-A Binghamton and Syracuse and was 1 for 8 while playing shortstop. "We’ll re-assess after the game and see what’s next for him," manager Carlos Mendoza said before the Mets were scheduled to open a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Monday. Lindor was scheduled to take at-bats in a simulated game on the field Monday, but the session was canceled because of heavy rain. Instead, he participated in indoor baseball activities. "We’ll see whether he needs a day off, if he’s ready to come [back]," Mendoza said. "He’s just got to get through tomorrow and we’ll have those discussions." Lindor strained his calf scoring on a double by Francisco Alvarez against the Minnesota Twins on April 22. His injury was more severe than the strained right calf that sidelined Juan Soto for 15 games in April when the Mets lost 12 in a row. Before getting hurt, Lindor batted .226 with two homers and five RBIs. He had elbow surgery following last season and missed most of spring training after surgery on his left hamate bone. The Mets began Monday 26-27 without Lindor, who is on the injured list for the third time in his 12-year big-league career. Without Lindor, Bo Bichette has received the bulk of the starts at shortstop after being signed to a $126 million, three-year contract to play third base. Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is expected to be reinstated from the injured list on June 23 after missing 19 games with a strained right hamstring, manager Terry Francona said on June 22. De La Cruz — who has been sidelined since June 1 — took batting practice prior to the Reds' Monday night series opener against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. He made three rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville, going 2 for 8 with a home run and two RBIs. After homering in his first rehab start on Friday, De La Cruz texted Francona, "Be there tomorrow," but the Reds didn't want to rush things. De La Cruz left the May 31 game against the Atlanta Braves with right hamstring tightness after he had a base hit in the fifth inning. He had a streak of appearing in 276 consecutive games snapped, the sixth-longest streak for a Reds player in the expansion era (1961-present). His streak began on July 30, 2024. Before going on the injured list, De La Cruz was batting .280 with 12 home runs. The Chicago White Sox activated Kyle Teel from the 60-day injured list on Monday and optioned fellow catcher Edgar Quero to Triple-A Charlotte. Teel is expected to make his season debut in the opener of a three-game series against AL Central-leading Cleveland. The 24-year-old Teel strained his right hamstring while playing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Then he hurt his right knee while playing for Charlotte on a rehab assignment. Teel, a first-round pick in the 2023 amateur draft, was acquired by Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade in December 2024. He hit .273 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 78 games last year in his first action with the White Sox. Teel spent four games with the Knights on his second rehab stint, going 8 for 16 with a homer and four RBIs. The White Sox are back at home after going 1-5 on a six-game trip. They were one game back of the Guardians going into the series. Quero has struggled at the plate in his second major league season, batting just .187 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 55 games. He was acquired in a July 2023 trade with the Los Angeles Angels. June 21 The Texas Rangers placed right-handed starting pitcher Jack Leiter on the 15-day injured list Sunday with an ankle issue the right-hander has been battling most of the season, and star shortstop Corey Seager still isn't ready to return from a concussion. The Rangers recalled right-hander Jose Corniell from Triple-A Round Rock but didn't say how they would fill Leiter's spot in the rotation Tuesday at the Miami Marlins. Six of Corniell's seven minor-league appearances were starts. President of baseball operations Chris Young said Leiter was trying to pitch through what is being called right ankle posterior impingement, but his mechanics were affected by compensating for the injury. Leiter lost all three of his June starts and had a 9.88 ERA, capped by allowing seven hits and six runs in four innings in a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. He is 3-7 with a 5.29 ERA in 15 starts this season. "Jack has not made it an issue. That speaks to his level of competitiveness," Young said. "He’s not made excuses, but the reality is he’s having to change his delivery to compensate for it. We cannot put him in harm’s way. He's too important to our future." Young said the 26-year-old Leiter was already dealing with the balky ankle when he aggravated the injury by slipping on an on-deck circle in his fifth start of the season April 22 at home against the New York Yankees. Young said imaging showed the injury was getting worse. "We’ve been trying to monitor it as best we could," manager Skip Schumaker said. "But the reality is he just wasn’t able to do what he was capable of doing throughout the starts. I think it started showing up more and more. It wasn’t fair to him that we kept sending him out there." Seager was eligible to return from the seven-day concussion list Friday, but Young said he was still in the protocol. He was participating in meetings and running on the field before the game. Schumaker said the two-time World Series MVP would be on the upcoming 10-game road trip with stops in Miami, Toronto and Cleveland, but couldn't say when Seager would play. "It's still day to day," Schumaker said. "I’m trying to make sure that he feels good after this kind of stimulation and inside the weight room, hitting and then running." Seager was in the worst slump of his career when he took a few days off in mid-May and ended up with a sore back that extended his absence to 19 games. The five-time All-Star is hitting .186 with nine homers and 24 RBIs. June 20 Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his scheduled start against San Diego on Saturday because of left knee soreness. Lefty MacKenzie Gore was moved up a day to replace Eovaldi, and the Rangers didn't immediately announce a starter for Sunday's series finale against the Padres. It's the second time in a little more than a month that Eovaldi has been scratched from a start. The 36-year-old was dealing with tightness in his left side when he skipped a May 11 start against Arizona. Eovaldi ended up missing one turn in the rotation before pitching seven scoreless innings and tying his season high with eight strikeouts in an 8-0 victory against Houston. The two-time All-Star is 6-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 14 starts. Eovaldi didn't pitch after Aug. 22 last year because of a right rotator cuff strain, and it was revealed after the season that he needed sports hernia surgery. He was 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA in 22 starts but fell short of the number of innings required to qualify for the ERA title. Shohei Ohtani wasn't in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup on Friday night because he is "away from the team on paternity." The team announced in a post on X that the two-way superstar is expected to return this weekend, meaning he wasn't placed on MLB's paternity list. Manager Dave Roberts said after a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles that he hopes Ohtani returns Saturday but he had not talked to him. Roberts said he found out "very recently" that Ohtani was going to be a father again. "Keeping his privacy," Roberts said, smiling. The team's lineup for Friday's series opener came out less than an hour before gametime, with Ryan Ward listed as the designated hitter batting seventh. Asked three hours before the game about the delayed lineup, Roberts said he was working out "some things with some position players" and made no mention of Ohtani. Roberts was asked about Ohtani's sore left knee and said he had not spoken to him Friday. "Just assuming that after the off day he's in a good spot," the manager said. Roberts often mentions if a player is expecting a baby, and the team typically announces when they have been placed on paternity leave. Ohtani, who turns 32 on July 5, and his 29-year-old wife, Mamiko Tanaka, became first-time parents in April 2025 with the birth of their daughter. He first announced on social media in December 2024 that the couple was expecting. The famously private Ohtani has never publicly revealed her name and has carefully avoided showing her face in the rare family photos he posts to his social media. New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said Friday that he doesn't plan to start wearing a protective cup, one day after getting hit in the groin by a foul ball. "If you don’t trust your hands, I would recommend wearing a cup," Chisholm said ahead of the Yankees game against Cincinnati. "I feel like it’s more defensively that you would wear a cup than hitting. At the same time, I just never thought about wearing a cup." In the fourth inning of Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the White Sox, Chisholm fouled a 2-2 curveball from Sean Burke off his groin. He was down for several minutes as trainer Tim Lentych attended to him and then limped off the field to get treated with ice packs. "The trainers and he followed up this morning but, I felt good about it last night," New York manager Aaron Boone said. "I got with him last night and he seemed like he was going to be fine. They wanted to do some things this morning just to be sure, but I sent the lineup out last night because I felt confident about it and if we had to adjust we would." Chisholm described the pain as "a million," and said he never wore a cup in the minor leagues, where it is mandatory. "I’ve never worn a cup," Chisholm said. "I’m not going change. Just an unlucky instance right there.' Justin Verlander's return to the Detroit Tigers has been delayed again. Manager A.J. Hinch announced Friday that the 43-year-old right-hander pulled a hamstring during a bullpen session and will be sidelined indefinitely. "This is not a matter of days," Hinch said. "It is a matter of weeks." Verlander was scheduled to return from a hip injury on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox in what would have been his first start with the Tigers at Comerica Park since August 30, 2017. He was traded to Houston the next day. Verlander has only pitched once this season, allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings during a 9-6 road loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 30. He went 183-115 in 14 seasons with the Tigers before the trade. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2006 and both the AL MVP and Cy Young in 2011. He helped Detroit reach the World Series in 2006 and 2012. The Tigers also placed outfielder Wenceel Perez on the injured list with facial fractures. He was struck by an exercise band that came unhooked during a postgame workout in Houston. Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was out of the lineup for Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals with a grade-1 MCL sprain. He left Thursday's game at the end of the fourth inning after earlier fielding a ground ball. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said Friday the Royals were "fortunate" that it was just a mild sprain. "It just could have been a lot worse," Quatraro said. The plan was to give Witt Friday off. The teams are scheduled for a rare Saturday off day because a World Cup match between Ecuador and Curacao will be played at neighboring Kansas City Stadium (GEHA Field at Arrowhead) on Saturday night. Quatraro was hopeful that Witt could return for Sunday's game. "We’ll re-evaluate the timeline come Sunday," he said, 'So we’ll see. It’s not a surgical thing. I know they can put a brace on it. It’s going to be (getting) the swelling out of there and understand how he feels. Those conversations are going to have to be honest between all of us." June 19 Mets' shortstop Francisco Lindor has been out with an injured calf since late-April, but he is set to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Friday, per MLB. Lindor has appeared in just 24 games in 2026, and is batting all of .226/.314/.355, which has caused free-agent signing Bo Bichette to shift back to his previous position of shortstop for most of the season. Bichette at short has meant a considerable amount of Brett Baty at third base, and he's hitting just .226/.303/.318 this season – Lindor, who hit .267/.346/.466 in 2025 and has had four-straight top-10 finishes for National League MVP, should provide a considerable upgrade even if his bat does not fully return to its previous form. The Mets sit five games back of the final wild-card spot in the NL entering Friday. Catcher Francisco Alvarez has already recently returned to the lineup, and New York went a lengthy stretch without star slugger Juan Soto in the lineup, as well. Getting Lindor back soon – and he is projected to return before June ends, possibly even by next week after a couple of rehab games, per manager Carlos Mendoza – would give the Mets the lineup they had envisioned entering the season for the first time in months. June 18 The Atlanta Braves acquired catcher Joey Bart from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed pitcher Hunter Stratton on Thursday night. Atlanta made room for Bart on the 40-man roster by designating catcher Sandy León for assignment. The Pirates assigned Stratton to Triple-A Indianapolis. Bart was batting .259 with two homers, six RBIs and a .670 OPS in 21 games with Pittsburgh. He grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and played college ball in the city at Georgia Tech before being selected second overall by the San Francisco Giants in the 2018 amateur draft. The NL East-leading Braves (46-27) already have two fine catchers in 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin and 2023 All-Star Sean Murphy, but Murphy is on the 60-day injured list with a broken finger. Stratton appeared in one game with the Braves this year and pitched a scoreless inning. He played for the Pirates from 2023-25 before getting traded to Atlanta last July. León was batting .091 with zero RBIs in 21 games this season. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. left the Royals’ game with the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night with right knee discomfort after making a sliding play in the field. With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, Witt went to his knees to prevent Jordan Walker’s RBI single from getting to the outfield. Witt was checked out by Royals staffers before remaining in the game for the rest of that half inning. But he was scheduled to lead off the bottom of the fourth, and the Royals instead had Tyler Tolbert pinch-hit for him. The Royals announced later that Witt’s departure was due to knee discomfort. Before his departure, Witt had gone 2 for 2 with a solo homer in the first inning and an RBI single in the second. Witt also scored his second run of the night in the second inning. The two-time All-Star is batting .294 with a .368 on-base percentage, 10 homers, 32 RBIs and an MLB-leading 28 steals in 76 games this season. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is back on the injured list. The team announced before Thursday night’s game against the Athletics that the 11-time All-Star was placed on the 10-day IL due to a right hamstring strain. The Angels recalled infielder Christian Moore from Triple-A Salt Lake among a flurry of moves. Injuries have hindered Trout for much of this decade. Since winning his third AL MVP award in 2019, Trout has played more than 82 games in a season just twice – 119 in 2022 and 130 in 2025. The 34-year-old Trout had played in 74 of 75 games this year in a resurgent season. He’s batting .234 with an .866 OPS, 17 homers, 36 RBIs and seven steals. He entered Thursday with an AL-leading 54 runs, a total that was tied for second in the majors behind Washington’s James Wood. Trout’s 66 walks also ranked second in the big leagues, behind the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz. Trout had the second-highest vote count of any AL outfielder in the All-Star Game balloting totals that were released this week. He grew up near Philadelphia, where this year’s All-Star Game will take place next month. The injury to Trout created an opportunity for Moore, who was hitting .333 with a .468 on-base percentage, nine homers, 45 RBIs and 10 steals in 51 games at Salt Lake while playing second base, third base and the outfield. Moore hit .198 with a .284 on-base percentage, seven homers, 16 RBIs and three steals in 53 games with the Angels last season. In other moves, the Angels recalled right-hander Ryan Johnson from Double-A Rocket City, released left-hander Drew Pomeranz and optioned right-hander Brett Kerry and catcher Logan Porter to Salt Lake. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Adolis García is out for the rest of the season with a lat injury. The Phillies announced Thursday that García will undergo latissimus dorsi repair surgery on Wednesday. The Phillies estimated his recovery would take six to eight months, enabling him to be ready for the start of the 2027 season. García signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies in December after playing six seasons with the Texas Rangers. The two-time All-Star began his career with St. Louis in 2018. The 33-year-old García was batting .195 with a .270 on-base percentage, seven homers, 21 RBIs and three steals in 67 games. He left a June 10 game in Toronto with what the Phillies described as a pulled muscle in his right shoulder after making consecutive throws to home plate on sacrifice flies. In other moves Thursday, the Phillies recalled right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson and selected the contract of right-hander Bryse Wilson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. They optioned left-handed pitcher Tanner Banks to Lehigh Valley. Johnson had an 0-1 record and six saves with a 1.33 ERA in 24 relief appearances with Lehigh Valley. In two prior stints with Philadelphia this season, Johnson has posted a 7.36 ERA while appearing in three games. Wilson was 3-5 and posted a 6.29 ERA with Lehigh Valley in 12 appearances, including 11 starts. Wilson last pitched in the majors with the Chicago White Sox last year, and he owns a 20-23 record and 4.82 ERA in 163 career MLB appearances. Banks was 0-4 with a 5.86 ERA in 26 games with Philadelphia. Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester will undergo season-ending surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and is expected to be sidelined for eight to 10 months. Thoracic outlet syndrome is a disorder that occurs when blood vessels or nerves in the space between the collarbone and first rib are compressed. That can lead to neck and shoulder pain, numbness or tingling in the fingers, and arm weakness. Priester's thoracic outlet decompression surgery will be performed on Monday in Dallas by surgeon Dr. Gregory Pearl and will involve the removal of the first upper rib on the right side. "After doing all the things that we had gone through to try and fix this problem without surgery, we’ve just kind of gotten to a point where these things aren’t working, so we’re going to get surgery and make sure we clean this up and so that for the rest of my career this isn’t an issue," Priester said before the Brewers game against Cleveland on Thursday. Priester was a key cog in the team’s rotation a season ago when he went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 29 appearances, including 24 starts, for a team that made it to the National League Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The condition caused considerable control issues during the rehab stints, Priester said. In five rehab games at Triple-A Nashville, two in Arizona and one at High-A Wisconsin, Priester had a 15.75 ERA and 2.88 WHIP in 16 innings, with 24 walks, 18 strikeouts, four hit batters and six wild pitches. "When the brain and arm are communicating the right way because of the nerves that are pinching in there, it makes it nearly impossible to actually create a result that’s repeatable," he said. "It was great that we had gotten the pain to go away with the nerve blocks, but essentially, we couldn’t alleviate all the symptoms." Priester said the full recovery time for the surgery is expected to be eight to 10 months, but the 25-year-old is confident he can beat the timeline. "I’m still a pretty young guy that may be able to make that a little bit quicker, be diligent with the work and be ready to compete for a spot in spring training next year," Priester said. June 17 Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter has become the latest Guardians position player to go on the injured list. The team announced the move before their Wednesday night game with the Milwaukee Brewers. DeLauter had hurt his ribs Saturday while colliding with the outfield wall. Outfielder Kahlil Watson was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to fill DeLauter’s spot on the roster. DeLauter’s injury came during a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers in which seven-time All-Star third baseman José Ramírez and outfielder Angel Martinez also were hurt. Ramírez underwent surgery Tuesday to remove the hook of the broken hamate bone in his left hand, an injury that occurred when he hit a foul pop to Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler. The normal recovery time after surgery is five-to-seven weeks. Martínez also got hurt while fouling off a pitch. He went on the injured list Tuesday with a nondisplaced fracture in his left foot, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Tuesday the 24-year-old could miss four-to-six weeks. DeLauter is batting .263 with a .337 on-base percentage, seven homers and 34 RBIs in 66 games. Four of his homers came in Cleveland’s first three games of the season. Ramírez is batting .239 with a .339 on-base percentage, 10 homers and 33 RBIs in 72 games. Martínez has a team-high 11 homers to go along with a .239 batting average, .276 on-base percentage and 33 RBIs in 66 games. Watson, 23, was batting .255 with a .370 on-base percentage, 12 homers, 35 RBIs and 15 steals in 56 games at Columbus. Watson entered the pro ranks as a Miami Marlins first-round pick in 2021, but he has no major-league experience. Max Scherzer is back on the injured list. The Toronto Blue Jays placed the three-time Cy Young winner on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with back spasms. The move came hours before Scherzer was scheduled to start against the Boston Red Sox. Toronto will use reliever Braydon Fisher as an opener against Boston instead. Scherzer, who turns 42 next month, spent more than six weeks on the injured list this season with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation. He returned last week and became the 11th pitcher in major-league history to reach 3,500 career strikeouts when he fanned Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber. The moment proved to be the highlight as Scherzer was pulled after giving up five runs in 3 1/3 innings in what became a 7-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Scherzer, who signed a $3-million, one-year deal to return to Toronto in the offseason, is 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA in six starts with the Blue Jays in 2026. The Tigers announced that Gleyber Torres is headed back to the 10-day IL, once again for his oblique. Torres had just returned at the start of June after spending all but two games of May on the IL for a strain to the same oblique, his left. The second baseman is thriving when he is on the field, batting .280/.395/.395 with 10 extra-base hits in 43 games. While the power isn't much, the .395 on-base percentage would rank fourth in the American League if Torres qualified, behind only the Athletics' Nick Kurtz, the Astros' Yordan Alvarez amd the Orioles' Taylor Ward. Torres was also finally hitting for power upon returning from the initial oblique injury: he hit .341/.413/.585 with six of those extra-base hits in those 11 games; not coincidentally, Detroit was 7-4 in those games despite being well under .500, at 30-43, for the season. The Tigers activated starting pitcher Casey Mize from the IL to take Torres' space on the roster. Mize has made nine starts in 2026 and owns a 2.27 ERA, with over four times as many strikeouts as walks in 47 ⅔ innings. He will slot back into a rotation that also recently welcome back defending AL Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal. June 16 Guardians All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez had surgery Tuesday to remove the hook of the broken hamate bone in his left hand. The team said in a statement that the procedure was performed in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, by Dr. Thomas Graham. "We knew he was going to need surgery, so earlier today he was able to get it done," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said before Tuesday's game. Ramírez suffered the injury during the fifth inning of Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers, when he fouled out on a pop up to Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler. It is only the second time in Ramírez's 14 big league seasons that he has been placed on the injured list. The seven-time All-Star also broke the hamate bone in his right hand in 2019 and missed only a month. The normal recovery time post-surgery is five to seven weeks. "That’s part of life. Those are things that are going to happen, so I’m not upset. It’s just part of the game and just got to keep going," Ramírez said about the injury on Sunday. The 33-year-old native of the Dominican Republic has played in a franchise-record 1,681 games. He is also the only player in Cleveland’s 125-year history to have at least 300 stolen bases and 250 home runs. Cleveland also placed outfielder Angel Martinez on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a nondisplaced fracture in his left foot. Martínez's injury also occurred during Saturday’s game after fouling off a pitch. Martínez, who leads the Guardians with 11 homers, could be out four to six weeks, Vogt said. "He walked in Monday probably knowing that we’d probably get some testing done on Monday if he wasn’t feeling better and he wasn’t," Vogt said. "MRI and CT scan both revealed a fracture in the foot, so it will be four to six weeks for Angel." Star catcher Cal Raleigh, runner-up in AL MVP voting last season after hitting 60 home runs, was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday. He was in the lineup and behind the plate as the Mariners returned home for their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. Raleigh had been out since May 14 with a right oblique strain, the first IL stint of his career. Seattle went 15-13 without him and was still leading the AL West, but the team finished 4-6 recently on a 10-game trip through Detroit, Baltimore and Washington. "I’m just really just excited to get back," said Raleigh who hit .412 (7 for 17) with five home runs and 12 RBIs in a five-game rehab assignment with Class A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma. "I missed it a lot, and it was a fun week getting back out there. I’m really excited just to get back to it, be with the guys, and get back in the thick of it." Raleigh’s numbers prior to the injury were nowhere near what he became accustomed to during his historic 2025 campaign, when he established single-season records for homers by a catcher, a switch-hitter and a Mariners player. He entered Tuesday’s game with a .161 batting average, seven homers and 18 RBIs. Raleigh wasn’t the only reinforcement to arrive for Seattle on Tuesday. Veteran shortstop J.P. Crawford, who had been on the injured list since June 5 after being hit in the hand by a pitch at Detroit, returned to action and promptly was inserted as the team’s starting third baseman for the first time this season as the club continues to see what rookie shortstop Colt Emerson can do. Seattle did have a setback, however, as outfielder Randy Arozarena was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. The move was retroactive to Saturday. Arozarena hasn’t played since last Friday, and an MRI on Tuesday showed mild inflammation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.]]>
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					<![CDATA[The Ohio State Of The World Cup? Each Semifinalist As A College Football Powerhouse]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-college-football-france-ohio-state-spain-georgia-england-texas-argentina-alabama</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-college-football-france-ohio-state-spain-georgia-england-texas-argentina-alabama</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Comparing the final four World Cup teams standing to some of college football's top programs? Let's do it.]]>
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				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:53:37 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Somehow, yes, it's true: for the first time in World Cup history, the four remaining teams are also the top four teams in FIFA's rankings. The tournament has been around since 1930, and even with an expanded 48-team field designed to create more unpredictability, the final four is as chalk as it gets. No. 1 France plays No. 3 Spain in Dallas on Tuesday, while No. 2 Argentina faces No. 4 England in Atlanta on Wednesday. No matter who wins, we’ll be rewarded with a dream final. That got us thinking: while there aren't perfect like-for-like comparisons in college football, there are enough similarities that these four World Cup semifinalists resemble some recent College Football Playoff teams. Here’s our best run at it: France is Ohio State: Les Bleus have two World Cup titles, winning on home soil in 1998 and then 20 years later in Russia in 2018. This marks France's eighth World Cup semifinal appearance. Four years ago, it finished as runner-up after losing to Argentina in the greatest final in tournament history, an epic match decided by a penalty shootout. France regularly produces world-class talent, and its players star for Europe's biggest clubs. Its attack is powered by a three-headed monster of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, while an elite defense has conceded few goals throughout this summer’s tournament. The program also has had stability under manager Didier Deschamps, who has been in charge since 2012 (though 2026 will be his final World Cup with the squad). Ohio State always attracts the top recruiting classes and consistently develops top NFL talent. The Buckeyes won the national championship in 2024, and are tied for the most CFP appearances since the inaugural four-team field in 2014. And, like France, they enter nearly every season as a legitimate contender. Expectations aren't just high – they're championship or bust. Argentina is Alabama (during the Nick Saban years): Argentina is the gold standard of international soccer, much like Alabama was during the Nick Saban era. La Albiceleste has been the sport’s most dominant force over the past five years, winning the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles while sandwiching a World Cup trophy in 2022 behind Lionel Messi. The Argentines refuse to be beaten. They thrive in pressure moments – as has been particularly evident throughout the knockout rounds at this World Cup – and that’s because of the championship mentality that’s deeply ingrained in the program’s culture. That's what made Alabama a dynasty under Saban. The Crimson Tide didn't just stockpile elite talent – they expected to win every game and often did. Like Argentina, they were the measuring stick by which every other team compared themselves. The fan bases share similarities, too. They're loud, passionate and unwavering, and love to dance and sing. They’re confident, too, which is a byproduct of their team’s success. Spain is Georgia: This comparison is more about where the programs are right now than their all-time history. Spain and Georgia are some of the hottest teams in their respective sports. They’re ruthless, relentless and seemingly have an endless pipeline of talent. When a star moves on, another rises from Spain’s academy system or Georgia’s top-ranked recruiting class. Spain are the reigning European champions and have looked like the best team in the world for a while. They have Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal, but their defense has been dominant at this World Cup. La Roja have conceded just one goal – in their quarterfinal against Belgium – thanks to a backline anchored by center backs Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí, with Unai Simon providing steadiness in goal. Georgia won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022, and Spain is hoping to lift the World Cup trophy after most recently winning the 2024 Euros. The Bulldogs may be more known for their size and physicality, while La Roja overwhelms opponents with technical ability and flair, but both programs have become dominant forces that reload every year. England is Texas: Both England and Texas enter every season – or every major tournament – thinking this is their time. It’s always "it's coming home" and "we’re back." And yet, the Three Lions haven’t won a World Cup in 60 years, while the Longhorns haven’t claimed a national title since the 2005 season. There’s so much hope – and rightfully so – but also so much heartbreak and disappointment. These programs are defined by their rich history, tradition and brands. They dominate headlines whether they’re winning or not, and every loss becomes a national conversation. They have long-time, wide-spread and loyal supporters who are anxious for their team to regain their place at the top. And they have mega stars like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane for England and Arch Manning at Texas. However, both teams have shown signs that they might be over the hump. England has reached four World Cup semifinals, including in two of the last three tournaments. Texas has made it to consecutive CFP semifinals, though it missed out last season. Both teams appear poised to change the narrative, with the Three Lions looking like they could defeat Argentina and make it to the World Cup final, and the Longhorns re-establishing themselves as annual championship contenders.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Video Footage Indicates England's Jude Bellingham Still Hampered By Shoulder Injury]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/video-footage-indicates-englands-jude-bellingham-still-hampered-shoulder-injury</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/video-footage-indicates-englands-jude-bellingham-still-hampered-shoulder-injury</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[England fans have been left sweating over the fitness of Jude Bellingham after the Real Madrid midfielder was seen clutching his shoulder during the World Cup quarter-final against Norway. Despite undergoing corrective surgery in the past, the 23-year-old appeared to be in significant discomfort during and after an outing in Miami.]]>
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				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:53:19 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[England fans have been left sweating over the fitness of Jude Bellingham after the Real Madrid midfielder was seen clutching his shoulder during the World Cup quarter-final against Norway. Despite undergoing corrective surgery in the past, the 23-year-old appeared to be in significant discomfort during and after an outing in Miami. Alarm Bells Ringing For The Three Lions In the midst of a tense World Cup quarter-final clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, a familiar sight struck fear into the hearts of England supporters. Bellingham was caught on camera repeatedly grimacing and clutching his left shoulder after a robust challenge. The medical staff were seen watching closely from the dugout as Bellingham attempted to shake off the pain. While Tuchel and his coaching staff were busy delivering tactical instructions during a scheduled 30th-minute hydration break, Bellingham was seen in deep conversation with the team physio, pointing specifically to the joint. Bellingham was again seen touching his shoulder as he was about to be interviewed after the game. Watch The Clip History Of Playing Through The Pain The England international has previously spoken about his regrets regarding the management of the joint. Before his summer operation, he admitted that he had played through the pain for a significant period to avoid missing key fixtures for both club and country. The psychological impact was also evident, with the midfielder previously stating that the fear of re-injury had prevented him from playing at his world-class best. "The shoulder injury had a lot of effect on the rest of my body. I didn't have much pain, but playing knowing that if I fall it could come out again meant I couldn't be at my best level. Last year made me understand that I couldn't take winning again for granted. Now I'm better physically and I can return to being at my level," he explained. Argentina And Messi Await In Atlanta The road to glory does not get any easier for the Three Lions, as a titan of the game stands in their way. Having secured their passage to the semi-finals, England will now travel to Atlanta to face Lionel Messi and Argentina. The medical staff will now be working around the clock to ensure Bellingham is fit to face the 39-year-old Messi. With nine of his 12 England goals coming in major tournaments, Bellingham is undeniably the "Man of all the Moments" for Tuchel.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 NASCAR Odds: Pole-sitter Ryan Blaney Favored For Atlanta]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-atlanta-summer-race-echopark-speedway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/2026-nascar-odds-atlanta-summer-race-echopark-speedway</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Ryan Blaney captured the pole for Atlanta. Can he get his second win of the season or will Tyler Reddick find his hot hand again? Here are the odds.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:32:55 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The NASCAR Cup Series is heading back to Atlanta for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway on Sunday, July 12. When the series last raced here in February, Tyler Reddick won the day, holding off Chase Briscoe and Ross Chastain. Which driver takes the checkered flag this weekend? Here are the latest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 2026 Ryan Blaney: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)Joey Logano: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)Kyle Larson: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Austin Cindric: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Tyler Reddick: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Denny Hamlin: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Chase Elliott: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Carson Hocevar: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)William Byron: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Bubba Wallace: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Austin Hill: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Christopher Bell: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Chase Briscoe: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Brad Keselowski: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Zane Smith: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Ross Chastain: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Erik Jones: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Daniel Suárez: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Chris Buescher: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total) Ty Gibbs: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Michael McDowell: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Alex Bowman: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)John Hunter Nemechek: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Austin Dillon: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Todd Gilliland: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Ryan Preece: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Shane van Gisbergen: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Josh Berry: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)Connor Zilisch: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)AJ Allmendinger: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Riley Herbst: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Noah Gragson: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total)Ty Dillon: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)Cole Custer: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)BJ McLeod: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)Cody Ware: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)Chad Finchum: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total) Here's What You Need To Know About The Oddsboard: The Favorite Will Ryan Blaney get win No. 2 on the season in Atlanta? Now that he's on the pole, his odds to take home the checkered flag at the Quaker State 400 have surged. His lone win this season came at Phoenix in March. When the series stopped in Atlanta in February, he finished 10th after starting 22nd. In the overall standings, Blaney sits third behind Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick. One To Watch Tyler Reddick has been on a spiral but Atlanta could be the weekend he bounces back. When he got into Victory Lane at this track back in February, it was the second checkered flag of his early-season three-race win streak. Reddick's last two races, however, have ended in disaster. At Chicagoland, he ended up finishing 30 laps down after his radiator got punctured. At Sonoma, he finished 36th because of mechanical failures. He's second in the standings and firmly in a great position for the postseason, but Atlanta could be a great opportunity for him and his team to find their footing again.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Erling Haaland Labels England 'Lucky To Have' Jude Bellingham After World Cup Heroics]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/erling-haaland-labels-england-lucky-have-jude-bellingham-after-world-cup-heroics</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/erling-haaland-labels-england-lucky-have-jude-bellingham-after-world-cup-heroics</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Erling Haaland has warned England that they are fortunate to possess a talent like Jude Bellingham after the midfielder's heroics propelled the Three Lions into the World Cup semi-finals.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:29:13 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Erling Haaland has warned England that they are fortunate to possess a talent like Jude Bellingham after the midfielder's heroics propelled the Three Lions into the World Cup semi-finals. The Manchester City striker was on the receiving end of a Bellingham masterclass as Norway were eliminated from the competition in a tense quarter-final clash. High Praise From A Former Teammate In the aftermath of England's hard-fought victory over Norway, Haaland was quick to put rivalry aside to laud the performance of his close friend and former Borussia Dortmund colleague, Bellingham. The Real Madrid star was the difference-maker on the night, netting his second consecutive brace to steer Thomas Tuchel’s side through to the final four. Despite the disappointment of Norway's exit, Haaland recognised that Bellingham is currently operating at a level that few in world football can match. Speaking to the media after the final whistle, Haaland made his feelings clear about the calibre of the player England have at their disposal. "Real Madrid and England are lucky to have Jude Bellingham," the Norwegian talisman admitted. Silencing The Doubters On The Big Stage Haaland also took the opportunity to address the scrutiny that Bellingham has faced regarding his output in the final third. While some have questioned whether the midfielder contributes enough goals, his performance against Norway served as a definitive answer to those concerns. "Sometimes they criticize Jude Bellingham for not scoring enough goals, but he does not deserve that criticism," Haaland said, defending the 23-year-old. "He’s a midfielder, and yet he still scores, goes forward, dribbles. He’s world class." The Ultimate Game-Changer Bellingham’s influence on the pitch has reached a point where even the world's best players are queuing up to play alongside him. Haaland, who shared a telepathic understanding with the midfielder during their time together in the Bundesliga, hinted that every manager in the world would jump at the chance to have the Stourbridge-born star in their ranks. "Everyone wants Jude Bellingham on their team," Haaland noted, acknowledging the Madrid man's status as a transformative figure for both club and country. He didn't stop there, offering the ultimate validation by stating: "He’s one of the best players in the world." A Major Boost For Thomas Tuchel Beyond his goals, there was further cause for celebration for England as Bellingham managed to navigate the quarter-final without picking up a booking. Having entered the match just one yellow card away from a suspension, he played with a disciplined maturity that ensures his availability for the upcoming semi-final showdown. With yellow cards set to be cleared following the semi-final stage, Bellingham is now in the clear to feature in the final if England can overcome Argentina in the last four on Wednesday.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez, Jays' Dylan Cease To Start 2026 MLB All-Star Game]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-mlb-all-star-game-starting-pitchers-cristopher-sanchez-dylan-cease-phillies-blue-jays</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-mlb-all-star-game-starting-pitchers-cristopher-sanchez-dylan-cease-phillies-blue-jays</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies and Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays will be the starting pitchers for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:40:41 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Cristopher Sánchez will start Tuesday night's 2026 MLB All-Star Game in his home ballpark, taking the mound for the National League against Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays announced Sunday that Cease will be the American League's starter. Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is managing the NL, said Sanchez is his starter. "I think he deserves it. He’s the hometown ballplayer and I think the city of Philly will enjoy watching him and supporting him," Roberts said. "I had a conversation with him this morning. ... He was very grateful. In a time when guys are not wanting to participate, this guy in the Midsummer Classic for fans, I think this is a good thing. He’s very excited about pitching." Also Sunday, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said right-hander Cam Schlittler is not planning to pitch in the All-Star Game. Schlittler will still be at the game and there is no replacement planned for the AL roster. Sanchez is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA this season. He's third in the major leagues with 144 strikeouts. The left-hander's streak of 50 2/3 scoreless innings was a highlight of the major-league season so far. Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, who leads the majors in ERA (1.62), WHIP (0.76) and strikeouts (167), was replaced on the NL All-Star roster earlier in the week, when it appeared he would be starting for the Brewers on Sunday. Then, Milwaukee scratched him from that start because of arm fatigue. Cease is 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA for the Blue Jays. He nearly threw his second career no-hitter Wednesday against San Francisco, but it was broken up in the ninth inning. Cease is the first Toronto pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roy Halladay in 2009. Schlittler was a candidate to start, boasting an AL-leading ERA of 2.05, but he pitched for the Yankees on Saturday. "Just feels like on his recovery day to go back out there throwing 100 mph is something that I think he felt a little apprehensive about," Boone told reporters before New York's game at the Washington Nationals. "Certainly support that decision, and obviously I think he understands what’s at stake here in the second half too for us and for him." Schlittler could start the opening game of the second half against the Dodgers on Friday at Yankee Stadium. How to Watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 14, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Watch the MLB All-Star Game on FOX One for live and on-demand streaming. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[World Cup Expansion? FIFA President Gianni Infantino Says It Will Be 'Examined']]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-expansion-fifa-president-gianni-infantino-says-will-examined</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-expansion-fifa-president-gianni-infantino-says-will-examined</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[FIFA president Gianni Infantino opened the door for the World Cup to expand to 64 countries.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:30:46 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[First, the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams. Then, the NCAA Tournament expanded to 76 teams. Meanwhile, FIFA is in the midst of its newfound 48-team World Cup (the World Cup previously included 32 counties). On that note, does FIFA have its sights set on tournament expansion — again? After saying that the 48-team 2026 World Cup has been "a huge success," FIFA president Gianni Infantino opened the door to add another 16 teams to the tournament for the 2030 World Cup. "That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino said when asked about the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin. "When organizing a World Cup, it’s important to organize it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup." Infantino believes the quality of teams is only improving, which could play into a potential expansion down the road. "You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high — and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world," Infantino continued. "If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving." The inaugural Men's World Cup in 1930 included 13 teams, with that number moving to 16 on a permanent basis in 1954 (there were 16 teams in 1934, 15 in 1938 and 13 in 1950, with no World Cup in 1942 due to World War II or in 1946 due to the impact of the war). It later moved to 24 teams in 1982 and 32 teams in 1998, which was the number of countries in the tournament until 2026. As for the World Cup in progress, Kylian Mbappé and France will face off against Lamine Yamal and Spain in the semifinal round on Tuesday; Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and England will take on Lionel Messi and Argentina in the semifinals on Wednesday. The winner of the two semifinal round matches will square off in the 2026 World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (3 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One).]]>
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					<![CDATA[Tigers Rookie Kevin McGonigle Set For Hometown All-Star Appearance In Philadelphia]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/tigers-rookie-kevin-mcgonigle-set-hometown-all-star-appearance-philadelphia</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/tigers-rookie-kevin-mcgonigle-set-hometown-all-star-appearance-philadelphia</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle can't wait to go home for the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:57:15 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle can't wait to go home for the All-Star Game in Philadelphia. "I'm super pumped," McGonigle said Sunday before facing his hometown Phillies. Even though McGonigle is just 21, he has had a lot of travel bags for baseball. None, though, was like the white one sitting on the carpeted floor next to his chair in the Tigers' clubhouse. The duffel bag was adorned with the All-Star Game logo and there was an Old English D on each end. "I’d say this is the best one I've ever had," McGonigle said. He earned it. Since the first All-Star Game in 1933, Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout and Hall of Famer Al Kaline are the two players who have reached base safely more often than McGonigle at the break. The Tigers thought McGonigle would be good, but no one could have projected this much production so early in his career. Detroit drafted McGonigle with the No. 37 pick in 2023 and he spent two-plus years in the minor leagues, skipping a stop at Triple-A Toledo, as a promising prospect. Shortly after McGonigle made the major league roster during spring training and had four hits in his debut, the franchise saw enough to give him a $150 million, eight-year contract. So far, it certainly looks like a wise investment. "It's so impressive how mature he is in the box," Tigers All-Star outfielder Riley Greene said. "You don't see many people at 21 having at-bats as good as him." Since 1947, he is the fifth rookie 21 or younger to have at least 99 hits before the All-Star Game. "He's a good-looking, young player," said Phillies manager Don Mattingly, who was quite a player himself. "Young guys seem to be coming up a lot more often, and doing well right away. "Seeing him in the spring, he swung the bat. In spring you kind of go, 'OK, we'll see,' with young guys and then obviously, he has taken it into the season and he's still rolling." McGonigle, who was born in Media, Pennsylvania, and attended high school in nearby Drexel Hill, shared his picks for the best cheesesteaks in the Philadelphia area ahead of the Home Run Derby on Monday night and the All-Star Game on Tuesday night. "Delco’s Steaks in Delaware County, which is where I'm from, is my favorite," he said. "In the city, Philip’s is a sleeper. There's a different way they cut the meat, and it's really good." How to Watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 14, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Watch the MLB All-Star Game on FOX One for live and on-demand streaming. Reporting by the Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Peyton Bonds, Nephew of Barry Bonds, Drafted By Giants 90th Overall In MLB Draft]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/peyton-bonds-nephew-barry-bonds-drafted-giants-90th-overall-mlb-draft</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/peyton-bonds-nephew-barry-bonds-drafted-giants-90th-overall-mlb-draft</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The San Francisco Giants have drafted Rutgers outfielder Peyton Bonds in the third round.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:34:00 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[There's another Bonds in the San Francisco Giants organization. The Giants drafted Rutgers outfielder Peyton Bonds in the third round of the amateur draft on Saturday, putting him with the same franchise where uncle Barry Bonds and grandfather Bobby Bonds both starred for years. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Peyton Bonds hit .352 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases last season for Rutgers. Barry Bonds set a major league record with 762 career home runs and won seven Most Valuable Player awards. Bobby and Barry Bonds are considered one of the greatest father-son combinations in baseball history. There were plenty of family connections in the draft held this weekend in Philadelphia, the site of Tuesday night's All-Star Game. The Miami Marlins selected shortstop Jacob Lombard with the No. 14 pick. Lombard is the son of Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard Sr. and younger brother of top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. The Milwaukee Brewers took high school shortstop Trey Ebel with the 25th pick. He is the brother of Brady Ebel, whom they drafted with the 32nd selection last year. Their father is Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel — expected to pitch to Phillies slugger Bryce Harper in the Home Run Derby on Monday night. Reporting by the Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[France vs. Spain: Major Tournament Matchups Through The Years]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/france-vs-spain-major-tournament-matchups-through-years</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/france-vs-spain-major-tournament-matchups-through-years</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Spain and France meet again in a World Cup semifinal after six major tournament clashes dating back to the Euro 1984 final.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:20:18 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[France and Spain: two international powerhouses with rich histories and bright futures. But how have the two countries matched up against each other in major tournaments throughout the years? Let's look back at the most notable meetings between France and Spain ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal match at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday: 2024 Euros Semifinal: Spain 2, France 1 Spain's Goalscorers: Lamine Yamal, Dani OlmoFrance's Goalscorers: Randal Kolo Muani The most recent meeting between France and Spain was in 2024, again in a semifinal, but in the European Championship. A majority of the players from both squads are involved again this time. Sixteen members of Spain’s current World Cup squad were in the Euro 2024 squad that won the tournament, while 15 France players from Euro 2024 are also in this World Cup squad. Spain came into that Euro 2024 semifinal flying, having a marvelous tournament up to that point. La Roja went perfect in the group stage, winning all three matches, then beat Georgia comfortably in the round of 16 before knocking out host nation Germany in the quarterfinals. France, meanwhile, had a relatively poor start to the tournament. Les Bleus failed to win their group, managing five points in the group stage, before lackluster knockout wins over Belgium and Portugal. France beat Belgium, 1-0, in the round of 16, then defeated Portugal on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarterfinals. Spain came in with the momentum, but an early goal from Kolo Muani stirred the pot. Then a moment of magic from Lamine Yamal, a long-distance pearler, and a goal from Dani Olmo off a Jules Koundé deflection gave Spain a 2-1 lead going into halftime. Spain managed to hang on, winning the semifinal before going on to win the entire tournament by beating England in the final. 2012 Euros Quarterfinal: Spain 2, France 0 Spain's Goalscorers: Xabi Alonso 2 France came into this tournament managed by Laurent Blanc, trying to clean up the scraps of a humiliating 2010 World Cup campaign in which it finished bottom of its group with just one point in a group that included Uruguay, Mexico and South Africa. France started Euro 2012 better compared to 2010 by getting out of the group, but it failed to win the group after suffering an upset defeat to Sweden on match day three. That meant France had to go up against a Spanish dynasty that was coming off winning Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. Spain was firmly in the middle of being one of the greatest national teams of all time, if not the greatest national team of all time. An early goal from Xabi Alonso and a late insurance penalty from him in stoppage time allowed Spain to cruise into the semifinals. Spain went on to win Euro 2012. 2006 World Cup Round of 16: France 3, Spain 1 France's Goalscorers: Franck Ribéry, Patrick Vieira, Zinedine ZidaneSpain's Goalscorers: David Villa This was a dramatic round of 16 matchup in 2006 because France failed to win its group, finishing below Switzerland, which led to Les Bleus facing a Spain side that had won its group in dominant fashion. But Spain’s reward was having to face a France team in the last 16 that still had Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Lilian Thuram, Franck Ribéry and many more. Those talented players got the better of a Spain team that started strong and took the initial lead through a David Villa penalty. But an equalizer from Ribéry shortly before halftime, a late goal from Vieira on a set piece and a stoppage-time insurance goal from Zidane allowed France to get past Spain. It was a tough break for a Spanish team that won its group but was rewarded with a France team that ended up going all the way to the World Cup final. 2000 Euros Quarterfinal: France 2, Spain 1 France's Goalscorers: Zinedine Zidane, Youri DjorkaeffSpain's Goalscorers: Gaizka Mendieta This Euro 2000 quarterfinal saw all three goals come in the first half. Zidane broke the deadlock for France with a free kick, before Mendieta equalized from the penalty spot. But Spain not being able to go into the dressing room at 1-1 was a blow, as Djorkaeff scored the go-ahead goal right before halftime. A young Raúl, only 23 at the time, had the opportunity to send the game into extra time from the penalty spot late on, but the pressure got to him as he blazed his penalty over the crossbar. France went on to the semifinals and eventually won Euro 2000. 1996 Euros Group Stage: France 1, Spain 1 France's Goalscorers: Youri DjorkaeffSpain's Goalscorers: José Luis Caminero This was Spain and France’s second group-stage match of Euro 1996, played at Elland Road in Leeds, home of Leeds United. It ended in a 1-1 draw behind goals from Djorkaeff and José Luis Caminero and proved to be a pivotal point for both teams in their push to move on to the quarterfinals. It was a tight battle between France, Spain and Bulgaria for the top two spots. France topped the group with seven points, Spain finished second with five, and Bulgaria narrowly missed out with four. 1984 Euros Final: France 2, Spain 0 France's Goalscorers: Michel Platini, Bruno Bellone France’s first major international tournament victory came in 1984, when it beat Spain, 2-0, behind Michel Platini, whose Euro 1984 campaign is widely recognized as one of the greatest individual international tournament performances ever. Platini scored nine goals in five matches, including one in the final, as he captained France to the trophy. Bruno Bellone also got on the scoresheet. Played at the Parc des Princes, France won as host nation in a tense, cagey affair. The opener came in the 57th minute after a mistake from Spain goalkeeper Luis Arconada on a Platini free kick, before Bellone added an insurance goal in the 90th minute with a chip. That gave France its first major international tournament title. This was Spain’s last appearance in a major international tournament final before Euro 2008, 24 years later.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Switzerland Manager On Breel Embolo Yellow Card Call: 'Completely Unacceptable']]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/switzerland-manager-breel-embolo-red-card-argentina-world-cup-controversy</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/switzerland-manager-breel-embolo-red-card-argentina-world-cup-controversy</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Switzerland manager Murat Yakin was incensed at the VAR decision to give Breel Embolo a second yellow card in its World Cup loss to Argentina.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:00:04 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was sent off in the second half of its World Cup quarterfinal loss to Argentina on Saturday night, a controversial decision following a video review. Dan Ndoye had just tied the game at 1-all in the 67th minute when Argentina's Leandro Paredes was shown a yellow card following a tackle on Embolo. But video showed that the Swiss player was falling before Paredes made contact with him, so Embolo was given a yellow card under the "mistaken identity" protocol that's being used at the World Cup. Embolo had also received a yellow card earlier in the match, so he was sent off and the Swiss were left to play with 10 men the rest of the way. Switzerland managed to get the game to extra time and was trying to escape to a shootout. But then Julián Alvarez scored from long range in the 112th minute, and Lautaro Martínez added another goal a few minutes later, lifting Argentina to a 3-1 victory. "We were punished because of a rule that, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable," Swiss coach Murat Yakin said. "It's very painful that we were eliminated that way. I don't think we deserve that today, and in my opinion, my boys are the real heroes. They put all their heart and their passion into their performance. I am very proud. They are very proud." Yakin wasn't done with his criticism of Portuguese referee João Pinheiro, though. "The referee made the wrong decision," Yakin said. "It was, in my opinion, a harmless foul, if it even was a foul. I know they will protect their referee, but this rule destroyed our game today, and it's very painful, and to be eliminated in that way hurts a lot." Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged that "luck was on our side because one of their players was sent off." It was the second time a yellow card was overturned using the "mistaken identity" protocol at the World Cup. The relatively obscure rule allows the video assistant referee to intervene when an incorrect player is shown a yellow or red card. "I think the red card changed our game," Swiss captain Granit Xhaka said. "This decision was difficult to accept now after the game because the dressing room was very quiet, disappointed." Earlier this week, the Egyptian Football Association said it "cannot remain silent" after what it believed was biased officiating in its 3-2 loss to Argentina in the round of 16. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and several players had criticized the officiating after the defending champion scored three unanswered goals to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in World Cup history. "Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials," FIFA’s chief of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, said in response Wednesday. "When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right." Yakin stopped short of saying Argentina was being favored by World Cup referees. But he also did not hold back about an incident that he believes changed the complexion of Saturday night's match. "We were punished by a referee's mistake," he said. "I didn't know this rule before. It was a very harmless situation, and then a yellow card was awarded. The VAR interfered. It was a very meaningful moment for us, and it was decisive in the outcome of the match." Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 MLB All-Star Game Preview: 10 Storylines To Follow This Week In Philly]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-mlb-all-star-game-preview-10-storylines-follow-week-philly</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-mlb-all-star-game-preview-10-storylines-follow-week-philly</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Here are 10 key storylines to monitor this week at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:42:40 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This week’s All-Star festivities in Philadelphia will be a hometown showcase. The Phillies have two players — Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber — competing in the Home Run Derby on Monday. One day later, four more Phillies players — Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Brandon Marsh and Jhoan Duran — will be joining Schwarber and Harper at the All-Star Game. On the American League side, it will also be a return home for Mike Trout, the native of Millville, New Jersey, whose 12th All-Star Game will hold a special meaning. With All-Star week about to get going, here are 10 storylines to watch. Who Will Be The Starting Pitchers? Rowan Kavner: There are two strong options for American League manager John Schneider. The Yankees’ Cam Schlittler leads AL pitchers in bWAR, ERA and WHIP, while Schneider’s Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease leads AL pitchers in fWAR, strikeouts, strikeout rate and opponents’ batting average. They’ve clearly been the top two pitchers in the AL. It’s a little more complicated in the National League. Jacob Misiorowski would have been the obvious choice in the middle of a historically overpowering season. He leads all qualified MLB starters in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and opponents’ batting average. Shane Bieber (in the shortened 2020 season) and Gerrit Cole (in 2019) are the only qualified starters who have ever logged a strikeout rate higher than Misiorowski’s (39.6%) over the course of a full season. The only problem? Miz won’t be there. He has been replaced because he will be pitching on Sunday and unavailable for the All-Star Game. Paul Skenes might have made sense, but he will be facing off against Misiorowski on Sunday (and hasn’t had the first-half numbers of other top contenders). NL manager Dave Roberts told me last week that being the hometown pitcher "has got to have some weight" as he mulls his decision. If he chooses to go with a Phillies pitcher, there are two options: Sánchez and Luzardo. Sánchez would have been the clear choice until he coughed up nine runs in Kansas City on Monday. Despite that clunker, as long as he is cleared to pitch three days after his start on Saturday, he'd make a lot of sense. Atlanta’s Chris Sale, Cincinnati’s Chase Burns and Roberts’ World Series star Yoshinobu Yamamoto also have to be among the other top considerations. A Farewell To Justin Verlander Deesha Thosar: This week’s All-Star week festivities will double as a farewell stage for Verlander, giving his peers and fans a chance to celebrate his remarkable career. After announcing that he will retire following the season, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer will take one final All-Star bow as one of the sport’s most accomplished pitchers. Verlander is a throwback from a generation of pitchers that played the game with different priorities, including pitching deep into games, emphasizing durability and wins, and defining a legacy through consistency and longevity. It’s fair to question whether we will ever see anyone like him take the mound again. Few careers can match Verlander’s resume. The 43-year-old is a 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, a two-time World Series champion, and the 2011 AL MVP. The right-hander has spent over two decades overpowering hitters, presiding as the active leader in strikeouts (3,554), wins (266), complete games (26), games started (556) and innings pitched (3,571.1). Whatever MLB has in the works to honor Verlander in Philly, it’s certain to be a fitting tribute to one of baseball’s all-time greats. Hometown Stars In Home Run Derby Kavner: In 2018, the Nationals' Bryce Harper beat the Cubs' Kyle Schwarber in the finals to win the Home Run Derby. Eight years later, now Phillies teammates, they’ll face off again in front of their hometown fans. It’s the first time since that 2018 Derby that two teammates will compete. (That year, it was Schwarber and Cubs teammate Javier Báez). Harper has tabbed Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel, one of his World Baseball Classic Team USA coaches, as his Derby pitcher. Ebel threw to Schwarber during last year’s All-Star Game swing-off, helping Schwarber launch three home runs on three pitches to earn MVP honors. Speaking Of That Swing-Off… Thosar: Could another Home Run Derby-style swing-off decide the All-Star Game? After last year's dramatic tiebreaker captivated fans, including Schwarber going a perfect 3-for-3 with three home runs, the possibility is back on the table in Philadelphia. Under MLB's All-Star rules, games tied after nine innings skip extra innings and move straight to a swing-off. Three manager-selected hitters from each league get three swings apiece, and the team that hits the most home runs after all rounds will claim the win. The format was introduced to avoid overworking pitchers while adding late-game drama. There's no way to predict another tie, but all the ingredients are there. There’s elite pitching, stacked lineups and every run will come at a premium, so another swing-off remains a real possibility. If it happens, who will be crowned the hero? Last year in Atlanta, after the NL and AL ended the ninth in a 6-6 tie, we got to see Brent Rooker vs. Kyle Stowers in round one, followed by Schwarber vs. Randy Arozarena in round two, and finally Jonathan Aranda vs. Pete Alonso in round three. The NL won the All-Star Game, 7-6, after the unprecedented swing-off. Trout To Start In Hometown All-Star Game Kavner: Trout’s 12th All-Star Game will be a particularly memorable one. Trout’s hometown of Millville, New Jersey, is less than 50 miles from Philadelphia, and the Angels superstar has thought about the possibility of playing in this All-Star Game since before the season began. "It would be huge," Trout told me two weeks ago, when he was still on the injured list with a hamstring strain. "It’d be special, for sure." Trout has returned from his hamstring strain — as he vowed to do — just in time. He’ll be starting in the outfield for an AL team that could use his pop with Aaron Judge injured. Which AL Rookie Will Step Up? Kavner: It’s a special year for rookie talent, and much of it will be on display on the American League roster. Munetaka Murakami returned from his hamstring injury just in time to be added to the American League roster after launching 20 homers in his first 57 big-league games. Kevin McGonigle is already one of the most valuable shortstops in the game at 21 years old. Cleveland has two AL Rookie of the Year contenders in the game in second baseman Travis Bazzana and pitcher Parker Messick. All of them have risen to the occasion in their first MLB season, and it will be fascinating to see who holds their own — or takes their game to another level — against the sport’s top competition. MLB Continues To Showcase International Stars Thosar: Is it the World Baseball Classic, or the All-Star Game? Just four months after another successful WBC, which ended with Venezuela beating the United States for its first-ever WBC title, the All-Star Game will continue to showcase baseball’s global reach. From Latin America to Asia to the land down under, Philly’s Midsummer Classic will feature plenty of stars whose baseball journeys began in different countries. There are 22 internationally born players earning spots on the All-Star rosters (33.8%), including 12 players in the NL and 10 in the AL. The list features players from Cuba (7); the Dominican Republic (5); Venezuela (4); Canada (2); Japan (2); Australia (1); and Curaçao (1). Guardians rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana, a native of Hornsby, Australia, will become just the fourth-ever native of Australia to make the All-Star Game, joining Grant Balfour (2013); Liam Hendriks (2019, 2021-22); and Dave Nilsson (1999). Diverse All-Star rosters represent the international talent pipeline that’s become essential to MLB’s grandest stages. Will This Week Be The Showcase Of Junior Caminero? Kavner: Caminero is one of the hottest hitters on the planet right now — he had 12 homers in his last 16 games entering the weekend before the break — and he’s out for revenge after falling just short of becoming the youngest player ever to win the Home Run Derby last year. Would anyone be surprised if he won the Derby and then took home All-Star MVP honors? At just 23 years old, the AL starting third baseman is quickly ascending into one of the league’s most promising superstars. The First-Time All-Stars To Watch Thosar: Some have been there, done that (looking at you, Trout, Freddie Freeman, Chris Sale, Juan Soto, Matt Olson, et al.). And then, some will have no idea what to expect and will be taking in the All-Star week festivities with fresh eyes. There is a record, eye-popping total of 29 players who will be making their All-Star Game debuts this year. Among that large group, there are several names worth keeping an eye on who could steal the show. Notable names making their first trip to the Midsummer Classic include Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease, Yankees first baseman Ben Rice and burgeoning star right-hander Schlitter, breakout Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker and local Phillies in Luzardo and outfielder Brandon Marsh rounding out the group of some of the game’s best players of the first half. "I don’t necessarily come into the season saying, ‘I really want to be on the All-Star team,’" Rice told me of whether it was his goal to be selected. "But you can only hope that if you do your best every day and stick to your process and the results follow, that maybe you’ll get the chance." Key Stars Will Be Absent. Who Will Capitalize? Thosar: We’ve been spoiled over the years with so many household names regularly appearing at MLB’s annual All-Star Game festivities, but this year, the Midsummer Classic will be missing some of its biggest headliners. Shohei Ohtani (left knee irritation), Judge (stress fracture in right rib), and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (elected not to play) are among the superstar absences, with aces Skenes and Misiorowski also unable to play in the All-Star Game because they’re both starting on Sunday. In addition, Byron Buxton is dealing with a right hip impingement, while Nick Kurtz will also miss the game due to a right thumb sprain. Still, these absences create opportunity. With a handful of marquee names sidelined or unavailable, the spotlight shifts to first-time All-Stars and underrated talents who are all eager to make a name for themselves. Keep an eye on All-Star Game replacements like first baseman Willson Contreras and Murakami to make the most of their chances. How to Watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 14, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Watch the MLB All-Star Game on FOX One for live and on-demand streaming.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Are Bellingham And Tuchel On The Same Page? FOX Analysts Downplay Comments]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/bellingham-tuchel-same-page-fox-analysts-downplay-comments</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/bellingham-tuchel-same-page-fox-analysts-downplay-comments</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham had differing views of England's win over Norway, but it shouldn't be a long-term issue.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:41:25 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[England's win over Norway didn't come without post-match controversy for the Three Lions. Star midfielder Jude Bellingham scored twice to give England a 2-1 win in extra time that sent them to the World Cup semifinals for the fourth time ever. After the match, during an on-field interview, head coach Thomas Tuchel pointed out that his team could have been much better. "We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today," Tuchel said in a post-match interview on FOX Sports. "The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but not happy with the performance ... in every sense." Bellingham, who scored both of England's goals to bring his tally for the tournament up to six, seemed to disagree with his coach's critique after England prevailed in the heat and humidity of South Florida, with temperatures reaching 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius) at the start of warmups. "Well, whatever," Bellingham said, shaking his head. "It's difficult out there. It's a tough shift. My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players out there who put in a great shift." "Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those conditions," Bellingham said, mentioning the top talent of Norway, incuding Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa, and Alexander Sørloth. "I think it would probably catch you a little off-guard," former World Cup defender Walk Zimmerman told us for the comments and Bellingham's response. "That’s the kind of thing that would fly, I think, at the club level when you’re playing game in, game out. For a knockout tournament, I think the most important thing is that you can say we didn’t play well, then you immediately acknowledge, ‘We won, we’re moving on. We’re going to enjoy this today and look at what we can do better.’" Former U.S. men's national team coach and FOX Sports analyst Bob Bradley downplayed the impact of Tuchel's comments, which struck a chord with Bellingham. "I don't think it's anything," Bradley said, calling the comments "postgame emotions." "Tuchel, like a lot of us, is never satisfied and always demanding," Bradley told us. "Bellingham represents the players and the effort against a good team." Thierry Henry also seemed confused by the line of questioning from the interviewer in FOX's postgame. "I didn't understand the questions," Henry said. "The guy is telling you it was all effort and mentality – and you're asking about mentality. He was talkinga bout the technical aspect of the game. […] He wasn't happy with the speed, he wasn't happy about it. That's why he changed stuff right away. You don't even need to ask that question. If he's changing stuff, it's because he's not happy with what's on the field." Tuchel clarified in his news conference that he was "proud and happy" with how his squad has overcome adversity, but added, "I'm also a football coach and I also have demands. ... I think we can play faster. I think we can play more clinically." Bellingham added, "The game is split into loads of different facets. Some of it is technical, tactical. For me, the biggest one is psychological and how you can manage setbacks, how you can manage adversity. This team showed yet again that they can do it, and that’s a really valuable skill and trait to have." Former U.S. national team midfielder and FOX Sports analyst Sacha Kljestan believes the comments won't affect England as it approaches a semifinal matchup with reigning champion Argentina. "I don’t think it's a very big deal," Kljestan told us. "He was clearly exhausted after putting in a huge effort. Maybe after watching the game back, he will see that England was a little sloppy on the day.  He has a right to say what he said, and I don’t think it should be a big thing." "Ultimately, I think it’s a non-story, honestly," Zimmerman added. "That’s going to be totally fine in the locker room. Neither of them are going to be thinking twice about it." Alexi Lalas appreciated Tuchel's approach as well, noting that it's more about perception than any sort of "bristling" between media and coach on the most recent episode of State Of The Union. "Tuchel's response was as German as I've seen him in this moment, and I think it was by design," Lalas said. "I think Thomas Tuchel recognizes that in order for this England team to get over this hump and do things we haven't seen before, he has to treat not just the team but the extended team, the fanbase, in a different way. Because in that moment you'd expect Thomas Tuchel or most coaches to extoll the virtues of what they just say, ‘hey it’s a hard fought game.' […] He's zigging while everyone else is zagging. I'm here for it." On Bellingham's comments, Lalas had more to say. "I also love the fact that Jude Bellingham in this moment recognized that, ‘well that’s my coach saying this, but we are going to celebrate this and sing while you're winning.'" "This team is endearing," Lalas added. Next up for England is a semifinal round matchup against Argentina on Wednesday, July 15 in Atlanta (3 p.m. ET on FOX and streaming on FOX One). It's the latest in a long history between Argentina and England, one built on ghosts, thorns and legends. "Thomas Tuchel can rain all day long on the parade," Lalas continued. "And I think it's done strategically, and I think it's smart, but I also like the fact that there was pushback from his players that this was not easy." The Associated Press contributed to this report.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Neymar The Gambler? Brazil Star Enters World Series Of Poker After World Cup Exit]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/neymar-poker-tournament-video-brazil-world-cup-exit</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/neymar-poker-tournament-video-brazil-world-cup-exit</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Neymar competed in the 2026 World Series of Poker, which comes one week after Brazil's round-of-16 exit at the 2026 World Cup.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:37:53 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[It appears that Neymar knows when to hold them and knows when to fold them. The Brazilian soccer star took part in the 2026 World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas, which includes a $10,000 main event, with video circulating of his presence at the event on Saturday night. Neymar actually competed in the 2025 edition of the event, as well, reaching the final table. With that said, Neymar didn't have that Raymond Babbitt or Alan Garner in him this year, as he didn't advance past Day 1 of the tournament. Neymar's participation in the yearly poker showdown comes in the wake of Brazil's World Cup round-of-16 loss to Erling Haaland and Norway on July 5. Brazil won Group C with a 2-1-0 record by playing Morocco to a 1-1 draw and defeating Haiti (3-0) and Scotland (3-0). They later defeated Japan in the round of 32 (2-1) before being eliminated by Norway in the round of 16 (2-1). Neymar was subbed into action for Brazil in the 68th minute against Norway and would later score the country's last goal of the tournament on a penalty kick in stoppage time. He only appeared in two games for Brazil in the World Cup, having entered the tournament with a right calf injury. Neymar came off the bench in both of the contests he played in. The 2026 World Cup marked the fourth and final World Cup that the La Liga and Ligue 1 legend will play for Brazil (2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026); Neymar announced his retirement from international play on July 5. Neymar, who has a combined 457 goals and 262 assists as a professional, tallied nine goals in 15 career World Cup matches and 80 goals in 129 games overall for Brazil. Outside international play, the 34-year-old Neymar has spent the last two seasons with Santos in Brazil's Serie A.]]>
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					<![CDATA[England-Argentina Is A Rivalry Rooted In Ghosts, Thorns And Legends]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/argentina-england-world-cup-rivalry-messi-kane-maradona</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/argentina-england-world-cup-rivalry-messi-kane-maradona</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[England against Argentina stands above any other rivalry for its history, past legends and newly discovered saviors.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:33:22 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Rivalries in football often exist for singular reasons. It's not that they're simplistic, but rather, we understand why they are there. Like Liverpool's rivalry with Everton or the Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate, local derbies are disputed and contested based on a turf war that has placed them close together but in reality, ever so apart. They are neighbors who detest each other and nothing will ever change that. It's different on the international stage, where impactful cultural and political moments in history create rivalries so fierce that it lives carries through generations. Take the Clásico del Pacífico between Chile and Peru, which stemmed from a war in the 1800s, as an example. As my father taught me at a very early age, Peruvians say the word "Chalaca" instead of "Chilena" to describe a bicycle kick, as Perú refuses to believe that a Spanish-born Chilean invented the acrobatic move, and credit it to Afro-Peruvians from a time that was never recorded. But I digress. My point is that rivalries in the beautiful game usually have a connecting tissue that lives on in the mindset of every supporter, where history and geography paint a picture of a fierce battle on the pitch. Nonetheless, there is one rivalry that is so deep it stands above others. It's both delicate and purposeful, as it derives from war, social and cultural animosity from two continents and ways of life, but at the same time — but that also has given us some of the most memorable, dramatic moments in World Cup football. It is a rivalry made of thorns, rooted in years of rancor where stars also look to rise out of ferocious moments of action. This is Argentina and England. A match like no other. After Argentina’s victory over Switzerland and England’s win over Norway, both will meet on Wednesday in Atlanta for what should be a majestic semifinal where the past meets present. The fact that, amazingly, this will also be Lionel Messi’s first ever encounter against the Three Lions is probably a secondary headline. This, after all, is a match of ghosts, originated in 1962 but one that grew in animosity as the years went by and four years later, in 1966, that’s when the fire was founded. It was the last and only time England won the World Cup. The hosts came out victorious against Argentina in the quarterfinal, but it was a match of complete physicality where Argentina’s captain Antonio Rattín (sadly passed away this month at the age of 89) was sent off in the first half for two offenses in the space of three minutes. This match was so fierce that England manager Alf Ramsey decided to call the opponents "animals" and did not want his players to swap shirts at the end of the match. It was also a fixture that essentially introduced the yellow and red cards, knowing too well something had to be done to tone down the heat. Good luck with that. At the 1986 World Cup in México came the arrival of the legendary Diego Maradona, but most notably, this was now a quarterfinal between both sides that followed the Falklands War — something so deeply impactful to both sides, but for Argentina — this was the fall of a military government, which prompted a new democracy in 1983. A relationship made out of war, something more impactful and catastrophic than anything we could ever imagine now played the role of protagonist. As a result, the match in 1986 brought with it the eternal memory of the Hand of God, where in the 51st minute, still scoreless, the 5-foot-5 Maradona beat out England’s stopper Peter Shilton and used his hand to punch the ball out of Shilton’s reach and into the net. Despite aggressive complaints from England, the goal stood, which proceeded for Maradona to score a second goal four minutes later, which is one of the greatest works of art you will ever see on the pitch. Maradona and Argentina would end up winning the World Cup and the star would later in life acknowledge that it was an intentional handball but most importantly, it wasn’t just a goal he celebrated — but a piece of symbolic revenge over the fallen soldiers from the Falklands. This would only make him an even bigger icon and hero to Argentinians, and a despised rival in England. After this moment of history at the World Cup, it’s fair to say that something remained imprinted with both nations. This was now a rivalry that goes beyond football. It was a matter of life and death. Perhaps it means different things to each other, but the cauldron of fire continued to grow and that’s when — 12 years later — David Beckham entered the narrative. In 1998, at the World Cup in France, the golden boy of England and the Three Lions faced Argentina in the round of 16. I remember this match so vividly. I was at boarding school and my friends and I escaped to a local pub and watched it, hiding behind the pack of adults screaming at the television as Beckham kicked-out at Diego Simeone after a clash and was consequently sent off in the 48th minute. It was a moment of madness, beautifully performed by Simeone, crushing the hearts of England fans who had already seen an 18-year-old Michael Owen score one of the greatest goals in English football history. But that was before the red card. We can only remember the post-mortem and how it vilified Beckham and placed a dent in the evolution of England as it lost on penalties. For Argentina? Once again, it was revenge. Redemption. Historical atonement. But four years later in Japan, in the group stage at the 2002 World Cup, Beckham would get his sense of salvation after a scored penalty, which consequently came as a result of a foul by Mauricio Pochettino on the aforementioned Owen. Beckham sealed the spot kick and the Three Lions would secure the victory. A win in the round of 16 against Denmark would follow, before eventually losing to Ronaldinho’s audacious free-kick and Brazil’s magical team in the quarterfinal stage. And so here we are. 24 years later. The rivalry returns at the grandest of stages, and, despite the fact that many young people don’t even have a memory of this conflict, it is fair to say they will know by Wednesday. Argentina fans — and the team — have resuscitated their call to arms in a song as La Cuarta Estrella ("The Fourth Star") has become synonymous with this team. The song states: Por Malvinas, por El Diego ("For the Falkland Islands, for Diego"),Por la última de Leo ("For Leo’s last one"),Argentina quiero verte bicampeón ("Argentina, I want to see you back-to-back champion"). There might be an argument to be made about the fact that this rivalry means more for Argentina than England. For the losses and the pain, the makeup thread of the country and what history has done — or rather undone — to them. And there’s the team itself, who carries emotion on its sleeve and kills it itself for victory. But I think this England side is also equally charged. Full of fire and venom. It is a team that has already faced incredible hostility and extreme conditions. From defeating Mexico at the Azteca to enduring hot and humid conditions in Miami against Erling Haaland's Norway. So they understand the challenge. They know the assignment and the stakes of the moment. Most importantly, they are aware of Argentina that despite showing a few vulnerabilities during this World Cup, is still the defending champion for a reason. Lionel Scaloni is attempting to quiet down the fixture and historical connotations of the rivalry, but he knows too well that this won’t happen. Then there’s Messi himself, who is ready to face England at international level for the first time ever. The greatest player the game has ever seen, carrying his country on his shoulders, with Diego Maradona, Rattín and other gone heroes watching from above. As he keeps delivering in this last dance, now comes the biggest, most emotionally charged battle of all: a match against England. It does not escape me to remember that he is also facing his Inter Miami boss as David Beckham will be watching from the stands. Prior to the match, I am sure they will wish each other well and remember the similarities both nations share. It’s the same commonalities mutually loved by Argentina and England. From Oasis to The Beatles, the warmth of loyalty in football itself and the appreciation for beauty and battle in the game. The shared respect is as potent as the historical enmities that have brought us here in the first place. But know this. On Wednesday, in Atlanta, when both stare at each other on the pitch, and prepare to fight for every ball, every tackle and every effort towards victory, Argentina and England will remind us why football is so much more valuable than highlights on social media, or glamorous shots of celebrities attending a fixture at the luxury of a suite. England against Argentina is about love and hate, fallen heroes and newly discovered saviors. It is about the present but also the past, both eternally connected to the memories of pain and sacrifice. This is a fixture where you appreciate what you have, thanks to the guardians who brought you to this moment. But this is also a match of fierce competition, with the hope that you carry the identity of your nation at the tip of your heart, running through your veins and never forgetting that this rivalry can only exist because you have each other.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Young Player of the Tournament Odds: Lamine Yamal Favored]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-young-player-tournament-odds-lamine-yamal-favored</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-young-player-tournament-odds-lamine-yamal-favored</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Can anyone — or anything — stop Lamine Yamal from winning Young Player of the Tournament at the World Cup? See the odds.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:02:44 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Ask anyone who is favored to win Young Player of the Tournament for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, and presumably, you would struggle to hear a name other than Lamine Yamal. The Spanish sensation, at only 18, is already viewed as one of the game's greatest players — and he hasn't even come close to his prime. With that, let's check out the odds for who will win Young Player of the Tournament as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Young Player of the Tournament odds Lamine Yamal: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total)Desire Doue: +280 (bet $10 to win $38 total)Pau Cubarsí: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)Nico O'Reilly: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total) Here's what to know about this oddsboard: The Race: Lamine Yamal has been the favorite since before the tournament began and has not moved from the top of the oddsboard. Statistically, Yamal has only one goal and no assists in this World Cup, but his presence on the field has clearly opened up things for Spain on numerous occasions en route to its semifinal berth. Doue has a goal and an assist in three starts for France.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Golden Glove: Simón, Maignan In Heated Contest]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-golden-glove-odds-emiliano-martinez-favored-repeat</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-golden-glove-odds-emiliano-martinez-favored-repeat</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Glove odds are rounding into shape as the tournament reaches a conclusion.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:58:11 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[It's not only the boot that's prone to turning gold. The Golden Glove is the award given to the best goalkeeper at the World Cup. The winner often comes down to impact, with clutch saves in knockout stage matches and standout performances in the tournament’s crunch-time moments. In four of the last five World Cups, the winner of this award has come from the champion nation. Let's dive into the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Golden Glove Winner 2026 Mike Maignan: +175 (bet $10 to win $27.50 total)Unai Simón: +250 (bet $10 to win $35 total)Jordan Pickford: +390 (bet $10 to win $49 total)Emiliano Martínez: +440 (bet $10 to win $54 total) Here is what to know about this oddsboard: The Favorite(s): It's a back-and-forth tussle between Spain's Unai Simon and France's Mike Maignan. Maignan has nine saves and has allowed just two goals over the course of six games. Meanwhile, in Spain's 2-1 win over Belgium, Unai Simón's shutout streak at the World Cup ended at 649 minutes, the longest in World Cup history. He also has seven saves this summer. In terms of Argentina's Emiliano Martínez, he won the Golden Glove back in 2022, but he and the Argentinian defense did allow two goals to upstart Cape Verde in the Round of 32 and then allowed two more against Egypt in the Round of 16 and one against Switzerland in the quarters.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Golden Ball: Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi In Tight Race]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-golden-ball-odds</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-golden-ball-odds</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Golden Ball race is taking shape, and two of France's superstars are chasing the GOAT.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:53:46 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Alongside the national pride, it's the players that make each World Cup special. Let's check out the odds for the Golden Ball (tournament's best player), as well as what to know about the early favorites, as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. FIFA Player of the Tournament Winner 2026 Kylian Mbappé, France: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total) What to know: Mbappé finished second to Messi for the Golden Ball in 2022, but did win the Golden Boot in Qatar, after scoring eight goals in the tournament. So far this World Cup, he has eight goals in six games, including a brace in France's win over Sweden in the Round of 32, a converted penalty kick in the Round of 16 against Paraguay and another goal in the quarterfinals against Morocco. Lionel Messi, Argentina: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total) What to know: In the history of the World Cup, the Golden Ball has been awarded 11 times and Messi is the only player who has won it twice: 2014 (Brazil) and 2022 (Qatar). Messi has scored in every match so far this tournament except in Argentina's quarterfinal win over Switzerland, but he did have an assist in that one. Jude Bellingham, England: +440 (bet $10 to win $54 total) What to know: Bellingham has popped up out of nowhere, due to his brace against Mexico in the Round of 16, and then a second brace against Norway in the quarterfinals. Harry Kane, England: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total) What to know: England's superstar has six goals in six matches so far this tournament, including three crucial goals in two knockout stage matches so far. Michael Olise, France: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total) What to know: He is starring alongside Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé for France in this edition of the World Cup, and he has five assists in six games, including two in France's win over Sweden in the Round of 32.]]>
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				<title>
					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Golden Boot Odds: Mbappé Favored; Bellingham In The Mix]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/soccer-2026-world-cup-odds-golden-boot</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/soccer-2026-world-cup-odds-golden-boot</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The superstars have shined at the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far. Check out the latest Golden Boot odds.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:48:32 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Two things have undoubtedly been true this summer: The superstars are shining, and the Golden Boot odds seem to be changing every minute. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé continue to trade spectacular performances in a generational battle for the Golden Boot, with each superstar seemingly one-upping the other in every match. However, it was Jude Bellingham who stole the show on Saturday. With his second brace in as many games, Bellingham became the third English player ever to score six goals at a single World Cup. Bellingham is the first player to score two or more goals in consecutive World Cup knockout stage games at the same tournament since Diego Maradona in 1986. With that, Bellingham's odds to win the Golden Boot award have skyrocketed from +10000 to +1300 in just a few hours. Meanwhile, with his goal in France's quarterfinal win over Morocco, Mbappé has scored his 20th career World Cup goal, the second-most of any player in tournament history in just his 20th match. He now has 12 knockout stage goals at the World Cup, extending his record for the most of any player ever. Mbappé is also the first player ever to score eight goals in two separate World Cups. Let's dive into the updated Golden Boot odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Golden Boot Winner 2026 Kylian Mbappé: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)Lionel Messi: +145 (bet $10 to win $24.50 total)Harry Kane: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Jude Bellingham: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Here's what to know about this oddsboard: The Tally: So far this summer, Messi and Mbappé lead the tournament with eight goals apiece, Haaland has seven, Harry Kane and Bellingham have tallied six, and Ousmane Dembélé and Mikel Oyarzabal are tied with four. History Made: With his hat trick against Algeria, Messi tied Miroslav Klose for the most goals in men's World Cup history with 16, while also setting the record as the oldest player (38) to record a hat trick, passing Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi is now up to 21 career World Cup goals, extending another record, this one for the most goals by any man or woman in World Cup history. He has now scored eight of Argentina's 16 goals this tournament, and became the first player since the 1960s to score in six straight knockout stage games. However, in Argentina's quarterfinal win over Switzerland, Messi did not score, ending his streak of nine straight World Cup games with a goal. Meanwhile, Mbappé, with his dominant offensive performance so far this tournament, now has 20 career World Cup goals, passing Klose as the second-most in men’s World Cup history. We are more than likely to see this record go back and forth as long as both France and Argentina stay alive in the tournament.]]>
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				<title>
					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Odds: France, England Favored For Finals Showdown]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-odds-make-the-final</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-odds-make-the-final</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Check out the latest odds to reach the World Cup final.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:45:01 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[On July 19, after 103 matches have been played, only two teams will remain standing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Those two nations, each chasing soccer immortality, will meet at New York New Jersey Stadium in what is expected to be one of the biggest sporting events ever held in the United States. With 100 games down, the semifinals are set. France will face Spain on Tuesday in Dallas while England will square off against Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta. With that, let's take a look at the latest odds to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. To Reach World Cup Final France: -148 (bet $10 to win $16.76 total)England: -132 (bet $10 to win $17.58 total)Argentina: +108 (bet $10 to win $20.80 total)Spain: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Semifinal Odds: France, England Favored In Final Four Tilts]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-odds-which-nations-favored-reach-semifinals</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-odds-which-nations-favored-reach-semifinals</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals are now set. Check out the latest odds for the two matchups.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:38:55 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[How lucky are we? The semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are set and for the first time in World Cup history, all four of FIFA’s top four-ranked teams entering the tournament have reached the semis. France became the first nation to clinch a spot in the semifinals after its commanding 2-0 win over Morocco. Behind Kylian Mbappé's eighth goal of the tournament and Ousmane Dembélé's fifth, Les Bleus has reached its third consecutive semis appearance. On Friday, with its 2-1 win over Belgium, Spain clinched its second semifinal appearance ever at the World Cup, last making it back in 2010 when it won the title. France and Spain will face off in a heavyweight showdown in Dallas on Tuesday. Then on Saturday, England and Argentina sealed the final two spots in the semis and will now face off in Atlanta on Wednesday. Let's take a full look at the latest semifinals odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Let's check out the odds for the semifinal matchup already in place: TUESDAY, JULY 14 Spain vs. France To Advance: FRA -148, ESP +120Moneyline: FRA +135, Draw +220, ESP +220 What to know: Do heavyweight bouts get heavier than this? France is outscoring opponents 16-2 overall during this tournament, while Spain is outscoring its rivals 11-1. The French are favored to win the World Cup, and Spain is second on that oddsboard. France's Kylian Mbappé is favored to win both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball, and Michael Olise is leading the tournament in assists. Meanwhile, Spain's Unai Simon is favored to win the Golden Glove and Lamine Yamal is favored to win Young Player of the Tournament. In other words, these teams are as star-studded as it gets. Buckle up. WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 England vs. Argentina To Advance: ENG -130, ARG +106Moneyline: ENG +160, Draw +190, ARG +210 What to know: England has reached the World Cup semifinal for the fourth time, and for the second time in the last three World Cups. After another comeback win over Norway, Three Lions has matched its record for the most victories in a single World Cup tournament (five), which was set during the 1966 championship run. England joined France in this tournament as the only teams with two players to score five or more goals each (Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham). Meanwhile, Argentina has now made the semifinals in back-to-back World Cups. However, the journey to get here has not been easy. In the Round of 32, La Albiceleste had to fend off a ferocious Cape Verde squad in extra time. In the Round of 16, Argentina trailed by two goals with just over 10 minutes to go against Egypt before pulling off one of the most improbable comebacks in tournament history. And then on Saturday night, Switzerland leveled the score with a 67th minute equalizer before Breel Embolo was sent off with his second yellow card just minutes later. After tense moments throughout the end of regulation and extra time, Argentina once again found a way to pull through.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Title Odds: Argentina, England Surge After Quarterfinal Wins]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-2026-champion-odds</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-2026-champion-odds</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Here are the latest odds to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Argentina's quarterfinal win over Switzerland.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:31:29 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Argentina and England clinched the final two semifinal spots on Saturday. La Albiceleste dramatic extra-time win over Switzerland marked its 12th straight World Cup win, and Argentina has now made consecutive semifinals for the second time in its nation's history. It first happened in 1986 and 1990. After its comeback win over Norway, England also clinched a spot in the semifinals. Three Lions has now reached a fourth World Cup semifinal, including two semifinals in the last three World Cups for the first time. The two nations both surged up the oddsboard after their quarterfinal wins, and are now set to meet in the semis on Wednesday. Meanwhile, after its dominant 2-0 win over Morocco on Thursday, France also clinched a spot in the semifinals. With the victory, Les Bleus became the third nation ever to make three consecutive World Cup semifinals. France has now reached its eighth World Cup semis in its nation's history. France and Spain will meet on Tuesday for a star-studded semifinal for the ages. Let's dive into the full updated odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. 2026 World Cup Winner Odds France: +140 (bet $10 to win $24 total)England: +310 (bet $10 to win $41 total)Spain: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total)Argentina: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total) Here's what to know about this oddsboard: The Favorite: France beat Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32, topped Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16, and then defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals. France is outscoring opponents 16-2 so far this tournament, and all three of its superstars — Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise — have already made their marks. France (Mbappé with eight, Dembélé with five) is the first team since 2002 Brazil to have two players score five goals in a single World Cup. Spain vs. France Showdown: Ever since 2026 FIFA World Cup odds were released back in 2022, only two teams have been the favorite: Spain and France. Now, it's the matchup we've all been waiting for under the bright lights in Dallas, with a trip to the World Cup final on the line. The two historic nations last met in the European Championship, with Spain winning 2-1. Because the top two teams on the oddsboard have to play each other in the semifinals, the winner of this massive showdown will be the overwhelming favorite in the World Cup final.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Senegal Fires Men's Football Coach Pape Thiaw After World Cup Exit]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/senegal-fires-coach-pape-thiaw-2026-world-cup</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/senegal-fires-coach-pape-thiaw-2026-world-cup</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Senegal has fired its men’s football head coach, Pape Thiaw, according to a statement issued by the national federation.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:12:25 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Senegal fired its men’s football coach Pape Thiaw, according to a statement issued by the national federation on Sunday. The Senegalese Football Federation added that Thiaw's technical staff were also dismissed. The decision followed Senegal’s elimination in the round of 32 at the ongoing World Cup. "After an evaluation of the performance of the national team and its prospects, the Executive Committee believes that a change is necessary in the interest of Senegalese football," the federation said. Thiaw, 45, was appointed in 2024 and led the West African nation to a disputed continental title in Morocco earlier this year before the victory was overturned by the Confederation of African Football. Senegal has approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport about appealing the decision. Senegal was eliminated from the World Cup by Belgium despite leading 2-0 with roughly five minutes of regulation time remaining. The team also came close to elimination in the group stage after losses to France and Norway. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Are There Any World Cup Games Today? Semifinal Schedule France vs Spain, England vs Argentina]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/any-world-cup-games-today-semifinal-schedule-france-vs-spain-england-vs-argentina</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/any-world-cup-games-today-semifinal-schedule-france-vs-spain-england-vs-argentina</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[No World Cup matches today. See the full semifinals schedule for France, Argentina and more, airing on FOX starting Tuesday.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:01:44 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Day 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a rest day, with no matches on the schedule. The field of four is set after England outlasted Norway in extra time and Argentina edged Switzerland to close out the quarterfinals. The semifinals begin Tuesday, when Kylian Mbappé and France meet Spain in Dallas, before Lionel Messi and Argentina face England on Wednesday in Atlanta. Both matches air on FOX, with every game streaming live and on demand on FOX One. World Cup Schedule for Sunday, July 12 There are no World Cup matches today. The tournament is on a scheduled rest day between the quarterfinals and the semifinals, which begin Tuesday. Here is the full semifinal schedule: France vs. Spain France won Group I while outscoring opponents 10-2, then beat Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32, edged Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 and downed Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Mbappe's eight goals are tied with Messi for the Golden Boot Race lead and Michael Olise's five assists pace all players. Spain has been the tournament's stingiest team, winning Group H behind three clean sheets before shutting out Austria 3-0 and Portugal 1-0 in the knockout rounds and holding off Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals. England vs. Argentina England won Group L unbeaten, then beat DR Congo 2-1 in the round of 32, outlasted Mexico 3-2 in the round of 16 and needed extra time to beat Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinals on Jude Bellingham's brace. Captain Harry Kane and Bellingham each have six goals, among the tournament's best. Argentina swept Group J, survived Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, rallied past Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16 and beat Switzerland 3-1 in extra time in the quarterfinals, with Messi setting the World Cup's all-time assists record along the way. Who Plays Today in the World Cup? No teams are in action today. The next teams to play are the four semifinalists: World Cup Scores Yesterday How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup All World Cup matches air on FOX and FS1, with every game streaming live and on demand on FOX One.]]>
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				<title>
					<![CDATA[How INDYCAR Drivers Quickly Bounce Back From In-Race Mistakes At 200 MPH]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/motor/indycar-analysis-james-hinchcliffe-mistakes-heat-silly-season</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/motor/indycar-analysis-james-hinchcliffe-mistakes-heat-silly-season</guid>
				<category>motor</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[INDYCAR racing is definitely a physical sport, but as James Hinchcliffe explains, the mental component is just as important.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:00:04 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[In Driver's Eye with James Hinchcliffe, the six-time INDYCAR winner will bring you inside the mind of a racer while breaking down the nuts and bolts of the sport for fans. I've spent a lot of time in this column diving deep into how physically tough motorsports can be. But this sport is just as much, if not even more, a mental contest for drivers at 200 miles an hour. The yips aren't common. You don't just forget how to drive a race car quickly. So when a driver experiences a dip in form, it sometimes can be the result of not being in the right place mentally. In the same way, a golfer doesn’t forget how to swing, and a pitcher doesn’t forget how to throw. But sometimes, the space between your ears gets foggy, and it can affect your performance. Just like any sport, INDYCAR drivers have to contend with mistakes in the moment. If you make a mistake and crash out of a race, you have plenty of time to digest what happened, learn from it and eventually move on. When you make a mistake but your race continues, that time isn’t a luxury you have. And unlike hockey, when you can process a mistake over a shift change, or football, when you’re on the bench as the other side takes the field, racing offers no breaks — literal ones aside. So you have to be able to manage the situation in real time. At real speeds. Most drivers are perfectionists and are hyper-competitive. They don’t like making mistakes, and they don’t like losing. They get frustrated when either of those things happen. But when you make a mistake in a race, and you haven't totaled your car and ruined your day, getting over it has to be instantaneous. If you can’t do that, it tends to snowball. I worked with a mental coach for years, and one of the big things we worked on together was how to get through these exact scenarios. Usually, when a driver lets a single mistake fester, they make more. Driving angry can often make you drive slower. You start trying too hard to overcome the mistake, and it leads to more mistakes, which leads to driving harder, which leads to… well, you see where this is going. Many drivers work with mental coaches to address this. They have different exercises that drivers can do to try and practice this skill. And it is a skill. And it certainly is not the type of work that can be accomplished in a day. It takes lots of time dedicated to this one mental aspect of the sport to master it. One of the biggest challenges with making a mistake on track is the responsibility you feel towards the team. Every driver is acutely aware of the hours and hours that go into preparing and running a successful INDYCAR weekend. When you make a mistake that costs your team a result, you feel terrible for that group. But as we say all the time, racing is a team sport, and teams support each other. Usually, the most supportive group that you will face is your mechanics and engineers. They will throw their arms around you and say, "We’ll get ‘em next time." The fact of the matter is: every member of that team will make a mistake at some point, and you all have to lift each other up when that happens. For drivers, one of the challenges is that the mistakes are very public. They are on TV and easily identifiable. If a pit member drops a wheel nut on a stop, for example, that’s a mistake that’s noticed but more quickly looked over — and often the person isn’t identified. If an engineer makes a mistake on setup, people may never know. So whether the mistake was big or small, public or hidden, the most important part for any member of that team is to learn from it, let it go, and move on to the next race, pit stop or lap. SOUND LIKE AN INDYCAR EXPERT: SURVIVING THE HEAT Having covered the pure physicality of INDYCAR racing, this past weekend at Mid-Ohio brought to the forefront another factor that can exponentially increase the toll on the body: the heat. Mid-O was a stifling scene on Sunday, and an all-green race — no caution periods to even catch your breath for a few minutes — meant it was as hard a day as the drivers will likely face this year. Physical track, hot conditions, no cautions. And it can get up to 120, 130 degrees inside a cockpit. Knowing that we race in the Midwest in the summer, these hot and humid days have to be expected. So drivers will include an element of heat acclimation into their training. This can come in several different forms. If a driver lives in a warm and humid climate — I am looking at all the Florida residents in the field! — then you can get outside and run or cycle to get your body acclimated to that sort of strain. If you live in milder climates, especially in the winter, that’s not an option, so you have to get creative. One way to do that is to bring your training to a hot climate. It’s not uncommon to set up a bike trainer in a small room with a heater pumping and getting the temperature up into the 90s. Saunas work too. A long, steady ride in those conditions can make the body more comfortable for a two-hour race with four layers of Nomex — intense, flame-resistant fabric, essentially — in a tight cockpit. But as we’ve said, this game is as mental as it is physical, and when the body starts to overheat, your cognitive abilities start to falter. To combat this, some training combines heat with cognitive drills. Bringing an iPad with a purpose-built program designed to test memory, reaction time, hand-eye coordination and more into a sauna after a big workout can partially simulate the conditions of late in a race on a hot day. I've done this before — it works! There are things that drivers can do to survive the heat on race day too. Namely, hydration with a detailed plan that starts on a Thursday and is based on the projected weather on Sunday. Of course, there's race day hydration too. Drivers have a small Camelback that holds about a liter of fluid, making it easily accessible behind the wheel. And then there is the cool suit — a shirt with cooling coils running through it — which gets mixed reviews from drivers. The biggest concern with it being that if the system fails, as happened to Scott McLaughlin at Mid-Ohio, it actually makes you hotter. But some swear by it. I personally used a cool suit on hotter days, but I was always afraid of it failing — which, luckily, never happened to me. At the end of the day, it’s a tough sport that is sometimes run in tough conditions, so you have to train to be prepared for anything. 1 FOR THE ROAD In last week’s column, I talked of the impending move of one of the titans of the sport in Scott Dixon. Now, we know that he is, in fact, headed to McLaren, along with friend and former teammate Felix Rosenqvist to partner with Pato O’Ward. This left open two very attractive rides at Chip Ganassi Racing and Meyer Shank Racing. Christian Lundgaard — whose contract was not renewed to make way for Dixon — is clearly the hottest free agent on the market. He reminded the paddock that with a pole and second place on Sunday. But there are a few other names being thrown around that could make the next few weeks super fascinating from the silly season perspective. Rinus VeeKay has been in great form in the one and a half seasons since being dropped from ECR and running with smaller teams. Those great results in under-resourced programs have certainly made some team owners perk up with interest. Also in the running is the young rookie Caio Collett, who has been impressing with his ability to regularly out pace veteran teammate Santino Ferrucci at AJ Foyt Racing. Will these teams go for a known quantity in VeeKay, or risk the potential big upside of a promising rookie, or perhaps look to Europe or a sidelined veteran to fill the seats? The only sure thing about INDYCAR for 2027 is that the driver lineup will look very different! MORE DRIVER'S EYE:]]>
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					<![CDATA[Bellingham Powers England: 4 Takeaways From Three Lions' Win vs. Norway, Haaland]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-england-norway-jude-bellingham-haaland</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-england-norway-jude-bellingham-haaland</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[What we learned and can look forward to after England's win over Norway in Saturday's World Cup quarterfinal in Miami.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 02:53:40 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[MIAMI STADIUM — England is headed to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals for the second time in eight years. On a sweltering Saturday in South Florida, where the temperature before kickoff at 5 p.m. local time hovered higher than 90 degrees, the Three Lions came back from a 1-0 deficit to eliminate upstart Norway and its superhero of a striker, Manchester City goal-machine Erling Haaland. Two goals by English star Jude Bellingham — the second in the third minute of extra time — saw the Three Lions advance after Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring against the run of play in the first half. Bellingham canceled out Schjelderup’s strike with a spectacular equalizer just before the intermission, then added the winner when Norwegian keeper Ørjan Nyland failed to corral the rebound from Morgan Rogers’ powerful shot. "World-class," England coach Thomas Tuchel said of Bellingham's big night. "A world-class performance from a world-class player in big, big moments – crucial moments." Here are my four takeaways from England's victory over Norway: 1. Jude Bellingham Was The Difference For England Halfway through the additional 30 minutes played in Miami, a quick look at the stats told the story. Both sides had 10 shots. Both had directed half of them on-target. Both teams had a goal called back earlier in the game — the Three Lions because they were offside, Norway after the video assistant flagged a foul committed by Haaland just before what looked like a potential game-winner. (VAR also denied England a penalty attempt after Bellingham’s second that could’ve ended the contest there and then.) Still, in a game billed as a battle between Haaland and Harry Kane — probably the best two pure scorers on the planet — Bellingham stole the show for the second England match running. "It's nice to have an impact and to help my team," he said. After scoring twice in last weekend’s thrilling 3-2 win over co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca — known as Mexico City Stadium during the World Cup — Bellingham again came alive when his country needed him most. His first goal was a team play that he finished with a flash of individual brilliance, his second a clinic in anticipation and timing and execution. In a match where the margins were razor-thin, he is the reason England is off to Atlanta for the World Cup semifinal, while Norway is going home. "His mentality is what puts him on that level," keeper Jordan Pickford said. 2. Still, Hats Off To Erling Haaland And Norway Never before had Norway made a World Cup quarterfinal. It hadn’t even qualified for the biggest event in sports this century before finally making it back this summer. Even then — and even with Haaland spearheading the attack and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard running the show behind them — nobody expected much from the Drillos. Norway was ranked 32nd by FIFA in January. It was 31st when this World Cup kicked off exactly a month ago. Yet on the field and off, the Norwegians were one of the best stories of this World Cup. Videos of their fans taking over Times Square and executing their choreographed "Viking Row" on escalators and New York City subways endeared them to locals there, and in Boston, in Dallas and here in Miami. Norway beat Senegal and Ivory Coast and then eliminated five-time champions Brazil. And none of it was a fluke. It may have lost to England on Saturday, but it won the hearts of neutrals all over America and in countries in every corner of the globe. These Vikings and their incredible supporters can and will row back across the Atlantic with their heads held high. Even in defeat, on a quiet night that ended when he was subbed out in extra time, Haaland left his mark. "Everyone," Pickford said, "Knows how good a player Earling is." 3. Argentina Awaits For Kane &amp; Co. Tuchel’s squad had  wait a few hours to find out which opponent it'll meet in Atlanta on Wednesday, with the Three Lions slated to face the winner of Saturday’s nightcap in Kansas City between Messi’s Albiceleste and Switzerland. Of course, it's the defending champs. Despite being an ocean apart, Argentina and England have a long and storied rivalry on the global stage. Diego Maradona’s famous "Goal of the Century" slalom and infamous "Hand of God" strike in 1986 came in the same quarterfinal game vs. England. Argentina also knocked the Three Lions out in the quarters in 1998 following a red card by David Beckham. Four years later, Beckham — the current Inter Miami co-owner who was in the house on Saturday — scored a penalty that helped beat Argentina en route to La Albiceleste’s shocking group stage exit. Tensions between the sides haven’t been limited to soccer, either, as the two countries fought a 74-day war in 1982 over the control of the Falkland Islands off Argentina’s coast. Now, for the first time, they'll play each other with a trip to the World Cup final at stake. 4. Is This Finally England’s Year? It’s been 60 years this month since the country that invented the sport won its only World Cup. It’s also the only final they’ve ever appeared in. The Three Lions have also never won a European Championship, although they were the losing finalists in 2021 (to Italy) and Spain (2024) at the last two Euros. Now, under German manager Tuchel, they’ll play for the right to get back to the biggest title match there is. It’s only England’s fourth trip to the semis ever. The last two didn’t go well; Croatia knocked the Three Lions out in 2018. Back in 1990, they lost to eventual champ West Germany on penalties. Despite the English Premier League establishing itself as soccer’s top domestic circuit, that’s as close as the country’s national team has come in the last six decades. On Wednesday in Atlanta, we’ll see they can get one step closer to reaching the mountaintop – and to bringing  football home. "Now it's just about recovering," Tuchel said. "The next three days are crucial, of course, to be ready. But this victory will help a lot."]]>
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					<![CDATA[Jude Bellingham Perplexed By Coach Thomas Tuchel's Comments On England's Performance]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/jude-bellingham-perplexed-england-coach-thomas-tuchels-immediate-postgame-interview</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/jude-bellingham-perplexed-england-coach-thomas-tuchels-immediate-postgame-interview</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Miscommunication? Not on the same page? Either way the Three Lions roared on and off the pitch on Saturday.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 02:53:24 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The Three Lions roared on and off the pitch in England's 2-1 win over Norway in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match on Saturday. In an immediate post-game interview after the match, England coach Thomas Tuchel was asked about his team's mentality and performance. Tuchel repeatedly defended the team's mentality, but after a game he felt his team was lucky to escape, he insisted on England players improving their performance and execution if they want to advance. "It's a pure mentality thing, there was no mentality problem. You could bottle it up and sell it," Tuchel said. "It’s the quality of our games. It’s nothing to do with mentality, it’s about quality, we need to play better." "The commitment is there," Tuchel added, "but it made life very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played, sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough. We were lucky today." Jude Bellingham — who starred yet again for England with a brace and climbed closer in the Golden Boot race — was asked about his coach's comments, and there seemed to be a bit more lost in translation with Tuchel's comments being relayed to Bellingham. England's star midfielder, who was clearly gassed after giving it his all in a hot and humid match in Miami, reacted in kind. "Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those conditions," Bellingham said, before turning the attention to his teammates and what he thought was in fact a strong performance. "It's not an easy team to play against," Bellingham countered. "I think we've tried to create a positive environment, and we should continue that going into the final four. I can't speak highly enough of the lads. You're not going to win every game popping the ball and making a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to win dirty." The England coach clarified his comments in his traditional post-game availability. "I'm proud, and I'm happy," Tuchel said. "But I'm also a football coach, and I also have demands." Tuchel has been hard on Bellingham in the past, even going so far as dropping from the team at one point and not guaranteeing him a spot on the World Cup roster. Whatever the motivations, Bellingham has responded with some of the best play of his career during this tournament. The Real Madrid wunderkind has been inspired on both sides of the field, scoring brilliantly, and doing the dirty work on the defensive end. Spats happen between coaches and players, and the media has been as hard on Bellingham as his coach has, with comments on his demeanor, attitude or otherwise. Bellingham has continued to shine, and has the Three Lions two wins away from doing something no England team has done in 60 years. Whether a miscommunication, a motivational tactic or something else entirely, Tuchel and Bellingham likely will have to address their differing opinions regarding Saturday's match before taking on defending World Cup champion Argentina. And they'll need all the help they can get to stop Messi and company.]]>
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					<![CDATA[England Coach Thomas Tuchel Happy With Result, Not Performance, vs. Norway]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-coach-thomas-tuchel-happy-result-not-performance-vs-norway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-coach-thomas-tuchel-happy-result-not-performance-vs-norway</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[England coach Thomas Tuchel expected more out of his team in their 2-1 win over Norway on Saturday.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 01:45:48 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[It wasn't as decisive as England would have liked, but the Three Lions clinched a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals with a scrappy 2-1 win over Norway in extra time on Saturday at Miami Stadium. England coach Thomas Tuchel was satisfied with the result — why wouldn't he be? He's the first coach to lead England to a World Cup semifinals since 2018, and just fourth all-time. But Tuchel isn't satisfied with the way his team played against Norway, even if he got the result he wanted. "I didn’t talk about suffering. No, I never talked about suffering," Tuchel said after the match. "The result is fantastic, we’re in the last four, but, not a performance." Tuchel made it clear that effort wasn't the issue for his England squad. Rather, it was the team's organization on the pitch. "In every sense. The commitment is there, but it made life very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played, sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough," Tuchel said. "We were lucky today." Star Jude Bellingham seemed a bit taken aback at his coach's comments. "Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those conditions," Bellingham said. "It's not an easy team to play against," he added. "I think we've tried to create a positive environment, and we should continue that going into the final four. I can't speak highly enough of the lads. You're not going to win every game popping the ball and making a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to win dirty." The issues in the past with England have been the perception that the players don't want it bad enough. Tuchel doesn't see that within his team, and not even in the performance against Norway. "It's a pure mentality thing, there was no mentality problem. You could bottle it up and sell it," Tuchel said. "It’s the quality of our games. It’s nothing to do with mentality, it’s about quality, we need to play better." When asked about Bellingham specifically, who scored both of England's goals against Norway, Tuchel praised the midfielder's heroics. "Enough said. He does it every single match. World Class," Tuchel said. England now move onto the semifinals to face the winner of Argentina vs. Switzerland on Wednesday at Atlanta Stadium.]]>
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					<![CDATA[England Hasn't Won The World Cup In 60 Years. Its Best Chance To Win Again Is Now.]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-world-cup-semifinals-argentina-quarterfinals-norway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-world-cup-semifinals-argentina-quarterfinals-norway</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[England is back in the semifinals for the second time in three World Cups — and this time, it doesn’t feel like an outlier.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:59:18 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[MIAMI STADIUM — For England fans, this is always the year. Whether it's a World Cup or a European Championship, they believe in their heart of hearts that their country, the one that invented this sport and then exported it to all the rest, will finally, eventually take its rightful place as champions. Over the last almost 60 years, it just hasn’t happened. But the Three Lions have been getting closer. They were the losing finalists at the last two Euros. And with Saturday’s 2-1 extra-time win over Erling Haaland and Norway, England is back in the World Cup semifinals for the second time in three editions. This time, it doesn’t feel like an outlier. Watching England survive the crucible of Mexico City in last weekend’s thrilling 3-2 victory over World Cup co-host Mexico, it was impossible not to notice the mental fortitude of Thomas Tuchel’s team. And it was the same again on Saturday in South Florida, where Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and the rest of Tuchel’s stars won another match that was less of a soccer game than a street fight. That hasn’t always been the case for England, who over the last 30-plus years has often performed beneath its talent level. That might be good enough to survive group play consistently or win an early knockout game. Against teams that it isn't naturally superior to? No chance. There’s a reason England has been eliminated in the World Cup quarterfinals more than any other national team in history. This version of England is different. "The effort, the team spirit, the belief to overcome adversity, to dig in and find ways to win is on the absolutely highest level," Tuchel said afterward. He’s right. And that’s why England is, realistically, a bona fide World Cup contender at long last. There’s a visceral toughness to this team that, for all its ability, its pampered, high-maintenance predecessors lacked. Call it a willingness to fight for every teammate — even the ones who might represent a hated Premier League rival. That matters more than most think. Argentina isn't the reigning World Cup champ because it had better players, man for man, than France. Man for man, it didn't. La Albiceleste won because, time and again, they simply refused to be beaten. That sort of mental strength is rare. Add it to a selfless group that boasts legitimate all-world players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, and damned if Tuchel’s side doesn’t stand its best chance in at least half a century this time around. Facing Switzerland on Wednesday in Atlanta would’ve been easier, to be sure. But beating the best — to be the best — is a rite of passage, a requirement. And the defending champs — Argentina scored twice in extra time in Saturday’s nightcap to set up the semifinal everyone who isn’t English wants to see — are a fitting roadblock to have to somehow overcome. Should England clear that hurdle, it surely won’t fear whoever emerges between France and Spain on the stronger side of the bracket. Especially if, as Tuchel believes, England still has another gear to hit. In his post-match sideline interviews, the German manager raised eyebrows when he said he loved the result if not the performance against Norway. Asked about the exchange, it seemed to catch Bellingham off-guard. "Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those conditions," Bellingham offered. An hour later, during his post-game press conference in the bowels of the arena that the NFL's Miami Dolphins call home, Tuchel, whose previous experience has been at Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, provided some additional context. "I'm proud, and I'm happy," Tuchel said. "But I'm also a football coach, and I also have demands." He continued: "I think we can play faster and play more clinical. There were unforced errors and technical mistakes in our game … so a lot of things to do better." If England can clean up those errors and maintain the mentality that has already taken them to the final four for just the fourth time ever, they’ll be as hard an out as the other three nations — Argentina, France and Spain — still standing. England's fans have been waiting for a chance like this for decades. Now, after surviving the two toughest tests to date, those supporters could be a mere 90 minutes from seeing their team in its first World Cup final since 1966. "They spend well-earned money to come over and support us," keeper Jordan Pickford said of England’s long-suffering diehards. "All we want to do," he added, "is pay them back."]]>
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					<![CDATA[Ugly Wins Still Count: 4 Takeaways From Argentina's Latest Close Call vs. Switzerland]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/ugly-wins-still-count-4-takeaways-from-argentinas-latest-close-call-vs-switzerland</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/ugly-wins-still-count-4-takeaways-from-argentinas-latest-close-call-vs-switzerland</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Here are my four takeaways from a quarterfinal that had everything, including a red card we'll argue about for weeks.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:26:05 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Another knockout game, another 120 minutes, another survival. Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 in Kansas City on Saturday night, and the scoreline is lying to you — this was agony until the 112th minute, when Julián Álvarez decided to end it himself in stunning fashion. Here are my four takeaways from a quarterfinal that had everything, including a red card we'll argue about for weeks: 1. Argentina Is The Cat With Nine Lives Let's do the math on the champions' knockout run: 120 minutes against Cape Verde, a miraculous comeback from 2-0 down against Egypt, and now 120 more against a Switzerland side that refused to die, even a man down. That's three straight games where Argentina was thoroughly resistible — and three straight wins. Even Saturday's early gift, Alexis Mac Allister heading in a Lionel Messi corner after 10 minutes, dissolved into an hour of sweating when Dan Ndoye equalized. Messi's record scoring streak of nine straight World Cup games? Over. Argentina's march? Not remotely. They're unbeaten in 12 World Cup matches and headed to a seventh semifinal. At some point, you stop calling it luck and start calling it what it is: a team that simply refuses to be eliminated, no matter how hard it makes things for itself. 2. The Embolo Red: Harsh, Correct, or Absurd? Here's the sequence, because you need the full absurdity. Breel Embolo went down theatrically, simulating contact that never came. The referee then booked ... Leandro Paredes. Wrong decision as he never made contact with Embolo. That mistaken-identity card triggered the VAR review — and the review found the dive. Second yellow, off you go, Switzerland down to 10 for the final 50-plus minutes of their first quarterfinal since 1954. Was it technically correct? Yes. Embolo dived, and diving on a yellow is a self-inflicted wound that, by the letter of the law, warrants a yellow. But we understand the outrage, too: without the ref booking the wrong man, the simulation never gets reviewed. Right call, brutal path to it. Both things can be true. 3. Julián Álvarez, Finally. And What A Way To Announce It. We've spent three weeks asking where Julián Álvarez went. The Atlético Madrid striker flickered without igniting all tournament, while Messi carried the load, and the questions were getting louder by the game. Then came the 112th minute. Ten Swiss players camped behind the ball, Gregor Kobel having the game of his life, extra time slowly edging toward penalties. Álvarez collected it, opened his body, and curled an absolute painting into the top corner. No deflection, no rebound, no fortune — just a strike Kobel could only watch. It was the kind of goal you replay over and over in slow motion with your mouth agape (and comes in incredibly high in the top goals of the tournament.) If that's the moment Álvarez wakes up, the timing is exquisite. Lautaro Martínez added the third on a breakaway in the 121st, but make no mistake: Álvarez won this game with one of the finishes of the tournament. 4. Wednesday's Semifinal Will Be Won By Whoever Has Legs Left Pity these two semifinalists. England went to altitude at the Azteca to beat Mexico, then played 120 minutes against Norway in Miami with a heat index of 108 degrees — Jude Bellingham dragging them through with a brace, the winner off an Ørjan Nyland spill. Argentina has now played 240 minutes of extra time in three knockout games. Both teams finished Saturday looking like they'd run a marathon in a sauna, because essentially they had. The football gods have granted one mercy: Wednesday's semifinal is in Atlanta, under a roof, with air conditioning. So the tactical question becomes brutally simple. Thomas Tuchel's England is younger in key spots; Argentina has Messi and pedigree, but the older, heavier legs. Recovery, rotation and squad depth will decide this as much as anything drawn on a whiteboard. Whoever's still sprinting in minute-85 goes to the final.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Zack Wheeler Felt 'Disrespected' By All-Star Game Invitation As Replacement]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/zack-wheeler-declines-all-star-game-invitation</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/zack-wheeler-declines-all-star-game-invitation</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has declined an invitation to join the National League All-Star roster as a replacement player.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:06:25 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has declined an invitation to join the National League All-Star roster as a replacement player. The offer from Major League Baseball came three days after Wheeler struck out 14 batters and called his omission from the original roster "BS." Wheeler said he chose not to participate because he felt disrespected by the selection process. "They disrespected me, so I’m not going to participate," Wheeler told The Athletic. The 36-year-old right-hander has posted a 2.28 ERA across 14 starts and 87 innings this season. Although he is scheduled to pitch on the Sunday before the All-Star Game, a factor that usually causes the league to avoid selecting those starting pitchers as replacements, Wheeler noted he would be willing to pitch in the All-Star Game anyway. After Wheeler declined the initial round of weekend replacements, MLB named Foster Griffin and Justin Wrobleski to the roster on Saturday. Wheeler's season began in April following his recovery from thoracic outlet decompression surgery last September, which required the removal of his right rib. Wheeler dismissed the idea that his recovery should impact his evaluation. "I don’t need a pity party," Wheeler told The Athletic. "I don’t need somebody saying, 'He’s had major surgery. Look at him now.' I don’t need that. It was my plan to come back as who I was or even better." Wheeler clarified that he does not want to sound like he is "hating on the whole thing," noting that participating in the game remains a privilege. However, he remains frustrated by how late the invitation arrived and noted he did not want to be the league's fifth choice. He added that he has declined previously due to injury or precaution, but this time it stemmed from "pure disrespect." "I just don’t want to be disrespected as a person," Wheeler told The Athletic, "I take it very seriously. It’s just me as a person, too. I felt like I said before — maybe I didn’t earn it from the get-go, but maybe second choice. Once I feel like they kind of messed that up, I’m out." Wheeler added he will spend the All-Star break on vacation with his family at the beach.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Best World Cup Goals: The Top 50 Goals Of The Tournament So Far]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/best-world-cup-goals-top-50-goals-tournament-so-far</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/best-world-cup-goals-top-50-goals-tournament-so-far</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Here are the best goals of the World Cup so far.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:33 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[In the biggest edition of the World Cup yet, we've already seen more goals than ever before — and we've already witnessed some bangers and golazos as we're in the round of 16. Lionel Messi continued to do what he does best and make history, but several other superstars have already shown out, too. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland already have multiple braces, while Ousmane Dembélé scored a hat trick in France's final match of group play. But which goals have been the best so far in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? We are here to let you know which goals are the best of the best. 1. Cabral Keeps Cape Verde's Upset Bid vs. Argentina Alive There are golazos, and then there are golazos that nearly transcend sports. As Cape Verde needed another goal to level its round-of-32 match against Argentina, Sidny Lopes Cabral delivered a goal that will be remembered by soccer fans for quite possibly the history of time. In the 103rd minute, Cabral went end-to-end and scored a top-bins goal from the edge of the opposite side of the box. Cabral's goal tied the match, but Argentina took the lead in the second extra time and wound up defeating Cape Verde. Still, Cabral's goal should stand the test of time, as the goal nearly set up one of the greatest upsets in the history of the World Cup. 2. Julián Alvarez Sends Argentina To Semis Argentina was in the danger zone in its quarterfinals match against Switzerland, until Julián Alvarez scored one of the goals of the tournament. In the second half of extra time, the Argentina star went top bins on a strike from outside the box. Not only were the location and the distance of the shot impressive, but Alvarez also got a good bend on the ball to get it around Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. The goal gave Argentina a 2-1 lead and it eventually won 3-1. But Alvarez's goal helped Argentina secure a spot in the semifinals for the second straight World Cup and a date against England as it looks to win back-to-back World Cups. 3. Andreas Schjelderup Golazo Puts England On Upset Watch The top Norway goal on this list somehow isn't from Erling Haaland, which goes to show just how special a score Andreas Schjelderup's goal was against England. In the 36th minute, Schjelderup ran along the left side of the box before firing a shot off. Schjelderup's placement was about as perfect as you could get, putting it top bins to beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. 4. Haaland Powers Home 2nd Goal In Upset Win vs. Brazil Erling Haaland has already scored a handful of memorable goals in his first World Cup, but the one he scored to complete the brace against Brazil was his best yet. The Manchester City star used sheer strength to give Norway a much-needed second goal, scoring from outside the box without any momentum. Haaland's goal was his seventh of the tournament, putting him into a tie for first place in the Golden Boot race when Sunday's match ended — and he sat out a match in group play. 5. Nusa's Curler Stuns Ivory Coast Ivory Coast vs. Norway was one of the best matchups of the round of 32 for diehard soccer fans, and the opening goal was worthy of that. Martin Ødegaard played the ball to Antonio Nusa on the left wing, and the RB Leipzig playmaker went at two defenders before cutting in on his right foot and delivering a beautiful finish just inside the far post. It was the kind of goal that we haven't seen yet in the tournament that ignited the game. 6. Diallo's Amazing Control Equalizes Amad Diallo has thrived so far in the World Cup, scoring a pair of big goals off the bench for the Ivory Coast. His second was one of the best of the tournament. The Manchester United winger played a clever one-two with Nicolas Pépé that saw him charging toward Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. Diallo delivered a clever touch to get the ball back on his left foot before chipping the ball into the far corner. It was a huge goal for the Ivory Coast, but ultimately one that could not impact the result. 7. Messi Stuns K.C. With Amazing Finish On a night when Lionel Messi scored an astonishing three goals (his first-ever World Cup hat trick), the first one stood out the most. Algeria gave Messi too much space in the middle of the field, and he made them pay. Argentina's captain and superstar delivered a magical goal to open his account at the 2026 World Cup. Messi picked up the ball in midfield and was able to turn toward the goal. He dribbled forward, put the ball on his left foot and put the ball in the top corner. It was a moment of magic from Messi, who had a goal ruled out for offside in the early minutes of the game. Two more goals ensued, but this set up what would be an unforgettable night in Kansas City. 8. Mbappé Makes France History In Style After tying the record for most goals in the history of France's men's team, Kylian Mbappé set the new mark in style. Mbappé picked up possession after Michael Olise was fouled, but the referee played the advantage. From there, he unleashed a laser past Senegal keeper Édouard Mendy for a record-setting goal. It also put a ribbon on France's win over a quality Senegal team. 9. Ayari's Laser Gives Sweden A Lead Sweden got on the board in the seventh minute in its World Cup opener through midfielder Yasin Ayari, who hammered home a shot from just outside the top of the 18-yard box. His first of two goals against Tunisia was a knuckleball that barely moved through the air. It went around the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. 10. Mbappé Dazzles Against Sweden Viktor Gyokeres found himself in a one-on-one situation inside the box against Mbappé, who delivered a stepover and then finished off a solo effort that gave France a lead over Sweden. It was another impressive goal for the French captain, who is keeping up with Messi in the race for most goals in World Cup history. 11. More Mbappé Magic Kylian Mbappé added another goal to this list in France's 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarterfinals. He broke the scoreless tie in the 60th minute when he powered home a shot at the end of the box. Not only did Mbappé somehow score from the edge of the box, but he also snuck the ball around a Morocco defender before beating an outstretched Bono. The goal was also Mbappé's 20th goal at the World Cup, moving him one closer to Lionel Messi's record at the time. He moved into a tie with Messi for the most non-penalty kick goals (17) scored in the history of the World Cup. 12. Folarin Balogun Goes Top Bin vs. Paraguay Balogun's coming-out party was on June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium against Paraguay, and his second goal of the game for the USA was the cherry on top. The AS Monaco striker delivered a dominant first-half performance, imposing his will on Paraguay's defense. He had already scored when midfielder Malik Tillman put him through on goal. He fought off one defender, dribbled past another and then used his weaker left foot to place a shot perfectly in the top corner. 13. Kane's Stunner Beats DR Congo Cometh the hour, cometh the man. When England needed a goal, its captain and all-time-leading goalscorer stepped up. Anthony Gordon played the ball to Kane, who was not in a scoring position near the top of the 18-yard box when he gained possession. From there, he dribbled right, created space and unleashed a vicious strike that beat DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. 14. Tillman Scores On Fabulous Free Kick The USA was in danger of potentially losing its 1-0 lead to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its round of 32 match, until Malik Tillman stepped up with one of the goals of the tournament. Over 10 minutes after Folarin Balogun was sent off due to a red card, Tillman gave the USA a much-needed goal when he scored on a free kick from outside the box. Not only did Tillman get enough air and bend on the shot to get it past the wall, but he also somehow snuck close enough between the Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper and the post to get it into the net as the USA took a 2-0 lead. 15. Haiti's Isidor Scores On Absolute Screamer Haiti was only playing for pride against Morocco, but that doesn't mean its goals should count for less. Wilson Isidor scored one of the top goals of group play when his strike from outside the box somehow found the back of the net, perfectly shooting for the top left corner of the net to give Haiti a 2-1 lead over Morocco at the time. 16. Dembélé On The Dot It only took Ousmane Dembélé 20 minutes to record a brace in France's win over Norway, with his left-footed shot from outside the box finding the net. It was the type of goal that showed the PSG star's previous woes at the international level might be behind him, as he buried a pretty impressive shot en route to a hat trick. 17. Shomurodov Chips Away For A Goal Eldor Shomurodov found an ambitious way to score in the 10th minute of Uzbekistan's match against DR Congo. He was able to get the ball in the box after a good run, getting his left foot on it and somehow elevating it over the pursuing defender. The ball hung in the air for a couple of seconds as well, getting over the outstretched reach of the DR Congo goalie to give his side a 1-0 lead. 18. Muñoz Delivers Acrobatic Finish Colombia dominated Uzbekistan for 39 minutes, but it needed a moment of brilliance to finally break through against a stingy defense. Colombian star Luis Díaz played a great lofted pass down the field as right back Daniel Muñoz made a run into the Uzbekistan box. Muñoz, who plays for Crystal Palace, only needed one touch to use the momentum of the pass to carry it past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov. 19. Elanga's Banger Keeps Sweden Alive Sweden was down 1-0 to Japan, a result that would have left its fate uncertain for the knockout rounds. Enter, Anthony Elanga. The Sweden winger picked up the ball on the right wing and curled a beauty into the far post with his weaker foot. It was a potentially massive goal. 20. Sano Sends It In To Give Japan Lead vs. Brazil Japan wasn't able to upset Brazil in the round of 32, but it gave it a good scare thanks to Kaishū Sano. In the 29th minute, Sano worked his way though Brazil's defense before firing off his strike as he was falling down from outside the box. The goal gave Japan a 1-0 lead, which it held for a good portion of the match. 21. Bosnian Banger From Alajbegovic Kerim Alajbegovic stepped up when his country needed him against Qatar on Match Day 3. The 18-year-old attacker, who plays his club soccer for RB Salzburg in Austria, picked up a pass from midfielder Ivan Basic. He dribbled around one Qatar defender and then unleashed an impressive strike from 25 yards out that beat goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. 22. Gio Reyna Caps Win With Trivela The exclamation point at the end of the United States' win over Paraguay came from Reyna, who put his impressive technique on display in the final minute of the match. Reyna, a source of controversy at the 2022 World Cup, came on in the 82nd minute for Tillman. The USA was keeping the ball while seeing out the win over Paraguay when the ball moved up the field down the right wing. Alex Freeman gave the ball to Reyna for what was the 26th pass of the attack, and Gio hammered it home with the outside of his right foot. 23. Quiñones Ignites Mexico vs. Ecuador Julián Quiñones timed his run perfectly to get on the end of Roberto Alvarado's pass. He got inside the 18-yard box, cut in with the ball on his right foot, and he unleashed a screamer into the top corner of the near post. It sent Mexico City Stadium into a frenzy. 24. Lo Celso's Free-Kick Golazo No Lionel Messi? No problem. Giovani Lo Celso buried the free kick outside the box in the first half of Argentina's match against Jordan as Messi watched from the bench. 25. Hey Jude, Let's Even It Up vs. Norway Minutes after Andreas Schjelderup's golazo gave Norway a 1-0 lead in its quarterfinals match against England, Jude Bellingham helped level the match with an outstanding score himself. During stoppage time in the first half of the match, Bellingham scored while falling down and shooting with his weak foot. 26. Taking It Off The Corner Flag And Scoring Rafik Belghali had one of the goals of the tournament when he won a ball off the corner flag before weaving through the Austrian defense and firing a banger that helped Algeria level its match against Austria. 27. Nmecha Combines With Wirtz For Brilliant Goal The Germans opened their account quickly against Curaçao, to the surprise of no one. One of the best teams in the field facing the smallest country in the tournament was always going to be a mismatch, and it only took Germany six minutes to take the lead. Midfielder Felix Nmecha picked up the ball just outside the 18-yard box on the left side of the field. He played a pass to star Florian Wirtz — among the top-25 players in our ranking of the World Cup's 100 best — who pushed a slick pass back to Nmecha. The Borussia Dortmund man finished a clever one-two with a beautiful curling finish. 28. Hwang Equalizes In Style South Korea controlled its opening match against Czechia but found itself behind in the second half after the Czechs took a first-half lead. Hwang In-beom was all over the pitch in this match, but his equalizing goal truly stood out. He was played into the 18-yard box by PSG midfielder Kang-In Lee, then he stopped on a dime, put the ball on his right foot and chipped Czechia goalkeeper Matěj Kovář. It was a brilliant goal that the Koreans needed badly. 29. Mbappé Unleashes Left-Footed Golazo Earlier on Monday, June 22, Lionel Messi scored twice to get to 18 World Cup goals, the most ever. It took Kylian Mbappé hours to respond. Michael Olise teed up the France captain on the right wing, and Mbappé put the ball on his weaker foot and hit it brilliantly into the back of the net. It was Mbappé's 15th World Cup goal, which signals he will not stop chasing Messi and maybe take over his lead one day. 30. A Poignant Goal For Canada Canada's fourth goal in its 6-0 win over Qatar proved to be emotional for all gathered in Vancouver as it occurred mere moments after Ismael Kone was carted off the field with a serious leg injury. Nathan Saliba, who came on for Canada for Kone, took a bending free kick that landed just inside the woodwork past the Qatar keeper. Instead of a usual celebration, Saliba held up the jersey of his teammate in what will be a lasting image of Canada's World Cup run. 31. Dembélé Hesitates And Scores vs. Norway Ousmane Dembélé's first goal of his hat trick against Norway was also pretty impressive. The France star junked out a Norwegian defender along the edge of the box before firing a shot to give his team an early 1-0 lead. 32. Papa Gueye With An Absolute Banger Gueye subbed on in the second half of Senegal's win over Iraq and scored one of the top goals of the group stage just minutes later. He scored on an impressive strike from outside the box, finding the top shelf as he perfectly bended the ball for a goal. 33.  Vinícius Júnior Delivers Golazo vs. Morocco The Real Madrid star came into this tournament knowing he needed to be at his best for Brazil. After Morocco took a first-half lead, he stepped up. Vini Jr. picked up the ball near the touchline after a pass from midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. He cut inside onto his preferred right foot and nearly put the ball through the net with his finish. 34. Dembélé Completes Hat Trick vs. Norway Congrats, Ousmane Dembélé. Not only did you score a hat trick in France's win over Norway, but all three goals also received pretty high placement on this list. His hat trick came in the first half, making it all the more impressive. 35. Jiménez Doubles Mexico's Lead Raúl Jiménez, Mexico's leader in attack, picked up the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and unleashed a fantastic strike into the top corner. It doubled Mexico's lead in impressive fashion, and the scoreline held for the host nation to advance. 36. What A Volley! Mahmić Buries Debut Goal Ermin Mahmić wasted no time making his presence felt for Bosnia and Herzegovina, even with his team down a player and down multiple goals. Moments after coming into the game, the substitute slammed a volley past Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel, who had punched the ball right into Mahmić's wheelhouse. Even in Bosnia's eventual loss, this was one of the game's best moments. 37. Ashour's Thunderous Strike Puts Egypt Ahead Egypt entered its first game of the tournament against Belgium as a big underdog, but it got off to an early lead through a fantastic strike from Emam Ashour. Ashour, who plays for Al Ahly SC in Egypt, got a pass from birthday boy and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah about 25 yards from goal. Then, he unleashed a powerful strike that went past world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. 38. Enzo Completes Argentina's Comeback vs. Egypt We had to include one of the goals from Argentina's stunning comeback victory on this list, right? Argentina came back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 20-plus minutes of its match against Egypt in the quarterfinals, with Enzo Fernández scoring the game-winning goal in stoppage time. Fernández's header was highly impressive, putting it in a spot where Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir wouldn't be able to save it, even if he tried. The goal also marked the 3,000th goal ever in the history of the World Cup. 39. Baturina Equalizes In Style vs. England After falling behind because of a Harry Kane penalty, Croatia grew into its matchup against England very well and was rewarded. A long ball was played forward to Petar Sucic, who laid the ball off to Martin Baturina. Baturina delivered a great strike that England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could only get a hand to. 40. Haaland Heads One Home To Open Scoring vs. Brazil Erling Haaland broke the scoreless tie in Norway's 2-1 victory over Brazil in the 79th minute when he was able to get his head on a cross, towering over Brazil defender Gabriel Magalhães to win the challenge. After that, Haaland was able to direct the ball in a tight window between Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker and the post. 41. Cape Verde's First-Ever World Cup Goal Uruguay conceded a free kick at least 30 yards from goal, and it didn't seem like Kevin Pina was going to take aim at goal from that distance. Instead, Uruguay only put two players in the wall, which separated and let Pina's shot go straight through into the back of the net. It was a shocking moment in Miami but a brilliant hit from Pina. 42. A Promising Goal For Canada Canada fell a goal short of forcing a draw against Switzerland to win Group B, but Promise David's goal in the second half of that match nearly helped Les Rouges win the group. He was able to get his foot out and connected on a difficult cross for a Canadian goal. 43. Jordan Shocks Austria With Fantastic Goal Austria midfielder Xavier Schlager lost the ball in midfield, and Jordan immediately began a counterattack. Noor Al-Rawabdeh fed winger Ali Iyad Olwan on the left wing, and he dribbled the ball 50 yards into the 18-yard box before curling a fantastic goal into the far post. It was a fantastic way for Jordan to score its first-ever World Cup goal. 44. Saibari Runs Through Brazil's Defense Morocco delivered a brilliant goal to open the scoring in its star-studded matchup with Brazil. Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Diaz picked the ball up and found Ismael Saibari in between Brazil center backs Gabriel and Marquinhos, two of the best defenders in world soccer. With his first touch, the Moroccan striker lifted the ball over Alisson, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, for a brilliantly executed opening goal. 45. Messi. Hat Trick. Greatness. The goal is quintessential Messi – collecting at the top of the box, a quick shift to the left and letting it rip – but its significance is what stands out. Messi doesn't have many more "firsts" in him, but this goal gave him three on the night for his first hat trick at the World Cup. With 16 goals in his sixth appearance at the tournament, he tied Germany legend Miroslav Klose for the most ever scored at the men's World Cup. 46. Austria Heads Into The Knockout Stage Austria got a goal at the buzzer to level its match against Algeria, scoring a much-needed goal to help it advance. The score was a result of two headers, with Sasa Kalajdzic getting the goal for Austria. 47. Nakamura Equalizes Against The Dutch Down 1-0 after Virgil van Dijk gave the Netherlands a lead, Keito Nakamura stepped up with a massive goal for Japan. And what a hit it was. Nakamura picked up the ball just inside the 18-yard box, got it under control and then unleashed an impressive right-footed hit to beat Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The most impressive part was that Nakamura's momentum was going away from goal when he struck the ball. 48. Messi Makes World Cup History After missing a penalty in the ninth minute against Austria, it looked like it might not be Messi's day. He only needed one goal to pass Miroslav Klose and become the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer. Instead, about 30 minutes later, he delivered a classic Messi goal. Facundo Medina was on the left wing and played a low cross near the penalty box. Messi was right there, ready to pounce, and unleashed a fantastic left-footed shot that beat Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. 49. Maeda Finishes Brilliant Team Move Ritsu Doan played a one-two in midfield and then found Daizen Maeda through on goal. It was a wonderful team move that saw Japan take a lead against Sweden. 50. Ayari Scores His Second Banger vs. Tunisia Yasin Ayari, have a day. The Brighton midfielder and Swedish national star delivered two goals, the second of which got commentator Maurice Edu to proclaim, "Bangers only." Ayari could have represented Tunisia internationally, as his father is from the country. What an occasion for him to score twice.]]>
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					<![CDATA[How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Scores, Schedule, Dates for Every Match]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/how-watch-2026-fifa-world-cup-full-schedule-dates-every-match</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/how-watch-2026-fifa-world-cup-full-schedule-dates-every-match</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[We're tracking all the scores and results at the FIFA 2026 World Cup.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:28 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The wait is over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived to 16 different cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer, and you can catch all the action with FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the 48-team soccer bonanza. Here is the full broadcast schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and how you can watch every game: How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. JUMP TO: Group Stage | Knockout Stage | World Cup Final 2026 World Cup Schedule: Knockout Stage Round of 32 June 28 June 29 June 30 July 1 July 2 July 3 Round of 16 July 4 July 5 July 6 July 7 Quarterfinals July 9 July 10 July 11 Semifinals July 14 July 15 July 18 World Cup Final July 19 2026 World Cup Group Stage Results: June 11, 2026 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Race Tracker: Mbappé Ties Messi, Bellingham Rises]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-fifa-world-cup-golden-boot-tracker</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-fifa-world-cup-golden-boot-tracker</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Follow the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race with our live tracker, featuring the latest goalscoring standings, player statistics, and updates.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:57:08 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Who'll win the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The race is on for who'll score the most goals at the tournament, and it is set to be one of the tournament's most closely watched storylines. Several of the world's top forwards will be aiming to finish as the competition's leading goalscorer. Lionel Messi – now the top all-time goalscorer in FIFA men's World Cup history – led the race through the group stages. After Messi jumped past Kylian Mbappé following his goal against Cape Verde, Mbappé matched him after his penalty in the second half of France's round of 16 matchup against Paraguay. Messi retook the Golden Boot lead with an equalizer when Argentina needed it most, to tie it 2-2 against Egypt in the late stages of the round of 16 before Argentina completed the comeback to move onto the quarterfinals. Mbappé caught back up with Messi in the second half against Morocco in their quarterfinal game when he found the net in the 60th minute. This marks the first time three players netted seven or more goals in a single World Cup. Check out our list of all the 2026 World Cup group-stage goals, ranked! Favorites To Win The Golden Boot Kylian Mbappé: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)Lionel Messi: +145 (bet $10 to win $24.50 total)Harry Kane: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Jude Bellingham: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)Ousmane Dembélé: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Mikel Oyarzabal: +12500 (bet $10 to win $1,260 total) 8 Goals 6 Goals 4 Goals 2 Goals Last 5 Golden Boot Winners]]>
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					<![CDATA[England vs. Argentina Confirmed For Semifinals: Here's What To Know]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-vs-argentina-confirmed-semifinals-heres-what-know</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-vs-argentina-confirmed-semifinals-heres-what-know</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:51:22 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[A historic World Cup rivalry will be renewed on Wednesday, when England and Argentina go head-to-head in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals at Atlanta Stadium. England and Argentina punched their tickets to the semifinals with wins on the final day of quarterfinals on Saturday. Now, the two powerhouses of international soccer will meet at the World Cup for the first time since 2002. Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina: If there was one word to describe England's World Cup so far, it would not be "dominant." In fact, England has only won two of its six matches by more than one goal, and it hasn't won by more than a single goal since the knockout stage started. And yet, it is set to compete in its fourth-ever World Cup semifinal, in large part due to something past iterations of the team have lacked: mental toughness and desperation. It starts at the top with Thomas Tuchel, who, even after positive results, unapologetically demands more from his team. But it extends to the Three Lions' leading men, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who have regularly led their teams to wins with their combined seven goals in the knockout stage. Resilient? Lucky? Ordained? Call it what you want; Argentina is just happy to still be here. After a convincing group stage with three multi-goal wins, Argentina has had to fight in every second of the knockout stage to date, narrowly beating Cape Verde, Egypt and most recently Switzerland — all teams it was expected to beat comfortably. Lionel Messi has done his part, scoring a tournament-high eight goals (tied with Kylian Mbappé) and making World Cup history along the way, but his teammates have also done everything in their power to make sure Messi's last-ever run at the tournament isn't cut short. That unity has been a hallmark of their tournament to date, and they will need to stay united to beat a determined England side. Key Players If it weren't for Jude Bellingham, England might not be in the semifinals. The 23-year-old midfielder has been outstanding for the Three Lions in the finals, scoring a brace against Mexico and Norway. He is the first player to score two or more goals in consecutive World Cup knockout stage matches at the same tournament since Diego Maradona in 1986. Bellingham was 15 years old the last time England made a World Cup semifinals. Now, he could be the reason it makes its first final since 1966, which is also the last — and only — time it lifted the trophy. We all know we've reached the end of Lionel Messi's World Cup career. Whether it's in the semifinal or the final, Messi will play his last-ever match at the tournament next week, closing the book on a historic World Cup career, which includes a title and the all-time records for most goals and assists. Will Messi get his storybook ending and lift the trophy for a second time, or will he bow out against an England team as desperate to reach the mountaintop as he was four years ago? We'll find out on Wednesday. How To Watch England vs. Argentina]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal Results]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-quarterfinal-odds-which-squads-will-make-final-8</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-quarterfinal-odds-which-squads-will-make-final-8</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Check out the results for the quarterfinal matchups at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:48:07 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[France and Spain both won their quarterfinal matchups and will face off in a star-studded semifinal on Tuesday. On Saturday, England took down Norway as a Jude Bellingham extra-time goal sent the Three Lions through to the semis. England will meet Argentina in the semifinals after La Albiceleste's dramatic 3-1 win over Switzerland in extra time. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Here are the odds for the quarterfinal matchups already in place: THURSDAY, JULY 9 Morocco 0, FRANCE 2 FRIDAY, JULY 10 Belgium 1, SPAIN 2 SATURDAY, JULY 11 Norway 1, ENGLAND 2 (Extra Time) Switzerland 1, ARGENTINA 3 (Extra Time)]]>
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					<![CDATA[Messi, Mbappé, Bellingham And Kane Providing A Golden Boot Race For The Ages]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/golden-boot-world-cup-messi-mbappe-kane-bellingham</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/golden-boot-world-cup-messi-mbappe-kane-bellingham</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Whoever emerges as the World Cup's top goalscorer, this Golden Boot race will go down as one for the ages.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[For a few days, this was the best Golden Boot race in living memory. Four legends, separated by two goals, all still alive. Then Saturday in Miami thinned the field in the most dramatic way possible. Erling Haaland is gone. Norway's dream ended in extra time, England winning, 2-1, and the man who had scored in every single match his country played was finally, mercifully for defenders, held quiet. Seven goals, a historic run to the quarterfinals, and now a plane home. The most efficient scorer the sport has produced never got his shootout at the top. Cruel game. His conqueror complicated things too. Jude Bellingham scored twice against Norway — including the extra-time winner — to reach six goals and pull level with his own teammate, Harry Kane. So England now carries two men on six into a semifinal. Neither is out of it. Both would need a historic run over two games to catch the leaders. Not impossible. Not likely. Because the leaders are who we always suspected they'd be. Lionel Messi has eight after being held in check in the 2–1 quarterfinals win over Switzerland. Kylian Mbappé also has eight after adding to his account in the 2-0 quarterfinals win over Morocco. The same number they finished on in Qatar four years ago, when Mbappé's hat trick in the final edged Messi by a single goal and left the Argentine without the one trophy his cabinet never held. The Golden Boot is the lone individual honor missing from the greatest résumé the game has ever seen. Four years later, here it is again, dangling in front of Messi, with the same Frenchman standing in the way. The parallels this week bordered on absurd. Both men missed a knockout penalty. Both responded by scoring anyway. Messi's spot-kick was saved against Egypt in the round of 16 clash before he dragged Argentina back from 2-0 down with an 83rd-minute equalizer. Mbappé went the same direction from the spot against Morocco, watched Yassine Bounou save it, then curled in his eighth of the tournament twenty minutes later. Great players don't dodge failure. They just refuse to let it be the headline. Here's the wrinkle that decides everything: Mbappé is technically ahead. FIFA breaks tournament ties on assists, and Mbappé has three to Messi's two. If both finish level on goals, the boot goes to France on a tiebreaker most fans have never heard of. Imagine explaining that to Just Fontaine, who scored 13 in six games in the 1958 World Cup for France with a single pair of boots and no penalties, and still holds the record no one will touch. The stakes are almost as high as the trophy itself. Messi, at 39, is the all-time World Cup scoring leader with 21 goals. Mbappé sits on 20, one behind, at 27 years old. Every goal either player scores now moves two leaderboards at once — the Golden Boot and the record book. There is no such thing as a meaningless finish for these two anymore. And the fixtures are lining up for a reunion nobody would dare script. France plays Spain in the semifinal Tuesday. If both win, Messi and Mbappé meet in the final in New York on July 19 — the ghost of Lusail in Qatar resurrected, four years and one continent later, with a Golden Boot and a World Cup on the same table. Haaland gave us the fireworks. Bellingham and Kane still lurk. But this was always going to come down to the two men who turned the 2022 final into a duel and never really stopped. Messi chasing the one award he's yet to capture. Mbappé right there with him. Fontaine's record is safe. Everything else is up for grabs. And we get to watch the same two titans settle it one more time.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Who's Left in the 2026 World Cup? Who's Been Eliminated?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/whos-left-2026-world-cup-whos-been-eliminated</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/whos-left-2026-world-cup-whos-been-eliminated</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[We are down to the quaterfinals. See who is left in the tournament and who has been eliminated. Here's every result so far, today's matches and the road to the final.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:46:03 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[And then there were four. The 2026 World Cup will come down to the top 4 FIFA ranked teams. Check out who remains and get ready to watch the semifinals on coming on Tuesday and Wednesday (airing on FOX and FOX One). Who's Left in the 2026 World Cup? Advanced to semifinals How to Watch France vs. Spain France won Group I while outscoring opponents 10-2, then beat Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32, edged Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 and downed Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Mbappe's eight goals are tied with Messi for the Golden Boot Race lead and Michael Olise's five assists pace all players. Spain has been the tournament's stingiest team, winning Group H behind three clean sheets before shutting out Austria 3-0 and Portugal 1-0 in the knockout rounds and holding off Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals. How to Watch England vs. Argentina How Many Teams are Left in the World Cup? There are 4 teams left vying for the World Cup title. Here's where the World Cup bracket stands. Who's Been Eliminated in the 2026 World Cup? Eliminated in the group stage Eliminated in the round of 32 Eliminated in the round of 16 Eliminated in the quarterfinals How to Watch the World Cup Every remaining match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup airs on FOX, with everything streaming live and on demand on FOX One.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 World Cup Bracket: Historic Semifinal Matchups Set]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-bracket-semifinals-finals-matchups</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-world-cup-bracket-semifinals-finals-matchups</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Here's how the semifinals matchups look like at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:45:19 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[It would only make sense that the biggest World Cup ever would have the biggest World Cup semifinals ever. The semifinals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature the top-four ranked teams in the FIFA rankings. It marks the first time that the top-four teams in the FIFA rankings have all made the semifinals at the World Cup. Argentina became the final team to punch its ticket into the semifinals, defeating Switzerland in extra time on Saturday. It'll take on England in the second semifinal matchup on Wednesday. Argentina is looking to repeat as World Cup champs, while England is seeking its first World Cup title since 1966. The other semifinal will feature the top-two teams in the FIFA rankings. France and Spain are set to go head-to-head on Tuesday, with the 2018 World Cup champs battling the 2010 World Cup champs. Here's a closer look at the two semifinal matchups at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Tuesday, July 14 Dallas Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Two of Europe's powerhouses will go head-to-head in the semifinals. France advanced to the semifinals for the third straight World Cup on Thursday, when it took down Morocco in the quarterfinals, 2-0. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scored for France. Mbappé has reached the semifinals in all three of his World Cup appearances. Now, he's seeking to reach the finals in each of his first three World Cup appearances. Spain, meanwhile, is back in the semifinals for the first time since it won the World Cup in 2010. It outlasted Belgium in Friday's quarterfinals matchup, winning 2-1. Mikel Merino was the hero again for Spain as well, scoring in the 88th minute to give his side the lead. He also scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time of Spain's win against Portugal. The France-Spain matchup will feature the teams ranked in the top two spots of FIFA's live rankings. France and Spain will go head-to-head on Tuesday, July 14 at 3 p.m. ET in Dallas Stadium. Wednesday, July 15 Atlanta Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) If you thought the first semifinal matchup was set to be a banger, then you should be just as excited for the second semifinal match. England and Argentina will go head-to-head for a trip to the final. England advanced to the semifinals at the World Cup for the fourth time in the federation's history, defeating Norway in extra time in the quarterfinals. Jude Bellingham scored a brace in England's 2-1 victory, helping the Three Lions get their second semifinal appearance at the World Cup in three tournaments. Argentina also picked up an extra-time win, defeating Switzerland. However, Argentina was the beneficiary of another controversial VAR decision, with Switzerland playing with 10 men late in the match. Still, Lionel Messi and Argentina are in the semifinals for the second straight World Cup and for the third time in five tournaments. England and Argentina will go head-to-head on Wednesday, July 15 at 3 p.m. ET in Atlanta Stadium. World Cup Final (Sunday, July 19) France/Spain vs. England/Argentina New York New Jersey Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)]]>
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					<![CDATA[Argentina's Antonio Rattín Dies; 1966 World Cup Dismissal Led To Red & Yellow Cards]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/argentine-antonio-rattin-whose-dismissal-in-the-1966-world-cup-prompted-a-rules-change-dies-at-89</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/argentine-antonio-rattin-whose-dismissal-in-the-1966-world-cup-prompted-a-rules-change-dies-at-89</guid>
				<category>other</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Antonio Rattín, who played for Argentina at the 1966 World Cup has died, at age 89.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:02:39 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Argentine Antonio Rattín, a former Boca Juniors player whose act of defiance while representing Argentina at the 1966 World Cup helped lead to the introduction of yellow and red cards, has died, the country’s football federation said Saturday. He was 89. Rattín died in Buenos Aires, according to the Argentine Football Association, or AFA, which expressed its "deepest sorrow at the passing of a historic symbol of Boca Juniors and the national team," with whom he played in two World Cups. A defensive midfielder known for his physical, hard-tackling style, Rattín won six Argentine league titles with Boca Juniors and was a Copa Libertadores runner-up in 1963. "Rattín was one of us and loved these colours so much that they were the only ones he chose to defend throughout his 14-year career. A leader, an Argentine and forever a Bostero," the club said. With Argentina, Rattín played at the 1962 World Cup in Chile and the 1966 tournament in England, and also finished runner-up in the Copa América twice. In the quarterfinals of the 1966 World Cup, Argentina faced England at Wembley Stadium. In the 36th minute, Rattín protested a foul and was sent off for "verbal dissent." At the time, referees did not use cards but instead verbally informed players that they had been dismissed. As he left the pitch, Rattín crumpled one of the corner flags, which featured the design of the English flag. He then sat down on the red carpet reserved for the late Queen Elizabeth II. The two acts of protest sparked a barrage of objects thrown at him by fans from the stands. In the wake of the confusing incident, and amid growing concern over the increasingly violent nature of the game, FIFA’s refereeing authorities concluded that a practical, universally understood system was needed to communicate cautions and dismissals. Kenneth George Aston, who headed FIFA’s refereeing committee, took inspiration from traffic lights and, in 1967, introduced the yellow and red cards that are still used today. Rattín’s defiant gesture at Wembley also marked the beginning of the football rivalry between Argentina and England. It reached its most iconic chapter in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, when Argentina won thanks to Diego Maradona’s unforgettable goals — one scored with his hand, unnoticed by the referee, and the other after a brilliant solo run. Argentina plays Switzerland in another World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday. Many supporters are hoping for a semifinal meeting with England, who defeated Norway in Saturday's earlier quarterfinal match. Reporting by the Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[World Cup Red Cards: 2026 Has More Red Cards Than Last 2 World Cups Combined]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-red-card-rules-totals</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-red-card-rules-totals</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Referees haven't been shy to give out red cards. Here's the fallout of each of those infringements at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 22:59:17 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The referees have been active at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It took only 27 games across seven days for officials to allocate more red cards than they did during each of the entire 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. The record for red cards in a single World Cup stands at 28 in 2006. These moments led to penalty kicks, set pieces outside the box and offenses capitalizing on shorthanded opponents. FOX Sports rules analyst Mark Clattenburg weighed in on the increase in red cards. "Players are well-behaved, but they're just making mistakes in and around the penalty area, in maybe a panic," Clattenburg said. "And not saying the players getting inside the penalty area and conceding the penalties are more than happy to commit a foul and commit a red card, knowing that they miss the next match, but now that they have 26 players on the roster, there are plenty of players to certainly cover [those] positions." The record for red cards in a single World Cup is 28 in the 2006 edition of the tournament, and nine of those were straight red cards. Here's a look at every red card and the impact they've had on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As Argentina and Switzerland battled for the last semifinal spot on Saturday, Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was shown a red card after receiving his second yellow card of the match. In the challenge, Argentina's Leandro Paredes appeared to catch the heel of Embolo and fell to the ground. After VAR review in the 72nd minute, Embolo was shown the card for simulation, when a player deliberately exaggerates contact with another player. The red cards continued during this year's World Cup as England defender Jarell Quansah was shown one during England's Round of 16 matchup against Mexico. In the 52nd minute, Quansah challenged Mexico defender Jesús Gallardo, sliding directly into his shin and wiping him out of the play completely. Moments later, the referee brandished the red card. Quansah was sent marching, registering the 13th red card of this World Cup. Balogun scored USA's first goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 match, but arguably just as big a moment for him was getting dealt a red card in the 64th minute of the match. Referees reviewed the moment when he stepped on a Bosnian defender's ankle, and Balogun was sent off, putting the USA down a man in the win-or-go-home match. The almost-25-year-old Balogun was the first player to score a goal and receive a red card in a World Cup knockout match since Zinedine Zidane against Italy in the 2006 final, according to FOX Sports Research. This was another example of a player being penalized for covering their mouth while engaging with an opposing player. Late against Mexico in the round of 32 match, Ecuador's Hincapié was sent off in second-half stoppage time after having an exchange with an El Tri player. It didn't impact the game much, as Ecuador soon lost, 2-0. But it's a new rule that's catching players off guard. Agustín Canobbio's temper flared as Uruguay was on the brink of elimination. He earned a straight red card a spikes-up tackle on Spain's Pau Cubarsí, before storming off the pitch. Canobbio's harsh booking was the build of that foul and an infringement he committed minutes earlier when he made contact with American referee Ismail Elfath arguing a foul that was committed on Spain's Nico Williams. This one didn't help Iraq in its 5-0 blowout loss to Senegal in the teams' group-stage finale. But within the first 13 minutes, Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka was dealt a red card, following a VAR review that ultimately determined he denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity for Senegal. However, Senegal wasn't able to convert on the ensuing free kick. It was the fourth-fastest red card in World Cup history. Nathan Ngoy was shown a straight red card in the 67th minute for his careless tackle on Iran striker Mehdi Taremi. At the time he was shown his red card, Belgium and Iran were still scoreless. Miguel Almiron was sent off right before halftime in Paraguay's match against Türkiye after a VAR check determined that he said something while covering his mouth to an opposing player. Madibo made an ill-timed tackle in the midfield on Canada's Ismaël Koné. Koné was ultimately stretchered off the pitch as Qatar was reduced to nine men. With Canada taking an early 2-0 lead, Homam Ahmed's desperate tackle on Tajon Buchanan just outside the box only made matters worse. Canada scored moments later against a 10-man Qatar side to increase the advantage to 3-0. Tarik Muharemović tackled Swiss striker Breel Embolo on the precipice of the 18-yard box, preventing a one-on-one between Embolo and the goalkeeper. Switzerland didn't convert the ensuing set piece, but with Bosnia and Herzegovina down to 10 men, the Swiss went on to score three late goals and close out a 4-1 victory. As tempers boiled in the opening match, Mexico made it a three-red-card affair. César Montes took down Khuliso Mudau in an attacking position in the second minute of injury time. South Africa couldn't capitalize on the set piece, and the match ended with a 2-0 Mexico victory. Themba Zwane was sent off for making contact with Brian Gutiérrez in the head during a South African attack. He put his team in a stick situation, down to nine men. Zwane's suspension was extended from the normal one game to three after FIFA ruled it fell under Article 14's rule for violent contact. In the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match, Sithole took down Mexico's Brian Gutierrez just outside the box, earning a red card as the last line of defense between Gutierrez and the goalkeeper. Sithole's red card led to a free kick from a threatening position, but Mexico couldn't convert. However, in the 67th minute, Mexico capitalized on the one-man advantage as Raúl Jiménez scored his first World Cup goal.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Wrobleski Becomes 6th Dodgers All-Star, Peters Gets Nod After White Sox Cycle]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/wrobleski-becomes-6th-dodgers-allstar-peters-of-white-sox-and-griffin-of-nats-also-added</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/wrobleski-becomes-6th-dodgers-allstar-peters-of-white-sox-and-griffin-of-nats-also-added</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski and White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters are heading to the All-Star Game.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 22:51:22 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Left-hander Justin Wrobleski became the sixth member of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the National League All-Star roster and Chicago outfielder Tristan Peters was added to the American League squad on Saturday, a day after becoming the seventh White Sox player to hit for the cycle. Washington left-hander Foster Griffin also was added. Wrobleski replaced Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns, who won't be active for Tuesday night's game at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park because of tightness in his right groin. Peters took the roster spot of Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, who was put on the injured list because of a sprained right thumb. Griffin replaced Milwaukee pitcher Braxton Ashcraft, who threw 98 pitches Saturday against Pittsburgh. Wrobleski, 26, is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings. He joins two-way star Shohei Ohtani, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy and outfielder Andy Pages as Dodgers All-Stars. Ohtani will have his left knee drained Sunday to relieve continued irritation and will not go to Philadelphia. Peters joins White Sox teammates Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami on the All-Star roster. Murakami, a rookie slugger from Japan, was added Friday just hours before he returned to action against the Athletics after missing six weeks with a right hamstring strain. Still a rookie at 26, the speedy, slick-fielding Peters is batting .303 with six homers and 35 RBIs is his first full major league season. He has 20 doubles and three triples; the most recent came in the seventh inning of Chicago's rout of the Athletics on Friday that made Peters the first White Sox player to hit for the cycle since Jose Abreu in September 2017. Chicago obtained Peters' rights last December from Tampa Bay. He appeared in only four games with the Rays last season without a hit in 12 plate appearances, but the one-time Savannah Banana has taken off in Chicago. "The White Sox gave me this opportunity and I went into it just trying to make the most out of it and just be who I am as a player, too," Peters said. "I know there was a lot of bunting in the beginning and just trying to figure out who I am at the big league level and you know they give space for that, too. Just an incredibly supportive group and that's helped me thrive." A native of Winkler, Manitoba, Peters became the second Canadian to record a cycle. He joins Cleveland right-hander Cade Smith and Miami infielder Otto Lopez, who holds dual Canadian-Dominican citizenship, as Canadians on the 2026 All-Star roster. Peter's said becoming an All-Star was a pipe dream at the start of the season. But after several months, he thought it might become a possibility. "I guess toward the end of this first half, I was like ‘OK, maybe there's a chance,' but there's a lot of really, really talented players in this league," he said. Kurtz is batting .266 with 20 home runs, 66 RBIs and a league-leading 76 walks. The 23-year-old was the AL rookie of the year last season, when he batted .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs. He landed on injured list for the second time in his career after being sidelined with a strained left hip flexor in May 2025. Griffin, back in the major leagues after three seasons pitching in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, is 10-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 19 starts. "I’m later in my career, and it happened now and I’m super grateful for that and super proud of that," the 30-year-old Griffin said. "Just looking back over all the time and effort and work I put in, it’s a huge honor and I’m excited for it."]]>
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					<![CDATA[Switzerland's Breel Embolo Receives Red Card For Diving Against Argentina]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/switzerlands-breel-embolo-receives-red-card-diving-against-argentina</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/switzerlands-breel-embolo-receives-red-card-diving-against-argentina</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was sent off in the second half of the World Cup quarterfinals against Argentina after a VAR check led to a second yellow card for simulation.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 22:49:55 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was sent off in the second half of the World Cup quarterfinals against Argentina after a VAR check led to a second yellow card for simulation. The incident occurred in the 72nd minute, when Leandro Paredes appeared to catch the heel of Embolo. Referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro initially issued a yellow card to Paredes for the challenge. However, play was halted as a VAR check began to review the decision. Upon review, the referee determined that there was no contact and that Embolo had simulated the sequence to win a foul. Pinheiro subsequently canceled the yellow card initially assessed to Paredes and instead booked the Swiss forward for simulation. Since Embolo had already received a yellow card in the first half, the second yellow resulted in a red card. "What the VAR believes is that there was no contact and the yellow card is unjust, and actually the Swiss player was diving. So, what the referee can do in his power, which we saw in a previous game with the United States, is that he can reverse the yellow card and give it to the Swiss player," FOX Sports rules analyst Mark Clattenburg explained on the broadcast. However, Clattenburg wasn't in full support of the decision that resulted in a red card. "The problem with this is, the Swiss player is already on a yellow card from the first half, and that would, for me, be very harsh to give a second yellow card for a simulation." The protocol used by the referee mirrors a situation seen in a group stage match involving the United States and Paraguay, where officials utilized VAR to reverse an unjust yellow card and penalize the diving player instead. "This is the problem. What we saw in the United States game earlier in the tournament was that they changed the yellow card over because Tim Ream was the one to have alleged to have given the foul and [the Paraguay player] was eventually given the yellow card," Clattenburg said. "In this situation, again, it should be reversed and the yellow card should go to the Swiss player. "Unfortunately, he's already on a yellow card for the first half." Switzerland must now navigate the final minutes down a man against the defending World Champions.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Brewers Ace Jacob Misiorowski To Miss All-Star Game Due To Arm Fatigue]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/brewers-ace-jacob-misiorowski-scratched-from-scheduled-start-on-sunday-will-miss-the-allstar-game</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/brewers-ace-jacob-misiorowski-scratched-from-scheduled-start-on-sunday-will-miss-the-allstar-game</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski will miss the All-Star Game on Tuesday night due to arm fatigue.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 22:30:29 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday because of arm fatigue and will also miss the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Brewers manager Pat Murphy announced the decision Saturday after the NL Central leaders were swept by the Pirates in a doubleheader. "He didn’t recover well from his last start, and his throwing program was clunky today, so we’re just going to give him some extra rest," Murphy said. Misiorowski said he will not require a stint on the injured list and should be ready to pitch after next week’s All-Star break. Milwaukee has 12 pitchers on the IL. "It (stinks) to miss a start and the All-Star Game, but I know it’s the right thing to do in this situation," Misiorowski said. "My arm is a little tired." Misiorowski has a 10-4 record and a 1.62 ERA in 18 starts, with 167 strikeouts over 111 innings. The 24-year-old leads MLB starting pitchers with a 100.5 mph average four-seam fastball velocity and has thrown a big-league high of 670 pitches at 100 mph or higher. Misiorowski was scheduled to face fellow All-Star Paul Skenes in the series finale. Left-hander Robert Gasser will instead start for the Brewers.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Norway Coach Defends Decision To Sub Erling Haaland Off vs. England]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/norway-coach-defends-decision-sub-erling-haaland-off-vs-england</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/norway-coach-defends-decision-sub-erling-haaland-off-vs-england</guid>
				<category>other</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Erling Haaland’s day ended earlier than many expected. About 15 minutes later, Norway’s run in the World Cup ended as well.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 22:01:46 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Erling Haaland’s day ended earlier than many expected. About 15 minutes later, Norway’s run in the World Cup ended as well. The Vikings’ biggest star didn’t shine Saturday. Haaland was a nonfactor for much of his team’s quarterfinal against England and — at least in part because of the strain of dealing with hot and humid conditions in South Florida — was taken out with Norway’s hopes hanging in the balance going into the final 15 minutes of extra time. The final score: England 2, Norway 1. Haaland was kept off the scoresheet for the first time in this World Cup; he had scored seven times in his four appearances going into Saturday, but barely had a chance to add to that total Saturday. "This has been an insane journey," Haaland said. Haaland acknowledged afterward that his energy was gone as the game, which was played with a heat index topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), wore along. "It was not a tough decision to take him out," Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said. "He was finished. Maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before. ... He also got a dead leg in the second half, so that combined with the fatigue. He did everything he could." The Manchester City striker was, without question, one of the stars of the tournament — but England silenced him. And his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, Jude Bellingham, wound up stealing the show by scoring both goals. Haaland and Bellingham shared an embrace when the game ended, before the Norwegian striker made the long, slow walk from the field to the locker room for the final time in this World Cup. He was already a star within the sport coming into the tournament — but his larger-than-most-in-soccer frame and larger-than-life personality, combined with his long blond hair and unique mannerisms, turned Haaland into a soccer folk hero. "I think this has changed my life, to be honest," Haaland said. England’s plan — forged in part by his Manchester City teammates and others who have played with and against him at the club level — was clear: Do not let Haaland get the ball. It was largely successful. Haaland had two shot attempts in the game, one on goal, and was virtually silenced after the first half. There was a 2-on-1 chance late in the first half where a pass didn’t go his way; if it had, that may have been his best scoring opportunity. There wasn’t much for him to get excited about the rest of the way. He stayed on the field for a few minutes after the final whistle, saluting Norway’s fans after the team’s best World Cup run ever. When the 2030 tournament rolls around, it won’t be a surprise if Norway makes another deep run — and that’s clearly going to be the goal. "I think we put Norway on the map," he said. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Was England The Better Team Or Was It Lucky In Its Win vs. Norway?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-better-team-lucky-its-win-vs-norway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-better-team-lucky-its-win-vs-norway</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Kasper Schmeichel thinks England got lucky in its win over Norway.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 21:51:02 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[To the dismay of England's biggest haters, it might be finally coming home. England took down Norway in extra time in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, winning 2-1. But as the Three Lions didn't need penalty kicks to advance, there were enough things that went down in Saturday's match that could lead to England's critics to say that it got lucky. That's how former Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel certainly felt about England's win. "England, they've gotten over the line. Were they great today? No, absolutely not. I think Norway were the better team," Schmeichel said on FOX Sports' "World Cup Now." "But England have, as I keep saying, this star quality. They have the small margins that go their way. And you have to pull those margins onto your way when you've got incredibly good players." Of course, former England star Peter Crouch found that statement to be a bit blasphemous. "No doubt England were the better side. No doubt," Crouch said. "They defended and managed the game the way they needed to, created chances and towards the end, they brought in substitutions. ... That's how you win football matches, and England did that." On the stat sheet, England had a clear edge. The Three Lions won the possession battle (52-48), expected goals (0.96-0.77), shots on target (8-4) and accurate pass percentage (91-85). However, England was on the right side of arguably the match's two biggest calls. England's first goal came after Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland's goal kick might have hit a cable wire. If it did, there should've been a VAR check, but there wasn't one. In the second half, Norway's goal that would've given it a 2-1 lead was disallowed after it was determined Erling Haaland committed a foul before a corner kick following a VAR check. Schmeichel was mystified that a foul was called on Haaland's push of England midfielder Elliot Anderson on that play. "If I get pushed over like that, I'd be embarrassed," Schmeichel said. "It's funny that the English used to hate that, but now you're applauding it. "I'm probably just a Danish who just likes tough football." Crouch, again, disagreed. "He's put two hands on him, he's pushed him over. I don't know what more you want, it's a definite foul," Crouch said. "He's got two hands on him and he's pushing him over. What do you want him to do there? Stand there? You have to go down to get the foul. If you don't, then you don't get." Still, Schmeichel thought that England embellished contact for much of Saturday's match. "They've had massive success in getting fouls, I'll tell you that," Schmeichel said. "It's funny that 20 years ago, all the English used to hate it and say that the foreigners were diving. "I feel like Norway has been very unlucky. There's been some key decisions that have gone against them." As Schmeichel continued to iterate that England was lucky, midfielder Jude Bellingham showed off his star ability in the Three Lions' win. He scored both goals in the victory, scoring on his weak foot on an impressive goal before his determination helped him score the game-winning goal in extra time. With the two goals, Bellingham now has six goals in the tournament. He now only trails Lionel Messi (8), Kylian Mbappé (8) and Erling Haaland (7) in the Golden Boot race. "Look at the players on that list ... they don't give you much defensively. Bellingham, he gets around the pitch," Crouch said of Bellingham's standing in the Golden Boot race. "He does his work. He makes clearances. He dribbles with the ball. He can set goals up and he's got six goals. You believe he's gonna score every single game now. I believe he believes as well." Bellingham has also scored four goals in the last two matches. He opened up the scoring in England's impressive victory over Mexico in the round of 16, as the Three Lions are now onto the semifinals at the World Cup. "I'm so proud of the lads. Thankfully, I was able to go to into the camp and they're such good lads," Crouch said. "There's a real togetherness. They've dragged themselves through what was really tough conditions today. They were amazing in the Azteca. They've performed when they've needed to. Their players have produced when they've needed to. It's a semifinal for the England team. It's incredible." And as for Schmeichel, former England women's national team star Alex Scott has an idea of how to handle the haters like him. "We need to get Kasper some drinks later," Scott quipped.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Seattle Seahawks Reportedly To Be Sold For Record $9.612B]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/khosia-family-agrees-to-purchase-defending-super-bowl-champion-seattle-for-9612b-ap-source-says</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/khosia-family-agrees-to-purchase-defending-super-bowl-champion-seattle-for-9612b-ap-source-says</guid>
				<category>nfl</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Khosia family ownership group, including Vinod Khosia, has entered into a formal agreement to purchase the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:23:25 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The Seattle Seahawks are being sold in a formal agreement for $9.612 billion, according to a person familiar with the deal. The agreement to purchase the defending Super Bowl champions has been officially announced by the team but remains subject to approval by the NFL. NFL owners still have to ratify the final purchase agreement and are expected to meet in August to approve the deal, as reported by ESPN. The Seahawks have a lease at Lumen Field that runs through 2032 with three 10-year options. The last NFL team to be sold was the Washington Commanders in 2023. A group led by Josh Harris that includes Magic Johnson bought the team from longtime owner Dan Snyder and his family for a record $6.05 billion. Allen’s estate announced on Feb. 18 it had begun the process of selling the team, which is coming off its second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. Investment bank Allen &amp; Company LLC and law firm Latham &amp; Watkins led the sales process, which was estimated in February to continue through the offseason. The Khosia family will become the team’s controlling owner, according to a social media post by the Seahawks. The Khosla family will be required to relinquish its ownership stake in the San Francisco 49ers as part of the deal. "We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks," Vinod Khosia said in a statement. "We look forward to building on the winning legacy Paul Allen created and to earning the trust of the Seahawks organization and fans everywhere." The Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 in the Super Bowl in February. The Associated Press contributed to this report.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Jude Bellingham Scores Twice To Send England To World Cup Semifinals Over Norway]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-vs-norway-highlights-jude-bellingham-brace-2026-world-cup</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-vs-norway-highlights-jude-bellingham-brace-2026-world-cup</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[England is through to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals following a hard-fought 2-0 win over Norway on Saturday at Miami Stadium.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:21:38 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Jude Bellingham scored in the third minute of extra time to lift England past Norway 2-1 and into the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2018. Bellingham’s goal was his second of the game — he also had an equalizer late in the first half. The Real Madrid star is now tied with England teammate Harry Kane with six goals in this tournament, behind the eight of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. He scored twice in the round of 16 as England beat co-host Mexico. England, winner of the 1966 World Cup and facing pressure to return to the title match, is now one win away from getting there. The Three Lions will face either Argentina or Switzerland, who were set to play Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri. Andreas Schjelderup scored in the 36th minute for Norway, a squad that reached its first quarterfinals and took the internet by storm with its "Viking row" and the charisma of 6-foot-5 striker Erling Haaland. Haaland — the Manchester City star who had seven goals in this tournament — was held without a goal for the first time in the World Cup. He was subbed out on Saturday for Jorgen Strand Larsen in the second half of extra time. Norway nearly went ahead 2-1 in the 56th minute when Torbjørn Heggem put a rebound past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after a corner kick. Following a video review, the goal was disallowed because of a foul by Haaland in the box. Haaland was also denied by Pickford on a point-blank header in the first half. Schjelderup, making just his second start of the tournament, fired a shot that caromed off the right post and into the net to stun an England team that had dominated possession to that point. Bellingham’s equalizer from close range elicited a roar from that crowd that included Mick Jagger and England great David Beckham. Schjelderup, who set up both of Haaland’s goals in Norway’s round of 16 win over Brazil, celebrated by stretching his arms wide and looking at the crowd as his teammates lifted him onto their shoulders. Meanwhile, Kane sat near midfield, grabbing his leg and looking toward the officials. No foul was called. Moments before Bellingham evened the score, a Norway goal kick resulted in the ball appearing to make contact with an aerial camera cable before landing at the feet of England’s Elliot Anderson. The ball was eventually played to Bellingham, who beat Ørjan Nyland with a low shot to the far post. By rule, if the ball had been noticed hitting the cable, play would have stopped and a drop ball would have been utilized to determine possession. There was a brief moment of silence before the match in honor of Jayden Adams, the 25-year-old midfielder for South Africa whose death was announced earlier Saturday.]]>
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					<![CDATA[From Birmingham To The World Cup: How Jude Bellingham Became An England Hero]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/from-birmingham-world-cup-how-jude-bellingham-became-england-hero</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/from-birmingham-world-cup-how-jude-bellingham-became-england-hero</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Jude Bellingham, the young boy who got his start at Birmingham City, is now on top of the football world with Real Madrid and the England national team.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:16:37 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Jude Bellingham, the young boy who got his start at Birmingham City, is now on top of the football world with Real Madrid and the England national team. Bellingham is the all-around midfielder everyone wants on their roster. He has the ability to always be in the right place at the right time with late runs into the box to score goals; he has the ball-carrying ability of a No. 8; and he has the work rate and defensive capabilities to do the dirty work in midfield as well. A true jack of all trades in the middle of the pitch, Bellingham has become the type of player every manager appreciates because of how many different ways he can impact a game. Now in his second World Cup, Bellingham has already scored six goals, including a brace against Norway in the quarterfinals and a brace against Mexico in the round of 16. Both performances were pivotal in England’s progression to the semifinals. Every time England has needed him most, Bellingham has come up with a big moment. He has been one of the most clutch performers at this World Cup, and whenever England has needed a moment of magic, Bellingham has answered the call. Here is a look back at how Bellingham became England's superstar midfielder. Birmingham Beginnings Bellingham’s rise started at Birmingham City, where he came through the academy before making his professional debut at just 16 years old in August 2019. In his breakout 2019-20 season, Bellingham made 44 appearances across all competitions and became Birmingham City’s youngest-ever player and youngest-ever goalscorer. It did not take long for him to rise up the ranks as one of the best young prospects in England. After just one first-team season at Birmingham, Bellingham earned a move to Borussia Dortmund. Birmingham later retired his No. 22 shirt, a rare gesture for such a young player, but one that showed how highly the club viewed what he had already done and what he was going on to become. Dazzling At Dortmund Bellingham had the chance to make a safer Premier League move, as many Championship players would have done. Instead, he chose the riskier path, but the one that could potentially pay off the most: going abroad to Germany. He made the move to Borussia Dortmund, a talent factory that has developed many young players into stars. For Bellingham, it turned out to be a brilliant decision. Rather than taking the move that may have looked more pleasing initially, he chose the club that could help shape him into the player he wanted to become. Dortmund paid a record fee for a 17-year-old to sign him in July 2020, and Bellingham spent three seasons in Germany. During that time, he won the DFB-Pokal, became one of the faces of the club and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season in 2022-23. He also came painfully close to winning the Bundesliga title in his final season, only for Dortmund to lose out on the final matchday in heartbreaking fashion. But even without that league title, his three years at Dortmund opened the door for him to make the move to a European giant. Moving To Madrid Bellingham joined Real Madrid in July 2023, and his debut season could not have gotten off to a much better start. He registered 23 goals and 13 assists across all competitions in his first season and helped Real Madrid win La Liga and the Champions League. That Champions League triumph came against his former club Borussia Dortmund, with Bellingham assisting Vinícius Júnior’s goal in the final. In that Champions League campaign, Bellingham had four goals and five assists, showing that his move to Madrid did not just put him on a bigger stage — it elevated him into one of the defining players in world football. Bellingham again showed guts and ambition by choosing Real Madrid when Premier League clubs were calling his name. As an English player, it would have been easy to return home and become the face of a major Premier League club. Instead, he chose the uncomfortable path again, moving to Spain to play for one of the biggest clubs in football. That has been the theme of Bellingham’s career. He is not the typical English player. He has shown multiple times that he is willing to take the unique path away from English football, develop abroad in different countries and sharpen his craft elsewhere. That started with Dortmund. Then came the ultimate move to Real Madrid, where he became just the sixth English player to play for the club after Laurie Cunningham, Steve McManaman, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate. Trent Alexander-Arnold has since joined him at Real Madrid, but Bellingham helped reopen that pathway for English players at the Bernabéu. Bellingham has shown he is willing to do the uncomfortable things to get to the very top, and now he is there. If he can help England win this World Cup, he can truly say he has completed football at just 23 years old. He has won trophies in multiple countries, won the Champions League, become a star for Real Madrid and now has England on the brink of a World Cup final. His legacy already looks strong. But if England goes all the way, it will reach a completely different level.]]>
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					<![CDATA[How to Watch Argentina and Messi vs. Switzerland: TV Channel, Live Stream, Time]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/argentina-vs-switzerland-how-to-watch-tv-channel-live-stream-2026-fifa-world-cup-quarterfinal</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/argentina-vs-switzerland-how-to-watch-tv-channel-live-stream-2026-fifa-world-cup-quarterfinal</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Learn which TV channel or how to live stream the Argentina and Switzerland FIFA World Cup match.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:02:22 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Argentina and Switzerland meet in their 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. ET from Kansas City Stadium. Argentina rallied in a comeback for the ages from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16. Lionel Messi scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute and Enzo Fernández netted the winner in stoppage time. Messi has scored eight times in the tournament so far, extending his own record for the most World Cup goals in history and leading the race for the Golden Boot. Switzerland advanced past Colombia on penalty kicks after 120 scoreless minutes, completing a steady climb through the tournament. The Swiss have won four and drawn one across their five tournament matches, with Johan Manzambi scoring three times in the tournament so far. Below are the details on how to watch. How to Watch Argentina vs. Switzerland Argentina vs. Switzerland Preview Lionel Messi against Switzerland's compact back line is the key watch. Argentina have leaned hard on Messi deep into this tournament, and he is still the center of everything they create. He's scored over half of his team's goals in the World Cup so far (8 out of 15 total goals). That matters here because Argentina do not just keep the ball, they turn long spells of control into direct chances through Messi's shot volume and chance creation. Switzerland make that battle real because they defend with discipline and survive pressure without breaking shape. They have allowed just 3 goals in 5 matches, and Gregor Kobel has already made 13 saves, which tells you opponents are getting looks but not getting easy finishes. Add in the Swiss center-back work, with Nico Elvedi piling up clearances, and this becomes a test of whether Messi can find space between the lines before Switzerland can crowd the box. If Messi is getting touches in the half spaces and forcing Kobel into early action, that is when this quarterfinal starts to tilt tactically. Players To Watch Perhaps the greatest player the game has ever seen puts it all on the line each time he suits up for Argentina, as it could be his final World Cup game if the team is unsuccessful. After winning the tournament in 2022, Messi is perhaps even more dominant in 2026 at the age of 39. This will be an interesting game to watch as the Swiss defense is the toughest he has faced at this tournament. But if anyone can find tight spaces to operate, it will be Messi. The Inter Milan and former Manchester City veteran has arguably been the best central defender in this tournament. He is excellent with the ball, and defensively, he is good in one-on-one situations while being able to handle the physical side of the game. Stopping Argentina is one of the hardest assignments for a defender, but Akanji enters this game in great form. Argentina vs. Switzerland Odds Learn more about Argentina vs. Switzerland and check the full FIFA World Cup schedule on FOX Sports! Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Why Does England Sing 'Wonderwall' After Every World Cup Win?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-sing-wonderwall-world-cup-win-norway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/england-sing-wonderwall-world-cup-win-norway</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[After every World Cup win, why does England sing the song 'Wonderwall' by Oasis?]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:46:36 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now… Have you ever wondered why England sings "Wonderwall" by Oasis after every 2026 World Cup win? Throughout its journey to the semifinals, England celebrated each win by singing "Wonderwall" on the field with the England fans in attendance in the stands. One of the Three Lions' most notable memories of the song was their opening win over Croatia at Dallas Stadium, when England captain Harry Kane said: "That was one of my favorite ever moments in an England shirt and especially at a major tournament." But why "Wonderwall?" Essentially, each participating team submits a list of songs to FIFA that are played before and after games. England sent in "Wonderwall," "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond and "Hey Jude" by The Beatles, in reference to England star Jude Bellingham. Although "Sweet Caroline" was previously the go-to, "Wonderwall" has stepped in this summer and gave the fans and team a moment to celebrate its victories together. Another ironic aspect of the "Wonderwall" connection comes with Oasis lead singer Noah Gallagher. While he resides in Ireland full-time, Gallagher's parents currently live in Manchester, England, allowing "Wonderwall" to have a sense of belonging to England. Even if "Wonderwall" has taken the spotlight from "Sweet Caroline" this tournament, the song has allowed the success of England to celebrate with the fans after each win.]]>
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					<![CDATA[UFC 329 Odds: How to Bet on Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway, Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/ufc-329-odds-how-bet-conor-mcgregor-vs-max-holloway-benoit-saint-denis-vs-paddy-pimblett</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/ufc-329-odds-how-bet-conor-mcgregor-vs-max-holloway-benoit-saint-denis-vs-paddy-pimblett</guid>
				<category>betting</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[UFC 329 Odds: How to Bet on Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway, Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:39:20 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. UFC 329 is delivering a loaded fight card, and fans will have plenty of ways to bet on the action through top sportsbooks including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, and Caesars Sportsbook. The long-awaited return of Conor McGregor headlines the main card. McGregor faces former BMF champion Max Holloway in a highly anticipated rematch. McGregor earned a unanimous decision victory in their first match 13 years ago. Paddy Pimblett takes on Benoît Saint-Denis in a clash between two rising lightweight contenders. Pimblett's aggressive style and finishing ability will challenge Saint-Denis' reputation as a tough and relentless fighter. With McGregor's comeback, Holloway going after revenge, and more, UFC 329 offers plenty of betting opportunities from the opening fight to the main event. DraftKings Claim the New User Offer No Promo Code Needed McGregor vs. Holloway 2 Odds *Odds may differ each site* FanDuel Bet $5, Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days Totals &amp; Exact Method of Victory *Odds may differ each site* Fighter Method of Victory Caesars Sportsbook Sign Up and Claim the Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code Pimblett vs. Saint-Denis Odds bet365 How to claim bet365 Promo with Bonus Code ‘FOX365’. Fight Card Main Card (9 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Welterweight Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway Lightweight: Benoît Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett Bantamweight: Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh Lightweight: King Green vs. Terrance McKinney Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Light heavyweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov Heavyweight: Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez Featherweight: Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III BetMGM How to Sign Up and Claim the BetMGM Sportsbook Bonus Code]]>
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					<![CDATA[If Erling Haaland Is Norway's Tom Brady, Then Who Is Harry Kane For England?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/erling-haaland-norways-tom-brady-who-harry-kane-england</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/erling-haaland-norways-tom-brady-who-harry-kane-england</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Alexi Lalas makes NFL comparisons for World Cup stars Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:33:40 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[It's hard to contextualize the greatness on display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup if you're not a year-round fan of the sport. To aid with that, our analysts have been making NFL comparisons for the World Cup's superstars all summer. Alexi Lalas was the latest to do so on Saturday, comparing Erling Haaland and Harry Kane to two all-time great NFL quarterbacks. "When you're talking about Erling Haaland, he's more of a Tom Brady," Lalas said. "He's standing tall. He's money in that pocket. Deadly precision. If you only got one shot, you are definitely going to him." Brady’s NFL career is untouchable. In 23 seasons, Brady notched seven Super Bowl titles, three Super Bowl MVP awards, five regular season MVP awards, 15-time NFL Pro Bowl appearances and a spot in the Patriots Hall of Fame. Haaland, at age 25, recorded 62 goals and seven assists in his 54 matches with the Norway national team, which also includes his seven goals in the 2026 World Cup. For Manchester City this past season, he’s netted 27 goals with eight assists in his 35 appearances. Kane is a differnet player than Haaland, despite also being an all-time great goalscorer at the club an international level. "If you're talking about Harry Kane, he's much more of a Patrick Mahomes," Lalas said. "He's mobile. He's unpredictable. He smells and sneaks an opportunity, and then he exploits it." Mahomes’ talent does not go unnoticed based on his achievements in nine seasons. Mahomes has helped the Chiefs become a powerhouse team with his three Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVP awards, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time regular season MVP. If any NFL quarterback has cemented his ongoing legacy, it’s Mahomes. For Kane, his 2026 World Cup campaign saw his new title of England’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 13 goals and six goals in this tournament. With Bayern Munich, Kane has recorded 146 goals and 33 assists in 147 appearances. Goalscoring machines and leaders on the pitch, Lalas noted that their playing styles are still very different, but that does not change the fact that they’re two of the most talented strikers in the world. "They're very different in the way that they play. They both score a ton of goals, but they're both successful. They're both valuable," Lalas said. "And, at the end of the day, they're both legendary, and you would love to have either of them playing on your team."]]>
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					<![CDATA[Kalshi Promo Code FOXSPORTS: Get a $10 Bonus Before Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway, UFC 329 Fight Night]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/kalshi-promo-code-foxsports-get-10-bonus-before-conor-mcgregor-vs-max-holloway-ufc-329-fight-night</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/kalshi-promo-code-foxsports-get-10-bonus-before-conor-mcgregor-vs-max-holloway-ufc-329-fight-night</guid>
				<category>betting</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Kalshi Promo Code FOXSPORTS: Get a $10 Bonus Before Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway, UFC 329 Fight Night.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:58:45 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. New users on Kalshi can use promo code FOXSPORTS to get a $10 bonus ahead of UFC 329 and the highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor. McGregor makes his first UFC appearance in five years, headlining the main card against former BMF champion Max Holloway.  Holloway and McGregor first met 13 years ago at the start of their UFC careers, with McGregor earning a unanimous decision victory. Now, McGregor looks to make a statement in his comeback, while Holloway enters the rematch with years of championship experience and a reputation as one of the toughest fighters in the sport. Don't miss a chance to watch two of the UFC's biggest names in UFC and a fight that has been years in the making. New users can use the Kalshi promo code FOXSPORTS to claim a $10 bonus. For more information and full terms and conditions, visit our Kalshi promo code page. How to Claim the Kalshi Welcome Bonus McGregor vs. Holloway 2 *Probability are subject to change* More markets available on Kalshi. Main Card (9 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Welterweight Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway Lightweight: Benoît Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett Bantamweight: Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh Lightweight: King Green vs. Terrance McKinney Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Light heavyweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov Heavyweight: Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez Featherweight: Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III]]>
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					<![CDATA[Polymarket Promo Code FOX Unlocks $50 Bonus for UFC 329, Featuring Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/polymarket-promo-code-fox-unlocks-50-bonus-ufc-329-featuring-conor-mcgregor-vs-max-holloway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/polymarket-promo-code-fox-unlocks-50-bonus-ufc-329-featuring-conor-mcgregor-vs-max-holloway</guid>
				<category>betting</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Polymarket Promo Code FOX Unlocks $50 Bonus for UFC 329, Featuring Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:44:38 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Join the highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor as he returns to the octagon for the first time in five years. New users on Polymarket can use promo code FOX to unlock a $50 trading bonus ahead of UFC 329. McGregor faces an old opponent. After 13 years, Max Holloway is looking to get his revenge on McGregor and make a statement. Since that match, Holloway has since become one of the sport's most respected champions and toughest competitors. The stacked UFC 329 card also features many of the sport's biggest stars and gives fans plenty of markets to follow throughout fight night. New users can use Polymarket promo code FOX to claim a $50 trading bonus and get involved before McGregor vs. Holloway headlines UFC 329. For more information and full terms and conditions, visit our Polymarket promo code page. How to Claim the Polymarket Promo with Code FOX McGregor vs. Holloway 2 *Probability are subject to change* More markets available on Polymarket. Main Card (9 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Welterweight Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway Lightweight: Benoît Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett Bantamweight: Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh Lightweight: King Green vs. Terrance McKinney Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Light heavyweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov Heavyweight: Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez Featherweight: Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III]]>
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					<![CDATA[Norway vs. England VAR Controversy: Bellingham Goal Stands, Berg's Called Back]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/norway-vs-england-var-controversy-bellingham-goal-stands-bergs-called-back</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/norway-vs-england-var-controversy-bellingham-goal-stands-bergs-called-back</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[VAR was heavily involved in Norway vs. England on Saturday on either side of halftime.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:34:43 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Norway might not be thrilled with VAR once its quarterfinal match against England is through. Following the match, FIFA Media released a post on X debunking claims that the ball had hit the wire on the play where England eventually equalized. FIFA has utilized advanced ball-tracking technology throughout the tournament to justify why VAR decisions, including this one: "Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball." Then, in the second half, Norway had a goal chalked off because of a foul by Erling Haaland before a corner kick. Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland took a goal kick that hit the cables for the camera that is above the field at Miami Stadium. According to Clattenburg, when the ball strikes an object in the field of play that is not a player, play should be halted, and those plays are reviewable by VAR. "Some will ask, why does the VAR not interfere? Yes they can interfere if that contact of the ball on the camera cable is part of a reviewable incident. If [the contact] leads to a goal, it is a part of the VAR reviewable incidents," FOX rules analyst Mark Clattenburg said of the goal kick that led to Jude Bellingham's goal. "So, it should have been picked up by the VAR." The VAR referee for this game is Jérôme Brisard, who was also the video assistant for the Argentina vs. Egypt game that caused controversy when Egypt had a goal chalked off that would have doubled its lead over the reigning champions. Nyland's goal kick was controlled by England, and two passes later the ball found Bellingham. The Real Madrid star impressively finished for his fifth goal of the tournament to make it 1-1 right before halftime. Norwegian players and coaches objected after the goal, noting that the ball had hit the cable above the field. French referee Clément Turpin allowed play to restart, though, without an intervention from the video assistant. Then, in the 55th minute, Haaland pushed England midfielder Elliot Anderson before a corner kick was taken. Defender Torbjorn Heggem scored from the corner, but the goal was called off following a VAR check and the corner kick was retaken because Haaland's push happened before the corner was taken. Clattenburg agreed with the VAR decision to disallow the goal. "Where do we start with this, because there are so many situations to deal with. But just before the corner's about to be taken, he clearly pushes Anderson in the chest and under the new IFAB regulations, if a foul happens just before the corner kick is taken ... it should be punished." Norway took the lead through a stunning goal by winger Andreas Schjelderup in the 36th minute. Then, two minutes into first-half stoppage time, Bellingham scored.]]>
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					<![CDATA[DraftKings UFC Promo Code: Bet $5, Get $200 Instantly on McGregor vs. Holloway]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/draftkings-ufc-promo-code-bet-5-get-200-instantly-mcgregor-vs-holloway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/draftkings-ufc-promo-code-bet-5-get-200-instantly-mcgregor-vs-holloway</guid>
				<category>betting</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[DraftKings UFC Promo Code: Bet $5, Get $200 Instantly on McGregor vs. Holloway.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:29:36 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Conor McGregor returns to UFC. One of the most anticipated returns ever by a fighter. New users can get $200 instantly when they bet on one of the biggest and most anticipated returns of any MMA fighter with DraftKings. 13 years later, McGregor and Max Holloay meet in the octagon once again. Since that early career loss, Holloway has become one of the most dangerous and feared fighters. The former ‘BMF’ champion looks to avenge his loss to McGregor in tonight's bout. Can McGregor make a statement in his return to the octagon five years later or will Holloway avenge his loss? Place a $5 wager with DraftKings to receive $200 instantly and watch one of the most anticipated fights of the year. DraftKings Claim the New User Offer No Promo Code Needed McGregor vs. Holloway 2 Odds *Odds may differ each site* Totals &amp; Exact Method of Victory *Odds may differ each site* Fighter Method of Victory Main Card (9 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Welterweight Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway Lightweight: Benoît Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett Bantamweight: Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh Lightweight: King Green vs. Terrance McKinney Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET, Paramount+) Light heavyweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov Heavyweight: Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez Featherweight: Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III]]>
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					<![CDATA[Who Are The Referees For Argentina vs. Switzerland?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-referee-argentina-switzerland</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/world-cup-referee-argentina-switzerland</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Argentina faces Switzerland in the World Cup quarterfinals after Lionel Messi sparked a dramatic comeback against Egypt with a goal and an assist.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 17:00:44 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Argentina and Switzerland are set to take each other on in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup at Kansas City Stadium on Saturday, July 11. Argentina had two hard-fought victories to reach this point. It was pushed to extra time by Cape Verde, a team that equalized twice, including once in extra time. But a late own goal off a Cristian Romero header in the 111th minute allowed Argentina to squeeze past Cape Verde. Another tough task followed in the round of 16 against Egypt, which had a 2-0 lead with 11 minutes plus stoppage time to go. But Argentina produced a three-goal swing in the final stretch behind a magical performance from Messi, who had a goal and assist that helped spark the comeback, before a stoppage-time winner from Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround in normal time. Argentina won, 3-2, to advance to the final eight in dramatic fashion. For Switzerland, it has been a less dramatic run. It got past Algeria 2-0 in Vancouver in a match where it never really had to get out of second gear, before a stalemate against Colombia that did not have much going on from open play. But a penalty shootout victory saw Switzerland reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years, going back to 1954. Argentina’s match against Egypt ended in controversial fashion and led to significant quotes from the Egypt camp about the officiating. Comments from head coach Hossam Hassan and Mostafa Zico stirred the pot in the context of the officiating of the match. Who Are The Referees For Argentina-Switzerland? The head official for this match will have a heavy task because of those past controversies, but he does have some familiarity with one side, having already refereed Switzerland earlier in the tournament. João Pinheiro from Portugal will be the head official for this match. A respected Portuguese referee, Pinheiro has handled high-level games domestically and also refereed last season’s UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Tottenham. Despite this being his debut World Cup campaign, he has already had the opportunity to referee multiple knockout-stage matches at this tournament, including this quarterfinal. This will be his third game of the World Cup and his second match refereeing Switzerland, after he officiated Switzerland-Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 match between South Africa and Canada. Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal) Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus (Portugal) Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia (Portugal) Fourth Official: Drew Fischer (Canada)]]>
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					<![CDATA[Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code FOXSPORTSDYW Unlocks 10x 100% Profit Boosts When You Bet $1 on England-Norway]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/caesars-sportsbook-promo-code-foxsportsdyw-unlocks-10x-100-profit-boosts-when-you-bet-1-england-norway</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/caesars-sportsbook-promo-code-foxsportsdyw-unlocks-10x-100-profit-boosts-when-you-bet-1-england-norway</guid>
				<category>betting</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code FOXSPORTSDYW Unlocks 10x 100% Profit Boosts When You Bet $1 on England vs. Norway.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 16:12:36 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Don't miss a chance to win big on one of the biggest quarterfinal matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the Caesars Sportsbook. New users who bet just $1 can unlock 10x 100% Profit Boosts using promo code FOXSPORTSDYW. England enters the quarterfinals behind a red-hot attack led by Kane, who has scored six goals, and Bellingham, who came up big with a brace in the win over Mexico. Norway has been one of the tournament's biggest surprises due to the exceptional play by Erling Haaland. Haaland has been unstoppable with seven World Cup goals. His brace eliminated five-time champion Brazil in the round of 16. Can England slow down Haaland's remarkable scoring streak, or will Norway continue its historic run? With Kane, Bellingham, and Haaland all in action, this is one of the tournament's must-watch matches. Use Caesars Sportsbook promo code FOXSPORTSDYW to unlock 10x 100% Profit Boosts when you place a $1 wager on England vs. Norway Sign Up and Claim the Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code Norway vs. England Odds *Odds are subject to change* Moneyline (90 minutes) To Advance Goalscorers More markets available on Caesars Sportsbook. How to Watch Norway vs. England Players to Watch in Norway vs. England match Harry Kane has once again been England's go-to scorer, leading the tournament with six goals, including the game-winning penalty against Mexico in the round of 16. England will once again rely on their captain to deliver in the biggest moments against a Norway side full of confidence. Jude Bellingham produced his first international brace against Mexico, scoring twice in 98 seconds to continue his outstanding tournament. His ability to drive forward from midfield and create chances makes him one of England's biggest difference-makers. Erling Haaland carried Norway into the quarterfinals with both goals in the upset victory over Brazil. He has scored in all four of Norway's World Cup wins and now has goals in 14 consecutive competitive internationals, making him the focal point of Norway's attack. Martin Ødegaard is the creative engine behind Norway's attack. His vision and passing are crucial to supplying Haaland with chances, and his ability to control transitions will be key if Norway hopes to reach the semifinals.]]>
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					<![CDATA[bet365 Bonus Code FOX365 Unlocks $150 Bonus for England vs. Norway, Argentina vs. Switzerland]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/bet365-bonus-code-fox365-unlocks-150-bonus-england-vs-norway-argentina-vs-switzerland</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/bet365-bonus-code-fox365-unlocks-150-bonus-england-vs-norway-argentina-vs-switzerland</guid>
				<category>betting</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[bet365 Bonus Code FOX365 Unlocks $150 Bonus for England vs. Norway, Argentina vs. Switzerland.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:53:10 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Some of the best goalscorers are in action as the last two quarterfinal matches take the pitch. New users can get $150 in bonus bets, win or lose with bet365. Golden Boot co-leader, Lionel Messi leads Argentina against Switzerland. Scoring in nine straight matches, Messi looks to keep Argentina's title defense and scoring streak alive. Erling Haaland has been remarkable in his first World Cup, scoring in every World Cup match so far. Norway looks to keep their historic World Cup run alive as they face another offensive powerhouse. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been one of the most dynamic duos in this tournament and can take over a game at any moment. Use the bet365 bonus code FOX365 to get $150 in bonus bets after a $10 wager and get in on both World Cup quarterfinal showdowns as the race to the semifinals reaches its conclusion. How to claim bet365 Promo with Bonus Code ‘FOX365’. Norway vs. England Odds *Odds are subject to change* To Advance Method of Victory Score or Assist Odds How to Watch Norway vs. England Players to Watch in Norway vs. England match Harry Kane has once again been England's go-to scorer, leading the tournament with six goals, including the game-winning penalty against Mexico in the round of 16. England will once again rely on their captain to deliver in the biggest moments against a Norway side full of confidence. Jude Bellingham produced his first international brace against Mexico, scoring twice in 98 seconds to continue his outstanding tournament. His ability to drive forward from midfield and create chances makes him one of England's biggest difference-makers. Erling Haaland carried Norway into the quarterfinals with both goals in the upset victory over Brazil. He has scored in all four of Norway's World Cup wins and now has goals in 14 consecutive competitive internationals, making him the focal point of Norway's attack. Martin Ødegaard is the creative engine behind Norway's attack. His vision and passing are crucial to supplying Haaland with chances, and his ability to control transitions will be key if Norway hopes to reach the semifinals. Argentina vs. Switzerland Odds *Odds are subject to change* To Advance Method of Victory Score or Assist Odds How to Watch Argentina vs. Switzerland Players to Watch in Argentina vs. Switzerland match Lionel Messi continues to be the heartbeat of Argentina's attack, scoring eight of the team's 15 goals at this World Cup. Switzerland's disciplined defense will be focused on limiting his space, but if Messi finds room between the lines, he can decide the match. Lautaro Martínez gives Argentina another dangerous scoring option alongside Messi. With Switzerland expected to defend deep, Martínez's movement inside the penalty area could prove decisive. Granit Xhaka is the leader of the Swiss midfield and will be tasked with controlling possession while helping shield the back line. His ability to dictate the tempo and break up Argentina's attacks will be crucial. Gregor Kobel has been one of the tournament's standout goalkeepers, helping Switzerland concede just three goals in five matches. He'll likely be called upon repeatedly as he tries to keep Messi and Argentina's attack off the scoresheet.]]>
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					<![CDATA[How to Bet on the England vs. Norway and Argentina vs. Switzerland World Cup Quarterfinals]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/how-bet-england-vs-norway-argentina-vs-switzerland-world-cup-quarterfinals</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/betting/how-bet-england-vs-norway-argentina-vs-switzerland-world-cup-quarterfinals</guid>
				<category>betting</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[How to Bet on the England vs. Norway and Argentina vs. Switzerland World Cup Quarterfinals.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:20:35 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The World Cup quarterfinals conclude Saturday with two blockbuster matches as England faces Norway before defending champion Argentina takes on Switzerland. DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, and Caesars Sportsbook are rolling out major promos for the last two quarterfinal matches. From moneylines, player props, same-game parlays and more, these sportsbooks have you covered. England meets a Norway side making its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal appearance. Haaland has scored in every match at this World Cup and enters with seven goals. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have continued to power England to this quarterfinal run. Bellingham's brace against Mexico and Kane's penalty kick pushed them over Mexico in a dramatic match in the round of 16. Argentina have gone undefeated in this World Cup, defending their 2022 title. Now, they face a resilient Switzerland side that advanced after a penalty shootout victory over Colombia. Lionel Messi enters the match tied atop the Golden Boot race with eight goals. Can Switzerland's organized defensive approach slow down one of the tournament's most dangerous attacks? Whether you're backing favorites to advance, targeting anytime goalscorer props on Haaland, Kane, or Messi, or building same-game parlays, compare the latest odds and welcome offers across the various sportsbooks and win big on the last quarterfinal matches. Caesars Sportsbook Sign Up and Claim the Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code England vs. Norway Odds *Odds may differ each site* Moneyline Spread Over/Under Total Odds: 2.5 Anytime Goalscorer Props To Advance Both Teams to Score DraftKings Claim the New User Offer No Promo Code Needed England vs. Norway Prediction, Pick From FOX Sports Research: How to Watch England vs. Norway FanDuel Bet $5, Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days Argentina vs. Switzerland What to know: In the 78th minute of its Round of 16 matchup, Argentina trailed by two goals against Egypt, as it looked like La Albiceleste's quest for a repeat was all but over. But to beat the champs, you gotta knock 'em out. Argentina surged with three unanswered goals over a span of 13 minutes to pull off one of the most improbable comebacks in World Cup history. Meanwhile, Switzerland advanced to the quarterfinals after its penalty shootout win over Colombia in the Round of 16. The Swiss have reached their first World Cup quarterfinals since 1954. This is also the first time ever that Switzerland has advanced in two consecutive knockout stage matches at the World Cup. bet365 How to claim bet365 Promo with Bonus Code ‘FOX365’. How to Watch Argentina vs. Switzerland BetMGM How to Sign Up and Claim the BetMGM Sportsbook Bonus Code]]>
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					<![CDATA[Chicago White Sox Select UCLA Shortstop Roch Cholowsky With No. 1 pick in MLB draft]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/chicago-white-sox-select-ucla-shortstop-roch-cholowsky-with-no-1-pick-in-mlb-draft</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/chicago-white-sox-select-ucla-shortstop-roch-cholowsky-with-no-1-pick-in-mlb-draft</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first pick of the MLB amateur draft.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:07:37 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky on Saturday with the first pick of the MLB amateur draft. A 6-foot-2 right-handed hitter, Cholowsky was a Golden Spikes finalist at UCLA and had a 1.088 OPS with 21 homers and 60 RBIs in his junior season. Cholowsky was a top prospect, who could have been selected high in the 2025 MLB amateur draft. Instead, he returned for a third season at UCLA, where he helped the Bruins become the first college baseball team to ever have an end-to-end season as the Associated Press No. 1 ranked team. The Bruins finished the regular season 48-6 overall (28-2 in the Big Ten), won the Big Ten tournament, and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. That success, however, didn't translate to the postseason as the Bruins couldn't advance out of the Los Angeles Regional, falling twice to Saint Mary's. Still, Cholowsky's college career is remembered for his accolades on the field, and the teammate he was off the diamond, captaining a UCLA team that largely stuck together in a college baseball era dominated by the transfer portal. Tampa Bay picks second and Minnesota is third. San Francisco is fourth and Pittsburgh fifth. Kansas City, Baltimore, the Athletics, Atlanta and Colorado round out the top 10. The White Sox had the top selection for the first time since taking Harold Baines in 1977. The White Sox got the No. 1 pick after they lost 102 games last season and won the draft lottery and have pegged Cholowsky as a future star that can help them win their first World Series title since 2005.]]>
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					<![CDATA[No One Can Stop Erling Haaland, Except For (Maybe) England's Ezri Konsa]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/no-one-can-stop-erling-haaland-except-maybe-englands-ezri-konsa</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/no-one-can-stop-erling-haaland-except-maybe-englands-ezri-konsa</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Ezri Konsa’s defensive record against Erling Haaland at the club level could give England a tactical edge over Norway in the World Cup quarterfinals.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:53:11 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Can England stop Erling Haaland? "Has anyone ever stopped Erling Haaland?" England midfielder Morgan Rogers asked in response to a question about containing Haaland on Friday. "I’m not sure they have, but we’re going to try. You’re going to have to try." England will play Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday at Miami Stadium, and all eyes will be on Haaland, The Striking Viking, who has scored seven goals in five matches for Norway this tournament. Stopping Haaland will be a group effort, and even then it might not matter. But England might have a secret weapon: center back Ezri Konsa, who has battled with Haaland for years in the Premier League and, on most occasions, won. In five matches against Haaland in the Premier League, Konsa, who plays for Aston Villa, has allowed the Manchester City striker to score just one goal in 406 minutes. The last time Haaland scored against Konsa was in 2022, when Aston Villa were managed by Steven Gerrard. It's not just bragging rights for Konsa, either. By holding Haaland scoreless, Aston Villa have won the last three matches that Konsa has been in the lineup against Haaland. Konsa has kept a clean sheet on two of those occasions. Konsa will start at right back against Norway with Jarell Quansah serving a two-match suspension for his red card against Mexico in the round of 16. While Konsa has played at center back when he's gone up against Haaland in the Premier League, just having him on the pitch should inspire some confidence in a Three Lions side under immense pressure to get a result.]]>
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