Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээн үргэлжилж, шилдгүүдийн өрсөлдөөн улам бүр ширүүсэж байна.
Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээний хасагдах шатны тоглолтууд үргэлжилж байна. Килиан Мбаппе, Эрлинг Холанд, Харри Кэйн, Жүүд Беллингхэм, Лионель Месси, Ламин Ямал зэрэг дэлхийн хэмжээний супер одод тэмцээнд үлдсэн нь ховор тохиолдол бөгөөд тэд тун удахгүй хоорондоо учраа таарах боломжтой юм. Англи болон Мексикийн шигшээ багуудын Ацтека цэнгэлдэхэд болсон тоглолт АНУ-ын түүхэн дэх хамгийн их үзэгчтэй хөлбөмбөгийн тоглолт болж, 44 сая хүн шууд дамжуулалтыг хүлээн авч үзжээ.
Тэмцээний хагас шигшээ болон аваргын төлөөх тоглолтуудын үеэр Жастин Бибер, Мадонна, Шакира болон BTS хамтлаг тоглохоор болсон нь олны анхаарлыг татаж байна. Харин өнөөдөр болох Франц болон Мароккогийн шигшээ багуудын шөвгийн наймын тоглолт олны анхаарлын төвд байна. Францчууд бооцооны таамаглалаар тэргүүлж байгаа ч Мароккогийн баг өндөр амжилт үзүүлж, хүчтэй өрсөлдөөн үзүүлэхээр зэхэж байна.
Францын хагас хамгаалагч Майкл Олисегийн Парагвайн эсрэг авсан шар хуудсыг ФИФА хэвээр үлдээсэн нь маргаан дагуулав. Үүнтэй холбогдуулан Европын хууль тогтоогчид ФИФА-гийн улс төрийн төвийг сахисан байдлыг шалгахыг уриалжээ. Мөн Бразилын од Бруно Гимарайнш өөрийн харьяалагддаг Ньюкасл клубт Арсенал руу явах хүсэлтэй байгаагаа мэдэгдсэн байна.
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Good morning! Enjoy a fairy tale today. Coming up:
What’s Left? The World Cup is still good
At 4 p.m. yesterday, I felt a sort of withdrawal as I worked. Why wasn’t there a hum of soccer energy on the TV behind me? In the haze of a standard Wednesday, had I forgotten about a World Cup game that should’ve been on my screen? What was I missing?
Nothing, in fact, as we had zero Cup games yesterday. It was an unwelcome respite. The paradoxical joy and pain of a tournament such as this is that as the matches theoretically get better, we get fewer of them. Alas.
Even worse, if you were invested mostly in the U.S. team, you may feel a bit adrift as the tournament moves on. But you still want to watch, yeah?
A few things to expect as we progress:
- This is a World Cup still dominated by superstars. Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal. They’re all still in play at this tournament, and due to face each other soon, should favorites advance. Reminder that this is not normal.
- Need any evidence that interest is still high, even post-USMNT departure? England’s massive win on the road at the Azteca was the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history. Forty-four million people watched across Fox and Telemundo broadcasts. We’re still tuning in.
- We still have 10 days until the World Cup final, but the halftime show is booked with stars, too: Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Not bad.
Need direction on a new team to root for? We have a quiz. I got France. Allez les Bleus?
The madness continues today with one game. More on that in a bit. Read our bracket predictions to tide you over.
Let’s keep moving:
News to Know
Steven King / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Verlander announces retirement
Tigers starter Justin Verlander will retire at the end of the 2026 season, the 21-year veteran announced yesterday, ending one of the most remarkable careers of the modern era. At his peak, he was the most feared pitcher in baseball, and even won American League MVP in 2011 to go alongside three Cy Young awards and two World Series rings. The 43-year-old is a lock for the Hall of Fame. We have a ton of great perspective on him today:
- Verlander will probably enter the Hall a Tiger, with whom he’s collectively spent 14 seasons of his career. But he forever changed the Astros over two stints in Houston, which netted him two rings.
- Verlander sits at 266 wins and, when he walks away, MLB’s best shot at another 300-win pitcher walks, too. It’s just not how the game is played anymore.
- He’s not totally done, though. Verlander is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and the Tigers, at 42-50, still have an outside shot of making the postseason. Verlander wants to help the effort.
A fairy tale in London
Arthur Féry beat No. 9 seed Flavio Cobolli yesterday at Wimbledon, a stunning result that makes Féry’s run immediately the best story of this entire tournament. Féry, a British wild-card entry ranked No. 114 in the world, is now in the semifinals. Féry had not faced any seeded opponents until Cobolli, a French Open finalist this year, which is probably why you haven’t heard much about the 23-year-old yet. That’ll change now.
Satterfield: TTU talked to Sorsby mid-season
Cincinnati football coach Scott Satterfield told The Athletic yesterday that Texas Tech was one of multiple schools that reached out to former Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby during the 2025 season, which would violate the NCAA’s tampering rules. Sorsby’s agent denied any contact. It’s another chapter in a messy saga.
More news:
- Despite serious interest from the NWSL, soccer star Alexia Putellas signed with London City, won over by owner Michele Kang’s vision for the club. We have the inside story.
- FIFA upheld France midfielder Michael Olise’s yellow card incurred against Paraguay. Related: European lawmakers called for an investigation into FIFA’s political neutrality.
- Brazil star Bruno Guimarães has informed his club team, Newcastle, that he intends to leave for Arsenal. Full update here.
- There is drama in the Bronx, where YES broadcaster Michael Kay reported — then retracted — that Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe refused to play second base in the minors this season. Volpe is upset.
- Olav Kooij won stage five of the Tour de France yesterday via a sprint finish. It’s his first Tour de France win, and it came on the same day we pondered the future of sprinting at this event.
Motion: A match made in heaven
Yesterday, we talked about two situations in which personnel didn’t fit with their respective WNBA teams. Today, I want to flip that.
There may forever be drama in Chicago, where Skylar Diggins is upset and fans are still sore that the franchise traded Angel Reese away. But in Atlanta, where Reese landed, a marriage between team and player has flourished.
Brian Hamilton wrote a fantastic story on it today after spending time there. Two points I found compelling:
- Founded in 2008, the Dream has largely been a successful WNBA franchise as far as results go. Three finals appearances and 11 playoff berths in 18 complete seasons is respectable. But as far as relevance in Atlanta? After Reese arrived this offseason, everything changed.
- Digital engagement is through the roof. Tickets and jerseys are sold out. But moreover, Reese’s personality and connection with the community are already magnetic. “The perfect fit for me,” she said.
The full story is worth your time, and it also details how Reese is getting better on the court, too. Atlanta is a playoff team again this year with big ambitions.
Onward:
Watch Guide
📺 Tennis: Wimbledon
8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN
If you have time and space this morning, clear out for tennis. American star Coco Gauff, on her first deep run at Wimbledon, plays No. 10 seed Karolína Muchová in the semifinals today. Muchová has been playing fearsome tennis along the way, particularly against Naomi Osaka in the quarters. This will be good.
📺 World Cup: France vs. Morocco
4 p.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo
We are into the quarterfinals and start with a doozy. The French remain the betting favorite in this tournament, but anything can happen in a 90-minute match, and Morocco has been excellent thus far. They probably won’t have to rely on dirty tricks, either.
📺 WNBA: Storm at Dream
8 p.m. ET on Prime Video
What do you know, here’s Reese in primetime, facing the second-worst team in the W, with Atlanta in need of a win to snap a five-game losing streak.
Pulse Picks
Steph Chambers / Getty Images
Former NFL linebacker K.J. Wright never planned to be a coach. Now, two years in, some are wondering if he’s the next DeMeco Ryans. High praise.
Women’s sports are booming right now. The LPGA has finally figured out how to join the party, Gabby Herzig writes.
The foundation of sports fandom lies in hope. But what of anger? Disgust? Sean McIndoe created a space yesterday for the NHL fanbases most insulted by the offseason so far.
Yes, Egypt’s goal against Argentina should’ve never been disallowed. But, as Graham Scott writes, talk of a conspiracy is nonsense.
None of MLB’s top prospects want to attend the draft. Why?
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Candace Buckner’s column on why the U.S. will never win a World Cup.
Most-read on the website yesterday: World Cup quarterfinals bracket predictions, again.
