Harry Kane reacts after England's defeat at the hands of Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals (Odd ANDERSEN)
Harry Kane said he was "gutted" for England and their fans after his team were beaten 2-1 by defending champions Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.
Anthony Gordon's strike had put the Three Lions on the cusp of a first men's World Cup final since they lifted the 1966 trophy but Lionel Messi inspired a dramatic turnaround in Atlanta.
He set up Enzo Fernandez, who blasted home from outside the area, and provided an inch-perfect cross for Lautaro Martinez's winner in stoppage time.
"Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone -- the team, the staff, the fans," England captain Kane told the BBC.
"We played a good game, the large majority of it. When we went 1-0 up we seemed to try and hold on, which at this level is not enough.
"So, just gutted because we've worked so hard to be here and the lads have given every last bit of running, blood, sweat, tears."
Bayern Munich forward Kane, who scored six goals during the tournament, said Thomas Tuchel's men had struggled to repel constant attacks from the defending champions.
"After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man for man, it was just wave after wave," he said.
"Lads were putting blocks in but, in the end, it just wasn't enough."
He said England had not planned to rely on defending after Gordon's goal.
"When we went ahead the messaging was to go again and get another goal," he added.
"Then once they scored their two goals it was to try and find something but we couldn't quite get the momentum back in the game."
It may seem counterintuitive at first glance to reduce power if you’re trying to help passing, but superspeedway racing has a unique set of components which are heavily reliant on each other. The reason why these cars currently have so much drag and downforce is because of the engine package choice. In previous generations of the NASCAR Cup car, there were engines with less horsepower that were designed specifically for superspeedway racing which allowed NASCAR to create aero packages with less downforce and drag. The advent of spec racing with the Next Gen car meant that there were less choices for engines and a lower power engine option was no longer available, so the only thing NASCAR could do to slow cars down enough in order to reduce the chance of flips was to add more downforce and drag in the form of a large spoiler and underbody aero.
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Reducing engine power by the use of a tapered spacer with smaller opening now allows NASCAR to attempt to replicate an aero package that is closer to what we saw in previous generations of car and should move in the direction of how the ever-popular O’Reilly Series cars race on Saturdays.
The fans who are disappointed with the 465 horsepower output of the Cup cars in this new package will likely change their mind when they learn that the O’Reilly cars produce around 410 horsepower in their current superspeedway configuration. Earlier engine packages for the 6th generation car were right in between those two at 450 horsepower.
Those engine and aero combinations are well known, and in 2021, we saw around a 9mph differential for a car in the pack versus one running by itself at Daytona. At the Daytona 500 this year, that difference was over 13mph. The changes for the Daytona summer race aim to bring that gap to around 10 or 11 miles per hour. That is likely to be aided by transaxle changes in addition to the engine and aero changes that have been announced.
Current transaxle drop gear ratios are not optimal for a car that leaves the pack because it will often rev high enough where it wall pass over the peak of the powerband of the engine. NASCAR aims to introduce a new drop gear ratio with the update for Daytona that will allow cars that go on a single car run outside of the pack to be able to stay in the peak of their powerband for a longer period of time in order to be able to complete passes.
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford
The summary of changes that we can expect include:
-Spoiler reduction from 7 inches to 4 inches
-Underbody aero change to balance the spoiler reduction
-Engine power reduction from 510hp to 465hp
-Drop gear ratio change to optimize the power band
All of these changes can only happen in steps, so no single change can be implemented independently. In order to reduce the spoiler, you also have to change the splitter stuffers to balance the underbody aero with the overbody aero. In order to make those changes and still allow the cars to race safely, power must be reduced. The drop gear change is a nice bonus to help cars accelerate better once they leave the pack. All of these changes should entice competitors to attempt passes instead of saving fuel which should create excitement and passing similar to what we saw at Atlanta a few days ago.
Formula 1 is back after a week off with a fan favourite in Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix.
This will be the 10th round of the 2026 campaign and the first as part of a double header before the Hungarian Grand Prix leads F1 into its annual summer break.
So, here are five things to look out for at the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.
Will driver fears over energy management at Spa come true?
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Those who exist purely to post “Formula Battery Management” under the YouTube highlights reels of F1 races might be granted an opportunity to copy-paste their comments underneath this year’s Spa-Francorchamps video. Many of the drivers have suggested that the Belgian Grand Prix might shape up in a similar way to Silverstone, in which energy management will once again play a factor through the lap.
Here’s the reason why. On the exit of La Source, we have the long acceleration zone through Eau Rouge, Raidillon, and the Kemmel Straight, with no let up until the cars reach Les Combes. There’s a small opportunity to recharge here, but it’s likely that we’ll see deployment through Pouhon, then a bit of respite, then more through Blanchimont. Given the medium-to-high speed nature of many of the corners, it’ll be hard to fully recharge through the lap, as was the case at Silverstone. They’ll have to wait for the chicane and for La Source to do any meaningful energy recuperation.
So, you’ll see drivers picking and choosing where they deploy and where they hold off. Expect most to save their energy for the Kemmel Straight and Blanchimont, which might make the rest of the lap seem a bit tame.
That’s the worst-case scenario, at least. If anything’s clear, it’s that the drivers like to paint the worst picture and be surprised that the energy levels weren’t all that bad.
Silverstone was largely fine and sure, a few cars did run aground with low battery, but it wasn't as heinous as it was made out to be. It won’t be easy for the drivers, granted, but I don’t think it’s going to be anywhere near as excessive as Fernando Alonso’s claim that F2 cars will be faster. But maybe they’ll be faster than the Aston Martin…
- Jake Boxall-Legge
Kimi Antonelli must bounce back where it all went wrong last year
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
A little over a month ago, Kimi Antonelli was on a high, claiming a fifth grand prix victory in a row at the Monaco Grand Prix and leading the world championship by 66 points. But over the last three rounds, Antonelli has scored fewer points than all seven other drivers in the top four teams.
Of course, this was largely down to misfortune, with mechanical faults at Barcelona and Silverstone, but the Italian’s advantage over Mercedes team-mate George Russell has nonetheless dwindled to 25 points.
Antonelli therefore needs to bounce back this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, a track where he collected so much success in junior formulae and yet experienced such a tough weekend in his rookie season.
One year ago in Belgium, the youngster failed to emerge from Q1 in both qualifying sessions, finishing the sprint 17th and the main race 16th. 2026-spec Antonelli, however, is a more confident, more complete product, so there is no reason why he couldn’t leave this unwanted memory behind.
- Ben Vinel
Another test for Red Bull at Max Verstappen's favourite F1 circuit
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Normally, the Belgian Grand Prix would be one of the races Max Verstappen looks forward to the most. The Nordschleife holds a special place for him, but of the current F1 calendar, Spa-Francorchamps sits right at the top of his ranking – just as it does for many other drivers.
This year, however, two things are different. Firstly, the Ardennes circuit is once again expected to prove a painful experience for the drivers in terms of energy management. Like Silverstone, Spa is what McLaren team principal Andrea Stella typically describes as an "energy-starved circuit".
As a result, Spa is set to feel different from previous years, while it also promises to be another stern test for Red Bull.
Team boss Laurent Mekies admitted at Silverstone that his team struggles whenever energy management becomes even more important than usual, and that will once again be the case in Belgium. Red Bull appears to be lacking on the electrical side of its power unit, but without an ADUO token there is nothing the team can do to address it.
Finally, there is the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Red Bull's rotating rear wing. Both the team and the FIA are looking into the concept to ensure it fully complies with all safety requirements, something that will matter more than ever at a high-speed track such as Spa.
Spa has all the ingredients to become another frustrating weekend for Red Bull, which is exactly what the Milton Keynes-based team will want to avoid with Verstappen's future still far from certain.
- Ronald Vording
Can Ferrari prove its progress is real and challenge Mercedes?
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes
Ferrari may look at its recent results and point to the fact it has won two of the last three grands prix, but there is always more to consider than simply looking at the classification sheet.
Lewis Hamilton was a deserved winner in Barcelona, but just one race later he finished 26 seconds behind Russell in Austria, with Charles Leclerc a further 45s back. At Silverstone, the Scuderia bounced back, with Leclerc taking a well-earned victory. However, questions remain over what might have happened had Antonelli’s wheel shield not failed.
The encouraging sign for Ferrari is that Spa is arguably more similar to Silverstone than the Red Bull Ring, although it presents a very different challenge of its own. The key question will be whether Ferrari can once again find ways to offset its power deficit, with the Italian squad planning specific changes to the rear of its SF-26 for the Belgian Grand Prix.
On the other hand, while Toto Wolff has said he would rather have a fast but unreliable car than the opposite, Mercedes cannot afford to continue suffering from mechanical issues. It remains to be seen whether solving those problems comes at any cost to the performance of Antonelli and Russell.
After Silverstone, Wolff and Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur effectively passed the pressure back and forth when discussing Ferrari’s chances of regularly taking the fight to Mercedes in 2026. Spa should provide a much clearer indication of where the Scuderia truly stands.
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Things can change quickly in F1. It was not long ago that Alpine appeared to have the upper hand in the midfield, with Franco Colapinto leading the fight behind the top teams in Miami and Canada, finishing 14 seconds ahead of Liam Lawson in the latter.
That was followed by Pierre Gasly’s brilliant – and opportunistic – podium in Monaco, one that remains under scrutiny, leaving Alpine with a 15-point cushion over Racing Bulls in fifth place in the constructors’ championship.
Three grands prix later, that advantage has been reduced to just a single point after a string of strong performances from the Faenza-based squad, whose upgrade package introduced in Montreal has delivered exactly the step forward it had hoped for.
By contrast, Alpine’s latest developments have failed to deliver. Silverstone was particularly concerning, with Colapinto describing the A526 as "just too slow" after the team even slipped behind Audi on outright pace, while Lawson noted that everything brought to the car "has been positive and working well".
With several of the leading teams still battling reliability concerns, being the best of the rest has become increasingly valuable. The question now is whether Racing Bulls can maintain that momentum at Spa, or if Alpine has an answer ready.
Argentina forward Lionel Messi celebrates victory against England in the World Cup semi-finals (Paul ELLIS)
Lionel Messi engineered a spectacular comeback for Argentina against England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to keep his team on track for back-to-back titles.
England were agonisingly close to reaching their first World Cup final for 60 years before succumbing to relentless pressure from Lionel Scaloni's team, who roared back to win 2-1 in Atlanta.
It sets up a mouthwatering contest between reigning European champions Spain and South American champions Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday.
The Albiceleste, followed at the 2026 World Cup by legions of fans, are just 90 minutes away from becoming the first side since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive World Cups.
"The other day I said this group never stops surprising me," said Scaloni. "And I'll tell you the truth, we're going to try to win, we're going to leave everything out there.
"But after this it's very difficult to get people to understand what these players are showing. It's incredible. We are unique, truly, and it's not arrogance, it's from the heart."
Scaloni's men have scrapped their way through the knockout rounds, most memorably coming back from the dead to beat Egypt in the last 16.
Messi remains the beating heart of the team even at the age of 39 -- scoring eight goals to sit joint top of the Golden Boot standings -- and providing four assists.
But it appeared his World Cup dream was dying after Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute.
Argentina, however, refused to be beaten, pouring forward in waves and pinning their opponents back.
Enzo Fernandez smashed home an equaliser from outside the penalty box after Messi's assist in the 85th minute but still they were not done.
Substitute Lautaro Martinez rose to head home Messi's cross in stoppage time to complete the comeback and England ran out of time.
Man-of-the-match Messi, who had never faced England previously, hailed the character of Argentina, saying "the story never ends".
"This was just a football game, but of course it's quite a special one, especially playing against England with all the historical context," he said.
Argentina are 90 minutes away from claiming a fourth straight major title after winning two South American championships and the 2022 World Cup.
But defeat is another bitter blow for the Three Lions, who have reached at least the semi-final stage in four of their past five major tournaments without getting over the line.
- 'No regrets' -
England boss Thomas Tuchel defended his tactics after his team appeared to hand the initiative to Argentina following Gordon's opener.
"In the moment, no regrets. The team gave everything and we were very, very close," said the German. "We deserved to be up 1-0.
"We played one of our better matches, maybe our best match in the circumstances. The team was top, we couldn't get over the line but no regrets."
Captain Harry Kane said the England's disappointment was profound, adding: "Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone -- the team, the staff, the fans."
"God Save the King" was drowned out by Argentine singing in a crowd dominated by supporters in the blue-and-white shirts of the defending champions.
David and Victoria Beckham were in the crowd to support England at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.
The build-up to the fixture was given added spice by a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Argentina's Vice President Victoria Villarruel upped the stakes by calling the English "usurping pirates", despite efforts by head coach Scaloni to keep the focus on the game.
As they celebrated Argentina's players held up a banner on the pitch saying "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falklands are Argentine).
Spain produced a masterclass to beat favourites France 2-0 in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, meaning Messi will face the country where he played most of his career for Barcelona.
Luis de la Fuente (R) said Spain were the best team in the world after they beat France with a clinical performance (RONALDO SCHEMIDT)
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente saluted his players as the "best team in the world" on Tuesday after a stunning 2-0 World Cup semi-final upset of France.
De la Fuente, who had repeatedly said Spain were the best side in the tournament, was left beaming with pride as La Roja outplayed France to reach Sunday's World Cup final.
It was another tactical masterpiece by the Spanish coach, who oversaw La Roja's European Championship victory in 2024 and has now beaten France in three straight competitive matches.
"We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it's brought us here," de la Fuente said.
"Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world, but in front of them they had the best team in the world. That is different."
De la Fuente is now contemplating Spain's first World Cup final appearance since 2010.
"These players deserve everything -- day after day they’ve showed their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent," de la Fuente added of his team. "They make the difficult look easy."
Houston Texans co-founder Janice McNair, bottom right alongside former Texans player Andre Johnson, has died at age 89, th NFL team announced (Tim Warner)
Janice McNair, who co-founded the NFL's Houston Texans in 2002, died on Tuesday at age 89, the team announced.
McNair and her husband Bob, who died in 2018 at age 81, brought the NFL back to Houston with an expansion club after the Houston Oilers moved in 1997 to become the Tennessee Titans.
Janice McNair served as the Texans' primary owner after her husband's death until transferring the post to son Cal McNair in 2024.
"Outside of our family, nothing mattered more to her than her beloved Texans. I remain honored to lead this franchise and build on the foundation my parents set when they brought football back to Houston," said Texans chair and chief executive Cal McNair.
"Mom leaves an indelible mark on our family, our team and our community and her giving spirit will always be embedded in the fabric of our organization."
The Texans reached the playoffs in three of six seasons under her guidance.
"Mrs. McNair was an incredible woman who will be deeply missed," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.
"We shared the same vision of bringing the organization to new heights and I will continue to work every day to accomplish that goal."
When it comes to the penalty issued by NASCAR against Bubba Wallace on Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, team owner but rival competitor Denny Hamlin is staying out of the process but understands why everything happened.
Hamlin has two hats that he wears at this stage of his career -- driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 and team co-owner of 23XI Racing and they sometimes come in conflict. As a result, Hamlin says dealing with the immediate aftermath of the ‘out of bounds’ penalty was the responsibility of 23XI Performance Director Dave Rogers.
With that said, Hamlin said on Monday night’s Actions Detrimental podcast that he understood why Wallace was immediately issued the penalty that dropped him from second to 29th.
“I mean, when I watched it, I was thinking that that's definitely going to be a penalty because I've been penalized for it before, so I know and understand the rule and that it's not that you gain a position but you can't put yourself into position to gain a position,” Hamlin said. “Does that make any sense?”
NASCAR Rule Book Section 8.3.2 states:
“If NASCAR determines that a vehicle goes beneath the double painted lines to improve its position it will be black-flagged. If NASCAR determines that a vehicle forces another vehicle beneath the double painted lines in an effort to advance its own position, the vehicle may be black-flagged.”
Hamlin is explaining that the word to is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the rule. It’s not about the result but the intent.
“It's not literal in the sense of advancing your position,” Hamlin said. “It's making a move to advance. There's a word in there that is very, very specific on the result doesn't matter. It's the intention. … You have to pretend that there's a wall there.
“That yellow line, that is a wall essentially, that is not concrete. … And the minute that you step your foot out of bounds, it doesn’t matter whether you gained an advantage or not; that’s what they call. So yeah, while the finishing position showed (at first) that he didn’t advance, if you look out of the middle of Turns 3 and 4, Bubba was the furthest out in front.”
In other words, Wallace intended to advance his position and did ever so briefly. Ultimately, it cost him 27 points towards his seeding in the Chase for the Championship.
“So he technically did gain, he gained the lead at some point of the move,” Hamlin said. “And that sucks because he lost a lot. He should have finished in the top three at least with the speed and everything. They came from the back again from the Ty Gibbs thing. They were fast, man. And listen, they were aggressive.”
Hamlin doesn’t even have a problem with his driver going for it in that fashion on the last lap.
“Man, going for a win, I think you have to go for it,” Wallace said. “But I mean, I need to remind you that inside the car, we can’t see the lines. When I’m going down the backstretch at Atlanta, the difference between the apron and the actual race track, there isn’t a lot of difference in the banking. …
“Bubba in his in-car, and he probably made it up in his mind, was that he was going three-wide somewhere. ‘Wherever the biggest hole is, that is where I am going.’ When you turn there, that’s the moment you first see the line, but he can’t see it when he’s behind (Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney).
“So you don't know where you're at on the track till you get there (and) it's almost too little too late.”
American Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after winning the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby (Chris Graythen)
St. Louis slugger Jordan Walker smashed home runs on the last four pitches he faced on Monday to edge Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber 12-11 in Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby final.
The 24-year-old American right-handed hitter defeated the MLB season homers leader in Schwarber's home ballpark to capture the $1 million top prize.
Schwarber, a left-handed hitter with 32 homers this season, began the head-to-head final with home runs on six of his first eight swings and off 10 of the regulation 15 pitches.
The 33-year-old American earned extra throws with a last-pitch homer and belted an 11th to make Walker's task that much harder.
Walker, who has 22 homers this season, belted homers on four of his first six swings but came to his final swing three homers behind, needing four in a row for a fightback triumph.
The Cardinals outfielder then blasted the first pitch for a homer to end regulation throws on nine, then hit three extra throws in a row over the outfield wall to capture the title.
The annual ball-bashers showcase was staged at Philadelphia on the eve of the 96th MLB All-Star Game, which matches elite talent from the American and National leagues.
Rule changes for 2026 eliminated time limits in favor of pre-set numbers of pitches, 20 in round one and 15 in the semi-final and final rounds for each contestant.
In the head-to-head semi-finals, Walker smashed six of eight pitches for homers to defeat last year's Derby runner-up, 23-year-old Dominican slugger Junior Caminero of Tampa Bay, 6-5.
In the other semi, Schwarber edged 34-year-old Venezuelan Wilson Contreras of Boston 9-8.
Schwarber smashed nine homers off 15 pitches to begin while Contreras, who hit eight homers on 11 pitches in round one, missed on his first two swings, homered on six of the next seven but could not manage an equalizer.
Walker crushed eight homers on his first 10 pitches in round one and matched Contreras at the top with 13 homers, while Caminero had 12 and Schwarber hit 10 to grab the last semi spot, but only after an 0-for-5 start.
Schwarber homered on 10 of his last 15 swings then watched as teammate Bryce Harper, the final first-round batter, hit only eight homers and was eliminated.
Also ousted in the opening round were Japanese MLB rookie Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox with nine homers, Kansas City's Jac Caglianone with eight and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees with seven.
Los Angeles Dodgers batting and pitching star Shohei Ohtani of Japan and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge were not in the Derby and will miss the All-Star Game due to injuries.
Lionel Messi will take on England for the first time in his international career on Wednesday as he attempts to lead Argentina to another World Cup final (CHANDAN KHANNA)
Lionel Messi has done just about everything possible in a glorious career, but the 39-year-old Argentinian great has never taken on England -- he will finally get the chance in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final.
Messi won his 200th cap for the Albiceleste in the group-stage victory against Algeria and dreams of leading his country to the final once again.
The diminutive playmaker is surely in the final days of a remarkable international career which began when he was a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 2005.
Having broken into the Barcelona team late the previous year, Messi had just starred for Argentina as they won the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.
He was handed his Argentina bow by Jose Pekerman in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest that August, replacing Lisandro Lopez in the 64th minute and joining Hernan Crespo up front.
Ninety seconds later he was sent off for what the referee saw as an elbow. It was quite the ignominious way for his Argentina career to begin.
"An 18-year-old kid who is making his debut for the national team and has so much hope -- he can't be punished like that. The referee needed to be more understanding," said Crespo.
Messi might look back now and laugh at that incident, which led to him being suspended for a friendly against England in Geneva three months later.
The nations have not met since, and so Messi will play against the Three Lions for the very first time under the roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
"I have played against everyone except England and it is special because they are a major nation, a powerhouse, and it is always nice to play against a side like that, especially in a World Cup semi-final," said Messi after Argentina beat Switzerland in Kansas City in the last eight.
- Emulating Maradona -
The man who emulated Diego Maradona by inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago will now hope to leave a similar mark on England as his legendary predecessor.
Any meeting of these countries evokes memories of the 1986 quarter-final at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, when Maradona punched in to score the 'Hand of God' opener and then ran past half the England defence for his team's second goal -– perhaps the greatest World Cup goal of all time.
Messi has not scored one quite like that, but ahead of the semi-finals of the current tournament he had scored more World Cup goals than any other player.
With 21 goals from a tournament record 32 appearances, he led France skipper Kylian Mbappe by one after the quarter-finals.
The Inter Miami player had found the net in nine consecutive World Cup matches before the Switzerland game, when he let others -- notably Julian Alvarez -- take over the goalscoring duties.
Argentina are now one game away from reaching another World Cup final, as they aim to become the first team to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.
It would be a third final in four World Cups, and Messi could follow in the footsteps of Brazil great Cafu. The full-back played in three in a row from 1994 to 2002 –- even Maradona only played in two.
"Getting to another semi-final is not a normal, mundane thing, so this is something we should really enjoy because we don't know if it will happen again," Messi said.
The England players will hope to enjoy it as well.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Nico O'Reilly, who is likely to come up against Messi if he starts at left-back, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"He's coming towards the end of his career. For me personally, he's the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can't wait for the challenge."
France's head coach Didier Deschamps said he sees Spain as World Cup favourites ahead of their semi-final clash in Texas (FRANCK FIFE)
France coach Didier Deschamps insisted he still sees Spain as World Cup favourites on Monday ahead of Les Bleus' blockbuster semi-final against the European champions.
France take on Spain at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday in a match widely seen as a collision of the best two teams in the tournament.
While Deschamps' side have lit up the World Cup with a string of scintillating performances, Spain's campaign has built momentum gradually following a shock 0-0 draw against minnows Cape Verde in their opening game.
Deschamps, though, maintains that France -- beaten by Spain in their last two meetings -- will be the underdog on Tuesday.
"Forget about the first game against Cape Verde," Deschamps said of Spain's campaign. "Ever since then Spain have confirmed that they are the favourites.
"I don't want to add extra pressure to (Spain coach) Luis (de la Fuente) and their team -- he knows very well that people are expecting greatly of Spain.
"But Spain can attack well, and they can defend very well. They've only conceded one goal in the last six or seven matches."
Deschamps believes Tuesday's game has all the makings of a classic.
"With the quality of the two teams offensively, I think we could think that is going to be a spectacular game," he said.
Deschamps is also not overly concerned by the threat posed by Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who scored in La Roja's victories over France in the European Championship semi-final in 2024 and the UEFA Nations League last year.
"We know the strength of the opposing team. We have our own strengths," Deschamps said.
"Have I studied Yamal and his assets? Yes, he's one of the players that can really make a difference on the pitch.
"And all opponents should try to limit the strength of the other team, but we have many solutions.
"When it comes to a one-on-ones it could be tough. But having a one-on-one against some of my players is not an easy task either."
Deschamps, meanwhile, confirmed that France captain Kylian Mbappe, who left the quarter-final win over Morocco late in the second half after taking a knock, was "100 percent" fit for the semi-final.
Didier Deschamps is aiming to win the World Cup for a second time as a coach, having also won it as player (Odd ANDERSEN)
The World Cup held its breath Monday on the eve of the first semi-final that pitches France's fearsome attack against a technically gifted Spain team.
France have reached the past two World Cup finals, winning in 2018 in Russia and losing to Argentina four years ago in Qatar in an epic final despite a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.
They are aiming to win the World Cup for a third time while Spain -- despite their rich footballing tradition -- have lifted the famous trophy just once, in South Africa in 2010.
Many observers believe this year's Spain squad has the quality to win the tournament -- but first they need to find a way to stop France's star-studded frontline, led by Mbappe.
The Real Madrid forward has scored eight goals to lead the Golden Boot race alongside Lionel Messi and will give Spain's defenders a different challenge in Arlington, Texas.
France's roster of forwards also includes Ballon D'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, the English-born forward whose pace and dribbling pull defences out of shape, allowing Mbappe the space to work his magic.
Behind them, whether they start the game or come on as substitutes, France can call on Paris Saint-Germain pair Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.
Defeat to Messi's Argentina in the final in Doha four years ago was a bitter experience for France, and the desire for a rematch is strong -- if Messi can lead his team past England in their semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Adding to France's motivation, France coach Didier Deschamps is leaving after this tournament following 14 years in charge.
Already part of the elite club to have won the World Cup as a player and a coach, Deschamps would dearly love to collect a third title.
"It is a human adventure and even though I chose the players, to be with this squad every day is very important," he said after France comfortably beat Morocco in the quarter-finals.
"I am very happy on a personal level and also happy to see them enjoying themselves so much."
- Upper hand -
In Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, Spain have the player who will likely succeed Messi and the far younger Mbappe as football's next superstar.
Yamal inspired Spain to glory at Euro 2024 but came into his first World Cup still recovering from a hamstring injury.
The Barcelona player initially looked less than his normal sparkling best, but he has improved steadily and won the player-of-the-match award in the 2-1 semi-final win against Belgium.
The teenager pointed out that Spain have the upper hand on France, having beaten them 2-1 in the semi-final of Euro 2024 and in a high-scoring Nations League semi-final in 2025 that finished 5-4.
"There are two possibilities -- either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We'll see what happens," Yamal said.
Spain's run to the final has been built on a solid defence -- Belgium's goal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was the first they have conceded in the entire tournament.
Coach Luis de la Fuente has restored the possession-based style that was a trademark of earlier Spain teams, meaning France will have to win the ball from them before they can launch their attacks.
Shane van Gisbergen backed up his February showing at Atlanta with yet another sixth-place finish at the drafting track, leading the way for Trackhouse Racing.
Van Gisbergen now has four oval top tens in his Cup career, and three of those have been during the 2026 season. At Atlanta this past weekend, he was in contention for the win in overtime, and was three-wide for second with eventual race winner Ryan Blaney as the field raced towards the white flag.
While jockeying for position, he slipped back to sixth by the time the checkered flag flew, but it was still a very impressive day for the three-time Supercars champion.
Motorsport.com's Matt Weaver caught up with Van Gisbergen after the race, and while thrilled with the result, he was still dwelling on what he could differently in the battle for the win.
"It’s awesome, but my brain is going crazy for what I could have done better," admitted Van Gisbergen. "I was beside the No. 12 car [Blaney] coming off (Turn) 4, coming to the white (flag), but yeah, it was pretty fun. It’s awesome racing here."
Despite racing on no fewer than four different continents in his impressive career, Van Gisbergen declaratively said that "nothing" prepared him for this form of racing.
"It's so different, but this is one of my better tracks. For some reason, I’m always decent here, so I’ll take it."
And it's true, as Van Gisbergen now has a pair of sixth-place finishes in the Cup Series at Atlanta, but the track is also the site of his best-ever oval showing in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series. He finished third there in 2024, which was just his second-ever oval start in the O'Reilly Series at the time.
Watch: Blaney prevails with EchoPark win in wild OT
When asked if there was anything he could have done differently, Van Gisbergen had a few thoughts. Tyler Reddick also approached him after the race, discussing the finish as they both lost out on the final restart.
"Definitely the restart," noted Van Gisbergen on what he would handle differently. "I thought I could have attached to the #45 [Reddick] better. He came up, gave me some advice after – it’s just critical to do that, and I just missed that. We probably could have gotten a better restart. And then off (Turn) 2 on the last lap, Bell really came up. I don’t know if I could have shot down below him or whatever. We kind of touched a lot and that killed all my run."
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
The race was also a positive for Van Gisbergen's Chase hopes, as he lost no ground and actually gained a point on the cut-line even with those around him (Jones, Logano, Cindric) all having solid points days. He is now 31 points above the cut-line.
"I was thinking that on the green/white (overtime restart), I’m like there’s no one around me that I’m racing for points, so I really needed to consolidate where I was," added Van Gisbergen. "That didn’t change my approach, but good to get a P6."
There are six races left in the regular season, with another Sunday night race next weekend at North Wilkesboro.
Maverick Vinales says he needs greater support from KTM and Tech3 as he continues to battle his way back from injury, but feels he is only getting criticised for his lack of speed.
The Spaniard hit a new low at the German Grand Prix last weekend, where he was reduced to being the slowest rider in the entire field. After ending up a distant 19th in qualifying, more than a second off the ultimate pace, he finished dead last in the sprint, more than eight seconds behind Johann Zarco’s stand-in Cal Crutchlow.
Sunday turned out to be equally dreadful and, after running at the very rear of the pack for much of the race, he pulled into the pits with four laps remaining, saying his lack of fitness made it impossible to finish the race.
The Sachsenring weekend suggested that Vinales’ recovery isn’t linear, after previous weekends showed clear signs of progress from the collarbone fracture he sustained exactly a year ago in Germany.
Vinales admitted the current situation has been particularly difficult because he feels he is not getting the backing he needs from those around him.
“Right now, I need some support from the team, but all I get is criticism,” he said on Sunday. “It's really hard to keep going, because sometimes they're happy to see me, but other times it's like I'm a stranger.”
Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Vinales went under the knife at the end of April, with doctors removing a screw that had become loose after being inserted during the operation on his shoulder following a crash he sustained last year.
While he has shown flashes of pace since then, he has yet to prove to KTM that he can rediscover his old form and deserves another contract for 2027 and beyond.
Vinales said the prolonged recovery process is becoming increasingly difficult for him, and he is eager to return to competitiveness after being blighted by injury woes over the last 12 months.
“I don’t have any strength on the bike; I couldn’t help but slide out at every turn,” he said.
“I don’t even know if it’s fixable. I’ve considered putting myself in the hands of Marc Marquez’s doctors.
“I expected to be doing much better, but it’s true that the doctor who operated on me told me I won’t be fully recovered until Indonesia. That’s no good for me. I don’t know what to do. I guess I’ll spend the summer in Austria (at Red Bull Performance Centre), training.”
Audi Formula 1 chief Mattia Binotto says the German brand wants the series' future engine formula to remain "highly efficient" amid talk of ditching turbos.
F1 and its governing body the FIA are starting to lay down plans for the future power unit regulations for 2031. There is a broad consensus among the six power unit manufacturers over the principle to move to cheaper and simpler V8 engines with a smaller electric component, running on advanced sustainable fuels.
The stakeholders still have to sit down to discuss the finer details of the new engine configuration, with Audi known to be holding out for turbocharging to remain part of the new formula.
Audi uses turbocharging across a wide range of its road cars, with its recently revealed Audi Nuvolari concept car's twin-turbo V8 engine a hint of its vision for F1's future engine formula.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Audi F1 CEO Binotto says efficiency remains at the heart of what the German brand wants to see in F1.
"Audi has always supported the importance of efficiency," Binotto said. "The technology that allows for highly efficient engines is the same one that is then applied to road cars. When we talk about efficiency, we're talking about fuel consumption, emissions, and technology transfer between motorsport and series production.
"The real challenge will be understanding how to design a Formula 1 engine that remains highly efficient but, at the same time, is less complex, lighter, and affordable. This is what we will have to address."
Audi CEO Gernot Dollner with Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto
Audi CEO Gernot Dollner with Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is keen to bring the new power unit rules forward by one year to 2030, and floated the idea of offering a white label third-party power unit to independent teams to end team independence concerns.
Having a Cosworth-like off-the-shelf option would also give F1 and the FIA more leverage as they deal with the whims of the car industry, which has led to a complex engine formula for 2026 that has gone through a difficult start.
The FIA could unilaterally decide to impose the new power unit formula, including a customer team ban, from 2031 if it wanted to. But it would run a huge risk of alienating and driving away the OEMs it has tried so hard to attract in recent years, so it will likely try and find a broader consensus.
From Audi's perspective, Binotto is hopeful the sport can find a solution that isn't just a compromise. "I think the FIA, as the regulatory body, is rightly called upon to lead this discussion," he added. "Formula 1 needs the manufacturers, just as the manufacturers need Formula 1.
"In the end, as has always been the case, we'll have to find a solution that isn't simply a compromise, but the best possible one for everyone."
Upon crossing the finish line on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bubba Wallace thought he had secured a much-needed second-place towards his chances of making the Chase for the Championship.
Instead, NASCAR penalized him, sending the No. 23 to the tail-end of the lead lap (29th) for crossing below the 'out of bounds' line to improve his position. It's an infraction that he strongly disagreed with afterwards.
The move in question took place on the final lap when Wallace took leaders Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar three-wide down the backstretch. In the moments after the race, NASCAR issued the penalty.
“It says advancing your position, which I did not do,” Wallace said. “I stayed third, and I was all over the brakes to make sure I did not advance. As soon as I turned, I was like, ‘I’m going to wreck,’ and got on the brakes, kept it under me, and still ended up side-by-side. That move should have propelled me to the lead, and it didn’t because I knew it was wrong because my car did not like that move.
“We’ll see what we can do, but I did not advance my position. I stayed third from the entry of (Turn) 3 all until 50 yards away.”
Section 8.3.2 is the section of the NASCAR Rule Book in question.
“If NASCAR determines that a vehicle goes beneath the double painted lines to improve its position it will be black-flagged. If NASCAR determines that a vehicle forces another vehicle beneath the double painted lines in an effort to advance its own position, the vehicle may be black-flagged.”
There is a mechanism for Wallace and his 23XI Racing No. 23 team to have filed an immediate petition but that's different from an appeal. After the race, Cup Series managing director Brad Moran said it cannot be appealed and the rule book spelled out the infraction.
"That’s massive for us,” Wallace said. “Everybody behind us in points is like, ‘Oh, 23.’ They see that, and they’re licking their chops. The position that we’re in, we’re not safe. We need to figure out what we need to do moving forward because, again, I did not advance my position.”
The football teams of forty-eight countries set out with a chance of winning the World Cup on June 11, and the hopes of just four nations remain alive.
The top four teams in the FIFA rankings, with eight previous titles between them, will lock horns on Tuesday and Wednesday to try to secure a place in what is set to be the grandest of showpiece occasions in sport: the World Cup Final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
Al Jazeera ranks the contenders for the title:
Argentina’s Lionel Messi takes a break during the quarterfinal [Lee Smith/Reuters]
4. Argentina
What’s this? The defending champions as the outsiders?
Well, Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland must be one of the kindest ever paths to the business end of a World Cup, and La Albiceleste have not exactly been convincing along it.
They were made to sweat by Cape Verde and Egypt in the knockout stages before finding a way to prevail in dramatic circumstances, and the pattern was repeated against Switzerland in Kansas City on Saturday night, when they went almost 90 minutes without a shot on target following Alexis Mac Allister’s early opening goal.
Their ageing side eventually prevailed after 120 minutes in sweltering conditions. Had Switzerland kept 11 men on the field, things might have been very different, but, once again, in the end, the defending champions found a way to win when they were well below their best.
Surely they cannot get away with another performance like that against England? Well, England fans might well be saying the same about the Three Lions. Both Harry Kane and Lionel Messi fell well short of their best in the last-eight matchups too.
The outpouring of emotion from Messi at full-time in the comeback win over Egypt showed just how close the three-time winners came to being eliminated. In an already emotionally charged matchup with England, expect tempers to rise and tears to flow on either side come full-time.
If Argentina, and – in his first-ever appearance against the Three Lions – Messi, are able to rediscover their swagger and win, ousting their old foes from the tournament in the knockout stages for a third straight time, then the confidence and momentum they would take into the final would be huge.
However, nothing they have shown in the US this summer would suggest that is likely to happen.
And even if it did, whether it would be enough to give them the edge against European champions Spain, or a vengeful France side they vanquished on penalties in the epic final of Qatar 2022, is another matter entirely.
England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane celebrate after beating Norway [Paul Childs/Reuters]
3. England
Have we seen the best of England in this tournament? Probably not. And yet, here they are, in the semifinals for just the fourth time ever.
The win over Norway was neither pretty nor convincing, and manager Thomas Tuchel admitted they were lucky to get through, thanks largely to Jude Bellingham putting the team on his shoulders at a couple of key moments once again. Could a midfielder really win the Golden Boot? He is only two behind Messi and Kylian Mbappe with six goals already.
Much to Tuchel’s frustration, bar a 20-minute purple patch in the second half of the 4-2 opening game win against Croatia, England have yet to dominate a team, and relied on counterattacking bursts to give them a 3-2 lead to defend in the epic round-of-16 victory over Mexico in the cauldron of the Azteca.
What they have shown is character, in abundance, and they will likely need plenty more of that if they are to end 60 years of longing for a second World Cup title.
The game against Argentina will be far more than 11 vs 11; the ghosts of football history will line up alongside both teams, and the hype and pressure are sure to be enormous.
A few possible positives for England will be that they have already made par for this tournament: Ranked fourth in the world, they have reached the last four. Anything else would be a bonus. Nobody really considers them a top-two team in the world, which might help to alleviate some of the burden of expectation.
After a trip to the altitude of Mexico City, and the oppressive heat and humidity of Miami, a return to the 22-Celsius (71.6F) climate-controlled confines of Atlanta, where England overcame DR Congo in the round of 32, will be welcome.
They also have no new suspensions to deal with, with Jarell Quansah left with one game of his two-match ban to serve; and there were minutes for Reece James against Norway. England will meanwhile be hoping Declan Rice recovers fully after a 45-minute cameo in which he was patently not fit following illness.
An ageing Argentina side have struggled against the pace, movement and trickery of Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland in the past three rounds, and Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, and even Marcus Rashford will be even better placed to exploit that.
Beyond Messi, Argentina have not posed too many attacking questions themselves, though Julian Alvarez’s stunning strike against Switzerland might just be the start of his own World Cup.
All things considered, expect England to make it through to the final, but France would likely be a step too far, and even Spain would be a big ask, despite the additional motivation of revenge for their Euro 2024 final defeat.
Spain’s Mikel Merino celebrates the victory against Belgium [Jessie Alcheh/Reuters]
2. Spain
They are the third semifinalists yet to find top gear at this tournament, bar a one-sided display against Austria in the round of 32.
La Roja’s stoic defence might have been punctured for the first time this summer by Belgium in the last eight, but the 649 minutes that preceded that goal were the longest streak in World Cup history without conceding, and they have still allowed just seven shots on target in their six matches so far.
Though the goal contribution stats might not reflect it, Lamine Yamal has shown flashes of a return to top form after that season-ending hamstring injury in April, while La Roja’s carousel of tricky attackers has posed problems for defences in all six matches so far, and Mikel Merino has written himself into folklore with last-gasp winners against Portugal and Belgium.
Four-goal leading scorer Mikel Oyarzabal has gone off the boil in the past couple of games, however, and is unlikely to strike too much fear into the French backline.
While teenage defender Pau Cubarsi looks at home on the biggest stage of all, he is yet to face the kind of test that Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele will pose.
If they make the final, Spain will be favourites to win it, and they have won the World Cup the only time they previously reached the last four, but despite having beaten France in their past two encounters, a third should be beyond them.
France’s forward line of Kylian Mbappe (bottom), Ousmane Dembele (top), Bradley Barcola (right), and Michael Olise (left) is considered the strongest at the tournament [Mauro Pimentel/AFP]
1. France
Before their last-eight matchup with Morocco, we asserted that France were the class of the field with a fearsome foursome in attack and a defence that, although it had not really been tested yet, had only allowed two goals in five matches.
Well, make that two in six, even if they still have not really been tested, such was the Atlas Lions’ toothless attack on the night in their 2-0 defeat.
Mbappe further enhanced his credentials for the Golden Boot and all-time World Cup scoring record with another quality goal against Morocco, and Olise, Dembele, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola continue to threaten across the field in a way no other team on earth can.
Spain, and in particular their defence, will pose a different challenge, and the underworked French defence will likely get their own test this time, too, with the likes of Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, Ferran Torres and Fabian Ruiz getting into promising positions around Oyarzabal, and that’s not to mention super-sub Merino.
Whoever beats France will surely lift the World Cup, but none of the remaining teams can match the dynamism of Les Bleus’ forwards. Although Spain will likely be their hardest challenge, it is one you can expect Didier Deschamps’s men to overcome, not least fuelled by the additional motivation of having lost to La Roja in the Euro 2024 and Nations League semifinals over the past two years.
Ryan Blaney won a sensational overtime finish at EchoPark Speedway in a NASCAR Cup race that did not end until nearly 2am local time.
Blaney and Carson Hocevar were battling side-by-side for the race win, while Bubba Wallace threw it under them to make it three-wide in the fight for the checkered flag.
Exiting Turn 4, Blaney had the push from Christopher Bell and surged ahead of both Hocevar and Wallace at the finish line.
This is Blaney's second victory of the 2026 season, and the 19th of his Cup career. He also won the race from pole position.
Unfortunately for Wallace, he did not get to keep the runner-up spot. NASCAR penalised Wallace after ruling that he advanced his position by going below the yellow line during the three-wide fight for the win. As a result, he was dropped from second all the way down to 29th -- the final car on the lead lap.
Bell will be credited with second, Hocevar third, Ty Gibbs fourth, and Erik Jones fifth.
Shane van Gisbergen finished sixth in another impressive oval run for the three-time Supercars champion, with Austin Dillon seventh, Tyler Reddick eighth, Joey Logano ninth, and Chris Buescher tenth.
“It was definitely, honestly, a pretty awesome night," said Blaney, who earned Ford its 750th NASCAR Cup win. "I mean, having a really fast car and sitting on the pole, winning both stages and leading a ton of laps and just in a position to win the race. You never know how these things are gonna end, honestly. There are a couple of things I probably could have done better, but we were able to stick around and just how the last couple laps played out we were able to get the lead back and just barely hold on. It’s a pretty cool day when you have weekends like that. You can’t ask for a better weekend – sit on the pole, sweeps the stages, win the race. That’s a dream weekend right there. These guys are great. They brought a rocket ship and it was nice that we were able to close it out.”
Stage 1
At the start of the race, Keselowski brushed the wall and quickly fell through the field, eventually losing a lap.
The field got very spread out as cars struggled for grip, with the Penske trio firmly in control.
Reddick, Larson, and Hocevar all tried to break up the Penske party, and Larson eventually did as he took advantage of Reddick battling Cindric to pass them both.
He quickly dispatched Logano as well, and nearly cleared Blaney for the lead. Blaney held firm, and as the stage progressed, it was suddenly Reddick threatening him for the lead after starting way back in 31st.
In lapped traffic, Reddick made one last run at Blaney at the end of the stage, but the No. 12 remained in command.
Blaney won Stage 1 over Reddick, Larson, Logano, Cindric, Hocevar, A. Dillon, Briscoe, Elliott, and Wallace.
The free pass went to Preece, putting him back on the lead lap.
Stage 2
Reddick and Larson won the race off pit road over Blaney, and these three continued to battle for the lead once the green flag flew.
Drivers were getting far more aggressive, leading several to touch the wall. Hocevar, Larson, and Herbst were among those who had a close encounter with the outside wall early in the run.
Undeterred, Hocevar charged forward, and took over the race lead for a bit. However, Blaney prevailed on the longer run and reclaimed control of the race.
Unfortunately, storms arrived after 108 of 260 laps of racing, forcing an immediate red flag with lightning visible just outside the track. This yellow also put Chastain back on the lead lap via the free pass.
The stoppage lasted over three hours, and the green flag did not wave again until midnight, local time. Drivers also opted to pit, with several different strategies unfolding. Blaney and Logano went fuel-only, while Wallace and Reddick led another group with two-tire calls, and then Jones leading the rest on four fresh tires from tenth on back.
There was constant action, but once again, Penske held onto the front of the field with Blaney and Logano.
Late in the stage, Hocevar abruptly slowed with an issue. On the final lap of the stage, Wallace was inside the top five when he spun off the nose of Gibbs right as the green-and-white checkered flag.
Blaney went on to win Stage 2, ahead of Reddick, Logano, Cindric, Suarez, Gibbs, Bell, Jones, Hamlin, and Van Gisbergen.
Keselowski got the free pass during the stage break.
Gibbs and Cindric won the race off pit road, and suddenly it was a very different look to the front of the field as Blaney (and others) had to wait on fuel.
The JGR cars were suddenly the ones setting the pace now, with Gibbs leading Bell despite nonstop action right behind them.
Right on the edge of the fuel window, Allmendinger slid into the door of McDowell and spun sideways, causing a caution. Smith secured the free pass under this caution period.
Bell then won the race off pit road with a two-tire call, restarting side-by-side with larson. Larson.
What followed was nonstop battling for the race lead. The main players were Wallace, Blaney, Larson, Reddick, and Bell. There were several sketchy moments throughout the pack, including when Chastain made a four-wide pass, and the cars above him narrowly held onto their twitching cars -- including his teammate, Van Gisbergen.
With 30 laps to go, Blaney actually got into the wall after Wallace blocked him in the battle for the race lead. At the same time, the caution flew for Allmendinger, who blew a tire and slammed the wall. Blaney was not happy and drove up alongside his friend in the No. 23 under caution to show his displeasure.
Chastain in eighth was one of the first to pit for tires, with a lot of cars behind him following him down into pit lane.
Blaney took the lead on the restart, despite complaining about a vibration. Hocevar moved up to second, as Larson spun sideways from inside the top 10 due to a stack-up ahead of him.
On the restart, it was more of the same as Hocevar, Blaney, and Wallace traded the lead constantly.
With six laps to go, Larson squeezed up into Hamlin at the exit of Turn 2, sending Larson crashing into both the outside and inside walls. Briscoe spun in avoidance, crashing as well while collecting both Hill and Herbst. Bowman and T. Dillon got a small piece of it as well.
Chase Briscoe and Riley Herbst also pick up damage on another Kyle Larson crash 😳 pic.twitter.com/quqSgssfwl
Hocevar was in the lead for an overtime restart, and started reciting '(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight' by Cutting Crew over the radio ahead of the critical restart.
While Blaney initially got clear with a push from Wallace, Hocevar fought back, and had a decent lead at the white flag. Van Gisbergen made a late charge and was three-wide for second, but it was Blaney who had the momentum for the final 1.5 miles.
As Blaney and Hocevar raced side-by-side, Wallace made it three-wide on the bottom as Smith wrecked in the back.
Hocevar had zero drafting help exiting Turn 4, and got swallowed up as Blaney pulled ahead and took the win for Team Penske.
BMW recovered from a late error to pip Ferrari to victory in the World Endurance Championship’s Six Hours of Sao Paulo and boost its prospects in the Hypercar title fight.
Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor led much of the race in the #15 BMW M Hybrid, only losing the net lead in the penultimate hour when Vanthoor ran wide and handed the advantage to the #51 Ferrari 499P of James Calado.
But owing to having more fuel in the car, the #15 BMW was able to go longer and complete a shorter fuel stop in the final hour, allowing Vanthoor - who reported feeling sick on team radio - to circle back in the lead.
The Belgian eventually brought the car home just 2.2s clear of the #51 Ferrari after the rain that many had feared never materialised, helping BMW celebrate its second victory in three races following the #20 crew’s triumph at Imola in May.
At the start of the race, Will Stevens led the field from pole position in the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R, with Magnussen jumping to second ahead of the #38 Cadillac of Earl Bamber.
The BMW moved to the front after both factory Jota cars lost a heap of time at the first round of pitstops, a stuck wheel nut dropping the #12 Cadillac well down the order.
Meanwhile, the two Alpine A424s emerged as a potential threat to the #15 BMW, with a decision to short fuel the car, giving Ferdinand Habsburg and Frederic Makowiecki track position over Magnussen. The decision was prompted by Makowiecki dropping from sixth to outside the top 10 in the #35 car, with the #36 also effectively copying its offset strategy.
However, the #15 BMW continued to close the gap to the #35 Alpine over the next few hours, despite comfortably being in the net lead, with the #36 entry dropping out of the battle after a puncture.
In the fourth hour, Marciello rapidly caught up to the back of Habsburg’s team-mate Antonio Felix da Costa, allowing third-placed Alessandro Pier Guidi to also close the gap in the #51 Ferrari.
Marciello couldn’t pass da Costa on track and only moved ahead when the Alpine pitted, with Pier Guidi taking advantage of the battle to close within two seconds of him.
This would prove crucial at the next round of pitstops, when Vanthoor (BMW) and Calado (Ferrari) took over the cars from their respective team-mates. Calado had a major moment when he understeered at the exit of the pit lane and nudging the barrier, leaving a piece of advertising hoarding stuck to the front-left side of the Ferrari.
But he did not lose much time, and when Vanthoor ran off at Interlagos’ tricky inner section, Calado didn’t need a second edition to sweep past the BMW.
However, the #51 Ferrari came into the pits with exactly an hour to go in the pits, with the #15 BMW having more fuel to go almost 12 minutes further.
This allowed Vanthoor to rejoin the field in the lead, comfortably clear of Calado’s Ferrari. Although Charles Milesi passed Vanthoor for position on the BMW’s out lap, the #35 Alpine either needed top-up fuel or be aggressive with fuel saving to make it to the finish.
A slow puncture sealed the deal for the Alpine, with Vanthoor, Magnussen and Marciello going on to score their maiden Hypercar wins in the #15 BMW.
The #51 Ferrari shared by Calado, Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi had to settle for second place after an impressive recovery drive from 11th on the grid. Calado had to save fuel in the final stint, preventing him from taking the fight to Vanthoor for victory.
The final spot on the podium went to the polesitting #12 Cadillac crewed by Stevens and Norman Nato as a duo. Following the botched pit stop, the #12 car lost further time when Stevens picked up a five-second penalty for causing a collision with a GT car and Nato was spun around by the #83 Ferrari in the third hour.
The #38 Cadillac bounced back from its own troubles, including a five-second time penalty for contact, with Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais and Jack Aitken finishing fourth. Jota swapped the two cars with 15 minutes remaining to give Aitken a chance of challenging the Ferrari for third, but he dropped back to fourth after failing to close the gap to Calado.
Fifth place went to AF Corse’s satellite #83 Ferrari of Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson after Kubica took advantage of a collision between Robin Frijns and Antonio Fuoco at the exit of Senna S to pass both cars in one go.
Frijns, Sheldon van der Linde, Rene Rast and Robin Frijns finished sixth in #20 BMW, while the #50 Ferrari shared by Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen dropped to eighth after contact left Fuco facing the wrong direction. The incident is being investigated by the stewards.
With the #50 Ferrari losing ground, Tom Gamble claimed seventh in the best of the two Aston Martin Valkyries, the #007 car he shares with Harry Tincknell.
The top 10 was completed by the #009 Aston of Alex Riberas and Marco Sorensen and the #35 Alpine of Milesi, Habsburg and da Costa, with the FCY the French team had hoped for never arriving.
Less than a month after claiming its sixth win at Le Mans, Toyota failed to muster a single point at Sao Paulo. Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries struggled to 12th in the #7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid with a lack of pace, with a pair of penalties for start and FCY infringements adding to their woes. The #8 Toyota shared by Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa propped up the Hypercar field in 17th after spending 12 laps in the pits for repairs. Hartley was involved in an accident with the #17 Genesis of Andre Lotterer in the second hour which left the #8 Toyota with significant suspension damage.
It was an eventual race for Hypecar newcomer Genesis, with Paul-Loup Chatin, Daniel Juncadella and Mathieu Jaminet finishing 13th in the best of the two GMR-001s after being hit with a drive-through penalty for an FCY infringement.
Corvette takes LMGT3 honours
TF Sport scored back-to-back class wins in the WEC following its triumph at Le Mans last month, but it was the #34 Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Peter Dempsey, Charlie Eastwood and Salih Yoluc that took the top spot this time.
American Max Holloway, right, lands a punch against Conor McGregor of Ireland in his victory in their welterweight mixed martial arts bout during UFC 329 (Ian Maule)
Conor McGregor said Sunday his right knee was fine before he injured it on the first kick of his mixed martial arts showdown with Max Holloway to end a five-year layoff.
And the Irish star who lost in 69 seconds at UFC 329 in Las Vegas vowed to make another comeback once he recovers from his latest setback.
McGregor injured himself when he planted his right leg to make a leaping roundhouse kick at the start of the bout, falling to the mat for the first of three times before the fight was stopped.
"I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened," McGregor posted on X on Sunday after the bout.
"The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place."
McGregor, who had not fought since suffering a broken left leg in a 2021 defeat, promised his famed career was not yet over.
"I will overcome this," he wrote. "I will not be deterred. I will return."
McGregor described his injury as "my head gasket is gone. Destroyed," in a cryptic reference taken to mean torn knee ligaments.
"I had no injury / injuries going into the fight," McGregor posted.
"I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere."
McGregor described his situation as, "I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."
Triumphant Holloway, who joked of making McGregor "weak in the knees," said he wants to fight McGregor again whenever possible. He lost their first meeting in 2013.
"Thank you Conor for fight. Took a lot to make that walk after these past few years," Holloway posted on X. "Sending prayers for a speedy recovery."
Full-time IndyCar driver Louis Foster decided to try something very different during an off-weekend, taking on NASCAR for the first time.
The 22-year-old British driver was piloting the No. 76 Freedom Racing Enterprises Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lime Rock Park.
Foster started 26th in his Truck debut, and drove all the way up to 12th before a pit road speeding violation. He then drove through the field again, nearly reaching the top ten when he had to make an unscheduled pit stop to clean grass from the radiator.
By the end of the chaotic race, he was as high as sixth and in perfect position to secure a top ten, only to get spun out with a couple of laps remaining. He crossed the finish line in 21st. Here's what Foster had to say after the race:
NASCAR BABYYY 🦅🇺🇸
Drove from P26 to P12. Got a pit speed violation. Then from P27 to P11. Got grass in my radiator & had to pit. Up from P25 to battling for P6 with 2 laps to go & got wrecked
Foster now heads back to IndyCar where the two-time Indy 500 starter drives for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. His next race is at Nashville Superspeedway on July 19, with the 2024 Indy NXT champion hoping to improve upon his career-best finish of seventh.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni speaks to Lionel Messi during their World Cup quarter-final against Switzerland in Kansas City (Odd ANDERSEN)
England and Argentina will meet on Wednesday in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final infused with decades of bitter rivalry after they battled past Norway and Switzerland respectively in the quarter-finals.
The South Americans and their talisman Lionel Messi must defeat England in Atlanta to keep alive their hopes of becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.
England and their key partnership of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane must win to have any hope of ending a 60-year wait for a major trophy.
The winner of that game will take on the victor of France's semi-final with Spain -- they meet in Texas on Tuesday -- in the final on July 19.
The Argentina v England match comes 40 years after a seismic encounter in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Argentina secured a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Azteca with two goals from Diego Maradona -- one the infamous "Hand of God" when he punched the ball into the net and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the greatest goals ever to grace a World Cup.
For Maradona's heir, Messi, it will be his 206th match in an Albiceleste shirt, but his first ever against England.
The match will also take place against the backdrop of a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, known in Spanish as the Malvinas.
Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded.
After Argentina beat a dogged Swiss side 3-1 in Kansas City on Saturday thanks to extra-time goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, their coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to take the political heat out of the meeting with England.
"The message is this is a football game. That's what I can say," Scaloni said.
"It is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent coach and this is a football game and that's all."
- 'Very lucky ' -
That coach, Thomas Tuchel, was angry with his England team after they needed extra-time on Saturday to end Norway's historic run in sweltering Miami.
Two goals from Jude Bellingham gave England a nervy 2-1 victory to send them into the semi-finals for only the fourth time in history.
Tuchel said his team would need to make a noticeable improvement if they were to have any chance of reaching the final.
In energy-sapping Florida heat and humidity, England's shaky defence allowed Andreas Schjelderup to unleash a rasping shot from the left to put Norway ahead on 36 minutes.
But England got a huge break in first-half stoppage time when Bellingham equalised after an attack that was initiated when a goal kick from Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland appeared to hit an overhead camera cable.
Norway's players protested in vain and the goal stood. The Norwegians also had a goal controversially disallowed before Bellingham then poached the winner in extra-time.
"We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today," Tuchel said afterwards.
"The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but not happy with the performance... we were very lucky today."
While football's world governing body FIFA later said there was "no evidence" the ball had hit the cable before England's first goal, Norway coach Stale Solbakken was adamant.
"That was unlucky for us," Solbakken said. "The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction. But we can't do anything about that."
Erling Haaland, the marauding forward who scored seven goals as Norway reached uncharted waters at the tournament, said his team's performance had inspired a new generation.
"How we put Norway on the map is maybe one thing that touches me the most," said Haaland, who failed to score for the first time in 15 competitive games for his country.
"Hopefully now we can establish something when it comes to Euros, World Cups and everything because our generation is amazing and also all this gives motivation to young people back in Norway that it's possible to play a big stage in the world with a Norwegian shirt."
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