Barcelona have made their move for Karim Adeyemi, submitting an official offer to Borussia Dortmund for the Germany international as the Catalan giants look to strengthen their attack ahead of the new season.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Barcelona has formally approached Dortmund for the 24-year-old winger, although the financial details of the proposal have not been disclosed.

Negotiations between the clubs are ongoing, with Barcelona awaiting Dortmund’s response.

The move comes after months of uncertainty surrounding Adeyemi’s future. While his contract runs through June 2027, talks over an extension have stalled, making a summer transfer increasingly likely.

According to multiple reports, including Marca, Adeyemi has already agreed to personal terms with Barcelona and has made it clear that the Spanish champions are the only club he is willing to join during this transfer window. Dortmund is reportedly seeking around 50 million euros ($57 million) to approve a deal.

Adeyemi joined Dortmund from RB Salzburg in 2022 as one of Germany’s brightest attacking prospects. Although he has produced flashes of brilliance with his explosive speed and direct style, he has struggled to establish himself as an undisputed starter.

Under coach Niko Kovac during the 2025-26 campaign, Adeyemi featured in 28 Bundesliga matches, making 15 starts and averaging just over 42 minutes per appearance. He finished the league season with seven goals and four assists while adding three goals and two assists in the UEFA Champions League, ending the campaign with roughly 10 goals and six assists across all competitions.

Despite those numbers, his role remained inconsistent, and Dortmund increasingly relied on him as a rotational option rather than a regular starter.

His uncertain standing at the club has been mirrored by difficult contract negotiations.

German newspaper Bild previously reported that extension talks were close to collapsing because of significant differences between the two sides. Adeyemi, now represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes, reportedly sought a substantial salary increase from his estimated annual earnings of €6.5 million, along with an exit clause in any new agreement.

Dortmund has shown little willingness to meet those demands, particularly given the winger’s inconsistent performances and injury setbacks over the past several seasons. Ruhr Nachrichten also reported growing frustration among club executives as negotiations failed to make progress.

Adeyemi, however, has publicly rejected much of the speculation.

Speaking to WAZ in June, the Germany international insisted reports surrounding the negotiations had been exaggerated.

“I generally don’t follow the media much,” Adeyemi said. “However, I am constantly sent news or statements talking about deadlocks in talks or negotiations, for example alleged salary demands that are unfortunately not reported accurately.”

He also reiterated his affection for Dortmund while acknowledging that clarity from the club would ultimately determine his future.

“I have expressed my commitment to Borussia Dortmund many times and have always emphasized what I appreciate about this club and how passionately I am attached to it,” he said.

“The most important thing for me is to get a clear signal from the club, regardless of which direction the final decision will take. If I am clearly told what the plans are, I will always accept them. Life goes on, my career is still very long and I have a lot more to do.”

That clear direction may now come in the form of a transfer.

With only two years remaining on his contract, Dortmund faces increasing pressure to decide whether to cash in this summer or risk seeing Adeyemi’s market value decline as his deal approaches its final year.

Barcelona believes the winger is an ideal fit for coach Hansi Flick’s high-intensity system. Flick previously worked with Adeyemi in the German national team setup and values his pace, versatility and pressing ability.

Capable of playing on either wing or through the middle, Adeyemi would add another dynamic option alongside Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Barcelona’s other attacking talents.

The pursuit also reflects Barcelona’s continued focus on recruiting young players with significant upside while balancing financial restrictions under La Liga’s salary regulations.

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When four-time World Cup champion Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament, then-head coach Gennaro Gattuso questioned FIFA’s expanded allocation of World Cup places to Africa.

“Africa deserves fewer World Cup slots,” he said, referring to the continent’s automatic qualification places increasing from five to nine under the expanded 48-team format. The total later rose to 10 after the Democratic Republic of Congo won an intercontinental playoff to secure its first World Cup appearance in 52 years.

But was Gattuso, who helped Italy lift the World Cup as a midfielder in 2006, right? Was Africa overrepresented in the United States, Canada and Mexico?

Apart from a disastrous showing by Tunisia, which axed coach Sabri Lamouchi after its first group game and lost all three matches, African flag-bearers proved competitive, justifying their presence.

The other nine representatives reached the knockout stage, five as group runners-up. The other four were among the eight best third-placed teams.

That represents a 90% success rate, the highest among FIFA’s regional confederations, followed by South America (83.33%), Europe (81.25%) and Asia (22.22%).

Europe did surge to the fore in the knockout phase with six quarterfinalists. Africa and South America had one each.

African teams were less successful in the round of 32, with seven eliminated. Egypt reached the round of 16, and Morocco became the first African team to reach the quarterfinals twice.

A worrying trend was conceding late goals, with star strikers Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland among those benefiting.

Messi equalized as Argentina turned a two-goal deficit against Egypt into a 3-2 victory. Kane scored twice as England edged the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Haaland netted the winner as Norway beat Ivory Coast.

A spectacular collapse saw Senegal surrender a two-goal advantage with five minutes remaining against Belgium to lose after extra time.

Many Africans believed Senegal would be the best performer among the 10 qualifiers, but the Teranga Lions flopped, losing three of four games and scraping into the round of 32 as the eighth-best third-placed team.

In the aftermath of the Teranga Lions’ exit, there were hints of internal strife. Midfielder Pape Gueye said he would not represent his country again until coach Pape Thiaw was dismissed.

Dramatic turnaround

Egypt led Argentina 2-0, having had another goal controversially disallowed, with 12 minutes remaining.

But a dramatic turnaround culminated in an Enzo Fernandez header giving the titleholders a 3-2 victory.

Losing coach Hossam Hassan speculated that the officiating team, headed by French referee Francois Letexier, may have been subjected to “external pressure” to favor Argentina.

FIFA referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina responded: “Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best.”

TV analyst and former France star Thierry Henry said, “African sides relax too early. People talk about talent and passion, but when they go two goals up, the focus drops.”

Co-analyst and former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic added: “Several African teams that were leading found a way to lose. In a World Cup, that is not bad luck, that is bad game management.”

Morocco’s loss to France in the quarterfinals demonstrated that while African football is progressing, there is still a significant gap when facing Europe’s elite.

It took the Atlas Lions 83 minutes to register a shot on target, and France goalkeeper Mike Maignan comfortably pushed away a speculative effort from Azzedine Ounahi.

There were no excuses from Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi.

“France are a really great side … they have rarely had as much talent as they do now.”

Morocco has already qualified for the 2030 World Cup along with fellow hosts Portugal and Spain. A 115,000-seat stadium is being built near Casablanca with the aim of staging the final.

While Morocco went the furthest, round-of-32 loser Cape Verde enthralled millions of spectators and TV viewers despite not winning any of its four matches.

The tiny archipelago off West Africa, with a population of just over half a million, held Spain to a 0-0 draw in its opening match.

Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, made a string of superb saves to deny one of the title favorites.

The worldwide impact was stunning. His Instagram following soared from 50,000 to 5 million.

Cape Verde equalized twice before losing 3-2 to Argentina in a round-of-32 match, and its second goal, a looping cross-cum-shot from Sidny Lopes Cabral, should be a contender for the best goal of the tournament.

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Kylian Mbappe eased fears over his fitness after leaving France’s World Cup quarterfinal victory early Thursday, insisting he is “completely fine” after scoring his 20th career World Cup goal in a 2-0 win over Morocco that sent the defending champions into a third consecutive semifinal.

The French superstar was substituted in the 77th minute, prompting concern among supporters, but quickly downplayed the issue after the match, saying the decision was purely precautionary.

“I have a minor ankle injury, but I’m completely fine,” Mbappe said after the final whistle. “(Jean-Philippe) Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That’s all that happened.”

Mbappe walked off under his own power and waved to the crowd with both arms before taking his place on the bench, easing fears that France could be without its biggest star for next week’s semifinal.

Before his exit, the 27-year-old delivered another milestone performance, breaking the deadlock in the 60th minute with his eighth goal of the tournament and the 20th of his World Cup career. The strike kept him level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot, while Messi still holds a one-goal advantage in the all-time World Cup scoring charts.

After missing a first-half penalty that was saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Mbappe responded in trademark fashion. A deflected ball fell kindly to him just outside the penalty area, and he curled a precise right-footed shot around defender Issa Diop and inside the left post to give France the breakthrough.

Ousmane Dembele doubled France’s advantage six minutes later, capping a swift counterattack after Morocco pushed numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Mbappe’s run to the left created space for Dembele, who fired a low right-footed effort from about 20 yards. Although Bounou got a hand to the shot, he could not keep it out.

Dembele’s goal continued his impressive turnaround after failing to score in his first 12 World Cup appearances. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner has now found the net five times in his last five matches at the tournament.

France’s victory secured a place in the semifinals for the third consecutive World Cup, keeping alive its bid to become only the third nation to reach three straight finals. Les Bleus will face the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.

“I want them to continue watching the games, giving us the strength,” Mbappe said of the French supporters. “Even though they’re not in the stadium, we feel their energy. And we will try to gather the masses for the next matches.”

France largely controlled the match against a Morocco side missing injured forward Ismael Saibari. The Atlas Lions were held scoreless for the first time in the tournament and were eliminated by France for the second straight World Cup after also losing 2-0 in the 2022 semifinals.

Morocco, the final African nation remaining in the competition after nine of the continent’s 10 qualifiers reached the knockout stage, struggled to create clear opportunities. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was rarely troubled, making his only significant save in the 83rd minute when he comfortably stopped a long-range effort from Azzedine Ounahi.

“Of course we need to take stock of the situation if we want to progress; it’s essential,” Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said. “We cannot just say that we’re happy and proud of what we’ve done. We need to move forward, and in order to do so, we have to be objective and to do some self-criticism.”

France manager Didier Deschamps praised his side for overcoming another difficult knockout test while immediately turning his attention to the semifinal.

“We are exactly where we wanted to be,” Deschamps said. “We will recover well and see who our opponent will be. I imagine there’s a lot of excitement and passion in France. Here, we are in our own bubble, and I am even more so. That’s what we’re here for, and the players have a duty to do everything they can to go as far as possible. We’ve cleared a major hurdle.”

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The expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the most-attended tournament in history, smashing the overall attendance record with games still to play, although its average crowd per match will remain below the benchmark established by the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

With 96 of the tournament’s 104 matches completed, FIFA said total attendance has reached 6,259,589 spectators, nearly doubling the previous record of 3,587,538 set during the 1994 World Cup.

The current average attendance stands at 65,204 fans per match.

Even if every remaining quarterfinal, semifinal, third-place playoff and final is played before a capacity crowd, the tournament cannot mathematically surpass the 1994 competition’s record average of 68,991 spectators per game.

The contrast largely reflects the evolution of the tournament. The 1994 World Cup featured just 24 teams playing 52 matches, while the 2026 edition is the first to include 48 teams competing across 104 games in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The expanded format has dramatically increased the total number of spectators but also spread attendance across twice as many fixtures.

Despite occasional television images showing empty seats, FIFA said the tournament has achieved an extraordinary 99.7% stadium occupancy rate, indicating that virtually every available ticket has been sold.

Visible gaps have generally been attributed to ticket holders arriving late, security procedures or spectators choosing not to attend after purchasing tickets.

One of the tournament’s biggest attendance successes has been Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, where five matches attracted a combined crowd of 404,120 fans.

With a capacity exceeding 80,000, the historic stadium once again proved one of the competition’s premier venues, continuing its legacy after hosting the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986.

The attendance record was officially broken during the group stage, well before the knockout rounds began, highlighting the enormous demand generated by football’s first 48-team World Cup.

The expanded tournament drew more than 4.6 million fans during the group stage alone, reflecting strong ticket sales across all three host nations.

Large-capacity stadiums throughout North America, combined with easy travel links and significant support from immigrant and diaspora communities, have fueled the tournament’s remarkable numbers.

Fans from more than 210 countries and territories have attended matches, underscoring the sport’s growing global appeal.

Although some lower-profile group-stage matches attracted smaller crowds than marquee fixtures, attendance remained consistently strong throughout the competition.

FIFA credited modern ticketing systems, fan festivals, improved infrastructure and widespread international interest for sustaining near-capacity crowds across the tournament.

The World Cup is now entering its final stages, with Mexico and Canada no longer represented after their eliminatio

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered more than memorable moments on the field, with supporters transforming stadiums and fan zones across the United States, Canada and Mexico into spectacular showcases of national pride through vibrant costumes, elaborate face paint and a sea of waving flags.

As the tournament heads toward its crescendo on July 19, fans from every corner of the globe have become part of the spectacle, creating an atmosphere that extends far beyond the action on the pitch.

Every matchday has evolved into a celebration of culture, identity and football, with supporters turning host cities into lively festivals that highlight the diversity and unity of the world’s most popular sport.

Heart of the celebration

Official FIFA Fan Festivals and fan zones have emerged as gathering places for thousands of supporters, offering an immersive experience for those without match tickets while serving as meeting points for fans from different nations.

Host cities including Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey and Houston have welcomed crowds with giant viewing screens, live entertainment, concerts, food vendors, cultural exhibitions and interactive activities that keep the festivities going throughout the day.

Long before kickoff, supporters have flooded these venues draped in national colors, singing anthems, exchanging scarves and taking photographs with rival fans. The atmosphere often resembles an international street festival, where football becomes the common language among strangers from every continent.

Inside stadiums, the celebrations intensify.

Hours before matches begin, supporters fill the stands with coordinated chants, colorful banners and synchronized displays that create breathtaking scenes visible across the arena.

Face paint

Among the tournament’s most recognizable traditions is face painting, which has become an essential part of the World Cup experience.

Professional artists and volunteers at fan zones spend hours creating everything from simple flag designs to intricate portraits of star players, mascots and national emblems. The artwork allows supporters to wear their country’s identity proudly throughout the tournament.

Brazilian fans remain among the most recognizable, covering their faces in green and yellow while celebrating football as an integral part of their national identity. Supporters from across the world have embraced similarly elaborate designs, with many dedicating hours to creating detailed artwork before entering stadiums.

The tradition has grown into one of the tournament’s defining visual features, turning crowds into colorful displays of patriotism and creativity.

Costumes celebrate culture as much as football

Supporters have once again demonstrated that World Cup fashion extends far beyond jerseys.

Fans frequently combine traditional clothing with football-themed accessories, producing elaborate outfits that celebrate both their heritage and their teams.

Japanese fans have blended traditional kimonos with modern football apparel and cosplay-inspired costumes while continuing their well-known tradition of helping clean stadiums after matches.

DR Congo supporters have attracted worldwide attention through Michel Kuka Mboladinga, better known as Lumumba Vea, whose unique “living statue” performance has become one of the tournament’s most recognizable fan displays.

Standing motionless on a pedestal with his right arm raised in tribute to Patrice Lumumba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s assassinated independence leader and national hero, the superfan first gained international acclaim during the Africa Cup of Nations before bringing the tradition to the World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, for DR Congo’s match against Colombia.

Despite visa challenges preventing him from attending some matches in the United States, Lumumba, and at times fellow supporters who have continued the symbolic pose, has turned the tribute into a powerful expression of resilience, historical remembrance and unwavering national pride.

Elsewhere, South Korean supporters have worn hanbok-inspired outfits, Norwegian fans have embraced Viking helmets, Colombian supporters have appeared in tiger costumes and lucha libre masks, Scottish fans have showcased tartan attire and their famous traffic cone hats, England supporters have dressed as medieval knights carrying St. George’s flags, Moroccan fans have adopted lion-inspired themes and Dutch supporters have once again filled stadiums with their trademark sea of orange.

Many groups have spent months planning matching outfits, handcrafting accessories and organizing elaborate displays that have become attractions in their own right.

Flags remain football’s universal language

No symbol defines the World Cup more than the national flag.

Supporters wave them from the stands, wear them as capes and display massive coordinated banners that transform stadiums into colorful mosaics before kickoff.

With the expanded 48-team tournament bringing together a record number of nations, flags have become powerful symbols of identity while also encouraging friendly exchanges between rival supporters sharing the same venues and fan festivals.

Scarves, jerseys and coordinated chants amplify the atmosphere, with traditions such as the United States supporters’ “I Believe That We Will Win!” chant joining long-standing fan rituals from around the football world.

While the competition will ultimately crown football’s next world champion on July 19, the fans have already created a tournament that celebrates something even broader.

The multicultural backdrop of North America has amplified the festival atmosphere, allowing supporters from different backgrounds to share traditions, music and customs while celebrating the sport together.

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Karolina Muchova was ready to put her body on the line for a place in the Wimbledon final. A maiden Grand Slam title could heal all past wounds when she takes on Czech compatriot Linda Noskova on Saturday.

Even as Muchova’s surgically patched-up body went hurtling toward the turf after conjuring a showstopping dive ⁠volley to catch Coco Gauff off guard in their semifinal, she never ⁠lost sight of the ball.

So what if the shot had taken the racket out of her hands, or that the fall could once again damage a body that had already been put through the wringer with an assortment of ankle, abdominal, and wrist injuries?

That single-minded focus allowed Muchova to end ​Gauff’s incredible run of living dangerously at this year’s Wimbledon as she saved a match point in the third-​set ⁠tiebreak to topple the American in a nerve-shredding 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) thriller.

All-Czech final

With compatriot and ninth-seed Noskova beating Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-4 in Thursday’s second semifinal, a subdued contest by comparison, the duo set up an all-Czech women’s final at a Grand Slam for the first time.

It also meant that for the third time in four years, a Czech will hold aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish, following the triumphs of Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024.

“It was such a big fight. It was a rollercoaster, you’re up and down,” a beaming 29-year-old, still trying to catch her breath, told the crowd.

“In 10 seconds, you have a match point, then you’re match point down. There’s no time to think, but very nerve-racking. I don’t even know what I’m saying.

“I’m really shaking and trying to let it sink in, but the atmosphere here, indescribable.”

Many of the fans who had sweltered on the edge of their seats as Muchova and Gauff went toe-to-toe were slow to return for the second semifinal.

Kostyuk, trying to become the first Ukrainian woman in the professional era to reach a Grand Slam final, struggled to fire herself up as the 21-year-old ⁠Noskova ⁠navigated her first major semifinal in calm fashion.

Only when Kostyuk blazed a forehand into the tramlines on the second match point did Noskova let her guard slip.

“I couldn’t ⁠really ⁠believe it. You always want to be in those moments. You always want to win these big matches. But when it actually happens, you don’t know how to react,” ninth seed Noskova said.

“I always realise any success… or a good tournament after it’s all done. Right now, I feel like I’m already focusing on the final.”

Gauff left to rue match point

Gauff had never flourished on Wimbledon’s lawns before this year, but after surviving several tough contests, looked set to make the final with Muchova struggling physically in the deciding set of an absorbing contest.

Her moment seemed to have arrived at 9-8 in the tiebreak as Muchova could only spoon back a serve. With the court at her mercy, Gauff had countless options but attempted a drop shot that finished in the bottom of the net.

“At the end of the day, that’s the choice I made. Was it the right one in that moment? Maybe not,” Gauff said later.

“I just panicked a little bit.”

Electrifying tiebreak

Muchova was among those who could scarcely believe the drama that was unfolding during an electrifying tiebreak where she had surged to a 4-1 lead, extended that ⁠to 6-3, before Gauff battled back to reach match point first.

Muchova then slipped at the net as Gauff saved one match point, but the Czech made no mistake at the second time of asking, running Gauff side to side before the American missed.

“In my head, I was thinking just like I have to keep hitting. I was telling myself if I’m going to lose this, I ​want to lose on my own terms,” said the former French Open finalist.

Furnace on Centre Court

No one would have guessed that Muchova is allergic to grass and requires “a lot ​of pills, sprays, eyedrops” just to step onto the most famous patch of turf in tennis.

While spectators struggled to stay cool in the furnace-like atmosphere on Centre Court, Muchova’s pick-and-mix variety of grasscourt craft shone brightly as she broke Gauff in the third and fifth games. A 111 mph ace sealed ⁠the set for Muchova ‌and put her ‌within touching distance of a first Wimbledon final.

However, no one can accuse Gauff of holding up the white flag ⁠when the going gets tough, and for the fifth round in succession, she was ready to go ‌the distance.

Muchova played audacious tennis

After squandering her first eight break point opportunities, the American seventh seed finally got the breakthrough on her ninth to take a 3-1 lead before breaking again at 5-1 to send her ​mother into raptures in the player’s box.

After two one-sided ⁠sets, both protagonists displayed their incredible ball-striking ability in a captivating decider.

Gauff had two chances to break for a 5-4 lead ⁠, but once the 10th seed Muchova used her get-out-of-jail-free card to wriggle out of that spot of bother, there was no stopping her.

Despite holding her side at times, ⁠she played some audacious tennis in the ​tiebreak, including the dive volley and a topspin lob to earn her first match point.

While that one went begging, she was soon holding her arms aloft after a 2-hour, 35-minute spectacle.

“Obviously got super close,” Gauff said. “A match for sure to remember. It’s tough to digest. I left it all out there.”

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