Sports
France eyes history as Mbappe’s Les Bleus meet Spain in World Cup semi
France are just one win away from reaching their third consecutive World Cup final and fifth in eight tournaments, as they prepare to take on Spain Tuesday in pursuit of extending their era of dominance.
To get there, Didier Deschamps’s side must overcome the team who have repeatedly blocked their path in recent years and whose defense has been breached only once at this tournament.
Spain, who have had a see-saw progression here, eliminated France in the Euro 2024 semifinals and beat them again in a nine-goal Nations League thriller last year, but this time Les Bleus arrive with the competition’s two most prolific forwards – Kylian Mbappe on eight goals and Ousmane Dembele on five – and a much more balanced team.
There is considerable continuity between the teams who met in Munich two years ago, when Spain recovered from Randal Kolo Muani’s early header to win 2-1 with goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo.
Seven of the players who started for France that night could again be in the line-up in Dallas, but the resemblance largely ends there.
France arrived at the Euro 2024 semifinal as a team still searching for fluency.
Mbappe had been hampered by the fractured nose he suffered in their opening game, Antoine Griezmann was struggling to impose himself and the side had reached the last four despite failing to score freely from open play.
Different foundation
Their progress in the United States has been built on a very different foundation.
Mbappe and Dembele have scored 13 goals between them, Michael Olise has provided invention and control between the lines, while Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue have offered another explosive option either from the start or off the bench.
France have become more coherent without the ball and more varied with it, capable of attacking at speed, slowing down the game or defending in a compact block for long periods without appearing uncomfortable.
That tactical flexibility was evident in their 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco, when they resisted pressure, denied their opponents clear chances and waited patiently for the openings that eventually decided the match.
It is precisely that balance which will be tested against Spain, who will be able to rely on Lamine, a player rediscovering his groove after arriving at the tournament nursing a hamstring injury.
Luis de la Fuente’s side have retained the collective philosophy that carried them to the European title, using possession not merely to create chances but to suffocate opponents and protect their own defense.
Their record of one goal conceded underlines how rarely teams have been able to play through them, although Belgium showed during Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal win that they can be unsettled when opponents escape the initial press and attack the space behind their midfield.
France appear better equipped than most to exploit those moments.
Mbappe’s pace will discourage Spain’s defenders from holding too high a line, while Dembele’s ability to attack from the flank can create uncertainty over where the greatest threat will emerge.
Olise, meanwhile, has become one of France’s most important connectors, drifting inside to combine with the midfield before brutally accelerating attacks.
Deschamps will need to decide whether he wants to reinforce the midfield or remain faithful to the attacking structure that has made France the tournament’s most feared side.
Committing four attacking players would give Spain more to worry about, but could also leave France exposed if their press is bypassed.
History within reach
“We are the only ones to have beaten them twice in a row, but this third match will be very different,” De la Fuente said after the victory over Belgium.
“These are two very high-level teams who are going to face each other.”
France, however, have history within reach.
They reached the World Cup final in 1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022, winning twice, and victory in Dallas would send them into a fifth final in eight tournaments.
It would also make them the first nation since Brazil between 1994 and 2002 to appear in three consecutive World Cup finals.
That consistency has been built around Deschamps’s ability to renew his team without sacrificing its competitive identity. The side that won in 2018 was founded on defensive solidity and ruthless transitions; the 2022 finalists leaned heavily on Mbappe’s brilliance. This version appears deeper, more adventurous and less dependent on a single route to victory.
Spain may be the only opponents capable of exposing any remaining flaws.
They have conceded only once, possess the technical quality to deprive France of the ball and have repeatedly shown they can turn long spells of control into decisive bursts around the penalty area.
Yet France enter the meeting with more firepower, greater confidence and a sense that their evolution has brought them to a point where recent defeats no longer define the matchup.
Top-seeded Italian Jannik Sinner held off a fierce challenge from Alexander Zverev to defend his Wimbledon title and claim his fifth Grand Slam trophy in a dramatic final Sunday.
Zverev, in his first Wimbledon final hot on the heels of winning the French Open, threatened an upset after taking an intense opening set, but eventually ran out of firepower as Sinner found another gear to win 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4.
The destiny of the title was still on a knife-edge nearly three hours into an absorbing contest, but second seed Zverev’s resistance finally cracked after a nasty tumble in the third set and Sinner surged on to the title.
Sinner, 24, became the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title last year by beating Carlos Alcaraz and now joins an elite list of 10 men to successfully defend it in the professional era.
It was a 10th successive victory for Sinner over Zverev, but this time he was pushed to the limit by the 29-year-old, who had been bidding to become the first German man to win the Wimbledon title since Michael Stich in 1991.
Zverev’s first-serve percentage hovered around 80% for much of the match, while his forehand, often his Achilles heel at big moments during his career, proved a fearsome weapon as he went toe-to-toe with his opponent.
Sinner’s second-round meltdown at the French Open and then a close shave in the first round here against Miomir Kecmanovic a fortnight ago raised doubts about his form and condition.
But he ended the tournament showing why he is the best in the world, not dropping a single service game in a semifinal defeat of Novak Djokovic and in a ferocious final.
No better place
“There’s no better place, honestly, to play tennis,” Sinner said as he cradled the pineapple-topped Challenge Cup.
“I’m standing here. You can feel the nerves in a Sunday morning when you wake up, that this is a very special day, and you never know how many times you can come back. So I never take things for granted,” he said.
“It always takes two players. We try to give everything we have. I’m very happy about the win, but mostly very happy also about the level we played.”
On a hot and breezy Centre Court, an intense 65-minute first set full of heavy-metal tennis boiled down to tiny margins.
Only one breakpoint was on offer in the opening 12 games, with Sinner missing his chance at 4-3 on the Zverev serve when he uncharacteristically framed a forehand wide.
The pace and accuracy of Zverev’s forehand shook Sinner early on while the 6-foot-6 German dropped only eight points on serve in the opening set.
Zverev reached set point first in a high-quality tiebreak but was passed at the net after chasing a drop shot.
He then saved set point with an ace and when his chance came again, the free-flowing German cracked away a forehand to end Sinner’s run of winning 14 successive sets against him.
Frustration began to show on Sinner’s face early in the second set as he could make no impact on Zverev’s service games with the German confidently striding around the court.
But in the day’s second tiebreak, Zverev wavered for the first time and Sinner turned up the heat to level the match.
The booming serves and ferocious ball-striking continued into the third set, but just when Zverev threatened to strike, the match suddenly veered towards Sinner.
Zverev shaken by fall
At 3-3, Zverev earned his first breakpoint of the match after two hours and 42 minutes, but when Sinner conjured a deft drop shot, Zverev slipped behind the dusty baseline and fell awkwardly. Sinner walked around to check on his opponent and while Zverev said he was okay, he was clearly shaken.
Sinner held and then broke serve for the first time as Zverev was moving a little gingerly, the German flinging away his racket across the turf in frustration.
Zverev recovered his poise in the fourth set, but Sinner was locked in and broke serve for 4-3.
The best was saved for last with Sinner winning an incredible 23-stroke rally with an angled dink to bring up match point before sealing victory – his 100th in Grand Slams – with a forehand winner after three hours and 46 minutes.
Despite a fourth Grand Slam final defeat, Zverev can reflect on the best stretch of his career after winning his first major title in Paris and finally cracking the code on Wimbledon’s lawns after never previously going past the fourth round.
“That’s the tennis I want to play. That’s the game style I want to play,” said Zverev, who will move above Alcaraz to second in the rankings Monday.
“The more I do it, the better I’ll become, hopefully.”
Seven-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez completed a Sachsenring sweep Sunday, following up his sprint victory with a commanding win in the German Grand Prix to boost his position in the championship battle.
The factory Ducati rider converted pole position into victory but was made to work early on by his younger brother Alex Marquez.
The Gresini Racing rider stayed close to Marc in the opening stages before crashing out on lap 10, ending his challenge.
With Alex out of contention, Marquez controlled the race from the front, keeping Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura at bay to secure a record 10th premier-class victory at one of his favourite circuits.
Ogura passed Fernandez late in the race to finish second and become the first Japanese rider since 2002 to secure three successive premier-class podiums, with Fernandez taking third.
Championship leader Jorge Martin finished fifth for Aprilia after crossing the line behind KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who took fourth place.
VR46 Racing’s Fabio Di Giannantonio, regarded as Marquez’s biggest challenger after qualifying third and finishing on the sprint podium, crashed out early and missed the opportunity to move to the top of the standings.
Former championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was ruled out after fracturing his left collarbone in a heavy qualifying crash, with Aprilia saying on Sunday that the Italian had undergone successful surgery but faced an uncertain recovery timeline.
Newly crowned Wimbledon women’s champion Linda Noskova has revealed that a glimpse of the trophy during a bathroom break inspired her comeback as she rallied to beat Karolina Muchova in Saturday’s final.
Noskova was in danger of blowing her bid for a maiden Grand Slam title after squandering five match points to blow a 5-2 lead in a chaotic second set on Centre Court.
The 21-year-old hid her head in a towel and wiped away tears of frustration after her fellow Czech and close friend Muchova levelled the final at one-set all.
Noskova trudged sadly towards the locker room in a bid to recompose herself for the final set.
On that walk, she noticed the Venus Rosewater Dish gleaming in a trophy cabinet alongside the runners-up shield.
The thought of having to make do with the losers’ consolation prize shook Noskova out of her malaise and she stormed back to take the title in the final set.
“I was just telling myself that the match is starting over. I was in the bathroom. I just splashed some cold water on me, started over again,” she said.
“But what really helped me, the first step I took off court, the trophies were there. I was like, ‘I’m not going to take the small one, I’m taking the big one. I have been so close. This will probably be the heartbreak of my life.’
“If I’m going to leave my soul on court in the third set, whatever that be. I just kind of started to focus on myself all over again, which was the key point,” she said.
Jana Novotna’s tears on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after she squandered an apparently decisive advantage against Steffi Graf in the 1993 final remains one of Wimbledon’s most famous moments.
Noskova’s fellow Czech had to wait until 1998 for her cathartic winning moment, but the ninth seed, playing in her first Grand Slam final, staved off three break points at the start of the third set before landing a crucial break.
Noskova admitted the pressure-packed situation had overwhelmed her in the second set as the match points slipped through her grasp across three different games.
‘Had to fight for it’
“My hand kind of froze at certain moments. My feet were not as quick as they had been before,” she said.
When her next match point arrived, this time she seized the moment, sealing a life-changing 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory before falling to the turf in joy and disbelief.
Noskova is the youngest women’s champion since another Czech, Petra Kvitova, won in 2011.
Fittingly, two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova was watching from the royal box and she congratulated Noskova, who idolized her as a child, when they met in the Centre Court lounge after the match.
Noskova follows in the footsteps of fellow Czech Wimbledon winners Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Noskova and Muchova are good friends and the pair were emotional in their interviews after receiving their trophies from the Princess of Wales.
For Noskova, holding the silverware aloft validated her moment of clarity less than an hour earlier in the corridors of Centre Court.
It still wasn’t enough to mask the painful memory of her mother Ivana’s death from cancer two years ago.
Unable to hold back the tears, Noskova paid tribute to her before blowing a kiss to the sky.
Having shown her heart and desire in spades, Noskova had done her mother proud.
“A final is a final. No matter what you do, there’s always pressure. You always want to keep your cool, be okay, be like nothing is happening. But deep inside of you, you know it’s very important,” she said.
“Just winning it this way, really having to fight for it, having all these ups and downs, it matters a lot, but I do have to learn a lot from this match, definitely.”
A self-described “down-to-earth” personality, Noskova leaves Wimbledon with the world at her feet.
England and Argentina booked a blockbuster World Cup semifinal showdown Saturday after beating Norway and Switzerland, respectively, to reach the last four.
In sweltering Miami, two goals from Jude Bellingham gave England a nervy 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway to send the Three Lions into the semifinals for only the fourth time in history.
Defending champions Argentina later sealed their place in the last four after a nail-biting 3-1 win over 10-man Switzerland at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time for Argentina, who had been on the ropes after a second-half equalizer from Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye cancelled out Alexis Mac Allister’s early opener for the holders.
The two results mean that England and Argentina will renew one of the World Cup’s most iconic rivalries when they face each other in the semifinals in Atlanta Wednesday.
The winner of that game will take on the victor of France’s semifinal with Spain, who meet in Texas on Tuesday, in the final on July 19.
Angry Tuchel
Furious England manager Thomas Tuchel said his team would need to make a drastic improvement if they were to have any chance of progressing beyond the semifinals.
In intense Florida heat and humidity, a shaky England fell behind on 36 minutes through Andreas Schjelderup’s rasping shot from the left.
But England got a huge slice of luck in first-half stoppage time when Bellingham equalized after an attack that began when a goal kick from Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland appeared to hit an overhead camera cable.
Norway’s players protested to no avail and the goal stood. The Norwegians also had a goal controversially disallowed before Bellingham then bagged England’s winner in extra time.
“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today,” Tuchel said afterward.
“The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but not happy with the performance … we were very lucky today.”
While FIFA later issued a statement saying 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. I don’t think we will play the game again. So, that’s that’s how it is.”
Argentina dig deep
In Kansas City, Argentina were taken to extra time for the second time this tournament before battling to a 3-1 win over Switzerland.
The world champions took the lead after just 10 minutes, with Lionel Messi’s outswinging corner finding the head of Mac Allister.
The Liverpool midfielder leapt up behind Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji and steered his header past Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Yet Switzerland rallied after that early setback, with their physicality and well-organized defense frustrating the Argentina attack.
As the match wore on, Switzerland grew in confidence and enjoyed their best period of pressure in the second half against increasingly weary-looking opponents.
In the 67th minute, the Swiss breakthrough came.
Ndoye worked a deft one-two with Ricardo Rodriguez down the left and then shot past Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to make it 1-1.
But with Argentina rocking the momentum swung back in the South Americans’ favor when Swiss forward Breel Embolo was shown his second yellow card and sent off in tears after a VAR review.
Switzerland bravely held out to take the match to extra time and looked to be poised to take the game to penalty shoot-outs.
But Alvarez curled a magnificent screamer into the top corner in the 112th minute to break the deadlock and then in the dying moments Martinez finished a counterattack to complete the win.
“Obviously you have to suffer, you have to know how to suffer,” said Alvarez after scoring his first goal of the tournament. “That’s how the matches are playing out right now.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted his team had had “many many difficulties.”
He added: “Sometimes we couldn’t find the solutions, but today we had luck on our side because one of their players was sent off.”
Fans will soon have the chance to own a piece of World Cup history after FIFA announced it will sell authenticated fragments of the natural grass pitch used in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The collectibles, marketed as the “2026 FIFA World Cup Piece of the Pitch,” feature genuine sections of the championship field permanently preserved in premium acrylic displays. FIFA says each item includes authentication features and is designed as a lasting keepsake from one of soccer’s biggest events.
“Own a genuine piece of football history with an authentic 2026 FIFA World Cup™ Piece of the Pitch, permanently preserved in a premium acrylic with a USB keepsake,” FIFA says in the product description on its official online store.
“Each piece contains an original fragment of the iconic Final playing surface, making it a unique collectible that celebrates one of the world’s greatest sporting events.”
The entry-level Foundation Edition is priced at $450, while higher-end versions range into the thousands of dollars. The premium Hero Edition, which sells for as much as $3,000, includes a larger section of the pitch along with exclusive memorabilia such as a gold-etched commemorative ticket, a miniature World Cup ball and other display items.
Each collectible is engraved with details including the official 2026 FIFA World Cup logo, MetLife Stadium, the date of the final on July 19, 2026, and the match result.
FIFA said orders will not be shipped until after the final is played and, for now, deliveries are limited to customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.
The sale comes as the temporary natural grass field installed for the World Cup is scheduled to be removed once the tournament ends.
MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, normally uses an artificial playing surface for American football. To meet FIFA’s tournament requirements, organizers installed a specially prepared natural grass pitch for the World Cup, which must be dismantled before the stadium returns to NFL use.
Rather than discarding the field, FIFA is transforming sections of the turf into authenticated collectibles, creating a new revenue stream while giving supporters an opportunity to own a tangible piece of the tournament.
The initiative also arrives amid the long-running debate over natural grass versus artificial turf. Many NFL players have argued that natural grass provides a safer playing surface and may reduce the risk of lower-body injuries, while FIFA has consistently required natural grass for its flagship competitions.
Preparing MetLife Stadium for the World Cup required extensive modifications, including the installation of the temporary grass surface to satisfy FIFA’s standards for international competition.
The “Piece of the Pitch” collection continues a growing trend of sports organizations turning iconic match-used items into premium memorabilia. Limited availability has already fueled strong demand, with some editions selling out shortly after launch.
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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