Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: July 11, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

World Cup Quarterfinals Set to Ignite

Spain secured their spot in the semifinals with a narrow 1-0 victory over Belgium, thanks to a late winner from midfielder Mikel Merino in the 86th minute. Despite boasting young talent like Lamine Yamal, Spain's offense struggled to break down Belgium until Merino's intervention in the 86th minute. Belgium's World Cup journey ends, potentially signaling the twilight for their "golden generation" after a costly error from Senne Lammens against Spain. Meanwhile, England is preparing to face Norway in a highly anticipated quarterfinal, with Harry Kane downplaying comparisons to his Norwegian counterpart, Erling Haaland, stating the striker is "completely different" from himself. England received a triple injury boost ahead of the match with Declan Rice, Marc Guehi, and Reece James all returning to training. Norway's strategy for the match is clear: find a way to stop Haaland, who is described as England's talisman and a symbol of Norway's World Cup aspirations in a different timeline. Coach Stale Solbakken acknowledged England as favorites to advance to the semifinals, while pub licenses have been extended to allow fans to watch the full Norway game, even with potential kick-off delays due to weather.

Player Transfers and Future Prospects

Manchester City completed the signing of winger Jeremy Monga from Leicester City. In other transfer news, former Manchester United player Mason Greenwood is reportedly considering offers from Fenerbahce and Atlético Madrid, despite being under contract with Marseille through 2029 according to sources. Barcelona are reportedly close to finalizing a deal for Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi sources confirmed, with similar reports indicating the Catalan club will also sign Ona Batlle upon her departure from Barcelona it has been announced. Rangers have confirmed the signing of midfielder Cammy Devlin after his exit from Hearts, with some gossip suggesting other clubs are also interested in the midfielder. Manchester United's pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Ederson is reportedly in doubt the £35m deal. West Ham have signed forward Ebony Salmon on a two-year deal following her exit from Aston Villa. Burnley have appointed Nicky Hayen as their new head coach on a three-year deal from Genk.

Nations and Individual Performances Under Scrutiny

The U.S. Men's National Team's World Cup performance is being graded as meeting expectations until the final exam, with Christian Pulisic falling short of his potential on home soil. Meanwhile, the Argentine Football Association is investigating a potential cyber attack after internal emails criticizing refereeing decisions in their win over Egypt were reportedly leaked. Lionel Messi's penalty-taking record has come under scrutiny, with questions arising about whether Argentina should continue to entrust him with spot-kicks. France, led by Kylian Mbappé, are considered favorites to win the World Cup, with Mbappé being described as "perhaps the best player in the world right now" dispatching Morocco. Liverpool attempted to sign Kylian Mbappé in 2017, with Jürgen Klopp revealing talks took place on a private jet, calling it "the most expensive non-transfer" the club was involved in had talks.

Cricket and Other Sports Updates

In cricket, Sophie Ecclestone became England Women's leading wicket-taker across all formats as the hosts dismissed India for 285 on the opening day of the first women's Test at Lord's. England is also on the brink of becoming the world's No. 1 T20 side, with Harry Brook leading the charge to the summit. Wigan's young stars secured a Super League victory against Warrington, putting pressure on Leeds at the top of the table. In horse racing, Blue Bolt remained unbeaten this season with a victory at Newmarket too good. Tennis player Novak Djokovic expressed his desire to return to Wimbledon "at least one more time" at the age of 39, though his dreams of an eighth title were ended by Jannik Sinner in the semifinals at the semi-final stage. Arthur Fery is to the US Open after his Wimbledon performances.