Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: July 9, 2026, 5:31 PM ET

World Cup Quarterfinals Underway as Favorites Advance

The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals have begun, with France and Morocco locked in a scoreless stalemate in their quarterfinal clash. Kylian Mbappé's penalty was saved as Morocco held on against France. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland acknowledged Norway's "really low" World Cup chances against England. The USMNT's World Cup journey concluded with a disappointing exit against Belgium, a match that also saw Christian Pulisic suffer a fractured leg. The USMNT's coach also faced scrutiny. In other World Cup news, Ayyoub Bouaddi made the decision to represent Morocco over France, and France's bid to overturn Michael Olise's yellow card was unsuccessful, while Ismael Saibari is out for Morocco. The performance of France has led some experts to question.

Club Transfer Activity and Contract News

Tottenham have reportedly made an offer for Randal Kolo Muani. Barcelona are also active, having submitted a bid for Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi. Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni has agreed to a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2031. In England, Manchester United are close to signing goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free transfer, and are also reportedly making progress on rebuilding their midfield. Newcastle have signed teenager Sean Steur from Ajax for £23m as part of their midfield reinforcement. American forward Cole Campbell is moving to Bundesliga newcomer Elversberg from Borussia Dortmund. Crystal Palace have secured defender Oscar Mingueza on a free transfer. Brentford have signed Callum Wilson, while Leeds have also completed a deal for Harry Wilson on a free transfer. Arsenal are reportedly interested in Morgan Rogers, but Aston Villa have set a British-record fee. Celtic are set to sign forward Camilo Duran from Qarabag for a reported £5.5m their first. Chelsea midfielder Julia Bartel is nearing a move to Juventus this summer.

Player News and International Break

Denmark star Christian Eriksen will begin his rehabilitation program in his home country. England defender Jarell Quansah received a two-match ban. Jordan Henderson has not been ruled out of further World Cup participation, though England players will be advised against jumping over advertising hoardings. Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana ruptured his ACL. Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn has signed for the San Jose Earthquakes. The LA Galaxy have sent Gabriel Pec to Brazilian side Cruzeiro. Rafael Márquez has been named the new manager of the Mexican national team. Roberto Martinez has stepped down as Portugal coach. Zlatko Dalić has also stepped down as Croatia boss.

Other Sports and League News

In golf, Rory McIlroy is part of a five-way tie for the lead after the opening round of the Genesis Scottish Open, and he called his first-round 65 "the complete performance" but remains focused on winning. Scottie Scheffler is also in contention and insists he will be "fighting like heck". In darts, Luke Littler will face Niko Springer. Formula 1 is set to feature more Sprint weekends. George Russell has admitted he needs to improve to remain in championship contention. Lando Norris stated McLaren have "a hell of a lot to improve". Serena Williams hopes to play in a singles tournament. Novak Djokovic won a marathon match to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals. In cricket, England secured a record T20 win over India by 125 runs.