Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: July 12, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

World Cup Quarterfinals Conclude, Semifinals Set

England advanced to the semifinals after a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice. The match was played in sweltering Florida heat, and Norway’s Alf-Inge Haaland claimed his country was "robbed" in the quarterfinal. England manager Thomas Tuchel stated his team "got lucky" in the win, a sentiment echoed by some former England players, but Bellingham disagreed with the assessment. Despite the win, England's performance was questioned by Tuchel, though they continue to win games. Declan Rice was sidelined for nearly three days prior to the Norway match due to a sickness bug according to Tuchel. Questions also arose about whether the ball hit the spidercam before Bellingham's equalizer, a point Norway felt should have disallowed the goal. Marc Guéhi and John Stones were expected to start in defense for England, though Guéhi later emerged as an injury concern with a hamstring issue. Harry Kane downplayed comparisons with Erling Haaland, asserting England are ready to peak in the latter stages of the tournament as Kane stated. Norway's World Cup journey ended with the loss to England, a tournament where Erling Haaland was a central figure.

Argentina secured their by defeating Switzerland in extra time. While Lionel Messi was largely contained by the Swiss defense, his supporting cast stepped up, with Mikel Merino scoring the winning goal. Merino, who came off the bench in the 86th minute, has had a remarkable six months, transitioning from a mobility scooter user to a World Cup hero as Merino stated. Spain also reached the semifinals with a victory over Belgium, decided by a goal from midfielder Mikel Merino. Spain's Lamine Yamal believes France should "fear" them in the semifinal matchup as Yamal said. France, considered favorites by many, advanced with a win over Morocco, driven by Kylian Mbappé, who is described as perhaps the best player in the world as ESPN noted. Spain's U19 team previously with a 2-0 victory over Germany in Wrexham.

FIFA and global players' union FIFPRO are to prevent games from being played in excessive heat. The World Cup semifinals will feature the top four ranked teams for the first time since FIFA rankings were introduced. Discussions are ongoing regarding player behavior guidelines, with England having revealed new guidelines for their players as England announced.

Club News and Transfer Rumors

In club news, Toulouse over St Helens in the Betfred Super League, with Mathieu Jussaume scoring a hat-trick. Leeds Rhinos won 28-6 against Catalans Dragons, with Brodie Croft also scoring a hat-trick. Leigh Leopards held on for a 24-18 win over Castleford Tigers to keep their playoff hopes alive. In Scottish football, holders St Mirren started their Premier Sports Cup defense with a 4-0 win over Dumbarton, while Greenock Morton suffered a shock home defeat. Rangers have completed the signing of midfielder Cammy Devlin following his departure from Hearts, with other clubs also showing interest in Devlin as gossip suggests. Celtic are reportedly considering a move for Manchester United goalkeeper, while other clubs are tracking Rangers midfielder Alex Barron as gossip indicates.

In transfer news, Manchester City have from Leicester City. Wolves have from Standard Liege on a three-year deal. Bournemouth defender Alex Jimenez is reportedly to Fiorentina while the club investigates social media allegations. Coventry City have from Burnley. Manchester United are rumored to be interested in Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill as gossip suggests, and are also reportedly in doubt over a £35 million deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson. Chelsea are prepared to sell Alejandro Garnacho for €50 million (£42.6 this summer as reported. Former Manchester United player Mason Greenwood is considering offers from Fenerbahce and Atlético Madrid. Barcelona are reportedly closing in on the signing of Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund. Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Ona Batlle from Barcelona as announced. Manchester City have signed Niamh Charles from Chelsea on a three-year deal as reported. West Ham have signed England forward Ebony Salmon on a two-year deal as reported.

Other Sports News

In horse racing, Thesecretadversary in Deauville. Billy Loughnane’s season continued with a win aboard Comanche Brave in the July Cup Stakes as reported.

In darts, Nathan Aspinall to his European Darts Open title defense. Danny Noppert opened up on social media abuse he received following a loss at the European Darts Open as reported.

In tennis, Britain's Henry Patten and Finland's Harri Heliovaara. Britain's Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid. Novak Djokovic stated he wants to return to Wimbledon "at least one more time" as Djokovic said.

In golf, Haeran Ryu to win her second consecutive major at the Amundi Evian Championship.

In cricket, Sophie Ecclestone became England Women's leading wicket-taker across all formats as England dismissed India for 285 on day two of the first Women's Test at Lord's as reported. England have reached the top of the world T20 rankings as reported.

Brendon McCullum's departure as England Test head coach leaves the ECB with a gap to fill ahead of the Ashes series next summer as reported. Nasser Hussain has backed Andy Flower to replace McCullum as Hussain stated. Steve Borthwick's England with a thrashing of Fiji.

Jürgen Klopp has agreed in principle to become the new head coach of Germany's men's national team as reported. Klopp also revealed the lengths Liverpool went to in an attempt to sign Kylian Mbappé in 2017 as Klopp revealed.

South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams, who featured in the World Cup. Former Boca Juniors player Antonio Rattín, whose sending-off at the 1966 World Cup contributed to the introduction of yellow and red cards.