Football/Soccer 3 Hours

Last updated: July 9, 2026, 8:32 PM ET

World Cup Quarterfinals Heat Up

France, led by a sensational Kylian Mbappé, advanced to the semifinals of the World Cup with a dominant performance, dispatching Morocco. Mbappé, widely considered one of the best players in the world in the victory. The French superstar's brilliance has been a central narrative of this tournament, drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi's own magical displays. Mbappé's impact is undeniable, and he continues to be a primary reason many to lift the trophy. The quarterfinal stage is now underway, with in another highly anticipated matchup as teams move three wins away from the championship.

Player Focus and Injury Concerns

Individual brilliance is amplified at this stage of the World Cup, and in their teams' runs. Meanwhile, England faces a potential setback as defender Marc Guehi due to a slight hamstring injury. In other news, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp of Mbappé, detailing a private plane journey he took with the player and his family a decade ago in an attempt to secure his signature.

Other Soccer News

Steve Cherundolo has been named the manager of the U.S. U-23 national team, tasked with leading the squad at the 2028 Olympics as announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation. In Europa League action, Derry City manager Tiernan Lynch expressed disappointment with the goals conceded in a narrow 3-2 defeat to CSKA Sofia, stating that "it is still all to play for". Newspaper reports also indicate that EU lawmakers are calling for an investigation into a potential "scandal" involving Balogun as detailed in Friday's papers.