Month: July 2026

ATLANTA STADIUM — Perhaps Marc Guéhi simply refuses to think past Wednesday’s monster FIFA World Cup semifinal between his England and Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Maybe Guéhi, as a devout Christian, just doesn’t want to tempt fate. Or maybe the Three Lions center back genuinely has no idea if this star-studded England squad can do in the next five days what none before it has in almost 60 years: reach a World Cup final and take that sparkling golden trophy back home to the country that invented the planet’s most popular sport. “I don’t know — it’s in God’s hands,” Guéhi said when asked by a reporter on Tuesday if this might finally be England’s moment. “All I know is that we’re here right now, and we’re going to give everything that we have.” It’s going to take all they’ve got to beat the defending World Cup champs. Not only does La Albiceleste boast the incomparable Messi, who, at 39, leads the tournament with eight goals along with France’s Kylian Mbappé. (Les Bleus lost the other semifinal to Spain on Tuesday.) They also own the all-time series against England in the knockout stage of the World Cup, having knocked out their cross-Atlantic nemesis at both the 1986 and 1998 events. That’s ancient history, of course. None of the 26 men on Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup roster were born before the former; only a few were old enough to remember the latter. Yet every English soccer player — and every Argentine, too — grew up hearing about those games. Depending on their persuasion, they learned about how Diego Maradona scored either the greatest goal in World Cup history (his 60-yard slalom through what felt like England’s entire team) or the most infamous (the one he punched, undetected, into the English net and later dubbed the “Hand of God”). About how Diego Simeone, whose son is on this current Argentina squad, got David Beckham sent off en route to Argentina’s shootout win in the quarterfinals at France ’98. The history is there, whether either side wants to admit it. “That was before my time,” England defender Ezri Konsa said on Tuesday. “We just have to focus on ourselves, try and forget about the history.” Which makes sense. Still, Tuchel understands that when two of the most soccer-crazy nations on Earth meet, their shared history will always add a little extra spice — even in a match with so much at stake already. Or perhaps because of it. “I would say it’s irrelevant, but I’m not sure,” Tuchel said when asked if the history between the nations matters. “The players are very aware — of both countries — what it means to them. “You cannot just say it’s just another football match. “But as a coach, we do exactly that,” he continued. “We don’t speak about the historic events, but yeah, the magnitude of the match is just what it is. I think it does not help if we engage emotionally.” That said, Tuchel and his team “expect an emotional match, an intense match” on Wednesday, he said. “I expect a match with a lot of momentum swings.” And the wild card, naturally, is Messi. “How he carries that team is just absolutely incredible,” Tuchel said of the GOAT. “He is the key player in any team. “You see that they love to play in the middle of the pitch,” he added. “They’re playing through gaps, and once Leo Messi has the ball, the movement starts. If you analyze the matches, you feel like he sees stuff just earlier than anyone else on the field. It’s like the ball just drops to him, he finds the gap, he makes two meters space for his left foot, and then executes on the very highest level.” “So there’s a lot to take care of,” Tuchel concluded. “But we are here to play our way.” “It’s not just him on the field,” Guéhi said of Messi. “He’s got other really good players on the team.” England understands the assignment. To be the best, they have to beat the best. They’ve earned this opportunity. So will they crumble under the pressure, like each of their predecessors has over the last six decades? Or is this group of players truly different? “There’s so much to love about this England squad,” Tuchel said. “What I really like is, I feel in the last few days that the players are very excited, and they are hungry to play this match. We will be prepared for the best version of Argentina. We expect and hope and demand the best of ourselves. “Every team in the world is beatable,” the England manager said. “And so is Argentina.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The American League only has five teams with a winning record compared to the National League’s nine at the break, but the AL’s shoddy first half didn’t matter Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The NL lineup didn’t stand a chance against an overpowering AL pitching staff in the All-Star Game, as the American League won the competition for the 11th time in the past 13 seasons and recorded its first shutout win since 2013. Here are my takeaways from the AL’s 4-0 win. 1. AL Pitching Dominates Shohei Ohtani wasn’t there to lead off for the National League All-Star team after bowing out of the competition to take care of his knee, but there was still enough firepower to expect some fireworks from the superstars throughout the NL lineup Tuesday night. Instead, the American League pitching staff completely shut them down. The NL All-Stars struck out 15 times and had just two hits, both singles, when the Rays’ Bryan Baker entered in relief to replace Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth. Otto Lopez followed with a single for the NL’s third hit of the game, but it couldn’t get a rally going as Sal Stewart grounded out to end a feeble evening for the NL squad. It was a sign of things to come when Dylan Cease struck out three batters in the first. Each of the next nine pitchers who entered for the AL struck out at least one batter. Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan and Cade Smith recorded multiple strikeouts. Juan Soto, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Lopez were the only NL players to record a hit. 2. Tough Break For Philly Faithful The crowd at Citizens Bank Park was rocking Monday night, getting louder with each of Kyle Schwarber’s 11 home runs in the final round of the Home Run Derby. The hometown star looked primed to be the hero of the competition. Instead, through a chorus of boos, the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker flipped the script and left the Philadelphia faithful stunned. One night later, it didn’t get any better for the hometown crowd. The Phillies led all teams with six representatives in the All-Star Game and had ace Cristopher Sánchez on the mound to start the game, a decision made easier after Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski bowed out of the competition. Sánchez was the first Phillies pitcher since Roy Halladay in 2011 to start the All-Star Game, but the American League lineup did not care to appease the hometown crowd as they plated three runs against Sánchez via three singles and two walks in the first inning to jump out to an early advantage. Those were the only runs of the game until White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas, one of 36 first-time All-Stars in the competition, went deep off former Dodgers teammate Justin Wrobleski in the eighth to add to the American League lead. Phillies hitters Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh combined to go hitless on the night, though Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo did throw a scoreless inning of relief. 3. Rays Appear To Avoid Disaster This week in Philadelphia could have been the Junior Caminero national showcase. He ended the first half on fire, homering 13 times in his final 19 games before the break, and entered the Home Run Derby as one of the favorites. But he failed to make it out of the second round of the Derby on Monday. And one day later, disaster nearly struck. Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien went up and in with a 97.6 mph sinker that caught Caminero in the left hand in the top of the third inning. The Rays star third baseman immediately fell to the ground and stayed down for a while before getting up and going straight to the tunnel. Thankfully, X-rays came back negative. Caminero told reporters afterward that he expects to be fine, but his health is something to monitor for a Rays team that is currently holding off the Yankees atop the AL East. And speaking of the pinstripes… 4. Led By MVP Bellinger, Yankees Show Out With Aaron Judge injured, it has been tough for the Yankees to get their offense going over the last few weeks. Dating back to June 20, they rank 28th in MLB in runs scored and 29th in OPS. At the All-Star Game, though, their reps had no problem generating offense. A hard-hit grounder up the middle from Cody Bellinger plated the first two runs of the game off Sánchez in the first inning. One batter later, Ben Rice followed with a nearly identical hit to knock in another run. Bellinger was heating up entering the break, going 7-for-16 with two doubles in his final four games of the first half, and has been one of the best offseason (re)signings in baseball. Rice, meanwhile, has the second-highest slugging percentage and third-highest OPS in MLB this year. But he also is hitting .279 this season, and he used his contact skills in a triumphant first All-Star Game.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The MLB All-Star Game has featured some of the league’s best players on the diamond in recent years, but it’s not necessarily for the action anymore. The American League defeated the National League 4-0 at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, which saw many players mic’d up and share many memorable jokes, stories and more over nine innings. Here are five of the best mic’d-up moments of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. Taking the mound in the first inning, Dylan Cease hooked up to a live mic to converse with the FOX Sports broadcast booth. Cease sought advice from Smoltz while actively working the count. The highlight of the sequence featured Cease completely overpowering Mets star Juan Soto, freezing him with a fastball for a swift three-pitch strikeout. When Smoltz offered a deserved, “Nice job, Dylan,” the pitcher casually replied, “Thank you.” Milwaukee Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski has been lighting up radar guns all season, and John Smoltz made sure to get the young phenom on the mic to ask every baseball fan wants to know: “How in the world are you throwing it at 104 MPH?” Without giving up too much information, Misiorowski responded, praising the Brewers’ pitching staff for getting him to focus on the lower half of his body. Just a week after announcing that 2026 would be his final season, legendary pitcher Justin Verlander took the field as the “Legends Pick” for his 10th All-Star appearance. During his mic’d-up segment, the veteran reflected on his incredible journey, putting a heavy emphasis on how much it means to him to finish his Hall of Fame career right where it started: with the Detroit Tigers. Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Yandy Díaz lost his bat in the fifth inning during an AB against the Nationals’ Foster Griffin, which prompted a funny response from home-plate umpire Alan Porter. “Go get some damn pine tar,” Porter said. Playing in an All-Star Game is special. Playing in your 9th All-Star Game in your home stadium is the stuff of legends. Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper took a playful, lighthearted swing at the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge system. After stepping up to the plate, he humorously decided to challenge a pitch call simply because “we haven’t done it yet, why not?”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

ATLANTA STADIUM — By the time Thomas Tuchel began speaking, there wasn’t an empty seat in the room. There wasn’t a square foot of floor space, either. It wouldn’t even be accurate to call Tuchel’s press conference a standing-room-only affair, as a line of reporters and camera crews snaked all the way out the door. Yet there was Tuchel, England’s German coach, smiling and looking relaxed as anyone could less than 24 hours before the biggest moment of a career that already included a UEFA Champions League crown. What’s his secret? Ice cream, it turns out. On Wednesday, Tuchel will lead the best Three Lions squad in decades into the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina. The stakes are enormous for both nations but especially the English, who haven’t reached the title game since winning their one and only World Cup 60 years ago this month. Figuratively speaking. Tuchel and his players have stared death in the face during this knockout stage. They went down a goal to DR Congo in the round of 32 and to Norway in last weekend’s quarterfinal. They went down a man in the thin air of Mexico City against the tournament co-host El Tri. They survived and advanced each time. Between those emotionally draining elimination games, Tuchel has done everything possible to keep his players loose, giving them time to unwind and recover at the team’s base camp in Kansas. How does he do the same for himself, the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund boss was asked shortly after England’s delegation landed in Georgia’s stately capital. “Sometimes you just go on a bike and then you just need a big parking lot and an ice cream in your hands for 15 minutes,” a smiling Tuchel said. “Then you feel like [you’re ] 15 years old — 15 not 50,” added the 52-year-old, as some of those in attendance chuckled. “You feel like 12 or 13 or 15 years old and you enjoy your evening — a warm summer evening for 15 minutes with an ice cream.” The admission was an endearing one from the famously intense Tuchel, who caught some heat following his team’s gutsy fight-back against Norway for criticizing afterward England’s performance from a pure soccer perspective, though he gushed about his players’ heart and never-say-die will to win. Tuchel’s words appeared to catch Player of the Match Jude Bellingham off-guard in the moment, leading to speculation that the coach had annoyed one of his top players and, potentially, others, too. Center back Marc Guéhi did his best to correct the record on Tuesday. “I think the manager’s done a great job,” said Guéhi  “He’s created a squad where there’s a big togetherness and a real belief in what we’re doing at the moment, and everyone’s behind him. We’re glad to have him.” The feeling is mutual. “They simply don’t give in,” Tuchel said of his squad. “This is the key attribute of our team, which makes me very proud.” Will it be enough to see off Messi & Co.? If it is and England punches its ticket to face Spain — which beat France on Tuesday in the other semi in Dallas — Tuchel will be just one more victory away from history. Not only would he become the only coach alive to lead England back to the biggest match in sports, he’d also have the chance to become the first foreign manager to win a World Cup. No country, men’s or women’s, has ever hoisted the trophy under a coach who wasn’t a citizen of that nation — not that Tuchel is thinking about that. “Never,” he said. “It just doesn’t work like this for me. I don’t set these goals.  I just love what I do, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.” “I just try to be the best coach possible every single day,” he added. “I have to influence what I can, and that’s where my energy goes.” That and on the occasional frozen dessert.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

DALLAS STADIUM — Long after the final whistle — as the lawnmowers came out to maintain the grass and broadcast crews were in the middle of their stand-ups — Spain fans remained. They were dancing and singing and chanting. “Ole! Ole! Ole!” rang throughout the stadium where their team had just delivered a commanding performance, defeating mighty France, 2-0, to book a spot in the program’s second-ever World Cup final. This was the third straight summer Spain has knocked France out in the semifinals of a major tournament: There was the 2-1 victory at Euro 2024, then a thrilling 5-4 win in last year’s Nations League, and now Tuesday’s triumph behind goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro in front of 70,176 fans at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. La Roja are riding a 37-game unbeaten streak, and there’s an overwhelming sense that it will keep growing. “It’s a dream come true,” an elated Porro said after the match via interpreter. “I couldn’t even dream of this. I’m so happy. I’m so happy because of the team’s attitude from beginning to end. We gave it our all in order to go through to the final.” Despite being Europe’s defending champion, Spain has been a bit overshadowed by other narratives at this World Cup. The spotlight, instead, has mostly been on Lionel Messi and Argentina’s improbable comebacks, England giving fans reason to believe again, Kylian Mbappé racing Messi for the Golden Boot and Erling Haaland capturing hearts of soccer fans everywhere. Spain hasn’t relied on flair or dramatic moments to get results. Instead, it’s been ruthlessly efficient, disciplined and organized, using an aggressive high press to neutralize one of the world’s most dangerous attacks. Mbappé, who entered the semifinal with eight goals, managed just three shots and none on target. Spain has outscored its seven opponents, 13-1, and posted its record sixth shutout of this World Cup against a French side that had recorded 16 goals. This squad is so dominant, it didn’t even need a heroic performance from teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who is still waiting for his big moment. Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, made a clever play to force a penalty in the first half that put Spain ahead early before having a goal called offside later on. They have such a wealth of depth that world-class players like Pedri, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino can come off the bench. “We did it with discipline, being organized, with sacrifice, with commitment, with effort,” said Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente, who was late to his press conference because the team received a congratulatory call from King Felipe VI, the King of Spain. “I think that what we do best as Spanish football players is interpret and read the game. They know how to behave in defensive and offensive phases and in the midfield. “And that’s the fruits of our labor in the academies — all the coaches in Spain, we really value what we’re doing at that level. And this is another example that, in spite of being happy, we want more. And we want to take this World Cup and claim this title. That would be a really amazing achievement.” Spain’s control of the game frustrated France to the point that Les Bleus never even had a chance to mount a comeback. There have been plenty of examples this tournament of teams finding late goals and ways back into matches. France famously did it in the World Cup final four years ago and desperately hoped to do it again. But this time, France failed to capitalize on an empty net in the 81st minute. Mbappé let his aggravation get the best of him when he was shown a yellow card in the 86th after colliding with goalkeeper Unai Simon, and three minutes later, he sent a free kick from just outside the box sailing over the crossbar. And now, the French superstar has to return to his Spanish club Real Madrid. France, No. 1 in FIFA’s rankings entering the semifinals, was a popular pick to win it all and expected to reach its third straight World Cup final. It will play in the third-place match instead. “We were below our standards,” French manager Didier Deschamps said via interpreter. “We should have been at our maximum and give it our all, and we did not, unfortunately.” Spain will await the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Argentina and England. De la Fuente said he doesn’t care who wins. He’s friends with Lionel Scaloni, but thought the Three Lions were a favorite before the tournament began. “When you’re facing a team like us,” de la Fuente said, “we’re unbeatable. And that’s how we’re feeling right now.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

CITIZENS BANK BALLPARK (Philadelphia) – There was no “aha” moment for Justin Verlander. In announcing his retirement from a spectacular baseball career, Verlander slowly came to the conclusion earlier this season that his physical health was preventing him from accomplishing everything he wanted from the game. Verlander, the oldest active player in MLB at age 43, is at peace with his decision to call it a career. “I feel good about it,” he told me on Monday at Citizens Bank Park during All-Star Game festivities. “I’m in a good mental space. I do feel like it’s the right time. And if I want to control my own destiny, which I do, I want to leave the game when I’m ready to go, and not have the game force me out.” After this season, Verlander will retire as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. “It’s tough. It’s hard to see him go,” Braves All-Star left-hander Chris Sale told me. “Since I’ve been in the big leagues, to be completely honest with you, I think pound for pound, if he’s not the best pitcher in the league, he was damn close. “You’re talking about a guy with three Cy Youngs, MVP. You look at what he’s done in the regular season, look at what he’s done during the postseason, look at his All-Star appearances. He’s got about as impressive as a trophy case that you’re going to see.” Verlander is the last of an era that blended dominance, durability and championships. He’s the active leader in strikeouts (3,554), wins (266), games started (556), complete games (26), shutouts (nine), and innings (3571.1). He’s a three-time Cy Young award winner, a two-time ERA title winner, and the 2011 American League MVP. He’s a two-time champion and the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year award winner, plus a 10-time All-Star. As decorated as Verlander’s career has been — let’s not forget that, in a handful of years, he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer — he still believes he fell short of a couple of milestones. “There’s a couple things that I would love to have been able to check off my career,” Verlander said on Monday at Citizens Bank Park. “And that would be 300 wins and 4000 strikeouts. But those are both a ways off. And everything would have to go absolutely perfect. One thing I think I’ve done really well in my career is to be objective of myself. “That’s allowed me to adapt when I need to and be successful on the mound, and what I’ve been doing this year is trying to find that again. I know what I need to do mechanically to be healthy and compete at this level. And my body’s not letting me do that. So the adjustments that I need to make to be the pitcher that I expect myself to be, some parts of my body can’t quite keep up. So I feel good about the decision.” Verlander has made just one start for the Detroit Tigers so far this season. He described dealing with his injuries this year, including hip pain and a hamstring strain, as “plugging holes in a leaky boat.” He may not know that, throughout it all, his peers have admired his dogged determination to do whatever it takes to get back on the mound. Reigning National League Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes said he admires Verlander’s consistency across a 24-year career. “He’s a legend,” Skenes told me. “I think he’s been in the league as long as I’ve been alive. He’s the greatest pitcher of his generation. I think he shaped the game in a lot of different ways. He’s been really good for a really long time. It’s an honor to share the field with him. It’s an honor to meet him. “It’s a heck of a career winding down. I don’t want to see him retire. I don’t want to see him not in this game anymore. But it’s been special to watch as a fan for a really long time, and now as a player.” Dodgers All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman joked that “a lot” of Verlander’s 3,554 career strikeouts “were me.” It may have felt that way to Freeman, facing Verlander’s cutthroat dominance, but he has only struck out two times in nine career plate appearances against Verlander. “I’ve been facing him for a long time,” Freeman told me. “We’ve had some great interactions. Just one of the best pitchers of all time. First-ballot Hall of Famer. To pitch for as long as he has, as good as he has, that’s special. Those guys don’t come around very often. Hopefully he can get back on the field one last time this year and be healthy. But what a tremendous career.” Verlander’s greatest legacy is being the ultimate workhorse of his generation. His massive career volume and incredible counting stats — including 12 seasons with 200-plus innings pitched — may never be surpassed by a modern starter. He learned to pitch deeper into games by watching older pitchers, in particular, refuse to leave the mound until they felt and knew they were exhausted. “Personally, I think you need veterans to fight for it, and show that it’s OK to be out there and fight for that,” Verlander said. “If you’re at 95 pitches, and you’re feeling good and fresh, your body is recovering, it’s OK to fight for that next inning and throw 110 (pitches) if you want. I was raised, I got to see guys do that. “Luckily, I was pretty good right out the gate. I felt empowered by watching other people want the ball. All these guys point to their predecessors, and it’s getting harder and harder in this game to fight for that. The analytics, they’re monitoring everything.” These days, there are pre-planned pitch limits for starters stemming from various data based on optimal recovery times. And the reason pitchers need more rest built into their seasons is the pressure to throw the ball harder. Shoving triple-digit heaters every five days requires extreme physical exertion, and it leads to greater wear and tear on the body, which can lead to injuries and surgeries. Verlander said his career would likely be different if at age 17 he went to Driveline Baseball, which is a data-driven training facility used by many active players to help increase pitch velocity, among other things. Verlander wasn’t a hard thrower out of high school. His fastball topped out at 93 mph when he was a teenager. He said it wasn’t until he went to college, started working out, and “things weren’t rushed” before he found his fastball. Suddenly, after his body matured, the ball started coming out of his hand at 98, 99, and 100 mph naturally. “In today’s world, if I’m a parent that doesn’t know anything about baseball, which my family did not, and you find out your son has a God-given talent, what do you do? Today, you go online, and you get help. We had to get help. “My dad bought a ‘How to Pitch for Dummies’ book. I’m not joking. Literally, he’s like, OK. Step one, you step back with your left foot. Step two, you turn this way. We were like, doing that in my front yard because he learned I could throw rock really far. Like, we should try this baseball thing. “So, I think as a parent now, the first thing you would do is probably say, I need to go to Driveline, or one of these velocity-building camps. And it’s a trickle down from what you’re expecting at this level.” In the future, Verlander would like to be involved in the game in some way to try and encourage pitchers to get back to basics, prioritize personal and unique pitching mechanics, and maybe focus less on increased velocity as the only answer to being dominant in the major leagues. Verlander believes pitching mechanics are supposed to be “like the gait of a horse.” All horses run differently, so just let the horse run. But, for now, Verlander is following the advice of the legends that came before him. “At the end of your career, I think, one of the things I’ve heard from people is sometimes you wish you were able to take things in a little bit more. It’s such a blur while you’re in it. And then you get towards the end, and it’s like, man, I wish I had enjoyed X, Y, and Z a little bit more. “And so to have the opportunity to come back in this situation and really absorb it, and know it’s your last time, it’s a really special feeling.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports