July 7, 2026 4:28 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Folarin Balogun’s presence on the field for the United States against Belgium had a seismic impact on the world of soccer, but he ultimately played a forgettable role in the Americans’ 4-1 loss in the World Cup round of 16. The 25-year-old striker, who had three goals in this World Cup, was shown a red card during the U.S. victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, but FIFA lifted his suspension for Monday’s match after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on Balogun’s behalf. FIFA’s decision prompted soccer leaders to question the integrity of the World Cup. Balogun did not score on Monday but did help set up the lone U.S. goal.
July 7, 2026 4:26 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mikel Merino scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and Spain beat Portugal 1-0 to end the World Cup career of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Merino had just been knocked down, and a foul was called. While a Portugal player argued, Merino played the ball back in, ran toward the goal and put a shot past goalkeeper Diogo Costa after taking a pass from Ferran Torres. Spain advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since winning its only World Cup title in 2010 in South Africa. Spain will play Belgium on Friday in Inglewood, California.
July 6, 2026 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Konnor Griffin had a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Washington Nationals 11-5 in a game in which he was also spectacular in the field. Brandon Lowe followed Griffin’s key hit with a three-run homer off Brad Lord to extend the margin. Griffin, the 20-year-old shortstop who received a nine-year, $140 million contract back in April, showed why the Pirates view him as such an important part of their future. Gregory Soto got the win in relief.
July 6, 2026 4:26 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Jude Bellingham scored two goals 98 seconds apart, Harry Kane converted a penalty when England was down to 10 men, and England handed Mexico its first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca, a wild 3-2 victory to reach the quarterfinals. England moves on to face Norway on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, for a spot in the semifinals. Bellingham stunned the crowd of more than 80,000 at a venue where Mexico was unbeaten in 10 World Cup matches, including three this tournament, when he scored on a header in the 36th minute and again in the 38th on a pass from Kane. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland headed in the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute and scored again before the end of regulation time, carrying Norway into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time with a 2-1 win over Brazil that showcased the young striker on soccer’s biggest stage. Haaland, with two goals, tied Lionel Messi for the most in the tournament with seven each. Brazil’s streak of reaching the quarterfinals ended at eight, with its first round-of-16 exit since 1990. Norway next faces England with a spot in the semifinals at stake.
July 6, 2026 4:25 am
SEATTLE (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American star forward Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted in a decision that allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday. Balogun, the American leader with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday. A red card triggers an automatic one-game suspension. FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted, triggering praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team.
July 6, 2026 4:28 am
SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Chris Gotterup has won the John Deere Classic for his fourth PGA Tour title in the last 12 months. Gotterup shot a 62 in the final round at the TPC Deere Run. That helped him make up a five-shot deficit. And then he needed some help at the end. Ben Kohles was tied for the lead with Gotterup and in the middle of the 18th fairway. But he pulled his 8-iron into the water and then missed a short putt and took double bogey. Max Homa wound up in second for his best finish in more than three years.
July 6, 2026 4:27 am
LONDON (AP) — Naomi Osaka outslugged top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (2) to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time. Sabalenka had beaten Osaka in all three of her previous matches with Osaka this year including at the same stage of the French Open last month. But this time Sabalenka couldn’t handle Osaka’s pace and flat groundstrokes It was Osaka’s first win over a No. 1 player since beating Ash Barty in Beijing in 2019. That was before Osaka took a breaks from the tour to manage her mental health in 2021 and for maternity leave that resulted in her missing all of 2023. Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner also won.
July 5, 2026 7:40 am
(AP) – Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and the Dodgers’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani all could miss All-Star mound appearances because of starts next weekend, while four players from the World Series champion Dodgers were voted to the National League’s starting lineup. Skenes, the NL starter in the last two All-Star Games, is scheduled to pitch for Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Sunday. The 24-year-old right-hander is 0-6 in his last nine starts, dropping to 6-8 with a 3.62 ERA for the season. He was voted in by players, as was Misiorowski. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout earned his 12th All-Star selection and first since 2023 based on the second round of fan balloting announced Saturday by Major League Baseball. Trout, who grew up near Philadelphia in Millville, New Jersey, was voted by fans to start for the 11th time and hopes to return from a strained right hamstring sustained June 17. First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., among four All-Stars from the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, said he will skip the July 14 game at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park to rest a bad back that has bothered him for much of the season. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, elected to his eighth start, will miss the game because of a broken rib that has sidelined him since May.
July 5, 2026 7:43 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft won his fourth consecutive start and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals 7-1 Saturday afternoon. Henry Davis and Brandon Lowe both drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, which got back to .500 at 45-45 after dropping three of its past four. James Wood hit a leadoff homer for the Nationals, whose three-game winning streak ended. Ashcraft allowed a run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings and struck out seven. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 3.04 ERA and 32 strikeouts in four starts since June 17 and has won eight of his past nine decisions.
July 5, 2026 11:35 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé scored his 19th career World Cup goal, and France survived stifling heat to beat Paraguay 1-0, sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time. France advanced to play Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. With an extreme heat warning in effect throughout the match as temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), Mbappé finally broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when he converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute. He trails career goals leader Lionel Messi by one, and the two are tied in this year’s Golden Boot race.
HOUSTON (AP) — Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to lead Morocco to a 3-0 win over Canada in the World Cup Round of 16 Saturday to make the country the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals more than once. It’s Morocco’s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals after becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022. The loss ends a historic run for World Cup co-host Canada, which won its first-ever knockout round game with a 1-0 victory over South Africa to reach Saturday’s match.
