ARLINGTON, Texas — In a surprising turn of events that has captured global soccer attention, star forward Mohamed Salah has been named to Egypt’s starting eleven for the nation’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage opener against Australia, overcoming a hamstring injury picked up in the final match of the group stage. The 34-year-old Egyptian captain, who previously built his legendary career as a Liverpool forward, will take the field at AT&T Stadium, the home arena of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, on Friday. This unexpected starting placement comes just 24 hours after head coach Hossam Hassan told reporters via a translator that he was only cautiously optimistic Salah would be available to play, and that the winger would likely start the match on the bench. Off the pitch, Salah is also on the cusp of matching a historic Egyptian national team record. He is currently just one goal away from tying Hassan’s all-time mark of 69 international goals, a record that has stood for decades across Egyptian soccer. Across his 119 appearances for the Pharaohs, Salah has cemented his status as one of the greatest players to ever represent the North African nation. The hamstring injury that put his participation in Friday’s matchup in doubt came during Egypt’s decisive 1-1 group stage draw with Iran, a result that secured the Pharaohs a spot in the knockout round of the World Cup for the first time in the history of their four World Cup appearances. Salah was substituted off the pitch in the 57th minute of that match after picking up the injury, and Hassan confirmed in pre-match press briefings that Salah only participated in limited training sessions in the days leading up to the Australia clash. The unexpected decision to start Salah has injected new drama and anticipation into what is already one of the most highly anticipated knockout round matches of the tournament, with fans around the world waiting to see how the star forward performs on the global stage despite his recent injury setback.
分类： sports
-
William talks World Cup football fever on Travis Kelce’s podcast
In a striking break from traditional royal press engagements, Britain’s Prince of Wales Prince William made a surprise guest appearance on *New Heights*, the popular YouTube sports podcast hosted by NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce. The episode dropped on the exact same day Travis tied the knot with global pop icon Taylor Swift, but the conversation centered almost entirely on association football — including a lighthearted, now-viral terminology correction from the prince to the American hosts.
During the 28-minute casual chat, the conversation turned to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States will co-host alongside Mexico and Canada. When Travis Kelce referenced the sport as “soccer”, William interjected with a playful correction, clarifying that it is properly called “football” in most of the world. The heir to the British throne also opened up about his personal connection to the sport, revealing that his father, King Charles III, “hates football” — a fun contrast to the King’s past public comments identifying himself as a supporter of lower-league side Burnley FC.
When pressed on whether he would cross the Atlantic for the World Cup if England reaches the tournament final, William gave a definitive answer: “Definitely. If we’re in the finals.” He added that he hoped to meet both Kelce brothers at the match if the scenario comes to pass. This casual appearance is not the first time William has turned to non-traditional media to connect with broader audiences; last year, he spoke with comedian Eugene Levy on Apple TV about his plans to modernize the British monarchy, continuing a pattern of accessible, informal royal engagement.
The conversation also wandered into off-football topics, including the 250th anniversary of the United States. When asked if he was surprised the U.S. had reached the 250-year milestone, William teased back, “There were times… There were times. But I’d like to think the UK and the US would be together for those 250 years. Oh, yeah, it’s a good brotherhood.” The hosts also recalled a past meeting with William at an NFL game hosted at London’s Wembley Stadium, where Jason Kelce admitted he had no idea what to do with his beer when greeting the royal party, out of uncertainty over official protocol. Jason added that meeting Princess Charlotte was the highlight of the encounter, with the two joking about the challenges of raising four daughters.
Recorded shortly after England’s opening 2026 European qualifying match against Croatia, the conversation touched on what William considers a successful World Cup for the English national team. Unsurprisingly, he said, “I think winning it.” He also praised manager Thomas Tuchel’s attacking, fluid tactical approach, saying, “Thomas, I think, prefers to go a bit more out there — and if we lose, we lose playing the way we want to play. And if you’re going to score four goals, we’ll score five. And I think that’s a really good attitude.”
William, a lifelong diehard Aston Villa supporter, opened up about the emotional ups and downs that come with being a football fan. He shared that his devotion to the club actually grew deeper when Villa was relegated from the English Premier League to the Championship over a decade ago. “So I think weirdly, this sounds very odd, but I got into football more than ever when we got relegated,” he explained. “When Aston Villa went from Premiership to Championship, I suddenly really enjoyed the battle to get back in the Premiership.” He admitted that Villa’s results directly shape his mood: a win makes his entire weekend, while a loss leaves him so dejected he avoids social contact on Monday mornings. He recalled first falling in love with Villa 26 years prior, after watching a match against Bolton Wanderers, and reaffirmed that his passion for the club is entirely his own, repeating that his father wants nothing to do with the sport.
As president of the Football Association, the governing body of English football, William offered a blunt piece of advice for the organization: “Just don’t mess up.” When asked to name the all-time greats of English football for a “Mount Rushmore” of the sport, William named Sir David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Harry Kane, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Sir Bobby Charlton. He specifically highlighted Kane, predicting he would go down as one of the greatest strikers in English history — a comment that looks prescient, as Kane has since broken the record for most goals scored for the English men’s national team. The podcast also referenced past casual encounters between the royals, Taylor Swift, and Prince William’s children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, when Swift posed for a viral selfie with the group two years prior.
-
Puppy love as dog walker turns his pack of 13 into Argentina jersey-clad World Cup followers
As World Cup fever sweeps across Argentina, ahead of the nation’s round of 32 knockout match against Cape Verde, one Buenos Aires local has reimagined what it means to show national team pride – by turning a pack of 13 pet dogs into the country’s most charming street-side fan group.
Thirty-three-year-old Nahuel Meneghini, known affectionately to locals as “Nano”, is a professional dog walker who operates in the central Buenos Aires neighborhood of San Cristóbal. Inspired by Argentina’s progression out of the group stage of the tournament, he launched his unique fan project last week, outfitting every dog in his daily pack in official-style Argentina national team jerseys, custom light blue and white leashes, and matching collars.
Meneghini first got the idea after two of his regular walking clients’ dogs, Sirio and Roberta, arrived already sporting Messi’s iconic number 10 jerseys, purchased by their caught up in the country’s World Cup excitement. He loved the concept so much that he expanded it to the whole pack: he visited a local pet supply store to source jerseys in sizes to fit every dog, and handcrafted matching branded leashes and collars for the group.
The custom leashes bear three small metal rivets, each marking one of Argentina’s three historic World Cup titles – won in 1978, 1986, and most recently 2022 under current head coach Lionel Scaloni. Collars are tagged with the group’s official name, “Los perros de Nano”, or Nano’s Dogs. The pack’s social media nickname, “La Perroneta”, is a playful twist on “La Scaloneta”, the beloved nickname for Scaloni’s Argentina squad, who have earned widespread national adoration after winning the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 World Cup.
Dressed in Argentina fan gear from head to toe himself, Meneghini skillfully guides his 13 four-legged fans along the narrow sidewalks of San Cristóbal, covering roughly 60 blocks across the city almost every day. Passersby consistently stop to smile, pull out their phones to snap photos, and cheer on the pack and the national team. Local residents have embraced the group wholeheartedly: many dog owners in the neighborhood have already placed orders to have their own pets outfitted with matching gear, which Meneghini offers at a discounted rate to fellow fans.
Eighty-year-old local Edgardo Pérez, who stopped to photograph the group, noted that the joyful display is a rare bright spot for working people and retirees in the country, saying “These are the only joys we have because nothing ever goes our way, not for workers or retirees. Everything is against us.” Seventy-three-year-old Dora Maisano echoed that warm sentiment, calling the display genuine patriotism. “Now that is patriotism,” she said as she watched the pack pass. “Not just peeing and pooping. Everyone wearing the No. 10. Well done, congratulations — they look so cute!”
Speaking to the Associated Press during a walk with the pack Thursday, Meneghini said he created the project out of his own love for the national team, his country, and the World Cup. He added that the dogs will keep their national team gear “forever” – even if Argentina is eliminated from the 2026 tournament. Still, he remains optimistic about the team’s chances, saying “But I have faith that we’ll win a fourth cup. After the fourth one, I’ll add another rivet to the leashes.”
-
Messi returns to the field and Golden Boot race at the World Cup continues
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The stage is set for another historic chapter in Lionel Messi’s unprecedented World Cup legacy this Friday, as the Argentine captain kicks off his latest bid for the sport’s most coveted individual tournament honor: the Golden Boot, awarded to the World Cup’s top goal scorer.
Widely hailed as the greatest men’s footballer to ever step onto the pitch, Messi will return to World Cup action when defending champions Argentina face off against Cape Verde in the tournament’s round of 32. Entering Friday’s clash, Messi has found the back of the net six times throughout this year’s competition, pulling him into a dead heat for the tournament’s goal-scoring lead with France’s Kylian Mbappé.
While the two superstars sit atop the goal rankings, they are far from the only contenders gunning for the Golden Boot. Erling Haaland of Norway and Harry Kane of England each enter Friday’s matches on five goals, while four other players have notched four goals apiece: France’s Ousmane Dembele, Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, and Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr. Sarr has already been eliminated from the tournament alongside Senegal, taking him out of the running for the award.
All of the closest pursuers — Norway, England, and France — have already secured their places in the next round of 16. For Messi and Argentina, however, a spot in the knockout stage’s next round is still on the line: only a win over Cape Verde will book their progression.
Messi’s current goal-scoring form is rewriting record books, with the Argentine icon notching at least one goal in seven consecutive World Cup matches dating back to the 2022 tournament. No other men’s player in World Cup history has ever put together such a streak. Across those seven matches, he has scored 11 goals, pushing his all-time career World Cup total to 19 — one more than Mbappé, marking the highest career goal total in men’s World Cup history.
Remarkably, despite his decades of dominance at the international tournament, Messi has never claimed the Golden Boot. At the 2022 World Cup, he finished second in the goal-scoring rankings with seven strikes, one goal behind Mbappé. In the 2014 edition, he tied for third with four goals.
If the two leaders remain tied at the top of the goal table when the tournament wraps up, FIFA’s tie-breaking rules will first compare total assists, then total minutes played to decide the winner. Entering Friday’s match, Mbappé holds a 2-0 lead over Messi in assists, putting the Frenchman at an advantage should the tie hold through the final match.
-
Perry comes through training before T20 World Cup final
As the much-anticipated women’s T20 World Cup final between two unbeaten heavyweights Australia and England draws near at Lord’s on Sunday, all eyes are locked on Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who is pushing through a minor fitness scare to be ready for the title decider.
The 35-year-old, widely regarded as one of the most iconic players in the history of women’s cricket, was forced to retire hurt early in her innings during Tuesday’s semi-final clash against West Indies, leaving the field after facing just seven deliveries due to what the team described as “quad awareness”.
While Australia’s coaching and support staff refused to release a definitive confirmation of Perry’s match fitness on Friday, on-pitch signs from training sessions are overwhelmingly positive. The star all-rounder completed a near full-intensity running session, and faced a long spell of net bowling with no visible signs of discomfort or restriction. Ahead of that, Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke already hinted that Perry could feature in the final even if she is not operating at 100% capacity, highlighting how valuable her presence is to the side.
Perry’s importance to Australia’s six-time T20 World Cup-winning program cannot be overstated. She is the only player to have featured in every single one of Australia’s world title triumphs in the format, and enters the final as her nation’s leading run-scorer at this year’s tournament, having notched 185 runs including three consecutive half-centuries. Most recently, she steered Australia to a dramatic semi-final win over West Indies at Lord’s – the same venue as Sunday’s final – hitting an unbeaten 56 to pull her side out of a perilous position while chasing a 171-run target.
A standout all-round contributor, Perry has proven dangerous across both batting and bowling departments this tournament. With bat in hand, she boasts a tournament strike rate of 135.03, combines aggressive boundary hitting with smart rotation of the strike, and holds the record for the lowest dot ball percentage (30.9%) among all batters who have scored over 1,000 runs in women’s T20 international cricket. Though she has scaled back her bowling workload in the later stages of her decorated career, she has still claimed four wickets in the three matches she was called upon to bowl this year, proving effective with her accurate medium-pace.
Young Australian team-mate Phoebe Litchfield spoke glowingly of Perry’s relentless preparation ahead of the final. “She’s great, she’s prepping really well and she’s the ultimate professional,” Litchfield told reporters. “She had a total wellness day yesterday, apparently, just getting everything right. As you can all imagine, she wants to be out there on Sunday and is doing everything in her ability to do that, which is the true professional that she is.”
Perry’s potential return adds another layer of drama to a final that already carries huge historical weight for both sides. Australia take on an England side that earned its place in the decider with an impressive semi-final win over South Africa on Thursday, and both sides enter the final without a single defeat across the entire tournament.
This showdown marks the first time the Ashes rivals have met in a World Cup final since Australia claimed a 50-over World Cup title win over England in 2022. For England, the final represents a chance to end a six-year world title drought: the side’s last major world title came back in 2017, when they claimed a famous 50-over World Cup win on the very same Lord’s pitch.
England all-rounder Charlie Dean said the squad enters the final in a confident mood, having built steady momentum through the tournament. “It really feels like we’re building something,” Dean said. “I feel like it is the most confident I’ve personally been in an England shirt and I feel like that radiates from everyone else as well.”
-
Can Girmay recreate past Tour de France glories with new team?
Tour de France history-maker Biniam Girmay is gearing up for another run at cycling’s most prestigious sprint title, bringing fresh ambition, a new squad, and the backing of football World Cup champion Andres Iniesta to this year’s race.
It has been two years since the 26-year-old Eritrean cyclist etched his name into the record books at the 2024 Tour de France, when he became the first black African rider to claim a stage victory, then went on to secure the event’s green jersey — cycling’s top honor for sprinters — as the first African rider ever to win the classification. After five seasons with Belgium’s Intermarche-Wanty team, Girmay made a high-profile move last December, signing a three-year deal with NSN Cycling, a squad co-founded by former Spanish international and Barcelona icon Iniesta, who lifted the 2010 FIFA World Cup trophy with his national side.
“I am super happy and super motivated to start, to go for stage wins, and chase the green jersey,” Girmay told BBC Sport Africa. “This has been our main goal since the beginning of this season. I have stronger team-mates and a stronger lead-out compared to last year. That is why my results are better. We have worked so hard for this event and we want to achieve what we have planned.”
This year’s Tour kicks off with a blistering 20km team time trial in the searing heat of Barcelona, followed by a third stage that cuts across the Pyrenees — a tough opening that will test specialist sprinters from the very first day. But Girmay, who grew up in East Africa, says the hot, harsh conditions may work to his advantage. “If you look at my best sprint performances, they were in the 2024 Tour de France, and we had two super hard and hot stages to start in Italy. That’s harder for the others – this is potentially also a benefit for me this year, as I can survive the heat better. We have hot and hard stages to begin right after the team time trial.”
Backed by a joint venture between Swiss investment firm Stoneweg and Iniesta’s Never Say Never sports promotion company, NSN Cycling boasts a far larger budget and stronger resource pool than Girmay’s former team, and the early returns on the move have already been positive. Ahead of this year’s Tour, Girmay has notched three wins at UCI-sanctioned races, and claimed the overall green points classification at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana. After taking third in the green jersey standings at last year’s Tour, he is confident his new setup puts him in position to compete for the top prize once again.
“I’ve had enough preparation for this year’s race, especially compared to previous years,” he said. “We also have everybody more or less in the same shape. That also makes a big difference because, as a team, we need to have everybody at the same level.”
All eyes will be on Girmay when the race reaches its first dedicated sprint stages. Most cycling analysts peg the fifth stage, which runs from Lannemezan to Pau in southwestern France, as his first real opportunity to showcase his speed. NSN’s tactical team will be keeping close tabs on his main rivals: Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Premier Tech and Tim Merlier of Soudal-QuickStep, the two other top sprinters in this year’s field. Even earlier, Girmay could make an impact on the grueling 195.9km third stage, which ends with a 1.7km climb at a 7% gradient — a challenge that should play to his strengths as the strongest climber among the race’s top sprinters.
As the only African rider competing in this year’s Tour, Girmay carries the hopes of his home continent on his shoulders, but he says the next generation of Eritrean cycling talent is already on track to join him at cycling’s biggest event. He singled out 20-year-old Milkias Maekele, a fellow sprinter who claimed a dominant solo victory at the Eritrean National Road Championships last month. A product of the same Asmara-based As.Be.Co development program that launched Girmay’s career, Maekele spent 2025 with Germany’s UCI Continental Team Bike Aid — a squad with a long track record of supporting emerging African talent — and earned a promotion to the development team of top-tier World Tour squad Netcompany Ineos after just one standout season.
Girmay says the 6-foot-tall young sprinter has all the makings of a future star. “He has a strong mind for racing, a truly winning mentality. I am super happy for him for winning the national championships. He really deserved it as he raced very well.”
Eritrea already stands as Africa’s most successful cycling nation, with four other Eritrean riders competing at the World Tour level, including fan-favorites Henok Mulubrhan of XDS Astana and Natnael Tesfatsion of Movistar. But Girmay remains the undisputed face of African cycling, and a second green jersey win would only cement his legacy. For the coming weeks of the Tour, expect to see hundreds of Eritrean flags waving at every sprint finish as the history-making rider chases another milestone.
-
Argentina v Cape Verde: Breaking down biggest World Cup knockout mismatch
When football fans around the world began making their predictions for the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, few could have imagined the mouthwatering underdog story that would dominate pre-match hype: Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player to ever step onto a football pitch, preparing to face 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha in one of the most lopsided but anticipated matchups in modern tournament history.
The game will kick off Friday at Miami Stadium, kicking off what is already being framed as a classic meeting between tournament powerhouse Argentina and the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup knockout round: first-time qualifier Cape Verde. What makes the matchup so captivating is not just the gulf in experience and resources between the two sides, but the incredible underdog journey that brought the African side to this point, a run that has already secured their place in World Cup folklore.
Few gave Cape Verde any chance of progressing out of their group, even before they faced off against defending European champions Spain. But the Blue Sharks held the giants to a shock 0-0 draw, a result that already ranked among the biggest upsets in modern World Cup history – even without a win. Back-to-back draws against two-time winners Uruguay and Saudi Arabia followed, enough to secure a second-place group finish and a historic ticket to the round of 32. Their reward? A clash with the current world champions.
On paper, it looks like one of the biggest mismatches World Cup football has ever seen. Argentina is one of the most storied national teams in the sport, with a legacy stretching back to the very first World Cup in 1930, where they finished as runners-up. The side has won the World Cup three times: first in 1978 with a 3-1 final victory over the Netherlands, again in 1986 against West Germany, and most recently in 2022 in Qatar, where they defeated France on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw. Beyond global success, Argentina hold the record for most Copa America titles with 16 wins, including the last two consecutive tournaments, and have ranked among the top three in the FIFA world rankings since March 2022, holding the number one spot for two years before France claimed the top position last year.
Cape Verde’s football origin story could not be more different. The nation only gained independence from Portugal in 1975, its national football federation was founded in 1982, and it only accepted FIFA membership in 1986 – the same year Argentina lifted their second World Cup trophy. The Blue Sharks first entered World Cup qualifying in 2002, and did not come close to qualification until the 2022 cycle, when they missed out on Qatar by just one point, falling short after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria in their final group match. For 2026, despite being drawn into a qualifying group with eight-time qualifier Cameroon, Cape Verde finished top of the group with just one loss from 10 matches to secure their first ever World Cup berth.
At the continental level, Cape Verde only made their first Africa Cup of Nations appearance in 2013, where they reached the quarter-finals, and have since qualified for three more tournaments, including another quarter-final run in 2023. They currently sit 64th in the FIFA world rankings, having hovered between 60th and 80th for the last nine years.
Much of Cape Verde’s recent progress can be traced back to a 2010 strategic shift, when then-manager Joao de Deus began tapping into the nation’s large global diaspora to strengthen the national squad, a common tactic for small nations in modern international football. Today, 12 members of the 2026 World Cup squad were born in Cape Verde – including Kevin Pina, who scored the nation’s first ever World Cup goal in their 2-2 draw with Uruguay – but the side relies heavily on diaspora talent, with five players born in the Netherlands, three in France and three in Portugal. No players currently play in Cape Verde’s semi-pro domestic league, with 23 plying their trade across Europe. Only one, Villarreal defender Logan Costa, plays in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
The squad’s surprise star, 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, is currently an official free agent after his contract with Portuguese second division side Chaves expired earlier this week. Vozinha is one of seven squad members playing in Portugal, with only full-back Sidny Lopes Cabral, who is set to join Turkey’s Trabzonspor after leaving Benfica, playing at a top-tier club.
The gap in squad value between the two sides is staggering. According to transfer market data site Transfermarkt, Cape Verde’s entire squad has a combined market value of just €54.5 million (£46.8 million), putting them in the bottom nine of the 48 teams at the 2026 tournament. Argentina, by comparison, boast a squad valued at €807.5 million (£693.7 million), the seventh most valuable squad in the tournament, with only 16-time winners France ranking higher. When comparing projected starting lineups, Argentina’s first XI carries a combined value of £360.3 million – more than 18 times the £19.77 million total value of Cape Verde’s entire matchday squad. Five individual Argentine players are each worth more than the entirety of the Cape Verde squad, with Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez the nation’s most valuable player at £77.4 million.
Beyond market value, the gulf in silverware is just as stark. Sixteen members of Argentina’s current squad are already World Cup winners, with countless domestic and continental titles across Europe’s top leagues between them. For Cape Verde, most of their players’ title success has come in lower-tier European leagues or smaller national competitions, with the highest profile honors being Jovane Cabral’s 2020-21 Portuguese league title with Sporting CP and Kevin Pina’s 2024-25 Russian Premier League title with Krasnodar.
Even off the pitch, the gap between the two nations is almost impossible to overstate. Cape Verde is a 10-island archipelago in the central Atlantic, 450 kilometers off the west coast of Africa, with a total land area of just 4,033 square kilometers and a population of roughly 530,000 – smaller than the population of every U.S. state. It is the third-smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, and now holds the record for the smallest nation to ever reach the knockout rounds, breaking a 68-year record held by Northern Ireland. Argentina, by contrast, is the eighth largest country in the world by area, with a population of 46 million and a GDP of $683 billion, compared to Cape Verde’s $3 billion GDP.
For all the lopsided statistics on paper, though, Cape Verde has already defied every expectation placed on them at this tournament. Friday’s clash will not just be a game between the world champion and the debutant underdog: it will be a chance for the Blue Shores to write another shocking new chapter in World Cup history, with Vozinha set to take center stage against the greatest player of his generation. Football fans around the world will be tuning in to see if the ultimate underdogs can pull off one more upset.
-
Klopp ‘signals willingness’ to take over as Germany coach Nagelsmann resigns after World Cup failure
Germany’s men’s national soccer program is facing a leadership shakeup after a historic third straight early World Cup exit, with head coach Julian Nagelsmann stepping down and former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp emerging as the leading candidate to take over the role, the German Football Federation (DFB) confirmed in an official announcement Friday.
Nagelsmann’s departure comes four days after Germany suffered a stunning penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the round of 32, a result that extended the country’s decades-long drought of knockout-stage success at the world’s biggest soccer tournament. Germany has not won a World Cup knockout match since claiming its 2014 title in a final against Argentina, with the latest early exit following group-stage eliminations at the 2018 Russia World Cup and 2022 Qatar tournament.
The 38-year-old coach, who took the reins of the national side in 2023 and extended his contract last year through Euro 2028, initially said he would honor the remaining two years of his deal — which reportedly made him one of the highest-paid coaches at this year’s tournament — and insisted after the exit that he was “not one to walk away.” But after returning to Germany for crisis talks with DFB leadership Thursday, he reversed course, saying a clean break was in the best interest of the team.
“In the days since we went out I’ve done a lot of thinking and spoken with trusted people in my personal life and at the federation,” Nagelsmann said in a public statement. “This decision was anything but easy for me. My main aim has always been the team’s success. After such a bitter disappointment, they’ve earned the chance for a completely fresh start.”
Nagelsmann faced intense public and media criticism throughout the tournament over his tactical choices and squad selection. Controversial calls included recalling 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to the starting squad ahead of the tournament after using Oliver Baumann for all qualifying matches, repositioning regular Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich to right-back instead of fielding a specialist in the role, and consistently starting winger Leroy Sane — a former Bayern colleague of Nagelsmann’s. The fallout from these choices was visible in Germany’s loss to Paraguay: amateur stand-in Waldemar Anton, a natural central defender, was forced to cover Kimmich’s right-back position late in the match, while in-form striker Nick Woltemade — who played every minute of Germany’s qualifying campaign — remained benched until the final minutes of the knockout fixture.
The DFB confirmed Friday that it intends to open formal talks with Klopp, who has already privately signaled he is open to taking the national team job. This would mark Klopp’s first senior coaching position since he stepped down from Liverpool at the end of the 2023-2024 Premier League season. Currently, Klopp serves as global head of soccer for the Red Bull Group, and worked as a high-profile pundit for German television during this year’s World Cup, even conducting pitchside post-match interviews with Nagelsmann during the tournament. When asked about the vacancy earlier this week, Klopp downplayed the speculation, saying “I haven’t thought about it” and calling it “not the moment to really talk about it.”
The news of Nagelsmann’s resignation drew a formal statement of recognition from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office. “The chancellor thanks Julian Nagelsmann for his commitment and service in recent years as national team coach,” Merz spokesperson Stefan Kornelius told reporters during a scheduled press conference where the breaking news broke.
Nagelsmann is far from the only high-profile men’s head coach to exit his post after an early elimination from this year’s World Cup. Just hours after Germany’s defeat to Paraguay, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman stepped down following his own side’s surprise penalty shootout exit. Coaches leading Ecuador, South Korea, Scotland and the Czech Republic have all departed their roles after early exits, while Argentina legend Marcelo Bielsa moved forward with a pre-planned departure from Uruguay even before the team’s group-stage elimination was confirmed.
Germany does not return to competitive action until a September 24 Nations League fixture against the Netherlands, giving the DFB time to finalize a deal for Klopp before the new national team cycle begins.
-
Mahrez retires from Algeria duty after World Cup exit
One of the most decorated figures in Algerian football history has closed the book on his 12-year national team career. Riyad Mahrez, the long-serving captain of Algeria’s men’s national side, has formally announced his retirement from international football, just hours after his team crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 round of 32 defeat to Switzerland in Vancouver.
At 35 years old, the winger made the confirmation directly to reporters following the final whistle, bringing an end to a storied international career that included 120 senior appearances and 40 goals for the North African side, nicknamed the Desert Foxes. Reflecting on the match that marked his final outing, Mahrez acknowledged that uncharacteristic errors cost his side a result they believed was well within their grasp. “The goal was to progress, and I think it was a game that was within our reach,” Mahrez said. “We conceded two goals on mistakes, and at this level, we pay dearly for that.” When pressed on whether the Vancouver clash would be his last World Cup appearance, he made his retirement clear: “It’s my last appearance even with the national team. It was my last game.”
Mahrez leaves international football as one of the most statistically accomplished players in Algeria’s men’s football history. His 120 caps rank him second on the nation’s all-time appearance list, only three behind his current national team teammate Aissa Mandi, who has 123. On the scoring charts, his 40 international goals also place him second, just nine goals behind Islam Slimani’s all-time record of 49.
The high point of Mahrez’s captaincy came at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where he led Algeria to their first continental title in nearly three decades. His performance in that tournament remains one of the most iconic moments in Algerian sport: he scored a dramatic stoppage-time free-kick to defeat Nigeria in the semi-final, before the side overcame Senegal in the final to lift the trophy. It stands as the crowning achievement of his international career.
Even in his final World Cup campaign, Mahrez turned in a record-breaking performance for Algeria. This tournament marked his most productive World Cup outing ever, with three direct goal contributions across four matches: two goals against Austria and one assist against Jordan. No other Algerian player has ever notched more goal involvements in a single World Cup edition. He also earned a place in the history books as the second-oldest African player to ever start a World Cup knockout stage match, with only Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye recording an older starting appearance earlier in this same tournament.
Born and raised in France, Mahrez made the decision to represent his ancestral Algeria at the international level back in 2013. He earned his first senior cap for the side in early 2014, just ahead of that year’s World Cup in Brazil, where he helped Algeria reach the round of 16. Over the following 12 years, he cemented his status as one of the greatest footballers to ever wear the Algerian national jersey, becoming one of just a small group of Algerian players to hit the 100-cap milestone for his country. Off the international pitch, Mahrez also built a legendary club career in the English Premier League, winning a league title with Leicester City in 2016 before claiming multiple domestic and European honours during a spell at Manchester City. He currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.
-
Alex Eala makes Grand Slam history for Philippines at Wimbledon
Twenty-one-year-old Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala has etched her name into the history books of Philippine sports after securing a spot in the third round of Wimbledon’s women’s singles, marking the deepest run any competitor from the Southeast Asian nation has ever made at a Grand Slam tournament. The trailblazing 29th seed, who is coming off a hard-fought victory over Australia’s rising star Maya Joint, is set to face off against defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland this coming Saturday.
Eala’s unprecedented breakthrough at one of tennis’ most prestigious majors has sent shockwaves of excitement across her home country, where basketball and boxing have long dominated the national sporting landscape. In a nation where tennis has traditionally remained a niche, marginal pastime, the young athlete’s success has reignited widespread public curiosity and enthusiasm for the sport.
In remarks to reporters following her second-round win, Eala emphasized the profound meaning of her achievement, noting that representing the Philippines on the world’s biggest tennis stage is a privilege beyond measure. “I have been working extremely hard. My team has been working extremely hard. I really feel that it’s paying off. This win means a lot,” she shared. Throughout her 2026 Wimbledon campaign, Eala has deliberately honored her Filipino roots through subtle, meaningful details in her on-court attire: she wears a white Nike sun visor printed with a Tagalog phrase that translates to “once it grows, it cannot be stopped”, and sports a hair tie adorned with a white ornament shaped like sampaguita, the national flower of the Philippines also known as Philippine jasmine.
According to a Reuters report, Eala spoke to the central role her heritage plays in her career and identity. “It’s a huge reason as to who I am. I think where I come from is a big part of who I am and a big part of who I want to become in the future,” she said. “It’s an amazing thing for me to be able to do that for my country, but I guess it’s also very emotional every time I’m able to pass a new step or break new ground, just because it’s also personal goals and personal achievements.”
Eala’s rise to international prominence has been years in the making. After honing her craft at Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal’s eponymous academy in Mallorca, she climbed steadily up the Women’s Tennis Association global rankings. It was not until last year, however, that she catapulted to global fame after pulling off a stunning upset victory over former world number one Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
Today, every one of Eala’s matches draws massive viewership across the Philippines, with organized viewing parties popping up across the archipelago and mainstream national media devoting extensive coverage to her run— a level of attention rarely afforded to tennis in the country. This shift in public interest has already yielded tangible progress for the sport: in January of this year, the Philippines hosted its first ever WTA-sanctioned event, the Philippine Open.
Fans across the nation have flooded social media with messages of support for Eala. “Thank you for putting my first love tennis on the map and inspiring us all,” wrote Mafae Yunon-Belasco, an author and former Miss World finalist, in a comment on Eala’s Instagram post. Another commenter added, “I am crying with jubilation. Thank you, Lord God, this is for the Philippines’ pride.”
As anticipation builds for Saturday’s high-stakes match against the defending champion, Eala struck a balanced, confident tone ahead of the showdown. “I think it’s going to be tough for me. I’m going to try to make it tough for her, as well,” she said. “I’m expecting a great challenge. But I think I’m ready for it.” Millions of Filipino fans will tune in from across the globe this weekend to see if Eala can pull off another historic upset and keep her Wimbledon championship dream alive.