ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Lionel Messi, the top scorer in World Cup history, will not start when defending tournament champion and Group J winner Argentina plays Jordan on Saturday night, June 27, in its last match before the knockout stage. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday, two days...
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (AP) — Not so fast, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. Ousmane Dembélé has just entered the Golden Boot race. Dembélé scored a first-half hat trick, including one off a feed from Mbappé, to help France beat Norway 4-1 at the World Cup on Friday, June 26. Dembélé...
HOUSTON (AP) — Cape Verde completed an improbable run through the group stage with a third straight World Cup draw to become the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout round following a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday night, June 26. The small island nation off the western coast...
Gilas Pilipinas may have been through to the next round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers but the two remaining games in the third window are crucial to the Nationals’ bid of making it back to the global showpiece. National team head coach Tim Cone underlined the importance of the two...
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (AP) — A little flick of Gonzalo Plata’s big toe helped Ecuador make a great escape. Plata poked the ball past Manuel Neuer in the 77th minute and lifted Ecuador to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Germany on Thursday, June 25, and into the knockout round of the World...
EDITOR 'S DESK I could remember vividly in the unholy hours of Dec. 19, 2022, some seven kilometers from the quaint town of General Tinio and on the far end of Nueva Ecija, around 3 a.m. with the skies waiting to break dawn and the breeze ever so pinching for a late-year gust from the ranges...
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida (AP) — Neymar has finally played in this World Cup, and Brazil has a superstar back in time for the knockout rounds. Neymar checked in during the 76th minute against Scotland on Wednesday, June 24, with the team leading 3-0 and well on its way to clinching a spot in the...
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mateo Chávez and Julián Quiñones scored in a six-minute span early in the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night, June 24, to win all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the first time. The 22-year-old Chávez, in his first World...
Gilas Pilipinas won’t have the luxury to play big with its tallest players in Kai Sotto and Quentin Millora-Brown out of commission for the third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, but head coach Tim Cone is searching for ways to match the height of New Zealand and Australia. And...
HOUSTON (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo rebounded from a lackluster start to his sixth World Cup and led Portugal to a dominant victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday, June 23, renewing hope that the team is a contender for the title. Ronaldo scored two goals to help Portugal roll to the 5-0 win and move on...
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone explained why two of his frontliners in Kai Sotto and Quentin Millora-Brown were absent in the Final 12 of the national team for the pair of road games in the third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Speaking at the end of the Gilas’ open...
HOUSTON (AP) — Portugal coach Roberto Martínez wouldn’t say if Cristiano Ronaldo would start Tuesday’s World Cup match against Uzbekistan after the superstar 's forgettable performance in the team’s opener. “I can’t inform you about the starting 11 because I haven’t informed my...
