Author: Henry

“Bear Bets” are real wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is actually making. It’s still the Round of 32, but after these first few days of the knockout stage, I can’t wait to get to the Round of 16. That’s how much fun this thing has been so far. Here’s what I’m eyeing for Match Day 22. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. World Cup Best Bets — Thursday, July 2 Spain vs. Austria Spain hasn’t conceded in the tourney and I don’t think it will here either. I don’t hate a Spain HT/FT, as I think it will get an early goal and then control the ball the rest of the way to see it out. Austria played that wild match against Algeria and netted three to get here, but this is a completely different animal. Portugal vs. Croatia Portugal has been non-threatening against everyone outside Uzbekistan. I see no reason that won’t continue here against a veteran Croatia side that has been through all the battles. There is an immense amount of pressure on Portugal here after failing to win the group and give it an easy draw. I get the sense there’s a lot going on behind the scenes which we do not know about, and we’ll eventually learn after the tournament. That said, no result would surprise me here, and I’ll just default to a tight, feeling-out first half in which neither team wants to make a critical early error. Switzerland vs. Algeria I keep thinking Switzerland is better than it actually is. It just feels like it should be winning knockout stage matches and making deep runs, but we haven’t seen it. The Swiss get a pretty good draw here against an Algeria side that doesn’t have too many offensive options, despite Riyad Mahrez’s brace the other night. This feels like a stereotypical knockout stage match that won’t see much action or goals.

Harry Kane delivered for England once again, not that any of his teammates doubted he would. Even though England trailed for the opening 75 minutes of its round of 32 match against DR Congo on Wednesday, Kane remained confident. While big names like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have garnered most of the headlines, Kane has quietly been playing at the top of his game. That was clear on Wednesday, as the 6-foot-2 forward came up big when England needed it most with a pair of late goals to solidify a 2-1 win and send England to the round of 16 to face Mexico in Mexico City. Kane said the key to playing at the highest level is bringing consistency to everyday training. “That’s why you do all the work from behind the scenes, you know, the things that you guys don’t see when we’re training, when we’re at home doing recovery, doing ice baths, treatment, all the little details that make you be consistently at the highest level for as long as possible,” Kane said. “Guys like Messi, they’re the pinnacle of that.” DR Congo gave England all it could handle, but substitute Anthony Gordon, who assisted both goals, never had a doubt. “I never thought they were going to beat us. I knew we would win because I trust everyone on our pitch, and I know how hard we’re working and training,” Gordon said after the game. “We play the way we train, and we play hard … I just tried to be direct, tried to make [DR Congo] more tired, and give the ball to ‘H.’” Kane’s goals were his fourth and fifth of the tournament, upping his total to 13 as England’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer. His teammates needed everything he had on Wednesday. Gordon lifted a cross from the left, which Kane headed past Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi for England’s first goal of the day. Just over 10 minutes later, Gordon found Kane a second time at the edge of the box, where he sent his shot into the top corner of the net. Gordon started celebrating as soon as it left Kane’s foot. “As soon as he hit it, it was golden. I was already celebrating,” Gordon said. “Anyone can score a good goal, anyone at this level can put the ball in the top corner. It’s the consistency that he does it every day, training every game, is phenomenal. He plays at such a high, high level.” Sixteen years into his professional career, Kane is beaming with confidence as England looks ahead to a challenging match in the Round of 16. “I’m feeling as good as I’ve ever felt, and ultimately, when I get onto the pitch, I know all the work I’ve done behind the scenes will make me ready for big moments, he said. “That’s exactly what happened out there today.” Reporting by The Associated Press.

Lionel Mpasi blocked shots with his right hand, his left hand and even took one a bit below the belt. At one point, England midfielder Jude Bellingham gave him a hug of respect with Mpasi sprawled on the World Cup turf, the ball safely in his grasp. In the end, though, the Congo goalkeeper couldn’t stop Harry Kane. The England striker scored two late goals, the winner in the 86th minute, to prevent the upstart team from Africa from pulling off one of the greatest shockers in World Cup history. England is moving on to the round of 16 after a 2-1 victory on Wednesday, while Mpasi will have to console himself with one of the great defensive performances in a tournament filled with stellar play from the keepers. “I offered my body to science,” he said through a translator, managing a wry smile. “But we knew Harry Kane is a super striker and that we had to center on him. Too bad that twice we paid a little less attention to him.” Indeed, the Congolese couldn’t hold off one of the world’s most dangerous goalscorers. Still, it didn’t diminish what Mpasi and his teammates nearly pulled off. “It is my job to help the team and make saves,” Mpasi said in French. “Happily, I was able to make some during the game. I would have loved to save the two that turned into goals.” Already, this was a historic tournament for a country whose only other World Cup appearance came in 1974, when the nation was known as Zaire. That was a quick three-and-out, the squad failing to even score a goal in its defeats — the most embarrassing of them a 9-0 blowout by Yugoslavia. There was nothing to be ashamed about at its second World Cup. Much of the credit should go to the 31-year-old Mpasi, who plays club soccer in his native France but represents the country of his parent’s birth internationally, a nation best known in sports circles for Muhammad Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle” upset of George Foreman in 1974. While a round of 32 victory over England wouldn’t have been as impactful as that landmark heavyweight bout, it showcased a country — and a keeper — eager to make their mark on the international scene. “I’m just proud — proud of my country, proud of my team,” Mpasi said. “We fight until the end of the game.” He finished with five saves, the most painful of them coming near the end of the first half when he flung his body in front of a shot by Kane off a cross at the right post — appearing to take a ball somewhere between, uh, his waist and upper thigh. “He made some incredible saves,” Kane said. “It looked like it was going to be one of those days.” It was reminiscent of Mpasi’s performance in a group game against Colombia, when he blocked eight shots in a 1-0 setback to the South American powerhouse. “He’s been phenomenal for us all tournament, especially the game against Columbia. He really kept us in the game,” Congo defender Axel Tuanzebe said. “Credit to him, the work he puts in, and just the togetherness that we have as a group. We’ve been together for a while now and the relationship is there, and the communication is there. I just look forward to playing with him and having my back for many more games.” Mpasi, too, looks forward to using this tournament as a building block for Congo soccer. “I am filled with pride in how we represented Congo,” he said. “We fought with all we had, but unfortunately. it didn’t work out. Now, we will rest and then work hard to make sure we can do things like this again.” Reporting by The Associated Press.

The comeback is complete and the Three Lions are moving on, England defeated DR Congo 2-1 to advance to the round of 16 against Mexico. Trailing 1-0 up until the 75th minute, star striker Harry Kane found the net twice to keep their tournament run alive. Kane nodded to the talent that DR Congo and their keeper brought to the pitch, but a post-hydration break surge was a big factor in their win. “It was amazing to be honest. It was a crazy game. First and foremost, (DR Congo’s) a tough team,” Kane said after the win. “(We were) going behind, but I thought that after that first hydration break we upped the level, we looked good. I mean their keeper made some unbelievable saves in that first half.” An early goal from midfielder Brian Cipenga and goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi’s five total saves kept DR Congo in the game. But a pair of goals from Kane was no match for a DR Congo upset. England’s tournament campaign brings high stakes, with sights set on their first World Cup title since 1930. In coach Thomas Tuchel’s first World Cup, England has been a candidate to make a convincing run. The Three Lions most recently reached the semifinals in 2018, but fell 2-1 to Croatia. Kane also spoke about the mentalities that the Three Lions had when they needed to make something happen — pound the rock and hero moments. “It was just about pounding the rock, keep pounding the rock, and our moments will come. We spoke about people having hero moments, it could be anyone on the team,” Kane said. “Whether it’s me, a save from Pickford, a block from the defenders, whoever it is, we have hero moments. And for me, it was a day.” In terms of heroes, Kane, who is England’s all-time World Cup goalscorer with 13 total goals, has been a force in the attack and continues to deliver. Through four games, Kane’s recorded five total goals and is in a tight Golden Boot race, next to Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé. The Three Lions’ move on to face Mexico in the round of 16 at Mexico City Stadium on July 5.

Erling Haaland has admitted that Norway face an uphill battle to keep their World Cup dream alive after setting up a daunting round of 16 clash against Brazil. Despite Norway winning three of their four games at the tournament to date, the Manchester City superstar is refusing to get carried away as the Scandinavians prepare to face one of the favourites. Haaland’s realistic outlook for knockout stage Norway secured their place following a dramatic 2-1 round of 32 victory over the Ivory Coast. Haaland was once again the hero, netting the decisive goal in the 86th minute after being played through by Patrick Berg. However, rather than basking in the glory of their progression, the prolific striker was quick to manage expectations regarding their next opponent. Speaking to television cameras immediately after the final whistle, Haaland adopted a cautious tone when discussing the challenge that lies ahead. “We’re going to the round of 16, there will be excellent teams. It won’t be easy, we have to be realistic. I don’t know if we’ll make it. We’ve prepared a lot and we’re still very prepared,” he said. When pressed specifically on how he rated Norway’s chances of eliminating Brazil, Haaland replied bluntly: “Uh…very slim.” Chasing Messi and Mbappe in the Golden Boot race The Man City talisman is currently enjoying a fine tournament, proving that his club form translates perfectly to the global stage. His winning strike against Ivory Coast was his fifth of the competition, placing him just one goal behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot. Haaland’s efficiency is particularly striking given his lack of prior World Cup experience. Statistically, Haaland continues to operate at a level rarely seen in international football. He has now reached 60 goals in just 53 appearances for his country, making him the fastest active player to reach that milestone. To put that into perspective, Mbappe required 100 caps to hit 60 goals, while Messi needed 122. Odegaard offers a more optimistic vision While Haaland was playing the role of the realist, Norway captain Martin Odegaard was slightly more bullish about their prospects. The Arsenal playmaker, who acted as the master of ceremonies during post-match celebrations by leading the fans in the ‘Viking clap,’ believes that the unpredictable nature of the tournament could work in their favour. Odegaard urged his team-mates to embrace the underdog status. “It will be a difficult match, but in football anything is possible. We want to keep dreaming, keep enjoying ourselves, let’s give it a try. We’ll see how long we can keep dreaming. Let’s prepare well and enjoy the moment,” Odegaard told reporters in the mixed zone. Acknowledging Brazil’s strengths Odegaard acknowledged the individual quality within the Brazilian ranks, noting his familiarity with club team-mates Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes: “They have a great team, several excellent players, I know them from Arsenal, they are top-level players.” Norway and Brazil will face off at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

Bayern Munich have officially announced the signing of Morocco international Ismael Saibari from PSV in a major summer deal. The 25-year-old forward, who is currently enjoying a sensational, ongoing standout campaign at the World Cup, joins the German giants on a long-term contract following his success in the Eredivisie. Kompany lands major attacking target The Bundesliga heavyweights have moved decisively to secure one of the most coveted talents in European football. Saibari has put pen to paper on a contract that runs until June 2031, tying his long-term future to the Allianz Arena. Explaining the move on Bayern’s official website, board member for sport Max Eberl said: “We’re delighted to have secured the services of Ismael Saibari, one of the most exciting forwards at the World Cup. Transfers like this don’t happen on the spur of the moment but are the result of long-term planning: the key factor was that we made our position clear to him early on because we were aware of Ismael’s skills and were able to show him a clear future with us from the start. Ismael Saibari will bring extra quality and unpredictability to our attacking play. Big-money fee for Eredivisie star While Bayern did not officially disclose the transfer fee, the deal represents a significant investment in the squad. According to Bild, the fixed fee is in the region of €50m and could rise to €52m with performance-related bonuses. This puts the Moroccan among the most expensive signings in the club’s history alongside the likes of Harry Kane and Matthijs de Ligt. Sporting director Christoph Freund highlighted the player’s pedigree, stating: “Ismael Saibari has won the Dutch championship title with Eindhoven three times in a row, he has Champions League experience and is now demonstrating how valuable he can be for a team at the World Cup, at the highest level. He’s versatile, intense and bold in his play, he has the hunger we want to see at FC Bayern and his goal threat and mentality will boost the team. Fans flock to the stadium for players like him.” World Cup heroics and PSV success Saibari arrives in Munich following a trophy-laden spell in the Netherlands. During his time with PSV, he recorded 42 goals and 29 assists, helping the club to three league titles and being named the Dutch Footballer of the Year in his final season in Eindhoven. His form has translated to the international stage, where he has been instrumental for Morocco during their current World Cup campaign in North America. The forward has already left his mark on the tournament, scoring against Brazil, Scotland and Haiti. Most notably, he converted the decisive penalty in the shootout victory over the Netherlands in the round of 16. With 34 appearances and 12 goals for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations winners, Saibari is widely considered one of the most clinical finishers emerging from the continent. Saibari reveals Kompany influence The player himself admitted that the chance to work under Kompany was a major factor in his decision to move to the Bundesliga. “As a child, you dream of signing a contract with a club like FC Bayern – everybody knows it’s one of the world’s biggest clubs,” Saibari said. “FC Bayern compete for the biggest titles like the Champions League every year, and I want to win as many trophies as possible here. FC Bayern’s play suits me, I can play my own style of football here, and I’ll work hard every day to help the team. Coach Vincent Kompany played a key role in my decision – I’m looking forward to working with him.”