Author: Henry

Two things have undoubtedly been true this summer: The superstars are shining, and the Golden Boot odds seem to be changing every minute. After recording his second brace of the tournament in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Sweden, Kylian Mbappé is now up to 18 career World Cup goals, one shy of tying Lionel Messi for the most in World Cup history. Mbappé is now also up to 10 knockout stage goals, extending his record for the most in World Cup history. Meanwhile, in Argentina’s final group game against Jordan, Messi came on in the 60th minute, and it took very little time for him to put one in the back of the net. Messi’s 80th minute free kick gave him his sixth goal of the tournament, setting the record for most consecutive matches with a goal in the World Cup (7). Messi is now up to 19 career World Cup goals, extending his record for the most by any man or woman in World Cup history. With Mbappé and Messi now tied on six goals apiece, the Golden Boot race is becoming one of the defining storylines of the tournament and is shaping up to be one of the most historic in World Cup history, as both generational stars continue chasing records. Let’s dive into the updated Golden Boot odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 1. 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. Golden Boot Winner 2026 Kylian Mbappé: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)Lionel Messi: +140 (bet $10 to win $24 total)Harry Kane: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)Erling Haaland: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Vinícius Júnior: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Ousmane Dembélé: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Cristiano Ronaldo: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Mikel Oyarzabal: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total)Jonathan David: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total)Lamine Yamal: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total)Ismael Saibari: +7000 (bet $10 to win $710 total) Here’s what to know about this oddsboard: The Tally: Messi and Mbappé are tied for the most goals this tournament with six, Haaland and Kane have five, and Ousmane Dembélé and Vini Jr. are tied in third with four. Kane Rising: Kane’s brace on Wednesday against DR Congo pushed England into the Round of 16, giving it a 2-1 win. Kane is now up to 13 goals, tied with Just Fontaine for the sixth-most of any man in World Cup history. He also became the first English player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker vs. Cameroon in 1990. History Made: With his hat trick against Algeria, Messi tied Miroslav Klose for the most goals in men’s World Cup history with 16, while also setting the record as the oldest player (38) to record a hat trick, passing Cristiano Ronaldo. Then, in Argentina’s second game against Austria, Messi scored twice to put some space between himself and Klose. Finally, after coming on as a sub in the second half of Argentina’s last group stage match against Jordan, Messi added another, this time via a lovely free kick. Mbappé, with his offensive performance so far this tournament, now has 18 career World Cup goals, passing Klose as the second-most in men’s World Cup history. We are more than likely to see this record go back and forth the rest of the summer.

England avoided a historic upset with a late comeback against DR Congo at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday to win 2-1 and advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 for the third consecutive tournament. DR Congo opened the scoring early on a goal from left winger Brian Cipenga. Cipenga was alone on the left side of the penalty box and snuck the ball between the near post and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. DR Congo kept the pressure on and nearly doubled its lead before the halftime break. England didn’t look much more dangerous coming out of the second half, but it slowly built momentum until Harry Kane finally evened the score for the Three Lions in the 74th minute. With the match looking destined for extra time, Kane scored again for England 11 minutes later. Harry Kane is the first English player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker vs Cameroon in 1990. England will now move on to the round of 16 to play Mexico on Sunday, July 5 at Mexico City Stadium.

Seeing all the stories about LeBron James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and saying it’s time to try somewhere new, could be what many drivers in the INDYCAR paddock — including one of the INDYCAR greats — will say over the next two months. James, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, will potentially join his fourth NBA team this year. Scott Dixon has driven for Chip Ganassi Racing since 2002 (when he split the year driving for PacWest and Ganassi). He is in his 24th full-time season with the organization and for the last six years has sought his seventh series title. There won’t be a 25th. He is on his way out. Arrow McLaren the likely destination. Neither side has confirmed Dixon’s departure other than the acknowledgment that Dixon’s exclusive negotiating period has ended with Ganassi. But it is evident from talking to those who have heard from Dixon is that Dixon won’t be back at Ganassi. And the big question is, can you believe it? Why, yes. For sure. The same reason James will leave the Lakers for somewhere else. The same reason Tom Brady left the New England Patriots after winning six titles and went to Tampa Bay, where he won a seventh. I haven’t talked with Dixon about why he would leave. But it makes sense. Paychecks are nice, but there also is something about the grass being greener somewhere else. Or at least wanting to just check it out. Not saying that Dixon will repeat the Brady story, but there’s a chance. And he’s leaving a Ganassi team that he can’t say is a place where he has performed up to expectations in his last couple of years. The Ganassi team has its leader, at least on the stat sheet, in Alex Palou. Dixon doesn’t have a win this year, and last year — beyond his win at Mid-Ohio (the site of this weekend’s race) — it was relatively a season of frustration. He wondered aloud how he finished third overall in the standings. This year has been more of the same, maybe even less so, as he sits 10th in the standings. And if he’s getting beat by a great driver in similar equipment, why not see what it is like elsewhere? Or why not help a program build as Arrow McLaren or anywhere else would need? And assuming he does end up at Arrow McLaren, there could be opportunities on the sports-car side or on the ambassador side. And an extra car for the Indy 500 if he wants it. He’ll get to be part of the McLaren brand, too. Ganassi for sure produces winners, and Dixon has won 58 races there (he had one win at PacWest for 59 in his career). Staying wouldn’t be a bad move, but leaving Ganassi now seems apt — Palou is rattling off wins and championships and Dixon’s not leaving Ganassi with nobody for them to hire. Ganassi very well could get a driver who has earned more points and wins this year than Dixon, as it appears McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard would be available. Some will say that Dixon risks his legacy by making a move. Hogwash. There is no erasing the six titles. Just like Jimmie Johnson, when he went INDYCAR racing, some felt he stained his legacy. Again, disagree. The titles are there. If a driver doesn’t race as well in his 40s as he did in his 30s, maybe it is just a little bit of Father Time rather than a stain on a legacy. And the fact is, who cares? The only people who should care about legacy are Dixon and his family. Anyone’s view of the legacy doesn’t matter as he can sit at home amid his race-winning and championship-winning trophies. So good for Dixon for taking a chance and dismissing the comfort. He will have had 25 great years at Ganassi. That’s enough. It will be fun watching him race somewhere else. In Second Thoughts, Bob Pockrass offers his opinion on a burning motorsports topic.

The wait is over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to 16 different cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer, and you’ll be able to catch all the action with FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the 48-team soccer bonanza. Here is the full broadcast schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and how you can watch every game: How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. JUMP TO: Group Stage | Knockout Stage | World Cup Final 2026 World Cup Schedule: Knockout Stage Round of 32 June 28 June 29 June 30 July 1 July 2 July 3 Round of 16 July 4 July 5 July 6 July 7 Quarterfinals July 9 July 10 July 11 Semifinals July 14 July 15 World Cup Final July 19 2026 World Cup Group Stage Results: June 11, 2026 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 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. The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.

Just when it looked like the 2026 World Cup would see another major upset, England stormed back to beat DR Congo in the round of 32 on Wednesday. The Three Lions went from a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 victory and will advance to the round of 16. Now, what’s next for England at the World Cup? Here is who England will play in the round of 16 and its potential path to making the World Cup final. Who Could England Play In The Round Of 16? Following England’s comeback win over DR Congo in the round of 32, it will play co-host Mexico in the round of 16. Mexico beat Ecuador in the round of 32 to advance in the knockout stages, and it still has its home-field advantage. With England and Mexico advancing to face off in the round of 16, the two teams will play at Mexico City Stadium on Sunday, July 5, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. Who Could England Play In The Quarterfinals? If England advances past the round of 16, it has two potential quadrant opponents it could face in the quarterfinals: Brazil or Norway. Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in the round of 32 on Monday, while Norway handled the Ivory Coast 2-1 in its round of 32 matchup on Tuesday. Who Could England Face In The Semifinals? There are eight possible opponents for England in the semifinals, including Argentina. The other seven potential opponents for England in the semifinals are Cabo Verde, Australia, Egypt, Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia and Ghana. Argentina, Cabo Verde, Australia and Egypt make up one quadrant, while Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia and Ghana are in the adjacent quadrant. If England reaches the semifinals, it’ll play at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, July 15, at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One.

The round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup isn’t complete yet, but we’re starting to get a look at what the round of 16 will look like. As the biggest World Cup ever continues, the round of 32 will be completed on Friday, July 3, and the round of 16 will commence on Saturday, July 4. So, with tickets being punched into the next round, here is what the round of 16 looks like: Saturday, July 4 Houston Stadium (1 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) The first matchup of the round of 16 is set. Morocco defeated the Netherlands in penalty kicks on Monday night, advancing to the round of 16 for the second time in as many World Cups. It’s also the third World Cup that Morocco has reached the round of 16. Canada became the first team to punch its ticket into the round of 16 with its dramatic victory over South Africa on Sunday. It marked Canada’s first knockout stage win as it’ll play in the round of 16 for the first time ever. Morocco was ranked seventh in the most recent World Cup rankings, while Canada was ranked 30th. Philadelphia Stadium (5 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Paraguay upset Germany in the round of 32, defeating Germany in penalty kicks. It’s the first time since 2010 that Paraguay has advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup. Paraguay didn’t qualify in each of the last three World Cups, either. France, meanwhile, defeated Sweden 3-0 on Tuesday. For France, it is looking to reach the final for the third straight World Cup as it has also made the quarterfinals in each of the last four World Cups. Sunday, July 5 New York New Jersey Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Brazil became the second team to punch its ticket into the round of 16 with its comeback win over Japan on Monday. In the final minutes of stoppage time, Gabriel Martinelli scored the game-winning goal to give his side a 2-1 victory. It marks the 11th straight World Cup that Brazil has reached the round of 16. Norway took down Ivory Coast 2-1 off the heels of a late Erling Haaland goal to set up an epic showdown between Norway’s talented goalscorer and the dynamic presence that is Vinícius Júnior. Mexico City Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Mexico won its first knockout stage match since 1986, 2-0, over Ecuador to book a spot in the round of 16. It’ll also get to remain at Mexico City Stadium, playing the final match in Mexico in this World Cup. England, meanwhile, defeated DR Congo in dramatic fashion on Wednesday. Harry Kane scored two goals in the second half, completing the brace to help England get a comeback 2-1 victory. Both Mexico and England were ranked in the top 16 of the latest FIFA rankings. Mexico was placed 14th, and England was ranked fourth. Monday, July 6 Portugal/Croatia vs. Spain/Austria Dallas Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) USA/Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Belgium/Senegal Seattle Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Tuesday, July 7 Argentina/Cape Verde vs. Australia/Egypt Atlanta Stadium (Noon ET, FOX, FOX One) Switzerland/Algeria vs. Colombia/Ghana Vancouver Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)