Baseball players proposed that optional assignments to the minor leagues be cut from a maximum of five per season to three, aimed at reducing roster churn that teams use for their bullpen back ends in an era when relief pitchers throw an increased portion of games. During a bargaining session Wednesday with Major League Baseball, the union also asked that active rosters be increased to 28 from 26 during the first 15 days of each season, including a maximum of 14 pitchers that would be up from the current 13. Players also proposed the 60-day injured list open at the time of the November tender deadline rather than the first day players can report to spring training. The change would allow teams to protect more players from the Rule 5 draft during the winter meetings because players on the 60-day IL do not count against the 40-man roster limit. The union asked that MLB agree to accelerate eligibility for the Rule 5 draft and to ensure the draft will be held this year, even if management locks out players after the current five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1. It also wants pitchers to be credited with major league service time if they are optioned to the minors during the All-Star break or after a game in which they meet specified performance thresholds. Players also want a guarantee of access to team performance and video data that is not proprietary. Owners have proposed a salary cap for the first time since the 1994-95 strike that led to the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years. While a lockout next winter is expected, talks are not likely to intensify until late February or early March 2027, when the possibility of losing regular-season games and revenue nears. If regular-season games are lost, negotiations may become a standoff over which side can tolerate the most financial loss. Reporting by The Associated Press.
Spain midfielder Gavi has delivered the ultimate compliment to his Barcelona and international team-mate Lamine Yamal, claiming the 18-year-old sensation is the finest player in world football when excluding Lionel Messi. The duo are chasing World Cup glory, with Gavi backing the recovering winger to handle the immense pressure during their knockout campaign. Building match sharpness Yamal is carefully building his match sharpness after a hamstring injury disrupted his World Cup preparations. The Barcelona winger has gradually increased his playing time for Spain, featuring for 19 minutes against Cape Verde, 45 minutes in a goal-scoring display against Saudi Arabia, and 76 minutes against Uruguay. Speaking during an interview with La Vanguardia, Gavi emphasised the sheer quality Yamal possesses, even when operating below peak physical condition. Gavi explained: “Perhaps he is not at 100 per cent yet. But Lamine at 70 per cent is already the best. When the matches go by, he will get better.” The Lionel Messi comparison Despite only being 18, Yamal has already amassed an astonishing list of accolades. The Golden Boy winner lifted the Euro 2024 trophy with Spain and secured three La Liga titles with Barcelona. Yamal even finished as the runner-up for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, placing just behind Ousmane Dembele. When asked if the teenager is the premier talent on the planet, Gavi offered a massive endorsement by placing him directly behind an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. “Lionel Messi aside, I see him as the best. And I will always go to the death with him, in the good times and the bad,” Gavi declared. Navigating intense global pressure The intense spotlight of a major tournament can easily overwhelm young players, but Yamal has consistently demonstrated remarkable maturity. Gavi admitted he continues to be amazed by how his colleague navigates global fame without breaking a sweat, having watched his profile skyrocket. Gavi added: “Sometimes I tell him I don’t understand how he does it, because he never gets overwhelmed by people. If I were him, I’d find it incredibly difficult, and I’d get stressed out, but Lamine handles it all very well and seems completely unfazed. It’s a really great quality of his.” What comes next for Spain? Spain will now finalise their tactical preparations for the upcoming last-32 clash with Austria. Manager Luis de la Fuente faces a major selection headache regarding his midfield combination and whether Yamal is fit enough to complete a full match. The European giants must deliver a cohesive performance to advance further and keep their ultimate World Cup dreams alive.
Mexico City Stadium gets another epic World Cup showdown with both tournament co-host Mexico and England advancing out of the round of 32 to the round of 16. And El Tri and the Three Lions will play in the next round with an appearance in the World Cup quarterfinals on the line. In the first round of knockouts, Mexico beat Ecuador, 2-0, on Tuesday night, and England pulled off a 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo on Wednesday. But both teams still have a long way to go before getting to the 2026 World Cup final. So here’s what to know about Mexico and England’s next World Cup match. How To Watch Mexico vs. England Mexico and England will face off in the World Cup round of 16 at Mexico City Stadium on Sunday, July 5, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. Mexico vs. England: Who Is Favored? Here’s a look at the odds for Mexico-England in the World Cup round of 16 match, according to FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 1: Moneyline To Advance What Are Mexico’s And England’s Path To The World Cup Final? Mexico and England have the same path to the World Cup Final. Whichever team wins in the round of 16 matchup will advance to the quarterfinals, where it will play either Brazil or Norway — two teams facing off in the round of 16 on Sunday, July 5 (4 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One). 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. If Mexico or England then beat the winner of Brazil-Norway at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 11 (5 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One), the next stop is the semifinals. There are eight possible opponents for Mexico or England in the semifinals: Argentina, Cape Verde, Australia, and Egypt are in one quadrant while Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia and Ghana are in the adjacent quadrant. If Mexico or England reaches the semifinals, it’ll play at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, July 15, at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. And the final will be at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. Who Is A Player To Watch For Mexico? In the win over Ecuador in the round of 32, Quiñones became the fifth Mexican player ever to score three World Cup goals and just the second Mexican player to score three or more at a single World Cup (Luis “El Matador” Hernández scored four in 1998). What says more about the team as a whole, Quiñones’ goal against Ecuador had 14 prior passes, and since 1966, it was the second highest build-up for a Mexican goal, behind the 15 passes leading to Jared Borgetti scoring against Italy in 2002. The Colombian-born attacker became a naturalized Mexican citizen in 2023 and has since become a very important player for El Tri. He was the Man of the Match in the opening win over South Africa and scored again in the win over Czechia. He’s been in good form for most of the past year, and he recently finished as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League for 2025-26 with 33 goals for Al Qadsiah FC. Who Is A Player To Watch For England? Harry Kane — whose Golden Boot odds soared after England beat DR Congo — is obviously a crucial player for the Three Lions. Kane scored two goals against DR Congo, putting him at 13 career World Cup goals — tied with Just Fontaine for the sixth-most of any man in World Cup history. But let’s look at Bellingham. The Real Madrid playmaker was the Man of the Match in the 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday while playing in a deeper role. Expect him to continue looking for pockets of space to open up for Kane or other potential scorers, but he should also be a threat against the net. Against DR Congo, Bellingham was dealt a yellow card, meaning he’ll have to be careful against Mexico. In the knockouts, yellow-card accumulations are wiped clean after the quarterfinals, so if he receives a second while playing Mexico and England wins, he’ll be suspended for the quarterfinal. What Are Mexico’s And England’s Odds To Win The World Cup? At this point in the World Cup, England has much better odds to win it all compared with Mexico. But, as we’ve seen, anything can happen. Here’s a look at England’s and Mexico’s odds to reach the World Cup final and to win it all, according to FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 1: To Reach Final To Win The World Cup
Building off the momentum of winning Group A, Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 in the Round of 32, marking its first knockout stage win since 1986. El Tri will play its Round of 16 game in a marquee showdown against England in Mexico City, on Sunday, July 5 on FOX. With this epic matchup now official, opening odds have been released at Fanduel Sportsbook as of July 1st. Moneyline To Advance 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. Mexico’s only other World Cup knockout stage win also came at Estadio Azteca in the 1986 Round of 16, a 2-0 win over Bulgaria. 40 years later, Mexico has done it again by the exact same score at the exact same historic stadium. With the win, Mexico remains unbeaten in World Cup group games at home, going a combined 8-2-0 (W-D-L), with two wins and a draw in 1970 and 1986, and now four wins in 2026. Even more impressively, Mexico has not lost a home game since an October 2018 friendly against Chile and has not lost a competitive home game since September 2013, a World Cup qualifier vs Honduras. Before the tournament began, Mexico was listed at +6500 to win the World Cup. Now, after winning its first four games of the tournament without giving up a goal, Mexico has surged up the oddsboard to +2700. After its best start to a World Cup in 40 years, can Mexico continue to make a deep run in this tournament? Let’s check out the updated odds for El Tri as of July 1. Team Mexico — Stage of Elimination Last 16: -165 (bet $10 to win $16.06 total)Quarterfinals: +280 (bet $10 to win $38 total)Semifinals: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)Runner-up: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Outright winner: +2700 (bet $10 to win $280 total) Mexico’s Past World Cup Results 1930: Group stage1934: Did not qualify1938: Withdrew1950: Group stage1954: Group stage1958: Group stage1962: Group stage1966: Group stage1970: Quarterfinals1974: Did not qualify1978: Group stage1982: Did not qualify1986: Quarterfinals1990: Banned1994: Round of 161998: Round of 162002: Round of 162006: Round of 162010: Round of 162014: Round of 162018: Round of 162022: Group stage2026: TBDWhat to know: Mexico has made a habit of being in the running, but never really being in the running. Make sense? Consider this: El Tri made it out of the group stage in seven consecutive World Cups (1994-2018), but never made it past the Round of 16 in any of those years. In 2022, Mexico failed to make it out of the group stage. After dominating Group A this summer, Mexico has now advanced to the knockout stage in eight of the last nine World Cups. It is important to note, however, that Mexico has never made it past the quarterfinals at a FIFA men’s World Cup. Could this finally be the year? El Tri will get its chance to break its Round of 16 curse on Sunday against the Three Lions.
It’s time to get out your calendars and circle these dates. Every college football season has a handful of games that decide conference races, reshape the College Football Playoff picture and produce moments fans remember for years. With just over two months until kickoff, FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt lists 10 matchups he believes will define the 2026 season. Klatt: This is the first big game for Kyle Whittingham, and it’s going to be an indication of whether Michigan is going to be back in playoff form. Are the Wolverines going to compete for a Big Ten title? We’re going to find out in Week 2 on September 12th. Both of these programs want to raise their level this year to the upper-echelon of these conferences. Oklahoma wants to be an upper-tier SEC title contender. Michigan would like to do the same in the Big Ten. This game is obviously a monster game in this direction, even if it’s not directly tied to the standings in each conference. It’s also about the individuals in this game. What does Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer look like after an offseason to get healthy? What does the offense look like for Oklahoma? It’s the same question for Michigan. What is the marriage going to look like, what is the blueprint, what is the recipe, what do we get out of the Jason Beck- Bryce Underwood marriage? Klatt: This is going to be an absolute monster rematch. This is not Arch Manning in his first game as a real starter. This is not Julian Sayin in his first time as a real starter. Now, you have incumbent starting quarterbacks. These two teams are going to start in the top five. I cannot wait for this game. I think it’s going to be a phenomenal game. The loser of this game is behind the eight-ball. Klatt: I couldn’t resist. Lane Kiffin going back to Oxford. This could be incredible. There’s not enough security on the planet for Lane going back into Oxford. The way that he left that team in the playoff was wild. I think this game is going to have real implications in the SEC because these are two teams that I would categorize as fighting for those at-large spots. I don’t expect either of these teams to win the SEC. I think that would be reserved for my two favorites in that conference — Georgia and Texas. That doesn’t mean these two teams won’t be very good. Obviously, there are all the questions around the transfers jelling and how Kiffin is going to do with that. He had a lot of success doing this exact thing at Ole Miss. Both Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy are back at Ole Miss. This team gained a lot of confidence under Pete Golding and that run to the national semifinal. These two teams are going to try to be in the top-four spots in the SEC. They’re going to be battling for those at-large spots in the 12-team playoff. Klatt: These teams are trying to level into that top four in the Big Ten and grab one of those at-large spots. This one is a sneaky game that’s going to be really good. USC has to play Oregon, and then Washington. Both of those games are at home. Then the Trojans travel across the country and go to Beaver Stadium to face Matt Campbell and his Nittany Lions. I think Lincoln Riley is very confident about his team. I am bullish on USC. I think they’re better at the line of scrimmage. Year 1 for Matt Campbell, I think Penn State has a real shot at 10 wins. This becomes a monumental game, at home, to try to protect Beaver Stadium for Campbell in his first year. Penn State should be 5-0 going into this game. If the Nittany Lions beat USC, their floor becomes 10 wins. Klatt: The Red River rivalry is always one of the best games in the sport. It’s one of my favorite games in college football. And this one’s going to be huge for SEC implications and College Football Playoff implications. The pressure that will be on Brent Venables and these Sooners when they go to Dallas to face Texas is massive. What if Texas has two losses, and now everyone’s on Steve Sarkisian’s case? There’s a scenario where one, or both of these teams, has one or two losses. This game is always great. And I think this year, it could have even more implications. Klatt: SEC dominance is on the line. These two teams split their two matchups last season. The winner is going to be in the driver’s seat. I’m not down on Alabama, but I do think this is a program that’s not going to have as good of a football program as they had a year ago. They’re losing their most important player in Ty Simpson. I know their defense wasn’t great, and they’re losing a few players off that defense. Can they replenish and be better? They lost Germie Bernard. Can Ryan Coleman-Williams come back to the form he showed as a true freshman? He’s going to need to. Klatt: Supremacy in the Big Ten is on the line as Ohio State goes to Indiana. Indiana can run the Big Ten. The Hoosiers beat Ohio State a year ago. They are the reigning national champions. They have not lost at home under Curt Cignetti. They are 14-0. If Indiana beats Ohio State, all of a sudden, the Hoosiers are the premier program in the Big Ten, which is wild. Obviously, I think you could say that coming into the year because, again, they are the reigning Big Ten and national champs. But you do have a sense of history, whereas Ohio State really runs the conference. You have to get through Ohio State. But if Indiana wins this game, all of a sudden, that’s flipped, and the Hoosiers put themselves on the mountaintop. I just think about this game in that lens, and it just means everything in this conference. This is a chance for Ohio State to reassert themselves as the top team in the conference. Ohio State could hand Curt Cignetti his first loss at home and remind everybody, ‘Hey, we’re the Buckeyes. We are the pre-eminent program in the Big Ten.’ The winner of this game is almost assuredly going to go to the Big Ten title game and has the chance to be the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. Klatt: Notre Dame fans watched Miami get that last playoff spot and jump them in the rankings. There is some saltiness in South Bend. There is no doubt about that. Marcus Freeman’s program believes they can go and win a national title. But the same can be said for Miami and Mario Cristobal. Notre Dame is going to have its quarterback back and should have one of, if not the best defenses in the country. This team is not going to have many statement opportunities, and this is one of them. That is why this game is going to be so important as it relates to the shape of the season. Can the Hurricanes do everything they need to do regardless of the outcome of this game? Yes, because obviously they’ve got the ACC championship game backstopping them, and there’s not much in the ACC. If Miami plays clean and Darian Mensah is who we think he can be, they’ve got all these five-star players that are replacing these talented players that were draft picks off the line of scrimmage. If these guys play out, Miami is going to be right back in the top five. Klatt: This is such a good game. It’s a great rivalry. These are two of my top-10 teams in my post-spring rankings. I think there’s a real chance that the winner of this game is going to the SEC championship game. I think there’s a real potential that it’s a win-and-in game for the playoff. Can Texas bounce back? Remember this is a team that was in the national semifinals two straight years under Steve Sarkisian. This team missed the playoffs a year ago. A lot of people thought they were the No. 1 team in the country to start, and then they got hot late. They started playing much better, particularly at quarterback late, and beat Texas A&M, 27-17. That one was at home. Now they’ve got to go on the road and face A&M. Klatt: It is absolutely my honor to call this game. Kyle Whittingham’s first in his stint as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. And he’s going to find out what Ryan Day knows all too well, which is, you are judged based on this game. A lot could be on the line for the Buckeyes. If you miss the playoffs as the Ohio State Buckeyes, life is not going to be good. Meanwhile, Michigan, this is not an easy schedule. Can the Wolverines be in a position where, if they beat Ohio State, they go to the College Football Playoff? Ohio State dominated at the line of scrimmage for the first time in a long time last year. They snapped that four-game losing streak to Michigan. They beat them in Ann Arbor, 27-9.
Nobody panic — everything is fine. That was the message England fans were desperately telling themselves as they watched their team trail a Congo DR side ranked 46th in the world for most of a sweltering afternoon in Atlanta. This game was insane. England were denied a penalty that half of the English media is still furious about, had a shot cleared off the line, were repeatedly stonewalled by a goalkeeper having the game of his life, and spent 74 minutes looking like a team that had forgotten how to score. And then Harry Kane happened. Twice. England is through to the round of 16, but they were pushed to the absolute brink to get there. Here are my four takeaways from England’s 2-1 win over DR Congo: 1. Harry Kane Doesn’t Need the Whole Game. He Just Needs a Moment. Let’s be honest about England’s tournament so far. A fun 4-2 win over Croatia, then a flat 0-0 draw with Ghana, and a labored 2-0 win over Panama that only came alive after halftime. Harry Kane, by his own colossal standards, had been quiet. Going a goal down inside seven minutes to Congo DR fit that uneasy pattern perfectly. England forgot how to break down a defensive low block. But here is the thing about Kane: when the moment is biggest, he arrives. He leveled it in the 75th minute, meeting an Anthony Gordon chip with a header of surgical precision. Then, with England’s World Cup teetering, he did it again in the 86th. Another Gordon delivery, another header, another ruthless finish tucked into the top corner — a world-class second-half brace to win the game in one of the biggest moments of Harry’s life. Before this tournament, plenty of people called Kane the best striker on the planet. 64 goals with Bayern Munich in 2025-26 will do that. He hadn’t quite looked himself here, but today, when his team needed their captain most, he delivered. That is what the greats of the game do. 2. That Penalty Decision Simply Has to Be Better. Rewind to the 43rd minute. England trailing, the tension unbearable, when Jude Bellingham threaded Harry Kane through on goal. Kane knocked it past goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi; there was contact, and down he went. Referee Adham Makhadmeh waved it away as a dive. VAR checked and declined to intervene. A few suggest Kane dragged his foot, inviting contact and essentially manufacturing the fall. There is a vocal minority who think Kane was a little clever. But the English press is convinced it’s a penalty, and they are not alone. On the Fox broadcast, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg was adamant: the keeper didn’t play the ball, he caught Kane’s foot, and that’s a penalty. Thierry Henry agreed, baffled that the referee wasn’t even sent to the monitor. Whichever side you land on, that is exactly the problem. A decision this divisive, in a World Cup knockout, cannot be settled by a wave of the hand. We cannot have mistakes like this at this stage of the tournament. That’s what VAR is for. 3. Farewell, Congo DR. You Belonged, and Then Some. Give this Congo DR team its full due. Brian Cipenga set the tone in the seventh minute, lashing a near-post finish past Jordan Pickford to stun the stadium. From there, the Leopards defended with a structure, a discipline, and a belief that almost nobody outside their camp saw coming. They held England’s expensively assembled attack at bay for 74 minutes and nearly went 2-0 up when Yoane Wissa, their Newcastle talisman and group-stage star, rattled Pickford’s post. Wissa scored three goals at this World Cup, matching the number he netted all season for Newcastle United. The Congolese squad has many Premier League connections, and that familiarity showed. Wan-Bissaka of West Ham and Burnley’s Axel Tuanzebe were immense at the back, while Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki scrapped for everything in midfield. But the true hero wore the gloves. Lionel Mpasi, the Le Havre goalkeeper, produced five saves, twice denying Jude Bellingham with reflexes that had nothing to do with luck. Congo DR didn’t just show up. They led for most of the day and made England sweat through every pore. No shame in this exit. Only pride. 4. Tuchel Has to Go Back to the Drawing Board. Mexico Awaits. England are through. That’s the headline, and it matters. But the rest of it demands an honest look in the mirror. Thomas Tuchel still hasn’t found the version of this team that lasts a full 90 minutes. The group stage was a loop of slow starts, sluggish first halves, and second-half rescues. Today repeated the pattern, except the stakes had soared. Against a well-drilled Congo DR side, England never truly imposed itself. The attack looked disjointed for an hour; the width was missing, and the service to Kane was thin. Without their captain’s brilliance, England goes home today. That should worry Tuchel as much as it relieves him. Because now comes the nightmare. Mexico, at Mexico City Stadium, at over 7,000 feet of altitude, inside a cauldron of 80,000-plus fans who will treat this like a final. Mexico has been ruthless, winning all three group games before dismantling a very good Ecuador 2-0. They haven’t conceded a single goal this tournament. Against Ecuador, it was one of the greatest Mexican performances of all-time. Ironically, this is not a vintage Mexican side on paper, but the Mexico City Stadium is a legitimate 12th man, and the thin air makes everyone else mortal. England survived today. Against Mexico, survival won’t cut it. Tuchel needs answers, fast.
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.
