Defending World Cup champion Argentina staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat England 2-1 in the semifinals, booking their spot in the final. England’s Anthony Gordon put his side ahead, but Argentina refused to go quietly. With just five minutes left in regulation, Enzo Fernandez pulled Argentina level in the 85th minute, and substitute Lautaro Martinez headed home the winner two minutes into stoppage time to complete the stunning turnaround.
The stage is now set for a World Cup final this Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, pitting Argentina against Spain. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, will lead the defending champions as they chase their fourth World Cup title — which would make them the first back-to-back champions since Brazil won in 1958 and 1962. Spain, guided by young star Lamine Yamal, boasts the tournament’s top defense and is seeking its second World Cup crown, having claimed the title back in 2010. Spain enters the match on a 37-game unbeaten run, while Argentina has gone 13 World Cup matches without a loss.
Messi, now 39 years old, didn’t find the net himself in the semifinal, but his two assists in the closing moments were the difference. Eight days after orchestrating an improbable comeback against Egypt in the round of 16, Messi once again delivered when it mattered most. He currently leads all players in World Cup history with 21 career goals.
England coach Thomas Tuchel made tactical adjustments in the closing stages to protect the lead, but it wasn’t enough. “Easy to say that it was wrong” to play defensively while holding the advantage, Tuchel acknowledged after the match. Argentina and Messi simply broke through the defensive wall England had built. Tuchel’s in-game decisions are expected to face intense scrutiny in the days and years ahead.
In a unique moment connected to the semifinal, more than 100 inmates at New York’s Rikers Island correctional facility gathered in a gymnasium to watch the England-Argentina match on a projection screen. The special watch party was open to inmates who had demonstrated good behavior, including staying incident-free for at least 30 days. The facility has been hosting similar events throughout the tournament, which began last month.
On the baseball front, the expanded playoff format is making it difficult to predict which pitchers will be traded before the deadline. Twenty-three of the league’s 30 teams are within four games of a playoff spot as the second half of the season gets underway Thursday. Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who returned from elbow surgery in June, is considered a prime trade candidate. The Tigers have improved since June and are hovering near a wild-card position, meaning their upcoming results will shape whether they buy or sell. Other pitchers including Joe Ryan and Freddy Peralta could also be on the move.
The Milwaukee Brewers made a move to strengthen their pitching rotation, acquiring right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder. Houston agreed to cover most of McCullers’ remaining salary, contributing $4,227,273, which leaves Milwaukee responsible for just $2.5 million of his contract. To make room on the roster, the Brewers placed left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny on the 60-day injured list.
In the WNBA, four-time MVP A’ja Wilson was the first player selected in the All-Star draft for the exhibition game scheduled for July 25 in Chicago. WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon served as honorary general managers, each building their All-Star rosters from players chosen by fans, media, fellow players, and coaches. Paige Bueckers headlines Cooper’s team, which will be coached by Becky Hammon and also features Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard, and Gabby Williams. Weatherspoon’s squad, coached by Cheryl Reeve, includes Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Olivia Miles, Aliyah Boston, and Jessica Shepard.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is overhauling its tiebreaker rules for determining which team plays in its football championship game, following last season’s controversy that saw a five-loss Duke team advance to the title game ahead of then-No. 10-ranked Miami. The change puts an end to situations that could leave higher-ranked teams out of the College Football Playoff. Going forward, when head-to-head results can’t break a tie, the team with the strongest overall body of work — measured by a SportSource Analytics metric used by the CFP — will earn the championship berth. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips announced the change.
The 154th British Open teed off Thursday at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, where hot, sunny weather is expected to make the already firm links course play even faster. The debate this week isn’t just about how far the ball travels through the air, but how far it rolls along the hard, dry turf. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is among those who say the course conditions force players to make strategic decisions at every hole. Scheffler also offered pointed criticism about some of the changes made to the course.
