Spain’s Mikel Merino delivered another late-game heroic moment, scoring in the 88th minute to lift Spain past Belgium 2-1 in the World Cup quarterfinals in Inglewood, California. Merino entered the match in the 86th minute and needed only two touches to make his mark, rushing into the box and capitalizing after backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens fumbled a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsí. It was the second consecutive match in which Merino came off the bench to seal a win — he also scored late as a substitute in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Portugal. Spain will now face tournament favorite France in the semifinals on Tuesday in the Dallas area.
World Cup quarterfinal ticket resale prices fell sharply after the United States and Mexico were eliminated from the tournament. According to the resale platform TickPick, the lowest available ticket for the Spain-Belgium match dropped to $1,381 — down from $3,261 before the U.S. fell to Belgium in the round of 16. The England-Norway quarterfinal had a floor price of $2,049, compared to $3,866 before England beat Mexico to advance. The Argentina-Switzerland game’s lowest listed price was $1,142, down from $2,381 prior to the round of 16. Meanwhile, FIFA put nearly 1,200 additional seats on sale for the World Cup final, priced at $7,380 each.
Victor Wembanyama has agreed to the largest contract in San Antonio Spurs franchise history. A source familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press that the five-year extension could surpass $250 million if Wembanyama exercises the player option in the final year of the deal. The source spoke anonymously because neither side publicly disclosed the specific financial terms.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will undergo a procedure Sunday to drain fluid from his left knee, and as a result, he will not participate in next week’s All-Star Game. The Dodgers pulled Ohtani from his scheduled Friday night pitching start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, though he is expected to serve as designated hitter throughout the weekend series. Ohtani has been managing the knee issue for at least a month, with an earlier outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 11 cut short due to inflammation in the same knee.
Former Miami Heat teammates Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were involved in a brief physical altercation at an NBA Summer League practice facility in Las Vegas on Friday. Reports indicate Adebayo struck Herro during the encounter. Herro was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month. The Heat acknowledged the incident but offered no further comment, and Herro did not speak publicly about what happened. In other NBA news, the National Basketball Players Association’s executive director David Kelly voiced criticism of the second apron provision in the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, Trae Young spoke about his new $212 million contract with the Washington Wizards, stressing the importance of team chemistry and brushing aside outside criticism.
Defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner dominated seven-time winner Novak Djokovic with a commanding 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory to reach the Wimbledon final. The win gave Sinner some payback after Djokovic defeated him at the Australian Open earlier this year, and it helped quiet doubts following Sinner’s struggles at the French Open. The top-ranked Sinner will face second-seeded Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match. Zverev reached the final by defeating British wild card Arthur Fery 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4 in a lopsided match on Centre Court. The win comes just one month after Zverev claimed his first Grand Slam title at the French Open. The loss prompted Djokovic to reflect, saying he feels both “blessed and cursed” by the level of success he has achieved throughout his career.
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler experienced a rare stumble at the Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland, missing the cut for the first time in nearly four years. Scheffler carded a 72 on Friday and finished two shots outside the cut line at The Renaissance Club. His last missed cut came at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August 2022. Scheffler noted he was unable to get close enough to the hole to generate quality birdie chances, and he also missed a 6-foot par putt on the final hole and a 7-foot birdie attempt on his 16th hole. He is heading to Royal Birkdale early to begin preparations for the British Open.
With Scheffler out of contention, Rory McIlroy seized the moment at the Scottish Open, shooting a 66 to share the 36-hole lead with Tom Kim and Jordan Smith. McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open three years ago, is well-positioned to add another title. Scheffler was not alone in his early exit — Patrick Cantlay and Bernd Wiesberger also fell from a share of the first-round lead to missing the cut entirely.
In the World Cup quarterfinals, England prepared to face Norway in Miami Gardens, Florida, with much of the attention focused on Norwegian forward Erling Haaland. Haaland has tallied seven goals in the tournament, just behind Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi in the scoring race. England midfielder Morgan Rogers acknowledged the difficulty of containing Haaland, citing his size, strength, and skill. Haaland’s Manchester City teammate and England player Nico O’Reilly suggested the key was keeping the ball away from Haaland altogether. The match also set up a personal battle between Haaland and England’s Harry Kane, with both teams having reached the quarterfinals through dramatic victories.
Defending World Cup champion Argentina faced Switzerland in the final quarterfinal match Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, is considered one of the tournament favorites, while Switzerland is making its first quarterfinal appearance since 1954. Switzerland’s defense has been among the stingiest in the tournament, surrendering just three goals across five matches. Argentina, by contrast, had to grind past Cape Verde before rallying from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2. Messi heads into the match tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé at eight goals each in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot award.
