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Close your eyes and picture Spain in a World Cup final. You see Andrés Iniesta ghosting into the box in Johannesburg. You see Xavi conducting, David Villa finishing, Sergio Ramos flying down the right, Iker Casillas saving Spain’s life against Arjen Robben. That team won everything from 2008 to 2012 and changed how the sport thinks about itself. 

It was the team with the most recognizable style: Tiki-Taka.

Spain Waited too Long for This One 🇪🇸 No. 9 in Best FIFA World Cup™ Moments

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This Spain is not that Spain. And after Tuesday at Dallas Stadium, it doesn’t need to be. Luis de la Fuente’s side dismantled France, 2-0, in the semifinal, and “dismantled” is being kind to France. 

A Mikel Oyarzabal penalty, won by Lamine Yamal, opened it in the 22nd minute. Pedro Porro, a right back, played a give-and-go with Dani Olmo and slotted the second in the 58th. Kylian Mbappé and the most feared attack in the tournament were held to almost nothing. It was a suffocation, administered the Spanish way.

Here’s the number that should terrify Argentina or England on Sunday: 1. That’s how many goals Spain has conceded in six matches. Italy arrived at the 2006 final with the same figure (granted, an own goal by Cristian Zaccardo against the USA) and left with the trophy. 

(Photo by Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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Championship teams are usually built on this exact foundation, and nobody noticed Spain was building it because everyone was too busy waiting for the fireworks on the other end.

Because let’s be honest about what we all expected: We thought Lamine Yamal would be one of the big stars of this tournament. Instead, the 19-year-old has just one goal through seven games, perhaps lingering remnants of the injury he suffered during the La Liga season prevent him from achieving his very best. 

Read that again. 

Spain is in a World Cup final, and its biggest star’s sole goal came way back in the group stage. If you’d offered that scenario in May, you’d have been looked at like you had three heads. There’s still no true signature Yamal moment, as it’s doubtful we’ll be gushing over that goal against Saudi Arabia in 20 years. He’s been dangerous, he won the penalty Tuesday, he had a finish chalked off for offside. 

But the eruption hasn’t come. Even more impressively, Spain hasn’t needed it.

That’s the point. This team hasn’t even played its best soccer yet, and it’s one win from the trophy.

One of the stars has been Rodri, who controlled the France match from start to finish and has been the tournament’s Mr. Reliable. The captain doesn’t do highlight reels. He doesn’t go viral on TikTok. He doesn’t frost his tips. What Rodri does is 90 minutes of making the game look easy while the opponent slowly runs out of ideas.

And the defense deserves flowers. Pau Cubarsí, still a teenager himself who wouldn’t legally be able to celebrate these victories here in the USA with a beer, treated the France front line like a training exercise. Unai Simón has been unbeatable. Marc Cucurella looked unfazed against the generational opponents running at him. 

The fullbacks bombed forward against that legendary French counterattack all night and never once looked worried about the space behind them. Pedro Porro’s goal was the reward. That takes either arrogance or total structural trust. With this Spain, it’s the latter.

Remember where this program was. From 2014 onward, the World Cup became a house of horrors: a group-stage exit as defending champions, then back-to-back round of 16 eliminations on penalties, the last one against Morocco in 2022. A generation of Spanish teams passed the ball beautifully and went home early. 

Euro 2024 broke the spell. Sunday can bury it.

The 2010 Spain team remains the standard. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

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The golden generation had more individual talent. No rational soul disputes that. But that team needed extra time to win its final. This one has been so efficient, so ruthless in the back, that its best attacking player has taken a back seat to scoring, and it barely matters.

Villa, Xavi, Iniesta, Ramos, Casillas. Those names built a legacy. They created an international dynasty. On Sunday for the final, the new kids on the block get the chance to start their own. 

And if Yamal finally picks that stage for his big moment, this story writes its perfect ending.

France vs Spain Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Semifinals

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Spain has clinched its spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after a 2-0 win over France on Tuesday, adding to the team’s long list of achievements in the sport, at every level.

“Women’s football, youth tournaments, Olympics — I lost a final to them,” World Cup winner Thierry Henry said of Spain after the match. “Time and time and time again, they’re coming.

“They have an identity, a philosophy, they all play the same way at every level.”

(Photo by Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

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In the last three years, the men’s national team has won the 2023 UEFA Nations League, the 2024 European Championship and the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. Spain is almost in the midst of the longest unbeaten streak in the history of international soccer with 37 games unbeaten.

Spain DOMINATES Against Mbappé & France 🇪🇸 Will Spain Win FIFA World Cup™ Final?

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The women’s national team, meanwhile, won its first ever World Cup in 2023 and a UEFA Nationals League title in 2025. It made the final of the 2025 European Championship but lost to England in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Their shared success isn’t a coincidence, according to Henry.

“They have an identity, a philosophy, they all play the same way at every level,” Henry said. “The coach knows exactly how the system is, you can see, this is a team with stars on it.”

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s has coached 14 total matches across the World Cup and Euros, and he’s won 13 and tied one, which is the most matches coached without losing for a European coach. Before he took over Spain’s men’s national team, he coached Spain at the youth levels —U19, U21 and U23 — for nine years.

(Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

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Henry believes that De la Fuente’s ability to enjoy immediate success at the senior level is a testament to Spain’s tactical philosophy.

“When Spain has the ball, they don’t give you the ball back, you have to go and get it,” Henry said. “I want to give credit to the system and what they put in place. Because Spain never used to win like that. And now they win at every level.”

Spain will play the winner of Argentina vs. England for the World Cup title on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium.

France vs Spain Extended Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Semifinals

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DALLAS STADIUM — Long after the final whistle — as the lawnmowers came out to maintain the grass and broadcast crews were in the middle of their stand-ups — Spain fans remained. They were dancing and singing and chanting.

“Ole! Ole! Ole!” rang throughout the stadium where their team had just delivered a commanding performance, defeating mighty France, 2-0, to book a spot in the program’s second-ever World Cup final.

This was the third straight summer Spain has knocked France out in the semifinals of a major tournament: There was the 2-1 victory at Euro 2024, then a thrilling 5-4 win in last year’s Nations League, and now Tuesday’s triumph behind goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro in front of 70,176 fans at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

La Roja are riding a 37-game unbeaten streak, and there’s an overwhelming sense that it will keep growing.

“It’s a dream come true,” an elated Porro said after the match via interpreter. “I couldn’t even dream of this. I’m so happy. I’m so happy because of the team’s attitude from beginning to end. We gave it our all in order to go through to the final.”

(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

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Despite being Europe’s defending champion, Spain has been a bit overshadowed by other narratives at this World Cup. The spotlight, instead, has mostly been on Lionel Messi and Argentina’s improbable comebacks, England giving fans reason to believe again, Kylian Mbappé racing Messi for the Golden Boot and Erling Haaland capturing hearts of soccer fans everywhere. 

Spain hasn’t relied on flair or dramatic moments to get results. Instead, it’s been ruthlessly efficient, disciplined and organized, using an aggressive high press to neutralize one of the world’s most dangerous attacks. Mbappé, who entered the semifinal with eight goals, managed just three shots and none on target.

Spain has outscored its seven opponents, 13-1, and posted its record sixth shutout of this World Cup against a French side that had recorded 16 goals.

(Photo by Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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This squad is so dominant, it didn’t even need a heroic performance from teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who is still waiting for his big moment. 

Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, made a clever play to force a penalty in the first half that put Spain ahead early before having a goal called offside later on. They have such a wealth of depth that world-class players like Pedri, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino can come off the bench.

“We did it with discipline, being organized, with sacrifice, with commitment, with effort,” said Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente, who was late to his press conference because the team received a congratulatory call from King Felipe VI, the King of Spain. “I think that what we do best as Spanish football players is interpret and read the game. They know how to behave in defensive and offensive phases and in the midfield. 

“And that’s the fruits of our labor in the academies — all the coaches in Spain, we really value what we’re doing at that level. And this is another example that, in spite of being happy, we want more. And we want to take this World Cup and claim this title. That would be a really amazing achievement.”

(Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

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Spain’s control of the game frustrated France to the point that Les Bleus never even had a chance to mount a comeback. There have been plenty of examples this tournament of teams finding late goals and ways back into matches. France famously did it in the World Cup final four years ago and desperately hoped to do it again.

But this time, France failed to capitalize on an empty net in the 81st minute. Mbappé let his aggravation get the best of him when he was shown a yellow card in the 86th after colliding with goalkeeper Unai Simon, and three minutes later, he sent a free kick from just outside the box sailing over the crossbar. And now, the French superstar has to return to his Spanish club Real Madrid.

France, No. 1 in FIFA’s rankings entering the semifinals, was a popular pick to win it all and expected to reach its third straight World Cup final. It will play in the third-place match instead.

“We were below our standards,” French manager Didier Deschamps said via interpreter. “We should have been at our maximum and give it our all, and we did not, unfortunately.”

Spain will await the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Argentina and England. De la Fuente said he doesn’t care who wins. He’s friends with Lionel Scaloni, but thought the Three Lions were a favorite before the tournament began.

“When you’re facing a team like us,” de la Fuente said, “we’re unbeatable. And that’s how we’re feeling right now.”

France vs Spain Extended Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Semifinals

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Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease threw a scoreless first inning for the American League while mic’d up in the MLB All-Star Game.

While on the mound, Cease wore a microphone and communicated directly with Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Joe Davis and John Smoltz in the FOX broadcast booth. This allowed viewers to hear his thoughts and game strategy in real time as he faced batters.

Cease began the inning by facing Kyle Schwarber, whom he struck out swinging for the first out. He then faced Juan Soto and secured a second consecutive strikeout, also swinging, to quickly put two outs on the board. 

After tossing a pair of strikes to Soto, Cease could be heard asking, “Front door sinker is probably a bad idea, huh?” before responding to himself, “Let’s do it.”

Smoltz even called a pitch at one point during the inning.

The next batter, Freddie Freeman, drew a walk to temporarily extend the inning and put a runner on first base. Cease recovered by facing CJ Abrams, getting him to strike out swinging to end the inning and secure the final out.

Dylan Cease talks to starting catcher Shea Langeliers after a scoreless frame in the Midsummer Classic. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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Cease has thrown 15 consecutive scoreless innings in his last two starts for Toronto, having allowed just four hits and four walks while striking out 20. He has been stellar in the first year of a seven-year contract he signed as a free agent during the offseason. In 17 starts, Cease has a 2.56 ERA with 148 strikeouts in 98 1/3 innings.

The American League took a lead in the first inning, scoring three runs off Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez, who pitched in the top half of the frame for the National League.

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After recovering from a major ACL injury nearly two years ago, Spain midfielder Rodri has been able to make a huge impact as La Roja look to win its first World Cup since 2010. 

Havng endured a similar injury during his career, FOX Sports soccer analyst Zlatan Ibrahimović lauded the remarkable comeback Rodri has made from his injury.

“He’s a player that doesn’t get a lot of credit, gets unseen, but [he] won the Ballon d’Or, which is not normal for the position that he plays in,” Ibrahimović said following Spain’s semifinal win over France.

Ibrahimović continued to compliment Rodri’s skillset, saying that he not only “puts players around him on fire” but he can also “put out fires” for his multi-faceted leadership capabilities on the pitch. 

In 2024, Rodri ruptured his ACL while playing for Manchester City, undergoing surgery that saw him miss Spain’s title run at the 2024 Euros. He then made his competitive return in May 2025, receiving a standing ovation as he substituted in the 85th minute during City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth. 

At this World Cup, Rodri started every game and has played almost every minute, missing only three throughout the entirety of the tournament. With this kind of consistency and health, it’s safe to say that Rodri is back and ready to compete at the highest level.

Spain DOMINATES Against Mbappé & France 🇪🇸 Will Spain Win FIFA World Cup™ Final?

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Every team’s worst nightmare became the Tampa Bay Rays’ reality on Tuesday night, when third baseman Junior Caminero left the MLB All-Star Game after being hit by a pitch.

Caminero was hit in the hand in the top of the third inning. St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien threw the pitch that hit Caminero, who fell to the ground in pain after the ball made impact with his hand.

According to our Deesha Thosar, Caminero was set to get an X-ray at Citizens Bank Park with a Phillies team doctor. FOX’s Tom Verducci, though, said the scans were negative and Caminero is in the clear.

The third baseman from Santo Domingo was competing in his second All-Star game, and became the first player from the Rays to start in consecutive Midsummer Classics. In 94 games this season, Caminero has 28 home runs and 59 RBI. He ranks sixth in WAR at the break, according to FanGraphs.

Caminero has been a massive force behind the Rays’ success this season. At 23 years old, he’s helped the Rays sit in first in the AL East – leading the New York Yankees by three games – and accumulate a 56-38 record heading into the All-Star game. 

Caminero went on an absolute tear during the first half from late June to early July, hitting 11 home runs in as many games.

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ATLANTA STADIUM — By the time Thomas Tuchel began speaking, there wasn’t an empty seat in the room. There wasn’t a square foot of floor space, either. It wouldn’t even be accurate to call Tuchel’s press conference a standing-room-only affair, as a line of reporters and camera crews snaked all the way out the door.

Yet there was Tuchel, England’s German coach, smiling and looking relaxed as anyone could less than 24 hours before the biggest moment of a career that already included a UEFA Champions League crown.  

What’s his secret? Ice cream, it turns out.

On Wednesday, Tuchel will lead the best Three Lions squad in decades into the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina.

The stakes are enormous for both nations but especially the English, who haven’t reached the title game since winning their one and only World Cup 60 years ago this month.

(Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

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Figuratively speaking. Tuchel and his players have stared death in the face during this knockout stage. They went down a goal to DR Congo in the round of 32 and to Norway in last weekend’s quarterfinal. They went down a man in the thin air of Mexico City against the tournament co-host El Tri. They survived and advanced each time. Between those emotionally draining elimination games, Tuchel has done everything possible to keep his players loose, giving them time to unwind and recover at the team’s base camp in Kansas.

How does he do the same for himself, the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund boss was asked shortly after England’s delegation landed in Georgia’s stately capital.

“Sometimes you just go on a bike and then you just need a big parking lot and an ice cream in your hands for 15 minutes,” a smiling Tuchel said.

“Then you feel like [you’re ] 15 years old — 15 not 50,” added the 52-year-old, as some of those in attendance chuckled. “You feel like 12 or 13 or 15 years old and you enjoy your evening — a warm summer evening for 15 minutes with an ice cream.”

(Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)

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The admission was an endearing one from the famously intense Tuchel, who caught some heat following his team’s gutsy fight-back against Norway for criticizing afterward England’s performance from a pure soccer perspective, though he gushed about his players’ heart and never-say-die will to win.

Tuchel’s words appeared to catch Player of the Match Jude Bellingham off-guard in the moment, leading to speculation that the coach had annoyed one of his top players and, potentially, others, too.

Center back Marc Guéhi did his best to correct the record on Tuesday.

“I think the manager’s done a great job,” said Guéhi  “He’s created a squad where there’s a big togetherness and a real belief in what we’re doing at the moment, and everyone’s behind him. We’re glad to have him.”

The feeling is mutual. “They simply don’t give in,” Tuchel said of his squad. “This is the key attribute of our team, which makes me very proud.”

(Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

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Will it be enough to see off Messi & Co.? If it is and England punches its ticket to face Spain — which beat France on Tuesday in the other semi in Dallas — Tuchel will be just one more victory away from history. Not only would he become the only coach alive to lead England back to the biggest match in sports, he’d also have the chance to become the first foreign manager to win a World Cup. No country, men’s or women’s, has ever hoisted the trophy under a coach who wasn’t a citizen of that nation — not that Tuchel is thinking about that.

“Never,” he said. “It just doesn’t work like this for me. I don’t set these goals.  I just love what I do, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

“I just try to be the best coach possible every single day,” he added. “I have to influence what I can, and that’s where my energy goes.”

That and on the occasional frozen dessert.

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The debate over who is the best quarterback in the NFL might be the most open it’s been in years.

Patrick Mahomes struggled in 2025 before tearing his ACL, leading to some questions about what his future might look like. Josh Allen won MVP in 2024 and has been a strong contender for the award in recent years, but he hasn’t gotten over the hump in the playoffs. Matthew Stafford won his first MVP in 2025, although he’s 38 entering the new season. And we can’t count out young quarterbacks like Drake Maye and Caleb Williams from the discussion either, even if they haven’t had sustained success yet.

So, as the debate over the quarterback hierarchy rages on, Colin Cowherd gave a try at ranking the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season on “The Herd.”

Colin’s Top 10 NFL QBs: Will Mahomes or Allen be on top?

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Cowherd’s thoughts: “Drake Maye edges out Lamar Jackson. Listen, he was the first quarterback in league history to ever have a 70% completion percentage and 4,000 passing yards before turning 25. It feels like he’s in his prime and he’s a kid and he did it last year with a bad offensive line and an average running game. No one thought they would get to the Super Bowl. He was the most accurate quarterback in the NFL last season, for a kid! He reminds me a little bit of Herbert with a little bit of accuracy.”

Cowherd’s thoughts: “The most underrated player in the league is Jordan Love. I’m pretty sure Jordan Love is underrated. Now, he gets off to bad Septembers. It’s inexplicable. It’s bad. I cannot explain Septembers. He completes 60% of his throws since he’s been a pro quarterback in September and he’s 4-5-1. I think it’s Matt LaFleur’s offense. … But in terms of arm, whip, size, smarts, toughness — he’ll get banged up, but he doesn’t miss a lot of starts — I think he’s a huge talent.”

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Goff’s one of these guys that got a new coordinator — again, we’re considering everything. He doesn’t miss starts, he’s unbelievable from the pocket. He does need O-line protection to flourish. But he’s got Drew Petzing. Last year, the OC situation wasn’t ideal. He wasn’t quite the same. But he leads the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins over the last three seasons. That accounts for a lot.”

Jared Goff has statistically been among the NFL’s best passers over the last few years. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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Cowherd’s thoughts: “I don’t know what there is to argue. Last four seasons, four different teams, he’s 28-6. He’s now got a trophy. He is one of the two quarterbacks in the whole league with 4,000-plus passing yards in back-to-back seasons. He led the Seahawks with a defensive coach having lost DK Metcalf and a running back that couldn’t stay healthy to the No. 1 offense in probably the second-best division in football. He’s in his prime. … He’s one of the younger great quarterbacks in the league. Really, if you look at his age, he’s got six years of prime left.”

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I love Joe Burrow. But, in two of the last three seasons, he gets banged up, [and] only played eight games last year. I also think he doesn’t have the support system of a Herbert, Patrick Mahomes or now, with Ben Johnson, a Caleb Williams. I love Burrow. He’s the all-time leader in completion percentage. He’s one of the great third-down quarterbacks.  think he’s in Brady’s category, Mahomes’ category. I think he’s unbelievable. I have to consider everything: durability and offensive line, which have yet to be mediocre, have to be considered.”

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Justin Herbert has a new coordinator. He finally has a head coach and a big-time OC, Mike McDaniel. By the way, the remarkable thing about Herbert: he made the playoffs with the 30th-ranked offensive line. I’ve seen Mahomes get buried in a Super Bowl when he had a bad O-line. This kid made the playoffs and he was getting hammered for 17 straight weeks.”

Cowherd’s thoughts: “My one old guy [on this list]. He had the highest passer rating in the league. Is his back going to hold up? Will he have a left tackle? I don’t know. I just know that when he lets go of the football, it is a thing of beauty. Pre-snap, post-snap, I don’t get a lot of movement. If it’s just pure throwing the football and reading the defense, he is near the top.”

Matthew Stafford won his first MVP in 2025.  (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Cowherd’s thoughts: “I don’t know why people will push back on this. … Folks, he made two plays in the playoffs last year — one against the Green Bay and one against the Rams — that broke football physics. It was early Mahomes. They just didn’t make any sense. The throw up the left sideline against Green Bay just made no damn sense. The throw in the back of the end zone against the Rams — what in God’s name is happening? That’s early Mahomes. By the way, lowest interception percentage of any quarterback in league history with 1,110 attempts.”

Cowherd’s thoughts: “He now has a run game and an upgraded O-line. I think he will be Patrick Mahomes again, but I need to wait and see it. The most remarkable stat about Patrick Mahomes is this: He’s won half the games in his career, 20-20, when he’s trailed by 10-plus points. He is the great [John] Elway. He is the great ‘come from behind’ quarterback of my life.”

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Josh Allen has his health. He’s a force of nature. Six straight years with at least one playoff win. He’s in his prime. He’s done remarkable things with a coach on the defensive side that got fired. I think his organization, in my opinion, has let him down. I don’t think he’s had Patrick Mahomes infrastructure. That’s not saying he would have as many trophies as Mahomes. But I think his size, his arm, he’s healthy, he’s in his prime, Josh Allen is the best quarterback in this sport.”

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The MLB All-Star Game has featured some of the league’s best players on the diamond in recent years, but it’s not necessarily for the action anymore.

The American League defeated the National League 4-0 at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, which saw many players mic’d up and share many memorable jokes, stories and more over nine innings.

Here are five of the best mic’d-up moments of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.

5.

Taking the mound in the first inning, Dylan Cease hooked up to a live mic to converse with the FOX Sports broadcast booth. Cease sought advice from Smoltz while actively working the count. 

The highlight of the sequence featured Cease completely overpowering Mets star Juan Soto, freezing him with a fastball for a swift three-pitch strikeout. When Smoltz offered a deserved, “Nice job, Dylan,” the pitcher casually replied, “Thank you.”

4.

Milwaukee Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski has been lighting up radar guns all season, and John Smoltz made sure to get the young phenom on the mic to ask every baseball fan wants to know: “How in the world are you throwing it at 104 MPH?”

Without giving up too much information, Misiorowski responded, praising the Brewers’ pitching staff for getting him to focus on the lower half of his body.

3.

Just a week after announcing that 2026 would be his final season, legendary pitcher Justin Verlander took the field as the “Legends Pick” for his 10th All-Star appearance. 

During his mic’d-up segment, the veteran reflected on his incredible journey, putting a heavy emphasis on how much it means to him to finish his Hall of Fame career right where it started: with the Detroit Tigers.

2.

Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Yandy Díaz lost his bat in the fifth inning during an AB against the Nationals’ Foster Griffin, which prompted a funny response from home-plate umpire Alan Porter.

“Go get some damn pine tar,” Porter said.

1.

Playing in an All-Star Game is special. Playing in your 9th All-Star Game in your home stadium is the stuff of legends. 

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper took a playful, lighthearted swing at the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge system. After stepping up to the plate, he humorously decided to challenge a pitch call simply because “we haven’t done it yet, why not?”

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The American League only has five teams with a winning record compared to the National League’s nine at the break, but the AL’s shoddy first half didn’t matter Tuesday night in Philadelphia. 

The NL lineup didn’t stand a chance against an overpowering AL pitching staff in the All-Star Game, as the American League won the competition for the 11th time in the past 13 seasons and recorded its first shutout win since 2013. 

Here are my takeaways from the AL’s 4-0 win. 

1. AL Pitching Dominates

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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Shohei Ohtani wasn’t there to lead off for the National League All-Star team after bowing out of the competition to take care of his knee, but there was still enough firepower to expect some fireworks from the superstars throughout the NL lineup Tuesday night. 

Instead, the American League pitching staff completely shut them down. 

The NL All-Stars struck out 15 times and had just two hits, both singles, when the Rays’ Bryan Baker entered in relief to replace Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth. Otto Lopez followed with a single for the NL’s third hit of the game, but it couldn’t get a rally going as Sal Stewart grounded out to end a feeble evening for the NL squad. 

It was a sign of things to come when Dylan Cease struck out three batters in the first. Each of the next nine pitchers who entered for the AL struck out at least one batter. Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan and Cade Smith recorded multiple strikeouts. 

Juan Soto, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Lopez were the only NL players to record a hit. 

2. Tough Break For Philly Faithful 

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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The crowd at Citizens Bank Park was rocking Monday night, getting louder with each of Kyle Schwarber’s 11 home runs in the final round of the Home Run Derby. The hometown star looked primed to be the hero of the competition. Instead, through a chorus of boos, the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker flipped the script and left the Philadelphia faithful stunned. 

One night later, it didn’t get any better for the hometown crowd. 

The Phillies led all teams with six representatives in the All-Star Game and had ace Cristopher Sánchez on the mound to start the game, a decision made easier after Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski bowed out of the competition. Sánchez was the first Phillies pitcher since Roy Halladay in 2011 to start the All-Star Game, but the American League lineup did not care to appease the hometown crowd as they plated three runs against Sánchez via three singles and two walks in the first inning to jump out to an early advantage.

Those were the only runs of the game until White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas, one of 36 first-time All-Stars in the competition, went deep off former Dodgers teammate Justin Wrobleski in the eighth to add to the American League lead. Phillies hitters Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh combined to go hitless on the night, though Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo did throw a scoreless inning of relief. 

3. Rays Appear To Avoid Disaster

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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This week in Philadelphia could have been the Junior Caminero national showcase. He ended the first half on fire, homering 13 times in his final 19 games before the break, and entered the Home Run Derby as one of the favorites. But he failed to make it out of the second round of the Derby on Monday. 

And one day later, disaster nearly struck. 

Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien went up and in with a 97.6 mph sinker that caught Caminero in the left hand in the top of the third inning. The Rays star third baseman immediately fell to the ground and stayed down for a while before getting up and going straight to the tunnel.

Thankfully, X-rays came back negative. Caminero told reporters afterward that he expects to be fine, but his health is something to monitor for a Rays team that is currently holding off the Yankees atop the AL East. 

And speaking of the pinstripes… 

4. Led By MVP Bellinger, Yankees Show Out

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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With Aaron Judge injured, it has been tough for the Yankees to get their offense going over the last few weeks. Dating back to June 20, they rank 28th in MLB in runs scored and 29th in OPS. 

At the All-Star Game, though, their reps had no problem generating offense. A hard-hit grounder up the middle from Cody Bellinger plated the first two runs of the game off Sánchez in the first inning. One batter later, Ben Rice followed with a nearly identical hit to knock in another run. 

Bellinger was heating up entering the break, going 7-for-16 with two doubles in his final four games of the first half, and has been one of the best offseason (re)signings in baseball. Rice, meanwhile, has the second-highest slugging percentage and third-highest OPS in MLB this year. But he also is hitting .279 this season, and he used his contact skills in a triumphant first All-Star Game.

Cody Bellinger Receives 2026 MLB All-Star MVP

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