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Forty teams are out. Just eight left standing. We have reached the quarterfinal round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and these eight teams are still in contention to win it all. Now, it is not easy to predict how things will play out in the later rounds of the World Cup, and we are surely due from some big surprises.

Here is my ranking of the eight teams remaining with a look at why they could win the title and why they might not.

8.

(Photo by BRUNO FAHY / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)

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Why: Under head coach Rudi Garcia, Belgium is a team that is gaining steam as the tournament progresses after a slow start. The team starts a relatively older starting lineup that has used its wisdom to its advantage. Against the U.S., Belgium was hardly bothered by the opponent’s home-field advantage, the USA’s equalizer in the first half or the controversy with Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension being reversed. Belgium is a comfortable and smart team right now that is very effective at attacking from out wide and picking up runners in the box.

Why Not: At some point, age might start to work against the Red Devils. On top of that, playing Spain in the quarterfinals requires competing in the midfield against Pedri and Rodri. As well as Charles De Ketelaere played against the United States, he is likely not the caliber of forward that could be a difference maker in the later rounds of the World Cup.

7.

(Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

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Why: As we saw in the shootout win over Colombia in the round of 16, Switzerland is one of the most defensively disciplined teams remaining in the tournament. Spain has conceded no goals but also dominates possession. Switzerland does not possess the ball nearly as often, but its defense typically always has answers. Murat Yakin is one of the best coaches remaining in this tournament and has built up a team that is smart, compact, defends well and picks the right moments to attack. Switzerland is clearly a team on the rise.

Why Not: Defending against Argentina is another level from what the Swiss have done thus far. But perhaps an even bigger concern is the injury to Johan Manzambi, who has been one of the tournament’s top breakout performers. The 20-year-old versatile attacker did not play against Colombia due to a knee injury he picked up in the team’s final training session. Not having him against Argentina is a huge blow.

6.

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Why: Four years ago in Qatar, Morocco advanced to the semifinals of the World Cup. Since then, the team has only continued to improve and grow. Both its senior team and youth national teams indicate this team will be good for years to come. Morocco has an elite right side of the field with winger Brahim Díaz playing well and Achraf Hakimi being arguably the best right back in the world. Central midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is also one of the best teenagers in the world. Morocco should be heavily motivated against France, as the two nations have strong historical ties with six Morocco players being born and raised in France.

Why Not: Morocco has a significant injury problem with Ismael Saibari likely out for its game against France. Saibari scored in each of its group stage games and was key to the team’s offense. In a game where Morocco needs all hands on deck, the Atlas Lions will be missing its top forward. Morocco is a great team, but it is still behind France. But now facing Les Bleus shorthanded, Morocco has a huge uphill climb.

5.

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Why: Norway has arguably the best center forward of his generation in Erling Haaland, who has seven goals in four appearances at this World Cup. He is carrying Norway to its best ever tournament run. But the team’s main supporting cast, in Martin Ødegaard and Antonio Nusa, has also been stellar.

Why Not: The biggest concern for this team is its depth. Haaland has at least one goal in every game he has played, and Ødegaard has been key to controlling the midfield. But if either of them has a bad game, are the team’s other options good enough to pick up the slack? Probably not.

4.

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Why: Harry Kane is living up to expectations at this tournament with six goals. He can carry England to wins at times when it is not playing well (such as the 2-1 win over DR Congo). The best news for England was in the round of 16 win over Mexico when Jude Bellingham was the best he has looked all tournament, by far. The same could be said for Anthony Gordon. If that is the case, England is building up an offense that has multiple strong points of attack.

Why not: The team’s defense has been too leaky at times. In the last round, Mexico scored two goals, and England’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, had to bail out his teammates several times. Against DR Congo, England was lucky to have only conceded one. England was also poor defensively against Croatia. When better teams come along, it is a major question whether England’s defense can hold up.

3.

(Photo by Perry McIntyre/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

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Why: Argentina knows how to win and fights extremely hard when up against the wall. The win over Egypt shows just how well it handles adversity. The team also has the greatest player of all time in Lionel Messi who can win games by himself.

Why not: There is an age factor. La Albiceleste have kept most of its same players from the 2022 team that won the World Cup. It was hard for Argentina to win in 2022, and the 2026 team is likely not as good. Messi is four years older at 39. Plus, the team is still very reliant on him. The first two knockout rounds were especially taxing on this team, as it took 120 minutes to beat Cape Verde, and the 3-2 win over Egypt required a huge push at the end to mount a comeback. How much is going to be left in the tank?

2.

(Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

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Why: Through five games, it has been impossible to break down Spain’s defense, which has conceded zero goals. Luis de la Fuente’s team is getting solid production out of center forward Mikel Oyarzabal with four goals, but a total of five players have scored for Spain in this tournament (not counting an own goal). That gives Spain a balanced attack with a number of ways to win games. Combined with its tournament-best defense and arguably the best central midfield tandem in Rodri and Pedri, Spain has a lot going for it.

Why Not: With a 0-0 draw and two 1-0 wins over Uruguay and Portugal, Spain has walked a fine line at times. Oyarzabal is an excellent forward, but is he able to carry this team in a way Kane, Mbappé and Haaland can? Until Yamal gets going in the way he has for Barcelona, Oyarzabal needs to be that guy.

1.

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Why: From top to bottom, France had the most talented team in this tournament. What is even better for the French is that its top-three players are all in fantastic form. Kylian Mbappé has seven goals at this tournament. Michael Olise has arguably been the best playmaker at the World Cup. Finally, Ousmane Dembélé, who entered this tournament without a World Cup goal, scored. Now the reigning Ballon d’Or winner has four goals and two assists to open a second point of attack. Then surrounding this team are world-class players at every position.

Why not: It will take a Herculean effort to knock off France in any of the three remaining rounds. But it is possible. The toughest job for head coach Didier Deschamps is managing the massive egos within the squad. As French 1998 World Cup winner Frank Lebouef recently said: “I would say that the best enemy of France is France itself. Again, if you don’t find the chemistry, if you have ego issues between the players, they’re not going to win anything. And when we are the favorites, it’s never good with France.”

EVERY Goal From Round of 16 2026 FIFA World Cup™

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The round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought some epic moments and exciting soccer. We started to see some upsets and close calls, as we now head into the quarterfinals at the tournament.

So, with only eight teams remaining, who are the best nations still playing at the tournament? The FOX Sports World Cup NOW crew of Melissa Ortiz, Maurice Edu, Brad Guzan, and Sacha Kljestan took a look at the field to reveal their power rankings of the eight remaining teams left in the quarterfinals.

No. 8 Switzerland

“I think Switzerland, that just put us to sleep, can be No. 8,” Kljestan said.

Edu agreed with the evaluation, noting that Belgium should move up after Switzerland needed penalty kicks to beat Colombia to advance. As a result, Belgium got to move up a spot.

Still, Switzerland is now 3-2-0 at this tournament. 

No. 7 Belgium

Belgium, which was originally ranked eighth, moved up one spot following a 4-1 rout over co-hosts United States in the round of 16. Belgium has displayed the ability to score in bunches, but it looked vulnerable early against Senegal in the round of 32, having to mount a comeback for the ages to advance. That also came after Belgium went 1-2-0 in the group stage, but it has now won three straight matches.

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No. 6 Norway

Norway occupied the No. 6 position with unanimous consent from the World Cup NOW crew, with Edu even leading a quick Viking row with his crewmates. Norway advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in its federation’s history after Erling Haaland scored twice in its round of 16 win over Brazil on Sunday. Norway has also won all four games Haaland has played in this tournament as he battles for the Golden Boot. 

No. 5 Morocco

For the No. 5 spot, the crew agreed on Morocco to finalize the bottom half of the power ranking. Ortiz added that Morocco should not be taken lightly, something the rest of the crew agreed with.

Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals after its 3-0 win over Canada on Saturday. But its most impressive match might have been against the Netherlands in the round of 32. After battling to a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, Morocco advanced in penalty kicks as it’ll now take on France in the quarterfinals on Thursday. 

Canada vs Morocco Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 16

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No. 4 England

The debate shifted as the panel examined the top four teams, starting with a close comparison between England at No. 4 and the third-ranked team on this list.

“Our decision between number three and number four was tough, because I think England has also shown championship quality, and so I think there’s a small separation between the one and two teams and the three and four teams,” Kljestan said.

Edu pointed to England’s recent performance with its 3-2 win over Mexico to show how close the margin was between the two sides.

“The biggest to me, between Argentina and England, because I was at that game in Mexico City, England were impressive to be able to do what hadn’t been done since 2013 in a competitive match at the Azteca, which is to win, there was impressive,” Edu said. “Their stars showed up, Jude Bellingham gets a brace, Harry Kane gets a goal, and assists in that one as well.”

No. 3 Argentina

Despite England’s heroic performance, the crew gave Argentina the edge at No. 3 due to its tournament history and tournament management.

“What separates Argentina? Obviously, it’s Messi, but it’s that they’ve done it already,” Edu said. 

“They come in here as a defending champion, so they know that winning pedigree, they know what it takes, and when you’re talking about their last couple games against Cape Verde, and then today against Egypt, yeah, they were nerve-wrenching. 

“If you’re a Messi fan, if you’re an Argentine fan, you’re sitting there sweating, you’re nervous, but there’s a certain character that this group possesses, the manager as well, because they’ve crossed that line already at the last World Cup.”

Argentina has won all five matches it’s played at this World Cup. However, its last two victories were dramatic. It needed extr

GREATEST COMEBACK EVER? 🇦🇷 INSTANT REACTION to Argentina’s 3-2 win over Egypt ️

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a time to take down Cape Verde in the round of 32 before having to comeback from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday. 

“You guys, they’ve, they’ve made the fans suffer, they’ve made football fans suffer, but they’ve always come through,” Ortiz said.

Guzan added that it has “been the Messi show,” and indicated that the rest of the roster must contribute more as the tournament progresses.

“They’re going to need some help from others,” Guzan said. “There’s other guys on that team, they’re going to have to step up.”

No. 2 Spain

Spain secured the No. 2 spot in the power rankings, largely due to its defensive efficiency throughout the competition.

“I think Spain has been incredible,” Edu said. “There’s still more, there’s still more to be seen from this team, but they’ve been incredibly efficient. The fact that they’re in a quarterfinal without having conceded a goal, that’s where [I say] this is impressive.”

As Spain hasn’t conceded a goal yet in this tournament, it’s outscored its opponents 9-0 in this tournament. 

No. 1 France

France took the No. 1 spot on the board, maintaining its status as tournament favorites.

“And they’ve lived up to the expectations that everybody’s put on them,” Kljestan said. “They were the odds-on favorite. They were the team that all of us, I believe, at this little round table has picked to win the tournament, and they’ve been the best attacking team. So, they’re No. 1 — best attacking team, number two, best defending team in this tournament.”

Just like Argentina, France has won all five matches it has played in this tournament as well. It had to grind out a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16, but France has outscored its opponents 14-2 in this tournament. 

With the rankings set, the analysts discussed whether any of the lower-ranked teams could challenge the top four for the title. Kljestan expressed skepticism about the lower tier’s chances of sustaining success through the remaining rounds.

“I personally don’t think that any of the teams outside the top four can win this World Cup,” Kljestan said. “You have to win three more games from this point on, and I don’t see any of those teams knocking off any of the top four teams, let alone knocking them off once and then having to do two more.”

Guzan agreed, emphasizing the difficulty of putting together multiple consecutive wins against elite opponents.

“That’s what I was just gonna say, I think there’s potential for doing it once, doing it two and three times,” Guzan said. “I think it becomes really, really challenging when you’re going up against these top four teams in the quality that they possess.”

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The career of one of the greatest players to ever step on the pitch, Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo, is likely nearing its end — and FOX Sports’ Kasper Schmeichel, who was a goalkeeper for Denmark, thinks it will be hard for the 41-year-old to come to grips with that reality.

“I know exactly what he’s feeling right now,” Schmeichel said about Ronaldo after Portugal was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by Spain on Monday. “It means everything to play for your country. Look at his body language. It hits you, and it hits you harder than you’re ever going to expect.

“Even at his age, I don’t care how many goals you scored or how many trophies you’ve got, that’s not his mentality. His mentality is the next one. Wants to win, wants to keep going, wants to prove that he still is the best.”

Ronaldo and Portugal advanced through Group K of the 2026 World Cup after going 1-2-0 in group play. Then, following a win over Croatia in the round of 32, they were eliminated by Lamine Yamal and Spain in the round of 16. Following Portugal’s defeat, Ronaldo said this was his “last” World Cup but that he’s still mulling his future in the sport elsewhere.

The 2026 World Cup marked the sixth such tournament Ronaldo played in for Portugal, with the club being unable to claim a tournament triumph in any of those six years (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026). Ronaldo scored three goals across Portugal’s five matches this tournament, highlighted by a brace against Uzbekistan in the group stage. 

The superstar striker has 11 career World Cup goals and stands first all time with 976 career goals across a combined 1,326 games.

“I think, at the moment, Cristiano is realizing that he’s not going to play in the World Cup again. Those stadiums, you’re not going to be able to play in them again. That’s a really, really tough thing, and that’s something I haven’t come to terms with yet,” Schmeichel said. “It’s an ongoing process. But I think he’s the type of guy that he’ll want to keep going. He’ll want to keep playing, and he doesn’t need to, but he does it because he loves it. He loves the game. He’s physically still able to play.

“Having it not taken away from you, but there are four years until another World Cup, so the chances are he’s not going to be there, and that will be really, really difficult to take.”

Ronaldo has spent the last four years at Al-Nassr FC in the Saudi Pro League, averaging 29.3 goals per season over the last three years and helping them win the league title in the 2025-26 season.

Of course, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and eight-time Domestic League champion has two stints at Manchester United (Premier League) and stints with Real Madrid (La Liga), Juventus (Serie A) and Sporting CP (Primeira Liga) under his belt. 

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It’s official: Justin Bieber is set to perform at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19. 

“The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can,” Bieber said in a statement to FIFA. “I’m grateful to be part of this Halftime Show, and even more grateful knowing it’s already helping expand access to education for children around the world.”

Ahead of his World Cup final performance, Bieber was in attendance at Los Angeles Stadium for USA’s opening ceremony before their group stage game against Paraguay. 

(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

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The show marks the first time in tournament history that the title game will host a halftime performance, which already includes performers like BTS, Madonna and Shakira. Additionally, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay are set to perform.

Bieber is coming off a memorable career milestone when he headlined Coachella and claimed the informal title of “Bieberchella” from fans. Prior to Coachella, Bieber also performed at the 2026 Grammy’s. 

The quarterfinals stage is set and kicks off on Thursday, starting with France vs. Morocco at Miami Stadium at Boston Stadium at 4 p.m. ET.

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Remember the coronation that never quite happened?

A few years ago, Kylian Mbappé was the consensus heir. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would eventually ride off, and the kid from Bondy — a World Cup winner as a teenager, the first teenager to score in a final since Pelé — would inherit the throne. In 2022, he nearly took it by force: a Golden Boot, a hat trick in the final, one of the great individual World Cups ever played. Argentina lifted the trophy anyway, and the narrative moved on without him.

Four years later, it’s time to move it back.

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

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Mbappé, at 27, is the best player in the world right now, and the 2026 World Cup is making his case game by game. Seven goals in five matches — braces against Senegal and Iraq, another against Sweden, the winner from the spot in a street fight with Paraguay. He became France’s all-time leading scorer along the way, passed Ronaldo and Miroslav Klose on the World Cup scoring charts, and now sits on 19 tournament goals, one behind Messi’s all-time record.

Nobody in history has scored more World Cup knockout goals. Nobody has scored more World Cup winners. He leads a France team that looks like the most complete side in the tournament — and he hasn’t even needed to be great every night for Les Bleus to win all five.

Kylian Mbappé Scores Brace vs Sweden 🇫🇷 His Third in 2026 FIFA World Cup™

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Yes, Messi is having a magical farewell, and Erling Haaland is dragging Norway into places Norway has never been. But Messi is 39, playing his last dance. Ronaldo just exited his final World Cup in the round of 16. And Haaland, for all his ruthlessness, is a specialist — the greatest penalty-box predator alive, and proudly nothing else.

Mbappé is the full package. World-class pace that still breaks defensive lines in a dead sprint. The technical ability to beat a man off either side. He can live on the left touchline or through the middle. And he is a clinical finisher through and through. Strikers usually get one or two of those gifts. He got the whole package.

So why did some stop saying it? Blame the noise in Madrid. Real Madrid’s season was a soap opera—no trophies, a manager under siege, and Mbappé cast as one of the villains, jeered inside his own stadium in May. Lost in the drama: he won the Pichichi again. His numbers never dipped, but the love did.

(Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Now he’s found it, and it shows. Watch him this summer — laughing through hydration breaks, sprinting to embrace Didier Deschamps after scoring against Sweden days after the coach buried his mother, playing with the joy of a man who spent a year being told he was the problem and is now, indisputably, the solution. The smile is back. So is the terror he inspires.

Thursday brings Morocco in Boston, a rematch of the 2022 semifinal, and perhaps Messi waiting at the end — the ghost of Lusail, four years later, in New York. You could not script it better.

And here’s the kicker: for all he’s done, Mbappé has never won a Ballon d’Or. Win this World Cup as the star of the show — the record within reach, the Golden Boot in play, the best team in the field — and that conversation ends in about four seconds.

In 2022, he did everything except lift the trophy. In 2026, he might do everything, period. The throne’s been sitting empty long enough.

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Dave Roberts knows the drill. 

As he gets set to lead the National League All-Star team for the fifth time since 2018, the Dodgers manager understands how the next week will look leading into the game and when he needs to start preparing his lineup and pitching decisions. 

So, he’s in no rush. 

“I probably really start thinking about the starting pitcher the Thursday or Friday before the All-Star Game,” Roberts told me on Tuesday, one week ahead of the game in Philadelphia. “It’s who’s going to be available. From that bucket, who deserves it? And then the hometown pitcher, starter, has got to have some weight. Then, try to bake it all in to see what’s the right decision.”

Cristopher Sánchez would be a logical hometown choice to start, even after the Phillies starter saw his ERA jump from 2.00 to 2.62 with a clunker this week in Kansas City. Atlanta Braves veteran Chris Sale and Cincinnati Reds breakout Chase Burns are also among the top NL arms available to Roberts. 

The best pitcher in the National League this year, however, will not be an option. 

Milwaukee Brewers star Jacob Misiorowski, who leads all qualified MLB starters in ERA (1.64) and strikeouts (167) among a litany of categories, was ruled out of the All-Star Game since he’s scheduled to start Sunday. Fellow National League All-Star pitchers Paul Skenes, who is slated to start against Misiorowski on Sunday, and Max Meyer were also ruled out for the same reason. Replacing that trio of pitchers is Philadelphia starter Jesús Luzardo, Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft and St. Louis reliever Riley O’Brien. 

There are sure to be more changes ahead in the coming days, which is why Roberts is taking his time before solidifying his choices. He said he gets the roster updates at the same time as everyone else, and he doesn’t get a say in the choices, so he knows there’s no rush. 

Soon, Roberts and his coaching staff will be fielding calls from other NL managers and pitching coaches to discuss the workloads of the players on the NL All-Star roster. Those conversations haven’t happened yet, but they’re likely to take place over the weekend. Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior and Major League Baseball also help facilitate those discussions. 

“There’s a lot of bait-and-switching going on,” Roberts told me. “Pitchers want the All-Star nod, but when they get it and get their bonus, they don’t want to pitch. That’s something we’re very mindful of. Then it puts more stress and potential in harm’s way of other guys that are going to pitch. So, that’s something we’re still trying to get a handle on.” 

Roberts invited Phillies manager Don Mattingly and Cardinals manager Oli Marmol to be honorary coaches on his All-Star coaching staff this year. 

The Phillies have turned their season around since Don Mattingly took over as interim manager in late April. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

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Mattingly managed the Dodgers from 2011-15, right before Roberts took over, and was in the opposing dugout in last year’s World Series as the Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach. Roberts thought it made sense to have the hometown manager joining him for the game, but his decision to include Mattingly went beyond that.

“I’ve never spent time with Donnie,” Roberts said. “For me to be able to have an opportunity to spend time with him I thought was great. And Oli, I just think he’s been an organizational guy as a player, as a manager, and we developed a bond, a friendship, and it’s an opportunity for me to spend some time with him.”

Roberts said he has gotten to know Marmol much better over the last five years. Marmol has been the Cardinals’ manager since 2022 and has been with the organization for the past 20 years, starting as a minor-league player before working his way up as a manager through the system. He remained on board as the Cardinals’ skipper this year after Chaim Bloom took over as president of baseball operations, signing a two-year contract extension in March despite coming off three seasons without a playoff appearance. The 2026 Cardinals, one of the surprise stories of the first half, are contending for a playoff spot. 

“We have conversations when we play each other, and he wanted to pick my brain about some things, and I wanted to pick his brain,” Roberts told me. “I think, for me, all the scrutiny that he was going through, I loved the way that he responded and how he remained steadfast managing the ballclub with all the uncertainty, the noise, outside of it. I respected that.”

While Mattingly is a National League manager now — after a 9-19 start, the Phillies have gone 42-22 since Mattingly took over as interim manager — he’ll have plenty of connections in the opposing dugout at the All-Star Game after spending three seasons on Toronto’s coaching staff. Blue Jays skipper John Schneider, of course, will be managing the American League team. 

Roberts’ advice for the first-timer? 

“Enjoy every bit of it,” Roberts said. “The manager’s speech to the players is something that is always memorable. Sometimes you feel maybe a little pressure, but it’s exciting. Try to get everybody in there. And be mindful of the pitching. You never want to run out of pitching.”

Things haven’t gone so well for John Schneider and the Blue Jays this season, so managing the AL All-Star team should be a great respite. (Photo by Chris Coduto/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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That’s something Roberts remembered well from his first experience as an All-Star manager in 2018, when the game at Nationals Park went to extra innings. 

“It’s a balancing act,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day, it’s an exhibition, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Ohtani Unlikely To Pitch, But Likely To Hit, In All-Star Game

Shohei Ohtani is still lined up to make his scheduled pitching start Friday, a week after feeling tightness in his right biceps on a swing. 

Ohtani said his removal from the game late last Friday — the Dodgers pinch-hit for him in the seventh inning — was precautionary and that he had dealt with a similar issue earlier this season and was able to play through it. Ohtani was held out of the lineup Saturday but returned on Sunday and then homered in each of his first two games against the Rockies on Monday and Tuesday this week, joining the 300-homer club in the process. 

Immediately after Ohtani’s biceps issue arose, Roberts said the idea of skipping Ohtani’s last pitching start of the first half should be on the table. Now, though, that’s not the plan. 

“As he goes through the next couple days, if he doesn’t feel great, we’ll pivot, and we’re prepared to pivot,” Roberts said. “But as we sit here, I don’t see that changing.”

Roberts reiterated Tuesday that he doesn’t expect Ohtani to pitch in the All-Star Game or to compete in the Home Run Derby, but he does see him taking “an at-bat or two” in the game. 

“He understands the responsibility he has,” Roberts said. “So, I do think that there’s a middle for what’s best for him, what potentially could be downside, but also what’s best for the game.”

Could The Dodgers Get Another Starting Pitcher In?

Justin Wrobleski was among the biggest All-Star snubs when the initial rosters were announced last weekend, and that remained the case after his latest start Tuesday. Wrobleski lowered his ERA to 2.69 on the year while striking out nine Rockies and holding them to one run in his third straight start of seven innings. 

The Dodgers’ sixth starter is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA that ranks eighth among qualified NL starters. 

“Obviously it’s disappointing,” Wrobleski said of the snub. “You want to be an All-Star. It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do. It’s frustrating to not get that nod. But like I said before, it’s just more reason to try and keep getting better. Hopefully, I can gain the respect of players and everybody else and maybe be in there next year.”

He might not have to wait that long. 

Changes are still being made, and if Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who is starting Saturday for the Dodgers — is unable to pitch in the All-Star Game three days later, Wrobleski would make for a logical replacement. 

Justin Wrobleski is having a breakout season for the Dodgers, and it could lead to an All-Star nod as a replacement. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

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Wrobleski said he would still love to get the call and would also like to know where he’s going to be spending his All-Star break. His manager has already lobbied for him to make the team, and because Wrobleski made his last start of the first half on Tuesday, he would be available to pitch in the All-Star Game if he got the nod. 

“We run a six-man rotation, and I just don’t want him to get dinged for not making a couple more starts that he potentially could have had,” Roberts said. “It’s about winning, the ERA is stellar, innings per outing, and so I just think that he’s performed enough to earn that opportunity.”

“That means a lot, obviously,” Wrobleski said of Roberts’ support. “He has given me this opportunity to kind of be a starter in the major leagues when maybe some other teams would’ve given up on me.”

How to Watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game

The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 14, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Watch the MLB All-Star Game on FOX One for live and on-demand streaming.

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Rafael Márquez is taking the reins of the Mexican national team. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced Wednesday that the former Barcelona star will succeed Javier Aguirre as head coach leading up to the 2030 World Cup.

Márquez, 47, served as Aguirre’s assistant from August 2024 until Mexico’s recent 3-2 round of 16 loss to England. While a succession plan had been in place since 2024, rumors had circulated that the FMF might look elsewhere.

“The appointment of Rafael Márquez is part of an orderly transition designed to ensure continuity … strengthen development, and tackle upcoming commitments,” the FMF stated.

While El Tri has no immediate fixtures scheduled, Márquez is expected to make his managerial debut during the FIFA international window in late September and early October.

“I am happy with the growth shown by Rafa,” Aguirre said of his successor. “I spoke with Rafa because we are both prominent figures in Mexican soccer — I knew him as a player and a teammate — and he is more than qualified.”

The FMF also expressed its gratitude to Aguirre. While Mexico’s campaign ended in the round of 16 — the stage where they have been eliminated in eight of the last nine World Cups — the team showed marked improvement after failing to advance past the group stage at Qatar 2022.

“He leaves behind a solid legacy of hard work, identity, and competitiveness that strengthens the foundation for the national team’s next chapter,” the FMF stated regarding Aguirre, who just concluded his third World Cup cycle as Mexico’s manager.

Márquez steps into the role with one of the most decorated resumes in Mexican football history. As a player, he featured in five World Cups, won the 1999 Confederations Cup, and claimed Gold Cup titles in 2003 and 2011.

In Europe, he played for Monaco before a legendary stint at Barcelona, where he won two Champions League trophies and four La Liga titles. Domestically, he began and ended his career with Atlas and won back-to-back Liga MX titles with León.

Márquez transitioned to coaching in Real Alcalá’s youth ranks before successfully managing Barça Atlètic, Barcelona’s reserve team, where he was in charge for 82 matches over two seasons, recording 40 wins, 21 draws and 21 losses.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Lionel Messi, the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer, was among 29 players selected to represent Major League Soccer on Wednesday against the LIGA MX All-Stars on July 29 at the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Messi has 12 goals and eight assists in 14 matches this season for Inter Miami CF.

Messi is among 13 World Cup players selected to the MLS All-Star roster.

Among the others include Cape Verde defender Steven Moreira from the Columbus Crew and four players from the United States team, including NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, Charlotte FC, center back Tim Ream, Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter.

It’s unclear if Messi plans to play in the All-Star game after sitting out last year’s exhibition match, which led to a one-game suspension that Inter Miami FC Jorge Mas owner called “draconian.”

Messi, the leading scorer at this year’s World Cup, helped defending-champion Argentina rally from a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 on Tuesday.

Argentina faces Switzerland on Saturday in the quarterfinals. The World Cup final is July 19.

Here is the complete MLS roster for the All-Star game:

GOALKEEPERS (3)

— Maxime Crepeau, Orlando City

— Matt Freese, New York City FC

— Brian Schwake, Nashville SC

DEFENDERS (10)

— Max Arfsten, Columbus Crew

— Lucas Herrington, Colorado Rapids

— Richie Laryea, Toronto FC

— Anthony Markanich, Minnesota United FC

— Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Chicago Fire FC

— Steven Moreira, Columbus Crew

— Daniel Munie, San Jose Earthquakes

— Andy Najar, Nashville SC

— Jackson Ragen, Seattle Sounders FC

— Tim Ream, Charlotte FC

MIDFIELDERS (9)

— Sebastian Berhalter, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

— Pep Biel, Charlotte FC

— Rodrigo De Paul, Inter Miami CF

— Evander, FC Cincinnati

— Carles Gil, New England Revolution

— Zavier Gozo, Real Salt Lake

— Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC

— Thomas Müller, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

— Ashley Westwood, Charlotte FC

FORWARDS (7)

— Hugo Cuypers, Chicago Fire FC

— Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC

— Julian Hall, New York Red Bulls

— Son Heung-min, LAFC

— Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF

— Petar Musa, FC Dallas

— Sam Surridge, Nashville SC

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The NCAA wants to know what the University of Cincinnati knew about former quarterback Brendan Sorsby and his gambling issues during his two seasons with the program.

According to reports by multiple media outlets, the NCAA has sent an official letter of inquiry to the school regarding Sorsby, who was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA in April after he placed thousands of impermissible sports bets over the past four years.

Sorsby spent two seasons each at Indiana and Cincinnati before transferring to Texas Tech earlier this offseason. Texas Tech has since cut ties with Sorsby.

Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield, who was Sorsby’s coach during his two seasons with the Bearcats, declined to comment on reports about the letter of inquiry at Wednesday’s Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas.

Yahoo Sports was first to disclose the existence of the letter and ESPN also reported that Cincinnati had received it, with both citing anonymous sources.

A Cincinnati spokesperson declined to say if the school had received an inquiry from the NCAA.

“We have had continuous conversations with the NCAA since the initial reports related to impermissible sports wagering began,” the spokesperson said in a statement to The Associated Press. “As we have stated before, we do not believe any athletics official or staff member was aware of any impermissible sports wagering.”

The NCAA declared Sorsby ineligible for making bets worth at least $90,000 during his college career, igniting a legal battle.

Sorsby made at least 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, but none of those bets came on games in he played. He acknowledged placing at least 165 impermissible bets on college and professional sports totaling at least $38,000 in 2024, including three wagers on Cincinnati men’s basketball made on a FanDuel account he shared with a friend. He provided more than $60,000 to the friend to deposit in the shared account between December 2023 and June 2025.

Sorsby’s stock soared after he transferred from Indiana to Cincinnati in 2024. He threw for 5,613 yards with 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in two seasons with the Bearcats.

He was considered the top prospect in the transfer portal before he chose Texas Tech for his final year of college eligibility.

After he was banned by the NCAA, Sorsby sued and was granted an injunction that gave him the right to play, but he later dropped his unprecedented legal battle.

Sorsby applied for the NFL’s supplemental draft, but NFL decided not to have one. The league sent a memo to all 32 teams last week informing them that Sorsby will not seek legal action against the league after it denied his petition to enter the supplemental draft.

He is planning to enter the NFL draft next year.

“I accept 100% responsibility for my actions,” Sorsby posted on Instagram last week. “I did not have control of my gambling problem and it took getting caught to realize that, but it was truly the best thing that could have happened to me.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said it has been business as usual in the football operation through the turmoil surrounding the Brendan Sorsby gambling saga.

The 54-year-old Texas native credited the school’s leadership and boosters when asked at Big 12 media days on Tuesday how he has managed an offseason he couldn’t have imagined in his younger coaching days.

“We’ve all been in this together,” McGuire said. “I have good mentors, and I have a very strong football team. If you would walk into that building from right now, or even January, any point of this saga, the football side of it, you wouldn’t think that anything was wrong, different.”

McGuire again defended the school’s support of Sorsby, including the plan to let him play even after the Cincinnati transfer admitted he placed bets on Indiana games when he was a freshman with the Hoosiers.

Sorsby played the past two seasons with the Bearcats before joining the defending Big 12 champion Red Raiders on a lucrative deal for his name, image and likeness.

The QB ultimately abandoned a legal effort to regain his eligibility after the NCAA suspended him for gambling, and has said he will wait until next year to enter the NFL draft.

Texas Tech, which went 12-2 last season, stood behind Sorsby when he went to rehab over his gambling and after he sued the NCAA to regain his eligibility.

“I’m not going to ever change that I’m going have my players’ backs,” McGuire said. “It’s really easy to tell a mom or a dad that you’re going to be there to help their son grow into the man they’re supposed to be, and then all of a sudden, whenever adversity hits, or something like the situation we had, that you turn your back on them.”

McGuire said he talked to Sorsby in the past couple of days, and Sorsby is working out in the Dallas area, where he played in high school. McGuire said he expects Sorsby to make occasional trips to Lubbock and that he will have access to the school’s athletic facilities.

“My biggest thing why I want to be there is because I have addicts in my family,” the coach said. “Some of them are no longer with us. But the biggest thing for me right now is he continues to get help so there’s no relapse and he can be the person and the player that he’s meant to be.”

Tight end Terrance Carter Jr. said he stayed in touch with Sorsby through the offseason after their relationship blossomed in just a few months together.

“When we found out he was going into rehab, I sent him a quick text, ‘I love you, bro,’” Carter said. “We still text a lot to this day. So I can say our relationship is strong. It’s more than just football for me. So just being there for my brother, that’s all I can do.”

Will Hammond Could End Up As Red Raiders’ Starting QB

Quarterback Will Hammond started twice and came off the bench once for an injured Behren Morton before tearing the ACL in his right knee last season.

McGuire said Hammond could be ready for the season opener Sept. 5 against Abilene Christian, but it’s possible the Red Raiders could wait until the third game Sept. 18 against Houston.

Without the knee injury, Hammond might have been the projected starter this season, and Carter said he was confident in the quarterbacks regardless of Sorsby’s status.

That’s not to say Sorsby’s former teammates were indifferent toward his fate.

“Coach McGuire always preaches about the ‘what’s next’ mentality,” center and captain Sheridan Wilson said. “This is just, unfortunately, just another ‘what’s next’ moment. It breaks my heart, obviously. It breaks a lot of people’s hearts because that’s a friend of ours. We’d love to have him on the team, but at the end of the day, we’re still chasing the Big 12 championship. We have to move on.”

While Texas Tech officials were widely criticized over the possibility of Sorsby playing for the Red Raiders after admitting to gambling on his team’s games at Indiana, McGuire said fellow coaches were supportive behind the scenes.

Some of the criticism came after Texas Tech posted a video in which president Lawrence Schovanec, athletic director Kirby Hocutt and McGuire tried to explain their reasons for supporting Sorsby.

“Some of the statements we made, we were making them to Red Raiders,” McGuire said. “I was not going to change the public opinion across the board. What we were trying to explain in any video or anything like that was to get our fan base and our boosters and our alumni to understand exactly what we were trying to do. We owed it to them. And really that’s the only people that we owed it to.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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