Egypt’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to reigning world champions Argentina in the FIFA World Cup last 16 has been overshadowed by fierce criticism of the match officials, with head coach Hossam Hassan accusing the refereeing team of denying his side a place in the quarter-finals.

The Pharaohs looked set for one of the greatest victories in their football history after opening a two-goal lead against Argentina. Instead, they conceded three goals in the closing stages as the South Americans completed a stunning comeback.

But Egypt insist the result tells only part of the story.

Their biggest grievance came when Mostafa Zico’s second-half goal was ruled out after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) judged that midfielder Marwan Attia had fouled Lisandro Martínez during the build-up. The decision prevented Egypt from extending their lead before Argentina’s late revival.

Moments before Argentina’s stoppage-time winner, Egypt also appealed for a penalty after Mohamed Salah went to ground inside the box. Play continued without a VAR review, allowing Argentina to launch the attack that ended with Enzo Fernández heading home the winning goal.

An emotional Hassan did not hide his frustration after the final whistle.

“We have been treated unfairly,” he said.

“There have been a lot of things to question both on and off the pitch. We suffered injustice. Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to remain in the tournament.”

The Egypt coach also questioned why Salah’s penalty appeal was not reviewed while VAR intervened to disallow his team’s second goal.

“We haven’t seen respect or fair play,” Hassan added. “Our goal was ruled out, yet the penalty incident involving Salah wasn’t even checked. We all saw his shirt being pulled.”

The controversy overshadowed what had been one of Egypt’s finest World Cup performances. Defender Yasser Ibrahim gave the Pharaohs the lead, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a brilliant penalty save to deny Lionel Messi.

However, Argentina fought back through Cristian Romero, Messi and Fernández to snatch victory and a place in the quarter-finals.

While Argentina celebrated another famous comeback, Egypt left the tournament believing controversial officiating played a decisive role in ending their World Cup dream. The debate surrounding the VAR decisions is now likely to continue long after the final whistle.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez was in the thick of things again for Argentina as they stunned Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta in their World Cup last 16 clash

What a difference four days makes. After Argentina had overcome a scare against Cape Verde to advance to the World Cup round of 16, MEN Sport rightly sung the praises of Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez. While his nation may have looked to Lionel Messi for inspiration, it was Martinez at both ends of the pitch who delivered the victory.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening and it was Martinez in the spotlight but this time, for all the wrong reasons. He was easily beaten in the air for Yasser Ibrahim’s opener before losing sight of Mostafa Ziko to put Egypt on the brink of qualification.

Martinez’s defensive partner Cristian Romero reduced the arrears with 11 minutes of normal time remaining and while Argentina eventually managed to scrape through, it did not save the defensive duo from Gary Neville’s cutting criticism.

“You watch Romero and Martinez, and they’re the best ‘worst centre-halves’ in the world,” he told ITV Sport post-match.

“You watch them, they give goals away constantly. But they don’t care about giving goals away because they’ll score goals at the other end. They have massive personalities and they keep going. Look, at that point in the game, you think Argentina are hanging on for dear life.

“They’re fighting for their lives and Romero is part of that comeback, you know what I mean? Why is he there? You always ask the questions: ‘Why is Martinez scoring in the last game? Why is Romero scoring there?’ Because they don’t give in and they fight, and they fight, and they fight.”

Some of those traits that Martinez has showcased at the World Cup, are what have made him an Old Trafford fan favourite. You can tell the passion he feels, every minute he is on the pitch.

And when it is channelled in the right way, you see magical performances like against Cape Verde or when he proved the critics wrong against Manchester City last season. However, this gung-ho approach has a time and a place, and that is not during a marathon, 38-game, Premier League season.

The issue for Argentina is that Martinez and Romero are cut from the same cloth. They both wear their hearts on their sleeve and neither man is afraid of jumping feet first into a tackle to spark a reaction.

But realistically, you cannot go a full season with two centre-backs like that. You leave yourself too prone to attacks and you simply cannot win every match 3-2.

That doesn’t necessarily mean there is no longer a place for Martinez in United’s defence. We saw last season that he can do well partnered with Harry Maguire who is perhaps the ‘yin’ to the Argentine’s ‘yang’.

The worry is that beyond next season Martinez, were he to stay at Old Trafford, would become the experienced head in that defence. Matthijs de Ligt could take on that responsibility but as we all know, there are questions as to whether he will return to the same standard he reached before his back injury.

Having a player like Martinez in your squad can be valuable, as he has shown in this tournament with some impressive defensive displays. But knowing when to be calm and provide a clear head at the back in order to keep a valuable clean sheet is equally as important, if not more so.

That’s the Martinez United need next season and if he can find that balance, which he managed against Cape Verde, the Reds will benefit.

Bollywood’s enduring love affair with sporting heroes

Ganguly’s career appears tailor-made for cinema

His legacy extends beyond results. Ganguly is widely credited with nurturing a fearless generation of cricketers, backing future stars such as Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and a young MS Dhoni at crucial stages of their careers. His turbulent fallout with coach Greg Chappell, subsequent omission from the national side and inspiring comeback only added further drama to an already remarkable career, which later culminated in his tenure as president of the BCCI.

Are sports biopics actually successful?

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and M S Dhoni: The Untold Story were also major commercial hits, with the latter crossing ₹200 crore globally and reinforcing cricket’s box-office pull.

However, not every sports biopic has succeeded. Films such as Azhar, Soorma, Saina and Shabaash Mithu underperformed, while 83, despite positive reviews and a reported ₹270-crore budget, failed to recover costs.

The genre’s track record shows that even celebrated athletes and iconic stories do not automatically guarantee commercial success.

Sports biopics: Budget vs worldwide box office

Why producers keep backing sports biopics

There’s a balance of factors when ranking the Big 12 coaches.

How do you judge a coach that overperforms with limited resources?

Or what about a coach with unlimited resources that can’t seem to deliver?

It’s a balancing act that’s not easy to do considering the lack of success the league has had in the Playoff. There’s no clear-cut favorite.

Here’s how I rank the Big 12 Coaches for 2026.

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1. Willie Fritz, Houston

It didn’t take long for Willie Fritz to lead Houston to a 10-win season.

Having that level of success at a program like Houston is distinguishable.

Imagine what he would do at a school with more resources.

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2. Kalani Sitake, BYU

A proven culture-builder with a strong foundation in place.

BYU football is a growing powerhouse in the Big 12.

Consistent success is hard to come by. Kalani Sitake knows how to get the job done.

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3. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

The Sun Devils are flying under the radar this offseason.

There aren’t any real expectations and the buzz is minimal.

But don’t be surprised if ASU exceeds expectations this year.

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4. Sonny Dykes, TCU

The run to the National Championship Game in 2022 was historic.

But with an up-and-down career, Sonny Dykes will be judged by what happens next.

TCU has the resources to compete. The onus is on Dykes to deliver.

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5. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech

The blowout defeat to Oregon in the Playoff is a stain on Joey McGuire’s resume.

Combined with the Brendan Sorsby disaster, it’s been an ugly period for Texas Tech.

With so much money to compete, the results should be better.

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6. Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia

A washed-up has-been. That’s what some would say about Rich Rod.

The truth is he’s one of the best coaches in college football.

He will get it rolling again in West Virginia.

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7. Brent Brennan, Arizona

This season could change the trajectory of Brent Brennan’s career.

Coming off nine wins in 2025, the expectations are raised. Both coordinators return along with a senior quarterback.

The stars may be aligning for Arizona.

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8. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati

Momentum is building in Cincinnati.

The Bearcats are becoming competitive in league games after stumbling in their first few seasons in the Big 12.

It takes time to build a consistent foundation. With that now in place, the expectations to continually improve are real.

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9. Dave Aranda, Baylor

Willing to go for it on fourth down with regularity, Dave Aranda is unique.

But Baylor has been underperforming lately. The expectations for this year are muted.

The Bears might be in for another season of mediocrity.

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10. Lance Leipold, Kansas

It’s not easy to win at a place like Kansas.

Lance Leipold makes the most out of the resources he has available.

With an artificially low bar, the primary challenge is staying consistent.

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11. Scott Frost, UCF

With no benefit of the doubt, Scott Frost enters a critical year.

He led UCF to five wins in 2025. If he can deliver a bowl appearance this season, his job will be secure.

Frost’s past coaching record doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, though.

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12. Deion Sanders, Colorado

Colorado is trending in the wrong direction.

The hype around the program has faded.  Once the darlings of the college football world, reality has set in.

All it takes is one season to regain the momentum.

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13. Jimmy Rogers, Iowa State

After spending one season at Washington State, Jimmy Rogers took the opportunity that Iowa State provided.

He led the Cougars to a respectable 6-6 mark in his first year as an FBS coach.

Lauded for his results at the FCS level, the Cyclones might’ve made a home run hire.

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14. Eric Morris, Oklahoma State

The former coach of North Texas takes over for Oklahoma State. He spent three years in Denton, accumulating a career coaching record of 22-16.

He enters a big stage in Stillwater.

Keep an eye on the Pokes. The potential for a surprising season is real.

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15. Morgan Scalley, Utah

First year coaches are wildcards.

Utah is talented enough to compete in the Big 12. Yet, regime changes are never easy.

How Morgan Scalley navigates Year One will be critical.

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16. Collin Klein, Kansas State

Entering his first year as a head coach, the expectations outside of Manhattan are low.

Without any experience to judge, it’s hard to handicap Collin Klein and Kansas State’s season.

Perhaps the Wildcats overperform under his leadership.

Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)

France‘s World Cup campaign has already tested their firepower, patience and nerves, but Thursday’s quarter-final against Morocco will offer Didier Deschamps‘ side something different: their first ​full football examination ‌of the tournament.

The meeting is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final ⁠when France ended Morocco’s historic run in Qatar, but this time the North Africans arrive not as surprise outsiders but as a confident, gifted side ‌who have been open about their ambition to win the tournament.

France reached the last eight ⁠after a 1-0 win over Paraguay, a game that demanded character and patience more than fluency. Paraguay sat deep, slowed the rhythm and forced France to find a way through a ​packed defensive structure.

Deschamps’ team did enough, with Kylian Mbappé scoring his seventh goal ‌at this World Cup, but the performance also underlined that the knockout stage is beginning to ask harder questions of a side whose attacking talent has carried them through much of the tournament.

Read more‘A joy to watch’: World Cup fans embrace Les Bleus as Deschamps finally takes the brake off

Against Morocco, the challenge will be different. ‌Mohamed Ouahbi’s side have shown they can suffer, control spells of possession and punish opponents with speed and precision.

Their 3-0 win over Canada in the ​last 16 confirmed the impression of a team growing into the tournament after coming through the group stage unbeaten.

Morocco had already shown their level in a demanding group, collecting seven points from matches against Brazil, ​Scotland and Haiti, and their performances have backed up their stated belief that they are not merely ​here to repeat the emotional charge of 2022.

France, by contrast, have yet ​to face a side with Morocco’s blend of technical quality, athletic intensity and self-belief. Sweden were brushed aside in the last 32, while Paraguay provided resistance ​without posing the same footballing threat Morocco are likely to bring.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Ounahi fires Morocco to quarter-finals with decisive brace

The quarter-final should offer the clearest indication yet of whether France’s attacking quartet can continue to bend the tournament to their will against opponents capable of hurting them in transition and testing their defensive balance.

They will probably be without midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni, who has been suffering ⁠from a muscle injury, while Morocco are expected to be without key striker Ismael Saibari.

Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola ⁠have given France one ​of the most dangerous forward lines at the World Cup, but Morocco’s organisation and confidence should provide a more complete measure of the team behind the big names. 

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

England and Norway renew a rivalry better known for one famous piece of commentary rather than football when they meet in the World Cup quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday.

It was 45 years before Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland were illuminating the current tournament that a Norwegian by the name of Bjorge Lillelien delivered the speech that has assumed legendary status.

Norway, nowhere near the dangerous force they are now in September 1981, had just beaten an England side boasting players of the class of Bryan Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan and Trevor Francis 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier.

The win was a seismic shock, regarded as a national embarrassment for England and Norway’s greatest triumph at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo.

Lillelien was not going to let the opportunity to pile on the agony for England pass him by as he directed a message aimed at the country’s political and sporting figures – especially then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

A reserved man in private, he warmed up by accusing Polish referee Jerzy Kacprzak of being “close to receiving English citizenship” by playing what he felt was too much added time as Norway protected their lead.

When Kacprzak finally blew the whistle, Lillelien was ready to let rip on the airwaves as the main radio commentator for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, known as NRK.

A slightly edited version of his wonderfully excitable commentary is: “Lord Nelson. Lord Beaverbrook. Sir Winston Churchill. Sir Anthony Eden. Clement Atlee. Henry Cooper. Lady Diana. We have beaten all of them.”

And then came Lillelien’s most famous words.

“Maggie Thatcher. Can you hear me? We have a message for you. We have knocked your boys out of the World Cup. Maggie Thatcher. As they say in your language, in the boxing bars around Madison Square Garden New York, your boys took a hell of a beating.”

He then repeated for good measure: “Your boys took a hell of a beating.”

The last line, in particular, has been repeated – and altered to suit the occasion – ever since Lillelien delivered it.

England did, contrary to Lillellen’s claim, qualify for the 1982 World Cup in Spain, but no matter.

Social media did not exist in 1981. The impact and traction of his commentary, had it happened now, would be mind-boggling.

Lillelien, who was a hugely popular figure, died six years later aged 60, but has been immortalised by those words, which he always insisted were spontaneous, not prepared.

The emotional speech has been preserved forever by the wonders of YouTube, helped by Lillelien, fluent in English, switching from his native tongue when he said: “Maggie Thatcher. Can you hear me?” and “your boys took one hell of a beating.”

England’s defeat was one of the biggest shocks in their history, having won the first qualifier 4-0 at Wembley a year previously.

In Norway’s moment of triumph, Lillelien’s colourful commentary meant those who represented England in that defeat will never be allowed to forget it.

Every time England meet Norway, Lillelien will be remembered with affection by everyone except those who still have to suffer those painful recollections.

People love to say “you can’t predict baseball,” and here’s another chapter in the long history of that being the case. There’s a major-league player who just became the first in the expansion era (1961-present) to record a hit in 12 consecutive plate appearances, tying the overall MLB record. He was in the No. 9 hole for the Royals, one of the worst teams in baseball, on Tuesday evening. His name? Tyler Tolbert. 

Tolbert was a career .247 hitter in 85 at-bats at the big-league level before he started this streak. In seven minor-league seasons, he is a career .246 hitter. If we were tasked with predicting who could get a hit in 12 straight plate appearances, we’d get deep into the hundreds before we even thought about him. But that’s why they play the games. 

Things started innocently enough on Saturday against the Phillies with a weak infield hit. He then singled on a grounder with eyes to right field before being removed from that game. On Sunday, he didn’t even play. Monday, he was back in the lineup as Kansas City closed out its series with Philadelphia. Tolbert singled on another grounder, doubled on a line drive to the gap to drive home a run, before powering up for a home run. It was the first of his career. 

He singled two more times to go 5 for 5. 

Then came Tuesday evening in New York in a wild 16-12 win over the Mets. Tolbert was slotted ninth in the Royals’ lineup. He hit a two-run home run in the second inning. 

Hey, when you’re hot, you’re hot. 

Tolbert would single in the fourth, reach on another infield single in the fifth and then yet another infield single in the sixth. 

And, are you ready for this? In the seventh inning, he had another infield single to tie the all-time record. This was in the midst of the Royals turning a 9-4 deficit to the Mets into a 16-9 lead, by the way. 

That’s 12 consecutive plate appearances with a hit for Tolbert. That tied him for the MLB record.  

The MLB record for consecutive hits in at-bats is 12, which was done by Johnny Kling in 1902, Pinky Higgins in 1938, Walt Dropo in 1952 and Juan Miranda in 2024. If we made the requirement plate appearances, it’s just Kling and Dropo at 12. And now Tolbert has joined the latter group. 

Tolbert came to the plate again in the ninth inning with a chance to break the record, but he flied out to right field. He was unable to hold it all for himself, but he still made history and became part of the MLB record book.

Tolbert’s batting average this season was .200 before the streak. It is now .396. Gotta love those small-sample jumps.

Further, Tolbert has back-to-back five-hit games. The list of players in MLB history with back-to-back five-hit games isn’t very long. It had previously only happened twice: Hi Myers for the Brooklyn Robins in 1917 and Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente with the 1970 Pirates. Tolbert has joined them with two straight five-hit games. 

What an incredibly unlikely run.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said Lionel Messi channeled his inner beast to guide Argentina.© AFP

There were more than five hours on the clock and yet Novak Djokovic was still not done. As Centre Court shook, Djokovic’s 11-year-old son, Stefan, watched on with his head in his hands, up way past his bedtime but gripped by what his 39-year-old father was producing. Felix Auger-Aliassime stood over a forehand and sensed his moment to strike, but Djokovic, in a flash, sprang to his right deep behind the baseline, extending the point and the Canadian third seed’s torment. Auger-Aliassime netted and it broke him; the decisive point in the match tiebreak that settled the longest Wimbledon quarter-final ever, a victory that Djokovic ranked as one of his finest on Centre Court.

“These are the moments I still play for,” said Djokovic. If the scoreline – 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (10-4) – was scarcely believable in itself, the sight of Djokovic stretching his limbs and denying the 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime, in five hours and 15 minutes, was sheer madness. It equalled the longest match of Djokovic’s Wimbledon career, eight years on from the 2018 semi-final with Rafael Nadal that was held overnight. Djokovic managed this in one epic, gruelling sitting and just five minutes before the 11pm curfew. When the moment required it, he once again raised his level, booking a semi-final with defending champion Jannik Sinner on Friday.

The celebrations were memorable, the victory too – a battle Djokovic prevailed from in front of his children on Centre Court adding to the sweetness. And yet the message afterwards from Djokovic was that he is not done yet. The records – an eighth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final, the 15th of his career – did not matter. “Right now, it’s all business,” Djokovic confirmed. The pursuit of the grand slam record and a 25th title is what fuelled his extraordinary fight and refusal to submit, and yet it is still two rounds away. “I wish it was finals so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow,” Djokovic said.

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And there could lie the problem. At this stage of his career, and since the gold medal match against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Olympics, Djokovic’s finest victories have arrived before the final. Last season, the quarter-finals of grand slams fell in the the sweet spot where Djokovic was fresh enough to compete against younger opponents, but late enough in the tournament where he knew he needed to step it up. He did, in defeating Alcaraz at the Australian Open, Alexander Zverev at the French Open, Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon and Taylor Fritz at the US Open. Outlasting Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon is another added to the list.

Djokovic, though, arrived at those semi-finals and found that he was physically cooked, unable to recover for the next challenge. The exception came at the Australian Open in January, and was memorable in itself with Djokovic ending Sinner’s reign in Melbourne by beating the world No 1 in five sets. But that followed a different sort of tournament for Djokovic, after his fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew and Lorenzo Musetti retired from their quarter-final due to injury while leading by two sets. Djokovic arrived into his semi-final with Sinner fresher, but after he prevailed he still ran into Alcaraz in final, where he eventually ran out of gas.

Djokovic will have an extra day to recover before he plays Sinner on Centre Court on Friday in a rematch of last year’s semi-final. It may prove to be invaluable. “Let’s see. Let’s see,” Djokovic said. “I have an extra day, which is good.” Sinner, by comparison, has won his last four matches in straight-sets and has not been pushed past the three-hour mark since his opening-round scare against Miomir Kecmanovic last week. Djokovic, meanwhile, has only played one match in under three hours. Djokovic may be matching the heroics of fellow 39-year-old Lionel Messi, yet he wished he could play 90-minute matches like him, too.

And it is the brutal reality of sport that there is no trophy for Djokovic for reaching another semi-final, or for Auger-Aliassime for falling just a few points short after more than five hours in one of the greatest matches in Wimbledon history. But in another sense, tonight felt as if the recognition for Djokovic and his latest victory against the younger generation actually could have been enough, with Centre Court rising to its feet for the match tiebreak and this marathon quarter-final. “I still want to go at least one more step further,” he said. “But this was as good as a final for me.”

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There was no doubt, however, that Djokovic, the man who has nothing to prove, once again left behind something special on Centre Court. Even if recent history repeats itself and Djokovic arrives into his semi-final showdown with Sinner spent from his marathon efforts in the previous round, he will always have the roar of Wimbledon as he shone bright yet again on the biggest stage. Then again, there is no Alcaraz on the other side of the draw. This dominant version of Sinner has been beaten once and can be beaten again. Who would rule Djokovic out on the evidence of this unbelievable night.