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Inexplicable Lammens error costs Belgium as Spain’s Merino grabs match-winning mantle once again

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No wonder Spain boss Luis de la Fuente can’t resist keeping Mikel Merino on the bench. It’s now two World Cup knockout games deadlocked, two World Cup knockout games won by the left boot of the Arsenal midfielder. On Monday, it was against Portugal in Dallas; here in the Californian sunshine, he was quickest following in, anticipating an error from the Belgian goalkeeper. Slamming the ball into the roof of the net two minutes from time, he sends his country into a tantalising semi-final showdown with fellow European heavyweights France on Tuesday.

Only, it wasn’t meant to be this way for this valiant Belgian team. The cruel turn of the tide came 20 minutes from the end when Thibaut Courtois, one of the world’s greatest goalkeepers, trudged off inconsolable after sustaining a thigh injury. A very capable No 2 in Man Utd’s Senne Lammens took his place but it was his error, his inability to hold on to Pau Cubarsi’s long-range effort, his incomprehensible spill of the football into Merino’s path, which will be the lasting image of their World Cup campaign.

And so European champions Spain march on. It was far from convincing and Belgium will rue a few half-decent openings in the second-half. But nearly 16 years to the day since the 2010 generation prevailed on the world stage in South Africa, this 2026 squad took another step closer to their nation’s second triumph. It will now be Kylian Mbappe and the irresistible French attack in four days’ time in the air-conditioned Dallas Stadium. Some match, that.

Senne Lammens spilled straight into the path of Mikel Merino in the 88th minute
Senne Lammens spilled straight into the path of Mikel Merino in the 88th minute (Getty)

Spain’s incredible run now stands at 36 consecutive matches unbeaten in competitive encounters. While their clean-sheet record, standing at 650 World Cup minutes without conceding, came a cropper here, the underlying goal of the summer did not sway off course. And as they took the applause of the 70,000-strong crowd in Los Angeles, dominated by Spain supporters, they will be satisfied with their progression, even if their status was precarious for a period here.

These two had not played for a decade, while Spain were unbeaten in 11 games against their European opponents, dating back to a World Cup quarter-final shootout defeat 40 years ago in Puebla City, Mexico. In similarly sweltering conditions in Inglewood, with this match kicking off at midday, could an underdog story repeat itself here?

The weight of history perhaps explained why Belgium boss Rudi Garcia drafted back in his big guns, Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne, after they were surprise omissions from the starting lineup, which torpedoed the USA in the last round. However, they did receive a hammer blow just 12 minutes before kick-off, with captain Youri Tielemans injuring his hamstring in the warm-up.

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Yet in a baking-hot first quarter – as that’s how games are assimilated at this World Cup – Belgium more than held their own. Doku, whose main headlines at this tournament so far were regarding the ridiculous saga over heading home for the birth of his baby boy, looked a constant threat on the break, weaving through a few defenders at a time, while Lamine Yamal’s first of several sighters, cutting in on his left foot 20 minutes in, flew comfortably wide. But lose focus against this Spain team at your peril. Half an hour in, the Red Devils went to sleep at the back – and they were behind.

Pedro Porro exchanged a quickfire one-two with Yamal on the right before finding Dani Olmo in the box. His shot was saved by Courtois, but Belgium’s No 1 could only palm it out to Fabian Ruiz – deputising for Pedri in midfield – to simply tap in. Courtois, given his quality, should have done better. Spain had not lost any of the 48 games the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder had played in previously; it seemed La Roja were well on their way.

Fabian Ruiz gives Spain the lead in the 30th minute
Fabian Ruiz gives Spain the lead in the 30th minute (Getty)

Yamal dazzled for the next 10, gliding away from forlorn Belgium left-back Maxim De Cuyper, and went close with a free-kick, again palmed away by Courtois. But then, four minutes before the interval, Spain did the unimaginable: they conceded a goal.

The goalscorer was Charles De Ketelaere, the crosser was Timothy Castagne but the chief architect was, inevitably, De Bruyne. The stand-in skipper slipped the neatest of first-time passes into Belgium right-back Castagne high up the pitch. His near-post cross found Belgian marksman De Ketelaere who got across Cubarsi, taking a leaf out of all-time top-scorer Romelu Lukaku’s book, and glanced beautifully beyond Unai Simon.

For the Spain keeper, that was his first goal conceded in 650 World Cup minutes. The impeachable rearguard was no more.

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Charles De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium just before half-time
Charles De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium just before half-time (Getty)
Merino celebrates his second late winner in two games
Merino celebrates his second late winner in two games (Getty)

After the break, it was nip and tuck. De Cuyper should have done better in the box after a powerful shot into the side-netting, while Yamal, largely wasteful on the whole, swept a shot just wide of the post. Spain were certainly not having it all their own way and, 55 minutes in, coach Luis de la Fuente had seen enough, bringing on Ferran Torres and Pedri in a bold double substitution. As the second period drifted on, and Lukaku came on up front, Belgium looked a genuine threat on the counterattack, with one cross bristling Rodri’s hand; no penalty given.

Then, the twist. Courtois went down clutching his left thigh and burst into tears when he realised his race was run and Lemmens stepped into the spotlight. A cramping De Bruyne then even had an opening from 40 yards out with Simon in no man’s land, but Rodri – as he so often does for club and country – blocked the goal-bound strike.

But the Belgians were dropping deeper and deeper as extra time beckoned. So much so that Cubarsi was unchallenged as he shot on goal and Lammens, inexplicably, let the ball scramble away from his grasp. And it was Merino, that man again after his stoppage-time winner over Portugal, who slammed home to send Spain to a Texas Tuesday date with their French neighbours.

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Pochettino agrees new USA deal until 2030

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Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a new deal to remain as manager of the United States men’s national team until 2030.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss has been in charge since September 2024 and led the USA to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

The co-hosts topped their group after wins over Paraguay and Australia before beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the last 32.

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Their World Cup run ended with a heavy 4-1 defeat by Belgium.

Under the new agreement, Pochettino and his coaching staff will have a bigger role within US Soccer. They will also advise and support the organisation on areas including youth development, coaching education, professional league partnerships and the wider national team pathway.

“Working together with US Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the men’s national team programme even stronger,” Pochettino said.

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“We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of US Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the federation.

“We want to try to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field.”

US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone praised the work done by Pochettino and his staff.

“Mauricio has built a culture where players trust the group, trust the process and trust each other,” she said.

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“We saw the impact of that belief in the way the team grew, competed and performed on the world’s biggest stage.

“That culture, and the staff who helped build it, are exactly what we want to continue investing in for the men’s national team now and for the future.”

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5 players who are switching states ahead of India’s 2026-27 domestic season ft. Shashank Singh

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The annual pre-season transfer window in Indian domestic cricket allows players to switch state associations as outstation or guest recruits under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

State teams are permitted up to three guest players to strengthen their squads ahead of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaigns. These transfers are driven by players seeking more game time, specialized roles, or leadership opportunities, while developing state teams aim to recruit veteran talents to bolster their squad depth.

The upcoming 2026-27 season features several notable moves, with prominent domestic regulars and IPL players shifting allegiances. Let’s take a look at five such moves.

#1 Shashank Singh

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Shashank Singh will turn up for Puducherry in the 2026-27 season after shifting base from Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has already issued an NOC to the player.

Singh alleged that the state association didn’t support him while he was recovering from an injury that he suffered last season. He further claimed that the association questioned his commitment, saying that the batter only wanted to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 27-year-old added that CSCS officials didn’t give him any clarity over why he was left out of the Chhattisgarh Premier League and the team’s pre-season camp.

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Singh has played 21 first-class games for Chhattisgarh over the last seven years. He has also represented the state in 31 List A and 42 T20s.


#2 Yash Dayal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Yash Dayal will represent Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season. He has already joined the team’s pre-season camp in Alur.

Dayal has not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final, after which he faced charges relating to sexual assault. The left-arm pacer was retained by Gorakhpur Lions for the upcoming UP T20 League. However, he didn’t feature in the 18-member squad the franchise announced following the auction.

The 28-year-old has represented Uttar Pradesh in 27 first-class, 23 List A, and 71 T20s, picking up 186 wickets across formats, including two five-wicket hauls.

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Dayal will look to start fresh for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming season and make his way back to the scheme of things.


#3 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Chhattisgarh is looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming domestic season. As a result, they have roped in Saurashtra‘s veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

The 35-year-old spinner has been a stalwart in the domestic circuit, picking up 423 wickets in 100 first-class matches, including seven 10-wicket hauls and 26 five-fors. Jadeja also has 121 List A and 65 T20 wickets under his belt.

Jadeja is also a very handy batter in the lower order, accumulating almost 2900 runs across formats. He also has 10 fifties under his belt.

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Jadeja’s addition will certainly boost Chhattisgarh’s squad depth as they look to put in a spirited performance next season.


#4 Prasad Pawar

Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar has signed with Puducherry to play alongside Shashank Singh as a guest player in the upcoming domestic season.

Prasad has struggled for game time in the Mumbai squad, with Hardik Tamore playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. As a result, Prasad has decided to shift base to Puducherry in search of more playing time.

Prasad made his List A debut in 2021, while his first-class and T20 debuts came in 2023. Overall, he has represented Mumbai in 27 matches, scoring 591 runs, including one hundred and fifty each.

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#5 Jayant Yadav

An offspinner from Haryana, Jayant Yadav, has decided to join Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 domestic season. He brings truckloads of experience along with him, having represented India in six Tests and two ODIs while picking up 17 wickets in total.

Yadav has 96 first-class, 74 List A, and 95 T20s under his belt, picking up 272, 68, and 61 wickets, respectively, including two 10-wicket hauls and 15 five-fors. He is also very handy with the bat in the lower order, scoring 4781 runs, including three hundreds and 22 fifties. The 36-year-old cricketer also has one Test hundred and fifty each to his name.

Chhattisgarh will rely heavily on the spin duo of Yadav and Jadeja to bring laurels for the team in the upcoming season.