VANCOUVER — Belgium finally found the attacking form that had eluded it through two lackluster group-stage performances, demolishing World Cup debutant New Zealand 5-1 on Friday night at BC Place to win Group G and eliminate the Football Ferns from the tournament.

The result was a stunning turnaround for a Belgian side that had managed just a single goal through its first two matches of the tournament, an own goal scored by Egypt’s Mohamed Hany in a 1-1 draw. After that performance and a goalless draw against Iran, Belgium’s attack finally clicked at the moment it needed to most.

Trossard sparks the rout early

Winger Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 28th minute, capitalizing after New Zealand’s defense was caught napping on a corner kick. Trossard slipped into the box unmarked to give Belgium a 1-0 lead, capping a sequence in which he had already come close to scoring twice. In the 12th minute, a Trossard shot struck the post and appeared to have crossed the line, only for goal-line technology to rule that it had not, while a VAR review in the 22nd minute cleared New Zealand defender Finn Surman of a handball inside the box.

Trossard doubled his and Belgium’s tally in the 50th minute, pouncing on a deflected rebound after his initial shot was blocked, beating New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe, who had no time to react. The two-goal night propelled Trossard to the forefront of a Belgian attack that had badly needed a spark.

Following his second goal, Trossard celebrated with his now-signature gesture, cupping his hands over his eyes like a pair of goggles — a tribute to his son’s love of superheroes.

De Bruyne adds his name to the scoresheet

Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne extended the lead to 3-0 in the 66th minute with a standout individual effort, collecting the ball outside the box and dribbling through New Zealand’s defense before beating Crocombe with a shot from distance. The goal prompted chants of “Oh, Kevin De Bruyne” from the crowd at BC Place as the match headed into the second-half hydration break.

Belgium had dominated the run of play for long stretches, putting up 16 attempts on goal in the first half alone, four of them on target, while New Zealand failed to register a single shot on goal before halftime. New Zealand striker Chris Wood struggled to get loose against Belgium’s physical defensive approach, visibly frustrated at times when challenges went uncalled.

New Zealand gets a consolation goal before Belgium pulls away again

New Zealand finally broke through in the 84th minute, when winger Elijah Just scored to make it 3-1, his third goal of the tournament. The goal offered a brief moment of life for the Football Ferns and their fans, but it proved to be too little, too late against a Belgian side that had already wrapped up the result.

Belgium answered almost immediately. Just two minutes later, in the 86th minute, substitute Romelu Lukaku restored the three-goal cushion, heading home to make it 4-1. The goal was a milestone moment for the Belgian legend, who came on as a substitute and now sits as Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer with 91 career goals for the national team.

Substitute Alexis Saelemaekers added an exclamation point in the 90th-plus-4th minute, scoring Belgium’s fifth goal of the night moments before the final whistle to complete the rout.

A tactical night of substitutions

Both sides made heavy use of their benches as the match wore on. Belgium brought on Saelemaekers and Amadou Onana in the 72nd minute, replacing goal-scorers Trossard and De Bruyne after their work was effectively done. Earlier, in the 56th minute, Belgium substituted winger Jérémy Doku for Matias Fernandez-Pardo after Doku picked up a hard challenge from New Zealand’s Just, who was shown a yellow card for the foul — a decision that reflected Belgium’s unwillingness to risk one of its key attacking players once the match was firmly in hand.

New Zealand turned over its lineup repeatedly in search of a spark, opening the second half with a double substitution, bringing on Jesse Randal and Ben Old for Sarpreet Singh and Ryan Thomas. The Football Ferns made another double change in the 64th minute, sending on Michael Boxall and Callum McCowatt, before a fifth and final substitution in the 79th minute brought on Francis De Vries for Liberato Cacace.

What it means for both teams

The result eliminates New Zealand from the tournament after the program’s first appearance at a men’s World Cup in 16 years, closing out a campaign in which the Football Ferns failed to win any of their three group matches. Belgium, meanwhile, claims top spot in Group G after entering the tournament’s final group match under significant pressure following two underwhelming results against Egypt and Iran.

With the group stage now complete, Belgium advances to the Round of 32, where it is set to face the third-place finisher from Group A, E, H, I or J. That matchup is scheduled to be played in Seattle on Wednesday, July 1.

For Belgium, Friday’s performance represented a dramatic reversal of fortune after a tournament that had, until this point, raised real questions about whether the team’s attacking talent would ever translate into goals on the world’s biggest stage. With Trossard, De Bruyne and Lukaku all finding the net in the same match, those concerns were emphatically answered, at least for one night, as Belgium’s golden generation showed exactly why it remains one of the most dangerous attacking outfits left in the tournament heading into the knockout rounds.

The anonymous individual who has been communicating with TMZ for months about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has refused to turn over an alleged video of one of her purported kidnappers, citing fears that sharing the file could expose his identity through embedded metadata, according to a new report.

TMZ said Friday it received a new letter from someone previously in contact with the outlet, who claimed to have video of one of the alleged suspects and Guthrie on a phone stored in a “secure location.” The development marks the latest twist in an extortion-style correspondence that has unfolded sporadically since shortly after the 84-year-old’s disappearance from her Tucson-area home on February 1.

A claim of new video evidence

According to TMZ, the person who sent the latest letter has the same email address and Bitcoin address as the individual who first contacted the outlet weeks into Guthrie’s disappearance. The sender also claimed that two people were responsible for Guthrie’s kidnapping, and that the alleged video shows the “main guy” among them.

The letter described the contents of the hidden phone in specific detail. “I have a phone stashed in a secure location guaranteeing both the information it stores and the safety of the phone,” the sender wrote, according to TMZ. “What it contains is my definition of delivering them on a silver platter, a short video of the main guy with nancy the day that was probably her last, pictures of both involved, names and addresses and age.”

TMZ reported that it authenticated the new email as coming from the same source behind earlier correspondence, citing a matching Bitcoin address and an alias used in prior messages. The outlet said the phone was described as being in a location that would be “easy to access if you know where it is.”

A demand for payment, and a refusal in return

The sender indicated he would provide the password needed to access the phone’s contents in exchange for payment of one Bitcoin, sent to a newly provided address. TMZ said it declined that demand and instead asked the sender to provide a single screengrab of Nancy Guthrie to authenticate his claim before any further engagement.

TMZ also reported sending the new correspondence directly to the FBI, continuing a pattern the outlet has followed throughout its dealings with the anonymous sender since Guthrie’s disappearance.

A scoff at an unrelated tip

The letter also addressed an unrelated development in the case, with the sender distancing himself from a separate report involving a search near the U.S.-Mexico border. According to TMZ, the sender wrote, “I am not the idiot who recently called in a tip about her burial site in Mexico,” appearing to reference an anonymous call received earlier this month by a Mexican missing-persons organization that prompted a search near Nogales, Sonora — a search that ultimately turned up no trace of Guthrie despite uncovering more than 20 unmarked graves in the area.

The sender also appeared to push back on previous reporting regarding his own identity. According to TMZ, he seemed to scoff at the outlet’s earlier report that the FBI believes the person writing the emails might be a woman.

What the FBI is keeping under wraps

TMZ executive producer Charles Latibeaudiere addressed the broader pattern of communication during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports,” explaining that federal investigators have asked the outlet to withhold certain details from the public as the investigation continues. “There are certain things the FBI doesn’t want them to share with the public at this point,” Latibeaudiere said, according to NewsNation.

Latibeaudiere also described the unpredictable nature of the correspondence itself, noting that TMZ has no way to initiate contact with the sender. “There’s never any email for us to contact him,” Latibeaudiere told NewsNation. “So we’re basically just waiting whenever he decides he wants to send these emails to us.”

He went on to summarize the claims contained in the latest message. “But in it, he says he’s got this video that shows Nancy on what he describes as her last day and she is with one of the kidnappers,” Latibeaudiere added.

Latibeaudiere further detailed the sender’s claims about who might know the location of Guthrie’s remains. “He says there are two people who are directly connected to this and they’re the only ones who would know besides him, I guess, where Nancy’s body is at this point,” Latibeaudiere said.

Part of a longer pattern of contact

Friday’s letter is not an isolated incident but rather the latest in a string of communications TMZ says it has received since Guthrie’s disappearance. The outlet has previously reported receiving ransom notes and several emails tied to the case, including what it described as one “highly sophisticated” demand involving cryptocurrency payment.

The new claims also follow closely on the heels of other significant developments in the investigation. Just days earlier, sources close to the case told NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin that a separate ransom note had indicated Guthrie was “buried in nature,” adding to a small number of written communications investigators believe may have come from those responsible for her disappearance.

An unresolved case nearly five months later

Guthrie was reported missing from her Arizona home on February 1, and authorities believe she was taken against her will. Despite the FBI’s continued investigation, the release of security footage showing a masked figure on her property, and now a string of anonymous communications claiming knowledge of her fate, no arrests have been announced in the case nearly five months later.

Federal authorities have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of the video, photographs or hidden phone described in Friday’s letter, and the claims remain unverified. Investigators have likewise not indicated whether they believe the sender’s account is credible or whether any evidence has been recovered to support the specific details described in the correspondence.

For now, the case remains open, with TMZ continuing to forward each new message to federal investigators as it arrives, and the broader public left, as Latibeaudiere described it, simply waiting for the next unsolicited email from a source whose claims have yet to be independently verified by law enforcement.

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NEW YORK — Wall Street’s most closely watched measure of investor anxiety ticked higher Friday, as renewed selling in the technology sector pushed traders to pay up for protection against further market swings.

The CBOE Volatility Index, widely known as the VIX or “fear gauge,” was trading at 19.34, up 0.45 points, or 2.38%, extending a climb that began the previous session as megacap technology stocks came under fresh pressure.

A modest but telling move

The VIX’s rise on Friday builds on an increase that was already underway Thursday. The index closed Thursday at 18.89, up 1.40% on the day, even as the broader S&P 500 finished essentially flat. That divergence — a rising fear gauge alongside a steady headline index — is often a signal that investors are growing more cautious beneath the surface of the market, even when the major averages aren’t moving dramatically.

Understanding what these moves actually mean requires looking at what the VIX measures in the first place. The VIX measures expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days, derived from S&P 500 index option prices across a wide range of strike prices, reflecting how much movement traders are paying to hedge against rather than predicting a specific market direction. A high VIX reading means traders are bidding up insurance — when stocks drop sharply, investors rush to buy put protection, and that demand for hedges lifts option premiums and, in turn, the VIX itself.

Where Friday’s reading falls historically

At just above 19, Friday’s level remains within what market professionals consider a normal trading range, even as it ticks higher. Readings of 15 to 25 reflect a normal market with two-way flow, while readings of 25 to 30 mark rising stress often associated with earnings or policy surprises, and readings above 30 indicate the kind of high stress typically seen during sharp risk-off episodes.

That context matters for putting Friday’s move in perspective: the VIX remains well below levels associated with genuine panic, even as it rises from the unusually placid readings the market saw earlier in the year. The index’s 52-week low of 13.38 was set on December 24, 2025, while its 52-week high came on March 9, 2026.

What’s driving the renewed caution

The uptick in volatility tracks closely with a broader retreat in technology shares that has rattled markets over the past several sessions. Megacap names that have powered much of this year’s market gains have come under renewed selling pressure, driven in part by concerns over rising costs tied to the artificial intelligence buildout. Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms all posted losses this week as megacap technology shares remained under pressure.

That weakness has stood in contrast to strength in a different corner of the tech sector. Micron surged after reporting strong earnings and issuing a robust revenue outlook, lifting other chip-related stocks including Sandisk, Applied Materials and Western Digital. The split between companies benefiting from surging memory demand and those facing higher costs because of it has left investors trying to sort winners from losers within the same broad sector — exactly the kind of uncertainty that tends to push hedging demand, and the VIX, higher.

A global dimension to the unease

The volatility hasn’t been confined to U.S. markets. Trading overseas showed even sharper swings tied to the same underlying worries about technology valuations. Trading in South Korea was temporarily halted after an 8% decline in the benchmark Kospi index triggered a circuit breaker designed to curb panic selling, with the index ultimately closing down 5.8%.

A market strategist pointed to a broader shift in how investors are approaching the AI trade after a long rally in related shares. “The long-term investment case for AI remains compelling, but investors are becoming far more selective about which companies can justify the valuations the market has assigned to them,” said David Makaryan, a senior partner at Alpha Pacific Group.

A pattern of swings rather than a single event

This year’s volatility readings have themselves been something of a rollercoaster, reflecting how quickly sentiment has shifted on Wall Street in recent months. Headlines from earlier in June captured that whiplash directly: the “fear gauge” tumbled as traders bid up SpaceX shares in mid-June, only to “punch back” days later as a “crash up” in chip stocks reversed. Other recent commentary noted that the volatility index was signaling calm on Wall Street even though “that’s not how traders feel,” underscoring a gap between the VIX’s headline number and the underlying nervousness many investors describe.

How to think about a VIX in the high teens

For everyday investors trying to make sense of the number, market commentary generally treats VIX readings in the high teens as unremarkable on their own, but worth watching if they continue to climb. Volatility tends to cluster and then fade — once a specific catalyst passes, option demand typically cools and the VIX drifts back toward its long-run average, generally cited as somewhere between 18 and 20. That would put Friday’s reading right around the historical norm, even as the short-term trend has been upward.

With megacap technology names continuing to face scrutiny over AI-related spending and valuations, and with memory chip stocks pulling in the opposite direction on strong earnings, traders are likely to keep a close eye on the VIX in the sessions ahead as a barometer of how much further the current bout of sector rotation has to run. A sustained move higher from current levels would suggest the unease rippling through tech stocks is spreading more broadly across the market; a pullback back toward the high teens would suggest Friday’s bump was simply another short-lived spike in what has already been a volatile year for Wall Street’s fear gauge.

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The New York Mets have fired manager Carlos Mendoza after a dismal 34-47 start to the 2026 season, the team announced Friday, ending his tenure after three years at the helm.

Andy Green was named interim manager for the remainder of the season as the Mets, currently in last place in the National League East, look to salvage what has become a disappointing campaign. The team enters a series against the Philadelphia Phillies 15 games behind division-leading Atlanta and 9.5 games out of the final wild card spot.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns acknowledged Mendoza’s positive impact while citing the need for change. “Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis,” Stearns said in a statement. “Carlos’ impact on our players, staff, and culture over the last three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short and change is necessary to move forward.”

Owner Steve Cohen echoed the sentiment while expressing disappointment with the team’s performance. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Carlos Mendoza for his leadership and unwavering commitment,” Cohen said. “He represented this organization with integrity and dedication throughout, and I wish him and his family all the best. Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed. There is no sugar coating it: this season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered.”

Mendoza’s Tenure

Mendoza, 46, was in his third season as manager. He led the Mets to an improbable National League Championship Series appearance in 2024, guiding the team from one of the worst records in the majors in June to within two games of the World Series.

However, his second season saw a dramatic collapse, with the Mets squandering an early lead and missing the postseason. This year’s campaign has been even more disappointing, with the team falling to a season-high 13 games under .500 following a four-game sweep by the Chicago Cubs.

The Mets entered the season with World Series expectations after a transformative winter under Stearns. Significant roster changes, including departures of key veterans, failed to produce the anticipated results as injuries and underperformance plagued the team.

Roster Overhaul and Challenges

Stearns’ first major move was dismissing most of Mendoza’s coaching staff after the previous season. The front office then executed multiple trades and free agent signings to reshape the roster around stars Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.

Acquisitions included second baseman Marcus Semien, center fielder Luis Robert Jr., and several pitchers. However, injuries to key players including Soto, Lindor, and others have severely impacted performance.

The pitching staff has struggled significantly, with several starters posting high earned run averages. The team’s overall ERA in June ranks among the worst in the majors, contributing to the disappointing record.

Offensive production has been inconsistent, with multiple regulars missing extended time due to injuries. The lack of consistent contributions from the revamped lineup has hampered the team’s ability to compete.

Interim Manager Green

Andy Green, a former major league player and coach, takes over as interim manager. His experience and familiarity with the organization provide continuity during the transition.

Green will manage a team facing significant challenges but also opportunities to evaluate younger players and test different approaches. His leadership during the remainder of the season could influence future managerial decisions.

The Mets’ front office will conduct a thorough search for a permanent replacement while Green handles day-to-day operations. The organization’s commitment to winning remains unchanged despite the current struggles.

Fan and Organizational Reaction

Mets fans have expressed frustration with the team’s performance after high expectations entering the season. The early struggles and recent losing streak have tested supporter patience.

Owner Cohen’s statement acknowledged the disappointment while reaffirming commitment to building a championship team. The organization’s substantial investments reflect serious intentions to compete at the highest level.

The decision to part ways with Mendoza, Stearns’ original choice as manager, represents a significant acknowledgment that changes were necessary. The front office will now focus on identifying the right leader to guide the team forward.

Broader MLB Context

Managerial changes during the season are not uncommon when teams underperform relative to expectations. The Mets’ situation reflects the high-pressure environment of major market franchises with championship aspirations.

The timing of the move allows the organization to evaluate candidates during the remainder of the season while giving Green an opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities. The decision balances immediate needs with long-term planning.

Other teams have made similar midseason adjustments with varying results. The effectiveness of such moves depends on numerous factors including roster talent, coaching staff quality and organizational support.

Looking Ahead

The Mets face the Philadelphia Phillies in their next series, providing an immediate test for the interim manager and roster. Performance in remaining games will influence both short-term evaluations and long-term planning.

The front office will conduct a comprehensive review of the season while beginning the search for a new manager. The organization’s direction under Stearns and Cohen suggests continued commitment to building a competitive team.

Fan expectations remain high despite current challenges. The Mets’ history of dramatic turns and passionate supporter base provides context for the current situation.

The decision to move on from Mendoza represents a significant moment for the franchise. The coming months will reveal how the organization responds to the challenges and opportunities presented by this change.