Thirty years since it’s founding, The Ulster Baseball and Softball Club now has two baseball teams and a softball team

Thirty years after a group of American immigrants introduced baseball to Belfast, the city’s only baseball club is celebrating a milestone anniversary while looking firmly to the future.

The Ulster Baseball and Softball Club has grown from its roots as a home away from home for homesick players into a diverse organisation bringing together people from across the world through America’s national pastime.

Today, the club fields the North Stars in Division One of Baseball Ireland, the Buccaneers development team in Division Two and the Belfast Angels softball side in Softball Ulster’s Division B. Players regularly travel across Ireland for fixtures, with away trips taking them to places including Dublin, Bray, Ashbourne and Portmarnock as they compete against clubs from across the island.

The anniversary falls during a year of transition for the club, as the North Stars adapt to life in the top flight after promotion. General manager Mark Lorimer says the ambition is not only to establish the senior side but to continue developing new players and ensure baseball continues to grow in Northern Ireland.

“So the North Stars themselves this year were 30 years old, and between the teams within the club, obviously, we have the North Stars playing in Division One in Baseball Ireland. We have our development squad with the Buccaneers,” he said.

“It’s made up of a mixture of experience plus new people to the sport. I played for the Buccaneers myself. They play in Division 2, which is the old B-League in Baseball Ireland.

“And then we have the Belfast Angels, and they currently play in Division B within Softball Ulster.”

The club’s fixtures see players travelling the length of Ireland throughout the season, although arrangements are sometimes made to ease the burden of the longest journeys. While Cork has teams competing in the leagues, both clubs meet in Dublin rather than making the full cross-country trip.

Mark added: “In the leagues themselves between the two divisions, there are 14 teams. Some clubs still have multiple teams within a club, but we’d be travelling on the baseball side of things.

“We’d be travelling as far as Dublin, Bray, Ashbourne, and Portmarnock. We used to travel to Clones, but that team sadly folded.

“But we do have teams as far down as Cork, but the arrangement between us and Cork, obviously, with the logistics, they meet us in Dublin. We travel to Dublin, and the two teams play off in one of the fields down there.”

For Ballymena man Mark, baseball has been part of his life since a cross-community trip to the United States as a teenager. A visit to see the Boston Red Sox left a lasting impression, but it was only after the coronavirus > Covid pandemic that he discovered Belfast had its own baseball club and decided to give it a try.

“I first fell in love with baseball back in 1994. I was 15. I was part of a cross-community group of Protestant and Catholic kids who were taken to America as part of a YMCA trip.

“My first taste of American sports was actually basketball. I’m not the stature for that. So I’ve seen the Boston Celtics play live, and then I’ve seen the Red Sox, but the whole American version of sports was a lot different to what we experienced, playing football and rugby.

“There seems to be a full day out, whereas our games traditionally last about 90 minutes or 80 minutes. I don’t mean it’s over then. There’s a wee bit of a party before and after, but in the American side of things, it’s a whole day out for a family, it’s a family affair.”

That sense of community is something he believes has become one of the club’s greatest strengths. While the sport may have been established by American and Canadian expats missing home, today’s membership reflects a much broader mix of backgrounds and nationalities.

Mark said: “when I first got involved with this club, I didn’t know anybody. It was just after COVID, and I thought I’d reach out and try something new.

“I’d just passed 40 years of age. I’m now 47. I’ve seen the North Stars on Facebook. I couldn’t believe they actually had baseball in Ireland, never mind Belfast.

“I reached out to the club. I was asked to come down to one of the training sessions, but I actually fell in love with the people first. But to get to play the sport that you actually have an understanding and love for is fantastic.”

He added: “The club and the sport itself was set up with a lot of expats living in Northern Ireland, just maybe a bit homesick, wanted to emulate some of that sport over here. That was 30 years ago.

“We have a lot of North Americans between the USA and Canada. We have a lot of Venezuelans, expats as well.

“We have English, we have Welsh, we’ve got Scots, we’ve got Irish ourselves, north and south. So there are people from everywhere that have really just jumped on board with what is America’s pastime, really.”

The club has also enjoyed success on the field in recent years. The North Stars earned promotion after back-to-back league pennants, while the Angels and the club’s youth teams have also collected silverware.

Mark continued: “We have been quite successful in both sports. The North Stars, when we were back in Division B for the last three years, we’ve continually made the playoffs, on the final games and went to the final third game.

“We just couldn’t get over that hurdle, but we were successful enough when Aodhán [Hamill] was captain, where we won the pennant, which is basically winning the league before you got to the playoff stage. We won that back-to-back for two seasons.

“On the softball side of it, we’ve been quite successful as well. The Angels won the B-League back in 2023, and our Little League team, the Badgers, won the All-Ireland, where they went 10 games undefeated and took the title.”

Looking ahead, the focus is on consolidating the North Stars’ place in Division One while continuing to grow participation across all levels of the club. Training takes place every Tuesday and Thursday evening at Hydebank Playing Fields, with new players encouraged to get involved regardless of previous experience.

Mark said: “This year’s basically a transition for us. We’re wanting to basically establish the North Stars back in Division One in Baseball Ireland. It’s a hard learning curve. It’s the level above.

“That gives our Buccaneers the space to develop a wee bit further. Where we were maybe one of the bigger fish in a smaller pond, now we’ve moved up. It’s now over to them to try and grow the sport at the next level down.

“So we train here every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 till finish. You could reach out to us through the various social media apps, Instagram, Facebook, and when people see us down here, we’re more than approachable.”

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England‘s bid to end 60 years of hurt on the global stage continues after beating DR Congo in their first World Cup knockout-stage clash.

The Three Lions topped Group L but had to really battle to progress, falling behind early and toiling for some time until captain Harry Kane struck twice.

Co-hosts Mexico now await them in the high-altitude cauldron of the Estadio Azteca for a blockbuster last-16 tie. Mexico impressed in a dominant 2-0 win against fellow dark horses Ecuador on Tuesday night and will be relish the chance to down one of the tournament’s biggest hitters.

If they overcome that serious test of resolve, Brazil would likely be their quarter-final opponent going off Fifa ranking – though the Selecao must put a stop to Erling Haaland’s free-scoring Norway to progress to the last-eight.

England would then expect to face Argentina, following a flawless group-stage campaign inspired by Lionel Messi, in the semi-finals – if all goes as predicted.

Argentina face World Cup surprise package Cape Verde in the round of 32, though the tiny African island country would need to pull off their biggest shock yet to eliminate the holders. Egypt or Australia await in the last-16 before crossing paths with one of Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia or Ghana in the quarters.

If England can get all the way, they’d share the final with top-ranked Spain – though La Roja will also have to produce some statement results to get there. They face Austria in the round of 32 but will likely come up against Portugal in the last-16, before potentially meeting hosts USA in the quarter-finals. Then in the semi-finals, a mammoth tie against France is expected to take place, which many think could prove the unofficial final of the two best teams on the planet.

England’s possible route to World Cup final:

Group fixtures

17 June: England 4-2 Croatia | AT&T Stadium, Arlington

23 June: England 0-0 Ghana | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

27 June: England 2-0 Panama | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey

Round of 32

1 July: England 2-1 DR Congo | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Round of 16

5 July: England vs Mexico | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Quarter-final

11 July: England vs Brazil / Norway | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

Semi-final

15 July: England vs Argentina / Egypt / Switzerland / Colombia or Ghana | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Final

19 July: England vs Spain / Portugal / USA / Belgium / Canada / Morocco / Paraguay / France | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — It has been seven years since NASCAR last raced at Chicagoland Speedway. Seven years of Midwest heat, rain and snow covering the aging asphalt at the 1.5-mile track. That last weekend also was before NASCAR moved into its Next Gen cars.

The Cup Series returns to Chicagoland on Sunday, and what was old is new again.

“It is definitely like learning a new racetrack,” Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe said.

NASCAR ran 19 Cup races on the D-shaped oval in Joliet — about 50 miles southwest of downtown Chicago — from 2001 to 2019. It tried to build interest in the event in a crowded market, even making Chicagoland the opening race of the 2011 playoffs. But the race struggled with attendance before NASCAR pulled out.

NASCAR raced on a street course in downtown Chicago on the first weekend in July each of the previous three years. The future of that concept is in question; it could return in 2027 on a different weekend.

In the meantime, Chicagoland Speedway is back.

“I would say from a character standpoint, this is the closest thing we have to Homestead or maybe Darlington,” Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon said. “But mile-and-a-half wise, this thing has a lot of character, so I love it and I think it’s going to put on a great show for TV.”

Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson participated in two days of tire testing at the facility in April. But the drivers largely stayed in one line lower on the track. As rubber accumulates on the asphalt this weekend, Hamlin and company could begin to explore the higher lines.

“I’ve been around long enough to know that a test racetrack and a race weekend track are two vastly different things,” said Hamlin, who has the pole position for Sunday’s race. “So, lots of unknowns.”

The biggest unknown is the Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022. Chicagoland Speedway is rough and bumpy, and the Next Gen cars do not like rough and bumpy.

But Brad Keselowski thinks that might be a good thing.

“It should be interesting to see the car-versus-track combination,” Keselowski said, “because the fact that the car hates the track could actually be really good for the racing, as it opens up different grooves and makes you do different things to try to accommodate that as a driver or as a team with the car setup.”

Special paint scheme for Bubba Wallace’s car

Bubba Wallace is driving a “Space Jam”-themed car in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Looney Tunes movie. Wallace also attended an event at Navy Pier paying tribute to the movie in the runup to the race.

Wallace drives the No. 23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Michael Jordan, one of the stars of the 1996 movie.

“I just remember watching that like on repeat and so to have that connection and be representing the Looney Tunes, Warner Brothers, ‘Space Jam,’” Wallace said, “you know just everything that that movie provided as a kid, to be reliving that is super cool. So appreciate all the parties involved. It was a great event at Navy Pier. Had a great turnout, met a lot of new fans.”

Christopher Bell is on the mend after his wrist injury

Christopher Bell is wearing a splint instead of a cast as he continues his recovery after breaking his left wrist in a crash at Michigan on June 7. The 31-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished fifth last weekend at Sonoma.

“I think it’s pretty much on schedule,” Bell said. “The goal was to be out of the cast for Chicago, and I don’t have a cast on my arm anymore, so that’s really good. … I can wear a normal firesuit, which is nice, and I can wear close to my normal glove, which is nicer, but my mobility of my wrist is still the same as it would be in a cast.”

No. 100 for Carson Hocevar

Carson Hocevar is making his 100th career Cup Series start. He made his Cup debut in 2023 and got his first win at Talladega on April 26.

“I mean, you just kind of blink and you’re at 100, right?” he said. “And you know I’m going to blink twice and be at 200. … I’m just glad I have a win in the win column before a hundred.”

Alex Bowman looking to turn around his season at Chicagoland

The last time NASCAR raced at Chicagoland Speedway, Alex Bowman held off Kyle Larson for his first career Cup Series win in 2019. He also picked up a victory on the street course in downtown Chicago in 2024.

Bowman has struggled so far this season, but he is one of just 14 drivers to win on a 1.5-mile track in the Next Gen era.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Wales travel to Argentina full of confidence after claiming a 39-24 victory over Fiji.

Steve Tandy’s side survived an early onslaught by the Pacific Islanders to get their Nations Championship campaign off to a winning start.

They now head to South America before a daunting trip to face the world champions.

Here are your winners and losers.

Jac Morgan

The outstanding openside produced a performance of relentless industry and intelligence, underlining his importance to Wales with a display that fully justified his player-of-the-match award.

Morgan finished as the game’s leading tackler with 17, while his influence at the breakdown repeatedly disrupted Fiji’s attacking rhythm.

His work over the ball slowed the visitors’ ruck speed at crucial moments, and he also demonstrated his eye for the try-line by crossing twice in a complete all-round performance.

There was an added significance to the occasion. Remarkably, this was Morgan’s first Test victory since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, making his display all the more timely as Wales seek to build momentum.

He will be a key player for Wales over the coming weeks.

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Steve Tandy

The 46-year-old inherited arguably the most demanding job in international rugby, taking charge of a Wales side whose confidence and standing had been badly eroded during the latter stages of Warren Gatland’s second spell in charge.

The early months have been predictably difficult, but there are now tangible signs of progress.

Wales remain some distance from the world’s leading nations, yet their trajectory is finally beginning to point in the right direction.

Not so long ago, they might have buckled under the sustained pressure of Fiji’s second-half assault.

Instead, they showed a resilience and composure that have too often been absent in recent seasons, finding a way to withstand the onslaught and close out the victory.

Tandy appears to have settled on a game plan that suits the players at his disposal.

The return of only two Test wins since his appointment underlines the scale of the rebuilding job, but results alone do not tell the full story.

But the structure is becoming clearer, the performances more cohesive and, for the first time in some while, Wales have genuine reason to believe they are moving in the right direction.

For that, Tandy deserves considerable credit.

Adam Beard

The 30-year-old was a favourite of Gatland’s but lost his place in Wales’ starting XV after a poor performance against France during the Six Nations.

That must have been a bitter pill to swallow but Dafydd Jenkins’ injury has catapulted Beard back into the starting XV.

He was excellent at Cardiff City Stadium and played a central role in Wales’ victory.

Beard was outstanding in the tight with the Montpellier lock highly influential at the lineout and the maul – two areas where Wales achieved dominance.

The former Ospreys second-row also made 13 tackles and won two turnovers.

Given the scale of the challenges that await against Argentina and the world champion Springboks, Beard’s importance will only grow.

Wales will need his authority at the line-out, his physicality and his experience if they are to match two of the most formidable packs in world rugby.

The Wales scrum

Wales took Fiji to the cleaners at scrum time.

Rhys Carré is better known for his ability around the park but he made mincemeat of the Fiji scrum.

Dillon Lewis is another player who wins more plaudits for his work around the park but he scrummaged very well.

Both replacement props Nicky Smith and Ben Warren also went well in this area, while credit must also go to both hookers Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias.

Wales will face a much sterner challenge over the next couple of weekends but this was promising.

Aaron Wainwright

Wainwright’s development over the past 12 months has elevated him into the upper echelon of international No 8s, and this was another compelling demonstration of his all-round quality.

The Leicester Tigers forward was consistently effective with ball in hand, repeatedly generating valuable post-contact metres, while his physicality and relentless work-rate ensured he remained an influential presence throughout.

Had the British & Irish Lions been touring this summer, Wainwright would have been difficult to overlook.

On current form, he would have been on that plane.

Losers

The crowd

The fixture may have been promoted as a home game for Fiji, but staging it in the Welsh capital inevitably invited scrutiny of the attendance.

A crowd of just 16,456 in a stadium capable of holding 33,280 represented a disappointing turnout for the inaugural match of a new tournament.

While Fiji oversaw the promotion, the sparse attendance also reflected the broader malaise that has settled over Welsh rugby after several difficult years.

There are signs that Tandy is beginning to steer Wales in a more encouraging direction and sustained improvement on the field should, in time, rekindle interest.

But the empty seats served as a reminder of the scale of the challenge facing the game in Wales.

WRU

It would be refreshing if Welsh rugby could enjoy a week in which the focus remained solely on events on the field.

Instead, the build-up to this fixture was overshadowed by yet another public dispute between the Welsh Rugby Union and the players, this time over match fees.

Although an agreement was eventually reached, the fact the issue remained unresolved until the week of a Test match reflected poorly on all concerned.

The matter was settled in time for Wales to produce an encouraging result, but these distractions have become an all-too-familiar backdrop to the national side.

If Welsh rugby is to rebuild its standing, such disputes need to be resolved long before they threaten to dominate the agenda.

Louis Rees-Zammit

He ended up on the winning side but it must have been a frustrating afternoon for the Wales wing.

The ball hardly came Rees-Zammit’s way and Wales were unable to get the Bristol Bears flyer into the game.

He also had a difficult afternoon up against the sensational Salesi Rayasi and Jiuta Wainiqolo.

But class is permanent and Rees-Zammit will bounce back this summer.

By SHAYNE BUGDEN, SPORTS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA

Published: 05:01 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 08:29 BST, 5 July 2026

BBC news anchor Jane Hill has become an internet sensation among Aussie football fans who cannot get over the way she pronounced ‘Socceroos‘ after the Australians’ World Cup defeat on Saturday.

The 57-year-old newsreader and journalist was informing viewers of the team’s loss to Egypt in a penalty shootout when she stunned supporters by pronouncing the name ‘Sioh-key-roos’ instead of ‘Soh-kerr-roos’.

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‘No goals in extra time took it to penalties, but then Socceroos missed two spot kicks, allowing Egypt’s Hossam Abdelmaguid to slot home the winning spot kick,’ Hill said.  

Aussies who saw the clip were flabbergasted and highly amused by Hill’s take on the word, with some saying it sounded like she was saying the name of a Greek soccer team.

Others believed Hill mistakenly believed ‘Socceroos’ referred to the surname of one of the Australian players who attempted a penalty. 

‘She pronounced that so crazy I didn’t even hear it the first time,’ one wrote on X in response to a clip of the moment that has been viewed 2.9 million times.

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Pictured: BBC news anchor Jane Hill, who has become a viral sensation with Aussie World Cup fans due to the way she said ‘Socceroos’ after their loss to Egypt

Several fans thought Hill mistakenly believed ‘Socceroos’ referred to a player who missed a penalty during the shootout in Dallas (pictured, Harry Souttar after missing his spot kick)

‘Sokiros skies the penalty,’ another said, referring to Aussie star Harry Souttar sending his shootout attempt over the crossbar. 

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‘Who is Sokirous? Some Greek footballer?’ asked a third.

‘You really have to feel for Sokiros. Missing one penalty in a shootout is bad but to miss two? You can’t come back from that,’ another comment read.

‘I don’t think she realised what she was saying – clearly reading off the autocues and not a football fan!’ said a fifth response.

Other comments included ‘She said Socceroos like a Greek player Brighton just signed’; ‘Hell, let’s start calling them that!’; ‘That autocue programmer owes her a beer’; and ‘I had to watch that three times to even recognize the word.’

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One of the Aussie players who missed a spot kick in the shootout, 18-year-old Lucas Herrington, has since been supported by two of the most famous names in the sport.

The centre-back was left devastated after crashing his penalty against the crossbar in Australia’s Round of 32 shootout defeat in Dallas, with fellow defender Harry Souttar also missing as Egypt progressed to the last 16.

Herrington, who became the youngest Australian to start a World Cup match earlier in the tournament, was immediately consoled by teammates after the final whistle.

Lucas Herrington (pictured) also missed from the spot against Egypt but received support from two of the biggest names in football in Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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His courage in volunteering to take one of Australia’s spot-kicks has since earned widespread praise from across the football world.

Among those to reach out was Swedish great Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who delivered an emotional message directly to the Colorado Rapids defender during Fox Sports’ World Cup coverage.

‘Penalty is like lottery. You score, you become a hero, you don’t score, sadly you become zero,’ Ibrahimovic said.

French football legend Thierry Henry echoed those sentiments, while questioning why such responsibility had fallen on an 18-year-old defender.

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‘Don’t be upset; you go there taking it, you miss. I feel for you, but keep your head up,’ Henry said.

‘I’m thinking about the guy that allowed him to go. You should (say), “No, this is not on you. We’re going.”‘

“It’s only tiny but fits in so much”

We can always count on Stacey Solomon to have a clever fashion, beauty or home hack to make our lives that little bit easier. The Sort Your Life Out presenter shared a clever way to keep all of her favourite skincare products fresh for longer back in 2020.

The Loose Woman star revealed she has a beauty fridge solely dedicated to skincare. No, it’s not a massive one that takes up a lot of floor space in the kitchen, it is the StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge that neatly sits on top of a desk or vanity.

The StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge was priced at £54.99 but it is available with an almost 20% saving on Amazon for a limited time. This brings the price down to a modest £44,99, offering a £10 saving.

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The mini fridge is also available for £44 at Debenhams, but it doesn’t come with the benefit of free delivery. However, postage and packaging is only 49p on this item, making it marginally cheaper than the Amazon listing.

Debenhams is also offering the Russell Hobbs 4L Mini Cooler in the choice of four colours including pink for £34.99. Designed to fit neatly into smaller spaces, the mini fridge is the perfect size for storing skincare and makeup.

Explaining the reason behind her StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge, Stacey wrote on her Instagram Stories: “I love it when I’ve left my face cream in the car and it’s gone freezing cold and you put it on your skin. So I’ve done some research and found out there is such a thing as a beauty fridge.”

The mum-of-five then proceeds to fill the fridge with her favourite beauty products, such as the Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream, on sale for £55 down from £66, and the Shiffa Healing Balm which is currently unavailable to purchase in the UK. The star then is seen putting the 111SKIN Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask, £20 here, into her new beauty fridge.

After organising her skincare, Stacey then uses the side compartment of the fridge to store her cotton wool pads. “It’s only tiny but fits in so much,” she says. “More than I would use at one time.”

Elsewhere, Argos offers the Rio 6L Beauty Skincare Fridge with Mirror for £70. It cools down to 4C to help prevent products melting on warmer days and keep them in optimal condition.

The tempered mirror glass door features a dimmable LED light so you can see what you are grabbing. The carry handle makes it easy to move between your bedroom and bathroom. The removable shelf wipes clean quickly.

Back on Amazon, the StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge has racked up an overall star-rating of 4.3 out of five based on 129 reviews. One satisfied shopper said: “Fridge is smart and perfect for a teen’s beauty products. My granddaughter loved it. It’s roomy inside too.”

A second wrote: “This is a very stylish looking mini fridge indeed, it looks just as good in person as it does in the pictures. We’ve ended up just using it for storing a few drinks in the bedroom, and it holds 6 cans perfectly. There’s a little shelf than can be slid out and you could probably fit too 500ml bottles.

“The door doesn’t have a latch, it’s magnetic which has a really nice feel to it, not too hard to open but closes well. There’s also a heat setting that we haven’t tried, not really sure what you would use that for. It’s quieter than the Dyson in our bedroom so it doesn’t keep anyone awake either.”

“I instantly fell in love with this mini fridge, gorgeous colour and design,” a third penned. “Very easy to use, lightweight and compact. It doesn’t take to much space on my bedroom but enough storage space inside. I have all my creams that need to be stored in the fridge and still have space. Easy to clean and keep it tidy and organised.”

One shopper, however, wasn’t asi impressed with the StylePro Mini Beauty Fridge and gave it a two-star review. It reads: “Unfortunately, the refrigerator buzzes without interruption during cooling mode.”

“A lot smaller inside then expected,” a four-star review reads. “Also a puddle of water at the bottom forms very often.”

But someone else loved their latest Amazon purchase, adding: “This little Beauty fridge is the perfect table top fridge for anyone that needs to store makeup in a cool place. Leave it plugged in an hour and the temp drops easily to five degrees.

“I had it down too 3.8 degrees within an hour and a half. Enough room in the fridge for six tins of juice if you prefer to keep them cool instead.

“If you have the need to heat oils instead then switch the button on the rear off the fridge and instead your fridge turns into a heater. My other half loves this thing and keeps it on her dressing table.”

Another five-star review reads: “Does what it’s supposed to do. It’s lightweight and stylish. Still can’t believe though that keeping your beauty products cool is a thing now.”

By OLIVER SALT, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Published: 03:19 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 08:20 BST, 5 July 2026

Kylian Mbappe had a ball thrown at him before a huge brawl broke out on the pitch as tempers flared at the end of France’s ill-tempered win over Paraguay at the World Cup on Saturday.

Les Bleus advanced to the last 16 of the tournament after earning a narrow 1-0 victory in Philadelphia, with Mbappe firing home the winner from the penalty spot in the 70th minute.

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Paraguay’s physical approach was a brutal one at the home of the NFL’s Eagles, where they somehow escaped without a yellow card despite lashing out at several France players on the night.

Mbappe in particular was targeted by the likes of Andres Cubas, Matias Galarza and Juan Jose Caceres, including when the latter kicked him in the shin in the 77th minute, which triggered the fiery scenes at full time. He was also seen laughing when Galarza confronted him at one stage in the match.

Once the final whistle went, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill tried to shake Mbappe’s hand, only to throw a ball at his back when he ignored him.

The Real Madrid star had appeared to taunt Gill after he tucked away the winning penalty roughly 20 minutes earlier, before the pair exchanged some heated words.

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Kylian Mbappe had a ball thrown at him at the end of France’s ill-tempered win over Paraguay

A brawl also broke out near the center circle as tempers flared after the game in Philadelphia

And following the ball-throwing incident, several players from both sets of teams were involved in a fracas near the center circle.

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Mbappe said after France’s win: ‘I think that today, the match we had, the way we played it, was very good. We showed that we’re not just a team that knows how to play attacking football. 

‘If we have to get our hands dirty, we’ll get our hands dirty, excuse the expression. We have no problem with that.’

Gill, meanwhile, admitted he briefly lost his temper when his handshake offer was snubbed.

‘I gave him my hand to congratulate him but he ignored me. Obviously I entered a heated moment, but that’s all I did. After that, I calmed down,’ he explained.

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‘I just wanted to congratulate them. The truth is, they’ve had an excellent campaign as they’re the favorites to be world champions.’

‘From the very first moment, we set out to make our presence felt on the pitch – to play hard,’ Gill added about Paraguay’s violent approach.

‘If the ball gets through, the man doesn’t. And, honestly, I think the team handled itself well.’

France players were seemingly left frustrated with Paraguay’s violent approach on the field

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Mbappe was seen laughing while being confronted by Paraguay’s Matias Galarza at one stage

France felt otherwise. ‘They pull out every trick in the book,’ France coach Didier Deschamps said. ‘It’s not the kind of football that draws people to the stadium.

‘Each team played the way they want. But there were insults from the other bench that I could do without.’

‘We fought a battle,’ France defender William Saliba said. ‘We won the battle.’

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After coming through that war, France will now take on Morocco in a mouthwatering last-16 tie on Thursday.