Filipinas players celebrate during an AFC Women’s Asian Cup match.–PFF PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine women’s national football team is gearing up for a hectic schedule beginning with the 2026 Japan Asian Games in September.

Rest days will be scarce for the Filipinas, who are in for a rigorous buildup in preparation for next year’s Brazil Fifa Women’s World Cup, which kicks off in June.

READ: Filipinas blend youth, experience to seal Fifa World Cup return

The Filipinas are riding high following a historic gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games last December and AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign four months ago, where they booked a return ticket to the World Cup.

“This is our opportunity to go again, and we just want to show the world that we’re going to do this again and, more importantly, we’re going to do it our way,” coach Mark Torcaso said.

“We’re here to create our own path and chance to do well in this next World Cup.”

The Nationals underwent training camp in San Diego last month, where they also laid the groundwork for their road to Brazil 2027.

The Filipinas faced clubs San Diego Wave and Albion San Diego with a 30-woman pool that included new faces and several returning players.

“Every camp and every opportunity we’ve got is strategically organized in a way so we’re going to be ready for this World Cup,” Torcaso explained, noting the matches were deliberately arranged to test the squad’s depth.

As far as the Asiad is concerned, the team is determined to surpass its quarterfinal finish in the previous edition held in Hangzhou, China.

“The main objective in this Asian Games is obviously to go as far as we can, but it’s also for us as coaches and the country to test some players at a tough level to see if they’ll be ready for the World Cup,” he said.

Aside from the continental showcase, the Filipinas are also set for a trip to South America in October, matches against Asia-Oceania opposition to end the year, and participation in the Pinatar Cup in February 2027 in Spain.

On top of that, the 2028 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in April 2027, which features a home-and-away format, is also on the Filipinas’ calendar before they embark on an extended four to six-week camp in Brazil ahead of the World Cup.

The Philippines reached its first-ever Women’s World Cup in 2023, which saw the Filipinas claim a historic 1-0 victory over New Zealand courtesy of a Sarina Bolden header in the first half.

Celtic have agreed to pay the asking fee for Qarabag’s Colombian winger Camilo Duran, 24. (Futbol Info – in Azerbaijani)

Rangers do not wish to sell forward Youssef Chermiti, 22, amid interest from Lyon. (Football Mercato – in French)

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Luca Rankin, the 16-year-old son of former Dundee United and Hibernian midfielder John, has signed his first professional contract with Rangers. (Sun)

Malachi Fagan-Walcott, 24, had interest from English Championship and League One clubs before choosing to join Hearts. (Edinburgh Evening News – subscription required)

Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken is relaxed about speculation surrounding forward Claudio Braga, 26. (Edinburgh Evening News – subscription required)

Aberdeen forward Marko Lazetic, 22, is expected to join Noah in Armenia. (Press and Journal – subscription required)

Hibernian defender Warren O’Hora, 27, puts concerns over his future to one side as he focuses on helping the Easter Road side progress in Europe. (Edinburgh Evening News – subscription required)

A freak mishap Sunday night abruptly ended England midfielder Jordan Henderson’s 2026 World Cup.

Henderson, 36, spent the match on the bench in England’s 3-2 win, but quickly drew attention after falling over an advertising board, leaving him writhing in pain during a moment of victory for England.

England’s Jordan Henderson is stretchered off after suffering an injury during World Cup Round of 16 victory. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images) ((Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images))

Harry Kane celebrates with Jordan Henderson after England’s thrilling World Cup victory over Mexico Sunday. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) ((Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images))

On Monday, Henderson opted to undergo surgery, bringing an unusual ending to the World Cup campaign of one of England’s veteran leaders.

ENGLAND PLAYER INJURES WRIST HOPPING OVER AD BOARD DURING TEAM’S WORLD CUP VICTORY CELEBRATION VS MEXICO

As the stadium speakers blasted Oasis, Henderson tried to climb over a pitch-side advertising board to celebrate with the traveling supporters. He lost his footing and landed awkwardly on his wrist.

WATCH:

England captain Harry Kane reacted to Henderson’s injury Sunday night after the match.

ENGLAND STUNS MEXICO 3-2 IN INSTANT WORLD CUP CLASSIC, HANDS TEAM FIRST WORLD CUP LOSS AT ESTADIO AZTECA

“Yeah Hendo just fell over there. I think he’s OK. Something to do with his arm,” Kane said, unaware of the severity of Henderson’s injury at the time.

Dan Burn helps injured Jordan Henderson during England’s World Cup victory celebrations over Mexico Sunday. Surgery required for English vet. (Photo by Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) ((Photo by Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images))

The celebrations quickly turned to concern as medical staff rushed onto the field, administered oxygen, and stretchered Henderson off the pitch.

Before the accident, Estadio Azteca hosted a World Cup classic. Jude Bellingham sparked England with a first-half brace before Harry Kane added a penalty. Mexico answered through Julian Quinones and a late Raul Jimenez penalty.

ENGLAND STUNS MEXICO 3-2 IN INSTANT WORLD CUP CLASSIC, HANDS TEAM FIRST WORLD CUP LOSS AT ESTADIO AZTECA

Henderson watched the thriller from the bench, picking up a yellow card in the 98th minute for his touchline protests. The match fell into chaos when England defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card, forcing the Three Lions to desperately hang on.

While manager Thomas Tuchel and the squad flew to Kansas City to prepare for a quarterfinal clash against Norway, Henderson remained hospitalized in Mexico City. England next faces Erling Haaland’s Norway on Saturday without the suspended Jarell Quansah.

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Henderson’s World Cup had its ups and downs. The last one ended it.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Belgium’s players appeared to mock Donald Trump with the president’s trademark dance after knocking the United States out of the World Cup.

The USA were comfortably second best in Seattle as the co-hosts exited the tournament with a sluggish display that saw them beaten 4-1.

The build-up to the round of 16 encounter had been overshadowed by Trump’s apparent role in the suspending of a one-match ban for striker Folarin Balogun, who had been sent off in the win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And Belgium appeared to delight in overcoming the USA and Balogun, who started in Seattle, taking a couple of digs at the president as they celebrated reaching the quarter-finals.

Several of their squad appeared to mimic the “Trump dance”, popularised by the president during his successful 2024 presidential campaign, after Romelu Lukaku scored their fourth goal in stoppage time. USA forward Christian Pulisic had previously celebrated a goal against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League with the dance.

An Instagram post from the official Belgium account showing Lukaku cupping his ear to the crowd was captioned, “overturn this”, in an apparent reference to the Balogun saga.

“A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,”said Belgium and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

“There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”

Before the match, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) had described itself as “astonished” by Fifa’s decision to delay Balogun’s suspension.

Their appeal was dismissed by the governing body, with a disciplinary committee ruling that Belgium were not an interested party as they were not involved in the incident in question.

Belgium will face Spain for a semi-final place in Los Angeles on Friday.

Kylian Mbappé and Paraguay senator Celeste Amarilla (Agency Image)

Paraguay senator Celeste Amarilla has demanded a public apology from France captain Kylian Mbappé and warned she could pursue legal action after the footballer branded her a “despicable woman” over racist remarks she made following Paraguay’s FIFA World Cup exit.The dispute began after Amarilla posted offensive comments on social media following France’s Round of 16 victory over Paraguay, referring to Mbappé as a “colonised Cameroonian” who was “pretending hard to be French, resentful, newly rich, arrogant, and ugly.” She also claimed France “won by a fluke and Mbappe was nervous and scared to death the whole match, like his entire team.”

Kylian Mbappé post

Mbappé responded by calling Amarilla “a despicable woman” who was “unworthy” of serving in Paraguay’s Congress.Amarilla has now issued a lengthy response on X, insisting that her criticism was directed solely at Mbappé and not at France, a country she says she has admired throughout her life.“The problem is between you and me. I’ve never said anything against France; on the contrary, I’m with you. I studied at a French school from the age of two until I was seventeen, and I finished my schooling there. I am who I am thanks to the Collège de l’Inmaculee Concepcion, and I am here because of the education it gave me. We sang La Marseillaise and honored its flag with our own. I speak French and I love visiting France. Last Christmas, I spent it with my family in Courchevel, and we welcomed the New Year in Saint-Tropez. It has nothing to do with France; the problem is with you,” Amarilla wrote.The senator accused Mbappé of disrespecting Paraguay before and during the World Cup encounter, pointing to remarks she interpreted as insulting.“Your arrogance and contempt have been getting on my nerves since before the match, when you said, ‘If we have to get our hands dirty, let’s get dirty.’ We’re not stupid; we understand perfectly well that the dirty stuff was the Paraguayan team, and that we all are the Paraguayan team. Then you said they were going to remove the makeup. We understand that too, that you look so elegant with makeup, and we, poor and rough as we are, don’t even know what it is. All of Paraguay fell silent, myself included. We took it,” she added.Amarilla also alleged that Mbappé displayed poor sportsmanship during and after the match.“During the match, your arrogant behavior was evident, your contempt for each player, as if they were disgusting, and without even covering your mouth, when you said, ‘La concha de tu madre,’ an extremely aggressive phrase in Latin America, and you know it.”She further claimed Mbappé failed to show respect to Paraguay’s goalkeeper after the final whistle.“And finally, you disregarded our goalkeeper’s health. That’s simply unacceptable. Respect between rivals after a match is almost sacred, in war as in peace, in defeat as in victory, and you didn’t shake his hand and you shouted your victory in his face–that’s simply unacceptable. You displayed your contempt, your arrogance, and your poor manners in a single second. It hurt me, it hurt my entire country, and deeply. France should hold you accountable, because it’s a nation of knights, with centuries of history and expertise. France should hold you accountable for your behavior,” she wrote.Amarilla acknowledged that she had since deleted her original post after reflecting on the language she had used.“My posts were filled with boiling blood, that mixed-race blood, that beautiful blend of Indigenous blood with the Spanish blood that flows in my veins. That’s what I wrote about today’s posts when you mocked those immense Paraguayan players who fought on equal terms until the end of the match. However, right away, I regretted mistreating you with the same insults I receive, because I too am despised for being mixed-race and Latina, called dirty. I regretted it and deleted the post. I realized I was repeating patterns I hate, and I deleted it. I understand that it bothered you, because it is humiliating,” she said.Despite that admission, the senator insisted Mbappé must also withdraw his remarks.“Now, I demand that you also retract your statement and apologize to me. I, too, will not tolerate your violence. You don’t know me, you have no idea who I am, and you have no right to say that I am a despicable woman, unworthy of the office I hold. I am a Senator of the Paraguayan Nation, elected by the people. Before that, I was a National Deputy, also elected by the people. Thousands of Paraguayans voted for me and consider me their voice. My primary commitment is to be the voice of the Paraguayan people, to speak out against their silence, and to defend my country with my life. That is what is expected of me,” Amarilla wrote.She continued by defending her democratic mandate.“I represent my country because I was elected in free elections. I was freely elected to make its laws and to be its voice. You have no idea what it means to be elected to defend your country, to be the voice of the people. I was elected National Senator; I don’t know if you realize the importance of my position.”Concluding her statement, Amarilla accused Mbappé of political and gender-based violence and warned that she was considering legal action if he did not apologise.“Who are you to call me unworthy or despicable when you don’t even know me?! Pure and simple gender violence! Political violence against a woman who got where she is with the popular vote of her people. You despise me precisely because of my gender; you offend me precisely because I am a woman. You are not attacking my skin color, my preferences, my status as a woman, or my political position. Retract your statement with me, honor your French citizenship, and apologize, or I may take legal action for gender violence,” Amarilla concluded.

The middle of winter is not usually a launchpad for Coolmore Stud Stakes success, but the Lindsay Park stable is hoping Hard Kick will buck that trend.

The emerging gelding is nearing the start of a campaign that has the $2 million Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds at Flemington on October 31 as its primary target.

Hard Kick, a son of All Too Hard, comfortably won an 800-metre jumpout at Werribee last Friday, following a quiet second in a Flemington jumpout two weeks prior. Co-trainer Will Hayes is enthusiastic about the gelding’s return to racing.

Having made just one previous start, a winning one in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) on February 14, Hard Kick is set to bring a measure of class to Flemington’s final meeting of the season.

“We’re going to look at a 1000-metre option for two-year-olds down the straight on the 18th of July,” Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers Ben and JD, said.

“We’re very happy and glad that we erred on the side of caution by not exposing him to the back-up into the (Blue) Diamond, because it’s been the best thing for him going forward.

“I can’t fault him in the way he’s built up, he looks a better version of himself and I think his trial spoke for itself.

“His trial suggests that he’s right where we need him to be.”

Hard Kick is currently rated the $8 third favourite in Coolmore Stud Stakes futures markets, behind only the Golden Slipper winner Guest House ($5) and Ciaron Maher’s highly-rated colt The Next Episode ($6).

“It will be the traditional three-year-old path on the way towards a race like the Coolmore,” Hayes explained.

“We do think he’s a horse that possesses incredible natural speed and we’re going to play to his strengths.”

Compare racing betting markets for the upcoming spring features at leading online bookmakers.

United States’ Malik Tillman (17) celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal against Belgium. (AP Photo)

Malik Tillman produced a moment of history with another superb direct free-kick at the FIFA World Cup 2026, but it proved to be little consolation as the United States crashed out of the tournament following a comprehensive 4-1 defeat to Belgium in their Round of 16 clash at Seattle’s Lumen Field on Monday.Despite the heartbreaking exit, Tillman etched his name into the record books by becoming the first United States men’s national team player to score multiple direct free-kick goals at a FIFA World Cup in the last 60 years. His stunning 31st-minute strike briefly restored hope for the hosts after Belgium had taken an early lead, but the Red Devils quickly regained control before cruising into the quarter-finals.Belgium will now face Spain in the last eight as they continue their pursuit of a maiden World Cup title.

Tillman’s historic strike sparks hope

The hosts endured a nightmare start when Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the eighth minute, exposing the defensive frailties that had troubled Mauricio Pochettino’s side throughout the tournament.The United States found a route back into the contest just after the half-hour mark. Folarin Balogun, whose controversial red-card suspension had been lifted by FIFA ahead of the match, was brought down around 25 yards from goal by Brandon Mechele.Tillman stepped up and curled a superb free-kick that took a slight deflection off Hans Vanaken before beating Thibaut Courtois, levelling the scores at 1-1. The goal marked his second direct free-kick of the tournament, making him the first American in six decades to achieve the feat at a World Cup.However, the celebrations barely lasted a minute.WATCH:Just 61 seconds after the restart, Belgium restored their advantage as De Ketelaere headed home his second goal of the evening, silencing the home crowd once again.

Belgium punish costly American mistakes

Belgium’s quality and experience ultimately proved too much for the tournament hosts.The Red Devils stretched their lead early in the second half after a costly error from goalkeeper Matt Freese. Attempting to control a long ball, Freese hesitated before inadvertently kicking the ball against De Ketelaere, allowing Vanaken to score from distance after the rebound fell kindly.Belgium continued to dictate proceedings despite the United States introducing fresh attacking options.Romelu Lukaku, introduced in the 67th minute, added the finishing touch in stoppage time after capitalising on Chris Richards’ misplaced pass to score his third goal in as many World Cup appearances.The defeat means the United States have now been eliminated in the Round of 16 in six of their seven appearances at this stage of the World Cup, including each of their last four knockout campaigns.