Cristiano Ronaldo’s time representing Portugal at the FIFA World Cup may have come to an end in Dallas on Monday afternoon, as Spain advanced to the quarterfinals, 1-0, at their expense.

Mikel Merino came off Spain’s bench and electrified the World Cup crowd in stoppage time during the second half when he finally broke the 0-0 tie for the decisive goal past Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Ronaldo, who never knocked on Spain’s doorstep in this match – no team has as they have yet to give up a goal in this tournament – stared into the crowd after a few desperation attempts weren’t good enough for Portugal as the final whistle rang out.

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Mikel Merino of Spain celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, United States. (Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi)

Ronaldo played in his fifth World Cup, and though there was some heated debate about whether he should be starting for this squad, he leaves perhaps his last tournament of his illustrious career with three more goals on this stage under his belt.

While Ronaldo and his Portuguese teammates think about what could’ve been, Spain will await the winner of Team USA and Belgium, which will play their Round of 16 match in Seattle on Monday night.

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The big story out of the Pacific Northwest is Folarin Balogun, the USMNT star striker who will be available to play after his red card was changed to a suspension – a similar FIFA disciplinary action given to Ronaldo so that he could participate in this World Cup.

It’s been the talk of the tournament, as President Donald Trump said he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the controversial red card given in the Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ultimately, FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code, much to the dislike of multiple soccer federations, including the Belgian group they are facing off against tonight.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, United States. (Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi)

The U.S. still took care of Bosnia and Herzegovina despite Balogun’s red card during the match, which had them down one man on the pitch compared to their opponent. Malik Tillman’s free kick goal was the nail in the coffin in the second half, as the USMNT moved on with a 2-0 victory and looked ahead to their meeting with Belgium.

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Belgium almost didn’t make it out of the Round of 32, but almost doesn’t count in the World Cup. Senegal had been up 2-0 in the 80th minute of the match when Belgium finally came to life thanks to goals by Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans in the 85th and 89th minutes, respectively.

It forced extra time and Senegal ultimately conceded a penalty kick with just ticks left on the clock before a penalty shootout would’ve determined who advanced in the tournament. Tielemans didn’t waste the opportunity, slamming the door on Senegal’s hopes in crushing fashion.

Mikel Merino of Spain celebrates with teammates Pedro Porro and Fabian Ruiz after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Hannah Peters – FIFA)

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While Team USA and Belgium prepare for their matchup, Spain will kick its feet up, and perhaps pull out a notepad, as they watch who they will play in the quarterfinals later this week.

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As we count down to the first college football game of the 2026 season, we continue our new series: The records of each top CFB program in the West against all the others in the region.

Some schools have met many times over the years, while others are beginning new rivalries in the wake of recent realignment.

For each opponent in the table below, we provide the total games played, wins, losses, ties, winning percentage, first year played, and most recent contest.

We continue with New Mexico State, which has played 454 games against regional foes, winning 107, losing 338, and recording 10 ties, for a winning percentage of .247.

The Aggies have recorded the most wins (40) against UTEP, have played the most games (115) and lost the most games (75) against New Mexico.

Here is a breakdown of New Mexico State’s records vs. the region’s teams.

England have suffered another double injury blow ahead of the crucial clash with Fiji to leave Steve Borthwick facing a backline selection headache.

Wing Cadan Murley has joined full-back George Furbank in being ruled out of the encounter at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the Harlequin suffering a shoulder injury during the defeat to South Africa.

Prop Beno Obano, who came off the bench against the Springboks, also drops out of the squad due to injury, with Northampton’s Emmanuel Iyogun taking his place.

Back five forward Chandler Cunningham-South has also been called up to Borthwick’s group. Wing Tom Roebuck came into camp on Monday as a replacement for Furbank.

England are now on a five-match losing run and face a potentially defining encounter with the Pacific Islanders on Saturday afternoon as Borthwick looks to relieve some of the pressure he and his side are under.

The England head coach is thought to be mulling possible debuts for teenage wing Noah Caluori and South African-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg, who becomes available on residency this week.

Freddie Steward is thought to be a doubt for the Nations Championship fixture after rolling his ankle in training in Johannesburg last week.

FILE–Gilas Pilipinas’ Mike Phillips during a game against New Zealand in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—There weren’t a lot of positive takeaways in Gilas Pilipinas’ lopsided loss to Australia in the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

But there was an obvious one that coach Tim Cone couldn’t help but rave about.

Mike Phillips earned the moniker “Motor Mike” while helping La Salle win a pair of UAAP championships. Cone and Gilas saw firsthand why.

READ: Gilas ‘kind of lost heart’ in 2nd half vs Australia, says Cone

“His nickname is ‘Motor Mike’ and there’s a reason for that,” Cone said after their 92-49 loss to the Boomers on Monday night in Perth. “He plays with such a tremendous motor and he’s all over the floor.”

“He was one of the bright lights for us tonight. He was doing great, especially in the first half. He was rebounding the heck out of the ball.”

The 6-foot-8 Phillips hauled down a game-high 14 rebounds against a rugged Australian side. He also chipped in six points, highlighted by a pair of emphatic dunks.

Unfortunately for Gilas and Phillips, the athletic forward couldn’t finish the game due to cramps.

READ: ‘Motor Mike’ in maiden Fiba tournament with Gilas

“He got hurt in one of our friendlies coming to this game, so he’s playing with a gimpy ankle, and then he got hit by cramps late in the game, so we couldn’t keep him on the floor.”

Even with a forgettable final window in the qualifiers where Gilas lost both their games to New Zealand and Australia, Phillips became a silver lining that fans can expect to see more in the next phase.

“I think that’s just something that our fans are going to really appreciate as we move forward, watching him play with that kind of effort, and then watching the other guys get infected by it and continuing to play.”

Suryakumar Yadav (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has strongly dismissed a fake statement circulating on social media, urging fans not to fall for misinformation while reiterating his unwavering support for the Indian team despite losing the T20I captaincy.Suryakumar, who led India to the T20 World Cup title before being replaced as captain by Shreyas Iyer and omitted from the squads for the UK tour and the Asian Games, took to X on Tuesday to deny the viral quote attributed to him.The fabricated statement claimed the Mumbai batter was unhappy over a lack of clarity about his future and felt he had not received the respect he deserved after his contributions to Indian cricket.

Suryakumar dismisses fake statement

Setting the record straight, Suryakumar categorically denied making any such remarks.“I’ve also noticed a statement being circulated online that has been falsely attributed to me. I want to make it clear that I have not made or authorised any such statement. Please don’t believe or share unverified information,” Suryakumar posted on X.The star batter also made it clear that there were no hard feelings despite the recent selection decisions.“I’m very happy for the team and wish them nothing but the very best, always. I know the boys are giving it their all, and they will always have my full support. My support for Indian cricket, my teammates, and the game will always speak louder than words falsely attributed to me,” he added, attempting to end the speculation surrounding his future.His clarification came a day after India’s selectors continued their transition plans by naming Shreyas Iyer as captain for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, while Suryakumar was not included in the squad.

Special message for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Suryakumar also reserved special praise for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who recently scripted history by becoming India’s youngest-ever international cricketer.The 15-year-old made his debut in the second T20I against England at just 15 years and 99 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.Congratulating the youngster, Suryakumar wrote: “A special word for Vaibhav – you’re at the start of what promises to be a very exciting journey. Enjoy every moment and keep making the country proud.”

Selectors continue youth-first approach

India’s squad for the Zimbabwe series reflected the selectors’ continued emphasis on building for the future.Young pacers Yash Thakur and Ashok Sharma earned maiden T20I call-ups following impressive IPL campaigns, while left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey also received his first T20I selection after recently making his ODI debut.Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was another notable omission, with Prabhsimran Singh preferred behind the stumps after an impressive IPL season. Samson had already lost his place in the playing XI to Sooryavanshi during the ongoing England series following a string of low scores.The selectors also recalled Rinku Singh and express pacer Mayank Yadav, while Shivam Dube replaced the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming England series.

WWE acquired Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) before WrestleMania 41 in 2025 and the Mexican promotion’s growth over the last year may be one of the underrated stories in pro wrestling over the last 15 months.

AAA garnered a ton of attention with the buildup to its Mask vs. Mask match between El Grande Americano and Original El Grande Americano, Worlds Collide in June 2025 was a great way to introduce to re-introduce Lucha Libre to an American audience and TripleMania is going to be a two-night event for the first time in the company’s history.

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El Grande Americano enters the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb., accompanied by Rayo Americano and Bravo Americano during Monday Night RAW on May 4, 2026. (Georgina Dallas/WWE)

“I think it’s the hottest program in the world right now. It’s unbelievable. They got incredible characters,” WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

He recalled working in Mexico early in his career and how incredible the energy was in the country when he would perform there.

“I’d go down there and work and people have thought since then if Lucha Libre ever takes off, as I’d always say this is a sleeping giant, I think what people are now starting to see what we’ve known all along about Lucha Libre is just fantastic. There’s Incredible characters. There’s incredible passion, especially with the Mexican fans. I’ve always enjoyed working down there. I always say you gotta work in a few arenas to make it in life. You gotta work at the Sportatorium, you gotta work at Staples Center, you gotta work at The Garden, you gotta work in Budokan, you gotta work in Earls Court – anywhere in Mexico is like that.

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JBL makes his entrance during WWE RAW at American Airlines Center on January 20, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (WWE / Getty Images)

“It’s just unbelievable. The passion that the people have down there – I love it. And I just think that AAA has done an incredible job. Jeremy Borash, who is incredibly talented, Undertaker, who is a good friend of mine and also a very smart guy, I believe they’ve just done an incredible job with the product.”

Mask vs. Mask was one of the first major hits since the WWE acquisition was announced.

It saw El Grande Americano defeat Original El Grande Americano, who later revealed himself to be Chad Gable. The match had everything a pro wrestling fan could want – incredible characters, exciting buildup and one of the best matches of the year.

Bradshaw said there were two matches he’s seen in his career that he thought the men in the ring were doing a “different art form.” – Fit Finlay vs. Tony St. Clair in Europe and Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. He said the Mask vs. Mask match felt very much the same.

“I felt the same way with Mask vs. Mask. I never thought I’d see another match (like that),” Bradshaw said. “I was hoping I would but I don’t know if I’d ever see a match like I saw with Finlay and St. Clair and Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. I’d put that in that category. I just thought it was absolutely incredible. The passion, the emotion that went with it. Everything about it worked.”

Now, El Grande Americano has a new challenge – the revitalization of Los Perros del Mal.

The group recently reformed with Daga, Angel, Berto, Bronco Nima and Karmen Petrovic wreaking havoc on the AAA roster.

Bradshaw said he was looking forward to seeing where the new story goes.

Karmen Petrovic looks on during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on June 30, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Conor Kvatek / WWE via Getty Images)

“It just kills me with Los Perros del Mal. It’s kinda like in episodic television like in ‘The Walking Dead’ when the governor dies and it’s like, ‘What are you gonna do now?’ And then all of sudden you have a new villain,” he told Fox News Digital. “The first day of the next season and you go, ‘Oh great! This is awesome.’ I’m watching ‘Blacklist’ and as soon as they get rid of one villain you have another one comes in. … And you’re thinking what could top that?

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“As soon as we got done with Mask vs. Mask, Jeremy Borash starts bringing back Los Perros del Mal – this incredible group. That visual of them there, I just thought, my God, man, this is awesome. Now we got something for, I don’t know how long, the next year or whatever long it is. But this is an incredible new journey it’s gonna look like for El Grande Americano.”

While several MMA fighters and personalities have come out in support of Dustin Poirier after ‘The Diamond’s’ recent arrest at an airport.

The former UFC star was arrested for public drunkenness, and in a clip, even wanted to fight a police officer.

While Poirier has spoken about the negative effects of alcohol in his life, and also suggested how he missed the fighting game, Sean Strickland doesn’t believe ‘The Diamond’ has any reason to be depressed.

The UFC middleweight champion is known for his controversial takes, and posted another on X. Strickland claimed that Poirier shouldn’t be depressed since is loved by many and is rich:

“Dustin ‘Im depressed’ bro what? Youre rich and loved by thousands of people.. Youre not allowed to be depressed… What you did is got kicked off a flight and tried to fight a cop….relax it happens to the best of us.”

Check out Sean Strickland’s comments below:

Strickland then went on to say that there are those who are suffering more in the world, and that rich people don’t have any reason to be depressed:

“I just cannot understand depression There are kids dying of cancer going through chemo. They would give anything for one more day”

‘Tarzan’ added:

“But you a grown a** rich man looks in the mirror and says I’m depressed. Tell me why youre sad rich man?”

Check out Sean Strickland’s comments below:

Sean Strickland’s easy solution to Dustin Poirier’s problems

This isn’t the first time Sean Strickland has posted a take on Dustin Poirier’s recent issues. While ‘The Diamond’ has been honest on the problems caused by alcohol and how he cannot find a replacement for the fight game in his life, ‘Tarzan’ had a simple solution to it all.

Drew Dober spoke about his fears of retirement in light of Poirier’s problems, and he understood what ‘The Diamond’ was going through.

Strickland, however, said the solution was to avoid alcohol at all costs:

“Just don’t drink. It’s that easy.”