Sports
Paraguay knock Germany out of World Cup 2026 on penalties
Paraguay stunned Germany in a penalty shootout on Monday to reach the World Cup last 16 after a 1-1 draw following extra time. The South Americans won 4-3 on spot kicks, handing Germany their first-ever defeat in a World Cup penalty shootout and booking a place in the knockout stage.
Irish rider Daniel Coyle and Farrel won the Canadian Utilities Cup at Spruce Meadows on Friday night, at the ‘Pan American’.
The competition in the International Ring, and the final qualifying opportunity for the AON Grand Prix, saw 63 horse-and-rider combinations take on the challenge of the Canadian Utilities Cup 1.55m.
A fault-free round while staying within the 80-second time allowed was required to reach the jump-off round.
On a course designed by FEI Course Designer Anderson Lima of Mexico, 13 combinations secured their spot in the shortened jump-off.
Fast clear gives Farrel and Coyle the win
Daniel Coyle demonstrated exactly why he is considered one of the world’s top show jumpers. Aboard Farrel, Coyle delivered a spectacular jump-off performance, stopping the clock in a blistering 40.64 seconds while leaving all the rails in place.
His winning time proved more than one second faster than second-place finishers Lillie Keenan (USA) and Kick On.
Coyle’s fellow Irishman Conor Swail and Clonterm Obolensky rounded out the podium in third.
With another international victory added to his impressive resume, Coyle and Farrel once again showcased the speed, precision, and partnership required to succeed at the highest level of the sport.
“This arena and this place is very unique”
On returning to Spruce Meadows in 2026, Coyle admitted:
“I could go on for days about what I love about Spruce Meadows, but everybody kind of knows that now. The biggest thing for me here is that I get to know my horses even better, my younger ones especially, and my older horses that I know so well.”
“This arena and this place is very unique and you don’t just ride like you ride everywhere else, it’s two gears faster and the jumps are twice as long as they are anywhere else.”
Top 10 Canadian Utilities Cup 1.55m
- Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Farrel
- Lillie Keenan (USA) & Kick On
- Conor Swail (IRL) & Clonterm Obolensky
- Lillie Keenan (USA) & Anton
- Gabriel de Matos Machado (BRA) & Legaland Sandro
- Conor Swail (IRL) & Casturano
- Hilary Scott (AUS) & Lola
- Mark Bluman (COL) & Genial de B’Neville
- Vaclav Sanek (CZE) & Quintin
- Katie Laurie (NZL) & ZF Chacco Rio
Jun 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) leaves his feet to attempt to throw out San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers at first base during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Two teams who have struggled throughout June will try to change their trajectory when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series that begins on Tuesday.
Both teams are 3-7 over their last 10 games and will be happy to turn the calendar. The Braves are 9-13 in June and the Cardinals are 12-12 over the same time.
Atlanta has seen its lead in the National League East, which was 10.5 games on May 22, dwindle to three games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
St. Louis was 4.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers on May 31 but now trail by seven games and is just a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins in the race for the final wild-card spot.
The series opener features a pair of left-handers, as St. Louis’ Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) faces Atlanta’s Martin Perez (6-4, 3.00).
Atlanta has been in an offensive funk. During their current 4-12 skid, the Braves have been shut out twice and scored three or fewer runs 10 times.
“Our sport is different than every other sport,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “We play virtually every day for seven months, so you’ve got to get past all that stuff. You’ve got to keep your head down and keep doing the work. These guys are doing the work, they’re doing all that stuff. We’ve just got to fight through it.”
The strugglers are led by Austin Riley, who went 4-for-21 on the six-game West Coast road trip, saw his average fall to .209, and hasn’t homered since May 20. Ha-Seong Kim is on an 0-for-24 skid and is hitting .068. Drake Baldwin hit a home run in his first at-bat after coming off the injured list, but is 2-for-43 since his return and has seen his average fall from .303 to .255. The Cardinals have been equally puny at the plate. St. Louis scored only three runs in its three-game weekend series against Miami.
“You look at the games, we’re successful, we come up with that key hit, that big hit and kind of keep it rolling,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We haven’t been able to do that recently and that’s a big part of how we’ve gotten to this point.”
Two Cardinals will try to rekindle their offense. Ivan Herrera (22 games) and Alec Burleson (career-long 25-games) had their on-base streaks end in Sunday’s 2-1 win which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt is coming off back-to-back multi-hit games, giving him 23 on the season. The Atlanta staff has been stabilized by the veteran Perez. With No. 2 starter Spencer Strider out for the foreseeable future, Perez has been a dependable arm. Since rejoining the rotation in mid-May, he is 4-2. He had a four-game winning streak end on Wednesday against San Diego when he gave up three runs in four innings, his shortest start of the season.
Liberatore has struggled over his last four starts, going 0-2 with a 10.34 ERA in June. He was rocked by Arizona on Wednesday for six runs in 5 1/3 innings.
This is the first meeting between the Braves and Cardinals this season. The Braves won the series 4-2 in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Four-time winners Germany are knocked out of the 2026 World Cup on penalties as Jonathan Tah blazes over in sudden death before Jose Canale scores the winning penalty.
Ousmane Dembélé scored a magnificent hat-trick on Friday, his first with Les Bleus, as France beat Norway 4-1 to finish top of Group I. Here’s what the striker said when asked if this was his best ever performance with France
Football fans across Nigeria have reacted with shock and excitement after Paraguay eliminated four-time champions Germany from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Paraguay defeated Germany 4-3 on penalties after both sides played out a 1-1 draw following extra time in their Round of 32 clash.
The South Americans took the lead in the 42nd minute through former Brighton and Ipswich Town forward Julio Enciso, before Germany fought back in the second half through Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz, who headed home a cross from Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz.
Despite dominating large periods of the second half and extra time, Germany failed to find a winner. A late goal from Jonathan Tah was ruled out for a foul on Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
The penalty shootout produced more drama as Germany’s Kai Havertz and Newcastle United forward Nick Woltemade both had their penalties saved by Gill. Paraguay also missed opportunities to secure victory before defender Jose Canale calmly converted the decisive spot-kick to send his country into the Round of 16.
The result sparked widespread reactions among Nigerian football fans on social media, with many describing the outcome as one of the biggest shocks of the tournament.
@SportsNaija247 wrote:
“This is why we love the World Cup. Nobody gave Paraguay a chance against Germany. Football remains the most unpredictable game in the world.”
@NaijaFootballTalk posted:
“Germany came with big names and history. Paraguay came with heart, discipline and belief. Congratulations to La Albirroja.”
@AbujaGunner said:
“Kai Havertz scoring during the game and then missing a penalty is the perfect summary of football. Hero and heartbreak in one night.”
@CalabarSportsHub wrote:
“Orlando Gill deserves a statue in Paraguay. What a performance from the goalkeeper.”
@NaijaWorldCupFans commented:
“We have seen Italy, Spain and now Germany suffer major upsets at different World Cups. No team can rely on history anymore.”
@UyoFootballView added:
“Paraguay defended like warriors. Germany had all the possession but could not find a way through.”
@PortHarcourtBall posted:
“The World Cup never disappoints. Paraguay have just written one of the greatest stories of this tournament.”
@LagosFootballExtra wrote:
“Imagine predicting that Germany would be eliminated by Paraguay before the tournament started. Football can be cruel.”
@SuperEaglesUpdates commented:
“This result should give smaller football nations hope. Organisation, discipline and determination can still overcome quality.”
Germany’s exit marks one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Paraguay continue their remarkable campaign and will now face either France or Sweden in the Round of 16.
For Nigerian football fans, the dramatic contest served as another reminder that at the FIFA World Cup, reputation counts for little once the referee blows the whistle.
France secured the top spot of their group in style thanks to a hat trick by Ousmane Dembélé. Senegal’s 5-0 goal fest against Iraq means they make it through to the knockouts. Cape Verde remain unbeaten in the group stage, with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia. They are the first debutants to ever go through the group stage undefeated. Belgium finally get a win, and Iran wait to see if they make it to the next stage of the competition.
The World Cup always provides some magical moments, and that was just the case on Monday.
Paraguay shockingly knocked off Germany in penalties to advance to the Round of 16.
Germany’s Jonathan Tah sent his penalty over the bar, which allowed Paraguay to steal the victory.
Here are some of the best reactions to the upset:
Apr 18, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; CF Montreal forward Kwadwo Opoku (7) plays the ball against the Red Bull New York during the second half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images CF Montreal transferred forward Kwadwo “Mahala” Opoku to Greek side Panetolikos FC on Monday.
Montreal will retain a percentage of any future transfer for the 24-year-old Ghana international.
Opoku recorded seven goals and four assists in 42 regular-season appearances for Montreal from 2023-26
“We would like to thank Mahala for his contributions and professionalism during his time with the club,” said Luca Saputo, Montreal’s managing director of recruitment and sporting methodology. “We wish him the best of luck in the next chapter of his career.” Opoku previously played for LAFC from 2020-23, recording nine goals and six assists in 60 MLS matches.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Messi, Mbappé, Vinícius Jr., Haaland all beaten as FIFA unveils unexpected World Cup’s best attacker | Football News
Lionel Messi may be leading the Golden Boot race and continues to rewrite FIFA World Cup history, but the Argentine captain is not the highest-rated attacking player of the tournament after the group stage.Instead, FIFA’s official performance rankings have placed Germany substitute Deniz Undav at the top of the attacking charts, edging past Messi by the narrowest of margins following three extraordinary substitute appearances during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.FIFA’s official World Cup player power rankings, developed with Aramco under the guidance of Arsène Wenger, evaluate every player’s performance using advanced match data. Outfield players receive scores out of 10 across attacking, creativity and defending, while goalkeepers are assessed separately for their goalkeeping and possession contributions.While many expected Messi, Kylian Mbappé or even Harry Kane to occupy top spot after the group stage, FIFA’s data instead rewarded efficiency, with Undav’s remarkable impact from the bench proving enough to finish first.
Deniz Undav tops FIFA’s attacking rankings despite never starting a match
Few players have influenced matches as dramatically with so little playing time.Undav has yet to start a game for Germany at the tournament, making only three substitute appearances for a combined total of just 86 minutes.
Germany’s Deniz Undav reacts after scoring during the World Cup Group E soccer match between Germany and Curacao in Houston, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Those brief cameos have nevertheless produced extraordinary numbers.The striker has scored three goals and supplied two assists, averaging one goal every 28.7 minutes and a direct goal contribution every 17.2 minutes.His standout performance arrived during Germany’s emphatic 7-1 victory over Curaçao, where he came off the bench to score once and register two assists in just 26 minutes.He followed that by producing a dramatic substitute brace against Ivory Coast, including the decisive winner in the 94th minute, helping Germany secure a 2-1 victory.Those performances earned Undav an attacking rating of 8.36, narrowly ahead of Messi’s 8.34, making him FIFA’s highest-rated attacking player after the group stage despite never featuring in a starting XI.
Messi continues to rewrite World Cup history
Although he finished second in FIFA’s attacking rankings, Messi continues to produce one of the finest tournaments of his career.The Argentina captain has scored six goals in three group-stage matches, extending his all-time World Cup goals tally to 19 and strengthening his position as the tournament’s leading scorer heading into the knockout rounds.During Argentina’s victory over Jordan, Messi also became the first player in history to score against 13 different countries at the FIFA World Cup.According to Opta, he also became the first footballer ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches, further adding to an already unmatched list of tournament records.His attacking rating of 8.34 would normally have comfortably led FIFA’s rankings, but Undav’s astonishing efficiency ultimately pushed him into second place.
Mbappé, Vinícius and Dembélé continue to chase
France captain Kylian Mbappé occupies third place in FIFA’s attacking rankings with a score of 8.13, while Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior sits fourth on 7.92 after an outstanding group stage.Vinícius finished the opening phase with four goals, scoring in all three matches against Morocco, Haiti and Scotland to become the first Brazilian player in 24 years to score in every group-stage match of a World Cup.France winger Ousmane Dembélé climbed into sixth after producing one of the tournament’s defining performances against Norway. His first-half hat-trick, completed inside just 32 minutes, made him the first player since Oleg Salenko in 1994 to score a first-half World Cup hat-trick while also becoming the second-fastest player ever to complete a World Cup treble from kick-off.Norway striker Erling Haaland also features among the leading performers after scoring four goals during his debut World Cup campaign.
FIFA’s rankings measure more than goals
Unlike the Golden Boot standings, FIFA’s official rankings assess complete performances rather than simply goals scored.The attacking category rewards chance quality, finishing and offensive involvement, while creativity measures passing, chance creation and progression. Defensive contribution is also included to produce a broader picture of a player’s overall influence.Elsewhere in FIFA’s position-specific metrics, France’s Michael Olise leads the creativity rankings with a score of 8.03, Canada’s Luc De Fougerolles is the highest-rated defender on 7.38, while Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams occupy the top two positions among goalkeepers.As the Round of 32 begins, the battle for the tournament’s individual honours remains wide open.Messi still leads the Golden Boot race with six goals, while Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Vinícius Júnior and Erling Haaland have all scored four times. France, Argentina and Mexico are also the only teams to have completed perfect group-stage records by winning all three of their matches, ensuring many of the tournament favourites remain firmly in contention.Whether Undav can retain top spot in FIFA’s statistical rankings without becoming a regular starter now becomes one of the more intriguing subplots of the knockout rounds.
FIFA’s top 10 outfield performers after the 2026 World Cup group stage
- 1. Deniz Undav (Germany) — Attacking: 8.36 | Creativity: 6.78 | Defending: 4.70
- 2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) — Attacking: 8.34 | Creativity: 6.43 | Defending: 5.14
- 3. Kylian Mbappé (France) — Attacking: 8.13 | Creativity: 7.25 | Defending: 4.59
- 4. Vinícius Júnior (Brazil) — Attacking: 7.92 | Creativity: 6.39 | Defending: 4.75
- 5. Johan Manzambi (Switzerland) — Attacking: 7.57 | Creativity: 6.60 | Defending: 4.83
- 6. Ousmane Dembélé (France) — Attacking: 7.53 | Creativity: 6.65 | Defending: 4.74
- 7. Erling Haaland (Norway) — Attacking: 7.33 | Creativity: 5.02 | Defending: 4.61
- 8. Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands) — Attacking: 7.09 | Creativity: 6.73 | Defending: 5.42
- 9. Elijah Just (New Zealand) — Attacking: 7.09 | Creativity: 6.28 | Defending: 5.42
- 10. Ismael Saibari (Morocco) — Attacking: 7.08 | Creativity: 6.14 | Defending: 5.30
Benvenuto Cellini (7/4 favourite) and Ryan Moore won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh on Sunday.
It was an 18th success in the premier Irish classic for Aidan O’Brien, who also trained the runner-up and third placed horse.
The winner, who was declared a non-runner in the Betfred Epsom Derby at the beginning of the month, ran out a one-and-three-quarter length winner over the Epsom victor, Christmas Day (4/1), who, as in the English classic, was ridden by Ronan Whelan.
Pierre Bonnard (9/1), in the hands of Wayne Lordan, came home third, a neck behind the runner-up.
🗣️”If there was any weakness in his armour, it was going to be exposed.”
The master of @Ballydoyle reveals he was by no means convinced that Benvenuto Cellini had a Derby-winning performance in him after what happened at Epsom. pic.twitter.com/qobUubcqMs
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 28, 2026
In ensured a 1-2-3 for owners Coolmore who were responsible for four of the runners in the eight-horse field.
Daniel Coyle & Farrel capture Canadian Utilities Cup at Spruce Meadows
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Haddii aad i siiso 4 Saac, waxaad Gaari Doontaa Xornimo Dhaqaale 2026.Crypto, Forex, Stocks & Shares
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