Anticipation is building at Wimbledon for Serena Williams’ first singles match in nearly four years.
The 44-year-old Williams is scheduled to play an opponent less than half her age, 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia, in the third match Tuesday on Centre Court – the patch of grass where the American standout won seven of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
“I think everyone’s feeling the same way: Cannot wait to be watching Serena back on Centre Court again,” Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Club, said Monday.
Wimbledon organizers took the unusual step of holding up an eighth and final wild card spot for Williams until she accepted the invitation at almost the last possible moment the weekend before qualifying began.
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“We were all sitting there sort of quietly keeping our fingers crossed that that’s what would happen,” Bolton said when asked by The Associated Press how anxious the club was while Williams pondered her decision.
“She is such an icon of the sport and particularly here at the championship she’s one of our most special champions,” Bolton added. “So it really will be the ticket to have tomorrow when she walks back on Centre Court.”
Whether it was related to Williams or not, the queue (line) of would-be-spectators camping out overnight for the daily batches of Wimbledon tickets on offer had reached 10,000 people by Monday morning.
“We are advising people if they haven’t already set off to travel, not to travel because the queue is effectively full,” Bolton said. “By comparison to last year, it is really busy.”
Williams will also play doubles with older sister Venus Williams later in the week.
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Since Serena last won Wimbledon a decade ago, eight different women have won the title.
“It was needed a wee bit to kind of reinvent the women’s game,” said Lauren Byrne, a 26-year-old spectator at Wimbledon from near Dublin. “She’s definitely going to bring a bit more excitement back.”
Added Byrne’s father, Anthony: “It’s just great to see her. She still has the appetite, hasn’t she, to play at this level? Age isn’t a barrier.”
Gibran Chenia, a London resident who described himself as “50-plus,” called Williams “a legend.
“And if she’s half as good as she was, she is going to be great for tennis,” Chenia said. “It’s great to have legends back.
What to do with one more World Cup group stage game when you’ve already won the group? The answer is score 2 minutes into the game and don’t look back. Germany did the first part, but then faded as momentum was replaced by a messy loss that exposes this team’s limitations.
There is a way to spin this as a defeat that can sharpen the minds, that can blow away any complacency ahead of the knockouts.Germany captain Joshua Kimmich was certainly bullish in defeat.
“We keep inviting the opponent to attack by turning the ball over, which makes them stronger,” Kimmich said on MagentaTV “Fortunately, this doesn’t change much. But we can’t afford any more losses. That much is clear. We can’t let in one or two goals every game. We have to minimize the number of turnovers, and then we can beat anyone.”
But that’s not how it felt in East Rutherford at the final whistle. It felt like Germany had gone from a team in form, exceeding the expectations of their fans, riding the waves of joy that come with big wins and last-minute wins, to one stopped short in its tracks.
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The song that has accompanied this team at the tournament so far has been “The train has no brakes.” On Thursday, not only were the brakes on, but the team appeared to derail.
Leroy Sane gave Germany an early lead, but they faded fastImage: Matthias Koch/picture alliance
Another game endured rather than enjoyed
David Raum started in place of the injured Nathaniel Brown (who is expected to return for Germany’s knockout game) and had a game to forget. Antonio Rüdiger replaced the injured Nico Schlotterbeck and was slow to start, before improving. But they were not alone. Felix Nmecha, who has been Germany’s standout at the tournament so far, struggled. Aleksandar Pavlovic played himself out of the second half, having also been booked.
It was also tough on Leroy Sane, who scored Germany’s opener and would have been the story of the day after weeks of strong media criticism. In the end, even his performance fell away in the face of Germany’s collective disappointment.
The result was made worse by the fact Germany’s opening goal shouldn’t have stood — American referee Tori Penso bizarrely decided not to penalize Pavlovic in the buildup after the Bayern player’s boot ended up in the face of an opponent. Add to that the penalty that Germany never got because of a foul by Sane in the buildup, and it was a day where so much that could go wrong did go wrong.
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz worked hard off the ball, but are struggling to impose themselves on it. Rüdiger’s comments last week calling on Germany’s attacking players feel even more telling after this defeat: “No pressure, but we will need you.”
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Depending on which of Germany’s leaders you listened to, desire was also an issue. Or not.
“The difference today was that the opponent wanted to win more than us,” Kimmich said afterwards.
“Ecuador wanted it more than us? That’s nonsense,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, in stark contrast.
Disjointed and dismantled
Germany’s need is now greater than ever. Perhaps Deniz Undav will be unleashed from the start. Here in the New York-New Jersey stadium, the crowd again called for the striker, and once again Nagelsmann responded. But this time, despite his best efforts, there were to be no heroics from the Stuttgart man, who had three goals and two assists from two substitute appearances before this.
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A raft of changes were made, perhaps most notably Malick Thiaw on for Kimmich at right back as Germany swapped to a back three. As one Germany fan remarked afterwards, it felt like a friendly game.
“Of course, we made substitutions differently than we would have otherwise — perhaps at moments when we absolutely needed another goal. But I can’t say to any player now that he didn’t give it his all. That’s far too simplistic for me,” Nagelsmann told MagentaTV afterwards.
Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata nipping in to poke the ball into the goal just before it landed in Manuel Neuer’s hands felt like a natural consequence of all that had come before. For Neuer, so far this has been a strange comeback. He had no chance of stopping Nilson Angulo’s thunderbolt and for Plata’s winner, he didn’t see the winger coming. Ecuador ended the game with two goals from just three shots on target.
No stopping the yellow wave
The scenes at full time were not for Germany. They were for Ecuador. A sea of yellow, rippling joy at booking their spot in the knockout rounds with an historic win against the four-time World Cup winners. Tears, children on shoulders, lung-bursting songs down the concourse — Ecuador’s fans knew what they had done and made sure everyone knew about it.
Germany left the field swiftly, briefly waving at their fans, but keen to disappear from the concrete cauldron of New York New Jersey Stadium that exposed their own heaviness. Was recalling Neuer the right decision? Is this group just not as good as it thought it was two weeks ago? Will Paraguay or Australia be a stumbling block? The questions will swirl. In the meantime, Nagelsmann wants time.
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“The most important lesson we can take is patience,” said Nagelsmann. “When you start so well, we have to focus more on patience. If we get the lead we have to be more calm in certain situations.”
It won’t be long before we find out how calm Germany and Nagelsmann really are. More importantly, we’ll find out whether something more than just a game was lost here in East Rutherford.
Former France centre-back Frank Lebouef has snubbed Lionel Messi as he picked his compatriot Kylian Mbappe and England’s Harry Kane to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot.
Messi, 39, is the Golden Boot leader, scoring in each of holders Argentina’s opening three games as they sealed their passage to the knockouts without much fuss. Following a hat-trick in the campaign opener against Algeria, the Inter Miami forward bagged a brace against Austria and came off the bench to score in the win over Jordan.
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Meanwhile, Mbappe has scored four times in three matches and is right behind Messi, alongside his compatriot Ousmane Dembele, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and Norway’s Erling Haaland, with Kane a goal behind the second-placed quartet.
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“The increased number of teams changes things,” Lebouef told BOYLE Sports (via Tribal Football). “I don’t want to be overly harsh on nations like Curacao, Haiti, or Cape Verde, but the Golden Boot could easily be decided by someone scoring six or seven goals against those teams.
“In a perfect world, matches would be tight, but realistically, we will see some lopsided scores. For the Golden Boot, the favorites have to be Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. If England and France both go deep in the tournament, I think it will be a contest between the two of them.”
Kane’s England are on the same side of the knockout bracket as Messi’s Argentina, with the duo slated to meet in the semis, while Mbappe’s France cnnot meet either team before the final.
Lionel Messi enjoying a record-breaking campaign at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Jordan vs Argentina: Group J – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Source: Getty
Lionel Messi is enjoying a historic campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, his sixth appearance at the quadrennial event since his debut at Germany 2006 two decades ago.
With his hat-trick against Algeria, Messi became the oldest hat-trick scorer in competition history and moved level with all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose. The brace against Austria and the goal against Jordan put him three clear of Klose and Kylian Mbappe.
The first player to score in seven consecutive games at the World Cup, Lionel Messi also has the most wins (19) in the competition and most goals outside the box (6) as he seeks to win his maiden FIFA World Cup Golden Boot.
A four-year ban handed to 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova for refusing a doping test has ignited a fierce debate among tennis players, who are now openly sharing their often-distressing experiences with the sport’s anti-doping protocols.
The system, designed to safeguard the integrity of the game, is being described as “grueling” by Serena Williams and has even brought Coco Gauff to tears.
Players are mandated to provide a 60-minute window daily for testing. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) stipulates that if a doping control officer “locates and notifies a player outside of that hour, they must complete the test.” This flexibility, intended to ensure comprehensive testing, has become a source of significant friction.
“I’m not going to lie, some of them can be pushy, make you feel like you’re doing something wrong,” said Gauff, the No. 7 seed, after her first-round victory at Wimbledon. The 22-year-old American recounted a particularly upsetting incident: “One time she came outside my time slot. But the way she was speaking to me on the phone, it literally made me cry afterwards. I found out I was in the right, and I didn’t have to do anything.”
Australian player Ajla Tomljanovic echoed these sentiments, expressing deep apprehension about the system.
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Marketa Vondrousova was banned for four years for refusing a doping test (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)
“I’m very scared of the system because it feels broken,” she stated. “I’ve had a few experiences of my own where it was about technicalities and when I speak to people in charge they’re not helpful — I don’t want to say they don’t care — but they weren’t very helpful at all to explain things or just show some sort of compassion when I was nowhere near missing a test or testing positive.”
Tomljanovic revealed she was nearly banned due to technicalities.
“I was new to the whole system. And I was at two fails for a month and I knew if I get a third one accidentally I would be out for at least two, three years,” she explained. “It’s in a way, I won’t say no fault of my own but it’s not to the degree of being banned and smearing your name. In that sense, I think there’s so much to improve on.”
Even tennis icon Serena Williams, making her Wimbledon return, cited the testing regime as a deterrent. The system was “a big reason why I didn’t want to come back either, because it’s just so hard,” she commented.
The controversy centers on the case of Vondrousova, the 27-year-old Czech player who made history as Wimbledon’s first unseeded female champion three years ago.
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In early December 2025, Vondrousova refused to take a test after a doping control officer rang her apartment’s intercom at 8 pm. This month, an independent tribunal imposed the maximum four-year ban for a first offense.
The ITIA released a video explainer, noting that Vondrousova challenged the timing of the test, arguing it was outside her designated slot. However, the agency reiterated its policy: “If a Doping Control Officer, or DCO, locates and notifies a player outside of that hour, they must complete the test.”
Vondrousova reportedly described the tester as “aggressive” and said the frequent ringing “triggered a state of distress,” according to the ITIA video. Despite this, the tribunal’s June 22 decision confirmed her refusal and found “no compelling justification for doing so.”
The ITIA emphasized that under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, “test refusals can be sanctioned as severely as positive tests,” a measure intended to prevent athletes from refusing tests to avoid detection.
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Serena Williams has taken aim at the ‘grueling’ doping system (AP)
Last year, the ITIA conducted over 8,000 tests and received only a “handful of complaints,” stating they “take all feedback on board and encourage players to share their views with us.” The agency also noted that tennis adheres to WADA rules, which are slated for a refresh in 2027, involving consultations with athletes globally.
“We understand the system can seem challenging,” the ITIA acknowledged, “but it is there to protect players, not to trip them up. If players are ever unsure about a test, have questions, or would like to provide feedback on their experience, we want to hear about it.”
However, some players view Vondrousova’s four-year ban as excessively harsh. Jessica Pegula, the No 4 seed, expressed sympathy, stating, “I feel, like, for Marketa.”
She added, “For something like that, for four years, you’re ruining someone’s career over something that could have really just been a complete misunderstanding, and I just don’t think that’s fair. I think the sentencing is so harsh.”
Pegula also drew comparisons to other high-profile cases, questioning the perceived disparity. She referenced Jannik Sinner, the defending men’s champion at Wimbledon, who accepted a three-month ban in early 2025 after two positive doping tests from the prior year were attributed to accidental contamination.
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Similarly, Wimbledon’s defending women’s champion, Iga Swiatek, received a one-month suspension in 2024 after testing positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication, with the ITIA accepting her explanation of unintentional contamination from a nonprescription medication.
The stark contrast in penalties for refusal versus accidental positive tests continues to fuel the debate over the fairness and efficacy of the current anti-doping system in tennis.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 continues, with four knockout fixtures on the schedule today. Norway, France, Mexico and England will all be aiming to secure their places in the Round of 16, while Côte d’Ivoire, Sweden, Ecuador and DR Congo look to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Norway and Côte d’Ivoire will begin the knockout action today, with the winner earning a place in the Round of 16 against Brazil.
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France face Sweden in the opening match on Tuesday (Monday in the USA), before co-hosts Mexico take on Ecuador. England then meet DR Congo in the final fixture as the race for the knockout bracket gathers pace.
The knockout stage has already lived up to expectations. Three of the opening four Round of 32 ties were decided after extra time or penalties, while Brazil needed a late winner to edge past Japan in regulation time.
Norway look to continue fairytale run against Côte d’Ivoire
Norway have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after advancing to the Round of 32 despite being drawn in a difficult group. Spearheaded by captain Erling Haaland, who has been in fine goalscoring form, the Scandinavian side will look to carry its momentum into the knockout stage and move a step closer to the quarter-finals.
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Côte d’Ivoire, meanwhile, earned their place in the Round of 32 after a resilient group-stage campaign and possess the pace and physicality to trouble Norway. With both teams eyeing a historic run in the tournament, the clash promises to be a closely fought affair where a single moment of quality could prove decisive.
France begin knockout campaign against Sweden
France enter the Round of 32 as one of the tournament favourites after winning all three of their group-stage matches, scoring 10 goals without conceding. Led by the attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, Didier Deschamps’ side will look to continue its dominant run.
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Sweden, meanwhile, squeezed into the knockout stage after finishing among the best third-placed teams and will hope to frustrate France with their disciplined defensive setup and strike on the counter through Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga.
Mexico eye home advantage against Ecuador
Co-hosts Mexico head into the Round of 32 full of confidence after topping Group A with a perfect record and a defence that remained unbeaten throughout the group stage. Playing in front of their home fans in Mexico City, Javier Aguirre’s side will look to continue its impressive run.
Ecuador, however, have shown resilience throughout the tournament, including a statement victory over Germany, and possess enough quality to trouble Mexico in what promises to be a tightly contested knockout tie.
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England seek to avoid DR Congo upset
England will start as favourites against DR Congo after finishing top of Group L to set up this Round of 32 encounter. However, DR Congo have already exceeded expectations by progressing as one of the best third-placed teams and will be aiming to produce one of the biggest upsets of the knockout stage.
With a place in the Round of 16 at stake, England will be wary of underestimating an opponent that has proved difficult to break down during the group stage.
FIFA World Cup 2026 RO32: Today’s schedule
Date
Match
Stage
Time (IST)
June 30
Norway vs Cote d’Ivoire
Round of 32
10:30 pm
July 1
France vs Sweden
Round of 32
2:30 am
July 1
Mexico vs Ecuador
Round of 32
6:30 am
July 1
England vs DR Congo
Round of 32
9:30 pm
FIFA World Cup 2026 RO32: July 1 matches live streaming and telecast details
Which two teams will feature in the first Round of 32 fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 1?
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France and Sweden will meet in the opening Round of 32 fixture on July 1 at 2:30 am IST.
Which two teams will feature in the second Round of 32 fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 1?
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Mexico and Ecuador will square off in the second knockout match of the day at 6:30 am IST.
Which two teams will feature in the third Round of 32 fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 1?
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England will take on DR Congo in the final Round of 32 fixture on July 1 at 9:30 pm IST.
Where to watch the live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 July 1 matches in India?
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The broadcast of the July 1 Round of 32 matches will be available on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.
Where to watch the live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026 July 1 matches in India?
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The live streaming of the July 1 Round of 32 matches will be available on the Zee5 app and website for viewers in India.
Just how bad are things going for the 2026 New York Mets?
Look no further than the first batter they faced against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night, where a routine base hit turned into a Little League home run. And Juan Soto, the team’s $765 million man, was at the center of the brutal mishap.
The Mets came into this game 35-49, which has been one of the most shocking pre-All-Star-break stories of the season given their spot as the second-highest payroll in MLB this season, only behind the reigning World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Juan Soto of the New York Mets walks back to the dugout after striking out in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 16, 2026.(Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Starting a six-game road trip on Monday night in Toronto, the Mets were hoping to get something going in their favor just days after manager Carlos Mendoza was fired. But the game couldn’t have started off worse for New York, and it ultimately hurt them in a 2-1 loss.
George Springer stepped into the batter’s box against Mets starter Sean Manaea when he served a 2-2 pitch to left field – a routine single is all it should’ve been.
However, Soto misread the ball bouncing off the turf completely, choosing to have an aggressive route toward the ball and potentially catch it on the short hop. Instead, the ball went right underneath his glove and started to roll all the way to the left field fence.
Soto was jogging to the ball, while the veteran Springer was booking it around the basepaths. Soto’s decision not to sprint himself was because rookie center fielder A.J. Ewing was in pursuit already. But things only got worse from there.
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer celebrates with outfielder Nathan Lukes after scoring during the first inning against the New York Mets at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ont., on June 29, 2026.(Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire)
As Ewing looked up to see where Springer was on the bases, he didn’t field the ball cleanly, rather tossing it back to the fence after trying to scoop it up with his glove.
As a result, Springer was waved around third base. By the time Soto picked the ball up and looked toward the infield, Springer was already around third base to score his Little League home run to the delight of the Rogers Centre crowd.
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Errors have been among the pain points for the Mets this season, having the third-most in MLB, only behind the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants. It was just five days ago when the Mets committed six infield errors as they were swept by the Chicago Cubs in a doubleheader.
This moment was one Soto tried to explain postgame.
“When you have an outfield like that, that it bounces a lot, you have to be aware because you can give up extra base hits really easy,” Soto told reporters after going 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk in the loss. “So, I would say you got to be aggressive – that was my mindset. Just be aggressive, come through the ball instead of playing it back and let it bounce over my head. But I actually just stopped.”
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer scores after his triple and a Mets fielding error during the first inning of an MLB game against the New York Mets at Rogers Centre in Toronto on June 29, 2026.(Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire)
This is obviously not what owner Steve Cohen and the Mets had in mind when they began the 2026 campaign, but they find themselves in a hole that seems to get deeper with every game, and plays like this only pile on to the disappointment that continues for the team and its fan base.
Manny Pacquiao could be presented with a world title opportunity following the postponement of his rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
Their second encounter was scheduled to take place this September, over a decade removed from Mayweather’s unanimous decision victory over the Filipino.
It was reported last week, however, that Pacquiao has been left without an opponent after his American rival was hit with a $4.65m lawsuit by CSI Sports Events.
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As Mayweather attempts to navigate this situation, it remains to be seen whether the ‘Pac Man’ rematch will even take place, let alone be rescheduled for a date in 2027.
In doing so, the Aussie became a two-weight world champion in impressive fashion, with his promoter, George Rose of No Limit Boxing, insisting at the post-fight press conference that he would happily welcome Pacquiao back to Queensland, Australia.
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“I think the two best divisions in boxing are the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions … the champions that exist there – Devin Haney, Rolly Romero, Ryan Garcia.
“I would love to have any one of them down here, any day of the week.
“They’ve tossed up the likes of Manny Pacquiao, who is still floating around in the welterweight division wanting to fight. [It] would be great to bring that down here.”
Pacquiao’s last trip to Queensland – at least in a boxing sense – saw him defend his WBO welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Jeff Horn in 2017.
With the 47-year-old having never held the IBF title at 147lbs, though, he could be tempted by another assignment Down Under, this time against the 17-years-younger Paro, where a win would see Pacquiao break his own record as the oldest welterweight world champion in history.
Kawhi Leonard‘s return to Toronto might be one step closer to reality.
The Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers have agreed on player compensation and a trade for the 2019 Finals MVP “could happen today,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Tuesday.
“I think it’d be Brandon Ingram based on what I am told. What they have been haggling over is the draft-pick compensation,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up.
Meanwhile, Leonard, who has one year left on his contract, would only commit long-term to the Raptors, per multiple reports earlier in the week.
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“My understanding is that the Clippers have shown no interest in doing a long-term contract extension. His long-term future with the Clippers appears to be nearing its end,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Monday.
Leonard, 35, is coming off one of his most productive — and healthiest — seasons, averaging a career-best 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals on 50.5/38.7/89.2 per cent shooting splits in 65 appearances. He finished tied for seventh in MVP voting and earned the seventh all-NBA selection (second-team) of his career.
Rumours of mutual interest between Leonard and the Raptors have been floating around in recent days, with Sportsnet’s Michael Grange confirming that Toronto has discussed the possibility of a trade to bring him back.
Grange also reported that Leonard is unlikely to receive an extension from the Clippers and the team is open to finding him a new home.
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“The Clippers aren’t going to commit to anything with him, so it looks like he’s trying to strong-arm his way out of there,” a source told Grange.
Izzy Clements claimed Ireland’s first medal at the World Rowing Cup on Saturday when taking bronze in the Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls.
Mexico’s Kenia Lechuga Alanís, winner of the opening World Cup in Seville, led from the first strokes in her pink boat and was never challenged for gold.
Behind her, Clements held second place for much of the 2,000 metres. She rowed with assurance as the field stretched behind the dominant Mexican leader.
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In the closing metres, however, the Netherlands’ Van Vliet edged into silver, leaving the Irish sculler with bronze and Ireland’s first podium finish of the regatta.
For the third straight World Cup, Germany have not made it to the round of 16. They lost 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, after the game finished 1-1 following extra time. Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah missed penalties in the shootout, and even Manuel Neuer’s heroics weren’t enough to save Germany this time.
“Yes, it seems so for sure,” Havertz said after the loss, when asked if Germany had become a second-tier team.
It was Germany’s first ever loss on penalties at a World Cup. Germany had won all four previous shootouts. They have now not won a knockout game at a World Cup since 2014, when they went on to win the tournament. The defeat has been met by shock in much of the national media, with many frustrated that Germany suffered defeat at the hands of a “limited opponent.”
Who is to blame for Germany’s exit?
The reasons for Germany’s exit are varied.
Firstly, key players did not deliver on the field. Captain Joshua Kimmich underwhelmed. Florian Wirtz appeared to carry his poor club form into the World Cup. Jamal Musiala looked like a player desperately trying to get back into gear after a lengthy injury. It was far too disappointing stuff from far too many players who needed to deliver to keep the group together.
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Collectively, Germany were shaky in defense, and lacked penetration and decisiveness in attack. They did not go a game at this tournament without conceding, and other than against Curacao, failed to transfer promising passages into convincing results.
Injuries certainly didn’t help. Losing Serge Gnabry before the tournament was a blow. To then see Lennart Karl suffer a major injury in Chicago, just days before the tournament began, really stopped Germany in their tracks, as the Bayern teenager looked set to shine down the right-hand side. Nico Schlotterbeck being ruled out for months during the first half of the Ivory Coast game was perhaps the biggest loss of all, though. The Borussia Dortmund defender was an integral part of Germany’s play, particularly in the build-up, which coach Julian Nagelsmann said was “too slow” against Paraguay.
Then there’s Nagelsmann himself. His decision to recall 40-year-old Manuel Neuer did not prove, despite a save in the shootout against Paraguay, to be the factor he made it out to be. His substitutions suggested a coach still searching for his best 11. Against Ecuador, with the group already won, his changes left Germany disjointed and wiped away any hope of maintaining their momentum into the knockouts. Even though this Germany team were not contenders, it would also be fair to say that Nagelsmann appeared to struggle to get the best out of this group.
For the third straight World Cup, Germany have failed to meet expectationsImage: Scott Coleman/Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
Did anything go right for Germany at this World Cup?
There were some bright moments. Deniz Undav’s performances off the bench were some of the most magical moments, particularly his last-minute winner against Ivory Coast in Toronto.
Coaching wise, Nagelsmann used the hydration break in Houston to turn the tide, and made the right changes in Toronto to bring Germany back into the game. Also, the facilities Germany used at Wake Forest University were top notch and certainly did not contribute to the team’s early exit.
Will Nagelsmann get sacked?
Whether Nagelsmann has a future in his current post is, of course, the pressing question. The performance on the field suggests he’s on thin ice, but recent history suggests that he might well retain his job for Euro 2028. After all, both Hansi Flick and Joachim Löw stayed longer than many expected.
“I’m here to work and if the DFB [German Football Association] decide otherwise then they should tell me,” Nagelsmann said after the defeat. “I’m not the type of person who runs away.”
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If the DFB decide to retain Nagelsmann, he will have a lot of goodwill to earn back. This performance will not have endeared him to Germany fans, especially after his communication troubles around Undav, Kimmich, Neuer and the roles assigned to player.
If they decide to move on, it will prove costly for them because of the contract extension they agreed with Nagelsmann in January 2025. For an association that has only just started to recover from the financial impact of two consecutive World Cup exits, another disappointment on the field combined with another head coach sacking would make balancing the numbers at the end of the year a bit more difficult.
Julian Nagelsmann is under great pressure after the lossImage: Tom Weller/dpa/picture alliance
Who could be the next Germany head coach?
If he is replaced, Jürgen Klopp has been touted as the favorite to take over. The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool head coach, who has been working with Red Bull since early 2025, was quick to shut down any talk of such a move, though.
“I understand that my name is being mentioned, but this is not the moment to talk about it – and especially not with me,” Klopp said afterwards.
Earlier in the tournament, Klopp caused a stir while working as a pundit for MagentaTV, saying: “Luckily, it’s Julian Nagelsmann who’s picking the team,” before adding: “For now.”
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Those two wordshung over Nagelsmann, and even though Klopp apologized, many feel the 59-year-old is waiting in the wings for the job.
Joshua Kimmich (center, number 6) has been the captain of Germany during a disappointing eraImage: Uwe Kraft/IMAGO
Will any players retire?
It seems likely that many of this playing group will move on. At 40, Neuer’s return was only ever going to be for this tournament. Following Monday’s match he confirmed to German public broadcaster ARD that this had been his last with the national team. Sadly, at 36, it is unlikely that Oliver Baumann, the man who looked set to be Germany’s number one at the tournament, will ever play for his country again.
Captain Joshua Kimmich (31) has endured a torrid time in his international career, and while one might think that a Euros aged 33 would just a bridge too far, he appeared to rule out cutting it short.
“I will always have the energy for a fresh start,” he told reporters. “What I will never do is give up!”
Antonio Rüdiger (33), Leon Goretzka (31), Leroy Sane (30), and Pascal Gross (35) will likely not be back.
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Germany’s next game is against the Netherlands in the Nations League at the end of September. With it comes the start of Germany’s next new era.
Cincinnati Reds center fielder Dane Myers needed to be carted off the field after a play that could be a candidate for “Catch of the Year” turned scary after he crashed into the fence in Milwaukee on Monday night.
Milwaukee Brewers veteran Andrew Vaughn smashed a ball to center field in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Myers got a great jump as he started to track the ball.
As he sprinted toward the gap, Myers reached up and made an acrobatic catch, but he lost his balance and was too close to the wall when he collided with the fence at top speed. It was a miracle he even held on to the ball considering the collision, but it clearly took a toll.
Cincinnati Reds’ Dane Myers runs into the wall after making a catch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee on June 29, 2026.(Aaron Gash/AP)
Myers, writhing in pain on the warning track, was bent over when his fellow outfielders came over to tend to him, while Reds training staff started the sprint out onto the field.
Myers was holding his right shoulder, though his collision was head-on with the fence. Trainers looked at Myers for some time, as the crowd was hushed in hopes he would walk away from this somehow.
Eventually, a cart came out and Myers rose to his feet with some assistance as the crowd gave him a round of applause for sacrificing his body for his team. TJ Friedl ended up taking his spot in center field.
Myers was taken to a local hospital in Milwaukee for further testing, and it was a good sign that initial X-rays came back negative, according to manager Terry Francona following the Reds’ 5-3 loss to the Brewers. Francona wouldn’t go into specifics on what ailment Myers may be dealing with.
Myers, a 30-year-old Columbus, Texas, native, is in his first season with the Reds, where he serves as a bench outfielder.
Dane Myers of the Cincinnati Reds lies injured after making a running catch and colliding with the wall as JJ Bleday looks on during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wis., on June 29, 2026.(John Fisher/Getty Images)
He has played in 63 games this season, owning a .256/.358/.385 slash line with a .742 OPS, three homers and 14 RBI across 117 at-bats.
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Prior to his time in Cincinnati, Myers made his big league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2023, playing 22 games that year and hitting .269 over 67 at-bats. He spent the next two seasons with the Marlins, though his longest tenure in MLB came in 2025 when he played 106 games and hit .235/.291/.326 with six home runs and 31 RBI with Miami.
Unfortunately for the Reds, they were unable to get the win for Myers in the end. Joey Ortiz’s two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning broke the 3-3 tie at the time in this NL Central bout, which capped a comeback that also saw Brice Turang, who starred for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic, smash a solo home run to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Dane Myers of the Cincinnati Reds makes a running catch before colliding with the wall in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wis., on June 29, 2026.(John Fisher/Getty Images)
A-FINAL : Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls
Kenia Lechuga Alanis, Mexico 
Femke Van De Vliet, Netherlands 
Isobel Clements, Ireland 
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