The Major League Cricket (MLC) owners are reportedly planning a shadow ban on signing Pakistan players for the league due to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s latest demands. According to a report on pakpassion.com, the Naqvi-led PCB had demanded a last-minute, huge sum to issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to its players to participate in the league. A player cannot feature in franchise leagues unless their cricket board agrees to issue an NOC, which is an ICC-mandatory document. As per the report, the PCB has been accused of extortion for demanding a last-minute, unbudgeted $25,000 (approx. Rs. 24 lakh, approx. PKR 69 lakh) per player from the franchises for the NOC.

“It’s more the extortion the PCB does. Basically, through the year, they won’t say anything. And then right towards the start of the tournament, when they have to give their NOCs, they send an email saying that for the NOC, it will be $25,000 for each player,” the report said.

The report added that such conditions only apply when the franchises face a crisis of players.

“Around a week before the tournament starts when they know we can’t find other players, we’ve announced the players and cannot replace them, that’s when they’ll come back and say you have to pay $25,000 per player for an NOC. We’ll ask them why they did not tell us this before and they won’t respond,” it added.

The MLC raised the issue with Naqvi, but the PCB considers it ‘their right to ask for this money.’

“We’ve talked to Mohsin Naqvi as well and said to him that this is extortion. This is not the right way to do it. But we were told by the Board that this is their revenue and their right to ask for this money,” the report said.

The report also pointed out that the franchises receive no guarantee despite paying the fee, as the PCB can revoke the NOC at any time and demand another last-minute payment if additional clearance becomes necessary.

“One of the reasons teams at the MLC don’t sign Pakistani players is because we don’t like the uncertainty around all of this. Every season there is this uncertainty looming regarding paying this money. No other Board asks the MLC teams for these additional payments. The franchises run on budgets and suddenly they are expected to free up a chunk of their budget from somewhere to pay for this. That’s never good. The franchises need to plan for the season properly and not have this situation hanging over them.”

Pacer Haris Rauf is the only Pakistani player at the MLC this year, having been signed by the San Francisco Unicorns, who agreed to the PCB’s demands.

Featured Video Of The Day

FIFA World Cup 2026 | Argentina Fans Sing & Dance After Dramatic Comeback Against Egypt

The FIFA Men’s World Cup is down to four semifinalists, each nation grasping to reach the final that crowns soccer’s world champion on Sunday, July 19.

France and Spain battle it out on Tuesday, July 14, starting at 3 p.m. England and Argentina go at it beginning at 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 15.

Everything you need to know: FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 coverage from USA TODAY

Advertisement

Where to watch FIFA World Cup semifinals

Both matches will air in the United States with options that include Fox and Telemundo, along with streaming on Fox One and Fox Sports apps.

France vs. Spain will be at Dallas Stadium (the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium). England vs. Argentina will be at Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes Benz Stadium). The tournament, which began June 11 with 48 nations competing, encompassed stadiums in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Where is the final match?

The final will be played at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19. (The third-place match will be Saturday, July 18, in Miami).

Advertisement

What to know about the semifinals

Here’s what to know about the semifinalists and their top players.

It marks the first time in World Cup history that teams ranked in the top four by FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, made it to the semifinals.

Spain versus France

Ahead of the tournament, sportswriters tapped either France or Spain as favorites to win it all.

France, which won the 1998 and 2018 cups, has powered through the 2026 edition. Star Kylian Mbappe is the tournament’s current joint lead scorer with Argentina’s Lionel Messi. France’s Ousmane Dembele has racked up goals, too, and playmaker Michael Olise has dazzled for Les Bleus, as the team is known.

Advertisement

Spain’s possession power and eye-catching combination play have largely smothered teams. Only one goal has been scored against La Furia Roja. Mikel Oyarzabal has scored four Spain goals. Mikel Merino has provided recent scoring heroics when Spain needed it. Lamine Yamal, the 19-year-old phenom capable of wondrous dribbling, will also be one to keep an eye on.

Spain won its first World Cup in 2010.

Argentina versus England

Argentina vs. England is awash in history and context.

At 1986’s World Cup, Argentina’s Diego Maradona scored two famous goals against England. The first, known as the hand of God goal, was highly controversial, while the next was deemed goal of the 20th century. In the latter, Maradona dribbled all the way through player after player to score. Argentina won the ’86 cup. It came a few years after the two nations fought a war over islands that England calls the Falklands and Argentina calls the Malvinas.

In 2026, Messi, who at 39 is co-topping the cup’s goal scoring while most other teams’ top scorers are in their 20s, leads Argentina. Julian Alvarez scored a stunner against Switzerland to get Argentina into the semifinal. But the Albiceleste (white and sky blue), as the team is known, has had to battle back after giving up goals in a number of matches to make it to the next stage. Lautaro Martinez is among other potential goal scorers to watch.

Advertisement

Argentina is attempting to win back-to-back World Cups. At 2022’s tournament held in Qatar, Argentina won one of the most enthralling finals ever over France. However, the last nation to win back-to-back men’s cups was Brazil — back in 1958 and 1962.

England, led by top scorers Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, narrowly defeated Norway and its star Erling Haaland, to reach the semifinal. Along the way, the Three Lions, as England is known, managed to overcome a terrific Mexican national team in one of the tournament’s best matches at Mexico City’s famed Estadio Azteca.

England won the cup in 1966.

Advertisement

Column: The United States hosted the World Cup in 1994. How soccer has grown

Top goal scorers have scored lots of goals

The 2026 tournament has uniformly put star power on display (which isn’t how it always works out). Most top goal scorers have hit their stride: Messi, Mbappe, Kane, Bellingham, and Dembele are all duking it out to be the top. Mbappe has 8 goals and 3 assists; Messi has 8 goals and 2 assists. Even teams that exited had stars on fire, Norway’s Haaland and Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. among them.

Tartan Army bagpipers, the Vikings’ ‘ro!’ and more stories

It’s also been a World Cup rich with story.

Advertisement

There have been news reports and mentions about controversy over use of VAR — the video assistant referee system — that affected some goals and fouls being counted and for whom.

But there was also social media featuring fans from other nations getting tastes of Americana: stops at enormous Buc-ee’s, giant soda and ice refills, lobster rolls in New England, cheese steaks in Philly, mammoth steaks and barbecue in Texas, Kansas City-style barbecue, too, and a plethora of fast-food spots.

Scotland‘s fans, the Tartan Army, with its kilted fans and bagpipes, took over the Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, area and later, Miami, to support their underdog team. They have an earworm of a song and video to go with their chant, “No Scotland, No Party!”

A duck named Merlin, wearing a Mexico team shirt, went viral on social media as fans of El Tri, Mexico’s national team, turned out in support.

Advertisement

DR Congo’s fans included superfan Lumumba Vea, who is Michel Nkuka Mboladinga and is known for standing statue-like for a full match, wearing a suit and his arm raised, USA TODAY reported.

Vozinha, goalkeeper for first-time World Cup qualifier Cabo Verde, drew plaudits — and amassed an enormous Instagram following — for his gutsy performance against teams such as Spain and Argentina.

Norway’s fans rowed their team into the quarterfinals. They took seating positions in stadiums, in Times Square, and apparently even on a moving escalator: A drummer hit a beat, rows of fans made a rowing motion and belted out a low and loud “Ro!”

Advertisement

Haaland, the team’s star, on social media donned a cowboy hat and boots in Texas. When Norway’s players exited their plane after arriving home, photos showed Haaland carrying a taxidermy raccoon.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: World Cup semifinals start Tuesday, July 14. What you need to know

Jude-fever. Bellingham-mania. No one has come up with a catchy name for it yet, but it’s happening. A London train stop called Bellingham station has been renamed “Jude Bellingham”. West Midlands Railway is offering free train rides for anyone named Jude. “Hey Jude” is on the playlist after every England win with “Three Lions” and “Wonderwall”, the only player with his own ballad.

Only a couple of weeks ago, this World Cup felt like it would be Harry Kane’s tournament. It could yet be Kane’s pinnacle at the end of an extraordinary season of 72 goals and counting, a tally bettered only once, by Lionel Messi. If Messi is one of football’s deities, then Kane is the greatest mortal ever to do it. Win the World Cup on Sunday, and he will surely end the year on stage in Paris, wearing a shiny suit and holding a golden orb.

But increasingly, this tournament looks like the World Cup of Jude Bellingham. It was his goal against Croatia that sparked England’s best 45 minutes so far, his goal against Panama that broke the deadlock, his rapid double that briefly silenced the Azteca, a feat in itself. Bellingham’s first goal in the quarter-final against Norway was a moment of elite technical skill amid a shower of incompetence, his second a display of heightened instincts that earned England a victory they scarcely deserved.

And perhaps this tournament means even more to Bellingham, a player who has been publicly questioned and privately doubted by his own manager, who has been subjected to outside scrutiny unlike his teammates. “Don’t bring Jude,” ran a headline in the Daily Mail earlier this season, suggesting England would be better off without the “divisive soloist” at the World Cup.

“It’s good to put some of the noise aside, and just show my country and my teammates how committed I am to helping us win football matches,” Bellingham said after scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas.

It seems bizarre now, but one of the decisions Thomas Tuchel stewed over before that opening match – and throughout his 18-month reign – was whether Bellingham or Morgan Rogers should be his No 10 at the World Cup. Bellingham missed last September’s qualifiers after undergoing shoulder surgery, and it was unfortunately timed. England played their best game under Tuchel, winning 5-0 in Serbia, and Rogers was excellent.

Tuchel omitted Bellingham from the following camp despite his return to fitness at Real Madrid. There was also the infamous line about Bellingham’s “repulsive” on-field behaviour, which Tuchel attributed to his mother and a slip of the tongue in his second language, and for which he later apologised.

Tuchel felt England created a “brotherhood” during those September and October camps. Could a powerful personality like Bellingham slip seamlessly into the fold?

Even when Bellingham made the World Cup squad, there was no guarantee he would start against Croatia. Tuchel was asked before kick-off: why Bellingham over Rogers? “It was really close,” the manager said. Was he picked because of his big-game appetite, that knack for scoring when it matters? “No,” said Tuchel. “A 50-50 call,” he called it, as if Bellingham had just beaten Rogers in a game of rock-paper-scissors in the dressing room.

There were a raft of other No 10s Tuchel could have chosen. Eberechi Eze has played only cameos. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are watching on TV. But then, really, what is the point of Bellingham’s unique set of powers if you don’t use them? England have a player who Real Madrid bought for €103m aged 19, who won the Champions League at 20, who is at his fourth major tournament aged 22. Steven Gerrard played his fourth at 30. Frank Lampard was 36.

And over the past few weeks, Bellingham has shown why he is not just another piece of England’s puzzle: he’s the piece, the keystone in the entire edifice of this World Cup campaign.

There are the goals, obviously, the assists, the way he bends rigid games to his will. But with Bellingham, it’s also the other bits, the intangibles, like his sheer presence in an England team and what that brings. Already at his age, Bellingham carries an aura that transmits confidence to his teammates, one that makes opponents feel a little smaller as they line up in the tunnel.

Perhaps part of that is the compelling aesthetics, the upright posture, the square shoulders, standing 6ft plenty. The cheekbones, the smile, the twinkle in his eyes. We are not supposed to objectify athletes in this job, but come on now. The Norwegian defence just went weak at the knees and now England are 2-1 up in a quarter-final.

Then there are the tackles, three in the second half against Croatia alone. They are not just toes on the ball but full slides through his opponent, comprehensive clean-outs, taking the man with him as he goes. It is the type of tackle that lifts England fans off their feet, that elicits those low-octave hums of “Juuuuuude”, a tackle that gets his teammates facing forwards, that changes the direction of the wind.

If you delve into Fifa’s enormous suite of World Cup stats, you’ll find Bellingham on top in two categories. The first is sprints – no one left in the competition has made more than his 328, or 55 per game. That’s a sprint every 110 seconds, across six games, one of which was played not far off the altitude of Mount Olympus, another played in heat and humidity that even Amazon tribesmen would describe as stifling.

The second is what Fifa catchily calls “offers to receive in between”, which are those moments when Bellingham stands in a difficult place, where opponents lurk, where defenders are near, and demands to have the ball. If his sprints show endeavour under strain and stress, the latter shows courage and sheer belief in his own ability to take possession under pressure, time and again.

But perhaps just as telling is that on a whole raft of other measures, Bellingham ranks near the top. Distance covered, pressures, turnovers, goals, off-the-ball runs, chances created, headed efforts attempted. His work is best displayed in the box, but Bellingham is a complete midfielder impacting every aspect of each game, England’s omnipresent force. It is not that he’s a “soloist”. It’s just that sometimes it takes a virtuoso to elevate the piece.

It is why the comparisons with Steven Gerrard are justified, another player who could thrive in any position on the pitch. Yet Gerrard never produced this level for England, at least not consistently throughout a World Cup. Neither did Lampard, nor Wayne Rooney, nor David Beckham, nor Michael Owen. Bellingham’s individual performance has surpassed Paul Gascoigne at Italia ’90 and Gary Lineker at Mexico ’86. It is perhaps the best by an England player at a World Cup since 1966.

There are glimpses of his potentially combustible personality in those moments when he admonishes the referee or bellows at teammates for not reading his mind. His mum repeatedly reminded him not to get a yellow card in the days before Norway in order to avoid a suspension.

The snipes at Tuchel in post-match interviews perhaps revealed Bellingham’s frustrations at his battle for his place, using his position of undoubted power to get certain things off his chest. But that edge has been channelled into performances full of commitment and purpose, delivered with an energy that has set England’s tone. Tuchel might even take some credit for that, provoking a little motivation and inspiration.

Perhaps a career path outside the Premier League’s gaze has stymied Bellingham’s appreciation in England. Perhaps it doesn’t help that he is so hard to define, a No 10 who isn’t really a typical No 10 at all. His youth coach at Birmingham City famously marvelled at how he could play three midfield roles at once – numbers 4, 8, and 10 – so added them together and assigned him No 22.

But his talent cannot be ignored this summer. Belli-monium is in full swing. Some time after the end of the Norway game, thousands of English fans belted out “Hey Jude” with feeling as he stood on the grass below, alone, drenched in sweat, allowing the adulation to wash over him. What an extraordinary experience that must be. And for the first time at this World Cup, Bellingham looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Spain face France and Argentina take on England in the World Cup semi-finals this week, and it’s inspired us to make this quiz.

Just like you did for our quarter-finalists quiz, it’s time to name every nation that has reached a World Cup semi-final.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

Spain enters the contest on a 36-match unbeaten run and will be aiming to secure a place in the final.© Getty

Gervonta Davis has been called out for a “best vs the best” encounter, which could end up being the final fight of his career.

Davis has not fought since his controversial draw with Lamont Roach, who was considered incredibly unfortunate not to emerge victorious in March 2025.

‘Tank’ then entertained talks for an immediate rematch and WBA title defence, only to instead schedule an exhibition match with Jake Paul later that year.

In the end, though, Davis was removed from the event – which was set for last November – on account of him facing allegations of domestic violence.

Since then, he has remained out of the ring but is now angling for a return, albeit after rejecting an opportunity to reclaim his WBA lightweight title against Floyd Schofield.

For Davis, however, it appears the world titles are neither here nor there, even if he has been made WBA ‘champion in recess’ at 135lbs.

And the same, it seems, could be said of Shakur Stevenson, who holds the WBO super-lightweight strap but is not overly bothered about becoming an undisputed king.

After announcing his signing with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, the 29-year-old told Chris Mannix that he sees his legacy being defined by the fights themselves, rather than whatever belts are on the line.

“If I go fight against Tank, no one cares whether it’s for undisputed or not. They just care that it’s the best vs the best.

“At first, [Davis] said he wouldn’t fight me. Now, I heard him say on Twitter that he will fight me, so it sounds like his tune is changing.

“He may not admit it, but I think he’s got a lot of respect for me as a fighter, which is why I think he plans on fighting me as his last fight on his way out the door.”

The two Americans have been on a collision course for quite some time, yet only now does Stevenson seem to believe there is a realistic chance of facing his rival.

Derek Chisora has weighed in on the Joe Joyce retirement debate after seeing his countryman “quit” in round 11 of his clash with Artem Suslenkov.

The two heavyweights squared off in Moscow, Russia, last weekend, featuring on the undercard of Murat Gassiev’s successful WBA title defence against Peter Kadiru.

Put simply, it was seen as something of a crossroads fight, between a grizzled veteran and an unbeaten, 30-year-old fringe contender.

But while Suslenkov had remained unproven at any significant level, Joyce was coming off back-to-back points defeats to Chisora and Filip Hrgovic.

Even before those two setbacks, many were calling for the ‘Juggernaut’ to retire, especially after his devastating stoppage losses to Zhilei Zhang in 2023.

Yet Joyce nonetheless decided to roll the dice against Suslenkov, who seemed the much fresher combatant without applying any real pressure on his opponent.

Sure enough, though, their contest reached a stage where the 40-year-old could simply not bring himself to take any more punches.

Waving his glove in a sort of ‘No Mas’ manner, Joyce’s signal was eventually identified by the referee, who drew a halt after one final flurry from Suslenkov.

Speaking to Seconds Out after the contest, Chisora gave his interpretation of what could lie ahead for his fellow veteran.

“He just quit – that was it. He thought he had it in him when he was training, and then he said he was not fit. I’m like, ‘You were training, though?’

“You know when the fire goes out – when boxing retires you? This is what we talk about. Suddenly, you don’t have enough to stop these younger men.

“Boxing retired [Joyce] today.”

Advertisement

Interestingly, Chisora was targeted as an opponent during the early stage of Joyce’s career, back when the Olympic silver medallist was more mobile and, in truth, less shop-worn.

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.

Accept


Manage my choices

One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.

Try again

From the show

World Cup Debrief

Reading time
1 min

Didier Deschamps has reiterated his view that La Roja remain the favourites to win the World Cup. Spain face France on Tuesday for the chance to add a second star to their shirt, having lifted the trophy only once before, in 2010. Meanwhile, Senegal’s Football Federation held its first press conference since the sacking of head coach Pape Thiaw, shedding new light on the tensions behind his departure.

Manchester City star Phil Foden was not taken with England to the World Cup and has not really been missed

Thomas Tuchel knew what he was doing when he took the big calls of leaving both Phil Foden and Cole Palmer out of his England squad for the World Cup. The coach is experienced enough to know that such decisions would be thrown back in his face the second his plans did not work out.

Aside from some stickiness around the Ghana and Panama matches though, there has been very little mention of either the Manchester City or Chelsea playmakers. England have forgotten about them as Jude Bellingham has risen to the fore to help lead the Three Lions into the last four of the World Cup.

This could of course be more disappointment on top of not being picked to go. Everybody wants to feel like they’re missed when they are not there, and Premier League footballers are constantly rated and compared with each other as part of the sport.

In the case of Foden though, having a summer where he is forgotten could well be perfect for him. The 26-year-old has already had nearly a decade of his life where expectation and hype have followed him everywhere he has gone, and living up to that is gruelling and virtually impossible.

City thought they had got the player back to his best last season as he dazzled in the first half of the campaign. However, when his form disappeared around January there was nothing that anyone was able to do to reverse that and it cost him a place in the City team and his England spot for the World Cup.

Even if he had been included by Tuchel, Foden would barely have played given his current form. After months of that experience at the Etihad without seeing enough improvement, a new environment and a full break from football looks the better option.

A rare summer off has been used by Foden to watch tennis at Wimbledon, F1 at Silverstone, and get plenty of fishing in – as well as a holiday with his family. Turning up at his local to watch England has been the closest he has come to the World Cup experience.

It remains unclear whether that can spark Foden back into form, but space and time away from the spotlight is something that he has barely known for the last decade. Being kept out of the conversations around England this summer can only have helped the playmaker to keep his mind clear.

The midfield man has of course kept his fitness up and will be one of the first through the doors of the City Football Academy next week to start training with Enzo Maresca. The world may then be talking about an historic win for England in the final, but Foden knows exactly the challenge he has to pass in this season.

Away from the attention, from next week Foden can start showing what his rest has done for him as he looks to return to being one of City’s most important players.

MS Dhoni and Kriti Sanon at India vs England ODI (X)

The opening ODI between India and England at Edgbaston on Tuesday had plenty of star power off the field as former India captain MS Dhoni and Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon were spotted in the stands watching the match.

Kriti Sanon appearance at India vs England ODI

Kriti Sanon appearance at India vs England ODI

The celebrity duo caught the attention of fans and broadcasters during England’s innings, with visuals of Dhoni and Kriti quickly making the rounds on social media. Their appearance added to the buzz surrounding the series opener, which marked the return of several senior Indian players, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. While the cameras frequently panned towards the VIP stands, the action on the field also kept spectators entertained. England, who opted to bat first after winning the toss, looked set for a below-par total after collapsing from 61 without loss to 107 for six under relentless pressure from India’s bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah, returning after a six-week workload management break, produced a superb spell despite finishing with figures of 1 for 31. The pace spearhead bowled 36 dot balls and consistently troubled England’s top order with his movement and bounce. Young left-arm seamer Gurnoor Brar claimed two wickets in the space of three deliveries, dismissing Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett, while Prasidh Krishna removed Jos Buttler and Sam Curran to leave the hosts reeling. However, Joe Root and Liam Dawson mounted a spirited recovery with a 121-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Root struck a composed 76, while Dawson registered a career-best 68 to steer England towards a competitive total. India eventually broke the stand through Axar Patel, who ran through the lower order to finish with career-best ODI figures of 4 for 62. His late burst ensured England were bowled out for 258 after threatening to post a much bigger score. Even as the contest unfolded on the field, Dhoni and Kriti Sanon’s presence in the stands remained one of the biggest talking points among fans, adding a touch of glamour to the series opener at Edgbaston.