MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, its best chance in a generation arrives. Playing on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri will face England in the Round of 16. It's arguably the most important match in Mexican soccer history. Mexico boasts an incredible record in official matches at Estadio Azteca. Since the venue opened in 1966, the national team has suffered just two defeats, the latter coming over a decade ago against Honduras in September 2013.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — England has unpleasant memories of Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. That's where Diego Maradona of Argentina scored two of the most famous goals in World Cup history in a 2-1 victory in 1986. The goals are known as the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century. England coach Thomas Tuchel says “the wound is still open” but his team isn't out for revenge. England isn't playing Argentina this time. Instead, the Three Lions face host Mexico, which has only lost twice in competitive matches at Azteca. England will also have to deal with the altitude in Mexico City.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé scored his 19th career World Cup goal, and France survived stifling heat to beat Paraguay 1-0, sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time. France advanced to play Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. With an extreme heat warning in effect throughout the match as temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), Mbappé finally broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when he converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute. He trails career goals leader Lionel Messi by one, and the two are tied in this year's Golden Boot race.
Shohei Ohtani, Paul Skenes, and Jacob Misiorowski will miss All-Star Game mound appearances due to upcoming starts. Meanwhile, four Los Angeles Dodgers have been voted into the National League's starting lineup for the July 14 game in Philadelphia. Mike Trout has earned his 12th All-Star selection, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. plans to skip the game to rest his back. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hasn't played since May due to a broken rib. The Dodgers have five or more All-Stars for the seventh straight time. Twenty-six first-time All-Stars are among the 64 players picked.
CHICAGO (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs were delayed by fog at Wrigley Field for 15 minutes after the sixth inning Saturday night. The Cardinals led 2-0 when play was stopped and won 3-0. The crowd of 38,872 joined in singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as the delay began. The song has re-emerged during the World Cup soccer tournament, with U.S. players joining tens of thousands of fans in singing it at the end of matches. The rare Saturday night game at the iconic North Side ballpark started an hour late due to rain, then fog billowed in from the north starting in the second inning and got denser. Players seemed to struggle tracking fly balls, but there were no misplays.
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — It has been seven years since NASCAR last raced at Chicagoland Speedway. Seven years of Midwest heat, rain and snow covering the aging asphalt at the 1.5-mile track. That last weekend also was before NASCAR moved into its Next Gen cars. The Cup Series returns to Chicagoland on Sunday, and what was old is new again. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe says it's like learning a new racetrack. The biggest unknown is the Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022. Chicagoland Speedway is rough and bumpy, and the Next Gen cars do not like rough and bumpy. But some drivers think it will make for a compelling race.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé of France has scored his 19th career World Cup goal. He found the net on a penalty kick in the Round of 16 against Paraguay on Saturday and moved within one of record holder Lionel Messi of Argentina. Mbappé stutter-stepped on his way to his 19th goal in 19 World Cup appearances, beating Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the 70th minute to break a scoreless tie. Mbappé was awarded the penalty when Diego Gomez was called for tripping after a video review. It was the seventh goal of this tournament for Mbappé, matching Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. France went on to win 1-0.
HOUSTON (AP) — Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to lead Morocco to a 3-0 win over Canada in the World Cup Round of 16 Saturday to make the country the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals more than once. It’s Morocco’s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals after becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022. The loss ends a historic run for World Cup co-host Canada, which won its first-ever knockout round game with a 1-0 victory over South Africa to reach Saturday’s match.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Reed Hoffmann, a freelance photographer for The Associated Press, captures unique moments at the World Cup. During Friday night's game between Colombia and Ghana, he was positioned in the "tribune" for an overhead view. At halftime, fans were invited to participate in a light show using a QR code. Hoffmann, familiar with similar events from covering the Kansas City Chiefs, anticipated the scene. He switched to a wide-angle lens and adjusted his camera settings to capture the rare moment when the stadium lights were off, revealing a sea of smartphone lights. His goal is to capture unique images in every assignment.
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has waved a Palestinian flag on the pitch after his team's victory over Australia in the World Cup. He dedicated the win to both Egyptians and Palestinians, saying his heart is with them. Egypt won its debut in the elimination round Friday by beating Australia on penalty kicks after a draw. A video of Hassan holding the flag goes viral, with people chanting "free Palestine." The act comes amid global pro-Palestinian protests following the war in Gaza. It's unclear if FIFA will take action, as it has previously restricted political statements on the pitch
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Baltimore 8 Cincinnati 5
Final Philadelphia 6 Kansas City 1
Final Miami 7 Athletics 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Minnesota 11 N.Y. Yankees 4
Final Detroit 3 Texas 0
Final Seattle 11 Toronto 0
Final Chicago White Sox 3 Cleveland 1
Final Houston 10 Tampa Bay 8
Final Boston 8 L.A. Angels 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 7 Washington 1
Final St. Louis 3 Chicago Cubs 0
Final San Francisco 6 Colorado 4
Final Atlanta 14 N.Y. Mets 3
Final Arizona 4 Milwaukee 3