By Alonso Contreras Orlando City earned one of its most impressive victories of the season, defeating Monterrey 2-1 in a hard-fought battle that showcased the Lions' composure, defensive resilience, and clinical finishing. Playing away from home against one of Liga MX's strongest clubs, Orlando weathered early pressure before taking control with timely goals from Antoine Griezmann and Tyrese Spicer. Monterrey came out aggressively, creating dangerous chances in the opening minutes, but Maxime...

By Alonso Contreras For Frantzdy Pierrot, the 2026 FIFA World Cup was more than another tournament. It was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and a historic moment for an entire nation. After helping Haiti return to the world’s biggest stage for the first time in more than five decades, the experienced striker reflected on an unforgettable journey that saw his country compete against global powers such as Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland. “It was an amazing feeling representing my country,”...

By Alonso Contreras EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Football has a unique way of rewarding patience. For 106 exhausting minutes, Spain dominated possession, controlled the tempo, dictated every tactical battle, and repeatedly crashed against an inspired Emiliano Martínez. It seemed inevitable that the reigning European champions would eventually find a breakthrough. The only question was whether it would arrive before penalties. It did. Just 37 seconds into the second period of extra time, Ferran...

By Alonso Contreras Spain are one win away from back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles after producing a composed and tactically dominant 2-0 victory over France in Tuesday's semifinal at Dallas Stadium. Luis de la Fuente's side controlled the contest from start to finish, combining defensive discipline with ruthless efficiency in front of goal to eliminate a French team that never found its rhythm. The reigning world champions will now await the winner of England and Argentina in Sunday's final....

By Alonso Contreras Argentina needed extra time and plenty of resilience to overcome a fearless Cape Verde side, edging a dramatic 3-2 victory in Miami after one of the biggest scares of their 2026 FIFA World Cup title defense. The reigning champions entered the knockout clash as overwhelming favorites, but Cape Verde once again proved they belonged on football's biggest stage, pushing Lionel Scaloni's men to the absolute limit. After a cautious opening, Lionel Messi produced another moment...

By Alonso Contreras Defending world champions Spain delivered one of their most complete performances of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating Austria 3-0 in Los Angeles to book their place in the Round of 16 with authority. After controlling possession from the opening whistle, Spain finally found the breakthrough in the 36th minute. A brilliant move through midfield saw Pedri release Marc Cucurella down the left, and the full-back calmly squared the ball across the face of goal for Mikel...

By Alonso Contreras Brazil survived a massive scare and kept their World Cup dreams alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Japan, as Gabriel Martinelli's 95th-minute winner completed a stunning second-half comeback in one of the tournament's most entertaining Round of 32 clashes. For much of the evening in Houston, Japan looked poised to deliver another World Cup upset. Disciplined defensively and lethal on the counterattack, Hajime Moriyasu's side frustrated the five-time world champions...

By Alonso Contreras Paraguay produced one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, eliminating four-time champions Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout after a hard-fought 1-1 draw that stretched through 120 unforgettable minutes at Boston Stadium. The victory sends La Albirroja into the Round of 16, ending Germany's tournament in heartbreaking fashion after goalkeeper Orlando Gill delivered a heroic performance between the posts. Germany dominated possession from the opening...

By Lilibeth Rendon England booked their place atop Group L with a composed 2-0 victory over a determined Panama side, overcoming a stubborn defensive display before second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane sealed all three points. Although the Three Lions dominated possession from the opening whistle, Panama refused to sit back quietly. In fact, the Central Americans nearly stunned England inside the opening 10 seconds when Tomás Rodríguez tested Jordan Pickford with the fastest...

By Alonso Contreras Argentina booked their place in the knockout stage with a composed 2-0 victory over Austria in Dallas, powered once again by the brilliance of Lionel Messi, who continued rewriting the World Cup record books. The Albiceleste controlled possession from the opening whistle and had a golden opportunity to take an early lead after Lautaro Martínez was brought down inside the box. Messi stepped up in the ninth minute, but his casually taken penalty drifted wide of the post,...

By Alonso Contreras PHILADELPHIA — France overcame a lengthy weather delay and a determined Iraqi performance to secure a convincing 3-0 victory, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice before Ousmane Dembélé capped off another dominant display from Didier Deschamps' side. The match, interrupted for nearly two hours at halftime due to severe thunderstorms, demanded patience from both teams. Once play resumed, France quickly reasserted control to collect three valuable points and strengthen their...

By Alonso Contreras ATLANTA, GA — Spain delivered a statement performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, dismantling Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta to move into a commanding position in Group H and remind the rest of the tournament why they entered as one of the favorites. After a frustrating opening match in which goals proved difficult to find, Luis de la Fuente's side exploded into life with a relentless attacking display led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and an inspired Mikel Oyarzabal. The...