World Cup 2026: Are claims Argentina are being treated favourably at World Cup fair?

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8 hours ago

July 8, 2026

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It is easy to understand why Egypt would feel so frustrated after Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat.

The Africans had led 2-0 with 11 minutes to play, on the brink of a historic first-ever quarter-final appearance.

But it all went wrong as Argentina stormed back to turn the game on its head and score the winner in stoppage time.

Egypt say there was something more suspect at play. They put their exit down to “serious refereeing mistakes” and “double standards” from French referee Francois Letexier and his team.

The Pharaohs had a goal ruled out through a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention.

They also claim Argentina’s winner should have been disallowed, and a penalty awarded to them instead.

Mostafa Zico’s brilliant goal was chalked off after Marwan Attia was penalised for stepping on the foot of Lisandro Martinez at the start of the move.

It was controversial, but they were leading 1-0 and did score a second goal nine minutes later. You cannot prove the game would have taken a different path had Zico’s goal stood.

Egypt believed there were two potential penalty claims in their favour before Enzo Fernandez headed home the clinching goal.

Hamdi Fathy went to ground claiming he was held by Alexis Mac Allister, which was unclear on replays, while Mohamed Salah felt he was tripped by Julian Alvarez.

There were some similarities between the Martinez and Salah situations, with foot-on-foot contact, but not enough to constitute a penalty.

Egypt stood a better chance of getting the goal chalked off if Salah had been outside the area. The VAR would merely be judging a foul – as was the case with Martinez – rather than a penalty.

Controversial? Absolutely. But it is hardly proof of a conspiracy in favour of Messi.

How to watch Fever vs. Sparks: TV channel and streaming options for July 8

Published

25 seconds ago

July 8, 2026

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July 8, 2026 Updated 7:49 pm EDT

The Los Angeles Sparks (8-11) will look to stop a three-game losing streak when they host the Indiana Fever (12-8) on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena. The contest airs at 10 p.m. ET on USA, WTHR-13, Fever Direct, Spectrum SportsNet, and CNBC.

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks

Venue: Crypto.com Arena
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: USA, WTHR-13, Fever Direct, Spectrum SportsNet, CNBC
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.

Indiana vs. Los Angeles odds

Odds provided by BetMGM.

Injury reports

Fever

Caitlin Clark: Probable (Back),

Aliyah Boston: Questionable (Leg)

Sparks

Kelsey Plum: Out (Lower Leg),

Cameron Brink: Out (Ankle)

Stats to know

The Fever put up 93.5 points per game, only 0.1 fewer points than the 93.6 the Sparks allow.
Los Angeles scores an average of 87.5 points per game, just 1.4 fewer points than the 88.9 Indiana gives up to opponents.
Aliyah Boston posts 17.1 points, 2.8 assists and 8.6 rebounds per contest.
Dearica Hamby averages 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest, while shooting 52.7% from the field (sixth in WNBA).

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Julio Aguilar, Ethan Miller, Steph Chambers / Getty Images

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Latest on Cubs’ Justin Steele: ‘Not realistic’ to stretch out as a starter this year

Published

6 minutes ago

July 8, 2026

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Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs steps off the mound.

Justin Steele’s throwing progression will continue beyond the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Masterpress / Getty Images

July 8, 2026 7:44 pm EDT Updated

BALTIMORE — While planning for a pitching-heavy draft and trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs expect Justin Steele to resume throwing off a mound the first week of August, which leaves a narrow window to join a playoff race in progress, assuming no setbacks.

“We’ve made that clear,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. “The schedule is very tight with Justin.”

Steele had a consultation Tuesday with Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas-based surgeon who handled the season-ending procedure on his left elbow last year, and then diagnosed a flexor strain in April.

Steele’s throwing progression will continue beyond the Aug. 3 trade deadline, meaning the Cubs will have to make roster decisions for the stretch run without knowing what they might get from the one-time All-Star.

Steele, who will turn 31 on Saturday, is a homegrown pitcher who made his major-league debut as a left-handed reliever and then transitioned to starting after the club’s sell-off at the 2021 trade deadline.

Steele finished fifth in the 2023 National League Cy Young Award voting and then accounted for 24 starts in 2024, but it’s been 15 months since he last pitched in a major-league game.

“There’s no question about it,” Counsell said, “stretching out as a starter is really not realistic for him.”

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Caitlin Clark returns to Indiana’s lineup, Aliyah Boston out — but not for long

Published

12 minutes ago

July 8, 2026

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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will return to the lineup Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Sparks, Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters at Wednesday’s shootaround. Clark missed Indiana’s last two games and three overall this season with a back injury.

Clark, however, will not play Thursday night at the Phoenix Mercury as the Fever continue to manage her season-long back issues. White also announced that center Aliyah Boston will be out Wednesday against the Sparks due to a lower right leg injury, but will likely return Thursday in Phoenix. Boston has been managing her leg injury all season and will now miss her second game of the year as a result.

White said the decision to “flip-flop” her star guard and center’s rest days is precautionary. This week’s back-to-back marks the first of three for Indiana during the regular season.

“Again, what’s in the best long-term interest of our players?” White said Wednesday. “Not just short-term, in the game-to-game (outlook), but what’s in the best long-term interest in a season and in a career? So, I’m thankful for our medical team to stay on top of that. They hold us accountable to making sure that we stay (committed) to whatever our restrictions are.”

Clark last played on June 24, when she exited in the third quarter of a turbulent 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury after tweaking her back. That was also the same game in which Clark was flagrantly fouled by Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who pushed her right fist into Clark’s throat during a scrum on the floor in the second quarter. The play was initially a no-call, but the WNBA reviewed it and retroactively upgraded the incident to a flagrant foul 2 penalty on Thomas, fined her $1,000 and suspended her for one game.

White said after the game she was unsure whether Thomas’ “dangerous” foul on Clark contributed to Clark’s back flaring up. Clark said earlier this season that she’s unsure of when her back issues began.

Boston, meanwhile, suffered a lower-leg injury in February while playing with Unrivaled, the professional three-on-three league. She missed the Fever’s first two preseason games and the first WNBA game of her career on May 17 while rehabbing.

Despite both players’ lingering injuries, Clark and Boston were still named All-Star Game starters. Clark, now a three-time All-Star, entered Wednesday night averaging 21.2 points and 8.2 assists in 17 games. She has two games this season and three in her career with at least 30 points and 10 assists. No other player in WNBA history has more than one.

Boston, a four-time All-Star, is averaging 17.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 19 games this year. She’s notched six double-doubles while shooting a career-high 45.1 percent on 3-pointers. The versatile center has drilled 23 3s this season, more than her first three years combined (17).