Sports
Host Mexico looks to make history vs. England
June 30, 2026; Mexico City, Mexico; Mexico’s Julian Quinones is thrown in the air in celebration by teammates after the match as Mexico qualify for the round of 16 stage of the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Eloisa Sanchez-Reuters via Imagn Images A plethora of challenges face England as they battle host Mexico on Sunday night in what will surely be a raucous atmosphere at Mexico City.
The World Cup group of 16 match will be played at 7,200-foot altitude in possible treacherous weather that nearly led to the match being pushed up six hours.
There also is fear of not getting a good night’s sleep as Mexico fans staged a crazy noisy scene complete with fireworks outside Ecuador’s hotel the night before Mexico’s 2-0 victory on Tuesday.
Then there’s this: Mexico’s national squad is 70-2-17 all-time at Estadio Azteca since it opened in 1966.
“It is maybe one of the most beautiful fixtures, the most exciting fixtures that you can have, to play against Mexico in the Azteca,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “And there will be a lot of obstacles waiting for us, not to mention the altitude will be, of course, a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it in four days. It’s just impossible.”
England is coming off a tightly-contested 2-1 win over DR Congo on Wednesday in Atlanta. The Three Lions are taking aim at reaching at least the quarterfinals for the third straight World Cup.
Mexico have their sights on reaching the quarterfinals for just the third time. They also advanced that far in 1970 and 1986.
But after outscoring opponents 8-0 over four World Cup matches, El Tri are optimistic the familiar surroundings can be the deciding asset.
“It’s a match everyone dreamed of — facing England in the Round of 16 in this stadium,” Mexico midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo said. “It’s probably one of the biggest games we are ever going to experience as players. We know they have good players; we know how they play. Their midfield is highly physical, above all. They have great players in every position. They are going to be great opponents.”
The Mexico defense will have to be keenly aware of Harry Kane’s whereabouts at all times.
The English star forward has scored five goals in this World Cup, tied for third with Norway star Erling Haaland entering play on Saturday. Argentina’s Lionel Messi leads the way with seven and France’s Kylian Mbappe is second with six.
Kane is aware the pursuit of victories only gets tougher the deeper you advance in the World Cup. He said it’s time for the club to dig down deep.
“There are still things to work on for sure and these rounds are just about getting through,” Kane said. “We are in the part of the tournament when you have to grind wins out, and that’s what we have done.”
Midfielder Jude Bellingham (two goals, one assist) is also enjoying a strong tournament.
Mexico doesn’t have a megastar like Kane but forwards Julian Quinones (three goals, one assist), Raul Jimenez (two goals) and Roberto Alvarado (three assists) are leading El Tri’s strong run.
“Our team is complete and competitive,” Quinones said. “We know what our goal is and we believe we can do it.”
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre sharply criticized officials on Friday for considering moving up the time so he’s surely happy that the night-time kickoff stayed put.
But Tuchel and his club still need to worry about getting some sleep on Saturday night amid a possible loud congregation.
“We will expect that but what can we do?” said Tuchel, indicating earplugs will be part of the sleeping regimen.
The winner faces either Brazil or Norway in the quarterfinals.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jonas Vingegaard takes Tour de France lead at Stage 1 team time trial
UAE Team Emirates XRG’s Tadej Pogacar in action during Stage 12 – Cycling – Tour de France – Stage 12 – Auch to Hautacam – Hautacam, France – July 17, 2025
Jonas Vingegaard leaned into his Team Visma/Lease a Bike teammates and grabbed the yellow jersey after Stage 1 of the Tour de France on Saturday at Barcelona, Spain.
The stage marked the return of a team trial to the Tour de France, with a new format as each rider was timed individually, instead of receiving a collective team time. A team time trial was last contested in the 2019 event and was last used as the opening stage in 1971.
Denmark’s Vingegaard broke from his teammates during a pair of 1.1-kilometer climbs before the finish line and completed the 19.6-kilometer course in 21 minutes, 47 seconds. He was eight seconds faster that Italy’s Filippo Ganna of Netcompany INEOS, while two-time defending champion and Slovenian native Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates was in third, 12 seconds off the lead.
Spain’s Juan Ayuso was fourth, 16 seconds behind Vingegaard.
“I would say it’s a perfect start,” said Vingegaard, who won the Giro d’Italia stage race in May. “It’s still a long tour, but it’s a perfect start. My teammates did an amazing job today. They were so strong. I didn’t have to do too much, to be honest. They just drove me to the finish.”
Vingegaard won consecutive Tour de France titles in 2022 and 2023, but was removed from cycling’s throne by Pogacar, who won the event in 2024 and 2025. That made Pogacar a four-time champion after also winning in 2020 and 2021.
Despite his third-place finish in the opening stage, Pogacar is well within striking distance to win his record-tying fifth title. Pogacar rallied on the late uphill section of the course with the fastest time over the final 3.3 kilometers to earn the polka-dot jersey, given to the top climber.
Sunday’s Stage 2 is a hilly 168.5-kilometer course that travels through Spain from Tarragona and along the Mediterranean Sea before heading inland and finishing at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium.
The race will enter France during Stage 3 on Monday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers activate RHP Chris Martin, place RHP Jakob Junis on IL
Apr 8, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Chris Martin (31) throws to the plate during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images The Texas Rangers activated right-hander Chris Martin from the injured list on Saturday and placed right-hander Jakob Junis on the IL retroactive to Wednesday.
Martin, 40, has been out for just over a month with a right shoulder impingement. He was 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA over 12 relief appearances this season and is 19-25 with a 3.45 ERA over 430 relief appearances in 11 seasons for seven different clubs.
Junis, 33, is dealing with a right hip impingement. He is 1-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 31 appearances (one start) for the Rangers this season, and in 10 career seasons, he is 47-47 with a 4.29 ERA in 280 appearances (117 starts) for six different clubs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alexander Zverev through to 4th round at Wimbledon
Germany’s Alexander Zverev in action against the United States’ Marcos Giron at Wimbledon on July 4, 2026. Alexander Zverev is showing no hangover effects after capturing his first-ever Grand Slam event.
The French Open champion, who has typically struggled on the grass at Wimbledon, reached the fourth round with a convincing 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Marcos Giron on Saturday.
The German served brilliantly, smashing 17 aces to only three double-faults and won 54-of-70 first-serve points.
After a routine first set, neither player flinched in the second, leading to a tie-breaker. Zverev sprinted to a 6-2 lead in the breaker, but Giron held off three consecutive set points before succumbing on the second seed’s forehand volley winner.
“He (Giron) is somebody who plays fantastic on grass and he shows it every time he steps out on the surface,” Zverev said. “He has won tour-level events on the surface, I knew that I had to be a hundred per cent ready from the first point onwards and I am very happy to be through in straight sets.”
Zverev has never been past the fourth round in London. To do so, he will have to take out No. 13 Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, who edged Spain’s Jaume Munar, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Lehecka blasted 52 winners in the four-set win and staved off six of Munar’s eight break point opportunities.
Zverev is 1-1 versus Lehecka, but the two have not played since 2023.
In the other quarter of the bracket, fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur outlasted Zachary Svajda, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 and No. 9 Flavio Cobolli of Italy rallied to knock off Russia’s Karen Khachanov, 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2.
The Australian took advantage of Svajda’s second serve, winning 35-of-50 points and converting eight break point chances. He also was efficient at the net, winning 22-of-27 while moving forward in the two-hour, 40-minute match.
“I feel great. I’m happy to get through the first week. This is the first goal of the tournament, obviously,” De Minaur said. “It’s getting down to crunch time, I guess. I’m happy with the way I have been playing. The body is feeling great. I thought today was probably the best I moved around the court.”
Cobolli, the French Open runner-up to Zverev, won only nine points in the first set. But after splitting a pair of tie-breakers, he flipped the early script, recording 22 winners and only 10 unforced errors.
de Minaur has won both matches against Cobolli, but the two hard-hitting baseliners have not played since 2024.
–Field Level Media
Jonas Vingegaard takes Tour de France lead at Stage 1 team time trial
Rangers activate RHP Chris Martin, place RHP Jakob Junis on IL
