Sports
Defensive Switzerland set sights on stifling Lionel Messi, Argentina
July 7, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after the match as Argentina qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images The knockout stage of the World Cup has not been easy for defending champion Argentina.
They needed extra time in the round of 32 to earn a 3-2 victory against Cape Verde before requiring a late rally from a two-goal deficit against Egypt to claim a 3-2 win in the round of 16.
Goals may be harder to come by for Argentina against defensive-minded Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Saturday night in Kansas City, Mo.
“It wasn’t easy to come back from a 2-0 deficit in a World Cup knockout match – especially given how games are going these days, where no one gives you anything for free,” Argentina star Lionel Messi said. “But thank God, we did it once again.”
Messi, who earlier missed a penalty kick, scored the tying goal in the 83rd minute Tuesday in Atlanta before Enzo Fernandez netted the winner in the second minute of second-half stoppage time. Cristian Romero sparked the comeback with a goal in the 79th minute off a Messi assist.
The 39-year-old Messi has a record 21 World Cup tallies for his career. He owns eight goals in this World Cup, tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe for the most in the tourney. Mbappe, though, has played one more match, with his team already through to the semifinals.
“Especially for those players on the bench, the players who watch Lionel Messi play and can’t believe what they’re watching – he should be a role model for them,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “He tries again and again, and I get goosebumps.”
Swiss captain Granit Xhaka and defender Ricardo Rodriguez are the only members left from the 2014 squad that lost 1-0 in extra time to Messi and Argentina in the round of 16 at Brazil.
“I don’t know that we can stop him over 90 minutes. It’s going to be difficult,” said Xhaka, referring to Messi. “But we have to be smart, compact, close the gaps and not give him too many spaces. We just try to play our game.”
Argentina is riding an 11-match unbeaten streak in the World Cup. They’ve scored multiple times in each of those games, tied for the longest streak in tournament history.
“It’s obviously a very tough challenge,” said Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji. “But I think we’re ready. I think we can play against any opponent and make it hard for them. We know it’s going to be difficult but we’re going to give our best.”
Switzerland, in the quarterfinals for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 1954, have scored nine goals over their five matches while conceding just three.
They’re coming off a scoreless draw vs. Colombia that they won 4-3 in penalty kicks.
“We know Argentina has many fine qualities. Few talk about the Swiss qualities,” Xhaka said. “(Saturday) we will talk on the pitch, and we will show what we can do, and everything else doesn’t matter.”
Switzerland will be without productive midfielder Johan Manzambi, who racked up three goals and two assists in their first four matches of the event, for the second straight match because of a knee injury.
“We tried everything we could to get him back in peak form,” Swiss coach Murat Yakin said. “Momentum was on his side, and there was so much joy when he plays, and he has his teammates by his side. Everything worked out so well for him until now.”
The winner of Saturday’s match will play either Norway or England on Wednesday in Atlanta with a berth in the World Cup final on July 19 at East Rutherford, N.J., on the line.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michigan removes interim tag, names Mike Boynton Jr. as coach
Michigan assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. practices at open practice at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday, April 3, 2026. Michigan named Mike Boynton Jr. as its new head coach on Friday.
Boynton, 44, agreed to a two-year contract with the Wolverines. He was named interim coach by athletic director Warde Manuel on June 23 after Dusty May accepted the head coaching role with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
“I’m grateful to Warde for his confidence and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program,” Boynton said in a statement. “We have built a championship culture and a standard that everyone associated with this program takes great pride in. We have an outstanding group of players, and I’m excited to get to work and continue the success we’ve established together.”
Boynton spent seven seasons as the head coach at Oklahoma State before spending the last two as an assistant at Michigan. He helped guide the Wolverines to a school-record 37 wins and a national championship last season.
“Mike is a veteran assistant with strong head coaching experience and a clear understanding of the standard we expect at Michigan,” Manuel said in a statement. “Over the past two seasons, he has been an invaluable member of our staff, bringing stability, leadership and perspective during an important period of success. Our players and staff believe in his vision, are committed to his leadership and are excited for the opportunity to pursue great success together this season.”
Boynton left Stillwater with a 119-109 record that included 20-win seasons in 2017-18, 2020-21 and 2022-23.
The Cowboys made the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed before losing in the second round. They played in the NIT in 2018 and 2023.
At Michigan, Boynton burnished his reputation as a top player-development coach by mentoring three of the top 12 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft: Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara.
–Field Level Media
Sports
UFC 329 ticket prices soar as Dana White predicts record gate
Conor McGregor fights Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena in 2021. The get-in ticket price for UFC 329 has soared above $1,000 and UFC president Dana White is projecting a UFC record gate for Saturday night’s card in Las Vegas featuring Conor McGregor’s return against Max Holloway.
McGregor (22-6 MMA) will return to the Octagon for the first time in more than five years to face Holloway (27-9 MMA) in a five-round welterweight main event at T-Mobile Arena. The get-in price had increased 14% over the past three days to $1,038 as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday, according to ticket-tracking service TicketData.com.
The price peaked at $2,377 back on May 17 but fell as low as $887 on Monday night. Perhaps related, that was about an hour before the United States men’s national team kicked off in a World Cup knockout match against Belgium. Had the USMNT won, they would have played Spain in a quarterfinal game in Los Angeles on Friday.
Since the U.S. was eliminated from the World Cup, the get-in ticket price for UFC 329 steadily rose throughout the week and surpassed $1,000 early Friday morning.
McGregor is returning to the Octagon for the first time since suffering a broken left tibia and fibula in a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. White said Saturday night’s event, which closes out International Fight Week, will produce the biggest gate in UFC history at $25 million.
The current record is $21.8 million for UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
McGregor, 37, was originally scheduled to return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024 to conclude their Ultimate Fighter 31 rivalry after the show aired in 2023. However, a McGregor toe injury forced a postponement, and the match was never rescheduled. He now returns to the welterweight division for the first time in six years.
The Irishman scored a unanimous decision victory over Holloway in August 2013 at a UFC Fight Night event in Boston in McGregor’s second UFC appearance.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Holloway is making his official welterweight debut after a historic run at 145 and 155 pounds over the last decade-plus. He is coming off the loss of his “BMF” title to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 in March.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alexander Zverev to face Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon final
Alexander Zverev defeated hometown wild card Arthur Fery to advance to the Wimbledon men’s final. Second-seeded Alexander Zverev put an end to the “Fery-tale” run of a British wild card on Friday and punched his ticket to the Wimbledon final for the first time, where he’ll face defending champ Jannik Sinner, who knocked out seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Zverev recorded a 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arthur Fery in 2 hours, 14 minutes to advance to Sunday’s final at the All England Club in London.
“It’s amazing. This is the one that I’ve always struggled with the most. Now I’m in the final at Wimbledon,” Zverev said.
No. 1 seed Sinner, meanwhile, defeated Djokovic in straight sets in the semifinals for the second straight year at Wimbledon, this time notching a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.
However, Sinner may have been thinking more about his most recent matchup against Djokovic, a five-set loss in the Australian Open semis in January, as the Italian dominated the 24-time major winner in two hours and 20 minutes to leave no questions this time.
“We always have very tough matches, and the last one he won in the semis in Australia,” Sinner said of his rivalry with Djokovic. The pair are 2-2 at Wimbledon but Sinner has won six of the seven most recent matchups to lead 7-5 overall against the Serbian.
“So I tried to make a couple of adjustments, even though here on grass it is very difficult,” Sinner said. “I tried to stay quite aggressive, serving very well which helped me a lot today. He’s probably the best returner we have in our game, so I tried to mix it up.”
Sinner won 88 percent (45/51) of points behind his first serve, knocked down 16 aces, and saved the only break point he faced against Djokovic.
Zverev, 29, notched his second straight major final appearance. The German won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open last month with a five-set victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in Paris.
Should Zverev win Sunday, he will become just the seventh man in the Open Era to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year. Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz also accomplished that feat.
“It’s not gonna be easy no matter who it is against,” Zverev said after his win, which was completed before the Sinner-Djokovic match. “But I have to trust myself and believe I can win. That’s what I’m gonna do.”
Fery, who was ranked 114th in the world, was the second wild card to reach a Wimbledon semifinal after 2001 titlist Goran Ivanisevic. Fery, whose 24th birthday is on Sunday, grew up less than a mile from the All England Club.
–Field Level Media
Michigan removes interim tag, names Mike Boynton Jr. as coach
UFC 329 ticket prices soar as Dana White predicts record gate
