Sports
Report: FIFA to hand out discipline for Cup comments
July 11, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S.; England manager Thomas Tuchel reacts. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images There has been no shortage of complaining by coaches and players at the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA has definitely taken note, but, just like four years ago after the games in Qatar, the governing body will wait until after the tournament has concluded before sanctioning those who have crossed the line.
According to The Athletic, FIFA declined to comment on any current or future disciplinary action taken against the most outspoken critics of officiating, but those are likely to occur in the coming weeks and months.
Critics include Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan in the wake of Argentina’s come-from-behind 3-2 victory in the round of 16 on July 7. His outrage was directed toward French referee Francois Letexier.
“We were the best in everything, but the result was … there were factors influencing it, not external, but internal on the pitch, and external before the match,” Hossam said after the game.
“It is clear that the pressure put on the referee before the match by the Argentine side succeeded, because they objected to the referee, bringing up France, and the France national team. There seems to have been pressure on the Argentine side on the referee that has brought about this outcome.”
FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, responded on July 9 in regard to preferential treatment given to the defending champions.
“Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials,” Collina said. “When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.”
One round later, Swiss defender Manuel Akanji lambasted Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro after his squad’s 3-1 loss to Argentina. Switzerland had just knotted the game at 1-1 in the 67th minute, but five minutes later Pinheiro sent off Breel Embolo, reversing his foul called on the field after a VAR review.
Argentina scored twice in extra time to advance to the semifinals.
“When you have the referee against you, it becomes difficult,” Akanji said. “Every little thing was called against us. Every dive and every foul by the Argentinians went unpunished.
“I don’t usually say anything against the officials, but I’ve never experienced such a one-sided game as today.”
England coach Thomas Tuchel has also been critical of the officiating, particularly the red card for defender Jarell Quansah in the round of 16 win over Mexico.
In that case, the target was Australian referee Alireza Faghani.
“It’s not good enough,” Tuchel said. “He (the referee) can send any team out in any moment. It’s just not good enough. It’s just erratic, it’s just unreliable in matches.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sun hold off furious rally from Fire, win as buzzer-beater fails
Jul 14, 2026; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) shoots the ball against Portland Fire forward Emily Engstler (21) in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Reserve Aaliyah Edwards scored 21 points as the Connecticut Sun withstood a comeback try by the Portland Fire and hung on for a 90-87 victory in Uncasville, Conn., on Tuesday afternoon.
Edwards scored 15 points in the first half and made 9-of-13 shots overall as the Sun (6-18) avoided a third straight loss.
Britney Griner added 20 in her return from a groin injury as the Sun survived being outscored 24-18 in the final 10 minutes.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 16 and Leila Lacan contributed 14 for the Sun, who shot 52.2% and survived a missed 3-point try at the buzzer by Portland’s Bridget Carleton that would have forced overtime.
Carla Leite led the Fire (10-14) with 18 points and Megan Gustafson contributed 15. Emily Engstler chipped in 14 and Carleton finished with 12 as the Fire shot 48.3% but finished 9-of-26 on 3-point tries.
The Sun outscored the Fire 11-4 in the final 3:36 of the first quarter to take a 32-23 lead. Nelson-Odoba sank a 16-footer for a 13-point lead two minutes into the second, Griner’s layup opened a 46-32 lead with 5:37 left and the Sun held a 50-40 lead at halftime.
The Sun took a 15-point lead with 1:42 remaining in the third on a free throw by Raegan Beers and settled for a 72-63 lead into the fourth after allowing the final five points.
Portland scored the first eight points of the fourth and forced a timeout when Gustafson’s layup cut the deficit to 72-71 with 7:52 remaining.
The Sun let the lead slip to one with 7:19 left and held an 84-79 lead on a short jumper by Lacan with 3:23 remaining. After Engstler’s six-footer made it 84-83 with 2:27 left, Edwards sank a 16-footer and a pair of three throws to help the Sun get a 90-83 lead with 73 seconds left.
Carleton sank a 10-footer with 40.9 seconds left to make it 90-87 and blocked a Lacan shot with 20.8.8 seconds left. Following a Portland timeout, the game ended when Carleton shot an airball on a well-contested corner 25-foot attempt.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red-hot rookie Olivia Miles leads Lynx into clash with Sparks
Jun 17, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles (5) drives to the basket against LA Sparks guard Ariel Atkins (7) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images While pursuing their second winning streak of at least four games this season, the Minnesota Lynx have had a knack for keeping things interesting.
Owner of the league’s best record, Minnesota (18-6) seeks a more comfortable showing on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts the Los Angeles Sparks (10-12) in Minneapolis.
The Lynx have had to mount fourth-quarter rallies in each of their last three wins. On Monday, they trailed by eight in the opening minute of the final quarter before an offensive outburst lifted the club to a 104-100 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.
Kayla McBride and rookie Olivia Miles combined for 70 points in Monday’s win, helping the highest-scoring offense in the Western Conference (90.6 points per game) reach triple digits for the fifth time this year.
Miles, in particular, has turned heads just two months into her pro career. With her 33-point, eight-assist outing, the No. 2 overall pick out of TCU became the fastest player in league history to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists (22 games).
“There have been tremendous players in the league, so I just can’t say enough,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Her impact on our team, just the magnitude of it, shouldn’t be understated. … The success of the team is on her shoulders and it’s impressive how she’s handled it.”
Miles’ 19.4 points per game lead the Lynx, while McBride adds 17.0 per night and Natasha Howard averages 16.8.
Los Angeles enters the difficult matchup having dropped six of its last nine games. The Sparks also have gone 1-12 against the Lynx since the beginning of the 2023 season, which includes a 99-83 loss on June 17 in Los Angeles.
Coach Lynne Roberts’ team has been dealt bad luck on the injury front throughout the year. Kelsey Plum (team-high 23.9 points per game) hasn’t played since June 21 with a lower leg injury. Former No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink has appeared in just 14 games — none after June 15 due to a sprained ankle.
“We can’t be entirely outcome-driven. We haven’t been healthy all year,” Roberts said. “The roster that we had on paper has not been the roster that we’ve played with. That’s hard on the players. It’s tough to gain consistency. But that’s what it is. We have to just keep chopping wood.”
Fifteen-year veteran Nneka Ogwumike leads the healthy Sparks with 17.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while Dearica Hamby averages 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Inter Miami acquire Ecuadorian D Fricio Caicedo
Apr 4, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Fans wait to enter the stadium prior to the game between the Inter Miami CF and the Austin FC at Nu Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Inter Miami acquired Ecuadorian defender Fricio Caicedo on loan from Costa Rica’s FC Moravia FCM.
The deal announced Tuesday runs through the 2027 season and includes a purchase option.
Caicedo, 18, is also eligible to occupy a U22 Initiative roster slot with the defending MLS Cup champions.
“Fricio is a young player with tremendous potential and a bright future,” Inter Miami sporting director Alberto Marrero said. “We’re very pleased to welcome him to the project. We believe this is the ideal environment for him to continue developing, grow as a player, and gradually showcase his full potential. He stands out for his physicality, his strength in the air, and his pace when competing for loose balls.”
The ink is dry. Caicedo is officially a Heron ?? pic.twitter.com/gi4Jclf46R
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 14, 2026
The 6-foot-4 center-back acknowledged that playing alongside eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is a dream come true.
“My goals are to play, earn minutes, become a starter and win many trophies,” Caicedo said. “I came to Miami because my dream was to play alongside (Lionel) Messi, who is without a doubt the best player in the world. I’m here to make history and show what I can do.”
Inter Miami will return from the FIFA World Cup break on July 22 against the visiting Chicago Fire.
–Field Level Media
Sun hold off furious rally from Fire, win as buzzer-beater fails
Red-hot rookie Olivia Miles leads Lynx into clash with Sparks
