Cristiano Ronaldo walked off at halftime in Houston. The Portuguese star left the field after the first half of the World Cup Group K clash with Congo on June 17, 2026. The match unfolded at a packed stadium, and the Portuguese side kept pressing while Congo made a spirited debut.
Ronaldo’s exit was the headline moment. He didn’t return for the second half, and the crowd watched the rest of the game without him. The Portuguese squad adjusted their attack, and the Congolese players kept fighting for every ball.
The game continued with both sides seeking a win. Portugal aimed to stay on track in the group, while Congo hoped to make a strong impression in their first World Cup appearance. The final result will shape the next round of matches.
Fox Sports has denied any issues with ESPN over World Cup coverage this week, after a story suggested the network was frustrated by the Worldwide Leader’s lack of content around the tournament. Earlier this week, Front Office Sports reported that anonymous Fox executives had taken issue with ESPN’s minimal coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after its daytime studio shows had seemingly pledged to do so.
Rafael van der Vaart was midway through a tidy breakdown of a blown defensive assignment when he decided to editorialize on the ethnicity of the players involved. The former Tottenham and Real Madrid midfielder — now a pundit for Dutch broadcaster NOS — was dissecting the Netherlands’ stoppage-time collapse against Japan, a match that ended in a frantic 2-2 draw after Daichi Kamada converted a deflected header in the 88th minute. ¡TREMENDO GOLAZO DE JAPÓN! ¡LO EMPATAN EN LO ÚLTIMO! Daichi Kamada marca con un CABEZAZO en un tiro de esquina y empareja el encuentro ante Países Bajos. ¿El mejor pa
FYI, if you ever find yourself interviewing French tennis player Corentin Moutet: Make sure you’re broadcasting on a delay. Moutet, currently the No. 36-ranked men’s tennis player, defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(5) in the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in London.
Fox Sports and Big Noon Kickoff will be live from London this fall when American college football once again descends on the United Kingdom. According to a report from On3’s Brett McMurphy, the Fox studio show will make its first-ever international appearance at this year’s inaugural Union Jack Classic, scheduled for Sept. 19 between Arizona State and Kansas at Wembley Stadium. The show will be in its usual time slot leading up to the noon ET kickoff from London, though the game will air on FS1, per McMurphy.
With the United States and Australia set to face off in group play at the World Cup on Friday, comments from an American soccer commentator about the Australian national team have become a major storyline Down Under—even as the controversy has barely registered in the United States. It was CBS Sports Golazo commentator Mike Grella who first called the Australian soccer team a “layup” during live coverage of the World Cup draw, prompting significant pushback from Australian soccer fans and commentators. “Layup for the US.
The opening games of the 2026 World Cup have been all about the biggest stars in the world showing up on the biggest stage in the world, except for one notable disappointment — Cristiano Ronaldo. On Tuesday, Kylian Mbappe scored twice in France’s victory over Senegal. Erling Haaland also scored twice in Norway’s win against Iraq.
Rather than the multiple incredible knockouts or even the red-white-and-blue pageantry of the UFC Freedom 250 card, a considerable amount of the reaction to the White House-hosted event has centered on heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit, who in a post-match interview tried to egg on the audience by stating that the former First Lady was a man. While UFC president Dana White denounced Hokit’s racist comments in a statement to Time magazine after the event, Hokit has not apologized or walked them back, which echoed a similarly ugly message toward WNBA star Brittney Griner earlier this year. And whil
With the World Cup coming to North America, there’s been a concerted effort to try to connect the world’s game to the most popular sport in America, the NFL. And no one did it quite like Fox analyst Kasper Schmeichel with the England national team and the Dallas Cowboys. It was only fitting that England were playing Croatia in the house that Jerry Jones built for the Cowboys at what FIFA is calling “Dallas Stadium,” even though it’s in Arlington.
ESPN NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill has taken a lot of heat over his comments this week on Get Up in calling the Larry O’Brien Trophy a “participation trophy” given the recent parity the Association is seeing. And now that heat is even coming from his ESPN colleagues. Goodwill unleashed one of the most unusual takes we’ve ever seen on Tuesday when arguing that dynasties were better for the sport than an era of increased competition.
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