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Seventy-two matches down, just 32 remaining, and something I've never quite seen before is happening. The 2026 World Cup is a true melting pot of fans, cultures and soccer adoration combined for an unforgettable group stage, and we're not even close to done yet. Whether as a player for Colombia's national team or as a broadcaster, I thought I'd seen it all. Copa Amrica, the London Olympics, World Cups. But this tournament is special. Yes, we've had some phenomenal action on the pitch. Unbelievable goals, gravity-defying saves, awesome underdog victories and superstars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbapp on fire with an all-time Golden Boot race. The football gods are showering us. But with the unique format of this World Cup 48 teams, 16 cities, three countries what's happening off the pitch is just as cool. I've been all over the U.S. covering it: Los Angeles, Dallas, New York/New Jersey, Seattle, Kansas City, my home in Miami. The energy in the stadiums is unmatched, and the vibes are amazing. No wonder so many fans are going viral. Take the USA. Los Angeles Stadium was electric for the Americans' opening win over Paraguay. After beating Australia in Seattle, Mauricio Pochettino chanted and cheered with the crowd, comparing American fans to Argentina's base. Everyone singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was like the fans were part of the team. It was incredible to see what felt like the whole country rally around the team. No doubt that'll help grow the American game even more than we thought hosting a World Cup would. The 47 other fan bases have shined, too. Just look at Kansas and Missouri, where Argentina, the Netherlands, Algeria and England are based for the tournament. Netherlands supporters showed up big time with a massive Oranje Fanwalk in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, while La Albiceleste fans morphed Kansas City, Missouri, into the Buenos Aires of the Midwest. Japan fans led drum-driven marches around Dallas Stadium, and their iconic post-match tradition of cleaning up stadiums is the definition of class. Norway supporters are rowing everywhere, from up escalators to down New York subway aisles. Moroccan fans made up for smaller numbers with dazzling passion. Even Trkiye fans were LOUD loud when their team beat the U.S., despite no chance of advancing to the knockouts. And I can't tell you the number of times I wished I was at a bar with all the Tartan Army as it took over Boston and Miami. I was in Miami for Scotland-Brazil, and although there were many more Brazil fans in attendance, you never would have known with the Tartan Army's spirit. During the Scottish national anthem, an older man basked in the moment, arms outstretched. Families of Brazil and Scotland fans hugged after the anthems, as if to say, "We're just so happy to be here." At that match, Scottish bagpipes merged with Brazilian samba, and whatever that remix was, I need it in my life. That was so freaking cool. True cultural fusion. The blend of cultures is so heartwarming, and maybe that's exactly what people need right now. Saturday night in Miami was particularly personal for me at the Colombia-Portugal match. Unsurprisingly, the stadium was packed with Colombia fans. Incredible. I teared up during the national anthem. Finally, finally, finally, I saw my team play in person and at a tournament that's the perfect depiction of how beautiful a melting pot this country has, it all came together for me in a full-circle moment. When I was a player, I'd often hear about cool fan moments. Sometimes, see them on TV or in real life in the stands. But we didn't know much about the interactions outside of games. Social media changed that. We're more connected now, we have more avenues to share our experiences, and people can't get enough. You could talk numbers, talk goals, make predictions and speculate over the eventual winner. But this tournament is bridging people from all walks of life together, showing the value of community and connection. All the joy and excitement comes down to the people, and that's the beauty of our game. Scattered across North America, World Cup fans are celebrating, uniting and sharing their love for the game and national pride and traditions with each other. Just when I thought our game couldn't get any more beautiful, it did.

While powerhouse nations still dominate, the addition of 16 teams has allowed rising African and CONCACAF sides to prove they belong on the world stage

Mets' Bo Bichette still bothered by botched beginning originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Beginning with two hits in his opening 22 at-bats as a member of the New York Mets, Bo Bichette has yet to make up for lost time.Ending April with a .091 batting average with zero extra base hits, Bichette's high-priced free-agent contract immediately came into question.By the fans.By management.By Bichette, himself.One of this season's most disappointing performers, Bichette entered Sunday batting .254 with 10 homers and 46 RBI.With an average annual salary of $42 million over the next three seasons, Bichette received a D+ for his production and lineup presence.The poor grade can be traced to his start.Slow start still haunting Mets, Bo BichetteBichette is attempting to make up for his lost start with an impressive June, hitting .340 with five homers and 18 RBIs, entering Sunday's game against the NL East-rival Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.One thing Bichette will not be able to make up for is the firing of managerCarlos Mendoza. The well-respected skipper was dismissed Friday with the Mets mired in a six-game losing streak."It's unfortunate," Bichette said, as reported by SNY Mets. "Mendy was good to me. I guess sometimes the manager has to take the fall for the team underperforming."Bichette included.The three-year, $126 million contract Bichette agreed to last offseason included opt-outs after each campaign.Reports surfaced recently that Bichette will again test free agency next winter.If the two-time All-Star does not continue his June surge and the Mets remain in last place, Bichette's financial advisors likely would point to their client staying put.Could he command another $40-plus million deal?Not likely."I really cant imagine why any executive would think that the season hes having would be worthy of opting out, considering that hes going to walk away from so much money that hes not going to find in free agency from anybody else," MLB Network Radio's Steve Phillips said during a recent segment. "Nobodys going to give him $40 million a year, nobodys going to give him $30 million a year, in fact, I dont think anybodys going to give him $20 million a year in free agency if he keeps going the way hes putting this season together this year."More MLB news:Dodgers getting stronger, planning to activate Teoscar HernndezMariners scrap Logan Gilbert-Emerson Hancock piggyback startBlue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. receives failing gradeDissed: Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler left out AL All-Star Game Phase 2 voting

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage is over, and as I said to Zlatan on air: This is the end of the chapter, not the end of the book. We've still got a lot of the book to read, but this was a beefy chapter historically beefy, with a lot of soccer but also a lot of great moments off the field. But it's at the end of this chapter and moving that things get real, real serious. The bracket is set, and now all 32 teams can start to dream about their path to the final. In the spirit of that, I've gone ahead and filled out my bracket. Will the U.S. advance to the round of 16? Will we get a rematch of France and Argentina in the final? Let's dive in: The Bracket The talent in the upper left quadrant made picking a winner nearly impossible to pick the final, but we got there with France and Colombia. I've been talking Colombia up since before the tournament started, so I feel I have to back them. And after their result against Portugal, I feel much better about it, but it would still be incredible for that to happen. But even I can not confidently say Colombia will beat France, the most impressive team of the group stage, in a final scenario. First, Kylian Mbapp was the star. Then Ousmane Dembl was the star. They're deep, everyone's scoring, they're changing and there is just a wealth of talent to choose from. How Far Will The U.S. Go? As I said before the tournament: we should win the round of 32. You win the group, and now you're in the round of 32 against a team you should beat, which is exactly what's happening here. Then you get into the round of 16, where we've always been, and we're going to come up against a team that is on our level or some people think is better than us. And whether that's a Senegal or a Belgium, now you're going to have to really step up. Then you're in ratified air. If it ultimately ends up being Spain in that quarterfinal there oof. That's a hard one. That would be the moment in American soccer history if they were able to beat a team like Spain in the quarterfinals. It's a different proposition, walking out for the round of 16 against Belgium, as opposed to walking out for a quarterfinal game against Spain. If it's somehow Portugal, I'll take that all day. I would feel more confident in the U.S. going through to the semifinals in that scenario than us against someone like Spain.

The asset-rich Charlotte front office got a home run return with the 2033 first-round pick

Against expectation and, perhaps, much of the public mood, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's India debut did not happen in Ireland. The 15-year-old batting sensation remained on the bench for the second T20I against Ireland after also missing out in the series opener, even though India had lost the first match by 34 runs.His omission has surprised many fans and former players. Former England captain Michael Vaughan had said after the first T20I that he "couldn't believe" India left out the teenager.However, instead of judging the decision, to leave Sooryavanshi out, at face value, it may be worth understanding the Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team management's thinking behind it.Making sense of India's decision to not include Sooryavanshi in the XIBefore the series, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had made it clear that India did not want to give Sooryavanshi a game by leaving out someone who had already earned his place through performances."Vaibhav is very talented, there is no doubt. And the way he has batted in IPL and all the other games, there is no need to tell that he has got a lot of natural abilities. Because in IPL he has faced Jofra, a lot of quick bowlers, a lot of experienced bowlers. And it seems that nothing is bothering him. So he is obviously an extraordinary talent," Kotak had said.He added, "I am sure that he will get his dues and his opportunities. So I don't think that just to give him an opportunity, we should drop someone who has already been scoring runs. That also won't be right. I think there is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and you are being unfair to some other player."Those comments suggest India are backing the players who helped win the 2026 T20 World Cup. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan have all been among the runs, and dropping any of them simply to hand Sooryavanshi a debut could send the wrong message.There may be another reason too. India could be allowing Sooryavanshi time to understand the dressing-room environment before asking him to walk out in national colours. It is not unusual for young players to spend a few games watching senior players prepare, train and handle pressure before getting their first opportunity.Captain Shreyas Iyer hinted at the same approach during the toss before the first T20I. Asked if Sooryavanshi would debut, he replied: "Unfortunately, no." He then reassured everyone by adding, "He'll (Sooryavanshi) get his opportunity when the time comes."That opportunity could now come in England, where India begin a five-match T20I series on Wednesday.If selected, Sooryavanshi, aged 15 years and 93 days, would become the youngest player to represent India's senior men's team, breaking the record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who made his Test debut at 16 years and 205 days in 1989 before making his ODI debut 33 days later.He would also become the youngest player to feature in a top-tier men's T20 international, surpassing Ireland's Joshua Little, who was 16 years and 309 days old on debut.The youngest player in men's international cricket remains Pakistan's Hasan Raza, who was 14 years and 227 days old when he made his Test debut in 1996.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more aboutSports Betting on FOX Sports. Canada and South Africa begin the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With both nations making their first-ever appearance in the men's World Cup knockout stage, new users can use bet365 bonus code FOX365 to unlock $150 in bonus bets for a historic match. Canada finished second in Group B, led by the attacking duo of Jonathan David and Cyle Larin. Canada's star player, Alphonso Davies, is expected to make his tournament debut after missing the group stage. South Africa stunned South Korea 1-0 to reach the knockout stage for the first time, with 22-year-old Thapelo Maseko scoring the historic winner. Bafana Bafana also welcomes midfielder Teboho Mokoena back from suspension as it looks to pull off another upset. Use bet365 bonus code FOX365 to claim $150 in bonus bets as the World Cup knockout stage officially gets underway. bet365 How to claim bet365 Promo with Bonus Code FOX365. Canada vs. South Africa Odds *Odds are subject to change* Method of Victory Score or Assist Odds How to Watch South Africa vs. Canada Players to Watch in South Africa vs. Canada Alphonso Davies could make his tournament debut after returning from injury and being available off the bench against Switzerland. Whether he starts or comes on as a substitute, his pace and attacking ability could provide the spark Canada needs in its first-ever World Cup knockout match. Jonathan David leads Canada's attack after bouncing back with a hat trick against Qatar. With Canada missing key midfielder Ismal Kon, David's finishing and movement will be even more important against South Africa's disciplined defense. Teboho Mokoena returns from suspension to anchor South Africa's midfield after missing the group finale. His defensive work and composure on the ball will be crucial if Bafana Bafana hope to frustrate Canada's attack. Thapelo Maseko became South Africa's youngest World Cup goalscorer after netting the winner against South Korea to send his nation into the knockout stage. South Africa will look to the 22-year-old for another decisive moment as it chases a historic round of 16 berth.

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