See, this is how conspiracy theories get started.This deep into the World Cup, every goal, every VAR review, every single touch carries possible title implications. And, by the same rationale, every touch also carries the potential for sinister conspiracy at least in the eyes of those whose squad ends up on the wrong end of the call.Conspiracy-minded World Cup fans always have a bounty of evidence to fuel their dark suspicions, and 2026 has brought a whole new set of potential reddit threads: overturned red cards, suspiciously late calls, debatable VAR decisions. Saturdays England-Norway match brought us new variants for Norse conspiracists including The Cable of God.Forty years ago, Argentina bounced England from the World Cup with Diego Maradonas infamous Hand of God move a goal he punched into the net with his left hand. Saturday brought a moment being called the Cable of God, which is descriptive if not exactly theologically sound.The scenario: late in the first half, Norway snared a 1-0 lead off the toe of Andreas Schjelderup. But just minutes later, England flipped the pitch, and Jude Bellingham thundered in a strike to equalize. Magnificent! Glorious! And, as it turned out, controversial!TV replays appeared to show Norway keeper Orjan Nylans goal kick clipping an overhead camera cable before dropping sharply in the path of Englands Elliot Anderson. And, since play wasnt halted, well equalized!On the play that led to England's equalizer, the ball hit the FIFA sky cam before the goal. pic.twitter.com/QZgYSVcSpK FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 11, 2026Norways coaches immediately took issue with the no-call, first approaching the officials and, in one case, the media. Before the goal, the ball hits the wire with the camera and the ball changes direction and the ball becomes shorter than it should have been, Norway assistant coach Kent Bergersen told Norways TV2 at the half. The referee should have looked into that. Theres nothing we can do about it now. Well just have to grit our teeth.FIFA, however, contended in a later social media post that the sensors in the ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball.England manager Thomas Tuchel said after the match that he hadnt seen the incident but acknowledged his team benefited from key moments going its way. Im not saying that we were lucky to win, but we were lucky in decisive moments, Tuchel said. You need moments where youre lucky. Otherwise, its just not possible.Eleven minutes into the second half, Norway apparently did grit their teeth when Torbjrn Heggem converted a corner kick into what sure seemed to be a 2-1 lead. But the dreaded VAR review found a victim: modern-day viking Erling Haaland. While jostling for position, Haaland apparently shoved Anderson just a wee bit too hard.Norway nearly regained the lead over England, but a foul was called after a VAR check pic.twitter.com/LdQ7aNoVmL FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 11, 2026Verdict: No goal!Now, in the interest of fairness, England had a goal disallowed late in the first half, when Harry Kane punched in the ball while offside. And officials waved off a potential England penalty kick when video review determined that Englands Djed Spence wasnt actually tripped in the box.But heres the issue that the World Cup has created: When VAR is literally used to determine whether a players hair contacted a ball in play, youre setting a standard that analysis on a molecular level is acceptable. And therefore, any time theres a provable but uncalled mistake, like a ball hitting a cable, theres justifiable range from the wronged party.The easiest way to avoid falling victim to a conspiracy theory, though, is to render it irrelevant. Norway had its chances throughout the entire match, and failed over the course of 120-plus minutes to net a second legitimate goal. Haaland, so dominant throughout this World Cup, was all but invisible Saturday night, with just two shots and only one on target.This marked the high-water point in Norways national team history, and the future looks bright for the Vikings and their waves of fans. But thanks to Saturdays debatable moments, theyll have plenty to gnaw on as they row back across the Atlantic.

To the dismay of England's biggest haters, it might be finally coming home. England took down Norway in extra time in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, winning 2-1. But as the Three Lions didn't need penalty kicks to advance, there were enough things that went down in Saturday's match that could lead to England's critics to say that it got lucky. That's how former Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel certainly felt about England's win. "England, they've gotten over the line. Were they great today? No, absolutely not. I think Norway were the better team," Schmeichel said on FOX Sports' "World Cup Now." "But England have, as I keep saying, this star quality. They have the small margins that go their way. And you have to pull those margins onto your way when you've got incredibly good players." Of course, former England star Peter Crouch found that statement to be a bit blasphemous. "No doubt England were the better side. No doubt," Crouch said. "They defended and managed the game the way they needed to, created chances and towards the end, they brought in substitutions. ... That's how you win football matches, and England did that." On the stat sheet, England had a clear edge. The Three Lions won the possession battle (52-48), expected goals (0.96-0.77), shots on target (8-4) and accurate pass percentage (91-85). However, England was on the right side of arguably the match's two biggest calls. England's first goal came after Norway goalkeeper rjan Nyland's goal kick might have hit a cable wire. If it did, there should've been a VAR check, but there wasn't one. In the second half, Norway's goal that would've given it a 2-1 lead was disallowed after it was determined Erling Haaland committed a foul before a corner kick following a VAR check. Schmeichel was mystified that a foul was called on Haaland's push of England midfielder Elliot Anderson on that play. "If I get pushed over like that, I'd be embarrassed," Schmeichel said. "It's funny that the English used to hate that, but now you're applauding it. "I'm probably just a Danish who just likes tough football." Crouch, again, disagreed. "He's put two hands on him, he's pushed him over. I don't know what more you want, it's a definite foul," Crouch said. "He's got two hands on him and he's pushing him over. What do you want him to do there? Stand there? You have to go down to get the foul. If you don't, then you don't get." Still, Schmeichel thought that England embellished contact for much of Saturday's match. "They've had massive success in getting fouls, I'll tell you that," Schmeichel said. "It's funny that 20 years ago, all the English used to hate it and say that the foreigners were diving. "I feel like Norway has been very unlucky. There's been some key decisions that have gone against them." As Schmeichel continued to iterate that England was lucky, midfielder Jude Bellingham showed off his star ability in the Three Lions' win. He scored both goals in the victory, scoring on his weak foot on an impressive goal before his determination helped him score the game-winning goal in extra time. With the two goals, Bellingham now has six goals in the tournament. He now only trails Lionel Messi (8), Kylian Mbapp (8) and Erling Haaland (7) in the Golden Boot race. "Look at the players on that list ... they don't give you much defensively. Bellingham, he gets around the pitch," Crouch said of Bellingham's standing in the Golden Boot race. "He does his work. He makes clearances. He dribbles with the ball. He can set goals up and he's got six goals. You believe he's gonna score every single game now. I believe he believes as well." Bellingham has also scored four goals in the last two matches. He opened up the scoring in England's impressive victory over Mexico in the round of 16, as the Three Lions are now onto the semifinals at the World Cup. "I'm so proud of the lads. Thankfully, I was able to go to into the camp and they're such good lads," Crouch said. "There's a real togetherness. They've dragged themselves through what was really tough conditions today. They were amazing in the Azteca. They've performed when they've needed to. Their players have produced when they've needed to. It's a semifinal for the England team. It's incredible." And as for Schmeichel, former England women's national team star Alex Scott has an idea of how to handle the haters like him. "We need to get Kasper some drinks later," Scott quipped.

SportsLine's Martin Green reveals his picks for Spain vs. France in the World Cup 2026 semifinals on Tuesday

The Milwaukee Brewers will not have ace Jacob Misiorowski on the mound Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates as scheduled. Manager Pat Murphy said Misiorowski "just didn't bounce back" after his last start. He said the best term for what his pitcher is dealing with is "fatigue."Misiorowski getting scratched from his last start ahead of next week's All-Star break will give him extra time to rest, but it will keep fans from seeing a highly anticipated pitching duel. Milwaukee will instead start Robert Gasser (2-3, 4.15 ERA) on Sunday.Pittsburgh will start Paul Skenes, who is in his third season and has already won the NL Rookie of the Year Award (2024) and the NL Cy Young Award (2025).Misiorowski missed out on winning Rookie of the Year last year, but that hasn't stopped him from breaking records already. The 24-year-old already holds two records. Misiorowski has thrown MLB history's fastest pitch by a starting pitcher (105.5 mph) and has thrown the most 100-plus mph pitches in a single game (57).With the Brewers and Pirates being divisional rivals, surely these two young stars will get slated to pitch against each other soon, but it will not be Sunday.Misiorowski getting scratched from his start also means he will miss Tuesday's All-Star Game. Last year, the pitcher was controversially added to the NL roster, but he has certainly earned the nod this year, posting a 10-4 record and 1.62 ERA (lowest in MLB) and striking out 167 batters (most in MLB) in 111 innings of work. The Brewers are 59-36 and in first place in the NL Central. The Pirates are 48-47 and have taken the first two games of this three-game divisional series by sweeping Saturday's doubleheader.

Erling Haalands day ended earlier than many expected. About 15 minutes later, Norways run in the World Cup ended as well. The Vikings biggest star didnt shine Saturday. Haaland was a nonfactor for much of his teams quarterfinal against England and at least in part because of the strain of dealing with hot and humid conditions in South Florida was taken out with Norways hopes hanging in the balance going into the final 15 minutes of extra time. The final score: England 2, Norway 1. Haaland was kept off the scoresheet for the first time in this World Cup; he had scored seven times in his four appearances going into Saturday, but barely had a chance to add to that total Saturday. "This has been an insane journey," Haaland said. Haaland acknowledged afterward that his energy was gone as the game, which was played with a heat index topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), wore along. "It was not a tough decision to take him out," Norway coach Stle Solbakken said. "He was finished. Maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before. ... He also got a dead leg in the second half, so that combined with the fatigue. He did everything he could." The Manchester City striker was, without question, one of the stars of the tournament but England silenced him. And his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, Jude Bellingham, wound up stealing the show by scoring both goals. Haaland and Bellingham shared an embrace when the game ended, before the Norwegian striker made the long, slow walk from the field to the locker room for the final time in this World Cup. He was already a star within the sport coming into the tournament but his larger-than-most-in-soccer frame and larger-than-life personality, combined with his long blond hair and unique mannerisms, turned Haaland into a soccer folk hero. "I think this has changed my life, to be honest," Haaland said. Englands plan forged in part by his Manchester City teammates and others who have played with and against him at the club level was clear: Do not let Haaland get the ball. It was largely successful. Haaland had two shot attempts in the game, one on goal, and was virtually silenced after the first half. There was a 2-on-1 chance late in the first half where a pass didnt go his way; if it had, that may have been his best scoring opportunity. There wasnt much for him to get excited about the rest of the way. He stayed on the field for a few minutes after the final whistle, saluting Norways fans after the teams best World Cup run ever. When the 2030 tournament rolls around, it wont be a surprise if Norway makes another deep run and thats clearly going to be the goal. "I think we put Norway on the map," he said. Reporting by The Associated Press.

Green taught his former friend a lesson he won't soon forget at UFC 329

CINCINNATI (AP) Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.Michael Busch had three hits and Carson Kelly also went deep for the Cubs, who improved to 3-2 on their six-game trip before the All-Star break.All of Cincinnati's runs came via the long ball as Nathaniel Lowe, Eugenio Surez and JJ Bleday homered. The Reds fell to 6-21 against NL Central teams.Drew Pomeranz (2-3), the second of six Chicago pitchers used, got the win. Trent Thornton came in with two outs in the ninth and runners at the corners to get Sal Stewart to hit into a game-ending ground out for his third save.Bregman was in a 2-for-18 slump before he connected on a sweeper from Julian Garcia (0-2) and drove it down the left-field line to put the Cubs back on top. Seiya Suzuki drew a walk to lead off the inning.The Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Lowe and Surez hit back-to-back homers off Javier Assad. The Cubs got within a run on an RBI base hit by Suzuki in the fifth before Kelly led off the sixth with a solo shot to center off Nick Lodolo. The left-hander exited the game after giving up the homer due to a blister on his left index finger.Kelly is batting .298 (14 for 47) with three home runs and 13 RBIs in his last 15 games.Caleb Ferguson came on and gave up a single to Busch, who gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead when he scored on Ian Happ's double to left-center.Cincinnati promptly tied it at 3 in the bottom of the frame on Bleday's drive to right field. Up nextThe Cubs send left-hander Matthew Boyd (4-1, 4.31 ERA) to the mound Sunday. Lefty Andrew Abbott (5-5, 3.92 ERA) goes for the Reds.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Left-hander Justin Wrobleski became the sixth member of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the National League All-Star roster and Chicago outfielder Tristan Peters was added to the American League squad on Saturday, a day after becoming the seventh White Sox player to hit for the cycle. Washington left-hander Foster Griffin also was added. Wrobleski replaced Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns, who won't be active for Tuesday night's game at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park because of tightness in his right groin. Peters took the roster spot of Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, who was put on the injured list because of a sprained right thumb. Griffin replaced Milwaukee pitcher Braxton Ashcraft, who threw 98 pitches Saturday against Pittsburgh. Wrobleski, 26, is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings. He joins two-way star Shohei Ohtani, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy and outfielder Andy Pages as Dodgers All-Stars. Ohtani will have his left knee drained Sunday to relieve continued irritation and will not go to Philadelphia. Peters joins White Sox teammates Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami on the All-Star roster. Murakami, a rookie slugger from Japan, was added Friday just hours before he returned to action against the Athletics after missing six weeks with a right hamstring strain. Still a rookie at 26, the speedy, slick-fielding Peters is batting .303 with six homers and 35 RBIs is his first full major league season. He has 20 doubles and three triples; the most recent came in the seventh inning of Chicago's rout of the Athletics on Friday that made Peters the first White Sox player to hit for the cycle since Jose Abreu in September 2017. Chicago obtained Peters' rights last December from Tampa Bay. He appeared in only four games with the Rays last season without a hit in 12 plate appearances, but the one-time Savannah Banana has taken off in Chicago. "The White Sox gave me this opportunity and I went into it just trying to make the most out of it and just be who I am as a player, too," Peters said. "I know there was a lot of bunting in the beginning and just trying to figure out who I am at the big league level and you know they give space for that, too. Just an incredibly supportive group and that's helped me thrive." A native of Winkler, Manitoba, Peters became the second Canadian to record a cycle. He joins Cleveland right-hander Cade Smith and Miami infielder Otto Lopez, who holds dual Canadian-Dominican citizenship, as Canadians on the 2026 All-Star roster. Peter's said becoming an All-Star was a pipe dream at the start of the season. But after several months, he thought it might become a possibility. "I guess toward the end of this first half, I was like OK, maybe there's a chance,' but there's a lot of really, really talented players in this league," he said. Kurtz is batting .266 with 20 home runs, 66 RBIs and a league-leading 76 walks. The 23-year-old was the AL rookie of the year last season, when he batted .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs. He landed on injured list for the second time in his career after being sidelined with a strained left hip flexor in May 2025. Griffin, back in the major leagues after three seasons pitching in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, is 10-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 19 starts. "Im later in my career, and it happened now and Im super grateful for that and super proud of that," the 30-year-old Griffin said. "Just looking back over all the time and effort and work I put in, its a huge honor and Im excited for it."

Royval won't be replaced by a new generation of flyweights

Who won Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2? Updated results for full UFC 329 card originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.While all MMA fans' eyes will be honed in on Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 at the end of the night, the rest of the UFC 329 card does have some eye-catching names to look out for.Most notably, England's Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett returns after losing his first fight in nine cage arrivals. He will look to rebound against fellow lightweight Benoit Saint Denis.Cory Sandhagen will face off against Mario Bautista, while Brandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh will precede that. Leading off the main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will be King Green-Terrance McKinney.Here's a look at the results from Saturday's card, which features McGregor's return to the cage.MORE:Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 live updates, highlightsWho won Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2?McGregor vs. Holloway has yet to kick off fromT-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET, while McGregor and Holloway will likely take to the cage at around 11:30 p.m. ET.This section will be updated once McGregor vs. Holloway 2 concludes.MORE:What time does McGregor vs. Holloway 2 actually start?Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 full card resultsHere's a look at the result from each fight on Saturday's McGregor-Holloway card:Main CardConor McGregor vs. Max HollowayBenoit Saint Denis vs. Paddy PimblettMario Bautistadef.Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28, 29-28)Brandon Royval def. Lone'er Kavanagh via submission (3:40 into Round 3)King Green def. Terrance McKinney via TKO (4:59 into Round 1)PrelimsRobert Whittaker def. Nikita Krylov via TKO (1:01into Round 3)Gable Stevenson def. Elisha Ellison via TKO (2:31into Round 1)Adrian Yanezdef.Cody Garbrandt via TKO (2:47 into Round 1)Luke Riley def. Kai Kamaka III via TKO (3:03 into Round 1)Early PrelimsWang Cong def.Tracy Cortes via unanimous decision (29-27,29-27,29-27)Damian Pinas def. Cesar Almeida via TKO (4:44into Round 1)Farid Basharat def. John Garza via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28,30-27)Ryan Gandra def. Zachary Reese via TKO (1:15 into Round 1)Alessandro Costa def. Cody Durden via submission (2:19 intoRound 2)MORE:What is SN's Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway prediction?