Bayern Munich's new defender Nathaniel Brown will wear the No. 11 shirt for the club.
The versatile left-back will be wearing the number in a rather unorthodox manner, as the No. 11 is normally ***** ociated with forward players. While defensive players definitely have worn similar numbers before, it is still considered a departure from tradition.
However, Bayern is no stranger to odd number choices, with backup striker Sandro Wagner choosing the No. 2 and central midfielder Xabi Alonso wearing the No. 3 in his debut season. The latter did switch to his preferred No. 14 in the season after, though.
According to board member for sport Max Eberl, as captured by iMiaSanMia, the number was originally offered to winger Michael Olise, who wears the number for France. However, Olise reportedly wanted to keep his No. 17 shirt for Bayern. Whether the number was also offered to fellow winger Luis Díaz is unknown.
Bayern's No. 11 has had a variety of owners over the past decade, including Douglas Costa, James Rodríguez, and Kingsley Coman. The number was most recently worn by Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson. Perhaps the most notable player who wore it was Stefan Effenberg, who captained Bayern to a Bundesliga and Champions League double while wearing said number.

#number #wearing #worn #season

Big Blue Nation gets one more summer night inside Historic Memorial Coliseum, and this one is for the alumni crown.
La Familia, the Kentucky Basketball alumni team, hosts JHX Hoops, the Kansas alumni squad, on Wednesday night in the TBT 2026 Alumni Championship. Win it, and the Wildcats move to the doorstep of a $2 million payday
Here's everything you need for Wednesday's alumni championship.
Event: TBT 2026 Alumni Championship, single-elimination
Date: Wednesday, July 29, 7:00 PM ET

#championship #coliseum #familia

Chicago — Conference realignment has thrown a wrench in many of college football's traditional rivalries. At least one Big Ten coach says he feels a new one brewing with Michigan.
Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days, USC head coach Lincoln Riley said that the past two season's games against Michigan have taken on the air of a rivalry. And though the Wolverines aren't on the schedule this season, he's looking forward to building more history with the Big Ten's traditional teams.
"This has got a little bit of juice behind it," Riley said. "Whether it's at the Big House or at the Coliseum, those two programs walk on the field, those two helmets walk on the field, it's like, ***** , you know. This is real. It's pretty cool, and I think everybody kind of feels that."
Michigan's Kalel Mullings ran in a 1-yard, fourth down touchdown with 37 seconds left to beat USC, 27-24, in a ranked clash at Michigan Stadium in 2024. The next year, USC pounded Michigan 31-13 in Los Angeles.
No, this quote-unquote rivalry isn't replacing the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh for Southern Cal, or surpassing The Game in importance for Michigan. The Trojans will always have beef with Notre Dame and UCLA — no matter what scheduling drama there may be with the Irish. And the Wolverines' rivals of Ohio State and Michigan State carry a certain regional animosity that is as hot as ever these days.

#michigan

Speaking at a Presse Club München event, Jan-Christian Dreesen made it crystal clear that Michael Olise will be staying at Bayern Munich.
"Yes, of course [he will stay]. (…) [There was] no call, no letter and no fax from Real Madrid," the Bavarian club's chairman explained.
Furthering his stance on the issue, Dreesen said he was bowled over by the amount of fake news linking Olise to the Galacticos.
"It's astonishing what [rumours] can end up being spread when you know yourself what the truth actually is.
"It's really quite interesting. I've honestly lost count of how many times I've been asked by friends [regarding Olise's future].

#i 've #michael

For most of this summer, Real Madrid have consistently been reported to be looking to sign a new player for the right wing position. For this purpose, the Merengues have been very strongly linked with the Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise, even though the Bavarians have made it clear that they are not going to sell the forward and Los Blancos themselves published an official statement to clarify that they are not negotiating with the player.
Still, conflicting reports have continued to emerge for the entirety of the summer regarding the Spanish giants and the French star, who also has had quite an impressive World Cup 2026 campaign. However, on Friday, news emerged of the Merengues' interest in another player, whose signing can permanently close the door on Olise's potential move to Real Madrid.
This player is none other than Yan Diomande, who has several big European clubs interested in him. In fact, he has already stated that he wants a move to the current European champions Paris Saint-Germain, who reportedly have an agreement in place with him, but are yet to reach an agreement with his club, RB Leipzig.
However, Los Blancos' entry in this operation can significantly impact its outcome. Despite the reports of his agreement with PSG, Fabrizio Romano reports that the player has also opened the door to a move to Real Madrid, and positive talks have also taken place between the two parties.
As far as Leipzig are concerned, they have already rejected a €100 million bid from the Merengue club. Now, the latter are looking to return with another offer.

#move #agreement

Sky Sports reported Real Madrid are now turning their full attention towards signing Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig after FC Bayern showed no interest in accepting any bid for Michael Olise.
According to Sky, FC Bayern closed all doors for negotiations for Florentino Pérez's dream target. As previously reported, Real Madrid's president doesn't want to break the club's good relationship with Bayern by approaching the deal differently.
Thus, after they realized FC Bayern are unwilling to enter discussions, Real Madrid bosses decided to go strong for a fellow Bundesliga winger. PSG were in pole position to sign the Ivorian youngster for weeks, but Real Madrid are now hopeful of completing the deal after their initial €100 million bid was rejected by RB Leipzig on Friday.
Diomande scored 13 goals in his debut Bundesliga campaign with RB Leipzig. Both Olise and Diomande are yet to join their respective team for pre-season preparations due to their participation at the World Cup.

#olise

According to a report from Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk, Michael Olise is not leaving Bayern Munich this summer — which tracks with much the recent reporting on the matter.
If, however, transfer armageddon happens and Olise goes nuclear to force his way out of Bavaria (an extremely unlikely — nut not impossible — scenario), Bayern Munich would make a beeline to pursue Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola:
✅ It is TRUE: Bradley Barcola is one of the names on the shortlist at Bayern Munich if they have to replace Michael Olise. I reported last summer that there was an idea to sign the France international anyway. Even the summer before, the 23-year-old was considered a very interesting player for FC Bayern. He's on the shortlist, but at the moment there is no chance of getting this player for the club. That's because PSG want to give the winger a new contract, and amounts in the region of €150m have been floated if the Ligue 1 champions were to sell the player. However, when you look at the situation – and, as we say, Bayern don't want to sell Olise this summer – the club has to think about the Frenchman's situation if he doesn't sign a contract with Bayern.
When you look at Bradley Barcola's contract, you see he's got a year less left on his terms compared to his international teammate (running out in 2028). So, if he isn't sold this summer to Liverpool, who are clearly interested, or to another club that can afford the asking price, and he's still on the market – and ******* uming that Bayern are forced to sell Michael Olise – with one year left on his contract next summer, then PSG have a decision to make. I personally think he's a player who would fit in perfectly at Bayern Munich. That's also partly due to his affordable salary demands (currently earning €7m-8m gross in Paris, which is half of what Olise earns at Bayern). So, he's one to keep an eye out for as a potential replacement in case Michael Olise leaves.
Barcola is highly coveted by Liverpool and could pursue that destination in the coming weeks. There is a significant chance that if PSG thinks it should cash out on Barcola, it will look to sell him this summer. In that case, Liverpool would have a clear advantage over Bayern Munich as it will likely have a better chance to work out a deal before any type of aggressive move by Olise — which, again, is not likely to happen.

#michael #barcola #player

Tonight's A's starter is 28-year-old lefty Jacob Lopez. He throws a low-90s fastball, a slider, cutter, change and sinker. When he fools hitters, he's good at minimizing hard contact, but he doesn't fool them often enough and he walks a lotta guys, which equals a 6.64 ERA (and 5.77 FIP) for this season.
The reasons the A's left Oakland are complex, but here's the very simple version: John Fisher is a useless failson s**theap who wants as much public money as he can possibly get, because he sucks.
The slightly longer version? The Oakland Coliseum was an old-ish building in poor repair (several instances of raw sewage in the dugouts, a much cuter invasion of feral cats), and — more importantly — featured very little in the way of luxury/premium seating. The team had wanted a new building since at least 2001, and had floated the idea of leaving the city altogether but staying in the Bay Area. A notion of moving to San Jose (40 miles away) was nixed by the Giants, who had territorial rights there; one of moving to to Fremont (25 miles away) was nixed by the city of Fremont.
The A's signed a 10-year lease renewal in 2014, with the understanding that the team would seek a new stadium in the same county as Oakland. The team proposed several dumb, greedy ideas which were shot down, and eventually useless failson Fisher got his heart set on part of Oakland's Howard Terminal. The city was half willing to work with him on that one, since they had their own ideas about redeveloping the area, but there were significant problems including interference with other industries, infrastructure costs, environmental concerns, inevitable sea level rise, and so on.
Still, when the city and the team were only about $100 million apart on a $12 billion project, the deal fell apart in 2023. Useless failson Fisher announced he would be moving the team to Las Vegas. There's lots of details behind this, but the best explanation came from the then-mayor's chief of staff: "I don't think he [Fisher] got cold feet. I think he got an accountant."

#oakland #city #useless #fremont

Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
With 36 days to go, today we take it back to the 1970s and look at former USC fullback Mosi Tatupu.
Position: Running back
Years played at USC: 1974-1977
Career highlights: Coming to USC from Hawaii, Tatupu starred at fullback for the Trojans. In addition, he became a special teams standout, while also making a name for himself blocking for star running backs Ricky Bell and Charles White. Tatupu is a member of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.

#back #Football #running #days

Anderson has named Kevin De Bruyne as a player he has “hugely looked up to” over the years
The £116M signing always wanted to play like De Bruyne as he came through Newcastle’s academy
Anderson says playing for the same club as De Bruyne is “so special”
Manchester City’s club record £116 million signing Elliot Anderson has revealed that former City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was the player he idolised throughout his rise through Newcastle United’s academy.
The 23-year-old joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116 million – a record fee for a British player for a brief period – before Chelsea paid £117 million to sign Anderson’s England teammate Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.

#bruyne

Bayern Munich remain keen admirers of Bradley Barcola amid reports of Real Madrid interest in Michael Olise.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY
Christian Falk reports for CF Bayern Insider that the France international is on the shortlist as a potential option to replace their No.17 in case he departs for La Liga.
The expectation remains that the right-sided winger will stay put at the Allianz Arena this summer.
It’s worth emphasising that FC Bayern’s hands (or, more specifically, director of sport Max Eberl’s) are tied in the current market.

#munich #real #olise

The Los Angeles Rams showed off their new alternate jerseys during a team event on Thursday, July 23.
The team unveiled two new alternate uniforms for the 2026 season to celebrate the organization's "championship legacy and iconic history."
The Rams have won two Super Bowls in five total appearances, with the first victory coming in the 1999 season when the team played in St. Louis. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald and quarterback Matthew Stafford helped lead the Rams to their last championship to cap the 2021 season.
The "Classic Sol" features a primarily yellow jersey with blue stripes, similar to those worn when the Rams won the NFL championship at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Dec. 23, 1951.
The second alternate jersey is called the "Fearsome White," which pays tribute to the "Fearsome Foursome" from the 1960s. The jersey is primarily white with blue stripes and numbers.

#alternate #season #championship

El Paso's unbeaten bantamweight boxing prospect Ivy Enriquez suffered a torn ACL injury in her right knee during training and will not fight next month at the El Paso County Coliseum.
Enriquez was scheduled to fight Perla “La Princesa” Lomeli on Friday, Aug. 7 in a scheduled eight round fight. The Enriquez vs. Lomeli was the expected co-main event.
Red Owl Boxing is promoting the fight card, with the main event set to stream on DAZN at 8 p.m. MT/9 p.m. CT. The preliminary portion of the card will stream live on Red Owl Boxing’s YouTube channel, beginning at 6 p.m. MT./7 p.m. CT.
Enriquez, who is a 2025 Bel Air High School graduate and won multiple national amateur boxing championships and fought internationally.
In the main event, world-ranked Emanuel Moreno (13-0, 3 KO’s) of Wichita Falls, Texas, will battle it out with Guillermo Gutierrez (13-3, 1 KO) of San Antonio, Texas, for Moreno’s World Boxing ***** ociation Continental Americas bantamweight championship at stake.

#lomeli #moreno #World #bantamweight

Liverpool have taken an early step in their search for attacking reinforcements, with Sky Sports reporting that the club “have made an initial approach” to Monaco regarding Maghnes Akliouche.
The enquiry is understood to have centred on the potential availability of the 24-year-old France international, who is also attracting serious interest from Paris Saint-Germain. According to the same report, PSG regard Akliouche as a “prime target” and have already submitted multiple bids, the latest believed to be around £34m, all of which have been rejected by Monaco.
Liverpool’s admiration for French attacking talent has been well established in recent weeks. Bradley Barcola has featured prominently in discussions, with strong suggestions that he remains a leading option. Michael Olise has also been mentioned externally. Yet it is Akliouche who now appears to have prompted concrete movement from Anfield.
That matters. In a market where many clubs are still positioning themselves, an initial approach often signals more than casual background checks. It does not guarantee a bid or formal negotiations, but it shows Liverpool are actively ***** sing whether a deal is achievable, both financially and structurally.
Akliouche’s profile will appeal for several reasons. He is comfortable on the right, can operate across the forward line, and has shown the kind of technical quality that makes him attractive to clubs chasing high-upside attackers. He also impressed in Monaco’s 3-1 win over PSG in March, a match watched by Liverpool scouts, contributing a goal and an ***** ist.

#sports

Owing to their historical stature as one of the most celebrated and successful clubs in Europe, a lot of footballers dream of playing for Real Madrid at some point in their careers. This allure of the Merengue club turns out to be a crucial weapon whenever they want to get their desired players from the market.
However, if this does not turn out to be enough, Los Blancos have some other tools to attract their targets. One such tool is the presence of some of the biggest stars in their team, and these stars themselves are willing to do their part to convince others to join them.
This was quite visible in the way Vinicius Junior remained in contact with Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham to convince them to undertake a move to Real Madrid. Similarly, Bellingham then also convinced his countryman and friend Trent Alexander-Arnold to join the Merengue club last summer.
This year, Los Blancos are once again being linked with a big move, and one player who is most strongly **** ociated with them is the Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise. Conflicting reports about his links with Real Madrid have emerged in recent days. While some reports claim that the Merengues have closed their door to his signing, others continue to suggest that the player is ready to change clubs.
In this context, one recent report by l’Equipe claimed that Olise had already told his France national team teammates that he is ready to leave Bayern Munich to join the Spanish club. Other outlets like Sky Germany later confirmed this news, and now, as SPORT has noted, Bild has given its own version of the story, with another major protagonist.

#real #madrid #blancos #bellingham

USC is one of the most decorated programs in college football history. Naturally, then, the Trojans have some of the best traditions and game day experiences in the sport.
This week, USA TODAY revealed the ballot for the USA TODAY Sports Readers’ Choice Awards. Fans have the opportunity to vote on numerous college football superlatives, including best stadium, best fight song, and best tailgating experience.
Not surprisingly, USC is represented fairly heavily on the ballot. The Trojans’ nominees include the Coliseum for best college football stadium, USC for best tailgating experience, the drum major stabbing the field pregame for best walk-out tradition, the University of Southern California for best college for sports fans, Traveler for best mascot, and “Fight On” for best fight song.
However, there is one glaring omission. Somehow, The Spirit of Troy is not on the list of nominees for best college marching band. Given the band’s three iconic fight songs, two platinum albums with Fleetwood Mac, its streak of having attended every USC football game (excluding the 2020 COVID season) since 1987 and history of having performed at numerous massive events around the world, not including “Hollywood’s Band” on the ballot makes absolutely zero sense.
While USC fans have every right to be upset about the Trojan Marching Band getting snubbed, they can vote for USC in the other categories here.

#fight

La Familia survived a hard-fought three-game rivalry series against The Ville, punching its ticket to the next round of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) with a 63-57 victory Wednesday night inside Memorial Coliseum.
After splitting the first two games, with La Familia winning 72-68 in Lexington before falling 82-62 in Louisville, everything came down to Game 3. The Ville controlled much of the first half, building a 21-13 first-quarter lead before taking a 30-25 advantage into halftime. La Familia struggled offensively early, especially from beyond the arc, but stayed within striking distance thanks to its defensive effort.
The game completely shifted after halftime.
La Familia opened the third quarter on an 8-2 run, highlighted by a floater and 3-pointer from Archie Goodwin to grab its first lead at 33-32.
Darryl Morsell continued attacking the basket, while Willie Cauley-Stein provided key minutes in the paint before heading to the bench for a breather. Goodwin added a steal and breakaway slam as La Familia stretched its lead to seven points before carrying a 45-40 advantage into the fourth quarter.

#game #advantage

New York Knicks fans have just learned that Jalen Brunson will not be the cover athlete for the NBA 2K27 video game.
The point guard recently led the Knicks to their first championship in 63 years and is arguably the face of the league.
NBA 2K had even teased that Brunson would be the cover athlete by posting a picture of the New York City Subway.
However, they have chosen San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama instead, despite losing to the Knicks in the Finals.
New York Knicks fans idolise Jalen Brunson and cannot believe he has been snubbed from the cover of NBA 2K27.

#brunson #jalen #city

Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
Today, we look at former USC kicker Alex Stadthaus.
Position: Kicker
Years played at USC: 2018-2022
Career highlights: Stadthaus served as USC's kickoff specialist for the majority of his time with the Trojans.bIn 2021, he also attempted six field goals and 10 extra points, making all of his attempts. His career-long was a 40-yarder in a 41-34 victory over Arizona that year.

#Trojans

As revealed on Sky Sports on Wednesday afternoon, Liverpool have 'made an initial approach' with a view to potentially signing a French forward.
The Reds have been strongly linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola in recent weeks, with reports that Anfield chiefs are preparing an opening offer of £85m for the 23-year-old.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY
There have also been whispers of a potential swoop for Michael Olise, although it's neither of those who've been the subject of an enquiry from Merseyside.
Just after 3pm on Wednesday, Lyall Thomas reported for Sky Sports News that Liverpool 'have made an initial approach' to AS Monaco for winger Maghnes Akliouche.

#Liverpool

LAWRENCE — The alumni teams for Kansas basketball and Kansas State will play again Wednesday, during the 2026 The Basketball Tournament event.
A three-game series began Tuesday, with Kansas State's Purple Reign team collecting an 80-61 victory. Kansas' JHX Hoops struggled offensively over the course of the matchup, only shooting 38.5% from the field. Purple Reign shot 51.7% from the field.
RELATED: Kansas State's Michael Beasley puts on show, kisses KU opponent in TBT debut
This second game will take place at 7 p.m. (CT) and be televised on FS2. It'll be played at Lee Arena in Topeka. If necessary, there'll a a third game Friday back at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, where the first game was played.
TV channel: FS2

#Basketball #played #wednesday

FC Bayern is lighting up its Allianz Arena in the colours of Disability Pride Month, which is taking place for the first time in Munich, from 21-23:00 CEST on Friday. Red represents physical disabilities, yellow stands for cognitive disabilities, white signifies invisible disabilities, blue symbolises mental illnesses, green represents sensory disabilities and black is in memory of people who died due to discrimination. It’s a visible sign of respect, self-determination and an inclusive society. Together with the state capital of Munich, the German champions are sending out a clear signal: people with disabilities are, of course, an integral part of society – including in sport and in the stadium.
“FC Bayern stands for diversity and does a lot to raise awareness of the lives of people with disabilities,” explained disability officer Kim Krämer. “The club has been carrying out various inclusion-focused projects for many years. The fact that FC Bayern and the City of Munich are now sending out a visible sign in Disability Pride Month is another step on the road towards a natural coexistence. The illumination of the Allianz Arena is a strong signal that everyone belongs at FC Bayern, and that they can get involved and help to shape the club – regardless of disability.”
FC Bayern is constantly working on making the Allianz Arena and its general offerings as accessible as possible, in consultation with the fans. For example, there are now 324 wheelchair ******* es in the stadium, as well as commentary for the blind, a delivery service to the seats, live subtitles for people with hearing impairment and the presentation of the line-ups in sign language for men’s, women’s and basketball matches on the website. Information in simple language also makes it easier for people to find their way around. The club is continuously optimising its digital offerings to enable as many people as possible to access them independently.
FC Bayern and Alzheimer's ******* ociation provide dementia care training

#people #allianz #pride

Welcome to a new series on CougCenter. Each week leading up to kickoff of the 2026 football season, we will be previewing one of the new teams joining the Pac-12. Today, we begin with the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Washington State Cougars will see the Bulldogs for the first time as a conference opponent in Week 5 in Pullman.
But before we meet the Bulldogs on the field or court, who is Fresno State?
California State University, Fresno, or Fresno State, was founded in 1911 as part of the California State University system, located in, well, Fresno, California.
The Bulldogs began playing football in 1921, playing as an independent. They later joined the Pacific Coast Athletic ****** ociation, now known as the Big West Conference, in 1969. From there, they joined the WAC in 1992, where they remained until joining the Mountain West in 2012.
Fresno State found success early in their football years, boasting undefeated records in 1930 and 1961. The latter earned them a trip to the Mercy Bowl, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They defeated Bowling Green 36-6 to cap their undefeated season. The two teams ended up meeting in the next two bowl appearances by Fresno State in 1982 and 1985, this time in the California Bowl. The Bulldogs won both of those meetings, including a 51-7 thrashing in 1985, which again capped off an undefeated season. All of this under head coach Jim Sweeney, who coached Washington State prior to his time at Fresno State from 1968 to 1975.

#bowl

Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
Today, we look at USC Hall of Fame running back Sam Cunningham.
Position: Running back
Years played at USC: 1970-1972
Career highlights: Cunningham starred at fullback for John McKay's USC teams of the early 1970s. As a senior in 1972, he earned first-team All-American honors. In the 1973 Rose Bowl against Ohio State, Cunningham scored four touchdowns, clinching an undefeated season and a national championship for the Trojans.

#back #season #state #countdown

The Scarlet Knights will have a bit of a wrinkle in the schedule this year.
Instead of beginning the year with three straight non-conference games, Rutgers will mix in USC in Week 3 in 2026.
Name: USC Trojans
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Cap. 93,607)
Head Coach: Lincoln Riley (5th season)

Washington (12-10) defeated Toronto (10-14), 79-62, Tuesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Former Tennessee women's basketball player Isabelle Harrison started for the Tempo and played 21 minutes. She totaled eight points, five rebounds and one **** ist. Harrison converted 4-of-10 field goal attempts.
Julie Allemand scored 15 points, while Nyara Sabally totaled 13 points for Toronto, who will next play Friday versus Atlanta. Tipoff between the Tempo and Dream is slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
The Mystics' Kiki Iriafen led all scorers with 25 points, while Shakira Austin scored 17 points and Michaela Onyenwere finished with 15 points.
Harrison played at Tennessee from 2011-15 under head coaches Pat Summitt and Holly Warlick.

For a man who led France with such distinction, it was not a Bastille Day to savour. Didier Deschamps led his country for longer than Charles de Gaulle, albeit in rather different roles and with a less bombastic style. But he is football's most decorated Frenchman on the global stage. On a day seemingly designed for the French, however, his World Cup in effect ended. Spain outclassed France in Dallas.
After 14 years, after this 14 July, his reign only has a third-place play-off to come. There will be no third World Cup for Deschamps as player or manager, no third consecutive final in the dugout. He can retire the dark suit and white shirt he wore even in the 100-degree heat of Philadelphia. He can still figure in the conversations for the best World Cup manager of all, but victory in New York on Sunday could have rendered him the nonpareil.
"It was not important on a personal level if I leave in a semi-final or final," said Deschamps. In a sense, there was no false modesty; Deschamps has not made it about him, always designing his team around his players, not vice-versa. Yet when he reached the end, it was to a side built around a philosophy, a style of play, an identity. In a sense, Deschamps has seemed the ultimate international manager: because international football can be based around building an environment that players enjoy and decided by moments. Kylian Mbappe can be the best moments player in the world, France the best moments team: but there were no moments against Spain, who suffocated the French forwards and passed with intelligence. They were less reliant on the spectacular.
Until they reached Texas, Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise had obliged; against Senegal, Iraq, Norway and Sweden, and then in a six-minute burst against Morocco. It illustrated that France possessed attacking talent of the highest quality in greater depth than anyone else. Olise was outstanding in the first four games, when France scored 13 goals; less so in the last three, when they got three. Dembele, after his 2022 World Cup ended so ignominiously, proved there were second acts in Deschamps' France, with five goals. Mbappe delivered in every match, except against Spain, before pointing the finger elsewhere in the aftermath of this comprehensive loss.
For much of his tenure, Deschamps was deemed a dullard; maybe unfairly, given his sides have scored four and three in World Cup finals. At the last, and even as France barely threatened the Spain goal, he may have perished by being too adventurous. The tournament began with an underlying question if he should bring in a third midfielder, sacrificing whichever of Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola started for more solidity, and with the ***** umption he would do it at the business end of the competition. If ever there was a time to do it, it was against Spain's pass masters. But Deschamps stuck with 4-2-3-1 and, too often, Spain manoeuvred their way around France in midfield. Deschamps' difficulties were

France's dream of a third straight World Cup final is over after a 2-0 loss to Spain in Tuesday's semi-final. Dayot Upamecano played the full 90 minutes in Dallas, while Michael Olise lasted 72 minutes as the Bayern duo were unable to prevent defeat.
Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty put Spain ahead after 22 minutes. Pedro Porro then doubled the advantage just before the hour. France struggled to find their flow in attack and create any meaningful chances.
However, the World Cup isn't over for Les Bleus, who will play the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday (23:00 CEST) against the loser of Wednesday's second semi-final between England and Argentina.
Follow FC Bayern's players at World Cup 2026

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been one of the stars of this summer’s World Cup. The Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder has returned to his dominant best and has played a key role in Spain’s progression to the final of the 2026 World Cup. Spain booked their place in the final of the tournament with a dominant 2-0 win over tournament favourites France overnight. Rodri put in a masterful display in midfield to help Spain beat a powerful French outfit. In the process, Rodri’s performance against France was a reminder that Manchester City must extend his contract with the club.
The midfield battle loomed as the decisive factor in Spain’s World Cup semi-final against France. With Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise starting for France, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot started in midfield for Didier Deschamps’ side. In midfield, Spain started Rodri and Fabiàn Ruiz in midfield with Dani Olmo also dropping into midfield.
Simply put, France were overmatched in midfield. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a second-half strike from Pedro Porro would seal a 2-0 win for Spain. As would an outstanding performance from every Spanish player on the pitch. At the heart of it all was Rodri, who was absolutely brilliant in midfield.
Rodri was at his imperious best in last night’s World Cup semi-final. He dictated the tempo of last night’s match with support from Fabiàn Ruiz and his teammates. Manchester City’s midfield general covered the pitch exceptionally well, routinely snuffing out the threat of the French. Rodri’s ability to read the game and contain any danger was superb. In possession, Rodri was his composed self as the occasion never phased him.
Rodri’s performance last night was reminiscent of his best displays for Manchester City. He has rightly earned the plaudits that his performance deserved. If anything, Rodri’s display was a reminder that he remains by far and away the best number six in world football by some distance.

Everyone thought France would crush Spain. They were counting on Kylian Mbappe and that flashy attack to blow the doors off. Wrong. The reality on the pitch was a total shocker. Spain didn’t just match them; they outsmarted them completely. France’s big threats? Totally neutralized by a smarter, hungrier Spanish squad.
Spain showed the world something huge today. Luis de la Fuente called his squad the best team on the planet. His words carried weight after that dominant 2-0 victory. Think about that for a second. This win proves a collective unit can beat a group of individual stars. It’s not about who you have. It’s about how they play together.
The French lineup looked toothless despite the global superstars on the roster. They threw Rayan Cherki into the mix, but it made zero difference. Spain controlled the game from the first whistle to the last. Their strategy worked perfectly against a team full of famous names. And here’s the kicker: They didn’t even break a sweat doing it.
France hoped their stars would do the damage if Mbappe didn’t score. They looked to Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola for goals. Desire Doue also played, but the French attack failed completely. Not great. They couldn’t find any way to break through the Spanish defense. It was a wall, plain and simple.
Patrick Vieira, a former World Cup winner for France, admitted the truth. He told ITV that Spain dominated the game in every single aspect. Spain circulated the ball with their usual composure throughout the match. They moved France around and opened gaps to exploit them easily. Classic misdirection. Vieira knows a thing or two about winning big.