England's women's cricket team is likely to lose the one-off Test match against India at Lord's. India scored strongly, with Yastika Bhatia making the first female Test century at Lord's. England struggled to chase the world record target of 457 runs and were 130-6, still needing 327 runs to win on day three.
Key Facts
The match is a one-off women's Test between England and India at Lord's cricket ground.
India declared their second innings at 341-7, setting England a target of 457 runs to win.
Yastika Bhatia scored 113 runs, becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's.
England ended day three at 130 runs for 6 wickets, still 327 runs behind.
Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight, both retiring players, were out early without big scores.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was dismissed cheaply for 11 runs.
Sophie Ecclestone took 5 wickets for 118 runs and became the first English woman named on the Lord’s Test bowling honours board.
England's bowling attack faced challenges, especially with injuries and lack of support for lead bowler Lauren Bell.
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England is searching for a new head coach for their Test cricket team after sacking Brendon McCullum. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wants to appoint the new coach before the Test series against Pakistan in August and is considering a shortlist of 6 to 10 candidates.
Key Facts
Brendon McCullum was sacked as England’s Test head coach after seven losses in nine matches.
England’s next Test match is against Pakistan starting on August 19 at Headingley.
England currently does not have a Test captain after Ben Stokes retired in June.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said they have a shortlist of 6 to 10 coaching candidates from around the world.
The new coach will be chosen with input from the managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key and selector Marcus North.
The new coach will work alongside McCullum, who still coaches England’s white-ball (limited overs) teams.
The ECB may use an interim coach if the top candidates have other commitments and to allow more time to make the best choice.
Andy Flower, a former England coach and successful franchise coach, is reportedly a top candidate but may be unlikely to take the job.
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has temporarily ended the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. This means Russian athletes can take part in the upcoming Olympic Games, even though the conflict in Ukraine is still happening.
Key Facts
The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in 2023.
This suspension has now been lifted on a provisional basis.
Russian athletes are allowed to compete in the next Olympics.
The decision occurs despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The IOC states it supports peace and human dignity as key values.
Allowing Russia back challenges the original purpose of the Olympics.
The move has sparked debate about fairness and sportsmanship.
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On day 31 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, England and Argentina won their matches and advanced to the semi-final round. This means both teams are now among the final four competing for the championship.
Key Facts
The article reports on events from day 31 of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
England won their match and moved into the semi-finals.
Argentina also won their match and qualified for the semi-finals.
The semi-finals determine which teams will compete for the final championship.
Basel Ghazoghli from Al Jazeera provided the recap of these matches.
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Mariano Rajoy, Spain's former prime minister, said the French national football team had "no French players," which caused criticism in both Spain and France. This comment focused on the makeup of the French team and sparked controversy.
Key Facts
Mariano Rajoy is a former prime minister of Spain.
He called the French national football team "having no French players."
His remark received criticism in Spain and France.
The issue relates to the national football team of France.
The controversy arose around the time of international football events.
The article was reported by France 24 on July 12, 2026.
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Mathieu Van der Poel won the ninth stage of the Tour de France, which was shortened due to very hot weather. The Dutch cyclist finished first in a sprint among four riders, with Tobias Johannessen second and Tom Pidcock third.
Key Facts
The ninth stage of the Tour de France was shortened because of a heatwave with temperatures near 40°C (104°F).
Mathieu Van der Poel is 31 years old and a former cycling world champion.
This win is Van der Poel's third Tour de France stage victory, previously winning in 2021 and 2025.
Van der Poel won the sprint from a small group that broke away during the race.
Tadej Pogacar, the current overall leader, finished six seconds behind Van der Poel and remains in first place in the race.
Jonas Vingegaard is second overall, 2 minutes 42 seconds behind Pogacar, with Isaac del Toro third.
Van der Poel specializes in races on cobblestone roads and has won major one-day races like Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
The stage started in Malemort and ended in Ussel, covering 154.6 km before being shortened by about 30 km due to extreme heat.
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Haeran Ryu from South Korea won the Evian Championship in a sudden-death play-off against Brooke Henderson from Canada. This is Ryu’s second major title in two weeks, after also winning the Women’s PGA Championship in June.
Key Facts
Haeran Ryu won the Evian Championship after a play-off with Brooke Henderson.
Ryu scored 18 under par for the tournament, finishing with a final round of 71.
Brooke Henderson made an eagle on the last hole to tie Ryu and force the play-off.
Ryu made a birdie on the first extra hole to win the championship.
Ryu won $1.4 million as the top prize for this tournament.
Ryu is now one of two players to win two of the four major women’s golf tournaments this year.
Nelly Korda, world number one, won the other two majors but missed the cut in this event.
Ryu missed the cut in this tournament 12 months ago, showing significant improvement.
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals feature Argentina, Spain, France, and England, the four highest-ranked teams in FIFA's latest rankings. This alignment between rankings and semifinalists is unusual compared to recent tournaments, where unexpected teams often reached later stages.
Key Facts
Argentina, Spain, France, and England are FIFA's top four ranked teams for 2026.
All four teams have reached the World Cup semifinals.
If Spain beats France and Argentina beats England, the final will feature the top two ranked teams.
Recent World Cups often had surprise semifinalists, such as Croatia and Morocco.
FIFA rankings are sometimes criticized but proved accurate this year in predicting strong teams.
Previous World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022) showed less correlation between ranking and semifinalists.
The current top teams all have strong and deep player talent pools.
This year's knockout stage saw fewer surprises than usual.
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Young England football fans gathered in London to watch the 2026 World Cup quarter-final match, showing strong interest in both the game and fashion. Many embraced styles inspired by the early 2000s, including "Wag culture," reflecting a nostalgia for past World Cups.
Key Facts
Fans watched the England quarter-final at a sold-out nightclub in Peckham, London.
Some fans collect and wear vintage football shirts or specially designed football-themed clothing.
Interest in the World Cup includes both the football and the fashion surrounding it.
Styles from the early 2000s, known as "Wag culture," have become popular again among young fans.
Social media has helped revive memories and trends from the 2006 World Cup.
Female fans expressed a desire for a more inclusive and cool space in football culture.
The event atmosphere included nostalgic elements like early 2000s music, vintage clothes, and digital cameras.
The excitement around the tournament involves community spirit, style, and national pride.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said FIFA will consider expanding the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament. The 2026 World Cup is the first with 48 teams, and the 2030 event will be hosted across several countries in South America and Europe.
Key Facts
FIFA wants to explore increasing World Cup teams from 48 to 64 for 2030.
President Infantino said giving more nations a chance helps grow football worldwide.
The World Cup had 32 teams from 1998 to 2022 before expanding to 48 in 2026.
The 2026 tournament is being held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Infantino called the 48-team format a big success with many strong teams and goals.
Nine out of ten African teams reached the knockout stage in 2026, showing improvement.
The 2030 World Cup will take place in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
Expanding to 64 teams may allow each South American host country to run their own group stage.
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Heather Knight, the English women’s cricket captain, has retired after 320 matches including 199 as captain over nine years. She led England to a World Cup win in 2017 and became the first English player to score centuries in all three formats, leaving a strong legacy beyond just statistics.
Key Facts
Heather Knight played 320 matches for England and captained 199 of them.
She became captain in 2016, following Charlotte Edwards.
Knight led England to victory in the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup at Lord’s.
She was the first England player, male or female, to score centuries in all three formats of the game.
Knight’s last captaincy series ended with a heavy defeat by Australia in the 2025 Ashes.
She reached 300 appearances for England across different match formats.
Knight was known for professionalism, dedication after injuries, and speaking up about pay gaps in women’s cricket.
Her final match was the first historic women’s Test at Lord’s in 2025.
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Jude Bellingham scored two goals to help England beat Norway 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finals. His second goal came in extra time, sending England to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2018.
Key Facts
The match was England vs. Norway in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals.
Jude Bellingham scored the first goal to tie the game in the first half.
Bellingham scored the winning goal in the third minute of extra time.
England won the match 2-1.
This win advances England to the World Cup semi-finals.
England has not reached the semi-finals since 2018.
The article includes commentary from Robbie Nock, a lead commentator and journalist.
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Marc Marquez won the Germany MotoGP race at Sachsenring, matching a record of 10 wins on one circuit set by Giacomo Agostini. He also won the sprint race the day before and is now close in points to the championship leader, Jorge Martin.
Key Facts
Marc Marquez won the Germany MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday.
He achieved his 10th premier class win at Sachsenring, tying a record.
Marquez also won the Saturday sprint race at the same event.
He finished nearly 2 seconds ahead of Ai Ogura, who came in second.
Raul Fernandez finished third, joining Ogura on the podium.
Jorge Martin, the championship leader, finished fifth in this race.
Marquez is now 18 points behind Martin in the championship standings.
Marc’s brother, Alex Marquez, crashed after 10 laps while running near the front.
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. is drawing record-breaking TV audiences and large crowds, even though the U.S. team was eliminated early. The event has become a festive cultural celebration and features exciting matches and top players competing for the Golden Boot trophy.
Key Facts
The USA vs. Belgium round of 16 match drew 50.1 million U.S. viewers, the largest soccer TV audience ever in the country.
Mexico vs. England at Estadio Azteca was attended by 80,000 fans and had 46.7 million U.S. viewers.
Over 6.2 million fans attended matches through the round of 16, filling 99.7% of seats with an average of 65,204 fans per game.
More than 7.7 million people joined FIFA Fan Festivals across the three host countries, creating lively public celebrations.
The U.S. national team was eliminated after a heavy defeat to Belgium; a controversy arose over a U.S. player's suspension review requested by President Trump.
Top scorers Kylian Mbappé (France) and Lionel Messi (Argentina) are tied with eight goals each, creating high-stakes individual competition.
The World Cup has temporarily boosted American interest in soccer, but historically, viewership drops sharply after the tournament ends.
Major media companies like Netflix and Disney are investing heavily in broadcasting future World Cups, betting on sustained soccer interest in the U.S.
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Senegal has fired its football coach, Pape Thiaw, after the team performed poorly at the World Cup. Despite winning the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Senegal lost early matches and was eliminated in the round of 32.
Key Facts
Senegal fired coach Pape Thiaw after their results at the World Cup.
Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations in January by beating Morocco.
At the World Cup, Senegal lost their first two games to France and Norway.
They lost 3-2 in extra time against Belgium after leading 2-0 near the end.
Thiaw is 45 years old and was about to start a five-match suspension in September.
The suspension was related to Thiaw leading a player walk-off in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco in the 2025 AFCON final.
French media say Patrick Vieira, a French World Cup winner born in Dakar, is a top candidate to replace Thiaw.
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Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum led England's Test cricket team starting in 2022, bringing an exciting but sometimes controversial style known as Bazball. The era included memorable highs like record wins against New Zealand and India, but it ended recently with Stokes retiring and McCullum being dismissed after a series of losses.
Key Facts
Ben Stokes became captain and Brendon McCullum head coach of England Test cricket in summer 2022.
England’s playing style under them was called Bazball, known for being bold and aggressive.
Early successes included a victory over New Zealand at Lord’s and a record chase of 378 runs against India.
Jonny Bairstow played key innings, including a 77-ball century and a 114 not out during the India series.
England won their first Test in Pakistan in 17 years during this era, taking the series 3-0.
McCullum was sacked in July 2023 after England lost seven out of nine Tests under his coaching.
Ben Stokes retired from international cricket in early July 2023.
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Brendon McCullum has been removed as England's Test cricket head coach after a series of poor team performances and off-field problems. He will keep coaching England’s white-ball cricket teams, while the Test team looks for a new head coach and captain ahead of their next series against Pakistan.
Key Facts
McCullum became England Test head coach in May 2022.
England lost seven of their last nine Test matches under McCullum.
McCullum remains as coach for England’s white-ball (shorter format) teams.
Ben Stokes recently stepped down as England Test captain and retired from international cricket.
England’s Test team currently has no head coach or captain.
Upcoming Test series against Pakistan starts on 19 August 2024.
Possible replacements for Test head coach include Andy Flower and domestic coaches Richard Dawson and Gareth Batty.
England’s white-ball team recently won a 4-0 T20 series against India, reaching number one in world rankings.
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The World Cup has reached the semi-final stage, featuring France, Spain, England, and Argentina. These four teams are close to competing for the world title, with key matchups including France vs. Spain and England vs. Argentina.
Key Facts
The semi-final teams are France, Spain, England, and Argentina.
France will play Spain at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday.
England will play Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.
France's Kylian Mbappe has scored eight goals and is close to becoming the World Cup's all-time top scorer.
Spain has not lost in 36 matches since March 2024, winning 27 and drawing 9.
Argentina's Lionel Messi leads the scoring race with eight goals, tied with Mbappe.
This is the second World Cup semi-final for England since 2018.
The matches can be followed live on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website and app.
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Four former FIFA World Cup champions—Argentina, England, France, and Spain—have reached the semifinals of the 2026 tournament. The quarterfinal matches showed key moments, including France defeating Morocco, Spain narrowly beating Belgium, and England winning against Norway.
Key Facts
Four former champions made it to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1990: Argentina, England, France, and Spain.
France beat Morocco 2-0; Morocco used a striker-less lineup that did not work well.
Morocco’s goalkeeper saved a penalty from France’s Kylian Mbappe before France scored two goals.
Spain won 2-1 against Belgium with a late winning goal set up after a long-range shot by young defender Pau Cubarsi.
Pau Cubarsi, a 19-year-old from Barcelona, started as a center-back for Spain and played well defensively.
Substitute Mikel Merino scored quickly after entering the match for Spain.
England defeated Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
Belgium was the first team to score against Spain in this tournament, but Spain focused on controlling the ball rather than just defending.
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