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Spain defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win the 2026 World Cup.

Substitute Ferran Torres struck in the second half of extra time to secure Spain’s second World Cup after a disappointing Argentina were reduced to 10 men.

The defending champions did not register an attempt on goal until the 117th minute and fell short in their bid to become only the third nation to retain the World Cup.

Instead, Messi’s glorious World Cup career ended in heartbreak at the age of 39.  

The World Cup final match in New Jersey will be contested between defending champion Argentina and slight favorite, Spain.

Argentina, trailing (1-0) late, rallied to defeat England (2-1), getting the winning tally from substitute player, Lauturo Martinez in extra time.

Meanwhile Spain, as was Argentina a match underdog, won (2-0) vs France.

Spain has allowed but one goal in its 7 matches thus far.

Ben Rice hit two home runs to help the New York Yankees to a 12-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. The Yankees (51-42) split the four-game series with the Rays at Tropicana Field, remaining four games behind Tampa Bay (54-37) for first place in the AL East.

With his two homers, Rice now has 28 for the season, one fewer than the Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez for the AL home-run lead. He moved past the Rays’ Junior Caminero with his second home run on Thursday.

Caminero briefly moved ahead of Rice with his 27th homer of the season in the first inning off Yankees opener Paul Blackburn. That was his first home run in his past five games, following an 11-game span during which he hit 11 homers.

Rice finished the day batting 2-for-4 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. With 65 RBI, the Yankees’ DH now ranks third in that category among AL sluggers behind Alvarez and Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz.

Ryan McMahon also drove in two runs for the Yankees, with Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, José Caballero and Austin Wells each getting an RBI. Wells got his on his fifth home run of the season.

The Mets were blown out in the finale against the Blue Jays, 9-3, at Rogers Centre, to drop the series. The Mets have now lost ten of their last twelve, and are 2-4 in the Andy Green era.

Starter Freddy Peralta was awful again putting the Mets behind early. Of all the Mets’ disappointments this season, the alleged ace’s shortcomings might be the most perplexing. Peralta is in his career prime and physically hasn’t provided any hint of ailment.

Offensively, the Mets didn’t show life until the eighth, when Carson Benge delivered a two-run homer. Francisco Lindor hit a solo homer in the ninth. The Mets finished with five hits. All told it was just another sloppy loss in a season full of them.

Luke Weaver has been one of the most dominant relievers in all of baseball, but should the Mets trade him at the deadline since he still has another year on his contract?

The Mets’ next stop is Atlanta for four games. The Mets won two of three games against the NL East-leading Braves at Citi Field last month.

The 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will take place on July 14 at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, airing on FOX at 8 p.m. ET.

The Braves, Dodgers and Phillies are each sending five players to the All-Star Game, tied for the most selections of any club. That includes the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman earning his 10th selection, and top vote-getter Shohei Ohtani getting his sixth. Braves ace Chris Sale will also make his 10th trip to the All-Star Game.

Phillies star Bryce Harper, who was selected to the game by Commissioner Rob Manfred as a “Legend Pick,” is now a nine-time All-Star. And Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who was voted in as a starter for the American League, leads all players with 12 All-Star selections.

There are 26 first-time All-Stars on this year’s squads, including four rookies: the Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle, the Reds’ Sal Stewart, and the Guardians’ Parker Messick and Travis Bazzana.

A once-popular mall staple is closing hundreds of stores.

Game Stop announced a flurry of store closings, with nearly 300 stores either already closed or set to close.

The closures come as the gaming retailer plans to downsize.

In the last fiscal year, Game Stop closed 590 U.S. stores.

Game Stop stated in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it would close a “significant number of additional stores” in the current fiscal year.

As of the beginning of last year, Game Stop operated 2,325 stores in the United States.

The New York State Gaming Commission has unanimously approved licenses for three new casinos in New York City. The decision paves the way for Bally’s in the Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park near Citi Field, and Resorts World near the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens to begin development. 

According to Gaming Commission Chairman Bryan O’Dwyer, the licensing fees are expected to generate $1.5 billion for the state.

The Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, a significant part of the approved projects, is a partnership between Hard Rock International and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen. The $8.1 billion project will transform 50 acres of parking lots around Citi Field into a large-scale entertainment and gaming complex.

The complex will feature a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a Hard Rock Live concert center, multiple restaurants and bars, a retail store, and a 25-acre public park. Jim Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International, expressed excitement about extending their reputation as a world-class entertainment company to Queens.

The New York Mets have fired manager Carlos Mendoza.

The move comes with the team in the midst of a miserable season in which the Mets sit at 34-47 — one of the worst records in the National League — despite one of the highest payrolls in MLB.

Andy Green will take over as the team’s interim manager, the team announced.

A few hours after the news broke, Mendoza released a statement thanking the Mets’ organization and the team’s fans for the past three seasons.

Mendoza put up a 206-199 record in three years with the team.

Mendoza’s dismissal is the third managerial change this season. The two other teams to make changes — the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies — acted early, with Boston firing Alex Cora and Philadelphia firing Rob Thomson in April.

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the first player in his sport to become a billionaire, joining the ranks of the wealthiest athletes.

Catapulted by a contract with a Saudi Arabian team, the veteran Portuguese player, now 40, is the first soccer player to be worth 10 figures, Bloomberg reported. 

Ronaldo recently signed a two-year contract with Riyadh-based Al-Nassr FC, a team that competes in the Saudi Pro League, which is reportedly worth more than $400 million, according to Bloomberg. Ronaldo does not have to pay taxes on his Saudi earnings. 

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index pegs the champion athlete’s net worth at $1.4 billion, marking the first time a soccer player has landed on the list. The outlet notes that his net worth accounts for his career earnings, plus investments and sponsorships. 

Ronaldo, who is from Madeira, Portgual, dropped out of school at 14, to focus on soccer. He has lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Armani, and Castrol, among others, according to his website.

Spain, France, and England are currently the leading favorites to reach the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. The tournament, which kicks off on June 11, will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the final set for Sunday July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

France follows closely, while England is next. Argentina aims to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. 

Teams like Portugal and Germany also feature among the top contenders, while host nation the United States is considered a long shot. Odds will shift as the group stage and knockout rounds unfold, reflecting team performance, injuries, and betting trends.

Star players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are expected to make their final World Cup appearances, joined by rising stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. 

With the World Cup’s expanded field of 48 teams and 104 matches, fans and bettors can expect significant odds movement as results, injuries, and standout performances shape the path to the semifinals and beyond.