Spain edge Belgium to reach World Cup semi-final, set up clash with France
Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in a dramatic World Cup quarter-final on Friday, with a late winner from Mikel Merino. They will face France in the semi-finals, who received a fitness boost with Mbappé and Tchouaméni expected to be fully fit. Other sports: Wimbledon finals set, Wembanyama signs $252M extension, Tour de France stage, and more.
Spain booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals on Friday with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium, sealed by a late winner from Mikel Merino. La Roja will now face France on Tuesday for a place in the final. France received a major fitness boost ahead of that blockbuster clash, with Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni both expected to be fully fit for the semi-final against Spain.
Saturday brings the final two quarter-finals: Harry Kane's England take on Erling Haaland's Norway, while Lionel Messi's Argentina head into their clash with Switzerland as overwhelming favourites.
Elsewhere, the Senegalese Football Federation is holding an emergency executive committee meeting on Saturday, just days after the Lions of Teranga were knocked out in the Round of 16. Head coach Pape Thiaw's future will be at the heart of discussions, with former France international and Dakar-born coach Patrick Vieira reportedly among the leading candidates to replace him.
In cycling, Tim Merlier sprinted to victory on Stage 7 of the Tour de France in Bordeaux, claiming his fourth career Tour stage win. There were no changes at the top of the general classification.
At Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner won the heavyweight showdown against Novak Djokovic, cruising to a straight-sets victory (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) to reach the final. He will face Alexander Zverev, who ended Arthur Féry's remarkable run with a 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
In the NBA, Victor Wembanyama has signed a blockbuster five-year extension with the San Antonio Spurs worth a total of $252 million, securing his future with the franchise.
Finally, on the Diamond League circuit in Monaco, Julien Alfred stole the spotlight with another dazzling performance, Emmanuel Wanyonyi set a new world record, and Armand Duplantis added yet another victory to his remarkable season.
