Folarin Balogun will be available to play the USMNT’s round of 16 match against Belgium, with his one-game red-card ban that he received against Bosnia and Herzegovina suspended.
Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code states that “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
Read for free: https://nyti.ms/3RkeoH5
Folarin Balogun will be available to play the USMNT’s round of 16 match against Belgium with his one-game red-card ban suspended, sources briefed on the process have told The Athletic.
The 25-year-old received a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic, a sanction which is automatically accompanied by a one-game suspension under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the tournament.
Multiple FIFA officials told The Athletic after the game that a team is not able to appeal against a red card or the subsequent suspension.
However, sources with knowledge of the matter, who spoke anonymously to protect relationships, say Balogun is set to be available to face Rudi Garcia’s side as his ban has been suspended.
Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code states that “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
It adds: “If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
For the United States' 250th birthday, fans suffered through excruciating 99 degree heat to attend Saturday's Fourth of July match between France and Paraguay.
Yet, the independence day celebration raged on.
Malik Tillman’s superb play has amplified his place on this national team.
On Wednesday night in the World Cup’s round of 32, his knuckling, dipping free kick against Bosnia and Herzegovina sealed his team’s place in the last 16 — and his spot in U.S. national team history.
Read for free: https://nyti.ms/4fk3wSI
Mexico’s World Cup squad have returned a collection of Rolex watches gifted to them by American content creator Stevewilldoit.
Stephen Deleonardis, known as Stevewilldoit online, where he has over 1.5million subscribers on YouTube, presented every member of the Mexico squad with a watch at their training base in the build up to their last-32 tie against Ecuador.
Mexico said in a statement posted on the team’s official social media channels that by “mutual agreement” the squad decided to return the watches to Deleonardis, which were gifted by the content creator “on his own initiative”.
Asked by midfielder Obed Vargas why he had presented the team with the gift, Deleonardis explained he lived in Mexico and bet $2m on the side to beat Ecuador in the last-32, which he said earlier in the video would return a $1m profit - the supposed total value of the watches.
Restrictions around offering and accepting gifts are laid out in Article 21 of FIFA’s Code of Ethics. World soccer’s governing body states that gifts are prohibited unless they have “symbolic or trivial value”.
Manchester United are exploring a move for Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.
Any potential deal is at an early stage and the clubs are not yet in talks, with enquiries from multiple suitors so far going via the 22-year-old’s agents.
Santos is keen to establish a regular starting place and that is currently unlikely to happen for Chelsea, especially after Moises Caicedo committed his future to Stamford Bridge in April by agreeing a new contract through to 2033.
Chelsea value the Brazil international highly; he is capable of playing as both a No. 6 and 8, showing his quality during an 18-month loan spell at Strasbourg and after breaking into the west London side’s first team last season.
Santos has been on United's radar for some time but whether a transfer develops will largely depend on the asking price.
Chelsea would not block a move if it suited all parties. The Athletic reported on June 30 Santos was one of the players they would consider selling this summer.
Besiktas have agreed a €20million deal with Arsenal to sign Leandro Trossard.
The deal consists of an €18m fee with 2m in add-ons but the transfer is not yet completed, with wages up to around €9m and personal terms in the process of being finalised.
Tottenham’s awareness and interest in Mateus Fernandes dated back to his days in Sporting CP’s youth setup.
Fernandes scored against Spurs in a UEFA Youth League fixture in September 2022, before making the second senior appearance of his career at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a second-half substitute in a 1-1 draw in the Champions League the following month.
Spurs continued to track him as he established himself in Sporting’s first team, and serious consideration was given to a move last summer following his impressive displays after joining Southampton.
According to one Tottenham source, Roberto De Zerbi’s admiration was key in advancing that interest and establishing Fernandes as a priority. Spurs have approached this summer window with a determination to back their head coach, and to be ruthless and decisive in their pursuit of targets.
Manchester City have completed the purchase of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £116million. It took weeks of negotiations, during which Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was minded to walk away and even considered selling Anderson to another club for less money, with Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano ultimately intervening to push the deal through.
City regard Anderson as the ideal fit for their midfield and have made him their record signing, and the most expensive British player in history. He completed his medical with English Football Association staff in Kansas City while with the national team at the World Cup, following a breakthrough in negotiations at the end of last week.
The Athletic has spoken to sources with knowledge of the deal to tell the inside story of how Elliot Anderson became the most expensive British footballer, and how an “incredible game of chess” finally came to an end.
Manchester City are making a strong push to beat Arsenal to the signing of Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga.
Newly-appointed City manager Enzo Maresca is behind the club’s drive for Monga, having known the 16-year-old from his time as Leicester head coach in the 2023-24 season.
No. 8 isn't done yet
At nearly 41 years old, Alex Ovechkin has signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals worth $4.25 million to play his 22nd NHL season, the team announced.
Free to read: https://nyti.ms/4gi5OTt
Everyone needs to chill all the way out.
The day the WNBA truly arrives is the day a hard foul is just a hard foul, not the spark for death threats, culture wars and online toxicity, our columnist writes.
Free to read:
https://nyti.ms/4wmX8Qm
Hey everyone, Joe Smith here, Minnesota Wild and NHL reporter for The Athletic.
I'll be dropping by for an Ask Me Anything to chat all things Free Agency and more.
Join me today, Thursday, 2 July, 1pm ET / 12 noon CST.
Looking forward to it!
Bournemouth are in advanced talks to sign Elche forward Alvaro Rodriguez.
The deal, if completed, will be worth €30million (£25.7m) and the 21-year-old Real Madrid academy graduate is nearing a five-year deal.
The deal consists of a €25m fee with €5m in add-ons and will keep him at the Vitality Stadium until 2031.
Madrid are set to receive half of the fee (€12.5m; £10.6m) and lose their rights over the Uruguay youth international, who left the Santiago Bernabeu last summer.
The Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
More details (free to read): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7414922/2026/07/01/philadelphia-76ers-lebron-james-free-agency/?unlocked_article_code=1.ulA.hwxh.3RgZz7lKpyk-&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
Newcastle United have reached an agreement with Hoffenheim to sign Bazoumana Toure.
The 20-year-old winger is expected to fly to Tyneside for a medical as Newcastle look to secure their second summer signing, following the arrival of Ewen Jaouen, the 20-year-old goalkeeper, last week.
The USMNT has used brainwave technology since January 2025 to help players prepare for one of the biggest moments in soccer: World Cup penalty shootouts.
Here's how the science works: https://nyti.ms/4wg3AZf
Brighton have agreed a deal to sign Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur for a deal worth up to £50million.
Tottenham will receieve an initial fee of £46m, with add-ons potentially taking it to £50m. They will also retain a 20 per cent sell-on clause as well as matching rights for any potential future sale.
Vuksovic, 19, is currently at the World Cup with Croatia who play Portugal on Wednesday. The centre-back will undergo a medical after Croatia’s World Cup campaign is over.
