Klopp agrees to lead Germany after World Cup elimination

South African midfielder Jayden Adams, 25, has died. The news was confirmed on Saturday by South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, in a statement.

“It is with deep shock and a heavy heart that I have learned of the death of Jayden Adams, midfielder for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana,” McKenzie wrote on the social network X. “South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents.”

McKenzie urged restraint and asked not to speculate on the cause, which has not yet been confirmed. Adams helped South Africa reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time. Before the quarterfinal match between Norway and England, a minute of silence was observed in his memory.

He started the opening match of the tournament against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, and came on in the 61st minute. He also started against the Czech Republic, but was substituted at half-time. According to McKenzie, Adams played that match hours after learning of his grandmother’s death.

The South African Footballers’ Union also expressed its condolences:

“Death has cruelly taken one of our own from us. We will always remember his humility, his extraordinary talent and the pride with which he represented South Africa.”

Adams played several seasons at Stellenbosch before joining Mamelodi Sundowns last year. With that club he won the African Football Confederation Champions League this year. President Cyril Ramaphosa and other organizations also sent their condolences.

The 2026 World Cup already knows its four semifinalists. France, Spain, England and Argentina advanced after a demanding phase, with solid performances and world-class figures. Now they seek to confirm their place in the final of the biggest tournament in history.

When and where to watch the semifinals?

Mexican fans have an extra reason to follow this decisive phase. Both matches will be broadcast on open television, at no additional cost. Televisa and TV Azteca confirmed that they will take the actions to millions of homes.

The first duel will be France vs Spain, on Tuesday, July 14 at 12:40 pm. On Wednesday, July 15, at the same time, England will face Argentina. Both matches can be seen on Channel 2, Channel 5, Channel 7, TUDN and the VIX platform.

The four teams will try to take the final step towards the grand final. Expectations are high, and the opportunity to see them for free adds excitement for soccer fans in Mexico.

Belgian Tim Merlier won the sprint in the eighth stage of the Tour de France, held this Saturday between Périgueux and Bergerac, with 180 kilometers of route under an intense heat wave.

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey by arriving in the main group alongside Jonas Vingegaard. The Slovenian’s advantage over his main rival is 2 minutes and 42 seconds. His teammate, the Mexican Isaac del Toro, occupies third place overall.

Extreme heat and strategy

High temperatures marked the day. Pogacar explained:

“Like every day, a lot of water and keep cooling the body. The body gets tired in the heat. We definitely have to be careful and keep cooling down, take care of nutrition, hydration.”

In the final meters, Mathieu van der Poel launched Jasper Philipsen, but the attack was premature. Merlier timed his sprint perfectly and took his fifth stage victory in the Tour.

“I needed to fight for my position all the time… I almost fell, I thought it was over,” Merlier said. “In this heat it was a really difficult effort.”

Biniam Girmay (Eritrea) was second and Olav Kooij (Netherlands) third, all with the same time: 3h 52min 50s.

Stage 9 shortened due to red alert

The ninth stage, which will go from Malemort to Ussel, has been reduced by 30 kilometers (from 185.5 to 155.5) due to extreme heat. The decision was made on Saturday night, after a red alert was declared in the department where the route takes place.

The Tour will conclude in Paris on July 26.