Spain vs Belgium: duel for a place in the semi-finals

The Mexican National Team did not make it to the quarterfinals in the 2026 North American World Cup. They lost 2-3 against England at the Mexico City stadium, which meant their elimination in the round of 16.

An illusion that went out

Javier Aguirre’s team arrived with great momentum after winning their four previous games (South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic and Ecuador) without conceding a single goal. The fans dreamed of qualifying for the quarterfinals after 40 years. However, Mexico added its ninth consecutive World Cup without advancing to that phase. In Qatar 2022 they did not even make it past the group stage.

Recognition of Jesús Gallardo

Despite the defeat, the fans showed support. Jesús Gallardo, Toluca winger, traveled on a commercial flight to Tabasco and received a tribute from the crew.

“We celebrate his participation and we are proud to share this flight with him. Thank you for carrying the name of Mexico so high and for leaving everything on the field. May there be many more successes,” said a flight attendant over the loudspeaker.

The passengers also dedicated a cheer to him: “Chiquitibum a la bim bomb ba, Gallardo, Gallardo, ra ra ra.”

Mexico’s performance left mixed feelings: pride in the effort, but frustration for not breaking the barrier of the second round.

FIFA is already evaluating the venue for the 2029 Club World Cup. The United States is running as host, seeking to capitalize on the soccer boom generated by the 2026 World Cup, which it will share with Canada and Mexico.

According to sources close to the governing body, preliminary talks have already begun. However, it has not been confirmed whether President Donald Trump participated in those meetings. The White House, through the Working Group for the 2026 World Cup, is aware of the efforts.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of that group, declared: “Soccer is no longer an American story of the future; it is happening right now. There is a huge demand to come to the United States to watch the World Cup.”

Consolidated format

The new Club World Cup with 32 teams debuted this year in the United States, where Chelsea were crowned champions. The tournament replaced the previous format and proved to be a magnet for international fans. FIFA modified the calendar to give greater weight to the competition, and now seeks to repeat the experience.

If it comes to fruition, it would be the second time that the country hosts this competition in its new era. The final decision is expected in 2027, after the World Cup.

Dominant victory in the Pyrenees

Tadej Pogacar once again demonstrated his superiority. The Slovenian escaped alone on the Col du Tourmalet during the sixth stage of the Tour de France and crossed the finish line 2 minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. This is how he regained the yellow jersey.

“I would say this is in the top five of my Tour de France victories,” Pogacar stated. “It’s an incredible victory and, without a doubt, one of the sweetest. I wasn’t calculating seconds or minutes; I just wanted to go hard to the finish line.”

Mexican Isaac del Toro, Pogacar’s teammate in the UAE Emirates-XRG, finished third at 2:57. Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas completed the top five. Overall, Vingegaard is in second place at 2:42, while del Toro is third.

The day began with intense heat and several escape attempts. The Pogacar and Vingegaard teams set a high pace before the decisive climbs. The route included two mythical climbs: the Col d’Aspin and the Tourmalet, the latter of the HC category (Hors Catégorie), the hardest.

After passing through Aspin, Ben O’Connor took the lead but was neutralized in the final kilometers. Then, 4.5 kilometers from the top of Tourmalet, del Toro accelerated with Pogacar on wheel. The leader of the previous stage, Torstein Træen, dropped and then suffered a fall on the descent, although he was able to continue after being evaluated.

Pogacar attacked alone and crowned first. Vingegaard tried to close the gap on the descent, but Pogacar was faster. By the time they reached the final climb towards Gavarnie-Gedre, the lead was over a minute. He didn’t look back.

“I woke up at 7 in the morning and my mind was racing. I was very excited for today. I knew it was going to be a good day,” Pogacar said. With this victory, he takes a firm step towards his fifth Tour title, equaling Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.