Sports

Osasuna stuns Barcelona with 4-2 victory in La Liga showdown

In the eighth round of La Liga, FC Barcelona suffered their first setback of the season, losing 4-2 to a spirited Osasuna in Navarra. The Barça, who had won their previous seven matches, appeared disoriented due to rotations in their lineup, which the home team capitalized on to secure a well-deserved victory.

Despite the defeat, Barcelona remains at the top of the table with 21 points. However, their closest rival, Real Madrid (currently in second with 17 points), could close the gap to just one point if they defeat Atlético Madrid in the Madrid derby on Sunday.

“Rotations are normal; there are many matches, but that’s no excuse. We needed to start focused as a team, and the halftime result affected us,” Pedri stated to Movistar+ after the match. “In the second half, we deserved more, but we conceded goals when we were playing better.”

Osasuna’s victory was solidified by a brilliant performance from Bryan Zaragoza, who first assisted Ante Budimir for the opening goal in the 18th minute and then finished expertly against Iñaki Peña in the 28th minute. For Zaragoza, Barcelona seems to be a recurring victim, as in October 2023, while playing for Granada, he scored a brace in a 2-2 draw against the Catalan side.

Although Barça reacted in the second half with a goal from Pau Víctor in the 53rd minute, it was not enough to turn the tide. Coach Hansi Flick, who fielded a lineup full of youngsters like Gerard Martín, Sergi Domínguez, Pablo Torre, and Pau Víctor, acknowledged his responsibility for the defeat due to making multiple changes to the lineup.

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“If anyone should be blamed for this defeat, it’s me,” Flick explained. “We made many mistakes in the first half. We made a lot of changes to the team, and that may be one of the reasons, but it was necessary due to the accumulation of matches. It’s my responsibility.”

Sports

MLS Awaits Blockbuster Debuts as Griezmann and Lewandowski Join the Spotlight

While Major League Soccer awaits Lionel Messi’s return, the league will experience a major spotlight moment on Wednesday with the highly anticipated debuts of two new global stars: Robert Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann.

French forward Antoine Griezmann, 35, could make his first official appearance for Orlando City when the team visits the San Jose Earthquakes, one of the surprise performers of the current MLS season.

The attacker recently ended his long spell with Atlético Madrid and has already made an early impression with his new club, scoring one of the goals in Orlando’s 6-0 friendly victory over Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United States’ second division.

Orlando is counting on its new star to help turn around a difficult season that began with the dismissal of Colombian coach Oscar Pareja after the team lost its first three matches.

Under Argentine manager Martín Perelman, Orlando City currently sits 13th in the Eastern Conference with 14 points from 15 games, outside the playoff qualification positions.

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The team entered the break for the North American World Cup after suffering a heavy 6-2 defeat against FC Cincinnati on May 23.

Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski was originally expected to make his Chicago Fire debut last Thursday when MLS resumed play after the international break.

The Polish striker, who will turn 38 in August, was scheduled to step onto the Soldier Field pitch against the Vancouver Whitecaps, coached by Thomas Müller, his former teammate at Bayern Munich.

However, the match was postponed due to poor air quality in Chicago caused by smoke from wildfires in southern Canada.

Lewandowski has continued preparing for his first professional experience outside European football.

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“One thing I can say about Robert is that he has an incredible work ethic,” Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter said on Tuesday.

“He joined us after dealing with jet lag throughout last week, and he was still demanding from his teammates during training. He does extra work afterward. You can see why he has scored more goals than anyone else in Europe over the last 15 years, because he is an absolute professional,” added the former United States national team coach.

The arrival of Griezmann and Lewandowski adds even more star power to an MLS season already boosted by international figures, as clubs continue attracting some of the biggest names in world football.

Sports

France edge Paraguay 1–0 as Mbappé penalty sends Les Bleus into World Cup quarterfinals

France secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Paraguay to advance to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, thanks to a second-half penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé.

The match, played at the Lincoln Financial Field, was heavily affected by extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 37°C and a heat index of 40°C, forcing players and fans to remain constantly hydrated and contributing to a slower-paced encounter.

France dominated possession throughout the first half, holding 76% of the ball and registering six shots on target without managing to convert. Paraguay, meanwhile, maintained a compact defensive structure, often dropping as many as eight players behind the ball and relying on counterattacks.

Despite their control, the French side struggled to create clear chances, a situation that visibly frustrated coach Didier Deschamps. His team returned from halftime with the same approach, eventually forcing a save from Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after a shot from Manu Koné in the 55th minute.

The breakthrough arrived in the 70th minute when the referee, after a VAR review, awarded a penalty following a foul by Diego Gómez on Désiré Doué inside the box. Mbappé converted from the spot to give France the lead.

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After the goal, France managed the game more calmly, while Paraguay pushed forward in search of an equalizer, opening up their defensive shape.

With his goal, Mbappé reached seven goals in the tournament, level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the scoring charts, and moved within one goal of the all-time World Cup scoring record.

International

Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History as First Player to Score in Six World Cups

Cristiano Ronaldo made football history on Tuesday by becoming the first player ever to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The Portuguese forward opened the scoring in Portugal’s Group K match against Uzbekistan in Houston. Just six minutes into the game, Ronaldo found the back of the net with a right-footed strike from inside the box, sending the Portuguese fans into celebration.

The “Commander” sparked excitement throughout the stadium with his iconic celebration, as supporters joined in with his famous “Siuuu!” chant to honor another milestone in the career of one of football’s greatest stars.

At 41 years old, Ronaldo has now scored in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and North America 2026. With his two goals in this tournament, he has surpassed Lionel Messi’s record, as the Argentine has scored in every World Cup he played except South Africa 2010.

The Portuguese captain has also reached nine World Cup goals, matching Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time top scorer in the history of the tournament.

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Ronaldo’s achievement came just one day after Messi also made history by becoming the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, reaching 18 goals after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria.

With his appearance at the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has also extended another remarkable record by becoming the first player to participate in six consecutive editions of the tournament, further cementing his legacy as one of the most influential players in football history.