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LONDON: Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been signed for The Hundred 2026, joining Trent Rockets ahead of the upcoming season.

Amir has been included in the Trent Rockets squad as a replacement for Australian fast bowler David Payne.

After obtaining a British passport, Mohammad Amir will play in The Hundred as a domestic player rather than an overseas player.

Happy to be part of trent rockets 🚀 🙌 😎. pic.twitter.com/jW6OrfirVc

— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) July 10, 2026

Mohammad Amir also expressed his happiness over joining Trent Rockets through a brief message shared on the social media platform X.

Also Read: Pakistan Captain Fatima Sana Named in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has moved closer to its conclusion after the Round of 16 ended with a dramatic match between Switzerland and Colombia. Following the participation of 48 teams, only eight remain in contention for the world title.

The Round of 16 featured several dramatic contests, including late comebacks, penalty shootouts and unexpected results. At the end of the knockout stage, France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina and Switzerland qualified for the quarter-finals.

Each of the remaining teams is now just three victories away from becoming world champions. The upcoming quarter-final matches will determine the four teams that advance to the semi-finals.

The quarter-finalists include defending champions Argentina, European heavyweights France and Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Switzerland and African representatives Morocco.

Round of 16 Results

Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 to reach the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the second consecutive tournament.

France secured a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, while Kylian Mbappe strengthened his position in the Golden Boot race.

Norway produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by defeating five-time world champions Brazil 2-1, with Erling Haaland scoring both goals.

England edged past Mexico 3-2 in a thrilling encounter.

Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 to maintain its impressive run in the competition.

Belgium comfortably beat the United States 4-1 to book its place in the last eight.

Argentina staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2.

Switzerland completed the quarter-final line-up by defeating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a dramatic contest.

Quarter-Final Schedule

The quarter-final stage will begin in the United States on July 9, with matches starting on July 10 according to Pakistan Standard Time. Eight teams will compete for four places in the semi-finals, while the losing teams will be eliminated from the tournament.

The opening quarter-final will feature unbeaten three-time world champions France against Morocco. The match will be played at Boston Stadium on Friday, July 10, at 1:00 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time.

The second quarter-final will see former world champions Spain take on Belgium. Spain booked its place in the last eight after defeating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the Round of 16. The match is scheduled to be played in Los Angeles at 12:00 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time on July 11.

The third quarter-final will feature Norway, which produced the tournament’s biggest upset by eliminating five-time world champions Brazil, against former world champions England. The match will be played at Miami Stadium at 2:00 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time on July 12.

The fourth and final quarter-final will see three-time world champions and defending champions Argentina face Switzerland. The match will be played at Kansas Stadium at 6:00 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time on July 12.

The winners of the four quarter-final matches will qualify for the semi-finals, while the losing teams will be eliminated from the tournament.

Semi-Final and Final Schedule

The FIFA World Cup semi-finals will be played on July 15 and July 16 in Dallas and Atlanta, respectively. The winner of the France-Morocco quarter-final will face the winner of the Spain-Belgium match, while the winner of the Norway-England clash will take on the winner of the Argentina-Switzerland encounter.

The tournament’s final will be held on July 19 at the New York, New Jersey Stadium, where the remaining two teams will compete for the FIFA World Cup title.

Star Players to Watch

The quarter-finals are expected to showcase some of the biggest names in world football, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Achraf Hakimi, Charles De Ketelaere, Lamine Yamal and Granit Xhaka.

Particular attention will be on Lionel Messi, as the tournament is being regarded as the final FIFA World Cup of his career. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland remain among the leading contenders for the Golden Boot award.

Argentina: Defending champions Argentina produced a dramatic comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, securing their place in the quarterfinals after a thrilling contest.

Egypt took the lead in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim found the back of the net to give his side a 1-0 advantage, a lead they maintained until the end of the first half.

The Egyptian side doubled its lead in the second half through Mostafa Zico, who scored to make it 2-0 and put Argentina under significant pressure.

Argentina began its fightback in the closing stages of the second half, pulling one goal back to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

In the 83rd minute, Lionel Messi scored Argentina’s second goal to level the match at 2-2. It was Messi’s eighth goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026, making him the tournament’s leading scorer once again.

Also Read: Iran Accuses World Cup Organisers of Unfair Restrictions, Vows FIFA Complaint

Earlier in the match, Messi missed a penalty, marking his second missed spot-kick of the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina maintained relentless pressure in stoppage time and scored the decisive goal in the fourth minute of the seven minutes added on, taking a 3-2 lead that remained intact until the final whistle.

Two of Argentina’s three goals came in the closing moments of the second half, while the winning goal was scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time, completing a remarkable comeback and sending the defending champions into the quarterfinals.

Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the last of his career after Portugal’s dream of winning the tournament came to an end with a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the pre-quarterfinals.

Spain secured victory through an injury-time goal by Mikel Merino, leaving Ronaldo in tears as he walked off the field following the final whistle.

Speaking to the media after the match, Ronaldo expressed disappointment over Portugal’s exit, saying he was saddened that his World Cup journey had ended in this manner. He said he had given everything on the field and tried to deliver his best performance, adding that he was leaving with a clear conscience. Ronaldo remarked that football is like life, where there are moments of success as well as defeat.

Responding to a question, Ronaldo confirmed that this was his final World Cup. He said he would now spend time with his family and calmly reflect on his future, adding that he would not make any hasty decisions.

The 41-year-old, however, did not clarify whether the match against Spain was also his final appearance for Portugal’s national team. He said he did not want to make any personal decision that could overshadow the team’s campaign and stressed that he does not make decisions based on emotions.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup: 28 Teams Qualify, Final Four Spots to Be Decided Today

Ronaldo, who played a key role in helping Portugal win the 2016 UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025, said he was proud of his service to the national team. He noted that he had represented Portugal for 23 years and helped the country win three major titles.

He described Portugal’s greatest achievement as winning the 2016 European Championship, saying that, in his view, its significance was equal to winning a World Cup.

Ronaldo also said that nothing was missing from his life and that God had blessed him with more than he had ever expected. He added that age brings maturity and experience and said he was grateful even for the criticism he had faced because it had made him stronger. According to Ronaldo, people had been trying to bring him down and criticize him for the past 23 years, but he had never paid much attention to it because it is part of the game. He also thanked the people of Portugal for always believing in him, saying they had never abandoned him and had always stood by his side.

Before Ronaldo’s era, Portugal had not won a single major international title.

During his 23-year career, Ronaldo has scored a combined 976 goals for club and country. He has won the Ballon d’Or five times, the UEFA Champions League five times and the UEFA European Championship once. Despite his remarkable achievements, the FIFA World Cup remains the only major trophy missing from his collection.

Ronaldo featured in six FIFA World Cups, with Portugal coming closest to lifting the trophy in the 2006 edition, when the team reached the semifinals. That tournament was also his first World Cup appearance.

He will be remembered among the greatest footballers in history who, despite extraordinary careers, were unable to win the World Cup.

If Ronaldo continues his international career, the next major tournament will be the 2028 UEFA European Championship, by which time he will be 43 years old.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced its Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament, with Pakistan captain Fatima Sana earning a place in the 12-player squad after an outstanding all-round campaign.

The Team of the Tournament features players from eight countries. World champion Australia dominated the selection with four players, while runner-up England had two representatives. Australia’s strong presence in the squad followed its dominant campaign, which concluded with a record seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament includes England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nat Sciver-Brunt, Australia’s Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Ash Gardner and Sophie Molineux, Ireland’s Orla Prendergast, Sri Lanka’s Nilakshika Silva, South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp, Pakistan’s Fatima Sana, India’s Sree Charani and Scotland’s Darcey Carter.

Fatima Sana’s inclusion was one of the major highlights for Pakistan. Although Pakistan managed to win only one match in the 12-team tournament, defeating the Netherlands during the group stage, the captain delivered consistent performances with both bat and ball throughout the competition.

She finished the tournament with 11 wickets in five matches at an average of 11.27 and also scored 85 runs, making her one of Pakistan’s most effective players during the event.

The ICC described Fatima Sana as the “beating heart” of Pakistan’s team because of her impact in key matches. Against South Africa, she scored an unbeaten 55 after Pakistan had collapsed to 50-8. She then claimed figures of 3-16 with the ball and came close to guiding Pakistan to a memorable victory.

Fatima also took 3-12 against the Netherlands and helped Pakistan secure a 37-run victory in its final group-stage match.

England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 302 runs, while India’s Sree Charani ended the competition as the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets.

Australia’s Beth Mooney, who scored 238 runs and played crucial innings in both knockout matches, was named the Player of the Tournament.

The second knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 begins today, with the final 16 teams set to battle in the Round of 16 as they continue their quest for the world title.

Following the conclusion of the group stage and the Round of 32, all three host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — have secured places in the Round of 16 alongside Brazil, Paraguay, Morocco, Norway, France, England, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Egypt, Argentina and Colombia.

The Round of 16 action will kick off today with Canada taking on Morocco, while Paraguay will face France in the other match of the day.

On July 5, Brazil will meet Norway, while Mexico will take on England.

The fixtures on July 6 will see Portugal face Spain, followed by the United States against Belgium.

The final two Round of 16 matches will be played on July 7, with Argentina taking on Egypt, while Switzerland will face Colombia.

The winners of these eight matches will advance to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Also Read: Iran Accuses World Cup Organisers of Unfair Restrictions, Vows FIFA Complaint

As the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup nears its conclusion, 28 teams have secured their places in the Round of 32, while the remaining four qualification spots will be decided in today’s matches.

The teams that have already advanced to the knockout stage include Portugal, Germany, Brazil, France, Argentina, Spain, Morocco, Norway, and co-hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada. Meanwhile, Qatar and Türkiye have failed to qualify for the next round.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa have made history by reaching the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time. Cape Verde has also created a record by becoming the smallest nation in World Cup history to reach the Round of 32, emerging as one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.

In another key group-stage fixture, Iran and Egypt played out a 1-1 draw. Iran had a goal disallowed for offside in the closing moments of the match, sparking widespread debate on social media.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Match: Mexico Defeat South Africa 2–0 in Heated Clash with Three Red Cards

Following the result, Egypt secured its place in the Round of 32, while Iran’s qualification will depend on the outcome of the final group-stage matches.

Although Iran has yet to win a match in the tournament, it remains a strong contender to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time.

In today’s fixtures, a defeat for either Croatia, Congo, Algeria or Austria would send Iran through to the next round. Similarly, Iran will also qualify if the match between Congo and Uzbekistan ends in a draw.

However, if both Croatia and Congo win their respective matches and Algeria’s match against Austria ends in a draw, Iran’s World Cup campaign will come to an end in the group stage.

FIFA has introduced a significant change to the ‘Player of the Match’ award ceremony and trophy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, respecting the religious beliefs and cultural sensitivities of Muslim players.

Under the new policy, selected players can receive a special trophy and appear in front of a branding-free backdrop without alcohol-related advertising.

The change came into the spotlight when Morocco’s Ismael Saibari was named ‘Player of the Match’ after scoring the tournament’s fastest opening goal against Scotland.

During the award presentation, the usual beer brand promotion was removed and replaced with a neutral “Superior Player of the Match” design alongside FIFA World Cup branding.

According to reports, Egypt’s Imam Ashour, Jordan’s Ali Olwan, Iran’s Ramin Rezaeian, Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada, and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande also received similar branding-free awards.

Read More: FIFA World Cup 2026: Tunisia Sack Head Coach After Just One Match

FIFA spokesperson said that a branding-free award and backdrop can be provided upon the request of the selected player.

The alcohol logo has been removed from the World Cup player of the match trophy for Muslim footballers out of respect for their faith 👊 pic.twitter.com/7NxZuaDhTR

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 25, 2026

The same policy also applies to players who have not yet reached the legal drinking age.

It is worth recalling that during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy drew global attention after declining to accept the Player of the Match award because of its association with an alcohol sponsor.