Football: Miami’s host fame is defeated by own goal; will FIFA take the World Cup away from the United States?
Miami suffered an own goal to its reputation as a magnificent host last Sunday in the final of the Copa America, which Argentina won against Colombia. Many fear that the incidents that occurred at the Hard Rock Stadium could affect the City of the Sun and the United States’ hosting of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup. The FIFA press department and the Miami Host Committee for the 2026 World Cup did not respond to emails sent to inquire about the repercussions that the events of Sunday, July 14 at the Hard Rock Stadium will have. However, the local representative of one of the companies that sells tickets for major sporting events recalled that FIFA has only once in its history taken away a country’s hosting: it set “extravagant” conditions that Colombia could not meet and, consequently, gave Mexico the hosting of the 1986 World Cup.
Olympics: Pope Francis praises unifying power of sport ahead of Paris 2024
Pope Francis praised the unifying power of sport on Sunday, just days before the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, and reiterated his hope for a truce in the world during the event. “Sport also has a great social force, capable of peacefully uniting people of different cultures,” he said during the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.
F1: Piastri wins his first race and McLaren got a 1-2
Oscar Piastri won his first Formula 1 race and completed McLaren’s 1-2 after Lando Norris finished second in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The incredible result came after a long and at times awkward exchange between the British team and its main driver until Norris obeyed orders and let Piastri through. “This is the day I dreamed of since I was a kid, standing on the top step of the podium,” said the 23-year-old. “A bit tricky at the end but I put myself in a good position from the start. I trusted Lando and I think it was a fair decision to change at the end.”
Tennis: Nadal loses Nordea Open final, turns his focus to Paris 2024
Rafael Nadal’s winning streak on the clay of the Nordea Open ended on Sunday when the Spaniard lost the final 6-3, 6-2 to Nuno Borges. The Portuguese seventh seed broke Nadal’s serve five times before confirming his first ATP Tour title. This was Nadal’s first final since the 2022 French Open. “It’s crazy, in tennis it doesn’t happen sometimes when you expect it,” Borges said. “I know we all wanted Rafa to win, a part of me wanted it too, but something even bigger inside me really pushed me through the day.”
Baseball: Beltré, Helton, Mauer and Leyland were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame}
Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton were all labeled as athletic phenoms from a young age, and all three lived up to the hype with their induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. During his playing years, Beltre made it clear that he didn’t like anyone touching his head, but of course his teammates ignored his request and made it a custom to touch his head anyway. At Sunday’s ceremony, fellow Hall of Famer David Ortiz continued the tradition by touching Beltre’s head before his speech.
MLS: Jordi Alba scores the winning goal for Inter Miami
Jordi Alba scored in the second half, two minutes after Chicago tied the game and Inter Miami beat the Fire 2-1 on Saturday. Before the game, Inter Miami paid tribute to Lionel Messi for winning the Copa America last Sunday. The Argentine star wore an orthopedic boot on his right leg after injuring an ankle ligament in the final of the continental competition. The tie prevailed until Alba scored with a left-footed shot in the 77th minute. It was the Spaniard’s fourth goal of the season. Inter Miami reached 53 points and moved away at the top of the Eastern Conference.
