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Ivory Coast started the 2026 World Cup on an incredible note, defeating Ecuador in a surprise 1-0 win off a late goal in the final minutes.

Ecuador may have entered the tournament as a dark horse, but it was Ivory Coast that controlled most of the game, especially the second half. The Elephants held significant possession and ended with more shots in total, including shots on target.

It was a surprisingly fruitless game for the Ecuador attack, with the team not recording a shot on target until midway through the second half. But Ivory Coast continued to push, until finally finding the back of the net in the 90th minute. Assisted by Wilfried Singo, it was second-half substitute Amad Diallo who broke through for the Elephants.

However, Diallo was not the only star of the game: also playing a starring role was the crossbar, which denied three total goals — two for Ecuador and one for Ivory Coast — to keep the game level until Diallo finally broke through.

It was a statement victory for the Ivory Coast, which has never made it past the group stage in the World Cup. The one-goal win certainly won’t be enough to derail fellow Group E team Germany, which earned a 7-1 blowout win over Curaçao earlier on Sunday, but it sets the Elephants up for a chance to potentially advance to the knockout stage for the first time.

Meanwhile, it’s a tough start for Ecuador, who entered the World Cup with a lot of promise. La Tri’s defense has been key to its run-up to the tournament, but it fell apart right at the end on Sunday. Though Ecuador’s next test against Curaçao shouldn’t be too difficult, the group stage finale against Germany may end up being do-or-die for La Tri.

On a historic night at the footsteps of the U.S. capital, Justin Gaethje pulled off the ultimate American upset.

Despite being cast as a more than a 6-to-1 underdog, and despite being roundly dismissed as a lamb led to slaughter on the biggest stage in UFC history, Gaethje did the unthinkable, brutally stopping Ilia Topuria to capture the lightweight title Sunday on the White House’s South Lawn in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C.

Gaethje’s feat, considering the circumstances, is among the biggest upsets in UFC history. After a career littered with wars of attrition, the 37-year-old American was widely believed to be past his peak in January heading into an interim title bout against Paddy Pimblett. But Gaethje shined in that moment, and then did so in an even louder way Sunday, upsetting one of the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.

After a brutal back-and-forth battle that left Topuria’s face bloodied and badly swollen, the now-former champ’s corner called an end to the contest between Rounds 4 and 5.

“Hey, I’m from America. Two hundred and fifty years ago we were way bigger than 6-to-1 dogs, and look at us thriving now,” an elated Gaethje shouted in victory.

“I know that was absolutely legendary, because I cannot believe it. Wow.”

As the most high-profile American on a card designed to ostensibly celebrate the 250th birthday of the country, Gaethje (28-5) carried the weight of the world on his shoulders heading into Sunday night. But within the bout’s opening minutes, it was clear he had a game plan that could potentially topple one of the sport’s most dangerous talents.

Gaethje consistently found an early home with his stiff jabs and hammering uppercuts, bloodying Topuria’s face in the opening round while keeping his Georgian-Spanish rival guessing with sporadic feints of takedown attempts. But Topuria (17-1) rallied back in Round 2, dropping Gaethje with a series of thunderous body shots that appeared to put the American challenger on the precipice of the end.

Topuria might’ve had it right there and then, however he opted to follow Gaethje to the ground, take mount position, and work for several unsuccessful submission attempts, ultimately allowing Gaethje to recover and ride out the round.

After collecting himself with a light-hearted moment on the stool, Gaethje stormed out for Round 3 like a man reborn, dropping Topuria with a monstrous combination and then repeatedly hurting Topuria again as the champ desperately tried to survive.

By the end of the frame, Topuria’s face was barely recognizable, and the fight appeared to nearly end there, as doctors spent an extra minute examining him between rounds.

After much debate, the fight was allowed to continue into Round 4, and both men came out of their corners throwing everything they had at one another. Yet it was Gaethje who repeatedly came out on top in their exchanges, connecting with thudding right hands, more uppercuts, and several big knees to the head and body, leaving Topuria sporting a full crimson mask by the end of the five-minute sprint.

Moments later, the bout was over — waved off by Topuria’s corner.

“I owed him that, because he hurt in my liver so bad,” Gaethje said of his vicious attacks.

“I knew I was going to have to get through the first round. His skills are unmatched when he’s fresh and I’m fresh, but my durability, my tenacity and my heart will carry me through those first couple rounds, and nobody can outwork me in Round 3, and especially the championship rounds.”

“I told myself I was going to lose,” Gaethje added. “I told myself I was going to get embarrassed, so I can go to my most primal place and dig deep. And I had to, that guy had me in trouble. He had me rocked and he rocked my chin, smoked my liver, and I stuck in it.”

And with that, Gaethje penned not only the most unlikely of late-career chapters, but also one of the greatest results for an American fighter in MMA history.

WASHINGTON – The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the finals on Saturday to win the championship series 4-1 and capture their first NBA title since 1973.

Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 45 points and added three assists as the Knicks completed another comeback in San Antonio to end a 53-year championship drought.

Josh Hart recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 14 points. OG Anunoby finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

The Spurs were led by rookie Dylan Harper, who scored 25 points off the bench. Victor Wembanyama had 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, while Julian Champagnie added 14 points.

San Antonio led 23-13 after the first quarter and took a 42-37 advantage into halftime after holding New York to one of its worst offensive stretches of the postseason. The Spurs pushed the lead back to double digits in the third quarter and entered the fourth ahead 72-65.

But New York rallied again behind Brunson, who tied the game with a layup midway through the fourth and later gave the Knicks the lead from the free-throw line.

Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out late, but Mitchell Robinson grabbed a key offensive rebound in the final minute before Anunoby helped seal the win at the line.

The victory gives New York its third championship in franchise history.

US President Donald Trump congratulated the Knicks in a post on Truth Social, praising team owner Jim Dolan and the club’s playoff run.

“What a year it has been but, even more so, what incredible playoff wins we have all witnessed, especially the last four – Maybe the greatest in the history of basketball,” Trump wrote.

He hailed Brunson, saying, “Tonight, a superstar was born,” while also praising Towns, Anunoby and Robinson. 

MANILA – Sonny Wagdos and Artjoy Torregosa topped the 10,000-meter run Sunday in the ICTSI Philippine Open at New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

Wagdos, the 2025 Thailand Southeast Asian Games marathon silver medalist, clocked 31 minutes and 10.64 seconds to claim his second medal. He placed second behind Yacine Guermali in the 5,000m event.

Torregosa, on the other hand, finished in 36:34.74 to secure her second gold medal following her victory in the 5,000m.

On Saturday, she dominated the 21-kilometer event of the Galaxy Manila Marathon.

Meanwhile, Hussein Loraña ruled the men’s 800m race while KG Mercuries won the men’s 4x100m relay.

Loraña, the UAAP Season 86 Most Valuable Player, clocked 1:48.39 to win his third 800m title.

He is scheduled to join the inaugural Asian Under-23 Championships on July 9 to 12 in Ordos, China.

KG Mercuries, comprising Anfernee Lopeña, Vicjardi Tapia, Ralp Anthony Lego and Kent Paul Burdan, captured the gold medal in 40.56 seconds.

Pinoy Athletics (40.57) and Team PH t (40.70) took the silver and bronze medals, respectively. 

MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas Youth passed its toughest test of the tournament with flying colors, fending off host Thailand, 85-70, to capture the FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers crown at Chankapoh Gym in Krabi on Sunday.

After steamrolling their opponents in the group stage by an average margin of 62 points, the young Filipinos finally found themselves in a dogfight against the Thais energized by the home crowd and determined to pull off an upset.

The victory secured for Gilas Youth a ticket to the next stage of the continental competition. 

Thailand stayed within striking distance throughout the first three quarters and even forced a 55-all deadlock with just over two minutes remaining in the third period.

But when the pressure mounted, the young Gilas showed its composure.

The Nationals responded with a decisive 13-4 run spanning the final minutes of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to put some separation from the pesky Thailand squad, 68-59, with over six minutes left.

The young Filipinos further pulled away with six unanswered points for a 78-63 lead with 1:35 left to play.

Gilas stretched the lead to as much as 16 points after a Patrick Pasinos triple made it 81-65 with 57 seconds left, effectively putting the championship beyond reach.

Joaquin Tovera spearheaded the attack with 21 points and was later named Most Valuable Player after anchoring the Philippines’ unbeaten run.

Pasinos and Ethan Aguas added 13 points apiece, while Kenji Morales provided a crucial lift, tallying 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

The title capped a dominant campaign for the Filipinos, who entered the championship game unbeaten and fresh from a 130-54 demolition of Malaysia in the semifinals.

Gilas routed Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand in pool play, often turning games into lopsided affairs behind suffocating defense and balanced scoring. 

MANILA – Korea captured the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Volleyball Cup title after prevailing over Chinese Taipei, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22, in the finals late Sunday night at Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

Sohwi Kang delivered 14 points while Hyunsoo Na and Yunju Jeong added 12 and 11 points, respectively for world No. 31 Korea.

The Koreans also beat the Taiwaneae in pool play on Friday, 25-19, 19-25, 25-27, 25-21, 15-12.

“I’m really happy we were able to have this very meaningful and valuable result today,” Kang said, noting that team confidence was low during a trying period recently in the FIVB’s top annual competition, Volleyball Nations League (VNL).

“We were losing many games in the VNL. We felt the value of the victories in the AVC every time we won,” she added.

Kang, who averaged 14 points per match, was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and the City of Candon headed by Mayor Eric Singson.

Three-time champion Vietnam defeated Kazakhstan, 25-17, 25-12, 25-19, to settle for the bronze medal.

Thi Thanh Thuy Tran finished with 16 points f0llowed by Thi Bich Thuy Tran with 15 and Thi Nuh Quynh Vi with 13 as Vietnam avenged its 25-18, 19-25, 25-23, 22-25, 13-15 loss in pool play.

Kristina Belova had 10 points, while Zhanna Syroyeshkina and Tatyana Yatskiv contributed eight points each for Kazakhstan, which placed fourth for the second straight time.

Indonesia downed Australia in the battle for fifth place, 25-13, 25-19, 26-24; while Iran conquered host Philippines, 25-21, 25-12, 25-21, in the battle for seventh. 

WASHINGTON – The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday to win the championship series 4-1 and capture their first NBA title since 1973.

Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 45 points and added three assists as the Knicks completed another comeback in San Antonio to end a 53-year championship drought.

Josh Hart recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 14 points. OG Anunoby finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

The Spurs were led by rookie Dylan Harper, who scored 25 points off the bench. Victor Wembanyama had 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, while Julian Champagnie added 14 points.

San Antonio led 23-13 after the first quarter and took a 42-37 advantage into halftime after holding New York to one of its worst offensive stretches of the postseason. The Spurs pushed the lead back to double digits in the third quarter and entered the fourth ahead 72-65.

But New York rallied again behind Brunson, who tied the game with a layup midway through the fourth and later gave the Knicks the lead from the free-throw line.

Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out late, but Mitchell Robinson grabbed a key offensive rebound in the final minute before Anunoby helped seal the win at the line.

The victory gives New York its third championship in franchise history.

US President Donald Trump congratulated the Knicks in a post on Truth Social, praising team owner Jim Dolan and the club’s playoff run.

“What a year it has been but, even more so, what incredible playoff wins we have all witnessed, especially the last four – Maybe the greatest in the history of basketball,” Trump wrote. He hailed Brunson, saying, “Tonight, a superstar was born,” while also praising Towns, Anunoby and Robinson.

MANILA — Chris McCullough outplayed Justin Brownlee in an epic import showdown to lead TNT to a 98-90 win against Ginebra on Sunday night in Game 6 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals in front of 22,731 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Two nights after witnessing Brownlee drop a career-high 54 points, McCullough responded with a 53-point blast on 20 of 36 shooting, including 6 of 12 on long-range bombs and 22 rebounds.

However, none was more important than his four-point shot with 1:53 left that gave the Tropang 5G enough cushion to hold off the Brownlee-led gallant fight by the Gin Kings.

“Just to come out and be aggressive, I’ll take my shots and not shy away from those shots even though I’ve been missing a lot. I’ve been doing this for 12 years, so it’s something I know how to do. And I’m just happy we stuck with it, played good defense, rebounded well, and hit big shots,” said McCullough, a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Jordan Heading added 19 points, one rebound, nine assists, one steal, and one block for TNT, which sent the championship round to a Game 7 on Wednesday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

The team won Game 6 despite being forced to sit out injured stars Calvin Oftana and Brandon Rosser, and the franchise held on even if Jayson Castro sprained his ankle in-game.

Fresh from the 54-point blast in Ginebra’s Game 4 overtime win, Brownlee fired 52 on 23 of 33 field goals, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks, but no other Gin King finished in double figures scoring-wise.

“We just want to go out there and win. We want to play our best foot forward and try to play the best that I could for the team,” Brownlee said on his drive for back-to-back 50-point games.

According to chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, the McCullough-Brownlee showdown was the first time both PBA finalists had 50-point players each since Carlos Briggs dropped 60 for the Ginebra franchise, then known as Añejo, and Ennis Whatley fired exactly 50 for San Miguel in Game 4 of the 1989 Reinforced Conference championship. 

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is introducing himself to a broader audience in this playoff run.

While most NBA fans — even casual ones — knew he was a special type of player, he’s finally getting the type of exposure superstars get, for better or worse.

That has raised questions about his game, given that he’s already been assessed three flagrant foul points in the NBA Finals and has been caught shoving, pushing, and elbowing opponents.

However, for Draymond Green, that’s not surprising. If anything, that’s just how European players play. 

Draymond Green says European players are dirty

“Victor Wembanyama is a European player. They are a bit dirty. It’s why beating France … was such a big deal. Europeans want to own our game and they are a bit dirty,” Green said in his podcast. “And so I’ve said this before and everybody’s like, ‘Daymond shouldn’t say that. He can’t say that. He’s dirty.’ No, I’m not. I will mess you up for sure because you deserve to get jacked up. Completely different thing than doing sneaky dirty stuff.”

That’s definitely not the type of message you want to be sending or how you’d want to address players from an entire continent.

Xenophobia aside, Green is probably saying that as a compliment. He’s also got a bit of a reputation for roughing players up, and he’s always had nothing but praise for Wembanyama.

Wembanyama clearly sees and feels the game differently from most stars. He’s passionate and truly seems obsessed with winning more than anything else, more than endorsements or fame. 

Of course, that doesn’t justify his dangerously tiptoeing between playing hard and trying to hurt other people.

That said, it must be almost impossible not to hit everybody in the head with your elbow for a player who’s nearly 7-foot-5. 

ARLINGTON, Texas — Daichi Kamada’s fortuitous 88th-minute header gave Japan a dramatic 2-2 draw against Netherlands on Sunday in a World Cup Group F matchup.

Koki Ogawa rose highest from Junya Ito’s corner to nod the ball goalward, but it flicked off Kamada and beat Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to spark jubilant celebrations among those dressed in blue among the crowd of 69,285 at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium).

After a drab first-half short on chances, the game sprang to life with three goals in 13 minutes, beginning with center back Virgil van Dijk’s clever 51st-minute header from Liverpool teammate Ryan Gravenberch’s right-wing cross. Japan hit back six minutes later as Keito Nakamura drifted into a central position to hit a low drive that appeared to take a deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.

Crysencio Summerville, who made his senior Netherlands debut earlier this month, thought he had won it in the 64th minute with a moment of magic. Cutting in from the right, the 24-year-old West Ham winger curled a fine effort in off the post. But Japan had the last laugh to ensure the points were shared. — James Olley

Japan show why they’re capable of a deep run in 2026

It wasn’t the stunning victories over Germany and Spain at the last World Cup, but the determination Japan displayed in forcing a draw against Netherlands highlighted how they genuinely could be one of the few unfancied teams to break into the latter stages of the tournament. Even with a host of key players ruled, the Samurai Blue were able to twice come from behind to claim what could prove to be a crucial point.

Of course, Japan have actually declared that their aim this year is to win the World Cup, so they probably wouldn’t mind being regarded as under-the-radar contenders. “We didn’t just come here for fun. We have to be ready for [challenging to win the World Cup],” wing back Yukinari Sugawara told ESPN on Saturday. “We have to fight for that. We have to fight for our country, our family, our friends, and all of the Japanese people.

They will now have to kick on and live up to the billing, especially when they head into their next games against Tunisia and Sweden arguably as the favorites. — Gabriel Tan

Netherlands twice blow a lead, but Summerville shines in Depay absence

Netherlands have never failed to win a World Cup game having twice taken the lead … until now. They extend an impressive unbeaten run in group stage games to 17 — already a present-day record — but will feel bitterly disappointed at dropping two points, making Group F considerably harder.

The expanded format means qualification is not yet at risk, but the presence of Sweden and Tunisia already made this a tricky group, and now it will be more difficult to secure the top spot. Despite Koeman suggesting beforehand that talisman Memphis Depay would be fit to start, he was able to play only the final 20 minutes.

Thankfully, Summerville stepped up with the game’s best moment, marking another step in a dramatic rise for the 24-year-old. He was a surprise inclusion for the squad, and this was only his third senior cap. The other two came in the past two weeks, in Netherlands’ two warmup games against Algeria and Uzbekistan. The suspicion is Depay — Netherlands all-time top scorer with 55 goals — will need to be somewhere near his best for the team to go deep at the World Cup, but Summerville’s current form is a useful alternative. — Olley

Japan’s attack deserves admiration, but balance could be needed

Having previously received his fair share of criticism for a perceived overly conservative approach, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu deserves credit for sticking to his newfound attacking philosophy that served him so well throughout the qualifiers — even now coming up against far stronger opposition.

In Ritsu Dōan and Keito Nakamura, the Samurai Blue had two fully offense-minded players occupying the wingback roles. It was the latter who scored their first equalizer with a fine effort.

But both looked very vulnerable going the other way. Dōan, in particular, was constantly beaten by Cody Gakpo. Yet it feels a bit harsh to blame him too much, given he was hardly in his natural position.

Perhaps Moriyasu needs to find a balance, although now that Japan’s toughest test on paper is out of the way, maybe he should persist with his setup coming up against Tunisia and Sweden — especially given that it ultimately reaped a reward against the Dutch, even if it wasn’t all three points. — Tan

Van Dijk’s importance underlined on mixed night

Koeman provided a reminder of Van Dijk’s pivotal role Saturday. “He is a great player from the defense to the front and strong in set pieces, which can be very important,” the Netherlands coach said before adding: “With all due respect, this will most likely be his last World Cup, so we hope this will be unforgettable experience for Virgil.”

He now has his first World Cup goal to show for it. It perhaps summed up Netherlands’ sterile domination of the first half that Van Dijk set another record. His 68 completed passes were the most by a Netherlands player in the first half of a World Cup game. But his 51st-minute header added a much-needed goal threat to a game that was threatening to drift at that point. His header had to travel 10 meters back across goal, giving him time to complete the action and watch with everyone else to see if it would hit the post and go in.

But the 34-year-old was beaten in the air by Ogawa as Japan snatched a draw — although it was not enough to deny him the Superior Player of the Match award. — Olley

Zion Suzuki has found his feet as Japan’s No. 1

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father, Zion Suzuki has been Japan’s starting goalkeeper for over two years now, but his first major international tournament was one to forget. He had an error-strewn campaign as Japan fell to a disappointing quarterfinal exit at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Suzuki, who has since earned a big move to Serie A with Parma, showed Sunday why Moriyasu has kept his faith in him, making three big saves against the Dutch, two from Donyell Malen and one from Gakpo, that ultimately proved crucial in Japan earning a point — while there was nothing he could have done about both the goals he conceded. — Tan