Global sports headlines are dominated by Tadej Pogačar’s historic fifth Tour de France win, the WNBA All-Star Game (Jonquel Jones MVP, record crowd, and league growth), Formula 1’s Bahrain GP relocation to Malaysia due to geopolitical tensions, Inter Miami’s MLS victory (Suárez penalty, Berterame injury), and LAFC’s 4-0 rout in MLS. Tottenham Hotspur won in New Zealand’s record football crowd, while wildfires in France/Spain disrupted the Tour de France finale.
Top Sports News – July 26, 2026
🏀 Basketball
- WNBA:
- WNBA All-Star Game: Team Spoon defeated Team Coop 129-122 in Chicago, with Jonquel Jones (22 pts, 13 reb, 8 ast) winning MVP and dedicating it to her late aunt. Dominique Malonga recorded the first All-Star dunk since 2022.
- League Growth: WNBA announced a new NBA-style replay center for next season, a “tens of millions” investment to improve officiating consistency. Viewership (73M+ unique) and attendance (2.2M+ fans, +16% YoY) are at all-time highs.
- Player Safety: Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed online harassment (racism, misogyny) against players, calling it “unacceptable.”
⚽ Soccer
- MLS:
- Inter Miami (without Messi) won 1-0 at Montreal on a Luis Suárez penalty (81’), extending their win streak to 6. Germán Berterame was knocked unconscious in a head collision and hospitalized (later confirmed conscious).
- LAFC crushed Sporting KC 4-0, with Denis Bouanga (2 goals) and Son Heung-min (3rd straight game scoring) leading the charge. LAFC now ties Vancouver/San Jose atop the Western Conference.
- Tottenham Hotspur (EPL) beat Auckland FC 2-0 in a preseason match before a record New Zealand crowd (40,112). Dane Scarlett and Richarlison scored.
- World Cup:
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Rodrigo De Paul rested after the World Cup final loss to Spain. Messi will skip the MLS All-Star Game.
🚴 Cycling
- Tour de France:
- Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) is set to win his 5th Tour de France title (tying Merckx, Indurain, Anquetil, Hinault) after maintaining a 6:26 lead over Remco Evenepoel. Final stage (Paris loop) runs today.
- Jonas Vingegaard (2x champ) crashed out on Stage 15; Pogačar has 26 career Tour stage wins.
- Wildfires in France/Spain forced a shortened final stage as emergency personnel were redeployed.
🏎️ Motorsport
- Formula 1:
- Bahrain GP moved to Malaysia (Sepang Circuit, Oct. 4) due to escalating Iran war tensions. Race retains “Bahrain GP” branding despite the 8,000+ km relocation.
- Future Middle East races (Qatar, Abu Dhabi) remain uncertain amid security concerns.
🏈 American Football
- NFL/NCAAF: No major updates today.
🏒 Hockey
- NHL: Offseason; no major news.
⚾ Baseball
- MLB: No major updates today.
🎾 Tennis
- ATP/WTA/Grand Slams: No major updates today.
🏏 Cricket
- ICC: No major updates today.
🏁 NASCAR/IndyCar/MotoGP
- NASCAR/IndyCar/MotoGP: No major updates today.
🥊 Combat Sports (Boxing/MMA/UFC)
- UFC/Bellator/ONE: No major updates today.
🏃 Track & Field
- Olympics/World Athletics: No major updates today.
🏊 Swimming
- Olympics/World Championships: No major updates today.
🚴 Other Cycling
- UCI Events: No major updates beyond Tour de France.
🏐 Volleyball
- Indoor/Beach: No major updates today.
🤸 Gymnastics
- Artistic/Rhythmic/Trampoline: No major updates today.
