On the afternoon of July 16, at Pleiku Stadium in Gia Lai, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), together with the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other relevant units, held the opening ceremony for the U17 National Football Championship Finals – Red Dragon Cup 2026.

After Casemiro's departure, Manchester United's top priority this summer is to strengthen the midfield. Following the signings of André Santos and Youri Tielemans, the club is still searching for another midfielder. With multiple fronts to compete on next season and Ugarte suffering a serious injury, the defensive midfield position still lacks depth.

According to a report from French broadcaster RMC on the evening of July 16, French fans have launched an online petition demanding a rematch of the World Cup semifinal between France and Spain, citing a suspected handball by Yamal before he won a penalty. Nearly 50,000 people have signed the petition. In the first semifinal of the World Cup, which ended yesterday, Spain was awarded a penalty in the 20th minute, which Oyarzabal converted to give them the lead.

On July 16, Beijing time, UK Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey confirmed he had written to Infantino, calling for the suspension of Argentine players who displayed a "Falklands" banner after the World Cup semifinal. Davey angrily wrote on social media: "After the 2024 European Cup final in August, two Spanish players, Rodri and Morata, were banned for one match for singing 'Gibraltar is Spanish,' which was justified.

On the afternoon of July 16, at Pleiku Stadium, the Vietnam Football Federation in collaboration with the Gia Lai Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held the opening ceremony of the National U17 Football Championship Finals - Red Dragon Cup 2026.

Coach Kim Sang Sik continues to face squad disruptions as the Vietnam national team sequentially loses two key players, Đỗ Duy Mạnh and Khuất Văn Khang, due to injuries.

According to a report from the authoritative French media outlet L'Equipe on July 16, the French team erupted in internal conflict during halftime of the World Cup semifinal. The 29-year-old Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé angered some teammates by criticizing the entire squad for "not pressing." In this highly anticipated semifinal, the top favorite French team lost 0-2 to Spain, failing to reach the World Cup final for the third consecutive time.

After the World Cup semifinal, the controversial act of England midfielder Jude Bellingham striking Argentine rising star Valentín Barco on the back of the head sparked widespread discussion. On July 16, Beijing time, Spanish media outlet *AS* disclosed the reason behind Bellingham's furious reaction: he had been provoked twice by Barco. In this high-profile World Cup semifinal, Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1, advancing to the final for the second consecutive time.

Hanoi Police Football Club has officially confirmed the appointment of Mr. P. Mourinho as Assistant Head Coach.

The recruitment of foreign coach Diles Arthur, striker Phan Van Duc and a series of new foreign players shows that Ho Chi Minh City Police FC is accelerating its squad upgrade ahead of the 2026/27 season.