Reporter Lu Mi reports: After the break, the second half of the CSL season kicked off this week with a showdown as the league leaders traveled to face Shenzhen Xinpengcheng. In the end, Chengdu Rongcheng, thanks to a brace from Wei Shihao, snatched a 3-2 last-gasp victory away from Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, securing three precious points on the road while further cementing their top spot and getting the second half of the season off to a strong start.

The atmosphere before the match between Canada and South Africa in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup is intensifying by the hour in Toronto. At Canada Soccer House – the meeting point for fans of the national team – confidence in a new historic milestone for Canadian football is spreading after the team advanced past the group stage for the first time in a World Cup.

A meniscus injury has put overseas Vietnamese midfielder Ngo Dang Khoa at risk of missing the ASIAD 20 and several key tournaments with Vietnam's national teams.

His outstanding performance has led Transfermarkt to value Nguyen Dinh Bac at €400,000, putting him in the same bracket as Quang Hai and Xuan Son as one of the Vietnam national team's most expensive players.

Striker Nguyễn Đình Bắc decides to stay with Hanoi Police FC until 2029, putting an end to speculation about his future.

Hồ Tấn Tài officially joins Ninh Bình on a three-year contract, becoming a notable new signing for the club ahead of the 2026/27 V.League season.

After winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup and securing a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup finals, the Vietnamese national team enters a necessary transition phase. This is the time when many key players have passed their career peak, making way for a new generation with more energy and greater ambition.

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico has concluded, with the AFC's record-breaking nine participating nations seeing only Japan and Australia advance to the 32-team knockout round. This outcome not only marks a significant decline in overall Asian football performance compared to the previous Qatar World Cup but also starkly exposes the brutal truth behind the benefits of tournament expansion.

World Cup history shows that host nations often do not win the title, but home advantage still gives them a chance to go far in the tournament. At the 2026 World Cup, co-host USA has already determined its opponent in the round of 32 a few days ago, and the rest of the journey toward the final is gradually becoming clearer.

With a free-kick goal against Jordan, Messi continues to deepen his World Cup legacy by breaking more records.