By THE STAR STAFF Justin Bieber and Burna Boy will perform at the inaugural halftime show for the World Cup final on July 19, FIFA and the show’s producer, Global Citizen, announced on Wednesday, joining an already crowded and eclectic lineup that includes Shakira, Madonna and BTS. FIFA, the global governing body of soccer that every four years hosts the World Cup, hopes that by introducing a halftime musical performance at this year’s final it can replicate the broad cultura

People gather to watch the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Egypt and Argentina in Gaza City, July 7, 2026. After watching Egypt lead for almost the entire match, a last-minute victory by Argentina has driven fans to tears and conspiracy theories. (Saher Alghorra/The New York Times) By LYNSEY CHUTEL and RANIA KHALED As Egypt’s players slumped in defeat after the final whistle in their World Cup match against Argentina earlier this week, their fans broke down in tear

Karla Claudia and the two-time champion Bravas of Cidra will look to stay alive against the Prodigiosas of Sabana Grande in Saturday’s Game 4 of the Women’s Premier Softball League Series B semifinals. By THE STAR STAFF The “Road to Glory” phase of the Women’s Premier Softball League (LPSF by its initials in Spanish) resumes on Saturday, with Juncos and Sabana Grande one win away from advancing to the 2026 Crown Series. The Valencianas of Juncos and Prodigiosas of Sabana Gran

Items left by fans in honor of Maradona at the memorial for Diego Maradona in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 18, 2026. A multimillion-dollar battle for a soccer god’s brand is being waged across continents, burning investors and tearing his family apart. (Sarah Pabst/The New York Times) By TARIQ PANJA and LUCÍA CHOLAKIAN HERRERA In an army of Lionel Messis outside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Juan Manuel García stood apart. Like the other fans, he wore No. 10 on his back

In Series A of the Superior Double-A Baseball League Final Four semifinals, the defending champion Mulos of Juncos will play the Pescadores del Plata of Comerío (pictured). The best-of-seven series opens Friday night at Carlos Bonet Stadium in Comerío. (Aldwin Santiago) By THE STAR STAFF The Superior Double-A Baseball League Final Four begins Friday at 8 p.m. with games at Carlos Bonet Stadium in Comerío and Néstor Morales Stadium in Humacao. In Series A, the defending champi

Dejected fans of the United States team react to Belgium’s victory in their World Cup match in Seattle on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Ruth Fremson/The New York Times) By JEANNA SMIALEK and KOBA RYCKEWART “Overturn this.” That is what Belgium’s national soccer team posted on social media after crushing the United States 4-1 in the World Cup on Monday — a snarky reference to the reinstatement of a banned U.S. player before the game. The reversal on the player’s eligibility followed

President Donald Trump accepts the first FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino, right, the president of FIFA, during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Dec. 5, 2025. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times) By TYLER PAGER and TARIQ PANJA President Donald Trump called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, in the hours after the United States men’s soccer team played Wednesday and asked him to review the suspension of the team’s top goal

Xena Dung from Valencianas de Juncos delivered a dominant performance in the circle, pitching six innings while allowing just one run and striking out four By THE STAR STAFF The Juncos Valencianas and the Cidra Bravas picked up victories on Saturday in the semifinals of the Women’s Premier Softball League (LPSF). Juncos defeated the Ponce Leonas 8-1 at Toño Feliciano Park in Ponce. Juncos’ offense was led by Leanne Matthews, who hit a two-run home run. Hailey Guerrero went 2-

Luis Román from Mulos of Juncos (Aldwin Santiago) By THE STAR STAFF The Comerío Pescadores del Plata, Carolina Gigantes, Juncos Mulos, and Yabucoa Azucareros will compete in the semifinals of Puerto Rico’s Double-A Superior Baseball League, which begins on July 10. The Pescadores del Plata secured first place with a 9-0 shutout over the Hormigueros Libertadores, combining the pitching efforts of Alexis Ortiz, Joziel Carmona, Maykol García, Víctor Vargas, and Héctor Baerga at

Yahelis Muñoz of the Leonas of Ponce hit her 19th career home run in last Sunday’s game against the Valencianas of Juncos, becoming the Women’s Premier Softball League’s all-time home run leader. By THE STAR STAFF The 2026 Women’s Premier Softball League (LPSF by its initials in Spanish) regular season concluded with three new all-time records, set by Yahelis Muñoz, Karla Claudio and Yeraldine Carrión during the final weekend of play. Muñoz, catcher for the Leonas of Ponce, s