Soccer

USA and Australia are about to duke it out in the World Cup ... and ya know who's shaking in his Chelsea boots?! TMZ DC's Charlie Cotton -- 'cause he's making a wager with Senator Tim Kaine!!

Cotton -- who is Australian A.F. -- ran into Hillary Clinton's former running mate on Capitol Hill Thursday afternoon ... and mentioned how they're enemies as soon as the two countries kick-off in Seattle.

Kaine -- clearly rooting for the home team -- suggested the two take part in a beer bet (Foster's and Samuel Adams, obviously) ... but Cotton threw a ton of alternatives in his direction, and he shut down each and every single one.

Victoria Beckham is heartbroken over the family's ongoing fallout with Brooklyn Beckham ... and especially devastated for daughter Harper, who struck out in her attempt to hang out with her big brother.

The former Spice Girl apparently knew Harper was heading to Brooklyn's Beverly Hills home Friday in the hopes of seeing her older brother ... but as we know, the reunion never happened because Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz were not home.

Page Six reports Victoria was "gutted" for Harper, with the ongoing family feud continuing to "take a toll" on the entire Beckham clan.

Brooklyn Beckham is pouring fuel on the fire ... taking a not-so-subtle shot at his famous relatives by seemingly mocking their family drama in a very shady new World Cup ad.

If there was any doubt the feud had cooled off, this ad pretty much settles it ... Brooklyn sits on a couch and tells viewers, "You're probably wondering why I'm watching the FIFA World Cup 2026 from home." He then smirks and adds, "It's a long story."

The dig only gets sharper from there. Brooklyn tosses a stack of World Cup tickets onto his coffee table as the words, "It's complicated. More soon," flash across the screen.

Some FIFA World Cup fans couldn't wait until Tuesday for some Argentina vs. Algeria action -- they ended up duking it out right in the middle of Times Square ... and the chaos was captured on video.

According to reports, fans of both countries were congregating in the heart of Midtown Manhattan on Monday ... and at one point, the cheering for their home squads turned into dissing their opponents.

The jawing turned physical ... and supporters from both countries are shown shoving, kicking and punching each other.

Harper Beckham's seemingly trying to play peacemaker in the Beckham family feud ... but her latest mission ended before it even started.

The 14-year-old daughter of David and Victoria Beckham was spotted pulling up to big brother Brooklyn's Beverly Hills home Friday afternoon -- just hours after attending her dad's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony with the rest of the family, according to a report by Page Six.

Brooklyn notably was a no-show at the event amid the ongoing family rift.

Ryan Reynolds is looking to score a distraction ... stepping out for a World Cup match just as his wife, Blake Lively, absorbed a legal setback in her battle with Justin Baldoni.

The actor was spotted in Toronto for the Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina game Friday afternoon, appearing relaxed and in good spirits as he took in the action from the stands.

The outing comes right after we broke the story ... Blake struck out in her bid to collect damages from Justin and Wayfarer -- though she did score one win, with the court ruling they must cover her attorney's fees.

Jake Paul's putting a big ass, patriotic bet on the United States Men's National Team to win the World Cup -- an enormous longshot -- and he stands to win $1.776 million!!!

The Problem Child went to Polymarket and made the longshot of all longshot bets ... the U.S. to do the seemingly impossible and win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The odds are +5636, meaning Jake is risking $32,489.98 ... with the potential to win over 1 and three-quarters million dollars.

We already have a submission for best fan of the FIFA World Cup ... 'cause this one fits the bill!!

The first day of the international soccer tournament kicked off on Thursday ... with Mexico and South Africa duking it out in Mexico City.

There were plenty of memorable moments from the 2-0 win for El Tri ... but one clip of an adorable duck supporting its favorite team is taking the cake.

Don't be surprised if U.S. Soccer is a force to be reckoned with in a decade ... 'cause Landon Donovan tells TMZ Sports America hosting World Cup games will inspire MILLIONS of kids to pursue the sport -- and he's living proof of it!!

We spoke with the legendary forward and midfielder ahead of the tournament ... and asked about the impact the next few weeks will have on the country, which has historically struggled to keep up with the rest of the world when it comes to futbol.

Donovan was certain it'll be felt ... and pointed to the time he was 12 years old and fell in love with the sport that ultimately became his career.

Antonio Freeman caught an 81-yard touchdown from Brett Favre in Super Bowl 31, but as iconic a moment as that was for the retired Packers great, he tells us it wouldn't even come close to watching his own son win a World Cup!

If you weren't aware of the cool connection ... 21-year-old Alex Freeman, a defender, is a member of the Team USA soccer team, which is just days away from playing in the world's biggest and most-watched sporting event.

TMZ Sports talked to Antonio, and asked him how his Super Bowl XXXI win would compare to watching Alex win a WC.

The World Cup -- hosted by the United States for the first time in 3 decades -- will be here before we know it ... and U.S. soccer legend Alexi Lalas says sports fans are about to be introduced to a bunch of new stars!

"Yes [there will be stars born] by the end of the tournament," the U.S. soccer great told Babcock from the TMZ Sports newsroom this week, ahead of the FIFA World Cup, going down across North America, starting June 11.

"I think the Christian Pulisic phenomenon, if you will, 'cause I think he's going to go on and become the best male American soccer player. But I think again, I am sitting here because of that [World Cup] power. A guy like Weston McKennie, who plays over at Juventus in Italy, I think his personality is really going to be something that Americans are going to gravitate to."

David Beckham is still looking fit at 51! Today marks another trip around the sun for the shredded soccer star ... and you know what that means.

We've gathered DB's hottest shots to celebrate his big day ... and he's looking ripped as ever in the photos.

One of the most popular power couples in the sports world is no more -- Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird just announced they have broken up after 10 years together.

The two superstar athletes -- who got engaged in 2020, but never exchanged vows -- shared a joint statement on Friday ... admitting, "There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news."

"This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we’ve made together, with so much love, respect, and care for each other. We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, through big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us."

The Argentine Football Association isn't backing down in the face of a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed against them and Lionel Messi ... with the soccer body flat out saying they did nothing wrong!

“AFA is aware of the lawsuit filed by VID Music Group and its principal, Javier Fernandez. AFA fully performed all of its obligations under the relevant agreements, including delivering the Argentine national team for both matches in October 2025," a representative for the association told TMZ Sports.

"The contracts, payment records, and contemporaneous communications tell the full story, and AFA is prepared to present them in the appropriate forum. AFA will defend this matter vigorously — and will pursue collection of the millions of dollars owed to it by the very parties who filed this lawsuit.“