Soccer

Tom Cruise made the rounds in London for the city's mega sports weekend, but he was still mindful of COVID-19 protocols ... at least while mingling with fans.

A day after Ethan Hunt dropped in for the Wimbledon women's singles final, he made his way over to Wembley Stadium to watch the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy.

Tom was all smiles as he obliged some fan requests for a quick pic before he headed in to watch the match Sunday evening, but take a look ... he was also very cautious about it.

The "Mission Impossible" star kept his mask on until it was time to say cheese, and even then he mostly kept his distance ... telling folks to keep a flying-V formation.

As you may know ... the Delta variant has been responsible for the most coronavirus infections in England recently, so it seems Cruise is taking that risk seriously.

Then again, once he was inside Wembley Tom ditched the mask and showed off his famous face ... while sitting near other famous faces, like Kate Moss and David Beckham.

Cruise really took advantage of being in England this weekend while shooting "M:I 7" ... as we reported, he and his co-stars also attended a Wimbledon finals match on Saturday.

Prince George is just like any other English person around the world right now -- cheering on his national team at the UEFA 2020 Final ... and freaking out when they scored early.

The 7-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was shoulder-to-shoulder Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London ... where England was facing off against Italy for the last match of the tournament, in which all the European national teams competed for the gold.

His pops, Prince William, was seen showing his boy the ins and outs of the game ... at one point crouching down to Georgie's level and pointing out what was down on the pitch below.

George seemed quite attentive throughout -- but when England scored first in the opening few minutes of the match ... and he and his old man celebrated together in what made for an awesome (and viral) moment that most of the UK noticed with glee.

So, yeah ... the kid's a big fan of the game. And, although he probably has his folks (and entire national heritage) to thank for that ... some are also giving big ups to his great-grandfather, the late Prince Philip -- who was a HUGE sports fan, especially for English football.

The Duke of Edinburgh -- who died earlier this year at the age of 99 -- famously visited Wembley himself waaay back in the day ... and actually greeted the national England team in person, shaking the players' hands on the field, and no doubt enjoying himself too.

Some are joking that Prince George might just be Prince Philip reincarnated -- and by the looks of how excited he is right now watching this ... they may just be right.

Sweet moment for the Royal Family. BTW, it's 1-1 now -- Italy tied it up, and there's only a few minutes left in regulation. Don't let George down, Team England!!!

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez's wife is demanding her estranged husband PAY UP, accusing the international soccer star of being a deadbeat dad who's not stepping up as a parent to his 2 ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

33-year-old Hernandez -- a member of the L.A. Galaxy -- is the MLS' leading scorer ... and one of Mexico's biggest soccer stars.

According to the docs, Sarah Kohan married Chicharito in 2019 and has 2 kids with him ... but filed for divorce in February. She claims the Mexican star has been ignoring his family since the split.

"You do not participate in the day-to-day parenting of your two minor children," Kohan's attorney claims in the court docs.

She also says Chicharito has been putting his kids in physical danger ... failing to put a fence around his pool because he didn't like the "aesthetics."

There's more ... Kohan also says Hernandez still believes he can crawl into her bed, uninvited ... saying he just thinks he can "ignore the fact that you are separated and can crawl into [Kohan's] bed with her and go under the covers without her permission."

Bottom line, Kohan says Chicharito earns over $8 million a year playing soccer ... and she wants him to fork over around $100K a month for child and spousal support.

Kohan's attorney says, if she hopes to ever see a dime, the court will have to force Hernandez to pony up.

College athletes will FINALLY be able to rake in money off their name, image and likeness ... with the NCAA making the groundbreaking decision Wednesday to suspend its current rules.

The NCAA's board of directors voted to implement an interim policy starting Thursday ... which will allow all incoming and current student-athletes to start cashing in on endorsement deals immediately.

NCAA president Mark Emmert released a statement on the decision ... saying, "This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities."

"With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level.

"The current environment -- both legal and legislative -- prevents us from providing a more permanent solution and the level of detail student-athletes deserve."

The organization says the temporary policy will remain in place for all three divisions until new federal legislation or NCAA rules are adopted.

Players still will not be able to be paid as a direct result of their athletic performance ... but this now allows them to make money off opportunities like signing autographs, social media deals, advertisements and camps.

The decision comes right as several states were set to make it illegal to follow the NCAA's rules preventing student-athletes from these money-making opportunities.

Soccer legend Mia Hamm is making history yet again ... her rookie card just set a record for the most expensive female sports card ever -- smashing the previous record!!

The 1992 Sports Illustrated for Kids rookie card -- graded a PERFECT 10 by PSA -- hit the auction block at Goldin Auctions a few weeks back ... and it's a thing of beauty.

Over the weekend, the card sold for $34,440!!!

The huge sales price makes this card the most expensive female card ever ... more than doubling the previous record -- a $16k Alex Morgan card.

It's not a surprise that Hamm's card made history ... she's a soccer icon.

Mia played forward from 1987 to 2004, winning 2 Olympic gold medals with the USA women's soccer team and is a 2-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion.

She was also the first female inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame (2013) and even has a building named after her at Nike headquarters.

Hamm also held the record for most international goals (158) by a woman -- or man!

President Joe Biden is heaping praise on two high profile athletes who came out this week -- Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama -- hailing them as courageous and inspiring.

Of course, 28-year-old Nassib -- a star defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders -- became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.

Kumi Yokoyama is a star soccer player for Team Japan and the NWSL's Washington Spirit. The 27-year-old came out as a transgender man on Sunday and uses they/them pronouns.

Both athletes are now getting shout-outs from the White House -- with Biden tweeting late Tuesday evening.

"To Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama -- two prominent, inspiring athletes who came out this week: I’m so proud of your courage," Biden said.

"Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today."

As we previously reported, Nassib's announcement was met with widespread support from top athletes, celebrities and officials. Ditto for Yokoyama.

Matthew McConaughey continues to gain points as a man of the people ... getting in front of and firing up a massive crowd of soccer fans in Austin.

The actor was a special guest at Saturday's contest between FC Austin and the San Jose Earthquakes. McConaughey grabbed a bongo drum and led the crowd of nearly 20,000 in several chants.

Fittingly, dressed in a green suit, one of the chants was "Verde! Listos!"

While it might seem like a PR stunt to grab support for a Texas gubernatorial run, McConaughey actually has legit ties to the org ... he's a minority owner for the franchise.

He's reportedly very involved with the team, dropping in for practices and mixing with fans.

Saturday's match was the first at Q2 Stadium after 8 on the road this season for Austin.

FIFA has just dropped the hammer on Mexico's men's soccer team ... hitting the national squad with sanctions over their fans' anti-gay chants.

The soccer org. announced Friday that Mexico will have to play their next two home games with no fans in attendance after their supporters repeatedly yelled homophobic language during games in March.

FIFA also announced it's fining Mexico around $65,000.

There could be more punishment coming down soon as well ... FIFA officials said they're also looking into other games in which Mexico supporters hurled anti-gay chants.

"The committee has also opened separate proceedings against the FMF in relation to homophobic chants by Mexican fans at their team's friendly match against Iceland played in Arlington, Texas, on 29 May 2021," FIFA said in a statement.

It's unclear if FIFA will also launch a probe into Mexico's most recent CONCACAF Nations League games, in which refs had to pause play due to the crass chants from the crowd.

Danish soccer star Christian Eriksen is getting a "heart starter" implanted to his chest soon ... a big step toward ensuring he never suffers another terrifying cardiac episode again.

Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen made the announcement Thursday ... saying after multiple exams on the athlete, specialists have determined the 29-year-old needs an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

"This device is necessary after a cardiac attack due to rhythm disturbances," Boesen said.

"Christian has accepted the solution and the plan has moreover been confirmed by specialists nationally and internationally who all recommend the same treatment."

As we previously reported, Eriksen went into cardiac arrest during last Saturday's Denmark vs. Finland game in Copenhagen ... and the scene was horrifying.

Eriksen collapsed on the pitch and needed a defibrillator to be revived ... and he's been in the hospital ever since.

Eriksen, though, has been in good spirits while recovering -- the soccer player posted an update from his hospital bed earlier this week saying, "I'm fine -- under the circumstances."

It's unclear if Eriksen will be able to play soccer again ... but he did make it clear he'll certainly be cheering on the Denmark team as it takes on Belgium on Thursday.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Megan Rapinoe are going to rep Victoria's Secret but instead of flaunting their bods they'll be sharing their minds. Yup, times are changing.

The lingerie giant announced it's brought the actress and U.S. women's soccer legend on board as its newest spokeswomen. The company's rebranding to be more inclusive and appeal to a wider audience -- and it's hired the duo to spearhead the new VS mission: inspiring change and positivity.

The new marketing strategy doesn't call for Megan or Priyanka to put on Angel wings or skimpy lingerie outfits -- instead the duo will appear on a podcast and in other marketing materials.

Some of their guests, as the NY Post first reported, will include South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech, freestyle skier Eileen Gu, Brazilian transgender model Valentina Sampaio, plus-size model Paloma Elsesser and journalist Amanda de Cadenet.

It's slated to be a 10-episode podcast.

The women form what Victoria's Secret is calling the VS Collective ... a platform attempting to build deeper relationships with women of all backgrounds.

Priyanka's no stranger to advocating for women's rights ... like speaking on behalf of UNICEF, an org she's worked with since 2006. She also has a namesake foundation that helps sick children around the globe.

Megan's championed women's rights since finding stardom on the pitch. She's advocated for equal pay and LGTBQ+ rights ever since she's had a platform. In fact, earlier this year she testified before Congress, pushing for equal pay.

VS's rebrand comes nearly 3 years after the company's chief marketing officer made a controversial comment to Vogue about transgender models. He's since left the company.

Several Euro 2020 spectators were injured when a parachuting protestor crash-landed into a stadium Tuesday ... and the horrifying scene was all caught on video.

The gliding demonstrator tried to touch down on the field just before France's game against Germany at Allianz Arena in Munich ... but accidentally hit overhead camera wires on his way in.

What happened next was terrifying ... 'cause the collision with the camera setup sent debris falling onto fans -- and nearly sent the protestor crash-landing into the stands.

Check out the footage of it all from near field level, it's jaw-dropping.

UEFA officials say the stunt "caused injuries to several people attending the game who are now in hospital."

They added the whole thing was "reckless and dangerous" and insisted law enforcement would get involved.

German team spokesperson Jens Grittner also added, "The incident is being checked by the police, the authorities here in Munich and at UEFA. But, of course, we also condemn what happened there. It could probably have turned out much worse.''

As for the point of the protest, the guy's chute had the words "KICK OUT OIL!" and "Greenpeace'' written on it.

The man was taken off the field by security after touching down on the grass.

Heidi Klum showed support -- or a lack thereof -- for Germany ahead of their UEFA Euro 2020 opener on Tuesday ... by showing off some serious underboob as she wished the squad good luck!!

The 48-year-old supermodel gave an incredibly sexy shoutout to her home country's football club ahead of their match against France ... saying quite simply, "Good luck today Germany."

Klum threw on a pair of black bikini bottoms, a gold waist chain and a cropped Germany jersey for the special message ... and giving a big smile and two thumbs up to the camera.

Now, Klum's never shied away from showing off some serious skin throughout her career -- after all, she's been on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and a Victoria's Secret Angel.

Germany may need some more good luck vibes before their next match against Portugal on Saturday -- they just lost its close opener against France, 1-0 ... the first time the German national team has EVER lost an opening game of the Euros.

Cristiano Ronaldo HATES processed drinks so much, he removed Coke bottles from his podium Monday ... all while imploring people to drink water instead.

Ronaldo's rejection of the sweet stuff went down just before a meeting with the media ahead of Portugal's UEFA Euro 2020 game with Hungary ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

You can see in the footage, just before reporters fired questions at the soccer star, he noticed Cokes placed in front of him (Coke is a sponsor of Euro 2020) and immediately gave them a look of disdain.

But, rather than just keeping the products there like tournament officials no doubt wanted -- Ronaldo straight-up grabbed the bottles and moved them out of his sight.

He then held up a bottle of water, screamed, "agua!" ... and then appeared to mumble something about the sodas.

Of course, Ronaldo's famous for his perfect body -- one that was built off of eating healthy and limiting processed foods ... and it's clear, the guy takes that all VERY seriously.

In fact, Ronaldo's been on record saying he absolutely HATES when his son drinks Cokes and eats fries!!

'Cause, after all, abs (and apparently great soccer players too) are made in the kitchen.

Just days after he collapsed on the soccer field, Christian Eriksen is speaking out -- vowing to fight in his recovery while doctors continue to hunt for the cause of the medical emergency.

"'Thank you, I won't give up," Eriksen said in a statement issued through his agent to the Italian media outlet, Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I feel better now -- but I want to understand what's happened."

The statement continued, "I want to say thank you all for what you did for me."

As we previously reported, the 29-year-old went into cardiac arrest during Saturday's Denmark vs. Finland game in Copenhagen.

Emergency medial personnel raced onto the field to treat him -- and he was eventually resuscitated with a defibrillator.

Eriksen was transported to a nearby hospital where he continues his recovery. He's currently in stable condition.

The Denmark team doctor, Morten Boesen, spoke with the media on Sunday and addressed the seriousness of Eriksen's situation in the seconds after the soccer star collapsed.

"He was gone," Boesen said ... "And we did cardiac resuscitation. And it was cardiac arrest."

He added, "How close were we? I don’t know. We got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast."

As for what caused the incident, Boesen said specialists are still trying to figure that out.

"I’m not [a] cardiologist, so the details about why it happened and further, I will leave to the experts."

Bottom line ... Eriksen seems to be on the road to recovery, which is a miracle considering how scary things looked on Saturday.

Christian Eriksen -- a Danish soccer player, who's one of the stars on the national team -- just had a frightening emergency during the first round of the UEFA European Championship ... collapsing on the field and requiring immediate medical attention.

The 29-year-old midfielder fell to the ground Saturday during Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland, toward the end of the first half. He was jogging back and about to receive a ball being thrown to him from one of his teammates, when all of a sudden ... Eriksen toppled over without provocation -- not being touched by another player or anything.

Everyone around him instantly recognized he was suffering an emergency and called for the ref to stop the game -- while also waving on team doctors and other first-responders on hand. Footage was captured from the terrifying moment ... and it's clear he'd lost consciousness.

Reports say CPR was rendered to Eriksen on the spot before he was carried off a stretcher for further treatment. His team -- including players from the other side -- were notably concerned, with a majority of them taking a knee out of respect ... a tradition in soccer.

His teammates also linked arms around Ericksen and formed a wall of sorts -- seemingly to give him privacy while he was being tended to. No word yet on his status or what might've caused the collapse. Of course, everyone is sending their thoughts and prayers.

Team USA Soccer has Mark McKenzie's back ... it released a statement Wednesday saying the racist trolls who spewed hate toward the USMNT player are NEVER welcome in the sport.

The org. stood up for the defender after he claimed that following the U.S.'s huge win over Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final in Denver on Sunday, he received tons of racist comments from fans online.

22-year-old McKenzie -- who struggled in the huge 3-2 win -- said the "racial abuse" and "personal attacks" were rampant ... and even affected family members.

But, on Wednesday, his team ripped all of the vitriol ... saying anyone sending the comments McKenzie's way (and any other player's way, for that matter) needs to stop ASAP.

"This type of behavior should not and cannot be allowed to continue," the org. said.

"If you make racist, homophobic, vulgar or disrespectful comments while hiding behind the anonymity of social media, you are not a true fan. And you are not welcome. Ever."

USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter echoed those statements in a meeting with the media Tuesday ... calling the racism flat-out "disgusting."

"We support Mark 100% and we don't stand for any of that stuff," Berhalter said. "We have absolutely zero tolerance for things like that."