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The upsets at the Women’s World Cup group stage started on the opening day and ended with the biggest of all. Germany, the two-time champions and among the tournament favourites, are out before the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, a result that ranks as both the most stunning shock the tournament has ever seen, while also simply continuing the theme of the greatest group stage ever played at the Women’s World Cup. After all, hadn’t we learned to expect the unexpected? A 1-1 draw against South Korea sealed Germany’s fate, following their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Colombia earlier in Group H. It meant Morocco, making their Women’s World Cup debut, progressed ahead of the side who thrashed them 6-0 in the opening round. The first-ever 32-team Women’s World Cup and the decision to expand from 24 teams has been a resounding triumph: rather than creating a more predictable group stage, it has done the opposite and led to wonderfully chaotic, thrilling tournament football. Germany, Canada and Brazil, all sides ranked in the top 10 in the world, are out, while Jamaica (43rd), South Africa (54th) and Morocco (72nd) are through to the last-16. It can no longer be said that the group stages of the Women’s World Cup are a foregone conclusion and that the tournament only starts when the knockouts begin. New Zealand’s opening victory against Norway set the tone, with Colombia’s last-second win against Germany standing out as the highlight of a tournament that has so far had it all. To add to that, Jamaica reaching the last-16 with their draw against Brazil, Nigeria’s stunning victory against Australia, and South Africa’s dramatic comeback against Italy were all brilliant moments from a group stage that delivered the unpredictability and drama of knockout football. The number of shocks and upsets throughout illustrated that the progress and development of women’s football since the last World Cup has been felt just as much throughout the world than its traditional powers. The gap to the top has closed: the professionalisation of top European leagues and beyond has improved standards at the biggest clubs, and is providing more opportunities to players from across the globe. Several countries that do not have a strong domestic league, such as Colombia and Jamaica, instead now feature a core of players who are based in Europe. It means that even if playing conditions are lacking within their national organisations, players such as Colombia and Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo, Nigeria and Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala, and Jamaica and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw are able to raise standards and expectations when they return to their national teams. The level of coaching has also improved, with teams who are not among the traditional powers now confident in setting up organised, defensive structures in order to restrict the attacking talents of their more favoured opponents. The goalkeeping at this World Cup has also taken another huge step forward, which has been proved by player-of-the-match displays from Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, Philippines’ Olivia McDaniel, Ireland’s Courtney Brosnan and Jamaica’s Rebecca Spencer. Strong defensive bases have made teams more resilient, and upsets possible. The World Cup needed this, too, and the decision to increase the field to 32 teams has paid off more than anyone expected. There were some fears that the expansion had come too soon, and that certainly would have been the assessment had the seeded teams all coasted through unopposed, as they did in 2019. But that was not the case and there were only a handful of one-sided contests, with the majority of groups going down to the final round, setting the stage for classic World Cup drama. Morocco led the eight teams making their debuts at the World Cup, but most of the others had moments to celebrate. Haiti deserved more from Group D but shone in their display against England. Ireland were also unlucky to only come away with a point, but their performances against Australia and Canada made an impact back home and there will be a homecoming parade in Dublin. Portugal were one of the most tactically and technically interesting sides at the tournament and were inches away from knocking out the USA. Philippines and Zambia, who were ultimately a disappointment, both had historic wins and sparked moments of national celebration. The question, and obvious hope before the World Cup, is how those moments inspire further progress and, crucially, investment. Many of the debuting countries did far more than that at their first World Cup, offering competitive performances, and they can look at how Jamaica and South Africa have battled against the odds to improve from four years ago. Both Jamaica and South Africa lost every game when they made their debuts in France, but have now advanced to the knockout stages four years later. But what also makes Jamaica and South Africa’s success even more remarkable is what they have had to overcome. Their success is owed to the players and the work of their immediate support staff, and that alone. Along with Nigeria, they have reached the knockout stages despite their federations, not because of them. Before the World Cup, Jamaica’s players said their preparations for the tournament had been disrupted by a lack of financial support, planning and communication from the Jamaica Football Federation. They went public with their grievances in an open letter to the JFF, where they expressed their “utmost disappointment” that training camps and warm-up fixtures had not been organised before the World Cup. At the same time, Jamaica have relied on two separate crowdfunding campaigns to help cover the costs of their travel to Australia and New Zealand. After their historic qualification to the 2019 World Cup, which was also supported by crowdfunding campaigns, led by Cedella Marley, the daughter of Bob Marley, it felt like Jamaica were back to square one as the progress they had fought for off the field had not been matched by meaningful change off it. Yet the response of the players has been to aim higher and further, despite the lack of support or respect they have been shown. After knocking out Brazil, Jamaica’s progress was hailed as “undoubtedly the proudest moment in Jamaica’s football history” by the country’s sports minister Olivia Grange. However, it should also come as a moment of huge embarrassment to the country’s federation, with Jamaica’s success actually creating a spotlight for the lack of support they have received. “We put the dispute to bed for the tournament but the better we do, the more pressure it creates,” said Jamaica’s goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer after keeping a famous clean sheet against Brazil. "We hope they’re looking at us and do what they should be doing." The federations of South Africa and Nigeria are under the same spotlight. South Africa’s first-ever World Cup win against Italy to seal their spot in the last-16 capped a stunning turnaround after their players went on strike before the tournament, boycotting their final warm-up game against Botswana over bonus payments and player contracts. The dispute centred around Fifa’s prize money for the World Cup and a guarantee that it would be distributed to the players. Before the World Cup, Fifa announced an increase in its total prize money to $152m (£126m), which included a payment of £30,000 (£24,000) for each player at the tournament. For the players representing South Africa and Nigeria, that is set to double after reaching the last-16, a life-changing sum, but the prize money will only be distributed to the players by the federations, it does not mean players are guaranteed to receive it. It created uncertainty for South Africa, who only reached an agreement with their federation that their money would be released days before the tournament. The picture looks less certain for Nigeria, who were locked in their own pay dispute with the federation before the World Cup. Nigeria’s head coach Randy Waldrum has said he hasn’t been paid in seven months, and that some players had not been paid in two years. After Nigeria stunned Australia in the group stages, former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright simply tweeted: “Pay them”. There may be people within some of the federations who point to the success stories of the Women’s World Cup as evidence that developments in the game are creating an equal playing field, and that further financial support is not merited. The reality and the lesson throughout this brilliant group stage is that if this is what can be achieved despite the lack of support, imagine what could be done if there was. With that in mind, there is no reason why any team inside the top-50 in the world shouldn’t be capable of the same if the right foundations are built. For now, those teams who have stunned the World Cup and remain at the tournament can continue to show why it was wrong not to support them before their unexpected success. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Brazil and Marta exit World Cup as Jamaica makes history When does USWNT play next? World Cup schedule and route to the final Germany suffer Women’s World Cup elimination after South Korea draw

Slim Jim, the meaty snack food owned by Conagra Brands Inc., is signing a multievent deal with World

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NFL great Tom Brady said he "couldn't be more excited" after becoming a minority owner in English second-tier...

Nate Diaz has said he knows the ‘secret’ to Jake Paul’s success as a boxer, while warning the YouTube star: ‘I’m in on it, too.’ UFC icon Diaz, 38, will make his professional boxing debut on Saturday, facing Paul in Dallas, Texas. The bout will mark Diaz’s first fight since leaving the UFC in September, when he submitted Tony Ferguson. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Paul last fought in February, suffering his first loss as he was beaten on points by Tommy Fury. Prior to that result, American Paul was unbeaten with wins over ex-UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, as well as mixed martial arts star Ben Askren. Paul knocked out Askren, beat Woodley on points then via knockout in a rematch, before defeating Silva via decision. Addressing his compatriot’s boxing career ahead of their fight this weekend, Diaz said on Wednesday (2 August): “The thing about him is, he knows that MMA fighters can’t box and they’re in over their heads trying to box, because he went in there and worked a bunch over in training and in fights. “MMA fighters don’t know this, but the only thing about that is: I’m in on the same secret, and I’ve been in on that since I was 15. I’m not your average wrestler, MMA fighter. “I didn’t wrestle. When these guys he fought were in the wrestling room at five, six, seven, 10, 15 years old, I was boxing the whole neighbourhood, boxing every pro I could find. I was boxing the highest level I could find, my whole career.” As a mixed martial artist, Diaz is best known for his jiu-jitsu skills, although his volume striking and cardio also characterised his UFC run. In contrast, Woodley and Askren were predominantly wrestlers, although Silva is seen by many as the greatest striker in MMA history. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The hidden side of Jake Paul Amanda Serrano announces surprise return to MMA with PFL

Undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano will return to mixed martial arts, she announced on Wednesday (2 July). Serrano defends her titles in a rematch with Heather Hardy on Saturday, on the undercard of Jake Paul’s boxing match with UFC icon Nate Diaz, and the Puerto Rican will then look ahead to an MMA bout. Serrano, 34, is 2-0-1 in MMA and last fought in 2021, and her next contest in the sport will take place in the Professional Fighters League (PFL). A date for that fight will be confirmed in due course, the promotion said. Serrano is promoted by YouTube star Paul, who has gone 6-1 as a professional boxer and also signed an MMA deal with the PFL this year. “I may be known for boxing, but I’ve always loved and trained in MMA and jiu-jitsu, knowing those skills would only add to my ability when going against any opponent,” Serrano said. “The League’s commitment to gender equality, providing equal opportunities and recognition of female fighters, is also a driving force behind my decision.” Serrano’s MMA debut in 2018 ended as a draw, with her second outing – the same year – going her way as she won by submission. Serrano also won her last fight, in June 2021, via submission. In her previous boxing match with Hardy, whom Serrano faces on Saturday, the Puerto Rican won via unanimous decision. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The hidden side of Jake Paul Conor Benn may face extra hurdle to fight, Eddie Hearn and British Boxing Board reveal

Tom Brady has become the latest US celebrity to buy a stake in a British football club, and we have to admit it’s one sports story we didn’t see coming. The NFL legend has announced he’s become a minority shareholder in Championship side Birmingham City. He’ll get involved in the operation of the club itself, too, with Brady becoming the chairman of the club's advisory board. The new role will see him work with the sports science department to give expertise on the health of the players and advise on recovery programmes. He’ll also work with the marketing team as part of his position. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Brady follows the likes of Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McInerney in buying a stake in a British club, as well as golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas who were recently confirmed as minority investors in Leeds United. It comes a few months after Brady confirmed his retirement from the NFL after an illustrious career spanning more than two decades with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady said on Thursday (August 3): “Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honour for me. BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our Second City club second to none. "I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.” Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner also said: “Tom Brady joining the Birmingham City team is a statement of intent. We are setting the bar at world-class. Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise. As Chair of the Advisory Board Tom will have a direct impact on the Club. "The Men’s, Women’s, and Academy teams are going to benefit from the knowledge. The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham City a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.” The news was announced on Thursday morning and it’s already sparked a big reaction. Birmingham City start their season this weekend when they kick-off their Championship campaign against Swansea. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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There was a 'very interesting and attractive offer' for Nate Diaz to fight Logan Paul, but the former MMA fighter lost interest in it when WWE became involved

Jake Paul, the 'Problem Child' takes on MMA veteran Nate Diaz in a highly anticipated boxing match on August 5 in Dallas, Texas

Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas enjoyed a 13-year NFL career that included seven Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections and the fifth-most tackles in NFL history, and in 2023, his 10th year of eligibility, Thomas will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday