Michael Owen criticized Thomas Tuchel for his tactics in England’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semifinals last night, saying Tuchel shouldn’t have taken his foot off the gas pedal late in the match.
England went up 1-0 early in the second half after Anthony Gordon scored off Morgan Rogers’ sumptuous cross. However, just like in their comeback win against Egypt in the Round of 16, Argentina manufactured two late goals, courtesy of Lionel Messi, to snatch the victory.
“Watch Spain at 1-0 last night. That’s courage. That’s bravery. And then watch England at 1-0. What’s the difference? We are a better team than Argentina, I’ve no doubt in my mind. But we deserved to get beat in the end. In fact, it could have been 4-1,” Owen posted on X.
“Bringing on 3 defenders at 1-0 up. What message does that send? I wrote it in my Daily Mail column after the Mexico game. Until we understand that courage and bravery is controlling possession under pressure and not booting / heading it up the field 40 yards, then this will always be the end result,” he added.
July 15, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; England’s Harry Kane looks dejected after the match. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Harry Kane explains what went wrong for England against Argentina
During his post-match interview, Harry Kane acknowledged that England lost control after taking the lead near the hour mark. The Bayern Munich striker admitted that the Three Lions stopped pressing and surrendered possession, saying that protecting their narrow lead was instinctual at the time.
“We scored and deserved to be ahead. Then, for one reason or another, we struggled to keep the ball, struggled to press, and simply allowed them to build momentum and create more danger in our defensive third. It’s a normal mentality to try to hold on and protect a one-goal lead,” Kane stated.
“When you’re that close, just over 10 minutes away, and it slips away from you like that… of course it hurts. We’re devastated,” he added. “We know how much reaching the final meant to them. Another semifinal. We always talk about knocking on the door. We’re close. We just need to find that missing piece in the final stages of tournaments.”
England will have one more game before exiting the World Cup, as they’ll take on France in the battle for third place on Saturday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Semi Final - England v Argentina - Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. - July 15, 2026
Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi clashes with England's Jude Bellingham at the end of the match REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
England superstar Jude Bellingham has had a dominant run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but that World Cup run ended in heartbreak on Wednesday with the team falling to Argentina in the semifinals. After the match, Bellingham clearly let his frustration get the best of him.
As Argentina celebrated on the field following their 2-1 victory over England on Wednesday, Bellingham was caught on camera striking an Argentina player in apparent frustration.
Bellingham Strikes Argentina Player
In the aftermath of Wednesday’s 2-1 loss, a video showed Bellingham standing on the field as Argentina players began to celebrate. After Argentinian defender Valentín Barco joined the celebration, Bellingham immediately turned and struck him on the head.
It’s not clear whether or not Barco did or said something to spark Bellingham’s reaction, but Barco responded by shoving Bellingham. The other Argentina players immediately started trying to separate the two before Bellingham’s England teammates approached to do the same.
The incident came after England suffered a frustrating 2-1 loss to Argentina, after Bellingham helped put the team ahead 1-0 in the second half with a perfectly placed cross.
Bellingham Sparks Outrage
While it’s not clear what led to this reaction from Bellingham, he was certainly the first to get physical with Barco, and fans were quick to express their outrage at the incident.
“Wait what? Why on earth has he done that?!” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“The guy literally didn’t do anything???” someone else wrote.
“They must have told him something. Even so, you have to know how to lose,” another fan wrote.
“What outrages me is that this guy went out of nowhere to attack a rival player who was just happily celebrating with his team. Good thing he was exposed for the coward he is,” someone else added.
“Something so nasty about male players getting violent the second they’re losing,” another fan wrote, adding that “the kid didn’t even touch him.”
“One of the most unlikable and insufferable players out there. Bellingham is the sorest loser you can imagine,” someone else wrote, adding a photo of him kicking a cooler in frustration on a previous occasion.
While England has been eliminated from championship contention, they do still have one more match to play as they are set to take on France in the third-place match on Saturday.
When the Three Lions are leading a World Cup match late, Burn is a trusted substitute. They can bring him in, and he can clear the ball, again and again.
There's no one in their side who is a better winner of the ball in the air than Burn.
He also uses his lanky frame to smash the ball away whenever he gets the chance.
So if England has a lead late against Argentina, or later in the tournament, Burn could sub into the game.
Why is Dan Burn a sub for England?
Burn, from Newcastle United, simply is a remarkable clearance master.
Against Mexico as a sub, he had six clearances in less than half of the second half. It was a World Cup record for clearances in that little bit of time.
The second finalist at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be determined this evening as defending champions Argentina take on a hungry England side looking to make history.
In order to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Three Lions will get a chance to do just that, having to go through the reigning title-winners while seeking their first World Cup crown since 1966.
38-year-old Lionel Messi now stands in England's way, as the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history is in the path of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and the rest of the English squad.
The winner will take on Spain in the final on Sunday in East Rutherford, NJ, after La Roja shut down France 2-0 in a preview of the stingy test that awaits England or Argentina.
The Sporting News brings you a full list of live player ratings for the match, analyzing both team's individual performances from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.
4-2-3-1, right to left: 1. J. Pickford (GK) — 24. R. James, 5. J. Stones, 6. M. Guehi, 25. D. Spence — 4. D. Rice, 8. E. Anderson — 17. M. Rogers, 10. J. Bellingham, 18. A. Gordon — 9. H. Kane.
Argentina starting lineup:
4-4-2, right to left: 23. E. Martinez (GK) — 26. N. Molina, 13. C. Romero, 6. L. Martinez, 3. N. Tagliafico — 17. G. Simeone, 20. A. Mac Allister, 5. L. Paredes (N. Gonzalez, 64'), 24. E. Fernandez — 10. L. Messi, 9. J. Alvarez.
England player ratings vs. Argentina
All ratings are on a 10-point scale.
Starters
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford — 8
Didn't have a single save to make in the first half, as Argentina had no interest in testing the goalkeeper. His distribution was solid, keeping his side out of danger amidst a slight press.
Started the second half with a great save on Julian Alvarez at his near post. Made an outlandish save in the 69th minute as he prevented a header by Nico Gonzalez from finding the back of the net.
Watch in USA:
Messi sends it into the box but the header is SAVED by Jordan Pickford 🏴
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Right-back: Reece James — 6
Did well getting forward, knowing he didn't have lots of width to deal with from Argentina. It was difficult, though, with Morgan Rogers contributing very little. Completed 17 of his 18 first-half passes, even while spending most of his time on the ball in the attacking half.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Right center-back: John Stones — 6
Didn't have lots of defending to do, as Argentina didn't look to get anyone other than Lionel Messi into the penalty area. Had one of the few chances in the first half for either side, as he put his header slightly wide at the back post on a set-piece.
Made two big clearances in the 66th minute to help England get out of jail as they were being squeezed.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Left center-back: Marc Guehi — 7
Was a machine in the first half, maintaining a high line while hitting on all 40 of his passes and contributing three defensive actions.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Left-back: Djed Spence — 9
Djed Spence was rewarded with a start at his natural left-back position for his excellent deputy work on the right throughout this tournament. He was bright early on, dribbling through defenders down the left. He nutmegged Nahuel Molina in the fifth minute down near the corner flag. Then a minute later he managed to stay on the ball amidst a heavy contest from Giuliano Simeone. 'Megged another Argentina defender 10 minutes later as he continued to cook.
Did well to begin the second half by pushing Julian Alvarez wide enough for Pickford to make a save. Made an absolutely electrictackle in the 57th minute on Giuliano Simeone to prevent a huge Argentina opportunity.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Central midfielder: Declan Rice — 6
Was completely invisible in the first half. Managed just 25 touches to Elliot Anderson's 51, leaving his midfield partner to do all the heavy lifting.
In the second half, it seemed to be going the way way, but he cropped up with a crucial contribution on the opening goal, latching onto the ball in the attacking third and feeding it to Morgan Rogers for a cross.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Central midfielder: Elliot Anderson — 8
Was a target of Argentina's early foul strategy, drawing three whistles in the opening 20 minutes and five throughout the opening half. Managed to keep his head about him and carry on, which is impressive. Drew an unfortunate yellow card when he was booked for fouling Lionel Messi, which left England furious.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Right winger: Morgan Rogers — 6
With Djed Spence cooking, Rogers played a more off-ball winger role, but he did well when he got on the ball himself, also managing to work a cross on the dribble. Unfortunately, he faded in the first half, appearing in very few England attacks overall. A poor first 45 minutes overall.
He cropped up for a beautiful assist on the opening goal,
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Attacking midfielder: Jude Bellingham — 7
Had plenty of needle early in the match, winning fouls and keeping the intensity up. Like Anderson, got kicked repeatedly in the first half-hour, but began to get on his flow after that as he dribbled past Giuliano Simeone to win a free-kick just outside the penalty area.
Past the 30-minute mark, Bellingham started to have a much bigger effect on the match, which caused Argentina to just kick him more.
Began the second half by defending Lionel Messi very well, marshaling the ball out of play by bodying Messi off it near the end line. Started to lose his impact on the goal after England went ahead, as Argentina were able to compress the pitch and squeeze England back into their own half.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Left winger: Anthony Gordon — 7
Did well to get down the left early, combining with an excitable Djed Spence, but couldn't get a shot off in the 15th minute as his dribbling allowed five defenders to swarm the England winger and smother the chance.
Faded as the first half went on, but started to get more involved early in the second half, most specifically moving into midfield for more touches on the ball.
Scored England's first goal with an exceptional back-post run by beating Nahuel Molina and latching onto Morgan Rogers' cross.
Watch in USA:
GOOOOAAL! ANTHONY GORDON GIVES ENGLAND THE LEAD OVER ARGENTINA IN THE SEMIFINALS 🏴
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Striker: Harry Kane — 5
Only 13 touches in the first half, including none in the penalty area, as Kane was unable to get involved in the match. That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for a traditional No. 9, but for someone like Kane who likes to drop into midfield, he was unable to both aid his teammates in ushering possession forward and arrive late in the penalty area for chances on goal.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
England substitutes vs. Argentina
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and players enter the match off the bench.
England coach vs. Argentina
Thomas Tuchel: Grade pending
This section will be updated after the match with analysis and commentary once the coach's tactical approach and in-game handling can be assessed on the whole.
Did well to deal with England's early crosses, and distributed well, only missing with his three long balls in the first half.
Wasn't much Martinez could do on the England goal.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Right-back: Nahuel Molina — 6
It wasn't exactly pretty for Nahuel Molina against the combination of Anthony Gordon and Djed Spence, but it was effective, as he prevented either one from making things happen in the penalty area.
Delivered an absolutely vicious cross to the penalty area in the 54th minute that could have found a teammate but eventually was rejected from the 18-yard box. Was beaten by Anthony Gordon on England's opening goal, with his passive stance allowing Gordon to step in front of him for the finish.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Right center-back: Cristian Romero — 7
While Lisandro Martinez fumbled around next to him, Cristian Romero was fantastic defensively, playing the role of a brick wall as England tried to advance into the attacking third.
Started the second half by making a delicious play on the ball to see a pressing Anthony Gordon go flying by, but then absorbed a professional booking by bear-hugging Jude Bellingham to stop a transitional play.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Left center-back: Lisandro Martinez — 6
Solid in possession, but shaky defending in transition. Was booked in the 42nd minute for dragging Morgan Rogers back by his shirt in midfield to stop a counter.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Left-back: Nicolas Tagliafico — 8
Contributed his fair share of physicality to Argentina's approach, but also managed to keep Morgan Rogers and Reece James completely in check, winning all of his four first-half ground duels.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Right midfielder: Giuliano Simeone — 4
Was an absolute loose cannon early on, looking like he was playing at mach speed. That's not necessarily a good thing, as he was all over the place in the first quarter of the match, and it continued as he was whistled for four fouls in the opening 32 minutes.
Got free down the right before the hour mark, but was far too slow to make a decision as he charged towards the England goal, allowing Djed Spence to make a 30-yard recovery sprint and dispossess Simeone with a strong tackle.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Central midfielder: Leandro Paredes — 7
Was extremely physical early in the game, making all kinds of hard challenges in midfield to break up play with England on the ball. It was clear he was trying to get under Jude Bellingham's skin, but he was laughed off.
Provided good strength for Argentina at the base of midfield, avoiding a booking and beginning pressure. It began to have a greater effect on the game as he helped the South American side squeeze the game. It was, thusly, surprising that Paredes was hooked on the hour mark for Nico Gonzalez as Lionel Scaloni needed more attacking threat.
Central midfielder: Alexis Mac Allister — 6
Given freedom to roam and break up play, Mac Allister was a bit lost in the middle of the field, without a defined role. Looked a bit slow in the process, but managed to bust up England's build up a bit.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Left midfielder: Enzo Fernandez — 5
He has had a scatterbrained World Cup, and that continued in this match as he was all over the pitch, but not in a good way. His best moment was taking a long-distance shot that just barely fizzed wide, but otherwise he kept losing duels all over the pitch, and failed to create much up front, with most of his passing sideways.
Managed to have a greater influence on the game in the second half, helping Argentina to squeeze the game, but his creativity was still lacking.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Right forward: Lionel Messi — 6
Was slow to get going, but exploded to life when he dribbled through three players and was fouled, winning a free-kick and getting Elliot Anderson controversially booked.
Really struggled to have a consistent influence on the game. Delivered a 69th minute cross that met the head of Nico Gonzalez, but he put the effort right at Jordan Pickford.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Left forward: Julian Alvarez — 5
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and the player logs his performance on the pitch.
Argentina substitutes vs. England
65th min — Nico Gonzalez: Grade pending
Entered for Leandro Paredes with Argentina down a goal. Had a massive chance to level the score, but put his header right at the goalkeeper.
This section will be updated with analysis, commentary, and highlights as the game progresses and players enter the match off the bench.
Argentina coach vs. England
Lionel Scaloni: 8
This section will be updated after the match with analysis and commentary once the coach's tactical approach and in-game handling can be assessed on the whole.
Mac Allister plays for Argentina because that's the country of his birth.
There's no confusing citizenship situation here. Mac Allister has always been Argentine.
His family had moved to the country much before the midfielder was born.
In a 2024 interview, Mac Allister explained the name's roots.
“It’s actually Irish,” Mac Allister explained on that podcast interview. “A couple of months ago I received a letter from my family in Ireland, asking me to go there one day. I would love to.”
The Athletic has also written about Mac Allister's origin, and one of his family members, Joseph McAllister (the spelling changed after the move) came to Argentina in 1865.
Two generations before that, The Athletic writes, the family had made the move from Scotland to Ireland.
So there are roots across the globe for Mac Allister.
Before the opening whistle has even blown in England and Argentina's semifinal match, World Cup fans are already complaining that FIFA is rigging the match in Lionel Messi's favor.
The topic of Argentina being the beneficiary of fixed matches has been one of the most talked-about conspiracy theories throughout the soccer world. FIFA hasn't exactly helped quell those theorists after appointing Moroccan-American referee Ismail Elfath to serve as the semifinal match's lead official.
In the past, Messi has reportedly won every match he has played with Elfath serving as the referee in some capacity, including the 2022 World Cup final against France.
Here's the rundown on Elfath, and why many soccer fans believe he's helped Messi in the past.
American referee Ismail Elfath will serve as the referee for the semifinal match between England and Argentina.
Elfath has been a FIFA referee since 2016 and served as the fourth referee during Argentina's 2022 World Cup final win over France. 2022 served as Elfath's first World Cup, debuting in a match between Portugal and Ghana and serving as the referee for a knockout stage match between Japan and Croatia.
At this year's World Cup, Elfath served as the referee for Japan vs. the Netherlands, Uruguay vs. Spain, and Brazil vs. Norway's clash in the Round of 16.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup match 102 have been appointed. 🤝
Elfath was born in Morocco and came over to the United States at age 18. He would eventually become a U.S citizen and has been an MLS referee since 2012.
Many World Cup fans complained about FIFA appointing Elfath to officiate the England vs. Argentina match because Messi has found vast success with Morocco native on the pitch. At the 2022 World Cup final, Elfath was the fourth official when Argentina won in a penalty shootout over France, thanks to two Messi goals.
Elfath was also the referee during Inter Miami's 2023 Leagues Cup win, a match that featured Messi scoring before a penalty shootout win over Nashville SC. Elfath has additionally refereed three other MLS wins for Messi.
Where is Ismail Elfath from?
Elfath is originally from Morocco. He moved to America as an 18-year-old after winning a U.S. government-backed diversity visa lottery, according to the BBC.
Elfath was born on March 3, 1982, in Casablanca, Morocco. The 44-year-old has officiated in the MLS since 2012, a tenure in which he has won Referee of the Year twice.
According to various reports, such as Wales Online and NY Sports Day, Messi has never lost a game that has featured Elfath as an official. In five total matches that have featured Elfath as an official, Messi has accumulated a 5-0 record, with four of those matches coming from competition at Inter Miami.
At the 2022 World Cup final, Elfath was the fourth official when Argentina won in a penalty shootout over France, thanks to two Messi goals.
He was also the referee when Inter Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup, a match that also featured Messi scoring before his team won via a penalty shootout over Nashville SC. Additionally, Elfath has refereed three other MLS wins for Messi.
Is FIFA favoring Argentina?
While the case for FIFA favoring Messi's Argentina seems to grow through everyday, there has been no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing.
Fans began pointing even more fingers toward La Albiceleste after news broke reporting that the national team was under investigation by the FBI for money laundering and fraud in the U.S. According to CBS Sports, at least $260 million has gone through America's financial system, along with an additional $57 million in transfers that do not have a clear purpose.
Argentina has also been getting carded at a lower frequency compared to other teams in the tournament. Here is a look at where they ranked among teams in the quarterfinals:
🚨 How often do teams playing in World Cup quarterfinals get booked:
🏴 England - Card per every 7 fouls 🇲🇦 Morocco - Card per every 9,8 fouls 🇧🇪 Belgium - Card per every 10 fouls 🇨🇭 Switzerland - Card per every 11,5 fouls 🇫🇷 France - Card per every 12,2 fouls 🇳🇴 Norway - Card… pic.twitter.com/UMhGpm9lcq
After a dominant run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defending champion France was denied a third consecutive trip to the final with a 2-0 loss to Spain in Tuesday’s semifinal match. It was a rather stunning end to the team’s run given the way it played throughout the tournament, but none of the players were particularly interested in talking about it.
France entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the betting favorite to lift the trophy, and it certainly looked the part through the group stage and the first three matches of the knockout round, winning every match it played by more than two goals per match on average.
The team was a perfect 6-0 in the tournament entering Tuesday’s match and had not so much as surrendered a goal through the first three matches of the knockout round, all while its high-powered offense, led by the tournament’s leading scorer Kylian Mbappé, made scoring feel inevitable.
But all that changed in Tuesday’s match. Not only did France surrender its first two goals of the knockout round, but Mbappé and company had no answers on the offensive side as they were held scoreless for the first time all tournament.
Needless to say, it was a surprising result, but France did not seem all that willing to answer for it after the match.
According to Michael J. Duarte of The California Post, no French player went through the media mix zone after the match. While not every player is required to speak to the media after matches, teams are required to designate some players to speak in the media mix zone. According to Duarte, that didn’t happen.
All of the French players refused to come through the media mix zone after the match.
FIFA will hopefully fine them.
None of the French players wanted to talk about the loss to Spain that ended their World Cup.
“All of the French players refused to come through the media mix zone after the match. FIFA will hopefully fine them. None of the French players wanted to talk about the loss to Spain that ended their World Cup,” he wrote in a post on X.
It is worth noting that Mbappé appears to have spoken to at least some members of the media in some capacity, as he is quoted in a Reuters article where he called the team’s performance “sloppy.” He also interviewed with Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft following the match. So it’s probably not fair to say that all of the French players were entirely unwilling to speak on the loss. Whether Duarte and others got the chance to talk to French players, however, is obviously a different story. But based on FIFA’s rules, players are supposed to be made available in the mixed zone, and teams can be fined if that doesn’t happen.
After the loss, France will now take on the loser of Wednesday’s match between England and Argentina in the third-place match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday afternoon.
Declan Rice is one of England's most important players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As a newly minted champion of the English Premier League with Arsenal, Rice does a bit of everything in the midfield for the Three Lions.
He's a set-piece expert in addition to making plays box-to-box, and for England to hoist the trophy for the first time since 1966, Rice will have to be brilliant.
But as Rice plays, there's one thing that's a bit quirky. He has a tattoo on the front of his left leg, which isn't unusual by itself.
This tattoo, though, is just a four-digit number: 1241.
It would be fascinating to hear Rice talk a little more in depth about this. Is he paying tribute to the 1,240 that made the English squad before him by putting that number on his leg?
It likely is a reminder that he's a part of something bigger than himself.
There would certainly be an immense swath of humans filled with joy if Rice can help lead England to the World Cup. Maybe that would require a tattoo, too: 2026, with a trophy.
The world has been introduced to many teams' match traditions at the 2026 World Cup. While Norway's "Ro!" chant has comfortably taken the cake, England has been making their case for singing the Oasis song "Wonderwall" after every victory.
The Manchester, England-based band created one of the Three Lions' songs they sent in to play during the team's matches. After every win, England stands in front of their sea of fans, arm over arm, and belts out the lyrics to the best of their ability.
The reception has been a consistent shout of cheers once finished, and the act seems to be a fan-favorite even outside of England. At the time of writing, "Wonderwall" currently sits at the No. 1 position on Spotify's United Kingdom Top 50 chart.
Here's why The Three Lions sing Wonderwall after each win at the World Cup.
England's 2026 World Cup team sings "Wonderwall" with their fans after every win because it is one of their three songs the team submitted, according to USA TODAY.
Prior to the 2026 tournament, FIFA asked teams to submit potential playlists for warmups, goals, and wins, a U.S. spokesperson told the site. England sent in "Wonderwall," along with "Sweet Caroline" as two of their songs.
It seems like almost everyone on the England side of the pitch seems to be in favor of the recent Oasis song's emergence as a team song. English captain Harry Kane said the moment was one of his all-time favorites in a Three Lions kit.
"One of my favourite ever moments in an England shirt" ❤️
Harry Kane and Jordan Pickford on that powerful post-match emotional moment and their deep connection with the fans.#LionsDen connected by @EE 🦁 pic.twitter.com/2y2NkKPD3z
"That was one of my favorite moments ever in an England shirt," Kane said. "I know it's just the first game and we're not getting carried away but that emotional connection with the fans. We see how much it means to them and they see how much it means to us."
"Wonderwall belongs to the people, and it was a magical moment between the people and the players," said Oasis band member Noel Gallagher to The Sun, per the BBC.
Noel's brother and fellow band member Liam Gallagher came out in full support for England ahead of the team's 2026 quarterfinal match against Norway. Here's what Gallagher said after the win sent The Three Lions to the semifinals:
The band's current five members are Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher, Paul Arthurs, Gem Archer, and Andy Bell.
Here are Oasis' top five most listened-to songs on Spotify, per Kworb:
Rank
Song
Spotify plays (as of July 14, 2026)
1.
Wonderwall - Remastered
2,882,133,702
2.
Don't Look Back in Anger - Remastered
1,402,691,453
3.
Champagne Supernova - Remastered
639,933,226
4.
Stop Crying Your Heart Out
615,293,097
5.
Live Forever
447,623,827
Wonderwall lyrics
Today is gonna be the day That they're gonna throw it back to you By now, you should've somehow Realised what you gotta do I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now
Backbeat, the word is on the street That the fire in your heart is out I'm sure you've heard it all before But you never really had a doubt I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now
And all the roads we have to walk are winding And all the lights that lead us there are blinding There are many things that I would like to say to you But I don't know how
Because maybe You're gonna be the one that saves me And after all You're my wonderwall
Today was gonna be the day But they'll never throw it back to you By now, you should've somehow Realised what you're not to do I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now
And all the roads that lead you there were winding And all the lights that light the way are blinding There are many things that I would like to say to you But I don't know how
I said maybe You're gonna be the one that saves me And after all You're my wonderwall I said maybe (I said maybe) You're gonna be the one that saves me And after all You're my wonderwall
I said maybe (I said maybe) You're gonna be the one that saves me (That saves me) You're gonna be the one that saves me (That saves me) You're gonna be the one that saves me (That saves me)
Argentina stands two wins away from history, but they'll face an England team looking to bring the World Cup home for the first time in 60 years.
If Argentina wins in this semifinal match, they and Lionel Messi will be the first repeat World Cup champions since Brazil won back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962. England, meanwhile, is chasing something it hasn't touched since they won the World Cup in 1966 — a spot in the final.
Argentina survived a scare against Switzerland, needing extra time before goals from Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez sealed the win. England needed a similarly dramatic finish against Norway, with Jude Bellingham's brace — including a 93rd-minute winner — proving decisive.
Bellingham's heroics put him in the Golden Boot race with six goals, tied with countryman Harry Kane for fourth, but he'll now face the tournament's co-leader in Messi, who sits tied for first with eight goals.
History actually favors England in this matchup, at least on paper: The Three Lions hold a 3-1-1 edge over Argentina in World Cup play and a 6-5-2 advantage in all-time friendlies, though it's been over two decades since England last beat them.
Here's everything you need to know to watch the England vs. Argentina World Cup semifinal match, including where to watch on TV or live stream, what time the game starts and more.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 through July 19, 2026. It will be the first World Cup hosted across three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup being played?
The 2026 World Cup will be played across 16 host cities in North America, with matches taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It will be the first men’s World Cup hosted by three countries.
The 16 host cities are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle in the United States; Toronto and Vancouver in Canada; and Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico.
How many teams are in the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams, expanding from the 32-team format used in previous tournaments. The larger field also means more matches, more knockout-round games and more countries involved than ever before.
The 48 teams are Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Curaçao, Czechia, DR Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, United States, Uruguay and Uzbekistan.
How many games are in the 2026 World Cup?
There will be 104 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That includes the group stage, knockout rounds and the final.
When is the 2026 World Cup final?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026. The match will be played at New York-New Jersey Stadium, FIFA’s tournament name for MetLife Stadium.
What time do World Cup games start?
Kickoff times vary by date, host city and round. Because the tournament is being played across multiple time zones in the United States, Canada and Mexico, fans should check the official match schedule for start times in their local time zone.
Many sports teams and players have various superstitions they take part in to mentally have a better chance at finding success. For Argentina facing England at the World Cup, that means wearing their navy blue kit instead of their iconic sky blue and white striped uniform.
In the past, La Albiceleste has played against England twice in the World Cup tournament while wearing their navy blue uniforms. The result, amid chaos on the route, was victory both times at the 1986 and 1998 World Cups.
Argentina appears to be doing everything in its power to ensure they have the best chance at defending its 2022 World Cup title. England will be looking to both end their streak of losing to a navy-colored Argentina and win their first semifinal match since 1966.
Here's the rundown on Argentina's history of wearing navy blue kits against England at the World Cup.
Why Argentina is wearing blue jerseys against England
Argentina opted to wear their navy blue kits for England ahead of their semifinal clash on Wednesday. According to the BBC, many media outlets have reported that Argentina has opted to wear these blue jerseys against England due to past success.
During their World Cup history, Argentina wore their navy blue uniforms against England twice and won both of their matches. La Albiceleste lost their next game against The Three Lions at the 2002 World Cup when wearing their classic sky blue and white striped kit.
Here's a closer look at the history behind Argentina's decision to wear a dark blue kit.
According to the BBC, Argentina is 2-0 against England in World Cup matches when they wear their navy blue kits. Both of La Albiceleste's wins against The Three Lions were significant matches during the tournament.
Date
Result
June 22, 1986
Argentina 2, England 1
June 30, 1998
Argentina 2, England 2 (4-3 PKs)
1986 World Cup Quarterfinal
Argentina first wore their navy uniforms against England ahead of their famous 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match. The game remained scoreless through the first half at Edson Passos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In the second half, however, chaos ensued. In the 52nd minute, Argentinian star Diego Maradona used his hand to punch a goal into the net. Despite numerous protests from the English side, who had seen how the Argentine had scored, Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser allowed the goal for La Albiceleste.
Here is a look at Maradona's "Hand of God" goal to put the Argentinians ahead:
Maradona would score a second goal just three short minutes later, and Argentina looked well on their way to the semifinal. Gary Lineker was able to score for England in the 81st minute, but it was too little too late, and a handball that was luckily never seen pushed Argentina onward to eventually win the 1986 World Cup.
1998 World Cup Round of 16
Argentina vs. England's match at the 1998 World Cup also had its theatrics, but was perhaps even more chaotic. At Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in France, Argentinian Gabriel Bautista converted on a penalty after Diego Simeone was tripped by England goalkeeper David Seaman inside of the box.
Just four minutes later, Michael Owen was tripped inside of Argentina's box, which allowed Alan Shearer to score a penalty goal for England. Shortly after Shearer converted from the spot, Owen again ran through La Albiceleste's defense and scored a top-notch goal to put the English up 2-1 inside of the first 20 minutes. During stoppage time in the first half, Javier Zanetti scored off a free-kick assist that served as the match's final goal in regulation.
The game's main focal point came in the beginning of the second half. England's 23-year-old star David Beckham controversially earned a red card after appearing to trip Simeone around midfield. After an ensuing argument between Shearer, Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen, and multiple players from Team Argentina, Nielsen pulled into his pocket to pull out a red card.
The game extended through extra time and into a penalty shootout. La Albiceleste was able to down England 4-3 in that shootout and advance to the quarterfinal.
Here are the full highlights for the Round of 16 match:
There aren't many things that Lionel Messi has not done in his career, as the 38-year-old gets set to contest the semifinals of his sixth FIFA World Cup with Argentina.
And yet, he will check something new off his list as the Albiceleste square off against England in Atlanta on Wednesday: a new opponent.
The Three Lions are looking for revenge against Argentina for a pair of painful World Cup defeats, as elimination in both 1986 and 1998 left a permanent scar in the country's football history.
The Sporting News details Messi's history against not just England the national team, but also English clubs throughout his time at Barcelona and PSG.
Lionel Messi has never played against England before in his international career.
The only time Argentina faced England in Messi's entire career was on November 10, 2005, in an international friendly. Messi did not play in that game due to a red card suspension that carried over from his international debut, when he was sent off in the 65th minute against Hungary.
While there is no FIFA rule about red cards in friendlies carrying over a suspension into future matches, sometimes federations will honor these in subsequent friendlies as a gesture of good faith. Messi appeared in three World Cup qualifiers after his red card against Hungary, but Argentina then honored a one-match suspension in their next friendly, which came three months later.
Without a 17-year-old Messi, Argentina would have lost the match by a 3-2 score.
What did Lionel Messi say about England?
Lionel Messi has indicated he is anticipating a difficult match against a strong opponent when Argentina take on England in the World Cup semifinals.
"Everything I have seen and remember [about Argentina vs. England from 1986] is from videos and images that Argentinians constantly watch and relive," Messi told ESPN Argentina in the run-up to the match. "But I think this group is used to playing football matches regardless of the opponent.
"Obviously, playing against England is special because they are a powerhouse, and matches against powerhouses are always special. Personally, it's the first time I'm going to play against them. I've played against everyone except England, so it will be nice for that reason too.
"And we'll experience it for what it is: a World Cup semifinal against a powerhouse, a great team, and we'll try to arrive in the best possible shape to compete again."
Lionel Messi history vs. English clubs
Lionel Messi has played 36 matches in the UEFA Champions League against English clubs. Of those matches, he has won 19 of them, losing nine and drawing eight.
The team Messi had the most success against is Manchester City, whom he defeated six times and drew two in his eight matches against. He also had great success against Arsenal, winning four of the six games they played while scoring a whopping nine goals in those matches.
Conversely, the club Messi struggled against the most was Chelsea, losing six of their 10 meetings while winning just two and drawing the other two.
England and Argentina renew a historic World Cup rivalry on Wednesday as they contest the second semifinal of the 2026 tournament.
The defending champions have not always looked convincing at these finals, but their irrepressible will to win, combined with Lionel Messi's otherworldly talents, has carried them to this stage.
England have also overcome adversity by sheer bloody-mindedness, while their own goal-scoring burden has been shouldered by two star performers: Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
Two evenly matched teams enjoying — and, at times, enduring — very similar tournaments make this a difficult game to predict. So, we've gone for some local insight.
Mauro Mariani (Senior Editor): Kane and Bellingham.
Dom Farrell (Senior Content Producer): Bellingham and Kane.
Joe Wright (Senior Editor): It's coming home.
What is England's biggest strength?
AA: They have Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham playing at an incredible level, surrounded by a squad built to create scoring opportunities for both of them. They've also shown courage in big moments against Congo, Mexico and Norway.
RD: Having two players with a knack for scoring goals in Kane and Bellingham. Like Argentina, they've known how to win even when not playing well.
MM: England's biggest strength lies in Kane's clinical finishing and Bellingham's strong performances over the last two matches. The team would not still be in contention without the two of them.
5 - Jude Bellingham has scored more goals than any other midfielder at the 2026 FIFA World Cup (5 - 0 penalties).
Only Gary Lineker (6 in 1986) has ever netted more non-penalty goals in a major tournament for England (WC/Euro).
DF: After the muddle of Euro 2024, where England still showed plenty of fine qualities to scrap their way to the final, Tuchel has brought clarity. Wingers are not playmakers; they pin themselves wide and run beyond Kane. Bellingham is not the new Juan Roman Riquelme, roaming where he pleases; he leaves the grubby stuff to Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson and links with Kane to win games. Simple, but effective.
JW: Creating a system in which both Kane and Bellingham can thrive, not just one or the other. Having one world-class match-winner is important; having two is almost unfair.
What is England's biggest weakness?
AA: At various points in the World Cup, they've looked like a team lacking creativity, one that struggles to do something on the offensive side whenever Kane fails to get involved.
RD: Vulnerability in defense, especially behind the full-backs.
MM: Jordan Pickford. He is not a goalkeeper known for winning matches on his own, and the poor performances of the defence have not helped him, either.
Jordan Pickford has been voted as England's second best goalkeeper ever! 🏴
Pickford will become England's all-time World Cup appearance holder if he starts vs Norway 🤯 pic.twitter.com/zn4C4qHsFQ
DF: The fact that John Stones could still play more minutes at this tournament than he did in the Premier League this season shows that England are hardly blessed with lots of elite options in defence. Tuchel leaving behind Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, Luke Saw and Lewis Hall has hardly helped matters.
JW: England's central midfield is, on paper, the best it's been for some years. And yet, they still struggle to dictate matches from the middle of the park, or use possession to seize control of momentum and alleviate pressure on the defence. Against the very best, it's a big, big problem.
What do fans feels about this England team?
AA: They are an eternal rival with a century-old football history that goes far beyond the 1982 war. There's that intense rivalry hatred that makes this match greater than any semifinal Argentina has played before, but there's also respect for players of the quality of Kane and Bellingham that reflects the difficulty and importance of this game.
RD: That they are not invincible. Not even close. And that any potential rifts within the group could be disastrous.
MM: England have yet to face an opponent of sufficient quality to prove they are genuine contenders to win the trophy. Tuchel has also come under scrutiny, and there have been signs of tension between the manager and parts of the squad.
DF: It's hard to say until we see how this week unfolds. The Southgate era was all about restoring a link between a national team and its fanbase that had been badly severed. The runs to tournament semifinals and finals were great, but there was also a sense at the best of times under Southgate that this was all about the journey. Tuchel, by contrast, was appointed as an elite coach to win a World Cup, he's even said as much. That's made the whole thing feel a little more transactional, but if they win two more games this week, they'll be eternal heroes.
JW: Tuchel's squad choices caused plenty of eyebrows to rocket up foreheads, but to this point, his choices have been vindicated: it's a group of players that are generally likeable and easy to root for, even though some of that star quality left at home would have been nice to have at times.
Argentina: Which England player would you have on your team?
AA: Kane is an incredible striker, the best English footballer I've ever seen, but for this Argentina team, I'd prefer the World Cup 2026 version of Bellingham. He would work brilliantly playing right behind Messi and Alvarez.
RD: Bellingham — a footballer who is the brains of the England midfield, precisely where Argentina are weak. Plus, he can score goals like a centre-forward.
MM: Considering the current state of Argentina's midfield, which features several big names but has produced underwhelming performances, Bellingham's presence would improve the team tremendously. It would be incredible to see him play alongside Messi.
AA: An incredible offensive power, backed by the genius of Lionel Messi, which has made this team the highest-scoring side in the World Cup even without dominating matches as much as other teams. Additionally, their winning mindset and experience in key matches.
RD: Aside from having Messi: the experience of defeat, and never wanting to relive that feeling.
MM: Messi's goal-scoring form. While many expected him to adopt more of a creative role, Messi has instead emerged as the team's main attacking force and is firmly in contention for the Golden Boot.
DF: The way the players and Scaloni have kept everything rolling since Qatar, which should have been the end of a journey, with Messi finally a world champion. But they've kept this sense of ongoing quest, winning another Copa and now going deep at this World Cup. When you see the supporters in an emotional frenzy at matches, it doesn't feel like they got the job done four years ago. Winning here with Messi, for Messi, remains the most important thing in the world. England aren't just playing a fine football team; they're facing down an awesome emotional force.
JW: The way Scaloni has built a team both to bring the best out of an older Messi and mitigate for his weaknesses is one of the great achievements in international football this century.
What is Argentina's biggest weakness?
AA: In defense, they don't seem to be at the same level as other elite teams: they suffer from having to compensate for the presence of a 39-year-old Messi and from midfielders who aren't at 100% physically, on top of being vulnerable down the right flank.
RD: The midfield and fullbacks have posed the biggest questions at this World Cup. The key element in Qatar 2022 — the De Paul-Enzo-Mac Allister trio — has not been able to exert any influence in possession so far.
MM: An overreliance on Messi. Every attacking move seems required to go through him at least once. The midfield has also failed to perform as expected, looking slow and predictable.
DF: There's a giant Angel Di Maria-shaped hole in this team and a hard-working midfield badly misses his craft. During the comeback against Egypt, Messi seemed to drop into Di Maria's old position on the right and fill the void himself, because he's a genius. But he can't do that the whole game. He's got enough on his plate.
JW: Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez are fine players, but you always sense there's a mistake waiting to happen there: a rash challenge, or an ill-timed run forward. Egypt punished their positional indiscipline, and a better side could do more damage without allowing the game to slip.
What do fans feel about this Argentina team?
AA: Lot of love and pride. It's already a historic national team that brought Argentina back to its winning ways and gave the country some of its happiest days in modern history, with millions of people celebrating on the streets.
MM: Despite not having an easy path through the World Cup, Argentina have not been particularly impressive. However, the numbers show that they reached the semifinals as the tournament's highest-scoring team, with 17 goals. Their attacking firepower remains intact, and they are an opponent nobody wants to face. Messi's aura makes anything possible.
RD: They'll never let you down. They'll fight to the end, even if the football isn't going their way.
DF: I appreciate I'm probably not speaking as your normal Englishman here, because I love everything about Argentinian football, including all the nonsense and s—housery. Honestly, no one does it better. It's why, at some point after 8 p.m. British Summer Time on Wednesday, most England fans will probably hate them. Not me, though. It's all love.
JW: There are plenty of recognisable names to English fans, not least the five regular starters who play in the Premier League. There is a healthy respect for the team's pedigree, but not, I would say, a huge amount of fear.
England: Which Argentina player would you have on your team?
DF: I've tried to be clever and would definitely consider Leandro Paredes or Enzo Fernandez, given that technically proficient midfielders have tended to be the death of England at this stage of tournaments. But it's obviously Messi, isn't it?
JW: It's too obvious to pick him, so I'm going for Alvarez. He occupies defenders so well in the final third, and if you need someone to find the top corner from 30 yards against a stubborn defence, he's as good as anyone.
Predictions
Who will be player of the match?
AA: Alvarez. His level has improved over the last few games, he looks in better physical shape, and he regained confidence with his spectacular goal against Switzerland. With his speed and talent, he can be decisive playing alongside Messi.
RD: I'll go with the obvious one: Messi. I think he'll be motivated by it being his first time facing England and all the emotional weight of being compared to Diego Maradona.
MM: Messi will be MVP. In his first-ever match against England, he will channel the spirit of Diego Armando Maradona and score twice, recreating the historic feat from Mexico 1986.
DF: Kane and Bellingham are primed to do their thing but, if England are to win this, it might have to be Elliot Anderson. The Manchester City-bound midfielder gives the sort of craft and guile to the engine room that Southgate's teams lacked. He always wants the ball, is always available and looks for the progressive option in possession whenever he can. If Anderson can dictate the play, England won't be in the familiar position of chasing the ball around en route to an exhausting defeat to an elite nation.
JW: I think the Kane-Bellingham tandem will cause real problems to Argentina's centre-backs. My money is on Bellingham to find the space and score the goals, so he'll get the award.
Who will be the most disappointing?
AA: Jordan Pickford. Much like Dibu Martinez, he's having an inconsistent tournament, which is typical of his career. He was good for England in their victory in Mexico, but his performance against Norway exposed the doubts again. Against a team with Argentina’s goal-scoring threat, things could get complicated for him.
RD: Kane. Against all the odds, he'll be well marked by Licha Martinez and Cuti Romero.
MM: Pickford will be the main villain in Atlanta. Not only will he be unable to stop Messi, but he will also display the same uncertainty that has troubled him throughout this World Cup.
DF: I'm worried about Pickford, a superb tournament performer for England and key to all of those memorable runs from 2018 onwards. But, aside from a fine showing against Mexico in the Azteca, the Everton goalkeeper has looked vulnerable and short of his best.
JW: Noni Madueke seems to have played his way out of the team, so I'll go with Bukayo Saka, who just doesn't look fully fit or sharp enough to cause that Argentina left side problems.
Score prediction
AA: England 1-2 Argentina.
RD: England 1-1 Argentina, Argentina win on penalties.
MM: England 1-2 Argentina.
DF: England 3-2 Argentina in an absolute madness of a game.
Before Lionel Messi took the world by storm, another Argentina player of short stature was a global sensation.
Diego Maradona won two World Cups representing Argentina, including the 1986 triumph remembered for his two iconic goals in the quarterfinals against England.
Unfortunately, Maradona's post-playing career was marred by personal struggles and health issues before his untimely death.
Here's what you need to know about Maradona's death.
Maradona died on Nov. 25, 2020 in Argentina. He was only 60 years old.
Maradona battled health issues in the months and years before his death, which came only 23 years after the end of his playing career and 10 years after a stint as Argentina's manager.
Maradona was hospitalized in early November 2020 for what was described as anemia, depression and dehydration, but he also underwent brain surgery after experiencing a subdural hematoma. Maradona was released about a week later but died in his sleep on Nov. 25 after suffering cardiac arrest.
After Maradona's death, he was found to have had fat and blood clots covering his heart, as well as liver and kidney damage. Maradona's death also prompted questions about whether he received improper care. An investigation found enough evidence to charge seven healthcare workers with simple homicide. The first trial resulted in a mistrial.
Maradona's international career ended after FIFA sent him home from the 1994 World Cup due to a failed drug test; Argentina suffered a Round of 16 exit without him.
Maradona continued playing at the club level on occasion through 1997, last playing for Boca Juniors in Argentina, but he had already dabbled in coaching by that point and officially moved on from his playing career in 1997 with the exception of occasional exhibition appearances.
Maradona became a full-time manager in 2008, starting with a two-year stint at the helm of Argentina.
2007: Maradona hospitalized, enters treatment center for alcohol abuse
In 2007, Maradona was hospitalized for the effects of alcoholism and hepatitis. The hospitalization came two years after Maradona was admitted to undergo gastric bypass surgery as he struggled with obesity. Maradona entered psychiatric treatment for alcohol abuse after his hospitalization and said after his release that he had quit both alcohol and drugs.
2014: Maradona accused of assaulting girlfriend
Maradona was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in 2014, after Rocio Oliva filmed the former soccer star shouting at her. Maradona admitted to knocking Oliva's phone out of her hand but denied ever hitting her and did not face criminal charges.
2018: Maradona acts erratically at World Cup
Maradona's appearances at the 2018 World Cup, where he cheered on Argentina, raised a few eyebrows due to his erratic behavior. Cameras spotted Maradona sleeping, dancing erratically and even flashing the middle finger at World Cup games; at one point, he was treated by paramedics.
Despite speculation that a white substance was present near Maradona, he blamed the incidents on drinking too much wine.
2020: Maradona dies at 60
After being hospitalized earlier in the month and undergoing emergency brain surgery, Maradona died in his sleep on Nov. 25, 2020. He was only 60 years old.
After his death, Maradona was found to have had kidney and liver damage, as well as fat and blood clots surrounding his heart.
World Cup fans have grown used to seeing Mikel Oyarzabal celebrate a goal for Spain. The forward has done so five times during the 2026 World Cup, and he has been an integral piece of La Roja's success.
The longtime Real Sociedad player has not played a plethora of high-stakes European soccer compared to his peers who play for Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester City, but he has consistently risen to high levels for his country. However, Oyarzabal receives minimal props due to many players on his national team playing for bigger clubs that garner more global attention.
Despite this, Oyarzabal has just put his head down and continued his success for La Roja. Along with playing for Spain during their 2024 Euro-winning campaign, he's also led the country to only their second appearance in a World Cup final and first since they emerged victorious in 2010.
Here's the rundown on Oyarzabal, including his play on the international and club levels.
Oyarzabal is a 29-year-old forward who was born in Eibar, Spain. He first debuted for Spain's national team in 2016 and earned a solidified role for the team in 2019. On the club soccer level, he has been playing for Real Sociedad in club soccer since 2015.
Native to Spain, Oyarzabal has 27 career international goals along with 100 goals for Real Sociedad. He spent time playing for hometown club SD Eibar as a teenager before landing with Real Sociedad, which is also based in northern Spain. Besides his brief loan spell with Eibar to begin his career, he has famously remained at Sociedad throughout his career.
On July 14, against France in the 2026 World Cup semifinal, Oyarzabal passed Fernando Hierro for sixth on Spain's all-time leading scorers list with 30 goals.
🚨🇪🇸 MIKEL OYARZABAL IS HAVING A SENSATIONAL SEASON! 🤯❤️
Oyarzabal is having himself a phenomenal tournament. The Spanish player is perhaps one of the most underhyped players of the tournament, as he has quietly notched five goals to rank 7th across the World Cup field.
Here are some of Oyarzabal's best highlights from this summer's tournament:
In the 22nd minute of Spain's semifinal match against France, Lamine Yamal was tripped by Lucas Digne inside the French box. Referee Ivan Barton wasted no time before pointing towards the penalty spot. Here is the Spanish forward's flawless effort that went directly into the top right corner:
During Spain's second match of the World Cup, they needed to prove the doubters wrong after being held in a scoreless draw to Cape Verde, who was playing in their first World Cup match. Who else but Oyarzabal rose to the occasion to score not once, but twice against Saudi Arabia en route to a dominant 4-0 victory.
FS1 has seen one of its most successful months in recent memory on the back of World Cup viewership. The week of June 15 was the cable network’s most-watched in its history by total-day audience, averaging 885,000 viewers across its dayparts. But it appears as if that success did not rub off on the network’s new morning show, Wake Up Barstool.
According to a report by Austin Karp in Sports Business Journal, Wake Up Barstool averaged just 19,000 viewers on FS1 in the month of June, keeping in line with the show’s soft television ratings that began last September when it debuted. Get Up, the show that airs in the same hours on ESPN, averaged 426,000 viewers, a staggering 2,142% better than Wake Up Barstool, per SBJ.
The underwhelming viewership is particularly notable given FS1’s success throughout the rest of the month. Historically, major live sporting events, like World Cup matches, can have a halo effect on a network’s other programming, even lasting through the overnight hours and into the next day. No such momentum appeared to hold for the 8 a.m. ET episodes of Wake Up Barstool.
The show has failed to capture any sort of loyal audience on linear television since its debut at the beginning of last football season. In its first week on the air, Wake Up Barstoolaveraged 16,500 viewers on FS1. Of course, Wake Up Barstool is unique in the sense that it is also available in full on YouTube, where episodes generally earn between 5,000 and 20,000 additional views.
To be abundantly fair to the show, it did technically earn 2,500 more viewers on average in the month of June than it did in its inaugural week last September. But it’d be quite the stretch to call that improvement a success, especially considering the potential viewership windfall live World Cup matches could’ve provided.
France entered the World Cup semifinals as the favorite to lift the trophy, but hopes of a second title in three tournaments were dashed by Spain on Tuesday.
There is no doubt France is confident it can keep contending on the world stage for years to come, but it will have to do so under new leadership.
Manager Didier Deschamps isn't returning after this World Cup, ending a 14-year tenure that saw France reach three consecutive World Cup semifinals.
Here's what you need to know about Deschamps' exit and France's next manager.
ESPN reported in March that former France star Zinedine Zidane will be the national team's next manager after reaching a verbal agreement.
Zidane hasn't officially been announced as Deschamps' successor, but there is no indication the reported agreement between the two sides has hit any snags.
"The last detail to iron out before he can sign his contract is over his staff and how big his team can be," ESPN's Julien Laurens reported in March, confirming that the deal might not be done quiet yet.
The 53-year-old Zidane has long been considered the likely successor to Deschamps after spending part of his international career playing alongside Deschamps and winning the 1998 World Cup together.
Zidane is considered royalty in French soccer, having won three FIFA Player of the Year honors and the Ballon d'Or in 1998. Zidane scored 31 international goals for France over a 12-year run with the national team, including two goals in the 1998 World Cup final.
As a club player, Zidane spent time with Juventus and Real Madrid after starting his senior career with Cannes and Bordeaux. He scored 37 goals across 155 appearances with Real Madrid.
After his playing days, Zidane jumped into the world of managing. Here's a closer look at Zidane's coaching career.
Zidane became the manager of Real Madrid Castilla, Real Madrid's B team, in 2014, before taking over Real Madrid in the early days of 2016. Real Madrid won La Liga in 2017 and captured three consecutive Champions League titles under Zidane, but he resigned days after the 2018 Champions League final.
His time away didn't last long, as Real Madrid re-hired Zidane early in 2019 for another stint that lasted more than two years. Real Madrid won another La Liga title under Zidane but left the club in May of 2021.
Deschamps confirmed in early 2025 that he would step down from his post after the 2026 World Cup.
"In 2026 it will be over. In my head it's very clear. I've done my time, with the same desire and passion to maintain France at the highest level but 2026 is very good," Deschamps told French network TF1.
"One has to be able to say stop, there's a life after this," Deschamps added. "The most important is for France to stay at the top as they have been for many years."
While he is only 57, Deschamps lasted longer than most European national team managers, spending 14 years as the French manager and reaching the World Cup semifinals three times with one title.
Didier Deschamps record as France manager
Record: 120-28-35
Deschamps finishes 120-29 with 35 draws across 183 matches as France's manager. He took the reins of Les Bleus in 2012 and coached France in four different World Cups.
Deschamps already made history as one of three men to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager, as he captained France during its 1998 World Cup victory. His dream of becoming only the second manager to win the World Cup multiple times couldn't be realized, however.
Having reached the final at each of the last two FIFA World Cup tournaments, France fell just short of the mark in 2026 as they were beaten in the semifinal by nemesis Spain by a 2-0 score.
It was complete and utter dominance from La Roja, as they used a midfield advantage to smother France out of the game and mitigate its talented four-headed attack. France were completely cut off at the head as a result, leading to a struggle for Kylian Mbappe and his teammates from the opening whistle to the final kick.
Spain went ahead early on a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal after Lamine Yamal was kicked in the leg by Lucas Digne, forcing the referee to point to the spot. The second goal came early in the second half as Pedro Porro continued his exceptional World Cup by finishing off a one-two with Dani Olmo.
Mbappe came into the match as the joint leader for the World Cup Golden Boot alongside Lionel Messi, but his effect was minimized as he was locked down throughout the 90 minutes. Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele did their best to fill the void but struggled in their own right, as France mustered just two total shots on target the whole game.
The Sporting News brings you a full list of live player ratings for the match, analyzing both teams' individual performances from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.
Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) Referee: Ivan Barton (HON)
France starting lineup:
4-2-3-1, right to left: 16. M. Maignan (GK) — 5. J. Kounda, 4. D. Upamecano, 17. W. Saliba (Lacroix, 30'), 3. L. Digne (T. Hernandez, 72') — 8. A. Tchouameni, 14. A. Rabiot (M. Kone, 46') — 7. O. Dembele, 11. M. Olise (R. Cherki, 72'), 12. B. Barcola (D. Doue, 57') — 10. K. Mbappe
Spain starting lineup:
4-2-3-1, right to left: 23. U. Simon (GK) — 12. P. Porro (M. Llorente, 83'), 22. P. Cubarsi, 14. A. Laporte, 24. M. Cucurella — 16. Rodri, 8. F. Ruiz (M. Merino, 77') — 19. Lamine Yamal, 10. D. Olmo (Pedri, 77'), 15. A. Baena (N. Williams, 83') — 21. M. Oyarzabal (F. Torres, 74')
France player ratings vs. Spain
All ratings are on a 10-point scale.
Starters
Goalkeeper: Mike Maignon — 6
Dove to the correct side on Mikel Oyarzabal's early penalty, but still couldn't reach it. His distribution for the most part was good, and he commanded his penalty area well.
Hard to blame Maignan for Pedro Porro's goal, but also could have been saved. Overall Maignan
Right-back: Jules Kounde — 7
Despite the lack of possessional dominance for France, Kounde was heavily involved in many of their movements, getting high up the pitch to help move the ball forward. Also did well keeping Marc Cucurella in check, forcing Spain to attack down the right for the most part.
Right center-back: Dayot Upamecano — 7
Excellent defending Spain's attacking possession through the first half, especially with a key block on a shot by Fabian Ruiz in the 38th minute which deflected the ball just wide at the last possible moment. Finished with six defensive contributions and 50-of-54 passing including 5-of-7 long balls. A strong performance overall from Upamecano, the defensive frailties were down to other players.
Left center-back: William Saliba — N/A
With only 10 touches through the first 30 minutes, Saliba's back completely gave out on the half-hour mark, and he was forced to come off.
Left-back: Lucas Digne — 4
Conceded a complete disaster of a penalty, as he let the ball bounce over his head on a switch to Lamine Yamal, and completely whiffed on his clearance, kicking the young Spain winger right in the quad instead. Struggled to deal with Lamine all first half.
It didn't get much better in the second half, and he was replaced with 18 minutes left.
Central midfielder: Aurelien Tchouameni — 7
A possessional machine for France to help them keep the ball as much as they could. Unable to control the midfield all on his own, as he was numerically overwhelmed, but managed to help France maintain possession as well as he could.
Tchouameni cropped up all over the field, making seven defensive contributions while also trying to usher the ball forward. For the difficult situation he was placed in, the Real Madrid star made the most of what he could.
Central midfielder: Adrien Rabiot — 5
Got his match started with a wayward forward pass out of play just a minute into the game, reminiscent of his spotty distribution this tournament. His defending was on point minutes later, however, when he bodied Lamine Yamal off the ball while riding the line of a foul well, not drawing the referee's whistle.
Gave away a foul just on top of the penalty area eight minutes in with a foul on Dani Olmo, booked for the challenge as he won the ball but followed through and stamped on Olmo's foot. Hooked at halftime to protect him from getting sent off.
Right winger: Ousmane Dembele — 4
For a former Ballon d'Or winner, this was an extremely poor performance. Fed on scraps early on with France playing on the counter. Wasted a free kick in the 31st minute as he fed it right to the goalkeeper. Struggled to make an impact in the first half overall, as he was caught offside a few times.
In the second half, his struggles continued as he wasted a 54th-minute move that had seemed to get Spain off-balance but came to an end when Dembele's vertical ball down the right was way too long for Jules Kounde. It should have been Dembele coming off late for Rayan Cherki instead of Olise.
Attacking midfielder: Michael Olise — 6
Worked very hard in transition trying to get Kylian Mbappe involved, but his early efforts in that regard were rebuffed by Spain. A lot of what Olise did in the first half didn't work, but you could see the wheels turning, and given more time you could see it being effective.
Against greater numbers in midfield, Olise did his best to haul France back into the game, but he was shockingly taken off with 18 minutes to go for Rayan Cherki, as Dechamps went for the like-for-like change instead of bring Cherki on for Ousmane Dembele who had an extremely poor game.
Left winger: Bradley Barcola — 6
A good start to the match as he won the game's first corner five minutes in as he gets on the end of a good France counter-attack. Only had 15 touches in the first half but they all came in dangerous areas as he was heavily involved in transitions. Didn't do much in the second half before being swapped out for Desire Doue.
Striker: Kylian Mbappe — 5
Ran a brilliant counter-attack one-on-three in the 16th minute to keep France involved when it appeared their transitional opportunity had evaporated before it began.
From there, however, it faded for Mbappe as he struggled to link up with teammates. Was stonewalled twice by Pau Cubarsi in dribbles at the top corner of the penalty area. Did not have a single shot in the first half.
Kylian Mbappé’s take-ons in the first half vs. Spain:
After halftime, the struggles continued. Despite the most touches in the penalty area of any player in the game, Mbappe had just two shots, one which was blocked at the top of the penalty area and one from a free-kick which he sailed over. When France needed magic from their superstar the most, he just didn't have it.
France substitutes vs. Spain
30th min — Maxence Lacroix: 5
Came on after a half-hour for an injured William Saliba. Had heavy involvement in possession once he entered, with 22 touches in just 15 minutes of play at the end of the first half.
After the break, it didn't end up mattering due to the eventual offside flag, but Lacroix defended Lamine Yamal brilliantly in transition as the young teenager seemed to be clear on goal, but was caught by the France substitute and marshaled to the end line where Mike Maignan could cover it.
Completely fell asleep on Spain's second goal, as Lacroix was caught ball watching instead of tracking Porro's run through the line into the penalty area. He could have been tracked by a midfielder, but Lacroix should have been more aware that the full-back was sprinting through his area.
46th min — Manu Kone: 5
Came on for the booked Adrien Rabiot at halftime. Should have tracked Pedro Porro's run through the France back line on Spain's second goal, but completely turned his back on the full-back and had no idea he was continuing his sprint.
Did his best in midfield to help shore things up for France, but the numerical disadvantage made it difficult.
56th min — Desire Doue: 7
Entered early in the second half for Bradley Barcola. Provided more danger than Barcola did, creating two chances and getting one of France's two shots on target himself. He probably should have started instead of Barcola — another error from Deschamps.
72nd min — Rayan Cherki: 6
Came on for Michael Olise hoping to will the team back into the game. Had the same uphill battle that Olise had trying to get through a crowded midfield. He should have come on alongside Olise, not in place of him.
72nd min — Theo Hernandez: 6
Entered for a struggling Lucas Digne hoping to keep Lamine Yamal from running amok. Did well to get up the pitch and chip in, but it was too little too late.
France coach vs. Spain
Didier Deschamps: 3
For such a decorated and brilliant manager, it's almost hard to believe how wrong Didier Deschamps got it today. Before the game, we speculated in our tactical preview that Deschamps may add an extra midfielder, sacrificing one of his four attackers up front, helping to mitigate Spain's midfield dominance.
Instead, Deschamps did nothing, and Spain took complete control of the match in the middle of the pitch. France were outnumbered 4v2 in midfield, as Spain dominated the match with three midfielders plus false nine Mikel Oyarzabal, who repeatedly tracked back into midfield to assist.
As the game went on, it became increasingly obvious that France needed help in midfield, but Deschamps repeatedly stuck with his failing tactics. At halftime, Deschamps replaced Adrien Rabiot, who was on a yellow card, instead of risking him in a situation that needed risks to be taken. Then, with 18 minutes to go, Deschamps again made a like-for-like change, taking off the bright Michael Olise to bring on Rayan Cherki instead of sacrificing a winger to give them more midfield help.
For all his success and silverware in charge of France, Deschamps' final match in charge was a complete and utter tactical disaster.
His distribution in the quarterfinal was poor, and he was wayward early in this one too, feeding his first long delivery right to a French player on the edge of the attacking third. Finished the first half 1-of-7 on long balls as he continued to give possession away every time he was forced to kick it deep.
He completely flubbed a set-piece situation in the Spain penalty area, not communicating with Mikel Oyarzabal on a clearance as he tried to catch it and had the ball headed out of his grasp by his teammate.
Made a truly stunning double intervention in the 81st minute as he came miles off his line to prevent Kylian Mbappe from getting clean through on the counter, and then tracked back to make a block as Desire Doue tried to put the ball into the open net.
Simon finished the match with three saves made, but none of them were particularly difficult. He also finished 6-of-23 with long balls, which is just not great.
Right-back: Pedro Porro — 9
Pedro Porro has had a fantastic World Cup, and that continued today. Didn't get nearly as high up the field as he did against Belgium, but still had a quality first half with good possessional control on the wing and three defensive contributions too, and winning both his aerial duels.
On the hour mark, Porro played a beautiful one-two with Dani Olmo, having the foresight to continue his run and receive the pass before finishing past Mike Maignan.
Was eventually brought off for fresh legs to see the game out defensively.
Right center-back: Pau Cubarsi — 8
Had a great start to the game getting back in transition to cover while France counter-attacked. Defending while tracking back in space is Cubarsi's biggest strength, which is why he has been such a consistent presence in Hansi Flick's high line at Barcelona, and it showed here as he was the perfect defender to keep Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappe in check.
He only had half as many touches as his defensive partner Aymeric Laporte, but managed seven defensive contributions and cut off passing lanes all game, starring in the Spain high line.
Left center-back: Aymeric Laporte — 8
Made a fantastic early block in the eighth minute to prevent Michael Olise playing Kylian Mbappe in behind. Had the most touches of any player in the first half, and he was a monster defensively as well, logging a very strong first 45 minutes.
Finished the game with 86 touches, a game high, completing 70 passes while logging six defensive contributions. A fantastic performance on and off the ball.
Left-back: Marc Cucurella — 6
Was very active on the left, but didn't receive the ball as often as he would like as Spain were conservative in possession. Found himself harshly booked on the half-hour mark for shoving Michael Olise off the ball.
Cucurella wasn't as bright and impressive as he usually is, but against a very high-quality full-back like Jules Kounde, it's no surprise that Spain focused most attacking moves down the opposite wing.
Central midfielder: Rodri — 9
With Fabian Ruiz distributing possession forward, Rodri was free to focus on static possession and stopping French counter-attacks. It was an effective strategy, and held France in check.
By the end of the match, Rodri was everywhere. He logged 82 touches, made six defensive contributions including four tackles, and won 7-of-11 ground duels plus all four of his aerial duels. A masterful performance that helped mitigate Michael Olise's effect.
Central midfielder: Fabian Ruiz — 8
Ruiz was poor overall in the quarterfinal against Belgium, but started over Pedri again here and was better. He was central to Spain's midfield dominance, distributing the ball all over the field. This allowed Rodri to focus more on stopping France counter-attacks, which he did effectively as well.
By the time he was hauled off with 13 minutes to go, he had logged a very positive performance.
Right winger: Lamine Yamal — 7
Lamine had great foresight to make a challenge on the ball and win the early penalty on the kick from Lucas Digne. He collected just 18 touches in the first half, doing so without attempting a single take-on, but still caused lots of problems with his movement and combination.
He had the ball in the back of the net in the second half, but had the goal negated correctly by the offside flag.
Only won 2-of-9 ground duels which limited his effect on the match, but helped open up spaces for others like Pedro Porro to have a bigger effect in the penalty area.
Attacking midfielder: Dani Olmo — 8
A wonderful showing for Olmo who was the focal point of the Spain attack and provided danger all game. Combined beautifully with teammates in the attacking third over and over again, often receiving the ball with his back to goal as Mikel Oyarzabal dropped deep to help usher possession forward.
Olmo lost four of his first six ground duels in the game, but continued to test the France back line repeatedly. Nearly unlocked the French when he played in Lamine Yamal in the 38th minute that resulted in Fabian Ruiz's miss.
Great vision to see Pedro Porro continuing his run on the second Spain goal, standing tall amongst pressure from behind to complete the flick and pick up the assist
Center forward: Mikel Oyarzabal — 7
Took a fabulous penalty to open the scoring in the match. Kylian Mbappe pointed in the direction he was going, and Mike Maignan still couldn't get there. Dropped deep to receive the ball a ton, and barely had a sniff of any attacking possession but added to Spain's midfield superiority, a masterclass from Luis de la Fuente in using a false nine.
Not only are France 2v3 in midfield numerically, it's actually 2v4 because Oyarzabal is playing as a false nine and dropping deep to receive possession.
Look at his heat map from the first 45 minutes...he's basically an extra midfielder. pic.twitter.com/clXqWwZwrz
Wasn't very involved in the match, as most of the Spain attack went down the right side and Marc Cucurella was the attacking focal point on the left wing, but did enough to provide possessional strength out wide and took two blocked shots.
Spain substitutes vs. France
74th min — Ferran Torres: 5
Came on for the final 16 minutes for goal scorer Mikel Oyarzabal. Had his trademark glaring miss as he put a header from eight yards wide four minutes after coming on.
77th min — Mikel Merino: 7
Entered off the bench for the third straight game. Didn't make any runs forward with Spain needing to defend late, but had 15 touches while completing 9-of-10 passes and logging two defensive contributions.
77th min — Pedri: 7
Came on to replace Fabian Ruiz for the final 13 minutes of the game. Had a good impact in the middle of the pitch as the game became somewhat disjointed with France in panic mode.
83rd min — Marcos Llorente: 7
Entered for goal scorer Pedro Porro to help see out the end of the match defensively. Safe in possession and helpful defensively.
83rd min — Nico Williams: N/A
Came on for seven minutes plus added time to try and regain fitness ahead of the final.
Spain coach vs. France
Luis de la Fuente: 8
Luis de la Fuente may not have expected France to play into his hand this much, but he still had a brilliant game plan even if Didier Deschamps had added an extra midfielder like he should have.
Mikel Oyarzabal has been playing as a false nine all tournament long, but he did even more midfield work today than usual, dropping deep to help maintain Spain's possessional advantage. Of course, this sacrifices the head of the attack, but de la Fuente encouraged other role players to make runs forward and play off Dani Olmo, with the likes of Marc Cucurella, Pedro Porro, Lamine Yamal, and Fabian Ruiz all making dedicated advances into the penalty area at various times.
There's a reason de la Fuente has never lost a match as Spain manager, and it's because of games like this.
FS1 earned a rare month-long victory over ESPN in primetime viewership during the month of June thanks to the strength of this year’s World Cup audience.
Fox Sports 1 averaged 1.31 million viewers in primetime throughout the month of June, good for the second most-watched cable network of the month behind only sister channel Fox News which averaged 2.26 million viewers in primetime. ESPN finished in third place, averaging 1.08 million viewers for the month in primetime.
Top Cable Channels for the month of June. Live+SD, Primetime. Viewers P2+.
1. FOX News Channel: 2.26M
2. Fox Sports 1: 1.31M
3. ESPN: 1.078M
4. MSNOW: 1.015M
5. Home and Garden TV: 703K
6. CNN: 610K
7. TBS: 537K
8. Hallmark Channel: 516K
9. USA Network: 500K
10. History: 491K
In total, FS1 aired 32 World Cup matches in the month of June, though not all of those matches aired in primetime. Of those 32 matches, just 15 overlapped with the primetime hours, generally measured as between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET. Several also aired simultaneously to matches on Fox during the final day of group play, with FS1 typically getting the less desirable matchup.
Nevertheless, all FS1’s World Cup programming seemed to lift most of the network’s other programming. Per Sports Business Journal, the week of June 15 was the most-watched week in FS1 history by total-day audience. The network averaged 885,000 viewers for the week, 90% better than ESPN’s total-day audience in the same week. As a company, Fox swept the three major ratings categories — broadcast, cable, and news — for both the week of June 15 and June 22.
A World Cup is one of the rare sporting events that commands both a high level of interest and has the volume of inventory to genuinely lift a cable network like FS1 despite the secular decline of the medium over many years. While streamers and tech companies seem to be the favorites to land the tournament come 2030, there’s still clear value to be derived from legacy broadcasters airing the World Cup. Whether that value can justify the expected doubling or tripling of media rights fees for the next tournament, however, remains to be seen.
In the 20th minute, Spanish star Lamine Yamal snuck behind Lucas Digne, who, in an attempt to kick the ball, made square contact with the young phenom. The result: a penalty for Spain, which was converted by Mikel Oyarzabal.
While many fans expected Lamine Yamal to take the penalty after earning the opportunity for his team, it was the Spanish striker Oyarzabal who added to his Golden Boot tally instead.
There are multiple factors as to why Spain may have decided to have the striker attempt the penalty kick over the 19-year-old.
Here's why Oyarzabal, not Lamine Yamal, took Spain's opening penalty kick against France.
In the 22nd minute of Spain's semifinal match against France, Lamine Yamal was tripped by Lucas Digne inside the French box. Referee Ivan Barton wasted no time before pointing towards the penalty spot, and many viewers believed this was Lamine's moment to score for La Roja.
It was Oyarzabal, Spain's leading scorer at the 2026 World Cup, who stepped up behind the ball to take the shot after a lengthy delay. Here is the Spanish forward's flawless effort that went directly into the top right corner:
Why Mikel Oyarzabal, not Lamine Yamal, took Spain's penalty kick
There are multiple reasons as to why Spain may have opted for Oyarzabal to take the penalty kick instead of Lamine Yamal. First, the striker has been La Roja's leading scorer at the 2026 World Cup. Prior to his shot from the spot, Oyarzabal was up to four goals.
While Lamine Yamal has been one of the sport's bright spots at his young age, this is the 19-year-old's first World Cup. Nerves may be at an all-time high for the prodigy, so Spain may have opted for the more surefire scorer to convert from the spot.
Oyarzabal has also been one of Spain's most consistent penalty takers. According to Transfermarkt, he has taken 59 penalties and converted on 53 of them (89%).
Mikel Oyarzabal penalty history
Both Spain and Oyarzabal's club team, Real Sociedad, have called on the striker to score from the penalty spot frequently. The Spanish forward has had 59 chances from the spot in open play, and he's scored on 53 of those attempts.
Kylian Mbappe and France are facing off against Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final on Tuesday afternoon in Dallas, and the world is watching to see who will punch their ticket to Sunday’s final.
One person who has more rooting interest than most is Ester Exposito, who is the girlfriend of Mbappe. Exposito, a Spanish actress, also has some conflicting interests for the semifinal match.
Last month, Exposito was interviewed at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival and was asked whether Spain or France would win the World Cup. Choosing to be a politician in the moment, Exposito gave a joking answer. Now, one month later, the two are facing off in the Knockout Rounds.
Considering the magnitude of the World Cup, you would have to imagine Exposito is rooting for her home country to win it all. But publicly, she’s doing her best to make sure that nothing spoils life at home.
Mbappe and Exposito were first linked in early 2026 when he was playing for Real Madrid. The couple was spotted together in Paris and Madrid, before being spotted on ritzy vacations.
The couple has not publicly commented on their relationship and play their cards close to their chests, but the European tabloids are quick to report on the A-list couple whenever they are out and about.
We’ll have to see if Exposito breaks her social media silence on their relationship if Mbappe and France can win it all.
U.S. star Folarin Balogun admitted Tuesday that the controversy surrounding his World Cup red card caused “outside noise” that made it “difficult” to focus ahead of his team’s exit from the tournament.
The forward was sent off during the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, leaving the U.S. men’s national team without its leading goal scorer for the round of 16 clash against Belgium.
Against the backdrop of claims the Monaco striker was unfairly dismissed, FIFA’s disciplinary committee lifted the suspension.
But the furor ballooned when it emerged President Donald Trump called FIFA head Gianni Infantino to make the case that Balogun should not have been forced to sit out.
Infantino insisted Trump’s intervention did not influence the reversal.
In the event, the U.S. lost 4-1 to Belgium, exiting the World Cup with a disappointing performance.
Appearing on “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday, Balogun was asked about the controversy.
“My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team, but when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves, because it’s something that is so unique,” he said.
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Forty-eight teams entered the 2026 World Cup. After a month of action, just four remain.
The World Cup trophy beckons on the horizon for those sides, which boast some of the world's finest talents. France's Kylian Mbappe, Argentina's Lionel Messi, England's Jude Bellingham and Spain's Lamine Yamal have all impressed at different points in this year's tournament. They'll look to lead their respective sides to glory over the next week, although they'll have to get through each other to do so.
With that, here's a look at the four sides left in this year's competition.
There are only two teams still left in the World Cup: Spain and Argentina. They will face of in the final on Sunday, July 19 after eliminating France and England, respectively.
Date
Match
Time (ET)
Stadium
Tues., July 14
Spain 2, France 0
3 p.m.
AT&T Stadium
Wed., July 15
Argentina 2, England 1
3 p.m.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Who is still in the World Cup?
Spain
Spain has allowed just one goal so far at the World Cup will be a tough out going forward. The Spaniards advanced to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over Portugal, sending Cristiano Ronaldo to the World Cup retirement home in the process. La Roja then secured a spot in the semifinals with a 2-1 win over Belgium. After taking down France in the semifinal, they will now clash with Argentina in the final.
Argentina
Argentina has stayed alive by virtue of late comebacks during the entirety of the World Cup. They defeated Egypt, Switzerland and England all on late goals to punch a ticket to the final and will now attempt the same against Spain.
FIFA World Rankings for teams still in World Cup
Here are the FIFA rankings for each of the 2026 World Cup's four semifinalists:
We at Sporting News have soccer fans covered with our 2026 World Cup bracket — or wallchart, as it's known in some parts of the world — in printable, PDF form, complete with the full field of 32 on Saturday. Download it, print it out, hang it on your wall.
This year's knockout matches began June 28 with the Round of 32 running until July 3. The expanded World Cup reached the Round of 16 on July 4-July 7 followed by the quarterfinal (July 9-11) and semifinal (July 14-15) matches. It all culminates with the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium.
In addition to the printable bracket below, you'll also find tips and tools to help you fill it out, including picks and analysis from TSN's expert writers.
Below are the teams still alive in the hunt for the World Cup title in 2026. This table will be updated throughout the remainder of the knockout stage.
The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled to be played 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
How does a World Cup bracket work?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has two phases: the group stage and the knockout stage.
Thirty-two of the 48 teams will reach the knockout stage. All teams that finish first or second in their group secure automatic qualification, accounting for 24 of the 32 knockout participants.
The remaining eight spots go to the best third-place finishers.
How third place qualifiers work
All 12 third-place finishers are sorted into a table just like the groups based on their points gained in group stage play and other metrics such as goal differential.
The top eight teams in this table will advance to the knockout round.
Knockout stage seeding
The entirety of the knockout stage bracket is predetermined. For example, the winner of Group F will face the runner-up from Group C, while the winner of Group J will face the runner-up from Group H.
All group winners are paired against either a runner-up from another group, or a third-place finisher from another group. All group winners and runners-up from the same group are placed on opposite sides of the bracket to avoid rematches until the finals.
The only unknowns at the start of the tournament are where each potential third-place finisher will end up. Until all qualifiers are known, it is impossible to predict where or when they could potentially play should this come to pass.
There are 495 mathematical combinations of third place qualifiers from various groups. All of these have been spelled out in advance, and every potential outcome can be found in Annex C (pg. 80) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup regulations. Whichever combination comes to pass will determine where each third-place finisher falls in the overall bracket.
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Lamine Yamal turned 19 on Monday with diamonds around his neck, mischief in the family and the biggest match of his life ahead but the Spain forward's clearest message before the World Cup semi-final against France was not about goals, gifts or fame.
Asked about former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's controversial remark that France were a great team but "did not have any French players", Lamine, son of a Moroccan father and Equatorial Guinean mother, said football should be a bridge.
"Tomorrow we'll play a brilliant match but if football serves any purpose it's to bring people together," Lamine told reporters in Dallas. "France and Spain are examples of integration. That's what football is all about: integration. Not talking about what someone else has said."
It was a measured answer from a player still young enough to be asked about birthday presents and famous enough for his family to be swept into the tournament glare.
Lamine smiled when asked about his three-year-old brother Keyne, whose spontaneity in front of television cameras has made him one of Spain's unexpected World Cup attractions.
"My brother doesn't realise," Lamine said. "He does what he does at home, and when the camera focuses on him, he gets up to mischief. I like it when people like him. It's fun to see him on screen."
Lamine also arrived at the news conference wearing an extravagant diamond necklace, his birthday present to himself, on the eve of a game he described as "the most important match of my life".
Yet Lamine said he was not fretting over his own numbers, despite having scored only once at the tournament so far. "Every tournament is different," he said. "I'm not worried about having scored just one goal in the World Cup so far. We're winning. I've seen World Cups where Spain were knocked out, and so far that hasn't happened. I hope to keep playing matches so I can score."
Spain face France in Dallas for a place in the World Cup final, with Lamine's birthday week offering another layer of theatre around a player who seems increasingly comfortable carrying attention that might flatten others.
"And it’s going to be a great match. A match that everyone was hoping would happen. Both teams will attack and defend. It’s sure to be a very evenly matched game," he said. For now, he wants football to do the talking — preferably loudly enough to carry Spain at least one match further.
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England and Argentina face off in a mouthwatering World Cup semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi ended one of soccer's great questions when he finally got his hands on the game's biggest prize three-and-a-half years ago, inspiring Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022.
England have their own generations-spanning quest to settle. It is now 60 years since the Three Lions won their first and only World Cup in 1966.
Captain Harry Kane and talismanic midfield star Jude Bellingham have the chance to secure sporting immortality over the next week.
But for that to remain on the table, they must prevail in one of the most tempestuous rivalries in soccer history.
This will be the sixth time England and Argentina have met at a World Cup. England won the first meeting 3-1 in the 1962 group stage.
All-time Three Lions greats Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves were on target in a result that ultimately meant Argentina bowed out before the knockout stages. Both teams made it through to the quarterfinals in England four years later and clashed at Wembley in the game that truly lit the fuse in this rivalry.
'Wingless Wonders' prevail as Rattin rages
A year prior to England hosting the World Cup, manager Alf Ramsey took his side on a tour of South America, which doubled up as a fact-finding mission for the big challenge ahead.
England finished bottom of the four-team Taca das Nacoes or 'Little World Cup' in Brazil, losing 5-1 to the Pele-inspired hosts and dropping a 1-0 scoreline to Argentina before a 1-1 draw with Portugal.
Ramsey concluded his team was short of the world's best and running out of time. His solution was the 4-1-3-2 formation that led to his team being dubbed the 'Wingless Wonders'. Such were the limitations of scouting at the time; Ramsey was able to test out the formation in a couple of friendlies in the year before the World Cup and keep an ace up his sleeve.
England played in a more conventional set-up as they navigated the group stage without conceding a goal - beating Mexico and France 2-0 after an opening 0-0 draw versus Uruguay - before Ramsey sized up Argentina and knew it was time to field the attacking midfield trio of Charlton, Alan Ball and Martin Peters behind the front two. Charlton's Manchester United team-mate Nobby Stiles patrolled in front of the back four, snapping into tackles on anything that moved.
Stiles's uncompromising approach was one of the ingredients that meant the match was not primarily remembered for Ramsey's tactical innovation. Both teams gave as good as they got in a nasty, physical tussle, but Argentina captain Antonio Rattin - a brilliant midfielder from Boca Juniors — put himself on a disciplinary tightrope after being cautioned for a rash lunge on Charlton.
Getty Images
Rattin, unperturbed by the language barrier, remained in the ear of West German referee Rudolf Kreitlein throughout the first half. The official spared him for a foul on Geoff Hurst but reached his wits' end in the 35th minute and sent Rattin off for dissent. The player refused to leave the field, and only did so with a police escort, the whole farce causing a delay of nine minutes.
Argentina battled manfully with reduced numbers, but Hurst scored the only goal wth 12 minutes remaining. England stayed on their road to glory. "It was clear," Rattin later recalled, "that the referee played with an England shirt on." One thing Kreitlein had done, as all referees did in those days, was officiate the match without red or yellow cards. By the 1970 World Cup, all referees had those in their pockets, with the motivation to avoid a repeat of Rattin's Wembley fiasco being a primary motivation for FIFA referees' chief Ken Aston.
Hand of God and the Goal of the Century
Diego Maradona was the consensus best player in the world heading into the 1986 World Cup. By the time he inspired Argentina to their second World Cup success with a generation-defining tournament performance, he was alongside Pele in the greatest of all-time conversation.
But Maradona's defining work of Mexico '86 did not come in the final. The quarterfinal versus England took place against the recent backdrop of the Falklands War between the two countries. Tensions were high and the uncompromising play of the English defense during a goalless first half probably added to this feeling.
Six minutes into the second half, Maradona laid the ball off to Jorge Valdano, whose loose touch gave England's Steve Hodge a chance to intercept. Hodge sent the ball looping fatefully towards his own goal and the diminutive Maradona leapt with goalkeeper Peter Shilton and diverted it into the net. England's players appealed furiously and replays showed a clear, almost hilariously obvious, punch into the net. Maradona later said the ball touched 'the hand of God'.
With England reeling, Maradona followed soccer's most famous instance of on-field cheating with one of its greatest ever goals, dribbling from inside his own half past four England players to score. Both goals have their own Wikipedia page. Both are similarly celebrated as demonstrations of Argentina's pibe footballing archetype: the cunning sleight-of-hand and the off-the-cuff brilliance all as one.
England's last-16 clash with Argentina at France 98 had already entered instant-classic territory by halftime. After Gabriel Batistuta and Alan Shearer exchanged early penalties, Michael Owen announced himself a superstar when England's teenage forward netted a breathtaking solo goal. A cleverly worked free-kick saw Javier Zanetti level for La Albiceleste in first-half stoppage time, but the whole complexion of the contest — not to mention the course of one of the era's most storied careers — changed three minutes into the second period.
Diego Simeone — on the wind up, would you believe — fouled David Beckham from behind as he sought to control a Tony Adams header, pushed the England midfielder in the back as he lay face down and teasingly patted him on the head. A prostrate Beckham responded by kicking out his right leg and catching Simeone on the calf with his heel. The Argentina man tottered to the floor and referee Kim Milton Nielsen, having watched the whole thing unfold right in front of him, showed Beckham a red card.
It was the petulant flick felt around the world. There were no further goals and England, as is their wont, lost on penalties. "It's cost us, it's cost us dearly," Three Lions manager Glenn Hoddle said of Beckham's kick during a post-match interview on the field, words that gave the hurting country's media carte blanche to go after their new public enemy No. 1 with the popstar girlfriend. "10 heroic Lions, one stupid boy" boomed The Sun's headline.
A predictable ordeal ensued for Beckham, but it proved to be the making of him. Barracked at most away grounds, he helped to inspire Alex Ferguson's Manchester United to a historic treble. Two more league titles followed and, when he departed to Real Madrid in 2003, he did so as England captain and a national hero, not to mention the scorer of the only goal from the penalty spot when England and Argentina reconvened in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup.
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England vs. Argentina head-to-head
England has the edge in the historic head-to-head, with six wins to Argentina's three.
Five of the games have ended in draws, a tally that includes the 1998 World Cup encounter won on penalties by Argentina.
Indeed, of the five previous World Cup encounters, England have won three, lost to Maradona's deception and genius in 1986 and fell short from 12 yards in 1998.
England vs. Argentina: Last five meetings
Date
Competition
Result
England goalscorers
Argentina goalscorers
May 25, 1991
International Friendly
England 2-2 Argentina
Gary Lineker, David Platt
Claudio Garcia, Dario Franco
June 30, 1998
World Cup, Round of 16
England 2-2 Argentina (p)
Alan Shearer (p), Michael Owen
Gabriel Batistuta (p), Javier Zanetti
February 23, 2000
International Friendly
England 0-0 Argentina
_
_
June 7, 2002
World Cup, group stage
England 1-0 Argentina
David Beckham (p)
_
November 12, 2005
International Friendly
England 3-2 Argentina
Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen (2)
Hernan Crespo, Walter Samuel
Last England vs. Argentina match
The World Cup semifinal will be the first meeting between England and Argentina for more than two decades.
With each nation having secured its place at the 2006 World Cup, they met in a November 2025 friendly in Geneva, Switzerland. Two star-studded lineups produced a thrilling encounter.
Maxi Rodriguez teed up Hernan Crespo to open the scoring before Wayne Rooney equalised from a Beckham knockdown.
Walter Samuel had Argentina ahead going into the closing stages before Owen reminded Argentina of his prowess with a late double from super crosses by Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard.
We're a long way from knowing whether Lamine Yamal's younger brother will follow in his footsteps on the pitch, but in the early years of his life, he is already becoming a star in his own right.
3-year-old Keyne has emerged as a viral sensation during the World Cup, attending his brother's games and earning more screen time than any other toddler.
If Spain can complete the journey to a championship, the entire Yamal family could soon become household names.
Here's what you need to know about Yamal's brother and how he has become a sensation from the stands during the World Cup.
Yamal's half-brother, Keyne, was born in late 2022 and has become part of Spain's World Cup run. Frequently shown by the broadcast crew during the tournament, Keyne has been seen celebrating and waving when the camera has found him, and Spanish fans have rewarded him with loud cheers.
Keyne and Lamine share the same mother but not the same father. Despite only being half-brothers, the two have a strong bond.
Lamine told reporters after Spain's World Cup win over Austria, "I'm moved when I see my little brother this happy, as well as seeing my mum and friends living the life they always dreamed of."
According to The Athletic, Keyne — who has plenty of free time, being three years old — attends "practically all" of Barcelona's games, as well as the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony to support his brother.
Lamine has leaned into his brother's fame, featuring Keyne in social media photos and videos; their mother does the same.
Whether Keyne could join his brother as a soccer star is still a long way from becoming clear, but in the social media era, he is becoming a different type of star at an even younger age.
Here's the updated World Cup bracket, through games on July 10:
SN
How many teams are left in the World Cup?
Four teams remain in the World Cup.
Eight teams entered Thursday's first quarterfinal match still alive. France and Morocco started the round with a 2-0 Les Bleus victory to send France to its third straight World Cup semifinal. Spain became the second team to secure a semifinal spot, knocking off Belgium in the quarterfinals. On Saturday, England pushed past Norway before Argentina escaped an upset bid from Switzerland to reach the semifinals.
Here's a look at who's still kicking at the 2026 World Cup.
The semifinals are set. Here are the seven teams that remain in the tournament
Team
Next game
Next opponent
France
Tuesday, July 14
Spain
England
Wednesday, July 15
Argentina
France
France rolled past Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32 before winning a grueling 1-0 battle against Paraguay on a 70th-minute penalty kick by Kylian Mbappe. It was France's fourth consecutive quarterfinal appearance, and their 2-0 win over Morocco gave Les Blues their third consecutive trip to the semifinals.
Spain
Spain has allowed just one goal so far at the World Cup will be a tough out going forward. The Spaniards advanced to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over Portugal, sending Cristiano Ronaldo to the World Cup retirement home in the process. La Roja then secured a spot in the semifinals with a 2-1 win over Belgium.
England
England is making its second semifinal appearance in the last three World Cups after narrow wins over DR Congo, Mexico and Norway.
Argentina
Argentina stayed alive by virtue of a furious comeback victory over Egypt. Lionel Messi scored one of the most important goals of his illustrious World Cup career to equalize a game his team once trailed 2-0 late in the second half. Argentina took down Switzerland in the quarterfinals and will now face England in the semifinals.
FIFA World Rankings for teams still in World Cup
Here is the current FIFA World Ranking for each of the World Cup Round of 16 teams:
The 2026 World Cup presents competing nations with a far greater chance of progressing to the knockout phase than most of the previous tournaments ever have.
The decision to expand the field to 48 teams from 32 means there is an additional knockout round. That means all but 16 nations will get to continue their campaigns beyond the group stage.
Of course, the expansion will not be good news for everyone. There will still be bitter disappointment for those who are eliminated early on, just as there will be for those who falter in the knockouts — especially those teams that are expected to go deep in the tournament.
Below is an updated list of those teams whose World Cup 2026 campaign has already come to an end.
These are the teams that have seen their World Cup journeys end, either at the culmination of the group stage or in the knockout phase.
Teams eliminated from World Cup 2026
Nation
FIFA Ranking
Date Eliminated
Stage Eliminated
How Eliminated
Haiti
83
June 20
Group stage
1-0 loss vs. Scotland, 3-0 loss vs. Brazil
Turkey
22
June 20
Group stage
2-0 loss vs. Australia, 1-0 loss vs. Paraguay
Tunisia
45
June 21
Group stage
5-1 loss vs. Sweden, 4-0 loss vs. Japan
Iraq
63
June 23
Group stage
4-1 loss vs. Norway, 3-0 loss vs. France, 5-0 loss vs. Senegal
Panama
42
June 23
Group stage
1-0 loss vs. Ghana, 1-0 loss vs. Croatia
Qatar
61
June 24
Group stage
6-0 loss vs. Canada, 3-1 loss vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Czechia
48
June 24
Group stage
2-1 loss vs. South Korea, 3-0 loss vs. Mexico
Curacao
90
June 25
Group stage
7-1 loss vs. Germany, 1-0 loss vs. Cape Verde
Uruguay
16
June 26
Group stage
1-0 loss vs. Spain, 2-2 tie vs. Cape Verde, 1-1 tie vs. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
58
June 26
Group stage
4-0 loss vs. Spain, 1-1 draw vs. Uruguay, 0-0 draw vs. Cape Verde
New Zealand
86
June 26
Group stage
2-2 tie vs. Iran, 3-1 loss vs. Egypt, 5-1 loss vs. Belgium
Scotland
42
June 27
Group stage
1-0 loss vs. Morocco, 3-0 loss vs. Brazil
Uzbekistan
60
June 27
Group stage
3-1 loss vs. Colombia, 5-0 loss vs. Portugal, 3-1 loss vs. DR Congo
South Korea
31
June 27
Group stage
1-0 loss vs. Mexico, 1-0 loss vs. South Africa
Iran
21
June 27
Group stage
1-1 draw vs. Egypt, 0-0 draw vs. Belgium, 2-2 draw vs. New Zealand
Jordan
73
June 27
Group stage
3-1 loss vs. Austria, 2-1 loss to Algeria, 3-1 loss to Argentina
South Africa
54
June 28
Round of 32
1-0 loss vs. Canada
Japan
17
June 29
Round of 32
2-1 loss vs. Brazil
Germany
10
June 29
Round of 32
1-1 (pens 4-3) loss vs. Paraguay
Netherlands
8
June 29
Round of 32
1-1 (pens 3-2) loss vs. Morocco
Ivory Coast
33
June 30
Round of 32
2-1 loss vs. Norway
Sweden
38
June 30
Round of 32
3-0 loss to France
Ecuador
13
June 30
Round of 32
2-0 loss to Mexico
DR Congo
41
July 1
Round of 32
2-1 loss to England
Senegal
18
July 1
Round of 32
3-2 (F/ET) loss to Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
61
July 1
Round of 32
2-0 loss to United States
Austria
23
July 2
Round of 32
3-0 loss to Spain
Croatia
23
July 2
Round of 32
2-1 loss to Portugal
Algeria
29
July 2
Round of 32
2-0 loss to Switzerland
Australia
28
July 3
Round of 32
1-1 (4-2 on pens) loss to Egypt
Cape Verde
64
July 3
Round of 32
3-2 (ET) loss to Argentina
Ghana
65
July 3
Round of 32
1-0 loss to Colombia
Canada
30
July 4
Round of 16
3-0 loss to Morocco
Paraguay
34
July 4
Round of 16
1-0 loss to France
Brazil
5
July 5
Round of 16
2-1 loss to Norway
Mexico
10
July 5
Round of 16
3-2 loss to England
Portugal
7
July 6
Round of 16
1-0 loss to Spain
United States
16
July 6
Round of 16
4-1 loss to Belgium
Egypt
24
July 7
Round of 16
3-2 loss to Argentina
Colombia
11
July 7
Round of 16
0-0 (4-3 on pens) loss to Switzerland
Morocco
6
July 9
Quarterfinals
2-0 loss to France
Belgium
9
July 10
Quarterfinals
2-1 loss to Spain
Norway
19
July 11
Quarterfinals
2-1 (ET) loss to England
Switzerland
19
July 11
Quarterfinals
3-1 (ET) loss to Argentina
Haiti, Turkey, Ghana, and Tunisia became the first four teams to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup. The reason they were knocked out so early is partly because of a new rule relating to group-stage tie-breakers: teams are now ranked in each group by virtue of their record against one another if they are level on points.
Ivory Coast, Sweden and Ecuador all followed suit, losing in their respective Round of 32 matchups to end their World Cup hopes. DR Congo and Senegal also was knocked out on the first day of July before Austria lost to a seriously impressive Spain. Croatia, Australia, Algeria, Ghana and Cape Verde were the final teams to be knocked out in the Round of 32.
In the Round of 16, co-hosts Canada fell 3-0 to Morocco, before Paraguay were eliminated by France in a bad-tempered encounter. Then came the big shock: five-time winners Brazil were beaten 2-1 by Norway thanks to two goals from Erling Haaland. In a thriller the same night, Mexico fell 3-2 to England, leaving the United States as the last host nation standing. The United States then went out at the hands of Belgium. Egypt and Colombia left the tournament on the final day of the round of 16.
The first quarterfinal game saw France eliminate Morocco with a 2-0 cakewalk. Belgium then followed Morocco out of the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Spain. On The final day of the quarterfinals England topped Norway in extra time before Argentina did the same thing to Switzerland .
Previously, since 1998, there were 32 nations that qualified for the World Cup.
However, starting in 2026, the field was expanded to 48 teams.
This means an additional four groups in the opening phase of the competition, plus an extra stage in the knockouts (the Round of 32). All told, that means the winning team at the tournament will play eight games in total.
At the 2026 World Cup, group-stage play has met its end. That means that high-stakes soccer is now upon World Cup viewers.
In this year's tournament so far, the top of the goalscoring charts features some of the world's best. For the second year in a row, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are in the top two thus far, although Erling Haaland is right in the mix.
Here are the players at the top of this World Cup's chart so far as the leading scorers.
Rankings updated after France vs. Morocco on July 9.
Rank
Player
Team
Goals (Penalties)
Assists
Matches
1.
Kylian Mbappe
France
8 (1)
2
6
=
Lionel Messi
Argentina
8 (0)
2
6
3.
Erling Haaland
Norway
7 (0)
0
6
4.
Jude Bellingham
England
6 (0)
1
6
=
Harry Kane
England
6 (2)
1
6
6.
Ousmane Dembele
France
4 (0)
2
6
=
Vinicius Junior
Brazil
4 (0)
1
5
=
Mikel Oyarzabal
Spain
4 (0)
1
6
=
Julian Quinones
Mexico
4 (0)
1
5
=
Ismaila Sarr
Senegal
4 (0)
1
4
11.
Deniz Undav
Germany
3 (0)
2
4
=
Romelu Lukaku
Canada
3 (0)
1
5
=
Jonathan David
Canada
3 (0)
0
5
=
Matheus Cunha
Brazil
3 (0)
0
5
=
Ismael Saibari
Morocco
3 (0)
0
5
=
Brian Brobbey
Netherlands
3 (0)
0
4
=
Johan Manzambi
Switzerland
3 (0)
1
5
=
Elijah Just
New Zealand
3 (0)
0
3
=
Ismaila Sarr
Senegal
3 (0)
1
4
=
Yoane Wissa
DR Congo
3 (1)
0
4
=
Cody Gakpo
Netherlands
3 (0)
1
4
=
Raul Jimenez
Mexico
3 (1)
0
5
=
Folarin Balogun
United States
3 (0)
0
5
=
Charles De Ketelaere
Belgium
3 (0)
1
6
=
Romelu Lukaku
Belgium
3 (0)
1
6
=
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal
3 (1)
0
5
Odds to win 2026 World Cup Golden Boot
The winners of the previous two World Cup Golden Boots led the pre-tournament betting in 2026, with France star Kylian Mbappe the marginal favorite ahead of England captain Harry Kane with DraftKings Sportsbook.
Norway are not expected to go as deep into the tournament as France or England, but Erling Haaland's remarkable record of 55 goals in 50 internationals means it would be no surprise to see him in a familiar position at the top of the standings.
Haaland and Mikel Oyarzabal, who is expected to start as Spain's central attacker, are ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the betting as the veteran superstars compete in their sixth World Cups.
Kylian Mbappe made history by becoming the first man since England hero Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final.
Mbappe also converted his penalty in the shootout after a thrilling 3-3 draw against Argentina, but Les Bleus ultimately came up agonisingly short.
There was at least the consolation for Mbappe of taking home the Golden Boot, following on from his four-goal showing on his triumphant World Cup debut in 2018.
There have been 22 men's World Cup tournaments and 22 different winners of the Golden Boot.
A scan of the all-time winners below makes it clear that it's not always the star players who come away with the prestigious award.
Year
Player
Nation
Goals
1930
Guillermo Stabile
Argentina
8
1934
Oldrich Nejedly
Czechoslovakia
5
1938
Leonidas
Brazil
7
1950
Ademir
Brazil
8
1954
Sandor Kocsis
Hungary
11
1958
Just Fontaine
France
13
1962
Florian Albert
Hungary
4
1966
Eusebio
Portugal
9
1970
Gerd Muller
West Germany
10
1974
Grzegorz Lato
Poland
7
1978
Mario Kempes
Argentina
6
1982
Paolo Rossi
Italy
6
1986
Gary Lineker
England
6
1990
Salvatore Schillaci
Italy
6
1994
Oleg Salenko
Russia
6
1998
Davor Suker
Croatia
6
2002
Ronaldo
Brazil
8
2006
Miroslav Klose
Germany
5
2010
Thomas Muller
Germany
5
2014
James Rodriguez
Colombia
6
2018
Harry Kane
England
6
2022
Kylian Mbappe
France
8
How many Golden Boot winners also won the World Cup?
There have been 22 previous editions of the men's FIFA World Cup, but there have only been three occasions when the champion also had a player atop the Golden Boot rankings.
The first one came in 1978, as Mario Kempes helped lead Argentina to triumph on home soil, including two goals in the final against the Netherlands.
In the following edition, it was another goal poacher, this time Italian forward Paolo Rossi, who also scored in the final to help the Azzurri cap their magical run with the title.
Another 20 years passed before the next player to do it, and it was one of the all-time greats. Brazil forward Ronaldo was the star of the 2002 World Cup, and he delivered for his country, scoring both goals in the final against Germany.
Ronaldo's eight goals in that 2002 tournament are the most scored in a single tournament since Germany's Gerd Muller hit double digits in 1970.
Who has the most goals in World Cup history?
There is a new leader for the most goals in World Cup history.
Lionel Messi entered the 2026 tournament three goals behind Miroslav Klose's record of 16. The Argentina star needed just two matches to surpass the German's total, tying the record with a hat trick in the opening game against Algeria before breaking the record against Austria.
Not only does the World Cup semifinals feature the four highest-ranked teams in the FIFA World Rankings, but all four have a World Cup win in their history.
There will be no first-time champion in 2026, but one team will add to its trophy collection and rise on the all-time list of World Cup champions.
Still, none of the countries remaining actually top the leaderboard.
Here's a look at which countries have won the most World Cups and where the four 2026 semifinalists rank.
Only eight countries have won the World Cup, with six having won multiple times. Here's the full list:
Country
World Cup wins
Years
Brazil
5
1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002
Germany
4
1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
Italy
4
1934, 1938, 1982, 2006
Argentina
3
1978, 1986, 2022
France
2
1998, 2018
Uruguay
2
1930, 1950
England
1
1966
Spain
1
2010
The three winningest teams in World Cup history are all out of the tournament, as Brazil leads the all-time list with five victories while Germany and Italy check in next with four. Italy has missed the last three World Cups, while Germany was eliminated in a Round of 32 upset this time around.
England won the World Cup in 1966, a run that is still remembered fondly by English fans, but the majority of fans alive today haven't seen the country win the World Cup. It's been 60 years since England's last appearance in the World Cup final, with semifinal appearances in 1990 and 2018 but no such luck in the round. England is hoping 2026 brings about better fortune, and two more wins would give the country its first World Cup win in generations.
How many World Cups has France won?
France has won the World Cup twice, most recently in 2018. France previously won in 1998, when current manager Didier Deschamps was the team's captain.
France was the host country when it won in 1998, defeating reigning champion Brazil in the final, and a win over Croatia in the 2018 final marked a return to glory for the squad.
Like England, Spain has only won the World Cup once. Spain's lone win came much more recently than England's, as the Spanish prevailed in the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa. Led by David Villa, Spain outlasted the Netherlands in the 2010 final when Andres Iniesta scored the go-ahead goal deep into extra time.
How many World Cups has Argentina won?
Argentina has won the World Cup three times, the most of the four semifinalists in 2026. Argentina is the reigning champion, having won a thriller over France in the 2022 final. Before 2026, Argentina's two wins came in 1978 and 1986. Argentina was the host nation for its first World Cup win, and Diego Maradona made Mexico feel like home in 1986 when he scored five goals on his way to a title.
While yellow cards are sometimes necessary in order to stop a team from scoring, the repercussions of accumulating a pair at the World Cup can be detrimental for a team. If a player gets to yellow cards in nearby games, the player will be subject to a one-game suspension.
With the new 32-team system in the knockout stage at the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has enacted a new system of refreshing a player's yellow card count. At the beginning of the quarterfinals, the counter will reset, and past yellow cards that count towards a player's suspension will be nullified.
This reset already occurred for teams that made it into the knockout stage. Players who earned a yellow card during the group stages had no bookings heading into the Round of 32. If a player was carded in the Round of 32, however, they will skate on thin ice until the beginning of the quarterfinals.
Here are the players in the knockout stages who have been booked and are at risk of suspension.
List of players at risk of yellow-card suspension for World Cup knockout stages
The following players have each received one yellow card in the knockout stage. A second caution in their quarterfinal match would rule them out of the quarterfinal. The list reflects bookings since the Round of 32.
Table only includes teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals
Yellow cards are shown to players for offences such as repeated or reckless fouls, deliberately stopping an attacking move, time-wasting, or simulation, or simulating a fall in an attempt to win a free kick or penalty.
If a player receives two yellow cards in the same match, they combine into a red card. The player is then sent off and suspended for their team's next game. The same automatic one-match ban applies to a straight red card, although a longer suspension can be applied in some cases.
Yellow cards collected in separate matches also add up. Two cautions across different games trigger an automatic one-match suspension, the punishment that most often catches players out during a tournament.
What has changed for 2026 is when those accumulated cards are wiped. To accommodate the expanded 48-team format, FIFA reset all yellow cards after the group stage and will reset them again after the quarterfinals. Under the old system, single cautions carried through until the quarterfinals, meaning a group-stage booking could still cost a player a place in the last 16.
FIFA has also added a couple of new ways to see red. Players can now be dismissed for covering their mouths to hide what they are saying during a confrontation, or for deliberately leaving the field to protest a referee's decision. On the flip side, VAR can now step in to review and overturn certain mistaken send-offs, including incorrect second yellows and wrongful red cards.
Can players be suspended for World Cup quarterfinals because of yellow cards?
Yes, but the new reset rule narrows the window. Along with being reset after the group stage concluded, yellow cards will be reset to 0 for every player at the end of the quarterfinals. That means individuals cannot be banned for the final based purely on yellow-card accumulation.
A player who already has one yellow and is cautioned again before the quarterfinals reaches two within the first two knockout-stage matches, and that triggers the automatic one-match ban. In other words, any player booked in the earlier knockout rounds who then receives a yellow card in a quarterfinal game will be banned for the semifinals.
Taking place every four years, the FIFA World Cup often brings with it an unprecedented level of exclusive merchandise that can only be found when the tournament comes around.
One of the most popular World Cup collectibles is the Panini sticker album, which features stickers for many of the 1,248 players across the 48 participating rosters at the 2026 tournament.
Every four years, the Panini album is a globally popular collectible, as fans all around the world attempt to fill their sticker books with every single player at the tournament.
The Sporting News takes a look at why the album is such a famous and exciting collectible event, and how you can begin collecting it yourself.
Since 1970, Panini has done an officially licensed sticker booklet for every FIFA World Cup, with the exception of 1994 when Upper Deck owned the rights.
The first of its kind featured 270 stickers to collect, with one for most players featured at the competition.
Since then, the sticker album has grown into a collecting phenomenon, with soccer fans and collecting enthusiasts alike excited every four years for the product to be released.
Collecting all stickers and filling an album is a badge of honor in the hobby, but that has become more and more difficult each cycle as the album grows in size. For the 2026 sticker album, there are a whopping 980 different stickers to collect to complete the booklet from front to back.
"That swap experience, that culture, has been ingrained and embedded long before the last 16 years [when Panini America joined the company as a subsidiary] because there's such a dynamic and diverse group of people in the U.S. from all over the world," Panini America senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations Jason Howarth told The Sporting News.
Panini World Cup sticker rarities
While most collectors just hope to acquire one of every single sticker in the Panini World Cup album to complete the set, there are also different rarities of each sticker for those more dedicated or specific collectors.
In the United States, each sticker has a border color that indicates its individual rarity. The different colors are:
Color
Rarity
White
Common (Every pack)
Blue
Uncommon (1 in every 2 packs)
Red
Rare (1 in every 25 packs)
Purple
Very Rare (1 in every 200 packs)
Green
Super Rare (1 in every 1,400 packs)
Black
1-of-1 (1 of each sticker in existence)
The rarest of the stickers are the black borders, of which there is only one of each player in existence. For the most desirable players, these can often sell for upwards of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars on resale sites.
Coca-Cola Panini World Cup partnership
New for the 2026 album is a partnership with Coca-Cola.
In the very back of the album are 12 stickers to collect from the inside of Coca-Cola labels on select bottled products. Panini has negotiated individual rights deals with all 12 players in order to include their images in an additional way.
The deal with Coca-Cola gives Panini a "massive presence" across major retailers, Howarth said. There are 375 million Coca-Cola Panini stickers to be produced across the United States and Canada, and more than 1 billion across the globe.
In addition, there are digital-exclusive stickers that fans can download and collect as well, with each individual able to redeem one code per day for a pack of digital stickers.
Different Panini World Cup sticker products
Here are the different products available for purchase for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and their approximate retail price.
Packs — $2: Each individual pack of stickers contains 7 stickers
Sticker Album tin — $25: A cylindrical tin of 1 sticker album and 10 sticker packs
25-Pack box — $50: A box of 25 sticker packs
50-Pack box — $100: A box of 50 sticker packs
Starter Kit tin — $60: A cylindrical tin of 1 sticker album, 25 sticker packs, and 1 trophy card
How to keep track of stickers owned and needed
Everyone has their own method to keep track of their pulls and what stickers are still needed. From pen and paper to customized charts, there are many different ways to log which stickers you still have left to acquire.
However, there is one method that's starting to become a popular is tracking by app. While there's no official Panini app, there are a few third-party offerings that have risen to prominence.
After attending various sticker swap meet-ups, Sporting News has found that the most popular app is called Figuritas. As long as you can put up with the frequent ads which stop your progress — or purchase the no-ad version — this app not only allows a user to log their pulls, but also their duplicates with just a few simple taps.
Additionally, it makes swapping with another person a breeze, as you can simply scan your potential trade partner's QR code in their app, and it tells you what you need that they have extra of, and visa-versa. You can then simply mark what you're trading, press a button, and the app completes the trade for you, removing the duplicates you sent and adding what you received to your pile.
Can you buy missing Panini World Cup stickers individually?
Yes, you can buy individual stickers missing from your collection.
The first stop for your missing stickers is the official Panini website, where you can purchase up to five missing stickers for 70 cents each. However, don't expect to find a Lionel Messi sticker, as those are sold out.
Otherwise, you will have to check resale websites like eBay for your missing stickers, which vary greatly in price depending on player desirability and rarity.
The best way to finish your collection is still through trading, however!
Where can I trade Panini World Cup stickers?
Panini has a number of official trading events and locations all across the United States during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with dedicated times and dates for each one. You can find one coming up near you by clicking here.
"The swap experience for Panini, and how engaged people are, and just hungry for it, is not dissimiar to the Pokemon Go crazy," Howarth said. "Everyone's talking about meet-ups and where they're going to be for Panini sticker swaps across all social platforms. It's not just 'oh there's a bunch of kids at the park swapping stickers that will ride home on their bikes' like I did in the 80's. They're definitely more engaged [now]."
There are four mobile tour vehicles moving around the United States and Canada throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Starting in May and continuing through the , vehicles visited stops in Florida, Deleware, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, California, Illinois, Missouri, Ontario, and other stops throughout the countries.
Guinness World Record attempt
Panini attempted to set a Guinness World Record for "Largest Sports Sticker Exchange in 8 Hours (multiple venues)" on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
There will be four different locations during which collectors can come to trade stickers:
Rockefeller Center (New York City, NY)
American Dream Mall (East Rutherford, NJ)
Mexico City FIFA Fan Festival (Mexico City, Mexico)
Parque de las Ninas y los Ninos (Guadalajara, Mexico)
The events will all take place simultaneously, from 11 a.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET.
The previous record stood at 2,577 one-to-one swaps. "Panini will aim to surpass that mark by creating a continuous flow of collectors throughout the day across all locations," the collectable company said before the attempt.
The following day, Panini confirmed that it had smashed the previous record, with 4,446 swaps logged throughout the day, nearly doubling the old mark.
Who is doing the sticker album for the 2030 FIFA World Cup?
Panini will be in command of the FIFA World Cup sticker album for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the 100th anniversary of the tournament.
However, that will be their final time producing the sticker album, as their current deal runs out after that tournament.
Following the 2030 competition, Fanatics and their collectables brand Topps will be taking over all World Cup collectables, as they signed a landmark long-term licensing deal with FIFA.
The 2026 World Cup has received great feedback with its 48-team field and now Gianni Infantino and FIFA want to expand the tournament again.
This summer’s World Cup marks the first time that the competition has increased beyond 32 countries. However, Infantino and Co. are clearly eyeing another expansion in the future given the additional eyeballs and revenue.
Infantino confirms that he wants more nations playing in the World Cup as he plots for 64 teams in the near future. This would align with FIFA’s plans to expand the tournament and become more similar to March Madness.
Gianni Infantino confirmed that FIFA will discuss expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament, saying every nation should have the chance to dream of playing at football's biggest event. https://t.co/HvBTuagd8h
The 2026 edition of the competition is drawing major plaudits from fans with new countries like Cape Verde and Haiti having success. Meanwhile, the reality of the World Cup is that the infrequency of the event always draws major attention.
Infantino wants expanded FIFA World Cup
College basketball’s success over the years with March Madness is clearly rubbing off on other sports like soccer. Infantino is undoubtedly aiming to feature more top countries from around the globe in the World Cup.
“When you organize a World Cup, it’s important that you organize it for the whole world,” Infantino said. “It’s not just Europe and South America, but the entire world, effectively. Every nation should be able to dream of taking part in the World Cup.”
Another World Cup expansion surely benefits federations in Africa, Asia, Caribbean and other areas that aren’t regularly featured. Meanwhile, it could also prevent top countries like Italy from missing out on the tournament.
If FIFA does go through with the plans for 64 countries, teams would end up playing 128 matches during the tournament. The 2026 World Cup is currently playing 104 matches with its 48-team event.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
When will FIFA expand to a 64-team World Cup?
Executives from FIFA and top federations first floated the idea of 64 teams back in 2025. However, given the World Cup’s success this summer it’s evident that Infantino wants the idea to become a reality.
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez expressed his support for the concept, which could come as early the 2030 tournament.
The next World Cup marks the 100-year anniversary of the competition, which is set to be played in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. However, opening matches are likely to be played in Argentina and Uruguay as an homage to the 1930 World Cup in South America.
Erling Haaland was already well known before the 2026 FIFA World Cup thanks to his prodigious goal scoring in the English Premier League for Manchester City.
But at this tournament in North America, his leading of Norway on a surprise run to the quarterfinals while having a blast all the while -- it made him into a totally global superstar.
Haaland may not have advanced past England into the semifinals, and so he is back home now, but he didn't leave with nothing.
And this is one of those situations where the Internet is the best.
It appears that social media sleuths determined this as being a $750 purchase from Texas:
Erling Haaland has returned to Norway, and it looks like he brought home a $750 Whiskey Raccoon from Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas, Texas. What an authentic piece of American culture. pic.twitter.com/SsnwZlEgOZ
Every four years, the World Cup captivates audiences around the globe and provides a showcase of the world's best soccer players on the biggest stage. What comes from that, for players, is more viewership, more Instagram followers, and money.
FIFA has continuously increased the prize money available for teams to take their chunk out of, depending on when they are eliminated in the tournament.
This year, a team that was eliminated at the group stage of the World Cup earned more than Brazil did for winning the 2002 tournament.
Here's the rundown on how much each team earned during their 2026 World Cup campaign.
FIFA has allocated $655 million in prize money for the 2026 World Cup in North America, according to the organization.
That present-day sum is a staggering increase of $215 million from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the previous edition charting as a $40 million increase from 2018. In 2014, $358 million was divided at Brazil's World Cup.
The trend has been a consistently higher prize pool with each edition of the World Cup. That has continued in 2026, and will likely carry on in the future.
How much prize money will the 2026 World Cup winners get?
FIFA confirmed in December 2025 that the 2026 World Cup champions were to receive a record $50 million in prize money.
That is an increase of $8 million compared to 2022 and continues a trend that has seen the winners' pay packets increase massively over the past 40 years.
Prior to 2006, World Cup-winning teams never pocketed more than $10 million, with 1982 champions Italy traveling home with a mere $2.2 million for their trophy-hoisting efforts.
In 2002, there was a big push from national teams for FIFA to increase the prize money on offer, with growing World Cup revenue ensuring such profits have been handed down to successful sides since.
World Cup 2026 prize money breakdown: How much has each team made?
Regardless of where a team finished at the 2026 World Cup, each participating country will walk away with a significant sum of money.
Simply qualifying for the 2026 World Cup earned each team $1.5 million as a participation fee. Once at the tournament, however, each team was able to boost its finances earned through progressing further along in the tournament.
Here is a breakdown of all earnings depending on a team's eliminated round, according to FIFA:
2026 Finish
Prize money (USD)
Group stage
$9 million
Round of 32
$11 million
Round of 16
$15 million
Quarterfinals
$19 million
Fourth place
$27 million
Third place
$29 million
Runner-up
$33 million
Winner
$50 million
How much has each country made at 2026 World Cup?
Nation
Prize Money at World Cup 2026 (USD)
Argentina
TBD
England
TBD
France
TBD
Spain
TBD
Morocco
$19 million
Norway
$19 million
Belgium
$19 million
Switzerland
$19 million
Brazil
$15 million
Canada
$15 million
Colombia
$15 million
Egypt
$15 million
Mexico
$15 million
Paraguay
$15 million
Portugal
$15 million
USA
$15 million
Algeria
$11 million
Australia
$11 million
Austria
$11 million
Bosnia and Herzegovina
$11 million
Cape Verde
$11 million
Croatia
$11 million
DR Congo
$11 million
Ecuador
$11 million
Germany
$11 million
Ghana
$11 million
Ivory Coast
$11 million
Japan
$11 million
Netherlands
$11 million
Senegal
$11 million
South Africa
$11 million
Sweden
$11 million
Curacao
$9 million
Czechia
$9 million
Haiti
$9 million
Iran
$9 million
Iraq
$9 million
Jordan
$9 million
New Zealand
$9 million
Panama
$9 million
Qatar
$9 million
Tunisia
$9 million
Turkey
$9 million
Saudi Arabia
$9 million
Scotland
$9 million
South Korea
$9 million
Uruguay
$9 million
Uzbekistan
$9 million
How much money do players make at the World Cup?
Players make a portion of the team's sum of money depending on the stage at which they are eliminated from the World Cup. Base salaries can differ between national teams and the quality of player, but all players receive a portion of money regardless.
In 2022, it was reported that Australia paid each of its players AU$226,000, with an extra $290,000 earned for reaching the knockout stages.
After the 2026 World Cup, Team USA made headlines for splitting up their tournament earnings evenly between their men's and women's national teams, according to ESPN.
How does World Cup 2026 prize money compare to the 2027 Women's World Cup?
While the figure is already known for the 2026 World Cup, the Women's World Cup in 2027 does not have a publicly known figure for prize money just yet.
While it is almost six times less than what was offered at the men's 2026 World Cup, it is a sizeable amount more than the estimated $30 million at the 2019 Women's World Cup. Expect a continuously increasing number as well for the female players.
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Norway forward Alexander Sorloth has received severe online abuse following the team's World Cup quarter-final exit against England on Saturday, manager Stale Solbakken said.
The abuse started after Sorloth opted to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Erling Haaland during a crucial two-on-one counter-attack while Norway were leading 1-0. His shot was blocked and England equalised minutes later, going on to win 2-1 after extra time.
Sorloth's partner, Lena Selnes, shared screenshots on Instagram revealing a barrage of hostile messages, including comments urging the striker to take his own life.
"It is tragic," Solbakken told a press conference in Miami. "That is the world we live in. I tell the boys to stay away from social media, especially on days like this."
"There is nothing more to say about it other than it is completely devoid of sense on every possible level."
Sorloth, 30, who plays for Atletico Madrid, defended his decision after the match, explaining that England defender John Stones had closed down the passing lane to Haaland.
"The only thing I wanted to do in that situation was to pass to Erling," Sorloth said. "But it felt like the pass wasn't there, so I went to shoot."
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England men’s national soccer team captain Harry Kane has sparked backlash after revealing he’s played golf with Donald Trump.
Kane, whose six goals have helped fire England into Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal against Argentina, disclosed the round with the president during a news conference on Friday ahead of England’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Norway.
The Bayern Munich striker was asked by The Daily Telegraph how he fared against Trump on the golf course. Watch the exchange here.
“I played all right, to be honest,” Kane said. “Yeah, we played about 18 months ago. He invited me to play when I was down in Palm Beach, so, yeah, when the president invites you somewhere. It was a pretty surreal experience just to meet him and obviously play golf with him.”
England captian Harry Kane, left, has drawn criticism after it emerged he played golf with Donald Trump, right. Etsuo Hara via Getty Images / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Kane added that Trump’s golf game is “pretty good to be honest with you” and said: “I hope I can play golf as good as him when I’m his age, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah, a unique experience,” Kane added. “But, yeah, was just grateful that he just invited me down to play, for sure.”
Trump, who turned 80 in June, has long faced accusations of cheating at golf, including from sportswriter Rick Reilly, who devoted an entire book to the subject.
Trump praised Kane on Truth Social last week, calling him “a GREAT player!!!” before later revealing the pair had played golf together.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi have also been criticizedin recent months following visits to the White House and photo ops with the president.
If England end up defeating Messi’s reigning champions Argentina and then go on to win the World Cup against either Spain or France, Trump will hand Kane the trophy.
There's no way @Erling would agree to meet Trump let alone play golf with him.... poor PR judgement from Harry Kane....
It’s incredibly disappointing that he said yes to Donald Trump. He’s not just the President. He’s amongst one of the most corrupt, grotesque individuals on the planet. So many crimes and so much evil yet the captain of England still wanted to spend a day with him. **** off Harry.
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Senegal have terminated the contract of head coach Pape Thiaw after the country's elimination in the 2026 World Cup.
The Senegalese Football Federation announced on Sunday that it had parted ways with the 45-year-old coach, who had been on the job since 2024.
"It was decided to initiate a procedure to terminate the functions of the national coach, Mr. Pape Thiaw, as well as his entire technical staff," the federation said in a news release.
"After a thorough evaluation of the sporting results and prospects of the national team, the Executive Committee deemed it necessary to initiate this procedure in the best interests of Senegalese football."
On July 1 in Seattle, Senegal lost to Belgium 3-2 in the round of 32, considered a failure by the federation. Thiaw's side held a 2-0 lead in the 86th minute, then allowed two late goals and a penalty in extra time to be eliminated.
In Group I action, Senegal defeated Iraq but lost to Norway and France. They advanced to the knockout stage as one of the eight third-place finishers, thanks to their five-goal win over Iraq.
More than 25% of the World Cup coaches have been fired or resigned since the their teams were eliminated.
In addition to Senegal, coaches from these countries are out of a job: Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Ghana, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, South Korea, Tunisia, Scotland and Uruguay.
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There was a brief moment of tension in the aftermath of England's 2-1 World Cup quarter-final win over Norway on Saturday when Jude Bellingham pushed back against criticism from manager Thomas Tuchel.
"Yeah, well, whatever," the midfielder said after learning that Tuchel had described England's performance as "sloppy" despite their extra-time victory.
Bellingham, whose two goals sent England into the semi-finals, was quick to defend his team mates after another gruelling evening in punishing conditions.
The exchange offered a glimpse of the differing perspectives of a demanding coach unwilling to overlook flaws in England's display and a star player focused on the resilience that carried the team into the last four.
Tuchel surprised many with his blunt assessment after England battled past Norway in sweltering Miami conditions. While delighted to reach the semi-finals and full of praise for the players' mentality, the German said he was unhappy with almost every aspect of the performance.
"The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It's amazing but I'm not happy with the performance," Tuchel said, describing England as sloppy, error-prone and fortunate to progress.
Bellingham, however, viewed events through a different lens.
The Real Madrid midfielder pointed to the draining heat and the quality of Norway's attacking threat, led by Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, suggesting the task had been tougher than Tuchel's post-match verdict implied.
"Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those conditions against Erling Haaland, Odegaard, (Antonio) Nusa, (Alexander) Sorloth," Bellingham told reporters. "That's not an easy team to play against."
It is not the first time friction between the pair has become public.
Tuchel caused controversy just over a year ago when he described elements of Bellingham's on-field behaviour as potentially "repulsive" to some viewers while discussing the player's fiery temperament.
The England manager later apologised, insisting the word had been used unintentionally and that there was no hidden criticism of the midfielder.
Questions also surfaced before the World Cup over Bellingham's role after Tuchel suggested places in his starting lineup were not guaranteed, even for England's biggest names.
Yet any debate over Bellingham's importance has been emphatically settled on the pitch, as England would not be preparing for a semi-final were it not for the 23-year-old.
He has repeatedly delivered in decisive moments, rescuing his side with two goals against both Norway and Mexico, and producing the kind of performances that have underlined his status as one of the tournament's outstanding players.
And Tuchel, despite his frustration with England's overall display, was unequivocal in his praise of Bellingham after the match.
"Enough said. He does it every single match," the coach said. "World class."
England's World Cup campaign continues with a heavyweight semi-final against champions Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Successful tournament teams do not always need perfect harmony. They do, however, need players capable of deciding matches when everything else breaks down.
England have one in Bellingham, and as they move into the final four, that will matter more than any disagreement with his manager.
A young woman who trolled Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo during the last World Cup has remade her video following the team’s elimination at this year’s tournament.
After the Portuguese national team was eliminated by Morocco in the quarter finals of the 2022 World Cup, a Moroccan girl went viral for teasing Ronaldo’s emotional response to the loss.
“The Portugal airport is that way,” she said. “And where’s Ronaldo? He’s crying in his car. Poor Ronaldo.”
Fast forward to Monday (July 6), and the Portuguese soccer team, led by Ronaldo, lost to Spain. Ronaldo was emotional again, so it was the perfect opportunity for the young lady to remake her viral video using her original audio.
Moroccan girl who went viral last World Cup for her “Portugal airport is that way” “Poor Ronaldo” video has created a 2026 version after they were eliminated again. pic.twitter.com/KIjcIIvIfn
Ronaldo’s latest L in the World Cup will be his last, according to an announcement he made after Portugal’s loss to Spain. During a post-game interview with reporters, directly after wiping tears from his eyes as he applauded fans for watching the game at Dallas Stadium, Ronaldo confirmed to reporters that he wouldn’t be back at the World Cup.
"I'm sad to leave the World Cup this way," he said. "As I said yesterday, I gave it my all, and I leave with a clear conscience. That's the life of a footballer. You have to move forward. It was my last World Cup, yes. But as for the rest, there's time to think, to be with my family, and not say things in the heat of the moment."
Portugal’s coach, Roberto Martínez, also released a statement about Ronaldo’s impact on the team.
"I arrived with Portugal at a time with a lot of confusion and doubts about Cristiano, and he's been a role model, not just with goals and assists, what he does in the box, his commitment, how he experiences football. He's an example, we have to celebrate him,” Martínez.
"We're talking about an icon in football,” he added. “There aren't many Cristiano Ronaldos. We have to be thankful for what he did at this World Cup. He wanted to win it, as a player, a captain, on a human level, we'll all take it with us forever. An example as the human being who is behind the sportsman."
After the success of the first-ever 48-team World Cup this summer, FIFA will examine yet another expansion to its quadrennial tournament.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino told Swiss media outlet Bluewin that the potential for a 64-team tournament in 2030 “will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” according to a report in The Athletic. The 2030 World Cup is slated to be held across six nations and three continents, with Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay scheduled to host one match a piece at the start of the competition to commemorate the inaugural World Cup, hosted 100 years prior in Uruguay. The remainder of the planned 48-team tournament would take place in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
However, an expansion to 64 teams could chance that calculus, potentially allowing Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to each host an entire group for the tournament, rather than just a single match.
“Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup,” Infantino said. “You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high—and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world.”
The FIFA president added: “If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
It’s unclear whether the World Cup would permanently expand to 64 teams, or if FIFA would choose to expand the tournament just once to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup. A 64-team format would make for a neater group stage in which the top two finishers in 16 groups advance to the Round of 32. One criticism of this year’s 48-team format was that an entire group stage was played just to eliminate 16 teams, with the top eight third-place finishers advanced to the knockout rounds. A 64-team field would mark a return to how the World Cup group stage typically operated, just with more groups.
Assuming FIFA were to pick this format (16 groups of four teams with the top two finishers advancing from each), the World Cup would expand from 104 games under the 48-team field, to 128 games in a 64-team field. In other words, FIFA would be creating 24 games of additional inventory to sell to broadcast partners across the globe.
As most already know, FIFA will be going to market shortly after this World Cup ends with U.S. broadcast rights for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments. While FIFA have not yet formally approached media companies for bids, there are a laundry list of broadcast networks and streamers that will be interested in securing rights. Incumbents Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish) will certainly look to retain rights, though Telemundo parent NBCUniversal reportedly isn’t interested if the price per tournament approaches $2 billion. Netflix, YouTube, Apple, and Disney have all also been listed as interested suitors. FIFA, for its part, could also choose to sell English-language and Spanish-language rights together, should a company put in a compelling enough offer.
The expanded format, however, could pave the way for FIFA to split World Cup rights among multiple partners. With robust interest from both streamers and linear networks, and the likelihood that television consumption will still be substantially fragmented between those two distribution methods come 2030, FIFA may be wise to split its inventory among multiple partners that together can offer a mixed approach.
Added inventory from a 64-team format helps that cause. Prospective partners could be more amenable to sharing a larger tournament, since even a 50-50 split would grant them rights to 64 games each. For reference, the old 32-team format featured just 64 games in its entirety.
Prior reports suggest that media companies are expecting FIFA to command between $1.5 billion and $2 billion for the 2030 tournament. That’s more than triple the price Fox is paying for this year’s World Cup ($485 million), though that price is not at all indicative of the true market rate this World Cup would’ve garnered in a competitive bidding process.
Whether that $1.5 billion to $2 billion range is what media companies are genuinely expecting, or it’s simply a range FIFA would like to get out there in public, one thing is certain: adding 16 more teams and 24 more games to the tournament will definitely sweeten the pot for prospective media partners.
How likely it is that FIFA shift to 64 teams in 2030 is another question entirely. Two confederations, CONCACAF and UEFA, have already laid out full qualifying schedules for the next World Cup cycle, and those schedules are predicated on a 48-team field. 2030 World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF begins in September 2027, meaning any expansion decisions by FIFA would likely need to be made in relatively short order.
Of course, FIFA will need to know exactly what it’s selling anyway before approaching potential broadcast partners to submit bids. And if reports of FIFA’s plans to strike while the iron is hot after a successful 2026 World Cup are true, it’ll want to make a decision on 64 vs. 48 before long.
The biggest World Cup to ever take place sees 48 nations battling to be crowned the best international team in world soccer.
They'll be 104 matches taking place across the USA, Canada and Mexico as the co-hosts aim to put on a true spectacle that'll culminate with the winner being crowned on July 19.
Soccer fans won't have to look too hard to find the matches on TV or their live streaming services, but with so many games across four time zones there's still plenty of room for error.
The Sporting News is on hand to bring you all the details about the tournament, including how to tune in, and an overview of the match schedule.
The broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada are owned by Bell Media, who will air all matches in English on TSN and CTV, and in French on RDS.
All 104 matches of the tournament will be televised in Canada, with streaming available on both CTV GO and TSN GO. Audio commentary will also be broadcast on TSN Radio.
TSN channels set to air games in English include TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5.
TSN can also be added as a separate subscription channel on Amazon Prime with fans able to access all of TSN's live and on demand content.
The biggest World Cup to ever take place sees 48 nations battling to be crowned the best international team in world soccer.
They'll be 104 matches taking place across the USA, Canada and Mexico as the co-hosts aim to put on a true spectacle that'll culminate with the winner being crowned on July 19.
Soccer fans won't have to look too hard to find the matches on TV or their live streaming services, but with so many games across four time zones there's still plenty of room for error.
The Sporting News is on hand to bring you all the details about the tournament, including how to tune in, and an overview of the match schedule.
FOX is the main English-language FIFA broadcast partner in the United States, and will have the rights to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.
The broadcaster has announced that all 104 matches of the tournament will be televised throughout the competition. 69 matches from the competition will air on the main FOX network channel, while 35 others will be televised on FS1.
For Spanish-language coverage, all 104 matches will stream live on Peacock, with 92 matches airing on Telemundo and 12 on Universo.
All those channels, both English and Spanish, are available to stream in the United States on fubo, who are offering a FREE trial for new users.
Every match will also stream live on FOX One and the FOX Sports app.
The FIFA World Cup is considered the most illustrious competition on the global football calendar.
Held every four years, winning the World Cup is believed to be the pinnacle achievement of a player's career, as winners are painted as international heroes.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, joint-hosted across North America by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the biggest of its kind, expanding to 48 teams, the largest-ever field in this tournament's storied history.
The Sporting News brings you all the details about the upcoming tournament, including how to tune in, key dates for the competition, and an overview of the match schedule.
How to watch World Cup 2026: TV channels, live streams
The broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada are owned by Bell Media, who will air all matches in English on TSN and CTV, and in French on RDS.
All 104 matches of the tournament will be televised in Canada, with streaming available on both CTV GO and TSN GO. Audio commentary will also be broadcast on TSN Radio.
TSN channels set to air games in English include TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5.
TSN can also be added as a separate subscription channel on Amazon Prime with fans able to access all of TSN's live and on demand content.
Key dates for World Cup 2026
Here are all the most important dates for World Cup fans to know during the tournament:
June 11: Opening match of the 2026 World Cup
July 19: 2026 World Cup final
Here is an overview of the World Cup match schedule:
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