Thomas Tuchel was appointed in a blaze of publicity, stating his aim was to add a second star to the England shirt with a another World Cup win.

After years of heartache and near-misses, Tuchel was viewed as the missing piece of the puzzle, the coach who could finally end the Three Lions' decades-long wait for a major title.

Predecessor Gareth Southgate had led a talented generation of England players to two major finals, a World Cup semi-final and a World Cup quarter-final.

But each of those campaigns ended in disappointment, with a recurring theme of Southgate being accused of failing to adapt his tactics quickly enough to changing circumstances within games.

Under the tactically astute Tuchel, who had memorably outfoxed Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to lead Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021, things would be different.

Yet against Argentina in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, England bowed out of the tournament in painfully familiar fashion -- failing to capitalise on a 1-0 lead before inviting pressure, surrendering the initiative and losing 2-1.

It was the third time since the 2018 World Cup that England have lost a major championship semi-final or final after taking the lead. 

All three defeats, including Wednesday's at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, followed the same template -- a solid start, going 1-0 up, a desperate rearguard action, and finally, capitulation.

Many critics and former players immediately pointed the finger at Tuchel for England's latest failure, accusing the German of switching to an ultra-defensive approach too early in the game after Anthony Gordon had put England ahead on 55 minutes.

Argentina spent the final stages of the game camped near the England area, bombarding their opponents' goal and finally winning with goals from Enzo Fernandez on 85 minutes and Lautaro Martinez in stoppage time.

- 'Deserved to get beat' -

Former England striker Michael Owen said the defeat was a missed opportunity, sharply criticising Tuchel's second-half changes.

"We are a better team than Argentina, I've no doubt in my mind," he wrote on X. "But we deserved to get beat in the end. In fact, it could have been 4-1. 

"Bringing on 3 defenders at 1-0 up. What message does that send?... 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."

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart agreed. "I think Gareth Southgate will be at home watching this game," the BBC pundit said.

"He took a lot of criticism when it came to the big moments with England, when they had the lead, about shutting up shop. But I don't think anything has changed in that big moment out there."

While Tuchel accepted responsibility for the defeat, he pushed back on suggestions that his second-half substitutions were to blame. 

The England coach, who started his job at the beginning of 2025, said the tide had turned before his tactical tweaks as Argentina grew more desperate and chased the game.

Asked if he believed he had got his tactics wrong, he replied: "No, I believe that's just the nature of the game.

"As soon as you lose, you get criticized. It's just what it is. No one knows what would have happened if we had made different decisions. 

"So it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head. I'm responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism."

England captain Harry Kane said the team had "just tried to hang on a little too early".

But he refused to point the finger at Tuchel's game management after another opportunity slipped away.

"There's always going to be talk now about trying to blame people or coaches," Kane said. "It's not the time for that. We win and lose together. 

"We've done everything. He'd have been called a genius if it had worked. In the end, it didn't work for many different reasons.

"That's what we need to try and improve. We're close, we're knocking on the door, but as always in these final moments, we need to find that missing piece of the puzzle."

rcw/jw

England manager Thomas Tuchel defended his tactics after the Three Lions' World Cup dream ended in an agonising late defeat to Argentina on Wednesday.

England appeared poised to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon fired them into the lead early in the second half in Atlanta.

But England then invited wave after wave of late pressure from the defending champions and goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez secured a famous 2-1 victory.

Tuchel said his team had become "too passive" after taking the lead at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"We're disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances," Tuchel told the BBC.

"We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots," the German coach added.

"We were close but couldn't keep the level up after we scored."

Tuchel is likely to face serious scrutiny for his substitutions, notably the decision to bring goalscorer Gordon off for defender Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute.

"I did also offensive substitutions in the last games, we just tried to help the players," he said. 

"We conceded a chance straight away and we decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open.

"Straight after our goal, without any substitutions, we conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances so we tried to help."

Asked later at a press conference whether he believed he got his tactics wrong, former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach Tuchel replied: "No, I believe that's just the nature of the game.

"As soon as you lose, you get criticized. It's just what it is. No one knows what would have happened if we made different decisions. 

"So it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head. I'm responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism."

Asked why England had shied away from a more adventurous approach when leading, Tuchel replied: "Yes, but it doesn't help if you can't get the ball. We couldn't get out.

"Of course we wanted to go for the second goal but I did not have the feeling that offensive substitutions would help. 

"We couldn't win any balls, we couldn't keep the ball so I think it was not a structural problem, we changed nothing. But the match changed completely."

Tuchel signed a two-year contract extension in February which lasts through to the 2028 European Championships which England is co-hosting.

Asked if he expected to remain England manager after Wednesday's defeat, the German indicated he plans to honour his contract that leads up the the 2028 European Championship.

"We keep on going for contract until the home Euros, and I'm looking forward to that. Even like now, it's difficult to look that far ahead," he said.

rcw/jw

Harry Kane said he was "gutted" for England and their fans after his team were beaten 2-1 by defending champions Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.

Anthony Gordon's strike had put the Three Lions on the cusp of a first men's World Cup final since they lifted the 1966 trophy but Lionel Messi inspired a dramatic turnaround in Atlanta.

He set up Enzo Fernandez, who blasted home from outside the area, and provided an inch-perfect cross for Lautaro Martinez's winner in stoppage time.

"Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone -- the team, the staff, the fans," England captain Kane told the BBC.

"We played a good game, the large majority of it. When we went 1-0 up we seemed to try and hold on, which at this level is not enough. 

"So, just gutted because we've worked so hard to be here and the lads have given every last bit of running, blood, sweat, tears."

Bayern Munich forward Kane, who scored six goals during the tournament, said Thomas Tuchel's men had struggled to repel constant attacks from the defending champions.

"After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man for man, it was just wave after wave," he said.

"Lads were putting blocks in but, in the end, it just wasn't enough."

He said England had not planned to rely on defending after Gordon's goal.

"When we went ahead the messaging was to go again and get another goal," he added.

"Then once they scored their two goals it was to try and find something but we couldn't quite get the momentum back in the game."

jw/gj

As England gears up for the World Cup semi-final Wednesday, there will be one name on everyone's lips: Jude Bellingham, the star midfielder who powered the Three Lions through to the marquee clash against Argentina.

In packed stadiums in North America and pubs back home, people belt out the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and don t-shirts with slogans like "Bend it like Bellingham" -- a play on the iconic 2000s film "Bend it like Beckham".

But nowhere is the 23-year-old midfielder more feted than his hometown of Stourbridge, a quiet market town in central England, west of Birmingham.

Wheeling his bike past the town's shopping centre, retiree Keith Hall blows a kiss towards a superhero comic-style mural of Bellingham.

"He's a local lad," Hall told AFP, adding Bellingham "keeps in touch with his roots" despite now playing for Real Madrid.

Bellingham launched his football career playing for the Stourbridge Juniors, before joining Birmingham City's youth side and becoming the club's youngest first-team player.

"It doesn't surprise me that he's become an international sensation because he's the coolest man currently living," gushed grocery store worker Sam Holden, 21.

"Harry Kane obviously can kind of save us in our time of need, but Jude Bellingham can just take us to the heights that England absolutely are capable of reaching."

A regional railway company is offering passengers named "Jude" free travel in Stourbridge this week.

"We look forward to inviting Judes from across the region for a free ride on the Stourbridge Shuttle," said Jonny Wiseman from the West Midlands Railway.

The fever has spread beyond the area, known as Black Country, with a railway station in southeast London briefly renamed to "Jude Bellingham" station.

- 'King Jude' -

In a pub in the village of Hagley near Stourbridge, Vienna Letts pulls pints and recalls the incredible atmosphere when Bellingham and England take to the field.

"Hagley is quite a niche, quiet community normally, but it's like we've all come into one space to just support Jude," said Letts.

"No one would have thought that a boy from Stourbridge could be the top scorer and England could be in the semifinals."

After two stunning goals against Norway on Saturday that fired England into the semis, Bellingham is tied with team captain Kane on six goals in the tournament.

A local shop displays a portrait of Bellingham in its window, and during an interview, a man walks past yelling "hail king Jude!"

In Birmingham, a mural has popped up showing the 23-year-old and teammate and fellow local Morgan Rogers eating local delicacy battered chips -- dipped in an orange batter and deep-fried.

"He's like a hero for other local people, local children, knowing (if) you work hard, you can meet your dreams," said Harpreet Basin, a 40-year-old teacher, visiting the mural.

Back in Stourbridge, tanning salon manager Jessica said she'd been hearing chants of "Hey Jude" around town during the World Cup.

"My children, they've now learned what that song is from it being sung at the football matches," said Jessica. "They (go) round the house singing it as well."

Bellingham appeared moved to tears after the England versus Norway game, when even football legend David Beckham joined the huge crowds serenading him with "Hey Jude" on Saturday in the Miami Stadium.

jg-aks/jkb/pi

Two badminton veterans enjoyed 16 minutes of fame at the Japan Open on Wednesday when they appeared in the main draw of a high-level tournament after a lifetime of trying.

Fifty-year-old Kar Lung Chun and his 40-year-old partner Karen Yun Qiao Feng were drafted in to compete in the mixed doubles in Tokyo after a slew of withdrawals.

The pair, who represent England, had never competed together and have spent their careers slogging it out in badminton's lower-level tournaments.

Chun has won only five matches in his international career, while Feng's sole victory came in a walkover.

They were no match for their opponents at the Japan Open, losing 21-2, 21-6 to Denmark's European champions Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje in just over a quarter of an hour.

Chun said it was "an amazing experience" to play in a Super 750 tournament -- the second-highest level on badminton's world tour.

"We couldn't sleep well when we learned we could make the main draw," said the bespectacled Chun, who was born in Hong Kong and lives in Liverpool.

"This is such a big tournament. We feel so happy."

Both Chun and Feng devote themselves full-time to badminton and do not have other jobs.

But their lives are very different from the sport's top stars such as South Korea's women's number one An Se-young.

Feng said she and Chun did not expect to win any games in Tokyo and that she entered the competition "to challenge myself".

"It was a dream to try this kind of level," she said.

Chun said he plans which tournaments to enter each year when the calendar comes out at the start of a season.

Even though success has proven difficult to come by, he says staying motivated is not a problem.

"You have to always talk to yourself – 'you can make it, you can make it'," he said.

"If you don't give up, anything can happen. Now we've proved that."

amk/dh

Lionel Messi engineered a spectacular comeback for Argentina against England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to keep his team on track for back-to-back titles.

England were agonisingly close to reaching their first World Cup final for 60 years before succumbing to relentless pressure from Lionel Scaloni's team, who roared back to win 2-1 in Atlanta.

It sets up a mouthwatering contest between reigning European champions Spain and South American champions Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday.

The Albiceleste, followed at the 2026 World Cup by legions of fans, are just 90 minutes away from becoming the first side since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive World Cups.

"The other day I said this group never stops surprising me," said Scaloni. "And I'll tell you the truth, we're going to try to win, we're going to leave everything out there.

"But after this it's very difficult to get people to understand what these players are showing. It's incredible. We are unique, truly, and it's not arrogance, it's from the heart."

Scaloni's men have scrapped their way through the knockout rounds, most memorably coming back from the dead to beat Egypt in the last 16.

Messi remains the beating heart of the team even at the age of 39 -- scoring eight goals to sit joint top of the Golden Boot standings -- and providing four assists.

But it appeared his World Cup dream was dying after Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute.

Argentina, however, refused to be beaten, pouring forward in waves and pinning their opponents back.

Enzo Fernandez smashed home an equaliser from outside the penalty box after Messi's assist in the 85th minute but still they were not done.

Substitute Lautaro Martinez rose to head home Messi's cross in stoppage time to complete the comeback and England ran out of time.

Man-of-the-match Messi, who had never faced England previously, hailed the character of Argentina, saying "the story never ends".

"This was just a football game, but of course it's quite a special one, especially playing against England with all the historical context," he said.

Argentina are 90 minutes away from claiming a fourth straight major title after winning two South American championships and the 2022 World Cup.

But defeat is another bitter blow for the Three Lions, who have reached at least the semi-final stage in four of their past five major tournaments without getting over the line.

- 'No regrets' -

England boss Thomas Tuchel defended his tactics after his team appeared to hand the initiative to Argentina following Gordon's opener.

"In the moment, no regrets. The team gave everything and we were very, very close," said the German. "We deserved to be up 1-0.

"We played one of our better matches, maybe our best match in the circumstances. The team was top, we couldn't get over the line but no regrets."

Captain Harry Kane said the England's disappointment was profound, adding: "Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone -- the team, the staff, the fans."

"God Save the King" was drowned out by Argentine singing in a crowd dominated by supporters in the blue-and-white shirts of the defending champions.

David and Victoria Beckham were in the crowd to support England at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.

The build-up to the fixture was given added spice by a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Argentina's Vice President Victoria Villarruel upped the stakes by calling the English "usurping pirates", despite efforts by head coach Scaloni to keep the focus on the game.

As they celebrated Argentina's players held up a banner on the pitch saying "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falklands are Argentine).

Spain produced a masterclass to beat favourites France 2-0 in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, meaning Messi will face the country where he played most of his career for Barcelona.

jw/rcw

Argentina's Alexis Mac Allister has urged his team to take inspiration from Diego Maradona as they seek to get the better of England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

The heavyweight showdown in Atlanta marks the renewal of a rivalry that peaked at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

The late Maradona scored both of Argentina's goals in the quarter-final -- the infamous "Hand of God" opener and then a dazzling solo effort that is one of the greatest goals ever scored at a World Cup.

Argentina went on to win the trophy, an achievement they matched in 2022, with Lionel Messi the inspiration and Mac Allister in the side.

"I don't know if it's just by chance or what but in the last few days I have started seeing videos of Diego, of the '86 game and other things that obviously help and make you want to watch them and remember them," Liverpool's Mac Allister told reporters on Tuesday.

"Diego represents so much for the country and I hope we can do something similar to what they did in 1986," added the midfielder, whose father Carlos played alongside Maradona for Argentina and at Boca Juniors.

The 27-year-old admitted Maradona's skills set him apart.

"He was able to perform things he carried inside him and it is practically impossible to do those things.... Maybe only Leo (Messi) could do that."

Wednesday's game will be the first meeting of the nations at a World Cup since 2002, as Argentina aim to reach a second straight final, and a third in four tournaments.

Mac Allister said England had not played with Premier League intensity so far at the 2026 tournament.

"I don't know if it's to do with the heat, the climate or something else," he said. "But obviously they are a great team who we greatly respect.

"I imagine tomorrow's game will be played with a lot of intensity and obviously plenty of jitters on both sides."

raa/as/jw

Kylian Mbappe rued the end of France's World Cup dream on Tuesday, blaming tactical and technical blunders for his side's 2-0 semi-final defeat to France.

Mbappe had emerged as one of the stars of the tournament during France's run to the last four, rattling in eight goals at the tip of a free-scoring attack that delighted fans worldwide.

But the 27-year-old French captain's dreams of a third straight World Cup final appearance ended abruptly as Spain outplayed Les Bleus at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mbappe told French broadcaster M6 that the loss had been a "huge disappointment" for the French squad.

"I don't think we played the match we wanted to play -- whether tactically, technically, or in terms of our overall performance level," Mbappe said. 

"And when you don't do what you're supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win," the Real Madrid star added. 

"Our goal was to press them high up the pitch to prevent them from settling into that slow, controlled rhythm -- because when it comes to controlling the game, they are better than us. We failed to do that." 

Mbappe pinpointed the crux of the problem in midfield, where France's duo of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni rapidly found themselves over-run by Spain's triumvirate of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz.

"We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield," Mbappe said. "And against Spain, that's a real problem...When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It's a huge disappointment."

Mbappe said France's crestfallen squad were determined to bounce back after digesting the lessons of the loss.

"It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country the chance to keep dreaming and to make history," he said.

"Now, it is something we have to face with our heads held high. I believe that when you win, you win with your head held high; so when you lose, you have to lose with your head held high, too. 

"But right now, there is immense disappointment. I find it hard to put into words just how disappointed the squad and I are.

"Yet even if it might seem a bit robotic at times, we have to pick ourselves up, go on vacation, and move on to the next chapter. Because football waits for no one. We have to start over, put this failure behind us, and learn from it."

rcw/gj

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente saluted his players as the "best team in the world" on Tuesday after a stunning 2-0 World Cup semi-final upset of France.

De la Fuente, who had repeatedly said Spain were the best side in the tournament, was left beaming with pride as La Roja outplayed France to reach Sunday's World Cup final.

It was another tactical masterpiece by the Spanish coach, who oversaw La Roja's European Championship victory in 2024 and has now beaten France in three straight competitive matches.

"We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it's brought us here," de la Fuente said.

"Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world, but in front of them they had the best team in the world. That is different."

De la Fuente is now contemplating Spain's first World Cup final appearance since 2010.

"These players deserve everything -- day after day they’ve showed their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent," de la Fuente added of his team. "They make the difficult look easy."

rcw/gj

Janice McNair, who co-founded the NFL's Houston Texans in 2002, died on Tuesday at age 89, the team announced.

McNair and her husband Bob, who died in 2018 at age 81, brought the NFL back to Houston with an expansion club after the Houston Oilers moved in 1997 to become the Tennessee Titans.

Janice McNair served as the Texans' primary owner after her husband's death until transferring the post to son Cal McNair in 2024.

"Outside of our family, nothing mattered more to her than her beloved Texans. I remain honored to lead this franchise and build on the foundation my parents set when they brought football back to Houston," said Texans chair and chief executive Cal McNair.

"Mom leaves an indelible mark on our family, our team and our community and her giving spirit will always be embedded in the fabric of our organization."

The Texans reached the playoffs in three of six seasons under her guidance.

"Mrs. McNair was an incredible woman who will be deeply missed," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.

"We shared the same vision of bringing the organization to new heights and I will continue to work every day to accomplish that goal."

js/bsp

Brighton have signed Crotia defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported club record fee of £46 million ($62 million) that could yet increase.

The 19-year-old, who played against England at the World Cup, has agreed a five-year contract with the Seagulls, with an option for a further 12 months.

The BBC reported Spurs could receive an additional £4 million in add-on fees, while the deal includes a 20 percent sell-on clause.

Vuskovic joined Tottenham from Hajduk Split in 2025 and spent last season on loan at German club Hamburg.

The centre-back did not make a single competitive appearance for Spurs but Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler told the Seagulls' website on Tuesday: "Luka has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career –- it's one we've followed closely. 

"Last season he demonstrated he can play at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment.

"There's been a lot of external noise about Luka joining us, but he is still a young guy who will need time to adjust to the demands of playing for Brighton and the Premier League. We are confident that he will take this in his stride though."

jdg/dmc

Former Croatian international footballer Dario Simic was arrested Tuesday in an anti-corruption operation linked to a coastal campsite development, the state-run HINA news agency reported.

Simic was held in the capital, Zagreb for allegedly illegally obtaining a permit to create a campsite on the country's central coast, HINA said, citing unnamed sources.

Neither police nor the anti-graft prosecutors have confirmed the arrest, but local media published photographs of Simic in handcuffs exiting a police vehicle.

Two more people were taken into custody along with the 50-year-old Simic, according to HINA.

They include a former regional tourism official accused of helping Simic obtain the required campsite permits and a local businessman who allegedly acted as an intermediary.

In 2024, local authorities in Tisno, where the campsite is located, filed complaints against Simic over alleged illegal construction in a protected coastal zone.

The case concerns a small private campsite with 10 pitches for up to 30 people, according to media reports.

The former tourism official and four others were charged last year with allegedly issuing unlawful campsite permits.

Simic retired from international football in 2008 after becoming the first Croatian to earn 100 caps for his country.

A defender, Simic entered club football with his hometown club Dinamo Zagreb in 1992 and played his first international four years later, before going on to play a key role as Croatia took third place at the 1998 World Cup.

After six seasons at Dinamo he joined Inter Milan, later moving on to city rivals AC Milan, where he won one Serie A and two Champions league trophies before joining Monaco in 2008.

Simic returned to Dinamo two years later shortly before retiring.

He has since started a prominent bottled water company, which is stocked throughout the region.

ljv/al/ea

St. Louis slugger Jordan Walker smashed home runs on the last four pitches he faced on Monday to edge Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber 12-11 in Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby final.

The 24-year-old American right-handed hitter defeated the MLB season homers leader in Schwarber's home ballpark to capture the $1 million top prize.

Schwarber, a left-handed hitter with 32 homers this season, began the head-to-head final with home runs on six of his first eight swings and off 10 of the regulation 15 pitches.

The 33-year-old American earned extra throws with a last-pitch homer and belted an 11th to make Walker's task that much harder.

Walker, who has 22 homers this season, belted homers on four of his first six swings but came to his final swing three homers behind, needing four in a row for a fightback triumph.

The Cardinals outfielder then blasted the first pitch for a homer to end regulation throws on nine, then hit three extra throws in a row over the outfield wall to capture the title.

The annual ball-bashers showcase was staged at Philadelphia on the eve of the 96th MLB All-Star Game, which matches elite talent from the American and National leagues.

Rule changes for 2026 eliminated time limits in favor of pre-set numbers of pitches, 20 in round one and 15 in the semi-final and final rounds for each contestant.

In the head-to-head semi-finals, Walker smashed six of eight pitches for homers to defeat last year's Derby runner-up, 23-year-old Dominican slugger Junior Caminero of Tampa Bay, 6-5.

In the other semi, Schwarber edged 34-year-old Venezuelan Wilson Contreras of Boston 9-8.

Schwarber smashed nine homers off 15 pitches to begin while Contreras, who hit eight homers on 11 pitches in round one, missed on his first two swings, homered on six of the next seven but could not manage an equalizer.

Walker crushed eight homers on his first 10 pitches in round one and matched Contreras at the top with 13 homers, while Caminero had 12 and Schwarber hit 10 to grab the last semi spot, but only after an 0-for-5 start.

Schwarber homered on 10 of his last 15 swings then watched as teammate Bryce Harper, the final first-round batter, hit only eight homers and was eliminated.

Also ousted in the opening round were Japanese MLB rookie Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox with nine homers, Kansas City's Jac Caglianone with eight and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees with seven.

Los Angeles Dodgers batting and pitching star Shohei Ohtani of Japan and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge were not in the Derby and will miss the All-Star Game due to injuries.

js/dh

Lionel Messi has done just about everything possible in a glorious career, but the 39-year-old Argentinian great has never taken on England -- he will finally get the chance in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final.

Messi won his 200th cap for the Albiceleste in the group-stage victory against Algeria and dreams of leading his country to the final once again.

The diminutive playmaker is surely in the final days of a remarkable international career which began when he was a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 2005.

Having broken into the Barcelona team late the previous year, Messi had just starred for Argentina as they won the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.

He was handed his Argentina bow by Jose Pekerman in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest that August, replacing Lisandro Lopez in the 64th minute and joining Hernan Crespo up front.  

Ninety seconds later he was sent off for what the referee saw as an elbow. It was quite the ignominious way for his Argentina career to begin.

"An 18-year-old kid who is making his debut for the national team and has so much hope -- he can't be punished like that. The referee needed to be more understanding," said Crespo.

Messi might look back now and laugh at that incident, which led to him being suspended for a friendly against England in Geneva three months later.

The nations have not met since, and so Messi will play against the Three Lions for the very first time under the roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

"I have played against everyone except England and it is special because they are a major nation, a powerhouse, and it is always nice to play against a side like that, especially in a World Cup semi-final," said Messi after Argentina beat Switzerland in Kansas City in the last eight.

- Emulating Maradona -

The man who emulated Diego Maradona by inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago will now hope to leave a similar mark on England as his legendary predecessor.

Any meeting of these countries evokes memories of the 1986 quarter-final at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, when Maradona punched in to score the 'Hand of God' opener and then ran past half the England defence for his team's second goal -– perhaps the greatest World Cup goal of all time.

Messi has not scored one quite like that, but ahead of the semi-finals of the current tournament he had scored more World Cup goals than any other player.

With 21 goals from a tournament record 32 appearances, he led France skipper Kylian Mbappe by one after the quarter-finals.

The Inter Miami player had found the net in nine consecutive World Cup matches before the Switzerland game, when he let others -- notably Julian Alvarez -- take over the goalscoring duties.

Argentina are now one game away from reaching another World Cup final, as they aim to become the first team to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.

It would be a third final in four World Cups, and Messi could follow in the footsteps of Brazil great Cafu. The full-back played in three in a row from 1994 to 2002 –- even Maradona only played in two.

"Getting to another semi-final is not a normal, mundane thing, so this is something we should really enjoy because we don't know if it will happen again," Messi said.

The England players will hope to enjoy it as well.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Nico O'Reilly, who is likely to come up against Messi if he starts at left-back, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He's coming towards the end of his career. For me personally, he's the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can't wait for the challenge."

as/gj

England are bidding to end Lionel Messi's dream of winning back-to-back World Cups and reach their first final in six decades as they renew their old rivalry with holders Argentina on Wednesday in a seismic semi-final showdown.

An England team which has been dragged to this stage by the brilliance of Jude Bellingham take on Messi's Argentina under the roof of the spectacular arena in Atlanta, already the scene of a memorable victory by the defending champions at this tournament.

It is the first competitive meeting of the sides since the 2002 World Cup and the fixture conjures so many memories, from Diego Maradona and the 'Hand of God' in 1986, to David Beckham's red card after tangling with Diego Simeone in 1998, while also thrusting the lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands back into the spotlight.

"The message is this is a football game. That's what I can say," said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni after his team's 3-1 quarter-final win over Switzerland.

There is more than enough to focus on in purely footballing terms, with England one win from a first appearance in the World Cup final since they lifted the trophy in 1966.

Argentina, meanwhile, are looking to reach a third final in four World Cups, and in doing so remain on course to become the first nation to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.

"This squad does not get tired of making history. They keep wanting more," said Messi after the Switzerland game.

"It is not easy to have been world champions, to have won all that we have won, and to once again keep competing at this level and be back in the semi-finals."

Remarkably, the semi-final is also the first time Messi has ever played against England.

- Epic feel -

Neither team has enjoyed a smooth passage to this stage.

Argentina cruised through the group phase, but the knockout rounds have been frenetic for the team coached by Scaloni, the one-time West Ham United full-back.

Twice they were pegged back before beating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time. Then they needed a late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta, before requiring extra time to sink 10-man Switzerland 3-1 on Saturday.

That game ended Messi's streak of scoring in nine consecutive World Cup outings, but extended the Albiceleste's unbeaten run at the finals to 12 matches since losing to Saudi Arabia in 2022.

England began with a thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia but have struggled to hit the same heights since, even if their run in the knockout rounds has had an epic feel to it.

They needed a late comeback, and two Harry Kane goals, to beat DR Congo 2-1, then held on with 10 men to defeat Mexico 3-2 in the Estadio Azteca in a World Cup classic in which Bellingham notched a brace.

The Real Madrid star also scored twice, including an extra-time winner, as England fought back to beat Norway 2-1 in Miami at the weekend.

And so here they are, in a fourth semi-final in the last five major tournaments.

"We all know how good Messi is but we also know how good Argentina are. We can't solely rely on (stopping) Messi," England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said Monday.

"We've got to focus on their other strengths and the weaknesses we can take advantage of."

- Ageing lineup -

Argentina are an ageing side, and perhaps their exertions to reach this point will catch up with them –- the average age of their starting line-up against Switzerland was over 30, while England's against Norway was 26.6.

England have a doubt over Declan Rice, who has been struggling with illness, as they prepare to face Messi at last, right at the end of his glorious career.

"I have played against everyone except England and it is special because they are a major nation, a powerhouse, and it is always nice to play against a side like that, especially in a World Cup semi-final," said 39-year-old Messi.

The last meeting of the teams was a 3-2 friendly win for England in November 2005, when Michael Owen scored twice.

Messi was 18 at the time and had made his international debut three months earlier, but he did not play in that game.

as/gj

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team plan to go on the "front foot" against World Cup favourites France when they face off in a heavyweight semi-final showdown on Tuesday.

De la Fuente told a press conference on Monday that Spain will attempt to impose their possession-based game on France in what is shaping up as a gripping clash of styles.

While France coach Didier Deschamps insists Spain remain favourites for the World Cup, betting markets overwhelmingly back France to clinch a second title in three attempts.

Les Bleus have powered into the last four with a scintillating brand of attacking football based around such talents as Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele. 

But De la Fuente -- whose team have beaten France in their last two meetings -- is quietly plotting another ambush at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.

"We've already analyzed France in great detail, we've known each other for a while now," De la Fuente said. 

"We faced each other for a few years now and they have great players, but so do we. We have to put all of our virtues on the table and try to counteract the strengths of the opponent. 

"And that's what football is about - the team that strikes a better balance is usually closer to getting the victory.

"We'll have to think about their players. We'll try to win those duels and will try to be on the front foot during the game, imposing our style."

- France 'far better' -

De la Fuente though is under no illusions about the difficulty of the task facing his side. 

France, he said, have improved signficantly since Spain defeated them 5-4 in a hectic UEFA Nations League semi-final in Stuttgart last year, when the Spaniards led 5-1 before a late rally. That encounter would bear no resemblance to Tuesday's game, De la Fuente said.

"We're talking about two very different matches," he admitted.

"Tomorrow is another semi-final. I will just try to repeat the positive scenarios, but there were other details where things weren't that positive.

"We were winning 5-1, and in a few minutes they managed to make it 5-4. So we're trying to repeat what we did well and the opposite of what we didn't do well.

"We need to try and impose our game. We have completely antagonistic playing styles, so we'll try to be on the front foot and take the initiative."

De la Fuente also believes a maturing France squad will be a tougher proposition. 

"I think they are a better team, far better, because those players have grown, and what they are doing now, is better than what they were doing then," he said. 

"So they've improved their skills in the past two years, and that's the reality."

While controlling possession and tempo will be key, De la Fuente will also tell his players to savour the challenge. Asked what his final message to his team would be, he replied: "Let's get out there and enjoy it. 

"We are in a unique setting. Who knows whether we will come back? We must be the team that we know that we can be. We must be strong and try to counter the strength of the opponent."

rcw/as

France coach Didier Deschamps insisted he still sees Spain as World Cup favourites on Monday ahead of Les Bleus' blockbuster semi-final against the European champions.

France take on Spain at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday in a match widely seen as a collision of the best two teams in the tournament.

While Deschamps' side have lit up the World Cup with a string of scintillating performances, Spain's campaign has built momentum gradually following a shock 0-0 draw against minnows Cape Verde in their opening game.

Deschamps, though, maintains that France -- beaten by Spain in their last two meetings -- will be the underdog on Tuesday. 

"Forget about the first game against Cape Verde," Deschamps said of Spain's campaign. "Ever since then Spain have confirmed that they are the favourites. 

"I don't want to add extra pressure to (Spain coach) Luis (de la Fuente) and their team -- he knows very well that people are expecting greatly of Spain.

"But Spain can attack well, and they can defend very well. They've only conceded one goal in the last six or seven matches."

Deschamps believes Tuesday's game has all the makings of a classic.

"With the quality of the two teams offensively, I think we could think that is going to be a spectacular game," he said.

Deschamps is also not overly concerned by the threat posed by Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who scored in La Roja's victories over France in the European Championship semi-final in 2024 and the UEFA Nations League last year.

"We know the strength of the opposing team. We have our own strengths," Deschamps said.

"Have I studied Yamal and his assets? Yes, he's one of the players that can really make a difference on the pitch. 

"And all opponents should try to limit the strength of the other team, but we have many solutions. 

"When it comes to a one-on-ones it could be tough. But having a one-on-one against some of my players is not an easy task either."

Deschamps, meanwhile, confirmed that France captain Kylian Mbappe, who left the quarter-final win over Morocco late in the second half after taking a knock, was "100 percent" fit for the semi-final.

rcw/js

The World Cup held its breath Monday on the eve of the first semi-final that pitches France's fearsome attack against a technically gifted Spain team.

France have reached the past two World Cup finals, winning in 2018 in Russia and losing to Argentina four years ago in Qatar in an epic final despite a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.

They are aiming to win the World Cup for a third time while Spain -- despite their rich footballing tradition -- have lifted the famous trophy just once, in South Africa in 2010.

Many observers believe this year's Spain squad has the quality to win the tournament -- but first they need to find a way to stop France's star-studded frontline, led by Mbappe.

The Real Madrid forward has scored eight goals to lead the Golden Boot race alongside Lionel Messi and will give Spain's defenders a different challenge in Arlington, Texas.

France's roster of forwards also includes Ballon D'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, the English-born forward whose pace and dribbling pull defences out of shape, allowing Mbappe the space to work his magic.

Behind them, whether they start the game or come on as substitutes, France can call on Paris Saint-Germain pair Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.

Defeat to Messi's Argentina in the final in Doha four years ago was a bitter experience for France, and the desire for a rematch is strong -- if Messi can lead his team past England in their semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Adding to France's motivation, France coach Didier Deschamps is leaving after this tournament following 14 years in charge.

Already part of the elite club to have won the World Cup as a player and a coach, Deschamps would dearly love to collect a third title.

"It is a human adventure and even though I chose the players, to be with this squad every day is very important," he said after France comfortably beat Morocco in the quarter-finals.

"I am very happy on a personal level and also happy to see them enjoying themselves so much."

- Upper hand -

In Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, Spain have the player who will likely succeed Messi and the far younger Mbappe as football's next superstar.

Yamal inspired Spain to glory at Euro 2024 but came into his first World Cup still recovering from a hamstring injury.

The Barcelona player initially looked less than his normal sparkling best, but he has improved steadily and won the player-of-the-match award in the 2-1 semi-final win against Belgium.

The teenager pointed out that Spain have the upper hand on France, having beaten them 2-1 in the semi-final of Euro 2024 and in a high-scoring Nations League semi-final in 2025 that finished 5-4.

"There are two possibilities -- either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We'll see what happens," Yamal said.

Spain's run to the final has been built on a solid defence -- Belgium's goal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was the first they have conceded in the entire tournament.

Coach Luis de la Fuente has restored the possession-based style that was a trademark of earlier Spain teams, meaning France will have to win the ball from them before they can launch their attacks.

gj/jw

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is confident his team will keep their cool in the heat of Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against Argentina.

The rivalry between the two teams is one of the spiciest in world football, influenced by events on and off the pitch.

Pickford said England had largely avoided flashpoints during the 2026 tournament and can cope with the pressure.

"I think you've seen throughout the tournament our desire to win tackles. We've not got into any scuffles or anything," he said Monday at England's training base in Kansas City.

"We've been very well respected within the game. Decisions go our way, they don't go our way, we just reset, we go again and we let the football do the talking.

"I think that's what we've done throughout the tournament. Apart from Jarell (Quansah's red card in Mexico), we've not had any suspensions, no second yellow cards or anything like that."

Lionel Messi will be the focus in the build-up to the semi-final in Atlanta but Everton goalkeeper Pickford talked up England's own stars.

"Everyone will talk about Messi because he's one of the GOATs (greatest of all time) of the game," he said.

"But you can't look past the ability and the talent we've got in the squad –- going forward, defensively, togetherness. We've got it all there and that's what we need to put on a show on Wednesday."

The history of matches between England and Argentina is peppered with incidents, set against a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.

The most famous encounter between the teams was a 2-1 victory for Argentina at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico featuring two goals from Diego Maradona -- one the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the best ever.

But the historical background is of little relevance to Pickford as England seek to get over the line in a major tournament for the first time since 1966.

"It's us against them to get a place in the final, and it's a game of football. 90 minutes, 120, penalties," he said.

"We're ready for anything, and it's us against them and it's about who comes out on top. We're fully prepared for that."

jw/gj

For France at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappe has not been able to stop scoring. For Real Madrid, he has not always been able to stop the criticism.

It is one of the puzzling paradoxes of this World Cup: France captain Mbappe is shining as brightly as ever for Les Bleus ahead of Tuesday's semi-final against Spain in Dallas. 

Mbappe's superb form in the United States comes just weeks after ending a mixed second season at Real Madrid that combined individual brilliance with collective failure.

Real Madrid have won not a major trophy in the two years since Mbappe signed for the club in 2024.

Yet the Spanish giants have just set a new tournament record at the World Cup, with the club's players scoring a record 19 goals throughout the tournament so far, surpassing the previous record of 18 shared by Hungary's Honved (1954), Bayern Munich (2014) and Paris Saint-Germain (2022).

Remarkably, none of the Real Madrid players who have scored at this World Cup come from the Spain squad, which does not include a single player from the 36-time La Liga champions.

Madrid's goals tally is due in large part to England's Jude Bellingham, who has scored six, but above all to Mbappe, who has found the net on eight occasions and sits level with Lionel Messi at the top of the World Cup scoring charts. 

Mbappe, 27, has looked to be at the peak of his powers at the World Cup, the tournament he took by storm as a teenager during France's run to the title in 2018 in Russia.

Like France coach Didier Deschamps and the rest of the France squad, Mbappe is determined to deliver a third star for Les Blues, four years after their agonising defeat in the 2022 final in Qatar.

- 'A phenomenal player' -

Mbappe's World Cup form has done little to dispel the criticism he faced in Madrid towards the end of the season, where he was accused of prioritising country over club -- an act of footballing lese-majeste in the eyes of some.

In sporting terms, Mbappe's second year at the club he joined in the hope of winning the Champions League was a frustrating one, marked by an early Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich and a La Liga title race lost to Barcelona. 

Extraordinary individual numbers -- 42 goals in 44 games, including 25 in the league, enough to earn him the Pichichi trophy as La Liga's top scorer for a second straight season -- did not spare him friction at a club where trophies are the only currency that counts.

One flashpoint came in May, when Mbappe took aim at then-coach Alvaro Arbeloa for leaving him out of the starting line-up against Real Oviedo on his return from a hamstring injury.

"I haven't played because the coach told me I'm the fourth-choice forward in the squad, behind (Franco) Mastantuono, Vinicius (Junior) and Gonzalo (Garcia)," Mbappe told reporters, adding he respected the decision and was "not angry." 

Arbeloa subsequently denied giving that assessment, telling reporters Mbappe had misunderstood him.

Then, in March, reports emerged of disagreements between Mbappe, his entourage and Real Madrid's medical staff over the handling of a persistent knee injury. 

The player sought to play down the affair, denying any suggestion of a misdiagnosis by the club, though he did not convince everyone.

Since then, Real Madrid have changed their medical staff. They have changed coaches, too. Determined to avoid a repeat of the short-lived Xabi Alonso experiment and the troubled interim reign of Arbeloa, the club turned to Jose Mourinho to lift them out of crisis.

Soon after his appointment, the Portuguese manager wryly remarked he hoped his players would be "knocked out of the World Cup as soon as possible." 

On a more serious note, in an interview in late June, Mourinho struck a warmer tone.

"The only thing I can say about Kylian Mbappe is that he's a phenomenal player, and I'm going to try to help him to be even better than this," Mourinho said.

Above all, Real Madrid's fans will be hoping the Frenchman can carry their team next season the way he is carrying France. 

lh/fbx/rcw/gj

Lamine Yamal is hoping to emulate Kylian Mbappe by winning the World Cup as a teenager, but first his Spain side will have to get the better of France and their superstar captain in Tuesday's semi-final.

When Mbappe scored in France's win over Croatia in the deciding match of the 2018 tournament, he was just 19 years and 207 days old. He therefore became only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after a 17-year-old Pele in 1958.

Mbappe's love affair with the World Cup began then, while this is Yamal's first experience of the competition.

He has already had his big breakthrough in a major tournament, however –- Yamal's stunning goal in the Euro 2024 semi-final against Mbappe's France helped Spain to a 2-1 victory.

That came four days before he turned 17. His birthday was the day before the final. Spain beat England, and Yamal was named young player of the tournament.

This time his 19th birthday comes on the eve of the semi-final in Arlington.

Such a young player with his best years to come. But he is clearly eager to leave a firm mark on this World Cup.

Perhaps too eager, having at one point been a doubt for the tournament after missing the end of the season with Barcelona due to a hamstring injury.

"I was afraid it might be serious and, above all, that even if it wasn't serious, I could suffer a setback and end up missing the World Cup," Yamal admitted in late May.

- Anxiety? -

After coming off the bench in Spain's opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, Yamal started against Saudi Arabia and scored before being replaced at half-time in a 4-0 victory.

He has started every game since, without adding to that solitary goal -- that might be getting to him.

"I think Lamine needs to calm the anxiety he sometimes has because he wants to show how important a player he is for us," Spain captain Rodri said Sunday.

"Given he was able to show that level of maturity at that European Championship, when he is two years older you are not so impressed by what he is able to do," he added.

With Yamal not as decisive, Spain have lacked the deadly verticality that made them so hard to stop at the Euros.

France, meanwhile, have rediscovered a cutting edge that evaded them at the Euros, and have the most thrilling attack at this World Cup.

Mbappe, now 27, is the talisman and seems intent on leaving a legacy as an all-time World Cup great.

With eight goals here, he is level with Lionel Messi in the golden boot race and is one behind the Argentine's all-time World Cup record of 21 goals.

- Third straight final? -

Having won the trophy in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final, Mbappe has a third straight final in his sights.

He can therefore match the achievement of the great Brazil full-back Cafu, who played in three in a row from 1994 to 2002. Pele and Diego Maradona each only graced two finals.

His apparent obsession with the World Cup may explain why he missed a chunk of the second half of the season with Real Madrid. As he nursed injuries, some supporters questioned his commitment to their club.

"I know people talk about the stats. I watch the TV too. But my only focus is on helping the team and getting us back here on July 19," he said after beating Sweden in the last 32 at the MetLife Stadium, the venue for the final.

"I have won a World Cup and been a runner-up. This team has done neither of those things, but it is the team with the greatest potential," he added after defeating Morocco in the quarter-finals.

Yamal and Mbappe are already icons in their home countries and beyond, two young men representing the modern face of multicultural Europe.

Mbappe has the greater experience, has already won the World Cup and is confident speaking publicly in English –- those factors help make him one of the faces of this tournament in the US.

The dazzling Yamal is still catching up off the field, but his record against Mbappe on the pitch is impressive.

They have met frequently across the Clasico divide in the last two years -- so far Mbappe has eight defeats and just two wins in 10 games against Yamal with club and country.

as/

Conor McGregor said Sunday his right knee was fine before he injured it on the first kick of his mixed martial arts showdown with Max Holloway to end a five-year layoff.

And the Irish star who lost in 69 seconds at UFC 329 in Las Vegas vowed to make another comeback once he recovers from his latest setback.

McGregor injured himself when he planted his right leg to make a leaping roundhouse kick at the start of the bout, falling to the mat for the first of three times before the fight was stopped.

"I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened," McGregor posted on X on Sunday after the bout.

"The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place."

McGregor, who had not fought since suffering a broken left leg in a 2021 defeat, promised his famed career was not yet over.

"I will overcome this," he wrote. "I will not be deterred. I will return."

McGregor described his injury as "my head gasket is gone. Destroyed," in a cryptic reference taken to mean torn knee ligaments.

"I had no injury / injuries going into the fight," McGregor posted.

"I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere."

McGregor described his situation as, "I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."

Triumphant Holloway, who joked of making McGregor "weak in the knees," said he wants to fight McGregor again whenever possible. He lost their first meeting in 2013.

"Thank you Conor for fight. Took a lot to make that walk after these past few years," Holloway posted on X. "Sending prayers for a speedy recovery."

js/bb

Jannik Sinner was at his clinical best as he successfully defended his Wimbledon title with a bruising four-set victory over French Open champion Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final.

The world number one recovered from losing the first set in a match largely dominated by serve, eventually wearing Zverev down to secure a 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 win.

The Italian was rewarded for his perseverance in an attritional contest with his first Grand Slam title since lifting the trophy at the All England Club 12 months ago.

Sinner's fifth Grand Slam crown is just two behind the majors tally of his injured rival Carlos Alcaraz after notching his 100th match win at tennis' four biggest events.

He hit 58 winners against only 25 unforced errors in three hours and 46 minutes on Centre Court, refusing to buckle against an in-form Zverev who brought a 13-match winning streak at the majors into the final.

Sinner has banished the memories of his shock second-round exit from the French Open at the hands of Juan Manuel Cerundolo when he blew a two-set lead last month.

The closest Sinner came to crashing out of Wimbledon was in the first round when he had to come from behind to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets.

It was plain sailing from then on for Sinner, who has become a fearsome force on grass.

The 24-year-old now boasts a remarkable 44-3 win-loss record this year after winning his sixth title of the season.

Zverev had never even reached the quarter-finals in nine previous visits to Wimbledon, but had been a man reborn in London after finally breaking his Grand Slam duck in Paris.

He managed to take a first set off Sinner in seven meetings, but could not kick on to snap a now 10-match losing streak against a seemingly unbreakable rival.

Zverev, who was bidding to become the first German man to win the trophy since Michael Stich in 1991, will climb above Alcaraz to second in the ATP rankings on Monday.

- Zverev left frustrated -

Zverev saved the only break point of a tight first set dominated by serve as it went to a tie-break.

The first 15 points of the breaker went with serve, with both men saving set points, before Zverev clinched with a fizzing forehand winner.

There were no break points in the second set as the players again efficiently bludgeoned their way to 6-6, but this time Sinner stepped it up in the tie-break to level the match.

Zverev finally created his first break point in the seventh game of the third set, but slipped when Sinner dinked over a drop-shot winner.

He clutched his knee and Sinner crossed the net to check on his injured opponent as the crowd held its breath, but was helped to his feet by the Italian.

Sinner made his move in the next game as Zverev's serve finally broke down.

Zverev threw his racquet angrily across the turf after looping a forehand long on a break point which had seen Sinner lying flat on the turf earlier in the rally.

The top seed immaculately served it out to love, sealing a two-sets-to-one lead with an ace.

Zverev gamely tried to prolong the contest but his race was run when Sinner broke for a 4-3 advantage in the fourth set.

He wrapped up the title on serve despite a dramatic final game featuring arguably the two best rallies of the match, falling to the turf in celebration after slapping away a forehand winner on his first match point.

jc/smg

Cobbled classics specialist Mathieu van der Poel claimed his third Tour de France win on Sunday with victory in the ninth stage, which was shortened due to intense heat.

The 31-year-old Dutchman, a former world champion, won a sprint amongst his three breakaway companions with Tobias Johannessen taking second and Tom Pidcock third.

"It was a super hard day. The start of the Tour was not great for our team, but I think, like always, we stayed calm," he said.

"We have a really nice group here and we kept believing that it will turn around... but it's really nice to go to the first rest day with a win."

Having worked as a sprint lead-out man for his Alpecin Premier Tech team-mate Jasper Philipsen -- who had finished fourth and fifth in the sprint stages -- in the previous two days, Van der Poel finally had a chance to go for a stage win for himself.

Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar came home in the chasing peloton six seconds behind the winner to maintain his lead in the overall standings ahead of Monday's first rest day.

The four-time champion leads two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard by 2min 42sec with Mexican Isaac del Toro a further 45sec back. 

Van der Poel, a three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix -- the two most important one-day cobbled classics -- had previously won Tour stages in 2021 and 2025.

- 'Horrible' roads -

This stage was shortened by around 30km due to a "red alert" weather warning in the central Correze region.

Temperatures once again reached close to 40C, although in parts on the stage it was nearer 30C. 

There was a furious battle from the beginning of the 154.6km run from Malemort to Ussel to make it into the day's breakaway.

It was not until about halfway through the stage that an eight-man breakaway finally went clear on the steep 3.8km-long Suc au May climb.

The group never eked out a lead of more than a minute and a half but they worked well together.

Van der Poel then attacked out of that group with 25km left on the final categorised climb of the day, the 900m-long, and equally steep, Mont Bessou.

Only Norwegian Johannessen, Frenchman Alex Baudin and Briton Pidcock were able to follow and then it was a full-throttle charge to the finish line with a 50-second lead over the significantly-reduced peloton.

The breakaway riders had plenty in the bag and even slowed down in the final kilometre in a cat-and-mouse game before the final sprint.

But when Van der Poel launched that, it was clear that he would be too strong for the others.

"I was not so sure. I spent a lot of energy trying to keep the break alive," he admitted.

"There was a lot of pressure from the bunch. The roads were horrible for a breakaway with a headwind the whole day.

"We fought for it and I'm happy to finish it off."

bc/ea

England and Argentina will meet on Wednesday in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final infused with decades of bitter rivalry after they battled past Norway and Switzerland respectively in the quarter-finals.

The South Americans and their talisman Lionel Messi must defeat England in Atlanta to keep alive their hopes of becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.

England and their key partnership of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane must win to have any hope of ending a 60-year wait for a major trophy.

The winner of that game will take on the victor of France's semi-final with Spain -- they meet in Texas on Tuesday -- in the final on July 19.

The Argentina v England match comes 40 years after a seismic encounter in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Argentina secured a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Azteca with two goals from Diego Maradona -- one the infamous "Hand of God" when he punched the ball into the net and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the greatest goals ever to grace a World Cup.

For Maradona's heir, Messi, it will be his 206th match in an Albiceleste shirt, but his first ever against England.

The match will also take place against the backdrop of a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, known in Spanish as the Malvinas.

Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded.

After Argentina beat a dogged Swiss side 3-1 in Kansas City on Saturday thanks to extra-time goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, their coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to take the political heat out of the meeting with England.

"The message is this is a football game. That's what I can say," Scaloni said. 

"It is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent coach and this is a football game and that's all."

- 'Very lucky ' -

That coach, Thomas Tuchel, was angry with his England team after they needed extra-time on Saturday to end Norway's historic run in sweltering Miami.

Two goals from Jude Bellingham gave England a nervy 2-1 victory to send them into the semi-finals for only the fourth time in history.

Tuchel said his team would need to make a noticeable improvement if they were to have any chance of reaching the final.

In energy-sapping Florida heat and humidity, England's shaky defence allowed Andreas Schjelderup to unleash a rasping shot from the left to put Norway ahead on 36 minutes.

But England got a huge break in first-half stoppage time when Bellingham equalised after an attack that was initiated when a goal kick from Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland appeared to hit an overhead camera cable.

Norway's players protested in vain and the goal stood. The Norwegians also had a goal controversially disallowed before Bellingham then poached the winner in extra-time.

"We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today," Tuchel said afterwards. 

"The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but not happy with the performance... we were very lucky today."

While football's world governing body FIFA later said there was "no evidence" the ball had hit the cable before England's first goal, Norway coach Stale Solbakken was adamant.

"That was unlucky for us," Solbakken said. "The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction. But we can't do anything about that."

Erling Haaland, the marauding forward who scored seven goals as Norway reached uncharted waters at the tournament, said his team's performance had inspired a new generation.

"How we put Norway on the map is maybe one thing that touches me the most," said Haaland, who failed to score for the first time in 15 competitive games for his country.

"Hopefully now we can establish something when it comes to Euros, World Cups and everything because our generation is amazing and also all this gives motivation to young people back in Norway that it's possible to play a big stage in the world with a Norwegian shirt."

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