England Coach Thomas Tuchel has come under heavy criticism from the country's football greats after the Three Lions squandered an early lead to lose 2-1 to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, ending their hopes of reaching a first final since 1966.
Mikel Merino capitalized on a late blunder by substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens to send Spain into the World Cup semifinals with a victory over Belgium.
Kylian Mbappé draws level with Lionel Messi atop the Golden Boot standings. Mbappé scored in the 59th minute to give France a 1-0 lead over Morocco in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals. Both superstars now have eight goals, while Erling Haaland remains just one strike behind as the race for the tournament’s top scorer enters its decisive stage.
Led by French coach Didier Deschamps, France (ranked third in the FIFA rankings) dominated Morocco (seventh) with a 2-0 victory at Boston Stadium in the United States on the 10th (Korean time), thanks to consecutive goals from match-solvers Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) and Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain/PSG).
In a grueling and intensely tactical battle at BC Place in Vancouver, Switzerland booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals by defeating Colombia 4–3 in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw through 120 minutes of regular and extra time.
It remains the ultimate paradox of modern football. Lionel Messi can bend a 30-yard free-kick into the stanchion, thread a pass through a needles' eye, and manipulate a moving ball with unparalleled genius. Yet, when the game stops and he is handed a dead ball just 12 yards from the net with only a goalkeeper to beat, the surreal happens and the legendary playmaker becomes entirely human.