Page 6 - Latest Updates on FIFA World Cup

World Cup QF: Spain vs Belgium preview, prediction, head-to-head, stats

The winner of the Spain vs Belgium match will face France in the semifinal after Didier Deschamps' side defeated Morocco 2-0 in the opening quarterfinal

Mbappe stars as France outclass Morocco to reach World Cup semifinals

With the win, France reached the World Cup semifinals for a third consecutive edition and will now face Spain/Belgium for a place in the final.

France vs Morocco HIGHLIGHTS World Cup QF: Mbappe, Dembele help FRA beat MAR 2-0 to book semis berth

The clash was a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, where France defeated Morocco 2-0 before eventually losing an epic final to Argentina.

USA star player Christian Pulisic fractured his leg in WC loss to Belgium

U.S. star Christian Pulisic fractured his right leg during the Americans' World Cup loss to Belgium and will be sidelined for several weeks, a person familiar with the injury said Thursday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the diagnosis, first reported by The Athletic, had not yet been announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Pulisic has a bone bruise and a microfracture of his tibia and fibula, the person said. He is expected to be able to resume training before AC Milan's Serie A opener at Torino on Aug. 23, the person added. Pulisic hit a leg of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans while attempting a shot in the 52nd minute of Monday's 4-1 round-of-16 loss at Seattle. He remained in the game but was hobbling and Sebastian Berhalter replaced him in the 59th minute. Pulisic failed to score in the World Cup, missing one of the Americans' five matches because of a calf injury and leaving two other games early. He has 30 goals in 90 international

FIFA World Cup 2026: England player Jarell Quansah suspended for two games

England defender Jarell Quansah was handed a two-match suspension on Thursday for his red card offense against Mexico in the World Cup round of 16. That means Quansah will miss England's quarterfinal match against Norway in Miami Gardens on Saturday and also the semifinals if Thomas Tuchel's team advances. Quansah was sent off in the second half of England's 3-2 victory against Mexico on Sunday for a dangerous foul on Jesus Gallardo. FIFA confirmed the two-match suspension for serious foul play. FIFA's handling of red card punishments has come under intense scrutiny after its disciplinary committee suspended the one-game penalty of star United States striker Folarin Balogun after President Donald Trump intervened and contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Infantino defended the independence of FIFA's disciplinary committee and insisted the Balogun case was properly handled. Right back saga continuesQuansah's prolonged extension is the latest issue for Tuchel to contend with a

World Cup QF: France vs Morocco preview, predictions, head-to-head, stats

France have won all five matches and scored 14 goals, but Morocco's fast-break threat, unbeaten run and big-match maturity make this quarterfinal far from routine

One in five Fifa World Cup goals came from substitutes. Who benefits most?

Substitutes have scored 50 of the 266 goals in the Fifa World Cup 2026 so far. But some teams have gained far more from their benches than others on the road to the quarterfinals

FIFA WC RO16 round-up: Ronaldo, Neymar retire; Messi's record run continues

Morocco and Norway script upsets, England, France and Spain edge through tense encounters, while Belgium and Argentina survive to complete the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final line-up

FIFA investigates altercation involving IShowSpeed at World Cup tie

FIFA said on Tuesday that it is investigating an incident involving streamer and YouTuber IShowSpeed with a fan in the stands during the World Cup match between Argentina and Cape Verde on Friday. IShowSpeed was livestreaming the game and could be heard asking a fan in an Argentina jersey what was being said toward him. The fan speaking in Spanish appeared to be telling IShowSpeed, who is Black, to "go cry to the zoo." "FIFA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms," the soccer body said in a statement. "These actions have no place in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society. ... The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of unity, diversity and respect. It brings together people, cultures and communities from around the world, and anyone who acts in a manner that undermines these values is not welcome in our game." Messages sent to IShowSpeed and publicists seeking comment were not immediately returned. IShowSpeed, a 21-year-old American, has more th

EU lawmakers demand FIFA probe over Trump call before USA-Belgium match

Dozens of European lawmakers are gathering support to launch an investigation in the European Parliament of FIFA boss Gianni Infantino over his involvement in the decision to permit U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to play despite an earlier red card. Balogun was shown a red card during the U.S. victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1, which normally would make him ineligible to play in team's next game, but FIFA lifted his suspension for a match on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened with Infantino on behalf of the 25-year-old striker. European Parliament lawmakers Barry Andrews, Lara Wolters and Niels Fuglsang said in a joint statement that FIFAs decision to "change the rule on red card suspensions mid-tournament is a disgrace and a perversion of justice." "Once again, we've seen Infantino and FIFA surrender to the demands of the Trump administration," the statement said. The lawmakers are asking the national football associations of the EU countries to spur the FIF

Who will reach the world cup semifinals? Quarterfinal schedule, timings IST

Fifa World Cup 2026 quarterfinals feature France vs Morocco, Spain vs Belgium, Norway vs England and Argentina vs Switzerland. Check IST timings, players to watch and semifinal predictions

Atlanta chaos fallout: Egypt cries foul over refereeing, pro-Messi bias

Argentina's 3-2 comeback win over Egypt had the scoreline of a classic, but VAR controversy, touchline fury and accusations of favouritism gave Atlanta a darker edge

Switzerland end 72-year wait, set quarterfinal date with Argentina

Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernandez's penalty before Ruben Vargas scored the decisive kick as Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 in a shootout

Argentina escape Egypt scare as Messi sparks late World Cup comeback

Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 till the 79th minute before Lionel Messi inspired a stunning late comeback to seal a 3-2 win and reach the quarterfinals

Argentina vs Egypt HIGHLIGHTS World Cup, pre-QF: Argentina rally from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2

Argentina vs Egypt HIGHLIGHTS: The defending champions keep their title defence alive and will now face the winner of Colombia vs Switzerland in the last eight.

As Messi dominates World Cup, global war rages for Maradona's ghost

Unlike Messi Maradona lived a life of excess - glorious highs shadowed by criticism and controversy

The fall of Joga Bonito: What has gone wrong with Brazilian football?

Since lifting their fifth World Cup in 2002, Brazil have failed to reach another final despite continuing to produce some of football's biggest stars, like Neymar, Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha

FIFA World Cup 2026 pre-QF today's matches, live timings (IST), streaming

Argentina will be eager to avoid another scare after being pushed to extra time in the previous round, whereas Egypt are eyeing one of the biggest upsets of the competition.

Kylian Mbappe slams Paraguayan senator over racist World Cup comments

France star Kylian Mbappe on Monday condemned a Paraguayan senator over racist remarks she made following Paraguay's loss to France in the round of 16 at the World Cup. Mbappe called Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, a "despicable woman" who was "unworthy" of serving in Paraguay's Congress. "Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup," Mbappe wrote on X. Amarilla posted a series of racist comments on X after Mbappe converted the winning penalty in France's victory over Paraguay on Saturday, mocking the French captain's origins, upbringing, education and appearance. France advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will face Morocco on Thursday. Late Monday, Amarilla issued an open letter in French and Spanish to Mbappe on social media, in which she said her problem was with the player, not the country of France. She wro

Balogun suspension sparks integrity debate despite FIFA, Trump defence

Soccer leaders questioned the World Cup' s integrity on a chaotic and unprecedented day in the event's modern history Monday. The furor centered on a phone call that President Donald Trump made last week to FIFA head Gianni Infantino to make the case that U.S. striker Folarin Balogun should not have been suspended for matchup with Belgium because of a red card in a game last week. FIFA lifted the suspension and cleared Balogun to play. The decision appeared to be the first time since 1962 that punishment for a World Cup offense was suspended in the tournament, increasing scrutiny on Infantino's control of FIFA and his close association with Trump. European soccer body UEFA said FIFA "crossed a red line" and called Sunday's decision by FIFA's disciplinary committee "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable." Infantino denied having a role in the decision. Trump called it a "horrible" call and took credit for getting FIFA to review the foul, but said he did not demand an ...