Adrien Rabiot has attempted to lower the temperature around one of the most anticipated individual battles of the 2026 World Cup. With France preparing to face Spain in the semi-final, much of the discussion has centred on Lamine Yamal and...
Spain’s route to the 2026 World Cup semi-finals has been built on control, patience and faith in their identity. Luis de la Fuente must now apply those principles against the tournament’s most explosive attack. France arrive in Arlington with Kylian...
England reached the World Cup semi-finals after defeating Norway 2-1 in extra time, yet Thomas Tuchel emerged from Miami sounding less like a manager celebrating progress and more like one warning that his team had escaped by the narrowest margin....
England’s campaign survived an examination of nerve as Jude Bellingham delivered twice against Norway, turning the quarter-final into a 2-1 extra-time victory. England were below their best, but Bellingham again refused to let the tournament end. He equalised shortly before...
Argentina’s World Cup title defence survived another night of tension, controversy and physical exhaustion because Julián Álvarez produced a finish that belonged on the tournament’s biggest stage. For 111 minutes, Switzerland had frustrated the reigning champions with disciplined defending, brave...
Mikel Merino’s defining image at the 2026 World Cup is not the mobility scooter he needed during the darkest stage of his recovery. It is the sight of him racing toward Spain’s supporters after another late winning goal, arms spread,...
Mikel Merino has developed an extraordinary habit of arriving precisely when Spain need him most. With their World Cup quarter-final against Belgium drifting towards extra time, Spain appeared to be running out of ways to convert control into victory. They...
Kylian Mbappé had already experienced disappointment before producing the decisive moment that carried France into another World Cup semi-final. The French captain stepped forward from the penalty spot against Morocco with an opportunity to break the deadlock in their quarter-final....
The stuttered penalty run-up has become one of the most fiercely debated techniques at the 2026 World Cup, with a series of costly failures raising fresh doubts over a method designed to place the goalkeeper at a disadvantage. Kylian Mbappe’s...
Rafa Benitez has opened the door to a possible move into international management after refusing to rule himself out of contention for the vacant Scotland job. The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Chelsea manager is available following the conclusion of...
