England manager Thomas Tuchel has made three changes to his starting XI for the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, bringing Reece James and Djed Spence into the defence, while Argentina's Lionel Scaloni makes one switch, with Giuliano Simeone replacing Rodrigo De Paul.
Argentina staged a dramatic comeback, scoring two late goals to defeat England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final, with Lionel Messi orchestrating the turnaround after England had taken the lead.
England's World Cup journey ended in heartbreak after their decision to sit back defensively against Argentina in the semi-final allowed Lionel Messi to orchestrate a stunning comeback, exposing the perils of premature defensive play, according to manager Thomas Tuchel.
Lionel Messi's Argentina celebrate after their come-from-behind win over England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
England secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Mexico in the World Cup quarter-finals, demonstrating crucial adaptability and resilience after playing with 10 men for over half an hour, a performance that manager Thomas Tuchel believes proves their ability to survive when matches don't follow the script.
The upcoming LaLiga season promises an intense battle as Barcelona defends its title against a revamped Real Madrid, led by returning manager Jose Mourinho, and a turbulent Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid has made significant signings and brought back Mourinho after two trophyless seasons, while Barcelona relies on continuity and its World Cup-winning core. Atletico Madrid faces pressure on manager Diego Simeone and a potential transfer saga involving Julian Alvarez, setting the stage for a dramatic season.
United States President Donald Trump has praised England captain Harry Kane as a 'GREAT player' following his pivotal role in England's 3-2 FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 victory over co-hosts Mexico, where Kane scored his sixth goal of the tournament.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni lauded his team's ability to perform under pressure, stating they 'play its best football when it's under pressure' after their dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against England secured a spot in the World Cup final.
England defeated Mexico 3-2 in a hard-fought World Cup match to secure their place in the quarter-finals. Despite playing with ten men after Jarell Quansah's red card, goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane ensured England's victory.
Jude Bellingham delivered an authoritative and relentless performance, scoring two crucial goals to lead England to a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in their World Cup quarter-final, securing their place in the semi-finals.
Argentina battled their way into the semis after edging Cape Verde and Switzerland in extra time and coming from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt 3-2.
An emotional Stale Solbakken praised Norway's historic FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England ended their dream run in the quarter-finals.
England came close to making a premature and shock exit from the World Cup at the hands of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, before Harry Kane rode to the rescue, and manager Thomas Tuchel was proud of how his players refused to accept the defeat staring them in the face.
Jude Bellingham scored twice as England fought back to defeat Norway 2-1 in the third World Cup quarter-final at Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday.
Harry Kane struck in the closing stages to rescue England from a shock World Cup exit, sealing a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo and a place in the Round of 16, as emotional scenes unfolded in the stands with his family celebrating his match-winning heroics.
England's manager Thomas Tuchel has faced heavy criticism following their World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, but he attributes the loss to fundamental issues like a lack of 'ball possession DNA' rather than just tactical errors, while acknowledging the unstoppable brilliance of Lionel Messi.
Jude Bellingham's stellar performance, including a goal and an assist for Harry Kane, propelled England to a 2-0 victory over Panama. This win secured England's top position in Group L of the World Cup, allowing them to avoid a difficult knockout phase route. The match saw England dominate possession and overcome a flat first half, with Kane also breaking Gary Lineker's World Cup goal record for England.
Former India coach Stephen Constantine shares his views on Lionel Messi, ranking him below Pele, Maradona, and Ronaldinho due to his reliance on teammates for defensive work. He also predicts Spain will win the upcoming final against Argentina, despite acknowledging Argentina's experience and Messi's match-winning ability. Constantine further discusses England's semi-final exit and criticises hydration breaks and refereeing controversies.
Harry Kane rose to rescue England, striking twice in the span of 11 minutes as the former champions fought back from a goal down to beat a a gritty Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup last-32 clash in Atlanta on Wednesday.
England coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed Bukayo Saka is fully fit and available for the World Cup clash against Ghana, while also voicing concerns that FIFA's mandatory hydration breaks are disrupting the flow and identity of football.
England manager Thomas Tuchel made several bold selection calls for the World Cup, leaving out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire while recalling Ivan Toney and backing a new-look squad built on chemistry and trust.
Arsenal moved nine points clear in the Premier League after beating Everton 2-0 as 16-year-old Max Dowman became the youngest scorer in league history, while Manchester City dropped points at West Ham.
Bodo/Glimt secured an upset 3-1 victory over Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Wednesday.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Sunderland defeated Newcastle United 2-1 with a late goal from Brian Brobbey, while Nottingham Forest secured a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League action.
Arsenal seized control of the Premier League title race as Bukayo Saka's goal secured a priceless 1-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City could only draw 2-2 at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
West Ham United bounced back from conceding an early goal to beat Newcastle United 3-1 on Sunday.
Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko scoring a stoppage-time equaliser to deny 18th-placed West Ham United a 1-0 win.
Manchester United's Patrick Dorgu struck in the first half as Ruben Amorim's side held on for an ugly 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Friday in the year's only Boxing Day fixture to climb to fifth place in the Premier League standings.
Champions Liverpool edged Newcastle United 3-2 in a thrilling finish thanks to a stoppage-time winner by teenaged Premier League debutant Rio Ngumoha.
Liverpool secured a dominant win over West Ham, while other Premier League matches saw Brentford edge Burnley in a seven-goal thriller and Everton secure a late victory against Newcastle.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals to ignite their charge on Tuesday.
A summary of Saturday's action in the Premier League.
FC Barcelona hammered Newcastle United F.C. 7-2 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, while Liverpool F.C., Bayern Munich and Atltico Madrid also advanced.
Dramatic night in the Champions League playoffs as goals, shocks and dominant performances decided the final places in the last 16.
Arsenal, who had 23 shots to Newcastle's seven, piled on the pressure late on to try to reduce the deficit but Newcastle manned the barricades to take a healthy lead to St James' Park.
Chelsea battled from two goals down to beat West Ham 3-2 in the Premier League on Saturday with a stoppage-time Enzo Fernandez winner.
Senegal become first African team to beat England with 3-1 win in friendly
Erling Haaland is the tenth player to reach the landmark of 50 goals in the UEFA Champions League and fastest to do so, beating the 62-match record of Ruud van Nistelrooy.
