Thibaut Courtois, Belgium's goalkeeper, expresses confidence in his team's ability to surprise Spain in the upcoming World Cup quarter-final. Despite a shaky group stage, Belgium has shown improved form, and Courtois believes they have the qualities to challenge the European champions. He acknowledges Spain's strengths but highlights Belgium's potential for an upset, drawing on his personal experience playing in Spain.
The World Cup final offers football's grandest stage a deliciously odd pairing: Argentina, all pulse, fire and Lionel Messi, against Spain, the European champions who appear to treat chaos as an administrative error and have turned control into something close to an art form.
Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a crucial Group H match, with Alex Baena scoring the decisive goal. This victory secured Spain's top spot in the group and a place in the World Cup knockout stage, while Uruguay, managed by Marcelo Bielsa, was eliminated from the tournament. Cape Verde also advanced from the group.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final sees Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, take on a strong Spanish unit featuring teenage star Lamine Yamal, with Messi aiming for back-to-back titles at a venue holding past painful memories.
Barcelona stay on course to defend their Copa del Rey title with a 2-1 win over Albacete.
Pedro Porro has emerged as a pivotal player for Spain in the World Cup, transforming the right-back position into a strength. His exceptional performance against France in the semi-final, where he scored and was named MVP, has solidified his place, drawing parallels to Marc Cucurella's rise. Porro's defensive prowess and attacking contributions have been crucial for Spain's journey to the final against Argentina.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso declined to comment on Saturday after Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal suggested the capital club "cheat" and "complain" in a televised interview on Friday.
France captain Kylian Mbappe admitted his side failed both tactically and technically in their 2-0 FIFA World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain, ending their hopes of a third successive final appearance.
In an eventful match with plenty of needle, Vinicius was fired up, snapping into tackles and encouraging the crowd to make more noise
Cape Verde pulled off a World Cup shock by holding Spain to a 0-0 draw in the opening game of Group H on Monday, where the European champions and one of the tournament favourites could find no way past the debutants and their keeper Vozinha.
Since the FIFA World Cup's inaugural tournament in 1930, 23 competitions have occurred up to 2026. Interestingly, only 8 countries have succeeded in claiming the famous trophy and on Sunday, Spain added their second title.
Aitana Bonmat won the women's Ballon d'Or for the third year running while the 18-year-old Yamal, who was Dembele's teammate at Barcelona when he first broke through in 2023, was again awarded the men's Kopa Trophy.
France take on Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final aiming for a third consecutive World Cup final, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele leading Les Bleus against Europe's champions.
Ferran Torres struck twice as Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to their Camp Nou Stadium with an emphatic 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to feature a significant generational divide, with players spanning over 25 years in age. Mexico's Gilberto Mora, 17, will be the youngest, while Scotland's Craig Gordon, 43, will be the oldest. The tournament will showcase a mix of emerging talents and seasoned veterans like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, with nations like Panama and Ivory Coast representing the oldest and youngest average squads, respectively.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals are set, featuring a diverse lineup of one South American, one African, and six European teams, including defending champions Argentina and France, alongside surprise packages like Morocco and Norway, all vying for football's ultimate prize.
Harry Kane scored his 36th goal of the season but Bayern Munich let a second-half lead slip to draw 2-2 with Hamburg SV.
From Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Cape Verde's fairytale run, VAR controversies and unforgettable fan moments, relive the memories that made the 2026 FIFA World Cup the biggest and most dramatic tournament in history.
The top 32 teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026 are now confirmed after a dramatic and exhausting group stage that came to a close on Saturday.
The Catalan side said they will be presented with the league trophy on Friday during a special celebration in the city.
Atletico Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, boosted by a red card for Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi and goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth.
Three stars-Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, PSG's Ousmane Dembele, and Barcelona's Raphinha-have dominated the season with goals, assists, and match-winning performances.
The Finalissima match between Spain and Argentina in Doha is in doubt after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
Spanish police investigate Islamophobic chants during Spain vs Egypt friendly, drawing condemnation from government and football authorities over racism in stadiums.
Barca's capped a dominant La Liga campaign with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid to claim their 29th La Liga crown at the Camp Nou in Barcelona on Sunday.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann made two changes to his line-up with Jonathan Tah and Emre Can coming in to the team to face an unchanged Spain in their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash on Friday.
With Kylian Mbappe's depth and experience, economists predict France are tipped to edge Spain to lift World Cup.
Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal inspired his country to a thrilling 5-4 win over France on Thursday to send the holders through to their third successive Nations League final where they will face Iberian neighbours Portugal.
Spanish teenager Yamal coy over 'dream come true' wonder strike
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has suffered a torn thigh muscle, the club said on Tuesday, with the Poland captain facing a spell on the sidelines that could rule him out of next week's LaLiga clash against Real Madrid.
Nine players from treble-winning Paris St Germain have been nominated for the men's Ballon d'Or this year along with the club's coach Luis Enrique as France Football announced the list of nominees on Thursday.
Raphinha hat-trick fires Barcelona past Sevilla at top
Barcelona recovered from an early setback to secure a 3-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga on Saturday.
On debut, substitute Marcus Rashford became the first Englishman to play a first-team game for Barcelona since former England striker Gary Lineker in 1989.
The 'Finalissima' match between Spain and Argentina that was scheduled to be held in Qatar has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East while the South American side rejected multiple alternatives, UEFA said on Sunday.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is set to be football's largest tournament but will unfold against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tensions, including conflicts, strained alliances, and complex immigration policies, challenging its traditional role as a symbol of global unity.
Images from the Euro 2024 semi-final between Spain and France, at Munich Football Arena, Germany, on Tuesday.
Stuttgart stumble to 1-1 against Union, miss out on top three
Raphinha struck twice late in the second half as Barcelona secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a resolute Osasuna side on Saturday, extending their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings to seven points.
Rashford, one of Europe's top talents before falling out of favour at United and spending the latter part of last season on loan at Aston Villa, joins a stellar attacking cast featuring Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres.
