It's goalless at half-time in the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in New York on Sunday.
As the sport's popularity spread across the world, it developed its own colourful language/expressions. From clever slang to bizarre nicknames, the game's changing culture has thrown up some rather unusual turn of phrase. Here are 8 of the strangest football terms ever used.
Lionel Messi extended his record by scoring in a ninth straight FIFA World Cup match as Argentina fought back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 and keep their title defence alive.
Erling Haaland scored two crucial late goals to lead Norway to a stunning 2-1 victory over five-times champions Brazil in the World Cup Round of 16, securing their place in the quarter-finals. Neymar's late penalty was not enough for Brazil, who also missed an earlier spot-kick.
Twenty-three political parties and an Independent MP have jointly written to Chief Justice Surya Kant regarding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and other election-related issues, a move spearheaded by the INDIA bloc.
France and Morocco were goalless at half-time in their World Cup quarter-final. Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty for France, whose early dominance did not translate into goals. Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a crucial save to deny Mbappe from the spot.
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.
Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, expected to be the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match, was denied entry into the United States due to "vetting concerns" by US Customs and Border Protection.
Brazil's head coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed disappointment after the team's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 defeat to Norway, but stated the team would use the exit as motivation for future improvements. He highlighted the need for new midfield talent as key players like Neymar are expected to retire from international football.
Mohamed Salah scored and assisted as Egypt came from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1 in Vancouver, securing the country's first-ever FIFA World Cup victory and moving top of Group G.
Spain have knocked Portugal out of the World Cup after Mikel Merino's late goal sealed a dramatic 1-0 victory, ending Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup campaign.
Egypt's national football coach, Hossam Hassan, has vehemently blamed 'unfair' refereeing decisions and 'external factors' for his team's dramatic World Cup elimination by Argentina, stating he will no longer watch the tournament.
Argentina produced a stunning comeback after falling two goals behind, scoring twice in four minutes through Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi to beat Egypt 3-2 in their last 16 clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Egypt's players and Coach Hossam Hassan blasted FIFA and accused the governing body of blatantly 'favouring' Lionel Messi and his team.
Egypt secured their first-ever World Cup knockout victory, defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a last-32 match at Dallas Stadium, advancing to the last-16.
Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan expressed pride in his team's performance after a 1-1 draw against Belgium in their World Cup opener. Despite coming close to a historic win, Hassan highlighted the team's quality, ambition, and the strong contributions of players like Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, asserting that Egypt is not just there to "make up the numbers." The draw is seen as a significant step in reinventing the national team's identity.
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned the two sons of Karnataka Congress MLA N A Haris for questioning in a crypto currency-linked money laundering case. The case involves hacking websites, stealing bitcoins, and selling virtual digital assets, with the Nalapad brothers previously denying wrongdoing and alleging political vendetta.
In one of the biggest upsets ever seen at the World Cup, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill saved the efforts of Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade before Jonathan Tah fired over the bar, paving the way for Jose Canale to blast home the decisive spot kick.
Paraguay achieved a stunning upset by eliminating four-time World champions Germany from the World Cup in a penalty shootout. After a 1-1 draw in their Round of 32 match, Paraguay secured a 4-3 victory in the shootout, with Jose Canale scoring the decisive kick.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick praised Lionel Messi's exceptional scoring ability after his team's 2-0 loss to Argentina, where Messi netted twice. However, Rangnick expressed frustration over Argentina's first goal, believing a foul on Xaver Schlager was overlooked. Despite the defeat, Rangnick was largely satisfied with his team's performance and their World Cup campaign.
Japan delivered a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia in the World Cup's 1,000th match on Saturday to move to the brink of the knockout stages, while the North Africans were eliminated after a second successive defeat in Group F.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the family of a 12-year-old girl murdered in Budgam, offering condolences after police arrested a neighbour for the crime.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed various issues ahead of the World Cup, defending the body's handling of visa challenges, stressing its inability to override government decisions, and highlighting efforts to ensure participation from all nations, including Iran. He also defended ticket pricing and expressed optimism for a competitive tournament focused on unity.
The INDIA bloc meeting saw discussions about the emerging youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), with leaders holding divergent views on its intent and significance. While some expressed concerns about its political motives, many saw it as a healthy sign of youth dissent against the system, prompting calls for engagement and attention to the issues raised.
Argentina booked their place in the World Cup knockout stage on Monday as Lionel Messi recovered from an early penalty miss to score a record-breaking double in a 2-0 victory over Austria.
The Gujarat ATS and the Indian Coast Guard seized 115 kg of cocaine valued at nearly Rs 1,150 crore from a vessel off Mundra port and apprehended three foreign nationals.
Sweden trio Yasin Ayari, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres were all on target as they cruised to a 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey on Sunday.
Talismanic Mohamed Salah scores twice to help Egypt rally to 3-1 win over New Zealand on Sunday.
The Gujarat ATS and Indian Coast Guard seized 115 kg of cocaine worth nearly Rs 1,150 crore from a vessel off Mundra port, arresting three foreign nationals and disrupting an international drug trafficking network.
The 13.153-km Zojila Tunnel, the world's longest single-tube bi-directional road tunnel at the highest altitude, and its final breakthrough will be a historic milestone in India's infrastructure history.
The Zojila tunnel, a crucial infrastructure project connecting the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh, achieved a significant breakthrough, connecting its two ends and moving closer to providing all-weather connectivity, reducing travel time from 1.5 hours to just 15 minutes.
Leaders from several opposition parties within the INDIA bloc convened in New Delhi, stressing the critical need for unity to safeguard democratic values and address pressing issues like people's livelihoods, despite recent internal differences and electoral setbacks.
Shops and markets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir remained closed following a protest call by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), amidst reports of over 20 deaths in recent police action. The JAAC, now outlawed, is demanding subsidised flour and electricity, and the abolition of "refugee seats." Authorities have offered a reward for the arrest of JAAC leaders, while the PoK "Prime Minister" has called for negotiations.
A doctor at a government hospital in Pulwama was injured after allegedly being assaulted by a patient's attendant following a dispute over examination timings.
Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on Monday and decided to write to the chief justice of India on the Special Intesive Revision exercise and "vote loot", besides demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE row.
Iran's football federation has requested FIFA to clarify the timeline for issuing tournament visas after relocating their World Cup training camp from Arizona to Tijuana due to diplomatic friction and visa complications.
Manchester City kept the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal with a comfortable 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday, trimming the gap at the top of the table to two points as the title race sprints towards its conclusion.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah distanced himself from the 'vote chori' issue raised by the Congress, stating the INDIA bloc has no involvement.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
From Baahubali to Peddi, these blockbuster South Indian films drew criticism for romanticising toxic masculinity and reducing their female leads to objects of desire.
