England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is set to face Lionel Messi for the first time in his career during Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against Argentina, an occasion he described as carrying a 'sense of history' given his long-standing admiration for the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
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.
An Argentine war veterans federation has urged football fans to prioritise the World Cup semi-final against England as a sporting event, rather than using it to reignite sovereignty claims over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. They emphasised diplomacy for territorial disputes and called for respect for fallen soldiers without promoting hatred.
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.
Lionel Messi's Argentina celebrate after their come-from-behind win over England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham defended his teammates after head coach Thomas Tuchel criticised their performance despite a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, with Tuchel stating England were 'lucky' to progress.
England overcame Mexico, the hostile Azteca atmosphere, high altitude and a red card to seal a dramatic 3-2 World Cup victory, with Jude Bellingham inspiring a famous win that could define their tournament.
Argentina will wear their navy-and-black away kit for the World Cup semi-final against England, a decision that has sparked fan interest due to the kit's association with past victories against England, including the 1986 'Hand of God' match and the 1998 penalty shootout win. The team hopes this alternate strip brings them continued success.
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.
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.
Former Norway international Alf-Inge 'Alfie' Haaland expressed his disappointment after Norway's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign ended with a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England, claiming the Scandinavian side had been 'robbed' in the contest.
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 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.
England manager Thomas Tuchel praised his side's "pure mentality and heart" after the 10-man Three Lions survived a thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium to book a FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Norway.
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.
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.
England played out a 0-0 draw against Ghana in their second World Cup Group L match, a result that leaves both teams well-positioned for the next phase. Despite England dominating possession, Ghana's strong defensive strategy frustrated their attacking efforts, leading to a goalless stalemate.
Harry Kane struck twice while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford delivered the knockout blows as England survived a back-and-forth battle to beat Croatia 4-2 on Wednesday and launch their World Cup campaign in a heavyweight clash that lived up to its billing.
Manchester City's title hopes take a hit after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Everton, with Jeremy Doku's late goal rescuing a point as Arsenal maintain the advantage.
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.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
Arsenal cleared arguably the most dangerous remaining obstacle in their path to the Premier League title by the skin of their teeth as Leandro Trossard's late goal secured a dramatic 1-0 win at West Ham United to restore their five-point lead on Sunday.
Liverpool edged closer to Champions League qualification with a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield on Saturday, but the result came with a sour note as Mohamed Salah went off with a suspected hamstring injury.
Manchester City defeated Arsenal in a crucial Premier League match, while Liverpool secured a late win against Everton. Nottingham Forest also claimed a significant victory against Burnley.
Arsenal teenager Max Dowman made Premier League history by scoring at 16 years and 73 days in a 2-0 win over Everton, becoming the youngest scorer in the competition.
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.
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.
Everton enjoyed their first Premier League win at Manchester United for 12 years despite playing virtually the entire game with 10 men.
IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Premier League leaders Arsenal needed two own goals, the second deep in stoppage time, to scrape a 2-1 home win over bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers and open a five-point gap, while earlier on Saturday Mohamed Salah put aside a tumultuous week to help Liverpool beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Sunday
A late penalty from new signing Lukas Nmecha earned promoted Leeds United a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton in their first match back in the Premier League.
England's Jordan Pickford is already guaranteed to pick up the Euro 2020 "Golden Glove" award, as he has five clean sheets to his name.
De Ligt's last-gasp equaliser snatches dramatic draw for Man United at Spurs
Manchester City's Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals to ignite their charge on Tuesday.
Bruno Fernandes milestone and late drama lift Manchester United past Chelsea with a chaotic 2-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford
England racked up an eighth successive victory against Wales with a 3-0 cruise in an international friendly at Wembley on Thursday.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Sunday
Portugal qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia that included hat-tricks from both Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves.
