Inter Milan and Napoli secured victories in their Serie A openers, while Racing Lens and Olympique Lyonnais also began their Ligue 1 campaigns with wins, setting an early pace in their respective leagues.
Lionel Messi made history by becoming the oldest outfield player to start a FIFA World Cup final at 39 years and 25 days, while Spain's Lamine Yamal became the third-youngest player ever to start the tournament's showpiece match, highlighting a generational clash.
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.
Brazil's World Cup campaign ended with a 2-1 defeat to Norway as Carlo Ancelotti's gamble on experienced stars backfired, exposing deeper structural issues and leaving the five-time champions facing a long road back to the summit of world football.
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.
Italy registered their first-ever T20 World Cup win, thrashing Nepal by 10 wickets as the Mosca brothers scripted history with an unbeaten 123-run stand.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente attributes his team's commanding 2-0 victory over France and progression to the World Cup final to a revived "spirit of 2010" and strong team unity. He praised the squad's commitment, solidarity, and talent, highlighting their collective goal-oriented approach and humility. Spain has now equalled Italy's unbeaten record and looks forward to the final, with De la Fuente emphasising the team's continuous potential for growth.
Lionel Messi will face England for the first time in his career when Argentina meet the Three Lions in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, ending a 20-year wait for one of football's most anticipated match-ups.
Gianluca Rocchi steps aside amid a Serie A fraud probe, with VAR official Andrea Gervasoni also under investigation, raising fears of another Calciopoli-style crisis.
Italy are gearing up for their Twenty20 World Cup debut, hoping a strong showing next month will help the sport break into popular culture in a soccer-obsessed nation that does not have a natural cricket pitch.
Norway made history at the FIFA World Cup by fielding three sons of former World Cup players in the same match: Erling Haaland, Alexander Sorloth, and Kristian Thorstvedt. This mirrored a 1994 World Cup match where their fathers played together. Erling Haaland marked his debut with a brace, leading Norway to a 4-1 victory over Iraq.
Packed with legendary players and remarkable milestones, these fascinating FIFA World Cup facts offer a glimpse into the tournament's rich history.
A satirical song about leaving Bosnia for America has become the country's unofficial World Cup anthem after Dubioza Kolektiv rewrote the hit to celebrate Bosnia's remarkable journey to the global football stage.
Despite initial challenges like unsold tickets and a rained-out fan festival, visitors are flocking to Toronto for the first-ever World Cup soccer match in Canada. Fans are drawn by factors such as lower drinking age compared to the US, cultural similarities, and Canada's diverse immigrant population, creating a unique and determined atmosphere for the tournament.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp criticised the VAR decision that disallowed Jonathan Tah's goal, leading to Germany's early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026. He also took a dig at Arsenal regarding their set-piece goals, suggesting many would be ruled out if Tah's goal was illegal.
Cabo Verde, making their FIFA World Cup debut, delivered a memorable performance, reaching the Round of 32 and pushing defending champions Argentina to extra time. Despite a 3-2 defeat, their campaign was marked by resilience, drawing against European champions Spain and two-time world champions Uruguay, and highlighted by the exceptional goalkeeping of 40-year-old Vozinha.
Mexico will bid to continue their remarkable World Cup run when they face England in the last 16 on Sunday, with Javier Aguirre's side standing one victory away from a first quarter-final appearance in 40 years.
Japan v Tunisia marks 1,000th FIFA World Cup match
Carlo Ancelotti has extended his contract as the manager of the Brazilian national football team until the 2030 World Cup.
Lewis Hamilton dismisses retirement speculation, confirming his commitment to Ferrari with a contract extending to 2027. He also shared his support for Arsenal's Premier League title win, while other drivers discussed their football allegiances ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Cabo Verde's star goalkeeper Vozinha has expressed confidence ahead of their FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash against Argentina, vowing to make history. The debutant nation has impressed with three draws in the group stage, becoming the smallest country to reach the knockout phase. Vozinha also achieved a rare feat, becoming only the third goalkeeper over 40 to register multiple clean sheets in the tournament. Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged Cabo Verde as a tough opponent.
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.
With Kylian Mbappe's depth and experience, economists predict France are tipped to edge Spain to lift World Cup.
Iran's national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the US on the days of its three FIFA World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament.
For the expanded 2026 tournament, FIFA has gone a step further and introduced an extra amnesty for yellow cards, effectively wiping the slate clean twice.
The four top Italian football clubs found guilty in the Serie A match-fixing scandal will begin their appeals on July 22.
Rahul Dravid said the European T20 Premier League offers an 'exciting opportunity' to grow cricket in Europe after becoming owner of the Dublin Guardians franchise.
France return to No.1 in FIFA rankings after wins over Brazil and Colombia, while Spain drop to second and Argentina slip to third in the latest standings.
Spalletti departed after a stint of under two years, overseeing his final match, a 2-0 victory against Moldova, just a day after revealing he had been dismissed following Italy's 3-0 defeat by Norway in their opening World Cup qualifier.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
It was a godsend for both Burns and Italy, who qualified for their maiden ICC World Cup by making the cut for next year's T20 showpiece India and Sri Lanka on Friday.
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.
Former Italy international Pamela Conti was on Sunday named head coach of the Indian women's U-17 team to take charge of the country's AFC Asian Cup campaign later this year, second such appointment of a national side this month made by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Kosovo, Italy, Czech Republic, and Bosnia and Herzegovina have advanced to the World Cup playoff finals after securing victories in their respective semi-final matches. Thrilling encounters saw underdog triumphs and penalty shootout drama.
Spain cruised to a 3-1 win over Italy on Friday that sees both sides through to the knock-out stages at the Women's Euros, with the Spaniards topping Group B to set up a showdown with hosts Switzerland, while the second-placed Italians will meet Group A winners Norway.
Japan soccer great Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, said on Friday he had all but given up on a return to the J-League before signing for Fukushima United, adding that he hopes to contribute with goals and assists in the latest chapter of his age-defying career.
Bullingham said the FA has been in contact with UK police, who are in touch with the relevant social media platform.
Bangladesh's Sports Minister Aminul Haque plans to consult with the ICC regarding alleged irregularities in the Bangladesh Cricket Board elections and will appoint a committee to investigate the country's failure to participate in the T20 World Cup.
A summary of results from football leagues across Europe.
Cristiano Ronaldo birthday special coverage: Check Cristiano Ronaldo age, stats, total goals, career records, trophies and net worth details.
