But Argentines argue they are just passionate and misunderstood.

“I think we deserve some credit for not being very well-liked, because of this tendency to be arrogant and look down on most people from a pedestal,” said Leo Simone, 55, a lawyer, from his home north of Buenos Aires.

“They confuse arrogance with pride,” his wife chimed in, preferring not to give her name.

While star Lionel Messi is beloved around the world, anti-Argentina sentiment grew as critics argued they were FIFA’s darling and received favorable referee calls such as penalties and cards shown to opponents.

Then came the final, replete with fouls, brawls on the pitch, and the Argentine squad turning their backs when Spain received the World Cup trophy.

The New York Times called it a “tetchy, petulant and distasteful performance”.

Former Germany player Thomas Hitzlsperger wrote on X that the team were “disgusting sportsmen” and British television personality Piers Morgan said “they basically just went around whacking as many Spanish players as they could”.

Near Ezeiza Airport, where thousands of fans welcomed the players returning to Buenos Aires on Monday night, Maximiliano Heredia, a 35-year-old construction worker, said: “We’ve always been criticised, we’re used to it. But we always give it our all.”

‘We love it’

Many Argentines online wore the criticism as a badge of honour.

“There’s something about Argentine irreverence that they can’t tolerate. Our rebelliousness irritates them, enrages them … they call us cocky, cheaters, dirty. And we love it, it fills us with pride,” journalist Pedro Rosemblat wrote on his Instagram.

Sports journalist Ezequiel Fernandez Moores told AFP that some criticism was justified: “Sometimes we think we’re the centre of the universe, that God and our own navel are Argentine.”

He said local football codes of provocation, mockery, and boasting did not translate to a global audience.

“We can’t expect the world to understand us, our way of being, feeling, and expressing ourselves,” he said.

Nevertheless, the team turning their backs on Spain as they received the cup was “not right,” he said.

The lawyer Simone rejects the notion that physical play makes Argentina a violent team.

“Argentina is a team that fights hard, like almost all South American football, but Spain also resorted to tactical fouls,” he said.

“It’s football: if you don’t like being hit, play volleyball.”

For Evelio Rubio, a 47-year-old Venezuelan neurologist who has lived in Argentina for a decade, it is impossible to understand from outside how “football is experienced here”.

For a Venezuelan accustomed to his national team not winning titles, experiencing that passion from within “is spectacular.”

Racism accusations

Argentine fans and some players have also faced accusations of racism — such as a chant sung by the team in the past mocking some players on the French team as not being really French.

There is also a long history of club-level fans throwing bananas on the field or making monkey gestures at Brazilian fans or black players.

During this World Cup, FIFA condemned racism in a statement after an Argentine supporter told a black US influencer known as IShowSpeed to go “cry at the zoo” during a livestream.

American actor Samuel L. Jackson stirred controversy when he urged black people in an Instagram story not to support Argentina which he dubbed one of “the most racist countries in the world”.

Sociologist Ivan Schuliaquer of the National University of San Martin said people should not take racism related to football and apply it generally to Argentine society and history.

This racism exists and should not be denied, he said.

“But, in many cases, these labels come from colonising countries that have not yet fully resolved the issue of racism.”

Spain captain Rodri held the World Cup trophy aloft at the top of the stairs as he descended from the Iberia plane that flew the team home from the United States after clinching their second star.

Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday, secured by a Ferran Torres strike in extra-time, has sparked an outpouring of national pride in the football-mad country, whose only other World Cup triumph came in 2010.

Many younger supporters were not yet born when Andres Iniesta’s extra-time goal against the Netherlands secured Spain’s first World Cup in South Africa 16 years ago.

On Monday morning, the Castellana, Madrid’s main avenue, bore the marks of a boozy evening — the tarmac strewn with trash, beer cans and shards of glass.

Among the last remaining supporters, some slept with grins on their faces on the pavement or on benches, while others were still staggering home as cleaning crews worked from the early hours to prepare the route for tonight’s party.

“I didn’t sleep much, because… (of) the celebration and then the tension of the match — I think it was a little more difficult for all of us to fall asleep,” Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida told RNE radio.

After landing, the players will be received by King Felipe VI at Zarzuela Palace, on the outskirts of Madrid, according to the mayor.

The team will then be met by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the government headquarters, La Moncloa.

Spain’s World Cup winners will enjoy an open-top bus parade, starting at Moncloa and heading to Cibeles square, the central government’s representative in Madrid, Francisco Martin, told Spanish public television.

A ceremony involving the players will then be held at the square, the traditional gathering point for celebrations by the Spanish national team and its supporters.

Around one million people are expected to line the parade route, with additional security and transport measures planned to handle the crowds, Martin said.

Some supporters, who already had only a short night’s sleep, are planning to celebrate again, like Bruno Gonzalez del Yerro, a 32-year-old financier.

“We’ll have to celebrate it one way or another, given that it only happens every four years and that Spain hadn’t won it for about [16] years now — it definitely deserves a party,” he said.

Spain’s women’s side won the World Cup in 2023, meaning for the first time a country has both trophies at the same time.

In 2030, Spain will defend their crown on home soil, as one of the World Cup hosts along with Portugal and Morocco.

Spain’s World Cup celebrations were not just heard across the country – they were felt underground.

Spanish World Cup celebrations detected by seismic sensors

Seismometers dotted around Spain detected vibrations caused by fans erupting in joy after Ferran Torres’ goal in Sunday’s final secured the national team’s second World Cup title, scientists said on Monday.

Researchers from the Geosciences Barcelona centre analysed data from the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and the Catalan Geological and Cartographic Institute (ICGC), which showed unusual signals linked to the celebrations in cities including Algeciras, Barcelona, Cadiz and Granada, they said in a statement.

The sensors picked up three clear bursts of activity during the match: after Torres’ goal, a later strike that was ruled out by VAR and the strongest vibration recorded after the final whistle.

Scientists said the movements were an example of “induced seismicity” caused by human activity — in this case, thousands of fans jumping, shouting and celebrating at once.

Sensors detected comparable vibrations during Spain’s Euro 2024 final victory over England, when goals by Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal triggered measurable ground movements in Madrid and Barcelona.

‘All-time’ kings

The Spanish press was running out of superlatives to describe its heroes after they overcame favourites France in the semi-finals before downing Argentina.

“The kings of all-time!” wrote Marca, celebrating a “second star that will now be stitched onto the Spanish jersey after yet another masterclass in collective play”.

On a tragic note, a 13-year-old boy was killed around midnight in the town of Ciudad Rodrigo in the west, after a fountain crumbled under the weight of supporters who had climbed onto it to celebrate.

In Buenos Aires, the initial silence after defeat was striking, and then the tears came once the reality sank in, their hopes of a fourth World Cup were dashed, but hundreds of thousands of people are expected to greet the team on their return at 5pm local time (1am PKT Tuesday).

After more than five weeks of competition with the expanded format and 48 teams, only Spain and Argentina were left standing by the 104th and final match.

The 2022 champions, despite the presence of all-time great Lionel Messi, failed to create clear chances against Spain’s well-organised and more positive side.

Enzo Fernandez’s red card left Argentina with their backs pinned to the wall and Barcelona forward Torres slammed home after fellow substitute Nico Williams teed him up.

“It’s not my goal, it’s the goal of 47 million people,” said Spain’s match-winner.

Messi had a sensational World Cup but drifted through the final like a ghost, shedding tears at the end. In Madrid, tears will also flow on Monday night, but tears of joy.

Speaking Friday, the president of world football’s governing body acknowledged that the records had been boosted because “this is the largest World Cup in history by far, by many times, actually, welcoming 16 additional teams”.

But, he added, it “has exceeded all expectations”.

In its pre-event projections, FIFA, which folds World Cup income into revenue for the whole year, anticipated record revenues exceeding seven billion euros (8bn dollars) for 2026.

That is a 56 per cent increase compared to 2022 when the last World Cup was held in Qatar.

Prior to the third-place play-off on Saturday and the final on Sunday, FIFA had already officially recorded over 6.6 million fans in stadiums across the host nations of the United States, Canada and Mexico.

On Monday, after Spain beat Argentina to become world champions, media outlets calculated a total of 6.81 million spectators across the 104 matches, though no official figures were yet available from FIFA.

The 5-million-spectator mark was surpassed during the round-of-32 match between France and Sweden. The previous ticket sales record was 3,587,538 in the United States in 1994.

This time, stadiums were filled to a record 99.7 per cent of capacity, despite rumbling controversy regarding high ticket prices. The average attendance was 65,351 per match.

“TV viewership records were shattered, both in the host countries and across the globe,” FIFA said on Saturday. It has yet to release detailed numbers, but in Friday’s press conference US President Donald Trump threw out the figure of “nearly six billion viewers”.

That number should grow. The 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, when Argentina beat France, had previously been the most-watched match in the tournament’s history, drawing 1.5 billion viewers and surpassing the record set in 2018, when 1.12 billion people tuned in.

Ahead of the 2026 tournament, TV rights were projected to rise by 34 percent to nearly 4bn dollars and sponsorship by 21 percent.

FIFA also said the competition had been a hit on social media and the internet. It estimated that “by the end of the round of 16, 5.2 billion people — nearly two-thirds of the global population — had engaged with the competition at least once”.

Of the 3.7bn dollars FIFA planned to spend on the World Cup, one-quarter was allocated to participating national teams and the clubs releasing their international players, with the tournament’s total prize pool increased by 15 percent in late April to 871mn dollars — up from 440mn dollars in Qatar.

The winners were set to leave the final with 50mn dollars.

Each participating team was guaranteed a minimum of 12.5mn dollars, though there is no guarantee this will offset the significantly higher costs resulting, in particular, from the tournament’s wide geographical spread.

At the start of the World Cup in June, Infantino told Brazilian TV “we have had discussions about expanding to 64 teams” for the tournament’s centenary in 2030, which will be held across multiple countries (hosts Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina).

He indicated that “this matter has been submitted to the FIFA Council”.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2026

For much of the World Cup final in New Jersey, Spain did not merely outplay the defending champions. They controlled the game so completely that Argentina, despite the presence of Lionel Messi in what was expected to be his final World Cup match, were reduced to chasing shadows.

The victory gave Spain their second World Cup title, but it was the manner of the triumph that made it particularly significant. Against a team that had built its tournament on resilience, late comebacks and the individual brilliance of Messi, Spain offered something altogether different: control without panic, possession without sterility and pressure without recklessness.

Luis de la Fuente’s team represented a modern evolution of the Spanish footballing ideal. This was not possession for possession’s sake. Spain circulated the ball with purpose, pressed aggressively when they lost it and constantly moved Argentina’s defensive structure from side to side.

The result was a familiar but increasingly devastating Spanish pattern. Argentina were pulled towards the ball, only for Spain to move it elsewhere. Their opponents were made to run, then run some more. It was the same passing carousel that had left France dizzy in the semi-final, and Argentina never truly found a way off it.

Spain’s control began in midfield, where Rodri provided the authority and composure while Pedri and Fabián Ruiz gave the team movement, imagination and technical superiority. Argentina’s midfield, led by Enzo Fernández, was unable to impose itself on the match. By the later stages, the frustration had become visible, with Fernández eventually sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

The imbalance was reflected in the numbers. Spain enjoyed the overwhelming share of possession, created significantly more opportunities and largely prevented Argentina from producing the kind of transitions on which their attack had thrived throughout the tournament. Messi and Lautaro Martínez were repeatedly isolated, while Spain’s defensive line dealt with the occasional threat that did emerge.

Argentina had fought their way through difficult moments throughout the competition. They had survived, recovered and found ways to win. But Spain presented a different kind of challenge. There was little to recover from because Spain rarely allowed Argentina to establish any rhythm in the first place.

Even the injuries that weakened Argentina’s defensive stability early in the match could not fully explain their struggles. Spain had simply established a level of control that made Argentina look increasingly reactive. The defending champions were not beaten by one moment of brilliance. They were gradually suffocated by a team that was better organised, technically superior and more comfortable with the demands of the occasion.

The decisive moment finally arrived in the 106th minute. Ferran Torres, introduced from the bench, finished the move that Spain had spent so long threatening to create. It was Spain’s first goal in a World Cup final since Andrés Iniesta’s winner in 2010 and, given the balance of the match, a deserved reward for their sustained dominance.

Argentina tried to respond. Even with 10 men, they pushed forward in the closing stages, but their efforts produced little beyond half-chances. The magic that had carried Messi and Argentina to the title in 2022 never arrived.

Messi, appearing in a record third World Cup final and playing in what was expected to be his farewell tournament, was unable to change the course of the match. There was no late intervention, no moment that could tilt the contest back towards Argentina. This time, the collective was simply too strong for the individual.

Spain had been building towards this moment for years. Their triumph is a continuation of the philosophy that once made them the dominant force in international football, but it is also something new. The old Spanish team was built around the extraordinary midfield of Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. This one possesses a different energy, driven by a younger generation led by players such as Lamine Yamal and supported by a squad capable of combining technical excellence with physical intensity.

The victory also represents a changing of the guard. Messi’s World Cup story appears to have reached its final chapter, while Spain’s next one has only just begun.

Argentina arrived as champions and left beaten. Spain arrived as one of the tournament favourites and left as the team that had made the strongest case of all.

They did not need a classic final. They did not need chaos, drama or a succession of improbable comebacks. Spain won through control.

And by the time Ferran Torres struck in extra time, the final had already felt decided.

The 27-year-old leapfrogged Argentina’s Lionel Messi (21), who ​is due to play in Sunday’s final ​against Spain, and although that will almost certainly ⁠be his rival’s last World Cup game, Mbappe ​will probably play in at least one more ​global tournament.

Mbappe finished his third World Cup campaign with 10 goals to lead the Golden Boot standings, two ahead ​of Messi.

The Real Madrid forward managed the feat ​in 22 appearances, scoring four goals in 2018 and eight ‌in 2022 as France reached both finals, beating Croatia and losing to Argentina four years ago.

“Messi is going to score (on Sunday), that’s for sure. I’m just ​trying to ​help my ⁠team win. When you score a lot of goals at the World Cup, ​it puts you in a certain category,” ​Mbappe ⁠said.

“I would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer and to be playing tomorrow’s match. ⁠It’s ​good in terms of legacy, ​but today it’s not the first thing on my mind.”

Both teams had higher aspirations at the 2026 tournament but suffered painful semi-final exits — France were outplayed by Spain while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina.

Both coaches made multiple changes for the match in the oppressive heat of Miami, with a host of stars on the bench at the start.

England boss Thomas Tuchel left out Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham from his starting line-up while Deschamps, stepping down after 14 years at the helm, omitted Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice put England ahead with a goal from distance in the third minute and Ezri Konsa headed home to make it 2-0.

Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise were a threat as France searched for a way back into the game but they found England’s second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson in top form.

The game threatened to become embarrassing for France when Bukayo Saka made it 3-0 after a swift break.

And it was 4-0 in first-half stoppage time when Saka scored his second goal of the game, celebrated with a fist pump by Tuchel.

France coach Didier Deschamps told French TV channel M6 that the first-half display had been “catastrophic”, urging his men to show pride.

He made four changes, bringing on Dembele, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne and Barcola and was rewarded almost instantly when Mbappe scored his ninth goal of the tournament to move clear of Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

The game had now totally changed complexion and Barcola pulled another goal back, with Deschamps clenching his fist on the bench.

Mbappe then netted his second of the game to become the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals — slotting home from Olise’s pass.

That put him two ahead of Messi in the race to finish as top scorer at the 2026 tournament.

France squandered several chances to equalise and England were handed a chance to extend their lead when Malo Gusto brought down Djed Spence in the penalty area.

Saka stepped up to the spot and converted to complete his hat-trick.

There was still time for Dembele to grab a fourth for France but Bellingham then strode forward to score the 10th goal of the match with an individual effort.

In doing so Bellingham became the first England player to score seven goals at a World Cup.

By finishing third, England secured their best result at a World Cup since winning the tournament in 1966, though they will carry bitter memories of their defeat by defending champions Argentina.

Deschamps led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and finished as runners-up four years ago.

Les Bleus were favourites to win the 2026 tournament after a sensational start but were well-beaten 2-0 by Spain in the semi-finals.

Three-time champions Argentina face European champions Spain in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday.

Wildfires burning in Canada have sent the noxious smog billowing across the border, with residents in New York, Washington and the US Midwest urged to stay indoors due to dangerously low air quality.

At one point on Saturday, the smoke made New York City the most polluted city in the world, followed closely by Toronto and Washington, according to air tracker IQAir.

The marquee World Cup match, pitting Argentina against Spain, will be played Sunday in an open stadium in New Jersey, right across the river from New York City, where the city skyline was obscured by dense smoke and people wore masks outdoors.

Tournament organisers are “monitoring closely,” White House World Cup task force executive director Andrew Giuliani told a briefing.

But a respite of sorts was expected to come in the form of heavy storms hitting the Big Apple on Saturday, which could wash some of the smoke away — but also trigger flash flooding and dangerous winds.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked residents to stay indoors and avoid travel.

“Thunderstorms are expected to bring damaging winds strong enough to down trees and power lines, along with heavy rainfall that could cause flash flooding,” Mamdani wrote on X.

“Smoke will continue to affect the area through this afternoon,” the US National Weather Service said.

In the US capital, the department of homeland security and emergency management said air quality was “unhealthy for at-risk groups” including children and the elderly, urging people to limit time outdoors.

More than 950 wildfires were raging across Canada as of Saturday morning, the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reported.

US President Donald Trump has blamed Canada for the smoke pollution, threatening to impose additional tariffs, accusing the northern neighbor of “willful negligence” by “not properly maintaining” its forests.

Advocates have stressed the connection between repeated episodes of wildfire smoke and climate change.

In the match at New York/New Jersey Stadium — widely billed as the single most expensive sporting event ever played in the United States — Lionel Messi’s Argentina face Spain and their teenage superstar Lamine Yamal.

It is a fitting end to a tournament that has tested the limits of what fans will spend, with FIFA’s gamble paying off after concerns over visa restrictions and domestic unrest in the United States.

“What FIFA did a very good job of was determining what demand would be because people [were] paying these absurd prices for just about all the 104 matches,” said Scott Friedman, a ticketing expert who previously worked for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“A year ago, we didn’t think people would be travelling with Trump’s ICE stuff and all this other conspiracy stuff. But it’s the most popular tournament in the world by far globally, and FIFA, to their credit, they set the prices high and people ended up paying them.”

A Reuters analysis of FIFA attendance data found that more than half the 72 group matches were attended to capacity, with most others only a few hundred fans short of a full house. Around 99.7 per cent of available seats were filled during the preliminary stage matches, FIFA said.

The data erased early concerns that FIFA’s infamously steep prices would put off fans, after swathes of empty seats were seen around the Guadalajara Stadium for the June 11 match between South Korea and the Czech Republic.

FIFA reported an attendance of 44,985 at the nearly 46,000-seat stadium, but empty seats seen by a Reuters witness around the arena seemed to justify critics’ biggest fears.

Higher prices, higher demand

As the tournament expanded to its largest-ever field, however, with 48 teams involved, so too did interest among fans.

Prices were set initially at $575 a ticket for group games — more than double the most expensive group ticket available during the 2022 tournament — but FIFA’s dynamic pricing system meant that many ticketholders paid far more.

Hundreds of tickets were still available for the final on Wednesday, priced at a little over $7,000 on FIFA’s platform, a surprise fact that prompted speculation over whether the organisation had finally gone too far with its prices.

But the batch of seats available was likely the result of a process known as “slow ticketing”, Friedman explained, a common practice in mega-events in which organisers restrict inventory to motivate buyers.

“They can act like they already sold their seats and kind of just dribble them in accordingly, to obviously increase market demand,” said Friedman, who runs the ‘Ticket Talk Network’, dedicated to exploring how seats for sports mega-events are bought and sold.

“Like ‘Oh, there’s only so-and-so amount of tickets left available in the section, I better buy now’.”

By Friday, nearly all tickets appeared to be sold, with a few listed on FIFA’s sales platform at around $32,000 apiece.

‘No one really knows how this works’

An opaque “dynamic pricing” process has also proven a boon for FIFA, as the sport continues its uneasy evolution from a working-class game to a pastime of the wealthy.

FIFA introduced dynamic pricing for the first time at this tournament, allowing ticket prices to fluctuate based on real-time demand and other factors.

“One reason for the frustration over the last few months is that no one really knows how this works,” said Adam Elmachtoub, an associate professor of industrial engineering and operations research at Columbia University.

“People are willing to accept dynamic pricing — we deal with it for airfare, we deal with it even [for] buying clothes — but I think when it’s such a high-profile event, transparency will help a lot.”

FIFA introduced a small number of lower-cost tickets in response to backlash over prices, as politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, lobbied for local residents to have access to affordable seats.

A high-quality tournament also spurred demand, with the four top-ranked nations in the semi-finals for the first time since rankings were introduced, and Sunday’s final will feature the 39-year-old Messi in probably his final World Cup match.

“The notion of what is fair pricing here is complex because entertainment is not like a necessity,” said Elmachtoub.

Fan appetite holds up

Lax rules around the resale market in the US have only served to accelerate the pocket-emptying around the tournament, with second-hand ticket sellers largely empowered to set their own prices.

The rules in the United States stand in contrast to co-hosts Mexico, where resellers are prohibited from listing their tickets above what they spent — and much of the rest of the world.

A flood of final-week listings brought prices down on resale platform SeatGeek, with the average ticket for the final listed for more than $11,000 as of Friday.

Still, that figure easily made the final the most expensive event that the platform had sold, 8pc above the 2024 Super Bowl, SeatGeek said.

“What we’re seeing with this year’s World Cup is that demand fluctuates with every round and every matchup reveal,” said Chris Leyden, senior director for marketing at SeatGeek.

“The appetite for this tournament has held up remarkably well from the group stage through the knockouts.”

World Cup for ‘a happy few’

Human rights experts warned, however, that the tournament remained out of reach for far too many fans. At what FIFA President Gianni Infantino had promised would be the most inclusive World Cup, supporters from multiple countries were unable to obtain visas, according to the Sport and Rights Alliance.

“It’s been a World Cup for a happy few,” Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, told reporters. “Those in Europe, Norwegians, Scottish, who have enough purchasing power to travel to the US, don’t need a visa to enter the country and can afford the extortionate ticket prices.”

FIFA said 30 bespoke rings would be presented to the winning team following the final at New York New Jersey Stadium, with the captain and head coach initially receiving temporary versions immediately after the match.

The rings will then be customised to reflect the identity of the winning team and individually fitted before being presented at a later date.

One side will feature the World Cup trophy, while the other will carry details specific to the champions.

The players’ rings will form part of a limited edition of 2,026 individually numbered pieces, with the remaining 1,996 made available for sale to fans worldwide as officially licensed products.

Championship rings are a long-standing tradition in major North American sports, including the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and NHL, but have not previously been awarded at a FIFA competition.

Their introduction caps a tournament in which FIFA has shown increasing willingness to reshape the presentation, and at times even the rhythm, of soccer in the image of American sport.

Sunday’s final will also feature a major halftime entertainment show, a concept more readily associated with the Super Bowl than the World Cup, while mandatory hydration breaks throughout the tournament have effectively divided matches into quarters.

The three-minute pauses around the 22nd and 67th minutes have been applied regardless of whether conditions made them strictly necessary, with FIFA defending the policy on player-welfare grounds amid the heat and humidity of the North American summer.

But the blanket use of the breaks has drawn criticism from players, coaches and fans who argue they disrupt the flow of matches, give teams additional opportunities to regroup and hand coaches what amount to two extra tactical timeouts.

They have also created mid-half commercial windows, even though FIFA has rejected suggestions the breaks were introduced with advertising in mind.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026

A British minister had Thursday called for FIFA to look into the incident following the World Cup semi-final match in Atlanta.

FIFA released a statement late on Thursday saying they were “assessing the match reports”.

“As is standard procedure, Fifa’s independent disciplinary committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the Fifa disciplinary code,” it said.

Prime Minister Keir Star­mer’s Downing Street office Thursday backed the calls by Business Minister Peter Kyle, who called the flag waving an “egregious violation” of FIFA rules which ban political symbols on the field of play.

“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falk­land Islands definitely are,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

Argentina invaded the British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic in 1982.

But Britain regained the archipelago in a brief war after then prime minister Margaret Thatcher dispatched a naval task-force.

“Politics needs to be separate from football. In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football,” Kyle told BBC television.

Argentina’s football association were fined 20,000 ($27,000) by FIFA in 2014 for players posing in front of a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.

FIFA said the gesture had breached rules on “political action” and team misconduct.

Britain occupied the Falkl­ands in the 19th century, but Argentina claims the islands are part of its territory.

Argentina President Javier Milei called the stunt “perfectly valid and legitimate.”

“It’s a feeling that exists within all Argentines,” he told El Observador radio station.

“The Malvinas are Argen­tine, we’re going to recover them, and we will do it through diplomatic means,” said Milei.

Argentina’s vice president, Victoria Villarruel, upped the tensions ahead of Wednesday’s kick-off by dubbing the English “usurping pirates”.

The 1982 conflict ended with the deaths of 649 Argentines and 255 Britons.

After the World Cup match, Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Buenos Aires had filed a formal protest over a British warship near the Falkland Islands.

Quirno voiced on X “the stron­gest rejection” of Britain’s HMS Medway’s “unconsulted and illegal” passage through Argentine territorial waters.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026

“Now that the moment has come when the two of them are going to play against each other, it’s incredible,” said Keba, an 18-year-old Senegalese resident, referring to Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal’s well-known admiration for Messi.

Messi, 39, enjoyed the peak years of his career at Barcelona, having come through the club’s youth academy, and a viral photograph showing the Argentine with a baby Lamine Yamal, now 19, has captured imaginations ahead of Sunday’s final in New Jersey.

As children from migrant families played on a pitch behind a mural featuring Lamine Yamal’s face in the Rocafonda neighbourhood, in the coastal city of Mataro, his grandmother, Fatima Nasraoui, and his 15-year-old cousin Rayan watched from a nearby bench.

“I want Spain to win,” she said, adding that she would shout loudly if he scores.

“To me, Lamine means many good things, but above all, he’s like a brother because we grew up together,” his cousin said.

Lamine Yamal, who was born in Spain to a Moroccan father and mother from Equatorial Guinea, has never forgotten his roots. Throughout his career, he has honoured Rocafonda with his trademark “304” hand gesture after scoring goals — a reference to the neighbourhood’s postal code.

During the World Cup, he has worn a headband with “Rocafonda” on it, donned the flags of his parents’ countries of origin on his boots, and said football was an example of racial and social integration.

Nine years ago, Scaloni was just another former professional player pursuing a career in coaching, studying for his pro license at the Spanish football federation’s training center in Las Rozas, on the outskirts of Madrid.

His teacher on the course? De la Fuente.

In the years since, both men have gone on to forge successful coaching careers in international football.

Scaloni, 48, took charge of Argentina in August 2018, initially on an interim basis — less than a year after taking coaching lessons in de la Fuente’s classroom.

Since then the former Deportivo La Coruna player has led Argentina into a golden age of tournament success.

He ended their 28-year wait for a major title with victory at the 2021 Copa America and then followed that up with the ultimate prize — the 2022 World Cup. Another Copa America title was added in 2024.

Over a similar period, de la Fuente has overseen a resurgence in Spanish football fortunes that has left La Roja on course for a second World Cup win, to set alongside their triumph in 2010.

Appointed in December 2022 after Spain’s insipid last-16 exit to Morocco at the last World Cup, de la Fuente, 65, has returned Spain to the top table of international football.

A thrilling victory at the 2024 European Championship was backed up by a run to the final of the UEFA Nations League last year.

Tuesday’s semi-final masterclass against France has left de la Fuente on the brink of topping those successes with a World Cup win.

Both Scaloni and de la Fuente have spoken warmly of each other on their journeys to Sunday’s final showdown at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“He was my mentor, and he taught me everything I know and now we are facing each other in a final,” Scaloni said of de la Fuente following Wednesday’s epic 2-1 semi-final defeat of England.

“I remember after Qatar when we had a conference among coaches, and I had a chat with him for quite a while. He’s done brilliant work with his team, I’m very pleased for him.”

Scaloni has strong personal and professional ties to Spain after spending the bulk of his playing career there. His wife, Elisa Montero, is Spanish, and the couple live with their two sons in Mallorca.

On Sunday, though, despite his warm relationship with de la Fuente, Scaloni has no doubt where his loyalties lie.

“Of course everyone knows I live in Spain and have Spanish family. I’m very, very sorry, but I’m going to try to beat Mr de la Fuente.

“He’s gained my absolute respect, of course, not just because of the way that he plays on the pitch and manages, but also as a person.” De la Fuente has reciprocated, describing Scaloni as a model student.

“I have great respect for Lionel,” he said. “He has won everything with the Argentina national team. I agree with many of his ideas, I admire him professionally and personally. He is a great person.

“Lionel was a very diligent student, with a great attitude and interest. He had the touch of someone who is determined to grow. Being his teacher is an honor.

“But above all, I feel that way because I am his friend. We continue to have a great relationship and a great mutual admiration.”

During a Unicef charity photoshoot, Messi held the infant and bathed him in a small plastic tub. The photograph, which emerged years later, became one of football’s most remarkable images — not because anyone knew what either of them would become, but precisely because nobody did.

Nearly two decades later, on Sunday, Messi and Yamal will meet on opposite sides of the biggest stage football has to offer: the 2026 World Cup final.

Argentina against Spain. Messi against Yamal.

The man who once bathed the baby could face him as the established great against the potential great. Football, occasionally, has a remarkable sense of theatre.

The photograph has acquired an almost surreal quality with time. Messi was still at the beginning of his journey then, although the talent that would eventually redefine an era was already evident.

Yamal, meanwhile, was not yet old enough to know that he had been held by a player who would go on to become one of the greatest footballers in history.

The connection between them, however, goes beyond that extraordinary photograph.

Both came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. Both are left-footed attacking players who can change the course of a match with a touch, a dribble or a pass.

Both became the attacking reference points for their national teams. Both have carried the weight of being their side’s most gifted player. And both have worn the number 10 shirt for Barcelona.

The similarities, however, should not be allowed to obscure the differences.

Messi arrived at La Masia from Rosario as a slight Argentine boy whose growth hormone deficiency threatened to complicate his footballing dream.

Yamal came through the academy in a different era, one in which every performance, every highlight and every teenage breakthrough is instantly magnified around the world.

Messi’s rise was gradual before it became unstoppable. Yamal’s has been astonishingly rapid.

Messi spent years turning promise into dominance before eventually carrying Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar in 2022.

Yamal’s rise has been astonishingly rapid. At 17, he helped Spain win Euro 2024, becoming the youngest player to win the European Championship and being named the tournament’s Young Player of the Tournament. He had already become a champion before he was old enough to vote in most countries.

The difference in their journeys is striking. Messi was 35 when he finally lifted the World Cup, the trophy that had eluded him for so long. Yamal was only 17 when he lifted the European Championship.

One arrived at the summit after a career spent climbing towards it. The other reached a major international summit before his career had properly begun.

The comparison, though inevitable, has never been entirely fair. Messi was unique. Yamal is trying to become himself.

Their games are not identical. Messi operated with an extraordinary combination of acceleration, close control, passing range and an almost unmatched ability to read the game several seconds before everyone else.

Yamal, while possessing a similarly gifted left foot, has developed his own identity — a player capable of attacking from the right, creating chances, taking on defenders and producing decisive moments with a confidence that seems remarkable for his age.

Yet there is one similarity that is impossible to ignore. When the ball reaches them, something seems possible.

Messi himself has acknowledged the connection.

“From the new generation of players, I think Lamine Yamal is the one who reminds me the most of myself when I started,” the Argentine has said. “I have no doubt, for me Lamine is the best of this new generation … because of what he has done so far and the future he could go on to have.”

Yamal, however, has been careful not to accept the comparison.

“I think that in every match he shows that he is the best player in history,” he has said of Messi. “If someone has doubts, it is because they are looking for them. For me, he is the best.”

But when asked about comparisons between the two, Yamal has insisted, “I don’t compare myself to him, because I don’t compare myself to anyone — and much less with Messi … I’m going to enjoy myself, and be myself.”

That may ultimately be the most important distinction between them. Messi is what football already knows. Yamal is what football is waiting to find out.

Luis Suarez, who shared a dressing room with Messi and played alongside Yamal at Barcelona, has described the comparison as one of “the same but different”.

They share a left foot of rare quality, Suárez has suggested, but are ultimately “completely different players”.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has also urged caution.

“The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone,” he has said of Yamal. “Messi has been, is and will always be … he is football.”

There is also a difference in the point at which the two men arrive at the possible meeting.

Messi would enter the final as a player whose place in football history is already secure. He has won almost everything there is to win and has already lifted the World Cup.

Yamal, however, would not be arriving as an untested prodigy. He would be a European champion who had already helped Spain win a major international tournament before turning 18.

That is what makes the possibility of their meeting so compelling.

One would represent the conclusion of a career that has already transformed the sport. The other would represent the possibility of what comes next.

And between them would be the long shadow of La Masia.

The academy that helped shape Messi is also where Yamal developed. The same footballing culture that produced one of the sport’s most extraordinary players has now produced another teenager capable of making a stadium hold its breath.

The photograph from 2007 would suddenly acquire another layer of meaning.

Messi, then a young footballer, holding Yamal, then a baby. Yamal, nearly 20 years later, standing across from Messi with the World Cup at stake.

It would be tempting to describe the moment as a passing of the torch. But that may be too neat. Messi has not disappeared, and Yamal is not yet his successor. The old era and the new one can still exist together.

That is precisely what makes the possible encounter so fascinating. For one night, the past and the future of Barcelona’s footballing tradition could stand on the same pitch.

The boy in Messi’s arms would no longer be a boy. He would be one of the men expected to carry his country’s hopes.

And Messi, who once held him without knowing what he would become, will be standing on the other side.

Football rarely offers such a perfect connection between its past and its future.

When Messi and Yamal meet in the 2026 World Cup final, the photograph from that Unicef shoot will suddenly seem less like a curious piece of football trivia and more like the beginning of a story whose ending took nearly two decades to arrive.

The photograph will remain the same. Everything else will change.

Anthony Gordon’s strike had put the Three Lions on the cusp of a first men’s World Cup final since they lifted the 1966 trophy, but Lionel Messi inspired a dramatic turnaround in Atlanta.

He set up Enzo Fernandez, who blasted home from outside the area, and provided an inch-perfect cross for Lautaro Martinez’s winner in stoppage time.

“Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone — the team, the staff, the fans,” England captain Kane told the BBC.

“We played a good game, the large majority of it. When we went 1-0 up, we seemed to try to hold on, which, at this level, is not enough.

“So, just gutted because we’ve worked so hard to be here and the lads have given every last bit of running, blood, sweat, tears.”

Bayern Munich forward Kane, who scored six goals during the tournament, said Thomas Tuchel’s men had struggled to repel constant attacks from the defending champions.

“After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man for man, it was just wave after wave,” he said.

“Lads were putting blocks in, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough.”

He said England had not planned to rely on defending after Gordon’s goal.

“When we went ahead, the messaging was to go again and get another goal,” he added.

“Then once they scored their two goals, it was to try and find something, but we couldn’t quite get the momentum back in the game.”

England have now reached at least the semi-final stage in four of the past five major tournaments, but have still not won a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup.

Kane turns 33 later this month and has refused to be drawn on whether he still imagines being part of the team by the time the next World Cup comes around.

He may be inspired by the performances of Messi, 39, who has scored eight goals at the 2026 tournament.

“As a person, it’s always just about taking it year by year and how I feel,” Kane told reporters.

“The England national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do more than anything.

“Obviously, four years is a long way away. I’ll be 33 this summer, but as you see on the other hand with Leo there, he’s still performing at the highest level.

“I never want to put a limit on these things. But for now, it’s just about processing another tough loss with this team.”

England had been on course to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon fired them into the lead 10 minutes after half-time in the semi-final in front of 68,239 fans in Atlanta.

But the great rivalry between these nations has produced several memorable contests on the World Cup stage down the years and this will be remembered as the stuff of legends in Argentina as the South Americans denied England with two late sucker punches.

Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to fire in an 85th-minute equaliser and then, with extra time looming, crossed for substitute Lautaro Martinez to head in the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.

It was maybe not quite up there with Diego Maradona’s legendary display in putting England to the sword in 1986, but the goals this time brought Argentina back from the dead and kept alive their hopes of winning back-to-back World Cups.

No team has retained the trophy since Brazil in 1962, and now Messi will become just the second player after Brazilian great Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals.

The game will take place at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday in New Jersey, as the first 48-team World Cup boils down to a confrontation between the reigning champions of Europe and South America.

Messi had waited until the age of 39 to get the chance to play against England, and now he will face Spain for the first time in a competitive game.

His career appeared to be complete when he dragged Argentina to glory in 2022 in Qatar, but he is clearly not done yet.

England, though, will have huge regrets as they head to Miami to play France in Saturday’s third-place play-off, a game neither team will want to contest.

The prospect of a first World Cup final appearance since their sole triumph 60 years ago was a momentous one, and they were so close, but they will live to regret sitting back after Gordon’s opener.

The key men for Thomas Tuchel’s side during this campaign have been Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, yet they failed to deliver on this occasion, and England’s players slumped to the turf at full-time.

Lautaro winner

Given the deep-rooted rivalry between these nations, this was always likely to be a game with an edge and there was a tangible feeling of tension in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Argentina’s players were clearly fired up, partly by a determination to hold onto their World Cup crown but also by a sense of what this fixture means.

That translated into a niggly contest pockmarked by fouls in the first half, including Elliot Anderson being booked for scything down Messi.

There were no real chances to speak of in the first half, but England struck in the 55th minute.

Kane was involved in the build-up as the ball eventually came to Morgan Rogers on the right, and he whipped in a low cross towards the back post where Gordon stole in front of Nahuel Molina to score.

But this was the stadium where Argentina produced a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat Egypt in the last 16, and they were not done.

They threw everything at their opponents, as Jordan Pickford made a great save from a Nico Gonzalez header, and Alexis Mac Allister was then denied by the post in the 76th minute.

Fernandez was denied from range by Pickford, but moments later he equalised, controlling a Messi pass on the edge of the area and letting fly past the goalkeeper.

Argentina smelled blood, and Mac Allister again hit the post before England failed to clear and Lautaro Martinez headed in the winner from an exquisite Messi cross to spark chaotic scenes of celebration and leave England completely deflated.

Few World Cup rivalries have produced so many moments that transcend sport, becoming part of the political and cultural history of two nations.

As England and Argentina prepare to meet in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, Reuters tracked down eyewitnesses who were inside the stadium for each of those defining incidents.

Across six decades, they recall the anger, disbelief, jubilation and heartbreak of matches that helped forge one of football’s fiercest rivalries, offering a rare first-person account of occasions that still echo far beyond the final whistle.

1966 - Argentine Rex Gowar

Rex Gowar was born and raised in Argentina, and finished secondary school in England. In the summer of 1966, along with two friends, he bought tickets for the World Cup quarter-final at Wembley.

“We just wrote away for tickets, it was so easy and so cheap back then,” Gowar said.

“We knew England would be playing, but when we bought them we weren’t certain it would be against Argentina.”

The game’s turning point came in the first half when Argentina midfielder Rattin was sent off, with the game held up for several minutes as he refused to leave the pitch.

“We were all so surprised by what happened,” Gowar said.

“Rattin was haranguing the referee all the time, asking for explanations of why he kept blowing against Argentina for fouls.

“We were behind the goal, where the teams came out, so when Rattin eventually sauntered off, he passed in front of us before going down the tunnel.

“The abiding memory of that match was the English manager Alf Ramsey calling the Argentines animals, and there’s a picture of him stopping one of his team changing shirts with an Argentine player.”

Geoff Hurst scored England’s goal in the 1-0 win, and they went on to win the World Cup.

1986 - Photographer Gary Hershorn and Reporter Rex Gowar

The sides met in another quarter-final 20 years later. The game at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City came four years after Argentina and Britain fought a war over the islands known by the British as the Falklands and Argentines as the Malvinas.

Gary Hershorn was covering his first World Cup as a photographer.

“It was in everybody’s mind that there was a bigger geopolitical scale to this game than any other we covered during that World Cup,” Hershorn said.

Maradona scored two goals in quick succession early in the second half, and the first is one which England and the world have never forgotten, but many of those who were there failed to spot the “Hand of God” incident.

“Unfortunately, I was at the opposite end to where it happened,” Hershorn said.

“So I didn’t get to see it or photograph it. In the moment when it happened, I wasn’t aware of it, not until after the game when I went back into our dark room did I have a sense that something big had happened.”

Gowar was there as a Reuters reporter.

“I was way up in the press box and I missed it,” Gowar said. “I mean, I could have seen it, I was looking in that direction. It was all so quick.

“But a colleague beside me said ‘that was with his hand’. I think some people saw it straight away, but it was so sudden.”

For Hershorn the moment is a bittersweet memory.

“I had a terrific run with Maradona,” he said.

“I took a lot of really nice pictures of him over the course of the World Cup, but that one play was always a regret for me having actually not had anything.”

Gowar, meanwhile, was the person who relayed Maradona’s words to the world.

“A bunch of journalists went down to the changing rooms, but I couldn’t get in there,” he said.

“An Argentine colleague passed me the quote, saying, ‘This is what he’s just said’ so I went to the desk and they said, ‘write it up, quick’.

“There was some excitement about the quote ‘a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God’ in our newsroom, but the extent to which it would become a sort of ongoing narrative, I don’t think I thought that at the time.”

Argentina won 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy.

1998 - Nigel Martyn, England’s reserve goalkeeper

Martyn was on the bench when the sides met in the last 16 in St Etienne.

“I remember it just being a really important game that we were focused on winning,” Martyn said.

“I think the feeling of rivalry was being more whipped up by the media.”

The first half ended 2-2, and Beckham was sent off just after the break for kicking out at Diego Simeone. England went on to lose on penalties, with media and fans laying the blame at Beckham’s feet.

“I felt that it was unjust because there really wasn’t much in it, certainly not enough for a red card,” Martyn said.

“I think it was very harsh some of the things that were said and written. He cared about the team and was crestfallen by getting sent off and us getting knocked out of the tournament.”

England did have the upper hand when the sides met again four years later and Argentina failed to advance from the group stage.

“The 2002 World Cup game against them felt a lot more of a grudge match,” Martyn recalled.

“And beating them 1-0 with a Beckham penalty felt like revenge.”

Mbappe had emerged as one of the stars of the tournament during France’s run to the last four, rattling in eight goals at the tip of a free-scoring attack that delighted fans worldwide.

But the 27-year-old French captain’s dreams of a third straight World Cup final appearance ended abruptly as Spain outplayed Les Bleus at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mbappe told French broadcaster M6 that the loss had been a “huge disappointment” for the French squad.

“I don’t think we played the match we wanted to play — whether tactically, technically, or in terms of our overall performance level,” Mbappe said.

“And when you don’t do what you’re supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don’t win,” the Real Madrid star added.

“Our goal was to press them high up the pitch to prevent them from settling into that slow, controlled rhythm — because when it comes to controlling the game, they are better than us. We failed to do that.”

Mbappe pinpointed the crux of the problem in midfield, where France’s duo of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni rapidly found themselves over-run by Spain’s triumvirate of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz.

“We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield,” Mbappe said.

“And against Spain, that’s a real problem…When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It’s a huge disappointment.”

Mbappe said France’s crestfallen squad were determined to bounce back after digesting the lessons of the loss.

“It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country the chance to keep dreaming and to make history,” he said.

“Now, it is something we have to face with our heads held high. I believe that when you win, you win with your head held high; so when you lose, you have to lose with your head held high, too.

“But right now, there is immense disappointment. I find it hard to put into words just how disappointed the squad and I are.

“Yet even if it might seem a bit robotic at times, we have to pick ourselves up, go on vacation, and move on to the next chapter. Because football waits for no one. We have to start over, put this failure behind us, and learn from it.”

Messi won his 200th cap for the Albiceleste in the group-stage victory against Algeria and dreams of leading his country to the final once again.

The diminutive playmaker is surely in the final days of a remarkable international career which began when he was a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 2005.

Having broken into the Barcelona team late the previous year, Messi had just starred for Argentina as they won the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.

He was handed his Argentina bow by Jose Pekerman in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest that August, replacing Lisandro Lopez in the 64th minute and joining Hernan Crespo up front.

Ninety seconds later, he was sent off for what the referee saw as an elbow. It was quite the ignominious way for his Argentina career to begin.

“An 18-year-old kid who is making his debut for the national team and has so much hope — he can’t be punished like that. The referee needed to be more understanding,” said Crespo.

Messi might look back now and laugh at that incident, which led to him being suspended for a friendly against England in Geneva three months later.

The nations have not met since, and so Messi will play against the Three Lions for the very first time under the roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

“I have played against everyone except England and it is special because they are a major nation, a powerhouse, and it is always nice to play against a side like that, especially in a World Cup semi-final,” said Messi after Argentina beat Switzerland in Kansas City in the last eight.

EMULATING MARADONA

The man who emulated Diego Maradona by inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago will now hope to leave a similar mark on England as his legendary predecessor.

Any meeting of these countries evokes memories of the 1986 quarter-final at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, when Maradona punched in to score the ‘Hand of God’ opener and then ran past half the England defence for his team’s second goal.

Messi has not scored one quite like that, but ahead of the semi-finals of the current tournament, he had scored more World Cup goals than any other player.

With 21 goals from a tournament record 32 appearances, he led France skipper Kylian Mbappe by one after the quarter-finals.

The Inter Miami player had found the net in nine consecutive World Cup matches before the Switzerland game, when he let others — notably Julian Alvarez — take over the goalscoring duties.

Argentina are now one game away from reaching another World Cup final, as they aim to become the first team to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.

It would be a third final in four World Cups, and Messi could follow in the footsteps of Brazil great Cafu. The full-back played in three in a row from 1994 to 2002 — even Maradona only played in two.

“Getting to another semi-final is not a normal, mundane thing, so this is something we should really enjoy because we don’t know if it will happen again,” Messi said.

The England players will hope to enjoy it as well.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Nico O’Reilly, who is likely to come up against Messi if he starts at left-back, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He’s coming towards the end of his career. For me personally, he’s the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can’t wait for the challenge.”

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026

So far, so good as they prepare to take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the semi-finals.

The German has overseen a largely happy camp, dancing with his players in the dressing room in Mexico City after their battling win against the co-hosts.

But his tone changed following Saturday’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over Norway, when he described his team as “lucky”.

“The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance,” he said.

That downbeat assessment drew a stinging retort from midfielder Jude Bellingham, who scored twice as England came from behind.

“Whatever, whatever,” said the Real Madrid midfielder after a gruelling 120 minutes in the searing Miami heat.

The pair have a complicated history, but the exchange was a stark reminder that Tuchel will not shy away from speaking his mind.

The 52-year-old will not care that he has riled Bellingham, who has scored six goals and once again proved himself to be England’s man for the big moment.

The Football Association knew who it was getting when it hired the former Paris St-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss to replace Gareth Southgate in 2024.

Southgate had reshaped the team during his largely successful tenure, breaking down barriers between players from rival clubs and forging a cohesive unit.

But his team never got over the line — defeated in the semi-finals and quarter-finals at the World Cup and twice losing in the final of the Euros.

WINNER

The blunt and charismatic Tuchel arrived as one of the big beasts of world football, with league titles at PSG and Bayern Munich under his belt.

His crowning glory was Chelsea’s 2021 Champions League win in Porto, where he outsmarted then Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Tuchel picked a team of “specialists” for the 2026 World Cup, raising eyebrows by leaving out a number of high-profile players, including Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

He admitted he relished the pressure of making big decisions as he was grilled on his choices.

The Three Lions arrived at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States as one of the favourites and so far the England boss has got his big calls right.

Substitute Anthony Gordon set up both goals for Harry Kane as England came from behind to avoid an embarrassing defeat against DR Congo in the last 32.

In the following round, he threw on a clutch of defenders as his 10 men held out for a 3-2 win at the Estadio Azteca.

One of the enduring images from the game in Mexico was of giant defender Dan Burn clearing the ball again and again as Tuchel’s team held firm, perfectly illustrating his ideal of a “brotherhood”.

Tuchel started his first international coaching job in January 2025 after signing an 18-month contract.

The German said at the start of his reign that he aimed to add a “second star” to go with the one that represents England’s sole World Cup success, in 1966.

He convinced his bosses that he was the man for the job and penned a new deal to lead the team to the Euro 2028 tournament in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

England have rarely hit the heights during the current tournament but have found a way each time and have made no secret of the fact they are here to win.

The next step is a tough test against a battle-hardened Argentina on Wednesday, before a potential final against France or Spain.

Tuchel is two games away from glory and ultimate vindication.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026

A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a 58th-minute Pedro Porro goal sealed an utterly clinical victory for the European champions at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, will now face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final in New Jersey.

France had entered the showdown as the overwhelming favourites for the tournament after a dazzling, goal-laden run to the semi-finals.

But France’s vaunted front four of captain Kylian Mbappe, Ballon D’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise were snuffed out by a combination of Spanish poise and power.

Spain, who had beaten France in their previous two competitive meetings, had vowed to go on the front foot in the pre-match build-up and they proved as good as their word.

A commanding performance by Spain’s midfield led by Manchester City star Rodri and assisted by Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo never allowed the French to gain a foothold in the contest.

Spain’s midfield quickly overran the outnumbered French duo of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni, passing around their opponents with ease to control the early exchanges.

The first signs of French frustration came after just nine minutes when midfielder Rabiot was booked for treading on Olmo’s foot on the edge of the area.

Yet despite the early dominance, it was France who looked the more threatening when venturing into the final third, and it needed a desperate late block by Pau Cubarsi to thwart Mbappe in the 16th minute as the French captain looked to break clear.

Early dominance

Spain’s early dominance got its reward in the 20th minute, though, when a hopeful cross by Marc Cucurella flew across the penalty area.

Lucas Digne didn’t get enough purchase on his attempted headed clearance and as the Aston Villa player instinctively swung out a leg he kicked Yamal, sending the Barcelona star crashing to the turf.

El Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton pointed immediately to the spot and after a brief delay as French players loitered, Oyarzabal stepped up to sweep in a spot-kick that beat the dive of French goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

France’s rocky start got worse after 31 minutes when key central defender William Saliba hobbled off with an injury to be replaced by Maxence Lacroix.

Spain almost doubled their lead with a sublime passing move on 38 minutes when wonderful interplay on the edge of the area sliced open France’s defence, with Dayot Upamecano’s block denying Fabian Ruiz.

France enjoyed their best spell in the closing minutes of the first half and only excellent anticipation from Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon denied Mbappe after Rabiot’s clever through ball.

Spain though reasserted themselves at the start of the second half and Deschamps’ failure to adjust France’s tactics again left the Spanish midfield in charge.

On 58 minutes, Spain struck the hammer blow. Porro and Olmo worked a sensational one-two on the edge of the area that sent Porro through and the Tottenham defender clipped a fine finish past Maignan.

Only a fractional offside decision denied Spain a third goal in the 61st minute, when Lamal had the ball in the net.

Deschamps made a flurry of substitutions but France were unable to penetrate Spain’s smothering defence, their best chance coming when Mbappe’s shot was blocked at the near post by Simon.

French frustration was symbolised by Mbappe in the closing minutes, booked for following through on Simon as Spain closed out the victory.

The Atletico Madrid forward scored Argentina’s decisive second goal in the 112th minute in Kansas City to finally end the resistance of the European team.

The Swiss mounted a robust rearguard action after Breel Embolo was dismissed in the second half — shown a second yellow card for simulation.

But Alvarez eventually broke their hearts with a stunning curling effort into the top corner and Lautaro Martinez added a last-gasp third.

The win follows a gruelling 3-2 victory against Cape Verde in extra-time in the last 32 and an astonishing late comeback to beat Egypt for another 3-2 win.

“Obviously you have to suffer — you have to know how to suffer,” said Alvarez after scoring his first goal of the tournament to win the man-of-the-match award. “That’s how the matches are playing out right now.

“The opponents we’ve faced have played very well, too. There are things we can improve on our end as well, but in a World Cup things happen the way they happen, the teams are very strong.”

Alexis Mac Allister had given Argentina the lead in the 10th minute, meeting Messi’s corner at the front post with a flicked header that sailed beyond Kobel and into the far corner. It was the first time Switzerland had trailed in the tournament.

But the Swiss - without injured leading scorer Johan Manzambi, who had three goals and two assists - refused to wilt.

After a largely uneventful first half, the contest burst into life as Switzerland repeatedly tested Emiliano Martinez, forcing the Argentina goalkeeper into a string of sharp saves and jolting the South American supporters into full voice.

VAR AT IT AGAIN

An equaliser felt almost inevitable as the Swiss piled on the pressure, and they were rewarded in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye exchanged passes with Ricardo Rodriguez down the left before sliding a right-footed finish through Martinez’s legs.

Ndoye snarled into the nearest television camera as the small section of Swiss fans erupted.

However, Switzerland were reduced to 10 men when Embolo got a second yellow card for simulation. It came after a lengthy VAR review for mistaken identity, with the referee overturning his initial decision to caution Argentina’s Leandro Paredes.

The ruling left Embolo in tears and Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin bewildered. Yakin said he had been readying an attacking substitution as Switzerland gained momentum.

“We were punished because of a rule that, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable. I don’t understand it, it’s very painful … This rule destroyed our game today,” the Switzerland manager said. “Unfortunately we have to accept it.”

“This team has so much passion. Despite the fact we were one man down, we gave it all. I’m extremely proud of everyone.”

Argentina responded to Swiss misfortune by pinning them back for long periods. Cheered on by fans who made Arrowhead Stadium feel more like Buenos Aires than Kansas City, they surged forward as chants of “Vamos, vamos!” echoed around the venue.

Messi, playing in his sixth World Cup at the age of 39, nearly settled the contest in stoppage time with a fierce strike that flashed inches wide of the post.

Switzerland weathered wave after wave of pressure and appeared destined to force a shootout but their resistance was finally broken in the closing moments of extra time.

“We had to suffer a lot. We knew they were a physical team and that gave us a lot of trouble,” said Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni. “Today we had luck on our side because one of their players was sent off. We could have played better but it’s a big achievement to be in the semi-finals.”

The distraught Swiss dropped to their knees, consoling each other, while Argentina’s star-studded squad lingered on the pitch soaking up the atmosphere as Messi tugged off his shirt and twirled it above his head in front of the Argentina fans.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026

Fans of the South American team dominated the stands in Kansas City and were celebrating as early as the 10th minute when their hero Lionel Messi set up Alexis Mac Allister’s opener.

Switzerland levelled midway through the second half through Dan Ndoye, but minutes later, disaster struck when Embolo was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for simulation.

The match went to extra-time and Switzerland snuffed out wave after wave of attacks until Alvarez curled a breathtaking strike into the top corner in the 112th minute.

Lautaro Martinez added gloss with a late third.

The hard-fought victory for Lionel Scaloni’s men at the Arrowhead Stadium means the top four teams in the FIFA rankings will contest the semi-finals of the 2026 tournament.

Argentina are now unbeaten in their past 12 World Cup matches as they attempt to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain their World Cup crown.

The South Americans swept through the group phase but struggled past minnows Cape Verde and needed a spectacular comeback against Egypt.

Sunday’s game was another attritional affair against a Swiss team seeking to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time.

Argentina took the lead with their first effort on target when Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister rose between Djibril Sow and Embolo to glance a header into the far corner.

Messi was the provider from a corner, taking his tally of assists across six World Cups to 10.

He is also joint top of the Golden Boot standings with eight goals, level with French forward Kylian Mbappe but he did not find the net on Sunday.

The Swiss struggled to counter-punch but had a good chance on the half hour when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was quickly off his line to deny Embolo.

Argentina failed to muster another effort on target before the break, with Switzerland outpassing the world champions.

The game struggled to catch fire early in the second half but Murat Yakin’s men warmed to their task and got their deserved reward in the 67th minute, when Ndoye swept home following a clever ball from Ricardo Rodriguez.

Five minutes later Switzerland shot themselves in the foot when Embolo, who had been booked in the first half, threw himself to the ground and was dismissed following a VAR check.

Mac Allister headed wide with the goal at his mercy as the clock ticked down and Messi sent a curling shot narrowly wide but Switzerland held on to force extra-time.

They continued to repel constant attacks in the first period of extra-time.

But Argentina finally broke Switzerland’s brave resistance with Alvarez’s moment of magic, which was celebrated by the whole squad, who were on the pitch again minutes later following Martinez’s strike.

Now the winners will turn their attention to the challenge of facing England in Atlanta on Wednesday after Thomas Tuchel’s men overcame Norway 2-1 earlier on Saturday.

The history of matches between England and Argentina is peppered with flashpoints on the pitch, set against a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded.

Four years later, Argentina secured a 2-1 victory over England at the Estadio Azteca with goals from Diego Maradona — one, the infamous “Hand of God” goal, and the other, a dazzling solo effort considered one of the best ever.

The teams have faced each other twice in World Cups since 1986 — Argentina won on penalties in 1998 while England gained revenge four years later.

He said his side, who beat Belgium 2-1 in Friday’s quarter-final thanks to an 88th minute Mikel Merino winner in Los Angeles, were “capable of beating any team”, including tournament favourites France and red-hot forward Kylian Mbappe.

“It’s not an exaggeration to describe this match as a final before the final,” De la Fuente said at the post-match press conference. “We’re one of the teams capable of reaching the final,” he said. “From now on, we are fully focused on France.

“We’re aware of their immense potential, but we also know that we’re the only team to have beaten them in two semi-finals.”

Spain defeated the French in the Euro 2024 semi-finals on their way to becoming European champions and also in the 2005 Nations League semi-finals.

“The match will be more open than ever,” the coach said. “We will have to raise our level of play, and we’re going to give everything.

“The French are in great form, and we have different playing styles,” De la Fuente added. “We have the greatest respect for our opponents, but we feel capable of beating any team.

Merino’s winner came as a result of Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens’ error.

After the teams went in level at 1-1 following the first half, Spain eventually prevailed when back-up keeper Lammens, who came on in the second period for the injured Thibaut Courtois, spilled Pau Cubarsi’s low strike.

The ball bounced in front of Lammens, giving Merino just enough time to fire home as the sold-out crowd largely backing Spain erupted on a sweltering day at Los Angeles Stadium.

Courtois rallied behind Lammens on Friday after exiting the game in the 71st minute after complaining of a muscular problem, making way for the 24-year-old understudy.

Courtois, 34, who revealed to reporters that he had wanted to stay on the field before being subbed off, offered sympathy to Lammens.

“I gave him a big hug. He’s a great goalkeeper. You only get stronger from this,” Courtois said of his team-mate. “Eventually you cannot say much more to him or give him much more advice.

“He is a strong guy, strong personality. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Courtois meanwhile revealed he had felt pain in his right leg early in the second half after a clearance and had wanted to stay on the field before being hooked by Belgium manager Rudi Garcia.

“Obviously, I wanted to continue, but the coach wanted someone 100 per cent,” Courtois said. “I wanted to try to play maybe five or 10 minutes because I was feeling good. I was making saves, and I was not disturbed to make those saves. So that’s a decision of the coach, and that’s not a problem.”

‘GOLDEN GENERATION’

Courtois said he was proud of Belgium’s fabled “Golden Generation” as their final shot at winning a major title ended in the quarter-final defeat.

As Courtois watched from the bench, the sun set on the World Cup careers of veteran team-mates such as Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois, 34, De Bruyne, 35, and Lukaku, 33, were part of the lavishly talented crop of Belgian players that rose to the pinnacle of FIFA’s rankings for multiple years at different times over the past decade.

But a gifted player pool that also included Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany and Marouane Fellaini came up short in major tournaments, with their best performance a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

Courtois was adamant that Belgium’s old guard could look back at their tournament record with pride, pointing out that in several cases, notably the 2018 World Cup and 2021 European Championship, they had been eliminated by the eventual winners.

“In the big tournaments, almost always we have done well,” Courtois said. “We’re very proud of of everything we did till now. Obviously we get a a lot of criticism like ‘The golden generation never won anything, and so on.’

“But we are Belgium. We’re not England. We’re not Spain. We’re not France. We are a small country of not even 12 million people that in big tournaments is showing amazing things.

“In 2018 (World Cup) I think we were playing the best football in that tournament. So there are things to be proud of.”

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026

The teams were locked up ​1-1 at the end of regulation time after Andreas Schjelderup had opened the scoring for Norway with a wonder strike in the 36th minute and Bellingham skipped ‌into the area to equalise just before halftime.

Three minutes into extra time, though, Morgan Rogers fired a long-range shot at the Norwegian goal that Orjan Nyland could only parry and Bellingham stole in to bury the rebound, delighting the white-shirted fans in the crowd of 64,478.

England will face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday in their fourth semi-final in their last five major championships, looking to stay on course for a repeat of their sole World ​Cup triumph of 1966.

“The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said.

“We made life very, very ​difficult for ourselves in the way we played. Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today.”

Norway will ⁠feel they deserved more out of the game, even if England kept Erling Haaland scoreless for the first time in his last 16 matches for his country, and will exit their first ​World Cup in 28 years with heads held high.

“It is a bit bitter, but it has been an adventure,” said Norway skipper Martin Odegaard. “We must be proud. We are here for the first time ​in a long time, and we are making our mark. The whole world is talking about us.”

Cagey first half

Perhaps because of the stifling heat, the first half was a cagey affair but Norway exploded into life when Julian Ryerson crossed for Haaland to head the ball at goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 35th minute.

A minute later, Patrick Berg stripped Harry Kane of possession near halfway and released Schjelderup down the left, the winger turning makeshift England full ​back Ezri Konsa inside out before crashing a shot-cum-cross into the net.

England were rattled and Norway took full advantage with Alexander Sorloth hitting a rising drive over the bar and Martin Odegaard ​drilling in a low shot that Pickford parried away.

They should have doubled their lead in the 44th minute when they briefly had a two-on-one inside the England half but Sorloth decided not to pass to Haaland and ‌the defenders ⁠recovered their ground to snuff out the danger.

Norway would regret their profligacy in stoppage time at the end of the half when Bellingham conjured up an equaliser of real quality from Anthony Gordon’s clever ball across the edge of the box.

Bellingham took one touch to steer the ball into the area, another to take him past a defender, before turning to whip it across goalkeeper Nyland into the far corner of the goal.

The remainder of the half was all England with Kane getting the ball into the net again only to be adjudged offside, a decision confirmed by VAR.

VAR rules out Norway goal

VAR was again called upon 10 minutes into ​the second half when Torbjorn Heggem thought ⁠he had put Norway in front from a corner, his goal scratched off for a shove by Haaland on Elliot Anderson.

Norway’s introduction of pacey winger Oscar Bobb in the 67th minute triggered another period of dominance with England fortunate not to concede when David Moller Wolfe headed the ball over ​Pickford and on to the bar.

England’s right-wing substitute Bukayo Saka came close to helping his team take the lead with a dangerous cross that ​flashed across goal in the ⁠78th minute and he carved out another great chance when he got to the byline and fired a low cross across the box that none of his teammates were able to get to.

England substitute Djed Spence caught Nyland napping in possession towards the end of normal time but the second half was destined to finish goalless.

VAR was to intervene once more after Bellingham’s second goal to rule out an extra-time penalty ⁠awarded to ​England for a foul on Spence.

Haaland, unable to add to his tournament tally of seven goals, was substituted at halftime ​of the extra period and although Norway poured forward looking for an equaliser, England held on to match their progress to the last four at the 1966, 1990 and 2018 World Cups.

“I feel sorry for the lads, but this is top ​level sports at its best or its most gruesome,” said tearful Norway coach Stale Solbakken. “We played fantastic football against a super team, but we didn’t make it.”