Analysis

The World Cup final is finally upon us, and Sunday's showdown between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey promises to be an absolutely enthralling encounter between the two best teams in the tournament - with the emphasis very much on 'teams'.

And so the wait goes on. England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina on Wednesday means their quest for a first international trophy since 1966 will stretch into a seventh decade. The hope is that drought will come to an end in two years' time when the Three Lions co-host the 2028 European Championship, but will England ever again reach a World Cup final, never mind lift the most famous trophy in the sport?

Argentina’s comeback against England demonstrated the belief surrounding Lionel Messi. Now Spain stand between the holders and a historic second straight World Cup title.

It was a surprise, in truth, that it took reporters so long to ask Harry Kane about his future. The England striker stood there in the mixed zone, after a devastating 2-1 loss to Argentina, faced with the damning end to a remarkable season. And not until the third question did someone ask the England captain what might be next for him.

The two World Cup semifinals told remarkably different stories, but the resulting final looks like a tantalizing matchup between two excellent teams.

Atlanta did not need the World Cup to manufacture a soccer culture. Eight matches and more than half a million fan-festival visitors only confirmed what the city had spent nearly 60 years building.

It was all going so, so well for around 80 minutes. England went toe-to-toe with Argentina, and had a just-about-deserved 1-0 lead over the defending champions. A first World Cup final in 1966 was in sight for the Three Lions. And then, due in large part to the decisions of manager Thomas Tuchel, it was snatched away.

Against all the odds and pre-match conjecture, it is Spain who progressed to the final of the 2026 World Cup after overcoming France and their fabled forward line with alarming ease in Dallas on Tuesday. It was quite incredible just how routine the 2-0 victory was, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele all failing to show up as the tournament favourites bowed out with a whimper.

GOAL's signature summer soccer event is bringing laughs, football and plenty of fun in its final week of action

Tons of big names in the women's game have been on the move in this summer transfer window. From Alexia Putellas to Georgia Stanway, Sam Kerr to Mary Earps and Beth Mead to Katie McCabe, it's already proving to be a blockbuster off-season. But there are also several lesser known talents, young players with huge potential, making transfers.

When Spain's starting line-up for last week's World Cup quarter-final against Belgium was revealed roughly an hour before kick-off, the name of Pedri was immediately conspicuous by its absence. The natural assumption among pundits and supporters was that he was carrying a niggle - which tells you everything you need to know about just how highly the Barcelona star is rated.

Before the start of Lionel Messi's sixth World Cup, the common consensus was that he'd seen and done it all. After effectively completing football four years ago in Qatar, there was even a fear that there was no way he could, at 39 years of age, add to his legacy - only slightly sully it. Messi, though, has spent his entire career making a mockery out of conventional wisdom and has actually managed to solidify his status as the greatest player of all time by becoming the World Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer and assist-maker during Argentina's run to the semi-finals.

Spain-France and England-Argentina headline a blockbuster semifinal lineup as the World Cup enters its decisive week.

Diego Luna spoke with GOAL about the pain of missing the World Cup, the difficult lessons he has learned, and why becoming a better player starts with changing his approach every day.

FIFA’s Creator Correspondent program has given 30 TikTok personalities remarkable access at the World Cup - and offered a glimpse of how social media is reshaping soccer coverage in North America.

Watch the video again and you can almost see Jude Bellingham loading his answer as the interviewer navigates the question. The Real Madrid superstar had just been informed that his manager, Thomas Tuchel, was "disappointed" with England's performance following a gusty 2-1 win over Norway in Miami on Saturday night. Bellingham's remarkably clippable response? "Whatever."

Kylian Mbappe will be relishing France's World Cup semi-final clash with Spain more than most. Not only is this the opportunity to exact revenge for the painful defeat to La Roja at the same stage of Euro 2024 two years ago, but the attacker also has the chance to deliver a rebuttal to his vociferous critics back in Madrid after a tumultuous season at club level. What's more, he comes into the showdown in the form of his life.

The El Tri legend inherits renewed belief, an emerging generation and enormous expectations. From defining Gilberto Mora’s role to deciding Edson Álvarez’s future, here is what Márquez must do to move Mexico forward.

Mauricio Pochettino’s future remains uncertain, leaving U.S. Soccer with several intriguing paths as it begins planning for the 2030 World Cup cycle.

The loudest cheer of the night came when Jude Bellingham took his swansong. He didn't need long. Even the way he ran off the pitch was purposeful - a direct scamper, a couple of kisses and a wave to the crowd. It was much like the rest of his performance. Bellingham had grabbed this game and molded it in his will. He scored two talismanic goals, and did plenty of other important stuff, too - tackle, pass, dribble, shout.

The World Cup has a remarkable ability to completely alter the course of careers. There is no grander stage in the game, meaning impressive performances garner the kind of acclaim and attention that is simply not possible in any other arena. Consequently, the transfer market tends to go wild in and around World Cups, as clubs scramble to snap up previously hidden gems or suddenly established stars.

Canada’s historic home World Cup raised expectations and captured the country. Now the CPL, Whitecaps and player pathways must ensure it was more than a month-long party.

The goalkeeper was facing retirement as recently as December last year, but he has become a USL Championship hero after breaking the World Cup save record.

Four years can transform a player pool. GOAL picks the established stars, rising prospects and wild cards who could form the USMNT’s next World Cup lineup.

Erling Haaland has carried the hopes of a nation upon Norway's return to football's biggest stage after a 28-year absence, but while his goals have been vital to their cause, the Manchester City hitman hasn't been shouldering that burden alone. The Scandinavians are back at the World Cup having built a solid team unit that isn't solely reliant on its star striker, and the supporting cast have been showing what they can do in North America.

This is no doubt the biggest selection decision of Thomas Tuchel's England tenure to date. The Three Lions are favourites going into Saturday's World Cup quarter-final clash with Norway in Miami. England really should have too much quality all over the field for their Scandinavian opponents. But that doesn't mean Tuchel has it easy. England have a handful of tricky decisions to make.

Everyone is out to get the winger this week and, after so many years of excitement, his reputation is now, at the very least, up for debate

U.S. Soccer needs to think bigger after the USMNT’s World Cup exit, from coaching and player development to ticket prices and true road tests.

There's a lot to like about England's World Cup quarter-final clash with Norway on Saturday evening. It's a game laden with storylines. England have star power at numerous positions. Norway are the more cohesive team, geared towards serving one star. England have won at the Azteca. Norway knocked out Brazil. England have won the World Cup. Norway have not.