Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled no punches when dissecting Belgium’s dramatic World Cup quarter-final exit, laying the blame squarely at the feet of manager Rudi Garcia and goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The legendary Swedish striker was left utterly bewildered by the decision to replace the injured Thibaut Courtois with the Manchester United shot-stopper ahead of Mike Penders.
Thibaut Courtois has expressed his immense devastation after a cruel quadriceps injury forced him out of Belgium's heartbreaking World Cup quarter-final exit against Spain. The Real Madrid goalkeeper left the pitch in tears before his replacement, Senne Lammens, committed a costly late error that allowed Mikel Merino to seal a 2-1 victory.
Luis de la Fuente has hailed Mikel Merino as a player "tailor-made" for Spain's tactical identity following their hard-fought victory over Belgium. The midfielder's impact proved decisive as La Roja secured their place in the World Cup semi-finals.
Belgium boss Rudi Garcia insists his side will not focus solely on stopping Lamine Yamal ahead of their World Cup quarter-final against Spain. Instead, he wants the Red Devils to disrupt Spain collectively and believes they have the quality to end the European champions' unbeaten defensive run.
Hansi Flick is regularly left astounded by the maturity of Pau Cubarsi's displays for Barcelona. "It's incredible to watch how well he defends," the German coach admitted last season. "He's young, he's only 19, but then you realise how long he’s already been playing at this level. We're very fortunate to have him. In terms of his performances, he's right up there with Lamine Yamal."
USMNT star Folarin Balogun has issued a heartfelt apology to supporters following the United States' humbling exit from the 2026 World Cup. The Monaco striker was at the center of a global firestorm after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina was sensationally overturned by FIFA, allowing him to feature in the 4-1 Round of 16 defeat to Belgium.
We're in the end game now! With only eight teams remaining, the 2026 World Cup is about to reach boiling point, with the stakes unspeakably high for each of the quarter-finalists. The next round has a lot to live up, too, after this thrilling tournament continued to deliver moments of magic on an almost daily basis.
The 2026 World Cup has been a non-stop festival of football across North America, but fans looking for their daily fix on Wednesday will find the schedule surprisingly empty. After a breathless round of 16 that saw the world's heavyweights battle for survival, FIFA has implemented a tactical pause in the proceedings.
U.S. Soccer says that the federation will reengage in conversations about Mauricio Pochettino's future after a period of rest and reflection following the U.S. men's national team's World Cup exit. The USMNT lost 4-1 to Belgium on Monday, ending the team's World Cup run and, potentially, ending Pochettino's time in charge of the team.
Belgium’s World Cup dream has been hit by a devastating setback after midfielder Amadou Onana was ruled out with a serious knee injury. The Aston Villa star suffered the blow during the Red Devils' round-of-16 victory over the United States, leaving Rudi Garcia with a major selection headache ahead of their quarter-final against Spain.
The USMNT's World Cup dreams ended in a nightmare in Seattle, but while American fans were left in tears, the Iran Football Federation was ready to celebrate. Following a tournament dominated by political tensions, Iranian officials have issued a scathing response to the co-hosts' elimination.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has defended United States striker Folarin Balogun following their World Cup round-of-16 encounter in Seattle. The pre-match build-up had been heavily dominated by FIFA’s highly controversial decision to suspend Balogun’s red-card ban, prompting widespread criticism before Belgium secured a 4-1 victory.
Belgium’s stars sent a defiant message to the White House and FIFA by performing the 'Trump dance' during their dominant 4-1 World Cup victory over the United States. The clinical performance in Seattle served as the ultimate response to the controversial reversal of Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension, a decision that dominated headlines and sparked fierce debate in the build-up to the match.
The USMNT had a chance to change perceptions on home soil, but a 4-1 loss to Belgium instead raised familiar questions about progress, pressure and missed opportunity.
The Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has launched a stinging attack on FIFA following the governing body's unprecedented decision to allow Folarin Balogun to escape a mandatory suspension. The USMNT striker was cleared to play in the World Cup round-of-16 clash against Belgium despite receiving a straight red card in his previous outing.
UEFA has launched a scathing attack on FIFA following the governing body's shock decision to allow USMNT striker Folarin Balogun to escape an automatic suspension. The European governing body claimed the move "crossed a red line" and warned that the integrity of the World Cup is now at stake after the Monaco forward was cleared to face Belgium.
Belgium
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