World Cup news

FIFA has been forced to make a rare exception to its strict tournament branding rules ahead of the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina. The governing body could not conceal the iconic Mercedes-Benz logo at Atlanta Stadium after engineering concerns made covering the landmark impossible.

Folarin Balogun has joined Klutch Sports following an impressive World Cup that boosted his profile on and off the pitch. The USMNT forward becomes the first footballer to sign directly with LeBron James' agency as he looks to build on his growing influence in the game.

Adrien Rabiot has firmly dismissed suggestions that France are engineering a specific tactical blueprint to neutralise Spain winger Lamine Yamal in their World Cup semi-final clash. The midfielder also addressed the lingering fallout from his previous criticism of the Barcelona prodigy, which famously backfired during their Euro 2024 encounter.

Manchester City are reportedly "pushing hard" to secure the signature of Lille's highly-rated midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi following his breakthrough performances at the World Cup. The Premier League giants are eager to bring the Morocco wonderkid straight to the Etihad Stadium as they look to bolster their midfield options for the upcoming campaign.

Nico O'Reilly is relishing the prospect of facing Lionel Messi when England meet Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals. The Manchester City youngster described the opportunity as "once-in-a-lifetime", while Jordan Pickford warned England must not become overly focused on stopping the Albiceleste captain alone.

Erling Haaland has amused football fans by bringing a bizarre $750 taxidermied raccoon back to Oslo following Norway's elimination from the 2026 World Cup. The prolific Manchester City striker showcased the unique souvenir, purchased from a famous Western store in Texas, as the national squad plane touched down back in Scandinavia.

England captain Harry Kane has accused the media of attempting to manufacture internal camp unrest ahead of their World Cup semi-final showdown against Argentina. The striker firmly maintained the squad remains entirely united despite Jude Bellingham's dismissive response to criticism from Thomas Tuchel about England's display in their quarter-final win over Norway.

And so we get to the real bit. England have had, in truth, quite a favourable run in the World Cup thus far. Mexico at the Azteca was a real test, but they are yet to face a team that is, objectively, better than them. Enter Argentina, the reigning champions and led by a certain Lionel Messi.

Lamine Yamal dismissed suggestions that numerology could influence Spain's World Cup semi-final against France, while taking a swipe at former Portugal boss Roberto Martinez. The teenage winger also insisted he feels no anxiety before the biggest match of his career and remains focused only on helping Spain reach the final.

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.

Didier Deschamps has confirmed Kylian Mbappe is fit to face Spain in France's World Cup semi-final despite concerns over an ankle problem. The France captain trained separately for part of Monday's session, but his boss insisted the modified workload was only part of his recovery plan ahead of the last-four clash.

GOAL asked an England fan if Jude Bellingham deserved a knighthood. His answer went several steps further.

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

Liverpool are set to benefit from a significant financial boost after reaching an agreement that clears the way for Arne Slot to become the new Netherlands head coach. The Dutchman, who left Anfield earlier this summer, is the primary candidate to succeed Ronald Koeman following the Oranje's latest transition.

Jules Kounde has dismissed any notion that Lamine Yamal's confident remarks ahead of Spain's World Cup semi-final against France have caused unease. The Euro 2024 champions and the 2022 World Cup runners-up are set to battle it out for a place in the final on Tuesday.

Erling Haaland has opened up on the emotional rollercoaster of Norway's World Cup campaign, describing the tournament as the best journey of his life despite a heartbreaking quarter-final exit to England. The Manchester City superstar insisted that the tournament has permanently changed both his country and his own outlook on the game.