… Kane joined Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in making an early pitch for the Golden Boot, while Bellingham gave a powerhouse display he embellished with a fine goal. …
… But City trailed to Eli Junior Kroupi’s first-half goal and Erling Haaland’s stoppage time reply was too late for the visitors, who are reportedly set to say goodbye to manager Pep Guardiola at the end of the season after a glittering decade. …
… Home goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic made a vital save to deny Nico O’Reilly early in the second half, and although Erling Haaland scored a late equaliser, the hosts held on. …
… Bernardo Silva picked up the ball outside the Chelsea penalty area and gave Erling Haaland the opportunity to cross, before Semenyo, the January signing from AFC Bournemouth, flicked his finish beyond Robert Sánchez and into the far corner. …
… The Ghana forward instinctively turned home a low delivery from Erling Haaland from a difficult angle, beating goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to spark wild celebrations among the Manchester City supporters at Wembley. …
Manchester City midfielder Jack Grealish has returned to pre-season training but was left out of the squad travelling to Hong Kong and Seoul, as he continues to recover from a foot injury sustained in January while on loan at Everton. New manager Enzo Maresca has left open the possibility of reintegrating Grealish into the first team, with the 30-year-old approaching the final year of his contract.
Phil Foden has signed a new four-year contract with Manchester City, keeping him at the club until 2030. The 26-year-old midfielder has made 369 appearances for City, winning six Premier League titles, one Champions League, and two FA Cups.
Kylian Mbappe won the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot after scoring 10 goals, finishing ahead of Lionel Messi's eight. The Real Madrid forward is now the top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals across three tournaments.
Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals in eight games, becoming the first player to win the award twice and extending his men's World Cup all-time top scorer record to 22 goals.
Nine of Africa's 10 representatives in the expanded 48-team World Cup tournament progressed from the group stage, but all were eliminated in the knockout rounds, with several losing in the closing minutes of matches. This marked the continent's strongest group-stage performance yet, but ended in disappointment as African teams failed to advance further.
Nine of ten African teams advanced from group stage at the expanded 48-team World Cup tournament, but one after another suffered elimination in closing moments of knockout matches, with goals conceded in the 86th, 89th, 92nd, 93rd minutes and extra time. Only Tunisia failed to advance from the group stage.
Jude Bellingham scored twice to inspire England to a comeback extra-time victory over Norway in the quarter-final in Miami, sending them into the last four where they will face either Argentina or Switzerland.
Norway manager Stale Solbakken told BBC Sport that England are favourites to reach the World Cup semi-finals ahead of their quarter-final meeting on Saturday in Miami. Norway has advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1998, knocking out Brazil in the last 16.
Official retailers across Europe have sold out of Norway's national team jerseys ahead of Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against England. The Norwegian Football Association says demand has far exceeded forecasts, with around 250,000 jerseys ordered by retailers this year compared with approximately 50,000 during the same period last year, driven partly by interest in players like Erling Haaland and Norway's victory over Brazil.
Norway striker Erling Haaland says all the pressure is on England ahead of their World Cup quarter-final on Saturday in Miami. Norway, competing at a World Cup for the first time since 1998, has beaten Ivory Coast and Brazil to reach the final eight, while England have not won the World Cup since 1966.
Justin Bieber will perform alongside Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay, and Sesame Street muppets during the 2026 World Cup final half-time show on 19 July in New York. The 11-minute performance, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin, will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children worldwide.
France and Morocco meet in a World Cup semi-final rematch in Boston on Thursday, with the winner advancing to the final four. France have won 11 of their last 12 competitive matches and are favored, led by coach Didier Deschamps in what will be his final tournament.
Justin Bieber will perform alongside Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay, and Sesame Street muppets at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final half-time show on 19 July in New York. The 11-minute set, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin, will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children worldwide.
Brazil arrives at each World Cup burdened by expectations of jogo bonito—the beautiful, creative football style of past generations—but has delivered disciplined, calculated play for nearly three decades. Each generation faces nostalgic comparisons to legends like Pelé and Ronaldinho, with the nation's near-misses in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 fueling frustration.
Brazilian forward Neymar has announced his retirement from international football after Brazil's 2-1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, with the 34-year-old scoring his 80th goal for his country via a late penalty.
Brazil fell short at the World Cup despite Carlo Ancelotti's arrival as coach, winning 10 of 16 games but failing to progress past the group stage. The article argues Brazil must rebuild its midfield, traditionally a creative strength, and questions whether Ancelotti's dependence on Casemiro is the right approach moving forward.
Erling Haaland scored twice in the second half to help Norway defeat five-time winners Brazil 2–1 and reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time. Brazil's Bruno Guimaraes missed a first-half penalty, and despite Neymar converting a late penalty, Brazil exited before the quarter-finals for the first time since 1990.
Erling Haaland scored in the 86th minute to give Norway a 2-1 World Cup knockout victory over Ivory Coast, setting up a last-16 clash with Brazil. It was Norway's first World Cup knockout win, and Haaland's 13th successive competitive international goal.
Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1 in Dallas, netting an 80th-minute free-kick to extend his streak to seven consecutive World Cup games with a goal. With top spot already secured, Messi was rested initially before being brought on after an hour to help restore Argentina's two-goal advantage.
France won all three group games at a FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998, with Ousmane Dembele scoring the second-fastest World Cup hat-trick of all time. Dembele broke his major tournament goal drought this week and now has four goals on the world stage.
Norway meet France at Gillette Stadium on Friday evening in the final round of group stage matches for the 2026 World Cup. Norway sit second in Group I behind France due to goal difference, though can claim top spot with victory, while France need only avoid defeat to confirm first place.
Vinicius Junior scored twice as Brazil defeated Scotland 3-0 on Wednesday, sealing progress to the last 32 as Group C winners. Vinicius has now scored four goals in three group games, matching Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the golden boot race.
Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin are being paid $50,000 each by Fox One to watch all 104 World Cup matches and create content, working from a custom glass cubicle in Times Square equipped with recliners, televisions, and merchandise.
Erling Haaland netted two goals to help Norway secure a 3-2 victory over Senegal in the FIFA World Cup, guaranteeing their place in the last 32. Haaland has now scored four goals in two World Cup matches, making him Norway's highest-scoring player in World Cup history.
Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway defeated Senegal to qualify for the World Cup last 32, with the Manchester City striker now having four goals in two games — more than any other Norway player in World Cup history.
Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway defeated Senegal 3–2 in the World Cup, securing their place in the last 32 alongside France. Haaland has now scored four goals in two games, more than any other Norwegian player in World Cup history.
England captain Harry Kane scored twice in England's 4-2 World Cup victory against Croatia, equalling Gary Lineker's record of 10 World Cup goals. Lineker called Kane "the greatest English striker we've ever had," noting Kane's all-round game as exceptional.
Erling Haaland scored two goals on his FIFA World Cup debut as Norway defeated Iraq 4-1 in their opening Group I match, marking the Scandinavian nation's first World Cup victory in 28 years.
Norway's Erling Haaland scored two goals on his World Cup debut to lead Norway to a 4-1 opening victory over Iraq in Group I. Iraq equalized early in the match but Norway's second goal came shortly after, and the team secured the win in their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.