… the foul appears ‘obvious’, if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene.” Collina also defended the decision not to award Egypt a penalty before Argentina’s winner, saying both the referee and VAR judged the contact between Salah and Julian Alvarez …
… Shobeir was outstanding in the first half, saving well from Alexis Mac Allister’s header before delivering a superb one-handed stop from Julian Alvarez’s goal-bound effort three minutes before the interval. …
… His second goal came in second-half injury time when Argentina caught Austria on the counter, with the 38-year-old sending through Julian Alvarez, who saw his shot blocked, before Messi put the rebound in. …
… However, the La Liga champions appear intent on significantly strengthening their attacking ranks, with Anthony Gordon having already moved to Camp Nou and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez being heavily linked with a transfer. …
… Viktor Gyokeres had earlier blasted Arsenal in front from the spot, having been pushed over by the same Atletico player, but Atletico responded through Julian Alvarez’s penalty after Ben White was penalised for handball following another VAR check. …
FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina dismissed allegations of bias in Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, saying match officials operated with complete independence and that such unfounded accusations could provoke threats against referees. Egypt had complained about the officiating after losing the match and exiting the tournament, with coach Hossam Hassan alleging pressure on the referee to keep Argentina in the tournament.
FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina dismissed allegations of bias in Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, saying match officials operated with complete independence and that such unfounded accusations could provoke threats against referees. Egypt had complained about the officiating after losing the match and exiting the tournament, with coach Hossam Hassan alleging pressure on the referee to keep Argentina in the tournament.
Argentina recovered from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt 3-2 and advance to the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals. Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernandez scored the comeback goals, with Fernandez's injury-time header sealing the win.
Lionel Messi broke Miroslav Klose's World Cup scoring record after scoring two goals against Austria, taking him to 18 goals across his sixth World Cup appearance. Argentina, the defending champions, qualified for the round of 32 with the victory.
Argentina striker Julián Álvarez said he has told Atlético Madrid that a transfer is "the best thing for everyone" to fulfil his dreams, with Barcelona and Paris St-Germain reportedly interested. Álvarez joined Atlético from Manchester City for £81.5m in summer 2024 and has scored 49 goals in 106 games.
Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella has completed a transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid for an initial £47.5 million plus potential add-ons, becoming José Mourinho's first signing. Cucurella will officially join Madrid after the 2026 FIFA World Cup after four years at Chelsea, signing a six-year contract.
Real Madrid offered Atletico Madrid 150 million euros for striker Julian Alvarez, but the club rejected the bid, citing the player's 500 million euro release clause.
Barcelona has made 20-year-old Roony Bardghji available for transfer as the club strengthens its attacking options; six Premier League clubs including Aston Villa, Sunderland, and Brighton are reported to be interested, with Bardghji preferring a loan move to prove his value to Barcelona.
Bukayo Saka's goal in the 45th minute gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over Atlético Madrid in their semifinal second leg, advancing 2-1 on aggregate to secure their first Champions League final appearance since 2006. They will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in Budapest on May 30.
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid played to a 1-1 draw in their Champions League semi-final first leg, with both teams scoring from penalties. Arsenal's late penalty was overturned following a VAR check by referee Danny Makkelie, who deemed contact insufficient after initially pointing to the spot.
Marcus Rashford, on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United, has scored 12 goals this season and made a significant impact despite recent transfer speculation. The article argues Rashford should be patient regarding his future at the club.