Real Madrid forward who won the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals, becoming the first player to win the award twice and men's all-time World Cup top scorer with 22 goals.
… Espi, who joined from Levante for £21m, struck after Diomande had found Kylian Mbappe in the box and the ball fell invitingly for the Spanish forward to calmly finish. …
… If Real end up paying the full £120m for Diomande he would become the fourth most expensive player in history, behind PSG’s Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and Liverpool’s former Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. …
… If Real end up paying the full £120m for Diomande, he would become the fourth most expensive player in history, behind PSG’s Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and Liverpool’s former Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. …
… The 26-year-old is believed to want recognition as Los Blancos’ top star financially, especially after carrying the team for years before the arrival of Kylian Mbappe. …
… A shaky group stage nearly ended Argentina’s tournament before the knockout rounds even began, and when the team did reach the last sixteen, a young Kylian Mbappe announced himself to the world by inspiring an electric French win that eliminated Argentina in one of the most enter …
… Kylian Mbappe scored twice, with Bradley Barcola also finding the net, as Les Bleus reduced the deficit to 4-3 and threatened an unlikely comeback. …
… He also became – along with 19-year-old Spain team-mate Pau Cubarsi – just the fourth and fifth teenagers to start a World Cup final and win, after Pele for Brazil in 1958, Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982 and Kylian Mbappe with France in 2018. …
Jose Mourinho's first competitive match of his second spell as Real Madrid manager ended with a thrilling 90th-minute winner from debutant Carlos Espi against Espanyol, after Jude Bellingham had given Real an early lead but Espanyol equalized in the 30th minute.
Jose Mourinho's first competitive match of his second spell as Real Madrid manager ended with a thrilling 90th-minute winner from debutant Carlos Espi against Espanyol, after Jude Bellingham had given Real an early lead but Espanyol equalized in the 30th minute.
Real Madrid have signed 19-year-old Ivorian winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig for a fee worth up to £120m on a seven-year contract. If the full fee is paid, Diomande would become the fourth most expensive player in history and the most expensive African player.
Real Madrid have signed 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig for a fee worth up to £120m on a seven-year contract. If the full amount is paid, Diomande would become the most expensive African player and the fourth most expensive player in history.
Vinicius Jr is set to resume contract negotiations with Real Madrid this week as Arsenal maintain interest in the Brazilian forward. Real Madrid is pushing for an agreement before the transfer window closes, with Vinicius's current deal running until 2027.
Lionel Messi, thirty-nine, played his final World Cup as Argentina lost the 2026 final one-nil to Spain. Despite the loss, Messi's World Cup legacy remains marked by moments of brilliance across a decades-long tournament presence.
Ugandan dance group Ghetto Kids appeared at the football World Cup final half-time show alongside Burna Boy and Shakira, performing in the game between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The young dancers, who come from humble beginnings in Kampala, described the experience as life-changing.
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.
During the World Cup in the US, former England captain David Beckham has dominated off-the-pitch marketing, fronting advertising campaigns for 11 brands including McDonald's, Major League Soccer, and Bank of America. Marketing experts attribute his prominence to his broad appeal across demographics and his authentic, down-to-earth persona that translates across football, fashion, entertainment, and business.
England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating France 6-4 in a bronze-medal playoff in Miami, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick and Jude Bellingham setting a new England World Cup scoring record.
Spain teenager Lamine Yamal, 19 years and six days, has won both the World Cup and Euros, making him the youngest player to achieve the double. The article compares his symbolic embrace with Lionel Messi at the World Cup final to a passing of the torch, noting Yamal recovered from a hamstring injury to play a key role in Spain's tournament run.
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.
Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, with substitute Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. The victory gave Spain their second World Cup title and first since 2010, with Argentina finishing the match down to 10 men after Enzo Fernández's red card.
England defeated France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 bronze final at Miami Stadium, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick and Jude Bellingham securing victory as France mounted a comeback inspired by Kylian Mbappe.
France lost 2-0 to Spain in the World Cup semi-final, ending Didier Deschamps' 13-year tenure as manager. Deschamps, who won the World Cup as both player (1998) and manager (2018), will manage his final match in Saturday's third-place play-off.
Spain defeated France in the semi-final with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro, advancing to the World Cup final on Sunday. The Spanish side controlled the match with disciplined defending and will face the winner of Saturday's other semi-final.
France and Spain meet in a World Cup semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with France led by Kylian Mbappé (eight goals in six games) and Spain relying on possession-based football under Luis de la Fuente.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp disclosed that the club arranged a private jet and courtship for Kylian Mbappe and his family in 2017, flying the Monaco forward's family in a circle over France in a bid to persuade him to join. Mbappe ultimately chose to sign for Paris St-Germain instead.
Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the World Cup and Ousmane Dembele added a second as France defeated Morocco to advance to the semi-finals, with Mbappe now level with Lionel Messi's tournament tally.
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 will play Morocco in today's World Cup quarter-final, a rematch of the 2022 semi-final. Morocco arrive as confident contenders after winning their group unbeaten and defeating Canada 3-0 in the last 16, presenting a different challenge than France's previous knockout opponents.
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.
FIFA has opened an investigation into alleged racist abuse involving American social media influencer IShowSpeed and an Argentina supporter during the Copa América, which took place on 3 July at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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.
France secured a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16, with Kylian Mbappé converting a second-half penalty to send the tournament favourites into the quarter-finals. Paraguay had stunned Germany on penalties in the previous round but were ultimately undone by France's increased tempo after the break.
France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in a World Cup last-16 match, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a penalty in the 70th minute. Mbappe drew level with Lionel Messi as the tournament's joint-top scorer with seven goals and now has 19 World Cup goals overall, one behind Messi's record.
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.
Kylian Mbappe scored his seventh goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as France defeated Paraguay to advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face Morocco. Mbappe's second-half penalty proved decisive in the Round of 16 encounter at Philadelphia Stadium.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France defeated Sweden 3-0 to advance to the last 16, with Mbappe becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup knockout matches with 10 goals and sharing the Golden Boot lead at the tournament with six goals.
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.