It’s the game within the game. Every four years, ‘football boot nerds’ anticipate new launches from the major boot brands.

Every boot is freshened up and a new version released in a specific World Cup colourway, often as part of a pack that carbon-dates a tournament in the minds of true enthusiasts.

The most lucrative players – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo now, David Beckham and Ronaldo in days gone by – are treated to bespoke versions. For most, it’s straight into the lead colourways for the duration of the tournament and then a new one in time for August.

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Michael Olise is a creative exception boot enthusiasts can love

Bayern Munich star Michael Olise, who is ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right-wingers in the world right now, doesn’t seem to be interested in fitting in when standing out is an option.

The former Premier League player is shining in a France shirt at the World Cup but eagle-eyed boot lovers will be neither unaware nor surprised that his footwear is different than what might be expected.

“Olise should be every football boot nerd’s favourite player right now,” says boot expert Subomi Kushanu.

“He completely disrupts the status quo when it comes to the professional game. He’s famously worn the [Nike] Hypervenom Phantom 3 since his days at Reading and hasn’t signed a deal with a brand like a player of his status usually would just so he can continue wearing them.”

Ordinarily, the major boot brands put their contracted players in the latest boot. That’s what they’re paid for and it doesn’t much matter whether the colours clash with their team kits or wouldn’t be the same ones a player would buy.

It’s a compromise between control and cash, and Olise appears to be willing to prioritise the former. These are the tools of his trade, after all.

By opting out of a boot deal thus far, Olise could be leaving lots of money on the table. The Bayern man is surely in demand as his career goes from strength to strength.

Notwithstanding the obvious fact that he’s effectively a free agent and will command a huge deal should he ever decide to accept one, it’s estimated that the top players can pull in £2 million or more a year.

Olise would easily qualify for that bracket, while a negotiating brand might seek to benchmark him against international teammate Kylian Mbappe, whose 10-year Nike deal is understood to be worth around £1.4 million each year.

The London-born 24-year-old would also have to sacrifice his style freedom, albeit with the benefit of his boots being supplied rather than having to be tracked down.

“Since Nike discontinued this boot in 2018, he’s actually had to go out of his way to source them off resellers on Instagram,” adds Kushanu.

“Famously, he matches the colourway of the boot with the kit he’s wearing each matchday.”

That’s why Olise has played in blue, white or mint green Hypervenom boots throughout the World Cup, which has otherwise been a sea of electric pink.

You have to say that’s magnificent.

Football journalist Luke Edwards has fired back after former Newcastle United owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi labelled his reporting as ‘utter nonsense’.

Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes has been heavily linked with a transfer to Premier League champions Arsenal but Edwards reported that the Gunners were having second thoughts because they were ‘initially led to believe’ the Brazilian would cost them a fee of £50 million.

“Arsenal became interested in signing Newcastle’s captain only when they were told, via intermediaries, he could be prised away from their Premier League rivals for a bargain price,” reported Edwards in The Telegraph. “That is not the case and the deal remains deadlocked.”

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'I'm only reporting what was claimed'

The ensuing social media spat was the result of Edwards’ report stating that Arsenal’s expectation was informed by a conversation those intermediaries “claim to have had with Amanda Staveley, Newcastle’s former co-owner, who said they would be willing to listen to offers of that size if they failed to qualify for the Champions League.”

Edwards acknowledged that Staveley’s status as a former co-owner and the lack of a release clause in Guimaraes’ Newcastle contract mean there’s no indication from the current ownership that a cut-price deal has ever been possible, but the suggestion sparked a row on social media.

Ghodoussi replied to Edwards’ post to call it “Utter nonsense” but Edwards has robustly defended his reporting.

“Which part Mehrdad?” he replied. “The £50m fee? I agree. I’m only reporting what has been claimed from their side.”

Staveley, who is married to Ghodoussi and shared a stake in Newcastle with him until the summer of 2024, was instrumental in the takeover of the club by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which was completed in 2021.

Newcastle’s weakened position in the transfer market is a direct outcome of their failure to qualify for European competition. A year after securing Champions League football and their first major silverware for generations, the Tyneside club finished 12th in the Premier League in 2025-26.

According to Edwards’ report, that failure was believed by Guimarães’ team to make the player available for a lowered fee. Arsenal, he says, are reviewing their position.

The Telegraph journalist posted on X again: “I don’t want to do this publicly but I will if I have to do so. I have spoken to Amanda this morning and she has agreed the story is not utter nonsense.

“They deny they ever made a promise to Bruno that he could leave. That denial is in the article but it does not change the fact that this is what Bruno’s reps have claimed took place.”

Newcastle have had a busy start to the transfer window. The Magpies have received significant fees for Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali but are facing the prospect of starting another season without players who were important to them in the previous one.

It also looks as if they’ve missed out on the signing of Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi, having also lost out on the signing of Victor Munoz from Osasuna, with Liverpool landing the 23-year-old winger in an 11th-hour swoop. The 20-year-old appeared to be destined for St James’ Park but is understood to be on the cusp of a move from Freiburg to Aston Villa instead.

France and Spain face each other in Dallas this evening fighting for a place in the World Cup Final on Sunday.

The victor will play the winner of England versus Argentina tomorrow night, both of which are tantalising clashes with significant historical background.

Given what's at stake, tonight's contest is expected to be a testy, high-pressure affair - so, who is taking charge of it all?

Who is the referee for France vs Spain?

The final Round of 16 match will be officiated by referee Ivan Barton from El Salvador, who has developed quite a reputation for himself this tournament.

It will be his fourth match of the tournament, having previously officiated group matches between Turkey and Paraguay and Japan and Sweden, as well as the knockout fixture between Switzerland and Colombia.

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Barton made headlines during the Turkey-Paraguay match for his dramatic announcement of the decision to show Miguel Almiron a red card.

That incident, which was referred to VAR, saw the official become the first to send a player off for covering their mouth with their hand.

The 35-year-old is appearing at his second World Cup, having taken charge of three matches at Qatar 2022, including England's Round of 16 match against Senegal.

Barton will be joined on the pitch by fellow Salvadoran David Moran and Antonio Pupiro assisting from the sidelines.

Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg is fourth official, whilst reserve assistant is another Swede Mahbod Beigi.

Barton's previous record is pretty unpredictable when it comes to showing his cards, with only three players booked during the three World Cup matches at Qatar combined.

However, during 21 Salvadoran league matches in 2025 and 2026, Barton dished out 12 red cards and a staggering 113 yellows.

However, he has been a little less trigger happy during this summer, brandishing just 10 yellows altogether in addition to Almiron's red.

For every football supporter of a certain age, the thought of a player receiving a yellow card in the semi-final of a World Cup and knowing he’ll miss the final conjures up the same image.

World Cup 1990 was a lifetime ago but the image of inconsolable England midfielder Paul Gascoigne after he was booked against West Germany became every bit as iconic as the player himself.

As Bobby Robson’s England dug deep to reach the final in Rome that summer, Gascoigne knew that he would be suspended on the basis of accumulated yellow cards. It was academic in the end but Gazza’s tears left an indelible mark on English football folklore.

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Will players be suspended for the World Cup final?

Gascoigne isn’t alone in potentially missing a career-defining match because of a yellow card suspension but there has been a movement away from punishing players so severely, not least because major tournaments are bigger and longer than ever.

In 1990, the World Cup had half as many teams as World Cup 2026, which started with 48 teams and has an additional round of 32 for the first time. As such, the nations reaching the last four will play eight times and accumulated bookings could become a real problem.

FIFA mitigates the issue of unwarranted suspensions by way of a yellow card amnesty. At a certain point in the World Cup, yellow cards that haven’t already earned a ban for the player question are wiped.

World Cup 2026 is the first major tournament where this amnesty has happened twice. Yellow cards were relieved of their suspension potential at the end of the group stage and again after the quarter-finals, meaning players merely had to avoid two bookings in three matches – twice – to ensure they wouldn’t get a ban for accumulated yellows.

As we wait patiently in the foothills before climbing into the semi-finals, no player from Spain, France, England or Argentina has a yellow card next to his name. Any player collecting a yellow card in the last four will remain eligible for Sunday’s World Cup final.

Jude Bellingham of England and Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel were both cautioned in the round of 32. In the round of 16, Manu Kone, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola were all booked for France, and Ferran Torres for Spain.

Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly and Declan Rice picked up yellow cards on the pitch for England during their game against Mexico. Jordan Henderson got a booking without playing at the Azteca.

Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte (Spain) were booked in the quarter-finals, as were Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada and Manuel Lopez (Argentina), so a total of 15 players have had their yellow cards wiped before the semi-finals and can be booked, once, without missing the final.

Players who are sent off for any reason in the semi-finals, including two yellow cards, will still be suspended for the final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

Manchester City are eager to sign Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, according to reports.

Bouaddi won rave reviews for his performances in Morocco’s run to the quarter-finals. He featured in every match apart from the last group game against Haiti, and was included in the starting line-up for the Atlas Lions’ defeat against World Cup favourites France in the last eight.

World Cup transfers aren’t the minefield they once were. Rare is the player who bursts onto the scene without prior exposure to the vast armies of recruitment experts working at the world’s leading football clubs.

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Bouaddi potential 'confirmed' by World Cup performances for Morocco

Bouaddi’s performances won’t have surprised any of the scouts and sporting directors already tracking his progress but the World Cup has perhaps sharpened their interest.

“The 18-year-old Lille midfielder was already well known by keen observers in Europe and beyond, with a host of top clubs monitoring his progress and determined to prise him from the Ligue 1 side,” reports David Ornstein for The Athletic.

“However, the [World Cup] served to confirm both his existing level and future potential – in turn, cranking up the interest from those suitors.

“Prominent among them are Manchester City, and the 10-time Premier League champions are pushing hard for Bouaddi ahead of him making a decision on his future, which is expected soon.”

Bouaddi was born in northern France and joined Lille’s academy set-up five years ago. He has played more than 60 matches for Lille in Ligue 1 since making his debut in 2023.

The teenager breezed through the junior ranks as a French international, ascending from under-16 to under-21 between 2022 and 2024, but the chance to represent Morocco at the World Cup persuaded him to switch.

Less than two months after playing for France Under-21s against Iceland, Bouaddi was named in Mohamed Ouahbi’s World Cup squad without ever having played for Morocco at any level.

Ornstein reports that Lille would be willing to sell Bouaddi for a fee in the region of £85 million, which is bound to put off some of the clubs interesting in signing the Morocco international.

According to The Athletic’s top transfer reporter, Arsenal and Manchester United have been ‘in contact with Bouaddi’s camp’ in the last year in addition to City.

“While there are clubs open to doing a deal now and allowing Bouaddi to continue developing at Lille for another season, it is thought City would rather integrate him immediately.”

Man City have already had an active summer transfer window. England midfielder Elliot Anderson has been signed from Nottingham Forest, while 19-year-old Troyes winger Mathys Detourbet was brought in and immediately loaned to Monaco.

Goalkeeper Pierce Charles and winger Jeremy Monga have both been signed from teams relegated from the Championship last season, while centre-backs Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake have been sold. Bernardo Silva and John Stones left the club upon the expiry of their contracts.

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is yet to make an appearance at World Cup 2026 and stands out as the only England midfielder not to have played a single minute.

Mainoo revived his season in the Premier League after the hiring of Michael Carrick as United’s interim head coach, an appointment since made permanent. The 21-year-old had experienced stagnation under Ruben Amorim but played his way back into the England picture.

Despite having 14 senior caps to his name and being a central midfield specialist, Mainoo has not been deployed as a fix for any of the multitude of midfield puzzles faced by England boss Thomas Tuchel in the United States and Mexico this summer.

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Tuchel has overlooked Mainoo at the World Cup

England have an established first-choice midfield pairing in the form of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson but Tuchel has had to use his squad in an extended tournament, in which England have reached the semi-finals and will therefore play eight games in total, and because of Rice’s illness.

The Arsenal midfielder had to be substituted at half time during England’s quarter-final win over Norway and was replaced by clubmate Eberechi Eze. When Anthony Gordon was withdrawn after 71 minutes, Reece James came on to slot into the midfield, rather than Mainoo, with Eze moving out wide.

Jude Bellingham has joined the ranks of players who’ve appeared in the middle for England at the World Cup as Mainoo looks on from the bench.

36-year-old Jordan Henderson played a handful of minutes as a substitute against Panama at the end of the group stage. Even risking Rice himself against Norway was an indication that Mainoo isn’t seen as a viable option.

Exacerbated by the idea that England might have benefited from having another right-back in the squad – Trent Alexander-Arnold is the most frequently cited candidate but has also played in midfield for the Three Lions, albeit without success – Mainoo’s inclusion with no apparent prospect of playing has been criticised.

Nevertheless, former United and England midfielder Paul Scholes doesn’t want Mainoo’s fortunes to change as Rice races to be available for the semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday.

“It seems like it’s anybody but Kobbie Mainoo for Thomas Tuchel,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football.

“Only Tuchel will know why. I can’t imagine Kobbie being a problem in the camp. Every manager has their favourites.

“I actually hope Kobbie Mainoo doesn’t come on now because he’s probably so down, he’s not played and he’s not kicked a football in a real game. He’s been training, obviously, but if he goes in now the only thing he can do is bad.”

For all the discussion about Mainoo’s World Cup role, England are still standing and have an opportunity to reach the final on foreign soil for the first time in their 76-year history with the competition.

In that sense, it’s certainly true that Tuchel is thus far meeting his brief and could yet achieve his objective in delivering a second World Cup for England. Mainoo’s lack of involvement is neither here nor there.

It is a curious situation, however. Tuchel hasn’t inherited a player he doesn’t rate or wouldn’t have chosen. The England manager alone is responsible for selecting the World Cup squad and brought Mainoo back into the fold.

Our free-to-play World Cup match predictor is into its second-to-last round, and we can confirm the winner of Round 6 has been contacted, crowned and credited with the entire £1,000 cash prize.

The winner, who top scored with 15 out of 18 points, correctly predicted the number of goals Spain, Belgium, Norway, England and Argentina would individually score in 90 minutes, plus added on time. Had they predicted Switzerland would score 1 instead of 0, they would've landed the perfect score.

The deadline to play Round 7 is at 7pm TONIGHT, with the game completely free to play, and another £1,000 ready to be won. The challenge is to predict the number of goals France, Spain, England and Argentina will each individually score in 90 minutes, plus added on time. The tiebreaker will be players' predictions for the minute of the first goal in France vs Argentina.

Play below for free!

As ever, a big thank you to our sponsors BOYLE Sports for providing the cash prizes, which have renewed each round. Better still, BOYLE Sports gives everyone who logs a set of predictions a free £5 bet simply for playing. All you need is a BOYLE Sports account – make sure you have your account number handy to enter when you make your predictions. The free bet will be credited within 48 hours of the deadline and will be valid for seven days.

Round 7 is currently open to play, but closes 7pm TONIGHT. After that, there will be one more round to play, so one final opportunity to win the £1,000 pot and one more £5 free bet to redeem.

Schedule and format

Matchday 1: Predict every nations' first game (win, lose or draw) CLOSED
Matchday 2: Predict every nations' second game: (win, lose or draw) CLOSED
Matchday 3: Predict every nations' third game: (win, lose or draw) CLOSED
Matchday 4: Predict the outcomes of the final eight Round of 32 games: (winner + amount of goals in 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens) CLOSED
Matchday 5: Predict the outcomes of the final four Round of 16 games: (winner + amount of goals in 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens) CLOSED
Matchday 6: Predict the outcomes of the final three Quarter Final games: (winner + correct scoreline in 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens) CLOSED
Matchday 7: Predict the correct scorelines of the two Semi Finals after 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens, with the minute of the first goal in the first Semi Final the tie breaker CLOSES 7pm TONIGHT!
Matchday 8: Predict the correct scorelines of the 3rd Place Playoff and World Cup Final after 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens, with the minute of the first goal in the World Cup Final the tie breaker

Deadlines

Matchday 1: Closed

Matchday 2: Closed

Matchday 3: Closed

Matchday 4: Closed

Matchday 5: Closed

Matchday 6: Closed

Matchday 7: Closes 7pm TONIGHT!

Matchday 8: Closes Sat 18 July, 9pm

France vs Spain is sure to be the toughest test yet for Didier Deschamps' men at the 2026 World Cup, now in the semi-final.

Spain possess the best defence at the tournament, while France boast the strongest attacking line-up of any side across North America.

The Spaniards know what it takes to win against this bunch, having secured a memorable victory against them in the 2024 European Championship, which Spain went on to win outright.

France vs Spain prediction

As always in games of this magnitude, it's wise to look at the game-breakers each nation possess, and how they could influence the result.

That is Kylian Mbappe, the greatest World Cup player in history, and Lamine Yamal, respectively. And that feels like a mismatch.

For England in Saturday evening's quarter-final fixture, that man was Jude Bellingham: the youngest player since Pele to score braces in back-to-back knockout games.

The presence of a game-breaker, a man who steps up when the going gets tough, is necessary for matches of this calibre, as evidenced by Norway's Erling Haaland enduring a tough game, then losing.

But with Mbappe and Yamal, the outcome feels far more pre-determined than it was for the England-Norway clash.

The most unfortunate part for Spain is that, if the Barcelona youngster can turn it on, he is arguably the most effectively-designed player to vanquish this France superteam.

If you could grow a player in a lab to beat Deschamps' men, you would pour in a dash of long-shot ability, another of solo dribbling insanity, and a smidgen of "Big Game Riser" garnish for the final dish.

If Yamal was at his best, he would be the player capable of breaking the deadlock early on enough, and retaining pressure while progressing the ball, to defeat France.

But Barcelona's starboy isn't at his best. Not even close. And Mbappe is on the prowl to heal his 2022 wounds, and continue building an already astonishing World Cup resume.

Spain's defence is irrelevant when France possess a front three of Top 5 Ballon D'or candidates for 2027, but their ability to go up early, and apply a pressure that France have not seen yet at the tournament, hinges almost solely on Yamal's performance.

France vs Spain score prediction

Unfortunately, FourFourTwo doesn't believe that Spain can keep the Frenchmen at bay, nor do we believe that Yamal will spring to life, after a string of uninspiring performances as of late.

Prediction: France 3-1 Spain

As you might imagine, a lot of work has gone into FourFourTwo's Top 100 footballers of all-time list over the years. It's a labour of love that needs regular attention.

The standard of the modern game gets nudged higher every passing year, and that means new candidates for a coveted spot in our Top 100 list to be considered.

Any player with presence in this list is rubbing shoulders with the greatest humans to ever kick a football. It will be given a fresh review after the 2026 World Cup, but for the time being, it's set in stone, and that's given us the opportunity to have some fun and test you, our readers.

Create the Ultimate 4-4-2 formation

Above we've arranged all 100 players that feature in our list into their positions: GK, DEF, MID and ST. Pick your line-up, and it will generate a percentage score.

The higher your individual picks rank in our top 100 list, the higher your percentage.

Can you score 100? No cheating!

If World Cup 2026 has reignited your love for sports and inspired you to travel to indulge it, where better to start than visiting the stadiums where the greatest sport on earth brought its showpiece to the United States of America?

Whether you're planning a California vacation or a city break on the eastern seaboard or anything in between, the chances are at least one of the 11 World Cup venues in the USA will be within reach.

These remarkable buildings might not host soccer matches all year round but they are architectural marvels in their own right and offer the chance to experience the excitement of the NFL on the very turf where World Cup history was made.

The closest Hilton Hotels to World Cup stadiums

As a sports adventurer, you travel far and wide to absorb the reflected glory of greatness. But what about accommodation? Where can you stay on your whistlestop World Cup tour?

Whichever of the USA's venues you plan to visit, Hilton Hotels has a place for you to stay. Here, FourFourTwo runs through the closest and most convenient – and we're starting literally in the shadow of San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.

Hilton Santa Clara

Located a five-minute walk and just 0.45 miles from San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Hilton Santa Clara is within five miles of San Jose International Airport and offers easy access to the array of attractions across the Bay Area.

The stadium has been home to the famous San Francisco 49ers, five-time Super Bowl champions, since 2014. There's a round ball bonus, too: Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes play just six miles away.

Hilton Atlanta

Hilton Atlanta boasts excellent transport links including easy travel to Atlanta Airport. More importantly, the stunning Atlanta Stadium is just 1.03 miles away from the downtown hotel.

The stadium gets plenty of sporting use. As well as hosting eight matches at World Cup 2026 including the semi-final between England and Argentina, Atlanta Stadium is home to both the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer.

It's the heartbeat of sports in the city of Atlanta but the stadium is worth visiting just for an in-person look at the design too.

Hilton Motif Seattle

Seattle Stadium looks like no other World Cup venue in the 96-year history of the competition and its also unique among sports stadiums in the USA.

Taking in a Seattle Seahawks game or enjoying MLS in the form of Seattle Sounders is a must if you're in Washington State, and Hilton Motif Seattle is just 1.04 miles from the stadium.

Located downtown, the stadium's nearest hotel is also a mile away from the Space Needle and the Bainbridge Island Ferry. It's the ideal hub for sightseeing in this beautiful corner of the Pacific Northwest.

Hilton Houston Plaza/Medical Center

Located in the Texas Medical Center, Hilton Houston Plaza/Medical Center offers a rooftop pool and bar with views across the city of Houston. Houston Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans, is just 1.78 miles away.

Seven World Cup matches were played at the stadium and, despite their number including one of the few goalless draws, Houston saw an average of nearly four goals per game. Don't forget to check out the Astrodome too!

Hilton Arlington

Elsewhere in the Lone Star State, Dallas Stadium hosted nine World Cup matches including the France vs Spain semi-final. That's just a tiny slice of the incredible list of events held at the home of the Dallas Cowboys and the stadium itself is an attraction.

If you're visiting Arlington or Dallas-Fort Worth, Hilton Arlington is a great place to stay.

It's just 1.85 miles from the stadium where Lionel Messi became the World Cup's all-time record goalscorer.

The 2026 World Cup final

There's nothing quite like a World Cup final stadium and New York New Jersey Stadium was awarded the honor 32 years after the Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosted Brazil's penalty shootout win over Italy last time the USA held the World Cup.

Located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the stadium is the regular home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.

There are lots of Hilton Hotels options and three of them are within eight miles of the World Cup final stadium.

Hilton Hasbrouck Heights/Meadowlands is 3.33 miles away, Hilton New York Times Square 7.72 miles away and New York Hilton Midtown 7.88 miles away.

Ready?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Hankering for another helping of quiz? Well, there's plenty more in the FourFourTwo kitchen. From international football, to domestic, women's and everything in between, there is no shortage of stuff for you to test your knowledge on, thanks to Kwizly.

Starting here by naming every player sent off at a World Cup in the 21st Century.

If that's not up your alley, or simply too easy for you, then try our Pre-Match Poser no.33 which only one per cent of football fans will get.

The Big Cristiano Ronaldo Quiz is goading you into getting 20 correct answers.

Fans of the other Selecao can attempt to name every Brazil player to have played in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 finals.

Don’t let your encyclopedic knowledge of the beautiful game evaporate as a passing thought; turn your trivia triumphs into an official matter of record by joining The Club, our free digital community hub. It is the perfect central repository to log your scores, claim exclusive digital badges for your profile, and see precisely where your footballing IQ sits when stacked against the sharpest minds in the global fanbase. To ensure your mental reflexes sharp, get the weekday newsletter, which drops a freshly prepared dose of high-intensity trivia straight to your inbox every single afternoon so you are always primed for the next kickoff.

It's time for another World Cup quiz from FourFourTwo and this one's for the football historians.

We've had the calculators out all morning and it turns out 22 World Cups' worth of semi-finalists means a total of 88 semi-finalists for you to name. There are some duplicates, obviously, so we've trimmed your time right down to 8 minutes to name them all.

Let us know your time below. We're expecting some impressive performances on this one.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has a big bunch of tricky World Cup quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. We have a starting line-up quiz to begin with: Can you name Scotland's starting line-up from their last World Cup finals fixture at World Cup 1998?

World Cup 2026 will be the second to be played in the United States, more than three decades after after the first. We want you to name 20 of the biggest stars of World Cup 1994. We'll give you their pictures so it should be straightforward enough. Right?

We also want you to name the most successful club from each of the 48 nations that qualified for World Cup 2026 and every nation to have played in any other World Cup but not qualified for this one.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 61 is a challenges more suited to puzzlers. There are clues on German stadiums, football terminology and EURO goalscorers. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

England are just two games away from winning the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

It would end 60 trophyless years for the men's team and would immortalise the current squad of players in English football history.

All that remains is the small matter of beating current world champions Argentina and two of the pre-tournament favourites in France and Spain should they reach the final.

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Will there be a bank holiday if England win the 2026 World Cup on Sunday?

If England do manage to reach and win the final, the country will see some of the biggest celebrations it has ever seen and fans of the Three Lions may be looking at Monday morning and wondering if they will make it into work or not.

Talk will of course turn to whether or not there will be a bank holiday should they lift the trophy in New Jersey.

Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has suggested that the possibility of a bank holiday will be considered should England go all the way.

Talking at a NATO summit in Turkey before Thomas Tuchel's men beat Norway, Starmer said: “I don’t want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final.”

A potential date has also been earmarked, with Friday, 24 July lined up for celebrations.

Starmer is unlikely to still be in office by the time the decision to grant a bank holiday rolls around after he resigned last month, subject to a new leader of the Labour Party being selected, but preparation for such an event must go ahead despite that.

Andy Burnham, who is likely to replace Starmer at 10 Downing Street, has slightly damped expectations previously, saying “it was a bit premature” to talk of a bank holiday before England’s trip to the Azteca.

Now, with England potentially only 180 minutes away from the moment of a football generation, talk seems far more relevant, and preparations should be well underway.

It won’t be easy though, with Argentina scrapping their way to the semi-final after epic matches against Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland.

England needs to get past Lionel Messi, who is still producing magical moments aged 39-years-old at quite possibly at his last World Cup. His eight goals at this year's tournament have seen him become the all-time top goalscorer with 21 goals, flying past Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16.

Should they win the semi-final, they will face France, who have arguably the best attack in the tournament, or Spain, who have arguably the best defence in the tournament.

Lionel Messi will face England for the first time ever in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

The 39-year-old has a storied international career, playing 205 times for Argentina, with not a single one of them coming against the Three Lions. If Argentina lose on Wednesday, it's highly likely England will be the nation who end the great man's international career.

He has, however, played against English teams several times in the Champions League during his time at Barcelona and PSG, and quite frankly has an absurd record against some of the Premier League’s best.

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Arsenal

• Games: 6
• Wins: 4
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 1
• Goals: 9
• Assists: 1

Lionel Messi has played against Arsenal six times in the Champions League.

Across those games he has scored nine times, including one four goal haul in the 2009/10 quarter-finals.

He was only on the losing side once in 2011, winning four of his clashes with the Gunners and drawing one.

Chelsea

• Games: 10
• Wins: 2
• Draws: 6
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 3
• Assists: 3

Arsenal’s London rivals are one of Messi’s least favourite English clubs to face. Across 10 games, he only won twice, his first game against them in 2006 and his last game against them in 2018. Whilst he did not lose much, he drew six of the 10 games.

The game in 2018 was a last 16 clash in the Champions League, with the first leg at Stamford Bridge being the first time that he had scored against the Blues in his career.

Of course Messi was on the pitch for Fernando Torres’ famous goal which coincided with the birth of Gary Neville’s “ooooohhhh”’s.

Liverpool

• Games: 4
• Wins: 2
• Draws: 0
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 0

Messi will have some of his best footballing memories, and some his worst against Liverpool.

When they faced off in the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final, Messi scored a brace in the first leg, with his second being a stunning free-kick that brought up his 600th career goal.

However, the return leg saw Liverpool overturn the three goal deficit and advance to the final in Madrid, with Messi being involved in several altercations with Andy Robertson throughout the match.

Manchester City

• Games: 8
• Wins: 6
• Draws: 0
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 7
• Assists: 2

Messi first played Man City in 2014 in the knockout stage of the Champions League, where he scored home and away.

In 2017, the first time he faced off against Pep Guardiola, he scored a hat-trick as Barcelona ran out 4-0 winners.

Then in 2021, he scored his first PSG goal against Man City in a group game at the Parc des Prince.

Manchester United

• Games: 6
• Wins: 4
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 1
• Goals: 4
• Assists: 0

Perhaps one of Messi's most memorable performances was against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final.

At the home of English football, he ran the show from minute one, making a very good defender in Rio Ferdinand look very average.

He had also done so in Rome in 2009, where he scored what is probably his most famous header to help Barcelona win the Champions League.

Tottenham

• Games: 2
• Wins: 1
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 0
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 0

When Messi faced Tottenham for the first time, they were playing out of Wembley Stadium while they waited for their new stadium to be built.

Of course he had previous there, with a stunning performance in the 2011 Champions League final against Man United, but he once again made the home of English football his own with a fine display, capped off with two goals.

When Tottenham visited the Camp Nou, they held out for a draw, which was enough to send them through second in the group.

Which members of the current England squad have played against Messi?

Several members of England’s squad have played against Messi during his career.

John Stones has played against him the most, making four appearances for Man City against Messi.

Harry Kane played in both games as Tottenham faced Barcelona in the group stages of the 2018/19 Champions League.

Marcus Rashford played for Manchester United as they took on Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the competition that year.

Jordan Henderson was Liverpool captain the night they overturned the 4-0 deficit in the semi-finals.

Then in 2023 whilst on loan at Rennes, Djed Spence featured in a famous away win against PSG. Spence himself only played 78 minutes before being subbed off. He played at right-back behind Desire Doue, who now plays, and stars in PSG’s attack.

Michail Antonio has opened up about his move to Qatar following leaving West Ham in 2025.

The striker was involved in a devastating car crash which saw him suffer a gruesome leg break and ultimately led to him leaving the London Stadium.

He trained with several clubs in England before moving overseas, but signed for Al Sailiya in March 2026 only to arrive in Qatar just as the conflict between the US and Iran started.

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"Seeing rockets fly past... that was scary!" Antonio opens up on first few days in Qatar

Antonio had continued to train with West Ham to aid his rehabilitation from the injury which he suffered in December 2024, playing for their under-21 side in August, but ultimately had to wait until March 2026 before signing for a new team.

Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo he said: “Every club I trained with wanted to sign me – I knew I still had the quality. The first club I trained with was Brentford – they offered me a contract, but I got injured. Leicester offered me a contract, but I got injured.

“Charlton also offered me a contract, but I ended up going out to Qatar because that was something I needed, and I really enjoyed it out there. It was a great lifestyle, a good way to build myself back into football.”

It didn’t start how he would have wished, however, with the US and Iran entering a conflict that plunged the Middle East into uncertainty for several months.

“On the very first day of the war, I was looking out of my hotel room, seeing rockets fly past,” he told FourFourTwo.

“The hotel would shake when they were getting blocked. That was scary, but it was completely fine other than that day. Later in life, after I do my presenting and stuff like that, I’ll probably end up retiring out there.”

Whilst not officially retired, Antonio has been making plans for what to do when time does come to hang up his boots.

“I have a kinetics business that works on people’s movements, which we’re trying to grow and get into football clubs.

"I’ve also got a tequila company I have shares in, and the Samba Stars Academy out in Ghana – one of our players [Listowell Lord Hinneh] signed for Middlesbrough recently.

"My agent and I have partnered up on a couple of things, and there’s another business I’m starting too, plus the pundit and presenting side of things.”

He was part of the TNT Sports team for the 2025/26 season, helping on domestic and European coverage.

The World Cup final is football’s biggest game.

Every action will be analysed, as well as every decision by the referee and it is therefore vital FIFA get the appointment of the match officials correct.

With the game still a few days away we look ahead to who might be given the opportunity.

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Who will referee the World Cup final

One thing is for sure, neither Michael Oliver or Anthony Taylor will not be refereeing the final, even if England do not reach it.

They are not allowed to referee any games that England take part in, but they are also banned from officiating any Argentina games due to the tensions surrounding the Falklands War in 1982.

It is also unlikely to be Ivan Barton, who is refereeing the first semi-final between France and Spain.

The Salvadoran referee has taken charge of three games already at the tournament, including Turkey’s clash with Paraguay where he sent off Miguel Almiron for covering his mouth when in confrontation with Mert Muldur.

FIFA have also tried to keep a confederation neutrality rule in place for the tournament. Should two teams from two different confederations be playing, they have tried to ensure the referee is from another confederation worldwide.

The only time this was broken is when Argentina (CONMEBOL) faced Switzerland (UEFA) and Portugal’s Joao Pinheiro was in charge.

When England played Croatia and Norway, Clement Turpin was the official at the heart of the action, but because they are both European and so is he, it is not seen as a major issue.

So who are some of the favourites to take charge of the final?

Szymon Marcinak

Polish referee Macinak took charge of the 2022 World Cup final and would make history should he be appointed as he would be the first man ever to referee two finals.

In 2022 he gave three penalties in the final, one to Argentina and two to France and has taken charge of several other games at the tournament so far, including Argentina’s game against Algeria in the group where he did not send off Lionel Messi.

In 2023 he refereed the Champions League final as well as the Club World Cup final. He is more likely to get the game should it be England against France or Spain, given FIFA’s confederation neutrality stance.

Alireza Faghani

England fans will be all too familiar with Faghani who sent off Jarell Quansah in the Three Lions epic win over Mexico in the Azteca.

Faghani is likely one of the front runners for the appointment on 19 July given he has already refereed some high profile games at the tournament this summer including France vs Senegal, Colombia vs Portugal and England vs Mexico.

In the France vs Senegal game he decided to not give a penalty for a challenge on Kylian Mbappe despite being recommended a review by his VAR team and watching a replay at the pitch side monitor.

FIFA may take this as a sign of strength and trust him to take charge of the most important game in football.

Ismail Elfath

Elfath has taken charge of three games so far at the 2026 World Cup, including Japan vs Netherlands, Uruguay vs Spain and Brazil vs Norway.

In the Brazil vs Norway game he gave two penalties to A Selecao, with Bruno Guimaraes missing the first one.

He sent off Agustin Canobbio in extra time of Uruguay vs Spain as the former crashed out of the tournament in the group stage.

Clement Turpin

Should England make the final and Turpin be appointed much will be made of Thomas Tuchel previous comments regarding his officiating.

Tuchel said, "I'd give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible," after he sent him from the touchline in 2023 during a clash between Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

He has previously taken charge of the Europa League and Champions League final, so would be arriving with plenty of big game experience.

Football fans will also point out he has a striking resemblance to Arsenal and Belgium’s Leandro Trossard, and we are pretty sure they aren’t related.

England are playing in a World Cup semi-final for just the fourth time in their history.

After the heartbreak of 1990 and 2018, The Three Lions will be looking to emulate the success of 1966, 60 years on, as they go toe-to-toe with current world champions Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Led by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, England are one of just four teams left at the World Cup as the tournament enters its final week.

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What time is England vs Argentina on Wednesday?

All eyes will be on the game, which will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, temporarily known as Atlanta Stadium for the sake of FIFA’s advertising rules for the 2026 World Cup.

England have played there already this summer, defeating DR Congo in the round of 32 in dramatic fashion with Harry Kane scoring two late goals.

That game kicked off at 5pm in England, which was a slight rush for people leaving work to make it home or to a pub on time for the game.

Thankfully, Wednesday night is slightly different with the conventional midweek kick-off time of 8pm.

This translates to 3pm local time, with there currently being a five-hour time difference between Atlanta and England.

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is one of the most advanced at the World Cup, featuring a retractable roof and a climate-cooling system, meaning the England players shouldn’t feel the effects of the temperature as they did in Miami on Saturday night.

It also means the game should run on time, with the risk of impact from electrical storms slightly lower than at other open-air stadiums.

The Three Lions face their toughest test yet in the shape of Argentina. The current world champions have battled their way to the semi-finals once again, winning twice in extra-time against Cape Verde and Switzerland, whilst they completed an incredibly dramatic comeback against Egypt in the round of 16.

They face a Lionel Messi who is still producing magical moments at 39-years-old and quite possibly at his last World Cup. His eight goals at this year's tournament have seen him become the all-time top goalscorer with 21 goals, flying past Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16.

The two have not faced each other in a competitive match since the 2002 World Cup, where England exorcised the demons of 1998 with a 1-0 win in the group stages.

Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Youri Tielemans.

The Red Devils are back in the Champions League after a two year absence and are looking to bolster their squad in order to keep up with the demands of European football.

Veteran midfielder Casemiro left at the end of the season following the expiry of his contract, and Michael Carrick has made it a number one priority to fill the void he will leave.

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Manchester United close in on deal to sign Tielemans

Casemiro played 35 games for Manchester United last season, scoring some incredibly important goals as they returned to the Champions League.

The lack of any European football and early cup exits meant a slightly smaller squad could be managed for injuries easier, but a return to Europe’s premier competition means reinforcements are needed.

The first of those reinforcements seems to be coming in the shape of Tielemans.

The Belgian international was captain of his country for the 2026 World Cup and was an integral part of the Aston Villa team who finished just behind Man United in fourth last season as well as winning the Europa League.

Reliable transfer journalist David Ornstein has confirmed that the Red Devils are in talks with the 29-year-old midfielder, who is keen on the move to Old Trafford.

Man United will trigger his £35 million release clause, making the transfer relatively straight forward to complete.

Tielemans' arrival will follow that of Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, with a deal being agreed last week to take the Brazilian to the north west of England.

Although he struggled with some injury problems last season, Tielemans scored Aston Villa’s opening goal in their 3-0 win in the Europa League final with a fine volley from a well worked set-piece.

In FourFourTwo’s view, this is a good move for all parties involved. Manchester United will be getting a player with huge amounts of experience, whilst Aston Villa can cash in on an asset and help ease some financial problems they may have.

Transfermarkt currently value Tielemans at €30 million. If he joins he will likely join up in latter stages of Man United’s pre-season, likely facing Atletico Madrid or PSG in August.

Arsenal are looking to reinforce their title winning squad with the signing of Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.

Former Manchester City striker Alvarez has been subject to significant interest over the last year, with the Premier League champions the latest to try and lure him from the Spanish capital.

The Gunners ended their 22-year title drought last season after three consecutive second place finishes but the striker position remains one of the only in their team that is yet to be nailed down by one name.

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Arsenal pushing to sign Alvarez ahead of pre-season

The Gunners signed Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon last summer, but he struggled in his first season at the Emirates, and was dropped for the Champions League final against PSG in favour of Kai Havertz.

Havertz spent much of the season injured and is not a natural striker, so Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy are looking to bolster their attacking options as they look to go back-to-back ahead of the new season.

Now, The Independent are reporting that Arsenal are making a serious play to sign Julian Alvarez before the start of pre-season.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have previously held interest, and the latter even saw a €150 million bid rejected before the World Cup.

The report by Miguel Delaney claims that Alvarez has long been Arteta’s primary attacking target, but with the deal seemingly difficult to make, they have looked elsewhere, including PSG’s Bradley Barcola.

However, interest from the two Spanish giants seems to have regressed and Arsenal now believe a deal may be possible, although the player does wish to remain in Spain.

One major sticking point for the deal may be the price tag. Arsenal have previously stated they don’t wish to bid above £90 million, whereas Atletico don’t want to sell, and if they did would want in the region of north of £100 million. It remains to be seen if either side will compromise significantly.

Alvarez is currently on international duty in the United States with Argentina, and he finally opened his account for the 2026 World Cup with a stunning effort against Switzerland in the quarter-finals which effectively won La Albiceleste the tie and sent them to the last four for the second tournament in a row.

The report also claims that the Gunners believe they can also sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, and in FourFourTwo’s view, signing both would prove a huge statement of intent for their ambitions for the coming season.

According to Transfermarkt Alvarez is currently worth €100 million. He will next be in action in the World Cup semi-final against England on Wednesday, 15 July.

Ready?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Hankering for another helping of quiz? Well, there's plenty more in the FourFourTwo kitchen. From international football, to domestic, women's and everything in between, there is no shortage of stuff for you to test your knowledge on, thanks to Kwizly.

Starting here by name every France player to have played in a World Cup final?

If that's not up your alley, or simply too easy for you, then try our Pre-Match Poser no.34 which only one per cent of football fans will get.

Another fun one is this 'Guess the FourFourTwo magazine cover star?' for fans of our paper and ink offering.

Or put your women's football knowledge to the test and take our Women’s Football Quiz, episode 4: Finals, farewells and facts quiz.

Don’t let your encyclopedic knowledge of the beautiful game evaporate as a passing thought; turn your trivia triumphs into an official matter of record by joining The Club, our free digital community hub. It is the perfect central repository to log your scores, claim exclusive digital badges for your profile, and see precisely where your footballing IQ sits when stacked against the sharpest minds in the global fanbase. To ensure your mental reflexes sharp, get the weekday newsletter, which drops a freshly prepared dose of high-intensity trivia straight to your inbox every single afternoon so you are always primed for the next kickoff.

We've got another quiz for you.

The 1998 World Cup was one of the better tournaments in the 20th century, with the final producing huge moments of drama.

But how well do you remember it? Let's see if you can list every member of the France team that lined up to beat Brazil in the final.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Ready for more quizzes? To see if your mental stamina can survive a summer of back-to-back matchdays, we've drawn up a lineup of teasers designed to test your awareness of the modern masterminds pulling the strings and the icons who have defined the grandest stage on Earth – courtesy of Kwizly.

We're continuing with the World Cup theme here, starting with this: Can you name every manager to have won the World Cup?

If you're still keen to show off your World Cup knowledge, then why don't you try to name every winner of the World Cup Golden Boot?

Are you pressed for time but still want to try another quiz? Try this quickfire quiz and see if you can answer 10 questions in 90 seconds?

Or if you have a little more time, have a go at naming every France player to have played in a World Cup final.

To lower your pulse after navigating that massive statistical workout, find a quiet spot in the dugout for FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 59, featuring a brilliantly niche focus on 80s heroes, midfield maestros, and non-FIFA nations. To ensure you stay one step ahead of the late tactical shifts as the knockout rounds loom, subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To truly secure your legacy this summer, make sure you've joined The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, fight for the top of the global leaderboards, and join the debate in the comments section as the tournament drama unfolds.

Michail Antonio had admitted that he felt abandoned by West Ham after suffering a devastating car crash in December 2024.

The forward was entering the final months of his contract with the Hammers when he suffered the accident which saw him suffer a gruesome leg break.

The aftermath of the incident saw a complete breakdown in his relationship with West Ham’s then-boss Graham Potter, as Antonio’s ten-year tenure in east London came to an end.

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Antonio on his West Ham rejection

Potter had replaced Julen Lopetegui as Hammers boss during Antonio’s recovery, and while he clearly did not see eye to eye with the now-Sweden coach, his first blow came when the club’s former chairman Karren Brady made an initial contract offer.

“Karren Brady told me that she’d offer me a £5,000-a-week contract, but with the under-21s, not the first team,” Antonio tells FourFourTwo. “I said, “How can you offer £5,000 a week and tell me to play for the under-21s, when the under-21s are on more than that and I’ve been at this club for 10 years?” Her response was, “Well, they haven’t been in a car crash and shattered their leg.” I was like, “Oof, OK…” I didn’t sign the contract.”

It was soon clear that Potter did not see the 36-year-old as part of his plans.

“Graham Potter tried to stop me coming to the training ground for the rest of my contract because I made a comment during something I did with TNT, the same comment that I’d been making for years, about how clubs treat players like meat. As soon as a player starts getting stale, the club want to release them. I said that on TNT, went in the next day and Graham pulled me into his office.

“He said, 'I think it’s best that you don’t come back in here.' I told him, 'Well I will be, because you guys have a duty of care to me and I know I’m allowed to be here, so I’ll see you tomorrow.' It was an argument and, from that day, we never even said hello to each other, and never spoke again.”

With Antonio having played more than 300 times for the club over the past decade, it upset him that Potter viewed him as being negative and not wanting West Ham to succeed.

“Exactly,” he agrees. “I was in there, making jokes with the boys and he could see that. My character is always to try to make people happy. Boys were messaging me when I didn’t have a club, saying, “It would be good for you to be back here.”

“He just had a problem with me, he never actually knew me – he came in after my car crash and during that period I wasn’t really in the club, I was doing rehab in Dubai or Manchester, I might have been at the club maybe once a month for a week, so he never got to know me.”

It is perhaps little surprise that Antonio agrees that Potter was the reason that West Ham were sliding to their eventual relegation.

“Definitely,” he continues. “He made the decision to get rid of all of the senior players. Me, Aaron Cresswell, Vladi Coufal, Edson Alvarez – he got rid of all of the players who were leaders. And then within a month of the season starting, he said, “We’ve got no leaders.” How does that even make any sense? How can you get rid of all the leaders, then go, “We have no leaders in the changing room.” It was your doing!”

Michail Antonio’s autobiography 'Humans Not Robots', published by HarperCollins, is available now

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t pretty. And it certainly won’t help quiet the conspiracy theories. But Argentina made it six wins from six at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging Switzerland 3-1 in a feisty night in Kansas City.

“We fought until the end and left it all out on the pitch, we’re scoring goals at the end of matches, so as long as we keep winning, it’s all positive,” stated Julián Álvarez after the match.

"Obviously you have to suffer - you have to know how to suffer. That's how the matches are playing out right now."

Argentina had to 'suffer' to book semi-final spot with England

After three straight matches in Vancouver which culminated in a penalty shootout win versus Colombia, Switzerland faced off against an Argentina side coming off the back of from two heart-palpitating victories against Cape Verde and Egypt.

When Alexis Mac Allister headed home from Lionel Messi’s corner kick in the 10th minute, it seemed that the Albiceleste were headed for a straightforward affair. But Switzerland had other plans.

Instead, the Swiss held firm in their disciplined defensive setup, and eventually gained control in the second half. Murat Yakin’s side forced Argentina deep into their own half and gave Emiliano Martínez plenty to think about, eventually getting their just rewards via Dan Ndoye’s equaliser.

But Switzerland hardly had any time to celebrate their goal, as Breel Embolo was sent off for simulation shortly after. Without their two biggest attacking threats in Embolo and the injured Johan Manzambi, it seemed Switzerland would crack.

"We had to suffer a lot. We ⁠knew they were a physical team and that gave us a lot of trouble," said Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni. "Today we had luck on our side because one of their players was sent off. We could have played better but it's a big achievement to be in the semi-finals.”

Switzerland held their own and forced Scaloni into making extra time changes, with Thiago Almada, Nicolás Otamendi, and José Manuel ‘Flaco’ López coming on in the final half-hour. It was always going to take something truly special to open up this Swiss side, and that came not from Messi, but Álvarez, who launched a missile into the top-right corner in the 112th minute.

Lautaro Martínez sealed the deal in the final seconds, putting the finishing touches on a hard-fought victory. Now, they’ll face an England side eyeing their first trophy since 1966.

It is a matchup that carries significant historical weight owing to the 1982 Falklands War, and has resulted in some iconic moments such as Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' in 1986, David Beckham’s expulsion in 1998 and redemption in 2002…not to mention a match from 1966 that Argentines still refer to as the ‘Robo del Siglo,’ or the ‘Robbery of the Century.”

“Obviously, inside and outside the four lines, it’s an encounter that has a lot of history…a lot of pain and other things behind it,” extra-time substitute López said after the match. “But we’re professionals and we’re going to play like we’ve done in every match: putting our lives on the line until the final second."

"A World Cup semi-final is a special match, the kind of match that me and all of my teammates have been dreaming of ever since we started kicking a ball. I don’t think we need any more motivation than that.”

Guus Hiddink’s place in South Korean history is assured after the Dutchman guided the nation to a remarkable fourth-place finish at the 2002 World Cup.

Hiddink took over a Taegeuk Warriors side that had never progressed past the group stage at a World Cup and transformed them into one of the greatest underdog stories in the tournament’s history, defeating the likes of Italy and Spain along the way.

More than two decades on, Hiddink has opened up on just how extraordinary the reaction was back in South Korea, culminating in the offer of a villa on a volcanic island.

How Hiddink became South Korea’s favourite adopted son

This collective affection shown towards Hiddink went far beyond football, as the former Chelsea and PSV boss admits that he was sometimes overawed by the level of adoration he received.

“Sometimes, I found it a bit awkward how people in South Korea looked at me and how happy they were with me,” he tells FourFourTwo. “They called me in Korean the ‘Boss of Bosses’. I thought, ‘Yes, now it’s really enough.’

“A newspaper also suggested a Korean name for me, and there were banners put up in the stadiums saying “Hie Dung-gu for president”. Some people said that I would have made a good presidential candidate if I’d become naturalised. All nonsense.

“I was also made an honorary citizen of Seoul and offered all sorts of things. It’s not polite to refuse, but I couldn’t accept everything. I was offered a villa on the volcanic island of Jeju, but didn’t see myself going there for a weekend if I returned to Europe.”

Despite these jokes and attention, Hiddink is happy to maintain a close relationship with the country.

“I return to South Korea once or twice a year,” he continues. “Each time, I’m welcomed with open arms. With the initiative of my partner, we set up the Guus Hiddink Foundation. We’ve had several football pitches built in South Korea, including ones for blind children. They can play on specially adapted fields that have padded walls and balls with bells inside them. I once tried it myself, blindfolded, but I didn’t move an inch.

“We also hoped to do something with our foundation in North Korea. I’ve been there, too, and trucks with materials were already waiting, but for political reasons it didn’t happen. After the 2002 World Cup, by the way, we even played a friendly against North Korea in Seoul.

“That was a special moment. The night before, there was a dinner with both the South Korean and North Korean teams. There was a lot of supervision on their side – or rather, security. They didn’t want any of their players to run away. The game ended as a diplomatic 0-0!”

Hiddink’s impact was not limited to just South Korea, as his quiet Dutch hometown has become an unlikely tourist destination.

“My birthplace, Varsseveld, in the Dutch countryside, also attracted many South Korean tourists because of the 2002 World Cup. My oldest brother, who sadly has passed away, was very commercially savvy – he came up with the idea of selling little jars of soil that I’d walked on.

“That actually went quite well. My family – I grew up with five brothers – followed all of my adventures closely.”

The play alongside one generational talent is something, but to be team-mates with two is stuff of dreams.

But former France international Youri Djorkaeff was able to play alongside two modern-day legends for both club and country.

With Les Bleus, Djorkaeff was able to forge a devastating partnership with Zinedine Zidane, but despite everything the pair achieved together, even Zizou does not match up to one of his club team-mates.

Djorkaeff on Ronaldo vs Zidane

Djorkaeff and Zidane lined up together 49 times for France, during which time the team won successive international tournaments, as they followed up their historic 1998 World Cup victory on home soil with their European Championship two summers later.

He believes that the pair of them were following on from a long French tradition of producing world-class midfield talents, with Zidane’s emergence being the final ingredient that turned a talented squad into world champions.

“It was extremely easy playing next to Zidane,” he tells FourFourTwo. “France has always had a tradition of producing elite midfielders.

“I grew up watching the 1982 generation with Jean Tigana, and then 1986 with Platini and Luis Fernandez. Zidane was the missing piece – the organiser the team needed.”

Djorkaeff also believes that their partnership flourished because both players understood their respective roles.

“With his talent and vision, he was the link between the defence and frontline. I was more a final-third player – I scored many goals from his assists, he scored quite a few from mine.

“Our connection was one of the most important partnerships of that era.”

But for all the success that Djorkaeff had playing alongside Zidane, he does not hesitate when asked to select between his international partner and his former club team-mate at Inter Milan, Ronaldo.

Djorkaeff turned out alongside the Brazilian forward 53 times for Inter between 1997 and 1999 and insists that there is a clear winner when it comes to the debate over which player was better.

“It may sound hard to believe, but the answer is simple: Ronaldo,” he claims. “He was the best in the world. Even if you ask Zidane, I’m sure he’d say the same.”

Jeremy Doku step up from being a promising youngster at Anderlecht to a key player for both Manchester City and Belgium has been largely built on the strongest part of his game: his ability to beat defenders with the ball at his feet.

Right from his days playing on the streets of Antwerp, it quickly became clear that the winger had a dribbling style that set him apart from his contemporaries.

Doku himself believes that this natural gift has been shaped by family influences and his idols within the game.

Doku on his childhood dribbling ability

“It’s a gift, I didn’t train it,” the Manchester City winger admits to FourFourTwo. “I realised that football was the purpose that the Lord has put on my life. It’s a talent that has been given to me.”

Sometimes, when he was growing up, that talent manifested itself in humorous ways. “At a young age, I liked to dribble, and I got a lot of criticism from other parents because I didn’t pass the ball to their children!” he smiles.

“That was sometimes frustrating for my parents as well, on the side watching the game, because the other parents were always complaining. But then they saw that I was helping the team, that I was just using the talent that’s been given to me, and that it was working out.”

Doku is the biggest star of Belgium’s next generation and continues to play with the same passion and joy that he’s had since childhood.

“I used to play a lot on the street with my brother – I played futsal too, and it all contributed to who you see now,” he explains. “Now I try to reproduce that on the pitch. With my soul.”

Doku is of Ghanaian descent, and it was during a family trip to the West African country that his love for football began. “I think I was five years old, we were in Ghana and my brother was playing with some people,” he explains.

“I wanted to play, but they said that I was too young and I’d hurt myself, so I was crying and angry. But my dad told me, ‘Don’t worry, when we’re back in Belgium, I’ll put you in a team.’

“The neighbourhood I grew up in was a bit rough – he didn’t want me to go onto the streets and do bad stuff. But he saw I was quite good, and I started to love playing.”

Doku’s heroes were two of the best dribblers of the past couple of decades. “My favourite was always Messi – to this day, I love the way he plays,” he tells us.

“In Belgium, Eden Hazard was the guy I could see some of myself in – I wanted to have that role in the national team.”

We've got another quiz for you.

... and it's World Cup related. This time we're focusing on African nations to have participated in the tournaments.

The expanded format in the 2026 format means that more teams from Africa can reach the finals now, and there have been some amazing performances from those sides this year.

But can you name all of the African teams to have ever qualified for the World Cup?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Ready for more quizzes? To see if your mental stamina can survive a summer of back-to-back matchdays, we've drawn up a lineup of teasers designed to test your awareness of the modern masterminds pulling the strings and the icons who have defined the grandest stage on Earth – courtesy of Kwizly.

Firstly ease yourself in with FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 60, based around scandals, shootouts and sackings.

From there, try something a little more pressing to get you in the mood for more England goals by trying to name every England player with 10+ goals.

We've heard a lot about this guy lately – see if you can get 10 correct answers in our Erling Haaland quiz.

Or if you'd rather not think about the Norwegians for the time being, see if you're able to name every nation to have hosted the World Cup in order.

To ensure you stay one step ahead of the late tactical shifts as the knockout rounds loom, subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To truly secure your legacy this summer, make sure you've joined The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, fight for the top of the global leaderboards, and join the debate in the comments section as the tournament drama unfolds.

Another week, another Pre-Match Poser.

Since plans to move Qatar’s Stadium 974 to Uruguay for the 2030 World Cup look to have been shelved… which is the only arena to have seen two men’s World Cups in the 21st Century?

We'll reveal the answer this time next week in the next edition of The Pre-Match Poser – stay tuned for that – but for now, here's the answer to last week's conundrum…

Q. What did Emmanuel Petit do that the following players – Jody Morris, Paul Scholes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Allan Nielsen – also managed?

A. Score the last goal of the 20th Century in a competition. Jody Morris’s 83rd-minute strike for Chelsea against Sheffield Wednesday on December 28, 1999, was the last Premier League goal before the New Year, Allan Nielsen’s winner against Leicester won the 1999 League Cup and Scholes and Solskjaer scored Manchester United’s second goals in the FA Cup and Champions League finals, respectively.

More football quizzes we know you'll love

Now it’s time to see if your scouting network can stretch back across decades of UEFA drama and across the Atlantic to the rapidly expanding map of stateside soccer. Following your Pre-Match Poser, we've got quizzes courtesy of Kwizly that bridge the gap between the European elite and the growing power of the MLS.

First up, we want you to demonstrate your geographical depth by naming every country to have had a club in the Champions League, before honouring the true ironmen of the game: can you name every player with over 150 appearances in UEFA club competitions? From the early pioneers to modern-day titans like Cristiano Ronaldo and the evergreen Pepe Reina, it's an audit of longevity and continental pedigree that separates the genuine historians from the casual observers.

If your expertise is more about the individual elite or the strategic expansion of the game in North America, we have two formidable hurdles waiting in the tunnel. You can prove your memory of the world’s most prestigious individual honor is top-tier by naming every English player nominated for the Ballon d'Or since 2000, covering the era of Beckham and Gerrard right up to the modern brilliance of Bellingham and Kane. Following that, it’s time to hop across the pond for a logistical challenge: can you name every MLS team? With the league entering a new era following the 2025 expansion, it’s time to see if you can track the map from the shores of Miami to the newcomers in San Diego.

To decompress after that journey through the archives and across the globe, find a quiet spot for FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 61, featuring a clinical focus on wonderkids, wondergoals and one-nils. To ensure you’re always the first to the team news, join our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of curated trivia and expert analysis. For the ultimate fan experience, make sure you've joined The Club: our free membership hub that allows you to unlock secret hints, global leaderboards, and tactical debate in our comments section.

When Bruno arrived on Tyneside in January 2022, four months into the Saudi project, there was a quiet sense that Newcastle had acquired something more than a midfielder.

Before the project had hardened into process, before the future of the club could be rendered as a consultant’s slide deck in Riyadh – strategic pillars, global tours, and upward arrows pointing to 2030 – Bruno made it feel tangible.

He gave flesh to what was otherwise an abstraction: a state-backed takeover, a distant ownership structure, a set of ambitions too large and too awkward to fit comfortably inside ordinary football language, let alone inside a club that has always understood itself less as a brand than a civic institution.

Newcastle can no longer match the ambitions of their captain and best player

At £40m, and with two Brazilian caps under his belt, he was the first genuinely glamorous signing of the Saudi era, striking a shrewd balance with Kieran Trippier: one a highly experienced hand, the other a glimpse of the kind of player Newcastle had spent years watching other clubs sign.

His talent was immediately obvious – little swivels under pressure, still a relatively exotic concept in recent Newcastle midfields; passes struck with the casual cruelty of a teacher correcting your posture and your entire understanding of where you are supposed to stand; the way he could receive even a square ball from Ciaran Clark as if it had arrived silver-service. The Angel of the North meets Christ the Redeemer: arms out, chest up, demanding the ball.

But, it was not simply talent that has earned him legendary status in Newcastle.

It was attitude: a refusal to show any opponent the proper level of deference; the sense that he had wandered into English football and found most of it in need of correction while still somehow looking like the most grateful man to be on the pitch.

That mattered because the early Saudi project required translation.

It needed something warmer than statements about ambition, investment and growth. Bruno provided it. He was the point at which the whole awkward arrangement could be experienced not as geopolitics, not as a moral argument, not as a sovereign wealth fund acquiring emotional real estate in the north-east, but as football: a great player in a great stadium, making people believe slightly unreasonable things.

And now, perhaps, Arsenal. As with Gordon, Real Madrid or Barcelona would have been easier to process, the old aristocracy doing what the old aristocracy does, floating across Europe with a velvet rope, self-important slogan and a chequebook.

Arsenal are different; they are the domestic benchmark that Newcastle were supposed to be chasing five years into the project: coherent, modern, upwardly mobile and perhaps close enough for the comparison to sting.

Rival fans have duly assembled online to gawp at another Tyneside doom spiral: Gordon, Tonali gone; perhaps Bruno next. There is a particular pleasure in watching another club’s grand ambitions meet the blunt end of the transfer market.

The strange thing is that many Newcastle fans understand it. Some may even feel a bleak sense of gratitude it has happened cleanly, honestly, without the long theatre of solitary fitness work at a former club and agent-polished farewell notes.

He will leave, if he does leave, as a club legend, having upheld his side of the bargain better than most modern footballers are ever required to do, and will likely win the trophies Newcastle haven't been able to deliver as of yet.

And yet the sadness among the supporters is not quite the whole story. Above it hangs the darker question about what Newcastle are becoming. Losing one beloved player is football. Losing several in the same summer can be dressed up as strategy or squad evolution. But losing the player who made the strategy look believable raises a more uncomfortable question: once the initial rush of acceleration has gone, what exactly are Newcastle asking supporting to believe in now?

Perhaps this is not the Saudi project failing, but entering its coldest phase: normality. The early years were about seduction: noise, flags, Champions League nights, the intoxicating sense that Newcastle had been lifted out of the food chain at last.

This summer suggests something more complicated. Supporters feel the rush of possibility; players confront the pace of progress; owners think in assets, timelines and portfolios.

Bruno made that arrangement feel like love. His departure would make it look rather more like business.

Norway are stunned by VAR's failure to intervene and chalk off Jude Bellingham's equalising goal for England.

National team boss Stale Solbakken has stated for the record his view of England's controversial strike, right on the brink of half-time.

Bellingham's strike came just two passes after the ball, from a goal kick, seemingly struck the television cable overhead and "changed direction", according to Norway's manager.

'The ball fell down from the sky and changed direction' - Norway boss fumes at England goal, after quarter-final defeat

Norway experienced a largely dominant first half in the 2026 World Cup, and should have expanded their lead to 2-0, if not for an Alexander Sorloth-shaped disaster in a two-on-one counter.

Shortly after the Norwegian striker failed to pass to a wide open Erling Haaland, the Three Lions pounced to life when a golden opportunity quite literally "fell down from sky" and levelled affairs.

Solbakken has described his view of the incident, and expressed his feelings for VAR's failure to intervene and chalk off the England goal.

The Norway boss said: "Yeah it probably will [count as an assist for the spidercam]. It was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight down from the sky and changed directions.

"We can sit here and complain and maybe we can feel rightly that the small details did not go in our favor. Against Brazil, they did. That's how it is in football.

"But maybe we need those small details to go in our favor to beat England, Brazil and other teams in the top 5 in the world.

"We can't do anything about that. I don't think we'll play the game again so that's how it is," he said.

Solbakken expressed high praise for his Norway side, stating that this team can "go toe-to-toe" with the world's best.

The 58-year-old also clarified that the referee told him he did not see anything for Bellingham's goal, before expressing doubt over the functionality of the in-ball movement chip.

"I cannot say anything on that because there is no movement in the chip. What can I say against that? But the ball falls straight down in front of Haaland," said Solbakken.

"I wonder also what happened, but I think it is pretty clear that it did [hit the wire]. It was a strange thing."

The Norway manager then explained the motivation behind his bizarre late-stage substitution of goal machine Haaland.

"It was not a tough decision because he was finished and maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before. He obviously had a tremendous World Cup," said the 58-year-old.

"I think he also got a dead leg in the second half so that combined with the fatigue, but he did everything he could.

"He scored seven goals in five games for us and had a fantastic World Cup for us," said Solbakken, before praising all his squad for their "phenomenal" performances across the tournament.

England boss Thomas Tuchel conceded that his side "just got lucky" in crucial moments during the quarter-final bout, criticising his side for their poor performance.

Three Lions star Bellingham did not take kindly to his manager's words, but Tuchel clarified that he is "fully in love" with his team.

Thomas Tuchel has admitted that England "just got lucky" in their quarter-final victory against Norway this evening.

The England boss did not shy away from criticism for his side in a post-match interview with ITV, expressing his disappointment in their performance.

Now, the Three Lions boss has expanded on those feelings, speaking after the clash, and that dissatisfaction is still present.

'We just got lucky, we HAVE to play better' - Thomas Tuchel holds harsh feelings for England, despite 2-1 win vs Norway

Jude Bellingham was the hero this evening, scoring two for his nation and sealing a comeback victory — now the second youngest player after Pele to score a brace in back-to-back knockout games at the World Cup.

Tuchel has expanded on his immediate criticism post-match, which Bellingham did not take kindly to from the England boss.

The manager said: "No one disputes [that it was hot outside]. I was impressed with the team spirit, the belief and to overcome adversity and to dig in and find ways to win. Top credit for that. But I am also a football coach, and I think we can play better.

"The analysing head and the football coach in me thinks we can and have to play better football. I think we just got lucky in decisive moments.

"I don't think we are lucky to win, but lucky in decisive moments. We could have been 2-0 down. No one ever denies that you need luck in tournament football. I see no harm in admitting it. That's the way I felt today," continued Tuchel.

The England boss had high praise for his side's 23-year-old hero, describing Bellingham's performance as "world-class" from an individual who "produces in big moments."

Tuchel also expressed praise for the youngster's partner-in-crime, Harry Kane, noting that their game plan has "simple" in creating opportunities almost exclusively through that partnership, but attacking performances in general must improve.

The 52-year-old also acknowledged England's controversially allowed opening goal versus Norway, which arguably should have been chalked off due to television cable interference with the ball.

Tuchel said: "I heard that, but there's a chip in the ball and it can tell you if a hair can touch it, as you know from the Croatia-Portugal game. I was not aware."

He also commented on the bizarre late-stage substitution of Erling Haaland, noting that he saw the Norwegian striker getting visibly exhausted and "struggling with the physicality of the match."

The England boss concluded with high praise for his side, but re-affirmed his initial criticism.

"In my heart there is no doubt that I am proud and happy because the team does whatever it takes. They overcome obstacles and adversity, but I am also a football coach and I also have demands.

"We want to have a top performance because a top performance helps you win games.

"My head is not fully satisfied. I think we can play faster, I think we can play more clinical. We had too many mistakes... [but] there is no disconnect with the team.

"I am fully in love with my players and my team," finished Tuchel.

Could it happen? Is it time to believe?

One step from the final, two steps from ending the years of hurt, the Three Lions now truly believe in their World Cup mission. England head to a semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday full of belief because of their serial match-winner Jude Bellingham and their astute, match-shaping head coach, Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel made adventurous changes when it mattered most, sending on attackers. Fortune favoured the brave. He made intelligent changes, sending on big Dan Burn in extra time to repel Norway’s late aerial threat. Fortune favoured the tall.

Under Tuchel’s guidance, England’s defenders cracked the Norse code, and stopped the service into Erling Haaland, who was eventually taken off, a frustrated figure, unable to escape John Stones or Marc Guehi.

England were disciplined and dynamic. As in the Azteca against Mexico, this was another occasion and performance that will never be forgotten. Under the watchful gaze of two English knights, Mick Jagger and David Beckham, this was a night to remember. From near and far, England fans gathered in the home of the Dolphins, dreaming of further progress.

Their flags signalled all parts and ports of the English pyramid, Macclesfield and Grimsby, Coventry and Portsmouth. Their owners sang, “please don’t take me home”, and the men in white in front of them tried their hardest to extend England’s stay, none more so than Bellingham.

A serious debate can now be had as to whether the 23-year-old from Stourbridge is England’s best international of the past 40 years. Paul Gascoigne, who got England to a World Cup semi-final, was blessed with more natural talent, but Bellingham is more decisive in the crunch moments. Harry Kane will have his supporters, certainly amongst the record-keepers. But Bellingham has become the heartbeat of this England side, and often its saviour.

As in Gelsenkirchen at Euro 2024, and the Azteca last week, Bellingham once again rode to England’s rescue. When the first half of this intense quarter-final looked heading for a demoralising denouement, and England having to troop off disconsolate and trailing, Bellingham lifted the team, lifted the fans.

Two minutes into the added four saw Bellingham take control. Taking a pass inside from Anthony Gordon, Bellingham ran at and past Torbjorm Heggem. His left foot did the rest, sending the ball fast and low past Orjan Nyland. Relief for England. Rancour for Stale Solbakken who threw a bottle to the ground – almost another hydration break - and then had a word with the referee, Clement Turpin. Norway believed the ball hit the wire attached to the spider-cam, leading to England gaining possession. Fifa checked and ruled it hadn’t.

How England needed that rare help from Fifa. How England needed Bellingham. Until then, Martin Odegaard ran the show. Sander Berge calmly screened the obdurate Norway back-four. England laboured hard for no reward for 45 minutes. Conditions were sweltering, bringing sweaty reminders of painful times in Shizuoka 2002, Lisbon 2004, Gelsenkirchen 2006, and Manaus 2014.

Norway soaked up the pressure and hit after 36 minutes. Andreas Schjelderup, the young Benfica winger, cut in from the left and took on Ezri Konsa. Schjelderup sent in a cross, clearly mishit, the ball sailing over the leaping, stretching Jordan Pickford and in.

England were frustrated by the goal, unnerved by the presence of Haaland and opened up by the passing of Odegaard. Alexander Sorloth wasted a great chance to make it 2-0, pausing and letting Nico O’Reilly block. Big mistake.

For then came Bellingham to equalise. On came Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka for Noni Madueke and Declan Rice. Norway, calmly, precisely, sought to reclaim the lead. Haaland’s very obvious push on Elliot Anderson saw Heggem’s effort eventually ruled out.

Norway were in control. Their fans did their row again. Tuchel acted again. Reece James came on for Gordon and went into midfield, allowing Bellingham to return to 10. Eze went left. Norway’s arrivals out wide, Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa, briefly threatened more. Tuchel responded, withdrawing O’Reilly for Djed Spence to do a job on Bobb.

Tuchel’s positive approach to changes then saw him remove Konsa for Morgan Rogers. England’s front six was now: Anderson, who was outstanding, holding; Saka and Eze wide, Rogers and Bellingham as 10s; and Kane 9.

England seemed re-energised in extra time. Rogers had a swift impact, shooting from range. Nyland spilled it, Kane didn’t react, Bellingham did, pouncing. England were ahead.

Spence then ran in from the left, and got his legs in a tangle with Bobb. Turpin initially signalled a penalty, was invited to review it and rightly ruled that Spence had put his leg across Bobb. Up in the smart seats, Alfie Haaland signalled a dive.

Burn came on, England held on, and threatened late on. Atlanta awaits. Belief has arrived.

Jude Bellingham was tense after ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke let him know about Thomas Tuchel's criticism for England tonight.

The Three Lions prevailed in a narrow 2-1 victory against Norway in the 2026 World Cup quarter-final, and will face the winner of Argentina versus Switzerland in the last four.

Bellingham was the hero on the night: he scored both of England's goals and became the second-youngest player after Pele to score braces in back-to-back World Cup knockout games.

Jude Bellingham reacts to Thomas Tuchel criticism

Speaking after the match, Thomas Tuchel told ITV that he was disappointed in England's performance against the Norwegians.

The Three Lions boss said: "We made life very difficult for ourselves today. I'm not happy with the performance."

Tuchel admitted, ‘The commitment was there’, but clarified that he was disappointed ‘in every sense’ following England's victory.

"The way we played, how we played: sloppy. A lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough," he said.

Bellingham, who won Man of the Match for his remarkable display against Norway, was later told by Clarke about Tuchel's words, also speaking with ITV.

In response to Tuchel's criticism, the Three Lions star said: "Whatever. Whatever. t's difficult out there... the players put in a very tough shift."

He continued. "My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players who were out there."

When asked for his opinion of the England performance, Bellingham defined it as having only been possible due to "character."

"Perseverance when things weren't working. Whether it's 90, 120, we'll give everything we've got," he said.

England have now made it back to the World Cup semi-finals, last appearing on that stage in 2018 where they fell 2-1 to Croatia.

When you're 39 years old and the end of your playing days are in sight, there is always a chance you wake up and realise the spark has gone out.

That is a question Lionel Messi will need to consider over this final week of the World Cup - whether Argentina successfully defend their title or not.

Whether it's going out on a high or feeling he simply has nothing left to prove, the question is: will Messi decide to retire after the World Cup?

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami contract complicates retirement picture

The decision may not come down to purely footballing considerations, however.

Messi is the third highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes, and while only some of that comes from his actual playing contract at Inter Miami, he is clearly worth a lot more while he is still active than he will be after he retires.

There's a potential bit of future-proofing at play, too. Messi's previous contract with Inter Miami was set to expire at the end of 2025, but he signed a new three-year deal to extend his stay instead.

That new contract will not run out until he is 41 years old, and in the absence of any other evidence in either direction, is the strongest suggestion that he sees himself playing beyond the World Cup.

However, that situation could be complicated by the actual terms of his deal, which contains a couple of out-of-the-ordinary clauses.

It was reported when he made the move to Florida that Messi would receive a share of the revenue brought in from MLS media partner Apple.

Crucially, Messi is also believed to be in line to receive ownership stake in the club upon his retirement under the terms of his initial move.

However, it is not clear what the exact terms of that arrangement are, or whether the extension he signed in 2025 changes any part of it.

For instance, it is not known what percentage Messi is due to receive; whether he would get it automatically, or merely an option to take up a share of the club; whether he must pay for it; or whether ending his contract early by choosing to retire would affect his standing.

For now, then, only Messi himself may know what his intentions are - and even those may be subject to change.

Argentina vs Switzerland does not stand out on paper as being the most enthralling quarter-final fixture of the 2026 World Cup.

Despite this, fans would be silly to overlook the shockingly poor form that Argentina, the 2022 World Champions, have been in, and the difficulties they've faced against smaller nations this tournament.

Switzerland enter the clash after a hard-fought, impressive win on penalties vs Colombia, but can they finally be the ones who upset Lionel Messi's side?

Who are the pundits, commentators and presenters for Argentina vs Switzerland?

The quarter-final clash will be broadcast by ITV at 2am BST, with coverage beginning at 1:15am BST.

The complete line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for the event has been revealed, with the game being held at the Arrowhead Stadium.

Serving as presenter for the event is Laura Woods and joining her on the punditry team is Bradley Wright-Phillips and Jobi McAnuff.

Serving as the match's main voice is Seb Hutchinson, with Andros Townsend as co-commentator for the clash.

England got away with a lucky bounce of the ball - literally - in the lead up to Jude Bellingham's equaliser and the goal should have been ruled out after a bizarre incident.

In the lead up to Bellingham's goal, a goal kick from Norway's Orjan Nyland, the ball appeared to hit the cable over the pitch that holds the overhead TV camera in place and fell down sharply into the path of Elliot Anderson and two passes later the ball was with Bellingham who scored.

According to the official IFAB Laws of the Game, if the ball strikes a ceiling or a fixture hanging over the pitch, such as a cable or overhead camera, and remains inside the field of play, the match must be halted.

Jude Bellingham's goal for England should have been chalked off and given as a drop ball, leading to protest from Norway's Erling Haaland at the 2026 World Cup

The referee should then award a dropped ball to the team that last touched the ball, with play restarting from the spot where the ball made contact with the fixture.

Via Fox Sports coverage, former referee Mark Clattenburg said that any instance of the ball touching the TV cable should result in the match being halted.

As relayed by Rebecca Lowe, Clattenburg said: "If the ball touches any outside object, then the whistle should go, and it should be a drop ball."

The former referee then added: "Some will ask, why does the VAR not interfere?

"They can interfere, if that contact [with the cable] is part of a reviewable incident."

He concluded: "An attacking phase of play leading to a goal is a part of VAR's reviewable incidents, so it should have been picked up by VAR."

Ahead of extra time, Fox presenter Lowe reported that FIFA denied that the ball hit the cable.

FIFA are understood to have checked the data within the football and that there was no peak on the graph from the connected ball heartbeat sensor.

The Adidas footballs being used at the tournament are each fitted with a chip and utilise 'connected ball technology', which relays data directly to the VAR system.

The microchip produces accurate, instantaneous data on everything from ball movement, speed and trajectory to player touches, with adidas claiming the technology enables 'faster in-game officiating decisions and more insight into gameplay than ever before.'

But at the time, Erling Haaland led vocal protests directed at the referee due to the ball striking the cable, but it was not ruled out.

Norway looked much better after the first hydration break and took the lead via an astonishing finish from Andreas Schjelderup, whose cross translated into the top corner of the goal and over Jordan Pickford.

Norway should have gone 2-0 up before the break when Alexander Sorloth broke free and should have played in Erling Haaland.

But minutes later England were level thanks to Bellingham's excellent finish.

England were also the beneficiaries of a Norway goal being chalked off in the second half.

Haaland was deemed to have shoved future Manchester City team-mate Elliot Anderson in the build-up to a set piece goal from the Norwegians.

The game went into extra time and England went ahead when Bellingham grabbed his second of the game to put England into the semi-final.

England vs Norway is each side's greatest opponent yet at the 2026 World Cup, with a spot in the semi-finals up for grabs.

The Three Lions overcame a torturous situation versus Mexico at the Azteca on Monday, while Norway prevailed against five-time World Champions Brazil in their Round of 16 clash.

It is a hot afternoon for either side, with the struggles shared as both nations come from chillier climates, and the game has been mostly even in its play.

Gary Neville slams Jordan Pickford, as England enter the break tied at 1-1 against Norway in the 2026 World Cup

The match was not a blockbuster event to begin with, as either side looked to find their rhythm in 44C real-feel heat in Miami.

Norway almost slipped Erling Haaland in on goal after seven minutes, and Harry Kane blazed a free-kick attempt high from the edge of the box shortly before the 30th.

A scare from the England back-line almost saw Haaland pounce on a loose ball in the six-yard box, but Jordan Pickford collected with relative ease.

Shortly after, Norway's danger man headed an effort straight at the Three Lions shot-stopper, before his side opened the scoring in ludicrous fashion.

Andreas Schjelderup launched an astonishing effort that rattled in off the post, despite seemingly being a back-post cross attempt to Haaland.

Norway should have gone up 2-0 before the break, if not for a series of poor decisions from Alexander Sorloth during a two-on-one.

Jude Bellingham was the hero for England in the 46th, with a glorious finish past the Norwegian goalkeeper to level affairs heading into half-time, but Kane almost sent the Three Lions up with an intelligent chip finish that was chalked off for offside.

Gary Neville slammed England shot-stopper Pickford for his role in letting Norway break the deadlock, saying: "That can't go in the net from there."

"Jordan Pickford is not going to want to see that again. It is a cross, but he has to save it."

Ian Wright, co-pundit for the clash, added: "You have to put your hand on that. You can't take your hand away. If a ball is coming in your vicinity and you have the opportunity to touch it... you have to."

Roy Keane stated that Pickford should be "disappointed", as the Three Lions goalkeeper plays in a momentous World Cup game individually - now the most-capped England player of all time at the tournament.

England will look to pull ahead in the second half, having narrowly avoided a 2-0 deficit before Bellingham's goal.

We are at the business end of the World Cup now and this is the last of the quarter finals between defending champions Argentina and European underdogs Switzerland

The winner of this quarter final will go on to face England or Norway in the semi-finals in Atlanta on July 15.

There are only two games on Saturday and this is the second of the two.

The clash is set to be played at Kasas City Stadium, with kick-off set for 2am UK time.

The referee for the occasion is Portugal's Joao Pinheiro.

This will be the 38 year old's third game of this World Cup, which is Pinheiro's first-ever major international tournament outing.

His last game was Canada's 1-0 win over South Africa and before that he took charge of Switzerland's somewhat bizarre victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Swiss running out 4-1 winners despite not opening the scoring until the 74th minute.

That late flurry of goals came after Pinheiro showed Bosnian Tarik Muharemovic a straight red card for a DOGSO offence with ten minutes to go.

Pinheiro will be joined by his fellow countrymen Bruno Jesus and Luciano Maia as assistant referees.

In addition, Canadian official Drew Fischer will serve as the fourth official.

Watch Argentina vs Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals as Lionel Messi looks to keep his country's hopes of retaining the trophy alive.

After narrowly avoiding two monumental upsets, Argentina will seek to get back on track in Kansas City by sweeping aside a Switzerland team that few predicted would reach the last eight at the World Cup.

However, Murat Yakin’s side cannot be overlooked. They finished top of the group, eased past Algeria and kept a talented Colombia at bay before holding their nerve in the penalty shootout.

While Switzerland have grown in confidence as the tournament has progressed, Argentina have looked increasingly vulnerable.

They scraped past World Cup debutants Cape Verde in the last 32 and conceded another two goals against Egypt before staging a barely believable comeback.

Defensively, there are clearly issues and there is still a huge reliance on Lionel Messi. But the little magician keeps on producing, and that means Argentina will be favourites to progress to the last four.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Argentina vs Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Argentina vs Switzerland for FREE

Argentina vs Switzerland will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including ITV in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on ITV, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

‼️ Outside one of these countries? Use Norton VPN to unlock your stream from anywhere in the world — more on that below.

Team News

Argentina XI: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Lionel Messi; Julián Alvarez

Switzerland XI: Gregor Kobel; Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodríguez; Fabian Rieder, Granit Xhaka, Remo Freuler, Denis Zakaria; Breel Embolo, Djibril Sow, Dan Ndoye

Watch Argentina vs Switzerland from anywhere

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How to watch Argentina vs Switzerland in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Argentina vs Switzerland on ITV. The build-up starts at 1:15am, ahead of the kick-off at 2:00am.

How to watch Argentina vs Switzerland in the US

In the US, you can stream Argentina vs Switzerland on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch Argentina vs Switzerland in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Argentina vs Switzerland on the free SBS On Demand.

Argentina vs Switzerland: World Cup 2026 Preview

Such was the manner of Argentina’s dramatic win over Egypt that Messi immediately broke down in tears. Whether it was pure joy or a sense of relief, the Inter Miami forward was overcome with emotion.

The 39-year-old has, at times, almost single-handedly kept Argentina’s title defence on track. With eight goals in five games, he tops the goalscoring charts and it would take a brave person to bet against him adding to that tally against Switzerland.

However, he will need some support. Not just in attack from the likes of Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, but also defensively as full-backs Nahuel Molina and Nicolás Tagliafico have consistently been caught out on the counter.

While Argentina have relied on their forwards to advance, Switzerland’s success is built from the back. Manager Murat Yakin prioritises his defence and it is paying off.

The Swiss are yet to trail at any point across the whole World Cup campaign, including qualifiers. It is a remarkable record that comes from an organised backline that is extremely well protected by the excellent Granit Xhaka.

However, there is a concern in attack. Without the injured Johan Manzambi, they struggled to create against Colombia. They’ll hope the talented teenager is fit to play some part in Kansas.

Argentina vs Switzerland: Q+A

FourFourTwo's prediction

Argentina 2-1 Switzerland

FourFourTwo expects another tight game for Argentina who might have to rely on Messi once more to be the difference maker.

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Erling Haaland has came a long way: now tearing defenders to shreds in the Premier League with Manchester City, and international giants on the largest of stages with Norway at the 2026 World Cup.

The hulking Norwegian, who seemingly bodies defenders with ease, is the son of Alf-Inge Haaland, who played for Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Bryne.

As a result, Erling grew up a supporter of Leeds, and began his own footballing career with Bryne at youth level.

Who is Erling Haaland? Inside story of Norway and Manchester City striker hoping to dump England out of the 2026 World Cup

Haaland came through the Norwegian side's youth system from 2005 to 2016, before breaking into their first team in 2017. He moved to Molde, also in Norway, and repeated the process in 2019.

From there, the Norwegian alerted the wider world to his existence while playing with Red Bull Salzburg in the Bundesliga, where he bagged 29 goals in just 27 appearances.

Premier League fans might recall a certain game, against Liverpool in the 2019/20 season, when Haaland scored the third in a near comeback from 3-0 down against the title-winning Reds.

Jurgen Klopp's men scored via Mohamed Salah in the second half to win 4-3, but Haaland stamped his mark on the Champions League stage.

Shortly after, not before winning Footballer of the Year with Salzburg, Haaland packed his bags and moved to Borussia Dortmund, scoring an astounding 86 goals in 89 games, with England's Jude Bellingham his partner in crime for much of his stint.

Despite his physically imposing nature, and his scary goalscoring ability, his youth coach from Norway recently described him as a 'skinny little thing' as a child.

Espen Undheim revealed: "He loves the moments. He still thinks [like] a boy, and acts like a boy. That's very important to keep the hunger... he loved to score goals, as a young boy.

Haaland made the move to the Premier League, winning PFA Players' Player of the Year in his debut season with the Cityzens, and breaking the English top-flight's goal record in a 38-game season, previously held by Salah.

The Norwegian led City to a treble, and broke their Champions League title curse, then followed it up in 2023/24 with another Golden Boot and Premier League trophy.

For Norway, Haaland's still astonishing output has gone under the radar across his international career, but it has been present in droves.

At the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019, the bagsman hit nine goals in one game, during a 12-0 victory over Honduras.

In World Cup qualifying ahead of the 2026 edition, Haaland found the back of the 16 times in eight matches, scoring five versus Moldova.

Among other career highlights was his screamer of a finish against PSG in the Champions League with Dortmund, which created a sound unlike any other as the ball hit net.

Haaland also bagged five in one Champions League game for City, in a 7-0 victory against RB Leipzig, en-route to an elusive European trophy lift with Pep Guardiola's men.

The Norwegian is one of the most prolific goal-scorers of all time, and it is almost certain he will end his career as the greatest, purest bagsman in football history.

We're not counting any chickens before they've hatched, but in the event that England get past Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals, there are a few players who will be hoping to get through the game without getting booked.

Yellow cards at this World Cup were wiped out after the group stage, and are so again after the quarter-finals.

That means that nobody at this World Cup is capable of pulling a Paul Gascoigne and getting a yellow in the semi-finals that would suspend them for the final.

Five England players walking yellow card tightrope against Norway

However, it is still possible for players to get suspended for the semi-finals if they pick up their second yellow card of the knockout stage in their side's quarter-final game.

That means there are five England players still at risk of getting themselves a suspension if they get booked against Norway on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was booked for a foul on Nathaniel Mbuku in England's win over DR Congo in the round of 32 and was a tad fortunate to avoid similar censure against Mexico last time out.

Four other England players did go in the book at Estadio Azteca, however, adding them to the list here.

Declan Rice was shown a yellow card for a high boot in the very first minute of that game.

Marc Guehi followed him into the book in the aftermath of Mexico being awarded their penalty on a VAR review.

Nico O'Reilly picked up a card of his own for elbowing Jorge Sanchez in the lip, and was pretty lucky that it didn't result in a red card.

That leaves Jordan Henderson as the only other England player at risk of a yellow card suspension.

The Brentford midfielder was shown a yellow card in the 98th minute of the Mexico game despite being an unused substitute on the night.

Henderson subsequently injured himself when he fell over the ad boards in the post-match celebrations, but has been included among the substitutes to face Norway after having surgery to repair a fractured wrist.

Jarell Quansah is definitely suspended for the semi-finals (as well as the Norway game) after getting a two-match ban for his straight red card offence against Mexico.

The referee for Norway vs England is Clement Turpin, a respected and experience official from France.

Norway and England are set to fight it out for a place in the World Cup semi-final, where the winner will face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on July 15.

England topped their group with wins over Croatia and Panama and a draw with Ghana, and in the knock out rounds the Three Lions edged past DR Congo and then put in a very impressive display against Mexico in Mexico City.

Referee confirmed for Norway vs England clash

For Norway, who are playing in their first World Cup since 1998, and wins over Iraq and Senegal saw them through the group stage, despite a 4-1 defeat by France. They then beat Ivory Coast and then Erling Haaland scored twice in a 2-1 win over five times World Cup winners Brazil.

But who will be in charge of their encounter at Miami Stadium?

Turpin has been appointed to oversee this clash, having been a FIFA-listed referee since 2010 and joined UEFA's Elite group in 2012.

The Frenchman boasts experience of 674 competitive matches with most of them taking place in his native Ligue 1 but is also well versed in major international fixtures.

He has been assigned to matches at three World Cups including two group games of this year's tournament - including England's opener with Croatia - as well as Colombia vs Ghana, as well as European Championship matches in 2021 and 2024.

Turpin also officiated successive European showpieces including the 2021 Europa League final before being handed the Champions League final in Paris just 12 months later.

The 44-year-old is one of the more measured referees when it comes to disciplinary action with his yellow card count averaging out at just over three per game.

He will be assisted by compatriots Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages as part of a European line-up for the clash between the teams from Northern Europe.

Spanish duo Alejandro Hernandez and Jose Enrique Naranjo have been named as fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively ahead of the showdown.

The complete line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for England vs Norway has been revealed.

England enter the face-off having staggered through a monumental task in beating Mexico at the Azteca earlier this week.

Elsewhere, Norway provided viewers an all-time underdog victory, winning against Brazil in remarkably assured fashion.

Who are the pundits, commentators and presenters for England vs Norway?

England vs Norway will be played at 10pm BST, broadcast by ITV, at the Miami Stadium in Florida.

The fixture will likely be defined by Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, the two best strikers in world football, trading blows to sink their opposition, but Jude Bellingham will surely also have a say.

Serving as presenter for the event is Mark Pougatch who has led the channel's coverage throughout this tournament.

Joining him as pundits for the broadcast are the evergreen Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright, with Gabriel Clarke as reporter in Miami.

ITV's coverage has been top drawer this summer and as we approach the business end of the World Cup, expect it to be even more opinionated with yet more panelist flashpoints as the stakes ramp up.

England-Norway presents the likes of Keane and Neville to go hammer and tongs at each other over contentious decisions.

We're glad we aren't in Pougatch's seat having to keep the ex-pros at bay.

And as the match's main voice is Sam Matterface, with Lee Dixon joining as co-commentator for the quarter-final clash.

Kick-off in Miami is at 5pm local time (10pm BST) this evening.

England have advanced to the quarter-finals at the 2026 World Cup having beaten Croatia, Panama, DR Congo and Mexico en route.

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have been the star men of this England tournament display, whilst the persistent problem facing Tuchel has been options at right-back.

Djed Spence has deputised in the place of Reece James, who remains sidelined, or at the very least unable to start in Miami this evening.

England team news vs Norway

Back-up option Jarell Quansah missed the Round of 32 fixture against DR Congo with an ankle problem and was then sent off after VAR review in the 3-2 Round of 16 win over Mexico. He has been handed a two-match ban, meaning his only remaining participation will come in the World Cup Final, should England make it that far.

Spence picked up an injury in the lead up to the Mexico game and was only deployed as a second half substitute, but he is not the man Tuchel has chosen at right-back this evening.

Instead, the German boss has decided on Ezri Konsa at right-back, moving the Aston Villa man over from central defence and replacing him there with veteran centre-half John Stones.

Stones and Marc Guehi, both teammates of Norway's Erling Haaland, will be tasked with keeping a lid on the seven-goal striker who will have eyes on the Golden Boot, as well as taking the Norsemen as far as he can.

Tuchel has elected to keep 6ft 7in defender Dan Burn as an impact substitute, as was the case against Mexico, instead of using him to try and thwart Haaland by matching the Manchester City forward physically.

Perhaps controversially, Tuchel is expected to name Noni Madueke on the right-hand side of attack in his starting lineup.

The Arsenal winger will replace clubmate Bukayo Saka after sitting out the Mexico fixture as an unused substitute.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, these are bold team selection picks by Tuchel, but that is very much in keeping with the manager's reputation and demeanour. He is not afraid to make big calls at big times and remains the best man to make those decisions given his proximity to the squad.

Opting for Madueke over Saka will trouble some England fans but Tuchel evidently has a plan.

Confirmed England XI: Pickford; Konsa, Guehi, Stones, O'Reilly; Anderson, Rice, Bellingham; Madueke, Gordon, Kane.

Subs: D.Henderson, Trafford, Chalobah, Burn, James, Spence, Mainoo, Rogers, Eze, Saka, Rashford, Watkins, Toney

England vs Norway at the 2026 World Cup promises to be a thrilling fixture, with either side possessing one of the two best bagsmen in world football.

It's the battle of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, seen last in the 2022/23 Premier League season.

A few years ago, these two titans were trading blows in the race for the English top-flight's Golden Boot, but no goal in either of their careers will be more meaningful than one in this quarter-final.

England vs Norway prediction: The battle of Harry Kane vs Erling Haaland at the 2026 World Cup

England as a squad possess greater tools to secure victory than Norway do, but neither team are one-man armies.

While Kane and Haaland are seizing headlines for their nation's results, their supporting casts belong at this level.

The difference will be simple: can Norway get the ball to Haaland more often in threatening situations than the Three Lions do Kane?

The two strikers, the best in the world at putting the ball in the back of the net, couldn't be more different as players.

For Kane, he thrives without chance quality or quantity, but through the magic of his own boot.

Haaland is a predator in waiting: not the most clinical finisher, but a far more dangerous, and committed, threat inside the box.

This battle will be key, and Kane needs to produce the same sort of awe-inspiring wonder as he did to return England from the dead against DR Congo.

The Haaland problem is ludicrously complex to solve for Thomas Tuchel's men, because marking him intensely won't be a solution.

His height, his speed, his power, will all make him a threat too strong to contain, even if the Three Lions boss pulls out Dan Burn and his magnificent skull to try and counter the problem.

That battle will be won in the middle of the pitch, by stopping Norway from having regular opportunities to spray balls into the England box.

Or, it will be won by Haaland having a bad day at the office, and Kane having a career-best one, with the Three Lions incredibly reliant on their star striker, and the space he creates for Jude Bellingham.

Both men will be impossible to contain, but a mostly even game will be decided by the England striker, whose supporting cast will stop Norway's bagsman from getting the quantity of chances he needs.

Prediction: England 2-1 Norway

Goals: Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane

Watch Norway vs England as the Three Lions World Cup quest continues against the Vikings at the comparatively civilised kick-off time of 10:00pm BST.

Miami Stadium welcomes both teams for the first time since the start of World Cup 2026 and was the site of Argentina's extraordinary round of 32 victory over Cape Verde.

England and Norway both stand on the cusp of something truly special.

For England, the semi-finals of the World Cup have been out of reach for most of the competition's 96-year history. They've made it to the last four only twice on foreign soil.

For Norway, getting to World Cup 2026 was already the first since 1998. Playing in a quarter-final represents uncharted waters. Taking their tournament a step further would be monumental.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Norway vs England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Norway vs England for FREE

Norway vs England will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including ITV in the UK.

RTÉ Player in Ireland and SBS On Demand in Australia are other English language alternatives.

CazeTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey will also show the game.

‼️ Outside one of these countries? Use Norton VPN to unlock your stream from anywhere in the world — more on that below.

Watch Norway vs England from anywhere

Away from home and want to watch Norway vs England? All you need is a VPN, a handy piece of software that makes your devices appear to be in a different location.

This World Cup, our office friends at TechRadar are recommending Norton VPN:

How to watch Norway vs England in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Norway vs England on ITV. The build-up starts at 8:45pm, ahead of the kick-off at 10:00pm.

How to watch Norway vs England in the US

In the US, you can stream Norway vs England on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

If you're looking for Spanish language coverage, Telemundo is your go-to with the above cord-cutters having access as well as Peacock.

How to watch Norway vs England in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Norway vs England on the free SBS On Demand.

Norway vs England: World Cup 2026 Preview

Both teams come into this quarter-final with their tails up thanks to stirring wins in the last round. Norway's was an effect of the elevated mood in the camp, England's a cause of greater optimism.

The focus of attention on the prominence of Erling Haaland isn't without foundation. England's ability to deal with the Norway striker will dictate the direction of the match to a large degree.

England manager Thomas Tuchel must guard against any suggestion that Haaland is Norway's only weapon – he's not – but this is one of the tournament's leading scorers coming up against a team more than capable of conceding a sloppy goal.

England have firepower of their own. Captain Harry Kane has six goals to Haaland's seven and Jude Bellingham's scored another four of England's total tournament tally of 11.

The World Cup history between England and Norway is defined by two qualifying wins for the latter. The late Bjørge Lillelien certainly enjoyed the first, in 1981. Graham Taylor's battle of wits with Egil Olsen ahead of the second, in 1993, has become etched into tactical lore.

This is the biggest ever match between these opponents. It might be the most important in Norway's history and it's not far down the list for England either. The spirit of Azteca is the least they'll need.

Team News

Norway XI: Orjan Nyland (GK); Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, David Moller Wolfe; Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, Patrick Berg; Alexander Sorloth, Erling Haaland, Andreas Schjelderup

Schjelderup replaces Antonio Nusa in the Norwegian attack along with Sorloth and Haaland. Odegaard continues in midfield as Solbakken's captain.

England XI: Jordan Pickford (GK); Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly; Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice; Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane

Tuchel has made two changes from England's win against Mexico, bringing Stones in for the suspended Jarell Quansah and moving Konsa to right-back. Madueke is a surprise inclusion over Bukayo Saka.

Norway vs England: Q+A

FourFourTwo's prediction

Norway 2-2 England

FourFourTwo can see this one going all the way. England to win in a stressful penalty shootout.

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England face Norway tonight with a place in the World Cup semi-final on the line.

The Three Lions have fought their way through to the quarter-final stage, beating Croatia, Panama, DR Congo and co-hosts Mexico in the process.

Norway, meanwhile, had to defeat Brazil to reach the last eight and have captured the imagination of football fans all over the world, largely through Erling Haaland's goalscoring and supporters' now iconic Viking row.

England vs Norway postponement likelihood

Will England vs Norway kick-off be delayed?

After England's Round of 32 clash with Mexico was delayed due to electrical storms around the Estadio Azteca, similar questions have been asked about tonight's fixture.

An extreme heat warning has been issued for South Florida with 'feels like' temperatures expected to hit 44 degrees Celsius by the time kick-off rolls around at 5pm local time.

England and Norway set to do battle in sweltering temperatures

Whilst weather forecasters predict the actual temperature to be 33 degrees Celsius in Miami at 5pm, a Saharan dust plume is expected to make conditions all the more difficult to play in.

The plume which has travelled across the Atlantic Ocean has reportedly created a thermal blanket over the region in which the match will be played, leaving far-from-ideal conditions for such a high-stakes match.

At this time of year, Florida weather is known for its extreme unpredictability therefore thunderstorms cannot be ruled out either, however they are currently forecast to be unlikely.

Global players' union FIFPro officially states that games should be delayed or postponed if the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT - which factors in ambient heat, humidity, wind, and solar radiation) exceeds 28°C (82.4°F), or if the standard ambient temperature exceeds 36°C (96.8°F).

Theoretically, this fixture is at risk of a postponement but given the nature of the match, FIFA will do everything in their power to ensure it goes ahead whilst maintaining the safety of players and fans.

Already this summer, World Cup matches have been played at high temperatures.

France versus Paraguay in the Round of 16 was contested at a reported 38 degrees Celsius, while Croatia bowed out against Portugal at the same stage in 35 degree heat.

Unlike some stadia at this tournament, Miami's Hard Rock Stadium does not have a retractable roof and air conditioning that would mitigate for the sweltering outdoor temperature.

South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams has died at the age of 25 just weeks after playing at the World Cup.

Adams, who played in South Africa's first two matches of the tournament against Mexico and Czechia, reposted a picture of himself and his girlfriend on Instagram less than 24 hours before news of his death was reported.

His death was confirmed by Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s minister of sport, arts and culture, in a statement on Saturday.

“It is with profound shock and a heavy heart that I have learnt of the passing of Jayden Adams, midfielder for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana, at the age of 25,” McKenzie posted on X.

“South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents, and our nation mourns alongside his family, his team-mates and the millions of supporters.”

Adams helped South Africa reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

Further details of his death were not given.

“The cause of Jayden’s passing has not yet been confirmed,” McKenzie said. “I wish to appeal to members of the media and the public to exercise restraint and compassion, and to refrain from speculation.”

Adams started South Africa’s first Group A game against the Czechia and was substituted at halftime. McKenzie said he played that game only hours after learning that his grandmother had died.

Adams played several seasons for Stellenbosch before joining Mamelodi Sundowns last year. He helped the club win the CAF (African) Champions League this year.

Argentina vs Switzerland will decide who moves into the final four and faces off against England or Norway in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals.

Nobody would have predicted that the 2022 World Champions would have been taken to the absolute wire and back by Cape Verde and Egypt, two glorious nations that won our hearts, yet they did.

Argentina's path to the semi-final, compared to that of Spain, France and England, has been easier than many would have expected, but can they progress with greater ease against Switzerland?

Argentina vs Switzerland prediction

Lionel Messi has been remarkable this tournament, but can a run of Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt be used to define him?

Messi has Kylian Mbappe, the greatest World Cup player in history, hot on his tail in the Golden Boot race, and Switzerland, then Norway or England, stand in his way of another final versus France.

There is no excuse for Messi not to perform in this clash, nor is there any excuse for Argentina to not win with ease.

Switzerland possess a disciplined, built-for-the-pressure squad, but it lacks the star power of the South American side, and the expectation.

If anything can will the Swiss to victory, it will be that absence of expectation, but Argentina are in dire need of a statement win.

Being ran into the ground by Cape Verde and Egypt of all teams is not only a poor look, it's a bad omen for when they inevitably face serious heavy hitters at this tournament, if they progress.

Argentina have far, far too much of a reliance on and focal point in Messi, that has made them play with hesitance this tournament.

By looking for him in every moment, and acting as though their game is dictated solely by Messi's performance, has killed this side, and made them prone to collapse at the hands of minnow nations.

Argentina have been anything but impressive, and Switzerland will have a chance to capitalise on that.

Unfortunately for the Swiss, world champions don't allow these bad runs to stretch for too long, and they will be on the receiving end of their resurgence.

Argentina vs Switzerland score prediction

They will fight valiantly, but this will be the first knockout match that Argentina win without controversy or struggle.

And, of course, the man to spearhead that will be Messi, setting up a semi-final showdown with England or Norway that will give him an opportunity to prove he still has it against the best opposition.

Prediction: Argentina 2-0 Switzerland

England face Norway in South Florida this evening with eyes fixed on a place in the World Cup semi-final.

The Three Lions are without Jarell Quansah (suspended) and Jordan Henderson (injury) but otherwise have a fully fit squad to pick from.

Thomas Tuchel's men will be subjected to extreme heat in Miami, though, with a heat advisory from the National Weather Service in place.

What does extreme heat warning mean for England vs Norway?

It is highly unlikely a game of this magnitude will be postponed or delayed due to extreme heat, unless tropical thunderstorms put fans and players at risk.

There is, however, a 'major risk of heat-related illnesses to much of the population', especially those without effective cooling or hydration.

What is the temperature for England vs Norway?

England versus Norway is scheduled to kick-off at 5pm local time (10pm BST), at which point the temperature is forecast to be in the mid-30s Celsius.

The 'feels like' temperature, on the other hand, could be as much as 10 degrees higher due to a plume of Saharan dust that has created a 'thermal blanket', according to meteorologists.

Suffocating conditions are something England will be used to having beaten Mexico in the high altitude of the Azteca Stadium in the last round.

The sweltering heat, though, will be a different test altogether, especially for those with little experience of competing in such conditions.

On the plus side, the Saharan dust plume is expected to lower the chances of electrical storms, which this tournament and at last year's FIFA Club World Cup caused delays to scheduled kick-off times.

What is the hottest World Cup game in history?

This evening's England-Norway clash could go down as one of the hottest fixtures in World Cup history, but the record is likely to remain with the Republic of Ireland at World Cup '94.

The Irish were subject to temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in the United States that summer, with their game against Mexico taking place in 43 degree heat.

At this World Cup, France versus Paraguay has been the hottest recorded match, played at 38 degrees in Philadelphia with the French prevailing 1-0.