Keir Starmer is planning to announce a bank holiday if England win the World Cup, it is understood, to celebrate the men’s national team finally bringing football home. The prime minister refrained from naming a date, saying he didn’t want to jinx England’s progress towards lifting the famous trophy for the first time since 1966 […]
Continue ReadingDespite undergoing an operation on a fractured arm, Jordan Henderson has not been completely ruled out of appearing for England again at this World Cup. The Brentford midfielder picked up the unusual injury when he landed awkwardly while trying to clear the advertising boards at the edge of the pitch following the 3-2 victory over […]
Continue ReadingReece James remains uncertain for England’s World Cup quarter-final showdown with Norway in Miami this Saturday, as he was once again unable to train with the group on Wednesday. The full-back has been missing since suffering a hamstring injury in England’s second group-stage fixture, a goalless draw against Ghana in Boston. Thomas Tuchel was aware […]
Continue ReadingA Palestinian humanitarian worker who had set up public viewings of World Cup football matches in Gaza was killed in an Israeli missile attack on Tuesday evening, shortly before the match between Egypt and Argentina. Two brothers, aged eight and 10, and another man who was on the street near the impact site were also […]
Continue ReadingDidier Deschamps has made it clear he is untroubled by the decision to assign Argentine match officials to Thursday’s World Cup quarter-final between France and Morocco, even though a potential rematch of the 2022 final against Argentina remains on the cards. “We have to accept it,” he stated. “I have faith in the referees. Our […]
Continue ReadingIt is not hard to see why Egypt would be deeply upset after Tuesday’s 3-2 loss. The African team held a two-goal advantage with just 11 minutes remaining, on the verge of reaching their first ever quarter-final. Then everything unravelled as Argentina produced a stunning late rally to flip the contest and score the decisive […]
Continue ReadingErling Haaland is set to be the greatest threat to England when they meet Norway in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday (22:00 BST) – yet the situation might have turned out quite differently. The prolific forward for Manchester City was born in Leeds, and could have been in the national squad had he chosen […]
Continue ReadingFollowing England’s victory over Mexico, Thomas Tuchel voiced his dissatisfaction with the standard of officiating at the World Cup, labelling it inconsistent, unpredictable and below the required level. His remarks felt to me like a form of psychological tactics – overall the officials have been acceptable, getting several calls right, though there have also been […]
Continue ReadingEuropean teams have gradually gathered significant momentum as this World Cup has progressed, though their sluggish start initially caught attention, with seven of the first ten European nations failing to secure a victory in their opening group matches. The high temperatures in North America were a subject of discussion before the tournament began, as several […]
Continue ReadingDavinson Sánchez lifted his eyes skyward. Cucho Hernández shuffled slowly back to rejoin his colleagues. As the final whistle approached, the Colombian squad lay scattered across the turf while Switzerland celebrated, virtually isolated amid a vast ocean of yellow. A penalty shootout victory, 4-3, sent the Swiss through, concluding more than two hours of cautious, […]
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