Odegaard delivered an assist in each of his first three World Cup matches. | Photo Credit: Getty Images While Erling Haaland has rightfully dominated the headlines with seven goals, the man pulling the strings in Norway’s fairytale World Cup run has operated largely in his teammate’s shadow. Captain Martin Odegaard has been just as instrumental … Read more
While Morocco has benefited from the presence of heritage players like Hakimi, other African nations have struggled at the global level despite their recruitment drive. | Photo Credit: Reuters Spain, France and Belgium. To the wider football community, these are the three other active teams in the World Cup bracket that Morocco finds itself in … Read more
Second Half ends, France 2, Morocco 0. A rather baffling performance from Morocco. The team looked tame and uninterested in attacking, unlike previous games in this tournament. No sense of urgency in the second half to try and match the French, but France discovered their ruthless side once again with brilliant goals from main men … Read more
There is a particular kind of grief in sport that has little to do with defeat. It arrives not when a team loses, but when time finally catches up with the players who once seemed beyond its reach. This World Cup has felt full of those moments. Luka Modric leaving with Croatia gone. Cristiano Ronaldo, … Read more
The business end of the FIFA World Cup is well underway with the Round of 16 concluding and the Round of 8 (quarterfinals being finalised). While some of the all-time favourites such as Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands are out of the reckoning, a few of the usual suspects – defending champion Argentina, last World … Read more
Brazil’s Neymar (10) scores a goal from a penalty kick during the World Cup round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway | Photo Credit: AP Brazilian star forward Neymar ended his international football career on the heels of an emotional end to Brazil’s World Cup dreams on July 5, when the team lost to … Read more
I first set out to eat a lobster roll. I am in chilly Boston, perfect weather for the city’s other favourite food icon: clam chowder. On my obligatory visit to Harvard University, I rub the John Harvard statue boot for good luck and then set out on my mission. I am rewarded almost immediately at … Read more
Chairman of FIFA referees committee, Pierluigi Collina, during training. | Photo Credit: Reuters FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina defended the officiating in Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, dismissing allegations of bias and saying match officials operated with complete independence. In an interview published on inside.fifa.com on Thursday (July … Read more
General view of the Egyptian Football Association badge. File. | Photo Credit: Reuters The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said Wednesday (July 8, 2026) it “cannot remain silent” after what it believes was unfair and biased officiating in Egypt’s 3-2 round of 16 loss against Argentina. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and several players criticised the officiating … Read more
France’s Mbappe and Morocco’s Saibari have been scoring goals for fun. | Photo Credit: AFP In Boston, a city built by successive waves of migration and layered loyalties, France’s World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco will be more than a meeting of two sides. It is a rematch, a footballing test and a reunion of friends, … Read more
U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a red card during a meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the Oval Office. File picture | Photo Credit: AP FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, is being referred to Olympic ethics investigators for a possible breach of political neutrality, a human rights group, after U.S. President Donald Trump helped … Read more
The World Cup began as a sprawl — 48 teams, three host nations, heat, distance, noise and the promise that football’s centre of gravity might tilt somewhere unexpected. Two knockout rounds later, Europe has placed six teams in the quarterfinals, with Argentina and Morocco the only survivors from outside the continent. European nations — Spain … Read more
Scaloni belts out instructions from the touchline. | Photo Credit: Reuters Lionel Scaloni had barely sat down before he admitted the obvious. Argentina had put its supporters through unnecessary “suffering”. Yet the manager was in no mood to apologise for the chaos. What he had witnessed, he felt, was something larger than a comeback win … Read more
Hassan accused referee Letexier of being biased towards Argentina. | Photo Credit: AFP Egypt coach Hossam Hassan emerged from one of the World Cup’s wildest games furious with the refereeing, convinced his side had been denied a famous result and openly suggesting that the defending champion had been carried by favourable treatment. Egypt, he said, … Read more
AIFF office-bearers and club CEOs at a press conference. | Photo Credit: ANI The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Wednesday that the commercial rights of the Indian Super League (ISL) have been handed over to the 14 participating clubs ahead of the 2026-27 season. The agreement between the AIFF and teams will see … Read more
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan is shown a yellow card by referee Francois Letexier as he makes an anti-racism gesture during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at the Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. on July 7, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters The Egyptian football federation said on Wednesday … Read more
Combination image of France’s Kylian Mbappe, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Norway’s Erling Haaland in action during the 2026 World Cup | Photo Credit: AP The race to win the ‘Golden Boot’ award is heating up as the FIFA World Cup 2026 enters its final stages. Three contenders are currently leading the pack in their attempt … Read more
In his introduction to a memoir-based biography of Socrates, Johan Cruyff, the Dutch legend behind the revolutionary Total Football that evolved into the Tiki Taka, wrote: “It was a great shame that the beautiful Brazil team were eliminated by a destructive Italy in 1982… No one knows what would have happened had Brazil triumphed”. Also … Read more
A child touches a replica of the World Cup trophy in Mexico | Photo Credit: Reuters The FIFA World Cup 2026 has now entered a crucial phase with the quarterfinals, semifinals and the coveted final match in sight. The tournament has enthralled fans this time in the host nations of USA, Canada, and Mexico. The final … Read more
Switzerland’s Ruben Vargas, left, celebrates with teammates after making the winning kick in a penalty shootout in the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Switzerland and Colombia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. | Photo Credit: The Canadian Press via AP Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw … Read more
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo looks dejected after the match as Portugal are eliminated from the World Cup by Spain at the Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. on July 6, 2026. | Photo Credit: Imagn Images via Reuters Cristiano Ronaldo was tearful after the last game of his sixth and final World Cup, Portugal’s 1-0 loss to … Read more
Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring against Egypt in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash in Atlanta, on July 7, 2026 | Photo Credit: Reuters For close to 80 minutes, Argentina’s World Cup was slipping away, inch by inch. Lionel Messi had missed a penalty, Egypt had defended with poise and countered with menace, … Read more
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. Switzerland: Gregor Kobel; Nico Elvedi, Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez; Denis Zakaria, Remo Freuler, Granit Xhaka, Ardon Jashari, Fabian Rieder; Breel Embolo, Dan Ndoye. Colombia: Camilo Vargas; Daniel Munoz, Jhon Lucumi, Gustavo Puerta, Johan Mojica, Davinson Sanchez; James Rodríguez, Jhon Arias, Jefferson Lerma; Luis Diaz, Luis Suarez.
Giving it all: Cubarsi delivered yet another masterclass against Portugal as Spain continues to maintain a clean sheet. | Photo Credit: Issei Kato While Lamine Yamal continues to steal the headlines with his attacking brilliance, Pau Cubarsi has quietly become the backbone of Spain’s backline at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 19-year-old Barcelona defender … Read more
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez. Egypt: Mostafa Shoubir; Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Ramy Rabia, Karim Hafez; Mohanad Lashin, Emam Ashour, Marawan Attia, Mostafa Zico; Mohamed Salah, Haissem … Read more
Fans conduct an “Orange Walk” to Dallas Stadium before the World Cup Group F soccer match between Japan and the Netherlands, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. | Photo Credit: AP Dallas has staged Super Bowls, NCAA Finals and countless major sporting events. But for Monica Paul, president of the Dallas Sports Commission and … Read more
Belgium’s Amadou Onana with crutches and a brace on his knee as he celebrates after the match against the U.S. on July 6, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said Amadou Onana suffered a “serious injury” in Monday’s (July 6, 2026) 4-1 victory over the United States that will almost certainly keep … Read more
Football leaders questioned the World Cup’s integrity on a chaotic and unprecedented day in the event’s modern history Monday (July 6, 2026). Also read | The tarnished game: Trump, FIFA, and a suspended red card The furor centered on a phone call that President Donald Trump made last week to FIFA head Gianni Infantino to … Read more
Sarin Kumar with his collection of more than 500 FIFA World Cup stamps documenting some of football’s greatest moment | Photo Credit: Lakshmi Theertha Four years ago, Sarin Kumar, a philatelist from Kozhikode, watched the nail-biting World Cup final between Argentina and France in Qatar, just like any devout Albiceleste fan. While every football buff … Read more
France’s Kylian Mbappe. File | Photo Credit: Reuters France star Kylian Mbappé on Monday (July 6, 2026) condemned a Paraguayan senator over racist remarks she made following Paraguay’s loss to France in the round of 16 at the World Cup. Also read | The tarnished game: Trump, FIFA, and a suspended red card Mbappé called … Read more