FIFA World Cup 2026 - players.bio

Stingy Spain takes scoreless streak into semifinals vs. Belgium

CALIFORNIA: Mikel Merino is relishing Spain’s opportunity to advance to the semifinals of the ‌World Cup, although first up is a quarterfinal matchup against Belgium in Inglewood, California, on Friday. Merino played a major role as Spain stayed alive with his stoppage-time goal in a 1-0 win against Portugal in the round of 16 on Monday. And yet the clutch goal is but one reason the midfielder is appreciative of the moment at hand. Merino nearly missed his World Cup opportunity after a stress fracture and subsequent surgery in late January put his roster spot in doubt.

Haaland relishing ‘special’ World Cup showdown with England

MIAMI, USA: Erling Haaland said facing England, the land of his birth, in the World Cup quarter-finals was extra special as he aims to extend Norway’s historic run into the last four. In his first major international tournament the Manchester City striker has propelled his country to the last eight by scoring seven times in four appearances, including a memorable double to beat Brazil in the last 16. Haaland was born in England as his father Alfe Inge Haaland was playing for Leeds at the time and he has spent the last four seasons at City where he has become the poster boy of the Premier League. “It’s a special game, yeah, definitely. I think for me it’s super special, because I play in England and I was born in England, and you also play against team-mates and everything,” Haaland told reporters in Miami.

At Cape Verde academy, soccer talents dream big after World Cup debut

PRAIA: Thousands of flag-waving fans gathered in Cape Verde’s capital to welcome the returning national soccer team after their stunning debut World Cup performance, mobbing the players as they left the airport. In downtown Praia, at one of the country’s most prestigious training academies, students as young as nine say it is just the start of their island nation’s transformation into a powerhouse of the sport. From their opening group-stage draw against heavyweight Spain to their heartbreaking 3-2 knockout loss to defending champions Argentina, the “Blue Sharks” frustrated some of the world’s best strikers and showed off some scoring flair of their own, pushing Lionel Messi’s team into extra time. Supporter Renato Ribeiro said he was overjoyed to see his team, representing a country ‌off West Africa ‌with a population of around 500,000 — the least populous ever to reach the ‌World ⁠Cup knockout rounds — ⁠defy the world’s low expectations. “They only gave us a 1 percent chance, but I always said that 1 percent is a lot for us,” he told Reuters during a party at a fan zone on Sunday, where the players made an appearance. “My greatest pride is to see that our national team will leave young people with more desire to play.”

France urges calm during World Cup game against Morocco

PARIS: France has urged its football fans to be responsible as their team prepares to face African champions Morocco on Thursday in a World Cup quarter-final, after previous high-profile matches led to unrest. Morocco won independence from France in 1956 and has a mostly settled relationship with the former colonial power, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Moroccans or French citizens of Moroccan descent. Several members of Morocco’s national team this year were born in France and play for French clubs. Team captain Achraf Hakimi was born in Spain but plays for Paris Saint-Germain. Celebrations were mostly peaceful when France beat Morocco in the 2022 World Cup semifinal. But security forces are to be on alert around France during the game from 10:00 p.m. (20:00 GMT) on Thursday. “I appeal to everyone’s sense of responsibility.

Analysis: Has FIFA abandoned fair play?

DUBAI: For a few joyous weeks, those nagging concerns were put to bed. The FIFA World Cup has a habit of doing that to football fans.

Analysis: Why does North African football outperform the Middle East on the world stage?

DUBAI: Four years ago, Morocco smashed the glass ceiling for Arab teams at the World Cup. A sensational run to the semifinal, where they lost 2-0 to France, goes beyond the wildest dreams of even European and South American nations, never mind those from the region.

Justin Bieber and more join World Cup final halftime show featuring Madonna, Shakira and BTS

NEW YORK: Justin Bieber will bring his swag to the World Cup’s star-studded, Super Bowl-style halftime show, joining fellow headliners Madonna, Shakira and BTS, FIFA announced Wednesday. Afrobeats star Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus — a choir of elementary school students based in Staten Island, New York — will also perform, the last joined by Coldplay. The 11-minute halftime performance, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will take place during the final outside New York on July 19. The show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer. “The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can,” Bieber said in a statement.

France coach Deschamps says Olise’s yellow card appeal fails before World Cup matchup with Morocco

MASSACHUSETTS, USA: France coach Didier Deschamps says that their appeal of star Michael Olise’s controversial World Cup yellow card during their Round of 16 win over Paraguay was denied by FIFA on Wednesday. “There was no change when it comes to Olise’s yellow card. We received FIFA’s decision this morning that the yellow card was maintained,” Deschamps said. It means that if Olise were to receive another yellow card during France’s quarterfinal matchup with Morocco on Thursday, it would result in a suspension for a potential semifinal game. The country’s federation appealed the infraction that was issued to Olise in the 97th minute of their 1-0 win over Paraguay following his altercation with Matías Galarza. Galarza went to the ground during a skirmish between the two players, though video replays only seemed to reveal Olise grasping the Paraguayan’s jersey before he toppled to the grass. The appeal came after US President Donald Trump made a phone call last week to FIFA head Gianni Infantino to make the case that US striker Folarin Balogun should not have been suspended for Monday’s matchup with Belgium because of a red card in a game last week.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Sport News

Stingy Spain takes scoreless streak into semifinals vs. Belgium

Haaland relishing ‘special’ World Cup showdown with England

At Cape Verde academy, soccer talents dream big after World Cup debut

France urges calm during World Cup game against Morocco

Analysis: Has FIFA abandoned fair play?

Analysis: Why does North African football outperform the Middle East on the world stage?

Justin Bieber and more join World Cup final halftime show featuring Madonna, Shakira and BTS

France coach Deschamps says Olise’s yellow card appeal fails before World Cup matchup with Morocco