FIFA World Cup 2026 - players.bio

Spain win it late to bid farewell to Ronaldo at World Cup

ARLINGTON, United States: Substitute Mikel Merino scored a late winner to put Spain in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Portugal and end Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career on Monday. The European champions will face the United States — the only one of the co-hosts remaining — or Belgium on Friday in Los Angeles. In front of an expectant crowd of 70,649 at the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys, a match that on paper promised so much failed to really deliver. Extra time looked certain, before fellow substitute Ferran Torres slipped in Merino to settle the contest in the first minute of injury time. It meant a sour final World Cup match for the 41-year-old Ronaldo, now playing in Saudi Arabia, having confirmed on the eve of the encounter that this would be his last dance on football’s biggest stage. The neighbors came into the contest both unbeaten, but while Portugal had not been entirely convincing, Spain had not even conceded a goal in the tournament. One of the pre-tournament favorites, they still haven’t. For all their pedigree, talent and history, Spain have only lifted the World Cup once, in 2010, while Portugal’s best was third place in 1966. In Ronaldo and Spain’s 18-year-old Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, the last-16 showdown was touted as a showcase of two extraordinary talents at opposite ends of their careers. There was a somber moment shortly before kickoff when a black-and-white image of the late Portugal forward Diogo Jota flashed up on the giant screen that looms over the field.

Egypt’s World Cup win energizing diaspora in US ahead of Argentina clash

CHICAGO: A wave of pride has spread through the Egyptian American community as a consequence of Egypt’s FIFA World Cup team making sports history by reaching the round of 16 for the first time, setting up a showdown with Argentina.

How does the Saudi Pro League rank for foreign players represented in the Round of 16?

RIYADH: As the Round of 16 got underway at this World Cup, the official Saudi Pro League account announced there were 11 players still representing the league remaining in the competition.

UEFA says decision by FIFA to let US forward play at World Cup is ‘incomprehensible’

NYON, Switzerland: European football body UEFA criticized FIFA for an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” to let United States forward Folarin Balogun play at the World Cup against Belgium on Monday despite a red card in his previous game. UEFA said in a statement FIFA “crossed a red line” with its decision not to enforce Balogun’s mandatory one-game ban, after the world football body came under pressure from US President Donald Trump. FIFA’s ruling Sunday — to defer Balogun’s ban for one year of probation — shockingly deviated from football’s traditional rule of law and drew stinging criticism globally including from former World Cup stars and coaches at this tournament. “It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup,” Norway coach Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said Sunday after his team beat Brazil to reach the quarterfinals. UEFA, whose member federations include Belgium, insisted: “Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not.” “When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined,” said the European football body, which has often clashed with FIFA President Gianni Infantino during his decade in power. “We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision,” said UEFA, where Infantino was its CEO-like general secretary from 2009 until being elected to lead FIFA in February 2016. The Belgian football federation was preparing an appeal in Seattle in the early hours of Monday to challenge the Balogun ruling before a FIFA-appointed appeals judge.

England’s Jordan Henderson suffers ‘serious’ injury during celebration

England midfielder Jordan Henderson suffered ‌a wrist injury during the team’s post-game celebration following a 3-2 win over Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday night that manager Thomas Tuchel called “serious.” Henderson was seen on video hopping over an advertising board at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City as England headed toward their fans at one ‌end of the stadium ‌to sing “Wonderwall” by Oasis, ‌which ⁠has become tradition ⁠for the Three Lions. However, Henderson’s hand slipped and he was in clear pain after trying to break his fall.

US seeks ‘revenge’ for thrilling World Cup loss to Belgium 12 years ago

SEATTLE: When Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reflected on the last time his side faced the United States in the World Cup, Tim Howard came to mind. Courtois was in net opposite one of the greatest American goalies, who made 16 saves in a 2-1, extra time loss to Belgium at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Though Howard has long since hung up his boots, the 34-year-old Courtois will start again on Monday when the US plays Belgium in the round of 16. Since that thrilling match over a decade ago, American soccer has made significant strides. “I think they can produce a lot of talent and become a world force,” Courtois said.

Haaland knocks Brazil out of World Cup as Norway reach quarters

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Erling Haaland scored two late goals to send Norway through to a first World Cup quarter-final with a stunning 2-1 win over Brazil that condemned the five-time champions to their earliest exit since 1990. Norway goalkeeper Orlan Nyland produced a sensational display and saved a first-half penalty from Bruno Guimaraes before Haaland struck twice in the last 11 minutes to stun Brazil at MetLife Stadium. Neymar pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time with Brazil’s second spot-kick of the match. Haaland’s brace took him level with Lionel Messi on seven goals for the tournament as Norway booked a showdown against either co-hosts Mexico or England in Miami on July 11. For Brazil, who hired Carlo Ancelotti in a bid to end a 24-year World Cup drought, it is the sixth straight tournament where they have been knocked out by European opposition. The last time Brazil failed to reach at least the quarter-finals came 36 years ago, when they lost 1-0 to arch-rivals Argentina in last 16. Gabriel Martinelli was rewarded for scoring the stoppage-time winner against Japan in the previous round, as the Arsenal winger replaced the injured Lucas Paqueta in the lone change to Brazil’s line-up. Norway were boosted by the return of Julian Ryerson, the Borussia Dortmund defender fit again after missing the past two games with a thigh injury. Patrick Berg thought he had given Norway the lead inside three minutes, but his effort was ruled out for offside in the build-up. After a rocky start, Brazil won a penalty when Kristoffer Ajer clattered into Matheus Cunha in the box. The Brazilians were left furious as referee Ismail Elfath initially waved away their appeals, but VAR intervened and the decision was

FIFA lifts US player Balogun’s red card suspension at World Cup after Trump calls Infantino

SEATTLE: US President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American star forward Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted in a decision that allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday. Balogun, the American leader with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday. A red card triggers an automatic one-game suspension. FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted, triggering praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team. Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game asking FIFA review the red card, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump said in a statement on social media. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s action. “I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools’ Day comparison.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Sport News

Spain win it late to bid farewell to Ronaldo at World Cup

Egypt’s World Cup win energizing diaspora in US ahead of Argentina clash

How does the Saudi Pro League rank for foreign players represented in the Round of 16?

UEFA says decision by FIFA to let US forward play at World Cup is ‘incomprehensible’

England’s Jordan Henderson suffers ‘serious’ injury during celebration

US seeks ‘revenge’ for thrilling World Cup loss to Belgium 12 years ago

Haaland knocks Brazil out of World Cup as Norway reach quarters

FIFA lifts US player Balogun’s red card suspension at World Cup after Trump calls Infantino