FIFA World Cup 2026 - players.bio

Spain power into last 16 at World Cup, Portugal face Croatia

LOS ANGELES: European champions Spain cruised into the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria to set up a potential showdown with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards, who produced their most complete performance of the tournament to advance to the next round. Spain opened their World Cup campaign with a faltering 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but have subsequently built momentum with each match. With Spanish movie stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in the 70,492 crowd at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on Thursday, Spain were always in control against a limited Austrian side who failed to register a single shot on goal. Oyarzabal fired Spain into the lead in the 36th minute, sweeping in a low finish to crown a slick passing move, and more deft inter-play set up Porro to head home the second in the 66th minute. Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal grabbed his second in the 89th minute, coolly tucking away a low finish from Marc Cucurella’s pinpoint cross.

Messi returns ‘home’ to lead Argentina World Cup charge in Miami

MIAMI: Few imagined that three years after making the move to Miami, Lionel Messi would be leading Argentina’s charge to defend the title and smashing records at his sixth World Cup. The 39-year-old returns to the Florida city he now calls home for a last 32 clash against the surprise package of the tournament Cape Verde on Friday after scoring six times in the group stages. In doing so Messi became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 19 and is on a record seven-game scoring streak in the competition. Many believed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was headed for semi-retirement when he swapped top level European football for Major League Soccer after ending his long to wait to win the World Cup in Qatar. But Messi has defied expectations, both with his impact on soccer Stateside and his ability to continue deciding games at international level. Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham and only formed in 2018, had never won a trophy prior to his arrival. Messi’s arrival instantly made one of MLS’s newest franchises a go-to destination for European stars. Aided by his former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Messi led Inter to victory in the Leagues Cup, a knockout competition between clubs in the MLS, Mexican and Canadian leagues, in his first season. Last year Messi and Miami went one better in securing the club’s first MLS title.

Impossible for England to acclimate to altitude for World Cup match against Mexico, Tuchel says

ATLANTA: From the altitude of Mexico City to the memories of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal, England will have to contend with brutal conditions and the weight of history when they play co-host Mexico at the World Cup on Sunday. The Azteca Stadium — the site of the round of 16 game and the scene of Maradona’s memorable goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals — sits at more than 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level. With little time to acclimate, conditions are against England’s team and very much in favor of Mexico, which are undefeated in 10 World Cup games at their home stadium over three tournaments. “My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said.

StubHub sued by fans who say ticket cancelations crushed dreams of going to World Cup

NEW YORK: After weeks of complaints from frustrated fans, StubHub is being sued by customers who say the ticket reseller’s inability to fulfill orders crushed their dreams of going to World Cup. Julia Reeker Moghal and Reuben Renteria, both of California, sued the ticketing giant this week in federal court in New York, alleging that “false and misleading” sales practices left them without the tickets they purchased for group stage matches last month. The lawsuit, which seeks to become a class action, says Moghal and Renteria are among hundreds or even thousands of World Cup fans who purchased tickets only to find out that they “did not exist, were revoked without any forewarning, or had been erased” because of what the tournament’s organizer, FIFA, deemed “poor digital infrastructure.” In addition to monetary damages, Moghal and Renteria are asking that StubHub be barred from selling World Cup tickets and that any profits from those sales be given to affected customers. StubHub declined to comment on the lawsuit but said in a statement that its “singular goal is to get fans into events.” If anything goes wrong, “our FanProtect Guarantee provides replacement tickets or a full refund,” the company said.

Extra time for England fans as pubs open til 5 am for Mexico clash

LONDON: Pubs across England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 5 am (0400GMT) on Monday to allow football fans to watch England’s World Cup clash with Mexico. After England made it into the last 16 in the World Cup, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Football might be coming home, but we’re making sure fans don’t have to. “Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.” Captain Harry Kane scored twice on Wednesday to rescue England from the brink of a humiliating World Cup exit, defeating the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in a nail-biting match in Atlanta. Kane’s crew are now preparing for a daunting trip to take on Mexico on their home turf in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Sunday. England manager Thomas Tuchel has already made the case for parents to allow their kids to stay up to watch the match, even though it’s a school night. “Write an excuse for school and let them watch football,” Tuchel urged after his team’s victory. “There’s so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch...

Klopp poised to replace Nagelsmann as Germany coach: reports

BERLIN: Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly set to be sacked as Germany coach, tabloid Bild reported Thursday, with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp the favorite to take over in the dugout. Nagelsmann, 38, has been under fire since Germany’s last 32 exit from the World Cup after a shock loss to Paraguay. Showing pictures of Nagelsmann at German FA (DFB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Bild reported Thursday the coach had been offered a severance package of seven million euros ($8 million) to leave the position in a three-hour meeting. Last renewed in January 2025, Nagelsmann’s contract is set to run until 2028.

Spain, Portugal eye World Cup last 16

LOS ANGELES: European champions Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal aim to book their places in the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday as Algeria look to salvage some pride for African football. Spain take on Austria in Los Angeles, where a win will keep them on course for a potential meeting with Portugal in the next round. Portugal play Croatia in Toronto in a game that could mark the final career World Cup match for either Ronaldo or his former Real Madrid team-mate and veteran Croatian midfielder Luka Modric. The late match sees Algeria aim to revive African fortunes after a rocky start to the knockout rounds for teams from the continent. Ivory Coast, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo have all fallen at the first knock-out hurdle in the last 32 after advancing from the group stage. Algeria, who squeezed into the last 32 with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Austria on Saturday, face Switzerland in Vancouver. After arriving at the World Cup as one of the favorites, Spain have made a relatively low-key start to the tournament. A shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde was followed by a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia before an attritional victory over Uruguay. But Spain coach Luis de la Fuente maintains his team are on an upward curve and are exactly where they want to be as they reach the business end of the tournament. “This squad is used to breaking records and overcoming rough patches; we are determined to keep moving forward,” De la Fuente said on Wednesday. “From the time we arrived here up to the Uruguay match, we’ve seen the team begin to regain the automatic movements and patterns they had in the past. Now we have to deliver; there is no margin for error.”

Balogun scores and sees red as US beat Bosnia 2-0

SANTA CLARA: Folarin Balogun scored and was sent off as the United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to reach the last 16 of the World Cup on Wednesday. The co-hosts’ first World Cup knockout victory in nearly a quarter-century — and only their second ever — sets up a clash with Belgium in Seattle on Monday. Balogun’s goal on the stroke of half-time had sent the California crowd into delirium, with some 30 million Americans expected to be watching the blockbuster clash across the nation. But the striker saw red as VAR intervened following a nasty clash with Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic. But even with the US forced into a 10-man rearguard action, Malik Tillman curled in a free kick to secure the win. US supporters had flocked into the San Francisco Bay Area stadium in festive mood, their exuberant confidence summed up by the traditional pre-match fighter jet flyover in the bright California skies. Bosnia’s tactics were made clear from the kickoff — an immediate long ball — while the US defense quickly camped out on the halfway line, always pushing forward. Still, Bosnia had the best early chances.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Sport News

Spain power into last 16 at World Cup, Portugal face Croatia

Messi returns ‘home’ to lead Argentina World Cup charge in Miami

Impossible for England to acclimate to altitude for World Cup match against Mexico, Tuchel says

StubHub sued by fans who say ticket cancelations crushed dreams of going to World Cup

Extra time for England fans as pubs open til 5 am for Mexico clash

Klopp poised to replace Nagelsmann as Germany coach: reports

Spain, Portugal eye World Cup last 16

Balogun scores and sees red as US beat Bosnia 2-0