FIFA World Cup 2026 - players.bio

Attempted burglary at Yamal’s home after World Cup triumph: police, media

MADRID: Burglars tried to break in to the Barcelona home of Spain star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday, shortly after he helped La Roja reach their second World Cup final, police and media said. “There was an attempted” burglary “at a home in Esplugues de Llobregat” in Barcelona’s outskirts, a spokesperson for Catalan regional police told AFP. The force declined to identify the property’s owner for privacy reasons, but Barcelona-based daily La Vanguardia said the house belonged to the 19-year-old Spain forward. Two people wearing balaclavas climbed onto the house’s wall but were surprised by the private security guards and fled, La Vanguardia reported. The newspaper said Yamal’s house is well known because it once belonged to Barcelona great Gerard Pique and his ex-partner, Colombian music star Shakira, when they lived together in the Catalan capital. Wednesday’s incident occurred early in the morning, moments after Spain completed their 2-0 victory over France in Texas to qualify for the World Cup final. Yamal won a first-half penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal converted to open the scoring. In Madrid, Karim Benzema, Rodrygo and Dani Carvajal are among the football stars to have suffered break-ins at their homes in recent years.

IOC asked to investigate FIFA president’s role in Balogun reversal

The International Olympic Committee has received a complaint alleging FIFA president Gianni Infantino ‌has repeatedly breached rules on political neutrality in his support of President Donald Trump. FairSquare, a nonprofit organization and advocacy group, asked the IOC to investigate, among several instances, Infantino’s possible involvement in the suspension of a one-game ban for striker Folarin Balogun, enabling him to play for the United States in a round of 16 match on July 6 against Belgium. Infantino acknowledged receiving a call from Trump, who publicly lobbied for Balogun to play, but the FIFA president said he did not interfere with the decision-making process. Balogun played as the USMNT was eliminated 4-1 by Belgium. He had received a direct red card in the 64th minute of a July 1 match for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic.

Messi is a win away from photo reunion with Lamine Yamal 19 years in the making

DUBAI: Lionel Messi is one victory away from one of the most remarkable reunions in World Cup history.

Argentina and England collide with World Cup final spot at stake

ATLANTA: Lionel Messi’s Argentina clash with England in a marquee World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, with Spain lying in wait after shattering French hopes of a third triumph. The fixture between two of the big beasts of global football is mouthwatering enough but is given added spice by long-standing political tensions. Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina are seeking to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, which would be a staggering send-off for the incomparable Messi. The 39-year-old, joint top of the Golden Boot standings with eight goals, inspired his team to victory in Qatar in 2022 in what was expected to be his final hurrah on football’s biggest stage. But he is back for more and has played a pivotal role in dragging his team to the semifinals, scoring in hard-fought 3-2 victories against Cape Verde and Egypt. Three-time champions Argentina will be taking on a different class of opponent in Atlanta compared with teams they have faced so far, even if England have only sparkled intermittently. Thomas Tuchel’s men have relied on the brilliance of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who have scored 12 of England’s 13 goals. The sides will meet for the first time in a competitive match since the 2002 World Cup. Tuchel said he did not feel extra pressure despite the historic nature of the fixture as England target a first World Cup final since they won the tournament in 1966. “I don’t feel a burden,” he said.

Spain advances to World Cup final with 2-0 win over France

ARLINGTON, Texas: Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot after a heady play by teenager Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro added another goal and Spain advanced to its first World Cup final since winning in 2010 with a 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday. A day after his 19th birthday, Yamal was denied a goal on a close offside call that came soon after Porro’s give-and-go with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute had put Spain up 2-0. But it was Yamal’s smart play against a veteran defender that put Spain in the lead. Spain will face either defending champion Argentina or England on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

England lacking Premier League physicality, says Mac Allister

ATLANTA: England have not ‌played with the same intensity that their players display week in and week out in the Premier League, but Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister remains wary of the physical strength they will bring to Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal. The 27-year-old has played six seasons in the Premier League, winning the title with Liverpool last year, and said he had noticed a difference in the potency of the English side at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. “I play against most of them every weekend and it’s ‌clear they’re physically ‌very strong,” he said on Tuesday as ‌Argentina ⁠fine-tuned for the ⁠clash against England at the Atlanta Stadium. “That said, I think during this World Cup we’ve seen — I don’t know if I’d call it fatigue or not — but they haven’t played with the same intensity that characterises the Premier League. “I don’t know if that’s because of the heat, the weather or other factors, but they’re obviously ⁠a great team. We have enormous respect for ‌them, just as we have for ‌every national team we’ve faced.” Mac Allister said the battle against England ‌might, however, be won as much with the mind as with ‌the physical confrontation. “It’s clear that the mental side is extremely important.

Thomas Tuchel: England’s World Cup mastermind

ATLANTA: Thomas Tuchel was hired by England as head coach with a simple brief: win the 2026 World Cup. So far, so good as they prepare to take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the semifinals. The German has overseen a largely happy camp, dancing with his players in the dressing room in Mexico City after their battling win against the co-hosts. But his tone changed following Saturday’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over Norway, when he described his team as “lucky.” “The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance,” he said. That downbeat assessment drew a stinging retort from midfielder Jude Bellingham, who scored twice as England came from behind. “Whatever, whatever,” said the Real Madrid midfielder after a gruelling 120 minutes in the searing Miami heat. The pair have a complicated history, but the exchange was a stark reminder that Tuchel will not shy away from speaking his mind. The 52-year-old will not care that he has riled Bellingham, who has scored six goals and once again proved himself to be England’s man for the big moment. The Football Association knew who it was getting when it hired the former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss to replace Gareth Southgate in 2024. Southgate had reshaped the team during his largely successful tenure, breaking down barriers between players from rival clubs and forging a cohesive unit. But his team never got over the line — defeated in the semifinals and quarter-finals at the World Cup and twice losing in the final of the Euros.

‘VARgentina’ reach semifinals under cloud of complaints

NEW YORK: A new ‌refereeing protocol has added to the powder keg of public perception over fairness at the World Cup, a former FIFA referee said on Tuesday, with another refereeing controversy involving Argentina adding fuel to fan complaints. The holders’ passage to Wednesday’s semifinal against England has been accompanied by repeated complaints from opponents over refereeing decisions, amid social media speculation the tournament has favored Lionel Messi’s side. The saga came to a head on Saturday in Argentina’s quarter-final defeat of Switzerland, as Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow card for simulation, a VAR rule that Swiss coach Murat Yakin called “unacceptable.” Asked for comment on Monday, FIFA referred Reuters to a July 8 interview with refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina, who rejected claims of bias in Argentina’s lsat-16 win over Egypt. The protocol over mistaken identity is one of several incidents in which VAR is allowed to intervene ‌under rules applied ‌to the 2026-27 season and the World Cup, putting a largely untested protocol ‌up ⁠for public debate. “I ⁠don’t think it should have been applied in the first place. It was too broad,” said Christina Unkel, British broadcaster ITV’s rules analyst for the World Cup and a former FIFA referee. “And where I’m struggling with it is we’re not just changing who gets the card, we’re changing the underlying decision from a free kick going this way to saying no, no, no, it’s actually a decision completely opposite way.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Sport News

Attempted burglary at Yamal’s home after World Cup triumph: police, media

IOC asked to investigate FIFA president’s role in Balogun reversal

Messi is a win away from photo reunion with Lamine Yamal 19 years in the making

Argentina and England collide with World Cup final spot at stake

Spain advances to World Cup final with 2-0 win over France

England lacking Premier League physicality, says Mac Allister

Thomas Tuchel: England’s World Cup mastermind

‘VARgentina’ reach semifinals under cloud of complaints