Tag · 196 articles
Lionel Messi will play against England for the first time in his career when Argentina meets the Three Lions in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. The 39-year-old has scored 125 goals for Argentina but never faced England. Pundits highlight Messi's unique qualities and the historic rivalry between the two nations.
Argentina defeated 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in extra time in Kansas City to set up a World Cup semi-final against England. The match will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on July 15.
Jude Bellingham's two goals against Norway in Miami have drawn statistical comparisons to Maradona and Pele. The England star now faces Lionel Messi's Argentina in the semi-final, with a potential final against Spain or France.
For the first time, the top four teams in FIFA's world rankings have all reached the World Cup semi-finals. Spain, Argentina, France, and England each won their groups and were placed in separate quadrants of the draw, a change FIFA made for the 2026 expanded tournament to ensure competitive balance.
Switzerland's Breel Embolo became the first player sent off under a new mistaken identity rule at the World Cup after VAR overturned a yellow card originally given to Argentina's Leandro Paredes, deeming Embolo had dived. The red card came just minutes after Switzerland equalized, and Argentina eventually won 3-1 in extra time.
Julian Alvarez scored a stunning goal in extra time to give Argentina the lead against 10-man Switzerland in their quarter-final in Kansas City.
Dan Ndoye scored a deserved equaliser for Switzerland, making it 1-1 against Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final in Kansas City.
Switzerland's Breel Embolo was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for simulation during the quarter-final match against Argentina in Kansas City.
Alexis Mac Allister scored a header to give Argentina an early lead in their quarter-final match against Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium.
Hungary holds the record for most goals in a single World Cup with 27 in 1954, followed by West Germany (25) and France (23). Brazil appears three times in the top 10, including 22 goals in 1950 and 19 in 1970.
Lionel Messi's penalty misses at the 2026 World Cup raise questions about his spot-kick reliability. Despite his genius, his conversion rate lags behind top scorers, prompting debate over whether Argentina should consider alternative penalty takers.
Christian Vieri praises Erling Haaland as 'unbeatable in the box' ahead of Norway's World Cup clash with England. The former Italy striker also discusses Argentina's enduring hunger and Lionel Messi's brilliance.
Former Swiss international Fabio Celestini discusses Switzerland's multicultural strength, their World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, and the challenge of stopping Lionel Messi. He highlights the team's discipline, blend of cultures, and growing maturity.
Argentina's football association is investigating a possible cyber attack after emails from its official accounts criticized refereeing in the national team's 3-2 win against Egypt at the World Cup. The AFA said the emails were not authorized and may have been sent by hackers of Egyptian origin.
Argentina continue their World Cup title defense against a resilient Switzerland side aiming for a first semi-final. The match in Kansas City pits Lionel Messi's record-breaking form against a Swiss team that has already achieved its best-ever tournament run.
In the latest episode of BBC's Football Daily, John Murray, Ian Dennis, and Ali Bruce-Ball discuss the World Cup quarter-finals, including England's 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca and Argentina's match against Cape Verde. Special guest engineer Rob reveals behind-the-scenes stadium operations.
FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina says 'nobody can question the integrity' of World Cup match officials after Egypt filed a complaint over officiating in their 3-2 loss to Argentina. Collina backed the VAR decisions that overturned an Egypt goal and allowed Argentina's winner.
The World Cup has been a box-office success with thrilling matches, but controversies including a Trump intervention and disputed refereeing decisions have raised concerns about sporting integrity, according to Miguel Delaney.
Egypt has accused FIFA of bias favoring Argentina and Lionel Messi after their 3-2 loss. Allegations include refereeing errors and the appointment of an all-Argentine officiating team for France vs. Morocco. An analysis examines the claims.
With the World Cup quarter-finals approaching, an analysis of all 360 penalties taken in 39 shootouts since 1982 reveals key trends. Argentina leads with six wins in seven shootouts, while the Netherlands and Spain share a record four defeats. Players going central have a lower success rate, and teams kicking first have historically had a slight edge.
