Thomas Tuchel has said England must close a gap to the top nations after suggesting his side must learn to play better football under pressure at tournaments. England will contest the World Cup third-place match against France on Saturday after losing an agonising semifinal against Argentina, in which their inability to close the game out fell into a familiar pattern of past defeats where they led a big game only…
Argentina captain Lionel Messi called the photo of him bathing Lamine Yamal in 2007 “incredible,” praising the Spanish winger ahead of Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final. “That photo is incredible,” Messi said on Friday. “I took a picture with him when he was a baby… the fact that we’re both playing in the World Cup now is crazy.” The photo was taken as part of a charity calendar produced at…
NEW YORK — Spain reaching the FIFA World Cup final is still something of a novelty, given this is just the second time the country has gotten this far. Rodri sees it as the culmination of years building to this point. Winning the Nations League in 2023 and the European Championship in 2024 set the foundation for the success the team has achieved over the past several weeks. An even…
U.S. President Donald Trump has joined the growing criticism of Thomas Tuchel’s tactics in England‘s World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina by questioning Harry Kane‘s second-half role. Sources have told ESPN that Tuchel retains the support of the Football Association and is expected to remain in charge through to Euro 2028 despite a backlash to the manner of England’s 2-1 defeat in Atlanta. England led 1-0 through Anthony Gordon‘s 55th-minute…
NEW YORK — FIFA President Gianni Infantino deemed the FIFA World Cup a success on Friday, saying the tournament achieved its mission of uniting people from all corners of the globe. Infantino spoke at the United Nations as part of a daylong session about how the game can be a catalyst for youth mental health. He brought one of the official game balls that will be used in Sunday’s World…
Didier Deschamps confirmed Kylian Mbappé is “available” for the World Cup third place playoff with England, but confirmed he plans to make changes to his regular starting XI in his final match as France boss. Mbappé has been one of the biggest stars of this tournament and although his side are now out of the World Cup, he has a chance to add a Golden Boot to his collection, as…
BIRMINGHAM, England — World Cup breakout star Johan Manzambi joined Champions League-bound Aston Villa on Friday in a record transfer deal for a Swiss player. Manzambi had an offer to join Newcastle but a viral clip after Switzerland’s quarterfinal loss last Saturday in Kansas City showed the 20-year-old midfielder replying yes to Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s question if his now-teammate was going to Villa instead. Villa did not give the…
The FIFA World Cup has been a bonanza for beer in the U.S. Bars in Boston reported needing emergency deliveries to keep taps from running dry on some game days. Fans downed a total of 290,000 stadium beers during the six matches in Philadelphia, FIFA organizers said. But all that frothy foam obscures a cold reality: Beer sales have been struggling globally, and it’s unclear if soccer’s world championship tournament…
Former England defender Gary Neville has said he has a “big problem” with Thomas Tuchel questioning his team’s “DNA” in major tournaments, while insisting the manager left out “generational talents” who could have helped him at the World Cup. After England let a 1-0 lead slip in the closing minutes of their semifinal against Argentina — who dominated possession against a team littered with defenders — Tuchel said his side…
Andrey Santos could get his first run-out in Manchester United colours on Saturday after being included in the travelling squad for their pre-season friendly against Wrexham in Helsinki. The 22-year-old Santos became Michael Carrick’s first permanent signing when he joined from Chelsea on Monday in a deal that could be worth up to £50million ($67.2m) And having spent the week training at Carrington, the Brazilian is part of a 25-man…