Roberto Di Matteo — who led Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League title in 2011/12 — has backed new manager Xabi Alonso to lead the Blues back to Europe’s premier competition in his first season at the helm. Chelsea had a dismal 2025/26 season, finishing 10th in the English Premier League after sitting near the top of the table for much of the first half of the season. A…
Lamine Yamal is looking forward to taking New York by storm after helping Spain reach the World Cup final with a 2-0 win against France. The Barcelona star — who turned 19 on Monday — earned a first-half penalty that teammate Mikel Oyarzabal converted before Pedro Porro added a second after the break. Yamal, referencing the song ‘NUEVAYoL’ by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, wrote on Instagram: “Nuevayol [New York]…
England have been described as “invaders” and “usurping pirates” by Argentina’s vice-president ahead of the teams’ World Cup semifinal clash in Atlanta on Wednesday. Political tensions linger between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, which boiled over into conflict in 1982. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said it would be “madness” to mix up sport and politics ahead of the match, but his country’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel stoked up…
Dan Burn fell in love with football after watching David Beckham’s dramatic winner against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup and now has the chance to create a lasting memory of his own against England‘s great rivals. Burn was a 10-year-old watching with his dad in a Florida pub when Beckham’s penalty earned redemption following his 1998 red card, when Glenn Hoddle’s team bravely lost in the round of 16.…
ATLANTA — Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni shut down criticism over the way his team has played throughout the FIFA World Cup ahead of the semifinal against England on Wednesday. “The team isn’t playing as bad as people say. We must have done something right to reach this stage,” Scaloni said on Tuesday in response to suggestions his team hasn’t been at its best. “I’m grateful to the players. They’ve led…
ATLANTA — Marc Guéhi said all the pressure is on Argentina ahead of England’s semifinal against the reigning champions on Wednesday, while Ezri Konsa added the team must ignore the external noise over the rivalry between the two countries. England landed here on Tuesday afternoon as they prepared to face Argentina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and book a spot in the final against Spain. Much of the talk this week has…
Thomas Tuchel insists there are “no cracks” with Jude Bellingham and said the pair are closer than ever before despite the England star publicly hitting back at his manager. The pair’s relationship has been under the microscope since the German coach said last summer that his mother found some of Bellingham’s on-field antics “repulsive.” Tuchel apologised for that remark and Bellingham has sparkled under him this summer, taking his World…
ATLANTA — England coach Thomas Tuchel said he has considered man-marking Lionel Messi in Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal against Argentina. Messi is the tournament’s joint-top scorer on eight goals along with Kylian Mbappé and will face England for the first time in his illustrious career at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The winner will take on Spain in Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. “I was thinking about this, if we…
ARLINGTON, Texas — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team is “feeling unbeatable” after reaching the World Cup final with a 2-0 win over France. Mikel Oyarzabal‘s first-half penalty and a second goal from Pedro Perro after half-time earned Spain a well-deserved victory in their semifinal at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday. And afterwards, De la Fuente issued a warning to their opponents in the final — either Argentina…
ARLINGTON, Texas — Kylian Mbappé seemed to question Didier Deschamps’ approach and tactics after France‘s 2-0 defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup semifinal on Tuesday. The result ended France’s quest to reach a third-straight World Cup final, with Mbappé held scoreless and finishing the tournament with eight goals — tied with Argentina‘s Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot lead. Spain midfield general Rodri was dynamic throughout the match…