Spain captain Rodri warned Portugal on the eve of Monday's World Cup last-16 clash that the European champions can still get a lot better. Spain, one of the favourites in North America, were held to a shock 0-0 draw with debutants Cape Verde to open their title charge. They then beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 to…

…from any league in the world. With the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or intensifying as the World Cup nears its conclusion, the award’s official platform examined whether representing a non-European club is a disadvantage, concluding that there are no eligibility restrictions based on where a player competes. The Ballon d…

As qualified countries began the Round of 16 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, Brazil retained its place as the nation with the most match victories in the tournament's history. FIFA updated the ranking after matches played on Saturday, July 4. Brazil has reached the World Cup 23 times, playing 118 matche…

…has congratulated Morocco on its qualification for the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the achievement as a proud moment for Africa. PUNCH Online reports that Morocco became the first African nation to reach the last eight of the 2026 tournament after a commanding 3-0 victory over Canada, a feat t…

France booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging Paraguay 1-0 in their Round of 16 encounter on Sunday, and will now face Morocco in the next round. The match remained goalless at the end of the first half, with Paraguay frustrating the French attack and preventing Les Bleus from…

…a new board for the Bank of Agriculture, and France booked a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. APC faces backlash over controversial candidates' list The All Progressives Congress is facing widespread criticism after revising the list of candidates who emerged from its National Assembly primaries. The PD…

…into the second leg of the final round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The visitors stunned the home crowd in the 16th minute when Romaine Gandonou finished off a brilliant solo run to hand Benin an early lead, but Nigeria responded five minutes later throu…

…eight of the world's 10 most populous countries currently missing from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a trend that has forced football-mad supporters in several of the affected nations to throw their support behind other countries at the ongoing tournament in North America. According to a BBC World Service report, of the ten…

Canada became the first of the co-hosts to exit the World Cup as a clinical Morocco won 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals on Saturday in Houston. The 2022 semi-finalists Morocco will face title favourites France or Paraguay as the business end of the tournament in North America approaches. After a first half littered wit…

…at the last moment to chip in his penalty under massive pressure to help Egypt into the World Cup last 16 on Friday. The former Liverpool superstar and Egypt captain stepped up third in the shootout for his country and scored a “Panenka” as they beat Australia 4-2 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 in Texas. Egypt,…

The ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to produce record-breaking performances, with several stars making football history in the knockout stage. Following the conclusion of the Round of 32 and the commencement of the Round of 16 on Saturday, PUNCH Online highlights the players with the most goals in the knockout ph…

…saw off toothless Ghana 1-0 on Friday to become the final team to qualify for the World Cup last 16. The South Americans dominated the game at Arrowhead Stadium and had eight shots on target but ended up with just Jhon Arias’s early goal to show for their superiority. Now they can look forward to a meeting with Switzer…

England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico will kick off at its originally scheduled time on Sunday following discussions over possibly bringing the start of the game forward due to storms, a source close to the arrangements said Friday. Reports in Britain and Mexico said earlier Friday that FIFA was planning to…

Colombia 1 J Arias (14'14th minute) Ghana 0

…a huge scare before ending Cape Verde’s fairytale run as Lionel Messi netted his 20th World Cup goal in a 3-2 win after extra-time to reach the last 16. Messi’s sublime control and finish for his seventh goal at this tournament in four games put the defending champions in command, but the Blue Sharks doggedly refused t…

…before the NFL star was due to celebrate his marriage to pop megastar Taylor Swift. The World Cup, rather than the wedding, was the main theme of the chat with Kelce and his co-host brother Jason Kelce, with the prince saying he would travel to the competition in the United States if England made it into the final. The…

…that it would stage a senior men's national team competition every year except in FIFA World Cup years. The invitation opens the race among CAF's member associations to compete for the hosting rights of three future editions of the continent's flagship football tournament.

…at $0.03, that earlier date is why so many are topping up before launch, not after. The World Cup Bonus stacks on top: every BDAG purchase right now comes with 100% extra coins, sent directly. The mainnet is live, the coin trades on more than ten exchanges, millions mine it daily on their phones, and now an exchange of…

…to supporters to celebrate responsibly if Mexico defeat England in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash, following the deaths of at least four fans during celebrations after the team’s last victory. According to Reuters, Sheinbaum urged supporters to avoid excessive alcohol consumption and overcrowded public space…

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said Neymar is unhappy he has had such a limited role at the World Cup but has handled the situation professionally and remains a positive influence within the squad. The country's all-time leading goalscorer has made just one substitute appearance at his fourth World Cup, playing the final…

Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has reacted to his side’s World Cup Round of 32 win against Croatia. Ronaldo was on the scoresheet as Portugal came from a goal down to beat Croatia 2-1 last night. His teammate, Gonçalo Ramos also scored for Portugal against Croatia as Roberto Martinez’s side progressed to the Roun…

Portugal battled into the last 16 of the World Cup with a drama-filled 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday to set up a titanic showdown with European champions Spain. In another nerve-shredding World Cup classic, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Croatia saw a las…

…Lionel Messi will be the “match of our lives” but said they will not fear the defending World Cup champions in Friday’s last 32 clash. The African archipelago of just over 500,000 people have progressed to the knockout stages in their first ever World Cup after drawing with Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde in the group st…

…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…

Here are the head coaches of countries participating at the 2026 World Cup who resigned or have been sacked. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been a tournament of high-stakes drama, where the intense pressure of the global stage has already taken a heavy toll on several technical benches. For many national teams, failing to…