Miami, July 16 (IANS) Beaten semifinalists France and England face off in the third-place match in the 103rd match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Miami Stadium in Miami, eyeing a consolation prize that will elevate some of the hurt caused by missing the top prize.France succumbed to a superior Spain side in the first semifinal, while England failed to capitalise on their lead and went down to defending champions Argentina on Tuesday night.The bronze final will also be Kylian Mbappé’s last ch…
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Arlington, July 15 (IANS) “When you win, you hold your head high; when you lose, you have to keep it.” These are the words of French captain Kylian Mbappe, who admitted that Les Bleus failed to execute their game plan that allowed Spain to dictate the tempo in a 2-0 defeat at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Spain have produced a complete team performance to overcome France. They controlled the game from start to finish, nullifying Les Blues’ world-class forwards while playing with poise and verve in at…
Arlington, July 15 (IANS) Kylian Mbappe lifted his shirt over his face and buried his head in his hands. Moments later he gazed into the middle distance while being consoled by France manager Didier Deschamps. This is not how the script was meant to go for France.Les Bleus, one of the title favourites, had entered the game unbeaten, having conceded just two goals in six matches. The tournament was supposed to provide a fitting farewell for Deschamps and a crowning moment in Mbappe’s career, conf…
Arlington, July 15 (IANS) France coach Didier Deschamps admitted his team was well below its best after a 2-0 loss to Spain in the FIFA World Cup semifinals and paid the price for not playing their dangerous attacking game. France lost their first knockout match in the World Cup since the 2014 quarter-final against Germany (0-1). That makes 11 matches (10 wins, 1 draw).This was France’s fourth defeat in the semi-finals of the World Cup (1958, 1982, 1986, 2026) in eight appearances. Moreover, thi…
Arlington, July 15 (IANS) Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team had reached their peak at the perfect moment and recaptured the spirit of the 2010 edition after a 2-0 win sent La Roja into its first FIFA World Cup final since lifting the trophy 16 years ago. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty in the 22nd minute, and Pedro Porro added a second just before the hour mark as Spain subdued one of the tournament favourites in Dallas.”We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve bee…
Arlington, July 15 (IANS) Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro earned Spain a deserved 2-0 win over France at Dallas Stadium in their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final here at the Dallas Stadium on Wednesday. This was France’s fourth defeat in the semi-finals of the World Cup (1958, 1982, 1986, 2026) in eight appearances. Moreover, this was the third consecutive elimination against Spain in the semi-finals of a competition after Euro 2024 (2-1) and the Nations League 2025 (5-4).France lost th…
Dallas, July 14 (IANS) France coach Didier Deschamps labelled Spain the favourite to win the FIFA World Cup on Monday, a day before the two European powers meet in the semifinals at the Dallas Stadium in Dallas on Thursday (IST).”Forget about their match against Cabo Verde,” Deschamps told a pre-match news conference, referring to Spain’s goalless draw in its opening group game. “Since then, they have shown they are the favourites to win the World Cup.””Spain are capable of playing outstanding a…
New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) Four years ago, Argentina and France delivered arguably the greatest FIFA World Cup final in history. Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy after an unforgettable penalty shootout, while Kylian Mbappé became only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Now, with the 2026 tournament down to the final four teams, the possibility of a repeat has become one of football’s biggest talking points.Argentina’s journey has been anything but straightforw…
New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) Former French defender Luis Fernandez has backed France to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 title but stressed that if Spain knocks the Les Blues out, “he’d be happy for them too.” Spain and France will lock horns in the semifinal at the Dallas Stadium on Wednesday. The two teams will face each other for the second time in the final stages of the World Cup after the round of 16 won by Les Bleus (3-1) in 2006.Born in southern Spain but raised in France, the 66-year-old still …
Arlington, July 14 (IANS) As familiar foes, France and Spain will renew acquaintances on the biggest of stages in a FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final showdown at Dallas Stadium, La Roja head coach Luis de la Fuente said he knows Le Blues are a much better team than the one they defeated in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. The two teams will face each other for the second time in the final stages of the World Cup after the round of 16 matchup in 2006, which France won 3-1. Since then, the tide has turned,…