New York, July 9 (IANS) Spain and Belgium meet in an all-European World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, with Belgium facing the daunting task of becoming the first team to score against Spain in the tournament.Spain has yet to concede a goal at the World Cup, with goalkeeper Unai Simón extending his shutout streak in World Cup finals to 609 minutes, a run dating back to the group stage of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.Luis de la Fuente is expected to retain his preferred back four of Marc Cucurell…
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Mexico City, July 9 (IANS) Rafael Marquez has been appointed Mexico head coach on a deal running until 2030, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) said on Thursday.The 47-year-old replaces Javier Aguirre, who stepped down after Mexico’s 3-2 defeat by England in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday.”The appointment of Rafael Marquez is part of an orderly transition envisaged within the FMF’s institutional vision to continue the work carried out during the last World Cup cycle, strengthen the sport…
Rio de Janeiro, July 9 (IANS) Santos has given Neymar time off to contemplate his future after Brazil’s World Cup round-of-16 exit, Brazilian media reported on Wednesday.Brazil’s all-time leading scorer has six months left on his Santos contract, but local press has cast doubt over whether he will continue playing at any level following his international retirement.”Neymar’s future at Santos will be decided after a vacation period,” the report said, adding Santos was “waiting for a signal” to me…
Vancouver, July 8 (IANS) Ruben Vargas said he had yet to fully process Switzerland’s progress to the World Cup quarter-finals after converting the decisive penalty in Wednesday’s shootout against Colombia. The winger, who had been a fitness doubt before the match, said he was grateful simply to have been able to play in the round-of-16 encounter. “I don’t think I’ve fully realized it yet; I’m thankful for this moment. I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to play,” the 27-year-old said after the…
Tlanta, July 8 (IANS) Egypt’s World Cup campaign ended in frustration, with head coach Hossam Hassan questioning the fairness of the tournament after his side suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat to defending champion Argentina in Atlanta. Egypt appeared close to a historic upset after taking a 2-0 lead, but Argentina produced a late comeback, with Lionel Messi playing a decisive role by scoring one goal and setting up another before Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround in stoppage time.However, th…
Atlanta, July 8 (IANS) Lionel Scaloni admitted Argentina had made its supporters endure unnecessary anxiety, but he saw something far more important in its dramatic comeback against Egypt: the character and belief of a team that refuses to surrender. For Scaloni, the 3-2 victory in Atlanta was about more than simply surviving a difficult World Cup knockout match. It reflected Argentina’s identity — a side that continues to fight regardless of the circumstances and never accepts defeat as an opt…
Atlanta, July 7 (IANS) Lionel Messi assisted and scored a goal while Enzo Fernández struck the winner in stoppage time as defending champions Argentina produced a comeback for the ages for a sensational 3-2 win over Egypt and sealed a place in the quarterfinals in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Atlanta on Tuesday.Argentina fought back from 0-2 down in the round of 16 match after Yasser Ibrahim (15th min) and Mostafa Zico (62nd min) had scored for Egypt and created the possibility of the defending c…
Madrid, July 7 (IANS) Spain’s victory over Portugal in the World Cup Round of 16 has increased the likelihood that several opening-weekend matches in the upcoming 2026-27 season of La Liga will be postponed.La Liga is scheduled to begin on the weekend of August 15-16, but an agreement provides that clubs with players involved in the World Cup semifinals will not be required to begin their domestic campaign until a week later. Any postponed fixtures are expected to be rescheduled between the seco…
Madrid, July 7 (IANS) La Liga president Javier Tebas has become the latest football administrator to criticise FIFA over its decision to suspend the one-match World Cup ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun, describing the episode as “the tip of the iceberg” of what he called a governance model that has steadily eroded the credibility of world football.Balogun was shown a straight red card after a VAR review for a challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic duri…
Seattle, July 7 (IANS) United States manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was proud of his team’s World Cup campaign despite Tuesday’s 4-1 defeat to Belgium, insisting the tournament had laid the foundations for future success.The Argentine said his side had failed to reproduce the form it showed earlier in the tournament, but insisted its overall campaign remained a source of pride.”It hurts to be eliminated. We didn’t perform well today, and that’s the reality. Sometimes, during a tournament, y…