Spain beat Argentina 1-0 to lift second World Cup title

The FIFA World Cup quarter-finals begin today with a high-stakes clash between tournament favourites France and Morocco. With a place in the last four at stake, Prothom Alo English's live blog brings you every key moment from the reminders of the tournament.

Follow our live coverage for real-time scores, goals, major incidents, team news, key statistics and expert analysis from France vs Morocco and other matches. We'll also bring you the latest tournament updates, along with the best photos and videos, as the drama unfolds.

Stay with us for every moment of this FIFA World Cup showdown.

France will start with attacking midfielder Desire Doue as coach Didier Deschamps opted to leave Bradley Barcola on the bench, in a tactical change for the 2018 world champions in their World Cup quarter-final against Morocco on Thursday.

In a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, apart from Barcola, the France starting 11 is unchanged from their 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele spearheading the attack, backed by Michael Olise.

Morocco are without key forward Ismael Saibari, who was injured in their last match.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi brings in defender Anass Salah Eddine and midfielder Chemsdine Talbi, with Brahim Diaz playing as a lone forward.

The winners meet Spain or Belgium in the last four.

Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Noussair Mazraoui, Anass Salah Eddine; Neil El Aynaoui, Chemsdine Talbi, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss; Brahim Diaz.

Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue; Kylian Mbappe (captain).

Kylian Mbappé has the chance to close the gap on Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. The France captain has seven goals, just one behind Messi's tournament-leading eight.

A goal against Morocco would draw Mbappé level with Messi, while a brace would send him to the top of the scoring charts as France chase a place in the semi-finals.

Mbappé is also two goals away from equalling Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup record of 21 goals.

A brace against Morocco would see the France captain draw level at the top of the scoring charts.

The first quarter-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. France and Morocco are now battling for the first place in the semi-finals.

France have threatened twice inside the opening five minutes, but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has denied them both times to keep Morocco level.

Neil EL AYNAOUI (Morocco) commits a foul at 14' and Lucas DIGNE (France) does so at the following minute commits.

France have looked almost unstoppable at this World Cup so far.

Les Bleus have scored 14 goals and conceded just two in five matches. But tonight could be their toughest test yet, with an in-form Morocco side reaching the quarter-finals after an impressive run.

Morocco were knocked out by France in the semi-finals of the last World Cup, making tonight's encounter an opportunity for revenge. Who will come out on top this time remains to be seen.

Achraf Hakimi sends a free kick from the right well over everyone and behind for a goal kick.

Kylian Mbappe looked set to score from the penalty spot, but Bounou makes the save!

Mbappé bursts into the Morocco box on a counterattack before Noussair Mazraoui brings him down. The referee points straight to the spot.

Match resumes after hydration break 

The Moroccan midfield sensation is the second-youngest player ever to play in a World Cup quarter-final, according to FIFA

Youngest players to play in World Cup quarter-finals

17y 239d – Pele (Brazil) v Wales (1958)

18y 280d – Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco) v France (2026)

19y 76d – Aaron Lennon (England) v Portugal (2006)

Yassine Bounou makes another superb save in the 36th minute, denying Désiré Doué after the France midfielder burst into the box and fired on goal.

Including penalty shootouts, Yassine Bounou has now faced nine penalties at the World Cup. He has been beaten only twice—saving four and seeing three others miss the target.

Mbappé had converted his previous 15 penalties and spot-kicks for France before Bounou denied him tonight. His last penalty miss for Les Bleus came in the Euro 2020 round of 16 shootout against Switzerland, making this his first failed spot-kick for France since then.

Yassine Bounou is the difference so far, saving Mbappé's penalty and making several key stops to keep Morocco level. France have created the better chances, while Morocco have struggled to trouble Mike Maignan.

Hakimi's stoppage-time free kick flies well wide as the sides go into the break goalless.

Possession: France 50% – 44% Morocco (6% in contest)

France dominated the attacking stats, outshooting Morocco 13-1, with three efforts on target. Les Bleus had seven shots from inside the box and six from outside, while Morocco failed to register a shot on target.

France also held a slight edge in distribution, completing 245 of 277 passes to Morocco's 233 from 265. Both sides attempted six crosses, but France completed three while Morocco failed to find a teammate with any of theirs.

France also had the edge from set pieces, winning three corners to Morocco's one, while Morocco were awarded six free kicks to France's five.

France 0-0 Morocco: Match resumes after halftime goes goalless.

56' Michael Olise picks out the France captain with a superb pass, but Mbappé blazes his effort over the crossbar. France come agonisingly close to taking the lead.

AT 66th minutes, Ousmane Dembélé netted the ball for France to give a 2-0 lead over Morocco.

Olise swing a pass into Mbappe, who touches back for Dembele. Mbappe continues his run, bringing defenders with him, and it gives Dembele the opening he needs.

France make their first change as Jean-Philippe Mateta replaces Kylian Mbappé in the 77th minute.

The France captain leaves to warm applause after scoring the opening goal and moving level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.

As Mbappe has made way for Mateta and he receives a standing ovation from much of the Boston Stadium crowd.

France in 2026 is the first team to have two players with 5+ goals in a single FIFA World Cup since Brazil in 2002 (Ronaldo and Rivaldo), according to ESPN.

Possession

Morocco edged possession with 49%, while France had 44%, with 7% of possession in contest.

Goal

France were clinical in front of goal, scoring twice from their only two goalscoring opportunities. One goal came from inside the penalty area and the other from outside, with both strikes set up by assists. Morocco failed to find the net.

Attempts at Goal

France dominated the attacking stats, outshooting Morocco 21-4, including an 8-1 advantage in shots on target.

Les Bleus also had nine efforts off target to Morocco's two, while creating far more danger inside the penalty area with 12 attempts compared with Morocco's one.

France also had eight shots from outside the box, while Morocco managed three.

Discipline

Morocco received the only yellow card of the match, while neither side had a player sent off. France committed 10 fouls to Morocco's 12, and neither team was caught offside.

Distribution

Morocco edged the passing statistics, completing 441 of 508 passes compared with France's 435 from 491.

Both teams delivered a similar number of crosses—16 for Morocco and 15 for France—but Les Bleus were more effective, completing four crosses to Morocco's two.

Set pieces and defensive

Both teams won five corners, while France were awarded 11 free kicks to Morocco's 10. France forced more turnovers, winning the ball back 22 times compared with Morocco's 18.

Kylian Mbappe, however, missed a first-half penalty, saved by Yassine Bounou.

France have booked their place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a composed 2-0 victory over Morocco.

Kylian Mbappé made amends for his first-half penalty miss by opening the scoring to draw level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the Golden Boot race, before Ousmane Dembélé wrapped up the win late on.

Les Bleus will now face either Spain or Belgium for a place in the World Cup final, while Morocco's impressive tournament run comes to an end.

"When it's Kylian, there's no problem -- he never doubts himself, even though he had another chance before scoring," AFP quoted France coach Didier Deschamps as saying.

"I think that is three consecutive semi-finals, so that's already a good thing." he added.

"It seems logical and natural, but you still have to achieve it.

"Obviously, I have great players, otherwise we wouldn't get there, but it's good. It was complicated because today, after missing the penalty, and with the chances (we had), we didn't convert."

"It's great; we're where we wanted to be, so we'll recover well and then we'll see who our opponent is tomorrow," Deschamps said.

He added Mbappe had been substituted because he had taken a knock to the ankle -- the forward was seen icing this area on the sidelines, according to AFP

"We are very disappointed, we wanted to advance," Reuters quoted Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi as saying.

“We knew they could have scored earlier. We would have liked to hold out a little longer without conceding, to see how France would react," he added. “I told the players that they needed to go in with their heads high.”

Mohamed Ouahbi said, "We have to recognise that France is a great team with excellent players. France had the better scoring opportunities. We lacked ideas and freshness, and we have to accept this defeat.

"Today France were stronger but we are able to compete and progress and maybe eliminate them in four years' time."

Morocco, however, are co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarter-finals at Boston Stadium. Here are some key moments from the last-eight clash.

"A mission? I don't know but we can't afford to let up," France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe was quoted by AFP as saying.

"There's still a long way to go, and what lies ahead is even tougher, but we'll recover well," he added.

Meanwhile, French became the third nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.

Waving flags, singing patriotic songs and carrying banners proclaiming "Egypt's men made us proud", thousands of supporters welcomed Egypt's national football team home on Friday after the Pharaohs produced the finest World Cup campaign in the country's history, reports Reuters.

Crowds gathered outside Alamein International Airport on Egypt's Mediterranean coast to greet the players and coaching staff after their return from North America, where Egypt won at the World Cup for the first time in four attempts and reached the last 16. Fans also held pictures of captain Mohamed Salah bearing the words "Thank you".

The celebrations continued as the squad boarded an open-top bus and paraded through New Alamein, waving to cheering supporters lining the streets. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is due to receive the team and its technical and administrative staff on Saturday.

Among the crowds were supporters carrying large posters of coach Hossam Hassan draped in a Palestinian flag, reflecting appreciation for his support of the Palestinian cause during the tournament. Egypt's all-time leading scorer carried a Palestinian flag on the pitch on several occasions and voiced support for Palestinian rights during press conferences.

The homecoming came despite a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat by Lionel Messi's Argentina in the last 16. Egypt led 2-0 until the closing stages before conceding three goals in the final 11 minutes, but still returned home with pride after its best-ever World Cup run, having beaten New Zealand in the group stage and Australia on penalties in the round of 32.

Before the team's return, the Egyptian Football Association renewed the contracts of Hossam Hassan and his twin brother Ibrahim Hassan. The federation did not disclose the length of the deal, though local media reported it would run until 2030.

Hassan, 59, has revitalised the national side since taking charge in 2024, leading Egypt to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, ending an eight-year World Cup absence and compiling a record of 20 wins, nine draws and six defeats.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente made one change for Friday's World Cup quarter-final against Belgium, dropping Pedri to the bench for Fabian Ruiz, while Rudi Garcia recalled Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku in two Belgium changes. 

Fabian joins Rodri and Dani Olmo in Spain's midfield, with Pedri surprisingly left out after the win over Portugal.

Spain's attack is unchanged, with Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal starting. 

De Bruyne replaces Amadou Onana, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against the United States.

Jeremy Doku also starts for Belgium, with Dodi Lukebakio dropping to the bench.

Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal

Thibaut Courtois; Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper, Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy; Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Nicolas Raski;, Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku

Belgium have made a late change to their starting lineup just before kick-off. Hans Vanaken comes into the XI in place of Youri Tielemans.

Tielemans did not even take part in the pre-match warm-up, with fitness concerns believed to be the reason behind his withdrawal from the starting side at the last minute.

The second quarter-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway at Los Angeles Stadium in United States. Belgium and France are now battling for the place in the semi-finals where France is awaiting the winner.

Spain are dictating the tempo early, enjoying 61 per cent possession in the first 10 minutes. Belgium maintain 24 per cent ball possession.

Fabian Ruiz puts Spain ahead against Belgium in the 30th minute. The goal came after a superb attacking move, with Dani Olmo's initial effort brilliantly saved by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. However, the rebound fell kindly for Ruiz, who fired the ball into the net to give La Roja the lead.

Belgium eqalised within 10 minutes! Charles DE KETELAERE netted the ball with a fantastic header to bring parity in the match.

La Roja failed to clear their lines as Belgium kept the pressure on with a sustained spell of possession around the penalty area. The ball was eventually delivered from the right to Charles De Ketelaere, who powered a downward header beyond Unai Simon to bring Belgium level.

Spain have conceded for the first time at the 2026 World Cup.

Spain have conceded for the first time at the 2026 World Cup as Belgium fought back to level their quarter-final before the break.

Fabian Ruiz gave Spain the lead after converting a rebound, but Charles De Ketelaere continued his fine scoring form by heading home in the 40th minute to make it 1-1.

The winners will face France in Tuesday's semi-final in Dallas.

Spain have conceded for the first time at the 2026 World Cup as Belgium fought back to level their quarter-final before the break.

Fabian Ruiz gave Spain the lead after converting a rebound, but Charles De Ketelaere continued his fine scoring form by heading home in the 40th minute to make it 1-1.

The winners will face France in Tuesday's semi-final in Dallas.

Both teams have freshened up their line-ups as the quarter-final gathers pace. Spain introduced Pedri and Ferran Torres for Fabian Ruiz and Alex Baena, while Belgium responded with a triple change, bringing on Romelu Lukaku, Axel Witsel and Joaquín Seys for Leandro Trossard, Hans Vanaken and Maxim De Cuyper. 

The changes have added intensity to the contest. Lamine Yamal has twice tested Thibaut Courtois, who also needed treatment for a thigh problem, while Belgium threatened through De Cuyper and appealed in vain for a penalty after the ball struck Rodri's arm. The score remains 1-1 after 65 minutes.

Attempts: Spain 12, Belgium 8

Shots on target: Spain 5, Belgium 3

Possession: Spain 62 per cent, Belgium 38 per cent.

Belgium suffered a major blow in the 72nd minute as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off with an injury. A visibly distraught Courtois was seen in tears after leaving the pitch.

The match was Courtois' 21st World Cup appearance for Belgium. He was replaced by Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

Spain take a lead in 87th minute after Courtois forced off injured.

What an impact from the substitute! Spain are on the verge of the World Cup semi-finals after Mikel Merino capitalised on a costly error by replacement goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The Belgian spilled Pau Cubarsi's long-range effort, allowing the alert Merino to pounce on the rebound and fire home from close range in 87th minute.

Spain 2-1 Belgium (Full-time)

A late winner from Mikel Merino sent Spain into the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Belgium. La Roja will now face defending runners-up France in the last four.

Merino, who had also scored the decisive goal in Spain's Round of 16 win over Portugal, once again emerged as the hero. Belgium substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who had replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois late in the match, failed to hold onto a routine long-range effort, allowing Merino to pounce on the rebound and score the winner.

Earlier, Fabian Ruiz gave Spain the lead in the first half before Charles De Ketelaere equalised with a superb header for Belgium.

Spain will take on France in Dallas on 14 July, aiming to reach their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010.

Mikel Merino said Spain would relish facing France in the semi-final.

"It seems like a coincidence, and if you go in prepared, it can happen again. I'm thrilled. I doubt it will happen again, we'll see," Merino said of his second winning goal in a row, which came just two minutes after he came on in the 86th minute.

"We came here for this and we're confident in our abilities. It is one of those games you dream of as a kid," he added.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the game, "It's fair to think we can beat France. We're going to work hard for it. We're the only team that has managed to beat them twice. A great team is going to face another great team.”

Switzerland lose their star player

Switzerland have suffered a major blow ahead of their World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, with their standout performer of the tournament, Johan Manzambi, ruled out of the match.

The 20-year-old forward has scored three goals and provided two assists in 200 minutes of action at this World Cup.

With Manzambi on the pitch, Switzerland have averaged 3.6 goals per 90 minutes. In the 280 minutes they have played without him, however, they have managed just one goal.

Manzambi also missed Switzerland's Round of 16 match against Colombia because of a knee injury, and the same injury has now ruled him out of the quarter-final against Argentina.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said, “We tried everything that we could to get him back, unfortunately, he's unable to perform tomorrow.”

“Johan Manzambi is in a lot of pain. It was a shock to all of us. This momentum was on his side, and there is so much joy when he plays football,” Yakin said.

Starting XIs

England:

Jordan Pickford, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Nico O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane.

Norway:

Orjan Nyland, Kristoffer Ajer, David Moller Wolfe, Torbjorn Heggem, Patrick Berg, Sander Berge, Martin Odegaard, Andreas Schjelderup, Alexander Sorloth, Julian Ryerson, Erling Haaland.

England and Norway both boast one of the world's finest strikers. The spotlight in Miami will be on England captain Harry Kane and Norway's goal machine Erling Haaland as they go head-to-head.

Both forwards are in outstanding form. Kane has scored six goals in his last five matches, while Haaland has netted seven times in his last four.

The pair are also firmly in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé currently lead the scoring charts with eight goals each, with Haaland and Kane close behind.

The 2026 World Cup quarter-final between Norway and England kicks off in Miami. The winners will face either Switzerland or reigning champions Argentina in the semi-finals.

Before the kick off, players of both teams observed one minute silence for South African player Jayden Adams.

England have dominated possession from the opening whistle in Miami. Before the first hydration break, the Three Lions have controlled the ball and looked to create chances in attack, while Norway have largely relied on counter-attacks to threaten England.

Possession:

England 71 per cent

Norway 25 per cent

Schjelderup scores a spectacular goal in 36th minute to give Norway 1-0 lead over England.

Despite England's early dominance, Norway took the lead against the run of play as Andreas Schjelderup's cross sailed over Jordan Pickford and into the net.

England restored parity with an excellent team goal in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. Jude Bellingham found the net after being set up by Anthony Gordon, cancelling the lead of Norway.

England 1-1 Norway

In a riveting contest, England and Norway are 1-1 at half time.

Harry Kane thought he had put England ahead in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, but the celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee immediately raised the offside flag. The half ended moments later with the sides level.

Heggem scored a goal for Norway, but referee disallowed it after VAR review.

VAR intervenes after Anderson is knocked to the ground in the build-up, with Haaland appearing to commit the foul. Following an on-field review, the referee disallows Heggem's second goal.

Norway came close to taking the lead in the 75th minute after winning a corner. Jordan Pickford rushed off his line to punch clear, but the ball fell straight back to a Norway player, whose header crashed against the crossbar. 

Sander Berge pounced on the rebound and looked set to score, only for an England defender to produce a last-ditch clearance and avert the danger. 

It was a heart-stopping few moments for England.

England and Norway will need an extra 30 minutes to settle their place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals after finishing level at the end of 90 minutes. 

England survived a major scare in the second half when Torbjorn Heggem found the net from a corner, but VAR intervened and the goal was ruled out after Erling Haaland was judged to have pushed an England player in the build-up. 

Norway had taken the lead against the run of play in the first half as Andreas Schjelderup's mishit cross looped over Jordan Pickford and into the net. 

England restored parity before the break through Jude Bellingham.

Jude Bellingham struck his second goal of the match in the 93rd minute to give England a 2-1 lead over Norway in extra time.

Morgan Rogers' shot looked routine for Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, but he failed to hold onto the ball, spilling it into a dangerous area.

Bellingham was perfectly positioned to capitalise. Demonstrating his trademark instinct for being in the right place at the right time, the England midfielder reacted quickest and tapped the rebound into the net.

It is the first time England have taken the lead in this quarter-final.

After taking a 2-1 lead, England were awarded a penalty. Jed Spence was initially judged to have been fouled inside the box in the 101st minute.

The referee overturned his initial penalty decision after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor. Although England were initially awarded a spot-kick, replays showed that Morgan Rogers had not been fouled. The referee therefore changed his decision and cancelled the penalty.

England 2-1 Norway at half-time of extra time.

England reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2018 after defeating Norway 2-1 in extra time, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice to inspire the victory.

The Three Lions fell behind after conceding the opening goal but drew level before half-time through Jude Bellingham.

With neither side able to find a winner in the remainder of normal time, the match went into extra time.

Bellingham's second goal, early in extra time, proved to be the winner as England booked their place in the last four after a hard-fought quarter-final in Miami. 

England will face the winners of the Argentina-Switzerland quarter-final in the semi-finals, scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Bangladesh time on 16 July.

Argentina will face Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday with the same starting lineup that secured a 3-2 win over Egypt in the last 16, with striker Julian Alvarez and midfielder Leandro Paredes retaining their positions.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters on Friday he planned to start with a "very similar team to the other match."

Switzerland manager Murat Yakin makes one change from the side that beat Colombia on penalties after a goalless draw, with midfielder Djibril Sow replacing Ardon Jashari.

Yakin said on Friday that Switzerland's leading scorer Johan Manzambi would again miss out with the knee injury that sidelined him against Colombia.

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez

Switzerland: Gregor Kobel; Denis Zakaria, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez; Granit Xhaka, Remo Freuler, Djibril Sow; Fabian Rieder, Dan Ndoye, Breel Embolo

The Match is underway as Argentina and Switzerland battle for a place in the semi-finals against England. Can

Alexis Mac Allister gave Argentina the lead against Switzerland in the 10th minute. The Liverpool midfielder headed home from Lionel Messi's corner to put the world champions 1-0 ahead.

Argentina took a 10th-minute lead through Alexis Mac Allister, who headed home from a Lionel Messi corner to put the world champions in front.↳

Despite falling behind early, Switzerland refused to back down. Apart from conceding the goal, the Swiss matched Argentina for much of the first half and created several promising opportunities of their own.↳

However, they were let down by their finishing and failed to find an equaliser before the break. The second half will reveal whether Switzerland can mount a comeback and keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Argentina lead Switzerland 1-0 early in the second half of their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final at Kansas City Stadium. Switzerland are now searching for an equaliser as both sides fight for a place in the semi-finals.

In the 67th minute, Dan Ndoye broke into the box from the left after exchanging passes with Ricardo Rodríguez and slotted the ball through the legs of Emiliano Martínez.

In the 52nd minute, Julián Álvarez had an effort on goal before Enzo Fernández fired another attempt following a Lionel Messi corner.

In the 51st minute, Switzerland came close to scoring after Breel Embolo set up Dan Ndoye inside the box. However, Lisandro Martínez made a brilliant tackle to stop the shot. Embolo was then ruled offside after a close decision.

Breel Embolo was sent off in the 72nd minute after a VAR check saw him earn a second yellow card for a dive.

Switzerland down to 10 men.

Dan Ndoye has now scored ten international goals for Switzerland and five of those have been scored in North America.

Double substitution for Argentina and Switzerland, with Lautaro Martínez and Gonzalo Montiel coming on for Rodrigo De Paul and Nahuel Molina, while Zeki Amdouni and Silvan Widmer replace Dan Ndoye and Djibril Sow for Switzerland.

Argentina and Switzerland remained locked at 1-1 after fulltime, sending their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final into extra time with a place in the semi-finals still up for grabs.

Play starts in extra time. England won their quarter-final with an early goal in it earlier today against Norway. Argentina start in similar fashion, but Switzerland are down to 10.

Julian Alvarez fires Argentina ahead with a stunning curling strike after Lionel Messi's effort is saved by Gregor Kobel.

Lautaro MARTINEZ scores a goal.

Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland after the sides were level 1-1 at the end of regulation.

Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Dan Ndoye equalised in the 67th.

Julián Álvarez restored Argentina's lead in the 112th minute, and Lautaro Martínez sealed the win in stoppage time (120+1').

Argentina will face England in the semi-finals.

The semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup begin on Wednesday, 15 July (1:00 am Bangladesh time), with the remaining four teams battling for a place in the final.

France will take on Spain in the first semi-final in the early hours of Wednesday, 15 July (1:00 am Bangladesh time).

The second semi-final will be played in the early hours of Thursday, 16 July (1:00 am Bangladesh time), when Argentina face England.

The history of matches between England and Argentina is peppered with flashpoints on the pitch, set against a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded.

Four years later Argentina secured a 2-1 victory over England at the Estadio Azteca with goals from Diego Maradona -- one the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the best ever.

The teams have faced each other twice in World Cups since 1986 -- Argentina won on penalties in 1998 while England gained revenge four years later. - AFP

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said, "We had to suffer a lot. We knew they were a physical team and that gave us a lot of trouble.

“Today we had luck on our side because one of their players was sent off. We could have played better but it's a big achievement to be in the semi-finals."

"It doesn't matter whether it's England or Norway (who lost 2-1 to Thomas Tuchel's England after extra time earlier on Saturday)," Scaloni said. "We're going to come up against a team that plays very well and has a great coach."

Wednesday's semi-final will mark the first time England have faced Messi at a World Cup. - Reuters

"I know that (FIFA) will protect their referee, but this rule destroyed our game today, and it is incredibly painful," Swiss coach Murat Yakin said. "And to be eliminated in that way hurts a lot. Unfortunately, we have to accept it."

"This team has so much passion. Despite the fact we were one man down, we gave it all. I'm extremely proud of everyone," Murat Yakin said.

With Argentina (#1), Spain (#2), France (#3) and England (#4) advancing, this marks the first time since FIFA rankings were instated in 1992 that the top-4 ranked teams have advanced to the semifinals at the World Cup.

Argentina now have the most Extra Time goals in World Cup history (9).

This was Argentina's fifth win in Extra Time at the World Cup - second-most behind Italy (6).

Lautaro Martinez's 121st minute goal was the latest Argentina goal in World Cup history.

Lionel Messi, who now has 10 assists (most since 1966), saw his record 9-match scoring streak in the World Cup come to an end.

Julian Alvarez has scored four of his five World Cup goals in the knockouts. His tally of four KO goals is tied with Diego Maradona, and only one behind Lionel Messi. - ESPN

Argentina and England will clash at the World Cup for the sixth time, after:

• 1962: 3-1 win for England in the group stage

• 1966: 1-0 win for England in the quarter-finals

• 1986: 2-1 win for Argentina in the quarter-finals

• 1998: 4-3 win on penalties for Argentina after a 2-2 draw in the round of 16

• 2002: 1-0 win for England in the group stage

England have won three of the five encounters, but Argentina have won two of three in the knockout stage.

We are few minutes away from the first FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, with France and Spain looking to battle for a place in Monday's final. The atmosphere is electric, the players are finishing their warm-ups, and fans are counting down to what promises to be a thrilling encounter between two of Europe's football powerhouses. Stay with us for live updates as the action gets underway.

France recalled Bradley Barcola to their attack and Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield for their World Cup semi-final against Spain on Tuesday (Bangladesh time Wednesday).

Desire Doue drops to the bench as Barcola joins Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and captain Kylian Mbappe in the French forward line.

Tchouameni returns after missing France's last two games due to injury, partnering Adrien Rabiot in midfield. - Reuters

Spain's Luis de la Fuente named an unchanged side for their World Cup semi-final against France.

Reuters reports: Spain keep Fabian Ruiz alongside Rodri and Dani Olmo in midfield, with Pedri again among the substitutes.

Alex Baena starts with Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal up front. The winners face Argentina or England in the final.

Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola; Kylian Mbappe (captain).

Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri (captain), Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal.

DJ Steve Aoki is entertaining the crowd with a pre-match performance as the atmosphere builds ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The new adidas Trionda Final match ball, to be used in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, third-place play-off and final, is on display ahead of kick-off between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final between France and Spain is underway at Dallas Stadium, with a place in Sunday's final up for grabs.

Across all competitions, Spain have lost just two of their last 10 meetings with France. They have won seven and drawn one during that span.

pain have also won the last two encounters, beating France 2-1 in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals and 5-4 in a thrilling UEFA Nations League match in June 2025.

20', it's been given for a foul by Digne on Yamal. Huge chance for Spain to take the lead.

GOAL! Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converts from the penalty spot to give Spain a 1-0 lead over France in the World Cup semi-final.

Key centre-back William Saliba is forced off with an injury. It didn't look like an impact injury, he seemed to feel something suddenly. Maxime Lacroix is his replacement.

34', Dani Olmo of Spain attempts an effort on goal. Olmo shoots from way out and his shot goes way over.

Half-time at Dallas Stadium, and Spain take a 1-0 lead into the break after Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty separated the sides.

Spain have controlled the first half with quick, precise passing and created the better chances, while France's dangerous attack has yet to find its rhythm.

France’s problems deepened shortly afterwards when defender William Saliba was forced off through injury.

The winners will face England or reigning champions Argentina in Monday’s final.

Spain are now unbeaten in regular time in their last 36 matches, recording 27 wins and nine draws since a 1-0 friendly defeat to Colombia in London on 22 March 2024.

The run is Spain's longest-ever unbeaten streak, surpassing the previous national record of 35 matches set between 2007 and 2009.

Mikel Oyarzabal has now scored 14 goals for Spain in the 2025-26 season, setting a new national team record. He surpasses David Villa's previous mark of 13 goals, set during the 2008-09 season.

The second half is underway at Dallas Stadium, with France trailing Spain 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final.

The winners will face England or reigning champions Argentina in Monday’s final.

58', Pedro Porro scores, Porro makes it 2-0 for Spain. Dani Olmo gets a sensational touch on the turn to find Pedro Porro and the Tottenham right back finishes brilliantly into the corner.

Substitution, Spain: Mikel Oyarzabal makes way for Ferran Torres as Spain make their first change of the match.

Kylian Mbappé is shown a yellow card by the referee.

Didier Deschamps has been in charge of France for 14 years. He is 10 minutes away from ending that reign at the semi-final phase of this World Cup, having guided France to victory in 2018 and runners-up in 2022. - BBC

Spain beat favourites France 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the World Cup final thanks to a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a goal from Pedro Porro.

The European champions will face the winner of Thursday's semi-final between England and Argentina in the final as they try to win the World Cup for a second time. - AFP

France, meanwhile, will compete in the Bronze final in Miami 24 hours earlier.

"We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it’s brought us here," Spain coach De la Fuente said after his team's superb win over France.

"Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world, but in front of them they had the best team in the world. That is different. These players deserve everything – day after day they’ve showed their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent. They make the difficult look easy,” he said. - FIFA live commentary

Pedro Porro, who scored Spain's second goal of the game, become the Player of the Match. Speaking post-match, he hailed La Roja's complete performance.

"It's a dream come true, honestly not even in my wildest dreams. Very happy, very happy with the team's attitude from start to finish. I think we played a great match, we did everything we had to do today to reach the final.

"We knew it was a very, very tough team, one that had been doing things really well, and honestly, this is the team's achievement, not mine at all. It's simply about congratulating everyone because they played a fantastic match." - FIFA live commentary

The France coach gave his reaction to his team's semi-final defeat.

"The players are devastated because we had high ambitions, even though we have to admit that today we were a notch below our usual level technically, facing a team that really had a handle on the game.

"It’s primarily our own fault. We fell short and weren't as dangerous in attack as we could have been, making a few technical errors on passes that might have led to scoring chances. That’s the reality of the elite level, even if it hurts." - FIFA live commentary

England have made three changes to their starting side for the World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday, with manager Thomas Tuchel bringing Reece James and Djed Spence into the back four,

James, who started the first two group games, is selected at right back and Djed Spence replaces Nico O'Reilly on the left. Morgan Rogers comes in for Noni Madueke on the wing for England.

England Lineup:

Jordan Pickford; Reece James, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers; Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon.

Argentina Coach Lionel Scaloni has made just one change from the team who beat Switzerland in the quarter-finals, with Giuliano Simeone in for Rodrigo De Paul.

In attack, Lionel Messi will again be partnered by Julian Alvarez, who scored a stunning – and vital – extra-time goal against the Swiss.

Argentina Lineup: 

Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister; Giuliano Simeone, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez.

Second semi-final match between England and Argentina has kicked off in Atlanta. The winners will fight for the title against Spain.

Harry Kane makes his 121st appearance for England, surpassing Wayne Rooney (120) to become the country's most-capped outfield player.

Only former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, with 125 appearances, has represented England more times. Shilton was in goal when Diego Maradona scored the infamous 'Hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup.

15' Argentina have already committed four fouls, while England did three.

Argentina have committed four fouls inside the opening nine minutes. That's as many fouls as they made in the first 15 minutes of any of their previous seven matches at the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina's 4 fouls are tied for the most by a side in the opening 10 minutes of a World Cup match at this tournament, along with Sweden against France (4).

There were 47 fouls in the infamous ‘Battle of Nuremberg’ between the Netherlands and Portugal at the Round of 16 match at Germany in 2006.

"A bombastic and breathless battle – or just badly behaved?" This is what the FIFA described the match.

Russian referee Valentin Ivanov reached for his yellow card 16 times on that night in Bavaria – nine for the Portuguese and seven for the Dutch – with two players on each side given their marching orders following a second booking.↳

The 20-card total set, and retains, the record for the most cards shown at a FIFA-administered international tournament, and wrote the clash into the history books for its ill-discipline rather than its modest 1-0 scoreline.↳

There has been little of note in terms of tactics so far, with the game largely turning into a physical battle. England have managed to find space on a few occasions but have failed to produce anything truly threatening. Argentina, meanwhile, have also struggled to trouble the English defence, creating very little danger in and around the box.

37' Anderson booked. And the Argentina players earned him that, by surrounding the referee in indignation that he'd fouled Messi.

41' Lisandro Martinez has hold of Morgan Rogers' shirt and he goes into the book for it.

Argentina and England remain locked at 0-0 at half-time after a tense, stop-start first half in their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final.

Argentina did well to disrupt England's rhythm, while Lionel Messi was at the heart of their attacking moves whenever they managed to build momentum.

England's only real chance came from a John Stones header that went wide, while Enzo Fernández had a long-range effort for Argentina. That was about the extent of the goalmouth action.

The first half featured 19 fouls, with the contest becoming increasingly scrappy. It was also the first World Cup match on record (since 1966) not to produce a single shot in the opening 30 minutes, surpassing the previous record set in England's quarter-final against Norway.

The combined expected goals (xG) of both teams was just 0.08, the lowest in the first half of a World Cup knockout match on record since 1966.

After a gripping, tense and feisty opening 45 minutes, neither side has managed a shot on target, leaving everything to play for in the second half.

Aldo L.: What a contrast to yesterday. Spain and France played a game of football, demonstrating what strategy and skill can do. This game is awful, notably Argentina's endless hacking.

John M.: Scrappy first half, though very few offensive chances.

Tom K.: Referee's a joke.

Christoffer H.: Bizarrely entertaining even with no shots on target. Love the passion from both teams! Argentina managed to get the type of game they wanted, England didn’t blink. - The Athletic

Lionel Messi lost the ball 15 times in the first half. Only 14 of his 21 passes have been accurate, with the ratio of 66.7 per cent of successful passes being the lowest from any Argentina player.

The second half is under way at Atlanta Stadium with Argentina and England still locked at 0-0 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final.

After a tense and scrappy opening 45 minutes, both sides return knowing a place in Sunday's World Cup final against Spain is at stake.

The first half produced few clear-cut chances, with neither team registering a shot on target as midfield battles and frequent fouls disrupted the flow of the game.

"Lionel Messi is going to have moments in this game. We have defended really well. We have been resilient, we have got bodies behind the ball. I think the next step is - can we take the ball off Argentina and dominate the ball a bit more?" Wayne Rooney, former England striker, told BBC One.

Argentina have begun brightly with a couple of efforts and a corner, before Bellingham blocks off Messi and England breathe again.

After 50 minutes, Argentina had committed 13 fouls in this match, already higher than their average of 12.1 per game in the 2026 World Cup.

55', England 1-0 Argentina

A classic long Harry Kane ball causes havoc in the Argentina defence. Lisandro Martinez stretches to stop it, but the ball falls to Rice who gives it wide to Bellingham.

The England midfielder bides his time before crossing for Gordon who ghosts in front of Molina to finish first time past Martinez!

One constant of this tournament has been Argentina's ability to find a way to win and continue their defence of the World Cup trophy.

They are pressing and probing but England are currently holding firm as they camp just outside their box.

England 1 - 0 Argentina

Match paused for a hydration break

76' Alexis Mac Allister has just two headers for Argentina. The first of them should have gone in the back of the net but crashed back off the post, before the second was easily saved by Pickford.

Argentina 1-1 England

Lionel Messi drops the shoulder and finds Enzo Fernandez, in acres of space, 20-yards out.

Enzo Fernandez has had two or three goes from range and this time Jordan Pickford takes no chances as he leaps to see it safely over the bar.

Argentina have stolen it! Argentina have done it again!

Lautaro Martinez heads in from close range after Messi recovers the ball and fires over a devastating cross that the substitute powers home.

Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 and book a place in a second successive FIFA World Cup final, where Lionel Scaloni's defending champions will face Spain on Sunday in New York New Jersey.

Anthony Gordon gave England the lead and time appeared to be running out before Enzo Fernández fired home from 20 yards to beat Jordan Pickford. Lautaro Martínez then struck in stoppage time to complete another dramatic comeback.

England's final chance came from a long ball by Pickford, but Emiliano Martínez dropped it before the referee whistled for an infringement, ending the move.

Argentina have now won all six of their FIFA World Cup semi-finals, maintaining a perfect record as they chase a second consecutive title. Victory over Spain would make them only the third nation to retain the World Cup crown.

England have now lost three World Cup semi-finals, in 1990, 2018 and 2026.

They still have only one final appearance to their name, from 1966.

“The best team won. Great attitude, mentality. Argentina played very good football and England went into a back five too early for my liking. They thought they had to defend the lead a tiny bit too early.

“Scaloni put the little man (Messi) on the right, not in the middle in traffic, but on the right to give him the ball in one-v-ones. They’re the world champions for a reason.” - The Athletic

Giovanni Lo Celso has brought out a banner saying ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ — ‘The Malvinas are Argentine,’ US media outlet The Athletic reports.

He held it with Nicolas Otamendi and then briefly put it away before laying it out on the pitch at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Las Malvinas is the term used in Argentina for the Falkland Islands, a British dependency which lies about 300 miles (480 km) off the east coast of mainland Argentina.

In 1982, Argentina’s military government invaded in an attempt to take the territory from the United Kingdom. The conflict lasted from April 2 to June 14 and ended with an Argentine surrender. In all, three civilians, 255 British and 649 Argentine troops died.

The Athletic has contacted FIFA for comment.

Argentina have become the sixth team to win the World Cup and return to the final in the following edition after Italy (1934 & 1938), Brazil (1958 & 1962), Argentina (1986 & 1990), Brazil (1994 & 1998) and France (2018 & 2022).

South American teams have prevailed in eight of the last ten semi-final meetings with European opposition in the World Cup.

The England skipper spoke to broadcasters after the match.

"I’m gutted for the team, the staff, the fans. We played a good game for the majority of it. When we went 1-0 up, we seemed to just try to hold on, which at this level is not enough. We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every bit of blood, sweat and tears. To fall short like we did is just gutting.

"We had a lot of good moments in this tournament. A lot of good games, another semi-final. We talk about knocking on the door. We’re close, we just need to find that missing piece in the final stage of the tournament." - FIFA live cometary

The scorer of Argentina's match-winning goal said, "I dreamed it [the goal], I swear. I told Alexis [Mac Allister] that I was going to score. I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it. And it fell to me. Enzo scored a great goal too, and now that I'm calmer, I can tell you this team keeps showing what it's made of."

"They [England] got tired. They pressed for 60 minutes. After that they had nothing left. They started when they found the goal. Then they dropped back, and that gave us more calm when it came to moving the ball. We made the pitch wide, and in the end we got the two goals, and after three and a half years we're back playing a World Cup final." - FIFA live cometary

Aged 39 years and 21 days, Messi became the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup semi-final, beating joint-record holders Fritz Walter and Gunnar Gren who were both 37 years and 236 days old when they faced each other for Germany FR and Sweden in 1958. - FIFA live cometary

Monday's final will be the first World Cup final between the reigning European and South American champions as well as the top two in the FIFA World Ranking.

The Argentina coach Scaloni told media that what his players are doing at this tournament is "incredible"...

"No words, no words. A joy for our country, for our people. The other day I said this group never stops surprising me. And I'll tell you the truth, we're going to try to win, we're going to leave everything out there.

"It's very difficult to get people to understand what these players are showing. It's incredible. We are unique, truly, and it's not arrogance, it's from the heart. We are unique. These people today carried us to win the match, so I'm grateful." - FIFA live cometary

The England manager lamented the Three Lions' inability to stem the flow of pressure that resulted in Argentina's comeback victory...

"We're disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances. We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn't keep the level up after we scored.

"They won every header, they kept crossing and crossing so we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be strong in the air.

"Straight after our goal, without any substitutions, we conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances so we tried to help. We couldn't win any balls, we couldn't keep the ball so I think it was not a structural problem. The match changed completely." - FIFA live cometary

Kylian Mbappe will start for France as they take on England in the third-place match at the World Cup in Miami on Saturday, with both coaches fielding heavily reshuffled lineups.

Mbappe is looking to claim the tournament Golden Boot and leapfrog Lionel Messi as the World Cup's all-time leading goal scorer.

France coach Didier Deschamps at the helm for the last time as France field reserve defence.

France's Lineup:

Mike Maignan; Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Theo Hernandez; Warren Zaire-Emery, Rayan Cherki, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe (captain), Desire Doue.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has made seven changes to his starting line-up for the FIFA World Cup third-place play-off, leaving Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane on the bench.

Dean Henderson, Eberechi Eze and Ivan Toney all make their first starts of the tournament as Tuchel reshuffles his side following the semi-final defeat.

England will be aiming to secure third place, which would represent their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.

England's Lineup:

Dean Henderson; Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence; Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice (captain); Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Marcus Rashford.

Kick-off! France and England face off in a match neither team wanted to play as the two beaten semifinalists battle for third place in Miami. All eyes will be on France star Kylian Mbappe, who remains locked in a thrilling Golden Boot race with Lionel Messi ahead of the World Cup final.

A win would see England finish third—their best World Cup performance since their 1966 triumph.

Just 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the match, Declan Rice won possession near midfield, surged forward and unleashed a superb strike from outside the box to score. A stunning goal!

"A sloppy ball from Desire Doue and it just opens up for Declan Rice. Poor defending, but a terrific finish into the far corner. A really composed finish. The keeper's nowhere near it," former England midfielder Danny Murphy says on BBC One.↳

Ezra Konsa scores the second goal for England in 19th minute!

Sloppy defending from France allowed Ezri Konsa to sneak into the area and steer a glancing header into the far corner.

Bukayo Saka has added England's third with a composed left-footed finish.

The move began with Marcus Rashford breaking forward on the counter after a brilliant pass from Saka. France's defence and goalkeeper Mike Maignan managed to block efforts from both Rashford and Saka inside the box, but they could only hold England off for so long. The ball fell kindly to Saka, who fired a left-footed shot into the net.

France had never conceded three goals before half time in a World Cup match before this.

Saka scores his second, England's fourth!

In first-half stoppage time (45+1), Bukayo Saka fired home a left-footed finish from Ezri Konsa's pass.

France had never been four goals behind in a World Cup match.

England rout France in the first half as Saka's brace puts the Three Lions 4-0 up at the break.

Thomas Tuchel's side have torn France apart, scoring four first-half goals while playing breathtaking football. It is the first time France have ever conceded four goals before halftime in a World Cup match.

The biggest winning margin in a World Cup third-place playoff remains Sweden's 4-0 victory over Bulgaria in 1994. England have already matched that margin by halftime.

Many questioned the value of this third-place playoff, with both teams making seven changes to their starting line-ups.

The fans, however, have been treated to a goal fest.

One man who is unlikely to be enjoying it is Didier Deschamps. If the scoreline stays the same, it will be the heaviest defeat of his tenure as France coach in a competitive match—and it would come in his final game in charge.

France score from a swift counterattack. Michael Olise picked out Kylian Mbappe, who fired a left-footed finish into the net.

The French superstar netted his ninth goal of the World Cup just minutes into the second half, cutting England's lead to 4-1 and adding another twist to the Golden Boot race ahead of the final.

In the 54th minute, Bradley Barcola netted France's second after being set up by Kylian Mbappe, cutting England's lead to 4-2.

France were woeful in the first half, but they have come out looking like a completely different side after the break.

Les Bleus have scored twice inside the opening nine minutes of the second half.

What a goal fest!

Kylian Mbappé grabbed his second goal of the night in the 66th minute, finishing from a Michael Olise assist to bring France back to within one.

The strike also saw the French superstar make World Cup history. Mbappé has now scored 22 World Cup goals, surpassing Lionel Messi's 21 to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.

It's raining goals in Miami!

England's Bukayo Saka scores their fifth goal from the penalty spot to complete a hat-trick.

England 5-3 France.

Dembele scored a stoppage time goal to reduce England's lead over France to 5-4!

Bellingham scores a stunner, England 6-4 France.

This is seventh goal of Bellingham, the most by an England player in a single world cup.

England beat France 6-4 to claim third place in World Cup in a blcokbuster match in Miami.

This is the best World Cup performance by the Three Lions since lifting torphy in 1966.

The least significant match of the World Cup turned out to be its most entertaining.

Fans in Miami witnessed a thrilling 10-goal spectacle, with England star Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick. France's Kylian Mbappé struck twice to become the highest goalscorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi's tally of 21.

Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola also scored for France, while Jude Bellingham, Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice were on target for England.

England secured third place at this World Cup with an emphatic victory in the play-off. It is their best World Cup achievement in the past 60 years.

Between them, the two teams registered 38 shots, with 20 on target.

Welcome to our live coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, where defending champions Argentina take on European champions Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.

The kick-off is at 1:00 am on Monday Bangladesh Time.

Football's biggest prize is on the line as Lionel Messi looks to lead Argentina to back-to-back World Cup titles, while Spain aim to lift the trophy for the second time in their history.

Stay with us for live minute-by-minute commentary, key moments, goals, and all the drama from this blockbuster showdown.

Luis de la Fuente has named his starting XI for today's World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he has stuck with the same side who outplayed France in the semi-final.

Lamine Yamal will provide the stardust in attack for Spain, with Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also supporting main striker Mikel Oyarzabal.

Spain starting XI: Unai Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Baena; Oyarzaba

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni made three changes from the side who came from behind to beat England in the semi-finals.

Rodrigo De Paul returns in midfield, Gonzalo Montiel starts at right back and Nicolas Gonzalez comes in on the wing for Argentina.

Giuliano Simeone, Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes drop out as Lionel Messi captains Argentina in their title defence. - Reuters

Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Nicolas Gonzalez; Lionel Messi (captain), Julian Alvarez.

Luis de la Fuente named an unchanged Spain team for Sunday's World Cup final.

Lamine Yamal plays up front for Spain after missing training this week following a knock in the semi-final win over France.

Pedro Porro also starts after hamstring discomfort, while Pedri remains among the substitutes. - Reuters

Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri (captain), Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal.

They inexplicably drew their first game against Cape Verde, but its been plain sailing for Spain since then.

Group H

DREW 0-0 vs. Cape Verde

WON 4-0 vs. Saudi Arabia

WON 1-0 vs. Uruguay

Round of 32

WON 3-0 vs. Austria

Round of 16

WON 1-0 vs. Portugal

Quarterfinal

WON 2-1 vs. Belgium

Semifinal

WON 2-0 vs. France - ESPN

We're under way with the closing ceremony.

We begin with the United States' national anthem, sung by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.

The Hollywood superstar has just given a rousing speech to the corwd ahead of today's title showdown, celebrating the World Cup's powerful capacity to bring the world together.

Argentina begin their quest for a record fourth World Cup title, while Spain chase their second as the FIFA World Cup 2026 final gets underway at New York New Jersey Stadium.

5' The ball falls nicely for Spain on the edge of the box and its quickly given to Yamal who advances down the right, but his shot deflects off Lisandro Martinez's foot and is saved by Emi Martinez.

Both coaches are staying on the touchline. Luis de la Fuente is constantly communicating with his players, while Lionel Scaloni is more relaxed. - FIFA live commentary

An interesting graphic just popped up on the BBC broadcast comparing Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal aged 19 years and six days.

It's remarkable how much more football for club and country Yamal has played than his opponent today:

• 13,462 minutes vs 2,093

• 183 games vs 44

• 56 goals and 56 assists vs 11 goals and four assists

Consider too that Yamal has also won three league titles with Barcelona and Euro 2024 with Spain. It's been an extraordinarily fast start to his career.

That comes with a word of warning, however. BBC pundit Micah Richards says that playing so much at such a young age might cost Yamal physically at the end of his career, while Joe Hart adds that the winger “needs an incredible medical team around him”.

Yamal carried an injury into this tournament before returning to fitness during the group stages. - The Athletic

Former England striker on BBC One at New York New Jersey Stadium

Spain are trying to make the pitch as big as possible.

They're pushing so high and stretching Argentina as much as they can.

Spain are passing it around with pace, and they have lots and lots of energy.

They are working it around the Argentina players at this moment in time.

8' Yamal commits a foul

15' Messi receives a pass 45 yards from goal and is eased to the canvas by Baena. Apparently that was his second touch of the game.

Argentina, Spain remain goalless after hydration break. Spain have committed four fouls to Argentina's three and lead possession 55%-40%, with 5% in contest.

33' RODRI (Spain) commits a foul.

South American teams have prevailed in eight of the 11 World Cup finals contested between CONMEBOL and UEFA nations.

41' Lisandro Martinez is the first player to have his name written in the referee's notebook.

He went to ground to try to prevent Oyarzabal leading a Spain counter but didn't get the ball. Martinez didn't complain when he was shown the yellow.

44' Moments after receiving a yellow card, Lisandro Martinez goes down injured. He is unable to continue and Nicolas Otamendi comes on to replace him. The veteran centre-back wins his 139th cap.

Argentina 0-0 Spain.

Neither side could find a breakthrough in a tightly contested first half, with everything still to play for in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.

Spain have been the more progressive team. They had an early chance through Lamine Yamal, but Dibu Martinez was there to save and that's been as close as we've come to a goal.

Lionel Messi has had a relatively quiet game so far. Spain, however, will be fully aware he can spark into life in an instant and change the game.

A compelling second half awaits.

The Queen of Pop is delivering a typically dazzling performance – and has just been accompanied out on the pitch by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho!

The Halftime Show just keeps delivering! BTS have just delivered an incredible performance, before Justin Bieber is announced on stage by Ted Lasso!

Ted also gave Justin a little one of his famous pep talks... No wonder he sounds so good!

Shakira performed her hit World Cup single Dai Dai. Spectacular.

Her appearance is greeted with a huge roar of approval here!

We're back underway at New York New Jersey Stadium as Argentina and Spain resume their battle for the FIFA World Cup 2026 title after a goalless first half.

Leandro Paredes (Argentina) commits a foul is booked by the referee. Leondro Paredes came on for Nico Gonzalez at the break

Argentina have made a much better start to the second half. Lionel Scaloni applauds the pressure his charges are putting on Spain.

A third change here for Argentina and it’s a right-back, where Nahuel Molina comes on for Gonzalo Montiel.

64' Olmo’s shot from 22 yards is fumbled round the post by Emi Martinez. It was straight at him by bounced awkwardly and startled Martinez when it bounced out of his grasp. The spin could have taken it into the net but it bounced wide of the post.

63' These are the updated teams.

Spain (4-1-4-1ish) Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri; Yamal, Olmo, Pedri, Baena; Torres.

Argentina (4-1-3-2) E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Enzo, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.

75' Double substitution for Spain Mikel Merino, who has already beaten Portugal and Belgium in this World Cup and Nico Williams come on for Alex Baena and Dani Olmo.

Spain (4-1-4-1) Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri; Yamal, Merino, Pedri, Williams; Torres.

Argentina (4-1-3-2) E Martinez; Molina, Otamendi, Medina, Tagliafico; Paredes; Simeone, Enzo, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.

78' Spain have had 10 shots, seven on target.

Enzo FERNANDEZ (Argentina) is booked for the second time and receives a red card!

Full-time: Argentina 0-0 Spain. We are headed to extra time after neither side could break the deadlock in 90 minutes of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.

Argentina 0-0 Spain

The referee signals the start of the first period of extra time.

Spain think they've scored but their celebrations are cut short by the referee's whistle!

Otamendi went down after Merino stepped on his foot before Williams slotted home.

The referee blew for the 'foul' by Merino but it looks extremely harsh on the replays. Because the referee had blown for the foul before the ball crossed the line, the VAR couldn't get involved

Lionel SCALONI (Argentina) is booked by the referee.

Lionel Messi's Argentina are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups for 64 years

Spain are bidding to win their second World Cup, 16 years after lifting the trophy for the first time in South Africa

Spain are still dominant - but it's still goalless. La Roja have had the ball in the net, but Nico Williams' effort was ruled out for a foul by Mikel Merino in the lead up. Merino then missed a golden chance when he headed wide when well placed.

You expect we'll have more incessant Spain pressure in the second half of extra-time.

Will they break through? Can Argentina hit them with a sucker punch? Or are we destined for penalties? - FIFA live commentary

106' GOAL! Spain 1-0 Argentina. Ferran Torres breaks the deadlock in extra time, firing Spain in front with a clinical finish. Argentina now have it all to do in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.

117' Lionel MESSI (Argentina) attempts an effort on goal.

Messi rifles a shot at goal from the edge of the box. Merino bravely gets in the way of it and it hits him square on the head. He's just had some treatment but is now back to his feet.

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the FIFA World Cup 2026, claiming the trophy for the second time in their history.

Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time after a tense final remained goalless through 90 minutes at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Argentina, chasing a record fourth World Cup title and back-to-back triumphs, were unable to find an equaliser despite late pressure.

Spain's disciplined defensive display and Torres' clinical finish sealed a memorable victory, ending Argentina's reign as world champions and crowning La Roja as the new kings of world football.

Spain forward, and matchwinner, Ferran Torres: "I think in the end the goal came from 47 million people, not just those of us that are here. Today destiny was written, it was made for us to win. We're far from our people today but we tried to be as close as possible to them.

"Finals are hard. When you have Messi on the opposing team you do get worried but we always backed ourselves and tried to show our football and I think we managed to do it once again.

"A huge relief [to score]. I've been criticised throughout the whole tournament but as as I said before destiny was written. Thanks to God, he always gives me the strength to continue and in the end he grants things to those that most deserve them." - BBC

Very similar to the 1990 World Cup for Argentina, this. Defending champions who fought their way to the final but ultimately were over-reliant on one — admittedly brilliant — player in Diego Maradona.

They went out of that tournament kicking and screaming too. - The Athletic

Spain defender Pau Cubarsi takes the FIFA Young Player Award! The 19-year-old has been a figure of composure and solidity, with Spain conceding just one goal throughout the whole competition.

What a tournament for the Barcelona star.

The goalkeeper has been almost unbeatable at the World Cup! Just one goal conceded throughout the whole tournament for Unai Simon. He has been immaculate.

The Spain captain takes the prize for the tournament’s best player. He’s been at his dominant best throughout the competition and adds his name to a stellar list of names who have won the award.

The evergreen Lionel Messi, twice the winner of the Golden Ball, takes the Silver Ball at this year's edition.

France superstar Kylian Mbappe wins the Bronze Ball as well as the adidas Golden Boot award.

Argentina players are now receiving their runners-up medals. They've fallen just short of retaining their title, but they've shown the spirit of champions to reach the final.

De la Fuente, who at 65 became the oldest coach to guide a team to a World Cup triumph, led Spain to the Euro 2024 title and his team are now unbeaten in 38 matches in all competitions -- a record for any team from Europe or South America.

"I’m so proud of this generation of footballers who have grown up with this philosophy, remained true to it, made it even better, and set an example as a team and a family – they’re excellent, world-class footballers with exceptional talent," he told reporters.

"I’m very moved. Looking back and thinking about them, we’ve won everything, absolutely everything, with this generation of players."

"The match should have been decided much earlier ... but this is a World Cup final and you have to dig deep even against ten men, and we’re prepared for anything," De la Fuente added. - Reutuers

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted Spain were the better team following his team's 1-0 extra-time defeat in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday.

"They were the better side -- that's the truth -- but I'll cherish the memory of them (his side), of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far. We have to place immense value on this because it takes so much effort," he said.

Scaloni said his team must accept defeat with the same grace they showed when celebrating recent successes.

"We are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat. Today, we are showing that we know how to lose. We lost the match and we accept it, but that doesn't mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here."

He thanked the fans for their incredible support throughout the 2026 tournament. "To the people, my players, and the country, I want to say that we gave it our all. We arrived here facing a realistic situation, but if the players leave everything on the pitch, as they did today, it sets a great example for our people and our country. We have to pick ourselves up again, there is no other way," he added.

Scaloni, 48, said the side's achievement in reaching a second successive final should be appreciated.

"I certainly value the runners-up spot because it takes so much to get here, and I think it deserves huge recognition. Naturally, we would have liked to win, but ultimately, I feel gratitude. That is the only word I have, along with sadness, of course. But when you give everything like that, regardless of whether you play well or poorly, it's very hard to find fault," he said. - AFP