Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) reacts at the end of the World Cup Round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Argentina vs Egypt, FIFA World Cup 2026 Highlights: Despite trailing 2-0 in the 70th minute of the match in Atlanta, Lionel Messi produced a brilliant comeback for Argentina to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Messi scored Argentina’s first goal, which was headed in by Cristian Romero, then the Argentina captain himself equalized. Enzo Fernandes then won the title in stoppage time. Earlier, Yasser Ibrahim gave

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Read for 2 minutesUpdated: July 9, 2026 06:14 PM IST After a thrilling match between Argentina and Egypt, Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, erupted into jubilation after Argentina won 3-2. However, as the night wore on, the festivities took a violent turn as the police arrested at least nine people. Thousands gathered to celebrate the victory; However, late at night some of the crowd started pelting bottles and stones at the police, forcing them to intervene. “Police sources said at least nine people had been arrested on charges of assault and resisting authority, causing damage and wounding. A large security operation

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Read for 5 minutesUpdated: 9 July 2026 10:21 PM IST On days when he is not refereeing, Francois Latexier Sometimes showing up at a stranger’s door with papers that make him feel unwelcome before he can say a word. He’s been the most talked about referee at the World Cup this week, looking to kick Egypt out of the tournament and the parallels between his two jobs have never been hard to ignore. He is a huissier de justice, a bailiff, the person to whom the French legal system sends notices and enforces judgments anyone asks to receive. He specializes

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: 9 July 2026 07:29 PM IST It was a time when narratives were more important than narratives. And it was more the wit of John Champion than the poetry of Peter Drury. But in 1981, Norwegian radio commentator Björk Lillelin became epic for his impassioned, direct monologue to then-UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during a 2-1 win over England in a World Cup qualifier. “Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me?” He gave a voice. “Maggie Thatcher, your children took a beating.” BBC4 recalled an iconic piece of commentary that first recounted the two times Norway beat England

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Before last year’s mayoral election, Rafael Gomes, a Manhattan bank security guard and amateur soccer player, was herded into a van by colleagues at Coney Island’s “Soccer Fest.” “I thought it was another fun competition,” he tells this newspaper. After the game, he saw a handsome man in a black suit, bearded and handsome, sprawled near the dugout. “Someone threw the ball at him, and he did it beautifully. Beautiful touch, he might be professional, I thought,” he says. He asked who he was; Friends said he was running for mayor. “I don’t listen to politics and all that. But

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Sometimes, time is a player’s worst enemy. Too much time, he broods, he doubts and mistakes. Hardly pressed for time, instinct takes over and muscle memory kicks in. Even the world’s brightest footballers are not spared by time. In the space of a day, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both failed to beat the goalkeeper from 12 yards. Yet, gnawing with guilt like mites, time ticking away, legs weary, they scored from more unlikely directions in open play. Mbappe’s goal that calmed French nerves and shattered Morocco’s confidence was a stunning combination of timing and precision, ruthlessness and opportunism. France

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Read for 5 minutes10 Jul 2026 07:22 AM IST France’s match against Morocco was considered a quarter-final match. Against the Moroccans’ unrelenting stamina, the French put together a trove of attacking talent. Instead, Boston saw another French canter to the finish line, in the World Cup final. That’s the story of this World Cup – different teams trying their own spin on solving the French puzzle – each failing to varying degrees. Sneak peek of the Senegal show One of the problems that the French team faced in this World Cup was in the first half against Senegal. The reigning

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Read for 2 minutesUpdated: 9 July 2026 11:17 PM IST Kelly Nascimento, daughter of legend Pele, said Brazil’s football system is broken. This came just days after the Selecao were shockingly kicked out FIFA World Cup Round 16 vs Norway on monday “Brazilian football is broken. Whether it’s corruption … it’s like a closed, very corrupt ecosystem where nobody can look inside, and everybody knows why it’s not working, but nobody can fix it,” Nascimento said in an interview with Reuters. Nascimeto also said the country’s talent pool continued to produce top players, but their struggles at the international level

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: 10 July 2026 04:04 AM IST Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele helped France beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals at Gillette Stadium in Boston. Mbappe scored in the 60th minute and Dembele doubled France’s lead six minutes later. Morocco had as much of the ball as France for much of the game, but the same could not be said for influence at the other end. France always looked the more likely to score and Morocco also had a chance when Mbappe failed to convert a penalty in the 28th minute. In

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: 10 July 2026 02:40 AM IST Kylian Mbappe He missed the chance to overtake Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot when he missed a penalty against Morocco in the first quarter-final on Thursday. France were awarded a penalty in the 28th minute which Mbappe converted. Morocco goalkeeper Yassin Bouno’s well-timed shot, however, went relatively wide to keep it 0-0. The goalkeeper was kept busy at half-time as he saved a powerful low drive from Mbappé as well as shots from Diot Upmecano and Lucas Digne as the sides went into half-time level at 0-0.

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