Years, and perhaps decades later, Lionel Messi will remember a game of extreme fluctuating fortunes in graphic detail. His missed penalty in the first half, the free-kick that cannoned off the post, Egypt’s counter-attacking goal, Cristian Romero’s goal to spark the comeback, his own equalizer on the half-volley, the heart-stopping moments between the VAR check of Enzo Fernandez’s head. And, after all this, the night he heard the final whistle, he cried like a child. In what will be remembered as one of the greatest comebacks he and his country have ever made, the afternoon saw him see darkness rise

Read more

Last words and last dance. All this while Romelu Lukaku made a beeline to the stands, cupping his ears, asking for a reaction from a hushed Seattle crowd. When no one came forward, the Belgians formed a circle on the pitch and began to dance. It soon became clear that the dance was less of a prank and more of an attempt to mock the President of the United States. Now that Donald Trump‘s powerplay didn’t have the desired effect and the co-hosts were given a fearful exit, it was Belgium’s turn to mock the Americans. He chose a dance

Read more

Read for 2 minutes7 Jul 2026 10:23 PM IST Lionel Messi misses his second penalty at the 2026 World Cup, his second of the tournament after a failed attempt from the spot against Austria. Messi had a golden chance to equalize for Argentina against Egypt on Monday after the Latin American side fell behind 0-1, but his shot was tipped by goalkeeper Mostafa Shober. In the 22nd minute, Messi took a spot kick after Nicolas Tagliafico was fouled by Haysem Hasan in the box but Shober guessed right and cleared the ball away. Earlier, Yasser Ibrahim’s 15th-minute header gave Egypt

Read more

Read 3 minutes7 Jul 2026 09:12 PM IST German legend Lothar Matthaus said he was happy Brazil were out of the World Cup and accused Neymar of putting his ego ahead of the team’s needs in last week’s round of 16 match against Norway. Brazil were shocked by the Norwegians when Erling Haaland scored twice for Norway before Neymar converted his late penalty as the contest ended 2-1 in favor of the Scandinavian nation. “I’m happy that Brazil is out. I can’t stand this outrage and gesture anymore. Instead of taking the penalty quickly, Neymar argued with the goalkeeper before

Read more

Kevin De…..Ketalare. While concentrating 16th round match USA’s No. 9 Folarin Balogun was all over the place, with Belgium coach Rudy Garcia loading up on his own False 9 move. With the American striker’s red card dismissal dominating the narrative of the encounter, Garcia had already set out to plan an on-field response. Part 1 of that plan was removing talisman Kevin De Bruyne from the starting sheet, as his returns were sparse through the first four games. And Part 2 was giving his 6-foot-4 versatile No. 9 Charles Ketelaire the freedom to perform many of his duties already —

Read more

Read 3 minutes7 Jul 2026 05:39 PM IST Defending champions Argentina will face seven-time Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday. Fresh off a 3-2 win over inspirational newcomers Cape Verde in the Round of 32, the South American side will face a tough test against an Egyptian side led by captain and talisman Mohamed Salah. After a highly competitive 1-1 draw, Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties to book their place in the Round of 16 for the first time. Ahead of

Read more

Read for 2 minutesUpdated: 7 July 2026 09:13 AM IST A packed Seattle stadium fell silent on Tuesday as co-hosts USA crashed out of the FIFA World Cup 2026, losing 4-1 to Belgium in the round of 16. Belgium, the 2018 World Cup bronze medalists, reached the quarter-finals and will now face Spain for a place in the last four. The Red Devils clearly had the upper hand, registering nine more shots on target and producing a significantly higher Expected Goals (xG) than their formidable rivals. The Americans had no answer to Belgium’s relentless attacking streak, as goals from Charles

Read more

Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup international career ended in tears on Monday night, as Spain’s Mikel Merino scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to hold Portugal to a 16-16 draw. Ronaldo, 41, wept on the pitch after the final whistle and thanked more than 70 fans in attendance, comforted by more than 70 players. An image of 18-year-old Lamine Yamal from Spain went viral in both countries. In Bola’s own match chronicle, “How many tears do you have, Chris, for Portugal?” Titled as such, framed to depart from the opening line of Fernando Pessoa’s “Mar Portuguese”. He credited

Read more

Belgium ensured the final chapter of one of the World Cup’s biggest controversies was written on the pitch, thrashing co-hosts USA 4-1 in the round of 16 before lashing out at their rivals on social media. Belgian national team officials, moments after the victory in Seattle X The account posted a blunt message: “Reverse this.” It was an apparent reference to FIFA’s decision 24 hours before kickoff to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match ban following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Turn this upside down. 🧏♂️ #USABEL pic.twitter.com/KcBAJp3Z7d — Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) 7 July 2026 The decision has

Read more

Out of the shadows came Mikel Merino. He wasn’t where he wanted to be. Yet here he was. The Portuguese defenders, who were tired and turned around in the half space, did not make the mark. Latching onto Ferran Torres’ eye-popping pass and flicking the ball past an unsuspecting Diogo Costa. Merino is rarely a hero before the game, with little newspaper spending on his utilitarian ties to influencing the game. But not for the first time, he made the difference for his team, the difference between full overtime and a potential tiebreaker. The difference between Cristiano Ronaldo living another

Read more