Donald Trump has reportedly backed FIFA president Gianni Infantino to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations.

The current holder of the UN’s highest office is Antonio Guterres, who will depart the role in December. The latest reward for Infantino’s apparently bottomless appetite for Trump’s approval is his recommendation for the role.

Infantino has been criticised for his friendship with Trump, not only because of his politics but because of its limiting effect on FIFA’s ability to act with any authority on the United States of America’s serial breaches of the agreed expectations of a World Cup host.

Trump helped Infantino tear the fabric of the World Cup and now it’s time for a reward

World Cup 2026 was played primarily in the United States in June and July but there were repeated instances of controversy.

Iran’s ability to compete on a level playing field was destroyed by FIFA’s inaction against United States policy overruling World Cup rules.

Somali referee Omer Artan was robbed of his World Cup dream, turned away at the border and sent home. Because of Infantino’s alliance with Trump, FIFA was powerless to stop it and shameful in its silence.

During the tournament itself, the suspension of the automatic ban that should have been imposed on in-form United States striker Folarin Balogun as a result of his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina was widely reviled.

So poor is the impression of Infantino under Trump’s thumb that it really doesn’t matter whether the US president’s boast about making a call to Infantino to kill the ban was truth or bluster. It was believable either way and that’s a problem.

Now, the man upon whom the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize was bestowed months before a war reportedly wants to return the favour by calling for Infantino to be given the top job in the UN.

“Mr Infantino would need to be endorsed by the UN Security Council and receive confirmation from the General Assembly to become the next secretary-general,” reports Lily Shanagher for The Telegraph.

“Sources said he could secure multiple nominations alongside Mr Trump’s. It was unclear whether Mr Infantino wanted the job or whether Mr Trump had broached the topic with him.”

The embarrassing nature of Infantino’s clinging to Trump is overshadowed by the very real prospect of the president of FIFA, and therefore FIFA itself and football by extension, being implicated in Trump’s political manoeuvres.

By apparently naming him as a preferred candidate for the UN, Trump is leveraging his influence over Infantino – the man who is supposed to represent football’s interests globally – in a purely political realm.

“Mr Trump has frequently expressed his dissatisfaction with the UN, accusing it of contributing to ‘uncontrolled migration’ and ‘sabotage’ while cutting funding and mandatory payments to the board.”

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, the very fact that Infantino’s name has been mooted in that context is evidence that his friendship with Trump is problematic and directly contravenes FIFA’s stated values.

Five years ago, whilst working at Newcastle’s main newspaper, ChronicleLive, I put together a long read that involved interviewing four former Newcastle United youth team players. They were the class of ‘94. Talented and successful, they won things at youth level but were ultimately victims of a very cold decision by Kevin Keegan.

Speaking to them decades later about their time at the club, at the height of Keegan mania, each had a curious mix of gratitude and bitterness. Despite being first- and second-year pros fresh out of high school, they were afforded the privilege of rubbing shoulders with Premier League stars like Peter Beardsley and Andy Cole, training with them almost daily, and often with Keegan, who would join in regularly.

Yet their pathway to the first team was effectively blocked by the man they idolised as kids, a man worshipped by an entire fanbase.

Strong-minded, assertive, tough

You don’t reach the pinnacle of world football without being strong-minded, assertive, and tough. Keegan was all those and more, as some of his actions while managing Newcastle showed.

The sale of Andy Cole to Manchester United was one. A player who had scored 41 goals in 46 appearances during the 1993/94 season (34 in the league). Think of the confidence and belief it takes to sell a player like that to your closest rivals the very next season, and then stand on the steps of the stadium, look angry, devastated supporters in the eyes and explain why you did it.

His passionate outburst live on Sky Sports in April 1996 showed the anger and frustration that burned inside him, that Newcastle’s best chance to win a top-flight title since 1927 was slipping away.

A lesser-discussed Keegan act was his decision to completely scrap the club's reserve team in 1996. Keegan had a stubborn side; he could be temperamental, knee-jerk, and he was unapologetically passionate.

He worked a lot on instinct; for example, his decisions to leave as Newcastle manager in 1997 and 2008 shocked people, as did his decision to quit as England boss immediately after losing to Germany in the final game at the old Wembley Stadium.

His decision not to operate with a second-string team was certainly unexpected, and ultimately boiled down to the condition of the St. James’ Park pitch.

Newcastle youth-teamer during this time Stuart Elliot explained to me in 2021: “Pontins sponsored the league, and because of the money they’d put in they wanted a bit more glamour to it, so they asked every club to play 50% of their home reserve games in the club stadium.

"Bear in mind there was about 14 teams in the league, so you’re talking about six, seven home games max.”

Keegan dug his heels in. Newcastle already had issues with the playing surface at St. James’ Park without extra games taking place. Both Roy Evans and Alex Ferguson agreed at the time that they would also reject the request. Both spoke to Keegan, and it was decided they would stand their ground as three of the biggest clubs in the league at the time.

But while Keegan held his nerve, Evans and Ferguson eventually relented. At the time, Alex Ferguson’s reserve team had just produced David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt.

“It came down to the last week; the club had to sign documents. Liverpool and Man United did it.”

Paul Brayson would be the only player from Newcastle’s class of ‘94 to ever taste first-team action (one appearance vs Bristol City in the Coca-Cola Cup). Speaking in 2021, he told me: “It [scrapping the reserves] was probably the worst decision ever.

"If a decision like that was made by a Premier League club these days, there’d be hell on – outrage. We were just told: ‘There’s not going to be a reserve team this year’.”

Another player admitted, “It sounds awful this, and people will probably hang me for it, but because of Keegan there was nowhere to go in that club. It sounds terrible because he’s an idol for people who I sit and work with every day.

"He wanted rid of the junior team; he wanted rid of the reserve team at the time. We were sitting there thinking ‘Where do we go?’ I lost a bit of interest towards the back end of my time there; most of us were let go at the end of that season.”

The same player also told the tale of the day Keegan threatened to 'knock him out'. But rather than speak to HR, he admitted: “It was fantastic!”

The incident happened during a game in training. Newcastle at the time shared Durham University’s Maiden Castle sports facilities, training on hockey pitches that the public could walk up to and observe. This meant that sessions were often watched by thousands. Quite intimidating for a teenage youth teamer.

“We were playing 7-a-side, in front of the crowd. Keegan was marking me and kept going down the back of my ankles, winding me up. It got to the point where I thought ‘f*** this!’

So next time he got the ball, honestly, I went through him so badly. He must have went about four feet in the air, and he took a bad landing. He got up, picked me up by the scruff of my neck in front of everyone. I thought ‘I’m going to get sacked here.'

“To be fair to him, he knew afterwards I was petrified; he called me into the manager’s changing room. I went in, tail between my legs, and he just said, ‘I really appreciate you did that, because I was winding you up, I was going down the back of you.’”

Stu Elliot confirmed what is widely known. Keegan’s style was based more around motivation than tactical acumen. “I don’t like using the word old school because it makes you sound old, but did I ever see a tactics board when I was an apprentice, in the reserves or on first team match duty? No.

"Kevin would get up and do a chat before the game: ‘We’re better than them’ A lot of first team players from the time will tell you.”

Elliot also told a jaw-dropping story that underlined Keegan's cut-throat approach to management.

“He never came and watched reserve games. When Kenny (Dalglish) came in, he watched every game, home and away; he was unbelievable. Once, Kevin came to watch us at Gateshead Stadium. He came in the dressing room after a game; we’d been beaten, we hadn’t played well.

"I can’t remember his exact words, but it was along the lines of: ‘You know you lot, you might as well f*** off now.’ He said, ‘Do you think I need any of you lot? Do you think any of you are going to get anywhere near my first team?’ And we’re like ‘Eh? What!’

“We were hoping he was going to come in and say ‘Listen, it’s one of them, don’t worry, there’s always the next game’. Instead, he went: ‘I’ve got this,’ and he pulled a cheque book out. He said: ‘I can sign anyone I want around the world, you lot might as well not even be here’ and walked out. We were sat there thinking ‘Is this a wind-up? Really!”

It’s a reminder that Kevin Keegan was ultimately a working-class man from Doncaster who had to start at the bottom and fight his way to the top. He backed himself one million per cent, and that is a quality that set him apart from the rest.

He’s known for winning back-to-back Ballon d’Ors, a European Cup and multiple league titles, for his famous perm, for falling off his bike while taking part in BBC Superstars, for doing headers with Tony Blair in a school playground, and for singing ‘Head Over Heels in Love’ on Top of the Pops.

But behind all of that was proper working-class steel and ruthless determination. It all combined to make a true force of nature that you rarely see in life.

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Tolu Arokodare was at the centre of an incident that led to the full cancellation of Monday’s first team training, according to reports.

Arokodare had a poor first season at Wolves, scoring three times in 33 matches having signed from Genk in a deal worth £23.4 million. The Black Country club suffered relegation from the Premier League.

New manager Cesar Peixoto arrived in the summer, and soon omitted him from the team’s pre-season training trip to Portugal for reasons that aren't yet fully clear.

Arokodare forces the cancellation of Wolves training

The former Genk striker is expected to leave Molineux this summer. Reports in Turkey indicated that interest from Serie A side Fiorentina had fizzled out, leaving Trabzonspor in pole position despite Arokodare reportedly rejecting the move after Wolves accepted a bid.

Arokodare and Wolves are understood to be deadlocked on his transfer situation. The player wants to leave, but the Championship club want to mitigate their losses by bringing in a significant fee.

Genoa and Pisa, relegated from Italy’s top flight in last place last season, have also been linked with the 25-year-old, who joined Wolves as a freshly minted Nigerian international last summer.

Wolves are now back at their Compton Park training ground and Arokodare has been instructed not to train with the first team, sparking a dramatic confrontation and ultimately forcing the cancellation of the session.

“Understand Wolves training was cancelled [on Monday] following Tolu Arokodare’s refusal to leave the pitch,” journalist Nathan Judah posted on social media.

“Cesar Peixoto seemingly not tolerating ‘player power’ and poor discipline levels. Extra security enforced at Compton Park [on Tuesday] to make sure he was not at training ground.”

Wolves risk becoming a test case for FIFA’s refreshed transfer regulations and protections for players under contract.

They have brought Mexico centre-forward Raul Jimenez back to the club, and it’s evident that Arokodare is not part of Peixoto’s plans, but he no longer has the right to isolate the striker or anyone else from the first team set-up with the aim of forcing him out.

“Clubs are no longer allowed to force contracted players to train separately from the main squad or place them in so-called ‘bomb squads’ as a way of pressuring them into accepting transfers,” according to Soccernet.

“Players must continue training with the first team unless there is a genuine sporting reason or a documented medical issue preventing their participation.”

Arokodare’s apparent disruption of Monday’s training could work against him in any future case but Wolves’ decision to freeze him out is not without risk.

“Clubs found guilty could face financial penalties, transfer bans and other sporting sanctions. Any unpaid wages would also attract an automatic eight percent interest charge,” reports Soccernet.

“[Players] may also seek contract termination and leave on a free transfer instead of generating a transfer fee for their club.”

Arokodare had joined Genk from Latvian club Valmiera in 2023 after spells on loan at Cologne and Amiens, before joining Wolves last summer.

Alex Scott has rejected a new contract at Bournemouth amid strong interest from several Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

The England Under-21 midfielder is a target for multiple Premier League big-hitters this summer, with the Cherries turning down an approach from Arsenal last month.

Bournemouth are determined to retain Scott as they prepare to embark on their maiden European campaign in 2026/27, in the Europa League, but this latest development will only increase interest in the 22-year-old.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United on alert after Alex Scott contract decision

Scott has become one of the most sought-after young talents in the Premier League since signing for Bournemouth from Championship side Bristol City for £25million in 2023.

He helped England win the European Under 21 Championship in 2025 and received his first senior call-up last November before joining Thomas Tuchel's squad for their pre-World Cup 2026 camp in Florida, although he is yet to make his debut.

Scott played 37 Premier League games last season to help Bournemouth qualify for Europe with a sixth-place finish, the highest in the club's history, but he has now rejected the contract offer that had been on the table for at least two months, according to BBC Sport.

His decision is likely to put several top-flight teams on alert, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur joining champions Arsenal in holding an interest in the Cherries star.

United have even made Scott one of their top summer transfer targets, despite Bournemouth insisting he is not for sale.

The midfielder has two years left on his Cherries deal and could command up to £80m, but the report adds that the south coast club are under no pressure to let him leave after receiving well over £200m in transfer fees since last summer.

Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara all departed in the summer 2025 transfer window, before Antoine Semenyo joined Manchester City in January.

However, Scott's decision to turn down a new deal could test Bournemouth's resolve, with any transfer fee likely to eclipse the club-record £65m they received for Semenyo.

The youngster was among the travelling party as the Cherries squad flew to Austria on Monday for their 10-day pre-season camp.

It is a chance for new manager Marco Rose to step up his preparations for the new campaign after replacing Andoni Iraola at the end of last season.

Pep Guardiola has spoken to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) about becoming their next national team head coach.

Reports claim that Guardiola is seen as the man to turn around the Italians' fortunes, after they failed to qualify for a third World Cup in a row.

Whether or not Guardiola wants the job remains to be seen, but the ex-Manchester City man is reportedly top of the list.

The Italian Football Federation is desperate to turn around the team's fortunes

Sky Italy are claiming that a contingent, including the new Italian Football Federation's technical director Paolo Maldini and his assistant Leonardo have flown to Barcelona to meet with Guardiola.

Talks were held over a three day period, suggesting that Guardiola hasn't flat out rejected the approach.

Maldini and Leonardo are part of a big shake up by the FIGC to bring success back to Italy, who have failed to qualify for a World Cup since 2014.

They have immediately identified Guardiola as the man who can get their country's football team back on track.

After winning the Euros in 2021, Italy have had a difficult five years, after they were knocked out of the 2024 Euros by Switzerland.

Guardiola isn't the only man on their list to replace former boss Gennaro Gattuso, however.

Reports claim that Roberto Mancini, the man who masterminded their 2021 success, is also an option.

Andrea Pirlo is another potential option for the role.

Guardiola would take some persuading to take the role, given that he told Sky Sports he had "no plans for coaching for a while" and said: "I need to step back."

However, he has previously shown an openness to taking on an international position, reportedly agreeing to take over as England boss after Gareth Southgate's departure.

The football world has been reacting to the sad news of the death of Kevin Keegan at the age of 75 this afternoon.

The ex-Newcastle, Liverpool and England man touched the hearts of all of the clubs he represented, both as a player and manager, leading to an outpouring of emotion from former teams, colleagues and friends from throughout the game.

Among those to pay their respects was former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, who idolised Keegan from the Gallowgate terraces at St James' Park as a child, before later joining the Magpies to play for his hero.

A hero, a manager and a friend

In a brief message, Shearer simply wrote: "My Hero. My Manager. My friend. Sleep easy Boss."

Shearer's former teammate Shay Given was another ex-Newcastle player to pay their respects, writing: "It’s hard to put into words what this man meant to to me, an unbelievable player and manager but most importantly an incredible human being, the world has lost one of the greatest."

Keegan's former clubs have been paying tribute too, with Liverpool, where Keegan won three First Division titles, the European Cup, the FA Cup and two UEFA Cups, writing: "His indomitable spirit and remarkable contribution will be forever etched in our history and his legacy will live on."

Newcastle United's statement described Keegan as "more than a legendary footballer and manager" and "the beating heart of Newcastle United for generations of supporters" and said that the club was "carefully considering how we shape a lasting tribute to Kevin’s remarkable life and legacy".

Hamburger SV, where Keegan won a Bundesliga, as well as two European Player of the Year awards, said they will "always cherish the memory of our former title-winning player and two-time Ballon d’Or winner" while Manchester City, who Keegan managed for four years, described him as: "A transformative manager who brought optimism and vibrancy to City."

Keegan both played for and managed the England national team, with the FA stating they were "incredibly saddened by the news that Kevin Keegan has passed away."

A tribute will be paid to Keegan at Wembley when England host Spain in the Nations League in September.

Touching tributes have also been left by the wider footballing world, including from former Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler, who said: "Whenever you were given the chance to cover a Newcastle game as a commentator, you knew you were in for a rollercoaster of an evening. It was always special being in his company. He never disappointed. Never."

Ex-Newcastle defender Warren Barton added: "He made you feel like the best player in the world. For me, I owe him everything."

Newcastle United have requested fans wishing to pay their respects with flowers, scarves and other tributes leave them at the South West Corner of the stadium, with a book of condolence to be opened. The scheduled launch of the new away shirt has been postponed until Friday following the news.

Kevin Keegan, one of the most iconic and charismatic figures in the history of British football, has died at the age of 75 following a battle with cancer.

A two-time European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d’Or winner in 1978 and 1979), Keegan was a global superstar whose electric style of play, infectious enthusiasm, and famous perm defined an era of English sports culture.

He is survived by his wife, Jean, and his two daughters, with Gosforth-based SkySports Presenter Pete Graves breaking the news via social media on behalf of the family.

The King

Born in Armthorpe, Yorkshire, in 1951, Keegan began his career at Scunthorpe United before earning a fairytale move to Liverpool after Bill Shankly spotted him in 1971. At Anfield, he transformed from promising youngster into a world-class forward, scoring 100 goals in 323 appearances and winning three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups, an FA Cup, and the 1977 European Cup.

In an unusual move for English players at the time, he signed for Hamburg in 1977 and set about cementing his status as a titan of European football. While in Germany, he won back-to-back Ballon d'Or trophies and led the German side to a Bundesliga title. He returned to England in 1980, shocking everyone by signing for Lawrie McMenemy at Southampton, who were just establishing themselves as a top-flight club.

He shone on the south coast before capping his playing career with an unforgettable, promotion-winning spell at Newcastle United — the club that his Geordie father Joseph supported, and a club with which the name Keegan would forever be entwined.

At international level, Keegan earned 63 caps, scored 21 goals, and captained his country, embodying the heart and pride of the national side throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

The Entertainer Years

Keegan’s managerial career was as utterly romantic and dramatic as his playing days, if not as successful. Returning to Newcastle United as manager in 1992, having completely cut himself off from football for seven years, he saved the club from relegation to the third tier on the final day of the 1991/92 season before assembling his famous "Entertainers" team at St James’ Park.

Keegan demanded total commitment to attacking football from his players, reminding them regularly that supporters spending hard-earned money on match tickets deserved to be entertained by what they saw.

He brought Newcastle to the brink of the Premier League title in 1995-96 (it would've been their first top-flight title win since 1927), famously blowing a 12-point lead to Manchester United that culminated in his famous “Love It” interview live on SkySports as the title slid out of his grasp. Speaking to FourFourTwo years later he said “I don’t regret it even now.”

He had a unique relationship with the club's supporters, became renowned for signing autographs for hours after training on the public grounds of Maiden Castle in Durham and even addressed fans' concerns over the sale of Andy Cole on the steps of St. James’ Park.

He later went on to manage Fulham, Manchester City, and of course, the England national team. He announced his retirement from the game in 2005 and worked at the ‘Soccer Circus football school’ in Glasgow.

A man of constant surprises, Keegan was persuaded to return to manage Newcastle United in January 2008, sparking scenes of jubilation across the city. After a tough start, he recorded wins over Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland, maintaining his perfect record over the club's local rivals in the Tyne-Wear derby, and putting Newcastle on top of the league's form chart.

However, rumours of tension with owner Mike Ashley and Director of Football Dennis Wise grew over the summer. Shortly after the transfer window closed, he released a statement confirming he had left the club, stating "A manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want." Keegan later successfully sued Ashley for unfair dismissal. It would be his last job in management.

In retirement, Keegan almost completely withdrew from football and public life. In occasional interviews, he admitted to not watching the game much and becoming disillusioned with aspects of modern football. Recent years have seen him tour UK venues with Pete Graves as part of an ‘Evening With’ series. He was due to appear at 11 venues across the country between November and February.

His last public appearance came on 31 May, fittingly in Newcastle at the Tyne Theatre, where he told the audience: “I want to say goodbye [to Newcastle fans]. I didn’t get the chance when I left last time.”

Responding to calls from fans for a statue of Keegan to be built outside St James' Park, Keegan distanced himself from the idea, saying: “My statue is the way people receive me. You will have to wait until I die, I'm afraid."

Given his penchant for making eyebrow-raising moves during his playing career, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Youri Djorkaeff’s post-retirement job has taken him into a very different role.

In recent years, the French World Cup and European Championship winner has taken up a key role behind the scenes at FIFA, having been appointed the FIFA Foundation CEO in 2019.

This job sees him help shape projects that look to use the game as a force for social change, in a position that sees him work closely with the controversial FIFA head Gianni Infantino.

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Djorkaeff on working alongside Infantino

Djorkaeff believes the sport can have a transformational impact across the world, a role which the former Inter Milan and Bolton Wanderers midfielder is clearly relishing.

“Seven years ago, Gianni Infantino asked me to help build the foundation from the ground up,” he tells FourFourTwo.

“We carried out major projects and developed programmes all over the world, many in the poorest communities imaginable.”

In this role, Djorkaeff has been able to see how football can be used to create opportunities where they are most needed, making it an incredibly rewarding pursuit.

“Seeing how a single ball can bring joy to so many children gives you perspective on how much can be achieved,” he adds.

Djorkaeff’s work with FIFA means that he works alongside FIFA chief Infantino, a figure who could charitably be described as a ‘polarising’ individual in the game.

So what has it been like to work with such an individual during times of controversy?

“Before the 2022 World Cup, Gianni asked me to become his advisor, at a time there was criticism about Qatar, playing in December and much more,” Djorkaeff continues.

“I thanked him for trusting me, but said I wouldn’t just be someone posing for photos. We talk about a lot: improvements we could implement, academies we have built, and the Club World Cup we launched – it had such an impact we’ve been asked to hold it every two years.

“Now, I spend 99 per cent of my time working alongside him.”

During his 15-year playing stint, Alan Smith would enjoy a distinguished career that saw him win two league titles, represent his country and plunder more than 200 goals.

He would play with some of the best forwards of his era, but one early strike partnership left a huge impression on him.

When Smith arrived at Leicester City in 1982, he was paired with another promising young English striker in Gary Lineker, with the duo quickly learning how to bring the best out of each other.

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Alan Smith on his Gary Lineker partnership

Smith joined the Foxes as Lineker was establishing himself in the first team, but the former Alvechurch forward soon noticed something special in his new team-mate.

“Gary was great, but he didn’t really like training,” Smith tells FourFourTwo. “He never even used to go out for the warm-ups.

“We’d all go out, but he’d stand in a hot bath and do a few stretches, then he was ready. He just had this natural talent for scoring goals.”

Lineker was two years Smith’s senior and the pair soon realised that their talents complemented each other.

“I was fortunate that my first partnership was with someone who naturally gelled with my style,” he continues. “We didn’t have to work too hard at it.

“Gary was one of those who loved to hang on the last line of defence and use his speed to get onto the end of things, while I played with my back to goal, flicking it on or holding it up. Our respective styles naturally clicked.”

Smith and Lineker’s club partnership ended in 1985 when the latter moved on to Everton, but they would again cross paths when Smith was called up to various England squads at either side of the turn of the decade.

And indeed, the pair would both make their final England appearances at Euro 92 against Sweden, when Smith controversially replaced his former club team-mate, who was just one goal shy of the Three Lions all-time scoring record.

“Graham Taylor and Gary didn’t really see eye to eye,” he recalls. “During the match, I was sitting on the bench and Graham was having a go at Gary for not holding the ball up. Then I was told to warm up. We needed a goal, and I naturally thought I was going on to partner Gary. When his number went up, I was surprised.

“But you’re just thinking about getting out there and doing your job for your country – it was a big moment for me. It’s only afterwards you think about the ramifications. I do think it was a strange substitution by Graham, given that we desperately needed a goal.”

There are a few ways that a Leeds United player can endear himself to the Elland Road faithful.

Passion, commitment and adherence to Billy Bremner’s ‘side before self’ motto are some of the ways to do this on the pitch.

Another way is to show your disdain for the Whites’ bitter rivals from across the Pennines by turning down any overtures from Manchester United, which was one of many ways that Lucas Radebe was able to win over the hearts and minds of Leeds fans.

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Lucas Radebe on turning down Manchester United

The former South Africa international was one of the most respected centre-backs in the Premier League during the late 1990s and early 2000s, as he overcame a slow start to his Elland Road career following his 1994 move from Kaizer Chiefs to become the club’s captain four years later.

This put him on the radar of a number of Europe’s top clubs, including a Manchester United side in their Sir Alex Ferguson turn-of-the-millennium pomp.

“It was tempting when Sir Alex Ferguson put the £10 million price tag on me,” Radebe admits to FourFourTwo. “But Leeds showed a commitment in not forcing me out of the club.”

Rather than cashing in on one of their most valuable assets, Leeds put the ball in Radebe’s court, which turned out to be a gamble worth taking.

“They left the responsibility to me to make a decision,” Radebe continues. “They understood the decision I made, accepted it and we moved on.

“If I had left Leeds for Manchester United, I don’t know what impact I would have made. Back then, they were top of the league and winning with a great manager and world-class players.”

While that serves up the obvious ‘what if…’ question for the 70-time South Africa international, Radebe was not one to priotise the promise of silverware over loyalty.

“I don’t know if my contribution would have been for as long as the 12 years I spent at Leeds.

“I would have probably made history by winning silverware at Man United, which seemed guaranteed, but for me it wasn’t all about the accolades. My values were loyalty and respect for the club.

“Leeds were the club that changed my life and it gave me the feeling of belonging as an individual, which was what I valued the most.”

During his decade-long stay at West Ham, Michail Antonio chipped in with plenty of memorable goals among the 83 strikes he netted for the Hammers.

But often his celebrations would generate as much attention as his finishes ever did, whether it was the Jamaican international jumping on the latest trend, or producing elaborate props.

For Hammers fans, there were two celebrations that really stood out.

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Antonio on his most famous celebrations

Antonio did his homework when it came to celebrations, even if it meant not all of his team-mates were on the same wavelength.

A point in case comes when he is asked to name his favourite goal celebration from his West Ham days.

“It would have to be the first one, Homer Simpson – that was quality,” Antonio recalls to FourFourTwo. “The night before, I think The Simpsons Movie came on, and I saw Homer doing it, spinning in circles on the ground.

“I thought, ‘If I score tomorrow, I’m going to do that’. I told the boys, and they went, “Shut up, you’ll never do it! But I managed to put it into the bottom corner, ran over and started doing it!

“Aaron Cresswell had no clue what I was doing, he managed to kick me in the back of the head. He was looking at me, so confused!”

Antonio would go on to become West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer when he bagged a brace in the Hammers’ 4-1 win over Leicester City in August 2021, using this as an opportunity to pull out another classic celebration.

This time it involved him running to the sub’s bench and hoisting up a cardboard cutout of himself above his head in the style of Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing.

“In lockdown, I had an idea and thought, ‘Because there are no fans, I’m going to make two cardboard cut-outs of myself, put them in the crowd and when I score, I’ll jump into the stand, sit next to them and applaud myself.’ On the day of the game, I was told I wasn’t allowed to go into the stand, it would be an automatic red card, so the cut-outs were just sat in my house for two years. I was thinking, ‘What am I going to do when I break the record?’ Then I thought of that. I’ve got a very imaginative mind!”

Antonio’s creativity was curbed in recent seasons however, as football’s most controversial modern development gave the nay-sayers another reason to rally against it.

“When VAR came in, it ruined my celebrations,” he adds. “I couldn’t run off and do the worm or something, knowing the goal could then be ruled out…”

Michail Antonio’s autobiography 'Humans Not Robots', published by HarperCollins, is available now

Thomas Tuchel’s future as England boss has been the talk of the nation following a disappointing semi-final exit at the hands of Argentina.

The Three Lions had one foot in the final when Anthony Gordon smashed home the opener just shy of the hour mark in that last-four clash.

But Enzo Fernandez’s leveller, followed by a crushing stoppage-time winner from Lautaro Martinez – with Lionel Messi omnipresent throughout – confined England to the dreaded third-place play-off.

Thomas Tuchel compared to Gareth Southgate in BBC pundit rant

Much of the criticism levelled at Tuchel surrounded his perceived approach to going a goal up, bringing off goalscorer Gordon for defender Ezri Konsa as his side retreated ever closer to Jordon Pickford.

For former Three Lions international Danny Murphy, it was all too reminiscent of regimes gone by.

“It was a terrible performance second half,” Murphy fumed in the BBC’s pre-match build-up to England’s bronze-medal meeting with France. “I think they went out with a whimper rather than on their shields.”

And there was no doubt in his mind who was responsible, with calls for Tuchel’s sacking following shortly after, despite predicting the German head coach keeping his job.

With what can only have been at least a partial nod to previous incumbent Gareth Southgate – who was similarly criticised for his cautious approach – Murphy made the case for change.

“He’s failed, and he’s failed in the same way we’ve failed before,” the former Liverpool man continued. “It’s the biggest tournament in the world and he had his opportunity, and I think, as I said, I think he probably will get the vote of confidence, but I think we should make a change.

“I think [the players] will be so devastated. They were so close. They had the game in their hands, they had control. They’re missing out on the World Cup final tomorrow because of the tactics.”

What FourFourTwo can agree on is that Tuchel will lead England into the next tournament, as right now it’s not clear who’s ready to step into the breach.

Yes, Pep Guardiola is sat with his feet up following his Manchester City departure, with rumours he's been interested in the gig previously, but is he really going to want to jump straight back in? And he’s not immune to overthinking big tournament games himself…

Tuchel got the semi-final wrong, but when the dust settles, we might be better placed to recognise the green shoots from this summer.

France and England will contest the game that no one wants to play in - the third and fourth place play-off in Miami.

Both France and England were fancied to win their semi-finals and meet in the final, but were beaten respectively by Spain and Argentina in the semi-finals.

This will be Didier Deschamps final game in charge of France as he will leave his role after this World Cup and question marks hang over England boss Thomas Tuchel after the way in which the Three Lions lost to Argentina having been 1-0 up.

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Referee confirmed for France and England clash

Ahead of the game, Deschamps described the mood in the France camp, saying: "The best for France and England would be for this match not to exist."

While England manager Tuchel had a similar views, he said: "None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match."

But the game is going ahead and so who will be refereeing the 103rd game of this World Cup in Miami?

Jesus Valenzuela has been appointed as the match official for this clash.

The Venezuelan took charge of three World Cup group encounters this summer in Australia's win over Turkiye and Bosnia and Herezegovina's dismantling of Qatar and then the Round of 16 game between Norway and Ivory Coast.

He also oversaw two matches at the 2022 edition in Qatar as England and USA played out a goalless draw while France put Poland to the sword in a 3-1 victory.

Valenzuela boasts further international tournament experience after officiating in three Copa America, the Olympics as well as the FIFA Club World Cup twice.

But the 42-year-old is known for a ruthless disciplinary streak after doling out 1,909 yellow cards and 115 sendings-off in his 387 games as a professional referee.

He will be assisted by fellow Venezuelans Jorge Urrego and Tulio Moreno, with Morocco’s Jalal Jayed serving as the fourth official. Zakaria Brinsi - also of Morocco - will be the reserve assistant.

This will be the final game that both these teams play at the 2026 World Cup. Just the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina remains after this game.

During his two-decade-long career, Youri Djorkaeff played with some of his generation’s greatest talents.

At club level, he counts the Brazilian striker Ronaldo, who he played with at Inter Milan as his greatest-ever team-mate, while on the international front it, most neutrals would rank his midfield partner Zinedine Zidane as another of that era’s greats.

Less than four years after he assisted Zidane’s crucial second goal in the 1998 World Cup final, Djorkaeff’s career took an eye-raising handbrake turn, when he found himself playing alongside the likes of Dean Holden and Michael Ricketts at Bolton Wanderers.

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Djorkaeff on his Bolton team-mates

Djorkaeff wasn’t the only exciting foreign import that was intreguied by boss Sam Allardyce’s ambition, as the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo joined the 82-time France international in the north-west.

“We were all in the same boat,” Djorkaeff recalls to FourFourTwo. “If you play for Liverpool or United, the boat is huge. Ours was more like a little rowing boat!” he laughs.

“If one of us leaned too far left, we’d all fall in the water.”

The Trotters quickly built up a reputation as a team who were intent on upsetting the status quo and the ‘little rowing boat’ Djorkaeff speaks of underlines that group’s underdog mentality.

While Bolton were not able to spend in the same manner as their illustrious neighbours in Manchester, or further away in Liverpool, the character and experience of the veterans brought in by Allardyce excelled in leadership roles.

“Campo and Okocha had more experience than most, so they helped me to lead that project,” Djorkaeff adds.

But while Djorkaeff has previously been happy to compare the likes of Zidane and Ronaldo, he believes that to do that with his former Bolton team-mates missed the point.

“You can’t compare them – it wouldn’t be fair,” he replied when asked if there were any areas where Kevin Nolan was better than Zidane.

“Maybe he was the better warrior? But then again, so was Zidane. Bolton was like Asterix and Obelix in their small village standing up to the Roman Empire.

“All of us were great fighters, battling against the rest.”

The 1998 World Cup winner did not hold back in his assessment of Mbappe in that semi-final tussle with La Roja, and believes the 27-year-old failed to step up to the plate.

Speaking exclusively to Freebets.com, Leboeuf said: "I'm not a big fan of the Ballon d'Or - I don't like individual awards in a collective sport. But Mbappe is a great individual player with great skill and incredible confidence.

“If he doesn't understand that he has to work for the team, he will never get the Ballon d'Or because his team will never win anything.

'Mbappe will never win a Ballon d'Or if he doesn't work for the team'

“You win competitions like the World Cup and Champions League through team effort - everybody sweats for each other.

“During this World Cup, Mbappe was coming back into position, winning the ball - everything was perfect. But in that game against Spain, there was individual failure.

“Maybe he has changed his attitude and maybe it will work out the way he wants to for Real Madrid. But if he wants the Ballon d'Or, he needs to help his teammates and that's what will make Real Madrid better."

Leboeuf then reflected generally on a France side which ultimately fell short at this year’s finals, but believes many of these players are still young enough to make an impact in 2030.

When asked whether this France team ranked amongst sides that failed to win the World Cup, he replied: "Mbappe answered that question just before the loss against Spain. He said: 'We have a great team, but so far, we've won nothing. It's only when we win the World Cup that maybe you can say we're the greatest.'

“I put it to my colleagues at ESPN - watching them play, I said this may be the best team ever. But they have to win. We talked about England's and Belgium’s golden generations — they won nothing and won't be remembered. That's sad, but they won't be remembered.

“I really hope this France team will take over. They have some very good young players on the bench. That team will keep on growing and will be a very big threat for the 2030 World Cup."

It was a sad end to an otherwise glittering spell in charge of Les Bleus for Didier Deschamps, but Leboeuf spoke glowingly about his 14 years at the helm.

"I will never criticise somebody who played two World Cups, won one, and won a European Championship. Since '98 we've played four World Cup finals — that's insane for a small country like us,” he explained.

“Since Deschamps took over in 2014, the worst position he was in was the quarter-final. It says a lot about what he brought. He was helped by a great generation of football players, with so many progressing through French academies.

“Deschamps made sure that players understood a national team is not just a selection - you have to behave like you're in a club. That is what Aime Jacquet did with us, and that is Deschamps' legacy. If he'd won this World Cup, he would have been named the greatest of the greatest."

Deschamps’ final match in charge will be the third-place play-off against England on Saturday, and it is fair to say that Leboeuf is hardly looking forward to the game.

"I never understood the third-place game in football,” he added.

“The players who lost are devastated - they wanted the final. They don't have any thoughts whatsoever for a game like that. You can get injured and you're fed up with football.

“You just want 10 days before thinking about your club again. I don't understand that game. I have sympathy for the players on both sides."

As Argentina get set for their third World Cup final out of the past four tournaments, Lionel Scaloni only has to look back to the 2022 final for inspiration.

That clash between La Albiceleste and France was perhaps the best final in the tournament’s history, a pulsating 3-3 draw which was settled when Argentina won on penalties.

While Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s personal duel took the headlines, there was one key moment in which neither of the modern-day icons were involved on which the entire match rested

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Javier Zanetti on the key moment in the 2022 World Cup final

Argentina looked to be closing in on their second ever World Cup title after goals from Messi and Angel Di Maria had put them in a commanding position, deep into the second half.

But with just ten minutes of normal time remaining, Mbappe would net twice in two minutes to force the extra period, where the French striker would complete his hat-trick in the 118th minute to cancel out Messi’s extra-time goal.

Yet there was still time for more drama, including a chance that Argentina legend Javier Zanetti, who was watching inside the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, will never forget.

“Life stopped in that moment,” the 145-time Argentina international tells FourFourTwo.

The incident Zanetti refers to came deep in stoppage time of the second period of extra time, when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a stunning save from Randal Kolo Muani, stretching out his leg to prevent what looked to be a last-gasp late winner.

“It’s a moment we’ll remember for the rest of our lives,” former Inter Milan stalwart Zanetti continues.

“In a second, everything could have changed. France were inches from the World Cup.”

The save was a classic example of the final margains on which tournaments can be settled at this level and a reminder of how careers and even lives can be shaped in the blink of an eye.

While Zanetti will no doubt be watching on Sunday evening when Argentina look to become the third side to win back-to-back World Cup titles, the clash against Spain will do well to compete with the 2022 classic.

“It was a wonderful final – a rollercoaster of emotions,” he continues. “Of all the finals I’ve seen and experienced, it was undoubtedly the best.”

Few international teams in modern football history have been able to capture the imagination like Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland side of the early 1990s.

Under the former Leeds United lynchpin, Ireland qualified for their first ever World Cup in 1990, reaching the quarter-finals in Italy, and soon proved that not to be a one-off, as they again reached the last-eight in the USA four years later.

Striker Tony Cascarino was a key member of Charlton’s team, and his memories of these two tournaments are dominated by his former boss’s larger-than-life personality.

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Cascarino on Big Jack

Cascarino looks back at his time at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups with enormous affection and credits the squad’s camaraderie to Charlton.

“The lads were phenomenal and the manager, Big Jack, was hilarious,” the former striker recalls to FourFourTwo.

As a player, Charlton was known for his uncompromising style of play and his infamous ‘little black book’ and his managerial style could be equally as old-school.

“If you were having a Coke at dinner the night before a match he’d say, ‘What are you doing with that s**t? I’d rather you had a beer’,” Cascarino adds.

For Charlton, there was logic in going against the sports scientists and nutritionists.

“He felt it’d help you sleep better,” Cascarino explains.

Even when the stakes were at their highest on the eve of the biggest match in Irish football history, Charlton stuck to his guns.

“He used that tactic with us against Italy in the quarter-finals of Italia 90,” Cascarino continues.

“His line was, 'Look, you’re playing Italy in Rome. The referee won’t give you a thing, and you’ll be going home the next day, you may as well have a drink.' He wanted to take the pressure off us.”

During his decade-long tenure at West Ham United, Michail Antonio’s time at the club was defined by versatility, resilience and a willingness to do whatever was required for the team.

The Jamaica international would eventually settle up top, but for all his shifting around the pitch, there was one position that he never embraced.

That came when Antonio was required to fill in at right-back, a spell which was followed by a dressing room row, a managerial change and the eventual move up front.

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Antonio on his ill-fated right-back stint

“All the right-backs had got injured, it was just me,” Antonio recalls to FourFourTwo. “I did well, I think I got seven goals from right-back and a few assists, I had a couple of clubs looking at me. Antonio Conte wanted me at Chelsea, he was looking at me as a wing-back, the same as Victor Moses, but nothing came to fruition."

But despite these early successes in defence, it was not a role he enjoyed.

“I hated playing there, though,” he admits. “Coming back for pre-season at West Ham, I was thinking, ‘All right, we’re going to sign some right-backs’, but Slaven Bilic did the opposite – he sold the right-backs, thinking I was going to play there!

“He told me, “I’m going to make you the best right-back in Europe”, but I was like, “I don’t want to be, I’d rather be an average Premier League winger. He said, “Trust me”, but there was a game at Chelsea, I tried to lift the ball over Eden Hazard to pass it out wide, they blocked it and I gave up a penalty.

“Slaven pulled me up about it – after the game, I went in and he was saying, 'If I need you to play somewhere, you play there!' I said, “'’ll never play there again, I don’t want to play in that position ever again!' Mark Noble started arguing with me, so I stormed out of the changing room and got a taxi home.”

Antonio soon began to move into a more advanced role, as he went from a classic right winger to a traditional centre-forward role.

“That was Manuel Pellegrini,” he continues. “We were struggling, and I think I’d just come back from injury. The manager went from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2, with me and Seb Haller up top. Then, when Seb wasn’t playing the best because we weren’t playing to his style, he threw me up there.

“I played four games up front and did well. When Pellegrini got sacked, David Moyes came in and that was me, I was the number nine from then on.”

During this time West Ham had a habit of signing underwhelming big-name strikers, only for Antonio to see them off, amid talk of a curse on the number nine shirt.

“That’s exactly what it was before I moved up front,” he adds. “Every striker came in and didn’t score much, then I went from winger to striker. I think because I was already at the club, the curse didn’t get me!”

Michail Antonio’s autobiography 'Humans Not Robots', published by HarperCollins, is available now

Lamine Yamal missed Spain’s first training session in New Jersey, where the World Cup finalists are preparing at the facilities of the New York Red Bulls.

Spain travelled to New Jersey the day after they beat France in Tuesday’s semi-final and trained on Thursday without Barcelona winger Yamal and Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro.

According to reporting by AS, Yamal and Porro sat out of training but both are still expected to feature in Sunday’s World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

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Why did Lamine Yamal miss Spain training in New Jersey?

“It’s a matter of managing the players’ workload,” reports Juan Jimenez. Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente explained that Porro is experiencing muscle tightness.

“Regarding Lamine, [De la Fuente] said that he was ‘fine’. Nevertheless, the effects of the (victorious) battles against [France defenders Lucas] Digne and Theo Hernandez were evident the following day.

“Understandable aches and pains after the tackles. The aim is for the number 19, like all the players, to be as fresh as possible.”

Yamal is expected to start the World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday. The 19-year-old arrived at the World Cup having missed Barcelona’s last six La Liga fixtures of the season with a muscle injury and was eased into his debut World Cup.

The 2024 European Championship winner was brought off the bench as Spain searched for a winning goal against Cape Verde in their Group H opener last month and played 45 minutes from the start in the second game against Saudi Arabia.

He scored his first World Cup goal in that game in Atlanta, the first of seven consecutive starts in matches won by Spain. He was instrumental as the 2010 winners beat Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France to claim a place in their second World Cup final.

Yamal, who is ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the most exciting teenagers in the world right now, has been a regular starter for Spain since making his debut under De la Fuente in September 2023, at the age of just 16.

He was the star of the show as Spain won the European Championship the following summer and is one of the headline acts as the World Cup reaches its conclusion in New Jersey.

Spain are the favourites ahead of the final and with good reason.

While Argentina have been forced to dig deep and have looked in trouble on several occasions during the knock-out rounds, Spain have made it to the final with the smooth running of a well-oiled machine.

After a shock goalless draw with Cape Verde, Spain won all their games on the road to the final without much fuss. The only goal they’ve conceded in the tournament was against Belgium in the quarter-finals.

With a squad expected to be at full strength, De la Fuente will likely be planning for more of the same on Sunday.

Lionel Messi will step onto the field at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday with history at his feet. Defending the World Cup is rare enough, but captaining a nation to back-to-back wins is undeniable.

Messi is the successor to Diego Maradona, Argentina’s previous World Cup-winning captain and still regarded by many as the greatest player the game has ever known, a claim that weakens every time Messi breaks new ground.

Maradona is still as iconic as a footballer can get, beloved by millions precisely because of his human imperfections. He passed away in 2020, two years before Messi lifted the World Cup trophy.

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‘Maradona is Maradona’

Messi might not have the same personality as his Argentina forebear but there was a little bit of Maradona in Al-Ittifaq striker Mario Balotelli, who made his name at Inter Milan before firing his fame into the stratosphere during an extraordinary spell in England with Manchester City.

Balotelli won the Premier League and FA Cup with City, where he played 31 times with Messi’s international teammate, and Maradona’s former son-in-law, Sergio Aguero. He even set up the Argentine's famous 'Agueroooooo' goal that won City the title in 2012.

“I met him through Aguero in his time at City,” said the former Italy striker talking to AwayDays' Ellis Platten whilst shopping for retro shirts at Classic Football Shirts New York store. “And it was funny because I asked Sergio, ‘Give me Maradona’s number so I can speak with him’.

“And he gave me the number, and the first thing I sent him was a picture of me with a Cuban [cigar]. And he sent me a picture back of himself with a Cuban, also."

Maradona, who is ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time, led Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986 before delivering the Serie A title twice in a famous spell with Napoli.

‘El Pibe de Oro’ starred for Napoli in between spells in Spain with Barcelona and Sevilla. He ended his career back at Boca Juniors, where he played in the early 1980s, and left international football in disgrace after failing a drug test at the World Cup in 1994.

“Maradona is Maradona,” added Balotelli, who was born in Sicily months after Napoli’s second Scudetto in 1990.

Balotelli has been well travelled in his career, taking in Liverpool and Nice as well as spells in Italy with AC Milan, Brescia, Monza and Genoa. He had a short stint at Sion in Switzerland in between two at Turkish club Adana Demirspor.

Now 35, the Italian is at Al-Ittifaq in the United Arab Emirates who he joined in January. His manager there until June was former Juventus defender Paolo Montero and he's averaging a goal every two league games.

World Cup 2026 will be remembered, in part, for the shameless courting of Donald Trump by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is facing an investigation into alleged interference in the Folarin Balogun affair by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Infantino is an IOC member and has denied any involvement in the suspension of Balogun’s ban after he was sent off in the United States’ win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Trump claimed that he called Infantino to ask for Balogun’s ban to be reviewed. In light of Infantino’s close relationship with the President of the United States of America, the outcome was mired in controversy.

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Will Trump present the World Cup?

Another consequence of Infantino’s endless toadying is that there was never any doubt that Trump would be on the pitch after the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday to hand over a trophy he once half-joked should live in the Oval Office.

Rodri of Spain or Argentina’s Lionel Messi will hope to play some part in the lifting of the FIFA World Cup Trophy at New York New Jersey Stadium, but they might have to wrest control of it from the man who bizarrely stood on the podium with Chelsea after they won Infantino’s Club World Cup last summer.

The White House has now confirmed that the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize winner, who has spent most of 2026 embroiled in the USA’s war with another FIFA member and World Cup participant, will be in attendance at the World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

“White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would be in New York City on Friday to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in Manhattan, ‌then be at Sunday's game,” reports Reuters.

FIFA has kept an office in Trump Tower since last summer, further weakening any hope that the governing body would enforce its requirements when the World Cup clashed with government policies.

“Heads of state have a history of attending the finals and some have been part of the ⁠trophy presentation, including in Qatar in 2022 and Russia in 2018.”

Infantino had already announced that Trump would ‘of course’ present the trophy to the captain of the winning team. He has not attended any of the matches already played at World Cup 2026.

FIFA’s inaction over the treatment of the Iranian squad, staff of various participating nations and Somali referee Omar Artan by a nation it allowed to host the tournament is contradictory to the governing body’s stated values.

Infantino’s ludicrous proximity to Trump made it impossible for FIFA to act with any authority on those issues, but it’s Infantino’s involvement or otherwise in suspending Balogun’s ban that’s put him in the IOC’s sights.

According to The Athletic: “The IOC’s charter states that members must act independently of political and commercial interests, and cannot accept ‘from governments, organisations, or other parties, any mandate or instructions liable to interfere with the freedom of their action and vote.’”

New York City is subject to an air quality warning in the days before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in nearby New Jersey.

The World Cup final will be played in the United States for the second time and the first on the Eastern Seaboard, 32 years after Brazil and Italy played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

World Cup 2026 has been occasionally affected by weather delays but there is no expectation at present that the final will be subject to any such issues on Sunday.

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New York’s air quality ‘very unhealthy’

After a midweek advisory for heat passed, the air quality alert is the result of smoke from the wildfires burning in their hundreds north of the border. Away from the direct and devastating effects in Canada’s wildlands, major cities including Toronto are engulfed in smoke.

Detroit and New York are also experiencing severe deterioration of their air quality, while alerts have also been issued in several other cities in the United States.

In NYC, smoke from the wildfires led to an air quality advisory in New York City. That ‘Unhealthy’ warning was upgraded to ‘Very Unhealthy’ late on Thursday but there are signs of improvement on Friday morning and it’s understood that the World Cup final will not be affected.

With rain forecast on Saturday, officials expect the air quality to improve further. Domestic football has already been affected.

“The smoke-filled sky and extremely hot temperatures have already been experienced by some footballers. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) went ahead with a match between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit on Wednesday night in front of a record crowd at Citi Field in Queens despite the orange haze,” reported BBC Sport.

“The air quality index meant players were mandated to take two breaks per half according to NWSL policy.”

Spain booked their place in the World Cup final for the second time by beating France 2-0 in Tuesday’s semi-final. On Wednesday, Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1. The reigning world champions will play in their third final in the last four World Cups.

New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and is the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants of the NFL.

It has been packed out for its previous seven matches, the first of which was the Group C fixture between Brazil and Morocco that was officiated by World Cup final referee Slavko Vincic.

Brazil, Senegal, France and Norway have each played there twice but the final will be a first taste of New Jersey for both Spain and Argentina.

FIFA has confirmed that Slavko Vincic will referee the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday.

Vincic will lead a Slovenian team at New York New Jersey Stadium, with Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic serving as his assistants.

The 46-year-old is refereeing at his second World Cup and the final will be his fourth game of the competition after two group stage fixtures and one previous match in the knock-out rounds.

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Who is Slavko Vincic?

Vincic was the referee for Brazil’s draw against Morocco in Group C and the Group J fixture between Jordan and Algeria. He was the match referee for Mexico vs Ecuador in the round of 32.

He’s issued a total of six yellow cards in the tournament so far but was the referee who sent off Piero Hincapie in stoppage time of Ecuador’s defeat in Mexico City. Four years ago, he refereed Argentina’s loss against Saudi Arabia.

The Slovenian referee is working at his fourth major summer tournament and has a wealth of big match experience, including the Europa League final in 2022 and the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in 2024.

Vincic broke down when he was told in a referees’ meeting that he is to be the lead official in East Rutherford on Sunday, embracing his fellow officials upon hearing the news.

“So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get the World Cup final,” he said.

“It’s something that… it’s only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start. So, I’m very proud, very proud of myself, my team.

“It’s very difficult to put everything into words, but I’m very proud to represent my country, Slovenia, in the biggest sporting event in the world. So, yeah, I’m very proud. My team is very proud and we will do our best.”

Vincic is among the most experienced referees at the World Cup when it comes to senior international football. He was promoted to the FIFA international list in 2010 and made his tournament debut as an assistant referee at the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine two years later.

In April, he took charge of the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, booking three players from the Spanish capital giants and dismissing both Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler.

He was the referee for Sweden’s World Cup qualification play-off victory over Poland, issuing a total of five yellow cards, and now becomes the first Slovenian to referee the World Cup final.

Thomas Tuchel is expected to stay on as England manager despite heavy criticism after the Three Lions World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina on Wednesday.

Anthony Gordon’s goal early in the second half put England on course for a first final since 1966, but defensive substitutions and a low block allowed Argentina to dominate the final stages, until Enzo Fernandez equalised and Lautaro Martinez headed in Lionel Messi’s cross in added time.

Tuchel claimed he will remain in charge for Euro 2028, when England will be one of the host nations, but there have already been calls from some quarters to dismiss the German.

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Bookies odds for next England manager

If England do choose to move on from Tuchel, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is currently the bookies’ favourite to replace him.

Betfair have Howe at 5/2 to be the next Three Lions boss, ahead of Pep Guardiola at 10/3.

Guardiola is now a free agent after ending his decade-long, trophy-laden spell with Manchester City at the end of last season.

While Howe and Guardiola are the clear frontrunners according to the bookies, several other names are in the frame.

Mauricio Pochettino, whose USA side were knocked out in the last 16 by Belgium, is 7/1 to be the next England boss.

Former interim manager Lee Carsley, meanwhile, is 15/2 to get the nod, having continued to impress with the Under-21s.

And in case the FA suddenly realise they didn’t appreciate what they once had, Gareth Southgate is 10/1 to take the job for a second time.

Sweden head coach Graham Potter is 11/1 to switch international jobs, while Frank Lampard is 12/1 after an excellent spell with Coventry City.

Kieran McKenna, after leaving Ipswich Town following a second promotion from the Championship in three years, is 16/1.

As for the outsiders, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is 20/1 to become the next England manager, and ex-Villa manager and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is 22/1.

For now, though, it seems Tuchel will continue, with odds of 1/5 that he will be in charge for England’s first Nations League match against Spain in September.

Jude Bellingham was visibly dejected at full-time after England’s 2-1 loss to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.

The Real Madrid midfielder’s heroics had helped the Three Lions to the brink of a first final since 1966, but Lionel Messi and co. had other ideas.

Bellingham was unable to impact the game as he had against Mexico and Norway in previous knockout rounds, and there were some unsavoury scenes on the pitch after the final whistle.

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Why did Bellingham clash with Barco?

Bellingham had an altercation with Argentina substitute Valentin Barco, who was celebrating with team-mates near the England star.

The 23-year-old walked over and confronted Barco, before slapping the Argentina full-back and sparking a melee.

It is not clear what caused the incident, but Barco was seen running onto the pitch and celebrating his team’s 85th-minute equaliser in front of England’s players.

That clearly provoked some England players, with John Stones pushing him away, but it could be that Bellingham is now punished for his slap on Barco.

He could yet face action from FIFA’s disciplinary committee for violent conduct, which would mean a ban and a fine. Bellingham would, as a result, miss Saturday’s third-place play-off against France - a game that feels inconsequential anyway.

The concern would be that Bellingham faces a longer, more significant ban, one that could potentially impact future tournaments.

FIFA may also consider the incident petulant rather than violent because of the lack of any real force in the slap, meaning Bellingham would escape any punishment at all.

The football governing body has previously been lenient with star names, notably the controversial decision to suspend USA striker Folarin Balogun’s ban for a red card so that he could play in the last 16 against Belgium, after a call from President Donald Trump to Gianni Infantino.

Cristiano Ronaldo also had a ban overturned to ensure he would play the first two matches for Portugal at the World Cup.

It remains to be seen how FIFA will view Bellingham’s clash with Barco, but England will hope there is no more bad news to come from a disappointing night in Atlanta.

Did no one at The FA think to flag how much Thomas Tuchel’s head resembles a certain vegetable? A bad omen if ever there was.

However, with the inquest in full swing, I feel it’s important not to rest the blame solely at the feet of the German while others choose to set pitchforks alight. England came into the tournament with some of the purest quarter-final vibes I can ever recall, but were handed a winnable game in the last eight which they won, after extra-time.

The semis felt like nosebleed territory for this team and a final would have certainly been a game too far and not nearly as close as the Euro 2024 final turned out to be.

Hard to get excited about England in 2026

In seven games at World Cup 2026, we saw two good halves of football from England: The second vs Croatia and the first vs Mexico. Apart from that, it was hard to get excited about this team.

The main difference between Tuchel and Gareth Southgate seemed to be their approach to media interviews. Southgate, the politician, Tuchel, the irritable stepfather.

“Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough,” was his assessment of England's victory vs Norway. Hard to imagine Southgate even thinking in that manner, never mind saying it out loud on live television, but such is Tuchel’s style. You presume that was the thinking behind his hiring. To not be Southgate. To be different.

Tuchel’s point on technical deficiencies is as valid as it is concerning, particularly in midfield. Where Porro, Cucurella, Ruiz and Rodri tik and tak, England’s equivalents swash and buckle. That’s not the fault of Tuchel, who took over at the top of English football two years ago. That issue lies a couple of decades back, when Tuchel was coaching Stuttgart’s U19s, having been working as a bartender just a few years before that.

Tuchel arrived as England manager ready to issue the b*llockings he had become famous and successful for. It raised eyebrows, it demanded egos be left at the door.

At one stage, Jude Bellingham looked like he might be left at home. Trent Alexander-Arnold was. Tuchel was bold with his handling of personnel, and the hope was that he would follow suit tactically.

He largely did until 70 minutes into England’s semi-final vs Argentina. After Anthony Gordon scored England’s first and only chance of the game, England and Tuchel entered sliding doors territory.

At this stage, it would’ve been worse not to score a second than to concede a first. Against Mexico, England were forced into low block mode by Jarell Quansah’s sending off. But vs Argentina, it was a choice. Ezri Konsa came on for Anthony Gordon, a move straight out of the Southgate playbook. England fans were reacquainted with sinking feelings experienced during second-half capitulations vs Croatia in 2018, and Italy at Wembley in 2021.

England 2.0 would, you think, have introduced Marcus Rashford for Gordon at this stage and maybe even Bukayo Saka on the right wing to increase the sense of dread among Argentina players and supporters. Swapping both wingers is something Tuchel has done consistently during games this tournament.

But Tuchel knows this team better than anyone and knows they aren’t Spain. Has England ever really looked in control of a game apart from in the second half against a distinctly average Croatia team? Against Messi in a World Cup semi-final is an entirely different dimension.

Have you ever had the feeling England could push on and add to a lead? They had 7 touches in the opponent's box the entire game vs Argentina who had 28 in England’s. Their xG was a paltry 0.53.

They didn’t look like a team that could score again, but as we saw vs Mexico they had proved they are a team that can defend a lead, so Tuchel went with that. You can at least see where he was coming from with a place in the World Cup final at stake.

Ultimately: wrong decision. We will also never know if Rashford/Saka would’ve been the right decision, but after 2018 and 2021 England fans this morning would’ve rather gone out knowing.

Thomas Tuchel shouldn’t be sacked; he should be given the opportunity to learn from this error. If he ever finds himself in this exact situation again (like Southgate was in the Euro 2020 final) he will act differently.

England could not quite make it to extra time in their World Cup semi-final against Argentina, conceding twice late on to fall short in the most disappointing way.

The inquest is well underway as to why Thomas Tuchel opted to instruct his team to sit deep and attempt to soak up wave after wave of Argentina pressure.

After Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser, it seemed England hoped simply to survive until full-time, and then perhaps make it to a penalty shootout, given the plethora of defenders on the pitch.

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Pickford's water bottle picture emerges

If England had made it to penalties, they would, as expected, have been fully prepared.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has experienced plenty of shootout success at major tournaments during his Three Lions career.

And he was, it seems, ready for another one had Lautaro Martinez not met Lionel Messi’s inch-perfect cross in added time.

A picture of Pickford’s water bottle emerged on social media after Argentina’s players spotted it on the pitch following the full-time whistle.

Attached to the water bottle was an instruction on how and where to dive for each of Argentina’s potential penalty takers.

Messi, who has missed two penalties at this World Cup, was the first name on the list, with the instruction “fake left - dive right”.

For Chelsea midfielder Fernandez, Pickford’s note simply read: “stand central”.

While for most of the penalty takers Pickford was given a clear direction to dive, Thiago Almada’s name came with the instruction to “feel on the day”.

Messi and a couple of his team-mates were seen looking at the bottle, perhaps trying to garner some insight ahead of a potential shootout against Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final.

For England and Pickford, meanwhile, the preparation proved fruitless - unless, of course, they meet La Albiceleste in the knockout stages again four years from now…

Micah Richards provided his usual insightful analysis of England’s dramatic 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.

The former Manchester City defender assessed where it went wrong for the Three Lions as Thomas Tuchel’s side sat back in an effort to protect their 1-0 lead and conceded two late, Lionel Messi-assisted goals.

And the BBC pundit’s efforts were admirable given what he revealed on social media after the match.

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Richards reveals loss of father

Richards posted on Instagram to explain that he had tragically lost his father just before going on air.

“Not long before going on air today, I received the awful news that my father Lincoln had passed away,” he wrote. “His death was unexpected, and he has left us all too soon.

“He was my greatest fan. He barely missed a game my entire life. He would take me wherever I needed to go when I was a kid and he was the proudest parent possible during my professional career. It was so rare for him to not be by my side.

“I know how much watching England World Cup games means to everyone at home, and how the experience bonds families together across the generations, like nothing else. I know, particularly as a proud old-school Yorkshireman, dad would’ve wanted the show to go on this evening. And so it did.

“Thinking of my siblings and all my wider family today as we remember my father Lincoln, my hero and inspiration.”

There were plenty of condolences sent to Richards in the comments of the post.

Sky Sports and The Overlap podcast sent their love to the pundit and his family.

Former F1 driver Jenson Button offered his prayers to Richards, while fellow pundit Karen Carney said: “Sending love Micah, he will be so proud.”

Richards also got messages of support from two fellow defenders in John Terry and Harry Maguire, as well as Gordon Ramsay and Clarence Seedorf.

The reason Newcastle United and England defender Dan Burn has nine fingers is due to a traumatic childhood accident that occurred when he was 13 years old.

For years, many Premier League fans have watched the 6ft 7in defender without ever noticing that he is missing the ring finger on his right hand.

Burn opened up in detail about the gruesome incident in an interview with Sky Sports last year, explaining exactly how it happened.

Dan Burn is missing a finger on his right hand

According to Burn, the injury occurred while hanging out with friends as a teenager.

"I'd been out with some friends, and I was showing off in front of a group of girls," he said. "I think a rabbit had got out and got into a community centre. So, I jumped the fence, not knowing there was a gate around the corner, and I was wearing a ring.

"It was a ring I was given off my grandad, so it was made of an old shilling, sort of solid. Then the spike got caught in the ring, and when I jumped off, it ripped me."

At first, Burn didn't realise the severity of his injury. It was only when he pulled back his sleeve that he saw the extent of the damage. He was rushed to the hospital, but his finger couldn't be saved.

While the injury hasn't hindered his football career in the Premier League or the journey to representing the England national team, Burn admits it has led to some funny and awkward situations in day-to-day life.

"I remember when I first started going out with my girlfriend, we used to go to McDonald's, you go through the drive-thru, hand over your money and when they give [the change] back, I'd put my hand out - the coins would fall between the gap of the car and the window.

"I'd open the door but I couldn't get the money back, so I would just have to leave it and just drive off. So contactless [payment] was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Burn made his World Cup debut as a second half substitute in the Round of 16, making six clearances and two blocks to help ten-man England hold onto a 3-2 lead against co-hosts Mexico.

The 34-year-old was also introduced off the bench deep in extra-time against Norway, leveraging his towering aerial presence to help England defend their slender advantage and secure a place in the semi-final.

England’s win over Norway in their World Cup quarter-final tie brought attention to the dynamic between head coach Thomas Tuchel and star midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Rather than a straightforward celebration of their extra-time victory over the Scandinavians, the post-match press conferences in Miami highlighted a clear difference in perspective between manager and player, regarding England's performance.

The friction began immediately after the final whistle in Miami. Despite Bellingham's brace carrying England through, Tuchel was brutally honest in his post-match interview.

Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham relationship

"We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today," Tuchel told ITV.

"The commitment was there, but we played too slowly, made too many technical mistakes and were sloppy."

When Bellingham learned of his manager's public critique, the Real Madrid man responded.

"You don't win every game by completing a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to grind it out and win the ugly way. That's exactly what we did tonight."

In the wake of mounting media interest, Tuchel has moved quickly to defuse the tension. According to a story published today by The Athletic, the German tactician has dismissed suggestions of internal division.

Speaking ahead of England’s semi-final showdown, Tuchel insisted there are 'no cracks' in their relationship and claimed the pair are actually "closer than ever".

This is not the first time the manager's outspoken style has caused friction with Bellingham.

Late last year, Tuchel publicly addressed Bellingham's on-field temperament, stating his 'edge' can sometimes boil over in a way that doesn't chime with some observers.

"I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice, well-educated, well-behaved guy that I see," Tuchel said, before later apologising for his choice of words.

Tuchel's directness is a trademark of his coaching career. He has long been perceived as a demanding, outspoken, and sometimes divisive character, often falling out with star players and board members at previous clubs like Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich.

With a place in the World Cup Final on the line, England fans will hope this latest war of words is merely a reflection of the pair's competitive fire rather than a fracture that could derail tournament dreams.

All eyes will be on Atalanta as England and Argentina renew World Cup hostilities.

England against Argentina is one of the greatest international match-ups and their latest World Cup meeting on Wednesday night promises to be one for the ages.

In total, they have faced off 15 times across all competitions with the Three Lions winning three of their five World Cup encounters but only once in the knockout stage.

Referee confirmed for England v Argentina showdown

The reigning world champions aim to extend their title defence against Thomas Tuchel's side, who were made to work for their spot in the last four against Norway.

It took them until extra time to see through their quest to bring football home for the first time since 1966 and reach a second World Cup semi-final in eight years.

Argentina, too, required, an additional 30 minutes to put Switzerland to the sword in their quarter-final as Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez came up with the goods.

Lionel Messi will be hoping to take the Albiceleste a step closer to their fourth world crown by overcoming England's fearsome pair of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

But who will be refereeing the last-four encounter in Georgia?

Ismail Elfath has been named as the main in the middle at Atlanta Stadium and is considered something of a lucky omen for Messi in his trophy-winning matches.

He was the fourth official in Argentina's 2022 World Cup final against France as well as referee for Messi's first success with Inter Miami in the 2023 Leagues Cup final.

Elfath was born in Morocco but became a naturalised United States citizen after he moved to the country at the age of 18 under a Diversity Immigrant Visa.

The 44-year-old already took charge of three World Cup fixtures between Japan and Netherlands, Uruguay and Spain as well as Norway's last-16 win over Brazil.

In total, he has overseen 334 competitive matches, mostly in his adopted homeland with Major League Soccer, and averages just over three bookings per game.

Elfath will be assisted by compatriots Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins while Italy's Maurizio Mariani has been named fourth official for the all-important showdown.

Argentina's World Cup semi-final with England will be a meeting of familiar foes.

Reigning champions Argentina are aiming to reach back-to-back World Cup finals, where Spain lie in wait, by overcoming England in their last-four encounter.

The Atlanta showdown marks the first competitive meeting with the teams since the 2002 tournament and remarkably, Lionel Messi's first against the Three Lions.

Emi Martinez's Argentina penalty record revealed

But Thomas Tuchel's side will also come up against well-known faces with several in the Albicelete's squad boasting either past or current Premier League experience.

No fewer than eight of England's next opponents have plied their trade in the top flight with Emi Martinez chief among them and set to be a focal point in the clash.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper stole the headlines when Argentina won the 2022 World Cup final against France for his heroics in extra time as well as the penalty shootout.

Martinez saved one of the four efforts he faced from the spot to ensure that Lionel Scaloni's men were crowned world champions for a third time in their history.

He was also awarded the tournament's Golden Glove after recording three clean sheets during his country's route to their most recent international glory in Qatar.

Martinez's record in shootouts with Argentina is 10 saves from 24 attempts faced which were key against France as well as the Netherlands in the 2022 quarter-final.

For club as well as country, the 33-year-old boasts an impressive record with four combined victories and his last defeat coming in the Carabao Cup with Arsenal in 2019.

However Martinez's record from penalties in open play with Argentina is less inspiring, having conceded five of six penalties he has faced in all competitions.

England captain Harry Kane is among those to have the better of Martinez after converting both of his efforts from 12 yards while still a Tottenham player.

The Bayern Munich forward has already converted his two penalties at this World Cup, beating Mexico's Raul Rangel and Dominik Livakovic of Croatia.

Until now, Lionel Messi and England had appeared destined to remain star-crossed.

The prospect of the greatest player in a generation, if not all time, and the birthplace of football never tangling threatened to go down as one of the game's biggest unknowns before they were finally brought together for Wednesday's World Cup semi-final.

Fate, or rather foolishness, conspired against Messi and England doing battle over two decades earlier as he missed their balmy 2005 friendly through suspension after picking up a red card just two minutes into his international debut.

But while good things come to those who wait, this long-awaited and much-sought contest may feel like a potentially unfair fight with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner facing a resurgent Three Lions while hurtling towards the wrong side of 40.

The Inter Miami star, however, is in the form of his international life as the prospect of immortality as the first successive World Cup-winning captain since 1962 stands tantalisingly close - if he can overcome the might of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

He is football's very own Benjamin Button; defying the sands of Father Time to break records which will outlast even some of the bona fide greats of the 'beautiful game'.

This summer has been no exception with eight goals and two assists putting him clear of Kylian Mbappe as the World Cup's new all-time top scorer even before the France captain bowed out against Spain.

Messi, unlike his longstanding nemesis and fellow World Cup elder statesman Cristiano Ronaldo, has disproved the theory that a 'Last Dance' automatically equates to slowing his role despite walking 47% of his distances covered at the tournament.

Less is officially more where the 39-year-old is concerned as evidenced by a combined 54 chances created to date - matching Diego Maradona's exploits in 1986, when the Albiceleste put England to the sword en route to glory at Mexico's Estadio Azteca.

Since the 2014 World Cup, his attacking prowess has risen incrementally with his current touches in the opposition's box now averaging 6.28 touches per 90 minutes.

Thomas Tuchel's side will also have their work cut out shackling a player who has 16 goals and seven assists in his last 15 World Cup outings while forewarned is not necessarily forearmed for the Premier League players he has routinely tormented.

He may not have realised the oft-quoted cliche of hacking it on cold and rainy night in Stoke but Messi has been the bête noire of the English top flight's traditional 'big six' clubs with 33 goal involvements - 27 goals and six assists - in 36 meetings overall.

Only those capable of suffocating the spaces which Argentina's talisman looks to exploit in games were able to cut off his supply, as Liverpool successfully did in Barcelona's infamous Champions League semi-final capitulation back in 2019.

Yet Messi's ability to lull opponents into a false sense of security before flicking a switch means he can never truly be counted out of any game, as Egypt discovered to their peril.

It evokes a memorable line from The Simpsons about the little guy who hasn't done anything yet but he's going to do something and you know it's gonna be good.

Atlanta's air-conditioned stadium may not be the Potteries but Messi can finally show England why their date with destiny was more than two decades in the making.

Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have officially been sent home from the 2026 World Cup by organisers FIFA.

The tournament ends prematurely for the pair due to an overlap of England's progression at the World Cup and geopolitical history.

The decision was made following the result of the quarter-finals, which confirmed a semi-final between England and Argentina on July 15.

English referees blocked from further World Cup responsibilities

Under FIFA's conflict-of-interest protocols, no official is permitted to referee a match involving their home country. Consequently, that ruled Oliver and Taylor out of taking charge of the highly anticipated semi-final.

However, it is FIFA's longstanding stance on Anglo-Argentine relations that excludes the pair from any further tournament involvement, including the World Cup Final.

Political sensitivities surrounding the 1982 Falklands War, which was fought over British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, remains an active factor when making refereeing appointments.

To maintain complete diplomatic neutrality on the pitch, FIFA policy prohibits English officials from refereeing Argentina fixtures, and vice versa - which means Argentine official Facundo Tello has also received his curtain call at this tournament.

Even if Argentina were to beat England in the semi-final and progress to the final, neither Oliver nor Taylor would be eligible to referee the match against Spain.

Oliver has overseen four matches at this World Cup, including the quarter-final between Spain and Belgium. Taylor, meanwhile, has taken charge of three.

The USA's Ismail Elfath has instead been appointed to officiate England versus Argentina this evening.

The 2026 World Cup's 'Bronze Final' - otherwise known as the third-place play-off - will see Golden Boot nominee Kylian Mbappe vie to remain top of the goalscoring standings at this tournament.

France were eliminated at the semi-final stage on Tuesday by an organised and ruthless Spain outfit who nullified the French threat with efficiency.

Mbappe has scored 20 goals at the World Cup, including eight at the 2026 edition, putting him in pole position to be crowned top scorer - but if he nets in the third-place play-off, will they count towards his tournament total?

Do goals scored in the third place play-off count towards the Golden Boot?

While many write off the third-place play-off as the match nobody wants to be in, it remains a fully sanctioned World Cup fixture.

That means any goals scored in the bronze-medal game absolutely count toward the Golden Boot race. After all, a goal is a goal. But not if it's scored in a shootout.

Race for the Golden Boot 2026

• Kylian Mbappe (8 goals)
• Lionel Messi (8 goals)
• Erling Haaland (7 goals)
• Jude Bellingham (6 goals)
• Harry Kane (6 goals)

Who was the first Golden Boot winner to score in the third place play-off?

Brazil's Leonidas was the first Golden Boot winner to score in the World Cup third place play-off.

The man who was said to have invented the bicycle kick bagged a brace as the Selecao beat Sweden 4-2 to finish third at the 1938 tournament.

Davor Suker remains the last Golden Boot winner to find the net in a World Cup third-place play-off, scoring Croatia's winner against the Netherlands in 1998.

Since then, only two other Golden Boot recipients have featured in the bronze-medal match have been Germany’s Miroslav Klose in 2006 and England’s Harry Kane in 2018, but neither finished the game by adding to their tournament tallies.

Diego Forlan and Thomas Muller both struck in the 2010 third-place match, but did so as part of a four-way draw for the tournament's top scorer prize, with Muller ultimately claiming the official Golden Boot trophy thanks to his superior assist tally.

France's big name players failed to show up against Spain as they were beaten in the World Cup semi-final in Dallas.

The two-time world champions were beaten 2-0 and Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and co were all found wanting as Spain ran out comfortable winners.

Mikel Oyarzabal punished Les Bleus midway through the first half from the penalty spot after Lucas Digne had clumsily kicked out at Lamine Yamal in the area.

Patrick Vieira hits out at France's semi-final display

Pedro Porro doubled Spain's lead in just before the hour mark and Patrick Vieira could not hold back his disappointment at France failing to make the final.

The game marked the first time Didier Deschamps' side had fallen behind in this World Cup, ending a run of six matches in succession en route to the last-four stage.

France failed to register a shot on target until the 81st minute at Dallas Stadium and were regularly put under pressure by the European champions.

Former France international Vieira reacted to his country's showing and did not hold back in his assessment of the account they gave of themselves in Arlington.

The ex-Arsenal midfielder won the World Cup alongside Deschamps as a player in 1998 but did not spare his former teammate's charges on their latest showing.

Vieira said on ITV: "It was a big expectation of France to win the World Cup. We are all really disappointed by the result but mostly by the performance because we needed our top players to perform today and they didn't do it.

"It wasn't one or two that were missing, all of them were missing. Collectively we were really bad."

France suffered a second setback before the break as Arsenal's William Saliba had to be substituted due to an apparent back problem picked up while on the pitch.

The defender was replaced by Crystal Palace counterpart Maxence Lacroix as Deschamps' side tried in vain to overturn their deficit and reach Sunday's final.

Speaking at half time, Vieira said: "I think the French team didn't turn up in this first half.

"I think it's a huge disappointment, regarding the quality that they've showed so far in the tournament. I think they have to play with a little bit more intensity. They have to put that Spanish team a little bit more under pressure.

Meanwhile Gary Neville was full of praise for Spain as they made it through to the second successive major final - after winning the Euros in Germany two year's ago.

And the former Manchester United and England defender was full of praise for Porro and Marc Cucurella.

Speaking on ITV, he said: "Absolutely incredible performance from Spain.

"I'm going to bring it back to my favourite topic which is full-backs and the biggest differential between both teams can be told through stories of the full-backs.

"[Pedro] Porro and [Marc] Cucurella have been absolutely outstanding against those French wide players and Lucas Digne really struggled against Lamine Yamal. We talked before the game about if he can turn up in the biggest moments and today he has done.

"We're a little bit in shock here because we all had France [to win] and they have been blown away."

France's World Cup semi-final against Spain has gone from bad to worse.

Two-time world champions France fell behind to Spain midway through the first half of Tuesday's World Cup semi-final in Dallas after Lucas Digne conceded a penalty.

Mikel Oyarzabal handed La Roja the upper hand from the spot in the 22nd minute before Didier Deschamps' side suffered another setback after the hydration break.

William Saliba suffers World Cup semi-final blow

Les Bleus were forced into an early change as William Saliba had to be withdrawn on the half-hour mark with Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix replacing him.

The Arsenal defender had been among his country's best performers as they aim to reach a third successive World Cup final in this summer's 48-team tournament.

He was integral in France joining Spain as the only nations not to fall behind at any stage of their respective journeys in this year's competition prior to Tuesday night.

But Saliba's World Cup involvement was brought to a premature end as he slumped on the turf with no one near him and began to signal a back injury to the bench.

The 25-year-old has endured back issues throughout the tournament with France reportedly modifying his training schedule in between games as a consequence.

Despite the problem, Saliba was a near ever-present for his country and was able to complete 90 minutes in five of their opening six matches at the tournament.

He also featured 50 times in all competitions last season as Arsenal ended a 22-year wait to win the Premier League and reached the Champions League final.

Fans of Mikel Arteta's side will be hoping Saliba's setback does not keep him out of France's potential World Cup final involvement as well as their upcoming campaign.

The English champions are set to face Manchester City in the Community Shield on 16 August before beginning their title defence against Coventry City on 21 August.

The World Cup is the ultimate global showcase of the beautiful game. On the pitch, it’s the pinnacle of hundreds of careers every four years. The purity of international football is unmatched.

It’s also a commercial behemoth operating at the apex of sport and sponsorship, with official partners investing heavily while the sun shines and a bottomless pit full of brands big and small completely missing the point.

Watch any commercial break during a World Cup game and you’ll see an avalanche of football fakery: fake fans doing fake fan things like absolute lads – nobody watches England in the pub wearing war paint – and stylised football that bears no resemblance to the real thing.

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Celebrating the scorpion kick

You’re likely to see some outlandish manoeuvres in football-adjacent advertising. Counter-attacks routinely end with bicycle kicks for some reason, and players riding slide tackles using a bizarre array of toe drags.

You might even see a scorpion kick, portrayed as a normal skill deployed by players to frame them as something a bit special. It’s not normal. Most football supporters around the world will make it from birth to the grave without ever seeing one in the flesh.

But the thing about the scorpion kick is it is, at least, a real thing. It does happen, and when it happens it’s both a useful improvisation and a visually jaw-dropping technique.

There are two different kinds of scorpion kick.

The first, the one that’s represented in the otherworldly environment of football-based ads, is very occasionally used by an outfield player to pull off a shot on goal where none appears possible.

With the ball in the air, above waist height and behind the run of a player facing towards the opposition goal, the ambitious attacker chooses to throw themselves forward and hook a foot upwards behind their back.

The player’s foot strikes the ball towards goal while behind the back and higher than the head, a move referred to as the scorpion kick because it resembles the curled tail of a scorpion poised to sting.

Dominic Solanke, Olivier Giroud and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all scored variations of the scorpion kick in the Premier League, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it look standard while playing for Paris Saint-Germain.

The second type of scorpion kick and perhaps the one best associated with the term, belongs wholly to the legendary Colombia goalkeeper Rene Higuita, who took the skill to a whole new level during a dreadful international friendly against England at Wembley in 1995.

Higuita, sporting a very heavy-duty pair of tracksuit bottoms, dived forward and watched a mis-hit Jamie Redknapp cross float over his head before hooking both feet upward behind him and clearing the ball off the line.

It was a beautiful moment of stunning skill often said to be in vain because the target of Redknapp’s cross might have been offside.

It was later revealed that the goal would have counted if the cross had drifted in directly, with the referee not having blown his whistle as reported.

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is yet to make an appearance at World Cup 2026 and stands out as the only England midfielder not to have played a single minute.

Mainoo revived his season in the Premier League after the hiring of Michael Carrick as United’s interim head coach, an appointment since made permanent. The 21-year-old had experienced stagnation under Ruben Amorim but played his way back into the England picture.

Despite having 14 senior caps to his name and being a central midfield specialist, Mainoo has not been deployed as a fix for any of the multitude of midfield puzzles faced by England boss Thomas Tuchel in the United States and Mexico this summer.

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Tuchel has overlooked Mainoo at the World Cup

England have an established first-choice midfield pairing in the form of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson but Tuchel has had to use his squad in an extended tournament, in which England have reached the semi-finals and will therefore play eight games in total, and because of Rice’s illness.

The Arsenal midfielder had to be substituted at half time during England’s quarter-final win over Norway and was replaced by clubmate Eberechi Eze. When Anthony Gordon was withdrawn after 71 minutes, Reece James came on to slot into the midfield, rather than Mainoo, with Eze moving out wide.

Jude Bellingham has joined the ranks of players who’ve appeared in the middle for England at the World Cup as Mainoo looks on from the bench.

36-year-old Jordan Henderson played a handful of minutes as a substitute against Panama at the end of the group stage. Even risking Rice himself against Norway was an indication that Mainoo isn’t seen as a viable option.

Exacerbated by the idea that England might have benefited from having another right-back in the squad – Trent Alexander-Arnold is the most frequently cited candidate but has also played in midfield for the Three Lions, albeit without success – Mainoo’s inclusion with no apparent prospect of playing has been criticised.

Nevertheless, former United and England midfielder Paul Scholes doesn’t want Mainoo’s fortunes to change as Rice races to be available for the semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday.

“It seems like it’s anybody but Kobbie Mainoo for Thomas Tuchel,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football.

“Only Tuchel will know why. I can’t imagine Kobbie being a problem in the camp. Every manager has their favourites.

“I actually hope Kobbie Mainoo doesn’t come on now because he’s probably so down, he’s not played and he’s not kicked a football in a real game. He’s been training, obviously, but if he goes in now the only thing he can do is bad.”

For all the discussion about Mainoo’s World Cup role, England are still standing and have an opportunity to reach the final on foreign soil for the first time in their 76-year history with the competition.

In that sense, it’s certainly true that Tuchel is thus far meeting his brief and could yet achieve his objective in delivering a second World Cup for England. Mainoo’s lack of involvement is neither here nor there.

It is a curious situation, however. Tuchel hasn’t inherited a player he doesn’t rate or wouldn’t have chosen. The England manager alone is responsible for selecting the World Cup squad and brought Mainoo back into the fold.

As you might imagine, a lot of work has gone into FourFourTwo's Top 100 footballers of all-time list over the years. It's a labour of love that needs regular attention.

The standard of the modern game gets nudged higher every passing year, and that means new candidates for a coveted spot in our Top 100 list to be considered.

Any player with presence in this list is rubbing shoulders with the greatest humans to ever kick a football. It will be given a fresh review after the 2026 World Cup, but for the time being, it's set in stone, and that's given us the opportunity to have some fun and test you, our readers.

Create the Ultimate 4-4-2 formation

Above we've arranged all 100 players that feature in our list into their positions: GK, DEF, MID and ST. Pick your line-up, and it will generate a percentage score.

The higher your individual picks rank in our top 100 list, the higher your percentage.

Can you score 100? No cheating!

Lionel Messi will face England for the first time ever in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

The 39-year-old has a storied international career, playing 205 times for Argentina, with not a single one of them coming against the Three Lions. If Argentina lose on Wednesday, it's highly likely England will be the nation who end the great man's international career.

He has, however, played against English teams several times in the Champions League during his time at Barcelona and PSG, and quite frankly has an absurd record against some of the Premier League’s best.

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Arsenal

• Games: 6
• Wins: 4
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 1
• Goals: 9
• Assists: 1

Lionel Messi has played against Arsenal six times in the Champions League.

Across those games he has scored nine times, including one four goal haul in the 2009/10 quarter-finals.

He was only on the losing side once in 2011, winning four of his clashes with the Gunners and drawing one.

Chelsea

• Games: 10
• Wins: 2
• Draws: 6
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 3
• Assists: 3

Arsenal’s London rivals are one of Messi’s least favourite English clubs to face. Across 10 games, he only won twice, his first game against them in 2006 and his last game against them in 2018. Whilst he did not lose much, he drew six of the 10 games.

The game in 2018 was a last 16 clash in the Champions League, with the first leg at Stamford Bridge being the first time that he had scored against the Blues in his career.

Of course Messi was on the pitch for Fernando Torres’ famous goal which coincided with the birth of Gary Neville’s “ooooohhhh”’s.

Liverpool

• Games: 4
• Wins: 2
• Draws: 0
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 0

Messi will have some of his best footballing memories, and some his worst against Liverpool.

When they faced off in the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final, Messi scored a brace in the first leg, with his second being a stunning free-kick that brought up his 600th career goal.

However, the return leg saw Liverpool overturn the three goal deficit and advance to the final in Madrid, with Messi being involved in several altercations with Andy Robertson throughout the match.

Manchester City

• Games: 8
• Wins: 6
• Draws: 0
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 7
• Assists: 2

Messi first played Man City in 2014 in the knockout stage of the Champions League, where he scored home and away.

In 2017, the first time he faced off against Pep Guardiola, he scored a hat-trick as Barcelona ran out 4-0 winners.

Then in 2021, he scored his first PSG goal against Man City in a group game at the Parc des Prince.

Manchester United

• Games: 6
• Wins: 4
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 1
• Goals: 4
• Assists: 0

Perhaps one of Messi's most memorable performances was against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final.

At the home of English football, he ran the show from minute one, making a very good defender in Rio Ferdinand look very average.

He had also done so in Rome in 2009, where he scored what is probably his most famous header to help Barcelona win the Champions League.

Tottenham

• Games: 2
• Wins: 1
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 0
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 0

When Messi faced Tottenham for the first time, they were playing out of Wembley Stadium while they waited for their new stadium to be built.

Of course he had previous there, with a stunning performance in the 2011 Champions League final against Man United, but he once again made the home of English football his own with a fine display, capped off with two goals.

When Tottenham visited the Camp Nou, they held out for a draw, which was enough to send them through second in the group.

Which members of the current England squad have played against Messi?

Several members of England’s squad have played against Messi during his career.

John Stones has played against him the most, making four appearances for Man City against Messi.

Harry Kane played in both games as Tottenham faced Barcelona in the group stages of the 2018/19 Champions League.

Marcus Rashford played for Manchester United as they took on Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the competition that year.

Jordan Henderson was Liverpool captain the night they overturned the 4-0 deficit in the semi-finals.

Then in 2023 whilst on loan at Rennes, Djed Spence featured in a famous away win against PSG. Spence himself only played 78 minutes before being subbed off. He played at right-back behind Desire Doue, who now plays, and stars in PSG’s attack.

Michail Antonio has opened up about his move to Qatar following leaving West Ham in 2025.

The striker was involved in a devastating car crash which saw him suffer a gruesome leg break and ultimately led to him leaving the London Stadium.

He trained with several clubs in England before moving overseas, but signed for Al Sailiya in March 2026 only to arrive in Qatar just as the conflict between the US and Iran started.

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"Seeing rockets fly past... that was scary!" Antonio opens up on first few days in Qatar

Antonio had continued to train with West Ham to aid his rehabilitation from the injury which he suffered in December 2024, playing for their under-21 side in August, but ultimately had to wait until March 2026 before signing for a new team.

Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo he said: “Every club I trained with wanted to sign me – I knew I still had the quality. The first club I trained with was Brentford – they offered me a contract, but I got injured. Leicester offered me a contract, but I got injured.

“Charlton also offered me a contract, but I ended up going out to Qatar because that was something I needed, and I really enjoyed it out there. It was a great lifestyle, a good way to build myself back into football.”

It didn’t start how he would have wished, however, with the US and Iran entering a conflict that plunged the Middle East into uncertainty for several months.

“On the very first day of the war, I was looking out of my hotel room, seeing rockets fly past,” he told FourFourTwo.

“The hotel would shake when they were getting blocked. That was scary, but it was completely fine other than that day. Later in life, after I do my presenting and stuff like that, I’ll probably end up retiring out there.”

Whilst not officially retired, Antonio has been making plans for what to do when time does come to hang up his boots.

“I have a kinetics business that works on people’s movements, which we’re trying to grow and get into football clubs.

"I’ve also got a tequila company I have shares in, and the Samba Stars Academy out in Ghana – one of our players [Listowell Lord Hinneh] signed for Middlesbrough recently.

"My agent and I have partnered up on a couple of things, and there’s another business I’m starting too, plus the pundit and presenting side of things.”

He was part of the TNT Sports team for the 2025/26 season, helping on domestic and European coverage.

The World Cup final is football’s biggest game.

Every action will be analysed, as well as every decision by the referee and it is therefore vital FIFA get the appointment of the match officials correct.

With the game still a few days away we look ahead to who might be given the opportunity.

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Who will referee the World Cup final

One thing is for sure, neither Michael Oliver or Anthony Taylor will not be refereeing the final, even if England do not reach it.

They are not allowed to referee any games that England take part in, but they are also banned from officiating any Argentina games due to the tensions surrounding the Falklands War in 1982.

It is also unlikely to be Ivan Barton, who refereed the first semi-final between France and Spain. The Salvadoran referee has taken charge of three games already at the tournament, including Turkey’s clash with Paraguay where he sent off Miguel Almiron for covering his mouth when in confrontation with Mert Muldur.

Ismail Elfath will referee England vs Argentina, so will again be unlikely to be given the assignment of the final.

FIFA have also tried to keep a confederation neutrality rule in place for the tournament. Should two teams from two different confederations be playing, they have tried to ensure the referee is from another confederation worldwide.

The only time this was broken is when Argentina (CONMEBOL) faced Switzerland (UEFA) and Portugal’s Joao Pinheiro was in charge.

When England played Croatia and Norway, Clement Turpin was the official at the heart of the action, but because they are both European and so is he, it is not seen as a major issue. Therefore, should it be England who play Spain, he would likely be eligible.

So who are some of the favourites to take charge of the final?

Szymon Marcinak

Polish referee Macinak took charge of the 2022 World Cup final and would make history should he be appointed as he would be the first man ever to referee two finals.

In 2022 he gave three penalties in the final, one to Argentina and two to France and has taken charge of several other games at the tournament so far, including Argentina’s game against Algeria in the group where he did not send off Lionel Messi.

In 2023 he refereed the Champions League final as well as the Club World Cup final. He is more likely to get the game should it be England against Spain, given FIFA’s confederation neutrality stance.

Alireza Faghani

England fans will be all too familiar with Faghani who sent off Jarell Quansah in the Three Lions epic win over Mexico in the Azteca.

Faghani is likely one of the front runners for the appointment on 19 July given he has already refereed some high profile games at the tournament this summer including France vs Senegal, Colombia vs Portugal and England vs Mexico.

In the France vs Senegal game he decided to not give a penalty for a challenge on Kylian Mbappe despite being recommended a review by his VAR team and watching a replay at the pitch side monitor.

FIFA may take this as a sign of strength and trust him to take charge of the most important game in football.

Clement Turpin

Should England make the final and Turpin be appointed much will be made of Thomas Tuchel previous comments regarding his officiating.

Tuchel said, "I'd give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible," after he sent him from the touchline in 2023 during a clash between Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

He has previously taken charge of the Europa League and Champions League final, so would be arriving with plenty of big game experience.

With France being eliminated in the semi-final, and now playing in the third place play-off, it opens up the opportunity for Turpin, who is French, to take charge of the final.

Football fans will also point out he has a striking resemblance to Arsenal and Belgium’s Leandro Trossard, and we are pretty sure they aren’t related.

Michail Antonio had admitted that he felt abandoned by West Ham after suffering a devastating car crash in December 2024.

The forward was entering the final months of his contract with the Hammers when he suffered the accident which saw him suffer a gruesome leg break.

The aftermath of the incident saw a complete breakdown in his relationship with West Ham’s then-boss Graham Potter, as Antonio’s ten-year tenure in east London came to an end.

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Antonio on his West Ham rejection

Potter had replaced Julen Lopetegui as Hammers boss during Antonio’s recovery, and while he clearly did not see eye to eye with the now-Sweden coach, his first blow came when the club’s former chairman Karren Brady made an initial contract offer.

“Karren Brady told me that she’d offer me a £5,000-a-week contract, but with the under-21s, not the first team,” Antonio tells FourFourTwo. “I said, “How can you offer £5,000 a week and tell me to play for the under-21s, when the under-21s are on more than that and I’ve been at this club for 10 years?” Her response was, “Well, they haven’t been in a car crash and shattered their leg.” I was like, “Oof, OK…” I didn’t sign the contract.”

It was soon clear that Potter did not see the 36-year-old as part of his plans.

“Graham Potter tried to stop me coming to the training ground for the rest of my contract because I made a comment during something I did with TNT, the same comment that I’d been making for years, about how clubs treat players like meat. As soon as a player starts getting stale, the club want to release them. I said that on TNT, went in the next day and Graham pulled me into his office.

“He said, 'I think it’s best that you don’t come back in here.' I told him, 'Well I will be, because you guys have a duty of care to me and I know I’m allowed to be here, so I’ll see you tomorrow.' It was an argument and, from that day, we never even said hello to each other, and never spoke again.”

With Antonio having played more than 300 times for the club over the past decade, it upset him that Potter viewed him as being negative and not wanting West Ham to succeed.

“Exactly,” he agrees. “I was in there, making jokes with the boys and he could see that. My character is always to try to make people happy. Boys were messaging me when I didn’t have a club, saying, “It would be good for you to be back here.”

“He just had a problem with me, he never actually knew me – he came in after my car crash and during that period I wasn’t really in the club, I was doing rehab in Dubai or Manchester, I might have been at the club maybe once a month for a week, so he never got to know me.”

It is perhaps little surprise that Antonio agrees that Potter was the reason that West Ham were sliding to their eventual relegation.

“Definitely,” he continues. “He made the decision to get rid of all of the senior players. Me, Aaron Cresswell, Vladi Coufal, Edson Alvarez – he got rid of all of the players who were leaders. And then within a month of the season starting, he said, “We’ve got no leaders.” How does that even make any sense? How can you get rid of all the leaders, then go, “We have no leaders in the changing room.” It was your doing!”

Michail Antonio’s autobiography 'Humans Not Robots', published by HarperCollins, is available now

Guus Hiddink’s place in South Korean history is assured after the Dutchman guided the nation to a remarkable fourth-place finish at the 2002 World Cup.

Hiddink took over a Taegeuk Warriors side that had never progressed past the group stage at a World Cup and transformed them into one of the greatest underdog stories in the tournament’s history, defeating the likes of Italy and Spain along the way.

More than two decades on, Hiddink has opened up on just how extraordinary the reaction was back in South Korea, culminating in the offer of a villa on a volcanic island.

How Hiddink became South Korea’s favourite adopted son

This collective affection shown towards Hiddink went far beyond football, as the former Chelsea and PSV boss admits that he was sometimes overawed by the level of adoration he received.

“Sometimes, I found it a bit awkward how people in South Korea looked at me and how happy they were with me,” he tells FourFourTwo. “They called me in Korean the ‘Boss of Bosses’. I thought, ‘Yes, now it’s really enough.’

“A newspaper also suggested a Korean name for me, and there were banners put up in the stadiums saying “Hie Dung-gu for president”. Some people said that I would have made a good presidential candidate if I’d become naturalised. All nonsense.

“I was also made an honorary citizen of Seoul and offered all sorts of things. It’s not polite to refuse, but I couldn’t accept everything. I was offered a villa on the volcanic island of Jeju, but didn’t see myself going there for a weekend if I returned to Europe.”

Despite these jokes and attention, Hiddink is happy to maintain a close relationship with the country.

“I return to South Korea once or twice a year,” he continues. “Each time, I’m welcomed with open arms. With the initiative of my partner, we set up the Guus Hiddink Foundation. We’ve had several football pitches built in South Korea, including ones for blind children. They can play on specially adapted fields that have padded walls and balls with bells inside them. I once tried it myself, blindfolded, but I didn’t move an inch.

“We also hoped to do something with our foundation in North Korea. I’ve been there, too, and trucks with materials were already waiting, but for political reasons it didn’t happen. After the 2002 World Cup, by the way, we even played a friendly against North Korea in Seoul.

“That was a special moment. The night before, there was a dinner with both the South Korean and North Korean teams. There was a lot of supervision on their side – or rather, security. They didn’t want any of their players to run away. The game ended as a diplomatic 0-0!”

Hiddink’s impact was not limited to just South Korea, as his quiet Dutch hometown has become an unlikely tourist destination.

“My birthplace, Varsseveld, in the Dutch countryside, also attracted many South Korean tourists because of the 2002 World Cup. My oldest brother, who sadly has passed away, was very commercially savvy – he came up with the idea of selling little jars of soil that I’d walked on.

“That actually went quite well. My family – I grew up with five brothers – followed all of my adventures closely.”

The play alongside one generational talent is something, but to be team-mates with two is stuff of dreams.

But former France international Youri Djorkaeff was able to play alongside two modern-day legends for both club and country.

With Les Bleus, Djorkaeff was able to forge a devastating partnership with Zinedine Zidane, but despite everything the pair achieved together, even Zizou does not match up to one of his club team-mates.

Djorkaeff on Ronaldo vs Zidane

Djorkaeff and Zidane lined up together 49 times for France, during which time the team won successive international tournaments, as they followed up their historic 1998 World Cup victory on home soil with their European Championship two summers later.

He believes that the pair of them were following on from a long French tradition of producing world-class midfield talents, with Zidane’s emergence being the final ingredient that turned a talented squad into world champions.

“It was extremely easy playing next to Zidane,” he tells FourFourTwo. “France has always had a tradition of producing elite midfielders.

“I grew up watching the 1982 generation with Jean Tigana, and then 1986 with Platini and Luis Fernandez. Zidane was the missing piece – the organiser the team needed.”

Djorkaeff also believes that their partnership flourished because both players understood their respective roles.

“With his talent and vision, he was the link between the defence and frontline. I was more a final-third player – I scored many goals from his assists, he scored quite a few from mine.

“Our connection was one of the most important partnerships of that era.”

But for all the success that Djorkaeff had playing alongside Zidane, he does not hesitate when asked to select between his international partner and his former club team-mate at Inter Milan, Ronaldo.

Djorkaeff turned out alongside the Brazilian forward 53 times for Inter between 1997 and 1999 and insists that there is a clear winner when it comes to the debate over which player was better.

“It may sound hard to believe, but the answer is simple: Ronaldo,” he claims. “He was the best in the world. Even if you ask Zidane, I’m sure he’d say the same.”

Jeremy Doku step up from being a promising youngster at Anderlecht to a key player for both Manchester City and Belgium has been largely built on the strongest part of his game: his ability to beat defenders with the ball at his feet.

Right from his days playing on the streets of Antwerp, it quickly became clear that the winger had a dribbling style that set him apart from his contemporaries.

Doku himself believes that this natural gift has been shaped by family influences and his idols within the game.

Doku on his childhood dribbling ability

“It’s a gift, I didn’t train it,” the Manchester City winger admits to FourFourTwo. “I realised that football was the purpose that the Lord has put on my life. It’s a talent that has been given to me.”

Sometimes, when he was growing up, that talent manifested itself in humorous ways. “At a young age, I liked to dribble, and I got a lot of criticism from other parents because I didn’t pass the ball to their children!” he smiles.

“That was sometimes frustrating for my parents as well, on the side watching the game, because the other parents were always complaining. But then they saw that I was helping the team, that I was just using the talent that’s been given to me, and that it was working out.”

Doku is the biggest star of Belgium’s next generation and continues to play with the same passion and joy that he’s had since childhood.

“I used to play a lot on the street with my brother – I played futsal too, and it all contributed to who you see now,” he explains. “Now I try to reproduce that on the pitch. With my soul.”

Doku is of Ghanaian descent, and it was during a family trip to the West African country that his love for football began. “I think I was five years old, we were in Ghana and my brother was playing with some people,” he explains.

“I wanted to play, but they said that I was too young and I’d hurt myself, so I was crying and angry. But my dad told me, ‘Don’t worry, when we’re back in Belgium, I’ll put you in a team.’

“The neighbourhood I grew up in was a bit rough – he didn’t want me to go onto the streets and do bad stuff. But he saw I was quite good, and I started to love playing.”

Doku’s heroes were two of the best dribblers of the past couple of decades. “My favourite was always Messi – to this day, I love the way he plays,” he tells us.

“In Belgium, Eden Hazard was the guy I could see some of myself in – I wanted to have that role in the national team.”

When you're 39 years old and the end of your playing days are in sight, there is always a chance you wake up and realise the spark has gone out.

That is a question Lionel Messi will need to consider over this final week of the World Cup - whether Argentina successfully defend their title or not.

Whether it's going out on a high or feeling he simply has nothing left to prove, the question is: will Messi decide to retire after the World Cup?

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami contract complicates retirement picture

The decision may not come down to purely footballing considerations, however.

Messi is the third highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes, and while only some of that comes from his actual playing contract at Inter Miami, he is clearly worth a lot more while he is still active than he will be after he retires.

There's a potential bit of future-proofing at play, too. Messi's previous contract with Inter Miami was set to expire at the end of 2025, but he signed a new three-year deal to extend his stay instead.

That new contract will not run out until he is 41 years old, and in the absence of any other evidence in either direction, is the strongest suggestion that he sees himself playing beyond the World Cup.

However, that situation could be complicated by the actual terms of his deal, which contains a couple of out-of-the-ordinary clauses.

It was reported when he made the move to Florida that Messi would receive a share of the revenue brought in from MLS media partner Apple.

Crucially, Messi is also believed to be in line to receive ownership stake in the club upon his retirement under the terms of his initial move.

However, it is not clear what the exact terms of that arrangement are, or whether the extension he signed in 2025 changes any part of it.

For instance, it is not known what percentage Messi is due to receive; whether he would get it automatically, or merely an option to take up a share of the club; whether he must pay for it; or whether ending his contract early by choosing to retire would affect his standing.

For now, then, only Messi himself may know what his intentions are - and even those may be subject to change.

Erling Haaland has came a long way: now tearing defenders to shreds in the Premier League with Manchester City, and international giants on the largest of stages with Norway at the 2026 World Cup.

The hulking Norwegian, who seemingly bodies defenders with ease, is the son of Alf-Inge Haaland, who played for Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Bryne.

As a result, Erling grew up a supporter of Leeds, and began his own footballing career with Bryne at youth level.

Who is Erling Haaland? Inside story of Norway and Manchester City striker hoping to dump England out of the 2026 World Cup

Haaland came through the Norwegian side's youth system from 2005 to 2016, before breaking into their first team in 2017. He moved to Molde, also in Norway, and repeated the process in 2019.

From there, the Norwegian alerted the wider world to his existence while playing with Red Bull Salzburg in the Bundesliga, where he bagged 29 goals in just 27 appearances.

Premier League fans might recall a certain game, against Liverpool in the 2019/20 season, when Haaland scored the third in a near comeback from 3-0 down against the title-winning Reds.

Jurgen Klopp's men scored via Mohamed Salah in the second half to win 4-3, but Haaland stamped his mark on the Champions League stage.

Shortly after, not before winning Footballer of the Year with Salzburg, Haaland packed his bags and moved to Borussia Dortmund, scoring an astounding 86 goals in 89 games, with England's Jude Bellingham his partner in crime for much of his stint.

Despite his physically imposing nature, and his scary goalscoring ability, his youth coach from Norway recently described him as a 'skinny little thing' as a child.

Espen Undheim revealed: "He loves the moments. He still thinks [like] a boy, and acts like a boy. That's very important to keep the hunger... he loved to score goals, as a young boy.

Haaland made the move to the Premier League, winning PFA Players' Player of the Year in his debut season with the Cityzens, and breaking the English top-flight's goal record in a 38-game season, previously held by Salah.

The Norwegian led City to a treble, and broke their Champions League title curse, then followed it up in 2023/24 with another Golden Boot and Premier League trophy.

For Norway, Haaland's still astonishing output has gone under the radar across his international career, but it has been present in droves.

At the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019, the bagsman hit nine goals in one game, during a 12-0 victory over Honduras.

In World Cup qualifying ahead of the 2026 edition, Haaland found the back of the 16 times in eight matches, scoring five versus Moldova.

Among other career highlights was his screamer of a finish against PSG in the Champions League with Dortmund, which created a sound unlike any other as the ball hit net.

Haaland also bagged five in one Champions League game for City, in a 7-0 victory against RB Leipzig, en-route to an elusive European trophy lift with Pep Guardiola's men.

The Norwegian is one of the most prolific goal-scorers of all time, and it is almost certain he will end his career as the greatest, purest bagsman in football history.

The referee for Norway vs England is Clement Turpin, a respected and experience official from France.

Norway and England are set to fight it out for a place in the World Cup semi-final, where the winner will face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on July 15.

England topped their group with wins over Croatia and Panama and a draw with Ghana, and in the knock out rounds the Three Lions edged past DR Congo and then put in a very impressive display against Mexico in Mexico City.

Referee confirmed for Norway vs England clash

For Norway, who are playing in their first World Cup since 1998, and wins over Iraq and Senegal saw them through the group stage, despite a 4-1 defeat by France. They then beat Ivory Coast and then Erling Haaland scored twice in a 2-1 win over five times World Cup winners Brazil.

But who will be in charge of their encounter at Miami Stadium?

Turpin has been appointed to oversee this clash, having been a FIFA-listed referee since 2010 and joined UEFA's Elite group in 2012.

The Frenchman boasts experience of 674 competitive matches with most of them taking place in his native Ligue 1 but is also well versed in major international fixtures.

He has been assigned to matches at three World Cups including two group games of this year's tournament - including England's opener with Croatia - as well as Colombia vs Ghana, as well as European Championship matches in 2021 and 2024.

Turpin also officiated successive European showpieces including the 2021 Europa League final before being handed the Champions League final in Paris just 12 months later.

The 44-year-old is one of the more measured referees when it comes to disciplinary action with his yellow card count averaging out at just over three per game.

He will be assisted by compatriots Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages as part of a European line-up for the clash between the teams from Northern Europe.

Spanish duo Alejandro Hernandez and Jose Enrique Naranjo have been named as fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively ahead of the showdown.