Over the past two decades, Spain have inflicted plenty of trauma and heartbreak on the Portuguese national team. La Roja beat Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup en route to their maiden title.

Two years later, Spain edged past their Iberian neighbours on penalties to secure their spot in the European Championship Final, where the team secured a third-consecutive major trophy after Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

Portugal might have expected that pattern to change after beating Spain on penalties in the 2025 UEFA Nations League Final — the last time Spain suffered a defeat.

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But at the 2026 World Cup in Dallas, Spain put an end to Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dreams, perhaps once and for all.

“I leave with a clear conscience,” Ronaldo said after the match.

“I’ve done everything I could. Portugal had never won a cup before me and they’ve won three now. We won Euro 2016, which I think is as big as the World Cup.

"We gave everything…we played a good game, but Spain are among the best. They will get to the final or come close.”

Whilst Spain had demolished Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32, Portugal had only narrowly snuck past Croatia via a late goal from Gonçalo Ramos. Despite the super-sub heroics, Ramos didn’t see a single minute in Texas. It was far from Roberto Martinez’s only head-scratching decision.

Spain and Portugal traded blows in the first half, with Mikel Oyarzabal coming close to opening the scoring only to spurn his chance. And Diogo Costa once again demonstrated why he was Portugal’s best performer of the tournament with a shot-stopping clinic.

After a rollercoaster first half, both teams begun to take fewer risks in the second half. But just when it seemed the two sides were on level pegging, catastrophe struck for Portugal. Nuno Mendes, perhaps the sole left back in the world who consistently shuts down Lamine Yamal, went off with an injury in the 56th minute - Nelson Semedo replaced him.

Spain smelled blood and wrestled back control of the match, pinning Portugal into their own half. Spain grew into the game via their substitutions and eventually, in the 91st minute, Ferran Torres teed up fellow substitute Mikel Merino for the game-winning goal to secure Spain’s spot in the quarter-final.

And just as Brazil's World Cup exit marked the end of the Neymar era at international level, Portugal's defeat marked the end of Ronaldo's.

"It was my last World Cup, yes,” he added. “But as for the rest, there's time to think, to be with my family, and not say things in the heat of the moment."

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez will step down, with Ronaldo’s former coach Jorge Jesus likely to replace him. The Spaniard was able to bring home a minor trophy in the form of the UEFA Nations League, but ultimately, his spell will be regarded as a failure. One that was determined by the finer details, like the Euro 2024 penalty shootout defeat to France, and the last-gasp loss to Spain at this tournament.

Ronaldo, having reached the semi-final in his first World Cup, has since been eliminated in the Round of 16 in 2010 and group stage in 2014, followed by three straight Round of 16 eliminations. He will end his World Cup career with just one knockout goal – a penalty versus Croatia in the previous round.

Spain return to Los Angeles to face either the USA or Belgium, but as for Portugal, they will leave empty-handed, with far more question marks, regrets and what-ifs than anything else.

And Ronaldo will head back home with the sensation that, unlike the Euros, Champions League, LaLiga, and Premier League, the World Cup was the one competition he never quite managed to master.

The USA versus Belgium evokes memories of the latter's extra-time victory in 2014 when goalkeeper Tim Howard made a World Cup record 16 saves.

That was when Belgium's golden generation was at the peak of its powers and the US were plucky underdogs but this time around, there is little to separate the two.

Ahead of the game, there has been a political storm surrounding Donald Trump's interference with FIFA to ensure that USA star striker Folarin Balogun is eligible to play following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last round. With Balogun confirmed to be starting, it's the sort of game a commentator dreams to call - here's who's on duty for the BBC.

BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for USA vs Belgium

The full line-up of presenters, commentators and presenters for USA vs Belgium, being played this evening at 1am BST, has been revealed.

Due to the 1am BST kick-off time, the BBC have elected to go straight to the commentary team for this match, as opposed to having a studio presence to present and analyse the fixture.

Serving as the match’s main commentary voice is Robyn Cowen.

Alongside her is Matthew Upson, taking on the role of co-commentator.

Upson scored England's only goal in their 4-1 defeat by Germany at the 2010 World Cup. The former Arsenal, West Ham and Birmingham City defender scored one other international goal, also against Germany back in 2008.

Cowen was lead commentator on BBC One's coverage of the UEFA Women's Euro 2022, a tournament in which the Lionesses were victorious.

The winner of USA vs Belgium will have the privilege of facing Spain in the quarter-finals.

That last eight fixture is scheduled to be played at 8pm BST on Friday, July 10.

USA vs Belgium is one of the more interesting Round of 16 showdowns, precisely because not many predicted the Americans to make it this far, and also anticipated the Belgian capitulation that has become so common at the World Cup in recent years.

The USMNT have been a far stronger side this tournament, winning three of their games with ease, while Belgium were forced to pull off an all-time comeback to get beyond a dominant Senegal in their Round of 32 fixture.

This is a battle of over and underachievers at the 2026 World Cup, but who will serve as referee for the event?

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Referee appointment for USA vs Belgium

USA vs Belgium will be played at 1am BST in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with the match being held at the Seattle Stadium.

Serving as referee for the event is Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh, who has officiated three games prior to this face-off at the 2026 World Cup.

Mohammad previously officiated England vs DR Congo, in which the Jordanian did not fall for a clear-cut Harry Kane dive while the Three Lions were trailing 1-0.

He also refereed Belgium’s 5-1 demolition job against New Zealand in the Red Devils’ final Group G game, which left them atop the table standings.

To open his account in North America, Mohammad oversaw Spain’s 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, one of the most historic upsets in World Cup history.

In this tournament, the 39-year-old has averaged just two bookings per game, and is yet to show red or award a spot kick.

The referee is slightly less quick to wield his cards than peers at the tournament, averaging just 3.6 bookings per game in the AFC Champions League Elite.

That competition makes up the bulk of his refereeing experience, showing red nine times and awarding 13 penalties in 58 games.

In World Cup qualifiers and the Arab Cup, his booking average stays the same, at around three per match.

USA vs Belgium is a battle of two teams with disciplinary priors, as both sides have had a man sent off in North America, most recently the USMNT’s Folarin Balogun, who will not feature in the Round of 16 event.

Watch USA take on Belgium in Seattle as they search for a first World Cup quarter-final since 2002.

The big talking point heading into this one is the suspended ban for Folarin Balogun, following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

More than even the best American strikers who came before him, Balogun is central to a team with genuine World Cup latter-stage credentials. Having him suspended against Belgium would have been a problem.

On Sunday, FIFA announced that Balogun's mandatory one match ban would be suspended, freeing him up to feature in the round of 16.

That red card notwithstanding, it's been straightforward enough for the US. They beat Paraguay and Australia with ease to book their place in the round of 32 and then Bosnia and Herzegovina when they got there. Losing to Turkey in a dead rubber was taken in stride.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch USA vs Belgium in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch USA vs Belgium for FREE

USA vs Belgium will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including BBC in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on BBC, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

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How to watch USA vs Belgium in the UK

In the UK, you can stream United States vs Belgium on BBC One. The build-up starts at 12:45am, ahead of the kick-off at 1:00am.

How to watch USA vs Belgium in the US

In the US, you can stream USA vs Belgium on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch USA vs Belgium in Australia

In Australia, you can watch USA vs Belgium on the free SBS On Demand.

USA vs Belgium: World Cup 2026 Preview

Belgium might be stunned to be facing the United States in Seattle at all. Five minutes from the end of the last round, the Red Devils were 2-0 down to Senegal and well worth it.

Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scored twice to send the game into extra time and the Aston Villa midfielder won and then scored a penalty in the fifth minute of time added on.

In a World Cup of high drama, Belgium's round of 32 win was the most dramatic of all. Now, the co-hosts are waiting for them in the Pacific Northwest.

With Balogun back in the mix, the US team will fancy themselves to punish another substandard display from Belgium. Rudi Garcia's team cannot afford another 85 minutes like the last round.

As the last knockings of their so-called Golden Generation rumble by, Belgium look every inch a team who've only beaten New Zealand in 90 minutes at this World Cup.

Romelu Lukaku is 33. Thibaut Courtois is 34. Kevin De Bruyne is 35. There are capable younger players in the Belgium ranks but the big-name elders are in the last chance saloon.

FourFourTwo's prediction

USA 2-1 Belgium

With a vocal Seattle Stadium behind them, FourFourTwo predicts a win for the co-hosts in a round of 16 game that goes to form.

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Three pars

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Score prediction for USA vs Belgium

The game is set to be played on Monday, July 6 at 5pm local time (1am UK time).

Both sides will be in familiar surrounding at Lumen Field in Seattle: both teams played there once in the group stage, with Belgium also playing their round of 32 game at the stadium.

Co-hosts the United States have been full of endeavour since announcing their intentions for the summer with a 4-1 win over Paraguay.

Mauricio Pochettino's side have scored two in each of their games since then, with their sole defeat of the tournament, to Turkiye, coming after they were already guaranteed to top their group.

They have been significantly boosted by FIFA's decision to suspend Falorin Balogun's one-game ban for his straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last round - a bizarre move, even if we thought he never should have been dismissed in the first place.

Belgium have meanwhile flattered to deceive for most of this tournament so far. They were fortunate to draw with Egypt in their opener thanks to an own goal, shared a goalless stalemate with Iran, and, to be fair, absolutely battered New Zealand 5-1 to finish top of the group.

But they looked a long way off the pace through much of their round of 32 encounter with Senegal and were deservedly 2-0 down before mounting a stunning comeback in the final four minutes and winning it in extra time.

That all makes this is a tough one to call, which is also reflected in the bookies being barely able to separate them either - Belgium are only just slight favourites for the tightest of all the round of 16 games.

We really just can't get out of heads just how bad Belgium were for so much of the game against Senegal though, so we're going to stick our necks out a bit here.

• Score prediction: USA 2-1 Belgium

The World Cup's last-16 stage is throwing up another mouth-watering clash.

Portugal and Spain go head to head on Monday to reach the quarter final where they will be pitted against the winner from USA and Belgium's knockout encounter.

The European Championship holders are the only nation to have reached this stage of the tournament without shipping a single goal after Mexico's loss to England.

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BBC complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Portugal v Spain

They are also the first European nation to keep clean sheets in their opening four games since Switzerland in 2006 and stand on the cusp of another record.

One more shoutout against the Selecao will confirm La Roja as the first team in history to record six consecutive World Cup clean sheets, with one also in the bag from 2022.

However they will face arguably their sternest test so far this summer as Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to bookend his sixth and final World Cup appearance in spectacular fashion.

The 41-year-old produced a star-studded performance to help Roberto Martinez's side squeeze past Croatia in their fiercely contested round-of-32 showdown.

The game starts at 8pm UK time with BBC One showing all the action live.

Coverage starts from 7.30pm with Gabby Logan presenting from the Beeb's Salford studio with punditry provided by Wayne Rooney, Cesar Azpilicueta, Ellen White and Spanish football expert, journalist and broadcaster Guillem Balague.

Former Chelsea full-back Azpilicueta is well-placed to offer insight on Spain's tactics as a staple of their senior ranks with 44 caps between 2013 and 2023.

The 36-year-old, who also represented Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, won two Premier League titles and a Champions League amid eight major honours.

Steve Bower will take the lead on commentary with cat enthusiast Danny Murphy on co-commentary duties.

Matheus Cunha has spoken in emotional detail about Brazil's World Cup exit.

Brazil suffered another early World Cup knockout departure as they bowed out to Norway in Sunday's round-of-16 tie that marked something of an end of an era.

Neymar scored a consolation goal for Carlo Ancelotti's side deep in added time as the world's most expensive footballer confirmed his international retirement.

Matheus Cunha lifts the lid on Brazil's World Cup hurt

It marked a difficult end for the Selecao at this summer's tournament as they entered a 12th year without successfully reclaiming their five-time world champions' crown.

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha was one of the rare lights for his country with three goals in as many games before the surprise defeat at MetLife Stadium.

He netted twice against Haiti in their second group encounter before following it up with another to cap off a resounding 3-0 victory over Scotland in the finale.

But the 27-year-old could not hide his pain in the wake of their tournament exit.

"Without a doubt, today must be the most difficult day of my life, professionally speaking," he told Globo.

"We had chances we didn't convert, while they had chances and converted them. "It's difficult to try to understand everything but, unfortunately, that's part of football.

"There is a lot of sadness in the dressing room. A lot of crying. A lot of pain. The worst thing is that we frustrated a lot of people and that is what hurts most."

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Dallas Stadium is the place to be as Portugal and Spain seek to knock each other out of the World Cup and move on to the quarter-finals.

Reaching the last eight would demand that either of these teams should be taken seriously as contenders to win the lot but progress to this point couldn't have been more different.

Spain were frustrated by Cape Verde in their first group game but have eased past Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Austria in their subsequent matches, setting up a very appetising last-16 meeting with their neighbours.

It's evident that Spain haven't yet played anyone of Portugal's calibre, but they've swept aside all comers and have made it through half the tournament without breaking a sweat.

If we don't yet know where Spain really stack up among the favourites, there are no surprises to be found with Portugal. Arlington will be behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Portugal vs Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Portugal vs Spain for FREE

Portugal vs Spain will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including BBC in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on BBC, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

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Watch Portugal vs Spain from anywhere

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How to watch Portugal vs Spain in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Portugal vs Spain on BBC One. The build-up starts at 7:30pm, ahead of the kick-off at 8:00pm.

How to watch Portugal vs Spain in the US

In the US, you can stream Portugal vs Spain on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch Portugal vs Spain in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Portugal vs Spain on the free SBS On Demand.

Portugal vs Spain: World Cup 2026 Preview

Eight years ago, Portugal and Spain met in the World Cup group stage in Sochi. The 3-3 draw didn't do either any harm as both went on to win one and draw one of their next two matches.

Ronaldo made himself the oldest scorer of a World Cup hat-trick with a little help from Spain goalkeeper David De Gea. He's been surpassed now but he's still going, still the focal point of the Portuguese team, still undroppable and arguably having a detrimental effect overall.

Yet he's still added three goals to his World Cup tally, an indicator of his importance to Portugal even if the extent of that importance is overblown by Roberto Martinez at the cost of a coherent attacking unit.

Spain's 3-0 win over Austria was their first World Cup knockout win since they won the final in 2010. Head coach Luis de la Fuente has pushed them beyond that hurdle with no fuss and now things get serious.

The historical advantage belongs to Spain, and Portugal have won none of their last seven games against Spain in normal time. The most recent meeting just a year ago was noteworthy, however.

Portugal won the final of the UEFA Nations League in June 2025 and they did so on penalties. Could they repeat the feat in Texas?

Portugal vs Spain: Q+A

Team News

Portugal XI: Diogo Costa (GK); Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha; Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix; Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo leads the line as Portugal boss Martinez makes a single change. Joao Felix starts on the left, with Rafael Leao dropping to the bench.

Spain XI: Unai Simon (GK); Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal

De la Fuente has named an unchanged Spain 11 after La Roja's 3-0 win against Austria in the round of 32.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Portugal 1-3 Spain

Sooner or later, Portugal will wish they had a less one-dimensional plan of attack.

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England's World Cup win over Mexico proved to be a bittersweet experience for their players, manager and staff.

Thomas Tuchel inspired England to a 3-2 win over Mexico in their World Cup round-of-16 encounter at the Estadio Azteca as history was made on multiple fronts.

Not only did the Three Lions dent their hosts' formidable record at the stadium with only their third defeat in the past 50 games, but also exorcised the ghosts of 1986.

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England's options to replace Jordan Henderson revealed

However, their joy was somewhat punctured shortly after the final whistle when popular squad member Jordan Henderson suffered a freak injury while vaulting over an advertising board.

The Brentford midfielder, who had also received a booking despite being an unused substitute in the tie, was given oxygen and had to be carried off on a stretcher.

Henderson was transported to hospital for assessment on a suspected wrist injury while his teammates returned to their Kansas City base ahead of facing Norway.

It has been confirmed by The Athletic that the 36-year-old will now require surgery on his hand, which is guaranteed to end his involvement in this summer's tournament.

Although Henderson has only played a small part in England's campaign with a solitary appearance off the bench, he is a key man behind the scenes and is seen as a unifying figure, but he is unable to be replaced despite the injury.

FIFA rules prevent teams from covering absences in their squad unless submitted before their opening group match, which would have been the Croatia game on 17 June.

Tuchel already had to make one enforced change ahead of the tournament's start as Tino Livramento was replaced with Trevoh Chalobah after suffering a calf injury.

Tuchel could have more absences for the crucial quarter final encounter with Norway as Jarell Quansah, was sent off against Mexico, and Reece James was sidelined early in the World Cup campaign and is managing an injury.

The only exception to the rule by world football's governing body is goalkeepers, who can be replaced at any time in the tournament should a medical issue arise.

It means England will have to go into their quarter-final showdown in Miami, and potentially beyond, with one less available option in their current 25-man squad.

Portugal vs Spain is another in a top-quality list of Round of 16 fixtures, as Cristiano Ronaldo prepares for what is almost certainly his last dance on the international stage.

Conversely, Spanish starboy Lamine Yamal, long tipped as the leading contender to assume Lionel Messi’s mantle in coming years, is at the beginning of his international career, so will the past prevail over the future, for one final time?

The Portuguese #7 bagged his first ever knock-out goal at the World Cup with an equalising penalty vs Croatia, after failing to do so across 20 years worth of tournaments, but will getting over that hump pay dividends vs Spain?

Portugal vs Spain prediction: Will Cristiano Ronaldo’s last dance prevail over Lamine Yamal’s first?

Ronaldo is often touted as the ultimate man for the big occasion, however, his World Cup resume has poorly lacked since his debut on the stage in 2006.

Yamal, playing at his first World Cup for Spain, has been magnificent in the UEFA European Championship for his nation, but hasn’t necessarily been the stand-out in North America for the 2010 World Champions.

Of course, the outcome of the game will be decided by 20 other players on the pitch, however, the presence of a true gamebreaker in World Cup knock-outs is transformative.

While Ronaldo’s goal was a penalty in the Round of 32, he did produce a stunning finish from open-play minutes earlier, falling only to a narrow offside decision.

Yamal is arguably the world’s best creator, despite Michael Olise having a record-breaking season for assists, and is more reliant on his team-mates to convert chances in games of this magnitude as opposed to the #7, who does little else but take the final shot.

Spain have a superior defence, perhaps the best at the 2026 World Cup, and have displayed attacking potency in recent fixtures that suggests they’ll have no difficulty in surmounting the Portuguese backline.

However, Portugal are riding the high of a far greater, and more tightly-fought victory in their previous knock-out clash, returning from a 1-0 deficit and holding the Croatians at bay into over 15 minutes of added time.

Portugal vs Spain score prediction

Spain coasted to a 3-0 victory against Austria, which looks better on paper, but will not have adequately tested the national side, or alerted them to plug possible holes.

Take Argentina, who narrowly avoided the greatest sporting upset in history against Cape Verde in the Round of 16: Lionel Scaloni will be harder at work than ever to fix the issues that were present during his side’s 3-2 victory in extra time.

Portugal will be better against Spain, but Ronaldo simply does not possess the game-breaking ability he once did to capitalise on an improved performance.

Yamal is a high-stakers riser, and is overdue his defining World Cup moment to stamp himself as one of the game’s greatest players, on its largest stage.

This will be a tight match, and will enter extra time, following in the vein of so many knock-out clashes across North America this edition.

• Score prediction: Portugal 2-3 Spain (AET)

Rivalries will be renewed when Portugal and Spain do battle in the World Cup.

The World Cup's round of 16 continues to deliver thrilling contests as Portugal and Spain prepare to face off for a place in the quarter finals on Monday evening.

Arlington's Dallas Stadium will host a rematch of the memorable 2018 encounter between the Iberian neighbours, who played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in Sochi.

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Referee confirmed for Portugal v Spain showdown

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick for the Selecao in the six-goal thriller which kicked off their Group B campaign as both nations finished in the top two spots.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is still going strong however it was all but confirmed ahead of this latest fixture that he is taking part in his sixth and final World Cup as a player.

But who will be presiding over the spectacle in Texas?

Anthony Taylor has been confirmed as the referee for the Texas showdown after spending over 16 years operating predominantly in the Premier League.

The 47-year-old previously took charge of two group matches at this World Cup in Senegal's 5-0 win over Iraq and Colombia's 3-1 victory against Uzbekistan.

Taylor, who hails from Greater Manchester, boasts experience officiating 838 competitive matches and has been a FIFA's approved list of referees since 2013.

His disciplinary record is averaging at close to four yellow cards per game while he awarded a penalty once every five games in the English top flight last season.

Two of Taylor's compatriots and fellow Premier League officials will be working alongside him in Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn as the game's assistant referees.

German duo Felix Zwayer and Robert Kempter are set to serve as fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively for the contest in the Lone Star State.

Taylor has previously refereed five matches involving Spain and four with Portugal.

Real Madrid are reportedly stepping up their efforts to sign Michael Olise.

Michael Olise has been on Real Madrid's radar throughout this summer as they aim to launch Jose Mourinho's second spell in charge with a marquee signing.

The Spanish giants are in the midst of a summer recruitment spree with four high-profile additions already winging their way to the Bernabeu in a matter of weeks.

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Real Madrid's world-record Michael Olise package revealed

Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries have all signed up with Los Blancos since president Florentino Perez's re-election.

However Bayern Munich winger Olise was a cornerstone of Perez's manifesto to stay in power for a 23rd combined year across two spells in the Spanish capital.

Although the Madrid figurehead did not publicly name the France international, the club has been forced to publicly dispute suggestions of talk with the player's camp.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer echoed that by insisting the only contact he received from Madrid was to deny allegations of any behind-the-scenes contact.

Hainer also cautioned Perez that he can 'save himself the effort' if he did have an offer in mind for Olise amid claims of a €150 million offer to tempt the Bavarians.

But fresh reports suggest that last season's La Liga runner-up are now planning to put together an eye-watering financial package for the ex-Crystal Palace star.

According to Fichajes, Madrid will table a proposal of €190 million with a further €30 million which would take the deal close to the existing world-record transfer fee.

Neymar continues to hold the title as football's costliest ever player following his €222 million switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in summer 2017.

Olise is in the throes of his best-ever season with Bayern in which he racked up 25 goals and 28 assists in 57 appearances to win his second Bundesliga title.

The 24-year-old remains in with a strong chance of winning the World Cup after France reached the quarter-final stage, where they will take on Morocco.

UEFA have waded into the row over Folarin Balogun's suspended one-match ban in stunning fashion.

Folarin Balogun was set to miss out on the United States' World Cup last-16 showdown with Belgium on Monday after a sending off during the previous round of 32.

The Monaco forward received a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic, which incurred an automatic suspension.

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UEFA condemn FIFA's Folarin Balogun decision

However FIFA triggered 'Article 27' of its Disciplinary Code, which allows Balogun's looming ban to be held back for a probationary 12-month period.

The decision was reportedly taken after private discussions between US President Donald Trump and the head of world football's governing body, Gianni Infantino.

It means Balogun, who has scored three goals in as many World Cup starts, will be available for Mauricio Pochettino's side in their encounter with the Red Devils.

FIFA's retrospective action is being widely condemned with Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia blasting the decision as an 'April Fools' ahead of the clash in Seattle.

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville said the move 'absolutely stinks' after the governing body 'just decided to basically let a player play'.

Sepp Blatter, Infantino's controversial predecessor as FIFA President, has also questioned Trump's potential involvement in Balogun's ban receiving a temporary hold.

"Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies," he wrote on X. "If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President - and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match - the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis [Where are you going], FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power."

Now UEFA have issued a forthright condemnation of their global counterparts and insisted the decision to suspend Balogun's ban on Sunday 'crossed a red line'.

"Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition," read an official statement. "Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted.

"It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.

"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.

"Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws. A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole.

"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."

England's route to the World Cup final is beginning to take shape.

Thomas Tuchel could be the man who ends 60 years of hurt for England after reaching the World Cup's last eight after a memorable 3-2 win over Mexico.

The Three Lions made history by inflicting only a third defeat on their hosts at the Estadio Azteca, where they previously lost to Argentina in the 1986 quarter finals.

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England's World Cup final path mapped out

Tuchel's side defied the odds against a partisan home crowd as well as seeing out most of the second half with 10 men following Jarell Quansah's straight red card.

The Bayer Leverkusen defender was dismissed for violent conduct after a challenge on Jesus Gallardo in the 54th minute as the hosts pushed to overturn a 2-0 deficit.

England are unbeaten in all five of their World Cup encounters, drawing just once in their Group L campaign against Ghana before progressing to the knockout stage.

Norway lie in wait for their ninth World Cup quarter final appearance which will take place at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on 11 July with kick-off at 10pm UK time.

Should they overcome Erling Haaland and co, a second semi-final in eight years beckons which could see them lining up against Lionel Messi and Argentina.

The Vikings are set for their maiden quarter-final involvement after eliminating five-time world champions Brazil with a 2-1 win in Sunday's MetLife Stadium encounter.

The reigning holders face Egypt in Tuesday's last-16 tie, where the winner will be pitted against whoever progresses from Switzerland and Colombia's clash.

England's potential opponents in the 19 July showpiece at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium will offer no easy path to glory with six formidable nations still in contention on the other side of the draw.

The USA and Belgium are set to do battle in their last-16 tie early on Tuesday to earn a place in the quarter final against the winner of Portugal's clash with Spain.

Current tournament favourites France and Morocco are already through to a head-to-head meeting in the last eight, with the latter previously knocking out the Netherlands.

If England do go all the way for the first time since 1966, they will have to do it the hard way.

Our free-to-play World Cup match predictor is into round 5, and we can confirm the winner of Round 4 has been contacted, crowned and credited with the entire £1,000 cash prize.

The winner correctly predicted the winner of eight Last 32 games, and correctly predicted the exact number of 90-minute goals in five of those eight games. They were just one goal out in two of them and two goals out the a third that would've given them a perfect score.

The deadline to play Round 5 is at 7pm TONIGHT, with the game completely free to play, and another £1,000 ready to be won. As we are into the knockout stages, the difficulty has gone up a notch. We want players to predict the exact score in 90 minutes for four Last 16 games.

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We must thank our sponsors BOYLE Sports for providing the cash prize, which renews each round. Better still, BOYLE Sports give everyone who logs a set of predictions a free £5 bet simply for playing. All you need is a BOYLE Sports account – make sure you have your account number handy to enter when you make your predictions. The free bet will be credited within 48 hours of the deadline and valid to use for seven days.

Fancy getting in on the action? Round 5 is currently open to play, but closes 7pm TONIGHT. After that, there are still three more rounds to play, so three more opportunities to win the £1,000 pot and three more £5 free bets to redeem.

Schedule and format

Matchday 1: Predict every nations' first game (win, lose or draw) CLOSED
Matchday 2: Predict every nations' second game: (win, lose or draw) CLOSED
Matchday 3: Predict every nations' third game: (win, lose or draw) CLOSED
Matchday 4: Predict the outcomes of the final eight Round of 32 games: (winner + amount of goals in 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens) CLOSED
Matchday 5: Predict the outcomes of the final four Round of 16 games: (winner + amount of goals in 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens) CLOSES TONIGHT 7pm
Matchday 6: Predict the outcomes of the final three Quarter Final games: (winner + correct scoreline in 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens)
Matchday 7: Predict the correct scorelines of the two Semi Finals after 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens, with the minute of the first goal in the first Semi Final the tie breaker
Matchday 8: Predict the correct scorelines of the 3rd Place Playoff and World Cup Final after 90 minutes, plus added on time – not including extra-time or pens, with the minute of the first goal in the World Cup Final the tie breaker

Deadlines

Matchday 1: Closed

Matchday 2: Closed

Matchday 3: Closed

Matchday 4: Closed

Matchday 5: Closes Mon 6 July, 7pm BST

Matchday 6: Closes Fri 10 July, 7pm BST

Matchday 7: Closes Tues 14 July, 7pm BST

Matchday 8: Closes Sat 18 July, 9pm BST

Jordan Henderson's World Cup is over following a freak injury after England's World Cup win over Mexico.

England set up a World Cup quarter-final meeting against Norway in the early hours of Monday thanks to a memorable 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16.

Thomas Tuchel's side made history at the Estadio Azteca by inflicting only a third defeat on the tournament co-hosts during a balmy encounter in Mexico City.

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Jordan Henderson injury latest confirmed

Henderson was among the headline makers for the Three Lions despite not playing any actual on-field involvement in the historic knockout encounter against El Tri.

The Brentford midfielder received a booking as an unused substitute for getting into an altercation while warming up on the touchline during the game's latter stages.

But Henderson's night took a dramatic turn shortly after the final as he fell over an advertising board while joining in the celebrations with his England teammates.

He was given oxygen and carried off on a stretcher with a suspected wrist injury in an incident that sparked memories of Steve Morrow's collarbone injury sustained when celebrating Arsenal's League Cup final win on the pitch in 1993.

It has now been confirmed by The Athletic that he will need a surgical procedure on the injury and won't play again at the tournament.

Match-winners Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane gave contrasting information on whether the former Liverpool captain had suffered a serious injury to BBC Sport.

Bellingham described Henderson's prognosis as 'a bit of bother' while captain Kane said: "Hendo just fell over there. I think he's ok. Something to do with his arm".

However Tuchel admitted post-match that the 36-year-old had been taken to hospital to undergo assessment on his wrist following the freak accident. He has stayed in Mexico City with a member of England’s medical staff rather than return to Kansas City with the rest of the squad.

“Jordan injured his wrist, it just doesn’t fit to the evening that Jordan is not with us," said the England manager. I don’t know the procedure, the doctor told me he is in the hospital.”

Henderson has featured just once for England at this World Cup with a late substitute appearance in their final group stage victory over Panama.

The England media team are yet to release an official update on Henderson, but it appears likely he will be unable to contribute any more to England's 2026 World Cup campaign in a playing capacity.

Ready?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

If you're still up for some more quizzes you're in luck because we have loads more for you, whether it's World Cup trivia, Premier League legends or something slightly more niche, there's plenty for you to test your knowledge on, thanks to Kwizly.

Starting here with a deep dive into Bundesliga history, and whether or not these 20 managers have coached Bayern Munich.

If that's not up your alley, or simply too easy for you, then try our Women's Football Quiz, episode 3, which is all about shock call-ups and qualifying groups.

If you're into the World Cup spirit and looking to test your knowledge on previous tournaments, then go back 16 years and see if you can get 100% in our World Cup 2010 quiz.

Or put your Three Lions knowledge to the test and see if you can name every single England player with 10+ goals.

Don’t let your encyclopedic knowledge of the beautiful game evaporate as a passing thought; turn your trivia triumphs into an official matter of record by joining The Club, our free digital community hub. It is the perfect central repository to log your scores, claim exclusive digital badges for your profile, and see precisely where your footballing IQ sits when stacked against the sharpest minds in the global fanbase. To ensure your mental reflexes sharp, get the weekday newsletter, which drops a freshly prepared dose of high-intensity trivia straight to your inbox every single afternoon so you are always primed for the next kickoff.

We've got another quiz for you.

Since the turn of the century, before the start of the 2026 tournament, there were 71 players to have scored three or more World Cup goals.

You have 15 minutes to name all of them, or as many of them as you can. How well do you know your World Cup goalscorers?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

From a list of the World Cup's best goalscorers to one of the world's greatest, try our Big Cristiano Ronaldo Quiz and see if you can get 20 correct answers about the former Real Madrid ace.

Then head over to the land of the free and test your football knowledge from across the pond with the Big United States Soccer Quiz.

From there, take a painful trip down memory lane if you're English, or possibly a happy one if you're not, and see if you can name the England line-up that lost to Portugal in 2006.

Then finally, test yourself to see if you can name the Belgium squad from the 2018 World Cup.

To ensure you stay one step ahead of the late tactical shifts as the knockout rounds loom, subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To truly secure your legacy this summer, make sure you've joined The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, fight for the top of the global leaderboards, and join the debate in the comments section as the tournament drama unfolds.

Jordan Henderson was taken off the pitch at Estadio Azteca on a stretcher and receiving oxygen after an incident after the game.

The Brentford midfielder was an unused substitute for England's 3-2 victory over Mexico in the World Cup round of 16, but naturally joined his teammates for the post-match celebrations.

Henderson fell over the advertising hoardings after standing in front the England fans while they belted out Wonderwall.

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Jordan Henderson 'did something to his arm' in post-match celebrations

It was a thrilling and hard-fought victory for England, who twice took a two-goal lead over Mexico only to be pegged back both times.

Jarell Quansah's straight red card just before the hour certainly didn't help matters, but Thomas Tuchel's side were able to hold on through a tense finale and set up a quarter-final tie with Norway.

England captain Harry Kane told the BBC after the game: "Jordan just fell over there, I think he's OK, just something to do with his arm."

Jude Bellingham added: "He's in a bit of bother, but our medical team have got everything under control.

"It's probably not best to give too much detail because I don't really know too much what's going on, but everyone's there to support him and even that was a beautiful thing to see."

Further details on Henderson's condition are not available at time of writing.

Henderson has appeared just once at this World Cup, coming off the bench for the final six minutes of England's group stage win over Panama with qualification already assured.

England will now face Norway on Saturday night after Erling Haaland scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Brazil.

England's goals came from a quickfire double from Bellingham in the first half, with Kane adding their third from the spot just minutes after Quansah's dismissal.

Alan Shearer believes that England's triumph over Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 will go down as one of their greatest ever performances.

In a welcome departure from their underwhelming last couple of performances, England turned up to a hostile Estadio Azteca and gave everything to claim the result despite playing for over 40 minutes with ten men.

The final whistle was the sweetest possible sound for the millions who stayed up until past 4am to watch the game back home after an unbelievably tense finale to an incredible game.

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The first half started in compelling fashion with England putting in what amounted to a very good away performance.

A good low stop from Jordan Pickford was the only time Mexico offered a real threat before England sprung their trap to take the lead on the counter attack on 36 minutes: Pickford to Declan Rice, Rice to Bukayo Saka, Saka onto the head of a diving Jude Bellingham, 1-0.

There was nothing patient about England's play as they doubled their lead almost immediately after the restart. Elliot Anderson robbed the ball in the final third and quickly found Harry Kane, whose ball across the six yard box was turned home. Bellingham again.

Yet by the time half time came, England were just relieved they still had their lead intact.

Julian Quinones volley home the loose ball off a free kick from the Mexico left to make it 2-1, and it took another fine Pickford save to deny Jimenez again as well as a last-ditch intervention from Bellingham on the resulting corner to keep England 2-1 up.

The second half started in equally dramatic fashion as Nico O'Reilly saw a volley come back off the post for England within five minutes of the restart.

Tempers flared in the dugouts when Jarell Quansah went in with a high tackle that initially went unpunished with even a foul - only for referee Alireza Faghani to show a straight red card after a very swift review at the pitchside monitor.

Still no time to breathe, though: just four minutes after that red card, the superb Anthony Gordon got onto Kane's flick on to race into the box and draw a foul from goalkeeper Raul Rangel - penalty to England. Rangel went the right way, but Kane's spot kick was just too well-placed for him to keep out.

Faghani was back at the monitor on 67 minutes to have a look at Kane's challenge for a bouncing 50/50 ball inside the England box, with the skipper getting there fractionally after Brian Gutierrez - and the referee felt he had to point to the spot again, this time for Mexico.

Up stepped Jimenez, whose stuttering run-up committed Pickford the wrong way to begin with and left him with too far to go to keep it out of the bottom corner. 3-2 - and England now had over 20 minutes to play with ten men and just a one-goal advantage.

Make that over 30: the fourth official stuck up 11 minutes of added time, leaving Thomas Tuchel to spent the rest of the additional time going half-mad on the touchline.

With most of the added time still ahead, BBC co-commentator Shearer said: "We've been talking so much with England, talking about the altitude, the conditions, the atmosphere, and the energy in this stadium.

"So, if - and I know it's a big if - they can get through this, it would be ranked as one of England's greatest performances.

"I think the way they're battling and sticking together, it's so impressive. They deserve it."

There was still a hearts-in-mouth moment to come as substitute John Stones bundled a loose ball inches wide the post with just seconds left on the clock.

But that was as close as Mexico got, and victorious England will now go through to face Norway in the quarter-finals after they claimed a big scalp by knocking out Brazil with a 2-1 victory earlier in the night.

Wayne Rooney has first-hand knowledge of what it's like to be sent off in a game like this - and he has nothing but sympathy for Jarell Quansah.

The England defender was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Mexico's Jesus Gallardo with Thomas Tuchel's side 2-1 up at the time at a hostile Estadio Azteca.

England nonetheless went on to win an absolutely thrilling game 3-2 - but Quansah had to watch from the dressing room as his team clung on to see out the victory.

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'It's a red card - but I feel for him' - Wayne Rooney on Jarell Quansah

Rooney has first-hand experience of exactly what Quansah would have been feeling like as he sat in bowels of Estadio Azteca watching the action on a TV screen.

The then-Manchester United striker was sent off at almost exactly the same stage of England's goalless draw with Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals, with the Three Lions going on to lose on penalties.

Rooney's infamous dismissal came for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho, with his United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo then caught winking afterwards having succeeded in winding Rooney up.

Asked for his thoughts on Quansah's red card, Rooney said: "I've been in the situation he's been in, and it's not an easy situation for him.

"It is a red card, it's reckless and it's high, so it is, it's a red card - but I feel for him, because knowing what he was going through in that dressing room as the game's going on...it's such a horrible feeling.

"Unluckily for me, we went out, but hopefully he's got another chance in this World Cup - but yeah, it's not a nice feeling.

"Thankfully his teammates have helped him get through that sticky situation for him."

England were nonetheless able to see the game out successfully, with Harry Kane converting from the penalty spot to add to Jude Bellingham's first-half brace just minutes after the red card.

Raul Jimenez pulled one back for Mexico nine minutes later after Kane's foul inside the England box, with that spot kick given after a pitchside VAR review - but the hosts were unable to find another goal to level things up.

England will now go on to face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

England delivered one of their greatest World Cup performances in one of the fabled tournament’s greatest games. The 8,000 England fans who trekked to the Azteca, making light of the cost and the rain, were rewarded. The millions who stayed up at home, deep into the night, had their loyalty repaid. Nobody was going to fall asleep in drama like this on the night that the Wonderwall that was England’s defence made the Azteca’s wall of noise fall silent.

This was the night when England lived up to their supporters’ beliefs. They showed their attacking class with Jude Bellingham immense. They then displayed their defensive defiance when Jarell Quansah was dismissed. It was a performance of guts that brought glory and a quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday.

England had lions all over the pitch. Jordan Pickford kept relieving pressure by charging through traffic and punching clear. Anthony Gordon was tireless on the left, initially as a winger, then as a defensive midfielder. But the lion king was truly Bellingham. It’s madness that one of the finest footballing talents ever produced in England should have been doubted. He finished the game at centre-forward, Harry Kane having been subbed. He finished the game, closing down opponents, showing the team player he is.

It was England’s No 10 who exorcised the ghosts here, the painful memory of the Hand of God. As if the 40 years since England’s last visit to the Azteca hadn’t felt long enough, kick-off was delayed an hour after the thunderstorm protocol was activated. And then, after the storm over the Azteca, came the storm within, and it came, gloriously, from England, from Bellingham, lightning striking twice between the 36 and 38 minutes.

What a response. What a reason to wait up, to stay awake. Sweet dreams are made of this. School was worth being late for this. For the first goal, England hit on the counter smoothly. Mexico did not know what hit them as England charged down the right. Jordan Pickford launched the move, Declan Rice carried it on, and Bukayo Saka at last looked like the Arsenal starboy rather than the limping winger nursing an Achilles tendinitis problem.

Now there was a burst of pace and positivity, rather than the unconvincing player so far. He ran at Jesus Gallardo, perhaps remembering how the left-back had a nibble at his Achilles. Saka shaped to go inside, went out and dinked the ball across. Kane made the decoy run, creating space for Bellingham to throw himself into, eyes on the prize, his vision never straying from the ball’s flight. Bellingham’s diving header was perfect, too quick and firm for Raul Rangel.

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Mexico’s keeper was beaten again 80 seconds later. Elliot Anderson’s press coughed up the ball. Gordon and Bellingham seized the opportunity, working the ball right to Kane. England’s captain slid in, stretching out his right foot and transferring the ball at pace across the six-yard box. Bellingham timed his run, beating Erik Lira to the ball and sweeping it home. Mexico were stunned. This wasn’t in the script. For those back home, allowed to stay up, this was something to tell teacher whenever school was reached. This was certainly class. Because England were under pressure and stayed defiant. Pickford made two astonishing saves from Raul Jimenez headers, the first low to his left, the second a tip-over - either side of Bellingham’s goals.

England had to withstand predictable pressure and unbelievable noise. It blew down from the fans in the stands, booing every English touch, demanding retribution when Rice’s raised foot caught Luis Romo. The caution came, and fortunately his earlier booking against Ghana was wiped after the group stage. The 70,000+ home support greeted with a triumphant “ole” every promising move in green, and they were given hope when Julian Quinones slammed the ball in after a free-kick ricocheted off Ezri Konsa.

Mexico were in the mood, and only Bellingham’s determination and reflexes hooked the ball clear as Cesar Montes was about to score.

England couldn’t afford any mistakes. They had to keep their composure, because the home fans were screaming for everything, beseeching Alireza Faghani to sanction any infringement, however minor.

And certainly major. When Quansah went in hard and fast on Gallardo, he caught the ball but his right foot continued rising into the Mexican full-back. Faghani required VAR’s intervention to come to the right decision. Quansah walked.

Saka went to right-back, briefly before John Stones arrived at centre-back and Konsa switched to full-back. England breathed determination. When Kane challenged Edson Alvarez, the outstanding Gordon ran on and was brought down by Rangel. Kane made no mistake. 3-1 to 10-man England.

But England never make it easy for themselves. Kane, whose defensive work had been supreme, conceded a penalty for kicking through Brian Gutierrez’s foot. The substitute crumpled to the floor, Mexico appealed, play went on briefly, before VAR again intervened and rightly so. It was soft but still correct. Jimenez ran in, stuttered, and still generated the power to send his kick past Pickford. There was a degree of inevitability about Jimenez’s 46^th successful penalty out of 48.

Azteca shook again. Tuchel tweaked again. Dan Burn and Djed Spence came on for Anderson and Nico O’Reilly. England were now 5-3-1. Bellingham, Rice and Gordon shielded the defence, Burn made a powerful clearing header, so did Spence. Pickford came out and connected with vital punches. It was one of the great rearguard actions.

Tuchel twisted again. Kane off. Morgan Rogers on. More legs in attack. The clock ticked down. Then 11 additional minutes were shown. More Pickford punches. More Bellingham running. And then the final whistle, and the quarter-final berth. And then Bellingham named man of the match. Who else?

Opinions were divided as to whether or not Mexico should have had the chance to peg England back to 3-2 in their World Cup round of 16 clash.

In perhaps the game of the tournament so far, Raul Jimenez was took the chance to score from the spot and trim back ten-man England's lead.

But the BBC punditry team were divided on whether or not the referee got the decision right after reviewing footage on the pitchside VAR screen.

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Mixed views on Mexico penalty after Harry Kane foul

With Engalnd 2-1 up, Jarell Quanash was sent off for England after a VAR review correctly determined that his high sliding challenge on Jesus Gallardo amounted to serious foul play.

But England extended their lead shortly afterwards in an absolutely breathless game, with Kane converting from the penalty spot after Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel brought down Anthony Gordon inside the box.

Alan Shearer did not feel a spot kick should be given, saying after first seeing the replay: "Is that a clear and obvious error made by the referee? He had him in one of the first games, didn't he (France vs Senegal), when he didn't give [Kylian Mbappe] that penalty."

The Australian official did give the spot kick, though, leaving Shearer to continue to insist he thought the decision was harsh.

BBC referee analyst Darren Cann agreed, saying: "Yes, it is a penalty.

"Harry Kane, unfortunately, does kick the Mexican's foot. It's a little bit similar to the Modric kick that England won a penalty for in the first group game, where Harry Kane is unaware of the player coming in. Unfortunately, he does make contact. It is a foul. It's in the penalty box, it's a penalty.

"This is the only referee who has been sent to the monitor this World Cup and actually stuck with a decision that was the France-Senegal game with the Mbappe penalty [shout], but on this on this occasion it's the correct decision. Penalty kick."

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart agreed with Cann, saying: "On all three decisions, I think the referee's come to the right decision.

"I know Alan is very keen to say that wasn't a penalty, and obviously everyone's got their opinions, but I felt every single one that I saw they got right, including the penalty that they got.

"As soon as I saw the replay, my heart was in my mouth.

"I thought Quansah deserved to go, I thought Kane didn't get anything on the ball, and I thought Gordon got there first."

The BBC studio pundits were left breathless by the first half of England's World Cup round of 16 clash with Mexico.

England's performances coming into this game had left something to be desired, while Mexico had won all of their four previous games without conceding a goal.

But both sides turned up for a pulsating first half that saw England go in 2-1 up at the break.

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'England were absolutely outstanding'

Kick-off was delayed by an hour after the weather over Mexico City led Estadio Azteca to go into its storm protocol.

Those regulations say that a game may not be in action within 30 minutes of the last lightning strike recorded in an eight-mile radius.

Both sets of fans used that delay to go into full party mode, and what was already expected to be a rambunctious atmosphere was at fever pitch by the time the game actually kicked off.

Every Mexican touch was greeted with a loud 'ole' from the predominantly Mexican crowd, while every English touch was met with long, sustained boos and jeers.

Mexico had the better of the early exchanges, with Declan Rice going in the book for a high boot inside a minute and Raul Jimenez forcing a good low save out of Jordan Pickford on the quarter-hour.

But a swift England counter-attack started by Pickford on 36 minutes saw Declan Rice find Bukayo Saka up the right, and he put his cross perfectly onto Jude Bellingham's diving header to give England the lead.

With Mexico still reeling, Bellingham scored again, sliding home Harry Kane's ball across the face of goal after excellent work from Elliot Anderson to win possession 25 yards from the opposition goal.

Julian Quinones pulled one back just four minutes later, smashing home the loose ball on the volley after Ezri Konsa was unable to do any more than touch away a whipped free kick across the six yard box.

Jimenez should have done better as Mexico pushed to equalise before the break, but dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Pickford again denied the Wolves forward in acrobatic fashion moments later, turning his looping header over the bar - and it took a dramatic intervention from Bellingham to stop Cesar Montes from applying an easy finish at the back post from the resulting corner.

BBC pundit Joe Hart said on the half-time whistle: "This is an absolute belter of a game. I wish I was in that stadium. The energy is through the roof.

"Just when you thought England had silenced them, for [Mexico] to come back and score that goal, then make it absolute backs to the walls for last five minutes.

"But [England] dug in, big save from Jordan Pickford, good defending from Jude Bellingham - can't wait for the second half.

Micah Richards said: "England were absolutely outstanding.

"Yeah, there's things that they can improve on, but in terms of the way the sat in and on the counter attack...that is what England do really well. Rice driving from midfield, Kane linking up really well, Bellingham being that guy to score the goals...it's absolutely outstanding.

"This is what we wanted. This is the game that all thought it was going to be.

Neymar has announced his retirement from international football.

Brazil's World Cup journey ended at the round-of-16 stage in a shock defeat to Norway that proved to be the last game of Neymar's career with his homeland.

The forward scored a very late consolation strike for Carlo Ancelotti's side deep in stoppage time from the penalty spot to salvage a more flattering 2-1 score line.

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Neymar confirms Brazil retirement

That strike proved to be Neymar's first goal for the Selecao since 2023 and extended his record as the country's all-time record men's goal scorer with 80.

It also brought his journey full-circle after scoring on his 2010 international debut at the same MetLife Stadium that saw his fourth consecutive World Cup.

The world's most expensive footballer was a surprise inclusion in Ancelotti's squad for his fourth consecutive World Cup but only managed two substitute appearances.

He was unavailable for Brazil's opening two group matches against Morocco and Haiti due to a calf injury which also ruled him out of the warm-up friendlies.

Neymar found himself as an unused substitute as the four-time world champions dramatically edged past Japan in the round-of-32 at Houston Stadium.

This summer's tournament was widely expected to be the 34-year-old's final one in the iconic yellow shirt and fuelled by his social media post hinting at a 'last dance'.

But after losing to an Erling Haaland-inspired display, Neymar was visibly distraught as he fought back tears and waved to his supporters in the wake of their elimination.

He later confirmed to Brazilian media that he had played his last international game.

"I tried, I tried. Now it's over," he told Globo TV. "I started here, I finished here."

Despite his heartache, Neymar made history for Brazil by becoming only their second player after the legendary Pele to score in four World Cup tournaments.

Rudi Garcia has slammed FIFA's decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's suspension.

Balogun will be free to face Belgium in the United States' World Cup round-of-16 showdown despite being initially ruled out of the game by his recent sending-off.

The Monaco forward was set to serve a one-game ban for being dismissed in his country's last-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina for a foul on Tarik Muharemovic.

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Rudi Garcia blasts FIFA for Folarin Balogun decision

However FIFA has triggered Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code which allows Balogun's immediate suspension to be held back for a 12-month period.

It means the 25-year-old will be free to play for Mauricio Pochettino's side in the Seattle showdown as well as for the remainder of their tournament involvement.

Only a similar infringement that led to Balogun's original suspension would see it reinstated before his probationary period is set to expire in 12 months' time.

The decision, reportedly taken after lobbying from US President Donald Trump. was met with condemnation by the Royal Belgian Football Association on Sunday.

Red Devils' head coach Garcia has now added his voice to the complaint ahead of the last-16 tie which will set up a quarter-final clash with either Portugal or Spain.

"I thought the World Cup was in July, not April. It’s now April Fools," said Garcia.

"We’re not defending the national team or the federation. We’re defending football."

FIFA's ruling was condemned across football with former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville lamenting the world governing body's U-turn.

"It absolutely stinks, let's be really clear," he told ITV.

"But what I would say is the thing that stinks the most is there should be a review process in place because I actually didn't think it was a red card and I think there should be a process which allows it to be overturned.

"But if there's no process for it to be overturned and then somehow FIFA, from nowhere, have just decided to basically let a player play and the rules are the same for everybody [else].

"I would be absolutely raging if I was Belgium and every other team in the tournament that's had a player sent off that might think it's a little bit hard done to. Are we surprised? No, no with this lot."

The kick-off time England's meeting with Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 has been delayed after storm protocols were activated at Estadio Azteca.

The two sides were set to meet at 6pm local time (1am UK time) after FIFA's proposal to move the game forward to an earlier kick-off were postponed by both England and Mexico.

But a storm rolled through Mexico City around three hours before kick-off, and would need to clear before the game can get under way.

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Mexico vs England postponement latest

Under FIFA protocol, neither fans nor players will be admitted into the stadium if the lightning has been recorded within eight miles of the ground at the time doors are due to open.

At least 30 minutes will need to pass since the last recorded lightning strike in that perimeter before play can be passed to go ahead - with the same rule applying if another storm breaks out during play.

Journalist Tariq Panja reported on BlueSky just over three hours before kick-off that the protocol had been activated at Estadio Azteca.

Reports elsewhere suggested around an hour later that the teams had been told not to travel to the stadium; however, the teams arrived at around 4:25pm, as scheduled.

The storm was forecast to clear before kick-off but has now been confirmed that the kick-off time will now take place at 7pm (2am UK time).

A FIFA statement read: "Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 19.00 local time (21:00 EDT). The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation."

At time of writing, AccuWeather's forecast for Mexico City is for further thundery conditions sometime between 8pm and 9pm.

That could well affect the game while it's in process, as occurred with France's meeting with Iraq in the group stage. Half time ended up lasting for around two hours on that occasion in Philadelphia.

That means England fans waiting up to watch the game live will end up having even more of a late night than they bargained for.

It could also be bad news for pub-going fans back home. Pubs have been given permission to stay open until 5am.

England are expected to make changes for their World Cup round-of-16 clash.

Thomas Tuchel is set to name an England team with three changes for their highly anticipated World Cup round-of-16 showdown with co-hosts Mexico on Monday.

Tuchel's side are hoping to exercise the ghosts of tournaments' past when they face the co-hosts at Mexico City Stadium, the scene of their 1986 quarter-final exit.

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England changes for Mexico showdown revealed

The German's line-up has been revealed ahead of the 1am UK time showdown against El Tri with the Three Lions expected to make three personnel changes.

Jarell Quansah is set to start again at right-back after the Bayer Leverkusen defender was forced to miss the round-of-32 win over DR Congo through injury.

Tottenham's Djed Spence covered Quansah's absence while midfielder Declan Rice deputised in the role during the closing stages at Atlanta Stadium.

Quansah, a central defender by trade, took on the mantle of England's right-back position after Reece James picked up a hamstring injury in the draw with Ghana.

The 23-year-old himself had to be withdrawn against Panama with an ankle problem but has recovered in time to earn a starting berth in his country's backline again.

Tuchel will also hand Anthony Gordon a return to the starting XI after overlooking the new Barcelona winger for successive matches against Panama and DR Congo.

Although he featured as a substitute in the latter, Gordon found himself dislodged from the left wing role as Marcus Rashford was deployed in the back-to-back games.

The former Newcastle and Everton man made up for his lost time by teeing up Harry Kane for both goals in the comeback over DR Congo that sealed a last-16 spot.

Bukayo Saka is also set to earn a recall to the XI in place of Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke as Tuchel favours a more dynamic approach for the 6pm local time clash.

England are aiming end Mexico's 10-game unbeaten World Cup run at Mexico City Stadium.

England versus Mexico at the Estadio Azteca has a real blockbuster feel to it - and that's before considering the likely thunderstorm delays, suffocating altitude and hostile home atmosphere.

Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions are on the cusp of the World Cup quarter-finals but face a side who are yet to concede at this tournament, with four wins from four.

It's the sort of game that commentators and pundits dream of covering - here's who's on duty for the BBC?

BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for Mexico vs England

The full line-up of presenters, commentators and presenters for Mexico vs England, being played this evening at 1am BST, has been revealed.

Seasoned presenter and broadcaster Kelly Cates leads the channel's coverage alongside an experienced punditry team.

England legend Wayne Rooney is in the studio for this one, having appeared at several major tournaments for the Three Lions himself.

He and Cates are joined by Joe Hart and Micah Richards to offer their thoughts on this mammoth fixture.

Hart and Richards have 88 England caps between them, in addition to Rooney's 120.

Serving as the match’s main commentary voice is Guy Mowbray, a veteran broadcaster synonymous with the BBC.

Alongside him is the Premier League's greatest ever goalscorer and former England skipper Alan Shearer, taking on the role of co-commentator.

The winner of Mexico vs England will take on the victor of Brazil and Norway in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals.

The last eight fixture is scheduled to be played on Saturday, July 11 at 10pm BST.

England fans have been keeping a close eye on the weather in Mexico City to see whether they might need to stay up even later this evening.

Thomas Tuchel's side were set to face Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the World Cup round of 16 at 6pm local time (1am UK time), but that has now been put back until 7pm local time (2am UK time).

Storms in the area had cast doubt on whether the game will kick off on time, or what time it might finish if storms continue to disrupt the game once it has started.

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Mexico City weather forecast

The issue is that for very good reason, storm protocols are in effect. They say that the game cannot be played if there is lightning recorded within eight miles of the ground, the game cannot be played until at least 30 minutes have elapsed without a recorded lightning strike.

That meant that if a lightning storm is occurring nearby around the time fans were due to enter the stadium, kick-off will be delayed. If one erupts during the game, the players will be removed from the field and play will be suspended until at least 30 minutes after it has passed.

We have seen instances of both already at this World Cup. France vs Iraq in the group stage in Philadelphia had to wait for around two hours after a storm struck during half time, and Mexico's last game - against Ecuador at Estadio Azteca in the round of 32 - had kick-off delayed for an hour.

The England and Mexico teams arrived at the stadium around 95 minutes before kick-off as scheduled.

However, FIFA subsequently confirmed that kick-off has been delayed by one hour until 7pm local time (2am UK time).

They wrote in a statement: "Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 19.00 local time (21:00 EDT). The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation."

AccuWeather are not forecasting any further thunderstorms in Mexico City before the new kick-off time, but another storm is forecast sometime between 8pm and 9pm local time.

That means the game could still be in progress if a second storm rolls around, and the players may need to head back into the dressing rooms to wait it out.

A place in the quarter-finals awaits for the winners of this encounter, with Norway to be their opponents after pulling off an upset to eliminate Brazil earlier in the evening.

Mexico have won all four of their games without conceding a goal so far this tournament.

England made an excellent start to the competition with a convincing 4-2 win over Croatia, but were held to a goalless draw by Ghana and left things late against both Panama and DR Congo to get to this stage.

Folarin Balogun has been cleared to play in USA's World Cup clash with Belgium.

The USA were set to be without Folarin Balogun for their World Cup round-of-16 meeting with Belgium after being sent off in the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However the Monaco forward will now be available as Mauricio Pochettino's side aim to reach the tournament's quarter-final stage for the first time since 2002.

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FIFA suspend Folarin Balogun's World Cup ban

Balogun has been the Stars and Stripes' most potent player in their first World Cup hosted on home soil since 1994, scoring three goals in as many starts.

But his hopes of leading his country into the last eight appeared to be dashed by a red card for planting his foot into Tarik Muharemovic's ankle during a collision.

Under FIFA rules, Balgoun's sending-off incurred an automatic one-match suspension that would have ruled him out of the showdown at Seattle Stadium.

Yet world football's governing body has again exercised an unusual rule from its Disciplinary Code that means the 25-year-old's ban is suspended for one year.

The probationary period covered by Article 27 allows bans to be paused provided they are not followed up with 'another infringement of a similar nature and gravity'.

It was previously used to clear Cristiano Ronaldo's red card to participate in the start of Portugal's group campaign after his sending-off in the World Cup play-offs.

Ronaldo's waived ban also opened the door for Ecuador's Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Otamendi of Argentina, who were both sent off in the same game, to play.

Balogun's case also received a helping hand from US President Donald Trump, who reportedly lobbied his FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino to review the case.

The leader of the free world and the head of the global game have enjoyed a warm relationship that led to Trump receiving the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize last year.

Trump reacted to Balogun's overturned ban on his Truth Social social media platform by hailing FIFA for 'doing what was right and reversing a great injustice'.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) have since released a strong statement in response to the suspension of Balogun's ban.

"The RBFA is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match," it reads.

"FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.

"However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.

"Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5: 'If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team's subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.'

"The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.

"The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations. In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options."

England must conquer the altitude and the Azteca atmosphere as they take on World Cup 2026 co-hosts Mexico in a tricky last-16 tie complete – with a delayed kick off. The Three Lions' team news is in so get ready for a stormy affair in Mexico City. If the rain ever stops...

By winning Group L and squeezing past DR Congo in the round of 32, England remain on their expected path through the World Cup.

It was therefore always likely that Thomas Tuchel's side would face co-hosts Mexico in the last 16, not only on Mexican soil but at the mighty Azteca.

Known during the tournament as Mexico City Stadium, the most famous football arena in North America is hosting its fifth and final match of the World Cup 2026, and the fourth involving El Tri.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Mexico vs England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Mexico vs England for FREE

Mexico vs England will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including BBC in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on BBC, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

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How to watch Mexico vs England in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Mexico vs England on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The build-up starts at 12:00am, with kick-off delayed to 2:00am. They've got a lot of filling to do in the studio....

How to watch Mexico vs England in the US

In the US, you can stream Mexico vs England on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch Mexico vs England in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Mexico vs England on the free SBS On Demand.

Mexico vs England: World Cup 2026 Preview

Mexico have flown through to this stage, deservedly beating Ecuador 2-0 in the last 32 to win a World Cup knockout game for the first time since 1986, when they last hosted the tournament. That victory was their fourth out of four and they're yet to concede a goal.

Javier Aguirre's team have harnessed the backing of the vociferous home crowds, primarily at the Azteca, to surf into the last 16. If they win again, they will cross the border into the US for the first time.

England have won their last four matches against Mexico, all friendlies, in a period that spans 40 years. The only competitive fixture between these teams was at the World Cup in 1966, when the Three Lions triumphed 2-0 on their way to lifting the trophy.

The Azteca is a factor. Playing football at an altitude of 2,200 metres above sea level without time to acclimatise is physically tough and a proven competitive disadvantage.

England elected to prioritise recovery time at their base in Kansas over rushing their trip to Mexico City, but they would have struggled to get used to the altitude before kick-off in any case.

While Tuchel's team struggled against DR Congo, Mexico swatted aside a round of 32 opponent just as attuned to altitude as they are. Home advantage has ignited El Tri's World Cup and the density of the air isn't the only reason.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Mexico 2-1 England

FourFourTwo can't see past the co-hosts in Mexico City. England haven't played well enough to suggest they'll overcome the odds.

• Has England vs Mexico been postponed?
• England team news for Mexico clash confirmed

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England vs Mexico is, with ease, the most difficult of all the Round of 16 fixtures to predict, despite the majority of factors swinging in favour of the 2026 World Cup co-hosts.

FourFourTwo will try its best to weather the storm (pun, fully intended) with this prediction, as it’s clear that, while England have the better squad on paper, Mexico’s dominance at the Azteca, and their experience at altitude, leaves the Three Lions in serious peril.

Therefore, the result of England vs Mexico is almost certainly going to be an assured victory for either side, but who will prevail?

Mexico vs England prediction

The short answer is, probably not. Mexico are yet to concede a goal at the 2026 World Cup. They are the first team to win their first four games and keep four clean sheets since Italy in 1990.

England, on the other hand, have been seriously tested by two sides in Ghana and DR Congo, with their two wins vs Croatia and Panama being largely even during the first halves.

If anything can get the Three Lions over the line, it will be good ol’ fashioned individual brilliance, and that will need to be from Harry Kane.

The Bayern Munich bagsman is arguably the greatest English striker the game has ever seen from a chance quality and quantity-to-conversion standpoint.

While Kane’s Premier League career was held back by Tottenham Hotspur’s inability to compete, it did wonders for the Englishman’s goals record and has prolonged his career.

The 32-year-old did not receive the consistent volume or quality of chances that a top-level striker at a club in contention would be on the receiving end of, and it shows to this day.

Give him a half-chance, and there’s more going for him to bag it than virtually any other forward in world football.

Mexico vs England score prediction

Therefore, in the face of altitude, potential thunderstorm delays, and a hostile Azteca, where Mexico have only ever lost at twice in over 80 games, it will need to be Kane who sets the tone early by scoring.

And it’s important that the Three Lions do set that standard from the off, as if not, the terror of the Azteca, and Mexico's confidence will only increase, while the England squad’s aerobic capacity decreases.

If Kane, or even Jude Bellingham, as it’s never wise to rule him out, can put Tuchel’s men on the front foot early, they will get over the line with fewer hitches than people expect.

But if Mexico strike first, it will be a mountainous battle for the Three Lions that will only grow more and more difficult as the game progresses.

FFT believes in Kane, and believes that a statement England victory in North America is overdue, so this can only go one way.

• Score prediction: England 2-0 Mexico

England's clash with Mexico in the World Cup is potentially at risk of being pushed back due to storms over Mexico City.

Lightning storms are relatively rare in the UK, where conditions are too cool, too cloudy and the seas around these isles cool the air down considerably. That prevents storms from former as frequently as they do across larger continents. Even when we do get them, they tend to be pretty tame.

So if you're wondering 'well, it's just a storm, what's the big deal' - think again. They can be no joke.

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FIFA lightning storm delay rules

Per FIFA protocols, if there is lightning within a eight-mile radius of the stadium at the time doors are due to open, fans and players alike will not be permitted to enter the stadium.

If a storm begins when the everybody is already in the ground, or even while the game is in progress, then play will be stopped and will not be able to proceed until there has been 30 minutes without a lightning strike within eight miles of the stadium. Every new strike resets the 30 minute timer.

Eight miles may sound excessive, but keep in mind that lightning can strike more than ten miles away from a storm.

There are also risks of people being injured by ground currents, where energy travels through the ground following a strike; contact injury, where electricity is discharged from a conductive material being touched; or side flash, where a charge can travel from a struck object to people nearby.

The odds of any one specific person being struck by lightning are obviously low, but with over 80,000 people expected at Estadio Azteca, the odds of someone being struck, either inside the ground or while travelling to the stadium, are multiplied accordingly.

The risk assessment essentially boils down to this: the chance of something happening are low, but if something did happen, it could be catastrophic. Lightning strikes can cause death, serious injury and mass panic.

Getting the football played on time simply is not worth taking that chance. For games played in the US, it's not just a FIFA thing: a very similar protocol is in affect across the United States under guidance from the National Weather Service.

Two games have already been delayed by storms at this World Cup.

The second half of France's meeting with Iraq in the group stage was supended for around two hours after lightning was reported nearby during the interval.

Mexico's meeting with Ecuador in the last round meanwhile had kick-off delayed by an hour after storms near to Estadio Azteca.

Five-time World Cup winners Brazil face Norway at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday as both sides are hoping to progress to the quarter finals of the World Cup.

Brazil came from behind to beat Japan in their Round of 32 game while Norway beat Ivory Coast in their first knock out game.

There will be plenty Premier League players on display with Alisson, Gabriel, Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Rayan and Matheus Cunha all set to feature for Brazil.

While Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge and Oscar Bobb could all feature for Norway.

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ITV's complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Brazil vs Norway

The match kicks off at 9pm UK time, with live coverage available on ITV1 and online at ITVX. Mark Pougatch will be at the helm in the ITV studio in Brooklyn, where he is joined by pundits, Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Roy Keane

ITV's lead commentator Sam Matterface will be up on the gantry in New Jersey.

Matterface will be joined by Lee Dixon on co-commentary duties.

The winners of this tie will face the winner of Mexico and England in the last 8 game on July 11 at the Miami Stadium.

Brazil and Norway will do battle for a place in the World Cup quarter finals on Sunday.

The Selecao topped their group before surviving a scare against Japan in the round of 32, coming from behind to claim a 2-1 win and put themselves into this round of the competition.

Norway meanwhile finished as runners-up to France after making ten changes to face Les Bleus in their final group game, then getting back down to business with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast last time out.

Officials confirmed for Brazil vs Norway

The game is set to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just across the bridge from New York City.

Kick-off sit set for 4pm local time (9pm UK time), with ITV holding the UK broadcast rights for the game.

The man in the middle of it all will be Ismail Elfath, who will take charge of his third game of the tournament on adopted home turf.

Born and raised in Morocco, Elfath moved to America aged 18 and is a US citizen. He has spent his entire refereeing career in the United States.

Elfath achieved the highest honour a referee can attain when he was selected to referee the last World Cup final between Argentina and France in 2022.

This is his third game of the competition after previously refereeing the Netherlands' 2-2 draw with Japan and the somewhat bad-tempered clash between Uruguay and Spain.

Elfath showed Agustin Canobbio a straight red card for a high tackle in injury time and withstood the Uruguay forward's furious protestations in a stern and dignified mannaer

Assisting Elfath are two more Americans, Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, who will run the lines for him.

Costa Rican duo Juan Gabriel Calderon and Juan Carlos Mora are the fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively.

Taking charge of VAR is Nicaragua's Tatiana Guzman, who will be assisted by American Armando Villarreal and Qatari Khamis Al-Marri.

Folarin Balogun will be available to play for the USA against Belgium on Monday after his one game ban following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina has been suspended.

Balogun was shown a straight red card in the Round of 32 game with Bosnia for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic after Brazilian official Raphael Claus was sent to review the incident on the VAR monitor.

A red card automatically carries a one game ban and it was understood that there was no route for appeal for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

But on Sunday FIFA released a statement saying that the striker would be able to play and that his ban had been suspended for one year.

In a statement, FIFA said: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed the following sanction on United States national-team player Folarin Balogun, who was sent off as a result of a direct red card during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina played on 1 July 2026 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium:

One-match suspension for breaches of articles 14 and 66 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC).

"In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.

"If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."

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Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo avoided a suspension for the start of the World Cup in similar circumstances after FIFA handed the Portugal captain a three-match ban, but with the final two games suspended for “a one-year probation period”.

Balogun scored three goals in the World Cup so far and has started in all but one game for the tournament co-hosts, scoring twice in their opener against Paraguay. The forward was rested against Turkey in the final group-stage game before returning to score against Bosnia in the first-half.

He has registered at least one goal contribution in every World Cup game he has played in so far at this tournament.

The news will come as a boost to Pochettino who did not agree with the sending off in the first place and said after the game with Bosnia: “For me? Never a red card.

“Never an intention to step on the player. It was a normal action in football that happened by accident.

Meanwhile Christian Pulisic added: “It’s just so unfortunate, honestly.

“Looking back at it, it just seems so harsh. I just told him, he’s done so much for us, and now we got his back.”

The USA face Belgium in the Round of 16 game in Seattle on Monday.

England have advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup having gone unbeaten against Croatia, Ghana, Panama and DR Congo.

The Three Lions' route to the Last 16 hasn't been without incident, going a goal down to DR Congo in the previous round before being rescued by a Harry Kane brace.

A number of England's key defensive players have also been in the treatment room during the tournament with Reece James currently out with a hamstring injury, and fellow right-back Tino Livramento missing the World Cup entirely.

Is Djed Spence injured for England?

Back-up option Jarell Quansah missed the Round of 32 fixture against DR Congo with an ankle problem and now it appears England's next best alternative will be absent for the game with Mexico this evening.

Djed Spence has reportedly picked up an injury in training that will keep him out of the fixture at Estadio Azteca. The Tottenham Hotspur full-back trained with the squad yesterday which is when the injury is understood to have been sustained.

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It leaves Tuchel with the unenviable task of deploying star midfielder Declan Rice at right-back, shuffling Ezri Konsa over to the right-hand side or recalling Quansah, who has returned to training in recent days.

The Three Lions' boss opted against calling up Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for the tournament but has now faced repeated fitness and availability issues in the specific area of the pitch in which the ex-Liverpool defender operates.

England did use Rice at right-back for the latter stages of their 2-1 win against DR Congo and looked more secure defensively, however, this would remove him from his usual berth in the heart of midfield.

Tuchel's men must also contend with the high altitude of the Azteca Stadium, an arena which sits approximately 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level.

For comparison, Ben Nevis - the highest point in the United Kingdom - is 1,345 metres (4,413 feet) above sea level.

England have played at the Azteca before, famously in 1986 when Diego Maradona scored the 'Hand of God' goal to eliminate the Three Lions from the World Cup that year.

Earlier in that particular tournament, England had defeated Paraguay 3-0. The Three Lions' record at the Azteca is three defeats, two victories and a draw - the latter coming against this evening's opponents Mexico, in a 1969 friendly match.

Five-time winners Brazil take on heavily-armed Norway in New Jersey in a fascinating last-16 encounter at the World Cup 2026. Erling Haaland is in the running for the Golden Boot and carrying Stale Solbakken's streetwise team with him but their biggest test – France in the group stage notwithstanding – is still ahead of them.

Norway powered past Iraq and Senegal in Group I before Solbakken's second string had their tummies tickled by France in game three.

Any question marks over momentum were assuaged by a late win against Ivory Coast in the round of 32. Haaland's goal was a little fortuitous but it was his fifth of the tournament, underlining that one of Europe's top marksmen is in threatening form.

Brazil came from behind to beat Japan 2-1 in dramatic fashion in the round of 32, with Gabriel Martinelli slotting home six minutes into second-half stoppage time. In some ways, it was a relief to see Vinicius Jr not on the scoresheet amid fears Carlo Ancelotti's side rely too heavily on the Real Madrid forward, but now is the time for him to step up again.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Brazil vs Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Brazil vs Norway for FREE

Brazil vs Norway will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including ITV in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on ITV, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

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Watch Brazil vs Norway from anywhere

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How to watch Brazil vs Norway in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Brazil vs Norway on ITV1 and ITVX. The build-up starts at 8:15pm, with kick-off at 9:00pm.

How to watch Brazil vs Norway in the US

In the US, you can stream Brazil vs Norway on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch Brazil vs Norway in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Brazil vs Norway on the free SBS On Demand.

Brazil vs Norway: World Cup 2026 Preview

Norway head into this mouth-watering last-16 clash with the unusual distinction of holding an unbeaten record against Brazil, winning two and drawing two of their previous four meetings.

Indeed, the sides' only previous competitive fixture came at the World Cup in 1998, which was Norway's last appearance at the finals. Tore Andre Flo and Kjetil Rekdal scored late on to cancel out Bebeto's strike in the final game of the group stage.

Brazil haven't been firing on all cylinders at this World Cup but they've won their last three matches, including their victory from behind against Japan in the last round.

Solbakken and Norway will look to capitalise on their underdog status against the World Cup's most successful team but the gap between these sides is smaller than ever.

In Haaland, you could make a strong case that the best and most effective player on the pitch is Norwegian. Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Jr have been getting the job done for Brazil too, but it's Norway that seem to have the bit between their teeth.

With Mexico or England awaiting the winner in the quarter-final, Brazil will seek to avoid exiting the World Cup before the last eight for the first time since 1990.

Team News

Brazil XI: Alisson (GK); Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos; Casemiro; Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Martinelli; Rayan, Matheus Cunha, Vinicius Jr

Rayan gets the call again along with Cunha and Vini Jr. Arsenal's Martinelli and Newcastle United man Guimaraes get the start.

Norway XI: Orjan Nyland (GK); Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, David Moller Wolfe; Sander Berge; Martin Odegaard, Patrick Berg; Alexander Sorloth, Erling Haaland, Antonio Nusa

Solbakken opts for an attacking line-up with Haaland backed up by Sorloth and Nusa, with Berg and Odegaard operting in midfield with Berge.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Brazil 1-2 Norway

FourFourTwo predicts that Norway will have the edge where it counts in a match that's really too tough to call.

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England vs Mexico has been the most-discussed of all scheduled Round of 16 clashes at the 2026 World Cup, ironically, for its lack of a schedule.

The showdown, which has been spoken of as an impossible hill for England to summit due to altitude in Mexico City that the Three Lions cannot possibly acclimatise to in time, was nearly re-scheduled for kick-off six hours earlier yesterday.

That would have seen England play in the heat of the day, but alas, Thomas Tuchel’s men will play at their previously scheduled time, which carries the risk of a thunderstorm to compliment the Azteca’s dizzying altitude.

Who is the referee for Mexico vs England, Round of 16, 2026 World Cup?

To add insult to injury, England vs Mexico will also be officiated by, arguably, the most controversial referee still active at the 2026 World Cup across North America.

Australian official Alireza Faghani will serve as referee for the event, having failed to call a clear-cut penalty on Kylian Mbappe in France’s opening fixture vs Senegal.

He will be joined by fellow countrymen George Lakindris and Andrew Lindsay, as assistant referees for the showdown.

Morocco’s Jalal Jayed and Zakaria Brinsi will operate as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively.

Faghani boasts an impressive refereeing career, having officiated France’s blockbuster 4-3 victory against Argentina during the 2018 World Cup, serving eight cards and awarding a penalty after 13 minutes for a foul on Kylian Mbappe, in the then youngster’s breakout tournament.

Across North America, this will be his third event, having overseen France vs Senegal and Portugal vs Colombia, with the latter fixture also featuring a controversial disallowed goal during its dying embers.

On this stage, Faghani averages almost five bookings per match, and awards a spot kick every four fixtures.

He has shown red twice at the World Cup; the majority of his refereeing experience comes in the A-League, having refereed 119 matches and wielded an average of four cards per game.

The 48-year-old also served as referee for Chelsea’s 3-0 victory against PSG in the 2025 Club World Cup, which was also held in North America.

Faghani has refereed 62 AFC Champions League Elite events, eight FIFA Club World Cup showdowns and three Olympic Games face-offs.

Five-time champions and World Cup ever-presents Brazil have not lifted the trophy since 2002 and have gone out in the quarter-finals every time since then except for 2014, when they probably would have preferred to in hindsight.

Norway are meanwhile at their first men's World Cup since 1998 and have never made it past this stage of the competition before, going out in the round of 16 in 1938 and 1998.

Kick-off sit set for 4pm local time (9pm UK time), with ITV showing the game to UK viewers.

Brazil vs Norway score prediction

The game will be hosted by MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will also host the final.

There was a feeling coming into this tournament that this Brazil side was not the finest the country has ever produced, and we have seen elements of why so far.

They went behind both to Morocco in the group stage and Japan in the round of 32 and had to fight back to rescue results.

But Carlo Ancelotti's side remain unbeaten so far, and they demonstrated that they have more than enough individual talents in the side to make a difference, as well as what should on paper be the best centre-back pairing in North America right now.

Vinicius Jr, in particular, found form in the group stage to answer critics who feel he doesn't perform for Brazil at the same level he is capable of reaching for Real Madrid.

But Norway have proven to be more than just Erling Haaland and ten mates with their performances so far, save for a 4-1 defeat to France when they were already qualified and opted to give their first-choice side a rest ahead of the knockout stage.

Tipped by many as viable dark horses (which rather defeats the point of dark horses), Norway now have a chance to take their first big-name scalp of the summer.

Brazil showed against Morocco that a win against another of this World Cup's big boys is not necessarily a given, while Norway's ability to handle tougher opposition is yet to be truly tested.

That makes this a tough one to predict, but we do feel like there will be goals. Brazil to win it in extra time, we think.

• Score prediction: Brazil 3-2 Norway (AET)

England’s 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany was not short on subplots.

From the lofty pre-tournament expectations placed on the so-called Golden Generation to Wayne Rooney’s recovery from a metatarsal injury, the competition would ultimately end in another quarter-final exit, again on spot kicks.

But away from the pitch, a new phenomenon was born, as the word ‘WAG’ entered the nation’s collective consciousness.

Joe Cole on the media and their WAG obession

England were based in Baden-Baden for the tournament and as the squad settled into life at their base, the red-top media’s focus seemed to shift away from what was happening on the pitch and towards the activities of the squad’s wives and girlfriends.

As Joe Cole and Ashley Cole look back two decades on, the pair of former England team-mates believe that the squad themselves were unaffected by the growing media clamour.

“It was irrelevant to the players,” Joe tells FourFourTwo. “It gets talked about a lot. The girls were just doing what they’d usually do, having a nice time with the families. They’d go out for dinner, but the press made it what it was.”

Other members of that squad have suggested that the situation became a distraction, but Joe did not experience it in that way.

“It didn’t bother me one bit,” he adds. “I’ve heard other players say it was a distraction, I was just happy that all of my family were having a great time, and so they should have been, because they were on a journey with you.”

For Ashley Cole, it was the logistical set-up that was the cause of any issues.

“Maybe the press shouldn’t have been in their hotel,” he argues. “It wasn’t the fault of the press, whoever arranged it shouldn’t have put both in the same hotel.”

Joe agrees that these circumstances made it easy for stories to emerge: “They’d be listening to get stories,” he says, with Ashley also chipping in: “Yeah, it was crazy…”

Former West Ham and Liverpool star Joe adds that the media landscape of the mid-2000s played a huge role in fuelling the WAG culture.

“Social media has changed things now – back then, the media needed to be fed with pictures of the girls going for a run or something like that, and it was going on the front page,” he continues. “I find it incredible that people are interested in that celebrity world. I just think it’s mental, but it sells, doesn’t it?”

Could It Be Coming Home? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is brought to you by Carling, official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. Watch the show on YouTube and Spotify, or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts

Ashley Cole would enjoy plenty of high points during his 107-cap England career, but one of his lows came at the end of the Three Lions’ Euro 2012 quarter-final clash against Italy.

England had held the Azzurri to 120 goalless minutes in Kyiv, meaning that their dreams of ending international football’s most famous trophy drought rested on a penalty shootout.

The Three Lions had lost their last four shootouts, and when Cole missed from the spot, it meant their wretched record continued.

Ashley Cole on his Euro 2012 penalty shootout miss

For Cole, the misery of his decisive miss was heightened by the fact that he had faced a similiar high-pressure spot kick just weeks earlier and duly converted. That came in Moscow, where Chelsea won their first-ever Champions League title by defeating Bayern Munich on spot-kicks, with Cole stepping up to score the Blues’ fourth penalty.

“I was disappointed because two or three weeks beforehand, I’d scored in the shootout against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final,” Cole recalls to FourFourTwo. “So missing killed me.”

While Cole was never a regular penalty taker for his club, he never shied away from the responsibility in shootouts.

“I was confident taking penalties,” he continues. “I thought, ‘OK, it’s just another penalty.’”

But as he stood over the ball against Italy and looked to legendary Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, a seed of doubt was sewn.

“In the Italy game, I changed my mind,” he admits. “I knew that Buffon would have watched the Champions League final – he told me afterwards that he had watched it.

“I should have gone down the middle, but I tried to whip it and go the same way again.”

Buffon would duly make the save, leaving West Ham midfielder Alessandro Diamanti free to slot home the winning penalty.

“It was devastating,” Cole adds, almost a decade and a half on. “But it is what it is – you can’t score them all, I’m not the only one who’s missed a penalty.

“I’m saying that flippantly, but I held a lot on my shoulders for not helping the team to get through.”

Could It Be Coming Home? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is brought to you by Carling, official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. Watch the show on YouTube and Spotify, or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts

We've got another quiz for you

Since his professional debut more than 15 years ago, Harry Kane has proven himself to be a prolific and reliable goalscorer time and time again and is arguably England's greatest player in the modern era.

We've put together 10 questions about Kane, going all the way back to his loan spells, to his England tournament records. Let's see how much you know about Harry's career.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Ready for more quizzes?. To see if your mental stamina can survive a summer of back-to-back matchdays, we've drawn up a lineup of teasers designed to test your awareness of the modern masterminds pulling the strings and the icons who have defined the grandest stage on Earth – courtesy of Kwizly.

We're diving into World Cup history to begin with and the competition's most ruthless finishers. Can you name every Golden Ball, Silver Ball and Bronze Ball winner at the World Cup?

Once you've found your scoring boots, see how many icons you can pick out, with this Heroes of the 1980sWorld Cup Wordsearch.

Then, take a look back to England's best World Cup performance in recent years, by looking at the England vs Panama XI, 2018 and seeing how many from that team you can name.

And finally, see if you're able to name every player with 6+ World Cup goals.

To ensure you stay one step ahead of the late tactical shifts as the knockout rounds loom, subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To truly secure your legacy this summer, make sure you've joined The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, fight for the top of the global leaderboards, and join the debate in the comments section as the tournament drama unfolds.

When a World Cup winner gives up Champions League football to move to a newly promoted Premier League side situated among the game’s giants in the north west of England, eyebrows are always going to be raised.

And that was exactly the case when former France and Inter Milan great Youri Djorkeaff was wooed by Sam Allardyce’s project at Bolton Wanderers in 2002.

Djorkaeff would go on to be one of the defining signings of Allardyce’s tenure at the club, helping establish the Trotters as one of the hardest teams to beat in the top flight.

Djorkaeff on working with Big Sam

“He was the best manager Bolton could have had at that time,” he tells FourFourTwo as he is asked to reflect on his time working under Allardyce.

“He didn’t have an elaborate tactical strategy, but he had a clear vision of what the team needed to stay in the Premier League.”

Rather than overloading his players with information and overcomplicating his approach, Allardyce worked to create belief in a squad that was one of the favourites to drop back down to the second tier.

“He gave us confidence and lifted the dressing room,” Djorkaeff continues. “Nobody wanted to play against us.

“We were tough on the pitch and we had a bit of magic with certain players – the perfect formula.”

Allardyce was a Marmite figure in the Premier League at the timer, with his direct style of play often criticised, with Djorkaeff admitting that there was more than a grain of truth to the long-ball label attached to the side by the media at the time.

“But it was true!” he says with a smile. “At first I argued with him.

“I told him he couldn’t keep asking us to constantly play long balls, just hoping Kevin Nolan or I would get a decent touch.

“He replied: “That’s how we play at Bolton.” It was tough, but little by little we improved and started playing better football. Without a doubt, his greatest strength was his personality and ability to convince the players.

“I adapted my game to what we needed.”

The United States are hoping to make history at this tournament.

Beyond co-hosting its first World Cup since 1994, the United States national team are potentially 90 minutes away from a fourth round-of-16 appearance in 20 years.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese has been key as Mauricio Pochettino's side prepare to face Belgium but his route to the tournament was a slightly unconventional one.

Play our FREE match predictor and win £1k

Matt Freese's incredible World Cup journey

Freese is currently first-choice stopper at MLS franchise New York City, who are part of the City Football Group's network of clubs which also includes Manchester City.

In another universe, however, the 27-year-old could have been in direct opposition to Enzo Maresca's side after being offered an apprenticeship at Manchester United.

Instead he rejected most players' dream of a Premier League move in favour of studying economics at Harvard while playing for the university's Crimson team.

Turning down Carrington for Cambridge, Massachusetts paid off for Freese as he led the Ivy League's saves per game statistics for 2018, averaging six per game.

He also managed to combine both passions in an academic paper on penalty kick analytics which he has refused to publicly disclose the details of when asked about it.

The reason for closely guarding that thesis is obvious after Freese's spot kick heroics against the likes of Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez and Christian Benteke.

But his crowning moment from 12 yards came in last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica when he saved three efforts in the shootout.

USA's last-16 showdown with Belgium invariably evokes memories of their previous knockout game back in 2014 which set a new World Cup goalkeeping record.

Tim Howard produced 16 saves- a feat which still stands to this day - but was still powerless to prevent the Stars and Stripes' extra-time exit to the Red Devils.

The 'Secretary of Defense' title lauded on the ex-United and Everton man could soon be passed on to Freese - with the incumbent's blessing - if the moment arises.

When Tim Krul arrived at Newcastle United as a wide-eyed teenager in 2005, he joined a goalkeeping department containing two of the most experienced and driven stoppers in English football at that time.

A series of formative loan spells would duly follow before a first-team breakthrough, plus an ongoing battle for competition at St James’ Park.

By the time Krul had become a regular in the Magpies squad, he had already gained experience in Scotland, the lower leagues and in Europe.

Krul on his Newcastle journey

The Dutchman’s first Newcastle appearance came at the age of 18, when he kept a clean sheet away to Palermo in the UEFA Cup, a year after he joined the club.

“We went on a team walk in Palermo and Glenn Roeder said, “Are you ready for it?”” Krul recalls to FourFourTwo when asked about his debut. “It really kicked in that it was going to happen.

“I was never able to dream of having a debut for a club like Newcastle, or even winning that game 1-0. It was a dream come true.

“I’ve had a few games in my career where if you get into the zone and save two or three shots early on, you feel unbeatable.”

Loan spells to Falkirk and Carlisle followed, with Krul especially enjoying his time north of the border.

“Scotland was an amazing experience,” he continues. “The manager, John Hughes, said, “You’re going to play – no matter what. You’ll make your mistakes, but I trust in the talent.”

“That really shaped me in men’s football, having to realise that, especially at that level, people were playing for their win bonuses.”

Krul returned from these loan stints in 2009 and knew that he had plenty of competition for a place in the side.

“Fraser Forster was a similar age and the older guys, Steve Harper and Shay Given, pushed me to the limit,” he says. “They expected a lot from me and were really on my case. I think their mentorship helped me push even harder, because when you make your debut, you can sit on your laurels and think you’ve made it.

“That’s when you need experienced players to stay on your case. I started to become more of a regular in the team in the 2010-11 season.

It's yet another World Cup-themed Pre-Match Poser!

What did Emmanuel Petit do that the following players – Jody Morris, Paul Scholes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Allan Nielsen – also managed?

We'll reveal the answer this time next week in the next edition of The Pre-Match Poser – stay tuned for that – but for now, here's the answer to last week's conundrum…

Q. Who completed a unique hat-trick at the 2010 World Cup, over a decade in the making, that not even Ferenc Puskas himself achieved? And it wasn’t Gonzalo Higuain…

A. Dejan Stankovic, who played for his third differently-named nation: Serbia, after Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 and Yugoslavia in 1998. The legendary Puskas played for Hungary in 1954 and Spain in 1962 – but stopped at a brace. Higuain scored a hat-trick in 2010, but not the name we’re looking for, here!

More football quizzes we know you'll love

Elite display, we're impressed. Would you like some Kwizly-teasers, next? We've got a lineup that tests everything from the history of the continent’s biggest finals to the cult of personality surrounding El Loco himself.

We’re starting with a massive survey of the European elite and the disciples of one of the game's most obsessive minds. We want you to trace the heritage of Old Big Ears by naming every club to have ever reached a European Cup/Champions League final – and once you’ve mapped out the continent, narrow your focus to the meticulous details of a tactical genius: can you name Marcelo Bielsa's most played players?

If your expertise is more about the imported icons of the English top flight or the heavy metal era of Merseyside, we have two clinical hurdles waiting in the tunnel. You can prove your knowledge of Premier League longevity by naming the 50 foreign players with the most Premier League appearances, or switch gears to celebrate the tactical revolution at Anfield: can you get 100 per cent in our quiz about Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool? From the durable stars who made England their second home to the high-pressing machines of the Klopp years, it’s time to see if your footballing IQ is truly world-class.

To decompress after that heavy lifting, find a quiet spot for FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 60, featuring a spicy mix of scandals, shootouts, and sackings. It’s the perfect way to engage your lateral thinking before the next round of fixtures kicks off. To stay one step ahead of the pack, subscribe to our newsletter and join The Club to help you crack the toughest quizzes, global leaderboards to climb, a community space to leave your comments, and access to exclusive Q&As.

In the build-up to France vs Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup, much was made of the unprecedented heatwave conditions that both teams would be subjected to.

Unprecedented at this North America edition, that is, despite various sides having been forced to endure some of the hottest weather ever, at any World Cup tournament.

France vs Paraguay exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but was it the hottest match in World Cup history?

What is the hottest World Cup match of all time?

PLAY our FREE World Cup scores predictor HERE and WIN £1K

No, France vs Paraguay is not the hottest World Cup match in history.

Two sides, shockingly, had it worse, during the 1994 tournament, also held in the United States.

The weather at the 2026 World Cup has been brutally bipolar, with some teams playing in near Death Valley scorchers, to others enduring rain and thunderstorm delays.

Didier Deschamps’ men have now fought valiantly through both, but two teams at the USA 1994 World Cup tournament battled in conditions that are virtually inhumane.

Mexico and Ireland faced off over 30 years now in the United States, with the former prevailing 2-1, in temperatures exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Anything above 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit comes with medical guidance to even the fittest of athletes to avoid outdoor activity.

In such conditions, the advice is for those professionals to exercise indoors at any and all costs, as the heat can put one’s health in serious peril.

For British readers, Mexico and Ireland played in 43 degree weather, with more than 100 supporters in the crowd passing out from the heat, according to reports at the time.

For the players on the pitch, Ireland international Jason McAteer described his team as “melting” whilst playing, singling out Steve Staunton and Tommy Coyne among those most affected.

Sports science and hydration breaks were sorely lacking or simply not a thing back then, leading to inadequate efforts from the Irish squad to acclimatise and cope.

McAteer recalled that the extent of their preparation for the American heat was cold flannels, water poured over the head, and Dioralyte salt supplements.

Bizarrely, shockingly, disturbingly, take your pick, FIFA had banned players from consuming bottled water mid-game during the 1994 tournament.

After mass outrage, the governing body performed a U-turn and allowed water balloons to be thrown onto the pitch, giving players the opportunity to hydrate.

McAteer said: “Jack [Charlton] was saying before the Mexico game that someone could die without getting a drink of water, but [initially] no one listened to him.

“It looks like a dinosaur age in comparison to now, but it wasn’t that long ago. It was ridiculous, nuts… we couldn’t cope.”

Charlton, Ireland’s manager at the time, was correct: Coyne was taken for a drugs test post-match and was so dehydrated that he, in effect, drowned his own body to urinate.

After drinking a ludicrous volume of water, he boarded a flight and experienced fluid-pressure build-up, causing the pilot to have to drop altitude.

“He basically flooded his body,” McAteer revealed. “When we flew back to New York he took a really bad turn… that was a real health risk for him.”

The 2026 World Cup decision might have been made with American advertising in mind, but thank God for hydration breaks, eh?

France vs Paraguay is a battle of giant and giant-slayer, with the 2018 champions, and 2022 finalists, taking on a Germany-vanquishing Paraguay.

Didier Deschamps’ men have looked the side to beat at the competition, seemingly marching with ease to a third successive World Cup final come July 19.

In their way is Paraguay, and perhaps the hottest World Cup day on record thus far, who prevailed against Germany on penalties in the Round of 32 - but which presenters, commentators and pundits will compliment the event?

BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for France vs Paraguay

The full line-up of presenters, commentators and presenters for France vs Paraguay, being played this evening at 10pm BST, has been revealed.

Kylian Mbappe is in red hot form, with eight goal involvements in his four 2026 World Cup fixtures thus far, with tonight’s game being held at the Philadelphia Stadium.

Serving as presenter for the event on BBC is Mark Chapman, of Match of the Day fame and now one of the broadcaster’s staple presences at the 2026 World Cup.

Joining as pundits are a selection of former professionals.

Thomas Hitzlsperger, Joe Hart and Micah Richards offer their thoughts on this match.

Former German and English internationals, those three will have more than enough experience to provide cutting-edge analysis on the happenings in Philadelphia.

Serving as the match’s main voice is Steve Wilson, with the ever-iconic Stephen Warnock stepping in for the Round of 16 showdown as co-commentator.

The winner of France vs Paraguay will take on the victor of Canada vs Morocco in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, being played on July 9 at 9pm BST.