France vs Spain is sure to be the toughest test yet for Didier Deschamps' men at the 2026 World Cup, now in the semi-final.

Spain possess the best defence at the tournament, while France boast the strongest attacking line-up of any side across North America.

The Spaniards know what it takes to win against this bunch, having secured a memorable victory against them in the 2024 European Championship, which Spain went on to win outright.

France vs Spain prediction

As always in games of this magnitude, it's wise to look at the game-breakers each nation possess, and how they could influence the result.

That is Kylian Mbappe, the greatest World Cup player in history, and Lamine Yamal, respectively. And that feels like a mismatch.

For England in Saturday evening's quarter-final fixture, that man was Jude Bellingham: the youngest player since Pele to score braces in back-to-back knockout games.

The presence of a game-breaker, a man who steps up when the going gets tough, is necessary for matches of this calibre, as evidenced by Norway's Erling Haaland enduring a tough game, then losing.

But with Mbappe and Yamal, the outcome feels far more pre-determined than it was for the England-Norway clash.

The most unfortunate part for Spain is that, if the Barcelona youngster can turn it on, he is arguably the most effectively-designed player to vanquish this France superteam.

If you could grow a player in a lab to beat Deschamps' men, you would pour in a dash of long-shot ability, another of solo dribbling insanity, and a smidgen of "Big Game Riser" garnish for the final dish.

If Yamal was at his best, he would be the player capable of breaking the deadlock early on enough, and retaining pressure while progressing the ball, to defeat France.

But Barcelona's starboy isn't at his best. Not even close. And Mbappe is on the prowl to heal his 2022 wounds, and continue building an already astonishing World Cup resume.

Spain's defence is irrelevant when France possess a front three of Top 5 Ballon D'or candidates for 2027, but their ability to go up early, and apply a pressure that France have not seen yet at the tournament, hinges almost solely on Yamal's performance.

France vs Spain score prediction

Unfortunately, FourFourTwo doesn't believe that Spain can keep the Frenchmen at bay, nor do we believe that Yamal will spring to life, after a string of uninspiring performances as of late.

Prediction: France 3-1 Spain

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

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

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

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Antonio on his West Ham rejection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Hiddink became South Korea’s favourite adopted son

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Djorkaeff on Ronaldo vs Zidane

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doku on his childhood dribbling ability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Norway are stunned by VAR's failure to intervene and chalk off Jude Bellingham's equalising goal for England.

National team boss Stale Solbakken has stated for the record his view of England's controversial strike, right on the brink of half-time.

Bellingham's strike came just two passes after the ball, from a goal kick, seemingly struck the television cable overhead and "changed direction", according to Norway's manager.

'The ball fell down from the sky and changed direction' - Norway boss fumes at England goal, after quarter-final defeat

Norway experienced a largely dominant first half in the 2026 World Cup, and should have expanded their lead to 2-0, if not for an Alexander Sorloth-shaped disaster in a two-on-one counter.

Shortly after the Norwegian striker failed to pass to a wide open Erling Haaland, the Three Lions pounced to life when a golden opportunity quite literally "fell down from sky" and levelled affairs.

Solbakken has described his view of the incident, and expressed his feelings for VAR's failure to intervene and chalk off the England goal.

The Norway boss said: "Yeah it probably will [count as an assist for the spidercam]. It was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight down from the sky and changed directions.

"We can sit here and complain and maybe we can feel rightly that the small details did not go in our favor. Against Brazil, they did. That's how it is in football.

"But maybe we need those small details to go in our favor to beat England, Brazil and other teams in the top 5 in the world.

"We can't do anything about that. I don't think we'll play the game again so that's how it is," he said.

Solbakken expressed high praise for his Norway side, stating that this team can "go toe-to-toe" with the world's best.

The 58-year-old also clarified that the referee told him he did not see anything for Bellingham's goal, before expressing doubt over the functionality of the in-ball movement chip.

"I cannot say anything on that because there is no movement in the chip. What can I say against that? But the ball falls straight down in front of Haaland," said Solbakken.

"I wonder also what happened, but I think it is pretty clear that it did [hit the wire]. It was a strange thing."

The Norway manager then explained the motivation behind his bizarre late-stage substitution of goal machine Haaland.

"It was not a tough decision because he was finished and maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before. He obviously had a tremendous World Cup," said the 58-year-old.

"I think he also got a dead leg in the second half so that combined with the fatigue, but he did everything he could.

"He scored seven goals in five games for us and had a fantastic World Cup for us," said Solbakken, before praising all his squad for their "phenomenal" performances across the tournament.

England boss Thomas Tuchel conceded that his side "just got lucky" in crucial moments during the quarter-final bout, criticising his side for their poor performance.

Three Lions star Bellingham did not take kindly to his manager's words, but Tuchel clarified that he is "fully in love" with his team.

Argentina vs Switzerland does not stand out on paper as being the most enthralling quarter-final fixture of the 2026 World Cup.

Despite this, fans would be silly to overlook the shockingly poor form that Argentina, the 2022 World Champions, have been in, and the difficulties they've faced against smaller nations this tournament.

Switzerland enter the clash after a hard-fought, impressive win on penalties vs Colombia, but can they finally be the ones who upset Lionel Messi's side?

Who are the pundits, commentators and presenters for Argentina vs Switzerland?

The quarter-final clash will be broadcast by ITV at 2am BST, with coverage beginning at 1:15am BST.

The complete line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for the event has been revealed, with the game being held at the Arrowhead Stadium.

Serving as presenter for the event is Laura Woods and joining her on the punditry team is Bradley Wright-Phillips and Jobi McAnuff.

Serving as the match's main voice is Seb Hutchinson, with Andros Townsend as co-commentator for the clash.

England got away with a lucky bounce of the ball - literally - in the lead up to Jude Bellingham's equaliser and the goal should have been ruled out after a bizarre incident.

In the lead up to Bellingham's goal, a goal kick from Norway's Orjan Nyland, the ball appeared to hit the cable over the pitch that holds the overhead TV camera in place and fell down sharply into the path of Elliot Anderson and two passes later the ball was with Bellingham who scored.

According to the official IFAB Laws of the Game, if the ball strikes a ceiling or a fixture hanging over the pitch, such as a cable or overhead camera, and remains inside the field of play, the match must be halted.

Jude Bellingham's goal for England should have been chalked off and given as a drop ball, leading to protest from Norway's Erling Haaland at the 2026 World Cup

The referee should then award a dropped ball to the team that last touched the ball, with play restarting from the spot where the ball made contact with the fixture.

Via Fox Sports coverage, former referee Mark Clattenburg said that any instance of the ball touching the TV cable should result in the match being halted.

As relayed by Rebecca Lowe, Clattenburg said: "If the ball touches any outside object, then the whistle should go, and it should be a drop ball."

The former referee then added: "Some will ask, why does the VAR not interfere?

"They can interfere, if that contact [with the cable] is part of a reviewable incident."

He concluded: "An attacking phase of play leading to a goal is a part of VAR's reviewable incidents, so it should have been picked up by VAR."

Ahead of extra time, Fox presenter Lowe reported that FIFA denied that the ball hit the cable.

FIFA are understood to have checked the data within the football and that there was no peak on the graph from the connected ball heartbeat sensor.

The Adidas footballs being used at the tournament are each fitted with a chip and utilise 'connected ball technology', which relays data directly to the VAR system.

The microchip produces accurate, instantaneous data on everything from ball movement, speed and trajectory to player touches, with adidas claiming the technology enables 'faster in-game officiating decisions and more insight into gameplay than ever before.'

But at the time, Erling Haaland led vocal protests directed at the referee due to the ball striking the cable, but it was not ruled out.

Norway looked much better after the first hydration break and took the lead via an astonishing finish from Andreas Schjelderup, whose cross translated into the top corner of the goal and over Jordan Pickford.

Norway should have gone 2-0 up before the break when Alexander Sorloth broke free and should have played in Erling Haaland.

But minutes later England were level thanks to Bellingham's excellent finish.

England were also the beneficiaries of a Norway goal being chalked off in the second half.

Haaland was deemed to have shoved future Manchester City team-mate Elliot Anderson in the build-up to a set piece goal from the Norwegians.

The game went into extra time and England went ahead when Bellingham grabbed his second of the game to put England into the semi-final.

England vs Norway is each side's greatest opponent yet at the 2026 World Cup, with a spot in the semi-finals up for grabs.

The Three Lions overcame a torturous situation versus Mexico at the Azteca on Monday, while Norway prevailed against five-time World Champions Brazil in their Round of 16 clash.

It is a hot afternoon for either side, with the struggles shared as both nations come from chillier climates, and the game has been mostly even in its play.

Gary Neville slams Jordan Pickford, as England enter the break tied at 1-1 against Norway in the 2026 World Cup

The match was not a blockbuster event to begin with, as either side looked to find their rhythm in 44C real-feel heat in Miami.

Norway almost slipped Erling Haaland in on goal after seven minutes, and Harry Kane blazed a free-kick attempt high from the edge of the box shortly before the 30th.

A scare from the England back-line almost saw Haaland pounce on a loose ball in the six-yard box, but Jordan Pickford collected with relative ease.

Shortly after, Norway's danger man headed an effort straight at the Three Lions shot-stopper, before his side opened the scoring in ludicrous fashion.

Andreas Schjelderup launched an astonishing effort that rattled in off the post, despite seemingly being a back-post cross attempt to Haaland.

Norway should have gone up 2-0 before the break, if not for a series of poor decisions from Alexander Sorloth during a two-on-one.

Jude Bellingham was the hero for England in the 46th, with a glorious finish past the Norwegian goalkeeper to level affairs heading into half-time, but Kane almost sent the Three Lions up with an intelligent chip finish that was chalked off for offside.

Gary Neville slammed England shot-stopper Pickford for his role in letting Norway break the deadlock, saying: "That can't go in the net from there."

"Jordan Pickford is not going to want to see that again. It is a cross, but he has to save it."

Ian Wright, co-pundit for the clash, added: "You have to put your hand on that. You can't take your hand away. If a ball is coming in your vicinity and you have the opportunity to touch it... you have to."

Roy Keane stated that Pickford should be "disappointed", as the Three Lions goalkeeper plays in a momentous World Cup game individually - now the most-capped England player of all time at the tournament.

England will look to pull ahead in the second half, having narrowly avoided a 2-0 deficit before Bellingham's goal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The complete line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for England vs Norway has been revealed.

England enter the face-off having staggered through a monumental task in beating Mexico at the Azteca earlier this week.

Elsewhere, Norway provided viewers an all-time underdog victory, winning against Brazil in remarkably assured fashion.

Who are the pundits, commentators and presenters for England vs Norway?

England vs Norway will be played at 10pm BST, broadcast by ITV, at the Miami Stadium in Florida.

The fixture will likely be defined by Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, the two best strikers in world football, trading blows to sink their opposition, but Jude Bellingham will surely also have a say.

Serving as presenter for the event is Mark Pougatch who has led the channel's coverage throughout this tournament.

Joining him as pundits for the broadcast are the evergreen Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright, with Gabriel Clarke as reporter in Miami.

ITV's coverage has been top drawer this summer and as we approach the business end of the World Cup, expect it to be even more opinionated with yet more panelist flashpoints as the stakes ramp up.

England-Norway presents the likes of Keane and Neville to go hammer and tongs at each other over contentious decisions.

We're glad we aren't in Pougatch's seat having to keep the ex-pros at bay.

And as the match's main voice is Sam Matterface, with Lee Dixon joining as co-commentator for the quarter-final clash.

Kick-off in Miami is at 5pm local time (10pm BST) this evening.

England vs Norway at the 2026 World Cup promises to be a thrilling fixture, with either side possessing one of the two best bagsmen in world football.

It's the battle of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, seen last in the 2022/23 Premier League season.

A few years ago, these two titans were trading blows in the race for the English top-flight's Golden Boot, but no goal in either of their careers will be more meaningful than one in this quarter-final.

England vs Norway prediction: The battle of Harry Kane vs Erling Haaland at the 2026 World Cup

England as a squad possess greater tools to secure victory than Norway do, but neither team are one-man armies.

While Kane and Haaland are seizing headlines for their nation's results, their supporting casts belong at this level.

The difference will be simple: can Norway get the ball to Haaland more often in threatening situations than the Three Lions do Kane?

The two strikers, the best in the world at putting the ball in the back of the net, couldn't be more different as players.

For Kane, he thrives without chance quality or quantity, but through the magic of his own boot.

Haaland is a predator in waiting: not the most clinical finisher, but a far more dangerous, and committed, threat inside the box.

This battle will be key, and Kane needs to produce the same sort of awe-inspiring wonder as he did to return England from the dead against DR Congo.

The Haaland problem is ludicrously complex to solve for Thomas Tuchel's men, because marking him intensely won't be a solution.

His height, his speed, his power, will all make him a threat too strong to contain, even if the Three Lions boss pulls out Dan Burn and his magnificent skull to try and counter the problem.

That battle will be won in the middle of the pitch, by stopping Norway from having regular opportunities to spray balls into the England box.

Or, it will be won by Haaland having a bad day at the office, and Kane having a career-best one, with the Three Lions incredibly reliant on their star striker, and the space he creates for Jude Bellingham.

Both men will be impossible to contain, but a mostly even game will be decided by the England striker, whose supporting cast will stop Norway's bagsman from getting the quantity of chances he needs.

Prediction: England 2-1 Norway

Goals: Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane

Argentina vs Switzerland will decide who moves into the final four and faces off against England or Norway in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals.

Nobody would have predicted that the 2022 World Champions would have been taken to the absolute wire and back by Cape Verde and Egypt, two glorious nations that won our hearts, yet they did.

Argentina's path to the semi-final, compared to that of Spain, France and England, has been easier than many would have expected, but can they progress with greater ease against Switzerland?

Argentina vs Switzerland prediction

Lionel Messi has been remarkable this tournament, but can a run of Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt be used to define him?

Messi has Kylian Mbappe, the greatest World Cup player in history, hot on his tail in the Golden Boot race, and Switzerland, then Norway or England, stand in his way of another final versus France.

There is no excuse for Messi not to perform in this clash, nor is there any excuse for Argentina to not win with ease.

Switzerland possess a disciplined, built-for-the-pressure squad, but it lacks the star power of the South American side, and the expectation.

If anything can will the Swiss to victory, it will be that absence of expectation, but Argentina are in dire need of a statement win.

Being ran into the ground by Cape Verde and Egypt of all teams is not only a poor look, it's a bad omen for when they inevitably face serious heavy hitters at this tournament, if they progress.

Argentina have far, far too much of a reliance on and focal point in Messi, that has made them play with hesitance this tournament.

By looking for him in every moment, and acting as though their game is dictated solely by Messi's performance, has killed this side, and made them prone to collapse at the hands of minnow nations.

Argentina have been anything but impressive, and Switzerland will have a chance to capitalise on that.

Unfortunately for the Swiss, world champions don't allow these bad runs to stretch for too long, and they will be on the receiving end of their resurgence.

Argentina vs Switzerland score prediction

They will fight valiantly, but this will be the first knockout match that Argentina win without controversy or struggle.

And, of course, the man to spearhead that will be Messi, setting up a semi-final showdown with England or Norway that will give him an opportunity to prove he still has it against the best opposition.

Prediction: Argentina 2-0 Switzerland

For England fans of a certain age, Euro 2004 remains one of the Three Lions’ most memorable tournaments of the modern era.

This was largely down to the performances of a teenage Wayne Rooney, who announced himself to an international audience with a string of fearless, breathtaking showings, as what would soon be dubbed the ‘golden generation’ began to dream of ending England’s long wait for a major trophy.

Joe Cole and Ashley Cole were both part of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s squad in Portugal for a campaign that ended in familiar fashion, as the Three Lions went out on penalties to the hosts in the quarter-finals.

Joe Cole and Ashley Cole on Euro 2004

For the two former team-mates, that summer remains a tantalising tournament defined by fine margains and can serve up lessons for England’s current generation.

For Joe Cole, the defining memory of Euro 2004 was Rooney’s emergence, as the then-Everton striker became the youngest player to score at a European Championship and looked capable of dragging his country deep into the tournament.

"The emergence of Wayne Rooney – he was amazing,” Joe recalls.

Ashley Cole’s first thought is not Rooney, but England’s blockbuster opening match of the tournament, when they were pitted against holders France, when Eriksson’s side were on course for a famous victory before a stoppage-time brace from the irressitable Zinedine Zidane turned the game on its head.

“Against France…,” is Ashley’s response, before Joe chrips in: “Zidane’s free-kick.”

“And penalty…,” Ashley continues, before Joe jokes that: “We ran into some decent teams!”

Despite the manner of England’s exit, Ashley realises how special it was to represent England at such a tournament.

“But it was still an amazing experience,” he continues. “We’re lucky that we’ve been around England setups – the hotels we went to were unbelievable. They give you every chance to win, but as Joe said, we played against some tough teams.

“Firstly an unbelievable French side. You go 1-0 up, the emergence of Rooney – it was only a matter of time before he burst on to the scene – but we couldn’t get it over the line. Then the next game, he gets injured? Or sent off?”

Joe “is there to correct his former team-mate before looking ahead: “No, in the quarter-final he got injured, didn’t he? It changed the game – one of those sliding doors moments.

“If England are going to win the World Cup this year, they’re going to need those moments to go for them – your best player who’s in the form of his life staying fit, or a referee deciding to give you something that could have gone against you.

“The margins are so small. People get a lot of criticism for not winning the World Cup, but it’s very difficult to do. There are some great teams who haven’t done it.”

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Joe Cole was at the centre of England’s hopes during the 2006 World Cup.

The playmaker went to the tournament with a freshly minted Premier League winners’ medal after he helped Chelsea seal their second consecutive league title, with Cole earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year.

Boss Sven-Goran Eriksson selected Cole for every match in Germany, with a spectacular goal against Sweden being the midfielder’s personal high-point before England’s tournament ended in a familiar fashion when they crashed out to Portugal on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Joe Cole on England’s World Cup 2006 campaign

“The 2006 World Cup was when I played most,” Cole tells FourFourTwo when asked which was his favourite international tournament as a player. "I played every game, scored a really good goal [against Sweden] and I loved it.

“They’re all good memories, but moments changed games at important times. If we could have come through those moments or won a penalty shootout, we could have gone even further. The sliding doors didn’t go for us. A different pass here, a better refereeing decision there.”

Cole was again named in the starting XI for the quarter-final against Portugal, but was sacrificed following Wayne Rooney’s red card shortly after the hour mark.

“Yeah, it was frustrating,” he admits. “I was probably playing at my peak around that time of my career. I was feeling really good in that game, playing against Miguel, the right-back, thinking, ‘I’m just getting the better of him here.’

“We were coming into it, then the sending-off happened, and when you’re the type of player I was, I knew that substitution was coming, because we needed to consolidate.

“I just thought, ‘Please get us through, don’t let this be the end.’ The boys did unbelievably well to keep it at 0-0, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Cole was also a part of Eriksson’s 2002 squad, another tournament in which the Three Lions of that era were unable to get past the same quarter-final ceiling.

“I only came off the bench once in that tournament, but I remember us going 1-0 up against Brazil,” he recalls. “Michael Owen ended up with a hamstring injury and I thought that might have been the time to take him off and get some more legs in midfield because of the heat.

“We weren’t having a lot of domination and Michael had done his job, he’d put the ball in the net. I think if he had the time again, maybe Sven would have done that.

“But it was a great Brazil team we lost to – one of the all-time great teams.”

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Freddy Adu has revealed his thoughts on Max Dowman's ability, as the Arsenal youngster looks to break into the England squad over the coming years.

Dowman is widely renowned as one of the nation's finest talents, and is being carefully managed in London by title-winning coach Mikel Arteta.

As England look to seal their place in the semi-finals at the 2026 World Cup alongside Spain, Adu has revealed the similarities he sees between Dowman and Spanish starboy Lamine Yamal.

'I think he can become to England what Yamal is to Spain' - Freddy Adu on Arsenal wonderkid's Three Lions prospects

Dowman enjoyed a breakout season with Arsenal, this year, winning the Premier League under Arteta.

The 16-year-old, who at the time of his debut became the youngest to ever play in the Premier League, was electric against Everton at the Emirates in the early stages of the run-in, scoring a dagger against the Toffees with a late solo run.

Adu, who was once described as 'the next Pele' and saw out his playing career in America, Turkey and France, has described Dowman's quality as being similar to that of Yamal.

The 37-year-old said: "I do see the similarity between Dowman and Yamal. He's good at taking people on, he comes in and creates chances. He's dangerous.

"Dowman has got a way to go but, if he has the opportunity, I think he can become to England what Yamal is to Spain.

"That's the type of player you want out there. You want players that are always dangerous, no matter where they are on the field. They constantly create a threat, that puts fear in defenders.

"I really hope [England] encourage his way of playing, encourage him and let the kid play, let him be and let him do what he does best. If they do that, he's going to be a world-class player for England."

Adu also described Dowman's body feint and dribbling ability as akin to that of Lionel Messi, stating: "You [either] have it, or you don’t. You can’t just pick it up later on in your career."

The Arsenal wonderkid will look to build on his breakout season in 2026/27 with the London side, as Arteta looks to retain his team's Premier League title.

Dowman did not get a call-up to Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad, but his career ahead of the next major tournament will be fascinating to follow.

Adu spoke with FourFourTwo via Caesars Sportsbook Promo ahead of England’s World Cup clash with Norway.

England’s 2010 World Cup last-16 defeat to Germany remains one of the Three Lions’ most disappointing exits in recent memory.

The post-mortem of the 4-1 thrashing by England’s fierce rivals suggested that there was a lack of harmony in the squad, but former Three Lions midfielder Joe Cole believes that this is far too simple an explanation as to what went wrong in Bloemfontein.

Instead, Cole points to an unfortunate cocktail of injuries, misfortune and refereeing mistakes as the real reasons that Fabio Capello’s side fell short.

Joe Cole on England’s 2010 struggles

Asked if morale was a factor in the defeat to Germany, Cole insists that the outcome was dictated more by footballing factors than dressing room dynamics.

“No,” he tells FourFourTwo. “The Germany game turned out that way because they were a great side and I think we had some players playing who weren’t quite fit.

The build-up to the 2010 World Cup was indeed dominated by injury doubts to key players, leaving Capello to shuffle his pack in South Africa.

“Becks was injured, Rio was injured – you had Matty Upson and JT [John Terry] in defence, but JT was playing on the right, so there were a lot of things,” Cole adds, before turning to another point of contention.

The last-16 tie against Germany had seen England concede in the 20th and 32nd minutes as Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski respectively put Joachim Löw’s side in control.

Upson had given England a lifeline when he scored seven minutes before the break, with Frank Lampard following this up a minute later with a long-range strike that hit the crossbar, bounced over the goalline before spinning back onto the field of play - only for the referee not to award the goal.

“Then a bad decision by the officials, because Frank Lampard scored and it should have been 2-2,” the former West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool man laments.

With England currently looking to end 60 years of hurt during this summer’s tournament in North America, Cole insists that the Three Lions also need fate to go their way.

“It’s never just one thing,” he goes on. “That’s why in this World Cup, everything needs to work. If the big man upstairs says it’s England’s time, then it’s England’s time.”

This is a view shared by his former club and country team-mate Ashley Cole, who also believes that luck is among the attributes that England need this summer.

"I think England can win it,” the former Three Lions left-back adds. “We showed the level we can get to by reaching finals, semi-finals. It’s just the next part – luck, weather, players staying fit, the bits you can’t control. We’ve certainly got the players to do it, they’ve just got to have the belief.

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Jeremy Doku’s displays at Euro 2020 saw the young winger announce himself on the world stage.

Aged just 19, the Belgian produced one of the tournament’s breakout displays during his side’s quarter-final defeat to eventual champions Italy.

Fast forward to the present day and Doku have matured into one of Europe’s most exciting attackers, but he still reflects on just how important that night was for his career.

Doku on his performance against Italy

After easing through the group stage with three wins out of three as Denmark, Finland and Russia were all put to the sword, Belgium saw off Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the last-16 to set up a quarter-final against Italy.

Following his start against Finland, the teenage Doku was named in Roberto Martínez’s XI for the clash against the Azzurri and quickly repaid his manager’s faith.

Doku, then at Anderlecht, was a constant thorn in the side of the eventual tournament winners, winning a penalty which Romelu Lukaku dispatched just before the interval, while also setting the record for duels won in the tournament.

“That game changed my life,” he admits to FourFourTwo. “After that, people would come up to me on the street, they recognised me and I became more popular.”

Sixteen months after the delayed Euros, Doku would only play a few minutes at the World Cup in Qatar, when he came on as a substitute in Belgium’s final group stage match against Croatia, but was unable to help his side find the goal that would have seen them usurp the 2018 finalist in their group and make it through to the knockouts.

Doku was, however, grateful for Martinez for selecting him at all.

“Following the Euros, I was injured for much of the season,” he continues.

“I didn’t play for the national team for a year, so for the coach to call me up after I’d been injured and other players had played well, I was happy I was there.

“I didn’t play a lot, as I would have liked – only the last 15 minutes in the final game against Croatia, when I thought I did quite well.

“But he could have not taken me at all.”

Harry Kane has revealed he played golf with the President of the United States, days after Donald Trump waxed poetic about his performance versus Mexico.

The England striker scored and assisted in a 3-2 victory against the co-hosts, and gave away a penalty shortly after his goal, in an eventful evening at the Azteca.

As Kane and the Three Lions prepare for a quarter-final battle versus Norway, the Bayern Munich bagsman has opened up about another battle: on the green, with the President of the United States.

Harry Kane and Donald Trump's golfing escapades revealed

Kane has enjoyed his change of scenery since leaving Tottenham Hotspur, embarking on a new journey overseas in Germany.

The Three Lions striker has delivered his career-best season for goals, and won both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal with Bayern Munich.

According to a report from The Athletic, Kane has enjoyed the rise in international fame he has experienced since trading in the Premier League for the German top-flight, which led to him playing golf alongside President Trump.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference before the Norway game, the 32-year-old said revealed that the round of golf was played 18 months ago in Florida.

Kane said: "He invited me to play when I was down in Palm Beach. So when the President invites you somewhere…

"It was a pretty surreal experience just to meet him, and to play golf with him. His golf is pretty good, to be honest... I played alright.

"I hope I can play golf as well as him when I’m his age, that’s for sure. So, [it was] a unique experience. I’m just grateful he invited me down to play," he concluded.

Trump praised Kane for his showing versus Mexico in a social media post on Sunday, writing: "Harry Kane of England is a GREAT player!"

The President had positive words for Kane the day after, where he revealed the existence of their, until now, secret golf round.

“I think Kane is a great player,” said Trump. “See, I played golf with him and I like him a lot. He’s a good golfer. He’s really great.”

Lamine Yamal's performance against Belgium in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup has been questioned by former Spain international Cesar Azpilicueta.

The Spanish starboy took home the Man of the Match award in a 2-1 victory against the Belgians, despite failing to contribute a goal involvement in the match.

Azpilicueta gave his verdict on Yamal's performance as pundit on the BBC, as Spain look ahead to a semi-final showdown versus France.

'Lamal has more to give' - Cesar Azpilicueta

Yamal ended the match without a goal involvement, but with a somewhat strong dribbling and chance creation performance.

The Barcelona youngster registered four successful dribbles, and created 0.33xA for his side in a 2-1 victory.

Azpilicueta noted Yamal's failure in translating his game to goals and assists, stating "I think he has more to give."

The former Spain international said: "I think when Joaquin Seys came on in the second half he defended Lamine Yamal really well.

"He was very strong and he was defending 1v1 in a lot of situations. Lamine Yamal wants the ball and he wants to take defenders on.

"It is true that his game has not transferred into goals or assists, but he is very influential in Spain's game. He wants to create the difference.

"He is always moving, so I think he has more to give to the team and now is the right time," he concluded, before expressing excitement ahead of Spain's semi-final face-off versus France.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, Azpilicueta is keeping the morale of his countryman high, but hinting that more will be required of him should the Spaniards expect to get through France.

Yamal is one of the only superstars present in North America to have had a poor tournament, by his standards, and it is not feasible for Spain to proceed without their game-breaker at his best.

Now is not the time for Yamal's clinical finishing ability, or supreme chance creation, to leave his body, and he must do more.

A showdown against Didier Deschamps' France is the ultimate stage for him to prove that he belongs in the same tier as other high-performing players at this tournament.

Yamal is one of the world's best, but to become a World Champion, he will need to play like one against his French opposition.

Cristiano Ronaldo's international career could live to see another day, Portugal's new boss Jorge Jesus has revealed.

The Portuguese icon bagged his first, and supposedly final, World Cup knockout goal for his nation against Croatia, before losing 1-0 to Spain in what is believed to have been his last match on the stage.

Instead, with the appointment of Ronaldo's former manager at Al-Nassr, the striker's international retirement could be postponed.

Cristiano Ronaldo could play on, says new Portugal boss Jorge Jesus

Ronaldo enjoyed his second highest goalscoring World Cup campaign in 2026, with three strikes against Uzbekistan and Croatia.

That brought his World Cup haul to 11, sending him two clear of Portugal's former record holder, Eusebio, who scored nine in 1966.

After another woeful campaign on the World Cup stage for Portugal, this time with a generation of stars and winners, Jorge Jesus was appointed post-exit to replace the failing Roberto Martinez.

Jesus previously coached the #7 in the Saudi Pro League, as recently as last season when the pair won the top-flight title together.

Speaking at his unveiling as manager, the ex-Al-Nassr coach said: "I haven't spoken to Cris yet. [But, his involvement] will never be a problem for the national team or for me.

"When I have to make a decision, I will speak to him. But not only with him, I will speak to everyone individually.

"'As long as I understand how far he can go and how far I can go... He will always be the one to decide what he wants to do in his career. If he is playing and has the conditions to play.

The new Portugal boss concluded: "If he is eligible for selection, I will call him up, within the limits and conditions that I deem best for the national team."

Jesus also reflected on what Ronaldo means to him, from his time at Al-Nassr, revealing that one of his main motivations in taking the job was to help Ronaldo prevail in the Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo revealed last week that he won't play a seventh World Cup with Portugal in 2030, despite the tournament being jointly hosted in his home country.

It has been 46 years since England last beat Norway in a competitive event, and 45 since one of the most iconic pieces of commentary in football history.

That came from Norwegian radio commentator Bjorge Lillelien, after Norway beat England 2-1 in a 1981 World Cup qualifier.

"Your boys took a hell of a beating!" he famously proclaimed, but why did Lillelien list the likes of Lord Nelson, Henry Cooper and Winston Churchill in his victory speech?

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'Your boys took a hell of a beating!'- Which names did Norwegian radio list after beating England, and why?

The commentary began at the final whistle: "We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten England 2-1 in football!

"England, the birthplace of giants!" he continued. Then, Lillelien named the following people, but why?

He listed Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper and Lady Diana, before addressing then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

"Margaret Thatcher, can you hear me?" he screamed jubilantly. "Your boys took a hell of a beating!"

Lillelien explained in his speech why he chose this particular group of people to call out by name after Norway's victory, saying: "We have beaten them all."

Despite the odd inclusion of Henry Cooper in a list of mainly political figures, the commentator was a boxing fan, and the others were among the most influential figures in British politics.

The Norwegian, surely, was referring to these names as the "giants" that England had birthed, as mentioned earlier in his speech.

Lady Di is, of course, Lady Di, Winston Churchill is the man who took Britain through the war, Cooper was the best UK domestic heavyweight of his era, and Nelson was ex-Navy.

Trafalgar Square is dedicated to the latter; Beaverbrook was a famous publisher and backstage politician, and both Attlee and Eden were former Prime Ministers.

And Thatcher was... Thatcher. Still, Lillelien's commentary is iconic, and Norway fans will be hoping for a similar gem to emerge from their nation's quarter-final clash with England tomorrow evening.

Spain vs Belgium isn't the most blockbuster of quarter-final clashes, however, it isn't as guaranteed of a result as some may think.

Spain undoubtedly possess the best defence at the tournament, yet the grit and unpredictability of this Belgium attack is a worry.

The Red Devils, particularly its Golden Generation, are widely regarded as the greatest under-performers in recent World Cup history, but one individual, Lamine Yamal, has also been a shock this tournament.

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Spain vs Belgium prediction: Can Lamine Yamal finally announce himself on this stage, in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup?

Belgium as a unit, formerly the #1 ranked nation in the world, have failed to make a mark at the World Cup, even at their best.

Now, this side has transformed greatly, possessing a lower-calibre line-up of players, but ones who are free to perform with the shackles of expectation taken off of them.

Spanish starboy Lamine Yamal, who finished second in last year's Ballon D'or, has been exceedingly poor by his standards.

While many expected the Barcelona youngster to dominate this tournament individually, his performances have been below par.

Belgium began their group stage campaign with two draws, however, a historic comeback versus Senegal gave way to a lightning performance against USA in the following round.

The Red Devils appear to be upping their level as the competition progresses, but can Yamal do the same?

Spain's defence will require Belgian brilliance to break through it, but their own game-breaker has been suspiciously absent across North America and will need to turn on the burners for his nation.

What stands in the way of a Spain victory is simple: for Yamal to perform poorly, and for Belgium to be clinical.

If both scenarios don't occur in conjunction, then it will be the Spaniards who edge through to the semi-final phase.

But if Belgium's gamebreakers, Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne, can turn up in the absence of a well-performing Yamal, that spot is theirs for the taking.

The Barcelona star-boy is built for the biggest of stages, and FourFourTwo has faith in him to deliver.

Prediction: Spain 2-1 Belgium

Goalscorers: Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Kevin De Bruyne

England vs Norway in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup will be played on July 11, with a spot in the last four on the line.

The Three Lions enter the fixture fresh, or not so much, off the back of an exhilarating, hard-fought 3-2 victory against Mexico, after being reduced to 10 men.

Norway enter the showdown having beaten Brazil 2-1, a convincing, impressive performance, but what do historical results between England and the Norwegians say about the quarter-final?

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What is England's competitive record against Norway, ahead of their quarter-final showdown at the 2026 World Cup?

Heading into this quarter-final clash, which will kick off at 10pm BST in the Miami Stadium, England and Norway have history.

Not much of it, but still, history, dating all the way back to 1937 when the sides first faced off.

Of those 12 games, merely four of them have came in competitive format, with the other eight being international friendlies.

In 1937, the first friendly between the pair was contested, ending 6-0 to England.

In these matches, England have won a whopping six times, and drawn the other two.

The Three Lions scored a remarkable 22 goals in eight friendly events, conceding just two.

But in competitive fixtures, this head-to-head takes a turn for the worst, with England claiming just one victory from four.

Norway, on the other hand, have won two matches, 2-1 in 1981 and 2-0 in 1993, during World Cup qualifying.

The former match led to the famous "Your boys took a hell of a beating!" message to Margaret Thatcher on Norwegian radio.

England's sole competitive victory against Norway came in 1980, a comprehensive 4-0 win.

It has now been 46 years since the Three Lions beat their quarter-final opposition in competitive conditions, while Norway have won twice, and drawn 1-1 once, with England in that time.

History might not be on the side of Thomas Tuchel's men, but if they close their eyes and imagine it's a friendly, they'll be alright.

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham's combined goal haul makes England one of the most player-reliant nations in World Cup history.

In the Three Lions' tight 3-2 victory against Mexico at the Azteca, after being reduced to ten men, the pair scored all three goals between them.

Bellingham bagged two in two minutes to send England 2-0 up, with Kane assisting the Real Madrid star's second, but where does their percentage of goals scored rank in World Cup history?

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Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham make England one of the most player-reliant nations in World Cup history

That win over Mexico was a similar story to games and rounds passed at the 2026 World Cup, with the two scoring a whopping 10 of the Three Lion's 11 tournament goals.

That began with a Kane brace to send England 2-1 up in their opening showdown vs Croatia, before Bellingham struck to make it 3-2.

Later, Marcus Rashford scored the Three Lions' sole goal of the tournament from a player outside of that pair.

That game ended 4-2, and since, Kane hit two in a 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo, and the pair bagged one each in a 2-0 victory versus Panama.

The duo have now scored 90.9% of England's World Cup goals across North America en-route to the quarter-finals, but where does that rank England's reliance on them all-time, against other nations?

In 2022, England shared 13 goals between eight different players, and in 2018, their 12 strikes came through six different individuals.

In 2014, two from two, in 2010, three from three, and in 2006, five from four — a dramatic departure from this edition's goalscoring spread.

At the World Cup, using a minimum of five goals scored, only two sides have ever relied on less scorers than this England team.

In 1986, the Three Lions themselves scored seven goals between two scorers, Gary Lineker and Peter Beardsley, with the former getting six.

In 1994, Russia also scored seven goals between two scorers, and in 1954, Switzerland scored 11 between three, the same as the Three Lions this tournament.

This data was uncovered by BOYLE Sports using Opta analysis, which noted that a similarly astounding story lies in Lionel Messi's 61% individual goal spread for Argentina this tournament.

France have also impressed through individuals across North America, with Deschamps' men scoring 14 between just four players, the most prolific of which being the tournament's greatest ever player, Kylian Mbappe.

Roy Keane has explained how teams can secure victory over France at the 2026 World Cup, following the nation's 2-0 quarter-final win against Morocco.

France looked near certain to go ahead early on after Kylian Mbappe was hacked down in the penalty box, before the Real Madrid star missed his spot kick.

Mbappe made amends for his mistake with an astonishing curler from the edge of the box to put his side up 1-0, before assisting Ousmane Dembele for France's second of the match.

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Roy Keane explains how teams can win against France at the 2026 World Cup, after Didier Deschamps' men decimate Morocco

Those goal involvements brought Mbappe's haul up to 11 this tournament, also tied on eight goals with Lionel Messi.

France have now kept clean sheets in all three of their knockout games, with their next being against the winner of Spain vs Belgium.

Former Republic of Ireland international and Manchester United legend Roy Keane believes he knows the only scenario in which Deschamps' men can be beaten.

Speaking from the ITV studio in Brooklyn, as one of the broadcaster's best pundits this tournament, he acknowledged France's defensive record before revealing how other nations can beat the side.

Keane said: Morocco were playing on fumes and France were so much better in every aspect of the game, but it doesn't mean that they cannot be beaten.

"France are in a great place. You have your attacking players scoring goals and your individual players going past people.

He concluded: "Any chance of beating France you have got to score the first goal... [otherwise] they will pick you off for fun.

Ex-France international Patrick Vieira also weighed in on the strength of Deschamps' squad, describing the line-up as "maybe one of the best ever generations."

He said: "When you look at the squad and the attacking players... that is maybe one of the best ever generations on that side, because you have so many players. It is so, so unbelievable."

The 2026 World Cup knock-outs are nearing the final phase: the tournament's final will be played on July 19.

On today is France vs Morocco, with either side vying for a spot in the semi-final, or, for Didier Deschamps' men, yet another final appearance.

England will face Norway, Argentina will play Switzerland, and Spain will compete with Belgium, but how do booking suspensions work heading into the final few games across North America?

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Do players miss the semi-final if you get booked in the quarter-final at the 2026 World Cup?

England prevailed in one of the finest wins in their World Cup history against Mexico at the Azteca earlier this week.

Norway secured their spot in the quarter-finals the day previous, with a classic underdog victory against Brazil, but many in the Three Lions squad enter the showdown in danger of a suspension.

In the knock-out rounds of the 2026 World Cup, suspensions via accumulated bookings are reset after the quarter-finals.

To make the contents of this article clearer, FourFourTwo have written a full breakdown of how suspensions via accumulated bookings work at the tournament.

The new rule means that players cannot miss the final through accumulated booking suspension in the semi-finals.

However, if a player receives their second card in two matches in the quarters, they will miss their next match.

Bookings were wiped after the group stage, meaning that a players' cards seen prior to the knock-out rounds did not carry over into the later phases.

To be clear: if a player in the quarters has seen yellow in the Round of 32 or 16, and is booked again in the event, then they will miss the semi-final.

Players can only be suspended for the final by being shown red in their last four fixture, not through accumulated bookings.

France, Morocco, England, Norway, Argentina, Switzerland, Spain and Belgium are all competing with this in mind ahead of the semi-finals, when bookings will be wiped once more.

The 2026 World Cup has been an astounding victory for African football, however, the manner in which they've exited will sting.

Despite a remarkable number of sides from the continent progressing to the knock-out stages, showing that Africa can contend on the largest of stages, the defeats have been difficult to stomach.

From Egypt's conspiracy theory-creating loss versus Argentina, to DR Congo falling at the final hurdle to Harry Kane's sword, here are the minutes in which each African side conceded to go home in the knock-out phases of the 2026 World Cup.

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The minute in which every eliminated African team conceded and went home at the 2026 World Cup

Shockingly, no African side conceded the goal that sent them home before the 86th minute across North America.

Each team ran their higher quality opposition to the absolute wire, and suffered the most heart-wrenching of defeats in the process.

Beginning with DR Congo, who led the game 1-0 against England for over 70 minutes, they conceded in the 86th to be sent home.

A similar situation unfolded for Ivory Coast, who were tied tied until Erling Haaland scored the match-winning strike in the 86th.

South Africa were tied with co-hosts Canada until a 91st minute strike from the edge of the box sank their dreams.

Senegal had it even worse, they were up 2-0 beyond the 80th, before late goals from Belgium tied proceedings and a 125th-minute spot kick from Youri Tielemans broke Senagalese hearts.

And worst of all is Argentina's exploits against Cape Verde and Egypt, the latter of which led to the most explosive of conspiracy theories becoming a major talking point at the tournament.

The Argentinians were taken to extra time by Cape Verde, who came back from a goal down twice, before a 111th-minute goal won the game.

Against Egypt, the 2022 World Cup winners trailed for almost 80 minutes, scoring two in four minutes to level the tie at 2-2.

A 92nd-minute strike plunged the dagger into Egyptian hearts, after two separate penalty incidents were waved off at the other end, and after VAR disallowed a glorious Pharaohs goal earlier in the half.

The minute in which all six eliminated African teams in the knock-outs conceded to go home: 86', 86', 91', 92', 111', 125'.

France vs Morocco is nearly a repeat of the 2022 semi-final, merely a round prior in North America.

But history is on the line for both sides: Morocco could make it to a second successive semi-final, and France look to march on in their quest to reach a third consecutive World Cup final.

Morocco have endured the hardest test of the pair so far, prevailing in a narrow victory on penalties against the Netherlands, but can they pull off an upset against the team tipped to win it all?

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Who are the pundits, commentators and presenters for France vs Morocco, Quarter-Final, 2026 World Cup?

Kylian Mbappe has been the player to watch for France, the greatest in World Cup history, looking to continue building an illustrious resume at this tournament.

Morocco also have a game-breaker of their own in Ismael Saibari, and an assortment of clinical, technical players, but fall short in comparison to France's ludicrously stacked squad.

The match will be played at 9pm BST, broadcast by ITV, with the quarter-final being held at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Presenting the event is Mark Pougatch at the ITV studio in Brooklyn, which FourFourTwo recently had the opportunity to tour.

Joining him as pundits are three former professionals, all of whom rank high on FFT's World Cup punditry tier-list.

The first is Ian Wright, of Match of the Day, The Rest is Football and general broadcasting fame, once one of the game's finest strikers.

Second is Roy Keane, ex-Republic of Ireland international and Manchester United man, known for his quick but dry wit, and uncompromising words.

Third is Patrick Vieira, ex-Arsenal midfielder who was a key player in the London club's Premier League 'invincible' title victory.

The Frenchman's presence marks a slight deviation from the Wright-Keane-Gary Neville line-up that ITV has produced so often, but his insights are among the best of any pundit for either British broadcaster.

Serving as the match's main voice is Jon Champion, with Ally McCoist joining as co-commentator for the event.

Norway have endured another strange setback, having to change hotels before their quarter-final clash versus England.

Beyond that, there's also been an incident of illness that is reported to have affected various members of the Norwegian squad.

Norway prevailed 2-1 against Brazil in the preceding round, a classic underdog victory, but why have they had to change hotels before a clash against England in which they could make history?

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Why have Norway had to change hotels before their quarter-final match versus England at the 2026 World Cup?

The Norwegians were scheduled to stay at the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale during the build-up to their showdown against England.

Instead, the national side, which has already made history on the World Cup stage and is looking to make more, opted to change hotels.

The Miami Herald reported this first, before Norway's TV2 offered an explanation for what transpired.

The Norwegians reportedly contacted FIFA and moved locations with the organisation's help, due to noise affecting their stay.

The Dalmar Hotel was nearby to construction noise, which affected the Norway squad, with such a historic game on the horizon.

Hilariously, Norway's TV2 also explained that the hotel was not close enough to the beach, creating another motive for the move.

Norway's World Cup logistics manager told the channel: “There were some things we would have liked to see differently, and we made a change.

"We’re going to be here for a week, and we’re already in Week 6 in the USA and are going to play the biggest game in history of our time.

"So far, we’ve managed to avoid cabin fever, and we didn’t want any risk of it happening now," he concluded.

According to the team's logistics manager, FIFA covered the cost of the move, however, the Norwegian FA also chipped in.

That was to cover the difference in price, as their new hotel, at an undisclosed location, cost more than their previous accomodation.

Norway remain underdogs for the clash, but the presence of a Golden Boot-chasing Erling Haaland remains an extraordinary threat.

France vs Morocco at the 2026 World Cup is nearly a repeat of the 2022 edition's semi-final, which ended 2-0 to the former.

Didier Deschamps' men are gunning for a third successive final at the tournament, having won in 2018 and fell to Argentina at the final hurdle in 2022.

Morocco have already made African history at the World Cup, but a second successive semi-final would be an astounding feat.

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Who is the referee for France vs Morocco?

Morocco prevailed 3-0 in the Round of 16 against Canada, prompting Jesse Marsch to make a string of bizarre comments, while France edged a 1-0 win against Paraguay in their preceding match.

In charge of the event, as both teams look to make the tournament's semi-finals, is Argentinian referee Facundo Tello.

Joining him for the clash are fellow countrymen Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, serving as assistant referees.

Two more Argentinians in Dario Herrera and Cristian Navarro will operate as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively.

Tello has refereed five World Cup games across his esteemed career, including two across North America.

The Argentinian official refereed Canada's 1-1 opening game draw vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as South Africa's 1-0 win against South Korea in Group A.

In 2022, he refereed Morocco's 1-0 quarter-final victory against Portugal, serving five bookings, one of which was red.

On this stage, Tello isn't so quick to wield his cards, averaging a low 3.2 bookings per match.

In Liga Profesional de Futbol, where he has officiated the majority of his games, that average rises to 5.7 bookings per fixture.

The Argentinian official has never awarded a spot kick in five matches on the World Cup stage.

France vs Morocco at the 2026 World Cup is nearly a repeat of the 2022 edition's semi-final, which ended 2-0 to the former.

Didier Deschamps' men are gunning for a third successive final at the tournament, having won in 2018 and fell to Argentina at the final hurdle in 2022.

Morocco have already made African history at the World Cup, but a second successive semi-final would be an astounding feat.

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Who is the referee for France vs Morocco, Quarter-Final, 2026 World Cup?

Morocco prevailed 3-0 in the Round of 16 against Canada, prompting Jesse Marsch to make a string of bizarre comments, while France edged a 1-0 win against Paraguay in their preceding match.

In charge of the event, as both teams look to make the tournament's semi-finals, is Argentinian referee Facundo Tello.

Joining him for the clash are fellow countrymen Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, serving as assistant referees.

Two more Argentinians in Dario Herrera and Cristian Navarro will operate as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively.

Tello has refereed five World Cup games across his esteemed career, including two across North America.

The Argentinian official refereed Canada's 1-1 opening game draw vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as South Africa's 1-0 win against South Korea in Group A.

In 2022, he refereed Morocco's 1-0 quarter-final victory against Portugal, serving five bookings, one of which was red.

On this stage, Tello isn't so quick to wield his cards, averaging a low 3.2 bookings per match.

In Liga Profesional de Futbol, where he has officiated the majority of his games, that average rises to 5.7 bookings per fixture.

The Argentinian official has never awarded a spot kick in five matches on the World Cup stage.

France vs Morocco is likely to be the highest quality quarter-final clash that the 2026 World Cup has to offer.

Morocco already made history in 2022, becoming the first African side to make the tournament's semi-finals, and a second successive appearance in the event is on the line vs France.

Didier Deschamps' men are gunning for a third successive World Cup final appearance, and would become the second nation ever to do so should they prevail against Morocco, and in their subsequent semi-final.

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France vs Morocco prediction: Can Kylian Mbappe be the difference once again for Didier Deschamps' side?

France undoubtedly have the edge over Morocco in this clash, as they did vs the African side back in 2022, when they prevailed 2-0.

Four years on, the France squad has increased in depth, and raised its level in star quality, but Morocco also now have previous experience making it to such a late stage at the World Cup.

This year's edition has been even more unpredictable than previous tournaments, however, one thing has remained consistent.

The giants that we expect to progress still do so, although, the path to those next rounds has scarcely ever been more closely fought.

From Argentina somehow surviving scares against Cape Verde and Egypt, to England needing Harry Kane genius vs DR Congo and a parked bus masterclass against Mexico.

France are one of the only sides in the tournament who appear yet to be fully tested, however, their victory against Paraguay was the nation's slimmest yet at the World Cup.

Morocco's 3-0 victory against Canada was not characterised by top-tier chance creation, but a clinical performance from the African frontline sealed progression.

France will be tested, finally, and Morocco will score. But do not think for even a second that Deschamps' men are in serious danger of exiting the competition.

This will be a close battle for the majority of the game, then defined by a late stage spell of brilliance from the Frenchmen.

Of course, who else will be at the front of it all than Kylian Mbappe, the greatest player in World Cup history?

Prediction: France 2-1 Morocco

Goals: Kylian Mbappe (x2)

Egypt superstar Mostafa Ziko has questioned FIFA's integrity after his nation endured a controversial 3-2 loss against Argentina.

The Pharaohs surged into a 2-0 lead, however, prior to their second goal, they had another ruled out by VAR intervention.

The move was stellar: a Haissem Hassan solo run, to a Mohamed Salah trivela, to a Mostafa Ziko finish, but the effort was ruled out after VAR deemed there to have been a foul in the build-up.

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Mostafa Ziko slams FIFA, makes 'rigged' allegation against Lionel Messi's Argentina

Lisandro Martinez was the aggrieved party, with the referee ruling him to have been fouled prior to Ziko's strike.

Later, that same trio of Egypt stars combined again, with Ziko also adding the finishing touch, taking a 2-0 lead.

The game's controversial refereeing was not limited to merely one event, with a range of talking points emerging post-match.

First was Egypt's disallowed goal, then two separate penalty claims in the build-up to Argentina's third and winning strike, and talks of a possible red card were brought up from the game's early stages.

Another incident was a foul awarded on Leandro Paredes, inflicted by Salah, which denied the Egyptian a clean sight on goal.

Ziko discussed the match's events with BBC shortly after the whistle, and claimed: "The referee was really not fair. Not fair. The injustice was clear.

"We did a good job in the early stages of the match. There's been an unfairness right from the start... a 2-0 lead isn't enough to beat Argentina."

Through tears, Ziko stated: "This tournament has been fixed. But God is sufficient for us.

"[God is] the best disposer of affairs. He's wasting the efforts of an entire nation. The cup is being given to Argentina," he concluded.

Argentina, who were taken to the wire by Egypt and Cape Verde, will face the winner of Colombia vs Switzerland in the tournament's quarter-finals.

Kylian Mbappe has issued a classy response to a vile, racist rant from a Paraguayan politician.

The Frenchman, who is the among greatest World Cup players to ever perform on the stage, scored his side's only goal in a 1-0 victory against Paraguay.

That strike came in the form of a penalty, sending France to the quarter-finals where they will face Morocco, but Mbappe has been forced to respond to a racist tirade from a Paraguayan politician in the aftermath of his country's victory.

Kylian Mbappe calls Paraguyan politician "despicable" for racist rant, after France defeat Paraguay 1-0

Mbappe scored his 19th career World Cup goal against Paraguay, and should have had his 20th if not for an astonishing double save from the opposition goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

Paraguayan politician Madame Celeste Amarilla posted a racist tirade against Mbappe on social media, describing the France legend as a "colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French."

The politician also described him as a "brute who had not learned to write", prompting a response from the France legend.

Mbappe responded: "You are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay.

"Through your... brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished.

"[You are] an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.

"I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world," he concluded.

Amarilla's remarks were described by the French Football Federation (FFF) as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable", and announced their intentions to file criminal charges against the politician.

"These remarks are criminal and reprehensible. They must be prosecuted here as elsewhere," said the FFF.

The FFF is reporting the matter to the public prosecutor's office with a view to legal proceedings", they continued.

Amarilla is a senator from Paraguay's Liberal Radical party, and replied to the threat of prosecution earlier today in a press conference.

The politician stated that she could also file charges against the FFF, warning the federation "don't underestimate me."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal exited the 2026 World Cup after a heartbreaking exit to Spain in the Round of 16.

The Portuguese icon confirmed it would be his last ever World Cup appearance, however, an international retirement isn't guaranteed.

Now, the iconic CR7 will look forward to another Saudi Pro League season with 1000 career goals in reach, but when will he get there?

When will Cristiano Ronaldo reach 1000 goals?

Cristiano Ronaldo ended a 20-year-long heartbreak with Portugal last week en-route to an historic 1000th-goal milestone.

The Portuguese striker bagged his first and only World Cup knockout goal with an equalising penalty versus Croatia.

Ronaldo now has struck 976 career goals, a staggering figure that leaves him well within reach of 1000.

In his most recent season for club and country, the No. 7 bagged 33 of those 976, meaning it is possible he achieves the milestone this next campaign.

In the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo bagged 28 strikes in 30 appearances, six of which were penalties.

He hit his 24th league goal of the season in Round 28 of the Saudi top-flight season, back in April of this year.

If the 41-year-old could score at the same rate this upcoming league season, he would hit 1000 goals by the same month of 2027.

Ronaldo, finally, has a Saudi Pro League title to defend, having fell from contention in each of his seasons prior to last.

The 41-year-old also proved to the world that he still possesses the ability to score goals on the biggest of stages, with three strikes in North America at the 2026 World Cup.

That made this tournament, his final ever, the second best of his career, behind 2018 in which he scored four.

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.

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.

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.

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?”

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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.”

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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.”

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.

When Michail Antonio turned out for Jamaica as a late substitute in a Gold Cup game against Guatemala in June, 2025, it capped a remarkable comeback for the striker.

Just six months earlier, Antonio had suffered horrific injuries in a car crash that had not just put his career in doubt, but also his life.

A lower limb fracture had kept him in hospital for most of December, with his injuries expected to keep him out of action for at least a year. But the former West Ham striker’s determination was able to fuel this stunning return to action.

Michail Antonio on coming back from injury

“I have no memory of it,” Antonio tells FourFourTwo when asked what he remembers about the crash. “I only know what I’ve been told about it, that I got found by a dog walker and the first responders who got there said I was in the back of the car.

“I was awake, but one leg was a quarter smaller than the other because it was completely shattered and raised up.

“Luckily they were able to take me to the Royal London Hospital, where they specialise in emergency surgeries – one of the best surgeons operated on my leg and that’s one of the reasons why I was able to play again.

“It doesn’t feel like I lived the crash though – I don’t remember any pain. As much as I was the one who was in the accident, it was my family who actually lived it, who were sent the photos of the accident, who had to rush to the hospital to see me and speak to the doctors to find out how I was.

“I don’t remember any of that. Later, when I went to see the car and the condition it was in, that hit me right in the gut.

“It made me emotional and believe that, honestly, I could have not been here today.”

Antonio’s contract with West Ham expired at the end of June 2025, but the club continued to support him in his rehabilitation, with his remarkable return to action coming when he came off the bench for Jamaica as an 85th-minute substitute against Guatemala on June 17, just six months after the accident.

“It was amazing, I absolutely loved it,” Antonio recalls.

“I actually shocked myself with how fast I was able to do it, and I was lucky to do it that quickly because West Ham didn’t give me a new contract, so I needed to prove to people that I was able to get back out onto the field.

“I’m extremely grateful to God for giving me that opportunity.”

Goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca was at the heart of Italy's 1994 World Cup campaign, which culminated in one of football's most iconic penalty shootouts.

The former Sampdoria and Inter Milan stopper, that tournament remains a mixture of personal redemption, near-disaster and a reminder that a whole football career can be defined by a single moment.

More than three decades on, Pagliuca reflects on that summer with both pride and a sense of 'what if' that still lingers on.

Pagliuca on his USA 94 journey

The 59-year-old's tournament began with him making unwanted history when he became the first goalkeeper ever to be sent off at a World Cup when he was dismissed against Norway on the group stage.

"At the time, it felt like a stab to the heart," Pagliuca recalls to FourFourTwo. "I’d gone to the World Cup with big ambitions and that red card could have cost me my place in the starting XI. I didn’t know what would happen when I returned.

"Luca Marchegiani, my backup, did really well in my absence. He was a friend, but I was worried, as I missed the game against Mexico and the last 16 against Nigeria. Before the quarter-final with Spain, assistant coach Carlo Ancelotti and goalkeeping coach Pietro Carmignani came to my room to tell me I’d be starting again.

"They also told me not to tell Marchegiani, because they’d handle it. I was overjoyed. During dinner, Luca asked if I’d heard anything. I said no, even though I already knew – they’d asked me to keep it secret. We still laugh about it today. Luca was a great keeper and a funny guy."

Italy would progress to the final, where Pagliuca produced one of the tournament's iconic moments when he kissed his glove and tapped the post against Brazil after Mauro Silva's shot went through his hands, hit the upright and came back to him.

"That moment changed my life," he admits. "If that ball had gone in, we would have lost the final because of my mistake. I’d have been scarred forever. I would have kept playing, but the error would have defined me. Just think about what happened to Walter Zenga during the 1990 World Cup semi-final, when Caniggia’s header ended Italy’s dream – that World Cup should have been ours, we were the stronger side.

"So yes, that post saved my life, and my future. Today, everybody remembers the kiss to the post and not the fumble. I was lucky – it came down to a matter of inches."

Pagliuca's luck would run out in that final, however, as Italy went on to lose the final on penalties.

"At first, when you lose a final like that, it doesn’t fully sink in," he continues. "You tell yourself you lost and life goes on. The real awareness comes 20 or 30 years later, when you realise what you actually lost. Those are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

"Look at Italy’s 2006 team: they’re all heroes today because they won on penalties. We lost and history remembers us differently. Life can change in a matter of seconds – or centimetres."

Guus Hiddink’s journey to the South Korea job began long before he took on the role in 2001.

A chance encounter at the 1998 World Cup began a chain of events that included unexpected phone calls, bold conversations and an innovative way of working that would ultimately result in the Dutchman making history with the Taegeuk Warriors.

When Hiddink did finally agree to take charge, he would lead the side to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup on home soil.

Hiddink on how he landed the South Korea job

“My first encounter with South Korea was in 1998, during the World Cup in France,” the veteran Dutchman begins to FourFourTwo. “I was head coach of the Netherlands, and they were in our group.

“The day before the match in Marseille, we were allowed to train for an hour on the Stade Vélodrome pitch, and South Korea would train afterwards. My team were training with such enthusiasm that I thought, ‘Let them go on for a bit.’ The South Koreans were lined up neatly on the sideline.

“We were 15 minutes over our allotted time slot when a FIFA official came up. I said: “Ah, give us five more minutes.” That became 10 minutes, then 15. We would’ve stormed the field, but South Korea’s team manager just stood there. Later, I understood – it was a part of their culture.

"More than a year on, I got a phone call. Unknown number. “Yes, hello Mr Hiddink,” came the voice on the other end of the line. “We met in Marseille, I’m Ka Sam-hyun, one of the team managers from 1998. I’m staying at the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam, across from where you live. Can we meet?”

"I thought, ‘How does he know where I live? How did he get my number?’ He explained to me that he wanted to meet because of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. It was November 2000 at the time. I was curious about what he wanted to discuss with me, so I walked over to the hotel.

"He turned out to be the right-hand man of the Hyundai CEO. “We need to reach the last 16,” he said. “Otherwise we will lose a lot of face.” I thought, ‘The last 16? Where are you now in the FIFA rankings, 70th?’ South Korea had been to the World Cup before, but had never won a match. The idea of going to a World Cup appealed to me, after experiencing Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup with the Netherlands.

"As the conversation progressed, I came up with two pieces of advice, or proposals. I said: “If you want this, you have to take a completely different route toward the World Cup.” I suggested that the national team should be trained and managed as if it was a club team. All the internationals who were playing in South Korea should be given leave from their clubs in order to work together for a year to 18 months.

“The second piece of advice was that a budget must be made available to fly around the world with those players and staff, to play friendly matches against major football nations. Previously, South Korea had prepared for World Cups by playing against countries like Malaysia and Singapore.

“If they won those games, everybody would be thinking, ‘Oh, the form looks good.’ But at a World Cup, you face completely different opposition. The players needed to travel the world, learn from other cultures and gain new experiences. Sometimes you’ll get a slap in the face, but they needed to be taken out of their comfort zone.

“Another theme was refreshing the squad. In South Korea, they clung rather rigidly to men who were aged around 34 and older. It was time for a fresh wind within the group.

“I was curious whether or not they could actually do something with it. It wasn’t that I thought, ‘Oh, I’m really going to start working for South Korea.’ In fact, I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it. We said goodbye, and about 10 days later, my phone rang again. It was him. “Yes, I’m back at the hotel, can you come by?” he asked. I walked over and he said: “Point one: the international players can be kept together at all times. Point two: the budget to fly around the world has been arranged. Point three: here is your contract.”

“I thought, ‘What is happening?’ His decisiveness and eagerness to make something of it triggered me. I didn’t sign immediately, but I soon decided that I wanted to take that adventure.

“Off I went to Seoul.”

The build-up to the 1998 World Cup final is one of the most surreal episodes in modern football history.

After lighting up the tournament on the Seleção’s way to the final, striker Ronaldo suffered what was then a mysterious medical episode in the hours before kick-off.

Rumours swirled around the Stade de France about whether or not the reigning Ballon d’Or winner had been put on Brazil’s team sheet as Mario Zagallo’s side stood on the brink of retaining the title they had won in the USA four years earlier.

Youri Djorkaeff’s pre-match Ronaldo visit

It would later transpire that Ronaldo had suffered a convulsive fit on the afternoon of the final, losing consciousness and spending three hours in a local hospital. After preliminary tests did not flag up any abnormalities, Ronaldo was discharged shortly before kick-off and stated that he intended to play.

Ronaldo was at Inter Milan at the time and the final pitted him against one of his club team-mates in Youri Djorkaeff, who was compelled to take time out of preparing for the biggest game of his life to check on his friend.

“That’s true,” Djorkaeff tells FourFourTwo. “I went to Brazil’s dressing room. Mario Zagallo opened the door. I told him I’d heard something had happened to my friend Ronaldo and wanted to know if he was OK.”

Djorkaeff and Ronaldo had struck up a close friendship during the previous season at the San Siro, as they added a friendly rivalry to their training day routine.

“I said to Ronaldo: “Don’t leave me out there playing alone.” That season, after every training session in Milan, the two of us stayed behind to practise hitting the crossbar.”

The pair had been crucial parts of Inter’s successful season which saw them finish second in Serie A, but win the UEFA Cup, when they saw off Lazio in the final, with Ronaldo scoring the final goal. During this time, the extra-curricular sessions on the training ground had even led to a running joke between the two stars that would culminate that evening in Paris.

“We used to tease each other that whoever got the most points would win the World Cup,” he continues. “He couldn’t miss that final.”

Djorkaeff’s show of his support would culminate with a reminder of the pair’s competitive spirit.

“I’m going to beat you,” I told him,” he added, with the midfielder going on to be proved right as France beat a shellshocked Brazil side 3-0.

But ultimately, the mutual friendship and respect would remain intact. “After the match, we swapped shirts,” Djorkaeff confirms.

Colombia and Ghana are bidding to make it to the last 16 of the World Cup on Friday night.

Ghana finished behind England and Croatia in their group while Colombia finished top of their group above Portugal.

Friday's clash at the 2026 World Cup will represent the first-ever meeting between Colombia and Ghana, so history will be made in the contest in Kansas City.

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ITV's complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Colombia vs Ghana

The match kicks off at 2.30am UK time, with live coverage available on ITV1 and online at ITVX. Semra Hunter will be at the helm in the ITV studio in Brooklyn, where she is joined by pundits, Jobi McAnuff and Bradley Wright-Phillips.

ITV's commentator Seb Hutchinson will be up on the gantry in Kansas City.

Hutchinson will be joined by Andros Townsend on co-commentary duties.

The winners of this tie will face the winner of Switzerland and Algeria in the last 16 game on July 7 at the Vancouver Stadium.

The World Cup 2026 match between England and co-hosts Mexico will NOT be moved to an earlier kick-off time.

Mexico vs England in Mexico City will start at the scheduled 6:00pm on Sunday local time, meaning a 1:00am kick-off on Monday in British Summer Time. The overnight scheduling is England's latest of the World Cup and persuaded Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel to ask parents to allow their children to stay up through the early hours.

Thunderstorms are forecast in the area around Mexico City Stadium on Sunday evening, prompting speculation that the round of 16 match could be beset by weather delays.

It had been reported by Mexican broadcaster Claro Sports that an alternative solution was on the table as FIFA and local authorities seek to minimise disruption at a time of year when storms are common.

The broadcaster reported: "The match will now be played at 12:00pm Central Time (Mexico), instead of 6:00pm as originally planned."

"This is due to the National Meteorological Service's forecast of thunderstorms in Mexico City on Sunday."

A six-hour move would have meant a 7:00pm kick-off UK time, which would have solved a wide variety of problems for England fans watching from home but cause some rather more significant ones for those planning to attend in person.

The move would have mirrored the kick off time of the 1986 World Cup game between England and Argentina - in which Diego Maradona scored twice, including the infamous Hand of God goal - to send England home which was also played in the Azteca.

But England have benefitted from having matches moved at a previous World Cup. In 1966, the semi-final with Portugal was due to be played at Goodison Park in Liverpool but a late decision by FIFA moved the game to Wembley. Bobby Charlton score both goals for England, while Eusébio scored a late penalty for Portugal.

Instead, Goodison hosted the other semi-final between West Germany and Soviet Union.

If Sunday's game between Mexico and England had been moved then it will also cut across the round of 16 game between Brazil and Norway, which kicks off at 9:00pm UK time in New Jersey and could also move as a result. That match will be broadcast on ITV, while the BBC has selected the England match.

"This would affect the plans of both teams, as they would also have to modify their activities already planned for Saturday, the day before the match, as well as their training sessions and travel arrangements," reports Claro Sports.

"The situation is not new for the Mexican national team at the 2026 World Cup. The match against Ecuador, played last Sunday at the Azteca Stadium, was delayed by an hour due to an electrical storm in the capital, before the team led by Javier Aguirre achieved a 2-0 victory."

England face the disadvantage of playing at altitude and prioritised recovery time at their base in Kansas City over trying in vain to maximise acclimatisation ahead of their visit to Azteca.

FIFA is able to reschedule World Cup fixtures, but it has now been confirmed that the kick off will not move.

Argentina bid to retain the World Cup reaches the knockout stages late on Friday night.

Lionel Messi has proved that age is just a number - a number that increased by one last week when he turned 39 - and he has six goals already at this World Cup.

This will be the first ever meeting between Argentina and Cape Verde.

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ITV's complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Argentina vs Cape Verde

The match kicks off at 11pm 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, Ian Wright, Karen Carney and Gary Neville.

ITV's commentator Jon Champion will be up on the gantry at the Miami Stadium.

Champion will be joined by Ally McCoist on co-commentary duties.

The winners of this tie will face co-hosts Australia and Egypt in the last 16 game on July 7 at the Atlanta Stadium.