Both World Cup semifinals are clashes of giants – one is the much hotter ticket

The 2026 World Cup semifinals feature four giants of international soccer and around $5billion worth of playing talent. They pit the world’s top-ranked team, France, against No. 3 Spain; and…

France ready for ‘war’ at World Cup after winning the ‘disgrace’ of Philadelphia

The French celebrations told a story. Led by their captain, Kylian Mbappe, the team sprinted towards the hardcore group of French travelling fans behind the goal, euro-dancing up and down…

Brazil break Japan hearts with a last-gasp winner. How did Carlo Ancelotti turn it around?

Brazil breathes again. The five-time World Cup winners were in danger of slumping to a historic low in the tournament they have dominated more than any other nation after going…

Manchester City agree £116m deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest

Manchester City have agreed a £116million ($153m) deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. The fee — a fixed figure with no add-ons — will be the most ever…

Why are World Cup players cutting holes in their socks?

Something is missing from this World Cup. Not goals, drama or storylines — there have been plenty of those. Instead, we should focus on the players’ socks, which are, to…

How does Ronaldo turning up change things? Re-ranking the 48 World Cup teams after day 13

The Athletic has live coverage of Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo announced himself at the World Cup party with a double in…

Vozinha and 14million reasons why the World Cup can change lives overnight

The cultural significance of a World Cup was captured in very modern terms four years ago when a post from Lionel Messi in the aftermath of Argentina’s final win over…

World Cup predictions: USMNT vs Australia, Brazil vs Haiti and rest of matchday 9

The Athletic has live coverage of USMNT vs Australia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Welcome to The Athletic’s daily World Cup Predictions. This article gives you the lowdown on…

Our experts’ World Cup expectations for England: ‘Anything less than the semis would be a failure’

Thomas Tuchel had a clear mission statement when he was appointed England head coach at the end of 2024. After years of abject failures, underachievement or agonising near-misses, Tuchel was…

Toronto World Cup watch party ended early over ‘safety concerns’ during Argentina win

The FIFA-organized Watch Parties are being held at Nathan Phillips Square Arrush Chopra/NurPhoto via Getty Images June 17, 2026 4:23 pm EDT Updated Organizers of Toronto’s World Cup watch party…