Drew Blank

Two knockout games. Two near exits. Argentina remain alive at the 2026 World Cup, but their route into the quarterfinals has felt more like survival than control. Lionel Scaloni’s side needed extra time and an own goal to beat Cape Verde 3 to 2 in the Round of 32. Four days later, they trailed Egypt 2 to 0 with only 11 minutes remaining in the Round of 16. Goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernandez produced another 3 to 2 victory. The results showed that Argentina still possess extraordinary belief. They also exposed problems that cannot be dismissed…

Just five months ago, Mikel Merino needed a mobility scooter to move around. A fractured foot had taken away his ability to walk normally, ended his club season early and placed his World Cup hopes in serious doubt. On Friday night, he was racing towards a loose ball inside Belgium’s penalty area with Spain’s place in the semifinals hanging in the balance. Luis de la Fuente played his final tactical card in the 86th minute. Spain had controlled much of the quarterfinal, yet the score remained locked at 1 to 1. Extra time was closing in. Merino needed only 117…

When the clock reached 79 minutes against Egypt, Argentina were 2 goals down and heading out of the World Cup. Their title defence looked finished. Cristian Romero then scored from Lionel Messi’s delivery, Messi equalised 4 minutes later and Enzo Fernández completed a stunning 3 to 2 comeback in stoppage time. The escape confirmed Argentina’s ability to survive almost any crisis. It also covered up another poor knockout performance. Cape Verde had already pushed Lionel Scaloni’s side through extra time in the round of 32. Argentina eventually won that match 3 to 2 through a Diney Borges own goal in…

Forget the bracket for a moment. When Spain and France walk into AT&T Stadium, the occasion will carry the weight, talent and tension of a World Cup final. Spain reached the last four by edging Belgium 2-1 at SoFi Stadium, where Mikel Merino seized an 88th-minute rebound to break a tense deadlock. The victory sent La Roja into their first World Cup semifinal since lifting the trophy in 2010. France advanced with far less strain. Kylian Mbappé recovered from a missed penalty to open the scoring against Morocco before Ousmane Dembélé completed a clinical 2-0 win. One side has conceded…

The suffocating Miami heat will test their legs. The heavier burden, however, rests on Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. England and Norway meet with a World Cup semi-final place at stake as the local heat index threatens to reach 44 degrees Celsius. Norway are in uncharted territory after a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil carried them into their first men’s World Cup quarter-final. England arrived through a bruising 3-2 win over Mexico, surviving with 10 men and exposing defensive spaces that Haaland will be ready to attack. In a wildly high-scoring tournament, Haaland has struck seven times and Kane has…

When the final whistle ended Brazil’s World Cup, Erling Haaland had already delivered his message with his boots and his head. Brazil carried the weight of five World Cup titles and an early chance to control the Round of 16 match, but Ørjan Nyland saved Bruno Guimarães’ penalty, keeping Norway alive through a difficult opening period and punishing heat. Haaland then took over. He climbed above the defence to power Andreas Schjelderup’s cross into the net in the 79th minute. Just 11 minutes later, Schjelderup found him again. Haaland gathered the ball outside the box and drove an unstoppable finish…

Lamine Yamal is one breakout performance away from taking control of this World Cup. Thibaut Courtois is determined to make sure it does not happen in Los Angeles. The 18-year-old arrived in North America short of rhythm after an April hamstring injury ended his club season. He sat out most of Spain’s 0-0 opener against Cape Verde, then scored at the back post in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. His sharpest display came in the 3-0 knockout victory over Austria. Against Portugal, he contributed in a different way, pressing, tracking back and taking three shots during a tense 1-0…

Lionel Messi was in tears at the final whistle. For 78 minutes in Atlanta, those tears appeared destined to mark a painful World Cup exit rather than overwhelming relief. Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 with only 11 minutes remaining. Messi had already missed a penalty, struck the post from a free kick and watched goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir produce two exceptional saves. The defending champions were dangerously close to crashing out of a tournament built around their title defense. Then everything changed. Cristian Romero headed Argentina back into the contest in the 79th minute. Messi equalized only four minutes later before Enzo…

For two seasons in Dortmund, Jude Bellingham supplied the pass and Erling Haaland supplied the finish. In Miami, they will try to end each other’s World Cup. Their quarterfinal follows two dramatic victories in the last 16. Bellingham scored twice within two minutes as England defeated Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca. The contest changed again in the 54th minute when Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo. England then protected its narrow lead with 10 players. Hours earlier, Haaland had broken Brazil. He headed Andreas Schjelderup’s cross into the net in the 79th minute before…

A missed penalty. A stubborn Moroccan defense. For nearly an hour in Foxborough, France kept pushing and Yassine Bounou kept saying no. Then Kylian Mbappe changed the match in a flash. The France captain bent a right-footed shot inside the far post in the 60th minute, finally breaking Morocco’s resistance. Just six minutes later, he helped release Ousmane Dembele for the goal that sealed a 2-0 victory and sent France into a third straight World Cup semifinal. This was a 2026 World Cup quarterfinal played under a hot afternoon sun at Gillette Stadium, with a capacity crowd pressing noise down…