Lionel Messi dismissed allegations that FIFA has favoured Argentina during the 2026 World Cup, insisting the reigning champions have earned their success through consistent performances. Responding to criticism over controversial refereeing and VAR decisions, Messi said Argentina’s second successive World Cup final proves their achievements are “not by chance” and that “nobody gave us anything.” The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner argued his side has been “the best for the last four years” regardless of outside opinions. Messi added that critics would have questioned Argentina regardless of the result against England. He also dedicated the semi-final victory to Diego Maradona, calling it a special tribute to the Argentine legend. (PC: Getty)

Argentina scored 2 dramatic late goals to beat England 2-1 and book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute after a pass from Morgan Rogers. England looked set for victory before Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute from a Lionel Messi assist. Deep into stoppage time, Messi created another chance and Lautaro Martínez scored the winner in the 90+2 minute. Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday's World Cup final, while England's wait for a first men's World Cup final since 1966 continues with another heartbreaking semi-final exit.

England and Argentina face off in a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Atlanta, with the winner set to meet Spain in Sunday's final. Lionel Messi leads the defending champions against an England side captained by Harry Kane in one of football's biggest rivalries. England manager Thomas Tuchel has made 3 changes, bringing in Reece James, Djed Spence and Morgan Rogers. Argentina have made 1 change, with Giuliano Simeone replacing Rodrigo De Paul in the starting XI. Both former world champions are chasing a place in the final and another shot at football's biggest prize. (PC: X)

England and Argentina meet in a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Atlanta, with the winner set to face Spain in Sunday's final. England manager Thomas Tuchel has made 3 changes from the side that beat Norway, bringing in Reece James, Djed Spence and Morgan Rogers for Ezri Konsa, Nico O'Reilly and Noni Madueke. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has made just 1 change, with Giuliano Simeone replacing Rodrigo De Paul in the starting XI alongside Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez. The historic rivalry adds extra excitement as both former champions chase a place in the World Cup final.

Tensions rose before the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final as a group of Argentina fans were involved in a brawl outside the stadium in Atlanta less than an hour before kick-off against England. Security officials quickly stepped in to control the situation. On the field, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made a surprise decision by leaving midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on the bench and handing 23-year-old Giuliano Simeone only his second World Cup start. England made 3 changes to their lineup after defeating Norway. The winner of the match will face Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday.

Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed England ahead of their FIFA World Cup semi-final against Argentina during his final Prime Minister’s Questions. Addressing Parliament, Starmer said he had an “important” appointment with the television later in the day, referring to the high-stakes clash. He added that he was unconcerned about the margin of victory, joking that “I don’t care about the score as long as we win.” The light-hearted remark came during his final appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions before leaving office. England face Lionel Messi’s Argentina for a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, with Starmer publicly expressing his support for the Three Lions before kickoff.

FIFA has appointed Moroccan-American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final against England in Atlanta. The decision has drawn attention because Lionel Messi has won all 5 matches in which Elfath has served as referee or match official. While the statistic has sparked debate among fans, there is no evidence that the referee has influenced those results. Elfath, a FIFA referee since 2016, has already officiated 3 matches at the 2026 World Cup. He was also the fourth official during the 2022 World Cup final, which Argentina won against France. (PC: India Today)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved sweeping changes to its men's World Cup formats to make tournaments more competitive and meaningful. The 2027 ODI World Cup will retain 14 teams but introduce a new three-stage structure featuring a Super Series, group stage, and Super 7 before the semi-finals. From the 2028 T20 World Cup, the tournament will include five groups of four teams, followed by a Super 10 stage and new Eliminator matches to decide two semi-final spots. The reforms also create expanded qualification opportunities for emerging cricket nations. (PC: X)

A petition demanding Argentina's removal from the FIFA World Cup 2026 has reportedly gathered more than 7.5 million signatures, with supporters alleging repeated referee favouritism during the tournament. The online campaign claims controversial officiating decisions have unfairly benefited the defending champions, particularly in their knockout matches. However, FIFA has not responded to the petition and there is no indication that Argentina faces any disciplinary action. Argentina remain in the tournament and are set to face England in the semi-final. The petition reflects growing frustration among some football fans but has no impact on FIFA's competition rules. (PC: 

France captain Kylian Mbappe delivered a blunt assessment after his team's 2-0 defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, admitting Les Bleus did not deserve to reach the final. Mbappe said France failed tactically and technically, struggling to execute their high-press strategy as Spain dominated midfield. "Our touches and movement were not worthy of a World Cup semi-final," he said after the loss. Despite scoring 8 goals in the tournament, Mbappe said the squad must accept the disappointment, learn from the defeat and return stronger when the new club season begins with Real Madrid. (PC: NDTV)