Sports

Harry Kane refused to be drawn into comparisons with fellow striker Erling Haaland on Friday as the England captain prepares for a World Cup quarter-final showdown with Norway that could go some way to deciding who wins the tournament’s Golden Boot. Kane trails the Norwegian striker by one goal in the race, with Haaland on seven. Both are chasing leaders ...

Super sub Mikel Merino broke Belgian hearts and sent Spain through to a World Cup semi-final against France with a late goal in a gripping 2-1 win on Friday. The stunning finish at SoFi Stadium sets up a tantalizing showdown between European champions Spain and the tournament favorites France and the red-hot Kylian Mbappe in Dallas on Tuesday. But it ...

Kylian Mbappé spread his arms out wide and spun around after scoring his eighth goal of this year’s World Cup. He later gave the jubilant France fans dotted around the stadium a wave when he left the game because of an injury scare. Les Bleus, with a star striker who said he’s fine despite a right ankle issue, are headed ...

FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina defended the officiating in Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, dismissing allegations of bias and saying match officials ​operated with complete independence. In an interview published on inside.fifa.com on Thursday, Collina said ‌criticism of referees was part of football but he condemned the questioning of the officials’ integrity after ...

Two-time women’s Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas has joined London City Lionesses in the latest coup for the Women’s Super League (WSL) side owned by American billionaire Michele Kang. Putellas was a free agent after bringing to an end her incredible 14-year and trophy-laden career at Barcelona, where she won four Champions League titles. London City were only promoted to ...

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka on Wednesday jointly celebrated their shared passion for football, with Pakistan donating 1,000 footballs to support grassroots football development in Bangladesh. As part of the initiative, Pakistan High Commissioner Imran Haider formally handed over 1,000 Made in Pakistan footballs to BFF President Tabith Awal at a ceremony in ...

The European Parliament has called for an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino over allegations of bias in international football. A group of European Parliament lawmakers launched a special investigation into the FIFA president’s role in the World Cup on Tuesday (July 8). They have also reportedly sent a letter to the football associations of the 27 countries that make ...

Lionel Messi did it yet again at this year’s World Cup. The Argentina great scored another goal — his eighth of the tournament — and led his team to an improbable 3-2 victory over Egypt on Tuesday despite trailing by two with only 11 minutes of regulation time to play. The defending champions will next face either Switzerland or Colombia ...

Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere scored twice to take his country into the World Cup quarter-finals, handing co-hosts United States a 4-1 thrashing in their round-of-16 tie on Monday, despite the controversial inclusion of previously suspended Folarin Balogun. • De Ketelaere poached two first-half goals, in the ninth and 33rd minutes, the second coming 61 seconds after the US equalised. • ...

Spain substitute Mikel Merino broke through a stubborn Portugal defence in the 91st minute to earn his side a 1-0 win on Monday and take theme into the quarter-finals, bringing the curtain down on Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career. The midfielder scored six minutes after coming off the bench to take the European champions into the last eight, prevailing where ...