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After 23 years representing his country at the highest level, Cristiano Ronaldo has acknowledged that his journey at the FIFA World Cup has reached its end. The Portugal captain's 233rd international appearance concluded in a narrow 1-0 loss to Spain in Dallas, a result that ended his nation's tournament campaign. Despite the painful exit, the 41-year-old forward expressed no regrets, insisting he departs with his conscience entirely at ease. Ronaldo enters the record books as the sole footballer to have found the net at six separate World Cup editions — a milestone that underscores the extraordinary longevity of his international

Gregor Kobel emerged as the decisive figure at BC Place Vancouver as Switzerland edged past Colombia in a tense penalty shootout, claiming a 4-3 victory to book their place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. The Swiss goalkeeper's crucial stop denied Cucho Hernandez and sent Murat Yakin's squad into the last eight for the first time in over seven decades. A Goalless Stalemate Sets the Stage Neither side managed to break the deadlock across 90 minutes of regulation play, with both teams finding it difficult to manufacture clear-cut opportunities. The match lacked the attacking intensity that fans had hoped for,

Argentina's path to World Cup glory nearly came to a stunning halt in Atlanta, where Lionel Messi and his teammates found themselves staring down a two-goal deficit with barely ten minutes remaining. What followed was one of the most extraordinary reversals in tournament history — a frantic, emotional finale that left both sets of players and supporters in disbelief. The 39-year-old captain, who had already endured the humiliation of missing two penalties in the same tournament, refused to let his nation's dream die. His intervention in the closing stages not only salvaged a result but extended his own remarkable World

Erling Haaland keeps his most candid moments for Snapchat. Norway's talismanic striker, fresh from another match-winning brace that eliminated Brazil from the World Cup, shared overnight footage of what appeared to be a full-blown celebration on the team coach. He was in high spirits, moving through the aisle and singing along to a largely obscure summer track by French DJ Kungs. The chorus goes: "We are never going home." Norway will, of course, return home at some stage — possibly as early as Saturday, when they face England in a World Cup quarter-final in Miami. Yet there is little question

Monday evening along the Pacific Northwest coastline brought an abrupt end to the American World Cup campaign. Belgium's 4-1 victory in the round of 16 shattered the aspirations of millions of supporters who had dared to believe this squad could go all the way. What had been a tournament of genuine promise dissolved into a night of defensive lapses, individual errors, and collective disappointment. The elimination extended a painful pattern: for the fourth consecutive time, the US program stumbled at the last-16 stage. The rallying cry of "Why not us?" that had energized the squad through the group phase gave

A substitute's late intervention proved decisive as Spain edged past Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup in Dallas, ending Cristiano Ronaldo's international career on football's biggest stage. Mikel Merino, introduced from the bench, converted a low finish in the 91st minute to settle a tightly contested Iberian derby and book Spain's place in the quarter-finals. How the Match Unfolded The opening exchanges offered Spain an early opportunity when Dani Olmo threaded a pass through to Mikel Oyarzabal, who found space behind the Portuguese backline but steered his shot wide of the target. Diogo Costa

History has a way of rhyming in football. Six decades ago, Garrincha — the Brazilian winger whose dribbling left defenders bewildered — received a red card during the 1962 World Cup semifinals after striking an opponent. At the time, no automatic match ban existed, so a disciplinary panel gathered the following morning to weigh his fate. According to widely circulated accounts, the linesman with the clearest sightline to the incident was bribed and subsequently vanished, while Chile's head of state personally contacted FIFA to advocate for leniency, citing the entertainment value the player brought to the competition. Garrincha walked away

Thomas Tuchel's England delivered a performance of remarkable composure and resilience at the legendary Azteca Stadium, overcoming both the elements and a numerical disadvantage to defeat Mexico 3–2 and advance to the World Cup quarter-finals, where Norway awaits. The contest was pushed back by a full hour as violent thunderstorms swept across Mexico City, yet the delay did little to dampen the intensity of what followed — a pulsating encounter that tested every aspect of Tuchel's squad and ultimately showcased their finest collective effort of the tournament. Bellingham Ignites England Before the Break With Mexico having surrendered just twice in

Erling Haaland delivered two late strikes to eliminate Brazil and propel Norway into the last eight of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — a milestone the Scandinavian nation had never previously reached. The striker's sixth and seventh goals of the tournament arrived within the final ten minutes, capping a remarkable comeback that left the football world stunned and sent a wave of Viking euphoria rolling across the United States. The victory represents a watershed moment for Norwegian football and a powerful vindication of the project built by head coach Ståle Solbakken over the past five years. What began as a

Goncalo Ramos rose magnificently in the dying moments of stoppage time to power Portugal into the World Cup last 16, heading home a decisive 94th-minute winner that ended Croatia's tournament journey. The match delivered everything a knockout fixture could promise — lead changes, disallowed goals, a VAR controversy, and a moment of individual brilliance that will be replayed for years. Cristiano Ronaldo converted from twelve yards to register his maiden goal in a World Cup knockout match, before Ramos arrived late to meet a perfectly weighted Rafael Leao delivery and nod the ball beyond the Croatian goalkeeper. Croatia refused to