Morocco fans gathered in Boston on Wednesday, before their match against France.
“When France plays Morocco on Thursday in Boston, it will be the next chapter in what has become a dramatic subplot of these World Cup tournaments: a postcolonial clash, laden with history, symbolism and a dash of score settling. The two countries are intertwined by colonial dominion — Morocco was a protectorate of France from 1912 to 1956 — and then by waves of emigration across the Mediterranean Sea in the 1960s and 1970s. About 1.5 million people of Moroccan descent, most Muslim, now live in France. Many have thrived, but others have struggled to carve out an identity amid questioning of their Frenchness by the far right and other nationalists. All of that sharpens a soccer rivalry as fierce as any in the world. …”
NYT
Mbappe stars as France beat Morocco to reach World Cup semi-finals. Can anyone stop them?
“… That France have not fallen behind once at this World Cup is a testament to their brilliance. Yet it would be interesting to see what happens to them if, say, Spain took a semi-final lead, or maybe England in the final, wouldn’t it? They are so dangerous, particularly when ahead, because opponents have to open up to chase a result. This means France’s turbo-charged forwards have the space to do even more damage. Against Morocco, that is exactly what happened after Mbappe’s opening goal, with Dembele springing the counter-attack followed by a finish that secured his team’s place in the next round. …”
NYT/ATH
YouTube: France vs Morocco Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Quarterfinals
At Habana Outpost in Brooklyn, Wednesday was, finally, just another day.
Brooklyn Public House provided a quiet setting for lunch for the first time in weeks.
“It has been a busy few days for World Cup conspiracy theorists. First came the decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban for USMNT’s round-of-16 match against Belgium. That unprecedented act would inevitably have attracted raised eyebrows, but the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump telephoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino to raise objections to the red card immediately sparked speculation about nefarious motives. … This is, however, typical for football’s biggest tournament, where the high stakes, global audience and potential for political interference all offer the perfect environment for conspiracy theories to flourish. We’ve put on our tin foil hats and discovered some declassified documents to bring you the best of the World Cup conspiracy theory, past and present. …”
“>We assess the teams who played in the tournament’s last 16 before the next round of games begins. 1) France (no change 
“Sections of Egyptian and Cape Verdean fans have accused their Argentinian counterparts of violent behaviour during the past two matches played by the reigning champions at the World Cup. The accusations, coupled with at least 
Ruben Vargas scores Switzerland’s winning penalty
“Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to one of the great World Cup comebacks as they came back from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 and seal their place in the quarter-finals. Argentina had found themselves behind at half-time in the tournament for the first time in 16 years after Yasser Ibrahim’s 15th-minute header and a Messi penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir. The reigning champions appeared on the brink of elimination when Mostafa Ziko put Egypt 2-0 up in the 67th minute, after already having seen a goal ruled out for a VAR intervention on a challenge in the build-up. Lionel Scaloni’s side had other ideas, though. …”
“Chris Richards keeled over, and Tyler Adams sobbed. Weston McKennie slumped in a chair, mind spinning, stare blank, while Matt Freese wandered and Tim Ream pondered the end. They, the U.S. men’s national soccer team, had just been banished from their home World Cup, 
“The whiff of unfulfilment lingers around 
Mbappe described Celeste Amarilla as “despicable” after her multiple social media posts following France’s World Cup win over Paraguay on Saturday.
“England held on with 10 men to withstand a late bombardment by Mexico in the Estadio Azteca and triumph 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. The game exploded in six mad first-half minutes. First Jude Bellingham headed in the opener after a brilliant run by Bukayo Saka down the right on 36 minutes, then he exchanged passes with Harry Kane to add his second on 38 minutes. 
“It takes a lot to stop Erling Haaland — and now Brazil know it only too well. The five-time world champions will not be adding a sixth title this summer after Haaland’s late header and a blistering low shot in stoppage time earned Norway a place in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time with a 2-1 win. A cagey game always looked like it would take one monumental performer to settle it and it was no great surprise that Haaland stepped up, his brace taking his tally to seven at this tournament, joint top with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings. …”
“Folarin Balogun will be available to play the USMNT’s World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium after his one-game red-card ban was suspended, FIFA has confirmed. 
“Mexico City is hosting only five games in this year’s World Cup, but you wouldn’t know it from walking the streets, which are awash in soccer paraphernalia. Everyone seems to be wearing a green Mexico jersey, thanks to corner vendors hawking unlicensed merch for as little as $15, much to the chagrin of FIFA, whose official shirts often cost upward of $100. On game days, fans swarm the city’s main avenues, turning paved roads into dance floors, spraying bucketloads of foam and hurling one another into the air. El Tri, as Mexico’s team is known, has had a generational run this year, winning four games in a row without conceding a single goal — a streak that will be tested on Sunday night against England, where I’m originally from, in the last game at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. The team’s triumphant performance has united millions of fans in jubilation at a tense political moment for Mexico, amid rising violence, political polarization and an anticartel pressure campaign on the part of the United States, one of the other World Cup hosts. Even cartel-related bloodshed has seen a lull during the tournament. I’m enjoying the moment. I cover the draining issue of crime and violence here and, like everyone else, have welcomed the chance to obsessively follow the beautiful game for a few weeks. In my quarter-century living in Mexico City, I had never witnessed the level of euphoria that this tournament has unleashed. The games themselves are packed, sky-high ticket prices notwithstanding, and free official fan fests are filled to the breaking point. In barrios across the city, people have crowded around televisions in street stalls to watch the action together and create their own sprawling fiestas, leaving FIFA again struggling to cash in on public viewings. The noise of loud watch parties echoes around apartment blocks. Drink deals by enterprising street vendors have beer and tequila shots going for just a couple of dollars, ignoring government efforts to limit alcohol consumption ahead of potentially riotous celebrations. … Mexico’s problems are not forgotten. The country is deeply scarred by years of staggering homicide rates and disappearances, many of them wrought by cartel gunmen. President Claudia Sheinbaum remains popular, but her governing party has faced a rash of corruption allegations in recent months implicating several high-profile public servants in cartel crime. …”
“Darcy Norman, a former performance director for U.S. Soccer and the German Football Association, is talking about the mindset required when a team steps into the Azteca. ‘It is a bit like the Shackleton experiment,’ says Norman. Ernest Shackleton, an Irish explorer, is remembered mainly for the 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. It aimed to be the first to cross Antarctica, but his vessel, Endurance, was trapped and lost in sea ice. This turned a great explorer into a great survivor, as the voyage went down in legend for the extraordinary escape by those on board and a heroically safe return. …”
The closing ceremony of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in January 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
“Egypt beat Australia in a penalty shootout at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The North African nation progresses to the round-of-16 game in Atlanta on July 7, where they will face the winner of Argentina’s game with Cape Verde, which kicks off at 6pm EDT (11pm BST) tonight in Miami. Australia started the game well with Cristian Volpato hitting the bar with a long-range shot inside the first five minutes. Egypt, though, were soon in control and opened the scoring on 13 minutes as midfielder Emam Ashour headed in a Karim Hafez cross at the far post. …”
“It’s a warm June afternoon in 2009. The teams look uneven. At 30, I am the second-oldest player in our lineup. Lloyd, Nathan and Ben are early 20s – they can all play. Micky the German isn’t in top condition, and at 34 is past his peak. But at a conservative estimate every member of the opposition has two more decades in their legs. A couple of them might be pushing 70. We’re in kit. They are in jeans. We have trainers. They’re in boots – working boots, not ‘cleats’. And yet after an hour we have been beaten to a pulp. The final score evades my memory, but it might be the only six-a-side I’ve ever played in where ‘next goal wins’ wasn’t a vaguely justifiable way to end things. How had this team of old men beaten us? A word you may have heard more often than usual in 
“Spain dominated Austria in Los Angeles to reach the last-16 with a 3-0 victory and looked every bit one of the teams to beat in the World Cup. Among the favourites for the tournament, Spain were in complete control and with Lamine Yamal again pulling tricks and striking fear into defenders, Luis de la Fuente’s side look the biggest challengers to France for the title. They could face the 2022 finalists in the semi-finals in Dallas on July 14. Mikel Oyarzabal calmly slotted home after a cross from the left in the first half before Pedro Porro made it 2-0 in the second half after great work from Marc Cucurella. Another Cucurella cross was then finished by Oyarzabal for his fourth goal of the tournament. …”
“Presented as a still image by the video referee, the case for the prosecution is obvious. United States forward Folarin Balogun is stepping down, with force, seemingly over the right ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic. The opponent’s foot is also in a contorted shape, sliding slightly to his right, providing a squeamish image where the first instinct of the viewer is to wince and turn away. It does not take a wild, imaginative leap to hypothesize that this challenge could lead to serious injury, such is the manner of the tackler’s landing and the point of contact. This perception is only enhanced by Muharemovic, clearly in initial pain, beating the turf he lies on. …”
“Even by the standards of this World Cup, this was ridiculous. Belgium produced the biggest comeback victory of the 2026 tournament so far, rallying after going 2-0 down to equalise through Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans in the space of five mad minutes late in normal time before snatching a 3-2 win deep in added time of extra time through Tielemans’ penalty, awarded after a VAR review, to advance to the last 16. At 125 minutes, it is the latest goal in the history of the World Cup finals. …”
“The England men’s team has been playing football for 154 years, but it has never had a player quite like Harry Kane before. England have had some great moments in their history, winning the World Cup in 1966. But they have rarely won a game quite like this. Not with this same sense of being seized, being saved, of one man deciding to take control of a game that was slipping through English fingers. 
“I was born in the late 70s of a mother from Martinique and a father from Lorraine region in eastern continental France: I was always aware that, for good and bad, France was more than white, more than Europe, more than what most thought and took for granted. I looked to history to make sense of the very existence of my family, and the history I found was a history of exploitation, slavery, abuse ignored by most French people. Growing up in the 1980s, there were few places where French flags were acceptable: government buildings, sporting events, right-wing and fascist meetings. …”
“WE should not be surprised at the way the World Cup looks after the bloated and occasionally dull first stage, but the overwhelming appearance of the competition smacks of “Entertainment USA”. Where do we start? The pitch-side announcements, the absurd kick-off countdowns, the obsessive celebrity spotting and the strange jeering when fouls occur. If that isn’t bad enough, the hydration breaks, which will go down in history as the most blatant back-door way to make a little extra money, are really moving a global game closer to US sports culture. …”
Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after the game finished 1-1
“Erling Haaland scored an 86th-minute winner as Norway beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Dallas to set up a last 16 tie with Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 5. Ivory Coast looked like they had sent the tie into extra time when Amad, on as a substitute, equalised with 74 minutes played. But Haaland, who had had a quiet game, scored with an mis-hit finish to win the match, squeezing Patrick Berg’s pass over the line. 
“After Sunday’s one-match palate-cleanser, the World Cup clicked into a new gear on Monday, with three absorbing knockout games. Brazil vs Japan always looked likely to be one of the fixtures of the last 32 and didn’t disappoint. Japan, so watchable in the group stage, flew out of the traps and took the lead through Kaishu Sano. Five-time World Cup winners Brazil slowly ground their way back, however, and eventually 
“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 behind to Japan in Houston. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were insipid in the first half but an inspired comeback — capped by goals from Casemiro and a last-gasp winner from Gabriel Martinelli — sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory and a place in the last 16, where they will face Norway or Ivory Coast. …”
Young members of the Verde Corazon ultra during a match of their club RCR, Relizane, Algeria, 2016.
“Canada won its first knockout game at the men’s World Cup, beating South Africa in dramatic circumstances to set up a last-16 tie with the Netherlands or Morocco. The co-hosts had never progressed beyond the group stage before but will now have the chance to go deeper still, after Stephen Eustaquio prompted wild scenes by scoring a stoppage-time winner in this round-of-32 game at SoFi Stadium, near Los Angeles. It is the end of the road for South Africa, which was also competing in its first knockout tie at soccer’s biggest international tournament. Canada now travels to Houston, with Jesse Marsch’s side hoping to upset one of the competition’s stronger teams with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. …”
Members of the Moroccan national team line up for the national anthem ahead of a friendly match against Paraguay in Lens, France, on 31 March 2026.
An image of DR Congo’s tactics against Portugal DR Congo set up in a 5-3-2 in a bid to frustrate Portugal
France have scored 10 goals in their three World Cup group matches and now play Sweden in the round of 32
Cape Verde became the smallest nation to ever reach the World Cup knockout stages 
“… These are the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco (Jalisco Search Warriors), a collective of families whose loved ones number among the 
“If you’re a fan of Scotland, South Korea or any other team that finishes in third place in its World Cup group, the question is now: Are we in? For some, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden and Ecuador (
“Ivory Coast reached the knockout stage of the men’s World Cup for the first time — with France or Norway lying in wait in the last 32. It is also the first time they have won multiple matches in a single edition of the World Cup. An early goal for Germany against Ecuador in the other Group E game briefly gave Curacao hope of securing a third-place spot, but Nicolas Pepe’s first goal for Ivory Coast in Philadelphia was quickly followed by an Ecuador equaliser at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to dampen the dreams of the team ranked 82nd in the world. 
“Canada had to settle for the runners-up spot in Group B after a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in Vancouver on Wednesday, but their performance did include one of the World Cup’s best assists and finishes. A draw or win for Jesse Marsch’s side would have secured top spot and allowed them to stay in the same city for their round-of-32 tie. It would also have allowed them a longer rest period, but it is the Swiss who have that advantage with Canada facing a tie in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28 where they will most likely face South Korea. …”
“Wednesday marks the beginning of the end of group play in the 
“Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland did it again. They are the stars delivering at this World Cup and leading the chase for the Golden Boot. As a result, France, Argentina and Norway have all qualified for the knockout stage with a game to spare. Spare a thought for Jordan, whose hopes of progression ended on day 12, while Senegal have work to do to be one of the best third-place finishers. But how did it all affect our team rankings? …”
“England struggled to a 0-0 draw against Ghana in their second match at this World Cup after wasting chances late on to win the game at the Gillette Stadium. Thomas Tuchel’s side were excellent in their 4-2 win against Croatia in their opening match but they created far fewer chances against a resolute Ghana defence. 
“Is Lionel Messi the greatest of all time? His latest landmark achievement — breaking the record for most goals scored at the World Cup with his double against Austria — certainly strengthens his case. Messi, inevitably, was the centre of attention in Dallas, his goals earning Argentina a 2-0 win that booked the reigning champions’ place in the knockout stages. The Inter Miami forward’s 17th and 18th World Cup goals (and fifth in two matches) took him past Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in football’s biggest tournament. It came after he missed a penalty earlier in the first half, a wasted opportunity that only delayed the inevitable. …”
“Six days after Cape Verde secured a scarcely believable 0-0 draw against the pre-tournament favourites Spain, they were at it again, this time drawing 2-2 with Uruguay in Miami. In their first ever appearance at a World Cup they have taken points off two teams that have won the tournament three times between them (Spain in 2010 and Uruguay in 1930 and 1950). 
“Lamine Yamal did not wait long to make his mark on his first World Cup start. The 18-year-old Barcelona attacker sparked a riotous performance from Spain against Saudi Arabia, scoring after 10 minutes to set his team on their way to a 4-0 victory which all but confirmed their place in the last 32. It was the perfect antidote for Spain, whose status as pre-tournament favourites had been dented by 
“Belgium stumbled to a 0-0 draw with Iran at SoFi Stadium on Sunday in a game that featured both a red card and perhaps the best save of the 2026 World Cup thus far. Belgium, the most talented team in Group G on paper, couldn’t unlock a resistant Iranian defense, and then had to survive the last 25 minutes of the match with 10 men after defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. 
“He’s frustrated, but he’s keeping in his anger. Abdoulaye—the pseudonym of a well-known Senegalese journalist who spoke to us—just doesn’t know if he’ll be able to cover his country’s match against Iraq, scheduled to take place in Toronto on June 26 as part of the upcoming football World Cup. Known as the Lions of Teranga—Senegal’s national team, named for the Wolof concept of hospitality—the squad is in Group I alongside France and Norway, who they’ll face at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on June 16 and 22. Accredited by FIFA and with the necessary visas in hand, Abdoulaye sums up his dilemma. …”
“Omar Artan was already a hero before he came back to Somalia this week after being denied entry to the United States for the World Cup. Long before the controversy, he had become a household name in the country. As one former sports official told me, a warm welcome was guaranteed whenever he eventually returned to Mogadishu. But the decision by US immigration authorities to turn him away transformed the meaning of his homecoming. Somali journalists had spent the morning waiting for his flight from Istanbul to land. On the tarmac, a delegation of senior government officials waited patiently alongside us, flags in hand and many already cheering. Anticipating that he might return disappointed and disheartened, preparations had been made to roll out the red carpet and turn what could have been seen as a setback into a triumph. Participating in the World Cup, he said in a rare 2018 interview, had always been his dream. …”
“Michael Olise is probably the best creative player in the world at the moment. He racked up 26 assists for Bayern Munich last season. It was his shift into a more central role that transformed 
“Germany do not have a formidable World Cup reputation for nothing. The four-time winners were wobbling badly against a disciplined and polished Ivory Coast, trailing 1-0 to Franck Kessie’s goal and looking ragged. Enter Deniz Undav. The Stuttgart striker plundered two second-half goals, including a stoppage-time winner, to earn his side a place in the last 32. Here, The Athletic analyses the major talking points. …”
“Netherlands’ 5-1 thrashing of Sweden in Houston was the most tactically interesting contest of the World Cup so far; a perfect demonstration of how formations and shapes can dictate the flow of matches. Sweden’s strike partnership of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres worked effectively in their win over Tunisia — also a 5-1 scoreline — including assisting one another for goals. But in truth, they’ve rarely looked like an effective partnership for Sweden over the years. Although at times they combine well, it’s rare to see top-level international sides use two proper No 9s together, for good reason — the other eight outfielders are invariably overrun. Saturday’s game was a prime example. …”
“Let’s get something clear from the start: ranking the best and worst World Cup kits of all time is an impossible task. The 2026 World Cup marks the 23rd edition of the tournament over a span of 96 years of ever-changing fashion trends. There have been so many well-executed and just plain lovely kits representing a variety of countries over that span, as well as a considerable number of nightmarishly eye-melting ones, too. There are also a whole bunch that we remember as better or worse than the designs themselves because they were wrapped around indelible players, moments and memories. …”
“The U.S. men’s national soccer team rolled into the World Cup knockout rounds with a 2-0 win over Australia on Friday. In front of a raucous, star-spangled crowd here at Lumen Field, even 
“Mexico have become the first team to book their place in the World Cup knockout stage — and with their co-hosts Canada also making their mark with a huge win yesterday, attention now turns to whether the United States can continue to make home advantage count. This is the first World Cup to be held across three countries and so far the hosts are loving it. Canada recorded their first-ever win at the men’s World Cup finals, thrashing Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver yesterday to move into top spot in Group B, above Switzerland on goal difference. In the day’s final game, Mexico secured top spot in Group A with a hard-fought victory against South Korea in Guadalajara. …”
“Switzerland secured their first win at the 2026 World Cup by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 through a late goal barrage largely from a pair of substitutes to ease fears that their profligacy against Qatar in the opener would cost them. Johan Manzambi and Rubén Vargas came off the bench together in the 71st minute and by the final whistle, they had scored the three goals to clinch a victory that put the Group B favorites on course for the knockout phase. 
“A 1-1 draw felt like a fair result as the Czech Republic and South Africa walked out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday. It was not a good version of World Cup football, though. Both teams struggled to attack with any level of cohesion. In a group that features South Korea and co-hosts Mexico, the European and African sides look the weakest of the four. 
“Davinson Sanchez had been there in 2018. So had Johan Mojica and Jefferson Lerma. James Rodriguez? He’d been there in 2018 and 2014 — the same as Santiago Arias, David Ospina, Juan Fernando Quintero, Camilo Vargas. They had been absent eight years — eight painful years — but Colombia’s squad was positively dripping with World Cup history. They carried stories with them, especially the class of 2014: thrashing Japan in the grasslands of Cuiaba; Rodriguez’s volley against Uruguay at the Maracana; quarter-final heartache against hosts Brazil. All of it, the wistfulness and the war stories, the nostalgia and the nagging aches, came with them to Mexico for their Group K opener against Uzbekistan. …”
“England are almost guaranteed to reach the World Cup knockout rounds after a thrilling and at times chaotic win over Croatia in Dallas sent them top of Group L. The first half of England’s campaign brought four goals, with Harry Kane scoring a retaken penalty and heading in from an out-swinging corner, only for Croatia to equalise each time. First, Martin Baturina fired past Jordan Pickford from the edge of the box, then Petar Musa, a striker for local MLS side FC Dallas, finished a brilliant team move to bring it level at the break. …”
“Yoane Wissa whipped a header into the net and, instead of the normal celebration route — a joyous sprint to the advertising hoardings, or knee slide to the corner — he ran straight for the DR Congo bench. Immediately, the entire team began a choreographed dance, the 
Scissors Kick 