All posts tagged: World Cup 2026

FIFA open to 64-team World Cup in 2030, says president Infantino

FIFA open to 64-team World Cup in 2030, says president Infantino

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Jul 13, 2026 12:28 PM IST After the success of the 48-team World Cup, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has already raised expansion talks, wanting to go up to 64 teams as early as the 2030 World Cup. The Swiss lawyer said the tournament should be “for the whole world,” but admitted that discussing the topic right now would be premature. “These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup,” Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport. Infantino emphasised the importance of the World Cup being open to as many nations as possible, and not just the best from Europe and South America. “When organising a World Cup, it’s important to organise it for the whole world – not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world.” He added, “every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup.” After the surprise performances of island nation Cape Verde, who went unbeaten in the group stage against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, it is hard to …

England vs Argentina is a rivalry forged by war, on-field spats and history of cons

England vs Argentina is a rivalry forged by war, on-field spats and history of cons

Published by Webster

Diego Maradona never repented his “Hand of God”; not because he thinks he didn’t cheat, but because it was scored against England. He wrote in his autobiography, weighing his two goals in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals, the other arguably the greatest of the century: “I sometimes think I preferred the one with my hand.” Because, he explained, “it was a bit like stealing the wallet of the English.” The Falklands War was just four years old, and both nations were feeling the gripes and wounds. Maradona called the victory “revenge”. He said: “Although we had said before the game that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas war, we knew they had killed a lot of Argentine boys there, killed them like little birds. And this was revenge.” There are rivalries in sport marked by genuine sporting feuds; some defined by political and cultural antipathy; some stewed by colonial friction; some found on clashing sporting ideologies. England versus Argentina after 24 years at the grand stage — the World Cup semifinals in Atlanta …

How Erling Haaland won the internet’s heart, one viral clip at a time

How Erling Haaland won the internet’s heart, one viral clip at a time

Published by Webster

During the FIFA World Cup in 2022, when the rest of the world was focussed on the best in the business hawking their wares in Qatar, Sky Sports and Manchester City posted a mockumentary-style video with Erling Haaland. In it, the striker is wandering around the City training grounds by himself looking a little lost. He drives a grass trimming machine out of boredom. He tries calling teammates only to go through to voicemail. He puts a longing hand on the shoulder of a freekick mannequin that has a jersey of Kevin de Bruyne. “I’m working hard while the guys are away. Sometimes, it’s a bit boring,” he says in the clip as melancholy violin music plays on. “But time is flying. I do miss all the banter. I’m not going to lie. Celebrating goals alone… it’s not the same.” For the past month, Haaland has not celebrated his goals alone. Four years after that clip, Haaland was at the World Cup himself. Back home in Norway, a country of 5.6 million was cheering along, …

Who are the referees for Argentina vs Switzerland World Cup quarter-final?

Who are the referees for Argentina vs Switzerland World Cup quarter-final?

Published by Webster

5 min readJul 11, 2026 10:00 PM IST Argentina vs Switzerland, FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final: Defending champions Argentina are set to take on a highly defensive unit in the form of Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kansas City Stadium on Saturday night. It has been confirmed by FIFA that Portuguese official João Pinheiro will take charge of the match, a decision that hasn’t sat well with the Argentine fans because of the referee’s controversial history in major international competitions. ALSO READ | World Cup 2026: Why substitutes keep deciding matches in the final 20 minutes Argentina enter the contest on the back of a sensational 3-2 comeback win against Egypt in the Round of 16. Being 2-0 down till the 78th minute, goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez within a space of 14 minutes secured Argentina’s place in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Switzerland defeated Colombia on penalties (4-3) to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 1954. The officials selected by FIFA …

Who are the referees for Norway vs England?

Who are the referees for Norway vs England?

Published by Webster

4 min readJul 11, 2026 06:45 PM IST Norway vs England, FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final: The highly anticipated blockbuster contest between Erling Haaland’s Norway and Harry Kane’s England is set to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 11. FIFA has selected the experienced 44-year-old French referee, Clement Turpin to officiate tonight’s quarter-final between the two European sides. The Three Lions come into this game on the back of an impressive win 3-2 win over the hosts Mexico, inspired by a brace from their young star midfielder Jude Bellingham and a goal from the spot by skipper Harry Kane. Meanwhile, the Scandinavians probably pulled one of the biggest shocks of the tournament when they knocked out five-time champions Brazil in the Round of 16 with a 1-2 win, thanks to a commendable brace from Erling Haaland. The winner will set up an intriguing clash against either Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals. The officiating crew selected by FIFA for this quarterfinal between Norway and England consists of three French referees and …

Erling Haaland on hosts USA

Erling Haaland on hosts USA

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: Jul 10, 2026 07:28 PM IST Norway’s star footballer, Erling Haaland, said he likes the Americans and they are also hilarious. The ongoing tournament is being held in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The last time the World Cup was held in the US was in 1994, when the country was the sole host. “I think it’s a good thing because I like the Americans. I think they are kind of hilarious as well. They are funny. So I like the way they are. It’s been, honestly, on every single thing with the World Cup here so far has been amazing. From the games, to the stadiums, to the training grounds to everything has been amazing. It’s been impressive,” said Haaland, speaking on Instagram. Unreal performance With absolute nonchalance, the superstar of Norway, pushing Brazil out of the World Cup and his country into the quarters, spoke to the media in New York, telling them he couldn’t believe his own wonderful run of 7 goals in 4 games at …

How a 44-year-old war stops England, Argentina referees from each other’s World Cup matches

How a 44-year-old war stops England, Argentina referees from each other’s World Cup matches

Published by Webster

4 min readUpdated: Jul 9, 2026 08:43 AM IST As the 2026 FIFA World Cup is leaping towards the final stretch of the knockouts, refereeing decisions have been magnified, and the scrutiny intense. They hit a crescendo during a frenzied Round of 16 match between world champions Argentina and Egypt, officiated by Frenchman Francois Letexier on Tuesday night. While the neutrality of officials has been said to be overseen by the world football body on a match-to-match basis,  Not all such combinations are welcome on the world stage, as Argentina officials may not be seen later in the tournament should England march on towards the final. The reverse is equally problematic, as seasoned English officials, Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver, will not be able to take the pitch should Argentina proceed past Switzerland from the quarter-finals. ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup: Morocco’s tireless legs may be answer to stopping Olise, Mbappe The England-Argentina off-field rivalry Despite officiating in seven matches through the World Cup, Englishman Oliver could likely miss the final set to be …

‘Cannot remain silent’: Egypt escalate World Cup row, file FIFA complaint against Letexier over Argentina controversy

‘Cannot remain silent’: Egypt escalate World Cup row, file FIFA complaint against Letexier over Argentina controversy

Published by Parlour News

The fallout from Argentina‘s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt at the FIFA World Cup has refused to die down. What began with furious scenes on the touchline and explosive post-match accusations from Egypt’s players and coaching staff has now escalated into an official battle off the pitch, with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) taking its grievance directly to FIFA. Referee Francois Letexier, of France, shows a yellow card during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta (AP) The controversy centres on a string of refereeing decisions during Tuesday’s Round-of-16 clash in Atlanta, most notably the VAR intervention that ruled out Mostafa Ziko’s 58th-minute goal with Egypt already leading 1-0. Argentina survived the scare before scoring three times in the final 13 minutes to book their place in the quarterfinals, but the officiating has since become the biggest talking point from the contest. In the aftermath, Egypt’s players and coaching staff alleged that the tournament was “directed towards Argentina” and claimed FIFA wanted “Lionel Messi to stay.” ALSO …

FIFA World Cup | ‘Who knows which decisions are legitimate and can be trusted, and which can’t?’: Professor Simon Chadwick

FIFA World Cup | ‘Who knows which decisions are legitimate and can be trusted, and which can’t?’: Professor Simon Chadwick

Published by Webster

Politics is never far from the football pitch, but events before and during the ongoing FIFA World Cup have taken matters to another level, to the extent that the line between the two has been blurred considerably. The world body annulling the red card to USA forward Folarin Balogun, after a call from President Donald Trump, before the Round of 16 game against Belgium, and what transpired in the game between Argentina and Egypt have prompted many fans to believe in conspiracy theories and alleging that forces away from the turf have a hand in deciding winners and losers. “After the Balogun affair, who knows which decisions are legitimate and can be trusted, and which can’t?” Simon Chadwick, professor of Afro-Eurasian sport at the Emlyon Business School in Shanghai, told Al Jazeera. There have been claims that a day after Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and co-hosts United States exited the tournament, Lionel Messi’s Argentina also bowing out wouldn’t have been ideal from a marketing and revenue aspect. Already, ticket prices have fallen by up to 50 …

FIFA World Cup | Football gods decide to look other way: Mourinho, Capello on Argentina vs Egypt

FIFA World Cup | Football gods decide to look other way: Mourinho, Capello on Argentina vs Egypt

Published by Webster

3 min readJul 8, 2026 03:29 PM IST “Sometimes, even warriors lose because the devils decide the story should end differently.” That’s how acclaimed Real Madrid manager described what happened in the Argentina-Egypt Round of 16 game, which ended with the defending champions continuing their title defence and the Pharaohs alleging “unfair” and “robbed” at the way they ended on the wrong side despite being 2-0 ahead till the 79th minute. The former Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester United and Tottenham – among several other clubs – manager has no doubt where his sympathy lay. “Egypt have every reason to be proud of themselves. They stood toe-to-toe with one of the biggest football nations in the world and made them suffer for every minute. When I look at Egypt tonight, I don’t see failures. I see warriors. And sometimes, even warriors lose because the devils decide the story should end differently,” the Portuguese tactician was quoted as saying by SethOfficial on X. Mourinho believed Hossam Hassan’s charges gave everything they could on the …