Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: July 16, 2026, 11:30 PM ET

World Cup Semifinals Drama and Fallout

Argentina advanced World after a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England, with Lionel Messi providing the decisive assist in stoppage time. Messi sent a message to critics, stating, "Nothing was handed to us," and received a 9/10 rating for his performance in the semifinal win. The match, which saw England's World Cup dreams dashed, drew an audience of 24 million viewers on the BBC for the England-Argentina clash. Following the defeat, England midfielder Jude Bellingham was seen slapping Argentina substitute Valentín Barco on the back of the head, sparking a melee. Manager Thomas Tuchel faced scrutiny for England's exit, with questions arising about whether anything has changed tactically since previous tournaments. Tuchel himself, however, remains committed to his role and believes English football's "DNA" contributed to the team's shortcomings.

Spain secured their by defeating France, who saw their tournament hopes unravel. FIFA's director of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, defended the referee's performance in the France-Spain semifinal after criticism from French coach Didier Deschamps. The USMNT's World Cup campaign concluded, leaving captain Tim Ream in "shock" at the team's performance. The USMNT's journey, though ending in disappointment, captured national attention, and the team will remember this World Cup through a series of images.

Player News and Transfer Rumors

Lionel Messi's potential World Cup farewell with Argentina is on the horizon, with Spain now tasked with stopping him. Meanwhile, the jersey Pelé wore during Brazil's 1958 World Cup final victory at Sotheby's. Arsenal will assess William Saliba's back injury upon his return after World Cup duty, with surgery being a possible option. Manchester United confirmed that Manuel Ugarte has undergone knee surgery after sustaining an injury at the World Cup during the tournament.

New York City FC is reportedly interested in signing Christian Pulisic, but AC Milan is not keen on selling the American player. Inter Milan is working on deals for Djed Spence and Cristian Romero, while Liverpool leads the race for Kaishu Sano, and Arsenal is showing interest in Ezri Konsa in transfer news. Nottingham Forest is preparing a £45 million offer for Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall. Bournemouth's Alex Jimenez has joined Serie A side Fiorentina on a season-long loan. Crystal Palace has signed Lexi Lloyd-Smith, last season's WSL2 top scorer, on a three-year deal. Birmingham City has signed French defender Jade Rastocle from Montpellier for an undisclosed fee.

Other Football News and Notes

A Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Fire at Chicago's Soldier Field was postponed due to poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke from Canada. New York and New Jersey officials have issued an air quality health alert because of wildfire smoke, just days before the World Cup final in the region. Celtic is reportedly struggling to compete with English Championship clubs in the transfer market and deal with agents, according to meeting minutes.

In other football news, Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro trained separately from their Spanish teammates but are expected to be fit for the upcoming World Cup final on Sunday. Harry Kane stated it is "too soon" to determine if this World Cup was his last for England, noting the semifinal loss to Argentina mirrored past near-misses in the tournament. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon has retired from football at the age of 43 after a 25-year career.