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Football Daily | Argentina, VAR machinations and the greatest goal that never was
This is a tongue-in-cheek edition of the Guardian’s Football Daily newsletter, reporting on Argentina’s dramatic comeback win over Egypt at the fictionalised “Geopolitics World Cup”. Lionel Messi was reportedly reduced to tears at full-time after a match that saw him miss another penalty before redeeming himself, with Enzo Fernández scoring the decisive header to leave…
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A World Cup free agent XI: summer bargains and top targets among clubless players
A goalkeeper with 27.5m Instagram followers and a forward whose future is opaque make our team of players looking for new clubsAs late bloomers and cult heroes go, few have made an impact on a World Cup quite like the goalkeeper who first defied Spain’s attackers and, after Cape Verde’s qualification for the knockouts, reduced…
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No league tables, no trophies: how Norway made sport fun for kids – and built a football team that beat Brazil
Country’s model prioritises joy while offering choice – and Erling Haaland’s World Cup exploits show that it worksAt full time, the arithmetic felt wrong. A team from a country of 5.5 million people, back at a World Cup after 28 years away, had just beaten the five-time champions to reach a first quarter-final.During Norway’s victory…
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Rosie O’Donnell ‘Horrified’ by Trump’s World Cup Intervention and AI Video of Her: ‘A Failure at Everything He’s Ever Tried’
Comedian Rosie O’Donnell told Variety she was “horrified” by Donald Trump’s alleged intervention at this year’s World Cup, in which she says the US president personally lobbied FIFA president Gianni Infantino to overturn a red card issued to American player Folarin Balogun. According to the article, the reversal — described as the first of its…
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Daddy Yankee & Shenseea Score No. 1 on Latin Airplay Chart With ‘Echo (FIFA World Cup 2026)’
Daddy Yankee and Shenseea have hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated 11 July) with “Echo (FIFA World Cup 2026)”, which jumped from No. 6 to the top in its sixth week on the ranking. The milestone is notable because it is Jamaican singer Shenseea’s first No. 1 on any Latin chart —…
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Has the World Cup signalled the end of chaos at corners?
Football issues correspondent Dale Johnson reports that refereeing of corner kicks at the World Cup has been noticeably stricter than in the Premier League, potentially signalling an end to the physical “chaos” that marked recent top-flight seasons. The shift matters because tactics such as blocking and holding around the goalkeeper, used to great effect by…
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Don’t talk about the football! Nato leaders warned not to mention the World Cup to Donald Trump for fear of triggering a tantrum
European leaders at the Nato summit in Ankara were reportedly warned not to raise the subject of the football World Cup with Donald Trump, amid fears that mentioning it could provoke the US President into lashing out at the alliance. The caution follows the United States team’s exit from the tournament, said to have left…
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Statesman, comedian and dealer of hard truths: how Kylian Mbappé became the king of this World Cup
The article argues that Kylian Mbappé has emerged as the defining figure of the 2026 World Cup, not only because of his performances for France but also because of his personality and public presence. It presents him as the tournament’s standout character: a decisive player on the pitch, a confident spokesman off it, and someone…
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From Hart to Seedorf to Kewell: standout pundits of the 2026 World Cup
The Guardian has published a rundown of six football pundits who have stood out on television during the 2026 World Cup in North America, spanning broadcasters in the UK, US and Australia. The piece matters mainly as a snapshot of how retired players are shaping tournament coverage across three markets, praising analysts who offer genuine…
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David Beckham and U2 Team With Street Child United Charity for Short Film to Air During Final World Cup Games (EXCLUSIVE)
David Beckham has teamed up with the rock band U2 and the charity Street Child United for a short film called “Street of Dreams”, backed by Bank of America. The four-minute film follows a young girl who, after being made homeless, holds on to her dream of playing football; Beckham appears as a personification of…