Modric extends contract with AC Milan By AFP July 24, 2026 12:10 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Croatia's midfielder Luka Modric (C) kicks the ball flanked by France's forward Kylian Mbappe (L) during the …
… For perspective, the $51 million for the winner is less than the transfer fee paid on Tuesday by English club Brighton for a 19-year-old defender who spent most of the World Cup on the bench, Croatia’s Luka Vuskovic.Here’s what to know about the World Cup prize money: All teams g …
… For Bosnia, as in 2014, the World Cup remains a platform where a country shaped by war, genocide memory and political division can project unity, youth and possibility.Senegal, Algeria and Croatia also remind us that football histories are often tied to national struggle, colonia …
… There was a feeling of deja vu for England supporters, who had watched their team let one-goal leads slip away against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and Italy in the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 final.The Daily Mail slammed Tuchel, saying despite being brought in to solve t …
… England began with a thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia but have struggled to hit the same heights since, even if their run in the knockout rounds has had an epic feel to it. …
Slaven Bilic returns as Croatia coach By AFP July 14, 2026 11:24 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Former Croatian international defender Slaven Bilic speaks during a press conference after being appointed Cr …
Slaven Bilic returns as Croatia coach By AFP July 13, 2026 10:15 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Former Croatian international defender Slaven Bilic speaks during a press conference after being appointed Cr …
… He scored three times at the tournament in North America in his World Cup farewell -- twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan and a penalty against Croatia in the last 32. …
… He had three attempts at goal and was a peripheral figure playing through the centre of an ineffectual Portugal attack.He scored three times at the tournament in North America in his World Cup farewell -- twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan and a penalty against Croatia in the …
Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente has extended his contract until 2032 after leading the team to a World Cup title, Euro 2024 victory, and a UEFA Nations League title since taking over four years ago. De la Fuente said "the best is yet to come" with the national team.
Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente has extended his contract until 2032 after leading the team to a World Cup title, Euro 2024 victory, and a UEFA Nations League title since taking over four years ago. De la Fuente said "the best is yet to come" with the national team.
Spain's World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente said he wanted to offer "full support" to the people of Ceuta as the north African exclave grapples with a migration crisis, after more than 70,000 migrants entered from Morocco in late July.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said the team can build on the "fantastic spirit" of their World Cup campaign as he named a 27-man group for Nations League fixtures, including previously overlooked Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Chelsea forward Cole Palmer. The squad begins play against world champions Spain on September 26.
Newly crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev makes a quick return for Germany's Davis Cup qualifying tie against Croatia this weekend, while Ben Shelton seeks to bounce back after losing the US Open final to Zverev. Seven qualifiers will be decided this week to join hosts Italy in November's eight-team Finals.
Croatia's 40-year-old midfielder and captain Luka Modric will remain with the national squad for forthcoming Nations League matches, the Croatian football federation confirmed on Saturday. Modric will be included in the squad coach Slaven Bilic announces on Monday.
The FIFA national team ranking indicates each country's standing in world football and influences World Cup draw seeding and competition structures. Spain leads the ranking after winning the World Cup, and FIFA now provides live provisional ranking updates during matches.
Much of Europe is bracing for another heatwave with temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius forecast across Britain and France, while unusually high temperatures are expected in countries like Switzerland, Austria and Hungary. The extreme heat follows scorching temperatures that have driven rivers to record lows, ignited historic forest fires and contributed to thousands of deaths.
New AC Milan coach Ruben Amorim has pledged to uphold the legacy of club legend Franco Baresi and aims for a top-four Serie A finish. Amorim, returning to coaching after his January sacking by Manchester United, faces Inter Milan in a derby in Perth on Wednesday and has secured veteran midfielder Luka Modric on a one-year extension.
Santi Denia, who guided Spain to 2024 Olympic gold, has been appointed head coach of the Czech Republic on a two-year contract with an option to extend. He replaces Miroslav Koubek and becomes the country's first foreign coach.
Manchester City announced that Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol has signed a new five-year contract, committing him to the club until 2031 with an optional additional year. The 24-year-old, who arrived from RB Leipzig for £77 million in 2023 and has made 122 appearances, was previously linked with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Croatian midfielder Luka Modric has extended his contract with Serie A club AC Milan by one season, committing until June 30, 2027. The 40-year-old joined Milan in 2025 and scored two goals in 37 matches last season.
Spain won the 2026 World Cup and will receive $51 million in prize money. FIFA distributed a record $871 million to the 48 participating teams, with all teams receiving at least $12.5 million for competing.
When conflict-affected countries qualify for the World Cup, their participation becomes more than sport—a rare moment of national unity where citizens gather around one flag. DR Congo's return to the 2026 World Cup after 52 years exemplifies this, as the nation uses football as national therapy while managing ongoing conflict in its eastern provinces.
England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final after going 1-0 up, with manager Thomas Tuchel's defensive substitutions drawing criticism from the British media. The Sun and Daily Mail blamed Tuchel's cautious tactics for squandering the lead as Argentina scored twice in the closing minutes.
England and Argentina will meet in a 2026 World Cup semi-final at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026, renewing their old rivalry as England bids to reach their first final in six decades while Messi's Argentina seeks to win back-to-back World Cups.
Slaven Bilic has been appointed head coach of Croatia's national football team, replacing Zlatko Dalic who resigned after the country's World Cup exit. The 57-year-old former Croatian international defender, who previously coached Croatia from 2006 to 2012, was unanimously appointed by the Croatian Football Federation.
Slaven Bilic, who previously coached Croatia from 2006 to 2012, has been unanimously appointed as the country's national football team head coach, replacing Zlatko Dalic who resigned after Croatia's World Cup exit.
Spain's Lamine Yamal, hoping to win the World Cup as a teenager like Kylian Mbappe did in 2018, faces France and their superstar captain in Tuesday's semi-final. Yamal has already impressed in major tournaments, scoring in Euro 2024's semi-final against France when he was 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dream ended in a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the last-16 match, with the 41-year-old Portugal captain fighting back tears after a disappointing performance. He said he would leave the tournament with a clear conscience and reflect on what comes next.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, played his final World Cup match as Portugal lost to Spain 1-0 in the round of 16, ending his bid to win the tournament. The Portugal captain said he would leave "with a clear conscience" and reflected that his 2016 Euro title with the national team was equally significant to him as a World Cup would have been.
The United States will face Belgium on Monday in a World Cup quarter-final match in Seattle. US striker Folarin Balogun, who had received a straight red card for stepping on an opponent's foot in the previous round and faced a one-game ban under FIFA rules, has had his ban suspended after Donald Trump intervened with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino.
Norway will face Brazil in the World Cup last 16, with striker Erling Haaland having scored five goals at the tournament, including a late winner against Ivory Coast that secured Norway's first World Cup knockout victory. Norway has never lost to Brazil in four previous meetings, with two wins and two draws.
Cape Verde, the smallest nation to reach the knockout rounds, will face defending champions Argentina in a World Cup last-16 match in Miami. The Atlantic archipelago qualified by drawing with Spain and finishing ahead of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.
Substitute Goncalo Ramos scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to edge Portugal past Croatia in their 2026 World Cup round of 32 match in Toronto. Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty to equalize after Ivan Perisic's opener, and Croatia's last-gasp equalizer was ruled out for offside.
Spain defeated Austria 3-0 in their World Cup knockout match, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal (2) and Pedro Porro, advancing to face either Portugal or Croatia in the last 16. Spain controlled the match with dominant possession and play at Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium.
Substitute Goncalo Ramos scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to send Portugal into the World Cup last 16 with a 2-1 victory over Croatia, after Cristiano Ronaldo had equalised from a penalty earlier in the match.
Spain defeated Austria 3–0 in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, with two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header securing their passage to the last 16. The victory sets up a potential matchup with Portugal and marks Spain's most complete performance of the tournament.
Portugal and Croatia meet in a 2026 World Cup round of 32 match in Toronto on July 2, with Canada's environment ministry warning that temperatures could reach 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), feeling like 44 Celsius due to humidity. Both teams have declined to use the heat as an excuse ahead of the 7:00 pm kickoff.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, both over 40, will meet for the first time as outfield players aged over 40 at a World Cup when Portugal face Croatia in the last-32 clash on Friday. Both players face questions about whether their veteran status benefits or burdens their teams' tournament hopes.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric will make history as the first two outfield players aged over 40 to face each other at a World Cup when Portugal take on Croatia in the last-32. Both players, once Real Madrid teammates, have shown their age despite their status as national heroes, though Ronaldo scored twice against Uzbekistan to become the first player to score at six World Cups.