Sports

CNN By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here. Congratulations, everyone. We made it 24 days without this World Cup having to do much with Donald Trump. Yet this morning, despite all the

By Hannah Keyser, Kyle Feldscher, CNN (CNN) — England saw off an immense challenge from Mexico, beating one of the tournament co-hosts in their home stadium after seeing one player sent off in a game that will go down as one of the best of the 2026 World Cup. It was a game that had

By Wayne Sterling, Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s role in FIFA’s stunning decision to allow striker Folarin Balogun to be eligible to play against Belgium on Monday in Seattle is under the microscope. A source familiar with the matter told CNN on Sunday that Trump spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino this

CNN By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — I think this is the most exciting day of fixtures since the 2026 World Cup began. We have tournament heavyweights, dark horses, superstar players and one of the most incredible stadiums in the world to talk about in today’s offering. Brazil, England, Norway and Mexico will all hope

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — I think this is the most exciting day of fixtures since the 2026 World Cup began. We have tournament heavyweights, dark horses, superstar players and one of the most incredible stadiums in the world to talk about in today’s offering. Brazil, England, Norway and Mexico will all hope to

By Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN (CNN) — On the first day of Round of 16 action, we saw valiant efforts, fantastic goals and a real grind-it-out battle of attrition. In the second match of the day, France eked past Paraguay, with the South Americans providing a tough test for one of the tournament favorites. In

By Patrick Sung Cuadrado, Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here. Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Wow! If you missed last night’s match between Argentina and Cape Verde, go right now and

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here. We all knew this World Cup would be good on the pitch. In truth, they always are. But this summer has been so dramatic and

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — It’s been called one of, if not the biggest VAR decision in World Cup history. Whatever you call it, it was one that left Croatia heartbroken and Portugal thanking its lucky stars. But what exactly happened in last night’s Round of 32 clash? And how did new technology within

By Reagan Yip, CNN (CNN) — As 48 nations battle for World Cup glory, another group has endured a similarly grueling path to soccer’s biggest stage: the referees. This year, 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees (VARs) have been selected. The 170-strong contingent is the largest in World Cup history, with

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports on July 2, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here. The story has been updated to reflect Sunday’s announcement that Folarin Balogun is now set to play on Monday. My voice still

By Will Edmonds, CNN (CNN) — In the summer of ‘96, as a 14-year-old English kid in love with soccer and in awe of the UEFA European Championship on home soil, I saved up and bought my first England jersey: the now classic, Umbro Euro ‘96 white home kit. Ever since, every World Cup and