Key events
Where to watch France v Morocco? Graham Ruthven has the details:
Is anyone considering flying to Miami for Norway v England?
I’ve just had a look at flights, just out of interest. You can fly to Miami tomorrow, via Madrid, for about a grand with BA. With a direct return flight, coming back on Sunday, it comes in at about £1,700 total.
The cheapest I can see on Virgin (out Friday, back Sunday) is nearly four large.
If you are going to Miami for the game, please email us and tell all.
Quarter-final fixtures
France v Morocco (Boston – today, 4pm EDT/9pm BST)
Spain v Belgium (Los Angeles – tomorrow 3pm EDT/8pm BST)
Norway v England (Miami – Saturday, 5pm EDT/10pm BST)
Argentina v Switzerland (Kansas City – Saturday 9pm EDT/Sunday 2am BST)
“Looks like Manzambi is out with a knee injury and several other players questionable (reported in Swiss media),” emails Adrian. “Just as we were building good momentum … Now we fear a repeat of the round of 16 in 2022, when Murat Yakin had to improvise because several players were ill; we had no right-back and Yakin changed the system with the result that everyone was constantly out of position and we got hammered 1-6 by Portugal.”
Stay positive!
Oh, and regarding Manzabi, from earlier:
Rob Draper
If Michael Olise wins the World Cup, there will be a corner of a Hayes housing estate that is for ever France. It is Olise’s corner, a scrap of parkland grass among the west London suburban homes where a seven-year-old practised his football with his brother, Richard. “Football in these conditions, it’s just freedom,” Olise told L’Équipe last month. “It’s not really learning in the strict sense. It was simply the pleasure of playing football. I just loved it.”
Sean Conlon, one of Olise’s early coaches with Old Isleworthians in west London, recalls: “I would go over to his house and he would be practising outside with Richard. That little estate probably really aided him; there weren’t a lot of cars but it had quite a lot of concrete open space and then a small green. He’d just be practising out here all the time, obsessed with football.”
Looking forward to the England game. My grandson aged 8 is staying with me for the weekend and is allowed to watch the match if he gets some sleep first. It might not be the sort of party that his parents will be at in that there London, but I’m sure we’ll have a fine time. Will have to mind my language, of course.
After watching 120 minutes of football, you might not find observing a coin toss the most exciting dessert. Fans in the stadium care, though. Win a coin toss for a penalty shootout and you choose the end where they are taken – to much rejoicing from those behind the chosen goal. Another coin toss also allows the winner to choose whether to go first or second. But does that decision actually matter?
For years, the consensus was that going first in a shootout gives teams an advantage. Being able to take the lead and put scoreboard pressure on opponents surely has a mental benefit, and means they are more likely to face the dreaded “must-score” penalty. However, when Rubén Vargas tucked away the winning spot kick for Switzerland against Colombia in their last-16 tie, it continued a rather curious trend.
All four penalty shootouts at this World Cup have been won by the team that went second. That is not much of a sample, but 13 of the past 15 shootouts at World Cups have been won by the team going second (86.7%). The only shootouts in that time where the teams going first won were in the 2022 World Cup, when Morocco eliminated Spain in the last-16 stage and Croatia beat Brazil in the quarter-finals.
We’re going to see a penalty shootout or two in the quarter-finals and beyond, aren’t we? Perhaps more.
Coming up, an Opta piece on penalty shootouts – and the supposed advantage of taking the first kick …
Is France’s name on the cup? It was in 1998, and no mistake.
Back in Covid pandemic times, Michael Hann wrote about his memories of the 1998 final between France and Brazil:
“It would have been about five in the morning, Monday 13 July 1998. I was on a dodgem car in the Place de la Bastille and very drunk. I had just bitten into a merguez sausage and burning red fat had splattered all over the front of my shirt.
“I was still a half-hour’s walk from my hotel. I was expecting a call in three hours from CNN to talk its worldwide breakfast show through the events of the previous evening and then I had to go straight to the Gare du Nord to get the train to London and go to work at FourFourTwo magazine.
“At some point in the previous couple of hours I had reached the conclusion that speaking on international television while intoxicated was perfectly feasible and that a couple of hours on a train would see me fine for the office.”
By the way, if you’ve never seen the video of the France defenders – Desailly, Thuram, Leboeuf and more – discussing how to try and stop Ronaldo in 1998, it’s worth seeking out.
See below your one-stop shop for today’s football pieces, World Cup and non-World Cup. But mostly World Cup:
Pulisic fractured right leg in loss to Belgium
Christian Pulisic is expected to be sidelined several weeks with a bone bruise and microfracture in his right leg. He was injured in the USA’s loss to Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday.
The Athletic first reported the injury and expected timeline of recovery for Pulisic, who likely will be able to resume training prior to Milan’s Serie A opener at Torino on 23 August.
With the US trailing 2-1 in Seattle, Pulisic was lining up a shot in the 54th minute. The Belgium captain Youri Tielemans stepped between the ball and Pulisic’s foot.
Pulisic attempted to play through the injury but was limping, and was taken off in the 59th minute after Belgium took advantage of keeper Matt Freese’s blunder to extend their lead to 3-1.
Pulisic, 27, was emotional after being taken off in the 4-1 loss. He finished his second World Cup with one assist in four matches.
“Tough to find the words. I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who believed. The support carried us all the way through,” Pulisic posted on Instagram on Wednesday.
“It simply wasn’t good enough from us in the end and I wanted to deliver so much more. I still feel blessed to be a part of this team. The memories this summer will last a lifetime. It’s just the start for us and for this sport in America.“ Field Level Media
Merci, Will. Hi everyone. I’m just watching Pogacar win the Tour, over on Guardian Channel 2. Andy McGrath is on the blog:
Katy Murrells, meanwhile, has the tennis here:
Thanks for joining me. Luke McLaughlin is getting comfy in the hotseat for the next stint.
VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Christian Eriksen will return to his native Denmark to undergo an individual rehabilitation programme, the 2. Bundesliga club announced on Thursday.
The Danish international collapsed during a friendly match against Ukraine in June. He previously suffered a cardiac event during his national side’s opening European Championship group game against Finland in Copenhagen in 2021.
The decision was finalised following discussions between the 34-year-old and Wolfsburg managing director Dieter Hecking. The club confirmed they will maintain regular contact with Eriksen and the medical staff overseeing his treatment.
“We continue to wish Christian all the very best with his rehabilitation,” Wolfsburg said in a statement. Eriksen joined the German side as a free agent in September following his departure from Manchester United. Reuters
Mary Waltz emails: “Before the WC started I had USA going out in their second knockout fixture. But I admit I drank the Kool Aid and hoped for better. Belgium showed us that we are a second tier team. And for the Lalas who thought “Why not Us?” face reality. If we got boat raced by Belgium what are the odds of beating Spain, then France ? And then Argentina or England. Zero chance.”
Former American defender and Los Angeles FC coach Steve Cherundolo was hired Thursday by the U. Soccer Federation to lead the American men’s under-23 team through the 2028 Olympics.
It was not clear whether the 47-year-old from San Diego would become a candidate to become the national team interim coach if a new deal isn’t worked out between the USSF and Mauricio Pochettino, whose contract expires this summer. The national team can play four friendlies in the FIFA international window from Sept. 21 to Oct. 3.
Cherundolo made 87 appearances for the U.S. from 1999 to 2012 and was part of three World Cup rosters. He played for Hannover for 15 seasons through 2014 and made 415 Bundesliga appearances, the most by an American. AP
John Brewin on some big name free agents.
Who would you snap up from this lot?
Jamie Jackson
Manchester United have said their proposed new 100,000-capacity stadium may lead to further debt being loaded on the club but insisted it will be “a sanity, not vanity project”.
Plans for United’s new home were unveiled on Thursdayand showed it would be built 350 metres north-west of the current Old Trafford. The club are about £1.3bn in debt and in March 2025 Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, said £2bn was the working cost of the stadium.
Not much has been said about Mike Maignan this tournament, mainly because it is quite easy to be the France goalkeeper because the ball is always down the other end.
Could he be the hero later?
Peter Crouch has wandered over to Kansas City to receive his legacy cap from Harry Kane.
The top five scorers remain in the competition. Is Lionel Messi destined to win the Golden Boot?
Arsenal have completed the signing of the goalkeeper Illan Meslier after his Leeds contract expired. The Frenchman was third choice at Elland Road last season and has been brought in to provide competition for David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga, although the latter is attracting interest and could leave this summer.
“I’m extremely happy,” Meslier said. “It’s a great day for me because I have just joined the champions. For me, Arsenal is the biggest club in England.
“I’m very happy and very proud to join Arsenal. I cannot wait to show the love that I’ve got for this badge, and I cannot wait to win trophies with this team, because this is a club that needs to lift trophies again and again.”
Thanks Martin. It should be a rollercoaster of fun for the next two hours.
I will now hand you back to care of Will Unwin. Enjoy the match tonight – see you tomorrow!
Non-World Cup news: As Louise Taylor suggested would happen earlier this week, Newcastle United have confimed the signing of 18-year-old Dutch midfielder Sean Steur from Ajax on a five-year deal.
In his joining preamble, Steur said “It’s an incredible feeling to be here. It’s a giant club in the Premier League and it was always my dream to play in the best league in the world, so this is really exciting. I am a player who likes to get on the ball and play forward all the time. I am happy playing between the lines and I feel I have a lot of energy in my game. I just want to win.”
The United States has expressed interest in hosting the 2029 Club World Cup as it seeks to capitalise on the commercial and sporting success of staging the World Cup. That’s an exclusive for us from Matt Hughes.
The French government has called on football fans to behave themselves tonight, regardless of the result of the first World Cup quarter-final.
France take on Morocco in a replay of the 2022 semi-final, and sports minister Marina Ferrari told the France Info broadcaster “I appeal to everyone’s sense of responsibility. It has to remain a celebration.”
AFP reports interior minister Laurent Nunez has said “no misconduct would be tolerated”. There were more than 280 arrests after PSG beat Arsenal in the Champions League final.
Football Daily has just dropped, with Dominic Booth at the controls today.
There are some pictures on the wires of France and Morocco fans living it up in Boston ahead of the match today – and I very much like the cut of this person’s jib.
Tumaini Carayol is right now answering your questions on Wimbledon, the tennis tournament, not the football club, if that is your sort of thing.
Newcastle United have agreed a £51.5m deal with Freiburg that should see the Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi swap the Bundesliga for the Premier League. They also remain insistent they have no intention of selling Bruno Guimarães to Arsenal. Louise Taylor has the details.
I pity the fool who wasn’t around to experience when Bjørge Lillelien’s triumphant, giddy and slightly unhinged rant after Norway beat England 2-1 in a qualifier did the 1980s equivalent of going viral …
Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana – we have beaten them all! We have beaten them all! Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? I have a message for you, in the middle of your election campaign. I have a message for you … As they say in the boxing bars around Madison Square Garden in New York: your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!
This is a lovely piece by Lars Sivertsen about it: The story behind the iconic Norway v England commentary
Photograph: Mirrorpix/Getty Images
Harry Kane was a local east London lad to me, although significantly better at football it must be said. Sam Cunningham has this piece looking back on the England captain’s early years.
Karim Zidan writes that “With no prospects and little hope, Egyptians such as myself have traditionally turned to football for our fleeting moments of joy”, saying that the Pharaohs might be coming home empty-handed after that hard-to-take defeat against Argentina, but “for a moment, millions of Egyptians found common ground in hope, celebration, and national identity.”
Martin Belam
Hi all, I see we are doing France v Morocco predictions. My prediction is that I am going to struggle to get from watching The Maccabees at Ally Pally this evening back home without having the result spoilered for me, however hard I try.
That’s all from me, for now, Martin Belam is on hand for the next bit.
Why not chuck your own France v Morocco prediction on the pile? Comment BTL or email.
My prediction:
Morocco will defend like hell for 90 minutes. France will spend the same 90 minutes attempting in vain to breach the wall of Morrocan defence. Then in minute 93 (+3 extra time), Morocco will launch a sudden counter-attack, the lone striker will be hacked down by a desperate French defender. Penalty!!! Morocco wins 1 – 0 !!!
One can always dream…
In yet more England news (well not really news, admittedly), I’m currently watching the latest episode of the Lions’ Den on YouTube, with John Stones and Elliot Anderson, to see if there’s anything worth relaying here.
See 08.31, below, for a line on Stones and the first-class shoulder-related banter with Tuchel in the aftermath of the win against Mexico.
The estimable Andy McGrath has Tour de France stage six here:
“For days now, I’ve been wondering what Messi might have to wear this time, should he lift the cup again?” emails Larry.
“In place of the Qatari gown, what cultural treasure will he have to don? Will Trump make Leo put on an extra-long red tie? Will he have to apply bronzing cream to match the skin tone of the orange one? A Maga hat??”
According to BBC Weather, there will be thunderstorms around in Miami between about midday and 3pm. When Norway v England kicks off at 5pm local time (10pm BST), if the forecast is accurate, it’ll be 33C and sunny.
It obviously wasn’t on the same level as that work of art by Cape Verde v Argentina, but England’s first goal against Mexico, via Pickford>Rice>Saka>Bellingham, was a beautiful thing.
I watched the England game in full again last night. I’d slept through the to the first ‘hydration break’ on the night/morning so mostly juts wanted to do that part – the tunnel, the anthems, kick-off, the first 20 minutes or so…
But I just stuck with it and did the lot.
Observations: When I started watching the other night, I got the impression that Mexico had been all over us for 20 minutes and Pickford’s save had kept us in it.
But the reality – we played maturely and controlled for that first ‘quarter’ with Gordon increasingly involved down the left, some great collective choosing and knowing when to press, and the Pickford save was pretty routine really, and if that goes in we’re all talking about why his feet are so planted.
Then the two Bellingham goals, which were absolute murder-death-kill. You can hear and feel the unease in the crowd from the first, when we win the the ball and stun them for the second. And both were clinical goals.
The first, especially, is such quick thinking from Pickford and Rice as a rolled out ball sets Rice on a sprint up two thirds of the inside right channel of the pitch. Saka’s delay before beating his man and floating to the back post is perfect – Kane’s decoy run to the near post superb, to leave the space for a great Bellingham header.
And that last 20/25+ minutes or so…
Brilliant defending to stop the cross from the tireless Gordon and Spence on England’s left, similar with Konsa on the right, plus lads getting in the way of any ball that did find its way into the box, Rice brilliant just outside, and yeah, Dan Burn really did block an absolutely thundered overhead kick from about two foot away with his head, and the ball really did fly 20 yards into Mexico’s half!
We actually played better than I’d remembered and imagined.
