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Reports, analysis and guides from our coverage
Messi and Cristiano at the World Cup: two legends, two destinies
One won it all in 2022; the other scored at five different World Cups without lifting the Cup. The World Cup records of the two giants of an era.
The Battle of Nuremberg: the most-carded match in World Cup history
In the 2006 round of 16, referee Valentin Ivanov brandished 16 yellow cards and 4 red in Portugal-Netherlands. A record that still stands.
Merino the late hero again: Spain beat Belgium (2-1) and set up a semi-final with France
Spain are in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup. At Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium, La Roja beat Belgium (2-1) with a now-familiar script: a Mikel Merino goal in stoppage time, just like against Portugal in the round of 16. Fabián Ruiz put Spain ahead on 30', De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium on 41' (assisted by Castagne) and Merino made it 2-1 on 88'. Spain were vastly superior —68% possession, 16 shots to 5 and 2.04 expected goals to 0.38— but ran into a colossal Thibaut Courtois, the highest-rated player of the match (7.9) despite the defeat. France, who had already knocked out Morocco, await in the semi-finals.
Hosts that disappointed: South Africa 2010, the first eliminated in the group stage
Hosting is usually an advantage, but not always. South Africa 2010 and Qatar 2022 produced the earliest exits by a host nation.
Spain-Belgium, all set at SoFi Stadium: here are the quarter-final line-ups
The countdown is on for one of the great ties of the 2026 World Cup. Spain and Belgium fight for a semi-final place at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium (kick-off 19:00 UTC). Luis de la Fuente goes with a 4-2-3-1, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo behind Oyarzabal and Rodri back in the pivot; Belgium reply with Courtois in goal and De Bruyne, Doku and Trossard in attack. The winner will meet France in the semi-finals.
Attendance records: the day the Maracanã drew almost 200,000 people
The 1950 final at the Maracanã set the biggest attendance in World Cup history. In 2026, with 104 matches, the record for total attendance could fall.