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Reports, analysis and guides from our coverage
Historic World Cup rivalries: the duels that go beyond football
Argentina-Brazil, Germany-Netherlands or England-Argentina: some World Cup ties carry decades of history and open wounds.
Teams that no longer exist: World Cup sides from vanished nations
Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, the USSR, East Germany and Zaire left their mark on the World Cup before the political map erased their names.
The World Cups that were never played: 1942 and 1946
World War II left football without a World Cup for 12 years. And an Italian official hid the trophy under his bed to save it from the Nazis.
France repeat the Qatar 2-0 over Morocco to reach the semi-finals: Mbappé atones for his missed penalty and reaches eight
Four years on, the same story and the same scoreline. At Boston's Gillette Stadium, France beat Morocco (2-0) to reach the semi-finals, repeating the result of the Qatar 2022 semi-final. Kylian Mbappé, who had missed a penalty on 28' (saved by Bounou), redeemed himself with the opener on 60' —a Doué assist— and set up Ousmane Dembélé's 2-0 on 66'. With his eighth goal of the tournament, Mbappé draws level with Messi at the top of the scoring charts. Morocco had more possession (52%), but France dominated the chances (21 shots, 3.10 expected goals). MVP: Dembélé (8.9). France will face the winner of Spain-Belgium in the semi-finals.
The nicknames of national teams: from La Albiceleste to the Indomitable Lions
Colours, animals and national symbols explain the nicknames by which the world knows the teams of the World Cup.
Legendary World Cup stadiums: Maracanã, Azteca and Wembley
Three temples of football have shaped World Cup history. The Azteca will make history in 2026 by hosting matches at its third World Cup.