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Reports, analysis and guides from our coverage
The most decorated coaches: Pozzo and the masters of the World Cup bench
Vittorio Pozzo is the only manager to have won two World Cups. Others, like Parreira or Milutinović, coached half a dozen countries at the biggest stage.
Legendary records: the players with the most World Cup matches
Lionel Messi holds the record for most World Cup matches, 26, after passing Lothar Matthäus in 2022; the German had held it for over two decades with 25. Klose and Maldini complete the list of the eternals.
Belgium thrash the United States (1-4) to send the co-hosts home: De Ketelaere double
The United States' World Cup dream died at home. At Seattle's Lumen Field, a clinical Belgium thrashed the co-hosts (1-4) with a Charles De Ketelaere double (9' and 33') and goals from Hans Vanaken (57') and Romelu Lukaku (90+3'). Malik Tillman levelled things up (31') and the USA bossed possession (56%), but the Red Devils were a shooting machine (15 shots, seven on target) and made it count. Belgium set up a quarter-final with Spain.
The eternals: the footballers who played in five World Cups
Antonio Carbajal was the first; Lothar Matthäus the first outfield player. A select club that also includes Messi and Ronaldo. The oldest: El-Hadary, at 45.
From ghost goals to VAR: the mistakes that changed the rules
Hurst's ghost goal in 1966 and Lampard's disallowed strike in 2010 pushed FIFA towards technology: goal-line tech arrived in 2014 and VAR in 2018.
Spain win the Iberian derby to knock Portugal out (0-1): Merino the injury-time hero
A tense, goalless Iberian derby was broken open in the 90+1st minute: Mikel Merino, on for barely five minutes, turned in a cross from fellow substitute Ferran Torres to send Spain into the quarter-finals and send Portugal home. La Roja dominated (56% possession, 15 shots to 9) but needed stoppage time to break the Portuguese wall at AT&T Stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo bows out of the World Cup.