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James Rodriguez says that every time he sets foot on a football field, he plays for "those that love beautiful football" - and they were utterly enamoured with him during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Colombian No.10 blessed with boyband good looks and a lovely left foot didn't just claim the Golden Boot - he also won hearts all across the globe with his sensational displays.

The tears began to flow down Cristiano Ronaldo's cheeks as soon as the full-time whistle blew at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha on the night of December 10, 2022. The forward was so upset by Portugal's shock World Cup quarter-final loss to Morocco he couldn't even bring himself to acknowledge his side's supporters. The pain was too great. So great, in fact, that he wasn't able to properly express his devastation until the following day - and even then only in a social media post.

Mexico can take a major step toward winning Group A when El Tri face South Korea in Guadalajara, where Javier Aguirre's latest rebuild first began to take shape.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Argentina's World Cup title defence began nervously before Lionel Messi reminded everyone he is Lionel Messi. The 38-year-old scored a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria before 69,045 fans at Kansas City Stadium. Messi's three-goal performance also moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 career World Cup goals, though Klose reached the mark in fewer matches.

Erling Haaland was the predictable protagonist as Norway picked up a crucial 4-1 victory over Iraq in their first World Cup match since 1998 on Tuesday. The Manchester City striker's first-half brace proved to be decisive, helping to ensure the dark horses made a winning start in Boston in the so-called 'Group of Death'.

They made hard work of it, but much-fancied France got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start as they eventually secured a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I. After a dire first-half display Les Bleus were transformed, with Kylian Mbappe - who had been particularly poor - delivering a brace either side of Bradley Barcola's fine finish to become his country's record goal-scorer.

The Australian media has taken pregame jibes personally, but players aren't falling into the trap set by American pundits

GOAL takes a look at the five best performances by American players at the highest levels of the sport

After 606 days without a Canada goal, Cyle Larin answered his critics with a World Cup strike. Now the spotlight shifts to Jonathan David.

Former USMNT boss Bob Bradley speaks to GOAL about the Americans’ World Cup-opening win, his bond with Mo Salah, 2010 memories and his desire to coach again.

The tournament has delivered plenty of excitement, and after just a week of action, there is evidence to suggest that it could get even better.

The day after scoring the opening goal of the 2026 World Cup, the name of Julian Quinones was not only being sung in Mexico, but also discussed heavily in Colombia. In scoring against South Africa at Estadio Azteca, Quinones became the first Colombian-born player to score a World Cup goal for another country.

It's here. The 2026 summer transfer window has arrived and it promises to be an extremely eventful one in the women's game, with stars like Alexia Putellas, Georgia Stanway and Mary Earps all set to be on the move in the coming weeks and months. There are plenty of deals that have been rumoured and reported for some time, with only the official announcements seemingly left to be done, but there will be some shocks along the way too, as always.

There are plenty of compelling reasons to suggest that England could win the 2026 World Cup. In Harry Kane, they have perhaps the best striker in world football at present. They also possess the best midfielder in the Premier League in Declan Rice, and an immensely shrewd tactician in Thomas Tuchel to help knit some of the most talented forward players in Europe together.

In the lead-up to England's semi-final showdown with Croatia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, repeated references were made to the fact that Zlatko Dalic's ageing side had been taken to extra-time in their two previous matches. The feeling was among certain sections of the English press that fatigue might be a massive factor in the game at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Erling Haaland will carry the hopes of a nation as Norway return to football's biggest stage this summer after a 28-year absence, but while his goals will be vital to their cause, the Manchester City hitman won't be shouldering that burden alone. The Scandinavians are back at the World Cup having built a solid team unit that isn't solely reliant on its star striker, and the supporting cast will be looking to show what they can do in North America.

Lionel Scaloni’s record as Argentina manager is flawless. Three tournaments, three trophies won, with La Albiceleste’s 2022 World Cup triumph sandwiched between successive Copa America wins in 2021 and 2024. For a coach in his first managerial role, that is unprecedented.