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For some football fans, the summer is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most - and that's not just because it's filled by a World Cup every four years! Rather, it's because the end of the season means only one thing: It's time for transfers! The 2026 window is once again proving to be busy, with some huge names making big-money moves before deadline day on September 1.

Well, it was never going to be easy, was it? If England were to win at the Azteca - something that only two teams had managed before in a competitive fixture - there were going to be bumps, bruises and a fair few scares. What probably wasn't accounted for, though, was total chaos. And that's what this was: a back and forth, gutsy, often brilliant, consistently nerve-wracking and, ultimately, glorious 3-2 win over Mexico that provided an immense boost to England's World Cup hopes.

Last week was really quite something for Tottenham Hotspur. Despite finishing 17th in each of the past two Premier League seasons, the north Londoners have signed two of the most coveted midfielders presently operating in England, Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. Spurs may have overpaid for both, but the club's long-suffering supporters are nonetheless delighted after seeing their transfer record broken twice in a matter of days, given former executive chairman Daniel Levy repeatedly refused to push the boat out to sign top talent.

Mikel Oyarzabal was one of five Real Sociedad players in Spain's Euro 2024 squad. No other club had more. But neither Oyarzabal nor his fellow Basques made a song and dance about their role in Spain's success in Germany. "That would be us," he told The Guardian. "[We] don't like being in the spotlight." It's getting harder and harder for him to avoid it, though.

Mexico’s historic World Cup run ended in heartbreak at the Azteca, as Julián Quiñones starred and Raúl Jiménez gave El Tri hope before Jude Bellingham powered England to a thrilling 3-2 win.

England produced one of their greatest World Cup performances to beat Mexico 3-2 on Sunday and book a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 tournament. Jude Bellingham scored twice in the first half while Harry Kane kept himself in the Golden Boot race with a penalty as the Three Lions held on for victory despite playing the bulk of the second half with 10 men following a red card for Jarell Quansah.

The narrative is centered around one particular player, but Monday's Round of 16 game will need to be a team effort from the USMNT

The U.S. have their star striker back, and head into a fixture against top European opposition in a far better place than many might have imagined.

Brazil's wait to win their sixth World Cup will stretch to 28 years after they were eliminated from the 2026 tournament by Norway on Saturday. Erling Haaland's late double secured a 2-1 win for the Scandinavians, who took advantage of Bruno Guimaraes missing an early penalty to win through to the quarter-finals for the first time.

American soccer's top stars found out about Sunday's news the same way everyone else did, and now they're looking forward to benefitting from it in their Round of 16 match.

England may have only pulled off a great escape against DR Congo moments before, but Thomas Tuchel couldn't help but almost immediately turn his attention to his team's Mission: Impossible in Mexico. "I'm just coming from this match, and still trying to enjoy it," the German told reporters after a late double from Harry Kane earned the Three Lions a dramatic 2-1 win in Atlanta.

Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot as France progressed to the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a laboured 1-0 win over an aggressive and cynical Paraguay side on Saturday evening. The South Americans, who upset Germany in the previous round, were always expected to make for awkward and uncompromising opponents for the tournament favourites but it was nonetheless surprising just how much Didier Deschamps' stellar forward line struggled to create chances in Philadelphia.

Canada pushed Morocco, but missed chances, one costly mistake, and late punishment from Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi ended Jesse Marsch’s historic World Cup run in Houston.

Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas is enjoying the World Cup as a fan while preparing for the next chapter of her club career as a free agent.

Replacing Folarin Balogun is not just about finding goals. It's about finding the right tactical fit for a USMNT attack built on runs, pressure, and chaos.

On a 250th Fourth of July, Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT have become America's team, turning a World Cup run into a celebration of American soccer.

The real World Cup is finally under way! After a group phase almost completely devoid of jeopardy because of the tournament's farcical format, the first batch of knockout games treated us to some long overdue drama, with Germany and Netherlands among the big names to fall in the round of 32. A couple more heavyweights could have been kayoed too, though.