2026 — The Tournament Of A Lifetime

World Cup News

CloseSubsectionEnglandPublished29 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsGloucestershireFollow Gloucestershire close panelYou are now following GloucestershireUpdates from your News topics will appear in My News and in a collection on the News homepage.BristolFollow Bristol

World Cup News

Close00England defender Dan Burn said he thought England were going to win the World Cup following their 2-1 semi-final exit to Argentina. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Football close panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026 close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team

World Cup News

Close13Argentina players celebrated while holding a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", which translates as "The Falklands are Argentine". The Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentina close panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football close panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026 close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team

World Cup News

CloseEngland fans have described their heartbreak after the Three Lions slipped to defeat in the World Cup semi-final. Two late goals by holders Argentina saw Thomas Tuchel's side lose 2-1 in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday. Families who gathered at Brantham Leisure Centre in Suffolk to watch the action said they were "gutted" by the result. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds , Facebook , external , Instagram , external and X , external .

World Cup News

England fans have described their heartbreak after the Three Lions slipped to defeat in the World Cup semi final. Two late goals by holders Argentina saw Thomas Tuchel's side lose 2-1 in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday. Families who gathered at Brantham Leisure Centre in Suffolk to watch the action said they were "gutted" by the result. "It's the usual, I'm afraid. Sit back and they lose," said Clive Gore, 72, who watched the game with his son, Andy. Edie, who was among the children granted a late night, said: "I'm just devastated. "We were doing so well, then we just have to slip up in defence in the last couple of minutes." Amelia and Imogen both said they were inspired by England's progress in the US-hosted tournament. "It's sad, but they made it really far though," Imogen said. Amelia, who plays football locally with her friend, added: "I'm a bit disappointed, but they tried their best and that's all you can ask for." England were on course for their first men's World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon's 55th minute goal sparked jubilant scenes in Brantham and across the nation. However, goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, who struck in injury time, ended the Three Lions' World Cup dream. "It's heartbreaking. I've been looking forward to it all year," one fan said. "We've done so well. New team, new manager, [it] just didn't come home in the end, but we're still supporting." Eleven-year-old Taylor, who watched with his friend Stanley, said despite the result, it was still a great night. He added: "A very fun experience to have, the joy, the fun, but the unlucky joy of not winning." Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? Contact us below. Contact formContact form Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds , Facebook , external , Instagram , external and X , external . England suffer World Cup semi-final heartbreak with loss to Argentina SportThe family rooting for England and Argentina 🎧 The Blue Hour - Young gives his thoughts on England

World Cup News

Close210Defender Marc Guehi says England should have "carried on pushing" after Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions ahead against Argentina. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Football close panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team close panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

World Cup News

Comments England were on the cusp of reaching their first men's World Cup final since 1966. They were 1-0 up against reigning world champions Argentina when the clock inside Atlanta Stadium ticked to 84 minutes - and then it all went horribly wrong. Enzo Fernandez equalised with a thumping strike in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martinez headed a 92nd-minute winner - both goals coming from assists by Lionel Messi. Just like that, England's World Cup dreams lay in ruins. They had worked so hard to take the lead through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute - and then sat back and paid the price. The decision by England boss Thomas Tuchel to go defensive backfired spectacularly. Instead it is Argentina who go through to Sunday's showpiece against Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium (20:00 BST kick-off). But should England have gone for the kill when they went 1-0 up? They did not - and had just 12% of possession from going ahead to conceding the second goal. Tuchel only sent on forwards Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney deep into stoppage time, while defenders Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly were introduced after the Three Lions took the lead. "We have crumbled," former England captain Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport. "It started from the manager and the decisions he made. It was too passive. "Against this team, the world champions, you will not get away with it. This has been the biggest test and we have failed it." So why did England sit back when in control against Argentina? And are Tuchel's second-half tactics to blame for England's failure to make the final? Tuchel retains FA backing despite England defeat 'Coaching catastrophe' - SuttonEngland have showed character at this World Cup, coming from behind to defeat both DR Congo at the last-32 stage and Norway in the quarter-finals. "The difference is hanging on against Norway or Mexico [in the last 16], they have not got the quality this Argentina team have got in terms of the ability on the ball and the ability they have to punish you," former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC Sport. "Tuchel played his cards very, very early and it has backfired." England looked to have taken full control of the semi-final against their old foes when Gordon put them ahead 10 minutes into the second half. England's fans celebrated wildly - but then the Three Lions opted to sit back and defend. "The fact that England got themselves in front and then basically handed Argentina the initiative... that was a coaching catastrophe from Thomas Tuchel," Chris Sutton, a Premier League winner with Blackburn in 1994-95, told BBC Radio 5 Live. "You can't expect to defend for 30 minutes against the quality Argentina had. "It's all on the coach where I am concerned. He made the changes. He was negative, so the question which I'm going to ask is 'how can you trust Thomas Tuchel to take this team forward?'" England have come undone against Argentina in the past. Who can forget Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup or the 1998 World Cup defeat that burns so deep. England, however, have no-one but themselves to blame for Wednesday's loss. "Norway and Mexico panicked against England," former England goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC Sport. "I didn't see one bit of panic from that Argentina side. I saw belief, I saw the realising they could free up the great man Lionel Messi in the pocket, and they were running all over England. "Gareth Southgate took a lot of criticism for the big moments with England, when they had the lead in big games and shut up shop. I don't see that anything has changed in that big moment out there." So what were the changes that frustrated England fans so much? Leading 1-0, many expected Tuchel to go for another goal - but instead the German made three defensive changes. He brought Konsa on for Gordon in the 72nd minute - switching to a back five - before bringing on further defensive reinforcements 10 minutes later in Burn and O'Reilly. Tuchel sent on forward Rashford and Toney in added time, but it proved too little too late. "I felt the changes we made at 1-0, that if Argentina scored we wouldn't make extra time," added Rooney. Former England defender Micah Richards told BBC Sport: "When England scored that first goal they should have gone for the second. "Yes, you respect their quality, but dropping deep allowed Argentina to get into their flow." Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said Tuchel went too deep too soon, "I think he has got that wrong," added Robinson, who won 41 caps for England between 2003 and2007. "He has got a lot of decisions right, but I think trying to defend a lead against this team was a wrong choice." Even Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez admitted there was a change in momentum after the opening goal as England sat back and looked to defend. "Sometimes when you are winning, you have to go forward," added Martinez. "You can't change the gameplan. I think they did it and they sent on extra defenders." Tuchel, of course, has improved on England's showing at the 2022 World Cup, when they reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to France. But this England team is sprinkled with exceptional individual talent like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. England captain Kane, who will be approaching his 36th birthday at the next World Cup, suggested his side could have done more. "When we went 1-0 up we seemed to try and hold on, which at this level is not enough," said the England captain. "[I am] just gutted because we've worked so hard to be here and the lads have given every last bit of running, blood, sweat, tears. "We pressed them well, we put them under loads of pressure high up the pitch which then allowed us to win balls and control the game a bit better. "After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man for man, it was just wave after wave. "The lads were putting blocks in but, in the end, it just wasn't enough." What information do we collect from this quiz?'Tuchel got it wrong - he has to accept that'Asked in his post-match news conference if he made wrong decisions against Argentina, Tuchel defended himself and said: "No, I believe it's just the nature of the game. As soon as you lose you get criticised, it's just what it is. "In the moment, no regrets. The team gave everything and we were very, very close. "We played one of our better matches, maybe our best match in the circumstances. "The team was top, we couldn't get over the line. "I think we saw the mentality throughout the match and the strong group. We played the matches how they were, we played against strong teams in the group, travelled a lot of miles, played at altitude, we played with 10 men, we played in the heat and we overcame every obstacle. "We were very close today. It's not the moment to analyse the full tournament." Despite reaching the semi-finals, Tuchel's tactics and choices will be criticised for days to come after failing to make the final, despite taking the lead. "I love Thomas Tuchel," added former England defender Richards to BBC Sport. "I love how brave he is. Tonight, on the biggest stage, he got it wrong, and he has to accept that."

World Cup News

Close40England midfielder Jude Bellingham says his head is 'fuzzy with disappointment' after their semi-final defeat to Argentina. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsEngland Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team close panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football close panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

World Cup News

Close30BBC Sport World Cup pundits Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards look at how Argentina took advantage as England took their "eye off the ball" in their World Cup semi final in Atlanta. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentina close panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football close panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team close panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

World Cup News

Close30BBC Sport World Cup pundits Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards believe England showed too much respect to Argentine and Lionel Messi which lead in their World Cup semi-final 2-1 defeat. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentina close panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team close panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026 close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

World Cup News

Close183BBC Sport World Cup pundits Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards believe England head coach Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions cost the team in their 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentina close panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team close panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026 close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

World Cup News

The match-winning England striker is ‘a good ambassador for young people’, says one contestant All together now, with arms in the air: One Jude Bellingham, there’s only one Jude Bellingham … Unless, that is, you happened to find yourself in Shoreditch, east London, on Wednesday, where a dozen young men who looked vaguely like the England midfielder gathered for a lookalike contest almost as competitive as the one currently continuing in the US. For England football fans who dream of cloning their rampaging match-winner, the event might have offered a glimpse of a fantastical future. Bellingham has scored six goals in as many games in the competition, and another one of him in England’s midfield would surely not go amiss. For everyone else, just hours before England were due to face Argentina in the semi-finals in Atlanta, it offered a glitchy megaphone, a scrum of influencers with cameraphones and an opportunity to kill some time before they decamped to the pub for an evening of stress and alcohol. The prize for the Jude-iest Jude? Not, this time, a gold trophy of two figures holding the globe, but a Deliveroo voucher to the value of £1,966 – an always-welcome reminder of the six long decades since England last got its hands on the World Cup. Could this year be any different? The Bellinghams were bullish. “Yeah of course. Come on England. It’s coming home,” said 19-year-old Zane Proctor, a Manchester university student who had found out about the event on Instagram. “I was in the local area and thought, why not?” He probably wasn’t the closest doppelganger, he admitted, but as a big Bellingham fan had wanted to take part. “I feel like he’s a really good idol,” he said. “He is criticised a lot by the media, and I feel like his response to the media is very inspirational for young and upcoming players. So beyond the football, beyond all the goals, I feel he is a really good ambassador for all the young people who look like me, and not even that look like me, to all the young kids that watch on TV. I feel like he is a really good person to look to.” Despite being repeatedly complimented on his resemblance to the player during the month he has spent studying in Britain, Gabriel Mian, 20, from Orlando, had stumbled across the event by accident. “I had to come to the station anyway, and some people told me I had to go [to the competition],” said Mian, who is staying in nearby Brick Lane. “So I just walked up and now l am here, I guess.” Bellingham, of course, might be said to have his own near doppelganger already in the form of his 20-year-old younger brother Jobe. He has replicated his career closely – having already played for Birmingham City, Borussia Dortmund and England’s Under 16s, like Jude – and even uses his first name rather than surname on his shirt to avoid confusion with his older brother. Jobe Bellingham, alas, was not available in Shoreditch on Wednesday. Instead, 24-year-old Marcus Legemah, a master’s student at University College London, was awarded the lookalike crown by popular acclaim, or at least a half-hearted cheer. Is he often told he looks like Bellingham? “Yeah, but it’s normally just drunk people in the pub,” he said. “More since Jude has been playing well. So this tournament, it’s happened.” He was given his prize by “our very own Erling Haaland lookalike” – a bloke with blond hair in a pony tail – to a few optimistic cries of “Kiss! Kiss!”, referencing the real life pair’s affectionate friendship. What was the characteristic he most closely shared with Bellingham? “Sadly, apart from looks I don’t think there’s much,” said Legemah. The victory, nonetheless, “means everything”, he said. “I’m so excited. Now I can can celebrate the final with some friends, with pizzas and beer.” As for who will win the World Cup, however, he has confidence worthy of England’s No 10. “I think we are going to win. You have to have the confidence. I think it’s coming home.”