Kylian Mbappé is playing in his third World Cup, having helped France reach two straight finals – including winning the 2018 title over Croatia but finishing runner-up in 2022 to Lionel Messi’s Argnetina. At the this tournament, Mbappé and France will play in its first knockout stage match on Tuesday, but will Mbappé be available? … Read more
Group play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is nearing its end, and there weren’t many surprises as we head toward the knockout stage. But does that mean the favorites entering the tournament should remain the favorites ahead of the knockout stage? That’s what “First Things First’s” Nick Wright believes. As we’re nearly complete with … Read more
Friday’s match for the top spot in Group I was a masterclass – led by maestro Ousmane Dembélé and his three goals – as France won 4-1 against Norway and earned three straight victories in the process. It’s the first time Les Bleus have won all three group matches since 1998, which is when they … Read more
Erling Haaland, Norway’s star striker, will start on the bench for his country’s World Cup group stage finale against Kylian Mbappé and France on Friday at Boston Stadium. Norway has already qualified for the round of 32 with two wins in two matches, and coach Ståle Solbakken has opted to rotate his squad for the … Read more
Kylian Mbappe admitted he struggled to stay composed after a severe storm in Philadelphia forced a lengthy suspension during France’s World Cup clash with Iraq. The France captain revealed the disruption tested the squad mentally before he scored twice in a 3-0 victory to help his side overcome the challenging circumstances. Storm interruption fails to … Read more
U.S. World Cup Team Training Base (Irvine, Calif.) — As he walked to his spot in front of the microphones and cameras before the USA’s Monday morning practice session, Folarin Balogun trailed the incomparable Lionel Messi and two other players by a single goal as the top scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. By … Read more
France scored early, played through driving rain in Philadelphia, sat through a long weather delay, and simply controlled its game against Iraq for all 90 minutes. Iraq at times has played well but has now lost its first two games at the tournament as it has made continuous mistakes – first against Norway and now … Read more
Lionel Messi has already made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Kylian Mbappé is on his heels. The France star has already broken the federation’s record for the most international goals scored, and he’s within striking distance of Messi’s ever-increasing record for the most goals scored ever at the World Cup. Will Mbappé … Read more
History has been rewritten. Lionel Messi has cemented his legacy as the greatest to ever play the game, adding the ultimate goal-scoring crown to an already legendary résumé. After scoring against Austria on Monday afternoon, Messi recorded his 17th FIFA World Cup goal to become the all-time scoring leader in the men’s tournament. He’s officially … Read more
Kylian Mbappé passed Pelé on the World Cup goal-scoring list and inched closer to setting the overall goal record for the tournament. And, Mbappé also set France’s national team goal-scoring record. All that in just his first World Cup game of this tournament. Stopping the 2022 Golden Boot trophy winner seems almost impossible. Iraq coach … Read more