STORIES

Nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award in 2007 and a member of Portugal’s Euro 2016-winning squad, Ricardo Quaresma was at the centre of one of the most memorable moments of the 2018 World Cup when he scored a stunning trivela goal against Iran.

With Neymar back in the team and Vinícius Júnior in fine form, Brazil finished the group stage of the World Cup unbeaten and top of Group C.

A goalless stalemate against Ghana in Boston was an anticlimax for England after an impressive opening win over Croatia.

The Brazilian winger scored a brace against Scotland and matched a goal-scoring record that has always brought Brazil the ultimate glory at the World Cup. A statistic that gives us reason to dream of a sixth World Cup title.

Rich with Ballon d’Or pedigree, France’s front four has already scored three apiece past Senegal and Iraq. Harnessing a collection of match-winners, Didier Deschamps appears to have solved an important puzzle…

Just after turning 39, the Argentine captain received official certification from the prestigious records organisation. Find out which World Cup records now belong solely to Messi.

At the 2026 World Cup, Scotland will once again face Brazil in Miami Gardens, in yet another chapter in the long history that links the two nations through football. Ahead of the match, we take a look back at the previous encounters between the two teams.

The Portuguese star scored at the 2026 tournament and became the only footballer of all time to have scored in six different editions. He also dethroned Eusebio to claim Portugal’s undisputed top spot.

Nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2022 and a multiple Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Casemiro joins Inter Miami to bolster the star-studded project led by David Beckham and Lionel Messi in the MLS.

The French striker scored a brace against Iraq, taking his World Cup tally to 16 goals in just 16 matches. Such a scoring rate is threatening the undisputed World Cup record.

Nominated for the ‘Ballon d’Or’ on four occasions and winner of the Gerd Müller Trophy in 2023, Erling Haaland shone once again for Norway at the 2026 World Cup, scoring two goals in their victory over Senegal.

The captain of the Argentina national team scored against Austria and definitively surpassed Miroslav Klose’s legendary record. An unprecedented milestone for the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner, which rewrites the history books of football forever.

To celebrate Zinedine Zidane’s 54th birthday this week, we look back at his two defining World Cup final moments, the first confirming his genius, the other a forgiven fall from grace.

Last night, the multiple Ballon d’Or nominee became the latest big-game player to light up the tournament, in this instance helping his country create a slice of history.

The Barcelona star scored a spectacular goal in his first World Cup start and surpassed a record for precocity held by Lionel Messi.

Vinícius Júnior, a four-time nominee for the ‘Ballon d’Or’ award, set the pace, whilst Matheus Cunha scored twice in Brazil’s victory over Haiti at the 2026 World Cup.

A quintet of Yashin Trophy nominees face the world’s deadliest strikers this summer. So heightened are their statures they are expected to come out on top.

The World Cup truly ignited this week when a quartet of goal-scoring behemoths did what they do best. Records were subsequently broken yet there are possibly more to come.

Mexico’s relationship with the World Cup and the beautiful game has become complicated in recent years. Last week, in their opening contest, that came to pass as a country learned to embrace again its pride and fervour.

Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup features stories that extend beyond the country’s borders. Among them is that of Raphinha, a nominee for the ‘Ballon d’Or’ award, and that of three other players who have previously had the opportunity to represent other national teams.