Argentina and England could be on a collision course for a World Cup semi-final meeting if they can get past Switzerland and Norway, respectively. That’s a big task, but tensions appear to be building between the two nations already.
The two high-ranked FIFA countries have an infamous history on the football pitch, especially at the World Cup. They met on the biggest stage in 1986, with Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ stealing the headlines, before David Beckham’s controversial red card broke English hearts in 1998.
As two passionate footballing nations, it can be expected that the action on the pitch will be just as fierce as that off it. It’s already been sparked by a chant Argentina players were filmed belting out after their Round of 16 win vs Egypt.
Argentina Taunt England After World Cup Win
REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
After controversially sealing a 3-2 comeback win against the African giants, La Albiceleste celebrated with great emotion. Lionel Messi, who was vital in the comeback, could be seen in tears after full-time. Meanwhile, others got into some heated confrontations with Egypt players over some questionable refereeing decisions.
Footage has now emerged from the Argentine dressing room immediately after they progressed to the last eight. It showed many players signing a chant which references the Falkland Islands.
The song, called ‘La Cuarta Estrella’, has become popular among supporters in recent times. Enzo Fernandez and Emi Martinez are among those who could be spotted singing along in a viral social media video.
The chant goes: “I am Argentine from cradle to grave, for the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s final chapter. I am a supporter of the national team, I cheer it on with all my heart.
“We won the third title with Lionel, and we want to be champions once again.”
All very harmless so far. But the next few lines mention ‘the trophy taken’ from Diego Maradona in 1994, when he was banned for failing a drugs test, and the Malvinas, also known as the Falkland Islands.
“And 32 years later, La Scaloneta will avenge the trophy that was taken from the No. 10, the one we were not allowed to lift.
“I want to see the fourth star shining on the jersey. I am Argentine from cradle to grave, for the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s final chapter. Argentina, I want to see you become back-to-back champions.”
The part English fans could take issue with is the ‘Malvinas’ mention as the two countries fought for the Falklands in 1982, with over 900 people dying in the process. Tensions remain surrounding the matter, despite Argentina surrendering all those years ago.
FIFA declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Spor. However, it is believed they will take no action against the Argentines. That is despite the sport’s global governing body stating that it strictly prohibits political chanting, slogans, and banners inside tournament venues.
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Piers Morgan Slams Argentina For Dressing Room Chant
Andrew Couldridge via Reuters
Among those to take issue with the chant was British journalist and media personality Piers Morgan. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the 61-year-old posted: “Is that the same Falklands they tried to seize until our magnificent armed forces kicked their asses out again?”
He won’t be the only one with an axe to grind with the Argentinians if both teams reach the semi-finals. Expect it to be one of the most intense atmospheres at a World Cup game for many years if it does happen.
Tottenham have been linked with a move to sign Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, and his agent has now spoken out on a potential transfer.
The Bournemouth attacker has become one of the most sought-after young players in the Premier League after an impressive breakthrough season with the Cherries.
Tottenham have already spent significantly in the summer window, so it’ll be interesting to see whether they’ll be willing to fork out what Bournemouth will likely charge for Kroupi
It’s not going to be a cheap deal, and his agent has now spoken out about a possible move.
Tottenham: Kroupi’s Agent Speaks Out
Speaking on Kroupi’s future, agent Moussa Sissoko has confirmed that there is no final decision on where the forward will end up.
Sissoko has confirmed that they are still discussing his future, and we will see what happens in the coming days amid interest from Tottenham.
“We are still discussing his future. We’ll see what happens in the coming days; at the moment, there is no final decision.”
Sissoko hasn’t mentioned any specific clubs despite the links to both Tottenham and Barcelona.
It’s certainly not going to be a cheap deal for any club to complete, with Bournemouth having him tied down for another four years.
The Frenchman has only spent one season with the Cherries, so it’s unlikely that they want to get rid of him so quickly.
Kylian Mbappe starred as France beat Morocco on Thursday afternoon to reach the 2026 World Cup semi-final.
France, who beat Morocco in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the first half when Noussair Mazraoui felled Mbappe inside the box.
Mbappe made amends on the hour-mark when his stunning effort from just inside the box found the top corner. Ousmane Dembele doubled France’s lead shortly after and there were no further goals as Les Bleus won 2-0.
Kylian Mbappe Speaks Out Achraf Hakimi
REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The match saw Mbappe come up against his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate and good friend, Hakimi. The two shared a warm embrace both before and after the match. The Moroccan captain, understandably, was emotional after the final whistle given his side’s exit.
In his post-match interview, Mbappe was asked whether he found it hard to see Hakimi sad after the match. His brutal response his being widely shared on social media. He responded, per L’Equipe:
“No. It will be harder when I see him again in the locker room, because we become human again, we become friends again. But here, no, there are no emotions. I’m here to win, and he was here to win too.
“But it’s certain that when I see him again in the locker room, it will affect me because he’s a very close friend. But here, there are no feelings.”
Kylian Mbappe Gives Injury Update
Dylan Martinez via Action Images via Reuters
Mbappe had to be substituted late in the second half after suffering a knock to his ankle. He played down those injury fears after the match.
“I’m fine, I took a knock to my ankle but I’m okay,” he said. “JP (Mateta) was fitter than me to play the last fifteen minutes.
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“We know there’s only one way to relax, and that’s to win. We’re in the semi-finals, we’re very happy, but there’s still a long way to go. We know what awaits us is even tougher than what we’ve already been through, but we’re ready to face anything. We’ll recover calmly and watch tomorrow’s (Friday’s) match to see who we’ll be playing.”
France will play the winner of Spain and Belgium in the last four of the competition. Their semi-final will take place at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, July 14.
Liverpool are ready to make a move to sign Lille sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi this summer, and are ready to meet the conditions to get a deal done, according to Football Insider.
The Reds have had a quiet summer in the transfer market so far after appointing Andoni Iraola to replace Arne Slot, with Victor Munoz the sole arrival at this stage, while a number of top stars have departed.
The club are expecting a busy window, however, with plenty of change on the cards, and one player who they are keen to bring in is the Moroccan sensation who has lit up the World Cup.
Liverpool Ready to Accept Bouaddi Loan Back
Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA
Bouaddi, who has been described as ‘elite’, has shone at the World Cup with the African side after choosing to represent them instead of France just prior to the tournament.
The teenager has been a regular with the Ligue 1 side for two seasons already, and is considered to be one of the top midfield prospects in Europe. Lille knows that he will leave eventually, but would prefer to keep him for at least one more season.
That has seen them demand that if any deal is sanctioned this summer, it comes with a loan-back clause inserted, meaning he would stay in France regardless of the move being completed.
Liverpool had previously been reluctant, since Lille are also demanding a fee close to £100m following the sales of Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali earlier in the window for nine-figure sums, but it has now emerged that they would be willing to accept the conditions to get the deal done ahead of their rivals.
Any deal is expected to go down to the wire because of his participation at this summer’s tournament, plus the level of interest, but Liverpool are firmly in the race.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Bouaddi a Long-Term Option
via Reuters
While Bouaddi would absolutely be ready to step into the Liverpool team right now and make an instant impact, the lure to getting a deal done is the fact he is so young with such a high ceiling.
It’s evident that whoever signs him would be getting a long-term option for the midfield, and Liverpool know that with Curtis Jones likely to be leaving in the next 12 months, plus the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai being linked with moves away, this would be the perfect remedy to that.
Bouaddi is a star in the making, and Liverpool are ready to make some major concessions to make him part of the squad at Anfield.
