England Against Argentina for the Final, and in the Semifinals the Four Best in the World for the First Time

The World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada has reached a semifinal never seen before - for the first time in history, the four strongest teams by the FIFA ranking are among the final four. France (number 1), Argentina (2), Spain (3) and England (4) remain in the race. France and Spain play on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, July 15 in Atlanta, England and Argentina clash for a place in the final. That also means a duel of Messi against Bellingham - one name writing history and one that wants to begin it. When both the math and the drama line up like this, it's hard to ask for more from a single tournament.

A VAR Goal That Half the World Disputes: Bellingham Sent England Through

England edged past Norway 2:1 after extra time, both goals the work of Jude Bellingham, but the whole evening stayed trapped in one contested moment. The goal was allowed after the technology judged that the ball hadn't touched the camera cable above the pitch - the same technology that earlier in the tournament also registered a touch on someone's hair. The Norwegians were furious, Erling Haaland publicly criticized the referees, and the question hanging in the air is familiar to anyone who watches football in the Balkans: why is the rule read one way when it decides in our favor, and another when it decides against us? The technology was supposed to calm the debates, and instead added another chapter to them.

Slaven Bilić Returns to the Croatia Bench

After Croatia's elimination from the World Cup - a defeat to Portugal in which Gvardiol's goal in the 103rd minute was ruled out for offside via VAR - manager Zlatko Dalić leaves at the end of his contract. In his place returns an old acquaintance: Slaven Bilić, who already led the national team for six years and signs until 2028. Croatians remember him as the man who in 2007 stopped England on its way to the Euros. A return that's popular with the fans, but also a reminder that even the strongest Balkan football story of the last decade is once again looking for a new start, not a continuation.

Roberto Carlos Hit Back at Ronaldo: If You Can't Win It, Don't Devalue It

The statement by Cristiano Ronaldo that the European Championship carries the same weight as the World Cup stirred up a storm. The loudest was Roberto Carlos, world champion with Brazil in 2002, who told him directly: if you're not capable of winning the World Cup, don't belittle it. The debate isn't new, but it lands just as the World Cup in the US shows why it's the biggest stage - four continents watching one and the same final. Ronaldo has won everything except this one thing, and it's precisely that „one thing“ that always hurts most. Sometimes the loudest defense of a title comes from the one who hasn't won it.

Scandal With a Former Prime Minister: A Racist Comment About the France National Team

Former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy angered both the football and political public after calling the France national team a „team without Frenchmen“. Condemnation came from both French and Spanish politicians, since the comment strikes right at something football has for decades proven the opposite of - that a team is made by what the players carry onto the pitch, not the origin of their surnames. France with that squad is in the semifinals. Sometimes the best answer to a comment like this isn't a speech, but a result.