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Press conference

Manager / player media briefings.

Joe Hart dismisses Bellingham-Tuchel rift as 'naughty' media framing after Norway win

England goalkeeper Joe Hart has defended both Jude Bellingham and Thomas Tuchel, arguing that a selectively framed post-match question — presenting only Tuchel's criticism of the 2-1 extra-time win over Norway — was responsible for the apparent rift between player and manager.

Football Jul 15
Rooney backs Tuchel's gut-feeling call to start Rogers against Argentina in World Cup semi-final

Wayne Rooney praised Thomas Tuchel for trusting instinct over tactics in handing Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers a surprise start against Argentina in England's World Cup semi-final, with BBC presenter Mark Chapman noting Rooney had written down Tuchel's 'just a feeling' reasoning.

Football Jul 15
Tuchel backs 'feeling' to start Morgan Rogers in England's World Cup semi-final against USA

Thomas Tuchel has named Morgan Rogers in his starting line-up for England's World Cup semi-final, citing a gut instinct after the Aston Villa midfielder impressed in training and off the bench against Norway. Reece James and Djed Spence also come into the defence.

Football Jul 15
Reinach backs Springbok debutant Moyo to shine at fly-half against Wales

Scrum-half Cobus Reinach has expressed full confidence in Vusi Moyo ahead of the youngster's Test debut at fly-half for South Africa against Wales, insisting the partnership is already seamless in training and warning the Springboks cannot afford complacency after November's 73-0 Cardiff rout.

Rugby Jul 15
Biggar backs Borthwick to keep Pollock on the bench despite hat-trick heroics against Fiji

Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar has defended Steve Borthwick's decision to use Henry Pollock as an impact substitute, arguing the 21-year-old thrives when games are already broken open — despite ex-England fly-half Andy Goode insisting Pollock should start as England's best player.

Rugby Jul 15
Mbappé blames tactics and his own display as France fall short against Spain

Kylian Mbappé took responsibility for France's 2-0 semifinal defeat to Spain at the 2026 World Cup, criticising the team's sloppy technical play, poor midfield setup, and his own inability to create chances.

Football Jul 15
Lorenzi settles it: Benatia has no role at OM after power handover

Officially presented as sporting director of Olympique de Marseille, Grégory Lorenzi formally denied rumours suggesting Medhi Benatia still had influence over the club's transfer activity.

Football Jul 15
Scaloni vows to call Spain boss De la Fuente if Argentina lose to England in World Cup semi-final

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni says he will phone close friend and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente to offer advice for the World Cup final if Thomas Tuchel's England knock his side out at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Football Jul 15
Mikel blames Ronaldo fans for Argentina-FIFA conspiracy theories ahead of England semi-final

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has dismissed claims that FIFA are favouring Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, attributing the narrative to Cristiano Ronaldo supporters on social media. England face Argentina in Miami on Wednesday in a World Cup semi-final.

Football Jul 15
Lizarazu slams France after Spain defeat: "a huge individual collapse"

Eliminated in the World Cup 2026 semi-final by Spain (0-2), France faced criticism from Bixente Lizarazu, who highlighted the failures of Olise, Dembélé and Tchouaméni.

Football Jul 15
Argentina vice-president brands England 'usurping pirates' ahead of World Cup semi-final

Victoria Villarruel, Argentina's vice-president, inflamed tensions before Wednesday's World Cup semi-final by posting a fiery message on X invoking the Falklands conflict, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni distanced himself, calling any mix of sport and politics 'madness'.

Football Jul 15
Bortoleto tells F1 drivers to stop complaining about 2026 rules and "turn the page"

Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto has pushed back against widespread driver criticism of the 2026 regulations, insisting Formula 1 still has its "magic" and that the field must accept the new rules until at least 2030.

Formula 1 Jul 15
Tuchel promises England have the grit to match 'emotional' Argentina in World Cup semi-final

Thomas Tuchel insists England are ready to match Argentina's intensity as the two rivals prepare for a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, with the Three Lions chasing their first final appearance since 1966.

Football Jul 15
Cherki slams France after defeat: "We beat ourselves"

Brought on in the final quarter-hour against Spain, Rayan Cherki made no attempt to hide his frustration in the mixed zone, criticizing both his playing time and the collective level displayed by the France team.

Football Jul 15
Tuchel faces post-tournament FIFA sanctions over referee criticism ahead of England's World Cup semi-final

Thomas Tuchel risks FIFA sanctions after publicly lambasting referee Alireza Faghani following England's 3-2 round-of-16 win over Mexico. Sources say the governing body is devising a plan to act on referee criticism, with any punishment dependent on official match reports.

Football Jul 15
Deschamps questions referee's level after France's World Cup semi-final exit to Spain

Didier Deschamps stopped short of blaming the referee for France's World Cup elimination but publicly questioned whether the official was equipped to handle a semi-final. Kylian Mbappé separately criticised the team's tactical display in the defeat to Spain.

Football Jul 15
Bellingham defends England's grit as Tuchel public spat looms over World Cup semi-final

Jude Bellingham has pushed back against Thomas Tuchel's criticism of England's 'sloppy' win over Norway, insisting the team had to 'win dirty' — just days before their World Cup semi-final against Argentina.

Football Jul 15
Rabiot substituted at half-time on yellow card: Deschamps heavily criticized after France's elimination

France lost 2-0 to Spain in the World Cup semi-final, and Didier Deschamps' decision to substitute Adrien Rabiot at half-time—the only standout French player—to prevent a potential red card is now drawing heavy criticism.

Football Jul 15
Tuchel insists he and Bellingham are 'closer than ever' after public spat at World Cup

Thomas Tuchel has moved to quash talk of a rift with Jude Bellingham, saying the pair are 'closer than ever' after the England star publicly challenged his manager's post-match assessment following the quarter-final win over Norway.

Football Jul 15
Mbappe admits France's midfield gamble cost them in 2-0 World Cup semi-final loss to Spain

Kylian Mbappe has conceded that France's decision to field only two central midfielders against Spain proved costly, as Deschamps' side were outplayed 2-0 in Dallas and eliminated from the World Cup.

Football Jul 15

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