France may have fallen short in their pursuit of World Cup glory, but Kylian Mbappé still has one major prize left to fight for.

Les Bleus’ 2-0 semifinal defeat to Spain ended their hopes of lifting a second World Cup in three editions, yet the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot remains very much alive. With the third-place playoff still to come, Mbappé has one final opportunity to chase football’s most prestigious individual scoring award.

Standing in his way is a familiar rival.

Lionel Messi and Argentina have advanced to the World Cup final after their dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England, placing the Argentine captain one match away from another world title while also keeping him in pole position for the Golden Boot.

What initially looked like a straight shootout has now evolved into a fascinating contest involving goals, assists and even minutes played.

Messi and Mbappé remain inseparable

Few rivalries have defined modern football like Lionel Messi versus Kylian Mbappé.

Both players enter the final stretch of the tournament with eight goals, comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. While France’s elimination may have shifted the spotlight toward Messi’s quest for another World Cup, the Golden Boot remains an entirely separate battle.

The award is determined first by goals scored, but FIFA’s tiebreakers ensure that every attacking contribution carries weight. At present, the pair cannot be separated on goals. However, the margins become increasingly fascinating once the tiebreakers come into play.

How the Golden Boot will be decided

If Messi and Mbappé finish level on goals, FIFA applies the following criteria:

• 
  Most assists
• 
  Fewest minutes played

Before Argentina’s semifinal against England, Mbappé held a narrow advantage in assists, giving him the inside track should neither player add to their tally.

However, Messi once again delivered when Argentina needed him most.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner created both Argentine goals against England, producing two decisive assists that transformed not only Argentina’s fortunes but also the Golden Boot standings. Those assists pushed Messi ahead in the assist column, handing him control of the race heading into the final.

Mbappé still controls part of his own destiny

France’s participation in the third-place playoff gives Mbappé one final chance to change the narrative. A single goal would move him ahead of Messi unless the Argentine captain also scores in the final against Spain.

Even if Messi finds the net once, Mbappé could still respond with multiple goals in the bronze-medal match. The equation remains straightforward. Every goal Mbappé scores piles fresh pressure on Messi before the World Cup final kicks off.

For a player who won the Golden Boot in Qatar four years earlier, successfully defending the award despite France missing out on the final would be another remarkable achievement.

Messi’s impact extends beyond goals

If Mbappé has once again showcased his ruthless finishing ability, Messi has reminded the football world why he remains the complete attacking footballer.

Argentina’s captain has not simply scored eight goals. He has dictated games, created chances, controlled tempo and delivered decisive moments throughout the knockout rounds.

Against England, it was Messi’s vision that unlocked the defence twice, setting up Enzo Fernández’s equaliser before producing a perfectly weighted cross for Lautaro Martínez’s dramatic winner in stoppage time.

Earlier in the tournament, he inspired another comeback against Egypt with both a goal and an assist.

Rather than relying purely on goals, Messi has influenced virtually every important attacking sequence for Argentina. His creativity now places him in the driving seat for the Golden Boot.

Mbappé continues to deliver despite France’s disappointment  France’s campaign may have ended in disappointment, but Mbappé’s tournament has reinforced why he remains one of football’s biggest stars.

The French captain has consistently carried the attacking burden, delivering goals throughout the competition while becoming France’s primary source of creativity in transition. His pace, movement and clinical finishing once again proved decisive during France’s run to the semifinals.

Even against Spain’s disciplined defence, Mbappé remained the player opponents feared most whenever he found space. Winning back-to-back Golden Boots would further strengthen his growing World Cup legacy.

One last chapter awaits

The Golden Boot race now mirrors the careers of its two protagonists.

Messi continues to orchestrate games through intelligence, passing and leadership, while Mbappé relies on explosive pace and ruthless finishing to change matches. One will play for the World Cup trophy.

The other will play for pride. Yet both remain locked in one final duel that could be decided by a single goal, a decisive assist or even the finest statistical margins.

The World Cup trophy may dominate Sunday’s headlines, but the battle between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot promises to provide one final layer of drama before the curtain falls on the 2026 tournament.

The Vikings roster battle that’s creating the most intrigue — by a Minnesota mile — is quarterback. No doubt, there’s good reason to consider what’s occurring there, but don’t forget the other spots that warrant attention.

As it relates to sheer numbers and intensity, the wide receiver position jumps off the page. Minnesota has a ton of talent out there. In the end, the Vikings roster crunch is going to lead to good players being shown the door, the byproduct of having so many guys competing for so few positions.

A Vikings Roster Battle Towering Above All Others

Some may quibble with the precise arrangement on the depth chart, but the top three names are set in stone.

Justin Jefferson is going to be the WR1. There’s then Jordan Addison as the likely WR2 and Jauan Jennings as the WR3. Minnesota can toss those three receivers onto the field and put a scare into just about every secondary in the NFL. That’s an excellent place to be. Not too many targets for other receivers are going to be available.

As a basic starting point, consider who else is jostling for a spot on the field at receiver:

• Justin Jefferson
• Jordan Addison
• Jauan Jennings
• Tai Felton
• Myles Price
• Dillon Bell
• Dontae Fleming
• Jeshaun Jones
• Michael Briscoe
• Luke Wysong
• Terrill Davis
• Trayvon Rudolph
• Marcus Sanders Jr.

A basic tally shows thirteen players. At most, there will be six spots for receiver talent but possibly only five openings. Worse yet (for the depth guys), the top three jobs are secured.

Moreover, the hurdle that exists for those challenging for a spot is that Felton is a 3rd-Round talent from a year ago. He is a sensational gunner. Price returns, as well, after showing much promise as a punt returner and kickoff returner.

Ironically, Price may be more assured of his roster spot since his skills are more unique. The UDFA talent secured $0 in guaranteed cash but found a way to hang around. Hard not to cheer for somebody who has been overcoming long odds.

In Dillon Bell, the Vikings appear to have a true weapon in town.

He played for Georgia but didn’t set the world on fire in college, boasting statistics that are just average. Watching him with the ball in his hands is a treat, though. He moves with violent explosion. Bell carries a lot of momentum rolling into training camp.

Michael Briscoe is a notable name since he got brought over from Seattle, suggesting Nolan Teasley likes him. Jeshaun Jones got praise from Jefferson recently. The Vikings have been working with Dontae Fleming for a bit, evidently intrigued by his 6’2″ and 180-pound frame.

Add it all up and there’s an intense competition taking place. Some talent is going to deserve a shot but get cut regardless. Somebody could even be traded, with Felton looking like the likeliest option since he was drafted by the past leadership regime and had a modest rookie year. Some team out there would likely send over a Day 3 pick — a 6th, perhaps — to see if he can help on offense.

The Vikings still have plenty of time to figure out how things sort themselves out at receiver. What’s evident, though, is that the position is among the most intense Vikings roster battles, if not the toughest position to secure a depth job.

Rookies report to TCO Performance Center on Sunday, July 26th.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Messi and Mbappé’s Golden Boot battle could be decided by FIFA’s tiebreaker rules after dramatic finale.

The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is heading towards a finish remarkably similar to one of the closest battles in tournament history.Lionel Messi currently tops the standings with eight goals and four assists, narrowly ahead of France captain Kylian Mbappé, who has eight goals and three assists. Although both players are level on goals, Messi leads because FIFA’s first tiebreaker is assists.With France still scheduled to face England in the third-place playoff before Argentina meet Spain in the World Cup final, the race is not yet over. It is a situation that echoes the dramatic finish to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when four players ended the tournament level on goals and FIFA had to separate them using its official tiebreakers.

The 2010 World Cup produced one of the closest Golden Boot races ever witnessed.Germany’s Thomas Müller, Spain’s David Villa, the Netherlands’ Wesley Sneijder, and Uruguay’s Diego Forlán all finished the tournament with five goals.Rather than declaring joint winners, FIFA applied its official ranking criteria.Müller had also contributed three assists, while Villa, Sneijder and Forlán each finished with one assist.That gave the Germany forward the Golden Boot despite all four players finishing level on goals.The remaining positions were then decided by the next tiebreaker: minutes played.Villa claimed the Silver Boot because he had played fewer minutes than the remaining two players.Sneijder received the Bronze Boot after recording fewer minutes than Forlán, leaving the Uruguay captain fourth despite matching the others for goals.The final standings were:

Interestingly, both Müller and Forlán scored one goal each in the third-place playoff. Germany defeated Uruguay 3-2 to secure the bronze medal, but Müller’s superior assist tally ensured he remained on top of the Golden Boot standings.

Although often described as a consolation match, the third-place playoff still counts as an official FIFA World Cup fixture.Every goal, assist and minute played contributes towards the Golden Boot race.History has produced several examples where the match directly influenced the outcome of the award.At the 1958 World Cup, France striker Just Fontaine scored an incredible four goals against West Germany in the third-place playoff to finish with 13 goals, a single-tournament World Cup record that still stands today.Four decades later, at the 1998 World Cup, Croatia striker Davor Šuker scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the third-place playoff. That strike lifted him onto six goals, securing the Golden Boot ahead of every other contender.

Why 2026 could produce another tiebreaker finish

The current standings show just how finely balanced the race remains.

Messi moved ahead after producing two assists in Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 semifinal comeback against England. Although he did not score, his passes for Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez took his assist tally to four, one more than Mbappé.France’s elimination has not ended Mbappé’s chances because Les Bleus still face England in the third-place playoff. Any goals scored there count towards the Golden Boot, giving the French captain one final opportunity to move ahead before Messi plays Spain in the World Cup final.How FIFA decides the Golden BootFIFA applies three criteria to determine the winner:

Those exact regulations decided the award in 2010 and could once again prove decisive if Messi and Mbappé finish the 2026 tournament level on goals.

The award has often been decided by fine margins in recent tournaments:

With both Messi and Mbappé still level on eight goals, another Golden Boot race could ultimately be decided not by goals alone, but by the same tiebreaker rules that separated Müller, Villa, Sneijder and Forlán in South Africa 16 years ago.

Argentine President Javier Milei will not attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in the United States because of a long-standing superstition surrounding the country’s leaders and the national team.

According to El Universal, Milei believes his presence at the stadium could bring bad luck to Argentina as they prepare to face Spain in the final.

Instead of travelling to the United States, the president will watch the match from his official residence in Olivos, where he has followed all of Argentina’s matches during the tournament.

Milei admitted that he also follows his own personal superstitions.

“Yes, it’s a superstition. I also always wear a jacket now because I took it off the day of the Switzerland game, and they scored a goal against us,” he said.

Many Argentines believe that the presence of the country’s president at major football matches can affect the team’s fortunes.

The belief dates back to the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, when then-President Carlos Menem visited the Argentina squad before their opening match. Argentina went on to lose 1-0 to Cameroon, and many fans have linked that defeat to the president’s visit ever since.

Argentina will face Spain in the 2026 World Cup final on July 19 at New Jersey, with kick-off scheduled for 22:00 GMT+3.

Earlier on the same day, France and England will meet in the third-place match, which is set to kick off at 00:00 GMT+3.

Meanwhile, reports have also claimed that FIFA is looking into a political banner displayed by Argentina’s players after their semi-final victory over England.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu entered her first final in more than two years after Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei of China retired midway through their women’s singles semifinal at the Japan Open in Tokyo on Saturday. The 31-year-old Indian was leading 21-19, 15-10 when world No. 4 Chen was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury. It will be Sindhu’s first final since winning the Syed Modi International in Lucknow in 2024. She had also finished runner-up at the Malaysia Open Super 500 earlier that year. Her last major title came at the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.

“I’m very happy that I’ve gone to the final,” Sindhu said after the match.

“For me every match mattered a lot from the first match, especially today’s match. It was important from the beginning to be focused because when you play with the top-ranked players it’s important that every point matters so winning that first game really mattered a lot.” In Sunday’s summit clash, Sindhu will take on the winner of the second semifinal between Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi and Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.

World No. 12 Sindhu had entered the contest trailing 6-8 in her head-to-head record against the fourth-seeded Chen, who had won each of their previous four meetings, including a straight-games victory at this year’s Indonesia Masters.

Sindhu’s last win over Chen had come in the semifinals of the 2019 World Championships, where she went on to become India’s first badminton world champion.

Sindhu relied on her attacking game and sharp net play to dictate the rallies against the Chinese.

A delightful drop shot followed by a thunderous smash to Chen’s deep forehand corner helped the Indian pull ahead early. She then produced a superb backhand defensive block to carry a handy 11-7 cushion into the mid-game interval.

Looking at her physical best, Sindhu displayed remarkable hand speed and repeatedly pushed Chen to the backcourt before drawing her to the forecourt, disrupting the Chinese player’s rhythm.

Chen regained her bearings after the interval, tightening her defence and finding greater penetration with her attack to gradually close the gap to 15-17.

A gripping 51-shot rally followed, with both players refusing to yield before Chen eventually hit wide. Sindhu then sent one long and Chen fired a straight smash to level the scores at 18-18.

But the Indian responded emphatically, unleashing two fierce smashes that Chen could only find the net with, as Sindhu celebrated with a fist pump.

Sindhu raced to a 3-0 lead in the second game before Chen reduced the deficit to 3-4. The Indian answered with another cross-court smash to stay in front.

Chen’s jump smash helped her narrow the gap to 7-8, but Sindhu responded with a delicate drop shot and a powerful smash to establish an 11-7 advantage at the interval.

Leading 13-8, Sindhu peppered Chen’s backhand with three successive smashes to extend her control. A cross-court winner then made it 15-10, after which Chen called for a medical timeout. The Chinese eventually retired from the contest clutching her leg.

“I was very focused and my coach kept saying because I was leading the first game and then she came quite close it was important that I be more focused because sometimes when you’re leading and you give away points you suddenly get disheartened, so a lot of emotions go in your head,” Sindhu said.

“My coach was saying that it doesn’t matter just focus on the next point and I think that really helped. Even in the second set there were long rallies and especially in the first game that long rally which happened and I won the rally I think that one was very important for me.

“In the second game as well I was focused from the first point because it was going quite equal and even though I was two points leading, she was covering and coming back and I think after 11, I was maintaining that three four points but yeah unfortunately she had to retire.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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UK & Norway PM Sport Football Jerseys Ahead Of England, Norway Quarterfinal Clash

Playing ⁠your ⁠final World Cup match one day prior to ⁠the championship game ​is not the assignment anybody desires.

But it’s the reality for France and England as the two countries will take the field in the third-place match on Saturday ​in Miami Gardens, Florida.

“None of our players, and none of the French players, wants to play the third- place match,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve it.”

England missed out on the title match after allowing two late goals to Argentina to fall ​2-1 on Wednesday ‌in the semifinals. One day earlier, France came up short when largely outplayed in a 2-0 loss to ⁠Spain.

France coach Didier Deschamps isn’t the least bit thrilled about competing for the consolation prize.

“The best thing for France and England would be for this match not to exist,” Deschamps said.

The contest will be the ‌final one as Les Bleus coach for the 57-year-old Deschamps, whose 14-year tenure includes guiding the nation to the ⁠2018 World Cup crown.

“I know that it’s the last match and I don’t want anybody to cry, and I don’t think anybody here will cry,” Deschamps said. “I had the privilege to go through amazing moments and to go also through some more difficult ​moments, so the end is coming near but life goes on.”

Read moreGolden era ends for Deschamps’ France as Midas touch deserts Les Bleus

France star Kylian Mbappé is tied with Argentina‘s ‌Lionel Messi with eight goals in the Golden Boot competition. Mbappe is the defending winner after also having eight goals in 2022.

But first, Mbappé is coping with the fact that his side didn’t reach the final.

“As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility,” Mbappé said of falling against Spain. “I have no problem ‌with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.”

Mbappé has 20 career World Cup goals, one behind Messi’s record.

Three other players in this match are second-hand contenders for the Golden Boot: England’s ​Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have scored six goals and France’s Ousmane Dembele is a longshot at five.

Read more‘It is crazy’: Argentina’s Messi adds third final to his career after inspiring win against England

Kane won the 2018 Golden Boot with six goals. This will be the final World Cup match of his “prime” as he turns 33 on July 28.

It could conceivably be ​his final World Cup match, but Kane isn’t ready to discuss that possibility.

“It’s too early to talk about that,” Kane said. “I mean, as ​a person, it’s always just about taking it year by year and how I feel. The national ​team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do most, more than anything.

“Obviously, four years is a long way away. I’m 33 in the summer, but as you saw on the other end ​with Messi (who is 39) there, he’s still performing at the highest level. So, I never want to put a limit on these things.”

Kane and Bellingham have had standout World Cup performances for the Three Lions despite the disappointment of not reaching the final.

Tuchel has been roundly criticized for his tactics after England went up 1-0 in the 55th minute against Argentina on Anthony Gordon’s goal.

England loaded up the back end and played passively on ⁠offense. Instead of seeking a two-goal lead, England were playing not to be tied.

The strategy was foiled as Argentina scored goals in the 85th minute and the second minute of stoppage ⁠time to dash the ​dreams of English fans.

“No regrets, the team gave everything, and we were very, very close,” Tuchel said. “We deserved to be up one-nil. We played one of our better matches, maybe the best match. The team was top, but we couldn’t bring it over the line. No regrets.”

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

World Cup holders Argentina are to face England in the 2026 World Cup semifinal in Atlanta – a match that will take place against the background of an intense history between the two nations.

In April 1982, the unpopular General Leopoldo Galtieri, who led Argentina under a military junta at the time, ordered an invasion of the Falkland Islands, which are known to Argentinians as “Las Malvinas.” Great Britain’s then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sent a “task force” of approximately 26,000 troops to take back the territory. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with Argentina’s surrender on June 14, 1982. 

Argentines see the roots of that conflict as going back to 1833, when the United Kingdom took military control of the islands, located about 500 kilometers (300 miles) off Argentina’s eastern coast, from Argentine authorities. In 2016, Argentina sought negotiations with the United Kingdom over the Falklands. While no changes to sovereignty were made, there was cooperation on practical matters.

Argentina’s ‘revenge’

When asked about the significance of this history on the game, Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni was quick to shut that thinking down.

“No, no, no,” Scaloni said, emphatically. “This is just a football match. Let’s not look for other stuff. It’s a football game against a great team, with a great manager who I admire. But it’s a football match. End of.”

Nevertheless, Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel posted the following message on social media the day of the game: 

“Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. This isn’t just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!”

On the field, some of the most iconic and infamous moments in the history of football have happened between the two nations, which is a huge reason why the rivalry is so intense.

It starts perhaps as far back as 1966, when England beat Argentina in the quarterfinals. Argentina felt England’s goal scored by Geoff Hurst was offside and the Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was sent off in controversial fashion, with England’s heead coach Alf Ramsey calling the Argentine players “animals”.

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But it was in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, just four years after the war over the Falklands, that one of the most iconic and infamous moments occurred. England faced Argentina at Mexico City’s historic Azteca Stadium and the match is remembered for the “Hand of God,” the goal that Diego Maradona scored with his hand – but also a brilliant second goal, in which he weaved through a helpless English defense.

Years later, Maradona wrote in his autobiography published in 2000: “This was our revenge, it was… recovering a part of the Malvinas. We all said beforehand that we shouldn’t mix the two things but that was a lie. A lie! We didn’t think of anything except that, like hell it was going to be just another game.”

In 1998, the two teams met again on the world’s stage and this time David Beckham was sent off as Argentina eventually won on penalties. Beckham faced extraordinary media criticism afterwards, but four years later, the England captain got his revenge as he scored a penalty that helped England to victory and sent Argentina home before the knockouts.

A step away from history 

This long history between the two makes the 2026 semifinal all the more intriguing.

This current Argentina team, led by Lionel Messi, has the opportunity to become the first nation to defend their World Cup title since Brazil in 1962. For England, it’s been six decades since they last made a World Cup final, famously one they won at home in 1966. Whoever wins, whoever scores the winner out of Lionel Messi or Harry Kane, another chapter looks set to be written in one of football’s greatest rivalries.

Edited by: Jonathan Harding

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Betwitchery is set to chase a third consecutive victory when she resumes racing at Flemington.

The mare, prepared by the training partnership of Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin, is scheduled to begin her latest campaign in the VRC Member Brendan Sobozynski Plate (1200m) this Saturday.

Betwitchery, a five-time winner from eighteen starts and a proven performer first-up, concluded her previous preparation with a win over 1400m at Pakenham, followed by a triumph in the VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m) at Caulfield on March 14.

After a short break, the daughter of Blue Point underwent a jump-out in April, after which it was decided to grant the mare an extended spell.

In preparation for her Saturday comeback, Betwitchery has completed two jump-outs at Flemington, finishing third on both occasions on June 26 and July 10.

Larkin conveyed the stable’s contentment with the mare’s progress, noting this will be her debut run down the Flemington straight.

“She’s going really well at home,” Larkin explained. “Her jump-outs have been good and she’s probably going her best now as she has ever.”

“She’s a mare that has always been progressing and had maturity to come, and I think that has come now as she has always been a bit fierce in her work, but she seems to be getting the hang of that now.”

“The straight for the first time is a question mark and as a Flemington trainer you would love to be able to give them a look, but unfortunately, you can’t.”

“But what she has is one of those actions that would normally suit the straight.”

“She’s a big striding mare, so she should get room, which she loves to get and I’m sure she’ll run very well.”

Apprentice jockey Holly Durnan will take the reins for Betwitchery on Saturday, and her 3kg claim means the mare will carry 53.5kg.

Want to get involved in the action? Find the best racing betting markets for the VRC Member Brendan Sobozynski Plate.