Girls aged 11–18 take part in 84 fewer minutes of sport each week than boys, equivalent to 280 million lost hours of activity across the UK each year

The participation gap varies widely by location, with the West Midlands and north-east recording the largest disparities, while the south-east, north-west and Scotland perform best

Researchers found the gap is driven by belonging, safety, unequal access to facilities and teams, sexism and a lack of female role models rather than a lack of interest in sport

Public First estimates that closing the gender gap could generate £570 million in annual productivity gains, save the NHS £73 million a year and deliver £6.5 billion in cumulative economic and health benefits by 2035

Girls in the UK are missing out on 280 million hours of sport every year compared with boys, according to research commissioned by Sky.

The broadcaster is calling for national action to tackle what it describes as a postcode lottery in sports participation.

The report, Game Changing: How Sport Gives Every Girl a Better Chance, was produced by research consultancy Public First and is the first to map the gender participation gap across all 650 UK parliamentary constituencies.

It found that girls aged 11 to 18 spend an average of 84 fewer minutes taking part in sport each week than boys – equivalent to 280 million fewer hours of activity nationally each year.

However, the analysis shows the gap varies dramatically depending on where girls live. While some constituencies report little difference between boys’ and girls’ participation, others see girls missing out on more than two-and-a-half hours of sport each week.

The widest gaps are concentrated in the West Midlands and north-east while constituencies in the south-west, north-west and Scotland generally perform better. Birmingham Perry Barr records the largest disparity, while Westmorland and Lonsdale has one of the smallest.

The report says the issue isn’t a simple north-south divide, but is heavily influenced by local conditions. Urban areas perform significantly worse than rural communities, with girls in towns and cities participating in almost 100 fewer minutes of sport each week than boys, compared with around 75 minutes in rural areas. Researchers suggest this reflects differences in safety, access to facilities and reliance on organised sport.

Access to facilities also has a major impact. In areas with the poorest sports provision, the participation gap is 46 per cent wider than in the best-served communities. Girls from ethnic minority backgrounds also experience larger disparities than the national average.

Rather than a lack of interest in sport, the research argues that a combination of cultural and structural barriers discourages participation, with lack of belonging a key issue. Many girls feeling that sports clubs and facilities are designed primarily for boys and men.

It also highlights unequal access to pitches, facilities and school teams, concerns about personal safety and harassment, limited visibility of female role models and persistent sexism.

According to the research, more than one in three girls has experienced sexist comments while taking part in sport, rising to more than four in 10 among older teenage girls, while almost one in four has experienced sexual comments. More than half say watching elite female athletes inspires them to take part in sport, underlining the importance of media visibility and representation.

Public First estimates that closing the participation gap could generate around £570 million a year in productivity gains and save the NHS £73 million annually through improved health. By 2035, the cumulative economic and health benefits could reach £6.5 billion.

The findings are being published as part of Sky’s Game Changing campaign, which is calling for government, schools, sports organisations and local communities to work together to improve girls’ access to sport. The initiative includes partnerships with England footballer Alessia Russo and the charity Goals 4 Girls to encourage greater participation among young women.

For the health and fitness sector, the report reinforces growing evidence that participation is influenced as much by environment as opportunity. It suggests that creating safe, welcoming spaces, increasing the visibility of female coaches and role models, offering beginner-friendly programmes and building supportive communities may be as important as providing facilities in encouraging more women and girls to become active.

The 2026 Open Championship gets underway early Thursday morning with the first round at Royal Birkdale in England. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Thursday, including full Open Championship TV coverage, streaming details and complete Round 1 tee times.

How to watch Open on Thursday

It’s been a long time since Rory McIlroy hoisted the Claret Jug as Open champion back in 2014. But in recent years, McIlroy has broken his major drought with back-to-back wins at the Masters.

This week, McIlroy embarks on a different mission: winning his second Open and seventh major championship title. He’s come close in recent years, finishing T7 last season behind winner Scottie Scheffler, T6 in 2023 and solo third in 2022 at St. Andrews.

But Scheffler and a host of other challengers, not to mention Royal Birkdale’s baked-out fairways, should give Rory a run for his money this week. And all the action gets started on Thursday.

If you’re a golf fan watching from the U.S., you’re going to want to wake up early to catch the Open on Thursday.

You can watch the first round of the Open Championship on TV via USA, which will open the TV coverage at 4 a.m. ET on Thursday morning. Before that, Peacock will kick off the streaming coverage at 1:30 a.m. ET. Peacock will also provide featured group coverage all day Thursday.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the first round of the 2026 Open Championship.

How to watch on TV Thursday

USA will provide first-round TV coverage of the 2026 Open Championship on Thursday from 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET.

How to stream online Thursday

You can stream the first round of the 2026 Open Championship via Peacock, which will provide early streaming coverage and featured group coverage. USA’s telecast can be streamed via Golf Channel Mobile.

Here’s the full Open Championship streaming schedule for Thursday:

Open Round 1 Coverage: 1:30 a.m.-4 a.m. (Peacock)
Featured Groups: All Day (Peacock)
Open Round 1 USA Coverage: 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel Mobile)

SIGN UP FOR PEACOCK PREMIUM TO WATCH EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2026 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

2026 Open Championship Round 1 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

1:35 a.m. – Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas
1:46 a.m. – Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan
1:57 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan
2:08 a.m. – Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean
2:19 a.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick
2:30 a.m. – David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate
2:41 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
2:52 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith
3:03 a.m. – Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a)
3:14 a.m. – Hennie Du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury
3:25 a.m. – Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a)
3:36 a.m. – Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren
3:47 a.m. – Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth
4:03 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune
4:14 a.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Højgaard
4:25 a.m. – Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee
4:36 a.m. – Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
4:47 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
4:58 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
5:09 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
5:20 a.m. – Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor
5:31 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig
5:42 a.m. – Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a)
5:53 a.m. – Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt
6:04 a.m. – M.J. Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald
6:15 a.m. – Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a)
6:41 a.m. – John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen
6:52 a.m. – Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman
7:03 a.m. – Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter
7:14 a.m. – Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a)
7:25 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama
7:36 a.m. – Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber
7:47 a.m. – Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger
7:58 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis
8:09 a.m. – Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li
8:20 a.m. – Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick
8:31 a.m. – Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a)
8:42 a.m. – Johnny Keefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima
8:53 a.m. – Aldrich Potgieter, Jesper Svensson, Jack Buchanan (a)
9:09 a.m. – Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert
9:20 a.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston
9:31 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
9:42 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Højgaard
9:53 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
10:04 a.m. – Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg
10:15 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
10:26 a.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a)
10:37 a.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria
10:48 a.m. – Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta
10:59 a.m. – Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow
11:10 a.m. – Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Skogen
11:21 a.m. – Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a)

Argentinian players celebrated beating England in the World Cup semi-final with a banner reading “The Malvinas are Argentine” in a reference to the Falkland Islands.

Former Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was among those holding the sign as his teammates danced on the pitch after their 2-1 win over the Three Lions in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Political slogans are banned from being displayed on the pitch or on players’ equipment according to Fifa rules.

Tensions linger between Argentina and Britain over the Falkland Islands. Argentina has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the Islands, which are about 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from mainland Argentina.

In 1982, the Falklands War broke out, claiming the lives of 907 people – 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 from Britain and three Falkland Islanders – after the then-incumbent far-right Argentinian military dictatorship invaded the islands.

Today, the islands remain a major issue in Argentina, and are frequently subject to numerous chants and flags at football games. After their last-16 win over Egypt, their players celebrated by singing: “For the Malvinas, for Diego [Maradona], for Leo [Messi]’s last one.”

The flames were further stoked prior to the semi-final when Argentina’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel called England “invaders” and “usurping pirates”.“Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates,” he wrote on X.

“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!”

Argentina’s foreign minister Pablo Quirno also claimed Falklands Islanders were an “artificially implanted” population. He wrote in La Nacion: “For this reason, no referendum organised unilaterally by the United Kingdom can have legal effect on a controversy whose resolution belongs exclusively to Argentina and the United Kingdom through negotiations.”

Downing Street flatly rejected his claims, saying the Falkland islanders are “British with a right to determine their own future”.

Asked about Mr Quirno’s comments, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The UK’s position is clear. The islanders have repeatedly expressed their wish to remain a British overseas territory, and their right to self-determination is paramount.”

The tension inside the game appeared to also spill outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with pictures showing a scuffle among supporters following the match, with police reportedly seen taking at least three people away.

Don’t look now, but the Minnesota Vikings will have one of the NFL’s most improved offenses heading into 2026, says Bleacher Report, as training camp turns white-hot in about two weeks.

BR’s Moe Moton listed all offenses by their improvement level during the offseason, and Minnesota was not ignored.

Kyler Murray and Jauan Jennings Change the Projection

Vikings’ Offense Gets Kudos from BR

Moton revealed five NFL offenses that will improve this season, and he wrote about Minnesota, “Last season, J.J. McCarthy threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 57.6 percent completion rate. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported that head coach Kevin O’Connell removed over-the-middle passing concepts to simplify the signal-caller’s progression reads.”

“Yet the Vikings still didn’t get much production out of the aerial attack. Although Kyler Murray underperformed in Arizona over the last few years, he could see a career resurgence under O’Connell, who has called plays for a top-six passing offense in three of his four years with the Vikings.”

McCarthy and Murray will face off in a quarterback battle in Eagan — about two weeks from now.

“The 28-year-old signal-caller needs to stay healthy, though. Murray joined a team with a solid wide receiver duo in two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Minnesota signed Jennings, who caught 55 passes for 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns last season with the San Francisco 49ers,” Moton continued.

“The Vikings will have a new dynamic starting quarterback and one of the league’s best receiver trios this year. Expect this offense to rack up points as one of the top 10 scoring units.”

The Murray Upgrade

Vikings fans — and sites like Bleacher Report — can dream big about the team’s offense because of two words: Kyler Murray.

Murray averages 4,500 combined passing and rushing yards over 17 starts, along with 30 total touchdowns. The world isn’t thinking too highly of him in 2026 after the Arizona Cardinals dumped him — rather unceremoniously — which enabled Minnesota to snag him for the veteran minimum.

In Arizona, Murray didn’t suffer from a lack of weapons, but the Vikings’ arsenal is an upgrade, and Minnesota’s defense over the last few years has ranked second in the NFL per EPA/Play. The Cardinals rank 30th in defense per the same metric since 2023.

More weapons and better defense will make Murray look a whole lot better.

The Jennings Addition

For years, the Vikings have deprioritized the WR3 spot, often content with decent-but-not-great playmakers like K.J. Osborn and Jalen Nailor. Before those two, Minnesota would find WR5 types and shove them into the WR3 job, like Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe.

Jennings is different.

In San Francisco, Jennings posted legitimate WR3 numbers, frequently crossing over as the WR2. The Vikings haven’t showcased a fancy WR trio quite like this (Jefferson, Addison, and Jennings) since Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed. And that was 25 years ago.

Jennings can take Kevin O’Connell’s passing offense to a new dimension. Now, if O’Connell can figure out how to run the football at a balanced clip, the enterprise will be cooking with gas.

The Viking Age‘s Anthony Miller noted this week, “As for Jennings, while his addition wasn’t 100 percent necessary for the Vikings to be successful, he certainly helps the room out. He was one of the top receivers on the San Francisco 49ers over the years, giving the Vikings what could be one of the best receiver trios in the NFL.”

“Justin Jefferson is the star of the group, of course, and Jordan Addison can do a bit of everything needed. Jennings is a good insurance policy if anything goes wrong with Addison, but he is also a reliable receiver to turn to when defenses focus heavily on Jefferson and Addison.”

Don’t Forget about Clean Slate of OL Health

But wait, there’s more.

Last year, the Vikings envisioned an offensive line, from left to right, with Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill. The fivesome hardly played together. Injuries ruined everything.

While injuries — yet again — are always possible, Minnesota is due for a season with limited offensive line injuries. Kelly is gone — he retired because of concussions — and Blake Brandel is in, but the outlook remains the same: the Vikings should have a Top 10 or Top 15 offensive line.

Plop that on top of Murray and Jennings in the house, and it’s no wonder BR is dreaming big about the purple team’s 2026 offense.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

During the France-Spain semi-final, many supporters at the FIFA fan zone in Dallas were wearing jerseys from nations that got eliminated earlier in the competition. We went to ask them which team they were supporting now.

Accor Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 20 NRL game between Canterbury Bulldogs and
Wests Tigers. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Canterbury Bulldogs heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canterbury Bulldogs vs.
Wests Tigers
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday July 18, 2026 at 7:35 pm

Where: Accor Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Wests Tigers Odds

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Wests Tigers Preview

The Tigers produced an encouraging opening half against the Warriors before defensive lapses proved costly, conceding 11 linebreaks in a result that highlighted the work still required. Benji Marshall’s side has shown enough with the ball to trouble opponents but must improve its defensive resilience.

Canterbury enters as favourite after another consistent campaign built around discipline and field position rather than attacking flair. The Bulldogs may not dominate through the middle as comprehensively as New Zealand did, giving the Tigers opportunities to stay in the contest. If Wests can tighten its defence, this could be closer than the betting suggests.

The 2026 World Cup is hurtling towards a blockbuster final between Argentina and Spain, who will be praying not to suffer any untimely injury setbacks in their quest for global glory.

Some of the big injury sagas heading into the tournament have come to happy endings, with Lamine Yamal now a regular fixture for Spain after returning to full fitness, while injury-ridden Neymar was able to get some minutes in what will be his final World Cup, before Brazil’s elimination at the hands of Norway.

However, there are still some notable worries heading into the World Cup final, while France and England will also be sweating some issues ahead of the third-place play-off.

See below for a full list of key injuries at this year’s World Cup.

Who is injured for the World Cup final?

Yeremy Pino (Spain)

The Crystal Palace winger suffered a collarbone injury against Uruguay and there were fears he could miss the rest of the tournament.

Those were allayed when Spain said X-rays showed Pino had not sustained a fractured collar bone but an acromioclavicular sprain.

However, he is yet to play any minutes for Spain since the group-stage injury. It is unlikely he will return for the final.

Victor Munoz (Spain)

New Liverpool signing Munoz has been absent for the entirety of the World Cup so far after sustaining a calf injury in the build-up to the tournament. He then suffered a further setback when he was diagnosed with another muscular injury. He will be absent for the final.

Facundo Medina (Argentina)

Argentina have been dealing with a significant defensive injury absence after Medina hobbled off with a calf problem in their last-32 clash win over Cape Verde.

Medina, who started three of Argentina’s first four World Cup outings, has not featured since that extra-time win and faces a race against time to be fit for the final.

Nicolas Tagliafico will hope to keep his place at left-back after helping Argentina navigate their way through the knockouts.

Who is injured for the World Cup third-place play-off?

Reece James (England)

England will be left to sweat over potentially another injury setback for Reece James after the defender was brought off against Argentina in their World Cup semi-final.

James, who has missed much of the tournament with a hamstring problem, went down in the 80th minute and required treatment from the England team doctor.

It was not clear whether he was cramping up or had sustained a fresh setback, but as he made his way towards the byline to receive treatment, Thomas Tuchel was quick to make sure no risks were taken.

James may now be a doubt to face France on Saturday.

Declan Rice (England)

Rice’s tournament has been hampered by injuries with neural back pain forcing England to manage his workload. This saw him miss England’s group-stage finale against Panama, but he has started both knockout games since.

He was then struck down by illness ahead of the quarter-final with Norway, and despite recovering enough to make the starting line-up after missing two days of training, he looked out of sorts and was replaced at half-time.

But in a huge boost for England going into their semi-final with Argentina, Rice was declared fit to start and has confirmed he is “back to normal” and “100 percent now”. He should be fit to face France in the third-place play-off.

William Saliba (France)

Everything went wrong for France in their semi-final defeat to Spain, not least the loss of influential defender William Saliba to injury.

Saliba went down untouched on the ball and immediately looked dejected, with it quickly becoming apparent the Arsenal man would not be able to continue.

He faces a race against time to be fit for France’s third-place play-off on Saturday but Arsenal will fear their star centre-back has suffered a longer-term injury, whose 2025/26 season was maligned by numerous fitness setbacks which saw him miss a combined 12 matches for club and country.

Jordan Henderson (England)

Brentford midfielder Henderson was thought to be ruled out for the World Cup after sustaining a freak injury in the aftermath of England’s win over Mexico – but that may not be the case.

Henderson leaped over the advertising hoarding but fell awkwardly and snapped his arm. He underwent surgery before returning to England’s Kansas City base, opting to remain with the squad until the end of the campaign rather than go home.

However, in a stunning development, Henderson was included among the substitutes to face Norway in the last-eight and says he will “cross the bridge” of potentially featuring in the semi-finals “when we come to it”.

The more I’ve been staring at this week’s Open Championship tee times, the more one name sticks out:

Matthew.

In part that is because the trendiest pick at Royal Birkdale this week is the red-hot World No. 3 Matthew Fitzpatrick, who will tee it up in his home country playing arguably the best golf of his career.

But honestly it’s because there are a bunch of other English Matthews hanging around, too — and each has his own compelling reason to sneak up on the field.

Let’s kick things off with Matthew Baldwin, because that’s exactly what this Open has chosen to do. Plenty has been written about hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood returning to Southport, but he’s not the only one: Baldwin grew up in Southport too, a few years Fleetwood’s senior, and is a member at Royal Birkdale. He qualified into the event at Dundonald Links last month and will hit the opening tee shot on Thursday just after 6:30 a.m. — half six, if you ask the locals.

Baldwin told the DP World Tour that this week will be a dream come true in many ways; while he’s played three other Opens, including two in England’s northwest, the last two times the event came to Birkdale he attended as a fan.

“I thought realistically it would be my last chance to [qualify] he told the DPWT. “I wouldn’t say I put more pressure on myself than I normally would, but I knew the incentive was there, shall we say.”

Then there’s Matthew Jordan, who knows the feeling of playing an Open at his home course: the Hoylake native was the local legend at Royal Liverpool in 2023, where he hit the opening tee shot and finished the week a marvelous T10. Jordan followed that up with another T10 at Troon the following year, establishing himself as something of an Open specialist.

He told bunkered just how familiar Birkdale is — “it just feels like home” — and recounted how well he knew the area from playing golf as a junior. Let’s see how he fares this week, just a short train ride from home.

Matthew Southgate is from slightly further away; he grew up in Southend-on-Sea just east of London. But he has good memories from Birkdale; his T6 finish in 2017 is the high water mark for his major-championship career to this point. He made it into the Open field via Final Qualifying for a remarkable sixth time and told the Open the competition “seems to bring the best out of me.”

The bad news for Southgate backers is that he’s missed four of his last five cuts entering this week. The good news is that fifth tournament was an eight-shot win at the Swiss Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour. His “best” is evidently quite a high level. (More good news: Southgate has enlisted ex-Fitzpatrick caddie Billy Foster for the week.)

Finally there’s Matthew Wallace, the most well-known and highest ranked of our four English mates. Wallace lives outside of London, near the Wentworth abodes of Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy, and while I’m not sure of any Birkdale good-vibe connection, Wallace has logged podium finishes on both the PGA and DP World Tours each of the last two years, suggesting the 36-year-old still has game that’ll travel.

If he can beat all the other Matthews, he might just win the whole damn thing.

*Let’s also send well wishes to Matthew McCarty, the American lefthander, and Mateo Pulcini, the Argentinian amateur. Though given Wednesday evening’s World Cup result, perhaps he and the Matthews should give each other a wide berth.

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Some people were on the pitch. They thought it was all over. It was then, when Lionel Messi crossed, when Lautaro Martinez headed, when the Argentina substitutes charged towards the corner flag to celebrate. England’s bid to win the World Cup was over. Sixty years of hurt, sixty years since Hurst, England still see that tackle by Moore and Nobby dancing.

But it remains the case that the only time their men won a World Cup semi-final was when Bobby belted the ball; they have not reached a final since. For half an hour, it seemed that Anthony Gordon would join Bobby Charlton in a select band, of England players to score the winner in this stage. For a quarter of an hour, it seemed like Bobby Moore’s tackle on Pele would be accompanied by mentions of Djed Spence’s thunderous challenge to prevent Giuliano Simeone from shooting.

Jordan Pickford had his Gordon Banks moment, too, a wonderful save from Nico Gonzalez. And yet, ultimately, each came in defeat; in years to come, these will be footnotes, not moments destined for English football folklore.

For Thomas Tuchel, the comparison point is not Sir Alf Ramsey, his greatest predecessor, but his immediate one and still England’s second finest ever manager, Gareth Southgate. England have had their second best decade ever; but it would have been better if they could hold on to leads on the major stages. This completed a hat-trick: after Croatia in the 2018 semi-final, after Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

Twice when it mattered, Southgate’s sides could not keep the ball. Tuchel’s team did not try. The decision was made to cede much of the pitch to Argentina, to try and reprise the heroic rearguard action in Mexico City: but with 11 men, not 10, earlier than seemed necessary.

England put their own backs against the wall. Tuchel went to a back five, but it backfired. And in a sense, it was a back six, with a sixth defender, in Nico O’Reilly, in a midfield that didn’t seem fit for purpose. They allowed Alexis Mac Allister the freedom to hit the woodwork twice, Enzo Fernandez the room to rifle in the equaliser. They liberated Messi. Just when it seemed his World Cup career was ending, he conjured two assists.

Removing Gordon, a workaholic of a goalscorer, had a logic, given his tendency to run himself into the ground, but by replacing him with Ezri Konsa, Tuchel took away England’s threat and when, including added time, there were still 27 minutes remaining. He summoned his special-ops agent, Dan Burn, perhaps sensing Messi’s nemesis might be a man about twice his height and who can head the ball half the length of the pitch. It wasn’t.

With each change, England handed the initiative to Argentina. They needed no second invitation. A nation with a historical grudge against England, a team with a fighting spirit that meant they would not relinquish their grasp on the World Cup. Argentina have a capacity to score late goals. Ask Cape Verde. Ask Egypt. Ask Switzerland. England may have been a higher-calibre of opponent but they suffered the same fate.

So Tuchel underlined how the FA’s imported managers somehow seem to end up being more English than the English. Sven-Goran Eriksson was wedded to 4-4-2. Fabio Capello was too. Tuchel changed shape but did not believe his players could keep the ball. He just looked to defend.

Different choices might not have produced a different result, but there were alternatives. Kobbie Mainoo, a passer of a midfielder, lingered unused all tournament. Adam Wharton, another, stayed at home. One winger who could have come on for Gordon, Bukayo Saka, did not get off the bench. Another, Marcus Rashford, only emerged in the 95th minute.

Tuchel could have considered the evidence from earlier on. Lionel Scaloni admitted that Switzerland’s physicality had troubled Argentina. Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero were booked for pulling back Brummies when Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham ran at them, but England stopped running at them. They ran scared, seeking sanctuary in their own box.

Argentina had sought to rile England. They provided echoes of the past by picking a Simeone, the winger showing that being an agent provocateur can run in the family. Yet Argentina prospered not by needling England, but by attacking them. Theirs was the response of champions.

England’s was the reaction of a team following Tuchel’s blueprint for holding on to a lead: defensive changes. Argentina could have predicted it: this was what they had done against Mexico and Norway. And, in the inquest, Tuchel may note that while Southgate was long faulted for his game management, he excelled in Euro 2024: with attacking changes, often involving Cole Palmer, another man left at home.

Maybe it is revisiting old arguments, but England ended with a limited team who showed their limitations. Leading Argentina in Atlanta was a great opportunity. For years, they will have Georgia on their mind. Perhaps for another 60 years.

Armed police made multiple arrests after England and Argentina fans clashed outside Atlanta Stadium following the Three Lions’ heartbreaking 2-1 defeat in the World Cup semi-final.

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Brawls erupted outside Atlanta Stadium following England’s gut-wrenching defeat to Argentina.

England and Argentina supporters were filmed squaring up to one another after the final whistle, as armed officers moved in to make several arrests.

A number of fans were taken into custody following the heartbreaking 2-1 loss for the Three Lions. Argentina supporters were also seen clashing with police in the vicinity of the Georgia stadium.

A small group of fans wearing England shirts were placed in handcuffs in the wake of the confrontations.

Footage from the scene captures arrests being made, with scuffles also breaking out on English soil following Argentina’s comeback victory.

Videos circulating on social media show fighting in Birmingham, London and New York as supporters from both nations come to blows.

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The unrest follows Argentina players celebrating their win by holding up a sign making reference to the Falkland Islands.

Given the fraught history between the two nations both on and off the pitch, tensions were already running high well before the semi-final had even kicked off.

Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel stoked the flames ahead of the match with a post on X, stating: “This is not just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct – against the English, it’s always something more. Long live Argentina! Because until our very last breath, we will reclaim what is ours.”

The match ended in heartbreak for England after Gordon converted Morgan Roger’s cross nine minutes into the second half to level the scores.

However, with just six minutes remaining, the Three Lions found themselves 2-1 down. Messi proved the difference with two assists that sent the ball crashing past Pickford, leaving both the squad and the nation heartbroken.