Europe

Mbappé has been sneakily hiding Budweiser's logo every time he's named Man of the Match

Kylian Mbappé is tearing apart the 2022 World Cup. The French star has been phenomenal during the tournament, leading the Golden Boot race with five goals and making a solid case to grab the Golden Ball, too. 

Another proof of his extraordinary performance is that he's won three man of the match awards in the four games he's played, the last against Poland in the Round of 16. As usual in this tournament, FIFA recognized the job with a trophy provided by Budweiser, one of their sponsors, and a photo immortalizing the moment. 

Croatia beats Japan on penalties as keeper pulls off 3 saves in the shootout

AL WAKRAH, Qatar - Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković saved penalties from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and Maya Yoshida before Mario Pašalić netted the winning spot-kick in their 3-1 shootout win over Japan on Monday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

Croatia vs. Japan full penalty shootout

Ronaldo in focus ahead of Portugal match after reportedly agreeing $500M deal with Al Nassr

AL RAYYAN, Qatar - Speculation regarding the future of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and his outburst following his substitution against South Korea were in sharp focus on Monday ahead of their World Cup last-16 game against Switzerland.

The forward, who left Manchester United by mutual consent last month following a controversial interview, was linked with a potential move to Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia but Portugal coach Fernando Santos said he knew nothing about it.

It's England vs. France: Three Lions cruise to 3-0 win over Senegal in last-16

England was clinical in dispatching Senegal 3-0 on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup with defending champion France awaiting on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Senegal was playing with confidence after back-to-back wins over Qatar and Ecuador to reach the Round of 16, and the Lions of Teranga were the better side in the opening 35 minutes by forcing England into mistakes at the back. But the African champions couldn't make the Three Lions pay with Jordan Pickford keeping it level at 0-0.  

En noche récord de Giroud, Mbappé es el rey de Francia

En una noche en que Olivier Giroud se convirtió en el máximo goleador histórico de la selección francesa, Kylian Mbappé fue rey.

El delantero del PSG convirtió un doblete y asistió al propio Giroud en la victoria 3-1 sobre Polonia, en los octavos de final del Mundial de Catar 2022.

Francia inició el partido con ciertas dudas y durante el primer tiempo mostraron una que otra fisura en zona defensiva. El arquero Hugo Lloris dio un par de pasos en falso, pero también evitó que los polacos se pusieran en ventaja.

13-year age gap no problem for France's deadly striking duo

DOHA - Thirteen years separate France strikers Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud but their devastating double act in the 3-1 last-16 defeat of Poland at the World Cup on Sunday showed the age gap is no barrier to a flourishing relationship.

Giroud, at 36, brings experience and guile to France's attack, while Mbappé, 23, is blessed with pace so explosive that the screens at the Al Thumama Stadium showed him hitting a top of speed of 22 mph as he tormented Poland's defense.

Olivier Giroud becomes France's all-time top scorer with strike over Poland

Atop a mountain of French icons, Olivier Giroud stands alone. The AC Milan forward officially beat Thierry Henry’s France goal-scoring record with a great finish against Poland in the World Cup Round of 16 for his 52nd goal for Les Bleus. 

The United States has been eliminated from the World Cup — What happens now?

And just like that, it's over. The United States is sent packing after a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the first game of the knockout stage. The first World Cup since 2014 for the Americans gave fans much reason for hope, but it exposed the team's weaknesses as well. 

Missed chances and missed marks — 3 Takeaways from USA defeat to Netherlands

The USA’s 2022 World Cup run ended in the Round of 16 on Saturday with a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands. It’s a game that could have ended differently for the Stars and Stripes who simply weren’t at their best.

This youthful American team will be disappointed in the loss but should be proud of their performances in the tournament. This team went undefeated in the group stage, outplayed mighty England and was the only Concacaf team to advance to the Round of 16.

For one last time let’s look at the three takeaways from the USA’s final game.

Netherlands turn every USA strength into weakness during Round of 16 humbling

For those who count Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer among their favorite books, the 2010 duo of Wesley Sneijder-Mark van Bommel among their favorite midfield pairings and videos of of Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens among their most visited on YouTube, watching the United States take nearly 65 percent possession off the Netherlands while completing almost twice as many passes in the first-half of a World Cup knockout match was a dream state.

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