europe

The Money Saving Expert says one thing that is ‘totally free’ could save holidaymakers loads of money

Heading to Europe this summer? Before you jet off, Money Saving Expert says there’s one free card every holidaymaker should have in their wallet – and it could save them money.

The Money Saving Expert has issued a reminder to travellers to get the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) just in case of an emergency. It can help you access state healthcare in many European countries, however he stresses this shouldn’t be a replacement for travel insurance.

Speaking as part of the National Money Assembly held at St Charles 6th Form College in London, Lewis urged anyone heading to the continent to apply for a GHIC before leaving the UK. He explained how the card is “totally free”, and warned people to never pay a third-party website to apply for one.

“First of all, if you’re going to Europe, you always get your GHIC card, your Global Health Insurance Card,” he said. “That’s totally free, never pay for it. This gives you treatment in a state-run hospital in a European Union country or equivalent at the same cost as a local – so if it’s free for them, it’s free for you.

“If you need to go and see the doctor when you’re abroad and local people don’t pay for the GP, you can go to the GP with your GHIC card. So you should make sure that you have one of those.”

The NHS says the GHIC covers medically necessary healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU and certain other countries. However, it does not cover private medical treatment, mountain rescue, being flown back to the UK or costs such as lost or stolen belongings.

For that reason, Martin Lewis says holidaymakers should never rely on the GHIC alone. He urged travellers to arrange travel insurance as soon as they book a holiday, explaining that it protects them both before and during their trip.

He said basic travel insurance for a young person spending a week in Europe can often cost as little as £7 to £10. Martin added: “If you can afford the holiday, you can afford travel insurance.”

His long-standing rule is to buy travel insurance “ASAB” – as soon as you book. That’s because policies can protect you if illness, injury or another unforeseen event forces you to cancel your holiday before you even leave home.

Applications for a GHIC are free through the official NHS website, and most people can apply online. Anyone using a website that charges a fee is paying for a service they do not need, as the card itself is available free of charge.

Three wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.

Who: Argentina vs Switzerland
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinal
Where: Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, the United States
When: Saturday at 8pm (01:00 GMT on Sunday)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 22:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.

After two gruelling knockout contests, defined by controversies more than goals, Argentina enter the business end of the World Cup.

The reigning champions outclassed most title contenders in the group stage, thanks to the unstoppable striking force of Lionel Messi.

But their unconvincing, stuttering run in the knockout phase – where they were pitted against far inferior opponents – has raised a question: Can Argentina really retain their title?

Up next for the two-time world champions is Switzerland, who have quietly made a remarkable return to the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years.

The impressive duo of Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi has won Swiss hearts, and Saturday’s clash offers them a chance to seek revenge for a World Cup defeat by Argentina in 2014.

How did Argentina and Switzerland reach the quarterfinals?

Argentina had a strong showing in the first round, topping Group J by beating Austria, Jordan and Algeria. In the round of 32, they were pushed to their limits by Cape Verde before squeezing past 3-2 in extra time, and came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a controversial last-16 contest which drew allegations of officiating bias.

Switzerland topped Group B with an unbeaten record, winning against Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and drawing with Qatar. They beat Algeria 2-0 in the round of 32 and beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years.

‘Argentina are not invincible’: Swiss coach

What started out as a confident campaign has slowly turned into a shaky title defence for Argentina.

Tournament debutants Cape Verde – the smallest nation to play in the World Cup knockouts – gave Argentina a wake-up call, forcing the reigning champions to dig deep for victory.

The Argentinian suffering continued in the next game, where they trailed 2-0 against Egypt before turning it around in stoppage time – in a contest where the opposition accused the referee of favouring the title holders.

These performances have pushed Argentina down to fourth in the pecking order of the favourites, while they’ve also slipped from the top spot to number two in the FIFA rankings.

It has instilled the belief in the Swiss camp that beating Argentina is not out of reach.

“We’re up against the defending champions, which is a unique opportunity. ‌At the same time, we’ve realised that Argentina are not invincible,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said.

“It should be an interesting match from a tactical point of view.”

Can ageing Messi keep up with the demands of the World Cup?

At 39, when most players’ careers are long behind them, Messi is proving that age is just a number.

In his sixth and possibly last World Cup, Messi has maintained a perfect record, scoring in each of Argentina’s five matches so far. His eight goals keep him second in the Golden Boot race, only behind France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has also scored eight goals but has played a game more, on account of assists.

Although no longer at his athletic peak, Messi is still very much carrying the burden of the goal-scoring duties for his national team – and rescued them from early elimination in the round of 16 with a goal and assist.

In a rare show of emotion, he even broke down after that game, saying he was desperate for his World Cup journey to continue.

But after his own admission of fatigue after playing 120 minutes against Cape Verde and pushing hard against a resilient Egypt, Messi’s ageing body is fighting to keep up with the gruelling demands of tournament football.

As the stakes get higher and the margins for error reduce, it begs the question: Will age finally catch up with him?

Argentina vs Switzerland predictions

The Opta supercomputer gives Argentina a 57.1 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Switzerland’s chances of winning are 18.7 percent.

The model estimated a 24.2 percent probability of the game going to extra time.

Argentina vs Switzerland: TV schedule, kickoff

• Argentina: TyC Sports, TyC Sports Play (10pm, Argentina Time)
• Switzerland: SRF, RSI, RTS (3am on Sunday, Central European Summer Time)
• United Kingdom: ITV1, ITVX, STV (2am on Sunday, British Summer Time)
• US: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (9pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

Who will the winner face in the semifinals?

The winner of the Argentina vs Switzerland match will face either Norway or England in the semifinals in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Argentina vs Switzerland: Head-to-head

The two countries have met seven times, with Argentina winning five of those matches, while two ended in a draw.

Argentina have also won both of their World Cup games against Switzerland: 2-0 in a group game in 1966 and 1-0 in the round of 16 in 2014, which was also the last meeting between the sides in any competition.

Only ⁠three players remain from the 2014 meeting: Messi, Swiss captain Granit Xhaka, and defender Ricardo Rodriguez.

Argentina vs Switzerland: Team news

While no injuries are reported in the Argentina camp, Switzerland’s Manzambi and Jaquez are out with knee and muscle injuries, respectively, while Aebischer is doubtful.

Manzambi, Switzerland’s 20-year-old breakout star, also missed the last game.

Argentina’s predicted lineup

(4-1-3-2): Martinez (goalkeeper); Molina, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Enzo, Mac Allister; Messi, Lautaro

Switzerland’s predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Kobel (goalkeeper); Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka; Vargas, Rieder, Ndoye; Embolo

Meta has rolled back its ‘Muse Image’ AI feature after widespread backlash over privacy and consent. The tool allowed users to generate AI images of people by simply ‘@ mentioning’ public Instagram accounts. The negative reaction was swift and global – forcing Meta to say it ‘missed the mark’.

England captain Harry Kane has labelled Erling Haaland “a machine” but said he and Norway’s “beast” of a number nine are completely different players as they prepare to face off in the World Cup quarterfinal.

“I think we’re completely different players. I know we’re both strikers, but we’re in almost two different positions,” Kane told his pre-match news conference on Friday.

Haaland has struck seven times in his first four matches ever at a major tournament, including a devastating double to eliminate Brazil, and his goals have carried Norway into the last eight for the first time.

Kane is only one goal behind the Manchester City striker for the tournament and has taken his overall World Cup record to 14 goals.

“Erling is incredible. His goalscoring record, physically, he’s a machine, he’s a beast. His finishing is at the highest level, and his goalscoring record speaks for itself.

“I see myself as a different player, although I score the same goals. I like to maybe touch the ball a little bit more, be involved with the play a little bit more, but also can play as maybe the out-and-out number nine.

“I don’t think it’s one to compare ourselves. I respect him a lot as a player and as a professional. Obviously, I’m hoping he has a quiet day tomorrow, but I think his overall performance is very good. He’s a fantastic player.”

‘Amazing World Cup for strikers’

Despite their phenomenal goalscoring record, Haaland and Kane trail Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who have both netted eight times in the 2026 tournament, in the battle for the Golden Boot.

Kane won the prize for the World Cup’s top goalscorer in 2018, but England fell short of glory as they exited in the semifinals to Croatia.

Ending a 60-year wait for England to win a major tournament remains Kane’s primary aim, but he is hoping to score the goals to carry the Three Lions to glory.

“I think it’s been an amazing World Cup on that front in terms of all the top strikers, all the top goalscorers scoring goals and affecting games. It’s not always the case at these major tournaments,” added the Bayern Munich striker.

“It’s a great competition. It puts me in a mindset to be at my very best level as much as possible.

“My main goal is to win the World Cup more than another Golden Boot, but I also know I’m a goalscorer, I’m the number nine, so if I’m scoring goals, it’s obviously going to help the team.”

Kane issued a rallying cry for a huge final effort to get over the line in what could be three games in eight days to make history.

“Ultimately, until we win that trophy, there’s always going to be that talk around England and the team, but we’re in a good position. We’re in a place that we wanted to be six weeks ago when we met up for prep camp,” he added.

“Now we’re in the final eight days of the final push. We’re going to need everyone to be at the highest level to achieve our dreams.”

Vikings ready for one more historic game

Meanwhile, Norway coach Stale Solbakken said the showdown between Haaland and Kane will go a long way in deciding the match.

“I think it’s Norway versus England, but I don’t think it is a secret that Kane is the match winner number one for England and Haaland is the match winner number one for us,” Solbakken said at his pre-match news conference in Miami.

Norway are in their first major tournament of any kind for 26 years and have exceeded expectations, most notably in their stunning 2-1 win against Brazil thanks to Haaland’s late double in the last 16.

“Every game has been the most important [in history] for Norwegian football, especially in the knockout rounds, so this is the third time it is the most important game,” added Solbakken.

“I think England has more pressure than us, but we also put pressure on our performance. When the game has started, I don’t think the players think so much about the pressure when it’s 11 versus 11.”

Norway’s progress has caught the imagination at home and across the Atlantic in the United States.

Their fans’ Viking row celebration has become one of the iconic images of the tournament, while Haaland’s status as a global star has soared thanks to his goalscoring prowess on the pitch and jovial personality off it.

“I think the whole of Norway is looking forward to tomorrow. We’ve had some great nights in this World Cup before, and it brings the country together,” said Solbakken.

“Maybe this will never come back to Norway because I think we will qualify more. Every time 1783744646 we have a possibility to go through to a European Championship or a World Cup. But now it’s 26 years since we had it last time.”

Spanish star has scored just one goal in the World Cup, where he’s been sharing celebrations with his little brother.

Despite not scoring a goal in Spain’s quarterfinal win over Belgium, Lamine Yamal was named the player of the match for his contributions and capped off the win by sharing a touching moment with his little brother during the post-match celebrations in Los Angeles.

Yamal, who has not scored since Spain’s group-stage win over Saudi Arabia on June 21, said after the match on Friday that nobody will care about his lack of goals if Spain win the World Cup.

At a tournament where stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have been prolific, 18-year-old Yamal has just one goal to date, in a routine 4-0 group drubbing of Saudi Arabia. He failed to find the net once again as Spain booked their place in the World Cup semifinals for the second time.

“Obviously I want to score, but I don’t go onto the pitch thinking about that. I do it thinking about helping the team,” said Yamal.

“If we win the World Cup, no one will remember whether I scored goals … The important thing is winning,” said the Barcelona star, after the victory in Los Angeles set up a semifinal clash with France.

“I know I can contribute even if I don’t score. I know my movements draw in many opponents, so I do everything I can to help the team,” he said.

Despite the lack of goals, Yamal has performed consistently for La Roja and has also broken records along the way.

On Friday, he made his sixth FIFA World Cup appearance, the outright most by a player aged 18 or younger in the competition.

Breakout star

Two years ago, then aged 16, Yamal was the breakout star of the Spanish team that won the European Championships in Germany.

He only scored once during that victorious campaign – a stunning strike in a 2-1 semifinal win against France.

“There’s an idea that I should be scoring more, like at the Euros, but we won the Euros with me scoring just one goal. And I have one goal here too, so I’m relaxed about it,” he said, with a smile.

But Spain will be hoping Yamal, who turns 19 the day before the semifinal, can bag further goals if his side is to see off the free-scoring tournament favourites France.

“There are two possibilities – either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We’ll see what happens,” said Yamal.

“We aren’t afraid at all.”

Yamal shares endearing moment with brother Keyne

Amid Spain’s post-match celebrations, Yamal and his half-brother Keyne were caught in a sweet moment when the younger sibling was shown on the big screen.

The three-year-old was screaming and stuck his tongue out when the camera panned on him. Keyne then blew a kiss at his brother, making the teen Spanish star laugh and wave at him.

Keyne, who often accompanies Yamal to award shows and other public events, has been a fan favourite for the crowds at the World Cup.

He has been picked up by the cameras on multiple occasions, drawing a chuckle from his older brother and cheers from the crowd around him.

Emergency crews are searching for survivors after a Russian air strike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least one person and injured 29, including two children. The city’s mayor says Russian troops have advanced to just over 20 kilometres away.

Ukraine appeared to have begun large-scale strikes against Russian shadow tankers attempting to supply occupied Crimea with fuel, as an energy crisis on the peninsula worsens.

At the same time, Ukraine has continued to cause fuel shortages in Russia itself, striking refineries deep inside the country, including, for the first time, the Omsk refinery in Siberia, Russia’s largest, 2,500km (1,553 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert Brovdi said his forces had struck 19 Russian tankers, a cargo ship and a ferry between July 6 and 8, including nine tankers on the night of July 7.

Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk told newspaper Suspilne that Russia had rerouted fuel supplies to Crimea after Ukraine deprived it of overland routes.

“They had few options left. It’s either a land corridor or a sea connection,” Pletenchuk said. “As far as we know, they don’t use the Kerch Bridge for such transportation in the necessary volumes,” he said, referring to the bridge connecting Crimea to Russia.

Ukraine detonated a truck on the bridge in 2022, setting alight a fuel train that had been travelling alongside it and demonstrating the risk of using the bridge for large volumes of fuel.

Ukraine pivoted to attacking Crimea in the past few weeks after disabling the oil offloading terminal at Novorossiysk, on the opposite Russian coast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Financial Times.

“We were slowing down the militarisation of our peninsula occupied by Russia,” he said. “We cut off the logistics and took control of the fuel and energy complex. We showed what it means to operationally control the sky at a specific point, at a specific time.”

The Ukrainian Presidential Office in Crimea said these strikes had caused “a management crisis on the peninsula”.

In Sevastopol, fuel has stopped being sold to civilians, and more than a dozen Crimean regions are suffering from electricity blackouts.

Ukraine continued strikes on the peninsula in the past week, destroying seven Sukhoi aircraft and two sheds containing Shahed aerial drones at the Saky airfield on July 3, the Kerch oil transhipment terminal on July 6 and three hangars at the Guardsman airfield on the same day.

Ukraine also kept up pressure on Russia, launching what mayor Sergei Sobyanin said was its largest strike on Moscow in two years.

More than 400 Ukrainian drones were downed while heading for the city on July 7, which was the first day of a NATO summit in Ankara.

“When our drones weren’t flying to Moscow and St Petersburg, [Russian president Vladimir]  Putin didn’t think much about it. He understood that the war was far from the Kremlin,” Zelenskyy told the Financial Times.

“When not a hundred drones, but a thousand would start flying to Moscow, and when he would feel and see this, he would be advised to move somewhere beyond the Urals. This would be a moment like a new page on the path to ending the war.

Ukraine struck several energy targets during the week, furthering its twin goals of starving Russia of petrol and export revenue from oil.

The SBU said it struck and set alight the St Petersburg oil terminal on July 4, which it described as “one of the largest oil product transshipment terminals in the Baltic region”. Zelenskyy posted video purporting to show the terminal in flames.

On Sunday, Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces had struck the Slavneft Yanos refinery in Yaroslavl, 700km (430 miles) from Ukraine, the Ust-Luga refinery on the Baltic Sea, and the Omsk Refinery. Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down 613 of 625 Ukrainian drones detected in the airspace overnight.

Ukraine’s Air Force said that Russia had lost 42.7 percent of its refining capacity over the past year, and suffered $13.5bn of damage to oil infrastructure.

These strikes have cumulatively caused petrol and diesel shortages in the Russian market, with consumers in urban hubs lining up to fill their cars.

During the week, Ukraine also struck the Kremny EL Group in Bryansk, which it said manufactured microchips, semiconductors and other electronics for the armed forces.

Zelenskyy said the air war would prove “decisive”, because in 2026 Ukraine’s ground troops had effectively stopped Russia’s slow advance of the last two years.

Independent assessments have suggested that Russia gained a total of 97 square kilometres (37 square miles) in the first six months of the year.

“The war is ongoing, but the front line is no longer moving. When the front line is almost not moving, and the enemy cannot invade by sea, the sky remains,” Zelenskyy said.

US President Donald Trump handed Zelenskyy a major victory at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, saying he would license Ukraine to produce interceptor missiles for anti-air systems.

Zelenskyy has been campaigning for a licence to build Patriot interceptors, which he believes Ukraine can do faster and more cheaply than the US or European manufacturers.

But Zelenskyy said Patriots ultimately are not the answer for European air defence, announcing his intention to develop FREYA, a Ukrainian-designed anti-ballistic system like Patriot “but with a higher production capacity and at a lower cost”.

Is Russia losing?

Zelenskyy’s commander-in-chief warned against dismissing Russia too easily.

“It’s still too early to talk about a qualitative turning point in the war,” Oleksandr Syrskii wrote on his Telegram messaging channel. “The aggressor is showing signs of exhaustion, but retains significant offensive potential,” adding that Russia “plans to extend the front line, which already exceeds 1,250 kilometres (777 miles).”

Putin relaunched the narrative that Moscow will overrun the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, four-fifths of which Russia already controls.

In a televised meeting with his top generals on July 3, Putin was told that Russia has seized 3,000sq km (1,160sq miles) of Ukraine so far this year, and “liberated” 133 settlements. His commander in chief, Valery Gerasimov, also claimed to control the cities of Kupiansk in Kharkiv, and Kostiantynivka in Donetsk.

The Institute for the Study of War, which uses geolocated footage to assess advances, estimated that Russian forces have a presence in 2.4 percent of Kupiansk and 37 percent of Kostiantynivka – and most of that in the form of infiltrations, not firm control.

The Ukrainian military has estimated the number of Russian servicemen in Kostiantynivka at between 100 and 250.

Putin was told that Russian forces seized 636sq km (245sq miles) of Ukraine in June alone. The ISW estimates the real number at 30sq km (11sq miles).

Kostiantynivka is politically important to the Kremlin because it is the first of four heavily fortified cities, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which Moscow must seize to take control of Donetsk – which Putin considers a puppet state and has repeatedly prioritised.

“The capture of Kostyantynovka by the troops of the South battlegroup opens a direct road for further advance to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, other fortified areas in the Donbas, and is, of course, the key to liberating the entire territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” Putin said.

The Donbas includes Donetsk and Luhansk, which Putin mistakenly claimed to have taken in its entirety.

“I understand that we should no longer speak of the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk-Kostyantynovka line, but simply of the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk line,” Putin told the gathering.

A EUROPEAN theme park that mums have compared to Disneyland is getting a new ride that will be the first of its kind at the park.

Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands is getting a €50million (£42.6million) new ride in 2029.

The new ride, called Missie Luminar, is themed around the challenge of travelling at the speed of light and will be the theme park’s first suspended launch rollercoaster.

This means all the seats will hang beneath the track.

The rollercoaster will start by launching passengers out of a ‘science lab,’ before they go on a mission with a goal of breaking through the light barrier.

The ride will last two minutes, with parts of the ride focusing on science experiments and discoveries from the 19th century.

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Fons Jurgens, CEO of Efteling, said: “Missie Luminar will be a fantastic addition to our collection of thrill rides. This type of roller coaster is new to Efteling.

“The top speed reaches 80 km/h, but it may feel even faster. All of this creates excitement from start to finish.

“It will be a truly unique and distinctive experience, even more so because of its location.

“Missie Luminar completes the Island of the Five Senses themed area.

“Visitors will see the vehicles racing past as soon as they enter Efteling, setting the tone for their day at the park.

“We still have a little while to wait, but we’re looking forward to seeing our visitors’ first reactions.”

Guests have previously compared Efteling to Disneyland, with one saying: “If you are travelling to the Netherlands, we highly encourage visiting Efteling. I prefer it now to Disney because of the variety it offers.”

Another said it was a “European twist” on Disneyland.

Three wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.

Who: Norway vs England
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinals
Where: Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, the United States
When: Saturday, July 11, at 5pm (21:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.

Four weeks ago, if you told Norwegians their team would be in the World Cup quarterfinals, they might have laughed it off. But this weekend, the Scandinavian country is set to break new ground.

Norway’s dream run in North America enters a new chapter when the tournament’s dark horses take on title contenders England for a place in the semifinals.

It took Norway a whopping 28 years to return to the sport’s biggest stage, and they have made their mark in style – from their traditional Viking row celebrations capturing global attention to striker Erling Haaland becoming the internet’s darling.

A lethal presence in the box and a goofy, no-nonsense personality off the pitch, Haaland has become somewhat of an all-round entertainer for viewers. His exemplary goal-scoring figures make you almost forget he’s playing in his debut World Cup – and next up, the towering striker will go toe-to-toe with England’s Harry Kane, another number nine who delivers when it matters most.

How did Norway and England reach the round of 16?

Norway finished second in Group I with six points, beating Senegal and Iraq and losing to France. They started their knockout phase with a late 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast before stunning Brazil by the same scoreline to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

England topped Group L with seven points, beating Croatia and Panama and drawing with Ghana. They needed a second-half comeback to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32 and knocked out cohosts Mexico 3-2 in a scintillating last-16 contest at the iconic Azteca Stadium.

Pressure firmly on England

The chants of “It’s Coming Home” were louder than ever when England’s fighting spirit – against the background of high altitude, history and a red card – steered them to victory against the home side Mexico.

Sharing 10 of the team’s 11 goals between them, the dynamic duo of Kane and Jude Bellingham has kept England alive in the title race, especially at a time when there are defensive deficiencies in the squad.

The in-form side, which also boasts more World Cup experience than Norway, are deemed favourites to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2018.

“We’ve been here a few times,” said England winger Bukayo Saka. “But the best team on the day is going to be the team that wins, so we’re aware of that and that’s where our focus is.”

England’s leaky defence – which has kept only two clean sheets in five games – will face its toughest test yet against Haaland, whose seven goals rank him third in the Golden Boot race, only behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Haaland: The most recognisable face at the World Cup

In their first World Cup since 1998, Norway, a nation of just more than five million people, has exceeded expectations.

After stunning the record five-time world champions Brazil to reach their first-ever quarterfinal, Norway will be eager to take down another giant and extend their fairytale run.

As much as their success has been a team effort, the spotlight has centred on their poster boy, Haaland – the blond, pony-tailed, 1.95-metre- (6ft4-) tall striker and a new social media sensation.

With his nonchalant replies in news conferences, awkward post-match selfies on Snapchat and a glittering collection of luxury handbags, the striker has drawn attention for more than just his goal-scoring prowess. In fact, “Haaland mania” has reached a fever pitch during the course of the World Cup.

Instagram is flooded with AI-generated and animated videos of him, stitched with his now-famous song “Ha-ha-ha-Haaland”.

“It’s important to joke around … I like to joke a little bit, and I ‌like ‌to have fun,” Haaland said. “That’s a key for my daily life – to joke around and, of course, train well and prepare well.”

Haaland’s top-notch preparation has delivered outcomes that even the 25-year-old did not expect.

“To be in the quarterfinals with Norway in the World Cup is quite surprising, even for me,” he said.

“Just to be able to play in the ⁠World Cup is, for me, a huge honour, and it was a huge goal for me in my career. ⁠To be able to be here and play on the biggest stage with my Norwegian friends against the best teams in the world, it’s really special.”

Norway vs England predictions

The Opta supercomputer gives England a 50.4 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Norway’s chances of winning are 25.1 percent.

The model estimates a 24.6 percent probability of the game going to extra time.

What time is Norway vs England?

• Norway: NRK1, NRK2, TV 2 (11pm, Central European Summer Time)
• United Kingdom: STV, STV Player, ITV1, ITVX (10pm, British Summer Time)
• USA: Peacock, Fox, Fox One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network (5pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

Who will the winner face in the semifinals?

The winner of the Norway vs England match will play Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Norway vs England: Head-to-head

Norway and England have never met at the World Cup, but have previously faced each other 12 times. England have won seven times, Norway twice, while three matches ended in a draw.

Their most recent encounter came in a 2014 international friendly, which England won 1-0 at Wembley.

Norway vs England: Team news

England will be without defender Jarell Quansah after he was handed a two-match ban for picking up a red card in the game against Mexico. He will miss the quarterfinal and a potential semifinal should England advance.

Centre-back Marc Guehi has a slight hamstring strain and will be assessed later on Friday to see if he is fit to play, while Reece James remains doubtful with a hamstring injury.

Defensive midfielder Jordan Henderson has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a broken wrist.

No issues have been reported in the Norway camp.

Norway’s predicted lineup

(4-3-3): Nyland (goalkeeper); Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Berg, Berge, Odegaard; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa

England’s predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Pickford (goalkeeper); Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

There has been unrest on the streets of London where Morocco fans were confronted by police following their team’s 2-0 loss to France and exit from the World Cup. Several arrests were reportedly made late on Thursday night around London’s Edgware road.

WORK will start in September on a new mega airport which will take on major hubs like London Heathrow and Dubai.

When fully operational, it’s expected to have as many as 60million passengers every year.

The airport called Port Polska, formerly Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, will be one one of the biggest in Europe once fully built.

Designs for the Polish terminal by Foster + Partners (behind projects such as Crossrail Place Canary Wharf and other major airports) and and Buro Happold were accepted in late-2025.

Now, Budimex has been contracted to start the work on its foundations which will start in September of this year.

This initial work is expected to be completed in 2027 at the cost of £28.6million.

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The entire project is expected to be built for £27billion.

It’s been said that the ‘infrastructure will make it the most modern airport in Central Europe‘.

Port Polska is scheduled to open in 2032 with two runways and capacity for more than 300,000 flights each year.

It will have just one passenger terminal which will cover 450,000m².

This means it will be almost three times the size of nearby Warsaw Chopin Airport’s passenger terminal.

The terminal at Port Polska will be across three levels.

Level two will be where travellers will find the ticket and baggage check-in, security control, arrivals and departures for the Schengen zone.

Level one will be where most of the arrivals and departures for the Non-Schengen zone, transfer centres and passport control.

Level zero will have coach gates for both Schengen and non-Schengen zones, baggage reclaim and an arrivals hall.

Initially, it will have two runways, but there are plans to expand with a third runway in the future, and even a fourth.

The project includes plans for over a thousand miles of new high-speed railway.

According to the schedule, the airport’s railway station will be completed by 2029.

In its first stage, Port Polska Airport is expected to handle up to 11,000 passengers per hour, and up to 34million per year.

By 2040, the airport could see over 60million passengers per year.

In comparison, 84.5million passengers travel through London Heathrow Airport each year.

Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled a record-breaking 95.2 million passengers last year.

The airport was initially set to be called Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, or CPK.

In December last year, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the name had been changed: “We won’t be using a name that our predecessors discredited.

“Everyone who lands there, everyone who uses this airport, everyone who shops there should know: yes—this is the heart of Europe, yes—this is Port Polska.”

Three wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.

Who: Spain vs Belgium
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – quarterfinal
Where: Los Angeles Stadium in California, United States
When: Friday at noon (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 15:30 GMT before our live text commentary stream.

After crushing the “American dream” by taking down cohosts USA in a politically influenced encounter, Belgium are gearing up for their next big challenge.

They face the daunting task of tackling Spain, whose robust defence and careful, possession-based football have made them one of the bookmakers’ favourites at the tournament.

Since an unconvincing performance in the first match, Spain have improved with each contest and punched their ticket to the quarterfinals in style.

They are the first team in history to keep six consecutive World Cup clean sheets – a record achieved by taking out Portugal on Monday and ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s last bid for a world title.

Belgium’s knockout campaign in North America has been nothing short of a roller-coaster, and come Friday, it could take another turn if they upset the reigning European champions to reach the semifinals.

Al Jazeera tells you everything about Spain vs Belgium:

How did Spain and Belgium reach the quarterfinals?

Spain topped Group H with seven points, beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay and drawing with Cape Verde. They began their knockout campaign with a 3-0 thrashing of Austria in the round of 32 before beating Portugal 1-0 with a late goal in an Iberian football derby in the round of 16.

Belgium topped Group G with five points, winning against New Zealand, and drawing with Iran and Egypt. They defeated Senegal 3-2 in extra time in the round of 32 before thrashing the USA 4-1 in the last 16 contest that was eclipsed by the bitter row over Folarin Balogun’s red card ban.

Courtois is confident Belgium can take down Spain

There may be only five spots between Spain’s and Belgium’s FIFA rankings with La Roja third and Belgium eighth, but the gap in their quality is quite stark.

Spain, the 2010 world champions, are unbeaten in 35 matches, a run that has turned coach Luis de la Fuente’s side from promising European champions into a team that exert confident control over their opponents.

Historically, Belgium have been far behind their Spanish counterparts, especially at major tournaments, having been knocked out in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup and in the last 16 at Euro 2024.

Yet goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes Belgium can pull off an upset after finally beginning to show some form at the tournament with a come-from-behind extra-time win and a statement performance in their last two games.

“Everyone on our team realises it’s possible. I think we have a strong squad with qualities that ⁠Spain will have to take into account,” Courtois told reporters on Wednesday.

“There ⁠are always surprises, and I think we can be one of them. Eliminating the European champions would obviously be a huge upset. The confidence is there.

“People were a bit disappointed in us, but we’ve set that right. We’re getting better and better,” he added about Belgium, whose best finish was third place at the 2018 World Cup.

The World Cup is likely the last hurrah for the remainder of Belgium’s so-called golden generation, including creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and striker Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku is Belgium’s top scorer at the tournament with three goals while Leandro Trossard has made an all-round impact with two goals and two assists. Charles De Ketelaere and Youri Tielemans also have two goals each.

‘Yamal brings so much to the team’: Olmo

Slowly finding his feet in his debut World Cup, the prodigiously gifted Lamine Yamal has not enjoyed the hero’s status he’s often used to.

With one goal in five games, the 18-year-old winger – who came into the World Cup on the back of a hamstring injury – is playing catch-up with Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain’s leading tournament scorer with four goals.

Midfielder Dani Olmo said his Barcelona teammate Yamal is growing into the tournament.

“He brings so much to the team with his dribbling and presence. When he receives the ball, two or three opposing players close in on him, which opens up space,” he said.

“Lamine scores and assists. He’s always done that in his short career, and even when he doesn’t, he’ll keep helping us with the work he’s doing.”

Spain vs Belgium prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives Spain a 59.3 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time while Belgium’s chances of winning are 18.3 percent.

The model estimated a 22.4 percent probability of the game going to extra time.

Kickoff time, TV schedule

• Spain: LA1, Teledeporte, RTVE Play, DAZN Mundial (9pm, Central European Summer Time)
• Belgium: VRT Max, Tipik, Auvio, Sportz, VRT (9pm, Central European Summer Time)
• United Kingdom: STV, STV Player, ITVX, ITV1 (8pm, British Summer Time)
• US: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (noon, Pacific Daylight Time; 3pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

Who will the winner face in the semifinals?

The winner of the Spain vs Belgium match will face France in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas, Texas. France defeated Morocco 2-0 on Thursday to reach the last-four.

Head-to-head

Spain and Belgium have met twice at the World Cup with honours even at one victory apiece.

Their first meeting dates back to 1986 when Belgium beat Spain 5-4 on penalties in the quarterfinals. Then they met in the group stage in 1990 with Spain winning 2-1.

Friday’s match will be Belgium’s third quarterfinal in four World Cups and fourth overall.

For Spain, the quarterfinals have not often been a happy hunting ground. They have only cleared this stage twice, making it to the final group stage in 1950 and beating Paraguay on their way to lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010.

Team news

Belgium’s midfielder Amadou Onana will miss the remainder of the World Cup after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the last match.

No injuries have been reported in the Spain camp.

Spain’s predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Simon (goalkeeper); Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

Belgium’s predicted lineup

(4-3-3): Courtois (goalkeeper); Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Raskin, Vanaken; Lukebakio, De Ketelaere, Trossard

US President Donald Trump gave his blessing earlier this week to domestic Ukrainian production of the missiles.

Ukraine must make every effort to start domestic production of desperately needed Patriot interceptor missiles as soon as possible, now that Washington has agreed to grant Kyiv the necessary licences, President Volodymyr ⁠Zelenskyy has said.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday after returning from this week’s NATO summit in Turkiye, Zelenskyy said that political approval had been obtained from US President Donald Trump when they met in Ankara and the challenge now was to quickly take the practical steps needed to begin production.

“We resolved this issue ‌politically,” he said. “It’s now very important that our technical teams, all our representatives from different ministries, representatives of the executive branch, start working on this without delay, so that we can get licences very quickly and start production in Ukraine as soon as possible.”

Although Kyiv has received regular donations of Patriot missiles from its allies for its defence against Russia’s invasion, global supplies are running low, and Ukraine is using the interceptors at a faster rate than they can be produced in the US.

Zelenskyy has been pressing the US to allow Ukraine to start producing the missiles itself to overcome the supply shortage.

At a joint news conference with Zelenskyy in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump told him: “We’re going to give a licence to you to make Patriots. This way, you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough.”

The Patriot is a US-made air defence system. Its PAC-3 interceptor – short for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 – is one of the few Western weapons capable of shooting down the ballistic missiles Russia has ⁠increasingly fired at Ukrainian cities.

Zelenskyy said his meeting with Trump had been a success, and he had also reached agreements with European allies.

“I believe this was a productive summit for Ukraine. In the coming days, we’ll receive a package from the United States, and there were also some separate agreements,” he said, referring to securing more PAC-3 interceptors.

“President Trump has repeatedly emphasised that today, only two to three countries in the world can produce Patriots, because the others are not technologically ready. Ukraine is recognised by America as a country that is ready to do this,” Zelenskyy said.

“Now, after our agreement with the president, our teams, our diplomats, the foreign ministries and defence ministries need to agree on all the remaining technical details. The sooner we reach those agreements, the sooner we will be able to produce Patriots.”

Patriot production will take months

However, Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, warned that setting up domestic production of the mobile, surface-to-air systems will take many months.

On his Telegram channel, Beskrestnov said a production licence would typically come with technical process documentation, training for specialists, supplier contacts and foreign consultants to help launch manufacturing.

The main obstacle would be time, rather than Ukraine’s technical or organisational capacity, he said, due to bottlenecks, including the long production cycle for some subcontracted components, which could take 12 to 24 months.

During the NATO summit, Trump praised Zelenskyy for doing “an amazing job”, a sharp change in tone from past criticisms of the Ukrainian leader.

Trump insisted that he remained determined to facilitate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

“It’s not the easiest; not the easiest thing,” the US president said of an eventual peace settlement. “There’s a lot of commitment, and there’s a lot of love of the countries and everything else. But I think we’ve made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks.”

Andy Burnham, who is expected to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, took to social media to apologise for the Labour Party’s initial stance on Israeli attacks in Gaza. He’s now calling for accountability of the Netanyahu government.

A French court ruling allows the leader of the far-right National Rally to run for president next April. It reduced and suspended Marine Le Pen’s prison sentence and ban on seeking public office, while upholding her conviction over a European Parliament jobs scam.

She will have to wear an electronic monitor for a year while on house arrest. Le Pen has said it will prevent her from campaigning and plans to challenge the decision in France’s highest court. But she is leading in opinion polls.

Will her candidacy take her all the way to the Elysee Palace? Or will voters who are wary of Le Pen’s nationalist, anti-migrant policies unite around a common rival, as they have in the past?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Bruno Cautres – Professor at the Centre for Political Research at Sciences Po

Rim-Sarah Alouane – Legal scholar specialising in civil liberties and constitutional law

Victor Mallet – Senior editor and former Paris bureau chief at The Financial Times and author of the book Far-Right France: Le Pen, Bardella and the Future of Europe

IF YOU are looking for your next European city break, then look no further as the best spots on the continent have been announced.

From popular Spanish spots to Italian hidden gems, the best 15 cities in Europe have been named – though it is bad news for the UK that didn’t feature on the list at all.

Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards are decided by readers’ votes and this year over 661,000 people took part.

Coming out on top is Florence in Italy, scoring 89.48 out of 100.

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey, who has previously visited the city, said: “There is no better place to go for art lovers, with Florence being home to famous works from Michelangelo, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci.

“You can also dine like a king, with slices of pizza for €1.50 (£1.29) and pasta dishes from €5 (£4.29).

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“All of the major attractions are a short walk from each other although if you really need a break, you can book an electric golf-buggy eco-tour that traverses the narrow roads.

“Something unusual to keep an eye out for is Florence’s wine windows – ordering a glass of vino through a tiny hole in the wall was created as a way to socially distance during the plague in the 17th century.”

Then in second place is Prague, in the Czech Republic – nicknamed ‘jewel in the crown of Europe’ – scoring 88.89 out of 100.

One Sun reporter who previously visited the city said: “Prague may be best known for its beer, but hillside winery Vini ní Altan is a great option.

“There are great views from inside the intricately carved wooden gazebo, and children can burn off some energy in the vine-strewn park below.

“Prague boasts the largest castle in the world — effectively a small town on top of a hill.

Rounding out the top three is Salzburg in Austria, scoring 88.31 out of 100.

The Sun’s Laura Purkess said: “Salzburg, the home of Mozart and The Sound of Music, sits in Austria’s beautiful Eastern Alps.

“While most of us associate the Alps with snow- caps and skiing, this city makes an ideal summer holiday destination — and it’s affordable.

“If you’re a keen hiker, it’s relatively easy to get from the city centre into the mountains which are filled with stunning, tree-lined trails that take anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours to complete.

“Hardcore fans of The Sound of Music should swap the free walking tour for a proper guided one of the film sets that takes you to locations beyond the city centre, including Church Mondsee, where Maria wed the Baron.”

Porto, Portugal and Ljubljana, Slovenia – nicknamed the ‘green jewel of Europe’ – then followed to round out the top five.

Two spots in Spain featured on the list with Seville in 10th and Madrid in 13th.

Seville is the capital of Spain’s Andalusia region and is known for its Moorish architecture as well as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

As for the Spanish capital, Madrid, you can head to a number of museums and Royal Palaces.

Two spots in Italy also featured on this list with Rome in seventh, and for a lesser-known Italian spot, head to Siena which featured in 14th.

The medieval city found in Tuscany, boasts a UNESCO-listed historic centre, where you can head to Piazza del Campo – the main square – and Duomo di Siena – a cathedral with black-and-white marble.

And places like Funchal – nicknamed the Hawaii of Europe – snuck into the top 20.

RYANAIR has warned that consistent technical failures could result in chaos for families heading on holiday this summer.

This comes after an issue earlier this week that caused hundreds of flights to be delayed by up to three hours.

A disruption to UK air traffic control (ATC) involving the Met Office caused earlier this week caused huge issues for airlines.

A technical fault at the Met Office meant that National Air Traffic Services (NATS) were unable to access weather data – so planes were not safely able to take off.

The issue delayed 155 Ryanair flights and impacted almost 30,000 of its passengers.

On July 7, Ryanair reported delays of up to three hours.

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easyJet also experienced disruption too with 253 of its flights delayed.

Ryanair has now accused NATS of repeatedly failing passengers and has warned of further delays if it continues.

Ryanair Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon said: “Nearly three years after NATS’ catastrophic 2023 system meltdown, UK passengers are once again being delayed because NATS’ systems have failed.”

“The most astonishing part is that NATS continues to charge airlines and passengers more every year while delivering a worse service.”

He added: “UK passengers deserve better. Airlines deserve better. NATS’ staff deserve better.”

As a result, Ryanair has called on NATS CEO, Martin Rolfe, to resign.

A NATS spokesperson told Sun Travel: “A Met Office technical issue overnight on 6/7 July meant that we were not receiving vital weather information into our NATS systems for a short period of time.

“Accurate weather information is vital for air traffic controllers and pilots in managing flights safely. As a result, some air traffic restrictions were put in place and removed soon after.

“We continue to work with the Met Office who are working to fully resolve the problem.”

A Met Office spokesperson added: “An issue we had which temporarily delayed delivery of some of our data is now remedied.

“We know customers rely on our data and we’re sorry for the disruption this caused.”

England host India in a women’s Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground – the first of such a kind at the venue.

Lord’s will finally host a women’s Test, 142 years since staging its first such men’s match, when England face India in a four-day game at the “Home of Cricket” starting on Friday.

“It just boggles my mind that it is just the first (women’s) Test match here at Lord’s,” said India coach Amol Muzumdar.

“It is a great occasion, and we are looking forward to it.”

The match takes place just more than 50 years since the first women’s match of any kind at the renowned London venue, with England beating Australia by eight wickets in a one-day international on August 4, 1976.

England’s captain at Lord’s that day was the late Rachael Heyhoe Flint, a pioneering figure in a women’s game where players were still wearing skirts rather than white or coloured trousers, as they do now.

Heyhoe Flint, who died in 2017, now has a gate named after her at Lord’s.

But in 1976, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owners of Lord’s, were still decades away from admitting women as members, with the thought of females walking directly through the Long Room of the pavilion before taking the field a distant dream.

England’s No 5 that day, Megan Lear, compared the experience to the moon landing, telling The Guardian: “On that day in 1976, to walk on to the hallowed turf at Lord’s, it was like one small step for us women cricketers, but one giant leap towards the future of women’s cricket.”

It is a sign of how things have changed from those amateur days that a Test between two professional sides will also be England’s second fixture at Lord’s in less than a week, following Sunday’s defeat by Australia in the women’s T20 World Cup final – a match that attracted a capacity crowd.

Nine of England’s World Cup squad are included for the Test, including captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who is “hoping to play” despite a nagging calf injury.

‘History in the making’

“We’ve always known this has been on the calendar,” said England coach Charlotte Edwards.

“A lot of our players have been doing Test match prep throughout the T20s, so we’re really looking forward to it,” added Edwards, England’s captain when they won the 2009 Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s.

“It’s a historic Test match for us as a group and for the Indian team, and we can’t wait to play in front of a lot of people again over the next four days.”

Teenage England spinner Tilly Corteen-Colman is well aware of the importance of the occasion.

“I remember speaking to Lottie (Edwards) about when she used to play here and they weren’t allowed in the Long Room,” said the 18-year-old.

“The first women’s Test at Lord’s is history in the making, so to be involved would be incredible. It would mean the absolute world.”

As well as a breakthrough, the game will also mark England batter Tammy Beaumont’s farewell to international cricket.

Beaumont has made 260 appearances for England since her debut 17 years ago, and she was the first English woman to score a double century in a Test – 208 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2023.

“When I fell in love with playing cricket as a young girl, I barely knew that playing cricket for England was an option,” said Beaumont.

The 35-year-old, who will continue to play domestic cricket, added: “Our first ever women’s Test at Lord’s feels like the perfect occasion to sign off on a career that I could never have dreamt would be as special as it has been.”

Three wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.

Who: France vs Morocco
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinals
Where: Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, the United States
When: Thursday, July 9, at 4pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.

The 2026 World Cup rolls into the quarterfinal stage, kicking off with a blockbuster battle between title favourites France and African champions Morocco.

France, two-time world champions and the 2022 edition’s runners-up, have been the most well-balanced team in the football tournament in North America, scoring a whopping 14 goals while leaking only two en route to a perfect five wins out of five.

Spearheaded by Golden Boot leader Kylian Mbappe, and boasting a tantalising trio of Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, France have arguably the most lethal and enviable attacking unit in the tournament.

But the next challenge in their bid for a third world title is far from easy.

The French are up against Ismael Saibari and Brahim Diaz’s Morocco, who stunned the Netherlands in the knockouts and will be eager to take down another European giant.

The Atlas Lions, no longer challengers but contenders, are looking to reach back-to-back semifinals for the first time in history.

Al Jazeera tells you everything about France vs Morocco:

How did France and Morocco reach the quarterfinals?

France topped Group I with a perfect record of nine points, winning against Norway, Senegal and Iraq. They thrashed Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 before beating a stubborn Paraguay side 1-0 in the last-16.

Morocco came second in Group C with seven points, securing victories over Scotland and Haiti, and a draw with Brazil. They began their knockout campaign with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shootout win over the Netherlands in the last-32 before smashing Canada 3-0 in the round of 16.

Morocco: Not simply challengers, but serious title contenders

Four years ago in Qatar – when Morocco stunned Spain and Portugal to become the first African and Arab nation to reach the World Cup semifinals – they earned the reputation of challengers.

But since then, the Atlas Lions have roared their way to the top, not just at the continental level but on the world stage.

As winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and buoyed by a 34-match unbeaten streak, FIFA world number six-ranked Morocco head into Thursday’s clash not just to pull off an upset, but to continue their promising bid for a maiden world title.

“We’re no longer a surprise today, and that’s a great source of pride,” said Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who took over four months ago.

“I think this is only the beginning, and I hope we’ll keep producing this kind of run for many years.”

World-class winger Brahim Diaz has been one of Morocco’s heroes at the World Cup, thanks to his four assists, while striker Ismael Saibari leads the goal-scoring charts with three. Soufiane Rahimi and Azzedine Ounahi have also contributed, with two goals apiece.

Saibari, who scored in each of the three group games and struck the winning penalty against the Dutch, has been ruled out of the quarterfinal, dealing a huge blow to Morocco.

The 25-year-old, one of the standout players of the tournament, came off early in the first half in the last game with a hamstring injury and has not recovered in time to face France.

France finding different ways to win

Mbappe’s seven goals in five games have strengthened France’s bid for the 2026 title, while also keeping him in pole position to become the first player to win the Golden Boot more than once.

But for all their swashbuckling swagger, Les Blues had to scrap their way past a rugged Paraguay side with very little protection from the match officials.

The game was far from pretty, but France got the job done, demonstrating that Didier Deschamps’s side possesses both the steely determination and extraordinary talent to become world champions.

“I think that playing a match like that at this stage of the tournament was fruitful ‌for us, because it gives answers about what the players are capable of in the face of that kind of adversity,” France’s assistant coach Guy Stephan told reporters on Monday.

“It was a day when it would have been easy to lose control, and nobody lost control. So that is still proof of maturity, even if they are young players.”

Stephan knows Morocco will pose a far different challenge from Paraguay, describing the North Africans as a “well-organised, well-structured team” who are equally impressive in transition.

“They also have individual strengths, whether on the right side or the left side … It’s undeniably a quality team,” he said.

France vs Morocco prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives France a 61.7 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Morocco’s chances of winning are 16.2 percent.

The model estimates a 22.1 percent probability of the game going to extra time.

France vs Morocco: How to watch, match schedule

• France: beIN SPORTS 1 (10pm, Central European Summer Time)
• Morocco: beIN SPORTS (9pm, Western European Summer Time)
• United States: Peacock, Fox, Fox One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network (4pm, Eastern Daylight Time)
• United Kingdom: BBC One, BBC iPlayer (9pm, British Summer Time)

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

Who will the winner face in the semifinals?

The winner of the France vs Morocco match will play Spain or Belgium in the semifinals in Dallas, Texas in the US on July 14.

France vs Morocco: Head-to-head

The last time Morocco met France was when the Atlas Lions made their maiden World Cup semifinal appearance. It dates back to December 2022, and Morocco suffered a 2-0 defeat.

Overall, they have met six times, with France winning four matches while two ended in a draw.

France vs Morocco: Team news

Morocco forward Saibari is out with a hamstring injury and could be replaced with Rahimi in the lineup.

France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is doubtful due to an adductor injury he sustained before the round of 16.

Three France players – Olise, Barcola and Manu Kone – were booked in the last game and risk receiving a ban should they pick up another yellow card against Morocco.

France’s predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Maignan (goalkeeper); Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe

Morocco’s predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Bounou (goalkeeper); Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Rahimi

Police arrested pro-Palestine activists for blockading a UK facility operated by UAV Engines Ltd, a subsidiary of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, and one of the world’s largest drone engine manufacturers. Activists say Elbit’s weapons are used in Israel’s war on Gaza.