Analysis

With the World Cup over and pre-season friendlies beginning in earnest over the next week, it feels like the new club season is hurtling towards us at a rather alarming rate. With that in mind, managers are getting increasingly twitchy when it comes to transfers, with coaches around Europe keen to know which players they will and won't be able to call upon over the coming weeks and months.

Chelsea could have a problem on their hands when Enzo Fernandez returns from his post-World Cup holiday - both figuratively and literally. The midfielder and his outspoken agent have made it abundantly clear that he wants to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, and following the ugly conclusion to Argentina's quest for glory in North America, Enzo is now expected to "explore his options". The problem is, he might not have any.

GOAL breaks down the top five players in CONCACAF following the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup had plenty of flaws, but its lasting legacy may be found in the streets, bars and stadiums where cultures converged and unexpected connections were formed.

From discounted tickets and free fan festivals, to 24-hour pitches and a visit to Rikers Island, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani tells GOAL how his administration sought to make the World Cup accessible - and what he hopes it will leave behind.

From Messi's brilliance to the American infatuation with Erling Haaland, GOAL looks at some of the best and worst of the 2026 World Cup

World Cup winners Jurgen Klinsmann, Kaka, Mario Gotze and Carles Puyol tell GOAL about the pressure, relief and lasting impact of lifting the trophy.

Unai Simon won the Golden Glove at the 2026 World Cup after keeping seven clean sheets in eight appearances - a truly historic achievement, and yet it would be difficult to argue that the goalkeeper played a particularly important role in Spain's success because he barely had anything to do.

There is a sense that we are awaiting the inevitable after Argentina were downed by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The tears rolling down Lionel Messi's face after the full-time whistle in New Jersey suggested he may well be about to call time on his glittering international career, having powered his country through the tournament in North America at the age of 39.

FIFA's 104th and final Super Bowl delivered plenty of American pomp and circumstance, yet seemed to forget about the soccer

After nearly 40 epic days, the World Cup has drawn to a close. The final did not deliver on drama, but there is perhaps justice in the best team winning it all.

The 2026 World Cup came to a close in New Jersey on Sunday as Spain were deservedly crowned champions after a dour 1-0 win over 10-man Argentina in one of the worst finals in the tournament history. La Roja substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of a game that was essentially attack versus defence even before Enzo Fernandez got himself stupidly sent off for a second yellow card in the final minute of normal time.

At the end of a gruelling battle of footballing philosophies, Spain are world champions once again. It was control vs chaos in the 2026 World Cup final as Luis de la Fuente's pass masters came up against the holders and experts in the dark arts, Argentina. Ultimately, after 120 minutes of bruising action, La Roja (and football) would prevail 1-0, leaving Lionel Messi disconsolate.

The World Cup final is finally upon us, and Sunday's showdown between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey promises to be an absolutely enthralling encounter between the two best teams in the tournament - with the emphasis very much on 'teams'.

And so the wait goes on. England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina on Wednesday means their quest for a first international trophy since 1966 will stretch into a seventh decade. The hope is that drought will come to an end in two years' time when the Three Lions co-host the 2028 European Championship, but will England ever again reach a World Cup final, never mind lift the most famous trophy in the sport?

Argentina’s comeback against England demonstrated the belief surrounding Lionel Messi. Now Spain stand between the holders and a historic second straight World Cup title.

It was a surprise, in truth, that it took reporters so long to ask Harry Kane about his future. The England striker stood there in the mixed zone, after a devastating 2-1 loss to Argentina, faced with the damning end to a remarkable season. And not until the third question did someone ask the England captain what might be next for him.

The two World Cup semifinals told remarkably different stories, but the resulting final looks like a tantalizing matchup between two excellent teams.

Atlanta did not need the World Cup to manufacture a soccer culture. Eight matches and more than half a million fan-festival visitors only confirmed what the city had spent nearly 60 years building.

It was all going so, so well for around 80 minutes. England went toe-to-toe with Argentina, and had a just-about-deserved 1-0 lead over the defending champions. A first World Cup final in 1966 was in sight for the Three Lions. And then, due in large part to the decisions of manager Thomas Tuchel, it was snatched away.

Against all the odds and pre-match conjecture, it is Spain who progressed to the final of the 2026 World Cup after overcoming France and their fabled forward line with alarming ease in Dallas on Tuesday. It was quite incredible just how routine the 2-0 victory was, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele all failing to show up as the tournament favourites bowed out with a whimper.

GOAL's signature summer soccer event is bringing laughs, football and plenty of fun in its final week of action

Tons of big names in the women's game have been on the move in this summer transfer window. From Alexia Putellas to Georgia Stanway, Sam Kerr to Mary Earps and Beth Mead to Katie McCabe, it's already proving to be a blockbuster off-season. But there are also several lesser known talents, young players with huge potential, making transfers.

Before the start of Lionel Messi's sixth World Cup, the common consensus was that he'd seen and done it all. After effectively completing football four years ago in Qatar, there was even a fear that there was no way he could, at 39 years of age, add to his legacy - only slightly sully it. Messi, though, has spent his entire career making a mockery out of conventional wisdom and has actually managed to solidify his status as the greatest player of all time by becoming the World Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer and assist-maker during Argentina's run to the semi-finals.

When Spain's starting line-up for last week's World Cup quarter-final against Belgium was revealed roughly an hour before kick-off, the name of Pedri was immediately conspicuous by its absence. The natural assumption among pundits and supporters was that he was carrying a niggle - which tells you everything you need to know about just how highly the Barcelona star is rated.

Spain-France and England-Argentina headline a blockbuster semifinal lineup as the World Cup enters its decisive week.

Diego Luna spoke with GOAL about the pain of missing the World Cup, the difficult lessons he has learned, and why becoming a better player starts with changing his approach every day.

FIFA’s Creator Correspondent program has given 30 TikTok personalities remarkable access at the World Cup - and offered a glimpse of how social media is reshaping soccer coverage in North America.

Watch the video again and you can almost see Jude Bellingham loading his answer as the interviewer navigates the question. The Real Madrid superstar had just been informed that his manager, Thomas Tuchel, was "disappointed" with England's performance following a gusty 2-1 win over Norway in Miami on Saturday night. Bellingham's remarkably clippable response? "Whatever."