• Summary
• FIFA will examine the issue in committees after this World Cup
• A 64-team format would create 16 groups of four teams
• Longer tournaments and logistics could limit the number of potential hosts
• Infantino defends ticket prices and hydration breaks

Any further expansion of the World Cup, increasing the ​number of teams participating at the finals to 64, will be discussed after this year’s edition, FIFA president Gianni Infantino ‌said without providing any details.

The 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States have seen 48 teams for the first time, a decision that was heavily criticised but which has not provoked much debate since the tournament kicked off on June 11.

“These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup,” Infantino, who ​successfully pushed for the expansion of the finals from 32 teams, told Swiss television outlet Blue Sport.

He did not elaborate, saying only: “I ​think it is important that when you want to tilizat a World Cup, you do it for the whole ⁠world — not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world.

“Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. ​You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world.

“If you don’t give ​smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”

Infantino hailed the 48-team tournament as a success, saying: “Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point.

“Nine out of 10 African teams reached the knockout stage. At the last World ​Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams, to give them ​this opportunity to participate,” he added.

The size of the World Cup field was increased to 32 teams in 1998. The next finals in 2030 are to be co-hosted ‌by Morocco, ⁠Portugal and Spain, and the 2034 tournament will be in Saudi Arabia.

INFANTINO DEFENDS HYDRATION BREAKS AND TICKET PRICES

Infantino, who rarely gives media interviews and has limited his number of formal press conferences, admitted that introducing hydration breaks during each half, which many have seen as a cynical attempt to help television partners get more advertising revenue, had proved controversial.

“This is a topic that sparks a lot of debate. After all, we don’t want to get ​everything perfect; we like to give ​everyone something to disagree with… ⁠no, joking aside. Last year, during the Club World Cup in the USA, there were cooling breaks whenever it was very hot.

“These short breaks occurred in about 60% of the matches but not in the other 40% ​because the temperature wasn’t as high. There were many complaints, as the feeling was that all teams should ​face the same ⁠conditions,” he said.

He also defended the high ticket prices at the World Cup, saying: “The stadiums are full; capacity tilization is at 99.7% and it will likely reach 99.9% by the end.

“Experts determined the ticket prices before the tournament. Our experts worked on that and told us: ‘These are the prices you can go with’. ⁠We see ​the proof now: prices that some people claimed were too high are being resold ​on the secondary market —which is perfectly legal here — for four or five times the original cost.”

Infantino said he expected FIFA to generate a total of 13 to 14 billion Swiss francs ($16.08 ​billion to $17.32 billion) from the 39-day World Cup. “That is quite satisfactory,” he said.

-Reuters

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• Summary
• Kane and Bellingham have scored 12 of England’s 13 tournament goals
• Declan Rice spent most of the previous three days in bed ill, Tuchel said
• England reached a second semi-final in three World Cups after their 2018 exit

England’s reward for another display of resilience ​at the World Cup is a semi-final against old rivals Argentina, a fixture laden with history and one that offers Thomas Tuchel’s side the ‌chance to move within one game of ending a 60-year wait.

A day after overcoming Norway 2-1 in extra time to reach the last four, England found themselves preparing for a meeting with the reigning champions, adding another chapter to one of the World Cup’s most enduring rivalries.

England have reached the semi-finals for the second time in the last three tournaments, having fallen to Croatia in ​extra time at Russia 2018. Their only appearance in a World Cup final came in 1966, when they lifted the trophy on home soil.

Tuchel’s ​side have forged their run through a blend of star quality and sheer determination, twice coming from behind in the knockout ⁠phase to keep their tournament alive. The coach believes this has become a defining trait of his team.

“They just refuse to give in. They just refuse ​to accept defeat,” Tuchel said. “They overcome setbacks. They put a shift in. There is not one 1% complaint about that.”

Yet Tuchel tempered the celebrations with a warning ​that England have room for improvement.

“To overcome adversity and find ways to win is on the absolutely highest level,” he said. “We found a way, we’re in the last four, which is the most important thing. But I still think we can and have to play better football.”

England’s progress has been driven largely by the partnership of captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The ​two have each scored six of England’s 13 goals at the tournament — the first pair of teammates to net that many goals each at a World Cup. Bellingham ​heads to Atlanta in ominous form after scoring four goals in his last two matches.

“World-class performance from a world-class player in big, big moments,” Tuchel said. “Absolute top class.”

England forward Noni ‌Madueke suggested ⁠such displays have become routine for the Real Madrid man.

“It’s unbelievable what he’s doing,” Madueke said. “It’s very normal though for him.”

The squad were pushed to their limits by Norway, with players suffering cramp and illness in searing conditions.

Tuchel revealed that midfielder Declan Rice, who did not play the second half on Saturday, had spent most of the previous three days in bed ill. Madueke said results were all that mattered, however.

“Listen, if we play like this and win the next two games, I don’t ​mind. I’m not bothered,” he said.

History provides ​ample evidence of the challenge ahead. ⁠The teams have met five times previously at World Cups: England beat Argentina in 1962 and 1966 before Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal and brilliant solo effort inspired Argentina’s victory at Mexico 1986.

Argentina edged a last-16 tie on penalties in ​1998 — remembered for Michael Owen’s wonder goal and David Beckham’s red card — before Beckham gained revenge by scoring the ​winner in England’s 1-0 ⁠group-stage triumph in 2002 in Japan.

England’s most recent major tournament semi-final ended more happily, with Ollie Watkins’ late winner securing a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands at Euro 2024 to send England into the final. Now they face another formidable test against Lionel Scaloni’s world champions, with a place in the 2026 final at stake.

Tuchel admitted the emotional demands ⁠of tournament ​football are unlike anything he has experienced as a club manager, but said there was nowhere ​else he would rather be.

“I feel very alive in these moments,” he said. “This is where I want to be. I don’t want to be anywhere else in the world.”

England, carried by the brilliance of ​Kane and Bellingham and a growing belief they can survive anything, will hope that feeling lasts at least one game longer.

-Reuters

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France are not afraid of Spain going into their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, defender Ibrahima Konate said on Sunday, but they are conscious of ​their opponents’ quality and their near-perfect backline.

Spain have conceded only one goal in ‌the entire tournament to reach the last four in search of a second World Cup title.

France, winners in 2018 and finalists four years ago, know Spain very well, having lost to them in the Euro 2024 last ​four and also in last year’s Nations League semi-finals.

“You cannot fear anyone,” France centre-back ​Konate told a press conference. “We will now prepare as best as possible ⁠and hope the result in the end will favour us.”

“Spain are an exceptional team, with ​a lot of individual quality, so we won’t be focusing on just one player even though ​Lamine (Yamal) is a great player,” said Konate, who had a brief substitute appearance in the win over Norway in their final group match.

Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba have been France’s starting centre-backs, as the tournament favourites eye ​their fifth World Cup final.

The French have reached four of the last seven World Cup ​finals. Should they take part in the July 19 showdown in New York, they will sustain the comparison ‌with West ⁠Germany, arguably the ultimate tournament nation with four finals between 1974 and 1990.

But Konate said the French were not wasting any thoughts on what might be.

“We are staying humble, we won’t fall into that trap,” he said.

They will need to find a way to break down this ​World Cup’s most effective ​backline, as well as ⁠contain as much as possible Lamine’s runs down the wings.

“I would not say ‘fear ‘, but we are conscious of their quality,” said fellow France centre-back ​Maxence Lacroix. “They have won all their matches (except a 0-0 draw against ​Cape Verde in ⁠the group), so we respect them. They have high-quality players, but we want to win.”

Top of the list is Spain winger Lamine, who has earned praise from his coach for keeping opponents’ ⁠defenders ​busy as teammates use the spaces created.

“We will defend well, ​the best,” Lacroix said. “Lamine is a very good player, and he has shown he can hurt teams at this World ​Cup. We will do the work that is needed.”

-Reuters

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