The 2026 FIFA World Cup is deep into the knock-out stages — and HuffPost is live-blogging every twist and turn as the final looms at New York/New Jersey Stadium on July 19.Even before a ball was kicked, the 23rd edition of the tournament was engulfed in controversy: from Iran’s tough journey to the competition amid Donald Trump’s war, to the president’s close relationship with FIFA’s Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino. That’s not to mention Trump’s travel bans keeping some fans and officials out and the fury over soaring ticket prices. Once the soccer actually began, much of the concern was eased — at least for a short while. But the introduction of hydration breaks, seen as a vehicle for TV advertising, prompted booing from fans and questions about the fundamentals of the game being undermined. And Trump’s intervention in an effort to get a red card reversed for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, which was fruitless, as the Americans were soundly defeated by Belgium, will likely leave a stain on this World Cup.Check out the full games schedule on the FIFA website.Follow along with our coverage below:Norway World Cup Coach Makes Concerning Admission Before England ClashNorway coach Stale Solbakken said some of his players have been feeling under the weather ahead of their World Cup quarter-final against England on Saturday, as a month of travel, training and high-pressure games begins to take its toll on the squad.Striker Jorgen Strand Larsen is one of those dealing with health issues, Solbakken added."We've really only had Jorgen who has had a fever, but then there's been a bit of coughing and rasping scattered throughout," Solbakken told reporters. "But there's air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. There's 50 people (in Norway's travelling party), so it would be strange if something or other didn't crop up."Marcus Holmgren Pedersen missed the 2-1 win over Brazil in the round of 16 due to illness, though Solbakken thought the pressure of the World Cup experience may also have affected the 25-year-old."I think, without being a doctor, that it's a combination of the boy being young, he's come to the World Cup and thought, 'I'm going to be a backup for Julian (Ryerson)', he's had two games and played great," Solbakken explained."He's got a lot of stimulation, his head is full, his body is full of impressions, and then the system collapses a bit."Latest Live UpdatesBelgian Prime Minister Slips In Subtle Trump-World Cup Zing During NATO MeetingBelgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever appeared to take a subtle swipe at Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, over the president’s highly controversial intervention in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Read more here:Egypt Shreds World Cup Officiating After Heartbreaking ExitThe Egyptian Football Association on Wednesday criticised refereeing decisions in Egypt's dramatic 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 defeat by Argentina, saying it would not remain silent over what it described as the improper use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.Egypt appeared on course for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament when they led defending champions Argentina 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining on Tuesday, only to concede three late goals and crash out.The EFA said several decisions during the game had directly affected the outcome."Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game," the federation said in a statement posted on social media."A number of football experts and specialist analysts, both locally and internationally, have highlighted controversial and influential refereeing incidents during the match."This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the FIFA World Cup 2026."Much of the controversy centred on a goal by Egypt's Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute that would have doubled his side's lead. The goal was disallowed after a VAR review identified a foul by an Egyptian player in the buildup.Egypt's frustration deepened late in the match when their appeals for a penalty after Hamdy Fathy went down under a challenge were waved away, before Argentina went upfield and scored the winner in the 92nd minute.Coach Hossam Hassan and captain Mohamed Salah expressed their disappointment after the match, while several former players and television pundits also questioned the officiating."Surely, this is not within VAR's [realm] to review this," former England goalkeeper Rob Green said on Fox's broadcast of the match, referring to the foul that led to Zico's goal being quashed."It's a full length of the pitch away."Former England captain Alan Shearer also criticised the decision-making process. "Either both are fouls or neither is. But they told us they won't re-referee," the Premier League's all-time leading scorer wrote on social media.Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright pointed to another incident involving Salah. "If you're going to pull it back for Argentina on the edge of the box to disallow a goal, you have to pull it back for this one with Mo Salah. He's been caught. Whatever we say, it might be minimal, he's been caught and then they go up the other end," Wright said on ITV.Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also questioned the consistency of VAR's application. "If that was in the Premier League, LaLiga or Serie A, it would have been a goal even after VAR review," he said.According to media reports, EFA President Hany Abo Rida has submitted an official complaint against French referee Francois Letexier and his assistants. FIFA has yet to respond to a Reuters request for comment.World Cup Goes Dark For The First Day Since KickoffThe World Cup is game-less on Wednesday.For the first day since the tournament began on June 11, no matches will be played, as the eight remaining teams prepare for the quarterfinals.France will take on Morocco in Boston on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.Spain will play Belgium in Los Angeles on Friday at 3 p.m. E.T.Norway’s clash with England takes place in Miami on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.And reigning champions Argentina will play Switzerland in Kansas City on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.Longtime Croatia Coach Steps Down After World Cup ExitCroatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has stepped down after nine years in charge, the Croatian Football Federation said on Wednesday, less than a week after his side's exit from the 2026 World Cup following a 2-1 loss to Portugal in the Round of 32.Under Dalic's tenure, Croatia finished runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and third in the 2022 edition in Qatar, but the team exited the tournament without a medal this time around."Following nearly nine years, head coach Zlatko Dalic has decided to close his incredibly successful chapter with Croatia," the federation said in a statement."Head coach, thank you for everything – the victories, the achievements, the qualifying berths, the medals, the unity, the respect, and your unwavering commitment to fight for Croatia, both on and off the pitch."Pop Star Drops In On England's World Cup CampEngland swapped the training pitch for a musical interlude last week when British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran visited their World Cup base in Kansas City.The England team posted video on their app on Tuesday showing the 35-year-old performing his hit "Castle on the Hill" for players and staff during some downtime ahead of their thrilling 3-2 round-of-16 victory over Mexico on Sunday."Do you know what? 2021, Harry (Kane, England's captain) got me down for the (Euros) camp, and then I met everyone, and then I've just been to every one since, and it's been great," Sheeran told England's in-house media. "It's been a nice little tradition. First time I played for the lads in 2021 we bonded, and so it's never a tough crowd."The Suffolk-raised musician is a lifelong football fan and minority owner of Ipswich Town.He also visited the England squad before their quarter-final match against Switzerland at the 2024 European Championships.England clinched a World Cup quarter-final berth with Sunday's dramatic win at the Azteca Stadium. "I think it will be an England-France final, and I think when you get to the final, anyone can win, and I think it'll be us," Sheeran said.The team arrived back in Kansas City on Monday, and used the day mainly for recovery.Israeli Strike Kills World Cup Screening Organizer In Gaza Just Before KickoffAn Israeli strike on Gaza just before the kickoff of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match killed a top Palestinian aid official who was instrumental in efforts to organize public screenings of the game across the enclave, according to local health officials.Read more here:FIFA Investigates Alleged Racist Abuse Of U.S. YouTuber At World Cup GameFIFA is investigating an alleged incident of racist abuse at a World Cup game.During Argentina’s round of 32 victory over Cape Verde in Miami on Friday, a fan wearing an Argentina jersey reportedly said in Spanish to U.S. YouTuber IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., and who is Black, to “go cry to the zoo.”Read more on The Associated Press:Belgium Soccer Team Trolls Trump In The Most Hilarious WayThe Belgium soccer team celebrated its 4-1 victory over the U.S. in the World Cup by viciously trolling Donald Trump in their locker room.Read more here:Olympics Chief Addresses Concerns Over Political Meddling At LA 2028 After Trump World Cup SagaThe head of the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday the Olympic movement had mechanisms to deal with disputes at major events, when asked whether she was concerned about political interference ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.Kirsty Coventry was speaking days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had personally urged FIFA to review the red-card suspension of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup, a case that raised questions over political pressure on sports bodies.Canadian PM Mark Carney's Joke World Cup Plea to Norway Goes ViralCanada's Prime Minister Mark Carney mixed business with banter at the NATO summit in Turkey as he jokingly attempted to recruit Norway's star striker Erling Haaland for his country's next World Cup squad.Carney met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of the summit in Turkey's capital Ankara on Tuesday, a day after agreeing to a submarine deal with a German-Norwegian partnership.Highlighting the importance of Canada's relationship with Norway, Carney could not resist making an audacious pitch for the Norwegian forward who has scored seven goals at the World Cup."Interoperability also means sharing crews. And in the next World Cup, if you could share Erling Haaland with us, that would be greatly, greatly appreciated," he joked, drawing laughs from Stoere.Stoere immediately broke into a Viking-row gesture and said: "He is not for sale."Norway stunned Brazil in the round of 16 and play England in the quarter-finals on Saturday.World Cup co-hosts Canada bowed out of the tournament last week after an inspirational run that saw them claim the nation's first World Cup point, first World Cup victory and first knockout-stage win.See All Updates