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:England World Cup Star Addresses Hilariously Viral ‘F**k You’ From Rival CoachEngland's Anthony Gordon has brushed off the viral moment that now-former Mexico coach Javier Aguirre appeared to curse him out during England's dramatic World Cup win, describing it as "just a bit of fun" and even a "compliment."Television cameras caught Aguirre getting Gordon's attention by calling out his name before saying, "fuck you" and bursting into laughter.Watch the viral moment on X."With all the heat and tension around the game, it was a bit of fun," Gordon said, per the Press Association. "I'd just run the full-back down the line so it was a bit of a compliment from him. That's how I took it anyway."Latest Live UpdatesHeavy Rain Threatens Oslo World Cup Parties As Norway Take On EnglandNorway's famed "row" celebration may be one of the viral sensations of the World Cup in North America, but fans in the capital of Oslo might need their waterproofs when their side take on England in the quarter-finals on Saturday if forecast heavy rains arrive.The team's five games so far at the tournament have seen tens of thousands of fans in Norway gathering outdoors to watch, with supporters packing streets and squares to cheer on their side and celebrate together as they contest their first men's World Cup since 1998.However, a weather warning issued on Friday morning for the south-east of the country has authorities and fans alike scrambling to review their arrangements for Norway's biggest World Cup game since the country's women won the 1995 final."Saturday afternoon and early evening, locally heavy rain showers with thunder are expected," the Norwegian Meteorological Institute said in a 'yellow' weather warning. "In some places, more than 20 mm may fall in an hour.""There is a risk of stormwater in densely populated areas, and water penetrating basements. Risk of local flooding, changes in stream and river courses, landslides and flash floods where the heaviest rain showers hit."Saturday's rain will put the country's weather maxim of "there's no bad weather, only bad clothes" to the test, but the one silver lining for arrangers of outdoor viewings is that the rain is expected to stop at around 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT), with the game in Miami kicking off at 11 p.m.'Made Us Proud': Egypt Gives Heroes' Welcome Home To World Cup TeamWaving flags, singing patriotic songs and carrying banners proclaiming "Egypt's men made us proud", thousands of supporters welcomed Egypt's national football team home on Friday after the Pharaohs produced the finest World Cup campaign in the country's history.Crowds gathered outside Alamein International Airport on Egypt's Mediterranean coast to greet the players and coaching staff after their return from North America, where Egypt won at the World Cup for the first time in four attempts and reached the last 16. Fans also held pictures of captain Mohamed Salah bearing the words "Thank you".The celebrations continued as the squad boarded an open-top bus and paraded through New Alamein, waving to cheering supporters lining the streets. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is due to receive the team and its technical and administrative staff on Saturday.Among the crowds were supporters carrying large posters of coach Hossam Hassan draped in a Palestinian flag, reflecting appreciation for his support of the Palestinian cause during the tournament. Egypt's all-time leading scorer carried a Palestinian flag on the pitch on several occasions and voiced support for Palestinian rights during press conferences.The homecoming came despite a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat by Lionel Messi's Argentina in the last 16. Egypt led 2-0 until the closing stages before conceding three goals in the final 11 minutes, but still returned home with pride after its best-ever World Cup run, having beaten New Zealand in the group stage and Australia on penalties in the round of 32.Before the team's return, the Egyptian Football Association renewed the contracts of Hossam Hassan and his twin brother Ibrahim Hassan. The federation did not disclose the length of the deal, though local media reported it would run until 2030. Hassan, 59, has revitalised the national side since taking charge in 2024, leading Egypt to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, ending an eight-year World Cup absence and compiling a record of 20 wins, nine draws and six defeats.World Cup's Embrace Of Technology Backfires On FIFAIf FIFA President Gianni Infantino imagined his embrace of technology might finally put an end to disputes over refereeing decisions, the World Cup would have disabused him of the notion.The use of technology has been at the heart of every major controversy at the tournament, including the saga around the red card for Folarin Balogun that drew in U.S. President Donald Trump.Criticism of technology has ranged from charges of over-reach and inconsistency of application, to full-blown conspiracy theories that VAR was being used to determine the outcome of matches in favour of certain teams or players.Egypt coach Hossam Hassan gave voice to all three on Tuesday after his team had a goal scratched off by VAR because of a foul at the other end of the pitch, and a penalty shout that went unchecked, before losing 3-2 to Argentina in the last 16.“What’s happening isn’t fair,” he said.Read more on Reuters:World Cup Weather Watch: Spain vs. BelgiumHere's what fans can expect in Los Angeles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Spain and Belgium on Friday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2Police Officer Hospitalized In London Amid Violence Following France-Morocco World Cup ClashA police officer was hospitalized with a head injury and multiple arrests were made in London on Thursday night after violence erupted following France’s 2-0 quarterfinal defeat of Morocco in the World Cup.Read more at The Guardian:Teen Dies In Tragic Accident During France World Cup CelebrationsA 17-year-old girl died in northern France on Thursday night after she reportedly fell from a truck and was then struck by the vehicle during celebrations of the French men’s national soccer team’s 2-0 quarterfinal World Cup win over Morocco, reported local media.Megan Rapinoe Explains Why U.S. Women’s Team Was Better Prepared For Trump DramaFormer U.S. women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe explained on Thursday how the “circus” surrounding the men’s World Cup team after Donald Trump’s intervention with FIFA may have contributed to its crushing 4-1 Round of 16 defeat to Belgium.Read more here:Belgium Coach Fires Warning To Spain Ahead Of World Cup ShowdownBelgium are embracing their underdog status ahead of Friday's World Cup quarter-final against Spain, with coach Rudi Garcia confident they have the attacking quality and belief to upset the European champions.Spain entered the tournament as one of the favourites and after a slow start found their swagger with a 3-0 win over Austria in the round of 32.While Spain coach Luis de la Fuente struck a philosophical tone in his own pre-match media conference, quoting Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Garcia leaned instead on analytics and squad management."We know we are playing one of the favourites. Spain are probably the best at ball possession and they have been playing in a recognisable way for 15 or 20 years," he said. "But we have a great team. We are the second-highest scorers in the World Cup and we are facing the team with the highest expected goals. We think we can do it."Belgium, with 13 goals, are the third-highest scorers behind France (16) and Argentina (14).Veteran forward Romelu Lukaku, whose workload has been managed during the tournament, said Belgium would need the perfect game to progress."If you get this far, you don't play just to go home," the 33-year-old said."Spain are an excellent team. They look for the third man, they have speed on the sides and they provide depth. But we are well prepared and we have assets that can make life difficult for them."Lukaku said his role had been agreed after a long conversation with Garcia in April and that his focus was not on individual accolades."It's about the team," he said. "I try to help on the pitch and off the pitch. At this stage of my career, you have to play with your head as well."Belgium are also prepared for a potentially hostile crowd at Los Angeles Stadium after they eliminated the United States 4-1 in Seattle on Monday.Garcia said it would take more than an unfriendly atmosphere to unsettle his players."We just beat the U.S. in a stadium where everyone was against us," he said."It's not the crowd that scores the goals. We will focus on what we can do. We have enough on our plate with Spain, who are a wonderful footballing team."Even if we are the underdogs, we will do everything we can to give them a run for their money."Pele's Daughter Delivers Blistering Verdict On Brazilian Soccer After World Cup FlopBrazil's football system is broken, with a lack of transparency and accountability in its administration reflected in the national team's performances, Kely Nascimento, activist filmmaker and eldest daughter of former Brazil great Pele, told Reuters in an interview."Brazilian football is broken. Whether it is corruption ... it's like a closed, very incestuous ecosystem where no one can see inside, and everybody knows why it is not working, but nobody can fix it," Nascimento said.She said the country's wealth of talent continued to produce top players, but that their struggles on the international stage were symptomatic of deeper structural problems.Brazil were eliminated from this year's World Cup following a 2-1 defeat by Norway on Sunday, the first time they have failed to reach the quarter-finals since 1990. They won the last of their record five World Cups in 2002.Nascimento said her late father had long voiced concerns about the state of Brazilian football and contrasted the country's decline with nations such as France, which she said appeared to have built more effective systems.One encouraging development, she said, was the revival of traditional clubs through foreign investment, citing Botafogo's resurgence under U.S. businessman John Textor. Since acquiring a controlling stake in the Rio de Janeiro club in 2022, Textor has overseen a steady turnaround in the fortunes of the former Brazilian champions."There's a lot of criticism about how he's handling it, but, again, there's good and bad to everything," Nascimento said. "What he's also bringing is transparency ... he has accountability to a foreign body. To me, that's a positive, regardless of everything he's being blamed for."Lionel Messi's World Cup Message Gets Unexpected Spotlight At National MassLionel Messi's words echoed through Buenos Aires Cathedral on Thursday as Archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva quoted Argentina's captain during a Mass marking the country's Independence Day with the national team preparing for a World Cup quarter-final against Switzerland.Garcia Cuerva used Messi's message after the team's 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar as a call for unity in a ceremony also attended by Argentine President Javier Milei."Let us keep our shirts on, and with passion, let us bring to life the message that Lionel Messi once posted on his social media," García Cuerva said during the service before reading the words the talismanic forward wrote four years ago."When we Argentines fight together and stand united, we are capable of achieving whatever we set our minds to," Messi said.The reference came two days after Argentina beat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic comeback, having trailed 2-0, to reach the last eight of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.Messi, 39, is playing in his sixth consecutive World Cup and has scored in each of Argentina's five matches, leading the tournament scoring charts with eight goals.See All Updates