England vs Argentina concerns, FIFA break rule, France and Spain furious

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England vs Argentina concerns, FIFA break rule, France and Spain furious - World Cup round-up

A round-up of the latest FIFA World Cup 2026 news as the countdown to England's semi-final showdown against Argentina at Atlanta Stadium is on

All the latest news ahead of England's World Cup semi-final against Argentina

Weather watch: Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium might be one of three venues in the tournament capable of air-conditioning its interior, but with bad storms forecast leading up to kick-off both sides could be delayed in their attempts to get to the ground.

England fitness boost: Thomas Tuchel has confirmed Declan Rice is fit to start England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina after illness. Asked if Rice is completely back to normal now, Tuchel said with a smile: “Well, yeah, he’s ready to start and (he is) as good recovered as possible.”

Argentina pressure: Marc Guehi insists all of the pressure is on Argentina ahead of their World Cup semi final showdown. The England defender said: “There isn’t pressure on us. What’s the pressure? The onus is on them. They’re the World Champions. They need to come out, they need to defend their title. There’s no pressure on us at all.”

Not keeping an eye on the opposition: Ezri Konsa claimed England have not watched any of Argentina’s games on the eve of their World Cup semi-final. He said: “We haven't managed to watch any of their games. I'm sure, when we have the meeting tonight or tomorrow, we'll see some clips of them and see what we can do to overcome them. I'm sure they've got a great mindset, great mentality, and so do we.”

Easing the pressure: Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has tried to ease potential tensions ahead of tonight’s game. He said: “It’s a football match; I can’t mix things up, out of respect for what happened so many years ago.” There are concerns fans from the two teams could clash given the history between the nations.

Half-time show decision: FIFA are set to break a rule as the half-time break at the World Cup final is expected to be about 30 minutes long. This will breach the maximum time of 15 minutes permitted under the Laws of the Game.

The stars will be out in force: Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay are all due to perform during the break. Robbie Williams, Tom Cruise and Nicole Scherzinger are set to perform in the Closing Ceremony.

Another rule broken: FIFA will have to break its own rule for England's World Cup semi-final showdown with Argentina at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That is because the governing body has been powerless in its bid to cover the giant Mercedes logo that sits on top of the Mercedes-Benz stadium roof.

Didier Deschamps fuming: France boss Didier Deschamps questioned FIFA’s decision to appoint referee Ivan Barton for his side’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. The 57-year-old fumed: “Then I ask a question, and I’m not going to answer it: 'Is the referee good enough to officiate a World Cup semi-final?'”

Not alone: Didier Deschamps wasn’t the only person left less than impressed by Barton, with Spain star Rodri saying: “We’re talking about 10 or 15 fouls where the kid [Lamine Yamal] goes to the ground. If the referees do not call them, then the defence will keep doing the same thing.”

Taking aim: Kylian Mbappe took aim at Deschamps' approach and tactics following France’s defeat to Spain. He said: "We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that's hard. Fabian [Ruiz] and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication on the press. I think we should have done man-to-man press and force them to run with us."

ITV presenter apology: Patrick Vieira received an apology from ITV presenter Mark Pougatch following France’s World Cup defeat to Spain. He said: “Sorry, Patrick, it has been great to have you with us for the World Cup. Since you are not here this weekend, it has been great to have you with us, so thanks very much for your contributions.”

READ MORE: World Cup LIVE: Spain blow France away and await England or Argentina as FIFA break rules

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