Key-Player National teams World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - Brazil - win World Cup for injured star Neymar - Thiago Silva

Brazil captain Thiago Silva called on his team-mates to win the World Cup for injured star Neymar after the forward was ruled out of the tournament.

The 22-year-old scored four goals in five matches before breaking a vertebra in his spine during the quarter-final win against Colombia.

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5 Jul 2014
Club Stars in Europe Transfers
Transfer - Cameroon - Choupo-Moting signs for Schalke from German rivals Mainz

Cameroon forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has joined Schalke on a free transfer from Bundesliga rival Mainz.

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5 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 20 - QUARTER FINALS - FRANCE VS GERMANY 0:1

QUARTER-FINALS
4th July 2014

France vs Germany 0:1

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4 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 20 - QUARTER FINALS - BRAZIL VS COLOMBIA 2:1

QUARTER-FINALS
4th July 2014

Brazil vs Colombia 2:1

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4 Jul 2014
National teams World Cup 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - USA - 2014 WORLD CUP - USA look to bright future despite lost opportunity

We’ve got a few young players coming through and that gives us optimism looking ahead to the future of American football and the national team. “It was a phenomenal tournament for us,” Klinsmann continued. 

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2 Jul 2014
National teams World Cup 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - BELGIUM - 2014 WORLD CUP - Belgium welcome attack-minded foes

“The United States came out to win the match rather than avoid defeat. We were then able to take advantage of the extra space,” confirmed Kevin De Bruyne, who opened the scoring in the third minute of extra time and put in a fine all-round performance, linking well with Eden Hazard in particular. “It was a real pleasure to play such free-flowing football,” he added.

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2 Jul 2014
Coaches National teams World Cup 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - SWITZERLAND - 2014 WORLD CUP - Goodbye, Ottmar Hitzfeld. All the best and take care.

Hitzfeld has made a positive impression wherever he has been stationed and his name is still regularly chanted in the stands at Bayern Munich.

“He put together a really good team that will last for many years to come,” Granit Xhaka told FIFA.com, before Josip Drmic added: “He’s done a great job.” 

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2 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND 1:0

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Argentina vs Switzerland 1:0

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1 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - BELGIUM VS USA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Belgium vs USA 2:1

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1 Jul 2014
Key-Player World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - ARGENTINA - KEY PLAYER - ‪LIONEL MESSI - PROFILE

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

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1 Jul 2014
World Cup 2026

2026 WORLD CUP - Final - Facts

Messi and Lamine Jamal 
Messi was just 19 years old when the photo of him with the baby, Lamine Jamal, in the bathtub was taken. Nineteen years later, on 19 July 2026, Messi and Lamine Jamal are competing against each other in the Football World Cup final, with Lamine wearing the No.19 shirt.

 

Best player | Rodri

Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri was named best player of the 2026 World Cup tournament.

 

Best top-scorer | Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé scored 10 goals and is now the men's Football World Cup all-time top scorer with 22 goals. 

 

2026 World Cup | recap

A record 10 African nations have qualified for the newly expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, marking the continent's greatest achievement to date. Several of these teams progressed beyond the group stage into the knockout rounds, with at least one African team reaching the quarter-finals. This underlines their competitive performance, even though no African nation made it to the semi-finals or final.

From the round of 32, Spain, Argentina, England, and France emerged as the strongest teams, winning through the round of 16 and quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. 

Spain beat France 2:0 and Argentina beat England 2:1 to set up the final. England then beat France 6:4 in the third‑place match, while Spain defeated Argentina 1:0 after extra time in the final to win the 2026 World Cup.

Overall, the African teams showed a strong performance, though not yet title‑winning.

 

 

20 Jul 2026
afrofootball

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