France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the first footballer to score 20 World Cup goals before the age of 30 during France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco in Boston.

Mbappe broke the deadlock in the second half with his eighth goal of the ongoing tournament. The strike also saw him draw level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot while reaching a milestone never previously achieved in World Cup history.

According to the available records, Messi is the only other player to have reached the 20-goal mark at the FIFA World Cup, having scored 21 goals in the competition.

Mbappe recovers after first-half penalty miss

The France skipper had an opportunity to score earlier in the match after winning a penalty following a challenge from Noussair Mazraoui. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied him from the spot.

The penalty award sparked debate as television replays appeared to indicate that Mbappe had gone to ground before any contact from Mazraoui.

Despite the setback, Mbappe responded in the second half by opening the scoring and later set up France’s second goal, which was finished by reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

France march into World Cup semi-finals

Mbappe was substituted in the 76th minute after appearing to experience some discomfort, with head coach Didier Deschamps deciding not to take any risks.

France’s victory sends Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will take on either Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday.

The 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up remain on course for a third successive World Cup final under Deschamps, who is overseeing his final World Cup campaign as France coach.

Morocco, playing without injured Ismael Saibari, struggled to create enough attacking opportunities as France controlled the contest to seal another place in the last four.

Mbappe once again underlined his reputation as one of football’s leading goal-scorers, adding another historic achievement to his World Cup career.

Defending champions Argentina kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Algeria 3-0 in their Group J opener with Lionel Messi producing a memorable hat-trick.

The Argentine captain once again proved decisive on the biggest stage, scoring all three goals as his side secured maximum points and sent an early warning to the rest of the tournament contenders.

Messi opened the scoring in the first half before adding two more goals after the break to complete his hat-trick. His performance ensured Argentina remained in control throughout the contest and rarely looked troubled by the Algerian side.

The victory was particularly significant as it came in Messi’s landmark 200th international appearance for Argentina. The veteran forward marked the occasion in style, delivering one of the standout individual displays of the tournament so far.

Argentina dominated possession and created the better opportunities throughout the match, while Algeria struggled to find a way past a disciplined Argentine defence. The reigning world champions combined defensive solidity with attacking quality to comfortably secure the result.

The win gives Argentina an ideal start in Group J, where they will next face Austria. Algeria, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when they take on Jordan in their second group-stage fixture.

With Messi showing he remains capable of influencing matches at the highest level, Argentina’s title defence has begun on a highly positive note.

Portuguese football player Diogo Jota and his elder brother died in a road accident on Thursday in Spain’s Zamora when a tyre of their Lamborghini burst.

Jota’s brother Andre Silva was a footballer. Police said the accident occurred past midnight and the brothers were the only ones in the car and no other vehicle appears to be involved.

The police are yet to find out which of the two were was at the wheel. They said the accident may have been caused by a tyre blowout when they attempted to overtake another vehicle.

Spanish media have release video footage of the aftermath showing skid marks on the road along with a burnt-up car, surrounded by destroyed vegetation. A truck driver passing by the scene also caught the Lamborghini engulfed in video, which has since circulated by the local media.

The accident has occurred only 11 days after Jota’s wedding with Rute Cardoso. The couple had three children.

Jota played for English Premier League club Liverpool FC and also was part of the Portugal squad that beat Spain in the recent UEFA Nation’s League. His brother Andre Silva also played for Penafiel in the lower Portuguese leagues.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he has no words after the accident. As his football manager his thoughts are not for his team, it’s for his father, son, brother and uncles who are suffering an unimaginable loss, Slot said.

Portugal Prime Minister Luis Montenegro expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family and that it is a sad day for football. Jota was an athlete who greatly honoured Portugal’s name, he added.