Stiles, a former Manchester United midfielder, died almost six years ago aged 78 with severe dementia and had headed a football around 140,000 times during his career, Stockport Coroner's Court in northwest England heard at the inquest into his death.

Imitating little Pedrito, Porro sat down on the pristine Dallas Stadium grass and raised his hand skyward.

The much-hyped France-Spain encounter, billed by many as the "final before the final", turned into a tactical exhibition rather than the edge-of-the-seat spectacle supporters had anticipated.

England have lost only two of their 14 meetings with Argentina, winning six and drawing six. One of those draws was followed by a penalty-shootout defeat in the last 16 of France 1998.

Elfath, an American citizen born in Morocco, will officiate the England-Argentina clash, with fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins serving as his assistant referees.

When the defending champions face England in Thursday's World Cup semifinal in Atlanta [1am, Bangladesh Time], Lionel Messi and company will swap their traditional sky blue and white stripes for their dark blue away kit.

From the opening whistle, the Spaniards wrapped themselves around France like an anaconda, tightening their grip with every wave of pressing and every spell of possession until the life had been squeezed from a French attack that had looked irresistible throughout the tournament.

The headband featured the inscriptions "08304" and "Rocafonda", a tribute to the neighbourhood in Mataró where Yamal grew up. The number 08304 was the area's postal code, while Rocafonda was the community the teenager proudly considered home.

Many refuse to say opponents' names, wear the same often-unwashed jerseys, sit in the same seats and eat the same meals before each match, convinced that changing anything could jinx the team's chances of lifting another trophy.

More than a month after the tournament got underway, the first semifinal at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, promises to be a blockbuster contest. Widely billed as the 'final before the final', the clash is expected to deliver the highest quality game.

A new study spanning 26 countries and more than 10,000 people, conducted by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, suggests there's a correlation between your political ideology, your media habits, and which of these two mega-stars you back.

Argentina and Britain fought a short conflict over the islands known by the British as the Falklands and Argentines as the Malvinas in 1982, in which 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 British combatants died.

France's exciting attack led by Kylian Mbappe take on a technically accomplished Spain team in the first semi-final of the World Cup on Wednesday [1am, Bangladesh Time].

It is one of the puzzling paradoxes of this World Cup: France captain Mbappe is shining as brightly as ever for Les Bleus ahead of Wednesday's semifinal [1am, Bangladesh Time] against Spain in Dallas.

The holders' passage to Thursday's semifinal against England has been accompanied by repeated complaints from opponents over refereeing decisions, amid social media speculation the tournament has favoured Lionel Messi's side.

The quality of football has rarely dipped. Every match seemed to offer something worth watching -- tactical masterclasses, stunning goals, dramatic comebacks, controversial refereeing decisions or stories that extended well beyond the pitch.

The beautiful game absorbed him completely and, despite his shy, quiet nature, his answer at primary school never changed whenever teachers asked about his future: “A footballer.”

The abuse started after Sorloth opted to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Erling Haaland during a crucial two-on-one counter-attack while Norway were leading 1-0. His shot was blocked and England equalised minutes later, going on to win 2-1 after extra time.

“I said at the start of this World Cup, he reminds me of Zidane. He’s dragging this team through at the moment. I think he’s world class. Also, you listen to him off the pitch, he’s got a real calmness about him as well,” Terry told the FIFA Podcast.

That will change on Thursday [1am, Bangladesh Time] when Argentina meet the European side in a World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, a heavyweight clash that Argentina's FA (AFA) described on its website as "the match fate owed Messi."