A man with a wrench entered England's Kansas City training base before running off after hearing police sirens, in a security scare that overshadowed the Three Lions' preparations for their World Cup quarter-final against Norway. The incident came as Thomas Tuchel was said to be furious after Fifa confirmed Jarell Quansah would be unavailable for the game and a potential semi-final. The England manager's anger was compounded by the decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's red card for 12 months, a ruling that prompted 27 nations to demand an investigation into the controversy.
On the pitch, France became the first team through to the semi-finals after a 2-0 victory over Morocco. Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty in the first half but atoned with a stunning strike, before Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead. Ahead of the quarter-finals, Fifa implemented a VAR change to minimise technical issues, placing a primary and reserve VAR official on-site at the stadium, resulting in nine officials overseeing each game. France also lost their appeal against Michael Olise's yellow card.
“Security scare at England base, Tuchel fury over Quansah ban, and Argentina's comeback highlight World Cup drama.”
Earlier, Argentina produced a scarcely believable second-half comeback to beat Egypt and reach the quarter-finals, surviving an almighty scare to break Egyptian hearts. The result keeps Lionel Messi's side in contention for the title.
Keir Starmer has hinted that an England World Cup win could mean an extra bank holiday, as fans soaked up the Miami sun ahead of Saturday's clash with Norway.