News
Reports, analysis, features and the desk's notebook, from official reports and stored results. Recent reporting appears alongside the restored archive. Each story keeps its own date and sources.
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Ebnoutalib goal gives Frankfurt a home win against Cologne
A 77th-minute goal settled the match after a goalless first half.
Lyon supporters' tifo, Lyon v Auxerre, 27 October 2024. Photo: Sebleouf, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
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News
Match reports from official accounts and stored results.
England 1–2 Argentina: seven shots on target and a one-goal hinge
Seven corners, seven shots on target, 26 fouls: a compressed semifinal in which openings were rationed and Argentina took one more than England.
Argentina national team, 2022. Historical illustration of a named team; this is not a photograph of the 2026 match reported here. Photo: Argentina.gob.ar / Argentine State portal / CC BY 4.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. France 4–6 England: ten goals, twenty shots on target, two records
The most statistically extreme match of the World Cup: record goals, record shots on target, and a tournament-low eleven throw-ins in a game that refused to stop.
France national team, 2018. Historical illustration of a named team; this is not a photograph of the 2026 match reported here. Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. France 0–2 Spain: two goals from a five-shot semifinal
The lowest shots-on-target figure of the late rounds (five, combined) and Spain converted two of them. Efficiency, not volume, sent the champions to the Final.
France national team, 2018. Historical illustration of a named team; this is not a photograph of the 2026 match reported here. Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked.
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Explore Ghana Guide
Thoughtful starting points for visiting, returning to, living in and investing in Ghana.
Spain 1–0 Argentina: 46 fouls, one goal, and a world title
The hardest match of the tournament decided its champion. Spain survived a record 46 fouls, forced 13 corners, and won the World Cup by the only goal of a ferocious Final.
Argentina national team, 2022. Historical illustration of a named team; this is not a photograph of the 2026 match reported here. Photo: Argentina.gob.ar / Argentine State portal / CC BY 4.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. Argentina 3–1 Switzerland: four goals and 32 fouls in the round's heaviest match
The most physical and most productive quarterfinal at once: Argentina powered through 32 fouls with four goals and a dozen shots on target.
Argentina national team, 2022. Historical illustration of a named team; this is not a photograph of the 2026 match reported here. Photo: Argentina.gob.ar / Argentine State portal / CC BY 4.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. France 2–0 Morocco: ten corners and a shutout built on control
France opened the quarterfinal round with a clean sheet built on territory: ten corners, nine shots on target, and a defensive line that conceded nothing.
France national team, 2018. Historical illustration of a named team; this is not a photograph of the 2026 match reported here. Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked.
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Analysis
Season previews and verdicts that check our numbers.
Greek Super League 2026-27: Hub Live, Dates to Come
Greece's top flight is on the board: the hub is live now, and the 2026-27 calendar lands here the moment it is confirmed.
Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, 2009. Historical illustration of Olympiacos and this league; this is not a 2026–27 match photograph. Photo: TodorBozhinov / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Existing site derivative: cropped, resized and converted to WebP from the linked original; licensed as linked. Austrian Bundesliga 2026-27: A Compact Field Awaits Its Calendar
Twelve clubs, a live hub, and a fixture list still being confirmed: reported straight, no padding.
Merkur Arena, 2024. Historical illustration of Sturm Graz and this league; this is not a 2026–27 match photograph. Photo: Thomas Ledl / CC BY 4.0. Original source. Existing site derivative: cropped, resized and converted to WebP from the linked original; licensed as linked. Danish Superliga 2026-27: Denmark Is Already Under Way
The Superliga opened July 26 (one of Europe's earliest starts) and runs to May 30, championship and relegation rounds included.
the former Aarhus Idrætspark / NRGi Park, 2007. Historical illustration of AGF and this league; this is not a 2026–27 match photograph. Photo: user:Nico-dk / Nils Jepsen / CC BY 2.5. Original source. Existing site derivative: cropped, resized and converted to WebP from the linked original; licensed as linked.
Ekstraklasa 2026-27: Poland Kicks Off Europe's New Season
Opened July 24 (among the first leagues in Europe to start) and running to May 22 with eighteen teams.
Stadion Miejski in Poznań, 2011. Historical illustration of Lech Poznań and this league; this is not a 2026–27 match photograph. Photo: Carte / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Existing site derivative: cropped, resized and converted to WebP from the linked original; licensed as linked. Swiss Super League 2026-27: Twelve Teams, Dates Pending
The hub is live. The calendar is not official yet, and we would rather tell you that than guess.
Arena Thun, 2012. Historical illustration of FC Thun and this league; this is not a 2026–27 match photograph. Photo: Gidoca / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Existing site derivative: cropped, resized and converted to WebP from the linked original; licensed as linked. Allsvenskan 2026: Sweden's Summer Season Hits Its Stride
Sweden's top flight runs spring to autumn, so while the big leagues rest, Allsvenskan is mid-campaign and rolling.
Strandvallen entrance, 2011. Historical illustration of Mjällby AIF and this league; this is not a 2026–27 match photograph. Photo: Adville / CC0. Original source. Existing site derivative: cropped, resized and converted to WebP from the linked original; licensed as linked.
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Features
Longer reads on what shapes a match.
Heat and the Tempo Markets: What the Climate Model Saw
Corners and shots-on-target are tempo markets, and tempo wilts in the heat. Across 20 hot-venue matches, the numbers bent exactly where our climate model said they would.
A throw-in during Nigeria–Iceland at the 2018 World Cup, 22 June 2018. Historical daytime match illustration for the tempo discussion; the photograph supplies no climate measurements and does not depict the 2026 tournament. Photo: Voltmetro / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked.
Field Notes
The desk's notebook: one statistic or one question at a time.
Corners Over 7.5 at the World Cup: The Hardest Line on the Board
The board's toughest market closed at 62.5% (still clear of the coin-flip) and delivered a 22-corner classic on the model's six-of-six night.
Carlos Sánchez taking a corner during Egypt–Uruguay, 15 June 2018. Historical World Cup corner illustration; this is not a photograph of the 2026 tournament. Photo: Soul Train / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. Fouls Over 18.5 at the World Cup: Projecting the Whistle
23.2 fouls per match, a 46-foul Final, and a 71.6% record: a season of learning to project the referee as much as the teams.
Felix Brych showing a yellow card during RB Leipzig–Union Berlin, 20 April 2022. Historical officiating illustration for the article’s fouls topic. It is not from the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Steffen Prößdorf / CC BY-SA 4.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. Shots on Target Over 6.5 at the World Cup: The Volatile Middle Child
From a 63.9% group stage to 13 of 16 in the Round of 32: the market that punishes wayward finishing found its range when the knockouts began.
Goalkeeper and goal-mouth action in the 2018 World Cup final, 15 July 2018. Historical illustration of the shots-on-target topic; this is not a photograph of the 2026 tournament. Photo: Meghdad Madadi / Tasnim News Agency / CC BY 4.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked.
From the GKM network
The Dental Protocol
Science-backed oral microbiome protocols, for bad breath, tonsil stones, receding gums and more.
Goals Over 0.5 at the World Cup: The Line That Barely Blinked
Eighty-one hits from 88 lines, a perfect Round of 32, and only seven goalless matches all cycle: the anchor market's tournament in review.
Goal-mouth action in the 2018 World Cup final, 15 July 2018. Historical goals illustration; this is not a photograph of the 2026 tournament. Photo: Meghdad Madadi / Tasnim News Agency / CC BY 4.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. Goals Over 1.5 at the World Cup: The Second Goal Is a Game-State Story
78.4% on the season and 14 of 16 in the knockouts: how the timing of the first goal quietly decided the fate of the second.
Brazil celebrating against Serbia at the 2022 World Cup. Historical goal-celebration illustration; this is not a photograph of the 2026 tournament. Photo: Hossein Zohrevand / Tasnim News Agency / CC BY 4.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked. Throw-Ins Over 30.5 at the World Cup: The Touchline Tells the Truth
Our signature market cleared its recalibrated line 69 times in 88 matches. What 36.6 throw-ins per game (and one strange ten-goal outlier) taught the model.
An Iceland throw-in during Nigeria–Iceland, 22 June 2018. Historical World Cup throw-in illustration; this is not a photograph of the 2026 tournament. Photo: Voltmetro / CC BY-SA 3.0. Original source. Resized and converted to WebP from the linked Commons file; aspect ratio retained. Licensed as linked.
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Stories are written from official reports and stored results. Each keeps its own date and sources. Statistics only, never advice.
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