In the second World Cup semifinal held on July 16, Beijing time, defending champions Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1, securing their seventh appearance in the final where they will face Spain. Similar to the previous three knockout rounds, Argentina once again found themselves in a difficult situation. The first half was fiercely contested, with no shots on goal in the first 30 minutes but a total of 19 fouls. After the break, Argentina conceded the first goal in the 55th minute.

Defender Djed Spence is emerging as a new icon of English football after becoming the first Muslim player to wear the senior men's national team jersey at a World Cup.

Italo Henrique netted his 20th goal in Thai Son Nam HCMC's 1-0 win during Round 12 of the National Futsal Championship.

On the evening of July 15, Beijing time, the official account of the Argentine national football team posted photos of the supplies to be donated to the flood-stricken Guangxi region, stating that all three batches were dispatched together. The Argentine team also expressed gratitude to the many enthusiastic Chinese friends, media, and partners for their support, which enabled them to coordinate with the relevant receiving units within a single day and realize their wish to donate for the post-flood reconstruction in Guangxi.

On the evening of July 15, Beijing time, Sun Baojie, a 61-year-old well-known Chinese referee, provided a detailed analysis of several controversial decisions in the semi-final where Spain defeated France 2-0. He argued that the penalty awarded for Yamal's handball should have been canceled, and that Yamal escaped a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Mbappé in the second half. Just 20 minutes into the match, Spain took the lead from a penalty.

Just hours before the highly anticipated semi-final between England and Argentina, FIFA decided to alter the VAR system's operation. This surprising move is seen as a response to growing controversies over refereeing at the 2026 World Cup.

Duy Manh misses AFF Cup 2026 due to injury, VFF announces ticket sales plan for Vietnam national team's home matches, while Messi, England, and the European transfer market simultaneously become the focus.

Not only is Nguyễn Tài Lộc highly regarded as a center-back, he is also emerging as a notable tactical option for coach Kim Sang Sik after being tested in a defensive midfield role with the Vietnam national team.

As the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals concluded, the most talked-about topic was not Messi, Mbappe, or Haaland, but the refereeing decisions. England's 2-1 victory over Norway featured two contentious calls: a Norway goal disallowed due to an earlier foul, and an England goal allowed even though the ball struck a suspended cable on the field.

Đỗ Duy Mạnh has posted a personal letter on social media following his inability to join the Vietnam national team for the ASEAN Cup 2026.