Key events

1h ago Collina stands firm on World Cup officiating
1h ago Opening remarks

Morgan Rogers has praised Ezri Konsa as one of the top centre-backs around and expects his Aston Villa colleague to handle Erling Haaland in England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway.

Konsa has logged the most minutes under Thomas Tuchel, mainly at centre-back but also covering full-back roles when needed.

He delivered a standout display to help 10-man England edge co-hosts Mexico in their last-16 clash at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday, building on years of strong form at Aston Villa.

Rogers, who often turns to his Villa team-mate, describes Konsa as overlooked yet among the finest defenders present. When asked if Konsa receives sufficient recognition, Rogers said: No, far from it. He is one of the best centre-backs in the game right now, especially here at this World Cup.

His skill set covers every aspect of the position, from aerial dominance to tackling strength and composure in possession. There is simply no obvious weakness, which has benefited Villa by keeping him at the club rather than moving to a larger side. It is great to see him gain the spotlight and show his quality on this stage, as he often flies under the radar in debates about elite centre-backs. PA Media

Jonny Weeks

Our photographer Jonny Weeks has produced striking images from venues across the World Cup.

Take a look at the gallery.

The Guardian panel has gathered to tackle some of the biggest historical questions from past World Cups.

Prepare for the quarter-finals with a selection of key statistics.

Expect data on expected goals, distance covered and more.

David Smith

Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House World Cup taskforce, has supported Donald Trump's efforts to persuade Fifa to overturn the suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun ahead of Monday's match with Belgium.

The president described Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who dismissed Balogun against Bosnia and Herzegovina, as questionable based on past events, alluding to a 2024 Brazilian senate probe into referee assignments that cleared Claus of any misconduct.

England centre-back John Stones expressed delight at the dressing-room prank he and Declan Rice played on Thomas Tuchel after the win over Mexico.

The pair convinced Tuchel that Stones had hurt his shoulder, prompting concern given Jordan Henderson's earlier hospital visit, before revealing the joke with a dance that has since gone viral.

Stones told Lion's Den the shoulder feels fine now and the moment lifted spirits after a tense afternoon. He added that a fresh celebration is ready if he scores again. PA Media

Krishnamoorthy writes: Good morning. Yesterday felt like the first proper rest day after matchday 38. I was unsure how to fill the evening. Reports suggest Argentina and Messi voodoo dolls are selling fast on Egyptian shopping sites.

I enjoyed a calm night myself.

Osasu Obayiuwana

Morocco aim to make further history and surpass their previous best World Cup result.

Over six decades Morocco have set several African benchmarks at the World Cup. They became the first side to qualify directly for the 1970 tournament in Mexico, reached the last 16 for the first time from the continent in 1986 and advanced to the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago.

Even a defeat to France on Thursday would still mark them as the first African nation to reach consecutive quarter-finals.

We open with a preview of France against Morocco. Let us hope the focus stays on the players rather than the officials by the final whistle.

Rob Draper has traced Michael Olise's path from Hayes to the global stage.

We faced Sparta Prague in the European Under-21 Cup, Flanagan recalls. I arrived at half-time. Michael, then 17, was on the bench. I sat near Hayden Mullins, a former colleague. Michael entered with 17 minutes left. Within five minutes Hayden asked who that was. I laughed and explained his background.

Collina defends World Cup refereeing

Fifa's head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina supported the officials after Argentina's 3-2 win over Egypt in the round of 16, rejecting claims of bias and stressing that match officials work independently.

In comments to inside.fifa.com, Collina noted that debate over decisions is normal but rejected attacks on referee integrity following Egypt's complaints.

Constructive talk about calls is part of the game, yet baseless accusations have no role, Collina said. No one should doubt the honesty of World Cup referees or suggest Fifa officiating can be swayed by anyone, including the president.

Egypt left the tournament after Argentina rallied from 2-0 down to win late through Enzo Fernandez.

Coach Hossam Hassan suggested possible external pressure on the referee, while the Egyptian association highlighted several decisions that raised fairness concerns.

Egypt felt Mostafa Zico's second-half goal was wrongly disallowed and that a foul on Mohamed Salah went unpunished before Argentina's winner.

Collina confirmed VAR correctly overturned the goal due to a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martinez. A foul remains a foul, he said, and VAR can act if the referee misses it.

He also backed the no-penalty call on the Salah challenge, describing the contact as standard. Reuters

Opening remarks

As Flight of the Conchords once noted, it is business time.

The long tournament schedule has finally given way to a sense that the real action is here. Several strong teams have exited while others survived scares, leaving eight top sides.

The first quarter-final pits France against Morocco, a fitting opener. Didier Deschamps' team have been the standout side so far, despite a hard-fought win over Paraguay.

Morocco enjoyed a smoother path past Canada after eliminating the Netherlands. Facing France represents a big step up, though they lost to them in the 2022 semi-finals. Their run to that stage included victories over Spain and Portugal, so they will not be intimidated.

Further developments from across the USA will be shared as they arise.