2026 World Cup TV lineup and Mbappe racism backlash dominate headlines

The quarterfinal stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature two matches on German free‑to‑air television: France versus Morocco on ARD, and Spain versus Belgium on ZDF. The remaining quarterfinals – Norway versus England and a winner‑of‑winner tie involving Argentina/Egypt and Switzerland/Colombia – will be shown only on the subscription service Magenta TV.

After France’s 1‑0 round‑of‑16 victory over Paraguay, French star Kylian Mbappé was the target of a racist tirade on X by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla de Boccia, who called him a “colonial Cameroonian” and used offensive language. Mbappé responded, calling the comments “disgraceful” and “unworthy of her office.” France’s sports minister Marina Ferrari condemned the remarks as “abhorrent” and “unacceptable.”