• The last Women’s World Cup quarter-final is between England & Colombia
• Lionesses have struggled to consistently perform so far
• Colombia claimed the massive scalp of Germany in the group stage

England are on the cusp of reaching a third successive Women’s World Cup semi-final, but they must first beat a Colombia side that has been one of the tournament’s surprise packages.

12 months on from winning Euro 2022, the Lionesses are having a very different experience in Australia. Laboured performances against Haiti and Denmark in the group stage were followed by a demolition of China, before being outplayed by Nigeria in the last 16 but somehow sneaking through.

England certainly have tournament knowhow under their belt and, right now, it is carrying them.

Colombia have already surpassed their previous best at a World Cup tournament just by being in the last eight. They have improved each time they have competed on this stage, going out in the group stage on their 2011 debut and reaching the last 16 in 2015.

Their win against Germany in the group stage, including an incredible goal from teenage superstar Linda Caicedo, automatically makes them a potential danger.

England vs Colombia H2H record

“I remember the 2015 World Cup when we played Colombia, their fans were so bloody loud,” Fara Williams said before this year’s tournament began.

The pair met in the group stage eight years ago, a game that the Lioneses won 2-1 thanks to goals from Williams herself and Karen Carney. Colombia pulled one back from the spot right at the end. Both teams progressed to the knockout stages along with France in the old tournament format.

That game in Montreal is the only time England have faced Colombia until now.

Women’s World Cup 2023 – England & Colombia results so far

• Co-hosts Australia looking to reach semi-finals for first time
• France were knocked out at quarter-final stage in both 2015 and 2019
• Winner will face England or Colombia

Australia and France are battling for a place in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals, with every chance that the winner of this quarter-final tie will make a it all the way through to the final.

Australia came into their home World Cup with huge expectations, only to lose star player Sam Kerr to injury and struggle in their opening two group games. But things have finally clicked in more recent outings, with more polished performances against both Canada and Denmark.

Now, they have the oportunity to reach the semi-finals for the first time, having been knocked out at the quarter-final stage in 2007, 2011 and 2015. The Matildas have already outperformed their 2019 efforts when it was a disappointing last 16 exit.

France have scored 10 goals across their last two games at this tournament against Panama and Morocco, but they have long been international football’s great underachievers.

Les Bleues usually start fast and end up fading, as at Euro 2022 a year ago, although it has been the reverse of that so far in 2023 after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica to begin with last month.

Australia vs France H2H record

Australia and France played a warm-up game in Melbourne a few days prior to the tournament starting, which the hosts won 1-0 thanks to a single goal from Mary Fowler.

Games between them haven’t been all that freuqent, with only three others in that last 10 years – each winning a friendly, while France edged a Cyprus Cup clash in 2014.

Australia were unbeaten across their first three meetings with France, all played in the space of a single week in January 2001 at the invitational Australia Cup.

Women’s World Cup 2023 – Australia & France results so far

Nigerian football fans are currently in awe of the Super Falcons player due to her stunning attractiveness

Super Falcons defender, Michelle Alozie, has candidly admitted her crush on Super Eagles and Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi,

The US-based player, who went from a cancer research technician to a rising star on the football field, revealed during an engaging Instagram Live Conversation titled “The Three Musketeers” her crush for the Nigerian forward.

Alozie, whose skills and prowess have dazzled Nigerian fans and audiences worldwide, remains a standout figure from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Her contribution was pivotal in propelling the team to the tournament’s second round, where they displayed remarkable resilience before being eliminated by England via a gripping penalty shootout.

Fans have celebrated Alozie’s on-field accomplishments and lauded her captivating beauty, often referring to her as the most beautiful player on the Nigerian women’s senior national team.

However, in a widely circulated video, the soccer sensation can be seen in a candid moment where she openly acknowledges her crush on Everton’s forward.

The revelation surfaced in response to an interviewer’s playful inquiry about any crushes among the players on the Super Eagles of Nigeria, the male national football team.

The interviewer asked: “Just as we’ve got some tempting, beautiful, good-looking ladies in the national team, we’ve got the same in the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Have you got any crush among those players?”

Alozie’s swift and straightforward response was met with smiles and laughter: “Alex Iwobi.”

This revelation has only added to Alozie’s charm and relatability, endearing her further to fans who admire her footballing prowess and her candid and genuine nature.

Nigerian striker Gift Orban has been tipped to replace Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur with the former’s future with KAA Gent uncertain.

Kane is reportedly close to leaving Tottenham for German champions Bayern Munich and the English Premier League club is believed to have set its sights on Orban.

Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck has admitted that he is unsure whether the talented and promising player will stay put at the Belgian Pro League club for the 2023/24 season.

“I don’t know if he will still be playing with us in September. We must prepare for what may still happen and, above all, strengthen the core. We are working hard on it,” Vanhaezebrouck told Voetbalbelgie.

Considered to be one of the best young players in the world, Orban, who is yet to represent Nigeria at any level, is known for his speed, strength and finishing inside the box.

The 21-year-old impressively netted 15 goals from 16 matches Pro League matches for Gent last season having joined the club from Norway’s Stabæk Fotball in January this year.

His contract with Gent will expire in June 2027.

Cristiano Ronaldo has yet again left the competition behind as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was named Instagram’s top earner for the third year in a row.

Ronaldo, who in July was ranked as the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes for the first time since 2017 following his move to Saudi Arabia, has now topped the 2023 Instagram Rich List, a global marker of online influence.

The list, compiled by Instagram scheduling tool Hopper HQ, is based on internal and publicly available data on how much each user can charge for a post on Instagram and YouTube.

The Portugal forward brings in a massive $3.23 million per Instagram post, according to Hopper HQ, as he nears 600 million followers on the social media platform.

To little surprise, Ronaldo’s closest rival on the list is Lionel Messi, with the Argentina World Cup winner attracting almost $2.6 million for each post.

This puts the two football giants ahead of not only every other sports star but also celebrities such as singer and actress Selena Gomez, reality star and make-up mogul Kylie Jenner and actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Only two other athletes — Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and Brazilian footballer Neymar — made it to the Top 20.

Neymar brings in almost double the amount that his Paris St Germain team mate Kylian Mbappe does per post.

“It’s still shocking to me that the annual money made on the platform increases every year,” Mike Bandar, co-founder of Hopper HQ, said.

“Yet, what fascinates me more is the consistent players at the top. It’s apparent that the glitz and glamour of traditional celebrities still holds power over the new ‘influencer’ status.

“Ronaldo and Messi not only dominate the pitch, but also the digital sphere as it’s clear they personify the power of personal branding and the influence it holds over us ‘ordinary’ people.” The highest earning influencer on Instagram, TikTok star Khaby Lame, is number 40 on the list. Ronaldo earns almost 10 times the amount Lame brings in for his Instagram posts.

The Godswil Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo will host all the Super Eagles home fixtures in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made the announcement during a visit to Akwa Ibom Governor, Umo Eno in Uyo.

The 30,000 seater ground will also stage the Super Eagles final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday, September 10, 2023.

It would be recalled that the magnificent edifice hosted all Super Eagles home matches in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

The first two rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers will be played between November 13 and 21.

The Super Eagles are drawn in Group D along with South Africa, Benin Republic, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho.

The winners of the group will advance to the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, while the best runners-up will playoff for an additional place for Africa.

Haaland enjoyed a spectacular first year at City, scoring 52 goals in all competitions — including 36 in the league — as Pep Guardiola’s team won the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble.

Erling Haaland has started his second season in English soccer just like his first — with two goals in a win to open Manchester City’s title defense in the Premier League.

The Norway striker dispatched clinical finishes in the fourth and 36th minutes on Friday as City eased to a 3-0 victory at Burnley, a promoted team managed by City great Vincent Kompany, in the first match of England’s top division. Defensive midfielder Rodri scored the other goal.

Haaland enjoyed a spectacular first year at City, scoring 52 goals in all competitions — including 36 in the league — as Pep Guardiola’s team won the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble.

He opened last season with a double at West Ham in a signal of what was to come and he made another statement at Turf Moor, even if it didn’t completely satisfy Guardiola. The City manager came onto the field at halftime and remonstrated with Haaland as they walked toward the tunnel, even flicking away a camera that was following the pair.

“We are still in the start phase of this marathon but I’m not stressing. I’m relaxed,” Haaland said. “I have to keep on developing and enjoy the chaos around me and perform on the pitch.” It wasn’t the perfect evening for City, which is bidding to become the first team in English soccer history to win four straight top-flight league titles.

Kevin De Bruyne, starting for the first time since coming off early in the Champions League final with a hamstring problem, lasted 23 minutes before needing to be substituted after pulling up.

Guardiola said it was a recurrence of the same problem.

“It’s a pity — he has recovered well but now we have lost him for some time,” Guardiola said.

Also during the first half, City defender Rico Lewis was struck by a lighter thrown from the crowd as he lay on the ground near the corner flag after being fouled. Burnley said a fan had been removed from the stadium by police in an incident that further ruined its return to the Premier League after one season away.

Haaland gave City the lead with his first touch in the game when he latched onto Rodri’s nod-down from De Bruyne’s right-wing cross and sidefooted a finish into the bottom corner.

His second goal was more spectacular and came after Julian Alvarez laid off a cross from Kyle Walker. With his back to goal, Haaland sent a first-time shot on the turn off the underside of the crossbar and into the top corner.

Haaland was without a goal in his last six matches for City, including the loss to Arsenal in a penalty shootout in the Community Shield on Sunday.

“I just have to keep on working, keep relaxing and not to focus on negative things,” Haaland said.

Rodri, who scored City’s winner in the Champions League final against Inter Milan in June, smashed home the third goal from close range in the 75th minute after Burnley failed to clear a free kick into the area.

Burnley ended the game with 10 men when Morocco winger Anass Zaroury was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Walker deep into second-half stoppage time. The referee initially gave a yellow card but upgraded it after viewing the pitchside monitor.

City, which gave a debut to center-back Josko Gvardiol as a second-half substitute, next plays Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. It’s a match between the winners of last season’s Champions League and Europa League.