Zambia qualified for its first World Cup — all without its star player, unavailable over questions about her gender.

The Copper Queens edged Senegal 4-2 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday in Morocco, securing the first Women’s World Cup berth from Africa and the first senior World Cup berth for Zambia, men or women.

Defending European champion the Netherlands avoided a disastrous draw with Portugal on Wednesday after throwing away a two-goal lead thanks to an exceptional 20-yard strike from Daniëlle van de Donk that proved the match-winner, 3-2.

At present, the European football transfer revolving door is in full swing. Players are looking for new clubs and clubs are looking for new players with massive transfer fees flowing in the opposite direction. With many new confirmed transfers emerging in recent days, it seems that a move for Champions League winner Christian Pulisic could be on the cards.

After conceding in the first minute of its opener against Finland last week, Spain knew it couldn’t afford a similar slipup in its second match against Germany on Tuesday. And yet, it happened again thanks to an awful howler in the third minute.

An errant attempt from Spain keeper Sandra Paños to play out of the back resulted in a gift of a goal for Germany in a 2-0 win for Die Nationalelf on Tuesday in London. In a tale of two keepers, Spain’s Paños had a night to forget while Germany’s Merle Frohms was unbeatable. 

Mexico needed a miracle to keep its World Cup hopes alive. 

It never came.

Kristie Mewis scored a controversial goal in the 89th minute to finally break the deadlock as the U.S. beat Mexico 1-0 to officially end La Tri’s 2023 World Cup aspirations on Monday in Nuevo León. The USWNT claimed first place in Group A having already clinched World Cup qualification on Thursday at the Concacaf W Championship.

In Norway, this sort of sporting crisis is typically only reserved for news of Sweden making inroads on Olympic medals in cross-country skiing. But on Monday, Norway's proud women's national team — one of the few to have won a continental title, a World Cup and Olympic gold — suffered the worst defeat in European Championship history: an 8-0 capitulation to England in Brighton. 

It was supposed to be one of the standout matches of the Euro 2022 group stage. If it had been boxing, the referee would have called the match off in the first half.

England flexed its offensive muscles with a barnstorming win over Norway, eviscerating the 11th-ranked team in the world by a startling 8-0 score line on Monday at Amex Stadium. It was one of the most impressive performances in recent Euro history, with England scoring six in the first half alone. Beth Mead had a hat trick, Ellen White netted a brace and three other players scored to tear Norway to shreds. 

This is the match every young footballer dreams of playing in one day. The match where legends are created. The match that determines the champion of the world. The final of the most magnificent sporting event on the planet will be played once again on Dec. 18, 2022, in Qatar. So what better time than now to look at some of the most incredible World Cup final records?