Jude Bellingham and Harry Maguire both believe referee Wilton Sampaio was not at the level needed for a World Cup quarter-final following England's loss to France.

The Three Lions saw their quest for a third successive semi-final appearance in major tournaments brought to an end by the holders, who claimed a 2-1 win in Al Khor.

Though England controlled a tight encounter for long periods, they often found themselves pegged back by a vigorous French defence, with referee Sampaio happy to let several industrial challenges slide.

Bellingham acknowledged any official can have a tough match afterwards, but felt the Brazilian was not up to scratch for a match of such prestige.

"Anyone can have a bad game, players and referees," he told ITV. "[But] I think he wasn't where he should have been today in terms of the level for a game like this.

"There are more factors as to why we lost. This definitely isn't me putting it all on him, [as] we were the ones who played the game. But I don't think he was at the level tonight.

"I think there were a few [fouls] around the box in the first half. We are deadly at set pieces, and I think any one of those can make the difference."

France scored their opening goal on the back of a contentious no-foul call for a tackle on Bukayo Saka, while England's second penalty - which Harry Kane decisively missed - needed a VAR intervention to be awarded.

Maguire was less than impressed too, telling BBC Sport: "From minute one, there were five or six fouls not one yellow card. It's a foul for the first goal, leading up to it on Bukayo.

"I can't really go into explaining how bad his performance was. I don't want to go into too much because I'll end up getting fined.

"But even though the big decisions were wrong, he never gave us anything. Throughout the game he was really poor."

Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was magnanimous in victory after his side inflicted a 144-115 rout upon a Dallas Mavericks team missing star man Luka Doncic.

The hosts ran rampant across a record-breaking first half, posting their highest points haul in franchise history with 82 at United Center.

DeMar DeRozan led the individual efforts with a 28-point haul, but it was a concentrated team performance as the Bulls backed up their prior win over the Washington Wizards.

The Mavericks were stung without Doncic, who was ruled out ahead of the match with a quad strain, and Donovan acknowledged his side's opponents had enjoyed less-than-ideal preparations for their matchup.

"Clearly, they had a tough game against Milwaukee and then a tough turnaround, and [with] some integral players out," he stated.

"But for us, I thought we generated good shots, found the open man, spaced the floor well. I think there's always things you can take from these games."

In addition to Doncic, the Mavericks were missing Maxi Kleber and Josh Green, with the pair also ruled out following Friday's one-point loss to the Bucks.

Meanwhile, the Bulls produced impressive displays across the board, with DeRozan one of seven players to post double-figure hauls.

"We scored 144 points, and it was spread around," Donovan added. "Zach [LaVine] and DeMar are unselfish players, and it gets other guys involved.

"It's not that we've got to lead the league in three-point shots, [it is] just that there are opportunities for us to take more threes that are good shots. I thought we did a good job taking the ones we should take tonight."

Steve Kerr acknowledged the Golden State Warriors "needed a game like that" after they ran out 123-107 victors over the Boston Celtics.

A Klay Thompson-inspired attack snapped a two-game losing run on their home patch, in a rematch of last season's Finals series.

It saw the Warriors move to 14-13 for the season and takes them eighth in the Western Conference after handing the Celtics just their sixth loss of the season.

With his side in need of a morale boost on the court, head coach Kerr acknowledged the performance will have done wonders for their confidence following a tough few matches.

"I thought we needed a game like that," he stated. "We've been a little bit stuck in the mud. The crowd was excited, we were excited.

"The feeling of going against the team you just played in the Finals, especially with the way they've played this year [and being able to win]. They've just been so good, so dominant."

While Thompson and Stephen Curry fronted up with hauls of 34 and 32 points respectively, it was the defensive performance of Jonathan Kuminga that drew plaudits from his coach and team-mates.

"I thought JK was great," Kerr added. "His athleticism and size and strength [is terrific]. To be able to bring him off the bench and put him on for either [Jaylen] Brown or [Jayson] Tatum [is great].

"JK has really helped solidify our defense and given us another weapon [where] we can put on the best players on the opponent."

UFC 282 was unable to crown a new light heavyweight champion on Saturday with a tough five-round split draw in the main event between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev in Las Vegas.

Blachowicz had appeared to concede defeat immediately after the fight by raising Ankalaev's hand, but it was deemed a split draw by the three judges with Mike Bell and Derek Cleary going either way and Sal D'Amato scoring it 47-47.

Ankalaev, who was on a nine-fight winning streak, finished the stronger of the two, with his final-round score ensuring the split decision. The Dagestani was dismayed that he was not awarded the win by the judges.

"I don't know what to say," Ankalaev said through a translator. "I won that fight. Why didn't I get my belt? I don't know what to say.

"I don't know if I'm going to fight for this organization again, because I don't know what just happened."

Blachowicz said he had not done enough himself to win the fight and returned to the cage to call for the UFC to "give the belt to Magomed Ankalaev".

"I have to watch the fight, but for sure I didn't win," the Pole said. "I don't know if I lost the fight, but I'm not the winner."

The bout was full of momentum swings with Ankalaev going with a wrestling strategy from the fourth round, having hurt his lead right leg in the second round from Blachowicz kicks.

Ankalaev out-landed Blachowicz 191-79 in total strikes and 78-55 in significant strikes.

UFC president Dana White announced after the fight that Glover Teixeira would take on Jamahal Hill for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 283 next month in Brazil.

There was also controversy in the main card lightweight fight won by Paddy Pimblett over Jared Gordon, with the Englishman winning by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Gordon won total strikes 100-97 and successfully completed three takedowns, yet Pimblett had the decision go his way.

"Coming into the third I knew I won the first two rounds easily," Pimblett said after the fight.

When asked if it was close, he added: "No it wasn’t, that wasn't close."

Earlier, Mexican 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr triumphed as he became the youngest fighter ever to compete in the UFC, beating Jay Perrin with a first-round submission in the bantamweight during the preliminary cards.

Terence Crawford declined to commit to fighting Errol Spence Jr but is open to it after beating David Avanesyan with a sixth-round knockout shot to defend his WBO welterweight world title on Saturday.

Crawford was far too good for Avanesyan in Omaha, further enhancing the appetite for a unification showdown with IBF, WBA and WBC claimant Spence.

The 35-year-old southpaw reportedly agreed terms with Spence in September for a November fight which never materialised, while many expected Saturday's bout with WBO number six contender Avanesyan to be lopsided.

"Listen, I'm a free agent, this was a one-fight deal," Crawford said after Saturday's win when asked about the prospect of fighting Spence.

"Hopefully we can go [back] to the drawing board and these big fights come about in the near future."

Spence was involved in a two-vehicle accident on Saturday where he was not at fault but thankfully escaped relatively unscathed.

Crawford added about his rival: "I wish him well. I hope he’s alright - mentally, physically and emotionally. This is just a sport. We're all fighting for that number one spot, so it ain’t personal."

The American knocked Avanesyan out after a strong burst in the sixth round, landing a left-handed uppercut followed by a short left uppercut-right hook combination to seal victory.

The win meant the WBO world welterweight champion made his sixth straight defence and recorded his 10th straight knockout. It also improved his overall record to 39-0.

Splash brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 66 points as the Golden State Warriors claimed arguably their best win of the season, beating the Boston Celtics 123-107 on Saturday.

The Celtics had won eight of their past nine games, including a statement win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, but the reigning champions shut down the NBA's number one offensive team while the splash brothers were on song.

Curry finished with 32 points including six-of-11 from beyond the arc, with four off the dribble, while Thompson scored a game-high 34 points with four triples. The Warriors are 14-0 all-time when Curry and Thompson both score 30-plus points.

It was a rare night of frustration for the NBA-leading Celtics, who fall to 21-6 overall, with Jayson Tatum kept to 18 points with seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 31 points.

Curry and Thompson led the way, but center Kevon Looney pulled down 15 rebounds while Jordan Poole added 20 points.

The win means the Warriors are 12-2 at Chase Center this season and have won 11 of their past 17 games, improving to 14-13 overall.

Thomas stars as short-handed Nets claim shock win

The short-handed Brooklyn Nets recorded an admirable 136-133 victory over the Indiana Pacers, with Cam Thomas coming off the bench to score a career-high 33 points.

The Nets were without eight players, including All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, but Thomas stepped up along with Australian guard Patty Mills with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 35 points for the Pacers, but Thomas and Mills were crucial in the fourth quarter, as the Nets made it three straight wins and six from their past seven games.

Jokic records triple-double in Nuggets victory

Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a 115-110 win over the Utah Jazz with his fourth triple-double of the season and 80th of his NBA career.

Jokic finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists in a dominant display that helped the Nugs improve their record to 15-10.

Jamal Murray supported the reigning MVP well, with 30 points, four rebounds and five assists.

Erik ten Hag revealed Manchester United will target a striker to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window.

Ronaldo acrimoniously exited Old Trafford last month following an explosive interview, in which he criticised boss Ten Hag and the club's owners.

United have been linked with moves for Cody Gakpo and Goncalo Ramos - both of whom scored three goals at the World Cup for the Netherlands and Portugal respectively.

Ten Hag says the Red Devils are on the hunt for a centre forward, but the Dutchman would not reveal the identity of their targets.

When asked whether United were on the lookout for a striker, the Dutchman replied: "Yes, but only when we find the right player. We do everything in our power.

"We are doing research on every opportunity, and we do everything we can if that opportunity is there to contract them.

"I cannot give comments on specific players. I will never do that. Players have contracts and I respect that, but make sure we are working in the background to get the right players in."

Meanwhile, Ten Hag has been encouraged by Anthony Martial who, despite sustaining a hamstring injury during pre-season, has registered four goals and two assists in seven appearances this term.

"We have seen, when he is available, he has a massive impact on our game," said Ten Hag.

"He has less than 300 minutes [this season] and has four goals and two assists. That's a really good record.

"The first challenge for him is to be available and fit. He has to be responsible for it, but we have to support him in all the ways we can."

Gareth Southgate will take his time to "make the correct decision" regarding his future as England manager but was encouraged by the way his young team went toe to toe with France on Saturday.

England were the better team for long periods at Al Bayt but ultimately fell short with Olivier Giroud's 78th-minute header proving to be decisive as Les Bleus clinched a 2-1 win to set up a semi-final with Morocco on Wednesday.

Southgate's contract runs until the end of the European Championship in 2024, but he will use the next few weeks to reflect on whether he wants to carry on.

He said: "Whenever I have finished these tournaments I have needed time to make the correct decision because you go through so many feelings.

"I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England and for the Football Association. It's right to take some time to do that because I know how my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of previous tournaments.

"It's the decision to go again, it's a lot of energy and you have to make sure you're ready for that. There are Euro qualifiers in March and there's too much in my head to think about that tonight.

"I wanted to focus on this tournament and I think we've given a really good account of ourselves. But in the end only one team wins and we've fallen just short."

Southgate led England to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia four years ago and the final of Euro 2020, yet his critics have continued to accuse him of playing in a negative manner.

That certainly wasn't the case in Qatar, with no team scoring more than England's nine goals in the group phase before a 3-0 round of 16 win over Senegal.

And against France, England played front-foot football that troubled the defending champions throughout.

Southgate added: "I think it's the best we've played against a major nation in the period I have been in charge but the scoreline is all that matters.

"They know how close they've come. They know they've pushed a top nation all the way. We had more possession, more attempts on goal…I am very proud of how they've been, not just tonight but throughout the tournament.

"We've shown a different face in terms of how we've played. We wanted to go toe to toe with the top nations, that's how we approached this tournament and we've done that. There's so much to be excited about given the age of some of the players.

"We've shown the rest of the world that English football is healthy and we have some very good players, not just for now but for the future as well."

England captain Harry Kane had the chance to take the game to extra time following Giroud's goal but blazed an 84th-minute penalty over the crossbar.

He had earlier netted from the spot to cancel out Aurelien Tchouameni's first-half opener and Southgate was quick to defend the Tottenham striker.

"He's very low but he's got nothing to reproach himself for," he said.

"We're in the position we are as a team due to his goals and his leadership over a long period of time. The result was due to 100 minutes of football and things that happened at both ends of the pitch.

"Even if the penalty goes in we've still got a lot to do to win the game. We win and lose together.

"It was difficult when you get a second penalty against a goalkeeper you know very well [Kane's Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris]. Even the best are going to miss at times, that's football.

"But there's no-one I'd rather have in that situation and if we got a penalty tomorrow I'd feel the same way.

"It's cruel for him because he will feel disappointed in himself, but he shouldn't."

Harry Kane took responsibility for England's World Cup exit after blazing a late penalty over the bar in the Three Lions' 2-1 defeat to France, saying he will "have to live with" the error.

England more than matched France during Saturday's tense quarter-final at Al Bayt Stadium, with Kane cancelling out Aurelien Tchouameni's opener from the spot after the France midfielder fouled Bukayo Saka in the area.

However, Olivier Giroud restored the holders' lead with 12 minutes remaining, and Kane was unable to score again when Theo Hernandez conceded a second penalty six minutes from time, firing over the crossbar.

The miss saw Kane squander the chance to surpass Wayne Rooney as England's all-time top goalscorer with his 54th international strike, while the Three Lions fell to their seventh World Cup quarter-final elimination – a tournament record.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the defeat, England's captain fronted up to his mistake and praised his team-mates for going toe-to-toe with the world champions.

"It's tough to take for me personally and for the team," he said. "I couldn't be prouder of the boys. We had better spells, better chances, but football comes down to small details. 

"As the captain and the one who missed the penalty, I take responsibility for that. I can't fault my preparation or the details before the game. 

"I felt confident taking it, I just didn't execute it the way I wanted to. It will be something I have to live with and take on the chin.

"The team is in a really good place and there will be highs in the future. Standing here now, we are gutted it has come to an end as we had full belief we could go all the way. We can be proud of what we've done."

Kane is the first player to both score and miss a penalty in a World Cup match (excluding shoot-outs) since Michal Bilek did so for Czechoslovakia against the United States in 1990.

He has scored more World Cup penalties than any other player (four).

The miss leaves Kane level with Rooney on 53 England goals, and the Manchester United great expressed his support for the Three Lions skipper after the loss.

"Absolutely gutted for the lads but proud of the way they've played this tournament and they should be proud," Rooney said on Twitter.

"Congratulations to Harry Kane on equalling the record, he'll be on his own soon and I couldn't think of anyone better to take over. Keep your head up Harry."

Aurelien Tchouameni warned "a group is being born" after France edged out England 2-1 to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Les Bleus are the first reigning champions to reach the last four since Brazil in 1998, as Olivier Giroud settled a tight affair with 12 minutes remaining after a Harry Kane penalty cancelled out Tchouameni's earlier 25-yard effort at Al Bayt Stadium.

Didier Deschamps' side suffered a late scare when England were awarded a second spot-kick six minutes from time, only for Kane to blaze high over Hugo Lloris' goal.

Tchouameni told beIN SPORTS: "We are getting stronger. A group is being born, we feel good, we must continue.

"We suffered – it's the World Cup, we played a very good English team. We managed to win, we are happy."

Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot hailed the togetherness in the France group, with Morocco up next in the last four on Wednesday.

"[I feel] pride, proud of this team, this group," the midfielder said. "There is joy. We have suffered, we have shown that we can be united and in solidarity.

"We were warned and prepared, we knew they would be committed. We responded with our weapons. It's an incredible moment. It is a moment of communion, as from the beginning, that carries us.

"More and more people are behind us and believe in it. We feel that there is something to be done. Even when we are in trouble, nothing can happen to us."

Olivier Giroud compared France's tense 2022 World Cup quarter-final win over England to their semi-final victory against Belgium four years ago.

France scraped past the Three Lions 2-1 at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday, with Giroud's deflected header ultimately the difference.

Aurelien Tchouameni had fired the world champions ahead, but England responded strongly and levelled through a Harry Kane penalty.

Gareth Southgate's side might have equalised a second time following Giroud's goal, only for Kane to fire a second spot-kick over the crossbar.

Victory sends France through to a semi-final against surprise package Morocco, with Didier Deschamps' side looking like favourites to retain their crown.

But this tie showed how hard it is to win the World Cup, with Giroud reminded of a 1-0 defeat of Belgium in Russia.

"The match tonight reminded of the match against Belgium in 2018," Giroud told a news conference. "We fought tooth and nail.

"They came back into the match, started to believe, but we showed we could be dangerous on the counter-attack.

"We were a bit lucky because Kane misses the penalty, but we gave our all and fought tooth and nail. It reminds me of the mentality of 2018. This group deserves to get there."

Giroud had equalled and then passed Thierry Henry's France goals record earlier in the finals.

"All goals are important," he added. "The fact is I went ahead of Thierry Henry with the 52nd, but this 53rd is perhaps even better.

"A minute before, I had a chance and I could have scored. I thought I might get another chance, and it was unbelievable to score."

Didier Deschamps felt the "small details and a bit of luck" went France's way as they edged past England 2-1 to secure a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Olivier Giroud grabbed what turned out to be the winner with 12 minutes to go with England captain Harry Kane missing a second penalty of the night shortly after. His first was successful, cancelling out Aurelien Tchouameni's opener.

Deschamps, whose side now face surprise package Morocco in Wednesday's second last-four clash, was relieved to have squeezed through.

He said: "England have a very good team and what they showed in terms of technical ability and intensity, even though we put up a good fight, was impressive.

"Credit to my team as well, we also showed some very good things. We have great quality and we also have impressive mental strength. We have experience but so do England, they have some young players but they are players that play for the top clubs in Europe.

"We could see they were a good team at the outset of the tournament and it comes down to small details and luckily tonight it went our way. You need a bit of luck sometimes."

Vive la France

Into the #FIFAWorldCup semi-finals!#Qatar2022

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 10, 2022
England were the better team for long periods at Al Bayt Stadium and Deschamps preferred to focus on the strengths of France's opponents than criticise his own team for some of their failings.

"They have quality in all areas of the pitch," he added. "There were certain things we could have done better but maybe it's because they didn't let us do them well.

"We still scored two goals and created several opportunities. We deserved it but the other team were very strong."

Deschamps' contract is due to expire at the end of the tournament but the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Great, has expressed hope that he will continue.

Deschamps refused to go into any great detail regarding his future but did not commit to remaining at the helm of Les Bleus.

"I will be the coach for the semi-final and then we will see," he said. "We will tackle that problem when it arises. It's great that the president is happy, I am sure there are a lot of people that are happy tonight.

"Just four years after our last victory at the World Cup we are in the last four. Let's focus on Wednesday, I am not thinking about anything else at the minute."

Harry Kane "will be stronger" for having missed the penalty that saw England eliminated from the World Cup by France on Saturday.

That is the opinion of Jordan Henderson, who was substituted shortly before the Three Lions were awarded a second spot-kick in their 2-1 defeat.

Kane had scored the first to cancel out Aurelien Tchouameni's first-half goal, but his second attempt cleared the crossbar, meaning an Olivier Giroud header proved to be the winner.

No player in World Cup history has scored more spot-kicks than Kane's four, with this the first he has missed.

"We know how many penalties Harry has scored for us, how many goals he has contributed to even get us here," midfielder Henderson told ITV.

"He will be stronger for this in the future. He is a world-class striker and our captain. He will bounce back."

Henderson concluded "it wasn't our night", although he felt it could have been as England went toe-to-toe with the world champions.

"We felt good, the performances were really good, the focus and hunger has been really good," he added.

"But you have to give credit to France, who are a good team. I still feel it was there for us to win tonight."