Philadelphia, United States — The first time Ali Alkabasi saw Iraq play at a World Cup was on television when he was 13 years old. Forty years later, he was inside the Philadelphia Stadium as his nation returned to the big stage and faced former champions France.

Despite a crushing 3-0 loss in his team’s second Group I match, Alkabasi says he is grateful to witness Iraq live at the tournament.

“Seeing Iraq play in the World Cup is enough,” he told Al Jazeera.

“The performance wasn’t too bad. The result was expected. France are on another level. At least the Iraqi players were not just playing long balls. They tried to build up an attack.”

Iraqi fans stood up and saluted their team at the final whistle, and even at three goals down in the final minutes of the game, they cheered for every attack as if they could will it into becoming an equaliser.

‘Matter of pride’

For a country that has faced immense adversity over the past decades, Iraq’s participation in a World Cup brought unadulterated joy to fans, who travelled from across the US and the world to see their team in action.

Halah Maykhan, an Iraqi American who lives in Wisconsin, said Iraq’s return to the World Cup after four decades is a dream come true.

“We are living the dream. My homeland, Iraq, makes it to the World Cup finals in America, where I live. The dream for me is double,” Maykhan told Al Jazeera.

“I am so happy and so excited. This is a matter of pride for the Iraqi people.”

She expressed gratitude to the players for gathering Iraqis from all corners of the planet in one place to rally around the squad.

“We are with this team no matter the results,” Maykhan told Al Jazeera.

“Although they lack experience, we are hoping they do well, and we’re hoping all Arab teams do well.”

Two-time world champions France started the match with intensity, and superstar Kylian Mbappe quieted the raucous Iraqi crowd in the 14th minute with a screamer from the edge of the box – but not for long.

After the shell-shock, Iraqi fans returned to drumming up support for their team as chants of “Iraq, Iraq” rang throughout the stadium.

The process would repeat twice, with France’s goals only temporarily lulling the roars of the supporters of the Lions of Mesopotamia.

Despite the enormous gulf in quality between the two sides, Iraq did not just park the bus and clear the ball as far away as possible from their own goal.

They tried to keep possession and play through France’s high press.

Mohammed Abduljabbar, who lives in Texas, said while the result was disappointing, the team did what it had to do against a better opponent.

“Their performance was good. Yes, there were mistakes, but there were also some beautiful plays. We are proud of them, and we thank them for bringing us to the World Cup,” Abduljabbar told Al Jazeera.

He added that the feeling of watching Iraq at the stadium was “indescribable”.

A nation brought together by football

Beyond football, Iraq’s World Cup journey put on display a fortified national identity across sectarian and religious lines.

At the stadium on Monday, there were Kurdish and Assyrian flags waving alongside the national banner, but all the fans stood united behind the players.

Husam Nafea, an Iraq fan who drove for four hours from Virginia to see the match, said the country has been rising above divisions, and it is now even more unified around the team.

“Wherever we go, we as Iraqis are joyous and united, and hopefully, we remain this way,” Nafea, who was draped in an Iraqi flag, told Al Jazeera outside the stadium.

Over the past decades, Iraq has endured coups, wars, sieges, civil strife, a US-led invasion and the rise of ISIL (ISIS).

Now the country is experiencing a period of relative calm, but it remains near the centre of many geopolitical faultlines in the region.

Nawres Almamoori travelled all the way from South Australia to Philadelphia to watch Iraq in action.

He said the excitement around participation in the tournament is bringing much-needed relief to Iraqis.

“Iraqis have gone through and are still going through a lot,” Almamoori told Al Jazeera. “They deserve this joy.”

An actual storm caught up with Iraq and France on Monday, with heavy rain and thunder halting the match for nearly two hours at half-time.

As fans lined up to enter the stadium under the water dumping from the sky, Iraq fan Hassan Raad said he is unconcerned with the weather or the result.

“Rain, sun, freeze, desert – we are here for our guys,” Raad told Al Jazeera. “The result doesn’t matter. As fans, our job is to support the team.”

Ateka Saleh, an Iraqi American from Wisconsin, echoed the sentiment.

“No matter what happens today, they already brought us here, together, to be happy with them,” Saleh said of the players before the match.

“So, ‘thank you’ to them. We are very proud of this team.”

Erling Haaland continued his relentless goal streak at the World Cup after another double in just his second appearance in the tournament to guide Norway to a 3-2 win over Senegal and clinch a place in the knockout stage.

Haaland is propelling Norway into the status of dark horses, with his nation’s appearance in a knockout game for the first time in 28 years now secure.

While a showdown with Kylian Mbappe and France promises to be a titanic battle between two of the most lethal finishers in the game, with Group I at stake. Haaland now has four goals in the tournament, with Mbappe also on four after a double of his own to down Iraq, with the pair one behind Lionel Messi in the race for the golden boot after his spectacular performance in victory over Austria.

Back to matters in Group I, Norway would need to win the game in Boston, but Haaland showed France are poised to meet their first serious threat after a brace on a damp evening in New Jersey saw off Senegal.

The match tempo had a similar feel to Senegal's first game, against France, with the African team competing strongly in the first half-hour frustrating their opponents and keeping Haaland off the ball.

As halftime approached, however, Senegal's defence broke down. Norway's first goal ​was from ⁠Marcus Pedersen, who came on as ‌a substitute for the injured Julian Ryerson. Senegal captain, 35-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly, misjudged a clearance and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was unable to stop Pedersen's shot.

The second half had hardly begun ‌and Norway got a second, a classic assist from Martin ‌Odegaard, who had fluffed an earlier opportunity of his own, allowed Haaland to rifle a shot into the top corner. Ten minutes later, Haaland struck again, volleying home off the crossbar.

Despite a litany of defensive errors, Senegal sometimes looked dangerous `on the counter-attack, with Ismaila Sarr getting two goals back, including one in stoppage time, but it was not enough.

After France beat Iraq 3-0, Group I is the first to have two teams secure their place in the final 32. The best Senegal can hope for is to squeeze through as one of the best third-placed teams.

Norway and France will battle it out to decide who tops the group on Friday. The jubilant Norwegians ended the game by ‌taking part in a "Viking row" on the pitch, facing their fans. The stadium was ​dominated by the red jerseys of Norway, who have been entertaining New Yorkers ‌in recent days with their mass rowing. ⁠Visa restrictions have prevented most Senegalese from entering the U.S., and there were far ⁠fewer of their fans in the stands.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms during the afternoon had led to shelter-in-place warnings and made travel difficult, and led the other Group I match in Philadelphia to be temporarily suspended.

Most fans who braved the weather donned ponchos in the outdoor stadium, although the rain eased off as play commenced.

Reuters contributed to this report

Kylian Mbappe said he was not paying too much attention to World Cup scoring records after getting two more goals on what he described as a draining night in Philadelphia, as France beat Iraq 3-0 in a game interrupted by a two-hour storm delay.

Mbappe's strikes came either side of half-time on his 100th appearance for France, and Ousmane Dembele the other goal in a game which was held up at half-time as torrential rain lashed the city.

"It was a very long evening. In terms of staying switched on emotionally it was very difficult because we had to remain focused in the dressing room for almost two hours. That is very difficult and very demanding," said Mbappe.

"We stayed calm, I was joking with the players," France coach Didier Deschamps said. 

"We stayed calm and relaxed. I was joking with the players. This is a security matter so I don't blame anyone for it.

"As soon as there is a risk, we adapt to local laws. These are unusual circumstances, and I hope it won't happen again."

A match which began at 5:00 pm local time didn't finish until close to 9:00 pm, but Mbappe's performance made it memorable for other reasons for the capacity crowd of over 68,000.

His brace came after a double in France's opening 3-1 win over Senegal, and he has seven goals in his last three World Cup matches, including his hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina.

Mbappe now has 16 World Cup goals, equalling the pre-tournament overall scoring record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose.

Lionel Messi, Mbappe's old teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, shot past that mark earlier Monday with two goals in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria, establishing a new record of 18.

"Leo always scores goals and always will. So I am not looking at what he is doing, I'm just focusing on helping my team," said Mbappe.

He now has 60 goals for his country, having overtaken Olivier Giroud's previous French record of 57 against Senegal.

- Through to last 32 -

It was put to him that he could chase down the record for most goals scored in one World Cup -- that is held by France's Just Fontaine, who scored 13 in 1958 in Sweden.

"I'm not thinking about that just now. I think it is important to focus on the collective at the moment," said the Real Madrid superstar.

"I have always scored goals at the World Cup, but the priority is to be at our best as a team. You need to beat the best teams to win a World Cup so it's going to be very difficult."

Les Bleus are already through to the last 32 with two wins from two in Group I and next return to their Boston base, where they play Norway on Friday.

Norway beat Senegal 3-2 in New Jersey later on Monday, meaning they are also now through. France and Norway are level on six points each, but France's superior goal difference means they will finish top of Group I with a draw in that last match.

"The players and staff had to make a big effort. But we did the job and we are very pleased with how we played," said Mbappe.

Iraq now have to beat Senegal in Toronto on Friday to stand a chance of advancing as a best third-placed team.

The Lions of Mesopotamia have now played five World Cup matches across two tournaments, and lost them all.

"We stuck to our game plan and executed it pretty well, but France are good. We still have a chance, we are still in the competition, so we have to go back and correct our mistakes and then go out and give everything against Senegal," said defender Rebin Sulaka.

Of the storm delay, he added: "Of course it impacts the players but I think if you see how we came out after half-time, we played really good after the break so I don't think it impacted us as much as you think."

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When Newcastle United released Dan Burn from their academy, he was eleven years old and the club he supported had just decided he was not good enough. He did not vanish from football the way most rejected boys do. He went home to Blyth, a windswept Northumberland town better known for its lifeboat station than its footballers, and he kept playing. He turned out for non league Blyth Spartans as a gangly teenager. He pulled shifts at the local Asda, pushing trolleys across the car park between school and training. And twenty three years later, at the age of 34, he walked into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for a home World Cup in the United States, chosen ahead of Harry Maguire.

There are fairy tales in football and then there is the story of a 6ft 7in defender who was told as a child he had no future at his boyhood club, only to return to it as an adult, win its first major domestic trophy in seventy years, and then earn a place at the biggest tournament on earth. Burn has lived all of it, and the most remarkable thing about him is how completely unbothered he seems by any of it.

From the Asda car park to the Football League

The detail that everyone seizes on is the trolleys, and it deserves the attention because it tells you who Burn is. While other future internationals were being bussed to elite academies and wrapped in scholarships, Burn was a working teenager who played football for his town and earned his pocket money in a supermarket car park. There was no safety net of academy contracts, no guarantee that any of it would lead anywhere. He played because he loved it and because Blyth Spartans gave him a pitch to play on.

His route into the professional game came late and from the bottom. He joined Darlington as an apprentice in 2009 and made his senior debut later that year, by which point most players who reach the top flight have already been full time professionals for years. From Darlington the climb was long and unglamorous, through Fulham, a string of loans, Wigan Athletic and Brighton and Hove Albion, where he finally established himself as a Premier League regular. Every step was earned the hard way, by a player who had no reputation to coast on and no academy pedigree to fall back on.

It is worth pausing on how unusual that path is at this level. The modern England squad is largely a product of category one academies, of boys identified at six or seven and developed inside the system for a decade. Burn is the rare exception, a player the system threw out and who built a career anyway, brick by brick, in places the cameras rarely visit. By the time he was a polished top flight centre back, he had already lived an entire football life that most of his teammates will never know.

The full circle moment

In January 2022, Newcastle United came back for the boy they had let go. Burn, a lifelong Magpies supporter, signed for the club he had grown up worshipping, in the middle of a relegation fight, for a fee that felt almost incidental against the emotional return it represented. He has spoken about how surreal it was to pull on the black and white shirt as a professional after a childhood spent on the terraces. For a local lad, there is no bigger move and no heavier shirt.

He repaid it in the most dramatic way imaginable. In the 2025 Carabao Cup final at Wembley, Burn rose above the Liverpool defence to head home and help Newcastle win their first domestic trophy in seventy years. A boy from Blyth, released at eleven, scoring at Wembley to end seven decades of hurt for the club he loved. If a screenwriter pitched it, you would tell them to tone it down. For Newcastle supporters, it is simply the truth, and it cemented Burn as a folk hero on Tyneside.

That trophy made a difference for his international hopes too. Burn only made his England debut in March 2025, astonishingly late for a player of his standing, but Tuchel clearly liked what he saw. A defender who could win his own duels, organise a back line and offer a genuine aerial threat at both ends was exactly the kind of practical option a tournament manager values. By the time the World Cup squad was named on 22 May 2026, Burn had gone from uncapped to indispensable in barely a year.

Chosen over Maguire

The selection that turned heads was not simply that Burn was in. It was who he was in ahead of. Harry Maguire, a fixture of England squads for years and a hero of the run to the Euro final, did not make the cut. Tuchel looked at his options and decided that if he wanted a tall, commanding, set piece threat from the bench, Burn could do that job, and he did not need two players of that profile.

Former England captain Sol Campbell, who knows a thing or two about playing centre back at a World Cup, expects Burn to make a real impact. “I could easily see Dan Burn scoring an important goal from a set play or corner,” Campbell told Chronicle Live, warning opponents that the Newcastle man could “cause havoc” this summer. Campbell laid out the thinking he believes shaped Tuchel’s decision. “I think Tuchel has looked at it and thought, Harry Maguire or Dan Burn, and probably thought I don’t need them both, I’ll choose Burn.”

Campbell sees Burn as a specific kind of tournament weapon, the player you send on for the last twenty minutes when a game is tight and a goal has to come from somewhere. “If you have someone like Burn who can come on for 15 or 20 minutes, and you get two or three dangerous free kicks and you get players like Burn who can attack things, people get frightened,” he said. At 6ft 7in, Burn is one of the tallest outfield players at the entire tournament, a problem defenders simply cannot match physically in the air.

A squad role he has made peace with

What stands out about Burn at this World Cup is his complete lack of ego about his place in it. He is not in the United States expecting to be an undroppable starter. He is there to do whatever the team needs, and he has said so plainly. “I just want to be here and help the team,” he explained, before adding a line that captures his entire outlook. “Whether I come on, whether I don’t play a minute, I’ll not feel I have contributed any less than anyone else.”

It is the attitude of a man who knows exactly how close he came to never having any of this. A player handed everything young can take a World Cup for granted. A player released at eleven, who stacked his career on top of Asda shifts and non league weekends, treats a place in the squad as the prize it actually is. That perspective is worth something inside a dressing room, a senior voice who measures success differently from those who have only ever known the fast track.

His presence also carries a wider meaning for the kind of supporter who has watched their own town’s club survive on scraps. Burn is proof that the academy production line is not the only road, that a late bloomer from the lower divisions can still end up at a World Cup if the talent is real and the persistence holds. For every kid let go at eleven and told to find something else to do, his name is a useful piece of evidence to the contrary.

It is easy to romanticise a rags to riches tale, but Burn’s value to England is not sentimental. He offers a set of qualities a tournament squad truly needs in its deeper rounds, height, calm, leadership and a real threat at both ends from dead balls. Tuchel did not pick him as a feel good story. He picked him because, in the specific situations that decide knockout football, a 6ft 7in defender who attacks the ball without fear is a problem the opposition has to plan for. The fairytale and the football logic happen to point in the same direction.

The header that could define a summer

England’s tournament will be decided by fine margins, the way these things always are, and tight knockout games turn on set pieces more often than open play. That is precisely the situation Burn was picked for. A corner in the last ten minutes, a free kick into a crowded box, a moment when England need a giant to attack a ball and unsettle a defence. It is not hard to imagine Burn’s name attached to a goal that sends a nation into the next round.

If that moment comes, it will be the latest chapter in a story that has already given Newcastle a Wembley winner and given English football one of its most unlikely World Cup tales in years. The boy from Blyth who pushed trolleys at Asda, released by the club he loved before he was old enough to understand what it meant, is in the United States this summer with three lions on his chest. Whatever happens next, he has already won the part that cannot be taken away.

The header itself was nothing remarkable, a striker meeting a cross and steering it home, the sort of goal Raul Jimenez has scored hundreds of times. It was what happened next that stopped the Azteca in its tracks. The 35-year-old did not wheel away in the usual celebration. He stood still, looked up at the sky, and broke down in tears. In that moment, on the 67th minute of Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa to open the 2026 World Cup, everything Jimenez had survived to be standing on that pitch came pouring out at once. It was his first World Cup goal. It came months after his father died, and a little over five years after a fractured skull nearly ended far more than his career.

Roberto Alvarado supplied the cross. Jimenez rose to meet it and doubled Mexico’s lead in front of a home crowd that has followed every chapter of his story. For a player who has spent so much of his career being defined by what was taken from him, this was the rarest thing: a moment that gave something back.

The Night Everything Nearly Ended

On 29 November 2020, Jimenez was playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers at Arsenal when he went up for a header and collided sickeningly with an opponent. He suffered a fractured skull and needed emergency surgery that night. The injury was not a knock to recover from over a few weeks. It was life-threatening. Jimenez has since said that, based on his conversations with the doctors who treated him, it was a miracle he survived at all. His father later spoke about how the injury arrived at the peak of his son’s powers, when a move up the European ladder felt within reach, and how it changed the shape of everything that followed.

He came back, which was remarkable in itself. Within months he was training again, and eventually he returned to the pitch wearing the protective headgear that has become part of his silhouette ever since. He has worn it in every match since the surgery, a permanent reminder strapped to his head of the day football almost cost him his life. Most players who suffer an injury that serious never play at the highest level again. Some never play at all. Jimenez not only returned but kept scoring, kept leading the line for club and country, and kept his place in the Mexico side long enough to reach a home World Cup.

The Long Road Back

The months after the surgery were not a simple recovery so much as a careful negotiation with risk. Returning to football after a fractured skull meant clearance from specialists, a graduated build-up, and the constant question of whether heading a ball, the very action that had injured him, was safe to attempt again. Jimenez worked through all of it. The protective headgear was part medical precaution, part psychological permission, a way of telling himself it was acceptable to compete fully again rather than flinching from every aerial duel.

What is easy to forget is how good he had been before the injury. At Wolves he had become one of the Premier League’s most complete centre-forwards, a striker who held up play, linked others and scored regularly against the best defences in England. His father’s view, that the injury struck just as the biggest moves of his career were coming into reach, was not the bias of a parent. It was a fair reading of where Jimenez stood in late 2020. The version of him that came back was older and more cautious in some ways, but no less determined to prove the interruption would not be the end of the story.

A Goal for His Father

The grief layered onto the relief made the celebration what it was. Jimenez lost his father, Raul Jimenez Vega, in March of this year. When he looked to the sky after scoring, he was not performing a gesture. He was speaking to someone. Those who know him described it afterwards as a perfect day for a man who had endured a brutal one too many, the kind of release that only comes when something joyful finally arrives after a long stretch of pain.

Football celebrations dedicated to lost loved ones can blur into a familiar image, but the specifics here cut deeper. This was a player who had already faced his own mortality on a hospital table, scoring his first World Cup goal in his own country, in the months after burying his father. The emotion was not manufactured for the cameras. It was a debt visibly settled, to himself, to his family, and to the man who was not there to see it. The Azteca, a stadium that has witnessed Pele and Maradona at their peak, understood exactly what it was watching.

Chasing History in the Mexico Shirt

Lost in the emotion of the night is the fact that Jimenez is closing in on Mexico’s all-time scoring records. He has spent more than a decade as a central figure for El Tri, a reliable presence through changes of coach and generation. The goal against South Africa was a landmark for another reason too. For all his caps and all his goals for Mexico, the World Cup had never given him a moment like this. He had been to the tournament before without scoring. At 35, at what is almost certainly his final World Cup, he finally has one, and on home soil at that.

There is a wider significance for Mexico. A host nation needs a focal point, a player the crowd can pour its hope into, and Jimenez has become exactly that. His comeback story is woven into the country’s relationship with this tournament. When he scores, it is not just three points moving closer. It is a confirmation that the striker who nearly did not make it is still here, still leading the line, still capable of deciding the biggest matches his country plays.

The setting added its own layer. The Azteca became the first stadium to host matches at three different World Cups, having staged the 1970 and 1986 finals before this tournament returned to Mexico City. It is a ground steeped in the sport’s mythology, the place where some of the game’s defining figures produced their defining moments. For Jimenez to write himself into its long story, with a goal carrying that much personal history behind it, gave the night a sense of occasion that went beyond the scoreline. A stadium built for legends made room for one more piece of folklore, supplied by a local hero the country had nearly lost.

Why This One Resonated Beyond Mexico

Some goals belong only to the fans of the team that scores them. This one travelled further. The image of a grown man, a hardened professional, standing frozen and weeping after the simplest of headers, spoke to anyone who has carried loss into a moment that was supposed to be pure celebration. It is the kind of scene that pulls in viewers who do not follow Mexican football and may not have known Jimenez’s history until that night, then found themselves moved by it anyway.

The 2026 World Cup will produce faster players, flashier goals, and bigger names on the scoresheet. It is unlikely to produce many moments heavier than a survivor scoring for his late father in the country that loves him. That is the strange power of this sport. A header that any striker could finish became, because of who scored it and what he had been through, one of the most affecting images of the tournament’s opening week.

Still Standing, Still Scoring

Raul Jimenez will wear the headgear for the rest of his career, and it will keep telling the story whether he wants it to or not. Every time he heads a ball, every time he throws himself into a challenge, there is a quiet defiance in it. The doctors told him he was lucky to be alive. He answered by going back to the one activity that nearly killed him and refusing to do it tentatively.

However Mexico’s tournament unfolds from here, their number nine has already given them the moment that will be replayed for years. A first World Cup goal at 35, scored at the Azteca, dedicated to a father who is gone, by a man who once lay on an operating table with his skull fractured and his future uncertain. Football rarely offers endings that tidy or that earned. For one night in Mexico City, it did, and a striker who had every reason to walk away stood in the middle of it, looking at the sky.

Kylian Mbappe marked his 100th cap by scoring two more World Cup goals on Monday as France eased to a 3-0 win over Iraq in a game delayed by two hours by a severe storm.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute and added another nine minutes into the second half, with last year's Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele getting the other goal for the tournament favourites in Philadelphia.

Mbappe moved to 16 World Cup goals in his career, two behind Lionel Messi who set a new record of 18 goals by netting twice for Argentina against Austria earlier on Monday.

The match in Philadelphia kicked off at 5:00 pm local time (2100 GMT) and had to be halted at half-time as a huge storm passed over the city.

Having started in dry conditions, torrential rain began to fall late in the first half, and supporters were told as soon as the half-time whistle was blown to "exit the open seating area and seek shelter in covered areas".

The vast majority of the 68,324-capacity Lincoln Financial Field is uncovered -- leaving most of the capacity crowd to pack into the concourses.

The second half eventually got under way more than two hours behind schedule, in what was the first match at this World Cup to be held up by bad weather.

There are strict protocols in place in the United States that mean a game must be halted if a storm is detected in the area.

It is also raining goals at this World Cup for Mbappe, whose brace here followed two in France's opening 3-1 win over Senegal last Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid superstar and France captain became his country's all-time top scorer with his goals against Senegal, overtaking the previous best tally of 57 for Olivier Giroud.

He now has 60 goals for Les Bleus in a century of appearances, and 16 of them have come at the World Cup in just 16 matches at the tournament.

- Shoot-out with Messi -

Mbappe is now level on the all-time list of World Cup goals with Germany's Miroslav Klose, who started the tournament as the all-time leading scorer.

He has overtaken the 15 goals scored by the Brazilian Ronaldo and seems set for a shoot-out at this year's World Cup with Messi.

Next up for Mbappe and France is a meeting with Erling Haaland's Norway in Boston on Friday, but the 2022 beaten finalists are already certain of reaching the last 32 after notching two wins from two games in Group I.

Iraq, meanwhile, are staring at the prospect of early elimination after this defeat followed a 4-1 loss to Norway in their opening game -- they have now lost five games out of five across two World Cups, 40 years apart.

France made three changes from their opening game, with Bradley Barcola replacing Desire Doue on the left wing, Manu Kone stepping in for Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield, and Lucas Digne preferred to Theo Hernandez at left-back.

Mbappe opened the scoring before the quarter-hour mark when he controlled a pass with his right foot and sent in a shot from 20 metres which was too powerful for Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

Graham Arnold's side were then dealt a blow as captain and striker Aymen Hussein had to come off with just 26 minutes gone.

The weather delay made for a surreal atmosphere as the storm passed overhead, leaving supporters drenched, and forced the players to sit it out in the dressing room.

When play resumed, Iraq caved in, with a calamitous passage of play gifting Mbappe and France their second goal on 54 minutes.

A goal-kick was taken by defender Zaid Tahseen who tried to give it goalkeeper Basil, but he hit it too hard and wide, and Dembele was able to set up Mbappe for a simple finish.

Michael Olise then hit the bar with a delicate chip before the Bayern Munich man set up Dembele to fire in on 66 minutes for 3-0.

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Kylian Mbappe scored his second brace ‌of the tournament, and France eased to a 3-0 victory over Iraq ⁠in the first match ⁠of this World Cup beset by a lengthy weather stoppage.

Mbappe’s goals came nearly three hours apart after thunderstorms in the region on Monday delayed the second-half kickoff by a shade ⁠under two hours.

They take him to 16 all-time World Cup tallies, pulling him level with former record-holder Miroslav Klose. Earlier on Monday, Lionel Messi set a new benchmark of 18 career World Cup ⁠goals with his brace in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria.

Mbappe’s four goals also place him one behind Messi in the 2026 Golden Boot race.

Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele also scored after half-time for two-time champions France (2-0-0, 6 points), who are all but assured of progressing.

Their last-32 place will become official if Norway ‌win or draw against Senegal in the other Group I fixture. That match, staged about two hours away by car in northern New Jersey, kicked off near-simultaneously with the start of the long-awaited second half at Philadelphia Stadium.

Iraq (0-2-0, 0 points) remain alive for one of the eight knockout spots allotted for third-place teams.

They will probably need a win in their group finale against Senegal and help elsewhere. And they could be without Aymen Hussein, who scored their only goal this tournament in their ⁠opener, but exited on Monday in the 26th minute with an apparent injury.

France ⁠dominated the early stages, and Mbappe capitalised in the 14th minute.

On an innocent-looking sequence on the right, Mbappe received Michael Olise’s pass, took one touch to his left and, with Iraqi defenders affording him space, unfurled a powerful strike from ⁠the edge of the penalty area that sailed beyond Ahmed Basil’s dive.

The delay could have served as a recovery period for Iraq, who spent most ⁠of the match chasing the ball. Instead, they gifted France ⁠and Mbappe a second on a dreadful mistake from a goal kick.

Dembele was the provider for Mbappe’s tap-in. He scored 12 minutes later, after controlling Olise’s incisive pass into the 18-yard box and finishing low past Basil.

With the outcome never in doubt, ‌the weather provided the drama.

After referee Drew Fischer blew his half-time whistle as storms were already beginning, the skies opened further, and spectators were told to seek shelter in the stadium concourses.

Players finally ‌re-emerged ‌for warm-ups about 1 hour and 40 minutes later, and even then, the restart was delayed further as stadium personnel used squeegees to shuttle standing water off the east side of the pitch.

England have seen a friendly Thomas Tuchel and Thomas Tuchel in friendlies. Now they are getting a glimpse of Tournament Thomas; or perhaps, in his native tongue, Turnier Thomas.

The serious business has started but Tuchel is trying to blend greater intensity with a relaxed approach. The England manager has loved life at the World Cup so far. An opening victory over Croatia prompted suggestions that Tuchel’s team were the finest side in the first round of fixtures. Tuchel may have got his personal balance right, his team talk at the interval in Dallas inspiring an immediate improvement.

The competitive juices are flowing for Tuchel. His prowess in knockout competitions was shown best when Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021. He can prosper under pressure, work well with a target. He has had 18 months to prepare for his first tilt at a global international tournament. He is enjoying it.

“I don't do anything extra. It just gives me a lot of energy to be at a World Cup, to have this tournament and be in competitive mode, to be surrounded by world-class players and fantastic personalities,” Tuchel said. “It energises me.”

England managers face a permanent test of how to react during a tournament. Fabio Capello was too strict, rendering his camp joyless. Sven-Goran Eriksson could seem too relaxed, too laissez-faire. Tuchel is trying to get the blend right; in part, for a man as charismatic as him, it is a question of how big a personality he is.

“I'm influencing the players, influencing the staff, so I have to be on the front foot [but] also not too much,” he said. “I want to have the right mix between relaxation and the smile and the arm round the shoulder and good spirit. I hope that they feel it because the competition is on and I want to be at my best and support them to be their best, because it's their stage. It's their potential that has to bring us all the way and should shine. That's how I understand my role and I love the competition and [being] a coach.”

One of the intriguing elements is what drew the boy from Bavaria to England. For Tuchel, however, the World Cup can offer him something he has never previously experienced. “I've had one of the best days and weeks of my coaching career until now,” Tuchel said.

Those last two words are particularly pertinent. England head to Boston to face Ghana after making a winning start against Croatia. Over the last six decades, however, their World Cup campaigns have gone wrong, sometimes before even reaching the tournament.

England’s history is pockmarked by turning points; the dismissals of David Beckham in 1998 and Wayne Rooney in 2006 were two that assumed a seismic significance. It is going swimmingly now, but Tuchel reflected: “It always can change in an instant. You're always just one red card away from a completely new situation; this can always happen. I don't want to talk about it too much and prepare for something but something else is round the corner. Maybe nothing is around the corner so why even put it out there? Maybe nothing is round the corner and we do it and we will be in control. Let's see.”

The encouraging element is that, so far, England have responded well to setbacks, as when Croatia equalised just before the interval. “I am very happy because we found an answer to adversity,” said Tuchel. “We conceded in a very tricky moment.”

It allowed him to see a positive aspect to letting in two goals. England were imperfect. “We need to do things better,” said Tuchel. “I think defensively we dropped a little too deep from a middle block into a low block and deep block, which is, in itself, not a problem, but we went a bit too early. Maybe it is good that we conceded, because it just tells us, ‘let’s not do this again’. It makes no sense, it’s not us, it doesn’t play to our strengths.”

And part of his aim is to play to English strengths, to get his side operating at Premier League pace, to get them producing their club form for their countries. There is a toughness to the stereotypical English teams. It could equip them for their next test.

“The beautiful thing is that the things that were not so good we do not need to amend anything new, we just need to do our stuff better from the first half [against Croatia],” added Tuchel. “I expect more ball possession. I expect Ghana to rely on counter-attacks because they are very physical, very fast and dangerous.”

That may give them some shared characteristics with England. Victory in Massachusetts could see Tuchel’s side win the group with a game to spare but they are not getting carried away. “At the moment I cannot see any signs of complacency,” Tuchel said. “The players keep themselves on edge.”

If the players keep England on track, there may be a further blast of Oasis. Tuchel may not have belted out the national anthem yet but he enjoyed the choruses of “Wonderwall” after the Croatia game.

“It was a beautiful moment and it meant a lot to all of us,” he said. “It is an iconic song and easy enough for everyone to sing. Hopefully it becomes an anthem because that is exactly what a tournament like this is for, for the connection between fans and the team.”

Thomas Tuchel has vowed to let Anthony Barry to carry on doing half-time interviews with broadcasters after his explosive words at the break in the win over Croatia – and said he will be “so happy” if his assistant keeps speaking his mind.

Barry said England had been “complicated and confusing” in the opening period of their World Cup opener in Dallas, as they went in at 2-2, before an improved performance led to a 4-2 victory.

Tuchel was relaxed about Barry’s blunt analysis and said the 40-year-old had been on the receiving end of a few comments inside the England camp after he suddenly acquired a higher profile.

The German said: “I’m so happy if he does that at half-time — and then I don’t have to do it. Why would you say ‘allow it to happen’? Do you think I need to do that? I’m so happy if he speaks.

“I haven’t heard it. But I hear a lot of people speaking, so he gets a lot of banter for it. I can imagine it makes sense what he said, and he spoke hopefully from his heart and from his knowledge because he’s just a top coach.

“And you see the quality. The guy is a top coach. And he is an inspiration, and he pushes me, and helps me and supports me. It’s just top level.”

Left-back Nico O’Reilly also said he had no problem with Barry’s words, adding: “Anthony Barry’s very honest, straight to the point, and I think that's the best way to be.”

The Sun Belt is better now than it was when Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn, Bryan Harsin, and Blake Anderson were winning conference titles, but Butch Jones has his Red Wolves in the mix every year.

It took a few years, but Jones has a consistent winner now with three straight bowl appearances, 21 wins over the span, and with a team returning that should be good enough to challenge for a championship.

Can the Red Wolves Do Enough to Be Sun Belt Title Good?

Arkansas State Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Butch Jones (6th year, 26-37; 14th year overall, 110-91)
• Best Case / Worst Case: Win the Sun Belt title/Just miss out on a bowl game
• Key Player: Trey Owens, QB Soph. (or whoever wins the quarterback job)
• 2025 Record: 7-6
• Biggest Question: Can the defense do more despite the loss of all the top pass rushers?

Arkansas State Key 2025 Stats

• 2nd Quarter Points: 101, 3rd Quarter Points: 44
• Penalties: Opponents 116 for 999 yards, Arkansas State 82 for 752 yards
• Tackles For Loss: Arkansas State 81 for 345 yards, Opponents 81 for 309 yards

Offense

The offense kicked it in late in the season, but it needs to be more consistent and explosive.

It's a loaded team full of good veterans, but the missing pieces are big.

Overall, there needs to be more efficiency, better play from the line, and consistency, but the players are in place to be terrific for new offensive coordinator, Garrett Altman.

What’s Working

The offensive line returns just about everyone. It needs to be far better - the pass protection needs to show up - and the ground attack has to be much stronger, but four starters are back, there's decent depth, and there are plenty of strong reinforcements coming in from the transfer portal.

Top target and star Corey Rucker is gone, but just about every other important receiver returns, starting with 73-grab veteran Chauncy Cobb and No. 3 man Hunter Summers. Landing Boski Barrett from Vanderbilt helps an already strong situation.

There needs to be a lot more happening from the ground game, and it starts with giving the 1-2 punch of Kenyon Clay (the thump) and Devin Spencer (the quickness) even more work.

There's even more help coming from Corey Reddick Jr., a quick back from Valdosta State who ran for 651 yards and seven scores last year.

What Needs Work

The quarterback situation. Jaylen Raynor threw and completed more passes for more yards than anyone in the Sun Belt last year, and now he's at Iowa State. Now it's a fight for the gig - the Red Wolves don't have it figured out yet.

Ethan Crawford is back after seeing minimal action last year. Drew Dickey (Vanderbilt) is a smallish baller, and 6-5 Trey Owens (Texas) and 6-4 Jeremy St-Hilaire (Vanderbilt) are bigger options.

Consistent scoring. The Red Wolves failed to score 17 points four times, and went 1-5 when they failed to push past 21.

As a program, it didn't get more than 21 in 18 games over the last three years, and it wasn't just against the top teams on the slate.

The ground game has to be stronger. The line has to generate a push - the Red Wolves only averaged more than five yards per carry once, and that game against Georgia Southern was the only time it got more than 160 yards.

Player to Watch

Devin Spencer, RB Jr.
Can the 5-10, 175-pound speedster get the ball more? He's not a workhorse, and he'll split time again, but he averaged over five yards per carry and needs to have the ball in his hands at least ten times a game.

- Sun Belt Football Win Total Predictions

Defense

There's plenty of work to do.

The offense gets a lot of parts back, but the defensive side doesn't. There's a redo happening, with the portal playing a huge role for a defense that allowed well over 400 yards per game.

It wasn't great against the run, and it had a few meltdowns against the better passing teams. As long as it can keep teams to around 24 points, it should be okay.

What’s Working

The safeties are among the best in the Sun Belt. The main men are back, starting with the combination of AG McGhee and Brandon Barnes, who combined for 151 tackles and seven broken up passes last year. Brandon Greil is also back after making 54 stops. If that wasn't enough ...

The coaching staff brought in lots and lots of defensive backs. The safety situation is great, and it's even better with Makai Shahid (Youngstown State) and Jaylen Heyward (UCF) adding depth.

The corners are the stronger of the defensive back transfers, with Noah Flores (Utah State) Bryson Ross (Portland State), and Five Hamilton (Kennesaw State) ready to go right away.

Good things happen when the run defense holds up. It'll take a village of transfers to transform the line - eight linemen are entering the fun - and if they can be nasty against the run, everything changes on the defense.

The Red Wolves were 5-0 when allowing 160 yards or fewer, and 6-1 when giving up fewer than 185 yards. Basically, just don't get gouged.

What Needs Work

Where are the pass rushers? This was one of the best pass rushing teams in America, but the 16.5 sacks from Demarcus Hendricks and Eathan Hassler are done. Cody Sigler left for Auburn, and Drew Collins is off to South Carolina.

The portal needs to bring the production, but the new guys don't have any appreciable proven track record.

The linebacking corps needs the transfers, too. Top tackler Aaron Alexander left for North Texas, and after being banged up last year, Javante Mackey is gone to Texas State.

Joshua Ofor (NC State) and Tre Stevens (Lafayette) join veteran Nigel Nelson - 54 tackles last year - to try piecing things together.

The pass defense got torched. There's a reason why so many new players are coming in through the portal.

Even with a fantastic pass rush, the Red Wolves got hit for 245 yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks combined to complete 68% of their throws.

Player to Watch

AG McGhee, S Sr.
He's only around 190 pounds, but he works in a hybrid position in the ASU defense - part safety, part linebacker.

No matter where he plays, he makes things happen, with 100 tackles in his last two seasons at Marshall before coming up with 83 stops with a pick and five broken up passes last year.

Keys to the Season

• Find the pass rushers who can step up right away.
• Settle the quarterback situation as quickly as possible.
• Get more pop to the offense with both the downfield passing game and rushing attack.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Donquarius Parker, EDGE, Sr.
The transfers for the pass rush are mostly FBS players who haven't done much yet.

The 6-1, 240-pound Parker is one of the few players with plenty of experience, making 39 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss last year for North Carolina Central. He'll get every shot to be the main man on the outside.

Biggest Concern

The defensive line
The offensive side issues - quarterback, consistency, pass protection - should be helped by experience. The defensive line has to be even stronger against the run and find the same pressure, but with wholesale changes needed up front.

Biggest Game

Troy, November 28
This is hardly a perfect Arkansas State team coming into the season, but it has the talent and upside to win the Sun Belt West - by far the easier of the two divisions.

One way or another, a spot in the Sun Belt Championship should come down to the regular season finale when the Trojans come to Jonesboro.

Transfer Portal

The Red Wolves needed a lot of players, and they got a lot of players.

They totally rebuilt the defensive line and loaded up in the secondary, but the only thing that matters is the quarterback situation.

One of the several players coming in has to be an instant star for the veteran offense.

Best Signing

Makai Shahid, S (Youngstown State)
This could be whichever quarterback rises up from the pack - Trey Owens from Texas might be the best signing - but Shahid is right up there with the team's best new guys.

The Red Wolves are already good at safety, and they added more to the mix with the 6-0, 190-pound Shahid, who made 125 tackles with six broken up passes over the last two years at Youngstown State.

Biggest Loss

Cody Sigler, DT (Auburn)
In his one year at Arkansas State, Sigler turned into a whale of an interior pass rusher with five sacks and 35 tackles for loss. And now he'll be a part of the rotation at Auburn.

Other Names to Know

• Joshua Ofor, LB (NC State)
• Manasse Itete, OG (Florida State)
• Noah Flores, CB (Utah State)

CFN Season Prediction

To try threading this prediction needle, Arkansas State should be an okay team with an okay record and with strong overall results.

The glitches might not easily be fixed. The offense will be fine, but all the veteran offensive linemen have to form a better overall unit. The transfer portal will help the defense, but it has to be better, too.

But with the Sun Belt divisional format, it's possible to lose games and still be deep in the mix for the conference title. That's Arkansas State.

CFN Prediction: 7-5

Can the Red Wolves win the road games? Last year they lost to Kennesaw State away from home and dropped the date to a bad ULM team, but they also won their last three road games against South Alabama, Troy, and App State in close games.

This year, they should lose at Memphis and TCU early, and dates at Louisiana and Southern Miss lean loss.

It'll all come down to back-to-back road games against Coastal Carolina and Louisiana Tech late, and then the home game against Troy.

It'll be a fourth straight bowl season without too much of a concern, but it'll take a few breaks to play for the Sun Belt title.

Related: Sun Belt Football: Ranking All 14 Teams Heading Into Spring 2026

World Cup matches have a special buzz - spans of scoreboards, bright lights and music pumping through hulking speakers. What’s fueling all the magic? It’s not national pride.

The World Cup’s seven American host cities are projected to spend more than $860,000 in total on electricity bills to power the matches that take place at their stadiums, according to a study from Texas-based electric company Payless Power. Fully or partially enclosed stadiums will have the highest electric bills.

“Looking at electricity use on a per-match basis rather than totals reveals a clear pattern,” the study said. “The type of roof over a stadium has a major influence on the energy required for each game.”

Los Angeles is predicted to pay the most for its match-day venue at $19,108, followed by San Francisco ($16,432), New York/New Jersey ($13,179), Boston ($12,367) and Atlanta ($11,839).

Total costs for each city are highest in Los Angeles at $152,864 for eight matches, and lowest in Seattle, where six matches are projected to cost $38,106.

As for actual usage, Dallas leads the way with a projected consumption of 99,925 kWh, enough to power 1,035 area homes for one month.

Houston is slated to use 97,344 kWh, which could power 785 homes in the area for a month, while Atlanta will use the third-most energy with 96,020 kWh, enough to keep the lights on for 884 local homes.

The three top energy users this World Cup are cities with indoor stadiums, which require more power to keep their air conditioning running.

The electricity bills cities face are part of a wider theme of a high-priced global soccer experience.

Tickets cost as much as 10 times more than some games at the 2022 World Cup, with the lowest-priced tickets to the USA’s knockout-stage match costing just over $2,800 after going for just over $500 in mid-May, according to ticket price tracking site Ticket Data.

Food and beverage costs are hammering wallets, too.

Miami Stadium offers caviar-topped hash browns for $75 and a hot dog-French fry-Coke combo costing $19.35 before tip. Lobster rolls are $34 at Kansas City Stadium.

Beer, which has become a popular concession at games where temperatures reach into the 90s, is costing as much as $17 per cup.

Mohamed Salah was raised aloft by his Egypt team-mates in wild celebrations on the streets of Vancouver after guiding his nation to a first ever World Cup win.

Pharaohs captain Salah is the poster boy for football in the Middle East, let alone Egypt, so it was fitting that he scored the goal that put his side on the path to victory in a tricky Group G outing against New Zealand.

Having fallen behind to the competition’s lowest-ranked side through Finn Surman’s 15th-minute opener, Mostafa Ziko equalised for Egypt near the hour mark before Salah slotted home to flip the game on its head, with Trezeguet giving the Pharaohs daylight eight minutes from time.

After the 3-1 win, Egypt’s players were filmed outside the stadium basking in their glory, celebrating amongst the fans.

One of their players was holding a speaker as the team chanted in Arabic, the legendary now-former Liverpool winger Salah in the thick of things.

Salah was then lifted onto the shoulders of one of his team-mates to a huge cheer from the Egyptian fans that surrounded the celebrations.

The 34-year-old, deified in his homeland, has won everything there was to win at club level with Liverpool, while also boasting a wealth of individual accolades across a glittering career.

Yet despite Egypt’s status as the most successful African nation of all time, with their Africa Cup of Nations title tally of seven unparalleled, Salah has not enjoyed much joy on the international stage.

Egypt have finished Afcon runners-up twice during Salah’s time in the team, and while he helped guide the nation back to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years in 2018, the Pharoahs last all three games on the global stage.

Their run in Russia acted as a missed opportunity for a first ever World Cup win for Egypt, who also went winless in their two previous appearances in 1990 and 1934. But by ending that 92-year wait in Vancouver, Salah has finally got his moment to savour in an Egypt shirt.

Egypt now sit pretty at the top of their group after also drawing with Belgium in their opener, and are on the verge of qualifying for the knockouts for the first time in their history.

Their final group match will be against Iran on Saturday 27 June in Seattle.

Thomas Partey anticipates a "really happy" reunion with former Arsenal teammates when Ghana face England at the World Cup on Tuesday.

The former Gunners midfielder is available for Ghana after missing Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto.

Partey was denied entry to Canada having been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in London between 2020 and 2022.

Partey has denied all the charges and will attempt to clear his name at a trial next summer.

Ghana return to Group L action in Boston on Tuesday against an England side which includes Partey’s former Arsenal team-mates Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

Partey told media in footage posted on TV3 Ghana’s X account: “I’m really happy to see them again. I hope they’re going to bring their best and try to give us the opportunity to play against the best and try to compete and enjoy the game.”

Ghana are second in Group L going into Tuesday’s match and will face Croatia in their final group game on Saturday.

Partey added: “It’s not about personal achievement. We are going to play a game of football.

“We are 11 players, we are a team. We have to play as a team. Individually if I can get my best game I will be happy, but at the end of the day it’s the whole team that needs to be at the top level to be able to achieve what you want to achieve.”

Partey had initially been refused a visa by the Canadian government, prompting his legal team to launch a last-minute challenge at the Federal Court in Ottawa last Tuesday.

In dismissing the appeal, judge Roger Lafreniere wrote that Partey sought "extraordinary, mandatory interlocutory relief" that would have required Canada to set aside a "lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding and facilitate his entry for a specific event."

The U.S. government has granted Partey a visa, but Canada's immigration officials said that under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be found inadmissible without a foreign conviction.

World Cup attendees are discovering that the high costs extend far beyond tickets, flights, and accommodation, with stadium concessions presenting their own brand of sticker shock. While some offerings are undeniably extravagant, the price of a simple beer is sparking particular outrage among international fans.

Host venues are serving up a range of unique, and often pricey, culinary experiences. Miami boasts a $75 caviar-topped tray of tater tots and a $40 empanada weighing in at 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) for the daring or for sharing in Miami. Rib-eye tacos for $8 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Something called a Twinkie cheeseburger that has nothing to do with dessert for $22 in Los Angeles.

These figures might align with what U.S. fans expect at NFL Sundays or college football Saturdays. However, many international visitors are unaccustomed to such elevated pricing, especially for beverages. Beer prices, in particular, have drawn criticism, frequently exceeding $20.

Thomas Schüller, an engineer from Germany, expressed his dismay in Toronto after purchasing a beer for 24.25 Canadian dollars (about $17 USD or 15 euros).

"It's unfair. It's not right. It's wrong," Schüller stated, adding, "It's three times the cost of what I pay in my country." Yet, when pressed on whether the price would deter him, Schüller conceded, "Well, no."

World Cup beer prices become a mild pint of discord

There is clearly some sticker shock among international visitors to this World Cup, especially when it comes to the concession prices. In Europe, it's not uncommon for beers to be perhaps around 4 or 5 euros (about $5-6 USD).

There's also no shortage of intrigue on the menu at the concession stands at stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“Never seen anything like it,” said Janine Arbetter, a fan from Austria, as she waited for a hot dog, chips and soda combo in Miami last week. The pre-tip price: $19.35 (about 17 euros), which included a discount for using Visa. “It's a lot of food for a little snack.”

Some Argentina fans happily showed off their $34 lobster rolls from a match in Kansas City on social media, but in Toronto, the brisket sandwich with chips and a bottle of soda for nearly 40 Canadian dollars ($28) had some online commenters lamenting it as “robbery.”

“It's OK, more or less, for the World Cup,” German fan Daniel Feldmann said of the food prices while watching a match in Vancouver last week.

Concession offerings vary from stadium to stadium

FIFA, the sport's governing body and the tournament organizer, has very specific rules on just about everything related to the World Cup — and there are guidelines that concessionaires have to follow as well. But prices can vary by market, as do the food and drink offerings. And that means the experience in one city might look, or taste, nothing like what's offered in another.

The “Fancy AF Tots” for $75 at Miami Stadium aren't really tots at all — it's three deep-fried hash brown patties, with caviar, creme fraiche and chives. (For those who just want the caviar, it'll be $70.) Southern California's Twinkie cheeseburger is in fact a burger topped with a Texas Twinkie — a bacon-wrapped jalapeño stuffed with brisket and cream cheese.

But there's also a slew of choices specific to a local market; for example, Vancouver offers short rib poutine (an iconic Canadian dish of fries loaded with beef gravy, pulled short rib and cheese curds) along with a maple bacon smokie (smoked sausage topped with bacon onion jam that features Canadian maple syrup).

And in Miami, the signature offerings include pan con lechon (a Cuban-style sandwich with pork, infused with citrus mojo sauce and served on a toasted full Cuban loaf) and Empanada Mundial (the five-pound, handmade, chicken-and-cheese-stuffed dish named after the World Cup).

Both Vancouver and Miami have Sodexo Live as a food and beverage provider, and the typical game-day menus in both stadiums were revised a bit to accommodate a soccer crowd.

“We want it to feel like Miami when you’re here,” said Zach Williams, the stadium's vice president of operations. “Everything we do around the Miami Stadium, we want to make sure everybody understands that when they come here, they’re getting a Miami experience.”

Atlanta Stadium keeps prices low

In Mexico City, a beer could cost a day's pay — literally. The daily minimum wage in Mexico City is just 315.04 pesos (roughly $18). Some beers at Mexico City Stadium were selling for between 299 and 310 pesos — about twice as much as fans would ordinarily pay in the same stadium when the World Cup isn't in town.

But in Atlanta, where Falcons owner and stadium operator Arthur Blank promised the low concession prices he's championed for many years would hold for the World Cup, pizza slices were $3, 32-ounce sodas were $4, a cheeseburger was $5, chicken tenders with fries were $6 and beers could be had for as little as $8.

Jonathan Arango, a 33-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina, was at a match in Atlanta with his wife, daughter and father.

“In total for what we got — three orders of tacos, a slice of pizza, two waters and a Coke — we spent like $50,” Arango said. “Compared to what we’ve paid at other events ... it's nice after you paid a lot for a ticket.”

And Schüller pointed out that even though the tournament does come around every four years, it still feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“The entire football world is having fun,” Schüller said, “so cheers to that.”

Spain smote Saudi Arabia with such brusque intent on Sunday evening that by the time the first hydration break arrived, the thirst for a reaction had been quenched. Lamine Yamal pierced the Saudi defence time and again. When Mikel Oyarzabal touched the ball, it was a chance, if not a goal. This Spain was exuberant, quick, aggressive without recklessness. More than anything, it was familiar. What none of us realised at the time is that Spain managed to do all of it while under siege.

Their opening draw against Cabo Verde came out of the deep blue, and more than anything, baffled the Spanish public. La Roja have treated their country to success, but have done so playing with fluid movement and a pioneering spirit, the faces of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Rodri Hernandez visible on the bow of the ship. When Cabo Verde massaged a slightly misshapen Spain attack into lethargy, committing just a single foul, it was met with a slightly perturbed Spain crowd, but no more frustrated than the Spain players themselves.

It is a monument to the faith in this Spain side that it was not met with hysteria, but instead simple disappointment in that particular performance. ‘Upset’, shouted Diario AS, ‘Red Alert’ read Sport, and Mundo Deportivo were a little more emotional with ‘What a Comedown.’ It’s true that Marca permitted themselves a more melodramatic headline with ‘Historic Disappointment,’ but the most derogatory, meting out disdain in equal measure, came from BILD in Germany, who declared ‘A Group of Islands Embarrass Spain.’ Below the headlines though, and beyond the first few minutes of the nightly analysis of Spain’s problems over the airwaves, was a refreshingly mature perspective.

To summarise the general sentiment, Luis de la Fuente’s side had been unable to move the ball swiftly enough, and his selection of Gavi didn’t quite convince, but the return of Lamine Yamal to the starting XI, and Pedri to his best position, deeper in midfield, would remedy many of the ills in Atlanta. “A wake-up call is not a bad thing, quite the opposite,” shrugged former Spain manager Jose Antonio Camacho on Cadena SER. All things that de la Fuente has done before, and did against Saudi Arabia, and with regard to the tempo, the very thing that the players and de la Fuente had pointed to as an issue.

“It’s normal that they were upset or furious. Nobody likes having their professionalism, ability, or work questioned. This reaction is logical, but it’s no different from things we’ve done in the past,” said pointedly after their sharp 4-0 response. “We wanted to make a statement, to assert ourselves.”

Before the match, Lamine Yamal was already a little acidic before he shredded the left side of the Saudi defence. “You want to jump to conclusions. Now Spain is terrible. But those who know, know that’s not the case,” he complained after several days of stewing in Spain’s base camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “We’re calm, even with all the noise from outside,” said Gavi’s much more natural alternative on the left, a rather satisfied Alex Baena, on the other side of the Saudi rout.

??? Los jugadores de la Selección responden a las críticas: ¿estaban picados como dijo Luis de la Fuente en la previa del partido ante Arabia Saudí?

? @JLAllegue92 #FIFAWorldCup #Mundial2026 pic.twitter.com/IYDn5BVeVB

— MARCA (@marca) June 21, 2026

Spain’s style of play is expansive, sweeping, at times it feels as if it can rip through any opposition in the world. Their squad is full of talent, and firm in its belief in its own abilities, and behind them are, as de la Fuente is not slow to point out, 33 games without defeat. Hence why the siege mentality response feels… A little unconvincing. Or at least ill-fitting. While Spain are in fact taking on the rest of the world en route to glory, they rank high among the favourites to win the World Cup, and few contenders have seduced as many neutrals.

Were this de la Fuente side closer to La Furia Roja, the Red Fury, a whirling dervish of legs and studs famed for bad-tempered victories, perhaps it would be easier to buy from the outside. Perhaps de la Fuente and this Spain squad need a beast to slay though. Coming into Euro 2024, few gave the 63-year-old rookie manager and his young side much hope of winning it.

? Lamine Yamal on Instagram: “I am here”. pic.twitter.com/KbkvhOr7aj

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2026

Who can forget Adrien Rabiot’s perplexing desire to lay down a challenge to Lamine Yamal before the semi-final? Four years on from the release of The Last Dance, Michael Jordan’s words vibrated through Lamine Yamal’s phenomenal equaliser. Prior to that, the squad had rallied around their captain Alvaro Morata, who was shaded by a question mark wherever he walked, until he hoisted the trophy high above his head.

“No one is immune to criticism,” a more placated de la Fuente commented later in his press conference, statement made. “Their pride was stung, their self-image. They can do even better, but those comments they receive motivate them, and that’s good.” Just as the great Jordan constantly found something to take personally, the optimistic Spaniard will hope that the contrived bullishness hints at a similar mindset.

The post Analysis: Spain, Michael Jordan and the siege of Chattanooga appeared first on CaughtOffside.

NEED TO KNOW

• Fernando Mendoza went viral for his FaceTime call with Tom Brady before being drafted first overall by the Raiders

• The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner led Indiana to a College Football Playoff national championship earlier this year
• Mendoza previously opened up about the advice Brady shared with him as he makes his NFL transition

Fernando Mendoza is already taking notes.

Just before the rookie quarterback, 22, was selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft, he got a call from Tom Brady, as seen in a video the team shared on their Instagram account on Friday, June 19.

The clip, which was filmed for an episode of the Raiders' "Behind the Shield" series, sees Mendoza at the NFL Combine ahead of an interview. He greets everyone in the room, shakes their hands and is directed to a FaceTime call with a special someone: Brady, who is a minority owner of the team.

"Oh shoot! What's up, Mr. Brady? How you doing?" the former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback says in disbelief while speaking with the NFL G.O.A.T., 48, adding, "Tom, how you doing?"

The seven-time Super Bowl champion hilariously corrected Mendoza for how he addressed him, and made clear what he should call him instead.

"You can call me Tom. Mr. Brady's my dad," the longtime Patriots quarterback told the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.

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The rookie and vet have a conversation, which was all documented in the video.

"How you doing, man?" asks Brady. "I'm great. I'm blessed here at the Combine right now, about to get this interview going. I'm great. Ready for the opportunity," Mendoza replied.

Brady added, "Well I was just telling everybody that I wanted to say 'hi,' and good luck on everything. Just keep being yourself man, you're doing a great job."

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"I appreciate it, thank you. God bless," replied Mendoza.

On Thursday, April 23, Mendoza received the life-altering phone call from the Raiders at home in South Florida. He was joined by friends and family, including his mother Elsa, who has multiple sclerosis.

Related: https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf

Mendoza, who won the College Football Playoff national championship earlier this year, was widely expected to land with the Raiders, who dealt last season's starting quarterback, Geno Smith, to the New York Jets in March.

Las Vegas finished the 2025 regular season with a 3-14 record.

Ahead of the draft, Mendoza revealed what Brady said when he visited the team.

"I met him in the official 30 visits at the Raiders," Mendoza said during his appearance on the The Dan Patrick Show. "It was fantastic. He gave me the message that he's going to push me, and he's not going to be all lovey-dovey."

"And if the Raiders draft me, he's going to be a mentor and wants to pour into whatever quarterback the Raiders have, whether it's me, whether they draft somebody else," he shared, noting the Raiders just signed 37-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins to a contract.

"If I'm lucky enough to go to the Raiders, I think it'll be a great opportunity to learn from someone who has had so much success over the years, and who I think has a very similar playing style as me," said Mendoza, who revealed he's studied Cousins' style of play specifically.

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The NFC’s Team of the Decade is probably the Eagles. They’ve won five division titles and two Super Bowls in that time, and they have a 101-63-1 record in that time. The Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and Steelers have better records, but no one in the NFC is ahead of them. But the Seahawks are right there. They only have one Super Bowl title in the last 10 years and only two division titles, but then the NFC West has been the best division in football for a big chunk of that time so big win totals have been harder. They have the same 101-63-1 record as the Eagles in the last 10 years, and their worst year in that time (7-10 in 2021) is better than anyone else’s worst (the Eagles went 4-11-1 in 2020). And now they’re coming off the top of the world, and they’re at worst the No. 2 favorite entering the 2026 season. It’s good times in Seattle. Again.

2026 Sleepers, Busts & Bold Predictions: Seattle Seahawks

Sleeper: AJ Barner, TE

Barner nearly doubled his target (38 to 68), reception (30 to 52) and touchdown (4 to 7) totals from his rookie 2024 to 2025, and he more than doubled his receiving yards (245 to 519). And he found a new role, and a new play: The Barnyard. The Seahawks brought the Tush Push into their offense, but instead of Sam Darnold, it’s the 6-foot-6 Barner (a former quarterback) who leads the way. It only led to one touchdown last year, but he gained 10 first downs on 11 carries in the regular and postseason combined. So in the aggregate, we have maybe the No. 2 pass catcher in a good offense, who also has rushing touchdown upside, and he’s only 24. Oh, and he’s going 25^th among tight ends in early ADP. I’ll buy that.

Bust: Rashid Shaheed, WR

Shaheed is a much better idea than he is a fantasy product. He’s never topped 800 scrimmage yards or 5 touchdowns in a season. For all his upside as a big play waiting to happen, he’s just not consistent on a down-to-down basis. When the Seahawks traded for Shaheed last year, there was all sorts of excitement about him joining a good offense that lacked a reliable WR2. But the primary reason for excitement was reuniting Shaheed with his former New Orleans offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak. And despite that reunion, Shaheed only put up 252 scoreless scrimmage yards in nine regular-season games as a Seahawk, with another 100 yards in the postseason. He did score a couple of return touchdowns, which boosts his numbers a bit, but it’s not enough. Shaheed is fun to watch. But just enjoy him as an idea, not as a fantasy contributor. (Note: If your league offers points for return yardage, I mostly take this back.)

Bold Prediction: Jadarian Price Is the Top Rooking Running Back

This one’s out there on the boldness, but I’m intrigued by it. Barring someone like a Kaytron Allen (in Washington) or Nicholas Singleton (in Tennessee) surprisingly seizing a bell cow role, the only real candidates to lead rookie RBs in fantasy scoring are Price and his former college teammate Jeremiyah Love in Arizona. Well, Price landed in Seattle, which had the third-highest run rate in the NFL last year, and Love’s Cardinals had the lowest rate. To be sure, some of that was the disaster of a backfield the Cardinals had last year — after James Conner and Trey Benson went down, the team had to go with guys like Michael Carter, Bam Knight and Emari Demercado. But even without considering the bad running game, this just isn’t a team set up to run a lot. It’s a bad defense with an offensive line ranked 21^st in our offensive line rankings, and it has three good-to-great pass catchers in Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. And of course, the Cardinals still have (for now) Conner, Benson and offseason signee Tyler Allgeier on the roster. Love won’t necessarily lose time to them, but they aren’t going to disappear, either. Meanwhile, Price is going to get every shot to be a bell cow early in the season. With Zach Charbonnet likely out to start the season, his only real competition are George Holani and Emanuel Wilson. It’s an offense that wants to work through the run and, after Jaxon Smith-Njigba, doesn’t have many sure things at pass catcher. If Price can start strong, and if the Seahawks and Cardinals are as good and bad, respectively, as they were last year, it’s set up for Price to top his former teammate in Year 1.

On a March night in Guadalajara in 2024, Club América were winning El Clásico Nacional. Julián Quiñones, their star player, had scored and headed toward the sideline. Then a shout at Quiñones, who is Black, rang out from the stands. ¡Puto negro! A racial slur.

Moments later, monkey noises were heard in the stands. The scene was familiar to anyone who follows Mexican soccer. Cell phone videos captured it. Commentators analyzed it the next day. Officials condemned it. Investigations were announced. For a few days, the Mexican game went through its ritual of shock.

Then the season continued. Another match, another transfer rumor, another refereeing controversy. That June, Quiñones moved to Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, where he would become the league’s top scorer. The incident was lost in the vast archive of soccer’s weekly dramas. Or so it seemed.

Less than two years later, another Mexican stadium produced another uproar. This time it was a celebration.

On 11 June, Quiñones scored Mexico’s first goal in the 2026 World Cup, the opening triumph in a tournament played on home soil for the first time in two decades. Tens of thousands rose to their feet. Television commentators chanted his name. Images of the striker draped in the Mexican flag flooded social media. The same culture that had publicly denigrated him hailed him as a national hero.

This week, Quiñones returned to the same stadium in Guadalajara where the racist chant had been heard in 2024. Before Mexico’s second group-stage game against South Korea on Thursday, crowds wearing Mexico jerseys and oversized sombreros gathered outside the hotel housing the national team. When Quiñones appeared they shouted in unison: ¡Quiñones, hermano, ya eres Mexicano! “Quiñones, brother, now you are Mexican.”

It was an embrace for the Mexican national, but still a tentative one. The chant is usually reserved for foreigners who have shown an affinity with Mexico, not for Mexican passport holders like Quiñones.

These moments, so close in time yet distant in spirit, capture all the contradictions of how modern Mexico is grappling with its own national identity.

Karma Frierson, who teaches Black studies at the University of Rochester and has written about Black culture in Mexico, said the discourse around Quiñones’s goal, and the fact that he is Black, was one of surprise. “This surprise speaks to the expectations people still have about what a Mexican person looks like. So, you have this dissonance,” she said. “You know that the player, by virtue of wearing the jersey is of that nationality, but you never imagined that person would look a certain way.”

***

Quiñones, 29, was born in Colombia, arrived in Mexico in 2015 and forged his career in Liga MX. He became a naturalized Mexican citizen in 2023 and was first called up to the national team that same year. His inclusion on the World Cup squad raises a question about race that Mexico has tried to avoid for much of its modern history: who has the right to be Mexican?

The answer is wrapped up in the national soccer program’s future, which increasingly lies beyond Mexico’s borders.

For much of the 20th century, the national team was primarily comprised of players developed within its own territory. Today, however, the pool of Mexican talent extends across a transnational landscape shaped by migration and family networks.

It is possible that the most important soccer recruiting ground for the Mexican federation is no longer a state within Mexico, but rather in California or Texas. A new generation of Mexican-American players is emerging north of the border, including more Black players. Two of the most promising young prospects for Mexico’s program were born in the United States to Mexican mothers and African American fathers. Antonio Leone and Da’vian Kimbrough, both born in California, have represented Mexico’s youth teams.

Other recent stars have come from farther south. In recent years, Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos played on the national team. Their father was the Afro-Brazilian footballer Zizinho; their mother is Mexican. Melvin Brown, who was of Jamaican descent through his paternal grandfather, represented Mexico at the 2002 World Cup.

None of these players fit neatly into the visual stereotype often associated with Mexican nationality.

“Historically, Mexican society doesn’t talk about race,” Frierson said. “The promise of mestizaje was that there is no race because we are all one race.”

The concept of mestizaje – the idea that Mexico emerged from the fusion of Indigenous and European peoples – became one of the founding myths of the modern Mexican state. After the Mexican revolution, it offered an appealing narrative for a fragmented nation. Instead of emphasizing difference, it emphasized mixing. Instead of multiple peoples, it envisioned a single people.

Versions of this ideology emerged throughout Latin America, and served as a powerful contrast to the racial order of the United States. While the US openly grappled with segregation and racial classification, many Latin American countries embraced the notion that mixing itself had dissolved such distinctions.

The promise was seductive. The reality proved to be more complex.

Discrimination and racism against Black people in Mexico are still prevalent but often dismissed. When South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010, Mexico’s largest broadcaster Televisa featured characters in blackface and afro wigs wearing animal skins and wielding spears. In 2018, on major broadcaster TV Azteca, reporter Carlos Guerrero appeared in blackface during a broadcast of a Liga MX game. The networks received criticism but many people brushed the incidents off as jokes.

Black players in Liga MX – Colombian striker Darwin Quintero, who played for América, and Panamanian defender Felipe Baloy, who played for Santos Laguna – have accused rival teams of racist insults. In 2021, Ecuadorian Félix Torres, a defender for Santos Laguna, left the field in tears after reporting alleged racist insults from Germán Berterame, then a player for Atlético de San Luis. While the Mexican Football Federation investigated those incidents, officials said they could not be corroborated and no disciplinary action was taken.

Quiñones himself mostly shrugged off the 2024 racist incident in Guadalajara. In an Instagram statement at the time, he spoke out against online harassment of his daughters – “you can say whatever you want to me, but don’t mess with my daughters” – and said he was “mentally strong enough to handle any kind of insult, especially when it’s about my skin color, which is the most frequent type of message I receive”.

***

Having a Black player excel at a home World Cup may help bring race to the forefront of Mexican culture in a way that it hasn’t before, Frierson said.

At the same time, Mexican players who travel to the US to play in Major League Soccer are also bringing new perspectives back home. Jonathan dos Santos, in a 2020 interview when he was playing for LA Galaxy, said he felt comfortable in the US because he didn’t receive racist taunts.

“It’s truly sad to hear the insults, the racism. I’ll never understand it,” he said at the time. (He said he also experienced racism in Spain, where he played for Barcelona and Villarreal.) “I think many countries have to learn from the United States regarding the respect shown to athletes.”

Opening up a discussion about race in the country’s national sport, could lead to a broader exploration of Mexico’s own history, which includes roots in Africa. During the colonial period, hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were brought to New Spain. Their descendants built communities throughout the territory, especially in Veracruz and along the Costa Chica of Guerrero and Oaxaca. They participated in the formation of Mexican society from its very beginnings. Vicente Guerrero and José María Morelos were both heroes of Mexican independence with Afro-Mexican roots, though that heritage is not often mentioned.

“Blackness is incorporated into the very fabric of the nation,” Frierson said.

Seen from this perspective, it’s not just that Mexican soccer today is becoming more diverse. It’s that race in Mexico is becoming more visible.

Soccer, at times, can be a national mirror. A national team represents not just a country, but an idea of the country. The World Cup is one of the few remaining spaces where nations are publicly showcased. Every starting lineup announcement, every anthem, every goal becomes a debate – sometimes conscious, often unconscious – about who belongs.

Mexico is changing. Digital nomads from Europe and the US are setting up shop in Mexico City, opening trendy coffee shops and stores that resemble those in other international capitals. People from Haiti, Cuba and South America have settled in the country at unprecedented levels, some discouraged from migrating to the US. And some Mexicans who had been living in the US for decades are now returning home with their American families, either voluntarily or after deportations. The Mexican national team is beginning to show a bit of that diversity: the World Cup squad includes a player born in Spain, Álvaro Fidalgo; another born in Alaska, Obed Vargas; one born in Argentina, Santiago Giménez; and Quiñones, who was born in Colombia.

Quiñones is challenging the expectations many still hold about what a Mexican is supposed to look like. Mexican diversity has always existed, but soccer possesses a unique ability to bring that reality to light.

A player scores a goal. The crowd rises. Cameras search for a face. And, for an instant, a nation contemplates itself. Not necessarily as it imagined itself to be, but as it has been all along.

Marcus Rashford says England have to “fight for each other” in the same way as players fight for club teammates, as Thomas Tuchel tries to create a brotherhood spirit within the camp.

Rashford, who has been on loan at Barcelona this season, is in competition with Anthony Gordon - who has recently been unveiled as a new Barca signing - for a place in the England starting line-up.

The Manchester United player said he relishes competing at the “pinnacle” of football and having that rivalry between teammates.

“We’re one team and we have to fight for each other in the exact same way that you fight for your club teams,” the forward, now at his fifth major tournament, said. “That’s the norm now.

“We understand it’s difficult because everybody wants to play and a lot of players deserve to play. At some point, players are going to be disappointed, but it’s about how you handle it.”

Rashford also called for Thomas Tuchel’s side to bring an unrelenting intensity that Ghana “can’t live with” as they look ahead to their next Group L game.

After a 4-2 win opening win over Croatia England can book their place in the World Cup knockout stages with a game to spare should they beat Ghana.

Rashford, a substitute against Croatia, scored the fourth goal and said England need to build on that performance.

He told the FA: “I think we have to bring an intensity that they can’t live with and we try and stick to that. If we can play at that level, it can win you games.

“The one thing we can predict is how we conduct ourselves over 90 minutes or 120 minutes, so I think we just have to focus on that as players. We just have to keep pushing ourselves. We’re definitely capable.”

England would also head into Saturday’s final Group L game against Panama as pool winners should the central American nation fail to beat Croatia later on Tuesday.

Rashford sat out an in-house friendly after feeling some discomfort at the end of the Croatia game, but returned to training with the group on Saturday following the team’s day off.

French sports media leader L’Équipe has publicly distanced itself from a presenter’s controversial remarks criticising Belgium winger Jeremy Doku for expressing a desire to leave the World Cup for the birth of his first child.

France Pierron, a presenter on the television show L’Équipe de Choc, sparked outrage on Friday by describing childbirth as "a disgusting moment, excuse me, where the dad is useless".

She further questioned Doku’s commitment, stating, "There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your place," and suggesting he was "living a childhood dream. It might never happen again in your life."

The 24-year-old Manchester City star, a key player for Belgium, had indicated his intention to be present for the birth of his son in early July, coinciding with the World Cup knockout rounds. Doku stated, "No one wants to miss a birth."

His stance garnered support from England forward Ollie Watkins, who addressed the family choices facing players during a news conference.

Watkins remarked: "He said it only happens once, your first child. Welcoming them to the world is a blessing."

“Someone labeled it disgusting. And I think for a start that’s not a way to label a birth. I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business what he gets up to after training."

L’Équipe issued a statement late on Sunday, apologising to Doku and clarifying that Pierron’s comments "did not represent its values."

It remains uncertain whether Pierron will feature in Monday’s scheduled broadcast of the talk show on the cable channel.

Doku missed Belgium’s goalless draw with Iran on Sunday due to illness, a result that left the European side with work to do to secure their spot in the knockout stages.

Belgium also drew their opening game 1-1 with Egypt, and now have two points from their first two matches.

Heading into their final group game against New Zealand on Friday night, Belgium are likely to need at least a point to progress to the last-32.

Belgium failed to make it beyond the group stage in 2022, and are now in real danger of missing the knockout rounds again following Sunday’s result.

England's much-vaunted attack clicked impressively in their opening World Cup win over Croatia, but defensive fears linger as they attempt to seal a place in the knockouts on Tuesday.

Thomas Tuchel's men were twice pegged back in the first half in Arlington, Texas, before upping their game to win 4-2.

It was an impressive performance against an experienced if ageing Croatia team, but there will be stiffer challenges ahead against sides who boast more pace and firepower such as France, Spain and Argentina.

Next up for England are Ghana in Boston -- the Three Lions will go through to the last 32 as Group L winners if they beat the African side and Panama fail to beat Croatia.

On the surface, the problem is not obvious. After all, England breezed through qualifying without conceding a single goal in eight matches.

But their defence has two major weaknesses -- a lack of experience and a worrying injury record.

Former England defender Gary Neville, now a Sky Sports pundit, said the team's first-half display against the Croats would have unnerved them.

"I think that it will make Thomas Tuchel adjust for maybe games two and three, and make him think slightly differently about how he sort of maybe plays that defence, and how he looks at protecting them," he said.

The head coach opted to leave three players with significant tournament experience at home -- Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester United pair Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire.

England lost Tino Livramento to injury before they had kicked a ball in anger, replacing him with Trevoh Chalobah, who has just one cap under his belt.

- Inexperience -

It means the nine defenders in the 26-man squad have a total of 191 caps between them, with 90 of those belonging to John Stones.

Three members of the back four -- the injury-prone Reece James, Ezri Konsa and 21-year-old Nico O'Reilly -- were making their World Cup debuts against Croatia.

The main debate centres on whether Manchester City defender Marc Guehi should replace Konsa in central defence, though the Villa defender has been a favourite under Tuchel.

The German values the experience and composure of Stones even though he started just five Premier League games last season before leaving City.

But former England striker Chris Sutton believes Tuchel should pair Konsa and Guehi rather than start Stones, whom he says lacks the athleticism of the two younger defenders.

"I think Konsa and Guehi have better attributes in terms of one-against-one situations than John Stones and there will be times in games when they will be isolated one-against-one against players of the highest class," he told the BBC.

England forward Ollie Watkins is less concerned, brushing aside concerns over the back four while speaking to reporters at the team's training base in Kansas City on Sunday.

"I think people are always going to try and criticise and find certain areas they can pick on but I think defensively we've got world-class players at the end of the day who have won major trophies and played at the highest level possible," he said.

"I think maybe we started the game a little bit nervously the other day but you've seen once the nerves are out of the lads' system, I think in the second half we absolutely blew Croatia away."

jw/gj

A pub that Scotland’s World Cup fans picked to be the heart of their base in Boston has taken extra measures across the city as it prepares for England fans.

The Dubliner became a hub for the Tartan Army during Scotland’s opening two matches in Massachusetts, with supporters packing the venue throughout their stay in the city.

It has now rented extra fridges and drafted in staff from with England fans beginning to arrive in Boston. ahead of the Three Lions’ fixture against Ghana on Tuesday, bar manager Brian McDonnell said preparations were already under way for another surge in customers.

He said: “Obviously stock – we have to stay way up on stock.

“We have deliveries coming in nearly every day – just always rotating around.

“Obviously we’re going through so much beer, and we have only a decent-sized keg room.

“We’re still going through so much that we had to rent a couple of mobile fridge units that we have out in the back alley so we always have beer rotating through – it’s always cold, it’s always flowing.”

The venue has also brought in extra staff from sister bars elsewhere in Boston to help cope with demand.

“And obviously we had to call in a few extra staff, and we’re in a lucky enough position that we have a couple of different bars around the city, so we’re bringing staff from there to give us an extra hand,” Mr McDonnell said.

“So we just stock up on everything and hope for the best.”

He said the World Cup had transformed business at the pub, even on days that would normally be quiet.

Mr McDonnell told PA: “In general, we’re one of the busier bars in the city so on Thursday, Friday and Saturday we’d be slammed regardless.

“But on a Monday night, you might only have two bartenders on all night long and it’ll be pretty dead.

“Obviously on a Monday now, we still have a queue down the street, we have full staff, we have record numbers.

“Even now, it’s just Sunday and it’s packed in there and there’s still a queue down the street.

“So in general, it’s just been a massive increase on every single day.”

Mr McDonnell said Scotland supporters had exceeded expectations during their time in Boston.

He said: “It’s been amazing – Scotland’s like the ideal crowd we could have got.

“Obviously (they are) big boozers, big partiers – but while doing all that, they caused zero problems.

“I said over the last two weeks of madness… I don’t think we’ve had to kick out a single person.

“There’s been no scraps, no malice from anyone. Everyone’s here for a good time.”

With England supporters now taking their place in the city, Mr McDonnell said he expected another large turnout.

“We’re definitely expecting a big crowd,” he said.

“If they take over as much as the Scots it’ll be a different story.

“Kind of similar enough drinking habits, so we should be pretty prepared for that.

“The Scots have really set a high standard with regard to the party but also just their behaviour and everything.

“So I hope the English can follow suit.”

The arrival of England supporters has also been welcomed by actor John Ratzenberger, best known for playing postman Cliff Clavin in the sitcom Cheers.

The 79-year-old, who spent a decade living in England, told the Daily Star: “Cheers England! You can go all the way.”

He added: “England has the players, the passion, and an entire nation ready to carry that trophy home.”

Mr McDonnell said the tournament had also provided a boost for Boston’s international profile.

“It’s been unreal,” he said.

“Obviously there’s the business side of it, the financial side – we were slammed every single day.

“On the PR side, or the publicity, it’s like everywhere we looked on the media, our name was being mentioned – we were getting shared all across the world.

“That’s not just for us, that’s for Boston in general – I feel like it’s a lot more on people’s radar now thanks to the World Cup.”

Mr McDonnell added: “A lot of people had been hesitant about visiting America, visiting Boston, but coming here now they tell us it’s one of the best vacations they ever took.”

Lionel Messi and World Cup holders Argentina face Austria in Dallas on Monday with the Argentine great needing one more goal to rewrite the record books.

Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, equalled Miroslav Klose's all-time mark of 16 World Cup goals when scoring a hat-trick in the 3-0 opening win over Algeria.

The Argentina captain was tearful after his first goal, and it later emerged that his father is recovering from an unspecified health issue.

Despite his personal travails and a troubled build-up because of a hamstring injury, Messi's mere presence appears to inspire his teammates.

"If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all," said midfielder Alexis Mac Allister after the win against Algeria.

Argentina can qualify for the next round with a victory and would be assured of finishing top of Group J if Jordan fail to beat Algeria later on Monday.

- Mbappe's century -

Another player chasing the all-time World Cup scoring record, Kylian Mbappe, will play his 100th game for France when they meet Iraq in Philadelphia.

"There is nothing bigger -- one hundred is a historic figure, and to have the chance to reach that tally here at a World Cup means it will be a special match for me," Mbappe told reporters on Sunday.

Mbappe, 27, is tied with West Germany legend Gerd Mueller on 14 goals after he netted twice in France's opening 3-1 win against Senegal in Group I.

France, who were beaten by Argentina on penalties in the last final in 2022, will expect to brush aside the Iraqis to guarantee a ticket to the knockout phase in a match which could be interrupted with thunderstorms forecast in Philadelphia.

Norway and their marksman Erling Haaland, who scored twice against Iraq in a 4-1 opening win, will also be guaranteed of going through from Group I if they beat Senegal in New Jersey and France defeat Iraq.

The World Cup, though, is over for German defender Nico Schlotterbeck.

The 26-year-old suffered a left-ankle ligament injury in Saturday's 2-1 win over Ivory Coast.  

- Cape Verde magic -

In Sunday's action, Spain got their campaign back on track with a 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia and World Cup debutants Cape Verde conjured up another memorable performance to snatch a 2-2 draw with Uruguay.

European champions Spain were frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their opening game, sparking criticism at home.

But against the Saudis, Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal opened the scoring as he made his first start in two months since recovering from a hamstring problem. 

Mikel Oyarzabal added two more, before a Hassan al-Tambakti own goal.

The win put Spain top of Group H with four points after two matches.

Cape Verde grabbed another point in an entertaining draw with Uruguay in Miami.

Their coach Bubista said his team were now dreaming of a place in the knockout rounds -- a scenario that would have been unthinkable before the tournament.

"We want to show the entire world that we are in the condition to fight for qualification, and I think that that's what we showed in today's match," Bubista said.

Belgium are still looking for their first win after being held to a 0-0 draw by Iran in Group G.

The Red Devils, who also drew with Egypt in their opener, finished the game in Los Angeles with 10 men and struggled to break down a resolute Iranian side.

Iran are competing at the World Cup while their country and the United States are in negotiations to end their war.

And the Iranian team left a handwritten message saying "may peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations" following their match at Los Angeles Stadium.

"We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity. May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations."

Egypt moved to the top of the group on Sunday after coming from behind to claim the first World Cup victory in the country's history, a 3-1 win over New Zealand.

gj-pi/pb 

There is a physical perimeter around every stadium at this World Cup and once you pass through, there are rules. Welcome to Fifa-Land. No large banners. No political imagery of any kind. No offensive symbols. No commercial material. No inflatables. No musical instruments taller than 12cm. No binoculars. No significant quantities of paper, which is left open to interpretation. No frisbees. No detonators, which is reassuring.

Inside, organisers have gone to extraordinary lengths to cleanse stadiums of all unofficial branding in order to meet Fifa’s “clean-site” policy, a kind of sanitised insanity that feels entirely in-keeping with the general ethos of football’s global governing body.

Fifa contracts with World Cup venues forbid “advertising, marketing, promotion, merchandising, licensing, signage or other commercial identification of any kind on any stands, scoreboards, seats, seatbacks, time clocks, staff uniforms, Accreditation passes, fences or elsewhere inside, surrounding, or in the airspace above and around the Stadium other than that which is installed by, or at the direction of, FIFA or which is approved in writing by FIFA.”

From New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to LA’s SoFi Stadium and everywhere in between, World Cup venues have been scrubbed clean. That includes their names, which have taken on a geographical format during the tournament. Lincoln Financial Field has been renamed the Philadelphia Stadium, a move that has been reflected on Google Maps. Every trace of the words “Lincoln Financial Field” has been painstakingly covered up with tape or tarp.

The AT&T Stadium has been renamed Dallas Stadium despite being in Arlington, and the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara has been renamed the clunky and vague-sounding San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Most egregious is Mexico’s Estadio Azteca, perhaps the most storied place in World Cup history, a coliseum where Pele’s Brazil and Diego Maradona’s Argentina won the World Cup. It has been renamed the Mexico City Stadium to fit Fifa conventions.

In Boston, the tiny “Gillette” branding on every single seat inside the 65,878-capacity stadium has been taped over. In San Francisco, even the brand names of condiments have been redacted, as if they contain government secrets. The clamp down on brands extends to the players. Germany’s Jamal Musiala was seen wearing headphones before kick-off in their opening match in Houston with the manufacturer’s name covered over.

The capacity at “Boston Stadium” for the World Cup is 64,146.

That means someone had to put 64,146 very small pieces of blue tape over every single Gillette logo on every. single. seat.

FIFA doesn’t mess around. 😳 pic.twitter.com/FJ2y6K69uv

— Kyle Sheldon ⚽️🇺🇸 (@kylesheldon) June 16, 2026

How far is FIFA going with its brand restrictions? The condiments at the Levi’s Stadium press box have all been taped over 😆 pic.twitter.com/YD0Imk2eOP

— Kevin V. Nguyen (@KevinNguyen_89) June 13, 2026

It is part of what Fifa calls its “Venue Dressing Programme”, for which it has hired agencies The Look Company and Wasserman Live to consult on how best to present the venues. It is big business. Brands like Metlife pay as much as £15m per year to sponsor a stadium. But Fifa’s dedication to protecting sponsors’ exclusivity is why it will earn an estimated $1.8bn in marketing revenue for 2026.

Some of Fifa’s unofficial brands have turned erasure into opportunity. Levi’s produced a viral marketing campaign in which the company covered up its own logo on social media, and joked on the fact that the giant Levi’s sign on the stadium’s outer wall is still clearly recognisable under a white sheet because of its distinctive shape.

Mercedes-Benz was able to get away with retaining its giant symbol on the roof of the stadium named after the company in Atlanta, because it was too challenging to safely remove or cover. The eight distinct panels each weigh 500 tonnes.

Lumen was not so lucky, and the huge letters which span 300ft on top of the Lumen Stadium, which window-seat passengers flying into Seattle can see on their approach to land, have been covered up. Even so, the company had some fun on social media, showing employees rushing round the stadium trying to hide the name.

The purpose of debranding the venues is to leave space for Fifa’s harem of exclusive sponsors. Why Fifa needs an official dairy sponsor (Mengniu) or an official automotive services supporter (Valvolene) is unclear. But they are paying big money and do not want rival names benefitting from the World Cup’s commercial pull.

Powerade, which is owned by The Coca-Cola Company, is the official sports drink of the Fifa World Cup, and the company has taken ownership of the hydration breaks both in stadiums and on US channel Fox Sports. The controversy around the breaks – which are now routinely booed by football fans at each and every game – is only increasing Powerade’s exposure.

Perhaps the the cleverest ploy among Fifa’s partners is the Australian deodorant brand Rexona, known as Sure in the UK and Degree in the US and Canada. Rexona’s name can be seen emblazoned on the fourth officials’ boards when they indicate substitutions or added minutes at the end of each half. The logo can also be spotted under their armpits, so every time an official lifts the digital board over their head, Rexona is displayed on their body too. The company clearly has faith that the Adidas jerseys worn by match officials won’t show perspiration.

Cape Verde pulled off another stunning shock at the 2026 World Cup as they held Uruguay to a dramatic 2-2 draw in Miami.

The team had already produced a remarkable 0-0 draw with European champions Spain in their opening game, and they added another point to their tally as they took advantage of mistakes in Uruguay’s defensive line.

The tournament ⁠debutants went toe-to-toe with the South American heavyweights in an entertaining end-to-end game.

Cape Verde took ​the ⁠lead in the 21st minute after Telmo Arcanjo earned a free kick ⁠following a blistering run and Kevin Pina ​stepped ⁠up to drill ‌home a low shot from 30 yards out for his country's first ever goal ‌at the World Cup finals.

Uruguay ‌turned things around before half-time, however, when Maxi Araujo pounced on a rebound to equalise with ⁠a header before he set up Agustin Canobbio with another header to make it 2-1 at the break.

Cape Verde substitute Helio Varela struck two minutes after coming on in the second half when he pounced ‌on Mathias Olivera's loose back pass in ​no man's land, drawing the ‌goalkeeper off his line ⁠to fire into an empty net.

Both ⁠teams are on two points behind group leaders Spain, ‌who have ​four points heading ‌into the final round ​of games.

additional reporting by Reuters

World Cup favourites Spain underlined their credentials with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Atlanta, spearheaded by starlet Lamine Yamal.

The European champions arrived in the United States among the major contenders to lift the trophy, but those predictions had come under feverish scrutiny after being held 0-0 by the minnows of Cape Verde.

But any concerns were quickly dismissed as Spain struck three times in the first 24 minutes to take top spot in Group H, while they could have had more but for letting their feet off the gas in the second half.

18-year-old Barcelona star Yamal played the final 19 minutes of the Cape Verde draw after injury, and marked his first World Cup start with the opener.

Mikel Oyarzabal underlined his scoring ability with a quickfire double having already provided the assist for Yamal’s goal, before Hassan Al Tambakti added to Saudi Arabia’s misery with an unfortunate second-half own goal – the eighth of this World Cup.

The Green Falcons rarely threatened before Ferran Torres saw his stoppage-time effort ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR check.

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente made four changes, Alex Baena, Dani Olmo and Pedro Porro joining Yamal in the starting line-up. Saudi Arabia immediately dropped into a deep block but Lamal dazzled on his first start since April 22, firing over in the fourth minute and setting up Porro’s rising attempt before opening his World Cup account.

Baena’s 10th-minute pass freed Oyarzabal and his drilled cross was met by Lamal, sliding in at the far post for his seventh international goal.

Oyarzabal forced Mohammed Al-Owais into a smart low save and dragged wide after being set up by Baena, but the Real Sociedad striker – who was criticised for not touching the ball in the opening half-hour against Cape Verde – pounced after 21 minutes when Olmo’s miscued shot struck a defender. Aymeric Laporte nodded the ball into his path and Oyarzabal converted with the outside of his left foot.

Oyarzabal celebrated again three minutes later when Marc Cucurella kept alive Porro’s centre to the far post and Olmo headed across the face of goal.

A close-range volley took Oyarzabal to 27 goals in 55 Spain appearances, and he almost claimed his hat-trick when Al-Owais gifted the ball to him on the edge of the area. The angle was against Oyarzabal, but he lifted the ball on to the crossbar as Al-Owais scampered back desperately towards his line.

Spain withdrew their two scorers at the interval with future tests in mind, yet the lead was extended within four minutes of the restart.

Cucurella volleyed goalwards after being left unmarked from a corner and when Al-Owais parried the ball onto Al Tambakti, it trickled over the line.

Spain could have added further to the scoreline in stoppage time when Torres tapped in but after a three-minute VAR review, he was eventually ruled offside.

Mohamed Salah led Egypt to their first-ever World Cup victory as they recovered to beat New Zealand ⁠3-1 on Sunday, moving top of Group G and boosting their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Egypt, pre-match favourites with Salah ⁠and Omar Marmoush ​spearheading ⁠the attack, were backed by a vocal crowd at BC Place. ⁠However, slack defending cost them early ​as ⁠New Zealand defender ‌Finn Surman rose to power home a 15th-minute header from Tim Payne's corner, ‌silencing the sea of ‌red.

Mostafa Zizo met Mohamed Hany's cross in the 58th minute to head home the equaliser. ⁠Nine minutes later, Zizo combined with Salah in a quick one-two before the Egypt captain bent in a powerful left-footed finish, and Trezeguet added a third with a superb header from Salah's ‌outswinging corner.

Egypt, who drew 1-1 with ​Belgium in their opener, moved ‌top of the ⁠group with four points from two ⁠matches. The All Whites, held 2-2 by ‌Iran in ​their opener, are bottom ‌with one point.

Reuters

Alireza Beiranvand made seven saves while Iran and Belgium played to a 0-0 draw at the World Cup on Sunday, with Team Melli unable to break through after the Red Devils went down to 10 men in the second half.

Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card in the 66th minute when he miskicked a ball backward and then fouled Mehdi Taremi to prevent the Iran star from getting a clean breakaway scoring chance.

Iran couldn’t capitalize, and Belgium actually generated better scoring chances down the stretch — but both teams left with their second straight draw in group play.

Neither team will feel good about the result at SoFi Stadium.

During a tumultuous World Cup trip affected by travel restrictions and visa denials from the U.S., Iran will regret missing a golden opportunity to beat a European powerhouse sitting 10th in FIFA's world rankings while playing before a loud, supportive crowd in the Los Angeles area.

Meanwhile, star-studded Belgium has yet to score in two matches at the World Cup, getting on the scoreboard only through an own goal in its opening draw with Egypt.

Belgium dominated possession in the first 60 minutes, but Iran had a handful of strong chances stopped by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who matched Beiranvand's excellence.

Maxim De Cuyper was denied twice in the second half by Beiranvand, including a golden opportunity in the 86th minute.

Belgium dominated possession from the start, but repeatedly failed to get behind Iran's defensive shell. Team Melli had the best scoring chances early, including a beautiful set piece for a goal by Taremi — who was ruled offside by video review.

Standout Belgian winger Jérémy Doku missed the match with an illness.

Part of the beauty of this World Cup 2026 has been the stardom experienced by previously unknown players now starring on a new stage for the genuine underdogs.

None other than Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha demonstrates this, with his heroics frustrating Spain in a 0-0 draw, leading to the 40-year-old’s Instagram following to sky rocket.

Vozinha gasped and laughed, in shock as his 50,000 followers ballooned to more than 1 million, and then 24 hours after the game, his total touched 10 million. To add perspective, that is more than NBA superstar and France international Victor Wembanyama (6.2 million) and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes (6.4 million).

“Crazy, that's crazy,” Vozinha told Brazilian YouTube channel CazéTV after the match, which catapulted him to becoming one of the biggest new names of the World Cup so far.

Vozinha was tearful, though, not only due to the history created on the pitch with Cape Verde, but the absence of his mother in the stadium, with issues over her visa. CazéTV, the only channel in Brazil with the rights to all 104 World Cup games, has taken credit for his rise in popularity. CazéTV, anchored by the popular Brazilian streamer Casimiro Miguel, used its 31 million subscribers on YouTube, and even asked those watching at home to show some love to Vozinha and his modest, at the time, following on social media.

Spain, one of the World Cup favorites, was widely expected to cruise past the tournament debutants. But La Roja could not find a way past Vozinha and a stubborn defense that had an answer to everything Spain’s superstars threw at them.

“Normally we ask for subscribers,” Cazé said. “We are not going to ask for subscribers today, we are going to ask for followers. For Vozinha. He is stopping Spain. He is shocking the world. He is the standout player of the first half. Why not show him some love?”

His followers increased by a few hundred thousand shortly after that, and kept growing and growing throughout the day. Vozinha, who only began playing professionally at 25, is one of the few players 40 or older in the tournament. He made several crucial saves against Spain's powerful attack and was named the man of the match.

The result sparked celebrations in Cape Verde, the group of islands off Africa’s west coast that is home to about half a million people. Cape Verde is the third-smallest nation by population to ever qualify for the World Cup.

Vozinha said after the game that his mom was not able to make it to the United States to watch him play because of difficulties getting a visa.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it had no record of her ever applying for a visa, but that it was working on resolving the situation with Cape Verde authorities. The department said it had notified all players from World Cup countries affected by the $15,000 visa bond requirement that they and their families would be exempt from posting the bond.

“All relatives of players are eligible for visa bond waivers, and the department is actively reaching out to this player’s family to assist with visa services,” the department said.

A person familiar with the situation said that the State Department believes that Vozinha's mother did not apply for a visa because she did not hold a valid Cape Verde passport, but that she is now in the process of getting one.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential visa deliberations. A request for comment was sent to the team Tuesday afternoon. The team's next match is Sunday.

A similar case to Vozinha's virality happened last month, with New Zealand defender Tim Payne, after an Argentine influencer called on his followers to make the little-known player a “hero” of the World Cup.

El Scarso, a soccer influencer also known as Valen Scarsini, identified the 32-year-old Payne as the least-known player at the World Cup based on his small social media following.

Payne had around 4,700 followers on Instagram before being singled out by El Scarso. That number quickly rose to more than a million. He had nearly 6 million followers on Tuesday.

FIFA has made a push to engage a new generation of fans by giving younger audiences more options to access soccer’s showcase event. For the 2026 World Cup, it reached what it described as a record number of deals with broadcast partners carrying digital-only platforms, and partnered with TikTok and YouTube to allow users to see parts of matches live.

Brazil historically has been one of the countries with the most engagement on social media and digital platforms. FIFA took notice and four years ago did a type of a test run with CazéTV after Cazé's success on Twitch. He broadcast 22 matches during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, leading to a bigger deal for this year's tournament.

“Thank you,” Vozinha told CazéTV. “The Brazilians have always supported us. We felt it during our campaign to qualify for the World Cup and now we are feeling it again at the biggest stage. We are thankful for it.”

AP also contributed to this report

Coach Ralf Rangnick warned his Austria team on Sunday that World Cup holders Argentina are "more than just Messi", saying: "They have no weaknesses."

Lionel Messi has 16 World Cup goals in total and needs one more to become the outright all-time top-scorer in the tournament's history when the two sides meet in Texas on Monday.

Asked at the pre-match press conference about Argentina's strengths and weaknesses, Rangnick replied: "Let's talk about the weaknesses -- there are none, nothing that we were able to observe."

The 67-year-old German, a former Manchester United coach, waxed lyrical about Argentina's "outstanding players", their pace, tactical flexibility and the depth of their squad.

"We need to be very strong tactically, but we also need to be very courageous, and we need to bring a lot of energy, we need to bring our A-game tomorrow," said the experienced Rangnick, who has been credited with reviving Austria's fortunes since taking over in 2022.

"We maybe need to show the best performance that my team has ever done under me."

The 38-year-old Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria to launch Argentina's World Cup defence.

Austria also started with a win in North America, beating debutants Jordan 3-1.

The victories put both within reach of the knockout rounds, and with Messi on the cusp of another landmark, all eyes will be on the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time.

But Rangnick said it would be a mistake only to focus on Messi.

"In every single position they are outstanding," he said, adding: "I already said that Argentina is more than just Messi."

For all that praise, Rangnick said his unfancied team can pull off a shock under the roof of the Dallas Cowboys' stadium.

"Tomorrow we will play against all odds," he said.

"And against all odds, that means that we might cause some surprise tomorrow.

"It might be a draw, or even a victory for us. Everything is possible.

"We have grit and courage, and we can decide the match in our favour."

pst/jc

Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis said he remains "proud" of his players as he called for realism in the wake of a 4-0 World Cup thrashing by Spain on Sunday.

The Arabian Falcons were 3-0 down inside 24 minutes in Atlanta as Lamine Yamal led a La Roja rout on his first World Cup start.

Barcelona star Yamal opened the scoring before Mikel Oyarazbal's double put the outcome beyond doubt before the mid-half hydration break in the first half.

Hassan al-Tambakti's second-half own goal rubbed salt in Saudi wounds.

"I'm proud of everything the players do every day, I am not going to lose my pride in the players after a poor result," said Donis, who only took charge in April.

"I've seen games at the World Cup that have ended 5-1 and 6-0. We are here to take the criticism, but I also expect all those that criticise us to be realists as well."

The Saudis held Uruguay 1-1 in their opening game but there was little evidence that the billions splashed to raise the level of their domestic league on foreign stars has aided the national team.

They do have a chance to make amends against Cape Verde in their final group game, where victory will likely secure passage to the knockout stages for the first time since the 1994 World Cup.

And Donis rejected the suggestion his side had been scared of Spain.

"When a match isn't going your way and you've conceded three quick goals, insecurities start to creep in," he added.

"It's obvious we were affected. We're human, but I wouldn't call it fear."

kca/jc

Brazil must find a way to overcome the loss of injured star Raphinha as quickly as possible, midfielder Lucas Paqueta said Sunday, as Carlo Ancelotti's side prepare for their final group game of the World Cup against Scotland.

Barcelona forward Raphinha came off before half-time in Friday's 3-0 win over Haiti in Philadelphia with a right thigh injury, and the Brazil team later said he would undergo "intensive treatment" with the aim of being back in time for a possible game in the last 16 in early July.

The 29-year-old will therefore definitely miss Wednesday's last Group C match against Scotland in Miami, which could open the door to a return for superstar Neymar.

"We are all sad, especially Rafa, because of the little setback with this injury, but he can count on all of us for support. We are all by his side," Paqueta, of Flamengo, told reporters at Brazil's World Cup base in New Jersey.

"He is a dedicated kid, and I am sure he will do everything possible and impossible to be back as soon as possible. But in terms of how important he is, well, I don't think I need to say anything.

"He has had an incredible couple of seasons and has been getting better and better for the national team, so I think that when any player of that importance is missing you are going to have to restructure quickly."

Raphinha's season with Barcelona was regularly impacted by problems with his right hamstring, and he has missed a total of 24 matches for club and country since the campaign began.

A starter in both of the Selecao's games so far, he was replaced by the young Bournemouth forward Rayan when he came off late in the opening half against the Haitians.

"We all know his characteristics, his qualities, his pace, his ability to create space and his finishing ability, so I think we are losing a very important player," added ex-West Ham United player Paqueta.

"But we are not paying too much attention to how long he is going to be out. We just hope he is back as soon possible."

Ancelotti's side have four points from two games so far, and will clinch qualification for the last 32 in one of the top two places in the section if they avoid defeat against the Scots.

Neymar is being tipped to feature against Scotland after overcoming the injury which has stopped him from featuring at the tournament so far.

If Brazil's all-time top scorer does play, it will be his first appearance for his country since October 2023.

"He is a very important player for the national team, who has a marvellous history with us and can still help us a lot," Paqueta said of the 34-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward.

raa/ag/as/nf

The expanded 2026World Cup sees a record 48 teams compete to lift the biggest prize in football, but while there are plenty of new faces and potential fairytales in North America this summer, one thing remains the same – the usual suspects are favourites once again.

While 2018 winners and 2022 runners-up France will bid to make a third World Cup final in a row this summer, it’s European champions Spain who head into the tournament as favourites, with Luis de la Fuente’s side hoping to build on the success of Germany two years ago.

La Roja surprised plenty of fans and pundits in a superb run to the final at Euro 2024, and their World Cup campaign should provide a similarly comfortable route through to the knockout rounds.

Two-time winners Uruguay will provide a fairly stern test for Spain early on and will be confident of qualifying in second as they look for another surprise run to the latter stages, while third place is up for grabs – on paper anyway – between 61st ranked Saudi Arabia and 69th ranked Cape Verde, who are one of the feel-good stories of the summer after qualifying for a first World Cup in their history.

Group H fixtures

(all times BST)

15 June, 5pm: Spain 0-0 Cape Verde – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

15 June, 11pm: Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

21 June, 5pm: Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

21 June, 11pm: Uruguay v Cape Verde – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

27 June, 1am: Uruguay v Spain – Estadio Akron, Zapopan (Mexico)

27 June, 1am: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia - NRG Stadium, Houston

Spain

Luis de la Fuente’s side begin the tournament as favourites after a hugely successful last few years that started with a victorious Euro 2024 campaign two summers ago. La Roja have been in fine form since beating England in Berlin, losing just once – in the 2025 Nations League final, on penalties to Portugal.

Spain have not come close to winning football’s biggest prize since their famed campaign of 2010, but there is a feeling at home that this squad is the best equipped to do so since the days of Iniesta, Xavi and co. After exiting the tournament at the round of 16 stage to Morocco in Qatar, a semi-final berth would be the minimum expectation this time round, but in private there might be questions asked if this side doesn’t go all the way.

Many of the same names from the 2024 squad will be present in North America this summer. De la Fuente has already made a bold move in selecting a squad devoid of any Real Madrid players, with both Dani Carvajal and Dean Huijsen left at home as La Roja go for a blend of experience and youthful verve. Lamine Yamal will once again be the focal point of the squad, supported by the likes of Rodri, Pedri and Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored the winner in Berlin two years ago.

There are some questions over defensive options and the fit of some of the attackers in the squad, but if de la Fuente can successfully adapt the game plan used in 2024, Spain may well end this summer with another star over the famous crest.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garcia (Barcelona).

Defenders: Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen).

Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Gavi (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (Paris St-Germain), Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid).

Forwards: Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Victor Munoz (Osasuna), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo).

Star player - Lamine Yamal, Barcelona: It’s difficult to pick a star man in a team that will include the likes of Pedri and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, but teenage sensation Lamine Yamal stands out this summer as Spain’s main man. The 18-year-old was the breakout star of the tournament as Spain won Euro 2024 and he has only improved since two summers ago. He comes into his first World Cup off the back of another title-winning season at Barcelona, having scored 16 goals and registered 12 assists in just 28 games in La Liga. Yamal is at risk of missing the first two group games for La Roja after picking up a hamstring injury late into the season, but expect him to hit the ground running one he returns as he looks to add the biggest trophy of all to an already impressive cabinet.

Breakout talent - Marc Pubill, Atletico Madrid: Such is the talent in the Spain squad that most of its members are already household names, though defender Marc Pubill could be the player who has the most to gain from his call-up this summer. The 22-year-old has already impressed at times for Atletico Madrid this season - with manager Diego Simeone saying he is “growing at an enormous rate” - and while he’s not been able to nail down a starting spot at the club, his versatility at the back means he could feature for La Roja this summer in what could be the first major steps of a successful international career.

Fifa ranking: 2.

Odds to win the World Cup: 5/1, latest odds via online bookmakers.

Uruguay

La Celeste are famed as one of the World Cup’s biggest over-achievers, having won the competition in 1930 and 1950, and the 2026 crop of players will be hoping to emulate the likes of Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan as they look to advance to the latter rounds.

Manager Marcelo Bielsa is said to be stepping down after the tournament, with the former Leeds boss leading the side into a second major tournament after finishing a respectable third at the 2024 Copa America.

And while Bielsa’s squad doesn’t possess the same level of talent as the previous golden generation, that Copa run and the performance against England in March showed that they are capable of digging in and getting results against ‘better’ sides.

With plenty of defensive steel, a bit of midfield nous – including Rodrigo Bentancur and Giorgian de Arrascaeta – and potential match-winners in the form of players such as Valverde and Darwin Nunez, Uruguay could be among the dark horses this summer. Having failed to get out of the group in 2022, a place in the quarter-finals this time around would likely be seen as a successful campaign – and a repeat of 2010 would be seen as a small miracle.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet (Internacional), Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Santiago Mele (Junior FC)

Defenders: Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Santiago Bueno (Wolves), Sebastian Caceres (Club America), Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Joaquin Piquerez (Palmeiras), Matias Vina (Flamengo)

Midfielders: Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United), Emiliano Martinez (Palmeiras), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Agustin Canobbio (Fluminense), Juan Manuel Sanabria (Atletico San Luis), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Nicolas de la Cruz (Flamengo), Rodrigo Zalazar (Braga), Facundo Pellistri (Panathinaikos), Maximiliano Araujo (Sporting), Brian Rodriguez (Club America)

Forwards: Rodrigo Aguirre (Club America), Federico Vinas (Real Oviedo), Darwin Nunez (Al Hilal)

Star player: Federico Valverde: Real Madrid captain Fede Valverde is Uruguay’s talisman, and he’ll lead the Celeste as they look to make another surprise run to the latter stages of the World Cup. Valverde is coming off the back of a disappointing season at club level but his undoubted talent and versatility mean he remains one of the most useful players in world football. He might want to improve his record of goal contributions – having scored just nine times this season at club level – but as shown with his goal against England and a hat-trick against Manchester City, the 27-year-old remains a man for the big occasion. With the help of Nunez and Gimenez, can Valverde spur his nation into another surprise performance?

Breakout talent: Maxi Araujo: The battle to be Uruguay’s breakout star this summer may well be between ‘rival’ wingers in Club America’s Brian Rodríguez and Sporting’s Maxi Araujo. The former scored 13 goals in 34 games for the Mexican club and has become known for his pace, but 26-year-old Araujo has been a key man for Sporting for a couple of seasons now. He’s hardly a nobody after winning a Primeira Liga title last season - and putting in a great performance in Sporting’s 4-1 win over Man City in the Champions League – but this could be the tournament where more fans begin to notice him.

Fifa ranking: 17.

Odds to win the World Cup: 100/1.

Saudi Arabia

2026 marks a seventh World Cup finals for Saudi Arabia, though the 2034 hosts have plenty to do if they want to equal their best-ever performance.

Saudi Arabia got to the round of 16 the last time the World Cup was held in the USA in 1994, though their previous six tournaments have all ended at the group stage. The fact that there will be some third-placed teams qualifying in this expanded tournament gives the side hope of making it out of Group H, though realistically a group-stage exit still feels the most likely outcome.

Nevertheless, this is a team that will benefit from the experience of qualifying for the last two World Cups, while new manager Herve Renard brings great international expertise having won Afcon with Zambia and the Ivory Coast previously.

A 1-0 loss to Jordan in the semi-finals of the Arab Cup at the end of last year demonstrated the limitations of this Saudi side though, and it remains to be seen if they can build on their previous tournament experience – in any case, a place in the round of 32 would be seen as a huge success.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al Owais (Al Ula) Nawaf Al Aqidi (Al Nassr), Ahmed Al Kassar (Al Qadsiah), Abdulqudus Attiah (Al Taawoun)

Defenders: Abdulelah Al Amri (Al Nassr), Hassan Tambakti (Al Hilal), Jehad Thikri (Al Qadsiah), Ali Lajami (Al Hilal), Hassan Kadesh (Al Ittihad), Saud Abdulhamid (RC Lens), Mohammed Abu Al Shamat (Al Qadsiah), Ali Majrashi (Al Ahli), Moteb Al Harbi (Al Hilal), Nawaf Boushal (Al Nassr), Zakaria Hawsawi (Al Ahli).

Midfielders: Mohammed Kanno (Al Hilal), Abdullah Al Khaibari (Al Nassr), Ziyad Al Johani (Al Ahli), Nasser Al Dawsari (Al Hilal), Musab Al Juwayr (Al Qadsiah), Alaa Al Hajji (NEOM SC), Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal), Khalid Al Ghannam (Al Ettifaq), Ayman Yahya (Al Nassr), Sultan Mandash (Al Hilal), Saleh Abu Al Shamat (Al Ahli).

Forwards: Feras Al Buraikan (Al Ahli), Abdullah Al Salem (Al Qadsiah), Saleh Al Shehri (Al Ittihad), Abdullah Al Hamdan (Al Nassr).

Star player: Salem Al-Dawsari: Midfielder Al-Dawsari had perhaps the best moment of his career so far when he scored the goal that beat Argentina in Qatar in 2022, and in 2026 the 34-year-old once again leads his team at a World Cup, hoping to go one better than last time in making it out of the group. He scored eight goals in just 26 games from left wing at club level this season, and he’ll need to replicate that sort of form if Herve Renard’s side are to make the round of 32.

Breakout talent - Saud Abdulhamid: Lens defender Abdulhamid – who is on loan at the club from Roma – is the only player in the squad who plays his club football outside of Saudi Arabia, and he was part of the squad that just won the French Cup to secure the first trophy in Lens’ history. It was also an immensely successful season in the league as they finished second in Ligue 1, just six points behind PSG. While Abdulhamid often featured for Lens at right wing-back, he has been used as a traditional right-back in defence at international level too. At 26 years old, this could be the stage where he takes the next step in his career ahead of potentially playing in the Champions League next season.

Fifa ranking: 61.

Odds to win the World Cup: 1000/1.

Cape Verde

2026 marks a first appearance at a World Cup for Cape Verde, with manager – and former player – Bubista leading his nation to the world’s biggest tournament with a qualifying campaign that produced seven wins from 10 games against the likes of Cameroon and Angola.

On the pitch they will be led by former Lille and Nottingham Forest forward Ryan Mendes, with a supporting cast including Omonoia’s Willy Semedo, Benfica’s Sidny Lopes Cabral and the qualification campaign’s top scorer in Dailon Livramento.

The minnows head into the tournament with nothing to prove but everything to gain, with their best previous tournament performances coming as they reached the quarter-finals of Afcon in 2013 and 2023.

The celebrations seen when Cape Verde secured qualification show that hopes are not exactly high for their performance in North America this summer, and that will not have changed when they were drawn in a group against Spain and Uruguay. However, with the expanded tournament leaving room for third-placed sides to qualify, there can always be dreams of making it to the round of 32 at the first time of asking.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Vozinha (Chaves), Marcio Rosa (Montana), CJ dos Santos (San Diego).

Defenders: Stopira (Torreense), Roberto Lopes (Shamrock Rovers), Joao Paulo (FCSB), Diney (Al Bataeh), Logan Costa (Villarreal), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Wagner Pina (Trabzonspor), Sidny Lopes Cabral (Benfica), Kelvin Pires (SJK).

Midfielders: Jamiro Monteiro (PEC Zwolle), Kevin Pina (Krasnodar), Deroy Duarte (Ludogorets), Telmo Arcanjo (Vitoria Guimaraes), Laros Duarte (Puskas Akademia), Yannick Semedo (Farense).

Forwards: Ryan Mendes (Igdir), Garry Rodrigues (Apollon Limassol), Willy Semedo (Omonia), Jovane Cabral (Estrela Amadora), Gilson Tavares (Akron Tolyatti), Dailon Livramento (Casa Pia), Helio Varela (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Nuno da Costa (Istanbul Basaksehir).

Star player - Dailon Livramento: Veteran midfielder Ryan Mendes may be the anchor of the team but forward Dailon Livramento was the key man in qualification, scoring five times in a historic campaign. The 25-year-old failed to find the net for his new side Casa Pia since joining in September, though he found opportunities hard to come by. Conversely, he scored and assisted in the 4-2 loss to Chile in March, showing that he remains a focal point of the team at international level.

Breakout talent - Sidny Lopes Cabral: Versatile Benfica defender Sidny Lopes Cabral looks certain to be Cape Verde’s breakout star this summer, helped in part by his €6m move to Benfica in January. Jose Mourinho is said to have personally approved the signing of the 23-year-old, who impressed for Portuguese side Estrela Amadora in the first half of the season. Lopes Cabral can play at both full-back and on the wing, though he may be used as a more attacking option at times this summer – something he can do to great affect, as shown with a hat-trick against Casa Pia in November and a goal and assist against Chile in March.

Fifa ranking: 69.

Odds to win the World Cup: 2000/1.

Group H prediction

Spain should face little opposition in their bid to finish first in Group H, though their match against Uruguay should be an interesting one (and perhaps a good early yardstick for how the favourites are performing early on). La Celeste should have more than enough to qualify in second, while Saudi Arabia will hope to sneak into the last 32 via a third-placed finish. It looks like it will be difficult for Cape Verde to earn any points in their maiden World Cup journey, but – as Saudi Arabia proved against Argentina in 2022 – anything is possible with enough morale and belief.

Lamine Yamal's return sparked Spain's World Cup into life as the European champions ran riot to beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta.

Making his first start in two months after a hamstring injury, Yamal ended La Roja's long wait for a World Cup goal just 10 minutes in.

Mikel Oyarzabal then struck twice to put Luis de la Fuente's men 3-0 up inside 24 minutes.

De la Fuente's careful management of Yamal's minutes continued as the Barcelona superstar was replaced at half-time before Hassan al-Tambakti's own goal rounded off the scoring.

Victory propels Spain to the top of Group H ahead of Uruguay's meeting with Cape Verde later on Sunday.

Billed as one of the pre-tournament favourites, Spain got off to a slow start in a 0-0 draw against debutants Cape Verde.

A pedestrian performance despite dominating possession only highlighted the importance of Yamal to their quest to be world champions for a second time.

De la Fuente also warned his players had been "stung" by the criticism they faced following their opening result and they responded emphatically.

Yamal's return was one of four changes in total with Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also coming into the starting line-up.

After over 2,500 passes and 50 attempts at goal since their last World Cup goal, Spain finally found the net and fittingly Yamal made the breakthrough.

- Pressure rises on Saudis -

Oyarzabal found space in behind the Saudi defence and his low cross picked out the 18-year-old to slot in at the back post.

The Saudis held Uruguay 1-1 in their opening game but there was little evidence that the billions splashed to raise the level of their domestic league has aided the national team.

Coach Georgios Donis looked particularly irked that two of Spain's goals came from corners.

Oyarzabal pounced on Aymeric Laporte's flick on to give the 2010 winners the breathing space they craved.

Just three minutes later, the Real Sociedad forward volleyed home from Dani Olmo's header for his 14th international goal in his last 13 caps.

Oyarzabal was inches away from a first half hat-trick when his audacious effort with the outside of his foot from a narrow angle came back off the crossbar.

But with the job done by half-time, De la Fuente could afford the luxury of replacing Yamal and Oyarzabal at the break.

The changes did not disrupt the waves of Spanish attack towards the Saudi goal, but the fourth also came via a corner.

Cucurella was afforded acres of space to shoot and although his effort was repelled by Mohammed al-Owais, the rebound deflected in off the unfortunate Tambakti.

To round off an ideal afternoon for De la Fuente on his 65th birthday, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino were afforded valuable minutes off the bench in the second period as they too get up to match speed after lengthy absences due to injury.

By contrast, the pressure is now on Donis to deliver in Saudi Arabia's final group game against Cape Verde in Houston.

Victory will likely take the Arabian Falcons into the knockout stages for the first time since the World Cup was last in the United States 32 years ago.

Spain travel to Guadalajara next for the final group game against two-time winners Uruguay on Friday.

kca/rcw

Liverpool have rejected a €25m offer from Inter for Curtis Jones and told the Serie A champions the bid is so far from their valuation of the midfielder they do not want further talks.

Inter made a second proposal to try and sign the England international but it was rejected by Liverpool, who feel Jones is worth around £40m, not the £21m Inter have proposed.

Jones is out of contract next summer and Liverpool risk losing him on a free transfer in 12 months’ time but they are holding out for a higher fee for the Merseysider.

But Liverpool hope that Jones stays at Anfield and have not given up hope he will sign a new contract.

Inter believe they have an agreement with Jones but are not willing to pay £40m. They have other midfield targets including Manu Kone of Roma.

Inter first showed an interest in Jones at the end of the January transfer window and recently Liverpool’s Italy international Federico Chiesa said the 25-year-old has been asking him about the Milan club.

But Liverpool feel Inter have lowballed them with a £21m bid as they take note of the prices in the midfield market, with Manchester City offering over £100m for Elliot Anderson and players such as Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes expected to command far higher amounts.

They are aware, too, that Tottenham have paid £52m for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke who, like Jones, only had a year left on his contract.

Jones made 49 appearances last year for Liverpool, but only started 18 Premier League matches. He finished the season in Arne Slot’s team but playing at right-back.

A French TV presenter has apologised after criticising Belgium winger Jeremy Doku’s decision to leave the World Cup to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

Doku, who will Belgium’s match against Iran on Sunday due to a chest infection, revealed that his wife Shireen is due during the second week of July - which will coincide with the quarter-finals.

The Manchester City forward, 24, told Reuters that he plans to leave the World Cup and return home even if Belgium are still in the tournament. Belgian media reported that plans are being put in place so Doku can travel home via private jet.

“It ​depends on when it happens, but it's my first child, so I ‌would ⁠definitely want to be there,” Doku said. “If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also ​know that football ​involves many ⁠other considerations.”

However, Doku’s comments were criticised by Channel L'Equipe presenter France Pierron, who said the father is “completely useless” during their child’s birth.

"There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your shoes. It might never happen again in your life,” Pierron posted on social media.

"You're living out a childhood dream, yet you're going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child - a disgusting moment, if you'll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless."

Pierron later apologised for her comments. "I was expressing a personal opinion, within the framework of a debate," she wrote on X.

“I understand that they may have shocked, hurt, or wounded some of you, and I am sorry for that.

“My intention has never been to minimise the place or role of fathers with their partner and their child.”

This World Cup has already witnessed its first birth, with Norway’s Leo Ostigard celebrating the arrival of his firth child by video link. The 26-year-old Ostigard’s partner Aurora Eidmann gave birth to their son on Friday.

“I’m completely exhausted myself, it was absolutely amazing,” Ostigard said in a video published by the Norwegian FA. “​She did so well, ‌there wasn’t much ‌I could say, I just had to help her work ‌and get him out. I’m proud, amazing.

“When I saw him for the first time, I was blown away. It’s absolutely insane. I’m ‌so happy and proud. It’s definitely the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

Ostigard said he celebrated with team-mates Erling Haaland, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Sander Berge, who burst into his hotel room.

Ostigard, who scored for Norway in their opening win against Iraq, added: “I think it makes me ​a little ‌more relaxed, ​that everything ​has gone well, because you never know. Now it’s just joy and I’m very happy that things are good, and that my boy is out.”

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has criticised the US authorities for how they have scheduled the team’s World Cup training, arguing there has been no consistency between games and that Iran are at a significant disadvantage for their upcoming fixtures.

Iran’s World Cup sojourn has been fraught with difficulty as a result of the war between it and the US. The team’s base was relocated to Tijuana, Mexico from its original planned base in Tucson, Arizona, while several staff members were denied visas to enter the US.

The squad has had to commute to the US for their Group G matches due to severe restrictions over their stay in the country, but those restrictions have been applied inconsistently from game to game, Ghalenoei said.

Speaking on Saturday, Ghalenoei said the latest schedule left his team with less than 16 hours to prepare and forced them to cut training short ahead of their meeting with Belgium.

He said: “We ⁠only managed to train half the time we usually spend on training. We wanted to have optimal physical and technical preparation.

“Look at the Belgium team,” he added. “They arrived yesterday ‌noon. They've managed to have ​proper training.”

He said they had had 24 hours to prepare before their 2-2 draw with New Zealand on the first matchday. “The conditions have become ‌even harder,” he said.

Ghalenoei reserved some of his sharpest criticism for what he described as an inconsistency in the treatment of Iran's travel plans. US officials have said the squad’s travel arrangements would continue to be assessed, while discussions over easing some restrictions have continued.

Ghalenoei said he had been told Iran would have greater control ‌over their arrangements before their final group match in Seattle against ‌Egypt on 26 June.

He said: “For the third game, they've allowed us to decide to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel. But what my problem is, why didn't they let us come earlier for the first two games as well? If they've ⁠managed to do this now, why didn't they do that for our first game and for this game?”

Ghalenoei, however, praised Fifa president Gianni Infantino and the governing body for attempting to help. “I know for sure that Fifa and Mr Infantino are doing the utmost to ease these challenges that we are facing. I think FIFA did its utmost to minimise the problems we have faced.”

He also thanked US authorities for facilitating the team’s arrival procedures despite his frustrations over the lost preparation time. “Once we entered the ‌United States, they made sure that in customs everything went smoothly,” he said. “I'd like to ​thank the US for that. But unfortunately, it's our training time that they did not ‌give us.”

Reuters

Wales and Manchester United legend Mark Hughes has said he and his family are “totally heartbroken” following the sudden death of his son Alex aged 38.

Alex Hughes had spells playing at Stockport and Wrexham before turning to performance analysis and recruitment.

He worked with his father during his time as manager of Blackburn, Manchester City and Fulham. He became Grimsby Town’s player recruitment lead last July.

Everyone at Grimsby Town Football Club is devastated to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of our Player Recruitment Lead, Alex Hughes.

Rest in peace, Alex. Once a Mariner, always a Mariner.#GTFC

— Grimsby Town F.C. (@officialgtfc) June 21, 2026

In a statement released via the League Managers Association, Wales and Manchester United great Hughes said: “Jill and I are totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son Alex.

“Alex was a wonderful son, brother to Curtis and Xenna, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children Sebastian and Leonardo. Alex was Player Recruitment Lead at Grimsby Town FC, and had many good friends and colleagues. He will be so deeply missed by us all.

“We ask for privacy during this sad time as we come to terms with our family’s loss.”

Grimsby Town chairman Andrew Pettit said: “Everyone at Grimsby Town Football Club is shocked and saddened by the news of Alex’s passing.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. He will always be remembered as a valued member of the Mariners family who contributed so much during his time with us.”

Lamine Yamal made a goalscoring return for Spain as the European champions got their World Cup campaign back on track with a 4-0 drubbing of Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Yamal, 18, opened the scoring after just 10 minutes of the Group H game in Atlanta to put La Roja on course for a comfortable victory against an outclassed Saudi team.

Spain had been determined to bounce back after being held to a shock 0-0 draw by lowly Cape Verde in their opening game last week, when their much-vaunted attack drew a blank.

But with teenaged starlet Yamal making his first start in two months since recovering from a hamstring problem, Spain launched an early onslaught that left the Saudis reeling.

Yamal ghosted in at the back post to tuck away Mikel Oyarzabal's low cross before Oyarzabal scored twice in three minutes to leave Spain 3-0 up after just 24 minutes.

Spain bagged their fourth goal on 49 minutes, when Marc Cucurella's shot was saved by Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed al-Owais only to bounce off defender Hassan al-Tambakti into the net.

Spain coach Luis De la Fuente said his squad had been fuelled by criticism of their opening performance.

"When someone questions your work, it is only human that anyone with courage and pride reacts to prove people wrong," said De la Fuente.

The win leaves Spain on top of Group H with four points after two matches.

Cape Verde will attempt to join the Spaniards on four points later Sunday when they face Uruguay in Miami, with coach Pedro Leitao Brito, known as "Bubista", vowing his team will play "without fear".

"We didn't come just to take part. We want to play all the matches and to be able to show that we have the level to take on the best teams in the world," he added.

"Our aim is to play all the games with courage, in an organised way but also without fear."

- Belgium frustrated by Iran -

In Los Angeles, meanwhile, Belgium are still waiting for their first win after being held to a 0-0 draw by Iran in Group G.

The Red Devils, who also drew with Egypt in their opening game, finished the game with 10 men and struggled to break down a resolute Iranian side despite dominating possession.

For the second Iran game running, protesters from Los Angeles' large Persian exile community gathered at the stadium to chant against the country's hardline regime.

Inside the stadium, Iran's anthem again drew a chorus of boos and whistles -- a reception at odds with the response to the players themselves, who were loudly cheered.

Iran's Mehdi Taremi had the ball in the net from a clever first-half free-kick that was ruled out by VAR, while Belgium's Nathan Ngoy was sent off after the break for hauling down the striker following a mis-hit backpass.

The result means all three games so far in Group G have ended in draws.

With just two points from two games, Belgium will be targeting a big win against the World Cup's lowest-ranked team, New Zealand, in their final group game in Vancouver on Friday.

- Germany advance -

On Saturday, Germany booked their place in the knockout rounds with a dramatic injury-time winner in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. 

It is the first time since 2014 that Germany have made it out of the group stage.

Germany's victory was made even sweeter later on Saturday as Curacao -- the smallest country by population ever to qualify for the World Cup with just 160,000 inhabitants -- dug deep to secure a shock 0-0 draw with Ecuador in Kansas City that ensured the Germans will win Group E with a game to spare.

In Houston, the Netherlands stayed firmly on course for qualification with a 5-1 demolition of Sweden in Group F.

Japan are level on four points with the Dutch after cruising to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, in Saturday's late match -- the 1,000th game in World Cup history. 

bur/rcw/jc

Belgium eye their first win at the 2026 World Cup today, as they take on Iran in each team’s second game in Group G.

On Monday, Belgium got off to an underwhelming start as they drew 1-1 with Egypt, coming from behind to salvage a point as substitute Romelu Lukaku forced Mohamed Hany into an own goal.

However, with Iran next for the Red Devils before a final group-stage match with New Zealand, Belgium will still fancy their chances of topping the group.

That is especially so given Iran and New Zealand shared the points in their game on Tuesday, when goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi helped Iran to a 2-2 result.

Iran claimed they were forced to leave the US within minutes of the final whistle, retreating to their training camp in Mexico, and they also said they were denied the chance to fly back to the US two days before facing Belgium.

Here’s everything you need to know about this World Cup 2026 game:

When is Belgium v Iran?

Belgium will play Iran at 8pm BST on Sunday 21 June (12pm ET) in Los Angeles.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on ITV1 with coverage starting at 7pm BST. It can also be live-streamed on ITVX.

Team news

After Belgium’s first-choice centre forward Charles de Ketelaere missed training this week and was seen sporting a bandage, there was some speculation that he could make way for Lukaku in the starting XI to face Iran – especially given Lukaku’s instant impact off the bench against Egypt. However, De Ketelaere is expected to be fit enough to begin the game. Otherwise, Zeno Debast remains a confirmed absentee, with the defender having entered the World Cup injured.

For Iran, Saman Ghoddos’s presence is up in the air after the midfielder went off injured against New Zealand, battling an ankle problem. And Rouzbeh Cheshmi will miss this Belgium tie, having also missed Iran’s opener.

Predicted line-ups

Belgium XI: Courtois; Meunier, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Onana, Tielemans; Trossard, De Bruyne, Doku; De Ketelaere.

Iran XI: Beiranvand; Rezaeian, Khalilzadeh, Nemati, Mohammadi; Mohebbi, Ezatolahi, Ghoddos, Yousefi; Taremi, Moghanlou.

Spain do not have to win when they take on Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday, owing to the bloated format at World Cup 2026, but improvements in attack will be a must.

Having been held by Cape Verde in one of the great World Cup shocks on Monday, Luis de la Fuente will be hoping star man Lamine Yamal can contribute more than 19 minutes off the bench as he battles back from a hamstring injury.

• Spain vs Saudi Arabia LIVE: World Cup team news as Lamine Yamal decision looms

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, battled to a creditable draw against Uruguay in their opener and have no reason to feel overawed having beaten Argentina at the last tournament in Qatar.

Here’s everything you need to know about this World Cup 2026 game:

When is Spain v Saudi Arabia?

Spain and Saudi Arabia is at 5pm BST on Sunday 21 June (12pm ET) in Atlanta.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on BBC1 with coverage starting at 4:30pm BST. It can also be live-streamed on BBC iPlayer.

Team news

The big news from Spain is that Lamine Yamal starts against Saudi Arabia. He may not play the full match, but he starts a World Cup game for the first time after recovering from his hamstring injury. He is one of four changes from the 0-0 against Cape Verde. Tottenham’s Pedro Porro replaces Marcos Llorente at right back, Dani Olmo comes in for Fabian Ruiz in midfield, Yamal takes the place of Ferran Torres, and Alex Baena is given the nod ahead of Gavi on the left, with Nico Williams still unavailable for the European champions.

Saudi Arabia could name an unchanged line-up.

Confirmed line-ups

Spain XI: Simon; Pedro Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Oyarazabal, Alex Baena.

Saudi Arabia XI: Al-Owais; Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Al-Amri, Al-Harbi, Ali Lajami; N Al-Dawsari, Al-Juwayr, Al-Khaibari; Al-Buraikan, S Al-Dawsari

Both ITV and BBC Sport have star-studded line-ups for their commentary, presenter and pundit teams at the 2026 World Cup.

With 104 matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico, fans will be able to watch 54 games on BBC television, while ITV Sport will take in 29 group stage matches from its Brooklyn studio.

And fans can look forward to some new insight from ex-Premier League stars, alongside some household names to BBC Sport’s coverage.

Mark Pougatch is on hosting duties for Scotland’s clash with Morocco on ITV tonight with Ally McCoist on commentary.

Here are the punditry and commentary line-ups to look out for at this summer’s tournament:

Pundits

BBC Sport

Alan Shearer

Wayne Rooney

Micah Richards

Joe Hart

Paul Robinson

Steph Houghton

Ellen White

Danny Murphy.

Scott Brown

Rachel Corsie

James McFadden

Olivier Giroud

Gael Clichy

Cesar Azpilicueta

Benni McCarthy

Ashley Williams

Thomas Frank

Hassan Kachloul

Darren Cann

ITV Sport

Roy Keane

Ian Wright

Gary Neville

Patrick Vieira

Karen Carney

Ange Postecoglou

Juan Mata

Emma Hayes

Duncan Ferguson

Jobi McAnuff

Bradley Wright-Phillips

Christina Unkel

Gary Lineker - the former BBC presenter made an appearance as an analyst during ITV’s coverage on Saturday, 20 June.

Commentators

BBC Sport

Guy Mowbray

Steve Wilson

Steve Bower

Jonathan Pearce

Robyn Cowen

Steven Wyeth

Liam McLeod

ITV Sport

Sam Matterface

Jon Champion

Seb Hutchinson

Joe Speight

Co-commentators

BBC Sport

Alan Shearer

Danny Murphy

Stephen Warnock

Efan Ekoku

Martin Keown

Sue Smith

Rachel Corsie

James McFadden

Paul Robinson

ITV Sport

Lee Dixon

Ally McCoist

Andros Townsend

Lucy Ward

Presenters

BBC Sport

Kelly Cates

Mark Chapman

Gabby Logan

Alex Scott

Kelly Somers

Eilidh Barbour

ITV Sport

Mark Pougatch

Laura Woods

Semra Hunter

Daniyal Khan

Reporters

ITV Sport

Gabriel Clarke

Connie McLaughlin

Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room was the hero on Saturday as the tiny Caribbean island claimed its first-ever World Cup point in a goalless draw against toothless Ecuador.

Ecuador, who finished second in South American qualifying, had 28 shots, including 15 on target, in Kansas City but Room stood firm in an astonishing display.

The 0-0 draw in Group E keeps alive Curacao's hopes of reaching the knockout phase, extending their fairytale journey at their first World Cup.

The tiny country -- the smallest by population ever to play on football's biggest stage -- have Miami FC goalkeeper Room to thank for their point against Ecuador.

Room's 15 saves are the most on record -- since 1966 -- by any goalkeeper at a World Cup match that did not feature extra-time.

The draw in the American Midwest restored pride after a 7-1 mauling by Germany in their opening match.

"History! Our first ever point at the @fifaworldcup," Curacao posted on X.

"I still have to process it myself," said Room. "The match was full of emotions. I knew it was going to be a tough match. 

"There were lots of saves, but I think after the first save, the tone was put in place, also for the team. It gave me confidence, and I grew. We all grew, and this was a team effort. 

"We were fighting up to the last minute. Earning a point this way for Curacao is absolutely great."

- Royal backing -

Ecuador fans turned the Arrowhead Stadium, the home of NFL team Kansas City Chiefs, yellow, hugely outnumbering supporters of Curacao.

But Curacao had royalty on their side in the form of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The island is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Out of their 26-strong squad, managed by vastly experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, 25 were born in the Netherlands, and many play their football there.

The match started at a fizzing pace.

Ecuador seemed certain to open the scoring in the third minute when former West Ham forward Enner Valencia burst through the middle but Room tipped the ball around the post.

Sherel Floranus fired over at the other end as Curacao showed their pace on the break.

Ecuador captain Valencia failed to beat Room from close range before Jordy Alcivar had an effort as Ecuador continued to dominate.

The South American team ended the first half with 65 percent of possession but nothing to show for their dominance.

They went close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark but Room kept out a Gonzalo Plata header, before a flurry of Curacao chances.

Ecuador, more than 50 places higher than their opponents in the FIFA rankings, looked increasingly frazzled as they pressed for an opener.

They continued to pour forward and rained shots on Room's goal but he stood firm.

Ecuador substitute Angelo Preciado mishit a cross that bounced off the top of the crossbar and went behind in the final minutes.

The Curacao players swarmed around goalkeeper Room at the end of the match, celebrating an extraordinary point.

Ecuador have yet to score in two games at the World Cup after netting just 14 goals in 18 qualifying matches.

"There are things you cannot explain in football," said Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece.

"We wanted to win, we didn't do it. I am the one who is responsible and I've told my team, if I see that you are giving it all competing, I have no complaints. No one wants to miss out on scoring."

Earlier, four-time champions Germany came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto, sealing their qualification for the round of 32. Curacao's draw ensures Germany will top the group.

Ecuador will play Germany on Thursday while Curacao take on Ivory Coast, with all of the teams in Group E still alive in the competition.

jw/rcw

Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis said his side cannot show Spain too much respect as they aim to repeat a shock victory over eventual winners Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Spain are under pressure to bounce back from a 0-0 draw against World Cup debutants Cape Verde, but face a Saudi side that themselves held Uruguay to a 1-1 draw in their opening game.

Donis only took charge of the 2034 World Cup hosts in April after short-lived reigns for Roberto Mancini and Herve Renard.

It was Renard who oversaw the famous win over Lionel Messi's Argentina in Qatar during his first spell as Saudi boss and Donis is hoping those memories can inspire a similar outcome in Atlanta on Sunday.

"It's nice to have miracles in football and we've seen it many times. We've seen it in the World Cup, we've seen it in other tournaments, we've seen favourites losing against underdogs," the Greek coach said at his pre-match press conference.

"It's great to have great memories in our national team such as the game against Argentina.

"We have to play against one of the best teams in the world and it's very important when you get to this sort of tournament and you have this sort of joy of playing against these teams to be able to enjoy those games, to respect the opponent but also not to respect them more than you should."

Spain's inability to break down the Cape Verdean defence highlighted La Roja's reliance on the brilliance of Lamine Yamal.

The 18-year-old only featured as a second half substitute as he is eased back to fitness after a hamstring injury.

Yamal is expected to take his place in the starting line-up on Sunday, even though he is not yet ready to play 90 minutes.

Donis hailed the Barcelona winger as the "biggest talent" in world football right now and did not hold back in recognising that Spain are less effective without him.

"Spain is not the same team when Yamal is on the bench," added Donis.

"I think Yamal is maybe this period the biggest talent in the world. I think he started to replace Messi in Barcelona in the best way.

"I didn't see a player at this age to make this difference and to have this quality and to play with this maturity. 

"For me the most important is not about the skills, but about the maturity and he knows what he can do every moment and that is the biggest difference."

kca/gj

With the second round of World Cup 2026 group stage matches well underway, teams are starting to prepare for the knockout stage with USA, Mexico and Germany already there.

Those teams may well consider the potential for suspensions in the last 32 should any of their players accumulate a second yellow card in that final group stage match.

Clint Dempsey analysed why teams may take the risk over players featuring in a third game, even with a ban on the horizon should they pick up one more yellow card.

“It's different to World Cups in the past, way more rest, starters who played against Australia, who do not play against Turkey, that's 12 days without playing a game,” the forward USA forward told FS1. “If you're Christian Pulisic, that's 18 days without playing a game. It's important Pochettino gets that right, he's got everything right so far. But you need the best chemistry in the team.”

So what are the yellow card rules for the World Cup 2026?

With 48 teams and a new last 32 round, Fifa had an issue with suspensions due to yellow card accumulation and more games, with the added risk of key players missing games during the tournament.

To combat that, Fifa will wipe the slate clean twice, instead of once previously. Yellow cards will be wiped after the group stage ahead of the knockout stage, then once more after the quarterfinals, preventing a final suspension due to just two yellow cards earned beforehand.

But with two yellow cards before that cutoff, including just two across three group stage games, players will trigger an automatic one-game ban.

This has already been seen by South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena, who will be unavailable Bafana Bafana’s upcoming crunch third match against South Korea on Wednesday.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann was thrilled by Germany's comeback victory against Ivory Coast on Saturday, but stopped short of celebrating his side advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since 2014. 

"We have high ambitions," Nagelsmann said when asked by AFP if booking a place in the next round was something to celebrate. 

"The most important topic for us is to focus on the next step," he said. 

Germany failed to get out of the group stage both at Russia 2018 and four years ago in Qatar. 

Saturday's dramatic win, secured in extra time with a second goal from substitute Deniz Undav, guarantees the Germans will advance and snaps a streak of bitter World Cup disappointment for the four-time winners. 

"This is exactly what we hoped for and I'm very happy for me team," Nagelsmann said. 

He said that after his two-goal performance, Undav could make the starting 11 in Germany's third group stage match against Ecuador, but also stressed that the Stuttgart forward was thriving as a substitute. 

"I could have him in the starting lineup," Nagelsmann said. "I think that every player would love to be in the starting lineup, but I think he's very happy as it is right now."

Franck Kessie put Ivory Coast ahead in the first half but the African side was largely on the defensive in the second half, ultimately unable to withstand the relentless German pressure. 

But the Elephants remain in a strong position to advance and could book Ivory Coast's first ever ticket to the World Cup knockout with a decisive win over Curacao next week.

"We still have everything to play for," said Ivorian coach Emerse Fae. 

"I'm really happy with the performance of my players during these 90 minutes... I think we had two teams that deserve to win," he added. 

"Our primary objective is to get out of the group phase."

bs/gj

Germany reached the World Cup knockout phase for the first time since 2014 with a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday.

Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice, including the crucial goal four minutes into injury time, triggering a massive roar from the overwhelmingly pro-German crowd of 43,000 in Toronto.

Germany had not advanced from the group stage since winning the 2014 tournament in Brazil, and coach Julian Nagelsmann had been under huge pressure to make that breakthrough.

He paid tribute to Undav's clinical finishing -- and said it was "not out of the question" that he could start the next game against Ecuador.

"That was great for him. You can't get more decisive than that!" Nagelsmann told MagentaTV. 

Germany were chasing their opponents in the first half and the Ivorians surged ahead when Franck Kessie struck in the 30th minute.

Kessie turned in from close range following strong work by teenage Ivorian phenomenon Yan Diomande, who is in the sights of some of Europe's top clubs, including Liverpool.

The Germans thought they had found the net twice in the first half.

Nathaniel Brown's corner in the 21st minute was knocked into the net by Aleksandar Pavlovic, but Paraguayan referee Juan Gabriel Benitez immediately called it back, adjudging that Pavlovic had fouled Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

Then, in the 38th minute, German forward and Arsenal star Kai Havertz had the ball in the net, but that too was disallowed, this time because of a foul by Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala.

When the second half began, the Germans applied relentless pressure.

The Ivorian defence held firm until the 68th minute, but ultimately the Germans broke through when Undav volleyed in a cross by Nadiem Amiri.

His second, thanks to an assist from Felix Nmecha, sent Nagelsmann and the German crowd into wild celebrations as the Germans snapped a string of disappointments at the last two World Cups.

"Winning mentality, team spirit -- we had exactly what you need to be successful in a tournament," Germany defender Jonathan Tah said. 

"We never gave up, we kept going no matter what. The guys coming off the bench brought energy. Deniz deserves a special mention, outstanding!"

The Ivorians have never advanced at a World Cup, but may still move on with a win over debutants Curacao in their final group stage match.

bs/gj/nf

Deniz Undav scored two goals off the bench as Germany pulled off a thrilling comeback to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in their ⁠World Cup Group E match, securing their place in the knockout stage for the first time since they won the title in 2014.

After having two goals disallowed in the first half on Saturday, Germany did not lose ⁠focus and used intricate passing to find their way, while the West Africans produced their dynamic brand of attacking football in a wild Group E clash.

Undav levelled the score with a controlled, volleyed finish in the 68th minute and struck again when he received a pass on the turn, before swivelling and firing home a ball that Yahia ‌Fofana had no chance at stopping.

The versatile striker now has nine goals in his last eight matches.

Simon Adingra had a late chance for Ivory Coast, but he failed to get a shot off in the area before Germany charged back down the field and Fofana blocked a low shot from Nathaniel Brown.

Ivory Coast had opened the scoring in the first half when Franck Kessie slotted home a rebound off a shot by Amad Diallo on a play created when Yan Diomande charged down the left side and sent in ⁠a cross.

With more than 100,000 people of German ancestry living in Toronto, Julian Nagelsmann’s ⁠men enjoyed plenty of support but were a frustrated group at the interval with nothing to show for their eight attempts on goal.

Germany looked to have opened the scoring when midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic rose to meet a short corner in the 25th minute but was ⁠deemed to have fouled Fofana in the process.

The ruling left Pavlovic with his hands atop his head in disbelief while Fofana received some attention after the collision, and ⁠the partisan German crowd made their disdain for the referee’s decision ⁠known.

Shortly after, it was Ivory Coast who finally broke through with Kessie’s goal. The West Africans have scored in their last seven matches at the tournament – the longest such sequence on the global stage in their history.

Germany once again put the ball in the back of the ‌net, but their celebrations were cut short as the referee determined that Jamal Musiala had fouled Odilon Kossounou in the buildup.

Germany top Group E with six points and are through to the last 32, while Ivory Coast remain ‌on three after two matches. Ecuador and Curacao meet in Kansas City later on Saturday.

Germany will close out the group stage against Ecuador on Thursday in New Jersey, while Ivory Coast face Curacao in Philadelphia.

Few footballers are as intrinsically associated with their hometown as Dan Burn but, if only for a day or two, the boy from Blyth had a taste of what it is like to be American. The giant from the north-east might have been the biggest cowboy in the Midwest; or the tallest, anyway.

Burn is 34, probably at his only World Cup and determined to savour it. He has had a bit of downtime between England’s win over Croatia and their clash with Ghana. A man who spent the last World Cup in an Airbnb in Newcastle, while his house was being renovated, has found a different way to occupy himself now. Along with Harry Kane and Djed Spence, he went to watch the Kansas City Royals, seeing manager Thomas Tuchel throw the ceremonial first pitch in their game against the St Louis Cardinals.

Burn has gone even more native than that. “Last night Ella Langley was playing so I had my cowboy hat and cowboy boots on,” said the centre-back. “I went and got kitted out. I thought if you were going to do it, do it properly. Luckily, there’s no photos flying about.”

Others may consider that a shame; an image of Burn in a Stetson could have been iconic. He had his captain and goalkeeper Jason Steele for company at a gig. Some of Kane’s American influences are well known, and the forward is looking forward to heading to Boston, to the stadium where Tom Brady picked out many a pass as the quarterback for the New England Patriots. But, Burn revealed, Kane is also a fan of one of the most American genres of music. “We have a record player in the hotel and he did a captain’s pick and there was a lot of country in it,” he said. “We got asked to go and watch Ella Langley.”

Sadly Kane did not share Burn’s sartorial sense on a night out. “I was the only person suited and booted with cowboy hat and boots and all the lot,” said the defender. “We missed the last three songs because we had to be back for curfew which I was a bit gutted about because they are her three best ones.”

If nothing else, it proves at least one England international who plays for a north-east club has abided by curfews of late. It may be damning Burn with faint praise, though, to suggest that one of the reasons Tuchel took him was because he was sure to prove a good tourist. Yet Burn’s good humour forms part of his appeal. So does his realism. He wants to play but knows his role. Tuchel clearly enjoys his company but has also showed an honesty.

“He takes the mick out of me but I like it,” said Burn. “When he called me up, he said I probably wouldn’t be starting.” Without entering the fray, Burn witnessed Tuchel’s transformative team-talk after 45 minutes against Croatia. “People have said he gave us a rocket but it was the opposite,” he said. He missed Anthony Barry’s revelatory interview with ITV at the break but has known Tuchel’s assistant for longer than most. They were together at Wigan and Burn said: “There’s no grey areas with Baz and the manager. They are not going to beat around the bush.”

Tuchel’s clarity as a communicator means he has told Burn the kind of situations when he could be called upon, allowing the defender to visualise them. One is if England need a goal, when they could summon a sizeable figure for his ability at set-pieces. Burn scored the goal that won Newcastle their first major trophy since 1969. It allowed him to imagine becoming the man who brings England glory.

Kane may be a likelier candidate but Burn deadpanned: “Me and Harry are quite similar in our technique and goalscoring prowess, so it is only natural we are compared. In all seriousness, I know I don’t get many goals but the goals I do get tend to be important. I’d love it to be a World Cup final winner, last minute.”

Even before then and even without taking the field, his World Cup has brought memorable moments, some of them musical, some from country stars and some alongside his country’s stars. The England fans belted out Oasis’ Wonderwall after Croatia were beaten in Dallas. Burn enjoyed it. “Wonderwall was an amazing moment, a special moment,” he said. “If that's every game it's going to be amazing.”

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said his players have been stung by the criticism that followed a shock 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but will put that right against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

The European champions arrived in North America as one of the favourites for the tournament.

But with Lamine Yamal only able to make an appearance as a second-half substitute on his return from injury, La Roja were laboured in attack as the African archipelago of just over 500,000 people held out for a historic result.

"This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up... It's going to be a completely different story," De la Fuente told his pre-match press conference in Atlanta on Saturday.

"There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow."

Despite the disappointment, Spain are now 32 competitive games unbeaten from open play, stretching back over three years.

"This team has a lot of heart and always responds," added De la Fuente.

"I am sure tomorrow we will be better than what we showed the other day."

Yamal's fitness has been the dominant topic of Spain's World Cup so far.

The 18-year-old rose to prominence with his performances as De la Fuente's side romped to victory at Euro 2024.

Yamal has since established himself as one of the world's best players at Barcelona but suffered a hamstring injury in April that had kept him sidelined until his cameo off the bench against Cape Verde.

The winger is not yet ready to play 90 minutes, but the pressure is on De la Fuente to include him from the start with Spain badly lacking his spark in attack.

"The most important thing is that he's back," said De la Fuente.

"Seeing how he competes, how he is rediscovering that feeling, spirit, finesse which he had and has back now, that is the best possible news."

Yamal is expected to replace Barcelona team-mate Gavi in the starting line-up, while De la Fuente hinted there could also be other changes.

Saudi Arabia also drew their opening game 1-1 with Uruguay.

kca/nf

Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in a World Cup warning on Saturday in Houston.

The big win in front of nearly 69,000 put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them liftoff after being held by Japan.

Ronald Koeman's side top Group F with four points from two games, ahead of Sweden on three, Japan (one) and Tunisia (none).

Despite the sobering loss the Swedes had plenty of chances but were denied by good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.

They are still in with a good chance of progressing into the last 32 but face a test in the form of Japan in their final group game.

"We attacked, had some opportunities but obviously defensively you can't concede that many and hope to win, but we'll learn a lot from the game," Sweden coach Graham Potter told BBC TV.

"Sometimes you have to have these experiences, I didn't think it was that type of game, but again that's the scoreline, we have to accept it and learn from it."

Sunderland striker Brobbey got his first start of the tournament and repaid Koeman with predatory goals after five and 17 minutes.

Before that the 24-year-old had scored only once for his country.

In a game full of Premier League talent, Liverpool's Gakpo -- who set Brobbey up for the opener -- scored twice early in the second half.

Substitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour with a classy finish.

Substitute Crysencio Summerville, who was replaced in the starting line-up by Brobbey, had the last word for the five-star Dutch.

"If you look further at the goals we scored, that will cause fear among opponents," Koeman said.

"The way those goals came about, in transition with a lot of pace and a lot of quality, we can be incredibly dangerous."

- Liftoff for Dutch -

Two crew members from the historic Artemis II lunar mission were among the VIP guests, a nod to Houston's place as the home of space flight.

The Dutch, twice pegged back in a lively 2-2 draw with Japan to start their title bid, made the brighter start in front of their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander.

Brobbey, who came in for Summerville despite the winger scoring against Japan, started and finished the first goal.

It was made in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involved.

Brobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo, before the Anfield attacker crossed in low from the left for his team-mate to stab in from close range.

At the other end the much-vaunted attack of Liverpool's Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal were feeding on scraps for Sweden.

Twelve minutes after his opener Brobbey made it 2-0 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he toe-poked past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

Sweden, who thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their first game, then created several opportunities for Gyokeres and Yasin Ayari to reduce the deficit but they failed to find a way past Verbruggen before half-time.

- World Cup warning -

Koeman sent on Summerville for Malen at the break, and two minutes later it was mission impossible for Sweden, Gakpo prodding in from close range after yet another dangerous low cross from Dumfries.

Gakpo scored a lovely fourth on 54 minutes, turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner.

Elanga pulled one back when he raced clear of the Dutch defence and rattled the ball past Verbruggen.

West Ham's Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America.

"Of course this match was better than the previous one. That's what you want, ideally you want to win right from the start," said Koeman.

"But if this is a sign of more to come, then were heading in the right direction."

pst/nf

France centre-half William Saliba said Saturday he has been "gritting his teeth" and playing through the pain at the World Cup after suffering from a back problem for the past few months.

The defender was a key figure in helping his club Arsenal secure their first Premier League title in 22 years last season, but told reporters that he is not operating at "100 percent" in North America as he bids to help France win a third World Cup.

"I've had some minor niggles for several months. I've been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well," Saliba said at a press conference ahead of his country's upcoming Group I match against Iraq.

"The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you've got to grit your teeth."

"I'm not at 100 percent, but there are plenty of players who aren't at 100 percent either -- you can't make excuses," he added.

Saliba has been following a personalised training programme since the France squad met up for the World Cup but still managed to put in a strong showing in the 1998 and 2018 champions' opening group-stage win against Senegal on Tuesday.

Les Bleus take on Iraq on Monday in Philadelphia, where they can ensure progression to the knockout stages with a victory, before taking on Norway four days later.

kn/hpa/nf/jc

Brazil forward Raphinha will undergo "intensive treatment" after suffering a muscle injury to his right thigh in their World Cup win over Haiti, the Brazilian football confederation (CBF) said Saturday.

Barcelona winger Raphinha was substituted in the first half on Friday in Philadelphia.

The CBF did not say how long he would be sidelined for, but Brazilian website Globo Esporte reported he could be fit to return for a possible game in the last 16, which starts in two weeks' time.

"The player will follow an intensive treatment protocol under the supervision of the Brazilian national team's medical team, with the goal of recovering and returning to action as soon as possible," the CBF said in a statement.

Raphinha struggled with various injuries to his right thigh last season.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti could turn to either of the 19-year-old duo of Endrick and Rayan, or Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli to replace Raphinha.

Five-time world champions Brazil, who have four points from two games, round off their Group C campaign against Scotland on Wednesday in Miami.

That game could provide Neymar, sidelined for a month with a calf injury, a first international appearance since October 2023.

raa/jc/rcw

The pre-match discourse focused almost exclusively on Sweden’s luxury strikers. Graham Potter was asked three times about Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, about how he could squeeze the best from his uber-talents. Ronald Koeman was asked whether he was scared by them. “We’re not scared,” he said, and so it proved. Instead this was an afternoon in Houston when Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey out-did them both.

Brobbey scored two first-half goals which took the game away from Sweden, before the excellent Cody Gakpo added another two and Crysencio Summerville topped this 5-1 win. Perhaps most importantly, Brobbey showed the striker’s instincts that have been marked out as the great weakness of this Dutch team, a side full of defensive steel and midfield class but who supposedly lack a killer in the box.

Which was a fair assumption. Brobbey had only one goal in 13 international caps before this game. Gakpo doesn’t play like this for Liverpool. Summerville has just been relegated with West Ham. But after starting Brobbey on the bench in Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Japan, Ronald Koeman may now have a formula for Dutch success at this World Cup.

Sweden remain the great enigma of this tournament, a team of technical midfielders and a luxury front line, hoarding two elite strikers when most countries would spill blood for one. Spain would trade a playmaker for Isak. Brazil and Germany would be scary with a ruthless goalscorer. Imagine Portugal playing to Gyokeres instead of a famous relic.

On paper, Sweden should be the side that tore apart Tunisia in their opening game, and there were flashes of that quality here in Houston after Potter switched from 5-3-2 to 4-3-3 during the first hydration break – a pointless exercise in an air-conditioned stadium which was loudly booed. From there on Gyokeres was excellent, linking play with one-touch flicks that found rushing teammates and the chances flowed.

But defensively, this performance was more like the Sweden who lost to Kosovo in qualifying, and who can be found plying their trade in Nations League C along with Luxembourg and the Faroe Islands. Atalanta centre-back Isak Hien was bullied by Brobbey, and Hien wasn’t helped by the way the Dutch prised open the Swedish flanks and fired in the low crosses which brought about their first three goals.

Instead it was the Netherlands who looked like a serious World Cup force. It helped that this was almost a home game, with orange shirts outnumbering yellow by perhaps 10 to 1. There are around 9,000 Dutch-born residents in Houston and most of them seemed to be here alongside thousands more who travelled across the Atlantic.

The NRG Stadium emerges from the concrete like some great alien office building, all square corners and steel girders hanging over the sides. It is very Houston, a city that doesn’t buy into aesthetics or pretence. Big is good. Metal is strong. Inside there are photos on the walls celebrating the occasional glories of the Houston Texans, interspersed with pictures of other stars to have graced this venue: mainly country musicians, monster trucks and cattle.

Koeman’s decision to start Brobbey paid off within six minutes. Netherlands made football seem like a simple game in those opening forays. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen played a long pass to Brobbey, who bumped off Hien before racing past him to knock in Gakpo’s low cross. Brobbey’s second was another piece of classic centre-forward play, again bursting past Hien to toe in Denzel Dumfries’ cross.

Sweden looked panicky in midfield, where Jesper Karlstrom and Yasin Ayari kept lobbing aimless balls forwards rather than bringing it down to play as they did so well against Tunisia. The hydration break came at a good time for Potter, who chatted to an assistant for the first minute before gathering his players in a huddle.

His switch to a back four put Sweden on the front foot. They began creating chances, first for Ayari who chose to chest the ball rather than head it, wrongly as it turned out, when his torso trampolined the ball behind. Gyokores tried a curling shot and Verbruggen saved at full stretch. A Gustaf Lagerbielke header was ruled out for offside, and Verbruggen saved well from Ayari before half-time.

The game felt alive despite the 2-0 scoreline, but it was effectively killed off two minutes into the second half when Dumfries again scurried free down the right and sent a low cross into the six-yard box. Gakpo did his best to miss the open goal, skewing the ball in with his ankle from two yards. Gakpo cut inside to drill in Netherlands’ fourth, proving World Cup Gakpo is a different beast to Liverpool Gakpo.

The introduction of Anthony Elanga gave Sweden new energy and he scored on the break, Verbruggen’s floodwalls finally breached. Elanga evoked a little history too, pulling off a Cruyff-turn-nutmeg which brought ooooos from the crowd, 52 years after Johan Cruyff first produced his famous turn against Sweden at the 1974 World Cup.

But Summerville added a fifth and ultimately the Netherlands were too good. Perhaps Sweden’s passive start was a tacit admission of that fact before the game had even begun. It was a match partly shaped by the two managers, by Koeman’s decision to start Brobbey, by Potter’s decision to switch to a back four. It just happened that Koeman’s decisive move came before kick-off, and Potter’s was made during a hydration break that shouldn’t exist.

Former Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner Ronaldinho is set to come out of retirement aged 46 to play for Ravenna in the Italian third tier, according to reports in Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

The sports daily said that Ronaldinho was scheduled to sign a deal in Miami on Tuesday and that he was already in the United States for the World Cup.

Consulted by AFP, a source close to the deal confirmed the news.

"I can't wait to get back dancing with the ball again and to write a new story with Ignazio Cipriani (the Italian-American owner of Ravenna) and his entire family," Gazzetta quoted Ronaldinho as saying.

"Football has always been a source of joy for me. I want to bring the same spirit to Ravenna," added the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star.

However, Ravenna vice-president Ariedo Braida, told Italian media that Ronaldinho's signing was more a marketing ploy than a piece of squad-building and he may never actually play.

"He's a magical player, who will have his registration, that's a huge coup for us," he said.

"Will he play at 46? That depends, but he'll be registered."

Ronaldinho has not played since a two-month stint at Fluminense in 2015.

jr/ah/dmc/bc

Could the United States really win the World Cup?

After two opening victories, by an aggregate 6-1 scoreline, that is the wildly optimistic question being posed to many US television pundits, including Fox's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who answered a simple "Yes."

While aware they are still vast underdogs against traditional powerhouses like Spain, France and Argentina, the US players were not exactly afraid to stoke those hugely ambitious dreams either, after beating Australia 2-0 Friday.

"I think we came here to compete, and to compete, you have to win every game," US star midfielder Malik Tillman told AFP in Seattle after the win.

"In the end, if you want to win the tournament, same again, you have to win every game. I think that's also our goal for the next one."

So far the US have only faced limited opposition in Paraguay, who they beat 4-1, and Australia. Next up is eliminated Turkey, in what will be a dead rubber for both teams.

Sterner tests surely await in the knockout, with Belgium and then Spain among the likeliest foes in wait if the US win their last-32 clash.

It is worth noting that the US have only won one knockout game in their entire World Cup history -- a 2-0 win over Mexico in the round-of-16 in 2002, when they reached the quarter-finals in their best campaign of modern times.

World Cup hosts do have an impressive track record of lifting the trophy on their home turf.

Six have won in the tournament's history, most recently France in 1998, who followed up that inaugural win by building a dynasty and reaching three more finals.

But no host winners have ever been such extreme long shots as the US, perennially seen as potential future giants of untapped promise, too distracted by homegrown sports like NFL, basketball and baseball to truly compete at the world’s most popular sport.

- 'Why not us?' -

If that has started to change, the rapid rise of the domestic Major Soccer League has played a part, providing homegrown talent like Friday's goalscorer Alex Freeman.

So too has the emergence of a "golden generation" of stars playing for Champions League clubs, like AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and Bayer Leverkusen's Tillman.

But perhaps no factor has been as great as the expensive hiring of elite coach Mauricio Pochettino, who deconstructed and rebuilt an underperforming, complacent squad in his own image.

US and Crystal Palace center-half Chris Richards on Friday praised the former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager's track record and motivational powers for instilling belief.

"We've seen him do it with big teams, and he's very passionate in the way that he speaks," said Richards.

"It kind of reflects on us as well. So we take that passion and we try to apply it to how we go out there on the pitch."

While urging his players to remain grounded and focused, Pochettino has urged fans to dream, frequently asking "Why not us?" in public comments.

So, does Richards really believe the US could pull off what would be comfortably the greatest upset World Cup win in modern history?

"Obviously we take it one game at a time," said Richards.

But "I don't think it's ridiculous to say that we want to win it," he said.

amz/rcw

Group F is shaping up to be one of the most competitive at the 2026 World Cup with Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden all talented enough to make a deep run. The second round of group games could reveal whether or not that is realistic. The stakes are high.

Japan and the Netherlands started their World Cup campaigns by sharing the spoils, but both teams could do with a win in their second game to be sure of their place in the last 32. They may have to demonstrate more ambition than they did in their opener.

Sweden, meanwhile, made a statement by putting five goals past Tunisia. Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak both found the back of the net in a display that made others sit up and take note. Graham Potter’s team are worth watching.

Here is your complete guide on how to watch today’s World Cup games, including kick-off times, broadcast networks and online streaming options.

• Complete guide to all the players

• A visual guide to every stadium

• Standings

• Golden Boot leaders

***

The Netherlands v Sweden

Time (ET): 1pm

Stadium: Houston Stadium

How to watch

United States: Fox / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)

Canada: TSN (Stream)

United Kingdom: BBC One (Stream)

Australia: SBS (Stream)

***

What to watch for

Ronald Koeman has faced some criticism for the changes he made when the Netherlands were leading against Japan, and many are expecting a more assertive approach against Sweden. Koeman, however, may lack the creative personnel for the Dutch to truly impose their own game.

Sweden, on the other hand, demonstrated their attacking threat in a 5-1 win over Tunisia that hinted at a growing understanding between Gyökeres and Isak. If Potter can balance the forward line with the rest of his team, Sweden could be dark horses to make a run.

Player to watch: Alexander Isak, Sweden – after he missed so much of his first season at Liverpool with injuries, it was refreshing to see Isak at something close to his best against Tunisia. His direct threat could trouble club teammate Virgil van Dijk.

What to read

Netherlands team guide

Sweden team guide

Fortune favours Kamada as Japan rescue World Cup draw with Netherlands

Graham Potter: ‘I feel very Swedish when I’m working – I look a bit Swedish’

Germany v Côte d’Ivoire

Time (ET): 4pm

Stadium: Toronto Stadium

How to watch

United States: Fox / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)

Canada: TSN (Stream)

United Kingdom: ITV1 (Stream)

Australia: SBS (Stream)

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What to watch for

While Germany put seven goals past Curaçao in their World Cup opener, the standard of the opposition means the true gauge of Julian Nagelsmann’s team is still to be taken. The four-time winners have failed to reach the knockout stage of the last two World Cups, but they are well-placed to end that streak.

In overcoming one of Conmebol’s strictest defenses in their opening match against Ecuador, Côte d’Ivoire made a statement of intent even if they needed a late winner. The Elephants have a variety of taking options that could take them far.

Player to watch: Yan Diomande, Côte d’Ivoire – the in-demand RB Leipzig winger was relentless against Ecuador, showing why Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested in his services.

What to read

Germany team guide

Côte d’Ivoire team guide

Curaçao enjoy their moment but Havertz and ruthless Germany show no mercy

‘We are knocking on the door’: Africa’s 10 contenders target World Cup glory

Ecuador v Curaçao

Time (ET): 8pm

Stadium: Kansas City Stadium

How to watch

United States: FS1 / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)

Canada: TSN (Stream)

United Kingdom: BBC One (Stream)

Australia: SBS (Stream)

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What to watch for

While Ecuador underwhelmed in their opener against Côte d’Ivoire, the team who finished an impressive second in Conmebol qualifying could still make an impact at this tournament. They must, however, show more attacking intent.

Livano Comenencia’s equalizer for Curaçao against Germany was one of the moments of the World Cup so far. While his team ultimately suffered a heavy defeat, their ambition to venture forward when possible should be a warning sign to Ecuador.

Player to watch: Moisés Caicedo, Ecuador – the Chelsea midfielder is Ecuador’s valve in the center of the pitch, giving them the ability to hit out on the break. Caicedo will also have to be at his creative best against Curaçao’s low block.

What to read

Ecuador team guide

Curaçao team guide

Why Ecuador, Japan and Norway are the dark horses at this World Cup

‘Everyone is welcome with us’: Curaçao want you along for their first World Cup ride

Tunisia v Japan

Time (ET): 12am

Stadium: Monterrey Stadium

How to watch

United States: FS1 / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)

Canada: TSN (Stream)

United Kingdom: BBC One (Stream)

Australia: SBS (Stream)

***

What to watch for

Tunisia shot themselves in the foot more than once as they opened their World Cup campaign with a 5-1 loss to Sweden – a result so poor they sacked their head coach and appointed Hervé Renard until the end of the tournament. If they can cut out the mistakes, though, they could still salvage their World Cup.

Japan could be one of the most adaptable teams at this tournament if their opener against the Netherlands is anything to go by. Hajime Moriyasu knows how to set up his side to sit deep, but also to control games higher up the field.

Player to watch: Takefusa Kubo, Japan – while the Real Sociedad playmaker wasn’t at his best against the Netherlands, his ability as a creator could be key to breaking down Tunisia.

What to read

Tunisia team guide

Japan team guide

Tunisia confirm Hervé Renard appointment after sacking Sabri Lamouchi

Could Asian teams be catching up with Europe at this World Cup?

Long after Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti had eased to the pace of a training game, and Carlo Ancelotti was actually playing some of the positives down, there was suddenly a rush of energy near the press conference room. People were hurrying over, in a way they weren’t quite doing for Matheus Cunha or even Vinicius Junior.

In the corridors leading up from the Philadelphia Eagles dressing room, where the post-game media duties were taking place, was a proper constellation of stars.

All of Romario, Bebeto, Rivaldo and Kaka were just… milling around waiting to go somewhere. They were so idle, in fact, that they were happily posing for the multiple requests for selfies. People were of course doing the cradle celebration to Bebeto, who was only too delighted to smile along.

Now with silver hair, the former striker was wearing a resplendent blue suit and pink tie, making him look like a Republican senator.

On his lapel, though, was one reason for all the fuss. He and Rivaldo had little pins of the World Cup itself, given they’ve actually won it.

Romario wasn’t quite dressed like that, since he is working for Brazilian television. The star of USA 94 in fact conducted the flash interview with Vinicius.

While the Real Madrid forward is hardly fazed by much, you can imagine how intimidating it could be to be interviewed by a legend who has done what you never have but an entire nation is desperate for

And that, as well as all the buzz around legends, raises something else around this Brazil team. It was already written in these pages last week that the famous yellow shirt has lost its allure. That goes hand in hand with how this team – at least as a concept – have lost their fear factor.

Sure, you are still wary of them. You wouldn’t want to face them in the knockouts. But are you really scared of them? Are you intimidated by what they can do to you in an instant, in the way Romario or Bebeto could?

You can see all of that old awe in the very wonder at their presence. They inspire delight because of how devastating they used to be.

One of many tricks such stars pulled is that they actually played in dour sides – in both 1994 and 2002 – but what lasts in the memory are the moments of magic; those flashes when they’d suddenly illuminate and decide a match in seconds.

That’s what this shirt used to represent. It was spectacle, sparkle and… stardust. It was awesome, as they say here, but in the truest sense of the word.

You were afforded a rare glimpse of a higher level of player. You feared what they could do to you. This was Brazil.

Now, it’s just another good team, with some stars. If England were to face them in a potential quarter-final in Miami, could they really be considered favourites?

And there is more to this than just how football globalisation has made us so much more familiar with the best in the world.

Brazil haven’t even had a properly good World Cup since they last won it.

Little wonder they’ve lost their fear factor. In the 24 years since Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho all won it – and the other two ‘Rs’ were also here tonight in even more elevated circumstances – Brazil have got past the quarter-finals just once. And that ended up being the worst experience of the lot, as a home World Cup clouded by so much nervous energy collapsed into that 7-1 humiliation against Germany.

They’ve otherwise been beaten by France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Croatia in relatively staid eliminations.

The former winners present in Philadelphia aren’t just heroes, then. They’re ghosts, whose success haunts every team. You can see some of this – the sense of some kind of mythic quest – in one of the main obsessions around the team.

They are still looking for the messiah, the singular figure arising out of their history to carry the team again.

So it is that Neymar is in the squad almost as a totem, with Endrick now the chosen one. The majority Brazilian crowd were desperate for his eventual introduction from the bench, especially when Raphinha went off injured. Endrick offered real spark and then scored, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside.

One of Ancelotti’s most important responsibilities with this team might be to temper all of that, to bring the kind of balance that his famous composure lends itself to. Here, he had to explain why Rayan initially came on.

The win over Haiti otherwise duly showed how this Brazil aren’t quite one level or the other. They don’t look elite as a side, but there is quality in moments. They are exceptional in certain positions, but so mediocre in others.

They put on a bit of a show, but that in a game where it was still occasionally difficult not to turn to your phone for distraction. Maybe the most important development, however, is how they are picking up momentum as Ancelotti gradually figures things out.

Vinicius made it two goals in two, while scoring another that is classically Vinicius. How many times have we seen him outstrip a defence to finish like that?

He may not yet have the aura that his predecessors present here tonight did, but it shouldn’t be forgotten he’s one of the best in the world.

The same could be said of Alisson for his position, and the goalkeeper even added to the show with one fine turn.

Gabriel and Marquinhos are both so secure at centre-back. Bruno Guimaraes is sought-after in the engine room and, for all the focus on the midfield, were the workmen of 1994 and 2002 like Mauro Silva and Kleberson really better?

Cunha meanwhile may have offered Ancelotti that solution up front, with two very different types of goals.

The first showed a poacher’s instinct. The second was the type of thrashed high finish he has already made a trademark for Manchester United.

Just when you thought the chance had gone, Cunha produced something. Maybe it will be like that for the team as a whole.

Typically, though, just as one solution presented itself another problem arose. Raphinha went down injured, when he’d been so impressive in stretching the game.

Ancelotti addressed this in the same tempered way. Maybe it will be the story of their campaign.

No, Brazil do not have that fear factor. But they do have something, and it can grow.

Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth during an altercation with an opponent, but Paraguay clung on for a 1-0 World Cup win over Turkey.

The former Newcastle player was dismissed following a VAR review in first-half stoppage time. Almiron had covered his mouth while speaking to Turkey’s Mert Muldur.

PARAGUAY DOWN TO 10 MEN 🟥

Almiron becomes the first player to get a straight red card for covering their mouth at the World Cup pic.twitter.com/ru2GNZifkx

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 20, 2026

Any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may now be sanctioned with a red card.

The rule change came is in light of the controversy surrounding Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in a Champions League game in February. Prestianni covered his mouth during a confrontation with Vinicius, who accused him of racist abuse. This was unable to be proven but Prestianni received a six-game ban from Uefa for homophobic conduct.

“If the conversation is friendly, they can continue to do it without any problem,” refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina explained. “When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card.”

Matias Galarza gave Paraguay a second-minute lead as he collected a pass from Julio Enciso and fired a low effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

With both sides having lost their opening game, there was plenty at stake at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium and the tension soon led to a fiery encounter.

Mert Muldur’s header from a free-kick hit the crossbar and post before bouncing away as Turkey came close to a 33rd-minute equaliser.

Given their numerical advantage it was no surprise that Turkey dominated the second half, with Orlando Gill saving from Abdulkerim Bardakci.

Enciso fired a good chance wide on the counter attack while Can Uzun missed from six yards out at the other end.

Needing a goal to maintain any chance of progressing, Turkey became increasingly desperate as Gill denied Uzun and Deniz Gul put the rebound off target. Merih Demiral headed a stoppage-time effort wide as defeat saw Turkey eliminated.

PA

The knockout bracket in the FIFA World Cup 2026 is starting to take shape.

It begins with the round of 32, which runs from June 28 to July 3.

What is the format and criteria for qualification, and which teams have progressed or been eliminated?

What is the format of the World Cup knockouts?

The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-place finishers, advance to knockouts.

The knockout phase begins with the round of 32, introduced for the first time at a World Cup after the expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.

Then comes the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and a playoff for third place. The final is on July 19.

The stage-wise breakdown of the tournament’s schedule is:

• Group stage: June 11 to June 27
• Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
• Round of 16: July 4-7
• Quarterfinals: July 9-11
• Semifinals: July 14-15
• Bronze medal match: July 18
• Final: July 19

What are the rules change for the tie-breaker criteria at the 2026 World Cup?

FIFA is using head-to-head records instead of goal difference as the primary tiebreaker for teams level on points for the first time at a World Cup.

Haiti, Turkiye and Tunisia have been eliminated because they are unable to catch the third-placed teams in their respective groups, as they lost to those teams.

Tie-breaker criteria for World Cup groups

According to FIFA’s rules for the tournament, if two or more teams in the same group are equal on points after the group stage ends, the following criteria, in the order below, will be applied to determine the ranking:

Step one

• Greatest number of points gained in the group matches.
• Superior goal difference in the group matches between the teams concerned (head-to-head).
• Greatest number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned (head-to-head).

If the teams are still tied, the criteria below applies:

Step two

• Superior goal difference across all group matches.
• Greatest number of goals scored across all group matches.
• Highest team conduct score (players and team officials) relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained.

If the teams somehow still cannot be separated, then the following criteria below applies:

Step three

• The two or more teams still equal on points shall be ranked according to the most recent published edition of the FIFA world rankings.

The criteria for the eight best‑ranked teams

The eight best teams among those ranked third will be determined as follows:

• Greatest number of points gained in all group matches.
• Goal difference resulting from all group matches.
• Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.
• Highest team conduct score (players and team officials) relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained in all group matches.
• The two or more teams still equal on points shall be ranked according to the most recent published edition of the FIFA world rankings.

Which teams have reached the World Cup round of 32?

(As of June 23, 02:30 GMT)

⚽️ Mexico (Group A) 

The cohosts were the first to qualify for the knockouts, after taking top spot in Group A with a 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday, June 18. The Mexicans started their campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa in a chaotic tournament opener.

⚽️ USA (Group D)

The United States were the second team to punch their ticket to the knockouts, thanks to their 2-0 win over Australia that sent them on top of Group D on Friday, June 19. The USA thumped Paraguay 4-1 to kick off their campaign.

⚽️ Germany (Group E) 

Germany became the third team to enter the last 32 with a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Saturday, June 20. The Germans – who failed to get out of the group stage both at Russia 2018 and four years ago in Qatar – started their tournament with a 7-1 thrashing of Curacao.

⚽️ Argentina (Group J)

Argentina sealed their ticket to the knockouts with a 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday, June 22, as Lionel Messi scored twice, becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 18 goals. The Argentina captain also bagged his maiden tournament hat-trick in their 3-0 opening game win over Algeria. Reigning champions Argentina are guaranteed the top spot in Group J.

⚽️ France (Group I)

Pre-tournament favourites France secured a place in the round of 32 with a 3-0 win over Iraq later on Monday, as Kylian Mbappe scored a brace. The 2018 world champions beat Senegal 3-1 to kick off their tournament, with Mbappe scoring twice in that game, too.

⚽️ Norway (Group I)

Norway beat Senegal 3-2 in their second game of the tournament, sealing their place in the knockouts. The Norwegians, who are back at the World Cup after 28 years, started their campaign with a 4-1 thrashing of Iraq.

Which teams have been knocked out of the World Cup 2026?

⚽️ Haiti (Group C)

Haiti became the first team to be sent home packing from the World Cup after suffering a 3-0 loss to Brazil on Friday, June 19. Playing in their first tournament since 1974, they also lost 1-0 to Scotland in their first game.

⚽️ Turkiye (Group D)

Turkiye soon followed suit, bowing out of the tournament after a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay later on Friday. They also suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Australia in the first group match – their first appearance at the tournament after 24 years.

⚽️ Tunisia (Group F)

Tunisia became the third team to be eliminated after they lost 4-0 to Japan on Saturday, June 20. The defeat came shortly after they suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in the opener. Tunisia were the first African team to win a World Cup match when they beat Mexico in 1978, but they have never progressed beyond the group stages.

As the Tartan Army descended upon Boston for the World Cup, the city's hospitality venues are reportedly struggling to keep pace with the demand for beer.

More than 20,000 Scotland fans have travelled to Massachusetts, where Scotland’s first two group stage matches took place.

Bars have reported running out of beer as the thirsty travelling fans caused a surge in demand.

Dillon's manager, Eric Lemoult, said the city is used to lots of football fans, but the Tartan Army “party them under the table”.

“We’ve doubled and tripled our orders, and (Scotland fans) have still drunk us out of our draught beer and some of our bottles,” Mr Lemoult said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. You guys come, you party, you drink, it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”

At around 2pm on the delayed 9am train to Boston, two shocked locals were engaged in bemused conversation.

The subject, a kilted man presumably in his early 60s, had just returned down the carriage after an hour or so sitting with his new-found friends.

“It’s only 2pm! The game isn’t for another seven hours!” one exclaimed. “Those drinks must have had at least five shots in them, and he definitely got through at least three,” came the shocked reply.

Boston is no stranger to a British siege, but they didn’t quite expect this.

Whether it’s South Koreans in Mexico or Brazilians in New York, social media is awash with videos and photos of fans and locals enjoying their own World Cup parties.

And one story that has proved particularly captivating is that of Scotland fans’ takeover of Boston.

Scotland were one of few teams who played the first two games of their group stage campaign in the same city, with Steve Clarke’s side narrowly losing to Morocco in Boston on Friday, just six days after beating Haiti.

With fans arriving a few days ahead of their opener on 13 June, some had a week or so to make Boston a home away from home. They got to work quickly.

Scots were dotted all around the city and surrounding areas, and from the North End to Back Bay, locals quickly came to realise that a World Cup party 28 years in the making was not something the visitors would be taking lightly.

News that the flagship taproom of Samuel Adams (Boston’s signature beer) ran dry will come as no surprise, with a representative telling the BBC that “the Tartan Army drank four times as much Boston Lager as we run through on a typical four-day holiday stretch like 4th of July”.

The fact the opening game against Haiti fell on a Saturday meant that locals and visitors alike had ample time to party, and it made for a jovial, boisterous Beantown atmosphere.

“I love the Scots, they brought their charm,” said a manager at a bar outside Quincy Market. “It’s so genuine and heartfelt, they just want to come here, support their team, eat, drink and be merry!”

Nowhere was this more apparent than at Fenway Park last Sunday. A day after beating Haiti, thousands of Scottish fans marched to the stadium ahead of the Red Sox’s game against the Texas Rangers, and they carried their now-famous atmosphere into another Boston institution.

An impromptu rendition of the Scottish national anthem was louder than the pre-planned American one, and from John McGinn chants to ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, the visitors made good on the ‘No Scotland, No Party’ slogan.

The consensus from locals was that this great stadium had probably never seen anything quite like it. A local news anchor said that she had “never experienced an environment like that at Fenway or anywhere else”, and the injection of energy was so appreciated by the Red Sox that they announced a free beer for all Scotland fans for the games in the following week.

Get your tickets and complimentary drink at tonight's @RedSox game at @fenwaypark ⚾️

📲 Full details are available on the Official Scotland App: https://t.co/th1UGulSay#FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/uj6E01Lb4h

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 17, 2026

Fans at Fenway said they’d never been to a Red Sox game with this kind of atmosphere. Others went further. “I’ve never seen the city more lively,” a local quipped. “I think you’ve come to see Boston for the best week in about 20 years!”

Local news was infatuated with the Scots too, with stations running several segments on the Scots’ various adventures and interactions with locals.

There were certainly glowing reviews, though the city played its own part in a party for the ages too. Bostonians certainly held up their end of the bargain, combining a warm welcome with plenty of good faith to help lay the platform for one of the feel-good stories of the World Cup.

And such was the strength of goodwill and positivity around Boston that the city once referred to as the ‘Hub of the Solar System’ again felt like the centre of the universe, if only for a fleeting week in June.

As they bid farewell to Boston, Scotland’s win over Haiti and the loss to Morocco means that Clarke’s side are still in with a chance of extending their stay in North America into the knockout rounds.

Miami will be next as the Tartan Army hope for a famous result against Brazil, with a draw likely to be enough to secure a place in the last 32.

Depending on where they finish in Group C, Scotland could play in Boston once more, returning after making the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time. Beantown has already seen a party for the ages, but the best may be yet to come.

And even if their stay only lasts one more game, it’s been a successful campaign both on and off the pitch, for Scotland fans in Boston have embodied exactly what makes the World Cup so special.

It only took a week for the world to remember what football – and indeed all sports – are really about. In a world of ticket rip-offs, staged Peace Prizes and visa denials, fans have come together to produce something organic and overwhelmingly positive. Boston now knows that when it comes to a World Cup, only one team can win, but anyone can take part.

Indeed, sometimes the game is not about winning. As fans of Scotland, Cape Verde or even the Red Sox would tell you, sometimes it’s just about being there.

High-scoring Germany face a powerful Ivory Coast side at the World Cup on Saturday with the winner guaranteed a place in the last 32, while Sweden can also book their ticket.

Those three nations can join co-hosts the United States and Mexico who are already through.

Germany thrashed debutants Curacao 7-1 in their opener and would be confirmed as Group E winners if they defeat Ivory Coast in Toronto and Ecuador fail to beat Curacao in Kansas City.

Progressing to the knockout round would be a relief for the Germans who astonishingly have failed to reach that stage since they won their fourth World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

So tight are the margins that Ivory Coast could lock up their place in the next round too, if they beat the Germans.

Julian Nagelsmann said his team had to be prepared for Ivory Coast's athleticism.

"Their speed is one of their biggest strengths and that's what I think they do best," he told reporters, highlighting the French-born Ivorian winger Nicolas Pepe.

"During the last game, he was everywhere," Nagelsmann said of Pepe.

Ivory Coast could also count on forward Elye Wahi who has been authorized to enter Canada after initially being denied a visa over reported spot-fixing allegations in France.

Sweden face the Netherlands in Houston knowing that a win will secure a place in the knockout round -- an extraordinary turnaround for the Scandinavians who only qualified for the World Cup through the Nations League, essentially the back door.

Coach Graham Potter warned that Sweden striker Alexander Isak will get "stronger and stronger" as the tournament goes on.

Isak had a poor season by his standards, interrupted by frequent injuries, after Liverpool paid Newcastle United a British record £125 million ($165 million) for him.

He made a strong start to the World Cup, though, as the 26-year-old scored one goal and set up two in the 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia.

"Alex has had a season that has been interrupted," Potter said. "Most football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we've had to try to build Alex up. I think there's more to come from him."

- 1,000th game -

History will be made in another of Saturday's games as Japan face Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico for the 1,000th game at a World Cup.

Hajime Moriyasu warned his Japan side they will need to match the intensity of a Tunisia team fired up by the introduction of coach Herve Renard after Sabri Lamouchi became the first coach in World Cup history to be sacked after one game.

On Friday, the United States marched into the knockout round with a 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle.

A day of raucous celebrations for the co-hosts got even better when Paraguay's 1-0 win against Turkey confirmed that the US would clinch top spot in Group D, ensuring a theoretically easier draw in the last 32.

A Cameron Burgess own goal in the 11th minute and a headed effort from Alex Freeman two minutes before half-time sealed a comfortable three points for Mauricio Pochettino's USA side, who have won the group with a game to spare.

After an unconvincing build-up to the World Cup, the Americans have made a dream start to the tournament with Friday's victory following a stylish 4-1 demolition of Paraguay in their opener.

"It was a fantastic game again, very good first half," Pochettino said. "I think we dominated the game against a very tough team.

"When the draw happened in December I thought it was going to be a really difficult, a really tough game."

In other games on Friday, Brazil took control of their destiny in Group C with a 3-0 victory over Haiti that ended the Caribbean nation's chances of progressing. Haiti join Turkey in exiting the tournament.

Two goals from Matheus Cunha and a Vinicius Junior strike sealed an easy win for the Brazilians in Philadelphia.

Brazil are now level on four points with Morocco, but lead the North Africans on goal difference.

Morocco secured their first win of the tournament on Friday with a 1-0 defeat of Scotland at Foxborough.

Morocco face Haiti in their final Group C game on June 24, while Brazil take on the Scots in Miami.

gj/rcw/ea/bsp 

The United States are flying at the World Cup after starting their tournament with back-to-back victories.

The co-hosts added to their opening thumping of Paraguay with a dominant performance against Australia in Seattle.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side are top of Group D and are through to the knockout stages with a game to spare.

Their place in the last-32 as group winners was even secured when Turkey lost 1-0 to Paraguay in the later game.

The USA play Turkey next in their final Group D fixture – on Thursday 25 June in Los Angeles – but this will have no bearing on group position and simply see the US aim to continue momentum.

USA’s route at World Cup as group winners

As winners of Group D, USA will play one of the third-placed teams who advance to the last 32. Their opponent would either come from Group B, Group E, Group F, Group I or Group J. As it stands, that’s set to be Bosnia-Herzegovina – but that is likely to change by the end of the group stages.

However, what’s locked is in the time and location of the last-32 clash, as the USA head to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara for their last-32 match on Wednesday 1 July, with kick-off at 5pm local time (1am BST on Thursday 2 July). Levi’s Stadium the home of the San Francisco 49ers, known as the Bay Area Stadium for the purposes of the World Cup.

Should the USA progress to the last 16, they would then play either the winner of Group G or another of the third-placed teams who progress to the knockout stages. Group G contains Belgium, Iran, New Zealand and Egypt. If the USA play in that match, they would return to Lumen Field, Seattle on Tuesday 6 July.

Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi insists his team are “behind” captain Achraf Hakimi after a French appeals court confirmed that he will stand trial in a rape case.

Hakimi, who denies any wrongdoing, was booed by members of the Tartan Army during each touch of the ball during the 1-0 win for the African side at the World Cup 2026.

But the Paris Saint-Germain star, who is due to stand trial after recommendations from the public prosecutors, remains "very relaxed”, according to his coach Ouahbi.

He added: “Did you see the game? I suppose you did. Hakimi was extraordinary so we’re very relaxed, he’s very relaxed and I believe he played really well.”

Hakimi, who had appealed the decision by an investigative judge in February, claimed in a social media post on Friday that he felt he was "an easy target."

After being targeted by Scotland fans at the Boston Stadium, Hakimi responded by whipping up the Morocco fans and urging them to raise their voices during several corners.

“He did a good job, why talk about management?” Ouahbi questioned. “He woke up in the morning, ate like everybody, he was focused, he played with everybody, he wanted to play strongly and that’s what he did.

“We don’t have to say anything – we’re behind him, he’s very relaxed and hopefully he’s going to show he’s the best wingback in the world. I believe this is important for me, the players and the 44 million Moroccans who are following us.”

A 24-year-old woman said she was raped by Hakimi at his home in a Paris suburb, which led to the player facing preliminary charges of rape in March 2023.

The Versailles appeals court stated that Hakimi should be formally charged with rape. The court detailed how investigations conducted during the inquiry and the judicial investigation contributed to the investigating chamber recommending that the player should stand trial due to finding sufficient evidence.

Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, said her client had “a sense of relief and hope” following more than three years of legal proceedings, while also hitting out at Hakimi’s defense "after being defamed and dragged through the mud."

While Hakimi’s social media post read: “Justice looked me in the eyes and said to me: ‘If you weren’t famous, there never would have been a case.’

“I chose to remain silent for years. I thought that staying dignified, being patient, and trusting the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.

“Today, a story that is not mine is being told to the detriment of my family, my life, and above all, the truth.

“I sometimes get the feeling that I have become an easy target. I have been awaiting the trial since day one. And I await it now impatiently. At last, I will be able to speak.”

A date for the trial has not yet been announced.

Germany meet Ivory Coast in Toronto knowing a win for either will secure their passage into the knockout stages and all but guarantee top spot with a round of fixtures still to play.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side may have scored seven against minnows Curacao in their opener but it was not until the second half that they pulled away and the Mannschaft’s head coach remains under an intense spotlight at home from a punditry team led by Jurgen Klopp.

Now they face the far sterner prospect of this meeting against an Ivorian team possessing plenty of attacking talent. Amad scored the late winner against Ecuador with plenty of eyes on young winger Yan Diomande amid interest from a host of big European clubs. Diomande was outstanding against Ecuador while several team-mates showed some early nerves in their tournament debuts.

Here’s everything you need to know about this World Cup 2026 game:

When is Germany v Ivory Coast?

Germany face Ivory Coast at 9pm BST on Saturday 20 June (4pm ET) in Toronto.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on ITV1 with coverage starting at 8pm BST. It can also be live-streamed on ITVX.

Team news

Nagelsmann has no fresh injury concerns and seems likely to stick with Jamal Musiala in the No. 10 role instead of Denis Undav.

Ivorian defender Evan N'Dicka continues to struggle with a hamstring injury, while forward Elye Wahi has been denied entry to Canada owing to a previous arrest

Predicted line-ups

Germany XI: Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Sclotterbeck, Raum; Goretzka, Pavlovic; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz

Ivory Coast XI: Fofana; Doue, Kossounou, Diomande, Konan; Kessie, Sangare; Amad, Toure, Diomande; Bonny.

Jan Paul van Hecke has spoken out for the first time since joining Tottenham from Brighton in a £52m transfer.

Van Hecke will move to Tottenham after manager Roberto De Zerbi took charge and steered the club to Premier League safety on the final day of the season.

De Zerbi previously worked with Van Hecke at Brighton and made the 26-year-old, who had 12 months left on his Brighton contract after a six-year stint on the south coast, a high priority.

The Netherlands international is currently at the World Cup, where the Dutch take on Sweden in Houston on Saturday.

Asked about the days leading up to the transfer, Van Hecke said “A lot of calls, and of course I’ve not been involved the whole time in this subject. It’s important for me, and the head coach [Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman] gave me the time on this transfer. I’m grateful for this because this is a great step forwards in my professional career.

“I am proud to have played for Brighton, it boosted my confidence, but now I will play for one of the most important clubs in England. It’s important for my future. but now I’m focused on the World Cup here.”

Dutch club NAC Breda stand to earn around £3.5m from the transfer after agreeing a sell-on clause when selling Van Hecke to Brighton in 2020. His youth club, VV Goes, also stand to earn from the move.

“It’s great for these two teams where I played. I had youth training in the province of Zeeland [with VV Goes], I played there six years. it was great. Goes will earn money thanks to this transfer. These clubs will be happy with this transfer and they deserve that.”

Van Hecke’s uncle is Jan Poortvliet, who played for the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup final.

“I think De Zerbi played a big role in the decision,” Poortvliet, who is now manager of second-tier FC Eindhoven, told Dutch outlet sportnieuws. “Several clubs were interested but De Zerbi was clear and absolutely wanted him. Jan Paul would have been at the top of the list. He knows De Zerbi’s playing style well and had a fantastic season under him.”

Spurs have also signed Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson and Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on free transfers.

The World Cup 2026 is into the second round of group stage fixtures, with sides including England, Germany and France well-placed to put a foot in the round of 32 over the coming days.

Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to advance into the last 32 after their win over South Korea, and that 1-0 victory means El Tri have will finish top of Group A.

Despite the fact that their opponents could finish with a better goal difference, Mexico have secured top spot in Group A thanks to a subtle change in group stage rules that is new for this World Cup.

For the first time ever, the tournament is using head-to-head records – rather than goal difference – as a tiebreaker for teams who are level on points in the groups.

This means the USA were also confirmed as topping their group after Turkey lost 1-0 to Paraguay in the early hours of Saturday morning, after following up their opening win over the South American nation by convincingly beating Australia.

This new rule is sure to influence the eventual round of 32 fixtures, so here’s more information on how it could affect the final group stage games.

What is Fifa’s new head-to-head rule?

Essentially, the new rule means that a team’s head-to-head record against another team is the first thing to separate teams who are level on points. This is the same as the system used in Uefa competitions.

Goal difference is then used as the next differentiator, with the total number of goals scored in all group matches then considered before the highest “team conduct” score, which takes into account the total record of yellow and red cards.

Interestingly, if two teams still can’t be separated after all these criteria, then the team that is ranked higher “according to the most recent published edition of the Fifa/Coca‑Cola Men’s World Ranking” will go through.

In terms of tie-breaking criteria for the group stages, Fifa’s official website reads that the following criteria – in the same order as below – will be used to determine group rankings:

• The greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned
• Superior goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned (in other words, head-to-head record)
• Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned

How does the head-to-head rule apply to Mexico?

For a team to secure top spot in a group after just two games, a group either needs to have two draws or for the team in first place to have beaten any team(s) on three points.

Mexico have won both of their opening games, and they now sit three points clear of second-placed South Korea. However, they cannot be overtaken as they beat South Korea 1-0 in the game between the two nations.

How can the rule affect other teams?

The fact that some teams can secure top spot after just two games comes with both advantages and disadvantages for the other teams in the group depending on how they’ve performed so far.

In Mexico’s example, El Tri could opt to rest their entire starting XI, so the Czech Republic – who currently sit in third, two points behind South Korea – could benefit, leaving South Korea needing to beat South Africa to be certain of second place.

Who else could win their group on matchday two?

As mentioned, the US have secured top spot thanks to Turkey losing to Paraguay, while Germany could win their group if they beat the Ivory Coast and Ecuador don’t beat Curacao.

Sweden can qualify as group winners if they beat the Netherlands and Japan don’t win against Tunisia, while Lionel Messi and Argentina can top their group if they beat Austria and Algeria fail to beat Jordan.

Finally, Thomas Tuchel’s England can ensure they qualify top of Group L if they beat Ghana and Panama fail to beat Croatia.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi is "very calm" despite confirmation that he faces trial in France on rape charges, his national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi said after the 1-0 win over Scotland at the World Cup on Friday.

"He is fine. He woke up this morning, ate like everyone else, got ready for the game and motivated everyone," Ouahbi said of the Paris Saint-Germain player.

"He was there in the dressing room, focused and determined to put in a big performance. He did that, and so there is nothing to say. We are behind him, and he is very calm, totally unfazed."

Hakimi, 27, is facing allegations that he raped a 24-year-old woman in the Paris region in 2023, which he denies.

The reigning African footballer of the year was regularly booed by fans in the crowd of over 64,000 at the Gillette Stadium near Boston during Friday's encounter.

His team's win over Scotland followed a 1-1 draw with Brazil in their opening World Cup game last weekend, leaving them with four points from two outings in Group C.

They now face Haiti in Atlanta next Wednesday as they aim to clinch a place in the next round.

"He will play more great games. He is the best right-back in the world and he is going to show that at this World Cup," Ouahbi added.

"He is a very important person for me, for the staff, for the players, for the Moroccan team."

Ismael Saibari was Morocco's match-winner against Scotland with a goal after just 71 seconds, the earliest so far at this year's World Cup.

It was a second goal of the tournament for the 25-year-old, who also netted against Brazil.

The Spanish-born PSV Eindhoven star is understood to be close to sealing a 55 million-euro ($63m) move to Bayern Munich.

"It has been a dream of mine since I was little to play at a World Cup for my country," he said, as he played down suggestions that he is the revelation of the tournament so far.

"I have done it, and scored two goals. So I am really pleased but the most important thing is to get out of the group and go as far as possible."

lh-as/rcw

Scotland players led by star John McGinn retained the belief that they can secure a historic qualification for the knockout phase of the World Cup despite going down 1-0 to Morocco in their second match on Friday.

A brilliant second-minute strike by Ismael Saibari settled the Group C game in Morocco's favour at the Gillette Stadium near Boston, leaving the Atlas Lions on four points and Scotland on three with one match still to play.

Steve Clarke's team beat Haiti 1-0 at the same stadium in their first outing, but now face needing to get something against Brazil next Wednesday to be sure of a place in the last 32.

"Tonight we showed we can compete with the teams in the top 10. Brazil will be a different game, they play with less structure but they have quality that can hurt you at any point," McGinn told reporters after a battling Scotland display in which they lacked quality in the final third.

"We will need to be at our best. We know what we need to do to try to get through to the next round."

Scotland showed great resilience after conceding the earliest goal of the World Cup so far, and caused problems right to the end against a Morocco side who lie seventh in the FIFA rankings.

Aston Villa skipper McGinn felt he should have had a penalty, but they struggled to seriously test Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

"We are a resolute group and what we lack sometimes in quality to compete with the top 10, we have in fight and character," added McGinn, who was Scotland's match winner against Haiti.

"Can we improve? Of course we can, but we keep going. I think the second half showed that once we get after teams, no one likes being under pressure, even players at the top level make mistakes as they were near the end."

Scotland are appearing at the World Cup for the ninth time and are desperate to make it beyond the group stage at a major competition for the first time ever. 

- Brazil await -

"It just shows you how difficult it is to win a World Cup game. Every team is top, top level," midfielder Lewis Ferguson told broadcaster ITV.

"I am delighted with the response but gutted with the result. We probably deserved a point."

Coach Clarke added: "This group of players, this squad, have shown that resilience in abundance over the years. They're in there, they are flat, disappointed, but we've got another chance.

"We're here to try and do what no Scottish team has done before. We gave it everything tonight, and we'll try and do it again."

Having played their first two matches in Massachusetts, where the Tartan Army have taken over Boston, they now return to their base in Charlotte, North Carolina.

From there they head to Miami, the venue for the game against sixth-ranked Brazil -- that will mean adapting to the warmer Florida conditions.

"Ill be keeping my eye on the weather app," joked McGinn, as Scotland prepare to play the record five-time champions at a World Cup for the fifth time.

"I have played in Orlando before and it is tough going. But we have prepared for it. We had the pre-camp there.

"Scotland against Brazil in Miami to make some history is something you dream of. We will prepare right as we have throughout the whole tournament and we have to go one step further."

as/gj

The United States marched into the last 32 of the World Cup on Friday with a 2-0 victory over Australia as Brazil rediscovered their scoring touch to eliminate Haiti.

A day after Mexico sealed their place in the knockout rounds, the USA emulated their fellow World Cup co-hosts with a clinical Group D win over Australia in Seattle.

A Cameron Burgess own goal in the 11th minute and a headed effort from Alex Freeman two minutes before half-time sealed a comfortable win for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who have advanced to the second phase of the tournament with a game to spare.

After an unconvincing build-up to the World Cup, the Americans have made a dream start to the tournament with Friday's victory following a stylish 4-1 demolition of Paraguay in their opening game last week.

The co-hosts could even clinch first place in Group D later on Friday if Turkey lose or draw against Paraguay in the late match.

"It was a fantastic game again, very good first half," Pochettino said. "I think we dominated the game against a very tough team.

"When the draw happened in December I thought it was going to be a really difficult, a really tough game."

Australia coach Tony Popovic blamed "lethargy" for his team's loss.

"We were slow to every ball, and we couldn't really wrestle back any momentum, which made it difficult," Popovic said.

"We conceded a couple of really soft goals but we just looked flat and lethargic in the first half."

- Brazil romp, Scotland stumble -

In other games on Friday, Brazil took control of their destiny in Group C with a 3-0 victory over Haiti that ended the Caribbean nation's chances of reaching the last 32.

Two goals from Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha and a Vinicius Junior strike sealed a comfortable win for the Brazilians in a one-sided game at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.

The result ensured Haiti will finish bottom of Group C and are the first team to be eliminated from contention for a place in the knockout rounds.

Brazil's victory though was marred by an apparent injury to star forward Raphinha, who left the game in the 40th minute after an innocuous-looking tussle with Haiti defender Martin Experience.

Brazil are now level on four points with Morocco in Group C, but lead the North Africans on goal difference.

Morocco secured their first win of the tournament on Friday with a 1-0 defeat of Scotland at Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Ismael Saibari scored the games's only goal, lashing home a thunderous angled strike in the second minute to leave the Scots reeling.

Morocco will face Haiti in their final Group C game on June 24, while Brazil take on the Scots in Miami.

"Tonight we showed we can compete with the teams in the top 10. Brazil will be a different game, they play with less structure but they have quality that can hurt you at any point," Scotland's John McGinn said.

"We will need to be at our best. We know what we need to do to try to get through to the next round."

- Iranian complaints -

Off the field, a leading Iranian football official said on Friday that Iran's treatment at the World Cup was a "dark point" in the history of the competition.

Hedayat Mombeyni, the secretary general of the Iranian football federation, was speaking to reporters the day after his organization said it would lodge a complaint with FIFA, claiming the team was being subjected to travel restrictions that were jeopardizing its performance.

Iran wanted to fly from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days before their next match, against Belgium on Sunday.

But the Iranian federation said its request was turned down.

The US administration has pushed back against the Iranian demands.

rcw/gj

Neymar has returned to limited training as he bids to return to fitness in time to feature for Brazil at what could be his last World Cup.

The superstar forward has been out of acting nursing a calf problem sustained while playing for Santos in May, and underwent tests on Monday to determine the progress of his recovery.

He is not expected to play in Brazil’s second Group C outing against Haiti on Friday, with the Selecao desperately needing an injection of attacking spark after putting in an underwhelming display in their opening 1-1 draw with Morocco.

Elsewhere, Lamine Yamal has stepped up his return to full fitness after making his return to action in Spain’s goalless draw with Cape Verde off the bench - will he start their next match against Saudi Arabia?

Canada, meanwhile, were without captain Alphonso Davies in their 1-1 opening-game draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, while US star Christian Pulisic missed their win over Australia after being withdrawn at half-time from their opening triumph against Paraguay. England have also suffered their first casualty of the tournament after Tino Livramento was forced to withdraw from the squad.

See below for a full list of key injuries at this year’s World Cup.

Neymar (Brazil)

Neymar sustained a grade two calf injury just three weeks out from the tournament.

The 34-year-old missed the opening match against Morocco and underwent tests on Monday to determine the progress of his recovery.

He has only just returned to partial training with Brazil and did not feature against Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia. It is uncertain if he will be available to face Scotland in their final group game, but after beating Haiti he should still get a shot to play in the knockouts.

Lamine Yamal (Spain)

The 18-year-old star injured his left hamstring and had been out since 22 April, but he has now made his return to action after coming off the bench in Spain’s goalless draw with Cape Verde.

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente insisted he was in “perfect condition” with Yamal no doubt eager to start for the European champions against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Fellow Spain winger Nico Williams also returned off the bench against Cape Verde, as did Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino who had been sidelined for much of the year so far.

Christian Pulisic (United States)

The co-hosts’ star player shone in the first-half of USA’s 4-1 win against Paraguay in Los Angeles but was withdrawn by Mauricio Pochettino at half-time due to a calf problem.

The US remained without Pulisic for their win over Australia, which sealed their place in the knockout stages.

“It was impossible for him today to play,” Pochettino said. “We hope that next game he will be available but if we want to win the competition we need the whole team.

"All of the players need to be important but of course Christian is one of the best players in the world and I hope that he can recover as soon as possible and can show it on the pitch and help the team."

The US play Turkey in their final group outing next Friday.

Declan Rice (England)

England are facing a series of injury concerns ahead of their second World Cup game against Ghana on Tuesday, with Declan Rice leading that list.

He was replaced with a hamstring injury in their opener against Croatia, with Thomas Tuchel insisting it is a minor issue.

“Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort,” Tuchel said. “I asked him, and he pointed directly to his lower back, upper hamstring, that he feels the discomfort.

“I didn’t want to take any risk, so I decided to take Declan off – which I never wanted to do – but it was the moment to protect him, and I think Reece James did so well to replace him in the central midfield. [Rice] had a fantastic game, so I hope it’s nothing more, and he just reassured me at the end: ‘It’s good, and I know the discomfort’. We will take care of it, and this is nothing big to worry about.”

Bukayo Saka (England)

Saka has been managing a long-term Achilles problem and while he was able to feature off the bench against Croatia, Tuchel says he will not rush things with the Arsenal winger, with Gunners team-mate Noni Madueke likely to start ahead of him against Ghana.

"Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready," Tuchel said after the win over Croatia. "Once we get to the last game in the group it is the moment. He was strong yesterday [Tuesday] in training in small spaces. It's just a matter of if the game is open and up and down."

Harry Kane (England)

Kane suffered a bout of cramp late in the Croatia clash and wore strapping in training, which sparked concerns of a problem.

However, it is not expected to threaten his involvement in the Ghana game as he chases the Golden Boot, having scored a brace in the opener.

Marcus Rashford (England)

Rashford complained of muscle tightness after their World Cup opener and he is being monitored ahead of England’s next match.

The winger netted off the bench against Croatia to seal the 4-2 win.

Raphinha (Brazil)

Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury during Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti on Friday.

He limped off at the end of the first half of the contest in Philadelphia and was seen walking gingerly out of the stadium after the game’s conclusion.

The Barcelona star has undergone treatment on a hamstring injury with the hope of him returning to the World Cup, the country's national team said Saturday.

Raphinha is set to go through an intensive treatment protocol with the aim of resuming normal activities in a short period of time, the confederation said.

Wilfried Singo (Ivory Coast)

The Ivory Coast right-back was substituted during the second half against Germany, with Guela Doue coming on in his place after 82 minutes.

Singo was seen clutching his left hamstring and sat on the bench in tears, covering his face his orange Elephants jersey.

Alphonso Davies (Canada)

Canada’s captain and star player had to sit out their 1-1 draw against Bosnia on Friday in Toronto but returned to the bench for their 6-0 thrashing of Qatar in Vancouver on Thursday.

He didn’t make a cameo but it will be hoped he can feature in their final group outing against Switzerland.

Bayern Munich’s Davies sustained a hamstring injury in May and the team remained tight-lipped about his recovery during Tuesday’s training session.

"Mentally, it was very draining, suffering these injuries," Davies told reporters ahead of Canada's opener. "I was going ‌into a hole where I ⁠was doubting myself, but I had that time off (during the ⁠injuries) and I thought about why I'm doing this, and how important this ‌is to me."

Ruben Dias (Portugal)

Manchester City defender Dias missed Portugal’s opener against DR Congo in a hefty blow for Roberto Martinez’s side.

He has been dealing with an injury in training in recent days and Martinez confirmed that Portugal “won’t take any risks” against the African nation, with Dias still “not fully fit”.

Tino Livramento (England)

England have been dealt their first real injury blow of the campaign after Newcastle defender Livramento was ruled out for the tournament with a calf injury.

Tuchel could have called up a raft of other full-back options, including Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle’s Lewis Hall. However the England manager chose to bring Trevoh Chalobah, a centre-back, into the fold.

Chalobah will not be available in England’s opener against Croatia.

Ismael Kone

Canada midfielder Ismael Kone has undergone successful surgery to repair severe fractures in his lower left leg, after sustaining a horror injury during Thursday’s match against Qatar.

The injury, which involved both the tibia and fibula bones, means the 24-year-old will miss the remainder of the Fifa World Cup 2026 campaign.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch described the immediate aftermath, recalling he "could hear the bone snap."

Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)

Another confirmed absentee, Tottenham forward Kudus will miss the World Cup because of a quadricep injury.

The 25-year-old has not featured since January, in a blow to Ghana - who are in England’s group.

Wataru Endo (Japan)

Liverpool defensive midfielder Endo injured his foot in February and has been ruled out of the World Cup - and the 33-year-old has immediately retired from international duty.

“Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever,” he said. “From here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans.”

Jurrien Timber (Netherlands)

The Arsenal defender had been out since March due to a groin problem, but came on in the second half of the Champions League final against PSG.

However, the Dutch FA believe Timber had “not recovered sufficiently” to take part in the tournament in a “medically responsible manner.”

As such, Timber has left the Dutch squad and been ruled out of the World Cup.

Lennart Karl (Germany)

The 18-year-old was expected to be one of the young stars of this tournament but suffered a torn thigh muscle in training, ruling him out of the World Cup.

Billy Gilmour (Scotland)

It was heartbreak for Scotland’s creative midfielder Gilmour, as he suffered an injury in their warm-up victory against Curacao.

The 24-year-old Napoli player picked up a knee injury in the 4-1 win, with teammate Scott McTominay saying he was “absolutely devastated” by the news.

Gilmour was, however, in camp to support his teammates ahead of their opening win against Haiti on Saturday.

After two wins in two to start the World Cup, the US have gained a high-profile supporter: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Asked on Fox’s postgame broadcast whether he thinks the co-hosts can win the World Cup, the Swede offered a simple answer: “Yes.”

Asked about Ibrahimovic’s comments after Friday’s 2-0 win over Australia, US players were uniform in their response: Sure, why not?

“I don’t think it’s ridiculous,” Chris Richards said. “We want to lift a trophy by the end of this.”

Related: USA surge into World Cup knockout stage after dominant victory over Socceroos

His fellow defender, Auston Trusty, had similar feelings.

“That’s our mindset,” Trusty said. “I don’t think you enter this tournament not to have that mindset. To have [Ibrahimovic] say that about us, that’s amazing. But I’m sure he knows as well, it’s game-by-game.”

If the US do make it deep into the tournament – Friday’s win guaranteed their spot in the knockout stage – it will likely be due in no small part to the emergence of Alex Freeman. The 21-year-old defender, now at Villarreal after becoming one of the best young players in MLS with Orlando City, has been a revelation at this World Cup. Playing on the right side of a three-man backline, Freeman scored the second goal to seal Friday’s win – a goal that was initially ruled out for offside but was later given after a lengthy VAR review.

“I think you dream of this moment,” said Freeman, the son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman. “And for it to finally happen with such a support system to help you celebrate it makes is so much more special. When it was confirmed, I saw all my teammates running and I thought: ‘I’ve got to run away, they’re going to tackle me!’”

Mauricio Pochettino said at his introductory press conference as US head coach that his goal is to win the World Cup with the US. He too had praise not just for Freeman, but the system that developed him.

“The evolution is massive,” Pochettino said after Friday’s game. “He has potential to be one of the best players in his position in the world. He’s [a] humble guy, he has an amazing profile. He wants to learn. He always listens … you really enjoy being with him.”

The best US finish at a men’s World Cup was third-place in the tournament’s first edition in 1930. Their best result in the modern era was a run to the quarter-finals in 2002.

The race for the golden boot at World Cup 2026 is already fierce, with Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland making early statements in their respective bids to finish the tournament at the top of the scoring charts.

The first ever 48-team World Cup features an additional round of 32, offering the world’s top strikers an additional opportunity of bagging an extra goal as they dream of embarking on a deep run into the tournament.

If players are tied for goals, the number of assists will determine who ranks higher. If there is still a tie, it comes down to minutes played and the goals-per-minute ratio. Here are the latest 2026 World Cup golden boot standings.

World Cup golden boot standings

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina), 5 goals

= 2. Kylian Mbappe (France), 4 goals

= 2. Erling Haaland (Norway), 4 goals

4. Deniz Undav (Germany), 3 goals (2 assists)

5. Jonathan David (Canada), 3 goals

= 6. Vinicius Jr (Brazil), 2 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), 2 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands), 2 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), 2 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Maximiliano Araujo (Uruguay), 2 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Ayase Ueda (Japan), 2 goals (1 assist)

= 12. Harry Kane (England), 2 goals

= 12. Matheus Cunha (Brazil), 2 goals

= 12. Yasin Ayari (Sweden), 2 goals

= 12. Elijah Just (New Zealand), 2 goals

= 12. Kai Havertz (Germany), 2 goals

= 12. Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), 2 goals

= 12. Cyle Larin (Canada), 2 goals

= 12. Ismael Saibari (Morocco), 2 goals

= 12. Folarin Balogun (USA), 2 goals

= 12. Brian Brobbey (Netherlands), 2 goals

= 12. Daichi Kamada (Japan), 2 goals

= 12. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), 2 goals

Ismael Saibari scored the fastest goal of the World Cup so far after just 71 seconds as Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 on Friday to close in on a place in the knockout rounds.

Saibari scored in Morocco's opening 1-1 draw with Brazil last weekend and his clinical finish with just over a minute gone settled a hard-fought, physical contest watched by a crowd of 64,146 at the Gillette Stadium near Boston.

The 25-year-old, who was born in Spain and raised in Belgium, is reportedly on the brink of a 55 million-euro ($63m) transfer from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich.

The quality of his strike past goalkeeper Angus Gunn showed why he is attracting such interest, and it was telling that Scotland lacked the same quality in the opposition box -- that helps explain why Morocco are ranked fifth in the world, and Scotland 40th.

With four points from two games, Morocco are now primed to advance to the last 32 as they aim to at least match their historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022.

However, it was a sobering evening for Scotland and their army of fans who have taken over Boston during this World Cup, as their team never really tested Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

The laboured 1-0 win over Haiti in their opening game at the same stadium last weekend -- which was their first victory at a World Cup since 1990 -- gave them a platform to build on and reason to believe they can progress beyond the group stage at a World Cup for the very first time.

Another win here would have secured progress from Group C, but their chances of going further remain up in the air going into their next match against Brazil in Miami next Wednesday.

Morocco, whose captain Achraf Hakimi started hours after it was confirmed he must stand trial in France on rape charges, face Haiti in Atlanta next.

- Scots lack cutting edge -

Moroccan coach Mohamed Ouahbi went with an unchanged starting line-up here following the Brazil clash, but opposite number Steve Clarke made three changes.

Clarke sought to reinforce his defence, meaning striker Lawrence Shankland dropped out as defender Kieran Tierney came into the side to make a back five.

But that was of little use as Morocco went ahead practically from kick-off.

The assist came from Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz and Grant Hanley played Saibari onside as the latter latched onto the ball over the top, controlled and rifled high into the net.

Morocco, who defeated Scotland 3-0 when the teams met at the 1998 World Cup, threatened to overrun their opponents every time they got forward but were wasteful, with Bilal El Khannouss squandering a good chance on 36 minutes.

Scotland were as stodgy in attack as they have been for a long time, and it took until first-half stoppage time for them to create anything dangerous.

That was a cross whipped in from the left by skipper Andy Robertson that John McGinn was unable to make anything of, and the opening period ended without Bounou needing to make a save.

Morocco hit the woodwork five minutes into the second half as Saibari met a cutback by El Khannouss and his attempt was deflected onto the bar by Jack Hendry.

Moments later Gunn made a fine stop to keep out an El Khannouss header from a corner taken by Hakimi, who was regularly booed by the crowd.

Morocco nevertheless seemed content to see the game out and soak up what Scotland could throw at them.

Ryan Christie fired over on 64 minutes after being teed up by Scott McTominay, who hit the side-netting late on, but a Scotland goal proved elusive.

as/gj

US coach Mauricio Pochettino backed his "high IQ" players not to get carried away after they secured progress to the World Cup knockouts with Friday's win over Australia and sent fans' hopes soaring.

Thanks to an own goal and an Alex Freeman header, the US have reached the last-32 of the tournament they are co-hosting with a game to spare, winning two group matches for the first time since 1930.

The already-surging hype surrounding the US team's prospects among the American public sky-rocketed following the 2-0 win over the Socceroos in front of a jubilant crowd in Seattle.

Pochettino's men could be assured of top place in Group D in just a few hours' time if other results go their way, but the manager said he trusts his team not to treat next week's Turkey clash any differently.

"We need to go for the next one. To be sure that we are going to arrive in good condition, like we arrived in the last two games," said Pochettino.

His players and staff need to "keep being very tough with ourselves, to push to be better and better every day," he added.

Pochettino, whose stellar career includes leading Tottenham Hotspur to a Champions League final and managing the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, said his players have the footballing nous to not let standards slip.

"That is part of being intelligent... For me, the IQ of the players that I have in my squad, they are so high over the average," he said.

If Turkey do not beat Paraguay later on Friday, the US will be guaranteed top spot in Group D, and a theoretically easier route into the knockout rounds.

The US still have to play Turkey in a group game next week. Pochettino did not rule out making changes to his team for that clash.

"We had a lot of fatigued bodies in the first half both physically and mentally," he said.

"I think it's too early to talk about our decision against Turkey... If we want to win and we want to be one of the good teams, dreaming big, I think we need to talk about the team and not the (individual) names."

As his players took a victory lap around the field, the fans sang along to "Livin' on a Prayer," and many will now be dreaming of a deep run into the World Cup that would defy most pundits' expectations in a tournament stacked with favorites like Spain, France and Argentina.

Pochettino himself has dared fans to dream of winning the World Cup, repeatedly asking "Why not us?" in press conferences.

The Argentinian coach paid tribute to Friday's crowd, comparing it to the football-mad country of his birth.

"Amazing. I was saying yesterday Argentina have amazing fans but I think we are matching Argentina," he said.

"Our fans, I'm so happy for them."

amz/rcw

Striker Alexander Isak will get "stronger and stronger" and is smiling again, Sweden coach Graham Potter said Friday in a World Cup warning to defences.

Isak had a poor season by his standards after Liverpool paid Newcastle United a British-record £125 million last summer for him.

He struggled for fitness and form, but showed some of his brilliant best as Sweden opened their World Cup with a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia.

The 26-year-old scored one goal and set two up, with strike partner Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal also netting.

Speaking on the eve of Saturday's tasty group clash with the Netherlands in Houston, the Englishman Potter said: "Alex has had a season that has been interrupted.

"Most football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we've had to try to build Alex up.

"I think there's more to come from him.

"He's not at that place where he's at absolute maximum, but obviously with the quality he has and the type of player he is, he can still influence the game.

"I think he'll get stronger and stronger as the tournament goes, and that's where our work is to try and help him get better and better, stronger and stronger."

After a trying first season at Liverpool, where he made only 14 appearances in the Premier League and scored three goals, Potter said he saw a player enjoying his football again.

"That's the most important thing, I think, with Alex. I think he likes being with the team, he likes being with the players.

"He enjoys it, plays with a smile on his face.

"And if we do that, then he's fantastic."

There are several intriguing battles looming in the Group F match in Houston.

Chief among them, Isak will come face to face with Netherlands and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutch, who drew 2-2 with Japan to start their World Cup, have another Anfield attacker in Cody Gakpo.

In the Netherlands midfield there is also Ryan Gravenberch.

The big win over Tunisia and the strike force of Gyokeres and Isak has sparked talk that Sweden could go far in North America.

But they only squeezed into the tournament via the playoffs, and Potter, who took charge in October, said: "We know that we're a work in progress and we're improving.

"We've taken a step, but all we've done is played one match. That's it."

bur-pst/jc

Even after winning the national championship, Curt Cignetti isn’t changing his philosophy in recruiting. But he also knows how important NIL is in the process, which is why the Indiana coach said schools have to “be smart.”

Cignetti told Rich Eisen that the Hoosiers have developed a bigger profile on the recruiting trail and can bring more prospects to Bloomington as a result. The program still looks for traits such as toughness, character and toughness, though, even with more access to higher-rated prospects.

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

However, Cignetti said it’s important to keep pace with the times as the NIL and rev-share eras evolve. it comes down to finding the balance between making a splash on the trail and retaining key pieces already on the roster.

“Yeah, there are more guys we can get in on and get on campus. But you’ve got to be smart, too, because the market’s always changing and this high school market is out there,” Cignetti said on The Rich Eisen Show. “So you really can’t go all the way with everybody you’d like to because you’ve got to be able to keep the good players and add a few guys in the portal where you’ve got critical needs.”

Curt Cignetti: ‘I don’t deal with agents anymore’

When asked if anyone has ever come into his office asking for more money, Curt Cignetti said it has “never” happened on his watch. After all, many of the athletes have agents, and he made it clear he’s not part of those conversations. He leaves those to his recruiting staffers and noted talks about NIL dollars don’t happen during the season.

“The time for negotiation is when the season’s over,” Cignetti said. “The high school deal, when you’re recruiting, you’ve got agents calling your guy.

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“I don’t deal with agents anymore. I let our people deal with them and they come to me. It’s like anything else. How bad do you want it?”

After winning the national championship, Cignetti and Indiana once again reloaded in the transfer portal. The Hoosiers brought in the No. 1-ranked transfer class, according to the On3 Team Transfer Portal Rankings, headlined by former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover.

Additionally, IU’s 2026 recruiting class comes in as the nation’s No. 30 overall group, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Ranking. That includes seven four-stars on the way to Bloomington.

Alex Freeman said scoring a World Cup goal for the USA in Seattle where his father once scored two touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers was a "full circle family moment."

Emulating his NFL wide receiver dad, Freeman was the first to the ball when Sergino Dest's effort looped into the air, heading past Australia's 'keeper for the second goal in a 2-0 win.

Victory sends the United States into the knockout rounds of the World Cup they are co-hosting. 

Right-back Freeman has played a vital role defensively too across two matches so far.

He follows in the footsteps of father Antonio, who most famously caught a touchdown in the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl XXXI win in 1997, but also grabbed two in a Packers win at Seattle the previous year.

"For me that is a full circle family moment. I think for me it just shows how great the family tree is," said Freeman, after Friday's win.

"I think that just shows how he can be great, but I can be great in my own way as well.

"And I think that just shows how amazing it is to have a dad who's successful and that could mentor me to be able to be ready for moments like this."

One of the youngest members of the US squad at 21, Alex Freeman only made his senior international debut last year, selected by coach Mauricio Pochettino based on his Major League Soccer performances for Orlando City.

Arguably one of the less starry members of the US starting XI, he has nonetheless made the right-back position his own, fending off Timothy Weah and pushing Sergino Dest further up the field.

He also earned a move this year to Spanish club Villarreal.

"It's hard for me to kind of take it all in, but I think it's good also to kind of go through these challenges at such a fast pace at a young age," said Freeman.

"I feel like for me it's just going to make me an even better player to be able to kind of adjust the different atmospheres and be able to kind of adjust the different circumstances."

The popular Freeman was mobbed by his teammates including most of the bench after the goal, initially ruled offside, was cleared by VAR.

"I was very anxious to see whether it was a goal or not. And then when it was a goal, I looked back and I saw my teammates running out there and thought 'Oh Lord'... it just made me very emotional."

amz/rcw

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said Friday he was proud that the country's fans had forged a global reputation for tidying up after themselves at the World Cup -- as long as it does not put cleaners out of work.

Footage went viral online after Japan supporters were seen putting their rubbish in blue plastic bags following Sunday's 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in Texas.

Fans told AFP it was "Japanese culture" to leave any public place cleaner than when they arrived.

Speaking on the eve of Japan's second group game, against Tunisia on Saturday in Mexico, Moriyasu said: "I think this is one part of the Japanese culture that we can be proud of in the world."

It extends to his squad, who left the changing room at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium immaculate after the game.

But Moriyasu said there was a possible downside.

"I have met Brazilian players, Brazilian coaches and people from different countries and then they would all point out something different," he said.

"They said, by picking up people's garbage it would be clean, but wouldn't you be taking away the work from the cleaners?

"So I guess that is one way of looking at it."

And while images of Japan fans cleaning up gained widespread praise abroad, back in Japan a social media post went viral complaining men rarely do the same at home.

"Japanese men spend among the least time on housework internationally," read the post.

"Please do it at home," it added.

bur-pst/pi

One of college football‘s biggest sagas in recent memory came to an end this week, but it remains a major topic across the sports world. Texas Tech and Brendan Sorsby mutually agreed to part ways, clearing the path for Sorsby to enter the NFL. The news came as a massive relief throughout college football. Otherwise, a Big 12-Texas Tech civil war appeared to be brewing.

One prominent voice in the sport echoed what much of the college football world was thinking about how the situation concluded. Fans and media members alike found themselves agreeing with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Cignetti discussed the Sorsby-Texas Tech controversy.

Although Sorsby ultimately will not continue his college career—as many believe he shouldn’t—Cignetti knows the larger issues remain unresolved.

MORE: Cincinnati fires back on accusation over Brendan Sorsby gambling

“I do think we’re at a tipping point,” Cignetti said.

That tipping point centers on the increasingly blurred line between NCAA authority and the willingness of courts to challenge or override its rules and bylaws.

Drawing to line?

There are plenty of valid criticisms of the NCAA. However, its handling of the Sorsby case is not one of them. It took the involvement of three state attorneys general, the Big 12, and a federal court complaint before Texas Tech and Sorsby finally backed down. If anything, Cignetti believes the outcome benefited college football.

“I think some of the things that have happened in the last couple days were a real plus for college football. We need to move forward in a positive direction,” Curt Cignetti said.

MORE: Protect College Sports Act progresses into U.S. Congress

Where does that positive direction lead college football?

Action being taken

At the moment, the United States Congress is evaluating the Protect College Sports Act in an effort to bring order to the sport’s growing chaos. In 2021, student-athletes gained the ability to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Combined with an increasingly active transfer portal, college athletics quickly evolved into what many view as a pay-for-play marketplace.

Several coaches have voiced concerns about the spending levels associated with NIL deals, with some programs reportedly stretching or exceeding collective budgets. At the same time, athletes are delaying their departures for the professional ranks to maximize earning opportunities. In sports like football, elite prospects who once left after three seasons are now often staying for five.

That trend provides some continuity for college football, but it also creates new challenges. Critics argue it has fueled instability and eroded the integrity of the game. Sorsby became a prime example, choosing to remain in college and pursue a reported $5 million NIL deal despite concerns surrounding his decision to gamble on his own team.

While this controversy ended without impacting the 2026 season on the field, the bigger question remains: What will it take to bring the chaos under control?

Brazilian star Neymar is "the first player in the world to be called up to the national side and be working remotely", Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva joked on Friday.

Neymar, Brazil's record goalscorer with 79 goals, only returned to training with the squad at the World Cup in the United States this week after recovering from a calf injury.

The 34-year-old missed the opening 1-1 draw with Morocco and has also been omitted by coach Carlo Ancelotti from the squad for their second group game against Haiti later on Friday.

"Neymar? He is not even playing!" Lula replied to a young boy when he mentioned Neymar's name.

"Neymar is the first player to be called up (to the national team) who is working remotely," added the 80-year-old, who was speaking during a ceremony at a hospital in the southeast city of Belo Horizonte.

Lula has been in fine form since the Morocco match, joking on Wednesday that he was thinking of signing Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi to play for Brazil. 

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain striker was diagnosed in late May with an injury to his right calf, and has featured in just half of the games for his club Santos this year due to various fitness issues.

Ancelotti and his coaching staff are reluctant to rush the return of Brazil's all-time record goalscorer and compromise his availability for matches later in the tournament, according to Brazilian media. 

Neymar, who has not played for his country since October 2023, did train with his teammates for the first time on Wednesday.

He has been an integral part of Brazil's last three World Cup campaigns but there was some surprise at his inclusion this time owing to his series of injuries.

Brazil's final group stage game is against Scotland in Miami on June 24.

lg/lab/bfi/pi/gj

Algeria have lodged a complaint with FIFA over "refereeing injustice" in their opening World Cup loss to Argentina, particularly a tackle by Lionel Messi, an Algerian football federation source told AFP on Friday.

Messi caught Algeria defender Aissa Mandi on the calf with a studs-up challenge from behind in the 30th minute of Tuesday's match but was not booked.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, who had already given reigning world champions Argentina the lead, went on to score a hat-trick.

"The complaint primarily concerns Messi's challenge, which deserved a red card, in everyone's opinion," said the federation source.

"There were also two elbow incidents... Both of which warranted dismissals."

Algeria face Jordan in their second match on Monday, before completing their Group J campaign against Austria on Saturday, June 27.

"We are not saying that the Argentine team was not strong, but we cannot remain silent in the face of injustice," the source added when asked why Algeria decided to file a complaint.

"There were three incidents that were crystal clear, and VAR did not intervene."

Messi's treble saw him tie former Germany striker Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.

Algeria are hoping to reach the World Cup knockout phase for only the second time, following an extra-time loss to eventual winners Germany in the last 16 in 2014.

jch/jc/pi

FIFA World Cup fans are falling in love with ranch dressing after visiting the U.S. — and now, the food company Kraft is helping them bring the beloved condiment back home.

The U.S. is expecting millions of international visitors this summer as fans come to watch their favorite teams compete in the World Cup. But along the way, many have become obsessed with the uniquely American sauce.

In fact, so many visitors have tried to bring ranch home that TSA had to get involved. The agency has shared several social media posts reminding airport travelers that large bottles of ranch have to go in their checked bags, rather than their carry-ons, which can only have liquids that are 3.4 ounces or less.

But now, Kraft has a solution: “TSA Compliant Ranch.”

The company announced the “travel-friendly way to bring the taste of America home” via Instagram on Thursday. The post includes a “partially” AI-generated photo depicting a kit of mini ranch dressing packets — seemingly small enough to go in a carry-on bag — sitting inside a TSA bin alongside a pair of sunglasses, a wallet and keys.

“Some visitors leave with souvenirs. Others leave with America’s favorite dressing,” the company said, adding that fans should “stay tuned for details on how to get yours.”

The Independent has contacted Kraft for more information.

TSA celebrated the trend with an Instagram post Thursday, writing, “One World. One Ranch.”

“Who knew dip-lomacy could be achieved through addressing the obvious: ranch is the king of condiments. The world is slowly discovering ranch pairs perfectly with pizza, chicken wings, fries, onion rings, quesadillas, crackers, chips, vegetables, and the list just keeps growing,” the post said.

“Are you kicking around the idea of flying home with your favorite dip? If you’re traveling within the U.S., make sure to keep your carry-on sauces to 3.4oz or less and place any larger containers in your checked bags. Some heroes wear capes. Others bring ranch,” it continued.

TSA shared screenshots of its recent social media posts joking about the trend, including one asking travelers to “avoid chugging your ranch outside security,” because “airlines will check it for you.” In another post, the agency wrote: “Yeah, soooo your carry-on wasn’t made for *check notes* four bottles of ranch & a taser.”

In response, several companies flooded the comments with their own jokes about the ranch craze.

Hidden Valley, a popular ranch dressing brand, wrote: “I approve this message.”

“Does this apply for ketchup too or just ranch? (asking for a friend),” Heinz commented.

The U.S. is hosting more than 70 World Cup games across 11 cities this summer, including the highly anticipated final match, set for July 19 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Who: Germany vs Ivory Coast
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match
Where: Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
When: Saturday, 4pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Keep up with all updates on Al Jazeera Sport

One of the most mouthwatering matches in the second round of games in the World Cup 2026 group stage sees four-time champions Germany facing a talented Ivory Coast outfit in Toronto on Saturday evening.

Both sides made a winning start to their Group E campaign, in very different ways, as Die Mannschaft overcame an early scare against Curacao to romp to a 7-1 win, while The Elephants eventually pipped Ecuador 1-0 with a last-gasp goal, after the South Americans had hit the woodwork three times.

Germany under the radar?

After disappointing group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, Germany came into this tournament somewhat under the radar, with the perennial powerhouse ranked only seventh-favourites to lift their fifth World Cup.

While they turned on the style thanks to young stars like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz to pile on the goals against Curacao – the smallest nation by size and population ever to have taken part in a World Cup – and the goals have flowed in 10 straight wins, this will be a far stiffer test.

Curacao caused the German defence a few problems, especially in the opening half-hour, and it’s their pivotal central-defensive pairing of Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck, playing in front of 40-year-old keeper Manuel Neuer, that will ultimately decide how deep the Germans can go in this tournament.

Dynamic Arsenal attacking midfielder Kai Havertz continued his recent goalscoring run for club and country with a double for Germany in the opening game, but he will likely find the Ivory Coast defence a harder challenge than that posed by Curacao’s backline.

By winning their group opener, Germany did what they couldn’t in 2018 and 2022 and appear certain to progress to a first knockout match since the 2014 World Cup Final. Whether they advance as group winners, or limp through in the minor places, might well come down to the result in Toronto.

A win against Ivory Coast would secure direct top-two qualification to the Round of 32 and would likely be enough to top Group E should Ecuador fail to beat Curacao four hours later in Kansas City.

In an alternate scenario, even with a German victory against Ivory Coast, Ecuador – if they can beat both Curacao and then the Germans in Thursday’s group finale – would make things very interesting, with the potential for three teams – Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador – to be locked on six points and tiebreakers needed to separate them.

It matters because the team finishing first will play a third-placed qualifier, while the runner-up will face the team finishing second in the group featuring France, Norway, Senegal and Iraq, and the team qualifying third would face a group winner, potentially England or Mexico.

Matchday 4 ✔️#FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 15, 2026

Pivotal match as Ivory Coast seek history

The Elephants might have ridden their luck, but ending Ecuador’s 19-match unbeaten streak across nearly two years in their opening game caught the eye of their fan base and will have raised expectations.

Amad Diallo’s last-minute winner ensured Ivory Coast have now won a game at all four World Cups for which they have qualified, and they can reach the knockout stages for the first time, if they defeat Germany.

In fact, they can seal top spot in Group E should they beat Die Mannschaft and Ecuador fail to beat Curacao in the other group game later on Saturday evening.

A draw against Germany would make for an intriguing group finale on Thursday night, as it would likely leave all three teams in with a chance of finishing first going into the final game, with Ivory Coast potentially needing to beat Curacao by more than six goals to ensure supremacy on goal difference.

How does the group stage work?

Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Curacao are in Group E.

They will play each other once in the initial stage of the tournament. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – will proceed to the next phase, the round of 32, which has been introduced at the World Cup for the first time.

Head-to-head

This will be just the second meeting between Germany and Ivory Coast.

The previous game was a friendly in November 2009, which saw Lukas Podolski score twice, including a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

Form guide:

(Last five games, latest match first)

Germany: W-W-W-W-W

Ivory Coast: W-W-W-W-L

Germany’s thumping win over Curacao last Sunday means they have won 10 straight games going back to September 2025 and have scored two or more goals in nine of those matches.

They have, however, struggled at the opposite end of the pitch, conceding goals in seven straight World Cup matches, their longest run since 1970, and their last clean sheet came in the 2014 final against Argentina in Brazil.

Ivory Coast go in search of a fifth straight victory, and confidence is high after both the Ecuador triumph last Sunday, which followed their 2-1 win against world number-three France in their final warm-up game in Paris on June 4.

Their last defeat came in the AFCON quarterfinal against Egypt in January.

5 - Last night for @equipenatciv vs Ecuador, Yan Diomande became the first player Opta has on record since 1966 to create 5+ chances (5), make 5+ tackles (5), win 10+ duels (11) and have 10+ touches in the opposition’s box (12) in a FIFA World Cup match.

🇨🇮 Star. pic.twitter.com/F98Hg8NvV1

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 15, 2026

Team news: Germany

Coach Julian Nagelsmann might well keep faith with the same XI that eventually put Curacao to the sword, but if he does, it might be tough on Deniz Undav.

The Stuttgart forward came off the bench to replace Jamal Musiala with 26 minutes to go and scored and provided two assists as Germany picked up their biggest win since the 2014 semifinal against Brazil. The versatile Undav has scored seven times and added four assists in just 10 appearances for Die Mannschaft.

Team news: Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae likely has more decisions to make.

Elye Wahi started the win over Ecuador up front before being replaced just before the hour by Ange-Yoan Bonny.

He was initially denied entry into Canada for this match due to visa complications. He was linked to a sports betting scandal while playing for Nice in Ligue 1 last month, but has since been authorised to travel and could yet be involved.

Bonny and unused subs from the first game, Oumar Diakite and Evann Guessand, are alternative options in attack.

Diallo came off the bench to win it, and the Manchester United attacking midfielder will be pushing to start, which might mean a switch of flanks for teenage starlet Yan Diomande, who stole the show on the right against Ecuador and will be eager to put on a show against the nation in which he plays for RB Leipzig.

Germany predicted XI:

Neuer (goalkeeper); Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Pavlovic, Nmecha; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz.

Ivory Coast predicted XI:

Y. Fofana (goalkeeper); Doue, Singo, Agbadou, Konan; Diallo, Kessie, S. Fofana, Diomande; Bonny, Toure.

You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.

Some corners of the internet were determined that Canada’s totemic and traumatic 6-0 World Cup victory on Thursday would be remembered mostly through Jesse Marsch memes.

The American’s handsy sideline shuffle after Jonathan David rifled the first goal of a hat-trick past Qatar duly racked up social media views by the million. Shots of Marsch holding up six fingers to Canada fans at the end of the match were chopped and put side by side with Michael Jordan in identical pose after winning his sixth NBA title with the Chicago Bulls.

The man himself was adamant it would be remembered for what it was: a moment in time and a moment for all times, including the dark ones after Ismaël Koné’s World Cup was ended with a broken leg. Koné’s horrifying injury came almost halfway through an afternoon that saw records fall like confetti through the Vancouver air.

Related: Canada’s emotions run high after gruesome Ismaël Koné injury: ‘We have a job to finish for him’

“To create an identity for what Canadian soccer could be, you can say and do all the right things, but you need moments like today, where everybody remembers what happened,” Marsch said after the victory, the Canada men’s first in this tournament, the biggest ever by a Concacaf nation and the joint-largest by any World Cup host.

“No Canadian will forget this day. There’ll be 40 million people that said they were here. It’s an incredibly seminal moment for everyone to understand that there’s talent in this country, that there’s mentality, desire, a lot of things that make this country special, even though it’s a hockey country. I’m very proud that we’ve accomplished a moment everybody can remember.”

The truth of the matter is there was too much to remember. Six goals, two reds, a broken limb, the Canadian hearts that shattered with it, touchline confrontations after the Koné incident and at full-time which came awfully close to boiling over, another atmosphere to redefine what this sport looks like in a hockey country and the prime minister, Mark Carney, in the dressing room saluting Canadian character. As a script, it would have been sent back for trimming. Koné’s social handle is Hollywood.IK and when something like Nathan Saliba coming on to replace him, rapidly scoring a free-kick and holding up Koné’s jersey happens, the username feels a little too on the nose.

An emotional overload of an afternoon left Canadian players filing through the mixed zone, processing the last few hours in real time. On Friday they can properly kick back and reflect at a team barbecue in Vancouver.

Where does it all leave them? The simplest answer is atop Group B with destiny very much in their hands. But there’s more to it. Thursday left Les Rouges with a huge hole in the heart of their lineup and some intriguing options to fill the void. It also left them with so many positives that the crushing nature of the negative may fade faster than one would expect.

It’s important to recall they faced an awful Qatar side, who were limited with 11 men and lamentable when they were reduced to nine. Nonetheless, Canada’s attack finally clicked and turned clinical in a hurry – Cyle Larin and David savouring their greatest day together. Moïse Bombito, mere weeks after reports ruled him out of this World Cup, instead made his tournament debut with 45 minutes off the bench.

When Canadian players broke out of their post-match huddle – Bombito led that outpouring – they embarked on their lap of celebration. Alphonso Davies, however, did not. The captain instead went for pitch-length runs. He’d been declared available for Thursday but wasn’t needed. He will be eventually though and his sprints suggested he’s not far away. Canada are growing into the tournament and, even with the loss of Koné, getting stronger.

Saliba, who has flourished in his first season in Europe at Anderlecht, will take Koné’s spot in the middle, alongside Stephen Eustáquio. But he doesn’t have the invention and dynamism of his close friend. “I don’t think we have another player like Ismaël. He’s a bit of an X factor for us,” Marsch admitted after the game. “We’re going to miss him. We can use different guys in different ways.”

That’s where Davies comes in. While he clearly won’t occupy a central role when he returns, his creativity off the left – even from full-back – can pick up some of what Koné left behind.

After rest and well-cooked meats by the Pacific Ocean, Canada will get back to it next Wednesday against Switzerland, coming off their own fine win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. That could be a crucial match. The winner of the group play their last-32 match a whopping four days after the runner-up and stay in Vancouver to do so. An enormous advantage.

In brief moments around BC Place on Thursday it felt as if 40 million people were in the stadium; the Canada fan march to the ground was bigger and louder than it was in Toronto. This country simply loves a sporting bandwagon. Baseball’s Blue Jays and basketball’s Raptors will testify to that. This is Canada’s national team rising up on a global stage with cinematic twists.

In putting himself out front and centre Marsch has, arguably, given his players the room to feel their way into the roles, before meeting the moment. Out there in the rest of the world, some may already be tiring of Marsch’s excesses but Canada is revelling in his leadership. Thursday was both catharsis and crisis and Marsch led the country through both and left windmilling his arms for more.

The memes aren’t done. In spite of Koné’s loss, Canada are far from it too.

Two of the first round of matches at the World Cup were played at a level of severe heat that a football players’ union has previously said should trigger the delay or postponement of games, a Guardian analysis has found.

A further four games were played in cities with temperatures also beyond that level of heat, though conditions inside the stadiums were mitigated by air conditioning.

Saudi Arabia’s game against Uruguay in Miami had the most severe heat conditions in the analysis of the first 24 matches of the World Cup, ie each team’s first game, in the tournament being held across the US, Mexico and Canada. The second most severe heat conditions of the first 24 matches in stadiums without AC were in Sweden v Tunisia in Monterrey.

These games, despite being evening kick offs, were played amid wet-bulb temperatures of 28C (82F) or above, according to temperature and humidity data for the place and time of the games.

Fifpro, the global players’ union, has previously argued that games played at 28C or above should be delayed or postponed. Asked about the Guardian analysis, the union declined to comment on the heat situation at the World Cup. This tournament is forecast to be the hottest such tournament to be held since the quadrennial competition began in 1930.

Wet-bulb temperatures are a measure of heat stress that combines air temperature, humidity and cloud cover to determine how well a human body can cool itself through sweating. Beyond a certain level of heat and humidity, sweat is unable to evaporate properly, leading to swift overheating that can result in illness or even death.

The Guardian used weather data from government agencies in the US and UK and derived the wet-bulb temperatures from a formula used by authorities in several countries, including Australia and Canada.

Faced by the prospect of a roasting North American summer, Fifa has moved some kick-off times to later in the day and introduced mandatory water breaks. A handful of the 16 World Cup venues have roofs or air conditioning that has ameliorated some of the high temperatures.

On Wednesday, for example, England played Croatia in Dallas in the fiercest wet-bulb temperatures to date at nearly 35C (95F), although the air conditioning inside the stadium brought this down to a more reasonable 22C (71F).

In total, six of the first 24 matches have been held in places where the wet-bulb temperature hit 28C or above – Germany v Curacao in Houston, Saudi Arabia v Uruguay in Miami, Portugal v DR Congo in Houston, the Netherlands v Japan in Dallas and England v Croatia, also in Dallas. The stadium in Houston also has air conditioning.

Record-high temperatures in some places resulted in some fans wilting in shadeless heat, with warnings that stadium workers, who often have to toil long before games with heavy equipment, are facing potentially hazardous conditions.

Current Fifa guidelines state that cooling breaks should take place if games are held in heat of 32C (89F) or above – in practice, these drinks breaks have occurred at lower temperatures at this World Cup – with delay or suspension of games at the discretion of competition organizers.

On the eve of the World Cup, a group of heat and public health experts urged Fifa in an open letter to implement more extensive heat protections, citing Fifpro’s call for games to be potentially called off if they reach 28C or above.

“Temperatures are often taken from shaded areas and if players are in direct sun, it can be double figures more than the temperature readings,” said Robbie Parks, an environmental epidemiologist at Columbia University and a signatory of the open letter. “Standing in the sun can be dangerous even at lower temperatures, even above 23C (73F) or 25C (77F) would make me concerned for older adults out there for more than few minutes.”

Parks said that air conditioning, later kick-off times and water breaks will help players, but that further measures are needed for fans and workers. “Shade is super important and hydration is super important,” he said.

“You need to allow people to bring in their own water and think about having misters for evaporative cooling. The final is going to be held in New Jersey, and that stadium isn’t covered which makes me worry. But I’d hope Fifa will learn the best way to deal with that by then.”

Extreme heat is the deadliest hazard worsened by the climate crisis, causing more deaths each year than hurricanes, floods and wildfires combined. The World Cup tournament itself is set to add to the planet-heating pollution that is causing worsened heatwaves around the planet, with the staging of more than 100 matches expected to result in 7.8m tonnes of greenhouse gases, double the amount of the previous World Cup in Qatar, according to estimates by Greenly, a global carbon accounting platform.

A Fifa spokesperson said the governing body is “committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff” at the World Cup. Fifa has stationed meteorologists at match venues to assist on preparing for extreme weather and that tournament planning includes “close coordination” with host city organizers as well as stadium authorities and national agencies.

Ahead of the tournament, Fifa agreed a “tiered mitigation model” for extreme temperatures, with added interventions kicking in at different thresholds. For players, alongside mandatory hydration breaks, there is access to water and electrolyte drinks as well as other cooling tools including ice, cold towels, fans, mist and shade.

For spectators, elevated temperatures mean match stadiums will “activate additional cooling capacity, including shaded areas, misting systems, cooling buses and expanded water distribution”, the Fifa spokesperson said.

A medical set-piece protocol for the treatment of heat exertion has also been introduced, with cooling bags set to be used for the first time.

Fifa added it will “continue to monitor conditions in real time, integrating wet bulb globe temperature and heat index surveillance, and stands ready to apply established contingency protocols should extreme weather events occur”.

The Texas Tech-Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal came to an unceremonious conclusion with Sorsby opting to leave college football entirely. After fighting tooth and nail for months to overturn his gambling probe-related ban from the NCAA, Sorsby ultimately applied to the NFL’s supplemental draft, ending a lengthy legal and PR battle.

As the quarterback turns his attention to the NFL, his agent, Ron Slavin, is making his feelings clear about the media’s overarching reaction to the saga.

“Everybody loves to have an opinion. I’m so tired of watching people get on TV and blab their mouth when they have no idea what they’re talking about,” Slavin said on Shan & RJ. “Unfortunately, it’s not just in Brendan’s situation; it’s in most situations.

“Unless you’re Brendan or Brendan’s family or myself and my team, nobody really knows what happened. The opinions out there were, you would have thought this kid committed major crimes and did the horrible things. The reality is, as an 18 year old, he made some bad decisions from his dorm room when he wasn’t traveling with the team in Indiana.”

Slavin pointed toward the widespread prevalence of gambling advertisements as leaving young people susceptible to the pitfalls of betting.

“The predatory world of gambling, where you turn 18 and deposit $5 you get a free $100. Every single show on TV, every single radio show, everything is sponsored by a gambling site. So, it’s a scary world we’re living in. These kids have all been raised now with phones in their hands. So, it’s real easy to get on an app and place a bet.”

Slavin isn’t alone in this feeling. Colin Cowherd echoed his sentiment, saying on his podcast that “Sorsby’s a college kid who grew up in the first gambling generation. Of course, this was going to happen.” Pardon the Interruption’s Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon also called out the hypocrisy. Still, regardless of whether the media’s or the NCAA’s ties to gambling are a part of the cause, athletes betting on their teams and compromising the integrity of games is a symptom that has to be treated.

Sorsby’s situation has cast doubt on the NCAA’s ability to proactively do so moving forward, but if efforts to get things under control don’t start soon, Sorsby is bound to be case-zero, rather than a one-off.

The post Brendan Sorsby’s agent slams media: ‘Nobody really knows what happened’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.

The new Premier League season will begin with Arsenal launching their title defence, as they take on newly-promoted side Coventry City, while Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea reign starts with a derby to cap off the weekend.

After Mikel Arteta guided Arsenal to their first Premier League trophy in 22 years, the north London club will try to go back to back, and some fans will see their season-opener as a kind one, as they face a side who will simply be happy to avoid relegation this year.

That said, Frank Lampard’s Coventry will take some confidence from their fine Championship campaign last term, as they topped the table by 11 points to return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.

Also on the opening weekend, newly-promoted Hull City, who won the Championship play-off final, host Manchester United in Michael Carrick’s first game as full-time coach of the Red Devils. The match may provide some early scenes for a new Amazon documentary about Man United’s upcoming season.

The third promoted club, Ipswich Town, will host Sunderland, while title hopefuls Manchester City are at home versus Bournemouth in their first game of the post-Pep Guardiola era.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Chelsea will venture away from home for interesting tests as they begin their bids to challenge for the title again; Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge of the Reds will play out at Newcastle United, while Alonso’s Blues make a short trip across west London to play rivals Fulham.

Elsewhere, Roberto De Zerbi will aim to pick up where he left off as Tottenham coach, with some positive results late in the season giving way to a trip to Brentford to launch their upcoming campaign.

Everton will welcome Europa Conference League champions Crystal Palace to the Hill Dickinson Stadium; Nottingham Forest and Leeds United will square off in a clash of teams who just avoided the drop last term; and Aston Villa – still buoyed by their Europa League triumph, no doubt – visit Brighton.

Premier League 2026/27, opening-weekend fixtures (all times BST)

Friday 21 August, 8pm – Arsenal v Coventry City

Saturday 22 August, 12.30pm – Hull City v Manchester United

Saturday 22 August, 3pm – Everton v Crystal Palace

Saturday 22 August, 3pm – Ipswich Town v Sunderland

Saturday 22 August, 3pm – Nottingham Forest v Leeds United

Saturday 22 August, 5.30pm – Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday 23 August, 2pm – Brighton and Hove Albion v Aston Villa

Sunday 23 August, 2pm – Manchester City v Bournemouth

Sunday 23 August, 4.30pm – Newcastle United v Liverpool

Monday 24 August, 8pm – Fulham v Chelsea

As a new Premier League season edges closer, with fixtures released on Friday, much attention will turn to the title race.

At the top of the table, Arsenal will aim to retain the title after ending a 22-year Premier League trophy drought, and they will face uncertain challenges from Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, given all three clubs will have new coaches at the helm.

In a post-Pep Guardiola era at Man City, it’s still unclear who will manage the team next term, while Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot at Liverpool, and Xabi Alonso comes in for Liam Rosenior at Chelsea.

Could there be surprise challengers, though? Below, we look at five games that could decide the 2026/27 Premier League title race.

Man City v Arsenal, 30/1/2027

It would’ve been easy to use both of Arsenal’s clashes with their main title rivals as two of the five games here, but we’ll go with the second of the two. Arsenal host Man City in November, but this rematch at the Etihad Stadium in late January might come at a more telling time – and in a more difficult place for the Gunners.

As impressive as their title triumph was last season, Mikel Arteta’s Reds did not beat City in any competition. That will be one area where Arsenal will aim to improve this season, and an away victory over City could make for a statement – and three important points. Conversely, a City win could give the Manchester side a mental edge over Arsenal, as it has appeared to do in certain moments in the last few years.

Arsenal v Liverpool, 6/2/2027

Again, we’re working on the assumption that Liverpool will be in the title race, or at least a threat to the sides running it. Arsenal hosting Andoni Iraola’s men (assuming the new coach is still in place by then?!) could be a tantalising showdown, and early February is certainly deep enough into the season that you start running out of opportunities to claw back points, if you lose. This one should be fun, and hopefully it’s important, too.

Chelsea v Man City, 24/4/27

We’re getting late in the season now, just a month before the final weekend. It’ll be interesting to see whether Alonso’s Chelsea are in contention, and the same with Man City given we don’t know for sure who will be replacing Guardiola yet. Again, it’s even possible that Alonso’s reign will have come to an abrupt end by this point, knowing Chelsea, but this match could be pivotal if these different shades of Blues are in the running for the title – or even if just one of them is.

Arsenal v Tottenham, 1/5/2027

The north London derby, surely another feisty rendition and a potential banana skin for Arsenal. Who knows what exactly Tottenham will have to play for, too; at this stage last season, they were desperate for points in a bid to avoid relegation, so will it be similar next year, or will they even be vying for European football – or something greater? Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, but this game could be impactful either way.

Man City v Liverpool, 8/5/2027

Almost always a thrilling fixture, and just a couple of weeks before the end of the season? Corrr. Let’s hope there’s still something on the line for either or both teams by this point, because if so, we could be looking at an instant classic.

Arsenal will kick off the defence of their Premier League title against newly-promoted Coventry City on the opening night of the 2026/27 campaign.

Having won their first top-flight crown in more than two decades, Mikel Arteta’s champions host Frank Lampard’s side at the Emirates Stadium on Friday 21 August in the first fixture of the new season.

It is a demanding start for Coventry, back in the Premier League after 25 years away, with a trip to Manchester City in the third round of fixtures.

Hull, meanwhile, host Manchester United in their first game after promotion via the play-offs, while Ipswich take on Sunderland on the opening Saturday of the season.

New Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola faces an early reunion with Bournemouth as the two sides meet on 19 September, while the Basque manager is also set to face his former club on the final day of the season, 30 May 2027.

A full array of Boxing Day fixtures is set to return to the schedule with Lampard and Coventry up against Chelsea, now managed by Xabi Alonso.

The two North London derbies will be held on 5 December and 1 May with Tottenham seeking a better campaign under Roberto De Zerbi.

Everton host Liverpool at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on 28 November before travelling across Merseyside on 30 January – a week before Iraola’s team take on Arsenal in a potentially pivotal period.

Manchester City, who are primed to appoint Enzo Maresca as successor to Pep Guardiola, begin against Bournemouth on Sunday 23 August and take on cross-town rivals Manchester United on 12 September.

Michael Carrick is now in permanent charge at Old Trafford, and is perhaps afforded a kind start against promoted Hull and Ipswich.

There are 33 weekend rounds and five midweek sets of fixtures across the season, although plenty will be subject to change with nine Premier League clubs in European competition.

Sky Sports and TNT Sports will again share television coverage, with the former channel showing at least 215 exclusively live games including the Boxing Day action.

Iran’s 2026 World Cup team will lodge a complaint with FIFA claiming they are being subjected to travel restrictions during the tournament in North America, the Iranian football federation spokesperson said on Thursday.

“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans,” the spokesperson said, according to AFP news agency.

Iran wanted to fly from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to the United States two days before their next group match against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday. But the Iranian federation claims its request was turned down.

“Given that the game will be played at 12pm local time in Los Angeles, the football federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match,” the spokesman said.

“The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations.

“Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”

After Iran’s first World Cup game on Monday – in which they drew 2-2 with New Zealand in a politically charged encounter – US officials said that the team will have to leave the country within hours of the full-time whistle at their World Cup group games in Los Angeles and Seattle.

The response from the World Cup 2026 cohost nation came on Tuesday following criticism of its handling of the Iranian team’s visas and stay in the US after their first game.

The Iranian delegation left the US hours after the match in LA ended at about 8pm local time (03:00 GMT) and returned to their base camp in Mexico, prompting criticism of the US handling of their visas, as the team did not get a day to recover at their hotel.

‘Match day minus one,’ says US government

The US administration has pushed back against the Iranian claims.

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said on Monday that Iran had been informed in advance that they would be allowed to come into the US only on the day before the game.

“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match,” Giuliani told CBS News.

“They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles.”

He added that the procedure would be the same for Iran’s final group game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Iran, who are in Group G, kicked off their campaign this week in North America after months of uncertainty over the team’s participation in the World Cup amid the US-Israel war on Iran.

When Nestory Irankunda made a beeline for the corner flag after putting Australia in front against Turkey last Saturday, everyone knew who he was paying tribute to. Twenty years on, Australia are still trying to replicate the magic of Tim Cahill guiding them towards the last-16 in Germany.

The sight of Cahill bobbing and weaving around the flag after the Socceroos’ first World Cup goal against Japan in 2006 remains a defining image in their history, so Irankunda thought it right to pay tribute to his “biggest inspiration” after the moment of his nascent career to date.

“I look up to him and I want to be like him one day,” the Watford winger said afterwards, instantly winning the hearts of many casual fans back home. But if they appear overly committed towards nods to the past, this was equally a breakout party for a team that are determined to far exceed low external expectations at World Cup 2026 - and simultaneously become central to a depressingly familiar political discourse.

Thanks to one fine result Tony Popovic’s squad, unperturbed by being so unfancied to emerge from Group D, face a battle for top spot against the USA in Seattle at 8pm BST on Friday, a match predictably being framed as the Soccer Derby.

Yet parallel to an opportunity few will have envisaged one week ago, Irankunda and a handful of his team-mates – yes, the migrants – have been inserted into that invidious position of becoming figures in a societal battle.

A couple of hours after Irankunda’s fantastic counter-attacking goal, a poll was released down under that said the far-right One Nation party is winning the nationwide popularity contest for the first time. On Wednesday its leader Pauline Hanson delivered an aggravating 51-minute address to Australia’s National Press Club in which she took aim at targets familiar to anyone who keeps tabs on the US Republican Party, Reform UK and other contemporaries.

Stop us if you think you’ve heard these ones before but there were attacks on left-wing media outlets, Islam, transgender rights. More pertinent when it comes to the Socceroos were her comments on immigration. “We cannot be a multicultural society,” she said. “We are a multiracial society but we must be monocultural. Australians must live under the one cultural umbrella.”

Were that the case, Australia would not be looking well-placed to reach the knockout rounds for only the third time in history. Indeed they might not even be at the tournament.

Irankunda was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp after his parents fled civil war in Burundi. Defender Alessandro Circati moved to Perth from Italy as a toddler because his dad, a journeyman in Serie B and C, got a transfer. Norwich forward Mohamed Toure was born in a camp in Guinea where his family lived for 14 years after escaping war in Liberia.

The defender Milos Degenek fled from Croatia to Belgrade as a baby and ended up in Sydney, the city where Ajdin Hrustic was born to a Bosnian father and Romanian mother. Awer Mabil spent the first 10 years of his life as a refugee in Kenya because his family fled from war in South Sudan. Captain Harry Souttar is from Aberdeen, eligible through his mother. There are others but you get the idea: all are Australian, all are from different backgrounds.

Zoom out a bit, though, and at a World Cup where minnows such as Curacao and Cape Verde have assembled squads that are not far off entirely reliant on the diaspora, the composition of Australia’s squad is merely reflective of a global game.

A significant majority of England’s squad, as with the previous few tournaments, were eligible to represent other nations. England can look at France and Germany and pick out players who could easily be in Thomas Tuchel’s squad now. Nationality is an increasingly layered social construct. Football, as so often, just happens to offer a crystalisation.

Before the tournament the Australia squad filmed a video in which they spoke about their journeys to this point, taking turns to deliver a message that is stirring and easy to get behind.

“No matter where you come from, football is for everyone,” part of the script reads. “We are a reflection of modern Australia. Our diversity is our strength. The Socceroos right now are a representation of what Australia is. There are a lot of journeys behind the jersey. To be a Socceroo has many meanings but with one purpose: to do the country proud.”

It had not been picked up in huge numbers before the Turkey win but since then the views have rocketed. Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Mabil underlined its meaning further. “The reason why it went viral is because it was raw. It was not edited. It was just purely what the players wanted to say and all put together,” he said. “It had an effect because individually Australians can feel and relate with it.”

It is just a shame that the myopia of Hanson and her ilk renders them incapable of realising the irony that the Australian team have already done more good for their nation than she is ever likely to achieve.

And while Irankunda may continue to speak glowingly of Cahill’s influence, the impact he has already had on other migrants this week still searching for a sense of belonging must not be underplayed.

The Iranian football federation said Thursday it will lodge a complaint with FIFA claiming its team is being subjected to travel restrictions during the World Cup in North America.

Iran wanted to fly from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to the United States two days before their next match, against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday.

But a spokesman for the Iranian federation said its request was turned down.

"Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran's national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organizers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff's plans," the spokesman said.

"Given that the game will be played at 12:00 pm local time in Los Angeles (1900 GMT), the Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match."

It said the aim of its request was to allow players "to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalize preparations".

"Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied," the federation spokesman added.

"The federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels."

The Iranians were also angry that they had to leave Los Angeles the night of their first game of the World Cup, a 2-2 draw against New Zealand.

The US administration has pushed back against the Iranian claims.

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said on Monday that Iran had been informed in advance that they would only be allowed to enter the United States on the day before the game.

"The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match," Giuliani told CBS News.

"They'll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they'll be able to do that again in Los Angeles."

He added that the procedure would be the same for Iran's final group game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Iran had a troubled buildup to the World Cup due to the war in the Middle East.

It switched its training base from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana on the US-Mexico border shortly before the tournament began and says up to 15 team officials have been refused visas to enter the United States.

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The 2026 World Cup is underway as 48 nations are split into 12 groups for the first time in the tournament’s long history.

Co-hosts Mexico, USA and Canada are the top seeds in Groups A, B and D respectively, while Scotland are in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti, and England are all the way down in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama. The top two sides in each group will qualify for the World Cup’s first ever round of 32, as will the eighth best third-place teams. Just three points could be enough for some teams to reach the knockout stages.

There will be 104 matches, up by 40 since the Qatar World Cup in 2022, while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo likely to play on this stage for the last time in their glittering careers.

Here are all the fixtures, results and latest group standings:

The World Cup began in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, the site of Diego Maradona’s most famous and infamous goals against England at the 1986 World Cup.

It was also the venue for two classic World Cup finals: Brazil’s win over Italy in 1970 which included Carlos Alberto’s iconic team goal to cap a 4-1 win; and Argentina’s 3-2 win over West Germany in 1986, where Jorge Burruchaga grabbed an 84th-minute winner.

Mexico and Canada will host 13 games in each, and the United States will host 78.

From the quarter-finals onwards, the US will host all of the remaining matches, with the final in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Who will win the World Cup?

Football’s biggest question is back – and the debate is already heating up. England’s new golden generation, Argentina’s defending champions, France’s relentless depth and Spain’s evolving young side all have strong claims to glory at the World Cup.

Now it’s your turn: who do you think will lift the trophy?

Lionel Messi announced his presence at the 2026 World Cup in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, scoring all three goals in their win over Algeria. The 38-year-old scored his first ever hat-trick at the World Cup for Argentina, in a masterclass that will live long in the memory. There had been some doubt about Messi’s level, after several seasons in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, and some injury issues during that time. Messi himself had expressed uncertainty that he would even make the tournament last year, but against Algeria he appeared to dispel all doubts. It remains to be seen how he will hold up physically as the tournament goes on.

Messi believes he is ‘very similar’ to Nadal

Following the game, Messi spoke to the press in the mix zone. He revealed that he and his Argentina teammates are currently watching RAFA, a new biopic on the career of Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal. “I love playing football, it’s been my passion since I was little and when I’m feeling good I give it my all. We’re watching Rafa Nadal’s series right now and I identify with him a lot, I think we’re very similar in that sense, that I always want to give my all and I want to feel good and I enjoy it that way. As long as I can and am well enough to do it, we’ll be there,” quote MD.

Can Messi lead Argentina back to glory?

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni may be pleased that the Albiceleste do not face any of the heavyweights in the group stage, allowing them to grow into the tournament. Certainly their midfield looked in fine fettle, and with Messi in that form, they will be a handful for any side. Perhaps the biggest question mark will be the pace of this Argentina side, who are relying on Giuliano Simeone to provide some of Angel di Maria’s runs in behind, although there is no substitute for the latter’s quality.

The post “We’re very similar” – Lionel Messi makes comparison with tennis legend appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The biggest World Cup ever has arrived, with 104 games set to take place over the next five weeks, as the US, Canada and Mexico host football’s most-prestigious competition.

Fans in the UK will naturally be keen to follow England and Scotland’s progress at the tournament, but every single game in the competition will be available to watch on free-to-air TV for UK viewers – meaning you can watch more than just the Three Lions’ and Tartan Army’s endeavours.

Of course, you do have to factor in the time difference, with the kinder kick-off times including slots at 6pm BST and 8pm BST, while there are games throughout the night for UK viewers.

Here’s how you can watch every game at the 2026 World Cup on the BBC and ITV – and STV in Scotland.

World Cup 2026 TV schedule, UK

Thursday 11 June

Mexico 2-0 South Africa (Group A)

Friday 12 June

South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic (Group A)

Canada 1-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group B)

Saturday 13 June

USA 4-1 Paraguay (Group D)

Qatar 1-1 Switzerland (Group B)

Brazil 1-1 Morocco (Group C)

Sunday 14 June

Haiti 0-1 Scotland (Group C)

Australia 2-0 Turkey (Group D)

Germany 7-1 Curacao (Group E)

Netherlands 2-2 Japan (Group F)

Monday 15 June

Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador (Group E)

Sweden 5-1 Tunisia (Group F)

Spain 0-0 Cape Verde (Group H)

Belgium 1-1 Egypt (Group G)

Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay (Group H)

Tuesday 16 June

Iran 2-2 New Zealand (Group G)

France 3-1 Senegal (Group I)

Iraq 1-3 Norway (Group I)

Wednesday 17 June

Argentina 3-0 Algeria (Group J)

Austria 3-1 Jordan (Group J)

Portugal 1-1 DR Congo (Group K)

England 4-2 Croatia (Group L)

Thursday 18 June

Ghana 1-0 Panama (Group L)

Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia (Group K)

Czech Republic 1-1 South Africa (Group A)

Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group B)

Canada 6-0 Qatar (Group B)

Friday 19 June

Mexico 1-0 South Korea (Group A)

USA 2-0 Australia (Group D)

Scotland 0-1 Morocco (Group C)

Saturday 20 June

Brazil 3-0 Haiti (Group C)

Turkey 0-1 Paraguay (Group D)

Netherlands 5-1 Sweden (Group F)

Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast (Group E)

Sunday 21 June

Ecuador 0-0 Curacao (Group E)

Tunisia 1-5 Japan (Group F)

Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia (Group H)

Belgium 0-0 Iran (Group G )

Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde (Group H)

Monday 22 June

New Zealand 1-3 Egypt (Group G)

Argentina 2-0 Austria (Group J)

France 3-0 Iraq (Group I)

Tuesday 23 June

Norway 3-2 Senegal (Group I)

Jordan vs Algeria (Group J) – 4am BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K) – 6pm BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

England vs Ghana (Group L) – 9pm BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Wednesday 24 June

Panama vs Croatia (Group L) – 12am BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K) – 3am BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B) – 8pm BST – ITV 4, ITV X

Switzerland vs Canada (Group B) – 8pm BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

Morocco vs Haiti (Group C) – 11pm BST – BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Scotland vs Brazil (Group C) – 11pm BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Thursday 25 June

Czech Republic vs Mexico (Group A) – 2am BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

South Africa vs South Korea (Group A) – 2am BST – BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Curacao vs Ivory Coast (Group E) – 9pm BST – BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Ecuador vs Germany (Group E) – 9pm BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Friday 26 June

Japan vs Sweden (Group F) – 12am BST – BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F) – 12am BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Paraguay vs Australia (Group D) – 3am BST – ITV 4, ITV X

Turkey vs USA (Group D) – 3am BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

Norway vs France (Group I) – 8pm BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

Senegal vs Iraq (Group I) – 8pm BST – ITV 4, ITV X

Saturday 27 June

Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H) – 1am BST – ITV 4, ITV X

Uruguay vs Spain (Group H) – 1am BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

Egypt vs Iran (Group G) – 4am BST – BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G) – 4am BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

Croatia vs Ghana (Group L) – 10pm BST – ITV 4, ITV X